Hong Kong: CE backs Police action (To watch the full media session with sign language interpretation, click here.) Chief Executive John Lee today said he fully supports Police action to offer rewards in relation to eight abscondees who are wanted for allegedly contravening the National Security Law. Making the remarks ahead of this mornings Executive Council meeting, Mr Lee stressed the Government would explore all legal means to bring these abscondees to justice. I am in support of Polices action, he said. It is not just that this is an important duty they should do, but it is to try to get as much assistance as possible from law-abiding citizens. And I also want to tell the criminals that the only way to end their destiny of being an abscondee, who will be pursued for life, is to surrender. Mr Lee added: I have strong faith in Polices ability to do what they can to carry out their duties. And we will be pursuing the abscondees criminal responsibilities for life until they surrender themselves. Our action is to tell everybody that endangering national security is not something we will tolerate. We will do whatever (we can) legally (do) to pursue the responsible persons. I am not afraid of any political pressure that is put on us because we do what we believe is right and safeguarding national security is the duty of the people of respective countries. This story has been published on: 2023-07-04. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article. Multinational companies upbeat about investing in Bao'an district, S China's Shenzhen People's Daily Online) 09:30, July 04, 2023 Photo shows the Shenzhen-Zhongshan Link, which is under construction in south China's Guangdong Province. (Photo courtesy of Guangdong Provincial Communications Group Co., Ltd.) Representatives of more than 160 famous multinational companies, foreign consulates and international chambers of commerce attended the 2023 Shenzhen-Zhongshan Joint Investment Promotion Conference in Bao'an district of Shenzhen, south China's Guangdong Province on June 28. During the activity, Bao'an district briefed the guests on the development plan for the Jiuwei International Headquarters Area. The Jiuwei International Headquarters Area is located near the Shenzhen Bao'an International Airport, while connecting to the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area. It plans to develop into a "headquarters courtyard" for Fortune Global 500 companies by seizing the opportunities delivered by the fast growth of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area. Aaron Finley, a director from Deloitte China, said that many of the companys corporate clients want to seek development opportunities in Shenzhen. "I think the construction of the Jiuwei International Headquarters Area is expected to bring more opportunities to them in expanding their businesses," said Finley. Matin Schrei, research and development (R&D) director at Simetric Semiconductor Solutions Co., Ltd., believes that the Jiuwei International Headquarters Area, which boasts a favorable geographical location, provides a suitable environment for the development of multinational companies and enjoys bright development prospects. Bao'an district has more than 50,000 manufacturing enterprises and over 5,000 industrial enterprises above the designated size. More than 7,000 foreign-funded companies have settled here. Shang Huijie, senior vice president of Siemens Ltd. China, said Siemens, which is building a R&D and innovation center for its motion control business unit in Bao'an district, has confidence in the area's manufacturing strength, strong innovation capability, ability to attract high-end talents, and resolve to build a global advanced manufacturing industry hub. Klaus Zenkel, vice president of the European Union Chamber of Commerce in China and president of the chamber's branch in south China, believes that the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area has made remarkable development achievements in recent years and boasts an advanced infrastructure. "Shenzhen enjoys bright prospects and companies that choose to operate businesses in the Greater Bay Area are bound to benefit from its development," he said. (Web editor: Hongyu, Liang Jun) A man was wounded on Monday evening after being stabbed near Montrose Beach, police said. The 29-year-old was on a walkway in the 4600 block of North Lawrence Wilson Drive when he got into a fight with someone at around 7:13 p.m., police said. Advertisement He was transported to Illinois Masonic Hospital with stab wounds to the upper chest and is in critical condition. No one is in custody and police are investigating. Advertisement vla@chicagotribune.com At least 10 shopping malls, 200 supermarkets, 440 tobacconists and 370 bank branches were ransacked in France's riots (LOU BENOIST) Joseph Guret surveyed the charred remains of his tobacco shop outside Paris, one of the hundreds of businesses ransacked in riots that have caused an estimated one billion euros across France. "They've taken my whole life away, now I have nothing left," Guret said, his voice shaking. The 30-year-old shop owner said his tobacconist in Neuilly-sur-Marne was attacked by 10 people on Thursday night who "took everything they could" and then "burned everything". The government had by Tuesday counted attacks on 10 shopping malls, 200 supermarkets, 60 sporting goods shops, almost 440 tobacconists and 370 bank branches since June 27. Inching through the space cut off from electricity by the light of his phone, Guret wondered "why they did this, they've burned their own neighbourhood." Selling lottery tickets, postage stamps and often coffee and snacks as well as tobacco products, French "tabacs" can be a rare meeting spot in remote or deprived communities. "Now they have to drive for 10 minutes to get cigarettes," Guret said as he stepped around scorched chairs. President Emmanuel Macron suggested Tuesday that the "peak" of rioting "has passed", while remaining "cautious" for the coming days. Abdelhamid Faddeoui, head of Aetos Private Security based near Paris, said "everyone is afraid that this is just a false calm" and "most of my clients are keeping up a high level of security". In the violence since teenager Nahel M. was shot by police in a traffic stop, damage has amounted to "more than a billion euros ($1.1 billion) without counting the harm to tourism", said Geoffroy Roux de Bezieux, head of employers' organisation Medef in an interview with the Parisien daily on Monday. "This situation has also led to a worsening of France's image that will have to be repaired," he added, warning that foreign investors could "abandon projects" in the country. - 'Life's work to ash' - With some shop owners talking about going out of business in the wake of attacks, Economy Minister Bruno Le Maire has vowed government aid and pushed insurers and banks to help out. "When your shop has been totally burned down, when your whole life's work is turned to ash, the state has to be there by your side," he said Tuesday, promising "case-by-case cancellations of tax and social charges for the worst-affected shopkeepers". Insurers' association France Assureurs asked members Tuesday to reduce deductibles for "small independent shopkeepers who have been hit hardest" in the rioting. Firms have also been requested to extend the deadline for declaring damages to 30 days, from five usually, and to speed up payouts including down payments for "the most difficult situation," the body said in a statement. France Assureurs president Florence Lustman told broadcaster Franceinfo that 5,800 claims had reached insurers, worth "at least 280 million euros" -- significantly higher than France's three-week riots in 2005, which totalled 204 million. Daniel Baal, general manager of cooperative bank Credit Mutuel Alliance Federale, said his firm would offer affected businesses holidays from loan payments or short-term overdrafts to get through the toughest times. "Clients living in these neighbourhoods are often not the best-off, and we want to stand by them, because they're victims... in neighbourhoods where there have been riots," Baal added. - Security firms 'extremely stretched' - Even as the government hopes for a return to business as usual, security firms are adding staff to meet a surge in demand. "There are companies which have doubled or tripled their security staff," said Aetos director Faddeoui. "The sector is extremely stretched, we need around 20,000 or 22,000 extra security guards," to meet demand, he added. Jeremy Regalado, head of glass repair firm WonderGlass, told AFP that "we've had so many calls we've had to turn away some clients". "On Friday alone we put up wooden barriers to protect 10 shops in less than six hours," he added. Most businesses that chose to protect their storefronts have left the boards -- installed for a price of between 50 and 100 euros per square metre (10 square feet) -- in place for now. Compared with the cost of replacing a broken window -- up to 5,000 euros -- it seems to many shopkeepers to be the safest option. burs/tgb/jh/rl Yevgeny Prigozhin, founder of Wagner Private Military Company (PMC), was given back RUB10 billion [approx. US$111,313 million ed.] which security officials found during searches in St Petersburg after his attempted rebellion Source: local media outlet Fontanka.ru Details: It is noted that as early as Sunday morning on 2 July, the investigation was not going to give back to Prigozhin the RUB10 billion, hundreds of thousands of dollars and five bars of gold found during searches, but by the evening of the same day the opposite decision was made. After the initiation of a criminal case on attempted rebellion in St Petersburg, searches were conducted at various facilities affiliated with Prigozhin. Firstly, an old Gazelle was discovered in the courtyard of the Trezzini Palace Hotel, from where they took dozens of boxes with RUB4 billion, and a little later, in the underground parking lot of the River Palace Hotel, another 80 boxes with RUB6 billion were removed from the minivan. As for gold and dollar cash, they were found in offices related to Prigozhin's business. According to Fontanka, by the evening of Sunday 2 July, Yevgeny Prigozhin was given back everything. However, he was not present at the procedure itself. According to preliminary data, the leader of the Wagnerites was in Moscow. On July 2, his driver came with a power of attorney for money instead of him. The journalist of the outlet does not know whether the driver personally loaded this money and into which truck the total weight of such an amount in 5,000 bills reaches several tons. Also, the Russian publication Podyem writes that the authorities of Rostov-on-Don would not recover RUB90 million [approx. US$1 million ed.] from Wagner PMC. The aftermath of the armed capture of Rostov was dealt with at the expense of the city budget, they say. Background: Journalists fight on their own frontline. Support Ukrainska Pravda or become our patron! Border agent took bribes to let vehicles smuggle fentanyl and meth into US, feds say A U.S. Customs and Border Protection officer took bribes to allow vehicles smuggling drugs into the country, federal prosecutors in California said. The officer allowed vehicles carrying fentanyl, methamphetamine and other narcotics to pass into the United States, the U.S. Attorneys Office for the Southern District of California said in a July 3 news release. He faces charges including receiving bribes, conspiracy to import controlled substances, conspiracy to distribute controlled substances and possession of a firearm in a drug crime, prosecutors said. If convicted, he could face up to life in prison, according to officials Six others, four unnamed, also are accused of conspiring to import methamphetamine, fentanyl, cocaine and heroin from Mexico to the United States, prosecutors said. We do not stand for those that would tarnish our badge, Sidney Aki, director of field operations for U.S. Customs and Border Protection in San Diego, said in the release. Overdoses are a leading cause of injury-related death in the U.S., according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. In 2021, there were nearly 51,000 overdose deaths in the country, according to CDC data. In the past 21 years, drug overdoses have killed more than 932,000 people, the CDC reported. The majority of overdose deaths involve opioids. Deaths involving synthetic opioids (largely illicitly made fentanyl) and stimulants (such as cocaine and methamphetamine) have increased in recent years, the CDC said. For every drug overdose that results in death, there are many more nonfatal overdoses, each one with its own emotional and economic toll. Millions of people in the U.S. have an opioid addiction, according to the CDC. Addiction is a chronic and relapsing disease that can affect anyone. Desperate moms plea leads cops to hurt toddler after DUI crash, California police say 13 live parrots found stuffed in duffel bags at California border crossing, photo shows Son hides moms death for 33 years and steals $830,000 in benefits, feds say The State Border Service of Ukraine told how many times they tried to bribe border guards Since the declaration of a state of war in Ukraine, 684 attempts to bribe border guards at international checkpoints have been recorded, with the total amount offered exceeding 7 million hryvnias ($190,000), the State Border Guard Service reported on July 4. The total sum of proposed bribes amounted to over 7 million, 100 thousand hryvnias, the agency said. Read also: Fewer than 40 Russians allowed into Ukraine since visa regime started in July 2022 In the month of June alone, border guards rejected bribes in 43 separate instances. Foreigners offered bribes in four of these cases, while the rest involved Ukrainian citizens, primarily men of conscription age seeking passage across the border. Under martial law, Ukrainian men aged 18-60 are not allowed to leave Ukraine, save for medical reasons or with explicit permission from the government. Read also: Were bringing the voice of Ukraine to the world. Support us with a one-time donation, or become a Patron! Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine Boston Police searching for suspect caught on surveillance video stealing dog from Dorchester yard Boston Police are searching for a male who was caught on surveillance video taking a dog from its owners yard in Dorchester. Surveillance video obtained by Boston 25 shows a male walking along the sidewalk in the Fowler Street area while holding the stolen dog, Tinky, a small, tan Yorkshire Terrier. Tinky was taken from her owners yard on Sunday. She weighs about 9 pounds. Police believe the male who stole Tinky is a teenager. Around 6:35 p.m. Sunday, police responded to a report of a larceny at a Fowler Street home. When officers arrived, they met with a dog owner who told police that an unknown suspect entered his back yard and stole his 6-year-old Yorkshire Terrier that was in the yard. The suspect was described to police as a Black male, around 15 or 16 years old, with a thin build and wearing a neon interior-black outer jacket, with a blue shirt underneath, darkcolored pants, black Nike sliders with a white Nike logo and carrying a gray backpack. The dog owner told police the suspect left with his dog in hand while walking in an alley towards McLellan Street. Tinkys photo is also being publicized on social media through the volunteer group, Missing Dogs Massachusetts. Anyone with information on Tinkys whereabouts, or about the person who stole her, is urged to call Boston Police. This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available. Download the FREE Boston 25 News app for breaking news alerts. Follow Boston 25 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch Boston 25 News NOW Brazil's Lula says Mercosur looking for 'win-win' trade deal with EU Brazil's President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva speaks during a ceremony at the Planalto Palace in Brasilia SAO PAULO (Reuters) -Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva said on Tuesday that the Mercosur bloc of Brazil, Argentina, Paraguay and Uruguay wants its trade agreement with the European Union to be a "win-win" situation. Lula has criticized some of the European Union's requests for the deal, including an addendum attaching sustainability and climate change commitments and introducing penalties for nations failing to comply with climate goals. "We don't want impositions on the Mercosur," Lula said in a live broadcast on social media. "It's a deal of strategic partners, so one cannot threaten the other. Let's sit down and work out our differences." The European Commission and the South American bloc struck the deal in 2019 after lengthy negotiations, but it was then put on hold largely due to European concerns over Amazon deforestation. Leaders of the Mercosur gather for a summit in Argentina on Tuesday, with Brazil set to take the group's temporary presidency for the next six months. The Brazilian leader said he would work for the deal to be completed in that period, despite calling some of the European Union's demands "unacceptable". In addition to fearing environmental sanctions, Lula has also been a vocal critic of a procurement clause allowing European companies to sell to Brazil's public sector, which he says could "kill" some Brazilian companies. Lula recently met with French President Emmanuel Macron and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen to discuss the deal. Von der Leyen visited Latin America in June and said she hoped the deal would be finalized by the end of the year at the latest. "The European Union made a proposal, we sent a response, then they sent a letter imposing some conditions that we don't accept," Lula said. "We are now preparing a response letter saying what we want so the agreement can be consolidated." (Reporting by Gabriel Araujo; Editing by Andrew Heavens and Alistair Bell) Engraving of Molly Pitcher at the Battle of Monmouth. | Wikimedia Commons Just under a decade before skirmishes in Concord and Lexington would set off the American Revolutionary War, a group known as the Daughters of Liberty formed to protest the Stamp Act, per University of Hawaii. On April 7, 1766, an article from The Boston Chronicle said 18 Daughters of Liberty gathered at Dr. Ephraim Bowens house and during dinner, they cheerfully agreed to omit tea, to render their conduct consistent. Besides this instance of their patriotism, before they separated, they unanimously resolved that the Stamp Act was unconstitutional, that they would purchase no more British manufactures unless it be repealed, according to the University of Hawaii. Related This was one of several significant events leading up the American Revolutionary War. On Tuesday, many Americans will celebrate Independence Day. It commemorates the day in 1776 when the Second Continental Congress adopted the Declaration of Independence and the colonies declared their independence. The events precipitating the American Revolution and its aftermath were critical in shaping the United States. Independence Day offers an opportunity to talk about this history. Whether its been a while since the last time you took U.S. history or youre looking to brush up, heres a brief history of the American Revolutionary period. By 1750, there were four different colonies in New England: the Province of Massachusetts Bay, Rhode Island Colony, Connecticut Colony and the Province of New Hampshire. During the 1600s, European colonists sailed to the Americas and occupied these areas called the 13 original colonies. The colonies shifted and eventually merged into these four, per History of Massachusetts. The governance of these colonies also changed. Colonies in New England started as charter colonies, which afforded them a degree of self-governance. New England colonies started shifting into royal colonies, according to History of Massachusetts. Royal governance meant the British monarchy had more direct control. By March 22, 1765, Britain passed the Stamp Act, which was the first direct tax on the American colonies, according to the National Park Service. Colonists began organizing efforts to oppose the tax. The Sons of Liberty and the Daughters of Liberty formed. Patrick Henry articulated an argument in May 1765 now colloquially known as taxation without representation and, later in the fall, the Stamp Act Congress convened in New York to discuss how the colonies would protest the Stamp Act. A lawyer by the name of James Otis said taxing without representation was disenfranchisement. He coined the phrase, taxation without representation is tyranny, per the Constitution Center. After the Stamp Act Congress met, petitions were sent to the King, House of Lords and House of Commons, per Constitution Center. They were ignored. The Stamp Act was repealed the next year. Not too much later, in October 1768, British troops arrived in the area to enforce another tax known as the Townshend Act a tax primarily on imported goods, according to the National Park Service. King George III sent around 1,000 troops from Ireland to Boston, Massachusetts, according to Smithsonian Magazine. On March 5, 1770, British soldiers shot and killed five colonists in Boston: Crispus Attucks, Samuel Gray, James Caldwell, Samuel Maverick and Patrick Carr, according to The Freedom Trail. This event, known as the Boston Massacre, spurred Bostonians rallying ... against the Crown and the evacuation of troops in Boston. By 1772, what are known as the Committees of Correspondence formed. All the way from Nova Scotia to Georgia, these committees were established as a way to resist British policy on the colonies, according to the Mount Vernon website. Tension between the colonists and the imperialists began to rise. In 1773, Britain passed the Tea Act which gave the British East Company a monopoly on selling tea to the colonies. Samuel Adams and the Sons of Liberty began joining with other colonists to protest this act, per Britannica. One protest that happened is known as the Boston Tea Party. On Dec. 16, 1773, patriots dressed as Mohawk Indians dumped 342 chests of tea from the British East India Company into the Boston Harbor, per Britannica. In retaliation, Britain passed the Intolerable Acts. Colonists dumping tea into the Boston Harbor. | Wikimedia Commons The Intolerable Acts, also known as the Coercive Acts, were passed in March 1774 and required British troops to be stationed in taverns and vacant buildings. The port of Boston closed, per the National Park Service. At the time, Edmund Burke said punishing the American colonies in this way would spark a fierce spirit of liberty, but King George III moved forward. Soon after, the American Revolutionary War would begin. Let it begin here, men in Lexington said on April 19, 1775, according to the Concord Museum. It was the day the American Revolutionary War started. The shot heard round the world, as Ralph Waldo Emerson called it, was fired at the Battle of Lexington and Concord. Colonists were standing together on Lexington Green as British troops marched forward to destroy ammunition stockpiled in Concord. Its unknown who fired the first shot, but the war began, per University of Maryland. Fighting ensued and skirmishes would continue between British forces and patriots. A chasm erupted in the colonies: some were still loyal to the British monarchy and known as loyalists and some fought against the monarchy and were called patriots. Its not exactly known how many colonists were loyalists and how many were patriots, but its believed there were more patriots than loyalists. Historians have not found any connection between educational level, occupation, position in society, or economic status and the choice to be a Patriot or a Loyalist, per Bill of Rights Institute. After the war started, there was the Battle of Bunker Hill, the Battle of Gloucester and other significant events leading up to July 1776. On July 4, 1776, several patriots would sign a document known as the Declaration of Independence. In part, it read, When in the Course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another, and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Natures God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation. We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness, the Declaration of Independence said. John Trumbull paints the signing of the Declaration of Independence. | Wikimedia Commons It would be five more years of fighting before British troops surrendered, but the Declaration of Independence marked the beginning of a sense of national unity among patriots. Patriots were able to rally after the Declaration of Independence. Valuable information from women like Lydia Darragh led to patriots being prepared in certain situations. British officers would gather at her home and discuss plans they had. One time she overheard that the British army was planning on stealthily attacking George Washington and his troops at White March in November. According to the Boston Tea Party website, Darragh passed the information on to her son who fought in the Continental Army and Washington was able to prepare for the attack. At the Battle of Monmouth on June 28, 1778, Mary Ludwig Hays marched with the Continental Army and fought alongside other soldiers. The legend of Molly Pitcher is influenced by Hays carrying water to the cannon during that battle, per the Museum of the American Revolution. There were other key points of the war like when Washington crossed the Delaware River, the Battle of Saratoga, Frances decision to enter the war against Britain, the Battle of Cowpens and a long siege at Ninety Six by patriots, according to the National Park Service. At times, it seemed like the patriots were unlikely to win the Revolutionary War, but they soon would. Gen. Washington led troops of patriots and French soldiers against Lord Charles Cornwallis and his British forces in a battle at Yorktown on Oct. 19, 1781. British forces surrendered and patriots won the war, per the Visit Williamsburg website. Soon after, British troops evacuated the area and a treaty was signed the Treaty of Paris. John Adams, Benjamin Franklin and John Jay negotiated the treaty for the patriots and the United States was recognized as an independent nation. After the war ended, the states would live under the Articles of Confederation, but the United States wasnt unified politically as states maintained their sovereignty. Economic problems and political divisions continued, per PBS. These problems would continue through the 19th century. The United States would later adopt the U.S. Constitution. The Constitutional Convention convened in Philadelphia in 1787, per the White House website. Delegates debated issues related to representation, relationships between the states, the process of amendments and other issues. There were two main groups known as the Federalists and Anti-Federalists who debated how strong the national government should be, per the National Constitution Center. Federalists James Madison, Alexander Hamilton and John Jay published the Federalist Papers in The Independent Journal and The New York Packet under the pseudonym Publius, per the White House website. Federalists argued in favor of adopting the Constitution, which was eventually adopted and ratified by the States. Slavery remained legal in the states and women didnt have the right to vote. Later, abolitionists and suffragists would look back at the American Revolutionary War and be inspired by the ideals of freedom that were expressed, per U.S. History website. America would fight another war in 1812 against Britain, a war that lasted until 1814, per Britannica. The Treaty of Ghent ended that war and then, around five decades later, the U.S. would fight the Civil War. The American Revolution continues to influence American politics, especially the ideals expressed in the Declaration of Independence We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. In addition to influencing politics, literary authors were also inspired by the American Revolution. The Romantics, known for an emphasis on individualism and freedom, looked to the French and American Revolution for inspiration, per Eastern Connecticut State University. Some of the Romantics included Percy Shelley, William Wordsworth, Lord Bryon and Sir Walter Scott. Abolitionist sentiments flourished. Emerson, who himself was a Romantic, reflected back on the American Revolution in his Concord Hymn. He concluded, Spirit, that made those heroes dare / To die, and leave their children free, / Bid Time and Nature gently spare / The shaft we raise to them and thee. Health center debuts new pharmacy Center Street Community Health Center is excited to announce the addition of its in-house pharmacy that is open to everyone regardless of prescriber. Marion Area Chamber of Commerce Ambassadors celebrated the addition during a ribbon cutting ceremony Thursday. The Center Street Pharmacy at 136 W. Center St. is now officially open for business following a ribbon cutting ceremony on June 29. The pharmacy is the sixth service added to the Center Street Community Health Center practice at 136 W. Center St. The other five services include primary medical, chiropractic, dental, optical and behavioral health services. The integrated benefit of an on-site pharmacy allows for real-time collaboration between a provider and a pharmacist, which provides the best optimized treatment plan for patients. The pharmacy offers the dispel packaging, which is a safer and convenient way to dispense medications for those who may be taking multiple medications at different times of the day. A delivery service will be added later this summer. Center Street Pharmacy is open 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday, except it is closed for lunch from 12:15 to 12:45 p.m. To learn more about the services offered at Center Street Pharmacy, please call 740-914-4371. Public hearing set for 2024 Big Island Township budget BIG ISLAND TWP. The Big Island Township trustees will hold a public hearing on the proposed 2024 budget at 5:30 p.m. July 18 at the Township Hall located at the corner of Decliff-Big Island and Bumford roads. All residents are welcome to the meeting. The Budget is available for public inspection by calling the fiscal officer for an appointment at 740-225-4030. ODNR invites Girl Scouts to be Foresters for a Day COLUMBUS As part of the Girl Scout Tree Promise, the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) Division of Forestry is calling on Girl Scouts to become Foresters for a Day. Events hosted led by forestry professionals will teach Girl Scouts about Ohios state forests. A Girl Scout poses with Smokey Bear during forestry event. Girl Scouts will learn about forest ecology, forest management, forest health, careers in forestry, and how to identify Ohio trees. They will have the opportunity to learn alongside foresters with various backgrounds and explore the multiple pathways to a forestry career. Attendees will be grouped according to their level in Girl Scouts. Families may participate in the same group as their scout. Events will take place rain or shine from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on July 22 at Hocking State Forest in Rockbridge and Sept. 9 at Mohican-Memorial State Forest in nearby Perrysville. Girl Scouts will have the opportunity to earn their Tree Promise Badge and a special Ohio Division of Forestry badge. For more information and to register, go to ohiodnr.gov. This article originally appeared on Marion Star: Community Health Center opens pharmacy, public hearing in Big Island The Peter fire burns northeast of Santa Clarita on Monday afternoon. (KCAL News) Firefighters contained a grass fire that burned about 14 acres northeast of Santa Clarita late Monday afternoon, according to the Los Angeles County Fire Department. Dubbed the Peter fire, the incident was first reported shortly after 4 p.m. in the 3000 block of Dwight Lee Street. Air crews estimated the fire measured around 14 acres by 6 p.m. The fire was burning in grassy fuel with 5- to 10-mph southwest winds blowing, according to L.A. County Fire. The fire was fully contained by 8:30 p.m., according to CalFire. Authorities on scene reported some nearby structures were threatened by the fire, but no evacuations were ordered. Sign up for Essential California, your daily guide to news, views and life in the Golden State. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times. Business travel for Indonesians to Australia will be made easier in a deal between national leaders Indonesian President Joko Widodo, left, looks at Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese during a joint statement in Sydney, Tuesday, July 4, 2023. Widodo is on a 3-day visit to Australia. (AP Photo/Rick Rycroft) CANBERRA, Australia (AP) Business travel for Indonesians to Australia will be made easier in a bid to boost the economic partnership between the two countries following a deal struck on Tuesday between their leaders. Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Indonesian President Joko Widodo agreed on visa changes, climate initiative funding and education partnerships during talks at Sydneys Taronga Zoo. Albanese announced Indonesians will be able to access extended business visas for Australia, increasing from three to five years, while Indonesian e-passport holders will be prioritised. Indonesians will also be able to access a frequent traveler visa. This offers a 10-year visa validity making an enormous difference and removing bureaucratic impediments to our closer relationship, Albanese said. Today our relationship shifts up another gear, our countries continue to choose to draw closer together." Albanese said Indonesia would play a critical role in boosting the success of the Indo-Pacific region. Widodo, who is on a three-day visit to Australia, said the two countries needed to work together on emissions reduction and developing batteries for electric vehicles. Indonesia has been looking at developing electric vehicle infrastructure across the country. We want the Indo-Pacific to become a stable and peaceful region that focuses on collaboration and concrete cooperation, he said. Widodo also urged Australian private sector companies to work on the construction of Indonesias new capital city located on Borneo island. Albanese announced a new package to support the development of the city, with Australias National Capital Authority to provide cooperation to Indonesia. Widodo's visit comes as the federal government is expected to finalise its Southeast Asia economic strategy to 2040 in the coming weeks. Good morning, Chicago. Today marks a year since the tragedy that claimed the lives of seven and left dozens more injured. Advertisement Highland Park will mark the anniversary with a series of somber events meant to balance the diverse needs of a community permanently scarred both physically and emotionally by the shooting. The day will begin with a remembrance ceremony at City Hall to honor those killed: Katherine Goldstein, Irina McCarthy, Kevin McCarthy, Jacquelyn Sundheim, Stephen Straus, Nicolas Toledo-Zargoza and Eduardo Uvaldo. There will be a moment of silence at 10:14 a.m. to mark the first shots fired, followed by a community walk at 11 a.m. down the traditional parade route. There will be no floats, no performers, no official spectators. Attendees must pre-register and pass through metal detectors to participate. Advertisement City officials have said the walk symbolizes the communitys desire to reclaim the town and rebuild its resiliency. Those efforts, however, began organically in the days and weeks immediately after the tragedy and continue to grow. Its rooted in paradegoers like Shane Selig, who returned home from the shooting covered in blood and determined to do something. He has since visited Springfield and Washington, D.C., to advocate for change. He doesnt push for a specific policy, but he feels certain that people should know what assault rifles can do and that fears about mass shootings shouldnt be part of American life. I wasnt able to save everyone that day, said Selig, a software engineering manager trained in emergency response. But Im still trying to do something. Here are the top stories you need to know to start your day. Subscribe to more newsletters | Puzzles & Games | Todays eNewspaper edition A person visits the memorial who lost their lives at last years Fourth of July parade shooting on Saturday, June 24, 2023, in Highland Park. (Shanna Madison/Chicago Tribune) Residents will remember the seven people killed and dozens wounded in the mass shooting at different gatherings throughout the day. The somber anniversarys events include a ceremony in the morning, a community walk, a picnic and a concert. Shane Selig, volunteer first responder at Highland Park mass shooting, at his home in Highland Park, June 30, 2023. (E. Jason Wambsgans/Chicago Tribune) Shane Selig thought he heard a firecracker. He swung his bike around and headed toward the sound as spectators ran the other way. He saw someone lying on the ground, showing no signs of life. He started CPR. Afternoon Briefing Weekdays Chicago Tribune editors' top story picks, delivered to your inbox each afternoon. By submitting your email to receive this newsletter, you agree to our Subscriber Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy > The popping sounds continued. He sought cover. A police officer pulled out his gun. Advertisement By then, Selig knew. Irina and Kevin McCarthy are depicted along with the other five victims at a memorial near the Central Avenue site, July 7, 2022, three days after the mass shooting at the Fourth of July parade in Highland Park (Brian Cassella / Chicago Tribune) Aiden McCarthys grandparents are fighting over who should become permanent guardian of the 3-year-old orphan. His parents, Irina and Kevin McCarthy, were among seven people killed when a gunman opened fire during the parade. A GoFundMe for Aiden McCarthy raised $3.3 million, which has been put in a court-ordered trust, to go for his care and upbringing. Chicago Trust Co. will administer the trust, and attorneys for the parties involved already have made more than $75,000 in fees from it. Advocates for the implementation of metal detectors and other security systems for schools in the Highland Park school district sit in the first row of seats during a District 11 board meeting on May 30, 2023. (Chris Sweda/Chicago Tribune) There has been division among people in the community about how far school security measures should go after an instance of mass violence in the town, and after an April 4 scare and lockdown when a student allegedly brought a gun to Highland Park High School. Moments earlier, more than 100 students had staged a walkout to protest gun violence. Robert E. Crimo III, leaves after his third hearing in Lake County court, May 9, 2023, in Waukegan. Crimo III is accused of killing seven people and wounding dozens more in a shooting at an Independence Day parade in Highland Park. (Nam Y. Huh/AP) Experts have suggested what was on the books if properly understood and implemented potentially could have prevented the alleged shooter from obtaining the high-powered semi-automatic rifle used to rain bullets down on paradegoers, killing seven and wounding dozens more. Map showing locations of mass shootings in Illinois since the Highland Park Fourth of July parade shooting a year ago. (Claire Malon) There have been 54 mass shootings in Illinois in the past year, resulting in 50 deaths and 225 injuries, according to data from the Gun Violence Archive, which defines a mass shooting as four or more people shot in a single event, not including the gunman. CalPERS pensioners David Berry and Bonnie Gayle Ng filed a lawsuit Friday in San Francisco federal court for damages they suffered as a result of a data breach that exposed their names, social security numbers, birth dates and other personally identifiable information. The lawsuit seeks class-action status on behalf of all California residents whose data was stolen in May from PBI Research Services + Berwyn Group, alleging that the companies did not maintain reasonable security measures or adequately protect California residents privacy. Both CalPERS and CalSTRS, the nations two largest public pension funds, contracted with PBI to identify retirees or beneficiaries who had died, helping them to prevent overpayments or other errors. PBI used a data transfer software called MoveIt, made by Progress Software, to securely exchange information with its clients. In May, a ransomware group known as Clop or C10p discovered a flaw or vulnerability in the MoveIt software and punched through it, gaining access and foiling encryption protocols. Clop claimed to have stole information from hundreds of organizations around the world, and PBI is one of about 150 entities that have acknowledged being victims. Roughly 16 million people around the world are estimated to have had data compromised. PBI, based in Minneapolis, did not reply to The Sacramento Bees request Monday for comment on the lawsuit. Its leaders posted a statement related to the breach. In part, it read: At the end of May, Progress Software identified a cyberattack in their MOVEit software that did impact a small percentage of our clients who use the MOVEit administrative portal software resulting in access to private records. This incident did not gain access to PBIs core systems or software. PBI promptly patched its instance of MOVEit, assembled a team of cybersecurity and privacy specialists, notified federal law enforcement, and contacted impacted clients. The pension funds announced the breaches on June 22, angering retirees who wanted to know why they waited so long to tell them that their confidential information was in the hands of hackers. San Francisco-based attorneys Julie Erickson, Elizabeth Kramer and Kevin Osborne brought the lawsuit on behalf of Ng and Berry. PBIs website heavily advertises itself as a secure host of personal information, claiming, protecting and securing your information is our highest priority, the attorneys stated in the lawsuit. While long on promises, PBI fell tragically short of expectations in practice. CalSTRS said it learned June 4 that PBI had been affected by the MoveIt hack, and CalPERS said June 6. But it took several days before PBI confirmed that the pension funds data were among the files breached. In total, roughly 1.2 million retirees and beneficiaries had data stolen, according to figures reported by the two funds. Lawsuit: PBI didnt give enough detail on data breach In the lawsuit, the attorneys cites CalPERS saying that PBIs initial communication did not provide sufficient detail as to the scope of the data that was impacted and the individuals to which that data belonged. Both pension funds told The Bee that they did their own investigations to determine which member accounts were compromised. CalSTRS said that PBI indicated that the hackers accessed the data between May 29 and May 30. A substantial majority of the funds pensioners are fixed-income seniors, the lawsuit noted. They are now prime targets cyberthreats. Their personal information is exposed in the dark corners of the internet because of PBIs lax security. A cybersecurity expert told The Bee that a recent texting scam aimed at Golden 1 Credit Union account holders could be linked to the data stolen in the MoveIt software breach. Upon receiving news of the breach, pensioners were panicked, the attorneys stated in the complaint. Many immediately attempted to contact the funds to determine the source of the breach or request confirmation of the safety of their pensions. The nature of this incident has caused and will continue to cause them stress, anger, and fear for the safety of their identity and income. The lawsuit noted that the National Institute of Standards and Technology has found that hackers often steal data and hold it for use years or even decades down the road.. It costs about $30 a month to pay for identity protection, the attorneys said. The plaintiffs are alleging that PBI was negligent and that it violated the California Consumer Privacy Act, the Customer Records Act, the California Constitutions right to privacy and the Unfair Competition Law. Carmelo Anthony, NBA All-Star & Entrepreneur, viewed on the back on a tv camera screen on Centre Stage during day two of Collision 2022 at Enercare Centre in Toronto, Canada Canada has a long history of public broadcasting. The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) was set up in the 1930s in response to the growing influence of American radio. Broadcasting in French and English, the CBC's radio networks carry speech-based and cultural programmes. It operates two national TV channels and TV and radio services for indigenous people in the north. There are hundreds of licensed radio stations, many of them commercial. There is extensive take-up of multichannel TV. The broadcasting regulator rules that quotas of Canadian material must be carried by TV and radio stations. The media are free to present a wide range of views and opinions. Outlets "are generally free of pressure from politicians, political parties, and political movements", Reporters Without Borders said in 2022. There were 37.1 million internet users by July 2022, comprising 97% of the population (Internetworldstats.com). There are 33.3 million active users of social media (We Are Social, 2022). Press Television CBC - public, operates English-language national network CBC Television and CBC News Network Societe Radio-Canada - public, operates national French-language network Ici Radio-Canada Tele and news channel RDI CTV - major commercial network TVA - major French-language commercial network Aboriginal People's TV Network (APTN) - Winnipeg-based national network, via cable and satellite CPAC - parliamentary and political channel CRTC - regulator; its website has information about the main TV groups Radio CBC - public, operates English-language network CBC Radio One, cultural network CBC Radio Two Societe Radio-Canada - public, operates French-language Ici Radio-Canada Premiere and Ici Musique Radio Canada International - CBC external online outlet, in English, French, Spanish, Chinese, Arabic CRTC - regulator; its website has information about the main radio groups News agency It began as a group of former British colonies, led by four of the Caribbeans fiercest and most independent-thinking leaders of their day when it came to foreign policy. Realizing, however, that their strength as small states lay in their unity, especially during the Cold War, the four pioneers of the Caribbean Community, or CARICOM, joined forces to create the framework for a common market and what integrationists hoped would be a political union to determine the policy of the region. Fifty years later, that alliance, led at the time by prime ministers Errol Barrow of Barbados, Forbes Burnham of Guyana, Norman Manley of Jamaica and Eric Williams of Trinidad and Tobago, is today a regional political and economic grouping of 15 Caribbean countries that includes French-speaking Haiti and Dutch-speaking Suriname. All but one, Montserrat, a British dependent territory in the eastern Caribbean, are independent. The other five British dependent territories of the Caribbean region are associate members. Prime Minister of Trinidad and Tobago Keith Rowley is welcoming leaders of the 15-member Caribbean Community and their five associate members to his twin-island nation this week to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the signing of the treaty establishing the regional bloc. Those early steps taken in Chaguaramas have led us far beyond what the naysayers and doomsayers were certain would have been a short lifespan and another disastrous shattering. But here we are, 50 years on, side by side in mutual solidarity, Trinidad and Tobago Prime Minister Keith Rowley said Monday as he recalled the signing of the treaty on July 4, 1973, in the Trinidadian city that laid the foundation for CARICOM. We have faced challenges and we have risen to overcome them. Speaking inside a packed ballroom at the Hyatt Regency Hotel in Port-of-Spain, Trinidad, Rowley welcomed CARICOMs heads of government to their regular July meeting, which will also serve as the celebration of its Golden Jubilee in the place where it all began. Going through a list of the Caribbean institutions that have been established through the communitys regional integration, he acknowledged the arduous journey that has marked the regional cooperation movement. But the community, he said, will continue to chart its own destiny as it prepares to face new challenges from climate change and poverty to rising gun crimes and violence, to transnational migration issues to and the ongoing crisis in its most populated member state, Haiti. Throughout all of this, the majority of the people of our region have proven themselves to be resilient, resourceful, determined and dignified, Rowley said. We must continue to have boundless faith in our destiny. Members of the Caribbean Community, or CARICOM, are meeting in Trinidad and Tobago this week to discuss regional issues that include climate change and the crisis in Haiti, and to commemorate the blocs 50th anniversary. Similar to the European Union, CARICOM was formed to promote regional economic integration. But unlike the EU, it has lagged behind the creation of a single currency, the removal of trade barriers and the movement of people and skills across member states. Dominica Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit, the current chair of the community, challenged his fellow leaders to making these goals a reality. The movement of people and goods are the backbones of a successful integration movement, he said. We have done all of the studies. Still, many in the Caribbean remain dismissive and question the value of the Caribbean Community. This has not been lost on the bloc, which has struggled to promote its message and its benefits. Within our own space, we have established critical institutions that are high functioning and highly regarded, Carla Barnett, the secretary-general of CARICOM, said. Yes, we do have our challenges and there are areas crying out for improvement, Barnett acknowledged, but said the community at 50 years old is stronger today and has a solid foundation to build on. Despite the global crises, the deleterious effect of climate change and natural disasters, and the ongoing threats to the security of our people, the achievements of the past five decades are proof that vision and concerted action are critical to achieving sustainable prosperity and security for our region, she added. Time and again, despite changing global realities, our community has demonstrated that resolve and resilience necessary to maintain the course of integration. Canada Prime Minister Justin Trudeau walks with Prime Minister of Barbados Mia Mottley as they arrive at the opening ceremony of the Conference of Heads of Government of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) in Nassau, Bahamas, on Wednesday, Feb. 15, 2023. The celebration and meeting in Trinidad has attracted a number of high-level dignitaries and leaders including United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and South Korean Prime Minister Han Duck-Soo, who were in the audience during the opening ceremony. Rwanda President Paul Kagame and U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken are also scheduled to arrive in Port-of-Spain on Tuesday and Wednesday, respectively. Addressing leaders, Guterres began his speech by talking about the dire situation in Haiti, which was highlighted by all of the leaders in their address. The security situation is appalling, humanitarian needs are soaring, and there is not yet the political solution in sight, he said, noting that he visited the country on Saturday. But I came with hope and optimism. It is impossible to look at the crisis without seeing the long shadow of centuries of colonial exploitation, extortion, dictatorship and other screaming injustices, Guterres said to applause. We must ease the suffering of the Haitian people. He recognized the critical efforts of CARICOM leaders to extend their expertise to help mediate the crisis with the recent meeting of Haitian leaders in Jamaica. I will continue to push for a robust international force authorized by the Security Council to be able to help the Haitian national police to defeat and dismantle the gangs, Guterres said. The challenges in Haiti require greater engagement and greater solidarity, which are precisely the founding spirit of CARICOM, the secretary-general said, noting the regions cooperation in areas of economic and social development, combating non-communicable diseases and championing climate protection. The United Nations relies on Caribbean expertise and leadership, he said, adding that the anniversary is a time for critical reflection on the enormous challenges facing the Caribbean. COVID-19 has destroyed lives and livelihoods, independently of our extraordinary response, he said. Tourism and export receipts temporarily collapsed. Prices for fuel and food skyrocketed. Debt burdens grew heavier, liquidity dried up and access to global capital markets worsened dramatically. All the while the climate emergency continues to escalate, threatening the very existence of small island and low-lying states. These challenges, said Patricia Scotland, the secretary-general of the Commonwealth of Nations, a grouping of former British colonies, are why CARICOM has never been more relevant. If you think about the challenges that the region has had in the last 50 years, its very difficult to think how these individual islands would have fared if they hadnt expressed their solidarity in terms of coming together in CARICOM, Scotland told the Miami Herald ahead of the opening ceremony. Antigua and Barbudas. ambassador to the United States, Sir Ronald Sanders agreed. Sanders, who writes a popular column that is distributed throughout the region, reflected recently on the blocs many missed opportunities as a result of leaders choosing to act separately by allying themselves with other countries for short-term national gain, and not with the majority of CARICOM. Despite such shortcomings, Sanders said theres still hope for broader success and the people of the Caribbean are better off due to the groups existence. CARICOM is the only vehicle through which Caribbean people can assert a Caribbean identity in the world and through which Caribbean governments can achieve global attention, Sanders said. Absent CARICOM, whats left is 15 countries which, individually, lack the critical mass, the financial capacity and the human resources to command any attention in the world. In the international community, CARICOM countries when they act together represent 14 votes. Those collective votes make a difference. As America celebrates its independence, learn how the resounding rhythms of Afrobeats continue to connect Black people worldwide. In pulsating rhythms, where beats fuse with soul and melodies that spark spirits, a musical revolution has emerged, carrying within it the power to unite and ignite the essence of the Black community worldwide. The irresistible musical genre known as Afrobeats has become a cultural phenomenon, transcending borders, erasing boundaries, and weaving together the diverse tapestry of the Black diaspora. Afrobeats: the genre that united the diaspora (Photo: Ton.l) Recent years have seen a significant rise in Afrobeats popularity, manifesting in top-charting songs and viral dance trends. However, the Afrobeats sound we know and love today is an extension of Nigerian musician Fela Kutis Afrobeat. Emerging in the late-1960s to 70s, the Afrobeat genre marries elements of jazz, funk, and soul with traditional African genres like Highlife which, in turn, is inspired by musical traditions of the Akan and Kpanlogo people in Ghana and Nigeria, as well as Fuji, a Yoruba musical genre. As the genres best-known pioneer, Kuti also admitted to drawing influence from famed African-American artists like James Brown. And as Afrobeats popularity grew in West Africa, it similarly rose to prominence in the United States as American jazz artists like Roy Ayers and Randy Weston and Talking Heads frontman and new wave pioneer David Byrne drew cross-cultural inspiration from the hybrid art form. After hearing the various types of music (in Africa), we in the United States were just simply an extension of Africa, being like almost the beginning of life itself and like its thrown itself out in different parts of the world. said the late Weston, a pianist and advocate for African musics influence on American music, per Billboard. Fast forward years later to the mainstream emergence of Afrobeats. Similar to the sounds of Kuti, the modern iteration of the genre draws influences from traditional West African sounds while weaving in inspiration from hip-hop, dancehall, and contemporary R&B. Today, the genre of Afrobeats acts as an umbrella term for numerous subgenres from across Africas 58 countries. Afrobeats is a unique connector as much as an evolution of a constant practice of all of [the diaspora] being in dialogue with each other as we form our music tradition, culture writer and critic Shamira Ibrahim told theGrio. From the United States to West Africa to the West Indies, Black cultural practices, cuisine, fashion, dialect, and music heavily influence one another. Woven together by shared history and experience, modern popular music trends can be traced back to past generations. For instance, the background vocals within Asakes music hold nuances from the Negro spirituals that inspired jazz, blues, and gospel music. Similarly, soulful 90s R&B sounds have been recently revived through artists like Burna Boy, who has sampled Toni Braxtons He Wasnt Man Enough and Brandys Top of the World. Over time, the genres infectious rhythms, exuberant melodies, and catchy lyrical narratives have captured the hearts and souls of millions, attracting listeners from Lagos to London, New York to Accra, and beyond. However, Afrobeats is more than just music; it is a celebration of African heritage and an affirmation of Blackness. Its captivating sounds have become a bridge, connecting Black people from all corners of the globe and reminding them of their shared history, struggles, and triumphs. It has given voice to our ancestral stories, dreams, and aspirations, fostering a sense of unity, pride, and solidarity that resonates deeply within the collective consciousness. From the vibrant streets of Lagos, the debated birthplace of Afrobeats, the pulsating beats of artists like Burna Boy, Davido, Wizkid, and Rema now provide a soundtrack for that nations spirit of resilience and joy and have expanded far beyond Nigeria. Likewise, in the arrondissements of France, the rhythmic Afro-Pop sounds of Malian artist Aya Nakamura and Congolese descendants Franglish and Dadju serve as a global reminder of the Francophone history within Africa, infusing Maritiniques Zouk genre into their sound. While these artists all fall under the Afrobeats umbrella, each possesses a unique sound inspired by the hundreds of musical genres that exist on the continent. We [all] have the same sound base, Ibrahim explained. So something can sound like Konpa [from Haiti]; can sound like Soukous from the Congo; can sound like Makossa from Cameroon; could sound like Kizomba from Angola because of that same rhythmic sound and theres something really beautiful about that. Creating a modern fusion of sounds from across the diaspora, Afrobeats has now become a cultural force, having empowered generations to embrace their roots and celebrate their African heritage with unapologetic pride. The rise of festivals like Afro Nation and AfroFuture (previously known as Afrochella) played a significant role in creating a welcoming cultural environment for African Americans to experience and learn about their ancestry. For content creator and marketing consultant DonYe Taylor, her love for Afrobeats drew her back to the motherland. As a Maryland native, diving into the musical genre became a journey of self-discovery for Taylor, as, like many African Americans, she did not know much about her ancestry while growing up that is, until the young entrepreneur was gifted an AncestryDNA test. After discovering her ties to Nigeria and Cameroon, Taylor found a tangible connection to her heritage when she took her first trip to Ghana in December 2022 for the annual AfroFuture festival. I looked at #DettyDecember & AfroFuture as the perfect introduction and opportunity get my feet wet in order to experience a culture that was taken from me but returned back to me through music, Taylor wrote in a blog-style newsletter recounting her trip. Each year, thousands of people across the diaspora flock to Africa for what is known as Detty December. During this season, major cities across the continent like Lagos, Nigeria, and Accra, Ghana, turn into a kaleidoscope of joy as festivals and parties celebrate life, music, and culture and one of the most popular stops on most revelers Detty December itinerary is AfroFuture. Described as the celebration of African culture, the festival sprouted from founders Abdul Karim Abdullah and Kenny Agyapongs desire to find a meaningful way to introduce and educate the world about their heritage and culture. Since its inception in 2017, this immersive experience has become one of Ghanas largest festivals. AfroFuture is not an event without the community. So without the vendors, its just a concert, right? And we didnt want to do a concert. We wanted to create an immersive experience which highlights the food, which highlights the art, the fashion and the people actually brought the fashion element to it, Abdullah explained to theGrio. And then, we provided the music performances a combination of all of these things is what creates that experience that people enjoy so much. Beyond the shores of Africa, Afrobeats has infiltrated the global music scene, recently earning its own Grammy category and Billboard chart. The genres rhythms and energetic dance moves have become a staple in clubs, festivals, parties, and social media, creating spaces where people from all backgrounds come together, moving their bodies in unison, and celebrating the beauty of music and African culture. However, in the United States, Black American artists have primarily introduced Afrobeats to the mainstream. The first people to collaborate with Afrobeats artists early on were Black American artists. It was Chris Brown doing features with Davido, Drake, and Wizkid, Ibrahim explained of the diasporic ties within Afrobeats. Part of that is just diasporic connection, because black music has always been in dialogue with each other. That dialogue is something that is actually really special about black musical culture and black cultural production, Ibrahim continued. And the predominant insistence that we have our separate things that dont interrupt each other is actually really counter to how our music has always evolved. We need to start recognizing how similar our experiences are [across the diaspora] but understand that the separation wasnt all our fault, said Abdullah. We need to be able to recognize that, and that will bring us together. I think that will bring the unity back for Black people. Haniyah Philogene is a multimedia storyteller and Lifestyle reporter covering all things culture. With a passion for digital media, she goes above and beyond to find new ways to tell and share stories. TheGrio is FREE on your TV via Apple TV, Amazon Fire, Roku, and Android TV. TheGrios Black Podcast Network is free too. Download theGrio mobile apps today! Listen to Writing Black with Maiysha Kai. The post Celebrate Black independence with Afrobeats, the genre that unites the diaspora appeared first on TheGrio. Celebrate July 4th: A look back at some of our best stories of 2023 (so far) Dear Readers, It's the 4th of July. In Rhode Island, that means parades, time at the beach and summer barbeques. As columnist Frank Lennon discussed, Rhode Island has a long history of celebrating the nation's independence. One British sympathizer even wrote in her diary on July 4th, 1777:"This being the first anniversary of the Declaration of the Independency of the Rebel Colonies, they ushered in the morning at [Bristol] by firing 13 cannons, one for each colony we suppose. At 12 oclock the three Rebel Frigates that lie at and near Providence fired 13 guns, and at one [oclock] 13 guns were fired from their fort at Howlands Ferry [Tiverton]. At sunset, the Rebel Frigates fired another round of 13 guns each, one after the other. As the evening was very still and fine, the echo of the guns down the bay had a very grand effect The nation's oldest, continually celebrated Independence Day Event, takes place in Bristol RI and started in 1785. If on the other hand, your taking the midweek day off to relax at home or on the beach here's a look back at some of our best reporting so far from 2023 that you're subscription has helped support. So kick back, relax and catch up on some of these standout stories- 'Tunnel muck' and RI's biggest public works project. Ever. The Narragansett Bay Commission's s decades-long, nearly $1.7-billion effort to create a subterranean tunnel network to capture overflows of polluted stormwater and sewage is in its final phase. When completed in 2027, it will bring RI into full compliance with the Clean Water Act. Already, water in Narragansett Bay is cleaner and clearer than in generations. But the project isn't without complications. The byproduct of digging a massive tunnel 150 beneath Pawtucktet is lots and lots of dirt. By the time the project is over planners estimate they'll generate 1.2 milion cubic yards of 'tunnel muck.' Just what should happen with all this byproduct has created a heated fight between state agencies. That disagreement is going to cost taxpayers How much do they make? Rhode Island municipal and school salaries in 2022 How much did they make? That's the question we hope to answer for Rhode Island's six biggest municipalities, as well as their school departments. To do it, we have requested salary data from all the municipalities and schools. These salaries stories are part of a series by The Providence Journal. Stories and databases will cover municipal payroll and school payroll in Providence, East Providence, Pawtucket, Woonsocket and Warwick. 'Everybody's scrambling': RI law enforcement agencies are grappling with a staff crisis In RI and nationally, law enforcement agencies are struggling to attract applicants, even as their ranks edge closer to retirement age, leaving some departments facing a staffing crisis. A third of the RI Dept. of Corrections' 900-officer workforce will be eligible to retire in the coming year, and the RI State Police drew fewer than 1,000 applicants for the first time last year. Staff shortages in the Division of Sheriffs is creating a ripple effect, delaying court proceedings statewide. Strategies being considered: Lowering education and physical fitness requirements; boosting training salaries; allowing lateral transfers; and easing restrictions on facial hair and tattoos. Remembering The Station nightclub fire: Twenty years later Twenty years after the nation's 4th worst nightclub fire, Rhode Island is still dealing with the collective trauma, legislative fallout and lasting impacts of The Station nightclub fire. Survivors, families, friends, firefighters, doctors and nurses were left to carry the physical and emotional scars of that night. For everyone who was involved, the memories still haunt them. His quest? Walk RI's entire coast- But private property and blocked access are a challenge Taylor Ellis is attempting to walk the entirety of Rhode Island's ocean-facing coastline and estimates that he's about 85% done. Though he didn't initially set out to make a statement, he quickly became frustrated by the many barriers that stand in the way of public access to the shoreline. Ellis, a grandfather of six with a part-time job advocating for the homeless, is on a quest to walk the entire length of the Ocean State's ocean-facing coastline. Along the way, he's had a unique firsthand look at the many obstacles to public shoreline access, from forbidding seawalls and "No Trespassing" signs to parking restrictions in high-end neighborhoods. From everyone at the Providence Journal, Happy 4th of July. Thanks to our subscribers, who help make this coverage possible. If you are not a subscriber, please consider supporting quality local journalism with a Providence Journal subscription. Here's our latest offer. This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: Some of the best stories from the Providence Journal in 2023 (so far) Chechen Ombudsman Mansur Soltaev has called the attack on Novaya Gazeta journalist Yelena Milashina and lawyer Alexander Nemov in Grozny a "diversion and provocation". Source: Russia's RBK, with reference to Soltaev's statement Quote: "It was a bold, subversive provocation against the republic. I think the internal affairs bodies will sort it out, we will monitor the situation". Details: According to him, Milashina was fully examined and "everything is fine". Background: In Chechnya, unidentified masked men attacked and severely beat Novaya Gazeta journalist Yelena Milashina and lawyer Alexander Nemov. According to the head of the human rights organisation Team Against Torture, who is with Milashina and Nemov, the lawyer is "sitting in a wheelchair" after the beating, while Milashina "cannot even sit" . The Novaya Gazeta journalist and the lawyer flew to Grozny to attend the sentencing of Zarema Musayeva. Musayeva is the mother of Ibragim Yangulbayev, one of the alleged founders of the Chechen opposition movement Adat. In January 2022, Chechen security forces abducted her. Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov claimed that during the transfer, Musayeva allegedly "attacked a police officer and almost took out an eye". Journalists fight on their own frontline. Support Ukrainska Pravda or become our patron! Chief Intelligence Directorate commented on the drone attacks on Moscow: Sometimes it happens The Chief Intelligence Directorate of the Ministry of Defence of Ukraine has vaguely commented on the current drone attacks on Moscow. Source: Andrii Yusov, a representative of the Chief Intelligence Directorate of the Ministry of Defence of Ukraine, on the air of the national joint 24/7 newscast Quote: "If we talk about Moscow, we traditionally do not comment on it. But it happens. If, for example, the Rashist 45th Brigade of special forces is engaged in sabotage in the Ukrainian rear, then this means that something might fly to Moscow. It happens." Background: On the morning of 4 July, air defence forces allegedly shot down two drones on the territory of New Moscow; one of the drones attacked a military base in the village of Kubinka, Russian mass media and Telegram channels reported. Journalists fight on their own frontline. Support Ukrainska Pravda or become our patron! Critics warned the Hong Kong security law would shut down dissent - now activists overseas are in fear China says the UK is sheltering fugitives after Hong Kong put bounties on the heads of eight pro-democracy activists who fled the territory. The statement from its London embassy came after the UK said it would not tolerate attempts by China to silence individuals in the UK or overseas. The eight left the former British territory after Beijing imposed a sweeping national security law in 2020. Hong Kong's Chief Executive John Lee said they would be "pursued for life". He urged them to give themselves up, adding that otherwise they would spend their days in fear. "British politicians have openly offered protection for fugitives," a spokesperson for the Chinese embassy in London said late on Monday, condemning what it alleged was "crude interference in Hong Kong's rule of law and China's internal affairs". On Monday a bounty of HK$1m (100,581; $127,637) was offered for the activists' arrest. The eight named in the announcement are all based in the UK, the US and Australia - countries which do not have extradition treaties with China. One pro-democracy campaigner who fled Hong Kong told the BBC his life has become more dangerous because of the bounty offered for his arrest. Nathan Law, who lives in the UK, said he needed to be "more careful" about divulging his whereabouts as a result of the bounty. Nathan Law fled Hong Kong in 2020 The eight activists targeted are accused of colluding with foreign forces - a crime that can carry a sentence of life in prison. The offence comes under Hong Kong's draconian security law, which was imposed three years ago after widespread pro-democracy protests took place in 2019. Beijing has said the security law is needed to bring stability to the city, but critics say it is designed to squash dissent. UK Foreign Secretary James Cleverly said: "We call on Beijing to remove the national security law and for the Hong Kong authorities to end their targeting of those who stand up for freedom and democracy." Under the law, hundreds of pro-democracy campaigners have been arrested and convicted in Hong Kong. Mr Law, one of the most prominent figures in the pro-democracy movement, said that while he felt his situation was "relatively safe" in the UK, he would have to be more vigilant, including when transiting through certain countries. "All these things may put my life in to dangerous situations if I'm not careful enough of who I meet or where I go. It makes me have to live in a more careful life." One of the other exiled activists - Anna Kwok, executive director of the Hong Kong Democracy Council - said the bounty was aimed at intimidating her and her fellow activists. She said in a statement they were all "united in our fight for freedom and democracy in our home, Hong Kong". She told the BBC's Newshour programme she had felt initial shock on hearing of the bounties but wanted to speak out. "That's exactly the kind of thing the Hong Kong government and the Chinese Communist party would do - which is to intimidate people into not doing anything, silencing them. "And that's why immediately I thought OK, I should make this a big thing and I should definitely talk about the transnational repression that's going on here and also the scare tactics - as well as how the Hong Kong government is just trying to see by which point would the international community smack their hands and tell them to back off." Australia's Foreign Minister Penny Wong said her government was "deeply disappointed" by the announcement and said Australia "remains deeply concerned by the continuing erosion of Hong Kong's rights, freedoms and autonomy". The US state department said the move sets "a dangerous precedent that threatens the human rights and fundamental freedoms of people all over the world". The other six activists named in the announcement are Ted Hui, Dennis Kwok, Mung Siu-tat, Elmer Yuen, Finn Law and Kevin Yam. Dozens of Hong Kong civil society groups around the world have called on Western governments to introduce measures to protect the freedoms of Hong Kong activists in exile - and to make clear the security law does not apply in their jurisdictions. The bounties were "further evidence that this draconian law is being used extraterritorially and retrospectively to silence pro-democracy voices and intimidate the Hong Kong community overseas," the groups said in a statement. You may also be interested in: New Delhi China's Xi Jinping urged the leaders of Russia, Iran and other allied allies to boost ties and resist Western sanctions on Tuesday as the leaders of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization met virtually for a summit hosted by India. The Shanghai alliance encompasses a vast stretch of the globe from Moscow to Beijing and includes around half the world's population when observer and "dialogue partner" nations are included. Alongside Russia, China, India and brand-new member Iran, the other full members of the trade and security alliance are Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. Russian ally Belarus, which holds observer status, was also told it would become a member at the next SCO summit. Below are some of the main points made by the bloc's leaders on Tuesday, and what's behind them. Putin thanks allies for support during "rebellion" Russian President Vladimir Putin thanked his Shanghai organization partners for their support during a brief, failed mutiny staged by the head of the Wagner mercenary group. Putin spoke via video link at the meeting, which was his first summit since Yevgeny Prigozhin ordered units from his private army which has been a key component in Russia's war in Ukraine for a year to march on Moscow after accusing Russia's military commanders of treason and ineptitude. "Russia is confidently resisting and will continue to resist external pressure, sanctions and provocations," Putin said, adding his thanks to the other SCO nations for their support during the Wagner putsch attempt, which he previously labelled a "rebellion." "I would like to thank my colleagues from the SCO countries who expressed support for the actions of the Russian leadership to protect the constitutional order and the life and security of citizens," he said. China and Russia have in recent years ramped up economic cooperation and diplomatic contacts, with their strategic partnership having only grown closer since Moscow's invasion of Ukraine last year. China wants to "ensure common security" During the virtual meeting, Xi "called for efforts to safeguard regional peace and ensure common security," China's state news agency Xinhua said, adding that he urged SCO member states to "enhance their solidarity." China blasts Biden's remark on "dictators" as a "political provocation" While China says it is a neutral party to the Ukraine conflict, it has been criticized by Western nations for refusing to condemn Moscow's offensive, and accused by current and former U.S. officials of supporting Putin's war effort by buying more Russian energy and other goods since the invasion began. "We must be highly vigilant against external forces fomenting a 'new Cold War' and creating confrontation in the region, and resolutely oppose any country interfering in internal affairs and staging a 'color revolution' for any reason," Xi said, referring to pro-Western popular uprisings in Eastern Europe in recent decades most notably in Ukraine. "Strengthening unity" with Iran Iran joined the Shanghai Cooperation Organization as a full member on Tuesday, with Tehran having intensified its diplomacy with friends and foes alike in recent months, seeking to reduce its isolation, improve its economy and project strength. Iran helping Russia build drones for Ukraine war, U.S. says Tehran's membership will support "collective security... expanding ties and communications (and) strengthening unity," Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi said. Iran's membership will feed concerns of some Western critics who worry about "Russia, China, Pakistan and Iran coming together, so there is a collection of countries that are inherently anti-Western in their orientation," said Harsh V. Pant, a professor at King's College London. But he added that the SCO was not that organization. "If this kind of an axis is to be formed, it will be formed independent of the SCO, because the Central Asians and countries like India do not see SCO as inherently anti-West," Pant told AFP. Security concerns over Taliban-run Afghanistan During the summit, the leaders of regional arch-rivals India and Pakistan said their other neighbor, Afghanistan, remained a key concern. India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi warned of the risk of Afghanistan serving as a base to "spread instability," while his Pakistani counterpart Shehbaz Sharif called for an "urgent reset" in international engagement with Afghanistan's Taliban rulers. Since retaking power over Afghanistan when the U.S. and its allies withdrew in the summer of 2021, the hard-line Islamic Taliban movement has robbed women and girls of virtually every right they'd gained in the 20 years since they were last ousted from power by the U.S.-led invasion. The group's draconian policies and rampant human rights abuses have seen their de-facto Afghan government all but cut off from most of the world, with millions of dollars in cash reserves frozen and the a long list of sanctions in place. The circumstances for the Afghan people, meanwhile, have deteriorated significantly, with India's balancing act India, which also hosts the G-20 summit in September, is walking a diplomatic tightrope. Uniquely, it is a member of both the Shanghai Cooperation Organization and "The Quad," a small cooperative group set up with the United States, Japan and Australia to counter Beijing's growing assertiveness. Last month, Modi was hosted in Washington with the full pomp of a state visit, and President Biden spoke of "two great friends and two great powers." But Moscow remains by far India's biggest arms supplier they have been allies for decades and New Delhi has been an enthusiastic buyer of cut-price Russian oil during the war in Ukraine. Exclusive discounts from CBS Mornings Deals A look at the flag that inspired "The Star-Spangled Banner" Fandango's Erik Davis on must-see films of the summer movie season (Bloomberg) -- The Chinese government has postponed a trip to Beijing by Josep Borrell, the European Unions foreign affairs chief, which had been due next week, a spokesperson for Borrell said Tuesday. Most Read from Bloomberg No details were given on the postponement. The EUs ambassador to Beijing Jorge Toledo said earlier that Borrell would arrive in Beijing next Monday and meet Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang and other senior officials there. READ: Top Europe Diplomat to Visit China as Economic Rivalry Grows Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin avoided a question over why the trip was postponed when asked Wednesday at a regular press briefing in Beijing. China attaches great importance to ties with the EU, Wang said, adding that Borrell was welcome to come on on the proper date. --With assistance from Philip Glamann. (Updates with comment from Chinas Foreign Ministry.) Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek 2023 Bloomberg L.P. People watch from Navy Pier in Chicago as fireworks are set off on July 1, 2023, to celebrate the Fourth of July weekend. (Chris Sweda/Chicago Tribune) Every summer, some Winnemac Park residents await the Fourth of July with dread. The unofficial and illegal fireworks show that takes place in the park every year can upset those with post-traumatic stress disorder, pets and children, neighbors said. But this year, after a stretch of wildfire smoke that blanketed the city for days, residents said its expected to be even more of a nuisance because of the bad air that will linger. Advertisement We cant control the wildfires happening in Canada. But we could control how we celebrate our freedom and independence, said 64-year-old Russ Klettke, who lives across from the park, on Chicagos North Side. The bright-colored chemical reactions that take place when fireworks go off might be visual wonders, but experts said they release harmful particles and pollutants you dont want to inhale. Advertisement Klettke has seen the annual fireworks show increase in size and spectacle every year since moving to the neighborhood in 2005. This year, he rented air quality monitors to use Tuesday to have data to show skeptical neighbors and city officials. I walked around the neighborhood (last year) and looked at the bluish haze and fog in the air thinking, Cant be good for you, he said. Russ Klettke, who lives near Winnemac Park, has for years alerted police, the alderman and other officials about the noise and pollution that Fourth of July fireworks cause. This year he's setting up air quality monitors in the park, shown here, to get data in hopes of building public awareness on the issue. (E. Jason Wambsgans/Chicago Tribune) Using air quality monitors borrowed from the Environmental Protection Agencys Region 5 office, Klettke plans to get a general picture of the air during the festivities. Theres been increased interest in the agencys loan program, which started in 2018, said Macy Pressley, spokesperson for the EPA. She said several people reached out to borrow monitors after the smoke last week prompted two days of air quality alerts for everyone in most parts of Illinois. [ Chicago records second very unhealthy air quality day, but predicting when smoke will clear is uncharted territory ] Klettke said the recent attention on wildfire smoke has made air quality issues a lot easier to talk about. I think were learning that our air can be a dangerous place, he said. Science and health effects When fireworks are ignited, the black powder inside them explodes, setting off loosely packed, finer explosive material called stars. Stars contain metals that produce different colors, and their placement determines the shape thats seen in the night sky. Some of the pollutants emitted by fireworks include greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide and nitrogen. Advertisement People watch from Navy Pier in Chicago as fireworks are set off on July 1, 2023, to celebrate the Fourth of July weekend. (Chris Sweda/Chicago Tribune) Fireworks also emit particles small enough to enter the bloodstream and lungs, known as PM2.5. This is the same type of particle pollution that triggered the air quality alert last week, when PM2.5 levels reached a point that was dangerous for the general public, not just sensitive groups like those with asthma. [ Chicagos air quality: Were in the crosshairs. Wildfires and wind push regions air to worst in the world, global pollution index shows. ] During a holiday involving fireworks, like the Fourth of July, and for a few days afterward, PM2.5 levels recorded in an area are typically two to 10 times greater than on an average day. Swiss air technology company IQAir said Chicagos air quality was demonstrably worse on July 4 in 2022 and 2021. Both years, the air quality index nearly quadrupled between the hours of 8 p.m. and 4 a.m. Even though wildfire smoke contains the same dangerous particles, experts said the toxicity and health effects of PM2.5 depend on the source. Wildfire smoke contains organic compounds and small amounts of metals, some of the most dangerous compounds for human health, said Vishal Verma, an assistant professor of environmental engineering at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. In the case of wildfire smoke, particles can also become more toxic while traveling in the atmosphere due to weather conditions, through a process called oxidation where substances change because of the addition of oxygen. Advertisement The effects of the atmosphere on firework smoke is still unclear, Verma said. But if wildfire smoke can become oxidized, its likely that firework smoke can, too. In terms of what theyre made of, fireworks contain certain types of metals that produce vibrant colors when ignited. For example, copper makes the color blue and is one of the more toxic metals, Verma said. Copper is a metal, which is very efficient in generating the oxidants in the lungs, you know, we call that as oxidative stress in the lungs, he said. It is a major class of the pollutants in PM2.5. Oxidative stress is the imbalance of unstable molecules called free radicals and antioxidants in the body, which can lead to cell and tissue damage, according to the National Institutes of Health. A 2021 study co-authored by Verma recorded substantial toxic PM2.5 levels during the week of July 4. People watch from Navy Pier in Chicago as fireworks are set off on July 1, 2023, to celebrate the Fourth of July weekend. (Chris Sweda/Chicago Tribune) We have found that although it is a very short-term source, it actually has a very, very, very high toxicity of the particles emitted, Verma said. Advertisement People that are the most at risk for health effects from PM2.5 are children and those with respiratory or heart issues, research shows. Background levels of PM2.5 are also different across Chicago neighborhoods, consistent with previous research showing how communities of color are disproportionately impacted by air pollution. A 2021 study found that levels were notably higher on July 4 in Chicago neighborhoods with larger Black populations . According to AirNow, the air quality forecast on Tuesday will be unhealthy for sensitive groups with ground-level ozone, known as smog, being the primary pollutant. [ Chicagos hazy skies and red sunsets: Smoke from Canadian wildfires and citys pollution converge for otherworldly display ] Ground-level ozone is different from the naturally occurring ozone layer found higher up in the atmosphere, or stratosphere. It is produced when two types of pollutants organic chemical compounds, which are produced in the manufacture of products like paint, pharmaceuticals and refrigerants, and nitrogen oxides from diesel and gasoline engines react in sunlight. That means that ground-level ozone is produced more effectively and concentrates more in hot, dry and still weather. When a person inhales ozone, it chemically burns the throat, airways and lungs, which leads to swelling. This can cause shortness of breath, asthma attacks, coughing, chest pains and throat irritation. Advertisement PM2.5 can cause similar symptoms, but it is linked to more chronic conditions than ozone, Verma said. Theres not a lot of research on what the combined effects of PM2.5 and ozone are on the human body. A no-brainer Theres a huge, obviously, issue of regular good old-fashioned pollution that were already dealing with, and its gonna get worse for the Fourth of July, said 62-year-old Marian Nixon, another resident near Winnemac Park. Nixon recognizes that theres bigger problems in the city but said this is something that could easily be solved. They will only stop when someone gets hurt or worse, she said. It should be a no-brainer. But its not, and I dont understand why. Consumer fireworks, other than sparklers or smoke bombs, are illegal in Chicago and in Illinois, carrying fines of up to $2,500. But that doesnt stop the multitude of unofficial fireworks shows that take place in neighborhoods across the city. In 2022, at least 11 people died and an estimated 10,200 were injured in incidents involving fireworks, according to a report from the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission. Advertisement [ Man critically injured when commercial-grade firework explodes in his face ] Nixon, Klettke and other residents around Winnemac Park have brought the issue up to city and park officials for years, they said. Afternoon Briefing Weekdays Chicago Tribune editors' top story picks, delivered to your inbox each afternoon. By submitting your email to receive this newsletter, you agree to our Subscriber Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy > Ald. Andre Vasquez, 40th, said hes received complaints about the fireworks since taking office in 2019. Each year, he has told residents that the Chicago Police Department and Chicago Park District have so only much available staff. But itll be different this year. Last week, Vasquezs office released a statement about restrictions to the park for the holiday, including police presence, to deter any firework use. Other restrictions include closing the school parking lot nearby and new fencing. He shares the concerns about the effect of fireworks on the citys air quality. When we know were having that much firework activity citywide, theres no way that makes it better, Vasquez said. Theres also discussions of an alternate event in the park next year, one that involves the community without disturbing some residents, Vasquez said.. Klettke was surprised when he saw the statement and remains skeptical as to whether itll work. Hes still planning to use his air quality monitors. Advertisement So maybe it really will happen; they really will stop this. I say, lets see what happens when it happens, Klettke said. Itll be an interesting evening. vla@chicagotribune.com Gloved hand holding a microchip. The Chinese government is tightening controls over exports of two key materials used to make computer chips. From next month, special licenses will be needed to export gallium and germanium from China, which is the world's biggest producer of the metals. It comes after Washington's efforts to curb Chinese access to some advanced microprocessors. The announcement comes just days before a high-stakes trip to Beijing by US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen. On Monday, China's Ministry of Commerce said the restrictions were needed to "safeguard national security and interests". The silvery metals are used in semiconductor, communications and military equipment. They are also key materials in products like solar panels. Semiconductors, which power everything from mobile phones to military hardware, are at the centre of a bitter dispute between the world's two largest economies. The US has taken steps to restrict China's access to technology it fears could be put to military use, such as chips used for supercomputing and artificial intelligence. In October, Washington announced that it would require licences for companies exporting chips to China using US tools or software, no matter where they are made in the world. The efforts have been joined by countries including the Netherlands and Japan. Last week, the Netherlands announced that it would restrict exports of certain semiconductor manufacturing equipment. This followed plans to restrict its "most advanced" microchip technology exports, which the Netherlands announced earlier this year. The controls are expected to affect Dutch chip equipment maker ASML, a key player in the global microchip supply chain. Meanwhile, Japan plans to restrict some of its computer-chip making exports. The measures, which were announced in March, will affect 23 types of semiconductor manufacturing equipment. China has frequently called the US a "tech hegemony" in response to export controls imposed by Washington. In recent months, Beijing has imposed restrictions on US firms linked to the American military, such as aerospace company Lockheed Martin. US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen, who is due to make a four-day visit to China from Thursday, has warned against breaking economic ties between Washington and Beijing. "I think we gain and China gains from trade and investment that is as open as possible, and it would be disastrous for us to attempt to decouple from China," she said, during an appearance before Congress last month. Ms Yellen will be the second senior US official to visit the country this year. In June, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken held talks with China's President Xi Jinping in Beijing, restarting high-level communications between the rival superpowers. Chinese scientist who was jailed for creating gene-edited babies proposes controversial new research [Source] He Jiankui, a controversial scientist who was sentenced to three years in prison in China in 2019, recently proposed gene editing to protect people from Alzheimers disease. About his idea: He posted his proposal on Twitter on Thursday, describing research involving gene-editing mouse embryos and later human fertilized eggs, also called zygotes, to determine if a mutation confers protection against Alzheimers disease. So far, He has only published his research proposal and does not currently have any set plans, as he told CNN that he is collecting feedback from scientists and bioethicists now. The Chinese scientist also noted that he would make a revision to the Alzheimers disease proposal later and reiterated that he would never conduct any of his experiments until he gets a government permit... [and] the approval by an international ethics committee with bioethicists from USA and Europe." More from NextShark: Man involved in multiple physical altercations with passengers on Los Angeles Metro Rail Promise for transparency: He added that his research proposal is a preclinical study and that no embryo will be used for pregnancy in this study. The scientist also promised to be transparent and share his experiments results and progress on Twitter. What others are saying: Peter Droge, an associate professor at the Nanyang Technological University in Singapore, told CNN Hes proposal is insane" and "highly questionable" since Alzheimer's has no single genetic cause and it mostly affects individuals toward the end of their lives. Meanwhile, Joy Zhang, the founding director of the Centre for Global Science and Epistemic Justice at the University of Kent in England, told the outlet she believes the scientists latest announcement is more of a publicity stunt than a substantiated research agenda. More from NextShark: NYPD Releases Videos Urging Chinese Community to Report Hate Crimes Past controversy: He made headlines in late 2018 after claiming that he created the worlds first gene-edited babies. The Chinese scientist eventually went missing soon after. Later reports revealed that he had been arrested in China in December 2019 and received a three-year prison sentence. Months after He was released from prison, he announced that he would be focusing his attention on tackling rare diseases, such as Duchenne muscular dystrophy, through his newly opened lab in Beijing. More from NextShark: Korean IT expert arrested after hacking into over 400,000 home cameras The company that owns horse racing's crown jewel, the Kentucky Derby, announced Monday that its two-year ban on trainer Bob Baffert is being extended through the end of 2024. Baffert's initial prohibition from participating in races at tracks run by Churchill Downs Inc. had been set to end this month, pending review. But the company said Baffert has continued to show disregard for the rules, regulations, safety, integrity and fairness of horse racing at its facilities by promoting what it characterizes as lies concerning a failed drug test for one of his horses. "Mr. Baffert continues to peddle a false narrative concerning the failed drug test of Medina Spirit," it said in a statement. Medina Spirit was stripped of the Kentucky Derby victory nine months after the 2021 win. The Kentucky Horse Racing Commission confirmed that a laboratory found the horse had tested positive for betamethasone after the race. The episode inspired the Churchill Downs prohibition. Baffert has denied drugging the horse on purpose, and in a statement Monday he reiterated his assertion that a topical treatment administered to Medina Spirit may have led to the positive test. He said racing officials are still adjudicating whether the topical substance he identified it as Otomax is allowed. His own lawyers, Baffert said, reassured him it was within rules. "I have been open, honest, and forthcoming about these events," Baffert said. "In no way does this involve a 'disregard for the rules.'" Last year he sued Churchill Downs in federal court over the suspension. Betamethasone is a legal, pain-relieving steroid commonly used to treat horses, but Kentucky and other states prohibit it in any amount on race days. Veterinarians say its overuse could mask serious bone and joint injuries and lead to deadly breakdowns. In 2018, The New York Times reported that another Baffert horse, Justify, which had helped him achieve his Triple Crown sweep in 2018, allegedly tested positive for a banned drug and should have been disqualified from the Derby. The Times reported that California regulators with oversight of the drug test took a month to confirm it, then concluded the horse accidentally ingested the banned substance, scopolamine, from eating jimson weed present at Santa Anita. Baffert's attorney at the time said the report on Justify's drug test was sensationalist and "short on facts." Wayne Pacelle, the president of the group Animal Wellness Action, said drugs like betamethasone have contributed to high-profile horse deaths at racetracks from coast to coast. Churchill Downs Inc., which has been under fire for the 12 racehorse deaths leading up the Kentucky Derby, made the right call to scratch Baffert through the end of 2024," Pacelle said in a statement Monday. "His long record of breaking the rules speaks for itself." The company, which also owns or co-owns Arlington Park in Illinois, Ellis Park in California, Turfway Park in Kentucky and other locations, said it will re-evaluate Baffert's suspension in 2025. Baffert, based in Los Angeles, has also faced suspensions from the New York Racing Association, the state of Maryland and Santa Anita, his home track. Baffert, a Hall of Fame trainer, is one of only two who have won all three Triple Crown races in a single year more than once. He has also won 17 of the three races that lead to a Triple Crown. This article was originally published on NBCNews.com Commemoration service held for writer Victoria Amelina, killed in Russian missile attack Ukrainians gathered at St. Michaels Golden-Domed Cathedral on July 4 to commemorate writer Victoria Amelina, who was killed in a Russian missile strike on Kramatorsk on June 27. The service was attended by the family and close relatives of Amelina, renowned writers, friends and colleagues, human rights activists, members of PEN Ukraine, representatives of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, and representatives of Ukrainian and foreign media. @ /NV The funeral will be held in Lviv tomorrow, on July 5. The requiem service will take place at the Garrison Church of Peter and Paul (11 Teatralna Street, Lviv), followed by a farewell ceremony at Market Square at 15:40. The funeral procession will then proceed to Lychakiv Cemetery, where the burial will be held at 16:00. @ /NV Amelina sustained severe injuries during the missile strike on the RIA Pizza cafe. She was accompanying a delegation from Colombia as part of the Aguanta Ucrania (Support Ukraine) campaign, which included Sergio Jaramillo, the former Commissioner for Peace in Colombia, journalist Catalina Gomez, and writer Hector Abad. Ukrainian writer Oksana Zabuzhko has recognized Victoria Amelina as a prominent figure in Ukraines new Executed Renaissance writers and artists who have been murdered by the Russian invaders. Read also: Were bringing the voice of Ukraine to the world. Support us with a one-time donation, or become a Patron! Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine Company develops innovative technique to eliminate the zombie sea urchins that are terrorizing our coastlines A venture called the Purple Urchin Ranching Project is helping to rejuvenate Californias kelp forests by ranching sea urchins for food. A heat wave in 2014 and 2015 disrupted ecosystems in California, triggering unusual behavior in red and purple sea urchins, according to The Inertia. The urchins quickly ate the majority of the kelp forests on the states coasts, and zombie-like husks of the urchins continually gobbled up kelp spores, preventing new stalks from taking hold. Urchinomics, Inc., founded by Brian Tsuyoshi Takeda, discovered that removing these purple zombie urchins from these ecosystems could help new kelp forests rise up and he also found that by feeding the captured urchins a specific kind of kelp, they fatten into a delicious delicacy that can be used in sushi restaurants and other eateries. Urchinomics business model is a win-win for everyone involved divers make money by capturing and selling purple urchins to the company, which Urchinomics then sell to restaurants where they can be enjoyed by customers. By removing these zombie urchins from overpopulated areas, new kelp forests have a better chance of regrowing, bringing balance to local ecosystems. The company also donates a portion of its profits to the urchin removal process, according to its website. The website clearly outlines the companys approach to circular economics divers remove urchins, Urchinomics ranches those urchins, then sells the ranched urchins and donates profits to more urchin removal, all providing space for the kelp ecosystems to recover. Urchinomics partners with San Diego State University to maintain the Purple Urchin Ranching Project, one of its many wings of ranching and restoration. My goal with Urchinomics is to prove that, when incentives are properly aligned, and the spirit of human innovation is unleashed, ecological restoration, social development, and company profits can be achieved hand-in-hand, Tsuyoshi Takeda wrote on the companys website. Through innovation and profit, we aim to reverse the decline of our delicate coastal marine ecosystem. Join our free newsletter for cool news and cool tips that make it easy to help yourself while helping the planet. Pep Montserrat for the Deseret News Politics today strains against the Constitution. President Joe Biden claimed that the Covid-19 pandemic gave him the authority to suspend all evictions, mandate vaccines in the workplace, and cancel most student loans. The Supreme Court found Bidens first two executive orders went beyond his powers, and held the third unconstitutional on June 29. Bidens mounting losses in the courts have not deterred his progressive plans. His proposals to impose nationwide limits on electricity use and to foist environmental and social justice goals on business wait in the wings. Challenges to our constitutional order, however, come not only from progressives. In 2020, for example, President Donald Trump pressured state officials to change electoral votes and then asked Vice President Mike Pence to block the count in favor of Biden. Just last December, Trump wrote: Do you throw the Presidential Election Results of 2020 OUT and declare the RIGHTFUL WINNER, or do you have a NEW ELECTION? A Massive Fraud of this type and magnitude allows for the termination of all rules, regulations, and articles, even those found in the Constitution, Trump posted on his Truth Social network. Our great Founders did not want, and would not condone, False & Fraudulent Elections! No court or state government agreed with Trumps claim of a stolen election, Pence performed his constitutional duty honorably, and power transferred peacefully in our republic on January 20, 2021, just as it has for the last 230 years. Political attacks on the Constitution seem to exceed the normal jousting of everyday politics. They take up a deeper challenge to our political order. These political attacks on the Constitution, however, seem to exceed the normal jousting of everyday politics. They take up a deeper challenge to our political order. A growing number of states, for example, wish to ignore the Electoral College system in favor of choosing the president by a simple national majority. Leading politicians want to redraw Washington, D.C., or add Puerto Rico as a new state in order to unbalance the Senate. They would also throw out the Senate filibuster to ease the passage of legislation. Critics suggest expanding the size of the Supreme Court to dilute its power and have launched an attack on the ethics of the justices to undermine their independence. Some want the federal government to exercise such broad powers over the economy and society while others want to expand their favored right, whether it be abortion, guns or religion. These proposals draw upon recent, fundamental criticism of the Founders work. At its very birth, say its critics, the Constitution accepted the evil of slavery. Abolitionists famously attacked our founding document as a covenant with death and an agreement with Hell for blessing slavery. Even though 600,000 Americans died in the Civil War, all three branches of government would permit racial segregation for another century. Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall marked the bicentennial of the Constitution by declaring it defective from the start. Only several amendments, a civil war, and momentous social transformation allowed the United States to attain the system of constitutional government, and its respect for the individual freedoms and human rights. Related Todays scholars have updated this criticism through the lens of racial and gender identity. They hold no love for a document that originally excluded racial minorities and women from the franchise, vests great power in a Senate that ignores population, and creates a presidency that they believe can verge on dictatorship. In its 1619 Project, The New York Times put a capstone on this critique by claiming that our democracys founding ideals were false when they were written. Instead of 1776 or 1789, according to this account, Americas true founding occurred in 1619 (with the arrival of the first African American slaves), and launched a nation that has oppressed racial minorities for more than four centuries. These criticisms attack the Constitutions defense of liberty, its support for civil society, and its check on misguided government. While our Constitution may well have allowed discrimination against minorities and women, it also established the principles and tools to overcome it. The United States began with the Declaration of Independence, which announced that 13 British colonies would separate from the mother country to form their own nation. But unlike European and Asian states, America did not share an ethnicity. Instead, Americans founded their nation on a set of principles. The declaration announces: that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness. Because all men are equal, no one has a right to rule another instead, all government comes from consent. That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed. While the declaration made the promise, the Constitution created the means for its fulfillment. As Abraham Lincoln wrote (drawing from a passage in Proverbs), the declarations principle of liberty is the apple of gold, while the Union and Constitution are the picture of silver subsequently framed around it. Lincoln observed that the picture was made, not to conceal, or destroy the apple, but to adorn and preserve it. The picture was made for the apple not the apple for the picture. The Constitution creates the institutions of governance that are to protect and advance the principles of the declaration. Beset by the original sin of slavery and tested by a terrible Civil War, the Constitution nevertheless made possible freedoms rise. The national government used its powers to end slavery, guarantee individual rights, extend the vote to all adults, and expand civil rights in schools, the workplace and the public square. By enshrining them in a written, governing document, the Founders made these rights more than just hopes and promises as is often the case with the constitutions of other nations. A government to protect against tyranny The Founders understood a Constitution to protect liberty by placing certain rights beyond the reach of government. Although the original Constitution contained no Bill of Rights, the Federalists who urged ratification agreed to the demand of their opponents, the Anti-Federalists, that the new government make it its first order of business to devise one. Proposed by the first Congress in 1789 and ratified by the states in 1791, the First Amendment safeguards the rights of religion, speech, press and assembly from the federal government. The Second Amendment guarantees the right to keep and bear arms. The Fifth Amendment protects the right to due process against government action and the right to property. Other amendments secure the rights of the people to their persons, houses, papers, and effects against searches and seizures, and of criminal defendants to a fair trial. After the Civil War, the nation adopted the Reconstruction Amendments, which ended slavery, extended the Constitutions protections for individual rights against the states and established the right to vote regardless of race. These guarantees continue to protect our rights today. By enshrining them in a written, governing document, the Founders made these rights more than just hopes and promises as is often the case with the constitutions of other nations. Instead, the Constitution obliges all government officials, through their oath of office, to protect them, and as written law, allows courts to enforce them. If the government prevents a protester from speaking, he or she can go to federal court for an order blocking official action. If an official seizes private property without just compensation, the owner can ask the courts to require just compensation. Courts will not allow prosecutors to arrest or try suspects without proper search warrants, access to legal counsel, confrontation of witnesses and the introduction of evidence, and the right to a jury. Related But the original Constitution did not rely exclusively on the courts to protect liberty. Rather, the Framers designed the government itself to prevent tyranny. They wrote the Bill of Rights itself as negative restrictions on the federal government, for example, rather than as positive definitions of individual liberty. Only upon the ratification of the 14th Amendment in the wake of the Civil War did the Bill of Rights become individual liberties applicable to the federal and state governments too. The Bill of Rights sought to preserve mediating institutions just as much as it protected individual rights. The First Amendment does not itself define a freedom of speech and religion but instead says that Congress shall make no law respecting speech and religion. The Free Exercise and Establishment clauses shield religious groups, which themselves can check government. The rights to speech, press and assembly prevent government from interfering with private groups, such as political parties, the media or associations. The Second Amendment protects the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, not just the right of an individual to own a firearm. It protects the existence of the state militia, another institution of 18th-century self-governance. The Sixth and Seventh amendments preserve juries, which could check overzealous law enforcement. The Constitution erects a second fundamental protection for liberty by creating institutions and processes of public power that restrain mob democracy while also empowering self-government. While ever advancing toward a more perfect Union, the Constitution fundamentally rejects pure majority rule. Why has government been instituted at all? Alexander Hamilton asked in Federalist 15. Because the passions of men will not conform to the dictates of reason and justice, without constraint. To help reason control passion, the Constitution creates a separation of powers that divides the power to make law from the power to enforce it. It requires a popular House to agree on the laws with a state-representing Senate, while vesting the executive power in an independent president. A lifetime judiciary remains free of the control of either. The Constitution grants the federal government only limited, enumerated powers, while reserving most authority over the matters of everyday life property, family, education, public safety in the states. The Constitutions creation of multiple centers of power ensures that a people unbalanced by passion or deceived by interest groups cannot rush into disaster. In a parliamentary system, a single majority controls all levers of government and can make new laws at a whim. By contrast, the Constitution creates different levels and branches of government that have the incentive to compete and even conflict. In that collision, the Founders assumed, only policy truly in the public interest would emerge. In the compound republic of America, James Madison explained in Federalist 51, the power surrendered by the people, is first divided between two distinct governments, and then the portion allotted to each subdivided among distinct and separate departments. From this combination of federalism and the separation of powers, a double security arises to the rights of the people. Madison explained: The different governments will control each other; at the same time that each will be controlled by itself. While it may slow change, the Constitution has endured while our peers have lived under monarchies, revolutionary regimes, socialism, fascism and authoritarian dictatorships that have killed tens of millions in just the last century alone. As the Constitution ages ... While it may slow change, the Constitution has endured while our Western and Asian peers have lived under monarchies, revolutionary regimes, socialism, fascism and authoritarian dictatorships that have killed tens of millions in just the last century alone. While the Old World struggled through the worst of the two world wars, the Great Depression and the socialist disasters that followed, the United States avoided the massive death and destruction of these crises and survived with its economic and political orders relatively intact. Admittedly, the federal government greatly expanded its size and reach during the New Deal and the Great Society. The United States, however, never experienced a competitive socialist political party or the widespread nationalization of industry. The size of the federal government in the number of employees or as a percentage of the economy still pales in comparison to that of European governments. The United States enjoys a significant decentralization among federal, state and local governments, which are further cabined by the strong institutions of private civil society (such as schools, churches, charities and civic groups), compared to our advanced industrial peers. While the Constitution places its protections for individual rights and its structuring of power beyond the reach of regular politics, it does not answer todays radical challenge against constitutional governance altogether. If we live under a principle of majority rule, todays critics suggest, then we are under no duty to respect the choices made at the founding. The dead hand of the past should not reach beyond the grave to control us, the living. Thomas Jefferson leveled a similar charge at the Constitution during the ratification. Jefferson objected to the idea that one generation of men has the right to bind another. As he wrote just after the outbreak of the French Revolution, the Earth belongs always to the living generation, and that one generation is to another as one independent nation to another. Because the dead hand of the past should not control the living, Jefferson believed, no society can make a perpetual constitution, or even a perpetual law. In his Notes on the State of Virginia, Jefferson recommended that a Constitution create a simple process to call for a new convention to create a new founding charter. Madison defended the idea of a fixed constitution against the attacks of his political mentor. A permanent constitution bore important gifts stability chief among them. Frequent changes to the Constitution, he worried, deprive the government of that veneration which time bestows on everything, and without which perhaps the wisest and freest government would not possess the requisite stability. Madison observed that ancient, as well as numerous traditions and institutions would fortify a reverence for the laws. Without that respect for the past, Madison argued, the public passions might disorder the constitutional equilibrium of the government and vest vast authority in the wrong hands. Madisons rejoinder to Jefferson provides a last, and perhaps most important, virtue of our Constitution. As the Constitution ages, it establishes government institutions and national traditions that foster political and social stability. It sets the rules of the political game that allow Americans to pursue their political futures without suffering periodic disorder or even revolution. It gives the American people the means to rule themselves and remind us that we engage in self-government to advance, not regulate, our natural rights. Most importantly, the Constitution reminds the American people that rights do not come from government, but from their Creator. In this, the American Constitution may be the most exceptional of all. John Yoo is the Emanuel S. Heller Professor of Law at the University of California, Berkeley and the co-author of the Politically incorrect guide to the supreme court, which publishes this month. This story appears in the July/August issue of Deseret Magazine. Learn more about how to subscribe. Controversial sign at Ga. Subway with implied message about Titanic sub draws eyes nationwide Some people are asking the question, How soon is too soon after a Georgia Subway sign sparked conversation across social media. [DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks] The words Our subs dont implode could be seen on the Subway sign from Highway 21, in Rincon, Georgia, WTOC in Savannah, a CNN affiliate, reported. The sign appeared to be in reference to the wreckage of the submersible that imploded during an underwater voyage to view the Titanic. WTOC reported that management at the Subway said the message has since been removed but would not comment further on the matter. TRENDING STORIES: A recent phrase added to the Subway sign in Rincon sent social media in a frenzy. https://t.co/Bs8fGupZyG wtoc11 (@WTOC11) July 3, 2023 Last week, AP News stated that the submersible suffered a catastrophic implosion that likely killed its pilot and the four passengers onboard amid the intense water pressure. Stockton Rush, the Titans pilot, and CEO of OceanGate Expeditions, the company that owned the submersible, was killed in the implosion along with two members of a prominent Pakistani family, Shahzada Dawood and his son Suleman Dawood; British adventurer Hamish Harding; and Titanic expert Paul-Henri Nargeolet. The implosion of the Titan has raised questions about the safety of private undersea exploration operations. The Coast Guard wants to use the investigation to improve the safety of submersibles. [SIGN UP: WSB-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter] IN OTHER NEWS: 3D rendering of a digital screen displaying a law scale Phonlama / iPhoto / Getty Images The rapid advancement of artificial intelligence technology has stoked both fear and existential dread among industry experts and politicians alike. Although AI has immense potential, industry insiders have repeatedly warned of the technology's dangers and called for governments to step in with regulations. Studies suggest that "efforts to regulate AI appear to be gathering pace," the World Economic Forum stated. Data from Stanford University's 2023 AI Index shows that 37 bills related to AI were passed into law throughout the world in 2022. While some nations are still grappling with this issue, others are implementing national regulations to monitor and keep the use and development of artificial intelligence tech in check. European Union With the Artificial Intelligence Act one step closer to becoming law, the EU has surpassed other Western countries in the global push to pass AI regulations. Canada is currently considering a similar proposal called the Artificial Intelligence and Data Act. In the United Kingdom, Rishi Sunak announced that the U.K. would convene a global summit for AI safety in the fall. "But the EU's AI Act, two years in the making, is the first serious attempt to regulate the technology," Dan Milmo wrote in The Guardian's Tech Scape newsletter. The act was initially proposed in 2021, but the recent emergence of advanced generative AI, like OpenAI's ChatGPT, put renewed pressure on lawmakers to push the proposed regulations forward. The European Parliament approved the text in the draft of the AI Act on June 14, 2023, a significant step in eventually passing the proposal into law. The rules of the proposal encompass a wide range of AI technologies, including AI-generated deepfake videos, chatbots like ChatGPT, some drones and live facial recognition. The EU has taken a tiered risk-based approach with the AI Act, categorizing applications according to the risk they pose to the public. Technology deemed an "unacceptable risk" would be banned outright. High-risk AI tools that could "negatively affect safety or fundamental rights" are required to submit to a risk assessment before being released to the public. And generative AI applications must disclose what copyrighted works they use to train their programs. The EU aims to have the law's final form passed by the end of the year. The next step is talks between the European Commission, the parliament's AI committee chairs, and the Council of the European Union to finalize the legislation. United States While they seem to be a long way away from solidifying federal regulations, the White House and Congress have recently made AI more of a priority. In October 2022, the White House released the Blueprint for an AI Bill of Rights, a list of proposed principles to guide how to design or use AI tech in a way that protects the American public from harm. The guide doesn't outline any repercussions for companies that do not adhere to the guidelines. Still, it does suggest ways to ensure the technology was built with protecting civil liberties in mind. Since then, Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) has presented a framework for regulating AI, seeking to "give lawmakers a comprehensive crash course in AI in a setting where partisan rancor might be set aside" before they impose regulations, The New York Times reported. "In many ways, we're starting from scratch, but I believe Congress is up to the challenge," he said during a speech at the Center for Strategic and International Studies. Behind the scenes, U.S. officials are "especially mindful of Washington's poor track record of swiftly tackling major technological change, and the failure to regulate social media early on looms especially large," CNN reported. Unlike other industries, Congress lacks a committee dedicated to technology. "As a result," Maya Kornber opined in Slate, "several different committees are throwing spaghetti against the wall in a real-time demonstration that Congress is simply not structured or resourced to do its job on AI." China China already had regulations to limit the spread of deceptively manipulated images, audio and videos, known as deepfakes, which went into effect in January. In April, the country's internet regulator, the Cyberspace Administration of China, unveiled a draft of rules that would hold creators of generative AI chatbots to the country's strict censorship regulations. The rules require companies to ensure that their "products uphold Chinese socialist values and do not generate content that suggests regime subversion, violence or pornography or disrupts economic or social order," the South China Morning Post summarized. The State Council, China's cabinet, is poised to work on a submitted AI law draft as a part of its 2023 legislative plan. The draft is among 50 other measures to be reviewed by the National People's Congress Standing Committee. "On a smaller scale, tech hub Shenzhen in southern Guangdong province passed China's first local government regulation focused on boosting AI development in September last year," the South China Morning Post reported. You may also like Vietnam bans the 'Barbie' movie over map scene Florida construction and agricultural workforces diminished after new immigration law takes effect Judge limits how Biden officials can communicate with social media companies Twelve Arizona county attorneys all but three of them are requesting Gov. Katie Hobbs rescind her executive order limiting prosecutions related to abortion. The county attorneys made the request in a letter to Hobbs sent late Monday. The order, signed June 22, gives state Attorney General Kris Mayes the power to handle any attempted county prosecution under state abortion laws, bans state agencies from assisting investigations for alleged violations in other states and bans extradition of people accused of violating other states' abortion laws. In the letter, the county attorneys say the order runs contrary to the status quo in Arizona, which they argue gives them discretion over criminal prosecutions unless state law provides otherwise. "The governors office should not interfere with the discretion of prosecutors in fulfilling their duties as elected officials," the letter states. "Whether this was the intended purpose, the result is an unnecessary and unjustified impingement on the duties and obligations of elected county attorneys in Arizona." The county attorneys say the order sets a dangerous precedent that could be abused by the executive branch in the future. This executive order results in an exercise of authority not vested in the governors office. It is a substantial overreach to suggest the governor may strip away prosecutorial discretion from local, elected officials, Maricopa County Attorney Rachel Mitchell wrote in a letter to the governor. She and her colleagues requested Hobbs rescind a section of the order which gives authority over abortion-related criminal prosecutions to the Attorney General, as well as another section of the order that reads: "insofar as it would limit access to criminal history records or crime lab support." The letter asks Hobbs to act by July 7, Friday. Backlash: After Hobbs signs order on abortion, Republicans in Legislature will refuse to consider nominees House Speaker Ben Toma on Monday asked Hobbs to immediately rescind another executive order, one that bans the use of any state or federal funds to support conversion therapy. Hobbs issued the order on June 27, saying its intended to protect LGBTQ+ youth from harmful attempts at conversion therapy. The therapy has been discredited by scientists as a method to change a persons sexual orientation or gender identity. The order is unprecedented, vague, unintelligible and unenforceable, Toma R-Glendale wrote. The governors definition of conversion therapy doesnt exist in state law, he said, as he predicted it will lead to inevitable confusion among state agencies on how to carry out Hobbs order and could lead to constitutional challenges. In response to the letter from the county attorneys, the governor's communications Director Christian Slater said Hobbs would not rescind the order. "Governor Hobbs will never stop fighting for reproductive freedoms in Arizona," Slater said. "She will continue to use her lawful executive authority to put sanity over chaos and protect everyday Arizonans from extremists who are threatening to prosecute women and doctors over reproductive healthcare. Republic reporters Mary Jo Pitzl and Ray Stern contributed to this article. This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: 12 AZ county attorneys want Hobbs to rescind abortion executive order Crimean Titan plant turned into Russian military base, guerrillas say Russian invasion forces have turned the Crimean Titan chemical plant into a military base, the pro-Ukrainian Atesh partisan movement reported on Telegram on July 4. "Atesh agents report a difficult situation at the chemical facility," the report said. "Russia has turned the plant into a military base. They deployed air defense systems there, as well as a large number of troops. The entire area is completely mined." The occupying authorities are also laying off plant's employees at an alarming rate, Atesh reported. Production has almost completely halted. Read also: NSDC chief Danilov says Russians should flee Crimea while they can The guerrillas believe Russians intends to turn the chemical facility into a defensive stronghold. "They are ready to blackmail the entire world and Ukraine with a new environmental disaster, Atesh noted. They don't care about the locals or the environment. [The Russians are] despicable barbarians. On June 13, Ukrainian military intelligence confirmed that the Crimean Titan plants territory and workshops were mined. Military intelligence spokesperson Andriy Yusov said the Russians were disabling production in case of a withdrawal from the peninsula, or to commit a terror attack similar to the destruction of the Kakhovka Dam. Head of the Joint Press Center of the Southern Defense Forces of Ukraine, Natalia Humeniuk, has pointed out that Russia is utterly capable of creating another man-made environmental disaster in Ukraine, as they already have at the Kakhovka Dam. Read also: Were bringing the voice of Ukraine to the world. Support us with a one-time donation, or become a Patron! Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine Maintenance personnel check a Predator drone operated by the U.S. before its surveillance flight near the Mexican border on March 7, 2013, from Fort Huachuca in Sierra Vista, Arizona. (John Moore/Getty Images) The early stretch of the 2024 presidential campaign is underway and with it a boatload of bad ideas and policy initiatives. One of the worst but increasingly popular proposals, uttered by several politicians aspiring for the highest office in the land, is to use the military to combat the drug cartels that have smuggled gargantuan amounts of fentanyl into the United States and turned swaths of neighboring Mexico into a war zone. Former President Donald Trump, the front-runner for the GOP presidential nomination, has vowed to unleash the full weight and power of the U.S. military to hit criminal organizations such as the Sinaloa and New Jalisco New Generation cartels hard. This would entail deploying U.S. military assets in full cooperation with the Mexican government to take out the infrastructure those cartels rely on to manufacture, transport and smuggle the drug across the U.S.-Mexico border. Advertisement Trump is apparently so serious about his hard-line approach that his advisers briefed him on possible military options, including airstrikes against cartel locations and the deployment of U.S. special operations forces without the consent of the Mexican government if necessary. This wouldnt be a new idea for Trump; according to his former defense secretary, Mark Esper, Trump mused about sending missiles into Mexico-based drug labs. Trump isnt the only one advocating for a hard-nosed approach to the problem. In the first policy blueprint of his campaign, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis wrote that if the Mexican Government doesnt do something about stopping the precursor chemicals for drugs going through Mexican ports into cartel hands, well send in the Coast Guard and the Navy. U.S. Sen. Tim Scott, another presidential candidate, told supporters that he would let the worlds greatest military fight these terrorists, referring to the cartels, because thats exactly what they are. Advertisement Even some lawmakers are getting into the action: U.S. Reps. Dan Crenshaw and Michael Waltz introduced legislation that would authorize the use of military force against nine Mexican drug organizations responsible for feeding the fentanyl crisis in America. The only problem? The idea itself is so poorly thought out that it shouldnt be considered as a legitimate option. There is no evidence that further militarizing an already overmilitarized war on drugs will give us different results. First, we should be abundantly clear what were talking about here. Taking out fentanyl labs on Mexican territory is merely a short-term fix and a poor one at that. Destroying the buildings, equipment and staff the cartels use could disrupt operations for a time, but the cartels would inevitably rebuild the labs somewhere else, recruit more cooks and pick up where they left off. This isnt a simple assumption but rather an indisputable fact. Indeed, its not like the U.S. hasnt pursued a similar strategy before; in Afghanistan, the U.S. spent nearly $10 billion trying to eradicate the countrys poppy fields, often through airstrikes, in order to deprive the Taliban of a revenue source for their insurgency. The result, according to the U.S. special inspector general for Afghanistan reconstruction, was dismal: Our analysis reveals that no counternarcotics program led to lasting reductions in poppy cultivation or opium production. Chicago Tribune Opinion Weekdays Read the latest editorials and commentary curated by the Tribune Opinion team. By submitting your email to receive this newsletter, you agree to our Subscriber Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy > Second, U.S. military force is highly likely to create a bigger humanitarian crisis on the U.S.-Mexico border one that makes the current situation, in which tens of thousands of refugees from South and Central America are seeking to get into the country, look like a minor incident. Wars and let there be no doubt that striking foreign soil is indeed an act of war are often hardest on the civilian population. Livelihoods are lost, homes are demolished, society is disrupted and casualties are a given. U.S. operations in Mexico wouldnt be any different. The Mexican cartels would respond with retaliation of their own; people suspected of passing information to the U.S. are liable to be tortured or killed. This, in turn, would create even more mass displacement, something U.S. Customs and Border Protection doesnt have the resources to handle. Third, U.S. military action, whether its in the air or on the ground, targets only the supply side of the equation. The other half of the problem, demand for the drugs, will be left unaddressed. Data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows that nearly 110,000 people died of drug overdoses last year in the U.S. Synthetic opioids, of which fentanyl is by the far most dangerous, contributed to about 68% of those deaths. The large customer base north of the border, combined with the cheap manufacturing costs and the huge profit margin, are all reasons for the established cartels and smaller criminal groups in Mexico to continue pushing pills into the U.S. At present, the monetary incentives are simply too large to ignore. Finally, U.S. military action against the cartels will sever whatever cooperation the Mexican government provides to U.S. law enforcement and counternarcotics agents on the fentanyl issue. While its true that Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obradors administration hasnt exactly been an ideal security partner for Washington having shut down an elite Mexican counternarcotics unit last year, limiting information-sharing with the Drug Enforcement Administration and basking in delusions about Mexico not being a source of fentanyl its also true that U.S.-Mexico relations would get a whole lot worse if U.S. bombs started dropping on Mexican soil. Lopez Obrador is a highly nationalistic president who wouldnt deal with a violation of Mexican sovereignty lightly. No Mexican president would. Advertisement Politicians talking tough on the trail is nothing new, and were bound to hear more of it. Lets just hope common sense prevails over jingoism. Daniel DePetris is a fellow at Defense Priorities and a foreign affairs columnist for the Chicago Tribune. Submit a letter, of no more than 400 words, to the editor here or email letters@chicagotribune.com. Data scientists describe the arduous, AI-powered task of getting Amazon's Alexa to speak in an Irish lilt Shutterstock Two scientists at Amazon used artificial intelligence to help them make Alexa Irish. The team trained Alexa on accents generated by text-to-speech models. This then helped them identify distinctive aspects of the Irish accent to train Irish Alexa. Two data scientists who created an Irish accent for Amazon's Alexa say that text-to-speech systems powered by artificial intelligence shifted how the team approaches the creation of different voice patterns and accents, according to a new feature from The New York Times. The scientists use of text-to-speech is just one example of how the technology in research, commercial, and personal settings has exploded over the past year due to advances that have helped make these generated voices sound eerily similar to that of humans. Users online are now using AI audio to narrate audiobooks, scam people out of money, and create voiceovers for advertisements. Georgi Tinchev and Marius Cotescu, who described the Irish brogue to the Times as "a hard one" to master, were tasked with creating the accent for Amazon using a technique known as voice disentanglement. Voice disentanglement is the pinpointing of aspects of speech like tone and intonation. Last year, Amazon scientists began to promote the technique as a way to bring more diversity and inclusion in voice assistants. In creating an Alexa that speaks Irish English, released in November, data scientists told the Times that hours of language training using the help of voice actors had been condensed because of AI, which now has the ability to mimic regional dialects and accents in numerous languages. This would be used to help disentangle or identify certain distinctive aspects of the accent. Using an already existing Alexa model that speaks in a British accent as a baseline, the data scientists trained it on the Irish accents provided by text-to-speech models as well as voice recordings, the Times reported. They later zeroed in and modified certain sounds for example, emphasizing the "r" sounds in words much like an Irish person would to create the voice that eventually accompanied Irish Alexa. Read the original article on Business Insider Good morning, Chicago. Today marks a year since the tragedy that claimed the lives of seven and left dozens more injured. Highland Park will mark the anniversary with a series of somber events meant to balance the diverse needs of a community permanently scarred both physically and emotionally by the shooting. The day will begin with a remembrance ceremony at City Hall to honor those killed: Katherine Goldstein, Irina McCarthy, Kevin McCarthy, Jacquelyn Sundheim, Stephen Straus, Nicolas Toledo-Zargoza and Eduardo Uvaldo. There will be a moment of silence at 10:14 a.m. to mark the first shots fired, followed by a community walk at 11 a.m. down the traditional parade route. There will be no floats, no performers, no official spectators. Attendees must pre-register and pass through metal detectors to participate. City officials have said the walk symbolizes the communitys desire to reclaim the town and rebuild its resiliency. Those efforts, however, began organically in the days and weeks immediately after the tragedy and continue to grow. Its rooted in paradegoers like Shane Selig, who returned home from the shooting covered in blood and determined to do something. He has since visited Springfield and Washington, D.C., to advocate for change. He doesnt push for a specific policy, but he feels certain that people should know what assault rifles can do and that fears about mass shootings shouldnt be part of American life. I wasnt able to save everyone that day, said Selig, a software engineering manager trained in emergency response. But Im still trying to do something. Here are the top stories you need to know to start your day. Subscribe to more newsletters | Puzzles & Games | Todays eNewspaper edition Residents will remember the seven people killed and dozens wounded in the mass shooting at different gatherings throughout the day. The somber anniversarys events include a ceremony in the morning, a community walk, a picnic and a concert. Shane Selig thought he heard a firecracker. He swung his bike around and headed toward the sound as spectators ran the other way. He saw someone lying on the ground, showing no signs of life. He started CPR. The popping sounds continued. He sought cover. A police officer pulled out his gun. By then, Selig knew. Aiden McCarthys grandparents are fighting over who should become permanent guardian of the 3-year-old orphan. His parents, Irina and Kevin McCarthy, were among seven people killed when a gunman opened fire during the parade. A GoFundMe for Aiden McCarthy raised $3.3 million, which has been put in a court-ordered trust, to go for his care and upbringing. Chicago Trust Co. will administer the trust, and attorneys for the parties involved already have made more than $75,000 in fees from it. There has been division among people in the community about how far school security measures should go after an instance of mass violence in the town, and after an April 4 scare and lockdown when a student allegedly brought a gun to Highland Park High School. Moments earlier, more than 100 students had staged a walkout to protest gun violence. Experts have suggested what was on the books if properly understood and implemented potentially could have prevented the alleged shooter from obtaining the high-powered semi-automatic rifle used to rain bullets down on paradegoers, killing seven and wounding dozens more. There have been 54 mass shootings in Illinois in the past year, resulting in 50 deaths and 225 injuries, according to data from the Gun Violence Archive, which defines a mass shooting as four or more people shot in a single event, not including the gunman. Death of Nahel brings old problems in France's suburbs back to the surface Residents of the Pablo Picasso estate where Nahel was from say his death has brought old problems back to the surface (Bertrand GUAY) The death of French teenager Nahel M., killed by a police officer during a traffic stop a week ago, has reignited the anger of young people and brought deeper problems back to the surface, according to residents of Paris's working-class suburbs. In the Paris suburb of Nanterre, on the streets of the Pablo Picasso housing estate where Nahel was from, nights of riots since the shooting last Tuesday have left behind the carcasses of burnt-out cars, melted garbage bins and countless graffiti tags calling for "Justice for Nahel". "There's a feeling we're fed up with it, we've seen it all before. Of course I understand that, I also grew up here. That said, burning down schools and shops is crazy because it harms us all," said Mohamed, 39. Sitting on a bench in a park, he said he came down from his home several nights in a row to "reason with the kids". Next to him, his friend Sofiane, 38, sighed, pointing to the ash-grey skeleton of a merry-go-round that was torched Thursday evening. "Damage we don't tolerate. What we don't really want anymore are random (police) checks. We want them to check us as if we were called 'Michel'," he said, adding he was "distressed" by the death of a "kid" during a traffic stop. Living in one of the tower blocks behind the park, Fatiha Abdouni, 52, also came down from her building Saturday evening to meet with neighbourhood mediators as another night of unrest loomed. "I can't support people smashing and burning things; who would?" said Abdouni, co-founder of the association The Voice of the Women of Pablo-Picasso. Still, she added: "Now we have to listen to the young people, their frustration and anger." Youths in Paris's deprived suburbs face "daily difficulties, unequal access to study, to work, to housing", Abdouni continued. For her, it was obvious -- the death of Nahel was a "spark" reigniting "deeper problems". - 'Give hope to our children' - Since Nahel's death, the riots have been led by "very young people", moving in small groups and relaying their actions on social networks. On Thursday night, the average age of those arrested was just 17, according to Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin. Justice Minister Eric Dupond-Moretti on Saturday felt it was necessary "to tell parents again that they should keep hold of their kids". "It is not by pointing the finger at the parents as if they were irresponsible that we will make things move forward," said Mohamed Mechmache, coordinator of an association set up in Clichy-sous-Bois after the 2005 riots in the low-income eastern suburb of Paris. That unrest was triggered by the deaths of two teenagers from Malian and North African backgrounds who were electrocuted while hiding from a police check in a relay station. "It is time to speak publicly to the youth, to tell them that they are part of this Republic," the educator told AFP. "The most important thing is to give hope to our children, that they believe in their future. I am afraid that there will be another death," added political scientist Fatima Ouassak, co-founder of the Front de Meres (Mothers' Front), an organisation of parents of students from working-class areas. At the Pablo-Picasso estate, none of the young people met by AFP on Sunday wanted to speak. During a protest march in tribute to Nahel on Thursday, a 16-year-old boy said: "It's always the same people who are targeted, blacks and Arabs, working-class neighbourhoods. They kill a 17-year-old boy like that, for nothing; this death makes us hate." After five nights of riots, Nahel's grandmother Nadia appealed for calm on Sunday. "I tell the people who are rioting this: Do not smash windows, attack schools or buses. Stop! It's the mums who are taking the bus, it's the mums who walk outside," she said. Mohamed and Sofiane, who said they were pleased with the return to relative calm, now hope that "justice will be done". "This policeman is a human being, he must be a defendant like you and me. No two-tier justice." ld-we/pa/mtp/smw Defenders advanced up to 2 km on Berdiansk front The Ukrainian defenders advanced up to 2 km deep into the Russian defence on the Berdiansk front. Source: Valerii Shershen, spokesman of the joint press centre of the Tavriia Defence Forces Quote: "On the Tavriia front, the defence forces systematically knock Russians out of their positions and continue to move forward. So, the most significant advance of the Russian's depth of up to 2 km was recorded on the Berdiansk front. We gain a foothold on the occupied borders, conduct aerial reconnaissance of the area, inflict artillery damage on the Russian detected targets, counter-battery combat is carried out, and mine clearance is carried out. Russia is fiercely resisting, but we are systematically putting pressure on certain areas of the front, pushing through and destroying the combat potential of the occupation forces." Details: According to the spokesman, over the past day, Russian losses amounted to 72 killed, 166 Russian military personnel wounded, and 36 units of enemy weapons and equipment destroyed. In particular, two tanks, nine armoured combat vehicles, one Russian control point, and two Russian ammunition storage points. Shershen said that the Ukrainian Armed Forces repelled 15 Russian attacks on the Marinka front. Also, according to him, Russia conducted unsuccessful offensive operations in the area of Rivnopillia, Donetsk Oblast. Russians are trying to prevent the advance of the Ukrainian military on the Zaporizhzhia front. Journalists fight on their own frontline. Support Ukrainska Pravda or become our patron! Daniel Radcliffe has given a clear answer to speculation about him making an appearance in the forthcoming Harry Potter TV series. The 33-year-old actor originated the role of the student wizard in the film adaptations of JK Rowlings childrens novels. Having first played Harry at age 11 in 2001, Radcliffe has been associated with the character ever since. Earlier this year, it was announced that the story would be adapted into a decade-long television series for Max, formerly known as HBO Max. In a recent interview, Radcliffe was asked whether he is likely to return to the franchise in another role as a way to link the Harry Potter worlds. Yet, Radcliffe doesnt consider himself essential to future depictions of the much-loved wizarding world. My understanding is that theyre trying to very much start fresh and I'm sure whoever is making them will want to make their own mark on it and probably not want to have to figure out how to get old Harry to cameo in this somewhere, Radcliffe told ComicBook.com. Because of this presumed new take on the story, the actor will not actively pursue involvement in another version. So Im definitely not seeking it out in any way, he continued. But I do wish them, obviously, all the luck in the world and Im very excited to have that torch passed. But I dont think it needs me to physically pass it. (Getty / Warner Bros) Last month, Radcliffe gave some insight into his feelings on other actors portraying Harry and he admitted that hed always imagined other people stepping into his shoes, in the way that different actors have portrayed the Sherlock Holmes character. I think its like Harry Potter was always destined to become like Sherlock Holmes, he told Deadline. The people that saw Basil Rathbone play Sherlock Holmes then like No one could ever do this! Theyre gonna, though. Itll get passed on to somebody. As of yet, information about the forthcoming Harry Potter series is limited, and is likely to remain this way as the Hollywood WGA writers strike continues. Democrats more likely than Republicans to have donated to a political campaign in past two years: poll Democrats are more likely to have donated to a political campaign within the past two years than Republicans, according to a new poll. The NBC News poll of 1,000 registered votes found that, in total, 30 percent of registered voters made campaign contributions within that period. Out of those voters, 37 percent were Democrats, 26 percent were Republicans and 22 percent were independents, according to the outlet. It speaks to the new era were in where the small-money Democrats are just swamping the small-money Republicans, Bill McInturff, a GOP pollster with Public Opinion Strategies, told NBC. McInturff conducted the survey along with Democratic pollster Jeff Horwitt of Hart Research Associates. The polls findings come days after the second fundraising quarter ended. In the final days of the quarter, the Biden administration worked to boost his campaign war chest by pushing for grassroots donors, enlisting the help of California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D), Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker (D) and former President Obama to help raise small-dollar donations. President Biden taped a video with Obama to solicit more donations of that kind. In a 68 second-long video, Obama appears alongside Biden to lay out five reasons to donate $5 to his campaign. Biden and Obama explain in the video that the current presidents 2020 campaign was fueled by grassroots supporters and small donations before laying out the stakes of the 2024 election. Bidens 2020 campaign raised $656.8 million in contributions from donations of $200 and under, according to Open Secrets, a nonprofit organization that tracks money in politics. Small individual contributions also played a significant role in former President Trumps campaign that year, with about $378.1 million or almost half of his 2020 campaign donations coming from small-dollar donations. All campaigns must file their latest fundraising reports to the Federal Election Commission by July 15. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. Deputies searching for several teens accused of setting off fireworks inside Ga. Walmart The Lee County Sheriffs Office is seeking the publics help in locating several teens who they say are responsible for setting off fireworks inside a Walmart. [DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks] It happened at the Walmart on Ledo Road in Leesburg, Georgia. According to WALB, five teenage boys were caught on surveillance video lighting the fireworks and running away to a nearby Chillis restaurant. A Walmart employee told WALB that a few of the fireworks that were lit went airborne in the store. TRENDING STORIES: One customer told WALB that officials had to evacuate the store due to all the smoke. Although the teenagers left the store after lighting the fireworks, Walmart employees told WALB they will be checking the store footage to try and identify the teens responsible. Anyone with information or who knows the whereabouts and the identity of the teens is urged to call the Lee County Sheriffs Office at 229-759-6012. [SIGN UP: WSB-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter] IN OTHER NEWS: DeSantis is squeezing the sunshine out of Floridas public records law, critics say As Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis campaigns for the White House, government accountability watchdogs are pointing to the long shadow of secrecy cast by his administration. In the four years since DeSantis took office, his administration has routinely stonewalled the release of public records, approved a slew of new legal exceptions aimed at keeping more information out of the public eye, and waged legal battles against open government advocates, the press and other watchdogs. DeSantis, a Harvard-educated lawyer and former U.S. attorney, is the only Florida governor known to use executive privilege to keep records hidden, transparency advocates and experts said. His travel records, previously under scrutiny by the media, are now secret, thanks to a new legal exemption one of a record number created in 2023 by the Republican-led Legislature and approved by the governor. DeSantis also has fought to conceal information about some of the most significant events during his tenure, including withholding Covid infection data and blocking release of records about the controversial relocation of dozens of migrants to Marthas Vineyard, legal filings show. Its difficult to compare DeSantis to past Florida governors on transparency issues in part because his administration has withheld some key information sought by NBC News and other media organizations that would show how often it denies requests for records and how long it takes to disclose them. Still, DeSantis transparency track record has alarmed open government advocates, particularly since he could carry the same ethos into the White House, if hes victorious in 2024. Ive never seen anything like it, Michael Barfield, director of public access for the Florida Center for Government Accountability, a nonprofit open government watchdog. Its stunning, the amount of material that has been taken off the table from a state that many have considered to be the most transparent. Weve quickly become one of the least transparent in the space of four years. Barfield called the DeSantis administration the least transparent of all that Ive witnessed in the nearly 35 years Ive been doing transparency work in Florida. DeSantis, a fierce media critic who typically avoids mainstream reporters, declined NBC News requests for an interview to discuss his record on transparency issues for this story and did not respond to written questions. Adam Marshall, a lawyer for the national nonprofit Reporters Committee for the Freedom of the Press, said transparency in Florida had fallen before DeSantis, but that decrease is now accelerating. He added that transparency at the federal level is already bad and likely would not improve under a DeSantis presidency. Could it get much worse? Yes, he said. Testing the law Florida has long had a reputation for government transparency, boasting some of the nations broadest public records and open meetings laws. In 1992, Floridians overwhelmingly approved an amendment to enshrine citizens access to public records and open meetings as rights in the states constitution the first state to do so. Such rights include access to records held by the states governor. Only Floridas Legislature is constitutionally authorized to make exceptions to the states Public Records Act, as long as it can justify each exemption as a public necessity and make it no broader than necessary. Since taking office in 2019, DeSantis has repeatedly tested the letter and spirit of Floridas sunshine laws and constitutional guarantees, sometimes bypassing the Legislature in novel ways, experts say. In legal filings, lawyers for the governor have contended DeSantis can exercise executive privilege to withhold records at his discretion, although such an exemption isnt cited in the states laws or its constitution. In a January ruling on one of those lawsuits a case involving an anonymous requester who sought the names of DeSantis advisers for deciding his picks for the state supreme court a Leon County judge agreed he could invoke the authority. The ruling a first in DeSantis favor on the issue isnt binding to other courts, but some open government activists and media groups fear it will embolden DeSantis use of executive authority. Catherine Cameron, a media law professor for Stetson University College of Law who has researched the issue, said DeSantis is among a handful of governors to use executive privilege to withhold public records and appears to be the only Florida governor in history to do so. I could find no instance of any Florida governor ever claiming executive privilege before DeSantis did, Cameron told NBC News. The issue had never landed before a Florida court, as other governors probably didnt want to rock the boat, she added. 'The biggest threat to free speech' In February, DeSantis livestreamed a panel discussion calling for reforms to defamation law. Afterward, GOP lawmakers introduced legislation to make it easier for elected officials and other public figures to sue the media for defamation over critical news stories and commentary. Among other changes, the measures aimed to strip reporters legal privileges to keep anonymous sources confidential and lower the actual malice standard required for public officials to prove defamation. That standard, set by a landmark 1964 U.S. Supreme Court ruling, requires public figures to prove that journalists knowingly published false information or did so in reckless disregard of whether it was false or not. The First Amendment Foundation, a Tallahassee-based open government advocacy group, viewed DeSantis attempt to reframe defamation law as the biggest threat to free speech and a free press during the states legislative session, said Bobby Block, the groups executive director. The bills failed to advance out of committee. But other legislative efforts to chip away at public access proved successful. By the foundations count, Floridas Legislature created 23 public records exemptions this session and reinstated nine others that were about to sunset. Its been nearly a decade since lawmakers came anywhere near that when they introduced 22 public records exemptions in 2014, Block said. One of them bars disclosure of the governors travel records and the visitor logs for his mansion. At a public appearance in May, DeSantis said the bill was not necessarily something that I came up with, adding it was motivated by a security concern. Freshman state Rep. Jeff Holcomb, a Republican who introduced the legislation, told NBC News that the project was given to me by leadership to address security glitches. I would run this bill for a Democratic governor, said Holcomb, who called characterizations that the exemption keeps the public in the dark about vital information garbage. Block said lawmakers could have narrowly tailored a measure to redact specific details about security personnel and strategies. But instead, they approved a wholesale exemption that now keeps secret details such as where the governor went, who he met with, the reason for his trip and how much it cost. Disclosure of such information in the past has helped identify taxpayer-funded travel abuses by at least two governors and other state officials, he said. Whats more, the exemption was applied retroactively, keeping hidden details of DeSantis past trips where security concerns are no longer an issue, Block said. Battling for secrecy DeSantis office has denied that any records exist in response to some public records requests including one related to Hurricane Ian, a mass-casualty natural disaster. Late last year, the Executive Office of the Governor denied a public records request from NBC News for any communications texts, emails, voice messages or other exchanges sent or received by DeSantis in the days just before and after the hurricane made landfall, becoming one of the deadliest tropical storms in modern history. The office closed the request after less than a business day, saying a search produced no documents responsive to the request. DeSantis made national headlines in September, when his administration flew nearly 50 mostly Venezuelan migrants from Texas to Marthas Vineyard, Massachusetts, and left them there in protest of President Joe Bidens immigration policies. After the Florida Center for Government Accountability filed requests seeking communications and other records about the controversial flights, DeSantis office responded 2 weeks later by releasing documents unrelated to what the group had asked for, court records show. Only after the watchdog group sued did DeSantis office start releasing some responsive records, though portions of those were blacked out. On Oct. 25, a trial court judge ruled DeSantis office had violated the Public Records Act by improperly redacting some records and failing to turn over others within a reasonable time frame. The judge ordered DeSantis office to pay the groups legal fees and costs, and to turn over any remaining records within 20 days. But DeSantis office failed to release all the records by the courts deadline, according to the judges order. Since then, the office has disclosed some records, including those showing a top administration official sent emails via a private Gmail account while seeking to help a former legal client win a contract to oversee the migrant relocation program. DeSantis office is now appealing the judges ruling that it violated the states record law by failing to disclose records in a reasonable time frame. Its outrageous. Theyre using private electronic devices and accounts to conduct official business, Barfield said. And when theyre challenged, they fight tooth and nail. Likewise, Floridas state health department under DeSantis continues to fight a two-year-old lawsuit contending it violated the states records act by failing to make Covid-19 data available during the height of the pandemic. DeSantis administration, which has touted lifting pandemic restrictions in Florida before most other states, became a national outlier when it stopped publicly posting daily, detailed Covid-19 data in June 2021, just as infections surged amid the delta variant. Carlos Guillermo Smith, then a Democratic state representative from Orlando, later sued, contending the information was vital to the ability of citizens to understand the risks and make informed decisions about their lives. The case remains pending amid state appeals. When they violate the Public Records Act, we need to hold them to account, Guillermo Smith said. This article was originally published on NBCNews.com Tourists in Miami Beach, Fla., March 31, 2023. (Scott McIntyre/The New York Times) For months leading up to Jean Franco Riveras one-year wedding anniversary, he had the perfect plan to celebrate: Travel to Disney World and go on all his favorite rides with his husband, Ahmed, and brother-in-law, Luis. The three men, all gay and Latino, are originally from Puerto Rico, but now live in Texas. As the trip approached, Jean Franco, 42, said they felt somewhat concerned about traveling to a state that had passed legislation targeting LGBTQ people in recent months. But in the end, they went. And on a recent Saturday, they were just part of the usual throng of people at the Orlando, Florida, theme park, waiting in line for Space Mountain, Guardians of the Galaxy and Jean Francos favorite ride, Flight of Passage. At Disney World that day, you would never have known that the League of United Latin American Citizens, the NAACP and the LGBTQ organization Equality Florida had all recently issued warnings telling people to reconsider coming to Florida because of the policies of Gov. Ron DeSantis and other Republican lawmakers. Sign up for The Morning newsletter from the New York Times I had traveled to Florida in the wake of the NAACPs advisory to see whether the warnings had any effect. The Riveras and other travelers told me that while they were against many laws recently passed in Florida, they didnt feel that canceling their vacations would help anyone or change the policies. In fact, several travelers said that they visited Disney and certain parts of Florida to get away from politics. Coming to Disney, especially, is like entering a safe zone, said Stephanie Kate Jones, who was visiting the park from Wales in the United Kingdom. Coming here is a way to escape reality and the stress of everyday life. And while the warnings were widely covered outside the state, they have so far seemed to have little or no impact on tourism numbers. Travel has always transcended politics, said Stacy Ritter, the president and CEO of Visit Lauderdale, the Fort Lauderdale tourism organization. People have always traveled to places where they dont agree with the politics because they want to see something new, different. They want an experience. They want a vacation. DeSantis vs. Disney DeSantis, who was overwhelmingly reelected in 2022, has introduced socially conservative policies, from the so-called Dont Say Gay education bill limiting gender and sex education to the decision to bar the teaching of Advanced Placement African American history because it was a form of indoctrination to a tough crackdown on unauthorized immigration. DeSantis, who recently entered the 2024 presidential race, has also been in a dispute with Disney since last year, when the company said it would pause political donations in Florida because of the sex education bill. The two sides then began battling for control of the board that oversees Disney Worlds development, with DeSantis trying to take control of it and limit Disneys authority. Disney sued the governor over the issue this spring and in May the company said it was scrapping a $1 billion development in Orlando. While announcing his candidacy for presidency, DeSantis said that the NAACP advisory was a total farce. The travel warnings, he said, were a political stunt. These left wing groups have been doing it for many, many years. And at the end of the day, what theyre doing is colluding with legacy media to try to manufacture a narrative, he said. But Brandon Wolf, the press secretary of Equality Florida, said that the organization has received an increasing number of inquiries about whether it is safe for LGBTQ travelers to go to Florida. We felt it imperative that we answer the incoming inquiries honestly and completely, he said. In announcing LULACs advisory, the groups president, Domingo Garcia, had warned that DeSantis enforcement regulations will treat us like criminals, transporting a dangerous person who only wanted to visit family or enjoy Disney World. And Derrick Johnson, the president and CEO of the NAACP said in an email in response to DeSantis comments: As long as our contributions to this country and the powerful stories of our rich backgrounds, continued struggle and survival are denied, Black Americans need not pour our labor, time, or money into the state. The Sunshine State Juggernaut Florida is a tourism juggernaut. In 2022, it had 137.6 million visitors, the most in its history, according to Visit Florida, the state tourism organization, and in May the governors office proudly shared that Florida welcomed 37.9 million people in the first three months of this year. Orlando remains the most-visited city in the United States 74 million people traveled there in 2022. According to Visit Florida, in 2021, visitors to the state contributed $101.9 billion to Floridas economy and supported more than 1.7 million Florida jobs. While many Floridians said that travel warnings from civil rights organizations have symbolic meaning, few said they were concerned that people would stop visiting the state altogether. Some people recalled the backlash over North Carolinas 2016 bathroom bill, which kept transgender people from using bathrooms that aligned with their gender. The fallout over that bill was immediate and significant, leading to its repeal. Nicolas Graf, associate dean at New York Universitys School of Professional Studies Jonathan M. Tisch Center for Hospitality and Tourism, said a states policies might keep those who are politically active from visiting a destination, but the notion that travelers business or leisure travelers will really change their behavior due to politics, I think thats a minority of people. And thats true across the political spectrum: Lance Toland, a conservative Georgia-based business owner who approves of DeSantis attempts to rein in Disney, said a states policies wouldnt keep him from visiting. Liberal laws in California, for example, dont keep him from going there, he said. I cant worry about what each states stance is. It doesnt affect me. In many popular tourist spots, life was going on without interruption when I visited. In Winter Park, just north of Orlando, lines for restaurants like Prato, a casual Italian spot with a large outdoor patio, were lengthy. When I stopped several shoppers exiting upscale boutiques along Park Avenue, they said that while they had heard of the dispute between Disney and DeSantis, they hadnt heard about the travel advisories. Ashley Smith, 32, was visiting a friend in Winter Park for the weekend and was heading out for a boat tour of Winter Parks lakes. Asked what she thought about the advisories, she said that she didnt understand how limiting her travels could possibly be connected to the states political dramas. A More Welcoming Stance The advisories come after years of work by tourism officials across the state to expand its visitor base. In 2021, for example, the Greater Fort Lauderdale Convention and Visitors Bureau announced that it had changed its name to Visit Lauderdale and it had a new flashy tagline: Everyone Under the Sun. Visit Lauderdale was just one of several tourism boards in the state that, in the past decade, have recognized that international, Black, Latino and LGBTQ travelers have the discretionary income to spend on vacations and real estate and that it would be smart to appeal to them. But these days, tourism boards, destination marketing organizations and travel businesses around the state are trying to figure out how to keep appealing to a diverse range of travelers. Many of them prefer not to address the controversy directly. Floridas tourism marketing organizations are funded through a bed tax when a traveler checks into a hotel or resort, a percentage of what they pay for their stay goes to fund the work done by visitors and tourism organizations. That tax is controlled by state statute. Leaders of three destination marketing organizations, all asking to speak anonymously, said that while they do not support the recently enacted laws they are worried that criticizing DeSantis publicly could lead to retaliation by the Legislature, which could cut back or eliminate funding for their organizations. Jen Cousins, the co-founder of the Florida Freedom to Read Project and a mother of four who is part of a federal suit challenging the sex education bill, said she believes that players in the travel industry, including cruises, airlines, destination marketing organizations and others, should speak up against the recent legislation. She also noted that in meetings with the education secretary, Miguel Cardona; the assistant secretary for health at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Adm. Rachel Levine; and the secretary of health and human services, Xavier Becerra, she and other activists were told they had the support in Washington, but, she said, no one has stepped in. The Department of Education and the Department of Health and Human Services did not respond to requests for comment. Ritter, the president and CEO of Visit Lauderdale, was willing to go on the record. Do I think the impact will be felt immediately? No, I dont, she said. But, she said, shes already seeing business and corporate travelers, who make up a significant part of the travel industry, look elsewhere. In the week after the civil rights organizations issued their warnings, seven large conferences and conventions walked back their plans to be in Fort Lauderdale, she said. Many event organizers, Ritter said, are looking ahead to events happening three to five years from now and far fewer are considering Florida. Her organization isnt even bidding for certain events because they feel like a lost cause. And thats directly related to state policies, she said. Not Really Florida Part of Jean Franco Riveras reason for going ahead with his anniversary trip was that he felt his travel dollars were actually being spent in opposition to DeSantis policies, because they were going to Disney. Disney is standing up for our rights and being here feels like supporting their decision to stand up to DeSantis, he said. Many people who work at Disney are part of our community, the LGBTQ community, and being here is our way of supporting them. Many travelers I met at Disney World and along the Jacksonville Beach Pier suggested that the parts of the state that they were most likely to visit were, in some way, not really Florida. Key West, Miami, Wilton Manors, St. Petersburg and Sarasota traditionally vote Democratic and have swaths of LGBTQ and immigrant residents who, in many cases, disagree with the legislation being put forth. Visitors said that by supporting the economies of these places they could defy the states Republican lawmakers. They also said they felt conflicted about the advisories, saying the warnings felt like an escalation of politics that could potentially harm local business owners, low-earning residents and liberal enclaves more than DeSantis or Republican lawmakers. Some Florida residents felt the same way. As a resident of Orlando, our tourist mecca, I dont tend to advocate for a travel ban because a lot of our friends work in these low-paying travel jobs, said Cousins. Theyre the ones being affected, not the top-paid CEOs. For the moment, those involved in tourism in the state feel like they are walking a line. Rachel Covello, of Outcoast, a digital magazine that focuses on LGBTQ community, said that the publication used to promote the state overall as an inclusive destination. Now, while not telling people to stay away, she said, it is highlighting specific destinations that are known to welcome LGBTQ travelers. We pivoted our focus, she said. We dont want to look like were blind to whats happening in our own state as were promoting tourism. c.2023 The New York Times Company Gov. Mike DeWine has again vetoed legislation meant to prohibit cities from regulating favored tobacco products. Gov. Mike DeWine has again vetoed an effort by legislators to prevent Ohio cities from regulating the sale of tobacco and other nicotine products and is again asking for a statewide flavored tobacco ban. The item was included in the state budget bill that legislators adopted Friday that determines how the state will spend nearly $190 billion over the next two years. DeWine's veto message on Tuesday cited U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that 480,000 Americans die each year from cigarette smoke, and that tobacco and other nicotine products add to the state's healthcare costs. He also said the marketing of flavored tobacco products is often targeted at children. Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine has again vetoed a bill that would have prevented Ohio cities from banning flavored tobacco. "In the absence of an effective and comprehensive statewide flavored tobacco ban (including menthol) which is the administration's preferred policy approach local government bans are essential because they reduce access to flavored tobacco and nicotine alternative products and interrupt the cycle of addiction," he wrote. "The removal of local regulation would encourage youth nicotine addiction and undo years of progress to improve public health, which is why a similar provision was previously vetoed." In January, DeWine vetoed legislation that would have stopped cities from banning the sale of menthol cigarettes and vapes flavored like candy, going so far as to call a news conference with health officials to sound the alarm over a youth smoking and vaping "epidemic" exacerbated by flavored products. That followed a move by Columbus City Council to ban the sale of menthol cigarettes and other products. "Columbus is taking steps to curb teen smoking and vaping and address how the industry targets Black consumers with menthol cigarettes," Columbus Mayor Andrew Ginther said after the prior DeWine veto. "Constitutional home rule allows us to do what is best for our residents. This veto is a positive step for the children of Columbus." The veto also won the praise of public health advocates. Supporters of the ban say there shouldn't be a patchwork of regulations and said the oversight of tobacco products is a statewide issue. mawilliams@dispatch.com @BizMarkWilliams This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: DeWine touts statewide ban on flavored tobacco Visitors look at original copies of the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution and the Bill of Rights on July 4, 2001, at the National Archives in Washington. (Alex Wong/Getty Images) Back in the day, a Fourth of July celebration without a reading of the Declaration of Independence would be as unsatisfying as a barbecue without potato salad made with Grandmas recipe. Hallowed documents are like side dishes. Their impact requires continuity. But last year, National Public Radio skipped its traditional broadcast of the Declaration. Instead, NPR offered a panel discussion of the meaning of equality when the political winds blow rightward. Yet that is the type of question for which a public reading of the founding document has provided an opportunity to see issues of the day in historical context. Advertisement The Declaration of Independence was truly revolutionary. Before Thomas Jefferson and others wrote King George IIIs walking papers, monarchs were sent packing by swords and muskets. The Declaration did so with words and logic. It reads like a grand jury indictment. That makes it required reading in this unprecedented moment when a former president of the United States stands indicted by a federal court. Though dating from different centuries, some paragraphs of the Declaration and the indictment could be taken for near carbon copies: Advertisement (King George) has refused his Assent to Laws, the most wholesome and necessary for the public good. Trump attempted to persuade Trump Attorney 1 to hide and conceal documents from a federal grand jury in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 1512(b)(2)(A) and 2. The Declaration of Independence set lofty goals for the nation it established: We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. Jefferson and his fellow authors also created a standard for the former Colonies performance reviews: That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government. Those who signed the Declaration flunked King George. Yet if they were candid about a self-evaluation, they couldnt give themselves an A. Despite his philosophic commitment to human equality, Jefferson owned enslaved people. So, too, did other Founding Fathers. On the run-up to the Civil War, Southern slaveholders lampooned the abolitionists hypocrisy. When the South formed the Confederacy, its constitution provided that no law denying or impairing the right of property in slaves shall be passed. Yet that freed Fourth of July orators to speak to the Declarations virtues without fear of having to duck questions about its limitations. In 1836, Chicagos reading was performed in conjunction with the digging of the first shovelfuls of the Illinois and Michigan Canal that promised the citys prosperity. Advertisement In 1897, professor R.L. Cumnock read the Declaration during Evanstons Independence Day festivities, the Tribune reported. The celebration also featured footraces and a greased pig chase. In 1926, Anton Cermak, then the president of the Cook County Board, urged citizens to listen to readings of the Declaration in the countys forest preserves. If not publicly, it should be read by the head of the family to all the children, the Tribune summarized Cermak as saying. This year, hearing the Declaration recited could provide emotional insurance for the rocky road ahead. Some who welcomed Trumps indictment may grow weary. The trial is set for Aug. 14, but he is a master of stalling, distorting facts and cruelly attacking opponents. He could win a second term. To prevent the depression that prospect could bring, listen attentively to the drum roll of King Georges offenses with which the Declaration concludes: He has affected to render the Military independent of and superior to the Civil power. He has made Judges dependent on his Will alone, for the tenure of their offices, and the amount and payment of their salaries. Advertisement In every stage of these Oppressions We have Petitioned for Redress in the most humble of terms. Chicago Tribune Opinion Weekdays Read the latest editorials and commentary curated by the Tribune Opinion team. By submitting your email to receive this newsletter, you agree to our Subscriber Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy > Finally, Jefferson and his co-authors rendered the verdict: A Prince whose character is thus marked by every act which may define a Tyrant, is unfit to be the ruler of a free people. And having read or heard that, recall that this Fourth of July wont be the first time that the Declarations proclamation of Americas virtues required an act of faith. When the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. spoke at the 1963 March on Washington, America was segregated. Months earlier, police set attack dogs on Black people asserting their civil rights in Birmingham, Alabama. Yet King stuck to the message hed preached in churches for years and from a cell in Birminghams jail. I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed, King said. We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal. Advertisement Ron Grossman is a Tribune reporter. Submit a letter, of no more than 400 words, to the editor here or email letters@chicagotribune.com. Can the ding, dong, ditch prank get you arrested? Heres what Georgia law says Pranks can be fun, but it can also lead to trouble, arrests and possible jail time. We all have at some point or another, been the prankster or the victim of a prank. Depending on which side you are on, it can be light and funny or honestly, quite scary. And even the most harmless of pranks can come with gnarly consequences. So, what about ding, dong, ditch? You know the prank. A bunch of friends get together and pick a house. Someone goes up and rings the doorbell (or knocks), then runs away, only to leave the homeowner to open the door and see no one there. It may generate some laughter from the pranksters themselves, but it can create confusion, anger and maybe even fear from the homeowner. Is it illegal to ding, dong, ditch? While the actual act is not illegal, it is illegal to trespass on someone elses property without their permission. It is also illegal to cause any harm to the homeowner or damage their property. In Georgia, criminal trespassing is defined as entering someones property for an unlawful purpose or when entry is forbidden. If convicted, youll be charged with a misdemeanor and pay a fine of $500. In addition, Georgia law says that if you place someone in reasonable fear of the safety of such persons life, limb, or health or act in a violent or tumultuous manner toward another person whereby the property of such person is placed in danger of being damaged or destroyed, youll be charged with a misdemeanor. Can you still ding, dong, ditch without getting in trouble? If youre looking to prank someone, have some fun and not get into legal trouble, there are a few ways to get the job done. Here are some tips: Make sure you have permission from the person you want to prank before you do anything. Dont do anything that could damage their property or put them in danger. Dont go onto their property without their permission. Dont prank anyone who might be scared or upset by it, especially if theyre older or have a medical condition. Dont do anything illegal, like trespassing or vandalism. If youre not sure if something is OK to do, ask your parents or another adult for advice. Be respectful and considerate of your neighbors, and dont do anything that could cause them harm or inconvenience. If youre caught doing a prank, apologize and offer to make things right. What can you do if someone is ding, dong, ditching you? If you are a victim of the prank, there are some things you can do as well. However, the first thing to do is: be calm and dont react in anger. Here are more tips: Try not to escalate the situation. If you feel unsafe, contact local authorities. Take photos or videos of the individuals, if possible. Keep records of when it happened and who was involved. Talk to any witnesses who may have seen the prank. Contact your local police department to inform them of the situation and ask for advice. Trust your instincts and do what makes you feel safest. Have more questions? Email me at cmadden@mcclatchy.com Can the ding, dong, ditch prank get you arrested? Heres what Mississippi law says Pranks can be fun, but it can also lead to trouble, arrests and possible jail time in the state of Mississippi. We all have at some point or another, been the prankster or the victim of a prank. Depending on which side you are on, it can be light and funny or honestly, quite scary. And even the most harmless of pranks can come with gnarly consequences. So, what about ding, dong, ditch? You know the prank. A bunch of friends get together and pick a house. Someone goes up and rings the doorbell (or knocks), then runs away, only to leave the homeowner to open the door and see no one there. It may generate some laughter from the pranksters themselves, but it can create confusion, anger and maybe even fear from the homeowner. Is it illegal to ding, dong, ditch? While the actual act is not illegal, it is illegal to trespass on someone elses property without their permission. It is also illegal to cause any harm to the homeowner or damage their property. In Mississippi, the law states that if any person or persons shall without authority of law go into or upon or remain in or upon any building, premises or land of another, youll be charged with a misdemeanor and fined $500. You could also face up to six months in jail. If you have caused harm or property damage, there could be more charges or even some felony charges. Can you still ding, dong, ditch without getting in trouble? If youre looking to prank someone, have some fun and not get into legal trouble, there are a few ways to get the job done. Here are some tips: Make sure you have permission from the person you want to prank before you do anything. Dont do anything that could damage their property or put them in danger. Dont go onto their property without their permission. Dont prank anyone who might be scared or upset by it, especially if theyre older or have a medical condition. Dont do anything illegal, like trespassing or vandalism. If youre not sure if something is OK to do, ask your parents or another adult for advice. Be respectful and considerate of your neighbors, and dont do anything that could cause them harm or inconvenience. If youre caught doing a prank, apologize and offer to make things right. What can you do if someone is ding, dong, ditching you? If you are a victim of the prank, there are some things you can do as well. However, the first thing to do is: be calm and dont react in anger. Here are more tips: Try not to escalate the situation. If you feel unsafe, contact local authorities. Take photos or videos of the individuals, if possible. Keep records of when it happened and who was involved. Talk to any witnesses who may have seen the prank. Contact your local police department to inform them of the situation and ask for advice. Trust your instincts and do what makes you feel safest. Have more questions? Email me at cmadden@mcclatchy.com By Muvija M LONDON (Reuters) - The Church of England's governing body will deliberate on how priests could carry out blessings for same-sex couples when it gathers in the cathedral city of York for a five-day meeting on Friday. The assembly of bishops, clergy and laity - called the General Synod - is also due to discuss on Saturday how to protect vicars who might choose not to pray over the union of same-sex couples. The CoE, which does not allow same-sex marriages in its 16,000 churches, in January set out proposals to let gay couples have a prayer service after a civil marriage, and apologised to LGBTQI+ people for the rejection and hostility they have faced. The synod voted in favour of the plans in February. That caused a conservative group of Anglican church leaders from around the world to declare they no longer had confidence in the Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, saying he had betrayed his ordination. At home, however, there is pressure to go further, with some bishops publicly voicing support for same-sex marriages in churches. Divisions have run deep for decades on how the centuries-old institution - mother church for the world's 85 million Anglicans across 165 countries - deals with homosexuality and same-sex unions. Homosexuality is taboo in Africa and illegal in more than 30 countries there. Welby, who is the spiritual leader of the wider Anglican Communion, called on bishops last year to "abound in love for all". But he backed the validity of a resolution passed in 1998 that rejected "homosexual practice as incompatible with Scripture". Bishop Sarah Mullally told reporters last month: "This has not been an easy period for people right across a range of traditions and we know that has maybe been harder since February than it may have been before." She reiterated that the proposals would not change the doctrine that marriage is between a man and a woman, and that there would be protection for those who "on grounds of conscience" choose not to bless same-sex couples. 'SLAP IN THE FACE' Lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) activists have long been fighting for the same rights as fellow Christians who are heterosexual. Gay marriage has been legal in Britain for a decade. "Faith is important to many LGBTQ+ people, which is why the Synod's suggestion that blessings be provided in place of marriages (is) a real slap in the face to our communities," Sasha Misra, Associate Director of Communications at LGBT rights group Stonewall, told Reuters via email. Mullally said the CoE was absorbing different views on the complex matter, and that it would take time to produce the full proposals, which are expected when the synod meets in November. (Reporting by Muvija M; Editing by Kate Holton and Devika Syamnath) Drax is the UK's biggest renewable energy plant Energy subsidies to the UK's largest renewable power station could be withdrawn if sustainability rules have not been followed, a minister has said. The House of Lords heard concerns over the environmental credentials of the Drax-owned site, near Selby, which burns biomass, such as wood pellets. It heard Ofgem was investigating whether Drax had been complying with sustainability requirements. Drax said it had strict governance in place to oversee compliance. The industry claims the wood burned by Drax is sustainably sourced from forestry waste, but critics have raised doubts over the veracity of this. The House of Lords heard that some 11bn in government subsidies has been given to Drax for its renewable schemes. In 2020, Drax generated 11% of the UK's renewable power - enough for four million homes During the debate, Labour peer Baroness Jones called for independent scientists to be sent to Canada to verify the sustainability of wood used to make biomass pellets. Addressing Lord Callanan, the Minister for Energy Efficiency and Green Finance, she said: "Is the minister concerned that Drax's claim to be using sustainably-sourced wood from Canadian forests currently lacks any detailed full-cycle carbon accounting and audit trail that we would have the right to expect for that level of subsidy?" Independent crossbencher Baroness Boycott referenced information from Canadian environmentalists who she said had reported "the ancient forest being destroyed for those wood pellets". She added: "Why on earth do you still persist in saying that we are jumping to conclusions, when you're burying your head in the sand?" In response, Lord Callanan said Ofgem was investigating matters and said: "If it is proved that they are not in compliance, then of course some of the value of the certificates they have received will be withdrawn." He added: "Forgive me if I don't necessarily take as absolute facts the statements by some of the Canadian environmentalists. "Ofgem are investigating whether the biomass is sustainable or not. Let's wait for the outcome of that investigation." Drax said: "We are confident in our business and operations and committed to ensuring the biomass we source delivers positive outcomes for the climate, for nature and for the communities in which we operate." Follow BBC Yorkshire on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Send your story ideas to yorkslincs.news@bbc.co.uk. A column of smoke due to the Russias Moscow Oblast was attacked by drones in the early hours of July 4, according to reports in Russian state media. Blasts reportedly rocked the villages of Valuevo, Akinshino and Krivosheino, located near the conurbation of New Moscow. Read also: Moscow suburbs attacked with drones, claims Russian media In Krivosheino, one of the drones reportedly fell on a garage, causing a fire. The Baza Telegram channel also reported a drone attack on an administrative building in the town of Kubinka. Russian media reported that Moscows Vnukovo airport temporarily closed, but has since reopened. Flights were redirected to the Sheremetyevo and Domodedovo airports. Moscow Mayor Sergey Sobyanin said the drones had been liquidated. He blamed Ukraine for the alleged attack. No casualties have been reported. Read also: Chonhar bridge attacks will impede Russian logistics expert opinion Russias Defense Ministry said there were five drones in total, four of which had been intercepted by air defense forces. Were bringing the voice of Ukraine to the world. Support us with a one-time donation, or become a Patron! Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine The Georgian Ambassador to Ukraine was summoned to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and asked to return to Tbilisi "for consultations" because of the condition of prisoner Mikheil Saakashvili. Source: Ukrainian Foreign Ministry, writes European Pravda. On 4 February, Georgian Ambassador Giorgi Zakarashvili was summoned to the Foreign Ministry on behalf of the president of Ukraine, where Zelenskyy expressed a strong protest after seeing the deterioration of the condition of prisoner Saakashvili, a citizen of Ukraine. "The Georgian diplomat was told that such an attitude towards Mikheil Saakashvili is unacceptable. The Georgian authorities must stop the abuse of a Ukrainian citizen. In this regard, Georgian Ambassador to Ukraine Giorgi Zakarashvili was invited to return to Tbilisi for consultations to resolve the current situation," the diplomatic department said. The Ukrainian side stressed its readiness to immediately discuss the issue of transporting Mikheil Saakashvili to Ukraine for treatment and care. Note, on 3 July, the imprisoned ex-president of Georgia, Mikheil Saakashvili, participated in a court session for the first time since February via a video connection from the Vivamed clinic. He looks highly emaciated. After that, Zelenskyy said Russia was "killing Ukrainian citizen Mikheil Saakashvili with the hands of the Georgian authorities" and explained what Ukraines reaction would be. It should be noted that the procedure chosen by Kyiv is not typical for international relations. A state may "recall for consultation" its own ambassador, but not the ambassador of another state. But Kyiv can expel the ambassador of another state as a tough demarche for example, declare him persona non grata or deprive him of accreditation. However, Zelenskyy decided not to apply this tough step and proposed a procedure that has no official name or rules. Journalists fight on their own frontline. Support Ukrainska Pravda or become our patron! The Air Force destroyed 20 Russian attack drones and 6 reconnaissance drones during 3 July. Source: the spokesman of the Air Force of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, Colonel Yurii Ihnat, during the air of the national joint 24/7 newscast Quote: "The night passed more or less quietly... But in the future, kamikaze drones will continue to attack. Over the course of yesterday, a total of 20 ... Iranian-made Shahed and Russian Lancet attack drones were destroyed, plus 6 reconnaissance UAVs of the Orlan type, SuperCam and others. That is the result of yesterday's combat work. Unfortunately, there were strikes. Condolences to those killed in Sumy Oblast." Journalists fight on their own frontline. Support Ukrainska Pravda or become our patron! On the economic merits, we support President Joe Bidens plan to cancel more than $400 billion in student loan debt for 26 million Americans. Rejecting more sweeping proposals that would have benefited the already well-off, the president and his Education Department smartly focused the most relief on those in the greatest need, forgiving up to $10,000 in college and post-college debt for Americans making under $125,000 and up to $20,000 for recipients of Pell Grants to students from lower-income families. But the balance of power between Congress and the executive branch and the courts, too is a precious thing, and there were always serious doubts as to whether the Biden administration exceeded its authority under post-9/11 HEROES Act (which stands for Higher Education Relief Opportunities For Students). We reviled President Trumps abusive perversion of Title 42, a public health law, to turn back asylum seekers in search of humanitarian relief, and here, there was a strong case that Biden overstepped the bounds set by Congress in law. The Supreme Court Friday agreed with that argument, saying that while the law authorizes the secretary of education to waive or modify statutory or regulatory provisions, it does not allow a wholesale rewrite of the laws and rules, which is what the Biden plan adds up to. As the decision by Chief Justice John Roberts points out, it doesnt help that the loan relief program was issued in August 2022, a few weeks before President Biden stated that the pandemic is over. We wouldnt be surprised if this ruling, like the Dobbs decision on abortion last year, results in serious electoral blowback for the Republican Party that put these six conservatives on the court. That would be a very good thing: Millions of young Americans being squeezed by unreasonable loan burdens will be understandably steamed that government has turned its back on them. In a better-functioning democracy, Congress would come to their aid. Instead, the president acted unilaterally, getting up hopes that were then dashed. Its a mess. ___ BOSTON Massachusetts cities and towns have until Aug. 22 to apply for funds under a federal grant program designed to aid purchases of electric school buses to replace diesel fleets. The Environmental Protection Agency's Clean School Bus Grants Program anticipates offering $400 million to school districts across the country this year to offset the cost of electric buses and lower their carbon footprint. Any public school district that provides or contracts bus services is eligible to apply, with priority given to schools in "high-need" communities, rural areas or on tribal land, according to program guidelines. Third-party bus contractors can also fill out a separate application if they plan to serve at least four school districts with electric buses. U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., encouraged cities and towns to take advantage of the grant program. "Electrification eliminates the health risk from air pollution to drivers, children riding the bus, and the communities through which they pass," Warren wrote in letters to the Massachusetts Municipal Association, Massachusetts Association of School Superintendents and an additional 33 municipalities last week. The Clean School Bus Grants Program awarded over $29 million in rebates to five Massachusetts school districts during its last application cycle, funding 75 new, electric buses. The 2021 infrastructure law set aside $5 billion for expanding the countrys fleet of low- to no-emission school buses. Gain access to premium Cape Cod Times content by subscribing. Check out our subscription offers. This article originally appeared on Cape Cod Times: Federal money available for switch to low- or no-emission school buses Elon Musk convinced the industry to charge cars his way and Tesla owners are the biggest winners Tesla drivers might actually be poised to get even more access to charging, not less, as the automaker shares its charging tech with EV rivals. Kent Nishimura / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images Some Tesla drivers worry the EV-maker sharing its plugs will impact their charging experience. But actually, Tesla drivers are likely to have more places to juice up going forward. Other charging providers will have to offer Teslas tech, and Tesla will likely grow even more. Tesla drivers are about to have a lot more places to plug in. Naturally, some Tesla owners are worried about sharing space at Supercharger stations the primary longtime differentiator between Tesla and other EV makers once Ford and GM EV drivers get access. But experts say that the crowds are likely to thin as more non-Tesla stations convert to Elon Musk's North American Charging Standard (NACS) connector. With newfound revenue from additional users, Tesla will also have the means to expand the network even further from the roughly 20,700 plugs already in North America. The auto industry has struggled for years to agree on a standard for EV charging, and it appears Tesla is finally winning the battle. Other major charging providers like Electrify America, Blink, and other big names will soon be able to accommodate Teslas. "All of this is happening because the automakers are fed up with the non-Tesla fast charging network customer experience and reliability," Loren McDonald, CEO of market analysis firm EVAdoption, told Insider. "The foundation of this, and why we're seeing more and more automakers announce that they're doing this, is because fundamentally they've realized how critical the charging experience is to your ability to sell EVs," McDonald added, "but also keep existing customers happy and retain them so that three or four years down the road, they buy another one of your EVs." Teslas have always used the NACS connectors, which is the only connector compatible with the Supercharger network. Ford, GM, and Rivian all recently announced that their vehicles would also soon be fitted with the NACS connector, all but forcing other charging companies to adopt the standard to stay relevant. Growth trajectory The Supercharger network is already the most robust fast-charging network globally. In the the first quarter of 2023, the number stations grew 33% to 4,947 from 3,724 the year prior. The number of charging plugs grew at roughly the same rate, hitting 45,169 in March. Now, it's likely new revenue will enable Tesla to bolster the charging business even more further assuring Tesla owners that the exclusivity of the network and charging capabilities won't be lost as others join in on the fun. Cathie Wood, Ark Invest CEO, told CNBC in a June interview that, "What's interesting about this is it does help Tesla underwrite the charging station expense." Wood is a notorious Tesla bull, with a $2,000 price target on Tesla stock by 2027. "If you look at Tesla sales they are highly concentrated on the coasts," Wood said. "Now, it's going to make a lot more sense for Tesla to roll out charging stations that much faster throughout the country." "Tesla is smart, right? Tesla has so much data," McDonald added. "This whole concept will have been a failed exercise if all of a sudden, two years from now everybody's waiting 30 minutes at hundreds of Superchargers because of all the other automakers. I just don't think Tesla's going to allow that to happen." Infrastructure is key to EV adoption More chargers, whether from Tesla or third-party providers, will only mean more buyers. That's huge for the entire industry, experts have told Insider. It's also a big win for Tesla as the company matures from scrappy startup to mass producer of electric cars. Adding to its already robust Supercharger network would add to Tesla's moves into the mass market this year, including price slashing and more traditional incentive packages. Tesla's plan to act like a normal car company is working out so far; it reported another record for deliveries in the second quarter. Read the original article on Business Insider MADISON, Wis. A fight over whether Wisconsins top elections official will keep her job has potential implications for the 2024 presidential contest in a perennial battleground where statewide margins are typically razor thin. Meagan Wolfe, the nonpartisan administrator of the Wisconsin Elections Commission, has been a target of conspiracy theorists who falsely claim she was part of a plan to rig the 2020 vote to secure President Joe Bidens victory over Donald Trump in the state. Advertisement Republicans who control the state Legislature have called for Wolfe to resign over how she ran the 2020 contest, even though multiple reports and reviews found the election was fair and the results accurate. Democratic election commissioners are attempting to work around lawmakers to keep Wolfe in office indefinitely after her term ends Saturday. Both sides rely on arguments that raise unanswered legal questions and could take months to resolve through the courts. Advertisement Meanwhile, election observers say the stakes are high for a presidential contest that will be fiercely contested and where election officials and workers still face unrelenting pressure, harassment and threats over the 2020 election. The conspiracy theorists are going to jump at anything, said Kevin Kennedy, who was Wisconsins top elections official for 34 years before retiring in 2016 from the board that preceded the elections commission. If Wolfes position as administrator remains disputed next year, it could become the basis for lawsuits and challenges to the guidance she issues to local clerks. Even though Wolfe has little authority to do more than carry out decisions from the bipartisan commission, she has taken the brunt of the blame for commission actions in 2020. Biden won Wisconsin by nearly 21,000 votes, an outcome that has withstood two partial recounts, a nonpartisan audit, a conservative law firms review, numerous state and federal lawsuits, and a Republican-ordered review that found no evidence of widespread fraud before the investigator was fired. That hasnt stopped election skeptics from falsely requesting the ballots of elected officials and military voters in attempts to find vulnerabilities or from mounting campaigns for statewide office based on election lies. As much as its been discredited, there is a significant group of people who have bought into it, Kennedy said. They have the ear of enough senators to get them to rethink why you would not reappoint one of the best people thats ever been working in elections. A vote on Wolfes future ended in partisan deadlock earlier this week when the states six election commissioners, who are evenly divided between Democrats and Republicans, couldnt reach a majority decision. All three Republicans voted to reappoint her, but the three Democratic commissioners abstained in an attempt to prevent Wolfes reappointment from going to the Republican-controlled state Senate for confirmation. Senate Republicans tried to force a vote, anyway, taking up the issue Wednesday in a move Democrats said was illegal. State law says four votes are needed on the commission before a nomination can go to the Legislature. Advertisement A recent Supreme Court ruling cited by Democratic commissioners appears to allow Wolfe to continue as administrator even after her term ends, but Senate rejection would carry the effect of firing her. Republicans have used the courts ruling to keep their appointees in control of state boards past the end of their terms. Don Millis, the Republican chair of the elections commission, warned against trying to do the same for Wolfe. Its more than a bad look. Its going to create problems for us and for elections officials across the state, he said before Tuesdays vote. The elections commission helps to guide the more than 1,800 local clerks who actually run Wisconsin elections. Those offices dont have the same security measures and resources to respond to threats and distrust that the statewide elections commission does, Millis said. Since 2020, local elections officials have been overwhelmed by records requests and an unprecedented number of voter complaints. You can argue that this is legally correct, but thats not the point, Millis said of Democrats push to avoid Senate confirmation. The point is that were only going to incentivize these grifters. Republican Assembly Speaker Robin Vos downplayed the fight over who will oversee elections in 2024. The Senate should proceed with a vote on confirming Wolfe sooner rather than later, he said. Advertisement I dont want to wait until the last moment when it appears that this is chaotic but it really isnt, Vos said, adding that there are lots of qualified people who could run elections other than Wolfe. Not everyone agrees. I dont think theyre going to find anyone as knowledgeable and educated with Wisconsin elections law as she is, said Kathy Bernier, a former Republican state senator and county election official who chaired the Senate elections committee during the 2020 election and was outspoken against claims of election fraud. They need somebody to make the boogeyman, and theyre making her the boogeyman, she said. Wolfe is among many state and local election officials who have found themselves targeted since the 2020 election. They have endured harassment and death threats, a contentious public seeking access to voting machines and election records that in some cases dont exist, and hostile elected officials demanding changes to how elections are run. They are experiencing political pressures particularly from their governing authorities, their county boards, their county election boards who are often harassing them with disinformation-fueled claims, said David Becker, a former U.S. Department of Justice official who now leads the Center for Election Innovation and Research. Advertisement The center is nearly two years into helping coordinate a program that provides free legal support to election officials. Becker said the effort is seeing more requests than ever, which is noteworthy considering the 2020 election was more than two and a half years ago and the next election isnt for another 16 months. That underscores the lasting impact of the false claims about the previous presidential election, he said. Some election workers have chosen to leave. In Nevada, 10 of the states 17 election offices saw significant staff turnover between the 2020 and 2022 elections. This has prompted concerns about a lack of experience running elections along with worries that those coming into the positions may be more partisan than their predecessors and open to taking steps that could undermine the process. Thats a growing concern in Wisconsin with the uncertain fate of the election director. If the Senate rejects Wolfes reappointment, the commission would have 45 days to name a new appointee before a legislative committee controlled by Republicans could choose their own interim administrator to oversee elections. It will be difficult enough if there are new or inexperienced election officials running these elections even if they are doing their best, Becker said. And that could cause some minor problems that could then be further leveraged by election deniers to create doubt and incite violence. Associated Press writer Christina A. Cassidy in Atlanta contributed to this report. Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant again lost connection to its main external power line overnight on July 4, reported Ukraine's state nuclear energy agency Energoatom. The plant then switched to the only available backup line, which was recently reconnected after four months of being inactive. The 330 kilovolt (kV) backup power line was cut on March 1 due to damage on the opposite bank of the Dnipro River. From that day to July 1, the plant relied exclusively on the main power line for external electricity needed for reactor cooling and other critical functions. The backup line can now feed the station should the primary line become unavailable or damaged. Before Russia's full-scale war, the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant had six backup lines and four main lines of 750 kV. The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) 's chief Rafael Grossi said on July 3 that while the restoration of the last backup line was positive, the plant's external power situation "remains highly vulnerable." ISW: Russian forces remain unlikely to cause an intentional accident at Zaporizhzhia plant The Russian forces would not be able to control the consequences of an intentional radiological incident at the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant, the Institute for the Study of War said in its latest update on June 30. The Kyiv IndependentOlena Goncharova Russian forces have occupied the Zaporizhzhia plant, the largest nuclear plant in Europe, since March 2022. They have used it as a military base to launch attacks at Ukrainian-controlled territory across the Dnipro River. Due to Russian attacks on the country's energy infrastructure, the plant has been fully disconnected from the Ukrainian power grid several times, having to resort to diesel generators. On June 20, President Volodymyr Zelensky announced, citing intelligence data, that Moscow was considering a terrorist attack on the nuclear power plant through radiation leakage. Several days later, Ukraine's military intelligence chief Kyrylo Budanov told the New Stateman that Russia had completed preparations for the attack. On July 1, Zelensky told Spanish reporters that another possibility was that Russian troops could give back the station under Ukrainian control after having mined it, only to blow it up remotely. Essex Oyster business to fight in court over sewage dumps The Haward Family has been cultivating oysters around Essex since the 1700s A family-run oyster firm is set to argue in court that the dumping of sewage threatens its existence. Tom Haward, a director at Essex-based Richard Haward's Oysters, said the "relentless dumping of sewage into our seas" threatened the environment it relied on to produce its oysters. Companies currently have a deadline of 2050 to stop sewage discharges. This legal challenge aims to force the government to bring deadlines forward and introduce tougher targets. Richard Haward's Oysters plan to give evidence at the High Court from Wednesday. Mr Haward said: "For eight generations the Haward family have grown oysters in Essex and sold them throughout the UK and beyond. Our livelihood balances completely on water quality." The legal challenge has been backed by cross-party MPs England's sewers were designed with 14,500 storm overflows to stop them becoming overwhelmed during heavy rainfall. The Environment Agency said these overflows were now used on a routine basis. Through its Storm Overflows Discharge Reduction Plan, the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) imposed a deadline of 2035 for reducing sewage flowing into bathing waters and areas of ecological importance. It has given companies until 2050 to stop discharges elsewhere. The Good Law Project has been supporting Richard Haward's Oysters, the Marine Conservation Society and surfer and activist Hugo Tagholm as they argue the strategy is inadequate and allows water companies to pollute for another 27 years. Success against Defra could set a landmark precedent that would allow others to use an ancient English legal principle called the Public Trust Doctrine, to compel those in power to protect the natural environment. Legal director of Good Law Project, Emma Dearnaley, said: "This is our chance to force the government to put in place a robust plan to put an end to the sewage scandal blighting our country." Defra has been contacted for comment. Find BBC News: East of England on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. If you have a story suggestion email eastofenglandnews@bbc.co.uk HBO Theres a hot new show on TV, and were here to tell you all about it. No, you cant watch it yet. And thats not because critics got advance screeners to watch ahead of the premiere. This show isnt actually real. (But, hey! Itll always exist in our hearts.) The show were talking about is Che Pasa, the brilliantly titled sitcom Che Diaz (Sara Ramirez) is working on in Los Angeles in Season 2 of And Just Like That. Say what you want about the Sex and the City sequels characterthat theyre the worst of all time, that the hate is homophobic, that you dont mind them but you miss Steve (David Eigenberg)this fictional show-within-a-show must be talked about. The multicam sitcom Che is starring in seems so goofy. I would love nothing more than to hate-watch it on a Thursday night at 9 p.m., adding in my snarky commentary at each bad joke. (If Ches Uber to my bathroom in Los Angeles stand-up line is any indicator, were dubious of the Che Pasa comedy writing.) ABC pitching Che Pasa at the upfronts pic.twitter.com/qLNuOBmdKp Andrew Frye (@itsandrewfrye) June 26, 2023 what could be better than falling asleep to an episode of Che Pasa softly playing in the background pic.twitter.com/HjiL7O8Nyu coleman spilde (@colemanjspilde) June 25, 2023 Che Pasa has been cancelled after one season by MAX nolan (@anxiousdeluxe) June 22, 2023 Me on my death bed: Che Pasa Desi (@DesiJed) June 27, 2023 In the final episodes of And Just Like That Season 1, we learn that Miranda (Cynthia Nixon) plans to move out to Los Angeles with her new romantic partnerChe, Carries (Sarah Jessica Parker) old podcast co-hostis heading out west to shoot their pilot. Now that were a few episodes into Season 3, the pilot is actually filming. A la Curb Your Enthusiasm or Hannah Montana, Che is playing a fictionalized version of themselfalthough the story is written by a different writer, who wants Che to wear a bedazzled blue suit (amazing) with a blue streak in their hair (incredible). Che refuses. Along with Che, the show stars Tony Danza as their father. And, wouldnt you know it, Danza plays himself in And Just Like That. Che Pasa feels like a fever dream. But Ill give Che the benefit of the doubt, though they might not deserve that much, because most of the pilots storyline is relayed through subplots of And Just Like That: in short phone calls, through arguments, and in scenes where Miranda is the main character. But I want to know everything about Ches pilot. HBO, take this as an opportunity to turn one of the And Just Like That episodes into a backdoor pilot leading to the rest of Che Pasa. Besides the cast list and potential costumes, heres what we do know: Danza stars as Ches father, which would have to make him either Mexican or Irish, as Che is both. The studio opts for Mexican American, but that makes him insecureand rightful so!seeing as Danza himself is clearly not Mexican. His full name is actually Anthony Salvatore Iadanza, so its intriguing to me that anyone behind this pilot would ever find it conceivable that this man could pass as anything other than Italian. HBO Nevertheless, Che persisted. Danza has a heart-to-heart with them, explaining that he is on board with the message of the show, but he cant play a person of Mexican heritage. The guy from Whos the Boss has made it this long without being canceled, but that would surely do it. The show concedes and makes him Italian, which is adjacent enough to the Irish side of Che for them to begrudgingly agree. Their mother in Che Pasa will be Mexicanthough its Ches father who is Mexican in real lifeand will be dead for the purposes of the plot. Instead, Che will have all of their cultural heart-to-hearts with their abuela, which is great, because the actress cast in the role has been killing it in the read-throughs, according to Danza. What insight does this give us about the show? Its a family sitcom. Maybe. But so far, it really seems to be all drama. I think what youre doing here is really important. And cute! Danza tells Che. Youre going to open a lot of hearts and change a lot of minds. Lets just say really important and cute are the genres of the show. We get some of that Italian in this weeks episode, Chapter Three, which sees Che running their lines with Miranda. How is it going, my little cannoli? Miranda says, as Danza. Dad, can you please not call me that? Che fires back. Im not allowed to call you that anymore? Who am I offending nowpastry or cream? This should be award-winning writing. Thats all Ill say. The lines go on to reveal a sad scene where Che cries over their identity, but this is far too dark for Che, who doesnt want to portray being non-binary as a tragedy. Again, Im confused about the genre, and also why the cannolis mattered so much to this scene? HBO In another scene from this weeks episode, Miranda attends the taping of the pilot and sits in the live studio audience. Right before the taping, Miranda gets a phone call from her son, Brady (Niall Cunningham), who has just gone through a break-up in Europe. Miranda wants to continue chatting with him, but the security at the studio needs to take her phone away, so she sneaks it in. Thats how we get a brief glimpse at the big cannoli turning point in the pilot. None of it is all that funny. Thats possibly the point, as Che rebels against the writers terrible they/them jokes and bits from Danza like: For a gay kid, he was pretty good at putt-putt. So, the plot of Che Pasa is just Che being Che? The pilot seems to be teeing up a show that would consist of Che groaning while their offensive (but loving!) father works towards being politically correct about his childs gender identity. Perhaps the next episode would see Ches dating life, in which a lover like Miranda breaks up with them over a post-it note. Id watchbut I dont think the world is ready for Che Pasa. Keep obsessing! Sign up for the Daily Beasts Obsessed newsletter and follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and TikTok. Read more of our coverage of And Just Like That HERE. And Just Like That Sends Che Diaz Into Full Villain Mode Charlotte York Is Now My Favorite And Just Like That Character This Week, And Just Like That Boldly Acknowledges Racism 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. Former Labor Secretary Robert Reich explains in a new video why he believes Republican claims of patriotism dont ring true. Republicans claim they love America. But they sure dont seem to like the American people, Reich, who served under President Bill Clinton, began in a video shared on his YouTube channel on Monday, just ahead of the Fourth of July. Reich said Republicans routinely oppose reforms that would benefit the majority of Americans, attack cities and rural areas, harm the land they claim to love with the rolling back of environmental regulations and even shun democracy itself. Its time to stop letting Republicans claim the mantle of patriotism without actually being patriots, said Reich. Now is the time for the rest of us to reclaim patriotism and affirm its true meaning, the former Cabinet secretary concluded. Related... Former Volusia County Corrections Director Mark Flowers, who was fired by the county earlier this year, has filed a lawsuit accusing Volusia County of retaliation and violating the state Whistle-Blower Act. The lawsuit was filed Monday in Volusia County Circuit Court and accuses the county of retaliating against Flowers after he reported suspected violations of laws and rules involving the alleged beating of an inmate by staff at the Volusia County Branch Jail. The county stripped Flowers of job duties, removed him from his office and had him work out of a conference room after he made the report, the lawsuit states. The county also investigated, isolated and humiliated Flowers before ultimately firing him, it says. The Florida Department of Law Enforcement investigated the incident involving the inmate at the jail and the State Attorneys Office found no reason to bring charges. Flowers is represented by Attorney Kelly H. Chanfrau, who stated that additional counts will be added to the lawsuit, which currently contains the one count of violating the Florida Public Sector Whistle-Blower Act, which protects employees from retaliation when they report wrongdoing. Intent to fire appealed: Volusia Corrections Director Mark Flowers appeals the county's intent to fire him The News-Journal has requested a response from the county. The county fired Flowers on Jan. 6, saying he had lost the support of many, if not all, command staff and many correctional officers at the jail. Documents related to an internal affairs investigation stated that Flowers created a hostile work environment and alleged he threatened employees about their jobs and coerced employees into doing things they were not comfortable with. Flowers was recruited in 2014 to work for Volusia County until he retired the lawsuit stated. Flowers seeks back pay and front pay, which is money from the time of trial until sometime in the future, and other damages, including damages for emotional distress. Flowers' work was praised and he was offered a promotion in the fall of 2021 to deputy director. Things changed after Flowers submitted a formal request on May 12, 2022, for an internal affairs investigation that jail staff had allegedly beaten up an inmate. New director hired: Volusia County Council unanimously approves new corrections director, will start in July Immediately after, plaintiff experienced retaliation and discrimination that only intensified with each day, resulting in a hostile work environment from his co-workers and staff, the lawsuit stated. Flowers took leave for cancer surgery in June 2022 and when he returned to work Aug. 3, 2022, he was told to work from a conference room. This action was taken to cause embarrassment and humiliate plaintiff, the lawsuit states. Flowers submitted a written complaint to Volusia County on Aug. 12, 2022, and was placed on administrative leave three days later. The lawsuit states that County Manager George Recktenwald told Flowers that Flowers' "cancer diagnosis had changed him and has led him to make bad decisions." This article originally appeared on The Daytona Beach News-Journal: Ex-Volusia corrections director sues county for retaliation Former US Rep Chris Collins, who was pardoned by former president Donald Trump, is reportedly contemplating a run for Congress in Florida. The former representative, who pleaded guilty in 2019 to conspiracy to commit securities fraud, told WGRZs Scott Levin that he is planning to run for the seat currently held by Rep Byron Donalds should Mr Donalds vacate it to make a run for higher office. If Mr Collins were to win election to the House in Florida, he would be the first person to represent two different states in Congress in more than five decades. Former US Rep Chris Collins, who is reportedly planning another run for Congress (Copyright 2019 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.) Mr Collins tenure representing New York in Congress, his former state of residence, ended in ignominy. In 2016, he became the largest stockholder of a company called Innate Immunotherapeutics. The next year, the Office of Congressional Ethics found reason to believe Mr Collins had used his office to improperly benefit the company by sharing nonpublic information with investors. Mr Collins and his son Cameron were arrested by the FBI in August of 2018, but Mr Collins eventually decided to run for re-election while under indictment. He won narrowly, with just 49 per cent of the vote in a heavily-Republican district, but resigned his seat just before pleading guilty to the charges he was facing. After a Covid-induced delay, Mr Collins reported to prison near Pensacola, Florida in October 2020. But his sentence was cut short in December when Mr Trump pardoned him on his way out of office rewarding Mr Collins for his political loyalty and opening the door to him for a possible political comeback. Now, with Mr Trump himself under federal indictment while he attempts his own political comeback, Mr Collins is said to be weighing another run for office. The district hes supposedly eyeing for his next run, Floridas 19th congressional district, is comprised of parts of Fort Myers, Cape Coral, Sanibel, Bonita Springs, Naples, and Marco Island along the states Gulf Coast. Its currently represented by Mr Donalds, who has been linked with a future bid for the Senate or for governor. The states current governor, Ron DeSantis, is running for president. He is term-limited as governor, and will depart that office in 2026 at the latest. For now, Mr Collins is making do with a spot as a Trump surrogate. At a campaign event for the former president in Florida over the weekend, he told the crowd that he never would have been convicted by a jury and that President Joe Biden and his supporters are attacking the moral compass of our great nation. Only Joe Biden and his woke extremists are celebrating Pride Month, Mr Collins said. Theyre supporting the LGPQRSTUVWXYZ population. If I had my way, wed be replacing Pride Month with make America great again month. FILE PHOTO: This still image taken from amateur video shows protesters defacing a giant poster of Syria's President Bashar al-Assad in Deraa By Stephanie van den Berg and Maya Gebeily THE HAGUE/BEIRUT (Reuters) - In the early years of Syria's brutal conflict, top government officials established and directed paramilitary groups known as shabbiha to help the state crack down on opponents, war crimes investigators have documented. In a report shared with Reuters, the Commission for International Justice and Accountability (CIJA) published seven documents its investigators said showed that the highest levels of Syria's government "planned, organised, instigated and deployed" the shabbiha from the start of the war in 2011. U.N. investigators in 2012 concluded there were reasonable grounds to believe shabbiha militias committed crimes against humanity, including murder and torture, and war crimes such as arbitrary arrest and detention, sexual violence and pillaging. CIJA's cache does not contain direct written orders to commit atrocities. The Syrian government did not respond to a request for comment from Reuters. It has previously blamed opposition fighters for several mass killings studied by CIJA in the report. The government has not publicly commented on the shabbiha, which means ghosts in Arabic, or whether it had any role in organising the groups. Dating from as early as January 2011 - the first days of the protests against Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's rule - the documents detail the creation of so-called Popular Committees, groups that incorporated regime supporters already known as shabbiha into the security apparatus, and trained, instructed and armed them, the report said. The documents include instructions on March 2, 2011 from military intelligence to local authorities via Security Committees run by Assad's Baath party leaders to "mobilise" informers, grassroots organisations and so-called friends of the Assad government. In further documents in April they are ordered to form them into Popular Committees. They also contain instructions in April, May and August, 2011 to Popular Committees from the newly-established Central Crisis Management Committee (CCMC), a mix of security forces, intelligence agencies and top officials that reported directly to Assad, the report said. One of the CCMC's first directives, dated April 18, 2011, and included in full in the report, ordered the Popular Committees to be trained on how to use weapons against demonstrators, as well as how to arrest them and hand them over to government forces. A German regional court in 2021, in a case against a Syrian intelligence services official, said in its judgment the CCMC was established in March 2011, reporting to Assad as an ad hoc body composed of senior leaders of the security forces. A U.S. district court found in 2019 in a civil case that Assad himself established the CCMC, which the court called "the highest national security body in the Syrian government" and "comprised of senior members of the government". Reuters reviewed seven documents made available in full in the CIJA report, which was due to be published later on Tuesday. The report also draws on dozens of other papers, which were collected from government or military facilities after territory fell to the rebels. CIJA has not released all the documents it quotes from, saying some are being used in ongoing investigations in European countries. The documents showed the government created the militias "from day one", rather than latching onto pre-existing grassroot groups, as scholars of the Syrian war previously thought, said Ugur Ungor, an expert on Syrian paramilitaries and a professor of Holocaust and Genocide studies at the Dutch NIOD Institute for War, Holocaust and Genocide Studies, who has reviewed the documents in CIJA's new report. PAPER TRAIL Some human rights scholars who have studied the role of the shabbiha in the Syrian war say the Assad regime initially used the groups to distance itself from violence on the ground. "The regime did not want the security forces and army to be pictured doing these things," said Fadel Abdul Ghany, chair of the Syrian Network for Human Rights, a UK-based advocacy group. No shabbiha members have been brought to trial in international courts. Ghany, who reviewed the documents, said they could help build such cases. "Here you have the paper trail that shows how these units were mobilized", one of CIJA's directors, Nerma Jelacic, told Reuters. CIJA is a nonprofit founded by a veteran war crimes investigator and staffed by international criminal lawyers who have worked in Bosnia, Rwanda and Cambodia. Its evidence on Syria has previously been used in court cases against regime officials conducted in Germany, France, Sweden and the Netherlands. NINE MASSACRES CIJA named nine massacres in Syria the reports said involved pro-government militias, including in the neighbourhood of Karm al-Zeytoun in the city of Homs in March 2012. One Syrian man, who asked not to be named as he feared reprisals against relatives still living in government-held zones in Syria, told Reuters his wife and five children were among those killed there. "The shabbiha put them up against the wall, tried to violate them, then shot them," he said. At the time, he had joined a rebel group and was in a nearby district, al-Adawiya - where another massacre had just taken place, also cited by CIJA. "The moment I heard that my kids were dead, I was holding a six-month-old baby that had just been killed in Adawiya. So, I was imagining what had happened to my kids," he said, speaking by telephone from within a rebel-held enclave in northern Syria. Reuters was not able to independently confirm his account. The CIJA documents showed tensions between some branches of the security forces and some Popular Committees as reports of abuses spread - but rather than rein-in the militias, the security forces issued instructions to not oppose them. CIJA's Syria team of 45 people studied the documents to detail the growth of the shabbiha groups from neigbourhood-level loyalist groups to a well-organised militia and later a parallel wing of the army called the National Defence Force (NDF). Reuters earlier reported on the 2012 creation of the NDF. While there is no international war crimes court with jurisdiction over Syria's conflict, there are a number of so-called universal jurisdiction cases in countries like the Netherlands, Sweden, France and Germany which have laws allowing them to prosecute war crimes even if they are committed elsewhere. Ghany said the documents were "necessary" pieces of evidence linking the shabbiha to the state in international justice cases. "These documents make it possible to pursue people legally - if there are individuals in European countries, then a case can be brought against them," he told Reuters. (Reporting by Stephanie Van Den Berg and Maya Gebeily; Editing by Frank Jack Daniel) TOKYO (Reuters) -Japan is set to begin pumping out more than a million tonnes of treated water from the destroyed Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant this summer, a process that will take decades to complete. The water was distilled after being contaminated from contact with fuel rods at the reactor, destroyed in a 2011 earthquake. Tanks on the site now hold about 1.3 million tonnes of radioactive water - enough to fill 500 Olympic-sized swimming pools. Here is how Tokyo Electric Power Company (Tepco) plans to deal with the water: WATER RELEASE Tepco has been filtering the contaminated water to remove isotopes, leaving only tritium, a radioactive isotope of hydrogen that is hard to separate from water. Tepco will dilute the water until tritium levels fall below regulatory limits before pumping it into the ocean from the coastal site. Water containing tritium is routinely released from nuclear plants around the world, and regulatory authorities support dealing with the Fukushima water in this way. Tritium is considered to be relatively harmless because it does not emit enough energy to penetrate human skin. But when ingested it can raise cancer risks, a Scientific American article said in 2014. The water disposal will take decades to complete, with a rolling filtering and dilution process, alongside the planned decommissioning of the plant. REACTION TO OCEAN RELEASE Tepco has been engaging with fishing communities and other stakeholders and is promoting agriculture, fishery and forest products in stores and restaurants to reduce any reputational harm to produce from the area. Fishing unions in Fukushima have urged the government for years not to release the water, arguing it would undo work to restore the damaged reputation of their fisheries. Neighbouring countries have also expressed concern. China has been the most vocal, calling Japan's plan irresponsible, unpopular and unilateral. (Reporting by Tokyo Newsroom. Editing by Gerry Doyle) Explainer-Israel's attack on Jenin: Why now and what for? (Reuters) -Israel unleashed a major raid on July 3 on Jenin refugee camp, a Palestinian militant stronghold in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, killing at least 10 Palestinians in clashes with gunmen. Here is what you need to know about Jenin: WHY IS ISRAEL ATTACKING JENIN? Since March 2022, Jenin and outlying areas in the north of the Israeli-occupied West Bank have drawn intensified raids ordered by Israel's nationalist-religious government after a spate of Palestinian street attacks. The Jenin camp has long been a hotbed of militants with an array of light weapons and a growing arsenal of explosive devices. The Israeli military regularly accuses militant groups of basing fighters within densely populated urban areas such as refugee camps that date back to 1948. Many of the militants live in the camp, often with their families. In January, Israeli forces killed seven gunmen and two civilians in a raid in Jenin. Last month, militants and Israeli troops waged an hours-long gunbattle in which six Palestinians were killed and over 90 wounded. Seven Israeli personnel were wounded by a landmine that crippled their armoured vehicle. Palestinian gunmen shot dead four Israelis near a Jewish settlement in retaliation, prompting settlers to rampage through Palestinians towns, torching buildings and cars. This slide into some of the worst violence since the Palestinians' 2000-05 Intifada (uprising) comes amid a prolonged absence of peace talks envisaging Palestinian statehood, an increasingly weak Palestinian political leadership and a steady expansion of Jewish settlements on occupied land under Israel's most hardline nationalist government ever. WHERE IS JENIN AND WHAT IS LIFE LIKE THERE? Jenin is a small city in the hilly, far north of the West Bank, near the border with Israel, and contains a teeming, concrete and cinder-block refugee camp by the same name housing some 14,000 people. They are descendants of Palestinians dispossessed when Israel was created in 1948, and most are impoverished and unemployed. This harsh heritage generates die-hard hostility to Israel and support for Palestinian militant groups. WHAT IS THE SIGNIFICANCE OF JENIN REFUGEE CAMP? Jenin was the arena of some of the worst bloodshed during the second Intifada, which began after the collapse of U.S.-backed peace talks in 2000 and escalated into an armed conflict between Israel and militant groups. Jenin produced many of the suicide bombers who spearheaded the uprising and, to curb it, Israeli armoured forces carried out a devastating raid on its camp in April 2002 as part of a wider clampdown on areas where Palestinians had exercised limited self-rule under 1990s interim peace deals. U.N. reports said 52 Palestinians died in Jenin, as many as half of them civilians, while Israel lost 23 soldiers, with over 400 homes demolished and over a quarter of the population left homeless, necessitating a reconstruction of the camp. Two decades on, Israel has sounded alarms over the growing number of gunmen in Jenin and their stockpiling of munitions. Israel says the camp is a hub for planning and preparing militant attacks as well as a safe haven for fighters funded by Hamas or the Iranian-backed Islamic Jihad group. Israel also says more than 50 shooting attacks have been carried out by Jenin-area militants since the beginning of 2023 and that almost half the population is affiliated either with Hamas or Islamic Jihad. The launch of two improvised rockets by militants near Jenin last month raised alarm in Israel that the West Bank could be going the way of the Gaza Strip, from which it withdrew settlers in 2005 and where armed Islamist factions are now in power. Recent smaller-scale Israeli raids on Jenin, often employing squads of commandos disguised as Palestinians, have encountered difficulties given militants' booby-trapping of the narrow lanes with bombs and quick detection of strangers in the camp. That contributed to the size of the early July Israeli operation - involving over 1,000 soldiers - as well as Israel's decision to back them up with rare drone strikes - in what it called a drive to destroy militant infrastructure and weapons. Among sites the Israeli military says it has unearthed in Jenin is a command room with a bank of CCTV cameras covering the camp and a tunnel and armoury hidden underneath a mosque. Israel also says it has captured 120 suspected militants and killed at least nine gunmen in Jenin. Of the 10 Palestinian fatalities, five have been confirmed as militants. WHY DO GUNMEN SEEM TO ECLIPSE GOVERNANCE? Militant groups present in Jenin include the Iran-backed Islamic Jihad; the Islamist Hamas, which controls Gaza; and the armed wing of President Mahmoud Abbas' Fatah faction. The camp's militants operate under the umbrella of the Jenin Brigades. Their growing presence has been partly due to inaction by the security forces of Abbas's internationally backed Palestinian Authority (PA), which says Israel has undermined its credibility on the street. But their strength also feeds on the weakness of 87-year-old Abbas, whose formula of statehood negotiations with Israel collapsed in 2014, with no revival on the horizon, and perceived endemic incompetence and corruption within the PA. WHAT IS THE HISTORY OF ISRAELI-PALESTINIAN CONFLICT? Israel's founding in 1948, defeating Arab armies from around the Middle East, scattered hundreds of thousands of Palestinian refugees through the wider region in what Palestinians call their Nakba (catastrophe). In the next major Middle East war 19 years later, Israel captured the West Bank and East Jerusalem from Jordan and Gaza from Egypt. Israel annexed East Jerusalem in a move not recognised internationally, and launched settlements in the West Bank and Gaza. In the mid-1990s, Israel and the Palestinians reached interim peace accords but a series of follow-up "final status" negotiations on a Palestinian state in the West Bank and Gaza foundered repeatedly on intractable disputes over borders, settlements, refugees and Jerusalem. The last round of U.S.-brokered talks broke down in 2014. (Writing by Dan Williams; editing by Mark Heinrich) (Reuters) -Here are some facts about NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, whose contract will be extended for a further year under a decision by the Western defence alliance: * Stoltenberg took on the NATO role in 2014 after serving as U.N. climate envoy and prime minister of Norway. He led Norway between 2005-2013 in a coalition headed by the Labour Party, whose youth wing he had led in his 20s. * He said in February he would not seek another extension of his tenure at NATO, having already had it prolonged three times. The last time he agreed to an extension, he had to give up an appointment as Norway's central bank governor. * Stoltenberg was an anti-war activist in his youth who admitted to hurling stones at the U.S. Embassy in the 1970s in protest against the Vietnam war. He studied economics and was widely seen as a pragmatic centrist during a long career in Norwegian politics, including stints as finance minister and minister for trade and energy. * He pushed his government to mediate, often in secret, on conflicts, including in Columbia and Afghanistan, and resolved a longstanding maritime border dispute with Russia. * Stoltenberg was dubbed the "Trump-whisperer" for convincing Donald Trump to stick with NATO after the then-U.S. president complained that allies were spending too little on defence and threatened to pull out. * The NATO leader has been credited with keeping the alliance together over Russia's invasion of Ukraine and striking a balance between those demanding maximum support for Kyiv and others urging more caution. SOME COMMENTS ABOUT STOLTENBERG: * "He thrives on compromise," Frank Aarebrot, professor of comparative politics at the University of Bergen and an acquaintance of Stoltenberg. * "He's got a vast political network and good political intuition ... and he will also listen to civil society, not just people within the 'security cage'," said Jan Egeland, a former U.N. Under-Secretary General. SOME COMMENTS BY STOLTENBERG: "Russia's use of military force to modify its borders is unacceptable ... We will not live in a world where the strongest one prevails." "NATO is determined to set the gold standard on addressing the security implications of climate change." - June 28, 2022 Asked in February this year what words of wisdom he would give to his successor, he replied: "To keep Europe and North America together." (Writing by Philippa Fletcher and Andrew Gray; editing by Gareth Jones) Maria Rosario Velasco, with her husband, Manuel Velasco Martinez, will celebrate her first Fourth of July as a U.S. citizen. (David Flores/HANDOUT) Maria Halushka, a Ukranian refugee living in Palos Heights, said this Fourth of July she feels even more appreciative of the United States offering her a safe place to live and work while the war in Ukraine continues. Army veteran David Young, of Park Forest, said the Independence Day honors the birth of our nation as the Second Continental Congress signed the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776, as the formal separation from Great Britain. Advertisement Maria Rosario Velasco, of Joliet, who became a U.S. citizen a week before the Fourth of July, said shes excited to celebrate the holiday for the first time as an American citizen. Maria Halushka (Vasyl Sendeha) Halushka lived in Sambir, Ukraine, a small town near the Polish border, but came to the United States March 28 to escape the war and find better opportunities, said the Rev. Vasyl Sendeha, priest at Saints Peter and Paul Ukrainian Orthodox Church in Palos Park, who helped translate the interview. Advertisement Over the last few months, Halushka has lived with her sister in Palos Heights and works at a flower shop in Orland Park, she said. Her mother and boyfriend stayed in Ukraine, she said, and her boyfriend serves in the Ukrainian Army. Halushka said her sister told her about the Fourth of July holiday and compared it to Ukraines Independence Day celebrations on Aug. 24, which commemorated the countrys 1991 Declaration of Independence from the Soviet Union. In Ukraine, Aug. 24 celebrations are similar to the Fourth of July with people having the day off from work, firework displays and concerts, she said. This year, Halushka said she will spend the Fourth with her sister and her sisters family. It is bittersweet, Halushka said, to celebrate the independence of the country that gave her refuge while her home country is war torn. She feels happy for Americans that they have this holiday, that theyre celebrating freedom, and shes blessed and thankful to the United States for giving her place and shelter, Sendeha said. But she misses Ukraine and her people very much. She wishes that the time will come that Ukraine will celebrate renewed Independence Day, free from war, free from enemy, free from anger. David Young (David Young) Young, 64, said he served in the Army from 1975 to 1982. He joined the Army because six of his cousins fought in the Vietnam War, with two of them killed in combat. Young also said some of his aunts and uncles served in World War II, an uncle served in Korean War, and his grandfather served in World War I. Weve been a military serving family all through that time. It just felt part of my duty, he said. Daily Southtown Twice-weekly News updates from the south suburbs delivered every Monday and Wednesday By submitting your email to receive this newsletter, you agree to our Subscriber Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy > Young said he will celebrate this year in Naperville with his family, but cautioned it is important to be safe and careful with fireworks and to remember that the sounds of fireworks could be triggering for veterans. Advertisement If you have a veteran who lives in your area, please have a little respect about the fireworks because it could bring back some very hard memories for some of the guys. Theyve gone through quite an ordeal and they dont need to be gun shocked into remembering that, he said. Maria Rosario Velasco (David Flores) Velasco said she came to the U.S. from Mexico 14 years ago, and she works at the Vilaseca Josephine Center in Joliet as a teachers aide, according to David Flores, New Americans initiative director for the Spanish Community Center. After 10 months of studying and preparation, Velasco became a citizen June 27, she said. Velasco said shes proud of how far shes come and looks forward to celebrating her first Fourth of July as a citizen. Shes very excited to participate in her first Fourth of July, and shes also happy to have the rights, now that shes fully a U.S. citizen, Flores said. Velasco said she plans to spend the day with family and then go see fireworks. She said she looks forward to celebrating more Independence Days and other American holidays as a citizen. She feels like shes a part of the U.S. now, Flores said. A family is thankful to be safe after their boat sank to the bottom of Lake Murray during the annual Fourth of July boat parade. The Burlesons were lined up with their two children for the boat parade Saturday when heavy waves caused by the wake of passing boats overtook their craft and it began to sink from taking on the water. Our boat was a small 16-foot 1983 beechcraft, Nichole Burleson wrote on the familys GoFundMe fundraiser. As our nose dipped from going over one wake, another huge one went straight over the open bow and over took our boat. The family escaped with only minor cuts and bruises, she said, but their boat along with their cell phones, keys, tools and other belongings was underwater within seconds. A military family who just moved to the area after Burlesons husband was posted to Fort Jackson, they were worried about how to afford the cost of retrieving their boat from the lake. We are dealing with a family member dying of cancer, our home hvac system just went out, and our transmission on my van, Burleson wrote on the fundraising website. So we have no savings left to put towards this cost. But salvage companies have reportedly offered to help the family get their boat back free of charge. It was a military family, someone thats defending our freedom, in a boat parade, celebrating the countrys birth of its freedom, Rick Kahn, owner of Tow Boat US, told WACH FOX. And they have an unfortunate accident were the boat goes down. It just kinda hit us hard, and we realized its something we had to help with. Kahn told WLTX his crew would go out on Tuesday morning at nine and run some GPS searches in some of the locations ... where the boat supposedly went down, he said. Divers would then work to pull the sunken beechcraft out of Lake Murray, a service that would normally cost the family thousands of dollars. Not that the family is eager to get back on the water anytime soon. Burleson told the TV stations her children are now too frightened to get back in a boat. They were scared of the boat regardless, she told WLTX. This was a nail in the coffin for boating. Nigel Farage Update 20th July 2023: Since this article was published, Nigel Farage submitted a subject access request to Coutts bank and obtained a report from the bank's reputational risk committee. While it mentioned commercial considerations, the document also said the committee did not think continuing to have Mr Farage as a client was "compatible with Coutts given his publicly-stated views that were at odds with our position as an inclusive organisation". We have amended this article's headline to make clear that the details about the closure of Nigel Farage's bank account came from a source. Nigel Farage fell below the financial threshold required to hold an account at Coutts, the prestigious private bank for the wealthy, the BBC has been told. It is understood he was subsequently offered a standard account at NatWest which owns Coutts. Mr Farage has said he believes his account is being shut for political reasons and he has since been turned down by nine other lenders. But people familiar with Coutts' move said it was a "commercial" decision. "The criteria for holding a Coutts account are clear from the bank's website," they told the BBC. Coutts requires its customers to borrow or invest at least 1m with the bank or hold 3m in savings. Speaking to the BBC from France, Mr Farage did not dispute the fact that he did not meet Coutts' threshold, but added: "They didn't have a problem with it for the last 10 years." The former leader of the UK Independence Party and Brexiteer later tweeted that at "no point"" had Coutts given him a minimum threshold. He added that his business account was being closed despite the fact that last year he had "large significant positive cash balances" going through it. Coutts said it did not comment on individuals' accounts. Mr Farage recently posted a six-minute video on Twitter blaming "serious political persecution" from an anti-Brexit banking industry. He said that losing his bank account was the equivalent of being a "non-person" and that the decision may "fundamentally affect my future career and whether I can even go on staying living here in this country". Speaking to BBC Radio 4's the World at One on Tuesday, Mr Farage said that Coutts had given him "no reason whatsoever" when they wrote to say that his accounts would be closed, and he was given two months to find a new bank. Mr Farage also disputed the fact that he was offered a NatWest account at the time his Coutts accounts were withdrawn. He says the offer of a NatWest account came late last week. The former politician said the bank only did this when he "went public" with his story, and that it only offered him a personal account, not a business account. "Well what use to me is that?" he told the BBC. "I operate through a business, that's how I live. Any income that comes to me personally comes through my business." The BBC understands that the offer of a NatWest account still stands. Mr Farage claims other banks have refused to take him on as a customer on the grounds that he is a "politically exposed person" (PEP). A PEP generally presents a higher risk for financial institutions as regulators consider such people to be more exposed to the risk of potential involvement in bribery and corruption by virtue of their position and the influence they may hold. Mr Farage told the BBC: "Are you telling me that all the other banks say it was a PEP thing and Coutts wasn't? Draw your own conclusions." Speaking on GB News later on Tuesday, he questioned why Coutts's had been "discussing my financial situation publicly," adding it was not "ethical". A Treasury spokesman said it would be a "serious concern" if financial services were being denied to those exercising their right to lawful free speech. "We are already looking into this issue and have passed a law that requires the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) to review how banks treat politically exposed persons - so we can strike the right balance between the customer's right to free speech and the bank's right to manage commercial risk." More on this story: News Daily banner Sign up for our morning newsletter and get BBC News in your inbox. More than a decade ago, Saliah Algahmi was ordered hospitalized for mental health issues, deemed a threat to himself and others, court records show. Because of that, the government says, he wasn't allowed to possess guns. But following a domestic violence incident 11 years later, police raided his home this month and discovered a cache of weapons: 18 in total, including a machine gun, semiautomatic rifles and a stolen AK-47 pistol. They also found two counterfeit police badges, one of them a shiny gold Department of Defense knockoff. Federal charges followed. In U.S. District Court last week, 37-year-old Algahmi, of Melvindale, consented to being jailed pending the outcome of a case that highlights a pervasive problem in the United States: guns winding up in the wrong hands. On June 8, 2023, Detroit police seized these guns - 18 in total - from the home of Melvindale man who the government says was not allowed to possess firearms due to his prior court-ordered hospitalization for mental health issues. Police found the guns following a domestic violence call: He allegedly shot at his wife and is now facing federal charges. (Credit: U.S. District Court records) This year, the U.S. Department of Justice released its first sweeping federal gun crime report in 20 years that looked at guns recovered in crimes from 2017 to 2021. The report found what Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco called an epidemic of stolen guns: more than 1 million reported stolen between 2017 and 2021. Nearly all 96% were stolen from private citizens. The report also found a shrinking turnaround between the time a gun was bought and when it was recovered from a crime scene, indicating guns bought legally are more quickly being used in crimes nationwide. In Algahmi's case, the government says, one of the guns seized from his house was involved in the incident that set his case in motion: a shooting in a Detroit alley in May, with his wife as the target. The Violent and Organized Crime Unit with the U.S. Attorney's Office is prosecuting the case. Michigan gun case started with domestic violence According to court records, Algahmi's case mirrors much of what was found in the Justice Department report: He had stolen guns, weapons with obliterated serial numbers and a gun that wound up in a crime scene: the weapon he allegedly fired at his wife three weeks before police raided his house. His mere possession of the gun was a crime in and of itself, says the government, which detailed Algahmi's past in court records. More: Prosecution: We have more dirt on the Crumbleys. It's time to try this case. In 2012, Algahmi was ordered to be hospitalized for at least 60 days under a petition by the Michigan Probate Court. The petition concluded that he was mentally ill, suffered from bipolar disorder, was at risk of intentionally or unintentionally seriously injuring himself or others, and had previously acted in a threatening manner. Therefore, any possession of firearms and or ammunition would be in direct violation of (federal law), a federal agent with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives wrote in an affidavit on file in U.S. District Court. According to that affidavit, here is how police discovered a stockpile of weapons in Algahmi's house: At 2:41 a.m. May 19, Detroit police responded to a 911 call involving an assault in an alley at Sharon and Mandale streets. Police were flagged down by a woman who said that Algahmi had fired one round at her as she sat in her car, and then fled the scene. The woman was his wife. She was not injured. Police located a spent 9mm shell casing at the scene and a witness corroborated the wifes story. The weapons seized On June 8, Detroit police executed a search warrant at Algahmis home in Melvindale, where they discovered the 18 guns, including a Glock 23 handgun that was equipped with a fully automatic conversion device commonly referred to as a switch. Police also discovered a counterfeit Drug Enforcement Agency badge in a kitchen cabinet, and a gold Department of Defense badge bearing the number 212 in a duffel bag. The guns were all over the house, including: An AR-15 rifle found on a bed in an upstairs bedroom. A semiautomatic rifle a Smith and Wesson M&P 15 in another bedroom. A semiautomatic pistol in a basement bedroom. The Romanian-built AK-47 pistol known as the Mini Draco in a bag next to the living room couch. A gun inside a brown holster set on the TV stand. A semiautomatic Beretta pistol in an open safe in the living room. According to the affidavit, one of the firearms found in the house was registered to Algahmis wife. None of the guns was lawfully registered to Algahmi, who is currently jailed on multiple charges, including possessing unregistered machine guns, possessing firearms in violation of his prior court-ordered hospitalization and possessing counterfeit DEA and DOD insignia badges. More: Personal trainer pulls AR-15-style rifle on bar customers in Holly: 'He's embarrassed' His attorney, prominent criminal defense lawyer William Swor, declined comment. If convicted, Algahmi faces a maximum of 15 years in prison. Through his illegal possession of an arsenal of 18 firearms, including a machine gun, and his willingness to use a firearm against a family member, this defendant represented an ongoing threat to the community, U.S. Attorney Dawn Ison said in announcing the charges last week. This threat has been stopped by the swift actions of law enforcement, and we are thankful this case did not result in someone being injured or killed. Algahmi's arrest comes three months after the FBI arrested a Sebewaing man with a history of mental illness who allegedly threatened to kill Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, other Democrats, federal agents and members of the LGBTQ+ community. According to court records, his mother had bought him three long guns and a pistol despite his history of mental illness: He was involuntary committed in 2012, and prohibited from owning a gun. That case is pending.Contact Tresa Baldas: tbaldas@freepress.com This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Feds: Mentally ill Melvindale man had 18 guns, fake police badges Female mayor of Mexicos deadliest city takes on the drug lords The first female mayor of Tijuana is not an easy woman to intimidate. Montserrat Ramirez Caballero runs a city ranked as the deadliest in Mexico and among the most dangerous in the world. Her security guards have been shot, a threatening note addressed to her has been found stuck on the body of a murdered woman and she holds high office in a country where a woman is killed every two and a half hours. Yet one of her first acts was to cut the number of mayoral bodyguards from 28 to six. The rows of women leaning on the walls of the many gentlemen clubs and bars in the huge red-light district are an indication of how women are typically viewed in this macho society / Christopher Cunningham Very recently she agreed to move into an army barracks with her nine-year-old son following death threats but until then Caballero, 41, had often infuriated her personal protection team by walking her dog alone and going to a public gym. Cuartel militar en donde vive Montserrat Caballero The mayor is trying to make Tijuana safer for women. She has introduced an emergency smartphone app that can send an alarm and GPS location to a police control room. More ambitiously, since taking office nearly two years ago, Caballero has been uncompromising in taking on Tijuanas organised crime gangs, showing that, if they do not conform to the law, she is prepared to shut multimillion-dollar businesses that exploit women. Others just turned the other way, she says when I ask why action has not been taken before, or theyre paid off. The crackdown has put her firmly in the crosshairs of the drug lords. Oh, its very dangerous, she says, but I have a responsibility to prevent this and to talk about these people. Alex Crawfords team filmed with a unit from the National Guard / Christopher Cunningham Christopher Cunningham Her husband, who lives in the United States, pleads in vain for her to join him there. But she will not go: a straight-talker who says she doesnt take any BS, she is on a mission to protect all women. Working on a documentary that screens on Monday, we hurtle around the border city with the mayor in her official bulletproof car as she strives to convince Tijuanas inhabitants that someone in a skirt can do the job. Looking at the scale of the challenges facing her, it is easy to feel they are insurmountable. Mexico is embroiled in a decades-old turf war between cartels slugging it out for territory and control over the blockbuster businesses of drugs, sex and human trafficking and women are invariably at the sharp end of this brutal battle. Last year about 30,000 people were murdered in Mexico. Most were male casualties of the drug wars but nearly 4,000 were women. About a quarter of these (947) were investigated as femicides women killed because of their gender. These are typically brutal crimes: according to the Centre for Strategic and International Studies in Washington, Women are more likely than men to be killed by strangulation, drowning, suffocation, and stabbing and, partly as a result, 77 per cent of Mexican women report not feeling safe. I absolutely feel like theres a war on women in Mexico, says Nicole Ramos, a lawyer living in Tijuana, a city of two million people just over the border from San Diego in the Mexican state of Baja California. I dont feel comfortable driving at certain hours, driving in certain places by myself, wearing clothing on the street that might be more revealing or attract more attention. Because I understand that my life does not have the same value as a mans life here. For Caballero, the root of femicide is the same as all the serious challenges in her city and across Mexico: drugs and the cartels that push them. They have infiltrated almost every section of society. The cartels often kill in deliberately gruesome ways and their social media videos put out as a warning to others are as bad as those distributed by Isis. Images are posted of women with breasts cut off; limbs severed; their heads put on car bonnets. Men are being murdered too but the number of women killed is increasing sharply and believed to be massively underreported. Tijuana is a cocktail of contradictions. They look like they are going into battle in Ukraine or Syria but few in Tijuana bat an eyelid / Christopher Cunningham It has a hedonistic, escapist image and relies heavily on tourism, yet armed troops from the National Guard are constantly patrolling, clad in ballistic helmets, kneepads, black masks and resting their guns on their laps as they sit in the back of pick-up trucks. They look like they are going into battle in Ukraine or Syria but few in Tijuana bat an eyelid. Alongside the stalls displaying ponchos and sombreros, and the smiling mariachi bands and stores full of handmade cowboy boots down Avenida Revolucion, the city has a seedy underbelly. Thousands of men travel from the US over the worlds busiest land border every year to live out their wildest fantasies. Drugs are as easy to order as tacos and women can cost less than the cocktails they are plying their customers with. Child pornography appears to be thriving and the cartels own or stake a claim on many of the businesses hustling for money. Women run to Tijuana to escape or hide. Many of them disappear and are never seen again. Caballero, a former lawyer, is one of six children. She grew up in a poor household blighted by domestic violence (her indigenous mother was abused) and suffered racism because of her dark skin. This is a background that she takes pride in and it is plain that many residents of Tijuana residents love her for it. Constituents are greeted with a warm hug and kiss. I watch as she tucks a note, handed to her by an elderly woman, into the top of her leather boots. She wants the mayor to mend broken street lights which now made her road vulnerable to muggings. I will follow it up, the mayor promises. She gets her hair and make-up done by transgender artists and sex workers in the citys red-light district. It keeps me in touch with my people, she says. I want them to know I am one of them and Im listening. Caballero gets her hair and make-up done by workers in Tijuanas red-light district / Christopher Cunningham The mayors unconventional approach has endeared her to some and annoyed many others. She is variously described as uninformed and ignorant but also warm, approachable and different from other politicians. I want to do the best I can for the people while I am mayor, she says. And if that means upsetting some of the cartels, big business or her fellow politicians then so be it. Already she seems to have done all three. Caballero has waded in where few of her male counterparts have gone before working with the federal government to close one of the biggest sex clubs in Tijuana, the Adelita, which failed to show documentation proving that all its female staff were above 18. The rows of women leaning on the walls of the many gentlemen clubs and bars in the huge red-light district are an indication of how women are typically viewed in this macho society. Were commodities, one woman told me, bought and sold like cars. The crime figures indicate they are probably discarded and disposed of more easily than a vehicle. We spot exceedingly young-looking girls among the sex workers. One, dressed in a short skirt and high heels with red lipstick, looks like she has not yet reached puberty. At least one is heavily pregnant. Our team films with a unit from the National Guard watching over us, guns drawn and ready. As we leave the area, one ofthem warns us he had spotted a suspicious police car circling the area while we were filming. If youre followed, call me and my unit will be out straight away to help, he says, giving us his personal mobile number such is the level of distrust towards the force in Tijuana. Police intransigence or apparent compliance with the narco lords is a constant complaint. Caballero refuses to back off. Im double proud because I have to be brave to go and close those places, she says. A lot of people feel scared because some say they [the businesses] are related to narco-trafficking but I dont care. If they have children working there, I will close them. VIDEO RELACIONADO: Reconoce AMLO trabajo de la alcadesa de Tijuana Montserrat Caballero Florida Highway Patrol announced it arrested a suspect that led troopers on a high-speed chase in Duval County after stealing a sedan in Flagler County. >>> STREAM ACTION NEWS JAX LIVE <<< According to the incident report, St. Johns County Sheriffs Office notified FHP about a stolen vehicle from Flagler County traveling northbound on I-95. SJSO said the car was last seen at 9:14 a.m. Monday at mile marker 306. Troopers spotted the stolen car in the area of I-95 and Old St. Augustine Road, and the chase was initiated. Read: Fort Worth shooting: 3 dead, 8 injured The chase came to an end when the suspect crashed his car into a U-Haul truck on I-95 northbound just south of Bowden Road. The 18-year-old suspect exited the car and tried to run, but he was caught quickly following a brief foot chase. Action News Jax is working to confirm the identity of the suspect. Action News Jax will continue to follow the story and will update you as events unfold. Read: Experts telling parents to exercise caution when allowing children to hold sparklers [SIGN UP: Action News Jax Daily Headlines Newsletter] Click here to download the free Action News Jax news and weather apps, click here to download the Action News Jax Now app for your smart TV and click here to stream Action News Jax live. A fire sent nearly two dozen Orange County residents scrambling from their apartments Monday afternoon. Firefighters responded to Affinity at Winter Park on North Semoran Boulevard near Aloma Avenue around 4:30 p.m. Tenants in 16 different apartments were displaced by the fire. Orange County firefighters battled an apartment fire on Semoran Avenue on Monday. READ: Heat advisory in effect as July 4th temps soar in Central Florida None were hurt, according to Orange County Fire Rescue. Orange County firefighters battled an apartment fire on Semoran Avenue on Monday. The American Red Cross is providing assistance to those 22 residents, including one veteran. No injuries were reported. State Fire Marshal is investigating. https://t.co/ONLdCA3pzi pic.twitter.com/tipYtdA6Nu OCFire Rescue (@OCFireRescue) July 3, 2023 READ: July 4, 2023: Which restaurants have freebies, deals on Independence Day? The state fire marshal is investigating the cause of the fire. Click here to download the free WFTV news and weather apps, click here to download the WFTV Now app for your smart TV and click here to stream Channel 9 Eyewitness News live. Missouri United Methodist Church is lit up on Columbia Eve Fest in a Tribune file photo. An early-morning fire at the United Methodist Church in downtown Columbia caused hundreds of thousands of dollars in damages. According to a press release from the Columbia Fire Department, the Columbia Fire Department responded to a call at the 200 block of South Ninth Street after a report of a fire alarm originating at the Missouri United Methodist Church on Monday, July 3, around 4:00 a.m. There were no injuries reported as a result of the fire, CFD reported. The release says the first crew to respond arrived five minutes later. According to the investigation, the crew encountered a large amount of smoke in the multipurpose area of the building and the buildings automatic fire sprinkler system was activated and flowing water. After the first crew, a first-arriving officer came on the scene and requested a full-structure fire response for the church. The two crews simultaneously started an interior search for any victims as well as the source of the smoke. Columbia Fire Marshals determined the fire originated on the church's stage, associated with a piece of sound equipment. The release notes the fire department estimated the damages to the church at around $200,000. CFD had the fire under control in approximately 30 minutes with fire crews remaining at the church into the mid-morning hours to ensure the fires were completely suppressed, remove the large amount of smoke contained in the church and remove as much water as possible from the building. This article originally appeared on Columbia Daily Tribune: Fire at Missouri United Methodist Church causes estimated $200,000 in damages First rise in capercaillie numbers in eight years Male capercaillie Numbers of critically-endangered capercaillie have increased for the first time in eight years. Scotland is the only place in the UK with the large grouse, and overall the population had fallen to just 542 birds. The latest survey of leks - areas where male birds compete for mates - found 168 males - 19 more than last year. Conservationists said the rise in numbers was detected in populations in Strathspey in the Cairngorms National Park, and in Easter Ross in the Highlands. The survey also suggested that while the genetic diversity of Scottish capercaillie was low there was no evidence it had suffered significantly. Britain's native capercaillie were extinct by the 1780s and today's population is descended from birds reintroduced from Sweden since the 19th Century. Further reintroductions have been suggested as a way of boosting the genetic pool. A male capercaillie with females Habitat loss and human disturbance to breeding seasons have been blamed for declining numbers. There were warnings last year capercaillie could vanish from Scotland within the next 30 years. This spring's increase has been welcomed by the Scottish government, which has asked the Cairngorms National Park Authority and NatureScot to lead a co-ordinated conservation action plan. Biodiversity Minister Lorna Slater said: The capercaillie is on the verge of extinction in Scotland, however new research shows that there is hope for the species. "I know how much work has already gone into protecting one of Scotlands most iconic birds, and we cannot let these efforts be in vain." RSPB Scotland said it supported the new efforts aimed at improving capercaillie conservation. Four adults and one teenager dead: What we know about mass shooting in Philadelphia Seven people, including two children, were shot during a mass shooting that took place in a residential neighbourhood of Philadelphia on Monday evening. Just hours before Fourth of July celebrations were set to take place, police responded to calls of gunfire in Kingsessing. Upon arrival, police found multiple gunshot wound victims and a suspected shooter who had fired approximately 50 shots aimlessly. Residents who were going out for a walk, sitting in their cars or at home became victims of the shooting. Of the seven people shot, four adults and one child were killed. Two other children and one adult were also injured in the gunfire. Law enforcement in the Philadelphia Police Department apprehended the suspected shooter after pursuing them on foot. Police detained the suspected shooter, who was armed with an AR-15-style rifle, a handgun, a bulletproof vest and multiple magazines. The shooting marks the 340th mass shooting to occur in the United States this year. Heres everything we know about the shooting so far. What happened? At approximately 8.30pm local time on Monday, police in the Philadelphia Police Department received reports and multiple calls of gunfire in the neighbourhood of Kingessing. Upon arriving, officers were met with a chaotic scene. There were multiple gunshot victims who police began scooping to prepare them to go to the hospital. But as they were doing so, more gunshots were being fired up the street, police commissioner Danielle Outlaw said in a press conference on Monday night. Law enforcement officials followed the sound of gunshots on foot through multiple streets in the area and eventually located the suspected shooter, an adult, who continued to fire their firearm until officers apprehended them. When they did, officers found the suspect assailant armed with an AR-15-style rifle and a handgun. They were wearing a ski mask and bulletproof vest that contained multiple magazines in it. Ms Outlaw said the suspected shooter also had a scanner on him. Authorities took the suspect into custody without further incident. The suspected shooter had fired off nearly 50 bullets aimlessly throughout the neighbourhood seemingly without rhyme or reason. Seven people were shot, five of which were killed. Philadelphia police initially took another person into custody for returning gunfire. But that person was later released as investigators found they returned gunfire lawfully. Who are the victims? Four adult males and one teenager were killed in the shooting. Lashyd Merritt, 22, was shot while taking a snack break from work, according to his mother, Marie Merritt. Lashyd went to West Philadelphias Overbrook High School before taking on a full-time job as an IRS service representative. Ms Merritt called her son, So young and so bright. Dymir Stanton, 29, was also killed in the shooting. Ralph Moralis, 59, was a father who was supposed to walk his daughter down the aisle at her wedding this coming weekend. Ralphs former partner, Tamika Veney, described him as a family man while speaking with the Philadelphia Inquirer. He did well by his family. He was a regular dude, a good person. Hes really going to be missed, Ms Veney said. Joseph Wamah Jr, 31, was shot while in his home on Monday. His family found him hours after the initial shooting. The youngest victim is Daujan Brown who was only 15 years old. Daujan was shot while walking to a story. Nashaya Thomas, Daujans mother, told NBC Philadelphia that he was trying to help a 13-year-old friend who was shot twice in the leg when he was hit with a bullet. He lost his life trying to do a selfless act, and thats how he was when he was here, Ms Thomas said. There was no way you could meet Daujan, have a conversation with him and not fall in love with him. In addition to those who died, two children, aged two and 13, were hospitalized with injuries but were in stable condition. Another two-year-old and a 33-year-old woman suffered injuries related to the shooting but not directly from gunfire. As of Tuesday morning, police were unsure what the suspected shooters motive was. They do not believe the suspected shooter had any known connection to any of the victims. Who is the suspect? The suspected shooter was identified as 40-year-old Kimbrady Carriker. Carriker was armed with an AR-15-style rifle, a handgun, multiple magazines and was wearing a ski mask and bulletproof vest at the time of the shooting. The suspected shooter had a gun conviction in 2003. Philadelphia district attorney Larry Krasner told CNN that the gun Carriker used may have been a ghost gun. As of Tuesday, law enforcement said they have absolutely no idea why Carriker carried out the shooting. The 40-year-old was held without bail during a preliminary arraignment on Wednesday morning. They may be facing murder charges, aggravated assault charges and firearm-related charges. Police work the scene of the shooting in Kingsessing neighbourhood of Philadelphia - Drew Hallowell/Getty Images A two-year-old has been injured and five people killed after a mass shooter donning tactical gear sprayed bullets onto the streets of Philadelphia on Monday evening. The suspect, identified as a 40-year-old man, did not appear to have any connection to the victims, authorities said. At this point all we know is that this person decided to leave their home and target individuals, Danielle Outlaw, the police commissioner, said at a news conference. He had a bulletproof vest, an AR-type rifle, multiple magazines, a handgun and a police scanner, she added. The victims have been identified as Lashyd Merritt, 22, Dymir Stanton, 29, Ralph Moralis, 59, Daujan Brown, 15, and Joseph Wamah Jr, 31. A 13-year-old boy was also wounded in the attack, alongside a toddler. Both were reported to be in a stable condition. Bicycle belonging to a child victim who survived shots to the leg, lies at the scene of the mass shooting in Philadelphia - TRACIE VAN AUKEN/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock Police were called to the incident in Philadelphias Kingsessing neighbourhood at around 8.30pm. Officers arriving at the scene found gunshot victims, Ms Outlaw said. As they were scooping up the victims and preparing them for transport to hospital, they also heard multiple gunshots, Ms Outlaw said. Officers chased the suspect as he continued to fire, she added. He was eventually arrested in an alley after surrendering. Ms Outlaw praised the officers bravery and courage, saying their actions had potentially prevented more victims. A second person was also taken into custody who may have returned fire at the suspect, but police did not know whether there was a connection between the two people, authorities said. Police officials work at the scene of the mass shooting in South Philadelphia - TRACIE VAN AUKEN/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock Ms Outlaw said dozens of shell casings were found across an eight block area. You can see there are several scenes out here, she said. Were canvassing the area to get as much as we can, to identify witnesses, to identify where cameras are located and to do everything to figure out the why, she said. The incident came a day after two people were killed and 28 others injured, about half of them children, during a shooting at a block party in Baltimore, Maryland. The Philadelphia attack marks the United States 29th mass killing of 2023, the highest number on record at this point in a single year, according to a database maintained by the Associated Press and USA Today in partnership with Northeastern University. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month, then enjoy 1 year for just $9 with our US-exclusive offer. The Little Mermaid characters adorn a float from Grace Fellowship Church at the Mokena parade. (Jeff Vorva/Daily Southtown) Andy Taylor, Barney Fife, Goober Pyle and Floyd the Barber were nowhere to be seen. Those characters in the fictional town of Mayberry on the old TV comedy The Andy Griffith Show were not part of Tuesdays Mokena Fourth of July Parade. Advertisement There were, however, people dressed as characters from The Little Mermaid while the Tooth Fairy and Santa Claus also made guest appearances in the parade, hosted by the Mokena Chamber of Commerce. Santa Claus makes an appearance at the Mokena parade on the Mokena Miracles organizations float. (Jeff Vorva/Daily Southtown) Still, Rich Potocki, who has attended since 1989, said the parade had a small-town, folksy, Mayberry vibe. Advertisement He and his wife, Terri, set up a tent along the route with enough snacks and drinks for one or two dozen friends and family members, he said. He is originally from Chicago, moved to New Lenox but always had an eye for Mokena. I wanted to move here because this town reminds me of Mayberry, he said. There are beautiful people here. Its a meaningful parade for the Potocki clan. I love this parade because its a patriotic parade for a patriotic town, Rich said. My dad was in the Army and a lot of my family was in the Army. My grandfather died in World War II. Terris grandfather died in World War II. Were very patriotic families. We value the freedom that we have to do this. I know a lot of veterans in the parade and they are all great guys. There are a lot of wonderful people and businesses here and we try to support them all. The Potocki family has set up shop at the Mokena parade since 1989. (Jeff Vorva/Daily Southtown) It was hot and humid Tuesday and having a tent to provide much-needed shade appeared to be a good idea. Countless tents could be found along the parade route, which started on LaPorte Road and headed north on Wolf Road for several blocks to Granite Drive. Potocki, who said his tent was set up at 6 a.m. four hours before the start of the parade remembers a time when tents were scarce. Advertisement We were the only ones doing tents, he said of the late 1980s. Back in the day, it was a lot more work. There werent the pop-ups like we have today. This years theme was Ask Not What Your Community Can Do For You, but Ask What You Can Do For Your Community. There were 80-plus entries and officials said past parades have drawn 8,000 people. It appeared this years crowd was similar. There were firetrucks, police cars, several Army trucks, bands, floats and people throwing out candy to the children. Claire Blaha, of Mokena, covers her ears during the sirens while in the arms of her father, Mike, during the Mokena parade.\ (Jeff Vorva/Daily Southtown) Joeys Red Hots also had people hand out hot dogs to folks. There were floats with people pumping weights and riding stationary bikes. The Mokena-based NAWS Humane Society was designated the parades grand marshal. Some people were marching and displaying Save NAWS signs as the organization is having hardships. The parade was as an opener for a long day of celebration to conclude with a fireworks show at Main Park. Advertisement Mokenas Mike and Liz Blaha brought their 3-year-old daughter, Claire. It is very hot, but this is nostalgia, Mike said. Its Americana. Daily Southtown Twice-weekly News updates from the south suburbs delivered every Monday and Wednesday By submitting your email to receive this newsletter, you agree to our Subscriber Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy > Mayor Frank Fleischer finds each Fourth of July event special but even more so after suffering serious health issues after a fall in his home in early 2022. He was able to recover and make last years parade, and he is healthier in 2023. Mayor Frank Fleischer waves to the crowd at Tuesdays Mokena Fourth of July Parade. (Jeff Vorva/Daily Southtown) Everything is getting better. Ive been very lucky, Fleischer said. I was out for a little bit, but when I woke up, thank God, I had all my faculties and my memory. Everything was back to normal. So. somebody was looking out for me. Residents at the parade yelled his name as he passed. Advertisement This is great because you have people that you havent seen in a while, he said. They wave to you and, naturally, its nice to hear your name called. Its a lot of fun. It really opens up summer. Summer is officially here, now. Jeff Vorva is a freelance reporter for the Daily Southtown. [Source] Nearly 38 years ago, Japan was terrorized by a series of indiscriminate poisonings that killed 12 people, leaving local police with no investigation leads, no evidence and a cold case that remains unsolved to this day. How it started: The killer first struck on April 30, 1985, when an unsuspecting victim drank a bottle of vitamin-enriched Oronamin C juice left on top of a vending machine in Fukuyama, Hiroshima. The man, a 45-year-old truck driver, fell ill after drinking the juice and died on May 30, 1985. Medical tests reportedly revealed that the juice the man ingested was laced with paraquat dichloride, an herbicide commonly referred to as paraquat used to control weeds in agricultural and non-agricultural sites. The chemical's toxicity: Paraquat is a highly toxic chemical to humans that can destroy the body in a matter of weeks, days or even hours. When ingested, the herbicide can cause a wide range of complications, such as acute respiratory distress syndrome, renal failure and pulmonary fibrosis. More from NextShark: Asian ship accused of killing 2 Nigerian stowaways, dumping 12 others in open sea The juice: Otsuka Pharmaceutical Company, the company behind the juice brand, was offering a promotion at the time of the incidents that gave lucky buyers a free bottle of Oronamic C as a marketing tactic. More victims: Another victim, a 52-year-old man identified as Haruo Otsu, met the same fate months later on Sept 11, when he drank his second bottle of the same juice brand that came free from a vending machine. He immediately fell ill and died soon after. Ten other victims from different prefectures in Japan died from the same poisoning method, including another man identified by the Chicago Tribune in October 1985 as Takashi Sakai. Sakai drank his free bottle at home, became violently ill 30 minutes after and died in a hospital six weeks later. More from NextShark: Olympic gold-medalist snowboarder Chloe Kim reveals plans for mental health break A 17-year-old girl from Saitama, the only female to have died from the poisoning, was reportedly the killer's last victim before their indiscriminate murder spree stopped completely. The investigation: Although police launched an investigation into the murders, they eventually hit a dead end after finding insufficient leads in the case, such as witness statements or DNA evidence. Authorities also could not find a motive behind the killings, as they took place at different, seemingly random locations and the victims had no connections to each other. More from NextShark: She Was the First Chinese American Woman to Vote in the U.S. Countermeasure: To combat the string of poisoning incidents, the National Police Agency reportedly initiated a nationwide campaign warning people to inspect their drinks bought from vending machines before consuming them. What happens now: Although nearly four decades has passed since the murders, the killer could still be brought to justice if identified as Japan abolished the statute of limitations for murder in 2010. This change in the law can still be applied even if the crime was committed before the enactment. More from NextShark: Kang Daniel drops his first full-length album 'The Story' Former Army Ranger who fought in Ukraine says conflict there is far worse than fighting in Afghanistan and Iraq Ukrainian troops fire a howitzer at Russian positions near Bakhmut, Ukraine, on March 21. SERGEY SHESTAK/AFP via Getty Images A former Army Ranger who spent time in Ukraine said the fighting was worse than in Iraq or Afghanistan. He described less support and intelligence, unreliable comms, and little help for the injured. "The worst day in Afghanistan and Iraq is a great day in Ukraine," he said. A former Army Ranger who fought in Ukraine said he found the fighting there far worse than in Afghanistan and Iraq. David Bramlette told The Daily Beast that when he fought in Iraq and Afghanistan, he had air support, intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance. "The worst day in Afghanistan and Iraq is a great day in Ukraine," he said. Bramlette, who was a Green Beret on a counter-Russia mission and an Army Ranger in Iraq and Afghanistan, said fighting in Ukraine had much more unknowns. In Iraq and Afghanistan, he said that even on more difficult days, "we were always in control of the situation versus as a commander of a team in Ukraine." He added that communications weren't reliable in Ukraine, so when they were doing reconnaissance missions, they would sometimes have to wait up to two days for one of his men to come back. "If two of them get injured there's no helicopter coming to get you shit can go south really, really fricking quickly," he said. "And that's the kind of stuff that is pretty hard." Troy Offenbecker, a retired marine, gave a similar assessment to The Daily Beast. "This is my third war I've fought in, and this is by far the worst one," he said. "You're getting fucking smashed with artillery, tanks," he added. "Last week I had a plane drop a bomb next to us, like 300 meters away. It's horrifying shit." Offenbecker said he ignored requests for information from military people he knew about how to get involved in Ukraine. "To be honest, it was pretty bad, so I didn't want to bring anyone else into it," he said. Offenbecker's comments echo those made by another retired marine, Jason Mann, to CNN in February. "Fighting in a trench, that's not something that someone's done in a long time," Mann said. "Like even World War II is not really fought in trenches to this degree." He added: "Artillery is something we didn't have to deal with in Iraq and Afghanistan apart from just a random rocket or grenade coming in. And that's something you can't fight against. You just have to hunker down and get lucky." Read the original article on Business Insider A former OceanGate advisor said everyone was drinking the Kool-Aid even though 'there were multiple points of failure' with their sub Stockton Rush, OceanGate's chief executive, speaks at a press conference with an OceanGate sub. David L. Ryan/Getty Images Rob McCallum told the New Yorker he was disturbed when he visited OceanGate's workshop. McCallum said no one seemed to be concerned about what he viewed as major safety issues. Several employees of OceanGate also expressed safety concerns to CEO Stockton Rush. An expert in deep sea expeditions said when he visited the workshop of OceanGate Expeditions, everyone seemed to be on board with the operations despite what he saw as clear problems. "Everyone was drinking Kool-Aid and saying how cool they were with a Sony PlayStation," Rob McCallum, a co-founder of EYOS Expeditions, told the New Yorker's Ben Taub, referring to the use of a video game controller in the company's submersibles one of which eventually became the ill-fated Titan submersible. McCallum is also an expedition consultant who had given OceanGate CEO Stockton Rush advice on marketing and logistics before visiting the workshop, located outside Seattle. McCallum said he was disturbed by the visit, during which he examined the submersible known as Cyclops I. OceanGate's next iteration was still in planning: Cyclops II, eventually renamed the Titan. "And I said at the time, 'Does Sony know that it's been used for this application? Because, you know, this is not what it was designed for.' And now you have the hand controller talking to a Wi-Fi unit, which is talking to a black box, which is talking to the sub's thrusters," McCallum said. "There were multiple points of failure." McCallum said he was also concerned when Rush told him the system ran on Bluetooth, telling the New Yorker "every sub in the world has hardwired controls for a reason that if the signal drops out, you're not fucked." Neither OceanGate nor McCallum responded to Insider's request for comment. When OceanGate's Titan lost communication with its surface ship less than two hours into a dive to the Titanic on June 18, it was also being piloted by a video game controller a modified Logitech gamepad controller. Four days later the US Coast Guard said debris from the Titan was discovered, suggesting the submersible had catastrophically imploded, killing all five people on board. McCallum would go on to express his many concerns with OceanGate's operations to Rush, who largely rebuffed him. He told The New Yorker he finally cut ties with OceanGate when he learned Rush was not going to have his vessel classed by a marine-certification agency. McCallum was among the dozens of industry experts who sent a letter to OceanGate expressing concerns about their planned Titanic voyages. While some OceanGate employees can be seen in promotional videos touting the safety of the company's operations, others who worked at or closely with OceanGate also expressed safety concerns. David Lochridge, former director of marine operations for OceanGate, has said he was fired after expressing safety concerns about the Titan. And the company's former finance director told The New Yorker she quit shortly after Rush asked her to become the Titan's chief pilot despite not having any experience manning submersibles. Read the original article on Insider At least 17 people have been shot three of them fatally across four shootings in Fort Worth, Texas, on the eve of July 4. Two of the victims were identified Tuesday as Cynthia Santos, 22, and Paul Willis, 18, who were killed hours after the ComoFest event ahead of the Fourth of July holiday. Just before midnight on Monday night, gunfire erupted among a crowd of people who had gathered to enjoy the annual ComoFest event in the Como neighbourhood of the city. Fort Worth Police described a chaotic scene where at least one shooter opened fire into the crowd, shooting at least 11 people and sending people running for their lives. Three people were killed and eight others were wounded. At least one of the victims of the shootings is believed to be a juvenile. No arrests have been made and the identities of the shooter or shooters remain unknown. Just over an hour before the mass shooting at ComoFest, Fort Worth Police were called to a separate incident where three men were shot at a home. Meanwhile a man was shot at an AMC theatre and a man and woman were shot while driving a car. Key points Three victims killed, eight injured in mass shooting No arrests made, no suspects named Fort Worth rocked by four shootings on eve of July 4 Shooting comes after gunfire erupted at 2021 ComoFest Two victims identified in Forth Worth mass shooting 20:36 , Graig Graziosi Two of the victims killed during a mass shooting on Monday in Fort Worth, Texas, have been identified. Cynthia Santos, 22, and Paul Willis, 18, were both killed in the shooting, according to WFAA. One other person was killed, and eight others were injured. Americas gun violence in numbers 20:20 , Rachel Sharp So far in 2023, 340 mass shootings have taken place across America, according to the Gun Violence Archive. This means this year is on track to record 679 mass shootings the highest number since 2014. This would also be a 61 percent increase from the 417 recorded in 2019, the year before Covid-19 ravaged the nation. Fort Worth Mayor Mattie Parker says she is devastated by mass shooting 20:00 , Rachel Sharp I am devastated by the news of a mass shooting in Fort Worth last night, she tweeted. My heart breaks for the victims, their loved ones, and the entire Como community that works to build positivity and celebration in their community and our city. I am devastated by the news of a mass shooting in Fort Worth last night. My heart breaks for the victims, their loved ones, and the entire Como community that works to build positivity and celebration in their community and our city. https://t.co/5SZOH252vG Mayor Mattie Parker (@MayorMattie) July 4, 2023 President Biden releases statement on July 4 gun violence 19:40 , Rachel Sharp Over the last few days, our nation has once again endured a wave of tragic and senseless shootings in communities across America from Philadelphia to Fort Worth, Baltimore to Lansing, Wichita to Chicago. Today, Jill and I grieve for those who have lost their lives and, as our nation celebrates Independence Day, we pray for the day when our communities will be free from gun violence. Today also marks one year since a shooter armed with an AR-15-style weapon fired upon a crowd of Americans gathered for an Independence Day parade in Highland Park, Illinois. In mere moments, this day of patriotic pride became a scene of pain and tragedy. In the year since, Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker, Highland Park Mayor Nancy Rotering, legislative leaders, and numerous advocates, and gun violence survivors have fought tirelessly to turn the pain of Highland Park and other acts of gun violence into meaningful action on behalf of all Illinoisans. This past January, they succeeded in banning assault weapons like the one used in Highland Park as well as high-capacity magazines across Illinois. Their achievement will save lives. But it will not erase their grief. It will not bring back the seven Americans killed in Highland Park or heal the injuries and trauma that scores of others will continue to carry. And as we have seen over the last few days, much more must be done in Illinois and across America to address the epidemic of gun violence that is tearing our communities apart. It is within our power to once again ban assault weapons and high-capacity magazines, to require safe storage of guns, to end gun manufacturers immunity from liability, and to enact universal background checks. I urge other states to follow Illinois lead, and continue to call upon Republican lawmakers in Congress to come to the table on meaningful, commonsense reforms that the American people support. Americas deadly Independence Day 19:20 , Rachel Sharp Beyond Texas, other communities in the US were also rocked by gun violence throughout the Independence Day holiday. Over in Philadelphia, five people were killed and at least two others wounded in the Kingsessing neighbourhood on Monday night, when a gunman dressed in a bullet-proof vest and armed with an AR-15-style rifle and a handgun opened fire. The mass shooting unfolded at around 8.30pm when Philadelphia police said the 40-year-old suspect left his home and began shooting at victims. Police initially said that four men were killed but early on Tuesday revealed that a fifth victim, a 31-year-old man, had since been found dead inside a home. Two children aged two and 13 were also injured in the shooting but are in stable condition. The suspect was arrested on the scene. As well as the two firearms, he was also found with a police scanner. Police said the motive remains unknown but that there is no known connection between the suspect and victims. This came after a mass shooting at a July 4 block party in Baltimore in the early hours of Sunday morning left two dead. At around 12.35am on Sunday, Baltimore police received multiple calls reporting a shooting on the 800 block of Gretna Court. Officers responded to the scene, where the community had been holding its annual Brooklyn Day block party, to find 30 victims suffering from gunshot wounds. One 18-year-old woman Aaliyah Gonzalez was pronounced dead on the scene while nine victims were rushed to local hospitals and 20 walked into area hospitals across the region. A 20-year-old man Kylis Fagbemi died at the hospital from his injuries. No arrests have been made. Ilhan Omar calls for action to tackle national crisis of mass shootings 19:00 , Rachel Sharp There have been at least *six* mass shootings in the past three days. Enough. This is a national crisis. For the sake of our kids and our society we need comprehensive gun safety legislation, tweeted Ilhan Omar. There have been at least *six* mass shootings in the past three days. Enough. This is a national crisis. For the sake of our kids and our society we need comprehensive gun safety legislation. https://t.co/EPmXyHluVX Ilhan Omar (@IlhanMN) July 4, 2023 Four shootings in Fort Worth on eve of July 4 18:40 , Rachel Sharp On the eve of July 4 holiday, a total of 17 people were shot in four separate shootings across Fort Worth. Just over an hour before the mass shooting at ComoFest, Fort Worth Police were called to a separate incident where three men were shot. It was just after 10pm on Monday night and police said a fight broke out between a group of people at a home in the 2100 block of Christine Avenue in the Polytechnic Heights area. At least two people opened fire, striking three people. Officers responded to the scene to find three men suffering from gunshot wounds one in the head, one in the back and one in the leg. All three were taken to hospital for non-life-threatening injuries. Fort Worth police also responded to a third shooting this time to the 4000 block of Knox Street where a man and woman had been shot. The woman was shot in the ankle and the man suffered an injury to the hand from either a bullet or flying glass while they were riding in a car, police said. A suspect was taken into custody with the gang unit now investigating the incident. Meanwhile, in a fourth incident, a man was shot at the AMC theatre on Hulen Boulevard just after 1.30am on Tuesday. The shooting again began as a fight between a group of people, prompting gunfire to erupt. The victims condition is currently unknown. Biden renews call for assault weapons ban after tragic and senseless spate of July 4 shootings 18:33 , Graig Graziosi President Joe Biden has issued a fresh appeal for a ban on assault weapons after dozens of people were killed or wounded in mass shootings in the lead-up to Independence Day celebrations. Five people were shot dead and two boys, aged two and 13, were injured when a gunman armed with an AR-15-style assault rifle and wearing a bulletproof vest opened fire in Philadelphias Kingsessing neighbourhood at around 8.30pm on Monday night, according to authorities. Hours later, three died and 14 were injured in four separate shootings in Fort Worth, Texas. Mr Biden said he and First Lady Jill Biden were also grieving tragic and senseless shootings that had occurred in recent days in Baltimore, Lansing, Chicago and Wichita in a July 4 statement. READ MORE: Biden renews call for assault weapons ban after spate of July 4 shootings IN PICTURES: Fort Worth mass shooting 18:20 , Rachel Sharp Scene of the mass shooting in Fort Worth (WFAA) Police on the scene of the mass shooting (CBS) Ted Cruz ignores Texas mass shooting and posts July 4 message 18:00 , Rachel Sharp Texas Senator Ted Cruz ignored the latest mass shooting in his home state as he posted a July 4 message celebrating the freedoms we are so blessed to share. Wishing Americans across this land a Happy Fourth of July as we celebrate our nation's independence and the freedoms we are so blessed to share. May our liberty endure forever, and may God bless this country as He has for the past 247 years! Ted Cruz (@tedcruz) July 4, 2023 July 4 shootings come on one-year anniversary of Highland Park massacre 17:40 , Rachel Sharp The mass shootings in Baltimore, Fort Worth and Philadelphia during the July 4 holiday come one year on from the massacre at Highland Park, where a gunman killed seven during an Independence Day parade. This July 4, the community is remembering those killed. Read more here: Highland Park marks 1 year after July 4 shooting with community walk reclaiming parade route Texas lawmaker responds to night of violence in home community 17:20 , Rachel Sharp Last night, two senseless acts of violence happened in the community where I grew up. I am praying for the Como and Polytechnic communities. We must do all we can to end gun violence and save lives. https://t.co/y8D2riI8SG Rep. Marc Veasey (@RepVeasey) July 4, 2023 Shooting began as argument: sources 17:00 , Rachel Sharp The mass shooting that left three dead and eight others injured in Fort Worth, Texas, unfolded when an argument escalated to gunfire, according to a report. Sources told ABC11 that they believe the altercation escalated quickly but would not say if the shooting is thought to be gang related. Many of the surviving victims are also refusing to cooperate with police, meaning police are relying on the public for help. Fort Worth gathered for an annual July 4 festival. Americas latest mass shooting shattered the celebrations 16:40 , Rachel Sharp July 4 is a time for parties, fireworks, hot dogs and vacations from work. But this year, it was also a time marred by gun violence. On Monday night, three people were killed and another eight injured when gunfire erupted at the end of an Independence Day celebration in Fort Worth, Texas. The annual ComoFest was held in the Como neighbourhood, with hundreds of local residents gathering to watch the fireworks display some of them never to return home again. It marked just one of three shootings in Fort Worth on the eve of July 4, leaving a total of 17 dead or wounded across the city. Heres what we know so far: What we know about July 4 mass shooting at Fort Worths ComoFest Fort Worth rocked by second shooting on eve of July 4 16:20 , Rachel Sharp The community of Fort Worth was rocked by a second shooting on the evening before the July 4 holiday. Just over an hour before the mass shooting at ComoFest, Fort Worth Police were called to a separate incident where three men were shot. It was just after 10pm on Monday night and police said a fight broke out between a group of people at a home in the 2100 block of Christine Avenue in the Polytechnic Heights area. At least two people opened fire, striking three people. Officers responded to the scene to find three men suffering from gunshot wounds one in the head, one in the back and one in the leg. All three were taken to hospital for non-life-threatening injuries. Fort Worth police ask public for help in tracking down shooters 16:00 , Rachel Sharp Police are asking anyone with information about the shooting to call the Fort Worth Homicide Unit at 817-392-4330 or crime stoppers. If anyone has personal videos during the time of the shooting or events leading up to the shooting they are also being asked to contact police. Gun control group reacts to mass shooting: Gun violence shouldnt be as American as the 4th of July' 15:40 , Rachel Sharp It it feels like we cant go a single day in the US without a mass shooting. We are the only industrialized country in the world that wakes up to news of a mass shooting, sometimes multiple, every single day. Unfortunately, because of the gun industrys influence on our lawmakers, there is no place in America thats safe from gun violence, said Kris Brown, president of gun violence prevention organisation Brady. Gun violence shouldnt be as American as the 4th of July. But the tragic reality is the July 4th weekend is often our countrys deadliest peak in gun violence. Already, 2023 is on track to set the record for the highest number of mass shootings of any year in US history. If an assault weapon was indeed used in the Philadelphia shooting, its ability to gun down multiple people in a matter of seconds is indicative of why these weapons of war have no place in our communities. Highland Park, Ill. experienced a similar assault weapons shooting on this day last year. Unfortunately, 40 states, including Pennsylvania, still allow these weapons of war in our communities. This Independence Day, multiple families will be in mourning because of a uniquely American crisis that our policymakers refuse to address. Our hearts go out to the families and survivors of these horrific tragedies. Over in Philadelphia: Five killed in mass shooting 15:20 , Rachel Sharp Five people have been killed and at least two others wounded in the Kingsessing neighbourhood of Philadelphia on Monday night, when a gunman dressed in a bullet-proof vest and armed with an AR-15-style rifle and a handgun opened fire. The mass shooting unfolded at around 8.30pm when Philadelphia police said the 40-year-old suspect left his home and began shooting at victims. Police initially said that four men were killed but early on Tuesday revealed that a fifth victim, a 31-year-old man, had since been found dead inside a home. Two children aged two and 13 were also injured in the shooting but are in stable condition. Read more here: Five killed in Philadelphia mass shooting as gunman, 40, in custody live Shooting marks second at annual ComoFest 15:00 , Rachel Sharp The mass shooting came just hours after the neighbourhoods annual ComoFest came to an end. This isnt the first time Fort Worths ComoFest ended in tragedy. Two years ago in 2021, eight people were shot close to a car wash on Horne Street during the celebrations. All shooting victims survived back then. Who are the victims? 14:40 , Rachel Sharp Three people were killed and at least another eight injured in a mass shooting at the annual ComoFest late on 3 July. One shooting victim was pronounced dead at the scene while the other 10 were rushed to hospital, reported WFAA. Two other victims were pronounced dead taking the death toll up to three. The identities of the victims are currently unknown. One of the 11 is believed to be a juvenile while the other 10 are adults. Fort Worth police describe chaotic scene 14:20 , Rachel Sharp Fort Worth Police described a chaotic scene after at least one shooter opened fire into the crowd, striking at least 11 people and sending revellers running for their lives. Emergency responders then struggled to reach the victims due to the large crowds of people and the number of vehicles in the area, police said. Because of this, officers resorted to loading victims into their patrol cars and driving them to waiting paramedics, police said. WATCH: Fort Worth community rocked by mass shooting 14:00 , Rachel Sharp Shooter or shooters still at large 13:40 , Rachel Sharp No arrests have been made and the identities of the shooter or shooters remain unknown. Fort Worth Police Captain Shawn Murray in a press conference that investigators are working to determine how many people opened fire. We dont if this was domestic related or gang related. Its too early to tell, he said. We just know someone shot a bunch of times. We dont know if it was a single shooter or more than one shooter. We hope it is just a single shooter and not a crossfire situation. Homicide will figure that out... how many shooters there were. Three victims killed in shooting 13:20 , Rachel Sharp Three victims have been killed in the mass shooting that unfolded as people gathered to celebrate the annual ComoFest the night before July 4. One shooting victim was pronounced dead at the scene while the other 10 were rushed to hospital, reported WFAA. Two other victims were pronounced dead taking the death toll up to three. How the shooting unfolded: 13:10 , Rachel Sharp The massacre unfolded just before midnight on Monday night as revellers gathered to enjoy Independence Day celebrations in the area of Diaz Avenue and Horne Street in Fort Worths Como neighbourhood. Fort Worth Police said that investigators believe someone opened fire into the crowd, hitting at least 11 people and sending terrified revellers running for their lives. We had a shooting. It appears that we had multiple victims that were shot. Probably three of them were transported to Harris Southwest, said Fort Worth Police Captain Shawn Murray in a press conference. Five more victims were transported to John Peter Smith. Three victims were killed while another eight suffered were injured in the shooting. FULL STORY: Three people killed and eight wounded in mass shooting at July 4 fireworks event in Fort Worth 12:56 , Rachel Sharp At leat three people have been killed and eight others wounded in a mass shooting at a July 4 fireworks display in Fort Worth, Texas. The massacre unfolded just before midnight on Monday night as revellers gathered to enjoy Independence Day celebrations in the area of Diaz Avenue and Horne Street in Fort Worths Como neighbourhood. Fort Worth Police said that investigators believe someone opened fire into the crowd, hitting at least 11 people and sending terrified revellers running for their lives. Read the full story here: Fort Worth mass shooting: Three killed and eight wounded at July 4 fireworks display Welcome to The Independents liveblog 12:55 , Rachel Sharp Follow updates on the mass shooting at a July 4 fireworks display in the Como neighbourhood of Fort Worth, Texas French authorities said that the unrest and protests that stemmed from the police-involved killing of a local teenager have eased, but tensions on both sides remain high. According to The New York Times, local mayors across the country have organized peace gatherings in an effort to protest violent attacks on elected officials. The French Interior Ministry said that nearly 160 people were arrested, and three law enforcement officers were injured, which is far fewer than previous days when authorities detained as many as 1,300 people into custody. When you arrest 3,200 people, when the courts put people on trial, when you put on a show of republican force a fair order, but an order, nonetheless I think that has largely contributed to this return to calm, French Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin told reporters, the Times reported. Darmanin also said that fewer incidents were reported across the country as authorities deployed 45,000 police officers and gendarmes for a third consecutive night to help ease the situation. The latest updates come a week after the violence in the country first began in response to the police-involved shooting of Nahel Merzouk. Merzouk, a 17-year-old French citizen of North African descent, was shot and killed by a police officer during a a traffic stop last week in Nanterre, a suburb outside of Paris. The unidentified police officer who fired the shot was placed under formal investigation on charges of voluntary homicide and detained, the Times reported. The French protests of Merzouks killing is similar to the unrest and protests that happened in the U.S. during the summer of 2020 in response to the death of George Floyd. Floyd died after former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin knelt on his neck for more than nine minutes. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. FRANKLIN (Somerset) The trend of demolishing office buildings and other structures to make way for warehouses in Central Jersey has come to the northeastern corner of the township. The Davidson Avenue neighborhood, off the Easton Avenue interchange with Interstate 287, was the center of explosive office building and hotel development in the '80s and 90s. But now the township is considering a proposal to tear down office buildings that were once considered state-of-the-art prized real estate and replace them with warehouses. The proposal is scheduled to be heard by the township Planning Board on July 19. EWA Somerset 400 Owner LCC is proposing to demolish a 349,445-square-foot office building with 1,200 parking spaces at 400-600 Atrium Drive and build two warehouse buildings, one 294,400-square-feet and the other 132,000-square-feet. The first building would have 151 parking spaces and the second would have 103 parking spaces. EWA Somerset 400 Owner is a joint venture of EverWest Real Estate Investors of Manhattan and Woodmont Properties of Fairfield. The business brought the 28-acre property on Sept. 1, 2021 for $42.7 million. Somerset is one of the fastest-growing industrial submarkets in the New Jersey market, with limited existing availability, modest new speculative construction and a growing list of major users and investors turning their interest toward the area, a company spokesman said in a news release. This project will make the most of those fundamentals, capitalizing on a location that provides immediate access to I-287 while leveraging the areas excellent labor pool. More: The Central NJ house where Washington first celebrated Fourth of July is getting a revamp In Bridgewater, Signature Acquisitions is also proposing demolishing four office buildings and constructing two warehouses, one 138,000-square-feet and the other 141,000-square-feet, on the 20-acre Route 22 site known as Centerpointe. The Bridgewater Zoning Board of Adjustment is scheduled to continue hearing that proposal later this month. The plan has drawn opposition from neighboring Somerville over truck traffic concerns. Bridgewater recently approved a plan by M&M at 206 LLC to build a 211,540-square-foot warehouse and light manufacturing facility at 721 Route 202-206 on the west side of the highway just north of Bridgewater Audi and Allen Road, a site once was occupied by an office building. The proposal now calls for a light manufacturing facility on the site. In Warren, the township is being sued by Somerset Associates, the owner of the vacant office building once occupied by Chubb next to I-78, for rejecting an ordinance rezoning the 115-acre property to allow warehouses and logistic structures. The Warren Township Committee voted to introduce the rezoning ordinance in March 2022, but after residents opposed the plan, the ordinance was defeated the following month. The property, which backs to I-78, has a 600,000-square-foot office building that has been vacant for six years. Email: mdeak@mycentraljersey.com Mike Deak is a reporter for mycentraljersey.com. To get unlimited access to his articles on Somerset and Hunterdon counties, please subscribe or activate your digital account. This article originally appeared on MyCentralJersey.com: Franklin office buildings may be replaced by warehouses The cat was 'sliced in half' by a departing train (STEPHANE DE SAKUTIN) A French court on Tuesday found France's national rail operator guilty of negligence after a departing train ran over a cat that had escaped from a traveller's bag, in an incident that outraged animal rights groups. The owners of Neko -- which means "cat" in Japanese -- accused rail staff of cruelty after they refused to delay a high-speed service from Paris to Bordeaux in January after their pet jumped on the tracks. The death sparked demonstrations and an online petition of more than 100,000 signatures, with Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin declaring himself at the time to be "particularly shocked". An animal rights charity filed a legal complaint afterwards against the SNCF national railways for "serious abuse and cruelty leading to the death of an animal". That charge allows for a fine of up to 75,000 euros (more than $80,000) and a five-year jail sentence, but a Paris court fined SNCF 1,000 euros for "negligence" on Tuesday, ruling the pet's killing had been caused "involuntarily". The ruling magistrate concluded that there had been "an absence of commitment of the necessary resources to rescue the cat". SNCF's travel agency branch was ordered to pay another 1,000 euros in damages to each of the pet's two owners. The verdict went against the recommendation of prosecutors who had called for the SNCF to be cleared of all charges, saying that there had not been a "lack of humanity" from staff. - 'Sliced in two' - Neko's owner Georgia and her 15-year-old daughter Melaina saw Neko escape from their travel bag and disappear under the high-speed TGV with 800 passengers on board shortly before departure time. Georgia said she spent 20 minutes trying to persuade staff at the busy Montparnasse station to rescue Neko. Once the train had departed, she made a gruesome discovery. "We saw him sliced in half," Melaina told animal rights association 30 Million Friends at the time. "They told us it wasn't their problem, that it was just a cat and that we should have had it on a leash." SNCF offered her a free ticket to Bordeaux in compensation. "We hope that the SNCF will now create clear procedures for decision-making by railway staff in situations like these so that they never again lead to the death of an animal," the head of animal rights group 30 Million Friends, Reha Hutin, said in a statement. On social media, some pointed out the cost of delays for passengers and the debt-laden rail company. "The next person who allows his animal to escape, I hope for them they have a strong stomach and a full bank account to pay the bill for causing the delays," @RavenV60 wrote on Twitter. Following Neko's death, Darmanin announced that police officers in 4,000 stations across the country would be trained to respond to animal trafficking and abuse. aje-jh-adp/rl Fresno police force closes in on 900 sworn officers with addition of 21 academy graduates The Fresno Police Department saw its sworn officer positions swell to 860 when it added 21 police officers including one of two brothers who graduated last Friday from the State Center Police Academy. Fresno Police Chief Paco Balderrama said that number is the most ever in the citys history. Since my appointment as Fresno police chief in 2021, we have grown the police department from 838 to 900 sworn positions, said Balderrama, but in 2021 we only had 632 filled police positions, and COVID and other injuries had up to 100 police officers on quarantine and away from work. The police department is budgeted for 900 sworn officers, a number Balderrama expects to get close to when another police academy class graduates on Sept. 1. Thomas Richardson (Fresno Police Department) poses for a photo with his family during his June 30, 2023 graduation from the State Center Police Academy at CrossCity Church. During a time in U.S. history when recruiting and retention of police officers is more difficult than ever, the City of Fresno is experiencing significant milestones, said Balderrama in a statement to Vida en el Valle. Balderrama said overall crime in Fresno has gone down despite a shortfall in sworn officers. We went from 74 murders in 2020 and 2021, to 60 in 2022, and only 13 violent homicides (17 total with four DUI fatalities) halfway through 2023, he said. Compared to the same time last year, he said, murders are down 45.2%, rapes are down 24%, shootings are down 10.4%, commercial burglaries are down 46%, residential burglaries are down 30%, catalytic converter thefts are down 71%, and vehicle thefts down 26%. Berenice Torres poses with her parents, Armando and Alma Torres, following her June 30, 2023 graduation from the State Center Police Academy at CrossCity Church. The native of Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico joined the Fresno Police Department. Without a doubt, we are doing many things right with our policing and recruiting strategies in this city, said Balderrama. The support for police from our mayor, city council, and our community is felt by Fresno police officers, and that attracts more candidates. The council recently approved a $1.87 billion budget that includes $262 million for police. Baderramas goal is to make Fresno the safest large city in California, and to make the Fresno Police Department one of the very best and most professional law enforcement agencies in the country. Our residents will benefit directly by the achievement of those two goals, he said. Brothers split: One becomes a sheriff, the other goes to Fresno police When Jose Ariaiza Jr. and his younger brother, Angel, graduated with the Fresno Police Academys 171st class, they immediately went their separate ways. Jose got his badge as a Fresno County Sheriffs Officer, while Angel was picked up by the Fresno Police Department. The ceremony was held Friday afternoon at CrossCity Church in northeast Fresno. Brothers Jose Torres Jr. (Fresno County Sheriffs Department) and Angel Torres (Fresno Police Department) get their badges during their June 30, 2023 graduation from the State Center Police Academy at CrossCity Church. For Jose, it was an easy move. He worked in the sheriffs corrections department for nine years and decided he wanted to go into patrol. Its always been a goal of mine to transition to become a deputy, said Jose, 32. So, I finally got the opportunity to fulfill a long life dream. Going through the 1,030 hours of academy training alongside his younger brother worked well, he said. Having my brother there is moral support fighting through all the challenges that we had to face through these past six months, said Jose, a Central East High School graduate who said hes wanted to go into law enforcement since elementary school. Angel Torres (Fresno Police Department) smiles while his mother, Sylvia Torres, pins his badge on his uniform during his June 30, 2023 graduation from the State Center Police Academy at CrossCity Church. Angel wanted to go into law enforcement when he graduated from Central East, but he wasnt old enough to make that move. Instead, he joined the Marine Corps. That helped me grow a lot, to become more independent and responsible, said Angel, 23. When Fresno police offered him a chance to get out of the Marines three months early and intern with the department, he jumped at the chance. Angel called having his other brother in the academy really amazing. Seeing him power through gave me motivation to continue to push through, he said. I wasnt able to complain too much because he was there. Hes been a role model my whole life. Father Jose Ariaiza, who is trying to convince another son to go into law enforcement, said having two sons graduate from the police academy at the same time made him feel proud. You know, here in the U.S. you can do and be anything you want to be, said the dad, whose father migrated from Mexico at a young age. They wanted us to do better. I think my kids hard work pays off. The brothers were among four cadets who each received the $1,000 Larry Vietti Memorial Scholarship. Joshua Hinson, who is headed to the Fresno County Sheriffs Office, was named the top graduating cadet. Japan is running out of space to store waste water from Fukushima A UN watchdog has said that Japan's plan to release waste water from the tsunami-wrecked Fukushima nuclear plant into the sea complies with international standards. The International Atomic Energy Agency says the release will have a "negligible" impact on the environment. The Fukushima facility is running out of storage space for the water, which was used to cool nuclear reactors. Japan's plan has been opposed by China and South Korea. Tokyo has not announced a schedule for the release and the plan still needs approval from a regulator. In 2011, a tsunami triggered by a magnitude 9.0 earthquake flooded three reactors of the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant. It is regarded as the world's worst nuclear disaster since Chernobyl. More than 150,000 people were evacuated from an exclusion zone around the plant, which remains in place. Decommissioning of the plant has also started, but the process could take decades. IAEA chief Rafael Grossi released the findings of a two-year safety review on Tuesday, describing it as impartial and scientific. He also vowed to continue engaging with Japan after the water is discharged. In May, the agency said Fukushima operator Tokyo Electric Power (Tepco) had shown its ability to make "accurate and precise measurements" of the amount of radiation present in the treated water. A final approval from Tepco could come as early as this week. The plant produces 100 cubic metres of waste water daily. Tanks on site can hold 1.3 million cubic metres. Most radioactive elements have been filtered from the water, except for radioactive forms of hydrogen and carbon - called tritium and carbon 14, respectively. The two isotopes are difficult to separate from water. Tokyo has said the water that will be released into the Pacific Ocean, which has been mixed with seawater, have tritium and carbon 14 levels that meet safety standards. Nuclear power plants around the world regularly release waste water with tritium levels above that of the treated water from Fukushima. But the IAEA's finding will do very little to ease the concerns of the Japanese public and neighbouring countries. China had already strongly criticised Japan's plan and warned the IAEA against endorsing it. South Koreans, on the other hand, have stocked up on sea salt ahead of the water's release, amid food safety fears. Local fishing communities have also fiercely objected, saying it will cause further damage to their reputation. Galloway and South Ayrshire biosphere to almost double in size Scotland's first Unesco biosphere in Galloway and Southern Ayrshire (GSA) is to almost double in size. It comes as a delegation of United Nations officials announced the renewal of its status for another 10 years. The area received the designation in July 2012 for its "world-class environment for people and nature". The definition is in recognition of the "fantastic array of landscapes, wildlife, cultural heritage and learning opportunities" in the area. The biosphere extends for more than 5,200 square kilometres - 2,000 square miles - across the south west of Scotland. It will now nearly double in size to include Alloway - the birthplace of Robert Burns - and the Rhins of Galloway which include Scotland's most southerly point. Meriem Bouamrane, a head of research and policy with Unesco, said: "The GSA Biosphere is an inspiring, internationally recognised place for living, which is reconciling conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity. "We are absolutely delighted to announce today that we will be renewing its designated status for a further 10 years, including an expansion of its geographical boundary." What is a biosphere? The definition is in recognition of the landscape, wildlife, heritage and learning opportunities in an area. It brings no new rules or regulations - but rather encourages co-operation to create a "better future for people and nature". The four main functions are conservation, learning, development and helping to tackle climate change. The Galloway and Southern Ayrshire site was the first in Scotland and is part of a family of hundreds of biospheres worldwide. Impact Behavioral Health Partners has been awarded a $250,000 grant from the Illinois Department of Human Services after state Sen. Laura Fine requested the funding. Fine, who chairs the states Behavioral and Mental Health Committee, praised the groups efforts in a news release and said the Evanston based nonprofit has a tremendous impact on the community. Advertisement The hard work and dedication of the organization to individuals and families will have lifelong, stabilizing effects, she said. This is a proven organization that is committed to improving the lives of others. Impact primarily works to serve those living with mental illness and their families by helping to provide affordable, permanent housing alongside mental health services. Advertisement Impacts Executive Director Patti Capouch called the recognition an honor and was surprised when she was told about the funding. We are so grateful, we had no idea this was going to happen, she said. Impact plans to use funds to shorten the wait times to see clinicians, which can now take from four to six months. Funding would also be used to expand the family housing program, which provides housing to families with guardians living with mental illness who are or are at risk of becoming homeless. Impact serves four families in the program now with hopes to add four more in the fall. Impact began in 1988 as Housing Options for the Mentally Ill Evanston, a housing first organization which focused on housing homeless people and providing that stability and then providing additional services. The organization has since grown to care for 700 individuals a large increase from only five years ago when participant numbers sat around 200. In 35 years, Impact has acquired seven buildings alongside 26 scattered site apartments in privately owned buildings. A new 16-unit apartment building in Skokie is set to open for participants in late July. A ribbon-cutting ceremony is scheduled for July 26. There are 300 children who are dealing with homelessness in Evanston alone, Impacts Director of Development Laurie Flanagan said. Capouch said homeless children in the city are an almost invisible group because they are often couch surfing or staying with friends as opposed to walking out on the streets. Despite this, they still lack stable housing. On top of using the housing first model, Impact also provides supportive services such as case management, counseling, advocacy and therapy. Impact also works to employ those in their care with an employment services program and provides 24/7 call hours in case participants need assistance. Advertisement The ability to call Impact for help also cuts down on police calls to their buildings, Capouch said, and allows the organization to be good neighbors. Capouch said people stay in their care for an average of nine years, two years more than the average in 2018, but some have stayed as long as 30 years. Everyone that comes in our program has access to a clinician. They have access to employment specialists. They have access to our nurse, she said. They have access to something that we call housing stability specialists which is a person who helps to keep them in their home. Flanagan called the work she and her colleagues do transformational because it helps break the cycle of homelessness for the families they serve. One family she mentioned has moved every year of the childrens lives with the oldest being 16 and the youngest being 8. The family can stay in their housing under Impact for the next 15 years, giving the children the chance to stay in one place, foster relationships with their peers and remain in the same school system. For them to be able to have a roof over their head and not have to worry about where theyre going to spend the night, the mom or guardian is then able to work on their mental illness which really makes a huge difference, she said. Woman arrested for animal abuse after leaving dog in hot car at Costco, Cobb police say A Cobb County woman was arrested on charges of cruelty to animals after police say she left her dog in a hot car while at Costco. The arrest warrant accuses Junying Li of causing unjustifiable physical pain and suffering to her dog by leaving them inside her car while shopping. The court documents say the dog was left unintended with the car running and the windows slightly open in the Costco parking lot. [DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks] The affidavit said there was no water left for the dog to drink, and that while the air in the car was on, it was blowing hot air inside the vehicle. A witness called the police about 20 minutes after Li went inside the store. Officers said when they made contact with the vehicle, they saw the dog panting on the floorboard of the drivers side seat and heard the dog whimpering through a cracked window. TRENDING STORIES: Police measured temperatures in the car with a digital thermometer. They said heat levels ranged between 102 to 118 degrees at various parts of the inside of the car. The dogs temperature was running at 108 degrees, according to police. Officers shattered the window to get the dog out of the car, according to the arrest affidavit. The report said Li did not return to her car until about an hour after entering the Costco. Li was arrested and given a $4,000 bond. [SIGN UP: WSB-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter] RELATED NEWS: Stevie Ray Dallimore in Washington, June 29, 2023. (Greg Kahn/The New York Times) Stevie Ray Dallimore, an actor and teacher, had been running the theater program for a private boys school in Chattanooga, Tennessee, for a decade, but he never faced a school year like this one. A proposed production of She Kills Monsters at a neighboring girls school that would have included his students was rejected for gay content, he said. A Shakespeare in Love at the girls school that would have featured his boys was rejected because of cross-dressing. His schools production of Three Sisters, the Anton Chekhov classic, was rejected because it deals with adultery and there were concerns that some boys might play women, as they had in the past, he said. School plays long an important element of arts education and a formative experience for creative adolescents have become the latest battleground at a moment when Americas political and cultural divisions have led to a spike in book bans, conflicts over how race and sexuality are taught in schools, and efforts by some politicians to restrict drag performances and transgender health care for children and teenagers. Sign up for The Morning newsletter from the New York Times For decades, student productions have faced scrutiny over whether they are age-appropriate, and more recently left-leaning students and parents have pushed back against many shows over how they portray women and people of color. The latest wave of objections is coming largely from right-leaning parents and school officials. The final act in Dallimores yearlong drama in Chattanooga? He learned that his position at McCallie School, along with that of his counterpart at the nearby Girls Preparatory School, was being eliminated. They were invited to apply for a single new position overseeing theater at both schools; both educators are now out of the jobs. This is obviously a countrywide issue that we are a small part of, Dallimore said. Its definitely part of a bigger movement a strongly concerted effort of politics and religion going hand in hand, banning books and trying to erase history and villainizing otherness. A McCallie spokesperson, Jamie Baker, acknowledged that the two school theater positions had been eliminated so the programs could be combined but said that implying or asserting in any way that the contract of McCallies theater director was not renewed because of content concerns would be inaccurate. She noted that the school has a Judeo-Christian heritage and commitment to Christian principles, and added, That we would and will continue to make decisions aligned with these commitments should be no surprise to anyone. Drama teachers around the country say they are facing growing scrutiny of their show selections, and that titles that were acceptable just a few years ago can no longer be staged in some districts. The Educational Theater Association released a survey of teachers last month that found that 67% say censorship concerns are influencing their selections for the upcoming school year. In emails and phone calls over the past several weeks, teachers and parents cited a litany of examples. From the right, there have been objections to homosexuality in the musical The Prom and the play Almost, Maine and other oft-staged shows; from the left, there have been concerns about depictions of race in South Pacific and Thoroughly Modern Millie and gender in How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying and Bye Bye Birdie and Grease. And at individual schools, there have been any number of unexpected complaints, about the presence of bullying in Mean Girls and the absence of white characters in Fences, about the words damn (in Oklahoma) and bastards (in Newsies) and God (in The Little Mermaid). Challenges to school productions, teachers say, carry far more weight than they once did because of the polarized political climate and the amplifying power of social media. Were seeing a lot of teachers self-censoring, said Jennifer Katona, the executive director of the Educational Theater Association, an organization of theater teachers. Even if its just a bunch of girls dressed as Newsies boys, which would not have been a big deal a few years ago, thats now a big deal. Teachers now find themselves desperately looking for titles that are somehow both relevant to todays teenagers and unlikely to land them in trouble. Theres a lot of not wanting any controversy of any kind, said Chris Hamilton, the drama director at a high school in Kennewick, Washington. Hamilton said this past year was the first time, in 10 years of teaching, that a play he proposed was banned by school administrators: She Kills Monsters, a comedy about a teenager who finds solace in Dungeons & Dragons that is the seventh most popular school play in the country, and which features gay characters. The level of scrutiny has grown, Hamilton said. Around the country, in blue states as well as red, theater teachers say it has become increasingly difficult to find plays and musicals that will escape the kind of criticism that, they fear, could cost them their jobs or result in a cutback in funding. People are losing their jobs for booking the wrong musical, said Ralph Sevush, the executive director of business affairs at the Dramatists Guild of America. A polarized society is fighting out the culture wars in high schools, he added. Stephen Gregg, a playwright who has successfully been writing for high school students for three decades, said he was startled this year when his publishing house forwarded him an email seeking major edits to his science fiction comedy Crush, seeking to replace an anecdote about a gay couple with a straight one and explaining, As we are a public school in Florida, we cant have gay characters. Gregg turned down the request, thinking, he said, that you probably have gay kids in your theater program, and it sends a terrible message to them. Several school productions made news this year when they were canceled over content concerns. In Floridas Duval County, a production of Indecent was killed because of its lesbian love story. In Pennsylvania, the North Lebanon School District barred The Addams Family, the most popular school musical in the country, citing its dark themes. There was a very clear streak of theater cancellations this whole school year, and it is happening in parallel to, and related to, the efforts to ban books, said Jonathan Friedman, the director of free expression and education programs at PEN America. Sometimes it affects plays in production, and sometimes it affects the approval of plays in the future. The whole climate is impacted. Some productions have overcome objections. In New Jersey, Cedar Grove High School canceled a production of The Prom, a musical whose protagonist is a lesbian, but then relented and staged it after public pressure. In Indiana, after Carroll High School in Fort Wayne canceled a production of Marian, or The True Tale of Robin Hood, which is marketed as a gender-bending, patriarchy-smashing, hilarious new take on the classic tale, students staged it anyway at a local outdoor theater. Autumn Gonzales, a teacher at Scappoose High School in Oregon, faced objections over a production of The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, a musical that has a character with two gay dads. She stuck with it the show had been chosen by her students and the production was allowed to proceed. But she is being extra cautious about next year. When her students expressed an interest in Heathers, which has suicide themes, she told them, That is not going to happen. Ive always tried to go for a middle ground, she said. Were not going to do Spring Awakening, she said, referring to the 2006 musical about young people and sexuality. This just isnt the community for that. But Im also not going to deny the existence of gay people thats not any good for my student actors. Im not going to be inflammatory for arts sake, but Im also not going to shy away from deeper messages. The constraints, advocates say, are having an effect on the education of future artists and audience members. Students deserve to have the opportunity to be exposed to a wide variety of work, not only the safest, most benign, most family friendly material, said Howard Sherman, the managing director of New Yorks Baruch Performing Arts Center, who has been tracking the issue for years. In some areas, the contested plays cannot even be read: In Kansas, the Lansing School Board, responding to objections from a parent, barred high school students from reading The Laramie Project, a widely staged and taught play about the murder of Matthew Shepard, a gay student in Wyoming. Every year there have been a few schools that have banned a production, but this is the first time the play has been banned from being read, said the plays lead author, Moises Kaufman, whose theater company offered to send its script to any Lansing student who asked. I dont want to be an alarmist, but it is alarming. c.2023 The New York Times Company 'The Good Doctor' actor Hill Harper is inching toward a potential Senate bid in Michigan, report says The actor Hill Harper. Dominik Bindl/Getty Images The actor Hill Harper is making moves toward a US Senate campaign launch in Michigan, per Politico. Harper, who lives in Detroit, could be a strong candidate among the state's Democratic electorate. Allies of the actor believe he can attract support from the state's Black and progressive voters. The actor Hill Harper, known for his roles on "CSI: NY" and "The Good Doctor," is inching toward a potential 2024 Senate campaign in Michigan a development that could shake up the Democratic primary in a major way. According to Politico, Harper, who lives in Detroit, is putting the final touches on a campaign launch that is still likely a few weeks away. An individual with ties to Harper's team told Politico that Harper was making plans for a Senate kickoff event, adding that he had already filmed an announcement video and placed an order for campaign T-shirts. Another source told Politico that The Win Company, which made ads for John Fetterman's successful Senate bid in Pennsylvania, also put together Harper's launch video. While many Democratic leaders have already coalesced around Rep. Elissa Slotkin, a moderate who represents a Lansing-area swing district that stretches to rural and suburban areas northwest of Detroit, some in the party have been pushing for a contested primary in the race to succeed retiring veteran Sen. Debbie Stabenow. Harper, who is Black, could made significant inroads with Black voters in the state's Democratic primary electorate, leaning into support in Detroit and many of its suburbs, along with cities like Flint, Grand Rapids, Kalamazoo, and Saginaw. And his political allies think he has the potential to win over many progressive voters in the state. "I think Hill getting in the race would be a really good thing for Michigan Democrats," Washtenaw County Sheriff Jerry Clayton told Politico. "In my experience, coronations tend to hurt the party, while robust and competitive primaries with a healthy and respectful debate over the real issues tends to help." If Harper jumps into the campaign, it would be his first time running for public office. In addition to Harper's film and television career, he has written several bestselling books and in 2017 purchased the Roasting Plant Coffee shop in downtown Detroit. Harper a graduate of Brown University who first became friends with Barack Obama while they were students at Harvard Law School was appointed to the President's Cancer Panel by the then-president in 2012. Most major Democratic officials in the state passed on the race earlier this year, but the Democratic primary is not hurting for candidates. Besides Slotkin, the other announced Democratic candidates include former state Rep. Leslie Love, businessman Nasser Beydoun, Michigan State Board of Education president Pamela Pugh, and attorney Zack Burns. Republicans in the race include Nikki Snyder, a member of the Michigan State Board of Education; Ezra Scott, a former Berrien County Commissioner; Michael Hoover, a small business owner; and Alexandria Taylor, an attorney. Read the original article on Business Insider FILE - Harvey Mason jr., CEO of The Recording Academy, appears at the 63rd annual Grammy Awards in Los Angeles on March 14, 2021. In June, the Recording Academy announced a series of changes to the forthcoming Grammy Awards to better reflect an evolving music industry, including new AI protocols. (Photo by Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP, File) (Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP) LOS ANGELES (AP) Last month, the Recording Academy announced a series of changes to the Grammy Awards to better reflect an evolving music industry. Of those newly instituted guidelines, protocols involving technological advancements in machine learning sparked headlines: Only human creators could win the music industrys highest honor in a decision aimed at the use of artificial intelligence in popular music. A work that contains no human authorship is not eligible in any category, the rules read in part. As the music industry continues to come to terms with this new technology, so too will the Grammys, says Recording Academy CEO and President Harvey Mason jr. Heres the super easy, headline statement: AI, or music that contains AI-created elements is absolutely eligible for entry and for consideration for Grammy nomination. Period, Mason told The Associated Press. Whats not going to happen is we are not going to give a Grammy or Grammy nomination to the AI portion. If an AI or voice modeling program performs the lead vocal on a song, the track would be eligible in a songwriting category, for example, but not a performance category, because what is performing is not human creation, he explains. Conversely, if a song was sung by an actual human in the studio, and they did all the performing, but AI wrote the lyric or the track, the song would not be eligible in a composition or a songwriting category. As long as the human is contributing in a more than de minimis amount, which to us means a meaningful way, they are and will always be considered for a nomination or a win, he continued. We dont want to see technology replace human creativity. We want to make sure technology is enhancing, embellishing, or additive to human creativity. So thats why we took this particular stand in this award cycle. The Recording Academy has long considered setting rules related to AI following the popularity of new songs created alongside AI technology: David Guettas Emin-AI-em, the AI -compositions of TikTok user @ghostwriter977, Grimes voice modeling AI software. In order to establish their AI guidelines, the Recording Academy engaged in extensive research, including holding tech summits. Ive met with the copyright office. Weve talked about the future and what that looks like on a federal level and the legislative level, Mason said, adding that AI conversations really came to a head in the last six months. The new Grammy AI protocols were announced three days after Paul McCartney shared that the last Beatles record had been composed using artificial intelligence to extract John Lennons voice from an old demo. Without knowing the extent of the technology, Mason couldn't confirm or deny whether the song would be eligible for a Grammy nomination. Well see what it turns out to be, he said. But I would imagine from the early descriptions that Ive heard there would be components of the creation that would be absolutely eligible. So, can Grammy viewers expect to see work at least partially created with AI nominated for an award as early as next year? Its impossible to predict what is submitted. But as Mason affirms, people are using the technology. Im imagining its going to be involved in a lot of records a lot of songs this year, so well see if some of them get nominated or not, but Im sure therell be some that will be submitted. The 2024 Grammy Awards will return to Los Angeles Crypto.com Arena on Sunday, Feb. 4, 2024, airing live on CBS and livestreamed on Paramount+. A Juneteenth celebration featuring re-enactors as Buffalo Soldiers. (David J. Phillip / Associated Press) There are lots of great Fourth of July speeches from American history. At the top of my list is a keynote address delivered by one of my favorite Republicans: Frederick Douglass. The abolitionist spoke at an Independence Day celebration at the historic Corinthian Hall in Rochester, N.Y. It was July 5, 1852. The United States of America had just turned 76 years old. Abraham Lincoln was still a lobbyist for the Illinois Central Railroad at the time. About half of the states still allowed slavery. Thats where the nation was when Douglass, who had escaped enslavement in 1838, said this to the Rochester Ladies' Anti-Slavery Society: The blessings in which you, this day, rejoice, are not enjoyed in common. The rich inheritance of justice, liberty, prosperity and independence, bequeathed by your fathers, is shared by you, not by me. The sunlight that brought life and healing to you, has brought stripes and death to me. This Fourth of July is yours, not mine. You may rejoice, I must mourn. More than a decade would go by after Douglass delivered those remarks before President Lincoln would issue the Emancipation Proclamation, in a nation by then embroiled in civil war. By the end of the war, the U.S. had celebrated 88 birthdays while the brutal enslavement of human beings was the law of the land. Hence the title of Douglass speech: What to the Slave Is the Fourth of July? Thats not woke, mind you. Thats just what happened. Woke would be the speech Douglass delivered in April 1865 , a few days before the Civil War ended. Read more: Granderson: The 'election police' don't need to be right to be effective This was in Boston for the Massachusetts Anti-Slavery Society, an organization with which he had worked closely throughout the years. With Union victory looming, the group was discussing disbanding as many leaders considered their mission complete. The end of slavery in Texas now known as Juneteenth would not come for another two months, so these leaders were declaring victory before the war was over and while 250,000 people remained enslaved in Texas. This is what led Douglass to speak out against disbanding. In his speech What the Black Man Wants, he encouraged attendees to redirect the organizations energy toward voting rights: Without this, his liberty is a mockery; without this, you might as well almost retain the old name of slavery for his condition; for in fact, if he is not the slave of the individual master, he is the slave of society, and holds his liberty as a privilege, not as a right. He is at the mercy of the mob, and has no means of protecting himself. Read more: Granderson: LGBTQ people, keep voting against anyone who votes against you Douglass understood that without the vote, there was no agency. And where theres no agency, there is no independence. Still, almost five years would go by before passage of the 15th Amendment in 1870 gave Black men the vote. Nearly a century would go by before the Voting Rights Act of 1965 brought real protections to ensure people could exercise their right to vote. Between 1865 and 1965, Black people were no longer enslaved but, according to Douglass, not quite free. I know this is a little heavy for the holiday. But the Supreme Court just outlawed affirmative action in college admissions, under the pretense that America is race neutral. As if everything you just read can be nullified via 60 years of an imperfect policy . President Lincoln and President Kennedy, who signed affirmative action into law in 1961, were both assassinated after trying to help Black people. The socioeconomic gap between the races still looks very much as it did when Kennedy was alive. Race neutral refers to a time that has yet to be recorded in American history. Of course Douglass had already told us what will really reveal how race neutral America is: the vote. Read more: Granderson: Texas keeps trying to make slavery sound less slaveryish In rejecting the theory that state legislatures have the power to set election rules without much oversight, the Supreme Court put some constraints on partisan gerrymandering last week. Welcome news. Apparently North Carolina was at it again, after a judge found in 2016 that Republican lawmakers there had discouraged Black voters with almost surgical precision . Unfortunately the Tar Heels are hardly alone. Last year, GOP presidential candidate Gov. Ron DeSantis of Florida created an election police force that miraculously kept finding Black people to harass. The year before that, Gov. Greg Abbott of Texas signed a congressional map with zero Black districts despite Texas having the largest Black population in the country. And dont forget those lawsuits alleging fraud in the 2020 election in counties with the most people of color. Again, not woke. Just what happened. And whats still happening. The wishful thinking just wont quit either. Back in 2003, while denouncing affirmative action in a dissenting opinion, Justice Clarence Thomas made a twisted reference to Douglass What the Black Man Wants. Ridiculous. Even 20 years ago, as a frightened country openly discriminated against Muslim Americans and people from the Middle East after 9/11, Thomas was out touting America as race neutral. Much in the way abolitionists in Boston were claiming victory over slavery while Black people couldnt vote and 250,000 Black Americans were still in chains in Texas. On July 4, 1776, there was freedom for some. Juneteenth ended slavery as an official policy, but freedom took significantly longer. Both dates were important steps for democracy and for Americans independence, and neither signified mission accomplished. Recognizing this doesnt mean you hate the Fourth of July. It just means youre tired of lying about it. @LZGranderson If its in the news right now, the L.A. Times Opinion section covers it. Sign up for our weekly opinion newsletter. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times. Green economy, security in focus as Indonesia, Australia leaders meet in Sydney Indonesia's President Joko Widodo speaks about the planned new capital Nusantara, at Ecosperity Week in Singapore Green economy, security in focus as Indonesia, Australia leaders meet in Sydney Indonesia's President Joko Widodo speaks about the planned new capital Nusantara, at Ecosperity Week in Singapore By Kirsty Needham SYDNEY (Reuters) -Indonesian President Joko Widodo said strategic cooperation with Australia on electric vehicle batteries was a priority after talks on Tuesday with Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese that focused on green economy and regional security. Widodo, who is in his second and final term in office, wants to build an electric vehicle battery production industry in Indonesia, which has the world's largest nickel reserves. The EV industry uses the metal extensively. Widodo is seeking cooperation from Australia, a major supplier of battery component lithium. "Indonesia and Australia must build a more substantive and strategic economic cooperation through the joint production of EV batteries," Widodo told reporters after an annual leaders meeting with Albanese in Sydney. Widodo told business leaders that the Southeast Asian nation had a target to produce 1 million electric cars and 3.2 million electric motorbikes by 2035. Indonesia's Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KADIN) signed an "action plan" with the state of Western Australia on critical mineral supply chain and worker skills, Indonesia's Ministry of Economic Affairs said. Albanese said the global move towards electric vehicles was an "incredible opportunity". Meanwhile, Albanese announced a A$50 million ($33 million) initiative to attract private climate finance to Indonesia, and said Export Finance Australia would establish a $200 million capital financing facility with PT Perusahaan Listrik Negara (PLN) to support Indonesia's energy transition. Albanese also said Australia would also make visa changes to make business travel easier for visiting Indonesians. The Southeast Asian country is Australia's 13th largest trading partner with two-way trade between the nations worth A$23.3 billion last year. Australian investment in Indonesia totalled A$4.3 billion ($2.87 billion) in 2021. The countries are negotiating a defence treaty, with leaders at the meeting also emphasising the "importance of diplomacy to avoid the risks of miscalculation" in the Indo Pacific region. "All countries large and small have a collective responsibility to help keep the region peaceful, and Indonesia's contribution to regional security under the president's leadership has been central," Albanese told reporters. Widodo will travel to Papua New Guinea on Wednesday. ($1 = 1.5035 Australian dollars) (Reporting by Kirsty Needham in Sydney and Fransiska Nangoy and Ananda Teresia in Jakarta; Editing by Himani Sarkar) Security forces at the scene of a car ramming attack in Tel Aviv Amir Levy / Getty Images Eight people were injured in Tel Aviv on Tuesday after a driver rammed their car into pedestrians and then got out and began stabbing people, Israeli officials said. An armed civilian killed the attacker, a police spokesperson told CNN. Hamas has claimed responsibility, saying in a statement that the attack was in retaliation for the Israeli military operation in the West Bank city of Jenin. Over the last two days, Israeli forces have been carrying out what it has called "counter-terrorism activities" in Jenin and the Jenin refugee camp. Airstrikes have been used to target a "unified command center" and weapons and explosive manufacturing sites, Israeli officials said, and about 120 people have been detained. This is the largest Israeli military operation to take place in Jenin in several years, and there are concerns that this is the start of a new phase of violence in the region. At least 10 people have been killed in the military operations and 100 injured, Palestinian officials said. The deputy mayor of Jenin, Mohammed Jarrar said electricity and water have been cut off to the refugee camp and homes have been destroyed. Thousands of people have fled, with resident Lina Amouri telling CNN that on the first night, she and her family hid in an apartment without windows to avoid being hit by bullets. "The children were crying all day and we didn't know how to calm them down," she said. "The only thing we could do is to pray together while we hear explosions and bulldozers outside." You may also like Florida construction and agricultural workforces diminished after new immigration law takes effect Judge limits how Biden officials can communicate with social media companies How solar and wind energy are saving Texans from a record heatwave What can I do to help my dog with fireworks on the Fourth of July? The Fourth of July may be an exciting day for people across the U.S., but it can be a very stressful day for dogs. Nearly one-in-five lost pets goes missing after being scared by the sound of fireworks, thunderstorms or other loud noises, according to the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. Why do fireworks scare dogs? The loud noises can be harsh to a dog's ears, according to Bond Vet. The booming sounds can be perceived as a threat and trigger dogs' fight-or-flight response, according to Veterinary Specialists of the Rockies. Dogs can hear a range of sounds that humans cannot hear. Even everyday noises, such as a vacuum cleaner, can be distressing for a dog because it sounds louder to them than it does to a human. The unpredictable nature of the noises can scare dogs, according to the University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine. "As humans, we understand and expect the annual tradition of fireworks, particularly around the 4th of July, but this concept is foreign to our dogs, and many are genuinely frightened if they are suddenly exposed to the loud sounds and scary sights associated with fireworks," Dr. Sandra Mitchell, a veterinarian at Animal Medical Associates in Saco, Maine, told pet site Chewy. What can I do to help my dog with fireworks? The ASPCA, Rover, the American Kennel Club, Purina and PetMD have a slew of tips for keeping your pet calm. They suggest: Do your best to tire your dog out before the fireworks start. Keep your dog inside during fireworks displays. Keep curtains or blinds closed.There are anti-anxiety medications you can purchase for your dog. Distract your dog with high-value treats. Try putting the treats in puzzle toys so your dog can focus on something other than the fireworks. Play calming music or put on white noise or the TV. Leave your dog's crate door open. While dogs may seek out the safety of a crate, they may panic, try to run out and injure themselves on a closed door.Don't leave a scared dog home alone during fireworks.Sitting close to your dog and offering quiet words of reassurance can help.There are earmuffs made specially for dogs, but those are best introduced to a dog gradually in advance of fireworks. Dog owners can also try training their pets to deal with scary noise, but this is also something that needs to be done in advance. Owners can play fireworks noises at a low level for a brief time while treating their dog. Repeat the process over time. Once your dog is comfortable, you can gradually turn up the sound for future training sessions.Are there any other Fourth of July concerns for dogs? Many of the foods people commonly enjoy for the holiday can be dangerous for dogs. "Veterinarians tend to see an increase in visits in the summertime from dogs who've eaten ribs, corn on the cob, and skewers," Rover advises. "Make sure to keep food scraps and trash away from your pet by discarding them as soon as you're finished." Keep potato, macaroni and pasta salad away from pups, the pet site recommends. Most of the salads contain onions, which can be toxic to dogs. While grilling is a popular activity on the Fourth of July, avoid giving your dog full fat hamburger. Fatty and salty meat can cause severe gastrointestinal upset for a dog. Corn on the cob can also be a cause for concern. Large pieces can cause obstructions. Essence Festival highlights: Lil Wayne, Megan Thee Stallion, Vice President Kamala Harris Some planes still not updated to address possible 5G interference Palestinians say at least 10 killed in Israeli military operation in Jenin Tucked behind a residential neighborhood just off a major highway, a Portsmouth riverfront residence swarms with volunteers. For three weeks, people from all walks of life retired engineers, students, even a few Crossfit groups have been unloading bags of loose shell, hauling wheelbarrows of sand and building the foundation of a new 718-foot living shoreline. The volunteers, along with The Chesapeake Bay Foundation, the Elizabeth River Project and property-owners the Berner family, hope the living shoreline project will inspire more residents to use natural barriers rather than hardscapes to prevent flooding and erosion. Theyre all corralled by Kati Grigsby, a restoration specialist with the Chesapeake Bay Foundation, which has taken on much of the work and cost of installing the nature-based approach to protecting waterfront land, combining a wide, sloped design with native grasses, natural materials and, often, oyster colonies. With sand on her nose and sudden wide smiles, Grigsbys enthusiasm for the project is infectious as she points out the types of vegetation near the high-tide line and explains what they show about the lands erosion and resilience, along with the way the new shoreline will change the growth. She mentions periwinkle with anticipation, three times. Its adaptive management, not flood management, she said, pulling up photos on her phone of other sites where ground has eroded even behind a traditional concrete bulwark, as water pulls at the soil and sand from underneath the barrier. The best way to build resilience against sea level rise, she said, is a natural landscape that stabilizes the shore and can continue to grow in response to changing conditions. People just arent ready, she said. The visual safety of a wall makes people feel protected. But its a false sense of security. The Chesapeake Bay Foundation and the Elizabeth River Project are trying to change that with projects like this one. Living shorelines provide a wide range of infrastructure and ecosystem benefits, from stabilizing the shore against erosion and dispersing wave energy to absorbing stormwater runoff (and the pollution it carries) and nurturing the building blocks of the maritime food chain. And as of July 1, 2020, theyre the law. The Living Shoreline Law, Senate Bill 776, forbids the Virginia Marine Resources Commission from approving permits for hardened shorelines like concrete seawalls and bulkheads, unless the best available science shows that a living shoreline is not suitable. Existing structures dont need to be replaced just to comply with the law but as they age and require repair, permits might not be approved. The Berner family, however, no longer needs to worry about that, thanks to funding and logistical support from the Chesapeake Bay Foundation and the Elizabeth River Project and the determination of a young family member. By the end of the summer, the banks of their family home on an inlet of the Elizabeth River will boast a reimagined landscape with a sanctuary oyster reef that will filter water and, eventually, attract larger fish by providing habitats for their food sources. Better fishing is something Christian Berner, 23, particularly anticipates. Hes been pursuing this project since the pandemic sent him home from Hampden-Sydney College in 2020. I guess my connection to the environment is usually gastronomic. I just like to eat stuff, Berner said, laughing. The best way to get the best food is to have the best environment. Berners tongue-in-cheek comment is built on childhood memories of fishing at West Norfolk Bridge with his dad and cooking up the days catch, or learning to hunt because his mother, who is from Japan, tasted venison for the first time shortly after they bought the property in 2008, and told his dad to get her more. But even a short conversation makes it clear that however much they love to eat, conservation is a way of life for the Berners. When pandemic life left the youngest Berner bored at home, he remembered learning about living shorelines during field trips he had made to the Elizabeth River Project outdoor classroom at Paradise Creek, an 11-acre site the organization reclaimed from decades of pollution by metal scrap yards, naval landfills and urban waste. Forty years ago, the Environmental Protection Agency singled out the Elizabeth River as one of the most polluted in the entire Bay watershed. Its still on the impaired waters list, but the work done to reclaim the river over the past 30 years inspired Berner, along with comparing what he sees from his familys dock with other places hes been. Ive been to nicer places on the Chesapeake Bay, and I just want the Elizabeth River to be like that, for there to be more fish and cleaner water, he said. Maybe one day in 80 years there might actually be beaches on the Elizabeth River. Who knows? A friend told Berner that the Chesapeake Bay Foundation could help coordinate and even fund the project, and representatives came out for a site visit, but complications caused by the pandemic led to delays. Finally, after Berner finished his degree in business and economics last year, he turned his attention back to the shoreline. This time, things moved surprisingly quickly. Chesapeake Bay Foundation and Elizabeth River Project staff met with him and his father last September and surveyed the shoreline. By January they had the basics of a contract in place, and by April the foundation had full approval for the permits they needed. They rocked it. They absolutely rocked it, said Berners father, Leif Berner. If not for the foundation handling the process, the project wouldnt have been feasible, he said. But he wouldnt have even started it without their financial support. When his son first came to him, he said, he was shocked by the expense of a living shoreline project. Costs vary widely depending on the existing landscape, but are typically in the tens of thousands of dollars. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration estimates that installation costs can range anywhere from less than $1,000 all the way up to $5,000 per linear foot. I was like, yeah, theres no way thats going to happen, Leif Berner said. But its nice to see money coming back from a lot of organizations that people have donated to for years, and its going to benefit everybody downstream of us. There are a variety of ways homeowners in Hampton Roads can get funding and support for installing living shorelines, depending on which of the seven cities they reside in. The funding for the Berners property originally came from the Virginia Environmental Endowment and is covering around 90% of the cost. Thats a higher proportion than most of their projects, according to foundation staff; usually their portion of the cost-share is under 75%. Whats really remarkable is the government funding just to get all the raw materials, it costs a lot of money, Christian Berner said. The community support has also impressed the whole family, from the involvement of restaurants that donate oyster shells to form the sanctuary reef, to the enthusiasm and variety of the volunteers descending on their property at low tide every day. The Berner/Chesapeake Bay Foundation Living Shoreline Project still needs volunteers for the rest of the summer. Volunteers can sign up at the Chesapeake Bay Foundation website, www.cbf.org, or use this link for the project page. Katrina Dix, 757-222-5155, katrina.dix@virginiamedia.com Pasco decision on pot praiseworthy I praise the Pasco City Council for lifting the ban on cannabis. Cannabis helps treat harmful diseases and is safer than tobacco and far less addictive. I cant wait until it is legal at the federal level and Pasco is ahead by zoning the districts for cannabis with a buffer zone. I think cannabis could help bring lots of revenue and should be more prevalent. Eric Kalia, Richland GOP failed at removing Trump Former President Trump wouldnt be facing unprecedented and divisive consequences from the reasonably anticipated felony convictions had Senate Republicans done their Constitutional duty. They could have justifiably removed him from office well before their leader violated the Espionage Act. President Ford (a Republican neither elected to the vice presidency nor the presidency) pardoned the vastly less criminal Nixon, asserting doing so would reduce polarization. Hindsight, call it history, shows that over the long run, Ford was very wrong. His decision gave subsequent Republicans an expectation of legal immunity for Republican presidents. This has been true so far. The Republican Partys express aim is to control a one-party-government. Selling an insincere objective to fix a broken government has ever been the shortest path. You know the last presidential election wasnt stolen, right? Shielding Trump from legal consequences deepens the divide separating those who value democracy with equal justice under the law from those who dont. Our democracy is at grave risk of being lost. Learn enough history to sort out where we stand. Such should let you see the Republican Party for what it is, ruthlessly authoritarian. Contribute to the sustenance of our democracy by voting for Democrats through the foreseeable future. Ivar Husa, Richland Do good and cut cash from election Trump supporters: What are you thinking? Trump does nothing for you unless youre rich and he lets you get away with paying proportionately less than the rest of us. Even if you love the man, I dont need to tell you how self-centered he is; but I do want to add a related thought. We need to get money out of politics and shorten the campaign period. Other democracies dont have endless, costly campaigns, do they? Think what good we could do with that money! Lets not give it to Trump for another attempt to become Emperor of America. Judith Loomis, Richland Richland recall is all about the law In his recent letter, Michael Fayer, weighs Richland School Board members Audra Byrd, Kari Williams and Semi Bird intentionally breaking the law against the idea their actions were somehow the honorable thing to do. Fayer also asks us to balance adherence to established law against allowing some crimes to go unpunished. Fayer claims, context matters. Fayer wants us to believe in this context Byrd, Williams and Bird did their best to do what was right despite being persecuted for their beliefs. The recall isnt about ideology, or the effectiveness of masks. It isnt about the tyranny of Gov. Jay Inslees emergency powers or viewing Byrd, Williams and Birds actions from 30,000 feet with one eye closed. The recall is about adhering to our constitutionally mandated and protected democratic principles. Period. The recall process is well established law. It ensures the people are protected from elected officials who knowingly and deliberately make decisions that are against the law, or overstep their authority. It holds elected officials accountable to the people. If we close one eye and accept Fayers perspective, what will happen the next time our elected officials deliberately try to circumvent the law? Democracys survival depends upon following its principles. Recall Byrd, Williams and Bird. Jeffrey Marzyck, Richland The Porter County Department of Development & Storm Water Management says the countys 10 most-needed stormwater projects have a $48 million price tag. The list, and an explanation of the individual projects, were presented to the Porter County Council at its monthly meeting June 26 to allow the council to begin addressing a funding gap. The projects in order of perceived necessity are as follows: Advertisement 1) Carriage Hills Subdivision had cars falling into sinkholes in 2022. One resident and her teenage daughter had to be rescued from their vehicle after it sank several feet down into their driveway. The $1.3 million in work needed there will begin soon after the septic system perimeter drains from each home that tie into the stormwater drains are done being analyzed. 2) Salt Creek Valley Commons Subdivision has $11.4 million in needs, while 3) Shorewood Forest Subdivision requires $12 million in upgrades. American Rescue Plan Act funds have been allocated for parts of the Carriage Hills and Salt Creek Valley projects. Advertisement 4) New South Haven Subdivision has stormwater infrastructure needs of $6.9 million while 5) Coventry Subdivision needs $4.7 million in spending. The materials used were certainly substandard, Porter County Engineer Mike Novotney told the council of the materials originally used to build that neighborhoods infrastructure. Camera analysis of the stormwater system there looks like a roller coaster, which isnt good, Novotney said. 6) The Kankakee River has an abundance of needs being addressed by a consortium. The county participates in the Kankakee River Basin & Yellow River Basin Development Commission. The 2019 Kankakee River Flood & Sediment Management Work Plan commissioned by the Basin Development Commission indicates approximately $135 million, in 2019 dollars, in spending needs for the basin. Per state statute, Porter County contributes approximately $200,000 per year to the Basin Development Commission from its stormwater fund. Seven other counties in the basin contribute a similar pro rata share. 7) North Stimson Drain near the Fairgrounds needs $1.5 million in spending, while 8) Fieldstone Manor Subdivision and 9) Rolling Meadows Subdivision need $1 million each. The systems in these two subdivisions, built with corrugated pipe or substandard plastic pipe, are consistent with construction methods used for all subdivisions of their era. You could extend that to any similarly sized subdivision in Porter County, Novotney told the council of the spending needed. Finally, 10) Old South Haven Subdivision needs an additional $7.4 million spent on its stormwater infrastructure in addition to $15 million already spent. All storm sewers in Old South Haven are now new. The county also needs approximately $1.5 million per year to operate and maintain the public stormwater infrastructure, including 600 miles of streams, ditches, drain tiles and storm sewers; 200 culverts; 2,000 miles of roadside ditches; and approximately 150 water treatment and management facilities. Porter Countys stormwater fee was put in place in 2016. A dollar in 2016 is about 50 cents today, Novotney said. The county currently has about $1.25 million to put into stormwater projects yearly. Novotney said an increase in the fee is one possible source for the funding shortfall. He likened the fund and the work it will facilitate to the progress made with the bridge fund. He said there were 25 bridges that needed to be replaced when his office took over the bridge fund in 2016. By the end of the decade, we will have replaced all those listed as priority, he said. Its of utmost importance for public safety. Advertisement Councilman Mike Brickner, R-At-Large, thanked Novotney for the update. I think it reiterates our purpose in county government. These needs, maybe not very sexy with stormwater ... but these are things that the taxpayers deserve for us to take action (on) and to put as priorities, he said. Really looking at this should be a priority. Shelley Jones is a freelance reporter for the Post-Tribune. A 57-year-old woman died on an 8-mile hike in Grand Canyon National Park on Sunday, when temperatures topped 100 degrees, park officials said. Park rangers got a call about a hiker in distress at 6:30 p.m., and when the woman was found in a remote area of the park at 1 a.m. she was dead, the National Park Service said in a statement. She was on an 8-mile hike in the Tuweep area of Arizona, which is described as a remote region. The heat was well over 100 degrees Sunday. A cause of death is under investigation, but the park warned of the dangers of extreme heat in a statement Monday. A large part of the Southwest, including the Grand Canyon area, was under an excessive heat warning Monday. The temperature in Phantom Ranch was 114 degrees, the National Weather Service said. The Grand Canyon is under the excessive heat warning until 8 p.m. Wednesday. On Monday heat warnings covered parts of the Southwest, in California, southern Nevada and Arizona, according to the weather service. Heat can be deadly on hikes, and heat-related conditions are the most common cause of death due to weather in the U.S., the Environmental Protection Agency and others warn. An average of 702 people die from heat-related illnesses every year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. A 14-year-old boy and his stepfather died last month as they hiked in Big Bend National Park in Texas on a day when temperatures were 119 degrees. The boy fell ill, and his stepfather died after he crashed his car trying to get him help, park officials said. This article was originally published on NBCNews.com A 41-year-old man hiking at a popular waterfall in Oregon died over the weekend when he stumbled and fell 200 feet down a cliff, authorities said Monday. The hiker, identified as Gerardo Hernandez-Rodriguez, was discovered dead at the base after rescuers responded to reports of his fall at Multnomah Falls on Saturday afternoon, the Multnomah County Sheriff's Office said in a statement. "It is estimated that Hernandez fell nearly 200 feet," the office said. "It is believed that alcohol impairment was likely a contributing factor in the fall." NBC affiliate KGW of Portland reported that Hernandez was a father of five. He was on a trail near Benson Bridge when he fell, the sheriff's office said. Sheriffs deputies, a U.S. Forest Service ranger and Corbett Fire District first responders launched a search-and-rescue operation. The sheriff's office described the terrain as "inaccessible" and "steep." A deputy found Hernandez's body off Historic Columbia River Highway, directly below his fall, it said. The 620-foot Multnomah Falls, 30 miles east of Portland, is part of the Columbia River Gorge. It stands out as the most visited natural recreation site in the Pacific Northwest, according to the U.S. Forest Service. The sheriff's office urged visitors to take the area's trails seriously by preparing for rough terrain and studying a map ahead of time. "It's not a paved walk," Deputy John Plock told KGW. "This is a hiking trail, and so we encourage people to come prepared for an actual hike." This article was originally published on NBCNews.com Hong Kong leader says eight overseas activists will be 'pursued for life' Photos of eight activists who have been issued arrest warrants over national security are displayed during a press conference in Hong Kong By James Pomfret and Donny Kwok HONG KONG (Reuters) -Hong Kong chief executive John Lee said on Tuesday eight overseas-based Hong Kong activists who were issued with arrest warrants for alleged national security offences would be "pursued for life". Hong Kong police issued arrest warrants for the eight overseas-based activists on Monday, accusing them of national security offences, including foreign collusion and incitement to secession, and offered rewards for information leading to their arrest. The accused are activists Nathan Law, Anna Kwok and Finn Lau, former lawmakers Dennis Kwok and Ted Hui, lawyer and legal scholar Kevin Yam, unionist Christopher Mung, and online commentator Elmer Yuen. "The only way to end their destiny of being an abscondee who will be pursued for life is to surrender," Lee told reporters. The police also offered rewards of HK$1 million ($127,656) for information leading to each possible arrest. The activists are based in several countries, including the United States, Britain and Australia. They are wanted under a national security law that Beijing imposed on Hong Kong in 2020. A spokesperson for global police agency Interpol said that as of Tuesday it had not received requests for a Red Notice or Wanted Persons Diffusion for the eight individuals mentioned. The agency said member countries can ask Interpol to issue a Red Notice for an individual who is the subject of a valid national arrest warrant, but added requests are reviewed for compliance with Interpol rules and human rights, and assess whether the individual concerned is a refugee or political activist. A U.S. State Department spokesman said the Hong Kong move sets "a dangerous precedent that threatens the human rights and fundamental freedoms of people all over the world." British Foreign Secretary James Cleverly said his government "will not tolerate any attempts by China to intimidate and silence individuals in the UK and overseas". China's Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said the eight had been at the "vanguard of external anti-China forces' intervention in Hong Kong affairs" and that the moves were necessary to safeguard national security. She also expressed "resolute opposition to individual countries' blatant denigration of Hong Kong's national security laws and interference in the legal system (of Hong Kong)." Anna Kwok, one of the activists who is now based in Washington D.C., told Reuters that she would continue highlighting China's crackdown on freedoms and the rule of law in Hong Kong. "I believe the values we're fighting for are right. And that's why I'm never going to stop, and I'm never going to back down, even though there's a bounty on my head," she said. Chinese authorities have repeatedly emphasized that the national security law has restored the stability necessary for preserving Hong Kong's economic success after protracted pro-democracy protests in 2019 that drew millions to the streets. Lee said authorities would continue to "monitor" the actions and behaviour of the eight while overseas, without giving specifics on how authorities would do this. "We want them to know that we will not sit and do nothing," Lee said, who also appealed to members of the public to provide information on the activists. (Additional reporting by Jessie Pang in Beijing and Geert De Clercq in Paris; Editing by Muralikumar Anantharaman, Raju Gopalakrishnan, William Maclean) Journalists take videos while John Lee speaks during the Hong Kong Chief Executive John Lee talks at a briefing on July 4 about new bounties for eight 'wanted' political activists who live overseas. Credit - Michael Ho Wai LeeSOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images Hong Kongs leader said Tuesday that a group of exiled pro-democracy activists will be pursued for life. Police announced a day earlier a reward of HK$1 million (a little over $125,000) in return for any information that could lead to the arrest of any of the eight political dissidentswhich includes three former lawmakerswho were accused of violating the Chinese enclaves controversial National Security Law. Our action is to tell everybody that endangering national security is not something we will tolerate, Hong Kong Chief Executive John Lee told the media during his weekly briefing. The 2020 lawwhich was implemented to criminalize secession, subversion, terrorism, and collusion with foreign forceshas been criticized for being used to crack down on pro-democracy figures and curb almost any form of dissent that could be viewed as a challenge to the Chinese and Hong Kong governments. The bounties, which are the first to be offered for suspected violators of the law and are higher than those set for murderers, may not ultimately lead to any arrests. The eight people targeted by authorities currently reside across Australia, the U.K., and the U.S., which have each condemned Hong Kongs efforts to silence dissidents. Still, the move will make the pro-democracy activists lives more difficultand could have far-reaching consequences that go beyond the eight particular people in question. This is a way to create a chilling effect for the Hong Kong overseas community, Eric Lai, visiting researcher at Kings College London School of Law, tells TIME. Were absolutely not staging any show or spreading terror, said Senior Superintendent Steve Li of the Hong Kong polices national security department on Monday. Were enforcing the law. China has long been criticized for its extraterritorial reach. Last week, an editorial in a Chinese state-owned newspaper detailed how China may coordinate with the International Criminal Police Organization (Interpol) to help apprehend those it considers fugitives. A 2022 investigation by Spanish civil rights group Safeguard Defenders also found that mainland Chinese and Hong Kong authorities are looking to use Interpol mechanisms to go after political dissidents even though the organizations bylaws strictly prohibit any intervention of political, military, religious, or racial nature. China and Hong Kong have also signed extradition treaties with dozens of countries around the world, and, although all three countries where the eight targeted activists are based have suspended their extradition agreements since the implementation of the National Security Law, the arrest warrants severely restrict their movement. Anna Kwok, one of the eight dissidents named by the Hong Kong police who is now in the U.S., tells TIME that she has to be increasingly careful of the countries she could enter since the announcement. The same level of caution includes the route of my flights, she says. But for Kwok, the greater danger is the effect the bounty may have on her ability to engage with members of the Chinese and Hong Kong diaspora. The Hong Kong authorities are trying to rile up a mob mentality among pro-Beijing supporters, she explains. Its a usual tactic from the Chinese Communist Party to pit people against people. The Inter-Parliamentary Union on China echoed this, saying in a statement that the police arrest warrants threaten to exacerbate community tensions. Malte Kaeding, a senior lecturer of international politics and director of the Hong Kong Studies Hub at the University of Surrey, adds that overseas organizations might also be put under pressure to question their links to the activists, which threatens the dissidents support system outside of the city-state. The announcement of the bounties alone dissuades people all over the world from speaking up against diminishing freedoms in China and Hong Kong. Alfred Wu, an associate professor who researches Chinese governance at Singapores Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy, tells TIME. This is the point, he says. In reality, whether people will be prosecuted, I mean, thats another story. (Bloomberg) -- Hungary braced for a wave of teacher resignations after Prime Minister Viktor Orbans legislators approved a new law that educators see as a crackdown following years of anti-government protests. Most Read from Bloomberg The parliament in Budapest, where members of Orbans party hold a two-thirds majority, approved the so-called status law stripping teachers of protections granted to public employees, raising the number of weekly hours of required teaching and limiting educators autonomy. It also allows the government to relocate teachers. Dubbed the vengeance law by its critics, the legislation steps up pressure on teachers and threatens to push staffing in the education sector to critical levels. More than 5,000 teachers have pledged to quit if the new regulations come into effect, according to a tally on website aHang. The law is all about trying to paper over the shortage of teachers, said Bence Toth, a biology and chemistry teacher at a primary school in Budapest who joined a protest in a steady drizzle outside the parliament building in Budapest. Its also about retribution for our strikes. Orban has moved to rein in schools as part of his more than decade-old power consolidation, which has seen him extend his sway over the media, courts, culture, education and large swaths of the economy. The government has touted the status law as ensuring a steady increase in teacher wages, even as it has linked much of it to the receipt of European Union funds, which are mostly blocked due to corruption and rule-of-law concerns. The cabinet would only relocate teachers in extraordinary cases, Cabinet Minister Gergely Gulyas told reporters on June 22. Hungarian primary education teachers with 15 years of experience earn the second-lowest wage among the 38 member countries of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, according to 2021 data, the latest available. Only Slovak teachers fare worse. Thats prompted teachers to hold demonstrations, some of which coincided with a general election campaign last year that was initially seen as a major test of Orbans rule. After another landslide victory, one of Orbans first moves was to transfer oversight of education to the Interior Ministry, which is responsible for law enforcement. The government has since limited the right of teachers to strike, prompting a wave of civil disobedience protests that has been met with the firing of some educators. An earlier draft of the status law would have allowed authorities to review the personal electronic devices of teachers, which was later dropped from the legislation. Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek 2023 Bloomberg L.P. Hungary foreign minister says he was in touch with Turkey on Sweden's NATO bid U.N. General Asembly holds high-level meeting on adoption of resolution on Ukraine in New York Hungary foreign minister says he was in touch with Turkey on Sweden's NATO bid U.N. General Asembly holds high-level meeting on adoption of resolution on Ukraine in New York By Boldizsar Gyori BUDAPEST (Reuters) - Hungary's foreign minister said on Tuesday that he had been in touch with his Turkish counterpart about a ratification of Sweden's NATO membership and if there is a shift in Turkey's stance Hungary will not delay the process. Sweden, dropping a longtime policy of military non-alignment following Russia's invasion of Ukraine, has set its sights on formal accession at NATO's July 11-12 summit but, while it has strong support from other members including the United States, both Turkey and Hungary have so far blocked ratification. "If there is a shift (in Turkey's stance), then of course we will keep the promise that Hungary will not hold up any country in terms of (NATO) membership," Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto told a news conference in Budapest, broadcast on his Facebook page. Earlier on Tuesday Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan voiced his country's reluctance to let Sweden into NATO and called on Sweden to fulfill its commitments under a deal it struck last year in Madrid aimed at addressing Ankara's security concerns. A series of demonstrations in Sweden against Islam and for Kurdish rights have offended Ankara, whose backing Sweden needs to gain entry to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. Although Sweden's prime minister said on Friday Prime Minister Viktor Orban had assured him that Budapest would not delay the Nordic country's NATO accession, Hungary's parliament has not put the ratification on its agenda this week before the summer break. Parliament will hold its last meeting on Friday. The ratification process has been stranded in parliament since last July. (Reporting by Krisztina Than and Boldizsar Gyori, Editing by William Maclean) Iberian wolf in crosshairs of Spanish right as parties court rural voters FILE PHOTO: A wolf looks up in Lobopark in Antequera, southern Spain December 26, 2004. Lobopark is a theme park.. MADRID (Reuters) - Hunting Iberian wolves could become legal again as Spain's main opposition party joined far-right Vox in vowing to end protections for the endangered animal in a bid to attract rural voters. The People's Party (PP), leading polls ahead of a July 23 general election, promised to reverse additional protections for the wolves in its manifesto published on Tuesday. Spain declared Iberian wolves living north of the Douro river a protected species in 2021, extending an existing hunting ban nationwide. Controlled hunting of the canines had been allowed in the region until then. PP's manifesto said it sees hunting as "part of a deep-rooted cultural heritage in a large part of society". It pledged to "adopt measures for a balanced development of the activity", but the manifesto gave few details on how this would be achieved. The proposal aims to appeal to farmers who say the nationwide ban has driven more attacks on livestock. PP and Vox are vying to attract voters from rural areas, traditionally a key demographic for the ruling Socialists and PP, historically the biggest parties. The Socialist party was already forced to back pedal on stronger animal welfare laws earlier this year, after an outcry in rural areas over its potential implications for hunting with dogs. Vox leader Santiago Abascal has committed to repeal the laws if he wins, according to a statement on the Royal Spanish Hunting Federation's (RFEC) website. He also agreed to reverse recently-introduced tougher penalties for mistreating animals and to present a new plan on wolf population control, RFEC said. Such policies had hurt Socialist candidates in past regional elections, RFEC President Manuel Gallardo told Reuters. "It would be good for the parties to attend to the demands of the hunting sector, which moves around 4 million votes," he added. Some 297 packs of Iberian wolves were recorded in Spain in the latest census in 2014. (Reporting by Corina Pons; Editing by David Latona and Emma Rumney) Illinois man critically injured as firework explodes in his face while he was checking why it hadnt detonated A man was critically injured after a powerful firework exploded in his face as he was trying to determine why it hadnt detonated. The Lake County Sheriffs Office responded to a gathering in the unincorporated community of Cary, Illinois, around 9.15pm on Sunday after it was reported that a 58-year-old man was injured while handling commercial-grade fireworks. He lit a firework, which did not detonate as expected, the sheriffs office said in a statement. The man looked into the tube housing the firework and it discharged, striking his face and then exploding. When first responders arrived at the scene, the man was in and out of consciousness. He was sent transported to Northwestern Medicine Hospital in critical condition. The man, whose name was not released, then had to be airlifted to the Advocate Condell Medical Center in the neighbouring town of Libertyville. Authorities said he had sustained major injuries to the head and remained in critical condition as of Monday. The man reportedly did not have a permit to detonate the several fireworks he brought to the Fourth of July weekend gathering. According to law enforcement, several unexploded fireworks were collected by sheriffs deputies. The explosives were then transferred to the Waukegan Bomb Squad for destruction. The sheriffs office said criminal charges are possible. More than 10,000 people are injured while handling fireworks every year, according to NPR. Seventy-three per cent of those injuries around July 4. In the immediate aftermath of last years mass shooting at Highland Parks Fourth of July parade came the expected questions when such a tragedy unfolds: Who was the gunman? Where had his weapon come from? And in Illinois, a state run by gun control-minded Democrats, could laws be bolstered and were police using them as effectively as possible? Experts have suggested what was on the books if properly understood and implemented potentially could have prevented the alleged shooter from obtaining the high-powered semi-automatic rifle used to rain bullets down on paradegoers, killing seven and wounding dozens more. Ensuing efforts centered on so-called red flag gun laws and other measures designed to take away firearms from those whose backgrounds suggest they should not have access to them. And a Tribune analysis of available state data shows that the push by politicians, advocates and police leaders to use them more often seems to have had an effect in the year since the mass shooting, including significant spikes in the use of the red flag laws and formal warnings to Illinois State Police about people who should not own firearms. In a period running from approximately the date of the shooting through May 31, state police received more than 11,800 so-called clear and present danger reports, notifying them that someone might be too dangerous to be granted a gun license. That is more than double the number received during the same period the prior year, state data shows. The use of a separate tool, the firearms restraining order, the form for the states red flag law, has also jumped since the Highland Park attack. The orders, which judges can use to take guns away from people they consider a threat, were granted 228 times in the 3 years from the laws inception in January 2019 through early August 2022. Just from then until May, there have been another 146 granted, nearly tripling the rate of usage based on a monthly average. Additionally, changes to the firearms restraining order law were incorporated this year in a sweeping measure from the Democratic-controlled state legislature currently entangled in state and federal legal challenges that bans more than 100 high-powered guns, including the type used in the shooting, and ammunition magazines with the capacity of holding more than 10 rounds in long guns and 15 in handguns. Increases in the use of state law can be attributed to heightened awareness, Illinois State Police Director Brendan Kelly told the Tribune in a recent interview. The awareness is growing, and that is where the thrust of our effort has to be. Its simply making people aware that they have this option, Kelly said. And then, as we do that, eliminating any barriers or challenges that may be there from a technical standpoint or a legal standpoint to simplifying the process. Still, gaps in the available data remain. Theres no data available from the courts that show the number of firearms restraining orders that are requested but denied by a judge, leaving an incomplete picture of whether more have been requested after Highland Park or if judges have been more likely to grant them. At the same time, lawmakers still need to consider a series of recommendations from a state police-led panel assembled prior to the Highland Park shooting to find ways to further strengthen the law. Illinois also still lags behind other states in its use of firearms restraining orders despite the efforts by law enforcement officials, legislators and others. The events of Highland Park raised the firearms restraining orders profile significantly across the state, Kelly said, speaking for Illinois. While its not clear that the red flag laws we have here would have definitely prevented that circumstance, it did catalyze and ignite a lot of conversation among law enforcement, mental health professionals, school administrators, and other stakeholders about why or why not these tools are being used on a daily basis. Although distinct, firearms restraining orders and clear and present danger reports have generally the same purpose. Firearm restraining orders, however, must be granted by a judge and can only be requested by law enforcement or certain people close to the subject in question. Clear and present danger reports can be filed by other individuals, including school administrators and mental health professionals, and can be used by state police in determining whether to revoke someones firearm owners identification card or deny a FOID card application. State police changed the way the latter are handled in direct response to gaps exposed by the particulars of the case of Robert Crimo III, the alleged Highland Park gunman who awaits trial on murder charges. His father, Robert Crimo Jr., also awaits trial on felony reckless conduct charges for helping his son acquire a FOID card more than two years before the shooting, despite reports to police that the son tried to kill himself and threatened to kill others, according to authorities. The younger Crimo was able to obtain a FOID card just months after Highland Park police in September 2019 filed a clear and present danger report. That was because the report wasnt retained after it was determined he didnt have a firearm permit at the time or a pending application for one, state police have said. After the July 4 shooting, the state police codified in its administrative rules the agencys ability to retain clear and present danger reports even if the subject doesnt have a FOID card or a pending application on file and isnt deemed to be an imminent threat. The agency would be able to use such reports in evaluating future FOID card applications. According to the state police, as a result of the rule changes, it retained 6,413 clear and present danger reports that previously could have had to be discarded out of a total of 11,812 reports filed from July 1, 2022 through May 31. Those 6,413 reports represented instances where the subject did not have a FOID card or pending application. Those 11,812 reports also resulted in 5,181 FOID cards being revoked or applications being denied, more than double the 2,378 revocations and denials during the same period the previous year. The Illinois Criminal Justice Information Authority, a state agency focused on research and analysis, told the Tribune they do not have data showing how many firearm restraining order petitions were filed overall. The Administrative Office of the Illinois Courts also does not have that information. Cook County Chief Judge Timothy Evans office approved the Tribunes request to receive local FRO data, but that data was not made available before press time. Kelly acknowledged the gap, saying even his agency cant track the number of total firearm restraining order requests because it only learns of the orders once judges have signed off. If theres a mechanism to be developed that would show that, I think that could reveal what are the fact patterns that result in a firearms restraining order being denied? he said. What does the court see that says, Hey, this may not be enough or this does meet the burden of proof? Its a relevant question, added Kelly, due to the higher burden of proof for a firearms restraining order compared to a clear and present danger report. Prosecutors do not directly request firearm restraining orders; that must be done by police, a relative or someone else close to the subject. But state law allows prosecutors to assist in filing petitions, and some states attorneys offices in Illinois have integrated themselves into the process. DuPage County has had 95 firearm restraining orders granted since the law took effect in 2019. Thats more than any other county in Illinois. Cook County had the second most petitions filed with 64, followed by Lake County with 49 and Kane County with 17, according to state police data. Republican DuPage County States Attorney Robert Berlin credits the countys high number of petitions to an aggressive push for training and awareness among prosecutors and police. We have direct contact with the police on these matters. And we want to make sure that theyre done correctly, Berlin said. In Lake County, home to Highland Park, the prosecutors office has hosted training sessions for local law enforcement and other interested parties on firearms restraining orders in response to the July Fourth shooting. The most recent session, in late June, had more than 60 participants. Eric Rinehart, the countys Democratic top prosecutor, agreed the spike in firearms restraining orders since the shooting could probably be attributed to increased awareness. The tragedy sparked significant public conversations about red flag laws, as well as clear and present danger notifications. Its important that we think about all of the different ways that we can regulate who has firearms, Rinehart said. I think we are all committed to developing a multilateral approach and collaborative approach with law enforcement, with schools and with health care providers, to make sure that we are finding, identifying and then isolating individuals who should not have firearms. Rinehart stressed that firearms restraining orders are only one way of taking guns from potentially dangerous people. Any judge presiding over a criminal case can order a defendant to turn over their weapons as a condition of being released on bond, for example. Of the firearms restraining orders requested in Lake County, most have to do with the gun owners potential mental health issues, not a criminal case, Rinehart said. He also said his office is working to spread word about clear and present danger reports, recently sending a letter to local schools reminding administrators of their obligation to notify state police if they believe someone poses a threat. Chicagos endemic gun violence is largely carried out by those who do not own guns legally, limiting the reach of FROs. But law enforcement in Cook County told the Tribune that FROs are still in the mix. A spokesperson for Democratic States Attorney Kim Foxx did not make anyone available for an interview. But in answers to written questions, the office stated that Cook County assistant states attorneys assigned to the offices mental health and domestic violence units help people with emergency firearms restraining order petitions when the petitioner needs help. As part of the gun and magazine ban, lawmakers extended the duration of when firearms restraining orders can go into effect from six months to up to one year, with a renewal option. Ed Sullivan, a contract lobbyist for the Illinois State Rifle Association, which is one of several gun rights entities challenging Gov. J.B. Pritzkers gun and magazine ban in court, said no one wants firearms to end up in the wrong hands. But hes concerned the firearms restraining order law could have adverse effects on legal gun owners, particularly if theyre involved in messy court disputes with ex-spouses. We feel that the red flag law is unfortunately going in the wrong direction and can ultimately harm law-abiding citizens through false accusations, and well be tracking that to see if indeed that pans out, said Sullivan. After the shooting, state Rep. Bob Morgan, a Deerfield Democrat who was with his family at the Highland Park parade when the first shots were fired, headed a working group of lawmakers focused on finding ways to reduce gun violence. The result was the gun and magazine ban, which is currently awaiting rulings in separate legal challenges to the Illinois Supreme Court and 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals over the laws constitutionality. Going forward, Morgan wants to review the process by which a gun owner accused in an order of protection for domestic violence would have to surrender their firearms. Currently, such gun owners are generally required to turn in their guns to other FOID card holders in certain court proceedings if theyre named in such a petition. But this spring, the Illinois House passed a broad firearms safety bill that included a provision that would require them to only surrender their guns to law enforcement until the matter is resolved. The measure, however, hasnt made it through the Senate. Morgan emphasized efforts still need to be made to educate the public about the laws Illinois has in place. The vast majority of discussions around education and implementation of the firearms restraining orders are still relatively in their infancy, Morgan said. ____ 2023 Chicago Tribune. Visit at chicagotribune.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. Image shows Caribbean aircraft struck by birds, not Kenyan plane damaged by cow An image of a damaged white plane stained with blood has been shared in multiple online posts alleging that it hit a cow while landing at an airstrip in western Kenya. But the claim is false: the picture shows a Caribbean Airlines plane after striking a bird on June 24, 2023. "Just in: Renegade Air hits a cow while landing at Kabunde Airstrip, Homa Bay," reads a Facebook post published on June 26, 2023. The image in the post shows a damaged plane smeared with blood on the nosecone. A screenshot of the false Facebook post, taken on June 27, 2023 According to the claim, the incident involved Kenya's Renegade Air, which launched (archived here) its first flight on June 12, 2023, from Nairobi to Kabunde airstrip, located in Kenyas Homa Bay county. The same claim was shared in other Facebook posts (see here and here) and on Twitter. Kabundes airfield has become the subject of ridicule by online trolls sharing misleading images and videos, claiming the runway is unkempt (see here and here). The latest claim purportedly involving a cow in Kenya is also false. Bird strike The stopper placed in front of the wheels bears the initials "BWIA" (British West Indian Airways) a clue suggesting the aircraft might not be from Africa. A screenshot showing the stopper with the letters BWIA Mary KULUNDU Following bankruptcy, BWIA relaunched in 2006 as Caribbean Airlines. It is a state-owned company and the national carrier of Trinidad and Tobago, and Jamaica. A reverse image search on Google revealed reports (here and here) about a Caribbean Airlines plane that birds struck mid-air. A screenshot of a report using the image of the damaged plane, taken on June 30, 2023 Caribbean Airlines confirmed the incident to AFP Fact Check. "A bird strike happened on BW 1502 on Saturday, June 24. The aircraft landed safely and without incident. The aircraft was inspected, and the repairs are being completed, it said in an email. Renegade Air also issued a statement dismissing the claim, warning the public to source information from the company's verified social media channels and official websites. Interview: Middle Eastern countries keen to join SCO to achieve peace, development -- Egyptian expert Xinhua) 09:41, July 04, 2023 CAIRO, July 3 (Xinhua) -- Middle Eastern countries are keen to join the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) in order to reduce poverty and achieve peace, stability and development in the region, an Egyptian expert has said. "Many countries of the world, especially the Middle East and Arab world, are seeking to join the SCO for several reasons, including the desire to develop and strengthen cooperation in the fields of politics, trade, economy, science, technology, culture and education," as well as to strengthen trust and achieve mutual understanding among its members, Abu Bakr al-Deeb, advisor to the Cairo-based Arab Center for Research and Studies and an Egyptian researcher in political economy, told Xinhua in a recent interview. Highlighting the strong and constructive role of China and Russia in the SCO, the expert said that "the role both countries play enhances cooperation in the fields of economy, energy, combating terrorism, extremism, illegal drug and human trafficking." He said that the SCO seeks to build a multipolar world system where justice prevails, wealth is fairly distributed and sustainable development is achieved in the Arab and African countries. "Joining the SCO and BRICS will encourage trade and political cooperation, which comes within the goals of the Middle East countries to defend their economic and political interests in the map of the world that is taking shape," al-Deeb stressed. He said that Arab countries are also seeking to join the SCO in order to ensure peace and stability in the region, reduce poverty, ensure food security, and set a plan to develop intra-trade and remove trade barriers. Al-Deeb said that one of the advantages of the SCO is that it enjoys observer status in the United Nations General Assembly and has enormous economic capabilities, especially with more countries joining it as members or establishing partnerships with it. Meanwhile, the expert said that he expected trade exchange between the Arab countries and China to rise to 400 billion U.S. dollars after many Arab countries join the SCO. This would enhance cooperation, joint investment in the Belt and Road countries, the peaceful use of nuclear energy, as well as cooperation in research and development, he said. Joining the organization will also maximize investment in integrated refining and petrochemical complexes and enhance cooperation in the energy sector's supply chains by establishing a regional center for Chinese factories to take advantage of the privileged location of Arab countries. Al-Deeb pointed out that Chinese-Arab relations have undergone notable development in recent years, setting an example of solidarity and cooperation between developing countries. "The peoples of the Middle East region view China as a fair and honorable alternative and a reliable friend who can help achieve the aspirations and goals of the peoples of the region to reach the highest levels of security, stability, development and prosperity," al-Deeb said. (Web editor: Zhong Wenxing, Liang Jun) There is a household proverb in China which says: "Water and fire could never tolerate each other".However, Elemental, the latest Disney and Pixar animated film, makes it possible. Pixar's latest movie Elemental recounts the unlikely relationship between a woman from the Fire "race", named Ember Lumen, and a man from the Water "race", named Wade Ripple. CHINA DAILY Premiered as the closing film of the 76th Cannes Film Festival earlier this year, the tale was released simultaneously in China and North America on June 16. Blending bold imagination with universal themes like family connection and parenting, the 102-minute movie fictionalizes a fantastic metropolis where four "races" with each representing one of the four natural elements: fire, water, air and earth live together. Due to their differing characteristics, the daily lives of the residents are always filled with unpredictable and fun-filled events. For instance, if the Fire members get exposed to rain, their flame-like hair might be extinguished, but they can quickly reignite themselves and regrow their hair. Ember Lumen, a 20-something member of the Fire "race", lives with her immigrant parents and helps run their grocery store. However, trouble ensues when she loses her temper one day and accidentally causes a fire in the basement, which leads to a burst water pipe. As a result of the accident, Lumen meets Wade Ripple, a health inspector from the Water "race "who is unexpectedly sucked into the pipe. Despite their supposed inability to touch and hug each other, a romantic spark is ignited between the two. The movie's Chinese version, which has pop idol Wang Yuan sing the end credit song, casts actress Song Zu'er and actor Zhang Xincheng to voice for the two protagonists. During an interview with China Daily, director Peter Sohn says that his original idea for the story started seven years ago when he drew a little doodle and became fascinated with the concept of how fire and water could be connected. After pitching his idea to decision-makers and fellow animators at Pixar Animation Studios, the veteran director, who has been working there since 2000, recalls that they were intrigued by his pitch but did not entirely understand the concept of the story. Throughout years of character and plot development, the movie gathered input from more than 100 first- and second-generation immigrants working at Pixar. They shared their personal experiences, which injected the story with a depth that explores how people from different cultures handle their differences, and sometimes, frictions. Cultural metaphors are prevalent throughout the movie. Lumen's parents, also immigrants from a remote city belonging to the Fire "race", take a ship voyage to begin a new life in Elemental City. Despite growing up in a culturally diverse environment, Lumen is asked to make a promise to marry a fellow Fire member before her grandmother passes away. This scene is inspired by the real-life experiences of the director. Sohn's parents emigrated from South Korea to the United States in the 1970s and held a family belief that Sohn, who was born and raised in New York, should marry a woman of Korean descent. "It was crazy when I was in high school. When my grandmother was passing away, we were all around her. She suddenly said in Korean: 'Marry a Korean!' And then she passed away. It created a lot of pressure for me growing up, especially when I fell in love with someone who wasn't Korean," recalls the director, whose wife is an Italian-American. As Sohn has transferred his youthful memories into inspiration for the movie, he has also faced many challenges in visualizing the Elemental City a work of fantasy that requires everything to be built from scratch. With inspirations from canal cities like Venice and Amsterdam, the movie assembled a team of over 50 special effects artists. They were divided into two teams, with one group responsible for creating big action scenes, such as explosions or floods, and the other group in charge of bringing the characters to life. "Every piece of fantasy starts from something real, and this was our biggest challenge. We built brick by brick a city which I would call an immaculate reality," says Sohn. Beyond its stunning visuals, the film explores a timeless and relatable theme: the conflict between following one's dreams and fulfilling one's parental obligations. Despite her father's wishes for her to take over the family grocery store after he retires, Ember Lumen, who has a natural talent for art, yearns to explore the world beyond. Sohn says that Ripple, the Water man, growing up in a vastly different environment that allows him to pursue his dreams, creates a contrast that helps the audiences connect with the female protagonist's struggles and encourages them to reflect on their own pursuits. For the veteran filmmaker, who has worked in Pixar for more than two decades, the most valuable thing is that the artists could share their ideas in a safe environment. "When you pitch your ideas or tell a story, having supportive yet critical people around you can be invaluable, regardless of whether the idea is good or bad," he explains. 'Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny': The best Easter eggs and callbacks you might have missed Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny Disney / Lucasfilm The "Indiana Jones" series' final installment dials up the nostalgia. "Dial of Destiny," Harrison Ford's farewell to Indy, isn't overly preoccupied with franchise Easter eggs. But it does include at least one callback to every prior "Indiana Jones" movie, including some fun cameos and an emotional full-circle moment ending the series where it began. These are some of the best references and callbacks in the film: A logo tradition There was a tradition in the previous "Indiana Jones" films of fading out of the Paramount logo into the opening shot, usually into a mountain or mountain-shaped object. Now that the series is being released by Disney, "Dial of Destiny" tries to keep this going in a new way by fading out of the Lucasfilm logo into a lock though the Paramount logo still appears at the start of the film, so it isn't totally clear why the change was necessary. The Spear of Destiny The artifact Indy is seeking in the opening flashback is the Lance of Longinus, the blade that drew Christ's blood. This artifact was previously featured in a 1995 comic book, "Indiana Jones and the Spear of Destiny," in which the Nazis are after the blade and Indy and his father must stop them. Crucifixion painting In Indiana Jones' apartment, we see the same painting of Jesus' crucifixion that was owned by his father, Henry Jones Sr. (Sean Connery), in "Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade." There's also a photo of Henry on the shelf next to the painting. Indy's father died off-screen between "Last Crusade" and "Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull." He comes up later in "Dial of Destiny" when Indy notes he's wearing his dad's watch. Above his fireplace, Indy additionally has his father's painting of the grail knight from "Last Crusade." Like godfather, like goddaughter Indy asks Helena (Phoebe Waller-Bridge) why she's chasing the thing that drove her father crazy, and she replies, "Wouldn't you?" She has a point considering "Last Crusade" involved Indy chasing the Holy Grail, which his father was obsessed with finding, while consulting his diary. It belongs in a museum! In a flashback, Indy tells Basil Shaw (Toby Jones) that the dial belongs in a museum, the same thing he said about the crucifix at the start of "Last Crusade." Grave robber Helena refers to Indy as an "aging grave robber," which isn't the first time he's faced that insult. In "Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom," Chattar Lal tells Indy that "in Honduras, you were accused of being a grave robber rather than an archeologist." In "Kingdom of the Crystal Skull," Indy and his son, Mutt Williams, also encounter a sign warning that "grave robbers will be shot," to which Indy responds, "Good thing we're not grave robbers." The new Short Round Short Round, Indiana Jones' sidekick played by Ke Huy Quan in "Temple of Doom," doesn't appear in "Dial of Destiny." But we get the next best thing: A new character who's remarkably similar to Short Round. Helena has her own sidekick named Teddy, who attempted to steal from her. Short Round was similarly a pickpocket who was originally trying to steal from Indy when they met. The tragedy of Mutt Williams "Kingdom of the Crystal Skull" strongly implied Shia LaBeouf's Mutt Williams could one day lead the franchise, even having him pick up Indy's hat at the end, and George Lucas once said he was considering having the fifth film center on Mutt. For a variety of reasons, likely including LaBeouf's legal issues and abuse allegations (and the fact that he criticized "Crystal Skull" in an interview), Mutt has died off-screen while fighting in Vietnam. But look out for a picture of him in Indy's apartment early in the film. Bringing a whip to a gunfight When Indy pulls out his whip in the auction scene, everyone in the room simply points their guns at him, and he has to duck and cover. It's a reversal of the iconic moment from "Raiders of the Lost Ark" when a man is preparing for a sword fight with Indy, only for Indy to quickly pull out his gun and shoot him. Why did it have to be eels? We get an inevitable reference to Indy's fear of snakes only this time, he's forced to encounter eels, which are still snake-like enough to give him the heebie-jeebies. The blood of Kali Indy tells Helena he was forced to drink the Blood of Kali and was tortured by voodoo, both references to "Temple of Doom." In that film, Indy is forced to drink the Blood of Kali, a potion, by cultists before he falls into a trance. 'All my life' When Indy tells Helena he has studied the Siege of Syracuse "all my life," it echoes a beat from "Last Crusade" when Indy tells Marcus Brody he has been looking for the crucifix "all my life." The return of Sallah and his singing John Rhys-Davies is back as Sallah, Indiana Jones' friend, for the first time since "Last Crusade," and at the end of the film, he begins singing the same song he did after Marion (Karen Allen) kissed him in "Raiders of the Lost Ark." When he first walks in the room, Sallah can also be heard recounting how Indy and Marion were running when "suddenly, the plane exploded," referencing the events of "Raiders of the Lost Ark." Where doesn't it hurt? After Indy reunites with Marion in the closing scene, he kisses her wherever it doesn't hurt on her body, including her elbow. It's a callback and reversal of a scene from "Raiders" where Marion asks Indy where on his body it doesn't hurt so she can kiss him there. With that, an action-adventure franchise ends on a surprisingly tender beat before sending Indiana Jones off for the third time. You may also like Vietnam bans the 'Barbie' movie over map scene Florida construction and agricultural workforces diminished after new immigration law takes effect Judge limits how Biden officials can communicate with social media companies A row of shipping containers and razor wire placed on the banks of the Rio Grande by Gov. Greg Abbott to form a makeshift border wall in Eagle Pass on Nov. 19, 2021. Credit: Chris Stokes for The Texas Tribune Four people, including an infant girl, drowned in the Rio Grande in Eagle Pass over the holiday weekend, according to the Texas Department of Public Safety. DPS spokesperson Lt. Chris Olivarez wrote on Twitter on Monday that the departments Tactical Marine Unit and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission deployed two airboats in response to a possible infant drowning. The departments Tactical Marine Unit recovered the bodies of the infant and a female adult Saturday but found them to be unresponsive. TMU operators immediately performed chest compressions on the two, Olivarez tweeted Monday. Medical staff arrived on the scene and transported both to Fort Duncan Regional Medical Center, where both were pronounced deceased. State officials recovered four people floating in the river, including the two deceased. The two survivors were turned over to the U.S. Border Patrol. Neither DPS nor Customs and Border Protection would comment on Tuesday. On Sunday and Monday, two more bodies a male and female were recovered from the river. Olivarez said their identities are unknown since neither had identification documents. DPS troopers also found two young children from Guatemala on Monday who were alone in Eagle Pass. Olivarez said the children, 8 and 11, told troopers that a woman left them at the edge of the river in Mexico and instructed them to cross. The Rio Grande is notoriously dangerous for migrants to use as a route into the U.S. Last September, nine migrants drowned while attempting to cross the border. Join us for conversations that matter with newly announced speakers at the 2023 Texas Tribune Festival, in downtown Austin from Sept. 21-23. FILE - Republican U.S. Sen.-elect and Missouri Attorney General Eric Schmitt delivers a victory speech, Nov. 8, 2022, in Maryland Heights, Mo. On Tuesday, July 4, 2023, a judge prohibited several federal agencies and officials of the Biden administration from working with social media companies about protected speech. Schmitt, who was the Missouri attorney general when the lawsuit was filed, said on Twitter that the ruling was a huge win for the First Amendment and a blow to censorship. (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson, File) A judge on Tuesday prohibited several federal agencies and officials of the Biden administration from working with social media companies about protected speech, a decision called a blow to censorship by one of the Republican officials whose lawsuit prompted the ruling. U.S. District Judge Terry Doughty of Louisiana granted the injunction in response to a 2022 lawsuit brought by attorneys general in Louisiana and Missouri. Their lawsuit alleged that the federal government overstepped in its efforts to convince social media companies to address postings that could result in vaccine hesitancy during the COVID-19 pandemic or affect elections. Doughty cited substantial evidence of a far-reaching censorship campaign. He wrote that the evidence produced thus far depicts an almost dystopian scenario. During the COVID-19 pandemic, a period perhaps best characterized by widespread doubt and uncertainty, the United States Government seems to have assumed a role similar to an Orwellian Ministry of Truth. Republican U.S. Sen. Eric Schmitt, who was the Missouri attorney general when the lawsuit was filed, said on Twitter that the ruling was a huge win for the First Amendment and a blow to censorship. Louisiana Attorney General Jeff Landry said the injunction prevents the administration from censoring the core political speech of ordinary Americans on social media. The evidence in our case is shocking and offensive with senior federal officials deciding that they could dictate what Americans can and cannot say on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and other platforms about COVID-19, elections, criticism of the government, and more," Landry said in a statement. The Justice Department is reviewing the injunction and will evaluate its options in this case, said a White House official who was not authorized to discuss the case publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity. This administration has promoted responsible actions to protect public health, safety, and security when confronted by challenges like a deadly pandemic and foreign attacks on our elections, the official said. Our consistent view remains that social media platforms have a critical responsibility to take account of the effects their platforms are having on the American people, but make independent choices about the information they present. The ruling listed several government agencies, including the Department of Health and Human Services and the FBI, that are prohibited by the injunction from discussions with social media companies aimed at encouraging, pressuring, or inducing in any manner the removal, deletion, suppression, or reduction of content containing protected free speech. The order mentions by name several officials, including Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra, Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas and others. Doughty allowed several exceptions, such as informing social media companies of postings involving criminal activity and conspiracies; as well as notifying social media firms of national security threats and other threats posted on platforms. The plaintiffs in the lawsuit also included individuals, including conservative website owner Jim Hoft. The lawsuit accused the administration of using the possibility of favorable or unfavorable regulatory action to coerce social media platforms to squelch what it considered misinformation on masks and vaccines during the COVID-19 pandemic. It also touched on other topics, including claims about election integrity and news stories about material on a laptop owned by Hunter Biden, the presidents son. Administration lawyers said the government left it up to social media companies to decide what constituted misinformation and how to combat it. In one brief, they likened the lawsuit to an attempt to put a legal gag order on the federal government and suppress the speech of federal government officials under the guise of protecting the speech rights of others. Plaintiffs proposed injunction would significantly hinder the Federal Governments ability to combat foreign malign influence campaigns, prosecute crimes, protect the national security, and provide accurate information to the public on matters of grave public concern such as health care and election integrity, the administration says in a May 3 court filing. ___ Salter reported from O'Fallon, Missouri. Associated Press journalists Kevin McGill in New Orleans and Cal Woodward, Colleen Long and Ellen Knickmeyer in Washington, D.C., contributed to this report. Inside Dugway Proving Ground, where scientists work with the world's deadliest chemical and biological weapons in a top-secret military zone A technician puts on a gas mask as he prepares for a chemical test in Dugway Proving Ground in 2017. George Frey/Getty Images Dugway Proving Ground is a sprawling army base in remote Utah. It has a checkered past of exposing US troops to weaponized pathogens and accidentally releasing a deadly nerve agent in 1968. Despite those incidents, the army base mostly has a good safety record, according to the Pentagon. Behind tall barbed wire fences, scientists at Dugway Proving Ground, a military base covering 800,000 acres in rural Utah, have been examining some of the world's deadliest chemicals and biological agents for decades. While the remote army base used to be responsible for creating chemical weapons and, at one point, testing them on US soldiers it now only analyzes them. But even that isn't entirely safe. "The reality is what we deal with is very, very dangerous material," Dugway's then-commander Col. William E. King IV told reporters in 2011. In 2014, Dugway inadvertently sent out several doses of anthrax, a lethal agent, around the country and to Korea. A later report found that Dugway had failed to follow standard procedures and use enough radiation to kill the anthrax samples. The US is destroying its arsenal of chemical weapons, such as VX gas, to meet a treaty obligation that its entire stockpile is eliminated by September 30. Dugway Proving Ground is a sprawling military base used for military maneuver training and testing of dangerous chemical and biological weapons. A truck approaches Dugway Proving Ground in 2017. George Frey/Getty Images It's about 85 miles southwest of Salt Lake City, Utah. Sources: Salt Lake Tribune, BBC, Deseret News It's in one of the most isolated areas in the US, known for rattlesnakes and wild horses. This remoteness attracted the Army to build the facility in the early 1940s. Wild horses walk to the water near the Dugway Proving Ground in 2021. Rick Bowmer/AP Sources: MilitaryBase, Salt Lake Tribune, BBC President Franklin D. Roosevelt greenlit the military base in the aftermath of the Pearl Harbor attack. He originally set aside 127,000 acres, but Dugway now covers about 800,000 acres larger than the state of Rhode Island. Satellite image shows Dugway Proving Ground in 2016. DigitalGlobe/Getty Images Sources: Guardian, APJJF, Popular Mechanics The base began operating in 1942 to show soldiers how to firebomb towns. A view of the German village building created to be firebombed in Dugway. Library of Congress They recreated 24 mock Japanese towns and six German towns, using architects and authentic furniture and fittings from both countries, then they bombed them dozens of times. Soldiers also trained with chemical sprays, toxic agents, and flamethrowers. Sources: APJJF, HistoryToGo It was deactivated at the end of World War II but reactivated during the Korean War with a new focus on chemical weapons. Deadly atomic radiation was researched at Dugway Proving Ground in the 1950s. Bettmann/Getty Images Scientists also experimented with radiation in the 1950s. Source: Insider One Dugway operation included researching how to weaponize fleas and mosquitoes to turn them into bacterial weapons called Operation Big Itch and Project Bellwether, respectively. mycteria/Shutterstock Operation Big Itch involved dropping thousands of fleas out of planes to see if they could survive. Project Bellwether went further and performed experiments where infected mosquitoes bit humans, though the mosquitos were infected with inert diseases. Source: Insider During the Cold War, Dugway scientists undertook another darker project, exposing US troops to weaponized pathogens, as well as nerve gas and hallucinogens, to see the effects. A Dugway Proving Ground worker calibrates an air monitor sensor in 2017. George Frey/ Getty Images More than 5,800 service members underwent the testing. While the army originally believed the testing was safe, it was revealed during a 1994 Senate hearing that the army stopped using the stimulants after researchers realized it wasn't as safe as previously thought. Dugway wasn't the only base where it happened, but, it was one of the main testing grounds, according to The Daily Beast. According to Edward Bartling, a former corporal who worked at Dugway, there was also an area on the base called the "dog area," where all sorts of animals were used to test how effective protective gear was from different agents. In 2008, he told Deseret News, they used all kinds of animals. "Anything you can think of besides elephants and giraffes," he said. Sources: Daily Beast, Insider, Deseret News In the late 1960s, Dugway's chemical weapon research came to an end after open-air research tests of a nerve gas resulted in the death of thousands of local sheep. A cobalt cell used in food irradiation studies at Dugway Proving Ground, a US Army facility in Utah, USA, circa 1955. Keystone/Hulton Archive/Getty Images It all began to fall apart in 1968 after Dugway conducted open-air tests using the nerve gas, VX. Hundreds of gallons of it were sprayed from an aircraft over a testing site. The wind caught the nerve agent and ended up killing 6,400 local sheep. Around 4,300 sheep were directly killed, and another 1,877 had to be killed due to the lingering effects of the nerve gas. The army took more than a year to admit responsibility, but in an attempt to end bad publicity, it paid farmers more than $1 million in compensation. Investigative journalists Drew Pearson and Jack Anderson wrote in a column published in 1968 that the incident had "caused an urgent reappraisal of the safeguards at other chemical and biological warfare centers." "For it is known that the Army is experimenting with paralyzing, odorless gases and deadly mutant microbes in more populated places than the sagebrush country of western Utah," they wrote in The Washington Post. The following year, several animals near Dugway were found infected with a rare disease called Venezuelan Encephalitis. Symptoms included brain bleeding, diarrhea, weakness, and eventually death. The disease could be used as a biological warfare agent since it could disable massive amounts of people. Sources: Washington Post, Daily Beast, HistoryToGo, Daily Beast, Deseret News, Capital Research In 1969 and 1970, after a widely-watched NBC News report on the dead sheep, the public turned against producing chemical weapons. President Richard Nixon speaking at a podium in 1969. Bettmann/Getty Images Dugway's research budget was also cut by 60% due to the controversy. Sources: Washington Post, Daily Beast, HistoryToGo, Capital Research In the following decades, Dugway was still used for military projects like missile testing. A missile is launched from a camouflaged launcher at Dugway in 1985. Corbis/Getty Images Source: HistoryToGo But it wasn't until the early 1990s, as the US grew concerned about Russia and the Middle East using chemical and biological agents, that Dugway resumed its research into it. A demonstration of bacterial production inside Dugway Proving Ground in 2016. Rick Bowmer/AP In 1991, Dugway released a list of possible substances it would study, including a germ that caused Anthrax, a germ that caused Q fever, and a toxin related to botulism, among others. Dugway didn't release a second list of pathogens it would be testing, since it was classified information. Sources: HistoryToGo, Deseret News These days, Dugway's work is about safeguarding, according to numerous statements made to the media. A technician in a gas mask takes a reading from a dummy in Dugway Proving Ground in 2017. George Frey/Getty Images In 2016, Dugway's West Desert Test Center director Ryan Harris told FOX 13: "When it comes to chemical and biological materials, it's all defensive." Source: FOX 13 The base has 1,400 residents, along with an elementary school and a high school, and several chain restaurants, including Subway. A satellite image showing the housing area inside Dugway Proving Grounds in 2016. DigitalGlobe/Getty Images Source: Utah Stories Inside the chemical testing division, there are two types of labs. Project chemist Randy Moss works on a project in an airtight chamber at the small item decontamination testing chamber in Dugway Proving Ground in 2017. George Frey/Getty Images One is for researching different chemical components. The other is for building and evaluating equipment that's meant to protect soldiers from chemicals. Source: CNET Dugway has another division for biological agents. Chemical analyst Allison Denny uses computers to analyze and ID chemical agents at the small item decontamination testing chamber facility at the US Army's Dugway Proving Ground on August 15, 2017 in Dugway, Utah. George Frey/Getty Images This division focuses on objectives like training soldiers to deal with weapons of mass destruction, researching aerosol technology, and working on antigen production. Source: CNET The military base also operates as a training ground for soldiers. In some instances, old shipping containers connected with foam and wooden frames were used to create a mock-subterranean tunnel that they use for exercises. Training coordinator Jennifer Cavalli and Derek Schumann walk a hillside above a training facility at Dugway Proving Ground in 2017. George Frey/Getty Images Source: Salt Lake Tribune The tunnels have lights, but they are often left off so that training is done in the dark, making it more realistic. Training coordinator Jennifer Cavalli and Derek Schumann outside a training facility at Dugway Proving Ground in 2017. George Frey/Getty Images Source: Salt Lake Tribune Soldiers rehearse scenarios like searching for weapons of mass destruction and finding Petri dishes alerting them to the fact bacteria has been manufactured. Lance McEntire, a scientist at Dugway Proving Grounds, shows a bacterial production scenario at Dugway Proving Ground, Utah, in 2016. Rick Bowmer/AP Another training involves testing artillery rounds for radiation. Sources: Salt Lake Tribune, Insider Dugway has worked to become more transparent in its operations, but a lot of what goes on behind the barbed wire is still top secret. Dugway Proving Grounds main gate in 2010. Jim Urquhart/AP Some groups have nicknamed it "Area 52" due to speculation about aliens after having seen some supposedly strange things. It was even featured in an episode of "UFO Hunters." Sources: Insider, History.com Dugway has made also headlines several times in the last two decades for errors scientists made while handling deadly agents. A technician monitors airflow in Dugway Proving Ground in 2017. George Frey/Getty Images Source: BBC In 2011, Dugway had to lockdown after a vial filled with about a quarter of a teaspoon of a nerve agent went missing. No one could enter or leave the base for hours. It was later found and held to be a non-malicious accident. Inside Dugway Proving Ground in 2017. George Frey/Getty Images Source: BBC In 2017, a scathing CDC report found that, in 2014, Dugway had failed to follow standard procedure and use enough radiation for killing anthrax, a lethal agent, before sending out live samples to laboratories in 21 states as well as to one in Korea. Microbiologist Ruth Bryan at work at Dugway Proving Grounds in 2003. Douglas C. Pizac/AP Sources: Daily Beast, Daily Beast The report was particularly brutal about Brig. Gen. William King, who the report said was not qualified to run Dugway's biosafety procedures. Col. William King, then the commander of Dugway Proving Ground, talks to the media near the main gate in 2011. Jim Urquhart/AP It also said that he had minimized different incidents and regularly defected blame. The report found staff had been making dangerous explosives in kitchen-standard pots and pans and in 2013, one contractor had blown off a section of his hand when he tried to mix an explosive compound. Despite those incidents, the army base mostly has a good safety record, according to the Pentagon. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration recorded one work-related injury at the base over the past three years, according to logs obtained by The Daily Beast from the Department of Defense. However, OSHA only records government employees' wounds, not contractors like the 2013 incident. Sources: Daily Beast, Daily Beast But Dugway survived the controversies. In 2016, then-commander Col. Sean Kirschner told ABC4 the work being done there was crucial for national security. A warning sign authorizing the use of deadly force hangs on a fence line surrounding the U.S. Army's Dugway Proving Ground in 2017. George Frey/Getty Images In 2021, the Salt Lake Tribune reported Dugway hosted a two-week event where different military groups worked together using new technologies to prepare for future wars. It was the first time an event of its kind had been hosted there, and, according to the Tribune, it could mark the beginning of a new focus for Dugway. Sources: ABC4, Salt Lake Tribune Read the original article on Business Insider Read the full article on Motorious Watch out for this scam Criminals seem to always be scheming for new ways to separate you from your car. Fortunately, most of them arent all that creative or intelligent, although some incredibly simplistic methods tend to work on the majority of the population. A perfect example of this comes to us via Ireland of all places where car theft is an issue, just like in many other countries like the United States and Canada. Check out the new Honda Hellcat here. A 26-year-old restaurant worker from Dublin, named Stephen Corbally, is accused of stealing cars while supposedly taking them for test drives, then turning around and selling them to unsuspecting buyers. This is hardly the first time weve heard of someone taking a vehicle for a test drive and never returning with it, but were shocked he was able to get away with this for any amount of time. According to a report from Irish Examiner, the man would find private sellers via internet sites like Facebook Marketplace. After meeting up with them and acting interested in buying their vehicle, he would go for a test drive and then just disappear. There are ways to guard against this risk, something anyone selling a car privately should consider. For starters, having a tracker or multiple trackers in your car before handing the keys over to a stranger would be abundantly wise. Also, take a photo of the persons drivers license before you let them have the keys, just in case. After all, someone can fake a Facebook profile easier than a license. Riding along for a test drive is something we have mixed feelings about. While it allows you to keep track of whats happening to your car, the person supposedly interested in buying it could transport you somewhere remote. As many security experts caution, never let a stranger drag you into a vehicle, because it might be the last time anyone sees you alive. If that sounds paranoid, it is, but more and more car thieves are becoming downright violent to steal from regular people. Source: Irish Examiner Photo via Pexels Sign up for the Motorious Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. A suspected Palestinian car-ramming and stabbing attack injured at least eight people in Tel Aviv on Tuesday, Israeli police have said. A medical official said the incident appeared to have included at least one stabbing victim, and that a suspected assailant had been neutralised by first-responders. Islamist militant group Hamas claimed the attack was carried out by one of its members as a response to Israels ongoing military operation in the occupied West Bank. Earlier the United Nations said three children are among ten people killed during an Israeli military operation in Jenin, as it raised alarm over the scale of the operation. UN aid agencies on Tuesday also said there were restrictions on medical access. We are alarmed at the scale of air and ground operations that are taking place in Jenin in the occupied West Bank, and airstrikes hitting a densely populated refugee camp, Vanessa Huguenin, a spokesperson for the UN humanitarian office, told a briefing. She said three children were among those killed, without providing details. Key Points Seven injured after Palestinian car-ramming and stabbing attack Three Palestinian children among dead - UN Thousands flee Jenin refugee camp to escape Israeli operation At least 10 dead as Israel launches one of its biggest military operations Journalists directly targeted by Israeli army in Jenin Israels minister of national security visits scene as he praises brave citizen who shot dead suspected attacker 15:05 , Martha Mchardy Israels minister of national security Itamar Ben-Gvir visited the scene of a car-ramming attack in Tel Aviv that injured eight people. Israeli security and rescue forces were seen examining the scene, where one person was reportedly stabbed before the suspected attacker was shot dead by an armed civilian Israel's Minister of National Security Itamar Ben-Gvir visits the site of a ramming attack in Tel Aviv (REUTERS) Ben-Gvir praised the brave citizen for shooting the suspected attacker, saying their actions prevented the escalation of the situation further and saved lives. He added that the neutralisation is proof of the importance and effectiveness of armed civilians. The Israel Police Commissioner Kobi Shabtai also visited the scene. Israeli police walk at the scene of a ramming attack in Tel Aviv, (REUTERS) Israeli security and rescue forces examine the scene of a terror attack (Getty) Eight injured in Tel Aviv car ramming and stabbing attack as Jenin raid continues 14:46 , Martha Mchardy A suspected Palestinian car-ramming and stabbing attack injured at least eight people in Tel Aviv on Tuesday, Israeli police have said. A medical official said the incident appeared to have included at least one stabbing victim, and that a suspected assailant had been neutralised by first-responders. Eight people were injured after a car rammed into pedestrians, the driver then stabbed several people before being neutralised (Getty Images) Islamist militant group Hamas claimed the attack was carried out by one of its members as a response to Israels ongoing military operation in the occupied West Bank. Watch: Aftermath of car-ramming that injured several Tel Aviv 14:25 , Martha Mchardy UN agencies 'alarmed' at scale of Jenin raid 14:01 , Martha Mchardy UN aid agencies have voiced alarm at the scale of the ongoing Israeli military operation in the West Bank town of Jenin, where 10 Palestinians have been killed, saying there were restrictions on medical access. The operation, which involved drone strikes and hundreds of troops and was one of the largest of its kind in years, entered a second day on Tuesday, prompting the evacuation of thousands of people from a refugee camp. We are alarmed at the scale of air and ground operations that are taking place in Jenin in the occupied West Bank, and air strikes hitting a densely populated refugee camp, Vanessa Huguenin, a spokesperson for the UN humanitarian office, told a briefing, saying three minors were among those killed. She did not immediately respond to a request for the victims ages. Damage to infrastructure caused by air strikes have cut off most of the water and electricity at the camp, she added. The Palestinian Red Crescent previously said it has evacuated around 3,000 people. The Red Cross said it was extremely concerned by the alarming intensification of armed violence in Jenin. The World Health Organization and medical charity MSF both raised concerns about access. Attacks against healthcare including prevention of access to persons injured are extremely concerning, said WHO spokesperson Christian Lindmeier, adding that restrictions put in place by Israeli forces meant first responders could not reach those critically injured within the camp. Medical charity MSF said that military bulldozers had destroyed roads leading to the camp, making it nearly impossible for ambulances to reach patients. Palestinian paramedics have been forced to proceed on foot, in an area with active gunfire and drone strikes, it said. Israel says the objective of its operation is to uproot Iranian-backed Palestinian factions behind a surge in gun and bomb attacks, as well as preliminary efforts to make rockets. Israel ensures that humanitarian assistance is provided and does not apply any limitation on access for medical staff, except in places where the lives of medical staff is at risk due to exchanges of fire, its diplomatic mission in Geneva said in a statement. Hamas claims Tel Aviv attack carried out by one of its members 13:44 , Martha Mchardy Hamas has claimed the car-ramming and stabbing attack in Tel Aviv was carried out by one of its members. The group identified the attacker as Abdel-Wahhab Issa Hussein Khalayleh, a 20-year-old from Hebron, saying he struck Israels commercial capital in retaliation for the ongoing military raid in the flashpoint West Bank town of Jenin, in which 10 Palestinians have been killed during clashes with local gunmen. This heroic (Tel Aviv) operation is an act of self-defence in the face of the ongoing Zionist massacre in Jenin, the crimes of displacement, killing and destruction executed by occupation forces, Hamas said in a statement. UK urges Israeli Defence Forces to demonstrate restraint 13:41 , Martha Mchardy The UK is urging the Israeli Defence Forces to demonstrate restraint, to adhere to the principles of international humanitarian law and to prioritise the protection of civilians, a Foreign Office minister, Anne-Marie Trevelyan, has said. MPs call on Government to take action to bring conflict in Israel to an end 13:27 , Martha Mchardy Labour and senior Conservative MPs have called on the Government to take action aimed at bringing the conflict in Israel to an end. Shadow Foreign Office minister Wayne David told the Commons: The only real solution will be a settlement based on two states, a safe and secure Israel alongside a viable and independent Palestinian state. We strongly oppose actions which are making this two-state solution harder to achieve. So my question to the minister, my fundamental question, is what of substance is the minister and the Government doing to bring this immediate conflict to an end and lay the foundations for a two-state solution? Tory former minister Crispin Blunt said: Understanding that this comes in the context of Israel building settlements that block the route to a settlement of this dispute, and understanding that Israel is failing to show restraint, failing to follow international humanitarian law, failing to protect civilians, what is the Government actually going to do? Foreign Office minister Anne-Marie Trevelyan said the UK had last week sent a co-ordinated message alongside Canada and Australia condemning illegal Israeli settlements in the West Bank, adding: We will continue to work with our friends and allies to make that message clearly heard. 13:21 , Martha Mchardy A Conservative MP suggested Israels raid on the West Bank was a proportionate attempt to reduce terrorism, eliciting groans from the Opposition. Harrow East MP Bob Blackman told the Commons: So far, the Operation Home And Garden has resulted in the destruction of three labs, hundreds of IEDs, thousands of grenades, underneath the mosque there were two tunnels with hundreds of weapons, 120 people have been arrested and clearly the terrorist activity is going to be severely limited. Behind all this is the IRGC (Irans Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps) and Hamas, and the Jenin Battalion. Does she agree with me that this is a proportionate attempt to reduce terrorism against the state of Israel? Following groans of protest from opposition MPs, Foreign Office minister Anne-Marie Trevelyan said: As I say, whilst the UK remains absolutely resolute in its commitment to Israels security and we condemn absolutely Hamas and other terrorist groups use of indiscriminate force, we call on all parties to maintain a proportionate balance so that we can de-escalate the existing situation and ensure that civilians are not caught up in this any more. Labour MP urges foreign secretary to immediately suspend all arms sales to Israel Defence Forces 13:19 , Martha Mchardy A Labour MP has urged the foreign secretary to immediately suspend all arms sales to the Israel Defence Forces. Asking an urgent question, Cynon Valley MP Beth Winter told the Commons: The UK currently holds the presidency of the UN Security Council and it is therefore responsible for guiding the response of the Security Council to requests made by the Palestinian authority. So can I please ask, what is the UK Government doing in its capacity as president of the UN Security Council? She went on: Can the foreign secretary say what steps he will take to reveal whether the IDF (Israel Defence Forces) has made any use of UKs arms sold to Israel in this attack and will he immediately suspend all arms sales, including surveillance technology, and will he ban collaboration between the UK and Israels armed forces and military industries as a result of this horrific attack on civilians? Foreign Office minister Anne-Marie Trevelyan replied: As I say, whilst the UK will always support Israels right to self-defence, the protection of civilians and particularly children must always be prioritised. Emergency services on scene as seven hurt in car-ramming and stabbing attack 13:03 , Matt Mathers Emergency services attended the scene of a car ramming after seven people were injured in an attack in Tel Aviv on Tuesday, 4 July. Holly Patrick reports: Tel Aviv: Emergency services on scene as several hurt in car-ramming UK government doing everything possible to de-escalate situation 12:54 , Matt Mathers MPs in the UK House of Commons are discussing Israels military operation in the West Bank. Labour MP Beth Winter tabled an urgent question on the operation, in which 10 people have been killed. Anne-Marie Trevelyan, a Foreign Office minister, said the government was doing everything possible to de-escalate the situation. Australia Britain (AAP Image) Israeli police issue update 12:26 , Matt Mathers Israeli police have issued a statement with more details of the car-ramming attack in Tel Aviv. Officers said the suspect was driving a vehicle travelling from south to north on Pinchas Rosen Street in Tel Aviv. He then rammed into pedestrians standing in the shopping centre and proceeded to get out of the vehicle to stab civilians with a sharp object. The victims were taken to the Beilinson and Ichilov hospitals, according to medical officials. Israel authorities respond to attack 12:20 , Matt Mathers Members of Israeli security and emergency personnel work at the site of a reported car-ramming attack in Tel Aviv on July 4, 2023. The suspected attack has resulted in injuries police and medics said, on the second day of a major Israeli army operation in the occupied West Bank. Initial reports said 10 people had been injured. This has since been revised down to six. (JACK GUEZ/AFP via Getty Images) (JACK GUEZ/AFP via Getty Images) (JACK GUEZ/AFP via Getty Images) Hamas praises heroic attack' 12:12 , Matt Mathers The Palestinian militant group Hamas has praised the car-ramming attack, describing it as heroic. Spokesman Muhammad Hamadeh said in a statement the attack in Tel Aviv was part of a natural response to the ongoing massacre of our people, and a legitimate self-defence against the [Israeli] occupations violation of all human norms. The occupier must prepare to count his dead and injured, for the blood of our children is not cheap, the statement added. One car-ramming victim in serious condition - ambulance 12:10 , Matt Mathers One of the victims in the car-ramming attack is in a serious condition, authorities in Israel say. Israels emergency medical service also said two people are in a moderate condition and one person is in a mild condition. Reports say the alleged attacker was shot and killed at the scene. Breaking: Seven injured in suspected Palestinian car-ramming 11:27 , Matt Mathers A suspected Palestinian car-ramming and stabbing attack injured at least seven people in Tel Aviv on Tuesday, police have confirmed. A medical official said the incident appeared to have included at least one stabbing victim, and that a suspected assailant had been "neutralised" by first-responders. Initial reports said the number of people injured was 10. Well have more on this breaking story as it comes in. Nearly impossible for ambulances to reach injured - charity 11:13 , Matt Mathers A medical charity treating injured Palestinian has said it is nearly impossible for ambulances to reach those needing treatment after Israeli military bulldozers destroyed multiple roads leading to the Jenin refugee camp. As a result, during the raid, Palestinian paramedics have been forced to proceed on foot in an area with active gunfire and drone strikes, Medecins Sans Frontieres said in a statement. All roads leading to the refugee camp have been blocked for the duration of the military operation despite the presence of patients in need of care inside. Three children among dead - UN 10:13 , Matt Mathers Three children are among ten people killed during an Israeli military operation in the Jenin, the United Nations has said. UN aid agencies on Tuesday also voiced alarm at the scale of the ongoing operation in the West Bank town of Jenin, where ten Palestinians have been killed, and said there were restrictions on medical access. "We are alarmed at the scale of air and ground operations that are taking place in Jenin in the occupied West Bank, and airstrikes hitting a densely populated refugee camp," Vanessa Huguenin, a spokesperson for the UN humanitarian office, told a briefing. She said three children were among those killed, without providing details. "First responders have been prevented from entering the (Jenin) refugee camp, including to reach persons who have been critically injured," said WHO spokesperson Christian Lindmeier, referring to restrictions put in place by Israeli forces. Israel Palestinians (Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.) Israeli army says operation in Jenin could end soon 10:00 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar Israel is close to completing its Jenin operation, a senior aide to prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Tuesday after the fiercest fighting in Jenin refugee camp forced thousands of Palestinians to flee. The operation is close to completing the achievement of the goals set, Israeli nationals security adviser Tzachi Hanebi told Kan radio after a relative lull in the clashes overnight. Brig Gen Daniel Hagari on Tuesday said that the militarys massive operation in Jenin could end faster than initially expected. The military had preselected some dozens of targets to eliminate in terms of terror command centers and weapons and explosives storage areas, the spokesperson said, according to The Jerusalem Post. Jenin operation close to finishing, Israel suggests 09:49 , Matt Mathers An Israeli military operation in Jenin that has killed at least 10 Palestinians is close to finishing, a senior official has suggested. The operation "is close to completing the achievement of the goals set," Israeli national security adviser Tzachi Hanebi told Kan radio after a relative lull in the clashes overnight. The large-scale raid of the Jenin camp, which began Monday, is one of the most intense military operation in the occupied West Bank in nearly two decades. It bore hallmarks of Israeli military tactics during the second Palestinian uprising in the early 2000s and came as prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu faces growing pressure from his ultranationalist political allies for a tough response to recent attacks on Israeli settlers, including a shooting last month that killed four people. Israel Palestinians (Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.) Journalists directly targeted by Israeli army in Jenin 08:59 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar Journalists reporting on the military operation in the occupied West Bank say they were directly fired upon by Israeli forces. Video of the incident appears to show soldiers shooting at a camera and transmitter set up by al-Araby TV reporter Amid Shehadeh and video journalist Rabi Munir, setting the equipment ablaze, Wafa news agency reported. Shehadeh said the troops directly targeted him and his colleague with more than six bullets fired. Al Araby TV Network in a statement condemned the use of any kind of force against journalists. We call on all colleagues, as well human rights and media organizations, to join us in expressing their unequivocal rejection of these practices and their full support for freedom of the press and the absolute necessity of guaranteeing the safety of journalists, said Al Araby TV Network. Israeli killing of Palestinian girl, 15, in West Bank casts light on civilian casualties 08:51 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar At the funeral for Sadeel Naghniyeh, 15, her closest friends hoisted her dead body over their shoulders. Wearing their school uniforms tight black hijabs and oversized striped shirts they staggered through the Palestinian refugee camp, crying and choking out the Islamic funeral prayers. Sadeel was killed by suspected Israeli fire when a raid into the northern Jenin refugee camp last week ignited the fiercest Israeli-Palestinian fighting in the occupied West Bank in years. Typically in Palestinian funerals, older men relatives and friends parade the flag-draped body through the streets. At Sadeel's funeral, her eighth-grade classmates wrapped her in the uniform she would no longer wear. More here. Israeli killing of 15-year-old Palestinian girl in West Bank casts light on civilian casualties Hamas says ready to intervene if aggression persists 08:49 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar Hamas, which governs in Gaza, said on Monday that it was ready to intervene if Israel goes too far and persists in its aggression in Jenin. Our people and their resistance everywhere know how to respond to this barbaric aggression, Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh reportedly said in a statement. We call on our people throughout the West Bank to stand by Jenin and defend its people in order to thwart the enemys plan. The blood being shed in Jenin will determine the nature of the next stage in all directions, he added. Halting contacts with Israel, Palestinian leadership says 08:29 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar The Palestinian leadership in the West Bank held an emergency meeting late yesterday and said it was halting its already limited contacts with Israel. Leaders said a freeze on security coordination would remain in place, and they vowed to step up activity against Israel in the United Nations and international bodies. They also planned to minimize contact with the US. Israeli PM calls Jenin a safe haven for terrorism 08:29 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Jenin has turned into a safe haven for terrorism and we are putting an end to this. He said the troops were destroying militant command centers and confiscating weapons supplies and factories. He claimed the operation was taking place with minimum harm to civilians. Our forces eliminate terrorists in the heart of Jenin as part of an extensive IDF operation against terrorism. All the citizens of Israel stand behind them, he tweeted. People flee Jenin refugee camp 08:23 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar Residents evacuate the Jenin refugee camp during an Israeli military operation in the occupied West Bank (AFP via Getty Images) Residents evacuate the Jenin refugee camp during an Israeli military operation in the occupied West Bank (AFP via Getty Images) Civilians leave their houses in Jenin as Israel continue attacks (Anadolu Agency via Getty Images) Thousands flee Jenin refugee camp to escape Israeli operation 08:02 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar Thousands of Palestinians are fleeing from the Jenin refugee camp in the occupied West Bank following the Israeli armys large-scale military operation against militants in the region. The Israeli army said it was allowing people who wanted to leave to do so. The Palestinian Red Crescent rescue service said as many as 3,000 people had left by midnight, and they expected the exodus to continue. Israeli forces have detained dozens of people inside narrow rooms in their homes, without providing or allowing any food or drink, the organisation said. Ahmed Jibril of the Red Crescent added that their work has been hampered because of the great damage to roads and infrastructure inside the camp. Juliette Touma, a spokesperson for the UN agency for Palestinian refugees, told AFP that residents of the camp were leaving and others were in need food, drinking water and milk powder. The Israeli military said it was striking terrorist infrastructure targets and armed gunmen in the Jenin camp and shared a document claiming Jenin was a stronghold of terrorist activity, where 50 per cent of the population are affiliated with militant groups. At least 10 dead as Israel launches one of its biggest military operations 07:51 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar At least 10 Palestinians have been killed in raids by Israeli forces on the Palestinian city of Jenin, one of the largest incursions into the occupied West Bank in 20 years. More than 100 people were injured in the attack that included airstrikes, with the death toll likely to rise, according to the Palestinian health ministry. Israel targeted what it described as a unified command centre for militants of the Jenin Brigades in the densely populated refugee camp in the city. Israel says its forces found explosives during a search of a mosque. In a statement, the Israeli Defence Forces said soldiers found explosive devices, weapons and military equipment it claims were affiliated with terrorist organisations in the area. More from The Independent here. Eight dead as Israel launches airstrikes on occupied West Bank 07:37 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar Good morning and welcome to The Independents live blog on the ongoing Israeli operation in the Jenin refugee camp. A Palestinian woman walks on a damaged road in the Jenin refugee camp in the West Bank, Wednesday, July 5, 2023, after the Israeli army withdrew its forces from the militant stronghold. The withdrawal of troops from the camp ended an intense two-day operation that killed at least 13 Palestinians, drove thousands of people from their homes and left a wide swath of damage in its wake. One Israeli soldier was also killed. (AP Photo/Majdi Mohammed) JENIN, West Bank (AP) The Israeli military withdrew its troops from a militant stronghold in the occupied West Bank on Wednesday, ending an intense two-day operation that killed at least 12 Palestinians, drove thousands of people from their homes and left a wide swath of damage in its wake. One Israeli soldier was also killed. The army claimed to have inflicted heavy damage on militant groups in the Jenin refugee camp in an operation that included a series of airstrikes and hundreds of ground troops. But it remained unclear whether there would be any long-lasting effect after nearly a year and a half of heavy fighting in the West Bank. Ahead of the withdrawal, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed to carry out similar operations if needed. At these moments we are completing the mission, and I can say that our extensive operation in Jenin is not a one-off, he said during a visit to a military post on the outskirts of Jenin. We will eradicate terrorism wherever we see it and we will strike at it. The Jenin raid was one of the most intense Israeli military operations in the West Bank since an armed Palestinian uprising against Israel's open-ended occupation ended two decades ago. Since early 2022, Israel has been carrying out near daily raids in the West Bank in response to a series of deadly Palestinian attacks. It says the raids are meant to crack down on Palestinians militants and said they are necessary because the Palestinian Authority is too weak. The Palestinians say such violence is the inevitable result of 56 years of occupation and the absence of any political process with Israel. They also point to increased West Bank settlement construction and violence by extremist settlers. Israel struck the camp, known as a long-time bastion of Palestinian militants, early Monday in an operation it said was aimed at destroying and confiscating weapons. Big military bulldozers tore through alleyways, leaving heavy damage to roads and buildings, and thousands of residents fled the camp to seek safety with relatives or in shelters. People said electricity and water were knocked out. The army said the bulldozers were necessary because roads were booby-trapped with explosives. After troops left Wednesday morning, residents began emerging from their homes. They found streets lined by scorched and flattened cars and piles of rubble. The military said it had confiscated thousands of weapons, bomb-making materials and caches of money. Weapons were found in militant hideouts and civilian areas alike, in one case beneath a mosque, the military said. The withdrawal came hours after a Hamas militant rammed his car into a crowded Tel Aviv bus stop and began stabbing people, wounding eight, including a pregnant woman who reportedly lost her baby. The attacker was killed by an armed bystander. Hamas said the attack was revenge for the Israeli offensive. Early Wednesday, militants from Hamas-ruled Gaza also fired five rockets toward Israel, which Israel said were intercepted. Israeli jets struck several sites in Gaza. In Jenin, fighting continued until shortly before the withdrawal Wednesday morning. The Israeli military said it carried out an airstrike late Tuesday targeting a group of militants in a Jenin cemetery. It said the gunmen threatened forces moving out of the camp. Israeli and Palestinian officials also reported fighting near a hospital in Jenin late Tuesday. An Associated Press reporter on the ground could hear explosions and the sound of gunfire. Palestinian health officials said 12 Palestinians were killed during the Israeli raid and dozens were wounded. Another Palestinian man was killed by Israeli forces in an unrelated incident near the West Bank city of Ramallah. The Israeli military has claimed it killed only militants, but it has not provided details. The large-scale raid comes amid a more than yearlong spike in violence that has created a challenge for Netanyahus far-right government, which is dominated by ultranationalists who have called for tougher action against Palestinian militants only to see the fighting worsen. Over 140 Palestinians have been killed this year in the West Bank, and Palestinian attacks targeting Israelis have killed at least 25 people, including a shooting last month that killed four settlers. The sustained operation has raised warnings from humanitarian groups of a deteriorating situation. Doctors Without Borders accused the army of firing tear gas into a hospital, filling the emergency room with smoke and forcing emergency patients to be treated in a main hall. The U.N.s human rights chief said the scale of the operation raises a host of serious issues with respect to international human rights norms and standards, including protecting and respecting the right to life. Kefah Jaayyasah, a camp resident, said soldiers forcibly entered her home and locked the family inside. They took the young men of my family to the upper floor, and they left the women and children trapped in the apartment at the first floor, she said. She claimed soldiers would not let her take food to the children and blocked an ambulance crew from entering the home when she yelled for help, before eventually allowing the family passage to a hospital. Across the West Bank, Palestinians observed a general strike to protest the Israeli raid. With airstrikes and a large presence of ground troops, the raid bore hallmarks of Israeli military tactics during the second Palestinian uprising in the early 2000s. But there are also differences, including its limited scope. Israel captured the West Bank, east Jerusalem and the Gaza Strip in the 1967 Mideast war. The Palestinians seek those territories for their hoped-for independent state. ___ This story has been corrected to show that 12 Palestinians were killed in Jenin and a 13th in Ramallah. Israeli forces continued military operations in the occupied West Bank city of Jenin for a second night, a day after incursions killed at least 10 people between the ages of 16 and 23, and injured about 100 others. Thousands fled their homes in the refugee camp overnight, where electricity and water services had been severely damaged, according to Palestinian officials. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said in a joint statement Tuesday morning that it carried out overnight counter-terrorism activities in Jenin and Jenin Camp with intelligence from the Israel Securities Authority (ISA) and Israel Border Police. The operation was continuing on the same day a car-ramming and stabbing attack in Tel Aviv left at least eight people injured. The military operation remained ongoing Tuesday morning with Israeli forces searching for 10 remaining primary targets in the Jenin refugee camp, according to the IDF. At least 120 people have been detained, the Israeli force said. IDF chief spokesperson Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari said on Twitter that there is no point in the [Jenin] camp that they have not entered, including the center. Hagari said the IDF has carried out a large number of raids, ambushes, destruction of laboratories, and explosives and that so far, non-combatants have not been killed. We allowed all the women and children to leave the camp on their own initiative, Hagari said. Ten Palestinians have been killed so far, with more than 100 injured. The IDF previously acknowledged civilians are among the injured. Thousands of Palestinians evacuated the camp overnight, according to the Palestinian Red Crescent. Video from Tuesday morning in Jenin shows torn-up streets, which the IDF said was to disarm IEDs, and smoke rising over the refugee camp, where the Israeli military operations took place. The IDF said Tuesday it located and neutralized an underground shaft used to store explosive devices in the heart of the Jenin Camp and IDF soldiers located and dismantled two operational situation rooms belonging to terrorist organizations in the area. Its soldiers also confiscated weapons, explosives and military equipment in Jenin and neutralized a grenade launcher, according to the IDF. A military source said Monday the operation is the largest military operation in the occupied West Bank city of Jenin in more than 20 years. Striking terrorist infrastructure, the IDF on Monday carried out around 10 airstrikes using drones, and hundreds of soldiers targeted what it said was a militant command and control center as well as weapons and explosive manufacturing sites. Its goal, the IDF said, was to dismantle Jenin as a safe haven for militants. A horrifying day Discussing the first day of the Israeli military operation, Jenin resident Lina Amouri, 35, said her family hid from the gunfire until they heard mosques announcing the evacuation. We were all hiding in one apartment that didnt have windows so we dont risk anyone getting hit by a bullet. Three women and six children aged 1 to 9, since 5 a.m., with no electricity or internet connection. It was a horrifying day, she said. The children were crying all day and we didnt know how to calm them down, the only thing we could do is to pray together while we hear explosions and bulldozers outside. Amouri also compared the scene to a natural disaster. When we first went out to see whats happening it was a totally different place, all streets were plowed, water and sewage pipes were broken, electricity poles were down, cars were piled one on the other. It felt like a storm with earthquake have just passed by. People walk past debris and a building damaged amid an Israeli military operation, in Jenin, in the Israeli-occupied West Bank on July 4. - Mohamad Torokman/Reuters Duha Turkman, a 16-year-old Jenin resident, said they heard an announcement form the mosque loudspeakers saying they had two hours to evacuate. Its unclear where the directive came from, the IDF told CNN no one was asked to leave the camp. We ran out with people from the camp, so many children walked with their parents while terrified and crying, they didnt understand what was happening to them and why, she told CNN. Many were missing; families were looking for members that they couldnt get in contact with due to the electricity cut. Turkman told CNN that before evacuating, her familys home was taken over by Israeli forces as the operation got underway, leaving the apartment upside down. They invaded our house in the early morning, they locked us all in one room, five women and two children in one room, and in another room, they locked five men my father, brothers and uncles, she said. They took the house as snipers position to attack the camp, meanwhile we couldnt use a toilet, get to the kitchen or do anything but sit in the room and listen to the explosions outside. CNN cannot independently verify the accounts of these two eyewitnesses. Jenin deputy mayor Mohammed Jarrar said homes and infrastructure had been destroyed, cutting off electricity and water in the refugee camp. Aid agencies accused Israeli forces of obstructing access to the camp and impeding the medical response, claims the IDF denies. The Palestinian Red Crescent said some crews were prevented from operating within the camp, according to the director of the Palestinian Red Crescent society in Jenin, Mahmoud al-Saadi. And the international medical aid organization Doctors Without Borders (MSF) also accused Israeli forces of impeding access to medical care in Jenin. The IDF said ambulances had a free pass in the camp. On Tuesday morning, the Palestinian Ministry of Health said the body of the 10th Palestinian person to be killed was discovered in Jenin. Earlier, the ministry said five of those killed in the attack were teenagers and of the 100 wounded, 20 were in serious condition. Hagari, the IDF spokesperson, acknowledged on Monday that civilians were among the injured, but insisted the operation only meant to target terrorists. Its not an invasion on Jenin, its not against the Palestinian Authority. Its not against innocent, innocent Palestinians. Its against terrorists in this camp, he said. The incursion sparked immediate condemnation. Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas called the large-scale Israeli military operation a new war crime while Egypt called the Israeli incursion an act of aggression. Militant group Hamas called on all its cells in the West Bank and Jerusalem to strike Israel by all available means, a statement by its military wing said. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the military acted against terrorist strongholds in Jenin. In recent months, Jenin has become a safe haven for terrorists. Terrorists perpetrated savage attacks, murdering Israeli civilians, men, women, and children, as many children as they could find, Netanyahu said at a US embassy event in Jerusalem on Monday evening. CNNs Kareem Khadder, Eyad Kourdi, AnneClaire Stapleton, Alex Stambaugh, Ibrahim Dahman and Mike Schwartz contributed reporting. For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com Flag of Italy As part of the EU sanctions imposed against Moscow following the invasion of Ukraine, Italy has frozen assets belonging to Russian oligarchs totaling approximately 2 billion ($2.18 billion), The Guardian reported on July 4. These include bank accounts, luxury villas, yachts, and cars. The annual report of the Anti-Money Laundering Division (UIF) of the Bank of Italy stated that the 2 billion figure was updated as of the end of June. Read also: Zelenskyy imposes new list of 10-year-long sanctions, including Georgian airlines UIF Director Enzo Serata announced that financial assets worth around 330 million ($360 million), associated with 80 individuals, were also frozen under the sanctions regime. Read also: US to continue sanctions pressure on Wagner PMC White House Prior to the full-scale war, Italy's beaches and ports served as popular destinations for wealthy Russians who purchased real estate in prime locations, such as the area near Lake Como, the island of Sardinia, the Tuscan province, and the Ligurian coastline. Read also: Ukraine, Italy may jointly produce components for air defense systems, says PM Shmyhal On May 30, Italy announced the preparation of a new package of military aid for Ukraine, mostly focused on expanding the capability of Franco-Italian SAMP-T air defense system, already in service with the Ukrainian military. Were bringing the voice of Ukraine to the world. Support us with a one-time donation, or become a Patron! Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine Jacksonville police officer arrested on battery charge out of Clay County A Jacksonville police officer was arrested on a Clay County warrant for battery, the Jacksonville Sheriffs Office said. Officer Jamie Alexander turned himself in and was arrested for Battery - Touch or Strike, a First-Degree Misdemeanor offense, according to a news release from JSO. The charge stemmed from a reported physical altercation with a known individual that happened on Saturday on Alexanders normal day off, JSO said. JSO said it became aware of the warrant for Alexander on Monday. [DOWNLOAD: Free Action News Jax app for alerts as news breaks] Alexander has been with JSO since 2010. Most recently, he has served with the Patrol Support Division in the Specialized Patrol Section. JSO said he will be administratively reassigned until the criminal case is resolved. Alexander is the seventh JSO employee to be arrested in 2023. [SIGN UP: Action News Jax Daily Headlines Newsletter] Click here to download the free Action News Jax news and weather apps, click here to download the Action News Jax Now app for your smart TV and click here to stream Action News Jax live. "The Elephant Odyssey," an upcoming documentary film, will chronicle the epic journey of the wandering Asian elephants that captivated viewers around the world in 2020 as they roamed across Yunnan province, China. Filmed in the region's breathtaking landscapes, the film promises to offer a rare glimpse into the elephants' natural habitat. A photo captures the wandering elephants in Yunnan, China. [Photo courtesy of Yunnan Forestry and Grassland Administration] The film is an international collaboration involving IMAX Corporation, Beach House Pictures, and China Review Studio of China International Communications Group (CICG). The project, now in production, was announced on Monday in association with Foreign Languages Press and Lucent Pictures. With renowned director and cinematographer Alice Gu at the helm and Clair Popkin serving as the director of photography, the film is shot with IMAX-certified cameras and will feature exclusive footage of the elephants' 18-month journey. "The documentary is a deep exploration that goes beyond the fascinating journey of the Asian elephants migrating north and south, revealing previously untold, touching stories. We look forward to bringing this distinctive Chinese story to audiences worldwide, in collaboration with IMAX and Beach House Pictures," said Chen Fang, director of China Review Studio, CICG. The film seeks to delve into the complex relationship between humans and elephants, offering a fresh perspective on the awe-inspiring march of these majestic creatures known as Da in the local Wa dialect across Yunnan. It captures the events that began in March 2020, when 16 wild Asian elephants ventured out of their habitat in Xishuangbanna National Nature Reserve. For 18 months, the elephants embarked on a riveting journey covering over 1,000 kilometers. The odyssey included impromptu village feasts, riotous raids on grain stores, messy mud fights, and even the birth of a baby elephant en route. The Yunnan elephants captivated people in China and worldwide, reaching millions of viewers through a 24-hour live stream featuring breathtaking drone footage. "The 18-month journey of the Yunnan elephants at the height of the pandemic was a hopeful antidote to the lockdowns many of us were enduring," stated John Turner, IMAX's head of documentaries. "We wanted to know more about these animals and why it happened. This will be an immersive wildlife documentary like no other." "Telling great stories has always been a core part of IMAX's DNA, and we're thrilled to bring this fascinating story from China to the world," added Daniel Manwaring, CEO of IMAX China. Donovan Chan, creative director of Beach House Pictures, noted, "This is a prime example of the premium Asia-to-the-World collaborations that Beach House Pictures excel at, and we are proud to be making our first IMAX film with China Review Studio. I have no doubt that the incredible elephants and people we will meet and the stunning places we will uncover will surprise and delight audiences, and inspire us to do more to repair and protect our fragile relationship with Mother Nature." The 90-minute documentary is set for global IMAX release in 2024. By Mohamad Torokman and Raneen Sawafta JENIN, West Bank (Reuters) - The family of 16-year-old Noureddin Marshoud wept over his body as it laid in a morgue in Jenin on Tuesday, after he was killed during an Israeli military operation in the occupied West Bank. Marshoud was named by the militant Islamic Jihad group as one of four of its members killed on Monday during Israel's assault in Jenin refugee camp. Grieving relatives stroked his face as his body laid wrapped in a shroud at a nearby hospital. Marshoud's father, Hussam, said the last time he saw his son, he had been rushing to the hospital after hearing that a friend had been injured. "He was saying: 'I want to go to the hospital ...' I had a feeling that something would happen." At least 11 Palestinians have been killed during Israel's operation that began on Monday, one of its biggest in the West Bank in years. Several of the dead were reported to be in their teens: the Iran-backed Islamic Jihad said that alongside Marshoud, fighters aged 17, 18, and 19 were killed. Their ages underline the youth of many of those caught up in spiralling violence in the West Bank areas such as Jenin, where jobs are hard to find and hopes for the future have been dimmed by the bleak outlook for the moribund peace process. Israel says the operation aimed to destroy infrastructure and weapons of militant groups at the camp, where some 14,000 people live in cramped alleyways that have long been a stronghold of Palestinian armed groups. Israel says there have been about 50 shooting attacks on Israelis since the start of the year by people from the Jenin area. The Israeli military has said it had confirmation of nine Palestinians killed by its forces, saying all were combatants. Hamas, the Islamist group that governs the Gaza Strip, says one of its members was killed. There was no immediate confirmation from Palestinian sources as to whether the other six fatalities - including males aged 17 to 23 - were combatants or civilians. The deaths add to the toll of a wave of violence that has cost the lives of more than 190 Palestinians, including both fighters and civilians, and 25 Israelis and foreigners since the start of the year. STRANDED AMID VIOLENCE Jenin refugee camp has emerged as a flashpoint during a wave of Israeli-Palestinian violence, with deadly confrontations a regular occurrence. The camp was also the scene of some of the worst violence during the second Intifada, which began after the failure of U.S.-backed peace talks in 2000 and mushroomed into an armed conflict between Israel and Palestinian militant groups. In 2002, Israel launched a major assault in the camp, part of a wider West Bank operation which Israel said aimed to stop militant attacks including suicide bombings which killed hundreds of Israelis. The Palestinian Red Crescent said it had evacuated 500 families, or around 3,000 people, from the camp in the latest assault, which involved hundreds of Israeli troops and drones. Jamal Hamdan held his sister's hand as they walked quickly out of the camp on Tuesday morning during a lull in the violence. "I came yesterday evening to take my sister to my home, but we were stuck," he said. Residents of the camp took stock of the damage including roads which had been badly damaged by bulldozers. U.N. aid agencies voiced alarm at the scale of the Israeli operation. A spokesperson for the U.N. humanitarian office said damage to infrastructure caused by air strikes had cut off most of the water and electricity at the camp. Fearing for his family's safety, Jihad Hassan said he fled his home after his neighbour's house was hit, wounding his son in the leg. "We are waiting to return to our home. It is something, when a person is forced to leave their home," said Hassan, 63, speaking at the hospital where his son was being treated. (Additional reporting by Ali Sawafta in Jenin, Nidal al-Mughrabi in Gaza and Mustafa Abu Ganeyeh and James Mackenzie in Jerusalem; Writing by Tom Perry; Editing by Gareth Jones) People flee the Jenin refugee camp in the occupied West Bank during an ongoing Israeli military operation (RONALDO SCHEMIDT) Jenin refugee camp, one of the most crowded and impoverished in the occupied West Bank, is synonymous with Palestinian militancy and resistance against Israel which views it as a "terrorism" hub. In recent years it has been the site of fierce fighting between Israeli forces and Palestinian armed groups. This week, Israel launched what it called an "extensive counterterrorism effort" targeting the camp, which has so far killed 10 Palestinians and wounded dozens more. - Refuge for displaced Palestinians - The camp was established in 1953 to house some of those among the 760,000 Palestinians who fled or were expelled from their homes in 1948 when Israel was created, an event Palestinians call the "Nakba" or "catastrophe". Today some 18,000 people live in the camp in the northern West Bank. It is just 0.43 square kilometres (0.16 of a square mile) in size, according to the United Nations agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA). Over time, the camp's original tents have been replaced by concrete, and it now resembles something closer to a neighbourhood. - A symbol of Palestinian resistance - Jenin camp resident Zakaria Zubeidi rose to be a senior figure in the Al-Aqsa Martyrs' Brigades, the armed wing of Mahmud Abbas's Fatah party. For years, he operated out of the camp and was on Israel's most-wanted list. Zubeidi escaped from Israel's Gilboa prison with five other Palestinians in 2021, sparking a days-long manhunt, and he is lauded by Palestinians as a hero. He is still alive and in jail. In 2022, Raad Hazem, another resident of the camp, killed three Israelis in a shooting spree in Tel Aviv's busy Dizengoff Street nightlife district, before being shot dead after a massive manhunt. Images of Hazem, Zubeidi and those dubbed "martyrs" by the Palestinians after they were killed by Israeli forces plaster the camp's walls and hang from the archways which mark the entrance to the camp's narrow streets. - The 2002 battle for Jenin - The camp was a hive of activity during the second "intifada" or uprising of the early 2000s. In 2002, the army besieged the camp for more than a month amid fierce fighting that killed 52 Palestinians and 23 Israeli soldiers. More than 400 homes were destroyed in the operation, according to UNRWA, and more than a quarter of the camp's population was left homeless. - Shireen Abu Akleh killed - Veteran Palestinian journalist Shireen Abu Akleh was killed on May 11, 2022 while covering an Israeli raid on the camp for Al Jazeera television, sparking international condemnation. The Israeli army later admitted one of its soldiers probably shot the reporter -- who was wearing a helmet and a bulletproof vest marked "Press" -- having mistaken her for a militant. - Deteriorating security - Over the past 18 months, the security situation in the camp has deteriorated, with the Palestinian Authority having little real presence there. Israel's military says that at least 50 shooting attacks have originated from in and around Jenin so far this year. The deadly attacks on Israeli targets have prompted a fierce response, with Israel's forces carrying out a string of raids on the flashpoint refugee camp in the first half of 2023. Israel says "The Jenin Brigade", a local group it alleges is backed by Iran and counts members of Gaza's Islamist rulers Hamas, Islamic jihad and Fatah within its ranks, is behind the attacks. gb/srm/dv Meta headquarters. Justin Sullivan/Getty Images In response to a lawsuit filed by the Republican attorneys general of Louisiana and Missouri, a federal judge on Tuesday severely limited how U.S. government officials can meet and communicate with social media companies, The Washington Post reported. The attorneys general claimed that officials from Biden administration agencies encouraged social media companies to crack down on misinformation related to Covid-19 and elections, which amounted to "the most egregious violations of the First Amendment in the history of the United States of America." Judge Terry A. Doughty, a Trump appointee, wrote in the injunction that the attorneys general "have produced evidence of a massive effort by defendants, from the White House to federal agencies, to suppress speech based on its content." Doughty has not made a final ruling in the case, and his order allows for communications regarding national security threats and criminal activity. You may also like Florida construction and agricultural workforces diminished after new immigration law takes effect Judge limits how Biden officials can communicate with social media companies How solar and wind energy are saving Texans from a record heatwave What to know: Europes far right are capitalizing on the France riots The News Far-right politicians in Europe have seized on rioting in France over the fatal police shooting of Nahel Merzouk, a 17-year-old of North African descent, to push anti-immigration rhetoric. Insights Marine Le Pens far-right Rassemblement National has capitalized on the unrest, sending out recruitment emails with a call to restore order to France. The move appears to be working: In a recent opinion poll more people approved of Le Pens response to the violence than that of French President Emmanuel Macron. While the RN leader herself has maintained a more measured tone in her comments, party chief Jordan Bardella launched a tirade against the savage hordes who have taken to the streets. Its not just French politicians who are seizing on the moment. In Poland, Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki is using the situation to reject proposed EU migration policies, writing on Twitter that Polish people dont want such scenes on Polish streets, adding stop illegal migration. Safety first. In Italy, Nicola Molteni, Northern League undersecretary for the Interior, said in an interview that Frances open door immigration model has led to a profound crisis. He said that suburbs in the country, which are largely populated by North African migrants and other ethnic minorities, have become a no-mans land. Know More Adding to the tensions in the riots is the link between systemic over-policing of Frances North African communities, and Frances vision of itself as a color-blind society. The country does not collect race-based data, so has no formal tracking on incidents of police violence against the countrys ethnic minorities. The far-right rhetoric doesnt end with European politicians. A fundraiser in support of the police officer who is alleged to have shot Merzouk at point-blank range has garnered 1 million ($1 million) in donations, significantly more than has been donated to the teens family. The Kremlin is open to discussions over a potential prisoner swap for detained Wall Street Journal journalist Evan Gershkovich, report says Wall Street Journal correspondent Evan Gershkovich stands in a glass cage in a courtroom at the Moscow City Court in Moscow, Russia, in April. AP Photo/Alexander Zemlianichenko, File The Kremlin has expressed openness to a potential prisoner swap that could involve Evan Gershkovich. Gershkovich, a WSJ reporter, was detained by Russian officials in March on suspicion of espionage. The Journal and the US government have vehemently denied the allegations against Gershkovich. Russia on Tuesday held the door open for a potential talks with the United States regarding a possible prisoner exchange that could involve detained Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich. "There are certain contacts in this regard, but we do not want to make them public in any way," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said during a briefing with journalists, according to The Journal. "They must continue in complete silence." Peskov then said that "the lawful right to consular contacts must be ensured on both sides." Gershkovich, a 31-year-old American correspondent who was accredited to work as a journalist by the Russian Foreign Ministry, was detained by Russian authorities in the city of Yekaterinburg about 1,100 miles east of Moscow on March 29. Russia's internal security service at the time said that it had detained Gershkovich, accusing him of "espionage in the interests of the American government." The Journal has vehemently the allegations and has demanded that Gershkovich be released. President Joe Biden has expressed his firm commitment in working to return Gershkovich to the US, with the administration classifying him as a wrongfully detained citizen. "Evan went to Russia to shed light on the darkness that you all escaped from, years ago," Biden told Gershkovich's parents during the White House correspondents dinner in April. "Absolute courage to the entire family, everyone in this hall stands with you. We're working every day to secure his release." The US has told the Kremlin that Gershkovich is not a spy and is not a government official. Roger Carstens, the special envoy for hostage affairs, said last month that the US has continued to press the Russian government for Gershkovich's release, but reiterated that officials at the Kremlin weren't readily willing to speak about the situation. "He's not a spy. We've been very clear with that with the Russians. The Russians, however, have been playing a tough game," Carstens said during the Aspen Ideas Festival in Colorado, according to the Journal. "They're not willing to really talk to us about him yet." A US State Department spokesperson on Tuesday didn't provide additional details to the Journal on any potential talks, pointing to its work to free Gershkovich, along with that of Paul Whelan a former US Marine serving a 16-year sentence in Russia on espionage charges that the US considers to be politically motivated. Read the original article on Business Insider Kremlin says there have been 'certain contacts' with US on jailed reporter Evan Gershkovich One day after the U.S. ambassador to Russia visited jailed Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich for the first time since April, the Kremlin indicated on Tuesday it would entertain discussions with the United States about a possible prisoner exchange involving Gershkovich. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters Moscow and Washington have had "certain contacts" about a potential prisoner swap involving Gershkovich and Vladimir Dunaev, a Russian national held in pretrial detention in Ohio on federal cybercrime charges. Hours after U.S. Ambassador Lynne Tracy visited Gershkovich on Monday, the Russian Embassy in Washington said members of its staff were granted access to meet with Dunaev. The timing of the two visits raised questions about whether negotiations between the two countries are currently underway, but Peskov said any conversations between American and Russian officials should be kept private. "We have said that there have been certain contacts on the subject, but we dont want them to be discussed in public," Peskov said. "They must be carried out and continue in complete silence." Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich stands in a glass cage in a courtroom at the Moscow City Court in Moscow, Russia, Thursday, June 22, 2023. Gershkovich, a Wall Street Journal reporter detained on espionage charges in Russia, appeared in court Thursday to appeal his extended detention. Gershkovich, 31, has been jailed since late March when authorities detained him on espionage charges during a reporting trip to the Russian city of Yekaterinburg. Gershkovich was later transferred to Moscow's high-security Lefortovo Prison, a jail notorious for its difficult conditions and extreme isolation for inmates. Gershkovich, the Wall Street Journal, and the U.S. government deny the allegations of espionage. The State Department determined in April that Gershkovich was "wrongfully detained" and condemned Russia for jailing a journalist. A Moscow court in June denied an appeal from Gershkovich's lawyers to end his pretrial detention, which was extended until Aug. 30. Russian authorities have previously stated that no prisoner swap involving Gershkovich could occur until a court reaches a verdict in his case. The most recent high profile prisoner exchange between Russia and the United States occurred in December, when WNBA star Brittney Griner was swapped for Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout. Griner was detained 10 months earlier on drug charges for possessing hashish oil. The State Department has also determined that Paul Whelan, a former U.S. Marine, was wrongfully detained by Russia. Whelan was detained in Russia in late 2018 on espionage charges and is also being held in Moscow's Lefortovo Prison. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Kremlin open to talks regarding jailed journalist Evan Gershkovich The Kremlin said Tuesday that Russia and the U.S. have discussed a potential prisoner swap involving detained Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told reporters that the two countries have been in touch about a potential prisoner swap involving the 31-year-old American journalist and Vladimir Dunaev, a Russian citizen who is facing charges in the U.S. for alleged cybercrimes, The Associated Press reported. We have said that there have been certain contacts on the subject, but we dont want them to be discussed in public, Peskov said, according to the AP. They must be carried out and continue in complete silence. Peskovs remarks on a potential prisoner swap come one day after U.S. Ambassador to Russia Lynne Tracy met with Gershkovich at Lefortovo prison in Moscow. It was the first time that embassy officials were granted consular access to the detained reporter since April. Ambassador Tracy reports that Mr. Gershkovich is in good health and remains strong, despite his circumstances, a State Department spokesperson said. U.S. Embassy officials will continue to provide all appropriate support to Mr. Gershkovich and his family, and we expect Russian authorities to provide continued consular access. Gershkovich was first arrested on espionage charges in late March. Both the Biden administration and Wall Street Journal have rejected the allegations that Gershkovich was spying in Russia, with the State Department designating the reporter as wrongfully detained. Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov previously said in April that Moscow would not be willing to discuss a prisoner swap until after a Russian court delivers on a verdict on Gershkovichs espionage charges. Gershkovich could face up to 20 years in prison if convicted. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. Rudy Ortega, left, president of the Fernandeno Tataviam Band of Mission Indians, and DWP Commissioner Cynthia Ruiz present a shawl to Mayor Karen Bass at a winter solstice ceremony in Chatsworth on Dec. 21, 2022. (Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times) Cynthia Ruiz, the first Native American ever to serve on the Los Angeles Board of Water and Power Commissioners, got some bad news from City Hall recently. Ruiz said a deputy mayor called her on May 26 to say she was being removed after serving just one year on the panel that oversees the Department of Water and Power. Its not about you, Ruiz said she was told. If you want to go on to a different commission, let me know and I can make it happen. What followed was a moment of shock and uncomfortable silence, Ruiz said. The former head of the citys multibillion-dollar retirement fund system believed she was making progress in easing 122 years of tension between the DWP and Owens Valley tribes over water rights and land use in the eastern Sierra Nevada watershed. The one-two punch was thrown an hour later via an email from Mayor Karen Bass. It said Ruiz's appointment would end on July 5, or at the time your successor is confirmed by the City Council, whichever comes first. Read more: 'This water needs to be protected': California tribe calls for preservation of Tulare Lake The mayor's decision to bench Ruiz a lifelong Angeleno and member of the Cherokee Nation has sparked anger and resentment among tribal leaders and others who saw Ruiz's appointment as a significant advancement in the city's recognition of Indigenous voices. Her abrupt departure has left some feeling betrayed. We are in shock that Cynthia, the first Native American to serve on that commission, was replaced by a white man when she was not even a full year into her four-year term, said Teri Red Owl, executive director of the Owens Valley Indian Water Commission. For Native Americans, the manner in which Ruiz was replaced was a slap in the face. In a recent letter to Bass, Anthony Redblood Morales, chairman and chief of the Gabrieleno/Tongva San Gabriel Band of Mission Indians, said Bass action was insulting and reverts progress made to advance underrepresented minorities, specifically Native Americans. Its another example of how our people have been disrespected, disregarded and ignored, he said. Water and Power commissioners serve at the pleasure of the mayor and are charged with overseeing the nation's largest city-owned utility, which has an annual budget of about $7 billion and employs some 11,000 people. In addition to setting policy, commissioners determine the size of monthly water and power bills for 4 million residents. The man Bass nominated to replace Ruiz George McGraw was confirmed by the City Council on June 20. McGraw describes himself as "a leading queer voice in social entrepreneurship, environmental justice, and water," and is the founder and chief executive of DigDeep, a nonprofit that works to bring clean water to communities that lack access. Asked for comment on the decision to replace Ruiz, Zach Seidl, a spokesman for Bass, said, Transitions at the beginning of a mayoral administration are common Commissioner Ruizs transition was one of 110 to have occurred in the first 100 days of the Bass administration. Seidl said senior staff members from the mayor's office had met with tribal leaders recently to speak about issues that most impact their communities, and to plan a convening with the mayor in the coming weeks. Read more: Indigenous tribes warned of a buried kingdom in Owens Valley. Now, Caltrans crews are unearthing bones Tribal leaders contacted by The Times said they were cautiously optimistic about the results of that meeting; however, they and the nonprofit Owens Valley Committee are demanding that Bass add a Native American to the commission as quickly as possible. They have also recommended a candidate for the next available open seat: Cheri Thomas, the Los Angeles Unified School Districts principal administrative analyst and a member of the Pacific Northwest coasts Quinault Indian Nation. A push to return Ruiz to the post was out of the question. I didnt want to fight to stay, Ruiz said. But Native American representation on that commission is critical. The history between the DWP and tribes in the Owens Valley has been characterized by controversy and strife over water rights and land use. In the early 1900s, Los Angeles agents quietly bought up ranch lands and water rights in the region for an aqueduct to meet the growing demands of the metropolis 200 miles to the south. The city diverted so much water from the Owens River via the aqueduct that the 110-square-mile Owens Lake dried up, severely altering the landscape of what had been a kingdom of irrigated villages and plentiful game for Paiute tribes since time immemorial. In 1924, Paiute-Shoshone Indians staged a five-day armed resistance known as the Battle of Little Lake. They were protesting the diversion of water and encroachment on their lands. Their efforts were unsuccessful. But since then, the relationship has remained strained between the DWP and tribes including the Lone Pine Paiute Shoshone Tribe, the Fort Independence Indian Community of Paiute Indians, the Big Pine Paiute Tribe of Owens Valley, the Bishop Paiute Tribe, the Timbisha Shoshone Tribe and the Mono Lake Kutzadika Tribe. Ruiz, her supports say, had taken steps to heal that division. Ruiz worked to support the sale of 10 acres of DWP land to the Bishop Paiute Tribe for use as a tribal cemetery, moving the project past bureaucratic hurdles toward a purchase agreement under consideration by tribal leaders. Read more: This tribe was barred from cultural burning for decades then a fire hit their community Our relationship with Cynthia was sincere and authentic, said Meryl Picard, chairwoman of the tribe. It was important for us to be dealing with another Native American who understood the trauma of our history. Ruizs duties included introducing the newly elected Bass to crowds at Native American events such as a winter solstice ceremony held in a glade of century-old oaks at the Chatsworth Nature Preserve on Dec. 21. Ruiz and Rudy Ortega, president of the Fernandeno Tataviam Band of Mission Indians, marked the winter solstice, also known as the shortest day and longest night of the year, by draping a turquoise blanket on Bass shoulders. Disappointment was etched across Ruizs face when her removal was formally announced at the June 13 commission meeting, followed by praise for her contributions. I really thought I had longer here the year went by so fast and there is so much more work to be done, Ruiz said from behind the commission dais. But what I am a little disappointed about is losing the Native American voice. Ive tried to be the Native voice, she said, because we know that LADWP history has been sordid when it comes to the tribes, especially the tribes of Owens Valley. Sign up for Essential California, your daily guide to news, views and life in the Golden State. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times. Laceys equity commission is set to host its next community forum which will focus on the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer community. Its the second forum for the advisory body to Lacey City Council. The first forum, a Black and African American community forum, was held in March at New Baptist Life Church in Lacey. The next forum, which is fully described as an LGBTQIA+ community forum, will be 6:30 to 8 p.m. July 12 at Lacey Timberland Library, 500 College St. SE. Equity Commissioner Annie Clay provided an overview of the upcoming forum during the commissions June 26 meeting. She said the format will be similar to the one in March. Commissioners will introduce themselves, the purpose and plans of the equity commission will be explained, and then they will solicit questions and feedback from the audience. The meeting will close with any additional comments, she said. She said library manager Holly Paxson will be on hand to explain the rules of engagement and the kind of behavior expected by the library. Clay warned the commission there could be negative comments shared at the meeting, including about fast-food restaurant Chick-fil-A and the choice of location for the previous forum. Atlanta-based Chick-fil-A, which operates a restaurant in Lacey, drew the ire of some residents after the business sponsored Childrens Day at Laceys Huntamer Park last fall. The company and its executives have come under fire for donating to causes that do not support LGBTQ rights. Some people spoke out at Lacey City Council and North Thurston school board meetings, and it triggered changes for Laceys corporate sponsorship policy. Also, the decision to hold the first forum at a Baptist church did not go over well. Those comments were shared during a follow-up discussion and recap of the Black and African American community forum. Equity Commissioner Jon Hegwood, who identified himself as a queer person of color, said he and others in the community were concerned about what he called the anti-transgender rhetoric on the New Life Baptist Church website. Fellow Commissioner Thelma Jackson defended the choice of site, saying it was in space next to the sanctuary and that it had no association with church doctrine or beliefs. Clay wrapped up her preview of the upcoming meeting by saying the commission will be focused on listening and getting to know the community and seeing what the needs are. Lacey City Council approves amended sponsorship policy in wake of Chick-fil-A outcry Lack of school, council officials at Black forum a disappointment, Lacey commissioner says Lacey boards wrestle with corporate sponsorship policy in wake of Chick-fil-A complaints Lacey City Council gets an earful about anti-Pride flag comments, Chick-fil-A sponsorship Residents not happy about Chick-fil-As sponsorship of Laceys Childrens Day Thousands of people are expected to gather at Lake Eola Park in Orlando on Tuesday for the citys Fireworks at the Fountain celebration. The event runs from 4 p.m. to 10 p.m., with the big fireworks show set to begin around 9 p.m. Orlando police said they have been hard at work putting extra safety measures in place. READ: Heat advisory in effect as July 4th temps soar in Central Florida The move comes one year after a shooting scare sent crowds running from the park. According to police, spectators thought they heard gunshots. But investigators determined it was something else. READ: No evidence of a shooting: Scare sends panicked crowd running from Lake Eola fireworks show And while beefed-up security will be in place Tuesday, Orlando Police Chief Eric Smith said some of the departments safety measures may be hard to spot. OPD recently posted a social media video of Smith explaining the added security along with ways visitors can take their own safety precautions. We are committed to ensuring the safety & security of our community during our #FourthofJuly celebration. While our officers will be actively working to keep our community safe, we encourage you to be proactive as well by keeping yourself, your loved ones, & your neighbors safe. pic.twitter.com/SXR2lAakQV Orlando Police (@OrlandoPolice) July 2, 2023 Channel 9 will be at this evenings Fireworks at the Fountain. READ: 9 Fourth of July fireworks displays you cant miss in Central Florida Be sure to stick with WFTV.com and watch Eyewitness News for updates throughout the day. Click here to download the free WFTV news and weather apps, click here to download the WFTV Now app for your smart TV and click here to stream Channel 9 Eyewitness News live. China's factory activity expanded at a slower pace in June, a private survey showed on Monday, pointing to the strains on the manufacturing sector due to still-weak demand and highlighting the need to step up countercyclical policy adjustments. Analysts said that while China's economy has stabilized and improved since the start of the year, the weak purchasing managers index highlighted the headwinds facing the broader economy. They called for both short-term stimulus measures and long-term solutions to deal with the structural issues. The Caixin China General Manufacturing PMI which gauges operating conditions in the sector came in at 50.5 in June after 50.9 in May, above the 50-point mark that separates growth from contraction, media group Caixin said on Monday. Wang Zhe, a senior economist at Caixin Insight Group, said that China's factory activity expanded for a second consecutive month in June on slightly improved supply and demand. Referring to the 12-month outlook for output, manufacturers polled by Caixin expressed their optimism, supported by hopes that economic conditions and sales will improve. However, business confidence for the coming 12 months slipped to an eight-month low in June, as some manufacturers expressed concerns over relatively sluggish market conditions. "A slew of recent economic data suggests that China's recovery has yet to find a stable footing, as prominent issues including a lack of internal growth drivers, weak demand and dimming prospects remain," Wang said. Wang added that Caixin's manufacturing PMI for June also points to issues such as an increasingly dire job market, rising deflationary pressure and waning optimism. "In the future, stronger policy support is needed on the macro level, along with higher implementation efficiency from a micro perspective, to ensure that policies benefit market players directly and therefore bolster employment and market expectations," Wang said. Data released by the National Bureau of Statistics last week shows the pressures facing the economy, with the official PMI for China's manufacturing sector remaining in the contraction zone for the third consecutive month after ticking up to 49 in June from 48.8 in May. China's nonmanufacturing PMI came in at 53.2 in June, down from 54.5 in May, according to the NBS. Lu Ting, chief China economist at Nomura, said that his team expected manufacturing PMI to remain in contractionary territory in July, due to ongoing property woes and external challenges, while the nonmanufacturing PMI could weaken further on fading post-COVID pent-up demand for in-person services. "Amid the worsening downward spiral of major activity data, we expect the government to introduce a raft of supportive measures after the moderate 10-basis-point rate cut last month and believe it will increasingly play the role of borrower and spender," he said. "We see a step-by-step policy response as more likely." Ning Jizhe, vice-chairman of the China Center for International Economic Exchanges, told a meeting on Friday that China's GDP growth rate for the first half of the year will likely reach around 6 percent, and the country has the conditions and capability to meet its annual growth target of around 5 percent this year. Despite the challenges and difficulties ahead, Chinese manufacturers expressed strong optimism about China's steady growth. She Shangfeng, vice-president of Great Wall Motor, a pickup manufacturer and global leader in intelligent new energy SUVs, said he still has a rosy outlook for the development of the automotive sector as well as the broader economy. "We will continuously invest in emerging fields including the new energy vehicles as well as digital and smart development," he told China Daily on the sidelines of the World IoT Top 500 Summit, which was held on Monday in Beijing. Huang Ying, vice-president of Chinese tech heavyweight Lenovo Group, also expressed strong confidence in its business in the second half of the year, given the rising demand for new technologies and services in fields such as artificial intelligence. [Source] The man charged with hate crimes for the attack on his 75-year-old Asian American neighbor has been ordered to undergo a mental health evaluation. Judges order: Christian Lentz, 44, is facing charges of residential burglary and elder abuse, both as hate crimes, for the assault of Amadeo Quindara, a Filipino American, in the latters home in Mountains Edge on May 30. At a hearing on Monday, Lentzs attorney appeared on his behalf and filed a request for a competency evaluation. Justice of the Peace Pro Tempore Andrew Wong granted the request. It does appear that there might be some competency concerns in this case, Wong said, according to the Las Vegas Review-Journal. More from NextShark: Singapore band robbed of equipment, cash in California during US tour Why the request was made: Why Lentzs attorney requested a competency evaluation is unclear. However, an arrest report stated that Lentz often went off-course while talking to police. He also claimed to have had odd experiences days before the incident and believed that people were conspiring against him, as per KSNV. In an earlier interview, Quindara told the Las Vegas Review-Journal about a negative interaction with Lentz the day prior, when the latter allegedly demanded that Quindara and his wife Leonida speak in English while they were talking to other Filipino neighbors. More from NextShark: 4 Malaysian tourists in Dublin beaten by group of teens in 'racist attack' The allegations: Quindara was in his garage when Lentz allegedly approached and attacked him. Security footage shows a man believed to be Lentz initially leaving the garage before returning around half an hour later to beat up the senior. The attacker allegedly yelled racial slurs and told Quindara to be on a ventilator and die. Quindara suffered a black eye, bruises to his face and deep cuts on his head. The incident sparked a Stop Asian Hate rally at Clark County Government Center on Thursday. Quindara attended the event. More from NextShark: Colorado plastic surgeon, nurse anesthetist charged with manslaughter in botched breast surgery Whats next: Lentz was previously released on bail and ordered to stay away from Quindara. His competency hearing is scheduled for July 21. More from NextShark: Netflix reveals first look, premiere date for Never Have I Ever' final season Was the last battle of the American Revolution fought in India? A growing number of historians think so Final Jeopardy category: the American Revolutionary War. The answer is: The last battle of Americas war of independence was fought on this continent. Cue the familiar music, and write down your response. If you said What is North America? and wagered your entire pot, youve lost. At least thats what a growing number of historians will tell you. Theyll say the correct response should have been, What is Asia? Ummm, what?! Listen to Kathleen DuVal, professor of history at the University of North Carolina (one of the 13 original states, just saying). Americans and almost all historians of the United States until just recently focused almost exclusively on the Revolutionary War within the 13 colonies that rebelled against the British. The focus was almost all on Massachusetts and Virginia, she says. But in just the past decade or two, historians have broadened their focus and started to write about the Revolutionary War as being, as you say, a world war, DuVal says. Scholarly works back that up. In 2018, Smithsonian Books published The American Revolution: A World War, a collection of essays from 17 authors from eight countries that gives a multifaceted but coherent account of the American Revolutions international geopolitics, according to a review in the Journal of American History. DuVal and others say two key protagonists of the Revolutionary War Britain and France actually fought the final battle of the conflict in Cuddalore, India, in June of 1783. Wait! I know France helped the colonists beat the British redcoats, but what does India have to do with this? And even then, a world war? DuVal explains. Frances help for the United States has long been part of Americans knowledge of the American Revolution, but the French king decided to enter the war because of Frances opposition to Britain more than any love for the Americans after all, he was a king with his own empire, she says. OK, I get France and Britain didnt like each other, but they didnt control the entire world, right? Well, Britain with its colonies across the globe had more enemies than just France, DuVal says. Spain and the Netherlands allied with France to fight Britain, too, she says. And the American struggle for independence was a way to harass Britain on another front. Looking at this from say the French perspective, taking on a role in the American Revolution enabled them to stretch British forces in just another place around the globe, says Don Glickstein, a Seattle-based historian and journalist who covered the subject in depth in his 2015 book, After Yorktown. A depiction of British ships sailing around Quebec, while troops climb up to the Plains of Abraham and attack the French during the Seven Years War. - Hulton Archive/Getty Images Second war in 10 years France and Spain were also trying to settle scores from a previous global conflict a decade earlier they had lost the Seven Years War, of which the French and Indian War, fought in North America, was a part, DuVal told CNN. And lest you think the North Carolina professor is reaching here, Glickstein and even the US State Department agree with her. In the Seven Years War, which started in either 1754 or 1756 depending on who you ask, Britain dealt defeats to France and its ally Spain across the globe, from the Indo-Pacific to Portugal to Canada, but that came with a steep price, the State Departments Office of the Historian says on its website. The war had been enormously expensive, and the British governments attempts to impose taxes on (American) colonists to help cover these expenses resulted in increasing colonial resentment of British attempts to expand imperial authority in the colonies, it says. Those taxes on colonists eventually led to the Revolutionary War, it says. A depiction of Frederick the Great of Prussia defeating the Austrian army of Field Marshal Maximilian Ulysses Count Browne and Prince Charles of Lorraine at the Battle of Prague during the Seven Years War on May 6, 1757. - Hulton Archive/Getty Images The battle of Yorktown For much of Americas 247-year history, its been taught that the last battle of that war was at Yorktown, Virginia, from Sept. 28 to Oct. 19, 1781. (And that may have been why your Final Jeopardy response was North America.) But Glickstein says even describing Yorktown as an American victory is a bit generous. Kids learn that Yorktown was an American victory. In reality, it was a French victory, made possible by a French strategy, two French fleets, French siege engineers, French artillery that pounded the British, was fought largely by French soldiers, marines, and sailors who outnumbered their American rebel allies four-to-one, Glickstein argues. The National Park Service says about 600 French troops were killed at Yorktown and an associated naval battle. It says just over 100 Americans were killed at Yorktown. It was a victory not just of Americans, but of allies, the National Museum of American History at the Smithsonian says of the Battle of Yorktown. French soldiers at Yorktown outnumbered Americans. Spain and the Dutch Republic supported the colonists financially and logistically, the museum says on its website. In a 2018 interview with Smithsonian magazine, historian David Allison of the museum put the foreign help for Washington in a broader scope. Without allies, the colonies would never have gained their freedom, he is quoted as saying. We Americans are too narrow-minded in how we view our national history, as if we alone have determined our own destiny. Yet this has never been true, Allison is quoted as saying. A depiction of Generals Rochambeau and Washington giving the last orders for attack at the siege of Yorktown in 1781. With them is the Marquis de Lafayette. - Hulton Archive/Getty Images Fighting a world away Still, few would dispute that defeat at Yorktown had Britain looking to cut its losses. Peace negotiations began in Paris that would lead to the signing of a preliminary peace deal between the colonies and Britain in late November of 1782. News, however, traveled at the speed of sailing ships to the far reaches of the empires of the main combatants Britain and France. After Yorktown, the fighting between Britain and France and Spain continued elsewhere, in places like Jamaica, Gibraltar and India. Speaking to CNN from his home in Seattle, Glickstein argues that controlling India was a much bigger prize for Britain than controlling portions of North America. British colonizers coveted its resources, like silk, cotton, textiles, spices, tea, opium and precious stones. Historians point out that the British plundering of Indian wealth during the colonial years turned Indias economy from a near peer of Europe to something exponentially smaller. Everything that India made, the Brits wanted, he said, adding that Indias strategic location meant it was a base from where Britain could protect its trade routes to the Asia-Pacific. Britain and, to a lesser extent, France were well established with colonies in India when the American Revolution began and had already brought their hostilities from Europe to the subcontinent, according to the Museum of the American Revolution in Philadelphia. When France entered the war in 1778 as an American ally, the British East India Company immediately moved to attack Frances Indian colonies, drawing both countries Indian allies into the fight, the museums website says. So the garrison of the French and its Indian allies at Cuddalore on the Bay of Bengal was an important target for Britain in late June of 1783. Fighting took place on land and at sea. The naval battle of Cuddalore on June 20 was considered a French victory. On land, the besieged French forces tried attacking British troops around them on June 25, but were pushed back, Glickstein says. Back at sea, the French admiral ordered his ships to prepare a bombardment of British land forces in support of the French ground operation, Glickstein says. But before it could commence, a British ship appeared in the distance flying a white flag, Glickstein says. They brought news that six months before in Paris, the British, French and the Americans the Dutch were a little later signed the Treaty of Paris ending the American Revolution, he says. Cuddalore, India, was indeed the last battle of the American Revolution. For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com (Anne Cusack/Los Angeles Times) Nearly two weeks after former servers at Jon & Vinnys filed a class-action lawsuit against the popular Italian American restaurant, alleging that the establishment violated California gratuity laws, the restaurant changed the language tacked on to the end of customer bills regarding its 18% service fee. At the bottom of customers' checks, it now reads: The service charge is not a tip or gratuity, and is an added fee controlled by the restaurant that helps facilitate a higher living base wage for all of our employees. Please scan the QR Code at the top of the receipt for additional information, or speak with a manager. As recently as June, receipts at the Fairfax and Beverly Hills locations did not mention that the service fee was not a gratuity. Instead, the receipt had a QR code that, when scanned, linked to a web page headlined What We Believe. There, customers are told, No, the service charge is not a tip or gratuity, it is an added fee that is controlled by the restaurant. Over the weekend, servers received a message from management about the change. We have decided to further update the guest check and QR Code summary page regarding the service charge, the message read. Although we have always been very clear with our guests and our staff that the service charge is not a tip or gratuity, unfortunately the recent LA Times article has created confusion and we dont want that to affect our staff or our customers experience. We believe in this team, the experience, and our ability to come together to preserve whats so special about Jon & Vinny's. A spokesperson for Jon & Vinnys declined to comment beyond the note sent to staff. Read more: Is a dine-in service fee a tip? Former servers allege in suit they are owed gratuities from Jon & Vinny's The announcement and change in billing language comes after a Los Angeles Times article published on June 21 about the class-action lawsuit filed in Los Angeles Superior Court against Joint Venture Restaurant Group Inc., which owns Jon & Vinnys. The workers claim that the company denied them tips and therefore shortchanged them on their take-home pay because of confusion resulting from the 18% service fee. Californias gratuity law requires that tips be remitted in full to non-managerial service staff. Through a spokesperson, the restaurant group including partners Jon Shook, Vinny Dotolo and Helen Johannesen, well-known figures in the L.A. culinary community denied the claims. The business partners said their service-charge model democratizes a dining staffs earnings for everyone in their restaurants, and that customers are offered information that states the fee is not a tip. Ten years ago, we recognized that the traditional tip model rewarded some employees, but left many employees behind creating a huge disparity where some employees did very well and others did not, the group said in a statement sent to the Los Angeles Times. The service fee, it added, not only unquestionably benefits hourly employees, but it is unquestionably legal, having been vetted by independent leading professionals in the hospitality industry. Read more: 'Deceiving and disgusting: Readers react to the rise of restaurant service fees A server who currently works at the Jon & Vinnys Beverly Hills location said the new language might be clearer but didnt please some of their diners on Sunday evening. The server didnt want to be named due to fear of retaliation. It certainly doesnt solve the problem, because people are still pissed about the 18% and where it goes, the server said. And it clearly didnt make them tip more last night. Sunday night, the server said, diners left fewer tips than usual for him. He said customers left a lot of zeroes in tips or wrote included in the tip line. Sign up for L.A. Goes Out, a weekly newsletter about exploring and experiencing Los Angeles from the L.A. Times. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times. At least 10 dead amid public gun violence in US cities over long Fourth of July weekend By early morning on the Fourth of July, public gun violence had claimed at least 10 lives and injured dozens more across the country over the long holiday weekend. The killings and injuries took place in U.S. cities including Philadelphia; Baltimore; Wichita, Kansas; and Fort Worth, Texas. Even before this weekend, the nation had already seen more mass killings and victims at this point in the year than in any other year since at least 2006. But Independence Day weekend has emerged as a particularly bloody holiday in the United States. The nation has witnessed an average of five mass shootings on Independence Day over the past decade more than on any other day of the year. President Joe Biden responded to the violence with a statement Tuesday. In part, he said: "Today, Jill and I grieve for those who have lost their lives and, as our nation celebrates Independence Day, we pray for the day when our communities will be free from gun violence." Police investigate the scene of a shooting Monday, July 3, 2023 in Philadelphia. Police say a gunman in a bulletproof vest opened fire on the streets of Philadelphia, killing several people and wounding two boys before he surrendered to responding officers. (Steven M. Falk/The Philadelphia Inquirer via AP) Monday night: Philadelphia shooting A gunman carrying a handgun and an AR-style rifle and wearing a bulletproof vest containing multiple magazines killed five people in southwest Philadelphia on Monday night, the Associated Press reported. When police responded to reports of a shooting, they heard additional shots and eventually found a crime scene sprawled over eight city blocks with three victims ages 20-59 and a fourth estimated to be between 16 and 21. All were male. Two boys, ages 2 and 13, were hospitalized, in stable condition, said Police Commissioner Danielle Outlaw. The Associated Press reported the shooter chased a fifth man and killed him inside a home. Officers chased a 40-year-old suspect as he continued to fire, and arrested him uninjured in an alleyway, Outlaw said. The man also carried a police scanner. The department was working to determine a motive for the shooting. Another person was in custody after picking up a gun and returning fire at the shooter, Outlaw said. A rifle school casing is shown at the scene of a shooting Monday, July 3, 2023 in Philadelphia. Police say a gunman in a bulletproof vest has opened fire on the streets of Philadelphia, killing several people and wounding two boys before he surrendered to responding officers. (Steven M. Falk/The Philadelphia Inquirer via AP) Monday night: Fort Worth shooting Three people were killed and eight injured hours after the annual ComoFest Independence Day celebration and fireworks in Fort Worth's Como neighborhood, police said. Shots were fired into a crowd of hundreds. In a chaotic scene, officers found multiple victims in a parking lot, including one who was pronounced dead. Victims were taken to hospitals by ambulance and private vehicles. Police said one of the victims is a juvenile. No arrests had been made as of Tuesday morning, and it was unclear how many people may have opened fire. A shooting during the 2021 ComoFest injured eight. Sunday: Baltimore shooting Police in Baltimore continue to search for the shooters responsible for killing two and injuring 28 others on Sunday, when gunfire erupted just after 12:30 a.m. at an annual block party in Baltimore's Brooklyn Homes area. Three of the victims were critically injured. Residents watch as Baltimore Police investigate the site of a mass shooting in the Brooklyn Homes neighborhood on July 2, 2023 in Baltimore, Maryland. At least two people were killed and 28 others were wounded during the shooting at a block party on Saturday night. Killed in the shooting were Aaliyah Gonzalez, 18, and Kylis Fagbemi, 20, Baltimore police said. The wounded ranged in age from 13 to 32, including 23 teens, with more than half of them minors. The city's mayor, Brandon Scott, expressed disappointment at videos that emerged on social media of the reactions as the shootings took place, including some grown man filming some young person pull out a gun ... to get likes on Instagram. Sunday: Wichita, Kansas, shooting Police suspected multiple shooters might have been responsible for a shooting in a Wichita nightclub just before 1 a.m. Sunday. Nine people were injured during the shooting and two more were trampled as people rushed to get out of the City Nightz club. By Monday, the Wichita Police Department had arrested one suspect, Brandon Young, 31, of Florissant, Missouri, on two counts of aggravated battery. Investigators have recovered four guns and were working to determine if they had been used in the shooting. The shooting victims were between the ages of 22 and 34, the department stated in a Facebook post, and included seven males and two females. Mass killing toll climbs higher Since 2006, more than 550 mass killings have been reported in the United States, according to a database kept by USA TODAY, the Associated Press and Northeastern University. Over that time span, at least 2,900 people died and more than 2,000 were injured. On Tuesday, President Biden observed that it's been a year since a shooter armed with an AR-15-style weapon fired on a crowd at an Independence Day parade in Highland Park, Illinois. "In mere moments, this day of patriotic pride became a scene of pain and tragedy." Since then, Illinois officials succeeded in banning assault weapons and high-capacity magazines across the state, Biden said. "Their achievement will save lives. But it will not erase their grief. It will not bring back the seven Americans killed in Highland Park or heal the injuries and trauma that scores of others will continue to carry," he said. "And as we have seen over the last few days, much more must be done in Illinois and across America to address the epidemic of gun violence that is tearing our communities apart." Mass killing database: Revealing trends, details and anguish of every US event since 2006 Contributing: Grace Hauck and Isabelle Butera, USA TODAY; The Associated Press This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Deadly shootings in Philadelphia, Fort Worth and other US cities At Least 3 Dead, 8 Injured In Fort Worth, Texas, Shooting, Police Say At least three people were killed and eight injured in a shooting in Fort Worth, Texas, on Monday evening, authorities said, according to multiple newsreports. The shooting reportedly took place at 11:40 p.m. following an annual festival called ComoFest in the neighborhood of Como. Police responding to the scene found multiple people with gunshot wounds in a parking lot. Of the 11 people shot, one is a minor, CNN reported, citing a press release from the Fort Worth Police Departments homicide unit. Authorities havent made any arrests so far, and the motive behind the shooting is unclear. No suspects have been named. Police Capt. Shawn Murray said officers had a hard time navigating quickly into the area because of heavy traffic and fireworks being shot off, while people were racing to flee the scene in response to the gunshots. It was a large crowd so a large police presence had responded to multiple victims being shot along with MedStar and Fire Department personnel, Murray told reporters overnight Monday. Once we had the scene secure, I know persons were transported to the hospital in private vehicles as well as with MedStar ambulances. One officer had to drive a gunshot victim who required urgent medical attention to a nearby ambulance because the vehicle would have a hard time entering the area, Murray explained. Murray added that the departments homicide unit was on the scene overnight looking for evidence. Meanwhile, in Philadelphia on Monday night, a shooter wearing a bulletproof vest shot and killed five people and injured two boys, aged 2 and 13, police said. Over the weekend, two people were killed and 28 were injured after shots were fired at a block party in Baltimore on Sunday, according to police. Last year, a gunman opened fire at a Fourth of July parade in Highland Park, Illinois, killing seven people and injuring over 30 others. The Ultra-Low Emission Zone is to be extended to all of Greater London (HENRY NICHOLLS) A UK court will on Tuesday consider contentious plans to extend a scheme obliging the most polluting vehicles to pay for using London's roads, as opponents engage in protests -- and even sabotage. The High Court case comes just weeks before London Mayor Sadiq Khan's expansion of the Ultra-Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) is set to take effect. The scheme -- first introduced in 2019 and separate from the city's two-decades-old congestion charge -- requires more polluting vehicles to pay a 12.50 ($16) toll on days they are driven within inner London. Its extension to all of Greater London from August 29 has prompted a fierce backlash from many living in and around the newly encompassed areas, who face fines of up to 160 for each day they fail to pay. "It ain't right. They're hitting working class people again," Chris Fordham, 62, told AFP as he pulled up at a supermarket just beyond southeast London in his non-compliant 2012 diesel van. "I'm thinking about packing up work," added the self-employed builder, who crosses into the capital almost daily, blaming the imminent new charge and other soaring costs. Several outer London local authorities and neighbouring Surrey County Council are lodging a court challenge to the way Khan decided on the expansion. Environmental group Greenpeace criticised the councils for going to court, accusing them of "fighting completely the wrong battle". "They should be putting their energy and resources into bringing down air pollution, not a key anti-pollution measure," said Areeba Hamid of Greenpeace UK. Khan, re-elected to a second term in 2021, ordered the new measure in November despite a public consultation suggesting most Londoners oppose it. - 'Harmful' - The Labour mayor, 52, insists the bigger ULEZ will help improve the city's "toxic air pollution", which causes thousands of annual deaths and life-changing illnesses. He developed adult-onset asthma nine years ago and blames it on decades of breathing the capital's poor air. In a legal first in 2021, a coroner ruled that poor air quality from vehicle emissions made a "material contribution" to the death of a nine-year-old London girl who suffered a severe asthma attack. London's ULEZ mirrors similar low-emission zones to improve air quality in more than 200 cities in 10 countries across Europe. Petrol cars registered pre-2006 and diesel vehicles first registered before September 2015 are unlikely to meet the minimum emissions standards required. Transport for London (TfL) -- a local government body -- estimates that fewer than 200,000 such vehicles currently enter the new zone, based on existing ULEZ camera analysis. But the RAC motoring group used a freedom of information request to discover that more than 850,000 ineligible vehicles are registered within London alone. Khan argues that many of those are not actually driven in the capital. He has launched a scrappage scheme providing some funding to eligible vehicle owners. But critics say it does not go far enough. With Britain gripped by the worst cost-of-living crisis in a generation, many affected have been left feeling helpless. - 'Help!' - "It's the wrong time with the cost of living," said pregnant mother-of-one Sarah Farmer, who lives in Swanley, near London. The 31-year-old regularly crosses into the capital in her 2003 Ford Mondeo for her cleaning job and to visit relatives. To compound problems, her partner's 2014 diesel van used for his bricklaying job is not compliant either -- and the couple cannot afford a new car. "I'm not actually against it," she added of the ULEZ, "but they need to give people more help." Some are escalating their opposition, with TfL confirming that more than 200 enforcement cameras have suffered sabotage. London's Metropolitan police have launched a "proactive operation" in response, charging two men in May with criminal damage and other offences. Critics will stage their latest anti-ULEZ protest outside the High Court in central London ahead of Tuesday's hearing. Phil Elliott, 59, a haulage industry driver who has long campaigned against aspects of London's road-charging schemes, has been spearheading opposition, largely through Facebook. He told AFP the new toll is the final straw for many and predicts growing civil disobedience in Britain, emulating the so-called yellow jackets protests seen in France. "Desperate times take desperate measures and unfortunately what you've got (is) people are getting desperate now and governments aren't listening," Elliott said. "Before it gets too messy, people need to start listening." jj/har/phz/gil A Christian graphic artist who the Supreme Court said can refuse to make wedding websites for gay couples pointed during her lawsuit to a request from a man named Stewart and his husband-to-be. The twist? Stewart says it never happened. The revelation has raised questions about how Lorie Smith's case was allowed to proceed all the way to the nation's highest court with such an apparent misrepresentation and whether the state of Colorado, which lost the case last week, has any legal recourse. It has served as another distraction at the end of a highly polarizing term for a Supreme Court marked by ethical questions and contentious rulings along ideological lines that rejected affirmative action in higher education and President Joe Bidens $400 billion plan to cancel or reduce federal student loan debts. Here's a look at the legal questions surrounding the mysterious would-be customer, Stewart:" WHAT ROLE DID THE CLAIM PLAY IN THE CASE? About a month after the conservative legal group Alliance Defending Freedom filed the case in Colorado federal court in 2016, lawyers for the state said it should be dismissed partly because Smith hadn't been harmed by the states anti-discrimination law. Smith who did not plan to start creating wedding websites until her case was resolved would first have to get a request from a gay couple and refuse, triggering a possible complaint against her, the state argued. Smith's lawyers maintained that she didn't have to be punished for violating the law before challenging it. In a February 2017 filing, they revealed that though she did not need a request to pursue the case, she had, in fact, received one. An appendix to the filing included a website request form submitted by Stewart on Sept. 21, 2016, a few days after the lawsuit was filed. It also included a Feb. 1, 2017, affidavit from Smith stating that Stewarts request had been received. Two documents Smith filed with the Supreme Court briefly mention that she had received at least one request to create a website celebrating a same-sex wedding but do not elaborate. FILE - Lorie Smith, a Christian graphic artist and website designer in Colorado, right, accompanied by her lawyer, Kristen Waggoner of the Alliance Defending Freedom, second from left, speaks outside the Supreme Court in Washington, Monday, Dec. 5, 2022, after her case was heard before the Supreme Court. In a defeat for gay rights, the Supreme Court's conservative majority ruled Friday, June 30, 2023, Smith who wants to design wedding websites can refuse to work with same-sex couples. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik, File) The request stated that Stewart and his fiance Mike were looking for design work on things like invitations and place setting cards for their upcoming wedding. We might also stretch to a website, the form said. Lawyers for Colorado wrote in their brief to the Supreme Court in August that it did not amount to an actual request for a website and the company did not take any steps to verify that a genuine prospective customer submitted the form. It's not clear whether the state took any steps to verify whether Stewart whose contact information was included in court papers was a real potential customer. Stewart told The Associated Press last week that he didn't even know his name had been invoked in the case until he was contacted by a reporter for The New Republic, which first reported his denial. Stewart, who declined to give his last name for fear of harassment and threats, said he was incredibly surprised, adding he has been married to a woman for 15 years. COULD THE REVELATION IMPACT THE CASE NOW? It's highly unlikely. The would-be customer's request was not the basis for Smith's original lawsuit, nor was it cited by the high court as the reason for ruling in her favor. Legal standing, or the right to bring a lawsuit, generally requires the person bringing the case to show that they have suffered some sort of harm. But pre-enforcement challenges like the one Smith brought are allowed in certain cases if the person can show they face a credible threat of prosecution or sanctions unless they conform to the law. The 10th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, which reviewed the case before the Supreme Court, found that Smith had standing to sue. That appeals court noted that Colorado had a history of past enforcement against nearly identical conduct and that the state decline to promise that it wouldn't go after Smith if she violated the law. If there are other places where you can get standing, then legally speaking I dont think it actually does make a difference, said Jessica Levinson, a professor at Loyola Law School. However, it could have affected the case by undermining the credibility of Smith's legal team, potentially causing the judge to look more skeptically at everything else they filed, Levinson said. It could also result in potential sanctions against Smith's legal team if it turns out they knew Stewart's request was false, Levinson said. FILE - People on both sides of the debate rally outside the Supreme Court in Washington, Monday, Dec. 5, 2022. In a defeat for gay rights, the Supreme Court's conservative majority ruled Friday, June 30, 2023, Lorie Smith, a Christian graphic artist and website designer in Colorado, who wants to design wedding websites can refuse to work with same-sex couples. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik) While the revelation cannot change the decision, its something that shouldve come up in the litigation, said Erwin Chemerinsky, the dean of Berkeley Law, because then what the court should have done is say we have doubts about this, we cant resolve it, we send it back to the federal district court. Kristen Waggoner the president of Alliance Defending Freedom, who argued the case before the high court has said her client doesnt have a way of doing background checks on those requesting business nor is it her responsibility to do so. On Monday, Waggoner slammed suggestions that her client made up the request, adding that the more likely scenario is that "Stewart or another activist did in fact submit the request. To say that Lorie Smith or ADF fabricated a request for a same-sex wedding website is a lie," she said in an emailed statement. It would make no sense to have fabricated a request because one wasnt required for the court to decide her case. HAS ANYTHING LIKE THIS HAPPENED BEFORE? An error like that especially at the level of the Supreme Court is highly unusual, legal experts say. Assuming the allegation is correct that this was something that was factually inaccurate ... I've never seen anything that blatant happen before," said Adam Feldman, who follows the court as the creator of the Empirical SCOTUS blog. Lawyers have, however, had to walk back statements made to the court before. The solicitor general, who represents the government before the Supreme Court, apologized in a court filing this year for an inaccurate statement made to the court during oral arguments over a 2017 patent case. Solicitor General Elizabeth Prelogar wrote that the lawyer was given wrong information by the United States Patent and Trademark Office, adding: We regret any misimpression inadvertently created by the answer that was given. The court has also included errors in its own rulings. In 2017, ProPublica published a review of several dozen cases in which they found several false or wholly unsupported factual claims." Among them was an error in Shelby County v. Holder, which struck down part of the Voting Rights Act. The publication reported that Chief Justice John Roberts included incorrect data in a comparison of voter registration among Black people and white people in certain states. lient of lawyer beaten up in Chechnya was given 5.5 years in penal colony A court in Grozny [the capital of Chechnya ed.] has sentenced Zarema Musayeva, the client of Alexander Nemov, the lawyer attacked and brutally beaten in Chechnya, to 5.5 years in a penal colony in a case of violence against a government official and fraud. Source: Russian Air Force service, Medusa, Telegram channel of the Team Against Torture Quote from Team Against Torture: "Zarema Musayeva was sentenced to 5.5 years in a general regime penal colony. This is the term requested by the prosecutor for Zarema. The Akhmatovskiy District Court in Grozny has just found her guilty of fraud and the use of violence against a police officer." Details: Human rights activists call the verdict political. Musayeva is the wife of former Chechen federal judge Saidi Yangulbaev. Their sons, Abubakar and Ibrahim, are human rights activists and opposition figures. The family was forced to leave Chechnya [Federal Subject of Russia; Ukrainian parliament recognised it as temporarily Russian-occupied territory of the Chechen Republic of Ichkeria ed.] in 2017. On 20 January 2022, security forces who claimed to work for Chechen law enforcement agencies broke into the apartment in Nizhny Novgorod where Saidi Yangulbayev, Zarema Musayeva and their children lived. They took Zarem Musayeva to Chechnya, preventing her from taking the necessary medications (the woman has type 2 diabetes). The security forces explained their actions by the need to interrogate Musayeva in the fraud case. But in Grozny, she was accused of assaulting a police officer and arrested. According to Nastoyashcheye Vremya ("Present Time"), the Chechen authorities link the Yangulbayevs to the activities of the 1ADAT movement, which openly criticises Kadyrov and whose website is blocked in Russia. Abubakar and Saidi deny any connection to 1ADAT. Only Ibrahim confirmed his participation in the movement. At the end of 2021, the Yangulbayevs reported dozens of their relatives being abducted in Chechnya. Ramzan Kadyrov personally called this family terrorists, and promised to persecute them. In January 2023, Abubakar Yangulbayev contacted Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov and offered to exchange himself for his mother, as the woman's health had deteriorated over the past year. He also said that a woman "should not be held responsible for her sons' actions." In December 2021 early 2022, the Yangulbayev family left Russia due to threats. Background: On 4 July, masked assailants attacked and severely beat the journalist of Novaya Gazeta Elena Milashina and lawyer Alexander Nemov in Chechnya; the girl's fingers were broken, and the equipment and documents of the victims were destroyed. Milashina and Nemov were on their way to a court hearing in the case of Zarema Musayeva, who was abducted by Chechen security forces. The lawyer represents Musayeva's interests in court. The journalist was travelling to report on the court hearing. Journalists fight on their own frontline. Support Ukrainska Pravda or become our patron! Lilli Vincenz Lilli Vincenz, an activist in the LGBTQ+ rights movement since the early 1960s, has died at age 85. Vincenz died of natural causes June 27 at a care facility in Oakton, Va., the Washington Blade reports. She became active in the movement after being outed as a lesbian in 1963, while she was serving in the Womens Army Corps. She was discharged. She soon joined the Washington, D.C., chapter of the Mattachine Society, becoming the first known lesbian in that gay rights group, according to the Blade. In 1965, she joined its cofounder Frank Kameny and others in the first protest at the White House for equal rights for gays, lesbians, and bisexuals. She was the only lesbian marching there. She was certainly a pioneer in that way, scholar and author Lillian Faderman told The Washington Post. They couldnt get another lesbian to show her face. Sometime[s] you are the only person who can do something at a certain time, Vincenz once said. Its the old question, If not I, who? She participated in protests at other high-profile sites, including the Pentagon, Independence Hall in Philadelphia, and the U.S. Civil Service Commissions headquarters in D.C. She filmed the Independence Hall protest, which took place in 1968, and went on to use her filmmaking skills to document other events in the burgeoning movement, such as the first gay rights march in New York City. It was held in 1970 to mark the first anniversary of the Stonewall riots. She donated her films and papers to the Library of Congress in 2013, and her films can be viewed on its website. She edited the D.C. Mattachine Societys newsletter and, with fellow lesbian activist Nancy Tucker, founded a spin-off publication called the Gay Blade, which eventually became the Washington Blade. She was involved with the early lesbian organization Daughters of Bilitis as well and appeared on the cover of its publication, The Ladder, in 1966. An immigrant from Germany, Vincenz went to college and graduate school in the U.S. and opened a psychotherapy practice in the 1970s. Her practice initially focused on serving lesbians and bisexual women, but she had many gay men as clients at the height of the AIDS crisis in the 1980s. Her activities also included hosting an open house for lesbians to meet one another and supporting Kameny in his campaign for D.C.s congressional seat in 1971. He is believed to be the first out candidate for political office. He lost, but his campaign is credited with setting the stage for other LGBTQ+ candidates to run for and win elective office. In 1992, she and longtime partner Nancy Davis founded the Community for Creative Self-Development, described as a holistic learning community for empowering gay women and men and all gay-friendly people, creatively, spiritually, and psychologically, according to D.C.s Rainbow History Project. Vincenz and Davis were a couple from 1986 until Daviss death in 2019. Vincenzs life and activism were chronicled in a film, Gay and Proud: Lillis Legacy, produced by the reconstituted Mattachine Society of Washington and viewable on YouTube. Faderman, lesbian U.S. Sen. Tammy Baldwin, and out historian Eric Cervini are among the interviewees in the film. Her survivors include a nephew, three nieces, and many friends, her friend Bob Brown told the Blade. A memorial service will be held later. A ship carrying exports including 564 cars and some auto parts departed on Monday from Chenglingji Port, in the city of Yueyang, Hunan Province, bound for the Russian port of Vladivostok, marking the launch of Hunan's first direct shipping route to Russia. The new route is also the province's second direct shipping route for the import and export of goods. The outbound voyage takes about 10 days while the return journey takes 12 days, saving about five days and 40 percent of the cost each trip, compared to previous trips that involved transfers at Shanghai Port. With abundant import and export demand, the new shipping service is expected to post an annual cargo throughput of 50,000 tonnes, while further promoting Hunan's economic and trade exchanges with countries along the Belt and Road, said the operating company behind the maiden voyage. Lithuanian military volunteer dies after getting wounded in Bakhmut Valerijus Polkovnikovas, a military volunteer from Lithuania, who was wounded in the fighting near the city of Bakhmut, died in a Kyiv hospital on 3 July. Source: Rokas Paulukaitis, a friend of the deceased, a Lithuanian Air Force pilot, on Facebook, as reported by European Pravda Quote: "Today I received the sad news. Valerijus Polkovnikovas passed away in a Kyiv hospital from the wounds he sustained in Bakhmut. A classmate, a friend, a person who could not stand aside when he saw injustice," he said. Details: Paulukaitis also called for aid to the parents of the deceased, who were found to be in a difficult financial situation. As Lithuanian news agency LRT reports, Polkovnikovas fought in Ukraine for several months. Lithuanian Defence Minister Arvydas Anusauskas also reported the death of a Lithuanian military volunteer on social media but later deleted the post. The Lithuanian Foreign Ministry reported that the embassy staff in Ukraine had visited the hospital, where they received confirmation of the death of the Lithuanian citizen. The ministry said the embassy had no information that the deceased Lithuanian citizen had died of injuries sustained during hostilities. Lithuanian diplomats are investigating the situation and are in constant contact with the man's relatives and law enforcement agencies. Background: In April, two Lithuanian citizens serving in the International Legion of Defence of Ukraine were reportedly injured during the fighting near Bakhmut in Donetsk Oblast. Journalists fight on their own frontline. Support Ukrainska Pravda or become our patron! A live-action "Barney" movie is headed for the big screen. But according to one studio executive, it won't be for kids it's for adults who grew up with the character. Producer Kevin McKeon told The New Yorker that the project which is set to be produced by Mattel and Daniel Kaluuya, known for his starring roles in "Get Out," "Nope" and "Black Panther" will be "surrealistic." "We're leaning into the millennial angst of the property rather than fine-tuning this for kids," he said. "It's really a play for adults. Not that it's R-rated, but it'll focus on some of the trials and tribulations of being thirtysomething, growing up with Barney just the level of disenchantment within the generation." "Barney & Friends" came out in April 1992, making Barney's first fans those who are now in their 30s. The character is known for his optimism, giggle and educational messages, as well as his "I Love You" song. McKeon didn't provide any additional details to The New Yorker about the live-action film's plot, but said the idea he had pitched set the movie up as an "A24-type" film, seemingly saying it could have a similar tone to artful independent films like "The Whale," "Aftersun," "Bodies Bodies Bodies" and "Everything Everywhere All At Once." "It would be so daring of us, and really underscore that we're here to make art," McKeon told the magazine. Robbie Brenner of Mattel Films also hinted at the new movie's unusual approach to the character in the company's 2019 announcement of the project. "Working with Daniel Kaluuya will enable us to take a completely new approach to 'Barney' that will surprise audiences and subvert expectations," he said. "The project will speak to the nostalgia of the brand in a way that will resonate with adults, while entertaining today's kids." Earlier this year, Mattel revealed a first-look of a new digital Barney as the company relaunches the franchise ahead of the live-action film, which does not yet have a release date. The new animated Barney will debut in 2024 and is expected to be a series that features the dinosaur and his friends going on adventures "centered on love, community and encouragement." Exclusive discounts from CBS Mornings Deals A look at the flag that inspired "The Star-Spangled Banner" Fandango's Erik Davis on must-see films of the summer movie season I have a lot of fear. How one SLO County woman nearly fell back into homelessness again When Denise Flores finally got a roof over her head after around five years of homelessness in 2022, it was supposed to be the end of her troubles with housing. Flores, 61, saw her life upended in 2017, when her husband died of a drug overdose. His substance abuse and dysfunction within their relationship caused Flores to lose her housing, she said. Flores previously spoke to The Tribune about the hardships she faced while living unsheltered in San Luis Obispo in April 2022. Her homelessness journey would end just two months later or so she thought. In June 2022, she was able to secure housing for herself in Atascadero, under a Section 8 housing voucher. In the year after, however, Flores said her relationship with the propertys landlord deteriorated for reasons she didnt understand. With only two months left on her lease in June of this year, Flores was not offered an option to renew, forcing her to find a new landlord that would accept her Section 8 voucher or return to the streets. I have a lot of fear, because its hard and Im older now and I have some physical stuff Im dealing with, Flores told The Tribune. This should not have happened to me it should not happen to anybody. SLO County womans subsidized housing lease not renewed Flores said her life has been full of difficulties shes had to overcome, from her childhood in and out of group homes and juvenile detention to abusive relationships in adulthood. Most recently, housing has been the main source of instability in Flores life. Like many individuals and families who receive Section 8 housing vouchers, Flores said she moved into her unit in Atascadero out of necessity, not choice. She is unable to work due to a disability and is on a fixed income of Social Security and disability benefits. While the Section 8 voucher Flores received from the Housing Authority of San Luis Obispo County (HASLO) subsidizes her housing so that her cost is capped at at 30% of her income, she still has limited resources to cover all of her other expenses, such as food, transportation and basic costs of living, she said. At the time, she was glad to have a roof over her head, but she began to notice problems with the unit almost immediately, she said. The windows were poorly set into the walls and could not keep the apartment sealed from the elements, and the walls themselves werent well insulated against warm and cold conditions. This became more of an issue during the winter storms early this year when the walls began to mold and crack from the intense changes in heat and humidity, she said. Denise Flores, who was homeless for five years until 2022, wasnt able to renew her lease in Atascadero and recently moved to a new senior complex in Templeton. During the worst nights of the storms, Flores said staying in her unit was like sleeping outside with a roof over my head. Flores said she requested a visit from a code inspector, who in turn recommended several repairs to the landlord. Flores said she felt this request for repairs may have soured her relationship with the landlord. In her year living in the unit, Flores said the only people she ever invited to her home were the landlord and the code inspector, and she never got any indication she was doing anything wrong as a tenant. Flores did not share her landlords contact information with The Tribune due to privacy concerns. Data: Almost a quarter who receive subsidized housing return to homelessness Mark Lamore, director of mental illness and housing support nonprofit Transitions-Mental Health Association, said the majority of formerly homeless people who return to the street after being housed do so voluntarily. This is often spurred by the shock of an abrupt lifestyle change, Lamore said. (For) somebody whos been chronically homeless for 18 years, being on the street is not too scary, Lamore said. Theyll come in and theyre not quite ready. Among TMHAs clientele, this usually happens once or twice each year, Lamore said. According to the California Interagency Council on Homelessness Statewide Homelessness Assessment, between July 1, 2018, and June 30, 2021, around 17% of those served by homeless service providers across the state some 96,432 people exited the care of homeless service providers. About 38,816 people no longer needed services due to finding interim housing, but around 57,616 people left the system to return to sheltered or unsheltered homelessness, the assessment found. Denise Flores, who was homeless for five years until 2022, recently obtained housing in Templeton in a new senior complex. The apartment is light and airy. The Statewide Homelessness Assessment also found around 22.6% of recipients of subsidized housing returned to homelessness after moving in. Formerly homeless individuals who moved in with family or friends returned to homelessness at a slightly lower rate of 16.5%, the report found. Lamore said individuals who return to homelessness often have a good shot at getting into housing programs, provided they stay committed to avoiding the mistakes that lost them housing in the first place. For many clients, those choices often involve substance abuse issues, he said. Its pretty easy to establish that trust again, because the person has made that repair, and we can meet with them, Lamore said. (That) generally is why you lose communication or lose trust theres a substance abuse issue, and youre just not able to make good decisions at that point. Scott Collins, executive director of HASLO, said relationships between landlords and formerly homeless tenants can sometimes be hard to navigate due to existing stigmas surrounding Section 8 recipients. You cant deny someone outright because theyre on Section 8, but you still as a landlord have the ability to run background checks and look at prior potential evictions and those kinds of things, Collins said. Despite that, Collins said, Its not common for people to fall out of favor of their landlord. Denise Flores, who was homeless for five years until 2022, recently obtained housing in Templeton in a new senior complex. She bought some puzzles because it relaxes her. Those stigmas along with San Luis Obispo Countys exorbitant rents can sometimes leave Section 8 voucher recipients with subpar housing options to choose from, Collins said. In Flores case, Collins said the non-renewal of the lease did allow Flores to retain her voucher, which she would have lost had she been evicted instead. Flores also does not have a history of substance abuse, mental health problems or prior evictions, which Collins said are some of the main problems that can hurt landlord relations or drive clients back onto the streets. Collins said HASLO and other housing providers often try to provide post-housing support for formerly homeless individuals, including conflict resolution between landlords and tenants and financial aid for struggling voucher holders. While there are plenty of ways to fall into homelessness, its difficult and expensive to get out for both the client and homeless service provider, he said. While there has been a great focus on purchasing emergency shelters as well as building permanent housing, keeping people out of (homelessness) will save thousands of dollars for each individual, Collins said. Denise Flores, who was homeless for five years until 2022, recently obtained housing in Templeton in a new senior complex. Flores is slowly stocking her brand new kitchen. SLO County woman finds last-minute housing, but needs a car Flores was able to narrowly avert becoming homeless at the end of June by signing a 12-month lease for a brand-new unit at a Peoples Self-Help Housing senior housing complex in Templeton. While she is grateful to keep a roof over her head, Flores said this desperation move placed her in yet another tenuous situation. Because she doesnt own a car and has little savings or income, Flores said shes unable to move around town. In her new apartment in Templeton, she lives about two miles from the nearest grocery store. Flores said that will become a more significant problem as the summer heats up, and will be the next hurdle she has to overcome. Flores is fundraising on GoFundMe to get a car, which she said will make her situation in Templeton more stable. As of Monday, she has raised $100 of her $5,000 goal. If shes able to make living in Templeton work, Flores said she hopes to find ways to contribute with local homeless outreach organizations, using her own struggles on the streets and in maintaining housing post-homelessness to help others. This is not the end of the line for me, even though it looks like it could be, Flores said. I can relate to certain people about things, and I have a heart for people. A summons handed over to Yosif Sytnyk A number of members of the Lviv Oblast Council have been served with conscription orders, Iosyf Sytnyk, a councilmember from the Svoboda party, reported on Facebook on July 4, sharing a photo of the summons he received. The session of the Lviv Oblast Council began with a meeting with representatives of the Lychakiv-Zaliznychnyi Recruitment and Social Support Center in Lviv, he reported. The councilmembers were served with summons. Glory to Ukraine! Maria Levko, the head of the press service of the center, confirmed the report and added that the summons were issued as part of ongoing mobilization measures in Ukraine. Read also: Were bringing the voice of Ukraine to the world. Support us with a one-time donation, or become a Patron! Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine Donald TrumpJabin Botsford/The Washington Post via Getty Images Overnight leading up to the July 4th holiday, former president Donald Trump took to Truth Social the social media platform created by Trump Media & Technology Group in 2021 to once again lash out at special counsel Jack Smith. He wrote: "Jack Smith is a major SleazeBag put up by the corrupt DOJ to damage the Republican Party. He is all about ELECTION INTERFERENCE!!!" Beneath the post, Trump linked out to an old Washington Examiner article from November that discussed how Smith had been interviewed in 2014 as part of a Republican-led IRS probe. As CNN reported, during those discussions, Smith said that he had discussions about opening investigations during former President Barack Obama's term, but those investigations never moved forward. Smith was appointed last November by Attorney General Merrick Garland to take over two Justice Department investigations involving Trump. The first involves Trump's handling of classified documents after leaving the White House in January 2021; the second examines his efforts to overturn the results of the 2020 U.S. election. Grand juries in Washington have been hearing testimony from witnesses in recent months for both investigations. This late-night attack on Smith, who has already slapped Trump with a 37-count indictment, is part of a pattern of behavior for the former president. As Salon's Tatyana Tandanpolie reported on June 28, experts fear Trump is encouraging followers to target Jack Smith's family. New York University history professor Ruth Ben-Ghiat, who is a scholar of authoritarianism, told HuffPost that "once again, Trump is acting like a Mafia boss and also stringing as many propaganda slogans together as possible." Two demonstrators march with a US flagJEWEL SAMAD/AFP via Getty Images "There must be some kind of way out of here" As night fell over the South River Forest, the music festival was in full swing. Young and old swayed to the sounds of Suede Cassidy. Families gathered around the grill. Little ones frolicked in an inflatable bouncy house bedecked with a banner that read: "Stop Cop City." While the band played on, a strike force of Georgia state troopers assembled in the shadows. They were there to clear the way for the creation of the Atlanta Public Safety Training Center, better known as "Cop City," a $90-million training ground for the future of urban warfare. It would destroy more than half of that urban forest. For years, the project had faced mounting local opposition and this festival was, in essence, a coming-out party for the movement to defend a priceless bit of urban green space from the bulldozer's blade. Now, accompanied by the dull hum of drones and the buzz of helicopters overhead, officers of the "peace" descended from all directions, their fingers on the triggers of their semi-automatics. The orders came down with the force of live rounds: "Get on the ground! Now!" "I was playing 'All Along the Watchtower,' funnily enough," remembers Suede Cassidy frontman Jeremiah Percival. "Around halfway through our set, they started arresting people pointing AR-15s traumatizing kids for nothing. It was very stormtrooper-esque. It's a good reminder to know how fascism is in this country and how it's very much alive." "It was after dark," recalls Stop Cop City activist Priscilla Grim. "I was walking to see the concert. And I noticed that there was a drone tracking me. And the next thing I knew, men started chasing me, and I fell. They had me turn over on my stomach. And there was the red light of the gunsight to the right of my head. It was frightening!" Priscilla and 22 other protesters nabbed that night would go on to be charged with "domestic terrorism" conduct allegedly "intended to intimidate the civilian population" or to "alter, change, or coerce the policy of the government of this state" under a Georgia statute originally meant to deter would-be killers in the wake of the Charleston A.M.E. massacre. "I was completely shocked when I heard that I was being charged with domestic terrorism," Priscilla told me. "For wearing black! In a forest! It's absurd. It's illegitimate. It's an abuse And as a survivor of 9/11, I am insulted that the state of Georgia thinks that they can do this." The Makings of an American Inquisition Today, no fewer than 42 such cases are being prosecuted by Georgia's attorney general. All 42 defendants stand accused of damaging property, not people. The only injuries that occurred were by police and correctional officers on the bodies of the accused. Some were then held for a month or more before being formally charged with a crime. Georgia is hardly alone. The New York City Police Department recently attempted to charge multiple protesters with "terrorism" after they peacefully occupied a subway station to protest the choking to death of Jordan Neely, an unhoused New Yorker, by an ex-Marine. In an absurd turn of events, the charges were ultimately downgraded from "terrorism" to "criminal trespassing" before being dropped altogether last week. And across the country, such police work continues under the guise of counterterrorism. Since the George Floyd movement, it's been possible to see the makings of a future American inquisition in which the machinery of state is increasingly weaponized against the body politic itself especially against its most leftwing, most marginalized parts. Related Fascism, free speech and Cop City: What's happening in Atlanta and why it matters Though the fanatics of the far right have been responsible for the preponderance of deadly political violence in recent years, it's the heretics of the left antiracists and antifascists, environmentalists and anticapitalists, pro-choice feminists and LGBTQ+ liberationists who have attracted the most attention from police, prosecutors, and inquisitorial politicians. It is they who have been profiled as "domestic terrorists," branded as "violent extremists," and subjected to terrorism-based sentencing enhancements, often yielding harsher prison terms and crueler punishments than those for their right-wing counterparts. As a result of such disparities, hundreds of participants in the George Floyd protests remain caged in federal facilities to this day. The Long, Hot Summer of 2020 On May 31, 2020, just days after George Floyd's murder, President Trump's Department of Justice (DOJ) all but declared war on the burgeoning racial-justice movement. Attorney General William P. Barr went before the press and promised to deploy federal forces to apprehend "radical agitators," identify "criminal organizers and instigators," and "coordinate" with "our state and local partners." "The rioting is domestic terrorism," Barr went on to state, "and will be treated accordingly." Acting Deputy Secretary of Homeland Security (DHS) Ken Cuccinelli had a nearly identical message for the media: "Cities across America burn at the hands of antifa and anarchists while many political leaders are refusing to call it what it is: domestic terrorism." A DHS whistleblower later affirmed that Cuccinelli and others had specifically instructed him to play up "the prominence of violent 'left-wing' groups" in his intelligence assessments and downplay threats of terror from the far right. And so began a long, hot summer of inquisition into, and counterinsurgency against, the Black Lives Matter movement. By the second week of June, more than 13,643 protest participants had been arrested by state and local authorities. Some, like a group of three teens in Oklahoma City, even faced charges of felony "terrorism" for alleged acts of property destruction. By the time the protests were over, some 326 people had been apprehended by federal agents, including members of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms, and the Department of Homeland Security's Border Patrol Tactical Unit (BORTAC). At least 54 U.S. Attorneys' offices were involved, as were all 56 of the FBI's Joint Terrorism Task Forces. In May 2023, new reporting on FBI activities would reveal that the agency had improperly run "batch queries" of foreign intelligence sources for information on 133 individuals, all of whom were arrested "in connection with civil unrest and protests" in 2020. They were looking for "counter-terrorism derogatory information on the arrestees." According to recently declassified documents from the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court, they were also spying on American citizens without "any specific potential connections to terrorist-related activity." In 20 of the cases prosecuted at the federal level, there is evidence of direct involvement by FBI agents in the arrests themselves. And in two particularly egregious cases, U.S. Marshals and their deputies functionally acted as judges, juries, and executioners, with "Violent Offender Task Forces" fatally shooting two suspects antifascist activist Michael Reinoehl in Washington and Black Lives Matter advocate Winston Smith in Minnesota on sight. Want a daily wrap-up of all the news and commentary Salon has to offer? Subscribe to our morning newsletter, Crash Course. Up until January 6, 2021, the supposed danger posed by left-wing "extremism" continued to be deemed greater than, or at least equal to, the threat of right-wing terrorism. No matter that the right had been responsible for the lion's share of lethal incidents linked to extremism of any kind. There were, of course, no terrorism bulletins released ahead of the events of January 6th. Nor would there be terrorism enhancements after the fact awaiting those who participated in the Capitol siege. Such charges were reserved for Americans of a different description. A Bipartisan Inquisition The inquisition did not end with Trump's first term. For all the rhetoric about criminal justice reform and for all the conspiracy theories claiming that the president had "quietly" pardoned thousands of Black Lives Matter protesters in 2021 Joe Biden's Department of Justice has doubled down in a determined fashion on an inquisitorial strategy of counterinsurgency in the name of counterterrorism. In the White House's "National Strategy for Countering Domestic Terrorism," released in June 2021, the administration pledged to "disrupt and deter those who launch attacks in a misguided effort to force change in government policies that they view as unjust." Subsequent documents, like last fall's "Strategic Intelligence Assessment," a joint product of the FBI and the DHS, confirmed what many in the Black Lives Matter movement already knew: that federal intelligence agencies had set their sights on "threat actors" motivated by "real or perceived racism or injustice in American society." Over the course of the Biden presidency, the DOJ has prosecuted Trump-era protest crimes with vigor and enthusiasm, while federal prosecutors have expanded the use of terrorism sentencing enhancements, delivering dozens of political prisoners to the doorstep of the Federal Bureau of Prisons. A grossly disproportionate share of them have been people of African descent. The vast majority of federal cases involve offenses against property or "commerce." At least 17 have faced felony charges for unlawful use of the Internet (for instance, "using an instrument of interstate commerce to incite riots"). One of every three defendants was charged with obstructing "interstate commerce," one in five with crimes of "civil disorder," and another one in five for "conspiring," "attempting," or "aiding and abetting" some underlying crime they did not themselves commit. Take the case of a young Black woman named Tia Pugh, of Mobile, Alabama, who was initially charged with two simple misdemeanors for breaking a window on the night of May 31, 2020. "We were attacked first," she would recall. "I was getting my people out of there We get killed for less." After being tracked down on Facebook, then interrogated by the FBI, she was brought up on felony charges for interfering with the police "during the commission of a civil disorder" which "adversely affected commerce." Facing more than five years in prison, her sentence was reduced to time served after she spent more than a year in pretrial detention in an Alabama jail. Though many have seen their charges dropped, others have seen their cases pursued to the bitter end by local prosecutors. Black activist Brittany Martin was, for instance, convicted in 2022 of "breaching the peace" for shouting in officers' faces during a peaceable assembly in Sumter, South Carolina, in 2020. Although the alleged offense typically carries a maximum penalty of 30 days, prosecutors charged her with a crime of a "high and aggravated nature." Last spring, she was sentenced, while pregnant, to no fewer than four years behind bars. Future Enemies of the State By any measure, the white supremacist movement is now officially acknowledged to pose the deadliest terrorist threat in America. The White House, the DOJ, and the DHS have made much of their commitment to confronting such far-right forms of terror, but the numbers coming from the federal government tell a different story. On June 6th, the DOJ's Office of the Inspector General released its annual internal audit, assessing the Department's strategy to "address the domestic violent extremism threat." The audit revealed that investigations into white supremacist, "racially motivated," and "anti-government/anti-authority" activity fell dramatically from 2021 to 2022. At the same time, the number (and share) of investigations involving "abortion-related" (including "pro-choice") extremism skyrocketed, increasing by more than 800% and surpassing that recorded in any other year on record. Related "Playgrounds for cops": Beyond protests, clergy, environmentalist unite against Atlanta's 'Cop City' There is little mystery as to who is being targeted by such investigations since the Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health decision, which revoked a pregnant parent's right to choose. Last year, FBI Director Christopher Wray clarified which side was the most suspect and which side considered the most victimized: "You might be interested to know that, since the Dobbs decision, probably in the neighborhood of 70 percent of our abortion-related violence cases, are cases of violence or threats against pro-life where the victims are pro-life organizations. And we're going after that." The case of Pilsen Community Books (PCB), a worker-owned bookstore on Chicago's Lower West Side, is illuminating in this regard. PCB was recently revealed to be the subject of an FBI "assessment," based on three factors: its status as a "not police friendly place"; its role as a "meeting, planning, and networking venue"; and its recent use by "pro-abortion extremiststo prepare for a pro-abortion direct action." In other words, it's a dangerous hotbed of constitutionally protected activity. "Everything is very much out there in terms of what we believe and what we do," says worker-owner Mandy Medley. "I was shocked that the FBI would be interested in us this way Community organizing is not illegal and should not be treated as such." Elsewhere, the Department of Homeland Security and its national network of 80 "fusion centers" have been hard at work collecting and aggregating data on "anarchist" or "environmental violent extremists." And they've cast a wide net, even ensnaring writers and artists in their web of surveillance. State Terror in the Age of Counterterrorism Meanwhile, back in Washington, D.C., inquisitorially-minded Republican politicians have been pressuring the FBI and DHS to crack down ever harder on their ideological adversaries. Last month, Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) introduced legislation that would designate "Antifa," and "any other affiliated group or subsidiary of Antifa" to be a domestic terrorist organization based on its "unlawful conduct" and its belief in "communism, anarchism, socialism and lawlessness." That same month, the House Committee on Homeland Security held a hearing on "Countering Left-Wing Organized Violence," at which Greene called for a clampdown on the newest enemy of the state: "The movement that wants to use trans terrorism against Americans." No mention was made of the very real movement that approves of the use of terror against trans Americans. One such trans American was Manuel Teran, an indigenous forest defender known as Tortuguita, who was killed by a barrage of 57 bullets one cold January day in that Atlanta forest. While it was a state trooper who fired the fatal bullet, it was DHS, the FBI, and the Georgia Bureau of Investigation that provided the intelligence for the operation. In the months since Tortuguita's killing, those very agencies have continued to beat the drums of war, warning of the threat of "violent extremists in Georgia" and singling out those motivated by "anti-law enforcement sentiment." In a real sense, it may be that this latest American inquisition has simply come full circle, returning us to our historical roots: to a society where the caging of Black people, the spilling of indigenous blood, and the violent policing of the body politic are the stuff of business as usual a society where state terror, in the name of counterterrorism, is accepted as a way of life. On the other hand, if Black Lives Matter and the movement for bodily autonomy are any indication, it may be that we, as a society, have a lower tolerance for state terror than we once did. Read more about this the government's war on the left [Source] The man accused of fatally shooting a pregnant business owner in a random attack in Seattle has pleaded not guilty to his charges. Plea entered: Cordell Maurice Goosby, 30, pleaded not guilty to first-degree murder and first-degree attempted murder charges in his first court appearance on Thursday. Members of the Korean American community reportedly filled the King County Superior Court in support of the victim, 34-year-old Eina Kwon, who is survived by her husband, 37-year-old Sung Kwon, and their 2-year-old son. The couple ran Aburiya Bento House in the neighborhood of Belltown. The allegations: Goosby is accused of fatally shooting Eina who was eight months pregnant while she was in her white Tesla at a traffic light stop at Fourth Avenue and Lenora Street at around 11 a.m. on June 13. More from NextShark: He Lost His Wife to Coronavirus, Now He Cant Even Get Tested Surveillance footage of the incident shows a man running up to the vehicle before opening fire into the drivers window. While being arrested, Goosby reportedly told police, I did it, I did it, and later claimed to have a history of mental issues. He said he fired into the Tesla because he thought its passengers had a gun. The aftermath: Eina died at Harborview Medical Center shortly after giving birth to her baby via an emergency C-section. The baby, who was named Evelyn Ahrin Kwon, eventually died as well. Sung, who was shot in the arm, survived the attack and was discharged the next day. More from NextShark: Tesla owners across China denounce recent price cuts on Model 3, Model Y A public funeral was held for Eina and Evelyn last week. Whats next for the suspect: Goosby, a convicted felon in Illinois, did not make any statements at his court appearance. He remains held on a $10 million bond and faces up to 57 years in prison if convicted of his charges. Prosecutors are still determining whether he can also be charged with the death of Evelyn. Under Washington state law, a person can only be charged with murder for the death of someone who was born alive. More from NextShark: Man detained for 9 days by Chinese police for sharing 'insulting' meme of dog wearing a police hat Enjoy this content? Read more from NextShark! NYC woman gets 7 hate crime charges for string of alleged violent anti-Asian attacks Man accused of kidnapping 2-year-old is arrested but toddler still missing, cops say A 2-year-old girl at the center of an Amber Alert in Michigan is still missing after her accused kidnappers arrest, authorities say. The Lansing Police Department said Wynter Smith was last seen around 11:30 p.m. Sunday, July 2. Rashad Trice, the ex-boyfriend of Wynters mother, stabbed the mom before abducting the toddler, family members told WDIV. He is accused of fleeing with Wynter in the victims white Chevrolet Impala, according to the FBI. The 22-year-old stabbing victim, police said, was hospitalized and is in stable condition. Police said Trice was arrested around 5:50 a.m. Monday in St. Clair Shores, about 90 miles east of Lansing. Before being taken into custody, Trice crashed into a St. Clair Shores police cruiser, according to WILX. A police officer was injured but has been discharged from a hospital, the station reported. Wynter was not in the stolen vehicle, according to police. Officers are conducting a nonstop effort to find the 2-year-old girl, police said Monday. She remains missing as of Tuesday morning. Police asked the public to watch out for anything unusual on the route Trice is believed to have taken with Wynter. The route includes Interstate 96 and Interstate 94. Sharen Eddings, Wynters grandmother, told The Detroit News the incident has been an emotional roller coaster. She described Wynter as a bright, bubbly, smart little girl. We have faith because weve seen kids returned home after tragic events, Eddings told the outlet. We just have to hope that Wynter is one of those. Wynter has braided, shoulder-length hair, according to the FBI. She was last seen wearing a white T-shirt with rainbows. The #FBI is assisting the Lansing Police Department to locate missing two-year-old Wynter Smith. Anyone having information on Wynters whereabouts is asked to submit tips to https://t.co/1WDK57FdRt or call 1-800-CALL-FBI.https://t.co/bL89MNihrk pic.twitter.com/jW9zt6BIMW FBI Detroit (@FBIDetroit) July 3, 2023 Officers are going door to door and are talking with community members in their search for Wynter. The Lansing Police Department is working in collaboration with the FBI and law enforcement partners locally as well as in the Detroit area, police said. We are working with members of the victims family and are very thankful for the publics assistance in providing us with tips to help find Wynter. Anyone with information is asked to contact the FBI tip line at 1-800-CALL-FBI or the Lansing Police Department at 517-483-4600. Missing 2-year-old boy found dead in alligators mouth, Florida police say Mom abducts her injured 10-month-old baby girl from hospital, Missouri officials say Man arrested in connection to 2022 South Side shooting that injured 2 A man wanted in connection to a 2022 shooting that injured two people in the South Side has been arrested. PREVIOUS COVERAGE >>> 2 people shot in Pittsburghs South Side neighborhood, suspect allegedly fired from car and fled According to Pittsburgh police, Wesley Wallace-Watson, 25, was arrested in Penn Hills on Monday. Wallace-Watson was wanted on a warrant in connection to a shooting on May 8, 2022, that left a man and a woman injured. He is charged with criminal attempted homicide, aggravated assault and recklessly endangering another person. He was taken to the Allegheny County Jail. Download the FREE WPXI News app for breaking news alerts. Follow Channel 11 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch WPXI NOW TRENDING NOW: $1 million Pennsylvania Lottery scratch-off ticket sold in Allegheny County Robert De Niros grandson dies Fourth of July 2023: Town-by-town list of fireworks displays in Pittsburgh area VIDEO: 1 injured when vehicle crashes through home in Pittsburghs Beltzhoover neighborhood DOWNLOAD the Channel 11 News app for breaking news alerts Sample HTML block Man charged after six found dead in US house fire Police discovered the home engulfed in flames on Sunday Police in South Carolina have arrested a man over the deaths of six people found after a house fire. Ryan Lenard Manigo, 33, is being held without bond as officials in Colleton County confirmed the names of two of the dead. The suspect has been charged with two counts of murder and a count of attempted murder, with further charges pending post-mortem results. A 13-year-old victim who was found alive is being treated in hospital. The only survivor of Sunday's incident was airlifted to a hospital west of Charleston, around 40 miles (65km) away, in critical condition. Before being taken to hospital, the surviving victim was able to provide a name and description of the suspect, who was arrested nearby, according to police. Police were called to the Green Pond community around 11:00 local time after a neighbour reported seeing a house on fire. In addition to murder and arson charges, Mr Manigo is also faces charges of attempted murder. No motive has been released for the attack. "The evidence collected has been sent to the State Law Enforcement Division for analysis," Sheriff Buddy Hill told a news conference on Monday. "At this time, we do not have a motive. This is a very active investigation and, as details emerge, we will forward them to the family and the media." The suspect was the brother-in-law of 50-year-old Michelle Marie Wright and the father of 11-year-old Shariah Manigo, police said on Monday, identifying two of the victims. The other four victims will be identified after post-mortem examinations are complete, the sheriff said. David Magwood told NBC News that several of the victims are family members. He said his 101-year-old mother was among those killed. Family members of the victims were allowed to address the suspect at Monday's preliminary hearing. A plea has yet to be entered and the investigation continues. The 2023 World IoT Top 500 Summit convened in Beijing on Monday. Under the theme "Lead the New Economy: Fully Interconnected and Digital," the summit featured an opening ceremony, high-level forums, and multilateral cooperation forums, and unveiled the 2023 World IoT Top 500 list. The 2023 World IoT Top 500 Summit was held in Beijing on July 3. [Photo by Wang Yiming/China.org.cn] In his keynote speech, He Xuming, chairman of the World Internet of Things Convention (WIOTC), underscored the influence of pioneering technologies such as the Internet of Things (IoT) on worldwide economic and social advancement. He noted that the construction of IoT, coupled with innovative progress in the digital economy, has introduced a beacon of hope through frontier high-tech technologies like quantum computing, big data visualization, artificial intelligence, quantum and photon transmission, 6G communication infrastructure networks, and new energy. He also applauded China's position as a leading innovator in this field, stating that China has set a commendable example in innovation and development. He mentioned that China is expected to erect over 3 million 5G base stations to bolster IoT construction this year. According to him, the industrialization of the digital economy has become a primary focus for both the government and enterprises. Syed Amin Ul Haque, federal minister of information technology and telecommunications of Pakistan, accentuated the transformative potential of IoT across various sectors. He observed, "The IoT is rapidly changing the world, from agriculture and smart cities to logistics, manufacturing, engineering, and healthcare. It has the potential to make our homes smarter, our cities more efficient, our governance more fruitful, and our businesses more productive." The minister also spotlighted the colossal market size of IoT, stating, "According to industry forecasts, the IoT market size is anticipated to exceed $3 trillion by 2050." Shahbaz Khan, director of the UNESCO Office in Beijing, remarked, "The theme of this summit aligns with UNESCO's mission to understand and implement digital transformation for the building of sustainable societies." He acknowledged the power of IoT in bridging the digital divide and fostering inclusive and sustainable societies. Emphasizing the opportunities and challenges of the digital age, Khan called for responsible advancement. He stated, "As we navigate through this landscape, let us ensure that we do so in a manner that promotes inclusivity, respects human rights, and contributes to sustainable development." The summit also marked the launch of the 2023 World IoT Ranking List Top 500. This year, the list underwent creative modifications, introducing categories such as the Gold List, Silver List, Industry List (spanning sectors including agriculture, transportation, intelligent logistics, artificial intelligence, health, and elderly care), Bronze List, and Potential List. The rankings spotlighted the prowess and innovative potential of leading enterprises in the IoT digital economy sector. Industry titans like Microsoft, Huawei, IBM, China Telecom, Bosch, and Nokia retained their top positions in the rankings. The World IoT Ranking List Top 500 has been published annually for six years. According to the WIOTC, the aim of this list is to inspire companies to enhance their contributions to intelligent production, lifestyle, and work environments globally. These companies are expected to spearhead the journey toward innovative social development and bridge the digital divide. FILE PHOTO: Aftermath of a third night of riots between protesters and police in France MARSEILLE, France (Reuters) - French prosecutors have opened an investigation into the death of a 27-year old man who was hit by a projectile at the time of the riots on Saturday, the Marseille prosecutor's office said on Tuesday. There was rioting across France following the funeral of a teenager of North African descent, whose shooting by police during a traffic stop sparked nationwide unrest for several days. Prosecutors said the likely cause of the death in Marseille was a violent shock to the chest from a "flash-ball" projectile as used by riot police, but did not specify who fired or owned the gun. The impact led to cardiac arrest and sudden death. The man died in the night from July 1 to July 2, while Marseille was engulfed in riots and pillaging, but prosecutors said it was not possible to determine where the man was when he was shot or whether the victim had taken part in the riots. The biggest flashpoint on Saturday was in Marseille, where police fired tear gas and fought street battles with youths around the city centre late into the night. Flash-ball guns are designed to be non-lethal riot control weapons that do not penetrate the skin, but their use by police in France is disputed as the projectiles have led to the loss of eyes, head injuries and other trauma. (Reporting by Marc Leras, writing by Geert De Clercq; editing by David Evans) A man drowned in a Pennsylvania lake on June 29 after rescuing two children who appeared to be in distress, authorities said. On June 30, the Bucks County Coroners Office said in a press release that Marvin Alexan Fernandez Chicas, 37, helped two kids who were swimming in Lake Nockamixon, but later disappeared in the water. Bucks County Coroners Office has confirmed his cause of death as drowning following this mornings autopsy with the manner of death determined to be accidental, the office said. The coroners office expressed their condolences and said Fernandez Chicas family has been contacted about his death. Fernandez Chicas was able to successfully save the two children, WFMZ-TV, a local news station in Allentown, Pennsylvania, reported on June 30. Haycock Township Fire Chief Harry Grim told the outlet that authorities sent a team to try to rescue Fernandez Chicas after receiving a 911 call from two children. We had about 10 divers, he said. Multiple boats from Point Pleasant, Bucks County, Haycock Fire Company, the Palisades Regional and stuff. The guys did a great job. It took about two hours until we found the body. Authorities found Fernandez Chicas body about 25 feet from shore, Grim told WFMZ-TV. He said the children explained to authorities how the man ended up in the lake, where swimming is not permitted. They apparently got in some trouble in the water. He went in to help them. Unfortunately he cant swim. The kids got out, he did not, Grim said. The children did not suffer any injuries, he shared. The Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources website encourages those who visit Nockamixon State Park to enjoy multiple activities, such as boating on the lake and swimming in the pool. However, the website included a bolded message to visitors in all caps: Swimming is not permitted anywhere in the lake. Grim said that sometimes visitors do not abide by the rules, which leads to a sad reality due the dangerous environment. He explained that the 1,450-acre lake does not have a smooth, gradual slope under the water. They step off into a deep area, they take a gulp of water, and they die unfortunately, he continued. It shouldnt happen, but it does. He then issued a message to future visitors: Dont swim in Lake Nockamixon. Grim added, Its zero visibility this time of year. Divers at 10 feet cannot see their own hands in front of their face. So the chances of us finding them and being able to retrieve them and have them recover are pretty much slim to none. This article was originally published on TODAY.com Man killed in stabbing after argument at Kansas City gas station is 102nd homicide this year A 42-year-old man was stabbed to death following an argument at a local gas station on Tuesday afternoon, police say. After receiving a call of a stabbing just before 2:30, police found a man inside a gas station on U.S. Highway 40 near Independence suffering from apparent bodily trauma, according to a news release from Captain Corey Carlisle, a spokesman for the Kansas City Police Department. The man was declared dead on the scene by paramedics. A suspect initially fled the scene, but Carlisle said detectives had a person of interest in custody later in the day. Because the stabbing appeared to be the result of an argument, the police captain said there is no ongoing threat to the public. An argument should never end in taking someones life, Carlisle told reporters at the scene. Neither the victim nor the suspect were initially identified by police. But relatives who gathered at the gas station Tuesday afternoon identified the victim as 42-year-old Jon Rone, Jr. Jon Michael Rone Jrs family embrace each other in a field near Liquor Land on Tuesday, July 4, 2023, in Kansas City. Rone was the victim of a fatal stabbing that occurred inside of Liquor Land on the 14300 block of E US 40 Highway. Zachary Linhares/zlinhares@kcstar.com Jesus Aguilar was at the gas station and witnessed the altercation, which he said took place outdoors. Aguilar told The Star that a white man was arguing with a Black man and repeatedly used a racial slur. Moments later, he says Rone came inside the gas station bleeding from multiple stab wounds. Several acquaintances, including Rones girlfriend Misty Beck, told The Star that they were inside the gas station at the time. They came running out and they said that somebody had been stabbed, said Logan Todd, another bystander. I said I knew CPR, so I came inside and I did chest compressions. Todd said that Rone had two stab wounds, both near the heart. He recalled that there were around seven people in the gas station as he performed CPR. I took his pulse as soon as I got on the scene, and I knew he was dead, Todd said. He was gone before I got here, I think. I just knew that I was trying to save a dead man. Police would not comment on whether the crime may have been racially motivated. The holiday stabbing marks the 102nd homicide in Kansas City this year, according to a list collected by The Star. It is the 125th homicide in the metro area. Police ask anyone with information about the stabbing to call homicide detectives at 816-234-5043. Anonymous calls can be placed to the TIPS Hotline at 816-474-TIPS. Man Who Reported Crack In Roller Coaster Says He Received Concerning Response From Staff A man who observed a large crack in a roller coasters support beam at a North Carolina amusement park said he made multiple reports to park staff before any action was taken. I felt there was no urgency in any of the employees, Jeremy Wagner told CNNs Erica Hill in a new interview. Wagner was at the Carowinds park in Charlotte with his family on Friday when he made an unsettling observation: a large crack could be seen in the support pillar holding up the Fury 325 coaster. He said his kids had just taken their last ride of the day on the roller coaster. Wagner said he tried flagging the issue to several Carowinds employees before speaking to someone in guest services, who asked him to send her a video hed taken of the crack. Even after they had me Airdrop the video, the guest services person walked off and said, Ill send this to somebody, Wagner told CNN. And they just turned around and walked off, you know, nonchalant. I was in a room of about 15 parkgoers and I just wanted to be like, Yall need to turn around and leave, he said. But I didnt say anything, its not my place. I was hoping they would do the proper thing and shut the ride down. As he headed to his car to leave, the ride was still running, Wagner said. Still concerned after an hourlong drive, he called Charlottes fire department. Shortly after that, the fire station called back to say that Carowinds had shut down the ride, Wagner told the Washington Post. A Carowinds spokesperson told HuffPost the ride was closed Friday after park personnel became aware of a crack at the top of a steel support pillar. The parks maintenance team is conducting a thorough inspection and the ride will remain closed until repairs have been completed, the spokesperson said. Safety is our top priority and we appreciate the patience and understanding of our valued guests during this process. Despite the incident, Wagner, a season pass holder, told CNN he still plans to go back to visit the park again as soon as next weekend. I dont have any reservations, I would like to trust their safety protocols in place, he said. Many American Revolutionaries were younger than you'd think when they declared independence from Britain Washington's crossing of the Delaware River, which occurred on the night of December 2526, 1776. ZU_09 / Getty Images Todd Andrlik, author of "Reporting the Revolutionary War," researched the ages of Revolutionaries. In 2013, he listed some famous figures who were surprisingly young when the American Revolution began. For example, Alexander Hamilton was only 21 years old and James Monroe was just 18. How old were the American Revolutionaries when the colonies declared independence from Britain in 1776? Some were older, like 33-year-old Thomas Jefferson, 39-year-old John Hancock, or Benjamin Franklin, who was 70. Others were surprisingly young even teenagers. James Monroe, for example, was 18 and Alexander Hamilton was 21. In 2013, Todd Andrlik, an authority on 18th-century newspapers, compiled a list of the ages of famous people at the start of the American Revolution for the Journal of the American Revolution. Here's everyone from that list who was younger than 25 on July 4, 1776, the day the Declaration of Independence was adopted. Andrew Jackson, 9 Andrew Jackson, later in life. traveler1116 / Getty Images While Andrew Jackson may have been too young to enlist when the Revolutionary War first began, when he was 13 years old, the future president of the United States served as a patriot courier in the Revolutionary War. When he was captured by British soldiers, young Jackson was hit across the face for refusing to shine his captors' shoes. He was left with physical and mental scars for many years after the war ended, but went on to become a hero in the War of 1812, a successful lawyer, and the seventh American President. (Major) Thomas Young, 12 Major Thomas Young, the son of Thomas Young, John Adams' family physician and Boston Tea Party organizer, didn't waste any time getting involved in the Revolution. Four years after the colonies declared independence, Young joined the militia and was quickly promoted to Major. Deborah Sampson, 15 Deborah Sampson disguised herself as a man so she could join the Massachusetts military. During her tenure in the Patriot forces she led dangerous expeditions, dug trenches, and helped capture 15 Loyalists. She kept her true identity hidden for two years until doctors caring for her discovered she was a woman. Soon thereafter Sampson was honorably discharged. James Armistead, 15 James Armistead was born a slave but worked as a spy under Marquis de Lafayette during the war. His important intel from General Cornwallis and Benedict Arnold led to an American victory at the Battle of Yorktown. Armistead successfully petitioned for his freedom in 1787, after the conclusion of the American Revolution. Sybil Ludington, 15 Sybil Ludington, the daughter of one of General George Washington's aids, successfully rode her horse for 40 miles to warn American soldiers of an impending British attack. The most popular account of her valor was written by Ludington's great-nephew in 1907. He says her father "bade her to take a horse, ride for the men, and tell them to be at his house by daybreak." A commemorative statue of Ludington's ride was erected in Carmel, New York in 1961. Joseph Plumb Martin, 15 Much to the disdain of his family, Joseph Plumb Martin joined the American militia in 1776 when he was only 15-years-old. The soldier fought in many notable battles, served in George Washington's Continental Army, and fought for the duration of the war. Peter Salem, 16 Peter Salem shooting Major Pitcairn at Bunker Hill by J.E. Taylor. CORBIS/Corbis via Getty Images Peter Salem was a Massachusetts slave who was freed in order to serve in the local militia. Soon thereafter, Salem enlisted in the Continental Army under George Washington and was named a hero in the Battle of Bunker Hill. Marquis de Lafayette, 18 ivan-96 / Getty Images When Lafayette learned what was going on in the newly declared United States in 1777, he traveled from France to America to join the Revolution. Not only did the French general become an invaluable ally to the US, but he also fought alongside George Washington, Alexander Hamilton, and Thomas Jefferson to ensure a successful and fruitful American victory. Upon his return to France, Lafayette was nicknamed the "Hero of Two Worlds" for his valiant efforts abroad and at home. James Monroe, 18 ilbusca / Getty Images The fifth President of the United States may have only been 18-years-old the colonies declared independence, but that didn't stop him from enlisting in the Revolutionary War. He dropped out of college in 1776 to join the Continental Army and fought alongside George Washington and Thomas Jefferson for American independence. After the war, he studied law under Thomas Jefferson and became the last Founding Father to be elected President. Charles Pinckney, 18 While fighting in the American Revolution, Pinckney was captured and held prisoner by the British. He repeatedly refused British demands to defect to the Loyalist cause and remained incarcerated until a prisoner exchange was arranged. After regaining his freedom, Pinkney practiced law, served in the Continental Congress, signed the US Constitution, and became governor of South Carolina. Henry Lee III, 20 traveler1116 / Getty Images Henry Lee III, father of Confederate General Robert E. Lee, joined George Washington's army at the onset of the war. Nicknamed 'Light Horse Harry Lee' for his exceptional horsemanship, Lee triumphed over British soldiers and was awarded several promotions and awards for his valor. After George Washington's death, Congress asked Lee to deliver a now-famous tribute to the former President in which he said, "First in war, first in peace, and first in the hearts of his countrymen... second to none in the humble and endearing scenes of his private life." Gilbert Stuart, 20 Gilbert Stuart, later in life circa 1825, by artist Sarah Goodridge. Heritage Art/Heritage Images via Getty Images Gilbert Stuart is known as one of America's foremost portraitists. Not only did he create a uniquely American portrait style, but he also painted some of the most intricate representations of America's Founding Fathers. His most famous work is an unfinished portrait of George Washington that's still featured on the US dollar bill today. John Trumbull, 20 Kropewnicki / Getty Images John Trumbull served as a colonel to George Washington during the American Revolution. After the war, Congress commissioned four large paintings by the former soldier. His most famous painting, "Declaration of Independence," shows the Founding Fathers signing the Declaration. The scene, however, is actually inaccurate as it actually depicts the presentation of a draft of the document to Congress, not the signing of it. Aaron Burr, 20 Keith Lance / Getty Images Aaron Burr put his law school education on hold when war broke out between the US and Britain. A well-known soldier, Burr quickly rose the militia ranks to serve under Benedict Arnold, George Washington, and General Israel Putnam. Despite Burr's success as an attorney, senator, and Vice President, he is widely remembered today as the man who shot his political rival, Alexander Hamilton, in a famous duel. John Marshall, 20 David Zanzinger / Getty Images Marshall, who had admired George Washington for many years, was inspired to join the general and fight against the British. After a big victory at the Battle of Brandywine, Marshall was appointed Washington's chief legal officer. After the war, Marshall served on the Supreme Court. He is most known for his accomplishments on the case of Marbury vs. Madison, in which he initiated the process of judicial review. Nathan Hale, 21 traveler1116 / Getty Images Nathan Hale, a schoolteacher who left his classroom to serve under George Washington in the Revolutionary War, volunteered for a dangerous spy mission after the British captured Boston. Unfortunately, Hale proved not to be a very good spy and was captured and hanged by the British on September 22, 1776 just months after the colonies declared independence. Alexander Hamilton, 21 John Parrot/Stocktrek Images / Getty Images In 1775, when the Revolutionary War began, Hamilton joined the New York Provincial Artillery Company. By 1777, he was promoted to lieutenant colonel of the Continental Army and served as George Washington's right-hand man for most of the war. After the war, Hamilton worked tirelessly to strengthen the federal government. As the first Secretary of the Treasury, he is credited with forming the American financial system, along with many other achievements including the formation of the Coast Guard the New York Post newspaper. He was killed by Aaron Burr in a duel when he was 47-years-old. John Laurens, 21 Interim Archives / Contributor / Getty Images Johns Laurens served as Washington's aides-de-camp during the war, alongside his friend Alexander Hamilton. He proved his loyalty to Washington when he dueled with General Charles Lee for questioning Washington's character. Despite his southern roots, Laurens advocated for the abolition of slavery. In 1779, he convinced Congress to emancipate 3,000 men for their service. Benjamin Tallmadge, 22 benoitb / Getty Images Benjamin Tallmadge famously oversaw the Culper Ring, a spy organization dedicated to aiding and protecting the Continental Congress, while the British controlled New York City. One of the organization's greatest contributions was intel that saved 8,000 incoming French troops. After the war, Tallmadge owned a dry goods store and worked as a Federalist congressman for 16 years. Robert Townsend, 22 Robert Townsend, also known by his spy alias Culper Jr., worked alongside Tallmadge as a Culper Ring spy. His efforts, along with the rest of the Culper Ring, are believed to have helped identify turncoats Benedict Arnold and Major Andre's plot to secretly surrender West Point to the British. Always the master spy, Townsend wanted his identity to remain secret after the war. Washington and the rest of the Culper spies kept his secret for their entire lives Townsend's Revolutionary War efforts remained unknown until 1930. George Rogers Clark, 23 pictore / Getty Images George Rogers Clark was nicknamed the "Conqueror of the Old Northwest" for his valiant efforts in regaining American territory. Extremely devoted to the cause, Clark purchased materials for the war with his own money. This poor decision haunted him and his family for years after the war ended. In fact, his family continued to suffer under the weight of the debts long after Clark's death. David Humphreys, 23 Bridgeman Art Library/Image Partner / Contributor / Getty Images David Humphreys, an aide de camp and personal friend to George Washington, was personally selected to deliver British colors and reports from the Battle of Yorktown to Congress. When Washington resigned his commission and stepped down as president, Humphreys was one of two aids who stood by the retiring president. Humphreys eventually shifted his focus to farming and imports. After successfully importing Merino sheep to the US, he helped found the Agricultural Society of Connecticut in 1816 and served as its first President. Gouverneur Morris, 24 Bettmann / Contributor / Getty Images Gouverneur Morris, sometimes referred to as the "Penman of the Constitution," may not have fought in the Revolutionary War, but he left a long-lasting impact. In 1776, Morris served on the Constitution's Committee of Style and wrote the document's legendary preamble: "We the People of the United States." Betsy Ross, 24 GraphicaArtis / Contributor / Getty Images Betsy Ross became a widower at 24 when her husband was killed in the early days of the American Revolution. She was working in her deceased husband's upholstery shop when General George Washington reportedly came in and asked her to design America's first flag and the rest is history. William Washington, 24 nicoolay / Getty Images William Washington, a distant cousin of George Washington, served as a lieutenant colonel in the Revolutionary War. Well known for his valor, Washington was captured by the British at the Battle Eutaw Springs in 1781, and was held as a prisoner for the rest of the war. Later in life, Washington held several government positions including state senator and command of brigade of the state militia. James Madison, 25 ZU_09 / Getty Images James Madison earned the nickname "Father of the Constitution" after composing the first drafts of the Bill of Rights and Constitution. Alongside his friend, Thomas Jefferson, Madison founded the Democratic-Republican Party and later became the fourth US president. Henry Knox, 25 wynnter / Getty Images When war broke out in 1775, General Henry Knox immediately plunged himself into the Revolution. His valiant efforts directing rebel cannon fire at the Battle of Bunker Hill and his work helping to develop the Continental Army made him a war hero. After the war, Knox became the first Secretary of War under President Washington. Edward Rutledge, 26 Hulton Archive/Getty Images At 26-years-old, Edward Rutledge became the youngest signatory of the Declaration of Independence on August 2, 1776. After the document had been signed, he left Congress to join the armed forces. He worked his way up to Captain before once again returning to Congress in 1779 to fill a vacancy. Alyson Shontell contributed to a previous version of this story. Read the original article on Business Insider The News Vietnam banned the movie accusing the film of showing offensive political imagery relating to Hanoi's long-running territorial dispute with China. A scene in the film appears to show a map with the so-called nine-dash line, a U-shaped section of the South China Sea which China unilaterally claims as part of its territory but that Vietnam along with the majority of the international community rejects. Weve compiled articles on what this means. Insights The director of Vietnams Cinema Department confirmed the movie was cancelled after showing the illegal cows tongue line, as the nine-dash line is commonly known in the country. Officials said the ban was imposed on content that distorts the truth, violates the law in general, and violates Vietnam's territorial sovereignty in particular, VietnamPlus reported. Some moviegoers in Vietnam welcomed the decision, reported The New York Times. On Chinese social media, where the nine-dash line is seen as a symbol of patriotism, the news of Barbies controversial map was received with praise. On Weibo, a social media site popular in China, a user applauded the films production company for picking the right side on an important matter. Another said: I initially had no interest in the film but now I must see it. Its not the first time Vietnam has banned a film for displaying the nine-dash line. In 2019, Hanoi pulled the DreamWorks animation from cinemas after moviegoers spotted a map showing the disputed areas. The ban came amid heightened tensions over Chinas incursion into Vietnamese waters. Hanoi used the same criteria to ban last year, a Hollywood release that was forecast to make about $15 million in China. Know More Sino-Vietnamese relations over the South China Sea have changed greatly since China first laid claim to the area shortly after the end of World War II. The 11-dash line lost two of its hyphens in 1952 in a spirit of comradeship and brotherhood when Chinese leader Mao Zedong abandoned claims to the Gulf of Tonkin in favor of Vietnam. However the majority of the international community rejects Chinas territorial claims over 80% of the South China Sea. In 2016, the international tribunal at The Hague ruled that the nine-dash line is invalid and that Chinese island-building efforts violated international law. Meet the family of orcas thought to be behind the recent boat encounters and attacks White Gladis' pod A group of orcas, including a calf, swim in the Strait of Gibraltar. Arturo de Frias photography/Getty Images White Gladis, the orca believed to be behind recent boat encounters, has a family acting with her. White Gladis is a mother in a group of six orcas that are believed to be acting together. Experts think the other orcas might be imitating White Gladis' behavior. White Gladis is the orca who is believed to have started the trend for a number of boat encounters in and near the Strait of Gibraltar, some of which have damaged and sunk boats. But White Glaids, aka Gladis Blanca, is just one among many and she has a group of relatives including two siblings and her two calves that appear to be acting with her. Meet White Gladis' family White Gladis is part of a 6-orca pod including herself, two siblings, two calves, and a mother. Atlantic Orca Working Group White Gladis is in a group with five other orcas and is among the most active in approaching and disabling boats, according to The Guardian. The five other killer whales with her are: Gladis Clara and Gladis Dalila: White Gladis' siblings Gladis Filabres and Gladis Tarik: White Gladis' calves, or offspring Gladis Lamari: White Gladis' mother Gladis Lamari, the matriarch, hasn't been seen interacting with the boats herself, only observing the rest of the group as they take part. She was born around 1992, according to the Iberian Orca Photo Identification Catalogue. She gave birth to White Gladis in 2005, who is her oldest offspring, followed by Gladis Clara and Gladis Dalila. White Gladis went on to give birth to Gladis Filabres in 2015 and Gladis Tarik in 2021. She gave birth to another calf in 2018, but it died within its first year. Gladis Clara, White Gladis' sibling, is a male orca, but the sex is unknown for Gladis Dalila and White Gladis' two offspring. Other Gladis groups in the Strait of Gibraltar White Gladis and her group are part of a larger community of orcas in the Strait of Gibraltar. In addition to the six members of White Gladis' pod, there are nine other Iberian orcas who have been involved in encounters in the area. A graphic showing the four groups of orca Gladis pods who are interacting with boats in the Strait of Gibraltar The Gladis orcas in the Strait of Gibraltar are made up of four separate groups.Atlantic Orca Working Group Gladis Herbille is the mother of Black Gladis and Gladis Peque, who make up another pod. There's also a trio of juvenile orcas who are all related. Their names are Gladis Estrela, Gladis Isa, and Gladis Matteo. Gray Gladis and Gladis Albarracin have been seen among the other groups, but their own pods are unknown. At this point, you might have noticed that all of these killer whales have "Gladis" in the name. This is because the term "Gladis" short for Orca gladiator refers to orcas that interact with ships, Monica Gonzalez, a marine biologist with the Coordinator for the Study of Marine Mammals and coordinator of the "Friendship Orcas Project," said during a webinar in June. The orca uprising A Southern Resident killer whale and a calf. Kenneth C. Balcomb/Center for Whale Research, permit number: NMFS 21238. In 2020, only nine orcas were involved in boat encounters, according to the Atlantic Orca Working Group (GTOA) who studies the interactions. Over the next two years, others began to join in the activity, including a new addition, Gladis Olvera, in 2022, according to the GTOA. In total, that makes 15 orcas who have been seen interacting with boats since 2020, per GTOA. The increase in encounters over the last several years has been dubbed an "orca uprising." It's thought to have begun with White Gladis in 2020 and the behavior may have spread to her offspring since mother orcas lead by example for their young. This supports the theory that these orcas might just all be copying each other. There are a few other communities of Iberian orcas in the area who don't go near boats. Read the original article on Business Insider Metro Bank A High Street bank has blocked a gender-critical parents group from opening a new account amid a row over its political views. Metro Bank refused to open a new business account for Our Duty, a group of more than 2,000 parents who believe that it is harmful for transgender children to undergo a medical transition. The groups founder, Keith Jordan, claimed that a manager told the group it could not open a business account because the content of your website conflicts with the culture and ideas we are pushing. The not-for-profit groups website says it supports parents who believe children coming out as transgender could suffer mentally or physically from transitioning. It marks the latest in a wave of Brexit supporters and gender-critical commentators to claim their accounts have been closed with no explanation after Nigel Farage said last week his account was being shuttered. Mr Farage on Tuesday warned he would sue Coutts for breaching his privacy after reports that the prestigious bank had closed his accounts because he had insufficient funds. Jeremy Hunt, the Chancellor, told City minister Andrew Griffith and the Financial Conduct Authority, the city watchdog, to investigate the blacklisting issue while Rishi Sunak intervened. The Chancellor has been very clear about this and spoken to the regulator, the Prime Minister said. Obviously, we have to respect peoples right to free speech and that should not be an excuse to close anyones account and thats not what we would expect. Metro is Britains seventh-largest bank with 2.5 million customers. Last month the bank joined Stonewalls Diversity Champion scheme. The controversial charitys guidance suggests describing mothers as a parent who has given birth and calls for the removal of gendered language, as well as allowing those who self-identify as a woman to use female toilets and changing rooms. The Information Commissioner has previously said the scheme has a significant degree of influence, though Stonewall has said it does not seek to influence operational decisions. Keith Jordan, the founder of parents group Our Duty When on the phone with a Metro manager, Mr Jordan, a former teacher and businessman, claims he was told that the bank has staff networks for diversity and inclusion including for LGBTQ staff, while the manager told him she had attended a Pride march at the weekend. He has asked the bank for a recording of the call. However, he later received an email telling him that following an in-depth review they had blocked his application for a new account. Emails seen by The Telegraph show that the same manager also told Our Duty that an existing community account, used to fund members meetings, violated their guidelines which prevent such groups to be linked to, or influence political policies or legislations. It said that this was because this type of account did not allow donations unless it was held by a registered charity. Metro was launched by American billionaire Vernon Hill in 2010 amid much fanfare as the first High Street bank to launch in the UK in more than a century, but has since been beset by problems. Mr Hill quit in 2019 over an accounting scandal which saw the banks share price fall 90 per cent from its all-time high after it miscalculated 900 million worth of risky loans. Now valued at 200 million, it was last year fined 10 million by the FCA for misleading investors with false information in its third quarterly results in 2018. It followed a 5.3 million fine in 2021 for other failures in its reporting and governance failures by the Prudential Regulation Authority. Bank trying to bully group members to share staff views Mr Jordan said that the bank had made a big mistake and was effectively trying to bully his organisations members into sharing the views of its staff. People are starting to call this debanking and it really is frightening and it should be frightening, for everybody. The withdrawal of such a basic service is in itself coercion, he said. Mr Jordan added that shutting accounts was forcing people to adhere to a certain set of beliefs. It is like dictatorships where you were expected to display your loyalty to the regime. It is an attempt to suppress freedom of speech and will have a chilling effect on people if they are allowed to succeed. It came as Mr Farage threatened to sue Coutts after claiming the prestigious lender leaked his personal financial details to the BBC. Mr Farage, the former UKIP leader, said last week that his personal and business accounts with a major retail bank had been closed because of a commercial decision and other High Street firms have refused to allow him to transfer his funds to them. He said he was engaging lawyers to establish next steps following reports that Coutts shut his accounts because he was not holding enough cash. Farage says Coutts obviously scared and desperate Theyre obviously scared and desperate, he told The Telegraph. They completely lied. They gave my private banking information to their Remainer friends at the BBC and the FT - where else will they go? He added: Ive got a top law firm looking at whether Ive got a case or not. Given we are moving towards a cashless society - youd be living in Stalins Russia without a bank account. Coutts a NatWest-owned brand that banks the ultra-rich and Royal family members requires its customers to borrow or invest 1 million with the bank or hold 3 million in savings when they become a client. The BBC reported that Mr Farages account was withdrawn because his funds had dropped below the required threshold and that the funds would be shifted to a NatWest account. However, the Brexiteer said this was absolute cobblers. Coutts declined to comment but a source close to the bank said it was policy not to share the personal details of customers. Metro Bank said it is and will remain politically neutral. A spokesman said: The decision to close or review any account is made for commercial reasons. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month, then enjoy 1 year for just $9 with our US-exclusive offer. Atlanta Braves' Michael Harris II is congratulated in the dugout after his home run in the third inning of a baseball game against the Cleveland Guardians, Monday, July 3, 2023, in Cleveland. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki) CLEVELAND (AP) At the moment, there's no team in the same league as these Atlanta Braves. They're in a class by themselves from top to bottom. Dangerous team, said Guardians manager Terry Francona. Michael Harris II, Atlanta's No. 9 hitter, homered twice and Bryce Elder, one of the club's eight All-Stars, pitched into the seventh inning as the Braves moved 30 games over .500 with their season-high ninth straight win, 4-2 over the Cleveland Guardians on Monday night. Harris connected for solo shots in the third and fifth innings off Guardians rookie Gavin Williams (0-1), who in his third career start had to face a lineup featuring six All-Stars and no detectable weaknesses. Harris may be last in Atlanta's order, but he's batting .416 (37 of 89) with seven homers and 16 RBIs in his last 24 games. The Braves don't have any holes in their relentless lineup. I feel like its pretty frustrating for the other pitchers," said Harris. "They get through who they think is going to do all the damage and they get down to the bottom of the lineup and we can still do a little damage. Its a pretty special lineup. Marcell Ozuna also homered for the Braves, who have won 17 of 18 and 24 of 27. Atlanta, which has had three winning streaks of at least eight games, improved MLBs best record to 57-27. Manager Brian Snitker has no explanation for how his team finds ways to win. I dont know, he said. We just do. Elder (7-1) didn't give up a run until the seventh, when Amed Rosario touched him for a two-run single. A.J. Minter came on and got out of a two-on jam by popping up All-Star Jose Ramirez, and Nick Anderson retired Myles Straw with two on in the eighth. Raisel Iglesias worked a 1-2-3 ninth for his 15th save. During two rain long delays over the weekend in Chicago, Francona did some advance prep work to be ready for the Braves. Their statistics are striking. I got nauseous, Francona said. He didn't feel much better after seeing Atlanta in person. You make a mistake sometimes and this is a lineup, probably the ultimate lineup, that if you leave something over the plate, he said. They hit two the other way." Harris gave the Braves a 1-0 lead in the third with his eighth homer, which triggered an inadvertent launching of fireworks above Progressive Field a celebration normally reserved for home runs by the Guardians. But as Harris rounded the bases, a loud boom reverberated through the ballpark and sparklers lit up the sky, prompting loud boos from the sellout crowd. I was confused at first why everybody started booing so loudly," Harris said. "I thought it was towards me, but I remember when I crossed the plate the fireworks went off and then I got in the dugout and they were talking about the fireworks. It kind of throw me off there. STAR POWER Atlanta's Ronald Acuna Jr. became the first player with 20 homers, 40 steals and 50 RBIs before the All-Star break. He's only the third to hit 20 homers with 40 steals in the first 84 games, joining Rickey Henderson (1990) and Eric Davis (1986). You dont want to get a drink or go to the bathroom if hes around because you might miss something youve never seen before," Snitker said. "Hes a special player and its fun to have him on our team and be able to watch him every day. BRAVE(S) NEW WORLD Atlanta's eight All-Star selections are the most in franchise history and matched the all-time record for an NL team. The 2008 Cubs, 1960 Pirates, 1956 Reds and 1943 Cardinals also had eight. STANDING ROOM ONLY The crowd of 38,106 was Cleveland's largest in the regular season since 2014. FRANCONA UPDATE Francona said he's feeling fine following a medical scare during the team's trip to Kansas City last week. Francona felt lightheaded before a game and was hospitalized for tests and as a precaution. The 64-year-old has dealt with major medical issues in recent years, forcing him to leave the team in 2020 and 2021. Francona has been checking in with his doctor. He goes, Sleep a little bit, Francona cracked. TRAINER'S ROOM Braves: Ace Max Fried (forearm strain) will face live hitters for the second time on Tuesday as he continues to work his way back after being shut down in May. It's a significant step, but the Braves remain tight-lipped about a possible return date for Fried, who will likely need a few rehab starts in the minors before being activated. Guardians: RHP Triston McKenzie (sprained elbow ligament) will continue his rehab program of rest and therapy for three more weeks before picking up a ball. The 25-year-old received a second opinion last week, and will avoid surgery as long as he makes progress. ... 1B Josh Naylor was lifted after an at-bat in the sixth inning with a sore right wrist. Francona said Naylor will undergo imaging tests. UP NEXT Shane Bieber (5-5, 3.48 ERA) starts for the Guardians, who may trade him before the deadline. He'll face Atlanta's Kolby Allard, who got a no-decision in a start against Minnesota last week. ___ AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports Nexstar WOOD TV8, a West Michigan television station, has terminated four employees two members of news leadership and two producers after an internal memo leaked ordering scaled-back Pride month coverage. Per The Desk, WOOD TV news director Stanton Tang and assistant news director Amy Fox were fired for their part in drafting and sending out the memo, which urged staffers to sideline their coverage of local Pride month-related events. We should not cover every Pride event that we learn about," the memo reportedly read. "We need to do some work to discern the newsworthy-ness of the event. If we are covering Pride events, we need to consider how to make the story balanced and get both sides of the issue. The note, written by Fox at Tang's behest, cited "pushback from viewers who are not happy to see those Pride-related stories as a primary reason to cut back on the coverage. "We need to recognize that some stories related to LGBTQ issues are going to be controversial and polarizing in our community," it continued. "While you personally may not agree with a certain position, people are entitled to their opinions and they are our viewers." Two executive producers at the station, Luke Stier and Madeline Odle, were also fired after WOOD TV's corporate parent, Nexstar Media Group, accused them of leaking the memo to news outlets. At the time of the memo, Stier tweeted, "This memo was met with immediate pushback from our newsroom. The guidance is not being followed. The only two people involved in its creation have been removed from any discussions surrounding @WOODTV Pride coverage as our corporation conducts a thorough investigation." The pair said in a statement posted online that they were told their non-compete clauses remain in effect despite being fired, which may prevent them from joining other Michigan newsrooms. Weve had a front row seat to history for countless events in the city we love, working with the best journalists in the industry. We are heartbroken to not be with our team today continuing the incredible legacy we have fought so hard for, the statement said. (@) In a statement shared on Twitter, Michigan Rep. Phil Skaggs called for WOOD TV and Nexstar to reinstate Stier and Odle. "Nexstar Media's decision to fire the courageous whistleblowers Luke Stier and Madeline Odle is wrong," he wrote. "The termination of journalists, simply because they wanted to inform us about the diverse human interests of our community cannot stand." You are here: China A working team has been dispatched to central China's Henan Province to guide flood relief efforts, according to China's State Flood Control and Drought Relief Headquarters. Henan issued red alerts for rainstorms on Monday after heavy rain hit parts of the province, including the cities of Xinxiang, Hebi, Zhumadian and Nanyang. China has a four-tier, color-coded weather warning system, with red representing the most severe warning. The headquarters has instructed Henan authorities to conduct close monitoring, step up forecasts and alerts, and ward off flooding, geological disasters, and other salient disaster risks. The Ukrainian Defence Forces are strengthening the northern border of the country with manpower and military equipment due to the events at the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP). Source: Lieutenant General Serhii Naiev, commander of the Joint Forces of Ukraine, on Facebook Quote: "In connection with the latest events around the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant, a decision to strengthen the northern border of our state with both manpower and combat equipment has been made." Details: Herewith Naiev remarked that the work in that area has been non-stop since the Russians were driven out of the north of Ukraine and is still being conducted 24/7. Naiev explained that anti-tank fences are being built, minefields are being set and the whole Ukrainian defence line is being fortified there: "Our intelligence is quite efficient. We have thoroughly studied the Russians and are aware of their plans. Our soldiers have undergone military coordination and are ready to fight anyone who encroaches on our territory." Journalists fight on their own frontline. Support Ukrainska Pravda or become our patron! Zaporizhzhya NPP Minister for Temporarily Occupied Territories, Irina Vereshchuk, has urged Ukrainians living near the Russia-occupied Zaporizhzhya Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP) to evacuate elsewhere, due to the growing threat of a Russian terrorist attack on the facility. In a comment to Ukrainian TV broadcasters on July 3, Vereshchuk stressed that Russian forces could potentially use the civilian population as "human shields." Read also: Top military leadership visits Rivne NPP to discuss Zaporizhzhya NPP crisis Find any opportunity to leave, said the minister. Do not wait for the occupiers who, as we observed after the (Kakhovka) hydroelectric station explosion, provided no assistance to the civilian population. I anticipate the same in this case. While I sincerely hope this will not transpire and I struggle to believe it would... we must be prepared. Our Armed Forces are on top of this situation, and they have the occupiers cornered. It's clear that they intend to use our civilians as human shields. We cannot allow this; we need to evacuate, wait it out, and we will liberate these territories before returning. Read also: Russian attack reduces Kakhovka Reservoir to a quarter of its size Ukrainian Military Intelligence chief Kyrylo Budanov previously reported that Russians had finished preparations for a potential attack on the Zaporizhzhya NPP. According to Budanov, explosive devices have been positioned near four out of six reactor building at the facility. Read also: Putin might sabotage ZNPP to restore his authority report On June 22, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy warned of Russia's intentions to carry out a terrorist attack at the Zaporizhzhya NPP. Were bringing the voice of Ukraine to the world. Support us with a one-time donation, or become a Patron! Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine Minnie Bruce Pratt Minnie Bruce Pratt, the esteemed poet, lesbian and feminist activist, and longtime partner of trans activist Leslie Feinberg, has died. Pratt died Sunday in Syracuse, N.Y., at age 76, surrounded by friends and family, reports AL.com, a website for several Alabama newspapers. Her death was first announced by her sons, Ben and Ransom Weaver, on Pratts website. They posted in June that Pratt had been diagnosed with a severe health problem and was receiving palliative care at her home in Syracuse. Pratt, a native of Alabama, published eight collections of poetry. Crime Against Nature, which focused on her experience as a lesbian raising sons. The Academy of American Poets chose it in 1989 as its Lamont Poetry Selection, an honor bestowed annually for the best second full-length book of poetry by a U.S. author. Pratt tells a moving story of loss and recuperation, discovering linkages between her own disenfranchisement and the condition of other minorities, the judges wrote, according to Pratts website. She makes it plain, in this masterful sequence of poems, that the real crime against nature is violence and oppression. In 1991, The New York Times named Crime Against Nature a Notable Book of the Year, and the American Library Association honored the volume with its Gay and Lesbian Book Award for Literature. Several of her other poetry and essay collections garnered awards, and in 1992, she, Chrystos, and Audre Lorde received the Lillian Hellman-Dashiell Hammett award from the Fund for Free Expression. The award recognizes writers who have experienced political persecution. Her essay Identity: Skin Blood Heart has been adopted for teaching use in hundreds of college courses and community groups, her site notes. It was published in the 1992 collection Rebellion: Essays 1980-1991. Her memoir S/he chronicles her coming-out and her life with Feinberg. In 1992 I met Leslie at hir slideshow/lecture in Washington, D.C., where ze spoke on the historical basis for unity among people who experience different oppressions and where ze read, looking up at me, from hir classic Letter to a Fifties Femme, Pratt wrote on her website. Not long after, ze became my one and only, my beloved. My adult life has been an exhilarating struggle to resist, militantly, the oppressive categories that the ruling status quo places on us and to live, triumphantly, the identities and complexities that we feel to be true for ourselves, Pratt continued. As my life and Leslies flowed together, I gained immeasurably in my understanding of that struggle in my understanding of how we live all our sexualities, sex identities and gender expressions. Pratt and Feinberg were together from 1992 until Feinbergs death in 2014. Pratt was coauthor or coeditor of several other books. She held adjunct teaching positions at numerous colleges and universities before finishing her academic career as professor of womens and gender studies as well as writing and rhetoric at Syracuse University. She divided her time between Centreville, Ala., and Syracuse. A public celebration of Pratts life will be held later, her sons said, noting that details will be posted on her website. They asked that donations be made to the to the Friends of Dorothy House in Syracuse, which provides care and support to people living with HIV or AIDS. Missing Massachusetts woman found alive after being stuck in mud for days, police say A Massachusetts woman who disappeared last week was found alive by hikers after being stuck in mud for several days at Borderland State Park, police said. Emma Tetewsky, 31, was found Monday after going missing in Borderland State Park, Mass., on June 26. (Stoughton Police Department) Emma Tetewsky, 31, was located Monday evening after hikers called 911 and said they heard a woman screaming for help in a swamp-like area, the Stoughton Police Department said. It is believed that Tetewsky, who was reported missing June 26, had been there for at least three days. Police said the hikers could not reach Tetewsky on foot and notified Easton police. Officers used all-terrain vehicles to reach her and then carried her back to land. Stoughton Police Chief Donna McNamara said in a statement that the rescue was the "best possible outcome" and thanked the community for tips. Easton Police Chief Keith Boone praised the department's officers "who blindly jumped into the water and followed the womans calls for help." "Their immediate action resulted in saving Emma Tetewsky," Boone said in a statement. Tetewsky was taken to the hospital with serious injuries but is expected to recover. Tetewsky's brother, who posted about her rescue on Facebook, could not immediately be reached Tuesday. This article was originally published on NBCNews.com A 31-year-old Massachusetts woman has been found alive after a multi-day search ended in Borderland State Park, where she was discovered trapped in swamp-like terrain. Emma Tetewsky was reported missing by her family on June 26, according to a statement released by the Stoughton (Mass.) Police Department, and didn't have a cellphone with her when she disappeared. Police found Tetewsky trapped in mud after she had been missing for days. Police responded to Borderland State Park around 6 p.m. Monday after hikers called 911 to report calls for help coming from a difficult-to-access area of the park. Officers were able to locate Tetewsky but struggled to reach her in the muddy water, thick brush and swampy landscape. In a tweet shared by the Stoughton Police Department, officials said they utilized ATVs to free Tetewsky, who they believed had been stuck in the mud for several days. Texas man found alive after 8 years: Rudolph Rudy Farias IV went missing in 2015 Tetewsky was found awake and alert and was transported by ambulance to a local hospital with serious but non-life-threatening injuries. Stoughton Police Chief Donna M. McNamara thanked the public for assisting local officials in achieving the best possible outcome, saying: If it wasnt for the public helping us and giving us tips over the last five days, we wouldnt have been able to locate her. Easton (Mass.) Police Chief Keith Boone also commended Easton officers who blindly jumped into the water and followed the womans calls for help, crediting their immediate action with saving Tetewskys life. 'We can't find anything': Colorado officials end search, but family's hunt for missing trail runner goes on Without this coordinated effort, this rescue would not have been successful, Boone said. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Missing woman survived days stuck in mud, police say Montserrat Caballero First female Mayor of Tijuana Confronts citys Drug Cartels Montserrat Caballero Ramirez, who leads a city notorious for being the most violent in Mexico and one of the most perilous globally, has demonstrated fearlessness in her role. Despite facing numerous challenges such as her security guards being targeted and discovering a threatening note on a deceased woman addressed to her, she boldly reduced the count of her mayoral bodyguards from 28 to six. This decision was made despite the fact that she holds a prominent position in a country where a woman is tragically killed every two and a half hours. The rows of women leaning on the walls of the many gentlemen clubs and bars in the huge red-light district are an indication of how women are typically viewed in this macho society / Christopher Cunningham Very recently she agreed to move into an army barracks with her nine-year-old son following death threats but until then Caballero, 41, had often infuriated her personal protection team by walking her dog alone and going to a public gym. Cuartel militar en donde vive Montserrat Caballero The mayor is trying to make Tijuana safer for women. She has introduced an emergency smartphone app that can send an alarm and GPS location to a police control room. More ambitiously, since taking office nearly two years ago, Caballero has been uncompromising in taking on Tijuanas organised crime gangs, showing that, if they do not conform to the law, she is prepared to shut multimillion-dollar businesses that exploit women. Others just turned the other way, she says when I ask why action has not been taken before, or theyre paid off. The crackdown has put her firmly in the crosshairs of the drug lords. Oh, its very dangerous, she says, but I have a responsibility to prevent this and to talk about these people. Alex Crawfords team filmed with a unit from the National Guard / Christopher Cunningham Christopher Cunningham Her husband, who lives in the United States, pleads in vain for her to join him there. But she will not go: a straight-talker who says she doesnt take any BS, she is on a mission to protect all women. Working on a documentary that screens on Monday, we hurtle around the border city with the mayor in her official bulletproof car as she strives to convince Tijuanas inhabitants that someone in a skirt can do the job. Looking at the scale of the challenges facing her, it is easy to feel they are insurmountable. Mexico is embroiled in a decades-old turf war between cartels slugging it out for territory and control over the blockbuster businesses of drugs, sex and human trafficking and women are invariably at the sharp end of this brutal battle. Last year about 30,000 people were murdered in Mexico. Most were male casualties of the drug wars but nearly 4,000 were women. About a quarter of these (947) were investigated as femicides women killed because of their gender. These are typically brutal crimes: according to the Centre for Strategic and International Studies in Washington, Women are more likely than men to be killed by strangulation, drowning, suffocation, and stabbing and, partly as a result, 77 per cent of Mexican women report not feeling safe. I absolutely feel like theres a war on women in Mexico, says Nicole Ramos, a lawyer living in Tijuana, a city of two million people just over the border from San Diego in the Mexican state of Baja California. I dont feel comfortable driving at certain hours, driving in certain places by myself, wearing clothing on the street that might be more revealing or attract more attention. Because I understand that my life does not have the same value as a mans life here. For Caballero, the root of femicide is the same as all the serious challenges in her city and across Mexico: drugs and the cartels that push them. They have infiltrated almost every section of society. The cartels often kill in deliberately gruesome ways and their social media videos put out as a warning to others are as bad as those distributed by Isis. Images are posted of women with breasts cut off; limbs severed; their heads put on car bonnets. Men are being murdered too but the number of women killed is increasing sharply and believed to be massively underreported. Tijuana is a cocktail of contradictions. They look like they are going into battle in Ukraine or Syria but few in Tijuana bat an eyelid / Christopher Cunningham It has a hedonistic, escapist image and relies heavily on tourism, yet armed troops from the National Guard are constantly patrolling, clad in ballistic helmets, kneepads, black masks and resting their guns on their laps as they sit in the back of pick-up trucks. They look like they are going into battle in Ukraine or Syria but few in Tijuana bat an eyelid. Alongside the stalls displaying ponchos and sombreros, and the smiling mariachi bands and stores full of handmade cowboy boots down Avenida Revolucion, the city has a seedy underbelly. Thousands of men travel from the US over the worlds busiest land border every year to live out their wildest fantasies. Drugs are as easy to order as tacos and women can cost less than the cocktails they are plying their customers with. Child pornography appears to be thriving and the cartels own or stake a claim on many of the businesses hustling for money. Women run to Tijuana to escape or hide. Many of them disappear and are never seen again. Caballero, a former lawyer, is one of six children. She grew up in a poor household blighted by domestic violence (her indigenous mother was abused) and suffered racism because of her dark skin. This is a background that she takes pride in and it is plain that many residents of Tijuana residents love her for it. Constituents are greeted with a warm hug and kiss. I watch as she tucks a note, handed to her by an elderly woman, into the top of her leather boots. She wants the mayor to mend broken street lights which now made her road vulnerable to muggings. I will follow it up, the mayor promises. She gets her hair and make-up done by transgender artists and sex workers in the citys red-light district. It keeps me in touch with my people, she says. I want them to know I am one of them and Im listening. Caballero gets her hair and make-up done by workers in Tijuanas red-light district / Christopher Cunningham The mayors unconventional approach has endeared her to some and annoyed many others. She is variously described as uninformed and ignorant but also warm, approachable and different from other politicians. I want to do the best I can for the people while I am mayor, she says. And if that means upsetting some of the cartels, big business or her fellow politicians then so be it. Already she seems to have done all three. Caballero has waded in where few of her male counterparts have gone before working with the federal government to close one of the biggest sex clubs in Tijuana, the Adelita, which failed to show documentation proving that all its female staff were above 18. The rows of women leaning on the walls of the many gentlemen clubs and bars in the huge red-light district are an indication of how women are typically viewed in this macho society. Were commodities, one woman told me, bought and sold like cars. The crime figures indicate they are probably discarded and disposed of more easily than a vehicle. We spot exceedingly young-looking girls among the sex workers. One, dressed in a short skirt and high heels with red lipstick, looks like she has not yet reached puberty. At least one is heavily pregnant. Our team films with a unit from the National Guard watching over us, guns drawn and ready. As we leave the area, one ofthem warns us he had spotted a suspicious police car circling the area while we were filming. If youre followed, call me and my unit will be out straight away to help, he says, giving us his personal mobile number such is the level of distrust towards the force in Tijuana. Police intransigence or apparent compliance with the narco lords is a constant complaint. Caballero refuses to back off. Im double proud because I have to be brave to go and close those places, she says. A lot of people feel scared because some say they [the businesses] are related to narco-trafficking but I dont care. If they have children working there, I will close them. The news originally published in The Times. VIDEO RELACIONADO: Reconoce AMLO trabajo de la alcadesa de Tijuana Montserrat Caballero An apparent drone attack on Moscow led to flights being delayed at one of the city's international airports. Russian state media claimed that five drones were involved in the attack. The defense ministry said all the drones were disabled, and no injuries were reported. Five drones were involved in an attack on Moscow just after dawn, the Russian defense ministry claimed Tuesday, blaming Ukraine for the latest incursion over the capital. Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin, in a post on Telegram, said there were no casualties and that all the drones were "repelled by air defense forces." However, the incident did lead to flights being delayed for about three hours at the city's international Vnukovo Airport. One of the drones crashed into an air base in Kubinka, outside Moscow, and another slammed into a building in the suburb of new Moscow, sparking a fire, according to TASS, a government-run media outlet. Maria Zakharova, a spokesperson for Russia's foreign ministry, cast the incident as "another act of terrorism committed by Kyiv," the outlet reported. Ukraine has not claimed responsibility. But in May, after a previous drone attack on Moscow, one expert told Insider it looked to be a case of the Ukrainian government giving Russia "a taste of its own medicine." Ukraine has acknowledged carrying out drone strikes against military targets in its own internationally recognized territory. Earlier this year, a Ukrainian military intelligence official said one of his government's drone strikes had targeted a Russia oil facility in occupied Crimea. And last fall, Ukraine attacked Russia's Black Sea Fleet with a swarm of marine drones. Meanwhile, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said late Monday that Russian drones attacked a residential building and an office of Kyiv's domestic intelligence service, killing three and wounding 21 others. Have a news tip? Email this reporter: cdavis@insider.com Read the original article on Business Insider Yaryna Nosach with her daughter Mia The mother of an eight-month old girl wounded in a Russian missile strike on Kramatorsk on June 27, which killed 12 and injured 65 more, spoke with the Ukrainska Pravda newspaper, NVs sister publication, on July 3. She described her injuries and the trauma suffered due to the Russian strike. Read also: Ukrainian suspected of directing Russian attack on Kramatorsk arrested On the day of the attack Yaryna, her husband and their baby, named Mia, popped into the cafe that was destroyed in the attack for a few minutes to pick up an order. We went to the pizzeria, said Yaryna. I held Mia in my arms and was going to feed her. The strike occurred very unexpectedly, my husband covered us with his body. Read also: Three Columbian citizens and Ukrainian writer injured in Kramatorsk strike After the missile hit, Yaryna had to climb through the rubble of the building with her daughter in her arms. Her husband tried to collect their documents and personal belongings. I climbed over some glass, she said. When we managed to get out of there, and then we met a neighbor who took us to the hospital. Mia was immediately taken to an intensive care unit. Yaryna suffered a head wound and was taken to the traumatology department. After that, I went to my daughter and sat by the door while she was provided with the necessary medical care, Yaryna said. Mia was diagnosed with a fracture of the temporal bone, as well as lacerations to the head. Doctors subsequently transferred Mia to Kyiv for treatment where she underwent surgery. Read also: Ukrainian writer Victoria Amelina in hospital after Kramatorsk missile strike Both mother and daughter are recovering well. They are likely to be discharged soon and have been referred to a neurologist and psychologist for rehabilitation. When told that their child needed surgery, the family asked for financial support. The necessary amount for full treatment was collected in just a few days. The funds were raised from all over the world, Yaryna said. I have tears in my eyes to see how many people have responded to our request. Were bringing the voice of Ukraine to the world. Support us with a one-time donation, or become a Patron! Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine Mother and young son, both deported to Russia, return to Ukraine ombudsman A mother and her young son, who were deported to Russia, have returned to Ukraine. During the attempt to cross the Russian-Ukrainian border, the Russian side did not let the family through several times, reports Ombudsman Dmytro Lubinets. In May this year, a family that was illegally deported to Russia appealed to the Ombudsman's office with a request to help them return to Ukraine. According to the ombudsman, before the start of the full-scale war, the family lived in the village of Lyptsi in Kharkiv Oblast. On the first day of the full-scale invasion, Russian troops entered the settlement. Photo: Human Rights Commissioner of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine On 16 March 2022, the occupying authorities forcibly took the family to Voronezh Oblast, according to the Office of the Ombudsman. The Office contacted the State Migration Service of Ukraine so that the family could obtain a certificate for returning to Ukraine. The mother and child were escorted on the territory of Russia by an organisation dealing with the return of deported persons. "At the same time, having all the necessary documents, the Russian side did not let the mother and her young son through the border several times. No explanations were given," noted Dmytro Lubinets. The family crossed the Ukrainian border from the Russian side on 18 June. Now they are in Kharkiv. Earlier, we reported that 125 children deported to Russia were brought back to Ukraine. Journalists fight on their own frontline. Support Ukrainska Pravda or become our patron! Mount Rushmore in South Dakota has stood the test of time, weathering storms and a variety of extreme conditions for nearly 100 years. From its original design to updates made along the way, a number of engineering feats were done to help the national memorial withstand the elements for as long as Mother Nature allows. For example, the location of the granite masterpiece was chosen in an attempt to help keep it dry. The memorial was carved on the eastern face of the mountain, so that the morning sun would melt away moisture. Mount Rushmore. Another measure taken to preserve the memorial is a bit more high-tech. The sculpture contains 22 rock blocks, four of which have strain gauges that are connected to a computer using fiber optics. Those gauges monitor any movement or expansion of the mountain and its rocks, which is caused by extreme temperature swings. TRAVEL TO MOUNT RUSHMORE NATIONAL MEMORIAL Cold temperatures cause the rocks to contract, while warmer temperatures cause them to expand. These fluctuations can cause a number of cracks to form, Blaine Kortemeyer of the Mount Rushmore National Memorial said to FOX Weather's Robert Ray. To preserve the structural integrity of the memorial, Kortemeyer said many of those cracks are sealed up with a silicon-based caulking to prevent water from entering the cracks. However, cracks in the vertical format are left alone, so that any water that enters which is capable of eroding and even breaking rocks apart is able to come out. Scientists estimate that, with the rate of erosion and with human care, the basic shape of the president's heads might last up to 7 million years. The face of Abraham Lincoln under construction on Mount Rushmore in 1936 with Gutzon Borglum monitoring the work. The idea of carving images on the Black Hills of western South Dakota began in 1923, when it was suggested by South Dakota state historian Doane Robinson. According to the National Park Service, Robinson would become known as the "Father of Mount Rushmore." In 1927, the state of South Dakota commissioned sculptor Gutzon Borglum to carve faces into the granite rock face of what would become the most famous mountain in the Black Hills: Mount Rushmore. Borglum suggested that the faces should be of George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Theodore Roosevelt and Abraham Lincoln. Borglum believed that the four presidents symbolized what was, at the time, the 150-year history of the United States. Gutzon Borglum, sculptor of Mount Rushmore, is shown here in a Bosun's chair inspecting the work on the memorial. Workers used the Bosun's chairs, suspended from above, while they drilled with jackhammers into the granite. According to Encyclopedia Britannica, Borglum believed that Washington represented the countrys founding, Jefferson represented its growth across North America, Roosevelt represented the countrys development at home and as a power on the world stage, and Lincoln represented the country's preservation during the Civil War. HOW TO WATCH FOX WEATHER Construction on the memorial began on October 4, 1927. According to the NPS, it involved nearly 400 workers and required the use of dynamite to carve out 90 percent of the mountain. By the time the memorial was completed 14 years later on October 31, 1941, no deaths had occurred. You are here: China Agricultural machines harvest wheat in Ningyang County of Tai'an City, east China's Shandong Province, June 2, 2023.[Photo/Xinhua] China has ensured a stable wheat market while maintaining its wheat purchase level amid efforts to facilitate the summer harvest. As of June 30, enterprises across China's major grain-producing regions have purchased about 25 billion kg of wheat, data from the National Food and Strategic Reserves Administration showed Monday. The purchase price for wheat in major grain-producing regions averaged 2.76 yuan (about 0.38 U.S. dollars) per kg, the administration said, expecting the price to remain stable in the future. Despite adverse meteorological conditions, China is making multi-pronged efforts to safeguard grain security. As a move in the direction, the Agricultural Development Bank of China has issued 110 billion yuan of credit to support the purchase of summer grain. Mourning in Sumy Oblast: number of victims of Russian drone attack increases Three people have been killed and 21 injured in Sumy due to a Russian drone attack on an apartment building, and a day of mourning has been declared in the city on 4 July. Source: Oleksandr Lysenko, Mayor of Sumy, on Facebook Quote: "Today [4 July ed.] is a day of mourning in Sumy. Three people were killed. 21 were wounded. Four remain in hospital as a result of the enemys attack yesterday." Background: As of 4 July at 18:00 Kyiv time, two civilians were killed and 19 sustained injuries in a Russian drone attack on the city of Sumy. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that on the night of 2-3 July, Russia attacked residential buildings and the Security Service of Ukraine building in Sumy with Iranian-made drones. Journalists fight on their own frontline. Support Ukrainska Pravda or become our patron! By Andrew Gray BRUSSELS (Reuters) -NATO on Tuesday extended Secretary General Jens Stoltenbergs contract by another year, opting to stick with an experienced leader rather than try to agree on a successor as war rages on the alliances doorstep. Stoltenberg, a former prime minister of Norway, has been the transatlantic security alliances leader since 2014 and his tenure has already been extended three other times. The decision means continuity at the top of NATO as its 31 members grapple with the challenge of supporting Ukraine in repelling Moscows invasion while avoiding a direct conflict between NATO and Russian forces. Stoltenberg, 64, is widely seen across the alliance as a steady leader and patient consensus-builder. The decision to extend his tenure to Oct. 1, 2024, comes ahead of a summit of NATO leaders in Vilnius, Lithuania, next week. Stoltenberg said he was honoured by the decision. "The transatlantic bond between Europe and North America has ensured our freedom and security for nearly 75 years, and in a more dangerous world, our Alliance is more important than ever," he said. U.S. President Joe Biden and leaders of other NATO nations also hailed the decision. "With his steady leadership, experience, and judgment, Secretary General Stoltenberg has brought our Alliance through the most significant challenges in European security since World War II," Biden said in a statement. A White House statement said Biden spoke with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz on Tuesday to review preparations for the Vilnius summit. "They discussed a range of issues that leaders will consider at the Summit, including ways to further strengthen the Alliance," the statement said. Diplomats and analysts give Stoltenberg high marks for keeping NATO together over Ukraine, striking a balance between those demanding maximum support for Kyiv and others urging more caution out of fear of sparking a global conflict. UKRAINE AND THE VILNIUS SUMMIT Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy offered his congratulations to Stoltenberg in a telephone call and said he would "look forward to continuing our fruitful cooperation." Zelenskiy on Telegram said he and Stoltenberg "coordinated our positions" ahead of the Vilnius summit, where Ukraine wants a signal that it can secure NATO membership. "Now is the time for powerful decisions and concrete steps in this direction," he said. Zelenskiy's foreign minister, Dmytro Kuleba, welcomed Stoltenberg's extension and his "strong leadership. Stoltenberg also won widespread praise for guiding the alliance through severe transatlantic turbulence during the U.S. presidency of Donald Trump, who openly speculated about taking the United States out of NATO. But the decision to stick with Stoltenberg also reflected a failure to reach consensus on a successor after he declared in February that he was not seeking a further extension. "NATO member states have decided logically enough that the best secretary general currently on the marketplace is the one they already have. Experience matters especially at one of the most testing times in NATOs history," said Jamie Shea, a former senior NATO official now with the Chatham House think-tank. Among those considered as potential successors to Stoltenberg were British Defence Secretary Ben Wallace and Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen. But neither they nor others floated by diplomats appeared to have the support of all NATO members as the Vilnius summit approached. With leaders keen to avoid wrangling there over a new secretary general, they turned back to Stoltenberg. His next tasks include overseeing a transformation of NATO forces to refocus on defending against any Russian attack, after decades in which NATO concentrated on missions beyond its borders, such as in Afghanistan and the Balkans. He will also have to manage differences over how involved NATO should become in Asia, with the United States pushing for a greater role in countering China, while others such as France insist NATO must maintain focus on the North Atlantic area. Shea said NATO now needs to consider succession planning and identify someone who will reflect its future image and direction, and builds on partnerships with other organisations such as the European Union. (Reporting by Andrew Gray; additional reporting by Jasper Ward and David Brunnstrom in Washington; Editing by Marine Strauss, Charlotte Van Campenhout, Peter Graff, Alex Richardson, Ron Popeski, Mark Porter and David Gregorio) Stoltenberg's tenure as NATO head was extended after allies failed to agree a replacement (JOHN THYS) NATO's members on Tuesday extended the tenure of alliance head Jens Stoltenberg for one year, after struggling to find a replacement in the shadow of Russia's war in Ukraine. The announcement comes a week ahead of a summit of NATO leaders in Lithuania that will be dominated by the Western military alliance's response to the conflict and Kyiv's push for membership. "Honoured by NATO allies' decision to extend my term as secretary general until 1 October 2024," Stoltenberg, 64, said in a statement. "In a more dangerous world, our alliance is more important than ever." NATO's 31 countries decided to extend the term of the former Norwegian prime minister -- at the helm of the alliance since 2014 -- after failing to agree an obvious replacement. Others seen as potential candidates for the post of NATO secretary general, including Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen and British Defence Minister Ben Wallace, had recently dropped out of contention. Frederiksen appeared to meet the requirements of some European allies as a possible first female leader and by being from the European Union. But NATO nations on the alliance's eastern flank were pushing for someone from their region to take the reins, to underscore a tougher stance on Russia. Britain's Wallace put himself forward but numerous NATO allies wanted a former head of state or government in charge, and France insisted on someone from an EU country. Stoltenberg, whose tenure was already extended for a year shortly after Russia launched its invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, has the strong backing of the United States and other key allies. US President Joe Biden welcomed the extension and praised Stoltenberg's "steady leadership, experience, and judgement" in dealing with the epochal security challenges. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky praised "his personal efforts to support Ukraine's Euro-Atlantic aspirations", after a phone call with the NATO chief. - Fine line - Stoltenberg has won plaudits for his cool-headed stewardship of the alliance at a time when the biggest armed conflict since World War II has roiled Europe and reinvigorated NATO. That has involved maintaining stalwart support for Kyiv while also making sure the war does not spill over into a potential nuclear conflict between NATO members and Russia. The summit in Vilnius will see Stoltenberg treading a fine line again as he seeks to bridge gaps between Ukraine's demand to join the alliance and the reluctance of the United States, its dominant power, to offer a clear timeline for that process. Leaders will sign off on new defence plans and spending goals as the alliance undergoes it biggest overhaul in a generation in the face of Moscow's Ukraine war. Stoltenberg will also try to push Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to drop his objections to Sweden's membership bid, made along with Finland in the wake of the Ukraine conflict. Stoltenberg had insisted that he was not seeking to prolong his time in charge at NATO, though he left the door open for the allies to ask him to stay. The extension will see Stoltenberg remain in charge during a July 2024 Washington summit marking the 75th anniversary of NATO's founding. Some countries were hesitant about granting him a one-year extension, on concerns that choosing his successor would become intertwined with jostling for top EU jobs after European elections next June. There are also worries that the run-up to the US elections in November 2024 could disrupt the search for a replacement. del/js/fb NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg will stay at the head of the worlds largest international military alliance for another year, he announced Tuesday. The former Norwegian prime minister was named the secretary general in 2014. His reappointment will keep him in the role until at least October 2024. The transatlantic bond between Europe & North America has ensured our freedom & security for nearly 75 years, and in a more dangerous world, our Alliance is more important than ever, Stoltenberg said in an announcement on Twitter. He was reportedly not interested in a fourth term as secretary general but was pressured by member states given the alliances relevance to the Russian invasion of Ukraine. The announcement comes just before alliance leaders meet July 11 in Vilnius, Lithuania, for an annual summit. President Biden plans to attend the summit on behalf of the U.S., which is expected to focus on the alliances response to Russias invasion of Ukraine. Biden welcomed the Tuesday announcement. With his steady leadership, experience, and judgement, Secretary General Stoltenberg has brought our Alliance through the most significant challenges in European security since World War II, he said in a statement. Today, our Alliance is stronger, more united and purposeful than it has ever been. Stoltenberg has overseen growth of NATO, including the accession of Montenegro in 2017, North Macedonia in 2020 and most recently Finland earlier this year. Most NATO members are attempting to add Sweden to the alliance as well, though attempts have been halted over concerns from Turkey. Similarly, Stoltenberg has advocated for the accession of Georgia. With his steady leadership, experience, and judgment, Secretary General Stoltenberg has brought our Alliance through the most significant challenges in European security since World War II, Biden said in a statement. Today, our Alliance is stronger, more united and purposeful than it has ever been. Stoltenberg has often tread a middle path on controversial issues in the alliance, including the increasingly authoritarian behavior of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban that has drawn the criticism of other members. He also refused to battle with former President Trump, who repeatedly threatened to remove the U.S. from the alliance entirely. Norway was a founding member of NATO in 1949, and Stoltenberg is the first Norwegian to lead the alliance. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. (Bloomberg) -- Jens Stoltenberg will serve another year as NATO secretary general after member states agreed to extend his term as the military alliance continues to confront Russias invasion of Ukraine, according to a statement on NATOs website. Most Read from Bloomberg Stoltenbergs tenure, which has been extended until October next year, has already been prolonged three times. He had previously made clear he intended to step down from the role this year. Several countries were eager to pick a woman to head the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, but the blocs members were unable to agree on a successor. NATO leaders will endorse the decision when they gather next week in Vilnius, Lithuania, for their annual summit. Read more: NATOs Stoltenberg Seen Staying On Absent Consensus Replacement The former Norwegian prime minister has led the alliance since 2014, helming NATO through a tumultuous period, as he tried to balance the alliances support for Kyiv without drawing the organization into a wider conflict with Moscow. He also welcomed Montenegro, North Macedonia, Finland and potentially soon Sweden into the alliance. Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek 2023 Bloomberg L.P. NATO leader Jens Stoltenberg to stay in office until Oct. 1, 2024, in a more dangerous world' NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg will remain in his role leading the military alliance for one more year, NATO allies announced on Tuesday. The decision to extend Stoltenberg's term to Oct. 1, 2024, comes one week before President Joe Biden and his NATO counterparts will gather in Vilnius, Lithuania, for a critical NATO summit to discuss providing increased security guarantees for Ukraine amid its war against Russia. Stoltenberg's tenure at the helm of NATO was due to end last year, but allies agreed to keep the former Norwegian prime minister in charge of the alliance to avoid a leadership transition in the early months of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine. This year, however, the decision to extend Stoltenberg's tenure this year reflects allies' inability to come to an agreement on a successor to lead the 31-nation military alliance. Allies must make decisions unanimously, but the alliance could not find common ground on any of the leading contenders to succeed Stoltenberg in the role. President Joe Biden meets with NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg in the Oval Office of the White House, Tuesday, June 13, 2023, in Washington. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta) ORG XMIT: DCMC107 Stoltenberg said in a statement Tuesday that he is honored by the decision. "The transatlantic bond between Europe and North America has ensured our freedom and security for nearly seventy-five years, and in a more dangerous world, our great Alliance is more important than ever," he said. Biden said in a statement Tuesday that he welcomed the decision to extend Stoltenberg's tenure leading NATO. "With his steady leadership, experience, and judgement, Secretary General Stoltenberg has brought our Alliance through the most significant challenges in European security since World War II," Biden said. "Today, our Alliance is stronger, more united and purposeful than it has ever been." Biden also said he looks forward to working with Stoltenberg at the NATO summit in Lithuania next week and during next year's 75th anniversary NATO summit in Washington. Many NATO allies advocated for a woman to be named to succeed Stoltenberg, with Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen emerging as a favorite to lead the alliance. Frederiksen visited White House last month in a meeting many interpreted as an opportunity for Biden to interview Frederiksen for the role. Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen were also floated as contenders to succeed Stoltenberg. British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, who visited the White House the same week as Frederiksen, was a strong advocate to appoint his own defense secretary, Ben Wallace, to NATO's top post. Sunak wrote in tweet on Tuesday that during Stoltenberg's tenure, "NATO has evolved to meet new threats, continued to protect our people and has been steadfast in support of Ukraine." "Looking forward to continuing that work together, Jens," Sunak added. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: NATO leader Jens Stoltenberg's term extended until Oct. 1, 2024 Our future. NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg and President Volodymyr Zelenskyy keep in touch before the NATO summit What three scenarios do our partners see for us? "More than 20 NATO member states support Ukraine's accession to the Alliance," the Ukrainian government reports. Indeed, over the past few months, Ukraine has been preparing for the NATO summit, which will take place in Vilnius in July. The primary efforts have been focused on getting as much support as possible and, potentially, some specific decisions in our favor. Read also: Ukraine will not trade off territorial integrity against NATO membership Zelenskyy Here it would be helpful to recall the summit in Bucharest in 2008. At the time, Putin talked about friendship and peace, and less than four months later invaded Georgia. He partly did so because he received assurances that neither Ukraine nor Georgia would be part of the Alliance. It would seem that it is time for the world to learn this lesson: joining NATO is not a reason for escalation, but not joining is. But what is the mood among Ukraine and its allies? Ukrainian expectations Naturally, Ukraine wants guarantees of accession, whether now or after the war, but a clear invitation to join NATO, a clear roadmap, and finally, a move away from the rhetoric of an "open door" that no one invites us to enter. After all, we have been standing on the threshold for too long, and now we have every chance of being killed on that very threshold. Read also: Ukraine may be offered fast-track NATO membership in Vilnius, Lithuanian president says Ukrainian diplomats are working tirelessly to gain support for the accession. A year ago, the Presidential Administration drafted the so-called Kyiv Security Treaty, in which they tried to create room for maneuver by describing security guarantees as broadly as possible. What guarantees, what mechanism the Kyiv Security Agreement does not answer these questions. It is not surprising. They still had hope and a bit of naivety for bilateral security guarantees. But as it turned out, no one is in a hurry to provide them. Read also: Scholz ready to provide security guarantees for Ukraine, but not swift NATO membership Therefore, full membership in the Alliance is the only realistic option to avoid a future war with Russia. After all, the Budapest Memorandum and a series of hybrid and conventional wars with Russia, there is no doubt in Ukrainian politics about this. However, our expectations are only our expectations. What do our partners think? The Reality of the Alliance And this all affects the vision of Ukraine's security in the future. Meanwhile, there is no unanimity among the twenty NATO member states that are ready to see Ukraine as a member, not to mention the nine that have not yet spoken out. Whatever one may say, we have to realize that they fear and do not want a war with Russia, they fear and want to avoid its disintegration, and they mostly do not believe in Ukraine's return to the 1991 borders. So, what three scenarios do our partners see for us? Scenario 1. To continue arming Ukraine. This is the very essence of the "support as long as necessary" mantra. This is not the worst option and is minimally acceptable to us. Obviously, without sustained Western support, we will not be able to wage war on our own against Russia, which has many times more resources. However, the current level of Western support is not even minimally sufficient to fully fulfill our tasks. This is a mountain of work for our diplomats and military - more weapons, more training, fewer restrictions, and so on. Otherwise, it will be a notorious "war of attrition" for years, with the potential for the conflict to freeze when these resources - or the political will to provide them - run out. This means a new war is likely on the horizon in 5-20 years. Read also: UK would support expedited Ukrainian NATO membership Foreign Secretary Scenario 2. Joining immediately after the victory. Most who are ready to see Ukraine become a NATO member agree with this scenario. The only problem here is the definition of "victory" and its achievement. Is victory the borders of February 24? 1991? For us, it is 1991, but as I mentioned above, few people believe that victory is possible in this configuration. Again, this requires many more weapons, much more support, sanctions, and the isolation of Russia. Is the West ready for this? The answer to this question is one which we may not like. Therefore, the concrete prospect of joining is good, but we must still crawl to victory. And we don't have a lot of internal resources for this, even with Western support. Read also: An intermediate step towards NATO. What to expect from the July summit in Vilnius Scenario 3. Joining during the war. Few support this option because it would raise the question of the Alliance's entry into the war. This scenario has two options: direct NATO involvement in the war, which absolutely no one is ready for, not even our closest friends. And the second option is the "German" one - joining in parts. But the difference from the situation in the FRG-GDR is enormous. Germany and the GDR were two states recognized by the international community. Yes, it was a divided Germany, but it was two state entities. In our case, we have territories occupied and illegally annexed by a third party, though any sane state in the world does not recognize the change of affiliation. The question of political, security, and legal mechanisms in this scenario remains open and will require enormous diplomatic work. Over the past year and a half, Ukraine has had more than one or two lessons in the realistic perception of its situation. But it has succeeded more than once or twice where success was considered impossible. In the case of the NATO summit, we should not be enchanted lest we be disappointed. The geopolitical reality is much more complex than we imagine when we think the world has become Ukraine-centered. Read also: At the same time, we should not despair. We are hitting a few rocks much bigger than we can handle, but well-coordinated work, unity, and perseverance have helped us more than once. So, with a cool head, a clear understanding of the national interest, and a steely grip, we are working on an invitation to join NATO at the Vilnius Summit. Lithuanians have always supported us unwaveringly, so let this summit in Vilnius become a landmark. It was in Vilnius that Yanukovych finally destroyed Ukraine's security by refusing to sign the Association Agreement, so in Vilnius, this security should be restored by providing a clear roadmap for NATO membership. Were bringing the voice of Ukraine to the world. Support us with a one-time donation, or become a Patron! Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine Dr. Tamia Potter is sharing some advice and insights shes gained along her path to becoming one of the few Black neurosurgeons in the country. Potter is set to make history as the first Black woman neurosurgery resident at Vanderbilt University Medical Center. She announced her acceptance into the program in March. Her achievement comes as the medical profession continues to face a serious diversity issue with just 0.6% of neurosurgeons in the United States being Black women. Speaking to Teen Vogue, the native of Crawfordville, Florida, talked through her journey to becoming a neurosurgeon and some of the lessons shes learned along the way. Potter admitted that she sacrificed a lot in undergrad as she studied and worked hard to achieve strong enough grades for medical school. I do wish I could go back to college and have the fun times, go stay out late, and do all the things that college kids do, she said. But people hold doctors just to a higher standard, naturally. And that means that some of the things that are acceptable for other people are just viewed in a different light for us. That higher standard regularly faced by Black doctors also informed her own viewpoint on her Black womanhood in a career field where Black women are greatly underrepresented. The best strategy is to focus on yourself. Whenever you go into a space thats unfamiliar, youre more likely to focus on everything around you instead of understanding why youre supposed to be there, she said. Potter shared that she dealt with doubts once she entered medical school and feelings that she was not supposed to be there. Focusing on the importance of her own talents and achievements helped her shift her perspective. I was so intimidated. I thought all these people were smarter than me; they came from Ivy League schools, she said. But then I focused on myself and realized I passed that test, too. I did well with my grades, too. Im getting good feedback, too. As you continue to do what you came there to do, your work speaks for itself. Potter credits her time at Florida A&M University as helping her build communication and networking skills that have aided her throughout her time in her medical school programs. This includes her comfort asking for help when she feels she needs it. Going to an HBCU feels like youre just at a very large family reunion and youre learning at the same time, she said. I was never afraid to ask a question. I was never afraid to ask for help. And I think I brought that with me to medical school. No matter where Im going, I know that I can ask the people around me for support when I need it. And when it comes to staying aligned with her career goal of being a neurosurgeon, Potter revealed that she has been able to remain focused by making sure all the other tasks in my life revolve around my one goal. I have three jobs currently while in medical school. I have to support myself financially. All my jobs volunteering, tutoring, or teaching are very similar in nature and they are goal oriented towards neurosurgery, she said. The post Neurosurgeon Tamia Potter Credits Focus, Sacrifice in Medical Career Journey appeared first on 21Ninety. Jews should leave Russia 'before it's too late,' says former chief rabbi of Moscow Pinchas Goldschmidt, President of the European Rabbinical Conference. Sven Hoppe/picture alliance via Getty Images The former chief rabbi of Moscow is urging Jews to leave Russia. Rabbi Pinchas Goldschmidt himself fled the country following last year's invasion of Ukraine. Russia on Friday labeled Goldschmidt a "foreign agent," citing his opposition to the war. The former chief rabbi of Moscow is urging his fellow Jews to leave Russia immediately, warning that the country has fundamentally changed after the Ukraine invasion. In a statement on Saturday, Rabbi Pinchas Goldschmidt, who himself fled the country in March 2022, noted that he had spent three decades supporting the Jews of Russia. But Goldschmidt, who now resides in Israel, said his coreligionists should get out too, having previously warned that they risk being scapegoated for the failure of Russia's "special military operation." "Russia has changed its face," he said in a July 1 statement, as reported by The Jerusalem Post. "I call on the Jewish community to leave the country, before it is too late." Goldschmidt, who began serving the Moscow Choral Synagogue in 1993 and now leads the Conference of European Rabbis, had previously called Russia's invasion of Ukraine a "catastrophe" for Jews in the region. Speaking to The Guardian last year, he also noted that Russia, like other countries, has a history of elites stoking antisemitism to "redirect the anger and discontent of the masses." The rabbi's exhortation came after the Russian Justice Ministry on Friday declared him a "foreign agent," The Times of Israel reported. In his statement, Goldschmidt argued that the label was a badge of honor, saying he is "proud to be on the right side of history and to join a distinguished list of people who oppose an unjustified operation and the harming of innocents." Have a news tip? Email this reporter: cdavis@insider.com Read the original article on Business Insider Lets be honest about death penalty in Idaho: Revenge killing despite the cost | Opinion The reasons justifying the death penalty continue to get thin. The argument that its cheaper to execute someone than it is to house them in prison for the rest of their life doesnt hold water. As Idaho Statesman reporter Kevin Fixler wrote Sunday in an in-depth story, the costs to have someone on death row exceed the costs to house someone for life in prison. He cited two studies from Washington state and Oregon, each showing that pursuit of a death sentence on average cost taxpayers upward of $1 million more than when prosecutors sought life imprisonment in aggravated first-degree murder cases. And yet, misinformation about cost savings continues to be cited in Idaho to justify the practice. We also need to consider the costs involved, Sen. Doug Ricks, R-Rexburg, told a Senate committee debating a bill to require death by a firing squad if lethal injection drugs are unavailable. You can get your calculator out, do the math, times that many years by the days and by (the daily rate). It adds up to an awful lot of money. A death penalty expert told Fixler widely held beliefs that lifetime imprisonment is costlier than death sentences has been proved wrong time and again. Its public misinformation, said Deborah Denno, a Fordham University law professor. I dont know how anybody could possibly argue with these statistics or even question them at all. Its across the board, across the country, different states, but across different times, too, given the length-of-time cost studies conducted. Idaho Attorney General Raul Labrador suggested the solution to the high cost of the death penalty might be to cut down on the legal avenues available to someone on death row, in spite of the clear evidence that those legal avenues have at times exonerated those wrongly convicted and sentenced to death. Any fiscal discussion should ask why capital litigation costs what it does. Part of the reason, of course, is that the death row inmates will routinely engage in abusive litigation, dragging out the process over decades, Labrador said. We could save some money, even if it means a couple of innocent people might get executed and we trample on peoples constitutional rights. Bringing back the firing squad, in particular, which passed and became law in Idaho on Saturday, highlights the barbarity of the death penalty. And it adds to the costs, as the state estimated it will spend $750,000 to build a special firing squad facility that might never get used, bringing into question whether its worth the added expense. Ricks continued to show a propensity to mislead during committee testimony for the firing squad bill that the mandatory area for observers to witness an execution made up a lot of the cost. If that was not there, itd be much, probably less expensive to tool up to do some of that, Ricks said. Actually, more like $4,418, which was the cost associated with facility and ground improvements for the demonstrator and media areas in a prior remodel of the maximum security prisons same cell block for lethal injection executions. Further, Gov. Brad Little said he doesnt expect the state to ever use the firing squad facility. Rep. Bruce Skaug, R-Nampa, who brought the firing squad legislation, said it is interesting how political liberals are suddenly fiscal conservatives on death penalty expenses. It is equally interesting when political conservatives become tax-and-spend politicians when it comes to the blood-thirsty drive to execute someone, whatever the cost. Another misinformed argument defending the death penalty is deterrence, which Labrador cited. Capital punishment brings closure to victims of crimes and serves a deterrent effect, Labrador said. Multiple studies have shown no deterrent effect of the death penalty, regardless of the method of execution. Labradors suggestion that the death penalty brings closure for the families also is debatable. Does a guilty verdict and life sentence without the possibility of parole not provide closure for families? Or does an execution really just fulfill a sense of vengeance for victims families? At least Skaug is being honest when he calls it what it is: retribution. The victims and their surviving families deserve to see the retribution that Idaho has deemed appropriate, Skaug told the Statesman by email. A valid argument can be made that the death penalty is simply immoral, particularly if you count yourself among those who claim to be pro-life. If you take away the arguments about cost, deterrence and closure, whats left other than a call for vengeance? Idaho can and should have a debate about the death penalty. But lets at least have an honest, informed debate. Statesman editorials are the unsigned opinion of the Idaho Statesmans editorial board. Board members are opinion editor Scott McIntosh, opinion writer Bryan Clark, editor Chadd Cripe, newsroom editors Dana Oland and Jim Keyser and community member Mary Rohlfing. There is a 950 million yuan ($131.15 million) industry cashing in on college admissions. As an increasing number of Chinese parents turn to paid service providers, who claim to be using AI-driven technology, to decide which universities their children should apply to for their undergraduate studies, experts have warned against opting for such services. Chen Huajun, a professor at Zhejiang University's College of Computer Science and Technology, said that AI, assisted by big data technology, can help analyze information, which is good. "It can help fill the information gap (between universities and students), but can only be used as a reference," Chen was quoted as saying by Qianjiang Evening News. A fraud alert has been issued by Beijing Education Examinations Authority against "application consulting services with a high price tag". "Schools and teachers are forbidden to work with companies or institutions that make money by providing application consulting services," said the authority. Students in China need to complete the college application process within a short time after gaokao, the nationwide college entrance exam, based on their grades. If their grades are higher than the threshold announced by colleges they are applying to, they will be enrolled. Otherwise, they have to find a place in other schools. According to data from the country's education ministry, as of June 15, there are 3,072 colleges and universities in China. A total of 12.91 million candidates are vying for admissions this year. Against this backdrop, a large number of service providers are offering new tools, which they claim are based on artificial intelligence, to help with the college admission process. Hundreds of such apps are available in mobile app stores. "It's a headache helping my daughter decide which universities she should apply for because of the overwhelming amount of information," said Li Jie, mother of a college candidate in Shanxi province. "However, I didn't take help from any apps or companies because I'm not sure how capable those are," she added. According to Chinese corporate information provider Tianyancha, there are more than 1,850 enterprises in China with names or business scope that suggest involvement in the college application process. Many internet giants such as Baidu, Tencent and Alibaba have also developed such apps. There are also many in-person consulting services to help candidates. The fees range from hundreds to several thousands yuan. The domestic market consultancy firm iiMedia Research estimates that the market value of the college application industry has reached 950 million yuan, a sixfold increase from 2016. However, there is no such entity as "a college application planner "on the official list of occupational qualifications released by the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security. This means there are no clear standards for people who provide such services. Newsom hits the road to campaign for Biden in Idaho, building his own base in red states In the last three months, Gov. Gavin Newsom has given more than $3 million to President Biden and other Democrats in Republican-run states such as Mississippi, Tennessee and Florida. (Hannah Wiley/Los Angeles Times) At a private fundraiser in the middle of Donald Trump's America, California Gov. Gavin Newsom was on a mission to help President Biden. Newsom, who hit the road during the Fourth of July holiday weekend, told a group of roughly 50 Democrats gathered in the backyard of a mansion overlooking the Boise foothills Saturday to make the "powerful case for why we should be passionate, enthusiastic about Bidens reelection. At a time when states like Idaho, where registered Republicans outnumber Democrats by more than 4 to 1, are enacting laws to restrict abortion, gay rights and advance other culturally divisive pillars of the GOP agenda, Newsom said only one man could be trusted to turn the tide: Biden. The 80-year-old president has used his years in office to aggressively fight for Democratic priorities, Newsom told them, including LGBTQ+ rights, gun control and clean energy, while rebuilding the American economy post-COVID and keeping democracy afloat. Im really proud of this president, and I hope you are as well," Newsom said to a crowd happy to have one of the party's rising stars. Saturday's swing through Idaho didn't just energize Biden's much-neglected base in such a conservative corner of the West. It helped build a future one for Newsom. Many of the Democrats who flocked to hear Newsom speak in Idaho and at a separate fundraising event earlier that day in Bend, Ore., said they thought the 55-year-old liberal governor offered a glimpse into the future of their party, a bolder, more charismatic and younger potential heir of Biden's legacy in the post-Trump years. He looks like an incredible presidential candidate, said Russ Buschert, an Idaho Democratic Party trustee. Michele Anderson, a real estate broker in Bend and former Bay Area resident, praised Newsom for using his "pretty impactful" voice and his willingness to take a stand on the most critical issues facing the nation while pushing back against Republicans eroding the progress made during the country's recent history. I appreciate a lot that Joe Biden has done, but I think its time for that next generation of leaders, too," Anderson said. "And I see Gavin Newsom being a part of that. Newsom says he has no interest in the White House and that his cross-country travels are to promote his party and president before the 2024 election. But his stumping for Biden tees Newsom up nicely for other job prospects, said Rob Stutzman, a Republican consultant in California. His public feuding with Republicans fills a "void" in his party and sends a message that he's a Democrat willing and unafraid to take on the MAGA wing of the GOP a crusade that helps elevate Newsom's national profile and build a database of supporters along the way. "Hes putting in time and effort that no one else outside the White House appears to be," Stutzman said. "Hes acting like the candidate in waiting. "Someday it may pay off for him." The visit to Idaho, which kicked off Newsom's second tour through red states over the past few months, was all about shoring up enthusiasm for Biden's accomplishments and touting party accomplishments, while showering beleaguered local Democrats with some love, attention and a little campaign cash from his political action committee Campaign for Democracy. Newsom cut the Idaho Democratic Party a $10,000 check for the event, the maximum allowed; it's a sliver of the more than $3 million he's funneled to Biden and Democrats in Republican-run states such as Florida, Tennessee and Mississippi over the last three months. This week, he'll have private meetings with Democrats in Montana during an annual family Fourth of July vacation, with a stop later in Utah. The swing through Republican-led states gives Newsom the chance to remind local Democrats how critical they are in fighting back against what he described as a GOP-led "rights regression." You think Trump, if he gets back into office, is not going to demand a third term? Give me a break, Newsom said. You think Jan. 6 is the last we are going to see.... Give me a break." Newsom's foray deeper into the national political arena has evolved since last year, when he ripped his party for not being aggressive enough in the face of Republican victories on the local, state and national level, including at the U.S. Supreme Court. Im just trying to move from lament and critique to action and responsibility," Newsom said in an interview with The Times in Boise. "No one wants to hear a critic. What are you going to do? And I had to answer the what am I going to do' question. Im trying to build something," he said. "But Im trying to be complementary of the work thats already being done." But Newsom also has to contend with any side effects of his campaigning in red states like Idaho, one of the top states where Californians are fleeing, according to data analyzed by the nonpartisan Public Policy Institute of California. During Newsom's tenure as governor, California has seen a surge in homelessness and a worsening housing shortage and affordability crisis, some of the issues cited in a recent PPIC poll showing that about 4 in 10 Californians are considering leaving the state. Californias far-left governor came to Boise to raise money for Idaho Democrats...and to export his litany of failed policies, including skyrocketing housing costs," Idaho Republican Party Chairwoman Dorothy Moon said in a statement. "People are fleeing California in droves because they dont want to live as serfs in Prince Gavins kingdom. Im pretty sure his visit here to normal America violates some kind of California travel restriction. California Republican Party Chairwoman Jessica Millan Patterson said the state's struggles should "serve as a warning to the rest of the nation." "While Newsom runs a shadow presidential campaign, its increasingly clear he wants to take his failures from his own state straight to the White House," Millan Patterson said in a statement. "You dont want what Gavin Newsoms selling. Newsom has dismissed that criticism as tired Republican talking points and a distraction from the cultural issues that underlie his trip. Im not giving a California stump speech, never have in any of the red states Ive been to," he said, adding that his assignment isn't a "Visit California" campaign. "Thats not what this is about. I talk about the Democratic Party and our values, and I think theres a lot to brag about in that respect. Mike Madrid, a Republican political consultant and co-founder of the anti-Trump group The Lincoln Project, said Newsom's brand appeals to Democrats throughout the country, including in swing states, who are looking for a leader "unashamed and unapologetic" about running defense against Republicans. While Democrats in decades past focused on the economy and shied from the more divisive cultural issues of their time, Madrid said, Newsom's focus on LGBTQ+ and transgender rights, on gun control and environmental issues appeals to the white-collar, college-educated members of his party, along with certain Latino voters looking for a political home. That could be a winning strategy in a deeply divided America in the middle of a culture war, Madrid said. As voters are looking for a champion on cultural issues, "Gavin Newsom is that champion." At least for now, Newsom is shrugging off the presidential compliments and sticking to the script. I guess I should be humbled by that, he said. But thats not why Im here. Get Essential San Diego, weekday mornings Get top headlines from the Union-Tribune in your inbox weekday mornings, including top news, local, sports, business, entertainment and opinion. Sign me up. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times. Mr Farage said he has been rejected from nine banks since Coutts informed him it would close his accounts (Getty) Nigel Farages bank accounts were closed because they did not contain enough money, not because of his political views, it has been claimed. The former Brexit Party and Ukip leader sparked a free speech row after claiming his accounts were shuttered by upmarket lender Coutts in revenge for Brexit. Mr Farage said he has since been rejected from several other banks, and claimed he was a victim of the big corporate structures who did not want Brexit to happen. The extraordinary row saw the prime minister wade in, confirming there was concern at the top of government and ordering a Treasury probe into whether banks were being overzealous in closing certain accounts. But sources at the bank said Mr Farages accounts were closed because he fell below the financial threshold Coutts requires. They told the BBC he was even offered a regular account at NatWest which owns Coutts which Mr Farage confirmed to The Independent. Coutts requires clients to maintain at least 1m in investments or borrowing, or hold 3m in savings, to be eligible for an account, the BBC reported. Mr Farage, who says he has been with the bank since 1980, suggested another reason his accounts may have been cancelled was his status as a so-called politically exposed person (PEP), which carries extra costs for banks. But sources familiar with the banks thinking told the BBC this was not the reason his accounts were closed and that it was a commercial move. The bank, which acts on behalf of the royal family, said it can not comment on individual clients. Mr Farage said he maintained a healthy cash balance with Coutts (AFP/Getty) Speaking to The Independent, Mr Farage said there is a lot of spin coming out of Coutts. He disputed that he was offered a NatWest account at the time his Coutts accounts were withdrawn and says the offer only came late last week. He said: Number one, the idea was that I was offered a bank account, that was not until 6.55pm on Thursday evening after they steadfastly refused to offer me any banking facilities within the group. The NatWest account was only offered after I had blown the gaff on the fact that nobody in the UK banking industry would have me. He added: I still have not had any offers from them on business banking. The point is, nine other banks have said no. Coutts denied I was PEP status when the fact is every other bank said I was and I am beginning to get subject access requests back from international agencies confirming that. Mr Farage said he maintained a healthy cash balance with Coutts, and he had no idea about the banks thresholds for clients. At no point in the last 10 years did Coutts give me a min threshold. More importantly, the offer of a Natwest personal acct only came after I went public last Thursday. No business solution was offered, and they even denied I was a PEP, which is why 9 other banks have said no. https://t.co/b9egKPEWMZ pic.twitter.com/DO9yMFKzGT Nigel Farage (@Nigel_Farage) July 4, 2023 In a video posted on Twitter on Tuesday, Mr Farage confirmed Coutts was the bank he had complained about. He did not deny that he had failed to meet the financial threshold to keep an account with the bank, but said they have never mentioned that before. The latest developments came after No 10 said on Monday that the Treasury was consulting on whether the current framework for banks strikes the right balance between the rights of a bank customer to express themselves freely and the right of a bank to manage commercial risks. Rishi Sunak said banks should not be allowed to close customers accounts because of their views. Responding to the Farage row, the PM told broadcasters that the right to free speech had to be respected and that should not be an excuse to close anyones account. Culture secretary Lucy Frazer said earlier on Monday that she was concerned that peoples bank accounts might be closed for the wrong reasons warning that financial institutions should tread very carefully when it comes to peoples political views. Mr Farage revealed last week that a major banking group he had been with for 43 years had phoned him two months previously, apparently to say: We are closing your accounts. He alleged that it amounted to serious political persecution, claiming that British banks are part of the big corporate structures who did not want Brexit to happen. Meanwhile, Church of England vicar Rev Richard Fothergill told The Times that his own bank account with the Yorkshire Building Society had been closed after he complained about its support for what he has termed the transsexual agenda during Pride month. He accused the company of bullying him. A Yorkshire Building Society spokesperson said the company did not close accounts for particular views but only if a customer is rude, abusive, violent or discriminates in any way. NM has telephone hotline for women seeking access to abortion clinics SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham says her administration has set up a new telephone hotline for women seeking access to abortion clinics plus transportation and other assistance. The hotline is already live but is still being built out, according to Lujan Grisham. The number is (833) 767-3776. It will be staffed by registered nurses with the state Department of Health and paid for using existing resources. New Mexico has seen a surge in abortions, driven largely by residents from Texas and other states that have enacted abortion bans. New Mexico is currently one of the states that has legal access to abortions. According to state data, there were more than 11,000 reported abortions statewide last year compared with nearly 4,900 abortions reported in 2021. So far this year, there have been almost 5,300 abortions performed in New Mexico, which currently has 19 abortion providers. Six of those providers offer surgical abortions, with the rest providing medical abortions. The hotline will also include advice on other maternal health issues and could end up convincing more out-of-state providers to relocate to New Mexico, Lujan Grisham said. It has been one year since the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, the landmark decision that legalized abortion nationwide. This article originally appeared on Las Cruces Sun-News: NM has telephone hotline for women seeking access to abortion clinics No foul play in Cornelius teens drowning death at SC lake, officials say The body of a teenager was found at a popular Upstate South Carolina lake over the weekend after an apparent drowning. Channel 9 partners, WLOS, report that 18-year-old Louiz Pontez-Farias from Cornelius, North Carolina, was reported missing on Friday just before 1:30 p.m. from a home in Anderson County. Crews went to Lake Hartwell to begin looking for Pontez-Farias after the missing person report was filed, according to WLOS. ALSO READ: GEMS: 2 hurt during incident on Mountain Island Lake Investigators found Pontez-Farias body on Saturday afternoon around 4:30 p.m., about five feet from the boat dock in the area, WLOS reports. The Anderson County Coroners Office told WLOS that Pontez-Farias cause of death was drowning. The coroner went on to say the investigation shows that Pontez-Farias and a few other people were at a rental home on vacation. WLOS reports Pontez-Farias was last seen around 3 a.m., and his friend thought he had gone to bed, but they told investigators they couldnt find him on Friday afternoon. The coroner ruled that Pontez-Farias death was accidental and that there was no foul play, WLOS reports. A Gofundme page has been started to help pay for Pontez-Farias funeral, if you would like to donate click here. (WATCH BELOW: Teen who drowned in Lake Norman was South Meck student-athlete) Students in North Central Michigan Colleges Fast Track health care program execute various tasks during the programs three-day, in-person skills sessions. Forty students have earned in-demand health care credentials since the college launched its expedited Fast Track career program model in February 2022. PETOSKEY After one year of offering Fast Track programs, North Central Michigan College helped add 44 medical professionals to the local workforce, according to a media release. Since May 2022, 30 students completed the medical assistant program and 14 completed the phlebotomy technician program. There are an additional 23 students enrolled in the summer medical assistant and phlebotomy courses as well. The students that entered the local workforce through the program had a 94 percent pass rate on the National Healthcareer Associations Certified Clinical Medical Assistant exam as well, while the state average is 62 percent. Chrisy Lyons, North Central Michigan College Dean of Corporate and Community Education, said in a media release that the graduates are helping meet a local demand. Area health care hiring managers cited a need for skilled employees with very specific certifications, Lyons said in the release. Our close connection with regional employers allowed us to be nimble with our programming and responsive to workforce needs. Students are able to enroll in the Fast Track Healthcare Bundle program, which helps prepare graduates with credentials endorsed by the National Healthcareer Association. The three credentials include clinical medical assistant, electrocardiogram (EKG) technician and phlebotomy technician. Students can also independently take the standalone courses for EKG technicians and phlebotomy technician certifications. The bundled program is 24 weeks long and primarily conducted through virtual coursework, along with a total of three in-person skills days, a weeklong phlebotomy lab and a two-week externship. The externship can be conducted in any local medical office. These programs are ideal for our returning learners who want an expedited path to a specialized career, Lyons said in the release. Because the programs are primarily online, students have easy, convenient access to course content, allowing them to work around their work and family schedules. Students enrolled in the programs gain access to Michigan Learning & Education Advancement Program grants and funding, which can help cover partial or full tuition. Subscribe: Get unlimited access to our local coverage Additional financial support thought the NCMC Foundation allows some students to complete the program free of charge. Students completing the program will also have access to local instructors and assistance with job placement. North Central offers Fast Track programs in health care, manufacturing, skilled trades, business and more. For more information on the Fast Track programs, visit ncmich.edu/fast-track. Contact reporter Karly Graham at kgraham@petoskeynews.com. Follow her on Twitter at @KarlyGrahamJRN. This article originally appeared on The Petoskey News-Review: NCMC Fast Track program brings 44 professionals to local workforce [Source] While modern society has known North Korea for its isolationist policies, the so-called hermit kingdom is not completely cut off from the rest of the world. Perhaps still unbeknownst to some, the upper half of the Korean Peninsula does have internet albeit only accessed by a few and one that looks much smaller from the World Wide Web we virtually live in. What North Korean internet looks like: To understand just how much North Koreans can possibly know about the world through a computer, it is important to distinguish the two online connections available to them. Kwangmyong which translates to bright star is the countrys officially sanctioned intranet. An intranet is a private network that only users within an organization can access. As this is the case, data is carefully controlled. In 2015, Vox reported that Kwangmyong looked like the internet in 1994, running only basic email and browser tools that are restricted to pre-selected sites ripped and censored from the actual internet. The following year, the BBC described North Korean websites as quite unsophisticated and can be painfully slow to load. The real internet is also available in North Korea, but primarily only to its elite citizens. These are reportedly families with direct ties to Supreme Leader Kim Jong-un. Unsurprisingly, the number of North Koreas internet users can only be estimated. Some cap the number at a few thousand if non-elites who require the internet for their jobs are to be counted. More from NextShark: Tony Hinchcliffe Spews Racist Comments After Being Introduced by Asian Comedian in Texas What they use it for: The elites able to get their hands on the real internet have unrestricted access, according to a recent report by the People for Successful Corean Reunification (Pscore), a South Korean non-government organization. Meanwhile, the others with internet access government officials, researchers, technical specialists, IT students and media professionals involved in propaganda work are reportedly confined to a version with heavy surveillance. Government-trained hackers belong to those specialists with restricted internet access. For years, countless reports have traced back global cyberattacks to the regime. Last year, they managed to steal virtual assets worth up to $1 billion, according to the United Nations. And just last month, they were suspected of stealing at least $35 million from Atomic Wallet, a popular cryptocurrency service. More from NextShark: Chinese tech company unveils Little White Dragon pony robot that kids can ride How they gain access: Non-elites who require the internet for work or important affairs undergo an approval process, which reportedly takes several days. Researcher and defector Kim Suk-han not their real name said those approved are then manually surveilled. A librarian sits between two internet users and continuously monitors what people on both sides are searching up, Kim told Pscore researchers, according to Wired. Every five minutes, the screen freezes automatically, and the librarian must do a fingerprint authentication to allow further internet use. Those approved can only use the internet for an hour and any extension will require another approval. A security officer is also stationed nearby. More from NextShark: Daniel Wu, Sung Kang Join Stop Asian Hate Car Rally in LA The bigger picture: As of April 2023, North Korea has the worlds lowest internet penetration rate at 99.9%, as per Statista. Amid growing tensions with the U.S., its censorship policy is only expected to get more draconian. But while it restricts ordinary citizens from seeing the wonders of the web, its handful of influencers believed to be government-sanctioned propagandists continue to share just how good life in North Korea is with the rest of the world. Last year, a woman who called herself YuMi debuted on YouTube and began amassing thousands of subscribers for sharing glimpses of everyday life in Pyongyang, from exercising in a well-equipped indoor gym to visiting a lively amusement park. An 11-year-old girl named Song A also launched herself onto the platform, and once even flaunted her ownership of a Harry Potter book. Park Seong-cheol, a researcher at the Database Centre for North Korean Human Rights, believes the videos are not 100% false, but misleading. North Korea is striving to emphasize that Pyongyang is an ordinary city, Park told CNN. More from NextShark: Do Kwon, TerraForm Labs $26 million in assets frozen in Switzerland: report As of this writing, their YouTube channels are nowhere to be found. But clips of their videos have been been featured by other channels, including South Korea's Yonhap News Agency. In its now personal feud with Bob Baffert, Churchill Downs steps over the line If Bob Baffert would just say hes sorry. Thats what Churchill Downs wants. Some contrition. Some acceptance of responsibility. Some degree of admittance from the six-time Kentucky Derby-winning horse racing trainer that he was in the wrong when Medina Spirit tested positive for a banned substance after finishing first in the 2021 Run for the Roses. That has to be the real reason Churchill Downs Inc. announced Monday it was adding an additional 18 months to Bafferts original two-year suspension, banning the trainer from its properties through calendar year 2024. Mr. Baffert continues to peddle a false narrative concerning the failed drug test of Medina Spirit at the 147th Kentucky Derby from which his horse was disqualified by the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission in accordance with Kentucky law and regulations, Churchills statement read. Prior to that race, Mr. Baffert signed an agreement with Churchill Downs which stated that he was responsible for understanding the rules of racing in Kentucky and that he would abide by them. The results of the tests clearly show that he did not comply, and his ongoing conduct reveals his continued disregard for the rules and regulations that ensure horse and jockey safety, as well as the integrity and fairness of the races conducted at our facilities. A trainer who is unwilling to accept responsibility for multiple drug test failures in our highest-profile races cannot be trusted to avoid future misconduct. Mr. Baffert will remain suspended from entering horses at all racetracks owned by CDI through 2024. After such time, we will re-evaluate his status. This time, its personal. CDI didnt like Bafferts ongoing conduct of continually dragging the Louisville company through the courts attorneys fees after attorneys fees claiming his innocence while trying to overturn the suspension. And Baffert was at it again Monday in his Twitter reaction to the additional year, arguing again that the salve used to treat Medina Spirits skin rash was legally applied, even though it contained the betamethasone that caused the positive test. In the interests of the sport we all love, I have made no public comments on this unfortunate episode for an extended period of time, Baffert added in his tweet, so the suggestion that I continue to peddle a false narrative is patently false. Did Bafferts extended legal maneuverings help the sport? Of course not. The legal fight kept the story in the headlines long past the time the general public should have moved on to other things. And its not a story racing wants in the headlines. Drug violations. Suspensions. Not a good look. Still, Baffert was within his rights to fight. He had every right to make his legal challenges, even if they were in a losing cause. Over and over again. And Baffert had a first amendment right to voice his innocence, no matter how specious the claim. Whatever you might think of Baffert, he served his time. The original suspension wasnt an indefinite suspension. Baffert wasnt suspended for life. The term was two years. Churchill Downs set the term. No one else. So are other factors involved? Could it be that next year is Kentucky Derby 150 and Churchill has poured time and money into making the anniversary a extravaganza. Perhaps it doesnt want Bafferts return elbowing in on the spotlight? Is it that Churchill wants to make Baffert an example? Mess with CDIs money-maker at your own peril? The courts have all ruled that, as a corporation, Churchill Downs can do what it wants with regards who can and cannot race there. Follow the rules or else. Or is CDI trying to convince the public it is serious about horse safety, this after 12 equine fatalities early in its Spring Meet caused the company to move operations to Ellis Park? Baffert isnt blameless. Bottom line: His horse tested positive. The horse was disqualified. The trainer has a previous rap sheet of violations at Churchill. The trainer was issued a punishment. He served it. That should have been the end of the story. Churchill Downs has made sure its not. No Kentucky Derby 150 for Bob Baffert. Churchill Downs extends trainers suspension. Like it or not, Preakness win proves Bob Baffert isnt going away There is a way to stop the insanity that is the current state of horse racing Gaming halls with HHR machines are booming in Kentucky. Now comes sports gambling. The John Clay Podcast: Sports gambling and gaming halls in Kentucky Occupiers couldn't hit HIMARS: Deputy Defence Minister thanks US for the powerful weapon None of the HIMARS rocket launcher systems handed over to Ukraine by the United States of America have been "caught" by the Russian occupiers. Source: Deputy Defence Minister Hanna Maliar on Telegram Details: Maliar posted her greetings to the American people on Independence Day and thanked them for their continued support, which helps Ukrainians to fight for their freedom, destroy the occupiers and protect common values. One of the most powerful manifestations of this support is the American-provided M142 HIMARS multiple rocket launcher system developed in the late 90s as a lightweight wheeled version of the M270. In its arsenal, HIMARS has a large number of different munitions: from conventional unguided to high-precision ballistic missiles with GPS navigation. Ammunition and their range: MLRS 45 km GMLRS 70 km ER GMLRS 150 km ATACMS 300 km PrSM experimental rocket 499 km. The appearance of the American HIMARSs in June 2022 was an unpleasant surprise for the Russian military, Maliar emphasises. Quote: "It turned out that all logistics routes, storage points with ammunition and places of deployment of troops are in the zone of damage of the jet system. Frightened and experiencing the first huge losses, the occupiers began hunting for HIMARS. But so far, not one has been caught. With a maximum speed of 85 km/h, HIMARS is able to deploy, fire and leave its position in less than 1 minute. This makes it possible to use for shoot-and-scoot tactics, which significantly reduces the chances of being detected and hit by the enemy. From known cases of use: A high-precision strike on 1 January 2023, on the building of the vocational school in the city of Makiivka, when, according to various sources, from 50 to 600 mobilised Russians were killed. Destruction of the occupiers' base in the village of Pravi Sahy, near Oleshky. For the Ukrainian military, HIMARSs have become a real weapon of victory. After all, "One missile one destroyed target" is an unattainable result for outdated Soviet analogues." Journalists fight on their own frontline. Support Ukrainska Pravda or become our patron! OceanGate boasted on Instagram in 2020 that its Titanic submersible would detect hull defects with 'incredible accuracy' and 'well before the safety of the crew is threatened' Stockton Rush, OceanGate's chief executive, at a press conference next to the Cyclops 1, a five-person sub used by OceanGate. David L. Ryan/The Boston Globe via Getty Images OceanGate boasted in 2020 that its Titanic submersible could detect hull failure accurately. The company said its warning system would alert the pilot to hull flaws long before an implosion. But in 2018, an executive said the system would only issue warnings "milliseconds" before danger. OceanGate, the company that ran tours to the Titanic in its now-imploded submersible, in 2020 touted its ability to assess potential issues in the vessel's carbon fiber hull with "incredible accuracy." In an April 2020 Instagram post, the firm wrote that "acoustic emission sensors" mounted to the submersible's hull would sense and record changes to the carbon fiber as the vessel was diving. "This real-time monitoring system samples sound waves through the hulls many times per second, providing incredible accuracy and allowing us to assess the health of the hull during the dive," OceanGate wrote. The company said it conducted "extensive testing" and relied on 20 years of prior research that showed "increased acoustic activity always occurs well before the structure fails." If the hull is damaged "during transportation or surface operations" or through repeated dives, the defects would be "detected by the advanced system, and the dive terminated well before the safety of the crew is threatened," OceanGate wrote. "Real-time hull health monitoring is a key safety feature of Titan. We do not dive if it is not operating," the company added. But OceanGate's "acoustic monitoring system" was criticized in 2018 by the company's then-director of marine operations, David Lochridge, a veteran submarine pilot who said he was fired after raising "serious safety concerns" about the submersible. Lochridge said he warned OceanGate that the system could only detect when a component was about to fail "often milliseconds before an implosion," according to a lawsuit he filed against the company. The system also couldn't detect if existing flaws were already affecting the hull, he said in his lawsuit. In response to Lochridge's qualms, OceanGate had said the submersible's warning system would alert the pilot to potential hull failure "with enough time to arrest the descent and safely return to the surface," per The New Yorker. After being fired, the submarine pilot told another submersible expert, Rob McCallum, that there was "no way on earth you could have paid me to dive the thing," according to the outlet. It's unclear if OceanGate had tweaked the submersible's design to address Lochridge's concerns when the company posted this claim on Instagram in 2020. OceanGate did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Insider sent outside regular business hours. OceanGate manufactured the hull of the submersible, called the Titan, using a combination of carbon fiber and titanium an unorthodox mix for submersibles, which typically are constructed purely out of solid metal. While OceanGate CEO Stockton Rush believed the Titan was pushing the boundaries of innovation, he was also documented repeatedly ignoring pleas from other safety experts to reconsider his experimental approach. An internal report from Triton Submarines, a rival to OceanGate, also said it was a red flag that the Titan's warning system even existed, per The New Yorker. Rush was "spinning the fact" that the Titan needed a warning system "into something positive," Jarl Stromer, a regulatory and class-compliance manager at Triton, the outlet reported. "He's making it sound like the Cyclops is more advanced because it has this system when the opposite is true: The submersible is so experimental, and the factor of safety completely unknown, that it requires a system to warn the pilot of impending collapse," Stromer told Triton's CEO, per The New Yorker. The Cyclops was the initial name given to the Titan and its predecessor when the submersible was being tested. The Titan went missing on June 18 while diving 13,000 feet to the wreck of the Titanic. All five people on board, including Rush, were declared dead on June 23 by US authorities after debris from the submersible was found on the ocean floor. The debris field points to the submersible suffering a "catastrophic loss of the pressure chamber," the US Coast Guard said, which would have instantly killed everyone within. It's still unclear if those within the submersible knew the vessel was about to implode, or if they detected any hull flaws. While Rush's attitude toward the Titan's safety has come under public scrutiny, he has also been defended by colleagues and close friends, who said that while the CEO had lofty ambitions, he was also deeply committed to safety. He died alongside British billionaire and adventurer Hamish Harding, wealthy French diver Paul-Henri Nargeolet and British-Pakistani businessman Shahzada Dawood and his son, Suleman. Read the original article on Insider OceanGate CEO Stockton Rush once crashed his car into a train and was charged with drunk driving while at Princeton: report OceanGate CEO Stockton Rush and the Princeton Dinky. Shannon Stapleton/Reuters; AP Photo OceanGate CEO Stockton Rush had some wild days in college at Princeton. Princeton's student newspaper reported that Rush was involved in a "series of arrests" as a student. Rush was arrested for drug possession in 1981 and charged with drunk driving in 1983, per reports. OceanGate CEO Stockton Rush had some pretty wild days while studying at Princeton the submersible inventor got into trouble with the law twice, once for a drug offense and another time for driving while intoxicated. The Daily Princetonian, the university's student newspaper, wrote in a story published on June 22 that Rush was involved in a "series of arrests" as a student. When Rush was a freshman, he was arrested for having drugs in his vehicle, according to a 1981 article in the Princetonian. Rush was driving late at night when he got pulled over by the police, per the student newspaper. The borough police captain, Theodore Lewis, told the outlet that officers saw the drugs "in plain view on the front seat." The Princetonian reported that Rush was arrested on suspicion of possessing a "controlled and deadly substance," issued a complaint summons after his arrest, and later released. And in another story in the Princetonian published in 1983, the student newspaper reported that Rush was charged "with drunk driving and with driving around a flashing railroad gate." Rush had driven his car into the Dinky, the train that connects the Princeton University campus with Princeton Junction Station, per the student news outlet. Rush was fondly remembered by his friends at Princeton in an article in the Princeton Alumni Weekly, published on June 26. Eleanor Moseley Pollnow, whose husband, Charlie Pollnow, was Rush's freshman roommate at Princeton, called Rush "irreplaceable, irrepressible, irreverent and fiercely loyal." "Stockton chose his path and pursued his dreams with passion. He loved and was loved. He lived the life he wanted and it was a good life. A big life. We will miss him," Mosely Pollnow wrote in a statement to the Princeton Alumni Weekly. Rush was a descendant of the Declaration of Independence signers Benjamin Rush and Richard Stockton, per Princeton Alumni Weekly. The submersible inventor's father, also named Stockton Rush, was a Princeton alum who graduated in 1953. The OceanGate CEO told Bloomberg in 2017 that he had earned his money "the old-fashioned way." Rush's grandfather made his fortune in Indonesia working in the oil and gas industry, per Bloomberg. "I was born into it and then grew it," Rush, who also worked as a venture capitalist, said of his wealth. Rush married Wendy Weil Rush, who also went to Princeton and graduated in 1984. Weil Rush is descended from two famous Titanic victims, Isidor and Ida Straus. Rush's life has been a subject of scrutiny after his submersible vanished during a dive to the Titanic shipwreck on June 18. All five passengers, including Rush, were declared dead after the US Coast Guard said on June 22 that the submersible had likely imploded. A representative for OceanGate didn't immediately respond to a request for comment sent outside regular business hours. Read the original article on Insider OceanGate CEO Stockton Rush once said that instead of older, 'ex-military submariners' hired by his rivals, he wanted a 'younger' and 'inspirational' team of 20-somethings for his Titanic submersible OceanGate CEO Stockton Rush and the submersible pilot Randy Holt contact a support boat from a submersible. Wilfredo Lee/AP OceanGate CEO Stockton Rush once said he preferred to hire a younger team of pilots to veteran ones. Rush said OceanGate's rivals typically hired "ex-military submariners" and technicians. But the CEO said he wanted workers from diverse backgrounds, such as a varsity athlete and a surfer. OceanGate CEO Stockton Rush said in an old interview that he preferred not to hire veteran submarine pilots or technicians to keep his team "younger" and "inspirational." Rush, who died in June on board his submersible, the Titan, was speaking with executives from Teledyne Marine, a marine-equipment manufacturer. While the interview was undated, a recording of the video meeting was published by Teledyne in August 2020, according to metadata seen by Insider. The recording has been deleted, but Insider reviewed an archived version. In the video, the Teledyne executive Matt Burdyny told Rush that he accompanied OceanGate on a submersible dive in Puget Sound, Washington, and commented that many OceanGate employees were fresh graduates but seemed professional. "You know, the tenure of a lot of these folks was obviously not significant, a lot of young folks coming out of school, but everybody knew their role, and they executed it flawlessly," Burdyny said. Rush agreed. "Ah yes, when I started the business, one of the things you'll find is there are other sub operators out there, but they typically have gentlemen who are ex-military submariners, and you'll see a whole bunch of 50-year-old white guys," he said. "I wanted our team to be younger, be inspirational." "I'm not going to inspire a 16-year-old to go pursue marine technology," the CEO said. "But a 25-year-old, you know, who's a sub pilot, platform operator, or one of our techs can be inspirational." Rush said OceanGate aspired to hire "intelligent, motivated, younger individuals" because the company was "doing things that are completely new." The CEO said he wanted a team from diverse backgrounds because he believed it would make expeditions to the Titanic more enjoyable for his customers. "You're gonna go to the Titanic, you're going to be spending eight days on a boat, you don't want every person to have the same experience of having been on a US nuclear sub, or worked for Atlantis Submarines, and all have the same background," Rush said. He said his team included a varsity hammer throw athlete and someone who "surfs in Iceland in the winter." Anyone who worked for OceanGate, he said, needed to be a "kind, fun, but highly confident individual." "Really get people who have a diverse background, and then train them and train and train and train so that it does come off as a polished and safe operation," Rush said. Rush also said OceanGate's safety standards, operations, and checklists aligned more with the aerospace industry than ocean-related industries. "We can train people to do that. We can train someone to pilot the sub using a game controller, so anyone can drive the sub," he said. Rush graduated from Princeton University with a degree in aerospace engineering and was a certified commercial pilot. The Titan was equipped with a 2D sonar system provided by Teledyne, according to OceanGate's website. Rush's handling of OceanGate's safety standards has come under scrutiny amid reports of him repeatedly ignoring warnings from experts. On June 23, authorities found debris from the Titan on the ocean floor. The vessel likely imploded, instantly killing the five people inside who were traveling to the wreck of the Titanic some 13,000 feet underwater. If Rush and Teledyne recorded the interview in 2020, it was likely filmed during the years when OceanGate was preparing the Titan for commercial tours to the Titanic. It launched annual expeditions in 2021. A team photo posted on OceanGate's Instagram account in December 2019 appeared to show 27 people including Rush and his wife, Wendy Rush of various ages dressed in company attire. The Instagram account frequently promoted young pilots on its team, one of whom it described as "one of the youngest female pilots in the industry." OceanGate also hired engineers in their teens who were paid $15 per hour, an unnamed company executive told The New Yorker. A Washington State University graduate said the company also hired student interns to design electrical systems for the Titan. Teledyne and OceanGate did not immediately respond to requests for comment sent outside regular business hours. Read the original article on Insider OceanGate CEO Stockton Rush said the Titan submersible was struck by lightning during a test in the Bahamas back in 2018 OceanGate CEO Stockton Rush said the Titan submersible was struck by lightning during a test dive in the Bahamas in 2018. Shannon Stapleton/Reuters; Getty Images OceanGate's Titan submersible was struck by lightning during a test dive in the Bahamas in 2018. CEO Stockton Rush said a direct strike to the carbon fiber hull would have taken the submersible out. OceanGate said in 2018 that the lightning damage "affected over 70%" of the sub's internal systems. OceanGate CEO Stockton Rush said the ill-fated Titan submersible was severely damaged after being struck by lightning during a test dive in the Bahamas in 2018. The late submersible inventor was recounting the experience to Teledyne Marine, an undersea technology company, in a now-deleted interview. Copies of the interview have been uploaded on YouTube. The video was published in August 2020, based on metadata seen by Insider. "Fortunately, it was not a direct strike. A direct strike to the carbon fiber probably would have taken us totally out," Rush said in the interview. Rush and his team started deep sea testing for the Titan submersible in the Bahamas back in April 2018, according to a post by OceanGate's Instagram account dated May 16, 2018. OceanGate said in the post that the submersible had "sustained lightning damage that affected over 70% of its internal systems." But the setback did not seem to faze Rush, who said in the interview that OceanGate was able to replace the Titan's faulty components within a "couple of days." "Fortunately, we are using commercial off-the-shelf and line-replaceable items. So in a matter of a couple of days, we were able to replace all those components," Rush said. The Titan submersible was known to have used off-the-shelf parts, and was piloted using one such item, a Logitech video game controller. However, the lightning strike still resulted in OceanGate aborting the test dive. The firm also canceled the survey expedition that they had initially planned for 2018. "But we continue to have issues on connectors, penetrators, wiring. Lightning can do weird things. That pushed our testing back and we ended up having to cancel that," Rush continued. Rush's past comments on the safety of the Titan submersible have drawn much attention after the vessel went missing during a June 18 dive to the Titanic shipwreck. The submersible inventor had also dismissed multiple safety warnings from experts. Rush told the Smithsonian Magazine in June 2019 that he thought the industry regulations for commercial submarines were "obscenely safe" and stifled innovation. All five passengers, including Rush, were declared dead after the US Coast Guard said on June 22 that the Titan submersible had likely imploded. Representatives for OceanGate did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Insider sent outside regular business hours. Read the original article on Insider The oceans are unusually hot and on track to get hotter. That's not good. Maps of unusually warm sea surface temperatures are awash in reds and oranges this summer, illustrating a series of marine heat waves across much of the globe and raising fears for what the rest of the year could bring as the heat persists and even intensifies. Roughly 40% of the worlds oceans are experiencing marine heat waves, the most since satellite tracking started in 1991, according to the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration. By September, that number is projected to climb to 50%, a number that is "kind of scary," said Dillon Amaya, a research scientist with NOAA's Physical Sciences Laboratory. The heat waves could linger through the end of the year. The spike in ocean temperatures fueled in part by global climate change has set off alarms among scientists because of the devastating impact marine heat waves can have on ocean ecosystems, including fish and other marine life. The warmth could help usher in the hottest year on record this year or next and spin up more tropical cyclones than originally forecast in the Atlantic hurricane basin. The dark oranges and reds on this map illustrate areas where sea surface temperatures are above the long-term average. The map is prepared by the Climate Change Institute at the University of Maine. In the Antarctic meanwhile, sea ice coverage reached a record low for early winter in the Southern Hemisphere in June, international organizations including NOAA reported. Sea ice extent on June 27 was nearly 1 million square miles a little more than the surface area of the Mediterranean Sea lower than the 1981-2010 average and nearly a half-million square miles below the previous lowest extent for the month, set in June 2022. How hot is the ocean? Sea surface temperatures in many areas outside the polar regions have been warmer than normal since March. In April and May, they were highest on record for those months in a series of data dating back to 1850, said the United Kingdoms Met Office. Anomalies in sea surface temperatures the difference between the actual temperature and the average temperature were a record high in May. In the eastern Atlantic, temperatures have been about 1.8 degrees higher than the 1961-1990 average, said Phil Klotzbach, a senior research scientist at Colorado State University. World sea surface temperatures have been running above previous records since March, according to this chart by the Climate Change Institute at the University of Maine. What is a marine heat wave and why are they a concern? A marine heat wave is a spike in a region's ocean surface temperatures that ranks among the top 10% warmest for that time period in that region when compared with the 1991-2020 average. It could last from several days to months. Normally, only about 10% of the world's oceans would be warm enough to meet the criteria for a marine heat wave, Amaya said. NOAA and the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change say marine heat waves have increased in frequency and become more severe in recent decades. "We know that marine heat waves are getting warmer and warmer as a result of global warming," Amaya said. Heat waves can disrupt ecosystems, kill fish and other marine life and bleach corals. A massive heat wave off the U.S. West Coast from Alaska to Mexicos Baja California Peninsula in 2014-2016, dubbed the blob, caused: Harmful algal blooms and kelp forest losses that led to shellfishery closures, at an estimated economic cost of $185 million. The loss of an estimated 1 million seabirds. A decline of up to 70% of the cod in the Gulf of Alaska. What is NOAA's marine heat wave forecast and what does it show? NOAA developed a system to forecast marine heat waves based on 30 years of satellite data, and is releasing a monthly experimental forecast. In the tropical Atlantic, the forecast shows marine heat wave conditions are likely to linger through August and could linger through the end of the year. Heat wave conditions are forecast to persist through November in the northeast Pacific. The forecast projects, with medium confidence, that marine heat wave conditions will form by next spring along the U.S. West Coast, a region where the forecast has the best skill at predicting long-term conditions, Amaya said. Along the equator in the Pacific, where El Nino is developing, heat wave conditions are forecast to persist and intensify. Whats driving the heat wave in the Atlantic and what does it mean for hurricanes? Overall, the world's oceans are warming because they've absorbed the majority of the excess warming caused by an increase in greenhouse gas emissions over decades, according to NOAA. Global ocean temperatures were a record high in April and May. However, natural climate patterns also influence temperatures. The record heat in the Atlantic this spring and summer may be attributed to a weakening in a high pressure system that expands and contracts over the North Atlantic, known as the Bermuda high or the Azores high, said Klotzbach and Amaya. The high pressure controls the strength of the trade winds. When weaker winds blow over the ocean, it decreases evaporation at the surface and allows ocean temperatures to warm rapidly, Amaya said. Also partly to blame may be a decrease in seasonal Saharan dust blowing over the Atlantic, which has allowed more sunlight to reach the water, said Albert Klein Tank, head of the Met Office's Hadley Centre. Sea surface temperatures in the Eastern Atlantic, where hurricanes are often born, are tracking well ahead of previous hyperactive hurricane seasons, Klotzbach said. And typically, warmer ocean temperatures in the Atlantic fuel more hurricanes. However, El Nino usually creates vertical wind shear over the Atlantic, preventing hurricanes from building the tall, cloud formations that help give them their structure and wind speeds. "It's certainly a tug-of-war this year between a likely moderate/strong El Nino and the warmest Atlantic on record," Klotzbach said. Whats happening in the Antarctic and what does it mean? Its not unusual for sea ice extent to vary, but the current low in the Antarctic is unusual, NOAA said. Sea ice has set record lows since April. While scientists know a lot about sea ice in the Arctic and its link to the warming climate, trends in Antarctic sea ice are more difficult to decipher, said Zach Labe, a postdoctoral research associate at Princeton University and NOAAs geophysical fluid dynamics laboratory. It's likely the current record low sea ice (in the Antarctic) is related to feedbacks from the atmosphere and ocean, Lalbe said. For example, strong winds associated with storm systems can reduce sea ice growth, but areas of unusual ocean heat in the Southern Ocean also can reduce the formation of sea ice. The yellow line shows the median extent of sea ice around Antarctica from 1981-2010. Areas of blue and white show the current extent of sea ice. From the time satellite observations of the Antarctic started in 1979, until 2015, the observations showed sea ice extent increasing very slightly. A rapid change started in 2016, and since then sea ice has been mostly below the 1981-2010 average, NOAA reported. The sea ice reached a record low at the end of the Southern Hemispheres summer in 2022, Labe said. That record was broken again in February 2023. Now, with winter just beginning, sea ice is expanding at a much slower rate than normal. This NOAA graph shows the monthly extent of Antarctic sea ice, dating back to 1979. Summer in the Southern hemisphere This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Worrying heat waves in Atlantic, other oceans fueled by climate change The Oconee County Sheriffs Office reported the following incidents: AVOIDING DEPUTY: On June 16, Sgt. Andrew Henderson was traveling along Georgia Highway 316 when he noticed a car in the left lane traveling slow in an apparent effort to avoid passing him. When Henderson slowed down, the car also slowed. When the officer slowed to 45 mph in the 65 mph zone, the car did pass. The deputy saw that the tag was expired so a traffic stop was made. The 24-year-old Elberton man had an open bottle of liquor in the car along with some marijuana and some cannabis oil gummies. He was taken to jail. RECKLESS DRIVER: On June 17, Deputy Jonathan Strum responded to a dispatch about a reckless driver traveling on Highway 316 from Barrow County into Oconee County. The officer located and observed the vehicle swerving in the road, then make a U-turn back toward Barrow. The vehicle was stopped and the driver, in a mumbling and slurred speech, said he was headed to Athens to see his girlfriend. Asked why he made a U-turn, he replied that he and the woman had argued so he was going home. The man had an open bottle of Tequila, but denied drinking, then later confessed to having two shots. The 30-year-old Monroe man was charged with DUI. Oconee Blotter: Tailgater charged with DUI, spouts 'bizarre things' Oconee Blotter: Man tricked into buying stocks from company that doesn't sell them WARRANT FRAUD: On June 16, Deputy Baer Schiffer met with a 49-year-old woman, who fell for a common fraud perpetrated around the state. She received a telephone from a man claiming he was an Athens-Clarke police officer and that because she failed to appear in court a warrant was issued for her arrest. However, she could pay $3,000 to avoid incarceration. The woman had recently been to court, but still felt it might be a scam. However, she sent the money on the Venmo app and while on the telephone with the scam artist, she was directed to drive to the Athens-Clarke police headquarters. The man remained on the phone with her until she arrived at the police station, at which point he hung up. Police told her to report the crime to the sheriffs office. GIFT CARDS: On June 16, Deputy Annessa Glenn met with a 69-year-old Blue Ridge man, who reported he was at a location in Oconee when he received an e-mail in regards to a Bitcoin purchase. The person explained they would refund him the money and asked to have remote access to his computer. He complied and once they had access to his computer he provided his banking account. The person then proceeded to remove $3,225 from his account. When he was also asked to go and purchase some gift cards, he knew he was scammed. NUDE PHOTOS: On June 16, Deputy Joshua Warren met with an 18-year-old Watkinsville man, who said he was contacted by someone who claimed to have pictures of him naked and if he didnt send them $700 the photos would be distributed to his followers. The teen sent the money on the sendwave app. Sentenced: Watkinsville woman gets five years in prison for wreck that killed Athens teen FELONY THREAT: On June 18, Deputy C. Shook and four other offices went to a home on Epps Bridge Parkway, where a 59-year-old man said another man at the location threatened to kill him with an axe. The deputy located the 50-year-old suspect and he had a hatchet. He was charged with aggravated assault. LITTLE SWERVING: On June 18, Deputy Annessa Glenn spotted a Ford Ranger swerving on Highway 316, so she made a traffic stop. The 22-year-old Bogart man admitted in slurred speech that I was a little bit swerving. The man offered that he was looking forward to going to the Waffle House. The man, who smelled of alcohol and had red eyes, told the officer that if she would let him go he would drive like a NASCAR driver to his dads house. He was taken to jail instead. EMPLOYEE DISPUTE: On June 17, Deputy Bill Reynolds was dispatched to Freddys restaurant at the Oconee Connector, where two employees had engaged in a dispute. During the dispute, one employee said the other, a teenager who had been drinking alcohol, pulled a knife on him. The man didnt want to press charges. BOOTS: On June 15, a 31-year-old Athens man was taken into custody for stealing a pair of boots and a pair of pants at Walmart. The suspect explained someone stole his work boots so he came to Walmart to steal another pair. This article originally appeared on Athens Banner-Herald: Oconee Blotter: Several frauds and scams cost victims thousands Oh he has taste: Blackpink fans cant get over Hugh Grant going to K-pop stars show Hugh Grant admitted this week that he is a rabid fan of the all-female K-pop band Blackpink, provoking surprise and delight among the rest of the groups following. On Monday (3 July), the British actor, 62, revealed in a tweet that he was part of the crowd at Londons BST Hyde Park festival over the weekend, seeing the four-member South Korean girl band perform live. The Notting Hill star had written: Very grateful to three 11-year-olds for taking me to see @BLACKPINK yesterday. Am rabid Blink now. Slept with my heart hammer. Blink is the nickname the group has for its massive fanbase, and the hammer comment is a reference to the pink, hammer-shaped light sticks known as BI-Ping-Bong that have become a signature of the bands concerts. Fans were thrilled about Grants presence. Hugh Grant is at Blackpink Im dying, tweeted one concertgoer. Hugh Grant wearing Blackpink t-shirt at Hyde Park was insane, another wrote. A third fan said: Oh he has taste liking the best K-pop group. He know who the queens of K-pop are!! posted a fourth, while a fifth added: Seeing Hugh Grant at the Blackpink show last night felt like a fever dream. One TikTok user posted footage of Grant at the show, wearing his Blackpink merch. Blackpink made history on Sunday as the first ever K-pop band to headline a major UK music festival. Members Jennie, Jisoo, Lisa and Rose performed hits from Pink Venom to How You Like That to a sold-out crowd of 65,000 people. Grant was most recently seen in the fantasy film Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves. While promoting the movie, he discussed how the atmosphere on film sets has changed considerably since he first began his career, because of the presence of mobile phones in peoples lives. You know, in the old days, by the end of the second week, you were all getting drunk in the evening and having dinner and falling in love with each other and all that, he said. And all that stopped because of telephones. Really everyone goes home and looks at Twitter. Its so sad. Grant can next be seen in the film Wonka, out this December, which focuses on a young Willy Wonka and how he came to meet the Oompa-Loompas on one of his earliest adventures. Grant stars as one of the Oompa-Loompas, alongside Timothee Chalamets genius chocolate factory owner. Gov. Mike DeWine (R) on Monday requested that President Joe Biden make a major disaster declaration in Ohio over the fiery train derailment in East Palestine earlier this year. In a letter to Biden this week, DeWine said at the moment no unmet needs have been reported to the State, because of the voluntary actions of railroad giant Norfolk Southern. The possibility remains that the voluntary support provided by Norfolk Southern could at some point in the future cease, and this Declaration is needed to ensure that the State and Federal government use all resources available to step in and provide the community with needed assistance, the governor added. If the company, for instance, were found not liable for damages in the town or new leadership were to step in and determine they no longer need to provide assistance in the area, the state would have to act, DeWine warned. A Norfolk Southern train carrying freight, including tons of hazardous materials, from Madison, Illinois, to Conway, Pennsylvania, derailed on Feb. 3 in the town near the Ohio-Pennsylvania border. Days after the derailment, authorities conducted a controlled burn of vinyl chloride, releasing toxic chemicals into the air, due to the potential for a catastrophic tanker failure which could cause an explosion with the potential of deadly shrapnel traveling up to a mile. They had previously evacuated everyone within a mile of the site. By Feb. 8, residents were allowed to return to their homes. But critics, including Pennsylvanias Democratic Gov. Josh Shapiro, condemned Norfolk Southern at the time for mismanaging the derailment and failing to explore alternatives to burning toxic chemicals. The company has also been fighting stricter safety regulations for years, the Lever reported. DeWine said the clean-up of the site is ongoing, while those local to the area are still contacting authorities about health concerns related to the incident. Besides, the long-term health impacts of the event are unknown, he said, with many appearing uncertain about how to move on. Residents continue to report medical conditions and are concerned that the air and water were impacted by the chemicals released during this incident, he wrote. DeWine also cited the economic impacts of the derailment. Homeowners and business have seen property value decline and loss of business as people are hesitant to come into the community, he wrote. The National Transportation Safety Board in March launched a special investigation into Norfolk Southern after a series of accidents, including the East Palestine derailment. The chair of NTSB revealed that hours of footage, which could have shed light on the cause of the derailment, were automatically deleted after the train went immediately back in service following the accident. The Justice Department has sued the railroad giant over the environmental damage the train disaster caused. Related... Were older than we used to be, especially in these states This piece was originally published by Stateline at stateline.org. The median age rose in almost every state last year, census estimates show, continuing a long-term trend that is pushing states to prepare for aging populations. Seventeen states had median ages over 40 in 2022, according to new U.S. Census Bureau estimates of the age at which half of residents are older and half are younger. Thats up from 12 states in 2020 and just seven in 2010. Nationwide, the median age was below 30 until 1980, but it rose to 38.9 as of 2022, according to the bureau estimates. That leaves more states planning for future health and housing challenges for older residents. Some states have issued or are considering executive orders, agency plans and legislation to assist state residents who need more help with health crises, housing and long-term care as they live longer. Millennials started turning 40 last year, and the youngest baby boomers are quickly approaching 60. As the nations median age creeps closer to 40, you can really see how the aging of baby boomers, and now their children sometimes called echo boomers is impacting the median age, said Kristie Wilder, a Census Bureau demographer, in a statement. Lower birth rates also play a role and will likely continue to drive median age slowly but steadily higher, Wilder added. Some states have passed legislation requiring that health insurers cover fertility treatments in response to lower fertility rates, according to a University of California, Irvine study published last year. New York states 2020 law, for example, requires coverage of in vitro fertilization in some cases. No states saw a drop from 2021 to 2022, and states with unchanged medians were Alabama, Maine, Tennessee and West Virginia, along with the District of Columbia. The largest increase in median age in recent years was in Delaware, where it rose three years since 2010 to age 41.8. The portion of Delaware residents over 60 will jump from a quarter to more than a third of the state population by 2040, according to a 2020 state report, creating new challenges for state services. A Delaware Journal of Public Health report published in 2021 said a growing number of Delawares older residents suffer from dementia, requiring more expensive help from the state and family caregivers. Vermont held six public listening sessions around the state last year to help prepare recommendations this year for Age Strong Vermont, its road map for an age-friendly state. Vermont had this older demographic for a long time but its taken a while for the state broadly to really reckon with that, said Angela Smith-Dieng, Vermonts Adult Services Division director. Part of the challenge is that older Vermont residents tend to live in big rural houses and need help with in-home health care, renovations for mobility and transportation on demand, she said. A New York executive order in November also calls for a statewide plan on aging. Vermont and New York joined other states already planning comprehensive strategies for aging populations: California, Colorado, Massachusetts and Texas, according to a January report by the National Conference of State Legislatures. Californias Master Plan for Aging, released in 2021, aims to create an age-friendly California by 2030, including housing and health care strategies. A bill currently progressing in the state legislature would create a statewide system of respite providers by 2025 to help give primary caregivers of older adults enrolled in Medi-Cal, the state's Medicaid program for low-income residents, a break. Elsewhere, an Oregon bill to study long-term care needs for older residents has passed both chambers of the legislature. Only North Dakota is younger now than it was in 2010, down 1.2 years from age 37 to 35.8. The states burgeoning oil industry has drawn younger workers to jobs that pay well and dont require four-year college degrees. Energy counties in other states have seen similar influxes of young people. Loving County, Texas, for example, saw its median age decrease from 52.7 in 2010 to 35.3 in 2022, a difference of more than 17 years. Skeet Lee Jones, county judge there, said the tiny county has work camps for more than 1,000 oil workers and hundreds more young workers living in recreational vehicle camps, with good-paying jobs that create their own challenges for county government. Weve had to start paying our own county workers what we call oil-field wages just to get things done, about four or five times minimum wage, Jones said. The oldest state in the country remains Maine at 44.8. It also was the oldest in 2010, at 42.7. Other states with median ages at 40 or above in 2022: New Hampshire (43.3), Vermont (43.2), West Virginia (42.8), Florida (42.7), Delaware (41.8), Pennsylvania and Connecticut (40.9), Hawaii (40.7), Rhode Island (40.6), Wisconsin (40.4), New Jersey, Oregon and South Carolina (all 40.3), Montana and Michigan (40.2), and Massachusetts (40.1). The youngest states and the only ones with median ages below 37 were Utah (31.9), the District of Columbia (34.8), Texas (35.5), and Alaska and North Dakota (35.8). On the county level, the median age in 2022 was as low as 20.9 in Madison County, Idaho, home of Brigham Young University-Idaho, where many young students are also starting families. The median age was as high as 68.1 in Sumter County, Florida, part of the sprawling The Villages retirement community. In 2010 Sumter Countys median age was 62.7, the only county with a median age of 60 or higher in the nation at the time. In 2022 there were six others: Catron County, New Mexico (62.1); Jeff Davis County, Texas (61.7); Harding County, New Mexico (60.5); Jefferson County, Washington (60.4); Charlotte County, Florida (60.2); and Highland County, Virginia (60.0). This article originally appeared on Erie Times-News: Median age rose in almost every state in 2022, how does PA compare? One of the Titan-submersible passengers reportedly once said he wasn't worried about the vessel becoming damaged at the bottom of the ocean because 'under that pressure, you'd be dead before you knew there was a problem' Paul-Henri Nargeolet was one of the five passengers killed when OceanGate's Titan submersible imploded last month while headed to the Titanic wreckage. OceanGate Expeditions/Reuters A Titan victim once said: "Under that pressure, you'd be dead before you knew there was a problem." In a story posted Monday, a journalist recalled having the conversation with Paul-Henri Nargeolet. Nargeolet was one of five killed last month when the submersible imploded en route to the Titanic. One of the passengers killed in the Titan submersible that imploded last month had said recently that he wasn't concerned about structural damage to the vessel while deep underwater because passengers in that situation wouldn't even see death coming. Travel Weekly's editor in chief, Arnie Weissmann, was scheduled to dive to the Titanic wreckage on OceanGate's Titan submersible in May, a month before it imploded, killing all five people on board. His trip was ultimately canceled due to bad weather. He wrote about his experience with OceanGate and its Titan submersible in an article published Monday. In it, he recalled an interaction he had with Paul-Henri Nargeolet, the 77-year-old French explorer nicknamed "Mr. Titanic" who had been on 37 successful dives to the Titanic before embarking on OceanGate's deadly trip last month. "Wreck expert Paul-Henri 'P.H.' Nargeolet, who was also onboard, told me he wasn't worried about what would happen if the structure of the Titan itself were damaged when at the bottom of the ocean: 'Under that pressure, you'd be dead before you knew there was a problem.' He said it with a smile," Weissman wrote of their conversation. While headed to the Titanic, the Titan suffered a "catastrophic implosion," Coast Guard officials said. Nargeolet was joined on the trip by OceanGate CEO Stockton Rush, the British billionaire Hamish Harding, and the British Pakistani businessman Shahzada Dawood and his 19-year-old son, Suleman. Before the June dive, Nargeolet had run into issues on at least one of his expeditions to the Titanic shipwreck, The New York Times reported. Christine Dawood Shahzada Dawood's wife and Suleman's mother told The New York Times that Nargeolet gave a presentation in which he recalled once being "stuck down there for three days and the sub was out of communication." The Coast Guard has said it started recovering debris and "presumed human remains" from the submersible that will undergo further analysis. Read the original article on Insider Gerald Groff, a former postal worker whose case was argued before the Supreme Court, sits in a pew after a television interview at a chapel at the Hilton DoubleTree Resort in Lancaster, Pa., Wednesday, March 8, 2023. The Supreme Court on Thursday, June 29, used the case of a Groff, who didnt want to work Sundays, to solidify protections for workers who are religious. In a unanimous decision the justices made clear that workers who ask for religious accommodations, such as taking the Sabbath off, should get them unless their employers show doing so would result in substantial increased costs to the business. | Carolyn Kaster, Associated Press Back in 1972, after a court had watered down the religious accommodation part of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Sen. Jennings Randolph, an aging New Deal Democrat who first came to Congress when Franklin Roosevelt was inaugurated in 1933, sponsored a bill he thought would turn things back in favor of people with faith. A Seventh Day Baptist from West Virginia, who observed Saturday as the Sabbath, he worried about religious people being excluded from the workplace. His bill clarified that employers must reasonably accommodate ... an employees or prospective employees religious observance or practice, according to a Supreme Court decision last week. The exception would be if the employer is unable to do so without undue hardship on the conduct of the employers business. This, Randolph believed, would assure that freedom from religious discrimination in the employment of workers is for all time guaranteed by law. He was still a senator when forever came to an end two years later, thanks to a Supreme Court decision against Larry Hardison, a TWA worker who wanted Saturdays off to observe his Sabbath. Thankfully, the U.S. Supreme Court last week unanimously returned the interpretation of that act back toward Randolphs original intent. Unfortunately, the court did not completely overturn that earlier decision, which said, To require TWA to bear more than a de minimis cost in order to give Hardison Saturdays off is an undue hardship. The de minimis standard remains, but now it has been put into a proper context, which is undeniably a step in the right direction. In Justice Samuel Alitos majority decision last week, he wrote that courts had consistently taken the word de minimis out of context. Instead, he said, ... the Court described the governing standard quite differently, stating three times that an accommodation is not required when it entails substantial costs or expenditures. The statutory term, hardship, refers to, at a minimum, something hard to bear and suggests something more severe than a mere burden, he wrote. The current decision involves a former postal worker, Gerald Groff, who, as an evangelical Christian, wanted Sundays off. When the postal service began delivering packages for Amazon on Sundays, Groff began receiving progressive discipline for declining to work on his Sabbath. He eventually resigned and filed suit. Because the court did not overturn the de minimis standard, that suit has now been remanded back to lower courts. His victory there is not assured, but he should benefit from the new, more generous standard. Religious liberty is enshrined in the Constitutions First Amendment for good reason. No liberty is more precious than the right to follow ones conscience regarding worship. Many major faith groups, including The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, which owns this publication, joined in support of Groff. For too many years, employers have felt free to deny religious accommodations without having to demonstrate any real hardship. We agree with Kelly Shackelford of the First Liberty Institute, who was part of the defense team, and who was quoted by the Deseret News saying, No American should be forced to choose between their faith and their job, adding, This decision will positively help millions and millions of Americans those who work now and their children and grandchildren. We hope that is true. The unanimity of the court ought to provide special emphasis to that point. Alito wrote that undue hardship is shown when a burden is substantial in the overall context of an employers business, and that employers must consider several reasonable options to accommodate an employee. Time will tell whether that changes the equation for workers who merely want to take advantage of their right to exercise religion freely. Still, were guessing Sen. Randolph would be pleased. Celebrating Independence Day can mean something different to everyone. This year, Carlos Guzman might be celebrating his last Fourth of July as a non-citizen. His path to citizenship has been 21 years in the making, and now he is just weeks away from his citizenship interview. READ MORE: 15 sworn in as US citizens at Charlotte Museum of History for 4th of July This country is just beautiful as it is and offers you a lot. I mean, opportunity for everybody, Guzman told Channel 9s Elsa Gillis. As soon as he got his green card in 2019, he tried to enlist in the U.S. Army. Being over the maximum age to enlist in active duty in the Army, this wasnt possible, but his love for the country is clear. I want to give something to the country who helped me out to be who I am right now, he said. SEE MORE: Welcoming her back with open arms: Gastonia honors one of its first citizens Guzman left El Salvador when he was 20, leaving behind his one-year-old son to flee gang recruitment and violence. He says it was not uncommon to see dead bodies on a daily basis. They were recruiting people to be part of the gang and thats not what I wanted to be, explained Guzman. PREVIOUS COVERAGE: Supreme Court rejects a lawsuit from states demanding that Biden administration boost deportations He admitted hes made some mistakes and been surrounded by the wrong people at one point facing deportation but continued working hard to support his family. Ive got two beautiful daughters that I love with all my heart, and everything that I do it because of them, Guzman said. So I can say, for Fourth of July, for me, it just, it is a peace moment that I can say Im free now. When he hopefully becomes a citizen, he says he wants to make a difference, and that starts with voting. He also said hes trying to bring his son to the country, legally. I always say if you dont see good, you might as well just do good, right? You see what Im saying? His upcoming interview is July 27th. (WATCH: Pathway to citizenship: Refugee fights to stay in US while coping with wifes death) The Parliamentary Assembly of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe on Tuesday has adopted a final declaration, in which it called Russia a state sponsor of the Wagner Group private military company, a terrorist organisation. Source: Yevheniia Kravchuk, member of the Ukrainian delegation in PACE and member of the Ukrainian Parliament In the final document of the meeting of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly in Vancouver, it is indicated that the actions of the Wagner private military company on behalf of the Russian government can be "fairly characterised as terrorist." It is also noted that OSCE member states should take measures against the Wagner Group and its affiliated and successor structures, in particular by declaring them a terrorist organisation. The declaration also "calls on member states to strengthen international norms that clearly recognize the terrorist nature of the Wagner group and its actions" and "the responsibility of Russia as a state sponsor of this terrorist organisation." According to Kravchuk, this wording was first enshrined in an official document of an international organisation. Background: The Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe became the first international organisation to recognise Russia as a terrorist state it adopted a corresponding resolution in October 2022. The Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe is currently the only European security organisation uniting Russia, the USA and Ukraine. Its main task is to prevent conflicts, monitor peace and observe elections. Earlier, it was reported that the OSCE is threatened with crisis and destruction due to the reluctance of Russia and Belarus to approve the chairmanship of Estonia in 2024. Journalists fight on their own frontline. Support Ukrainska Pravda or become our patron! The OSCE Parliamentary Assembly recognized Russia as a state sponsor of terrorism and the private mercenary Wagner Group as a terrorist organization, according to Yevheniia Kravchuk, a member of the Ukrainian delegation to the assembly. The Vancouver Declaration adopted by the assembly on July 4 says that Wagner Group's actions on behalf of the Russian government "can rightly be characterized as terroristic in nature and intent." The declaration emphasizes Russian dictator Vladimir Putin publicly admitting that Wagner was fully financed by the state. According to the document, OSCE member states should take measures against Wagner and its structures, including by designating it as a terrorist organization. Viral videos show pattern of Russian atrocities throughout the war Warning: This story contains graphic descriptions of violence. At least several Ukrainian servicemen have been beheaded by Russian troops, as alleged by two videos shared online this week. The revelation comes as yet another instance of exceptional brutality demonstrated and filmed by Russian f The Kyiv IndependentAlexander Khrebet The assembly also called on the OSCE members "to reinforce international norms which clearly recognize the terroristic nature of the Wagner Group and its actions, the responsibility of the Russian Federation as the state sponsor of said terrorist organization, and the inadmissibility of employing such actors in inter-state relations." "For the first time, such wording is established in an official document of an international organization! I hope this decision will become a catalyst for recognizing the aggressor state as a sponsor of terrorism in the U.S. (as a member of the OSCE) and the whole world," added Kravchuk. The Russian state-backed mercenary Wagner Group played a key role in Moscow's military efforts in eastern Ukraine, especially in taking Donetsk Oblast's key city of Bakhmut in late May this year. Wagner Group has been accused of torturing and executing civilians and POWs in Ukraine, Syria, and other countries. The U.S. has designated Wagner as a significant transnational criminal organization and imposed sanctions on its support network worldwide. A long holiday weekend of bloodshed has intensified after a heavily armed gunman in a bulletproof vest opened fire on the streets of Philadelphia on the eve of Fourth of July celebrations, in yet another mass shooting in the US, killing five people and wounding two boys before surrendering to the police. Across the country, Texas was entering the holiday to news that another shooting had killed three people, in Fort Worth, occurring just before midnight amid a gathering in a parking lot that also wounded eight. Related: Fourth of July is a US celebration. Why is it the riskiest day for mass shootings? In Chicago, a total of five people were killed and at least 33 wounded in a rash of shootings across the city, coming one year after a shooter took seven lives at a Fourth of July parade in Highland Park, Illinois, near Chicago. Highland Parks mayor, Nancy Rotering, has planned a musical performance, a moment of silence and a walk along the parade route on Tuesday afternoon to mark the 2022 mass shooting. Also, police in Kansas on Tuesday said 11 people were hurt over the weekend when a gunman opened fire inside a Wichita nightclub. The burst of gun violence and the prospects of more shootings as the day of parties unfolded threatened to overshadow Independence Day celebrations, underpinned with evidence that 4 July is the riskiest day for mass shootings in the US calendar. The Philadelphia violence was the countrys 29th mass killing in 2023, according to a database maintained by the Associated Press and USA Today in partnership with Northeastern University, the largest number on record by this time in the year. The number of people killed in such events is also the highest by this time in the year. Joe Biden decried the violence, in a statement from the White House on Tuesday, after he and first lady Jill Biden returned from Camp David. He said: Our nation has once again endured a wave of tragic and senseless shootings in communities across America. Today, Jill and I grieve for those who have lost their lives and, as our nation celebrates Independence Day, we pray for the day when our communities will be free from gun violence. Much more must be done across America to address the epidemic of gun violence that is tearing our communities apart Joe Biden He praised Mayor Rotering and other leaders for pushing through a ban on military-style assault weapons for the general public in Illinois, adding: Their achievement will save lives. But it will not erase their grief Much more must be done in Illinois and across America to address the epidemic of gun violence that is tearing our communities apart. Biden urged other states to ban assault rifles and high-capacity magazines and once again called on Congress to renew a national ban on such weapons. The nation was braced on Tuesday to see what the Fourth of July holiday itself would bring. In separate research, using data from the Gun Violence Archive, James Alan Fox, a criminologist at Northeastern University, found that there have been 52 mass shootings on the Fourth of July over the past decade, averaging just over five a year, and more than on any other given day. In Philadelphia on Monday night, the shootings in the Pennsylvania city that is no stranger to gun violence took place over several city blocks in the south-western residential neighborhood of Kingsessing. Responding officers chased the suspect as he continued to fire, and he was arrested in an alley after being cornered and giving himself up, city police commissioner Danielle Outlaw said at a news conference. We have absolutely no idea why this happened, Outlaw said. No connection was known on Tuesday between the victims and the shooter. He was not only wearing body armor but also a ski mask and was carrying a high-powered assault-style rifle, multiple magazines of ammunition, a handgun and a police scanner, police said. Officers were flagged down at about 8.30pm and multiple calls of shots fired came in from Kingsessing. Police found some gunshot victims, and as they were attending to them they heard more gunfire, Outlaw said. Police later told the local Fox 29 TV station that a fifth victim was found after he was apparently chased into his home and shot to death. Bullet casings were found outside the home and dozens more were scattered across an eight-block area. The suspected gunman was identified by police as 40-year-old city resident Kimbrady Carriker, according to the Philadelphia Inquirer, but on Tuesday there was still no motive suggested and the gunman was said by police to have appeared to shoot at random. He was expected to appear in court on Wednesday. The victims were named by the authorities on Tuesday afternoon as Daujan Brown, 15; Lashyd Merritt, 20; Ralph Moralis, 59; Dymir Stanton, 29; and Joseph Wamah Jr, 31, all males. The two hospitalized wounded victims are boys aged two and 13. Kingsessing resident Emma Hilton, 70, told the Philadelphia Inquirer that her neighborhood was getting more dangerous. Its getting worse. My kids [are] getting ready to take me up out of here, she said. Its really gotten worse. Its time to go. Philadelphia as a whole has recorded 212 homicides so far this year; however, that is down 19% from the same period in 2022. In Texas, one person was pronounced dead at the scene of the shooting in Fort Worth and two others died in hospital, while the other eight were also hospitalized and their conditions werent known, CBS reported. Here, also, the reason for the shooting wasnt immediately clear. The authorities said later on Tuesday that several men had fired indiscriminately into a crowd of hundreds that had gathered in the Fort Worth neighborhood of Como following a festival in the area. No suspects have been identified. Meanwhile, in Baltimore, police are still hunting for whoever shot two people dead and wounded 28 others in a weekend rampage at a block party. There have been more than 550 mass killings since 2006, according to the AP/US Today database, in which at least 2,900 people have died and at least 2,000 people have been injured. FILE PHOTO: Former Pakistani PM Imran Khan speaks with Reuters during an intervew, in Lahore KARACHI, Pakistan (Reuters) -Pakistan has issued a presidential ordinance granting extra detention powers to the country's anti-graft body, which is currently investigating a case involving former Prime Minister Imran Khan, media reported on Tuesday. Khan, the country's main opposition leader who has faced a string of cases since being ousted from power last year, was arrested in the graft case in May, which led to violent protests across the country. He was later released on bail. The legal tweaks involved granting the anti-graft body, the National Accountability Bureau (NAB), the ability to issue arrest warrants and detain suspects for 30 days if they did not cooperate with an investigation, Geo News reported. Pakistan's information minister did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment. The move came hours before Khan and his wife appeared before the NAB in Islamabad and at hearings in other cases. Khan appeared in 16 different cases and received bail for all of them. These include three cases in the anti-terrorism court and two in the anti-corruption court, where he was questioned. Khan was later let go and returned to Lahore. The government can pass laws swiftly through a presidential ordinance when parliament is not in session, but the assembly has to endorse the law within 90 days. Parliament was in session but was prorogued on Monday through a government notification uploaded on its website. The ordinance was issued on Monday night. Government officials allege that Khan and his wife received land worth millions of dollars as a bribe from a real estate tycoon Malik Riaz through a charitable trust. Khan and his aides, as well as the tycoon, have previously denied any wrongdoing. Khan and his party have faced a country-wide crackdown after the violence that followed his arrest, that included the ransacking of military installations. Hundreds of supporters and dozens of leaders were detained, and many have left his party. (Reporting by Gibran Peshimam; Editing by Raju Gopalakrishnan, William Maclean) Pro-trans demonstrators Four families with transgender children, plus a national organization for such families, have requested an emergency court order to block Georgias ban on gender-affirming care for trans youth from going into effect. The families, who filed anonymously, and the TransParent organization are represented by the Southern Poverty Law Center, the American Civil Liberties Union of Georgia, the Human Rights Campaign Foundation, and the law firm OMelveny & Myers LLP. Gov. Brian Kemp, a Republican, signed Senate Bill 140 into law in March. It bans surgery and hormone treatment for people under 18 for the purposes of gender transition, while it allows the use of puberty blockers. It was supposed to go into effect Saturday, and young people who had started hormone therapy before that date were to be allowed to stay on the treatment. The emergency order request was filed Thursday in hopes of blocking the law, but the court does not appear to have acted. It was filed in U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Georgia, naming several state agencies and officials as defendants. Their filing says the ban violates the fundamental rights of parents to make medical decisions to ensure the health and well-being of their children and the U.S. Constitutions guarantee of equal protection of the laws by denying transgender youth essential, and often lifesaving, medical treatment based on their sex and on their transgender status. Defendants cannot demonstrate any rational basis, much less an important or compelling one, for the Health Care Ban, which prevents transgender youth from obtaining safe, established, and necessary medical care, it continues, adding, Plaintiffs will suffer real, immediate, and irreparable injury if the ban goes into effect. Similar bans have been blocked or struck down in Arkansas, Alabama, Indiana, Kentucky, Tennessee, and Florida. It is vital that, as a family, we have agency in our own medical decisions that are in the best interest of our child that includes gender-affirming care, a plaintiff identified by the pseudonym Anna Zoe said in a press release. Our sweet, bright, and creative daughter has been a girl for as long as she can remember. Her identity as a girl is as natural and innate as any of the other attributes she was born with blue eyes, left-handedness, and an infectious laugh. Access to gender-affirming care will allow our daughter to develop into the person she has always wanted to be, and the person she has always been inside. It is outrageous that Georgia passed a law targeting one of our most vulnerable populations. This is a direct attack on kids who are just trying to be themselves and are now being harmed by the same government that is supposed to protect them, said another pseudonymous plaintiff, Paul Voe. I cannot sit back and watch this law negatively impact the mental and physical health of my child and many others across Georgia. I must stand up for whats right for my kid and every kid like her. SB 140 strips the rights of families to make their own medical decisions by prohibiting safe and effective medical care for treating gender dysphoria. In doing so, the state has banned critically important care that is often lifesaving for transgender youth, said Cynthia Cheng-Wun Weaver, senior director of litigation at the HRC Foundation. Our health care providers and families care about nothing more than doing whats best for their patients and children. We are suing to challenge the unconstitutional attacks on transgender youth and their families. The Human Rights Campaign is dedicated to continuing our work to provide a safe, open, and welcoming Georgia for all to live, work, and raise a family. Prohibiting access to necessary medical care is just cruel, said Beth Littrell, senior supervising attorney for LGBTQ rights and special litigation at SPLC. The Healthcare Ban displaces parents ability to make decisions in the best interest of their children, disregards the collective knowledge of the medical community and condemns children to years of suffering. Laws like this are predicated on prejudice, misinformation, and manufactured fears, and they are as indefensible as they are unconstitutional. Georgia parents of transgender youth want what all Georgia parents want to be able to support and protect their children and to provide them with the care they need to be healthy and thrive, said Cory Isaacson, legal director at the ACLU of Georgia. Gender-affirming health care is best-practice, evidence-based medical treatment that is necessary for the health and happiness of many transgender youth. SB 140 prohibits Georgia parents from being able to get their children that essential health care, substituting the will of state politicians for the decision-making of parents and the professional judgment of medical providers. This lawsuit is about securing the rights of Georgia parents to care for their children, and securing the rights of transgender youth to access the medical treatment they need. Patriotic like when we were kids: Crowds celebrate 4th of July parades return to Boise For the first time since 2019, Boises Fourth of July parade returned to the streets of downtown with dozens of parade participants and thousands of spectators. For years, the parade was planned by We the People, an organization created by local resident Dave Barrett and his family. In 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic shut the event down and since then the event has been absent as the Barrett family stepped away from planning the celebration. On Tuesday, the parade was again hosted by We the People, but the group looks different now. The Barrett family transitioned the nonprofit to a new board of directors, led by CapEd Credit Union chief marketing officer Todd Christensen. Christensen told the Idaho Statesman in an interview that CapEd began talking with the Barretts in 2021 with the goal of bringing the patriotic celebration back to Boise. He said the new group set a goal of 50 parade entrants to gauge the communitys interest in a Fourth of July parade. Tuesdays parade had nearly 75 participants, from bagpipers to classic cars to choreographed escaramuza riders on horseback. Christensen said that turnout is a high water mark that appeared to exceed previous years participation. The parade was emceed by former Gov. Butch Otter and former First Lady Lori Otter. The parades grand marshals the honorary leaders were Dave and Emily Barrett. Christensen said organizers wanted to be sure to express appreciation to them for the nearly 20 years of their facilitation of the event. Officials anticipated quite a crowd 10,000 to 15,000 people and said ahead of the event they received social media comments, emails and letters from community members who expressed their excitement about the parades return. On Tuesday morning, the streets were full before the parade even began. Ann and Doug Brinker, who drove from Eagle to attend, said they were excited to see the parade return. It brings us back to our childhood, Doug Brinker told the Statesman. Its patriotic like when we were kids. There were plenty of parade newcomers, too. Aaron and Brisa Castro came from Meridian to show visiting family a good time. Kailee Fletcher and Ally Mann, along with Fletchers four-month-old golden retriever, Gunner, said they had both recently moved to Boise and were excited to see the parade participants and learn more about the community. Mann said she didnt experience much patriotism in her last home. In Oregon, our country is not very celebrated so its fun to see the festivities, she said. Before Tuesday evenings fireworks, Christensen said We the People was already looking ahead to future parades. In 3 years, well be celebrating the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, he said. As we plan and prepare for 2024, 2025 and 26, We The People has a view to that mile marker of 250 years for our country. Peter Pomerantsev has been studying the phenomenon of propaganda in the world for many years, and he distinguishes Russian propaganda as a special type Why the Russians, according to UK publicist and propaganda researcher Peter Pomerantsev, could not imagine themselves without Putin, but quickly went over to Prigozhin, and what the problem is with the Russian culture of Solzhenitsyn and Dostoevsky. NV spoke to Peter Pomerantsev publicist, journalist, writer, propaganda researcher, and member of the Royal Society of Literature. Read also: Russian propaganda reports rise in Putins popularity despite Wagner debacle Pomerantsev has particular reason to visit Kyiv: at the outbreak of the full-scale war, he became one of the co-founders of the The Reckoning Project (Ukraine bears witness), in which Ukrainian and foreign journalists and lawyers record Russian war crimes in Ukraine and collect evidence to present cases against the Russian Federation in Ukrainian and international courts. The organization has been dealing with all of Russias gravest and most shocking crimes, including those committed in Kyiv Oblast, as well as in Kramatorsk, and in the liberated cities in Kharkiv and Kherson Oblasts. As a researcher of propaganda and mechanisms for building authoritarian societies, Pomerantsev spent several years in the early 2000s in Russia, observing the Kremlin's global propaganda machine from the inside. He described this experience in the book Nothing Is True And Everything Is Possible. The Surreal Heart of the New Russia. In an interview with NV, Pomerantsev talks about where the senseless cruelty of Russian crimes comes from, what made Russia the way it is, and why its citizens are so afraid of Vladimir Putins fall. Read also: NV: For more than a year you have been documenting Russia's crimes in Ukraine and teaching Ukrainian journalists how to do so in a legally proper way. After Bucha, Yahidne, Motyzhin and hundreds of other places, the category of evil has probably ceased to be abstract for you. How do you define evil? Pomerantsev: This is the most important question and the most difficult one. I do not have an answer, I am very tormented by this, as a writer and as a journalist. But let's break it down into different categories. World War II gave us the language to understand evil legally. It gave us categories like genocide and crimes against humanity which were invented and substantiated by lawyers who lived in what is now Ukraine, like Hersch Lauterpacht and Raphael Lemkin. And they gave us a legal definition of evil. Historically, Ukraine is a space that encourages people to describe evil, like the Holodomor and the Holocaust. These lands witnessed terrible crimes. I really want this fate to leave them. But there is also good created here a lot of good. Read also: Putin tries to assure Chinese leader hes still in control after Prigozhin mutiny Why does the term "genocide" bother everyone so much? Because it is the most serious crime. When we look at what crimes Russia is now committing in Ukraine, for me there are definitely all the prerequisites for genocide. It is clear that the Russians want to destroy Ukrainian identity and Ukrainians as a nation, and to destroy them on a mass scale. But I'm not sure that this definition is sufficient. Read also: There are other crimes that we cannot name today, for we do not have words and legal terms, which means that we cannot in fact really condemn them. We are talking about ecocide after the explosion of the Kakhovka HPP, and we are holding our breaths over a possible nuclear catastrophe at the Zaporizhzhya NPP. This is a new category of atrocities, and it really needs to be described and recorded. Deliberate attacks on the environment we have not yet found a definition for such absolutely senseless cruel behavior. Starting with Chernobyl, all this is a crime against the living, against life itself. But there is still no language to describe it legally. The war in Ukraine, unfortunately, will find these categories, and after it, we will get this legal language. NV: Looking at the nature of the crimes of Russians in Ukraine, do you have any answer as to what their goal was, and what they wanted to achieve with senseless brutality? Pomerantsev: To take Ukrainians and force them to be something else. To instill in them the perverted idea of the Russian World, and to forcibly forge a new identity. This is similar to what the Chinese are doing in Tibet and Xinjiang. Its what has happened in North Korea. But again, this is not legally defined. There was a similar attempt at the UN in a report on the topic of freedom of religion, opinion, and ideas to conceptually formulate one of the basic human rights the freedom to think, which no one has ever legally tried to protect. The freedom to profess religion was established. Ironically, it was the Soviet atheists who included freedom of thought into this document. There is another freedom that people also forget. The 19th article of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights contains the freedom to form one's own opinions. It is close to freedom of expression, but everyone forgets about it. We often use the word "indoctrination." But "indoctrination" is not a legal term. Let's call what Russia is doing in the occupied territories "violent indoctrination," for now. Indoctrination is still the ultimate goal of what they do. Not just to exterminate physically, that is, to commit genocide, but, while keeping people alive, to introduce something new and change their personalities. And this idea of "replacing with something new" is not particularly described. NV: Which is strange, because the story of white colonialism is a story about the violent indoctrination of black people. Pomerantsev: Sure, but it's not written anywhere. There have been many genocides in human history. Finally, in the 1950s, people came up with a word for this: "crimes against humanity." Evil is always there, and it is the same as it has been. But we can defeat evil only when we describe and name it in literature, philosophy, in jurisprudence, we try to find categories, language, and images for it. NV: And yet, do you have your own personal experience of Russian evil in Ukraine? It must be difficult to remain indifferent to it. Pomerantsev: I have some metaphors. One of them is a basement. Basements where people hide. A whole city was hiding in the cellars of Azovstal. In Yahidne [occupied village in Chernihiv Oblast] about 400 villagers were forced by Russian troops to spend 25 days in their schools basement. The Russians torture and kill in basements. There are a lot of creepy and stark stories about basements. It feels like Russia wants to lock Ukraine in a basement. And at the same time, Russia wants to take away the sky, the future, and the horizon from Ukrainians. The sky has become dangerous a friend from Kharkiv told me how the months under the bombing of the city deprived him of the feeling of the horizon, and how it was no longer safe to go out onto roofs or high open spaces. Read also: Massive blast rocks Azovstal area in Mariupol, ambulances dispatched Andriushchenko NV: And what is hiding in this basement? Pomerantsev: This is the basement of many Russians' subconscious and the Soviet past, with which Russia does not want and will not reckon. And they want to drag everyone there, into their sadomasochistic memories. In classical psychoanalysis, if you are unable to speak out about, understand, and accept the horror that happened to you or that you did to someone else, you are doomed to constantly repeat it and act it out. You put on those masks of Stalins purges, of the Gulag. They are playing that role, again and again. Russians never took responsibility for the crimes they committed, and they pleaded not guilty. And they didnt analyze their various injuries. They certainly didn't think about their victims. Read also: Positive trade indicators, Zelensky meeting with CIA chief, Leopard Is on their way Therefore, they are repeating the same thing over and over again, and cannot go any further, while Ukraine wants a future and strives towards it. This is the basic difference that President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has grasped well. NV: Thanks to the efforts of your project, TIME Magazine published a large report this February on the events of the spring of 2022 in the village of Yahidne, where 367 of its inhabitants were forcibly moved to the basement of a local school, spending 25 days in hunger, without the opportunity to lie down, and where they were not even allowed to bury the dead immediately. The first question that arises is where do Russian soldiers get the impetus for such cruelty? Is it independent initiative? Are these acts of mass sadism centrally directed? Pomerantsev: It is probably too early to talk about a specific strategy, but we see that the crimes are repeated and reproduced as if from a playbook, and reoccur too often to be considered improvisation. I've been working on legal projects for a year now, and it seems to me that there is some kind of pattern here, but I just can't say what it is, yet. The Russian government and the Russian army definitely have a non-stop pattern to break the society of Ukraine. They did the same in Syria. After all, they are not just and not accidentally hitting Ukrainian hospitals and Ukrainian maternity hospitals, but quite accurately and deliberately. They did the same in Syria and Chechnya. First, they killed doctors potentially killing more people that these doctors could have saved. Secondly, these attacks are very blows to peoples psyches in order to break them, to break the whole Ukrainian society, the whole country, and its nationhood. Its one of the goals of this war. We can see how clearly the language of Russian propaganda is changing. At first, they said that there were some Nazis in power, and Zelenskyy needed to be replaced, while Ukrainians were all good. And then, after three weeks, they decided that no, everyone there is a Nazi, and they need to break everyone. The same plot developed in relation to Chechnya. This is their imperial behavior towards other peoples re-education through violence, oppression, and ultimate humiliation. Read also: EU Parliament condemns Russia for torture and criminal prosecution of Ukrainian minors Also, people in Russia like authoritarianism. Propaganda, culture, and the state itself encourages them to indulge their worst impulses. As Solovyov or Kiselev (Russian TV propagandists) say, I'm not only talking about meaning, I'm rather talking about style. They give you official permission enjoy the most heinous and cruel things, but the boundaries of violence are delineated within these places, for example, in Ukraine. This attracts people. Another thing is that all this violence wont be able to be controlled at some point, and it will return like a boomerang to Russian society itself, when all these returning soldiers kill their wives, mothers, or someone else. When psychoanalysts of the 20th century tried to analyze Nazi propaganda, they talked about this. Propaganda works through self-identification, in the sense that a despotic, authoritarian leader frees you to express those feelings that were tabooed, like sadistic proclivities, anger, hatred. Progressive people in the United States wonder all the time: [Donald] Trump is such a narcissist, why do people like him? Because he allows them to enjoy their own similar manifestations, to manifest all their lowest and most aggressive feelings, which are taboo in normal societies. A system that produces these feelings never analyzes them. It discharges them outside. If you want to kill, go and kill, if you want to torture, go and torture. It is the sort of experience where you become emotionally addicted where else could you experience this? Its like a drug. And then this permission to enjoy that which is most forbidden is also canonized by subsequent generations, as in the case of Russia, where Stalin is revered as a great leader. This is the intense depravity of the Russian regime. NV: How would you describe the current state of Russian society? One Russian sociologist described it as "the Russian people have demobilized." Is this really true? Pomerantsev: The goal of Russian propaganda has always been demotivation and demobilization. It differs in this respect from Nazi German propaganda, which, in contrast, tried to mobilize the people and make them united. The Russian authorities, on the other hand, make people passive, break social ties between them, and do not strengthen them. Therefore, they naturally experience big problems with mobilization, and volunteering has not taken root as a model for them. There is no social trust between people. Read also: Putin to attend virtual summit in first international appearance after Prigozhin mutiny And we recently saw how no one defended Putin: Prigozhin was coming, tanks were advancing, but people were eating ice cream. They have no association with the state, none of this ein Reich, ein Volk, ein Fuhrer ["One people, one state, one leader" the slogan of Nazi Germany]. They have no love for their institutions or for the army, as was the case in Germany in the 20th century, and they have no connection with the state bureaucracy. Their goal is to hide and survive. When they need to think about their futures and about how to live, these seemingly completely normal people turn into another mouthpiece for Solovyov's propaganda, and the state simply speaks through them. We are constantly faced with this emptiness in terms of values, guidelines, or understanding of the future of the country. It's just propaganda. NV: What makes Russians cling to Putin? Pomerantsev: I would say, fear of chaos and decay. Putin seems to be saying "if not me, then chaos." Well, Russians repeat this. By the way, this is repeated by the West, just as it is repeated by young people in Russia. And this is not only about historical experience. Everyone immediately began to interpret this as a historical experience, like the 1990s or 1917. I think it's some kind of psychological state, too. Why does the myth of the frightful hungry 1990s work so well in Russia, but doesn't work here, in Ukraine? The same 1990s happened here, and people still went to the Maidan in 2004 and 2014. Society here decided to do something completely different. Why does the myth of the 1990s work so strongly in Russia? Even among the young, who did not live through it, and who now know the reality of mobilization. Psychoanalysts who analyze Nazi propaganda look for internalization, for something this propaganda gave people. It always gave one thing: structure. I have my own hypothesis, which I have not yet tested: when the Russians say that they are afraid of disintegration, it seems to me that they are partly telling the truth. They are afraid that there will be a disintegration of their personality. In Russia, people have a very weak social personality, or social self. Read also: Russian propaganda is beginning to prepare Russians for defeat, believes expert veteran Nobody cares about your opinion, and moreover, having your own opinion is dangerous. You have to constantly adapt, change, and change clothes. You don't have to be, you have to seem. Then all that's left is your relationship with Putin. Either he makes you, or you are in opposition to him. But you are still in some kind of relationship structure with him. If you are in opposition to him, then you feel your strength through this opposition, that is, through him anyway. The fear of losing Putin is the fear of the collapse of one's social self. Everything has been with Putin for so long that there is no experience of oneself without him. NV: What did a part of Russian society find in Prigozhin? We have all seen the footage of locals giving flowers to his fighters. What is this? Pomerantsev: He is also a figure with which one can identify oneself. Who is Prigozhin? His is a perfect example of a successful criminal career. A convict who became a billionaire and could even claim the presidency. He speaks the argot of convicts, embodies their values, in a country where up to 30% of the population went through prisons. And a bandit is important, because banditry also has a structure, its own ideas of honor, rules: all this prison and near-prison culture in Russia is also romanticized. In the 1990s, bandits really solved the problems of entire regions of Russia. That is, it is easy to identify in this sort of figure someone who will also give you structure. Yes, a strange, peculiar, criminal structure, but structure nonetheless. Read also: What happened between Putin and Prigozhin Moreover, while Putin is not a prisoner, he began pretending to be one. In the 1990s, if you remember, he was a boring service official. But the trouble is that even Prigozhin, a convict of convicts, turned out to be fake. Now, more and more analysts of Russia are saying that Prigozhin started this whole rebellion in order to save himself and his own skin. And this breaks with criminal value system. He threw his own people under the bus, and this cannot but cause rejection and, as a result, even greater apathy among Russians. NV: How should we treat Russian culture today? Pomerantsev: The West now simply does not understand that Solzhenitsyn was an imperialist, which was definitely not healthy. He often proclaimed authoritarian things. Even those Russian writers who were for human rights often ignored the human rights of other peoples. Not to mention, this is not such a wild idea in the West. Both in America and Britain, there are a lot of historical examples of fighters for English freedoms or the freedoms of white Americans who were perfectly fine with the idea of slavery. This paradox exists even now, and it is analyzed a great deal in the West. So Russian culture needs to reclaim the context in which it is meant to be read, to really, comprehensively read Russian writers. They are read with such flair, with such mysticism, with such romanticization of suffering. You just need to coldly, soberly analyze them, and see that even those of them who were often against Russian authoritarianism were terrible imperialists, and lived in complete harmony with the subjugation of other nations. Read also: UN mission records 133 victims of sexual violence in Ukraine since Russian invasion The problem with Russian culture is that it obscures or romanticizes Russian violence as part of its literary product. This is the kind of deconstruction that Russian culture needs, plus mass translations of Ukrainian literature in its dynamics and development this is sorely lacking today in order to understand Ukraine. Were bringing the voice of Ukraine to the world. Support us with a one-time donation, or become a Patron! Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine Philadelphia shooting: Five killed and two wounded after man opens fire Dozens of shell casings were found across a large area in south-western Philadelphia Five people have been killed and two children wounded after a man wearing a bullet-proof vest opened fire in the US city of Philadelphia. The suspected attacker, a 40-year-old man who is now in custody, was carrying an AR-15-style rifle, a handgun, a police scanner and ammunition. He has no known connection to those killed, who police said were aged between 15 and 59 years old. Police were called to the city's south-western Kingsessing area on Monday. "When officers responded, they did identify and find some gunshot victims," Police Commissioner Danielle Outlaw said. "As they were scooping up the victims and preparing them for transport to hospital, they also heard multiple gunshots." Officers then chased the suspect on foot while gunfire continued to ring out, damaging parked cars and littering the streets with shell casings. At about 20:40 local time (00:40 Tuesday GMT), police cornered the man in an alleyway. He surrendered and was taken into custody without further incident. At a news conference on Tuesday, Philadelphia Mayor Jim Kenney described a marauding attack by an assailant wearing a bullet-proof vest and shooting indiscriminately. Commissioner Outlaw said the "armed and armoured" suspect fired his weapon at random, shooting seven, killing five, "including children, babies", she said. There is no reason to believe there are additional suspects, Commissioner Outlaw added. Ernest Ransom, a staff police inspector, said the suspect wore a ski mask and fired at vehicles, including one driven by a mother with young twins, who were both injured. He said the first victim believed to have been killed during the incident was not discovered for several hours as they were home alone at the time they were shot. Those who died were Lashyd Merritt, 20; Dymir Stanton, 29; Ralph Moralis, 59; Joseph Wamah Jr, 31; and 15-year-old Daujan Brown. More on US gun violence Commissioner Outlaw said there could have been more victims had it not been for officers' actions in treating the injured and tackling the suspect head on. Dozens of shell casings were found across a large area spanning eight blocks, which has since been cordoned off by investigators. The suspect has not been named and police are still searching for a potential motive. Another person was also arrested. They are believed to have acquired a gun and "returned fire in the direction of the shooter", the commissioner said. It is not clear whether that person has a connection to the gunman. The attack on the eve of Independence Day came just a day after two people died and 28 were injured - about half of them children - in a shooting in Baltimore, Maryland. Police there are still searching for multiple suspects who opened fire during an annual community gathering. And late on Monday, a shooting in Fort Worth, Texas after a local 4 July festival left at least three people dead and eight others wounded. In the wake of the shootings, President Joe Biden said that more had to be done "across America to address the epidemic of gun violence that is tearing our communities apart". Five people have been killed and at least two others wounded in the Kingsessing neighbourhood of Philadelphia on Monday night, when a gunman dressed in a bullet-proof vest and armed with an AR-15-style rifle and a handgun opened fire. The mass shooting unfolded at around 8.30pm when Philadelphia police said the 40-year-old suspect left his home and began shooting at victims. Police initially said that four men were killed but early on Tuesday revealed that a fifth victim, a 31-year-old man, had since been found dead inside a home. Two children aged two and 13 were also injured in the shooting but are in stable condition. Responding officers chased the suspect and arrested him on the scene. As well as the weapons, a police scanner was found. The identities of both the suspect and the victims have not been released. While the motive for the massacre remains unknown, Police commissioner Danielle Outlaw said in a press conference that at this point all we know is that this person decided to leave their home and target individuals. A second person was also taken into custody with police saying they believe the individual returned fire on the shooter. Key points Four killed in Philadelphia mass shooting as police reveal ages of victims Toddler among the two injured Police arrest heavily armed suspect No known connection between suspect and victims 10:00 , Rachel Sharp As it stands, there is currently no known connection between the accused gunman and the victims of the mass shooting. In a briefing on Monday night, Philadelphia Police Commissioner Danielle Outlaw said that at this point all we know is that this person decided to leave their home and target individuals. She added: We have absolutely no idea why this happened. But thank God our officers were here on scene and responded as quickly as they did. The gunman opened fire along several blocks in southwestern Philadelphia, shooting four, including four fatally. What we know about the suspect 09:33 , Rachel Sharp A 40-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of carrying out Monday nights mass shooting which left four dead and two children injured. The identity of the suspect has not been released and the motive remains unknown. Police said that he was wearing a bulletproof vest and was armed with an AR-15-style rifle and a handgun. He was also carrying a police scanner at the time. At least four dead as heavily armed gunman opens fire at random on streets 09:05 , Namita Singh At least four people were killed in a mass shootout on Monday evening in Philadelphia after a gunman decided to leave their home and target individuals, according to the police. Police commissioner Danielle Outlaw said at a news conference: At this point, all we know is that this person (the suspect) decided to leave their home and target individuals. He had a bulletproof vest, an AR-type rifle, multiple magazines, a handgun, and a police scanner, she said. My colleague Maroosha Muzaffar has more: At least four dead as heavily armed gunman opens fire at random in Philadelphia No immediate connection known between shooter and victims 09:00 , Namita Singh A gunman wearing a bulletproof vest opened fire on the streets of Philadelphia last night, seemingly at a random, killing four people and wounding two boys in the latest outbreak of gun violence in the United States, police said. The shootings took place over several city blocks in the southwestern neighbourhood of Kingsessing. Responding officers chased the suspect as he continued to fire, and he was arrested in an alley after surrendering, police commissioner Danielle Outlaw said at a news conference. No connection was immediately known between the victims and the shooter. Police work the scene of a shooting on 3 July 2023 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (Getty Images) At this point all we know is that this person decided to leave their home and target individuals, Ms Outlaw said. He had a bulletproof vest, an AR-type rifle, multiple magazines, a handgun and a police scanner, she said. Officers were flagged down at about 8.30pm and multiple calls of shots fired came in from Kingsessing. Police found some gunshot victims, and as they were attending to them, they heard more gunfire, Ms Outlaw said. The chief said dozens of shell casings were found across an eight block area. You can see there are several scenes out here, Ms Outlaw said. Were canvassing the area to get as much as we can, to identify witnesses, to identify where cameras are located and to do everything to figure out the why, Ms Outlaw said Philadelphia mass shooting comes a day after two shot dead and 28 injured 08:55 , Namita Singh The Philadelphia mass shooting came a day after two people were shot dead and 28 others injured, about half of them children, in a hail of gunfire at an outdoor neighborhood block party in Baltimore, Maryland. Police said they were still seeking multiple suspects in that shooting. Philadelphia mass killing 29th incident in US during 2023 08:50 , Namita Singh The Philadelphia incident is the 29th mass killing in the US during 2023, according to a database maintained by the Associated Press and USA Today in partnership with Northeastern University. So far this year, the nation has witnessed the highest number on record of mass killings and deaths to this point in a single year. There have been more than 550 mass killing incidents since 2006, according to the database, in which at least 2,900 people have died and at least 2,000 people have been injured. In pictures: Mass shooting in Philadelphia 08:43 , Namita Singh Police place a rifle in a bag on the scene of a shooting on 3 July 2023 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (Getty Images) Police work the scene of a shooting on 3 July 2023 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (Getty Images) Police work the scene of a shooting on 3 July, 2023 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (Getty Images) Where did the shooting take place? 08:08 , Namita Singh Details of the July Fourth-eve gun violence were sketchy, but the shooting was reported to have erupted in the Kingsessing section of southwest Philadelphia, less than a mile (1.5km) from the Schuykill River that flows through Pennsylvanias most populous city. Police work the scene of a shooting on 3 July 2023 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (Getty Images) WPVI video footage from the scene of the shooting showed several police squad cars parked near an intersection, lights flashing in the darkness, with portions of the street cordoned off with yellow and red crime-scene tape. Police arrest heavily armed suspect 08:07 , Namita Singh Police arrested suspected gunman in the Philadelphia mass-shooting on Monday. Identified as a 40-year-old man, he did not appear to have any connection to the victims, police commissioner Danielle Outlaw said, adding that he had a bullet-proof vest and a police scanner. There were three guns recovered from the scene, including a rifle and a handgun that belonged to the suspect, she said at the conference. Police work the scene of a shooting on 3 July 2023 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (Getty Images) A second person was also taken into custody in connection with the shooting, she said. It was unknown whether this person was connected with the shooter, but police believe he returned fire at the shooter. Toddler among the two injured 08:04 , Namita Singh Among the two injured is a two-years-old toddler, while the second victim is identified as 13 years old. They were in stable condition, police commissioner Danielle Outlaw said. Four killed in Philadelphia mass shooting as police reveal ages of victims 07:54 , Namita Singh Four people have been killed in a shooting in Philadelphia, police have confirmed. The ages of the three dead, all males, ranged between 20 and 59 years old, said police commissioner Danielle Outlaw. The fourth male was believed to be between the ages of 16 to 21. The identities of the victims have not yet been revealed. 07:39 , Namita Singh Welcome to The Independents live blog for Tuesday 4 July 2023, where we provide the latest on the mass shooting in Philadelphia. Phoenix police released snippets of body-camera footage on Monday depicting a fatal police shooting that left one man dead after he shot a DPS trooper last month, police say. Sgt. Melissa Soliz, a department spokeswoman who narrates the briefing, said officers responded to the area of 35th Drive and Holly Street June 19 after receiving a call about an Arizona Department of Public Safety trooper being shot. The trooper had pulled over a vehicle near 21st Avenue and Thomas Road when the man, later identified as 29-year-old Luis Mateo Jacobo Borja, pulled out a gun and fired at the trooper, striking him in the leg. Jacobo Borja then fled south on 21st Avenue. The trooper was taken to a hospital for treatment. Soliz said an officer saw Jacobo Borja near 27th Avenue and Roosevelt Street and pursued him to 35th and Holly drives where Jacobo Borja opened the driver's side door. Body-camera footage shows an officer stepping out of his patrol vehicle and yelling for Jacobo Borja to exit his vehicle before firing a rifle several times. The door of the patrol vehicle obstructs any view. Soliz said the officer was returning fire from Jacobo Borja, who initially shot at officers. She said Jacobo Borja then fled in his car north on 35th Drive and shot at an officer stationed near 36th Avenue and Encanto Boulevard, striking the patrol vehicle. On background: Police release more details on fatal shootout involving DPS trooper, Phoenix police Body-camera footage shows the officer shouting an expletive after a bullet appears to strike the car's windshield. The officer was injured by flying debris and later treated at a hospital. Jacobo Borja continued driving north on 36th Avenue before eventually colliding with a wall near 36th Avenue and Wilshire Drive. Officers found him dead with a gunshot wound and a handgun on the floorboard of the vehicle. The officer who fired his rifle was assigned to the Maryvale Estrella Mountain precinct and is a three-year veteran of the department. A criminal and administrative investigation into the police shooting has begun as is standard protocol. This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Phoenix police video shows fatal shooting of man who shot DPS trooper U.S. responsible for destabilizing Middle East: Egyptian expert Xinhua) 09:42, July 04, 2023 CAIRO, July 3 (Xinhua) -- The United States is to blame for destabilizing the Middle East, an Egyptian expert has said. The United States has pursued hostile behavior and discrimination based on exploitation, imposing a fait accompli policy and igniting the region with wars and military aggressions in Iraq, Libya, Syria, Yemen, Sudan, Iran, Afghanistan, and other countries, Abu Bakr al-Deeb, advisor to the Cairo-based Arab Center for Research and Studies and an Egyptian researcher in political economy, told Xinhua. "The United States has also destabilized the region and pursued what the U.S. administration called the creative chaos policy, which reached its climax in what was known as the Arab Spring in 2011, whose effects are still extending now," al-Deeb said. He also stressed that the U.S. behavior in the region contributed to creating an atmosphere that rejects the United States and its aggressive, arrogant policies of exploiting the wealth of the region. "The United States worked to ignite conflicts to sell and test its weapons at the expense of lives, blood, capabilities, rights, present and future of the peoples in the region," he said. (Web editor: Zhong Wenxing, Liang Jun) Amazon River Dolphin underwaterGetty Images/Kevin Schafer New research shows that Amazon River dolphins (Inia geoffrensis) are facing significant risks due to fishing, dams and dredging practices. Using satellites, cetacean experts were able to track eight dolphins in their usual travel through the Peruvian Amazon river. On average, the dolphins have a home swimming range of more than 31 miles yet scientists found 89% of the dolphins' home swimming range was compromised by either human engineering or fishing practices. Amazon River dolphins are categorized as endangered on the IUCN Red List. The study was published in the journal Oryx, carried out by the University of Exeter and Peruvian conservation organization Pro Delphinus and funded by the South American River Dolphin Initiative and WWF Peru. In a release accompanying the new research, report co-author Dr. Elizabeth Campbell, of the Centre for Ecology and Conservation on Exeter's Penryn Campus in Cornwall, pointed at the human element of the risks. "It's clear that the Amazon river dolphin is facing increasing threats from humans," Campbell said. "Fishing can deplete populations of the dolphins' prey, and dolphins are also at risk from intentional killing and bycatch (accidental catching). Bycatch has been known to be a threat to these dolphins for the last 30 years, but there's no real data on how many dolphins are caught per year." Poland to experiment with freight-only border crossing into Ukraine Poland wants to create an experimental checkpoint on the border with Ukraine Poland is exploring the creation of an experimental Ukraine border crossing to streamline freight truck passage, thanks to the combined efforts of Ukrainian and Polish border guards and customs officers. This was announced by Grzegorz Ostach, a board member of the Polish Investment and Trade Agency (PAIT), during a July 4 conference on the development of transport links between Ukraine and Poland. Read also: Poland seeks to host NATO nuclear weapons PM Morawiecki Poland has become a hub for the delivery of essential cargo to Ukraine, said Ostach. We can increase the capacity of border crossings by the authorities. We've proposed a solution the creation of an experimental border crossing point where Polish and Ukrainian border guards will conduct joint truck inspections. Read also: Grain transport resumes through Poland, funding to re-open airspace, why Putin invaded He also mentioned that there are currently 870 Polish businesses operating in Ukraine, with Poland keen on fostering relations with Ukrainian businesses. We're gathering suggestions and feedback from Polish businesses on how to simplify business operations in Ukraine, he added. Read also: Polish parliament passes resolution backing Ukraine's NATO membership All these proposals will be forwarded to Jadwiga Emilewicz, the Government Authorized Representative for Polish-Ukrainian cooperation development. Read also: Polish president warns against letting Russia win in Ukraine PAIT has established a registry of Polish companies planning to enter the Ukrainian market and take part in the country's reconstruction programs. To date, over 2,500 enterprises and organizations have expressed interest in partnering with Ukrainian businesses. Were bringing the voice of Ukraine to the world. Support us with a one-time donation, or become a Patron! Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine Oklahoma City police said they are investigating after a man's body was discovered Sunday in the Oklahoma River. A 14-year-old boy accidentally shot his 8-year-old brother about 2 p.m. Tuesday at a Walmart near NW 23 and Henney Road in Choctaw, police confirmed. Police said the boys belong to an Oklahoma City police employee. The 8-year-old boy was transported to OU Medical Center. Just after 4 p.m., police told The Oklahoman the boy was in stable condition. The investigation is ongoing. This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Authorities investigating Choctaw shooting involving 14-year-old and 8-year-old Two men are accused of scamming Taylor Swift fans out of tickets to the pop superstars Cincinnati concerts last weekend. Beng Sweet Jr., 51, and Gilberto Torres, 53, were arraigned in Hamilton County Municipal Court on Monday, according to our news partners at WCPO in Cincinnati. >> PHOTOS: Taylor Swift performs in Cincinnati Court documents obtained by News Center 7 showed that police accused both men of scamming people out of $1,000 for fake tickets to Swifts concert on Friday night, June 30. Both Sweet and Torres are facing one count of theft. Torres is also facing one count each of receiving stolen property and possessing criminal tools. Torres also reportedly used a fake ID vendor badge in the alleged scam, according to court records. >> Reds star rookie Elly De La Cruz declines Home Run Derby invitation Swift played two sold-out shows at Paycor Stadium on June 30 and July 1. Prior to the shows, the Better Business Bureau and Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost warned of scams targeted at fans eager to still try and get the highly sought-after tickets. Seattle police arrested a man on Thursday who allegedly trafficked drugs around Seattle. Police worked with Homeland Security to arrest the man who is linked to trafficking drugs in the Seattle and Northgate areas. The man was arrested around 4:30 a.m. in Lynnwood, according to the Seattle Police Department. Police said they found these drugs and guns during their search: Fentanyl Powder 2.17 pounds Methamphetamine 1 pound Cocaine pound Around 7,000 Fentanyl pills Two sets of body armor Three semi-automatic handguns Ammunition High-capacity rifle magazines Police said the 46-year-old man may face federal charges for similar crimes throughout Washington and Montana. The man was booked into the Snohomish County Jail for violating the uniform controlled substance act and unlawfully possessing a gun. Pope's envoy works on mechanism for return of Ukrainian children from Russia Cardinal Matteo Zuppi, who the Pope appointed to hold "peace talks" with Ukraine and Russia, said that he is working on a mechanism for the return of the Ukrainian children who were kidnapped and moved to Russia. Source: European Pravda with reference to Reuters, citing Zuppi's speech during an event in Rome on Tuesday. According to the Pope's envoy, he is working on a "mechanism" that could ensure the return of children abducted by Russia home. "We'll see how we can start the mechanism for the children, help, like we said, on the humanitarian front, particularly the children that must be able to return to Ukraine," Zuppi said. He added that he personally discussed this issue and the results of his mission with Pope Francis. As it is known, in early June, Matteo Zuppi visited Ukraine and met with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Soon after that, he was on a visit to Moscow. Zuppi met with Maria Lvova-Belova, the children's Ombudsman of the Russian Federation, who is accused of forcibly deporting Ukrainian children. According to Daria Herasymchuk, Advisor and Presidents Commissioner for Children's Rights and Child Rehabilitation, Ukraine has brought back 373 children from Russia; there is precise information about the deportation of 19,499 children, but the actual number may reach 200,000-300,000. For more information about the Pope's role in resolving the Russian-Ukrainian war, watch the video blog of European Pravda. Journalists fight on their own frontline. Support Ukrainska Pravda or become our patron! Positive trade indicators, Zelensky meeting with CIA chief, Leopard Is on their way Your slice of the headlines in Ukraine. Daily. Tuesday, July 4, 2023. Ukraine increases grain exports year-over-year Despite the occupation of much of its agricultural lands, ongoing Russian naval blockade, and EU restriction on exports, Ukraine has managed to export 48.99 million tons of grain and legumes between July 1, 2022 and June 30, 2023, Ukrainian news agency Interfax-Ukraine reported on July 3, citing government data. Notably, this is 641,000 tons more than in 2021/2022. Ukraines IT exports grew by 9.5% in May, still lower than last year The volume of IT exports in May 2023 grew by 9.5% compared to April, but it remains lower than last year's figures, the Lviv IT Cluster reported on July 3, referring to data from the National Bank of Ukraine. Ukraine to establish special court for foreign investors claims Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has signed a decree establishing a separate court for the protection of investors' rights and assets in the country, according to a message on the presidents website on June 30. Zelenskyy confirms intelligence-sharing and meeting with CIA chief during secret visit Kyiv has no secrets from the CIA due to their excellent relations and Ukrainian intelligence agencies maintain contact with their American counterparts, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy revealed during an interview with U.S. television channel CNN on July 3. Two British peers attended Russian ambassadors party in London, sparking scandal Two British peers were among the 50 people who attended a party organized by the Russian ambassador to the UK at his opulent residence in West London in June, to mark the creation of Russias independence from the Soviet Union, UK newspaper The Guardian reported on July 2. Russians trying to regain positions near Antonivskyi bridge says Ukrainian military Russian invasion forces are trying to regain their positions near the Antonivskyi bridge in Kherson Oblast, but the Armed Forces of Ukraine are pushing them out, Natalia Humeniuk, spokeswoman for the Ukrainian military's Southern Operational Command, said on July 3. International center for investigating Russian aggression against Ukraine opens at The Hague The International Center for the Prosecution of the Crime of Aggression against Ukraine (ICPA) has opened at The Hague, the Netherlands, on July 3, the European Commission reported on its website. Ukraine to receive dozens of Leopard-1 tanks soon Germany Ukraine is set to receive dozens of Leopard-1 tanks from Germany and Denmark in the coming weeks, German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius said in an interview with Polish media outlet Rzeczpospolita on July 3. Gaunt Saakashvili appears online at court hearing Mikheil Saakashvili, former Georgian president and current Ukrainian citizen, made a remote appearance in a court hearing for the first time in several months, revealing a noticeable deterioration in his health, Saakashvilis former spokeswoman, Daryna Chyzh, wrote on Facebook on July 3. War cannot end while Crimea is under Russian occupation, says Zelenskyy The war against Russian aggression cannot end while Crimea is under Russian occupation, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in an interview with US television channel CNN on July 2. Were bringing the voice of Ukraine to the world. Support us with a one-time donation, or become a Patron! Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine The Duke of Sussex reportedly missed the wedding of his friend Jack Mann, who was an usher at his wedding to Meghan Markle and appeared among his band of brothers in a memorable photograph at Windsor Castle. Some reports speculated earlier this year that Prince Harry would return to the UK to attend Manns nuptials to osteopath Isabella Clark, which took place over the weekend in Suffolk. But according to the Daily Mail, neither Harry nor the Duchess of Sussex were present to see Mann marry Clark at St Peters Church in Stutton. In the Sussexes Netflix docuseries, Harry and Meghan, a black-and-white photograph of Harry with six of his closest friends on the night of his and Meghans 2018 wedding was shown along with a number of other previously unseen images. Mann was reportedly Harrys unofficial best man, although the official honour went to Harrys brother William, the Prince of Wales. The Independent has contacted the Sussexes representatives for comment. Mann served as one of several ushers on Harry and Meghans wedding day, alongside another close friend, Charlie van Staubenzee, who is the brother of Williams best friend, Thomas van Straubenzee. Earlier this year, after the release of Harry and Meghan, a source told the Mail on Sunday: There have long been rumours in Harrys circle that there was another best man, in secret. [Prince] William was the public-facing best man but not the sole best man, nor the true best man in Harrys eyes. However, it is unclear if Harry and Mann remain close friends. Earlier this year, Australian journalist Daniela Elser claimed that the duke only kept a small circle of six close friends and therefore does not have many people who can warn him if he is making bad decisions. The duke and Mann, the co-founder of a private security company, first met at Sandhurst where they were commissioned into the Blues and Royals. They served in Iraq and Afghanistan. Thomas, who is Williams daughter Princess Charlottes godfather, was in attendance at Manns wedding over the weekend. He was present with his wife Lucy, who is an assistant headteacher at Charlotte and Prince Georges former school, Thomass Battersea. (Aaron Chown - WPA Pool/Getty Images) Mann is the son of former SAS officer Simon Francis Mann, who served in Cyprus, Germany, Norway and Northern Ireland. Simon later co-founded private military company Sandline International, which became controversial after signing a contract with the government of Papua New Guinea in a political scandal that became known as the Sandline affair. Last year, Mann went on a business trip with his company Alma Risk to Libya that made headlines after it was interrupted and he was held by security officials in Malta. He told the Daily Mail: We did not continue the journey from Malta on the advice of Maltese immigration to rectify our paperwork. The issue was resolved within five days. Meanwhile, his new bride Clark is the daughter of property developer Stephen Clark. Harry was last in the UK in early June to give evidence in his lawsuit against Mirror Group Newspapers (MGN). He claimed that journalists from the Daily and Sunday Mirror and Sunday People used methods, including phone-hacking, to obtain information about him to be published. Last week, his lawyers told the High Court that the duke should be awarded up to 320,000 in compensation over the alleged misuse of his private information. MGN have denied unlawful activity and said there is no evidence of phone hacking. Prior to that, Harry attended the coronation of his father, King Charles III, on 6 May without Meghan or their two children. He was seated in the third row in Westminster Abbey and did not interact publicly with his father or brother. The duke left for Heathrow airport immediately after the ceremony to return to California in order to celebrate his son, Prince Archies birthday. This month, a Palace representative confirmed that Harry and Meghan have officially moved out of their former UK residence, Frogmore Cottage. Elena Milashina, a prominent Russian journalist who uncovered the horrific crackdown on gay men in Chechnya, has been beaten up alongside a lawyer while visiting the southern Russian republic. Milashina and attorney Alexander Nemov were attacked while they were on the way to attend a court sentencing of a human rights activist in Chechnyas regional capital, Grozny. She said her attackers knew what they were doing, and were in a hurry, explaining she believes they intended to frighten her and gain access to her and Nemovs devices. They beat us up two times, Milashina said in a recorded interview with her employer Novaya Gazeta. They were very specific, they knew what they wanted, knew what their limits were, beyond which they could not go. In the video interview Milashina is shown visibly bruised, her head shaved off and painted green. They did this, she says when asked about her hair. I dont have any wounds, thank God, just bruises, she added, going on to explain she believes Nemov and her were targeted for their professional activity,. Nemov was beaten and stabbed with a knife, but he still planned on attending the court hearing, according to the Novaya Gazeta. The newspaper reported that the perpetrators are unknown, also noting that Milashina and Nemov were asked to give a statement to police at the hospital but refused. Milashina and Nemov were attending a court ruling in the case of Zarema Musaeva the mother of Chechen activists, the Yangulbaev brothers, who are vocal critics of Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov. Musaeva was sentenced to five years and six months in prison on charges of fraud and violence against a police officer, TASS said. The Kremlin called it a very serious attack that required investigative actions and serious measures to be taken. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Russian President Vladimir Putin was informed of the attack and the incident is being handled by Russias human rights ombudsman. Russias Investigative Committee has launched an investigation into the attack. Milashina and attorney Alexander Nemov were on the way to attend a court sentencing of a human rights activist in Grozny when they were attacked. - Crew Against Torture Russias human rights commissioner, Tatyana Moskalkova, agreed to intervene in the situation on the request of the editorial office, Novaya Gazeta said. CNN has reached out to Russias Human Rights Commissioner for comment. In a statement to Russian state media RIA Novosti, Moskalkova confirmed that the pair were attacked by unknown people and that Milashinas fingers were broken. Moskalkova also said she asked the Commissioner for Human Rights in Chechnya to ensure the safety of the journalist. Cowardly assault Human rights groups have condemned the violent assault, calling for a swift investigation. Sergey Babinets, the head of the Russian human rights organization the Crew Against Torture, said that the attackers had mentioned Milashinas work and previous court reporting while beating the pair. This is clearly not a gangster attack, this is a direct attack for their work, he said in a statement Amnesty International condemns this cowardly assault in the strongest terms and calls on the Russian authorities to swiftly bring the perpetrators to justice and ensure the safety of those who seek truth and justice, Amnesty Internationals Eastern Europe and Central Asia director, Marie Struthers, said. Milashina has been previously threatened for her journalism. Following her reporting on a crackdown on gay men in Chechnya in 2017, Muslim clerics in Chechnya called for retribution against her and other journalists. She faced death threats and was temporarily forced to flee the country. The 2017 crackdown saw hundreds of men allegedly held and tortured in detention. At the time, one witness who fled Chechnya after being arrested told CNN that hundreds of gay men like him were being rounded up by the authorities and held in appalling conditions in at least three detention centers. The detentions prompted heavy international criticism of Russia. The country has a checkered record on gay rights, breaking up gay pride marches and passing anti-gay propaganda laws. But the allegations of detention camps and torture emerging from Chechnya were unprecedented. In response, Chechen leader and Kremlin-backed strongman Kadyrov said there were no gay people in his republic, and that if there were any they should be taken away from the region For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com Prosecutors appeal bail for Ternopil Oblast council chairman in corruption case The Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office (SAPO) has appealed against the bail conditions of Mykhailo Holovko, chairman of the Ternopil Regional Council, and two deputy heads of the Ternopil Regional State Administration, the press office said on Telegram on July 4. The three men were detained as part of a corruption investigation. They are accused of demanding bribes worth UAH 1.8 million ($49,000) from businesses in exchange for signing work completion certificates. The National Anti-Corruption Bureau (NABU) and SAPO caught the suspects red-handed on June 26 while they were in the process of receiving a third tranche of bribes worth UAH 600,000 ($16,000). Read also: Zelenskyy to increase penalties for court corruption Appeals against the decision of the investigating judge who set bail of UAH 805,000 ($21,800) were filed with the Appeals Chamber of the High Anti-Corruption Court. The prosecutors office is insisting that bail should instead be set at UAH 13 million ($350,000) for the Holovko, UAH 10 million ($270,000) for the First Deputy Head of the Ternopil Regional State Administration, Ihor Demyanchuk, and UAH 8 million ($200,000) for the Second Deputy Head, Ihor Hayduk. Holovko should also be officially dismissed from his position, SAPO stated. The two deputy heads were relieved of their duties in March. Read also: Were bringing the voice of Ukraine to the world. Support us with a one-time donation, or become a Patron! Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine It is hard not to look at modern America without getting the sense of a country that is frantically shedding its skin, in the process of becoming something new. But what will that be? The country once defined by its powerful middle class is now a flagship of inequality that looks more like a high-end version of Brazil or Nigeria than the mid-20th century bastion of strong unions, churches, civic associations and inclusive political parties. In place of the promise of the American Dream, which was geared towards ordinary men and women, the new America now offers a paradoxical mixture of extreme wealth and glaring disempowerment, which is both intimidating and dispiriting. A glittering oligarchy of a type not seen since the late-19th-century Gilded Age, during which American robber barons plundered the art treasures of Europe, presides over a simmering landscape of uncontrolled low-skill immigration, drug addiction and dead-end service jobs. More worrying than record levels of inequality whether measured in income, or in the ability to exert any meaningful control over the circumstances of ones own life is the sense of an irrevocable fracturing, which seems to gain strength from month to month, regardless of the fact that most Americans prefer some version of the old America. Propelled by the rise of identity politics, the fragmenting logic of market capitalism or the force of new technologies that reconfigure space and time or all three forces working hand-in-hand America has become the prize for a set of tribes engaged in a zero-sum contest for power and spoils. That a central aim of the American experiment was to create a sense among disparate peoples of belonging to a single whole has been a relatively uncontroversial statement throughout even the worst periods of the countrys history. The agreement that every citizen inherently possessed the same rights as every other citizen, however incomplete in practice, has been a powerful engine for social change, from the fight to end slavery to the campaigns for womens rights and gay marriage. Yet while the slogan e pluribus unum out of many, one retains its place in the American currency, it is hardly embraced by most of the countrys leading social and political voices, who depict the countrys history as an unrelieved march of racism and oppression, opposed by the forces of justice. Where the idea of an American nation or community is increasingly rejected as a remnant of a hegemonic and oppressive past, the celebration of particularity reigns. There is the mandatory replacement of the American flag by sectarian banners the Black Lives Matter flag for Black History Month; the ever-changing LGBTQA+ symbols for Pride Month along with elaborate ceremonies of printing new postage stamps, and rewriting history books to focus on the laudable achievements of tribal heroes. These rituals of civic replacement are eagerly embraced by both the oligarchs and the state, and celebrated by large corporations, city halls, the US Congress and US Embassies around the world. Meanwhile, the failure to participate by, say, flying a large American banner instead is cause for suspicion of allegiance to a bygone order that has turned rancid, like the bitter-enders down South who decorate their pick-ups with Confederate flags. The paradoxical nature of the current American predicament is therefore hard to miss. On the one hand, Silicon Valley has cemented Americas place as the wealthiest and most powerful nation on Earth, the unchallenged global leader in fields like AI and biotech capable of disintegrating any would-be rival by pushing a button and detaching them from the global banking system and the internet. On the other, the digital revolution propelled by American technology and finance is visibly disintegrating America itself. The meritocratic universities and other institutions that once made America the envy of the world are hostages of a new political system in which rote repetition of Democratic Party catechisms about race, class, gender and identity has replaced institutional values such as intellectual independence and critical inquiry. Such ambitions, along with the pursuit of beauty and other forms of excellence, are now signs of Right-wing heresy, to be stamped out by party administrators who administer, well, pretty much everything. The Democratic Party plays a central role in the new American order, serving as a kind of shadow state, or state-within-a-state the supremacy of the former being characteristic of so-called revolutionary regimes overseas. Once a vehicle for working Americans to achieve tangible goals such as home ownership, decent healthcare, national parks and a dignified old age, the Democrats under the presidencies of Bill Clinton and Barack Obama found a new place in the sun as the address to which the oligarchs pay protection money and do deals with the security agencies in Washington after endorsing a global trade regime that cost millions of Americans their jobs and flooded their towns with fentanyl. The Republican Party, meanwhile, once the party of Americas richest moneymen and biggest industrialists, now poses as the party of small business and the dispossessed, under the leadership of an oft-indicted figure who surrounds himself with the dregs of American political life. Whatever threat Donald Trump once posed to the robber barons and the bureaucracies they have allied themselves with, he long ago revealed himself to be a clownish figure, alternating populist rhetoric with self-pitying conspiracy theories while repeatedly failing to protect himself or his followers from forces that mean them harm. The result has been political suicide for Republicans who support him, as well as those who oppose them. The battle to control America's mind By David Samuels If one side of the new American coin is oligarchy and political failure, then the other is sectarian rule another of those recognisable miseries that afflicts revolutionary countries, along with poverty, ignorance, corruption, the use of security agencies to fight personal battles, state censorship and the jailing of political opponents. Perhaps the overwhelming characteristic of such places is the colonisation of every aspect of life that might otherwise provide solace to ordinary people the arts, academia, law, office life, even family life by politics, a word that is carefully chosen to obscure the absence of coherent thought, which is in any case impossible, since the only fixed principle of such revolutionary politics is sectarian warfare, a danger that the countrys founders worked mightily to avoid. Yet to claim that America has succumbed to a revolutionary coup seems more than a little overheated. Nigeria doesnt dominate the global banking system or run the internet America does. Brazilian presidents may indict and jail their political enemies, as American presidents of both parties clearly itch to do but Americas favelas are wildly more luxurious than their Brazilian equivalents. Unlike Cuba or Venezuela, America is the home of Starbucks, Microsoft, Apple, J.P. Morgan and Goldman Sachs, as well as Tesla and Elon Musk. In recent decisions on abortion and affirmative action, the countrys conservative Supreme Court has provided a powerful counterweight to the progressive enthusiasms of the moment, just as the countrys founders intended. Meanwhile, Americans continue to invent new ways of seeing and being, just as they have always done even though other Americans may experience them as noxious. In other words, the simple narratives of national decline, the rise of tribalism and even the fracturing effects of revolutionary new technologies hardly suffice to explain the scale and totalising nature of the changes America is experiencing, which are entirely real. A clue to the real nature of the sweeping and convulsive changes that have overtaken the familiar American social and political order can be found in the aftermath of the killing of a black man by a white policeman in the city of Minneapolis in 2020. A petty criminal who was high on fentanyl and suffered a fatal heart attack while a police officer named Derek Chauvin knelt on his neck to restrain him, George Floyd was an ideal symbolic victim for both sides of the American political divide: a black martyr who incarnated the ills of a community whose members saw themselves as historical victims of an organised system of white supremacy enforced through police brutality. Chauvin was sentenced to over 20 years in prison after being convicted of murder. Surprisingly, given the massive street demonstrations and accompanying riots that followed Floyds death, virtually no public attention nor energy was devoted to the underlying economic and social inequalities that helped destroy his life. No public programmes were announced to fight drug addiction or promote job training, employment or education. Even as the Democratic Party leadership knelt down in the hall of Congress with pieces of colourful kente cloth around their necks to confess their own culpability for the evils of racial inequality, the Party embraced prolonged Covid lockdowns and school closures measures which had a particularly negative impact on children in marginalised and underserved communities. Maus and the repressive power of Jewish trauma By David Samuels Instead, the response to Floyds death consisted of a public campaign targeting symbols of white supremacy. This campaign centred on attacks on Americas Civil War past, including taking down statues and portraits of Confederate generals and officeholders, removing funeral monuments from cemeteries, and even exhuming Confederate bodies from their graves. As part of this nationwide burst of iconoclasm, universities and other institutions issued long reports apologising for slavery, and solemnly reckoned with the crimes of past donors. A cynic might have observed that issuing apologies for crimes committed 160 or 300 years ago provided a convenient cover for universities such as Harvard and Yale to continue accepting hundreds of millions of dollars from individuals and governments around the world whose activities today are no less criminal and exploitative. Yet, as universities scoured their walls for depictions of historical figures who had directly or indirectly profited from the slave trade, and large corporations and media companies embraced the wholesale adoption of language such as white supremacy, it became apparent that something deeper was at work. White supremacy, a term that had only recently been the province of historians and a handful of contemporary academic race theorists, became a primary target of the FBI, despite the absence of any evidence that white supremacists, neo-Nazis and other race-conscious extremists had become any more common or acceptable in America today than they were 10 or 20 or 50 years ago. Displays of the Confederate banner, which had been a part of Southern culture to the point where they had in most cases become generalised symbols of rebellion, were suddenly forbidden. To a historically-minded observer, the renewed obsession with race, the attacks on symbols of the Confederacy, the agonised institutional self-searching, all pointed to a single overarching theme of the cause that had captured the imagination of the countrys elites: refighting the American Civil War. The decision to reignite a conflict in which more than 600,000 Americans died, and which resulted in a resounding Northern victory, the end of slavery and the continuation of a national project that would benefit hundreds of millions of people in the 20th century, might seem like a perverse choice. As far as I know, no one in England or France calls for refighting Cromwells Revolution, say, or the French Revolution, on account of their victories being incomplete. Moreover, the monuments that the iconoclasts removed in 2020-21 were not erected by the Confederate government, but under Union rule; they were symbols of the national truce that followed the war, in which Southerners acknowledged defeat and Northerners let them bury their dead and rejoin the Union. So why reignite a conflict in which the good guys won, after nearly drowning the country in blood? The answer, of course, is that while the national truce that followed the Civil War may have benefited the nation as a whole, it did not meet the aims of some of the victors Southern slaves, whose descendants are rightly more concerned with economic progress and the safety of their children, and Northern abolitionists, whose heirs had apparently retaken power, and whose true radicalism had been largely edited out of the American story. While Abraham Lincolns chief war aim was to preserve the Union, the hymn of the Northern abolitionists was John Browns Body, which commemorated the death of the firebrand who was executed by the US Government in 1859 for his attempt to initiate a Southern slave revolt through a suicidal raid on the town of Harpers Ferry, in which 17 people died, most of them freed blacks. Northern soldiers with abolitionist sympathies sang the hymn as they marched into battle, announcing themselves to be soldiers in a holy war in which John Brown was John the Baptist of the Christ we are to see. Rewritten by Julia Howe, who cleansed the song of any mention of John Brown, The Battle Hymn of the Republic became the most popular marching song of the American military after the Civil War, attesting to Americas new sense of national purpose: In the beauty of the lilies Christ was born across the sea, With a glory in His bosom that transfigures you and me: As He died to make men holy, let us die to make men free, While God is marching on. Northern Abolitionists, the direct heirs of the New England Puritans, could claim to be entirely consistent in their rejection of the national truce, both in the aftermath of the Civil War and also 160 years later. The civic compact that followed the war was not of their making. Neither was the original compact on which the Union was founded in 1789, following the successful American Revolution against the British. Both compacts were secular instruments, in which the demands of God and justice were subordinated to the requirements of getting disparate peoples including New England Puritans and Southern slaveholders to somehow live together. For the Puritans and their contemporary heirs, the successes of the earthly compromises on which the country was founded the US Constitution, victory in the Civil War, the rise of America to Great Power status, victory in the Second World War, the success of the Civil Rights movement, the defeat of Soviet Communism were immaterial. Puritans understood evil as a foe to be rooted out without compromise, on pain of endangering ones soul. While earthly wealthy was nice, the Kingdom of Heaven was far better. Welcome to Philip K. Dick's dystopia By David Samuels What made the 17th-century Puritans who settled New England unique in their moment was the transmutation of religious militancy from opposing earthly foes to internal struggle. According to Perry Miller, the great historian of New England Puritanism, the Puritans themselves a radical faction of the English Puritans who won, and then lost, the Glorious Revolution arrived in New England with the goal of building a city on a hill, in the words of their leader John Winthrop. The Puritans imagined their settlement as a model community that would serve as a beacon to Europe, which was then mired in seemingly intractable religious wars. Through the shining example of the small New England colony, old Europe would come to realise its folly and embrace the truth of Puritanism. When Europe predictably ignored the Puritans example, New England was engulfed by a spiritual crisis, which resulted in a collective turning-inwards an attempt to relocate the crashing failure of their mission into the American wilderness within the inner lives of the colonists themselves. The resulting turn from outward-looking grandiosity towards a narcissistic obsession with the scouring of ones own soul in search of sin would remain characteristic of the American Puritan consciousness, and of the country that was at least partly built on the foundation they established. Todays America, caught in a war between the demands of national coexistence and absolutist obsessions with racial sin, is a place that the countrys Puritan ghosts would easily recognise. And despite the careful clockwork of the countrys Enlightenment founders, the Puritan ghost has never ceased to exist within the national machinery. Sometimes, the ghost presents itself as the nations conscience, as it did during the Civil Rights movement. During the Great Depression, FDR sought to contain this impulse by refounding the Democratic Party, and mid-20th-century American culture, as an alliance between Northern ethnic Democratic Party machines and the Old South, breathing new life into the countrys original Constitutional forms but also renewing its anti-Puritan compromise with evil. The current American revolution, by contrast, represents another outbreak of the Puritan spirit, which is guilt-ridden and self-obsessed, and at the same time determined to realise the kingdom of heaven on earth. At once deeply and inherently American, it is also opposed to what has been the American social and cultural order of the past three centuries. It is a mistake to believe that the Puritan ghost can ever be satisfied, especially through compromise. Puritanism is a revolutionary, iconoclastic and totalising movement, whose truths are religious and uncompromising. The question for Americans now is which of the countrys two founding visions they will choose: that of the countrys rationalist Enlightenment Founders, whose imagination of a great, continent-sized American nation has already been achieved, or the wilder visions of its founding saints. Put It in Reverse Terry asking community for help getting a new wheelchair-accessible van Terry Denis, a viral sensation from Tennessee who became famous for lighting fireworks while in his wheelchair, is asking for help from the public. >>> STREAM ACTION NEWS JAX LIVE <<< Denis, who is also known as Back Up Terry or Put It in Reverse Terry needs a new wheelchair-accessible van. According to his GoFundMe page, Davis current van is broken beyond repair, and he needs a new one. Davis became a viral sensation in 2017 for a YouTube video that shows him lighting fireworks on July 4. As the fireworks begin to go off, Davis has trouble getting out of the way in his wheelchair. Read: FHP: Man dead after late-night crash on State Road 23 The friend recording the video is heard behind the camera yelling at Davis to get to safety by saying, Back up Terry! Put it in reverse, Terry! The original video has about 15 million views on YouTube. However, a friend of Davis is claiming he never made any money off the video despite his name and likeness being used repeatedly. She claims that is why he needs help paying for a new van. Davis has been in a wheelchair for over 15 years after suffering a spinal injury. You can help Davis get a new ride by checking out his GoFundMe HERE. Read: Ready for takeoff: FAA gives greenlight to flying car [SIGN UP: Action News Jax Daily Headlines Newsletter] Click here to download the free Action News Jax news and weather apps, click here to download the Action News Jax Now app for your smart TV and click here to stream Action News Jax live. Putin to attend virtual summit in first international appearance after Prigozhin mutiny Vladimir Putin Russian dictator Vladimir Putin will attend the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) virtual summit, hosted by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, on July 4, EU news site Euractiv reported. It will be Putin's first international appearance after Wagner chief Yevgeny Prigozhin's mutiny. Read also: What happened between Putin and Prigozhin The SCO summit is scheduled to focus on "expanding the influence of the Eurasian group by including Iran and opening a path to membership for Belarus," Euractiv said. Modi spoke with Putin last week and discussed the consequences of Prigozhins mutiny. The Indian prime minister also called on Putin to start a dialog with Ukraine and to seek a diplomatic solution to the war. Modi said last year it is "not the era of war" while speaking with the Russian dictator on the sidelines of the SCO summit held in Uzbekistan. This represented the most direct Indian intervention in regard to Russias full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Read also: South Africa grants immunity to BRICS summit participants, amid possible visit by Russias Putin India has refused to condemn the war and has boosted bilateral trade between the two countries, purchasing a record high volume of Russian oil. The SCO is a Eurasian political, economic, international security and defence organization created by China and Russia in 2001. It includes six more members: India, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. The group is aimed at countering "western influence in Eurasia." The SCO summit was supposed to be held in the Indian capital of Delhi, but switched to an online format this year instead. The switch from off- to online may be related to Putin being subject to an arrest warrant issued by the International Criminal Court on March 17, on charges of abducting children from Ukraine. Were bringing the voice of Ukraine to the world. Support us with a one-time donation, or become a Patron! Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine Putin tries to assure Chinese leader hes still in control after Prigozhin mutiny Putin tries to assure Chinese leader hes still in control after Prigozhin mutiny Russian dictator Vladimir Putin has tried to assure Chinese leader Xi Jinping and other members of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) that he maintains control over Russia after the Wagner PMC mutiny led by Yevgeny Prigozhin, the Moscow Times quoted Putin as saying on July 4. The Russian people are more consolidated than ever before, the dictator claimed during the SCO summit. Russian society is not experiencing a split after Prigozhins rebellion and acted as a united front. Following Prigozhins mutiny, Xi Jinping did not hold public talks with Putin. At the same time, Chinese Foreign Ministry called the events in Russia an internal matter. Read also: Putin admits to funding Wagner mercenary company The SCO is a Eurasian political, economic, international security and defense organization created by China and Russia in 2001. It includes six other members: India, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan. Wagner Group in Belarus Prigozhin announced the beginning of an armed conflict with the Russian Defense Ministry on the evening of June 23, claiming that about 25,000 of his fighters were going to restore justice in Russia. Read also: Russian propaganda reports rise in Putins popularity despite Wagner debacle Belarusian dictator Alexander Lukashenko held talks with Prigozhin as his mercenaries closed in on Moscow, Lukashenkos press office stated, culminating in a deal where Prigozhin agreed to halt his forces advance on the Russian capital in exchange for dropping charges and changes at the Russian Ministry of Defense. In a video address on June 26, Russian dictator Vladimir Putin offered three options to the fighters of the Wagner mercenary company who had participated in the mutiny attempt return to civilian life, sign contracts with the regular Russian military, or relocate to Belarus. On July 3, Prigozhin recorded an audio address for the first time in a week, asking for support. Were bringing the voice of Ukraine to the world. Support us with a one-time donation, or become a Patron! Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine 'We are putting an end to this': Israel's raid on Palestinian Jenin camp stretches into 2nd day Thousands of Palestinians fled the Jenin refugee camp as one of the most large-scale Israeli military operations in the occupied West Bank in nearly two decades continued for a second day Tuesday. The Palestinian Health Ministry said that at least 10 Palestinians have been killed and dozens more wounded. The Israeli Defense Forces said that the mission was necessary to "dismantle" terrorist infrastructure, arrest suspects and capture weapons used by militant groups who use the camp as a stronghold. The operation in the camp, which is densely populated with civilians, comes at a time of growing domestic pressure on Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to respond forcefully to a spate of recent attacks on Israeli West Bank settlers that have emanated from Jenin, including a shooting last month that killed four Israelis. On their nation's 75th anniversary: Israelis ask: Is this still a democracy? Israel's military reservists: They have transformed a political crisis into a security one "Jenin has turned into a safe haven for terrorism. We are putting an end to this, Netanyahu said Monday. Israel's operation in Jenin: What's the context? The Jenin camp and an adjacent town of the same name have been a flashpoint between Israelis and Palestinians since violence began escalating in spring 2022. Jenin has also been a major friction point for far longer. In the last Palestinian uprising, in 2002, Israel launched a major operation in the camp after a Palestinian suicide bombing during a large Passover gathering in Israel that killed 30 people. The camp was set up in the aftermath of the 1948-49 war between Israel and Arab nations. UNRWA, the U.N. agency for Palestinian refugees, says about 14,000 people live in Jenin. It's an area about one-sixth of a square mile. Israel says it launched its latest operation in Jenin because the Palestinian Authority, the political entity that controls the civilian areas of the West Bank Israel's military controls the rest is too weak to maintain quiet and prevent some militants from using the camp as a base to plan and launch attacks on Israelis. The Israeli army said it was allowing people who wanted to leave Jenin to do so. The Palestinian Red Crescent rescue service said that as many as 3,000 people had left by midnight, and they expected the exodus to continue. UNRWA said many camp residents were in need of food, drinking water and milk powder. Electricity and water networks inside the camp have been badly damaged by clashes. There may be political considerations at play. Leading members of Netanyahus far-right government, which is dominated by West Bank settlers and their supporters, have called for a broader military response to the ongoing violence in the area, particularly after the June 20 shooting that killed four people in the Jewish settlement of Eli. Proud of our heroes on all fronts and this morning especially of our soldiers operating in Jenin, Israel's National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, an ultranationalist who recently called for Israel to kill thousands of militants if necessary, tweeted Monday. Praying for their success. At least 147 Palestinians have been killed this year in the West Bank, part of more than a yearlong spike in violence that has seen some of the worst bloodshed in the area in nearly two decades, according to U.N. data. At least 23 Israelis have been killed. Israel accuses Iran of funding militant groups involved in the fighting. Palestinians say such violence is inevitable in the absence of any political process with Israel and increased West Bank settlement construction and violence by settlers supported by Netanyahu's government. At least five people were injured in a suspected car ramming attack in Israel's beach-side city Tel Aviv on Tuesday as the military operation continued in Jenin. Israeli police said the suspect was "neutralized." Islamic Jihad, a militant group with a large presence in Jenin, threatened to launch attacks from its Gaza Strip stronghold if the fighting dragged on. Lebanons militant Hezbollah group also made threats, saying the Palestinians have many alternatives and means that will make the enemy regret its acts. Hezbollah fought a monthlong war against Israel in 2006. Israel captured the West Bank, east Jerusalem and the Gaza Strip in the 1967 Mideast war. The Palestinians seek those territories for their hoped-for independent state. People flee the Jenin refugee camp in the occupied West Bank during on July 4, 2023. Contributing: The Associated Press This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Israel's raid on Palestinian Jenin refugee camp into second day Speaking before the largest Pride celebration in White House history this month, President Joe Biden looked out at the crowd and marveled at the people in front of him. He recognized leaders across our administration, like Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg and HHS Assistant Secretary for Health Rachel Levine, and took time to acknowledge his ambassador to Switzerland, Scott Miller, among other LGBTQ luminaries. Along the way, Biden dropped another name, of a relatively obscure Delaware state senator. I am proud, Biden said, that back home in Delaware [we have] the first transgender state legislator in American history, Sarah McBride. Five days later, at the signing of an executive order advancing protections for LGBTQI+ Individuals, Biden mentioned McBride again. Sarah, he said, youre wonderful to see you, kiddo. The mentions were odes to a person who, people in Bidens orbit and others active in the advocacy space say, has directly shaped Bidens personal and political evolution on transgender issues. McBrides close ties with the Biden family date back over 15 years. Last week, the countrys first transgender state senator announced shes running for Delawares open House seat, in a bid that could make her the first openly transgender member of the U.S. Congress. As Republican-led states pass a growing number of laws restricting access to medical care for minors and the country sees a rise in anti-LGBTQ hate and extremism, Biden has leaned on McBride, calling her to discuss the current moment in American politics. Over time, she has helped turn one of the most devout Catholic presidents in U.S. history into an unlikely champion of LGBTQ causes. Weve talked about how scared people are around the country, and Ive shared with him just how much it means to people when they see him speak up and act out to protect LGBTQ rights and LGBTQ people, McBride said in an interview with POLITICO. McBrides relationship with the Biden family began in 2006. She was a high schooler when she worked for Beau Bidens attorney general campaign, establishing a close connection to the eldest Biden son. McBride worked for Beau Biden again in 2010 as a member of his small reelection campaign team. She was his body person for most of that summer, driving him up and down the state to campaign events. In 2012, while serving as student body president at American University, McBride came out as transgender. She shared her coming out note on Facebook and in the student newspaper, unsure of what it would mean for her future in politics. It was before what Time Magazine called the transgender tipping point, McBride said. I just didnt know how Delaware, Delaware politics would respond to an out transgender person. That night, Beau Biden gave her a call. He told her she was still a part of the Biden family. McBride went on to intern in the White House Office Of Public Engagement later that year, working with the Office Of Violence Prevention and becoming the first openly transgender person to work in the White House. She saw then-Vice President Biden for the first time since coming out that next January, at a celebration of the Naval Observatory. Biden walked up to McBride and asked her how she was doing. Are you happy? he asked. He then told her that Beau was so proud of her, and gave her a hug. For McBride, these moments of acceptance, particularly from a politician she looked up to as a young kid interested in a political career, were vital. As a 10-year-old, she ran into Biden for the first time at a local pizza shop. Now the vice president stood before her, affirming his support at a time when politicians werent embracing transgender people. These moments also werent insignificant for Biden, who was in turn greatly affected by McBrides coming out. But she said the Biden administrations journey and commitment today to LGBTQ equality cant be explained without Beau Biden. I truly think that part of this is this president feeling closer to his son, and his sons legacy, McBride said. In 2013, Beau Biden joined Democratic Delaware Gov. Jack Markell in backing marriage equality legislation. But what was seen as a bigger deal among LGBTQ advocates at the time was his support for trans people. He urged state lawmakers to pass legislation to establish protections based on gender identity, said Lisa Goodman, founding president of Equality Delaware. Beau Biden made videos for her organization backing transgender rights, as arguments and attacks began to emerge about transgender people and restrooms. I cant tell you the people Ive spoken to over the years who have sat down with me and said including, frankly, members of my own extended family things like, I never understood gay people. I never really was on board until my son, daughter, niece, nephew, brother, came out to me, Goodman said. Thats the single most powerful thing you can do, is come out either as LGBTQ or as an ally." And I think Sarah had a huge effect on both of them. The 80-year-old president, who as a senator voted for the 1996 Defense of Marriage Act that defined marriage as between a man and a woman, has been ahead of the political curve on LGBTQ issues for the last decade. In 2012, the same year McBride came out, Biden famously disclosed his support for same-sex marriage before his boss at the time, President Barack Obama. Last year, he signed the Respect for Marriage Act, cementing his role as a central figure in the movement. But his message on transgender issues has also been forward-leaning, McBride said, noting that Biden, also in 2012, called transgender discrimination the civil rights issue of our time. In the foreword for McBrides 2018 book, Tomorrow will be different: Love, loss and the fight for trans equality, Biden wrote: Its about freeing the soul of America from the constraints of bigotry, hate, and fear, and opening peoples hearts and minds to what binds us all together. Republicans have seized on transgender issues as a base motivator. In 2023 alone, nearly 500 pieces of legislation targeting LGBTQ rights have been introduced across state legislatures. Former President Donald Trump has vowed to punish doctors who provide gender-affirming care if reelected, and to reinstate his ban on transgender people in the U.S. military that Biden overturned. A White House official pointed to numerous actions Biden has taken as president, including his administrations efforts to strengthen protections for transgender youth in education and health care through rulemaking. The White House and federal agency officials have also met with families affected by anti-LGBTQ state laws, transgender youth have visited the White House to share their stories, and Biden has spoken directly to transgender youth in all three of his addresses before a joint session of Congress. Earlier this month, responding to a question about anti-LGBTQ and anti-transgender laws popping up across the country, Biden urged Congress to pass the Equality Act and condemned prejudiced and unjustified attacks on LGBTQ Americans. Our fight is far, far from over because we have some hysterical and, I would argue, prejudiced people who are engaged in all of what you see going on around the country, Biden said. Its an appeal to fear, and its an appeal that is totally, thoroughly unjustified and ugly. CORRECTION: A headline in an earlier version of this article misstated the office first occupied by a transgender person. I remember two things about my Introduction to Western Civilization class as a freshman. First, the professor thought highly of himself. Second, he taught us events in life almost always has two hands. You know, on the one hand "this," and on the other hand "that." If America wars against Nazi Germany, "this" will make Europe free and democratic. If America wars against Nazi Germany, "that" will cost a fortune and hundreds of thousands will perish. If we cut taxes, "this" will give people more money to spend, but if we cut taxes "that" will also increase the national debt. You get the idea. There are two sides to every story and every issue. Ray Buursma Today is Independence Day, a day most people view as a day off from work and a time to light fireworks. Of course, there is much more, so lets take a look. The Declaration of Independence was officially presented 247 years ago. Few people know it lists 27 reasons the colonists separated themselves from Britain. Fewer yet can list more than a couple of them. Today, mainly as an academic exercise but also to make a point let us examine several of the colonists grievances and several of the British policies toward the colonies. Let us explore the hands. Space prohibits full study of all the perceived injustices, but we can study some. I am no expert, but I will offer my best analysis. On the one hand, King George forbade the colonists to self-govern, one of the colonists primary frustrations. Instead, he appointed governors who had nearly dictatorial power. On the other hand, he removed self-governance due to the colonists violent actions including the Boston Massacre (essentially a riot), the Boston Tea Party, attacks on British officials, and other acts of civil unrest. Similarly, colonists could not seat judges, but Britain considered this necessary to rein in an out-of-control populace. Colonists fumed when British soldiers were stationed throughout the colonies, particularly in Boston. On the other hand, Britain sent those soldiers to control colonists who had committed atrocities, including tarring and feathering agents of the crown. But again these atrocities were reactions after colonists were slammed with the Intolerable Acts, a series of harsh and punitive laws implemented because of criminal behaviors by some colonists. The Declaration charges the British shut Boston Port and indeed they did but only after the colonists threw a fortune worth of tea into Boston Harbor. Then again, this Tea Party was a response to a tax on tea. Aggrieved colonists were denied the right to trade with countries other than Britain, but Britain knew colonists smuggled in goods to avoid import taxes. This led to frequent stops and inspections of colonial ships, not always with pleasant or respectful methods. On the one hand, colonists complained they were taxed without consent. On the other hand, Britain desperately needed revenues to pay for the French and Indian War, a conflict whose outcome greatly benefitted colonists after Britains victory in the New World. Colonists complained Britain waged war when it marched a thousand troops from Boston to attack Concord, a village 20 miles away. On the other hand, British authorities knew colonists were storing weapons there. The British also witnessed a colonial militia mass on Breeds Hill, which overlooked Boston. They had to attack or risk a siege. On the other hand, this potential siege was a response to the British attack on Concord. Colonists disliked Britains alliance with Native Americans, but Britain knew the natives were a natural ally. After all, King George III forbade colonists to advance over the Appalachian mountains. That land, he said was reserved for Native Americans, who greatly appreciated the move. Yes, perspective matters. It shapes the hands we choose to reference when deciding what is right or wrong, good or bad, moral or immoral, ethical or unethical, desirable or not. Even the introduction to the Declaration shows the influence of "hands" at work. Jefferson wrote all men are created equal," a statement the British considered laughable since colonists permitted slavery and allowed only white, male property owners to vote. Let us celebrate Americas independence. But let us also reflect on how we think, and particularly on how we support our arguments, not only by the evidence we advance, but also by the evidence we discount. Community Columnist Ray Buursma is a resident of Holland. Contact him at writetoraybuursma@gmail.com. This article originally appeared on The Holland Sentinel: Ray Buursma: Examining the Declaration of Independence Red Sox place Whitlock on IL; Paxton goes on paternity list Boston Red Sox starting pitcher Garrett Whitlock, foreground, reacts as Toronto Blue Jays designated hitter Brandon Belt, back left, rounds the bases after hitting a solo home run during first-inning baseball game action in Toronto, Sunday, July 2, 2023. (Frank Gunn/The Canadian Press via AP) BOSTON (AP) The Boston Red Sox placed right-handed starter Garrett Whitlock on the 15-day injured list on Tuesday with right elbow inflammation. Whitlock left his most recent start on Saturday in Toronto after one inning because of what was announced as right elbow tightness. Before Tuesday's game at Fenway Park against Texas, manager Alex Cora said Whitlock had a bone bruise. Cora said the club will re-assess Whitlock's injury next week. Whitlock, 27, is 4-3 with a 5.23 ERA in 10 starts this season. In addition, left-hander James Paxton, who was the AL Pitcher of the Month in June, was placed on paternity leave. The 34-year-old Paxton is 4-1 with a 2.70 ERA in nine starts this season. To fill their spots on the roster, the team recalled left-hander Brandon Walter and right-hander Tayler Scott from Triple-A Worcester. ___ AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports RegioJet to launch two direct trains from Ukraine to Germany RegioJet CZ train RegioJet, a private Czech railway company, has announced its intention to establish two direct train routes from Ukraine to Germany, the companys founder, Radim Jancura, revealed during an interview with Forbes Ukraine on June 3. Scheduled to begin in 2024, the company plans to offer direct journeys from Kyiv to both Berlin and Hanover. Read also: $5 million fraud discovered at Ukrainian railway operator In 2024, we plan to partner with Ukrzaliznytsia (Ukraines railway operator) to launch routes from Kyiv to Berlin, as well as Kyiv to Hanover via Leipzig and Dresden, he explained. We have high expectations for this project, considering the significant number of Ukrainians traveling to Germany compared to the Czech Republic. It is worth noting that an earlier Kyiv-Berlin train service operated until 2012. However, the German railway imposed commercial conditions at that time, leading to increased travel costs through German territory, making the route unprofitable. Read also: Ukrzaliznytsia to Europe: Opportunities for Ukrainians to travel to European countries Currently, the RegioJet train operates to Przemysl, Poland, where passengers transfer to a Ukrzaliznytsia train. Daily ridership ranges from 300 to 500 passengers. This year, RegioJet plans to add another train, aiming to increase ridership to 800 passengers per day. The company also intends to launch a new route from Prague to Chop and gain permission for their trains to access the Mostyska-2 station in Lviv Oblast. RegioJet has further plans to electrify the Chop-Mukachevo section, construct a passenger platform, and build a pedestrian bridge at the Mostyska-2 station. Currently, the Ukrainian market represents approximately 1% of the companys operations. If the war concludes and civilian aviation resumes, the company expects a decrease in demand from residents of major cities, but an increase in travel from men allowed to travel abroad. Read also: Head of Ukrzaliznytsia speaks about traitors within As previously reported, Ukrzaliznytsia plans to establish a new company by the end of the year to enter the markets of the European Union. Were bringing the voice of Ukraine to the world. Support us with a one-time donation, or become a Patron! Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine As repairs continue on Carowinds cracked Fury 325 rollercoaster, parkgoers are enjoying other rides just days after the damage was discovered. Channel 9 brought you the story when a video from a guest showed a crack in one of Fury 325s support beams, causing the track to separate when a cart went past. Soon the park announced the closure of the ride, and on Monday the North Carolina Department of Labor came for an inspection. While some have now sworn off coasters forever, Carowinds regulars like Andre Richardson, who holds season passes, say the ride damage makes him hesitant but wont stop him from hopping on other rides. Im hesitant about the whole park, but I dont think it will stop me from getting on roller coasters in the future for sure; thats what we do; thats our thing, Richardson said. ALSO READ: Completely fractured: Crack on support beam of Fury 325 forces ride closure Channel 9 reached out to B&M Inc., the Switzerland-based company that designed the coaster, for comment. The company sent us this response: We have a representative from our company on site. We will continue to work closely with Carowinds to determine the cause, the repair, and the reopening of the coaster. Please rest assured that safety is our top priority. On Tuesday, a theme-park content creator, Theme Park Predictions, caught what appeared to be welded-on braces around the crack on the support beam. Channel 9 was able to speak with a former Carowinds medic who says she trusts the parks repair process. Theyre an excellent crew; they come in early in the morning; maintenance is running the tracks; they are inspecting the rides constantly; we are always running drills; theyre doing checkpoints; but they are always on top, Kimberly Dalton told Channel 9. Carowinds has not said when Fury 325 will reopen, and the park hasnt made another official comment since Friday. (WATCH BELOW: Terrifying: Inspectors arrive at Carowinds, examine break on Fury 325 support beam) Former U.S. President Donald Trump gestures on the day of his "Make America Great Again" rally in Pickens, South Carolina, U.S., July 1, 2023. REUTERS/Evelyn Hockstein TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY (Evelyn Hockstein / reuters) Its the final Fourth of July before the Iowa caucuses and New Hampshire primary still more than six months away, yes. But all the same, the Republicans vying for their partys presidential nomination were on the trail, waving to supporters from parades, shaking hands with voters and taking selfies. But not the front-runner. Donald Trump was conspicuously absent on the 247th anniversary of the nations independence. The former president has upended the traditional expectations of Iowa and New Hampshire voters. For decades they have prided themselves on their discernment of presidential candidates and have demanded to get to know them personally before casting the first ballots in the nation. Sign up for The Morning newsletter from the New York Times Steven Cheung, a spokesperson for Trumps 2024 campaign, objected to the notion that the former president is avoiding retail politics over the Fourth of July holiday, pointing to Trumps rally in South Carolina on Saturday, which, he said, counted as Independence Day weekend. Trump also appeared at the Moms for Liberty conference in Philadelphia on Friday, and he even dropped by Pats King of Steaks, a cheesesteak palace that has been a mainstay for politicians in Philly for decades. And on July 7, Trump will be in Council Bluffs, Iowa. But on the actual anniversary of the nations birth? His campaign will have an overwhelming presence in various parades and patriotic events in Iowa, New Hampshire and South Carolina, Cheung said. Trump himself, though, planned to spend the day with his family, Cheung said. Im sure people are thankful hes not out, former Rep. Will Hurd of Texas, a recent entrant in the Republican primary race, quipped outside a pancake breakfast in Merrimack, New Hampshire. He comes with a lot of baggage. For early-state Republican voters who hoped for more personal attention on the Fourth, the pickings were plentiful with the exception of Trump. Gov. Ron DeSantis of Florida and several other Republican presidential hopefuls spent Tuesday in New Hampshire, while Mike Pence, the former vice president, was in Iowa. Trumps campaign evinces no concern that his absence from the stage will give his rivals any room to make up ground in the Republican primaries. After queries about his July Fourth plans, his team released a memo Monday afternoon highlighting his campaigns plans to celebrate the holiday in Iowa and New Hampshire and calling out his dominant position in Republican primary polling. Republican veterans dont see much of an opening for Trumps rivals either. He definitely plays by a different set of rules, said David Kochel, a longtime Republican adviser and strategist in Iowa. Trump has made some recent adjustments with unscheduled stops at restaurants like Pats and, after his arraignment on the first federal felony charges ever levied on a former president, at Versailles, Miamis beloved Cuban restaurant. He will be appearing with virtually the entire GOP field at the Republican Party of Iowas biggest fundraiser, the Lincoln Dinner, on July 28. But, Kochel said, his celebrity and the fact that he was president gives him more flexibility. The retail politics tradition in Iowa and New Hampshire may well be overrated, an artifact of a time before super PACs saturated airwaves, social media reached voters phones and celebrity pervaded the zeitgeist, regardless of who was in the diners and pizza joints. Retail has always been mostly theater, but now its all a performance for the cameras, not about meeting regular people and listening to their concerns, said Fergus Cullen, a former chairperson of the New Hampshire Republican State Committee. For someone like DeSantis, who joined the primary campaign relatively late, appearances like his two July Fourth parades do demonstrate that he is putting in the effort and taking New Hampshire seriously, said Cullen, who is now a Republican consultant in the state. As for the former president, Can you imagine Trump walking in the Wolfeboro Fourth of July parade? he asked. I dont think so. Limiting Trumps public appearances and emphasizing large rallies over glad-handing with a few dozen supporters may help to preserve the former presidents celebrity and mystique among his faithful while projecting confidence. And Republican primary voters already know how they feel about Trump. His fate in the primary contest may depend more on external factors like his indictments in two cases and the trials that may ensue, as well as other inquiries he is facing than on his power of persuasion at an Iowa Pizza Ranch. Cheung insisted, even as he outlined a relatively sparse schedule for Trump, It would be incorrect to write that he will be sparing retail politics. But the rest of the Republican field, with weaker field operations and later starts, do not have that luxury, said Dave Carney, another New Hampshire Republican consultant and veteran organizer. For those laboring to break out of the pack, Trumps absence on July Fourth presented a moment to introduce themselves to at least a few voters in person. Today is about meeting people, right? Hurd said. Not everybody is doom scrolling on social media or consuming cable news. c.2023 The New York Times Company Lesser-known candidates vying for the Republican nomination are facing a difficult problem: How to break through a crowded field if you cant make it on the debate stage. The Republican National Committee (RNC) in June outlined the criteria candidates will need to meet to get on stage for the first primary debate in August, including a having certain number of donors and meeting a polling threshold. But candidates with less name recognition or who have joined the race late may have a difficult time meeting those requirements, potentially limiting their opportunity to introduce themselves to a wider audience and gain traction with voters. The debates are arguably the only thing that matters. Its the only time voters really tune in. Its when you can see some big shifts happen quickly in the race, said Alex Conant, who worked on Sen. Marco Rubios (R-Fla.) 2016 presidential campaign. The RNC has said that to qualify for the first debate, scheduled for Aug. 23 in Milwaukee, candidates must be polling at a minimum of 1 percent in at least three national polls, or in two national polls and in early state polls from two of Iowa, New Hampshire, Nevada and South Carolina. Candidates also must satisfy a fundraising requirement, having a minimum of 40,000 unique donors and at least 200 unique donors each from 20 or more states or territories. If candidates meet those two requirements, in addition to officially filing with the Federal Election Commission that they identify as a candidate for the GOP presidential nomination and designate their principal campaign committee, only then will they be asked to sign the unity pledge the final step to qualify for the August debate, according to two people familiar with the RNC debate discussions. In some of the early 2016 primary debates, candidates needed to satisfy only a polling requirement, not an additional donor threshold. The RNC this year is requiring candidates to sign a pledge to support the GOPs eventual presidential nominee, ruffling feathers among primary contenders. Some candidates have raised concerns that the requirements are too burdensome and will keep them off the stage, depriving voters of hearing about all of their options and capping their ability to build momentum for their campaigns. We should not be exclusive in the first couple of debates particularly, 2024 candidate and former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson told NBC News. I disagree with the strategy as to how youre going to disqualify some for being on that stage. Larry Elder, a conservative radio host running for the GOP nomination, has also hit the RNC over the debate requirements, which he called onerous in an interview with The Hill. Elder told The Hill it was too early for the RNC to be demanding so much of candidates just to get on the stage, and he argued it would disproportionately hurt campaigns like his. For me, its very critical. For someone like Donald Trump, who has a track record and 100 percent name recognition, not so much, Elder said. I cant introduce myself to America unless I make the debate stage. Former Rep. Will Hurd (R-Texas) didnt push back against the donor or polling thresholds but reiterated in an interview with The Hill that he would not sign the unity pledge. Im not going to support someone whos careless with our national secrets. Im not going to support someone who has more baggage thats only increasing by day, and whos only complaining about the past and Im looking to the future, Hurd said of Trump, who stands a high likelihood of becoming the GOP nominee again. If that means I dont go on the debate stage, then I wont go on the debate stage, he continued. RNC Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel has defended the threshold requirements, telling conservative radio talk show host Hugh Hewitt in an interview in June, Were not doing it in a punitive way. Were doing it in a success metric. And if you cant do this to get on the debate stage, youre probably not going to be able to take on the incumbent president of the United States, McDaniel continued. While members of the party say that both the polling and donor requirements pose challenges for some of the candidates, some also have a message for those complaining about them: Compete or get out of the race. Their focus should be on meeting that threshold. And if they cant, then that suggests that their campaign isnt serious enough to warrant attention, explained Doug Heye, a former spokesman for the RNC. Republican strategists say the debate requirements are necessary to prevent a two-tiered debate, harkening back to the 2016 cycle when Republicans held two nights of debates one for the top-tier candidates and another for candidates faring less competitively. But not making the debate stage poses clear risks for candidates, with members of the party noting that it could stifle gaining traction in the race. If you cant make this debate stage, its an absolute killer for your candidacy, GOP strategist Gregg Keller said. If you cannot make this debate stage, you are not going to factor into the early primaries and caucuses and therefore neither will you factor into the later primaries and caucuses, he noted. Some Republicans argue there are still ways to resuscitate a campaign, even if a candidate cant make the debate stage, but the crowded field will make that increasingly difficult. Hurd acknowledged not being in the debate could pose consequences for him but suggested he could compensate for not being on a debate stage through actions like in-person events and paid media. Is it a nontraditional campaign? Absolutely. But the way were going to run this tent and get more people who are sick and tired of the way things are, is we got to do things a little bit differently, Hurd told The Hill. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. The Russian invaders are continuing to mine the occupied territories in the Ukrainian south. For example, Russian forces are mining dirt roads and sown crop fields in the Melitopol district in Zaporizhzhia Oblast. Source: National Resistance Center Quote: "In the TOT [temporarily occupied territories ed.] of southern Ukraine, in particular in the Melitopol region, the Russian occupying forces with the help of special military equipment continue to install mine fences [plant minefields - ed.] right on the sown fields, and in some places just on dirt roads. According to available information, the tracked minelayer GMZ-3, which mines the ground at a speed of 208 units per minute, has already been recorded more than once in the fields near Melitopol." Details: The National Resistance Center noted that such Russian actions endanger the lives of civilians. Journalists fight on their own frontline. Support Ukrainska Pravda or become our patron! Stars on Mars' RADDOG Celebrities and robot dogs on Mars? What could go wrong? One of the more intriguing diversions hitting the airwaves and streaming landscape this summer is Fox's "Stars on Mars," in which a group of 12 minor celebrities and former superstar athletes compete in a "Survivor"-like elimination competition at a simulated Martian habitat colony in the barren deserts of Southern Australia. "Star Trek" legend William Shatner serves as the series' Mission Control host issuing tasks and assignments to the dozen "celebronauts" that include Richard Sherman, Marshawn Lynch, Natasha Leggero, Christopher Mintz-Plasse, Adam Rippon, Ronda Rousey, Tom Schwartz, Tinashe, Porsha Williams, Tallulah Willis, Ariel Winter and Lance Armstrong. Related: William Shatner is back in the captain's chair in wild new 'Stars on Mars' TV show Stars on Mars So far, the unlucky contestants eliminated as of June 26 are Christopher Mintz-Plasse, Tallulah Willis, and Richard Sherman. But the main attraction seems to be the show's fascinating RADDOG 2LE mechanical mascots provided by the AI-based robotics and security company, RAD, a subsidiary of AITX . We spoke with AITX/RAD CEO Steve Reinharz on how this connection happened and how these robo-stars have become fan favorites (Sorry Marshawn!), especially in the latest chapter where RADDOGs were raced to see which techno-pup was the fastest. "It was a contest between two RADDOGs. One of the RADDOGs was controlled by a celebrity and the other one was controlled by 'AI,'" Reinharz told Space.com. "It of course wasn't controlled by AI, it was controlled by one of our guys, but the celebrities didnt know about it. So they had this race and our guy had a connectivity issue and the dog slips and falls and the celebrity wins the race. Fox did a great job on the production and it's very entertaining how they assembled the footage. "RADDOG didn't have a presence in the first episodes. In Episode 3 we had RADDOG introduced to the cast and they took him on a walk and it was very funny. Episode 4 is where RADDOG got to hang out with the crew. There were two RADDOGs as opposed to just one and they got to race them. From what I've heard from Fox there is a much greater role for RADDOG in three of the upcoming episodes." RELATED STORIES: Zany new trailer for Fox's 'Stars on Mars' reality show counts us down to launch (video) Fox names Lance Armstrong, Ariel Winter among 'celebronauts' on 'Stars On Mars' Super Bowl champ Richard Sherman on suiting up for Fox TV show 'Stars on Mars' (exclusive) It's not surprising that these advanced security robots have been scene-stealers, especially with recent news of AI's march forward and investors piling into AI stocks. "RADDOG for us is the intelligence package, the backpack," Reinharz explained. "The quadruped itself, its body, is on a Unitree mobility platform and before that we were working with Ghost Robotics. We're going to put RADPAK on a zillion different mobility platforms. I'll put it on SPOT. I'll put it on anything. It's like getting the car without any of the interior or radio or steering wheel or controls. Just the motor, wheels, and body. It's super stripped down when we get it. "Fox originally reached out to us and asked if they could use our robotic dog in the sequence and we said, 'For sure.' We shared costs on the production so it's not product placement. We sent a guy down there to Australia for five weeks with five robo-dogs to manage them for the production. He had a blast and loved being part of the crew in that little opal mining town. It went fast. Within a few weeks we had a guy and dogs on a plane headed down to Australia. That's typical Hollywood." "Stars on Mars" premiered on Fox on June 5, 2023 and runs through August 21. The series airs each Monday at 8 p.m. ET/PT on Fox and next day on Hulu. Robotic 'Light Bender' on the moon could help Artemis astronauts keep the lights on a mirror on a tall stand reflects light towards solar panels on the moon A new undertaking from space technology company Maxar will use mirrors to autonomously track and reflect sunlight to supply energy to solar-powered equipment operating in the shadows of the moon's cliffs and craters. NASA has set the goal to land astronauts near the moon's south pole by 2025 as a part of the agency's Artemis program. The moon's south pole is rich in resources such as water ice, but also experiences long periods of little to no sunlight. These conditions make energy production difficult, leaving few options to recharge batteries and maintain life-support, especially when using solar power. A new Maxar project known as Light Bender aims to remedy that by using autonomous mirrors that will automatically reflect light towards essential equipment that Artemis astronauts might carry with them into permanently shadowed regions on the moon's surface. Related: NASA's Artemis program: Everything you need to know "Part of what we're doing is conceptually simple, reflecting sunlight to a solar panel located in the dark," said Maxar Chief Robotics Architect and lead for Light Bender Sean Dougherty in a Maxar statement. "Where it gets complex is doing that without humans involved. We're leveraging investments in autonomy to study how NASA can use robots to assemble and deploy a set of reflectors that keep sunlight focused on a solar panel operating in the shadows. It's never been done before." Light Bender works by hoisting two 33-foot (10-meter) reflectors up a 65-foot (20-meter) telescoping mast. One mirror autonomously tracks the sun and reflects that light to the second mirror, which then reflects those rays towards the intended solar panels. The Light Bender project is a collaboration between Maxar and NASA's Langley Research Center, and is scheduled for its first terrestrial demonstration in 2025. The company was awarded the contract in May 2023, under NASA's Announcement of Collaboration Opportunity Program. For their part, NASA's team is responsible for Light Bender's structural design, and Maxar is taking the lead on the robotics an aptitude for which the company has demonstrated in the past. Maxar was behind the robotic arm on NASA's Perseverance rover, and has extensive background with satellite manufacturing and on-orbit assembly technology development. RELATED STORIES: Wow! Maxar satellite captures up-close look at NASA's Landsat 8 spacecraft in orbit Europe hands Artemis 2 moon ship's service module over to NASA (photo) 1st map of moon water could help Artemis astronauts live at the lunar south pole Given the size of Light Bender's mirrors, Maxar also intends to assemble them once in space. Dougherty says autonomous robotics will have a crucial role in establishing the infrastructure needed for long-term lunar exploration. "We don't currently have construction crews on the moon or Mars, so robots will have to step in. By using these technologies to build infrastructure, robotics increase human safety and reduce the amount of people it takes to accomplish missions." Artemis 3 will be the program's first crewed mission to the lunar surface, and will target the moon's south pole. The mission is slated to reach the moon no sooner than 2025. Artemis 2, meanwhile, is scheduled to send a crew of four around the moon and back in November 2024. New Rochelle police shoot man, say he was going for officer's gun Correction: This article has been updated to reflect Garris' current age. New Rochelle police shot a man Monday afternoon on Lincoln Avenue. At around 4:30 p.m., officers received a call for a possible theft at a local store, police said in a press release distributed late Monday night. The New Rochelle Police Department also released bodycam footage from three officers showing their response at the scene. The person shot has been identified as New Rochelle native Jarrell Garris, 37, said his father, Raymond Fowler, 58, who lives in Raleigh, North Carolina, relaying information from family in New Rochelle. Garris is Black. Still from New Rochelle bodycam footage The responding officers saw the man, near the store, walking on Lincoln Avenue near North Avenue, police said. Video footage shows two officers approach him on the street, asking him about stolen food at a nearby store. He did not appear to respond. Garris then crosses the street, with the two officers following him. A third officer shown further down the street also approaches him. The video then shows Garris in a scuffle with the officers as they attempt to place him under arrest in the middle of the street. The male officer calls for a taser, the video shows, and a female officer is seen pulling out her taser. Still from New Rochelle bodycam footage Garris can then be seen reaching in the direction of one of the officers holstered firearms. The physical struggle causes Garris to topple over her, making it difficult to judge exactly what he may have been grabbing at. In its press release, the police department said that Garris was indeed grabbing at the officers gun in an attempt to remove it from the holster. One of the officers is heard shouting in the video, Hes got a gun. Hes got a gun. The video provided by the police department ends before the shot is fired. A file photo of the intersection of Lockwood and North avenues, which are part of New Rochelle's Lincoln Avenue corridor. Garris has schizophrenia, father says For less than a year, Garris has lived in Greensboro, North Carolina, with a sister, after moving from New Rochelle, his father said. He had gone to New York to pick up his 12-year-old son, who lives in Brooklyn. They were set to leave New York that evening for North Carolina. Garris is being treated at Westchester Medical Center, where a sister is with him, Fowler said. Garris is on a respirator, he said. Garris has schizophrenia, his father said, and had been contacted by New Rochelle police for wellness checks when he was living in the city. My thing is they knew who he was, and then they know me as well, Fowler said. Theres no justification. She could have tased him. Kathy Gilwit, a city spokesperson, referred questions to the State Police. In its press release, the city Police Department said State Police and New York Attorney General Letitia James' office were investigating the case. However, on Tuesday afternoon, the AG's office said it doesn't get involved in police shooting investigations until someone has died. Westchester County District Attorney Mimi Rocah's office said it is investigating the shooting at this time with State Police. Neither Gilwit nor city police were available for comment as of Tuesday afternoon. A spokesperson for the State Police was also not available. The shooting occurred on Lincoln Avenue near St. Catherines A.M.E. Zion Church, which had police tape on the street into Monday evening. City Hall and the police department are located just around the corner. Fowler, a New Rochelle native, grew up in the Hartley Homes, now called the Heritage Homes, around the corner from the church. His son grew up about seven minutes walking from the scene of the shooting. Kwamain Dixon, a community advocate and recent City Council candidate, said the footage needed to be released immediately to provide transparency. Its better for the community to see for themselves as opposed to coming to their own conclusions, he said. Dixon pointed to the June 2020 shooting of Kamal Flowers, a 24-year-old Black man killed by New Rochelle police on Pierce Street, about a mile from where police shot Garris on Monday. The area where police shot Garris was in the Lincoln Avenue corridor, a historic African American community in New Rochelle. It kind of raises the old wounds while everybody is embracing the new ones, he said. A New Rochelle police officer fatally shot Flowers after Flowers ran from police during a traffic stop. Police said Flowers pointed a gun at the officer before he was shot. James did not investigate the shooting, her office said then, because it did not fall under her jurisdiction. The state AG can investigate cases in which an unarmed civilian is killed by police. Later that year, a grand jury voted not to indict Officer Alec McKenna. This article originally appeared on New York State Team: New Rochelle police shoot man, 38, on Lincoln Avenue, release videos Three countries oppose sanctions against Rosatom Rosatom, the Russian national nuclear operator, has permanently ceased operations in Czechia, according to a report by Radio Prague International on July 3. This decision comes more than a year after the start of the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine. The Czech branch of Rosatom has been officially removed from the commercial register and its employees have been dismissed. Additionally, the communication agency that had collaborated with Rosatom has also ceased operations, leaving behind its accumulated debts. Read also: Kremlin pulls economic strings to influence Viktor Orbans regime in Hungary Rosatom had previously applied to participate in a tender for the construction of a new power unit at the Dukovany Nuclear Power Plant. However, the Czech government excluded the Russian conglomerate from the tender after it was revealed that the GRU, Russian military intelligence, was involved in the explosion at an ammunition depot in Vrbetice in October, 2014. Until recently, Rosatoms Hungarian subsidiary had operated a factory in the Czech Republic, serving as the companys central hub in Central Europe. However, Rosatom itself has not been operational in Czechia for several months. Read also: Top military leadership visits Rivne NPP to discuss Zaporizhzhya NPP crisis Were bringing the voice of Ukraine to the world. Support us with a one-time donation, or become a Patron! Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine Taylor Clarke is struggling in key role for Kansas City Royals. He hopes to figure out why Kansas City Royals reliever Taylor Clarke attempted to find the right words to describe his recent struggles. He couldnt pinpoint what had gone wrong. Earlier this season, Clarke had a 16-inning scoreless streak. Now, he is stuck in a tailspin and searching for a way out. I dont really know. It was kind of just going so good for a while, then the wheels just completely fell off, Clarke said. It wasnt even gradual. I dont know. I wish I had more of an answer for you. Clarke has allowed 15 earned runs in his last seven appearances. On Monday, he surrendered five runs against the Minnesota Twins. Clarke entered in the eighth inning and surrendered a pinch-hit home run to Twins infielder Edouard Julien. Later, Clarke allowed four consecutive singles as the Twins cruised to a 8-4 victory at Target Field. He generated 11 swings and just two whiffs in 18 pitches. The Twins attacked his four-seam fastball with hard contact. Julien drilled a 95.5 mph fastball into the right-field seats. Meanwhile, Twins duo Christian Vazquez and Carlos Correa did damage against Clarkes sweeper. I think the fastball is not riding as much as it usually is, Clarke said. I was trying to work on that today in the bullpen pregame. It just hasnt been there. Its something Ive just got to reevaluate and test. The Royals are operating with a seven-man bullpen after trading Aroldis Chapman to the Texas Rangers. Clarke has assumed a bulk of the high-leverage situations since the trade. Clarke understands the key role for the club. He plans to evaluate his delivery and mechanics. This includes adjusting his pitch movement and sequence. Clarke will also look at ways to rebound both physically and mentally. I am just trying to go back and look at what we were doing before, Clarke said. I think the toughest part is just that everything is the same. Royals manager Matt Quatraro still has faith in Clarke. He said the team will stick by him as he works through his struggles. We have confidence in him, Quatraro said. We are going to keep putting him out there in leverage or any situation that we feel good about. He is in a little bit of a rough patch right now, but weve seen what he can do on the positive side. We are going to keep working with him. Clarke appreciates the vote of confidence. He said his goal is to find the source of the problem in the upcoming days. Its nice of him to say that and stand by me through the tough stretch, Clarke said. Its tough costing the team wins here. Just relying on me, especially with no Chappy (Aroldis Chapman) there. The Royals are 25-60 after Mondays loss. KC continues to evaluate the roster and Clarke knows his veteran status is needed. Someone has to step up and I havent been able to do that the last two weeks, Clarke said. Thats been the part that hurts the most. Russia has 'lost nearly half' of its combat effectiveness since invading Ukraine, UK defense official says A Ukrainian soldier standing on an abandoned Russian tank on the outskirts of Izyum, Ukraine, on September 11, 2022. JUAN BARRETO/AFP via Getty Images Russia has "lost nearly half" its combat power since invading Ukraine, a UK defense official says. Admiral Sir Tony Radakin said Russia was now "so weak" that it couldn't wage a counteroffensive. A classified US assessment said Russian forces might have suffered more than 200,000 casualties. A top British defense official says Russia's combat abilities have been slashed in half since last year's full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Admiral Sir Tony Radakin, the formal head of the UK's armed forces who is the chief military advisor to Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, told a parliamentary hearing that Russia was now "so weak" that it could no longer wage a military counteroffensive of its own. "Russia has lost nearly half the combat effectiveness of its army," Radakin said, according to the Financial Times. "Last year, it fired 10 million artillery shells, but at best, can produce 1 million shells a year. It has lost 2,500 tanks and, at best, can produce 200 tanks a year." He then defended Ukraine's counteroffensive, which has been criticized for not making enough progress. Radakin said Kyiv's strategy to "starve, stretch, and strike" was gradually eroding Russia's defenses. However, he did acknowledge that Russian mines, Ukraine's insufficient air defenses, and the lack of equipment Ukraine requested had weighed on operations. "The question is, how do you take a front line that is more than a thousand kilometers long and turn it into more of a problem for Russia than for Ukraine?" he said. "That is why you are seeing multiple axes being probed and feints by Ukraine." Radakin's statement about Russia's combat losses in Ukraine was roughly in line with previous reporting. In February, the open-source intelligence group Oryx said at least 1,000 Russian tanks had been destroyed in Ukraine and another 500 captured. A classified US military assessment, leaked earlier this year, suggested that as many as 43,000 Russian soldiers had been killed and another 180,000 wounded since February last year. When Russia invaded last year, PBS reported that it had more than 400,000 contract soldiers. Experts said the losses had taken a huge toll, particularly on Russia's elite infantry and armored fighting brigades. "They've been decimated," Jeffrey Edmonds, a Russia expert at the Center for Naval Analyses who is a former CIA military analyst, told Insider's Jake Epstein earlier this year, describing it as a "blow to Russian's ground force's combat power." Read the original article on Business Insider War in Ukraine (Clea PECULIER) Moscow said Ukrainian drone attacks on Russian territory would "not be possible" without US and NATO help, escalating its rhetoric after reporting it had downed five drones near the capital on Tuesday. Ukraine meanwhile accused Russia of planning "dangerous provocations" at the Moscow-controlled Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, while Russia in turn claimed Kyiv was planning to attack the facility, Europe's largest. Moscow said the West had enabled Ukraine to carry out the drone attacks, after earlier condemning what it called a "terrorist act". "These attacks would not be possible without the help provided to the Kyiv regime by the US and its NATO allies," the Russian foreign ministry said, claiming the West was "training drone operators and providing the necessary intelligence to commit such crimes." It marks the latest in a series of recent drone attacks -- including on the Kremlin and Russian towns near the border with Ukraine -- that Moscow has blamed on Kyiv. The Russian military said it had downed all five drones and that there was no damage or casualties from the early-morning attacks. Emergency services cited by the state-run RIA Novosti news agency said one of the drones was "neutralised" at Kubinka, about 40 kilometres (25 miles) from Vnukovo international airport, where air traffic was briefly disrupted. In early May, two drones were shot down above the Kremlin, and later the same month drones hit Moscow high-rises. - Zaporizhzhia accusations - Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Tuesday warned his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron that Russia was planning "dangerous provocations" at the Moscow-occupied Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant. "We agreed to keep the situation under maximum control together with the IAEA" UN nuclear watchdog, he added after his phone call with the French leader. The Ukrainian health ministry urged residents to be ready for a "possible evacuation" if there is an explosion at the site. Russia and Ukraine have regularly accused each other of putting the plant's safety at risk since the start of the conflict. Kyiv claimed "objects similar to explosive devices were placed on the outer roof of the third and fourth reactors" at the site. In his evening address, Zelensky said the idea was "perhaps to simulate the hit on the plant." "Maybe they have some other scenario. But in any case, the world sees it," the Ukrainian leader said. "Radiation is a threat to everyone in the world." In Moscow, an advisor to Russia's Rosatom nuclear agency, Renat Karchaa, told state television: "On July 5, literally at night, in the dark, the Ukrainian army will try to attack the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant". He claimed Ukraine planned to use "high-precision, long-range weapons" as well as drones. - Burning, overturned cars - Ukraine said 43 people, including 12 children, were injured in a Russian strike on the town of Pervomaisky in the eastern Kharkiv region on Tuesday. The strike hit a parking lot outside a residential building in the town of around 28,000 people. The head of Kyiv's presidential office Andriy Yermak distributed images of burned and destroyed cars. The governor of the Kharkiv region, Oleg Synegubov, posted a video from the scene, showing smoke rising from burnt cars near a Soviet-era housing block. Authorities also announced that Russian shelling on a residential area in the southern frontline city of Kherson had killed two people. Early Tuesday Ukraine said Russia had launched 22 Iranian "Shahed" attack drones and three missiles at the Sumy, Donetsk and Zaporizhzhia regions. Its forces had "destroyed" 16 of the drones, it said. - Journalist attacked - In Chechnya, an award-winning Russian investigative journalist was beaten by armed assailants and taken to hospital, her newspaper and a rights group said. The attack happened early on Tuesday as well-known journalist Elena Milashina and Alexander Nemov, a lawyer, were travelling from the airport. Her newspaper, Novaya Gazeta, published a video of Milashina in hospital with her head shaven and covered in a green-coloured dye -- used to target Kremlin critics -- and her hands bandaged. She said the attack, which included having a gun held to her head, was linked to her "professional activity in Chechnya." Milashina has for years covered rights abuses in the Caucasus republic ruled by former warlord Ramzan Kadyrov. In Kyiv, around 200 people attended a ceremony on Tuesday in St Michael's cathedral for the Ukrainian writer Victoria Amelina, who died of her wounds in a Russian strike on a restaurant in eastern Ukraine. bur/lcm/fb Russia says Ukraine attacked Moscow with at least five drones By Guy Faulconbridge and Lidia Kelly MOSCOW (Reuters) -Russia said on Tuesday that Ukraine had attacked Moscow with at least five drones that were all either shot down or jammed, though one of the capital's main airports had to reroute flights for several hours. Four Ukrainian drones were shot down by Moscow air defences while a fifth was jammed and crashed into the Odintsovo district of the Moscow region, the Russian defence ministry said. No one was injured. Russian news agencies reported that two drones were intercepted near a village 30 km (19 miles) southwest of the Kremlin. One drone was detected in the neighbouring Kaluga region. Landings and takeoffs at Moscow's Vnukovo were restricted for several hours early on Tuesday before normal operations resumed after 0500 GMT. A number of flights from Russia, Turkey, the United Arab Emirates and Egypt were diverted. One drone was shot down in the area of the town of Kubinka, some 63 km (40 miles) west of Moscow, RIA reported. A Russian air base is near Kubinka. Russia's foreign and defence ministries denounced the attack as terrorism. "The Kyiv regime's attempt to attack an area where civilian infrastructure is located, including the airport, which incidentally also receives foreign flights, is yet another act of terrorism," said foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova. "The international community should realise that the United States, Britain, France - permanent members of the UN Security Council - are financing a terrorist regime," she said. There was no immediate comment from Kyiv. Ukraine almost never publicly claims responsibility for attacks inside Russia or on Russian-controlled territory in Ukraine. High-profile drone attacks deep inside Russia, the world's largest country, have increased over recent months with attacks on the Kremlin in May and on Russian oil infrastructure last month. After May's drone attack on the capital, President Vladimir Putin said Ukraine was trying to scare and provoke Russia, adding that the capital's air defences would be strengthened. "At this moment, the attacks have been repelled by air defence forces," Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said on his Telegram messaging channel. "All detected drones have been eliminated." (Reporting by Lidia Kelly in Melbourne and Guy Faulconbridge in Moscow; editing by Robert Birsel) No group in history has posed as many dangers as soldiers who feel abandoned by their leaders. Whether they are conscripts, volunteers or mercenaries, officers or rank-and-file, the men who fought for a cause that later became reviled as failed or wrong are neglected at great peril. History is littered with examples of rogue militias, mutinous guard regiments and brigades-turned-brigands, who have escaped their leash and gone on to wreak havoc and commit worse crimes than their creators ever imagined. A product of Russias mafioso imperium, neither fully of the state nor a market mercenary, the Wagner Group threatens to become our latest example. But in the contest between Vladimir Putin and Yevgeny Prigozhin, there is are clear winners aggrieved frontline soldiers who demanded better conditions, and their non-commissioned officers (NCOs) who nurse a cult of militarist ultra-nationalism mixed with toxic masculinity. The two men were competing for the allegiances of these soldiers. Indeed, commentaries on the Wagner Group mutiny against the Russian high command have focused on what it tells us about Putins political frailty and the balance of forces in Ukraine. Few have fastened onto the point that Prigozhin channelled the anger of neglected soldiers, and Putin neutralised him by appeasing their grievances. As it turned out, Prigozhins appeal didnt ignite a wider mutiny and Putins counter-offer was better on the day, but the bidding isnt over. Russias soldiers in the regular army and in the half-dozen private military companies have tasted power and will be asking for more. Whether they will settle for a material payoff, or whether their demands will be overtly political, remains to be seen. Probably it will be both. Like forgotten soldiers throughout history, Wagners grievances are easy to understand. Shared experience of combat generates heightened emotions and deep bonds of solidarity. Low wages paid late, poor rations, worse sanitation and medical care, are the topic of resentful gossip during the interminable hours of boredom, alongside stories of generals who care only for their own comforts. When the war is over, their skills are no longer in demand. All of this breeds feelings of collective victimhood. Bitter veterans often despise civilian political leaders; they are commonly misogynistic and conspiracy-minded. Theirs is an infectious sentiment that can be eagerly adopted by other men who missed out on the war and crave to join the club. Dodging shells on Ukraine's eastern front By David Patrikarakos A ruler bidding for the loyalty of disaffected soldiers is a combustible mix. The would-be tsar in the Kremlin might want to reflect on what happened during the auction of the Roman empire in AD 193. That year, the Pretorian Guard mounted a coup and declared that whoever paid them most would become Caesar. Didius Julianus, a man whose wealth and vanity exceeded his political acumen, outbid his rival and won the post and was assassinated a few months later. Americas more recent imperial experiments have created their own host of monstrous military offspring. Perhaps most infamously, al-Qaeda started life as a welfare and employment scheme for the Arab Afghans the international brigades of volunteers from the Arab world who joined the jihad against the Soviet Union in the Eighties with CIA backing. They had nowhere to go when the conflict ended. But the Arab Afghans are an unusual case in that these forgotten fighters had actually won their war and had every expectation that they would be welcomed home as heroes. But Saudi Arabia, Egypt and other Arab countries didnt want them and Osama bin Laden offered them a home. He gave them jobs on construction projects and farming schemes in Sudan, while those with disabling war injuries got pensions. After Saudi Arabia rebuffed bin Ladens proposal to remobilise the Arab Afghans as an alternative to the US Army to expel Saddam Hussein from Kuwait, he launched his second jihad. Later American interventions also saw abandoned soldiers remobilised. Husseins Iraqi army was recklessly dissolved by the US provisional administration after taking control of Baghdad in 2003. Many of them joined al-Qaeda and later the Islamic State. The overthrow of Muammar Gaddafi in Libya let loose his Saharan brigades to destabilise Mali. And an even more contemporary case can be found among the US-trained Afghan special forces, abandoned two years ago, and now being recruited by Russia. Isolated, unemployed and under threat in Taliban-ruled Afghanistan, turned away by an impenetrable US immigration system, some of these soldiers have accepted good pay to use their skills in Ukraine. Putin declares war on Prigozhin By David Patrikarakos The frontiers of empire are always cruel. And when those empires retract their reach, the men they employed on their front lines officers from the metropolis or local irregulars may opt for freelancing. Theres no doubt that regular Russian officers sympathised with Prigozhins tirades against the field marshals, and should that high command crumble, both regular units and mercenaries may go rogue. The end of Europes empires left many colonial officers adrift. Often candidly racist, they had won many battles and refused to accept that they had lost the wars. Frances mutinous colonels in Algeria were placated by Charles de Gaulles words, I have heard you, spoken with the credibility of a war hero, but the rancour of abandonment was diluted, not purged. Why Africa welcomed the Wagner Group By Justin Ling And some veterans of Britains counterinsurgencies in Malaya and Kenya gravitated to Rhodesia and South Africa where they contributed to the last stand of racist rule in Africa. In turn, as South Africas post-apartheid army shed its dirty war specialists, some of them turned to commercial mercenarism. The flagship was Executive Outcomes, which provided combat services in Sierra Leone where it was paid in diamonds. It is a template for a host of private military companies which now operate across the Middle East and Africa including Wagner. Perhaps the most chilling parallel comes from Sudan. The paramilitary Rapid Support Forces currently ravaging the nations capital and committing genocidal massacres in Darfur are a hybrid of state militia and mercenary enterprise. Their leader, General Mohamed Dagolo Hemedti is, like Prigozhin, a plain-speaking populist commander and a wealthy mafioso businessman. And the two men became business partners not least because Hemedti has been selling smuggled gold to Moscow. The RSFs origins lie in the notorious Janjaweed militia used by Sudanese president Omar al-Bashir to suppress rebellion in Darfur 20 years ago. The Janjaweed were drawn from nomadic Arab tribes, some of the most deprived communities of the region. They stalled rebel advances by burning, pillaging, raping and killing their way through hundreds of villages suspected of rebel sympathies. The militia was vilified internationally and disowned by al-Bashir. And, cast adrift, the Janjaweed began to mutiny, using the label the forgotten soldiers. They were eventually brought back into al-Bashirs fold with amnesty and financial inducements, and under Hemedtis capable and merciless leadership they were formalised as a paramilitary, reporting directly to al-Bashir. How Wagner plundered Sudan's gold By Martin Plaut They fought as mercenaries in Yemen, gaining battlefield experience while their commander established personal links with Gulf rulers and became a gold trader. It was at this time that al-Bashir brought the RSF to Khartoum as a personal protection force, refusing to heed the advice of his army generals to dissolve the group or at least to relocate it away from the capital. It was a big mistake. Four years ago, Hemedti conspired with senior generals to depose al-Bashir. By this point, the RSF had become as powerful as the army itself; what they lacked in aircraft and tanks, they made up for in tactical acuity and battlefield experience. This rogue private army tried to seize power in a kleptocratic-gangster state. The putsch failed, but the regular army corrupt and inept cant prevail either. The Sudanese state is being destroyed in the generals fight to the death. This is the scenario most feared by Russians. How, though, do you resolve the problem of abandoned but ambitious soldiers? Theres some experience from the deals that ended civil wars in countries from Myanmar and Colombia to Congo and South Sudan. The military men who negotiate these are attentive to the demands of their armed followers. The text of a peace agreement typically includes material recompense for their foot soldiers whats known as a payroll peace. This is sold to international mediators as a temporary expedient, though it rarely turns out that way. Officers are licensed to stick their fingers into the national honeypot. Armed groups are supposed to transition to civilian political parties, but their leaders normally keep both the armed and civil options open while adding crony capitalist businesses to their portfolios. The political price for pandering to populist militarism is harder to quantify. Myths of honourable causes abandoned, of national entitlements betrayed, endure for generations. Once these beliefs are planted, they dont get forgotten. Whatever the DNA of the original seed of discontent, the laws of militarist mutation decree that the plant that grows will be toxic. Putin had hoped for a short, victorious war in Ukraine. He didnt get it. Putin hoped to be the master of the imperial militarist narrative. The jibes of Prigozhin and other hardliners, and the steps Putin took to placate the mutineers, suggest that imperial militarism is now his master. Its hard to see him repeating de Gaulles performance in Algiers: the howls of betrayal will be too loud. The logic of power in a mafia state is that the ruler pays the going market rate to specialists in violence. In Russia, that price financial and political has just gone up. Russias military politics have taken a toxic turn. Thats good news for Russias mercenaries and ultra-nationalists. Its bad news for everyone else. The raccoon stolen from the city of Kherson is being used by the Russian military in propaganda videos, which promote the war in Ukraine. Source: Oleksandr Todorchuk, founder of the UAnimals movement, in an interview for Ukrainska Pravda Quote: "It was transported to Russia-occupied Crimea, and after that some Russian military brigade has been dragging it along with them and shooting videos with it at their combat positions, in a vehicle etc. So they have basically turned a wild animal into a propaganda instrument: they were giving him some "titles" and "offices" in their military unit, making some statements like "a raccoon has supported the Russian army in this war"This is something absolutely vile and terrible." Background: In November 2022, the Russian military, retreating from the city of Kherson, stole a raccoon and a number of other animals from a local mini-zoo. Later, Oleh Zubkov, Crimean businessman and head of the Taigan park of lions and the Kazka zoo, stated that the animals are "held temporarily" and will be given back as soon as "the Kherson authorities give us a signal they are ready to have them back." Journalists fight on their own frontline. Support Ukrainska Pravda or become our patron! Russia wants to send more Kadyrovites and prisoners to Ukraine to patch up holes at the front Bloomberg European intelligence officials believe that Russia is preparing to send more Chechen militants and convicts to Ukraine to fill in the holes left by Wagner Group mercenaries who left the battlefield. Source: Bloomberg Details: Unnamed officials say that due to the fact that Ukraine is reportedly on the offensive on the Bakhmut front, Russian defence lines risk being "overstretched". In particular, Russia transferred a large number of troops to Bakhmut after Wagner Group announced its withdrawal from the city at the end of May, which led to a shortage of forces in the occupied territories of the southern part of Ukraine. Unnamed European officials say that while the departure of Wagnerites is not expected to change the course of the war, Vladimir Putin's determination to avoid full military mobilisation means Russia is likely to send more Chechens and prisoners to the front line in the coming weeks. It is unclear how many additional troops the Republic of Chechnya can provide. Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov, who professes loyalty to Putin, in May stated on Telegram that 7,000 military personnel were already in Ukraine, and another 2,400 were being trained for two new regiments of the Ministry of Defence. Chechen militants haven't yet been noticeably effective during the war. Some critics have dubbed them "TikTok battalions" for being more active on social media than in combat. The Kremlin may see them "as an untapped assault force that could restore Russia's ability to support simultaneous offensive efforts," analysts at the Institute for the Study of War stated in a 31 May report. However, their participation mainly in rear operations last year "may indicate that Kadyrov is in no hurry to involve his troops in offensive operations," the Washington Research Center believes. Journalists fight on their own frontline. Support Ukrainska Pravda or become our patron! The traitor turned out to be a resident of Mykolaiv Ukraines SBU security service has detained a Russian agent who was preparing a missile attack on an SBU building and defense factories in Mykolaiv, the service's press-office said on July 4. The suspect provided Russian agents with the exact coordinates of the buildings and suggested they be hit with Kinzhal missiles. Read also: Ukraines SBU nabs three Kharkiv-based Russian agents collecting data for guiding missile strikes The SBU said he collected intelligence on the location and movement of the Ukrainian military units along the southern frontline. He also passed on the geolocation of civilian infrastructure to the aggressor state. His motivation was reportedly financial. The man lives in Mykolaiv and was remotely recruited by the Russian Federal Security Service (FSB) at the outbreak of the full-scale Russian invasion. Read also: Ukrainian pilot passed sensitive data to Russia says SBU He has been charged with high treason and violating the laws of war. If convicted, he faces life imprisonment. Were bringing the voice of Ukraine to the world. Support us with a one-time donation, or become a Patron! Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine The Russian occupiers opened fire on Kherson on the morning of 4 July, killing two people. Source: Prosecutor General's Office Quote: "Russian Armed Forces bombarded the city of Kherson at around 06:00 on 4 July 2023. Two people, a man and a woman, received non-life-threatening injuries. Information about the casualties is being confirmed." Details: Residential buildings were damaged. Law enforcement officers have launched a pre-trial investigation into the violation of the laws and customs of war, combined with premeditated murder (Part 2 of Article 438 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine). In addition, Pavlo Kyrylenko, Head of Donetsk Oblast Military Administration, reported that one person was killed in Predtechyne in Donetsk Oblast as a result of Russian attacks during the past day. Two more people were wounded. Kyrylenko reiterated that the exact number of casualties in Mariupol and Volnovakha cannot yet be established. Journalists fight on their own frontline. Support Ukrainska Pravda or become our patron! (Bloomberg) -- A Russian general whos been questioned over the failed mutiny by Wagner mercenaries was conspicuously absent at a meeting of top army chiefs where Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu denounced the rebellion. Most Read from Bloomberg Sergei Surovikin, 56, a career military officer dubbed General Armageddon for his ruthless tactics in Syria, hasnt been seen since the short-lived rebellion ended on June 24. He was quizzed over his links to Wagner leader Yevgeny Prigozhin over several days last week at an undisclosed location, according to a person with knowledge of the matter. The attempt to destabilize the situation in Russia failed because the armed forces remained true to their oath Shoigu told officers at the Defense Ministry meeting broadcast Monday on state TV, in his first public comments on the uprising. The provocation didnt affect Russias military operations in Ukraine, he said. The insurrection by the one-time ally of President Vladimir Putin spiraled into the biggest threat to the Russian leaders 24-year rule and has left unanswered questions about the extent to which elements in the military may have known in advance about Prigozhins plans. Wagner forces came within 200 kilometers (124 miles) of Moscow facing little opposition before halting their advance after Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko brokered a deal to end the crisis. Under that agreement, Putin pledged to allow Prigozhin to move to Belarus as well as any Wagner fighters who wanted to join him. Criminal investigations into Wagner on accusations of armed uprising were also closed. Putin Claims Hes Back in Control. Russias Elite Isnt Sure A June 26-30 survey of 1,599 people conducted by the Russian Field polling agency showed the proportion of Russians holding a favorable opinion of Prigozhins role in the war in Ukraine plunged to 29% from 55% in a similar poll just before the rebellion. The number viewing him negatively rose to 39% from 14% in the June 16-19 poll. While Lukashenko said last week that Prigozhin had arrived in Belarus, the Wagner founder hasnt been seen since late on June 24 and his social media channels have all gone silent. A Telegram channel linked to Wagner posted a brief audio recording on Monday that it said was from Prigozhin, saying the rebellion had aimed to mobilize Russian society against traitors and appealing to listeners for support. It couldnt be independently authenticated. Shoigu made no mention of the number of Wagner fighters whod agreed to sign contracts with the Defense Ministry by a July 1 deadline that was a spark for the mutiny. Prigozhin had accused Shoigu of attempting to destroy Wagner, whose troops have played a key role in Russias war in Ukraine, particularly in fighting over the eastern city of Bakhmut. There are other signs that Prigozhins legacy in Russia is being dismantled. His Russian media operations are being wound up and websites belonging to his Patriot group have been blocked by regulators, the Izvestia newspaper reported Friday. Wagners Mutiny Creates New Questions About Its Business Empire Ukraines military is continuing to press its counteroffensive aimed at retaking parts of southern and eastern Ukraine occupied by Russian forces. Putin announced Russia was annexing four regions of Ukraine in September even as his troops dont fully control the territories. The president held a televised meeting Monday with the head of Russias central election committee, Ella Pamfilova, who told him plans were in place to hold regional elections in occupied regions of Ukraine in September, though the votes could be postponed if the situation deteriorated. (Updates with reported audio message in eighth paragraph) Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek 2023 Bloomberg L.P. A Russian governor has asked residents of Shebekino in Russia, who fled the city when the Russian Volunteer Corps and the Freedom of Russia Legion entered Russias Belgorod Oblast at the end of May, to return home. Source: Vyacheslav Gladkov, Governor of Russia's Belgorod Oblast, on Telegram Quote: "Starting today, we are inviting the residents of Shebekino, those who are placed in temporary accommodation, to return to their homes within the next two weeks. Of course, this applies only to those whose apartments and houses have not been destroyed or damaged". Details: He also said that children from the border settlements will be sent to a camp in Yevpatoria [temporarily occupied Crimea ed.] because Russia is not able to provide them with education from 1 September, "based on the operational situation". Background: The governor of Belgorod Oblast has repeatedly announced attacks on Russian villages and cities bordering Ukraine. On 22 May, the Russian Volunteer Corps and Freedom of Russia Legion announced that they had crossed the border and were "liberating" the settlements of Belgorod Oblast from the current Russian authorities: they started with the villages of Kozinka and Gora-Podol, but they are seeking the "liberation" of all of Russia. Vyacheslav Gladkov, the governor of Belgorod Oblast, claimed that a "reconnaissance and sabotage group from the Armed Forces of Ukraine" had entered the Grayvoron district. The Russian presidents press secretary, Dmitry Peskov, said that Vladimir Putin had been informed of the breach of the Russian border in Belgorod Oblast. Peskov said that work is underway to stamp out "Ukrainian saboteurs" from Russian territory and destroy them. Andrii Yusov, Ukraine's Defence Intelligence spokesman, has described the events taking place in Russia's Belgorod Oblast on 22 May as the creation of a "security zone" to protect Ukrainian citizens. Yusov stressed that the operation was conducted exclusively by Russian citizens. Mykhailo Podoliak, advisor to the head of the Presidents Office of Ukraine, stressed that Ukraine is not directly related to the events that transpired in Russia's Belgorod Oblast on 22 May. Vyacheslav Gladkov reported that the majority of residents of the Grayvoron district had left their settlements. Journalists fight on their own frontline. Support Ukrainska Pravda or become our patron! Smoke rises over Shebekino The governor of Russias Belgorod Oblast, Vyacheslav Gladkov, has urged residents of the village of Shebekino to return home, following raids on the village by the pro-Ukrainian Russian Volunteer Corps (RVS) and the Freedom of Russia Legion separatist groups, according to post on Telegram on July 4. Starting today, we will offer residents of Shebekino, currently in temporary accommodation, the opportunity to return to their homes within the next two weeks, Gladkov said. Read also: Belgorod authorities report shelling of town of Valuyki However, this offer only applies to those whose apartments and houses remain undamaged, he said. During the raid on Shebekino, the RVC and the Legion claimed to have penetrated 42 kilometers into Russia, seizing control of several settlements in Belgorod Oblast for 24 hours. According to their reports, they suffered two fatalities and ten injuries. They also eliminated several dozen Russian security force personnel and approximately ten armored vehicles, in addition to seizing equipment as trophies. Read also: Were bringing the voice of Ukraine to the world. Support us with a one-time donation, or become a Patron! Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine Russian pro-war bloggers have expressed concern that Ukrainian forces may be able to cross the Dnipro River in Kherson Oblast, according to the daily report from the Institute for the Study of War. Source: ISW Quote: "Russian milbloggers have seized on recent Ukrainian activity on the east (left) bank of Kherson Oblast to call for an increased presence of small river vessels and equipment in the Dnipro River to prevent further Ukrainian advances. Russian milbloggers appealed on 2 July to the heads of the Dagestan and Tatarstan republics, Astrakhan Oblast, Krasnodar Krai, and Primorsky Krai to send boats confiscated from poachers to the Kherson Oblast frontline, specifying that 10 regiments and brigades of the Southern Military Districts Dnepr (the Russian word for Dnipro) Grouping of Forces sorely need the vessels. Dagestan Republic Head Sergey Melikov responded to the milblogger appeal on 3 July and ordered Dagestan to solve the issue of transferring confiscated poaching boats to Russian forces. One Russian milblogger called for the resurrection of the Dnepr flotilla, a special military river unit that was active in the 1735-1739 and 1787-1792 Russo-Turkish wars, the Russian Civil War, and World War II. The milblogger claimed that a resurrected Dnepr flotilla could significantly ameliorate the position of Russian troops in the Kherson direction and that this grouping could be reinforced with simple, civilian-use boats. The overall anxious milblogger response to recent Ukrainian activity across the Dnipro River suggests that many Russian milbloggers fear Ukraines ability to cross the river and believe that the current command of the Dnepr grouping has not sufficiently prepared its troops for that potentiality." Details: It is noted that the ISW previously reported on 2 July that Russian milbloggers had accused the Russian Defence Ministry of failing to provide Russian troops on the east coast with the necessary boats and other equipment and has now redirected their requests for additional logistical support to Russian regional leaders. Earlier: On 1 July, UK Defence Intelligence said that the Ukrainian military had crossed the Dnipro River near the Antonivka Bridge near Kherson and were trying to gain a foothold on the left bank. Journalists fight on their own frontline. Support Ukrainska Pravda or become our patron! Russia says it foiled Ukrainian drone attack on Moscow as Kyiv's counteroffensive grinds on Russian air defenses on Tuesday foiled a Ukrainian drone attack on Moscow that prompted authorities to briefly close one of the citys international airports, officials said, as a Western analysis said that Russia has managed to slow Kyiv's recently launched counteroffensive. The drone attack, which follows previous similar raids on the Russian capital, was the first known assault on the city since an abortive mutiny launched 11 days ago by mercenary chief Yevgeny Prigozhin. His Wagner troops marched on Moscow in the biggest though short-lived challenge to Russian President Vladimir Putin in more than two decades of his rule. Authorities in Ukraine, which generally avoids commenting on attacks on Russian soil, didn't say whether it launched the drone raid. The Russian Defense Ministry said that four of the five drones were downed by air defenses on the outskirts of Moscow and the fifth was jammed by electronic warfare means and forced down. There were no casualties or damage, Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said. As with previous drone attacks on Moscow, it was impossible to verify the Russian militarys announcement that it downed all of them. The drone attack prompted authorities to temporarily restrict flights at Moscows Vnukovo airport and divert flights to two other Moscow main airports. Vnukovo is about 15 kilometers (nine miles) southwest of Moscow. In May, two daring drone attacks jolted the Russian capital, in what appeared to be Kyivs deepest strikes into Russia. Tuesday's raid came as Ukrainian forces have continued probing Russian defenses in the south and the east of their country in the initial stages of a counteroffensive. Oleksiy Danilov, the secretary of Ukraines Security and Defense Council, said that the military was currently focusing on destroying Russian equipment and personnel, and that the past few days of fighting have been particularly fruitful. He provided no evidence and it wasn't possible to independently verify it. The Ukrainians are up against minefields, anti-tank ditches and other obstacles, as well as layered defensive lines reportedly up to 20 kilometers (12 miles) deep in some places as they attempt to dislodge Russian occupiers. The U.K. Defense Ministry said Tuesday the Kremlins forces have refined (their) tactics aimed at slowing Ukrainian armored counteroffensive operations in southern Ukraine. Moscow has placed emphasis on using anti-tank mines to slow the onslaught, the assessment said, leaving the attackers at the mercy of Russian drones, helicopters and artillery. Although Russia has achieved some success with this approach in the early stages of Ukraines counteroffensive, its forces continue to suffer from key weaknesses, especially overstretched units and a shortage of artillery munitions, the assessment said. Western analysts say the counteroffensive, even if it prospers, wont end the war, which started with Russia's full-scale invasion in February 2022. Russia, meanwhile, has continued its missile and drone barrage deep behind the front line. Russian shelling of Pervomaiskyi, a city in Ukraines northeastern Kharkiv region, wounded 43 civilians, Kharkiv Gov. Oleh Syniehubov said Tuesday. Among the wounded were 12 children, including two babies, according to officials. Oleksandr Lysenko, mayor of the city of Sumy in northeastern Ukraine, said that three people were killed and 21 others were wounded in a Russian drone strike on Monday that damaged two apartment buildings. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said the attack also damaged the regional headquarters of the Security Service of Ukraine, the country's main intelligence agency. He argued that the country needs more air defense systems to help fend off Russian raids. In all, Ukraines presidential office reported Tuesday, at least seven Ukrainian civilians were killed and 35 others injured in the fighting over the previous 24 hours. Putin referred to the recent mercenary rebellion that rattled the Kremlin during a video call Tuesday with leaders of the countries of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, or SCO, which is a security grouping dominated by Moscow and Beijing. Putin said that Russian political circles, the entire society have shown unity and responsibility for the fate of the motherland by putting up a united front against the attempted mutiny. He thanked the SCO members for what he described as their support during the uprising. Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu also said that a united front thwarted Prigozhins mutiny. He said Monday in his first public comment about the episode that it failed primarily because the armed forces personnel have remained loyal to their military oath and duty. He said that the uprising had no impact on the war in Ukraine. Dmitry Medvedev, head of Russias Security Council chaired by Russian President Vladimir Putin, said Tuesday that the mutiny had not changed the attitude of Russian citizens toward signing up as professional contract soldiers in Ukraine. In a video posted on Telegram, he said almost 10,000 new recruits had joined up in the last week, with 185,000 joining the Russian army as professional contract soldiers since the start of the year. In contrast, Prigozhin said that he had the publics backing for his march of justice toward Moscow. On Tuesday, the Parliamentary Assembly of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe adopted a resolution recognizing Russia as a state sponsor of terrorism and the Wagner private mercenary group as a terrorist organization. The declaration urges member states to take measures against the Wagner Group and any affiliated or successor structures. In addition, the document calls on members to recognize the responsibility of Russia as a state sponsor of this terrorist organization. Meanwhile, Russias Foreign Ministry said Tuesday it saw no grounds to extend a deal that has allowed Ukraine to ship grain through the Black Sea to parts of the world struggling with hunger. The statement came less than two weeks before the expiration of the agreement, which was extended for two months in May. Moscow has complained that a separate agreement with the United Nations to overcome obstacles to shipments of its fertilizers has not produced results. ___ Follow APs coverage of the war in Ukraine: https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine Supporters of the UOC-MP once again obstruct the work of the commission in the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra Members of the Russian Orthodox Church (ROC) prevented a building inspection commission from carrying out its work at the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra on July 4, according to Ukrainian national public broadcaster Suspilne. The inspectors intended to seal unused buildings at the Lower Lavra that were not dedicated to religious purposes, Suspilne writes. The goal was to subsequently transfer these properties to the state. Monks and parishioners of the ROC obstructed access to the Lower Lavra entrance while engaging in religious chants, causing commission representatives to call law enforcement and file a complaint about interference. Maxym Ostapenko, the acting director of the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra National Reserve, said that the commission received an official response from the monastery which had promised to grant access to the buildings. Read also: Papal envoy meets Russian ombudsperson wanted by ICC for abducting Ukrainian children He said that based on documents from the Ministry of Culture, the commission is legitimately exercising rights over objects that legally belong to the reserve. The Ministry of Culture previously announced that the commission would seal five buildings in the Lower Lavra. Since March 29, the ROC has been required to vacate all premises used within the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra, following the termination of the 2013 lease agreement for use of the Lower Lavra Church by the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra National Reserve. However, on March 30, ROC priests continued to conduct services at the Lavra. Read also: Russia creates fake story about removal of Christian relics from Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra Following an inspection, the State Audit Service of Ukraine discovered that illegal transfers of cultural heritage sites had taken place, and that there were 36 unauthorized buildings within the Lavra. Ukraines SBU security serve has brought charges against the former abbot of the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra, Pavlo, accusing him of inciting religious enmity as well as justifying and denying and justifying Russian armed aggression against Ukraine. He has been placed under house arrest. Were bringing the voice of Ukraine to the world. Support us with a one-time donation, or become a Patron! Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine The Russian invaders have turned two children's health centres into military hospitals in the occupied territories of Luhansk Oblast, where over 200 wounded servicemen are being treated. Source: General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine on Facebook, information as of 06:00 on 4 July Quote:"The Russian occupiers continue to violate the norms of international humanitarian law and use children's institutions in temporarily occupied settlements to provide medical assistance to their wounded servicemen. For example, Russian servicemen set up a military hospital on the territory of a children's health centre in the settlement of Makarove, Luhansk Oblast, housing over 100 wounded occupiers. Russian military equipment and checkpoints are scattered throughout the centres territory. Residential buildings where the local population lives are located very close. The situation is similar in the city of Lyman, Luhansk Oblast, where the Russian occupiers have turned the Yayinka children's health centre into a military hospital, where more than 100 wounded invaders are also being treated. Russian forces also use the camp to store military equipment." Background: A military hospital under construction in Bryansk, Russia, was on fire. Journalists fight on their own frontline. Support Ukrainska Pravda or become our patron! (Bloomberg) -- Russias seaborne crude oil flows to international markets rose sharply last week to hit a seven-week high and indicate that the previous weeks drop was maintenance-related. Most Read from Bloomberg Crude flows through Russian ports jumped by about 1.3 million barrels a day in the week to July 2, as flows through two key export terminals bounced back, following a well-established pattern that previously has been related to maintenance. Bigger shipments were seen from all regions, but the largest gains came from the Baltic and Pacific ports, which had been the hardest hit in the prior weeks slump. Russia plans to cut crude export flows in August by 500,000 barrels a day in an effort that it says is intended to help keep the global market balanced. Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak didnt give a baseline for the export reduction. A subsequent statement from Novaks office indicated that output would be scaled back by a similar amount. So far, there has been little evidence that an initial output cut that was due to come into effect in March retaliation for Western sanctions imposed after Russias invasion of Ukraine has had any material impact on crude flows out of the country. In the latest four-week period, seaborne exports were still running about 25,000 barrels a day above their average level in February, the baseline month for that reduction, despite the slump in the week to June 25. Crude flows to India, which has emerged as the biggest buyer of Russias seaborne flows, appear to be slipping as the country starts to reach the limits of its Russian purchases. Shipments exceeded 2 million barrels a day in May, but are set to average at least 50,000 barrels a day less than that in June. The gap could be even wider if some of the vessels currently heading to Asia, but yet to signal a final destination, end up in China. Crude Flows by Destination On a four-week average basis, overall seaborne exports in the period to July 2 edged up by 12,000 barrels a day to 3.4 million barrels a day. The impact of the previous weeks slump in shipments will be felt in four-week average flows until late July. Weekly data are affected by the scheduling of tankers and loading delays caused by bad weather. Port maintenance can also disrupt exports for several days at a time. All figures exclude cargoes identified as Kazakhstans KEBCO grade. Those are shipments made by KazTransoil JSC that transit Russia for export through the Baltic ports of Ust-Luga and Novorossiysk. The Kazakh barrels are blended with crude of Russian origin to create a uniform export grade. Since Russias invasion of Ukraine, Kazakhstan has rebranded its cargoes to distinguish them from those shipped by Russian companies. Transit crude is specifically exempted from European Union sanctions. Four-week average shipments to Russias Asian customers, plus those on vessels showing no final destination, edged higher to 3.12 million barrels a day in the period to July 2 from 3.08 million barrels a day in the four weeks to June 25. While the volumes heading to India appear to have declined from recent highs, history shows that most of the cargoes on ships without an initial destination eventually end up there or in China. But even if all the ships yet to show a final destination head to India, shipments to the nation would still be down by about 250,000 barrels a day from their peak in May. The equivalent of 354,000 barrels a day was on vessels showing destinations as either Port Said or Suez in Egypt, or which already have been or are expected to be transferred from one ship to another off the South Korean port of Yeosu. Those voyages typically end at ports in India or China and show up in the chart below as Unknown Asia until a final destination becomes apparent. The Other Unknown volumes, running at 221,000 barrels a day in the four weeks to June 18, are those on tankers showing no clear destination. Most of those cargoes originate from Russias western ports and go on to transit the Suez Canal, but some could end up in Turkey, while other cargoes are transferred from one vessel to another, either in the Mediterranean or, more recently, in the Atlantic Ocean. Russias seaborne crude exports to European countries were unchanged at 104,000 barrels a day in the 28 days to July 2, with Bulgaria the sole destination. These figures do not include shipments to Turkey. A market that consumed about 1.5 million barrels a day of short-haul seaborne crude, coming from export terminals in the Baltic, Black Sea and Arctic has been lost almost completely, to be replaced by long-haul destinations in Asia that are much more costly and time-consuming to serve. No Russian crude was shipped to northern European countries in the four weeks to July 2. Exports to Turkey, Russias only remaining Mediterranean customer, fell to an eight-week low of 177,000 barrels a day in the four weeks to July 2; flows to the country had topped 425,000 barrels a day in October. Flows to Bulgaria, now Russias only Black Sea market for crude, were unchanged, at 104,000 barrels a day for a third week. Flows by Export Location Aggregate flows of Russian crude rebounded to a seven-week high of 3.85 million barrels a day in the seven days to July 2, up from 2.55 million barrels a day the previous week. Shipments rose from all four export regions, with the biggest increases seen at Baltic and Pacific ports, where flows appeared to have been reduced by maintenance work the previous week. Shipments from Primorsk soared by 626,000 barrels a day, or 150%, from the previous week. The increase was partly offset by a drop in flows from Ust-Luga, where one cargo of Kazakh crude was loaded in addition to the Russian barrels. Flows from Kozmino, the largest export terminal in Russias Pacific region, were up week-on-week by 628,000 barrels a day to 1.05 million barrels a day, their highest since April. Figures exclude volumes from Ust-Luga and Novorossiysk identified as Kazakhstans KEBCO grade. Export Revenue Inflows to the Kremlin's war chest from its crude-export duty soared to $59 million in the seven days to July 2, a jump of $20 million or about 50%. Four-week average income rose by $1 million to $52.5 million. President Vladimir Putin ordered his government to fine-tune existing indicators and establish additional ones to calculate oil prices for tax purposes in order to reduce the discount to global crude prices. Russias government calculates oil taxes using a discount to Brent, which sets the floor price for the nations crude for budget purposes. If Russian oil trades above that threshold, the Finance Ministry uses the market price for tax calculations, as has been the case in recent months. From July the discount is currently set at $25/bbl, though this may now be narrowed. The duty rate for June was set at $2.21 a barrel, based on an average Urals price of $55.97, which was $23.90 a barrel below Brent during the period between April 15 and May 14. The rate for July has been cut to $2.13 a barrel, based on an average Urals price of $54.57, which was $20.89 a barrel below Brent during the period between May 15 and June 14. Origin-to-Location Flows The following charts show the number of ships leaving each export terminal and the destinations of crude cargoes from the four export regions. A total of 35 tankers loaded 26.9 million barrels of Russian crude in the week to July 2, vessel-tracking data and port agent reports show. Thats up by 9.1 million barrels from the previous weeks figure and the largest volume in seven weeks. Destinations are based on where vessels signal they are heading at the time of writing, and some will almost certainly change as voyages progress. All figures exclude cargoes identified as Kazakhstans KEBCO grade. The total volume on ships loading Russian crude from Baltic terminals rebounded from the previous weeks six-month low to average 1.46 million barrels a day in the week to July 2. Shipments of Russian crude from Novorossiysk in the Black Sea jumped to five-week high of 708,000 barrels a day. One cargo of Kazakhstani crude was also loaded at the port during the week. Arctic shipments recovered the previous weeks loss, rising back to 429,000 barrels a day, with three Suezmax tankers leaving the port in the week to July 2. Twelve tankers loaded at Russias three Pacific export terminals, up from seven the previous week. The volume of crude shipped from the region jumped to a nine-week high of 1.25 million barrels a day. The volumes heading to unknown destinations are mostly Sokol cargoes that recently have been transferred to other vessels at Yeosu, or are currently being shuttled to an area off the South Korean port from the loading terminal at De Kastri. Most of these are also ending up in India. Some Sokol cargoes are now being transferred a second time in the waters off southern Malaysia. A small number of ESPO shipments are also being moved from one vessel to another in the same area. All of these cargoes have, so far, gone on to India. One cargo of ESPO crude was discharged into the Harmony Star floating storage unit off Malaysia. No cargoes were loaded from the Sakhalin Island terminal in the week to July 2. NOTES Note: This story forms part of a regular weekly series tracking shipments of crude from Russian export terminals and the export duty revenues earned from them by the Russian government. Note: All figures exclude cargoes owned by Kazakhstans KazTransOil JSC, which transit Russia and are shipped from Novorossiysk and Ust-Luga as KEBCO grade crude. Note: Weeks have been revised to run from Monday to Sunday, rather than Saturday to Friday. This change has been implemented throughout the data series and previous weeks figures have been revised. Note: The next update will be published on Tuesday July 11, with future updates also to be published on Tuesdays. If you are reading this story on the Bloomberg terminal, click here for a link to a PDF file of four-week average flows from Russia to key destinations. --With assistance from Sherry Su. Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek 2023 Bloomberg L.P. Tire marks in the intersection of East Main Street and Rendon Ave. in south Stockton on July 3, 2023. A teenager found suffering fatal gunshot wounds on the Crosstown Freeway on Sunday was shot near a sideshow that overtook a Main Street intersection earlier that night, police said Monday. Stockton Police Department officers found the 19-year-old, who investigators have not publicly identified, at 2:35 a.m. on July 2 near South Wilson Way and the Crosstown Freeway, southeast of downtown Stockton, according to a department statement. The teenager and several other people were found inside a vehicle located in the eastbound lane of the Crosstown, near the Wilson Way exit, Stockton Police spokesman David Scott said. Detectives believe the 19-year-old was shot around 2:30 a.m. near the intersection of East Main Street and Rendon Avenue, located about a block south of Sousa Park in south Stockton. The intersection lies about a mile and a half from where the teenager was found. The teen died at a local hospital, according to the police statement. He was originally from Sacramento, police said. The 19-year-old's shooting appears connected to sideshow activity that was happening in the area, the police department said in a separate statement Monday evening. Skid marks remain after a sideshow stopped traffic on northbound I-5 between Hammer Lane and Eight Mile Road in Stockton. The stunt driving takeover took place just after 2 a.m. near Main Street and South Golden Gate Avenue, one block from Main and Rendon, the statement said. "It's safe to say that this was involved with sideshow activity," Scott said. Police did not release the motive for the shooting, leaving it unclear whether it was accidental or intentional. The sideshow may have traveled for multiple blocks along Main Street, fresh tire marks spiraling down Main suggest. Each intersection roughly between Golden Gate and Highway 4 was covered in tire marks Monday morning. Heavy tracks were evident on Main and Rendon, and on nearby Lafayette Street. It's not yet clear whether the teenager was directly participating in the sideshow. Detectives cannot confirm whether he was watching, driving or otherwise involved, Scott said. Sunday's death marks the third fatal shooting to occur at a Stockton sideshow this year, according to law enforcement. In May, another person was fatally shot during a sideshow at the intersection of Eighth and B streets, in the Kennedy neighborhood in south Stockton, according to Nicholas Goucher, San Joaquin County Sheriff's Office spokesman. An April homicide near California and Oak streets in downtown Stockton was also linked to a sideshow, Scott said. One resident living near the Main and Rendon intersection said Monday that around 2 a.m. the day before, she was awakened by loud revving sounds she believed was a sideshow. "I was in a deep sleep, (then) I kept hearing the engines gunning," said the resident, who asked not to be named due to safety concerns. Sideshows happen in that neighborhood roughly every other weekend, she said. Record reporter Aaron Leathley covers public safety. She can be reached at aleathley@recordnet.com or on Twitter @LeathleyAaron. Support local news, subscribe to The Stockton Record at https://www.recordnet.com/subscribenow. This article originally appeared on The Record: Sacramento teen's deadly shooting began at Stockton sideshow: police A new roller coaster at SeaWorld Orlando. Ricardo Ramirez Buxeda / Orlando Sentinel / Tribune News Service via Getty Images A pair of recent incidents have raised concerns about an amusement park staple: roller coasters. The first occurred at a park in North Carolina, where a roller coaster was shut down after a crack in one of the support pillars was discovered. The other incident was in Sweden, where one person was killed and nine others injured following a partial roller coaster derailment that sent riders plummeting to the ground. While roller coasters are ubiquitous at amusement parks across the world, these events have called into question just how safe they really are. In the United States, there is no federal regulation around roller coaster safety, and state-specific regulations only began in 1981, CNBC noted. Despite this, industry insiders maintain that roller coasters are very safe, and "safety is at the forefront of everything we do," Jakob Wahl, president and CEO of the International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions (IAAPA), told USA Today. He added that amusement parks "have very, very detailed safety protocols." But is this actually the case? Are roller coasters really as safe as the industry claims? Or are roller coasters more dangerous than parkgoers have been led to believe? How dangerous is a roller coaster? While these two alarming events have made international headlines, experts say the chances of being injured on a roller coaster are very slim. In North America alone, "More than 385 million guests safely [enjoy] in excess of 1.7 billion rides" every year, and "the chance of being seriously injured on a fixed-site ride at a U.S. amusement park is one in 15.5 million rides taken," IAAPA data reported. The association also estimates that the chances of being killed on a roller coaster are just one in 170 million. An IAAPA injury survey from 2021 found 1,224 ride-related injuries at U.S. and Canadian facilities, which averages to just 0.9 injuries per every one million riders. Of these injuries, 383, or 31%, were directly related to roller coasters. So in general, it seems that industry insiders are correct: The odds of being injured on a roller coaster are fairly low. However, since these are just estimates, the actual number of incidents could be much higher due to a lack of federal data gathering in the U.S. IAAPA data also shows that "the majority of serious injuries occurred on either family and adult rides or roller coasters" as opposed to other types of rides. The injury rates on roller coasters were also the highest compared to other rides, the IAAPA reported, with the percentage rate in 2021 averaging "0.7 for family and adult rides, 0.9 for children's rides, and 1.4 for roller coasters." What types of regulations are in place? The answer differs depending on the area. The most recent regulations in Europe "represent the 'state of the art' on amusement ride safety in Europe and continues its...role as one of the key global standards for ensuring amusement ride safety," according to an IAAPA fact sheet. These standards were helmed by people "from all areas of the amusement and leisure industry," IAAPA said, including "ride manufacturers, inspection bodies and operators, representatives of consumers, safety authorities and regulators." These items are defined by IAAPA as "the best practices developed over the last 13 years, representing another significant step toward global harmonization" of ride safety. As a result, these standards have also made their way outside of Europe, and are currently "the amusement rides safety reference in more than 40 countries all over the world." In the U.S., regulations are much less uniform, as the federal government has decided that "states are best equipped to regulate the amusement park industry," the IAAPA said. As a result, amusement parks "report incidents to state and local governments and partner with government officials and inspectors to ensure the safety of their guests." Should additional regulations be implemented? In the United States, some experts have pointed to a lack of federal regulations as a potential problem. Since "no two states have the same regulation," amusement park consultant and inspector Ken Martin told NBC News, "There is no method of gathering information on incidents or injuries that exists nationwide. Some states do it, some states don't and the majority don't." Martin told the outlet that while roller coasters are mostly safe, uniform regulations could decrease the number of onboard accidents. "We've got to do a better job," Martin said, saying that roller coaster safety can't be maintained "with a patchwork of regulations. We have to be singing from the same song, the same verse, the same beat." You may also like Florida construction and agricultural workforces diminished after new immigration law takes effect Vietnam bans the 'Barbie' movie over map scene Judge limits how Biden officials can communicate with social media companies Edouard Victor Michel Isaacs Lt. Edouard Victor Michel Isaacs was having quite the bad day on May 31, 1918. In addition to bearing a long and hard-to-spell name, he found himself suddenly quite wet as his ship sank to the bottom of the Atlantic. Instead of crying about his wet clothes and saltwater stains, he gathered a bunch of intel, made at least four escape attempts, and eventually walked to neutral Switzerland. For his actions, he received the Medal of Honor. He later served in Congress for 10 years. Assigned to USS President Lincoln Germany sank the Lusitania in 1917 and really triggered America's rage with the whole "Murder of 123 Americans and over 1,000 other civilians" thing. The U.S. is weirdly sensitive about that. So, right after Congress declared war, it also ordered the seizure of some German vessels held in U.S. ports. A German passenger liner named SS President Lincoln suddenly became the U.S. troop transport USS President Lincoln. U.S. Navy shipfitters added weapons, added more berthing space, and sent the ship out to sea. Navy sailors formed a new ship's crew. And one of them was Ensign Edouard Victor Michel Isaacs. The young Naval Academy graduate proved himself capable and quickly earned temporary promotions to lieutenant (junior grade) and then lieutenant. Edouard Victor Michel Isaacs (US Naval Academy photo) The USS President Lincoln made four quick and efficient trips back and forth across the Atlantic, carrying thousands of troops to combat each time. The fifth trip started well with a massive convoy delivering their soldiers to Brest, France, on May 23, 1918. On the return leg of the trip, the USS President Lincoln made it past the submarine danger zone without incident. The combat escorts, four destroyers, turned back to France on May 30. And, on May 31, the German U-boat U-90 hit the ship with torpedoes. The sinking of Lincoln and capture of Isaacs Of those torpedoes, three of them slammed home into the Lincoln, quickly dooming the ship. It sank in 18 minutes, reportedly as it fired its guns at the unseen foe. The ship's crew did an amazing job evacuating themselves and the wounded men being transported home on the ship. Only three officers and 23 enlisted men died in the attack and sinking. Sinking of the USS President Lincoln. But the Germans did get one more American: they took Isaacs prisoner. This was once a common practice of submarine commanders, though it was rare for them to pick just one prisoner. They typically rescued as much crew and any passengers they could. But Isaacs found himself a lone American on the German submarine U-90. But U-boats are famously cramped, closed vessels where it's impossible for anyone to have significant privacy. So while Isaacs was isolated on the U-boat, he could also see all of its operations. And he very carefully took note of how the ship worked, how the crew operated, and more. And then he plotted his escape to take his new intel to Allied intelligence. Isaacs attempts to escape...over and over again Isaacs first attempt at escape came quite early. As U-90 transited between Denmark and Sweden, he attempted to escape and swim across. In July 1918, he tried to escape the prisoner of war camp at Karlsruhe, Germany. Germany decided to transfer him to a different camp at Villingen, but Isaacs jumped through a train window. He injured himself with that particular stunt. The Germans quickly recaptured him and beat him for his trouble. He spent three weeks in solitary confinement, nursing his wounds. By October 1918, he was ready to try again. He broke free with a group of other officers on the night of October 6-7 and intentionally drew the guards' machine gun fire so that the others would have a better chance at escape. Reverse of Isaacs' Medal of Honor. He received the "Tiffany Cross" version of the medal. After getting clear of the camp, he met up with an American officer captured while flying with France, Willis. Together, the two men walked to Switzerland, arriving after midnight on October 13. Isaacs made his way back to Allied lines and immediately reported his intelligence to British and American naval officers. America sent him back to the U.S., and he arrived on November 11, 1918, as the war officially ended. He later received the Medal of Honor for his actions. Isaacs later wrote a book and became a journalist and then a Congressman. He passed in January 1990 as the last surviving World War I Medal of Honor recipient. Quasars are extremely luminous "supermassive" black holes Scientists have observed the early universe running "five times slower" for the first time. Researchers observed data from quasars - objects powered by "supermassive" black holes at the centre of early galaxies - using them to measure time near the beginning of the universe. Quasars are among the brightest and most distant known celestial objects. Prof Geraint Lewis, from University of Sydney, told the BBC it confirms again we live in an expanding universe. Prof Lewis, lead author of the study published in Nature Astronomy, said: "Looking back to a time when the universe was just over a billion years old, we see time appearing to flow five times slower [soon after the Big Bang]. "If you were there, in this infant universe, one second would seem like one second - but from our position, more than 12 billion years into the future, that early time appears to drag." Quasars are bright objects powered by "supermassive" black holes blasting out energy as they engorge themselves on gas, dust, and other matter within their gravitational grasp, according to Nasa. Astrophysicist Prof Lewis and astrostatistician Brendan Brewer, from the University of Auckland, looked at the colours of nearly 200 quasars over 20 years. They were then able to standardise the "ticking" of each quasar. Explaining what it all means, the researchers said it confirms the expectation of Albert Einstein's general theory of relativity, which means we should observe the distant universe running much slower than the present day. He said: "Thanks to Einstein, we know that time and space are intertwined and, since the dawn of time in the singularity of the Big Bang, the universe has been expanding. "This expansion of space means that our observations of the early universe should appear to be much slower than time flows today. "In this paper, we have established that back to about a billion years after the Big Bang." Prof Geraint Lewis said the universe appeared to flow five times slower when the universe was just over a billion years old The university said previously astronomers confirmed the slow motion universe back to about half its age using supernovae - massive exploding stars. But quasars allowed Prof Lewis and his team to confirm the theory further to a tenth of the age of the universe. He added on BBC Radio 4 Today programme: "As far as we understand that expansion is just going to continue and continue, and the universe is going to get larger and emptier." Scientists stunned by discovery in remote area of Pacific Ocean: We have a responsibility to understand it Over 5,000 new species of aquatic life have been discovered in a remote area of the Pacific Ocean but the region is likely to be heavily impacted by deep-sea mining. Scientists recently explored the Clarion-Clipperton Zone (CCZ), a large area of the ocean floor of the Pacific that stretches about 1.7 million square miles between Mexico and Hawaii, according to The Guardian. The researchers recorded findings from multiple expeditions and concluded that the CCZ is home to over 5,500 different species, the vast majority of which (88 to 92%) have never been discovered before. The CCZ is also incredibly rich in valuable minerals like nickel, cobalt, and manganese, which means its highly desirable as a drilling location for mining companies. Seventeen companies based in the U.S., China, the UK, and other countries have been granted contracts to begin mining exploration in the area, The Guardian reported. Deep-sea mining can have negative effects on natural life underwater, as the mining process can compact the sea floor, create harmful sediment plumes, and destroy organisms, according to the Center for Biological Diversity. The Guardian reported that some scientists, like Sir David Attenborough, have called for a halt to deep-sea mining because of its environmental impact. However, these new species are being discovered and studied in part because of the areas mining potential. Research missions are being backed by companies like UK Seabed Resources in order to evaluate the CCZ to minimize any damage that may be caused by the mining process. Dr. Adrian Glover, a senior author of the study, sees the growing concern for the CCZs wildlife as reassuring. In some ways I see it as very positive that we can come up with a regulatory structure before mining takes place, he told The Guardian. [In] other large industries, such as oil and gas, the regulations came later. We share this planet with all this amazing biodiversity and we have a responsibility to understand it and protect it, Muriel Rabone, the lead author of the paper, said, according to The Guardian. Join our free newsletter for cool news and cool tips that make it easy to help yourself while helping the planet. Russia will continue to oppose Western sanctions, President Vladimir Putin has said, following Moscow's invasion of Ukraine. His address to a virtual Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit was his first to an international meeting since last month's mutiny in Russia. Mr Putin backed trade accords between SCO nations in local currencies - seen as an attempt to blunt sanctions. The 2023 SCO summit is taking place virtually, under India's leadership. Mr Putin used the platform to send a message of defiance to the West, saying "Russia counters all these external sanctions, pressures and provocations and continues to develop as never before". He has made several public appearances since the Wagner mercenary group staged a short-lived mutiny in late June, but this was the first time he'd been seen with a group of international leaders. "I would like to thank my colleagues from the SCO countries who expressed support for the actions of the Russian leadership to protect the constitutional order and the life and security of citizens," he told the summit in a televised address from the Kremlin in Moscow. Mr Putin added that more than 80% of trade between Chinese and Russian people was in roubles and yuan, and urged other SCO members to follow the same process. He also welcomed Russian ally Belarus's application to become a permanent member of the SCO next year. Summit host Indian PM Narendra Modi called on members to boost trade, connectivity and tech co-operation, among other things. But he didn't directly refer to either the war in Ukraine or China's increasingly assertive stance in the Indo-Pacific. India - historically non-aligned - had to walk a tight diplomatic rope, due to its increasingly strong ties with the West. Just days earlier the US had rolled out the red carpet for Mr Modi when he was received in Washington on a state visit. While Mr Modi talked about regional security, he did not mention China, a neighbour with whom India has long had hostile relations. Indian and Chinese troops fought deadly clashes on their long disputed border in 2020 and tensions persist to this day. The West increasingly sees India as a counterweight to China, although Delhi has publicly never owned the tag. And it once again refrained from doing so at the SCO. India's PM instead urged members to co-operate on cross-border terrorism. "Some countries use cross-border terrorism as an instrument in their policies, (they) give shelter to terrorists... the SCO should not hesitate to criticise such countries," Mr Modi said. Such statements are always seen as directed at neighbouring Pakistan, India's bitter rival over the decades. Its Prime Minister, Shahbaz Sharif, said SCO nations must take measures to "combat the three evils of terrorism, extremism and separatism". But he also said religious minorities should not be demonised in the "pursuit of domestic political agendas" - viewed as a dig at India, which Muslim-majority Pakistan has often accused of not protecting the rights of Muslims. Mr Modi's government has always rejected evidence that it is not protecting the rights of minorities in India, whose population is largely Hindu. When it was Chinese President Xi Jinping's turn to speak, he mentioned the importance of safeguarding regional peace and security. He urged SCO members to "follow the right direction and enhance their solidarity and mutual trust". One factor that all members seemed to agree on unanimously was maintaining stability in Afghanistan, following the Taliban takeover after US troops pulled out two years ago. A joint statement due later should give more clues on how SCO nations aim to work together on Afghanistan. China, Russia and four Central Asian countries formed the SCO in 2001 as a countermeasure to limit the influence of the West in the region. India and Pakistan joined in 2017. The group has become more relevant for Russia and China as their relations with the West have deteriorated. Experts say the group's potential can't be underplayed, despite the existence of more prominent forums like the Brics (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa), the G20 and G7. The SCO groups around 40% of the world's population and more than 20% of global GDP. Add Iran's, and it will control around 20% of the world's oil reserves. Iran's inclusion as a full member at this year's meeting will boost the SCO's energy portfolio but it will spark anger in Western capitals. As the SCO is increasingly pitted against Western-led forums, it may get harder for India to strike a diplomatic balance between its different global partners. But Indian diplomats say they are confident about keeping their foreign policy independent without pandering to one group or the other. How Delhi manages its diplomacy - and its differences with Russia, China and Pakistan in particular - will have an impact on future of the SCO. Additional reporting by Meryl Sebastian and Zoya Mateen BBC News India is now on YouTube. Click here to subscribe and watch our documentaries, explainers and features. Read more India stories from the BBC: News Daily banner Sign up for our morning newsletter and get BBC News in your inbox. [Photo/VCG] Since the establishment of diplomatic relations in 1972, China and New Zealand became strategic partners in the Asia Pacific despite lingering differences. The ability to carefully calibrate the relationship in the right direction amid roadblocks has been the hallmark of respective leaderships in both Beijing and Wellington throughout history. In 2023, the same momentum was carried forward as New Zealand Prime Minister Chris Hipkins met with Chinese Premier Li Qiang in Beijing. An array of diverse cooperative agreements was signed as New Zealand focused on improving market access into China. In theory, while "realism" in international relations does define the bilateral relationship, it is pertinent to note that both China and New Zealand adopted a "constructivist" approach in 2023 despite focusing on expanding Wellington's export base. Despite anti-China lobbyists within New Zealand being averse to the prospect of a full strategic partnership or a so called "over-reliance" on Beijing, Hipkins has opted for a productive conversation with China which helps elevate ties while also staying away from points of controversy. A joint declaration was issued to further solidify trading ties which gelled well with the fact that China plays a dominant role in the Kiwi market as it purchased 28% of its goods export worth $13 billion a year. The New Zealand delegation for the 2023 visit to Beijing also comprised of trade and tourism ministers, as well as executives from the country's largest corporations, Fonterra Cooperative Group, and Air New Zealand. As stated by Hipkins, the objective of this visit is to diversify the breadth of Wellington's export base. Furthermore, China's growing middle class and rising economic profile presents New Zealand with increased demand for products, such as building materials and milk powder. All in all, it is a win-win situation for both sides. New Zealand is also the first developed country which China signed a free trade agreement with in 2008. In late 2013, Beijing overtook Canberra as Wellington's largest trading partner, with both countries carrying an approximate share of 19% in goods, as compared to Canberra's share, which reduced significantly to 12%. Additionally, on the subject of tourism, Hipkins wants to revive Beijing's interest as New Zealand acts as a destination for higher education and recreational activities, particularly in the post-pandemic era with border restrictions eased and air travel and tourism reviving. The joint declaration also covered increasing cooperation in the digital economy through e-commerce, establishing dialogue mechanisms to deal with energy vehicles and the promotion of "green economies." Furthermore, strengthening collaboration on food security, agriculture, and capitalizing on recent discussions related to diplomacy and defense were also considered. The comprehensive nature of these understandings clearly demonstrates the strength and maturity of the bilateral relationship and how both sides have adopted a "people-centered" approach towards cooperation that is devoid of the great power politics, animosity, hegemony, and detrimental zero-sum games that have otherwise been a defining feature of U.S. foreign policy in the Asia-Pacific region. New Zealand has repeatedly exercised prudence in its diplomatic approach by acknowledging differences between the two countries in a respectful manner and independently making choices in line with its own interests instead of blindly echoing anti-China arguments or using bellicose rhetoric to seek confrontation. Such pragmatic diplomacy has set an example for many countries. It is hoped that the positivity and optimism from the latest exchange and the joint declaration between Wellington and Beijing is carried forward in letter and spirit. A deepened China-New Zealand comprehensive strategic partnership will definitely deliver more benefits to the two countries and two peoples, which is therefore conducive to regional development and prosperity. Hamzah Rifaat Hussain, a former visiting fellow at the Stimson Center in Washington and former assistant researcher at the Islamabad Policy Research Institute, is an anchor at ThinkTech Hawaii. Opinion articles reflect the views of their authors, not necessarily those of China.org.cn. "Second army of the world": Medvedev suggests taking equipment from poachers Dmitrii Medvedev, the Deputy Head of the Security Council of the Russian Federation, offered that the military use the equipment confiscated from poachers. Source: Russian propaganda agency RIA Novosti, which quotes Medvedev Quote: "I receive information, they write about it, and journalists and military commanders speak out that in various regions of our country, there is quite a lot of confiscated property from poachers, various smugglers and other violators. This is machinery that can be used in the zone of special military operation (i.e. war in Ukraine ed.)". Details: Medvedev said that it concerns speedboats, cars, trucks and other equipment. Background: On 3 July, Medvedev again began to frighten the world with a nuclear apocalypse but also said that a nuclear winter could be avoided if the West met all of Russia's demands. Journalists fight on their own frontline. Support Ukrainska Pravda or become our patron! Carlos Ghosn has been in Lebanon since a heist-style escape from Japan in 2019 (Andrew Burton) French investigators issued a second international arrest warrant against former Renault-Nissan chief Carlos Ghosn in April, a source close to the case told AFP Tuesday. The warrant was issued by a Paris investigating magistrate when Ghosn did not appear to be charged last year on counts including corruption. Ghosn currently lives in Lebanon, where he fled after a dramatic 2019 escape from Japanese custody accomplished in part by hiding in an audio-equipment box. The former CEO "cannot leave Lebanon, as Lebanese authorities have forbidden him to quit the territory because of the Japanese prosecution. He therefore cannot respond to the summons to be charged in France," his lawyers Leon Del Forno and Martin Reynaud told AFP. A previous warrant dating to April 2022, from investigators in Paris suburb Nanterre, already targeted him over abuse of company funds and money laundering, in connection with contracts issued by a Renault-Nissan subsidiary while he was in charge. This year's warrant could be the last step in a separate probe opened in 2019 for corruption, bribery of an agent for an international public organisation, influence peddling, abuse of company funds and receiving stolen goods. Ghosn may yet face a criminal trial on those charges, which relate to 900,000 euros ($980,000) sent to Paris politician and former minister Rachida Dati by Renault-Nissan's Dutch subsidiary. The cash was supposedly to pay for Dati's work as a lawyer in 2010-12, a time when she was also serving as a European Parliament lawmaker. She has been under investigation since July 2021 for corruption and influence peddling while serving as an elected official. Investigators want to find out whether Dati in fact did any legal work for Renault-Nissan or the relationship was in fact a concealed form of lobbying at the European Parliament, which MEPs are barred from doing. "Carlos Ghosn's being brought into the case will allow the truth to emerge," Dati's lawyers Olivier Baratelli and Olivier Pardo told AFP. They said they would ask for Dati, currently mayor of Paris' seventh district, and Ghosn to be questioned jointly. mk-clw/tgb/rl Coutts High street UK banks are closing accounts with the help of vast online databases that scrutinise millions of transactions around the globe. A bank can close anyones persons account if it suspects they have committed, or been involved in fraudulent or illegal activity. But also if they violate the terms of the account, leave it dormant, or even for no specified reason. Many banks use third-party databases and credit reference groups to gather information on people they suspect of illegal activities such as fraud or terrorism. The databases also detail those who could be under sanctions, or politically exposed people who are vulnerable to bribery. These databases monitor British customers and hand information to banks so they can decide whether to close an account if someone is deemed to be too much of a risk to the bank and its reputation or who has a bad credit rating. It comes as Nigel Farage, a free speech group and a vicar who complained about a lenders support of Pride have all made headlines in recent days after their bank accounts were shut down with little warning. Nigel Farage has said he may be forced to leave Britain after his bank closed his accounts and others refused his custom - Samuel Corum/Getty Images North America Although it is claimed that high-net-worth bank Coutts closed Mr Farages account because of inadequate funds, the closures have sparked a backlash with people accusing banks of refusing customers because of their political beliefs. Whos watching my bank accounts? One third-party database banks use is World-Check Risk Intelligence, which is owned by Refinitiv, a member of the London Stock Exchange Group. World-Check helps financial institutions with regulatory requirements, and passes information they hold on normal savers, potential terrorists and fraudulent and politically exposed people to banks so they can avoid being used to launder the proceeds of crime, or be associated with corrupt or criminal business people and practices. If a person is on a sanctions list world-wide, they will also be on the database. If a saver has a bad banking record, or is suspected of a serious offence, it is likely that they are on the database and their banks compliance team will use that information to decide whether to shut their account. World-Check would not disclose which British banks use its database to monitor and scrutinise people who they can potentially unbank, but it is understood some high street banks use its services. Under privacy laws, savers can request information World-Check holds on them through their website, and see if they are in danger of having their accounts closed by their banks. More often than not, banks compliance teams close accounts with little notice because people are suspected of criminal activity, fraud, money laundering or being politically exposed and third-party databases help them pinpoint problem people and accounts. Why can my bank close my account? Banks can close an account for a long list of both serious and not-so reasons, and they do not have to tell savers why they only have to give a minimum of 30 days notice. This is because banks are subject to strict legal requirements, which in many cases does not allow them to reveal why an account has been closed even to the account holder. Savings accounts only open to current account holders A person only needs to be suspected of fraud and not convicted for a bank to close their account. If this happens, then there is a good chance they will not be allowed to hold a bank account again with most British financial institutions. For normal customers, if a bank needs to investigate an account it may be frozen, or further information requested, so the bank can satisfy itself that there is no risk of any improper activity taking place. An account can be closed if the account holder has a bad credit history and loans or credit are not repaid. When a bank closes an account, it generally does not affect a credit rating. But if there is an outstanding overdraft or loan when it closes, the bank may give these debts to a credit recovery agency for them to chase, which will affect the rating. If too many payments bounce from an account because there is no balance, or an account seems dormant for too long, then that is also grounds for closure. Furthermore, if the account has contained no money for several years, the bank may close the account if no one has replied to alerts or correspondence from the bank. A notice on the Financial Ombudsman Service (FOS) website says banks can close accounts whenever they want, but they still have to treat their customers fairly. Businesses that provide bank accounts are generally entitled to close them just as their customers are. But you should treat your customers fairly. You shouldnt close an account because of unfair bias or unlawful discrimination, it says. What can I do if my account was closed? There is not a lot that can be done when a bank closes an account, but there are some basic steps to take. First and foremost: contact the bank, especially if you have been previously notified of the closure. Doing so means you have a greater chance of finding out why the account is closed, if it can be reopened or how you can retrieve any funds left in the account. Making sure you keep all written and online communications with your bank is also important. Unless under suspicion of a serious offence, you may be able to set up another account with a rival bank or speak to the bank about opening a new pre-paid or second chance account. If an account has been closed or frozen because the account holder has been a victim of identity fraud, then contact the bank as soon as possible to alert them and they can begin to investigate. The same goes for theft: for example, if a person steals someones bank details or cards and withdraws or spends money fraudulently. According to Citizens Advice, a bank should refund any money stolen as a result of fraud and identity theft. They should do this as soon as possible, ideally by the end of the next working day after the problem is reported. But a bank can refuse a refund if they find someone acted fraudulently or were grossly negligent: for example, if a person shared their Pin or password with someone else. You can also complain to the bank, and to the FOS, if you believe the closure is unjust or unfair, but you generally have to prove it. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month, then enjoy 1 year for just $9 with our US-exclusive offer. Senegal President Macky Sall says he won't run for third term "Senegal is more than me, and is full of capable leaders," Macky Sall has said Senegal's President Macky Sall has ruled out seeking re-election in 2024, ending widespread speculation that he would run for a third term. "The 2019 term was my second and last term," he said in a televised address. Rumours he would try to extend his grip on power have fuelled unrest several times since 2021, with dozens killed. The opposition had called for fresh protests if Mr Sall decided to run again - which many legal experts say would have violated the constitution. In his address late on Monday, Mr Sall, 61, said: "There has been much speculation and commentary on my eventual candidature on this election. "My decision, carefully considered... is not to run as a candidate in the upcoming election. "Senegal is more than me, and is full of capable leaders for the country's development," he added. Recently there had been anger in Senegal over the sentencing of opposition leader Ousmane Sonko to two years in prison for the crime of "corrupting youth". The 48-year-old was found guilty of acting immorally towards an individual younger than 21, but cleared of rape charges. Thousands of protesters took to the streets of several cities and at least 16 people were killed. Sonko denies any wrongdoing, and his supporters say the trial was a political ploy to disqualify him from entering the presidential race. Senegal was rocked by deadly violence after Ousmane Sonko's court verdict in June Mr Sall has been in office since 2012. In 2016, he changed the constitution to set a two-term presidential limit. But his supporters argued he could still run for a third term as his first was under the previous constitution. Speculation that he would try to cling on to power has dented Senegal's reputation as a relatively stable democratic nation in the restive West African region. FILE PHOTO: New Global Financial Pact Summit in Paris By Diadie Ba DAKAR (Reuters) -A long-awaited decision on Monday by Senegal's President Macky Sall not to run for a third term next year has thrown open the race to lead the West African nation on the verge of becoming an oil and gas producer. Neither Sall's Alliance for the Republic party, nor the broader Benno Bokk Yakaar (BBY) ruling coalition, has put forward any candidates since Sall ended widespread speculation about his political intentions. Insiders point to Prime Minister Amadou Ba, former Prime Minister Mahammad Dionne and Agriculture Minister Aly Ngouille Ndiaye as potential candidates. BBY is seeking to avoid a protracted search and primaries just under five months before a deadline to submit presidential candidates for the February poll. "We are already discussing among ourselves," Aymerou Gningue, a former parliament speaker for BBY said on Tuesday. "If we stand unified and put forward our values of solidarity and generosity to find out what we can do for Senegal we will find a strong consensus," he added. The United Nations on Tuesday commended Sall's decision as a "strong demonstration of statesmanship", echoing praise from other African leaders. Sall critics had said seeking a third would have been illegal. BBY also lauded the president and said in a statement it had all the necessary resources to keep the trust of most Senegalese people. The ruling coalition is likely to face a divided field as several opposition politicians have already voiced intentions to run for the top job. It is still unclear if firebrand opposition leader Ousmane Sonko, who finished third in the 2019 election, will be among them. Sonko was sentenced in early June to a two-year jail term for immoral behaviour toward a woman younger than 21 who he was initially accused of raping. He has denied the charges. Sonko's sentencing sparked days of deadly riots across the country. Other potential contenders include former Prime Minister Idrissa Seck, who came in second in the 2019 presidential poll, and another former Prime Minister, Aminata Toure. Toure left the BBY coalition following a public fallout with Sall earlier this year. The field could increase further as parliament is set to pass bills this week that would allow two other opposition figures struck from the 2019 voter roll to run. (Reporting by Diadie Ba; Additional reporting by Michelle Nichols in New York; Writing by Bate Felix; Editing by Sofia Christensen, Mark Potter and Bill Berkrot) Thousands of Palestinian residents fled the Jenin refugee camp in the Israeli-occupied West Bank on Tuesday as Palestinian health officials said the death toll from Israel's largest raid on the camp in nearly two decades had risen to at least 13, according to the Associated Press. One Israeli soldier was also killed by gunfire in Jenin, an Israel Defense Forces spokesperson reported early Wednesday morning. Meanwhile, at least eight people were injured in a car-ramming attack on a crowded bus stop in the city of Tel Aviv, which the militant group Hamas claimed was a response to the ongoing Jenin raid. Israeli security officials told the AP that the Israeli military had begun withdrawing troops from Jenin late Tuesday night. Palestinian militants in the Gaza Strip fired five rockets toward Israel a few hours after the withdrawal had begun, Israeli military officials told Reuters. All five were intercepted. The Israeli army said the two-day Israeli operation inside the Jenin camp, which sits inside the West Bank city of the same name, involved seizing weapons and destroying command posts and tunnels belonging to Palestinian militant groups. Streets were torn up inside the camp, and gunfire and explosions were heard sporadically throughout the day as Israeli troops and Palestinian militants clashed, though the fighting was reportedly less intense than on Monday. Israeli forces intervene with Palestinians gathered to protest an ongoing Israeli raid in the Jenin refugee camp on July 4, 2023 in Jenin, West Bank. / Credit: Issam Rimawi/Anadolu Agency/Getty Jenin Mayor Nidal Al-Obeidi said around 4,000 people had fled the refugee camp to seek shelter elsewhere, and Palestinians across the West Bank observed a general strike to protest the raid, according to the AP. "We are alarmed at the scale of air and ground operations that are taking place in Jenin and continuing today in the West Bank, and especially on air strikes hitting the densely populated refugee camp," said Vanessa Huguenin, a spokesperson for the U.N. humanitarian office. She said she'd heard reports that three children were among the dead. Palestinian officials said those killed were between 16 and 23-years-old, CBS News partner network BBC News reported. The charity Doctors Without Borders (MSF) said roads in the Jenin camp had been blocked or destroyed, and that paramedics were being forced to travel on foot amid gunfire and drone strikes to reach the wounded. "The use of attack helicopters and drone strikes in such a densely populated area represents a marked increase in intensity and is nothing short of outrageous," Jovana Arsenijevic, a coordinator for MSF in Jenin, said in a statement. "The hospital where we are treating patients was struck by tear gas canisters. Medical structures, ambulances and patients must be respected." Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Tuesday that Israeli forces were "completing the mission" but that "our extensive activity in Jenin is not a one time operation," the AFP news agency reported. On Tuesday afternoon, a 20-year-old attacker rammed his car into a bus stop full of people in Tel Aviv, Israel's second-most populous city, before emerging and trying to stab people with a knife. The attacker was shot and killed at the scene by an armed civilian, police said. Members of Israeli security and emergency personnel work at the site of a car-ramming attack in Tel Aviv, July 4, 2023. / Credit: Getty "In the first seconds you think it could have been a mistake by the driver," a witness told BBC News. "He exited through the window, not the door like in a movie with a knife in hand and started chasing civilians. Now you understand it's an attack. We ran for our lives." The militant group Hamas identified the attacker behind what it lauded as a "heroic operation," and "legitimate self-defense" against the Israeli operation in Jenin. Israel's far-right national security minister, Itamar Ben-Gvir, visited the scene of the attack in Tel Aviv and called for more Israeli citizens to take up arms, BBC News reported. Sally Ride statue unveiled in California Breakfast sandwich biscuits recalled over peanut risk Woman killed in South Carolina alligator attack Hot, humid weather fuels risk of severe thunderstorms in Ontario It's been quite the stretch of hot, muggy conditions in Ontario to start the week. The warm weather is set to continue and so will the risk of thunderstorms in various parts of the province Wednesday. JULY OUTLOOK: A turbulent July promises smoke, storms, heat, and drought across Canada Wednesday and beyond Areas: Ontario Timing: Wednesday afternoon and evening, Thursday Weather: Isolated thunderstorms are possible in southern Ontario on Wednesday, but northeastern Ontario has a more widespread risk of storms with some even becoming severe in nature with strong wind gusts and large hail. Temperature: Heat warnings span southern Ontario and Quebec, where unseasonably warm temperatures kick off July. Muggy weather builds Wednesday, where humidex values of 40s are possible for Ottawa, Montreal and much of southern Ontario too. Full sun and high moisture in the air under a weak ridge will assemble an uncomfortable midweek. Temperatures Wed SEE ALSO: Why nocturnal thunderstorms can be particularly dangerous Storm Potential: These same heat warning regions have a risk Wednesday for isolated thunderstorms fuelled by daytime heating, though stronger storms with heavy rain and gusty winds will begin to track across central Ontario. Risk Map The ridge will protect south and eastern regions of the province from these severe storms until the cold front moves in on Thursday, triggering active weather. Confidence is growing that Thursday could feature strong storms along Lake Huron and Georgian Bay shores, extending into the Greater Toronto Area, with very heavy rainfall in the cards. Be sure to check back with us ahead of Thursday as we nail down your forecast. Precipitation Forecast WATCH: Sunburnt? Here are five things you should never put on it Click here to view the video Stay tuned to The Weather Network for more forecast updates for Ontario and Quebec. Shah Rukh Khan rushed to hospital after accident on set in Los Angeles Bollywood star Shah Rukh Khan was admitted to a hospital after suffering an injury at a film set in Los Angeles. The 57-year-old actor reportedly suffered a nose injury while shooting for one of his upcoming projects in the city. According to a source, the Pathaan star began bleeding and was immediately rushed to a hospital. His team was informed by the doctors that there was nothing to worry about and that King Khan would need to undergo a minor surgery to stop the bleeding, the source told ETimes. Post the operation, SRK was spotted with a bandage on his nose. He is now back in [India], recuperating at home. It is unclear when exactly the accident took place. The Independent has contacted Khans representatives for comment. Earlier this year, Khan broke his four-year hiatus by releasing his much-anticipated film Pathaan. (Getty Images) During a fan-meet session on Twitter, Khan revealed details of what he did during his hiatus. I just sat at home and watched all films that I could to become an audience again and not be a movie maker, he said. Soon after its release on 25 January, Pathaan made history by becoming the Hindi film with the most big-screen showings in cinema history. The spy thriller was being shown across 8,000 screens worldwide, according to NDTV. In April this year, Khans daughter Suhana was announced as Maybellines new brand ambassador for India. Shes Running on Combating the Opioid Epidemic in NH. She Lobbied for the Company Behind It. Photo Illustration by Elizabeth Brockway/The Daily Beast/WikiCommons/Mr.RuddyDuck By 2002, it was abundantly clear the powerful opioid painkiller Oxycontin was beginning to wreak havoc in the United States. From an uptick in burglaries and robberies to a stark warning from former Attorney General John Ashcroft in a 2001 congressional hearing calling it a 'very, very dangerous drug, Oxycontins manufacturer, Purdue Pharma, was already on the defensive. Even though the company was only at the very beginning of a decades-long and multi-billion-dollar legal battle with families seeking accountability for the overdose deaths of their loved ones, Purdue began dispatching legions of lobbyists to state legislatures to defend the drug. In New Hampshire, one of those lobbyists was Cinde Warmington. Speaking before the state legislature in 2002, Warmington defended Oxycontin as a miracle drug with very few side effects. She suggested the opioid was being unfairly maligned. Oxycontin has been abusedit certainly has been in the press, Warmington told a state Senate committee in April 2002. I think we can all say that it is a drug of abuse as are all narcotics. Opioid Crisis Victims Give Sackler Family an Earful in Court Two decades later, Purdue Pharma has gone bankrupt over lawsuits concerning its culpability in a nationwide opioid epidemic that has claimed hundreds of thousands of lives. It turned out that Purdue Pharma knew all along that Oxycontin was highly addictive, even as the drug manufacturer claimed it carried a low risk of addiction or abuse. And in New Hampshire, a state particularly hit by the opioid epidemicwhere fentanyl-related overdose deaths are three times the national averageGranite Staters are still reeling from the effects of Oxycontin addiction in the early 2000s. Twenty years after sticking up for Purdue and Oxycontin, Warmington is running for New Hampshire governor on promises to prioritize fighting the opioid epidemic. In her campaign launch video, Warmingtona Democratpromised to finally tackle the mental health crisis and fentanyl crisis in a real way, so that families can get the help they need. On her campaign website, she touts her work advocating for the expansion of substance use disorder treatment services, increased funding for mental health services and increased access to telehealth services. In a sit-down interview with the Keene Sentinel during her successful 2020 campaign for the states Executive Council, Warmington presented herself as an ideal candidate with a background in health care, starting with a side job drawing blood to help pay her way through college all the way up to a career as a health-care lawyer and administrator. One thing that didnt come up was her work for Purdue Pharma. After eight years of Republican Gov. Chris Sununuwho has indicated he may not run for a fifth term because he needs a real paycheckDemocrats are optimistic about reclaiming the New Hampshire governorship. (The state has two-year gubernatorial terms with no term limits, and the New Hampshire governor makes around $143,000 per year.) NH Guv Chris Sununu Sees a Lane to the Left of Trump and DeSantis But in her dubious record on this marquee issue, Warmington is providing a headache for the party even before any other Democratic candidates enter the race. The ads clearly write themselves, a New Hampshire Democratic operative with experience on several statewide campaigns told The Daily Beast. Its potentially a death knell in a general election. This operative pointed to Warmingtons comments basically regurgitating the worst talking points from the worst company at the core of this crisis, calling those comments fairly damning. In June, Warmingtons campaign dismissed initial reporting in the New Hampshire Union Leader on her ties to Purdue Pharma as an unfortunate political attack. Like many others, Warmington said, she wishes she knew then what we all learned later. But that version of events isn't quite so clear-cut. The campaign claimed in a statement to The Keene Sentinel that twenty years ago we were all unaware of Purdue Pharmas fraud and the harm they would cause to so many New Hampshire families. By conflating Warmingtons knowledge with that of the general public, the statement brushes over the main points of contention she was being paid to combat back in 2002. Former Manchester Fire Chief Dan Goonan, who served in the department for 37 years and helped shepherd more than 8,000 people struggling with opioid addiction through the since-shuttered Safe Stations program, told The Daily Beast he has serious questions about Warmingtons claim to having known as much as the general public at the time. Goonan said he has revived hundreds of people using the fast-acting agent Naloxonebetter known under its brand name Narcanand recalled seeing the first wave of overdoses in the late 1990s and early 2000s, mostly related to prescriptions like Oxycontin. When Oxycontin became less available, former users turned to heroin and fentanyl, creating the crisis Warmington is now campaigning on. Its hard for a guy like me who was on the street and in those homeless encampments and seen the consequences of some of those decisions that were made early onto say you didnt know about it? You had to know something, Goonan said, recalling extra work he did as a part-time police officer on top of his firefighter duties in the early 2000s, providing security at pharmacies frequently robbed of Oxycontin. During the early 2000s, Warmington was pushing back against mounting evidence that Oxycontin was addictive and overprescribed, with internal Purdue documents at the time warning that the medias attention to abuse and diversion of OxyContin Tablets has provided state Medicaid plans and some HMOs, concerned about the affect the product is having on their budget, an excuse to look for ways to limit the prescribing of OxyContin Tablets. That problem was precisely what Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), then the governor, was concerned with in 2002, singling out the drug as an example of what is wrong with the current Medicaid prescription plan, according to an April 2002 story in the Union Leader. McKinsey to Pay $573 Million to States for Its Role in Fanning Americas Opioid Epidemic Crossing Shaheen, the most powerful Democrat in the state, didnt end Warmingtons career, but with a low profile around the state while serving in a relatively obscure position, the Purdue Pharma ties could sink Warmingtons campaign before it really gets going. New Hampshire Democrats have been quietly worried about the stumble out of the gates from Warmington, even if she does have defenders. Candidates open themselves up for all kinds of criticism when they run for office, some well-deserved, a prominent New Hampshire Democrat told The Daily Beast, requesting anonymity to speak candidly on the sensitive issue. Calling the Warmington links to Purdue Pharma a cheap shot, the New Hampshire Democrat added that Warmington was opposing a requirement that doctors have patients try three other drugs before they prescribe OxyContin. One of those alternative drugs was fentanyl, they said. While Warmingtons campaign has pointed to her record of advocating for increased recovery and prevention services while also securing funding for those efforts on the executive council, one of her most recent lobbying gigs before working for Purdue Pharma gives more insight into what she knew at the time. In 2000, Warmington faced the New Hampshire legislature representing Community Substance Abuse Centers, advocating for increased methadone access for those struggling with opioid addiction. The bill history from that year shows another Union Leader article about an uptick in Oxycontin-related robberies. Warmingtons early stumbles would be one thing if Democrats were facing near-certain doom against Sununu once again, University of New Hampshire political science professor Dante Scala told The Daily Beast. With a blank slate going into 2024unless Sununu changes his mindan early candidate like Warmington with the field to herself should be able to enjoy a level of media coverage few of her predecessors in recent years have been able to reach. So going from that, trying to beat Sununu, to an open race, thats a big help to Democrats, Scala said. The Warmington campaign did not return a request for comment. Being associated with those types of firms, especially Purdue Pharma, they dont have the best reputations in New Hampshire, Goonan said. To me, its gonna take some convincing for your average person to believe her when she says I didnt know anything about this and was just like you, working for a paycheck, the former fire chief continued. It doesnt fly. 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. Richard Allen confessed no less than five times to his wife and mother in jailhouse phone calls that he killed 14-year-old Liberty Libby German and 13-year-old Abigail Abby Williams on Feb. 13, 2017, prosecutors said in documents publicly released for the first time Wednesday. A judge ordered the documents to be unsealed in response to a motion filed by Kevin Greenlee, an attorney and co-creator with Aine Cain of the Murder Sheet podcast, who successfully argued there was no reason to keep them from the public. Although prosecutors and defense attorneys acknowledged that Allen had made incriminating statements during a June 15 public hearing, the documents unsealed June 28 provided additional detail about the circumstances under which Allen allegedly confessed and other bombshells. These included revelations about the crime and crime scene from a search warrant affidavit, findings from a search warrant of Allens home, and filings related to Allens health and behavior in prison, which changed dramatically after his last phone call to his wife. Abigail Williams (left) and Liberty German. Abigail Williams (left) and Liberty German. To recap: When authorities first announced Allens arrest on Oct. 31, 2021, they released few details other than identifying the man they had arrested. In the years before that, Indiana State Police had released mere seconds of a reportedly 43-second video filmed by Libby of a man police believed to be their attacker. In the grainy video, the man, who became known as Bridge Guy, orders, Guys, down the hill. It wasnt until early December that authorities released a probable cause affidavit that placed Allen at the scene, according to witnesses and Allen himself in a 2017 interview with a conservation officer that investigators had apparently only recently unearthed. Allens alleged confession to his wife Probably the biggest bombshell dropped in the documents was a jailhouse phone call between Allen and his wife, Kathy, on April 3 of this year. In the call, authorities said he admitted several times to kidnapping and killing Abby and Libby. Whats more, Kathy hung up on her husband abruptly ends the phone call is the phrasing used in an April 20 motion by prosecutors. Allens steep decline after the call Allen has not talked to his wife since Kathy hung up on him. In fact, authorities said he hasnt made a single call, despite previously placing calls around twice a day since he was arrested. In the days after April 3, he refused to eat and sleep, and he destroyed the tablet he was given to send emails, listen to music and make phone calls, according to the prison warden. (Its not clear whether these are the same as the public jail phones authorities said he used in the calls in which he allegedly confessed to Kathy and his mother.) Officers escort Richard Matthew Allen out of the Carroll County courthouse following a Nov. 22, 2022, hearing in Delphi, Indiana. Officers escort Richard Matthew Allen out of the Carroll County courthouse following a Nov. 22, 2022, hearing in Delphi, Indiana. Clashing characterizations of Allens mental and physical health Allens defense did not dispute that Allen had made incriminating statements, but attributed them to his deteriorating physical and mental health, noting in requests to move him from the state prison, where he is being housed as he awaits trial, to a jail near Delphi, Indiana, that he had displayed symptoms of schizophrenia. Prosecutors said that they had considered involuntary medication to treat Allens symptoms, but two psychiatrists and a psychologist had allegedly deemed it unnecessary, and they also felt it wasnt necessary to move him to another facility with a psychiatric unit. Prison conditions Allens defense said in an April filing requesting he be moved to another facility that his living conditions at the prison were akin to those of a prisoner of war, including a photo taken on April 4, the day after his last phone call to his wife in which he appears thin, frail and unwashed. Prosecutors acknowledged that Allen had lost weight, but said his BMI, or body mass index, was still on target for his age. They described him as being entombed in a cold 6-by-10-foot cell like a dog kennel, where he slept on a pad on the concrete floor, and said he was forced to wear soiled and ripped clothes, could only take one or two showers a week, and had limited recreation time. In response, prosecutors called the defenses filing colorful and dramatic and included an affidavit from the prison warden saying that Allens cell is the standard size of 8-by-12, that he has a mattress on a bedframe attached to the floor for protection since he has made suicidal statements, has access to clean clothes and is allowed to shower three times a week, and has recreation time five days a week. Prosecutors, in fact, said the April 4 photo of Allen was taken immediately after his rec time, in the shirt he normally wears for rec time, and that he had clean shirts in his cell. They insist that the photo of Allen wearing a dirty shirt was used to curry sympathy in the public eye. Richard Allen in April 2023 (left) and before his arrest in October 2022. Richard Allen in April 2023 (left) and before his arrest in October 2022. The killings and crime scene Another detail from Libbys bridge video was included in a prosecutors motion in the documents trove: In addition to one of the girls saying gun, investigators believed they could hear the sound of a gun being cycled. Other documents identify the clothes taken from the crime scene: a sock and underwear, and reveal that Libbys phone was found beneath her body. The girls wounds were caused by a sharp object, according to a search warrant affidavit, specified as a knife in a separate motion. Search inventory: weapons In addition to Allens Sig Sauer .40-caliber gun that authorities later linked to the bullet found between the girls bodies, police executing the search warrant recovered around 15 knives, some in sheaths and others folded, and several mutitools at his home. Search inventory: clothing, electronics and carpet According to the search warrant inventory, police collected a number of boots, jeans, sweatshirts, and hats and headgear items consistent with witness accounts and what Bridge Guy appeared to be wearing in Libbys video and what Allen allegedly told police he had been wearing that afternoon. He also told police he had worn a Carhartt coat, which his wife previously told police he still owned. Investigators also took a cutting of a carpeted area underneath the spare tire of Allens Ford Focus, a car that police said was consistent with what some witnesses said theyd seen parked not far from the trailhead on the day of the killings. The property receipt notes that of all the items collected, only three were sent to the lab: the handgun, the carpet cutting and one other hair-raising find a 40-caliber bullet found in a keepsake box in the Allens primary bedroom. Authorities have not said whether it shares any characteristics of the bullet found at the crime scene. A makeshift memorial to Liberty German and Abigail Williams near where they were last seen and where the bodies were discovered stands along the Monon Trail leading to the Monon High Bridge Trail in Delphi, Indiana, on Oct. 31, 2022. A makeshift memorial to Liberty German and Abigail Williams near where they were last seen and where the bodies were discovered stands along the Monon Trail leading to the Monon High Bridge Trail in Delphi, Indiana, on Oct. 31, 2022. The hundreds of pages unsealed last week because of Murder Sheet is not the first time the podcast has unearthed documents in the case. In May 2022, the podcasters obtained a copy (also posted by the local News & Review) of a March 2017 FBI warrant which authorities had not publicly shared or confirmed details of to search the home of a man who was later ruled out as a suspect. The warrant stated that a large amount of blood was lost by the victims at the crime scene, the girls had no visible signs of a struggle or a fight, something belonging to one of the victims (the item was redacted) was missing from the crime scene while the rest of their clothing was recovered, and their bodies appeared to have been moved and staged. Allen has pleaded not guilty to all charges. His trial is currently scheduled for January. Related... Flash File photo taken on Nov. 9, 2020 shows a train carrying tires, auto parts, electronic components and other goods from Japan and the Republic of Korea (ROK) preparing to leave the Qingdao multimodal transportation center in the China-SCO local economic and trade cooperation demonstration zone in Qingdao, east China's Shandong Province. [Photo/Xinhua] The 2023 International Forum for Trilateral Cooperation, involving China, Japan, and the Republic of Korea (ROK), kicked off on Monday in Qingdao City, east China's Shandong Province, highlighting future cooperation and exchanges among the countries. Themed "Revitalizing Trilateral Cooperation in the Post-COVID Era: Communication, Connectivity, and Community," this year's event is held offline for the first time since 2020 due to the COVID-19 impact, said its organizer. Cooperation among the three countries is vital to the peace and stability of Northeast Asia and is of great significance to the prosperity and development of Asia and the world at large, said Ou Boqian, secretary-general of the Trilateral Cooperation Secretariat (TCS), during the opening ceremony. China, Japan and the ROK account for about a fifth of the world's population and a quarter of the global economy, strengthening trilateral cooperation is both a mission presented to the three countries by the times and the expectation of the people of the three countries, participants at the forum said. This year's forum is co-hosted by the TCS, the China Public Diplomacy Association and the Qingdao municipal government. Drew Hallowell/Getty Images The suspect accused of opening fire across four city blocks in a Philadelphia neighborhood on Monday nightwhile suited with body armor, a ski mask, and a police scanneracted alone in the massacre that left five dead and several injured, authorities said. In a Tuesday press conference, police offered new details into the tragic shooting in southwest Philadelphias Kingsessing section, including that the gunman wielding an AR-15 style assault rifle appeared to be firing randomly at people on the street or in their car. The suspect, who has only been identified by police as a 40-year-old Black male, was also armed with a handgun and multiple magazines of ammunition, Staff Inspector Ernest Ransom said. Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner said Tuesday that the gunman will be charged with multiple counts of murder, aggravated assault, and weapons charges. An arraignment will likely take place on Wednesday. Gunman Wearing Bullet-Proof Vest Shoots 6 People, Kills 5 in Apparent Random Act The deadly incident began around 8:28 p.m., when officers were flagged down for help at South 56th and Chester Street by multiple gunshot victims, Philadelphia Police Commissioner Danielle Outlaw said Monday night. Police also revealed they received numerous 911 calls reporting a shooting. When officers arrived at the scene, they found multiple victims in several places after the gunman was shooting aimlessly on the street, Ransom added. After a brief foot chase where the gunman continued to fire at authorities, Ransom said that the suspect was cornered in an alleyway and apprehended without incident. A second person was originally also taken into custody after police believed they shot back at the gunman. Krasner said that person will not be facing charges. I am frustrated and outraged that mass shootings like this continue to happen in communities across the United States, Krasner said on Tuesday. This country needs to reexamine its conscience and find out how to get guns out of dangerous peoples hands. It is time for everybody in our legislature including the ones who would like to walk around with an ar15 lapel pin, it is time for every one of them to face the voters and if they're not going to do something, then voters are going to have to vote them out pic.twitter.com/AYT6554YwM Acyn (@Acyn) July 4, 2023 Police have identified the five victims as: Lashyd Merritt, 20; Dymir Stanton, 29; Ralph Moralis, 59; Daujan Brown, 15; and 31-year-old Joseph Wamah. All the victims were shot several times, including their chest, arms, and back. That scene must have been chaotic, Philadelphia Mayor Jim Kenney said in a press conference Tuesday. They were taking active fire, scooping people up, trying to get them to the hospital to save them and our officers deserve our debt of gratitude for their courage and their commitment to Philadelphians. Police initially confirmed the death toll as four but later reported that a fifth victim had been found unresponsive inside a house. Ransom added that he may have been the first shooting victim and noted that he was not found immediately because he was home alone at the time. All seven victims were male. Six of the shooting victims were taken to Penn Presbyterian Medical Center, where four were later pronounced dead. Ransom said that four other people were injured in the shooting, including a pair of twins who were driving home with their mother. Both of the children sustained gunshot wounds to the leg. Friends and family of the shooting victims have spoken out since the grisly incident. 29-year-old Dymir Stanton cousin, Robert Browlee, told the Philadelphia Inquirer he was in bed when he heard what he initially believed was fireworks outside his house. Hours later, he learned that it was a shooting that claimed his younger cousin that worked as an Uber and grocery delivery driver. He was friendly, he got along with everybody, Browlee added. The ex-partner of 59-year-old Ralph Moralis also told the outlet that he was set to walk his eldest daughter down the aisle this weekend and always did well by his family. He was a regular dude, a good person. Hes really going to be missed, Tamika Veney added. 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 man behind Russias mercenary rebellion has seemingly resurfaced, appealing to the public for support that showed signs of weakening but not evaporating after days of Kremlin attacks. Wagner chief Yevgeny Prigozhin appeared to hint Monday that his fighters will soon return to the front lines of the war in Ukraine, as mystery continued to swirl over their fate after the short-lived mutiny that posed an unprecedented challenge to President Vladimir Putin. The mercenary leaders first apparent comments in a week came as the embattled Russian leadership worked hard to project order and unity. But in a pair of public opinion surveys and a video of young Russians, there were signs that Prigozhin retained some public backing in spite of his armed insurrection and speculation about a crackdown in its wake. 'We need your support' An audio recording attributed to the Wagner chief was shared Monday by a Telegram channel thats supportive of the Russian mercenaries and has shared material featuring Prigozhin in the past. In it, a man with a voice very similar to Prigozhin and in his signature style says that in the near future, people will see our next victories at the front. I want you to understand that our March of Justice was aimed at fighting traitors and mobilizing our society, the recording says, referring to the name Prigozhin used for his revolt. And I think we have achieved a lot of it. Today more than ever we need your support. Thank you for that, the recording says, without elaborating. There were no details given about Prigozhins whereabouts or those of the tens of thousands of his mercenary fighters. NBC News could not authenticate the audio message. Wagner chief 'betrayed' Russia out of 'personal ambition' announced President Vladimir Putin during a statement to the nation, on June 24, 2023, as Russia faced a rebellion by the Wagner mercenary group that has vowed to topple Moscow's military leadership. (Olga Maltseva / AFP - Getty Images) The Wagner chief has not been seen in public since the mutiny, only releasing an audio message last week in which he defiantly claimed that he never planned to topple Putin, but wanted to protect his fighters from being absorbed into the Russian defense ministry, with which he was embroiled in a bitter, monthslong feud. Mondays message is an utterly self-serving narrative to engage in some self-rehabilitation for Prigozhin, said Rajan Menon, director of the grand strategy program at Defense Priorities, a Washington-based think tank. The bottom line is that he owes everything to the system. And even though hes a critic of the system, hes a creature of the system, Menon told NBC News. So the result of the revolt is that he stands to lose it all. Theyre going after his assets. Theres a question of what happens to the Wagner Group. Hes an exile in Belarus and I think he is now trying to put out a narrative that rivals that of the government. While discrediting Prigozhin himself, the Kremlin has tried to appear merciful toward the Wagner fighters, vowing to stick to a deal in which none of those who participated in the revolt will be prosecuted and those who did not mutiny will be allowed to join the regular army. But 10 days after the crisis, it remains unclear how many fighters have joined or are preparing to join Prigozhin in supposed exile in Belarus, and how many could return to the front lines in Ukraine. Wagner, in its original form, will not make a comeback in Ukraine, Menon said. Not as it was once constituted, and certainly not under Prigozhins leadership, he said. With Prigozhin not in direct command anymore, its likely to splinter, with some signing contracts with the defense ministry, while others will go off and do whatever, but Menon expects the Kremlin to want to keep Wagners overseas operations going. Putin, polls and a party A Telegram channel affiliated with the mercenary group suggested Sunday that recruitment has been paused for a month due to the temporary non-participation of PMC Wagner in the special military operation and moving to the Republic of Belarus. There were signs of continued support among regular Russians for Wagner, though. While the Kremlins propaganda machine has now been turned against Prigozhin, the Wagner chief still does not appear to be viewed by Russians as the villain and traitor that the Kremlin is painting him to be. A poll by the Russian Field polling center has found that before the mutiny, 55% of respondents held positive views of Prigozhins actions during the war in Ukraine. That number dropped to 29% after his revolt. Despite the drop, its notable that nearly a third still view him positively, although the share of people viewing him negatively after the mutiny has nearly tripled. Yevgeny Prigozhin, the owner of the Wagner Group military company, at a funeral in Moscow on April 8, 2023. (v.v.smolnikov / AP file) The polling center said a positive attitude toward Prigozhins activities was more often expressed by men and respondents aged 30-44, while among older adults there was an extremely high proportion of negative assessments. It found that Putins approval ranking was unchanged for nearly 70% of respondents. A similar survey by the independent Levada Center released Monday also showed that support for the Russian leader has not changed, but the attitude toward Prigozhin has deteriorated sharply, with only 1 in 5 respondents supporting him after his revolt. However, positive assessments toward Wagner fighters persist even after the mutiny, Levada said. Assessing public opinion in Russia has become extremely difficult amid a harsh crackdown on free speech since the war in Ukraine started, leaving many people too afraid to speak their minds, even anonymously. Backing for Wagner and Prigozhin was evident in public cheers and waves as they left Rostov-on-Don, the southern city they seized early in their mutiny. That appeared to continue more than a week later. A video shared on social media and verified by NBC News showed young people waving Wagner flags at a graduation concert in Moscows Gorky Park on Saturday. Graduation balls across multiple regions of Russia, including Moscow, were postponed during Prigozhins revolt out of concerns for public safety. The Wagner chiefs purported new message came on the same day that his biggest foe, Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu, spoke out about the revolt for the first time. Shoigu hailed his armed forces for showing loyalty to the oath and military duty during the mutiny, which he called an attempt to destabilize the situation in Russia. He said the special military operation, as the Kremlin calls its war in Ukraine, was not affected by the mutiny. But while Shoigus position appeared to be safe, the whereabouts of one of Russias top military commanders remained unclear. Gen. Sergei Surovikin has yet to be seen in public since Prigozhins revolt, with speculation rife about his fate. Russia's leader has sought to rally the public despite the uncertainty. On Tuesday, Putin reiterated his claim that the Russian people were united like never before. This article was originally published on NBCNews.com SLO County supervisors approve nearly $1 billion budget. Here are 5 things to know San Luis Obispo County will operate with a budget of nearly $1 billion for the 2023-2024 fiscal year. On June 20, the San Luis Obispo County Board of Supervisors voted 4-1 to adopt the $966,000,000 budget, with Supervisor Debbie Arnold dissenting. Arnold didnt agree with the boards priorities, which no longer includes road maintenance. The boards ongoing priorities are to meet legal demands, meet debt service requirements and public safety. First-tier priorities include homelessness, behavioral heath and housing, while second-tier priorities include storm recovery, economic development and water resiliency, assistant county administrative officer Rebecca Campbell said at a June 12 budget hearing. From key spending areas to the multimillion-dollar deficit facing SLO County, here are five things to know about the 2023-24 budget. After shots were fired on officers south of Paso Robles, sheriffs deputies and other officers converged on the industrial area near Volpi Ysabel Road and Ramada Drive as they searched for Mason James Lira, the man suspected of attacking the Paso Robles Police Department and killing a homeless man. Sheriffs Office gets $63 million from SLO County general fund The San Luis Obispo County Sheriffs Office will receive $63,602,650 from the county general fund during fiscal year 2023-2024, which is about a 6% increase from the 2022-2023 budget, according to the county budget report. Thats almost 23% of the countys general fund expenditures to general fund departments, and the largest amount allotted to any of those departments. Despite its large budget, the Sheriffs Office is struggling to keep its department fully staffed, Undersheriff Jim Voge said at the June 12 meeting. In June, 28 employees at the Sheriffs Office workforce were on leave and 68% of those employees were out of the office due to workers compensation injuries, according Voge. This means the office is spending a significant amount of money to pay staff overtime, he said. A sheriffs office runs 24 hours a day, and when somebody is gone, we have to pay somebody, usually overtime, Voge said. We dont have this big buffer of personnel. The Sheriffs Office is working with the San Luis Obispo County Department of Human Resources to recruit more employees to fill the gap during the next fiscal year, Voge said. Funding for homeless services division The board agreed to allocate $1.4 million to fund the Homeless Services Division, according to Campbell. The board directed staff to create the division in August to execute the countys five-year plan to reduce homelessness by half. The division, led by manager Joe Dzvonik, works with local homeless service providers and cities to develop more affordable housing; expand mental health, addiction and case management services, and identify new sources of funding. Work to begin on Sheriffs Office substation in Nipomo The board voted to allocate $1.2 million to begin the design process for a long-awaited Sheriffs Office patrol substation in Nipomo, according to the county budget report. In March, Sheriff Ian Parkinson urged the board to designate funding for the substation. With a population of about 18,176, Nipomo has roughly the same size population as the city of Arroyo Grande, which is home to about 18,456 people, according to the 2020 U.S. Census. However, the Arroyo Grande population is condensed into an area of 5.8 square miles, while Nipomos population sprawls across almost 15 square miles, Parkinson said. Right now, Sheriffs Office deputies respond to calls in Nipomo from the Oceano substation so it takes them some time to travel to the scene, Parkinson said. A substation in Nipomo would improve emergency response times in the South County community, and also provide a place for residents to report crimes, according to Parkinson. The countys general government building replacement reserve contributed $894,000 to the project, while $306,000 came from the Trilogy at Monarch Dunes housing developments public facility fee, the report said. SLO County Sheriff Ian Parkinson gives a news conference Thursday in Templeton about the shooting incident that left a white supremacist gang member dead and injured a deputy. SLO County budget includes $5 million deficit The 2023-2024 SLO County budget has a deficit of $5.3 million, according to Campbell. The county will use one-time funding to close the gap, including $1.4 million from the Local Assistance and Tribal Consistency Fund, which was created by the federal American Rescue Plan Act The county will also use $3.9 million in General Fund Rainy Day Reserve funds, according to the county budget report. This structural imbalance is acceptable but not ideal as the imbalance will be needed to be addressed in the future, interim county administrative officer John Nilon said at the June 12 meeting. SLO County isnt the only government entity struggling with a deficit. The California state budget for 2023-2024 contains a deficit of more than $20 million, according to the county budget report. The state expects a $9 billion deficit for fiscal year 2024-2025, which could result in reduced state funding for SLO County, the report said. About 39% of the countys general fund revenue comes from state funds, the report said. San Luis Obispo County Supervisor Bruce Gibson said he expects more budget cuts in the future. It is true that the next fiscal year, (2024-25), will pose more challenges, Gibson said at the June 12 meeting. SLO County Supervisor John Peschong agreed, though he was a bit more enthusiastic about a tighter budget. I am looking forward to next years budget with its budget cuts, he said. Temporary funding for employees to expire The 2023-2024 budget relies on $5.9 million of temporary federal funding to pay 26 employees, the county budget report said. This funding includes American Rescue Plan Act funds along with COVID-19 Designation Reserve funds, the report said. The board approved the funding in 2021, and it lasts through the 2023-2024 fiscal year. When the county assembles the 2024-2025 budget, it will need to find different funding sources for those 26 positions. Illustration of wind turbines, Guadalupe Mountains and Texas state flag Illustrated / Getty Images Texas has been breaking all sorts of records, and that's mostly bad news. As a heat dome settled over Texas in June, trapping brutal heat and humidity underneath, high temperature records were broken across the state. It was so hot in Texas, meteorologist Ben Noll noted, that the only rivals on planet Earth were "the Sahara Desert and Persian Gulf area." The National Weather Service in Houston apologized for the "potentially deadly" and "oppressive and persistent heat" smothering the state: "Sorry, y'all. We're gonna get back to our typical levels of heat someday, but not real soon. Keep up the fight against the heat!" Texans, obviously, cranked up the air conditioning. And that was largely responsible for a new all-time record for energy demand in the state 80,878 megawatts on June 27 though the state's grid operator, the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT), didn't expect that record to hold long. The Texas power grid which, uniquely, only serves Texas has shuddered and occasionally broken in recent years under the weight of extreme weather, a growing population and aging infrastructure. But so far, the grid has held up this summer. In fact, ERCOT has only asked customers to voluntarily reduce electricity use once during the heat wave. And that's due in large part to another record Texas has shattered this summer: Solar and wind farms set a new high water mark for renewable energy generation 31,468 megawatts on June 28, helping offset the 8,000 megawatts knocked offline at ailing natural gas and coal-fired plants. "Wind and solar are giving us a big enough buffer that even when we have a handful of power plants go offline, it isn't causing disruptions," Dan Cohan at Rice University in Houston told The Washington Post. How are solar and wind power saving the summer? Keeping the air conditioning flowing through the extreme heat has been a group effort Texas subscribes to an all-of-the-above energy strategy but the rapid buildup of renewable energy generation has kept the state from rationing power as in summers past. And solar energy was the surprise MVP during the weeks of triple-digit heat. "The same sun that heats up our buildings and drives our need for AC is the same sun that makes electricity with solar panels," Joshua Rhodes, an energy researcher at the University of Texas at Austin, told Texas Monthly. "It lines up pretty well." Solar electricity "has been a workhorse during the afternoon hours, fulfilling more than 15 percent of the state's power needs during some of the most critical periods," Russell Gold wrote at Texas Monthly. Natural gas and wind turbines generate more electricity, "so solar can't solely be credited with saving our bacon" this summer, but "when it's so hot out that the bacon will sizzle on the sidewalk, the sun's largesse has played a key role in preventing brownouts." Texas is the leading state for wind power and No. 2 for solar, behind California, but it is trouncing all comers in building new solar and wind farms and also the third leg of the renewable energy triad: battery storage. "Mack truck-size" battery arrays, which step in when "power plants sputter," are "ideal for harnessing wind and solar energy," the Post reported, and they "played a crucial role in avoiding outages" in Texas. "I really think solar and storage are really the stories of the summer," said Doug Lewin, president of Stoic Energy and author of the Texas Energy and Power Newsletter. Over the past few years, Texas has "expanded its battery storage to over 3,000 megawatts enough energy to power the city of Austin during peak energy demand," Arielle Samuelson wrote at her Heated Substack. ERCOT predicts that 8,000 megawatts of battery storage will be installed by May 2024, which is "enough power to meet ERCOT's current backup needs," Chris Tomlinson added at the Houston Chronicle. "Companies have applied to connect 96,300 megawatts by 2030, which is more juice than the entire grid consumes at today's peaks." This year, though, "The real test for the ERCOT system is probably going to be late July through August," Rhodes told Heatmap. How did Texas get so big in renewables? When people think of Texas, they think of oil derricks and natural gas wells, but thanks to "federal tax credits and Texas' famously permissive regulatory environment, developers have found a welcoming environment for putting 'steel in the ground,' whether it's wind farms in North Texas or utility-scale solar in sunbeaten South and West Texas," Matthew Zeitlin wrote at Heatmap. Texas also stepped in and built critical transmission lines to move the power being generated at wind and solar farms on happily leased land to growing population centers that need the power, Susan Sloan at clean energy company rsted told The Texas Tribune. And the state's electricity market has made it easy for wind and solar power companies to get needed permits and plug into the grid, added Rob Minter at ENGIE North America. "It's frankly superior to most of the market designs that we see across the rest of the country." An attractive bonus in Texas is that "wind and solar power plants don't need water cooling," Michael Webber, a professor of energy resources at the UT Austin, told PBS NewsHour. "And water is scarce in Texas." Consumers, meanwhile, like renewable energy because it's cheaper. "Wind and solar have saved tens of billions over the past decade when it comes to electricity prices," UT's Rhodes told Heatmap. Do Texas Republicans support this green revolution? It's complicated. Many of the GOP lawmakers that dominate the Texas government argue that wind and solar power are unreliable compared to power plants that run on fossil fuel. Oil and gas production is also a significant source of tax revenue for the state, as well as political contributions. This past legislative session Republicans advanced a bill to kneecap wind and solar power through onerous permitting requirements, and they gave a boost to natural gas plants with special financial incentives. But "two decades ago, the state's conservative leaders laid the groundwork for Texas to become a clean energy powerhouse," the Post reported. Gov. George W. Bush (R) deregulated the state's energy market in 1999 and called for 2,000 megawatts of renewable energy to come online in the following decade, while his successor, Gov. Rick Perry (R), backed the multibillion-dollar push to put in the transmission lines from windy, sunny West Texas. "There is a sort of a cultural thing in Texas, which is often irrational, that renewables are bad because they're against oil and gas," Stoic Energy's Lewin told Heated. Given the benefits, "it should be safe for any elected official to talk about an energy transition, but they don't perceive it that way." The oil and gas industry see the upside, however, and they are investing in renewables, Lewin said. "We saw this play out during the session, where some of the oil and gas players were not as full-throated against renewables, and might have even been trying to stop some of the worst attacks on renewables, because they're trying to buy them." Are solar and wind reliable energy sources? "No source of electricity is 100% reliable," Tomlinson wrote at the Chronicle, but "the Texas electric grid's biggest failures so far this summer are coming from the supposedly most reliable generators: fossil fuels." Some GOP lawmakers are "pushing for this idea that wind and solar are not reliable," but "what we found in Winter Storm Uri, the February 2021 storm that led to the deaths of hundreds of people and a massive blackout, it was the natural gas infrastructure that froze up, and natural gas, coal and nuclear power plants that went offline," UT Austin's Webber told NewsHour. "And we're finding out that solar power plants really perform well when it's sunny outside," which is also when it's really hot. In fact, "there is a very strong case to be made that solar in particular is far more reliable than coal and gas," Lewin told Heated. "We know exactly when the sun is coming up and when it's going down." What can other states learn from Texas' renewables juggernaut? "Texas is experiencing what everyone in the country is going to be going through in some form or fashion in the years ahead," Aaron Zubaty, CEO of energy storage company Eolian, told the Post. The current inferno and recent ice storms in Texas "are the types of weather events that can cause weird things to occur that no one has ever thought about at all types of plants." "We basically built our grid for the weather of the past," with transmission systems mostly from the 1930s to 1970 and a lot of our modern power plants in the '70s and '80s," Webber told NewsHour. "It was cooler then. And we need to prepare the system for a hotter future," where "the heat we're feeling now in Texas and the high temperatures and high demand for air conditioning might be the new normal. Next year might be hotter. So, we have to prepare for that." One lesson Texas has to offer is that "only a diverse mix can keep us alive during extreme weather," the Chronicle's Tomlinson wrote. "Solar facilities are cranking during the day, and some wind still blows at night," and the "new batteries kept the lights on during the two unplanned outages, and they will do more in the future." Batteries will get cheaper, but it will take years to put them in place, and "fossil fuels will always provide some backup," he added. But "the grid must evolve to mitigate climate change. Texas will eventually rely mostly on clean energy most of the time." "I think we're a postcard from the future," and "the stakes are very, very, very high" not just for other states but other countries, Lewin said. "I think a lot of places could learn from Texas from what we do right. The inverse is also true. This is the energy state," he told Heated, "and we have to get this right." You may also like Florida construction and agricultural workforces diminished after new immigration law takes effect Judge limits how Biden officials can communicate with social media companies How solar and wind energy are saving Texans from a record heatwave Spain May Be Moving Too Fast in Its Green Energy Push Spain May Be Moving Too Fast in Its Green Energy Push (Bloomberg) -- At a port across from Gibraltar, two European monarchs made a rare joint appearance in June to bestow their imprimatur on a bold and risky endeavor. Standing alongside freight ships in Algeciras, King Felipe VI of Spain and King Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands inaugurated a new maritime corridor. The critical cargo that attracted the attention of modern royalty was: green ammonia a way to transport hydrogen and a key part of Spains plans to become the continents hub for clean energy. The rest of Europe might not be ready. Spain is ramping up well over 18 billion ($19.5 billion) in investments to produce and distribute hydrogen generated from renewable power representing Europes most ambitious effort yet to implement technologies critical to becoming the worlds first climate-neutral continent. The Field of Dreams approach assumes that once supply is built, demand will come. But countries including France and Germany have started to chip away at parts of the European Unions so-called Green Deal which targets production of 10 million tons of clean hydrogen by 2030 as the ambitious plan gets dragged into culture wars over concerns about the political and financial costs. Adding to the uncertainties, a snap election on July 23 could usher in a new government less willing to spend on the sector. That could repeat history, with Spain yanking a 2007 program to subsidize photovoltaic panels after liabilities spiraled out of control. Read More: Why Getting Europes Green Deal Going Is So Hard Spains projects stretch from northern to southern coasts and include Europes largest green hydrogen facility in Puertollano. Calvera Hydrogen SA in Zaragoza encompasses plans to build equipment to generate and store the fuel, including at filling stations for cars, buses and trains. All in all, Spain is home to almost one in every five strategic hydrogen projects around the world, trailing only the US. Spain is in a unique, privileged position to become a kind of Saudi Arabia of green hydrogen, said Carlos Barrasa, vice president for clean energies at local refiner Cepsa SA, which is investing 3 billion in projects dubbed Andalusian Green Hydrogen Valley. Made with renewable power breaking up water molecules, green hydrogen is seen as critical to the shift away from fossil fuels. Its effectively a means of storing energy from sun, wind and water in a way that can be transported via pipelines and ships. To prevent the worst impacts of global warming, the International Renewable Energy Agency estimates that green hydrogen needs to surge to over 500 million tons by 2050 from less than 1 million now. Blessed with Europes best solar-power conditions, Spain aims to play a leading role. The risk is that it pushes too far, too fast. Theres a sequencing in terms of whats logical to do, said Martin Lambert, head of hydrogen research at the Oxford Institute for Energy Studies. The first step is to do as much as possible to decarbonize the power system locally, then make hydrogen from surplus renewable power to use locally, and then move on to exports. Read More: With Plenty of Clean Energy, Brazil Aims for Green Hydrogen Export Market As the royal appearance in Algeciras shows, Spain is already jumping ahead to transit plans. Ammonia is simpler to transport, because the gas can be easily liquefied. The compound, which consists of nitrogen and hydrogen molecules, is considered green if its made with renewable power. Cepsa plans to invest 1 billion into production in San Roque, which is due to be completed by 2027. The new trade route like a similar project in nearby Huelva from Iberdrola SA, Europes top clean-energy developer foresees shipping the chemical to the Dutch port of Rotterdam. But ammonia is highly toxic, flammable and corrosive. Because of health and environmental risks, it requires strict safety standards, according to the non-profit Global Maritime Forum. That limits the number of vessels that can be used. The backbone of Spains export ambitions though is H2Med. The 2.5 billion pipeline could transport 2 million tons of hydrogen a year. The undersea link, which is set to receive EU funding, will run from Barcelona to Marseille and could eventually connect to Germany. As Spains supply and transport links take shape, other countries are still far behind. Less than 10% of the hundreds of projects announced around the world are actually backed by committed capital, according to the Hydrogen Council, an industry group. Analysis firm Aurora Energy Research estimates that only 1% of the global pipeline is currently under construction. Europes laggards include Germany, which is falling short of reaching its target of having 10 terawatts of hydrogen capacity by the end of the decade. Green hydrogen can cost more than twice as much to produce as the grey version, which is derived from fossil fuels. While the US is promoting the clean variant with tax credits to help close that gap, Europes policy framework is more muddled, and nerves in Spain are starting to rattle. We already have many green hydrogen projects in Spain and other countries, but we still dont know whats going to be the support for those projects, Ignacio Galan, chairman of Bilbao-based Iberdrola, said in a call with analysts after reporting first-quarter earnings. We need to accelerate. The EUs first pilot auctions to support producers through fixed price per kilogram wont be launched before this fall, with full regulation not coming until 2028. Read More: Dismal Sales Undercut Carmakers Pushing Hydrogen Fuel Cells With its cheap wind and solar power, Spain is ploughing ahead in places like Puertollano. About 240 kilometers (150 miles) south of Madrid, Iberdrola has built Europes largest industrial electrolyzer the expensive equipment needed to split water into hydrogen and oxygen. Inside the modest boxy structure, 16 cells contain a polymer electrolyte membrane or PEM, as the technology is known. The nascent technique is more energy efficient than alkaline versions, which generate hydrogen using potassium hydroxide, commonly called caustic potash, according to Maria Retuerto, a scientist at Spains National Research Council. The power stems from a field nearby with 246,000 solar panels, where sheeps graze to keep the grass too short to catch fire and prevent the sun collectors from being obstructed. The 150 million facility can supply 3,000 tons of hydrogen annually. While thats only about 9% of the volume needed for a local plant that makes ammonia for fertilizer, its an important test case for the technology. Iberdrola aims to multiply its capacity 10-fold and invest 3 billion in its green hydrogen business by 2030. Our idea is that the final consumer will be able to buy bread made through an entirely green production chain, said Javier Plaza, the director of the facility. Spain though needs about 300 facilities like the one in Puertollano to meet its own green hydrogen demand before it can start shipping beyond its borders, according to Javier Revuelta, senior principal at Afry Management Consulting. Other countries are also targeting the segment, and solar has disadvantages compared to offshore wind, which offers higher output potential. To that end, US firm Plug Power Inc. plans to set up a hydrogen plant run in Finland, which has the added benefit of being closer to manufacturing centers in northern Europe. Whether exporting from Spain is the best option still remains to be seen, said Revuelta. --With assistance from Akshat Rathi. More stories like this are available on bloomberg.com 2023 Bloomberg L.P. Stanley Tucci shares his thoughts on straight actors playing gay roles: 'You're supposed to play different people. You just are.' Stanley Tucci at The Prince's Trust and TKMaxx & Homesense Awards 2023. Stuart C. Wilson/Getty Images Stanley Tucci weighed in on straight actors playing gay roles on BBC Radio 4's "Desert Island Discs." He believes it's "fine" as long as it's being done "the right way" as opposed to caricatures. Several straight actors have won Academy Awards for their portrayals of LGBTQ+ characters. "An actor is an actor is an actor," Stanley Tucci said on Sunday's episode of BBC Radio's "Desert Island Discs." "You're supposed to play different people. You just are. That's the whole point of it." The Oscar nominee previously weighed in on the same topic straight actors playing gay roles but this time around, he has taken a clearer stance. "Obviously I believe that's fine. I am always very flattered when gay men come up to me and talk to me about 'The Devil Wears Prada' or they talk about 'Supernova,'" said Tucci on the BBC radio show. "And they say that 'It was just so beautiful,' you know, 'You did it the right way.' Because often, it's not done the right way," said Tucci. He believes that straight actors playing these on-screen roles is only problematic when it portrays caricatures and stereotypes of the LGBTQ+ community. The lauded actor, who married Emily Blunt's sister Felicity in 2012, has been widely praised for his performances over the years. The three gay characters he's played include Nigel, a leading fashion authority in "The Devil Wears Prada" (2006), Sean, a club assistant in "Burlesque" (2010), and Tusker, a man with final-stage dementia in "Supernova" (2020). Over the years, several other straight actors have won Academy Awards for their portrayals of LGBTQ+ characters. In 1994, Tom Hanks won his first Oscar for his role as an attorney suing his law firm for discrimination in "Philadelphia." Nine years later, Charlize Theron won for playing serial killer Aileen Wuornos in "Monster," with Cate Blanchett taking it home the following year for her role as actress Katharine Hepburn in "The Aviator." Read the original article on Insider Henry Kissinger memorably observed that the reason academic fights were so vicious was that the prizes were so small. So it has been in the Labour Party for most of the last 13 years, when the chances of overturning the Conservative administrations of the day were so unlikely that Labour MPs could focus on their real enemies each other. But slowly and decisively, silence has fallen on the Labour Party ahead of a purported reshuffle. Within its ranks, there seems to be a dogged determination to win. Unity of will doesnt guarantee anything in a general election, but its opposite, disunity, is political death as backbench Tory MPs are likely to see in the coming by-elections. Of course, political energy has to go somewhere, and with Labour looking increasingly likely to be at least the largest party in the Commons after the next election, all the spinning is going into self-promotion to secure, or retain, a post in Keir Starmers Shadow Cabinet. With a Labour opinion-poll lead over the Tories that in recent weeks has been between 16 and 25 points, it would be a Golden Ticket. Hence the flurry of earnest speculation about which senior Labour figures could be sacked or sidelined in the coming weeks. When political editors are asked, So, what is Keir Starmer going to do?, the only honest answer is: Nobody knows. For, in contrast to most other modern Labour leaders, Starmer does not provide a running commentary to the Westminster Lobby; nor does he have a newspaper columnist who serves as court reporter. Starmer stays silent, acts and then moves on. Will there be a reshuffle? We dont know. Should there be one? Absolutely. This is the last sensible moment before the election its now or never. There are clear rules Starmer should follow. First, a reshuffle must have a clear political purpose or dont do it. This is not a technical matter; its a demonstration of leadership. Previous reshuffles have reflected Starmers relative strength as leader, needing to balance factions in both the Parliamentary Labour Party and the movement as a whole. It is, after all, less than two years since the UKs Covid Freedom Day, when it seemed as though Boris Johnson would carry politics before him for the rest of the decade. Yet Starmer is now on his third prime minister. There have been so many Tory reshuffles and departmental reorganisations since the 2019 general election that Labours Shadow Cabinet no longer shadows the government. Given this Conservative chaos, it would be pointless for Labour to precisely match the current machinery of government. What Starmer needs is to show who would be sitting around the Cabinet table if he were to win the next election and they need to be ready in post immediately. The sooner the reshuffle is done, the longer the new team will have to read into their brief, and to prepare for their autumn speeches. This Octobers Labour Party conference is likely to be the last one before the general election, so it is the best chance to showcase a government-in-waiting. Specific policies can wait, but personalities show intent. What Starmer could learn from Thatcher By John McTernan Second, Starmer should reward performance and sideline those who havent made the grade; this is no time for passengers. The benefit of presiding over a predicted landslide is that it yields absolute authority for the leader. Such moments are rare in politics, and Starmer should seize his and clear out the Shadow Cabinet. First, he must shrink it to 22, the size of the actual Cabinet. Rampant shadflation means that 30 politicians are currently in the Shadow Cabinet, a size created by the evasion of hard choices. Its time to make them. There is no longer a Department for International Development, and Starmer should be clear it isnt coming back. The incumbent Shadow Minister, Preet Gill should, therefore, be the first to go. The fashion, created by David Cameron, of ministers attending Cabinet, without being members of Cabinet, should be avoided. You are either in or out; there can be no halfway house. Which will leave up to six of Starmers frontbench out of a job. This slimming-down will help with some of the politics, too. It is visible from the Moon that Dr Rosena Allin-Khan, Shadow Minister for Minister for Mental Health, disagrees with her boss, Wes Streeting, about health policy. As he is one of the strongest of Labours frontbench performers, he isnt moving. So Rosena has to go. Elsewhere, there are easier decisions for Starmer to make, such as keeping the strong performers where they are: Rachel Reeves, David Lammy and Yvette Cooper. In the wider ranks, John Healey has made Defence his own his embrace of Nato has eliminated memories of the Corbyn years; Jim McMahon has been instrumental in making the politics of the water industry a vote-winner; and Shadow Leader of the House, Thangam Debbonaire, has become the quintessential (and essential) Minister for the Today Programme. Ed Miliband has earned his place be doing the rarest of things: becoming the ex-leader you actually want in your team because his government experience and credentials are a useful bridge to young and green voters. But not all should have prizes. To promote talent, vacancies must be created, and politics should drive that, too. AI is transforming everything but what has Labour had to say about this revolutionary moment? The debate ought to be driven by the Shadow Secretary of State for DCMS, but it hasnt been so Lucy Powell has to make way for a new appointment. Similarly, when the justice system is in freefall and undermining public trust in law and order, the last thing Labour needs is a Shadow Justice Secretary trying to ramp up the Governments ridiculous war on drugs. Steve Reed should be replaced by a politician who can consistently keep in voters minds the crisis in the Courts that undermines law enforcement. And amid a poverty crisis caused by the combination of cost-of-living pressures and cruel welfare policies, Labour needs a crusader, not a technician so Jonathan Ashworth should make way for someone new. While all three are talented politicians, in opposition, it is Shadow Cabinet or bust. Starmer will regret purging the Left By Michael Crick That still leaves what one might call the Prescott challenge how to properly use the huge talents of a deputy leader who is a superb politician and the perfect counterpoint to the party leader. It is absurd to believe that Angela Rayner should merely be Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster but the uneasy settlement of the last reshuffle, which left her holding down a sheaf of Shadow Ministerial posts, cannot last into government. Creating a mega-department for John Prescott wasnt the right answer in 1997, and should be avoided this time round. Rayners radicalism, rooted equally in her working-class background and her Left-wing politics, would bring real edge to the Justice Department, or the Work and Pensions brief. But it will surely need to be resolved privately between Angela and Keir, in a modern-day equivalent of the 1994 Granita deal, struck in an Islington restaurant, which formalised the working relationship between Blair and Brown. Third, promote talent. New faces and new voices will bring new energy and get cut-through. When voters say that they dont know what Labour stands for, they dont want hundreds more pages of policy documents, they want definition. Given the state of the economy and the public finances as well as Shadow Chief Secretary Pat McFaddens tight control over spending commitments Labour cant spend its way into the public mind. It needs to think its way there instead. The two most creative thinkers on the wider shadow frontbench are Liz Kendall and Alison McGovern. Kendall is perhaps best-remembered for her 2015 leadership bid, in which she was beaten into fourth place of four but she also set the terms for the politics that have catapulted Labour to its current poll lead. When Kendall said country first, party second, it cost her the votes of the Left-leaning Labour membership, but it helped her frame the core tenets of Starmerism. And as Shadow Social Care Minister, she has avoided the siren call of expensive and pointless nationalising in favour of a focus on raising standards and investing in the workforce. Keir Starmer the Conservative By Tom McTague Alison McGovern, meanwhile, has played an equally significant role in making Labour electable again. As chair of the centre-left political faction and think-tank Progress (now Progressive Britain), she shepherded moderate policies, politics and activists through the Corbyn years so that there was a reserve army to support Starmer when elected leader. As the Shadow Minister for Employment, she has a track record of innovative thinking: her most recent plan, to devolve job centres to local councils, would prove more effective than the status quo without costing more. Finally, reshuffles are about two types of people. The first are your MPs and when I say it pays to remember them, I mean that literally. There was a reshuffle during my time at No. 10 when a minister lost their job because their name was on a piece of paper that had fallen off the table and someone elses was slotted in its place. The reality is that a reshuffle is rarely only one move; you must have the whole plan in full detail before you announce the headline parts. Nobody must be forgotten. The second group of people are, of course, the voters. If Labours reshuffle is done right, the public will take notice of the new faces on the frontbench. Once he has his best team in place, the next challenge for Starmer will be sending them around the country to promote the partys pledges and policies. Politics is a retail business, and sales are best done face to face but you dont need to wait for a general election to seal the deal with the British people. Mr Brooks said victims and witnesses to crime were still facing similar problems as he did in the aftermath of the 1993 murder - Phil Harris Duwayne Brooks, the friend of Stephen Lawrence who witnessed his murder, is in the running to be the next victims commissioner for England and Wales, pledging to put people before politics. Mr Brooks, who was with Stephen on the night he was killed, is among a handful of short-listed candidates interviewed by Justice Secretary Alex Chalk to take up the job of representing and championing victims of crime. The post has been vacant since Dame Vera Baird resigned last September. In an interview with The Telegraph, he said victims and witnesses to crime were still facing similar problems as he did in the aftermath of the murder of Stephen in April 1993. Mr Brooks suffered severe post-traumatic stress disorder and sought damages for negligence for his treatment as a suspect, rather than a witness. He won 100,000 compensation from the Metropolitan Police and an apology 13 years after the murder. Even what was happening back then and for years after is still happening to other victims and witnesses across the country. For me, that is sad, he said. Support and guidance But Mr Brooks, 48, believed he could transcend religion, race, culture, sex or gender and offer a different type of background and experience to his predecessors: Dame Vera, a former Attorney General and policing chief, and Baroness Newlove, now Lords deputy speaker whose husband was murdered by three youths. I can give victims confidence to come forward, he said. I am about making sure that people recover from that trauma and that the impact on your life doesnt change your future. For me, as far as they were concerned I was going to go off the rails and would get into crime but I didnt. That was because I had support and guidance. A lot of the people in the more deprived areas dont have that support. It would be a great role to show how when you remove politics, when you put people before politics, you always have a great result. Mr Brooks was born to Jamaican parents and grew up in Deptford before studying engineering at college. OBE for public and political service Last weekend, he said he would have picked out in an identity parade Matthew White, who was named last month as the sixth suspect in the racist killing 30 years ago. Brooks became a councillor for the Lib Dems in Lewisham in 2009 but joined the Tory party in 2018. He was awarded an OBE in 2015 for public and political service. Mr Brooks described how as a councillor there had been a focus on rape, but there had been no online reports from the LGBT community until he organised a meeting with police. The reason they were not reporting it before was because they didnt believe anyone was going to believe them. It changed the reporting. Its the same thing I know I can bring as victims commissioner. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month, then enjoy 1 year for just $9 with our US-exclusive offer. Stoltenberg to remain as NATO Secretary General for another year Jens Stoltenberg Jens Stoltenberg will continue his role as NATO Secretary General for an additional year until Oct. 1, 2024, NATO announced on July 4. Stoltenberg highlighted the significance of the transatlantic bond between Europe and North America in ensuring freedom and security for nearly 75 years. He emphasized the ongoing importance of the alliance in an increasingly dangerous world. Read also: Ukraine's unprecedented frontline experience crucial for NATO security, says Zelenskyy The extension of Stoltenbergs tenure received praise from Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba, who referred to it as excellent news. Tough times demand strong leadership, Kuleba stated. Jens Stoltenberg has demonstrated just that. I look forward to furthering our cooperation. Read also: Kuleba calls on Germany not to block Ukraine's accession to NATO The 64-year-old Stoltenberg, a former Prime Minister of Norway, was initially expected to conclude his term as NATO Secretary General at the end of September. In February, he stated that he would not seek an extension of his tenure. However, due to the lack of consensus regarding his successor, NATO members approached him requesting an extension. U.S. news website Politico reported on May 25 that Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen might be tapped to replace Jens Stoltenberg as once the latters mandate has expired. European news site Euractiv reported on June 27 that Stoltenberg was likely to stay in his position for another year. Other candidates for the NATO leadership position mentioned by Euractiv included Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez, and UK Secretary of Defense Ben Wallace. Read also: Zelenskyy to skip NATO summit if theres no membership invitation for Ukraine, says advisor Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas was also allegedly considered, but she was deemed too tough for occupying the post during wartime. Wallace expressed interest in becoming the next NATO Secretary General but later stated, it will not happen. Were bringing the voice of Ukraine to the world. Support us with a one-time donation, or become a Patron! Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine Stoughton woman remains in the hospital after being found stuck in the mud for days To put it mildly, Barbara Zinaman has endured a stressful week. But it ended in almost surreal joy Monday when Easton Police pulled her daughter, Emma Tetewsky, out of mud shed apparently been trapped in for days. Stoughton woman found alive, stuck in mud a week after last seen Tetewsky, 31, was last seen on June 26th, a Monday. She reportedly had gone out for a walk from her home in Stoughton. Police found her miles away, in Borderland State Park, a place frequented by hikers. In fact, it was two hikers who heard Tetewskys calls for help Monday evening at about 6:30. Unable to reach Tetewsky, the hikers called 9-1-1. An extensive search with drones and boats is underway for a 31-year-old Stoughton woman who was reported missing by her family on Tuesday, police said Wednesday. She seemed pretty good, said Easton firefighter Tony Ioannidis, who helped carry Tetewsky out of the park once police got her up to a trail. I mean she was dirty. Shed been in the woods for eight days. Actually, its unknown if Tetewsky was in the woods the entire time she was missing. One thing for certain -- she was dehydrated. Tetewsky was taken to Good Samaritan Hospital where she is undergoing rehydration, Zinaman said. Media outlets peppered Eastons police and fire chiefs for more information on what seemed a near-miraculous story of survival. Neither was available on the July 4th holiday -- but Boston 25 News has learned the chiefs may be planning a press conference in the coming days because there is so much interest in the case -- and so many unanswered questions. Those include how Tetewsky ended up in Easton, why she veered off the trail and why no one heard cries for help until those two hikers did on Monday? And, the biggie... how did Tetewsky survive, with no food or water, trapped in mud for days? Tetewskys Mom suggested the most important question is the one thats already been answered: Will she be found alive? This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available. Download the FREE Boston 25 News app for breaking news alerts. Follow Boston 25 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch Boston 25 News NOW Flash Chinese State Councilor and Minister of National Defense Li Shangfu met with Commander-in-Chief of the Russian Navy Nikolay Yevmenov in Beijing on Monday, calling for maintaining regional peace and stability. Li said the two heads of state have drawn up blueprints for China-Russia relations and their cooperation in various fields. He called for efforts to advance and deepen relations between the two militaries, strengthening navy communications and expanding cooperation in professional fields. For his part, Yevmenov said Russia attaches great importance to enhancing military cooperation with China, and is willing to maintain close coordination with China to advance the relations between the two countries and two militaries to a new level. Some suburban women drawn to Ron DeSantis' presidential campaign over his support of reopening schools early in the pandemic jokingly call him 'Freedom Daddy' Gov. Ron DeSantis of Florida. Getty Images Some suburban women have gravitated to Gov. Ron DeSantis' 2024 campaign over school reopenings, per CNN. DeSantis pushed for full in-person instruction among children earlier than officials in many states. Some of these women have jokingly called the governor "Daddy DeSantis" and "Freedom Daddy," CNN reported. When schools across the US shut down in March 2020 during the earliest days of the coronavirus pandemic, many parents began to wonder how long their children would be learning from home. Months later, when it was clear that COVID-19 would be an enduring health issue that would impact the way students would interact with their friends and family for years to come, many officials and localities sought to keep remote learning as an option for schoolchildren. But some officials, including Gov. Ron DeSantis of Florida, pushed to reopen schools for in-person learning despite a surge in COVID-19 infections in the state a stance that became a divisive issue for parents across the country, with many railing against their local school boards over decisions not to fully reopen schools. And as DeSantis launched his bid for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination, some suburban women including a swath of women who have backed Democratic presidential nominees in the past are keen on a presidential campaign by the Florida governor, according to CNN. Vanessa Steinkamp, a Texas teacher and mother of three, told CNN that it was critical for schools to reopen in a timely manner, as she felt vulnerable students would be left behind academically without in-person instruction. She watched DeSantis push for in-person learning early in the pandemic, and in the spring of 2021, remarked to the network that she was firmly behind the governor's position. "If DeSantis were to run tomorrow, he would win," Steinkamp told CNN at the time. "All he has to do is run on opening schools." Recently, a circle of like-minded friends Steinkamp amassed over the school reopening issue told CNN that they had jokingly referred to DeSantis as "Daddy DeSantis" and "Freedom Daddy." Read the original article on Business Insider The Supreme Courts term came to an end last week with decisions nullifying President Bidens student debt relief plan and the affirmative action in college admission programs, outcomes that reaffirmed the high courts conservative bent. The court issued several unexpected outcomes this term that suggested it may be more nuanced than meets the eye, but Supreme Court watchers say those outcomes are less indicative of a moderating court than one aware of its falling public standing. Its still going to be an aggressively right-wing court, but maybe there are some boundaries that the court is going to impose on itself because it is and I would say, the chief justice in particular, is worried about its own reputation and standing with the public, said Mary Cheh, a professor at George Washington University Law. A Quinnipiac University poll last month found 30 percent of registered voters approved of the Supreme Court, while 59 percent disapproved the high courts lowest approval rating since Quinnipiac started asking the question in 2004. I think they trimmed their sails in some cases, said Josh Chafetz, a professor at Georgetown University Law, which he said allows the court to at least claim that, Hey, were not just doing conservative policy here. Here are four surprise decisions the Supreme Court reached this term. Drawing legislative lines The Supreme Court declined to endorse the so-called independent state legislature theory by rejecting a bid from GOP lawmakers that would have given state governments expansive authority in drawing congressional maps and regulating federal elections. The high court decided 6-3 that state courts can review federal election rules enacted by state legislatures and hear partisan gerrymandering lawsuits related to congressional redistricting. Chief Justice John Roberts and two other conservative justices were joined by the courts three liberal justices in the majority, which represented a victory for Democrats. The independent state legislature theory purports that state legislatures hold exclusive authority over federal election regulations. The North Carolina Republican lawmakers who advanced the theory pointed to a portion of the U.S. Constitutions Elections Clause that says the Times, Places and Manner of federal elections are to be decided by state lawmakers. Legal experts expressed surprise that the high court agreed to hear the case given its unorthodox nature. It was always a fringe theory and probably should have been dispensed with before, Cheh said. Joey Fishkin, a law professor at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), said the courts choice to decide the case was likely a preventative measure as the U.S. barrels toward the 2024 elections. I do think that what the court was trying to do here was close the door on John Eastman-type arguments for next time, Fishkin said, referencing the Trump lawyer who attempted to overturn the 2020 election with the novel legal theory. Alabamas congressional map A narrow coalition of the Supreme Courts liberal justices and two conservative justices Roberts and Justice Brett Kavanaugh ruled that an Alabama GOP-drawn congressional map likely violated the Voting Rights Act (VRA) by weakening Black voters power, handing voting rights advocates a 5-4 win. It was widely expected the court would use Alabamas case to diminish the Voting Rights Act section that prohibits voting practices resulting in racial discrimination. Chafetz said the courts decision in Allen v. Milligan was a twofold surprise. First, because in election-law cases, these justices have generally ruled in ways that they anticipate will help Republicans, and this outcome clearly favors Democrats, Chafetz said. And second, because the Republicans on the Court and especially John Roberts, who wrote the majority opinion have been almost uniformly hostile to the Voting Rights Act up to this point. To have a case that leaves the VRA where it found it, and especially in an opinion by Roberts, is really striking, he added. The right to handle immigration and deportations The Supreme Court determined 8-1 last month that states challenging the Biden administrations guidelines for deporting migrants from the country did not have the authority to do so. Texas and Louisiana challenged a Department of Homeland Security policy that directed Immigration and Customs Enforcement to prioritize certain immigrants for detention and deportation. The policy tells agents to focus on serious crimes and is meant to decrease heavy policing in immigrant communities. To combat federal immigration regulation was always a stretch, and the courts rejection of it, of that argument, I think merely suggests that the court was adhering to the long-standing understanding of immigration law as something that is properly within the authority of the federal government, said Adam Winkler, a professor at UCLA School of Law. But the courts decision also raised questions about the way it will approach presidential powers in the future, Cheh said. She contrasted the immigration outcome with the courts decision to block Bidens student loan forgiveness plan, which would have canceled up to $10,000 for most borrowers and $20,000 for Pell Grant recipients. Theres something going on with the court in terms of how it wants to preserve presidential authority, Cheh said. Tribal custody proceedings In Haaland v. Brackeen, the Supreme Court decided 7-2 to preserve a longstanding federal law meant to keep Native American children with their families and tribes during custody proceedings. Enacted in 1978, the Indian Child Welfare Act (ICWA) imposed minimum standards for separating Native children from their families and tribes and established default preferences for their adoption and foster-care placements. Three white couples argued before the Supreme Court that the ICWA exceeded Congresss constitutional authority and even if Congress had that authority, the default preferences set by the law discriminated against them. The high court ruled ICWA did not exceed Congresss constitutional authority. It also determined the challengers did not have legal standing to bring their claims that the provision is unconstitutional under the 14th Amendment, which guarantees equal protection. The court has been so hostile to any kind of race-based decision-making by the government that there were those who thought that the Indian Child Welfare Act was on shaky footing in this court, Winkler said. So, its kind of surprising that the Court turned away that challenge. Winkler added that Haaland v. Brackeen is another example of a case that Supreme Court watchers were surprised the court undertook. The arguments made against the Indian Child Welfare Act were unimaginable 10 or 15 years ago, he added. No one would have brought this case if the Supreme Court hadnt turned so hard to the right in recent years. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. By Kanishka Singh WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Suspended Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton will not testify in his upcoming impeachment trial in the state Senate, his lawyer said late on Monday, indicating Paxton would fight efforts that may aim to compel a testimony from him. State legislators impeached Paxton on May 27 on charges including bribery and temporarily suspended him from office pending his trial in the Texas Senate. Paxton is a supporter of former U.S. President Donald Trump whose lawsuit challenging the 2020 election results was tossed out by the Supreme Court. The Texas Senate will try Paxton on 20 articles of impeachment lodged against him. If two-thirds of the 31 senators find him guilty, he will be removed from office. If not, he will be reinstated. Paxton's impeachment trial will begin on Sept. 5, according to CBS Texas. Paxton's impeachment by the Texas House of Representatives on allegations of corruption and other irregularities was triggered by his office's request that the House fund a $3.3 million lawsuit settlement he reached with four whistleblowers from his office. Paxton has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing. Aside from his impeachment, he is under a separate corruption investigation by the Justice Department, according to the special prosecutors in Texas leading his state case. "The House has ignored precedent, denied him an opportunity to present his defense and now wants to ambush him on the floor of the Senate," Paxton's attorney, Tony Buzbee, said in a statement late on Monday. "We will not bow to their evil, illegal, and unprecedented weaponization of state power in the Senate chamber," the attorney added. (Reporting by Kanishka Singh in Washington; Editing by Josie Kao) Suspicious powder found at the White House when Biden was gone was cocaine, AP sources say FILE - The White House is seen, July 30, 2022, in Washington. The White House was briefly evacuated Sunday evening while President Joe Biden was at Camp David after a suspicious powder was discovered by the Secret Service in a common area of the West Wing, and a preliminary test showed the substance was cocaine, two law enforcement officials said Tuesday.(AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta, File) WASHINGTON (AP) The White House was briefly evacuated Sunday evening while President Joe Biden was at Camp David after the Secret Service discovered suspicious powder in a common area of the West Wing, and a preliminary test showed the substance was cocaine, two law enforcement officials said Tuesday. Secret Service agents were doing routine rounds on Sunday when they found the white powder in an area accessible to tour groups, not in any particular West Wing office, the officials said. The officials were not authorized to discuss an ongoing investigation and spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity. The complex was evacuated at about 8:45 p.m. Sunday as fire and emergency crews were brought in to do a rapid test, which preliminarily identified cocaine. The White House was soon reopened and the powder was sent for further testing. Biden and his family left for Camp David on Friday and returned to the White House on Tuesday. The Secret Service said in a statement the White House was closed as a precaution as emergency crews investigated, and that the District of Columbia fire department was called in to evaluate and determine that the substance was not hazardous. The item was sent for further evaluation and an investigation into the cause and manner of how it entered the White House is pending, the Secret Service said. Mayor of New Taipei, Hou Yu-ih, gestures during his speech following the confirmation as the presidential candidate for Taiwan's main opposition party the Kuomintang (KMT), in Taipei TAIPEI (Reuters) - Taiwan's main opposition presidential candidate has promised to reverse an extension of compulsory military service due to take effect in January, saying he will ease tensions with China making the longer service unnecessary. The democratically governed island's relationship with Beijing is a central issue in the run-up to a presidential election on Jan. 13 next year, as fears have grown in recent years that China might invade the island it claims as its own. Responding to the growing security concerns, President Tsai Ing-wen of the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) announced in December that compulsory military service for all men would be extended to one year from four months from Jan. 1. Hou Yu-ih, candidate of the main opposition Kuomintang (KMT) party, said the DPP had triggered the "danger of war" but he would work to ensure peace. "After I am elected president, I will work hard to ensure stability and peace across the strait. After that, I will resume the four-month service," Hou said in an interview with TVBS broadcast late on Monday. "Stability across the strait will decide the issue of our military service, and that's why I will work hard to ensure stability," said Hou, who is mayor of New Taipei City. China claims Taiwan as its own and has stepped up military and diplomatic pressure to get the island to accept Chinese sovereignty. The island's DPP-led government says only the Taiwanese people can decide their future. The KMT traditionally favours close ties with China while Tsai has infuriated Beijing by rejecting its position that both sides are part of a single China. Hou is running against the DPP's William Lai, who is now vice president and is leading in the polls. Hou said he supported the KMT position that both Taiwan and China are part of a single China though each can have its own interpretation of the term. Tsai took office in 2016 and cannot run again due to term limits. (Reporting By Yimou Lee; editing by Robert Birsel) (Bloomberg) -- A top contender to be Taiwans next leader has pledged to keep the peace with China and roll back an extension of mandatory military service that has been one of President Tsai Ing-wens main achievements since taking office seven years ago. Most Read from Bloomberg I will ensure stability and peace across the strait before I cut military service back to four months, said Hou Yu-ih, the opposition Kuomintangs candidate for the election early next year. The ruling Democratic Progressive Party was forced to extend the military service to one-year because its made cross-strait relations very tense and dangerous, the current mayor of New Taipei City added in an interview run by local broadcaster TVBS late Monday. See: Why Taiwans 2024 Election Matters From China to US: QuickTake Tsais government announced late last year it was extending compulsory military service to one year from four months, signaling to Washington and Beijing it is serious about defending itself. China has pledged to someday bring Taiwan under its control, by force if necessary. The Biden administration has stepped up weapons sales to Taiwan so that it can defend itself. Hou said on Monday for the first time that he accepted the tacit understanding between China and the KMT known as the 1992 consensus that there is just one China. He added that he rejects the one country, two systems formulation that Beijing has said could be used as its model for running Taiwan. Beijing has refused to hold talks with Tsai since she took office because she doesnt accept that both sides of the Taiwan Strait belong to one China. That was the position of her predecessor, Ma Ying-jeou of the KMT, who saw ties flourish with Beijing, including an unprecedented meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping in 2015. He also pledged to delay phasing out three nuclear plants and restart a fourth one to ensure stable electricity supplies. Vice President Lai Ching-te, the ruling DPPs presidential candidate, said in May that the government was considering keeping nuclear power plants on standby in case of emergencies, signaling a loosening of policy to phase out the energy source. The island has been seeking to cut coal consumption, putting pressure on the government to build out gas-powered generation and offshore wind to avoid power shortages. A recent poll indicates that the race to win the election in January 2024 remains close. The DPPs Lai was picked by 36.5% of respondents in a survey released on June 20 by Taiwanese Public Opinion Foundation, a non-profit, independent think tank. Taiwan Peoples Party candidate Ko Wen-je scored 29.1% and the KMTs Hou got 20.4%. Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek 2023 Bloomberg L.P. KABUL (Reuters) - The Taliban administration in Afghanistan has ordered beauty salons to close within a month, the morality ministry said, in the latest shrinking of access to public places for Afghan women. "The deadline for the closing of beauty parlours for women is one month," Mohammad Sadiq Akif, a spokesperson for the Ministry for the Prevention of Vice and Propagation of Virtue, said on Tuesday, referring to a ministry notice. Foreign governments and U.N. officials have condemned growing restrictions on women since the Taliban returned to power in 2021 after defeating a U.S.-backed government as foreign forces withdrew. Last year, authorities closed most girls' high schools, barred women from university and stopped many female Afghan aid staff from working. Many public places including bathhouses, gyms and parks have been closed to women. Beauty salons sprung up in Kabul and other Afghan cities in the months after the Taliban were driven from power in late 2001, weeks after the Sept. 11 attacks on the United States. Many remained open after the Islamists returned to power two years ago but with their signs and windows covered up, providing some women with jobs and their customers with their services. Western government and international organisations have signalled that restrictions on women are hampering any possible progress to international recognition for the Taliban administration. The administration says it respects women's rights in accordance with its interpretation of Islamic law and Afghan customs. (Reporting by Mohammad Yunus Yawar; writing by Charlotte Greenfield; editing Robert Birsel) Ted Cruz is accusing the highly anticipated Barbie film of pushing Chinese propaganda, after a trailer for the Warner Bros release appeared to show a map referencing Chinas disputed claims to the South China Sea. Senator Cruz has been fighting for years to prevent American companies, especially Hollywood studios, from altering and censoring their content to appease the Chinese Communist Party, a spokesperson for the Texas Republican told The Daily Mail. The issue stems back to the so-called nine-dash line used on Chinese maps, illustrating what it claims are its posessions within the South China Sea. The Barbie movie premiers this month ( 2022 Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc.) The line, first published on Chinese maps in the 1940s, demarks an area 1,200 miles from the Chinese mainlaind comprised more than 80 per cent of the South China Sea, according to The Los Angeles Times. Parts of the territory within the line, a busy fishing and trade corridor with valuable oil and gas deposits as well as strategic importance, are claimed by nations including Vietnam and the Philippines. About a minute into the Barbie films main trailer, a map of the world can be seen with a line of eigh dots jutting off a cartoonish drawing of Asia. The Independent has contacted Warner Bros for comment. The Republican Texas senator isnt the only one upset about the map. Vietnam reportedly banned the movie over the apparent reference to the Chinese claims. The decision was issued by the countrys Central Council of Film Evaluation and Classification, Vi Kien Thanh, head of the Vietnam Cinema Department, told theTuoi Tre newspaper on Monday. The film was set to premiere in the country on 21 July, the same time as it hit US screens. Its not the first time the territorial claims have impacted a Hollywood release. Showings of the action film Uncharted in Vietnam were halted last year for the same reason. The map dispute also led Vietnam to cut a scene from the 2018 smash Crazy Rich Asians, according to the Mail. The territorial dispute over the South China Sea territory at issue was brought before The Hague in 2016, where China lost on most of its claims. Beijing has not accepted the judgment. As temps surge, water bottle barrels go up to help Tri-Cities homeless. But not in Pasco Doug Barnes is nestled in a camping chair on a hot Friday afternoon near a downtown Pasco plaza. His 13-year-old pomchi mix, Macky Rae, is on his lap panting. The U.S. Air Force veteran makes small talk to those who come and go as the faith-based organization Clean Sweep hands out chilled water bottles to passing the homeless people. The 60-year-old Pasco man knows the value of clean, cold water and how important it is to surviving these hot months. In the summertime its very important, because you use moisture and you can go into dehydration so easy, he said. I knew how to stay warm in the winter time, I knew how to stay hydrated in the summer. I had survival skills. Barnes was homeless for 18 months, sleeping in a second-hand tent with his three dogs in downtown Pasco in 2017 and 2018. Hed lost his job at Walmart, was suffering from depression and struggled with PTSD, all contributing to him losing his housing. As he waited for the Veteran Affairs HUD-VASH program to fund his housing voucher, he opted to sleep on the streets instead of checking into nearby shelters so he could keep his dogs by his side. These guys are essentially my therapy animals. They keep me safe, which is why they were important, Barnes said. From left, Clean Sweep organization members Lynne Mama Lynne McKee, Jeannie Bender and Mark McKee crowd around felllow volunteer Doug Barnes on Friday after the group finished handing out chilled water bottles to homeless individuals downtown. The group is trying to get the city to loosen its restrictions after a complaint to the city of Pasco led to their organized events being restricted out of downtown. Eric Rosane/erosane@tricityherald.com The federal program eventually got him into a duplex near the corner of 2nd Avenue and Shoshone Street and other services, including counseling. Hes remained housed for the last five years. Going from the street into a home, youre in shock, he said. You remember it because you used to have a home if it rains Im inside, theres a heater when its cold, air conditioning when its warm. The things you take for granted are a blessing. Barnes said he luckily never developed a drug or alcohol addiction during his time on the street. Clean Sweep nonprofit His experience and compassion is what led him to reach out to Mark and Lynne Mama Lynne McKee, founding members of Clean Sweep, to engage with homeless veterans. He now comes to events to help U.S. military vets facing homelessness. Theres been a growing tension in recent weeks between the organization and Pasco officials over where the group is allowed to provide services. A recent complaint over Clean Sweeps 55-gallon blue barrel water ministries led the city to tell the group its not allowed to hold organized events in part of downtown and to require a $15 special event license to host water giveaways in other parts of the city. Permits help the city ensure that events are set up in a safe manner, that trash is accounted for and that public parks and streets are not obstructed, say city officials. Clean Sweep is still allowed to hand out water bottles, pick up trash and conduct outreach. But restrictions in the citys downtown retail district limit their outreach and require more volunteers. Barnes says the citys red tape hinders the important work they do to help keep homeless people some of them veterans like him alive. Its easy to dismiss them as a drug addicts and alcoholics or whatever the problem is, but they are people and they need help, Barnes said. And thats one of the things were kind of upset with Pasco about, is they dont see them as anything other than a problem. And all were trying to do is make life a little easier for people. The Pasco City Council and its staff say they are currently brainstorming short-term actions that could be taken to clean up downtown, curb public drug use and get homeless individuals into housing quicker. Blue barrel water bottles Clean Sweep volunteers over last weekend dropped off several of their blue barrel water ministries throughout the Tri-Cities. The barrels provide free chilled bottled water for anyone passing by or any of the thousands of homeless individuals around the region. Volunteers and the public are encouraged to help keep the buckets filled with ice and bottles. Theyre currently set up at: Keewaydin Park in Kennewick The Parkade in downtown Kennewick Goethals Park in Richland Howard Amon Park in Richland Mark McKee said Clean Sweep will be out on foot in downtown Pasco, clad in their neon T-shirts, handing out water bottles when temperatures exceed 105. Pascos still a bit of a touchy subject, he said. On Friday, the Clean Sweep crew was out near Peanuts Park North plaza to hand out dozens of cheeseburgers and more than 100 water bottles. They also gave away shirts and Jiffy Car Wash passes to anyone who donated a case of water. The effort was organized, in part also to commemorate the life of Eli Barajas-Diaz, a Clean Sweep volunteer and Chiawana High School grad who died in a 2021 car accident. We hope that the people in the community will continue to support us, which theyve been very good about doing, said Mama Lynne McKee. For the homeless, (the heat) becomes a danger. It becomes lethal... If we can supply them the water, if we can be out there to help, were going to save some people, she said. The public can volunteer and coordinate donations online through the organizations public Facebook group. Hot, hazy weather ahead The Tri-Cities is expected to hit triple-digit heat with hazy skies this week, according to the National Weather Service in Pendleton. Temperatures will peak Thursday, with a high of 101. Wildfire smoke from Canada will spread across Eastern Washington and Oregon on Monday and Independence Day, creating widespread hazy conditions that will last several days. The probability of poor air quality is currently low, said the weather service. No nation can single-handedly cover all of Ukraine's reconstruction needs, and nor should it be expected to, considering the existence of frozen Russian assets worth billions worldwide. These funds will serve as the primary source for Ukraines recovery. To better grasp the situation, it is worth examining the numbers. Despite 16 months of all-out war, the exact value of frozen Russian assets remains unknown due to banking institutions secretive policies and the inaction of certain governments. An optimistic analysis based on publicly available data estimates the sum to be nearly $400 billion. However, this amount is already smaller than the damages inflicted upon Ukraine, which total at least $411 billion. The ongoing bombardment of critical infrastructure further widens the gap between these figures, and not in Ukraines favor. Moreover, the involvement of other claimants, such as Russians affected by the war, complicates the situation. Despite consistent political rhetoric regarding the use of Russian funds for reconstruction, only around $1 billion, or less than 0.3% of the total damages, has been recovered thus far. Notably, Ukraine itself has accounted for 99% of these recovered assets. Halushka, Shevchuk: A call to put Russian assets toward Ukraines reconstruction Last week, the U.K. co-hosted the Ukraine Recovery Conference in London. Held on June 20-21, the event was dedicated to mobilizing the public and private sectors for Ukraines recovery. While a lot of brilliant plans were voiced, the elephant in the room remained the question of who will The Kyiv IndependentOlena Halushka What holds others back? According to many Western legal experts, international law poses a barrier to dedicating Russian assets as a means of covering the inflicted damages. Specifically, international customary law safeguards state assets through the principle of "sovereign immunity." In reality, the debate about asset seizure can be divided into two components: the political aspect of "whether or not" and the legal aspect of "how." If there is political will to seize the assets, lawyers will find a way to accomplish it. Conversely, in its absence, there will be countless reasons presented to justify its impossibility. "Fair, but illegal" is a popular response to the question of confiscating Russian assets. Without delving deep into legal arguments, a quote from the ancient Roman jurist Ulpian is apt: "Law is the art of goodness and equity." This implies that the essence of law is to ensure justice. It is implausible to consider the conscious impunity of the aggressor as just. Hence, until a fair and transparent mechanism for compensation is established, discussing law and justice at the highest level remains futile. Furthermore, it is essential to recognize that international law is not immutable like the laws of physics. Like any legal framework, it is subject to changes, especially when its original objectives are not being achieved. Moreover, existing loopholes in international law have contributed to the largest war on European soil since World War II. It is crucial to acknowledge that these loopholes provide a guarantee of impunity for the destruction of critical infrastructure, including social facilities, the abduction, rape, and killing of numerous individuals, the sabotage of dams resulting in the flooding of cities and towns, and even the mining of Europe's largest nuclear power plant, among other atrocities. A year into full-scale invasion, West struggles to seize Russian assets for Ukraine Hundreds of potential international investors met with top Ukrainian and Western officials in London in late June to discuss how to rebuild the country, ravaged by Russias war. Those attending the Ukraine Recovery Conference (URC) were unanimous Russia should foot the bill. Said bill is devast The Kyiv IndependentAlexander Query As for the second question of "how," the answer is also known. It is important to differentiate between short-term and long-term perspectives. After 16 months of full-scale war, governments should finally ascertain the assets that have been frozen and consolidate them into a unified fund. This fund should not only ensure the preservation of these assets but also their growth. The management strategy for such assets (which is currently lacking in most countries) should aim to generate maximum profits, which can then be directed toward addressing Ukraine's urgent needs for "critical" reconstruction. According to Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal, these needs currently amount to $14 billion. The estimated annual revenue from managing Russian assets could range from $3 billion, according to pessimistic projections, to $10 billion, according to optimistic perspectives. Legally, it is straightforward to separate these profits from the principal amount by implementing a special tax regime for "sanctioned assets" at the highest rates. Objectively, these funds alone will not be a game changer for the country's economic recovery, but they will help withstand the challenges. Browder: West must hand Russian Central Banks $350 billion to Ukraine for reconstruction London-based American investor Bill Browder says people call him the number one enemy of Russian President Vladimir Putin and, more recently, an official Friend of Ukraine. Browder has spent the last 13 years campaigning to freeze Putins assets hidden in the West. Now, hes fighting for them t The Kyiv IndependentAnna Myroniuk The strategic plan entails the implementation of the Global Compensation Mechanism, comprised of four components. The first step, already realized, involves establishing a register of damages, as announced during the Council of Europe's Summit of Heads of State and Government held in Reykjavik this May. The subsequent steps include establishing a Claims Commission and forming a Compensation Fund that will facilitate the reimbursement of registered damages. However, without Russian funds, this mechanism will remain ineffective. Therefore, the most crucial fourth step involves the conclusion of an international multilateral agreement, which will play a pivotal role. Firstly, it will address the existing loopholes in international law by creating an exception to the rule protecting sovereign assets, specifically for the aggressor country. This measure will prevent Russia from evading responsibility for compensating the damages it has caused. Secondly, it will ensure the financial resources for the Compensation Fund by utilizing Russian funds, thereby activating the compensation mechanism even before the war concludes. Ultimately, the answer to the question of "how" depends on the answer to the question of "whether or not." Editors Note: The opinions expressed in the op-ed section are those of the authors and do not purport to reflect the views of the Kyiv Independent. Submit an Opinion Flash Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi said on Monday that the Arab approach to resolving the Syrian crisis is "serious," stressing the need to take practical steps toward ending the crisis. Safadi made the remarks at a joint press conference with his Syrian counterpart Faisal Mekdad during his visit to Syria. The minister visited Syria to discuss the Jordanian initiative to address the Syrian crisis, which adopts a step-by-step approach with humanitarian, military-security and political concerns. "This initiative is in line with United Nations Security Council Resolution 2254, so we could move in a practical way toward resolving the Syrian crisis," said Safadi, adding that the Arab efforts will be coordinated with the international community to work out a comprehensive solution. Referring to economic sanctions imposed by the West on Syria, the Jordanian diplomat said: "We must walk a path that could lead us toward lifting the sanctions and the return of Syria to its status." The two officials also touched on refugee issues. Mekdad clarified that the "severe and unprecedented" Western sanctions are hindering the return of Syrians to their homes. "The Syrian refugees don't need an invitation card to come home. Rather, they need fundamental requirements in education, health, water supply and infrastructure to be granted," Mekdad said, noting that Western sanctions make fulfilling these requirements "difficult." Texas Barbecue Is the Best It Has Ever Been. Heres Why. Joel Garcia, left, with his son, Maximiliano; wife, Bernardina; his mom, Ana Maria; and brother, Jesse, at Teddys Barbecue, which Garcia opened with his brother in 2020, in Weslaco, Texas, in May 2023. (Jessica Attie/The New York Times) Lockhart is the Barbecue Capital of Texas. This has been officially true since 1999 thanks to a proclamation passed by the Texas House of Representatives and unofficially true for years before that, thanks to how long people have been eating smoked meat in the central Texas town. Three of Lockharts most famous barbecue joints have been open for a combined 289 years. The owners of Barbs-B-Q joined this history when they opened on the Lockhart town square in May. At the same time, their female-owned business is challenging assumptions about Texas barbecue how it is defined, who created it, who is entitled to make it. Two of Barbss three owners (Alexis Tovias Morales, 24, and Haley Conlin, 30) are former vegans. The third, Chuck Charnichart, 25, grew up in the border town of Brownsville, where barbecue meant barbacoa. She didnt taste central Texas-style smoked brisket until she moved to Austin for college. Sign up for The Morning newsletter from the New York Times The partners were attracted to Lockhart in part because of its lineage, but they were inspired by a new generation of Texas barbecue entrepreneurs who are ignoring rules that historically applied to anyone who wanted to be taken seriously in barbecue. We feel so empowered now to do things our own way, Charnichart said. And there is so much history in Lockhart, it just kind of made sense for us to be here. Barbss menu follows orthodoxy its brisket and beef and pork ribs are excellent but isnt bound by it, featuring items like lamb chops, blue corn tortillas and green spaghetti, a dish sparked by the roasted poblano cream Charnichart ate growing up. Barbs is part of a Texas barbecue renaissance that began roughly 15 years ago. It has slowly transformed a cherished but hidebound local tradition, once confined to a fixed set of dishes (notably brisket, beef sausage and pork ribs, otherwise known as the Texas trinity), into arguably the countrys most dynamic vernacular cuisine. The technical rigor and freedom of expression that animates Barbs barbecue permeate the countrys second-largest state. * * * Texas barbecue today is no longer primarily associated with central European immigrants and white male pitmasters. It is a malleable cuisine, one that is open to newcomers and includes the traditions, notably Black and Mexican American styles, that have long thrived here. The new Texas barbecue gives voice to a population that has been diversified by new arrivals from other states and countries, and to a cultural dialogue between rural and urban artisans; much of it nods to American barbecues origins in the live fire cooking of Indigenous people and enslaved Africans. The broader narrative flows from more Texans sharing their home cooking with the public at large. In south Texas, we never had barbecue sauce, and it wasnt just white bread, said Ernest Servantes, a co-owner of Burnt Bean Company, in Seguin. We had charro beans, guacamole, tortillas, pico de gallo. We had a lot of cabrito. The spice palette, once confined to salt and pepper, has gone Technicolor. Pitmasters are incorporating lemongrass, fenugreek, gochujang and turmeric into their cooking. Kimchi and salsa negra have elbowed their way onto barbecue trays, along with char siu, lamb chops, tuna collar and smoked doro wat. Youve got brisket curry, brisket enchiladas, brisket shawarma, brisket ramen. Tortillas are on their way to becoming as common as sliced bread in Texas barbecue joints an overdue development in a state where barbacoa predates meat markets in Lockhart. There is exceptional, distinctive barbecue not just in central Texas, home to established barbecue hot spots like Lockhart and Austin, but also from Lubbock to Weslaco to Beaumont. The tapestry created by these pitmasters and restaurateurs still bears the marks of Texas ranching history. The quantity and quality of the trinity meats have never been higher (same goes for side dishes), as the standards and practices of fine dining find homes in Texas pit rooms. Brisket, the king of Texas barbecue proteins, still reigns. In fact, the cut is now prevalent even in pork-centric barbecue regions where Texans love for beef has been mocked as a function of their inability to lasso pigs. Texas barbecue has essentially become so pervasive across the country as to end debates about which region can claim American barbecue supremacy. Within the state, new strains of barbecue are fervently embraced, if not always with the intensity as at Barbs, where lines form on Lockharts town square before it opens. Charnichart made her name working the pits at Goldees, in Fort Worth, which Texas Monthly named the states top barbecue joint in 2021. Opened by a multiracial group of 20-something friends, Goldees provided something of a template for Barbs, and is a case study in how reputations are made in the hothouse of Texas barbecue media coverage. Before its Monthly ranking, Goldees pitmasters made 20 briskets a week. We got No. 1 on a Monday, and that weekend we did 50 briskets a day, said Jonny White, a co-owner. And we sold them all. Hourslong lines are now the norm. * * * The idea that barbecue can be good enough to justify a long wait to eat is nothing new in Texas. But it became a modern phenomenon in 2009. Thats when Aaron Franklin started serving, from a trailer next to an Austin highway, beef brisket that hit a career-making, culture-shifting trifecta of tenderness, beefiness and juiciness. By the time he opened Franklin Barbecue with his wife, Stacy, in 2011, the bespectacled Aaron Franklin was on his way to becoming the countrys most recognizable pitmaster. His bestselling cookbooks and media savvy created home-schooled pitmasters and raised Texas barbecues national profile. Franklin made it cool for young folks to get into this, at the same time people were making pickles and craft cocktails and everything else, said Robert Moss, the South Carolina-based author of Barbecue: The History of an American Institution and barbecue editor for Southern Living. Texas Monthly also helped draw a wider array of practitioners to the craft. The magazine hired Daniel Vaughn as its first barbecue editor in 2013. Vaughn, 45, is not from Texas. (I knew brisket as corned beef in Ohio, he said.) The fresh eyes he has brought to the beat has helped validate the work of pitmasters from all backgrounds. The top 50 joints list, which appears every four years like the Olympics, Vaughn said is especially influential. Joel Garcia grew up in the Rio Grande Valley, and didnt even really get into barbecue until I moved to Austin in 2013 and picked up a copy of the Monthly list, he said. Id never had homemade sausage, or brisket that was rendered well and still really juicy. Garcia immersed himself in Austins post-Franklin barbecue scene. He landed a job at Freedmens Bar under Evan LeRoy, a culinary school graduate in the vanguard of pitmasters who brought a broader array of skills to the craft. The menu at LeRoy and Lewis, the barbecue truck he opened in 2017, captured the precedent-busting sensibility: smoked beef cheeks and barbacoa, kale Caesar slaw, a cheeseburger made with smoked brisket. LeRoy said the vitality of Austins barbecue scene is something new. Growing up here, he said, wed go to Lockhart to get the good stuff. LeRoy is among a number of pitmasters inspired by Valentinas Tex Mex BBQ in Buda, which opened in 2013 and helped to push fajitas, tacos, housemade salsas and more into the states barbecue mainstream. The idea was to express what was happening throughout Texas, from the valley to El Paso to East and West Texas, said Miguel Vidal, a co-owner of Valentinas. And that involved Mexican American culture. Garcia opened Teddys Barbecue in his hometown, Weslaco, near the Mexican border, in 2020, with his brother, Jesse, and wife, Bernardina. The menu combines central Texas barbecue staples with Mexican dishes like beef-fat tortillas and menudo, both made by the Garcias mother, Ana Maria. We serve things we grew up eating at home, Garcia said. Were here because I was homesick. Texas barbecues innovations are often simple reflections of immigrant Texans experience, said Tatsu Aikawa, co-owner of Kemuri Tatsu-Ya, in Austin. His family moved from Tokyo to central Texas in 1989. For a time, he lived next door to John Lewis. Lewis went on to open Lewis Barbecue in Charleston, South Carolina, after having been pitmaster at Franklin and La Barbecue, a trailblazing, female-owned business in Austin. Sometimes hed slide me a plate of barbecue over the fence, Aikawa said. In Texas, barbecue is part of everyones life. Damien Brockway, who opened the Austin barbecue truck Distant Relatives in 2020, said he was inspired by the creative ferment of Austins barbecue scene. After a career spent in fine dining, he began to study cuisines of the African diaspora and his own heritage. Brockways team uses techniques enslaved Africans brought to plantations in the Caribbean and American South to cook dishes like roasted peanuts and pulled pork with tamarind molasses barbecue sauce. It wasnt like I set out to educate folks, he said. It was more like the process educated me. * * * Regional distinctions in Texas barbecue today go beyond what kind of wood fuels the smokers post oak? hickory? mesquite? and often reflect the demographics of the areas where the barbecue is made. This is particularly true in Houston, the states biggest city, and one of the countrys most diverse. It is home to East Texas barbecue, a style forged mainly in Black communities and found in local joints like Rays and Gatlins. East Texas menus pair common barbecue dishes with soul food staples, like fried catfish and oxtails, and often include hints of Cajun influence especially when you get closer to Louisiana, as at Charlies, in Beaumont. Quy Hoang became the citys first working Vietnamese American pitmaster when he opened Blood Bros. with his Chinese American partners in 2018. Its where to go for Thai green curry boudin balls and thit nuong pork belly burnt ends. Phong and Hong Tran, who still also works as a machinist, opened Brisket & Rice inside a working gas station in northwest Houston last year. This is the epitome of Houston barbecue, said J.C. Reid, the barbecue writer for the Houston Chronicle. We dont care if the nerds show up. Reid was taking aim at rival Austin while also noting restaurants in the area mainly serve blue-collar employees of nearby oil-service companies. Everybody loves brisket, Hong Tran said, standing near the pit behind the restaurant, but not everyone has the time to make it. Trans brisket is juicy, with a tight, salty crust, and best eaten as he did growing up: over rice, with a drizzle of tomato-based sauce. Texas barbecues success has been a double-edged sword outside the state. Moss, the South Carolina-based writer, credits Texas influence for bringing back the pits, bringing back the attention to craft and detail, for side dishes not being an afterthought. Thats all been very good. But the spread of Texas barbecue has also had a homogenizing effect. If it blows up too much, barbecue starts to get derivative, and it paves over some of the regional variations. That becomes a problem, Moss said. Back in Lockhart, the warm reception of Barbs is just one sign that Texas barbecue is continuing to evolve and improve, though. The restaurants early success isnt a surprise to White, of Goldees, who has called Charnichart the best brisket cook in Texas. This doesnt mean hes willing to relinquish Goldees status as Texas top barbecue joint. Our main focus, for now and in the future, is to get No. 1 again, White said. We still dont feel like weve reached our prime. c.2023 The New York Times Company I think Russia is coming up with new plan for ZNPP Ukrainian Foreign Minister Ukraine has managed to prove Russia's plans to carry out a terrorist attack on the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP) to the world, sending a signal from other states to Moscow that such actions are inadmissible, and therefore it has been forced to come up with a new plan for the ZNPP. Source: Ukrinform citing Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba on air during the national joint 24/7 newscast Quote: "I think that [the Russians ed.] have received [a signal ed.]. And not only from our usual friends and partners, but also from other countries that consider any use of a nuclear element in a conflict unacceptable." Details: Kuleba said that Ukraine has proved the Russians plan regarding the ZNPP to the world, which will make it more difficult for them to implement it. "Now it will be much more difficult for them to implement it. I think they are already rewriting it, coming up with some new plan. I am no less convinced that our intelligence will get it, and we will also disclose it to the world," the minister emphasised. Background: The head of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine, Dmytro Kuleba, has warned that the risk of Russia committing a terrorist attack on the Zaporizhzhia NPP, which is under the control of its occupying forces, endangers the entire OSCE area. In connection with the threat of a disaster at the Zaporizhzhia NPP, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has called on the EU to work on the next package of sanctions and introduce restrictions against the Russian company Rosatom. Journalists fight on their own frontline. Support Ukrainska Pravda or become our patron! Threat of Russian drones launching issued in three oblasts The Air Force of the Ukrainian Armed Forces warned about the possibility of the Russian occupiers using attack drones in Kyiv, Chernihiv and Sumy oblasts on the night of 3-4 July. Source: Air Force of the Ukrainian Armed Forces on Telegram; alerts.in.ua Details: An air-raid warning was issued at Kyiv, Chernihiv, Sumy, and Poltava oblasts, as well as at Zaporizhzhia and Donetsk oblasts, as of 02:40. Background: On the night of 3-4 July, the Air Force of the Ukrainian Armed Forces warned of the threat of the Russians using ballistic missiles in Poltava, Dnipropetrovsk, Zaporizhzhia, Donetsk and Kharkiv oblasts. Journalists fight on their own frontline. Support Ukrainska Pravda or become our patron! Jose Manuel Perez Reyes uncoils a hose as he delivers water to an auto mechanic shop from his water truck Tuesday, May 9, 2023, in Tijuana, Mexico. Among the last cities downstream to receive water from the shrinking Colorado River, Tijuana is staring down a water crisis. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull) TIJUANA, Mexico (AP) Luis Ramirez leapt onto the roof of his bright blue water truck to fill the plastic tank that by day's end would empty into an assortment of buckets, barrels and cisterns in 100 homes. It was barely 11 a.m. and Ramirez had many more stops to make on the hilly, grey fringes of Tijuana, a sprawling, industrial border city in northwestern Mexico where trucks or pipas like Ramirez's provide the only drinking water for many people. Each time, it gets farther and farther where we have to go, he said, blaming the city's water problems on drought and population growth, before jumping into the driver's seat next to 16-year-old assistant Daniel Alvarez. Among the last cities downstream to receive water from the shrinking Colorado River, Tijuana is staring down a water crisis driven also by aging, inefficient infrastructure and successive governments that have done little to prepare the city for diminishing water in the region. Entire neighborhoods on Tijuana's hilly and sometimes grassy far reaches remain unconnected to the citys water mains and pipes. Accessing water there is a daily struggle and an expensive one, as trucked-in water usually costs much more than what people connected to the city pay. Taxi driver Aurelio Hernandez lives in one of roughly 150 houses in a remote development near vast industrial parks that make aviation parts in the citys south. Dirt roads so steep they seem vertical lead to the village. It is the biggest problem we have, said Hernandez, who has lived in Rancho el Chicote for 20 years, about the lack of running water. Hernandez, his wife and two daughters use about 1,585 gallons (6,000 liters) of trucked-in water per month, he said, which costs about 2,000 pesos or $116. The average U.S. family uses more than five times as much water each month, according to the Environmental Protection Agency, yet pays less, despite Mexico's much lower wages. Every year its the same. Politicians come and promise you things, but nothing ever changes, Hernandez said. Even in middle class neighborhoods, like homemaker Martha Munoz's in Tijuanas fast-growing south, neighbors have to share updates on WhatsApp about possible shutoffs and coordinate requests to city authorities when it's cut. The state government is trying to bring some relief, but it will take time," Munoz said. Meanwhile, it's really hard every time theres a burst pipe, because they leave us without water for five days." That's what happened in April, when upwards of 600 neighborhoods more than half of the whole city went without water while the state water utility known as CESPT in Spanish, repaired leaks in a primary main. For some, that shutoff lasted days longer than the official 36-hour estimate. Authorities admitted that given the size of the area affected, they could not send water trucks to many neighborhoods. People are left without water for way too long, said Jose Manuel Perez Reyes, who distributes trucked-in water, adding that the government sometimes tells residents the shutoffs are to fix pipes when in reality there simply isn't enough water. Even for the 700,000 users, according to CESPT, that are connected to city water, faucets often go dry, forcing them, too, to pay for trucked-in private water. Its like playing whack-a-mole in terms of trying to see where things are going to pop up next, said Carlos de la Parra, a water consultant and former professor of urban studies and the environment at the Colegio de la Frontera Norte who has studied water issues in northwestern Mexico for decades. Water utilities are struggling to keep pace with both Tijuana's growth, de la Parra said, and about 8 to 10 years of neglect of infrastructure. Then, there's drought. Nationwide, more than 44% of municipalities in Mexico were in drought in May, according to Mexicos National Water Commission. Tijuanas challenges are acute as one of the countrys fastest-growing cities in one of Mexicos most water-stressed states. In charge of running the water utility in Tijuana is Victor Amador, who, despite the daily struggles for water in the city, denied that taps run dry except when work is being done on the pipes. We don't have problems at the moment, Amador said. For now, we have enough water." But that wasn't the case in January when Tijuana shut off a water main to perform work and had to request about 540 acre-feet of emergency water from San Diego. (An acre-foot of water is equal to 326,000 gallons or 1.2 million liters.) The water available during times of acute need, but counted against Mexico's share of Colorado River water traveled through Southern California's behemoth aqueducts and across the U.S.-Mexico border. Such emergency water transfers have taken place for more than 50 years, the San Diego County Water Authority said, and have been needed every year since 2018 except one. More than 90% of Tijuana's water comes from the Colorado River, traveling west across Baja California and over a 4,000-foot (1,219 meter) mountain pass through a single aqueduct that itself is often under repair. Over the past two years, Mexico's share of Colorado River water was slashed by 7%, and while those cuts have yet to affect Tijuana, hydrologists and policy experts emphasize that the city and state of Baja California need to secure other water sources soon. Despite years of promises from federal, state and city officials to diversify Tijuana's water supply using ocean water desalination and treated wastewater, the city has little to show for it. Amador said the government is working toward developing both. We're living in this drought as if nothing were happening, said Manuel Becerra, a water consultant based in Tijuana and former city superintendent of public services. Part of the challenge for Tijuana's aging infrastructure is the city's layout: water is pumped up and down steep hills and canyons to reach developments that have sprawled in every direction as the city has grown 19% since 2010. Then theres the estimated 7% of water that Tijuana loses to leaks, according to the state water utility. The topography of the area requires that water is pumped and re-pumped, Becerra said. Sometimes even though there is water, the pumps fail, the power fails, or the pipe breaks, and service is interrupted. On his fifth stop after re-filling his truck, water truck driver Ramirez descended a steep, gravel road to enter a neighborhood with about 100 homes not connected to city water. He stopped in front of a grey, two-story cinderblock home where retired construction worker Jose Trinidad and his wife move water from tank to bucket to bowl for bathing, cleaning and cooking. Every month, Trinidad said he spends 1,600 pesos (about $91) for water. After food, it's his largest expense. We spend a lot. Its difficult, but we have to deal with it, Trinidad said. We have no choice." ___ Video journalist Jordi Lebrija contributed to this report. ___ The Associated Press receives support from the Walton Family Foundation for coverage of water and environmental policy. The AP is solely responsible for all content. For all of APs environmental coverage, visit https://apnews.com/hub/climate-and-environment The Titanic sub was 'tossed around pretty roughly on a daily basis' before its doomed expedition, would-be passenger says An undated photo shows a tourist submersible belongs to OceanGate at sea. Ocean Gate / Handout/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images Arnie Weissmann, a journalist, has recalled his cancelled trip on the Titan submersible. He described the enormous stress the submersible came under before its final voyage. Five people were killed when the vessel, run by OceanGate Expeditions, imploded on June 18. The Titan submersible that catastrophically imploded while on a journey to visit the Titanic wreckage was "being tossed around pretty roughly on a daily basis", according to a prospective passenger. Arnie Weissmann, editor-in-chief of Travel Weekly, had been booked on a trip on OceanGate's submersible in May, its last planned mission before the June 18 dive where it imploded. Weissmann's trip was cancelled due to bad weather. However, he said he wondered whether technical concerns had also contributed to the journey being scrapped. In an editorial for Travel Weekly, he recalled warning Hamish Harding, one of the five people killed on board the Titan, about how the vessel was coming under daily stress due to being towed behind its support ship instead of being kept on its deck. He said at one point the Titan partly sank when the platform it was being towed on got submerged. "He asked me for my impressions of the operation. I told him candidly. He raised his eyebrows," said Weissmann. "I said that I thought many of the problems with my nondive may have arisen because this was the first season that the Titan was being towed behind its support ship rather than being kept on its deck. I said I thought the sub and platform were being tossed around pretty roughly on a daily basis," wrote Weissmann in Travel Weekly. The other passengers killed on the vessel were British-Pakistani businessman Shahzada Dawood and his son, Suleman, a student, as well as OceanGate CEO Stockton Rush and French explorer Paul-Henri Nargeolet. Weissmann recalled Rush describing being worried about the vessel getting tangled in "ghost nets," or bits of commercial fishing debris. Nargeolet, meanwhile, discussed potential problems with the Titan's structure while on a dive to the bottom of the ocean, he said. In the wake of the disaster, it emerged that experts and former OceanGate staffers had expressed concerns about the safety of the vessel and its experimental design. US and Canadian officials have launched an investigation into the implosion. Rush before his fatal last trip on the vessel had defended its experimental design, insisted it was safe, and argued that safety regulations can stifle innovation. OceanGate did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment. Correction: July 5, 2023 an earlier version of this story misstated the name of journalist Arnie Weissmann. Read the original article on Insider interior of a nasa mock mars base with meeting space, kitchen and futuristic lighting It's been a week since NASA locked four people inside a mock Mars habitat for the next year and we've just received our best glimpse yet at what life inside the simulated space base is like. Located at NASA's Johnson Space Center, in Houston, Texas, the 3D-printed mock-Martian base, known as Mars Dune Alpha, is the home of the agency's first-ever Crew Health and Performance Exploration Analog (CHAPEA) mission for crewmembers Kelly Haston, Ross Rockwell, Nathan Jones and Anca Selariu for the next year. This is the first of three CHAPEA missions NASA is using to investigate how to best design and plan for future missions to Mars. The four-person crew will live and work inside the habitat while coordinating with mission control operators to conduct activities similar to those expected of a real astronaut crew, actually on Mars, including the 22-minute communication delay that exists between Earth and the red planet. Mars Habitat Tour CHAPEA, or Crew Health and Performance Exploration Analog, is @NASA's first one-year ground-based mission that will simulate living on @NASAMars. The crew will live and work in this 3D-printed, 1,700-square-foot habitat.MORE: https://t.co/aA6dSIRWLG pic.twitter.com/fgiznfV0uUApril 22, 2023 See more While the CHAPEA-1 quartet perform their duties, NASA researchers will be keeping their eyes on the crew themselves. How they interact with their habitat, and with each other, over the course of their year-long stay will provide crucial data that can inform everything from furniture layout and meal planning, to crew assignments and equipment upkeep. Related: 1 year on 'Mars:' NASA analog astronauts begin mock Red Planet mission For the CHAPEA-1 crew, Mars Dune Alpha offers four separate sleeping quarters, with a 1,700 square-foot total interior. A video posted to a NASA Twitter account earlier this year gives a quick tour of the habitat and its adjoining 1,200-square-foot enclosure used for simulated EVAs (extra-vehicular activities) the crew will take to "explore" the Martian surface. A white door with the red triangular CHAPEA mission logo on its center. The doorway and structure walls are made of stacked, 3D printed red clay colored layers. The walk through Mars Dune Alpha reveals the row of crew quarters in a hallway across from a lavatory and shower area. That hall turns at its end to an area setup for small-scale produce production, which sits adjacent to an open kitchen and recreation area with a table lounge furniture. A doorway across the communal space leads to work area with a desk and shelving for equipment. Rooms on either side house fitness and laundry machinery, and robotics control stations and a 3D printer. Another doorway in the open work area features a small medical bay, which sits across from the habitat's primary airlock. A floor plan for the analog Mars habitat Related Stories: Astronauts could use Mars soil for 3D-printing on the Red Planet 'Analog astronauts' assemble in Biosphere 2 bubble to talk simulated space missions What will astronauts on deep space missions eat? 'Neurogastronomy' may have the answer. Simulated Martian soil and the backdrop of red, rocky cliffs line the structures walls to offer the CHAPEA-1 crew as full immersion as possible while they perform EVAs and other mission research. They will use this area for their only egresses from Mars Dune Alpha until their "return" to Earth on July 7, 2024. Until then, the Martian sandbox on the other side of the habitat's airlock will be the analog astronauts only chance for a change of scenery. ticket kiosk Train companies are pressing ahead with plans to close hundreds of station ticket offices across England over the next three years. Under the proposals, some ticket kiosks would remain in large stations, but elsewhere staff will be on concourses to sell tickets, offer travel advice and help people with accessibility. The plan has been met with concern from unions and disability groups. A 21-day public consultation has been launched to collect passengers' views. Posters have gone up in stations, inviting the public to take part, after which the government will make the final decision on which offices will close. Currently around three out of every five stations has a ticket office, although some are only staffed part time. The issue is the latest flashpoint between train companies and unions, who have been in a long-running dispute over pay, jobs and working conditions, which has resulted in a series of strikes since last summer. The rail industry is under pressure from the government to cut costs after being supported heavily during the Covid pandemic. "The ways our customers buy tickets has changed and it's time for the railway to change with them," said Jacqueline Starr chief executive of the Rail Delivery Group (RDG), which represents train companies. She said the changes would be phased in gradually. Only 12% of tickets were sold at ticket offices last year, she said, with the rest bought online or from vending machines. Under the plans, if a passenger was unable to purchase a ticket, they would be able to buy one during the journey, at a ticket office en-route or at their destination, the RDG said. But many rail users, who rely on help at ticket offices, fear the changes will make it harder for them to travel. Robert Calvert, 75, from Tamworth says his dyslexia and colour blindness make it hard to negotiate self-service machines. "Remember not everyone has a smartphone these days," he says. "Everything is so automated, I feel slightly left behind." Ann Jolly, 78, from Emsworth in Hampshire, often uses the train to travel to her native Scotland, but says she already finds the complication of how to buy train tickets "off-putting". "I do use the self-service machine if I have to. Usually I manage, but I struggle with trying to find the different routes and knowing what I have to pay for. A lot of my friends feel the same. "The train tickets are just incomprehensible online, especially when it says the tickets come from different companies, so I need a number of different ones for one trip." The RDG says that staff will be just as readily available as they are now, but on the concourse or platform, where they can advise passengers on journey planning and sell tickets. However, the UK's largest rail union the RMT and the TSSA union both warned the plans could ultimately lead to job cuts. Some disability campaigners have also long opposed the idea. Vivienne Francis from the Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB), said it would be "detrimental" for blind and partially-sighted people with only 3% of such people able to use a machine. 'Mind-bogglingly complicated' Stewart Palmer is director of Rail Future, which represents passengers and campaigns for better rail services, and is a former managing director South West Trains. He said the consultation was "putting the cart before the horse". Person on phone at train station "One of the root causes of this issue is that the present ticketing system on the rail network in Britain is mind-bogglingly complicated," he told the BBC's Today programme. "People want versatile, knowledgeable staff, not necessarily behind a glass screen, but they also want to be knowing they're buying the right product at the right price." The RDG said the proposals to close ticket offices followed industrial action by unions over other changes designed to make the railway "sustainable in the long term". The RDG said rail revenues were still 30% below pre-pandemic levels. The Department for Transport said the proposals were not about cutting jobs, but about modernising the railway to make sure the sector survived. Additional reporting by Emma Pengelly Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert will miss the Kentucky Derby next year after Churchill Downs Incorporated (CDI), the organizer of the horse race and owner of the famed racetrack, extended his suspension through the end of 2024. The decision was based on continued concerns regarding the threat to the safety and integrity of racing he poses to CDI-owned racetracks, the company announced Monday. Baffert, who has trained six Derby winners, tweeted that he was at a loss to understand this latest action and said he has been open, honest and forthright. The suspension stems from the disqualification of the Baffert-trained horse Medina Spirit in the 2021 Kentucky Derby. Medina Spirit tested positive for a banned substance after initially being declared the winner of the Triple Crown race. Baffert was initially given a two-year ban by Churchill Downs in 2021. Churchill Downs, which owns several race tracks in several states including, Louisiana, Kentucky and Virginia, released a statement Monday expressing its disappointment with what it calls Bafferts continued disregard for the rules and regulations that ensure horse and jockey safety. Baffert continues to peddle a false narrative concerning the failed drug test of Medina Spirit, the companys statement reads. Officials said Baffert signed an agreement before the race, attesting that he would abide by Kentucky racing rules. The results of the tests clearly show that he did not comply, and his ongoing conduct reveals his continued disregard for the rules and regulations that ensure horse and jockey safety, as well as the integrity and fairness of the races conducted at our facilities, the company said. Medina Spirit, who was a 12-to-1 favorite at post time, was first across the line in the 2021 Kentucky Derby. But a blood sample revealed betamethasone an anti-inflammatory corticosteroid sometimes used to relieve joint pain in the horse, which is not allowed on race day under Kentucky equine protocols. Baffert said Monday that the horse was not injected with the drug and it was in a topical ointment used for a skin infection. Churchill Downs officials said: A trainer who is unwilling to accept responsibility for multiple drug test failures in our highest-profile races cannot be trusted to avoid future misconduct. Mr. Baffert will remain suspended from entering horses at all racetracks owned by CDI through 2024. Baffert claimed in a tweet that he was told the use of the ointment is permitted in the rules and the Kentucky Racing Commission has the Medina Spirit case before them. In no way does this involve a disregard for the rules, he wrote. He called the allegation of peddling an incorrect narrative patently false, saying he has been silent on the matter. When first suspended by Churchill Downs, Baffert filed a federal lawsuit. In February, a judge denied the trainers request to overturn the suspension and three moths later, the same judge dismissed his suit. Baffert had argued his suspension had a negative effect on his business and reputation. Baffert missed the past two Kentucky Derby races. But in May, his horse National Treasure was victorious at the Preakness Stakes, earning a record-extending 17th Triple Crown victory for the trainer, who is third in all-time winnings. Baffert had another horse, Havnameltdown, euthanized on the track this year at Pimlico after it sustained a non-operable left fore fetlock injury in an undercard race on the day of the Preakness. Medina Spirit collapsed and died during a workout in California in December 2021. The colts Kentucky Derby victory was nullified in February 2022. CNNs Steve Almasy contributed to this report. For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com A retired Dayton Police sergeant facing child pornography charges now knows when hell go to trial. Dennis Chaney, 70, was indicted by a Brown County grand jury in April after a months-long investigation into a tip that he had transferred images and videos that could possibly be child pornography. Hes facing five counts of illegal use of a minor in nudity-oriented material and five counts of pandering obscenity involving a minor. >> PREVIOUS COVERAGE: Retired Dayton Police Sergeant arrested on child porn charges Monday, Chaney learned that his trial would begin April 29, 2024, according to online court records. Prior to that, hes scheduled to have a pre-trial hearing in August. Chaney worked at Dayton Police from 1973 to 2009. After that, he worked at the Brown County Sheriffs Office as a Special Deputy and then at the Ohio Lottery Commission. Brown County Prosecutor Zachary Corbin said counts 1-5 were related to five separate images or videos that were transferred, according to our news partners at WCPO in Cincinnati. The images and videos, which Corbin said Chaney didnt create, showed or depicted a minor in a state of nudity. >> Police: 2 men arrested, accused of selling fake Taylor Swift tickets in Cincinnati The other five counts are connected to possessing those five images or videos. Court documents state that the alleged crimes happened from November 2017 to November 2022. Donana National Park is a unique ecosystem that is refuge for thousands of species (JOSE LUIS ROCA) Twenty five years after one of Spain's worst ecological disasters, a court case against the Swedish mining company involved opened Tuesday in the southern city of Seville. The case, being brought by the regional government in Andalusia, holds mining company Boliden responsible for a 1998 toxic spill that contaminated a vast stretch of rivers and wetlands with heavy metals including arsenic, cadmium and mercury. The Donana National Park wetlands, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, are home to the endangered Iberian lynx and are a vital stopover point for millions of birds migrating between Europe and Africa. The catastrophe occurred when a wastewater reserve pool burst at Boliden's Los Frailes lead and zinc mine in the city of Aznalcollar, spewing more than five million cubic metres (17.5 million cubic feet) of highly acid sludge into the river and groundwater. The toxic spill on April 25, 1998, killed tens of tonnes of fish and polluted nearly 5,000 hectares of fragile wetland. The Andalusian government spent millions on the clean-up. The case got underway on Tuesday after years of legal wrangling, which ground to a halt in 2002 when the Supreme Court ruled that Boliden was not criminally responsible. Boliden has always denied responsibility for the disaster and blamed a subsidiary of Spanish construction company Dragados that built the wastewater pool. "Our position is that we took a huge responsibility with regards to the clean-up of the accident and therefore the claim should be written off," a Boliden spokesman told AFP. - Legal maze - The ecological disaster at the mine was one of the worst Spain has ever endured. The government in Andalusia, where Aznalcollar is located, launched a civil suit against Boliden in 2002 after the dismissal of criminal cases brought by Andalusia, the Spanish state and environmental federations including Ecologists in Action. The procedure was bogged down for years while Boliden launched repeated appeals, but in 2012 the Supreme Court ruled that the case against the company should go ahead. The Andalus government said it now hoped "justice would be served". It is seeking 89 million euros ($97 million) in compensation from the Swedish multinational -- equivalent to the sums spent to try and clean up the 4,643 hectares that were contaminated. Boliden was fined more than 45 million euros by the government in Madrid in August 2002 but it refused to pay on the grounds it had not been found guilty in court. "A quarter of a century on, the case is still a legal maze without a decisive verdict," Ecologists in Action complained in a report in April. "This case... is indicative of the way the mining industry operates worldwide," it said. "This socially and environmentally irresponsible approach has turned the mining industry into one of the main threats to life on this planet." The Aznalcollar mine, dropped by Boliden in 2001, is scheduled to reopen shortly, once new operator Mexican mining conglomerate Grupo Mexico obtains the outstanding authorisations from the regional authorities. tpe/mg/lch/gil/rox Flash Liu Jianchao, head of the International Department of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, met with a delegation of senior cadres of the Lao People's Revolutionary Party on Monday in Beijing. The delegation was led by Siheng Homsombath, Vice Secretary of Saravan Provincial Party Committee and President of the People's Congress of Saravan province. Both sides exchanged views on implementing the consensus of the two heads of state and parties, deepening the friendly relationship between the two parties, and promoting the construction of the China-Laos community with a shared future. Stranded motorist shot dead by trooper he shot, authorities say A North Carolina state trooper who stopped to help a motorist stranded on an interstate Monday evening was shot by the driver but returned fire and killed him, authorities said. The state highway patrol said Trooper Jeffrey Dunlap was aiding Wesley Scott Taylor, 57, of Leicester, N.C. on I-26 in Buncombe County at about 7:35 p.m. when Taylor suddenly pulled out a gun and fired, hitting Dunlap in the chest. But Dunlap was wearing a bulletproof vest, which stopped but round, and Dunlap shot back. Taylor was pronounced deceased at the scene and no other suspects were being sought, investigators said. Dunlap, a thirteen-year veteran, was taken to a hospital for observation and was later released. He's being placed on administrative duty, which happens with any trooper-involved shooting, the highway patrol said. The North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation (SBI) is conducting an independent probe of the incident. Exclusive discounts from CBS Mornings Deals A look at the flag that inspired "The Star-Spangled Banner" Fandango's Erik Davis on must-see films of the summer movie season President Donald Trump, left, pauses with Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey during a campaign rally Monday, Oct. 19, 2020, in Tucson, Ariz. According to new allegations, Trump reportedly tried pressuring then-Gov. Ducey to overturn the election results in the state in 2020. | Ross D. Franklin, Associated Press Former President Donald Trump reportedly tried to pressure then-Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey to overturn election results in the state in 2020, according to new allegations. Trump narrowly lost Arizona by about 10,000 votes, and he has disputed the loss in the years since. But investigations into alleged wrongdoing in the 2020 election in Arizona found no evidence of widespread fraud. In late 2020, Trump allegedly called Ducey and encouraged him to look into his claims of fraud, sources told The Washington Post. Trump also reportedly asked then-Vice President Mike Pence to call Ducey and pressure him, according to the Post. In a statement, a Ducey spokesperson downplayed reporting about the alleged phone call as not new or news. This is neither new nor is it news to anyone following the issue the last two years, spokesman Daniel Scarpinato told the Post. Gov. Ducey defended the results of Arizonas 2020 election, he certified the election, and he made it clear that the certification provided a trigger for credible complaints backed by evidence to be brought forward. None were ever brought forward. The governor stands by his action to certify the election and considers the issue to be in the rearview mirror. When Ducey certified the results on Nov. 30, 2020, which showed that President Joe Biden won Arizona, his phone went off with Hail to the Chief, which he previously said he used as Trumps ringtone because he didnt want to miss a call from the White House. Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey's 'Hail to the Chief' ringtonewhich he says he set for Trumpwent off just as he certified Joe Biden's victory in the state pic.twitter.com/5FvAUsqtO0 NowThis (@nowthisnews) December 2, 2020 Ducey at the time said he called Trump back after but declined to publicly share details about the call beyond saying, the president has got an inquisitive mind and when he calls hes always got a lot of questions, and I give him honest answers, direct feedback and my opinion when its necessary and thats all Im going to say about it. The new reporting suggests parallels in how Trump allegedly pressured Ducey and what he said in a recorded call to another swing state Republican elected official, Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger. In audio of his call with Raffensperger, Trump asked him to find enough votes to flip Georgia and made false claims of election fraud. Ducey did not record his call with Trump, sources told the Post. Related Trump, who has been indicted by federal law enforcement for his handling of classified documents and was also charged in New York, is facing an investigation in Georgia for allegedly pressuring Raffensperger to overturn the election results. Ducey isnt the only Arizona Republican to say Trump called asking for help after he lost the state: former Arizona House Speaker Rusty Bowers said Trump and others called him about not certifying Arizonas 2020 results, during his testimony in front of the House Select Committee investigating the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol last year. Trump trial of the millennium puts a spotlight on his legal team. Here are the pros and cons Donald Trump's trial of the millennium won't just potentially cast a global spotlight on the host Treasure Coast town, but also on the Florida attorneys who will make up his legal team. When Trump appeared in Miami federal court to plead not guilty on June 13, the former president was represented by Todd Blanche and Christopher Kise. Expectations are other attorneys will be added given what are likely to be complex and grueling legal proceedings in Fort Pierce. So it's a question, seemingly out of a James Patterson or John Grisham novel, that reportedly is being posed to the state's top lawyers: Do you want to be on the team defending a former United States president accused of illegally possessing and handling some of the country's most guarded secrets? Those considering taking Trump on as a client, lawyers say, will calculate the high-risk, high-reward case. "It is a big deal," said Tallahassee criminal defense attorney Tim Jansen. "But it's kind of a double-edged sword, this case." The pros and cons of a case that is a 'double-edged sword' for Florida attorneys The bonanzas could include professional principle of unprecedented historical scale in defending what they may see, as Trump claims, an innocent defendant who has been indicted in a case of election interference. Chris Kise, an attorney for former President Donald Trump leaves the Paul G. Rogers Federal Building in downtown West Palm Beach in September 2022. Added stature in the legal community and invitations to teach law at top universities could be next. Then the fame book and television deals could follow as they did for the defense team in the O.J. Simpson trial of the century. The money's a plus, too, since Trump is a reported billionaire who is raising many millions of dollars and would have to pay handsomely. And in advance. The downside is the scrutiny that intense attention will bring. Every action, from motions to filings to jury selection to objections or not if there is a trial, will be dissected before an international audience. It is unclear how long this case will run, and it will be an all-consuming, singular focus for the attorneys working it. There will be political blowback for them and their firms as Trump remains a uniquely polarizing figure, and a losing verdict could be unforgiving. There will be tension with Trump, who has had a revolving legal team. And speaking of the client, he is also the leading Republican White House candidate and his stream of public, and at times contradictory, utterances will only make his defense more challenging. "You've got a very high profile client who is very difficult to control. He's always going and speaking and making comments your team is stuck with those comments because they are admissible in court," Jansen said. Ex-Florida Bar presidents say South Florida presents Trump with plenty of 'talented' lawyers to ask That being said, attorneys say Florida has a deep bench of legal talent for Trump to approach with the offer to join his team, which lists respected veteran Kise, who served as Florida solicitor general while Jeb Bush was governor. "South Florida has a very deep and talented criminal defense bar who handle extremely high-level matters," said Scott Hawkins, a West Palm Beach lawyer and former president of The Florida Bar. The complexity of the case will require Trump to hire additional legal hands, said Gregory Coleman, a West Palm Beach attorney who also previously served as Florida Bar president. Adding more lawyers to the case "is for balance," Coleman said, adding: "Mr. Trump tends to like to have different points of view from different lawyers before making decisions." Trump arraignment: Ex-president pleads not guilty to federal charges at Miami courthouse In addition, the workload required to defend against a federal indictment is overwhelming. "When you're dealing with the government, they have endless resources," Coleman said. "They can over-lawyer a case, and you need bodies." And by that, Coleman said, he doesn't just mean worker bees. The Trump indictment touches on so many topics it requires lawyers with a knowledge of politics and white-collar prosecution. "More than anything, it requires a good strategist," Coleman added. Still, lawyers have said no to joining Trump's legal team So far, though, it's just Blanche and Kise as others have said no to joining the former president's team. "I know lawyers who have turned down the case, either because of their firm or they just didn't feel it was right for them at the time," said Jansen, who knows Kise well and has tried cases with him. Media reports indicate some of the top Florida lawyers who have declined include Howard Srebnick, a law partner to Roy Black, best known for his successful defense of William Kennedy Smith on rape charges in Palm Beach County more than 20 years ago. Srebnick didn't return a phone call seeking comment. Lawyers could decide not to represent Trump for a host of reasons. They include partners not wanting the case or just the overwhelming nature of the litigation, which could take up a lawyer's entire practice. Trump trial: Does move to Fort Pierce make jury 'favorable' to former president? "It's a lot of work," Coleman said. "Anytime you have the government and their depth in resources and the multi-legal and factual issues involved, it's not a simple case. There are a lot of moving parts." Lawyers say finding attorneys deeply steeped in national security cases or the Espionage Act, under which Trump is charged, is not a necessity. "There aren't a whole lot of national security cases down here, that's right," said Richard Serafini, a former federal prosecutor now working as a criminal defense attorney in Fort Lauderdale. Serafini said that piece of the puzzle can be hired out of Washington, D.C., or another location. "I don't think that should be a problem in assembling a defense team," he said. Jansen agreed. "If you're looking for a lawyer who only can do national security you're going to have a small field," he said. He pointed out that the bigger need is to hire lawyers who "know how to try a case" from knowledge of the rules of evidence to understanding how to present the case to showing confidence to properly advising the client. "Listen, as trial lawyers, and I've been doing this 38 years, you try cases that you have very little expertise but you get the expertise by going through it," Jansen said. "You're hiring a trial lawyer because they can try a case. A good trial lawyer is really skilled at learning new areas pretty quickly." Antonio Fins is a politics and business editor at The Palm Beach Post, part of the USA TODAY Florida Network. You can reach him at afins@pbpost.com. Help support our journalism. Subscribe today. This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Trump trial will place his South Florida attorneys under a spotlight Fireworks will be easy to find July 4. Displays are scheduled all over Southwest Florida. For more information, visit heraldtribune.com. On Independence Day, celebrate liberty July 4, 2023, is Americas 247th Birthday, Independence Day! We celebrate the adoption of the Declaration of Independence on the Fourth of July in 1776. On this day, we celebrate the delegates from the 13 colonies to the Continental Congress who approved the Declaration of Independence, making them free and sovereign. The colonies moved into a new era of political independence with no ties to England. More: Fun things to do in July in Sarasota, Manatee and Charlotte counties More: How to send a letter to the editor I encourage readers to read our historic document, which states that all men are created equal with certain rights of freedom, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. On the Fourth of July, be proud and fly the beautiful American flag, ring the bells of freedom and attend patriotic events. Jean Maxwell Catsakis, chairman, Commemorative Events Committee, Sara De Soto Chapter, Daughters of the American Revolution, Sarasota To ease lifeguard shortage, pay more There is a national lifeguard shortage, and its not getting any better. All over the country, cities and towns are scrambling to cover their pools and beaches. For some, its a seasonal issue, but here in Florida it is a year-round crisis. Sarasota County has a critical lifeguard shortage. Why? Perhaps its the starting hourly pay of $17.03 to $18.08 (according to a job listing). Thats woefully low for the daunting level of responsibility placed on these men and women. In addition, it's difficult to recruit lifeguards to an area that has prohibitively expensive rental rates. All hands on deck: Sarasota County prepares for Fourth of July with riptide, boat safety My suggestion? Take a page out of the school districts playbook. When there was a critical shortage of bus drivers, the School Board raised the starting pay to $25 per hour, plus signing bonus, training and free health benefits. And it worked! Sarasota County should pay lifeguards what they deserve. They are first responders, same as our fire department and police officers, and should receive wages that reflect that. After the recent drowning tragedies in the Panhandle, I hope that the county will take another look at how to attract and retain the qualified lifeguards that our residents and visitors deserve. Cindy Effron, Nokomis Conservative judges again ignore precedent The Supreme Court issued momentous decisions on race and orientation June 30. Beyond civil rights, they portend far-reaching consequences. The court struck down affirmative action by colleges and universities based on the 14th Amendment Equal Protection Clause. Overturning 40 years of legal precedent, the court ruled such institutions can no longer specifically consider race in admissions. The court then held the First Amendment prohibits forcing a Christian website designer to create messages with which she disagrees, specifically about gay marriage. This for the first time granted businesses open to the public a constitutional right to refuse service to members of a protected class. Both cases had the court divided 6-3 along ideological lines. They follow the landmark decision last year overturning Roe v. Wade. The court, breaking 50 years of precedent, denied women control over their bodies, also 6-3. For lawyers, these decisions raise concerns about the fundamental doctrine of stare decisis (essentially courts honoring previous rulings). For the public, they may further destroy confidence in the supposed political neutrality of the court. They likewise have the potential to exacerbate disrespect for the court, particularly considering their contentious remarks and following recent revelations of justices accepting lavish boons from billionaires. Jan Schneider, Sarasota Immigration law preserves limited resources The June 29 guest column by Silvana Caldera was way off base, Citizen or Not: Why Hispanics and people of color are not safe in Florida. Caldera, who is a senior policy strategist for the ACLU of Florida, writes that the state's new immigration law attacks immigrants. In reality, SB1718 targets only illegal immigrants. What part of "illegal" does Caldera not understand? The new law only became necessary because of the Biden administrations open borders policy. New state laws July 1: TikTok ban, crackdown on immigration, concealed carry without a permit The Legislature and Gov. Ron DeSantis acted to preserve Floridas limited public resources for the benefit of its residents. We simply cant absorb a new influx of border jumpers trying to game an obsolete asylum system. Caldera is wrong to say Florida has an anti-immigrant culture. Immigrants in Florida play a vital role in keeping things running in industries like tourism, construction and landscaping. Nobody is dehumanizing and criminalizing immigrants, as she claims. Hopefully, next years election will lead to some badly needed reforms in federal immigration laws. These should include tightened border security, asylum reform and a vastly expanded temporary worker program targeted at chronic worker shortage areas. Roger Bonke, Lakewood Ranch This article originally appeared on Sarasota Herald-Tribune: America gained independence from Great Britain 247 years ago Tunisian killed in clashes with migrants after days of tension in coastal city By Tarek Amara TUNIS (Reuters) - A Tunisian man was killed in clashes between residents and sub-Saharan African migrants in the southern city of Sfax, a judicial official said on Tuesday, following days of violent incidents between locals and migrants. Sfax, Tunisia's economic capital, is crowded with thousands of African migrants aiming to set off to Europe on boats from local coastal areas in an exodus marking an unprecedented migration crisis for the north African country. Faouzi Masmoudi, a spokesperson for the Sfax court, said police had arrested three Sub-Saharan Africans suspected of being responsible for the killing of the Tunisian man on Monday. The killing followed nights of violent clashes in Sfax between residents and migrants, he added. During the past two nights, the police fired tear gas to break up the clashes. There has been a surge in migration across the Mediterranean from Tunisia this year after a crackdown by Tunis on migrants from sub-Saharan Africa living in the country illegally and reports of racist attacks amid an economic downturn. Sfax residents complain about riots and disorderly behaviour by migrants, while the migrants say they are subjected to racist harassment by some residents. Last month, hundreds of Sfax residents protested against the presence of thousands of migrants and asked authorities to deport them, saying Sfax must not become a city of refugees. In past months hundreds of Africans have been lost and died in boat sinkings off the Sfax coast, while bodies of migrants have piled up in hospital mortuaries after washing up on beaches. Tunisia is under pressure from Europe to stop the huge numbers departing from its coasts. European countries have pledged financial support, but Tunisian President Kais Saied said that Tunisia will not be a border guard and that it will not accept the settlement of immigrants in the country. (Reporting by Tarek Amara, Editing by William Maclean) Tunisian stabbed to death in clash with African migrants Tunisians mourn during the funeral of a man who was fatally stabbed during a scuffle between local residents and migrants from sub-Saharan Africa, in Sfax (Houssem Zouari) Youths in Tunisia called for vengeance on Tuesday at the funeral of a man stabbed to death during a scuffle between residents and migrants from sub-Saharan Africa. Three African migrants were arrested as suspects in the stabbing death of the local man in Tunisia's coastal city of Sfax, a court spokesman said. The North African country's second-largest city is a departure point for many migrants hoping to reach Italy, and tensions have been rising in Sfax for months. Police had fired tear gas on Sunday to disperse residents and migrants throwing stones at each other. Faouzi Masmoudi, spokesman for the Sfax prosecutor, said the victim, aged in his early 40s, was fatally stabbed late Monday during a scuffle between Sfax residents and migrants. He said three suspects, from Cameroon according to initial information, had been arrested. Locals in Sfax regularly protest against the presence of the migrants and call for them to leave. News of the man's death spread quickly after Tarek Mahdi, a member of parliament for Sfax, posted a video on social media showing a body lying in the street and a trail of blood. Reaction to the post, some with racist overtones, included calls for African migrants to be expelled from Sfax. "We are going to avenge his death!" a group of young people chanted at the victim's funeral on Tuesday, according to video footage published by a group which campaigns against illegal immigration in Sfax. Clashes between migrants and residents were reported in several districts of the city on Tuesday. - Security boosted - The interior ministry said the police and security presence in Sfax was bolstered after Monday's killing. Racial tensions in Tunisia have led to deadly violence before. In late May, police arrested three citizens on suspicion of stabbing to death a migrant from Benin. Tunisia has seen a rise in racially motivated attacks on migrants and foreign students following President Kais Saied's comments in February accusing "hordes" of illegal migrants of bringing violence, crime and "unacceptable practices". He also spoke of a "criminal plot" to change the country's demographic make-up. On Tuesday, Saied visited the interior ministry in the capital. A presidency statement said he reiterated that Tunisia "does not accept that anyone who does not respect its laws stays on its territory, or uses it as a transit country or to resettle nationals of certain African countries". With a population of 12 million, Tunisia hosts an estimated 21,000 migrants from other parts of Africa, representing 0.2 percent of the population. While some migrants come to Tunisia to study, many use the country as a springboard for attempts to reach Europe by sea, usually to the Italian island of Lampedusa about 130 kilometres (80 miles) away. Tunisians themselves have joined the exodus in a bid to flee the economic crisis in their country, which is highly indebted and in talks for a bailout loan from the International Monetary Fund. Europe has offered funding to help assist Tunisia's efforts against illegal migration and boost the economy. Saied has repeatedly rejected what he terms the "diktats" of the Washington-based IMF. str-ezz-kl/srm/dv (Bloomberg) -- Turkeys president downplayed the chances of a significant breakthrough at talks this week to bring Sweden into NATO, amid a row over the burning of a Koran in Stockholm. Most Read from Bloomberg Recep Tayyip Erdogan, speaking before discussions between the foreign ministers of Turkey, Sweden and Finland on Thursday, slammed last weeks incident, including the fact Swedish police allowed it to proceed. The determined struggle with terrorist organizations and Islamophobia is our red line, Erdogan said on Monday after a cabinet meeting in Ankara. These are hate crimes that feed on hostility to Islam. Its much worse that this hate crime can be committed under police protection. The ministers are meant to help break an impasse that has kept Sweden waiting to join the North Atlantic Treaty Organization for more than a year. Their talks will come ahead of a high-stakes summit of leaders of the alliance on July 11 and 12. The desecration of Islams holy book happened after Swedens police had denied permits for similar demonstrations in recent months, citing national security concerns. But their decisions have been overturned by courts ruling that freedom of speech must be prioritized unless there is an immediate threat to public safety. Swedens government has condemned burnings of the Koran. Sweden applied to join NATO in May 2022 after Russia invaded Ukraine. Erdogan quickly objected to the bid, alleging that Stockholm supported groups Turkey classifies as terrorists. Still, Turkey has allowed the membership process to nudge forward and agreed to fellow applicant Finland joining the bloc in April, despite initial concerns. For NATO, northern enlargement would boost its presence in the Arctic and give it more clout in the Baltic Sea. Swedens entry is particularly important for Finland to secure supply routes and bring depth to its defenses. To date, 29 of NATOs 31 members have ratified Swedens entry, with Hungary continuing to stall alongside Turkey. Hungary will back Swedens bid to join the NATO military alliance once Turkey gives a sign that its also ready to do so, Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto said on Tuesday. Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson is set to meet US President Joe Biden in Washington on Wednesday to discuss Ankaras position. The Turkish nation is not warm and sympathetic to Swedens entry into NATO in its current state and outlook, Devlet Bahceli, and Erdogan ally and leader of the MHP nationalist party, said on Tuesday. MHP wants sincere and convincing steps from Sweden, he said. Sweden had hoped a major step would be its new anti-terror law, which entered into force on last month. In Stockholms view, it was the last remaining obligation under an agreement signed last year to pave the way for ratification. Still, Erdogan has said that the legislation, which makes participation in any terrorist group punishable by law, is not enough. --With assistance from Zoltan Simon. (Updates with comments from Hungary in eighth paragraph.) Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek 2023 Bloomberg L.P. Turkey says will not be pressured over Sweden's NATO bid Turkey is angry at Sweden for allowing protests at which anti-Islamic figures burned pages from the Koran (Jonathan NACKSTRAND) Turkey warned Tuesday it will not be pressured into backing Sweden's bid to join NATO and said it was still assessing whether the Nordic country's entry would help or hurt the bloc. Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan's comments came two days before he was due to meet his Swedish counterpart in Brussels to discuss Stockholm's attempt to become the 32nd member of the US-led defence alliance. NATO hopes to welcome Sweden by the time alliance leaders hold a summit in Lithuania on July 11-12. But Turkey and fellow NATO member Hungary are holding up ratification over a range of individual disputes with both Stockholm and Brussels. Unanimous approval from current members is required for new countries to join the world's most powerful defence organisation. "We never approve of the use of time pressure as a method," Fidan told a televised press conference. Ankara has been frustrated by decisions by the Stockholm police to grant permits for protests at which anti-Islamic figures have burned pages from the Koran outside the Turkish embassy and mosques. The last such protest on the first day of the Eid al-Adha religious holiday last week drew strong condemnation from across the Muslim world. Fidan referred to the incident as an example of Sweden failing to live up to commitments it made when it won Turkey's initial backing for its application in Madrid one year ago. "Sweden's security system is not able to stop provocations. This is not bringing more strength but more problems to NATO," he said. "In terms of strategy and security, when we are discussing Sweden's membership of NATO, it's a question of whether it will be a benefit or a burden." - Following Turkey's lead - Hungary has indicated that it will follow Turkey's lead in the dispute. Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto said Tuesday he had been holding regular consultations with Fidan about Sweden. "In the coming days as well communication will continue to be close and continuous with the Turkish foreign minister," Szijjarto said. "And if there is a shift, we will of course keep our promise that Hungary will not delay any country in terms of membership." The Swedish government on Sunday condemned last week's Koran burning as "Islamophobic". But it added in a foreign ministry statement that Sweden had a "constitutionally protected right to freedom of assembly, expression and demonstration". The Stockholm police ruled prior to last week's protest that the risks associated with the Koran burning "were not of a nature that could justify, under current laws, a decision to reject the request". Sweden and its neighbour Finland dropped decades of military non-alignment and applied to join NATO in the wake of Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Finland formally joined the bloc in April. pmu-zak/rox The statue of the Roman emperor, who lived from AD 145 to 211, was recently sent back to Turkey -- minus the head (Camille BAS-WOHLERT) A bronze head of Emperor Septimius Severus on display at a Copenhagen museum has become a bone of contention between the Danish museum and Turkey, which claims it was looted during an archaeological dig in the 1960s and wants it back. After decades in the United States as part of a private collection that loaned it to New York's Metropolitan Museum, a statue of the Roman emperor, who lived from AD 145 to 211, was recently sent back to Turkey -- minus the head. The statue was believed to have been stolen from a site in Turkey. Turkish authorities say the missing head is in the Danish capital -- where it has been on display at the Ny Carlsberg Glyptotek in Copenhagen for over 50 years. But many Danish experts say they are not so sure. "We are not convinced that the two things belong together. The documentation is at the moment not very strong, we have to compare breaks of the torso and the head," Glyptotek's director of collections Rune Frederiksen told AFP. In 1979, a former museum curator estimated that the head -- acquired in 1970 without any information about its exact origins -- corresponded to a decapitated statue from a private American collection. The two bronze parts were even reunited for an exhibition. "The head was fitted to the torso in the sense that a pole was put into the neck of the head and fitted into the torso so that the two fragments approached each other," Frederiksen explained. - Not conclusive - But in his view, the assembly did not conclusively prove they were meant to be together. "I'm not saying that they don't belong together. I'm just saying that we are not as sure as we perhaps were 25-30 years ago, when we wrote the catalogues," he said. The catalogues -- covering Danish museum collections -- state that "nothing, in terms of composition or structure, prevented the head and body from belonging to the same statue". As for the origin of the bronze head, it is more categorical and places it at Bubon, a Roman site in Asia Minor, in the historic region of Lycia on what is now Turkey's Mediterranean coast. For archaeologist Guillaume Biard, a lecturer at the Aix-Marseille University, there is no documented evidence to definitely identify the origin of the head. But he argues it is clear "the torso that was once exhibited at the Metropolitan Museum in New York and returned to Turkey comes from the Sebasteion -- the temple of the imperial cult -- at Bubon." For Turkish authorities on the other hand, the origin of the head is not in dispute, and in particular they quote the work of the late Turkish archaeologist, Jale Inan, who took measurements of the head and body. "The bronze comes from Bubon in Turkey. And like all objects from Turkey, we are asking for it to be returned," said Mehmet Bulut, the Turkish charge d'affaires in Denmark. Discussions with the Glyptotek have begun. "The procedure has been initiated. We have expressed our request, but it will take time", Bulut added. - 'Complete models are rare' - While he is not opposed to a potential return, Frederiksen said he thinks it is necessary to thoroughly research the parts. Reuniting lost fragments is a vital and often difficult task for historians and museums. "It is obviously important to be able to reconstruct ancient statues. Most of those that have come down to us are heads without bodies or bodies without heads," Emmanuelle Rosso, a professor of art history and archaeology at the Paris-Sorbonne University, told AFP. Heads have been worn down over time and statues may have been decapitated -- sometimes during revolts or by looters looking to maximise profits by selling two objects rather than one. "Complete statues are very rare, and this is even truer in the case of bronze statues," Rosso noted. However, "the more complete a sculpted work is, the more archaeologists and art historians have at their disposal to place it in its original context of production and exhibition," Biard noted. There have also been reunions with heads and bodies that weren't originally meant to be together. "In the Roman period, the emperor used sculptures as part of political propaganda and when a new emperor came, instead of changing all the statues, sometimes it was just much more efficient and cheaper to change the head," Frederiksen explained. cbw/phy/jll/bp/ach Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg (L) and Twitter owner Elon Musk recently challenged each other to a cage fight (Mandel NGAN) Elon Musk spent the weekend further alienating Twitter users with more drastic changes to the social media giant, and he is facing a new challenge as tech nemesis Mark Zuckerberg prepares to launch a rival app this week. Zuckerberg's Meta group, which owns Facebook, has listed a new app in stores as "Threads, an Instagram app", available for pre-order in the United States, with a message saying it is "expected" this Thursday. The two men have clashed for years but a recent comment by a Meta executive suggesting that Twitter was not run "sanely" irked Musk, eventually leading to the two men offering each other out for a cage fight. Since buying Twitter last year for $44 billion, Musk has fired thousands of employees and charged users $8 a month to have a blue checkmark and a "verified" account. On the weekend, he limited the posts readers could view and decreed that nobody could look at a tweet unless they were logged in, meaning external links no longer work for many. He said he needed to fire up extra servers just to cope with the demand as artificial intelligence (AI) companies scraped "extreme levels" of data to train their models. But commentators have poured scorn on that idea and marketing experts say he has massively alienated both his user base and the advertisers he needs to get profits rolling. In another move that shocked users, Twitter announced Monday that access to TweetDeck, an app that allows users to monitor several accounts at once, would be limited to verified accounts next month. John Wihbey, an associate professor of media innovation and technology at Northeastern University, told AFP that plenty of people wanted to quit Twitter for ethical reasons after Musk took over, but he had now given them a technical reason to leave too. And he added that Musk's decision to sack thousands of workers meant it had long been expected that the site would become "technically unusable". - 'Remarkably bad' - Musk has said he wants to make Twitter less reliant on advertising and boost income from subscriptions. Yet he chose advertising specialist Linda Yaccarino as his chief executive recently, and she has spoken of going into "hand-to-hand combat" to win back advertisers. "How do you tell Twitter advertisers that your most engaged free users potentially will never see their ads because of data caps on their usage," tweeted Justin Taylor, a former marketing executive at Twitter. Mike Proulx, vice president at market research firm Forrester, said the weekend's chaos had been "remarkably bad" for both users and advertisers. "Advertisers depend on reach and engagement yet Twitter is currently decimating both," he told AFP. He said Twitter had "moved from stable to startup" and Yaccarino, who remained silent over the weekend, would struggle to restore its credibility, leaving the door open to Twitter's rivals to suck up any cash from advertisers. - 'Open secret' - The technical reasons Musk gave for limiting the views of users immediately brought a backlash. Many social media users speculated that Musk had simply failed to pay the bill for his servers. French social data analyst Florent Lefebvre said AI firms were more likely to train their models on books and media articles than social network content, which "is of much poorer quality, full of mistakes and lacking in context". Yoel Roth, who stepped down as Twitter's head of security weeks after Musk took over, said the idea that data scraping had caused such performance problems that users needed to be forced to log in "doesn't pass the sniff test". "Scraping was the open secret of Twitter data access," he wrote on the Bluesky social network -- another Twitter rival. "We knew about it. It was fine." jxb/lth Researcher dedicated to Tibetan antelope protection in NW China's Qinghai Xinhua) 09:44, July 04, 2023 Lian Xinming (L) and his student Wang Zihan use a drone to monitor an overnight habitat of Tibetan antelopes during their migration near the Qumar River Bridge along the Qinghai-Tibet Highway in Hoh Xil, a natural reserve in northwest China's Qinghai Province, on the early hours of June 16, 2023. Lian Xinming, a researcher at the Northwest Institute of Plateau Biology under the Chinese Academy of Sciences, has dedicated more than 20 years of research to Tibetan antelopes since he first set foot on Hoh Xil in 2002. "Tibetan antelope protection stands as a successful example of human involvement in rescuing endangered animals," said Lian. "Using advanced technology to gain insights into what lies behind the migration of a species can also inspire the research and conservation efforts for other species." According to the Sanjiangyuan National Park Administration, the population of Tibetan antelopes in the Hoh Xil national natural reserve has recovered from less than 20,000 during the initial stages of protection to more than 70,000. (Xinhua/Zhang Cheng) Lian Xinming and his team members monitor an overnight habitat of Tibetan antelopes during their migration near the Qumar River Bridge along the Qinghai-Tibet Highway in Hoh Xil, a natural reserve in northwest China's Qinghai Province, on the early hours of June 16, 2023. Lian Xinming, a researcher at the Northwest Institute of Plateau Biology under the Chinese Academy of Sciences, has dedicated more than 20 years of research to Tibetan antelopes since he first set foot on Hoh Xil in 2002. "Tibetan antelope protection stands as a successful example of human involvement in rescuing endangered animals," said Lian. "Using advanced technology to gain insights into what lies behind the migration of a species can also inspire the research and conservation efforts for other species." According to the Sanjiangyuan National Park Administration, the population of Tibetan antelopes in the Hoh Xil national natural reserve has recovered from less than 20,000 during the initial stages of protection to more than 70,000. (Xinhua/Zhang Cheng) Lian Xinming (L) and his student Wang Dong store the feces of Tibetan antelopes in a nitrogen tank in Hoh Xil, a natural reserve in northwest China's Qinghai Province, June 15, 2023. Lian Xinming, a researcher at the Northwest Institute of Plateau Biology under the Chinese Academy of Sciences, has dedicated more than 20 years of research to Tibetan antelopes since he first set foot on Hoh Xil in 2002. "Tibetan antelope protection stands as a successful example of human involvement in rescuing endangered animals," said Lian. "Using advanced technology to gain insights into what lies behind the migration of a species can also inspire the research and conservation efforts for other species." According to the Sanjiangyuan National Park Administration, the population of Tibetan antelopes in the Hoh Xil national natural reserve has recovered from less than 20,000 during the initial stages of protection to more than 70,000. (Xinhua/Jin Liwang) Lian Xinming and his team members use a drone to monitor an overnight habitat of Tibetan antelopes during their migration near the Qumar River Bridge along the Qinghai-Tibet Highway in Hoh Xil, a natural reserve in northwest China's Qinghai Province, on the early hours of June 16, 2023. Lian Xinming, a researcher at the Northwest Institute of Plateau Biology under the Chinese Academy of Sciences, has dedicated more than 20 years of research to Tibetan antelopes since he first set foot on Hoh Xil in 2002. "Tibetan antelope protection stands as a successful example of human involvement in rescuing endangered animals," said Lian. "Using advanced technology to gain insights into what lies behind the migration of a species can also inspire the research and conservation efforts for other species." According to the Sanjiangyuan National Park Administration, the population of Tibetan antelopes in the Hoh Xil national natural reserve has recovered from less than 20,000 during the initial stages of protection to more than 70,000. (Xinhua/Jin Liwang) Lian Xinming and his team members drive to an overnight habitat of Tibetan antelopes during their migration near the Qumar River Bridge along the Qinghai-Tibet Highway in Hoh Xil, a natural reserve in northwest China's Qinghai Province, on the early hours of June 16, 2023. Lian Xinming, a researcher at the Northwest Institute of Plateau Biology under the Chinese Academy of Sciences, has dedicated more than 20 years of research to Tibetan antelopes since he first set foot on Hoh Xil in 2002. "Tibetan antelope protection stands as a successful example of human involvement in rescuing endangered animals," said Lian. "Using advanced technology to gain insights into what lies behind the migration of a species can also inspire the research and conservation efforts for other species." According to the Sanjiangyuan National Park Administration, the population of Tibetan antelopes in the Hoh Xil national natural reserve has recovered from less than 20,000 during the initial stages of protection to more than 70,000. (Xinhua/Jin Liwang) Lian Xinming poses for a photo in Hoh Xil, a natural reserve in northwest China's Qinghai Province, June 15, 2023. Lian Xinming, a researcher at the Northwest Institute of Plateau Biology under the Chinese Academy of Sciences, has dedicated more than 20 years of research to Tibetan antelopes since he first set foot on Hoh Xil in 2002. "Tibetan antelope protection stands as a successful example of human involvement in rescuing endangered animals," said Lian. "Using advanced technology to gain insights into what lies behind the migration of a species can also inspire the research and conservation efforts for other species." According to the Sanjiangyuan National Park Administration, the population of Tibetan antelopes in the Hoh Xil national natural reserve has recovered from less than 20,000 during the initial stages of protection to more than 70,000. (Xinhua/Jin Liwang) Tibetan antelopes are pictured in Hoh Xil, a natural reserve in northwest China's Qinghai Province, June 15, 2023. Lian Xinming, a researcher at the Northwest Institute of Plateau Biology under the Chinese Academy of Sciences, has dedicated more than 20 years of research to Tibetan antelopes since he first set foot on Hoh Xil in 2002. "Tibetan antelope protection stands as a successful example of human involvement in rescuing endangered animals," said Lian. "Using advanced technology to gain insights into what lies behind the migration of a species can also inspire the research and conservation efforts for other species." According to the Sanjiangyuan National Park Administration, the population of Tibetan antelopes in the Hoh Xil national natural reserve has recovered from less than 20,000 during the initial stages of protection to more than 70,000. (Xinhua/Zhang Cheng) This file photo taken in March 2019 shows Lian Xinming (R, front) collecting samples in the Sanjiangyuan area in northwest China's Qinghai Province. Lian Xinming, a researcher at the Northwest Institute of Plateau Biology under the Chinese Academy of Sciences, has dedicated more than 20 years of research to Tibetan antelopes since he first set foot on Hoh Xil in 2002. "Tibetan antelope protection stands as a successful example of human involvement in rescuing endangered animals," said Lian. "Using advanced technology to gain insights into what lies behind the migration of a species can also inspire the research and conservation efforts for other species." According to the Sanjiangyuan National Park Administration, the population of Tibetan antelopes in the Hoh Xil national natural reserve has recovered from less than 20,000 during the initial stages of protection to more than 70,000. (Xinhua) Lian Xinming collects the feces of Tibetan antelopes for research in Hoh Xil, a natural reserve in northwest China's Qinghai Province, June 15, 2023. Lian Xinming, a researcher at the Northwest Institute of Plateau Biology under the Chinese Academy of Sciences, has dedicated more than 20 years of research to Tibetan antelopes since he first set foot on Hoh Xil in 2002. "Tibetan antelope protection stands as a successful example of human involvement in rescuing endangered animals," said Lian. "Using advanced technology to gain insights into what lies behind the migration of a species can also inspire the research and conservation efforts for other species." According to the Sanjiangyuan National Park Administration, the population of Tibetan antelopes in the Hoh Xil national natural reserve has recovered from less than 20,000 during the initial stages of protection to more than 70,000. (Xinhua/Jin Liwang) Lian Xinming looks up at the drone he uses to monitor an overnight habitat of Tibetan antelopes during their migration near the Qumar River Bridge along the Qinghai-Tibet Highway in Hoh Xil, a natural reserve in northwest China's Qinghai Province, on the early hours of June 16, 2023. Lian Xinming, a researcher at the Northwest Institute of Plateau Biology under the Chinese Academy of Sciences, has dedicated more than 20 years of research to Tibetan antelopes since he first set foot on Hoh Xil in 2002. "Tibetan antelope protection stands as a successful example of human involvement in rescuing endangered animals," said Lian. "Using advanced technology to gain insights into what lies behind the migration of a species can also inspire the research and conservation efforts for other species." According to the Sanjiangyuan National Park Administration, the population of Tibetan antelopes in the Hoh Xil national natural reserve has recovered from less than 20,000 during the initial stages of protection to more than 70,000. (Xinhua/Zhang Cheng) Lian Xinming (L) and his student Wang Zihan use a drone to monitor an overnight habitat of Tibetan antelopes during their migration near the Qumar River Bridge along the Qinghai-Tibet Highway in Hoh Xil, a natural reserve in northwest China's Qinghai Province, on the early hours of June 16, 2023. Lian Xinming, a researcher at the Northwest Institute of Plateau Biology under the Chinese Academy of Sciences, has dedicated more than 20 years of research to Tibetan antelopes since he first set foot on Hoh Xil in 2002. "Tibetan antelope protection stands as a successful example of human involvement in rescuing endangered animals," said Lian. "Using advanced technology to gain insights into what lies behind the migration of a species can also inspire the research and conservation efforts for other species." According to the Sanjiangyuan National Park Administration, the population of Tibetan antelopes in the Hoh Xil national natural reserve has recovered from less than 20,000 during the initial stages of protection to more than 70,000. (Xinhua/Jin Liwang) Lian Xinming shows the feces of Tibetan antelopes he collected for research in Hoh Xil, a natural reserve in northwest China's Qinghai Province, June 15, 2023. Lian Xinming, a researcher at the Northwest Institute of Plateau Biology under the Chinese Academy of Sciences, has dedicated more than 20 years of research to Tibetan antelopes since he first set foot on Hoh Xil in 2002. "Tibetan antelope protection stands as a successful example of human involvement in rescuing endangered animals," said Lian. "Using advanced technology to gain insights into what lies behind the migration of a species can also inspire the research and conservation efforts for other species." According to the Sanjiangyuan National Park Administration, the population of Tibetan antelopes in the Hoh Xil national natural reserve has recovered from less than 20,000 during the initial stages of protection to more than 70,000. (Xinhua/Jin Liwang) Lian Xinming (R) and his student Wang Dong collect the feces of Tibetan antelopes for research in Hoh Xil, a natural reserve in northwest China's Qinghai Province, June 15, 2023. Lian Xinming, a researcher at the Northwest Institute of Plateau Biology under the Chinese Academy of Sciences, has dedicated more than 20 years of research to Tibetan antelopes since he first set foot on Hoh Xil in 2002. "Tibetan antelope protection stands as a successful example of human involvement in rescuing endangered animals," said Lian. "Using advanced technology to gain insights into what lies behind the migration of a species can also inspire the research and conservation efforts for other species." According to the Sanjiangyuan National Park Administration, the population of Tibetan antelopes in the Hoh Xil national natural reserve has recovered from less than 20,000 during the initial stages of protection to more than 70,000. (Xinhua/Jin Liwang) Lian Xinming (R) and his student Wang Dong use binocles to observe the migration of Tibetan antelopes in Hoh Xil, a natural reserve in northwest China's Qinghai Province, June 15, 2023. Lian Xinming, a researcher at the Northwest Institute of Plateau Biology under the Chinese Academy of Sciences, has dedicated more than 20 years of research to Tibetan antelopes since he first set foot on Hoh Xil in 2002. "Tibetan antelope protection stands as a successful example of human involvement in rescuing endangered animals," said Lian. "Using advanced technology to gain insights into what lies behind the migration of a species can also inspire the research and conservation efforts for other species." According to the Sanjiangyuan National Park Administration, the population of Tibetan antelopes in the Hoh Xil national natural reserve has recovered from less than 20,000 during the initial stages of protection to more than 70,000. (Xinhua/Jin Liwang) Lian Xinming and his team members prepare to use a drone to monitor an overnight habitat of Tibetan antelopes during their migration near the Qumar River Bridge along the Qinghai-Tibet Highway in Hoh Xil, a natural reserve in northwest China's Qinghai Province, on the early hours of June 16, 2023. Lian Xinming, a researcher at the Northwest Institute of Plateau Biology under the Chinese Academy of Sciences, has dedicated more than 20 years of research to Tibetan antelopes since he first set foot on Hoh Xil in 2002. "Tibetan antelope protection stands as a successful example of human involvement in rescuing endangered animals," said Lian. "Using advanced technology to gain insights into what lies behind the migration of a species can also inspire the research and conservation efforts for other species." According to the Sanjiangyuan National Park Administration, the population of Tibetan antelopes in the Hoh Xil national natural reserve has recovered from less than 20,000 during the initial stages of protection to more than 70,000. (Xinhua/Jin Liwang) (Web editor: Zhong Wenxing, Liang Jun) Russian media and Telegram channels have reported that Russian Air Defence Forces allegedly shot down two drones near Valuevo Village on the territory of New Moscow on the morning of 4 July. Source: Kremlin-aligned Russian news agency TASS; Telegram channels Shot and Baza Details: According to Shot, two drones were shot down near the village of Valuevo in New Moscow at about 06:00. "The emergency services immediately received several calls about the sounds of an explosion, and eyewitnesses reported that they saw debris falling. There was no fire, and the damage on the ground is being confirmed. The emergency services have arrived at the scene," the Telegram channel states. According to the channel, no visual damage was detected at the place where the drone fell, and no one was wounded. As Baza reported, the explosions occurred a few kilometres from the Moscow Ring Road (MKAD). And TASS wrote, referring to the emergency services, that two drones had been shot down in New Moscow, and one more in Kaluga Oblast, Russia. According to Baza, planes flying to Vnukovo airport have begun to be redirected to other airports. Quote: "There are five flights already: from Sharm El Sheikh, Dubai, Makhachkala, Chelyabinsk and Novosibirsk. Planes began to circle before landing immediately after the appearance and destruction of the drones in the sky. Quote: "Another flight from Ankara has been circling near Vnukovo airport for just over an hour," the channel reported. At the same time, according to TASS, about 14 flights were diverted from Vnukovo to other Moscow airports. Subsequently, the Shot Telegram channel has reported that a kamikaze drone attacked a military base in the settlement of Kubinka near Moscow, but was allegedly shot down by an electronic warfare (EW) system. There were no casualties or damage as a result of the drone attack, the channel claims. At the same time, TASS reports that the drone "went down" near Kubinka. The news agency does not specify whether it was shot down. Journalists fight on their own frontline. Support Ukrainska Pravda or become our patron! The U.S. ambassador to Russia met with Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich in Moscow on Monday as American officials continue to seek his release months after he was detained. Ambassador Lynne Tracy visited Gershkovich at the notorious Lefortovo Prison after the U.S. spent weeks asking for a meeting, the Journal reported. Gershkovich, a 31-year-old U.S. citizen, was detained while on a reporting trip in the Russian city of Yekaterinburg on March 29 on a charge of espionage. The Journal and U.S. officials have flatly rejected those claims, saying the reporter has been wrongfully detained. Its only the second time the ambassador has been able to meet with him. The visit comes shortly after a Moscow court ruled last month that Gershkovich must remain in jail on the charge, despite an appeal from his lawyers. That decision stands until at least Aug. 30. Ambassador Tracy reports that Mr. Gershkovich is in good health and remains strong, despite his circumstances, a State Department spokesperson told the Journal on Monday. U.S. Embassy officials will continue to provide all appropriate support to Mr. Gershkovich and his family, and we expect Russian authorities to provide continued consular access. Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich, a U.S. citizen, appears at the Moscow court on June 22 to appeal the decision to keep him in a former KGB prison. Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich, a U.S. citizen, appears at the Moscow court on June 22 to appeal the decision to keep him in a former KGB prison. Gershkovich, who has worked at the Journals Moscow bureau since January 2022, is the first American journalist to be arrested on an espionage charge in Russia since the Cold War. Secretary of State Antony Blinken told reporters last week that the Biden administration has pushed for his release virtually every day and has been looking for different ways to bring him home along with other detainees, including Paul Whelan. Whelan has been held in Russia since 2020 and was sentenced to 16 years in prison on an espionage charge. Both men deserve to go home to their families now, the State Department said in its statement Monday. The Journal noted that it could be months before the case is brought to trial, and even then, espionage cases are often carried out in secret. A conviction can carry a decades-long sentence, and defendants are rarely acquitted in court, the newspaper reported. Related... (Bloomberg) -- Former British Prime Minister Liz Truss earned 80,000 ($101,600) in four hours this year during a visit to the self-ruled island of Taiwan that drew criticism from within her own Conservative Party. Most Read from Bloomberg The UKs shortest-serving prime minister received the payment from Taiwanese think tank, the Prospect Foundation, according to the UK parliamentary register of members financial interests. Truss addressed the organization in May, delivering a speech in Taipei that slammed China and accused Europe of failing to stand by the self-ruled island that Beijing claims as its own territory. There are still too many in the West who are trying to cling on to the idea that we can cooperate with China, she said. You cant believe a word they say, Truss added, referring to authoritarian regimes. The Prospect Foundation and a representative for Truss and did not immediately respond to requests for comment. READ MORE: Liz Truss Visits Taiwan, Slams China, Makes Issues For Sunak When the British politician traveled to the US in April to deliver a speech to the Washington-based conservative think tank, the Heritage Foundation, she was only compensated for her expenses, according to the register. Those expenditures were estimated to total some 7,600. Former US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo received $150,000 from the Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office to make a trip to Taiwan early last year, local media reported. He visited the island at the invitation of the same think tank as Truss, which was sanctioned by China earlier this year. Trusss premiership imploded last year after a 49-day run that plunged the UKs financial markets into turmoil. Her successor Rishi Sunak has sought to reset ties with the worlds second-largest economy, and UK Foreign Secretary James Cleverly is mulling a trip to Beijing later this month, Bloomberg earlier reported. Taiwans ruling party welcomes visits by foreign delegations, despite the ire such trips prompt from Beijing. China opposes all official contact with the government in Taipei, viewing it as tacit recognition of the island as an independent nation, one of Beijings self-declared diplomatic red lines. (Updates with requests for comment.) Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek 2023 Bloomberg L.P. (Bloomberg) -- Rishi Sunaks government instructed the UKs financial regulator to review how banks offer services to politicians, a move designed to show its on top of an issue stoking controversy among prominent right-wing figures who are influential among the ruling Conservative Partys base. Most Read from Bloomberg Ministers legislated last month to reduce the due diligence burden on banks handling accounts of domestic politically exposed persons, compared to non-domestic, after criticism that the law was having unforeseen consequences. The issue returned to the fore last week when former Brexit Party leader Nigel Farage suggested his accounts were closed because of the rule. We are already looking into this issue and have a passed a law that requires the Financial Conduct Authority to review how banks treat politically exposed persons, the Treasury said in a statement on Monday. But Farage also alleged he was the victim of serious political persecution and prejudice due to his role campaigning for Brexit, according to a video he posted to social media. He was tapping into a political gripe that has gained ground in Britain since PayPal froze the account of a group founded by the right-wing commentator and journalist Toby Young last year. It was after that case that the government issued a call for evidence to look at the effectiveness of current rules, and the issue continues to be awkward for the government. In Parliament on Monday, Security Minister Tom Tugendhat underscored the dilemma facing the government over Farages case. This sort of closure on political grounds if that is indeed what has happened, and after all, we only have the allegation of it at this point should be completely unacceptable, Tugendhat told MPs. That balancing act not accepting Farages allegations in full but also realizing there are potential political gains from agreeing in principle was repeated across government on Monday. Sunaks spokesman, Max Blain, told reporters Chancellor of the Exchequer Jeremy Hunt is also concerned by the reports. It would be a serious concern if financial services were being denied to those exercising the right to lawful free speech, the Treasury said in its statement. The risk for the government is that Farage has given the cause considerable momentum in British right-wing politics, a constituency Sunak wants to keep onside. Reclaim Party leader Laurence Fox called for a run on the banks and said he would be withdrawing his money from Barclays Bank Plc. Meanwhile Conservative MP Charles Walker said banks are being too heavy-handed in their use of anti-money laundering rules against MPs. The situation is getting progressively worse, Walker said on the right-leaning GB News channel. I know of backbench members of Parliament whove never held any ministerial office at all being refused mortgages or having their bank accounts closed purely because they are members of Parliament. Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek 2023 Bloomberg L.P. (Bloomberg) -- A damning report into the homophobic treatment of gay British military personnel shouldnt be left on the shelf, UK veterans minister Johnny Mercer said Tuesday, even as he declined to commit to an apology. Most Read from Bloomberg Read More: UK Army Officers Forced Electric Shock Treatment on Gay Soldiers Ministers received the government-commissioned report, which details electric-shock conversion therapy and other historic abuse of LGBT veterans, more than a month ago. Bloomberg reported last week the government plans to apologize in Parliament this month along with the publication of the probes findings for the decades-long culture of homophobia in the military. But in an interview with LBC Radio, Mercer declined to commit to an apology, saying only that the government is taking its time to publish the report to to make sure we get the response right. Its an incredibly complex subject, youre dealing with some immense hurt in this space, its not something that can easily be done overnight, said Mercer, a former British Army officer. We want to make sure that we get this right, I want to do it right, I dont want it to be a report thats just left on the shelf. The government hasnt committed to when the report will be published and whether ministers will accept its recommendations, including financial compensation. Terence Etherton, the House of Lords peer who led the probe, described it as a unique record of what, to the modern eye, is an incomprehensible policy of homophobic bigotry in our armed forces. Read More: UK Plans to Apologize for Treatment of Gay Veterans Next Month Victims have criticized Prime Minister Rishi Sunaks government for taking too long to publish the report, which details accounts of intrusive medical examinations and witch-hunts during more than three decades through to 2000, when a ban on LGBT people serving in the military was lifted. Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek 2023 Bloomberg L.P. Ukraine should be allowed to join NATO under simplified procedure, says UK foreign secretary The head of the British Foreign Ministry supports the simplified accession of Ukraine to NATO Ukraine should be allowed to join NATO under a simplified procedure, as Sweden and Finland have, Italian newspaper La Repubblica quoted UK Foreign Secretary James Cleverley as saying on July 4. I believe that Ukraine can do it without prevarication as happened with Sweden and Finland, he said. Read also: NATO should expedite Ukraines accession, UK Defense Secretary says At the same time, Cleverly said that he does not know exactly when Ukraine will be able to join the alliance due to ongoing Russian aggression. U.S. President Joe Biden said he supports a proposal put forth by NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg for Ukraine not to have to complete a membership action plan (MAP) in order to join the alliance, U.S. news website Axios reported on June 15. However, Biden said he wouldnt ease barriers for Ukraines membership into NATO either. Read also: NATO should expedite Ukraines accession, UK Defense Secretary says I think they [Ukrainians] have done everything related to demonstrating the ability to coordinate militarily, but theres a whole issue of [whether] their systems [are] secure, CNN quoted him as saying on June 17. Is it [Ukraine] non-corrupt? Does it meet all the standards [that] every other nation in NATO, does? I think it will. I think it can. But its not automatic. The MAP was launched in April 1999 at the alliances Washington Summit to help countries aspiring to NATO membership in their preparations. These cover political, economic, defense, resource, security, and legal aspects. Ukraine's accession to NATO: What we know Ukraine applied for NATO membership last September. Several NATO members immediately supported this move, while others were rather hesitant about it. A NATO summit in the Lithuanian capital of Vilnius is scheduled for July 11-12. Ukraine expects for a clear sign of NATO's readiness to take it in. However, while NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said that NATO's door remains open for Ukraine, no official invitation should be expected yet. Read also: When will Ukraine be accepted into NATO and what will happen next? - opinion In June, U.S. political news outlet Politico reported that Ukraine's partner nations are "still divided over nearly every element of how to respond to the request" for the security guarantees Ukraine requires following the end of Russias full-scale invasion. Western countries may propose a security model akin to that enjoyed by Israel, prior to Ukraines membership in NATO, The Wall Street Journal wrote. This would expedite the transfer of advanced weapons and technology to Kyiv and act as a stepping stone towards eventual membership. Ukraines President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has stated that he sees no reason to attend the Vilnius summit if Ukraines NATO membership is not on the table. Were bringing the voice of Ukraine to the world. Support us with a one-time donation, or become a Patron! Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine Ukraine approves concept of military rehabilitation development: What does it mean Currently, the rehabilitation of injured Ukrainian soldiers is carried out in the Unified Medical Space in hospitals of the Ministry of Defence, hospitals for civilians of state and municipal ownership, and in institutions of the National Academy of Medical Sciences of Ukraine. The Ministry of Defence has approved the Concept for the Development of Rehabilitation of Injured Soldiers, which provides for their treatment in specialised institutions. Source: Andrii Kikh, Colonel of the Medical Service, Head of the Military Medical Clinical Treatment and Rehabilitation Centre of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Kikh says the concept was developed in order to build a network of modern rehabilitation centres and develop rehabilitation structural units in hospitals of the Ministry of Defence. Quote: "Since the beginning of the full-scale invasion, we managed to combine all state and municipal resources to ensure the treatment and rehabilitation of our defenders," he says. Photo: AndreyPopov/Depositphotos Kikh adds that the order of the Ministry of Defence has already developed a route and defined a list of institutions that will be able to provide multidisciplinary rehabilitation assistance. "The issue of rehabilitation of Ukrainian defenders is now one of the key issues for both the present and the future of Ukrainian military medicine. We need more resources, more qualified specialists who would like to join the ranks of the Armed Forces of Ukraine and specialised rehabilitation institutions," the colonel added. Photo: photographee.eu/Depositphotos In an interview with Ukrainska Pravda.Zhyttia, Yevhenia Slivko, the advisor of the Medical Forces command, said this concept will help to create a network of rehabilitation centres of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in Ukraine for the recovery of the military. "Treatment will be more effective, because we aim to involve specialists directly and expand the field of rehabilitation assistance. Currently, we need specialists willing to join the Armed Forces. It is important for a person to understand that, for example, you do not just have a shift there from 08:00 to 17:00, like a civilian, but a permanent one, because military service is ahead," Yevhenia Slivko said. Background: The duration of civilian and military rehabilitation was increased to 168 days. Journalists fight on their own frontline. Support Ukrainska Pravda or become our patron! Georgian Embassy in Kyiv Ukraines Ministry of Foreign Affairs has summoned the Ambassador of Georgia to Ukraine, George Zakarashvili, to express its protest in connection with the significant deterioration of the health of Ukrainian citizen Mikheil Saakashvili, the ministry reported on July 4. Zakarashvili was told that the treatment of Saakashvili, who is currently imprisoned in Georgia, is absolutely unacceptable and that the Georgian authorities must stop their abuse of the prisoner. The foreign ministry recommended that Zakarashvili go to Tbilisi for consultations to resolve the crisis. It also confirmed its readiness to discuss the urgent transfer of Saakashvili to Ukraine for medical care. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on July 3 that Russia was killing Saakashvili, using the Georgian authorities as their proxy. He also instructed the foreign ministry to summon the Georgian ambassador and express his protest. Read also: Georgias Saakashvili says hes dying in jail In turn, commenting on Zelenskyys decision, the head of the Georgian Dream party, Irakli Kobakhidze, said the initiative was offensive. Kobakhidze said that he does not want to delve into this topic as this case concerns the president of a country at war. Tbilisi wants to remain in friendship with the Ukrainian authorities, even unilaterally, the politician said. In general, this position of the Ukrainian authorities is offensive and Saakashvilis move to Georgia was orchestrated by specific top Ukrainian officials, Kobakhidze said. It was insulting in itself that, as our opponents themselves admitted, specific high-ranking officials of the Ukrainian government were involved in sending Saakashvili to Georgia, and today, when the same government demands that Saakashvili be returned to Ukraine, this, of course, contains signs of disrespect. Read also: Georgian authorities waiting for Saakashvili to become disabled, says political scientist Saakashvili has been incarcerated since his return to Georgia in autumn 2021, prior to local elections in that country. It was his first return since the end of his second presidential term in 2013. He has been sentenced to six years in prison following several cases opened against him by the Georgian government, which critics have lambasted as politically motivated. Saakashvili, who also served as a former governor of Odesa Oblast, has undertaken several hunger strikes in protest of this politically motivated arrest. Saakashvili's legal team, family, and supporters assert that he requires overseas treatment due to his grave condition, attributed to his hunger strikes and maltreatment. Saakashvili's attorney, Shalva Khachapuridze, announced in November 2022 that his client had been diagnosed with dementia and tuberculosis. Saakashvili has suggested that he may have been poisoned by Russian agents. The European Parliament has passed a resolution calling for Saakashvili to be released for treatment abroad. On July 3, Saakashvili made a remote appearance in a court hearing for the first time in several months, revealing a noticeable deterioration in his health. Were bringing the voice of Ukraine to the world. Support us with a one-time donation, or become a Patron! Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda has said that its possible that Ukraine will receive an offer of fast track NATO membership at the upcoming summit in Vilnius on July 11-12, according to a report by Reuters on July 4. "We have some countries which are cautious about the stronger wording on Ukraine's perspective," Nauseda as said. "But I already see some shift in the minds of their leaders. Obviously, Ukraine can't become a NATO member in the midst of the war, but the relevant procedures should be created in order to avoid wasting time after the war comes to an end and Ukraine wins. Nauseda called on other countries to not hesitate and be brave in the wake of upcoming changes. This will help to make Kyiv even more effective at the battlefield, while Moscow will consider any caution as weakness. Read also: Ukraine should be allowed to join NATO under simplified procedure, says UK foreign secretary "We should not hesitate to take bolder decisions because otherwise the Putin regime will decide that the Western allies are too weak, that they should be pushed to the corner and they will surrender, Nauseda said. A more determined position regarding Ukraine's NATO prospects will help to increase the fighting spirit of Ukrainian soldiers, he added. Ukraine's NATO accession Ukraine applied for NATO membership last September. Several NATO members immediately supported this move, while others were hesitant about it. Read also: Kuleba calls on Germany not to block Ukraine's accession to NATO However, while NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said that NATO's door remains open for Ukraine, no official invitation should be expected yet. In June, U.S. political news outlet Politico reported that Ukraine's partner nations are still divided over nearly every element of how to respond to the request for the security guarantees Ukraine requires following the end of Russias full-scale invasion. US President Joe Biden backs the plan of NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg that Ukraine could skip the step of a complete a membership action plan to join the treaty, U.S. news website Axios reported in June. Read also: NATO should expedite Ukraines accession, UK Defense Secretary says At the same time, Biden said that he wouldn't ease barriers for Ukraine's membership into NATO because every country has to meet the same standards, CNN reported. "I think they've done everything related to demonstrating the ability to coordinate militarily," he said, but that other systemic issues remain. Ukraines President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has stated that he sees no reason to attend the Vilnius summit if Ukraines NATO membership is not on the table. Were bringing the voice of Ukraine to the world. Support us with a one-time donation, or become a Patron! Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine Ukraine will not receive modern Western fighters until its counteroffensive is completed, Rob Bauer, head of the NATO Military Committee, has said. Source: Bauer in an interview with radio station LBC, as reported by European Pravda Bauer noted that the issue of transferring fighters to Ukraine "will not be solved in the short term." Quote: "The discussion on the fighters is an important one, but it will not be solved in the short term for this counteroffensive. Training those pilots, training the technicians, making sure there is a logistic organisation that can actually sustain these aircraft will not be available before this counteroffensive," the official said. According to him, it is "important and understandable" that Ukraine is asking for Western fighters, but "we should not mix it with the counteroffensive discussion now." When asked if he thought Ukraine could win the war against Russia without fighter jets, Bauer added: "I think Ukraine is in an advantage because it has the western weapon systems, it has the better training, and it has, very importantly, the much higher morale and motivation." Earlier, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine, Dmytro Kuleba, said that "one country" had promised Ukraine to start training Ukrainians on F-16 fighter jets last month, but due to an error in calculations, this did not happen. The issue of providing Ukraine with F-16 fighters was discussed at a meeting of the Ukraine Defence Contact Group in June. After this meeting, it was revealed that by July, Ukraine's partners plan to approve a training programme for Ukrainian pilots, engineers and technicians on F-16 fighters, with the training taking place at a specially created centre in one of the European countries. According to Politico, the supply of Western F-16 fighters to Ukraine may take place in early 2024. Journalists fight on their own frontline. Support Ukrainska Pravda or become our patron! (Bloomberg) -- At least 31 people, including nine children, were wounded by Russian shelling in the town of Pervomaiskyi in Ukraines northeastern Kharkiv region, according to local authorities. Most Read from Bloomberg Amid the continuing fighting, NATO extended Secretary General Jens Stoltenbergs term by a year. In a more dangerous world, our great alliance is more important than ever, Stoltenberg, whose extension was the third in the Norwegians tenure as the North Atlantic Treaty Organizations chief, said in a statement. Hungary meanwhile said it will back Swedens bid to join the alliance once Turkey signals its also ready to do so. But Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto reiterated that Hungary will block any further European Union financing of weapons to Ukraine as long as OTP Bank Nyrt., the nations largest lender, remains on a list drawn up by Kyiv of international war sponsors. Latest Coverage NATO Extends Stoltenbergs Tenure as Chief for Another Year Putin Tells China-Led Bloc That Russia Supports Him After Mutiny Russia Shuts Moscow Airport for Three Hours After Drone Attack Hungary Says Itll Back Swedens NATO Entry Once Turkey Moves Austria to Traders: Dont Bank on Russian Gas Transiting Ukraine Markets European natural gas prices fluctuated as signs of persistently sluggish demand coincided with ongoing production setbacks in the regions top supplier. Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek 2023 Bloomberg L.P. Ukraine reports 'particularly fruitful' few days in counteroffensive Ukrainian forces target Russian tank in Bakhmut By Dan Peleschuk KYIV (Reuters) -A Ukrainian counteroffensive against Russian forces has been "particularly fruitful" in the past few days and Ukraine's troops are fulfilling their main tasks, a senior security official said on Tuesday. The comments by Oleksiy Danilov, secretary of Ukraine's National Security and Defence Council, were Kyiv's latest positive assessment of the month-old counterattack although Moscow has not acknowledged Ukraine's gains. Ukraine's Deputy Defence Minister, Hanna Maliar, also reported gains around the shattered city of Bakhmut despite fierce Russian resistance. Russian forces had captured it in May after 10 months of battles. Russia, which began its full-scale invasion in February 2022, still holds swathes of territory in eastern and southern Ukraine but Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said on Monday his troops had made progress after a "difficult" week. "At this stage of active hostilities, Ukraine's Defense Forces are fulfilling the number one task the maximum destruction of manpower, equipment, fuel depots, military vehicles, command posts, artillery and air defense forces of the Russian army," Danilov, head of Ukraine's National Security and Defence Council, wrote on Twitter. "The last few days have been particularly fruitful," he said, without providing any details from the battlefield. Valeriy Shershen, spokesperson for the Tavria, or southern, military command, said Ukrainian troops had advanced by up to 2 km (1.2 miles) in the Berdiansk direction of southern Ukraine, despite fierce Russian resistance. GAINS NEAR DESTROYED BAKHMUT Deputy Defence Minister Maliar said Ukrainian forces were making gains every day in areas outside Bakhmut. "We are advancing on the southern flank of Bakhmut. To the north, to be honest, there is heavy fighting and so far no advance," Maliar told national television. "... Our forces are encountering serious resistance. The enemy is pouring in all its forces to stop in the south and in the east." Russian forces, she said, were also making advances further north, near Lyman and in Svatove, where Russian troops have recently been particularly active. In Makiivka, a town in the Russian-controlled part of Donetsk region, Ukraine's military it had destroyed a formation of Russian forces. Russia-installed officials said one civilian died and 36 civilians were injured in the attack. Reuters has been unable to verify the situation on the battlefield. Each side says the other is suffering heavy losses. Accounts of frontline fighting from the Russian Defence Ministry said its forces had foiled Ukraine's in five areas of eastern Donetsk region. It also reported repelling attacks near Lyman and disrupting enemy operations in the Zaporizhzhia region, where Ukraine says its forces have captured a cluster of villages. The General Staff of Ukraine's military reported success in repelling Russian attacks in Kupiansk in the north, Bakhmut and near the contested towns of Avdiivka and Maryinka to the south. Russia said on Tuesday Ukraine had attacked Moscow with at least five drones that were all shot down or jammed, though one of the capital's airports rerouted flights for several hours. (Additional reporting by Aleksandar Vasovic, Editing by Timothy Heritage, Ron Popeski and Richard Chang) Burned cars at the site of a Russian military strike in the town of Pervomaiskyi in Kharkiv region - STATE EMERGENCY SERVICE OF UKRAINE/via REUTERS Two babies have been wounded after a Russian strike in a residential area of Pervomaiskyi in Ukraines Kharkiv region, along with 29 others. Andriy Kostin, Ukraines Prosecutor General, said that an Iskander missile struck the town centre in an area with only civilian objects, injuring 31 people, including 10 children, one of whom is ten months old. Oleh Synehubov, the Kharkiv regional governor, previously wrote on Telegram that the attack had taken place at 13:35 Kyiv time (10:35 GMT) and that several windows of an eight-storey building were smashed and several cars were on fire. Photos purportedly of the incident show thick black smoke billowing from near to multi-storey buildings, burned-out cars and injured civilians. Mr Kostin called it another war crime and a blatant disregard for international law. Russia has not commented on the incident. Follow the latest updates below. 03:01 PM BST Today's liveblog is now closed Thanks for following todays liveblog. We will be back tomorrow with all the latest updates from Ukraine. 02:57 PM BST Pictured: Paramedic assists injured local resident in Pervomaiskyi A paramedic assists an injured local resident at the site of a Russian military strike in the town of Pervomaiskyi in Kharkiv region - STATE EMERGENCY SERVICE OF UKRAINE/via REUTERS 02:44 PM BST Russian military plane crashes in country's Far East A Russian MIG-31 military interceptor plane has crashed while on training flight over the Kamchatka peninsula in Russias Far East, the RIA news agency reported, citing the Russian Pacific navy. Rescuers are searching for the crew, it said. The plane had no ammunition loaded. 02:11 PM BST Victoria Amelina, poet and novelist who became a war-crimes investigator in Ukraine obituary Victoria Amelina, who has died aged 37 of injuries sustained during a Russian missile attack on a pizza restaurant in Kramatorsk, eastern Ukraine, was an acclaimed Ukrainian novelist and poet who at the start of the 2022 Russian invasion retrained as a war crimes investigator. Though she felt that the time was not right for fiction, in October 2022 she explained to The Guardian why, in times of war, storytellers are needed more than ever: War erases stories: war criminals kill, then hide the evidence in hopes that the world will never learn even their victims names. After liberating each town, Ukrainians work hard to recover the names of the dead, bury them with dignity, and tell the world their stories. Often we succeed, but not always. Read Victoria Amelinas obituary here. 01:45 PM BST Russian Foreign Ministry says no basis for extension of Black Sea grain deal The Russian Foreign Ministry has said that there is no basis for the further extension of the Black Sea grain deal, state news agencies have reported. The Black Sea grain initiative, which allows for the safe export of Ukrainian grain, is due to expire on July 17. RIA Novosti reported that the ministry said Moscow is making the necessary efforts so that all participating vessels can successfully complete their mission and leave the Black Sea before the specified date. 01:31 PM BST Missile strike injures more than 30 people in Kharkiv region A missile strike has injured 31 people, including two babies, in the centre of Pervomaiskyi, a city in the eastern Kharkiv region of Ukraine, the countrys Prosecutor General has said. Andriy Kostin tweeted on Tuesday afternoon: An Iskander missile hit the city centre. Nearby are only civilian objects - residential buildings. 31 people were injured. Among them are 10 children, 2 babies - 1 year and 10 months. Another war crime. Mr Kostin also shared images of what appeared to be black smoke billowing from a blaze near to some multi-storey buildings, as well as burned-out cars. 12:45 PM BST Ukraine reports advances of up to 2km in Berdyansk direction Ukraine has advanced up to 2km in the Berdyansk direction despite the enemy fiercely resisting, a spokesman for the nations southern military command has said. In a military update on Tuesday, Valeriy Shershen, a spokesman for the Tavria military command said that Kyivs forces continue to move forward. In the Berdyansk direction, the greatest advance into the enemy was recorded up to 2 km, Mr Shershen was cited as saying by Ukrainska Pravda. He added: The enemy is fiercely resisting, but we are systematically putting pressure on certain sections of the front, pushing through and destroying the combat potential of the occupation troops. 12:15 PM BST Putin to be briefed on attack on Russian journalist and lawyer in Chechnya President Vladimir Putin will be briefed about the beating of a Russian journalist and lawyer in Chechnya, the Kremlin said on Tuesday, describing it as a serious attack that required an energetic response. The ministry for digital transformation issued a statement following the brutal attack of Yelena Milashina, of Novaya Gazeta and lawyer Alexander Nemov. Novaya Gazeta has since lost its licence in Russia. It said: A journalist, while doing their job, should not be subjected to harassment and torture. We expect that this case will be thoroughly investigated and the perpetrators will be punished. The pair had planned to attend a court hearing later on Tuesday, but are now in hospital in the capital following an attack in which Ms Milashina had her head shaved, several of her fingers broken and was covered in green dye, losing consciousness several times, according to rights group Memorial. Yelena Milashina, a journalist for the now-banned independent newspaper Novaya Gazeta, speaks on the phone at a hospital after she and lawyer Alexander Nemov were attacked on their way to the Chechen capital Grozny - CREW AGAINST TORTURE/via REUTERS 12:01 PM BST Germany arms exports rise as a result of military aid to Ukraine German arms exports approvals rose by a quarter in the first half of 2023, with the largest batch going to Kyiv, the German Economy Ministry has said. Germany issued 5.22bn euro in individual licences for military equipment this year, with 1.65bn euro going to Ukraine. Hungary was the second largest recipient. German State Secretary Sven Giegold said in a statement that the value of exports showed Germanys continued support for Ukraine in its self-defence against the Russian war of aggression, which is contrary to international law. In the first half of 2022, the total value of arms exports was an 4.16bn euro. 11:43 AM BST Watch: Ukrainian military 'destroyed' three multiple rocket launchers near Bakhmut Three BM-21 Grad multiple launch rocket systems were destroyed behind enemy lines in the Bakhmut area, the Armed Forces of Ukraine said on Tuesday. The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine shared drone footage appearing to show three different BM-21 Grads being destroyed. 11:30 AM BST Kyiv launched 'terrorist' drone attack on Moscow airport, says Kremlin Moscow has intercepted several drones which caused disruption to the Vnukovo international airport, the Kremlin has claimed. Foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said on Telegram on Tuesday: An attempt by the Kyiv regime to attack a zone where civil infrastructure is located, including an airport that receives international flights, is a new terrorist act. At least three drones were intercepted in the skies over the Moscow region early on Tuesday, Russian news agencies reported citing emergency services, and one in the neighbouring Kaluga region. Another drone was shot down in the area of the town of Kubinka, about 40 miles west of Moscow, RIA reported. Baza, a Telegram channel with close links to Russias FSB security service, reported that an administrative building on the territory of a military unit in Kubinka was attacked by a drone at around 4am. No casualties or damage were reported. The reports did not say where exactly the drones had originated. 11:10 AM BST Ukraine praises Stoltenberg's 'strong leadership' of NATO as term extended Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba has said that it is excellent news that Jens Stoltenberg will remain NATO Secretary General for another year, as he has demonstrated strong leadership of the alliance. Excellent news on the extension of @JensStoltenberg's mandate as NATO Secretary General. Tough times demand strong leadership. Jens Stoltenberg has demonstrated just that. I look forward to furthering our cooperation. Dmytro Kuleba (@DmytroKuleba) July 4, 2023 10:51 AM BST Zelensky aide hits back at Russia following accusations of 'terror attack' on Moscow A senior adviser to the Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has hit back at Russias Foreign Ministry, after spokeswoman Maria Zakharova accused Kyiv of a terrorist act on Moscow on Tuesday morning. The Kremlin claimed that Moscow had intercepted several drones which caused disruption to the Vnukovo international airport. Mykhailo Podolyak, adviser to the Head of the Office of President of Ukraine, wrote on Twitter: The Russian Foreign Ministry should realize that a terrorist attack is when you have been deliberately firing cruise/ballistic missiles at residential areas and crowded pizzerias for 16 months; a terrorist attack is when you demolish the city of Bakhmut with artillery; it is when you demonstratively blow up the Kakhovka hydroelectric power plant, and your devils in uniform demonstratively kill women/children/elderly people. The Russian Foreign Ministry should realize that a terrorist attack is when you have been deliberately firing cruise/ballistic missiles at residential areas and crowded pizzerias for 16 months; a terrorist attack is when you demolish the city of Bakhmut with artillery; it is when (@Podolyak_M) July 4, 2023 10:37 AM BST Jens Stoltenberg is to remain NATO Secretary General for a further year, alliance confirms NATO has agreed to extend the term of Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg for a further year to October 1, 2024. Mr Stoltenberg said: I am honoured by the decision of NATO Allies to extend my term as Secretary General. The transatlantic bond between Europe and North America has ensured our freedom and security for nearly seventy-five years, and in a more dangerous world, our great Alliance is more important than ever. Mr Stoltenberg was expected to step down earlier this year. 10:22 AM BST West will not supply Ukraine with fighter jets until counter-offensive is over, says NATO military official A senior NATO military official has said the West will not supply Ukraine with fighter jets until its counter-offensive has concluded. Admiral Rob Bauer, Chair of NATOs Military Committee, told LBC that with Ukrainian forces focused on its counteroffensive, there would be the capacity to train servicemen on new aircraft. Adm Bauer said: Training those pilots, training the technicians, making sure there is a logistic organisation that can actually sustain these aircraft will not be available before this counteroffensive [is over]. Kyiv has long asked allies for fighter jets to improve its air capability against Russia. NATO has not provided any aid to Ukraine as an organisation, but a number of members have supplied the country with military aid. 10:12 AM BST Russian people 'consolidated as never before' after mutiny, says Putin President Vladimir Putin told leaders of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation that the Russian people were more united than ever following Yevgeny Prigozhins mutiny last month, at his first appearance in an international forum since the uprising. Putin said: The Russian people are consolidated as never before. Russian political circles and the whole of society clearly demonstrated their unity and elevated sense of responsibility for the fate of the Fatherland when they responded as a united front against an attempted armed mutiny. 09:59 AM BST Sumy attack hit security service building and residential buildings, says Zelensky A Russian attack on the northeastern city of Sumy on Monday struck a national security service building as well as residential buildings, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said. In his nightly address on Monday evening, Mr Zelensky said Russia launched another terrorist attack on the city of Sumy with an Iranian drone, hitting residential buildings and the building of the Security Service of Ukraine. The leader added that Ukraine did not currently have enough high-quality air defence systems to protect our entire territory and shoot down all enemy targets. Suspilne, Ukraines state broadcaster, reported on Tuesday that the death toll from the Sumy attack had risen to three, 09:47 AM BST Russia will stand up against Western sanctions and 'provocations', Putin tells Shanghai Cooperation Organisation Russia will stand up against Western sanctions and provocations, Putin told a virtual meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation. The Russian president added that Moscow planned to boost ties with the group - that includes China and India - and supported the transition to settlements in local currencies in foreign trade. He also warned that the potential for conflicts and the risk of a global economic crisis were on the rise. 09:40 AM BST Putin thanks countries for support during Wagner mutiny at Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit President Vladimir Putin has thanked countries for their support to protect the constitutional order of Russia during the Wagner armed coup earlier this month, Russian state news agency RIA Novosti reports, in his first appearance on the world stage since Yevgeny Prigozhins mutiny. Putin appeared virtually at a summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation, a group that includes China, Russia, and India and Kazakhstan. 09:02 AM BST Military unit targeted by drone in morning 'attack' on Moscow, according to reports A military unit near Moscow was among the areas attacked by drones in the early hours of Tuesday morning, according to reports. Baza, a Telegram channel with close links to Russias FSB security service, reported that an administrative building on the territory of a military unit in Kubinka, near Moscow, was attacked by a drone at around 4am on Tuesday. Baza added that there were no casualties. The Russian Defence Ministry said on Tuesday that Kyiv had launched five drones on objects in Moscow and the surrounding region. 09:00 AM BST Prominent Russian journalist and lawyer attacked in Chechnya A prominent Russian journalist and a lawyer were attacked after several masked men in the Russian region of Chechnya forced their car to stop on Tuesday, leaving them with serious injuries, according to the journalists employer and rights groups. Yelena Milashina, of Novaya Gazeta, which has lost its licence in Russia, was travelling to the Chechen capital Grozny from the local airport with a lawyer, Alexander Nemov. The pair had planned to attend a court hearing later on Tuesday, but are now in hospital in the capital following an attack in which Ms Milashina had her head shaved, several of her fingers broken and was covered in green dye, losing consciousness several times, according to rights group Memorial. Memorial said in a statement on Telegram: They were brutally kicked, including in the face, threatened with death, had a gun held to their heads, and had their equipment taken away and smashed. While being beaten, they were told: You have been warned. Get out of here and dont write anything. There was no immediate comment from the authorities in Chechnya. 08:30 AM BST First meeting of Ukrainian prosecutors at new International Centre for the Prosecution of the Crime of Aggression The first working meeting has taken place between Ukrainian prosecutors at the new International Centre for the Prosecution of the Crime of Aggression (ICPA) in The Hague, Kyivs Prosecutor General has said. The ICPA opened on Monday and features prosecutors from Ukraine, the European Union, the United States and the International Criminal Court (ICC), as they investigate Russia over its February 2022 invasion. Andriy Kostin, Prosecutor General, wrote on Twitter on Tuesday: First working meeting with Ukrainian prosecutors at ICPA in The Hague. Defining the scope of work and key priorities. The strategic goal is the accountability of Russias political and military leadership. This is history in the making: were laying the groundwork for the future tribunal. 08:15 AM BST In pictures: War in Ukraine A rescuer helps a local resident to carry his belongings out from a five-storey residential building partially destroyed after drones attacks killed two and wounded 19 in eastern Ukrainian city of Sumy - SERGEY BOBOK/AFP A young woman stands with her son in front of a recently inaugurated memorial including 501 plates bearing the names of identified local civilians killed by Russian troops during their occupation of Bucha - SERGEI SUPINSKY/AFP A group of recent high school grads leap as they pose for photos to celebrate their graduation in Kyiv, Ukraine - Jae C. Hong/AP 08:08 AM BST Last few days 'particularly fruitful' for Ukrainian military, says senior security official A senior Ukrainian security official has described the last few days as particularly fruitful for the countrys military, as its continues its counteroffensive operations. Oleksiy Danilov, the head of Ukraines National Security and Defence Council, said on Twitter on Tuesday that Ukraines Defence Forces are fulfilling the number one task, that is the maximum destruction of manpower, equipment, fuel depots, military vehicles, command posts, artillery and air defence forces of the Russian army. He added: Now the war of destruction is equal to the war of kilometers. More destroyed means more liberated. The more effective the former, the more the latter. We are acting calmly, wisely, step by step. 07:59 AM BST Lithuanian president urges NATO leaders to ensure quick path for Ukraine membership after war Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda has urged NATO leaders to be bolder in addressing Ukraines push for membership in a summit in Vilnius next week. Mr Nauseda said in an interview with Reuters that stronger wording on Ukraines membership would increase the fighting spirit of Ukrainian soldiers on the battlefield. We should not hesitate to take bolder decisions because otherwise the Putin regime will decide that the Western allies are too weak, (that they should be) pushed to the corner and they will surrender, he added. He said: We have some countries which are cautious about the stronger wording on Ukraines perspective. But I already see some shift in the minds of their leaders. We all understand that right now, in the midst of the war, Ukraine is not able to join NATO immediately. We understand that. Ukrainians understand that. But we need to create procedures, how to proceed ... so there is no wasting of time if the war is over and victory is on Ukrainian side. 07:50 AM BST Watch: Moscow region allegedly targeted by Ukrainian drone This morning, a kamikaze drone struck on the territory of one of the military facilities in Kubinka (#Moscow region). The Vnukovo airport in Moscow was also attacked, reports Russian media. pic.twitter.com/3OCHuN6YUR NEXTA (@nexta_tv) July 4, 2023 07:40 AM BST Latest MoD update: Russia 'prioritised and refined tactics' aimed at slowing Ukraine counteroffensive The British Ministry of Defence has said that Russia has prioritised and refined tactics aimed at slowing Ukrainian armoured counter-offensive operations in southern Ukraine in recent weeks, in particular with the very heavy use of anti-tank mines. In its latest daily Intelligence Update, the ministry said: Having slowed the Ukrainian advance, Russia has then attempted to strike Ukrainian armoured vehicles with one-way attack uncrewed aerial vehicles, attack helicopters and artillery. The MoD said that Moscow had achieved some success in the early stages of the Ukrainian counter-offensive, but Russian forces continue to suffer from key weaknesses. Latest Defence Intelligence update on the situation in Ukraine - 4July 2023. Find out more about Defence Intelligence's use of language: https://t.co/NrXBzGy3WF #StandWithUkraine pic.twitter.com/nLJmQiKznq Ministry of Defence (@DefenceHQ) July 4, 2023 07:35 AM BST Operations at Moscow airport resume after alleged drone attack Moscows Vnukovo airport resumed operations from 8 a.m. local time (0500 GMT), Russias aviation watchdog Rosaviatsiya said, following an alleged drone attack on the city. Landings and takeoffs at the airport had been restricted on Tuesday morning for technical reasons beyond the control of the airport. Rosaviatsiya later announced on Telegram that operations had resumed. 07:32 AM BST Two dead in shelling on Kherson city A man and a woman have died in the morning shelling of the southern city of Kherson, the local prosecutors office said in a statement on Tuesday. The number of wounded is being ascertained. Damage to property has also been reported, it said. 07:30 AM BST Good morning Good morning and welcome to todays Ukraine liveblog. We will be guiding you through all the latest updates from Ukraine. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month, then enjoy 1 year for just $9 with our US-exclusive offer. By Olena Harmash KYIV (Reuters) - Ukraine's foreign ministry summoned Georgia's ambassador on Tuesday to protest against the treatment of jailed former Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili, and told him to go back to Tbilisi to resolve the situation. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy urged the Georgian authorities on Monday to allow Saakashvili, who has Ukrainian citizenship, to come to Kyiv for medical treatment. Zelenskiy made the appeal after a video circulated showing Saakashvili looking emaciated during a court hearing and lifting his shirt to show protruding ribs. "The Georgian diplomat (ambassador) was told that such treatment of Mikheil Saakashvili was absolutely unacceptable. The Georgian government should stop the abuse of the Ukrainian citizen," the Ukrainian foreign ministry said in a statement. "In this regard, it was proposed to Ambassador of Georgia to Ukraine George Zakarashvili to return to Tbilisi for consultations to find ways of solving the situation." It was not immediately clear when the envoy might leave Ukraine, or whether he had already done so. Saakashvili, who was Georgia's president from 2004 to 2013, is serving a six-year sentence for abuse of power, a charge he and supporters say was politically motivated. He received Ukrainian citizenship while working under the previous Ukrainian government in several top regional positions. He has asked to be transferred abroad for treatment, has staged hunger strikes in prison and alleges he has been poisoned. Saakashvili, now 55, was the president of Georgia when Russia invaded the country in 2008. Georgia's relations with Moscow have improved since then, with Tbilisi resuming direct flights to its neighbour, a move that Kyiv criticised. Zelenskiy, whose own country has been invaded by Russia, said of "the Kremlin, sadly at the hands of the Georgian government, is killing Mikheil Saakashvili." The Kremlin did not immediately respond to the accusation. Saakashvili was first tried and sentenced in absentia for abuse of power on cases related to presidential pardons issued while he was in office, and for allegedly ordering the beating of a political opponent. He is now on trial on charges, which he denies, of ordering an anti-government rally to be violently dispersed in 2007. (Reporting by Olena Harmash, Editing by Timothy Heritage) Ukraine has launched a drone attack on Moscow, the Russian defence ministry says, forcing flights to be diverted from Vnukovo International Airport. Five drones were reportedly used in Tuesday's attack, which also targeted locations in the wider region around the capital. The defence ministry said all the drones were shot down and there were no casualties or damage. Ukraine has not claimed responsibility for the alleged attack. Restrictions at Vnukovo airport, one of Moscow's three international airports, have now been lifted. Flights from Turkey, the United Arab Emirates and Egypt were among those affected. According to the defence ministry, four of the drones flying in the Moscow region were shot down by air defence systems. A fifth was intercepted electronically before crashing. "An attempt by the Kyiv regime to attack a zone where civil infrastructure is located, including an airport that receives international flights, is a new terrorist act," foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said on Telegram. Russian state media said one of the drones crashed in the town of Kubinka, which is roughly 36km (22 miles) from Vnukovo airport in the south-west of the city. Another was reportedly shot down near the village of Valuevo, also near the airport. The BBC is trying to verify this information independently. This is not the first drone attack to target Moscow. In May, Russia's defence ministry said at least eight drones caused minor damage. It was the first time the city had been targeted by multiple drones since Russia's invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 and came after Moscow blamed Kyiv for a drone attack on the Kremlin. Ukraine denied responsibility for both incidents. Tuesday's drone attack comes after Ukraine launched its counter-offensive against Russia. This has not yet achieved the sort of speed and momentum some had hoped for, including Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, who previously acknowledged progress was slow. Meanwhile, the death toll from a Russian drone attack on the northern Ukrainian city of Sumy on Monday has risen to three, according to the local mayor. Several other people were injured. News Daily banner Sign up for our morning newsletter and get BBC News in your inbox. As Ukraine warns Russia might damage nuclear plant, Moscow blames Kyiv for potential strike Renat Karchaa, an adviser to the head of the Rosenergoatom, part of Russia's state nuclear operator Rosatom, claimed on July 4 that Ukraine's military allegedly plans to strike Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant overnight. Earlier the same day, the General Staff of Ukraine's Armed Forces warned of Russia spreading such disinformation. According to the General Staff, Russian forces have placed objects similar to explosive devices on the roof of the plant's power units, possibly to simulate a Ukrainian attack. Russia may be preparing a provocation at the occupied Zaporizhzhia plant "in the near future," said the Ukrainian military. Karchaa alleged, cited by Russian state-owned news agency Interfax, that Ukrainian forces would purportedly hit the plant with long-range weapons, drones, and a Tochka-U missile "with a warhead filled with radioactive waste." Ukraine's military intelligence spokesperson Andrii Yusov told Channel 24 that such disinformation campaigns could serve as preparation and information cover for Russia's own actions. Energoatom: Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant again loses connection to its main power line Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant again lost connection to its main external power line overnight on July 4, reported Ukraines state nuclear energy agency Energoatom. The Kyiv IndependentDinara Khalilova On June 20, President Volodymyr Zelensky announced, citing intelligence data, that Moscow was considering a terrorist attack on the nuclear power plant through radiation leakage. Several days later, Ukraine's Military Intelligence Chief Kyrylo Budanov told the New Stateman that Russia had completed preparations for the attack. According to Budanov, Russian troops had additionally mined the plant's cooler and moved the equipment loaded with explosives to four of the six power units. On July 1, Zelensky told Spanish reporters that Russian troops could give back the station under Ukrainian control after having mined it, only to blow it up remotely. Russian forces have occupied the Zaporizhzhia plant, the largest nuclear plant in Europe, since March 2022. They have used it as a military base to launch attacks at Ukrainian-controlled territory across the Dnipro River. F-16 Ukraine wont receive fighter jets until its counter-offensive against Russia is complete, NATO Military Committee Chairman Admiral Rob Bauer told British radio station LBC on July 3. Providing Ukraine with the fighter jets they have been asking for will not be solved in the short term, he said. Read also: F-16s needed for maritime operations, Ukrainian Navy chief says Training those pilots, training the technicians, making sure there is a logistic organization that can actually sustain these aircraft will not be available before this counter-offensive. We shouldnt mix the two discussions I think its important and understandable that Ukraine asks for these fighter aircraft but we should not mix it with the counter offensive discussion now. Pressed on whether he thinks Ukraine can win the war against Russia without the fighter jets, Bauer added: I think Ukraine is at an advantage because it has the western weapon systems, it has the better training, and it has, very importantly, much higher morale and motivation. Read also: Zaluzhnyi upset at Western opinion about Ukraines slow counter-offensive Bauer also commented on warnings from Ukraine that Russia has mined the Zaporizhzhya Nuclear Power Plant in southeastern Ukraine, the largest in Europe and among the 10 largest in the world. If the plant were to be attacked, Bauer said the consequences would reach beyond a typical security issue, affecting the entire world. If this would happen if this would happen then it is a much bigger problem than just a military problem or something only for NATO, he said. This is something that the world will be involved in, this will have an enormous impact in Europe. And therefore, one would think, one would hope, that the Russians will not do this because I think it will take away a lot of the support they have in the world if they would do this. I cannot imagine a number of nations that support them now would support this act by the Russian government. Fighter jet coalition: When will Ukraine receive F-16s? In May, Western partners began discussing a coalition to provide Ukraine with F-16 fighter jets, which Kyiv had long been asking for. The first step is to train Ukrainian pilots. On May 19, UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak announced that his country, the United States, the Netherlands, Belgium, and Denmark had agreed to participate in training Ukrainian pilots on Western fighter jets, with the UK in particular promising that training would start in the summer of 2023. Read also: Zelenskyy reproaches partners for delaying training of Ukrainian pilots on F-16 fighter jets According to U.S. geopolitical news outlet Foreign Policy, the UK was earmarked to train about 20 Ukrainian pilots on the F-16. According to media reports, Denmark would be ready to begin training pilots in August, while the Netherlands expressed its readiness to start training in a few months. As of June 27, the Ukrainian Air Force said that Ukrainian training on the F-16 had not yet started. Read also: Ukrainian Air Force reveals how it will train pilots on F-16 jets while still protecting Ukrainian skies Similarly, it has not yet been announced when and how many fighter jets Ukraine will receive. The White House said Ukraines partner nations would determine in the coming months when Ukraine will receive fighter aircraft, from whom, and how many. Defense Minister Oleksii Reznikov said the F-16s would not arrive by the end of 2023, although the Defense Ministry had previously hoped they would come this fall. U.S. news website Politico has reported that Ukraine may not receive its first F-16 fighter jets until early 2024. Were bringing the voice of Ukraine to the world. Support us with a one-time donation, or become a Patron! Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine Ukraine's Air Force warns about threat of ballistic missile launches for 5 oblasts The Air Force of the Ukrainian Armed Forces has warned of the threat that the Russians may use ballistic missiles in Poltava, Dnipropetrovsk, Zaporizhzhia, Donetsk and Kharkiv oblasts. Source: Air Force of the Ukrainian Armed Forces on Telegram Quote: "Poltava, Dnipropetrovsk, Zaporizhzhia, Donetsk, Kharkiv oblasts there is a threat that ballistic missiles will be used! Do not ignore air-raid warnings! Go to the shelters." Journalists fight on their own frontline. Support Ukrainska Pravda or become our patron! Ukraine's losses are several times less than those of the enemy defense official Hanna Malyar Ukraine's combat losses are five times less in the south and eight times less in the east, compared to those of the Russian forces, Deputy Defense Minister Hanna Maliar told Ukrainian TV broadcasters on July 4. According to Maliar, different methodologies suggest that there may be more losses during an offensive than during defense, but Ukrainian losses during the offensive have not increased. Malyar said that she visited a military hospital on July 4 and discussed this issue with the medical staff "the situation has not worsened." Read also: Russians pretend they destroyed Ukrainian Leopards but showcase own losses "The losses in the south on average, we lose about five times less...; in the east a week ago, we had about eight times less losses," said the deputy minister. She explained that the main goal for Ukrainian commanders is to preserve the lives of their troops, even if it comes at the expense of making rapid advances on the battlefield. Read also: Western artillery a game-changer on Ukraines battlefield Defense Minister Reznikov Maliar also mentioned that the main fight is currently taking place in eastern Ukraine, especially near Lyman and Bakhmut. She noted that the Defense Forces are advancing in the south and in the east of Bakhmut in Donetsk Oblast, suggesting the city is once again contested, after falling to Moscows forces following months of relentless assaults. Read also: Details of the storming and successful liberation of Neskuchne - an interview with a soldier The Ministry of Defense of Ukraine reported the liberation of nine settlements in June. The Defense Forces also confirmed the liberation of territories near Krasnohorivka in Donetsk Oblast, which were occupied since 2014. Were bringing the voice of Ukraine to the world. Support us with a one-time donation, or become a Patron! Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine Russia is continuing to suffer losses in its war of aggression against Ukraine in the past day alone, Ukrainian defenders killed 770 invaders, 32 Russian artillery systems, 29 drones and 9 armoured vehicles. Source: General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine on Facebook Details: The total combat losses of the Russian forces from 24 February 2022 to 4 July 2023 are estimated to be as follows [figures in parentheses represent the latest losses ed.]: approximately 231,030 (+770) military personnel; 4,059 (+2) tanks; 7,908 (+9) armoured combat vehicles; 4,252 (+32) artillery systems; 647 (+6) multiple-launch rocket systems; 394 (+3) air defence systems; 315 (+0) fixed-wing aircraft; 309 (+0) helicopters; 3,602 (+29) operational-tactical UAVs; 1,264 (+0) cruise missiles; 18 (+0) ships/boats; 6,843 (+9) vehicles and tankers; 590 (+0) special vehicles. The information is being confirmed. Journalists fight on their own frontline. Support Ukrainska Pravda or become our patron! Yusov stated that GUR traditionally does not comment on drone incidents in the Russian Federation While Ukraine typically doesnt comment on explosive incidents that occur on Russian territory, Ukrainian military intelligence spokesperson Andriy Yusov has commented on the recent alleged drone attack in Russias Moscow Oblast in the early hours of July 4. As for Moscow, we traditionally dont comment on it, Yusov said. But it happens in life. If the Russians 45th Special Forces Brigade is engaged in sabotage in the Ukrainian rear, it means that something can fly over Moscow. It happens. Russias Moscow Oblast was reportedly attacked by drones early on July 4. Blasts rocked the villages of Valuevo, Akinshino and Krivosheino, located near the conurbation of New Moscow. Read also: Moscow suburbs attacked with drones, claims Russian media Moscow Mayor Sergey Sobyanin claimed the drones had been liquidated. Russian media reported that Moscows Vnukovo airport temporarily closed as a result of the attack, but has since reopened. Flights were redirected to the Sheremetyevo and Domodedovo airports. Commenting on the drone attack on Moscow, Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova burst into a rant about an act of terrorism, blaming the West and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Meanwhile, presidential advisor Mykhailo Podolyak reacted to Zakharovas accusations, saying that terrorism is characterized by the actions of the aggressor country, not of the West or Ukraine. Read also: Were bringing the voice of Ukraine to the world. Support us with a one-time donation, or become a Patron! Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine Delta system operation Ukrainian forces across the country use a proprietary software suit Delta to gather, collate, and share intelligence about the movement of Russian troops from various channels, Ukraines Operational Command North shared in a Facebook post on July 3. The Delta system serves as a critical part of the daily operations of civilian-military cooperation units, offering the military a range of relevant and verified information about enemy forces, according to the post. Read also: Polish border guards shot at from Belarusian territory, vehicle hit The message highlighted that Delta integrates publicly-available chatbots eVorog and STOP Russian War, which allow ordinary Ukrainians to report on the movements or dislocations of enemy vehicles and troops. Based on NATO standards, the Delta platform and its services are compatible with similar solutions used by Ukraine's allies. The platform incorporates all modern Western technology that Ukraine has received. Read also: South Africa grants immunity to BRICS summit participants, amid possible visit by Russias Putin The press center underscored that the system is continually evolving and introducing new features, which grants a significant advantage over the enemy. As a unique military software, Delta serves as the primary source of information for Ukrainian soldiers, offering details about the locations of Russian soldiers, equipment, supply depots, ships, aircraft, and so on. Read also: Nearly 19,000 men fled Ukraine by misusing "Shlyakh" information system Besides reports from chatbots, the system gathers data from a variety of sources, including reconnaissance UAVs, satellite imagery, and radio interceptions. Were bringing the voice of Ukraine to the world. Support us with a one-time donation, or become a Patron! Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine Ukrainian troops advance up to 2 km into Russian defenses around Berdyansk Ukrainian troops advance up to 2 km into Russian defenses around Berdyansk The Ukrainian Armed Forces have advanced up to two kilometers into the Russian defenses around Berdyansk, the joint press center of the Tavria Defense Forces reported on Facebook on July 4. Ukrainian forces are now gaining a foothold, carrying out aerial reconnaissance of the area and targeting enemy positions with artillery, the Ukrainian military said. Despite the enemys efforts to put up resistance, Ukrainian forces are systematically putting pressure on several sections of the front. In the Zaporizhzhya area, Russia is concentrating its main efforts on preventing the advance of Ukrainian troops, carrying out artillery shelling of more than 20 settlements, including Huliapole, Bilohiria, Mala Tokmachka in Zaporizhzhya Oblast, as well as Marhanets and Nikopol in Dnipropetrovsk Oblast. Read also: Russians claim to have killed teenage partisans in Berdyansk The Ukrainian Armed Forces liberated another 9 sq. km in the east and 28.4 sq. km in the south last week, Deputy Defense Minister Hanna Maliar said on July 3. In total, Ukraines Defense Ministry announced the liberation of nine settlements in the south and east in June. The Armed Forces of Ukraine also confirmed the liberation of Krasnohorivka, Donetsk Oblast, which had been under Russian occupation since 2014. Earlier, on June 28, the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine General Valerii Zaluzhnyi said that opinions expressed in the West that Ukraines counter-offensive is going slower than expected anger him. This is not a show, Zaluzhnyi said. Its not a show where the whole world is watching and betting on or anything. Every day, every meter, is paid for with blood. Read also: Were bringing the voice of Ukraine to the world. Support us with a one-time donation, or become a Patron! Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine Ukrainians bid farewell to writer killed in Russian air strike Funeral of Ukrainian writer Amelina in Kyiv By Anna Voitenko and Ivan Lyubysh-Kirdey KYIV (Reuters) - Tearful mourners filled one of central Kyiv's main cathedrals on Tuesday to honour a prominent Ukrainian writer and war-crimes researcher killed in a Russian missile strike on a cafe in eastern Ukraine. Victoria Amelina, 37, died on July 1 from injuries sustained during the June 27 attack, which killed 12 others when Russian forces hit a restaurant packed with civilians in the frontline city of Kramatorsk. She was an award-winning writer and novelist who also began researching Russian atrocities after the Kremlin's February 2022 full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Colleagues described Amelina, who was born in the western city of Lviv, as fiercely dedicated to seeking justice and promoting Ukraine's cause on the international stage. "She was a real crusader for truth. She was extraordinarily persistent," Roman Avramenko, executive director of Truth Hounds, an NGO that documents Russian war crimes, told reporters after the service. A wide array of writers, journalists and other public intellectuals streamed into the golden-domed St. Michael's Cathedral to pay tribute. Relatives and friends broke down as they filed past Amelina's coffin. Outside, a pair of musicians then sounded traditional Ukrainian alpine horns, called trembitas, as it was loaded into a hearse. Amelina frequently travelled throughout recently liberated Ukrainian territory to gather evidence of Moscow's atrocities. Near the eastern city of Izium last year, she recovered a diary by writer Volodymyr Vakulenko, who had buried it before he was killed by Russian occupation forces. Amelina helped present a book which included his entries at a major festival in Kyiv just days before her death. "At a certain point, she realised that what she was encountering could become her new role in literature," said Tetyana Teren, executive director of PEN Ukraine, a writers' association. "Today, this is the most important of roles: documenting what we're living through, documenting Russian war crimes against our country." (Writing by Dan Peleschuk; Editing by Tom Balmforth and Philippa Fletcher) U.K.-based early-stage media technology venture capital firm GMG Ventures has rebranded to Mercuri. It has also raised 50 million ($81.35 million) for its second fund led by British Business Bank, through its Enterprise Capital Funds program, to back startups using artificial intelligence to reinvent traditional media models. Other investors in the latest fund include The Scott Trust, owner of the Guardian Media Group and Mercuris inaugural investor, which launched it to support the development of new businesses amid disruptions happening in the media space. Several other institutional, strategic and angel backers participated too. We are delighted to announce the launch of our first multi-LP fund at a time when this profound progress in artificial intelligence is impacting the entire media technology ecosystem, including content creation, gaming, personalization, music, privacy, education, community and communication, said Mercuris founding general partner Alan Hudson. The opportunity in the market is arguably stronger than ever right now with some complex issues facing the industry. We will endeavor to use the full breadth and depth of our experienced teams knowledge to support the startups we invest in and create long-lasting value. Apart from the diversified base of investors and the change of name, nothing else is set to change at the VC firm, which plans to continue leading seed-stage investments, focusing on the creation, distribution, consumption and monetization of content and data. Notably, Mercuri said it will be paying greater attention to startups enhancing the way people communicate and engage in a professional and personal context using AI. We have been investing in generative AI businesses since 2018, and it continues to be an area of interest. Within content creation, generative AI models include all the creator tools (for example text to different audio and visual formats), developer tools (text to code) and tools for thinking, said Hudson. Creation also includes the creator economy where we are an active investor. There are over 200 million creators globally making a living from it and accessing the development tools associated with it, he said. Mercuri invested in 21 startups in its first fund, including the accelerator and incubator Founders Factory. It plans to fund eight new products, while making several follow-on investments every year. The United Nations nuclear watchdog approved a plan from Japan to return treated radioactive water from the Fukushima nuclear plant to the ocean. The International Atomic Energy Agency approved Japans plan after a two-year review. In a press release, the agency said Japans plans were in line with international safety standards and that the release of the treated water would have a negligible radiological impact on people and the environment. The plans approval comes 12 years after a 9.0-magnitude earthquake and ensuing tsunami triggered a series of events leading up to a triple-reactor meltdown at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant. More than 150,000 people were evacuated from the area surrounding the plant following the accident, which is considered the worst nuclear disaster since the 1986 Chernobyl disaster. Japan claims the treated water is safe to return to the sea, but the plan has received pushback from some Japanese people and from the countrys neighbors, mainly South Korea and China. Japan should stop the plan to release the water into the sea, but seriously consult with the international community and consider a scientific, safe, transparent and convincing response, Chinas ambassador to Japan said Tuesday, according to The New York Times. Japan has not specified when it will begin to release the water into the ocean or how long it will take. But under a basic policy outlined by Japan in 2021, batches of the treated water could be routinely poured back into the ocean for the next 30 years. Currently, 1.3 million tons of the radioactive water is being stored in more than 1,000 tanks built by the Fukushima plants operator Tokyo Electric Power and has been treated through an Advanced Liquid Processing System, to remove radioactive isotopes. That system removes almost all radioactivity, aside from tritium, according to the International Atomic Energy Agency. Tritium is a radioactive isotope of hydrogen that cannot be separated from water, according to the United States Nuclear Regulatory Commission. But before dumping the treated water into the ocean, Japan plans to dilute the water until tritium levels fall below regulatory standards. This practice is one routinely performed at nuclear power plants around the world, according to the commission. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. Rafael Mariano Grossi, Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency, left, presents IAEA's comprehensive report on Fukushima Treated Water Release to Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, right, at the prime minister's office Tuesday, July 4, 2023 in Tokyo. (AP Photo/Eugene Hoshiko, Pool) TOKYO (AP) The U.N. nuclear agency gave its endorsement on Tuesday to Japans planned release of treated radioactive wastewater into the sea from the damaged Fukushima nuclear plant, saying it meets international standards and its environmental and health impact would be negligible. The plan is opposed by groups in South Korea, China and some Pacific Island nations because of safety concerns and political reasons. Local fishing organizations are worried that their reputation will be damaged even if their catch isn't contaminated. Rafael Mariano Grossi, the head of the International Atomic Energy Agency, submitted its final assessment of the plan to Prime Minister Fumio Kishida on Tuesday. The report is a comprehensive, neutral, objective, scientifically sound evaluation," Grossi said. "We are very confident about it. The report said IAEA recognizes the discharge has raised societal, political and environmental concerns, associated with the radiological aspects. However, it concluded that the water release as currently planned will have a negligible radiological impact on people and the environment. Japans plan and the equipment for the discharge are in conformity with the agreed international standards and its application, Grossi said. He said the dilution of treated but still slightly radioactive wastewater for gradual release into the sea is a proven method widely used in other countries, including China, South Korea, the United States and France, to dispose of water containing certain radionuclides from nuclear plants. Much of the Fukushima wastewater contains cesium and other radionuclides, but it will be filtered further to bring it below international standards for all but tritium, which is inseparable from water. It then will be diluted by 100 times with seawater before it is released. But Haruhiko Terasawa, head of the Miyagi prefectural fisheries cooperatives, said they will continue to oppose the release while concerns remain. The treated water is not a problem that ends after a single time or a year of release, but lasts as long as 30-40 years, so nobody can predict what might happen," he told TV Asahi. Japan has sought the IAEA's support to gain credibility for the plan. Experts from the U.N. agency and 11 nations have made several trips to Japan since early 2022 to examine preparations by the government and the plant's operator, Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings. Some scientists say the impact of long-term, low-dose exposure to radionuclides remains unknown and urge a delay in the release. Others say the discharge plan is safe but call for more transparency in sampling and monitoring. Kishida, after meeting with Grossi, said Japan will continue to provide "detailed explanations based on scientific evidence with a high degree of transparency both domestically and internationally. A massive earthquake and tsunami on March 11, 2011, destroyed the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plants cooling systems, causing three reactors to melt and their cooling water to be contaminated and leak continuously. The water is collected, treated and stored in about 1,000 tanks at the plant which will reach their capacity in early 2024. The government and TEPCO say the water must be removed to prevent any accidental leaks and make room for the damaged plants decommissioning. Japanese regulators finished their final safety inspection of the equipment last Friday and TEPCO is expected to receive a permit in about a week to begin gradually discharging the water at a location 1 kilometer (1,000 yards) offshore through an undersea tunnel. The start date for the release, which is expected to take decades, is still undecided. The IAEA will continue to monitor and assess the release, Grossi said. During his four-day visit, Grossi will also visit the Fukushima plant and meet with TEPCO officials, local fishing groups, heads of nearby municipalities and other stakeholders. I believe in transparency, I believe in open dialogue and I believe in the validity of the exercise we are carrying out, he said. Grossi is also expected to visit South Korea, New Zealand and the Cook Islands after his visit to Japan to ease concerns there. United Airlines is offering 30,000 air miles to passengers affected by huge disruption to its schedule, which pushed the CEO to take a private jet United Airlines is offering 30,000 miles to passengers as compensation for flight disruptions. Courtesy of United Airlines United Airlines is offering 30,000 air miles to passengers affected by flight delays over the weekend. Passengers were left stranded as hundreds of flights were canceled ahead of the July 4 holiday. United Airlines CEO even apologized for taking a private jet as the chaos ensued. United Airlines is offering 30,000 miles to passengers as compensation for flight delays and cancellations over the weekend ahead of Independence Day on July 4, according to various reports from Fox Business and the Washington Post. The Chicago-based airline is gifting free Mileage Plus miles a loyalty program offering rewards to passengers affected by the chaos that can go towards "flights, Wi-Fi, onboard food and drinks, seat upgrades and more," according to emails viewed by Fox Business. The complimentary miles were also offered to those whose flights were scheduled to travel between June 24 and June 30 but were delayed overnight or never reached their final destination. United passengers experienced mass delays over the Fourth of July weekend, partly brought on by thunderstorms along the East Coast the previous weekend, CNBC reported. From June 24 through to July 2, 47% of United's mainline schedule arrived late and 15% of flights were canceled, per CNBC. Nearly 900 United flights were delayed on Sunday, United's CEO Scott Kirby even came under fire for taking a private jet from New Jersey to Denver on Wednesday while thousands of passengers remained stranded after 750 flights were canceled that day, The Associated Press reported. Kirby apologized for his actions saying it was "the wrong decision because it was insensitive to our customers who were waiting to get home," per AP. In a note to staff on Saturday, according to CNBC, Kirby said: "This has been one of the most operationally challenging weeks I've experienced in my entire career." United Airlines did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment, made outside regular working hours. Read the original article on Business Insider UPS and its 340,000 union workers have just over a week to reach a deal or a massive strike is possible. Here's where the negotiations stand. UPS workers hold placards at a rally in Los Angeles, California, ahead of an August 1st deadline for an agreement on a labor contract deal and to avert a strike that could lead to billions of dollars in economic losses. Frederic J. Brown/AFP via Getty Images The contract covering UPS's 340,000 unionized workers expires July 31. Many thorny issues have been resolved, but a strike could still happen. UPS and the Teamsters have agreed to restart negotiations next week after a two-week impasse. After weeks of negotiations, UPS and the union representing its 340,000 drivers and package handlers have agreed on some big changes at the logistics giant. But a two-week standstill has shaken any remaining certainty that a deal will materialize by the July 31 deadline. UPS employees authorized a nationwide strike in June and say they're prepared to walk out on August 1 if the company doesn't budge on the final issue of part-time wages. Since negotiations fell apart on July 5, Teamsters have been participating in "practice picket lines" across the country. And UPS has been training managers to fill in if the workers walkout. But after two weeks of impasse, both parties announced Wednesday that they intend to return to the table next week. The two sides have agreed on 55 non-economic issues, Teamsters President Sean O'Brien said on July 1. O'Brien confirmed that all local units, including the one covering Louisville, Kentucky where UPS's WorldPort hub is located, have reached a tentative agreement. "It marked a record number of revised articles and new language," he said of the milestone, though the process hasn't been without rough language and "noise," as many analysts have called it. Teamsters President Sean O'Brien said in a webinar with members July 16 that if a tentative agreement is reached by the deadline, the union will continue to work through the ratification vote, which takes roughly three weeks. If the members don't approve the contract, the union would then strike. These are a few of the major issues that have been resolved so far and what has yet to be resolved: Turning down the heat One of the first major issues to come up in this round of negotiations was temperature control in delivery vans. On June 13, UPS announced it had reached an agreement with the Teamsters to address the danger caused by heat in vans, which have never had air conditioning. The company will equip all newly-purchased vans with air conditioning starting in January 2024. It will install fans in van cabs, install heat shields to keep the floors of package vans cooler, and add an air intake system to funnel the cooler air from the cab into the cargo bay. The push for UPS to address heat was in part inspired by the death of a 24-year-old UPS driver in California who was found unconscious in his delivery truck on a scorching day in June 2022 and later died. Weekend warriors The thorny issue of how UPS will cover shifts on the weekend has been a major point of contention for some UPS drivers since a two-tiered system was instituted in the last contract in 2018. Eliminating the so-called "22.4 position" (named for the section of the 2018 master contract that created it) was a "strike issue" for O'Brien, he told Insider last year. On July 1, the Teamsters said that all 22.4 drivers would be reclassified as regular drivers and have their pay adjusted to the regular rate based on their seniority. The union said the company also agreed to end what it described as "forced overtime," when drivers are required to work six days in one week a practice drivers have told Insider was a common occurrence during the package overload brought on by the pandemic. Part-time pay is the problem Pay is still the biggest issue on the table. O'Brien told CNN July 6 that part-time wages are at the core of the remaining disagreement. O'Brien wants to increase starting wages for part-time employees from $15.50 to $20 and often emphasizes that though full-time UPS workers are among the best paid in the industry, the majority of UPS workers are part-time. "There's no doubt that UPS full-timers make good wages, good benefits," O'Brien said. "Those trucks don't go out unless they are loaded and our part-timers are the unsung heroes. They are working for poverty wages and we need to drive up those starting rates of pay." A UPS spokesperson told Insider via email that part-timers at UPS make an average wage of $20 per hour after 30 days of employment and receive healthcare benefits and pensions. "We are pleased to be back at the negotiating table next week to resolve the few remaining open issues. We are prepared to increase our industry-leading pay and benefits, but need to work quickly to finalize a fair deal that provides certainty for our customers, our employees and businesses across the country," a UPS spokesperson said in a statement Wednesday. The stakes for O'Brien go beyond the hundreds of thousands of Teamsters employed by UPS. The union boss has been clear from the beginning of this campaign that this UPS contract will serve as an advertisement for what the Teamsters can do for other works, especially at Amazon. "This is the largest collective bargaining agreement in any private sector union," O'Brien said at a July 1 press conference. He added that this contract could "set the tone and set the standard high for labor not just the Teamsters but the entire labor movement." Read the original article on Business Insider The US could restrict Chinese companies from using cloud service providers like Amazon and Microsoft President Joe Biden. AP Photo/Patrick Semansky The US could curb cloud providers from selling services to China, the Wall Street Journal reported. Chinese companies currently cannot purchase advanced chipsets from companies like Nvidia. The US has sought to curtail China's advancement into innovative new industries. The Biden administration could restrict block US-based cloud providers from supplying their services to Chinese companies, the Wall Street Journal reported. The White House has already been looking to prohibit American technology companies like Nvidia from selling products like chipsets purpose-built for AI applications to China. These new restrictions could curb American cloud providers like Amazon Web Services and Microsoft from selling cloud access to AI developers in China. The US has feared Beijing's advancement into cutting-edge fields like AI and how the Chinese government may use the technology to bolster its influence around the world. While the US government has restricted chipmakers like Nvidia from selling certain kinds of chips to China, it hasn't prevented cloud providers like Microsoft and AWS from offering their hosted services. Chinese companies could still train complex AI programs by renting resources from the likes of AWS or Microsoft, both of which offer cloud services in China and compete with Chinese cloud providers like Alibaba. China has responded to US export bans on chipsets by restricting procurement of rare earth metals used in 5G modems and other semiconductors. Companies now have to apply for licenses to purchase them. The Biden administration previously banned new sales of equipment from Chinese telecommunications makers Huawei and ZTE over their perceived risk to national security and fears that China could intercept or interfere with communications, something the country has denied. And the US has repeatedly discussed whether TikTok, owned by the Chinese giant ByteDance, should be blocked. Already, Montana approved a TikTok ban. China has said it wants to be the world leader in AI by 2030. Analysts say that China's aim by investing in domestic innovation is to become more self-sustaining and less reliant on US components and chips. The US meanwhile is working to build out domestic manufacturing through the CHIPS Act in order to wean itself off China. The White House, Commerce Department, Nvidia, Microsoft, and Amazon did not immediately respond to Insider's requests for comment. Read the original article on Business Insider US President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden disembark from Marine One upon arrival at Fort McNair in Washington, DC, July 4, 2023 (SAUL LOEB) President Joe Biden called again Tuesday for stricter gun control measures while denouncing a wave of shootings that overshadowed Independence Day. Five people were killed and four wounded in a shooting in Philadelphia Monday night, police said. Another shooting overnight in Fort Worth, Texas, claimed the lives of three and injured eight, CNN reported. And as of Tuesday afternoon, the country had already seen multiple shootings on Independence Day. Five were injured in Lansing, Michigan, and four hurt in Charlotte, North Carolina, according to the Gun Violence Archive (GVA). Another shooting in Akron, Ohio, which police responded to in the early morning hours of Tuesday, left four injured, according to local media. "Over the last few days, our nation has once again endured a wave of tragic and senseless shootings in communities across America," Biden said in a statement, mentioning the shootings in Philadelphia, Fort Worth, and Lansing, as well as recent instances of gun violence in Baltimore, Wichita, Kansas and Chicago. "As our nation celebrates Independence Day, we pray for the day when our communities will be free from gun violence," the president said. At a Fourth of July parade last year in Highland Park, Illinois, just outside Chicago, a gunman killed seven and wounded dozens. This year, the suburb planned a remembrance ceremony in lieu of a parade and traditional festivities, officials said. "In mere moments, this day of patriotic pride became a scene of pain and tragedy," Biden said in reference to the shooting's anniversary. In Philadelphia, police said they had apprehended the shooter, though his motive remained unknown. "We have absolutely no idea why this happened," Philadelphia Police Commissioner Danielle Outlaw said. The suspect, a 40-year-old man, was wearing body armor and a ski mask, and sprayed bullets from a military-style assault rifle at random in the city's Kingsessing neighborhood, said Ernest Ransom, a staff inspector with the Philadelphia police. He was "shooting aimlessly at occupied vehicles and individuals on the street as they walked," Ransom said. In Fort Worth, meanwhile, no arrests had been reported as of Tuesday afternoon. "I am devastated by the news of a mass shooting in Fort Worth last night," Mayor Mattie Parker said on Twitter. "My heart breaks for the victims." There have been at least 346 mass shootings in the United States this year, according to the GVA's archive. The GVA defines a mass shooting as a gun-related incident in which at least four or more people are wounded or killed, aside from the shooter. More than 44,000 people were killed by guns last year, with about 24,000 of them by suicide. "Much more must be done... to address the epidemic of gun violence that is tearing our communities apart," Biden said, praising gun control measures passed in Illinois after the Highland Park attack. "I urge other states to follow Illinois' lead, and continue to call upon Republican lawmakers in Congress to come to the table on meaningful, commonsense reforms that the American people support." nro/dw ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) It was never about making history for Deb Haaland, but rather making her parents proud. She says she worked hard, putting herself through school, starting a small business to pay bills and eventually finding her way into politics first as a campaign volunteer and later as the first Native American woman to lead a political party in New Mexico. The rest seems like history. Haaland was sworn in as one of the first two Native American women in Congress in 2019. Two years later, she took the reins at the U.S. Interior Department an agency whose responsibilities stretch from managing energy development to meeting the nations treaty obligations to 574 federally recognized tribes. Haaland, the first Native American Cabinet member in the U.S., spoke to The Associated Press about her tenure leading the 70,000-employee agency that oversees subsurface minerals and millions of acres of public land. The hardest part? Balancing the interests of every single American, she said. I might feel one way about an issue personally. It doesnt mean that thats the decision thats going to be made, said Haaland, 62, sitting in the shade of the towering cottonwood trees that line her backyard in Albuquerque. There is a process, so I am dedicated to that. I really do want to find a balance. U.S. Department of the Interior Secretary Deb Haaland visits Las Cruces on Sunday, March 27, 2022. Haaland hiked Dripping Springs Trail and met with local community leaders to talk about the importance of conservation. Criticism of Haaland has mounted in recent weeks. Environmentalists slammed her departments approval of the massive Willow oil project in Alaska, while a Republican-led U.S. House committee opened an investigation into ties between Haaland and an Indigenous group from her home state of New Mexico that advocates for halting oil and gas production on public lands. Both Democratic and Republican members of Congress also have grilled her about her agencys $19 billion budget request. Critics say the Interior Department under her guidance had failed to conduct quarterly oil and gas lease sales as required under law, doubled the time it takes to get permits, and raised royalty rates charged to energy companies to discourage domestic production and advance the administrations climate goals. Haaland defended the Biden administrations priorities, reiterating that her department was following the law and was on track to meet the administrations goal of installing 30 gigawatts of offshore wind energy by 2030. But even some Democratic senators who support more wind and solar energy development have questioned that timeline, saying some projects take years to be permitted and could be at risk. Democratic Sen. Martin Heinrich of New Mexico did not get a response from Haaland when asking when the first utility-scale offshore wind projects would be permitted Haaland said she had an idea of what the Cabinet job might entail, having served in Congress and as a member of Joe Bidens platform committee when he was the Democratic presidential nominee. Many of Bidens ideals about climate change, renewable energy and conservation mirrored her own. What gets conserved and how is at the root of a few thorny projects Haaland must navigate, from the Willow project to a drilling moratorium around a national park near northwestern New Mexicos Chaco Canyon, and now protests by Native American tribes over a proposed lithium mine in Nevada. There isnt a one-size-fits-all for any of these things, she said. We have to take each one individually and find the best solution that we can. Native American tribes are not always pleased with the outcome, she acknowledged. Every tribe, I think, is different. Their opportunities are different. Their lifestyles are different and its up to us to make sure that we get them to the table to tell us whats important to them, she said. ... And we do our best, as I said, to balance whatever the project is using the science, using the law. Haalands heritage as a member of Laguna Pueblo makes her unlike any previous secretary, and shes aware of the added expectations from Indian Country as she leads an agency with a fraught and even murderous history with Native tribes. She has worked to boost consultation efforts with tribal governments, allocate more resources to help address the alarming rate of disappearances and deaths among Native Americans, and launched an investigation into the federal governments role in boarding schools that sought to assimilate Native children over decades. Wenona Singel, an associate professor at Michigan State University College of Law and director of the Indigenous Law & Policy Center, pointed to the stories Haaland has told about her grandparents being taken from their families when they were children. The story is similar to Singels own family and many others. She understands the pain and the trauma of having our ancestors be stripped of their culture and their language and their Native identity, said Singel, a member of the Little Traverse Bay Bands of Odawa Indians. She has demonstrated a deeper understanding of our nations need to come to grips with the reality of this history and the way in which it continues to impact our communities today. For Haaland, theres no way to disconnect from her heritage: I am who I am. Haaland grew up in a military family her late father was a decorated Marine and her late mother spent more than two decades working for the U.S. Bureau of Indian Affairs after serving in the U.S. Navy. Haaland often talks about how her mother who also was a member of Laguna Pueblo raised her to be fierce. Haaland, a mother herself, got married in 2021 to her longtime partner Skip Sayre. They share a home in Albuquerque with their two rescue dogs Remington and Winchester. Haaland still hangs her clothes on the line out back to dry in the New Mexico sun, finds time to be outside every day and makes big batches of her own red chile sauce with garlic and oregano, freezing it so she has a ready supply when she comes home. Despite moving around as a kid, Haaland said her traditions keep her grounded. In fact, shes working to finish her masters degree in American Indian studies at the University of California, Los Angeles, a feat nearly 25 years in the making. Haalands mother was the one who encouraged her to finish her thesis an exploration of Laguna Pueblos traditional foods. Haaland was proud to say she turned the paper in to her committee in early June, looking to show that Indigenous knowledge continues to be carried down and that the foods eaten at Laguna Pueblo including stew and piki bread havent changed since the tribe migrated from the Chaco Canyon area generations ago. While modern ovens may have taken the place of hot stones, Haaland said Lagunas foods are still rooted in tradition. One of her first obligations as a Pueblo woman is to nurture her family and community, and Haaland said thats not unlike the demands of her current job: to manage and protect natural resources and cultural heritage. You have values as a human being, she said. Thats the way youre raised by your family, and thats what I bring to the table. This article originally appeared on Las Cruces Sun-News: Sec. Haaland reflects on tenure and tradition amid policy change Fathers and sons traded stories and jokes among the crowd lining the streets for the annual South Norfolk Fourth of July parade. But Gulf War veteran Carl Doziers son would not be joining him for the procession Tuesday. Independence Day is based on the blood of the patriots who came before, Dozier, 76, said while wearing a wristband on his left arm featuring his sons portrait and killed-in-action date. In January 2008, Jonathan Kilian Dozier, was 30 when he was one of six men killed by an IED hidden within a house during fighting in Sinsil, Iraq. He is buried at Arlington National Cemetery. Johnathan joined a family tradition of military service when he joined Army in 1997, according to his father. Carl Doziers father, Wilbur Red Dozier, fought in World War II and Carls grandson, Jacob, is in the Coast Guard. Before he was killed, Jonathan was part of the same VFW Post as his father 2894 on Battlefield Boulevard in Chesapeake. The post now bears his name and Carl Dozier was wearing his veterans cap and red, white and blue button-up featuring a picture of the Constitution Tuesday. Have we ever been perfect? No. but we constantly move to be that more perfect union, Dozier said. Other veterans at the parade agreed. William Brown, a 68-year-old Army veteran from Norview, followed his older brother Melvin into the military a year after his brother enlisted in 1973. He went on to serve until 1981 when he was medically discharged after carbon monoxide poisoning left him unable to walk. Hes learned to live with his disability, and Tuesday, with the sun shining down, had no complaints I still go on with life, said Brown, with Disabled American Veterans Chapter 26. He said there are bad current events bringing down Americans today, but we are still able to find the positives and keep building. The United States is a wonderful country, its a beautiful country, Brown said. Its a country to serve. Fellow area native Charlie Hackman served between 1963 and 1967 and was a B-52 tail turret gunner. Later, he and his wife Dorothy, who grew up in South Norfolk, would found the company now known as Hackworth Graphics which is nearing its 50th year. Hackman said there are many people from all around who come to the South Norfolk community for the parade that celebrates the countrys freedom and work toward a better tomorrow. We may have a lot of problems during the year, he said. But it all comes together. Theres a lot of love, lot of fellowship, lot of remembrances. After the parade, Carl Dozier could be found flanked by friends, family and fellow veterans at the cookout at VFW SSG Jonathan K. Dozier Memorial Post 2984. The community gathered in the former fire stations emergency bays, surrounded by awards the post has received. To Carl Dozier, his son well articulated the meaning service and patriotism in a letter he sent back home after deploying. Its believing in something greater than yourself, Dozier said. Vintage photos show what Coney Island's 4th of July celebrations used to look like Vintage photos show what Coney Island's 4th of July celebrations used to look like Coney Island has been a popular destination for the Fourth of July since the early 20th century. Nathan's Famous Hot Dog Eating Contest has been held on July 4 since 1916. Vintage photos of July 4 on Coney Island show crowded beaches and the annual hot-dog contest. Coney Island has been a destination for Fourth of July celebrations for over a century. From firework displays, parades, and live performances to the annual Nathan's Famous Hot Dog Eating Contest, Coney Island has served up Independence Day attractions since the early 20th century. Today, it's still popular for New Yorkers who want to escape the city for the day, walk along the boardwalk, enjoy some rides, and eat a hot dog or two or many more. Here are vintage photos that show what Coney Island Fourth of July celebrations have looked like through the years. In a black-and-white aerial photo from 1920, you can see thousands of people gathered on the boardwalk and Coney Island Beach during the Fourth of July. An aerial view of the crowds on Coney Island Beach during the Fourth of July. George Rinhart/Corbis/Getty Images Source: Getty Images A photo taken on July 4, 1938, shows crowds of people gathered together on the beach. There are so many people, you can hardly see the sand. People crowding the beach at Coney Island on July 4, 1938. Getty Images Thirty years later, revelers still visited Coney Island Beach to celebrate Independence Day. In this photo, a pair of unidentified men in shorts pose for the camera. A pair of unidentified men in shorts pose for the camera on the crowded Coney Island Beach on July 4, 1968. Bev Grant/Getty Images The beaches were also popular in the mid-1990s. In a photo dated 1995, children can be seen running and playing in the water while parents look on. Fourth of July crowd at Coney Island in 1995. Susan Watts/NY Daily News Archive/Getty Images In this circa-1968 photograph, a couple eats hot dogs in front of Nathan's Famous fast-food restaurant in Coney Island. A couple eats hot dogs in front of Nathan's Famous fast-food restaurant at Coney Island on July 4, 1968. Bev Grant/Getty Images The first annual Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest was held on July 4, 1916. In this 1987 photograph, contestants can be seen partaking in the contest. Contestants eat hot dogs during the 1987 Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest at Coney Island. Walter Leporati/Getty Images Source: ABC7 The first-ever winner of the contest was an Irish immigrant who ate 13 hot dogs and buns. In this photo from 1961, an unidentified man eats a Nathan's Famous hot dog outside the iconic restaurant. A man eats hotdogs at Nathan's Famous in Coney Island on July 4, 1961 Bettmann Archive/Getty Images Here, three unidentified contestants pose with plates of hot dogs prior to the 1987 Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest. Portrait of three, unidentified contestants as they pose with plates of hot dogs prior to the 1987 Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest at Coney Island. Walter Leporati/Getty Images The 1995 champion of the Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest was Edward Krachie. He's pictured holding up his trophy after eating 19 and a half hot dogs and beating the defending champion by just half a dog. American competitive eater Edward Krachie holds a trophy in his hands as he celebrates his victory in the 1995 Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest at Coney Island. Walter Leporati/Getty Images Source: The New York Times Read the original article on Insider A viral TikTok jewelry scam is sucking in customers with 'revenge' videos by creators who say they too were tricked Stacey Wilson (left) and another creator whose videos were used to make fake accounts. TikTok A network of websites is tricking customers into buying jewelry they think is an amazing deal. The scam is powered by videos purporting to give buyers a secret discount code in an act of revenge. But the women in the videos said they too were tricked and had no idea they'd be fronting a con. "Storytime," a young woman announced to the camera, like thousands of TikTokers do every day. "How I got fired, and how I'm gonna get revenge." She described being unceremoniously sacked by a jewelry brand called Trugala after her boss caught her shopping on company time. "So go crazy guys," she said. "I did not deserve this." Her payback would be sharing a discount code to slash the cost of Trugala's premium jewelry to $0, with only shipping to pay. The code was real, but her story was a lie. An Insider investigation found that she was one of many pulled into a vast scam that went viral after customers realized they had been fooled. Face of a scam The woman in the video Stacey Wilson told Insider she was hired on the freelance platform Upwork and got $30 to make the video. She never worked for Trugala, was never fired, and had never bought anything from the site or even seen the products. But people believed her story and bought Trugala's jewelry using her code. When the products arrived, they looked nothing like what was on the site. Instead of premium pieces, they got plasticky, costume jewelry worth next to nothing. As buyers realized they had been scammed, they turned on both Trugala and Wilson, its unwitting public face. "It was really, really bad," Wilson told Insider of the backlash that followed. "It took me into this dark hole. It really put a toll on my mental health." A screenshot of Trugala's website, made in 2023. Trugala.com Wilson thought her video would go out on Trugala's brand pages, marked as an ad. Instead, the video and a second she recorded for $45 were posted on TikTok hundreds of times via burner accounts. Some gave away her real name, like Stacywilson889, or tweaked it a little, like Stacywashington889, Stacerebe, and Stacybrown883. There was also stacybabeyy, queenofnyc899, and citygirl3392, all with Wilson's face as a profile picture. 'Please, take this all down' Wilson didn't realize this was happening until her friend sent her a TikTok where she was derided as a manipulative scammer. "My face was everywhere. Everywhere. They made over a hundred pages of me," Wilson told Insider. "I just remember shaking and I was like, please, take this all down." Trugala is one of a handful of website stores that operate in the same way. They advertise rings, necklaces, and bracelets, most in excess of $100. Insider's reporting connected the operation to two businessmen on Long Island, New York, though while one admitted his involvement with similar jewelry companies, he denied setting up Trugala specifically, describing it as a "copycat." With a short code from the videos, like "MAD100," the price drops to zero. But everything comes with a shipping fee. Insider tested the method on five similar sites: Trugala, Sevatti, Deraldi, Vulosa, and Mazalti. All accepted a discount code from associated TikToks, and charged nothing but a shipping fee, which increased depending on how many items were in the basket. Discount codes that work on Trugala, Vulosa, and Deraldi. Trugala, Vulosa, Deraldi One customer was TikToker Myra Solana. She told Insider she saw a video at 3 a.m. and fell for it thinking it was worth the risk to get seemingly hundreds of dollars' worth of jewelry for $16. "I didn't look it up beforehand and thought, oh, I'm getting a great deal," Solana told Insider. "I'm always out to get a good deal, so I was like, heck yeah." Solana didn't get any receipt or confirmation of her order, which made her suspicious. Then she found slews of forum posts and videos calling it out as a scam. Solana immediately canceled her credit card out of fear her information would be stolen, and then made a post of her own warning other people. The items Myra Solana ordered. Myra Solana Insider identified over a dozen creators who used variations on the same scripts to point customers to the sites. Comments underneath the posts vouching for the codes appear to be part of the same fake ecosystem. "They are trying so hard to be authentic," Solana said. "But if you look hard enough, you can definitely tell that it's a fake page grasping for real people's attention for this elaborate scam." An army of fakes Solana's jewelry took about a month to show up, she said, but was "definitely not a hundred dollar's worth." Instead it was "something that you would get at Party City," she said. Insider found items matching what Solana was sent on discount sites like Ali Express. On TikTok, dozens of other creators shared similar tales. Wilson was horrified when she figured out what was going on. She Googled the name of the person that hired her, "Antonio Monty," and nothing came up. "I'm like, oh my gosh, oh my gosh, how did I get into this?" she said. "Like, I'm a college graduate, I do my research about everything. Like, how did this happen?" Wilson sent Insider transcripts of her conversations. Halfway through their interactions, Monty's display name changed without explanation to Gregory Ratner. Wilson asked for the videos to be pulled in messages sent from mid-April to mid-May. Monty at first defended the approach as a "business strategy" and "the most authentic" way to use the footage. He said it "would be a scam if no jewelry was sent at all," seeming to think the sales were legitimate as long as customers received a product, however poor. Monty agreed in the chat to stop uploading the videos but Wilson found more. Some deleted accounts came back, she said. She told Monty she was suffering bad anxiety. "I dont like the attacks I'm getting in the comments," she wrote to him, "please this is affecting me mentally please take it down." "I didn't intend for this to affect you mentally and I feel terrible that it did," Monty said, though he later seemed annoyed and passed on the blame. "For the fourth time I'm not home till Thursday," he said once, saying his "team" was at fault rather than him. "Someone else is covering for me the past three weeks," he said. "They must not have got the memo." Wilson told Insider she was considering legal action. She also informed TikTok, which removed most videos of her, though Insider could still find one as of June 8. Stacey Wilson (middle) and two other creators being called scammers by TikTokers. TikTok Insider spoke with three other creators, all hired through Upwork for similar gigs. Ellison Scarborough said Sevatti hired her to make 10 videos a week in November 2022, and she was thrilled at the easy money. But when people left comments about it on her real TikTok account, where she has a fairly big following, she "freaked out." "I wish that I could obviously delete all the videos that were posted with my face," she told Insider. "Because each video that I post now that gets a lot of views, people could put two and two together for sure." $40, with a sting in the tail McKenzie Hedrick was another, who accepted $40 to record a video for Vuolsa in November 2022. The wording of the ad matched those for the other sites. "We are looking for an actress that can create a TikTok style advertisement for our jewelry brand, using the scripts we provide," it said. "This will start as a one-time project, but if the ad does well we will need multiple variations of the advertisement made. Compensation will be added on with additional videos that are made :)" On December 8, she messaged the person who hired her, complaining that she never agreed to her content being used on fake accounts impersonating her. "We were not aware that our marketing team would do that either," the person responded. "We are handling this right now." Four months later, on April 25, Sevatti got in touch with her to see if she would be interested in a job this time advertising a new brand called Deraldi. "You guys scam people!" she responded. "Idk know how you're even allowed on this app still!!!!!" Another creator, who wanted to remain anonymous, told Insider that finding so many TikToks of her was "mortifying." She accepted $60 in May 2023 to make videos for Trugala and a brand called Mazalti. "Hi Anthony! You used my videos to scam people," she wrote to the person who hired her. "I will not be working with you anymore and have reported your scheme to Upwork." "Wasn't used to scam anybody but ok..." the person replied. "It was an ad." Meanwhile, adverts for creators were live on Upwork until June 9. After being contacted by Insider, Upwork removed some of the postings, and terminated the accounts. However, Insider found another posted within a few days, which is still live as of the time of publishing. A spokesperson for Upwork told Insider that "we do not condone the use of our site by anyone misrepresenting themselves or posting deceptive jobs or marketing" and that it suspends accounts associated with violations. A recent ad by the people who hired Stacey Wilson, which was live until June 9. Upwork Catalina Goanta, an associate professor in private law and technology at Utrecht University in the Netherlands, told Insider the sites had broken the law advertising their projects this way. "This is absolutely illegal," she said. "There's absolutely no doubt about it that this is completely illegal because you're lying to your consumer." Goanta said most countries consider it an unfair practice to deceive customers by riding on the authenticity that social media platforms are supposed to bring. "You're telling them, oh, you're getting this for free, but in fact, they're not getting this for free," she said. "They're getting this for more than the worth of what it is, which is like really absurdly bad jewelry." Not all of the sites had a clear paper trail, but Insider found company records filed with New York state authorities for two of the brands: Vulosa and Sevatti. Two guys on Long Island The sites are similar enough to suggest they are being run as a network. As well as sharing a marketing method, the sites have similar products, and tone of voice, draw on the same marketing and legal copy, and have similar html code. The Vulosa and Sevatti records linked to the addresses of two of the businesses listed under the names Blake Armentano and his father William Armentano, from Long Island. On the business database Crunchbase, Sevatti LLC is described as being founded by "Dominic and Blake," and has "provided their online audience with trendy neckwear, wristwear, and handwear to their clients since 2018." "Since the start of their company, they have seen wild success," it says. "They have shipped out over 100,000 pieces of jewelry worldwide and look forward to their own physical location in New York in 2024." A reporter who visited the addresses on Long Island on Insider's behalf did not find either man. At an address for Blake Armentano in the hamlet of Dix Hills, a woman answered the door at a spacious house in an upscale neighborhood. She declined to give her name, but said Armentano was living in another state and had not lived at the house for years. She agreed to pass on a message, but Insider did not hear back in time for publication. An attempt to find William Armentano at a listed business address was also unsuccessful. Blake Armentano responded to Insider via email, saying he "worked with" Vulosa, Sevatti, and Deraldi "for a brief time" but those sites were now no longer operational. He said he had nothing to do with Trugala or Mazalti, had never worked with Wilson, and described them as "copycat" sites. However, he also said it seemed the owners of Trugala were "people that I used to know, but have not had any contact with for a very long time." He did not provide further details. In regards to the items he sold, he said he was a "Zendrop customer," and the jewelry was "properly described on the store sites as zinc and alloys, not plastic." "Every company that sells a product typically operates on a model where the product is sold to a consumer at a price above the wholesale acquisition cost," he said. 'Always remember there is no free lunch' As of July 4, Sevatti's website had been taken down, but the other four remain live. Dozens of TikTok videos of fake accounts pointing people to Deraldi are still up and were being made until as recently as May. Armentano declined to comment on anything related to "marketing tactics" stating: "It's not common for companies to disclose their marketing strategies." Goanta said it's difficult to track these kinds of schemes because they crop up "like mushrooms." "They're going to be online for a month, and then they're not going to be online," she said. "This is their business model. There's nothing about creating a legit brand and actually getting people to buy and invest in time in a marketing strategy. It's nothing like that." Trugala, Deralidi, Vulosa, and Mazalti's homepages. Trugala, Deralidi, Vulosa, Mazalti Scarborough, one of the creators who made videos for the sites, told Insider she does a lot more research on the companies she makes content for now. She is also skeptical about the message clients give her to read, rather than just following the script for an easy paycheck. "I definitely feel like if anything feels too good to be true, then it is too good to be true," she said. "If you want to be a trustworthy person and hold to your own values and morals, you really need to know what you're talking about." Solana, the TikToker who was tricked, threw out her jewelry when she realized it was worthless. She said it opened her eyes to how platforms like TikTok have a new breed of scams which can trick even people who are wise to more traditional scams, like phishing emails. "I would just want to advise people to think twice about the type of things that are going up on TikTok," she said. "And always remember that there is no free lunch. That's what my mom has always taught me." Nate Schweber contributed reporting for this article. Read the original article on Insider Visiting L.A. during the hotel workers' strike? Here's what you need to know Striking workers from Unite Here Local 11 carry picket signs in front of the Sheraton Grand Hotel in downtown Los Angeles on Sunday. (Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times) If you're planning to visit Los Angeles anytime soon, the widespread news coverage of the hotel workers' strike may have left you wondering whether you have to make new reservations or pick a different city. In truth, there are plenty of hotels not involved in the labor dispute, and even the ones that are embroiled in it remain open. The walkout which ended Wednesday but could resume as contract talks continue is affecting tourists and business travelers in less obvious ways, from the noise of the picket lines to the possible loss of some amenities. As of Monday morning, 18 of the 44 hotels in the coalition negotiating with Unite Here Local 11 were hit with walkouts, and union officials said they expected the number to grow. It's not clear how long the strike will last, nor whether the walkouts will be intermittent or sustained until a new deal is reached. The negotiations cover the pay and benefits for some 15,000 cooks, maids, dishwashers, servers, bellmen and front-desk agents at hotels large and small in Los Angeles and Orange counties, ranging from boutiques to familiar brand names to luxury destinations. Read more: Thousands of hotel workers across Southern California walk off the job Here is a list of the hotels where workers had walked out as of Monday afternoon, arranged by geography: Downtown Santa Monica Westwood Universal City Dana Point The union says that its members have also authorized strikes at hotels in Beverly Hills, Glendale, Pasadena, Hollywood, West Hollywood, San Pedro, Long Beach, Anaheim and Irvine. The brands affected many of them under common corporate ownership include Hilton, Hyatt, Marriott, DoubleTree, Sheraton, Four Seasons, W, Loews, Fairfield, Holiday Inn, Westin and Hampton Inn. What this means for visitors The union says that the number of workers authorized to strike is the largest in U.S. history. So far, however, the walkouts have reached only a fraction of the city's 100,000 hotel rooms. The hotel coalition negotiating with Unite Here estimates that some 15,000 rooms are covered by the contract talks. Individual hotels contacted by The Times declined to comment on how the walkout impacts their services. Peter Hillan, a spokesman for the Hotel Assn. of Los Angeles, said he couldn't speak for any specific venue either, but he said that the larger chains typically bring in middle managers and nonunion workers from other properties to fill in the gaps left by striking workers. Read more: Staff cuts, long commutes, rising costs: Hotel workers say they simply can't keep up The "core functions" of the hotel, such as safety and housekeeping, will be preserved, Hillan said. Some of the less essential amenities, such as the full range of food and beverage services, may not be available during the walkout, however, he said. In addition, guests "may be subject to a picket and the noise and drama that comes with that," he said, but added, "Hotels have provided the type of security and access that prevents the drama from outside from becoming drama inside." If you're eager to avoid the protests or steer clear of the picket lines, there are plenty of options. The hotel occupancy rate in May was 72% in Los Angeles County, Hillan said higher than it was pre-pandemic, but not stratospheric. If you already have reservations, you can contact your hotel to see if it is the site of walkouts and if so, whether services have been curtailed, if any. You should also find out whether you'd have to pay a cancellation fee if you decide to go elsewhere; Hillan said that in the past, hotels have been willing to discuss a waiver in extraordinary circumstances. To find an alternative, websites such as Booking.com, Kayak, and Hotels.com allow you to search for a hotel by neighborhood (among many other specifications). All three show you nearby L.A. landmarks to help you orient your search. Want to avoid the trouble of finding a hotel not affected by the strike? Use a vacation rental service such as Airbnb or VRBO to find alternative accommodations. Times staff writer Suhauna Hussain contributed to this report. Sign up for Essential California, your daily guide to news, views and life in the Golden State. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times. Warning of homelessness among refugees issued by Telford council leader Shaun Davies will highlight refugee issues in his first speech as chair of the Local Government Association Pressures on local authorities to protect and support asylum seekers have created a "crisis point", according to one leader. Shaun Davies, leader of Telford and Wrekin Council, said demands on councils were "unsustainable". In his first speech as chair of the Local Government Association (LGA), he will highlight pressures on housing, homelessness and children's services. The Home Office said it had a plan backed by 285m of new funding. "We want to work with the government to get this right," Mr Davies said. There was a risk of Afghan families becoming homeless and ending up in temporary accommodation due to a housing shortages as a government deadline for them to leave hotels approaches, said the LGA. About 8,000 individuals and families were currently housed at 59 bridging hotels across the country, it said. They were served notice by the Home Office to leave by the end of August. Councils had a "proud history" of stepping up during humanitarian crises, said Mr Davies, but the acute shortage of housing and the short timeframe was making the situation "extremely challenging." About 8,000 individuals and families who fled Afghanistan were staying in 59 bridging hotels in the UK, the LGA said In August 2021, thousands of people fled Afghanistan after the Taliban took back control of the country. Veterans Minister Johnny Mercer promised "generous" support in March over the plan to move Afghan refugees out of hotels, with trained staff based at hotels to provide advice. He added the government would provide councils with 35m of new money to fund potential homelessness demand, along with a second round of funding worth 250m. But the LGA said a "genuine partnership" was urgently needed to better plan how to meet housing needs. The number of Ukrainian refugee households had also more than doubled in the past six months with almost 700 now living in temporary accommodation, they added. Mr Davies will address a three-day LGA annual conference in Bournemouth from Tuesday. Hotels were not meant to be long-term accommodation for Afghans who fled to the UK and they should not be in them "for months or years on end", a government spokesperson said. The plan, with 285m of new funding, would more them into long-term homes, they added. Follow BBC West Midlands on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Send your story ideas to: newsonline.westmidlands@bbc.co.uk Lightning crackles in the sky above the U.K. in first images from Europe's new weather satellite. Stunning first videos from a new space-borne instrument designed to improve the monitoring of thunderstorms show the crackle of lightning over Europe, Africa and the Atlantic Ocean. The images were taken by the Meteosat-12 satellite operated by the European Organisation for the Exploitation of Meteorological Satellites (EUMETSAT) from geostationary orbit, some 22,000 miles (36,000 kilometers) above Earth . This altitude is extremely important for weather forecasters, as the speed of satellites circling the planet in this region matches Earth's rotation. As a result, the satellites in this orbit have a constant view of a part of the globe, allowing meteorologists to observe how weather phenomena evolve in real time. Satellites of the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) have used lightning imagers before, but Meteosat-12 is the first to provide this type of information to European weather forecasters. Related: 10 devastating signs of climate change satellites can see from space Lightning crackles in the sky above the U.K. in first images from Europe's new weather satellite. The satellite, the first in the new Meteosat Third Generation family of Europe's weather observers, launched in December 2022 and will help the continent's meteorologists improve their forecasts of extreme weather events. "Severe storms are often preceded by abrupt changes in lightning activity," Eumetsat Director General Phil Evans said in a statement . "By observing these changes in activity, Lightning Imager data will give weather forecasters additional confidence in their forecasts of severe storms." As climate change progresses and Earth's climate warms, severe thunderstorms, accompanied by torrential rains, hail and powerful winds, are set to become more common in Europe and around the world. By being able to better forecast these events, meteorologists hope to protect vulnerable populations in affected areas by disseminating earlier and more accurate warnings. "Lightning is a strong indication that severe weather is occurring," Evans added in a briefing. "Where there is the most severe rainfall, there is often lightning." Eumetsat-12's' Lightning Imager instrument consists of four cameras, which can detect the atmospheric flashes all over Europe, Africa, the Middle East and parts of South America. The data will be available to weather forecasters in Africa, as well as airliners on trans-Atlantic flights to improve safety. "The Lightning Imager has four cameras, and each one can capture 1,000 images per second, day and night, detecting even a single lightning bolt faster than the blink of an eye," Guia Pastorini, a project engineering manager at aerospace company Leonardo, which built the instrument, said in the same statement. "Thanks to specific algorithms, data is processed on board to send only useful information to Earth, supporting the development of more accurate weather forecasts, as well as contributing to the study of weather phenomena and air transport safety." For Europe, which is warming twice as fast as other continents , according to the European environment-monitoring agency Copernicus, having timely and accurate information about approaching disasters will save lives and reduce destruction. For example, in the summer of 2021, floods triggered by heavy rainfall killed nearly 200 people in Germany in what was described as the nation's worst natural disaster in 60 years. Related stories: Satellites observe record-breaking marine heatwave hit North Atlantic Climate change hits Antarctica hard, sparking concerns about irreversible tipping points Satellites watch Europe dry up in devastating drought that may be the worst in 500 years "In a world where climate change is increasing the intensity of severe weather events, instruments like [Lightning Imager] will become more and more important," Evans added in the briefing. Going to Discovery Park on July Fourth? In addition to sunscreen, grab mosquito repellent before you head out the door because mosquito samples in South Natomas were confirmed Monday as positive for West Nile virus. Areas of south Sacramento also are showing quite a bit of West Nile virus activity in its mosquito samples, according to the Sacramento-Yolo Mosquito and Vector Control District. The extreme heat weve seen in the last few days has definitely increased mosquito populations and were starting to see widespread activity, said Gary Goodman, the district manager. We are closely monitoring these areas as they are becoming hot spots for the virus. So far this year, the state reported 22 dead birds in Sacramento County tested positive for West Nile Virus: 16 in Sacramento; three in Antelope; and one each in Citrus Heights, Elverta and Fair Oaks. Roseville had three dead birds test positive for the disease and Davis one, state records showed. Goodman said he hoped families would take precautions as they celebrate Independence Day around their neighborhoods. Many will be participating in family BBQs and watching fireworks around dusk, a time when mosquitoes are looking to bite, he said. We urge everyone to wear an effective repellent to protect themselves from mosquito bites. All it takes is one bite from an infected mosquito to get the virus. Many people can recover from West Nile virus at home, but about 20% of those bitten develop symptoms of West Nile fever. One out of every 150 people bitten by an infected mosquito gets the most severe form of the disease, West Nile encephalitis. There have been more than 300 deaths from the disease since 2003. Symptoms of the disease include sudden onset of high fever (usually higher than 102F, severe headache, nausea, vomiting, sore throat, backache, joint pain, aches and weakness in prominent muscles, prolonged fatigue and swollen lymph nodes. Those with West Nile fever may also get a rash. The California Department of Public Health issued a warning to state residents last week, noting that record rainfall over the winter months has led to increases in mosquito populations, raising the risk that people will get one of the diseases transmitted by these insects. The hot weather also speeds up hatching of mosquitoes. CDPH recommended using an insect repellent containing DEET, picaridin, oil of lemon eucalyptus, or IR3535. DEET can be used safely on infants and children 2 months of age and older, according to public health officials. Wife of father and son who died in Titan sub said passengers listened to their favorite music in their final moments Vice-Chairman of Engro Corporation Limited Shahzada Dawood, who is said to be among the passengers onboard the submarine that went missing on trip to the Titanic wreckage is seen with his son Suleman Dawood in this undated handout picture. Reuters The wife and mother of two passengers who died in the Titan submersible shared what she knew of their final moments. Shahzada and Suleman Dawood were thrilled about the trip, Christine Dawood told The New York Times. The duo and other passengers brought their favorite music to share with each other, she said. Passengers aboard the doomed Titan submersible were encouraged to play their favorite music through a bluetooth speaker onboard, according to a report highlighting how passengers may have spent their final moments underwater. Christine Dawood, the wife of Shahzada Dawood and mother of Suleman Dawood, both passengers aboard the vessel, recounted her family members' preparations for the trip in a new interview with The New York Times. In the interview, she recalled what her husband and son brought with them, and the last words they shared with her. Ahead of the plunge, Christine Dawood told the Times that her husband was swayed by a series of presentations made by Henri Nargeolet, a French Titanic expert known as "Mr. Titanic," who had visited the Titanic wreckage 37 times. "'Oh, my god, this is so cool,'" Christine Dawood remembered Shahzada saying, per the Times. "He was lapping everything up. He had this big glow on his face talking about all this nerdy stuff." Christine Dawood shared that her husband, the vice chairman of Engro Corporation, one of Pakistan's largest fertilizer companies, was like a "vibrating toddler," and couldn't wait to take the trip. He initially sought to take a trip on the vessel when Suleman was 17 and would not have been allowed to descend, she said, per the Times. The trip was delayed, due to the pandemic, and this year, Suleman was old enough to join. He brought his Rubik's cube with him. Passengers were also asked by OceanGate CEO Stockton Rush to bring their most cherished tunes to share with others, but Rush specifically requested no country music on the underwater playlist, per the Times. Little is known about the events inside the vessel leading up to the passengers' deaths. On June 23, the Coast Guard announced the death of five tourists aboard the deep-sea OceanGate Titan submersible, which was headed for the Titanic shipwreck. At the time, the Coast Guard said the submersible appeared to have imploded because of a "catastrophic loss of the pressure chamber." It is still unclear what transpired, but experts were critical of the vessel's make-shift use of mixed materials like titanium and carbon fiber, as well as the design of the vessel, per the Times. An implosion would have lasted only milliseconds, according to the Journal of Physics: Conference Series, likely killing all the Dawood men and the other passengers instantly. Read the original article on Insider A rare and ancient woodland on Dartmoor is to be regenerated and expanded, the Duchy of Cornwall has announced. The duchy said it aimed to least double the size of Wistman's Wood by 2040. It said the woodland, which contained very rare Atlantic mosses and lichen, was under threat from fire, disease and climate change. Natural England and supporters have welcomed the plans for the nine-acre (3.5-hectare) area, a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) since 1964. David Cope, head of sustainability at the duchy, said the "incredibly special place" provides "a home for some very rare species, making this work extremely important for our goal of a net zero and nature-rich estate". He added: "The expansion of Wistman's Wood and creation of additional wood pasture is only possible because we've developed our plans in partnership with our farm tenants, Natural England and the Dartmoor National Park Authority over the past two years." The plans include encouraging natural oak and rowan regeneration, and supporting the lichen with "appropriate levels of cattle and pony grazing". Cattle grazing would be controlled using wireless electric fencing systems, managers said. Twenty-two acres (nine hectares) of new woodland pasture would be created on the west side of the River Dart, opposite Wistman's Wood, near Princetown, with more to come on other duchy farms, they added. 'Magical fragment' The Duchy of Cornwall, a major landowner in the south-west of England, is a private estate that funds both the charitable and private activities of the Duke of Cornwall. Tony Juniper, chairman of Natural England, said Wistman's Wood was a "magical fragment of ancient temperate rainforest" and the "exciting plan" would "give it long-term resilience and provide a wealth of benefits for people and nature". "Reserves like this one will act as the battery packs powering nature recovery across the country," he said. "The enhancement of this spectacular landscape and its habitats will enable people to connect with a site rich in wildlife and historic interest for long into the future." Guy Shrubsole, author of the Lost Rainforests of Britain, told BBC News it was "absolutely wonderful" to see the "snowballing" of moves to protect ancient woodland. Other schemes have been announced by insurance company Aviva, the National Trust and farmers Merlin and Lizzie Hanbury-Tenison in Cornwall. Temperate rainforest used to cover 20% of Britain but it now covers less than 1% of the country, said Mr Shrubsole, from Totnes, Devon. He said: "There is a momentum towards rainforest regeneration in the UK. "Rainforests harbour internationally important species and they have become so fragmented, so I'm really delighted." Follow BBC News South West on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. Send your story ideas to spotlight@bbc.co.uk. Woman sleeping in her car chased down by man in stolen Lowes forklift and killed in a Home Depot parking lot, police say A man has been arrested and charged in connection with an incident in which a woman was killed after being hit and run over by a stolen forklift in a Waldorf, Maryland, Home Depot parking lot on Sunday, according to a release from the Charles County Sheriffs Office. Officers responded to a burglary and theft in progress at a Lowes Home Improvement store in Waldorf at 12:40 a.m. on Sunday, July 2, according to the news release. According to the sheriffs office, the suspect, identified as Bryce Caleb Timothy Brown, 20, had broken into the Lowes, stolen a forklift, and rammed it through the rear gates. The news release alleges Brown then left the Lowes on the forklift, driving it into the parking lot of a nearby Home Depot, where he rammed a vehicle in the parking lot. A woman, who was asleep in the car, got out when the forklift struck her car and started to run away, the release said, adding Brown followed her, struck her with the forklift and ran over her, before stealing her car and fleeing the scene, according to the sheriffs office. Officers responding to the initial burglary, found Gloristine Pinkney, 73, dead underneath the forklift in the Home Depot parking lot. According to the sheriffs office, the suspect and victim did not know each other. Brown was arrested Sunday evening and detectives found the victims car near his house. Brown has been charged with first-degree murder, second-degree murder, assault, theft and other related charges, according to the release. He is being held at the Charles County Detention Center without bond, according to police. CNN was unable to contact him for comment. Browns bond review hearing is scheduled for July 5 and he is eligible for a public defender, Charles County court records show. For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com Nathan's Famous Fourth of July hot dog eating contest in Coney Island, New York, was abruptly delayed on Tuesday as a heavy thunderstorm rumbled over the annual Independence Day event. Just minutes before the men's contest was scheduled to start, the sky opened up and a drenching downpour soaked Coney Island while lightning bolts flashed overhead. Spectators scrambled to take cover amid the downpours. While there were reports that the men's competition was canceled, several of the competitors, including Chestnut himself, came out to interact with fans after the rain eased up. ESPN, which was televising the event, said the event was in a weather delay shortly after 12 p.m. EDT and later announced that it would resume at 2 p.m. EDT. The thunderstorm that moved over Coney Island, New York, early Tuesday afternoon. (AccuWeather) A video shared on Twitter showed fans crowded together under umbrellas as a steady rain fell over Coney Island. It's pretty bad out here pic.twitter.com/gSepChBmRi Alec Velikanov (@alecvxyz) July 4, 2023 Joey Chestnut, the heavy favorite in the men's division, reigned supreme on Tuesday afternoon after downing 62 hot dogs to claim his 16th title. The stormy weather held off long enough for Miki Sudo, 37, of Port Richey, Florida, to claim the women's title after competing in the 10-minute hot dog eating contest earlier on Tuesday. Sudo won her ninth title by scarfing down 39.5 hot dogs. People from around the world travel to Coney Island to watch the annual event. According to ESPN, spectators come from as far as Australia, South Korea and Brazil. 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. By Gloria Dickie Monday, July 3, was the hottest day ever recorded globally, according to data from the U.S. National Centers for Environmental Prediction. The average global temperature reached 17.01 degrees Celsius (62.62 Fahrenheit), surpassing the August 2016 record of 16.92C (62.46F) as heatwaves sizzled around the world. The southern U.S. has been suffering under an intense heat dome in recent weeks. In China, an enduring heatwave continued, with temperatures above 35C (95F). North Africa has seen temperatures near 50C (122F). And even Antarctica, currently in its winter, registered anomalously high temperatures. Ukraine's Vernadsky Research Base in the white continent's Argentine Islands recently broke its July temperature record with 8.7C (47.6F). "This is not a milestone we should be celebrating," said climate scientist Friederike Otto of the Grantham Institute for Climate Change and the Environment at Britain's Imperial College London. "It's a death sentence for people and ecosystems." Scientists said climate change, combined with an emerging El Nino pattern, were to blame. "Unfortunately, it promises to only be the first in a series of new records set this year as increasing emissions of [carbon dioxide] and greenhouse gases coupled with a growing El Nino event push temperatures to new highs," said Zeke Hausfather, a research scientist at Berkeley Earth, in a statement. (Reporting by Gloria Dickie; Editing by Mark Potter) Wounded toddler found with 2 adults shot to death in home, North Carolina cops say Two adults were killed and a 3-year-old was wounded when gunfire erupted at a home in Greensboro, North Carolina, police say. Greensboro police investigators are calling the incident a homicide but have not released details of a suspect. The wounded boy was listed in stable condition at a hospital Tuesday, July 4, police said in a news release. The shooting happened at about 11:15 p.m. Monday, July 3, in a neighborhood of single-family homes along Blackmoor Road, officials said. Police arrived to find three victims with gunshot wounds, including Theressa Little Johnson, 66, and Chestani Elizabeth Jones, 21, officials said. Both women died, officials said. An investigation is ongoing. Police did not release details of the boys relationship to the two adults. Greensboro is about 92 miles northeast of Charlotte. Trooper stops to help stranded driver and gets shot in the chest, NC cops say Body of missing boater recovered from Lake Norman, searchers say 18-year-old was killed at Monroe motel and 3 juveniles are suspects, NC police say A sign outside the headquarters of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation in Beijing on July 4, 2023 (GREG BAKER) China's Xi Jinping urged the leaders of Russia, Iran and other Shanghai alliance states on Tuesday to boost ties and resist sanctions, as Vladimir Putin thanked the bloc for support during a failed rebellion. China and Russia have in recent years ramped up economic cooperation and diplomatic contacts, with their strategic partnership having only grown closer since Moscow's invasion of Ukraine last year. The Shanghai Cooperation Organisation -- which on Tuesday welcomed Iran as its ninth member -- encompasses a vast stretch of the globe from Moscow to Beijing and includes around half the world's population when observer and "dialogue partner" nations are included. During the virtual meeting, Xi "called for efforts to safeguard regional peace and ensure common security", state news agency Xinhua said, adding that he urged SCO member states to "enhance their solidarity". While China says it is a neutral party to the Ukraine conflict, it has been criticised by Western nations for refusing to condemn Moscow's offensive. Putin, speaking via video link at the meeting, his first summit since a short-lived mutiny last month by Wagner mercenary group chief Yevgeny Prigozhin, thanked the Beijing-headquartered SCO for its support. "Russia is confidently resisting and will continue to resist external pressure, sanctions and provocations," Putin said. "I would like to thank my colleagues from the SCO countries who expressed support for the actions of the Russian leadership to protect the constitutional order and the life and security of citizens," he added. - Iran joins, Belarus next - Iran joined as a full member of the grouping on Tuesday, with Tehran having intensified its diplomacy with friends and foes alike in recent months, seeking to reduce its isolation, improve its economy and project strength. Tehran's membership will support "collective security... expanding ties and communications (and) strengthening unity", Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi said. Alongside summit host India, other full members are Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. Russian ally Belarus, which holds observer status, was also told it would become a member at the next SCO summit. Iran's membership feeds concerns of some Western critics worried about "Russia, China, Pakistan and Iran coming together, so there is a collection of countries that are inherently anti-Western in their orientation", said Harsh V. Pant, a professor with King's College London. But he said SCO was not that organisation. "If this kind of an axis is to be formed, it will be formed independent of the SCO, because the Central Asians and countries like India do not see SCO as inherently anti-West," Pant told AFP. On Tuesday, China's Xi warned against "colour revolutions" and a "new Cold War", according to a state media readout of his speech to the SCO summit. "We must be highly vigilant against external forces fomenting a 'new Cold War' and creating confrontation in the region, and resolutely oppose any country interfering in internal affairs and staging a 'colour revolution' for any reason," he said. - Afghanistan concerns - During the summit, the leaders of rivals India and Pakistan said Afghanistan remained a key concern. India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi warned of the risk Afghanistan was a base to "spread instability", while his Pakistani counterpart Shehbaz Sharif called for an "urgent reset" in international engagement with Afghanistan's Taliban rulers. India, which also hosts the G20 summit in September, is walking a diplomatic tightrope. Uniquely, it is a member of both the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation and the Quad, set up with the United States, Japan and Australia to counter Beijing's growing assertiveness. Modi was last month hosted in Washington with the full pomp of a state visit, where US President Joe Biden spoke of "two great friends and two great powers". At the same time, Moscow remains by far India's biggest arms supplier -- they have been allies for decades -- and New Delhi has been an enthusiastic buyer of cut-price Russian oil during the war in Ukraine. burs-pjm/sco rename bases Military bases across the country have already received new names, in light of ongoing changes to remove Confederate references to federal property. They arent among the only entities getting the upgraded treatment. In fact, an entire list of landmarks will receive new names, thanks in part to research done by a Yale scholar. Connor Williams, a doctoral student in history and African American studies, served as lead historian of the Naming Commission. He and seven others sat on a panel that took on the Herculean task of choosing new names for various DoD properties. The list includes military bases, roads, monuments, buildings, and more, for a total of hundreds of new names. In his role, Williams provides the history of key people, including how they served their country during the Civil War era. Distinguished Yale Scholar, Connor Williams. These efforts have been controversial by removing names of those who promoted slavery or served the Confederate side of the Civil War. New names were piled into a list, Williams told his alma mater, added once they met certain standards, including having a mission to the region or post, those who had demonstrated extraordinary valor or military service, those who had inspiring stories and people who are no longer living. After an initial list of more than 35,000, it was narrowed down to 150 with the help of historians. The group created short sketches that displayed eachs history. Finally, a list of 87 names was sent to Congress for approval. This includes the renaming of nine major military bases, many of which have already been adopted. Fort Barfoot, Virginia (formerly Fort Pickett) Fort Novosel, Alabama (formerly Fort Rucker) Fort Moore, Georgia (formerly Fort Benning) Fort Liberty, North Carolina (formerly Fort Bragg) Fort Eisenhower, Georgia (formerly Fort Gordon) Fort Walker, Virginia (formerly Fort A.P. Hill) Fort Gregg-Adams, Virginia (formerly Fort Lee) Fort Cavazos, Texas (formerly Fort Hood) Fort Johnson, Louisiana (formerly Fort Polk) Other changes will be implemented by January 1, 2024, as ordered by Secretary of Defense, Lloyd J. Austin III, who enforced the panels ideas. On the decision to rename these landmarks, Williams said there is a key starting point to consider. An unveiling of the Fort Barfoot sign at its main gate. Image via DoD. Whatever one wants to think about the Confederates whatever they believed about states rights or the right to secede from the Union they were insurrectionists who unquestionably killed hundreds of thousands of U.S. Army soldiers. This is where history helps because many people sincerely believe that during the war, the United States had split into the Union and the Confederacy separate, equal nations with its own government. As for the public response to the proposed new names, Williams said the response was mostly positive. I learned very quickly that many people who genuinely care about history, care about facts, and care about memory didnt hate the idea of removing Confederate names. They just didnt quite understand why those names should be removed. Yevgeny Prigozhin, the leader of the Wagner Group, has released a new audio message more than a week after his mercenary groups fallout with the Russian government. In a Telegram post Monday, Prigozhin expressed gratitude to those who supported him and his group in the attempted rebellion against the Kremlin. I want you to understand that our March of Justice was aimed at fighting traitors and mobilizing our society, Prigozhin said in his audio message. In the near future, I am sure that you will see our next victories at the front. Thanks guys! Prigozhin urged an armed rebellion late last month to oust Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu and also challenged Russian President Vladimir Putins justification for the countrys ongoing war with neighboring Ukraine. Prigozhin eventually ordered his private army to stop its advance after reaching an agreement in which Russia would drop its charges against him for leading an armed rebellion and he would relocate to Belarus. In a Telegram post last week, Prigozhin said that he ordered his group to stop its advance in order to prevent a civil war happening on Russian soil and denied suggestions that he was trying to conduct a coup. Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko, who brokered the deal between the two sides, said he convinced Putin not to eliminate the Wagner Group. The most dangerous thing, as I saw it, was not the situation itself, but its possible ramifications. That was the most dangerous part of it, Lukashenko said in a statement Tuesday. I also realized that a tough decision was taken to eliminate those involved. I suggested that Putin should not rush to do it. I suggested that I talk to Prigozhin, his commanders, he added. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. New York police officer arrested on charges of sending hoax threatening texts to herself Emily Hirshowitz was arrested for allegedly claiming texts she sent herself were threats from colleagues (Ossining Police Department ) A New York police officer has been arrested for allegedly falsely claiming her coworkers were sending her threatening messages. Prosecutors allege the officer was really sending the messages to herself. Emily Hirshowitz, 36, of the Ossining Police Department, was taken into custody on Wednesday and charged with four counts of third-degree falsely reporting an indicent, and three counts of first-degree filing a false instrument, which is a felony, according to The New York Post. This is a case of a harassed woman and it is riddled with mystery and confusion, her attorney Paul DerOhannesian told The Independent in a statement via email. In May of 2022, the officer, a seven-year member of the Ossining police force, reported to the Westchester District Attorneys Office that she was receiving threatening text messages from her colleagues, claiming, a fellow police officer or multiple police officers at my department are involved, according to court documents obtained by the Rockland / Westchester Journal News. The messages were hostile in tone, calling the officer insults like dumb, useless, and reject, with one text even urging her suicide, according to messages shared with officials in the following months. Local officials took the complaints seriously. On 23 August, police chief Kevin Sylvester convened a meeting to discuss the mesages, inviting local officials like the mayor. That same month, Hirshowitz attempted to withdraw her complaint. By October of 2022, investigators looking into the case obtained a search warrant for the officers phone and Apple iCloud account, and prosecutors allege that evidence obtained there suggests Hirshowitz controlled multiple phone numbers sending the threatening messages. A footnote in their complaint, however, notes that a different individual in the DAs office could be linked to three messages, but that prosecutors were unable to press charges. Former Ossining police officer Louis Rinaldi, who resigned this year, has emerged as a potential accomplice to Hirshowtiz, according to the Post. Zelensky says world should show Russia readiness to react in case of nuclear plant attack President Volodymyr Zelensky said in his evening address on July 4 that the international leaders should show Moscow they are ready to respond to Russia's potential attack on the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant. "Now the whole world must realize that common security depends entirely on global attention to the occupiers' actions at the station," said Zelensky. Earlier the same day, the General Staff of Ukraine's Armed Forces reported that Russia might be preparing a provocation at the occupied Zaporizhzhia plant "in the near future." According to the General Staff, Russian forces have placed objects similar to explosive devices on the roof of the plant's third and fourth power units, possibly to simulate a Ukrainian attack. "Maybe they have some other plan. But in any case, the world sees - and can't help but see! - that the only source of danger for the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant is Russia itself and no one else," Ukraine's president emphasized. As Ukraine warns Russia might damage nuclear plant, Moscow blames Kyiv for potential strike Ukraines military intelligence spokesperson Andrii Yusov told Channel 24 that such disinformation campaigns could serve as preparation and information cover for Russias own actions. The Kyiv IndependentDinara Khalilova "Unfortunately, there was no timely and large-scale response to the terrorist attack against the Kakhovka hydroelectric plant. And this can inspire the Kremlin to new evil," added Zelensky. "To stop it is the duty of everyone in the world. No one can be left out because radiation does not leave anyone out." During a July 4 phone call, Zelensky also informed French President Emmanuel Macron about Russia's sabotage plans at the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant. "We agreed to keep the situation under maximum control together with the IAEA," Zelensky wrote after the call. On June 20, Zelensky announced, citing intelligence data, that Moscow was considering a terrorist attack on the nuclear power plant through radiation leakage. Several days later, Ukraine's military intelligence chief told the New Stateman that Russia had completed preparations for the attack. Russian forces have occupied the Zaporizhzhia plant, the largest nuclear plant in Europe, since March 2022. They have used it as a military base to launch attacks at Ukrainian-controlled territory across the Dnipro River. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has called on US President Joe Biden to invite Ukraine to join NATO now, even if Ukraine becomes a member of the Alliance after the end of the war. Source: Zelenskyy in an interview with CNN, the full version of which will be published on 5 July at 19:00 (Kyiv time) Details: Speaking in English with CNN, Zelenskyy said that Biden is "the decision maker" in the issue of whether Ukraine will be in NATO or not. "He [US president ed.] supports our future in NATO," but an invitation now would provide great motivation for Ukrainian soldiers, Zelenskyy said. Answering the question of why he should not wait for an invitation, Zelenskyy said that it is "very important" that Ukraine receives the invitation "now". "Its so important to feel that you are really being around allies in the future," the Ukrainian president emphasised. Zelenskyy added that he acknowledges Ukraine would "never be in NATO before war finishes". "We understand everything. But this signal is really very important. And depends on Bidens decision," the president said. For reference. The NATO summit will take place in Vilnius on 11-12 July. Ukraine has formulated two specific expectations from the Alliance summit in Vilnius: membership and security guarantees. Background: Dmytro Kuleba, Minister of Foreign Affairs, said that Ukraine is continuing to prepare intensively for the Vilnius NATO summit in order to obtain solutions that satisfy it. Journalists fight on their own frontline. Support Ukrainska Pravda or become our patron! In a telephone conversation with NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy discussed the parties' positions on the eve of the Vilnius summit, as well as the situation at the front and the latest events inside Russia. Source: Zelenskyy on Twitter Quote: "On the eve of the NATO Summit in Vilnius on July 11-12, I had a phone call with Jens Stoltenberg, the Secretary General of NATO," Zelenskyy said. According to the President, he congratulated Stoltenberg on the decision of the Allies to extend his mandate as Secretary General for another year. "I am hopeful that our cooperation will remain fruitful in the future. I thanked Jens Stoltenberg for his personal efforts to support Ukraine's Euro-Atlantic aspirations," the head of the state noted. "We coordinated our positions on the eve of the NATO Summit in Vilnius and discussed the situation on the frontline and the latest developments in Russia," the president added. Background: NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg announced that he had a "very good" conversation with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy ahead of the NATO summit in Vilnius. Read the editorial of European Pravda: History Being Made in Vilnius. President Biden to Benefit from NATO Summit No Less than Ukraine Journalists fight on their own frontline. Support Ukrainska Pravda or become our patron! Volodymyr Zelenskyy At the invitation of the Bulgarian government, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy may visit Bulgaria on July 6, Bulgarian news outlet 24Chasa reported on July 4, citing its own sources. Details of the president's visit have not yet been clarified, but it is likely to take place on Thursday, July 6, the report said. Read also: Bulgaria to temporarily ban food imports from Ukraine, except for those in transit The precise timing of Zelenskyy's visit is being kept secret for security reasons, the report added. Bulgaria was one of two EU countries, along with neutral Ireland, that did not participate in joint procurement of ammunition for Ukraine. Read also: Bulgarian president speaks out against transferring ammunition to Ukraine On June 16, newly appointed Bulgarian Defense Minister Todor Tagarev stated that Bulgaria wants to join the EU initiative to provide Ukraine with one million artillery shells in a year. Following this, Bulgarian President Rumen Radev stated that he considers the country's potential participation in EUs program of joint ammunition procurement a "mistake." Read also: Bulgaria preparing new military aid package for Ukraine On July 26, the Bulgarian government approved two decisions to provide Ukraine with a new package of military assistance. The assistance includes weapons and ammunition from the Bulgarian army's existing stockpiles. Were bringing the voice of Ukraine to the world. Support us with a one-time donation, or become a Patron! Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy The risk of a potential Russian terrorist attack on the occupied Zaporizhzhya Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP) has risen sharply, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in his July 4 evening address. Read also: Russia rigs ZNPP reactor buildings with explosives AFU The head of state emphasized that Russia must recognize that the world is aware of the scenarios terrorists are devising and is ready to respond. He noted that radioactive pollution is global hazard, representing a threat to many other countries besides Ukraine. Our intelligence now reveals that Russian military personnel have placed objects resembling explosive devices on the roofs of several blocks of the Zaporizhzhya Nuclear Power Plant, said Zelenskyy Perhaps to mimic a (Ukrainian) attack on the plant. They may have other scenarios in mind. But in any case, the world seesand cannot fail to seethat the only source of danger to the Zaporizhzhya Nuclear Power Plant is Russia itself, and no one else. Zelenskyy pointed out that different countries possess intelligence and other capabilities "to precisely know what is happening and who is responsible." Regrettably, the (international) response to the terrorist attack on the Kakhovka HPP was neither timely nor comprehensive, he added. Read also: ZNPP disconnected from major external power line, working on backup line, warns IAEA And this could embolden the Kremlin for further malevolence. It's the world's responsibility to stop this. No one can stand aside, as radiation spares no one. Recently, Russian media have been circulating fake news alleging that Ukraine is planning provocations at the Zaporizhzhya NPP. Earlier on July 4, Renat Karchaa, an official of Rosenergoatom, predicted a terrorist attack on the ZNPP. Russian propagandists propagated his statement, falsely asserting that Ukraine is planning to attack the facility on the night of July 5, using high-precision weapons and kamikaze drones. The Ukrainian Armed Forces warned of potential Russian provocations at the power plant, adding that foreign objects resembling explosive devices have been planted on the outer roof of some of the reactor buildings at the ZNPP. Read also: Minister urges civilians living near ZNPP to evacuate On June 22, Zelenskyy stated that Russia is considering scenarios for a terrorist act at the occupied ZNPP and "has prepared everything for this." On July 2, Enerhodar's mayor, Dmytro Orlov, announced that some personnel of Rosatom and collaborators have vacated the Zaporizhzhya NPP and left Enerhodar. Read also: Mobile radiation laboratories spotted in occupied Enerhodar and Mariupol resistance report In Zaporizhzhya, Dnipropetrovsk, and Kherson oblasts, large-scale special training exercises have begun in anticipation of a potential act of nuclear terrorism by Russian forces. Were bringing the voice of Ukraine to the world. Support us with a one-time donation, or become a Patron! Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy discussed the situation at the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant in a telephone conversation with French leader Emmanuel Macron on Tuesday evening. Source: Zelenskyy on Twitter Zelenskyy noted that he warned Macron about "the preparation of dangerous provocations by the occupation forces at the Zaporizhzhia NPP," and added that he agreed to keep the situation "under maximum control together with the IAEA." The leaders also discussed the "implementation of previous and reached new defence agreements" and the situation in Russia and on the battlefield. "After Prigozhin's actions, the whole world saw that Russia has no room for manoeuvres on the battlefield. And for us, on the contrary, a window of opportunity is opening. We must act decisively both militarily and politically. Therefore, it is very important that the summit in Vilnius be effective," the president added. Background: Earlier on Tuesday, the Armed Forces of Ukraine warned fellow citizens that the Russians may soon start preparations for provocations at the Zaporizhzhia NPP, and placed explosive-like objects on the roofs of two power units. Russian propagandists have already announced that Ukraine is going to "attack the ZNPP using high-precision weapons and kamikaze drones" on the night of 5 July. The head of the NATO Military Committee, Rob Bauer, said that in the event of a Russian attack on the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant, its consequences would affect the whole world. Journalists fight on their own frontline. Support Ukrainska Pravda or become our patron! President Volodymyr Zelenskyy warned Russia that the world sees what scenarios the terrorists are preparing for at the Zaporizhzhia NPP and is ready to react. Source: Zelenskyy's evening address Quote from Zelenskyy: "Now we have information from our intelligence that the Russian troops have placed objects resembling explosives on the roof of several power units of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant. Perhaps to simulate an attack on the plant. Perhaps they have some other scenario. But in any case, the world sees - can't help but see - that the only source of danger to the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant is Russia and no one else." Details: The President emphasised that now the whole world should be aware that common security depends entirely on global attention to the actions of the occupiers at the station. "Russia must clearly realise that the world sees what scenarios terrorists are preparing for, and the world is ready to respond." he emphasised. At the same time, Zelenskyy emphasised that there was no timely and large-scale reaction to the terrorist attack against the Kakhovka Hydroelectric Plant. And this can inspire the Kremlin to new evil. "It is the responsibility of everyone in the world to stop it, no one can stand aside, as radiation affects everyone," Zelenskyy said. Journalists fight on their own frontline. Support Ukrainska Pravda or become our patron! ZNPP in September 2022 The Russian occupied Zaporizhzhya Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP) was disconnected from its last external power line early on July 4, and now uses a recently restored back-up power supply, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said on its website. The ZNPP lost its connection with the last 750 kilovolt (kV) power line remaining out of four available before the war. The incident occurred at 1:21 am on July 4. The reasons for the power cut weren't immediately clear and the IAEA says it is unknown how long it will last. As of now, the sole power source that the plant can rely on is a 330 kV back-up power line for off-site electricity used, for example, for pumping cooling water for the plant's power units. The plant's connection to the backup line was recovered on July 1 after it had been damaged four months ago. Read also: Putin might sabotage ZNPP to restore his authority report This time the plant avoided a complete loss of all external power which has happened seven times previously during the conflict but the latest power line cut again demonstrates the precarious nuclear safety and security situation at the plant, the IAEA Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi said. The head of Ukrainian military intelligence, Kyrylo Budanov, said that Russians had completed preparations for a potential terrorist attack at the occupied Zaporizhzhya NPP. According to information available to him, explosive devices were placed near four out of the six power units at the plant. Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that Russia was planning a terror attack at ZNPP and that it could do it even remotely after the plants liberation. Read also: Were bringing the voice of Ukraine to the world. Support us with a one-time donation, or become a Patron! Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine In the countless Amherst County Board of Supervisors meetings and other local government functions at the county administration offices over the past three decades, no face has been more familiar than David Proffitt. The longtime purchasing agent for the county retired at the end of June, culminating a 36-year career where he also took the role of deputy county administrator. During his tenure he served as interim county administrator on four occasions and is known by co-workers as the unofficial county historian with offices in three locations: the courthouse on Taylor Street, the second floor of the fire department in Amherst and the current county administration building. Proffitt, a native of the Arrington area in Nelson County, started in February 1987 and during a recent interview recalled the wing of the county building where his office is located being built in 1992. He has photos of the previous school building that was torn down before the current headquarters for county government and Amherst County Public Schools was built, a process he was directly involved in as director of purchasing. Amherst County is a great place to work, Proffitt said. And I really felt comfortable this was the place Im meant to be. Not only did I find the job fulfilling, but this area has become a home and I like living here. A 1973 graduate of Nelson County High School, Proffitt has lived in Amherst County 43 years and worked eight years as a purchasing agent for the former Craddock-Terry Shoe Company in downtown Lynchburg before starting with the county. The company was at one time the largest employer in Lynchburg, Proffitt said. I was in procurement and I liked what I was doing. The advertisement for Amherst Countys procurement position, a relatively new one, caught his eye. Along with the county government, the county schools division and Amherst County Service Authority were included, he said. The county at the time was looking for a person to develop a centralized purchasing function to create efficiencies and cost savings and he stepped in that role, Proffitt said. In the purchasing agent role, he is responsible for procuring goods and services, and making sure they are within the framework of Virginias procurement laws, he said. Everything from pencils for first-graders to construction of buildings, Proffitt said of the types of goods and services he handled during his tenure. He recalled starting his job in the county courthouse and the county, at the time, not having departments of public safety or solid waste, among others. We were a smaller operation, Proffitt said. He recalled much of the current county administration building built in 1988 to house Amherst County Public Schools administration and the countys social services department. Proffitt, 68, said he worked for eight county administrators. I found the place I believe I was intended to be, Proffitt said. I was blessed with the job. I felt almost every day I tried to serve people directly or indirectly. It was a sense of fulfilment and I had some purpose to what I was doing. Transitioning from the private sector to local government was a major change, he recalled. It was a huge eye-opening experience in the difference particularly in the area of procurement and how finances work because I was coming from a profit-driven atmosphere to one that wasnt, Proffitt said. One of the largest areas of growth in the county has been the area of public safety, he said. We are certainly providing more services than we did in various areas as I see it, the area of public safety, solid waste and recreation, Proffitt said. He also worked hard to make sure taxpayer money was spent efficiently, he said. Most of the boards I worked with appear to be intentionally prudent in the use of taxpayer funds and its been a mission that we have written in procurement and our policies that our goal to procure the greatest value possible for the tax dollars spent, Proffitt said. That doesnt mean always you get the cheapest thing you get the value for what you need for the money you spend. Proffitt said he has a multitude of personal special projects he plans to tackle in his retirement. David is known throughout the region for his expertise in procurement procedures and was often consulted by other localities working to establish their purchasing policies, a news release from the county recognizing his years of service said. His co-workers know him for his professionalism, ethics, integrity, and problem-solving. David oversaw many projects during his tenure, including; the E911 system, the regional radio system, multiple reassessments, and many county facility improvements on buildings, parks, and trails. His favorite projects to work on were building enhancements, and many county facilities are better today because of Davids experience. David Pugh, a member of the Amherst County Board of Supervisors, said Proffitt has been a tremendous asset for the county. He has a wealth of knowledge. Any question you ask about county history, he knows it, Pugh said. Hes a salt-of-the-earth type of guy he will do anything for you. You couldnt meet a better person. We couldnt have asked for a better employee than David Proffitt. Pugh said he appreciates Proffitts work having a positive effect on the countys bottom line. Hes always made every dollar count and he understands that because he grew up working hard. Hes done a great job, Pugh said. Hes always made sure all the tax dollars are spent wisely. Just having his demeanor, his calmness, throughout the years has been good for the county. County Administrator Jeremy Bryant, who has worked with Proffitt for the past 17 years, said he is greatly missed. David Proffitt has been an exceptional asset to Amherst County, Bryant said. Davids institutional knowledge has been helpful to lead a very successful organization. David is kind, friendly and is a joy to work with. Amherst County Supervisor Claudia Tucker, who was worked with Proffitt longer than any current member of the board of supervisors, also said the county is much better off because of his service. David is the epitome of a public servant, Tucker said. The man is absolutely unflappable and that trait is what has made him so very valuable over the years. He has the gift of common sense and a memory that is amazing. His institutional knowledge will be sorely missed lucky for us, he has willingly shared that knowledge over the years and because of that we will continue to move forward efficiently and effectively. Whether people were on the cleaning crew, a CEO of a company or a citizen needing help, Proffitt could always be counted on to treat everyone with respect, Tucker said. Current employees, former employees and anyone who has had the privilege to work with him has a David Proffitt story, Tucker said. Im very happy to have had that privilege not only as a colleague but as a friend. Pugh said for all the changes the county leadership has gone through in recent decades, Proffitt has been a constant. That kind of experience you just dont replace, Pugh said. The European Union Election Observation Mission (EUEOM) in its final report on Nigerias 2023 general elections tagged Festus Keyamo and Femi Fani-Kayode to fake news reports. There was an increased incidence of misleading information in the days leading up to and during the election, the EU stated in the report. In many cases, false reports were spread by well-known personalities associated with political parties. The EU report published some quotes attributed to Keyamo and Fani-Kayode in its final report. Both were spokespersons for the campaign of the All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential flagbearer, Bola Ahmed Tinubu. On 12 February, Festus Keyamo from APC promoted information published by a suspicious website, accusing Labour Party (LP) candidate, Peter Obi of bribery. The story quickly became viral and was in a few hours debunked. A naval fleet of Chinas Peoples Liberation Army (PLA-N) arrived for a five-day visit in Nigeria on Sunday (2 July) for a rare visit by the Chinese military to Africas Atlantic coast, reinforcing speculation that the Gulf of Guinea could offer a base for Beijing. As the destroyer Nanning and an accompanying frigate, long with a supply ship, arrived off the port of Lagos, the Chinese ambassador to Nigeria hailed the visit as a milestone in ties, and the Nigerian navy expressed willingness to work with China to tackle maritime security threats and maintain stability in the Gulf of Guinea, according to a Chinese embassys statement on Monday (3 July). The arrival of the Chinese naval fleet in the oil-rich West African country comes amid speculation that Beijing has long made efforts to grow its influence in the strategically important region. Over the last three decades, China has widened its influence in almost every African nation through investment, trade and loans. In 2016, the cash-strapped island nation of Sao Tome and Principe was lured by Beijings dollar diplomacy to switch diplomatic ties from Taiwan to China, and Angola and Nigeria are among Chinas top oil suppliers. Major Chinese oil explorer CNOOC Ltd also engages in deep-sea production off the coast of Nigeria. In January, Nigeria opened a billion-dollar Chinese-built deep seaport in Lagos, one of the regions biggest. There has also been speculation the Gulf of Guinea could offer a base for Chinas military. The Gulf of Guinea has been described by the International Maritime Bureau (IMB) as one of the worlds most dangerous and important shipping routes because, as of 2022, 43% of all reported piracy incidents occurred in this region. Although piracy cases have been on the decline since 2021 due to cooperation among countries in the region and deployments of foreign naval ships, the IMB Piracy Reporting Centre emphasizes that the Gulf of Guinea waters still remain the worlds hotspot for maritime piracy. Dutch King Willem-Alexander apologized on Saturday (1 June) the day to remember the 160th anniversary of abolition of slavery in the Netherlands for his countrys role in slavery, acknowledged that racism is still a problem and asked for forgiveness in a historic speech. The Netherlands formally abolished slavery in its colonies in 1863, but has only recently begun to actively acknowledge its participation in the practice. The kings speech followed Dutch Prime Minister Mark Ruttes apology in late 2022 for the Netherlands role in the slave trade and slavery that involved his country and its once widespread colonial territories, that ranged from Indonesia to the Caribbean. It is part of a wider reckoning with the colonial legacy of the West that has been spurred in recent years by the Black Lives Matter movement. Dutch King Willem-Alexander lays a wreath at the slavery monument Saturday after apologizing for the royal houses role in slavery in a speech greeted by cheers and whoop. Willem-Alexander, whose family has ruled over parts of the Netherlands for more than two hundred years, laid a wreath at the slavery monument after apologizing for his ancestors role in perpetuating a global slave trade that saw hundreds of thousands of colonized peoples trafficked away from their homes to work on enterprises that enriched the Dutch state. The Dutch first became involved in the trans-Atlantic slave trade in the late 1500s and became a major trader in the mid-1600s, through the Dutch West India Company, reportedly earning kings ancestors the modern-day equivalent of 545 million euros, according to a research published last month. With the first summit on global Artificial Intelligence (AI) regulation due in the autumn, experts and stakeholders call for African voices to be represented in forming the new rules digital inequalities must not be exacerbated by Artificial Intelligence. The United Kingdom will host a global summit on safety in artificial intelligence in the autumn, British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak announced last month, amid mounting fears that the technologys rapid advancement could spin out of control. In Africa, millions of people already see AI in many aspects of how businesses and NGOs currently work, such as while interacting with chatbots when booking flights. But, according to Hannah Ryder, CEO of Development Reimagined, many recent articles have warned that Africa may be lagging behind the rest of the world when it comes to AI development, expressing fears that the region will be left behind. One article, for example, argued that with limited training data matching African cultural and economic realities, the output of ChatGPT could be skewed toward reinforcing Western cultural and ideological hegemony. Other experts, such as Vincent Obia, who recently received his PhD from Birmingham City University, call on African countries to take a more active role in regulating AI. He points out that since the beginnings of the internet, Africa has largely been a receiver of new communication technologies, including recently the general-purpose artificial intelligence (AI), and the international regulations that they come with. Therefore, he argues that African countries need to harmonize their position on the comprehensive regulation of AI and canvass for an international protocol that the continent plays an active role in creating. The window for such an Africa-inclusive protocol may well be closing fast, Obia says. Noting that the pace of regulating AI on the continent is very slow, Kingsley Owadara, an AI researcher, cautions that Africa isnt ready to have an AI act like the European Union because such legislation must be thoroughly formulated to reflect the modern realities and future aspirations of the continent. Khartoum was rocked on Monday by heavy artillery fire from paramilitaries and the army, besieged on several fronts and once again calling for civilian reinforcements in a war with no end in sight, after around three months. The noise of the fighting started at around 4 a.m. and hasnt stopped since, reports one of the millions of inhabitants still trapped in the Sudanese capital, without water or electricity, and with food and cash reserves virtually dry. The merciless war for power between the army led by General Abdelfattah al-Burhane and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) led by General Mohamed Hamdane Daglo has left almost 3,000 people dead and 2.8 million displaced and refugees since April 15. The humanitarian crisis continues to worsen in a country where, even before the war, one in three people suffered from hunger. It also threatens to destabilize an entire region straddling the Sahel, the Horn of Africa and the Middle East areas already in the grip of violence themselves. But the two belligerents have consistently ignored calls for a ceasefire from around the world. Confident that they can prevail militarily, both sides refuse to open negotiations, preferring instead to secure their supplies over the long term. On Monday, the army said it was ready to receive and prepare volunteer fighters. The question of arming civilians, which would plunge the country into civil war, has been the subject of debate for weeks. The governor of Darfur, a western region already ravaged by war in the 2000s, and then General al-Burhane, have both called for arms to be distributed. Young people and men who are capable of doing so must enlist, said the army chief in his speech to the nation for the Muslim feast of Eid al-Adha. China will build an industrial complex for several industries including agri-food, manufacturing, mining and real estate in Nigers capital Niamey, Beijings envoy to the West African country indicated Monday. Jiang Feng made the announcement after meeting with President Mohamed Bazoum. He also argued that the future complex is the translation of agreements of April 26 Niger-China Forum that took place in capital Niamey. China is currently financing an oil pipeline project in Niger after the discovery of an oil and gas field at Agadem, east of the country. The Agadem II complex is operated by China National Oil and Gas Exploration and Development. The field boasts 650 million barrels. The pipeline will connect the field to Benin for export. The pipeline construction began in 2019. The installation, 1,950-km long, is expected to convey 100,000 barrels per day. Sunu Finance group has pulled out as main shareholder from Cote Ivoires trade and industry bank BICICI now controlled by a State-run consortium, Sika Finance reports. The holding has sold its 19.11 shares for $35.6 million to Abidjan-based Brandon & MCain Capital, an investment firm founded by Ahmed Cisse, the President of Cote dIvoires employers Council. SUNU became main shareholder after France-based BNP Paribas sold in February its 54 per cent to Banque National dInvestissement (BNI), Caisse de Depots et de Consignation (CDC-CI) and pensions CNPS and CGRAE, all under State control. The BNI, CDC-CI, CNPS and CGRAE all of them now control 67.93 per cent of the trade bank. SUNU is one of the leading insurance firms in the FR CFA zone. Though it is pulling out one of Coted Ivoires leading banks, the holding is still present in the financial sector of the FR CFA zone. Namely in Togo (SUNU Bank) and Senegal (BICIS). Conflicts around the globe cause more deaths over 238,000 people in 2022 only than they have ever done this century, with Yemen, Syria, South Sudan, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) having all ranked among the worlds ten least peaceful countries since the index was launched in 2007. The number of conflict deaths almost doubled in 2022 compared to the previous year, whereby wars caused a 13% loss of global GDP, according to the Global Peace Index, released recently by the Sydney-based Institute for Economics and Peace (IEP). The Global Peace Index is put together evaluating almost every country in the world based on 23 indicators. It has found that the average level of global peacefulness had dropped for the ninth year in a row, with conflict deaths exceeding the previous global peak reached in 2014 during the Syrian Civil War. The sharp increase in deaths was mostly driven by the war in Ukraine, where 83,000 people were killed in the past year, though the bloodiest conflict was in Ethiopia, where 100,000 people lost their lives. The new survey also shows that wars are really hard to win, according to Steve Killelea, IEPs founder and executive chairman, who adds that the conflicts in Yemen and Syria have now been raging for 9 and 12 years respectively, and in neither is there any apparent prospect of a military victory. The report by the global think tank also points out that the number of non-state groups using drones doubled between 2018 and 2022, and the total number of drone strikes nearly tripled over the same period. It also highlights the fact that war and peace both prove durable: while Iceland has consistently ranked as the worlds most peaceful country for the past 15 years, Afghanistan, Yemen, Syria, South Sudan, and the DRC have all been among the ten least peaceful countries since the index was launched in 2007. However, the overall trend in the Middle East and North Africa seems to be positive, as 13 countries have actually improved their peacefulness, and only 7 have deteriorated, according to the IEP survey. Few days after Iran said it looks forward to normalizing ties with Morocco and Egypt, the regime of the Moullah has once again shown its hostility to Morocco by supporting the thesis of the Polisario and its Algerian mentors at the UNs fourth committee. Foreign minister Hossein Amirabdollahian told Iranian ambassadors to Muslim countries on the day of Eid that Tehran welcomes normal ties with Morocco and Egypt. The statement was met with little enthusiasm in Morocco which broke ties with Tehran in 2018 due to the military support by Iran and its Hezbollah proxy for the Algeria-backed Polisario separatists. Morocco has also in the past severed ties with Iran on the back of its destabilizing acts through promoting the Shia rite in the Sunni country. Iran has now doubled down with its vocal support for the Polisario separatist militias at the UN showing once more its double speak. Morocco has also spearheaded Arab voices warning of Irans destabilizing acts in North Africa, including its drone supplies to militias that threaten regional peace. Morocco, which has been warning of Iranian incursions in the Sahel via Algeria, rang the alarm bell that the Polisario are seeking Iranian drones after they failed in their Algeria-sponsored guerilla warfare. In October, senior Polisario official Omar Mansour promised supporters of a forthcoming offensive drone delivery from Iran. Few days later, Iranian Major General Yahya Rahim Safavi said 22 countries, including Algeria, ordered Iranian drones. The acquisition by the Polisario of Iranian drones via Algeria will vindicate what we have been saying for three years that Iran and Hezbollah are infiltrating Tindouf and North Africa and have moved from training to equipping the Polisario with drones and this is a serious development, Moroccos representative to the UN Omar Hilale had said in response. Morocco is right to be worried, but so is the world. Drones are a lethal infection, spreading fast, wrote Llewellyn King executive producer and host of White House Chronicle, on PBS. In an op-ed in the Boston Herald and the New England Diary, he warns of the lethality of drones as a tactical tool that can inflict serious damage on critical infrastructure. Citing, Ilan Berman, senior vice president of the American Foreign Policy Council, he said Iran is now relying on drones to back its proxies on multiple asymmetric conflicts. Israels Iron Dome could help Morocco thwart Iranian drone attacks but that would take years of negotiation and sales are subject to a U.S. veto, he said. If the news about Polisario acquiring Iranian drones is true this will vindicate what we have been saying for three years that Iran and Hezbollah are infiltrating Tindouf and North Africa and have moved from training to equipping the Polisario with drones and this is a serious development, Hilale said last year. If Iran is really serious about resuming ties with Morocco it should halt its support for the Polisario and break away with its quest to export what it calls the Islamic revolution while respecting the sovereignty and tenets of the Kingdom. King Mohammed VI has hailed in a message to President Joe Biden on the celebration of the United States Independence Day the steady developing relations binding the two countries, relations that are rooted in friendship and cooperation. In the message of congratulations to President Biden, the Sovereign underlined Our ties, which are steeped in history and supported by a strong, multidimensional strategic partnership as well as close bonds, reflect an unwavering commitment to lofty universal values as well as our active engagement for the preservation of international security and stability. The Sovereign, who expressed, on his own behalf and on behalf of the Moroccan people, his warmest congratulations to President Biden and his sincere wishes for further progress and prosperity to the American people, reaffirmed his keen desire to continue working with the US President for closer relations in all sectors, and to keep up consultation on all regional and international matters of common concern. LINCOLN Gov. Jim Pillen will stop in North Platte and Arnold Thursday to discuss economic development and highlight Nebraskas newest highway projects and broadband expansion grants. Pillen plans to highlight key highway projects in the Nebraska Department of Transportations recently released 2024-29 Surface Transportation Program. Hell also discuss plans for using a $405 billion federal award to Nebraska for expanding high-speed internet service to more rural communities. NDOT Director Vicki Kramer, newly appointed State Broadband Director Patrick Haggerty and new Department of Economic Development Director K.C. Belitz will accompany Pillen at his Lee Bird Field and Arnold stops. Five stops in all are planned on the governors Thursday tour, starting in Columbus and ending in Grand Island and Wahoo. These activists excited by the reversal of Roe v. Wade may find something else to do if their states ban abortion. Photo: Brandon Bell/Getty Images For 49 years, many pro-choice Americans tuned out anti-abortion agitation in Congress, state legislatures, and the campaign trail, sure in their knowledge that the Supreme Court would block virtually all pre-viability abortion restrictions. Yes, the anti-abortion lobby was constantly pushing laws and regulations designed to shut down clinics and generally restrict access to abortions. But it seemed safe to presume that the procedure would mostly remain legal. But, of course, the end of Roe v. Wade a little over a year ago completely upended those presumptions and abortions issue salience in elections. People on both sides of the issue are currently highly mobilized in certain states where reproductive rights are changing drastically owing to the Supreme Courts Dobbs ruling. But generally speaking, its those who have lost abortion rights who seem most energized. Indeed, as a new analysis from FiveThirtyEight explains, conservative Evangelicals traditional passion on the abortion issue has now been matched and even exceeded by Americans who are not religiously affiliated and who are strongly united in favoring legalized abortion: Pew found that in 2020, only 31 percent of nonreligious Americans said abortion would be very important in deciding how they would vote; in 2022, more than 6 in 10 (63 percent) said abortion would be very important. In that same period, the share of white evangelical Protestants who said abortion was a very important voting consideration fell by 7 points And a Pew survey found last year that religiously unaffiliated Americans are much more united in support for legal abortion than white evangelicals are in opposition (84 percent vs. 74 percent, respectively). But these are all national numbers. Fifteen states have banned all or most abortions. Five other states have draconian bans at least temporarily hung up in the courts. And four more have less draconian but still restrictive abortion bans in place. So who is likely to be marching in the streets in those states? Probably not the happy, perhaps complacent, winning side. And that could matter in 2024, as FiveThirtyEight notes: What about white evangelical Protestants? Abortion is still clearly an important issue to many of them, even if it appears to have declined in salience in the aftermath of the Dobbs decision. But in a swift reversal, the issue of abortion is now much more complicated on the right than on the left. Evangelicals disproportionately live in places where abortion is now banned or heavily restricted, so it may become less of a political priority for them because the anti-abortion movement has accomplished its goals in their area. And while its true that white evangelicals strongly oppose abortion, there is not universal support for complete bans that some states have implemented. It could even matter during the 2024 Republican primaries, in which candidates are already debating controversial topics like the necessity of a national abortion ban that would override less restrictive state policies. For example, abortion was traditionally a very big issue in the Iowa caucuses, which begins the GOP nominating process. Right now, that state has a six-week abortion ban that has been blocked by the Iowa Supreme Court. If it remains blocked, a national ban may be more attractive to anti-abortion voters frustrated by the difficulty theyve encountered in securing a ban. If Iowa governor Kim Reynolds and Republican legislators can get a ban through the state courts, though, a national ban may seem less urgent. Similar calculations may play out in other key primary states as the 2024 contest unfolds. Abortion-rights activists could complicate things in red states as well: A strong effort is underway in Florida to put a constitutional amendment that would overturn Ron DeSantiss six-week abortion ban on the 2024 ballot. Its not a good look for the governor to be fighting that effort at home as he is barnstorming around the country advertising Florida as a sort of conservative Eden. Due to the Dobbs decision, were heading into the 2024 election with a seething and uncertain reproductive-rights landscape. Momentum seems to be on the side of abortion-rights voters who are angry at the Supreme Court and reactionary governors, legislators, and presidential candidates. But the path ahead will be treacherous for anyone who assumes too much about the electoral impact of this drastic change in Americans fundamental rights. Reports of Iran/U.S. talks have surfaced repeatedly over the last couple of years, spooking the markets each time its suggested that Irans oil could return to the market. But Irans crude oil does add a mystery element to the oil markets that transcends demand forecasts. Traders and oil bulls are not the only ones that should be concerned about the possibility that talk of Irans oil coming back into the market could send oil prices well below comfort levels. OPEC surely has some level of anxiety over the possibility that Irans oil will return to the market and disrupt the groups influence over the oil markets. Iran has been exempt from OPECs production cuts for years after the group took pity on the sanctioned nation. OPEC reports on Irans production monthly in its Monthly Oil Market Report (MOMR), but it is hard to say with any certainty that these figures are accurate. Already on the RIse Irans monthly production, as reported by OPECs secondary sources, averaged 2.679 million barrels per day (bpd) in May 2023. This is an increase from the 2.544 million bpd that Iran produced in May 2022, according to OPEC data, and up from the average 2.455 million bpd Iran produced in May 2021. Its an even bigger increase from May 2020, when Irans production was less than 2 million bpd at 1.978 million bpd. These figures are analogous to the frog being unaware it is being slow-boiled. Irans production over the last two years is slowly increasing, despite the sanctions on its oil industryand its already becoming a problem for OPEC, which is desperately trying to regain its clout after losing a fair chunk of it to U.S. shale for a few years. Related: Mystery Middlemen Make Billions From Sanctioned Russian Crude Over the last couple of years, anonymous sources and people familiar with the matter have conned eager media into reporting that talks between the United States and Iran on the nuclear deal is nearing an end, and a deal is in sight. Yet a new nuclear deal that would grant Iran permission to resume exports of its crude oil has unsurprisingly failed to materialize. But that hasnt stopped those reports from creating a stir in the markets each time, often sending prices quickly and sharply downward as the market braces for a potential flood of Iranian oil back into the market. Even if a deal is struck, a flood of Iranian oil back into the market is unlikely. Irans oil is indeed slow-rolling back into the market already. The lifting of sanctions against the country would not instantly trigger a flood of oil back into the market as if Iran has been stockpiling crude oil for years and needs to offload it all at once. Iran is also unlikely to be able to flip some magic oil production switch somewhere and tout de suite produce an extra million barrels of oil per day, reaching more than 3.8 million bpd like the country cranked out back in 2018 before the sanctions hit. We dont know that those production figures are entirely accurate, but its the best data weve got, and its only one piece of the Iranian crude oil puzzle. Shipping data tells another storyone that the whole world has been filled in on, yet chooses to forget whenever those people familiar with the matter suggest that the return of Iranian oil is imminent and traders need to brace themselves. Shipping dataoften culled by the painstaking efforts of ship tracking companies such as Tanker Trackerssuggests that Iran has been exporting its crude oil all along, despite the sanctions. Iran has made evading U.S. sanctions its mission over the last few years, eager to maintain its market share and its much-needed oil revenues. Iran blended Iranian refined oil into Iraqi oil for a short stint to evade sanctions, engaged in ship-to-ship transfers, and turned off AIS transponders to hide oil exports from tanker sleuths. But we all know that Iran is indeed exporting its crude oil despite the sanctions. With Iran already engaged in a fair amount of oil exporting, its unlikely that there would be some sudden return of Iranian oil. Instead, its Irans steadily increasing oil production that poses a significant problem for the oil group that is still tightly holding the reins of the oil market in an attempt to keep barrel prices high enough to support the weight of their members budgets. As evidenced by past production, Iran has the capacity to produce another million bpd. Sure, it wont come back online all at once, but if history is any indication, its coming, no matter how slowly. Should sanctions be lifted, it would hasten Irans continued ramp-up. The question then would be, would the group ask Iran to participate in the production cut? Would OPEC really ask the country that was, at one point, producing 2 million bpd less than it was capable of to hold back on its production? Saudi Arabia has done most of the heavy lifting by itself when it comes to production cuts. Most recently, Saudi Arabia voluntarily agreed to cut yet another million bpd off its production quotas as it tried to stick it to oil speculators who were betting against oil, and in an attempt to bolster prices. The efforts on both accounts were short-lived, and oil priceswith Brent under $75are less than where they were before Saudi Arabia announced its oil cut. Saudi Arabia, now finding itself in a jam with lowered production and lowered oil prices, has announced that this extra cut will now be extended into August. ADVERTISEMENT Irans ramp up, which is already ongoing, runs counter to Saudi Arabias agenda, and puts the organization at real risk that other members will need to cut production as Iran ramps up. By Julianne Geiger for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: Of all the geopolitical scenarios perennially judged most likely by the worlds governments to escalate into global nuclear war between the superpowers, a military conflict between the Arab states of the Middle East and Israel has always been at or near the very top of the list. For a long time, the threat of such conflict was held in check by the U.S.s longstanding deep relations with several of the Middle Easts major Arab states, most notably Saudi Arabia, as analysed in full in my new book on the new global oil market order. These relationships no longer exist as they did, with the shift of these states towards China and Russia over the past five or six years. This has left Israel feeling increasingly isolated, threatened, and liable to take unilateral action against those Arab states it sees as being the most dangerous to its continued existence. Iran remains its perceived most clear and present danger - even more so following the 10 March landmark relationship resumption deal between it and Saudi Arabia, brokered by China. It is to avoid Israel taking action that might ignite a global nuclear conflict that the U.S. has now reopened discussions for a new nuclear deal with Iran. Before the 10 March Iran-Saudi deal, the U.S. was only interested in negotiating a new version of the nuclear deal (the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, JCPOA) that included key additional demands to those of the version agreed in 2015. And Iran had no interest in agreeing to those demands. The full list of these U.S. demands which were contained in the original draft of former-President Barack Obamas nuclear deal and were then resuscitated under former President Donald Trump are itemised and analysed in my new book on the new global oil market order. However, at the top of that list was a catch-all clause as far as the U.S. and Iran was concerned, and this was that Tehran would have to commit to signing up to the regulations of the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) and then to becoming a fully-regulated and constantly-monitored FATF member. Related: Oil Traders Dont Buy The Saudi Cuts The reason why this clause was so important to the U.S. and why Iran refused to negotiate on the issue was that it has aimed directly at destroying the enormous influence of the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) across all areas of Irans political, economic, and military structures. The core elements of the IRGC had been instrumental in the Iranian Revolution that culminated on 11 February 1979 with the Iranian monarchy officially being brought down and then replaced by Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini. From that point, these elements of the IRGC were regarded as the guardians of that Islamic Revolution. Over the years, though, they had also expanded their influence into a huge financial empire that fuelled this influence both at home and abroad. By the time that the JCPOA was agreed on 14 July 2015, the U.S. view was that the IRGC has placed top commanders at the heart of more than 200 Iranian companies. The U.S. had hoped that by engaging with Iran through the JCPOA from 2015 the IRGCs influence could be diminished. However, then-Iranian President Hassan Rouhani was unable to effect such a change for several reasons, as also analysed in full in my new book on the new global oil market order. Given the inextricable link between the IRGCs financial empire and its ability to fund terrorism around the world, the U.S. designated the IRGC as a Foreign Terrorist Organisation (FTO) in April 2019. And one of the key intentions behind the FATF is to preclude funding for terrorism, and Iran knows it. There are 40 active criteria and mechanisms in place in the FATF to prevent money laundering (an activity that is vital to the IRGCs activities across the world) and nine criteria and mechanisms in place to do the same for the financing of terrorism and related activities (a core of the IRGCs role in promoting Irans brand of Islam around the globe). The FATF also has swingeing powers to wield against individuals, companies, or countries who transgress any of its standards. So intent was the U.S. on eradicating the influence of the IRGC in Iran that it made it clear that even if Iran did sign up to the FATF, Washington would not remove the designation of the IRGC as an FTO immediately. Rather, it would keep the damaging designation in place for at least two years, whereupon it would be reviewed. From the moment that the U.S. unilaterally withdrew from the JCPOA on 18 May 2018, Irans chief strategy was to get some sort of deal back in place after all, the deal was good for its business and financial well-being was to keep enriching uranium beyond the previous JCPOA agreed limit of just 3.67 percent. Tehran knew that this would cause consternation in Israel and that Tel Aviv would bring pressure on the U.S. to do something to redress the continued increases in enrichment. Iranian uranium enrichment then went past 20 percent, then 60 percent, then 80 percent and over that too. The salient point here was that Washingtons key ally in the Middle East, Israel, had become increasingly sure that Iran was no longer years away from being able to create a nuclear weapon but rather just weeks away around two weeks away, in fact. On more than one occasion, according to sources in the U.S. and European Union (E.U.) energy security complexes spoken to exclusively by OilPrice.com, Israel told the U.S. that it was going to decisively deal with the threat from Iran itself. Given the pattern of previous wars between Israel and its Arab neighbours, and the support likely to be given to the big Middle Eastern oil producers by China and Russia in the new global oil market order, the U.S. knew the danger of escalation into a superpower nuclear conflict that this might mean. Washingtons concerns over this scenario increased markedly after the 10 March deal between Iran and Saudi Arabia. They increased again after Israel communicated to the U.S. that following on from the opening of an Azerbaijani embassy in in Tel Aviv on 29 March this year, the two countries would be expanding their already considerable military cooperation. According to the U.S. and E.U sources, Israel has told the U.S. that up to 50 Israeli fighter jets will be based near the Azerbaijani capital of Baku as from November this year, to the north of the Iran-Azerbaijan border. This will add to the drones, surface-to-surface guided ballistic missiles, reconnaissance satellite technology, and air- and missile-defence systems with which Israel has supplied Azerbaijan in recent years. Although itself concerned about such developments, the U.S. has been quick to leverage them into pressure on Iran. The ongoing discussions between the U.S. and Iran about a new version of the JCPOA are not for an all-encompassing version of that original pre-2015 deal, but for a limited version of it, according to the U.S. and E.U. sources last week. For a start, Iran will not have to commit to a specific date to sign up to the FATF, but merely indicate that it will make efforts towards aligning itself towards the FATFs goals over an unspecified time. The U.S. will also not drop its designation of the IRGC as an FTO. However, it will allow the sanctions against Iranian oil and gas exports to be gradually rolled back. One major positive of this limited JCPOA is that it addresses the key Israeli fear regarding Iran that the Islamic Republic manufactures a nuclear weapon of some sort sooner rather than later. Therefore, the key pledges for Iran in the new limited version of the JCPOA is that it will keep uranium enrichment at or below 60 percent and that it agrees to regular inspections once again from independent nuclear watchdogs. Aside from making the world a slightly safer place, at least in the short term, the new limited version JCPOA will have a significant effect on global oil prices. As highlighted by OilPrice.com last year, Iranian crude oil and condensate production could bounce back very quickly after Irans Petroleum Ministry orders the National Iranian Oil Company (NIOC) to ramp up production. According to a senior analyst at global energy markets intelligence company Kpler, spoken to exclusively by OilPrice.com at the time, Iran could see an 80 percent recovery of full production within six months and a 100 percent recovery within 12 months. Ultimately, we believe Iranian production could technically jump by 1.7 million bpd including 200,000 bpd of condensate and LPG/ethane, in a 6-to-9-month period from when sanctions are lifted and an immediate impact of a 5-10 percent fall in the oil price would be likely, the analyst concluded. By Simon Watkins for Oilpice.com ADVERTISEMENT More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: Spending on exploration is growing as oil majors are now putting the security of oil and gas supply and higher upstream profits ahead of investment in lower-return low-carbon energy solutions. While the U.S. supermajors havent ventured into wind and solar, Europes biggest oil companies spent three years convincing investors that they would not grow oil and gas production further and invest more in renewables. Until last years energy crisis and skyrocketing commodity prices shifted the focus back to oil and gas supply. Energy Security - Keyword For Growing Oil And Gas Supply Discipline in investment continues to be a major theme among Big Oil, but investment in exploration is rising as the majors expect much higher returns from large offshore projects compared to low-single-digit returns from investment in renewables and other clean energy solutions. The recent strategy shifts from BP and Shell signaled oil and gas production at these firms hasnt peaked as promised back in 2020 and will rise this decade to ensure adequate oil and gas supply. Some institutional investors have already expressed disappointment at the pivot from BP and Shell, who doubled down on oil and gas in their updated strategies earlier this year. Shell said last month it would grow its gas business and extend its position in the upstream. In our Upstream business, Deep Water has a proven track record of sustained cash flows from high-margin, lower-carbon barrels, Zoe Yujnovich, Integrated Gas and Upstream Director at Shell, said on Shells Capital Markets Day 2023. Continued investments in oil and gas will be needed to make sure that the energy transition happens in a balanced way with a secure supply of affordable and increasingly lower-carbon energy. We will contribute to this balanced transition by focusing our investments on the most profitable and carbon-competitive projects, Yujnovich said, expecting Shells total production to grow from 2025 given our confidence in our portfolio and our capabilities. Related: Irans Growing Oil Production: A New Threat To OPECs Market Grip One exciting opportunity, Yujnovich noted, is offshore Namibia, where Shell will continue with its exploration efforts after making three discoveries in the Orange Basin there in the past two years. Exploration Success French supermajor TotalEnergies also made a significant discovery of light oil with associated gas on the Venus prospect in the Orange Basin early last year. Venus in Namibia could be a giant oil and gas discovery, TotalEnergies said in an investor presentation last September. TotalEnergies was recently named the upstream industrys most-admired explorer and received the Discovery of the Year award for the Venus discovery offshore Namibia. Commenting on the state of exploration these days, Dr. Andrew Latham, Senior Vice President, Energy Research at Wood Mackenzie, said last week, The exploration industry continues to see an excellent series of high-impact finds in many parts of the world. The industry remains very dynamic and these recognized companies, as well as many others, continue to deliver advantaged resources that can displace less sustainable supply, Latham added. Offshore Rig Demand Rising Deepwater rig utilization is rising, and so are rates as companies increase exploration, WoodMac said in a report last month. Rig utilization has returned to pre-COVID levels, driving rates surging by 40% in the past year, and demand is set to increase by another 20% from 2024-2025, the consultancy noted. Higher oil prices, the focus on energy security and deepwaters emissions advantages have supported deepwater development and, to some extent, boosted exploration, said Leslie Cook, principal analyst for Wood Mackenzie. We expect demand to continue to rise. Most of the expected drilling growth and offshore rig demand is expected to come from the so-called Golden Triangle of Latin America, North America, and Africa, as well as parts of the Mediterranean. These areas will account for 75% of global floating rig demand through 2027, according to Wood Mackenzie. SLB, the worlds largest oilfield services provider, is optimistic about offshore drilling and exploration, too. ADVERTISEMENT Today, offshore is the fastest growing market globally driven by long-cycle developments, production capacity expansions, the return of exploration and appraisal in brownfields and new frontiers, and the criticality of gas as a long-term fuel for energy security, SLBs chief executive Olivier Le Peuch said at the J.P. Morgan Energy, Power & Renewables Conference 2023 last month. Offshore is experiencing a renaissance, with significant breadth and anticipated durability, Le Peuch added. SLB expects offshore exploration spending to increase by more than 20% this year, said the executive at the oilfield services giant, which generates around 50% of its international revenue from offshore activities. To conclude, we are in the midst of a distinct cycle with qualities that enhance the long-term outlook for our industry Breadth, Resilience, and Durability all reinforced by a pivot to international, offshore, gas, and the return of exploration and appraisal, Le Peuch said. The International Energy Agency (IEA) also sees global upstream investment in oil and gas exploration, extraction and production on track to rise by 11% this year from 2022 and reach $528 billion in 2023the highest upstream investment level since 2015. By Tsvetana Paraskova for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: Thames Waters travails have taken the media spotlight in recent days, and deservedly so, with growing fears the countrys largest supplier could be on the verge of collapse. Shareholders injected 500m into the company in March, and committed to a further 1bn in funding before discussions later faltered with chief executive Sarah Bentley abruptly stepping down last week, and the supplier bringing in crisis manager Sir Adrian Montague as its new chairman. It recognises the suppliers significant issues to address including the need to improve their financial resilience but also pointed to the groups strong liquidity position.. with 4.4bn of cash and committed funding. However, the government appears unconvinced with Whitehall and regulator Ofwat now reportedly drawing contingency plans similar to the crisis measures brought in to protect Bulb Energy when it fell into de-facto nationalisation. Reflecting the scale of such a rescue plan, Bulb had one-tenth of Thames Waters 15m customers, and cost 3bn in gross funding to support the fallen supplier on life support with transfusions of public cash. Who could be next? The companys 13.7bn debt pile is not unique in the industry, even if it places Thames Water top of the pops among its peers. Debt is commonplace across the water sector, with suppliers collectively accruing arrears of 65bn despite widespread underinvestment including 54bn across the big nine suppliers between 1989 and 2022. Rounding off the top five are United Utilities (8.2bn), Severn Trent (7.2bn), Anglian Water (6.5bn) and Yorkshire Water (5.7bn). Over the same time period, they paid 66bn out to shareholders averaged 2bn per year since privatisation over three decades ago. Just last week, Yorkshire Water also reported a 500m successful scramble for funds. The firm said the move was part of a long-term equity plan, playing down the prospect of problems at the supplier but with its debt levels any move it makes is rightly scrutinised. Especially when the debt ratios are also so high. While Thames Waters 80 per cent leverage is significant, it barely contrasts with other suppliers with South East Water reporting a leverage of 74.8 per cent while Affinity Water has a ratio of 74 per cent. Related: Trans Mountain Pipeline Unlikely To Ship Canadian Oil To Asia Now, the consequences of this are being felt with the countrys creaking, leaking pipelines insufficient to cope with rising demand from a growing population and warmer summer weather and colder winters over the past two decades. Thames Water is far from alone in accruing huge debts in the industry Investors turn away from water sector Ofwats industry reports reveal that of the UKs 17 water companies, only three had a gearing ratio below the 60 per cent which the watchdog considers a healthy target range for debt levels. Jefferies is unimpressed, warning that Thames Waters financing situation exacerbates the challenges facing the water sector. The investment analyst fears the sector faces an increasingly difficult challenge of balancing the growing need for environmental capex with customer affordability, whilst also enhancing its financial resiliency. Meanwhile, company credit ratings across the have dropped to their lowest levels in 30 years. It is now predicting further regulatory risks for the industry, and recommends a close-to-nil premium on trading in listed water companies. Thames Water is home to multiple stakeholders a complicated set-up for a supplier under scrutiny This financial shakiness across the entire industry means its difficult to predict which supplier is next to report difficulties, but it also means its hard to make a case for any of them being in particularly healthy shape despite Ofwat and Water UK attempting to reassure customers. What also makes it more challenging is that six of England and Wales water companies are either owned or controlled by overseas investors. In the case of Thames Water its backers include Canadian pension giant Omers as its largest stakeholder, but also features the Chinese Investment Corporation a state-backed vehicle and Infinity, a UAE-based group. While Thames Water investor Universities Superannuation Scheme has publicly lent its support to the company City A.M. has approached every other investor in the company and so far received no comments, creating a deafening sense of silence over the suppliers fortunes. However, with such high debt burdens, it is difficult to have such certainty in any suppliers future. What happens now? Liv Garfield, chief executive of Severn Trent, has invited other utility chief executives to an off-the-record roundtable with economist Will Hutton. In confidential emails first reported by the Evening Standard, she outlined proposals for suppliers to remain privatised but be reformed as social purpose vehicles with more stringent regulations funding and environmental concerns such as leaks. She added, she has been in discussions with Labour which is widely tipped to win next years election and are over 20 points ahead in the polls over reforming the sector. Business and trade committee chair and Labour MP Darren Jones declined to lend his support re-nationalisation last week, recognising that it was an option, but not necessarily the right one. In his view, the problem was not the ownership model, but instead the behaviour of the directors and the shareholders who own and operate these businesses. However, nationalisation is now increasingly popular with the British public, with seven in ten supporting taking water companies back into public ownership according to YouGov polling. Brits are increasingly supportive of re-nationalising the water industry So far, Therese Coffey, environment secretary, has been absent from the debate, having unveiled a new industry plan for water earlier this year which included unlimited fines for sewage dumping. Chancellor Jeremy Hunt met with Ofwat last week, with the regulator agreeing to push suppliers further help vulnerable customers. But there is still the painful possibility of higher water bills, raising the prospect of potentially 40 per cent higher bills to tackle sewage leaks, increased demand and climate change. Water UK has also confirmed to City A.M. that households will have to foot the bill for companies 10bn plans to tackle storm overflows this decades Supplier chief executive Pay (salary, bonuses, dividends) Liv Garfield Severn Trent ADVERTISEMENT 3.2m Steven Mogford United Utilities 3.2m Sarah Bentley Thames Water* 2m Liz Barber Yorkshire Water 1.4m Peter Simpson Anglian Water 1m Top five highest paid water industry bosses (Source: Companies House reports) Currently, 20 per cent of UK water bills each year pay dividends and interest payments, according to the Competition and Markets Authority. This comes with executive bosses also facing criticism over pay, with Liv Garfield the highest paid chief executive in the industry. Thames Waters struggle for cash is likely to drag on for days and weeks, but the latest event to keep an eye on is tomorrows committee session in Westminster with the House of Lords industry regulatory panel set to grill Ofwats chairman Ian Coucher and chief executive David Black over the state of the industry. The following week, the MPs from the House of Commons environment, food and rural affairs committee will also grill Ofwat, alongside Thames Water and environment under-secretary Rebecca Pow. This might give us some answers to questions over sewage leaks, company performance, customer service, and how the industry ended up with a vast debt mountain that threatens the entire sector. By CityAM More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: Russian technology companies are producing a vast array of new tools to help the Kremlin harness the internet and tighten control over internal dissent, according to an investigative report published by the New York Times. Having perfected these tools at home, Russian firms are now striving to export them to Central Asian states and other regions. In 2018, Russias failed attempt to curb the free flow of news and opinion on the Telegram social media platform revealed significant flaws in the Russian governments ability to curb dissent. The development of these new systems to monitor internet traffic is enabling the Kremlin to close gaps, helping Russia catch up to China and Iran in terms of keeping tabs on the thoughts and actions of its population. The Ukraine war is catalyzing the quantum leap in the development of Russias surveillance state: the Kremlin feels an increased need to stifle anti-war sentiment and independent viewpoints. This impulse is likely to increase in the coming weeks and months following the abortive mutiny staged by Yevgeny Prigozhin. The Times investigation is based on a document leak revealing details about technology companies, including MFI Soft, Vas Experts, Protel and Citadel Group, a conglomerate that was subjected to US sanctions in February. A US State Department news release cited Citadel for conducting business operations connected with Russias domestic and foreign intelligence collection, monitoring and suppression of dissent. The new technologies, according to the documents, can determine when individuals send data or speak over encrypted channels, such as Signal, WhatsApp and Telegram. The new technologies can also capture passwords from unencrypted platforms and give authorities an improved ability to use cellphones to track users movements. While the new tools dont enable authorities to read the specific content of encrypted emails, it enhances their ability to pinpoint the identities of those using the devices. This makes it easier for the security services to target individuals for enhanced scrutiny. Representatives of Telegram and the Signal Foundation, the developer of the encrypted communications app, acknowledged there was no way to thwart the new spyware. It is possible, however, to use features on either Telegram or Signal to send messages through various servers, thus making it much more difficult to determine the origin and destination of the data. Marketing material obtained by the Times in the information dump show that Russian spyware makers are now trying to export their new tools. Central Asia is viewed as a prime market, the documents show. By Eurasianet.org China has been building a lot of wind and solar generation capacity but at the same time it has been expanding its coal power plant fleet and that is "a contradiction, the man in charge of the European Unions transition plans has said. And that seems to be in a contradiction and it is in contradiction, Frans Timmermans said during a visit to Beijing, as quoted by the AP. He then added, "But at the same time, I do understand the anxiety caused by potential blackouts." Energy supply reliability and security is the motivation that Chinese officials have repeatedly given for the expansion of the countrys coal power plant fleet, which has been rising steadily At the moment, China is building or planning to build some 366 GW in new coal generation capacity, accounting for some 68% of global planned new coal capacity as of 2022. Meanwhile, outside China, coal generation capacity is shrinking, with 2.2 GW getting retired in Europe last year and 13.5 GW of capacity retired in the United Statesthe highest rate of coal power plant retirement globally. Many transition commentators have noted that if China is expanding its coal capacity at rates faster than the same capacity is shrinking elsewhere in the world, the energy transition is not exactly going to happen as planned. Criticism has been reluctant, however, and cautious, as demonstrated by Frans TImmermans remarks this week. Thats possibly because China has the largest wind and solar capacity in the world or maybe because pressure through criticism is doomed to failure when applied to China. Another reason could be the EUs dependence on transition materials and components that it imports from China. Ironically enough, ANZ analysts recently forecast that Chinas coal demand is set to increase furtherbecause of its growing EV fleet. ADVERTISEMENT By Irina Slav for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: The additional Canadian crude volumes that will be transported from Alberta via the expanded Trans Mountain oil pipeline are likely to stay in North America and end up on the U.S. West Coast instead of in Asia, as planned years ago when the project was designed, traders have told Reuters. The Trans Mountain Expansion project has been dragging on for years and faces environmental opposition and rising construction costs. Initially, the pipeline expansion was set to help Canada export its heavy crude oil to Asia via tankers from the Canadian West Coast. But as the expansion project took years to clear permitting, financial, and construction hurdles, the global crude oil flows changed with the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Major Asian buyers, including China and India, are snapping up record volumes of discounted Russian crude, which is cheaper than Canadian heavy crude, even if the Alberta grade trades at a discount to the U.S. benchmark, WTI Crude. A lot of our lunch has been eaten by the Russians and Middle Eastern countries like Iraq, a Canadian trader told Reuters. Fierce opposition in British Columbia has forced Kinder Morgan to reconsider its commitment to expand the Trans Mountain pipeline, which would increase the daily capacity of the pipeline to 890,000 barrels per day (bpd) from 300,000 bpd. So the Government of Canada reached an agreement with Kinder Morgan back in 2018 to buy the Trans Mountain Expansion Project and related pipeline and terminal assets. Construction on the Trans Mountain Expansion Project was approximately 82% complete as of the end of March, TMC said in May. Trans Mountain anticipates mechanical completion of the project to occur at the end of this year, while commercial service is expected to occur in the first quarter of 2024. The pipeline has long-term contractual commitments for 80% of 890,000-bpd capacity, the corporation said. ADVERTISEMENT But most of the crude will likely still end up in the United States because of Asias buying spree of cheap Russian oil, according to analysts. By Tsvetana Paraskova for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: At least two fireworks displays celebrating Independence Day were postponed Tuesday due to the threat of storms in Omaha and eastern Nebraska. The Omaha Symphony postponed its Fourth of July concert and fireworks scheduled for the Gene Leahy Mall until Wednesday night. A fireworks display scheduled in Blair was also postponed until Wednesday. The symphonys free concert was rescheduled to 8:30 p.m. Wednesday at the downtown mall. It will be followed by a fireworks display. Blair Celebrations, in a social media post, said the citys fireworks display will start at 10 p.m. Wednesday. It will take place at Transformation Hill on the former Dana College campus. Blair officials and representatives with Midwest Fireworks cited the concern for public safety in light of the 90% chance of severe thunderstorms forecast for Tuesday night. Ralston planned to go ahead with the citys Tuesday night fireworks display. But the display was going to occur later than initially planned around 10 p.m. instead of at dusk. Paul Fajman, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Valley, said Tuesday afternoon that the expected storms could be accompanied by strong, gusty winds and possibly hail. Our best Omaha staff photos & videos of June 2023 A civil rights legal group is challenging legacy admissions at Harvard University, saying the practice discriminates against students of color by giving an unfair boost to the mostly white children of alumni. OCEAN CITY, N.J. It's summer on the Jersey Shore. For many young people, that means one thing: Party time! But officials and residents of several beachside towns say New Jersey's criminal justice reforms in recent years such as decriminalizing marijuana use are having an unintended effect, emboldening large groups of teenagers to run amok on beaches and boardwalks, knowing theres little chance they'll get in trouble for it. Now, some lawmakers are trying to walk back parts of those laws, which also involve alcohol use and possession. The laws were designed to keep more juveniles out of the court system, and imposed a number of restrictions on police officers' interactions with them. You dont want to see a kid with a record that will last the rest of his life, but you cant let them believe they can do anything they want, said Mayor Anthony Vaz of Seaside Heights. Thats unacceptable. During Memorial Day weekend, police and media outlets reported episodes of underage drinking, drug use, fights and assaults in Ocean City and Seaside Heights home to the infamous MTV series Jersey Shore in which a bunch of summer renters generally raised hell in town. Although teens have been drinking and smoking marijuana at the Jersey Shore for generations, long before the state altered its laws, some elected officials and residents say the situation has drastically worsened in the last two years. Over Memorial Day, teens were hanging from a motel balcony in Seaside Heights and climbing onto the roof of another motel. In Ocean City, eight teens drank themselves unconscious on the boardwalk and had to be hospitalized. Restroom attendants were assaulted and spit on by youths. Several teens were carrying knives and one had a replica gun that police say looked just like the real thing. Enough is enough, Ocean City Mayor Jay Gillian wrote in a message to residents on the city's website. Its become clear over the past two summers that these crowds will only grow larger and unrulier unless something changes. Holly Kisby, an Ocean City resident who has worked on the boardwalk for over 30 years, said teens were drinking, smoking marijuana, setting off fireworks into the crowd, fighting, destroying property and stealing from stores, among other things. You're getting well more than 300 kids, if I had to guess, 700-plus a few nights, all acting wild, she said. Like a bad house party without the house. This is by far the worst its ever been. Ocean City Police Chief Jay Prettyman said most of the troublemakers were drinking underage, but added that New Jersey's recently adopted cannabis law says that someone under the age of 21 cannot consent to a police search for marijuana or alcohol. Previously, teens caught with those things could be arrested. Now, they get a warning, or get taken to police headquarters for a parent or guardian to pick them up except in the most serious situations. Word spread fast among teens, who know they don't have to give officers their names as long as they don't walk away from the officer during questioning. The kids even know that officers themselves could face charges if they violate the rights of teens in these circumstances. The New Jersey Attorney General's Office did not respond to requests for comment. The American Civil Liberties Union supported the changes, saying teens should be offered alternatives to criminal prosecution where possible. Above the Seaside Heights boardwalk recently, a small plane towed a banner asking, Do you know the signs of alcohol poisoning? Sitting on a bench with friends, 22-year-old Santiago Caceres said police should not be able to search people for illicit substances. People of color are way more likely to be searched than white people, he said. People are in jail because of this. A lot of underage people make a dumb mistake and they get a criminal record, ruining the rest of their life, added his friend Angel Aguero, 23. Both had come down to the beach from West New York, a town in New Jersey just across from Manhattan. Nick DiMattina, a 15-year-old from Beachwood, New Jersey, said police should be allowed to conduct searches of underage people like himself. He learned of the change in the law on TikTok. If kids are allowed to do it and don't get searched, then they're going to do it, said DiMattina, who said he does not drink or use cannabis. Several lawmakers from both parties have introduced bills reinstating fines for underage possession of alcohol and marijuana, and allowing police officers to search teens observed to be in possession of the items. Prettyman, the Ocean City police chief, said officers throughout the state are hesitant to engage teens regarding alcohol or marijuana for fear of being charged themselves with a third-degree crime of depriving the teens of their rights. He said bills removing that provision, and reinstating penalties for underage possession and consumption of alcohol and pot, will help undo some of the excesses of the current law. Sen. Michael Testa, a Republican, was shocked by the lawlessness on the Jersey Shore over Memorial Day weekend. He's sponsoring a package of bills including one that would remove the threat of charges against police officers acting in good faith, and another allowing towns to designate alcohol and marijuana-free zones. New Jersey is not alone in reforming its laws to try to keep more juveniles out of the criminal justice system. Several Maryland law enforcement officers say that state's juvenile reforms have made it harder to question and investigate teens suspected of committing crimes, although the state's Department of Juvenile Services says the laws are having a positive effect. Seaside Heights' mayor said he heard kids as young as 13 mouthing off to police officers, with impunity. A few of them actually said, You cant do anything to me, Vaz said. I heard it with my own ears." Every state that has legalized recreational marijuana Intro Alaska February 2015 California December 2017 Colorado December 2012 District of Columbia Maine November 2016 Massachusetts Michigan Nevada Oregon Vermont Washington EMERSON, Neb. When it comes to community projects, never underestimate the will and generosity of small-town residents. The latest case as proof: A bit more than two years ago, a group of Emerson residents organized the Emerson Veterans Memorial Park Committee to plan and build a new veterans memorial in this northeast Nebraska town of about 800 people. Once the residents settled on a plan, they set out to raise $250,000 to build Emerson Veterans Memorial Park and establish a maintenance fund. Committee member Barb Gilster believed at the time it would take two years, a timeline that had other committee members shaking their heads with skepticism. Fellow committee member Corliss Hassler thought Gilsters hopes were aggressive, but they dove in and began to solicit donations. Two years later, much of the $250,000 is in hand, and concrete footings were poured in late May. Its hoped the memorial will be finished in July. Hassler, who wrote many of the grant applications seeking funding, cant believe it. I was amazed they could raise this much money in a small town, Hassler said. Its been the best-supported project weve had in decades. She said 47% of the donations came from individuals rather than big gifts from corporations or other businesses. Other large donations came from community groups such as the community thrift store that supports numerous local causes with proceeds from sales and the Emerson Betterment Committee. The veterans memorial committee also staged fundraisers and secured grants. This had the whole community involved, Hassler said. It didnt hurt that its for a popular cause. Dave Mahler, veterans memorial committee president and Emerson American Legion Post 60 member, said the community always has been supportive of veterans. I think everybodys in support of the veterans, and it was a good project to solicit for, said Mahler, an Air Force veteran. For years, Mahler said, the Legion had talked about updating or replacing a small memorial on Main Street next to the Legions building, which is now a grocery store. The memorial had a small statue and a signboard with a list of veterans names that hadnt been updated in a long time. We were going to replace it with something, and that something never really materialized, Mahler said. The veterans memorial committee formed in April 2021 to finally replace the older memorial. The committee of about 10 members settled on a design similar to one in nearby Osmond: Seven black granite stones, which will have the names of 818 area veterans, living and dead, engraved upon them. Four benches will allow visitors to spend as much time as they wish at the memorial, which will be illuminated at night. Flags representing each branch of the military will fly behind the stones, and a taller flagpole flying the American flag will be front and center amid a pavilion of stamped concrete. The committee decided to add three military statues to the design and will complete landscaping with spruce trees behind the site. The memorial will be along Nebraska Highway 9 as you approach town from the north. The Legion bought two vacant city lots from Sacred Heart Catholic Church, and theres adequate street parking and a parking lot across the street to facilitate ceremonies at the site. There is no place better than that, Mahler said. That particular spot, the visibility is huge. Gilster and Hassler said the committee is in the final stages of raising money for the statues and establishing the maintenance fund. With much of the fundraisings heavy lifting finished, they and the rest of the community will eagerly watch the memorial take shape. Its hard for Mahler to believe that by the end of the summer, a community improvement that many had long talked about will finally become a reality. For a long time it looked like it was way out in the distance, he said. Its amazing how this has come around. It came around with the help of just about everyone in town. Our best Omaha staff photos & videos of June 2023 SEWARD, Neb. The rusted hulk of the old open-topped boat isnt what youd call lovely. But to Jerry Meyer, historian of the Nebraska National Guard Museum in Seward, its a rare gem. The museums new prize is a World War II Higgins boat, the troop carrier invented by a Nebraskan, Andrew Jackson Higgins, that carried tens of thousands of U.S. troops into battle in beach assaults from Normandy to Iwo Jima. It is without a doubt the most significant historical artifact we have, Meyer said. No less an authority than President Dwight D. Eisenhower called Higgins the man who won the war for us. The boat, PA31-17, arrived late Sunday by truck from Northern California, where it was discovered in 2021 half-submerged in drought-stricken Shasta Lake. The museum unveiled it Monday and dedicated it at a public ceremony Tuesday, during Sewards Fourth of July celebration. Wednesday the boat will travel to Columbus Higgins hometown for an appearance at the Andrew Jackson Higgins Memorial, which Meyer helped to build. After that, it will remain on display at the museum, in its lower-level restoration bay, until a new display area can be built. Shes rough. Shes seen battle seven times, Meyer said. Were going to maintain that battle-scarred look. Andrew Jackson Higgins, who served in the Nebraska National Guards Millard Rifles unit from 1902 to 1906, left Columbus for the Deep South to enter the lumber business at age 20. In 1922, Higgins started a lumber-exporting business in New Orleans and invented shallow-draft boats to haul logs out of the Louisiana bayous. They became popular with Southern oil drillers and trappers, as well as the Coast Guard. By the late 1930s, his boat-building business eclipsed his lumber sales. With the onset of World War II, Higgins developed a number of small landing craft for the military. Perhaps the most famous was the LCVP (landing craft, vehicle, personnel), a flat-bottomed 10-by-36-foot boat with a retractable front ramp that could hold up to 30 soldiers, or a dozen soldiers and a vehicle. Military contracts allowed Higgins to grow his company from 75 employees in 1938 to as many as 30,000 during the war. More than 23,000 Higgins boats were built, about half of them LCVPs. Fewer than 20 are known to exist today. The numbers still visible on the hull of Sewards Higgins boat allowed historians to track its wartime history. It rolled off Higgins New Orleans assembly line in 1942 or 43, Meyer said, and was assigned to the USS Monrovia Gen. George Pattons flagship for the JulyAugust 1943 invasion of Sicily. That was the first of PA31-17s seven battle stars. The boat also saw action in the Pacific, at Tarawa (where it was sunk in the shallow harbor and then salvaged), the Marshall Islands, Saipan, Guam, the Philippines and Okinawa. These were not cakewalks, Meyer said. How it got to the bottom of Shasta Lake remains a mystery. Meyer said Higgins boats were sold as surplus after the war for $300-$400, and many were purchased by private citizens for use on lakes up and down the Pacific Coast, to haul lumber, livestock or cargo. Some were used by the U.S. Forest Service. He speculated that one may have blown away from a dock during a storm. What is known is that PA31-17 partially emerged on an island in 2021 when the lakes water level receded 200 feet because of a historic drought. James Dunsdon, who lives in the area, was working in the Shasta-Trinity National Forest as a volunteer firefighter that year when he heard rumors about the ghost boat that had emerged in the lake, according to a November 2022 article on the Atlas Obscura website. He wondered whether it might be a World War II landing craft. He had been interested in Higgins boats ever since his childhood in England, where the D-Day invasion is part of local history. Dunsdon searched videos on YouTube and found one that appeared to show the boat in the background, according to Atlas Obscura. He analyzed it and identified a spot on Shasta Lakes 365-mile shoreline where he thought it might be. In October 2021, he hiked several miles to the spot, detouring around a burning forest fire. There it was, on the shore of a small island. It looked like it had just made a beach landing, he told Atlas Obscura. Dunsdon knew he had to hurry if he wanted to salvage the boat, because the lake would likely reclaim it once winter arrived. He had no experience in salvage, but he came up with a plan to use divers and airbags to refloat it and bring it to a shore where a truck and trailer could reach it. Dunsdon initially contacted the National World War II Museum in New Orleans which, not coincidentally, is near the site of Higgins former factory. The World War II Museum already had a Higgins boat. But curators there connected Dunsdon with Meyer, who had an avid interest in Higgins and some money donated by the family of the late John Cattle. Cattle had been the president and CEO of Sewards Cattle Bank & Trust, and during World War II he was an infantry officer who made landings in Higgins boats in North Africa, Sicily and Normandy. They said, Dad rode in one of these. We have to have it, Meyer said. So the Cattle bank and Cattles relatives Becky and Van Vahle, his daughter and son-in-law, and his widow, Virginia paid for the just-in-time salvage effort, and for the cross-country shipment from California. With the lake rising and heavy snow on the way, Dunsdons team retrieved the boat on Dec. 21, 2021. Eric and Viviana Hollenbeck spent months cleaning up PA31-17, which is made largely of mahogany plywood, at their Blue Ox Millworks and Historic Village in Eureka, California. Eric Hollenbeck is a specialist in historic wood preservation and the star of Craftsman, a television program on the Magnolia network. The Hollenbecks and Dunsdon all traveled to Seward with the boat and will complete the filming of a documentary about the salvage of PA31-17. The boat was to take part in the citys Fourth of July parade. Virginia Cattle was scheduled to be the grand marshal of the parade, Meyer said, and was enthusiastic about bringing the Higgins boat to Seward. But she died June 3 at the age of 102. He said the museum doesnt plan to restore the boat, which he estimated could cost $1 million. Weve decided were going to maintain a ghost look, Meyer said. For it to last this long in a lake, its a miracle. He is still searching for historical photographs of the boat. He has found photos of virtually every LCVP assigned to the USS Monrovia but none of PA31-17. He is hoping something will turn up in the handed-down scrapbook of a World War II veteran who served on the ship. Or that someone, somewhere, will shed light on how the boat landed in the depths of Shasta Lake. Until then, the ghost boat will hold onto its mystery. Photos: World War II Higgins boat PA31-17 arrives at Nebraska National Guard Museum Advertisement By Umar Usma Duguri. The caretaker chairman of Alkaleri local government area council where Governor Bala Mohamed held, Comrade Bala urged Muslims to uphold the lessons learnt during the last ten days of Zhull-hajj through the famous Salah celebration for the development of Nigeria. Comrade Bala Ibrahim Mahmoud, Who is rated as the best performing local government chairman in Bauchi state because of his prompt implementation of governor Bala Mohameds giant stride project in Bauchi state, among which is the recently commissioning of Kolmani oil, the institute of petroleum resources which is the first in the whole region, urged the Muslims umma in the state and other parts of Nigeria, in commemoration of the Eid-El-Kabir, making the tenth day of the zhull Hajj in the Islamic calendar. Comrade Bala Ibrahim Mohamed, enumerated such virtues to include piety, perseverance, philanthropy, respect and love for one another. The chairman of the Alkaleri said that, the whole month of zhull hajj reflects the essence of life and fulfilling one of the obligations of Islam for those opptune should perform the Hajj Exercise for number of days. He said; the month of intense worships, absolute piety and salvation to God which he accept prayers instantly. It is a month of equity and collectively. He also called for prayers, for divine plausible solutions to the numerous challenges in the country; hoping that people should continue to encourage their leaders by doing the needful. On Governor Bala Mohamed, the chairman, thank him for consistent support to local government area council being the closest tier of the government by prompt consistent payment of salaries, pensions and gratuities despite global economic meltdown and the transformational completed and many ongoing projects that has bearing to each of the twenty local government areas of the state for the first time in the history of the state to achieve the feat, which earned him award of excellence. Related Advertisement Advertisement . Says PDP should consider North Central for the position The Senator representing Benue South Senatorial District, Senator Patrick Abba Moro has confirmed that he is bidding for the position of minority leader in the 10th Senate. As the Senate resumes tomorrow (July 4) from its post-inauguration break, the selection of principal officers will be the next battle with the earlier emergence of Senator Godswill Akpabio and Senator Barau Jibrin as Senate President and Deputy Senate President respectively. The ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) which has the majority seats (59 out of 109) in the Red Chamber is expected to produce the majority leader, deputy majority leader, chief whip and deputy chief whip, while minority leader, deputy minority leader, minority whip and deputy minority whip are reserved for the minority caucus. Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) as the dominant opposition party with 36 seats will produce the minority leader and deputy leader. In an interview at the weekend, Moro, a second term senator who was Chairman Senate Committee on Federal Character and Intergovernmental Affairs in the 9th Senate, called on his party, the PDP to zone the position of minority leader for the 10th Senate to the North Central. The former Minister of Interior and only PDP Senator re-elected in the North Central zone in the 10th Senate, said he has what it takes to effectively lead the opposition members in the Upper Chamber of the National Assembly to achieve the best for Nigerians in the lawmaking process. Yes, we are in the process of selecting minority leader as you rightly pointed out. The process is on, and of course, Im interested in becoming the minority leader of the Senate because I think I am qualified to be. I come from a region, a zone that is sometimes neglected so to say. I wont call it marginalization but neglect. And that is the North Central zone. So, we expect that the PDP will zone the minority leadership of the senate of the caucus of minority parties to North Central. And if that happens, we have a parliamentary procedure that respects ranking in addition to other qualifications. There are so many persons that are also eminently qualified to be minority leader within the rank of the PDP. As you have rightly said, its a dominant opposition political party with 36 senators out of 50. And so we hope that at the end of the day when all the dynamics come into play, the party and the parties involved will do the needful and the right thing to get it right for Nigeria, so that the Senate can kick start the implementation of its agenda for the Nigerian people, Moro stated. On external forces trying to influence who becomes the minority leader of the 10th Senate, the Benue South Senator said: Well, you know that politics is all about interest and so people generally will be interested. Those who want to contest to become leaders have interest. Those outside those who want to contest to become leaders also have interests to protect, to galvanize. And so, in all circumstances therefore there are interests. The minority leadership of the senate is not a personal mandate. It is not a personal institution. Its for Nigeria. And Nigerians who have interests have a right to influence who they think would further their interests in the senate better. And so in politics I dont see anything strange there. Its just like in all contests people must work hard to gain the confidence of the people to support them to become what they want to be, even as it is in the interest of all Nigerians that the right people with the requisite qualifications are put in the positions of leadership to be able to further the cause of democracy and economic advancement of Nigerians. Related Advertisement Press Release A leading support group of the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC Alliance Network for Democracy has lambasted the former Edo State Governor, Comrade Adams Oshiomole over plots to highjack the ministerial slot meant for the state. In a statement released to newsmen in Auchi on Monday by the National Publicity Secretary of the group, Mrs. Elizabeth Suleiman, the group accused the former governor of being inconsiderate and insensitive to the political freedom, balancing and determination as encapsulated by the spirit of Emilokan which Mr. President invoked to win the election despite all the hurdles. We believe that it is morally bankrupt and ethically unjustifiable for Oshiomole to influence the states ministerial slot for his Personal Assistant having succeeded in turning virtually all Federal appointments to the state in to a family affair. For instance, while Oshiomole is currently a serving Senator, his son, Dr Cyril Oshiomole is a Special Assistant to the Managing Director of the Niger Delta Developments Commision (NDDC) on Health. In the same vein, his younger brother, Mr. Said Oshiomole is also a Special Assistant to the NDDC Commisioner representing Edo state in the Commission. The Afemai nation is richly endowed with men and resources, but Oshiomole only seemed to be concerned about his family and his Iyamho Uzairue People of Etsako West Local Government of Edo State as most Federal appointments are retained in his village without considering other communities that make up the Affemai nation. Apart from Oshiomole who is a serving Senator and his family members in NDDC, the Nigerian Ambassador to Mozambique, Barr. Iyamah is from Oshiomole village. The Federal Road Maintenance Agency (FERMA) Representatives for South-South Region, Engr. Stanley Dako is from Oshiomole village. The Police Service Commision member from the state, Mr. Austin Braimah is from Oshiomole village. The Economic and Financial Crimes Commision (EFFC) Board Member from the state, Mr. Luqman Mohammed is from Oshiomole village. The Deputy Governor of the state, Comrade Philip Shaibu is from Oshiomole village. The Benin -Owena River Basin Authority member from the state, Engr. Saliu Ahmed is from Oshiomole village. All these people are from the same nuclear and extended family in Iyamho Uzairue village of Etsako West LGA of Edo State. The questions are; where is Federal Character, where is justice, where is equity, where is fairness and above all, where is the spirit of Emilokan? We believe that the greatest of injustice demands the boldest of action. Hence, we call on Mr. President to politely reject the ministerial nominee coming from Oshiomole because he has lost touch with the spirit of Emilokan which was symbolized by the resounding victory Nigerians gave to him at the polls. While our demand is self-evidenced by the fact that other Local Governments that make up the Afemai nation are marginalized, but it is not self-executing. Therefore, we call on Mr. President to put an end to the unfortunate fate being imposed on other Local Government Areas of Edo State by Comrade Adams Oshiomole. SIGNED Mrs. Elizabeth Suleiman, National Publicity Secretary, APC Alliance Network for Democracy Related In commemoration of the Nigerian Army Day Celebration 2023 within 81 Division Area of Responsibility, a Public Speaking Engagement has been organized to sensitize secondary school students on the composition of the Nigerian Army and its responsibilities as a symbol of national unity, integration and development as enshrined in the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. The engagement which provided an avenue to educate participants on career opportunities in the Nigerian Army was held today 3rd July 2023 at the Baptist Academy, Obanikoro, Lagos with participants drawn from Baptist Boys Academy, Baptist Girls Academy, Command Day Secondary School Ikeja and Command Day Secondary School Ojo. Speaking at the seminar, the General Officer Commanding (GOC), 81 Division Nigerian Army, Major General Obinna Ajunwa represented by the Commandant, Command Day Secondary School (CDSS) Ikeja, Lieutenant Colonel CB Obida said the Nigerian Army as the oldest organization in the country has been saddled with the responsibility of protecting the territorial integrity of Nigeria as enshrined in the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. He encouraged the participants to join the Army to protect the territorial integrity of their fatherland and also pursue their goals in life. He enumerated several benefits of being in the Nigerian Army such as, job security, opportunities for professional growth, financial stability, access to quality healthcare, and other benefits like travel, housing, and educational opportunities. On his part, the Principal of the Baptist Academy, Deacon Gbenga Abodunrin thanked the Nigerian Army for the program as well as choosing the Baptist Academy as the best place to organize the event. He urged the students to take advantage of the opportunity given to them. Photos from the event below; In continuation of the series of activities lined up for the Nigerian Army Day Celebration 2023 (NADCEL 2023), the Nigerian Army today, conducted a one-day medical outreach in Mapo Hall, Oja Oba Community, Ibadan, Oyo state. READ MORE: NADCEL 2023: Nigerian Army Touches Lives in Oja Oba, Mapo Community in Ibadan Related Many people were trapped under debris after a four-storey building at Life Camp, Jabi area of the FCT, Abuja collapsed on Monday evening. The collapse of the building took place around 4:00 pm while construction workers were carrying out their work. The building, it was gathered, was intended for hotel accommodation. The building gave way unexpectedly, trapping several workers who were on-site at the time of the collapse. It was also gathered that the building collapsed during casting shortly after the site engineer left the site. According to eyewitness accounts, the building collapse was a result of the use of substandard materials. Rescue operations are reportedly underway. The rescue team, comprising officials from FCT Fire Service, National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), and the Nigerian police, are on the ground. In other news, Kanyi Daily reported that Nigerias President Bola Tinubu has met with his National Security Adviser (NSA), Nuhu Ribadu, and the Service Chiefs at the State House in Abuja. Tinubu met Ribadu and the Service Chiefs on Monday. Related Nigerias President Bola Tinubu, has met with his National Security Adviser (NSA), Nuhu Ribadu, and the Service Chiefs at the State House in Abuja. Tinubu met Ribadu and the Service Chiefs on Monday. Present at the meeting are the Chief of Defence Staff, Maj. Gen. C.G Musa; Chief of Army Staff, Maj. Gen. T. A Lagbaja; Chief of Naval Staff, Rear Admiral E. A Ogalla; Chief of Air Staff, AVM H.B. Abubakar, and the Acting Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun. This is Tinubus first known in-person engagement with the security helmsman since their appointment on June 19, 2023. Meanwhile, Kanyi Daily reported that the First Federal Capital Territory minister, Chief Mobolaji Ajose-Adeogun has died. He died at the age of 96 on Saturday, July 1, 2023. A member of the family, Oluremi Ajose-Adeogun confirmed the death of the business titan in a statement she wrote on behalf of the family which was obtained by newsmen on Monday. Related Nollywood actress, Kate Henshaw has taken to social media to address those criticizing her for meeting Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu. Despite her vocal criticism of the All Progressive Congress (APC), the political party to which Sanwo-Olu belongs, Kate Henshaw was recently seen exchanging pleasantries with him at an event. Photos of the event triggered outrage from APC supporters who believed that the actress was aligning herself with a party she had rejected for the Labor Party during the 2023 general elections. Reacting to the backlash via her Twitter page, Kate Henshaw clarified her position, explaining that a polite greeting at a public event does not hinder her from criticizing ineffective leadership. She wrote: Clearly, I have gotten ur knickers in a twist & and the itch is too much for you 2 ignore, just like I am too important to ignore. I wont bother to explain becos it is far above your pay grade. Mr Gov knows the exchange we had. It wont stop me speaking my mind. KanyiDaily recalls that during the 2023 elections, Kate Henshaw has taken to social media to call out Rasheedat Adu, the chairman of Eti-Osa local government area in Lagos. Related President Bola Ahmed Tinubu met with his newly appointed security chiefs on Monday at the Presidential Villa in Abuja, where he charged them to do everything possible to secure the country from terrorism and other criminalities. The meeting with the service chiefs, which was the first of its kind since their appointment, also afforded Tinubu an opportunity to reel out his expectations of where the country should be in terms of security. The brief meeting was attended by Major General C.G. Musa (Chief of Defence Staff), General T.A. Lagbaja (Chief of Army Staff Major), AVM H.B. Abubakar (Chief of Air Staff), and Rear Admiral Emmanuel Ikechukwu Ogalla (Chief of Naval Staff). The Acting Inspector-General of Police, DIG Kayode Egbetokun, was also part of the meeting. DAILY POST recalls that Tinubu, shortly before embarking on a trip to Paris, France, to attend a financial summit, jolted the nation when he sacked the former service chiefs and announced new ones as replacements. Tinubu had also gone ahead to appoint a former chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Malam Nuhu Ribadu to replace Babagana Monguno as the National Security Adviser (NSA). Ribadu told reporters that the purpose of the meeting was to thank the President for giving them the opportunity to serve the country. The former EFCC boss said they are poised to work tirelessly to guarantee the peace and stability of the country. He said: Were here to thank Mr President for the opportunity he gave us to serve our country and to serve his own government. We also pledged our loyalty to him, Nigeria, and Nigerians. We believe the choice he made is the right one, the correct one, and we know what he wants for this country. Were going to work tirelessly to ensure that we accomplish that objective of securing our country, establishing peace, stability, and get our lives back. He gave us the assurance that hes with us hundred percent. He told us that we must work as a team and that theres work to be done; hell expect us to deliver, and were grateful for the opportunity. Thats why we are here. Asked jokingly if he was aware of the big task ahead of him, he replied, Yes, and it is going to be done, insha Allah. Ahead of todays resumption of the Senate, the leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party has resolved to transmit a letter to the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, to stay action on filling the position of the Senate minority leadership of the upper legislative chamber. This was part of the decision taken by the National Working Committee of the party on Monday at a meeting held at the Wadata Plaza, the national secretariat of the party in Abuja. The meeting which was attended by seven NWC members and 25 out of 36 Senators elected on the platform of the PDP adopted the immediate past Governor of Sokoto State, Aminu Tambuwal for the position of Senate Minority Leader of the 10th Senate. Tambuwal was elected in 2023 into the red chamber to represent Sokoto South Senatorial District following the completion of his second tenure as governor. The NWC, however, resolved to delay the announcement of Tambuwals nomination until the majority of its Senators and NWC members return to Abuja from the Sallah break. However, opposition to Tambuwals aspiration has heightened with loyalists to ex-Rivers State Governor Nyesom Wike kicking against the PDPs choice of the former House of Representatives speaker. On July 2, Wike and other members of his G-5 group were supporting the lawmaker representing Cross River North, Senator Agom Jarigbe for the senate minority position. Also, the All Progressives Grand Alliance has vowed not to support the aspiration of the former Sokoto State governor. In a statement issued after the NWC meeting by its National Publicity Secretary, Debo Ologunagba, the PDP premised its decision to withhold its position on the Senate minority leadership position on the need for adequate consultation, even as it slammed the All Progressives Congress for allegedly meddling in the selection process. The statement read in part At the meeting, the importance of a virile and stable opposition in the Senate and indeed the National Assembly was emphasized, and the caucus assured that it will play that important role in the defence of democracy in the interest and wellbeing of Nigerians. The meeting condemned in its entirety the alleged subterranean moves by the APC to meddle in the affairs of the minority with regards to the emergence of the minority leadership which is an exclusive reserve of the minority caucus as expressly stipulated by constitutional provisions and Standing Rules of the Senate. The PDP and the Senators will continue with consultations on the emergence of the minority leader in the Senate and are resolved to collectively present a unified leadership after due and conclusive considerations. Accordingly, the PDP will continue to provide the necessary leadership in this regard. Consequently, the meeting resolved that the PDP NWC communicates to the Senate President, Distinguished Senator Godswill Akpabio, on the ongoing consultation in the minority caucus to the effect that the nominations into the minority leadership positions in the Senate have not been concluded and that upon conclusion, the nominated list will be formally conveyed to him appropriately for necessary action. However, a member of the NWC said that Tambuwal was chosen because the party believed in him. At the meeting, we chose Tambuwal for a couple of reasons. He is experienced and has the capacity to defend the PDP in a minority position against a rampaging Federal Government, he said. A letter will be sent to the Senate President on Tuesday (today) on the need for our caucus in the Senate to deliberate further and arrive at the list of officers chosen to represent the party in the minority positions. Because of the Sallah break, most of our Senators and NWC members are not yet in town. Nobody wants to take a factional decision. Even the acting National Chairman, Umar Damagun was not at the meeting. The meeting was presided over by the National Publicity Secretary, Debo Ologunagba, he explained. Commenting on the opposition partys decision, a former member of the House of Representatives, Ogbonna Nwuke accused the leadership of the party of working against precedents. The Wike loyalist, who represented Etche-Omuma Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives, also said national interest would determine the next line of action of the ex-Rivers State governor. He stated, We have heard that the PDP or a group of persons acting in the name of the party has nominated the former Sokoto State Governor, Aminu Tambuwal as the official candidate for the position of minority leader in the 10th Senate. Advertisement No fewer than 20 persons are feared trapped in the rubble of a four-storey hotel building which collapsed on Monday in Dape, Life Camp, Abuja. Daily Trust gathered that the hotel is owned by Summit Villa Hotel Services. The building was under construction at the time of the collapse. The building, which is under construction, is located in a swampy area called Dape near Berger Clinic and was said to have collapsed as a result of substandard materials, according to eyewitnesses accounts. A rescue team from the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) is already at the scene to commence rescue operations. The Head of Operations of the FCT Fire Service, Amiola Adebayo, has also confirmed the incident, adding that rescue operations had started. Related Advertisement News 1 views APC NWC confirms Adamu, Omisores resignation Webby - July 18, 2023 Adedayo Akinwale in Abuja The National Working Committee (NWC) of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has announced the resignation of Senate President Godswill Akpabio has announced the principal officers of the majority party the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the upper legislative chamber. On the floor of the senate on Tuesday, Akpabio announced Opeyemi Bamidele, senator representing Ekiti central, as majority leader, and David Umahi, senator representing Ebonyi south, as the deputy majority leader. READ ALSO: Senate Minority leader race: Hurdles before Tambuwal Ali Ndume, senator representing Borno south, was named as chief whip of the senate, and Lola Ashiru, senator representing Kwara south, as deputy chief whip. Meanwhile, the opposition parties are yet to reach a consensus on who emerge as principal officers for the opposition. The Peoples Democratic Party remains the major opposition party followed by the Labour Party which has eight senators, the Social Democratic Party and New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) have two senators each while APGA has one. Reno Omokri, a socio-political activist, has reacted to the controversy surrounding the Joint Admission and Matriculation Board, JAMB, result of Ejikeme Mmesoma. He noted that whipping up ethnic and religious sentiments over Mmesomas travail was unhelpful. Tweeting, Omokri said the situation was a technical issues; hence innuendo that would divide Nigeria should not be encouraged. READ ALSO: Reno Omokri reacts to Okupes conviction for money laundering According to Omokri: The JAMB has given its verdict. If anyone has concrete evidence that they are lying or targeting any group of Nigerians, then come out with concrete proof, not innuendo. Whipping up ethnic and religious sentiments over a purely technical matter will not help anyone. Nigeria is already deeply divided from the #NigerianElections2023. There is no need to raise innuendo that will further divide the country. Rather than speculating or making this about ethnicity and bias against certain parts of Nigeria, why not hold your peace until the investigative panel set up by the Anambra State Government establishes the facts? And perhaps the Anambra State government and non-governmental bodies concerned should have FIRST verified from the JAMB DIRECTLY by writing them a letter before relying on social media reports. The Arewa Youth Assembly, AYA, has slammed Sen. Yerima Bakura, the former Governor of Zamfara State over his advise to President Bola Tinubu that the federal government should negotiate with terrorists and bandits terrorizing the country. According to a statement issued by the Speaker of the group, Mohammed Salihu Danlami, while they recognized the complexity of the security challenges facing the Northern region, they believed that negotiating with bandits is not a viable long-term solution. Our group strongly disagrees with Mr. Bakuras position and feels compelled to express our concerns. READ ALSO: Presidency 2023: Yerima visits Buhari, declares for APC ticket Banditry and other forms of criminality pose a significant threat to the peace and stability of our country. Therefore, we urge the relevant authorities, including the federal government, to prioritize the use of all necessary means to address this menace. We wish to equally urge President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to Use Brute Force to decimate terrorist elements and Restore peace in the region. In light of the escalating security situation in our region, the Arewa Youth Assembly called on President Tinubu to take decisive action in dealing with the terrorist, believing that the use of brute force, within legal and ethical boundaries, may be necessary to decimate these renegades and restore peace in the country, the group said. The group noted the complexities and challenges associated with using force but firmly believed that the safety and security of their people must be the paramount consideration and implored Tinubu to employ all available resources, including the armed forces, to eradicate the threat posed by terrorists in the region. Former governor of Zamfara State, Ahmad Yerima, has urged President Bola Tinubu to consider dialogue with bandits to end insecurity in the North-West region of the country. Yerima advocated that the Federal Government should negotiate with repentant bandits. He argued that using military force would result in collateral damage and, therefore, should be considered a last resort. While speaking during an interview with BBC Hausa, the ex-governor had called on governors in the North-West to have a dialogue with bandits terrorising the region. The best way to go about handling the issue of bandits is to introduce dialogue first. But as I said, if that fails, then the government will go all out to eliminate them, he said after a courtesy visit to the President on Monday at Aso Rock Villa, Abuja. For nearly a decade, Zamfara State, located in North-West Nigeria, has been a flashpoint of armed conflict between the military and bandits who have struggled to control mineral-rich regions of the state. Yerima said Tinubu should consider an amnesty programme for bandits in the North, like the late President Umar YarAdua did for the Niger Delta militants. I believe that the Nigerian military has the capacity to deal with them (bandits) if so directed and given the resources, support, and political will. But the collateral damages that will be associated with the actions to be taken are what I believe should be avoided. If you send an aircraft now, not only bandits will be affected Former President Umaru YarAdua had a similar interaction with the militants in the Niger Delta, and it was successful, Yerima said. Ayo Adebanjo, leader of the Yoruba socio-political organization, Afenifere has described the government of President Bola Tinubu as illegitimate. According to him, the government of Tinubu does not exist. Adebanjo made the remark while describing Tinubus administration as illegitimate. He explained that the election which brought Tinubu was flawed, hence he cant be recognized as president. Speaking on Arise Television, Adebanjo said the presidential election was inconclusive with the ongoing presidential Election Petition Tribunal. According to Adebanjo: Afeniferes stance, for now, is not to comment on Tinubus administration because we believe that the elections are not completed yet; its still in progress, that is why we are in court, so commenting on someone who is there and who we dont believe should be there until the final decision of the court will be probative and reprobative. We are not talking about his ability, we are talking about the process of his getting there, which is flawed. How can you build something on nothing, he is enjoying a lacuna, nothing is settled until its finally settled, thats our stance. I refuse to comment on somebody that is not existing yet until the final arbiter of the court, our party may be wrong but that is our own stance. I cant recognize him in an office that I believe doesnt exist. Some youths whose hairstyles were said to have violated good morals have been shaved by the Borno State Hisbah Command. The Islamic police in a statement at the weekend, said the haircuts were carried out at various areas of Maiduguri, including Baga Road, Gwange district, Keleri, Fori, London, Dala, Madiganeri, Mulai, Shehuri, Magumeri, during the just concluded Sallah celebration. According to the spokesperson of the outfit, Ibrahim Abdulkardir, the hairstyles violates the good morals, ethics and culture of the people of Borno State. See Photos Below; China, Japan, ROK should relaunch cooperation efforts: senior Chinese diplomat Xinhua) 09:47, July 04, 2023 Wang Yi, director of the Office of the Foreign Affairs Commission of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, also a member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee, attends and addresses the opening ceremony of International Forum for Trilateral Cooperation 2023, in Qingdao, east China's Shandong Province, July 3, 2023. (Xinhua/Li Ziheng) QINGDAO, July 3 (Xinhua) -- Wang Yi, director of the Office of the Foreign Affairs Commission of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, said on Monday that China, Japan and the Republic of Korea (ROK) should relaunch their cooperation efforts. Wang, also a member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee, made the comments in a speech at the opening ceremony of International Forum for Trilateral Cooperation 2023, in Qingdao. Wang said that over the past 20 years and more, China-Japan-ROK trilateral cooperation has grown from scratch to the most influential sub-regional cooperation mechanism in Asia, providing an important driving force for the modernization of the three countries and Asia. Wang stressed that, as they stand at a crossroads in history, China, Japan and the ROK should grasp the trend of the time, acquire wisdom from the past, and firmly maintain the right direction of trilateral cooperation. "We should respect each other and live in harmony, adhere to openness and inclusiveness to achieve mutual success, adhere to independence, unity and self-improvement," said Wang. Wang pointed out that peace, prosperity and revitalization in Asia require the joint efforts of the three parties. He made a five-point proposal, including strengthening mutual trust, mutual benefit, connectivity, mutual assistance, and exchanges and mutual learning. He also called for collaborating to safeguard regional peace and stability, to create driving forces for economic growth, to advance regional economic integration, to meet common challenges and to foster public support. Before the opening ceremony, Wang met with the major guests attending the forum and said that China, Japan and the ROK should learn from history, promote consensus between governments through the people, promote political relationships through economic ties, promote communication between the central governments through local exchanges, and promote bilateral cooperation through multilateralism. China, Japan and the ROK should eliminate interference, work together, activate the trilateral cooperation and exchange mechanism, and restart trilateral cooperation, so as to jointly revitalize Asia and benefit the world, said Wang. (Web editor: Zhong Wenxing, Liang Jun) The Lagos Deputy Police Commissioner in question A Lagos Deputy Police Commissioner is in the news for the wrong reasons. This has nothing to do with brutality or bribery and corruption but the way the man dressed. Most security operatives in his position wear the best of uniforms and look smarter but the opposite seems to be the case here. His uniform appears to have seen better days. A major button was missing and as for the pair of trouser, the zip was bad. The matured man donned the outfit with confidence and made a public appearance with the Governor of Lagos State, Babajide Sanwo-olu. The man has become an object of humour on social media. Burna Boys mother, Bose Ogulu got a rapturous response following an epic acceptance speech at the BET Awards on Monday. The 2019 edition of the award which celebrates black people in film, music and arts, was held at the Microsoft Theatre in California. Ogulu received her sons award for Best International Act and thereafter reminded the African-Americans to keep Africa in mind. She said, Thank you BET, Thank you Africa because thats the constituency for which we got noticed in the first place. The message from Burna, I believe will be that every black person should please remember that you were Africans before you became anything else, The speech earned her a standing ovation and viral reactions on social media, especially from African-Americans who agreed with her statement. Hollywood actress, Yvette Nicole-Brown @YNB know Twitter, wrote, Wisdom from @BurnaBoys mother #ForTheCulture at the @BET Awards: Remember, you were African before you were anything else. #BurnaBoy @KLE1967 said, Im happy to hear that. Thats an important message. @Edice tweeted, Mother was deep with that statement! I felt that. NAN reports that Burna Boys mother has caught fans attention several times for her liveliness on stage, especially at shows and award ceremonies. In January, she stole the show at the Soundcity MVP awards where her son clinched four awards, including the African Artist of the Year. After appreciating producer, Phantom and Kanye West for the success of Ye, she told the crowd, : Expect more madness from Burnaboy this year. (NAN) An On-Air Personality with Rainbow FM, Victor Udoh has revealed how two secondary girls from Ijebu-Ode in Ogun State, sold their friend to a ritualist in Epe, Lagos State. On his Facebook page, Victor alleged that the two school girls lured their from Ijebu Ode to Epe in Lagos and sold her off to a ritualist for the sum of N50,000. The girls where caught and handed over to the police on their way back, but the victim had already been gruesomely murdered and dismembered. Two secondary school girls led their friend from Ijebu Ode to Epe in Lagos and sold her off to ritualist!!!?? But the same taxi driver that took them fortunately picked them on their way back. He saw them sharing wads of notes but they could not give him a convincing response as to the where about of their friend. As a correct thinking adult, he quietly drove them to a police station. By the time the police reached, the girl had been dismembered! ??? Meanwhile, A video has emerged online showing a secondary school female student engaging her teacher in a very serious fight in the presence of the entire students. It is not clear what triggered the fight but the two parties could be seen in the video initially holding a log before pushing it to the ground in anger, then exchanging blows to the point that attempts to separate them proved abortive. A police chase through Vermilion and Champaign counties ended with the suspect fatally shot by an Illinois State Police trooper, authorities said Tuesday. The pursuit took place shortly after 7:45 p.m. Monday, state police said in a statement. Troopers were helping deputies from the sheriff's offices in both counties and Danville police officers as they pursued the suspect's vehicle, which was believed to have been involved in a shooting in Clinton, Iowa. Authorities briefly lost sight of the vehicle and then found it near 2200 County Road 2250 East, police said. An Illinois Department of Natural Resource officer found the suspect in a detached garage, and a standoff ensued. Illinois State Police SWAT and Crisis Negotiation teams were called to the scene. Police said the suspect "refused to comply," and an ISP trooper discharged his or her firearm, striking the suspect. The suspect was taken to a nearby hospital and later pronounced dead. No officers were injured. An investigation is being conducted by special agents from the Illinois State Police Division of Internal Investigation, police said. When it is completed, evidence and information will be turned over to the Champaign County State's Attorney's Office for review. Police said no further information would be immediately released Tuesday. States with the highest rate of people killed by police States with the highest rate of people killed by police #51. Rhode Island #50. Connecticut #49. New York #48. Massachusetts #47. New Jersey #46. Pennsylvania #45. Illinois #44. Michigan #43. Iowa #42. Minnesota #41. New Hampshire #40. Virginia #39. Maryland #38. Delaware #37. Vermont #36. Ohio #35. Nebraska #34. Wisconsin #33. North Carolina #32. North Dakota #31. Indiana #30. Florida #29. Maine #28. South Carolina #27. Texas #26. Hawaii #25. Kansas #24. Washington #23. Georgia #22. California #21. Utah #20. Alabama #19. Oregon #18. South Dakota #17. Kentucky #16. Tennessee #15. Louisiana #14. Missouri #13. Mississippi #12. Washington D.C. #11. Idaho #10. Arkansas #9. Nevada #8. West Virginia #7. Wyoming #6. Montana #5. Colorado #4. Arizona #3. Oklahoma #2. Alaska #1. New Mexico Ghanaians living and working abroad have become significant forces in shaping the future of both their host country and back home in Ghana. Their vast knowledge, skills, and investments are invaluable in propelling economic progress and social development in their communities back home. In 2022, personal remittances sent to Ghana amounted to $4.7 billion, constituting 6.1% of its GDP. This inflow of capital from abroad continues to be a significant driver of Ghanas economic expansion. The magnitude of these remittances owes much to Ghanas broad and welldispersed diaspora, and the countrys widespread adoption of digital technologies.1 According to a study published by the World Bank2 low-income households in Ghana that receive remittances showed improved quality of life, as their income status changed dramatically. Moreover, remittances have played a crucial role in increasing financial inclusion rates in the country. Financial sector actors are now working towards expanding access and lowering costs of digital remittances to Ghana.3 This has been particularly impactful to Ghanaians living in rural areas who might not have access to affordable financial services. For many, gaining access to low-cost formal, reliable, and timely remittance services is essential to cover basic expenditures. Yet the contribution of Ghanaian migrants is not just limited to remittances, the knowledge and expertise gained from working in some of the worlds most advanced countries help transform economies. This is in addition to the potential of diaspora communities to provide access to foreign capital markets, unlocking vital sources of funding that can power large-scale projects and spur economic development. With their networks of contacts and expertise, the Ghanaian diaspora is uniquely positioned to facilitate connections that help bridge the gap between local entrepreneurs and global investors. As such, international money transfer service, WorldRemit understands the critical position of the Ghanaian diaspora and has made investments to support their contribution to the countrys development. By facilitating quick and secure money transfers, WorldRemit provides a unique link between the countrys diaspora and their families at home. Funds are either ready for collection in local and foreign currencies in cash pick-up locations across the country or added to the recipients bank or mobile money accounts. Darryl Pietersen, Director of Anglophone Africa, WorldRemit says: WorldRemit enables recipients to access funds swiftly for their pressing needs, such as medical care and school fees. We are committed to improving our technologies and investing in innovations. By supporting the contributions of Overseas Ghanaian Workers, we hope to play a crucial role in catalysing the nations evolution towards growth and prosperity. Source: Darryl Pietersen/Director of Anglophone Africa/WorldRemit 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 Delhi Public School lnternational, one of the revered international schools located in Tema, Ghana over the weekend held a special graduation ceremony for A Level Class of 2023 of the school with some cultural performances at the schools premises. The short but colourful graduation ceremony was held in the schools auditorium on Saturday June 24, 2023 which brought together parents and guardians who celebrated in the success of their wards. In all, a total of 78 Class of A- Level Students graduated on the day with the Boys Prefect of the school Shriman Jha receiving a full Scholarships to further his Education at the Harvard University. Speaking at the ceremony, Mr Mukesh Thakwani, Owner and Director of the School said; From here, what you have acquired today is going to help you in a long way in your life. My dear Students, this is a day to be more responsible, a day of becoming Mature citizens for tomorrow. Im very proud to say that I have seen a lot Engineers, Doctors, Scientists and Entrepreneurs in you, whenever I interact with you, it gives me enough pleasure and I feel proud that DPS Students are not only going to be the best citizens but at the same time they will make their parents and Ghana proud wherever they find themselves in future, and I want you to give them a run of applause. My dear students wherever you will be going I know you will be flying high. I have some advice for you, First and foremost never forget your books, make sure you stick to your books and dont forget your parents as well, who have gone through so much troubles to put you in one of the best schools in Ghana, DPS lnternational, you are really blessed to have such parents, lets give them a run of applause. It is very important that we should be always grounded to our rules by making sure that whatever the society have taught us and whatever we have learnt from society and our parents will be inbided in us so that we can pass it on to the next generation. Secondly, I will say that as you are going to the open world, make new friends, always look forward to making new friends, try to learn from each other, always have a list of questions in your mind and try to always find answers to it. Always look for new opportunities and see how you can make the best out of it in order to make DPS and your parents proud. Another advice I will like to give to you is that whenever you go to the new world or place, sometimes things will not go the way you expected, but dont give up, keep believing in yourself, keep believing in what you have learnt in DPS, Never give, dont forget your rules, ones you know the basics, what you have been taught here, am sure that you are going to go a long way in life The School was established in 2010 in Tema, a suburb in Accra purposely for academic excellence, wholistic development of the students, and preparing students on a global platform by renowned lndian industrialist and philanthropist, Mukesh Thakwani. DPS lnternational Ghana is affiliated the University of Cambridge lnternational Examinations and Central Board of Secondary Education, New Delhi(CBSE) 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 One of the surviving sons of the late Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi, has reportedly been moved from a Lebanese prison, where he has been on a hunger strike, to hospital in critical condition The Reuters news agency quotes the Dubai-based Al-Hadath TV as reporting that he had suffered a sharp drop in his blood sugar level. Hannibal Gaddafi has been detained in jail in the country for more than eight years. He went on hunger strike last month in protest against his prolonged detention without trial. He has been held in the country since he was captured in Syria where he had fled after the killing of his father by rebels in 2011. 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 Senegalese opposition leader Ousmane Sonko has called on the public to "come out en masse" to protest against President Macky Sall seeking a third term. The incumbent is scheduled to give a speech later to announce whether he will run for president in 2024 - something most legal experts say would violate the Senegalese constitution. Last month, thousands of protesters took to the streets of various Senegalese cities after Sonko was sentenced to two years in prison for the crime of "corrupting youth". Sonko's supporters and some political observers say the case was an attempt to block him from running in next year's presidential election. The clashes were the deadliest in recent memory. Sonko also said on Sunday that if the president announces a third-term bid it was "incumbent on all the Senegalese people to stand up, to face him". The constitution limits presidents to two terms in office but Mr Sall's supporters argue that this should be reset because a new constitution was adopted in 2016. An attempted third-term bid by then-President Abdoulaye Wade in 2012 plunged the country into violence, leading to 12 deaths. 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 Dormaahene, Osagyefo Oseadeeyo Agyemang Badu II should be sacked as a justice of the High Court for making public utterances on a matter pending before the courts. A member of the General Legal Council, Sam Okudzeto who made the call said the Judicial Council should take the action of the Dormaahene, known in private as Justice Daniel Mensah very serious. Mr Okudzeto spoke in a radio interview monitored by Graphic Online on Accra-based Joy FM on Monday evening [July 3, 2023]. He was reacting to a statement by the Dormaahene, Osagyefo Oseadeeyo Agyemang Badu II when attended the Bono, Bono East, Ahafo and Western North regional version of the Professor John Evans Atta Mills Commemorative Lecture in Sunyani on Saturday [July 1, 2023]. Mr Samuel Okudzeto is a member of the General Legal Council Disciplinary Committee and when he was asked if this was something that triggers their mandate he said: No and explained the General Legal Council deals with lawyers and that this is a matter for the Judicial Council. He said even if the Judicial Council does not take it up, it is a responsibility of any citizen to make an application to them, or petition them [Judicial Council]. It is bad, it is just not descent for a judge to make such an utterance, he said. "To me, it is repugnant, it is senseless for a sitting High Court judge to stand on a public platform [and] make utterances of that nature," Mr Okudzeto said. "This is my view. If I were sitting in that Disciplinary Committee on the Judicial Council, I would have asked him to resign or asked him to be sacked as a judge, that is what I wouldve have done," he added. Addressing the audience, the Dormaahene made an appeal to the Attorney-General to drop the criminal charges against James Gyakye Quayson, the Member of Parliament-elect for Assin North. James Gyakye Quayson is facing trial for perjury at the High Court in Accra. He is facing charges of forgery and perjury in relation to certain alleged offences in the run-up to the 2020 Assin North parliamentary election. He has pleaded not guilty to five counts of forgery of passport or travel certificate, knowingly making a false statutory declaration, perjury and false declaration for office. It is the case of the prosecution that Mr Quayson allegedly made a false statement to the Passport Office that he did not hold a passport to another country when he applied for a Ghanaian Passport. In addition, the prosecution has accused Mr Quayson of making a false declaration to the Electoral Commission (EC) to the effect that he (Quayson) did not owe any allegiance to a foreign country when he filed to contest as candidate for the Assin North seat in 2020. As a matter of urgency, I [Dormaahene] am appealing to the President of the Republic [Akufo-Addo], if he has any role to play, that trial should be aborted, and the Attorney-General should as a matter of urgency file a nolle Prosequi to end that particular decision" and abort the criminal case against Mr Quayson, the Dormaahene said. Insisting that it was needless for the A-G to continue the case, after the chiefs and people of the Assin North constituency re-elected Quayson, Oseadeeyo Agyemang Badu, who is also the President of the Bono Regional House of Chiefs said the law has a provision or permitted the A-G to discontinue any case that citizens were not interested. He said continuing with the criminal trial was an insult to Ghanaians and the people of Assin North. He added that, he does not see any benefits coming to the country, should the A-G decide to continue to prosecute James Gyakye Quayson and that prosecuting him will prevent him from doing his job as a legislator. "Mr President [Akufo-Addo], you know I love you, this matter cannot go on", he added. The Dormaahene said the 17,245 votes representing 57.56 percent of the valid votes cast for Mr Quayson was a signal that the constituents had trust and believed in him to be their MP. Disagreement with Supreme Court ruling He said he disagrees with the Supreme Court's ruling that annulled the 2020 Assin North parliamentary election and made the seat vacant. The Dormaahene, who is also a High Court Judge - James Mensah - said if he was on the Supreme Court bench, he would have voted against annulling the election and that he would have voted on the "left" side and would not have gone to the "right". He said the reason, he would've gone to the left side is the same issues under consideration in the criminal trial and so he would not want to explain or speak on it. 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 Technologies for engineering humans through man-made wombs have been identified as a solution to the growing infertility rate in Africa. The Vice-Chancellor of the University of Johannesburg, Prof. Letlhokwa George Mpedi, however, said in the 21st century, there were ethical and legal implications of reframing the creation of humans that needed to be addressed to make adaptation efficient. He was speaking at a public lecture organised by the University of Professional Studies, Accra (UPSA), under the auspices of the Office of the Vice-Chancellor in Accra last Friday. The lecture was on the topic: Artificial Reproductive Technology: Ethical and Legal Considerations through an African Prism. Prof. Mpedi said research suggested that Africas constantly and rapidly changing lifestyle was fundamentally impacting fertility, adding that infertility had emerged as a medico-socio-cultural challenge. He said there were also challenges in the cultural, religious and societal perception of infertility and its treatment, which was pervasive in many parts of Africa. Limited knowledge That, Prof. Mpedi said, was largely the impact of limited knowledge of the public, patients and even healthcare providers in some cases. The continent also has a higher prevalence of sexually transmitted diseases, postpartum and post-abortion infections, which contribute to both male and female infertility. At its core, infertility is a human rights issue that demands attention. In recent years, there has been remarkable progress in the field of reproductive technologies. These technologies include medical procedures used primarily to address infertility. As we venture into our own brave new world, we must do so with a framework in place. We find ourselves in the midst of the fourth industrial revolution, defined by great disruption to technology, industries and society, which calls for changes to policy and our approaches, he said. Prof. Mpedi said the adaptation to those technologies, while helpful and timely, would require the legal fraternity to keep up with developments in the space and respond accordingly. He mentioned the technologies to include ectogenesis, the process of growing a foetus outside of the human body, which he said could help those who could not get pregnant and could save the lives of premature babies. Ethical frameworks While there were broad ethical frameworks in place, Prof. Mpedi said -African countries needed to get more specific legal and ethical frameworks as those technologies shifted from theory to practice. He said the World Health Organisation (WHO) reported that around 300,000 deaths happened due to pregnancy complications while premature babies born earlier than 22 weeks had no hope of survival. This technology certainly represents an exciting new frontier for pregnancy and for those seeking alternative routes to conception. However, if this is to be an enduring reality, we must ask the difficult legal and ethical questions and perhaps begin to consider our responses, he said. Prof. Mpedi said ethically, there were concerns that the technology went against the very process of human procreation. For example, as we research further into the field and consider human subjects, does this technology satisfy the four principles of bioethics: autonomy, beneficence, no maleficence, and justice? From a legal standpoint, currently, there are limited ethical conditions and human embryos can only be grown for 14 days. The 14th day is the point at which a spherical embryo starts to form a body and when cells begin taking on characteristics. With more research and acceptance of this process, how will the law adapt? Firstly, pregnancy laws will need to be reformed. We also have to consider how we approach abortions, for instance. Could this technology be used to amend abortion laws? he said. Gene editing He also mentioned gene editing as one of such technologies to be considered and said it involved the alteration of DNA through removal, insertion or replacement in the human genome, with the potential to combat genetic disease or optimise health. He said already, it had been established that gene editing could treat sickle cell disease effectively. Similarly, embryo donation or adoption the legal adoption of embryos that have been donated and frozen by families who have undergone in-vitro fertilisation (IVF), a technique in which an egg is removed from the woman's ovaries and fertilised with sperm in a laboratory should also be considered. This represents a new frontier for adoption. There are some similarities between embryo adoption and infant adoption, he said. 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 United States Federal Aviation Administration has certified for testing a vehicle described as a flying car the first fully electric vehicle that can both fly on air and travel on roads to receive US government approval. California start up company, Alef Automotive said that its vehicle/aircraft, dubbed the Model A, is the first flying vehicle that is drivable on public roads and able to park like a normal car. It also has vertical takeoff and landing capabilities. It apparently will be able to carry one or two occupants and will have a road-range of 200 miles and a flying range of 110 miles. The company expects to sell the vehicle for $300,000 each with the first delivery planned for the end of 2025. The FAA confirmed that it has issued the company a special airworthiness certificate, allowing for limited purposes that include exhibition, research and development. Numerous companies are working on all-electric VTOLs, which stands for vehicle takeoff and landing aircraft. The FAA said that Alef is not the first aircraft of its kind to get a special airworthiness certificate. However, Alef noted that its vehicle is different because of its ability to function both on roads and in the air, to appear like a normal car and to park in a normal parking space. Were excited to receive this certification from the FAA. It allows us to move closer to bringing people an environmentally friendly and faster commute, saving individuals and companies hours each week. This is a one small step for planes, one giant step for cars, said Jim Dukhovny, the CEO of Alef. The companys website said the flying car will be a certified as a low speed vehicle, which means it wont be able to go faster than about 25 miles per hour on a paved road. The assumption is that, if a driver needs a faster route, a driver will use Alefs flight capabilities, the company posted on the site. Development has been underway on the vehicle since 2015. Four friends, Constantine Kisly, Pavel Markin, Oleg Petrov and Dukhovny, inspired by the Back to the Future movies decided to form a company to try to develop flying cars. According to the company, an initial automated test flight of a skeleton version of the car was successfully conducted in 2018, and a full-size prototype was flown the following year. But Alef said that it needed the FAAs special airworthiness certificate to continue conducting the necessary research and development. The company also said it had taken refundable pre-orders for more than 400 of the vehicles. Watch videos below The FAA just approved a flying car for testing. Alef Automotive said that its vehicle/aircraft is the first flying vehicle that's drivable on public roads and parkable like a normal car. The vehicle is set to sell for $300,000 each with the first delivery by the end of 2025. pic.twitter.com/riXt2xnyRp Noor Chopra (@noorg420) July 4, 2023 The Alef Flying Car, the first #flyingcar in history to receive a limited license in the #USA , is now available for purchase at $300,000. It has a ground range of 322 km and an air range of 177 km. Pre-orders are already available, and it will be possible to take it for a spin pic.twitter.com/ZLtEO1z4wx George Marshall (@MrGeorgeCrypto) July 3, 2023 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 Director of Local Government Services at the Office of the President, Dennis Miracles Aboagye has disagreed with critics accusing the ruling government of vote buying, especially following the recently held Assin North by-election. The Coalition of Domestic Election Observers (CODEO) condemned the incidence of vote buying in the Assin North by-election held on Tuesday. The National Coordinator of CODEO, Albert Kofi Arhin, speaking in an interview said: I heard a lot of people talking about money exchanging hands, being given to voters and thats a very bad sign. Its been happening and people have been talking about it and if we are not careful this will destroy the democracy that we are building. How can you give money to a voter to cast a ballot for you? It is surely a bad sign, so I think both politicians and voters need to look at this and find solutions to it because it is not good for our democracy, he added. However, the Presidential Staffer believes what the Coalition is saying "is just theory". "The only way anyone can make a case is if there's any scientific proof that if you give something to someone it can influence the person to vote for or against you, then we'll be able to make a case. As for what CODEO and others are saying it's just paperwork..." he said during a panel discussion on Peace FM's morning show 'Kokrokoo'. Watch video below Miracles further indicated that as a politician, he'll do whatever he can "within his means" to ensure that he gets the vote he needs during an election. According to him, if anyone should be blamed for vote buying it should be the voter. "I'm a politician; if I'm going for an election and I come to you and you tell me to give you a private jet before you vote for me; why not, I'll give it to you; if it's within my means. If you have any complaint about vote buying it should go to the voter, not the politician. I'm a political party and my job is to win an election; what are you talking about? Ah!!! As for this vote buying issue, I don't even understand it. Who did we buy???" Listen to him in the video below 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 Minority Members of Parliament have served notice that they will not participate in the business of the House as long as the Assin North MP, James Gyakye Quayson appears in court. Speaking in Parliament on Tuesday (4 July) after the swearing-in of Gyakye Quayson, the Minority Leader, Cassiel Ato Forson. I wish to serve notice that the entire Minority group will accompany our colleague to court today and any other day that he is to appear in court, Ato Forson said. Mr Speaker, we are solidarising with our colleague and we will not participate in the business of the House anytime our colleague is in court and well be withdrawing from the chamber after this ceremony if the court processes indeed happens today. The MP-elect James Gyakye Quayson was sworn-in in Parliament by the Speaker of Parliament, Alban Bagbin into office. Earlier, Bagbin acknowledged a confirmation letter from the Electoral Commission and used the occasion to welcome him [Gyakye Quayson] to Parliament. The MP for Assin North was accompanied by some chiefs of the Assin North Traditional Council, the flagbearer of the National Democratic Congress, John Dramani Mahama, chairman of the NDC, Johnson Asiedu Nketiah and executives of the party. Source: asaaseradio.com Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Director of Legal Affairs for the ruling New Patriotic Party(NPP), Lawyer Gary Nimako Marfo has said that he does not support calls made by the Paramount Chief of Dormaa traditional area, Osagyefo Oseadeeyo Agyemang Badu II, that the Attorney General should file a nolle prosequi in the case involving the embattled newly elected Member of Parliament for Assin North, Hon. James Gyakye Quayson. According to him he may argue in his capacity as a Chief but not in the point of law. The Dormaahene, Osagyefo Oseadeeyo Agyemang Badu II, has appealed to the Attorney-General (A-G), Godfred Yeboah Dame, to drop the criminal charges against James Gyakye Quayson, the Member of Parliament-elect for Assin North. James Gyakye Quayson is facing trial for perjury at the High Court in Accra. He is facing charges of forgery and perjury in relation to certain alleged offences in the run up to the 2020 Assin North parliamentary election. He has pleaded not guilty to five counts of forgery of passport or travel certificate, knowingly making a false statutory declaration, perjury and false declaration for office. It is the case of the prosecution that Mr Quayson allegedly made a false statement to the Passport Office that he did not hold a passport to another country when he applied for a Ghanaian Passport. But speaking on Okay FM's 'Ade Akye Abia' programme, he explained that if he (Dormaahene) argues that Hon. Gyakye Quayson's case should be dropped, what will he do if a similar case is brought before him in his court where he sits as a judge. "The law should not be a respecter of anybody else the judicial system may seem to be bias which will not give the country a good image. Some people have suffered from the same law that he pleads for Gyakye Quayson to evade and so he should allow the law to take its course," he said. Watch video below Source: Isaac Kwame Owusu/Peacefmonline.com/[email protected] Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Atik Mohammed has supported President of the Bono Regional House of Chiefs and the Omanhene of the Dormaa Traditional Area, Osagyefo Oseadeeyo Agyemang Badu II that the Attorney General should discontinue the criminal charge against the newly elected Member of Parliament for Assin North, James Gyakye Quayson. James Gyakye Quayson was re-elected by the constituents of Assin North after a by-election which was necessitated by his exit from Parliament following a Supreme Court ruling that delegitimized his election into the Legislative House. Mr. Gyakye Quayson was cited for holding a dual citizenship during the 2020 parliamentary elections and was since an MP in absentia, hence being denied of the opportunity to serve his constituents. However, his political party, the National Democratic Congress presented him again during the by-election held on Tuesday, June 27, 2023 and he had a resounding victory. Osagyefo Oseadeeyo Agyemang Badu II, speaking at the 10th-anniversary lecture of John Evans Atta Mills in Sunyani, made a solemn appeal to President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo to intervene and ensure an end to the trial of Mr. Gyakye Quayson. As a matter of urgency, I am appealing to the President of the Republic, Attorney General if he has any role to play, that trial should be aborted. The Attorney General should as a matter of urgency file a nolle prosequi to end that particular decision, Oseadeeyo Agyemang Badu II. who is a sitting High Court Judge, known in judicial practice as His Lordship, Justice Daniel Mensah said, adding that he doesn't see the benefits this prosecution will bring Ghanaians. If he is in court, he cant fulfil his mandate so the president and the Attorney General should do something urgently to end this matter, so we move on as Ghanaians. Atik Mohammed has also asked the Attorney General to file a nolle prosequi and halt the trial, stressing it is not fair for the people of Assin North to be denied another chance to have a parliamentary representation. "Once they have elected someone, it is only fair that the person who has been elected would represent them but it didn't turn out in such manner. So, if they have voted again in a by-election and there is a likelihood that if care is not taken, they might very soon be denied again the opportunity to be represented, I feel it's worrying. But it is a tricky one because it also has the tendency to create the impression that if you commit a crime and you are a Parliamentarian, your treatment is different. So, it's kind of a hard balance to strike," he said on Peace FM's 'Kokrokoo' morning show. Atik argued that his suggestion for an end to the criminal trial of Mr. Gyakye Quayson is premised on the reason that "given the peculiar circumstances of Mr. Gyakye Quayson, if possible the Attorney General would consider [you know] a way of discontinuing the case at least for now to allow the people of Assin North get the full benefits of representation". "I support the idea he should favour the suggestion that he should consider this nolle prosequi," he added. Source: Ameyaw Adu Gyamfi/Peacefmonline.com/Ghana Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Atik Mohammed has slammed the President of the Bono Regional House of Chiefs and the Omanhene of the Dormaa Traditional Area, Osagyefo Oseadeeyo Agyemang Badu II who is also a sitting High Court Judge, known in judicial practice as His Lordship Justice Daniel Mensah over his comment for discontinuance of the criminal trial of James Gyakye Quayson, the Member of Parliament for Assin North. Osagyefo Oseadeeyo Agyemang Badu II, addressing a gathering at the 10th-anniversary lecture of John Evans Atta Mills in Sunyani, appealed to the President of the Republic, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, to intervene in the prosecution of the Assin North MP. He insisted that the President should take steps to halt the trial saying "honestly, I dont see the benefits this prosecution will bring Ghanaians. If he is in court, he cant fulfil his mandate so the president and the Attorney General should do something urgently to end this matter, so we move on as Ghanaians". He charged the President to, as a matter of urgency, abort the criminal case. As a matter of urgency, I am appealing to the President of the Republic, Attorney General if he has any role to play, that trial should be aborted. The Attorney General should as a matter of urgency file a nolle prosequi to end that particular decision. But to Atik Mohammed, it is inappropriate for Osagyefo Oseadeeyo Agyemang Badu II being a sitting Justice to publicly make statements of this sort. The former PNC General Secretary questioned the objectivity of Osagyefo Oseadeeyo Agyemang Badu II if he were to be the judge hearing the case. To him, it is utterly wrong for the Dormahene to have directly concerned himself with the trial. "As a judge, even if you have such views, I think they should be privately shared and even so I don't really support the idea that you should be sharing your views on things like these but if you feel strongly, these are views that should be shared privately. But to say it publicly as a judge, I think it is disturbing," Atik told host Nana Yaw Kesseh on Peace FM's 'Kokrokoo' morning show. Source: Ameyaw Adu Gyamfi/Peacefmonline.com/Ghana Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Ghanaian actor, Harold Amenyah has disclosed that he is in for a threesome and had been harbouring the idea for a very long time and wanted to experience it on his 30th birthday. However, his wish didnt see the light of day after meeting his now wife at the time who is very conventional with such things. Speaking on GH One, the actor said despite being married, he is still opened for it when the opportunity comes. I havent tried it before but Im open to it. Im open to it. Why not? I was actually hoping that I will try it before my 30th birthday but it didnt happen. And before I knew it I was dating my wife. My wife is very conventional, she comes from a typical Ghanaian home, shes not used to all these unconventional things, I dont know how its going to play out so Im putting it out into the universe, he said. Acknowledging that his now marital status could be a possible barrier, Harold said he will encourage his wife so that they both audition to get the right person. We will audition. The two of us have to be mutually in sync with it because, obviously, its two people that you are meeting now, he said. Harolds comments have not been taken lightly by some of his followers and social media commentators who think they were distasteful to the sanctity of his marriage. More so, when the actor had revealed that he prays on Alpha Hour, an online prayer platform, with his wife and that the latter even agreed to marry him because he started praying on the altar when she used to send links when they first met. 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 To survive his perceived hardships in Ghana, popular Ghanaian actor, Clement Bonney widely known as Mr Beautiful says he has resorted to selling coconuts and sugarcanes. The actor who has never hidden his support and love for the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) and its flagbearer, John Dramani Mahama told Cape Coast-based Property FM that the collapse of the Ghanaian movie industry has contributed to his current woes. The collapse of the movie industry has brought extreme hardships on some of us who are actively engaged in such a venture. In order to survive the hardships in Ghana due to the collapse of the movie industry, I now sell sugarcane and coconut. The coconut that I sell is the one that is grown in my hometown in Central Region which is Abura Dunkwa, he said. His acting career may have been wrecked by his public support for former President Mahama and the National Democratic Congress (NDC) in the 2012 and 2016 elections, but Mr Beautiful told Graphic Showbiz in an interview in 2020 that it is not enough reason for him to reject the party. I am ever ready to battle with my sweat and blood for Mahama. This is not about Mr Beautiful and his love for Mahama, but now it is glaring that Mahama and the NDC administration performed better for the arts than the NPP has done in the last four years. I wont just make empty claims but support my argument with facts, and those who think otherwise can come and challenge me. The NPP can never compare themselves to the NDC when it comes to their work for the creative arts sector, he told Graphic Showbiz at the time. Source: graphic showbiz 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 About This Quiz Since the first U.S. presidential election began in 1788, the country has been no stranger to odd occurrences among candidates, voters and results. If it seems like it should be an easy process, the presidential election has often proven anything but simple. You'll see what we mean with this quiz. This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: The Timna Park Site 25 Chariot Engraving. Credit: Humanities and Social Sciences Communications (2023). DOI: 10.1057/s41599-023-01742-7 A groundbreaking study conducted by a multidisciplinary team that include a computational archaeologist, artist, and computer programmer has revealed new insights into ancient rock engravings and the techniques used by ancient engravers. The research, carried out at Site 25 in Timna Park, Southern Israel, has captivated experts and offers a fresh perspective on the production processes of these fascinating engraved rocks. The findings are published in the journal Humanities and Social Sciences Communications. Traditionally, the study of engraved images focused on iconography, iconology, and stylistic features, overlooking the intricacies of the engraving techniques. However, this innovative research method, introduced in the study, emphasizes characterizing the techniques employed in creating rock engravings during ancient times. By considering technological variations as indicators of the engraver's production process, the team aims to enhance our understanding of these ancient artworks. To conduct the study, 3-D scans of two ancient engravings and contemporary graffiti were obtained from Site 25 in Timna Park. These scans underwent meticulous analysis using ArchCUT3-D, specialized software developed to assess the 3-D micromorphological characteristics of the incisions forming the engravings. ArchCUT3-D enables precise and repeatable analysis by extracting 3-D slices of the incisions and examining the surface micromorphology. Chariots Engraving . Credit: Humanities and Social Sciences Communications (2023). DOI: 10.1057/s41599-023-01742-7 The results of the research indicate that different incisions within the engravings were executed using distinct techniques. By identifying distinctive characteristics, the team successfully showcased the unique aspects of the engraving operations, such as ergonomic conditions and the consistency level of the engraving gestures. The utilization of ArchCUT3-D software in this study represents a significant computational advancement in the field. It enables the recognition of incision techniques through micromorphology specifications and facilitates the reconstruction of engraving gestures and individual production procedures. This groundbreaking technology opens up exciting possibilities for understanding the craftsmanship and cultural significance behind ancient rock engravings. ArchCUT3-D interface showing sections of sliced and analyzed incisions and a list of selected points. Credit: Humanities and Social Sciences Communications (2023). DOI: 10.1057/s41599-023-01742-7 Prof. Leore Grosman, Head of the Computational Archaeology Laboratory at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, expressed enthusiasm for the study's findings, stating, "Our research provides a fresh perspective on ancient rock engravings by delving into the intricacies of their production processes. By unlocking the technological secrets behind these engravings, we gain valuable insights into the craftsmanship, artistic expression, and cultural context of our ancestors." The implications of this study reach beyond the scientific community, as the newfound knowledge about ancient engraving techniques has the potential to reshape our understanding of human cultures throughout history. The team hopes that their findings will stimulate further research and inspire interdisciplinary collaborations to unravel the mysteries surrounding these ancient artworks. The research team consisted of Prof. Leore Grosman, Head of the Computational Archaeology Laboratory, Lena Dubinsky, a doctoral candidate, and Dr. Marcelo David, all from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. More information: Lena Dubinsky et al, Recognizing technique variation in rock engravings: ArchCUT3-D for micromorphological analysis, Humanities and Social Sciences Communications (2023). DOI: 10.1057/s41599-023-01742-7 This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: The NANOGrav team used a number of radio telescopes, including the Green Bank Telescope in West Virginia, to listen to pulsars for 15 years. Credit: NRAO/AUI/NSF, CC BY An international team of astronomers has detected a faint signal of gravitational waves reverberating through the universe. By using dead stars as a giant network of gravitational wave detectors, the collaborationcalled NANOGravwas able to measure a low-frequency hum from a chorus of ripples of spacetime. I'm an astronomer who studies and has written about cosmology, black holes and exoplanets. I've researched the evolution of supermassive black holes using the Hubble Space telescope. Though members of the team behind this new discovery aren't yet certain, they strongly suspect that the background hum of gravitational waves they measured was caused by countless ancient merging events of supermassive black holes. Pulsars are spinning dead stars that emit strong beams of radiation and can be used as accurate cosmic clocks. Using dead stars for cosmology Gravitational waves are ripples in spacetime caused by massive accelerating objects. Albert Einstein predicted their existence in his general theory of relativity, in which he hypothesized that when a gravitational wave passes through space, it makes the space shrink then expand periodically. Researchers first detected direct evidence of gravitational waves in 2015, when the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory, known as LIGO, picked up a signal from a pair of merging black holes that had traveled 1.3 billion light-years to reach Earth. The NANOGrav collaboration is also trying to detect spacetime ripples, but on an interstellar scale. The team used pulsars, rapidly spinning dead stars that emit a beam of radio emissions. Pulsars are functionally similar to a lighthouseas they spin, their beams can sweep across the Earth at regular intervals. The NANOGrav team used pulsars that rotate incredibly fastup to 1,000 times per secondand these pulses can be timed like the ticking of an extremely accurate cosmic clock. As gravitational waves sweep past a pulsar at the speed of light, the waves will very slightly expand and contract the distance between the pulsar and the Earth, ever so slightly changing the time between the ticks. Pulsars are such accurate clocks that it is possible to measure their ticking with an accuracy to within 100 nanoseconds. That lets astronomers calculate the distance between a pulsar and Earth to within 100 feet (30 meters). Gravitational waves change the distance between these pulsars and Earth by tens of miles, making pulsars easily sensitive enough to detect this effect. Finding a hum within cacophony The first thing the NANOGrav team had to do was control for the noise in its cosmic gravitational wave detector. This included noise in the radio receivers it used and subtle astrophysics that affect the behavior of pulsars. Even accounting for these effects, the team's approach was not sensitive enough to detect gravitational waves from individual supermassive black hole binaries. However, it had enough sensitivity to detect the sum of all the massive black hole mergers that have occurred anywhere in the universe since the Big Bangas many as a million overlapping signals. In a musical analogy, it is like standing in a busy downtown and hearing the faint sound of a symphony somewhere in the distance. You can't pick out a single instrument because of the noise of the cars and the people around you, but you can hear the hum of a hundred instruments. The team had to tease out the signature of this gravitational wave "background" from other competing signals. The team was able to detect this symphony by measuring a network of 67 different pulsars for 15 years. If some disruption in the ticking of one pulsar was due to gravitational waves from the distant universe, all the pulsars the team was watching would be affected in a similar way. On June 28, 2023, the team published four papers describing its project and the evidence it found of the gravitational wave background. The hum the NANOGrav collaboration found is produced from the merging of black holes that are billions of times more massive than the sun. These black holes spin around one another very slowly and produce gravitational waves with frequencies of one-billionth of a hertz. That means the spacetime ripples have an oscillation every few decades. This slow oscillation of the wave is the reason the team needed to rely on the incredibly accurate timekeeping of pulsars. These gravitational waves are different from the waves LIGO can detect. LIGO's signals are produced when two black holes 10 to 100 times the mass of the sun merge into one rapidly spinning object, creating gravitational waves that oscillate hundreds of times per second. If you think of black holes as a tuning fork, the smaller the event, the faster the tuning fork vibrates and the higher the pitch. LIGO detects gravitational waves that "ring" in the audible range. The black hole mergers the NANOGrav team has found "ring" with a frequency billions of times too low to hear. The James Webb Space Telescope has allowed astronomers to peer back in time and study the first galaxies to form after the Big Bang. Credit: NASA, ESA, CSA, STScI Giant black holes in the early universe Astronomers have long been interested in studying how stars and galaxies first emerged in the aftermath of the Big Bang. This new finding from the NANOGrav team is like adding another colorgravitational wavesto the picture of the early universe that is just starting to emerge, in large part thanks to the James Webb Space Telescope. A major scientific goal of the James Webb Space Telescope is to help researchers study how the first stars and galaxies formed after the Big Bang. To do this, James Webb was designed to detect the faint light from incredibly distant stars and galaxies. The farther away an object is, the longer it takes the light to get to Earth, so James Webb is effectively a time machine that can peer back over 13.5 billion years to see light from the first stars and galaxies in the universe. It has been very successful in the quest, having found hundreds of galaxies that flooded the universe with light in the first 700 million years after the big bang. The telescope has also detected the oldest black hole in the universe, located at the center of a galaxy that formed just 500 million years after the Big Bang. These findings are challenging existing theories of the evolution of the universe. It takes a long time to grow a massive galaxy. Astronomers know that supermassive black holes lie at the center of every galaxy and have mass proportional to their host galaxies. So these ancient galaxies almost certainly have the correspondingly massive black hole in their centers. The problem is that the objects James Webb has been finding are far bigger than current theory says they should be. These new results from the NANOGrav team emerged from astronomers' first opportunity to listen to the gravitational waves of the ancient universe. The findings, while tantalizing, aren't quite strong enough to claim a definitive discovery. That will likely change, as the team has expanded its pulsar network to include 115 pulsars and should get results from this next survey around 2025. As James Webb and other research challenges existing theories of how galaxies evolved, the ability to study the era after the Big Bang using gravitational waves could be an invaluable tool. This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article. This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: This illustration depicts a star (in the foreground) experiencing spaghettification as its sucked in by a supermassive black hole (in the background) during a tidal disruption event. In a new study, done with the help of ESOs Very Large Telescope and ESOs New Technology Telescope, a team of astronomers found that when a black hole devours a star, it can launch a powerful blast of material outwards. Credit: ESO/M. Kornmesser, Attribution (CC BY 4.0) A team of astronomers led by researchers from the University of Birmingham, University College London and Queen's University Belfast have discovered one of the most dramatic 'switches on' of a black hole ever seen. They will present their findings on Tuesday 4 July at the 2023 National Astronomy Meeting in Cardiff. The work will also be published in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society. J221951-484240, known as J221951, is one of the most luminous transientsastrophysical objects that change their brightness over a short period of timeever recorded. It was discovered by Dr. Samantha Oates, an astronomer at the University of Birmingham, and her team, in September 2019 while searching for the electromagnetic light from a gravitational wave event. The team were using the Ultra-Violet and Optical Telescope on board the Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory to look for a kilonova, the sign of a neutron star merging with another neutron star or a black hole. A kilonova typically appears blue, then fades and turns more red in color over a timescale of days. What they found instead something even more unusual: J221951. The transient appeared blue, but didn't change color or fade rapidly as a kilonova would. Multiple telescopes were used to follow-up J221951 and determine its nature, including NASA's Swift/UVOT and Hubble Space Telescope, the South African Large Telescope, and ESO facilities such as the Very Large Telescope and the GROND instrument on the MPG/ESO 2.2-meter telescope at the La Silla Observatory. A spectrum of J221951 taken with the Hubble Space Telescope ruled out the association of J221951 with the gravitational wave event. By examining the light spectrum of J221951, Dr. Oates and her team were able to determine that the source is around 10 billion light years away, in contrast to the gravitational wave signal which was detected less than 0.5 billion light years away. The fact that it shines so brightly at such a large distance makes J221951 one of the most luminous transients ever detected. Evidence suggests that J221951 came into existence as a result of a supermassive black hole feeding on surrounding material very rapidly. A red galaxy was observed at the location of J221951 prior to its detection, and the location of J221951 is consistent with the galaxy's center, where a massive black hole would naturally reside. It started to shine very suddenlyaround 10 months prior to initial detectionmeaning the black hole started feeding very quickly after being quiet for some time. The ultraviolet spectrum shows absorption features consistent with material pushed outwards by a huge release of energy. This, combined with its large luminosity, makes this one of the most dramatic 'switches on' of a black hole ever seen. The team have identified two possible mechanisms that could explain this extreme feeding of a super massive black hole. The first is that it may have been caused by a tidal disruption eventthe disruption of a star as it passes close to the supermassive black hole at the center of its galaxy. The second is that it may have been produced by an active galactic nucleus 'changing state' from dormant to active. J221951 would then be the signal that a dormant black hole at the center of the host galaxy has begun to feed on material from an accretion disk. Dr. Matt Nicholl, a member of the team from Queen's University Belfast, said, "Our understanding of the different things that supermassive black holes can do has greatly expanded in recent years, with discoveries of stars being torn apart and accreting black holes with hugely variable luminosities." He adds, "J221951 is one of the most extreme examples yet of a black hole taking us by surprise. Continued monitoring of J221951 to work out the total energy release might allow us to work out whether this is a tidal disruption of a star by a fast-spinning black hole, or a new kind of AGN switch on". Dr. N. Paul Kuin, another member of the team from the Mullard Space Science Laboratory at University College London, said, "The key discovery was when the ultraviolet spectrum from Hubble ruled out a Galactic origin. This shows how important it is to maintain a space-based UV spectrograph capability for the future." Dr. Samantha Oates adds, "In the future we will be able to obtain important clues that help distinguish between the tidal disruption event and active galactic nuclei scenarios. For instance, if J221951 is associated with an AGN turning on we may expect it to stop fading and to increase again in brightness, while if J221951 is a tidal disruption event we would expect it to continue to fade. We will need to continue to monitor J221951 over the next few months to years to capture its late-time behavior." This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: Campaigners oppose the expansion of London's road toll for the most polluting vehicles. A UK court will on Tuesday consider contentious plans to extend a scheme obliging the most polluting vehicles to pay for using London's roads, as opponents engage in protestsand even sabotage. The High Court case comes just weeks before London Mayor Sadiq Khan's expansion of the Ultra-Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) is set to take effect. The schemefirst introduced in 2019 and separate from the city's two-decades-old congestion chargerequires more polluting vehicles to pay a 12.50 ($16) toll on days they are driven within inner London. Its extension to all of Greater London from August 29 has prompted a fierce backlash from many living in and around the newly encompassed areas, who face fines of up to 160 for each day they fail to pay. "It ain't right. They're hitting working class people again," Chris Fordham, 62, told AFP as he pulled up at a supermarket just beyond southeast London in his non-compliant 2012 diesel van. "I'm thinking about packing up work," added the self-employed builder, who crosses into the capital almost daily, blaming the imminent new charge and other soaring costs. Several outer London local authorities and neighboring Surrey County Council are lodging a court challenge to the way Khan decided on the expansion. The Ultra-Low Emission Zone is to be extended to all of Greater London. Environmental group Greenpeace criticized the councils for going to court, accusing them of "fighting completely the wrong battle". "They should be putting their energy and resources into bringing down air pollution, not a key anti-pollution measure," said Areeba Hamid of Greenpeace UK. Khan, re-elected to a second term in 2021, ordered the new measure in November despite a public consultation suggesting most Londoners oppose it. 'Harmful' The Labour mayor, 52, insists the bigger ULEZ will help improve the city's "toxic air pollution", which causes thousands of annual deaths and life-changing illnesses. He developed adult-onset asthma nine years ago and blames it on decades of breathing the capital's poor air. In a legal first in 2021, a coroner ruled that poor air quality from vehicle emissions made a "material contribution" to the death of a nine-year-old London girl who suffered a severe asthma attack. Mayor Sadiq Khan says curbing air pollution will reduce deaths and illnesses in London. London's ULEZ mirrors similar low-emission zones to improve air quality in more than 200 cities in 10 countries across Europe. Petrol cars registered pre-2006 and diesel vehicles first registered before September 2015 are unlikely to meet the minimum emissions standards required. Transport for London (TfL)a local government bodyestimates that fewer than 200,000 such vehicles currently enter the new zone, based on existing ULEZ camera analysis. But the RAC motoring group used a freedom of information request to discover that more than 850,000 ineligible vehicles are registered within London alone. Khan argues that many of those are not actually driven in the capital. He has launched a scrappage scheme providing some funding to eligible vehicle owners. But critics say it does not go far enough. With Britain gripped by the worst cost-of-living crisis in a generation, many affected have been left feeling helpless. Motoring groups say the owners of more than 850,000 vehicles may have to pay. 'Help!' "It's the wrong time with the cost of living," said pregnant mother-of-one Sarah Farmer, who lives in Swanley, near London. The 31-year-old regularly crosses into the capital in her 2003 Ford Mondeo for her cleaning job and to visit relatives. To compound problems, her partner's 2014 diesel van used for his bricklaying job is not compliant eitherand the couple cannot afford a new car. "I'm not actually against it," she added of the ULEZ, "but they need to give people more help." Some are escalating their opposition, with TfL confirming that more than 200 enforcement cameras have suffered sabotage. London's Metropolitan police have launched a "proactive operation" in response, charging two men in May with criminal damage and other offenses. Critics will stage their latest anti-ULEZ protest outside the High Court in central London ahead of Tuesday's hearing. Campaigners say people forced to buy new vehicles cannot afford them. Phil Elliott, 59, a haulage industry driver who has long campaigned against aspects of London's road-charging schemes, has been spearheading opposition, largely through Facebook. He told AFP the new toll is the final straw for many and predicts growing civil disobedience in Britain, emulating the so-called yellow jackets protests seen in France. "Desperate times take desperate measures and unfortunately what you've got (is) people are getting desperate now and governments aren't listening," Elliott said. "Before it gets too messy, people need to start listening." 2023 AFP This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: Brazilian molecular biologist Rodrigo Moura Neto inspects a plant that contains CBD, which can be used to treat epilepsy and crhonic pain, at his laboratory at the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro in June 2023. In a laboratory tucked away on a sprawling university campus in Rio de Janeiro, Brazilian molecular biologist Rodrigo Moura Neto is running tests on a seemingly ordinary plant with a potent secret. The fast-growing, homely plant, Trema micrantha blume, is native to the Americas, where it is widespread and often considered a weed. But Moura Neto recently discovered its fruits and flowers contain one of the active ingredients in marijuana: cannabidiol, or CBD, which has shown promise as a treatment for conditions including epilepsy, autism, anxiety and chronic pain. Crucially, he also found it does not contain the other main ingredient in pot, tetrahydrocannabinol, or THCthe psychoactive substance that makes people high. That opens the possibility of an abundant new source of CBD, without the complications of cannabis, which remains illegal in many places. The discovery has made something of an overnight academic star of Dr. Moura Neto, an affable, silver-haired 66-year-old who now has a packed schedule of meetings with patent experts and companies keen to tap the multi-billion-dollar CBD market. "It was wonderful to find a plant (with CBD but) without THC, because you avoid all the mess around psychotropic substances," says Moura Neto, who has spent the better part of five decades researching in this small lab at Rio de Janeiro Federal University. "That means the potential is enormous," he tells AFP. His 10-member team recently won a 500,000-real ($104,000) public grant to expand his project, which will now identify the best methods to extract CBD from "Trema," then study its effectiveness as a substitute for medical marijuana. View of the Trema micrantha blume plant, a fast-growing plant that is native to the Americas where it is widespread and often considered a weed. Man in demand Many of CBD's touted medical uses are still under research. The compound is controversial, including in Brazil, where patients have gone to court to win the right to use it. They often have to import it at eye-watering prices, given that cultivating medical marijuana remains illegalthough there is legislation before Congress to change that. Debates aside, demand for CBD is booming. The global market for CBD last year was estimated at nearly $5 billion. Analytics firm Vantage Market Research projects it will grow to more than $47 billion by 2028, driven mainly by health and wellness use. Interest in Moura Neto's research has been "huge," says Rosane Silva, the director of his laboratory, which sits off a hallway bustling with students and researchers in white lab coats. "Lots of companies have been calling, looking to collaborate" on an eventual non-cannabis-based CBD medication, Silva says, standing beside what she calls the "magical plant." A member of the Cannabaceae familylike cannabis"Trema" can grow into a tree up to 20 meters (66 feet) tall. Moura Neto says he and the university may explore patenting any innovations they find for extracting CBD from its tiny fruits and flowers. Trema micrantha blume contain one of the ingredients in marijuana, CBD, which shows promise treating epilepsy, autism, anxiety and chronic pain, but not the other main ingredient THC that makes people high. But he is quick to add he won't patent "Trema" itself. He wants scientists everywhere to be able to research it. "If I dreamed of being a billionaire, I wouldn't have become a professor," he says. From policing to producing? Moura Neto started studying CBD for a completely different reason: trained as a forensic geneticist, he would analyze the DNA of marijuana seized by police to help investigators trace its source. When he came across a study that identified CBD in a related plant in Thailandanother member of the Cannabaceae familyhe got the idea to test for it in "Trema." He says turning his still-unpublished findings into a drug ready for market will take five to 10 years of research and clinical trialsif it is possible at all. Cannabis, first domesticated in China more than 10,000 years ago, has been cultivated for millennia to hone its mind-altering and medicinal effects. CBD from "Trema" might not work as well, or at all, Moura Neto says. In the meantime, it's no use smoking the plant for a high. "That definitely won't do anything for you," he laughs. 2023 AFP This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: Optimal flow regimes in the non-dominated set of solutions. Three examples of optimal flow regimes along the frontier are illustrated at right. Flow regimes with higher salmon survival allocated flow pulses earlier in spring, whereas energy-focused solutions allocated more flow in summer and, to a lesser extent, winter. Credit: H.I. Jager In the Western U.S., water scarcity is a pressing issue, and strikes a balance between providing flow when it is needed to support migratory fish habitats, like salmon and steelhead. Simultaneously meeting the needs of irrigators and hydropower producers has proven to be a notable challenge. Even with ample stored water available, it can still be difficult to coordinate flow releases that can satisfy all demands. As climate conditions continue to grow warmer and drier, finding solutions that simultaneously address the needs of fish, energy production, and other water demands will become increasingly challenging. To that end, two scientists at Oak Ridge National Laboratory explored the optimal scheduling of flow releases from a reservoir in California, U.S., to simultaneously benefit salmon populations and maximize electricity generation. The study's findings were published in the journal Water Security and Biology. "Tensions among competing water uses are high in the Central Valley of California," explained Henriette Jager, co-author of the study. "Reservoirs serve multiple purposes, including support for migratory fish populations. Wild spawner returns of fall-run Chinook Salmon to Central Valley rivers have declined at an average rate of 1,947 adults per year since 1950, accompanied by substantial year-to-year fluctuations." The duo developed models to understand how flow releases from a California reservoir could be scheduled to benefit salmon while maximizing the value of electricity generation. Dr. Rocio Uria-Martinez, an energy economist, modeled seasonal patterns in energy value, while Dr. Jager modeled salmon responses to flow. When combined in an optimization, the models produced a Pareto-optimal frontier of seasonal flow patterns. The candidate flow regimes consisted of two pulse flows with variations in magnitude, timing and duration. These regimes were further constrained by maintaining a total annual flow close to the historical median. The study's results indicate whether flow regimes that are good for salmon rearing would also allow hydropower generation at times when electricity demand and prices are high. The analysis revealed times when the economic and salmon objectives aligned, as well as times when they diverged. Optimal flow regimes satisfying both salmon and hydropower objectives provided pulse flows in early summer. However, only the solutions emphasizing hydropower value included high flows during mid-winter. According to the study's other author, Dr. Rocio Uria-Martinez, "The economics of California's grid is complex, but we were mainly interested in seasonal climate signals. For example, electricity demand should be higher when the air conditioning and heating come on." The results of the study provide valuable insights into how reservoirs can operate to simultaneously meet the needs of salmon populations and electricity users. More information: Henriette I. Jager et al, Finding middle ground: Flow regimes designed for salmon and energy value, Water Biology and Security (2023). DOI: 10.1016/j.watbs.2023.100183 Provided by KeAi Communications Co., Ltd. This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: Newly described crocodile newt species Tylototriton ngoclinhensis. Credit: Prof. Dr. Tao Thien Nguyen, CC-BY 4.0 A new species of crocodile newt from the Central Highlands of Vietnam has been described in the journal ZooKeys. "It is an exceptional discovery as it is one of the most colorful species in the genus Tylototriton. This is also the first time that a crocodile newt species is recorded from the Central Highlands of Vietnam. Occurring at elevations from 1,800 to 2,300 m above sea level, this discovery sets an elevational record for the genus in the country, with former distribution ranges between 250 m and 1,740 m," says discoverer and first author of the study Trung My Phung. Furthermore, the discovery by the Vietnamese-German researcher team represents the southernmost distribution range of the genus known to date. The habitat of the new species is located approximately 370 air km away from the nearest Tylototriton population, which makes it an important discovery in terms of evolution and zoogeography. The name "ngoclinhensis" refers to the type locality of the new species, Ngoc Linh Mountain. Restricted to evergreen montane forest, the Ngoc Linh Crocodile Newt is currently known only from the Ngoc Linh Nature Reserve, Kon Tum Province, in the Central Highlands of Vietnam. This is the eighth salamander taxon described from Vietnam, and is the thirty-ninth Tylototriton species officially recognized. Crocodile newts, scientifically known as the genus Tylototriton, include nearly 40 species inhabiting montane forest areas throughout the Asian monsoon climate zone. Remarkably, 15 of these species have been described in the past five years, and there remain several unnamed taxa, which contain cryptic species that are morphologically difficult to distinguish. Established in 1986, Ngoc Linh Nature Reserve is a key biodiversity area for rare species like the endangered Golden-winged Laughingthrush and the Truong Son Muntjac. The Ngoc Linh Crocodile Newt certainly will represent another flagship species of this protected area and its surroundings, say the researchers. Ngoc Linh has become a hotspot of amphibian diversity, with numerous endemic species. An earlier study highlighted the extraordinary endemism rate of amphibians in the Central Highlands of Vietnam. Newly described crocodile newt species Tylototriton ngoclinhensis. Credit: Prof. Dr. Tao Thien Nguyen, CC-BY 4.0 "[The Central Highlands is] where the highest amphibian species diversity was recorded for Vietnam, with 130 species, while also containing the highest number of regionally occurring, micro-endemic amphibians, amounting for 26 species," explains Prof. Dr. Truong Quang Nguyen, vice director of theInstitute of Ecology and Biological Resources (IEBR), Hanoi. This recent discovery is another remarkable case, "demonstrating that the Central Highlands play a special role in Vietnamese amphibian diversification and evolution," said co-author Dr. Cuong The Pham from IEBR. The Ngoc Linh Crocodile Newt belongs to the group of range-restricted, so-called micro-endemic species, which face the greatest risk of extinction because of their presumably small population size. Unfortunately, on top of its special zoogeographic situation and rarity, its particularly colorful appearance will likely make it highly attractive to illegal collectors. "Therefore, this discovery is of high conservation relevance," says Prof. Dr. Tao Thien Nguyen from the Institute of Genome Research, Hanoi. The species should be provisionally considered to be listed as Endangered on the IUCN Red List of threatened species, the researchers say. All the species of the genus Tylototriton are already listed in the Appendices of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) and also in the Governmental Decree No. 84/2021/ND-CP of Vietnam. The new species thus is automatically protected under these regulations. Now, conservation activities on site have priority, but the team is already working on breeding conservation measures, which is in line with the One Plan Approach to Conservation, developed by IUCN's Conservation Planning Specialist Group, which combines in-situ and ex-situ efforts and various expertises for the optimum protection of a species. "This has already been successfully implemented for another recently discovered, micro-endemic crocodile newt species from Vietnam, Tylototriton vietnamensis, of which already more than 350 individuals could have successfully been reproduced at the Cologne Zoo in Germany and also at the Melinh Station for Biodiversity in Vietnam, which is a promising example for IUCN's Reverse the Red campaign and the idea of the conservation zoo", says Prof. Dr. Thomas Ziegler, Vietnam conservation team member and coordinator from Cologne Zoo, Germany. More information: Trung My Phung et al, Southboundthe southernmost record of Tylototriton (Amphibia, Caudata, Salamandridae) from the Central Highlands of Vietnam represents a new species, ZooKeys (2023). DOI: 10.3897/zookeys.1168.96091 Journal information: ZooKeys This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: Sparrow in vineyard. Credit: Frederic Angelier New research reveals that wild birds living in vineyards can be highly susceptible to contamination by triazole fungicides, more so than in other agricultural landscapes. Exposure to these fungicides at a field-realistic level were found to disrupt hormones and metabolism, which can impact bird reproduction and survival. The research will be presented at the SEB Centenary Conference 2023, taking place in Edinburgh, UK, from 47 July. "We found that birds can be highly contaminated by triazoles in vineyards," says Dr. Frederic Angelier, Senior Researcher at the French National Center for Scientific Research, France. "This contamination was much higher in vineyards relative to other crops, emphasizing that contaminants may especially put birds at risk in these specific agroecosystems." Triazoles are commonly used fungicides that are applied to agricultural crops such as wheat to remove fungal pests by disrupting their cell membranes. While previous studies of wildlife declines have assessed the impact of various agricultural industries, the role of vineyards have been largely overlooked. "However, vineyards cover a large proportion of lands in some European countries and, importantly, they are associated with a massive use of fungicides (up to 57 times more than in other crops)," says Dr. Angelier. "Therefore, vineyards are very relevant agroecosystems to assess the impacts of fungicides on wild birds." For this study, Dr. Angelier and his team combined field experiments to measure real-world fungicide levels, with controlled laboratory experiments to test the impact of these levels of fungicides on specific aspects of bird health. Laboratory investigations into the effects of pesticides on wildlife often use higher concentrations of the pesticide than are usually seen in real-world scenarios to illicit stronger reactions. However, Dr. Angelier and his team measured the real contamination of fungicides in birds living in vineyards, as well as birds from other ecosystems such as forests, cities and crop fields. They then accurately mimicked the fungicide concentrations found in vineyards under lab conditions to examine their sub-lethal effects on bird physiology and health. "In that respect, our research helps to better understand how wild birds are affected by pesticides in a realistic world," says Dr. Angelier. "Impacts to reproduction and survival could lead to a loss of biodiversity or services (such as birds eating other pests)." This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: Northern Fulmar in flight. Credit: Beth Clark An analysis of global tracking data for 77 species of petrel has revealed that a quarter of all plastics potentially encountered in their search for food are in remote international watersrequiring international collaboration to address. The extensive study assessed the movements of 7,137 individual birds from 77 species of petrel, a group of wide-ranging migratory seabirds including the Northern Fulmar and European Storm-petrel, and the Critically Endangered Newell's Shearwater. This is the first time that tracking data for so many seabird species has been combined and overlaid onto global maps of plastic distribution in the oceans. The results show that plastic pollution threatens marine life on a scale that transcends national boundaries: a quarter of all plastic exposure risk occurs in the high seas. This is largely linked to gyreslarge systems of rotating ocean currentswhere vast accumulations of plastics form, fed by waste entering the sea from boats, and from many different countries. Seabirds often mistake small plastic fragments for food, or ingest plastic that has already been eaten by their prey. This can lead to injury, poisoning and starvation, and petrels are particularly vulnerable because they can't easily regurgitate the plastic. In the breeding season they often inadvertently feed plastic to their chicks. Plastics can also contain toxic chemicals that can be harmful to seabirds. Petrels are an understudied but vulnerable group of marine species, which play a key role in oceanic food webs. The breadth of their distribution across the whole ocean makes them important "sentinel species" when assessing the risks of plastic pollution in the marine environment. "Ocean currents cause big swirling collections of plastic rubbish to accumulate far from land, way out of sight and beyond the jurisdiction of any one country. We found that many species of petrel spend considerable amounts of time feeding around these mid-ocean gyres, which puts them at high risk of ingesting plastic debris," said Lizzie Pearmain, a Ph.D. student at the University of Cambridge's Department of Zoology and the British Antarctic Survey, and joint corresponding author of the study. She added, "When petrels eat plastic, it can get stuck in their stomachs and be fed to their chicks. This leaves less space for food, and can cause internal injuries or release toxins." Petrels and other species are already threatened with extinction due to climate change, bycatch, competition with fisheries, and invasive species such as mice and rats on their breeding colonies. The researchers say exposure to plastics may reduce the birds' resilience to these other threats. The north-east Pacific, South Atlantic, and the south-west Indian oceans have mid-ocean gyres full of plastic waste, where many species of threatened seabird forage. "Even species with low exposure risk have been found to eat plastic. This shows that plastic levels in the ocean are a problem for seabirds worldwide, even outside of these high exposure areas," said Dr. Bethany Clark, Seabird Science Officer at BirdLife International and joint corresponding author of the study. She added, "Many petrel species risk exposure to plastic in the waters of several countries and the high seas during their migrations. Due to ocean currents, this plastic debris often ends up far away from its original source. This highlights the need for international cooperation to tackle plastic pollution in the world's oceans." The study also found that the Mediterranean Sea and the Black Sea together account for over half of petrels' global plastic exposure risk. However, only four species of petrel forage in these enclosed, busy areas. The study was led by a partnership between the University of Cambridge, BirdLife International and the British Antarctic Survey, in collaboration with Fauna & Flora International, the 5 Gyres Institute, and over 200 seabird researchers in 27 countries. It has been published in the journal Nature Communications. To get their results, the researchers overlaid global location data, taken from tracking devices attached to the birds, onto pre-existing maps of marine plastic distribution. This allowed them to identify the areas on the birds' migration and foraging journeys where they are most likely to encounter plastics. Species were given an "exposure risk score" to indicate their risk of encountering plastic during their time at sea. A number of already threatened species scored highly, including the Critically Endangered Balearic Shearwater, which breeds in the Mediterranean, and Newell's Shearwater, endemic to Hawaii. Another Endangered species, the Hawaiian Petrel also scored high for plastic exposure risk, as did three species classified by the IUCN as Vulnerable: the Yelkouan Shearwater, which breeds in the Mediterranean; Cook's Petrel, which breeds in New Zealand, and the Spectacled Petrel, which only breeds on an extinct volcano called Inaccessible Island, part of the Tristan da Cunha archipelago, a UK Overseas Territory. "While the population-level effects of plastic exposure are not yet known for most species, many petrels and other marine species are already in a precarious situation. Continued exposure to potentially dangerous plastics adds to the pressures," said Professor Andrea Manica at the University of Cambridge's Department of Zoology, a co-author of the study. He added, "This study is a big leap forward in understanding the situation, and our results will feed into conservation work to try and address the threats to birds at sea." More information: Bethany Clark, Global assessment of marine plastic exposure risk for oceanic birds, Nature Communications (2023). DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-38900-z. www.nature.com/articles/s41467-023-38900-z Journal information: Nature Communications 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 , Cookies . cookies. After three years with no increase, the SUNY Adirondack budget will see a $165,000 increase from Warren County in addition to the $2.2 million the county already pays, pending a public hearing. The Warren County Board of Supervisors on Friday voted unanimously in favor of the increase Friday after months of discussion. County Administrator John Taflan said while the schools budget stayed the same for the past three years, The $165,000 is an add-on to our regular share of $2.2 million, Taflan said. It increases each year by $165,000 for five years until we get to about $3 million a year, he said. Taflan said after the five year period, the amount will increase by 2% every year. On Friday, Kris Duffy, president of SUNY Adirondack, opened the meeting with two major supporters: Ray Agnew, Glens Falls Hospitals vice president of hospital and community engagement and Bill Hart, vice president of U.S. business operations for Irving Consumer Products. They spoke about their experiences with the community college. Agnew said that the value of the college to the hospital cannot be underestimated and addressed some misconceptions about funding he believes the public may have about the Queensbury-based institution. A lot of people consider SUNY a state-funded operation. Well, it was in the early days, then it became state-supported, and now its what I would call state-assisted, he said. SUNY Adirondack receives 24% of their budget from New York state. Although the State University of New York system received an increase in the 2023-2024 budget, the increase did not include SUNYs community colleges, Agnew said. SUNY Adirondacks state support did not increase this year. It stayed exactly the same, he said. The money would be used to replace 20-year-old trucks and upgrade campus technology. Hart, a SUNY Adk alumni himself, spoke to the quality of education offered at the school. Having gone on to a four-year (education) and then an MBA, I can tell you the quality of education received at that institution was as good, if not better, than any other college I have attended, Hart said. He also serves as the president of the colleges foundation and said he spends his time volunteering at the college that gave him so much, hoping to give back. SUNY Adirondack has a budget of about $33 million. Police arrested two men on Tuesday for allegedly robbing the Speedway on Aviation Road in Queensbury. In a news release Tuesday afternoon, police said Justin M. Cabral, 36, of Queensbury, was charged with felony counts of first-degree robbery and third-degree criminal possession of a weapon and misdemeanors of second-degree menacing and seventh-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance. With the assistance of the Warren County Sheriffs Office, Garrett A. Murray, 25, of Greenwich, was also charged with felony first-degree robbery, police said. At about 7:24 a.m., Cabral reportedly entered the business, brandished a knife, and demanded money from the clerk. Before police arrived, he fled the location in a vehicle driven by Murray. Cabral was located on foot nearby and arrested, police said. Police said when Cabral was taken into custody, he was found to possess drugs. The county sheriff deputies found the vehicle in the area of Montcalm Street a short time later. Murray was still in the vehicle, and he was also taken into custody, police said. Both were transported to state police station in Queensbury for processing. They were then transported to the Warren County Jail to await arraignment. The six Long Beach Island municipalities Barnegat Light, Beach Haven, Harvey Cedars, Long Beach Township, Ship Bottom and Surf City filed a joint comment with the state Department of Environmental Protection on Friday opposing the federal certification of Atlantic Shores' offshore wind projects. The LBI Municipalities recognize the need to transition to clean energy resources, and to mitigate climate change and support the development of offshore wind," Long Beach Township Mayor Joseph Mancini said. "But the impact of this specific project must be stopped." Atlantic Shores Offshore Wind projects 1 and 2 would lease more than 102,000 acres off the Jersey Shore with an eventual capacity for wind power that could exceed 2,800 megawatts. Atlantic Shores is a joint venture by EDF-RE Offshore Development and Shell New Energies US. The federal Bureau of Ocean Energy Management issued its draft environmental impact statement for the Atlantic Shores projects May 15, and a 45-day public comment period on the statement began May 19. Save LBI, a group opposed to the installation of an offshore wind farm near LBI, argued the comment period did not leave sufficient time to examine and respond to the impact statement. Pashman Stein Walder Hayden, a law firm based in Hackensack, Bergen County, filed the 29-page comment on behalf of the LBI municipalities. The comment argues the Atlantic Shores projects violate state regulations the Coastal Zone Management Rules were designed to uphold. The first listed complaint in the comment is the drastic visual impact the Atlantic Shores projects would have on LBI, ruining the island's idyllic coast and having a corresponding detrimental impact on tourism. This could cause staggering losses to the island's economy, while reducing tax revenues and causing property values to depreciate. The LBI municipalities added the projects would disrupt the local fishing industry. There were also concerns that the projects threatened bird and marine life as the wind farms will lie in bird migratory paths. Other Jersey Shore communities in Atlantic, Cape May and Ocean counties have expressed similar concerns about the wind projects in recent months. Public officials and advocacy groups skeptical of wind power have organized town halls to protest wind farms as harmful innovations that could damage their views, property values and sea life. Cape May County business chamber opposes wind power CAPE MAY COURT HOUSE The Cape May County Chamber of Commerce has sent a letter supporting The LBI letter said they would like to see the wind farm relocated farther from the shore at a location called "Hudson South" for a project they "would look forward to supporting." The BOEM draft environmental impact statement forecasts what effects the projects will have across a range of resources compared to a no action alternative. It estimates the projects, cumulatively, will have minor adverse impacts on recreation and tourism, as well as minor beneficial ones. Its impact on scenic and visual resources is expected be major, although the BOEM estimates there will be a similar major impact even absent the Atlantic Shores projects, due to other new projects that could increase light pollution and boat traffic. The impact statement predicts the projects would have major adverse effects on commercial fisheries; the no-action alternative would have moderate to major adverse impact, due to continued fishery use and management. Overall, the BOEM draft impact statement predicted the Atlantic Shores projects would have moderate beneficial effects on the area economy, due to investment and workforce development programs. It acknowledged some negligible to minor expenses related to installation and maintenance costs. Atlantic Shores officials have said the projects would galvanize the local economy. In a 2021 interview with The Press, they said their projects would generate $1.9 billion in economic activity, while directly creating 22,200 jobs and indirectly creating an additional 11,800 jobs. The offshore wind projects proposed by Atlantic Shores and Danish energy company rsted have been a tentpole of the Murphy administrations agenda to reduce the states greenhouse-gas emissions. Gov. Phil Murphy issued an executive order in September for the state to build the capacity for 11 gigawatts of offshore wind power by 2040. The comment on behalf of the LBI municipalities argued Murphys executive orders betray bias favoring the Atlantic Shores projects. Casting doubt on the ability of the DEP to impartially review Atlantic Shores request in light of Murphys directives, the municipalities plan to ask that matters concerning Atlantic Shores be referred to a neutral, third party arbiter in the state Office of Administrative Law. The LBI municipalities also alluded to what has perhaps become the most salient controversy surrounding the wind farms, what they argue is the harm the projects have on whale populations, particularly the endangered North Atlantic right whale. Assembly, Senate approve wind tax credit for rsted project Friday A bill to allow rsteds Ocean Wind 1 offshore wind farm to keep federal tax benefits that w The BOEM impact statement said both pursuing the projects and maintaining the status quo could have negligible to major impact on the North Atlantic right whales, as even vessel strikes of individual whales could impact the species ability to survive. The report notes Atlantic Shores has proposed to make some of its work seasonal, with no sea pile driving occurring from January to April, to better protect whales. The concerns on LBI over the future of the whales follow a four-month period from December to March during which more than 20 whales were beached on the Jersey Shore, along with eight dolphins. Critics of wind power attributed the beachings to preliminary work done by the wind companies using sonar. Prominent politicians have called for a moratorium on wind power work due to the spike in whale deaths, including U.S. Rep. Jeff Van Drew, R-2nd. Federal experts from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration have said no evidence exists tying the animals deaths to work on wind power projects. Instead, NOAA has cited the unusual migration of fish that are whale prey closer to the shore, and a corresponding higher density of fishing boats out in the water, raising the risk of a vessel strike. Heavy flooding has displaced thousands of people around China as the capital had a relative respite from sweltering heat. Beijing reported 9.8 straight days when the temperature exceeded 35 C (95 F), the National Climate Centre said on Monday. Such a streak was last recorded in 1961 - decades before most Beijing residents had air conditioning or even fans. Agencies Victoria Amelina Ukrainian writer dies in attack Prize-winning Ukrainian writer Victoria Amelina was among those killed by a deadly Russian missile attack on a popular restaurant in eastern Ukraine, PEN America said. .Amelina, 37, who had turned her attention from literature to document Russian war crimes after the invasion, died from her injuries after the strike in the city of Kramatorsk. Agencies Baltej Singh Dhillon Sikh officer gets key job in Canada Baltej Singh Dhillon, the first turbaned Sikh officer in the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP), has been appointed Chair of WorkSafeBCs board of directors, making him the first South Asian to hold the top post. Dhillon, a member of the Board since 2017, was appointed for a three-year term effective June 30. Agencies Four men face multiple charges related to separate eluding cases over the past several days in Scott County, two of which involved injuries. Gerald Michael Evans Jr. Scott County authorities have charged Evans, 47, Davenport, with eluding, operating while under the influence second offense, driving while barred and interference with officials acts inflicts bodily injury, court records state. The charges stem from acts authorities allege Evans took beginning at about 2 a.m. Monday near the intersection of Locust and Iowa streets in Davenport. At that time, a uniformed Iowa State Patrol trooper in an unmarked squad saw a tan 2005 Buick LeSabre heading west at 60 mph in a 25-mph zone, records state. When troopers tried to stop the LeSabre, the driver, whom troopers later identified as Evans, did not obey their orders. During the pursuit, the LeSabre reached speeds of 90 mph in a 45-mph zone, did not stop at at least one traffic signal, made a U-turn across three lanes of traffic and went off road for a short time. The pursuit ended when troopers tackled Evans, at that point fleeing on foot, in the 100 block of West 65th Street in Davenport, authorities allege in court records. He failed to obey authorities commands to stop and, during the arrest, a troopers hands were injured, including abrasions. When the troopers arrested him, Evans had signs of intoxication, including slurred speech and a smell of alcohol on his breath, court records state. Troopers gave him a field sobriety test, and he showed signs of impairment. An initial breath test showed a BAC of .277, records state. A later breath test showed Evans had a breath alcohol content of .148. Investigators also found an open beer bottle in the vehicle, court records state. A check of his driving status showed he is barred until August 2024, records state. After he was Mirandized, Evans told police hed had a couple of shots, court records state. Evans also told police he ran because he thought he had drugs on his person. Investigators found no drugs on Evans or in the LeSabre. He remained in custody Tuesday, held on a $5,000 cash-only bond, according to the Scott County Jail website. His next court date was not available. Thomas Eldon Jepsen Jepsen, 40, Bellevue, has been charged with eluding, second-degree theft and driving while barred, court records state. Authorities allege that, at about 8:30 p.m. Sunday, Jepsen fled from Eldridge Police on a stolen Yamaha XVS950 motorcycle, which he then crashed. Court records state the Yamahas plate was expired, and when Eldridge police ran it, they found it was registered to a trailer, court records state. Jepsen fled the ensuing stop in the 25000 block of North Scott Park Road, and the pursuit reached speeds of more than 100 mph, including in a barricaded construction zone. According to court records: Jepsen is also accused of passing other vehicles at high rates of speed and winding through traffic. Jepsen lost control and the Yamaha hit two vehicles and crashed. Further investigation showed the motorcycle had been reported stolen in June from Davenport, that Jepsen was driving while barred and that he did not have a valid motorcycle license or insurance. Jepsen remained in custody Tuesday, according to the jail website. To be released, he must post a $10,000 bond. His next court date was not available. Isaac Christopher Coryn Coryn, 19, Moline, faces charges of eluding, dominion/control of a firearm/offensive weapon by felon and possession of a controlled substance methamphetamine, first offense, Scott County court records state. Authorities accuse him of fleeing Moline and Bettendorf police and of having a loaded shotgun in the 1994 Chevrolet Suburban he was driving. Court records state: Coryn fled from Moline Police at about 12:30 a.m. Saturday and crossed the Interstate 74 bridge, then continued fleeing from a Bettendorf officer after exiting the highway onto Middle Road. During the ensuing pursuit, Coryn ignored traffic signals, drove on the wrong side of the road, drove through a construction zone and, at one point, reached speeds of 63 mph in a 35-mph zone, court records state. An officer used a squad to force the Suburban to stop in the 600 block of 4th Street in Davenport. As he was being arrested, Coryn said there was a loaded shotgun on the front passenger seat. When they looked, police found the weapon where Coryn said it would be. When they searched Coryn, they found a glass methamphetamine pipe and a plastic baggie containing methamphetamine. The total package weight of the meth was 1.32 grams. After police read Coryn his Miranda rights, he told them he bought the shotgun on the street. He also told police he had not registered the Suburban and did not have insurance. Coryn had a $5,000 cash-only bond and remained in custody Tuesday, according to the jail website. Court records state his next court appearance is scheduled for July 11. Brenden Scott Garrettson Garrettson, 18, Davenport, has been charged with eluding in relation to a pursuit that began just before midnight on June 30 near North Brady Street at Kimberly Road in Davenport, court records state. The incident ended in a fiery crash at Northwest Boulevard and West 53rd Street. According to court records: A state patrol trooper tried to stop a silver 2007 Infiniti G35 for traveling 54 mph in a 35-mph zone and making an improper lane change. The driver, identified later as Garrettson, sped away from the trooper at a speed more than 25 mph over the speed limit. At one point, Garrettson turned off the Infinitis lights. He also traveled through intersections at speeds of more than 100 mph. The crash happened when Garrettson lost control and the Infiniti hit a tree. The vehicle became engulfed in flames. A passenger in the car was injured during the pursuit, but details of the extent of those injuries, or how they occurred were not included. Garrettson admitted to investigators that he fled from police and injured his passenger, but court records did not state whether that statement was made before or after he was read his Miranda rights. He was free on Monday after posting a $5,000 bond. His next court date has been set for July 11. Photos: Col. Davenport House on the Rock Island Arsenal A Clinton, Iowa, man awaiting trial in Rock Island County on gun and drug charges is wanted by Clinton Police for allegedly shooting two people Sunday night and Monday morning. An arrest warrant has been issued for Randy Allen Jackson, 39, on a charge of attempted murder, according to news releases from the Clinton Police Department and the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation. At 8:34 p.m. Sunday, Clinton Police were sent to MercyOne Clinton Medical Center to investigate a man who had gone to the hospital with a non-life-threatening gunshot wound. The victim told police he knows Jackson and named him as the shooter. On Monday at 12:42 a.m., Clinton Police were again sent to MercyOne Clinton Medical Center to investigate a second shooting. A woman with several gunshot also was familiar with Jackson. Evidence was collected indicating the two shootings were connected. Anyone with information on Jacksons whereabouts is asked to call the Clinton Police Department at 563-243-1458 or contact Clinton County Crime Stoppers at 563-252-6595 or 888-883-8015. Police said he should be considered armed and dangerous. Jackson was arrested March 30 in Rock Island County on one count each of manufacture and delivery of between 100-400 grams of a cocaine analogue, or crack, and armed habitual offender. Each of the charges is a Class X felony under Illinois law that carry a prison sentence of six to 30 years. Jackson also is charged in that case with being a felon in possession of a firearm, a Class 3 felony that carries a prison sentence of two to five years. A $50,000 cash bond was posted for Jackson on April 27 to have him released from the Rock Island County Jail. A hearing in the case is scheduled for July 13 in Rock Island County Circuit Court. Quad Cities Botanical Center celebrates its 25th anniversary "Nobody wanted a parade. It was inappropriate," Highland Park Mayor Nancy Rotering said Tuesday. But it was important for us to say that evil doesnt win. The Black Hills are a destination for hundreds of thousands of tourists every year. Stunning scenery and unique towns host a myriad of tourist-catered events and activities. But some of those visitors have one thing on their mind off-roading. Whether on a single person motorcycle or All-Terrain Vehicle (ATV) or a multi-seat side-by-side, tens of thousands of recreational motorists are traversing the Black Hills every year and that number is exploding. Off-highway vehicles (OHV) are allowed in the Black Hills under a seven-day, annual or commercial permit. According to the Black Hills National Forest Superintendent of Trails Jeff Burdine, in 2018, the Black Hills Forest Service issued a total of 19,371 permits. In 2022, that number almost doubled to 36,091, according to Burdine. Currently, the National Forest Service does not limit the amount of passes issued and is not considering it in the future. But with more motorists in the Black Hills than ever before, there is increased ecological concern about their long-term impact on the environment and the pathways they traverse. Burdine shares this concern but claims there is some misunderstanding regarding the issue. Confusion is common about the differences between roads and trails, Burdine said. Of the 3,600 miles of roads and trails open to motorized vehicles in the Black Hills, only about 700 miles are trails limited to only Off-Highway Vehicles. Only these trails are the Forest Services responsibility. The rest are state and county roads that require vehicles to have a separate registration with the state, similar to any other type of vehicle. Burdine said many people do not understand the distinction. Given that most of the motorized pathways in the Black Hills are roads and under state or county jurisdiction, the National Forest Service can only do so much. We can't do traffic stops and that's honestly where our biggest issue internally is. Once vehicles are registered, they can go on any road, they just have to have the permit to go on the trails, Burdine said. And bigger machines, anything wider than 62 inches arent legal on the trails so the majority of the use is on public roadways. Not only can his organization not enforce laws on roadways but it cannot perform maintenance tasks either, which Burdine knows many motorists are concerned about. "Probably the majority of phone calls that I field and come through the front desk are from people with complaints about road conditions, and they call them trails because it's side by sides on them. But actually, it's a state issue," Burdine said. Burdine explained a state-wide initiative that will address the issue. Effective July 1st, temporary state-registration of OHVs will not be available, forcing riders to buy the annual pass which will raise to $50 as opposed to $1 per day. Burdine said the added revenue will help maintain forest roads. A big chunk of that is going to go to the counties for tax funding, which I think will help alleviate some of those issues with road conditions, Burdine said. The Forest Service has its own initiatives in the works to create a more sustainable future for off-roading. Burdine said the service hopes to reroute some trails to keep OHVs off roads and disturbance areas where motorists could encounter hikers or horsemen like on the Centennial Trail. The Centennial Trail is the premier hiking, backpacking, mountain biking and horseback riding trail in the Black Hills running north to south over a hundred miles across the entirety of the Black Hills. Currently, about 13 miles is shared with motorized trails limited to OHVs 62 inches or less in width. It is an issue. Particularly the last couple years, reroutes have been a big focus to try and pull side-by-sides or motorized use in general off of the Centennial Trail and to put in more connector routes to help keep motorists off roads to help keep user conflict down, Burdine said. Though work is being done to ensure motorists stay on the correct trails, there must also be enforcement to ensure motorists are adhering to regulations. Owners Becki and Jarod Groven of Black Hills Wilderness Edge just outside of Keystone claim motorists who disregard regulations are common. The Groven family home is deep in the Black Hills Forest where they often see vehicles driving on trails and roads where they are not allowed. Further, each of the vehicles they rent out are fitted with a GPS tracking device which have shown motorists' tendencies to venture where they shouldnt. This worries Becki Groven. Ive only heard of a few instances of people receiving fines, and I'm all in for the [Forest Service] using their authority, she said. If enforcement is insufficient, Becki Groven worries irresponsible motorist behavior will cause an all-out ban of recreational riding, taking away her livelihood, which allows her family to live in the Black Hills. We're definitely here for the long haul, so if trails get shut down because of this kind of activity then we wont be able to stay in the area. Becki Grovens sons Kyle and Austin have begun investing in the company and plan to take over when their parents retire. Becki said for this to happen, trails need to be taken care of to ensure sustainability for her business and her sons futures. Burdine acknowledges Becki Grovens concern and said he is doing his best to implement effective enforcement tactics despite being understaffed. Like most employers, the National Forest Service was hit by the effects of COVID-19, Burdine said. Fully staffed, there should be eight rangers patrolling the South Dakota portion of the Black Hills and four maintenance personnel keeping trails in working order, both of which are capable of writing citations. Currently, there are only eight total Forest Service workers in the Black Hills. Though enforcement personnel numbers are down, Burdine said the Forest Service is developing innovative ways to patrol the Black Hills, especially regarding the disconnect between forest trails and county roads. Theres a million acres here, and we have eight people working in the whole forest. We cant be everywhere. Because it is so hard to cover all areas, we are trying to work more directly with law enforcement, said Burdine. He added that Forest Service and law enforcement personnel have begun working together to set up checkpoints at highly trafficked areas where trails and roads meet to ensure the appropriate authority is present to write citations. To make up for our lack of jurisdiction, we are trying to work with them to increase compliance and safety, Burdine said. And that's something that we've only just started. After a morning of manning the checkpoints, the two groups will patrol roads and trails together all afternoon. Last weekend was the second such collaborative effort. The newly implemented, collaborative patrols address another major concern for Becki Groven: preservation. With more motorists than ever on the trails, there are inevitably more motorists with no concern for their environmental impact. Just one vehicle can drastically damage an area if it is wet by either driving around mud puddles, thus widening the trail, or driving through them at high speed which quickly displaces soil, resulting in deeply rutted pathways. The Groven family does all they can to educate customers how to ride responsibly. Also, if a vehicle they rented comes back excessively muddy, the driver will be charged a fee for their irresponsible driving because for a vehicle to get extensively muddy, it must have certainly been driven too quickly through mud, which the GPS systems can also prove. The money received from such fees are put toward trail restoration, Becki Groven said. She is unaware whether other companies use similar protocols but hopes there are others who take the issue seriously. Burdine agrees. If motorists plan to traverse trails in the Black Hills, it is their responsibility to check the Forest Service website and social media to ensure the trails they plan to take are open. If they fail to do so and enter a muddy area they can be cited, Burdine said. If there's an area where it's muddy and we've advised people not to go, we patrol those areas. And when we catch somebody going through there, then they are cited for resource damage, Burdine said after a cost estimate to repair the damage is finalized, those individuals are responsible for covering the cost. Since co-founding the company in 2018, Becki Groven has seen an increasing number of motorists in the Black Hills. Recognizing there is still much to understand about motorized trail use and still many more regulations to implement, she is hopeful that efforts continue to ensure a healthy National Forest. There's a lot of land and not a lot of enforcement. I understand that, Becki Groven said. But this just exploded, so it's a whole new learning curve for everybody, and we all have to keep learning. The South Dakota National Guard is thrilled to announce the outstanding achievements of two soldiers who competed at the Region VI Best Warrior Competition May 15 to 21 at Fort Harrison, Mont. Spc. Brayden Tassa, a motor transport operator with the 740th Transportation Company out of Milbank, and Sgt. Bailey Ruff, a carpentry and masonry specialist with the 842nd Transportation Co. of Sturgis, competed in the Region VI BWC with 13 other soldiers from across the region in a series of demanding challenges that tested their physical fitness, tactical proficiency, and mental acuity and fortitude. Ruff placed first and is the winner of the Non-Commissioned Officer of the Year for the region. He will move on to represent the South Dakota National Guard at the prestigious upcoming national competition hosted by the Alaska National Guard in July. The competition brings together the finest warriors nationwide. "The Best Warrior Competition is an opportunity for all soldiers to do things that they might never get to do otherwise," Ruff said. "We got to drop mortars, shoot tanks and more but those are some of the things my MOS (military occupational specialty) would not normally allow, and you get to do all the fun Army stuff at the best warrior." Tassa placed third in the Region VI BWC. "Ruff won the BWC when he was lower enlisted and he just had a ton of insight and helped me train on everything and was a great mentor throughout the whole process, and even as we competed, his drive in the competition is crazy and motivational," said Tassa, of Sisseton. "It is refreshing to be around such high caliber soldiers who perform at the highest regional level of competition and represent our enlisted ranks within the South Dakota Army National Guard," said Command Sgt. Maj. Marcus Stacey, South Dakota National Guard's senior enlisted leader. WHITECLAY, Neb. Within concrete walls that once housed a beer store that fueled alcoholism and death among residents of the nearby Pine Ridge Indian Reservation, renowned Native American artist Evans Flammond Sr. deftly draws lines on a huge buffalo hide. Sitting at a table in the building in this small village on the South Dakota border, Flammond uses a tool called a chisel brush to lay out straight borders on the hide. The animal skin would eventually contain a sweeping encampment scene with American Indians on horseback running along the bottom. On that day in May, Flammond was serving as artist-in-residence at the Whiteclay Makerspace, a building where Native and non-Native artists and potential artists gather to create art, share their knowledge and skills, and sell pieces of artwork. The makerspace is one element of a plan to use art instead of alcohol to drive the economic recovery of Whiteclay, which is just yards from the Pine Ridge border town and reservation where alcohol is illegal. Until 2017, when the state of Nebraska cracked down on the towns liquor stores, Whiteclay was notorious for selling millions of cans of beer each year, most to Native residents of the reservation, where alcoholism contributes to generational poverty and suffering. This place killed many Native Americans many, many people, Flammond said. But now, this building is the very first of its kind, a really groundbreaking place that has so many ways to help artists. The makerspace contains a large front room for artists to work and sell their pieces. It has sewing machines and two giant quilting machines. And it features a retail space with art supplies in a room that once served as a huge beer cooler. The facility is part of an attempt to rebuild and rebrand Whiteclay as a haven for Native artists and art. But moreover, the studio is part of a sweeping, and increasingly successful, larger effort in South Dakota and beyond to encourage Native Americans to pursue art and creativity, to expand their skill sets and artistic range, and also to monetize their creativity to make a living and strengthen their families and communities along the way. Another part of the effort, the Rolling Rez Arts Bus, has traveled throughout Indian Country in South Dakota since 2016, bringing a mobile arts studio with experts and supplies to Native communities where art studios are rare or non-existent. And in May, a grand opening was held for the Oglala Lakota Artspace near Kyle, about an hour north of Pine Ridge. The newly built structure contains art classrooms, a modern music and recording studio, performance spaces and equipment for artists to ply their trades. Without pinpointing a single cause, one Native art expert said he has seen a dramatic rise in the past year both in the number of new, younger Native artists in South Dakota and an increasing ability of artists to break artistic barriers within the realm of Native art. Dan Tribby of Rapid City is the general manager of Prairie Edge Trading Co. and Galleries, a downtown art and culture emporium thats one of western South Dakotas largest purveyors of Native American art. Im not sure what was in the water, but in the last year we have been so blessed with the number of new artists and the talent they have. And the future just looks as good or better than it has in the past 20 years, thats for sure, Tribby said. These young people weve had step forward in the last year are fantastic, really fantastic. Tribby said he has also seen a recent shift in Native art toward brighter colors and use of bling that he said is attractive to younger artists and customers. Flammond theorized that the release of the popular movie Dances with Wolves, most of which was shot in South Dakota in 1989, brought a heightened global interest in Native American culture and art that has continued to this day. But Tribby said hes seen a recent bump in consumer interest in Native art, and buyers are willing to pay more than ever to own quality works. Native art has really come into its own right now, with a whole new audience and an expansion that has been good for everybody, Tribby said. A 2013 market study by Colorado State University and the First Peoples Fund showed how sales of artwork can boost the incomes of Native Americans. It also found that in many cases, opportunities to improve monetization of art are being missed. The major findings of the study, which surveyed Native Americans in western South Dakota, included: A third of Native people are practicing or potential artists, but most live below the federal poverty line. Half of Native households on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation depend on home-based businesses, including art, for income. Eight in 10 of the home-based businesses on the Pine Ridge reservation consist by selling traditional arts. More than 60% of emerging Native artists earn less than $10,000 a year, and that workshops and training can lead to a significant rise in incomes. The Lakota artspace in Kyle is the first formal facility on the Pine Ridge reservation where working artists and budding artists can gather to help each other learn and grow in their art, said Bryan Parker, an art program manager with the First Peoples Fund. Parker has run the Rez Arts Bus since its inception, providing a path forward for artists across Indian Country who had no or only limited access to art supplies and training. Now, he said, the bus will refocus its efforts to spur creativity by encouraging aspiring artists to visit the Lakota Artspace. There, experts in the arts will teach classes through a curriculum designed to both elicit creation of Native art and navigate the process to get their art exposed and possibly sold to the public. That curriculum teaches folks how to seek the value of their work and in themselves professionally, and provides other tips and knowledge on how to navigate the professional art world, he said. Its definitely a needed resource because theres a lot of artists who, on or off the reservation, have no idea where to start or to even to call themselves artists. For generations, Parker said, Native Americans have expressed themselves and their appreciation for family, spirituality and the natural world through art that includes drawings and paintings, beadwork, sculpture, weaving and creation of pottery, among other ways. While it was common for an elder to teach their children or grandchildren how to make the art, it was rare for families to consider themselves professional artists or to try to make a good living through their art, he said. Its just something that people have always done, passing down generationally their creative skill sets and traditional knowledge, and it starts there, with artists acknowledging themselves as artists, Parker said. And then were giving them that next level information. With new resources in place and a greater willingness among established artists to share what they know, there are increased opportunities for Native individuals and communities to thrive through art, Parker said. When one person has this knowledge and these skills, they can pass that onto the next person, their families, their friends and their communities, he said. The overall goal is just to build community, to make sure the artist and their families have the knowledge and resources to sustain themselves and better their own communities. A strengthening market for Native art, and higher resulting prices paid by the public, will also add opportunity for Indian artists to monetize their craft, he said. Its definitely an ongoing thing where a lot of artists never received the full value of their labor, Parker said. Artists are learning to put themselves out there more, but to also talk about why their work should have more value to it. On a recent afternoon, Talon Bazille Ducheneaux provided a brief tour of the Oglala Lakota Artspace, where he is musical coordinator. Bazille Ducheneaux stopped briefly to describe traditional art workspaces and classrooms. But he focused mostly on his area of expertise in a music studio that includes instruments, a modern recording studio and spaces for musicians to teach and work. During the tour, Bazille Ducheneaux paused to perform the first verse of a rap song called Land Acknowledgement, in which he rapped about the Native experience and the importance of land, language and identity. Sitting in prayer with top of a hill connecting meditating through all the noise and disrespecting I hope we all find a way to peace even if they all hope we fall when ancestors always with you, you always strong tell me now, whats a Sioux to do, when you aint even the thing theyve been calling you bet you never even know who you were talking to. Bazille Ducheneaux said he sees music, as well as other art, as a way for Native people to connect more deeply to their heritage, their culture and to one another in ways that will strengthen individuals and heal both Native and non-Native communities. The hope for the future is for this space to become a hub for all of the community to come and celebrate each other with one another, to value each other for the stars that they really are, for the power that we all really have, and for the creativity we all really have, Bazille Ducheneaux said. We want to provide space for people to openly express and share with one another as equals, and communities of mutual support. Like the Lakota Artspace, the Whiteclay Makerspace has a strong focus on providing the critical elements to making artists successful: a place to create, the supplies to make art, knowledge from more experienced artists, and a venue to sell their work, according to Holly Albers, manager of the facility. The building transitioned from beer store to art gallery due to funding and leadership by business owners in Whiteclay who wanted to shed the towns bad reputation and rid it of the connections to alcohol, Albers said. To help artists succeed, it features a leather sewing machine that can be hard to find and two new quilt-making machines valued at $17,000 and $12,000 that were supported in part by grants from the local Rotary Club and which can dramatically expedite the ability of artists to make the prized star quilts for sale. Instead of someone taking a week to make a star quilt, they can stitch it within a couple of hours, she said. Albers said the facility expects to expand its offerings to help more artists who often work from their kitchen tables or small spaces tucked inside their homes. What we do here is provide the space and the tools and a platform for all artists, most of whom are Native American so they can make and sell their art, she said. Next were going to be offering classes on how to make ribbon skirts, moccasins, star quilts, shawls and other artistic items. Another critical component of the programming helps artists make a living, Albers said. One expert maker of star quilts sold many of her works but was limited by her inability to take a credit card, Albers said. In response, the Whiteclay Makerspace now offers programs to teach artists to use social media sites like Instagram, Facebook and Twitter to showcase their art and also to use Venmo and other services that accept credit card payments. Albers said it is important to note that the makerspace is a place for artists and customers of all backgrounds, not just for Native Americans. The facility is now listed as a stop on the 2023 Nebraska Passport state tourism program that encourages visitors to explore hidden gems within the state. This space is for everybody, and we want to help everybody out, to help each other, she said. Thats how Native American people are. They help each other out. Flammonds ledger work and other art is featured prominently at Prairie Edge in Rapid City, is exhibited in art galleries across the Midwest, and hangs in the state Capitol in Pierre. Hes part of a renowned roster of South Dakota Native American painters that includes Oscar Howe, Arthur Amiotte, Bobby Penn, Richard Red Owl, Mary Sully and others. Flammond said he feels compelled to share with others what he has learned about how to gain respect as an artist and share ways to make a good living through art. While that requires a commitment to quality, dedication and hard work, Flammond also believes that budding Native artists need opportunities to create art, instruction to hone their craft, and knowledge about how to monetize their work to have a real shot at success. Ive been so blessed through my career that this now is me giving back to artists who are just starting out, Flammond said. Were here to steer them on the right path. As interest and involvement in art takes hold in American Indian communities, Flammond said, expression of Native art will lead to better lives for individuals, their families and communities. At the end of the day, every time I pick up this brush or a colored pencil to do my ledger art, I do it for my people, he said. I do it to make a living, but its keeping my culture alive and its my little effort to keep the culture alive. New efforts to expand the amount and quality of Native American art will also help drive greater appreciation of Native culture among the population at large, Flammond said. Every time someone lays their eyes on a piece of Native art, no matter what it is, they learn something, he said. No matter how good or professional the piece is, they learn something from it. This article was produced by South Dakota News Watch, a non-profit journalism organization located online at sdnewswatch.org. The "March Towards Justice" planned for July 4 in downtown Rapid City will be peaceful, organizers said at a Monday press conference on the Pennington County Courthouse steps. "This is a ceremony. We're coming together in a prayerful way. We're leading this with prayer," said NDN Action Network Organizer Sunny Red Bear. "We want to stand in a good way. We believe that's the only way forward is through prayer, through community, through standing together in a collective way, in a good way." Outgoing Rapid City Mayor Steve Allender issued a public safety message last week ahead of the march, asking the public to stay out of the area and report suspicious behavior. NDN Collective, an Indigenous Rapid City-based nonprofit, did not file for a permit from the city for the march. Allender said the group does not work with government officials when planning events. "For one, a permit is not a law. It's a policy," Red Bear said. "It's used for parades and such celebrations. This is not a celebration. This is direct action, and we didn't file a permit for a reason. We didn't need to. This is our land." The mayor whose last day was Monday before Mayor-elect Jason Salamun takes office said the group has held training in blockades, tactical media and climbing. "We want to make sure we are trained in a safe way and know how to do things properly and to always be able to create safe spaces for people in the direct actions that we do," Red Bear said. "That's a part of our training, to make sure that people are safe." The march is planned to begin at 4 p.m. on Tuesday, starting at the intersection of Kansas City Street and East Boulevard. Red Bear said the group will go around the block. Pretty concise, Red Bear said. We just want to create a safe space for our community to come together and pray together. The press conference began with and centered around seven demands. The petition, titled Hold RCPD Accountable: No Killer Cops on Stolen Land has garnered 851 signatures as of Monday afternoon up about 100 over the weekend. "We're here today as a community to call to attention the fact that indigenous people are disproportionately targeted, jailed and killed by the police. We are here to show a powerful display of unity. Our entire community is joining forces and taking a stand to address police violence and systemic racism," Red Bear said. The demands are to end the killing of Indigenous Peoples by the police;" an immediate civil rights inquiry into the Rapid City Police Department and Pennington County Sheriff's Office;" release of all body camera footage; removal of School Resource Officers (SROs); rescind SB4; defund the police and increase community controlled education programming and funding; and third-party investigations of police and sheriff's office. "These demands are based on our lived experiences as indigenous people here in Rapid City," Red Bear said, citing a statistic that 75% of people killed by law enforcement in South Dakota were Native American. Red Bear did not reference the source for the statistic. Red Bear also referenced the high percentage of Native Americans jailed in Pennington County. According to the Pennington County Sheriff's Office 2022 annual report, 60% of inmates at the jail were Native American. Rapid City is 9.3% Native American, according to the U.S. Census Bureau's 2022 estimate. Pennington County is 10% Native American. Several members of the community spoke in support of the march at the press conference. Rapid City Central High School Lakota Language Teacher Jeremiah Moreno spoke about the struggles Native American students face in Rapid City schools, especially those coming from the reservations who have to adjust to a new environment. He said having people in the school who are openly armed sends "an aggressive kind of message." "I understand we're in a different time where things are going on in this country, but if you trust in (students') abilities to be creative, good things will happen," he said. Norma Rendon founder and executive director of Where all Women are Honored, Winyan Wicayuoniham said "America needs to acknowledge the indigenous people of this country, and they need to treat us with respect." "We challenge the Rapid City Police Department to be held accountable to their oath of office and fellow officers," said Caylee Martin, a youth advocate with Wambli Ska Society, "Even though I am a youth advocate who lives and works for the people, at the end of the day, we are just kids, and we do not want to die." Mary Haan, a non-Native advocate who spoke at the press conference, said the demands are "honest, articulate, and possible." "It is possible to create a world where funding is used to create a proactive community instead of a reactive community," Haan said. BRUSSELS Russia's armed forces are bruised but by no means beaten in the war in Ukraine, a top NATO military officer said Monday, as he laid out the biggest revamp to the organization's military plans since the Cold War should Moscow dare to widen the conflict. "They might not be 11 feet tall, but they are certainly not 2 feet tall," the Chair of the NATO Military Committee, Admiral Rob Bauer, told reporters. "So, we should never underestimate the Russians and their ability to bounce back." U.S. President Joe Biden and his NATO counterparts are set to endorse a major shakeup of the alliance's planning system at a summit in the Lithuanian capital Vilnius next week. NATO, as an organization, does not provide weapons or ammunition to Ukraine. It's sought to avoid being dragged into a wider war with nuclear-armed Russia. At the same time, it is massively reinforcing the security of member countries near Russia, Ukraine and Belarus. Around 40,000 troops are on standby from Estonia in the north down to Romania on the Black Sea. About 100 aircraft take to the skies in that territory each day, and a total of 27 warships are operating in the Baltic and Mediterranean Seas. Those numbers are set to rise. Under its new plans, NATO aims to have up to 300,000 troops ready to move to its eastern flank within 30 days. The plans divide its territory into three zones the high north and Atlantic area, a zone north of the Alps, and another in southern Europe. Bauer said that NATO's new planning is based on the strength of the Russian army before President Vladimir Putin launched the war on Ukraine almost 17 months ago. He said the war has depleted Russia's army, but not its navy or air force. Of Russia's ground forces, around "94% is now engaged in the war in Ukraine," Bauer said. "What we see in general is that the Russians are careful around NATO. They are not for seeking a conflict with NATO. I think that is a sign that they are very, very busy," he said. "In the land domain, I don't think they have a lot of forces available to do anything to anyone else." "But we are convinced that the Russians are going to reconstitute," he said. "We will continue to look at them as a serious threat, in the maritime, and in the air especially, and in space, they are still very, very, capable, let alone of course in nuclear." A revolt by Wagner mercenaries in Russia late last month raised deep security concerns in Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Poland after a deal was reached for their leader, Yevgeny Prigozhin, to be allowed to take refuge in Belarus. Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda said that neighboring countries would face a heightened danger if the Wagner Group deploys its "serial killers" just over their border. Vilnius lies around 22 miles from the Belarus border. Lithuania wants to have a permanent NATO presence on its territory. Germany signaled last week that it would be prepared to base soldiers there if requested. For the moment, though, NATO sees no imminent threat coming from Belarus. "We're confident we know what's going on, and right now we see no changes. But that doesn't take our eye off what we need to do every day," Major General Matthew Van Wagenen told reporters. "If we needed to change posture, we could do it rapidly." NATO's 31 member countries took part in a "force generation conference" last week in an effort to understand how many troops and how much equipment the alliance might have at its disposal to respond to any Russian attack, both in the short and longer term. Both officers were upbeat about the results, although they declined to provide details for security reasons. Experts and some NATO diplomats, however, have expressed doubt about the willingness of member countries to put a total of 300,000 troops on standby. "I would classify it as highly successful," Van Wagenen said. "I can assure you, we are in a position right now that we know what's missing and how we need to grow this in the future." In terms of NATO's ability to execute the plans, should they be needed in the future, Bauer welcomed the expected commitment in Vilnius by Biden and his counterparts to boost defense spending, which should help provide commanders with the equipment they need. VIRGINIA BEACH Christopher Scott, of Henrico County, was driving a tractor-trailer on the Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel on June 22 when his front drivers side tire suddenly went up onto the bridges left-side curb. The impact blew out the tire, causing Scott to lose control of his truck, according to a police report. The tractor-trailer tore out more than 100 feet of the northbound bridges left guardrail before falling about 25 feet into the water. Though the state medical examiners report has not come back, police said the initial information is that Scott found dead inside his cab died from a combination of blunt force trauma and drowning. Though Scott, 36, was not speeding and hit the guardrails at an indirect angle, there was nothing the aluminum barriers could do to keep his truck on the bridge. Little margin for error What is also clear is that there is very little margin for error for 18-wheelers using the bridge-tunnel, which crosses between Virginia Beach and the Eastern Shore. With little space on either side of the two-lane roadways, trucks cannot veer too far to either side, lest they end up in the water. When it opened in 1964, the bridge-tunnel nearly 18 miles long was one of the Seven Engineering Wonders of the Modern World. But that recognition was not due to the guardrails. They consist of a series of three aluminum pipe rails alongside the roadway. The hollow tubes are supported by aluminum posts that are bolted to a concrete curb every eight feet. The bridge-tunnels railings, designed in the 1950s, are made to withstand glancing blows from cars or pickups going 62 mph or less. That system is not nearly as strong as the concrete jersey barriers at the Hampton Roads and the Monitor-Merrimac bridge-tunnels. The guard railings at the HRBT and Monitor-Merrimac are designed to keep even tractor-trailers on the bridge, though that is not guaranteed at all speeds and angles. Mike Crist, the deputy executive director overseeing infrastructure for the Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel Authority, said the guardrails at the CBBT are TL (Test Level)-3 barriers, which are designed to keep cars and pickups from departing the road. Though the bridge was designed in the 1950s, Crist said the barriers would meet federal specifications even today based on current traffic and usage. It does the job that its designed for, he said. We routinely get accidents with cars and pickup trucks that dont go through the rail. That never makes the news because it damages the car, and nobody gets hurt. We go out, we fix those patches and repair it and restore it. At the same time, Crist said, that aluminum rail is not designed to take the impact of a tractor-trailer at any angle. He says truckers using the bridge are aware of the risks, knowing they must stay between the lines as they cross. I think they also know that if they hit that rail, its not gonna stop them, Crist said. Im not going to say all truckers know that. But Ive talked to a few, and they realize that the rail will stop cars and pickup trucks, but it wont stop a loaded tractor-trailer going 60 miles an hour. What caused truck to veer? Scott was on his way to Connecticut to deliver shrubbery from a Suffolk warehouse. He was driving a 2018 Kenworth tractor, and was hauling for Keep it Moving 22 LLC, a company based in Mechanicsville, Maryland. He planned to avoid Washington by way of U.S. 13 and the Eastern Shore. When Scott went through a tollbooth minutes before the crash, at about 1:50 p.m., he had a friendly conversation with the operator about the toll amount. Everything seemed fine, and he went on, said Police Chief Edward A. Spencer of the Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel Authority. But there is still no guess as to why Scott veered to his left after only about a mile. We have no idea, Spencer said. He seemed wide awake coming through the toll lanes. I dont think he fell asleep. I just dont know what happened. But he got too close to the curb and that chain reacted everything. No other vehicles were involved. But a car driving in the opposite direction was struck with flying debris. That damaged the 2022 Chrysler Pacifica and injured its passenger, a 34-year-old Florida woman. She was taken to a hospital with minor injuries. Spencer said Scott was not speeding on the bridge, which has a posted limit of 55 mph. And while the medical examiners report has not come back yet, there is no evidence he was drinking or otherwise under the influence. He was not wearing his seat belt, the police report said. The dash seemed to be pushed in towards the drivers seat, causing very little room between driver and steering wheel, it read. The fact that he was not wearing the seat belt had nothing to do with him controlling the vehicle, Spencer said, though he said he does not know whether wearing it could have helped to save Scott. Owner of Virginia farm where horses were rescued was investigated for animal cruelty, documents show Records obtained by the Richmond Times-Dispatch show that the owner of a Shenandoah County farm from which nearly 100 horses were rescued in J When asked whether the trucker might have been using his cellphone when he veered to his left, Spencer said Scotts phones were damaged by water, and that investigators could not determine if he was using them. The trucks logbook in which Scott was to track his sleep hours was water-logged and illegible. There were damaged paper logs recovered from the truck, but they were unreadable, the police report said. There was some fog at the time of the crash, but the roadway was dry and there were no wind conditions, the report said. Scott had a valid commercial drivers license issued in 2022, and his medical card was current with the Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles. Stronger guardrails? Two other major bridges in the region the HRBT and Monitor-Merrimac both have TL-5 barriers, two levels stronger than the CBBT. Those bridges guardrails are strong enough to stop tractor-trailers at many though not all angles of impact. If he had hit a concrete Jersey wall, maybe he would have been redirected back into the road, Crist said. But we dont know, and well never know. Trading out the CBBTs aluminum guardrails for reinforced concrete is a no-go because of how much weight that would add, Crist said. The concrete barriers weigh 650 pounds per linear foot, he said too heavy for the bridge to support. Obviously, aluminum pipe rail is much lighter than that, Crist said. A feasibility study years ago found such a switch unworkable: Adding so much weight and still allowing for traffic would require new girders and support systems, Crist said. In fact, while the bridges basic foundation the piling into the bays bedrock could remain, the bridge span itself would need to be replaced. The cost would be in the billions. Though the HRBT and Monitor-Merrimac support the weight of concrete guardrails, they were designed it to carry that from the beginning, Crist said. They didnt have a concern about overload because it was built into the structure. 17 over-the-side accidents It is clear that the CBBTs modest guardrail system has led to its share of over-the-side accidents through the years. Most have involved 18-wheelers. There have been 17 over-the-side accidents since 1984, according to a report from the Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel Authority Police Department. Those accidents have caused 20 deaths, with two drivers rescued from the water. Five people were killed in 1997 when a Hyundai sedan tried to pass two vehicles, causing a three-car collision in which the Hyundai went airborne and flew over the guardrail. The bodies of the driver and four passengers were found in the bay the next morning. In 2005, a Chevrolet SUV suddenly veered to the left, flipped over the guardrail and plunged into the bay. A similar event happed with a Toyota Avalon in 2011. In another case, a six-wheel box truck crashed through a guardrail in 2020, with the drivers body found on the Outer Banks four months later. Thirteen of the 17 cases involve 18-wheelers going off the bridge. Those typically involve drivers falling asleep, being inattentive or, in one case, jackknifing through a guardrail after approaching a work area too quickly. In 2018, a tractor-trailer driven by an intoxicated driver struck a van from behind. The van bounced off the guardrail, but the truck went through it. Some truckers have gone over the side from accidents not of their own making. In 1988, a sedans improper passing caused a tractor-trailers driver to swerve to avoid the collision. The trucker was killed when he went through the guardrail and into the bay. In 1985, a tractor-trailer is believed to have been struck by lightning before going over the side. New life, new hope Scotts girlfriend, Melissa Vo, went into labor the afternoon of the accident, and immediately called Scott. But her calls went straight to voicemail. She delivered the couples son about 24 hours after Scotts truck plunged into the water. She named the boy Cameron, as the couple had previously discussed. Its just a tragedy, Spencer said. We feel for him and his family. WAR IN UKRAINE KYIV, Ukraine Ukrainian air defenses downed 32 of 35 Shahed exploding drones Russia launched early Tuesday, most of them in the Kyiv region, officials said, in a bombardment that exposed gaps in the country's air protection after almost 16 months of war. Russian forces mostly targeted the region around the Ukrainian capital in a nighttime drone attack lasting around three hours, officials said, with Ukrainian air defenses shooting down about a dozen of them. The attack was part of a wider bombardment of Ukrainian regions that extended as far as the Lviv region in the west of the country, near Poland. The Shahed drones made it all the way to Lviv because of the inability of air defense to cover such a broad area, Ukrainian air force spokesman Yuriy Ihnat said. Air defense systems are mostly dedicated to protecting major cities, key infrastructure facilities, including nuclear power plants, and the front line, he said. Russia also struck the southern Zaporizhzhia region of Ukraine with ballistic missiles. The latest aerial assaults behind Ukraine's front line coincided with the early stages of a Ukrainian counteroffensive. The counteroffensive came up against heavily mined terrain and reinforced defensive fortifications, said Valerii Zaluzhnyi, commander in chief of Ukraine's armed forces. Russia also mustered a large number of reserves, he said in a post with a video of him visiting front-line positions with other senior officers. Heavy battles are taking place in eastern Ukraine, around Bakhmut, Lyman, Avdiivka and Marinka, the Ukrainian armed forces said. Russia shelled 15 cities and villages in the eastern Donetsk region, wounding five civilians, including three in Chasiv Yar near Bakhmut, Ukraine's presidential office said. Ukraine's deputy defense minister, Hanna Maliar, reported Tuesday that in the south, Ukrainian soldiers are advancing in some places but in others, "the enemy is advancing." Russia relocated about 20,000 troops from the areas in the Kherson region after flooding from the recent Kakhovka Dam collapse, Ukrainian military analyst Roman Svitan said. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy reported late Tuesday that earlier in the day, in Kherson, Russian artillery shelling killed one flood rescuer and wounded several others. Malaysia Airlines (MAS) is back with its bank points conversion campaign, running until 31 July 2023, where Enrich members who convert their credit card rewards points will be able to earn an additional 10% Enrich Points. Additionally, for the very first time ever, members who convert points in multiples of 30,000 Enrich Points will also be able to earn Elite Points to progress towards the next tier status in the Enrich loyalty programme. To enjoy the 10% bonus Enrich Points offer, you can convert your credit card rewards points from as many as 16 local and foreign financial institutions, including American Express (Amex) and Bank Danamon. Of course, the minimum points conversion and rate for each bank will differ, so be sure to check in with your bank before you put in a request for conversion. So for instance, Alliance Bank cardholders are required to convert a minimum of 10,000 Timeless Bonus Points (TBP) to obtain 1,000 Enrich Points. With the 10% bonus Enrich Points offer, theyll ultimately get 1,100 Enrich Points in total (1,000 base Enrich Points + 100 bonus Enrich Points). To convert your points, simply fill in a form from your bank or contact your bank to perform the conversion. If successful, the Enrich Points will be processed and credited into your Enrich account within 14 working days. Note as well that youre allowed to make multiple conversions from any participating banks (no cap on the number of conversions and credit card points), but you can only convert points for yourself and your own account. This means that the name of the cardholder must be the same as the name of the Enrich member, to be received in their own Enrich account. Enrich also clarified that the converted base Enrich Points will have a validity of three years from the earned date. Meanwhile, the 10% bonus Enrich Points will be valid for one year from the earned date. Aside from the 10% bonus Points offer, this latest campaign is also allowing members to earn Elite Points by making conversions in increments of 30,000 Enrich Points (not inclusive of bonus Points). Youll get 1 Elite Point for every block of 30,000 Enrich Points converted, so if you convert your bank points to collect 60,000 Enrich Points or 90,000 Enrich Points, then youll gain 2 and 3 Elite Points, respectively. Note that for this particular offer, each conversion must be in exact multiples of 30,000 Enrich Points (30,000, 60,000, and so on) in order to earn Elite Points. You will not be entitled to any Elite Points if you convert any other amounts of Enrich Points. So if you plan to convert large amounts of Enrich Points for the purpose of earning Elite Points, remember to request for your bank to do so in blocks or multiples of 30,000 Enrich Points. To better clarify this, here are several examples to show how this works: Your earned Elite Points will be credited immediately to your Enrich account, after which itll be valid until the end of this year. Earned Elite Points are non-transferable and cannot be exchanged for cash; it is only used to track and upgrade your Elite Status (Silver, Gold, and Platinum) so that you can enjoy selected travel benefits when you fly with MAS, such as priority check-in and priority boarding. Theres actually also another promo under this campaign where cardholders with the highest converted Enrich Points (received successfully in the Enrich account during the campaign period) will stand a chance to win an Honor Magic5 Pro phone or an Honor Magic Vs phone. For this, the winner will be selected and notified three weeks after the end of the campaign period. (Source: Malaysia Airlines) 4 1 vote Article Rating SHARE Government of Mexico expresses concerns on Floridas anti-immigration law Mexico City, Mexico Mexico has expressed its disagreeance and concern regarding a Florida anti-immigration law. The Ministry of Foreign Relations says they outright reject the law Law SB1718 signed on May 10, 2023 by the Governor of Florida, Ron DeSantis. The Government of Mexico, through the General Consulate of Mexico in Miami and the Consulate of Mexico in Orlando, expresses its rejection of measures that lead to acts of discrimination and racial profiling regarding the law, which entered into force on July 1. Although the Government of Mexico respects the state legislative processes and measures in the United States of America, it is considered that SB1718 will affect the human rights of thousands of Mexican children, exacerbating hostile environments that can lead to hate acts or crimes against the migrant community. This measure does not reflect their valuable contribution to the economy, society and culture of Florida, and the country. Criminalization is not the way to solve the phenomenon of undocumented immigration. The existence of transnational labor markets, as well as the intensity of commercial and tourist ties between Mexico and Florida, cannot be ignored by measures inspired by sentiments of xenophobia and white nationalism. Policies of this nature also have a strong impact on the bilateral relationship between Mexico and the United States, as they show the reluctance of certain actors to identify joint solutions that invite collaboration. Both countries have made an effort to jointly build paths of tolerance, security and respect, from which SB1718 distances them, provoking feelings of intimidation and fear in the migrant community. The Government of Mexico, through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, will use all the resources at its disposal to defend the rights and dignity of Mexican people in Florida. Our assistance, consular protection and legal advice actions will be reinforced, and we will continue to look after the interests of our entire community, regardless of their immigration status, the Government reported in a statement. With the support of civil society organizations active in the defense of human rights, Mexico will identify and register possible cases of violations of the rights of Mexican nationals. Likewise, it will inform the migrant community and disseminate the effects of Law SB1718 through community forums. Mainly, through the 24-hour attention of the Center for Information and Attention to Mexican People (CIAM), the Government of Mexico will provide personalized guidance to affected people (1-520 623 7874), as well as through the Assistance Program Legal Assistance to Mexican Persons through External Legal Advice in the United States of America (PALE). The training of consular personnel will be strengthened, emphasizing the scope of SB1718, the dissemination of messages and recommendations through the Know and Exercise Your Rights strategy that promotes knowledge of the basic rights of our community, in order to provide support from the most high level of legal actions taken by victims of acts of harassment, violence, abuse, discrimination of all kinds and racial profiling. These actions are the spearhead of the Mexican Governments strategy to demand respect for human rights and continue to ensure the interests and well-being of all Mexicans residing abroad, regardless of their immigration status. On Monday, President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador also expressed his concren regarding the Florida law. Migrants are the ones that allow the development of peoples in the world. For this reason, instead of mistreating them, repressing them, expelling them, we must protect them, he said before the recent promulgation of the anti-immigration law promoted by Republican Governor Ron DeSantis. Only for political, electoral purposes, for wanting to look good by deceiving that immigrants are the ones who cause misery in the United States all of which is false they dare to make these reforms on the eve of elections, he explained. In a morning press conference, the president indicated that this country developed thanks to the work of migrants and that they must be respected . It is the migrants who allow the works that are needed to be carried out, the infrastructure that they need. It is the workforce that makes America great, he noted. He rejected Governor DeSantis proposal and called not to vote for politicians who promote racism and discrimination. We are against the immigration reform of DeSantis, the governor of Florida, who is against immigrants. Not a vote for DeSantis. He who does not love his homeland, he does not love his mother, not a vote to those who despise migrants, he said. We cannot remain silent. () He is for the wall, for the ill treatment of migrants. He aspires to be a candidate for the presidency for the Republican Party and hopefully the citizens of the United States, of the Republican Party, know what is really happening, he added. Migrants, he reiterated, are people who seek to earn an honest living and are not responsible for drug trafficking in that country. It is a great falsehood that has been spread through manipulation media in the United States that migrants carry drugs. That is completely false. They take advantage of the lack of information of some sectors of the American people and of the great manipulation that exists through the newspapers, even the most famous ones, he remarked. Mexico sends humanitarian aid to Chile in response to RSV outbreak Mexico City, Mexico The Government of Mexico has sent humanitarian aid to Chile to provide specialized medical care during a respiratory viral outbreak. The Ministry of Foreign Relations (SRE) says the Emergency Medical Team sent consists of 26 specialists from institutions belonging to the Health sector. The SRE pointed out that the objective is to provide medical attention to girls and boys affected by the outbreak of the Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV). Unusual rains and severe winter have caused an increase in diseases in that nation. On Monday, the Government of Mexico said they sent humanitarian aid to the people of the Republic of Chile. Medical personnel sent include nursing staff, intensive care medical personnel and pediatric specialists to care for girls and boys from zero to five years affected by the outbreak of respiratory syncytial virus. This effort to provide solidarity aid against one of the biggest viruses that this southern country has faced in recent years is the result of collaboration between the Secretaries of Health, the Navy and Foreign Relations (SRE), as well as the Mexican Agency International Development Cooperation (Amexcid) and the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO). Through the strategy of Emergency Medical Teams of the Ministry of Health of Mexico, in an act of solidarity and cooperation between our country and the region, the Secretary of Health, Jorge Alcocer Varel signed the letter confirming the dispatch of the Mexican mission of specialists from the National Institutes of Health that left at 5:10 a.m. Monday. The Mexican health specialists were sent in response to the request of the Government of Chile. The medical personnel were transferred on a Navy plane with six naval elements that make up its crew. Mexico sends 26 medical specialists to help Chilean children during a severe RSV outbreak. Photo: SRE July 3, 2023. Later, the 11th Air Brigade of the Chilean Air Force will also arrive in Santiago de Chile, staying for 20 days. They will work to reinforce the clinical teams specialized in pediatric intensive care for patients under five years of age with symptoms of severe respiratory illness, especially infants. With this support from specialized medical cells, the Chilean health system will convert and expand the number of pediatric beds for critical care in five regions of Chile. In their statetment, the SRE reported that for said mission, the institutions will cover salaries and indirect costs. The Chilean government will support the transfer from the airport or point of entry through which the Mexican medical mission enters to the place where the deployment will take place. Accommodation and food will be covered by the Ministry of Health of that nation. In recent days, the Republic of Chile was affected by unusual rains and a severe winter. This caused an increase in respiratory diseases due to various viruses, with the consequent demand for health services, especially for children who require highly specialized care. The RSV outbreak affects, above all, infants from zero to one year, followed by the age group from one to four years. Faced with this situation, the Chilean government requested external humanitarian aid to respond to the demand for assistance, which involves emergency care, hospitalization and occupation of critical beds. Virginia State Police have identified the man fatally shot by a police officer in Clifton Forge on Friday. Leonidas R. Tamanini, 38, threatened and charged at police officers that had responded to an emergency call for a domestic situation, state police said. The shooting occurred shortly after 2 p.m. at a residence in the 1600 block of Oak Hill Avenue. Clifton Forge Police Department officers and an Alleghany County Sheriffs Office deputy responded to the initial call. Police said Tamaninis last known residence was Williamsville in Augusta County. But he was inside the Oak Hill Avenue residence when police arrived. When he charged at officers, one of them fired his handgun and hit Tamanini. Tamanini received first aid at the residence but died as he was being transported to a nearby hospital. Police said Monday that Tamaninis remains had been taken to the regional medical examiners office. State police continue to investigate the incident at the request of Clifton Forge police. Once the investigation is complete, the Alleghany County commonwealths attorney will review and adjudicate the findings. Police in Kansas have confirmed an eighth shooting victim at a Wichita nightclub over the weekend, bringing the total number of people hurt to 10 " " This artist conception shows what the James Webb Space Telescope will look like when it's launched in space. NASA GSFC/CIL/Adriana Manrique Gutierrez Our knowledge of the universe is bound by the scope of our senses, but our minds know no such limits. When a campfire's glow blinds us to the source of a twig-snap in the wooded darkness, we imagine all sorts of dire prospects. But step out a few paces, set the fire to our backs, and we see more deeply and clearly. Imagination meets information, and we suddenly know what we are dealing with. But it takes more than a good set of eyes and some distance from city lights to comprehend the cosmos; it requires instruments capable of expanding our senses beyond our evolutionary limits, our atmosphere or even our planetary orbit. Astronomy and cosmology are both compelled and limited by the quality of these instruments. Advertisement Around 400 years ago, the telescope revealed unsuspected moons, planets and sunspots, sparking a succession of new cosmic theories and better tools to test them, revealing billowing nebulae and congregating stars along the way. In the mid-20th century, radio telescopes showed that galaxies far from static blobs were in fact active and bursting with energy. Before the Kepler Space Telescope, we thought exoplanets were rare in the universe; now we suspect they might outnumber stars. More than three decades of the Earth-orbiting Hubble Space Telescope helped pierce the veil of time, photograph stellar nurseries and prove that galaxies collide. Now, the James Webb Space Telescope stands poised to place its back to the sunlight, step away from Earth and make the keen, delicate observations possible only in the cold, dark spaces beyond the moon. Slated for a Dec. 22, 2021, launch date from Europe's Spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana, Webb was built by an international collaboration between NASA, the European Space Agency (ESA) and the Canadian Space Agency (CSA), and is charged with answering some very ambitious questions. It also will take astronomers closer than ever to the beginning of time, granting glimpses of sights long hypothesized but never before seen, from the birth of galaxies to light from the very first stars. " " The James Webb telescope's 18-segmented mirror is specially designed to capture infrared light from the first galaxies that formed in the early universe, and will help the telescope peer inside dust clouds where stars and planetary systems are still forming. NASA COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. The person who killed five people at a Colorado Springs nightclub in 2022 was sentenced to life in prison on Monday, after victims called the shooter a monster and coward who hunted down revelers in a calculated attack on a sanctuary for the LGBTQ+ community. During an emotional courtroom hearing packed with victims and family members, Anderson Lee Aldrich pleaded guilty to five counts of murder and 46 counts of attempted murder one for each person at Club Q on the night of the shooting. Aldrich also pleaded no contest to two hate crimes, one a felony and the other a misdemeanor. This thing sitting in this court room is not a human, it is a monster, said Jessica Fierro, whose daughters boyfriend was killed that night. The devil awaits with open arms. The guilty plea comes just seven months after the shooting and spares victims' families and survivors a long and potentially painful trial. More charges could be coming: The FBI confirmed Monday that federal officials were working on a separate investigation. People in the courtroom wiped away tears as the judge explained the charges and read out the names of the victims. Judge Michael McHenry also issued a stern rebuke of Aldrichs actions, connecting it to societal woes. You are targeting a group of people for their simple existence, McHenry said. Like too many other people in our culture, you chose to find a power that day behind the trigger of a gun, your actions reflect the deepest malice of the human heart, and malice is almost always born of ignorance and fear." Relatives and friends of victims were able to give statements in court to remember their loved ones, and survivors spoke about how their lives were forever altered just before midnight on Nov. 19 when the suspect walked into Club Q and indiscriminately fired an AR-15-style semi-automatic rifle. The father of a Club Q bartender said Daniel Aston was in the prime of his life when he was shot and killed. He was a huge light in this world that was snuffed out by a heinous, evil and cowardly act," Jeff Aston said. "I will never again hear him laugh at my dad jokes." Daniel Aston's mother, Sabrina, was among those who said they would not forgive the crimes. Another forgave Aldrich without excusing the crime. I forgive this individual, as they are a symbol of a broken system, of hate and vitriol pushed against us as a community, said Wyatt Kent, Astons partner. What brings joy to me is that this hurt individual will never be able to see the joy and the light that has been wrought into our community as an outcome. Aldrichs body shook slightly as the victims and family members spoke. The defendant also looked down and glanced occasionally at a screen showing photos of the victims. Aldrich who identifies as nonbinary and uses they and them pronouns did not reveal a motivation and declined to address the court during the sentencing part of the hearing. Defense attorney Joseph Archambault said they want everyone to know theyre sorry." The guilty plea follows a series of jailhouse phone calls from Aldrich to The Associated Press expressing remorse for the shooting. District Attorney Michael Allen said Aldrichs statements were self-serving and rang hollow. And the prosecutor rejected the notion that Aldrich was nonbinary. Theres zero evidence prior to the shooting that he was nonbinary, said Allen, who repeatedly called Aldrich a coward. He exhibited extreme hatred for the people in the LGBTQ+ community, and so I think it was a stilted effort to avoid any bias motivated or hate charges. Allen told the judge that the victims were targeted for who they were and are. Hatred coupled with criminal action will not be tolerated," he added. Aldrich originally was charged with more than 300 state counts, including murder and hate crimes. The U.S. Justice Department has been considering federal hate crime charges. The status of those deliberations were unclear Monday but FBI special agent Mark Michalek confirmed there was an ongoing investigation. The U.S. Attorneys Office has requested no documents in the case be released, said Colorado Springs Police Chief Adrian Vasquez. Allen said the federal death penalty was a big part of what motivated the defendant" to plead guilty. The line to get through security and into the courthouse early Monday snaked through the large plaza outside as victims and others queued up to attend the hearing. One man wore a t-shirt saying Loved Always & Never Forgotten." The attack at Club Q came over a year after Aldrich was arrested for threatening their grandparents and vowing to become the next mass killer " while stockpiling weapons, body armor and bomb-making materials. The charges in that case were eventually dismissed after Aldrichs mother and grandparents refused to cooperate with prosecutors, evading efforts to serve them with subpoenas to testify. Aldrich was released and authorities kept two guns. But there was nothing to stop Aldrich from legally purchasing more firearms. Aldrich told AP in one of the interviews from jail they were on a very large plethora of drugs and abusing steroids at the time of the attack. But they did not answer directly regarding the hate crimes charges. When asked whether the attack was motivated by hate, Aldrich said that was completely off base. States with the most anti-LGBTQ+ hate crimes States with the most anti-LGBTQ+ hate crimes #43. Mississippi #42. Delaware #41. Hawaii #40. Rhode Island #39. Wyoming #38. Alaska #37. West Virginia #36. Vermont #35. Louisiana #34. Montana #33. Arkansas #32. Nebraska #31. New Hampshire #30. North Dakota #29. South Dakota #28. Idaho #27. Iowa #26. Kansas #25. Oklahoma #24. Connecticut #23. Arizona #22. Tennessee #21. South Carolina #20. Virginia #19. Indiana #18. Wisconsin #17. District of Columbia #16. Maine #15. Utah #14. Nevada #13. Alabama #12. North Carolina #11. Kentucky #10. Missouri #9. Georgia #8. Minnesota #7. Oregon #6. Michigan #5. Colorado #4. Massachusetts #3. Ohio #2. Washington #1. Texas GRANTS PASS, Ore. One Thursday morning in May, instead of sitting at a desk in her sixth-grade classroom in the Oregon mountains, Khloe Warne sat at a table in her mothers bakery, doing her schoolwork on a laptop and watching her favorite clips of anime. Khloe, 12, loves drawing, writing and especially reading in second grade, she was already reading at a sixth-grade level. But she goes to school only one day a week, for two hours. The district said she needed shorter school days last year when Khloe threw a desk and fought with students in outbursts her mother attributes to a failure to support her needs. Khloe, who has been diagnosed with autism, ADHD and an anxiety disorder, had no individualized education plan for her disability when she returned to in-person learning after the pandemic. Not being able to attend school regularly has saddened Khloe, stunted her education and isolated her from her peers, her mother says. It has also upended her familys life. Her mother, Alyssa Warne, had to quit her job for a time in order to stay home with her. She described the fight to get her daughter back in the classroom as exhausting, stressful and sad. She just wants a friend, Alyssa Warne said. Its not asking much to send your kid to school for at least one whole day. Across the U.S., advocates say, schools are removing students with disabilities from the classroom, often in response to challenging behavior, by sending them home or cutting back on the days theyre allowed to attend. Schools say the move can be necessary to keep students and teachers safe and prevent disturbances. But parents and advocates argue the shortened days, often referred to as informal removals, amount to discrimination and violations of students civil rights. Under federal law, it is illegal to bar a child from receiving the same education as their peers based on conditions stemming from their disability. Alyssa Warne sued her daughters school and school district this month, alleging disability discrimination. In Oregon, a clash between parents and schools culminated this spring at the Statehouse. A bill to curb the use of shortened days, essentially giving parents veto power over such a decision, is pending in the House of Representatives after near-unanimous passage in the Senate. Pressure from school boards and superintendents has hurt the legislations chances, its chief sponsor said. It shouldnt have been controversial because these kids have had this right for such a long time, Democratic state Sen. Sara Gelser Blouin said of her bill. I wish that we could serve these kids, respect these kids and lift these kids up and honor their rights without being ordered by a court to do so. Dan Stewart, managing attorney for education and employment at the National Disability Rights Network, said he wasnt aware of other states with laws limiting schools use of shortened days as Oregons bill would have. But a number of states have issued guidance through their departments of education informing schools that shortened days could potentially amount to discrimination under federal law. Since the 1970s, federal law has guaranteed students with disabilities the right to a free and appropriate public education in the least restrictive environment. This means, as much as possible, they should be learning alongside their peers who dont have disabilities, with necessary accommodations. Its illegal for school districts to cite a lack of money or staff as a reason for not educating a child with disabilities. But states dont always enforce the law, advocates say. Instead of hiring specialists, training teachers or providing tailored services, they say, some schools are shortening students schedules as a way to manage difficult behavior. Oregon is embroiled in a lawsuit over schools use of shortened school days, filed by the nonprofit advocacy group Disability Rights Oregon in 2019. Experts appointed by the court to research the issue found about 1,000 Oregon students with disabilities most of them in elementary school are on shortened schedules. This spring, in the debate over the bill, teachers unions said a lack of specialized training and a post-pandemic crisis in student mental health were putting them in harms way and disrupting classrooms. But schools receive federal and state money for kids with disabilities that they should use for training and staffing, advocates say. Resource allocation is a decision, and school districts have decided not to invest, said Meghan Moyer, public policy director for the nonprofit advocacy organization Disability Rights Oregon. For some Oregon families, the bills stalling is only their latest setback. One parent in Grants Pass, Chelsea Rasmussen, has been fighting for more than a year for her 8-year-old daughter Scarlett to attend full days at school. Scarlett reads at her grade level, but is nonverbal and uses an electronic device and online videos to communicate. She was born with a genetic condition that causes her to have seizures and makes it hard for her to eat and digest food. Because of her medical needs, the school must have a resident nurse on site. After the pandemic, Scarletts mother agreed to start her on a three-day school week to ease her into in-person learning for the first time. But it took months of meetings to bump her up to five days a week, Chelsea Rasmussen said. School employees, she said, told her the district lacked the staff to tend to Scarletts medical and educational needs at school. Rasmussen plans to continue speaking out both for Scarlett and other families struggling with the same issue. How can you not allow a child to have an education? she said. We dont feel like we should have to fight that hard for a student to feel like they belong. Photos: The fight for students with disabilities Seguin, TX (78155) Today Some clouds this morning will give way to generally sunny skies for the afternoon. Near record high temperatures. High 104F. Winds S at 5 to 10 mph.. Tonight Clear skies. Low 76F. Winds S at 10 to 15 mph. Inartful dodgers: some thoughts on the SCOTUS acquitted conduct cert denial | Main | Notable data on Washington state trends impacted by the pandemic and a felony drug possession law declared unconstitutional July 4, 2023 Inartful dodgers: constitutional concerns with acquitted conduct that only SCOTUS can address In the Declaration of Independence, signed 247 years ago today, the Founder of this Nation complained of a "long train of abuses and usurpations" by "the present King of Great Britain," which included "depriving us in many cases, of the benefits of Trial by Jury." And the jury trial right was so important to the Framers that it was twice placed in our Constitution. Section 2 of Article III provides: The trial of all crimes, except in cases of impeachment, shall be by jury. The Sixth Amendment provides: In all criminal prosecutions, the accused shall enjoy the right to a speedy and public trial, by an impartial jury. So, the jury trial right has been considered so essential to a just American system of justice that it helped inspire a revolution and was doubly codified in our Constitution. The Supreme Court has recognized its role in protecting the constitutional jury trial right, recognizing that "the jury right could be lost not only by gross denial, but by erosion," Jones v. United States, 526 U.S. 227, 248 (1999), and striking down practices that amount to an "unacceptable departure from the jury tradition that is an indispensable part of our criminal justice system." Apprendi v. New Jersey, 530 U.S. 466, 497 (2000). Court protection of the jury trial right is critical, as Justice Scalia explained for the Court, because it is a "fundamental reservation of power in our constitutional structure" and because the "judges authority to sentence derives wholly from the jurys verdict. Without that restriction, the jury would not exercise the control that the Framers intended." Blakely v. Washington, 542 U.S. 296, 305-06 (2004). Against this backdrop, it is quite obvious that objections to the use of acquitted conduct at sentencing raise constitutional issues. The cert petition filed by Dayonta McClinton makes this clear in its Question Presented: "Whether the Fifth and Sixth Amendments prohibit a federal court from basing a criminal defendants sentence on conduct for which a jury has acquitted the defendant." That petition notes, inter alia, that some state courts have found due process rights, as well as the jury trial rights, violated by acquitted-conduct sentencing. These rights are, as the Court put it in Apprendi, "constitutional protections of surpassing importance" because they define restraints on state powers and processes to impose criminal punishments. These constitutional realities and stakes, properly understood, reveal the limited significance of the prospect of the US Sentencing Commission (or even Congress) someday promulgating guidelines concerning the use of acquitted conduct at federal sentencing. How the USSC (or Congress) might choose to regulate sentencing law and process would not and could not resolve the array of constitutional concerns that the Supreme Court was asked to consider in McClinton. Indeed, the USSC and Congress cannot even know the full reach and limits of their powers to set forth rules concerning acquitted-conduct sentencing with constitutional matters unresolved. And, of course, the USSC and and Congress can only speak to the use of acquitted conduct at federal sentencing, even though the vast majority of criminal cases (over 90%) are sentenced in state courts (which also struggle with constitutional uncertainty in this arena). This is one of many reasons I found so curious aspects of the statements of Justice Sotomayor and of Justice Kavanaugh (joined by Justices Gorsuch and Barrett) respecting the denial of certiorari in McClinton. The statements suggested these Justices voted against cert because the Sentencing Commission was considering new guidelines for acquitted-conduct sentencing. For example, Justice Kavanaugh states that it is "appropriate for this Court to wait for the Sentencing Commissions determination before the Court decides whether to grant certiorari in a case involving the use of acquitted conduct." But he does not explain why it is "appropriate" to leave unresolved a constitutional issue while a federal agency might address a policy issue. Most fundamentally, the Justices' statements referencing the USSC does not account in any way for how any "Sentencing Commission determination" would have any impact on the Court's consideration of "constitutional protections of surpassing importance." I fully recognize that the Fifth and Sixth Amendment issues surrounding acquitted-conduct sentencing present challenging constitutional issues. But dodging those issues by trying, in essence, to punt them to an agency that can only make policy determinations is not just "inartful," but really an abdication of constitutional responsibility by Supreme Court Justices. On a day we celebrate throwing off "abuses and usurpations" that included deprivations of "the benefits of Trial by Jury," I hope that citizens of this country will keep asking the Justices to live up to their responsibility to fully adumbrate just what those "benefits" are in modern American. Inartful dodgers series: July 4, 2023 at 11:47 AM | Permalink Comments Instead of the usual arguments from the usual people (including me), let me ask whether anyone knows of any neutral, fair-minded, non-advocacy research or writing that's been done on the question whether, at the time of the Founding, judges or juries imposed sentence. Did it differ from one colony to the next? Did it differ based on the nature of the offense? Did it mimic English practice? And for that matter, what was English practice? Posted by: Bill Otis | Jul 4, 2023 5:11:36 PM Justice Thomas covers much of the historical practice in his concurring opinion in Apprendi and in his opinion for the Court in Alleyne, where he documents the "well-established practice of including in the indictment, and submitting to the jury, every fact that was a basis for imposing or increasing punishment." (Interestingly, much of Justice Thomas's analysis runs from 1840 onward, though I have not seen many thorough accounted of pre-1800 practices.) Posted by: Doug B | Jul 4, 2023 6:09:04 PM Doug -- Thanks for pointing that out. I would say only a couple of things at this point. One is that I wonder if it's fair to accuse the justices of being "dodgers." It seems more likely to me that a majority of the present Court simply think existing precedent (Watts) is correct. Satisfaction with existing precedent is by a huge measure the main reason cert gets denied. My other point is that some of the basics of the argument against using acquitted conduct also cut against the Guidelines' relevant conduct rule, and the relevant conduct rule is central to Congress's decision to build the Guidelines on a real offense system. Having been there at the time, I can tell you that that decision was not lightly undertaken. This is spelled out in an entry I found from a law firm and will pass on here: Is Relevant Conduct Next? If relying on acquitted conduct to enhance a defendants sentence is antithetical to a fair sentencing system, could the entire concept of relevant conduct itself be the next domino to fall? Under Section 1B1.3, defendants often have their guidelines ranges enhanced by other types of relevant conduct, including uncharged or dismissed conduct. In some ways, increasing a defendants sentence based on uncharged or dismissed conduct seems worse than doing so based on acquitted conduct. At least with acquitted conduct, the conduct was charged and the defendant had the opportunity to rebut it at trial. But in the case of uncharged conduct, the allegations never even made it before a grand jury. Yet, the defendant is forced to challenge those allegations for the first time in front of a sentencing judge, with a much lower burden of proof facing the government. To many, the sentencing commissions proposed curtailment of acquitted conduct sentencing is a step in the right direction. But it remains to be seen whether the sentencing commission continues on the path of reform and re-evaluates the entire concept of relevant conduct. There is a certain intuitive appeal to the notion that a defendant should only be punished for conduct that has been admitted, or that a jury has found proven beyond a reasonable doubt. Getting there, however, would require the sentencing commission to move closer to the charge offense system it previously rejected when it drafted the guidelines in the first place. With the recent momentum, there is no time like the present to revive that debate. Posted by: Bill Otis | Jul 5, 2023 11:30:54 AM Might the Justices are thinking about how many incarcerated defendants might seek to get back into Court with 2255 Habeas Corpus Motions, to have their sentences recalculated and reduced, if the Supreme Court holds that the use of acquitted conduct to enhance sentences violates the 5th and 6th Amendments to the Constitution? Surely the effects of such a decision would be retroactively applicable on collateral attack. Could be that half of the inmates in the BOP would qualify. Posted by: Jim Gormley | Jul 5, 2023 4:13:42 PM Jim, I think you are correct. I believe Justice Ginsburg was not in favor of making Apprendi retroactive because it would clog up the court. I have a psi where there is an admitted Apprendi violation. The prosecutor told the judge it was harmless error and that is how the sentencing goes. Posted by: beth curtis | Jul 5, 2023 8:36:02 PM Bill, you may be right that a majority of the current Justices are fine with Watts. If so, they should just keep denying cert without fanfare or delay. But they sat on and relisted McClinton and a number of other like cases for nearly a full year AND then four Justices talked up taking up the issue after the Commission acts (or fails to act). And, Justice Thomas, who called for taking up this issue a decade ago, has now gone silent. That all feels like "inartful dodging" to me. Jim, I could imagine this Supreme Court finding any new acquitted conduct rule to be procedural rather than substantive so as to avoid retroactivity. (In addition, USSC data suggest that there are likely at most a few thousand federal prisoners serving sentences enhanced by acquitted conduct, though maybe thousands more would claim they had such sentences.) Posted by: Doug B | Jul 5, 2023 9:05:24 PM Doug -- I wasn't a SCOTUS clerk (never applied) so I don't know how things work up there in the detail I would need to. My guess is that the McClinton can got kicked down the road as more prominent issues demanded attention. My impression is that the justices broadly defer to one another when one or another of them wants to write something. It kind of feels to me as well like there was some indecision on whether there would be a fourth vote for cert. I agree this is not the most organized way to go about things, but it's probably useful in preserving collegiality in an ideologically deeply divided Court. Posted by: Bill Otis | Jul 6, 2023 8:52:31 AM The Justices' are tasked with resolving cases, not "preserving collegiality." If they delay resolution of a case for nearly a year for opaque reasons, and then resolve the case in a ham-handed way, that all amounts to "inartful dodging" in my eyes. Posted by: Doug B | Jul 6, 2023 5:43:22 PM Post a comment They had allegedly facilitated the bank-related scams by, among others, relinquishing their bank accounts, and Internet banking credentials. Police have arrested 13 individuals for suspected involvement in banking-related malware scam cases. (PHOTO: Getty) SINGAPORE In a five-day islandwide operation late last month, the Singapore Police Force (SPF) have arrested 13 individuals for suspected involvement in banking-related malware scam cases, including a 16-year-old teenager. Besides the 16-year-old, officers from the Commercial Affairs Department (CAD) and Police Intelligence Department (PID) arrested 10 men and two women, aged between 19 and 35. Another nine men and a woman, aged between 17 and 65, are assisting in the investigations. Preliminary investigations revealed that seven men and two women, aged between 19 and 27, and the 16-year-old youth, had allegedly facilitated the scam cases by relinquishing their bank accounts, Internet banking credentials and/or disclosed their Singpass credentials for monetary gains. The other three men, aged 20 and 35, are believed to have withdrawn money from some of the money mules' bank accounts and handed the money to unknown persons. SPF did not reveal how much the victims had lost in total. How victims were scammed In a statement released on Saturday (1 July), SPF revealed that since January 2023, they have received increasing reports that malware was used to compromise Android mobile devices, resulting in unauthorised transactions made from the victims' bank accounts even though they did not divulge their Internet banking credentials, One-Time-Passwords (OTP) or Singpass credentials to anyone. The victims in these cases responded to advertisements such as cleaning services, pet grooming, food items such as seafood and groceries on social media platforms and were later instructed by the scammers to download an Android Package Kit (APK) from non-official app-store platforms to facilitate the purchase, leading to malware being installed on the victims' mobile devices. The victims were then convinced by the scammers through phone calls or text messages to turn on accessibility services on their Android phones, resulting in the phones' security being weakened and allowing the scammer to take full control of their phones. The scammers can then log every keystroke, steal banking credentials stored in the phones, and remotely log in to banking apps to add money mules as payees, raise payment limits and transfer money out to money mules. SPF also noted that the scammers can further delete text messages and email notifications of the specific bank transfer to cover their tracks. Punishment for offences The offence of acquiring benefits from criminal conduct under Section 54(5)(a) of the Corruption, Drug Trafficking and Other Serious Crimes (Confiscation of Benefits) Act 1992 carries an imprisonment of up to 10 years, a fine of up to S$500,000, or both. For deceiving the banks into opening bank accounts that were not meant for their own use and relinquishing their bank account login details, they are liable under Section 417 read with Section 109 of the Penal Code 1871 and Section 3(1) of the Computer Misuse Act 1993 respectively. The offence of cheating under Section 417 of the Penal Code 1871 carries an imprisonment term of up to three years, or with a fine, or both, while the offence under Section 3(1) of the Computer Misuse Act 1993 carries a fine of up to S$5,000, or an imprisonment term of up to two years, or both. For disclosing their Singpass credentials under Section 8 of the Computer Misuse Act 1993, they are liable to an imprisonment term not exceeding three years, a fine of up to S$10,000, or both. SPF reminded the public to be wary of clicking on suspicious links, scanning unknown QR codes, or downloading mobile apps from third-party websites or unknown sources. Members of the public should only download apps from official app stores and always check the number of downloads and user reviews. For more information on scams, members of the public can visit www.scamalert.sg or call the Anti-Scam Helpline at 1800-722-6688. Anyone with information on such scams may call the Police Hotline at 1800-255-0000 or submit information online at www.police.gov.sg/iwitness. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and Twitter. MPs engage in lengthy debate over ministers K. Shanmugam and Vivian Balakrishnan's rental of Ridout Road properties. (PHOTO: MCI/YouTubeScreengrab) SINGAPORE The Singapore Parliament debated for nearly six hours on Monday (3 July) on the issues raised from the rentals of two black-and-white bungalow properties along Ridout Road by ministers K. Shanmugam and Vivian Balakrishnan. Here are five key takeaways from the debate, which centred on potential conflicts of interest, political optics and independence of investigations: Q1: Why did the two ministers decide to rent the two Ridout Road properties? Law and Home Affairs Minister Shanmugam wanted to sell his good-class bungalow in Astrid Hill and move into a rental property, after being advised that it would be wiser not to have most of his savings in a single asset. In his ministerial speech on Monday, he considered various rental properties, including black-and-white colonial houses which he had always admired. Shanmugam stated that most of the rent paid for 26 Ridout Road, amounting to $26,500 per month, comes from renting out his family home. However, there is a deficit, which he covers with the income he earned as a lawyer. As for Foreign Affairs Minister Balakrishnan, his family decided to rent 31 Ridout Road so that they could live together while his grandchildren are still young. Dr Balakrishnan chose to rent 31 Ridout Road despite its "advanced state of disrepair" and invested significant money to make the house habitable. He mentioned that his family spent over $200,000 on renovations, knowing that this expense would not be recoverable once the tenancy ended. Q2: Were there possible conflicts of interest, and did the ministers address them? Senior Minister Teo Chee Hean - who was appointed by Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong to investigate any wrongdoings amid the Ridout Road rentals - raised concerns about a potential conflict of interest regarding 26 Ridout Road. He believed that if Shanmugam - who had authority over renting out the property as the Singapore Land Authority (SLA) comes under his ministry's purview - remained in the chain of command, a conflict could have arisen. However, Shanmugam had acknowledged the potential conflict and took steps to address it, by removing himself from the chain of command and the decision-making process. To ensure transparency, he asked the then-deputy secretary of the Ministry of Law (MinLaw) to provide him with a list of available properties. Rather than directly contacting the SLA, Shanmugam instructed the deputy secretary to inform the permanent secretary. This way, the permanent secretary could report to the head of the civil service or PM Lee if deemed necessary. The Corrupt Practices Investigation Bureau (CPIB) conducted an investigation and concluded that Shanmugam had recused himself from the rental process of the 26 Ridout Road property. The investigation found no evidence of corruption or criminal wrongdoing. There was also no indication that privileged information was disclosed during the rental transaction. As for Dr Balakrishnan, there was no conflict of interest as his responsibilities did not include SLA. 26 and 31 Ridout Road (PHOTO: Google Maps/Screenshots) Q3. Do the ministers rentals of the Ridout Road properties create public perceptions of inequality? Leader of the Opposition Pritam Singh argued that the crux of the Ridout Road rental debate is not about corruption allegations, but about political optics. On the decision by Shanmugam to ask the then-deputy secretary of Ministry of Law for a list of state properties available for the public to rent, Pritam questioned its appropriateness, saying that it is incongruous, in the eyes of many, for a minister to be asking a civil servant details which pertain to information for personal use. In response, SM Teo said the list of state properties available for rent is not privileged information, and are readily available to "credible, prospective tenants". Shanmugam also explained that by approaching the deputy secretary, there was total transparency amid the entire law ministry. Bukit Batok MP Murali Pillai also raised questions about public perception, saying that there had been comments about whether ministers living in private properties are able to relate to the common people, and whether such acts engender a picture of inequality. In response, PM Lee said he does not object as long as ministers live within their salary, comply with the laws, and continue to do their duties as a minister and serve Singaporeans. Shanmugam also insisted that his empathy for the people did not decrease as he went from living in a rental flat as a child to living at Ridout Road. "My residents judge me by my heart and my commitment to serve, not by how much I earn and where I live," he said. Q4. Were the investigations headed by SM Teo Chee Hean independent enough? Some MPs had suggested that SM Teo, whom PM Lee had appointed to helm the Ridout Road investigations, may not be sufficiently independent to conduct the probe. They suggested that a third party, such as the Auditor-General's Office or an independent judge, could have done so. PM Lee disagreed, saying that it is his responsibility to set the standards of what is ethical and proper. "I cannot outsource (these investigations). For example, to appoint an ethics adviser to tell me what is proper or not proper. I have to know what is proper or not, otherwise I shouldn't be here," he said in Parliament. PM Lee added that he entrusted the investigations to SM Teo as he is his most senior minister in terms of years in Cabinet and experience. Q5. Were there any measures implemented following the investigations? The Singapore government will implement a new declaration requirement for officers in government ministries and statutory boards who have access to privileged information and the ability to influence decision outcomes. Under the new requirement announced by SM Teo in his ministerial speech, the Public Service Division will collaborate with ministries and statutory boards to establish a standard declaration process for specific groups of officers. These groups will include individuals involved in leasing and valuation matters or those with access to privileged information. The declaration attests that the officer has taken "adequate steps" to prevent conflicts of interest. For instance, they may choose to recuse themselves from overseeing or processing the rental transaction. The scope of these properties encompasses a range of commercial and residential state properties, such as black-and-white bungalows, terraces, factory or office spaces, business parks, shops in neighbourhood centres, and hawker and market stalls. Additionally, the Prime Minister will review the declarations required for property transactions involving ministers and Members of Parliament from the People's Action Party. Do you have a story tip? Email: sgnews.tips@yahooinc.com. You can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and Twitter. Also check out our Southeast Asia, Food, and Gaming channels on YouTube. Two men charged in Singapore court last Saturday, third one still under investigation in Malaysia for separate offence Two of three male Singaporeans arrested by SPF for money laundering of scam proceeds obtained from Singaporean victims (Photos: Singapore Police Force) SINGAPORE Two male Singaporeans, aged 34 and 26, were charged in court on Saturday (1 July) for laundering more than 50 reported cases of scams, after being arrested in Johor with a third man. The Singapore Police Force (SPF) said in a media release on Monday that a total of three Singaporean males were involved in a transnational scam syndicate based in Johor. Besides the two men that were charged in court on Saturday, a third man is currently under investigation by the Royal Malaysia Police (RMP) for a separate offence committed in Malaysia. The trio are believed to be responsible for laundering scam proceeds linked to more than 50 police reports of investment scams, job scams, E-commerce scams and government official impersonation scams in Singapore. Preliminary investigations indicated that the three men presumably procured Singapore bank accounts through various chat platforms like Telegram and Facebook to launder the syndicates scam proceeds. More than S$2.9 million have been reportedly lost by victims of these scams. The two men were extradited to Singapore last Friday, and were charged under Section 51 of the Corruption, Drug Trafficking and Other Serious Crimes (Confiscation of Benefits) Act 1992 for assisting another to retain benefits from criminal conduct. The offence is punishable with a maximum fine of $500,000 and/or a jail term of up to 10 years. How the arrest happened Since April, joint investigations between the SPF and RMP had identified the money laundering syndicate from reported scam cases in Singapore. On 26 June, SPF's Commercial Affairs Department (CAD), as well as RMP's Bukit Aman and Johor Commercial Crime Investigation Departments (CCIDs), conducted a joint-operation raid at a Johor apartment complex. The three male Singaporeans were arrested for their suspected involvement in managing cross border money transfers. Scammers need bank accounts from money mules to launder and move the scam proceeds out of Singapore in order to avoid detection and confiscation by the Police. They are constantly looking to procure more bank accounts to facilitate their money laundering activities," said Shee Tek Tze, CAD's deputy director. "Members of the public are advised to ignore offers of quick monetary gains, including those on chat platforms such as Telegram or Facebook, in return for the use of your bank accounts." Members of the public looking for scam-related advice can call the Anti-Scam Hotline at 1800-7226688 or visit www.scamalert.sg. They can also join the "Lets Fight Scams" campaign and sign up as an advocate to receive up-to-date messages which they can share with family and friends. Do you have a story tip? Email: sgnews.tips@yahooinc.com. You can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and Twitter. Also check out our Southeast Asia, Food, and Gaming channels on YouTube. Authorities seize illegal weapons and contraband items during arrest. (PHOTO: Singapore Police Force) SINGAPORE A 40-year-old man was arrested on Wednesday (28 June) at Woodlands Checkpoint after allegedly being caught with illegal weapons and other prohibited items. According to a media release by the police and Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) on Monday (3 July), the man, who was a passenger in a Malaysia-registered car entering Singapore from Johor Bahru, was stopped by an ICA officer for additional inspection. Upon inspection, the man was found to be in possession of several illegal items, including 10 batons, two stun devices, 10 e-cigarettes, five packets of contraband cigarettes, and three boxes of sexual enhancement pills. One of the devices discovered was described in a pamphlet as a "flashlight-type stun gun for police" capable of discharging a high electric current. Female passenger also arrested The man's passenger, a 31-year-old woman, was also arrested for allegedly associating with an individual carrying offensive weapons in public places. Police are currently conducting investigations. ICA has advised the public to note that importing firearms, weapons, explosives, poisonous or noxious gases, or substances is an offence that carries a maximum jail term of three years and a fine of up to $10,000. Similarly, carrying offensive weapons in public places and associating with people carrying offensive weapons in public places is also a serious offence, punishable by a maximum jail term of three years and a minimum of six strokes of the cane. Do you have a story tip? Email: sgnews.tips@yahooinc.com. You can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and Twitter. Also check out our Southeast Asia, Food, and Gaming channels on YouTube. You can find patriotic-colored packs of Bazooka Bubble Gum sitting next to the Lucky Lights candy cigarettes. The bright pink boxes of Bottle Caps are grouped with other tart treats, such as Cherry Sours or Zotz hard candies. And if youre in the mood for chocolate, nearby is a full case of truffles, buckeyes and bark. People can find these favorites at Norfolks latest confectionery: 4th St. Sweets. The shop is nearing its one-year anniversary in July after its owners, Stephanie and Brian Fleming, moved from Colorado to Norfolk. Were really excited about being retro and kind of vintage, so that when you walk in, you feel like youre in an old-time candy shop, like something that your grandma and grandpa would have owned, Stephanie said. The Flemings source the nostalgic candies from a distributor in Altoona, Pennsylvania, that offers dozens of brands no longer found in stores. Other sweets are made in-house with the popular Guittard chocolate. Stephanie relies on recipes she created herself or used from her own grandparents. Some sought-after creations include Bumble bark, made with peanut butter, white chocolate and crispy rice cereal; buckeyes, which are peanut butter balls dipped in chocolate; and chocolate-covered cheesecake slices. Stephanie got her start in the candy business through a job at Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory in Colorado. After she married Brian, who is originally from Wayne, the two decided to move to Nebraska to run their own sweet shop. Brian, who used to work in the sales industry, said his younger self never would have guessed a candy store was in his future. The idea was stirring for a long time in Colorado, he said. When we left Colorado, we were like, lets do it. The journey to opening 4th St. Sweets was definitely a learning curve. At first, any chocolate Stephanie made would turn out cloudy and not shiny. After some research, she realized it was because of the increase of humidity in Nebraska. The store then got its own dehumidifier. The shop also ran out of chocolates the initial three days of its grand opening. But now they have the hang of their candy schedule: Fudge is made Tuesday or Wednesday, while caramel apples are made on Thursdays. Then Stephanie and Brian have to brainstorm how they will stock their store on Saturdays, which is the shops busiest day of the week. Stephanie said more people have been visiting the shop since it landed a spot on the 2023 Nebraskas Passport tourism program, which features 70 businesses or locations around the state. Store owners have to apply and then be accepted into the program after writing an essay and submitting photos of their businesses. I was super excited to apply and even more flattered that we got chosen. Weve had probably more than 1,000 guests already just in May, Stephanie said. So its been really awesome to meet people from all over Nebraska. 4th St. Sweets also offers gift packages and can cater desserts for events. People can even request a candy from their childhood and Stephanie will see whether its possible to order it. The shop has been mixing retro candies with modern treats. The latest product includes freeze-dried candy shipped in from Crunchy Bits in Auburn, Nebraska, another Passport stop. Its cool when people come in and they havent seen (a candy) for 40 years and they get all excited and their eyes just light up, Brian said. Thats one of my favorite parts. And of course, when kids come in. The kids just go crazy. Dr. Kylie Cooper chokes up thinking about the patients she left behind in Idaho. One who often comes to mind is Kayla Smith. Smith said she chose to end a desperately wanted pregnancy last year after discovering her fetus had potentially deadly heart defects and other problems. But Idaho banned nearly all abortions after the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in June, so Smith had to go to Washington state. Cooper felt deeply saddened she couldnt care for her the way she normally would have. And this is one of the reasons Cooper, a maternal-fetal specialist, moved in April to Minnesota, which has broad abortion rights. Obviously it was a very difficult decision for me and my family, she said. But they needed to be where we felt that reproductive health care was protected and safe. Post-Roe, many maternal care doctors in restrictive states face the same stark choice: Stay or go? They must weigh tough questions about medical ethics, their own families and whether they can provide the best care without risking their careers or even winding up in prison. They know a lot is at stake for patients, too, due to current and projected widespread maternal care shortages in the U.S. Some doctors make a different choice than Cooper. OB-GYN Dr. Alecia Fields moved back to her native Kentucky around the time news first leaked about the Supreme Courts ruling. She practices in a conservative rural county and can no longer provide abortions part-time in Louisville like she once did. Fields feels an intense connection to her state and hopes to foster change from within. Nationally, 44% of counties had low or no access to obstetric providers, according to a 2022 March of Dimes report based on data gathered before the Supreme Court ruling. That figures jump to more than 50% in Kentucky, Idaho and some other states with restrictive abortion laws. Federal projections show a widening gulf between supply and demand for OB-GYNs nationally through 2035. And among the 24 states that have taken steps to restrict abortion, all but Ohio will see an even bigger need by then, according to The Associated Press' analysis of the federal data. Abortion restrictions, combined with the challenges of practicing in rural areas, threaten to expand so-called maternal care deserts," said Dr. Amy Domeyer-Klenske, who chairs the Wisconsin section of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. This won't just affect people seeking abortions, said McKay Cunningham, who teaches reproductive rights and constitutional law at the College of Idaho. It has ramifications that really just affect every woman, every family, that wants to have children. Staying in Kentucky As the midday sun glistened on Lake Cumberland, Fields knelt down to feed her backyard chickens. She and her husband, who is a stay-at-home dad, bought a house and barn on three acres to raise their two little boys. Thats how Fields, 36, grew up shuttling from her parents house in Lexington to her grandparents house in the country. You could just run and go anywhere and play anywhere, she said. Everybody kind of knew each other, came over for Sunday dinners and it just had a real warm feeling to it. At the University of Kentucky and later in medical school, Fields became an advocate for reproductive rights. She served on the board of Medical Students for Choice and learned abortion care during her residency in Rochester, New York. When she worked at a health center in Indianapolis, she drove to Louisville monthly to provide abortions at Planned Parenthood. Then last spring, she got a job offer from a health center in Somerset, Kentucky. It was a chance to serve a county where nearly 1 in 5 people live in poverty and some drive an hour or two for care. But Fields said the abortion decision leak brought up a lot of fears and made her wonder: What is this going to mean on the ground? Am I going to be criminalized? She decided to risk it. The idea of not being able to help them the way that I should was just was terrifying. Dr. Kylie Cooper, of the patients she left behind in Idaho Now, she tries to provide the best care possible given the limitations. She said her goal is to create a really safe space thats very open-ended, where patients can share whether their pregnancies are planned, how they feel about them and what they want to do. If necessary, she can point them toward information on out-of-state abortion providers and travel funds. She can also prescribe birth control and offer permanent sterilization something more of her patients are seeking. Fields displays her love for Kentucky on her dining room shelves, where she's placed a wooden cutout and colorful picture in the shape of the state, a horse statue and the framed saying home sweet home. She envisions staying for a long time and caring for generations of local families. I want to be settled, she said. To kind of put down roots and build on them. Leaving Idaho Cooper, like Fields, wanted to practice where she was needed and make a huge impact." She moved to Boise in 2018, and the job proved extremely rewarding. She handled the toughest cases, shepherding some women through loss and helping others welcome healthy babies despite serious pregnancy complications. She made deep connections with patients, families and coworkers. Her family loved Idaho. She and her husband, also a stay-at-home dad, lived in a great neighborhood and had a group of friends. The kids, 9 and 6, did well in school. We just had a good life, Cooper, 39, said. We had no plans to leave. That changed after Idaho banned abortion. Under state law, doctors who perform the procedure can be charged with a felony and have their medical license revoked. For some of Coopers patients, abortion was the best option and the only way to preserve life and health. The idea of not being able to help them the way that I should was just was terrifying, she said. A new poll by KFF, a nonprofit that does health care research, found 61% of OB-GYNs in states with abortion bans say they are very or somewhat concerned about their own legal risk when making decisions about patient care and whether abortions are necessary. Cooper's family is now settling into a new house in Minnesota. They're still unpacking. Theyre figuring out new schedules and looking for new friends. Basically, Cooper said, were trying to find what we had in Idaho. 5 changes to reproductive health care in the US since Roe's reversal 5 changes to reproductive health care in the US since Roe's reversal 24 states have banned or significantly restricted abortion access, while some states have joined forces to create reproductive rights havens Both state and federal legislatures have moved to defund Planned Parenthood resources More than 60 clinics ceased abortion services, and abortion training for medical professionals may also become restricted At-home abortion pills have come under fire, while mail-order birth control has boomed Inequities in reproductive care access have deepened The drive to my grandparents house is different. The Welcome to Highland Park sign that used to just melt into the landscape is now accompanied by blue, balloon-like letters that spell out HP Strong. Practically every house I pass is sporting the same white signadorned with the outline of Illinois and that phrase, Highland Park Strong. Im making this drive a month after the July Fourth shooting that took seven lives. We decide to take a detour and go to the memorial that sits right along the parade route, on the corner of Central Avenue and Sheridan right next to the train tracks, first. The area is a sea of orange. On one side are cutouts of the people who lost their lives, each on their own pedestal and decorated with messages from family members. It feels eerie to see regular people, not celebrities, printed out like that. There are rocks at the base of the memorial, reminiscent of the Jewish tradition of leaving rocks at someones grave. Many are wrapped in yarn, colored orange like the rest of the memorial. There are thousands of notes attached to the sides of the structure, from residents and visitors alike. The Head and the Hearts Rivers and Roads plays in the background. Id always associated the song with goodbyes at summer camp. Now, the lyrics Nothin is as it has been/ And I miss your face like hell feel different. As I take it all in, I hear a man mention that hes from Arizona and is flying home tonight, but he wanted to pay his respects before leaving. Highland Park, Illinois, a town I often visited but wouldnt bother naming to peopleright outside of Chicago was always easieris now a place everyone knows. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Highland Park, a town I often visited but wouldnt bother naming to peopleright outside of Chicago was always easieris now a place everyone knows. Saying youve grown up in a place implies too many thingsthat youve lived there all your life, gone to school there, go home for holidays there. I tend to avoid saying I grew up in Highland Park because I know my experience is not that. Its not the same as the people who have spent their entire lives there. Advertisement But in a way, I have grown up in Highland Park. My grandpa grew up in the town and raised my mom and all her siblings there. Both my grandparents and aunt still live in the area, meaning my family visits multiple times a year, and practically every Thanksgiving. Ive bought stationery and other camp apparel from Ross Cosmetics. Every summer, I could come to Highland Park before and after leaving for my camp in the Northwoods of Wisconsin, which draws a large Highland Park population. Ive even spent a Fourth of July in town. Just not this past one. The news of the mass shooting felt extremely personal. Right after it happened, I, like so many other journalists, rushed to try to explain this storyto paint the picture of this new form of familiar horror. Since then, media coverage has declined, just as it always does. But I knew I would be going back to Highland Park this summer, just as I always do. I wanted to understand how the place Ive thought of as a kind of home, and the people who have surely earned that term better than I have, were doing. Advertisement Most of the shops were closed for the federal holiday. After the shooting, they stayed closed: It took nearly a week before the cops cleared the downtown area and businesses started opening their doors to the public again. Many owners told me that they werent sure what to expect. They ended up being pleasantly surprised. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The day we reopened, there were lines out the door, Arden Edelcup, who has owned Ross Cosmetics for 30 years, said. Ross, which was closed for the federal holiday, is where the shooter was when he started firing. We had our busiest day in 20 years, says Edelcup, still clearly taking comfort in that. Theres been a lot of crying and hugging in the store since. Advertisement Edelcup wasnt at the paradeneither were her employees. Some of the people who work downtown were, like Gearhead Outfitters manager Tony Brosio. For him, returning to the scene of the crime was terrifying. There was anxiety about coming back, but us coming back has been the best way to deal with it, he said. Being in Highland Park and being at the memorial, thats the most at peace I feel. It hasnt all dissipated yet. Every once in a while, Ill have that flashback when you go back to the scene and Ive had to figure out how to cope with that, Brosio said. On the day of the shooting, which he describes as a blur, he helped others take shelter in the store he normally works in. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The days following the shooting, I couldnt face it, Lindsey Hartman recounted. A Highland Park native, she was excited to bring her 4-year-old daughter to the parade shed attended her entire life. She and her husband ended up shielding her from gunshots. Advertisement Once it wasnt an active investigation site, Hartman went back with her husband to process. The first time we went in, it took my breath away, she said. I sobbed, I retraced our steps. It was a very healing process that first day. It was intense but it allowed me to feel the peace that we were not under attack, and that one kid does not get to take our town away. Its been an exercise in processing upsetting memories. Once they opened the perimeter back up, within a couple of days I did go back in with my husband to figure out where we were standing, Emily Mace, who was also at the parade, said. But I havent yet been back for ice cream, and I havent really quite been able to just sit there. Advertisement The utilitarian nature of the place presents issues. A lot of schools that experience shootings institute new guidelines before students go back to school. After the Buffalo supermarket shooting, the store was completely remodeled. But downtown Highland Park didnt really get a makeover. People just kind of had to go back. Just this last Saturday, my two daughters were selling sparkling water in front of the store [where the shooter started] to raise money for the victims, Brad Helfand, who had been at the parade with his family, explained. But youll never kind of get those images out of your mind, or the pictures you saw of blood spilled on the local walkways and cobblestone sidewalks on the street and benches, he added. Those blood-soaked memories dont go away, but you just have to repress them and try to revive the local community. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The close-knit-ness of the local Highland Park community is something that had always stood out to me on my visits. When I was younger and still wanted to be a teacher, I thought I would settle in Highland Park. It seemed like such a great place to live. Now, there is a heaviness in the air. When I was making plans to meet with Hartman, for example, she told me she has barely left her house in the past month. She was adamant we sit outside to chat because she still struggles in confined spaces. Im constantly looking around and making exit strategies, things that you shouldnt be thinking about, she told me. Im constantly looking around and making exit strategies, things that you shouldnt be thinking about, she told me. Certain noises are very triggering, and I have a hard time doing the most mundane things that I used to take for granted, of going to the grocery store, meeting someone for coffee, whatever that may be, it feels different, Hartman explained. At the beginning, she would go out of her way to avoid the downtown area. She has since been more willing to come closerwe met at Madame ZuZus, a mere two blocks away. She told me she had a plan to bring the emotion of our conversation to the memorial once we were done talking. Advertisement Theres been a lot of emotion to process. When people ask me how my summers going, and I say, I was at the parade, I dont have to say what parade, Aimee Schuster said. Everybody knows. Schuster ended up pulling back on work to give herself breathing space. The experience has made many of the survivors look at other mass shootings differently. Many people I spoke with observed that the attention tends to be on the lives that were lost. But what is lost with that nearly sole focus is the ways in which the survivors are still struggling, whether they were wounded during the event or are still navigating the trauma of it. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement People going through either crisis need their stories told in much the same way that those who have lost their lives, Helfand said. You dont hear enough about, my friend who was shot in the pelvis who may never walk normal again. Advertisement Almost everyone I spoke with talked about the surreal experience of becoming the subject of a story that has become almost routine, or at least familiar. Many felt that going through it personally made them feel strongly that coverage of these events focuses too much on the logistics and horror, and not nearly enough on gun control. In every interview, in every story that Ive read, whether its talking about the lives lost, the survivor stories, the wounded, it never comes up, Hartman said. I personally talked about it in every single interview and it got cut in every single interview. But these arent separate stories. I really appreciated all the support that we were getting from friends and neighbors from far away, Mace said. At the end of the day, you just need things to change so that this doesnt happen to anybody elses families or is anywhere. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Walking down the streets of downtown Highland Park, its clear the town is moving forwardor at least trying to move forward. There are families eating outside, and customers at almost every store. One of the memorials, which had been in Port Clinton Square, has been moved to try and make the center of town more normal. But the Highland Park Strong signage in nearly every store is a reminder of how long this July Fourth will linger. Josh Leavitt noted how hes repeatedly been asked, Can you believe this happened in Highland Park? We were getting that question by a lot of people outside the community, he said. Leavitt was at the parade. And though it was shocking, he wasnt surprised. My answer to that was, yes. I could believe it was happening in Highland Park because its happening everywhere and why wouldnt it happen here? For me, thats been one of the most emotional parts of processing this: The town that was my summer spot, my dream future, my familys hometown, is now one of so many towns grappling with the aftermath of a mass shooting. I think about how Hartmans 4-year-old daughter will grow up thinking about her town, compared with how I did. She thinks about it too. For me, the worst part is not that I will carry this for the rest of my life, she says, holding back tears. My daughters 4 and that for me is just the hardest part Shes 4 and shes already a survivor of a mass shooting. BEIJING, July 4 (Xinhua) -- Iran is to be admitted to the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) as a member state, and a memorandum of obligations on Belarus' SCO membership will be signed, according to Chinese President Xi Jinping. The move shows the vigor and vitality of the SCO, Xi said when he attended the SCO summit via video link on Tuesday. In the wake of the 2015 Charleston shooting, James West Davidson revisited the meaning of patriotic Fourth of July speeches and their purpose. The best, he argues, was given by Frederick Douglass on July 5, 1852. The original article is reprinted below. The most remarkable Independence Day oration in American history was not given on the Fourth of July. And it is little remembered today. But it deserves to be, especially given the searing events in Charleston, South Carolina, last month. Independence Day is rightly a time to celebrate the nations history and even kick back for a little R&R. But the best orators who have marked the day have understood that our nations laurels are not meant to be rested on. Advertisement Fourth of July speeches tend to divide into two sorts. The predominant variety is commemorative, celebratory, and prescriptivesolemnized, as John Adams predicted in 1776, with pomp and parade, with shows, games, sports, guns, bells, bonfires and illuminations from one end of this continent to the other. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement But in his exuberance, Adams failed to anticipate that the Fourth, as it brought Americans together, would continually threaten to tear them apart. Over the years, celebrations of the Fourth have become a periodic tug of war between commemorations designed to affirm and even enforce the common identity of Americansout of many, oneand subversive pushback from those obstreperous enough to insist that we are not all free, emphatically not all equal, and certainly not one. Advertisement Once the United States had gained its independence, some Americans questioned whether celebrating the Fourth was too much trouble; and it took decades for the revels to pick up steam. But by the Declarations 50th anniversary, celebrations commonly included the firing of artillery at sunrise, the marching of volunteer companies, the ringing of church bells, and the parading of labor associations. By the centennial in 1876, the event had reached its apogee. Flags and bunting decorated homes and streets, while Philadelphia, birthplace of the nation, stretched its celebrations across four days, beginning on July 1. In Independence Square, the poet Bayard Taylor evoked Columbia, goddess of liberty, in a newly composed National Ode that was apostrophic enough to induce a case of the vapors. For lo! she cometh now / With hope on the lip and pride on the brow. Advertisement Advertisement Walt Whitman, who should have been tapped for the job but wasnt, had years earlier taken the measure of such effusions: O the orators joys! To inflate the chest, to roll the thunder of the voice out from ribs and throat, To make the people rage, weep, hate, desire, with yourself, To lead Americato quell America with a great tongue. Lead by quelling: Such was the order of the day in 1876. As Bayard Taylor put it, Let no iconoclast / Invade thy rising Pantheon of the Past. Advertisement But even in self-congratulatory Philadelphia, not every iconoclast was quelled. Suffrage advocate Susan B. Anthony and several younger colleagues had managed to get into the square. After the Declaration of Independence was read to the multitudes, as the band struck up an anthem, Anthony and her followers rose and approached the speakers platform, carrying copies of a Declaration of Rights, including provocative Articles of Impeachment they had drawn up against our rulersmenfor denying women the right to vote or serve on juries and restricting them from full participation in the American democracy in many other ways. The history of our country the past hundred years, it proclaimed, has been a series of assumptions and usurpations of power over women. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Anthony was unsure whether her unannounced appearance would be blocked, but the men on the platform gave way with instinctive deference and she sailed right up to Thomas Ferry, president pro tempore of the U.S. Senate and effectively Ulysses Grants vice president. As she presented her document, Ferry bowed, white-faced with alarm. The ladies then retreated, handing out copies to many outstretched hands, while the military officer overseeing the event cried, Order! Order! Anthony did not read her piece aloud, however, and accounts of her demonstration were buried or omitted so completely in newspaper reports that she might as well have vacationed in Omaha. The manifesto would have made a sensational oration, but that was not to be. Advertisement The speech that deserves our notice, and did truly thunder, came not at the centennial but a quarter of a century earlier, in Rochester, New York, on July 5, 1852. Rochester was the epicenter of the so-called burned-over district, a region along the Erie Canal swept repeatedly by religious revivals and reform. There, the former slave and ardent abolitionist Frederick Douglass published his newspaper the North Star. Douglass was a good friend of Susan B. Anthony, whose family farm was located on Rochesters outskirts. His paper had been one of the few to support the womens rights convention in nearby Seneca Falls, led by Elizabeth Cady Stanton in 1848. Advertisement Advertisement So it was natural enough that the Ladies Anti-Slavery Society of Rochester asked Douglass to provide an oration for Independence Day. Since the Fourth that year fell on a Sunday, commemorations were held a day later. That suited Douglass perfectly, as African Americans had been celebrating the Fourth a day later for over two decades. Many blacks found the idea of joining in the festivities problematic at best, so long as white Americans continued to keep millions of slaves in chains. In any case, white revelers on the Fourth had a history of disrupting black processions. Many blacks made July 5 their holiday instead. Advertisement Though he was a newspaper publisher, Douglass believed that the spoken word remained the most effective way to move multitudes. As a boy he had secretly studied rhetoric and parsed the speeches of famous orators, though his first efforts at public speaking were modest. It was with the utmost difficulty that I could stand erect, he recalled, or that I could command and articulate two words without hesitation and stammering. Confidence came with time and practice. Douglass also possessed a sense of humorof the driest kind, observed one listener. You can see it coming a long way off in a peculiar twitch of his mouth. Occasionally he dramatized conversations to make a point, provoking laughter when he mimicked the drawl of a Southern planter. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Elizabeth Cady Stanton vividly recalled the first time she heard Douglass address a crowd. He stood over 6 feet tall, like an African prince, majestic in his wrath. Around him sat the great antislavery orators of the day, earnestly watching the effect of his eloquence on that immense audience, that laughed and wept by turns, completely carried away by the wondrous gifts of his pathos and humor. On this occasion, all the other speakers seemed tame after Frederick Douglass. Advertisement In Rochester, Douglass stalked his largely white audience with exquisite care, taking them by stealth. He began by providing what many listeners might not have expected from a notorious abolitionist: a fulsome paean to the Fourth and the founding generation. The day brought forth demonstrations of joyous enthusiasm, he told them, for the signers of the Declaration were brave men. They were great men toogreat enough to give fame to a great age. Jeffersons very words echoed in Douglasss salute: Your fathers staked their lives, their fortunes, and their sacred honor, on the cause of their country Advertisement Your fathers. That pronoun signaled the slightest shift in the breeze. But Douglass continued cordially. Friends and citizens, I need not enter further into the causes which led to this anniversary. Many of you understand them better than I do. Then another step back: That is a branch of knowledge in which you feel, perhaps, a much deeper interest than your speaker. Advertisement Now the dry humor was edging into view: accompanied, no doubt, by that peculiar twist of the mouth. As a people, Americans were never shy about proclaiming the facts which make in their favor, Douglass noted; indeed, bragging about their reputation was often deemed a national virtue. It might equally be accounted a national vice, he continued slyly; but in deference to that habit, he pledged to leave any further praise of the Revolution to other gentlemen whose claim to have been regularly descended [from the Founding Fathers] will be less likely to be disputed than mine! Advertisement Then he got to the point. It was all well and good to sing the praises of past heroes; but his business, Douglass insisted, if I have any here to-day, is with the present. Those who praised the hard-won deeds of the founders had no right to do so unless they too were ready to work for the cause of liberty. You have no right to wear out and waste the hard-earned fame of your fathers to cover your indolence. Advertisement Then he threw down one question after another, each white-hot as a brand from the burning: Fellow-citizens, pardon me, allow me to ask, why am I called upon to speak here to-day? What have I, or those I represent, to do with your national independence? Are the great principles of political freedom and of natural justice, embodied in that Declaration of Independence, extended to us? This Fourth [of] July is yours, not mine. You may rejoice, I must mourn. To drag a man in fetters into the grand illuminated temple of liberty, and call upon him to join you in joyous anthems, were inhuman mockery and sacrilegious irony. Do you mean, citizens, to mock me, by asking me to speak to-day? Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Even the stoutest anti-slavery advocate must have quailed. Many in the audience, Douglass noted, would no doubt have preferred him to act less as an agitator and more as rational persuader. But what reasoned argument remained to be made? Would you have me argue that man is entitled to liberty? That he is the rightful owner of his own body? You have already declared it. Must I argue the wrongfulness of slavery? To do so, would be to make myself ridiculous, and to offer an insult to your understanding. What, am I to argue that it is wrong to make men brutes, to rob them of their liberty, to work them without wages, to keep them ignorant of their relations to their fellow men, to beat them with sticks, to flay their flesh with the lash, to load their limbs with irons, to hunt them with dogs, to sell them at auction, to sunder their families, to knock out their teeth, to burn their flesh, to starve them into obedience and submission to their masters? Must I argue that a system thus marked with blood, and stained with pollution, is wrong? Advertisement Advertisement At a time like this, scorching irony, not convincing argument, is needed. O! had I the ability, and could I reach the nations ear, I would, to-day, pour out a fiery stream of biting ridicule, blasting reproach, withering sarcasm, and stern rebuke. For it is not light that is needed, but fire; it is not the gentle shower, but thunder. We need the storm, the whirlwind, and the earthquake. Advertisement Yet for all these justly heaped coals of fire, Douglasss peroration also offered hope. I do not despair of this country. There are forces in operation, which must inevitably work the downfall of slavery. He embraced once more the Declaration of Independence, the great principles it contains, and the genius of American Institutionsno doubt because, like Whitman, he wished to lead Americato make the people rage, weep, and hate the injustices that to him seemed so clear; and to desire the extension of freedom to all Americans. Advertisement His task must have seemed nearly hopeless at a time when the new Fugitive Slave Act, put in place by the Compromise of 1850, allowed Southern planters to pursue runaway slaves in the free statesslaves like himand even forced Northerners to aid in that pursuit. As a devout Christian, it particularly galled Douglass that so many Northern ministers refused to join the abolitionist cause. So in reading his words, we must understand that it was not merely a facile rhetorical device when he asked listeners whether they meant to mock him, in asking him to deliver an Independence Day oration. In a sense, deep in his bones, he was truly offended. Advertisement Advertisement Yet he did deliver the address, in a manner fiery and uncompromising yet patriotic and uplifting. Has there ever been another Independence Day speech to match it? Advertisement Advertisement In the end, the promise of the Declaration could not be delivered without force of arms. The contradictions between freedom and slavery were etched so deeply into the nation that no orators tongue could resolve them. Still, Douglass called down the storm, whirlwind, and earthquake in the attempt, and his oration deserves a place of honor in the American canon. It would please the wrathful prince to receive the recognition that is his due; though he would surely be careful to accept it only through faintly pursed lips. And then, with that tight smile, he might wonder if we too would be rash enough to ask him to speak on our Fourth. What would he say? Insist, no doubt, that we not merely enshrine the deeds of the Revolution under glass: We have to do with the past only as we can make it useful to the present and to the future. Celebrating the deeds of our forefathers is a hollow sham if we fail to ask how we can work to extend the Declarations ideals in our own time. The protests in Ferguson, Missouri, the riots in Baltimore, and the shooting in a Charleston sanctuary all demonstrate that true freedom and equality remain works in progress. Advertisement Advertisement But along with censure Douglass might offer hope: that the deeds and principles of the past, when set beside the tragedies of the present, might inspire a way forward. The shock and revulsion brought on by the Charleston shootings, combined with the magnanimity and forbearance of the victims families, have pushed a wide swath of the American public to reconsider the meaning of potent political symbols that have loomed so long over the national debate on liberty, equality, and race. Douglass never gave up hope that the spoken word could turn minds and heartson the Fourth of July as well as on the fifth. Neither should we. Since June, smoke from hundreds of wildfires raging across Canada has been blowing into the United States, tanking air quality hereNew York City earned the worst air quality ranking in the world, and that quickly was overtaken by Chicago and Detroit. Its been an alarming experience, and with the July Fourth holiday coming up, how bad are things right now? There are currently more than 500 active wildfires in Canada, and about half of them are classified as out of control. The situation has become so dire that at least 10 countries, including the United States, Australia, France, and South Africa, have sent in firefighting forces to help out. In the meantime, as smoke continues to travel over into the U.S., air quality in parts of Michigan and Illinois are slated to worsen over the next day from code green to orangeconsidered unhealthy for sensitive groups. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Canadas wildfires are a complicated problem to fix due to a bunch of factors. Heres what we know about them: The fires are tough to extinguish Canada currently does not have a national firefighting service, with provinces and territories leaning on one another for shared resources. Thats on top of a rare wildfire seasonCanada has so far this year experienced 2,600 fires, which have burned about 13 million acres of forest. By this point last year, only about 140,000 acres had burned. It also hasnt helped that this spring and summer seasons have brought intense heat, wind, and dryness that are making these fires more prevalent and aggressive. Thats especially dangerous in a place like Canada, as its home to one of the worlds largest boreal forest ecosystems. Warm temperatures end up encouraging more vegetation growth, and when a heat wave hits, that significantly increases the risk of wildfires. Advertisement The weather has pushed wildfires to crop up even in remote areaslike northwestern Quebecand theyve become so out of control that its nearly impossible to extinguish them. Recent rainfall is helping firefighters efforts, but its not expected to be enough to fully put out the fires. The wildfires will burn through the summer The Canadian governments seasonal forecast shows basically the entire country at an above-average risk of wildfires for the months of July and August. Natural Resources Canada explained that this is due to ongoing drought and long-range forecasts for warm temperatures. Research suggests that human-caused climate change is also a likely factor in Canadas current wildfire season; hotter temperatures increase the risk of fires and make them more intense and longer lasting. Climate change also pushes fires to develop in places they normally wouldnt. Advertisement Advertisement Related from Slate Meg Duff Wildfire Smoke: What To Do, and What Not To Do Read More Smoke in the U.S. is coming from Quebec Out of the hundreds of fires burning in Canada, the smoke American cities are experiencing stems mostly from the Canadian province of Quebec, which shares a border with Vermont, Maine, and New York. In early June, when New York City reported having the worst air quality in the world, NASA estimated that Quebec had around 150 active wildfires. Fine particulate matter from the smoke has been blowing down to the East Coast and Midwest, putting 127 million Americans under air-quality alerts. It has caused hazy skies and entirely obscured cities skylineseven recently pushing the Federal Aviation Administration to issue a ground stop of all flights operating out of LaGuardia Airport over reduced visibility. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Local officials are recommending people limit their time outside and to wear masks if they do have to go out. Some businesses are even shutting down because of the poor air qualityin Washington, parks, zoos, concerts, parades, and local restaurants closed for a day last month. The future looks hot One study found that fire activity is expected to increase in the coming decades across North America. Climate change is, again, a big factor as warmer temperatures lead to increased fire activity. Warmer temperatures also create prolonged rain-free periods, which, researchers say, create a stretch of long-lasting fire-conducive weather. In Canada, budget cuts have prevented the country from ramping up its wildfire preparedness, and theres been a reluctance to try prescribed firesa process of intentionally starting a fire to control branches and brush that could otherwise fuel a wildfire. It can be a lengthy process to get approval by the Canadian government to execute prescribed fires, but when done correctly, they can be successful. In the U.S., prescribed fires in Idaho, Oregon, and Washington have prevented wildfire severity. This is part of Two Bad, a series exploring Americans lackluster enthusiasm for the 2024 election and the problem of the third-party candidate. A recent Economist-YouGov poll found that 44 percent of American adults would vote for a third party or an independent candidate. A separate NBC News poll showed that more Democrats than Republicans are open to third-party voting in 2024. Its not outlandish, then, to think some of them will peel off to support famed intellectual Cornel West, who is seeking the Green Partys nomination. The longtime professor continues to hold plenty of respect in progressive circlesas a bombastic and righteous public scholar, as a committed socialist, as a former Bernie Sanders campaign surrogate. (Sanders has already endorsed President Joe Bidens reelection campaign.) The worry from mainstream Dems, of course, is that his celebrity will be enough to eat into the left-liberal voting share and resultingly sweep Republicans back into power. If Cornel West is aware of this concern, he is certainly unafraid of the optics; his 2024 campaign has already recruited Jill Stein, the commonly blamed spoiler of the 2016 election, as its manager. Shell also be in charge of Wests fundraising and communications for the time being, according to Bloomberg. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Green Party may seem like an odd choice for West: Its weakened, maligned political presence in 2023 comes thanks to bad press from two pivotal elections, systemic pushback from Democrats, financial support from Republicans (and Russians), a minimal amount of overall electoral success, and a slate of fringe-y candidates. That it would end up in this state wasnt inevitable. The Green New Deal (yes, it was originally a Green Party thing) has paved the policy road to transformative climate legislation, Green coalitions have serious political power in Europe, and the United States two major-party leaders are historically unpopular. Especially in light of anti-Biden fury from young voters who feel the president has reneged on his environmental promises, the lefty Greens ought to be in better straits these days. So, how did they end up here? And what is West hoping to accomplish with his run, anyway? Advertisement First, why we even have a third party like this. The movement to establish a bedrock Green Party in the U.S. kicked off in the mid-1980s, when anti-nuclear environmental activists in Maine, inspired by international electoral successes by Green parties in Canada and Belgium (and likely angered by Reagans oil-happy policy), met to launch a similar institution of their own at the state level. As West Germanys Green Party surges earned global attention in 1984, leftists from across the U.S. arranged summer conferences with environmentalists and social justice advocates to seriously organize national-level Green Party counterparts. While these disparate organizers worked to formalize a party plank and structure focused on ecological justice and a fairer political system, they gained support from noted activists like Grace Lee Boggs, Murray Bookchin, and Grace Paley. Soon, other states launched Green branches of their own, gaining enough voters through petitions and electoral races to qualify as local political players. The city of Cordova, Alaska, elected the countrys first-ever Green mayor in 1991. The following year, Hawaii Greens elected a Hawaii County councilor and ran a Senate candidate, Linda Martin, who won nearly 14 percent of the statewide vote. In 1994, New Mexico Green candidates made impressive showings in their runs for governor and treasurer. Such impacts, along with numerous municipal-level Green victories in over a dozen states, pushed national-minded organizers to raise their profile by putting forth consumer-protection legend Ralph Nader as a federal candidate in 1996. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Even though Nader won just 0.71 percent of the popular vote in 1996, the Greens had real momentum going into the new millennium. They released a party platform and held a nationally televised convention where Nader once again clinched the nomination, this time beating out former Dead Kennedys frontman Jello Biafra in the primary. The Greens looked poised to become a durable left alternative to Clinton-era corporate Democrats and Gingrich-era austerity Republicans, thanks to a burgeoning anti-globalization movement; a platform strong in support of anti-racism, feminism, LGBTQ+ support, systemic overhaul, and environmental protection; and support from luminaries like Michael Moore and Medea Benjamin. Jim Hightower, the former Texas agriculture commissioner who later gained prominence as a muckraking progressive journalist, was the keynote speaker at the 2000 Greens convention. He still remembers why it felt like such a flashpoint for American politics. When Nader set out to run for president, he was holding these huge rallies with people like Cornel West, Eddie Vedder, and Willie Nelson. They all saw something there because Nader had such a record of real progressive change, Hightower told me. Nobody was fooled that Ralph was going to be president, but this was a serious attempt that could establish a real progressive third party in the country. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Yet, just when greater power seemed assured, everything fell apart. The tight voting margin between Al Gore and George W. Bush in Florida, which led to the Supreme Court mess we all recall as Bush v. Gore, was blamed in large part on the votes Nader picked up in the Sunshine State. With Bush as president, environmental and social justice priorities took a back seat to the war on terror (and to climate skepticism). Desperation to oust Dubya drove dozens of former Nader surrogates, including Hightower, to support John Kerry in the 2004 election; Nader also lost the Green nomination that year to his erstwhile campaign staffer David Cobb. Advertisement From his personal experience, Hightower believes those eight years of Bush effectively imposed a blacklist on the Greens as an institution (though he still doesnt think that Nader sabotaged the election for Gore). Unions and other movement builders that had once welcomed Green rallies, he told me, now shunned their members and affiliates over the debacle. But the Greens also ceded their own organizational heft after earning Federal Election Commission approval in 2001. The organizational structure did not coalesce and did not continue to push, Hightower said. They would come back every four years and run somebody for president. But that is not party building. Thats a gesture. (Hightower added that similar issues plague Democrats in his home state of Texas, which disadvantages hopefuls like Beto ORourke: In 2018, Beto would generate lots of excitement in a rural county, then go to the next, and there was no party structure left behind. We have fiftysomething counties with no Democratic Party chair in them.) Bruce Delgado, a Californian Green whos served as mayor of Marina since 2008, also mentioned the lack of party interest or investment. The national representatives have never contacted me, so they havent weighed in on my office, my experience. Were just not on their radar, Delgado told me. This is despite the fact that hes gained some prominence within the state for his efforts to adapt his coastal city to the effects of climate changesomething one might think the national Greens would want to spotlight. Advertisement Advertisement In addition, the Greens were hurt by credibility concerns, institutional pushback, and plummeting party registration. In 2008, the party nominated former Democratic Georgia Rep. Cynthia McKinney for president. By that time, her outspoken Bush opposition had curdled into 9/11 trutherism and antisemitic conspiracism; she even published screeds to that effect on the Green Partys website. The party as a whole struggled against Green-phobic Democrats who tried, often successfully, to get the Greens off ballots. The American Civil Liberties Union ended up suing South Carolina in 2008 over ballot rules that seemed to intentionally sideline third-party candidacies. Tennessee-area Greens sued their state over similar measures in 2012, and Hawaii Greens also challenged their states electoral process that year. Such disputes continue in myriad states to this day, and are likely to flare up again ahead of 2024. Advertisement Advertisement For the 2012 postOccupy Wall Street election cycle, the national Green Party didnt really have a standard-bearer. In stepped Jill Stein, a Harvard-educated physician and former musician whose 90s-era environmental activism, added to resentment of Massachusetts Democrats who repealed a popular clean elections law in 2003, led her to join the states Green Party. She staged multiple unsuccessful state-level runs before serving two terms in Lexingtons municipal government during the 2000s. After President Barack Obamas debt ceiling negotiations led to federal safety-net cuts in 2011, Stein started working at the national level. Her success was immediate: She qualified for federal matching funds in 22 states and fended off her much-better-known challenger, Roseanne Barr. Her antiWall Street, anti-war, antiCitizens United, proGreen New Deal run captured only 0.36 percent of the popular vote in 2012but Stein did gain far more national votes than any Green candidate since Nader, as well as wider name recognition thanks to a media-savvy campaign. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Our campaign was really the only national voice for health care as a human right, for free public higher education, for abolishing student debt, for a foreign policy based on international law, human rights, and diplomacy rather than raw militarism, Stein told me on the phone last week. And it changed the dialogue. Our agenda was adoptedin name, at leastby progressive Democrats, and it provides a base on which we continue to build for fundamental political change. Steins newfound Green profile-raising plowed into the much more fraught 2016 election. Beyond Democratic acrimony over her potential to draw disgruntled Sanders voters away from supporting Hillary Clinton against Donald Trump, there were the controversial comments over whether vaccines and Wi-Fi are harmful to children, the remark that Clinton would be likelier than Trump to fuel nuclear armageddon, and the Green Partys platform endorsement of junk medicinal practices. All this spurred leaders of more successful Green parties in Europe to insist that U.S. Greens needed to ditch Stein if they wished to gain actual power. Americans recall what happened next: Stein garnered about 1.5 million votes in the general election, swooping up numbers in key swing states that exceeded Trumps margins of victory against Clinton. No, its not certain that those Stein voters wouldve gone for Clinton had their preferred candidate not been in the race. But the campaign boosting from Russia-linked social media accounts didnt help the narrative (or, as Stein characterizes it, the prevailing mythology). Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Once again, the Greens had become a victim of their own success. Jill Stein was not the movement leader that she probably wanted to be and that many might have hoped she could be, said Jim Hightower. But thats not her fault. Just one person cant do it. It did, however, have consequences for the party: The heightened desperation of the 2020 election once again cast the Greens into irrelevance, with nominee Howie Hawkins, a Green stalwart dating back to the partys 1980s origins, earning just 0.2 percent of the popular vote. Apparently, the party is hoping that 2024 could be different. In his post-announcement media rounds, Cornel West has made clear that he thinks both parties now stand in the way of coming to terms with the plight of poor and working people. Hes also made it clear that he hates both Biden (for his hypocrisy and militarism) and Trump (for his lies and gangster activity), and that hes fundamentally committed to going to the end of the cycle. And hes not just reaching out to disappointed Demshes also trying former Trump voters and working-class Americans in all regions. West originally announced his run as part of the Peoples Party, a scandal-ridden group formed in 2017 by disaffected Sanders supporters that has a ballot presence only in Florida, before vying for the Green nomination at the urging of Chris Hedges. Perhaps unsurprisingly, it was Steins suggestion, as she told me. West now has to square off against seven rivals, including U.S. Green Party co-founder Randy Toler, for the official nomination. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Related from Slate Addicen Bauer and Molly Olmstead A Romp Through Historys Most Successful Third-Party Presidential Candidates Read More Cornel West is not a natural fit for the Greens, though. As Joan Walsh wrote in the Nation: I loved everything about West until he supported spoiler Ralph Nader against thenVice President Al Gore in 2000, an act for which he never apologized. Its a pattern: He attacked Barack Obama after 2008 and supported Steins 2016 candidacy, though he did support Biden against Trump in 2020. The Green affiliation may only heighten critiques West has already faced for his chumminess with vaccine- and COVID-skeptical podcasters like Russell Brand and Jimmy Dore, his praise for bits of DeSantis education policy (outside of Dont Say Gay and Stop W.O.K.E.), and his prior clashes with prominent Black figures like Obama and Ta-Nehisi Coates. Advertisement Advertisement His campaign manager isnt concerned about any of that. A political campaign in and of itself is of no lasting impact unless it is for the long haul, Jill Stein said. This is part of an effort to build, and we see that happening in two ways: One is by building a broad, multipartisan movement for truth, justice, democracy, and peace. Its also to help build the Green Party as a critical part of the political infrastructure for this fight. Advertisement But the Green Party remains weak at statewide levels, with no elected officials whove gained more power than, say, a statehouse seat. A lack of firm local infrastructure, plus continued litigation from Dems, hasnt helped, and probably wont fix the issue by the time 2024 rolls around. Youve got to build that constantly, again and again and again, precinct by precinct, county by county and state by state, said Hightower. Theres no shortcut to this stuff. And we dont have that happening in the third parties today. Stein didnt quite see it that way. Its very much to the credit of the Greens that we have somehow managed to survive and remain a presence, even though were not under the stranglehold of bankers, billionaires, and war profiteers, she said. Normally, independent noncorporate political parties last about a decade. This time, she and other West fans believe, the professor could get the Green Party to federally qualify in all 50 states and make a real impression at an opportune moment. Advertisement Stein also predicts that West will open up the ideological conversation and reach out to Americans left behind by the parties of war and Wall Street. They are running two candidates who have extremely negative ratings, and this is the best that they can come up with, she said. This is a zombie political system continuing to run the same old zombie political candidates that people do not vote for. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A lot of people would agree with thatperhaps even those whove committed to voting for either Biden or Trump. And theres room in the Democratic Party to adopt more of the Green Partys most virtuous policy planks as the planet and our democracy remain under threat. I agree with many of Dr. Wests positions, as do most rank-and-file Democratic base voters. I hope to see some of his proposed reforms incorporated into our platform, Leon County Democratic Party Chair Ryan Ray told the Florida Phoenix. But, heading into an election year that will be just as important as 2000 and 2016, Ray also admitted that Ralph Nader still looms large in our public memory. This is part of Two Bad, a series exploring Americans lackluster enthusiasm for the 2024 election and the problem of the third-party candidate. The avowedly moderate advocacy group No Labels has long been a pain in the neck for the Democratic Partys left wing, and even sometimes for its mainstream leaders. In 2021, for instance, it directed public support and behind-the-scenes fundraising assistance to the members of the House and Senate, most prominently New Jersey Rep. Josh Gottheimer and Arizona Sen. Kyrsten Sinema, who were working gleefully and successfully to kill large parts of President Joe Bidens Build Back Better proposal. Advertisement Now, though, the group has become a major irritant to the Beltways other professional centrists, too. Its feuding with several Democratic members of the Houses bipartisan Problem Solvers Caucus, to the point that it paid to send attack texts out to voters in one members district. The business-friendly Third Way think tank recently hosted a meeting with White House officials and Never Trump Republicans whose subject was, in essence, how to manage their shared No Labels problem. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The cause of all this tension? No Labels plans to run its own presidential candidate in 2024 if it decides the major parties nominees are, quote, unacceptablea determination that it says could apply to a rematch between Biden and Donald Trump. In this scenario, polling suggests that a third-party candidate running as a self-declared moderate would draw more votes from Biden than from his opponent. An organization which claims to promote civility in politics would have, in effect, engineered the reinstallation of the least civil president in American history. (A No Labels staffer told Politico that the organization will not run a third-party candidate if Ron DeSantis is the Republican nominee.) Advertisement Figuring out why this is happening requires going back to No Labels origins. The group is the brainchild of longtime Democratic fundraiser Nancy Jacobson, who got her start in politics organizing for presidential candidate Gary Hart on the Syracuse University campus in 1984; shed go on to raise money for Bill Clintons 1992 campaign and serve as the finance chair of the Democratic National Committee. Both Hart and Clinton were New Democrats associated with the Democratic Leadership Council, which prided itself on having outside-the-box ideas that existed in a space both between and beyond conservatism and liberalism. It was thus not surprising that when Jacobson launched No Labels in 2010, the groups stated purpose was to create a new kind of politics on the common ground between the major parties. Advertisement Advertisement Jacobson and her co-founders described a vision of recruiting a million members or more across the country and organizing chapters in every congressional district and on college campuses. The idea, as presented, was not to form a third party, per se, but instead to channel the power of the countrys silent common-sense majority in a way that would pressure politicians from both existing parties to cut the crap and get to work. (One speaker at its launch event urged the audience to remember the three Cs: co-sponsoring bipartisan legislation, finding common ground, and being civil.) Advertisement This grassroots groundswell hasnt materialized. No Labels answered no to a question about whether it has local chapters, branches, or affiliates on its 2021 tax return, the most recent one thats publicly available. (The Facebook page for No Labels at the University of Michigan, my top Google result for No Labels chapter college campus, has zero followers and last posted in 2015.) The No Labels In the News page on the organizations website documents national TV appearances and op-eds published in major newspapers by No Labels leaders and the various prominent politicians, like former Connecticut Sen. Joe Lieberman, with whom the group is affiliated. In reality, its a small organizationthe 2021 tax return claims 54 employeespracticing a decidedly top-down form of politics. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement At that, No Labels is effective, given a certain definition of effectiveness. It helped create the Problem Solvers Caucus, a group that representatives love to claim membership in despite its limited record of actually creating and passing legislation . (Some of the Problem Solvers did, as mentioned, help prevent the passage of some Biden Build Back Better agenda items like paid family leave and universal pre-K.) Jacobson is known as a world-class fundraiser, and the groups 2021 return lists $11 million in revenue, which is just the money claimed by No Labels itself; as reporting on the BBB negotiations shows, shes also capable of deploying donors to give directly to candidates. No Labels says it plans to raise $70 million for its potential 2024 third-party nominee. Advertisement What would that $70 million be put toward? No Labels hasnt said who it would nominate, but the most likely candidates would seem to be Democratic West Virginia Sen. Joe Manchin, who shares a zigzagging sensibility with the group and has participated in its events in the past, and former Republican Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan, a socially liberal Trump critic who is the organizations current national co-chair. Advertisement Advertisement Both Hogan and Manchin are (or were) successful politicians within their own states who can be charming in the right settings, but they have limited name recognition and are unlikely to inspire the national imagination with massive rallies or viral television appearances. They wouldnt be that distinguishable from Biden on the issues; the incumbent Dem likes to play up his own interest in aisle-crossing cooperation and has signed bipartisan gun control, infrastructure, and manufacturing bills into law. The contrast would be even more muddled if the other candidate in the race were Trump, who makes any election hes even peripherally involved in a single-issue referendum on himself. Advertisement No Labels cites Bidens poor approval rating as evidence that Americans would like to elect someone else to the presidency. While this may be true in the abstract, Biden isnt running in the abstract, and in head-to-head-to-heads against him and Trump, Manchin and Hogan poll in the single digits. Its also not uncommon for first-term presidents to have approval ratings in the low 40s after midterms but still win reelection comfortably; thats what happened to both Bill Clinton and Barack Obama. One might argue that Bidens case is unusual because hes so oldbut Hogan, 67, and Manchin, 75, arent exactly young, either. (A 72-year-old Ronald Reagans approval rating actually fell into the 30s in 1983, the year before he was reelected in a race during which his age became a major issue.) Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement With a No Labels candidacy unlikely to win electoral votes, then, or even to meaningfully affect public discussion of the organizations stated values, speculation has naturally arisen about whator whosepurpose such a campaign would really serve. Because the group is a nonprofit that doesnt have to identify its donors, this speculation can have a sinister edge. Cui bono from all this dark money? Advertisement When I asked the Intercepts Ryan Grima student of Democratic factions whose outlet has reported for years on No Labelshis analysis was simple. They want Trump to win, he said. Some outlets have also pointed out that part of No Labels spending on media campaigns goes through companies owned by Jacobsons husband, well-known centrist polling entrepreneur and strategist Mark Penn. (See the section on Stagwell here. No Labels did not respond to a request for comment from Slate.) Advertisement There is some public information about No Labels donors and their political interests that sheds light on what they might be up to. The Daily Beast obtained internal documents listing several donors in 2018, and others are named on a 2022 tax document submitted by a No Labelsaffiliated group that discloses some financial information. Publications like Grims Intercept and Sludgeyes, Sludge, its a good sitehave run down those names, documenting each known donors professional background and other activity. Advertisement What they found is that the typical No Labels donor works for (or runs) an investment firm, real estate company, or venture-capital enterprise. At least one (grocery baron John Catsimatidis) is a major Trump supporter, but more commonly they are not. Many have records like that of investor Nelson Peltz, who was marked as a reoccurring donor in the documents the Daily Beast saw in 2018. Peltz hasnt donated to Trump since 2017 and gives money to members of both partiesmostly Republicans, but also Democrats like Gottheimer, Sinema, and Texas Rep. Henry Cuellar (who is also a Problem Solver). Advertisement Infamous Supreme Court patron Harlan Crow is another No Labels donor. His record is more heavily Republican than Peltzs, but also includes some Democrats and Never Trump Republicans like former Wyoming Rep. Liz Cheney. The Federal Election Commissions database does not list any donations from Crow to Trump, and Crow gave $100,000 to an anti-Trump Republican group in 2016. If these are the people funding a MAGA conspiracy, theyve been engaged in quite the long con. Advertisement But it also doesnt take a political genius to figure out what this type of donor doesnt like about Biden. The Democrats favored by No Labels donors have a common history of resisting proposals for social spending and efforts to raise taxes or regulate the financial industry. Sinemas top priority during the BBB negotiations was protecting the so-called carried-interest loophole, which allows investment managers to avoid paying income-tax rates on their compensation. Gottheimers top issue is the SALT deductionit stands for state and local taxwhich benefits wealthy homeowners in high-tax coastal areas. Manchin has been open to raising corporate tax rates, but was also a crucial no on Biden-proposed additions to the social safety net, like pre-K and the expanded child tax credit, which could have required tax increases to fund. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement These positions illustrate the arcyou could call it a devolutionof the New Democrat/DLC philosophy to which No Labels considers itself an heir. The DLCs initial positions didnt necessarily fit into the current leftright economic paradigm: Its members supported cuts to welfare programs, deficit reduction, and the subsidization of the technology industry, but also called for a return to the more progressive tax code of the pre-Reagan era and for reforms, like tying executive pensions to ongoing company performance, that would incentivize sustainability over short-term profit-seeking. Bill Clinton signed a law in 1993 raising the top marginal tax rate for individuals to almost 40 percent. But as the American Prospect put it in a 2011 DLC retrospective, The business of raising money from political donors, particularly corporate political donors, inevitably compromised the organization, as it has many organizations. Major donors liked what they were hearing about boosting GDP growth without having to indulge the restrictive cultural preoccupations of the religious right; they didnt care for the raising-taxes stuff, and over time, incentivized centrist politicians to think more about the former and less about the latter. (Say what you will about how much Clintons policies benefited Wall Street, but its remarkable to compare his speeches to the rhetoric of modern centrists like Pete Buttigieg and see how much more concerned the latter group is with the personal feelings of the ultrawealthy.) Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement This took place alongside a gradual recruitment of DLC figures into the D.C. lobbying apparatus. Jacobson and Penn were actually introduced by former Democratic Indiana Sen. Evan Bayh, a frequent participant in No Labels events; Bayh is known for announcing in 2010 that he planned to leave Congress so that he could do something more beneficial to society, then becoming a partner at a Beltway lobbying firm and an adviser to a private equity fund. Lieberman, who is basically No Labels mascot, told the New York Times in 2012 that he would not engage in lobbying after leaving the Senatefor sure, he saidthen became a lobbyist in 2013. Related from Slate Shirin Ali Who Else Has Harlan Crow Given Money To? Read More What has resulted is a type of centrism thats a mile wide and an inch deep. It considers far-right insurrection and the regulation of financial markets to be threats of roughly equal seriousness, and finds moderate positions through a perversely Beltway-brained process which insists that each party is, at any given time, on every possible issue, doing something partisan that normal people dont like. Advertisement These reflexes were on display in the widely derided No Labels tweet describing the Jan. 6 committeewhose work was supported on a bipartisan basis by actual votersas a partisan exercise about which the public is skeptical. They were also in evidence back in 2017, when a No Labels tweet denounced Democrats for failing to participate in the writing of Trump-backed legislation that would have eliminated the Affordable Care Act, aka the signature accomplishment of the Democratic Party in the 21st century. (That tweet, the Daily Beast later reported, was written by Penn.) More recently, in March, pundit Mark Halperinwhod just left a well-compensated job as No Labels chief strategistpredicted with a smug confidence that the Democratic Manhattan district attorneys indictment of Trump would create a surge of support for the former president among swing voters. (It hasnt.) Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Jacobson and Penn also have reputations for being headstrong and carrying grudges. A December 2022 Politico piece about disgruntled No Labels employees described Jacobson as the kind of boss who only rewards subordinates who indulge all of her whims and opinions. (It also describes her as having once sent 65 emails to her employees before 9 a.m. on a Saturday and having once told them to change the workplace listed on their LinkedIn profiles to throw off a journalist who was trying to locate them.) Penn, meanwhile, is well-known for his participation in the infighting and backstabbing that characterized the 2008 Hillary Clinton campaign, which he advised. After Clinton lost that race to Barack Obama, Penn predicted confidently that Obama would lose his 2012 reelection campaign unless he dropped Biden from the ticket, denounced the politics of class warfare, and started talking more about creating economic growth through free trade. This was not only wrong but just about the exact opposite of what happened; Penn delivered a worthy encore in 2018 by predicting that Clinton would run for and win the Democratic nomination in 2020. So whats the deal with No Labels? Heres a theory: Its leaders and guiding spiritsthe Jacobsons, Penns, and Liebermansare locked in a mutually delusional feedback loop with their donors in which everyone convinces themselves that a random politician whose main attribute is being objectionable to both parties could become president. They have a faith-like conviction that both sides must always be doing something wrong, a hunger for relevance, and enough confidence to keep going when everyone tells them theyre making a mistake. That (and $70 million) is more than enough to spoil an election with or without having a clear goal in mind. What is No Labels plan for 2024? might be the wrong question; a better one might be Does No Labels ever have a plan at all? In a development aimed at boosting small-business growth, Amazon Business has announced that Business Prime Duo membership is now available free of cost to Amazon Prime members. Previously priced at $69 per year, this change opens up a world of benefits for small businesses, consolidating a range of buying tools and expedited delivery options alongside business-exclusive pricing on select items. Amazon Business has positioned itself as a strategic partner for small businesses across diverse sectors, from salons and mechanics to healthcare providers and restaurateurs. Offering free access to Business Prime Duo for Prime members signifies Amazons commitment to helping small businesses streamline procurement, save money, and invest more energy into their core operations and customer service. Todd Heimes, director of Amazon Business Worldwide, said, Free access to Business Prime Duo with a Prime membership is another way Amazon Business supports small businesses at every stage of their journey. The integration of Business Prime Duo within the Prime membership is set to enhance the savings and convenience Amazon Prime offers to small-business owners. Jamil Ghani, vice president of Amazon Prime, lauded this move, highlighting that small-business owners who are Prime members can now magnify those savings and conveniences even more when shopping for their business. The Business Prime Duo offers tangible advantages to small business owners. It allows for a clear separation of personal and business expenses, leading to better tracking of business spending and a more streamlined accounting process. Business owners can also access exclusive pricing and quantity discounts on eligible products through their Amazon Business account. Joining Amazon Business and Business Prime Duo will provide small business owners with the many benefits of Amazon Prime and additional perks, including fast, free delivery on business purchases and the ability to select a designated Amazon Day for weekly order deliveries. This assures reliable delivery and allows business owners to focus more on growing their operations. Moreover, members are entitled to free surveys and analytics tools Delighted provides, which can generate valuable customer insights to drive business growth. With the Amazon Business Prime American Express card, they also benefit from a 5% cash back or 90-day interest-free payment terms on U.S. purchases at Amazon Business. Existing Amazon Prime members can access Business Prime Duo for free by setting up an Amazon Business account using a different email address than their personal Amazon.com account. Upon verification of their business status, they can link their Prime membership to their new Amazon Business account. Current Amazon Business customers can avail themselves of the free Business Prime Duo by linking their personal Amazon.com account with an active Prime membership to their Amazon Business account. Existing Business Prime Duo members will be reimbursed for the remainder of their prepaid annual membership, calculated based on the months elapsed since their last renewal. This move by Amazon Business marks an instrumental shift in supporting small businesses, making it an even more valuable time for entrepreneurs to consider investing in an Amazon Prime membership. For the latest, follow us on Google News. Read a selection of short positive stories from Slovakia. US actor Chuck Norris in a hospital for children with cancer in Banska Bystrica. (Source: FB/Svetielko nadeje) Font size: A - | A + Comments disabled Share Share Twitter Facebook Whatsapp E-mail Link to the page Every week The Slovak Spectator brings you a selection of three short stories from across Slovakia in which pessimism and negativity are absent. 1) Chuck Norris in Slovakia Chuck Norris in a Banska Bystrica cancer hospital. (Source: FB/Svetielko nadeje) Gena O'Kelley has recently shared her impressions of travelling around Slovakia with her husband and notable US actor, Chuck Norris, and their son. They enjoyed a trip to the beautiful High Tatras mountains and also decided to visit children living with cancer in Banska Bystrica, central Slovakia, writes the tabloid website Pluska. Norris arrived there in a modest and sincere manner, brought hats to the children, signed autographs and took pictures with them. The actor was initially supposed to attend a music festival in Zilina, northern Slovakia, but it was cancelled at the last minute. Learn more about Norris' visit in Slovak and through videos. 2) Cycle rickshaw ride for pensioners A new type of transport for pensioners in Dolny Kubin. (Source: RTVS) The Centre for Social Services in Dolny Kubin, northern Slovakia, provides pensioners with a special opportunity to enjoy fresh air even if their health does not allow them to ride a regular bicycle. Special bikes with an extra seat, or cycle rickshaws, take retirees to various places so they can experience joy and moments that they previously could not. The clients of the centre express their admiration for such an initiative, noting that they not only get the opportunity to enjoy fresh air, but also get to the places of culture, confectionery, doctors and official institutions, the public broadcaster RTVS reports. Read more in Slovak. 3) Man devoted to his work Peter Szabo on a coffee plantation. (Source: dobrenoviny.sk) Peter Szabo, founder of the Slovak coffee roasting company Coffeein, says that coffee is not just a drink for him, but something much more. He set out on an exciting journey across coffee growing areas to learn more about the origin of coffee beans. Travels to Honduras and Indonesia allowed him to taste life itself. He visited farms, met with farmers, and took photographs to talk about the hardships that they face after his return to Slovakia. Despite the fact that his interest in coffee arose by chance, he completely devoted himself to this business. Szabo emphasises that there is nothing more powerful than seeing the entire process of collecting and processing coffee with your own eyes. Read more in Slovak. Here's more good news published by The Slovak Spectator A new hiking trail opens in Slovak Paradise. A Slovak-Argentinian couple grows flowers sustainably near Bratislava. Art masterpieces begin to fill the Slovak National Gallery's refurbished premises. A foreigners guide to exploring art in Bratislava. FUNNY MEME FOR THIS WEEK Battle on TV (Source: zomri.online) Translation: Markiza directing. Matovic. Danko. On June 25, the television programme "Na Telo" was broadcast on TV Markiza. Guests on the programme included the leader of the Slovak National Party party, Andrej Danko, and the leader of the OLaNO party - Igor Matovic. This broadcast soon became a vivid topic of discussion on the Slovak Internet. It was a chaotic discussion, which often resembled a stream of monologues. During the entire broadcast, the two attacked each other as much as possible, which is why Slovaks have been ironic about the debate. You can send me your tips on positive news stories about Slovakia or funny memes at: yehor.zhukov@spectator.sk. Thank you! Shops will remain shut on Wednesday, magical Slovak meadow, and famous US actor visits Slovakia. Font size: A - | A + Comments disabled Share Share Twitter Facebook Whatsapp E-mail Link to the page Good evening. Here is the Tuesday, July 4 edition of Today in Slovakia - the main news of the day in less than five minutes. Tomorrow, July 5, is a public holiday in Slovakia. Most shops will be closed. You can read the next news digest on Thursday. Declining chamois population The chamois in the Tatras. (Source: Marcel Tobis) The weather was not perfect, but it did not discourage conservationists from the Tatras National Park (TANAP) from counting the chamois in the national park. "Like two years ago, a sweltering day forced the chamois to seek shelter from the heat from the early morning. They were thus harder to see," said TANAP. Conservationists counted them in 71 different locations on June 20. As TANAP added, it is not just the heat. Most likely the chamois population is, in fact, lower. There are 816 chamois, of which 63 are this year's offspring, living in the Polish and Slovak Tatras today. A total of 555 chamois were seen in the Slovak Tatras. Experts saw 261 individuals in Poland. The results were published on July 4. The largest herds traditionally live in the Belianske Tatras. This area offers the animals a rich food supply and calm, which is ensured by the closure of this rare location. "Zoologists expected that the population curve would slightly decrease compared to the record, but at the moment it is still premature to talk about the causes," said the park. The highest number of the chamois during the spring census was recorded in the years 2014 and 2016 when there were 1,232 chamois in the Tatras. The lowest numbers were recorded at the end of the nineties, when the number of counted chamois stood at about 200 goats. More stories from The Slovak Spectator website Law firms: The assignments tackled by law firms in Slovakia that deal with labour law are varied, bringing a range of sometimes unusual challenges. The Slovak Spectator approached selected law firms working in the field, asking them to share those deals they consider inspirational in some way. The assignments tackled by law firms in Slovakia that deal with labour law are varied, bringing a range of sometimes unusual challenges. The Slovak Spectator approached selected law firms working in the field, asking them to share those deals they consider inspirational in some way. Good news: A famous US actor has recently visited a children's hospital in Slovakia. If you like what we are doing and want to support good journalism, buy our online subscription with no ads and a print copy of The Slovak Spectator sent to your home in Slovakia. Thank you. FEATURE STORY FOR TUESDAY A great place for Instagram photos A magical meadow in northern Slovakia. (Source: zahradnici.sk) On the first weekend of July, a magical meadow kicked off the summer season in northern Slovakia. The meadow is divided into sectors. It will soon be dominated by a purple carpet of lavender flowers and red wild poppies. MUSIC FOR TUESDAY US artist with Slovak roots at Pohoda video //www.youtube.com/embed/hxgcz_6GKX0 The American musician Caroline Polachek will perform at the Pohoda festival in Trencin on Friday, July 7. The artist has Slovak ancestors, the Sme daily reported. Her great-grandfather was born in the Slovak town of Lastomir. Her latest album is called 'Desire, I Want to Turn Into You'. In other news Sales of Slovak firms reached almost 244.5 billion last year. Compared to the previous year, they increased by 20 percent. The net profit of firms exceeded 11 billion and rose by almost 13 percent year-on-year. (Finstat) The special parliamentary session during which some MPs wanted to remove Speaker Boris Kollar from the post did not start on Tuesday due to the lack of MPs present in the debating room. Another attempt is scheduled for tomorrow, July 5. In June, Kollar admitted to beating his former girlfriend. (TASR) Convicted mafia businessman Marian Kocner has already undergone surgery in Bratislava. He is said to have a lung problem. Kocner was found guilty in the TV Markiza promissory notes case in 2021. Earlier this year, he was acquitted in the Kuciak case for the second time. (Sme) Due to the closure of the bridge in Sered, western Slovakia, the Transport Ministry wants to exempt the R1 motorway section from Sladkovicovo to Dolna Streda from motorway vignette payment. Drivers using this section may not have to have a valid e-vignette. The change has yet to be approved by the police. An overpass or an underpass for pedestrians could one day be created at the intersection in the centre of Nitra.Architect Jozef Hrozensky designed this "ellipsoid" overpass, for which the town does not have money at present. (Source: Jozef Hrozensky) WEATHER FOR WEDNESDAY: Partly cloudy, cloudy in the afternoon. You can expect showers or storms in the afternoon. The highest daytime temperature will rise to 31C. (SHMU) Thank you for subscribing and reading. It means a lot to us. P.S. If you have suggestions on how our news overview can be improved, you can reach us at editorial@spectator.sk. Follow The Slovak Spectator on Facebook, Instagram (@slovakspectator) and Twitter (@slovakspectator). https://sputnikglobe.com/20230704/downgrading-uk-russia-relations-in-response-to-medvedev-would-be-a-pity-1111648719.html Russian Rights Activist Says US Rights Groups Borrow Experience From Russia Russian Rights Activist Says US Rights Groups Borrow Experience From Russia American rights advocacy groups had engaged Russian counterparts to gain experience that they successfully applied at home, says Alexander Ionov, a Russian human rights activist and anti-globalist wanted in the United States for alleged election meddling. 2023-07-04T00:47+0000 2023-07-04T00:47+0000 2023-07-04T04:53+0000 world russia us laws rights /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e5/0a/0c/1089858677_0:143:3072:1871_1920x0_80_0_0_a89bea0d042761c8588bf05ed990d0fa.jpg "There are many such [useful] laws in Russia, for example, the law on social control, which Americans in the state of Illinois, for example, learned about and actively promoted. Last year, they successfully passed a watered-down Russian version of the law, which established social control over the police. Now civil society activists can come to a police station and assess detention conditions," he said.The number of engagements between Russian and American human rights defenders declined after the collapse of the Soviet Union, but was back on the rise in the 2010s. Russians and Americans have met in the Middle East to discuss US rights abuses in Egypt, Tunisia and Libya, Ionov, who heads the Anti-Globalization Movement of Russia (AGMR), said.The US Department of Justice last year offered up to $10 million for information about Ionov, whom it accuses of orchestrating a "years-long foreign malign influence campaign" from at least December 2014 until March 2022 that allegedly used US political groups "to sow discord, spread pro-Russian propaganda, and interfere in elections within the United States."The Justice Department has also charged human rights groups associated with AGMR, Ionov said, effectively violating the First Amendment, which protects freedom of speech and assembly. He said some 40 US organizations had cooperated with AGMR, in addition to partners in Latin America, Africa and Southeast Asia. https://sputnikglobe.com/20230704/russian-activist-ionov-feels-hunted-after-us-placed-10mln-bounty-on-his-head-1111645288.html russia Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2023 Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 Sputnik International us constitution, human rights in united states, rights advocacy groups in united states https://sputnikglobe.com/20230703/eight-reported-dead-in-jenin-amid-idf-raid-that-pna-condemns-as-war-crime-1111646839.html Eight Reported Dead in Jenin Amid IDF Raid that PNA Condemns as War Crime Eight Reported Dead in Jenin Amid IDF Raid that PNA Condemns as War Crime At least eight people are dead in the city of Jenin after the IDF launched a counterterrorism operation there. At least 10 airstrikes were reported in the city on Monday. It is the largest IDF operation in the area in two decades. 2023-07-03T21:12+0000 2023-07-03T21:12+0000 2023-07-03T21:12+0000 world jenin west bank palestinian national authority (pna) israel defense forces (idf) palestinians israeli-palestinian conflict /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e7/07/03/1111647030_0:284:3072:2012_1920x0_80_0_0_f68b8b0cfa15d3072321e29f790dbe47.jpg At least eight people are dead in the West Bank city of Jenin after the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) launched a massive counterterrorism operation in the city.At least eight Palestinians have been killed, including two children, according to Defense for Children International Palestine (DCI-P), an international NGO. Another two dozen people are reported as injured, and at least 500 families have evacuated the refugee camp.UN Spokesperson Farhan Hag told reporters that Secretary-General Antonio Guterres is deeply concerned about the developments in Jenin. He affirms that all military operations must be conducted with full respect for international humanitarian law.The PNA has protested the IDF operation, calling it a war crime and severed its security cooperation with the IDF.Those being targeted now are not just the resistance fighters, but civilians are being killed and civilians wounded as well, he told Arab media.At least 10 airstrikes were reported in the northern West Bank city on Monday as dozens of armored vehicles swarmed the city and refugee camp, bringing in total more than 1,000 Israeli troops into the city. It is the largest IDF operation in the West Bank in two decades, since the region was engulfed in the Second Palestinian Intifada (uprising).The IDF said it was attacking a joint operation center used by the Jenin Brigades, a Palestinian militant group that had been formed after several smaller groups united. According to the IDF, the site was an advanced observation and reconnaissance center, communications hub, and storage site for weapons and explosives.The IDF said it has seized an improvised missile launcher, weapons and ammunition from several caches in the refugee camp. It said late on Monday that the operation requires at least another 24 hours, but that it would take as long as was necessary.Most of the West Bank is formally administered by the Palestinian National Authority (PNA) in Ramallah, which was formed in the 1990s as a precursor to the government of a future Palestinian state that has never materialized. However, the West Bank is ultimately under the authority of the Israeli Ministry of Defense, which directly controls large portions of the territory and handles relations between the PNA and the Israeli Jewish settlers who live there in defiance of United Nations Security Council resolutions.The IDF previously carried out a major operation in Jenin in January, when it raided the Jenin refugee camp and killed 10 Palestinians, including children and elderly. The PNA also severed its security cooperation with the IDF in the aftermath, but when US Secretary of State Antony Blinken met with both Israeli and PNA leaders afterward, his security team effectively told the PNA that it should seek to reestablish its control over Jenin and Nablus using a US-made security plan.According to US media reports, the PNA told Blinkens team they already lack the legitimacy to operate during the day in those areas. The PNA was also cool to the suggestion since it required nothing from Israel, including reducing IDF raids into Palestinian cities.Blinkens team warned the PNA that if they failed, it could mean the rise of a Third Palestinian Intifada. Two previous uprisings dubbed intifadas (uprising, or shrugging off) occurred from 1987 to 1993 and 2000 to 2005, both resulting in major Israeli concessions, including the creation of the PNA, the pledge to work toward the creation of a Palestinian state, and the evacuation of all Jewish settlers from the Gaza Strip. https://sputnikglobe.com/20230622/israel-defense-forces-drone-struck-vehicle-with-palestinian-militants-near-jalamah-1111377488.html https://sputnikglobe.com/20230702/thousands-protest-against-judicial-reform-in-israel-after-failed-government-talks-1111609137.html jenin west bank Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2023 Fantine Gardinier Fantine Gardinier News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 Fantine Gardinier jenin, counterterrorism, israel, palestine, idf, pna, israeli-palestinian conflict WELLINGTON, July 4 (Xinhua) -- New Zealand Prime Minister Chris Hipkins will travel to Brussels on Friday to witness the signing of the New Zealand-European Union Free Trade Agreement (FTA). The FTA will deliver immediate tariff savings on New Zealand exports to the European Union of about 100 million NZ dollars (61.53 million U.S. dollars) a year when it enters into force, Hipkins said on Tuesday. Modelling suggests exports to the European Union will increase by up to 1.8 billion NZ dollars (1.11 billion U.S. dollars) per annum and add up to 1.4 billion NZ dollars (860 million U.S. dollars) to New Zealand's GDP per year once fully implemented. "This is an important milestone towards entry into force of this high-quality and historic free trade agreement," Hipkins said. New Zealand will also sign the Horizon Europe Association Agreement. Horizon Europe is the European Union's main research and innovation framework and funding platform; it is also the largest multilateral research program in the world, Hipkins said. Associating with Horizon Europe will provide new opportunities for New Zealand scientists to collaborate with European partners on research to address major global challenges such as climate change, energy and health, he said. https://sputnikglobe.com/20230704/france-taking-in-too-many-migrants-adds-to-security-risks---national-rally-party-1111665534.html France Taking In Too Many Migrants Adds to Security Risks - National Rally Party France Taking In Too Many Migrants Adds to Security Risks - National Rally Party The leader of the right-wing National Rally party, Jordan Bardella, said on Tuesday that France is taking in too many migrants. 2023-07-04T19:20+0000 2023-07-04T19:20+0000 2023-07-04T19:20+0000 world france francois asselineau riots paris french interior ministry immigration national rally /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e7/07/03/1111635199_0:160:3072:1888_1920x0_80_0_0_4f998b9e698217d3b9e9a6bcb7b217ee.jpg He added that he believed it was high time to give the French people control over their own country. Francois Asselineau, a political expert and the head of French Eurosceptic party Popular Republican Union, has told Sputnik that the unwillingness of the Muslim population to integrate in France, communitarianism, the government's abandonment of the suburbs are all important factors in the current unrest in the country. Last Tuesday, during a traffic stop in Nanterre, police shot and killed a 17-year-old teenager who allegedly refused to obey their orders. The incident sparked a wave of protests that later escalated into riots in several French cities, accompanied by looting and clashes with police. The French Interior Ministry said that hundreds of government buildings, shops and bank offices had been damaged and more than 3,000 people, many of them juveniles, had been detained. france paris Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2023 Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 Sputnik International paris riots, france, immigration, national rally party https://sputnikglobe.com/20230704/france-vs-iran-protests-yellen-in-china-ukraine-offensive-flops-1111648396.html France vs Iran Protests; Yellen in China; Ukraine Offensive Flops France vs Iran Protests; Yellen in China; Ukraine Offensive Flops European leaders are taking a markedly different approach to the protests in France compared to their support for the Iranian protests over a woman's death in police custody. 2023-07-04T04:14+0000 2023-07-04T04:14+0000 2023-07-04T09:22+0000 the critical hour radio france emmanuel macron iran janet yellen cluster bombs ukraine china /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e7/07/03/1111648239_0:0:1920:1080_1920x0_80_0_0_a24644a7819abfc43aa067a04fe0dfa3.png France versus Iran Protests; Yellen in China; Ukraine Offensive Flops European leaders are taking a markedly different approach to the protests in France compared to their support for the Iranian protests over a woman's death in police custody. Dr. Gerald Horne, Professor of History at the University of Houston, TX, author, historian, and researcher, joins us to discuss the French protests. European leaders are taking a markedly different approach to the protests in France compared to their support for the Iranian riots over a woman's death in police custody.Mark Sleboda, Moscow-based international relations security analyst, joins us to discuss Ukraine. Ukraine's offensive is failing in all directions. Also, the US may provide Ukraine with luster bombs.KJ Noh, peace activist, teacher, and writer, joins us to discuss China. Janet Yellen is taking a trip to China. Also, Wang Yi accuses the US of stoking tensions with Japan and South Korea.Jon Jeter, journalist, and author, joins us to discuss the US war machine. The US war machine has a long history of pointing its crosshairs at nations of color. Also, the military-industrial complex is setting the narrative for the Ukraine conflict.Laith Marouf, broadcaster and journalist based in Beirut, Lebanon, joins us to discuss the Middle East. Israel has invaded the West Bank and killed a number of civilians. Also, Israel is getting a new fleet of F-35 planes.Dr. Jack Rasmus, professor of Economics and Politics at St. Mary's College in California, joins us to discuss foreign policy. The US has admitted that the infamous Chinese balloon did not transmit any data and appears to have been as benign as the Chinese had claimed.Linwood Tauheed, associate professor of Economics at the University of Missouri-Kansas City, joins us to discuss the economy. Janet Yellen is making her first trip to China. Also, the SCOTUS may preemptively ban a wealth tax.Teri Mattson, Latin America Campaign Coordinator for CODEPINK and podcast host for WTF is Going on in Latin America & the Caribbean, joins us to discuss Latin America. Indigenous women are leading the push to address corruption in Guatemala. Also, Argentina's ruling party is lining up behind Sergio Massa.We'd love to get your feedback at radio@sputniknews.comThe views and opinions expressed in this program are those of the speakers and do not necessarily reflect the position of Sputnik. france iran ukraine china Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2023 Garland Nixon https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e5/02/13/1082125302_0:0:239:239_100x100_80_0_0_d5d43c970b0740f228597fbcdb4ffd66.jpg Garland Nixon https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e5/02/13/1082125302_0:0:239:239_100x100_80_0_0_d5d43c970b0740f228597fbcdb4ffd66.jpg News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 Garland Nixon https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e5/02/13/1082125302_0:0:239:239_100x100_80_0_0_d5d43c970b0740f228597fbcdb4ffd66.jpg the critical hour, unrest in france, french protests, ukraine's offensive, west bank violence, janet yellen to china, corruption in guatemala https://sputnikglobe.com/20230704/from-arctic-to-indian-ocean-global-transformations-boost-sco-growth-1111663871.html From Arctic to Indian Ocean: Global Transformations Boost SCO Growth From Arctic to Indian Ocean: Global Transformations Boost SCO Growth The number of applications for membership in the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) is growing, which makes it possible for the entity to expand its global outreach, said Alexander Knyazev, head of the regional branch of the Moscow-based CIS Institute think tank. 2023-07-04T18:42+0000 2023-07-04T18:42+0000 2023-07-04T18:42+0000 analysis opinion iran indian ocean arctic shanghai cooperation organisation (sco) china europe eurasia middle east /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e7/07/04/1111663995_0:68:1280:788_1920x0_80_0_0_5ffa3e836fe17c7eb6f0c327802592a4.jpg The global system of international relations has been undergoing transformation, opening the door to the Shanghai Cooperation Organization's (SCO) rise as a global actor, according to Alexander Knyazev.On July 4, the Islamic Republic of Iran became a full-fledged SCO member. It is expected that Belarus will gain this status in 2024. Prior to Iran's accession, the organization consisted of eight permanent members, namely, China, India, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Russia, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan; and nine dialogue partners Armenia, Azerbaijan, Cambodia, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Turkiye, Egypt, Qatar, and Saudi Arabia. According to Bakhtiyor Khakimov, special representative of the president of the Russian Federation for SCO affairs, the number of applications to join the SCO is growing.In this sense, Iran's admission has brought a new dimension to the organization given the Islamic Republic's role in the broad Eurasian region from the Middle East to the Pacific coast, as well as its strong positions in Africa and influence in a number of Latin American countries, according to Knyazev. He highlighted that Iran's participation in the SCO could have a considerable impact on further processes within the entity. It could enrich the SCO's activities in terms of ensuring security in a wide region from the Indian Ocean to the Arctic, and from southeast Europe to Southeast Asia, as per the expert. He particularly referred to the Iranian, Russian and Chinese joint naval exercises in the Gulf of Oman and in the surrounding waters, which began in December 2019 and have already turned into a regular event.The SCO is at a very important, but still transitory stage, of its development, when its significance can only be assessed hypothetically, according to Knyazev. Different countries still have different expectations from the SCO, which just emphasizes that full certainty has not yet been achieved, he believes. https://sputnikglobe.com/20230704/iran-joins-sco-a-political-signal-to-the-west-1111658552.html https://sputnikglobe.com/20230704/representative-inclusive-and-flexible-sco-is-vital-part-of-new-multipolar-world-1111659937.html https://sputnikglobe.com/20230504/will-sco-become-new-united-nations-for-non-western-world-1110101791.html iran indian ocean arctic china eurasia southeast asia central asia east asia russia Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2023 Ekaterina Blinova Ekaterina Blinova News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 Ekaterina Blinova the shanghai cooperation organization (sco), sco summit, iran joined the sco, sco ensures security, sco eurasian regional organization, sco global transformations, sco member states, sco new applications for membership, belarus, russia https://sputnikglobe.com/20230704/german-defense-minister-says-poland-does-not-need-additional-nato-troops-1111650259.html German Defense Minister Says Poland Does Not Need Additional NATO Troops German Defense Minister Says Poland Does Not Need Additional NATO Troops The Polish leadership regularly says Warsaw would like NATO to deploy as many of its troops as possible in the republic. In November of last year, Berlin offered Warsaw three of its Patriot units. 2023-07-04T03:53+0000 2023-07-04T03:53+0000 2023-07-04T03:53+0000 military poland poland nato boris pistorius military germany /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e7/04/13/1109673104_0:160:3072:1888_1920x0_80_0_0_5eee2a84b3243ce14fe23bebddebf8ab.jpg The Polish leadership regularly says Warsaw would like NATO to deploy as many of its troops as possible in the republic. "The Polish army has very effective Armed Forces and provides extensive support to Ukraine and the Baltic countries. Poland is also very effectively working to significantly increase its military potential. I have not had the impression that additional German troops are needed in Poland," Pistorius said in an interview with Rzeczpospolita. Berlin offered Warsaw three of its Patriot units after a Ukrainian missile fell in Poland and killed two people in November 2022. poland germany Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2023 Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 Sputnik International germany, poland, military, nato, warsaw, berlin, boris pistorius https://sputnikglobe.com/20230704/has-china-just-checkmated-the-us-by-banning-rare-earth-exports-1111663181.html Has China Just Checkmated the US by Banning Rare Earth Exports? Has China Just Checkmated the US by Banning Rare Earth Exports? China's ban is a response to the West's not-so-well thought out strategy of economically decoupling from the People's Republic, Asia-Pacific consultant Thomas W. Pauken told Sputnik. 2023-07-04T16:57+0000 2023-07-04T16:57+0000 2023-07-04T16:57+0000 analysis joe biden donald trump china beijing micron tiktok huawei us geological survey (usgs) washington /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/106599/62/1065996269_0:113:1200:788_1920x0_80_0_0_020474112be9e454bd97531f524ef587.jpg China has imposed restrictions on exporting two strategic raw materials, gallium and germanium, which are crucial for the world's electronic chip-making industry. The US mainstream press called Beijing's move a "second counter-measure" in the unfolding Sino-American tech confrontation, which followed the People's Republic sanctioning America's Micron Technology (MU) in May.Last October, the Biden administration unveiled an unprecedented set of export controls that restricted Chinese companies from purchasing advanced chips made anywhere in the world using US technology, as well as chip-making equipment. The US media noted at the time that Washington's move would thwart "Chinas technological ambitions," bragging that the global semiconductor industry was "almost entirely" dependent on the US and its allies. Now the American newspapers are admitting China has played "a trump card in the chip war."Why Didn't Team Biden See This Coming?The People's Republic boasts 63% of the worlds rare earth mining, 85% of processing, and 92% of magnet production. As per the 2022 US Geological Survey, between 2017 and 2020 the United States imported a whopping 78% of its rare earth metals from China, followed by Estonia (6%), Malaysia (5%) and Japan (4%).Back in 2019, the Asian giant warned the Trump administration about including rare earths in Beijings technology-export restrictions, as Washington stepped up pressure on Chinese telecom firm Huawei. Donald Trump's successor, Joe Biden, continued to raise the stakes in a technological tit-for-tat with China by implementing the CHIPS and Science Act in August 2022 and introducing semiconductor restrictions last October. In December 2022, US policy-makers were lively discussing possible bans on TikTok, a Chinese short-form video hosting service.Speaking to Sputnik at the time, Pauken projected that Biden's China strategy would eventually backfire on Washington. "If the US moves forward on decoupling, they're only hurting themselves, because most of the supply chains on the high-tech side originate from China," the Asia-Pacific consultant warned last December.Given that 94% of the worlds gallium and 83% of germanium is produced in China, the US may find itself in a heap of trouble in the aftermath of Beijing's export ban, according to the expert.Biden Administration's 'Childish' China PolicyPauken criticized the Biden administration's China policy as inconsistent and "childish". He referred to the Chinese "spy balloon" incident which made a lot of fuss in the US but eventually turned out to be a nothingburger: "A few days ago, we discovered that the spy balloon was not even a spy balloon, it was not even monitoring the US," the expert remarked.To complicate matters further, Joe Biden publicly dubbed his Chinese counterpart, Chairman Xi Jinping, a "dictator" almost immediately after Secretary of State Antony Blinken's recent trip to Beijing. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen's forthcoming visit to the People's Republic is also surrounded by controversies, given that the White House is considering an order restricting investments in China.According to Pauken, Biden's China experts both misunderstand and underestimate the People's Republic's odds of withstanding the pressure and coming out on top.For instance, while commenting on Beijing's ban on Micron Technology in May, the Asia-Pacific consultant drew attention to the fact that the move apparently shows that China is no longer as "dependent" on the US semiconductor industry as it used to be. "Obviously, [the Chinese] have probably set up supply chains in place and have chips made in China that are maybe not equal in quality to Micron, but close enough so that they could handle the impact of no more Micron chips coming to China," the expert suggested at the time. https://sputnikglobe.com/20230704/china-to-restrict-export-of-semiconductor-manufacturing-metals-1111659846.html https://sputnikglobe.com/20230522/beijing-banning-micron-means-china-has-mastered-chip-making-1110523565.html https://sputnikglobe.com/20230625/he-speaks-for-us-all-blinken-defends-bidens-dictator-remark-on-xi-1111460414.html https://sputnikglobe.com/20230310/xis-third-term-ushers-in-an-era-of-closer-relations-with-russia-smart-competition-with-us-1108271332.html china beijing washington Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2023 Ekaterina Blinova Ekaterina Blinova News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 Ekaterina Blinova us chipmaking industry, us semiconductor technology, biden's chips act, china rare earths, china rare earths ban, gallium and germanium, us-china tech war, chinese telecom giant huawei, china ban on micron, chinese chips https://sputnikglobe.com/20230704/hunter-biden-visited-white-house-before-suspected-cocaine-found-there-1111665740.html Hunter Biden Visited White House Before Suspected Cocaine Found There Hunter Biden Visited White House Before Suspected Cocaine Found There The discovery of a white substance prompted the evacuation of the White House. Preliminary tests have shown that substance contained cocaine. President Joe Biden's son, Hunter Biden, has a well documented history of taking drugs, and was in the White House shortly before the discovery. 2023-07-04T20:12+0000 2023-07-04T20:12+0000 2023-07-04T20:13+0000 americas hunter biden camp david joe biden us secret service white house cocaine evacuation /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e6/07/0c/1097218432_92:0:2931:1597_1920x0_80_0_0_da42db9c4b949b2ced3314dcaae423b4.jpg Hunter Biden, who had previously admitted to a cocaine addiction, was in the White House on Friday before heading off to Camp David with his father for the holiday weekend, New York Post reported, adding that the substance was discovered in the residence's library on Sunday. The US government has not yet officially commented as to how the substance got to the White House grounds and who brought it there. The Washington Post reported earlier this Tuesday, citing sources, that the US Secret Service (USSS), which protects the country's president and high-ranking officials, is currently investigating the incident, and preliminary reports indicate that the substance is cocaine. A spokesman for the Secret Service, Anthony Guglielmi, said the substance would be tested further and authorities were now trying to determine how it got into the White House. The substance posed no threat, the USSS said. The substance was found by USSS agents who patrolled the residence. US President Joe Biden was not in the White House at the time of the discovery and subsequent evacuation, according to the report. On Monday, the New York Post reported that another portion of Hunter Biden's personal photos was published, in which he posted videos of himself using drugs in a moving car and going at 172 miles per hour on a highway to Las Vegas. americas camp david Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2023 Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 Sputnik International hunter biden, cocaine in the white house, white substance in the white house, white house evacuation. https://sputnikglobe.com/20230704/iran-joins-sco-a-political-signal-to-the-west-1111658552.html Iran Joins SCO: A Political Signal to the West Iran Joins SCO: A Political Signal to the West Iran has officially joined the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), a Eurasian political, economic, and security organization, as announced in the New Delhi Declaration of the SCO Heads of State Council, released on Tuesday. 2023-07-04T14:42+0000 2023-07-04T14:42+0000 2023-07-04T14:42+0000 shanghai cooperation organisation (sco) iran ebrahim raisi new delhi west shoaib bahman analysis /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e7/07/04/1111658932_0:121:3089:1859_1920x0_80_0_0_52fba0778d8fc62f6937ec9203890a37.jpg With Iran becoming a fully-fledged member of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, the alliance has welcomed yet another regional powerhouse, showing a persistent determination to counter the concept of a unipolar world. Iran's membership in the SCO carries significant political implications for the West and the United States, some experts believe.Shoaib Bahman, head of the Institute for Strategic Researchers in the Contemporary World (Tehran) and an Iranian expert on Russian and Eurasian affairs, told Sputnik:According to Bahman, Iran's membership in the SCO sends a clear message to the West and the United States.Bahman noted that the SCO is often referred to as the "NATO of the East". This label encompasses the organization's status, the attention it attracts worldwide, and the high level of interaction among its member states.Furthermore, Bahman stressed that SCO membership lays the foundation for Iran's possible accession to other major international organizations, which will have a positive impact on the Islamic Republic's reputation.Mojtaba Jelalzadeh, an Iranian expert on international politics, expressed his views on Iran's entry into the SCO, saying that it carries important messages for both the region and the world."Second, strengthening trade and economic ties within the SCO framework will allow the Islamic Republic to find effective ways to bypass American sanctions," he added.Earlier on Tuesday, Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi, speaking at an online meeting of the SCO's Council of Heads of State under the chairmanship of India, emphasized that membership in the SCO would provide Iran with an opportunity to strengthen its security, ensure its sovereignty, and promote sustainable economic development.As Iran solidifies its position within the SCO, geopolitical dynamics in the region are expected to shift, further prompting the international community to anticipate how this strategic alliance will shape the future dynamics on the international stage. https://sputnikglobe.com/20230704/irans-sco-membership-to-boost-relations-in-middle-east-and-central-asia-iranian-mp-says-1111655920.html iran new delhi west Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2023 Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 Sputnik International iran joins sco, iran has joined the shanghai cooperation organization, new delhi declaration, iran joined nato of the east https://sputnikglobe.com/20230704/irans-sco-membership-to-boost-relations-in-middle-east-and-central-asia-iranian-mp-says-1111655920.html Iran's SCO Membership to Boost Relations in Middle East and Central Asia, Iranian MP Says Iran's SCO Membership to Boost Relations in Middle East and Central Asia, Iranian MP Says Iran's accession to the SCO will boost trade, economic relations in the Middle East and Central Asia, independent of Western influence and the dollar's dominance, Gholamreza Marhaba, Iranian MP (Majlis) told Sputnik. 2023-07-04T11:51+0000 2023-07-04T11:51+0000 2023-07-04T12:21+0000 world shanghai cooperation organisation (sco) collective security treaty organization (csto) iran ebrahim raisi new delhi /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e7/06/06/1110959090_0:146:3072:1874_1920x0_80_0_0_d62da8cbd0753630aa8cd3a125c72f24.jpg Membership in the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) will provide Iran with conditions for strengthening security, ensuring sovereignty, and promoting sustainable economic development, Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi said at the meeting of the SCO's Council of Heads of State held in an online format on Tuesday under the chairmanship of India.The Iranian government and people express their gratitude for the admission of the Islamic Republic of Iran into the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), the president went on to say in his speech.According to the New Delhi Declaration of the SCO Heads of State Council released on Tuesday, Iran has joined the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), having signed a memorandum of commitment to obtain the status of an SCO member state at the last SCO summit in Samarkand in September 2022.All member states of the SCO, as well as observers Belarus, Iran, and Mongolia, and Turkmenistan as a guest, took part in the summit. The heads of two SCO bodies - the Secretariat and the Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure, also attended the Summit. In addition, the heads of six international and regional organizations - the United Nations, ASEAN, the CIS, the CSTO, the EAEU, and the Collective Security Treaty Organization - were invited.Commenting on the significance of Tehran's accession to the group, Dr. Seyed Mohammad Marandi, an Iranian-American political observer and member of the country's delegation for the 2015 nuclear deal, underlined that the SCO and other such groups independent from the Western dictate are a major boost for developing nations. https://sputnikglobe.com/20230704/iran-becomes-full-fledged-member-of-shanghai-cooperation-organization-1111655518.html iran new delhi Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2023 Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 Sputnik International shanghai cooperation organization, iran sco membership, trade and economic relations in the middle east and central asia, gholamreza marhaba, iranian mp (majlis), majlis economic committee https://sputnikglobe.com/20230704/iraq-war-contractor-kbr-to-pay-143mln-to-settle-fraud-claims-1111649601.html Iraq War Contractor KBR to Pay $143Mln to Settle Fraud Claims Iraq War Contractor KBR to Pay $143Mln to Settle Fraud Claims Former Halliburton subsidiary KBR said it will pay more than $143 million to settle fraud allegations related to contracts the company won during the Iraq war. KBR said it continues to deny any liability or wrongful conduct. 2023-07-04T02:31+0000 2023-07-04T02:31+0000 2023-07-04T02:31+0000 americas kbr lawsuit lawsuit iraq war iraq war fraud us /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e7/07/04/1111649441_0:157:2493:1559_1920x0_80_0_0_9ebaccb038c6851a1ce2fe34e1ad167d.jpg "KBR announced today that it has settled a legacy lawsuit pending in federal court, USA ex rel Howard v. KBR," the company said on Monday. "KBR will pay $108.75 million, approximately half of which in restitution damages, plus interest to the US government and will pay $34.95 million to the relators as attorney's fees." KBR said the lawsuit concerns the "cross-leveling" of materials and equipment procurement under the LOGCAP III contract in Iraq in the 2007-2011 time period. KBR said it continues to deny any liability or wrongful conduct. Under the Logistics Civil Augmentation Program (LOGCAP), the military tapped the private sector to handle logistics and support services to US and allied forces including during combat operations. In 2011, whistle-blowers Geoffrey Howard, and Zella Hemphill in a lawsuit accused KBR of violating the False Claims Act by purchasing new materials instead of cross-leveling, which means drawing from existing stockpiles. According to court documents, the plaintiffs said as a result KBR knowingly billed for "unreasonable and unallowable costs" that the government would not have paid for otherwise. KBR President and CEO Stuart Bradie applauded the settlement, saying it marked another milestone in its bid to resolve legacy legal matters to help reduce uncertainty and liquidity risk. Between 2003-2013, KBR received almost $40 billion in contracts related to the Iraq war, according to an analysis by The Financial Times. KBR spun off from Halliburton in 2006. Former vice president Dick Cheney was the chairman and CEO of Halliburton from 1995 to 2000. americas Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2023 Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 Sputnik International kbr, halliburton, iraq war, us, logcap, lawsuit, fraud https://sputnikglobe.com/20230704/macron-says-may-shut-down-social-media-in-france-if-riots-worsen-1111665888.html Macron Says May Shut Down Social Media in France If Riots Worsen Macron Says May Shut Down Social Media in France If Riots Worsen French President Emmanuel Macron said on Tuesday that the country may consider shutting down social media sites in the country. 2023-07-04T20:39+0000 2023-07-04T20:39+0000 2023-07-04T20:39+0000 world emmanuel macron paris france tiktok twitter social media censorship censorship riots /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e7/07/02/1111609943_0:160:3072:1888_1920x0_80_0_0_0579d48732936cd3de90c1fcac41b2dd.jpg "We need to think about the issue of social media and applicable bans. And if the situation worsens, we perhaps need to be able to regulate and turn them off," Macron was quoted as saying by French broadcaster BFMTV. However, the president added that this discussion should not be held "rashly." On Friday, Macron said that the French authorities would identify those who called for protests through social media in light of the ongoing unrest triggered by the killing of a teenager. Later that day, French media reported that the government had met with representatives of social media due to unrest in the country. In particular, Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin and Minister Delegate for the Digital Transition and Telecommunications Jean-Noel Barrot reportedly warned platforms such as TikTok, Snapchat and Twitter of their responsibility and asked for support identifying users involved in committing offenses. France has been gripped by unrest since June 27, when a 17-year-old boy was shot dead by a police officer for failing to stop his car when ordered to do so in Nanterre, a suburb of Paris. The officer who pulled the trigger on Nahel M. has been taken into custody for voluntary manslaughter, but that has not deterred the protesters. https://sputnikglobe.com/20230629/videos-clashes-in-paris-suburb-of-nanterre-intensify-over-killing-of-teenager-1111535302.html paris france Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2023 Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 Sputnik International france, social media, tiktok, twitter, riots in france, censorship in france SHANGHAI, July 4 (Xinhua) -- SAIC Motor, China's primary carmaker, plans to build a plant in Europe, the company said Tuesday. Last year, SAIC Motor's sales in the European market surpassed 100,000 vehicles. With the increase in export volume, establishing a factory for localized production has become a priority on the company's agenda, said Yu De, SAIC Motor president assistant and managing director of the international business department. In the first half of this year, the Shanghai-based carmaker achieved overseas sales of 530,000 vehicles, a 40 percent year-on-year growth. The figure reached over 1.01 million units last year and will likely exceed 1.2 million this year. The European market is expected to become the company's first overseas regional market, with sales exceeding 200,000 units, according to Yu. SAIC Motor has three R&D innovation centers in Silicon Valley, London, and Tel Aviv. It also has three design centers in London, Munich, and Tokyo and operates four production bases and factories in Thailand, Indonesia, India, and Pakistan. https://sputnikglobe.com/20230704/nato-extends-stoltenbergs-term-until-october-2024-1111654119.html NATO Extends Stoltenbergs Term Until October 2024 NATO Extends Stoltenbergs Term Until October 2024 MOSCOW(Sputnik) - NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said on Tuesday that he will remain in the office until October 1, 2024. 2023-07-04T09:55+0000 2023-07-04T09:55+0000 2023-07-04T13:08+0000 military jens stoltenberg /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e7/06/1a/1111466835_0:16:3392:1923_1920x0_80_0_0_36892a444aaf96190387f0f92ec18edc.jpg "Honoured by #NATO Allies decision to extend my term as Secretary General until 1 October 2024. The transatlantic bond between Europe & North America has ensured our freedom & security for nearly 75 years, and in a more dangerous world, our Alliance is more important than ever," Stoltenberg tweeted.Jens Stoltenberg is a former Norwegian prime minister who has served as the 13th secretary general of NATO since 2014. He is one of the longest-serving NATO high-ranking executives, dwarfed only by Dutch-born Joseph Luns who stayed in position for 13 consecutive years between 1971 and 1984.Stoltenberg is dubbed the Indispensable Bureaucrat by Western media and for a reason. Political scientists allege that Washington wanted Stoltenberg to remain in office until the 2024 presidential elections or even longer as he is an extremely convenient person for them to have there. Western media and analysts agree that Stoltenberg - a civil politician seemingly "running" a giant military bloc - is not a political strongman. Many call him Multilateral Man or even Consensus Man, since he mainly bandwagons US foreign policy.However, things were not always this way. In his youth, Stoltenberg used to be an anti-war activist who participated in rallies against US actions in Vietnam and advocated for Norway to leave NATO. He used to be fond of Marxist ideas and even had regular contacts with Soviet diplomats who turned out to be KGB agents planning to recruit the young and naive Norwegian politician. The Soviet Secret Service even had a codename for him Steklov, but eventually the plan did not work out. Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2023 Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 Sputnik International nato, nato secretary general jens stoltenberg, nato secretary general, jens stoltenberg https://sputnikglobe.com/20230704/netanyahu-announces-end-of-israeli-operation-in-jenin-1111666834.html Netanyahu Announces End of Israeli Operation in Jenin Netanyahu Announces End of Israeli Operation in Jenin TEL AVIV (Sputnik) - The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) have ended their counter-terrorism operation in the West Bank town of Jenin, Israeli Prime Minister... 04.07.2023, Sputnik International 2023-07-04T22:53+0000 2023-07-04T22:53+0000 2023-07-05T00:45+0000 world benjamin netanyahu west bank israel israel defense forces (idf) jenin hamas yoav gallant /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e7/07/04/1111666677_0:160:3072:1888_1920x0_80_0_0_4fd126af7cb15e2cad06ea215563553e.jpg The announcement was made during his visit to the Salem checkpoint near Jenin, with the participation of Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant. Netanyahu also commented on the terrorist attack in Tel Aviv that happened on Tuesday. Maj. Ella Waweya, the Deputy IDF Commander of the Arabic Spokespersons Unit, told Sputnik that Israel's operation "was not aimed at the occupation of Jenin Camp, but at terrorist groups," adding that "the source of about 75% money for supporting terrorism going to Jenin is Hamas" and that "90% of the funds for terrorist recruitment come from the Islamic Jihad group." Waweya noted that the IDF began the operation by "striking the command headquarters and the joint operating headquarters of the Palestinian formations in the heart of Jenin camp," which was followed by "strikes on areas with fighters and weapons." A Sputnik correspondent reported that residents of Jenin in the West Bank during the second day of Israel's operation were setting tires on fire and blocking the way for the Israeli military who tried to storm the Jenin Camp. Clashes between Israeli soldiers and young Palestinians, who were trying to hold back the advance and block Israel's soldiers and vehicles, broke out in front of the camp on Tuesday. Locals also were taking to the streets waving Palestinian flags, chanting slogans and singing songs in support of the Palestinian fighters. The Palestinian Health Ministry said on Tuesday that 12 people, including five children, have died during Israel's operation, and 140 have been injured, with 30 civilians being in serious condition. The IDF tweeted that a non-commissioned Israeli officer has been killed during the operation in the Jenin Camp, adding that the military "sends its heartfelt condolences to the family and will continue to support them."Israel began its largest air-and-ground offensive in the West Bank in years on the night from Sunday to Monday. IDF aircraft launched more than 10 strikes at what it described as "terrorist infrastructure" in the Jenin refugee camp. The Israeli military said it had seized an improvised missile launcher, weapons, and ammunition. https://sputnikglobe.com/20230704/israel-conducts-one-of-largest-operations-in-jenin-since-2002-hundreds-of-soldiers-participating-1111653945.html west bank israel jenin Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2023 Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 Sputnik International benjamin netanyahu, west bank, israel, israel defense forces (idf), jenin, hamas, yoav gallant https://sputnikglobe.com/20230704/poland-to-deploy-special-forces-unit-in-vilnius-ahead-of-nato-summit-1111649175.html Poland to Deploy Special Forces Unit in Vilnius Ahead of NATO Summit Poland to Deploy Special Forces Unit in Vilnius Ahead of NATO Summit Duda has signed an order to deploy a special forces unit to Lithuania to strengthen the security of the upcoming NATO summit. The special forces unit would include up to 75 servicemen and other military personnel. 2023-07-04T01:36+0000 2023-07-04T01:36+0000 2023-07-08T19:01+0000 military poland poland andrzej duda lithuania lithuania lithuania polish military nato summit in vilnius /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e6/0b/14/1104459445_0:161:3071:1888_1920x0_80_0_0_08dd4ddd5cc5a33620df2e6965654369.jpg "President Andrzej Duda has signed an order to use Polish military forces in an inter-allied operation [to provide] military support for Lithuania," the government agency said in a statement. It added that the special forces unit would include up to 75 servicemen and other military personnel, two S-70i Black Hawk and one Mi-17 helicopters as well as an anti-drone system. "The military forces will be deployed [in Lithuania] from July 4-17, 2023," the government agency said. The special forces unit will be used to "strengthen the security of NATO summit and enhance Lithuania's defense capabilities," the statement read. The Polish military will ensure the safety of the Lithuanian airspace as well as protect the population of the country and its key facilities, the government agency added. poland lithuania lithuania Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2023 Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 Sputnik International poland, andrzej duda, lithuania, polish military, military, nato summit, s-70i black hawk, mi-17 helicopter, vilnius, poland national security bureau https://sputnikglobe.com/20230704/putin-chairs-online-meeting-with-russian-government-1111655303.html Putin Chairs Online Meeting With Russian Government Putin Chairs Online Meeting With Russian Government The discussion will focus on social and economic development of new Russian regions with high-profile officials delivering their reports. 2023-07-04T12:37+0000 2023-07-04T12:37+0000 2023-07-04T12:37+0000 russia vladimir putin marat khusnullin alexander novak anton siluanov moscow /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e7/06/1d/1111551696_0:159:3075:1888_1920x0_80_0_0_80b554eb0962574c061df9d70452bca8.jpg Sputnik is live from Moscow, where Russian President Vladimir Putin chairs a virtual meeting with the government. It is expected that the meeting will propel the social and economic development of new Russian regions the Donetsk and Lugansk Peoples Republics, as well as Kherson and Zaporozhye.High-ranking government officials, including Deputy Prime Ministers Marat Khusnullin and Alexander Novak and Minister of Finance Anton Siluanov will deliver their reports. The regions joined Russia after popular referendums in the fall of 2022 amid the ongoing special military operation in Ukraine aimed to protect the people of Donbass from Kiev aggression.Follow Sputnik's live feed to learn more! moscow Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2023 Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 Putin Chairs Online Meeting With Russian Government Putin Chairs Online Meeting With Russian Government 2023-07-04T12:37+0000 true PT38M44S 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 Sputnik International russia, vladimir putin, new russian regions, russia new regions, economy donbass https://sputnikglobe.com/20230704/representative-inclusive-and-flexible-sco-is-vital-part-of-new-multipolar-world-1111659937.html SCO Emerging as Cornerstone of New Multipolar World SCO Emerging as Cornerstone of New Multipolar World The Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) has already become an important inclusive structure of the multipolar global order, Dr. Stanislav Pritchin, a senior research fellow at the Center for Post-Soviet Studies, told Sputnik. 2023-07-04T13:48+0000 2023-07-04T13:48+0000 2023-07-04T14:03+0000 analysis china russia new delhi shanghai cooperation organisation (sco) international north-south transport corridor (instc) iran belarus europe asia-pacific region /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e7/07/04/1111659492_0:68:1280:788_1920x0_80_0_0_e296f9f993e883cddd1dd1dc68793a98.jpg The twenty-third summit of the Council of Heads of State of the SCO was held on Tuesday in a virtual format in New Delhi. The leaders of all SCO member states China, Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan welcomed Iran as a new full-fledged member of the organization. India's First Deputy Foreign Minister Vinay Kvatra announced that Belarus will be admitted to the SCO as a full member at the summit in 2024. This year, Belarus and Mongolia took part in the meeting as observer states, while Turkmenistan was invited as a guest of the chairman.Pritchin has drawn attention to the fact that initially, the SCO was formed as a regional security organization being the successor to the Shanghai Five, which was set up in the early 2000s. Over time, however, the scope of the SCO's agenda has expanded. Even though the organization includes geopolitical opponents such as India and Pakistan, this did not create any serious problems for the SCO's activities due to its inclusiveness and flexibility. Pritchin placed special emphasis on an obvious difference between the SCO and NATO whose agenda is formed and dictated by the US. In contrast, the Eurasian club operates on the principles of equality and collegiality, as per the scholar.When asked about India's geopolitical strategy, the researcher pointed out that New Delhi is considering different options. Being a partner of Russia and an SCO member state, India at the same time participates in a number of projects for cooperation with Western states, including the Quad, or the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue (QSD), consisting of Australia, India, Japan and the United States."It is clear that this is largely predetermined by those issues and contradictions on the agenda in relations between China and India. In economic terms India is somewhat lagging behind China and [New Delhi] is looking for an opportunity to strengthen its position through alliances and cooperation with Western countries, primarily with the United States." https://sputnikglobe.com/20230704/global-threats-challenges-becoming-more-complex-destructive---sco-declaration-1111656484.html https://sputnikglobe.com/20230704/irans-sco-membership-to-boost-relations-in-middle-east-and-central-asia-iranian-mp-says-1111655920.html https://sputnikglobe.com/20230504/will-sco-become-new-united-nations-for-non-western-world-1110101791.html china russia new delhi iran belarus east asia Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2023 Ekaterina Blinova Ekaterina Blinova News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 Ekaterina Blinova shanghai security organization (sco), what are sco member states, is iran sco member, when did iran become sco full-fledged member, eurasia, what does sco mean, what country will join sco in 2024, what are sco main objectives, sco security eurasia, russian special operation in ukraine, sco multipolar world order https://sputnikglobe.com/20230704/the-founding-fathers-would-be-sick-at-the-state-america-is-in-today-1111647606.html The Founding Fathers Would Be Sick at the State America Is in Today The Founding Fathers Would Be Sick at the State America Is in Today On todays episode of The Backstory, host Lee Stranahan discussed current events including AOC calling for the impeachment of Supreme Court Justices, and thirty people shot at a Baltimore party. 2023-07-04T04:04+0000 2023-07-04T04:04+0000 2023-07-04T09:16+0000 the backstory airport nuclear fusion nascar dnc durham report france joe biden donald trump /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e7/07/03/1111647449_0:0:1920:1080_1920x0_80_0_0_415007cf148f0b827c4f3d5810f3d9fa.png The Founding Fathers Would be Sick at the State America is in Today On todays episode of The Backstory, host Lee Stranahan discussed current events including AOC calling for the impeachment of Supreme Court Justices, and thirty people shot at a Baltimore party. Caleb Maupin - Speaker, Writer, Political Analyst, and Author | Where is America Going ?, Supporting Julian Assange, and Organizing on Social MediaMelik Abdul - Political Analyst, Republican Strategist, and Co-Host of Fault Lines | Nascar in Chicago, The DNC is Bypassing Iowa & New Hampshire, and Joe Biden's Failing HealthIn the first hour, Lee spoke with Caleb Maupin about what the left gets right about right-wingers, focusing on solutions, and Trump's friends in office are now his political enemies. Caleb talked about the reasons Kamala Harris was picked as Joe Biden's Vice President and the things Donald Trump has learned out of office. Caleb described the need to build new cities in America and the divisions within American society.In the second hour, Lee spoke with Melik Abdul about the popularity of Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Donald Trump is leading Joe Biden in the polls, and what the voters want from the next President. Melik discussed the Republican polling for the 2024 nominee and how the other candidates will attack Donald Trump. Melik explained how terrible Joe Biden has been over the last few months and Biden's mental stability in question.We'd love to get your feedback at radio@sputniknews.comThe views and opinions expressed in this program are those of the speakers and do not necessarily reflect the position of Sputnik. france Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2023 Lee Stranahan https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e5/02/13/1082125222_0:0:293:292_100x100_80_0_0_a8bc846f559660e5bf7574f8a9608a1d.png Lee Stranahan https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e5/02/13/1082125222_0:0:293:292_100x100_80_0_0_a8bc846f559660e5bf7574f8a9608a1d.png News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 Lee Stranahan https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e5/02/13/1082125222_0:0:293:292_100x100_80_0_0_a8bc846f559660e5bf7574f8a9608a1d.png the backstory, julian assange, nascar in chicago, joe biden's health, kamala harris, robert f. kennedy jr. https://sputnikglobe.com/20230704/us-condemns-hong-kongs-bounty-for-information-on-8-democracy-activists-1111649751.html US Condemns Hong Kongs Bounty for Information on 8 Democracy Activists US Condemns Hong Kongs Bounty for Information on 8 Democracy Activists The US has condemned the issuance by Hong Kong police of an international bounty that would lead to the arrest of eight alleged pro-democracy activists. The department believes that the application creates a "dangerous precedent". 2023-07-04T02:43+0000 2023-07-04T02:43+0000 2023-07-04T02:43+0000 americas us china hong kong activist rights activist us state department /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e7/03/0b/1108283098_0:160:3072:1888_1920x0_80_0_0_47520085ef1a97010fea1df6ff0fd37a.jpg "The United States condemns the Hong Kong Police Forces issuance of an international bounty for information leading to the arrest of eight pro-democracy activists who no longer live in Hong Kong," the statement said on Monday. The State Department believes that the extraterritorial application of the Hong Kong National Security Law creates a "dangerous precedent" threatening human rights and fundamental freedoms around the world, the statement said. The United States is calling on the Hong Kong government to immediately withdraw the reward and "respect other countries sovereignty," the statement added. Earlier in the day, CNN reported that Hong Kong police offered HK$1 million ($127,603) rewards for each of seven men and one woman who reside today in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, and Australia. americas china hong kong Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2023 Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 Sputnik International us, united states, hong kong, china, human rights activists, us state department https://sputnikglobe.com/20230704/us-war-industry-pulls-mainstream-media-strings-on-ukraine-1111657528.html US War Industry Pulls Mainstream Media Strings on Ukraine US War Industry Pulls Mainstream Media Strings on Ukraine The US military-industrial complex is shaping the debate on Ukraine through allied think tanks which have been extensively cited by the American mainstream press since day one of the conflict, Bryce Greene, a contributor to Fairness and Accuracy in Reporting, told Sputnik's By Any Means Necessary podcast. 2023-07-04T12:17+0000 2023-07-04T12:17+0000 2023-07-04T12:17+0000 analysis joe biden us ukraine europe opinion us military aid military aid russia cluster bombs /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e6/07/1e/1097957575_0:62:1200:737_1920x0_80_0_0_f44840598cfd1d8529122a058fbd99e7.jpg It's no coincidence that American media is unanimously calling to send more military supplies to Kiev and fight to the last Ukrainian, since the debate has been artificially narrowed by the US defense contractors, as per the Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft's recent study. The DC-based think tank has found that of the 15 think tanks most often mentioned by the mainstream press, just one Human Rights Watch does not receive funding from the US war industry. Quincy's analysis particularly demonstrated that the US media were seven times more likely to cite think tanks with ties to defense contractors than those without such affiliations.Even though the US media is ostensibly independent they still push the government's line by relying on and uncritically quoting those sources whose paychecks come from the US military-industrial complex, according to Greene. What's more, the US media never gives a hint that those views come from experts funded by Lockheed Martin, or Boeing or some other defense contractor benefitting from the ongoing conflict in Ukraine, the journalist continued. Greene lamented the fact that it makes it very hard for a viewer to understand whether or not the information they're getting is unbiased and untainted by special interests.As a result, the argument about the necessity of peace talks and scaling down the US military assistance to Ukraine has been effectively suppressed, as per Greene. At the same time, little attention is given to the damage caused by the US efforts to protract the conflict. Furthermore, nobody is questioning risks of a potential delivery of cluster shells to the Ukrainian military or depleted uranium ammo shipments that the US approved of earlier from the UK, to Kiev, the journalist continued. These weapons could essentially poison and irrevocably damage large areas of Ukraine and Russia causing lots of deaths among civilians, Greene warned.For more of Bryce Greene's exclusive analysis on the Ukraine conflict coverage, check out the full episode of the By All Means Necessary podcast. https://sputnikglobe.com/20230527/ukrainian-military-starts-training-in-germany-to-operate-us-abrams-tanks---reports-1110636622.html https://sputnikglobe.com/20230627/us-announces-500mln-in-additional-security-supplies-for-ukraine-1111507625.html https://sputnikglobe.com/20230628/us-record-of-cluster-bombs-rings-alarm-bells-for-ukrainians-1111528359.html ukraine russia Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2023 Ekaterina Blinova Ekaterina Blinova News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 Ekaterina Blinova ukraine conflict, us military aid, us cluster shells, uk depleted uranium shells, us think tanks' ties to defense contractors, us hawks, us mainstream press, us defense contractors benefitting from ukraine conflict, us military industrial complex, ukraine peace talks https://sputnikglobe.com/20230704/us-will-only-turn-itself-into-a-global-drug-den-by-scapegoating-china-1111662116.html US Will Only Turn Itself into a Global 'Drug Den' by Scapegoating China US Will Only Turn Itself into a Global 'Drug Den' by Scapegoating China The "American disease" of drug abuse is not without solutions, but laying the blame on China is definitely the most ineffective. Nonetheless, US politicians deliberately ignore this. 2023-07-04T15:59+0000 2023-07-04T15:59+0000 2023-07-04T15:59+0000 world china us us-china relations fentanyl global times /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/15944/31/159443105_0:156:3000:1844_1920x0_80_0_0_743fdd8461d90d5fe08657c5cc151a41.jpg "Buck-passing" drama needs a script, a stage and actors. When all is ready, the drama is on. According to Politico, in an NBC program aired on Sunday, US senators called for "more forceful efforts" to slow China's role in producing the deadly synthetic version of fentanyl.Senator J.D. Vance (R-Ohio) said, "We should be willing to say [to China], 'If you don't stop sending fentanyl precursors to Mexico and to our own ports of entry, we're going to really penalize you guys economically.' That is the real tool," adding that "we can increase tariffs and extract a massive economic cost. I think the Biden administration should be doing exactly that."Meanwhile, Senator Sherrod Brown, Vance's Democratic counterpart in Ohio, echoed his view, "I think it's important that, you know, that we hit them ... We've got to go after all sources that are financing this and that are laundering these drugs."J.D. Vance should know more about the dangers of drug abuse in the US and the reasons behind its prevalence than other US senators and ordinary Americans. In his book Hillbilly Elegy: A Memoir of a Family and Culture in Crisis, published in 2016, he described his journey from a troubled, addiction-torn Appalachian family to Yale Law School. His mother was addicted to various drugs for many years. The area of Ohio where his family lived in and the area of Kentucky where his mother and grandfather came from ended up having a lot of drug problems - drugs including heroin and opioids. In an interview with NPR in 2016, he said in the Ohio county where he grew up, Butler County, deaths from drug overdoses actually outnumber deaths from natural causes.The US has never been able to solve its drug problem. The US drug epidemic's root cause lies within the country itself. In 2021, over 106,000 people in the US died from opioid overdoses, reaching the highest level ever recorded and surpassing the combined number of deaths from firearms and car accidents. Among them, nearly two-thirds were linked to synthetic opioids such as fentanyl. The opioid epidemic in the US is mainly due to the long-term and widespread abuse of prescription painkillers. The US government continues to push for the legalization of marijuana, playing a role in condoning and exacerbating the problem.Wei Zongyou, a professor at the Center for American Studies, Fudan University, believes the loose drug policy in the US, including the legalization of marijuana consumption and cultivation in states like California, has provided great convenience for drug addicts, and opposing drug abuse has even become politically incorrect in the US. Nevertheless, politicians in Washington are still eager to find others around the world to blame for their own failures, especially targeting China and making it a "scapegoat" for the US' drug problems. This is a typical case of "being sick oneself and making others take the medicine." The US has the most serious drug problem in the world, yet it slanders China, the most stringent in combating drugs globally.China maintains a firm stance of "zero tolerance" toward illicit drugs and has consistently demonstrated its strong commitment to adhering to the three UN drug control conventions. For example, in a groundbreaking move in 2019, China became the first nation to subject all fentanyl-related substances to monitoring and inspection. Furthermore, the country introduced testing standards for fentanyl and synthetic cannabinoid drugs in October 2021 to enhance its already rigorous control measures over addictive substances.Xu Liang, an associate professor at the School of International Relations of Beijing International Studies University, told the Global Times that calling to catch a thief is quite common for the US as a thief itself. Passing the buck to China for its failure to handle the COVID-19 pandemic and criticizing China for engaging in "bullying and coercion" and "cyber hegemony" are some examples. The buck that US politicians desperately try to pass to others actually contains the dirty water of their own ineffective governance.The US needs China's cooperation in combating drugs. China has strict laws and policies in place to combat illicit drugs, which are widely recognized by the international community. However, fundamentally, it is the responsibility of the US government to take strict measures to tackle drug abuse in the US. Seeking external reasons to heal internal woes will not help the US get rid of its drug addiction, but will only turn the US into a global "drug den."This article was originally published by the Global Times. https://sputnikglobe.com/20230624/us-blames-beijing-for-fentanyl-crisis-charges-chinese-chemical-companies-1111448284.html https://sputnikglobe.com/20230411/gop-eyes-going-to-war-against-mexicos-cartels-over-fentanyl-crisis-1109346194.html https://sputnikglobe.com/20230408/cocaine--crack-are-back-in-nyc-and-fentanyl-makes-everything-much-worse---reports-1109281968.html china Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2023 Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 Sputnik International us fentanyl crisis, drugs us, america drugs overdose, substance abuse, who sends drugs to us, china drugs, us drug imports, china drug exports Prominent harness racing breeder/owner/executive Frank Antonacci was inducted into the Harness Racing Hall of Fame in Goshen, New York on Sunday evening (July 2) during a banquet attended by hundreds of racing notables. On Monday afternoon (July 3) at Plainridge Park, his racing connections continued that party by winning a natural hat trick in the first three races on the card with horses bred and owned by Frank The Elder, with two of the three taking new lifetime marks. Trainer Domenico Cecere and driver Bruce Ranger started out the team hat trick with the Massachusetts-bred three-year-old Milliondollarwall, who had the lead by two lengths at the half and extended it to five at the top of the stretch. He maintained that separation all the way to the wire where he won in 1:54.2, knocking almost three full seconds off his career-best outing. It was the first win of the year for Milliondollarwall ($5.20), who was a winner of four races last year, including three in the Massachusetts Stakes series. Next, it was Moni Lisa who flew to the front and gapped the field by four at the first quarter in :27.1 and that was only the beginning. Moni Lisa got to the half in :55.3 and three-quarters in 1:24.1 while stretching out to a seven-length lead. The three-year-old filly rounded the last bend and simply cruised home, on top by 11 lengths in 1:53.4, missing the track record for age, gender and gait by only one-fifth of a second. It was the first lifetime win for Moni Lisa ($5). Then Sonnys Moni sat second to the quarter but took control by the half, while Two Scoops For Jack (Matty Athearn) and Wallet (Nick Graffam) followed in chase. Sonnys Moni trotted steady with his one-length advantage to the top of the stretch where Wallet took his best shot, but came up just a nose shy as Sonnys Moni got the job done in 1:54.2. It was only one-fifth of a second shy of his personal best time he set just last week. It was the third straight win for Sonnys Moni ($2.80), who remains undefeated this year. Antonaccis Moni Market Breeders bred Milliondollarwall while his Moni Maker Stable bred Moni Lisa and Sonnys Moni. Moni Make Stable owns all three. Ranger ended his day with a grand slam in the bike as he also won with Chapolier (1:54.3, $5) later in the card. Ranger also netted two seconds and two thirds from his 10 starts to post a strong .478 UDR for the day. The feature race of the day was the $25,000 Winners-Over Trot that featured a small but select field of five that was ultimately dominated by Inaminute Hanover. Driver Jay Randall was on a mission with Inaminute Hanover as he took no prisoners en route to a gate-to-wire victory. After tripping the timer in :28.1, :57.4 and 1:25.4, Randall turned for home with the stick on his shoulder while Inaminute Hanover bolted for the line and won by 2-1/4 lengths in 1:53.4. It was the second win of the year for Inaminute Hanover ($2.60), who has now earned $119,680 in only 15 starts this year for owner Beauty Bridle Racing Stable and trainer Jake Huff. The Wicked Hi-5 pentafecta was hit in race nine and provided a stout payoff. The single unique combination of 1-4-8-5-6 returned $8,341.26 for a 20-cent wager. Live harness racing will resume at Plainridge Park on Tuesday at 4 p.m. (Standardbred Owners of Massachusetts) Central China's Hunan launches direct shipping route to Russia Xinhua) 09:51, July 04, 2023 CHANGSHA, July 3 (Xinhua) -- A ship carrying exports including 564 cars and some auto parts departed on Monday from Chenglingji Port, in the city of Yueyang, Hunan Province, bound for the Russian port of Vladivostok, marking the launch of Hunan's first direct shipping route to Russia. The new route is also the province's second direct shipping route for the import and export of goods. The outbound voyage takes about 10 days while the return journey takes 12 days, saving about five days and 40 percent of the cost each trip, compared to previous trips that involved transfers at Shanghai Port. With abundant import and export demand, the new shipping service is expected to post an annual cargo throughput of 50,000 tonnes, while further promoting Hunan's economic and trade exchanges with countries along the Belt and Road, said the operating company behind the maiden voyage. (Web editor: Zhong Wenxing, Liang Jun) WUHAN, July 4 (Xinhua) -- The Three Gorges Dam at the world's largest hydropower project welcomed a record number of tourists in the first half of this year, according to the China Three Gorges Corporation. The January-June period this year saw 1.5 million visitors, 50,000 more than the same period in 2019. The Three Gorges Dam, China's largest industrial tourism site in the central Chinese province of Hubei, has experienced a significant rise in tourism since January, when approximately 65,000 people visited it during the Spring Festival holiday, up 260 percent year on year. Featuring efficient water resource utilization, the project has played key roles in flood control and electricity generation along the Yangtze River basin. Having been generating electricity since 2003, the dam opened to the public in 2005. Trainer Anette Lorentzon dominated the nine-race card at Oak Grove Racing, Gaming & Hotel on Monday (July 3) with four wins on the day, including a victory in the $35,000 Tom Shehan Memorial Open Trot by Pioneer As in 1:53.4. In the feature, Pioneer As (driver John MacDonald) floated away sixth while Stride The Hill (Kevin Wallis) secured the lead through a :26.4 first quarter. Its A Herbie (Verlin Yoder) settled into third, but was soon forced to pull first up as Pioneer As loomed nearer along the rim to a :56.2 half. Its A Herbie laid aim on Stride The Hill up the backstretch and stayed alongside through three-quarters in 1:24.1. Stride The Hill held his ground at the inside turning for home while Pioneer As sprung three-wide and gathered his momentum with Heath Bar (Matt Krueger) barrelling down the center of the course. Pioneer As grabbed the lead in the last eighth and kept a half-length in front of fast-closing Heath Bar at the line with Stride The Hill third and Bluebird Deacon (Atlee Bender) fourth. Pioneer As won her eighth race from 36 starts and has now earned $288,678 for owner-breeder ACL Stuteri AB. She paid $6.82 to win. Lorentzon opened the day with a pair of wins to sweep the early daily double. Thewalloflove As (1:57.4 winning mile; $5.50 to win) and Lucifers Legend A (1:54; $2.40) went coast to coast in the first two races. And then to bookend the card, Lorentzon won in near coast-to-coast fashion with Wewillrockyou As (1:54.1; $8.60). Conditioner Erv Miller, currently sitting atop the training leaderboard, also had a big day with three wins, including a 1:55.1 win by Big Christian ($4.78) in the $22,500 Open 2 Trot. Big Christian, sent off as the 6-5 favourite, grabbed the lead from post seven through a :28.1 first quarter and repelled the first-over push of 7-5 DGs Caviar (Joey Putnam) through middle fractions of :57.4 and 1:27 to win by a length. Anthony Lombardi owns the seven-time winner from 17 starts with now $75,502 in his coffers. Atlee Bender drove Big Christian to victory. Miller's hat trick on the day started with a win by Frankie Frankie (1:51.4; $7.20) and was completed with a win by Shes A Lady (1:54.2; $4.76). Racing resumes at Oak Grove on Tuesday with a stakes extravaganza. Eight $100,000 Kentucky Sire Stakes finals will go to post for each sex and gait of Standardbred on the 11-race card. The card also features a $2,002.98 carryover in the Super High 5 (in Race 5) and a $1,103.82 carryover in the Late Pick 5 (starting in Race 6). First-race post time at Oak Grove is 3 p.m CDT. (Oak Grove) Jet Hill will try to make it three-for-three in Ohio Sires Stake action on Tuesday (July 4) at Eldorado Scioto Downs as sophomore colt trotters wrap up the third leg with two $55,000 divisions. Jet Hill is coming off a world-record performance in the second leg at MGM Northfield Park, setting a new mark for three-year-old gelded trotters on a half-mile track. The son of What The Hill is the 2-1 favourite. Kurt Sugg will drive for trainer Edward Miller. Jet Hill has hit the board in 10 of 11 career starts, winning six. He has four wins in five starts this year for the Serenity Racing Stables. In the other division, previous winners Rumble Strips and Jogging Full Trot will square off. Rumble Strips was a winner in the first leg for trainer Mike Polhamus and owners Constance Polhamus and Mary Beth Walters. Rumble Strips has hit the board in all five starts this year winning two. Kayne Kaufman will drive the 9-5 favourite. Jogging Full Trot has won three of six this year including the first leg of the OHSS. Dan Noble will drive for trainer Miles Wollam. Jogging Full Trot is owned by Julie Ann Sweet, Dale Sweet and Marty Wollam. Also in the field is two-time Buckeye Stallion Series winner Burtons Hill. The What The Hill gelding has won six of eight this year for trainer Virgil Morgan Jr. Brett Miller will drive for owner Joyce McClelland. First race post time is 3:15 p.m. (Ohio Harness Horsemen's Association) In the mid-1800s, Nebraska was still barely touched by settlers migrating West for a new life. Our state was home to the prairies and rivers we see today. Over the next century, pioneers of all ethnic and religious backgrounds made the journey to Nebraska and chose to settle in its natural beauty. These future Nebraskans were searching for the American promise of liberty. They dreamed of a home where they would be treated equally despite their diverse backgrounds. They dreamed of good jobs that would support their children and grandchildren. In other words, they were looking for the American Dream. One of these pioneer families was the Moffitts. Lewis and Mary Ann Moffitt traveled from Indiana to Nebraska with their young son, in search of The Good Life. They chose to build a cabin and a new life on the eastern side of the state. The year was 1865. Two years after the Moffitts settled in their new town, it was officially recognized as the City of Seward, named after President Abraham Lincolns Secretary of State William Henry Seward. As towns and cities grew up around Seward County and across our state, so did Nebraskans state pride and patriotism. In 1868, the year after Seward was established as a city, the residents of the town participated in the first of many Independence Day celebrations. The story goes that the women of Seward came together to sew a large American flag, which would wave over the city on Independence Day as residents commemorated our countrys blood-bought freedom. After 150 years, the people of Seward are still celebrating our country with the same unity and vigor. But its not just Seward. Across Nebraska, communities will come together to commemorate the birth of our nation and the freedoms we hold so dear. In Norfolk, organizers will host the 47th Big Bang Boom, one of the largest fireworks displays in our state. This multi-day event also includes military displays, music, food, and other fun activities for families. At another event at Fort Robinson State Park, Nebraskans will enjoy a Western and Wildlife Art Show as they observe our nations independence. In Grand Island, the Stuhr Museum will put on a special Independence Day Celebration, a full day of excitement including historic 1890s games and speeches, a band concert, and a Main Street parade. Many other towns will hold their own parades including Stuart, Ralston and Elwoods special boat parade. No other country has begun its history by acknowledging the innate rights our Creator has endowed in each of us the rights to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. This country is worth celebrating. And in Nebraska this year, we will celebrate the pioneer spirit that lives on in our state and our nation. I hope my fellow Nebraskans will enjoy our states many wonderful Fourth of July activities. God bless you all, and happy Independence Day. Thank you for participating in the democratic process. I look forward to visiting with you again next week. PAPILLION An independent investigation into 52 election-related complaints received by Sarpy County resulted in no evidence of election fraud, voter suppression or criminal misbehavior. The county issued a news release Friday with the results, which evaluated the 2020 general and 2022 primary elections at the behest of the Sarpy County Attorneys Office. Investigator William W. Black, a 42-year Nebraska law enforcement veteran with extensive experience in criminal investigations, was hired to conduct the review after the complaints were received May 10, 2022. "The County Attorneys Office directed Black to identify the individuals responsible for criminal wrongdoing if it occurred and to forward the evidence and a prosecutable case for specific crimes committed if present," according to the release. No evidence of criminal wrongdoing was discovered. Sarpy County Attorney Lee Polikov said his office takes concerns about elections seriously. "At the conclusion of this investigation, I remain confident that Sarpy County elections are free, fair and devoid of fraudulent activity or criminal intent, Polikov said. The investigation was thorough and professional. The people of Sarpy County can take great comfort in the investigators diligence and these findings. The county released a 32-page report describing the complaints and detailing the findings of the investigator, including isolated election-related issues caused by human error that did not influence the outcome of the elections, the release states. One such instance includes a volunteer poll worker recording precinct pollbook information. They were confronted by other poll workers and stopped immediately. Two people were found to have voted in Sarpy County after moving to nearby jurisdictions. Those voters didn't vote twice, however, and officials determined they would not be able to prove intent for criminal voter fraud. Top Journal Star photos for June 2023 Bemis Park neighbors rescued a 69-year-old woman and another person after an explosion Monday that blew out a wall of their three-story house in midtown Omaha, the womans daughter said. Charlene Murphy and her roommate were inside her house, at 3027 Lincoln Blvd., when the explosion occurred shortly after noon, said Amber Murphy, her daughter. A couple of people helped her get out of the house through a window, Amber Murphy said. They also helped her roommate get out through the window. She said her mother and her roommate were shaken up but did not appear to have been injured. Omaha Fire Department officials also said it appeared no one was injured. The entire west wall of the big old house was knocked off by the blast. Furnishings could be seen inside as firefighters poured water onto the house from above. Its horrifying, just horrifying, said Amber Murphy, who grew up in the house and said it has been in her family since the 1960s. The cause had not yet been determined, said Assistant Omaha Fire Marshal Joe Caniglia of the Omaha Fire Department. Initial reports, at 12:13 p.m., were that people might have been trapped inside, but it appears everyone was outside the house when firefighters arrived, Caniglia said. Firefighters rescued a dog through a window, Caniglia said. Amber Murphy said about 1:30 p.m. her mothers two cats had not been located. Crews fought the fire defensively, pouring water from outside, including above from an aerial unit, because of the structural damage risk. The fire was declared under control at 1:20 p.m. The house is in a historic neighborhood of older homes, within a couple of blocks of Bemis Park and the Omaha Public Schools administration building. Neighbors said they the could feel vibrations from the blast in their houses across the street. When Jared Annin went outside to investigate, he saw the damage and feared the worst. I was sure someone was dead, he said. It looked like half the house was torn off. The explosion blew out the back window of Annins car, which was parked outside Murphys house. The blast may also have caused some damage to the house next door to the west. It could have been worse, Annin said while vacuuming shattered glass from his car. Im just glad shes all right. Annin said the rescuers who helped the people escape the house were neighbors. Jasmyne Bils said the explosion sounded like a big firework. Thats initially what she thought it was, and she ignored it at first. But when she went outside, she heard neighborhood children screaming and crying and saw people scrambling around the house across the street. It looked like the very top of the house was on fire; just a little bit of smoke coming out, Bils said. But one or two minutes later, I looked again and it looked like half the house was gone. It was good, she said, to see so many people from the neighborhood rushing to help. ORLANDO, Fla. After appointees of Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis took over Walt Disney Worlds governing district earlier this year, its firefighters were among the few employees who publicly welcomed them with open arms. But that warm relationship is in jeopardy as a new district administrator has reopened negotiations on a contract that was approved last month by the unionized firefighters, promising pay raises and more manpower. A vote on the contract originally was targeted for last month during a meeting of the Central Florida Tourism Oversight District board of supervisors. But it was never brought up, and it did not appear on an agenda released ahead of the next meeting scheduled for Wednesday. Under the three-year contract proposal overwhelmingly approved by 200 firefighters and first responders, annual starting pay for firefighters would increase to $65,000, up from $55,000. It also promised hiring up to three dozen firefighters and paramedics. At several meetings since the DeSantis-appointed supervisors took their seats this spring, Jon Shirey, who leads the firefighters' union, praised them for visiting firefighters at their stations around the 39-square-mile Disney World property. The firefighters looked forward to collaborating with the new supervisors and administrator after years of clashing with their Disney-supporting predecessors, and viewed the appointments as an opportunity for a fresh start, he said. Almost overnight, a change occurred that we have never experienced transparency, open dialogue, the ability to sit down and have our issues heard and felt listened to, Shirey told board members last month. You have been able to build bridges that were long burned. The feeling was mutual, with board chairman Martin Garcia saying last month that the supervisors were working with the firefighters to resolve their issues. Even so, Garcia made clear that the firefighters weren't the only district employees the board wanted to support. We also need to let the (other) employees know, we love you, too. We care about you. We love you as much as we love our firefighters, Garcia said. But the delay in approving the contract has alienated the firefighters' union, which last year endorsed the gubernatorial reelection campaign of DeSantis, who recently launched a campaign for the 2024 GOP presidential nomination. The old contract expired four years ago, and the firefighters declared an impasse last year when the districts board was still controlled by Disney supporters. The Reedy Creek Professional Firefighters, Local 2117 have warned for years that they are understaffed, which poses a safety risk as the central Florida theme park resort grows. Last month, District Administrator John Classe, who originally negotiated the new contract, was replaced by the board with Glenton Gilzean, a DeSantis ally who previously served as president and CEO of the Central Florida Urban League and will receive a $400,000 salary in his new job. The district also is paying Classe to stay on as a special adviser. Board spokesperson Alexei Woltornist said negotiations with the union were continuing, without explaining why they were reopened with a contract already approved by the firefighters and first responders. Administrator Gilzean is actively working with the fire department to finalize a deal that offers a competitive compensation package and gives firefighters the resources they need to protect the public, Woltornist said in an email to The Associated Press. Officials with the firefighters' union did not comment. While Gilzean may alienate the firefighters, whose support gave the DeSantis takeover some legitimacy, he may gain credibility with other constituencies within Disney's governing district and put some distance between himself and his predecessor, said Richard Foglesong, a Rollins College professor emeritus who wrote a definitive account of Disney Worlds governance in his book, Married to the Mouse: Walt Disney World and Orlando. Hes an unproven administrator, yet here hes showing hes no pushover when dealing with a cantankerous group, which frankly impresses me, Foglesong said. The DeSantis appointees took over the Disney World governing board earlier this year following a yearlong feud between the company and DeSantis. The fight began last year after Disney, beset by significant pressure internally and externally, publicly opposed a state law banning classroom lessons on sexual orientation and gender identity in early grades, a policy critics call Dont Say Gay. As punishment, DeSantis took over the district through legislation passed by Florida lawmakers and appointed a new board of supervisors to oversee municipal services for the sprawling theme parks and hotels. But before the new board came in, the company made agreements with previous oversight board members that stripped the new supervisors of their authority over design and construction. Disney sued DeSantis and the five-member board, asking a federal judge to void the governors takeover of the theme park district, as well as the oversight boards actions, on the grounds they were violations of companys free speech rights. The board sued Disney in state court in an effort to maintain its control of construction and design at Disney World. The district was created in 1967 when then-Florida Gov. Claude Kirk signed legislation authorizing it to regulate land use, enforce building codes, treat wastewater, control drainage, maintain utilities and provide fire protection at Disney World. Such private governments arent uncommon in fast-growing Florida, which has more than 600 community development districts that manage and pay for infrastructure in new communities. Disney attractions that don't exist anymore Disney rides that don't exist anymore Rainbow Caverns Mine Train (1956-1977) Submarine Voyage (1959-1998) America Sings (1974-1988) Journey Into Imagination (1983-1998) Horizons (1983-1999) Videopolis (1985-1989) Maelstrom (1988-2014) Dreamflight (1989-1998) Body Wars (1989-2007) Adventurers Club (1989-2008) The Great Movie Ride (1989-2017) ExtraTERRORestrial Alien Encounter (1995-2003) The Timekeeper (1994-2006) The Great Movie Ride (1989-2017) ExtraTERRORestrial Alien Encounter (1995-2003) The Timekeeper (1994-2006) The first announcement is the anime adaptation of the manga series Delicious in Dungeon (Dungeon Meishi), originally published by Kadokawa. Trigger has taken on the task of bringing it to life, and it will be available on Netflix in January 2024. The special guests for this announcement were Kentarou Kumagai and Sayaka Senbongi, the voice actors for the two main characters. Delicious in Dungeon follows the adventures of Laios (voiced by Kentarou Kumagai), a knight, along with his party consisting of Marcille (voiced by Sayaka Senbongi), an elf mage, and Chilchuck, a halfling rogue. While exploring a dungeon, Laios's sister, Falin, who is the party's cleric, gets devoured by a red dragon. Determined to rescue her, Laios and his party embark on a mission, facing the challenge of insufficient funds and supplies. Laios comes up with an unusual idea to save on expenses by consuming the monsters they defeat. However, he lacks cooking skills. Fortunately, an experienced cook named Senshi (voiced by Hiroshi Naka) comes to their aid, using his expertise to transform the otherwise inedible monster ingredients into delicious meals. The second announcement involves the Gurren Lagann movies returning to theaters in North America this winter for the 15th-anniversary. Fans will have the opportunity to watch the film in theaters with either dubbing or subtitles, enjoying it in stunning 4K quality and will be available in 4D. To stay updated on the latest news and images of the movie, be sure to follow Trigger on Twitter. Lastly, Studio Trigger unveiled a teaser for a new Panty & Stocking project, much to the delight of fans who have been waiting for 13 years. Despite their constant desire to create more episodes, Trigger faced challenges in obtaining the rights from Gainax. Now that the rights have been secured, they jokingly mentioned having an abundance of ideas that could potentially span ten seasons and even a movie. Additionally, they announced new merchandise for Panty & Stocking enthusiasts, available for purchase from the Trigger online store: https://trigger-global.ecq.sc/ Keep an eye on social media for more upcoming news. Introduction: The Ministry of Commerce and Industry, through the Directorate General of Foreign Trade, has released a notification regarding the amendment in the import policy for Areca nuts under ITC(HS) code 08028010. The revised policy relaxes the import conditions for 17,000 Metric Tonnes of Fresh (green) Areca nuts from Bhutan, allowing their import without a Minimum Import Price (MIP) condition through LCS Chamurchi (INCHMB). Analysis: The notification amends the import policy conditions for Areca nuts under ITC(HS) code 08028010. Previously, the import of Areca nuts was prohibited, with exceptions for imports with a CIF value of Rs. 351/- or above per kilogram. Additionally, import of 17,000 Metric Tonnes of Fresh(green) Areca nuts without a Minimum Import Price (MIP) condition was allowed from Bhutan through LCS Jaigaon (INJIGB) only. However, with the latest amendment, the revised policy allows the import of Areca nuts with a CIF value of Rs. 51/- or above per kilogram. The conditions for import by 100% Export Oriented Units (EOUs) and units in the Special Economic Zone (SEZ) remain the same. Import of 17,000 Metric Tonnes of Fresh(green) Areca nuts without a Minimum Import Price (MIP) condition from Bhutan is now allowed through LCS Jaigaon (INJIGB) and LCS Chamurchi (INCHMB). The imports through LCS Chamurchi are subject to a valid port-specific Registration Certificate issued by DGFT. The amendment aims to facilitate the import of Areca nuts from Bhutan and streamline the import process. By allowing imports through LCS Chamurchi, the policy expansion caters to the needs of businesses involved in the import of Areca nuts, enhancing trade opportunities. Conclusion: The Ministry of Commerce and Industrys recent notification brings an important amendment to the import policy for Areca nuts under ITC(HS) code 08028010. The revised policy allows the import of 17,000 Metric Tonnes of Fresh(green) Areca nuts without a Minimum Import Price (MIP) condition from Bhutan through LCS Chamurchi (INCHMB). This change provides businesses with the necessary information to plan and execute their import operations smoothly. Stay updated with the latest import policy changes to ensure compliance and take advantage of trade opportunities. MINISTRY OF COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY (Department of Commerce) (DIRECTORATE GENERAL OF FOREIGN TRADE) Notification No. 17/2023-DGFT | Dated: 3rd July 2023 Subject : Amendment in Import Policy Condition under ITC (HS) 08028010 of Chapter 08 of ITC (HS) 2022, Schedule I (Import Policy). S.O. 2902(E)In exercise of powers conferred by Section 3 read with Section 5 of FT (D&R) Act, 1992, read with paragraph 1.02 and 2.01 of the Foreign Trade Policy 2023, as amended from time to time, the Central Government hereby amends the import policy conditions of items under ITC HS 0802 80 10 of Chapter 08 of ITC (HS), 2022, Schedule I (Import Policy): ITC(HS) Code& Description Existing Policy Existing Policy condition Revised Policy Condition 08028010 Areca nuts: Whole Prohibited a) However, import is Free if CIF value is Rs. 351/- or above per Kilogram. b) MIP conditions, however, will not be applicable for imports by 100% Export Oriented Units (EOUs) and units in the SEZ subject to the condition that no DTA sale is allowed. c) Import of 17,000 Metric Tonnes of Fresh (green) Areca Nut without Minimum Import Price (MIP) condition shall be allowed from Bhutan every year. Such imports are allowed only: i) through LCS Jaigaon (INJIGB) only, and, ii) shall be subject to a valid Registration Certificate issued by DGFT. a) However, import is Free if CIF value is Rs. 51/- or above per Kilogram. b) MIP conditions, however, will not be applicable for imports by 100% Export Oriented Units (EOUs) and units in the SEZ subject to the condition that no DTA sale is allowed. c) Import of 17,000 Metric Tonnes of Fresh (green) Areca Nut without Minimum Import Price (MIP) condition shall be allowed from Bhutan every year. Such imports are allowed only: i) through LCS Jaigaon (INJIGB) and LCS Chamurchi(INCHMB) only, and, ii) shall be subject to a valid port-specific Registration Certificate issued by DGFT. 2. The conditions set forth in DGFT Notification no. 36/2015-2020 dated 28.09.2022 read with Public Notice No. 61/2015-2020 dated 20.03.2023 are also applicable for LCS Chamurchi. Effect of the Notification: Import of 17,000 Metric Tonnes of Fresh(green) Areca nut without a Minimum Import Price (MIP) condition from Bhutan shall also be allowed through LCS Chamurchi (INCHMB). This issues with the approval of Minister of Commerce & Industry. [F. No.01/89/180/43/AM-01/PC-2[A]/Part-III/E-8258] SANTOSH KUMAR SARANGI, Director General of Foreign Trade & Ex- officio Addl. Secy. A 533-acre wildfire burning in the Columbia River Gorge east of Stevenson led to road closures and evacuations. On Monday, the Tunnel Five fire closed state Highway 14 in both directions from Milepost 55 near Underwood to Milepost 65 near Hood River Bridge Road, according to the Washington State Department of Transportation. Travelers should use Interstate 84 as a detour. "Eastbound travelers can detour at Bridge of the Gods to Hood River Bridge. Westbound travelers can detour at Hood River Bridge to Bridge of the Gods. Use caution in the area," WSDOT said on the website. The fire started about 11 a.m. Sunday, according to a bulletin from the Southeast Washington incident Management Team. "Hot, windy conditions coupled with extreme terrain led to rapid spread in the afternoon." The wildfire was 0% contained as of 7 a.m. Monday. A total of 26 engines, five crews, 19 water tenders and some 166 personnel have been assigned to the fire, with more crews expected to arrive throughout the day Monday, according to the incident management team. Several structures have been lost but no specifics were released by the Skamania County Sheriff's Office. Level 3 Go Now evacuation orders were put in place Sunday for a 2-mile perimeter around the fire. Level 1 Get Ready orders are in place for Klickitat County east of the fire. Heather Applehoff, the public information officer for the Tunnel 5 Fire, told The Daily News she could not predict the fire's next move, but said the blaze is moving moderately on its western flank. About 1,000 residents have been impacted by the fire and evacuation orders, Appelhoff told The Oregonian. The Skamania fairgrounds has been set up with the Red Cross on site to assist with anyone who has been evacuated. Residents can register for emergency notifications at skamaniasheriff.com. The Federal Emergency Management Agency has authorized the use of federal funds to help with firefighting costs, saying the fire threatened to cause enough destruction to be considered a major disaster. This is the first such funding approved to fight Washington wildfires this year. Warnings "Wildfires are a 'no fly zone' for drones," the Southeast Washington incident Management Team said in a bulletin regarding the fire. "If you fly, WE CAN'T." A boil water order has been issued in Underwood because of a loss of pressure in the water system that may lead to contamination. The National Weather Service issued a Red Flag warning for Skamania County, along with the easternmost portion of Clark County and parts of Cowlitz County. The Red Flag warning will be in effect until at least 11 p.m. Wednesday. Clark County is under a heat advisory, with temperatures around 85 to 95 expected Tuesday and Wednesday. Clark County remains under a recreational burn ban. County policy is to ban outdoor burning from July 15 through Sept. 30 each year. However, unusually hot and dry weather may result in bans beginning earlier or ending later. According to the Western Fire Chiefs Association, nearly 90% of wildfires in the United States are human caused via burning debris, fireworks, discarded cigarettes or equipment malfunctions. Editor's note: The Daily News contributed to this story. Over a dozen hospital workers picketed Sunday afternoon outside PeaceHealth St. John Medical Center over ongoing contract negotiations between PeaceHealth and lab professionals who say management has refused to bargain with them over ongoing issues related to staffing and low wages. Wearing red shirts and holding signs that read More Techs Less Execs! and Safe Staffing Saves Lives, members of the Oregon Federation of Nurses and Health Professionals chanted slogans while drivers passing by often honked their horns in support. The unions Facebook page states 80% of the professional lab crew picketed Sunday. Shane Burley, communications organizer for the Oregon Federation of Nurses and Health Professionals, told The Daily News lab professionals at St. John are profoundly under-staffed, and the reason theyre under-staffed is because of historically lower wages. The wages are not keeping up with the market or the area, he said. Most of the unions proposals have been rejected by PeaceHealth, according to the Oregon Federation of Nurses and Health Professionals website, including a 15% increase in pay, plus a 6% raise in 2024 and a 5% increase in 2025. Burley said raising the take-home pay for lab professionals would attract new blood and help retain current staff. Everything affects patient care, said Burley. For example, if our workers are being underpaid and therefore understaffed, that could end up having an effect on patient care. He said PeaceHealth has been reluctant to come to the table and tackle other key issues such as paid time off and scheduling concerns. One lab professional picketing Sunday was Leila Johnson, a medical technologist with 10 years of experience, who said the cost of living, especially with housing and commuting, is taking its toll. She said many lab professional dont own a house, they rent, and they want to make similar wages as lab professionals across the state. Not a lot of people are coming into our field right now and a lot are retiring, and so we want to attract others in the field to come here and be a part of our community, said Johnson. Burley said negotiations are at a standstill. What we need is for them to come to the table and that is not happening, Burley said. Debra Carnes, senior director of marketing and communications for St. John and Southwest medical centers, said PeaceHealth aims to continue contract discussions that are sustainable for the facility. We always respect our caregivers right to participate in activities such as informational picketing, she writes in an email. We look forward to re-engaging in constructive, good faith bargaining to reach an agreement for our caregivers that is fair, competitive and sustainable for our medical center and our community. CANBERRA, July 4 (Xinhua) -- Australia will ease visa rules for Indonesian travelers in a bid to boost economic ties between the two countries. Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese on Tuesday met with Indonesian President Joko Widodo in Sydney for talks on visa requirements, trade and climate change. During the Australia-Indonesia Annual Leaders' Meeting, they discussed new initiatives to enable more Australian and Indonesian professionals to work in each other's country. This includes improved visa offerings for Indonesian business people and frequent travelers, mutual professional recognition for engineers and new pathways to support skills exchange. Albanese said the changes would encourage more trade and investment between the nations. "I thank President Widodo for joining me in Sydney today for warm and productive discussions at the Annual Leaders' Meeting," he said. "Australia and Indonesia, working together, are committed to meeting the challenges and opportunities of the future." The leaders also agreed to set up a 50 million Australian dollar (33.3 million U.S. dollar) initiative under the Australia-Indonesia Climate and Infrastructure Partnership to help attract private climate finance to Indonesia and discussed electric vehicle battery production. Indonesia was Australia's 14th-largest trading partner in 2021-22, with two-way trade between the countries totalling about 18.3 billion Australian dollars (12 billion U.S. dollars), according to the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. The Rotary Club of Kelso recently commemorated a milestone in its history, as it celebrated its 100-year anniversary with a Centennial Gala on June 9. The Red Lion Hotel ballroom in Kelso was decked out in 1920s-themed decor, according to a press release by the organization, and more than 175 guests, including honored guests Katie Nelson and Andrew Norton, attended. More than $20,000 was raised during the gala, dedicated to the construction of the groups centennial project to establish Kelsos first-ever ADA-accessible playground at 706 Elm St., replacing the outdated and unusable Lads and Lassies Park. The following awards were presented: Sabrina Kochprapha received New Rotarian of the Year. Jori Scruggs received Veteran Rotarian of the Year. Lisa Straughan and David Futcher received exemplary mentorship awards. Keenan Harvey and Laura Hight received Rotarians in Action. Kelso Rotary Club was chartered in 1923 as the 67th chapter under the of the Portland, Oregon Club, according to the organization. In 1996, the Kelso Rotary Foundation was established, ensuring that all donations would be tax-deductible. The foundations primary focus revolves around funding youth and family services within the community. The club opened the Kelso skatepark in 2009 and, as part of a project in 2012, replaced a dilapidated pool in the area by collaborating with the two Longview Rotary Clubs to establish a spray park. In 2021, the first annual Kelso Rotary Lights in the Park a drive-through Christmas light display hosted at Tam OShanter Park in Kelso was unveiled. Meteorologists say dry conditions could cause rapid spread of new or existing fires in and near Skamania County where a wildfire is already burning through 11 p.m. Wednesday. Stay up to date on Lower Columbia news, wherever you go Easily access the latest Lower Columbia news in an app that lets you select the topics that matter most to you. The National Weather Service in Portland issued the Red Flag warning, which includes parts of Cowlitz County, at 5 a.m. Monday, and Cowlitz County's burn ban is set to start at midnight. A wildfire in Skamania County has reached 533 acres in size, according to the Washington State Department of Natural Resources, and as of Sunday night, 0% was contained. A level 3 evacuation notice was issued. The National Weather Service says there are unstable conditions in fire weather zones for the Eastern Gifford Pinchot National Forest Mt. Adams Ranger District and the extreme South Washington Cascades. A Red Flag Warning means critical fire weather conditions are either occurring now, or will shortly, the National Weather Service reports. Outdoor burning is not recommended, state meteorologists, as relative humidity for each afternoon through Wednesday is forecasted to be as low as 15%. Low humidity takes moisture from the forest fuels, like grass and pine needles, according to the National Parks Service, and when the relative humidity drops, the risk of fire increase because the fuels become drier. Cowlitz County burn ban, closed dredge site A Cowlitz County burn ban is set to go into effect at midnight through at least Sept. 30, reports Cowlitz 2 Fire & Rescue. All outdoor burning, including brush and yard debris piles, land clearing, and silvicultural burning will be prohibited, and all burn permits rescinded. Recreational fires are allowed, which are: - are on private property. - have the property owners permission. - are in an improved ring lined with metal, stone or masonry. - are no bigger than 3'x3'. - burn clean, seasoned fire wood. - are supervised by someone 16 or older and sober who has the tools to put the fire out (like a charged hoseline). The hot, dry weather has also extended the closure of the Lower Toutle dredge disposal site No. 1, according to Justin Hudek, safety supervisor for Cowlitz County Public Works. The site, east of the Cowlitz Public Shooting Range on Toutle Park Road, was set to be closed to public access on Monday and Tuesday, but officials extended the closure through Friday due to the weather. Hudek writes in an email that the roughly 100-acre site is closed to "prevent excessive dust and danger of fire." The gun range is also located on part of the dredge disposal site, but will remain open, Hudek added. Editor's note: The Seattle Times reporter Vonnai Phair contributed to this article. This story has been updated to reflect changing conditions. An Eastern Washington man arrested with 400 rounds of ammo near former President Barack Obama's home had been acting erratically for months. Few details have been released about Taylor Taranto's arrest by Secret Service agents but his increasingly agitated social posts had raised concerns in D.C. and Tri-Cities, Wash. The Franklin County Republican Central Committee had grown so concerned that he was barred from participation in the organization that he had once managed the web presence for. He was booked into the D.C. Metropolitan Jail on Friday evening, according to the jail's records department. No charges were yet showing. In a recent Facebook post Taranto had encouraged his followers to subscribe to his Telegram channel for "daily updates while the Federal Government and I viciously war at each other in real-time." Taranto, 37, is a former Franklin County Republican Party official and one-time Pasco school board candidate, who is being sued in a wrongful death lawsuit related to the death of a D.C. Metropolitan Police Officer that he allegedly helped attack during the Jan. 6 insurrection. Taranto admitted online to being in the Capitol and also to the Herald during an interview when he responded to a request for comment at 11 p.m. on the first anniversary of the insurrection. He had not yet been charged criminally for his role in the riot, but the D.C. police department said Thursday he was arrested on a warrant related to his participation. Court documents for that warrant have not yet been made available. It's unclear if it is related the the wrongful death lawsuit. According to NBC News reporter Ryan J. Reilly, who broke the story of his arrest, Taranto had more than 400 rounds of ammunition in his van when he was arrested outside Obama's home. He was reportedly stopped by Secret Service agents running toward the home. It's unclear if he had a weapon at the time. Messages on his social media accounts show he had recently shared a conspiracy theory posted by former President Donald J. Trump with the address. Is Taranto from Seattle? Some initial news stories said the U.S. Navy veteran was from Seattle, however the D.C. police department listed him as "of no fixed address" in a statement sent to the Herald and other news outlets. Public records show Taranto lived in Pasco until recently. Prior to 2010 he lived in Kennewick. Both are part of the Tri-Cities metro area in Eastern Washington about 200 miles east of Seattle. This Seattle claim appears to have come from an unnamed law enforcement source. As recently as April, Taranto was still in the Tri-Cities, participating in a protest against an Easter Day drag show brunch at a Richland restaurant, according to video he posted to his YouTube channel. The channel also showed Taranto had been traveling back and forth to D.C. to participate in various right wing protests. His YouTube channel and some social media pages have since been taken down. Why was Taranto in D.C.? Recently, Taranto was said to be living in his van parked near the D.C. Metropolitan Jail participating in "Freedom Corner," an ongoing vigil outside the jail in support of Jan. 6 insurrection suspects. Videos show erratic behavior from Taranto during the vigils. In one video he can be seen sitting in a lawn chair holding a flag, bobbing his head back and forth for several minutes before other protesters block the camera. He may have been kicked out of that Freedom Corner group. Content later removed from his social media accounts shows friction with other group members and organizers. Others monitoring the group also mentioned he appears to have been on the outs with the other organizers. He also was spotted at a sentencing hearing for his co-defendant, David Walls Kaufman, in the civil suit earlier this month. Taranto's behavior, which included refusing to put away his phone inside a federal courthouse, led to him being asked to leave, according to Reilly. Reilly posted videos to Twitter showing Taranto leaving the courthouse. The reporter had been tracking the lawsuit against Taranto and Kaufman as part of ongoing reporting on Jan. 6 participants. Reilly has a book called Sedition Hunters coming out in October about the tipsters who helped identify accused insurrection participants. Taranto appeared to have gone to the Kalorama neighborhood after reposting conspiracy theories about the Obamas' residence. The conspiracy theories, posted on Truth social by Trump, claimed that there were secret tunnels beneath the Obama house, that it contained a " War Room" and was funded by left-wing philanthropist George Soros. What's his Franklin County GOP involvement? For more than a year after the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the capitol Taranto was still volunteering with the party as its webmaster, he told the Herald in a January 2022 interview. At some point later that year Taranto was kicked out of the local party over erratic behavior and had shared with party members that he was suffering from PTSD after his military service. "I want the public to know that Taylor is no longer an active member of the Franklin County Republicans," Central Committee Chairman Stephen Bauman told the Herald in a statement Friday. "He was officially removed from the FCRCC by party leadership in 2022 as webmaster and as an active member for his radical and erratic social media posts that did not align with our values," he wrote. "To be crystal clear again, Taranto hasn't attended a meeting in nearly a year and hasn't attempted to communicate with party leadership," he said. Bauman emphasized that the Franklin County Republican Central Committee "in no way, shape or form condones violence in any fashion. The allegations against Taylor in connection to former president Barack Obama's home are troubling and we are grateful that authorities were able to stop any violent actions from occurring." And he said the committee has "never been involved" in Taranto's defense and "in no way, shape or form condones what transpired or the violence that ensued during that dark day (Jan. 6)." "The FCRCC values those veterans who have fought for our freedoms to make this the greatest country the world has ever known. It's why we hope Taylor Taranto receives the help he needs. He has openly shared with our group that he suffers from PTSD from active military service," said Bauman. Are those Taranto's social media accounts? Taranto used a variety of social media accounts to post conspiracy theories, memes and videos of himself at right wing political events. Some of the accounts used his initials, others anagrams of his or his wife's names and others used a portion of her maiden name. Still others were self-identified as belonging to Taranto on his social media posts. Many of them were linked to the same email address that Taranto previously used to respond to the Herald. Most of his accounts have been taken down since his arrest Thursday. That's standard practice by many social media companies to avoid copy cats or idolization. What is he accused of doing? Taranto is accused of entering the capitol and helping Kaufman attack MPD Officer Jeffrey Smith. He and Kaufman are being sued by the officer's widow, Erin Smith, for $7 million. In video stills submitted into evidence, Taranto is seen handing Kaufman a weapon of some sort. In court documents it is described as a Ka-Bar TDI Self Defense Cane. The company describes it as "a vital defense tool where traditional weapons are prohibited." The canes weigh more than two pounds, which is significantly heavier than traditional collapsible aluminum walking canes. Kaufman was accused of hitting Smith in the head repeatedly with the cane. Smith died by suicide nine days later as he was scheduled to return to work. Smith's widow said in an Op-Ed in the Washington Post, published in January 2022, that two medical examiners "have testified that post-concussive syndrome and brain injury were the real causes of (her husband's) death" because the concussion he suffered led to severe depression and suicide. Included in the wrongful death lawsuit are photos showing Kaufman, circled in green, struggling with Capitol police, and also appears to show Taranto next to him, in the hoodie and dark colored hat that says "Make Space Great Again" that internet sleuths reportedly used to identify him after the riot. It is unclear if the officer in the photo with his protective mask raised is Jeffrey Smith. Other photo shows Taranto walking down the halls of the Capitol building with the cane mentioned in the wrongful death lawsuit, just a few feet away from Kaufman. The photos match pictures of Taranto and Kaufman included in the wrongful death lawsuit. The criminal affidavit does not mention Taranto, however prosecutors did include the same pictures. Taranto had previously filed a counterclaim asking for $3.5 million and an apology, but that was dismissed. The case has been slowed after the assigned judge, Florence Y. Pan, was nominated and confirmed to the U.S. Court of Appeals to fill the seat vacated by new Supreme Court Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson. Kaufman entered a plea deal in his criminal case, and was sentenced to 60 days in jail and a $500 fine and $500 restitution. The plea deal, signed in January, also included an agreement from Kaufman to cooperate with investigators in additional cases before his sentencing. It was Kaufman's June 13 sentencing in D.C. where Reilly spotted Taranto. Taranto also appears to have claimed that we was there when Ashli Babbitt was shot and killed while trying to break through a door members of Congress were secured behind. Taranto is pictured with Babbitt's family members in several social media posts from the Freedom Corner protests. Was Taranto trying to be arrested? Taranto was first identified after outing himself in a video taken in the Capitol building during the attack. Internet sleuths known as #SeditionHunters used the video to match up photos released by law enforcement in the days after the attack. A screenshot of the post showed it included the comment: "This is me 'stormin' the capitol' lol I'm only sharing this so someone will report me to the feds and we can get this party rolling!" Since then Taranto has been asking in his social posts? why he hasn't been arrested, and making jokes online about the attack. When asked by the Herald if he could explain what he was doing at the Capitol on Jan. 6, Taranto responded with "no comment." He later added that he was unsure what he could say due to the ongoing litigation. He also claimed it was political persecution, and referred to multiple conspiracy theories. "So far no one has knocked on the door. No one (in law enforcement) has questioned me, to my knowledge. It's all rather strange," he told the Herald at the time. "If I was even remotely linked to what they're saying, you'd think I'd be in handcuffs right now, and with the way the justice system is working right now, it's rather ugly." A shakeup at China's central bank has poured cold water on speculation that the nation may be about to loosen a ban on digital-asset trading. Industry executives including Circle Internet Financial Ltd. Chief Executive Jeremy Allaire have seized on Beijing's quiet backing of Hong Kong's push to become a crypto hub to argue that the mainland may reverse its policy. They got a reminder about the risks of such extrapolations when Pan Gongsheng was named the top Communist Party official at the People's Bank of China. The move potentially puts Pan in the running for PBOC governor and was viewed as a signal of policy continuity at the institution, which in 2021 declared all crypto-related transactions illegal. The appointment Saturday also surfaced some historic but unusually colorful comments for a Chinese bureaucrat, which Pan made in the midst of an earlier clampdown on crypto. If you sit by the river and watch, one day the corpse of Bitcoin will float in front of you, he said at an event in 2017, citing an analysis by Kedge Business School professor Eric Pichet, local media reported. Pan back then also defended regulatory action against crypto and professed to being a little scared to contemplate what would have happened if China hadn't curbed digital assets. The People's Bank of China didn't immediately respond to a request for comment about Pan's views on crypto and the outlook for China's digital-asset ban. Based on my knowledge, no PBOC governor would support Bitcoin, said David Qu, China economist at Bloomberg Economics, who has eight years' experience of working at the central bank. What happens in Hong Kong is irrelevant, as the China mainland usually views Hong Kong as an overseas market. Senior officials outside the central bank are also critical of Bitcoin and the government is instead focused on developing the digital yuan, Qu added. Crypto Narratives Crypto is notorious for building up narratives that skeptics reject as overblown a tension has been evident in projections for both Hong Kong and China. Industry mogul Justin Sun, an adviser at the Huobi digital-asset exchange, has suggested Hong Kong's pro-crypto pivot presages an easing of China's ban. Cameron Winklevoss, co-founder of the Gemini platform, earlier this year said his working thesis is the next bull run is going to start in the East. Changpeng CZ' Zhao, founder of the biggest crypto exchange Binance, in a May tweet flagged the interesting timing of a white paper related to digital assets that emerged in Beijing a little before Hong Kong's new crypto regime went live on June 1. Crypto entrepreneurs like Winklevoss and Zhao have been hit by aggressive US curbs in the wake of last year's digital-asset rout and bankruptcies such as the FTX exchange. The US position contrasts with a shift toward friendlier regimes in jurisdictions including Hong Kong, Dubai and parts of Europe. With the stance shift happening in so many countries, China is unlikely to stay insusceptible it will gradually come to accept crypto, said Vanessa Cao, founder of venture-capital firm BTX Capital. Beijing's Concerns Beijing clamped down on crypto over concerns about money laundering, the environmental impact of Bitcoin mining and currency outflows. Pan is currently the head of the State Administration of Foreign Exchange, the agency that oversees foreign-exchange rules, as well as a PBOC deputy governor. While there are signs that some of China's 1.4 billion people flout the digital-asset prohibition as they hunt for alternatives to struggling investments like property and stocks, mainland crypto activity is far lower than at earlier peaks. It's typical for Chinese officials to have an anti-Bitcoin stance, said Adrian Lai, founder and managing partner of Newman Capital, which runs a $50 million Web3 fund in Hong Kong. Mainland China isn't going to have an easing of the crypto ban for now and the near future. Bitcoin was steady Monday at $30,670 as of 9 a.m. in London. The largest digital asset is up 85% in 2023 but is well off its 2021 peak of nearly $69,000. Garuda Aerospace announced that its will now extend mapping support to Odisha Mining Corporation for the next two years. Leveraging its state-of-the-art drone technology, Gaurda Aerospace also introduces its specialised large scale mapping drones Bhumi and Vayu that are integrated with AI and ML, making way for a more enhanced digitized mapping exercise. With a commitment to supporting the Government of Indias Survey of Villages and Mapping with Improvised Technology in Village Areas (SVAMITVA) scheme of mapping 70,000 villages across India, Garuda Aerospace has already successfully mapped 7,000 villages in the past year. Building upon the momentum gained through its groundbreaking Drone Yatra, Garuda Aerospace has achieved exceptional progress in its mapping endeavours having covered 400+ districts, demonstrating its dedication to comprehensive aerial surveying and mapping. Garuda Aerospaces Bhumi and Vayu drones will be instrumental in capturing high-resolution imagery and data for large-scale mapping projects. Equipped with advanced sensors and cutting-edge data processing capabilities, these drones will deliver data with precision and accuracy. Agnishwar Jayaprakash, Founder and CEO, Garuda Aerospace said, We are thrilled with the success of our Drone Yatra initiative, which has enabled us to make significant headway in mapping Indian villages. With the utilization of our advanced Bhumi and Vayu drones, we will be able to gather accurate and detailed data to support evidence-based decision-making and empower rural communities. Our partnership with the Survey of India and the Indian Government underscores our commitment to contributing to the nations development. In line with its partnership with the Odisha Mining Corporation, Garuda Aerospace will provide accurate and comprehensive data to support the mining corporations operations and environmental management. Garuda Aerospace remains committed to transparency, inclusivity, and sustainable development while working closely with local authorities and stakeholders to deliver actionable data for informed decision-making and societal improvement. Samsung has launched its Digital Service Center, a comprehensive platform that will provide consumers a personalized customer service experience related to their products. Consumers can access the Digital Service Center by going to the support menu on https://www.samsung.com/in or directly logging on to www.samsungdigitalservicecenter.com The Digital Service Center provides personalized support basis the needs of consumers once they log in to their Samsung account. This includes a simplified user navigation journey, quick access to category-wise self-help content, category-specific DIY videos, mobile app experience, and model-specific repair and spare part prices at one page. Through the DIY videos, consumers will be able to find resolutions to many issues related to their products such as how to use screen mirroring feature on your TV, how to connect Soundbar to the TV, how to install your Samsung semi-automatic washing machine, how to set up the Freestyle projector, or how to use auto restart feature in Samsung Galaxy smartphones. Consumers can book appointments to get priority service at service centers, avail pick & drop service, locate a service center, get details of warranty policies, track repairs, get information about service costs, schedule callback requests through remote and visual support, and get software updates through the Digital Service Center. Sunil Cutinha, Vice President, Customer Service, Samsung India, said, At Samsung, we have always believed in catering to the evolving needs of customers. The Digital Service Center is a step towards simplifying post-purchase services and providing personalized support to our consumers. We understand that to fully empower consumers, they need to be offered easy access to a digitalized ecosystem. The platform boasts easy navigation for consumers and also provides them access to product specific DIY videos, helping them resolve their queries with ease. The Digital Service Center can also be used to access several additional digital service options that Samsung offers to its customers, helping them resolve their issues without stepping out of their homes. Customers can opt for WhatsApp Support, Remote Support, technical assistance through the call center or access do-it-yourself videos on the Samsung Website and on YouTube. Samsung also operates a Smart Touch Call service that reduces wait time for customers when they call Samsungs Customer Care to resolve their queries. Customers have the option to switch to a synchronized voice and screen interface instead of a traditional call center experience. Smart Touch Call is an intuitive service experience that captures the callers needs and enables them to interact with the system. HANOI, July 4 (Xinhua) -- Exports of fruit and vegetables in Vietnam hit a record high of 2.7 billion U.S. dollars in the first six months of 2023, mainly thanks to the high demand from China, according to the Agency of Foreign Trade under the Ministry of Industry and Trade. The export revenue jumped 64.2 percent from the same period last year, equivalent to the figure of the entire 2022, local newspaper Tuoi Tre reported on Tuesday. With an abundant supply, in the second half of 2023, fruit and vegetable exports will be very positive if they meet the Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) requirements of the Chinese market. In addition to the Chinese market, exports of vegetables and fruits to other markets also grew positively, including countries such as South Korea, Japan, the Netherlands, the United Arab Emirates, and Malaysia. Among top foreign currency earners, durian exports are forecast to reach 1 billion dollars this year, according to the Vietnam Fruit and Vegetable Association. Vietnam is also striving to boost exports of processed fruit and vegetables to reduce post-harvest losses and increase export value. The Baby Boomer generation of farmers has seen an eventful era in agriculture, including the rapid advances of technology, the challenges of the 1980s farm crisis and the rise of new crop uses such as biofuels. While many Baby Boomers farm on, with no plans to stop, the issue of how theyll eventually pass on land to the next generation, or sell it to younger farmers, is important for the future of agriculture. And with high land prices, managing the asset of farmland is an even higher-stakes venture than it traditionally has been. That cost can be a barrier to both selling and buying. Liz Henderson, policy coordinator for the Missouri Soybean Association, says her organization and other ag groups worked on policy in the Missouri state legislature to create tax incentives for selling or renting farmland to beginning farmers. She says the agriculture industry is working for ways to make these land transitions smoother. One of the biggest barriers to getting into farming is the cost, and the cost that people have to pay in taxes when they sell the land, Henderson says. She says the legislation could help with some land transitions. Hopefully that helps some folks getting started, she says. Jacob Knaebel, with the Missouri Corn Growers Association, says efforts to develop the next generation of farmers are important for the industry. Were needing to build up the next generation of agriculture, he says. Its hard for farmers to get started. Planning and open conversations can help farm families develop a road map for passing land to the next generation. University of Missouri Extension ag business specialist Wesley Tucker says it takes a willingness to discuss the options. Having the difficult conversations and engaging in intentional communication are critical components of this process, he says. Tucker organized a series of workshops on the topic of succession planning, focusing on minimizing conflict, family meetings and communication, short-term operating plans and preparing for the next generation of management and ownership. He says succession planning doesnt rely on an event, but rather is about charting a course for the future of a farming operation. Unlike estate plans, which are often set into motion after a funeral, succession plans should be proactive and not event-dependent, Tucker says. MU ag business specialist Joe Koenen says these conversations are not always easy, but talking about plans and preferences is beneficial. I think thats a critical piece of the plan, is to sit down with everyone, he says. Koenen says farmers can talk about future involvement in the farm with their kids as they start to get closer to adulthood and have a better idea whether they really want to farm. You can have a few basic conversations in their teenage years or college years, he says. Koenen says farm families can start with giving kids some responsibility as they get older, such as taking care of feeder cattle or a few cows. This can be a good way to give the next generation a financial stake and the opportunity to make some of their own management decisions. Akzo Nobel (OTCMKTS:AKZOD Free Report)s share price hit a new 52-week low during mid-day trading on Monday . The stock traded as low as $27.00 and last traded at $27.13, with a volume of 31024 shares trading hands. The stock had previously closed at $27.30. Akzo Nobel Trading Down 0.6 % The firm has a market capitalization of $18.53 billion, a P/E ratio of 17.17, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 8.70 and a beta of 0.76. The company has a quick ratio of 1.28, a current ratio of 1.46 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.35. The firms 50-day simple moving average is $26.70 and its 200-day simple moving average is $25.43. About Akzo Nobel (Free Report) Akzo Nobel N.V. operates as a paints and coatings company in the Netherlands and internationally. The company operates through Decorative Paints and Performance Coatings segments. It provides decorative paints, including paints, lacquers, and varnishes; mixing machines, color concepts, and training courses for the building and renovation industry; and specialty coatings for metal, wood, and other building materials. Recommended Stories Receive News & Ratings for Akzo Nobel Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Akzo Nobel and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Basilea Pharmaceutica AG (OTCMKTS:BPMUF Free Report) hit a new 52-week high during trading on Monday . The company traded as high as $50.00 and last traded at $50.00, with a volume of 0 shares trading hands. The stock had previously closed at $50.00. Basilea Pharmaceutica Price Performance The business has a 50 day moving average of $50.64 and a 200 day moving average of $51.52. About Basilea Pharmaceutica (Free Report) Basilea Pharmaceutica AG, a commercial-stage biopharmaceutical company, focuses on the development of products that address the medical needs in the therapeutic areas of oncology and anti-infectives. It offers Cresemba, an intravenous and oral azole antifungal drug for the treatment of invasive aspergillosis and mucormycosis in the United States, and the European Union, as well as in Phase III clinical trials for invasive fungal infections in Japan. See Also Receive News & Ratings for Basilea Pharmaceutica Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Basilea Pharmaceutica and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Taylor Morrison Home (NYSE:TMHC Free Report) and Redrow (OTCMKTS:RDWWF Free Report) are both consumer cyclical companies, but which is the better business? We will contrast the two companies based on the strength of their valuation, risk, dividends, analyst recommendations, profitability, institutional ownership and earnings. Valuation & Earnings This table compares Taylor Morrison Home and Redrows top-line revenue, earnings per share (EPS) and valuation. Get Taylor Morrison Home alerts: Gross Revenue Price/Sales Ratio Net Income Earnings Per Share Price/Earnings Ratio Taylor Morrison Home $8.18 billion 0.65 $1.05 billion $9.42 5.18 Redrow N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A Taylor Morrison Home has higher revenue and earnings than Redrow. Analyst Ratings Sell Ratings Hold Ratings Buy Ratings Strong Buy Ratings Rating Score Taylor Morrison Home 0 7 2 0 2.22 Redrow 1 4 2 0 2.14 This is a breakdown of recent ratings and price targets for Taylor Morrison Home and Redrow, as provided by MarketBeat.com. Taylor Morrison Home presently has a consensus price target of $43.31, suggesting a potential downside of 11.17%. Redrow has a consensus price target of $469.50, suggesting a potential upside of 5,391.23%. Given Redrows higher possible upside, analysts clearly believe Redrow is more favorable than Taylor Morrison Home. Institutional & Insider Ownership 94.7% of Taylor Morrison Home shares are owned by institutional investors. 5.5% of Taylor Morrison Home shares are owned by company insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that hedge funds, large money managers and endowments believe a company is poised for long-term growth. Profitability This table compares Taylor Morrison Home and Redrows net margins, return on equity and return on assets. Net Margins Return on Equity Return on Assets Taylor Morrison Home 13.04% 24.14% 12.81% Redrow N/A N/A N/A Summary Taylor Morrison Home beats Redrow on 7 of the 8 factors compared between the two stocks. About Taylor Morrison Home (Free Report) Taylor Morrison Home Corporation, together with its subsidiaries, operates as a public homebuilder in the United States. The company designs, builds, and sells single and multi-family detached and attached homes; and develops lifestyle and master-planned communities. It also develops and constructs multi-use properties consisting of commercial space, retail, and multi-family properties under the Urban Form brand name; and offers title insurance and closing settlement services, as well as financial services. In addition, the company operates under the Taylor Morrison, Darling Homes Collection by Taylor Morrison, and Esplanade brand names in Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Nevada, North and South Carolina, Oregon, Texas, and Washington. Taylor Morrison Home Corporation was founded in 1936 and is headquartered in Scottsdale, Arizona. About Redrow (Free Report) Redrow plc focuses on housebuilding activities in the United Kingdom. It is involved in acquiring land; and develops and sells residential housing properties. Redrow plc was founded in 1974 and is based in Flintshire, the United Kingdom. Receive News & Ratings for Taylor Morrison Home Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Taylor Morrison Home and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. QINHUANGDAO, Hebei, July 4 (Xinhua) -- An avid brick collector. An amateur poet. A passionate photographer who uses a drone to capture images of the Great Wall. All three have a common occupation: patrolling the 223 kilometers of the eastern end of the Great Wall in Qinhuangdao, a coastal city in north China's Hebei Province. The city was the first in China to employ full-time guards to protect the Great Wall in 2003. The practice, rapidly adopted by other cities, was included in the regulations on the protection of the Great Wall by the State Council in 2006. Xu Guohua, born in Banchangyu village in 1954, ran a coal pit in his younger days. After the mine was closed amid depletion concerns in 2000, he worked to protect the local mountain forests and promote tourism, taking advantage of the Great Wall, an all-time attraction for Chinese and international tourists. Banchangyu village was believed to be a major producer of the gray bricks used for building the Great Wall, but had no traces of a kiln. A shrewd businessman and avid excavator, Xu perused historical documents for clues and mobilized the villagers to excavate for relics. His efforts contributed to the discovery of a cluster of 66 kilns buried in the area and helped him find his own ancestral roots. Stacks of bricks found inside the ruins covered nearly all the products that were used to build the Great Wall in the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644). Many bricks were inscribed with names of people and places, indicating that people from many different parts of the country produced bricks for the wall. On a stone tablet unearthed in the village in 2004, Xu found a detailed account of his forefather Xu Dahong, an army officer who moved from their ancestral home in Yiwu, Zhejiang Province, to Qinhuangdao to oversee the building of the Great Wall. "When I was a child, my grandmother told me our ancestors moved here from Yiwu to build the Great Wall in the 16th century. Now I've found evidence of what she said," said Xu Guohua, who, driven by this bond, devoted himself to protecting the centuries-old military fortress. He started collecting bricks and producing films to promote the brick kilns to tourists. With his own savings, he founded an exposition to showcase the Great Wall and its history, including the old bricks. When he visited his ancestral home in Yiwu in 2010, he donated a Great Wall brick to the city museum. The cluster of kilns were listed as a cultural heritage site for special protection in 2013, drawing flocks of tourists to the village each year. POETRY: A DIALOGUE WITH THE GREAT WALL Zhang Heshan, also a descendant of Great Wall builders from Yiwu, included his 22 poems in a book on the Great Wall he published last year. The book also consists of folk tales about the Great Wall and Zhang's own thoughts and experience of patrolling the wall, a job he has been doing for 20 years. Patrolling unfrequented parts of the Great Wall is a potentially lonely experience, but Zhang likes chatting with the wall and bricks as if they are his old friends. In one of the poems, he wrote: "My wife was in hospital, leaving me home alone Anguished, I found no one to share my solitude With half a cup of liquor and two streams of tears I sat alone at the Great Wall and forgot to go home." Zhang grew up in Chengziyu village near the Great Wall and became a peasant after he finished high school in 1973. A passionate reader and writer, he published his first essay in a local newspaper in 1975 and befriended several editors, who would drop by to visit him and tour the remnants of the Great Wall. He found a stone tablet along the wall in 1975, but two years later it was no longer there. This ignited Zhang's passion to protect the heritage built by his ancestors. He started patrolling the wall in his spare time, dissuading villagers from herding or excavating for herbs along the Great Wall. In 2003, he became one of the first full-time guards of the Great Wall. In his spare time, he writes poems, takes photos and videos of the Great Wall and publishes them on social media. "I want to do all that I can to raise people's awareness of heritage protection and keep the Great Wall intact for generations to come." At 68, Zhang has 400,000 followers on his social media account. PATROLLING THE GREAT WALL WITH A DRONE Zhang Heshan's story inspired Zhang Peng, a sportive 36-year-old, to follow his footsteps into Great Wall protection and become a volunteer in 2014. The two have the same family name but are not related. Zhang Peng grew up near the Shanhai Pass on the easternmost end of the Great Wall and has loved hiking and climbing since a young age. As a volunteer for Great Wall protection, he hikes into the most unfrequented corners of the wall to clean up garbage and dissuade people from destroying the Great Wall or getting themselves into danger. He bought a drone in 2016 to take photos and videos of the Great Wall. Sometimes he uses his videos to show fearless climbers what the invisible, dangerous parts "up there" really look like, and discourage them from entering areas off-limits to tourists. Because of his drone flying skills, Zhang became a full-time guard of the Great Wall in 2017. His job involves patrolling the Sandao Pass, the least accessible part of the wall that perches on a cliff. "I was excited and challenged, too," he recalled. The data he collected using the drone has complemented human efforts to lay a solid foundation for Great Wall preservation. The Great Wall, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, consists of many interconnected walls, some dating back 2,000 years. The existing sections have a total length of over 21,000 km. Phoenix New Media Limited (NYSE:FENG Free Report) saw a large decline in short interest in the month of June. As of June 15th, there was short interest totalling 6,200 shares, a decline of 38.0% from the May 31st total of 10,000 shares. Based on an average trading volume of 97,600 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is presently 0.1 days. Approximately 0.1% of the companys shares are sold short. Phoenix New Media Stock Performance Shares of Phoenix New Media stock remained flat at $1.97 on Monday. 15,980 shares of the stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 62,593. The company has a 50 day moving average of $2.30 and a 200 day moving average of $2.37. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.02, a quick ratio of 2.51 and a current ratio of 2.51. Phoenix New Media has a 1 year low of $1.81 and a 1 year high of $5.80. Get Phoenix New Media alerts: Phoenix New Media (NYSE:FENG Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Monday, May 15th. The information services provider reported ($0.69) earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter. Phoenix New Media had a negative return on equity of 7.46% and a negative net margin of 12.10%. The firm had revenue of $21.31 million for the quarter. Institutional Investors Weigh In On Phoenix New Media Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades An institutional investor recently bought a new position in Phoenix New Media stock. Virtu Financial LLC purchased a new stake in Phoenix New Media Limited ( NYSE:FENG Free Report ) in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The fund purchased 21,805 shares of the information services providers stock, valued at approximately $58,000. Separately, StockNews.com began coverage on shares of Phoenix New Media in a report on Thursday. They set a hold rating for the company. About Phoenix New Media (Free Report) Phoenix New Media Limited provides content on an integrated Internet platform in the People's Republic of China. The company operates through two segments, Net Advertising Services and Paid Services. It offers content and services through PC channel, mobile channel, and telecom operators, as well as transmits content to TV viewers, primarily through Phoenix TV. Featured Stories Receive News & Ratings for Phoenix New Media Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Phoenix New Media and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Banco Bradesco S.A. (NYSE:BBD Free Report) saw a large drop in short interest during the month of June. As of June 15th, there was short interest totalling 35,880,000 shares, a drop of 33.8% from the May 31st total of 54,160,000 shares. Based on an average trading volume of 25,750,000 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is currently 1.4 days. Banco Bradesco Price Performance NYSE BBD traded up $0.02 during trading hours on Monday, hitting $3.48. The company had a trading volume of 7,338,280 shares, compared to its average volume of 30,584,309. The firm has a market capitalization of $37.04 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 11.21, a PEG ratio of 0.67 and a beta of 0.75. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.44, a quick ratio of 0.72 and a current ratio of 0.72. The firm has a 50 day simple moving average of $3.23 and a 200 day simple moving average of $2.88. Banco Bradesco has a 52 week low of $2.34 and a 52 week high of $4.16. Get Banco Bradesco alerts: Banco Bradesco (NYSE:BBD Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, May 4th. The bank reported $0.07 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, meeting analysts consensus estimates of $0.07. The firm had revenue of $9.82 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $5.43 billion. Banco Bradesco had a return on equity of 11.66% and a net margin of 9.54%. During the same quarter last year, the company posted $0.12 EPS. Equities research analysts expect that Banco Bradesco will post 0.37 earnings per share for the current year. Banco Bradesco Increases Dividend Hedge Funds Weigh In On Banco Bradesco The firm also recently declared a monthly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, August 8th. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, July 5th will be given a dividend of $0.0039 per share. This represents a $0.05 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.35%. The ex-dividend date is Monday, July 3rd. This is an increase from Banco Bradescos previous monthly dividend of $0.00. Banco Bradescos dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 19.35%. A number of large investors have recently modified their holdings of BBD. Janiczek Wealth Management LLC purchased a new position in shares of Banco Bradesco during the 4th quarter valued at about $25,000. Natixis purchased a new position in shares of Banco Bradesco during the 4th quarter valued at about $26,000. Ronald Blue Trust Inc. raised its holdings in shares of Banco Bradesco by 220.6% during the 4th quarter. Ronald Blue Trust Inc. now owns 7,272 shares of the banks stock valued at $27,000 after buying an additional 5,004 shares in the last quarter. Dubuque Bank & Trust Co. purchased a new position in shares of Banco Bradesco during the 1st quarter valued at about $27,000. Finally, Ieq Capital LLC purchased a new position in shares of Banco Bradesco during the 1st quarter valued at about $29,000. 1.54% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors. Analyst Ratings Changes Separately, Barclays cut their target price on Banco Bradesco from $3.50 to $3.00 and set an equal weight rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday, March 7th. Five research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and four have assigned a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Banco Bradesco presently has an average rating of Hold and a consensus target price of $11.93. Banco Bradesco Company Profile (Free Report) Banco Bradesco SA, together with its subsidiaries, provides various banking products and services to individuals, corporates, and businesses in Brazil and internationally. The company operates through two segments, Banking and Insurance. It provides current, savings, click, and salary accounts; real estate credit, vehicle financing, payroll loans, mortgage loans, microcredit, leasing, and personal and installment credit; debit and business cards; financial and security services; consortium products; auto, personal accident, dental, travel, and life insurance; investment products; pension products; real estate and vehicle auctions; cash management, and foreign trade and exchange services; capitalization bonds; and internet banking services. Featured Stories Receive News & Ratings for Banco Bradesco Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Banco Bradesco and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. GrafTech International Ltd. (NYSE:EAF Free Report) was the target of a significant decrease in short interest in June. As of June 15th, there was short interest totalling 6,800,000 shares, a decrease of 40.6% from the May 31st total of 11,440,000 shares. Currently, 3.5% of the shares of the stock are short sold. Based on an average daily volume of 1,460,000 shares, the short-interest ratio is presently 4.7 days. Institutional Trading of GrafTech International Institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Tower Research Capital LLC TRC lifted its position in shares of GrafTech International by 101.5% during the 1st quarter. Tower Research Capital LLC TRC now owns 5,339 shares of the companys stock worth $26,000 after buying an additional 2,690 shares during the last quarter. Quantbot Technologies LP acquired a new position in shares of GrafTech International in the 1st quarter valued at $29,000. Robeco Institutional Asset Management B.V. acquired a new position in shares of GrafTech International in the 1st quarter valued at $40,000. Toronto Dominion Bank acquired a new position in shares of GrafTech International in the 1st quarter valued at $49,000. Finally, CI Private Wealth LLC acquired a new position in shares of GrafTech International in the 4th quarter valued at $49,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 91.62% of the companys stock. Get GrafTech International alerts: Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth Several analysts have issued reports on EAF shares. Citigroup dropped their target price on GrafTech International from $6.00 to $5.00 in a report on Sunday, April 30th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. started coverage on shares of GrafTech International in a research report on Tuesday, May 23rd. They set a neutral rating for the company. Four research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and one has given a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, GrafTech International presently has an average rating of Hold and an average target price of $7.00. GrafTech International Stock Up 1.3 % Shares of EAF stock traded up $0.07 during trading on Monday, reaching $5.11. The companys stock had a trading volume of 457,661 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,516,701. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.81, a current ratio of 3.84 and a quick ratio of 1.47. The company has a market capitalization of $1.31 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 5.26 and a beta of 1.38. The stocks 50-day moving average price is $4.59 and its 200 day moving average price is $5.01. GrafTech International has a 1-year low of $3.75 and a 1-year high of $7.87. GrafTech International (NYSE:EAF Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Friday, April 28th. The company reported ($0.02) earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts consensus estimates of ($0.01) by ($0.01). GrafTech International had a return on equity of 87.51% and a net margin of 23.86%. The firm had revenue of $138.80 million during the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $123.00 million. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $0.48 EPS. The firms revenue was down 62.1% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, research analysts anticipate that GrafTech International will post 0.07 EPS for the current year. GrafTech International Dividend Announcement The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, June 30th. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, May 31st were given a dividend of $0.01 per share. The ex-dividend date was Tuesday, May 30th. This represents a $0.04 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.78%. GrafTech Internationals dividend payout ratio is presently 4.12%. About GrafTech International (Free Report) GrafTech International Ltd. research, develops, manufactures, and sells graphite and carbon-based solutions worldwide. The company offers graphite electrodes to produce electric arc furnace steel and other ferrous and non-ferrous metals; and petroleum needle coke, a crystalline form of carbon used in the production of graphite electrodes and synthetic graphite. Featured Stories Receive News & Ratings for GrafTech International Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for GrafTech International and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Employers (NYSE:EIG Free Report) was downgraded by stock analysts at StockNews.com from a buy rating to a hold rating in a note issued to investors on Monday. Employers Price Performance Shares of Employers stock traded up $0.29 during trading hours on Monday, hitting $37.70. The companys stock had a trading volume of 63,621 shares, compared to its average volume of 140,589. The company has a market capitalization of $1.01 billion, a PE ratio of 13.86 and a beta of 0.25. The stock has a 50 day moving average of $38.08 and a 200 day moving average of $41.14. Employers has a 12 month low of $32.58 and a 12 month high of $46.73. Get Employers alerts: Employers (NYSE:EIG Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, April 27th. The financial services provider reported $0.60 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $0.57 by $0.03. Employers had a return on equity of 9.26% and a net margin of 9.67%. The business had revenue of $206.50 million during the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $206.81 million. During the same period in the prior year, the business earned $0.33 EPS. Employerss revenue for the quarter was up 35.9% compared to the same quarter last year. Equities analysts expect that Employers will post 3.13 EPS for the current year. Insider Activity at Employers Institutional Trading of Employers In other Employers news, CEO Katherine H. Antonello purchased 6,880 shares of the firms stock in a transaction dated Thursday, June 1st. The stock was bought at an average cost of $36.46 per share, with a total value of $250,844.80. Following the purchase, the chief executive officer now directly owns 77,177 shares of the companys stock, valued at $2,813,873.42. The acquisition was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link . 1.30% of the stock is owned by insiders. Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Brandywine Global Investment Management LLC raised its stake in shares of Employers by 108.6% during the 1st quarter. Brandywine Global Investment Management LLC now owns 70,006 shares of the financial services providers stock worth $2,919,000 after purchasing an additional 36,446 shares in the last quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised its position in Employers by 28.7% during the first quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 428,599 shares of the financial services providers stock worth $17,869,000 after acquiring an additional 95,574 shares in the last quarter. Thrivent Financial for Lutherans lifted its stake in Employers by 24.0% in the first quarter. Thrivent Financial for Lutherans now owns 43,737 shares of the financial services providers stock valued at $1,823,000 after acquiring an additional 8,460 shares during the last quarter. Jane Street Group LLC grew its position in shares of Employers by 14.3% in the 1st quarter. Jane Street Group LLC now owns 21,976 shares of the financial services providers stock valued at $916,000 after acquiring an additional 2,754 shares during the period. Finally, State Street Corp raised its holdings in shares of Employers by 1.9% in the 1st quarter. State Street Corp now owns 1,001,872 shares of the financial services providers stock valued at $41,768,000 after purchasing an additional 18,755 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 79.80% of the companys stock. Employers Company Profile (Free Report) Employers Holdings, Inc, through its subsidiaries, operates in the commercial property and casualty insurance industry primarily in the United States. The company operates in two segments, Employers and Cerity. It offers workers' compensation insurance to small businesses in low to medium hazard industries under the Employers and Cerity brands. Read More Receive News & Ratings for Employers Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Employers and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Youdao, Inc. (NYSE:DAO Free Report) was the target of a large increase in short interest during the month of June. As of June 15th, there was short interest totalling 606,800 shares, an increase of 36.6% from the May 31st total of 444,300 shares. Based on an average daily trading volume, of 237,500 shares, the short-interest ratio is presently 2.6 days. Approximately 1.9% of the shares of the company are sold short. Youdao Price Performance Shares of NYSE:DAO traded up $0.12 during midday trading on Monday, hitting $4.94. The company had a trading volume of 129,266 shares, compared to its average volume of 227,529. Youdao has a 12-month low of $3.03 and a 12-month high of $10.00. The company has a market cap of $622.29 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of -4.99 and a beta of -0.20. The company has a fifty day moving average of $5.21 and a two-hundred day moving average of $6.62. Get Youdao alerts: Youdao (NYSE:DAO Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, May 25th. The company reported ($0.24) earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter. The business had revenue of $169.39 million during the quarter. Institutional Inflows and Outflows Analysts Set New Price Targets A number of institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Belvedere Trading LLC grew its position in shares of Youdao by 524.5% during the first quarter. Belvedere Trading LLC now owns 81,826 shares of the companys stock valued at $696,000 after purchasing an additional 68,723 shares in the last quarter. BlackRock Inc. grew its position in Youdao by 9.3% in the first quarter. BlackRock Inc. now owns 725,786 shares of the companys stock worth $6,169,000 after acquiring an additional 61,782 shares in the last quarter. Bank of America Corp DE grew its position in Youdao by 305.4% in the first quarter. Bank of America Corp DE now owns 8,505 shares of the companys stock worth $72,000 after acquiring an additional 6,407 shares in the last quarter. PEAK6 Investments LLC purchased a new position in Youdao in the first quarter worth about $248,000. Finally, HRT Financial LP bought a new stake in Youdao in the first quarter worth about $90,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 16.56% of the companys stock. Separately, Daiwa Capital Markets upgraded Youdao from a neutral rating to an outperform rating and upped their price objective for the stock from $4.00 to $9.50 in a research note on Monday, March 20th. About Youdao (Free Report) Youdao, Inc, an internet technology company, provides online services in the field of content, community, communication, and commerce in China. It operates through three segments: Learning Services, Smart Devices, and Online Marketing Services. The company provides various learning content, applications, and solutions, which cover topics and target people from various age groups for their learning needs through its websites and mobile applications. Featured Articles Receive News & Ratings for Youdao Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Youdao and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Azul S.A. (NYSE:AZUL Free Report) was the target of a significant decline in short interest in June. As of June 15th, there was short interest totalling 4,240,000 shares, a decline of 37.9% from the May 31st total of 6,830,000 shares. Based on an average daily volume of 2,340,000 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is currently 1.8 days. Institutional Investors Weigh In On Azul Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of AZUL. American Trust raised its position in shares of Azul by 83.1% in the 1st quarter. American Trust now owns 35,335 shares of the companys stock worth $253,000 after purchasing an additional 16,034 shares during the last quarter. Long Focus Capital Management LLC lifted its position in Azul by 1.4% during the first quarter. Long Focus Capital Management LLC now owns 2,240,000 shares of the companys stock valued at $16,016,000 after purchasing an additional 30,000 shares in the last quarter. Squarepoint Ops LLC purchased a new position in Azul during the first quarter valued at $177,000. Frontier Capital Management Co. LLC lifted its position in Azul by 296.8% during the first quarter. Frontier Capital Management Co. LLC now owns 4,384,995 shares of the companys stock valued at $31,353,000 after purchasing an additional 3,280,010 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Gilder Gagnon Howe & Co. LLC lifted its position in Azul by 293.1% during the first quarter. Gilder Gagnon Howe & Co. LLC now owns 1,040,666 shares of the companys stock valued at $7,441,000 after purchasing an additional 775,936 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 2.30% of the companys stock. Get Azul alerts: Azul Trading Down 2.3 % Shares of Azul stock opened at $13.37 on Tuesday. The firm has a market capitalization of $5.63 billion, a PE ratio of -2.31 and a beta of 1.47. The businesss 50-day moving average price is $9.98 and its 200-day moving average price is $7.60. Azul has a 12 month low of $3.82 and a 12 month high of $13.86. Wall Street Analyst Weigh In Azul ( NYSE:AZUL Free Report ) last issued its earnings results on Monday, May 15th. The company reported ($0.99) earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of ($0.42) by ($0.57). The company had revenue of $862.07 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $930.89 million. As a group, analysts predict that Azul will post -1.49 earnings per share for the current fiscal year. A number of brokerages have weighed in on AZUL. Bank of America upgraded Azul from an underperform rating to a neutral rating and lifted their target price for the stock from $6.90 to $11.00 in a report on Monday, May 22nd. Raymond James boosted their price objective on Azul from $12.00 to $14.00 in a research report on Wednesday, May 31st. Morgan Stanley raised Azul from an underweight rating to an equal weight rating and boosted their price objective for the stock from $6.00 to $8.60 in a research report on Wednesday, March 15th. Finally, UBS Group raised Azul from a sell rating to a neutral rating in a research report on Monday, March 20th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, four have given a hold rating and one has given a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, Azul presently has a consensus rating of Hold and an average target price of $10.12. Azul Company Profile (Free Report) Azul SA, together with its subsidiaries, provides scheduled air transportation services in Brazil. As of December 31, 2022, the company operated approximately 1,000 daily departures to 158 destinations through a network of 300 non-stop routes with an operating fleet of 177 aircraft and a passenger contractual fleet of 194 aircraft. Read More Receive News & Ratings for Azul Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Azul and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Cable One, Inc. (NYSE:CABO Free Report) has received an average recommendation of Hold from the five ratings firms that are covering the stock, Marketbeat Ratings reports. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell recommendation, two have assigned a hold recommendation and two have assigned a buy recommendation to the company. The average twelve-month price objective among brokers that have covered the stock in the last year is $1,021.67. A number of brokerages have recently weighed in on CABO. StockNews.com began coverage on Cable One in a report on Thursday, May 18th. They issued a hold rating on the stock. Wells Fargo & Company dropped their price objective on shares of Cable One from $680.00 to $670.00 in a research note on Friday, May 5th. Get Cable One alerts: Cable One Price Performance CABO stock opened at $650.96 on Thursday. The company has a current ratio of 1.75, a quick ratio of 1.75 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.17. Cable One has a one year low of $602.70 and a one year high of $1,464.20. The firm has a market capitalization of $3.71 billion, a PE ratio of 34.48 and a beta of 0.85. The firm has a 50-day moving average of $668.40 and a two-hundred day moving average of $701.11. Cable One Dividend Announcement Cable One ( NYSE:CABO Free Report ) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, May 4th. The company reported $9.62 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts consensus estimates of $14.40 by ($4.78). Cable One had a net margin of 7.06% and a return on equity of 13.99%. The firm had revenue of $421.90 million for the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $420.66 million. During the same period in the prior year, the company posted $26.85 earnings per share. Cable Ones quarterly revenue was down 1.1% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, analysts forecast that Cable One will post 50.51 earnings per share for the current year. The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, June 16th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, May 30th were paid a dividend of $2.85 per share. The ex-dividend date was Friday, May 26th. This represents a $11.40 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.75%. Cable Ones dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 60.38%. Insider Transactions at Cable One In other news, SVP Eric Michael Lardy sold 321 shares of the stock in a transaction on Tuesday, May 9th. The shares were sold at an average price of $673.85, for a total transaction of $216,305.85. Following the transaction, the senior vice president now owns 2,422 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,632,064.70. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. 1.30% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders. Institutional Inflows and Outflows A number of hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in CABO. Raymond James Trust N.A. grew its stake in Cable One by 6.3% in the 1st quarter. Raymond James Trust N.A. now owns 187 shares of the companys stock valued at $274,000 after buying an additional 11 shares during the last quarter. Linden Thomas Advisory Services LLC grew its holdings in Cable One by 4.6% in the 1st quarter. Linden Thomas Advisory Services LLC now owns 343 shares of the companys stock valued at $241,000 after buying an additional 15 shares during the last quarter. CWM LLC grew its holdings in Cable One by 13.2% in the 4th quarter. CWM LLC now owns 137 shares of the companys stock valued at $98,000 after buying an additional 16 shares during the last quarter. Parallel Advisors LLC grew its holdings in Cable One by 39.1% in the 4th quarter. Parallel Advisors LLC now owns 64 shares of the companys stock valued at $46,000 after buying an additional 18 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Public Employees Retirement System of Ohio grew its holdings in Cable One by 0.6% in the 4th quarter. Public Employees Retirement System of Ohio now owns 3,262 shares of the companys stock valued at $2,322,000 after buying an additional 18 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 98.77% of the companys stock. About Cable One (Free Report Cable One, Inc, together with its subsidiaries, provides data, video, and voice services in the United States. The company offers residential data services, a service to enhance Wi-Fi signal throughout the home. It also provides various residential video services from basic video service to digital services with access to hundreds of channels; and provides a cloud-based DVR feature that does not require the use of a set-top boxes. Featured Stories Receive News & Ratings for Cable One Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Cable One and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Chubu Electric Power Company, Incorporated (OTCMKTS:CHUEF Free Report) was the target of a large decline in short interest during the month of June. As of June 15th, there was short interest totalling 300,900 shares, a decline of 37.0% from the May 31st total of 477,400 shares. Based on an average daily volume of 100 shares, the short-interest ratio is presently 3,009.0 days. Chubu Electric Power Price Performance Shares of Chubu Electric Power stock remained flat at $12.35 on Tuesday. Chubu Electric Power has a 52 week low of $8.08 and a 52 week high of $12.35. The companys 50-day simple moving average is $11.08 and its 200 day simple moving average is $10.40. Get Chubu Electric Power alerts: Chubu Electric Power Company Profile (Free Report) Featured Articles Chubu Electric Power Company, Incorporated, together with its subsidiaries, engages in the generation, transmission, distribution, and retail of electricity in Japan and internationally. The company operates through three segments: JERA, Power Grid, and Miraiz. It generates electricity through thermal, nuclear, hydroelectric, wind, biomass, and solar sources. Receive News & Ratings for Chubu Electric Power Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Chubu Electric Power and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. StockNews.com assumed coverage on shares of Credit Suisse Group (NYSE:CS Free Report) in a research report report published on Saturday morning. The brokerage issued a hold rating on the financial services providers stock. Credit Suisse Group Stock Performance Shares of Credit Suisse Group stock opened at $0.89 on Friday. The companys 50-day moving average price is $0.87 and its 200-day moving average price is $1.93. The company has a current ratio of 1.53, a quick ratio of 1.53 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.79. Credit Suisse Group has a 12-month low of $0.82 and a 12-month high of $6.36. The company has a market cap of $2.77 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 1.37 and a beta of 1.27. Get Credit Suisse Group alerts: Credit Suisse Group (NYSE:CS Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Monday, April 24th. The financial services provider reported $3.33 earnings per share for the quarter. Credit Suisse Group had a net margin of 15.12% and a return on equity of 23.83%. The firm had revenue of $19.96 billion for the quarter. Institutional Investors Weigh In On Credit Suisse Group Credit Suisse Group Company Profile Several hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Bank of New York Mellon Corp lifted its holdings in shares of Credit Suisse Group by 6.8% during the 3rd quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp now owns 49,762 shares of the financial services providers stock worth $195,000 after acquiring an additional 3,164 shares during the last quarter. Captrust Financial Advisors lifted its position in Credit Suisse Group by 70.3% in the 2nd quarter. Captrust Financial Advisors now owns 7,931 shares of the financial services providers stock worth $45,000 after buying an additional 3,273 shares during the last quarter. US Bancorp DE grew its position in Credit Suisse Group by 8.9% during the first quarter. US Bancorp DE now owns 50,292 shares of the financial services providers stock valued at $395,000 after acquiring an additional 4,130 shares during the last quarter. Credit Suisse AG purchased a new position in shares of Credit Suisse Group during the second quarter worth approximately $28,000. Finally, Sei Investments Co. lifted its holdings in shares of Credit Suisse Group by 1.8% in the 1st quarter. Sei Investments Co. now owns 274,767 shares of the financial services providers stock worth $2,179,000 after acquiring an additional 4,883 shares during the last quarter. 11.20% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors. (Free Report) Credit Suisse Group AG is a holding company, which engages in the provision of financial services. It operates through the following four divisions: Wealth Management, Investment Bank, Swiss Bank and Asset Management and four geographic regions: Switzerland, Europe, the Middle East and Africa (EMEA), Asia Pacific, and Americas. Recommended Stories Receive News & Ratings for Credit Suisse Group Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Credit Suisse Group and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. StockNews.com assumed coverage on shares of International Tower Hill Mines (NYSEAMERICAN:THM Free Report) (TSE:ITH) in a report issued on Friday. The brokerage issued a sell rating on the mining companys stock. International Tower Hill Mines Stock Performance Shares of THM stock opened at $0.42 on Friday. International Tower Hill Mines has a 1 year low of $0.37 and a 1 year high of $0.75. The firms 50 day moving average is $0.48 and its 200-day moving average is $0.52. The firm has a market capitalization of $81.67 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of -20.95 and a beta of 0.70. Get International Tower Hill Mines alerts: Institutional Trading of International Tower Hill Mines A hedge fund recently raised its stake in International Tower Hill Mines stock. Virtu Financial LLC grew its stake in International Tower Hill Mines Ltd. (NYSEAMERICAN:THM Free Report) (TSE:ITH) by 314.9% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 61,808 shares of the mining companys stock after acquiring an additional 46,910 shares during the period. Virtu Financial LLCs holdings in International Tower Hill Mines were worth $26,000 at the end of the most recent quarter. 55.34% of the stock is owned by institutional investors. International Tower Hill Mines Company Profile International Tower Hill Mines Ltd., a mineral exploration company, engages in the acquisition, exploration, and development of mineral properties. It holds or has rights to acquire interests in the Livengood gold project covering an area of approximately 19,546 hectares located to the northwest of Fairbanks, Alaska. Further Reading Receive News & Ratings for International Tower Hill Mines Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for International Tower Hill Mines and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. A Turkish expert hailed China's growing role in supporting inclusive global development as a founding member of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO). Produced by Xinhua Global Service Premium Brands Holdings Co. (TSE:PBH Free Report) has earned an average rating of Moderate Buy from the six brokerages that are covering the firm, MarketBeat reports. Two analysts have rated the stock with a hold recommendation and four have assigned a buy recommendation to the company. The average 1 year price objective among brokers that have issued a report on the stock in the last year is C$118.30. A number of research firms have recently weighed in on PBH. National Bankshares lowered their price target on shares of Premium Brands from C$124.00 to C$121.00 and set an outperform rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, May 16th. CIBC lifted their target price on shares of Premium Brands from C$98.00 to C$99.00 in a research note on Tuesday, May 16th. Cormark lifted their target price on shares of Premium Brands from C$115.00 to C$120.00 in a research note on Monday, March 20th. Stifel Nicolaus raised their price target on shares of Premium Brands from C$105.00 to C$111.00 in a research report on Friday, March 17th. Finally, TD Securities raised their price target on shares of Premium Brands from C$120.00 to C$125.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a research report on Tuesday, May 16th. Get Premium Brands alerts: Premium Brands Trading Up 3.0 % PBH stock opened at C$104.53 on Thursday. The company has a market capitalization of C$4.67 billion, a PE ratio of 32.67, a P/E/G ratio of 1.10 and a beta of 0.97. Premium Brands has a 12 month low of C$77.36 and a 12 month high of C$104.58. The firms 50-day moving average is C$100.81 and its 200 day moving average is C$96.24. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 147.06, a current ratio of 2.49 and a quick ratio of 1.16. Premium Brands Dividend Announcement Premium Brands ( TSE:PBH Free Report ) last posted its earnings results on Monday, May 15th. The company reported C$0.64 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts consensus estimates of C$0.82 by C($0.18). Premium Brands had a net margin of 2.31% and a return on equity of 8.10%. The business had revenue of C$1.43 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of C$1.39 billion. On average, research analysts anticipate that Premium Brands will post 4.8260038 EPS for the current year. The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, July 14th. Stockholders of record on Friday, June 30th will be given a dividend of $0.77 per share. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, June 29th. This represents a $3.08 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.95%. Premium Brandss dividend payout ratio is presently 96.25%. Premium Brands Company Profile (Free Report Premium Brands Holdings Corporation, through its subsidiaries, manufactures and distributes food products primarily in Canada and the United States. It operates in two segments, Specialty Foods and Premium Food Distribution. The company provides processed meat, deli products, meat snacks, beef jerky and halal, sandwiches, pastries, specialty and gourmet products, entrees, panini, wraps, subs, hamburgers, burgers, salads and kettle products, muffins, breads, pastas, and baking and sushi products. Featured Articles Receive News & Ratings for Premium Brands Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Premium Brands and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Pola Orbis Holdings Inc. (OTCMKTS:PORBF Free Report) saw a large increase in short interest in the month of June. As of June 15th, there was short interest totalling 191,600 shares, an increase of 30.3% from the May 31st total of 147,000 shares. Based on an average trading volume of 0 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is presently days. Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth Separately, JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised Pola Orbis from a neutral rating to an overweight rating in a report on Friday, June 9th. Get Pola Orbis alerts: Pola Orbis Stock Performance Shares of PORBF stock remained flat at $15.00 on Tuesday. The stock has a 50-day simple moving average of $14.74 and a 200 day simple moving average of $13.90. Pola Orbis has a 52-week low of $14.20 and a 52-week high of $15.00. Pola Orbis Company Profile Pola Orbis Holdings Inc, through its subsidiaries, develops, manufactures, and sells cosmetics and related products in Japan and internationally. It operates through Beauty Care and Real Estate segments. The Beauty Care segment offers cosmetics; skincare products; health foods; and fashion products, such as women's underwear, women's apparel, and jewelry under the POLA, ORBIS, Jurlique, H2O PLUS, THREE, DECENCIA, Amplitude, ITRIM, FIVEISM THREE, and FUJIMI brand names. Further Reading Receive News & Ratings for Pola Orbis Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Pola Orbis and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Whittier Trust Co. increased its holdings in The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. (NYSE:GS Free Report) by 2.1% in the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 71,106 shares of the investment management companys stock after acquiring an additional 1,453 shares during the quarter. Whittier Trust Co.s holdings in The Goldman Sachs Group were worth $23,259,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). Other large investors also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Fairfield Bush & CO. purchased a new position in The Goldman Sachs Group in the first quarter worth about $66,000. Candriam Luxembourg S.C.A. raised its holdings in The Goldman Sachs Group by 1,505.1% in the 1st quarter. Candriam Luxembourg S.C.A. now owns 41,300 shares of the investment management companys stock worth $13,633,000 after acquiring an additional 38,727 shares during the last quarter. Baird Financial Group Inc. lifted its position in The Goldman Sachs Group by 18.5% in the 1st quarter. Baird Financial Group Inc. now owns 118,609 shares of the investment management companys stock valued at $39,153,000 after acquiring an additional 18,540 shares in the last quarter. Zions Bancorporation N.A. boosted its stake in The Goldman Sachs Group by 79.4% during the 1st quarter. Zions Bancorporation N.A. now owns 827 shares of the investment management companys stock valued at $273,000 after purchasing an additional 366 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Covestor Ltd increased its holdings in shares of The Goldman Sachs Group by 118.3% in the 1st quarter. Covestor Ltd now owns 310 shares of the investment management companys stock worth $102,000 after purchasing an additional 168 shares in the last quarter. 76.90% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors. Get The Goldman Sachs Group alerts: Insider Buying and Selling In related news, major shareholder Goldman Sachs Group Inc sold 1,145,486 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, June 30th. The stock was sold at an average price of $11.73, for a total value of $13,436,550.78. Following the transaction, the insider now directly owns 50,099,392 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $587,665,868.16. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. In other news, major shareholder Goldman Sachs Group Inc sold 1,145,486 shares of the firms stock in a transaction dated Friday, June 30th. The stock was sold at an average price of $11.73, for a total transaction of $13,436,550.78. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider now owns 50,099,392 shares in the company, valued at $587,665,868.16. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. Also, insider Brian J. Lee sold 3,000 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, May 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $337.66, for a total value of $1,012,980.00. Following the transaction, the insider now directly owns 15,052 shares of the companys stock, valued at $5,082,458.32. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last 90 days, insiders sold 34,978,986 shares of company stock worth $660,057,057. 0.54% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders. Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth The Goldman Sachs Group Stock Performance A number of brokerages have recently issued reports on GS. Oppenheimer lowered their price target on The Goldman Sachs Group from $440.00 to $437.00 and set an outperform rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, April 19th. Wells Fargo & Company dropped their price target on shares of The Goldman Sachs Group from $420.00 to $390.00 and set an overweight rating on the stock in a report on Monday, April 3rd. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods boosted their price objective on shares of The Goldman Sachs Group from $390.00 to $400.00 and gave the company an outperform rating in a report on Wednesday, April 19th. Credit Suisse Group restated an outperform rating and issued a $410.00 target price on shares of The Goldman Sachs Group in a report on Tuesday, April 11th. Finally, Evercore ISI boosted their target price on shares of The Goldman Sachs Group from $360.00 to $370.00 and gave the company an outperform rating in a research note on Wednesday, April 19th. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, six have assigned a hold rating and ten have given a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and an average price target of $387.95. Shares of NYSE:GS traded up $4.07 during mid-day trading on Tuesday, reaching $326.61. 1,106,831 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 2,358,694. The companys 50 day moving average price is $328.01 and its 200-day moving average price is $339.17. The firm has a market cap of $108.58 billion, a PE ratio of 11.62, a PEG ratio of 0.85 and a beta of 1.38. The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. has a 52 week low of $277.84 and a 52 week high of $389.58. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.25, a current ratio of 0.81 and a quick ratio of 0.81. The Goldman Sachs Group (NYSE:GS Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, April 18th. The investment management company reported $8.79 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $8.14 by $0.65. The business had revenue of $12.22 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $12.66 billion. The Goldman Sachs Group had a net margin of 13.23% and a return on equity of 9.84%. The companys revenue was down 5.5% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the business posted $10.76 earnings per share. On average, equities analysts expect that The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. will post 32.14 EPS for the current fiscal year. The Goldman Sachs Group Dividend Announcement The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, June 29th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, June 1st were paid a $2.50 dividend. This represents a $10.00 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.06%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Wednesday, May 31st. The Goldman Sachs Groups dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 35.60%. The Goldman Sachs Group Profile (Free Report) The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc, a financial institution, provides a range of financial services for corporations, financial institutions, governments, and individuals worldwide. It operates through Global Banking & Markets, Asset & Wealth Management, and Platform Solutions segments. The Global Banking & Markets segment provides financial advisory services, including strategic advisory assignments related to mergers and acquisitions, divestitures, corporate defense activities, restructurings, and spin-offs; and relationship lending, and acquisition financing, as well as secured lending, through structured credit and asset-backed lending and involved in resale agreements. Read More Want to see what other hedge funds are holding GS? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. (NYSE:GS Free Report). Receive News & Ratings for The Goldman Sachs Group Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for The Goldman Sachs Group and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. State Alabama Alaska Arizona Arkansas California Colorado Connecticut Delaware Florida Georgia Hawaii Idaho Illinois Indiana Iowa Kansas Kentucky Louisiana Maine Maryland Massachusetts Michigan Minnesota Mississippi Missouri Montana Nebraska Nevada New Hampshire New Jersey New Mexico New York North Carolina North Dakota Ohio Oklahoma Oregon Pennsylvania Rhode Island South Carolina South Dakota Tennessee Texas Utah Vermont Virginia Washington Washington D.C. West Virginia Wisconsin Wyoming Puerto Rico US Virgin Islands Armed Forces Americas Armed Forces Pacific Armed Forces Europe Northern Mariana Islands Marshall Islands American Samoa Federated States of Micronesia Guam Palau Alberta, Canada British Columbia, Canada Manitoba, Canada New Brunswick, Canada Newfoundland, Canada Nova Scotia, Canada Northwest Territories, Canada Nunavut, Canada Ontario, Canada Prince Edward Island, Canada Quebec, Canada Saskatchewan, Canada Yukon Territory, Canada Zip Code The threat actors behind the DDoSia attack tool have come up with a new version that incorporates a new mechanism to retrieve the list of targets to be bombarded with junk HTTP requests in an attempt to bring them down. The updated variant, written in Golang, "implements an additional security mechanism to conceal the list of targets, which is transmitted from the [command-and-control] to the users," cybersecurity company Sekoia said in a technical write-up. DDoSia is attributed to a pro-Russian hacker group called NoName(057)16. Launched in 2022 and a successor of the Bobik botnet, the attack tool is designed for staging distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks against targets primarily located in Europe as well as Australia, Canada, and Japan. Lithuania, Ukraine, Poland, Italy, Czechia, Denmark, Latvia, France, the U.K., and Switzerland have emerged as the most targeted countries over a period ranging from May 8 to June 26, 2023. A total of 486 different websites were impacted. Python and Go-based implementations of DDoSia have been unearthed to date, making it a cross-platform program capable of being used across Windows, Linux, and macOS systems. "DDoSia is a multi-threaded application that conducts denial-of-service attacks against target sites by repeatedly issuing network requests," SentinelOne explained in an analysis published in January 2023. "DDoSia issues requests as instructed by a configuration file that the malware receives from a C2 server when started." DDoSia is distributed through a fully-automated process on Telegram that allows individuals to register for the crowdsourced initiative in exchange for a cryptocurrency payment and a ZIP archive containing the attack toolkit. What's noteworthy about the new version is the use of encryption to mask the list of targets to be attacked, indicating that the tool is being actively maintained by the operators. "NoName057(16) is making efforts to make their malware compatible with multiple operating systems, almost certainly reflecting their intent to make their malware available to a large number of users, resulting in the targeting of a broader set of victims," Sekoia said. The development comes as the U.S. Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) warned of targeted denial-of-service (DoS) and DDoS attacks against multiple organizations in multiple sectors. "These attacks can cost an organization time and money and may impose reputational costs while resources and services are inaccessible," the agency said in a bulletin. Although CISA did not provide any additional specifics, the warning overlaps with claims by Anonymous Sudan on its Telegram channel that it had taken down the websites of the Department of Commerce, Social Security Administration (SSA), and the Treasury Department's Electronic Federal Tax Payment System (EFTPS). Anonymous Sudan attracted attention last month for carrying Layer 7 DDoS attacks against various Microsoft services, including OneDrive, Outlook, and Azure web portals. The tech giant is tracking the cluster under the name Storm-1359. UPCOMING WEBINAR Shield Against Insider Threats: Master SaaS Security Posture Management Worried about insider threats? We've got you covered! Join this webinar to explore practical strategies and the secrets of proactive security with SaaS Security Posture Management. Join Today The hacking crew has asserted it's conducting cyber strikes out of Africa on behalf of oppressed Muslims across the world. But cybersecurity researchers believe it to be a pro-Kremlin operation with no ties to Sudan and a member of the KillNet hacktivist collective. In an analysis released on June 19, 2023, Australian cybersecurity vendor CyberCX characterized the entity as a "smokescreen for Russian interests." The company's website has since become inaccessible, greeting visitors with a "403 Forbidden" message. The threat actor claimed responsibility for the cyber attack. "The reason for the attack: stop spreading rumors about us, and you must tell the truth and stop the investigations that we call the investigations of a dog," Anonymous Sudan said in a message posted on June 22, 2023. Anonymous Sudan, in a Bloomberg report last week, further denied it was connected to Russia but acknowledged they share similar interests, and that it goes after "everything that is hostile to Islam." CISA's latest advisory has also not gone unnoticed, for the group posted a response on June 30, 2023, stating: "A small Sudanese group with limited capabilities forced 'the most powerful government' in the world to publish articles and tweets about our attacks." An e-crime actor of Mexican provenance has been linked to an Android mobile malware campaign targeting financial institutions globally, but with a specific focus on Spanish and Chilean banks, from June 2021 to April 2023. The activity is being attributed to an actor codenamed Neo_Net, according to security researcher Pol Thill. The findings were published by SentinelOne following a Malware Research Challenge in collaboration with vx-underground. "Despite using relatively unsophisticated tools, Neo_Net has achieved a high success rate by tailoring their infrastructure to specific targets, resulting in the theft of over 350,000 EUR from victims' bank accounts and compromising Personally Identifiable Information (PII) of thousands of victims," Thill said. Some of the major targets include banks such as Santander, BBVA, CaixaBank, Deutsche Bank, Credit Agricole, and ING. Neo_Net, linked to a Spanish-speaking actor residing in Mexico, has established themselves as a seasoned cybercriminal, engaging in the sales of phishing panels, compromised victim data to third-parties, and a smishing-as-a-service offering called Ankarex that's designed to target a number of countries across the world. The initial entry point for the multi-stage attack is SMS phishing, in which the threat actor employs various scare tactics to trick unwitting recipients into clicking on bogus landing pages to harvest and exfiltrate their credentials via a Telegram bot. "The phishing pages were meticulously set up using Neo_Net's panels, PRIV8, and implemented multiple defense measures, including blocking requests from non-mobile user agents and concealing the pages from bots and network scanners," Thill explained. "These pages were designed to closely resemble genuine banking applications, complete with animations to create a convincing facade." The threat actors have also been observed duping bank customers into installing rogue Android apps under the guise of security software that, once installed, requests SMS permissions to capture SMS-based two-factor authentication (2FA) codes sent by the bank. UPCOMING WEBINAR Shield Against Insider Threats: Master SaaS Security Posture Management Worried about insider threats? We've got you covered! Join this webinar to explore practical strategies and the secrets of proactive security with SaaS Security Posture Management. Join Today The Ankarex platform, for its part, has been active since May 2022. It's actively promoted on a Telegram channel that has about 1,700 subscribers. "The service itself is accessible at ankarex[.]net, and once registered, users can upload funds using cryptocurrency transfers and launch their own Smishing campaigns by specifying the SMS content and target phone numbers," Thill said. The development comes as ThreatFabric detailed a new Anatsa (aka TeaBot) banking trojan campaign that has been targeting banking customers in the U.S., U.K., Germany, Austria, and Switzerland since the start of March 2023. Quang Ninh prepares to approve 4 projects worth $349 mln By Tri Duc Tue, July 4, 2023 | 7:02 am GTM+7 The northern coastal province of Quang Ninh has asked investors to complete documentation for four projects with a total registered capital of $349 million. The Quang Ninh Economic Zone Authority (QEZA) says the four projects are: a $200 million project for high voltage electricity and electric actuator production in Song Khoai Industrial Park; a $46 million project for production of aluminum and magnesium alloy in the same park; a $60 million project for developing the workshop zone No.3 at Texhong Hai Ha Industrial Park phase 1; and a $43 million project for production of protective gloves at the same park. In the first six months of this year, Quang Ninh attracted $832.2 million in registered FDI capital, fulfilling 70% of the year target of $1.2 billion. It also lured VND44.02 trillion ($1.86 billion) in domestic investment. A production line for automobile components at Dong Mai Industrial Park, Quang Ninh province, northern Vietnam. Photo courtesy of Laborer newspaper. The Quang Ninh Investment Promotion Agency (IPA) attributes this achievement to the provinces proactive approach. So far this year, the provincial authorities have received many investors including Japans Yaskawa Electric Corporation targeting a $100 million factory on 12 hectares at the Song Khoai Industrial Park and Tenma Corporation, another Japanese firm, planning a 18-hectare plastic molding plant worth $150 million. The provincial IPA has also worked with South Koreas Mastern Investment Management; a business delegation from Hong Kong; a Seoul Chamber of Commerce and Industry (Seoul CCI) delegation with 20 businesses; the Japan-Mekong committee under the Japan Chamber of Commerce and Industry (JCCI); Japans Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI); and Japanese multinationals Sojitz and Toshiba. The IPA has focused its efforts on sectors where Quang Ninh has competitive advantages, including production of electronic equipment and components, seaport and seaport services, fisheries production and processing, and logistics. Quang Ninh has attracted 13 South Korean-invested projects with a total registered capital of $97.8 million in the year to date, including five within and eight outside industrial parks and clusters. Notably, the province has attracted investments from Denmark and Sweden for the first time, in addition to traditional investors from Japan, South Korea, Singapore, Taiwan and Hong Kong. A high-tech hub The province aims to attract international investors to transform its industrial parks and economic zones into a hub of electronic and automobile components. For example, Swedens Autoliv, Inc., a global leader in automotive safety systems, plans to build a new state-of-the-art airbag cushion and fabric plant worth $154 million; and South Koreas Samsong Vina has invested $10.3 million in building a seatbelt factory. The Bac Tien Phong Industrial Park has also attracted two automobile component projects: Taiwan-invested Boltun Vietnam plans a $165 million locking and stamping plant, with an annual capacity of 60,000 tons; and Xiamen Sunrise Group Co.,Ltd., a top wheel manufacturing group from China, has been approved to invest in a $55-million project to produce automobile rims using light metals. A few days ago, on June 29, Quang Ninh granted investment certificates to two projects with a total registered capital of $246 million proposed by Apple supplier Foxconn, just 12 hours after the applications were submitted. The normal processing time is 14 days. Both projects will be located in the Song Khoai Industrial Park, invested by Thailands biggest industrial developer Amata. The 6.3-hectare FECV Foxconn Quang Ninh factory, with an investment of $200.24 million, is set to begin operations in January 2025, employing 1,200 people. The factory will manufacture and assemble electronic components, chargers, and charger controllers for electric vehicles. The 4.1-hectare FMMV Foxconn Quang Ninh plant, with an investment of $46 million, is scheduled to begin operations in October 2024, employing 700 people. It will manufacture components for communications and IT products. In the year to June 20, Vietnam had attracted $13.43 billion in registered FDI, down 4.3% year-on-year, according to the Ministry of Planning and Investment. The figure included $6.49 billion of newly registered capital, up 31.3%; $2.93 billion of additional capital for operational projects, down 57.1%; and capital contributions for stake acquisitions worth $4.01 billion, up 76.8%. The Investor holds workshop on special consumption tax amendments By Truong Van Tue, July 4, 2023 | 7:00 am GTM+7 The various implications and contexts of amendments being considered to Vietnams current Law on Special Consumption Tax will be discussed at a workshop organized by The Investor in Hanoi Tuesday. The workshop will be attended by representatives of ministries, government agencies, National Assembly (NA) members, experts and businesses. Saigon Beer made by Ho Chi Minh City-based brewery Sabeco. Photo courtesy of the company. The government is set to forward amendment proposals made by the Ministry of Finance to the National Assembly Standing Committee before the relevant bill is placed on the parliaments agenda for its October session. After getting the NAs feedback and making further changes, it is expected that the government will submit the bill for approval to the NA working session in May 2024. The drafted amendments to the law have attracted a lot of attention from domestic and foreign enterprises. Several domestic experts have advised that due care must be taken because of the major contexts in which the amendments are being considered. They have pointed out that the Vietnamese economy and businesses have just undergone a debilitating Covid-19 epidemic and economic headwinds have persisted, dragging the world economy into recession. Vietnam carriers reopen multiple international routes By Trang Nguyen Tue, July 4, 2023 | 12:50 pm GTM+7 Vietnamese airlines Vietjet Air and Vietnam Airlines have reopened multiple international routes since the beginning of the year. In the latest instance, budget carrier Vietjet Air on Monday officially reopend direct routes connecting Danang city and Phu Quoc island with Hong Kong, responding to the needs of people and touristm demand. The route connecting Phu Quoc with Hong Kong will have three return flights per week every Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday with tickets priced from only VND90,000 ($3.82) each way. The route connecting Danang with Hong Kong will have return flights per week every Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Sunday with tickets priced from only VND70,000 ($2.97) each way. Vietjet welcomes tourists. Photo courtesy of the carrier. On February 10, Vietjet reopened a direct route connecting Ho Chi Minh City with Hong Kong. With two return flights every Monday and Friday, and taking only three hours, residents and visitors can easily move between HCMC and Hong Kong. Meanwhile, the national flag carrier Vietnam Airlines resumed five routes between Vietnam and China in March and April 2023. This March, the carrier resumed flights between Hanoi and Beijing with three flights per week. It will also increase the frequency of flights connecting Hanoi and HCMC with Guangzhou and Shanghai. Each of these routes will be increased from 1-2 flights per week to four flights per week. In April, the carrier restored four routes including Danang with Guangzhou, Shanghai and Chengdu, and Hanoi with Chengdu, with two flights per week on each route. In September 2023, Vietnam Airlines plans to operate wide-body Airbus A350 and Boeing 787 aircraft on routes between Hanoi and Beijing, and between Hanoi, HCMC and Shanghai. A Vietnam Airlines representative said that the reopening and exansion aimed to meet travel and tourism demand between the two countries. Between January 1 and February 16, Vietnam Airlines announced the resumption of 24 routes to 15 countries and territories including the U.S., Britain, France, Germany, Russia, Australia, Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, Laos, and Cambodia. Vietnam fully reopened its tourism doors on March 15, 2022, with international flights restored following the pandemic. The country received 3.66 million international arrivals in 2022, up 23.3 times year-on-year, but down 79.7% compared to pre-pandemic 2019. The number of foreigners visiting Vietnam in January-June this year was nearly 5.6 million, up 9.3 times year-on-year, but just 66.7% of the same period in pre-pandemic 2019. KHARTOUM, July 4 (Xinhua) -- The Sudanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Tuesday condemned "in the strongest terms" the Israeli raid on the Jenin refugee camp in the northern West Bank. The ministry denounced in a statement Israel's excessive use of force against Palestinian civilians, while urging the international community and the United Nations Security Council "to shoulder their responsibilities and enforce relevant resolutions to end the continued Israeli terrorism and protect the Palestinian people." Israel launched on Monday a large-scale military operation against the refugee camp in the West Bank city of Jenin, killing at least 10 Palestinians and displacing thousands of others. The Israeli raid, the largest in the occupied West Bank since 2002, has drawn widespread condemnation from the Palestinians, Arab states, and many other countries. The best bang for your buck! This option enables you to purchase online 24/7 access and receive the Sunday, Tuesday & Thursday print edition at no additional cost * Print edition only available in our carrier delivery area. Allow up to 72 hours for delivery of your print edition to begin. To sign-up for EZ-Pay, call us at (903) 785-6901 or e-mail us at circulation@theparisnews.com. We will use the information you provide to change your current billing to EZ-PAY. Your current subscription delivery schedule will not be changed. No refunds for early cancellations. Remainder of early cancellation funds will be donated to Newspapers in Education. ELLOREE Retired U.S. Air Force Col. Allen Reeves played a 1974 song by Johnny Cash during the Town of Ellorees annual Independence Day celebration on Sunday, July 2, at Joe Miller Park. The lyrics of Ragged Old Flag say that Old Glory went where she was sent by her Uncle Sam, which included flying over a fort and being seen by Francis Scott Key, and at the Alamo, Chancellorsville, Shiloh, Flanders Field, World War II, Korea and Vietnam. Cash concludes in his song: I dont like to brag, but were kinda proud of that ragged old flag. I love that song! Reeves said. To me, there is nothing that better represents the meaning behind a small-town Fourth of July celebration. Among the reasons the Americans fought the Revolutionary War against the British were to secure independence, protect rights, and establish a new nation based on the principles of self-governance, individual liberty, and representative democracy, he said. What does it mean to be an American today? he asked. We would struggle to get a consistent answer from a sampling of Americans. It seems like all we see on TV is how divided we are as a nation, how much conflict there is between the citizens, and tomorrows news will be worse, so get used to it. I wish I had words to make you feel better about all that, but I dont, except maybe we should turn off the TV and sit down on the front porch with a neighbor and have a cup of ice tea for an hour. I know, when we take the time to spend the time with each other, we certainly find that the things that unite us far outweigh the things that divide us. After living around the world during a nearly 30-year career, my wife and I were so happy to find this little town to settle down in, he said. I am proud to be here with you this evening. Its an honor to stand with the folks of Elloree because you exemplify the values and virtues that make our nation great. We value the small-town values that you find here. Of course Im talking about the tight-knit community. We love the strong sense of community where people know and support each other, where neighbors are involved in others lives. There is a deep sense of mutual respect and cooperation. Im talking about trust and honesty. People rely on each other here. We find it works to keep our word, to maintain our integrity and to be accountable to each other. How about a respect for tradition? Im looking at the history museum. Elloree values respect for a traditional way of life, its customs, and local heritage. We take pride in preserving our culture and passing it down to the next generation. We believe in hard work and self-reliance. Its important to take personal responsibility and to contribute to the end. Were bound by these shared values in Elloree, a tight-knit community that has weathered the storms, celebrated the victories, and supported one another through thick and thin. We witness every day the heroes who embody the American spirit. Its the volunteer firefighters who rush to protect our homes. Its the teachers who guide and inspire our children. Its the local businesses that fuel our economy, and its the countless individuals who contribute their time to make our community thrive. While the world around us may change, the heart of our small town remains steadfast. ... Let us renew our commitment to our small town and to our nation. Elloree has seen generations grow and prosper, and we continue to embrace inclusivity and progress. It is in this unity that we find strength, for together, we can overcome any challenge and continue building a future that honors the sacrifices of those who came before us. Lets remember that patriotism is not a fleeting emotion, but a lifelong dedication to the principles that define us as a people and the ideals that make our little town of Elloree a truly magical place to live. May this Fourth of July bring us joy, laughter, and a renewed sense of unity. Let us celebrate our small-town quirks and our shared love of this great nation. Happy Independence Day, everyone, and God bless you all. Upon graduating from the University of Georgia in 1994, Reeves was commissioned in the Air Force. He has served as an inter-continental ballistic missile (ICBM) crew commander, Chief of Space War Games, Chief of Space Weapons and Tactics, and the Director of Space Forces for the Pacific theater. Reeves commanded space operations units at multiple levels throughout the U.S. Air Force and the U.S. Space Force. He led space planning efforts in support of Operation Southern Watch, Operation Enduring Freedom, and Operation Iraqi Freedom. Before retiring, he was chief of staff for the 15th Air Force at Shaw Air Force Base in South Carolina, ensuring the operational readiness of more than 47,000 active-duty members worldwide. Also participating in the patriotic program were Mayor Michael Fanning and council members Bill Brandenburg, Lakeisha Ellison, and Kim Gidron. The Elloree Lions Club, Knights of Pythias, Pythian Sisters of Elloree Temple No. 4, and the Masons of Charity Lodge No. 62 sold food and beverages for the community picnic. The Elloree Heritage Museum & Cultural Center sold tickets. The First Baptist Church of Elloree also had a booth. Don Weidle served as the DJ. The ADUSA (Food Lion) Distribution Center in Elloree provided hamburgers, hot dogs, drinks, condiments, plates and napkins. Mikes Graphix of Orangeburg co-sponsored the fireworks display. Blue Cross Blue Shield of Wyoming and the Boys & Girls Clubs Wyoming Alliance are partnering to address youth mental health in clubs across the state. The two organizations announced a $550,000 grant this week that will allow Boys & Girls Clubs in Wyoming to incorporate trauma-informed practices into their programs, better connect children and their families to mental health services and build mental health resources into the clubs themselves. Their work expands upon a national campaign by the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association, the parent organization for all 34 Blue Cross Blue Shield companies, and Boys & Girls Clubs of America to boost trauma-informed care and youth mental health for the more than 3.5 million children served by club after-school programs nationwide. We all know mental health is a huge issue in Wyoming, said Diane Gore, the president and CEO of Blue Cross Blue Shield of Wyoming. We have a firm belief that if you can start kids earlier with some of these strategies that it really will make a difference. The grant from Blue Cross Blue Shield of Wyoming will allow Boys & Girls Clubs across Wyoming to expand trauma-informed training for their staff. Trauma-informed describes the relatively new framework that has become a best practice across health care in recent years. It doesnt necessarily ask, Whats wrong with you? Its more What happened to you? Gore said. Then theyre able to go from there in order to address the issues and develop strategies around those traumas that kids experience. The hope is that by training staff members in trauma-informed care Boys & Girls Clubs can better work with both children and their families, including connecting them with mental health resources in their communities and around the state. This brings a focus and attention that is absolutely critical for our kids, said Ashley Bright, the CEO of Boys & Girls Clubs of Central Wyoming. Our parents ask for this type of service. Theyre asking for support in the areas of mental health. Boys & Girls Clubs across the state will also look to improve access to mental health services for youth and staff by piloting virtual therapy through the clubs. The grant from Blue Cross Blue Shield of Wyoming and funding from the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association will help clubs add mental health professionals to their staffs. Bright said Boys & Girls Clubs of Central Wyoming envisions a behavioral specialist and counselor overseeing its mental health work, including the expansion of programs that help kids with social and emotional development. For us to really impact and change lives, we need to cover all areas, said Derek DeBoer, the vice president of operations for Boys & Girls Clubs of Central Wyoming. We have staff that have been with us for 20 years that manage those behaviors, and when we see the red flags, we know where to go, Bright said. But were going to go deeper. Were going to learn a lot more through the training, through the efforts of direct counseling [and the] direct expertise that weve never had before. Wyoming has one of the highest suicide rates in the nation and like many states struggles with youth mental health. Almost one out of every 10 students in the state has attempted suicide in the last year, according to the Wyoming Department of Healths Prevention Needs Assessment Survey. Half of Wyoming youth with major depression, some 3,000 kids, do not receive any mental health treatment, according to Mental Health Americas 2023 report. The Caring Foundation of Wyoming, Blue Cross Blue Shields giving arm, has worked with the states Boys & Girls Clubs on youth mental health in the past, but this year the company was able to secure more money through a matching grant from the Federal Home Loan Bank of Des Moines. Gore said one of the goals in strengthening mental health for youth across Wyomings Boys & Girls Clubs is early intervention. Investing in youth mental health can help to remove the stigma around seeking help, she said. We want that access to be there, and we want the kids to know that its OK to not be OK, Gore said. In Gores view, everyone in Wyoming, including companies, has a stake in meeting the mental health needs of children in the state. Everybody has to do their part, she said. An independent commission of educators and researchers has outlined a plan to search for any children whose deaths at Indian boarding schools in Montana may have been forgotten. The St. Labre Boarding School Investigation Commission, chaired by the former president of Little Big Horn College on the Crow Reservation Janine Pease, has been tasked with documenting any unmarked or undocumented graves at three boarding schools that housed Crow and Northern Cheyenne children for decades: St. Charles Mission School, St. Xavier Mission School and St. Labre Indian School. Its important for us to respect the lives of our children and the experiences they had in boarding schools," Pease said during a presentation from the commission in Billings. So much of the history thats been written about American Indians rests on the shoulders of male historians who tend to study the experiences of men, warriors and leaders, and so to look at the lives of children is a very important endeavor and privilege, she said. Starting as early as 1819 with the Indian Civilization Act, the U.S. government campaigned to assimilate Indigenous peoples. Indian boarding schools administered by federal and religious authorities were a tool in that campaign. At their peak, according to recent academic research, hundreds of such schools dotted the country. It was the policy of many of these school to impose European names on incoming children, cut their hair and forbid them from speaking their tribal languages. Coupled with strict assimilation policies, according to research from the U.S. Department of the Interior, were chronic cases of corporal punishment and sexual abuse afflicting children at the boarding schools. A national reckoning with Indian boarding schools followed the revelation of unmarked graves of Native American children at former institutions in Canada and the United States. In 2021, the remains of 215 children were found on the campus of what was the Kamloops Indian Residential School in Canada. Some were as young as 3 years old. The U.S. DOI identified 53 burial sites at schools in the United States, and reported that more than 500 children died while in the custody of the schools. Carlisle Indian Industrial School, a former Indian boarding school at what is now U.S. Army War College in Pennsylvania, alone saw more than 10,000 Indigenous children assigned there from 1879 to 1918. At least 186 children died at Carlisle during that time, the Gazette previously reported. Pease, an enrolled member of the Crow Tribe with a doctorate in education, identified three of those children as fellow tribal members. In Montana, the DOI named more than a dozen Indian boarding schools. Those included the still operating schools of St. Labre in Ashland, St. Charles in Pryor and St. Xavier, now known as Pretty Eagle Catholic Academy, in St. Xavier. Of the three, only St. Labre still functions as a boarding school, with students able to stay on campus in dormitories through the school week. In light of the news out of Kamloops, the St. Labre Indian School Educational Association chartered an independent commission to review and report the history of all three campuses overseen by the association and find any and all children whose lives may have ended there. The commission was formed in May 2022. Richard Littlebear, a commission member who also holds a doctorate in education and recently retired as the president of Chief Dull Knife College on the Northern Cheyenne Reservation, attended a boarding school while growing up in Busby. The Northern Cheyenne man said he joined the commission wanting to learn how his own experiences fit into the larger story of Indian boarding schools. For many families, he said, their education was a traumatic experience and he hopes the commissions findings might be able to bring closure to some of the families sharing that trauma. Other commission members include Anda Pretty On Top, a Crow woman with more than 30 years of experience as an educator, and Matthew Redinger, a former professor at Montana State University Billings with a PhD in history. Pretty On Top and Redinger are members of the St. Labre Board of Directors. Also joining the commission is Walter Fleming, the current head of the Department of Native American Studies at Montana State University. To answer the question of if there are any children whose deaths at the three campuses went unreported, Pease said the commission will take three steps. The first is wading into the flood of documents available. Those include records containing attendance and health information, Redinger said, along with any documents maintained by the religious organizations that oversaw the schools. All three schools date back to the late 1800s. The Catholic priests and nuns who ran these schools were famous for their record keeping in terms of making note of every occurrence that happened at schools, he said. To assist in piecing together documents from archives maintained in Montana and as far away as Washington D.C., Redinger said the commission has retained Historical Research Associates, a private firm based out of Missoula to conduct nationwide research. The second step for the commission, Pease said, will be to hold listening sessions for tribal members on the Crow and Northern Cheyenne reservations to share their memories of Indian boarding schools. Those oral histories, she said, offer a glimpse into the past that may be lost in official documentation. Peases great-uncle died while attending a boarding school in Crow Agency in 1903. During her own research, Pease couldnt find any mention of Benny for that entire year. We know that there could be times when these stories have never been shared outside the confines of their own family dining room, or maybe its never been shared at all, so were planning to give that the utmost respect, Pease said. The commissions final step will be combining the oral histories with the archival research in a report to the St. Labre Board of Directors. Although there is nothing to indicate at this point that there are any unmarked graves at the St. Labre campuses, Pease said the commission is prepared to invest in tools such as ground penetrating radar should its research prove otherwise. The listening sessions will begin July 10 on the Northern Cheyenne Reservation. The commission is asking that only tribal members with information to share attend. The place and time of each listening session is as follows: - Blessed Sacrament Church, Lame Deer: July 10 9:00 a.m. - Christ the King Catholic Church, Busby: July 10 1:00 p.m. - St. Labre Auditorium, Ashland: July 10 5:30 p.m. - St. Dennis Meeting Hall, Crow Agency: July 11 9:00 a.m. - Our Lady of Loretto Catholic Church, Lodge Grass: July 11 1:00 p.m. - Pretty Eagle Catholic Academy Cafeteria, St. Xavier: July 11 5:00 p.m. - St. Charles Mission School Cafeteria, Pryor: July 12 10:00 a.m. A rail car containing sulfur that plunged into the Yellowstone River after a bridge collapsed on June 24 has been removed, according to the accident's Unified Command. The car was the last of 10 that crashed into the river between Reedpoint and Columbus. Crews were also able to pull out some of the bridge's steel on Sunday evening. On Monday morning, teams finished transferring asphalt from three rail cars on the eastern span of the bridge into stable rail cars. The rail cars with the transferred product will be relocated and staged at a location away from the site, according to a press release from the Environmental Protection Agency. Work to remove the now empty cars remaining on the eastern span of the bridge will continue throughout Monday. Our efforts have been focused on removing the rail cars from the river and assessing downstream impacts, said Columbus Fire Department Chief Rich Cowger in a statement. "We are turning our attention to cleaning affected areas along the Yellowstone River." All rail cars are out of the river and the potential release of asphalt materials are no longer a concern, according to the EPA. Environmental teams are focusing their efforts on downstream assessment and adding additional resources to cleaning up the asphalt spill. There have been additional boats and personnel deployed to remove asphalt from the riverbanks. About 1,500 pounds of asphalt material were collected as part of initial efforts on Sunday. Montana Rail Link is running traffic and serving customers across their system not impacted by the derailment. As Montanans celebrate the Fourth of July holiday and associated community events, please be aware that trains are present on the railway and to stay off the tracks at all times for your safety, said Montana Rail Link President Joe Racicot. Unified Command continues to communicate with local stakeholders and agencies as the situation evolves. A second public meeting is planned later this week. Final details for the meeting are being compiled. KUALA LUMPUR, July 4 (Xinhua) -- Malaysian economists have foreseen the potential growth of Chinese tourists to boost the Southeast Asian country's tourism industry. PublicInvest Research said in its recent report that it expects China to contribute to the recovery of the global tourism industry, including Malaysia. According to the research house, the resurgence of Chinese tourists will serve as a significant positive factor for the ASEAN region, albeit with a gradual recovery trajectory. It is noteworthy that the total number of tourists visiting ASEAN countries has yet to surpass pre-pandemic levels. While the Chinese government itself has actively encouraged tourism, the research house noted that the backlog of passport and visa renewals is substantial, necessitating a considerable amount of time to be cleared. It anticipated that tourist arrivals may not surpass the previous peak recorded in 2019 until at least the first half of 2024. PublicInvest Research also said that the reopening of China has yielded a remarkable influx of 178,150 Chinese tourists to Malaysia in the first quarter, a stark contrast to the meager count of fewer than 1,900 visitors during the corresponding period in the preceding year. Its assessment suggests the potential for a complete recovery to the pre-pandemic level of 3.1 million Chinese tourists observed in 2019 by the first half of 2024. In light of these favourable trends in tourist arrivals and the subsequent revitalisation of tourism, it anticipated the creation of additional employment opportunities and heightened demand for goods and services within Malaysia's tourism sector. Consequently, this development is poised to provide crucial support to Malaysia's domestic demand, said the research house. It is noted that the tourism industry in Malaysia is placing considerable emphasis on a substantial resurgence in tourist arrivals during the second half of 2023, propelled by measures to address visa approval challenges and enhance flight connectivity. Malaysia's tourist receipts amounted to 28.2 billion ringgit (6.05 billion U.S. dollars) in 2022, compared to 86.1 billion ringgit in 2019. The Malaysian government has set an ambitious target of attracting 16.1 million tourists this year, signifying a notable 60-percent surge compared to the previous year, with the objective of generating 49.2 billion ringgit (10.55 billion U.S. dollars) in tourist receipts. Hong Leong Investment Bank Research also sees China as a key ingredient to Malaysia's tourist concoction in its recent report. "The Chinese are not only important in terms of tourist numbers to Malaysia, they are also 'high-value tourists'," it said. It is noted that prior to the pandemic, China was the third-largest source of tourists to Malaysia, after Singapore and Indonesia. However, in terms of contribution to tourist receipts, China ranks higher at second, owing to their stronger spending power. From 2017-2019, the typical Chinese tourist spent 661 ringgit to 768 ringgit per day in Malaysia, which was 19 percent to 72 percent higher than what the average tourist did. CGS CIMB also sees upside from a pick-up in Malaysia's tourism sector over the next 6 to 18 months underpinned by the potential growth of Chinese tourists in its recent report. It said that China's reopening gains could provide further impetus to Malaysia's economy and current account surplus, especially in 2024. Malaysian tourism sector recently called for improvement of related government departments to improve and attract more international tourists. The Malaysian Association of Tour and Travel Agents (MATTA) said in a statement that a review of the current procedures on the handling of traveler with Not To Land (NTL) status is crucial to preventing abuses as Malaysia gears up to receive more international tourists. MATTA President Tan Kok Liang said it is imperative that the government does all it can to uplift the image of Malaysia as a safe and attractive tourism destination by eliminating corruption at all levels at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA), which is the main gateway. Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim visited the KLIA on Sunday to ensure the Royal Malaysian Customs Department (JKDM) and the Immigration Department (JIM) are under control. According to Malaysian official news agency Bernama, Anwar said the government will study measures to improve the condition of the departments. "There are some customs weaknesses which need to be remedied. Generally, the majority of the services by immigration employees and personnel is proceeding smoothly. There are some problems. We would investigate to improve and appropriate actions would be taken if there are flaws." (1 ringgit equals 0.21 U.S. dollar). When it came time to say goodbye, Doolarie Badree just could not do it. The ailing mother cried, begged, wailed and bought time until, in the end, she let go of the daughter she could no longer care for. So that afternoon, her child, Renuca Badree, was taken from the home she had never left in all her 47 years of life. With over 100 persons arrested for the year in connection with child abuse, men are being called upon to better protect children. We cant be the ones that are affecting and contributing to the abuse we are seeing here. We need to do better, ASP Christopher Aroon of the TTPS Special Victims Unit (SVU) said yesterday. PHOENIX The top House Republican contends the governors order banning use of public funds to promote, support or enable conversion therapy is illegal and appears to violate the rights of parents to make decisions for their children. In a letter Monday to Democratic Gov. Katie Hobbs, House Speaker Ben Toma acknowledged that some states have banned the practice. But he said that can be done only by the Legislature. Your executive order is an improper exercise of your authority, the Peoria Republican told Hobbs. Toma also said her definition of conversion therapy is unprecedented, vague, unintelligible, and unenforceable, citing her use of the words any practice or treatment. State agencies directed to implement your executive order cannot begin to understand what constitutes a banned conversion therapy, Toma wrote. But gubernatorial press aide Christian Slater said the order, issued last week, is a bit more specific. What it outlaws is any practice or treatment that seeks or purports to change an individuals non-heteronormative sexual orientation or non-cisgender identity, including efforts to change behaviors or gender expression, under the false premise that homosexuality and gender-diverse identities are pathological. And Slater pointed out that Hobbs order cited the position of the American Psychological Association. It has stated sexual orientation conversion efforts are linked to increased suicide attempts. Hobbs also said the federal Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration has determined that so-called conversion therapy is coercive, can be harmful, and should not be part of behavioral health treatment. The practice is scientifically discredited, the Associated Press has reported. Parents Bill of Rights But Toma said there are other issues. One is the Parents Bill of Rights, a broad statement in Arizona law of the rights of parents over a minor child without obstruction or interference from this state. Provisions range from directing the childs education and upbringing to deciding the childs moral or religious training. There also is a provision saying the government may usurp the fundamental right of parents to direct the upbringing, education, health care and mental health of their children only by first showing it is essential to accomplish a compelling governmental interest of the highest order and that the method of interference is narrowly tailored and is not otherwise served by a less restrictive means. Other than citing the opposition of various medical experts and professional organizations, Hobbs executive order cites one such interest. The government has a duty to taxpayers to ensure that decisions are fiscally sound, transparent, and evidence based, and that public healthcare funds are not spent on discredited, ineffective, and unsafe practices, Hobbs stated. He also cites freedom of speech Toma also said the state constitutional right of freedom of speech protects the right of patients to speak freely with their therapists. He also cited a 2020 federal appellate court ruling, which voided as unconstitutional a conversion therapy ban enacted by a Florida city. There, Toma said, the court determined the First Amendment does not allow the government to determine how their neighbors may be counseled about matters of sexual orientation or gender. But Slater said all that misses a crucial point. Its not like an actual ban on conversion therapy, he said of the governors order. That would have to be statutory, just like Toma is claiming. For a city that prides itself on its independent, homegrown restaurants, Tucson is a magnet for national chains. Since last summer, at least seven national chains opened their first Tucson locations, including four since January two of which selected Tucson for their first ventures outside their Midwest home bases. They join nearly a dozen national fast-food chains that have set up shop in Tucson in the past decade or so, including the Oregon-based Dutch Bros. Coffee, Kansas's popular Freddy's Frozen Custard & Steakburgers, Wisconsin's Culvers, Louisiana's Raising Cane's Chicken Fingers and the Phoenix chain Salad and Go. "The restaurant industry in Tucson is booming for obvious reasons," said Terry Kyte, president of Tucson Originals, whose family owns the Bisbee Breakfast Club restaurant, which has five locations in the Tucson area. "If I had to guess, a lot of the chains are looking at us with new eyes under (the 2015 UNESCO City of Gastronomy) designation. Independents created the vibrant scene we have now a literal City of Gastronomy and its not surprising that national chains are coming in to try to get a piece of it." "Whenever something new opens up, Tucson just flocks to it," said Jeramy Price, a commercial real estate broker with Volk Company who specializes in national brands. Tucson is no stranger to national chains, from our fascination with burgers that heralded the arrival of In 'N Out Burger, Five Guys Burgers & Fries, Blake's Lottaburger and Smashburger starting in 2007, to our fleeting love affair beginning in 2014 with fast-casual pizza including Pieology, Fired Pie and several other brands that have long since moved on. But what makes the recent surge in new chains interesting is the pace at which they are expanding, opening multiple locations one after another, with no signs of slowing down. Dutch Bros. went from its single location at 120 S. Wilmot Road in fall 2018 to a dozen today. Raising Cane's has expanded to four locations after opening its first here in late 2015 at 6352 E. Broadway. And both Freddy's and Culver's, which introduced their takes on burgers and frozen custard in 2011, are each sitting at five Tucson area locations; Culver's also has a restaurant in Green Valley. Arguably the fastest-growing chain is Salad and Go, which launched in Phoenix in 2013 and opened its first Tucson restaurant at 5501 E. Speedway in August 2021. Before 2021 was history, the salad and wraps concept had opened its second location at West River Road and North La Cholla Boulevard. It added two more locations in 2022 and a fifth this year, with No. 6 expected to open later this summer. Tucson could see another four locations open in 2024, said Salad and Go's Chief Development Officer Matt Copenhaver. "Weve always been confident that wed do well in the Tucson market," Copenhaver said in an email interview. "Looking long-term, we believe the market can support 15 or more Salad and Go locations." Register for more free articles. Log in Sign up Price, who works closely with national chains, said Tucson became attractive to national brands once its metro population hit 1 million in 2015, but it was the makeup of the population that prompted Boise, Idaho's Gyro Shack to make inroads into the market this spring. Seth Brink said he and his partners, Mark Urness and Matt Jeffries, honed in on Tucson because of its diverse population including the large influx of Midwest and East Coast winter visitors and college students, and Urness's family ties to the city; he has relatives here and he has operated businesses in Tucson. The partners opened Tucson's first Gyro Shack at 5755 E. Broadway in mid-April and already have plans for a second. It is the first location for the fast-casual Greek restaurant outside Idaho. "For us, the sales are great. They are better than we expected," said Brink, who with his partners bought Gyro Shack from its founder in 2015. "Were excited to see what happens when it cools off a little and people are ready to eat outside again." Tucson also landed the first Chick-In Waffle restaurant outside of its Kansas City, Missouri, home base. Oro Valley businessman Sunny Patel and several family members opened the chicken-and-waffles restaurant on May 19 at 5524 E. Grant Road. Two locations in the Phoenix area also are slated to open soon. Volk's Price said the new chains are doing well in part because "theres just people that are gonna go to chains because it may be slightly more convenient." "They know what they are going to get each and every time," he added. "I think no matter who comes in, the people of Tucson are going to be receptive and want to try something new. It's not a Tucson thing; it's a human desire to try out new foods, to try out new concepts." But Tucson Originals' Kyte said he worries that Tucson might be on the verge of becoming oversaturated between local restaurants and the national chains. "Im all for choice, and living in Tucson, I want more options and more choices in restaurants," he said. "But at a certain point and I don't know if we've reached that point yet theres going to be saturation." "I think it comes down to my belief in independents to persevere and Tucson diners to continue to support them as they have done for at least as long as Ive been in operation," Kyte added. "I think folks in Tucson understand the power of their spending." Pakistan's Minister for Power Khurram Dastgir Khan unveils a plaque during the celebrations of safe operation for 1,000-days of the 660kV Matiari-Lahore high-voltage direct current (HVDC) transmission project under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) on the outskirts of Lahore, Pakistan on July 3, 2023. Pakistan's Minister for Power Khurram Dastgir Khan said Monday that with the inception of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) 10 years ago, the relations between the two countries qualitatively changed into a deep economic partnership. (Xinhua/Ahmad Kamal) LAHORE, Pakistan, July 4 (Xinhua) -- Pakistan's Minister for Power Khurram Dastgir Khan said Monday that with the inception of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) 10 years ago, the relations between the two countries qualitatively changed into a deep economic partnership. "CPEC is a deep commitment by the government and the people of China to the future economic development of Pakistan," the minister told the celebrations of safe operation for 1,000-days of 660kV Matiari-Lahore high-voltage direct current (HVDC) transmission project under CPEC. Highlighting the 10th anniversary of CPEC, he said Pakistan had crippling energy shortages with regular load shedding along with a strong wave of terrorism a decade ago, due to which none of its international partners were willing to come out actively for its support. "China came and stood beside Pakistan shoulder to shoulder," Khan said, adding that "it is the tough times that allow you to recognize your true friends." Regarding the Matiari-Lahore transmission line, the minister said this 886-km-long network connecting the power projects from Pakistan's northern mountains all the way up to the southern parts, represents a deep bond of friendship between the two countries. On the occasion, Li Yong, counselor of commercial affairs at the Chinese Embassy in Pakistan, said the only power transmission project under CPEC, has already delivered almost 27 billion kilowatt-hours (kWh) of electricity. "The Chinese side is willing to work closely with the Pakistani counterpart to fully implement the consensus reached by the leaders of the two countries, to promote the high-quality development of CPEC and turn it into a high-quality demonstration project for Belt and Road cooperation," he added. Launched in 2013, CPEC is a corridor linking the Gwadar port in southwestern Pakistan with Kashgar in northwest China's Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region, which highlights energy, transport and industrial cooperation. The Matiari-Lahore transmission project was invested and constructed by the State Grid Corporation of China. The construction started in December 2018, and around 7,000 jobs had been created for the locals during the construction period. The commercial operation of the project, which has the maximum capacity to transmit electricity of 35 billion kWh annually, started in September 2021. This photo taken on July 3, 2023 shows a view of the 660kV Matiari-Lahore high-voltage direct current (HVDC) transmission project under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) on the outskirts of Lahore, Pakistan. Pakistan's Minister for Power Khurram Dastgir Khan said Monday that with the inception of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) 10 years ago, the relations between the two countries qualitatively changed into a deep economic partnership.(Xinhua/Ahmad Kamal) Owasso police officers fatally shot a man who reportedly pointed a shotgun at them on Monday afternoon. The shooting occurred where 96th Street North dead-ends east of 177th East Avenue in Rogers County, Owasso Police Department Deputy Chief Jason Woodruff told the Tulsa World. Police had received a call just after 3 p.m. from someone in Oklahoma City about a potentially suicidal person who might be driving around Owasso armed with a handgun and a shotgun, Woodruff said. About 20 minutes later, a police officer attempted to stop a vehicle bearing a tag that didnt match its registration, but that attempted traffic stop led to a short pursuit that ended at the dead end on 96th Street North. Once the fleeing vehicle had stopped, the driver got outside the vehicle and at some point pointed a shotgun at the officers, Woodruff told the Tulsa World. After some dialog between the officers and the subject, the man pointed the shotgun at the officers and they responded by shooting the subject, Woodruff said in a press release. Two officers fired their weapons, and the man was pronounced dead at the scene, Woodruff said. Woodruff said the Owasso Police Department has asked the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation to investigate the shooting and has placed the two officers on routine administrative leave while the investigation is conducted. The names of those involved have not yet been released. Americans celebrated the nations Bicentennial 47 years ago with parades, fireworks and picnics. But Tulsa had something no other city had. Elvis Presley. The King of Rock n Roll performed on July 4, 1976, on a Sunday afternoon before 11,575 adoring fans at the Mabee Center. It was the fifth time Elvis had performed in Tulsa, beginning April 18, 1956 at the Pavilion. He returned in 1972 (at Tulsa Assembly Center, later known as Cox Business Center. That arena had its final concert in 2018) and played two shows in 1974. But the 1976 show was special to devoted fans, who began showing up at noon the day before tickets went on sale. Tickets sold out in 7 hours. Seeing Elvis Presley on the Bicentennial was a dramatization of the American Dream at least the capitalistic part, wrote Tulsa World reporter Tom Carter. Rising from rural poverty, hes evolved into an industry, the fruition of the forefathers promises about this land of economic freedom, Carter wrote. The next part of the concert review got Carter in hot water with ardent devotees of The King. What do you mean Im fat? (Elvis) kidded with the crowd, while posing like a baby whale in blue sequins. The notorious hip movements were all but gone, excepting occasional jerks that looked more spastic than swivel. He often stood planted, feet on the floor and belly over belt, the review says. Elvis lumbered around the stage in a Bicentennial outfit, complete with the Presidential Seal on his giant belt, perhaps intended more to hold in his waist than hold up his pants, Carter wrote. Two direct air routes connecting Da Nang City in central Vietnam and Guangzhou and Hong Kong in China were resumed after a hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The VN-549 charter flight of national flag carrier Vietnam Airlines with 200 passengers on board flew from Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport in China to Da Nang International Airport on Monday night. Vietnam Airlines will operate three weekly flights on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays on the route, using Airbus A321 aircraft. These flights will depart from Guangzhou at 9:40 pm and land in Da Nang at 22:55 pm. The air route reopening is a positive signal for Da Nangs tourism, whose main source market is China. Tourists from Guangzhou, China are excited to return to Da Nang. Photo: Tan Luc / Tuoi Tre A day earlier, budget air carrier Vietjet Air reopened a direct air route from Da Nang to Hong Kong. The airline will operate four return flights per week on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays, and Sundays on the route. Earlier, air routes linking the central Vietnamese coastal city to Macau and Taiwan had also been resumed. Vietnamese airlines operated many direct air routes between Da Nang and Chinese localities, such as Chengdu, Shanghai, Xi'an, Hebei, and Hunan, before the COVID-19 pandemic. Many of them will be reopened this year, according to Da Nang International Terminal Investment and Operation JSC. Da Nang welcomed 3.5 million tourists in the first half of this year, including 930,000 international guests, a 11.3-fold year-on-year increase, and 2.57 million domestic travelers. International visitors stayed in the city for over two days each on average. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! Vinh International Airport in Nghe An Province, north-central Vietnam resumed normal operations from 7:00 am on Tuesday, after its cracked runway underwent repair. Tran Hoai Phuong, head of the Northern Airports Authority, asked the Vinh airport to inform airlines and relevant agencies of the resumption. Also, the Vietnam Air Traffic Management Corporation was told to issue notifications of the resumption at home and overseas, while directing its subsidiary, Northern Region Air Traffic Services Company, to control air traffic at the airport with the highest levels of safety. Hoang Van Thu, director of the Vinh airport, told Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper on Tuesday morning that the airport resumed normal operations after its cracked runway underwent 12 hours of repairs. The cracked section spanned some 40 square meters, but the airport management authority decided to expand the area subject to repair to 1,000 square meters, Thu said. The repair was done at around 5:50 am on Tuesday, with the first flight on the Hanoi-Vinh route being operated, he said. The airport reported seven makeup flights operated by local carriers such as Vietnam Airlines, Bamboo Airways, and Vietjet Air on Tuesday morning, according to the airport leader. Aircraft are parked at Vinh International Airport in Nghe An Province, north-central Vietnam, July 4, 2023. Photo: Doan Hoa / Tuoi Tre Earlier, the Vinh airport was informed by its air traffic controller of the cracked section on runway No. 17 at 9:35 am on Monday, by which time the airport had operated four flights. Following the incident, the airport was temporarily shut down from 10:50 am on Monday for repair and was scheduled to reopen at 10:50 am the next day. The preliminary assessment results from the Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam (CAAV) indicated that high temperatures might cause cracking on the runway. The runway cracking resulted in cancellations of 21 flights scheduled to depart from or land at the Vinh airport on Monday. Multiple flights had to divert to Tho Xuan Airport in neighboring Thanh Hoa Province and the travel plans of thousands of affected passengers were disrupted. A working delegation led by a CAAV deputy head on the same day visited the Vinh airport to examine the incident and direct repair activities. The national aviation authority also adopted measures to support affected flights and grant permits to unscheduled flights to transport the affected passengers. According to the Airports Corporation of Vietnam (ACV), runways at the Vinh airport were put into service in late 2003 and now require repairs and upgrades after two decades of operations. Vinh International Airport in Nghe An Province, north-central Vietnam resumed normal operations on July 4, 2023 after its cracked runway was repaired. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! Vietnams exports of vegetables and fruits reached a new record in the first half of the year, at US$2.7 billion, surging 64 percent year on year, Vietnamese Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Phung Duc Tien said at a press briefing in Hanoi on Monday. With this result, the target of over $5 billion this year is attainable, Tien added. Regarding the potential to increase the figure to $10 billion in the future, Nguyen Nhu Cuong, head of the Department of Crop Production under the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, said Vietnam holds high potential in vegetable and fruit exports and is in no way inferior to other countries. The cultivation area tends to fall to serve industry and service development, which may result in a decline in vegetable and fruit output. However, the $10-billion export value will be completely achievable if the sector comes up with solutions to improve its product value and quality, Cuong added. It is needed to increase processed vegetable and fruit exports instead of selling raw products. The state should also work out preferential policies for the cultivation sector. Vietnams positive growth in vegetable and fruit exports was thanks to the surging demand in China, according to the Agency of Foreign Trade under the Ministry of Industry and Trade. Vietnam shipped vegetables and fruits worth $1.2 billion to the northern neighbor in the first five months of this year, soaring 80.2 percent over the same period last year and making up 63.5 percent of the countrys total vegetable and fruit exports. China has increased purchases, while Vietnam has entered the harvest season of these products, leading to the surge in vegetable and fruit shipments. Besides China, Vietnam recorded a positive growth rate in vegetable and fruit exports to other markets, such as South Korea, Japan, the United Arab Emirates, and Malaysia. In the first six months of the year, Vietnam exported $24.5 billion worth of agro-forestry-fishery products, down 11.1 percent over the year-ago period, according to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development. The country had seven commodities whose export value surpassed $1 billion each, including coffee ($2.4 billion), rubber ($1 billion), rice ($2.3 billion), vegetables and fruits ($2.7 billion), cashew nuts ($1.6 billion), shrimp ($1.5 billion), and wooden products ($4 billion), despite difficulties in exporting. Rice, vegetables, and fruits reported the highest growth. Rice exports rose 22 percent in volume and 34 percent in value. As for the import markets, China returned to be the largest buyer of Vietnams agro-forestry-fishery products with a proportion of 21.4 percent, inching up 7.7 percent. The U.S. ranked second with 20.2 percent, plunging 32.9 percent. It was followed by Japan with 7.7 percent, down 5.3 percent. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! Vietnam understands the value of education and Vietnamese children experience one of the worlds best schooling systems, The Economist, a famous British magazine, wrote in a recent article. Vietnams GDP per capita is currently only US$3,760, lower than that of neighboring countries such as Malaysia and Thailand, but Vietnamese children go through one of the best schooling systems in the world, a status reflected in outstanding performances in international assessments of reading, math, and science, according to the article 'Why are Vietnams schools so good?' Citing the latest data from the World Bank, the author said in terms of aggregate learning scores, Vietnamese students not only outperform their counterparts in Malaysia and Thailand but also those from the UK and Canada, countries more than six times richer. In Vietnam, moreover, student scores do not exhibit the scale of gender and regional inequality, a problem so common in other countries, according to the article. According to the magazine, the secret to the success of Vietnams education lies in the classroom: its children learn more at school, especially in the early years. The article cited a study in 2020, by Associate Professor Abhijeet Singh of the Stockholm School of Economics (Sweden), which gauged the greater productivity of Vietnams schools by examining data from identical tests taken by students in Ethiopia, India, Peru, and Vietnam. Accordingly, he found that Vietnamese children between the ages of five and eight achieved better results. One more year of education in Vietnam increases the probability that a child can solve a simple multiplication problem by 21 percentage points; in India the uplift is six points, he explained. Unlike those in other poor countries, Vietnamese schools have improved over time, the article wrote. The author cited a study published in 2022 by U.S. researchers as saying that in 56 of 87 developing countries the quality of education had deteriorated since the 1960s, while Vietnam is among a small minority of countries where schools have consistently bucked this trend. The most significant reason is the calibre of Vietnamese teachers, the article wrote, explaining that they are not necessarily better qualified but they are simply more effective at teaching. Another study comparing Indian with Vietnamese students attributes much of the difference in scores in mathematical tests to a teaching quality gap, the article said. Vietnams teachers do their job well because they are well-managed. They receive frequent training and are given the freedom to make classes more engaging, the author pointed out. In order to tackle regional inequality, it noted, teachers assigned to remote areas are paid more than usual, and most importantly, teacher assessment is based on their students performance: those whose students do well are honored with prestigious "teacher excellence" titles. Provinces are required to spend 20 percent of their budgets on education, which has helped regional equity, the author wrote, adding that the Communist Party of Vietnams due attention also ensures the update of curriculums and teaching standards. In addition, Vietnamese society traditionally attaches great importance to education, the article cited Ngo Quang Vinh, a social-sector officer at the Asian Development Bank, who said even poorer parents try their best to invest in their childrens studies. In large cities, many families look for schools with good teachers for their children to enroll, Vinh added. All this has reaped rich rewards. As schools have improved, so has Vietnams economy, the article commented. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! One Vietnamese, not two as initially announced, and seven Chinese died in a fire at a nightclub under renovation in Cambodias capital Phnom Penh last weekend, Cambodian newspaper Khmer Times reported Tuesday, citing local police. Both Khmer Times and Chinas Global Times on Monday reported that two Vietnamese were among the eight victims, but in its update report on Tuesday, Khmer Times named only one Vietnamese in the list of the fatalities. The Vietnamese victim has been identified as Tran Ngoc Tan, 28 years old, and all the seven others were Chinese, aged from 23 to 30, according to Khmer Times. The fire broke out at around 5:00 pm last Saturday on the fifth floor of the 6969 nightclub in Phnom Penhs Khan Tuol Kouk District, as the victims were renovating the buildings interior, the Khmer Times said. Firefighters quickly arrived at the scene but they were unable to rescue the eight victims as they were trapped in a high part of the building, the newspaper cited Col. Prohm Yorn, director of the citys Fire Prevention and Rescue Police Office, as saying. These victims, who were construction workers, reportedly died of suffocation during the blaze, which took several hours for firefighters to stamp out, Phnom Penh City police spokesman San Sok Seiha said. The fire might have resulted from a short circuit, he added, citing initial investigations. Local police have begun investigating the cause of the incident and arrested four suspects, who were working in the building at the time of the fire, the spokesman informed. The eight bodies have been handed over to their families for traditional rites, while the four suspects are being held in the citys Toul Kork Police Inspectorate for questioning, Khmer Times reported. According to Cambodias National Committee for Disaster Management, the Southeast Asian country recorded 454 fires nationwide in 2022, with 42 people killed and 55 injured. In December, a major fire killed 26 people at the Grand Diamond City hotel-casino complex in Poipet, a Cambodian town bordering Thailand, the committee said. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! Land subsidence sank part of a roadway into the Ba Rai River in Tien Giang Province, located in Vietnams Mekong Delta region, in the early hours of Monday, confirmed a local official. The road section battered by the subsidence measured around 20 meters long and some five meters wide, said Le Van Thon, vice-chairman of the Peoples Committee of Hoi Xuan Commune in the provinces Cai Lay District, where the incident took place at around 2:00 am. The land collapse disrupted vehicular movement among local residents, especially when it is harvest time for picking fruits. Notified of the subsidence, the Hoi Xuan administration visited the site of the incident for an inspection and put up warning signs to prevent local commuters from encountering the out-of-service road. The local administration also set up a makeshift roadway to meet the travel demands of local residents, while waiting for local forces to cope with the aftermath of the subsidence. Thon attributed the land collapse to changes in the water flow of the river. Land subsidence could increasingly occur along the river when tides rise further, he said. Previously, Hoi Xuan reported two locations seriously hit by land collapse along the Ba Rai River. One instance wreaked havoc on a 50-meter-long road section, hampering traffic movement and trading activities of local residents. Data from the Hoi Xuan administration also revealed that land subsidence affecting three locations in the commune in the year to date has caused damages worth billions of dong. (VND1 billion = US$42,270). According to the provincial Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, around VND47 billion ($1.9 million) is required to cope with 34 erosion-hit locations in Cai Be, Cai Lay, and Chau Thanh Districts, with more than 8.8 kilometers of roads affected. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! The Nui Vung Tunnel, a vital component of the Cam Lam-Vinh Hao Expressway project in south-central Vietnam, has been successfully excavated after nearly 18 months of construction. The Cam Lam-Vinh Hao Expressway Joint Stock Company and Deo Ca Group held a ceremony in Nhi Ha Commune, Thuan Nam District, Ninh Thuan Province on Monday to commemorate the successful excavation of the Nui Vung Tunnel. The excavation teams from both the north and south directions of the left branch of the tunnel successfully dug through Vung Mountain with exceptional accuracy, marking a significant milestone in the projects progress. The tunnel, stretching 2.2 kilometers in length and located within the Cam Lam-Vinh Hao Expressway project, is built in the New Austrian Tunneling Method (NATM), an engineering technique that provides flexibility in construction across different geological conditions and guarantees improved safety compared to conventional tunneling modes. A car drives through the Nui Vung Tunnel in the Cam Lam-Vinh Hao Expressway project following its successful excavation in Ninh Thuan Province, south-central Vietnam, July 3, 2023. Photo: Duy Ngoc / Tuoi Tre According to Le Quyet Tien, director of the Transport Construction Investment Management Authority under the Ministry of Transport, upon completion, the tunnel project will establish a vital link between the expressways connecting Ho Chi Minh City and Khanh Hoa Province, alleviating traffic congestion on National Highway 1. As a whole, the Cam Lam-Vinh Hao Expressway project will reduce travel time, catering to the requirements of travel, transportation, tourism, cultural and social exchanges, boosting regional economic development and tapping into the regions tourism potential. Delegates attend a ceremony held to celebrate the successful excavation of the Nui Vung Tunnel in the Cam Lam-Vinh Hao Expressway project in Ninh Thuan Province, south-central Vietnam, July 3, 2023. Photo: Duy Ngoc / Tuoi Tre With a total investment of VND7.9 trillion (US$333.8 million), the expressway spans a total length of 78.5 kilometers, traversing Khanh Hoa, Ninh Thuan, and Binh Thuan Provinces in south-central Vietnam. It is among the three projects in Phase 1 of the North-South Expressway, utilizing the public-private partnership (PPP) method. As per the outlined schedule, approximately 21 kilometers of the Cam Lam-Vinh Hao Expressway is set to be accessible by the end of December, while the entire route is anticipated to reach completion by April 30, 2024. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! Vietnam and Cambodia always closely cooperate on issues of border management and protection, security and order maintenance, and crime fighting in the border area, Vietnamese Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson Pham Thu Hang said Monday. We hope to continue cooperating with Cambodia in consolidating a borderline of peace, friendship, cooperation, and development, she said. Hang was replying to Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspapers query regarding Cambodias recent deployment of military forces after detecting many unidentified drones flying into the countrys airspace. The drone intrusion, according to Cambodian media, happened in Mondulkiri Province, which is located in the east of Cambodia, bordering the provinces of Dak Lak, Dak Nong, and Binh Phuoc in Vietnams Central Highlands region. The two countries have a common land borderline of over 1,100km long. On June 27 night, Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen ordered the deployment of 500 soldiers and 200 anti-aircraft weapons to the eastern border after the detection of drones, according to Khmer Times. In subsequent speeches to the public, the PM announced that border military units had not spotted any more drones. The Cambodian government chief offered rewards for those who could detect drone intrusion, and also warned the public to be alert to related fake news. Khmer Times quoted PM Hun Sen as assuming that these drones were under the control of the terrorists involved in a recent armed attack in Dak Lak Province. PM Hun Sen also said that Vietnamese authorities had confirmed that the drones were not theirs. The deadly terrorist attack, which targeted the offices of the peoples committees of two communes in the province, occurred on June 11 and left nine dead and two injured. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, July 4) Power distributor Manila Electric Company (Meralco) said consumers may see a reduction in electricity rates this month on the back of lower demand as the wet season begins. May nakikita kaming posibilidad na bumaba itong halaga ng kuryente na binibili natin sa ating mga suppliers," Meralco spokesman Joe Zaldarriaga told CNN Philippines Newsroom Ngayon on Monday. "Pero bakit? Mainly because sa pagbaba ng demand dahil sa pagpasok ng tag-ulan, he explained. [Translation: We see a possibility that the cost of the electricity we buy from our suppliers will go down. But why? Mainly because of the drop in demand due to the onset of the rainy season.] The state weather bureau declared the start of the rainy season in the country early in June. Zaldarriaga said there is a seasonality of consumption, where the market usually records higher demand and rates during the summer months of March to June. Asked how much could be slashed, Zaldarriaga said there is no estimate yet as the company awaits billings from generation firms. Last month, Meralco implemented a rate hike of 0.4183, rising to 11.9112 per kilowatt-hour. Production has commenced on series 13 of Call the Midwife in the UK. This will feature a 90 minute Christmas special this year followed by 860 minute episodes in 2024. The recent announcement of a further two series (14 and 15) means that the Neal Street drama will be on air until 2026. All the regular cast return for series 13: Judy Parfitt as Sister Monica Joan, Jenny Agutter as Sister Julienne, Laura Main as Shelagh Turner, Helen George as Trixie Aylward, Cliff Parisi as Fred Buckle, Stephen McGann as Dr Turner, Linda Bassett as Nurse Crane, Megan Cusack as Nancy Corrigan, Annabelle Apsion as Violet Buckle, Georgie Glen as Miss Higgins, Zephryn Taitte as Cyril Robinson, Olly Rix as Matthew Aylward, Rebecca Gethings as Sister Veronica, Daniel Laurie as Reggie Jackson, Max Macmillan as Timothy Turner, Alice Brown as Angela Turner, Francesca Fullilove as Colette Corrigan, April Rae Hoang as May Tang and Edward Shaw as Teddy Turner. In the first episode, Nonnatus House kicks off a new pupil midwife-training scheme, welcoming pupil midwives Joyce Highland and Rosalind Clifford. Both are excited by this new stage in their careers and move into Nonnatus House, sharing a room. Joyce Highland hails from Trinidad, and aims to become Matron of a British hospital. Hardworking, fiercely bright, and deeply kind, she has a traumatic past that she cannot conceal forever. Rosalind Clifford is young, warm, passionate and funny. She may seem naive at times, but has an inner steeliness that will lead her to make some life-changing decisions. Renee Bailey (Rebel Cheer Squad, Mood) joins the series as Joyce and Natalie Quarry (Doctors) plays Rosalind. Series 13 continues to explore complex medical and personal situations on the midwifery and district nursing rounds. It is now 1969 and more babies are being born in hospital than ever before. Pressure on maternity beds remains extremely high across the country but Poplar is coping better than most due to the work of Nonnatus House and the popularity of home births under the auspices of the Sisters. This series will see stories from within the Sylheti and Nigerian communities and from around the docks. Poor housing continues to blight areas of Poplar presenting complex social and health challenges to the Nonnatus team. It will also explore issues surrounding Cerebral Palsy, Congenital Hip Dysplasia, Tetanus, Porphyria and TB. Heidi Thomas OBE, creator and writer says; After so many years, our much loved regular characters are like family to me and our wonderful fans so often tell me that they feel the same. I know they will be as thrilled as I am that Series 13 of Call the Midwife is full of beautiful moments that celebrate the young, the old, and the precious ties that bind them. After Trixies spectacular wedding, the Nonnatus House community feels more tightly-knit than ever, but life in Poplar has never been a fairy tale. As 1969 unfolds we will see change and challenge rock the world of our beloved nuns, nurses, medics, and midwives. Newcomers Joyce and Rosalind arrive with much to learn, and much to give. And yet even as man prepares to walk on the moon, we see them grappling with lifes eternal questions. Who are we? What is love? And where do we belong? Call the Midwife screens in Australia on BBC First / Binge and ABC. Season 5 of Restoration Australia begins on ABC later this month with host, Architecture Professor, Anthony Burke. Episode One centres around Duncan House in Castlecrag, Sydney. Transforming a revered wreck of a building into a glorious celebration of Australian architecture takes courage, commitment and often eye-watering dollops of cash. But in Series 5 of Restoration Australia, well follow the progress and pitfalls of singleminded restoration enthusiasts wholl stop at almost nothing to revitalise their beloved buildings. From the young couple who buy a crumbling church in country South Australia with a credit card and turn it into an extraordinary family home, to a pair of artisans who transform a tiny miners cottage into a showpiece of sustainability and old-fashioned craftsmanship, well witness the triumph of determination over difficulty. And in every restoration, whether its the preservation of the smallest of the acclaimed Walter-Burley Griffin-designed Castlecrag houses, the transformation of an austere run-down Tasmanian institutional orphanage into an inviting home, or the conversion of a tiny war memorial church to a family holiday getaway, safeguarding Australias architectural past is paramount. But the series also celebrates our architectural future. Well see a tumbledown old Queenslander travel 800 kilometres south to an eco-village and become a model of retrofitted sustainable housing, and a neglected inner-city Brisbane 1930s classic transformed into an eco-friendly, healthy haven. Throughout the series, host and Architecture Professor, Anthony Burke crosses the country providing expert commentary, wise counsel and timely support to owners as they grapple with the restoration of some of Australias most treasured old buildings. Production credits: A Fremantle production for the ABC. Executive Producers: Brooke Bayvel and Michael Collett. ABC Executive Producer: Madeleine Hawcroft. Sunday, 16 July, 7.30pm on ABC. Akansha Deshmukh, TwoCircles.net A wedding procession moves along a kaccha road of Bharatpura, a remote village in Madhya Pradeshs Chhatarpur district. On both sides, humble huts stand silent witnesses to the procession, with many people choosing not to join the baraat, an Indian celebratory wedding procession that escorts the groom, but instead peering out their doorways, their curious gazes fixed on the 25-year-old groom, Lacchi Ahirwar, as he rides on a mare. Support TwoCircles A man secures the reins to the mare, and two band members blow trumpets, while a lone police officer silently guides the baraat. While his presence is essential for security, it gives the procession a sombre tone. Lacchi is worried. Lacchis concern stems from the fact that he is a member of the Dalit community, which accounts for 16.6 percent of the Indian population yet continues to endure violence, intimidation, and prejudice across the country. Dalit Grooms Family Request Police Protection for Wedding While most normal families would be busy with wedding preparations, Lacchis uncle, Kaanshiram Ahirwar, 52, had gone to the Bijawar police station a day before the wedding on 27 June to file an application requesting police protection for his nephews wedding procession, concerned that upper caste people in their village might cause problems. I was afraid they would come to the wedding and create a disturbance as they do at other Dalit members weddings, which is why I went to submit the application, Kaanshiram explained to TwoCircles.net, adding that the upper castes do not allow them to celebrate functions. There are around 250 Dalit families in the village. Fearing reprisal, the Dalit family did not name any members of the upper castes during the entire conversation with this reporter. The term they is a collective designation for members of upper castes, representing a clear split between the two communities. To be honest, Im scared even as I speak to you, Lacchi told TwoCircles.net, adding that if he says anything about the upper castes, they will come after him. Climbed the Mare Despite Fear: Dalit Groom On his wedding day, his family and he were both afraid. I climbed the mare despite my fear. It was my wedding, and I had to perform all the rituals, he explained. Dalit men like Lacchi are not allowed to ride a horse to their wedding by upper-caste people, and in some regions of India, even sporting a moustache is not allowed. Keeping a moustache can turn fatal. In the neighbouring state of Rajasthan in 2022, a 28-year-old Dalit man was stabbed by upper-caste men for sporting a moustache. He died from his injuries by the time he was taken to the hospital. By riding a horse on his wedding day, Lacchi intended to give the message that Dalits are equal to the upper castes. Even we can do what they can do, he told TwoCircles.net. There was no violence. Everything concluded peacefully, said Swaroop Upadhyay, an inspector with the Bijawar Police Station who personally attended the wedding to ensure there was no disruption. While Lacchi appreciated having the police there to protect him and his family, he wished there had never been a need for police action in the first place. Dalits Face Legal Obstacles While Filing Cases: Lawyer Rani Gawli, a 37-year-old lawyer in Madhya Pradesh, feels that unless the authorities take firm and immediate action against those responsible, the cycle of violence and injustice against Dalits will continue. Unfortunately, it appears that local leaders and even police officers who wield influence over these cases foster an atmosphere of impunity, which emboldens the attackers, she said. Dalit people, according to Gawli, face obstacles when seeking to file complaints. Lacchi concurs. Even if we file complaints against the villages upper castes, nothing happens. They have everyones support, he remarked. Raising Attacks on Dalit Weddings in Madhya Pradesh In recent months, there have been numerous attacks on Dalit wedding processions, which highlight the deep-seated discrimination faced by the Dalit community. Saurabh Garg, brother of the self-styled godman Dhirendra Krishna Shastri, was caught on camera brandishing a pistol at a Dalit womans wedding in February. In early June, a Dalit mans wedding procession was pelted with stones in Madhya Pradeshs Chhatarpur district because the villages dominant caste objected to the groom riding a horse. A month before, people pelted stones at a Dalit groom riding a mare in his baraat in the states Dewas district. They continued to hurl abuses and thrash the guests until the groom dismounted the mare and sat on a motorbike. In another incident, upper caste members attacked guests during the wedding of a Dalit man who served in the Border Security Force (BSF) in Madhya Pradeshs Mandsaur district. Similar incidents have been reported in the Rajgarh district, where a Dalit wedding procession was stoned, leaving four attendees severely injured, and another where upper caste people prevented a Dalit grooms procession from using a music system and ransacked the wedding venue. Similar incidents have occurred in Madhya Pradeshs Ujjain district in the past. A Rise in Atrocities Against Dalits in Madhya Pradesh According to a National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) report, Madhya Pradesh had a higher number of Dalit atrocities against women and children. The state had the highest number of registered instances involving similar offenses. In 2021, there was a significant increase in cases of Dalit atrocities compared to the previous year. A total of 7,214 cases were registered specifically under Dalit atrocities. Furthermore, there were 4,627 instances reported under the SC/ST Act in 2021, a 9.38% rise from the previous year. Akansha Deshmukh is an independent journalist covering crime, politics and communalism. Taylor Swift fans have been scrambling to gain privileged access to pre-sale tickets to the Singapore concerts. Taylor Swift fans across Southeast Asia have reportedly caused a "very significant surge" in UOB card applications. (PHOTO: Getty) SINGAPORE UOB said it experienced a "very significant surge" of 45 per cent in UOB card application volumes across Southeast Asia following the announcement on 21 June that the bank's credit and debit cardholders will have privileged access to tickets for Taylor Swift's The Eras Tour concerts in Singapore. Daily average UOB credit card applications across Singapore, Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia and Vietnam in the week the announcement was made increased by 45 per cent compared with the preceding weeks in June, according to UOB. The bank added that debit card applications in Singapore and Vietnam were up nearly 130 per cent as well. "Based on UOB card application data, we anticipate an upswing in travellers to Singapore come March next year," said UOB's Head of Group Personal Financial Services Jacquelyn Tan. "Anticipating the surge in card applications, we had taken proactive steps to handle the uptick in volume such as increasing the capacity of the relevant business units handling these applications," said Tan. Over half of new UOB cardholders are females Based on UOB's card application data for all five countries, 52 per cent of new credit cardholders since the pre-sale and reserved tickets announcement are females. In Singapore, the proportion of new female cardholders had jumped almost 10 per cent in the week the announcement was made compared with the earlier part of the month where the male-female mix was almost equal, said UOB. Over a third of the new cardholders across all five countries were aged 30 to 40 years old, with the 20 to 30-year-old demographic coming in a close second at almost 32 per cent. In Singapore, UOB said that there was a "visible shift" in the demographics of new cardholders from 21 to 27 June, with the proportion of 25 to 29-year-olds increasing from 22 per cent in the preceding weeks of June 2023 to 27 per cent in the week following the announcement. UOB cardholders can purchase tickets during the pre-sale window and from the general on-sale reserved ticket allotment. The pre-sale period for Swift's Singapore concerts is expected to start at 12pm on Wednesday (5 July) and end at 9am on Friday (7 July), while sales for the reserved tickets start from 12pm on Friday (7 July). Tickets are sold on a first-come, first-served basis and are limited in quantity. Standard ticket prices for Swift's Singapore concerts range from S$108 to S$348, while VIP packages start from $S328 to S$1,228. Singapore will be the artist's only tour stop in Southeast Asia. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and Twitter. Blurs comeback Wembley shows at risk as band cancel festival slot (PA) Blurs Wembley Stadium comeback concerts have been thrown into question after drummer Dave Rowntree injured his knee. The Park Life hitmakers were forced to pull out of their headline slot at Frances Festival Beauregard in Chateau de Beauregard on Thursday due to the musicians injury. In a translation from French, a post on the Festival Beauregard Twitter account read: The bad news has just fallen: Blur will not be able to perform their concert in Beauregard. Dave Rowntree, the drummer, was injured this weekend and must rest for future shows. The band are due to play at Wembley this weekend (Getty Images) In light of the announcement, it has been confirmed that Royal Blood will take Blurs place at the music festival. Notably, the group, made up of Damon Albarn, Graham Coxon, and Alex James, are yet to publicly comment on the injury or the festival date. The news now throws the bands Wembley gigs, taking place on Saturday and Sunday, in doubt as to whether Rowntree will be well enough to perform. The Standard has contacted Blurs representatives for comment. Recently, bassist Alex James revealed that he cried when Blur, whose last headline shows came in 2015, sold out Wembley Stadium in two minutes. He told Red magazine: You never really know until you put a show on sale if anyone is interested. Its really emotional. Im absolutely delighted that its all back on and I love them all dearly like brothers. When hes not with the band, James lives on a farm with wife Claire and their five children, where these produce award-winning cheese. The musician admitted to the outlet that the adjustment between the two very different lifestyles can be tricky. He laughed: The last time I went away, I dropped the kids at school and flew to Mexico City, where there were thousands of people waiting for us at the airport and hotel. When we got to the venue a stadium it was huge. But afterwards, you get home and you have to wash up and the kids are like, Dad, stop being a w*****. (Bloomberg) -- Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis pledged to repay two years of bailout loans ahead of schedule in a confident signal to financial markets at the start of his second term in office. Most Read from Bloomberg We will be able before the end of the year to actually repay ahead of time, Mitsotakis said Tuesday during an interview with Bloomberg Television in Athens. Its a commitment to investors. Mitsotakis won a resounding majority last month for another four years in office, giving his conservative administration a mandate to implement investor-friendly policies hed touted during his campaign. That will mean chipping away at Greeces 356 billion ($388 billion) of debt, the highest relative to output in the euro area. Mitsotakis said he aims to regain Greeces investment-grade sovereign credit rating this year, 13 years after it was lost at the beginning of a long, painful financial crisis. The 55-year-old premier also vowed to accelerate his efforts to upgrade the Greek economy and to reduce the debt burden. I want to continue making Greece a very attractive destination for foreign investment, he said. Not only are we focused on growth, but we also want to make sure that our debt to GDP ratio continues to decline at a very rapid pace. Greeces two-year bonds erased a decline after Mitsotakiss comments, with the yield at 3.42% after trading as high as 3.56% earlier on the day. Benchmark 10-year notes were little changed. The early repayment of the so-called Greek Loan Facility will mark a symbolic step for Mitsotakis as he seeks to consign to the past the years of financial turmoil which saw his country come close to losing its place in the European currency union and left it as the the only euro area member with a junk rating. Moodys Investors Service and Scope Ratings both said that Mitsotakiss electoral win was a credit positive event for the country. Investors have piled into Greek bonds this year on the expectation the nation will regain an investment grade, making them the best performers in the developed world. That has cheapened the nations borrowing costs to such an extent that it now pays less than Italy, even as Romes debt is deemed safer by rating firms. We are already trading as if we are an investment grade country, but we also need the official stamp of approval by the rating agencies, Mitsotakis said. Greeces 10-year bond yield fell almost 80 basis points this year to 3.7%, compared to a 10 basis points drop in equivalent German notes to about 2.5%. The yield spread between Greece and Italys benchmark bonds reached minus 50 basis points, the lowest on record. Mitsotakis made his stewardship of the economy a central pillar of his re-election campaign, with gross domestic product having recovered to just about where it was when the country lost its ability to repay its debt in 2010. Unemployment has more than halved from its peak of 28%, and stocks and bonds have soared. The Athens Stock Exchange General Index is up more than 39% this year. Mitsotakis has also said he will seek to tackle Greeces current account deficit, which, due to the energy-price shock, reached 9.6% of GDP in 2022 from 5.5% the previous year. Greece has already repaid the full amount of loans provided by the International Monetary Fund ahead of schedule and has started to repay bilateral GLF loans provided by European countries early. This facility was part of the first financial support program for Greece, agreed in May 2010 amounting to 53 billion. Up until now the country has repaid just over 8 billion, of which 2.6 billion was an early repayment. In Junes general election, the second in just over a month, Mitsotakiss center-right New Democracy party got 41% of the vote, giving it 158 members in the 300-seat parliament. Mitsotakis has been the only New Democracy leader to increase the partys share of the vote after a first four-year term in office and he also secured the largest winning margin since 1974. --With assistance from Alexander Weber, John Follain and Aline Oyamada. (Updates with markets in sixth paragraph) Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek 2023 Bloomberg L.P. ROME (Reuters) - Pirelli has signed an agreement to buy 100% of Hevea-Tec, the biggest independent processor of natural rubber in Brazil, the Milan-based tyremaker said on Tuesday. The deal, based on an enterprise value for Hevea-Tec of around 21 million euros ($22.9 million) is expected to be completed by end-2023 pending approval by antitrust authorities. The acquisition will increase Pirelli's supply of natural rubber in Latin America, "ensuring continuity of provision in the region and, therefore, greater efficiency," the company said in a statement. The deal will not impact Pirelli's 2023 net financial position target of around 2.35 billion euros, it added. Pirelli said the Hevea-Tec purchase would also help the tyremaker further improve its control over the natural rubber supply chain and cut CO2 emissions thanks to local-for-local supply. ($1 = 0.9176 euros) (Reporting by Gavin Jones; editing by Giulio Piovaccari) Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, July 4) A group of Cebu public officials signed a manifesto in support of Tourism Secretary Christina Frasco, claiming that the "Love the Philippines" fiasco is a form of "sabotage" and "demolition job" against her. "Given the circumstances, it is not difficult to see that the goal of all this is to sabotage the great accomplishments of the Department of Tourism (DOT) Secretary, who continues to deliver for the administration of President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr., the manifesto read. The officials, including 11 representatives and 53 provincial mayors, also asserted that the criticisms directed at the campaign and the errors in the promotional video is a "demolition job" against Frasco. "We maintain that this barrage of criticisms in social and mainstream media is aimed at destroying neither the DOT nor the concerned private advertisement agency, but Secretary Christina Garcia-Frasco herself," it said. "We strongly believe this demolition job to be perpetrated by individuals with their own questionable agenda, perhaps to sway the trust and confidence of President Marcos in a Cebuana," it added. The manifesto also said that Frasco is an "asset" to the Marcos administration and ranked second as top performing cabinet official next to Interior Secretary Benhur Abalos Jr. in a recent survey. The officials further tagged the criticisms as "patent mudslinging," "dirty politicking" and "black propaganda" against Frasco. The DOT is investigating the "Love the Philippines" campaign video after netizens pointed out that "non-original shots" of locations outside of the country were used in the video. Frasco earlier told CNN Philippines' The Source that the DOT spent 49 million for the "Love the Philippines" campaign. Drone attack on Moscow causes flights to be diverted from international airport, says Russia Three drones were intercepted in the skies over Moscow (REUTERS) Russia on Tuesday said that Ukraine had launched a drone attack on Moscow and the surrounding region that disrupted flights at one of the capitals main airports. At least three drones were intercepted in the skies over the Moscow region - including two just 30 km (19 miles) southwest of the Kremlin, Russian news agencies said. One drone was detected in the neighbouring Kaluga region. Landings and takeoffs at Moscows Vnukovo were restricted for several hours early on Tuesday before normal operations resumed after 5am. A number of flights were diverted on their approach to other airports. Moscow claimed the attack was an act of terrorism. There was no immediate comment from Kyiv. Ukraine almost never publicly claims responsibility for attacks inside Russia or on Russian-controlled territory in Ukraine. At this moment, the attacks have been repelled by air defence forces, Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said on his Telegram messaging channel. All detected drones have been eliminated. There were no casualties reported, he added. One drone was shot down in the area of the town of Kubinka, some 63 km (40 miles) west of Moscow, RIA reported. A Russian air base is near Kubinka. Two drones were shot down near the village of Valuevo, the RIA news agency reported. The village is about 30 km (19 miles) southwest of the Kremlin. One was in the Kaluga region, which borders the Moscow region. Meanwhile in Ukraine a man and a woman died in Russian shelling of Ukraine's southern city of Kherson, the local prosecutor's office said in a statement on Tuesday. The number of wounded is being ascertained. Damage to property has also been reported, it said. (Bloomberg) -- The European Unions top diplomat will head to Beijing next week for meetings with Chinese officials, a trip that comes as Europe tries to figure out how to manage economic rivalry with China. Most Read from Bloomberg Josep Borrell will arrive in Beijing on Monday and meet Foreign Minister Qin Gang and other senior figures, according to the EUs ambassador to Beijing, Jorge Toledo. Toledo told the World Peace Forum in Beijing on Sunday that Brussels would continue to raise strategic issues with China, including human rights practices and Russias war in Ukraine. The two sides would continue dialogue on economic and trade issues, likely in September, and could hold a leaders summit at the end of the year, he added. We want to engage with China in all issues, in our partnership, in our competition and in our systemic rivalry, Toledo said. China Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning said Tuesday at a regular press briefing in Beijing she didnt have any information to offer about a visit to China by Borrell. Read: China Restricts Export of Chipmaking Metals in Clash With US Beijing is trying to persuade Europe to take a less hawkish stance than the US, which has imposed a raft of export controls on China to curb its access to advanced technology. Beijing escalated that dispute on Monday by imposing restrictions on exporting two metals that are crucial to parts of the semiconductor, telecoms and electric-vehicle industries. Borrells visit will follow one by EU climate chief Frans Timmermans, who is meeting this week with Chinese officials on climate, biodiversity and environmental protection issues. The pair postponed a visit to China earlier this year because they tested positive for Covid-19. (Updates with remarks from Chinas Foreign Ministry.) Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek 2023 Bloomberg L.P. Genres : Horror, Thriller Starring : Melissa Barrera, Jack Champion, Henry Czerny Director : Matt Bettinelli-Olpin, Tyler Gillett Plot Synopsis No one is safe and everyone is a suspect in the smash hit thriller from Paramount Pictures and Spyglass Media Group that has earned more than $167 million worldwide. The four survivors from the most recent Woodsboro Ghostface killings have moved to New York City for a fresh start. Just as they begin to feel a sense of normalcy, they receive that infamous call. Ghostface is more brutal and relentless than ever and will stop at nothing to hunt them down. Bonus content is detailed below: HA NOI VinES Energy Solutions JSC (a member of Vingroup) and Bach Khoa Investment & Development Of Solar Energy Corporation (SolarBK) signed a strategic agreement last week to promote Make In Vietnam integrated rooftop solar and battery energy storage systems (BESS) solutions. Under the agreement, SolarBK will be the authorised distributor for the BESS products of VinES, applying for integrated solar rooftop and BESS solutions for residence and office segments in Viet Nam. SolarBK and VinES have also announced the pilot of 300 systems, which includes a special offer for the first 100 offices and families registering to install the systems in 2023. This is the first step to launch the systems on a larger scale in 2024, contributing to the Viet Nam Power Development Plan VIII of having at least 50 per cent of office and residential buildings with rooftop solar systems installed by 2030. The Solar + BESS solutions, introduced by SolarBK and VinES, will bring to the market a product developed based on the synergies from the only solar panel manufacturer and the only battery manufacturer in Viet Nam, using Make In Vietnam products, with high-quality, reasonable price and best-in-class aftersales services in Viet Nam. Furthermore, the Solar+BESS solutions will play a key role in accelerating the clean energy transition and achieving Viet Nams commitment to climate change programmes. VNS HA NOI The State Securities Commission (SCC) warned investors on Monday that there are forged documents to deceive investors, specifically the fake certificate of registration of establishment of public funds issued on May 10, 2023. SSC confirmed that the document was fake. The management agency said that it does not grant the establishment and operation licence to the fund management company SAC Capital VN Investment Fund Limited, and does not issue the certificate of registration of establishment of a public fund to the SAC Capital VN Investment Fund. According to SSC, it had sent a document to the police agency to strictly handle the case in accordance with the law. It also stressed that the Commission's list of fund management businesses and securities investment funds is completely disclosed on its website (ssc.gov.vn). As a result, SSC advises investors to be careful and to review information before engaging in transactions. VNS China issues yellow alert for geological disasters Xinhua) 09:55, July 04, 2023 BEIJING, July 3 (Xinhua) -- Chinese authorities on Monday issued a yellow alert for possible geological disasters triggered by rain in parts of Henan, Hubei, Chongqing, Sichuan, Guizhou, Yunnan and Shaanxi. The Ministry of Natural Resources and the China Meteorological Administration warned of risks of rain-triggered geological disasters in those regions from 8 p.m. Monday to 8 p.m. Tuesday. Residents have been advised to take precautions, especially in areas with hidden dangers. China has a four-tier, color-coded weather warning system for geological disasters, with red representing the most severe warning, followed by orange, yellow and blue. China will face multiple natural disasters in July, including floods, severe convection weather, typhoons and high temperatures, authorities warned. (Web editor: Zhong Wenxing, Liang Jun) Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, July 4) The construction works for the unfinished 33 flood control projects in the National Capital Region were affected by tedious foreign-funded procurement activities, restrictions during elections and the COVID-19 pandemic, the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) said Tuesday. The MMDA issued a statement commenting on the state auditors report that flagged its uncompleted flood control projects worth more than 825 million, as of December 2022. READ: Flood control projects in Metro Manila left unfinished COA Acknowledging the delay in the implementation of the projects, MMDA Acting Chairman Atty. Don Artes said the World Bank (WB) is financing the 33 projects, making the procurement process different. The projects underwent a tedious process and discussion with the World Bank before they were approved and implemented, he said. The WB reviews the bidding process done by the MMDA. Sometimes, they recommend continuation of the project rejected by our agency which in turn results in contract cost and duration revision, he added. The official noted that the MMDA needs to secure the international lenders approval for site relocation or project redesign. The projects also suffered delays due to the election ban and the COVID-19 pandemic, he added. Out of the 47 projects mentioned in the COA report, 27 have been completed while 12 more are set for completion this year, Artes said. Three more projects are under procurement process, while the remaining five were abandoned as they are no longer necessary or relevant. Artes said the MMDA is closely monitoring all the projects. HA NOI Cheap items are normally sold at round prices to avoid odd numbers, which can be a nuisance for buyers paying in cash, but the VAT cuts of 2.0 per cent could bring back the inconvenience. That was the comment made by the Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry (VCCI) on the draft Decree on VAT Cuts by the Ministry of Finance (MoF). The draft decree has been formulated as a follow-up legal document to the National Assembly's Resolution on VAT Cuts that took effect between July 1 to December 31, 2023. VCCI said the tax policy could make life harder at the cash register since many producers would have to change their posted prices to odd numbers. For instance, an item of VN5,000 would have a new price tag of VN4,900 after the cuts, causing inconvenience to both buyers and cashiers. Because of that, the chamber called for an additional article to the decree, under which certain producers would be exempt from adjusting their listed prices as required by the original decree. VCCI also said the classification of goods and services according to tax status under Decree No 15 is so obscure that many producers have no clue about whether their products would be eligible for the VAT cuts or not. The confusion could lead to a situation where many suppliers and purchasers are unable to reach a deal because of tax-related disagreements. Even tax agencies themselves, VCCI said, were having a hard time interpreting the decree. "Bad officials could exploit the legal obscurity to lead firms on a merry dance," said VCCI. The chamber also said a list of items had been published as an appendix to the draft decree. The list comprises items being assigned HS codes and items being marked with asterisks. The decree stipulates that those asterisk-marked items will be assigned HS codes in a separate customs law. VCCI said such stipulation had left importers scratching their heads because they have no idea whether their HS-code-assigned imports will be regulated by the decree or the customs law. VCCI accordingly called for a revision to align the appendix with the customs law and remove from it all the asterisk-marked items to clear up the confusion. Article 2.2 of the decree stipulates that "ministries and provincial authorities shall direct their subordinate agencies to disseminate information about the VAT cuts and conduct frequent inspection and supervision to ensure consumers be aware of and benefit from the tax policy". VCCI believed that the article, with such wording, could lead to a possible interpretation that ministries and provincial authorities will keep a close watch on companies to ensure they cut their product prices by an amount proportional to the VAT cuts. VCCI said the forced price cuts are against free market principles because in a free market, nobody is forced to do anything, and transactions are entered into voluntarily. On such a ground, VCCI called for the removal of Article 2.2 from the decree. VNS HCM CITY Vietnamese consumers are becoming more cautious in the face of financial headwinds, according to new data from boutique market research consultants Decision Lab. With the global cost-of-living crisis hitting domestic house prices, exports, and orders, Vietnamese consumers are now feeling less secure about their financial futures and are making more careful saving, spending, and investment choices. Decision Lab interviewed over a thousand adults in Viet Nam in April, asking them about their current financial priorities, choices, and motivations as well as their expectations for their financial future. When asked about their current financial priorities, 50 per cent of the respondents said that saving for unexpected hardship was their biggest concern. That is an increase of almost 10 per cent compared to 2022 and 3 per cent higher than 2021 when Viet Nam was in the midst of the COVID pandemic. Meanwhile, ensuring their families are protected from emergencies came a close second (48 per cent), up from just 33 per cent a year earlier. With the job market becoming more precarious, more people are turning to investment products to protect their families. In 2023, 41 per cent of people hope to safeguard their financial future through investing, a 10 per cent increase in 2022. Even still, investors are showing a dampened risk appetite. The number of people willing to take a high to extreme risk to achieve significant capital growth has halved from 18 per cent to just 9 per cent in 12 months. Meanwhile, 19 per cent of people prefer to take no risk, around a third (32 per cent) are low-risk investors, and just over one-fifth (23 per cent) are willing to take a moderate risk when investing their capital. For this reason, safe-haven investments have soared over the last 12 months. The number of people with a savings account, for instance, has almost doubled from 37 per cent in 2022 to 62 per cent in 2023. Meanwhile, the proportion of the population investing in securities has risen from around one-fifth (21 per cent) to one-third (33 per cent) over the last 12 months. Looking ahead, consumers expect to remain cautious with their personal finances, with around half of those invested in savings, gold, and securities planning to invest more in the next 12 months. However, digital currencies buck this trend. Despite being one of the most volatile asset classes, just over half (52 per cent) of Vietnamese who own crypto plan to invest more in assets like Bitcoin. Thue Quist Thomasen, CEO of Decision Lab, said: In uncertain times, consumers want financial products that can help them to ride out rising food costs, falling house prices, and unpredictable job prospects. People want to protect themselves and their families from financial hardship, with low-risk investment products providing an attractive hedge against an uncertain future. Therefore, banks and financial institutions looking to attract customers need to respond to this trend. That means providing savings and investment products offering trustworthiness, transparency, and security while also showcasing these values through their marketing messages and brand campaigns." VNS QUANG NAM A Viet Nam-based film, focused on a group of friends within a Tam My Tay community gathering to protect the grey-shanked douc langur has won the runner-up prize in the Documentary Shorts Category of the Film for the Forest 2023 award, WWF-Viet Nam said. The film, a co-production of WWF-Viet Nam and Melt Films, was made to honour a volunteer conservation group that inspired their community to protect the last remaining members of this langur species in Nui Thanh District of the central province Quang Nam. "Langurs in the Tam My Tay community were once abundant, said Nguyen inh Phuoc, leading the Change Project, under WWF-Viet Nam. But their population was down to about 50 by 2018, clinging on to four small islands of natural forest. Habitat loss, hunting and climate change are the main threats. This film shows the power of dedicated and passionate people working together. The film, Tam My Tay, features a group of friends creating a community patrol to protect the grey-shanked dour langur. As plantations divide langur habitats across central Viet Nam, a forest smallholder realises the pressures faced by these langurs and seeks help from his community with the support of WWF-Viet Nam and the Centre of Biodiversity Conservation. We all have a stake in the grey-shanked douc langurs future. It is an example of the need to find balance with nature and prioritise co-existence. The village of Tam My Tay has developed a tight bond with the langurs and maybe because of that with each other. I hope their story inspires other communities to follow their lead and to realise the power they hold to change things, said James Thomson, the director of Tam My Tay. Launched in 2010 by the Rainforest Partnership, Films for the Forest is an annual short film collection and a platform for filmmakers around the world to share stories of forests worldwide. Highlighting their beauty and rich biodiversity, the threats they face and renewal opportunities for forests, the theme for 2023 is Living Forests, Thriving Future. Eighty-three films from filmmakers in 26 countries submitted entries in five categories of short films and Tam My Tay is among ten selected. These winning films will be presented at Films for the Forest screenings and by the Rainforest Partnership. Tam My Tay has already been selected to be screened at an environmental film festival, IFF Ekotopfilm-Envirofilm 2023 in Slovakia in September 2023. The WWF-Viet Nam and GreenViet have been working together on a project to protect the grey-shanked douc langurs in the provinces Nui Thanh District since 2020. The year-long project helped improve forest patrol skills to protect a herd of grey-shanked douc langurs living in Tam My Tay Commune. A fire-free zone was set up on a 70-ha log farm a safe habitat for the animals. Quang Nam Provincial Peoples Committee had been seeking a fund of $4.4 million to restore a 100ha area as a safe habitat for the animals . According to a report by the provincial Forest Protection Division, a herd of about 50 gray-shanked douc langurs was found living in the area in 1997. The local community and district rangers established a voluntary team to protect the endangered primates from being hunted. According to Dr. Ha Thang Long, head of the Frankfurt Zoological Society, some 1,000 gray-shanked doucs have been found in forests of five provinces, including Quang Nam, Quang Ngai, Binh inh, Kon Tum and Gia Lai. The gray-shanked douc langur is listed on the International Union for Conservation of Nature red list as one of the worlds 25 critically endangered primates. VNS HA NOI International experts have highlighted the strength of Viet Nams foreign policy which lies in its commitment to its founding principles whilst simultaneously being flexible and adaptive to a changing world, seeking to create new relationships and increase existing ones. They've hailed the flexibility of Viet Nams bamboo diplomacy, stressing that it is an excellent initiative and style of leadership. The term bamboo diplomacy was coined by Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong during a diplomatic conference in 2016 and reiterated at the first national conference on foreign affairs in 2021. During these meetings, the leader likened Viet Nams foreign policy to bamboo, with strong roots, solid stems, and flexible branches. In an interview granted to Vietnam News Agency (VNA), Professor Go Ito from Japans Meiji University said that the main concepts of bamboo diplomacy include resilience, flexibility and modesty. Viet Nam is standing in an environment that enables the country to gain an important position in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), and boost political and economic ties with Japan and the Republic of Korea (RoK), he said. Kyril Whittaker, a researcher of Vietnamese politics and history said the foreign policy has its essence in, and represents the development of a positive and progressive foreign policy based on Marxism-Leninism and Ho Chi Minh thought. According to Whittaker, the foreign policy of the current day is based upon flexibility and strength, that is Viet Nam consistently develops its foreign policy based upon mutual respect in the context of independence and territorial integrity and maintains and develops increasing relationships with all countries. He said it is most certainly a policy of strong roots and flexible branches as it is resilient and strong, yet open. This can also be seen in larger ways with Viet Nams involvement in more than 70 international organisations and forums, most clearly exemplified by the chairmanship of ASEAN in 2020 and its chairmanship of the UN Security Council for the 2020-21 tenure. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Viet Nams internationalism was seen in its provision of face masks and other aid to states in need. The British researcher pointed out "bamboo diplomacy" is based upon the qualities present in Vietnamese history and present-day material conditions and emphasises particular qualities which are represented in bamboo, such as resilience, flexibility, utility, and the qualities often stressed by late President Ho Chi Minh, such as industriousness, thrift, uprightness and strength in unity. Whittaker stressed that bamboo diplomacy means Viet Nam has an open and welcoming foreign policy which is adaptable to the changing climate and can weather tough situations. It is a policy underlined by fixed principles such as respect for independence, peace and non-interference whilst advocating openness and flexibility and an ever-increasing effort for improved international relationships and involvement in all areas. Speaking about Viet Nam's achievements in international integration, Whittaker said these achievements are well known. At a basic day-to-day level, it is well-known as a friendly country which is safe and provides visitors with unique cultural experiences. The country is known to be one which has long-lasting and developed relationships with many nations, whilst simultaneously defending the rights of nations to independence and freedom for their citizens to enjoy peaceful development. He pointed out that the recent visits by Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh to China, head of the Party's Commission for External Relations Le Hoai Trung to Cuba, Deputy Prime Minister Tran Luu Quang to Japan and others have resulted in enhancing the friendship and cooperation between Viet Nam and other countries. Likewise, Viet Nams participation in international forums such as the recent World Economic Forum in Tianjin, China has resulted in bilateral meetings with the Prime Ministers of several countries such as Barbados and Mongolia with each side indicating interest in further developing cooperation between the two nations in fields such as tourism, aviation and cooperation in multilateral forums. Chairman of IsraelViet Nam Friendship Association Amikam Levy said bamboo diplomacy is a good policy for the sake of the Vietnamese people. Levy, who served as Israeli Ambassador to Viet Nam from 2001 to 2003, described bamboo diplomacy as an excellent initiative, effective style of leadership, and commitment. It is not easy to carry out the policy since the implementation may encounter many obstacles and requires a high sense of responsibility, Levy opined. But he believed that Viet Nam can surmount those obstacles soon. Levy added that he is impressed with the CPVs leadership role in Viet Nams socio-economic achievements and that the country has chosen the right direction, had strong leadership, and also shown its aspirations and clear commitments. He held that Vietnamese leaders are visionary and have made dedications for the sake of the people and that Israel can learn many things from Viet Nam and also have many things to contribute to the latter. Veeramalla Anjaiah, a senior research fellow at the Centre for Southeast Asian Studies (CSEAS) and senior journalist based in Jakarta pointed to Viet Nams bamboo diplomacy for its contributions to national achievements. In a recent article titled New impetus for strategic ties between Viet Nam and Indonesia, Anjaiah called the country is a rising star of the Indo-Pacific region and a strategic nation in Southeast Asia, with effective diplomacy. He said Viet Nams bamboo diplomacy is seen as a pragmatic response to the challenges facing the country in a rapidly changing world. Wei Wei, head of the Vietnamese department under Chinas central TV and radio station, said external relations have helped Viet Nam improve its international position and step by step enhanced the countrys reputation in the world arena. He said the bamboo diplomacy style following direction of Party Chief Nguyen Phu Trong can be described as firm political stance and flexible diplomatic methods. VNS HA NOI Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong requested the Central Military Commission and the Ministry of National Defence continue to be proactive in all tasks to firmly protect the Fatherland in all situations as he chaired a meeting on Monday in Ha Noi. The meeting was to review the work of the Commission in the first six months of this year with the participation of other leaders, including President Vo Van Thuong, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh, and Minister of Defence Phan Van Giang. The Party chief said the Commission and the ministry must continue leading the entire army to proactively grasp the situation, actively advise the Party and State in the right direction and find solutions to firmly protect the Fatherland in all situations and not allow the unexpected. He hailed the Commission and the ministry for their good performance in providing strategic advice on national defence and avoiding passive or unexpected happenings in the first six months of this year. At the same time, they have advised and guided the review of 10 years implementation of the Resolution of the 8th Party Central Committee (11th tenure) on Strategy to Safeguard the Fatherland in the New Situation. The whole army has promoted its pivotal role in building the all-people national defence and the position of the army in the people's hearts is increasingly consolidated. All units in the army have strictly maintained combat readiness, conducted drill training, ensured logistics and techniques while ensuring modern equipment and weapons to meet new requirements. He noted that foreign diplomacy work has been promoted, harmoniously, flexibly and effectively handling situations according to the motto of protecting the Fatherland from afar and early. Regarding the key tasks in the future, he stressed the importance of proactiveness in grasping the situation, actively advising the Party and State in the right direction as well as the avoidance of unexpected incidents as well as firm protection of the Fatherland in all situations. He highlighted that the whole army must continue to uphold the proactive spirit, be ready to fight and respond to natural disasters, ready to conduct rescue, and protect the people's property while actively building a strong all-people national defence. Relevant units need to regularly ensure technical logistics, develop the defence industry in a modern direction; and proactively improve the efficiency of foreign affairs and defence diplomacy, he said. The Party chief emphasised that in the past, the Commission has done a good job of building the Party. In the future, it must do better, pay attention to building a contingent of cadres who are strong, virtuous, talented and daring to think, speak and act, as well as dare to take responsibility and sacrifice for the common good. The leaders must set an example for subordinates and units need to improve the prevention and control of natural disasters, epidemics, and rescue work, he said. He added that the Commission and the ministry need to prepare well in all aspects to celebrate major holidays in 2024, including the 70th anniversary of the historic ien Bien Phu Victory; 80th anniversary of the establishment of the Viet Nam People's Army and 35th anniversary of National Defence Day. VNS HA NOI A man residing in Mo Lao Ward, Ha Noi's Ha ong District has been sentenced to six years in prison for making, storing, distributing, or disseminating information, documents, and items against the State of the Socialist Republic of Viet Nam. The Ha Noi Peoples Court on Monday opened a first-instance trial for 39-year-old Phan Son Tung, with its ruling made pursuant to Article 117, Clause 1 of the Penal Code. According to the indictment issued by the Ha Noi Peoples Procuracy, the Investigation Security Agency of Ha Noi Police on March 1, 2022 received an official dispatch attached with documents from the Division of Cyber Security and High-Tech Crime Prevention and Control under the Ministry of Public Security, asking for verification and handling of violations in the use of the Internet related to Tung. Some of his video clips posted on Facebook and YouTube had contents slandering the regime, distorting the truth about the political and socio-economic situation in Viet Nam, and defaming Party and State leaders. Investigators found that since 2011, Tung had created, managed and used four accounts on social networks, with three on YouTube, namely Vi Viet Nam Thinh Vuong (For a prosperous Viet Nam), Son Tung TV and Phan Son Tung, and another on Facebook namely David Phan. As of August 2022, Tung published more than 1,000 video clips on his Facebook account, which had been available on the YouTube channels earlier, attracting 148 million views and 530,000 followers. He reportedly earned US$80,000 from the monetisation of his videos on YouTube. Between August 5-31, 2022, he posted 10 video clips on Vi Viet Nam Thinh Vuong, calling for the establishment of an illegal organisation with the name of "ang Viet Nam Thinh Vuong (Prosperous Vietnamese party) to lure public attention. Competent forces concluded that Tung made and distributed 16 video clips online with contents violating the law, most of them against the State, Party and administration. At the court, Tung confessed his distribution of the video clips, but did not admit that their contents violate the law. VNS HA NOI Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh on Monday attended the Ministry of Foreign Affairs virtual conference on promoting the implementation of economic diplomacy serving socio-economic development in the last half of 2023. The event gathered participants from the ministrys headquarters in Ha Noi and 94 Vietnamese representative offices overseas. In his opening remarks, PM Chinh praised the ministrys and representative offices close coordination with other ministries, sectors, localities, and enterprises to actively, proactively, and effectively carry out external relations tasks, including economic diplomacy. He expressed his delight at the successful implementation of the vaccine diplomacy, which has contributed to Viet Nams pandemic control, early reopening, and socio-economic recovery and development. The Government leader pointed to a number of lessons for the diplomacy sector, including active, positive and timely implementation of policies, orientations, resolutions and programmes of the Party and State, and keeping a close eye on the situation to give flexible responses. It would be necessary to stay firm with principles and flexible in responding, placing the nations interests at top priority; while maintaining good control of the situation and proposing solutions to overcome challenges to fulfil the countrys goals, he said. Another lesson that the PM highlighted was upholding responsibility of diplomatic officials, fostering the coordination among ministries, sectors, localities and businesses, and promoting advantages from the relations between Viet Nam and particular countries to lift up the relations to a new height, focusing on economic diplomacy. The Government leader recommended participants focus on discussing specific solutions to boost growth drivers through attracting high-quality investment; diversify markets, products, and supply chains; fully tap traditional markets and expand potential ones; accelerate the signing of free trade agreements (FTAs); and promote Vietnamese goods in Halal markets. He also highlighted the importance of connecting provinces and cities, representative agencies abroad, and businesses to make the most of every opportunity and demonstrate the highest sense of responsibility for the sake of the nation, the development of the country and the happiness of the people. VNS HA NOI Vietnamese President Vo Van Thuong received Ambassador Giorgio Aliberti, outgoing Head of the European Union (EU) Delegation to Viet Nam, in Ha Noi on Monday. President Thuong lauded the diplomats significant contributions to promoting the Viet Nam-EU relationship, especially the signing of the EU-Viet Nam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA) and the sides' efforts to hasten the early ratification of the EU-Viet Nam Investment Protection Agreement (EVIPA) by EU member states. Viet Nam appreciated the EU's support in COVID-19 vaccines, which helped the country overcome the most challenging phase of the pandemic, he said. Thuong affirmed that Vietnamese businesses were working to meet the EUs green and clean requirements for imports. Viet Nam was also making significant efforts to realise its commitment to net zero emissions by 2050 and hoped to receive financial and technological assistance from developed countries, including the EU. He pointed out a fact that Viet Nam had been serious in implementing regulations and recommendations related to illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing to ensure the conditions for the EU to lift its "yellow card" warning against the nation's fisheries sector. The State leader hoped the bloc could recognise and fully appreciate the efforts made by the Vietnamese people and State. "Viet Nam always values human rights and the country respects, facilitates, and encourages activities of socio-political and non-governmental organisations operating in Viet Nam," he said. In response, Aliberti stressed that thanks to the EVFTA, Viet Nam's exports to the EU had experienced positive growth, and that EU businesses had high expectations for this agreement. The EU would continue to promote early ratification of the EVIPA by member states, he noted. He said the EU was working closely with Viet Nam to address the IUU issue and assessed that Viet Nam was moving in the right direction and had demonstrated improvement in this area. The EU placed its trust in Viet Nam as an important partner in the green transition process and would collaborate with Viet Nam to cope with climate change, the diplomat affirmed. He vowed to make further contributions to the Viet Nam-EU relationship in his future positions. VNS HA NOI Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh has signed a decision approving a 2023-2025 national action programme on the settlement of consequences of unexploded ordnances (UXOs) left by the war. The programme aims to mobilise and use domestic and international resources to minimise the effects of UXO on the country's socio-economic development, ensuring safety for the people. It seeks to promote dissemination activities to raise peoples awareness of mine accidents and help UXO victims reintegrate into the community, as well as its compliance with Vietnamese laws and international treaties and agreements that Viet Nam has signed. It will concentrate on studying and perfecting an organisational structure system from the central to the local level to utilise domestic and international resources to implement the national action programme on settling the consequences of wartime UXOs in Viet Nam (Programme 504). It seeks to upgrade at least five regional orthopaedic and rehabilitation establishments and build at least 15 models of commune-level health stations to assist UXO victims, with priority given to heavily polluted areas, provide timely treatment for victims of UXO accidents, and proactively support their sustainable livelihoods. The programme also looks to build a database to assist the victims. The PM asked the Ministry of National Defence to coordinate with other ministries, agencies and localities in the implementation of the approved plan. The Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs was ordered to work with the Ministry of National Defence, the Viet Nam National Mine Action Centre (VNMAC) and relevant ministries, agencies and localities in negotiating and signing international cooperation documents and receiving resources for the implementation of the plan. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs will coordinate with other ministries and localities in bringing contents of cooperation and assistance in overcoming post-war consequences of landmines and UXOs into the working programmes of Party and State leaders with relevant international organisations and regional forums. The Ministry of Finance has been requested to collaborate with the ministries of Planning and Investment, and National Defence in balancing and allocating the State budget to implement the plan. The Ministry of Information and Communications will coordinate with the Party Central Committees Commission for Information and Education, the Viet Nam Journalists Association, the Ministry of National Defence and relevant ministries and agencies to direct and provide accurate and timely information on the work. The People's Committees of provinces and centrally-run cities were asked to include post-war bomb and mine remediation activities into their local socio-economic development plans. They were also assigned to promote the dissemination work to raise people's awareness about mine accidents and support UXO victims in line with state regulations. According to latest estimates by the Viet Nam National Mine Action Centre (VNMAC), 800,000 tonnes of explosives still remain and scattered across Viet Nam, with the total mine contamination area around 6.1 million hectares. After the war ended in 1975, leftover explosives have claimed more than 40,000 lives, injuring 60,000 people. Viet Nam and the United States are actively working together to eliminate explosives, with the US funding more than US$200 million for programmes to disarm and remove explosives in Viet Nam from 1993 until now. VNS HA NOI The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD) will give strict fines to fishing vessels involved in illegal fishing with the aim of removing the European Commission's illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing prevention or yellow card on fishing, said deputy minister Phung uc Tien. According to the ministry, in the first six months of this year, total fishery production reached 4.27 million tonnes, up 1.7 per cent over the same period last year, of which, fishing output was 1.93 million tonnes, increasing by 0.2 per cent, and aquaculture output was 2.34 million tonnes, rising by 3 per cent. Also, in the first half this year, Viet Nam recorded only 14 cases of violations of regulations against IUU fishing, Tien said. This was a positive result as compared to 84 cases last year, the deputy minister said. Duong Van Cuong, deputy director of the Fishery Department, said that the IUU issue was a special concern of the Government, ministries, sectors and localities. After the seventh meeting of the IUU Steering Committee last month, Deputy Prime Minister Tran Luu Quang had a working visit to Kien Giang and Ca Mau provinces to review the implementation of anti-IUU fishing measures. The deputy PM reported that the provinces fishing fleets had vessel monitoring systems (VMS) installed along with seafood traceability certificates. However, there were many shortcomings and limitations in the anti-IUU fishing measures, including fishing vessels and fishermen being detained by foreign countries and insufficient handling of IUU violations. The VMS had been installed in all vessels but there were still vessels whose owners disconnected the system to deliberately avoid the supervision of the competent authorities. However, the situation had not yet been strictly handled. Ships docking at private and undesignated fishing ports to load seafood was still common and uncontrolled, causing difficulties in calculating and monitoring the amount of seafood passing through ports. To solve the problems, Deputy PM Quang directed 28 coastal provinces, especially the Mekong (Cuu Long) Delta region, to implement by October synchronous solutions to stop fishing vessels violating foreign waters, strengthen law enforcement at sea to handle, sanction and manage fishing fleets, as well as ensure the reliability of export shipments to Europe. Viet Nams seafood received the IUU "yellow card", causing a big impact on exports because all shipments are under strict monitoring and two or three weeks of customs clearance time that causes great costs. Not only the EU, Japan and the US had also raised this issue, said Deputy Minister Tien. Currently, the European Council (EC) is raising four issues, including the review and adjustment of a number of regulations to increase the effectiveness and efficiency of IUU fishing; enhancement of management, monitoring, inspection and supervision of fishing vessels; implementation of traceability and management of both imported products and products caught at sea; and strengthening of law enforcement and handling of violations. Removing the IUU "yellow card" this year is Viet Nams goal and it is determined to change the countrys fisheries in a more sustainable direction, according to Tien. This requires each fisherman to be responsible for complying with the law, for the sake of the country and the interests of the fishermen themselves. Since the EC's first inspection in October 2017, Viet Nam has not yet been able to remove the IUU yellow card, said Tien. "The immediate task is to manage and closely monitor the fleets." VNS Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, July 4) Following Vietnam's decision to ban domestic distribution of "Barbie," a Philippine senator is calling for a similar move here in the country after the film featured a map showing Beijing's controversial "nine-dash line" claim in the disputed South China Sea. "If the invalidated 9-dash line was indeed depicted in the movie Barbie, then it is incumbent upon the MTRCB (Movie and Television Review and Classification Board) to ban the same as it denigrates Philippine sovereignty, Senator Francis Tolentino said on Tuesday. In 2016, an international arbitral tribunal in The Hague upheld the Philippines' sovereign rights and jurisdiction in its exclusive economic zone (EEZ) in the resource-rich waters and said Beijing's "nine-dash line" claim had no legal basis. China, however, refuses to recognize the ruling. "Dapat lang ipagbawal ang pelikulang Barbie dahil ang pinakita nitong 9-dash line ay salungat sa katotohanan at ipinawalang-bisa na ng arbitral ruling noong 2016 [The film Barbie should be banned because the nine-dash line it showed is contrary to truth and has already been invalidated by an arbitral ruling in 2016]," Tolentino stressed. The senator said editing out the contested part could be a "middle ground" for the MTRCB and the film producers. "Perhaps splicing the content can be middle ground but then it would depend on MTRCB's decision on whether splicing it or cutting it would be the solution," Tolentino told CNN Philippines' The Final Word. For Senator Risa Hontiveros, Philippine cinemas should "at the minimum" include an explicit disclaimer that the nine-dash line is "a figment of China's imagination." Tolentino, however, said the producers may not agree to this. "[B]ecause it would be an admission that something was done (wrong). A disclaimer would attract attention that it is something controversial," he explained. Also on Tuesday, the MTRCB confirmed that the film is under review. "At this time, the assigned Committee on First Review is deliberating on the request of Warner Brothers F.E. Inc. for a Permit to Exhibit. Once available, a copy of the Permit to Exhibit or the Committee's decision will be uploaded to the Agency's official website," the agency said in a statement. Senator Jinggoy Estrada, meanwhile, said he hopes the MTRCB would soon decide on the matter. "It may be a work of fiction but still, this is a very sensitive issue. It is contrary to our national interest and China has no historic rights in the waters within the nine-dash lineMatagal natin na ipinaglaban ito at dapat lamang na manindigan tayo sa mga usapin na may kinalaman sa soberanya ng bansa [We have long fought for this, and it is only right for us to remain firm on issues related to our country's sovereignty]," Estrada said. Just last year, the MTRCB pulled out the Hollywood action movie "Uncharted" from cinemas due to a scene showing China's nine-dash line. Besides the Philippines and China, Vietnam, Brunei, Malaysia, and Taiwan have overlapping claims in the South China Sea. The conference was co-chaired by Le Minh Hoan, Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, and Florika Fink-Hooijer, director-general of the Directorate-General Environment of the European Commission. In attendance were over 100 delegates, including representatives from departments under the MARD, local authorities in the Central Highlands provinces and districts, EU member states, coffee associations, and businesses, as well as domestic and international organisations. The conferences objective was to share an overview of the requirements of the new European Union Deforestation-Free Regulation (EUDR), the opportunities and challenges that this regulation may bring to Vietnam's coffee industry, and to propose solutions to support the coffee producers as they try to meet the new regulations within an 1824 month preparation period. In addition, the national action plan for Vietnam's coffee sector to comply with EUDR was presented for the first time to key industry representatives and relevant international organisations. Minister Hoan showed appreciation for the EU's recent support for the transformation of the agriculture sector towards more sustainable development practices. Pioneering policies from the EU, such as the Green Deal, From Farm to Fork, and the Circular Economy, have inspired and provided important references for the MARD in developing strategies for sustainable agriculture and rural development, as well as sub-sector strategies. "90 per cent of global deforestation is driven by agriculture. As a major consumer market, the EU has a major role to play," Fink-Hooijer said, and he underlined the EU's willingness to support Vietnam's sustainable development. "The EU and Vietnam aim to address environmental challenges more effectively, contributing to the overall wellbeing of Vietnamese citizens and the preservation of the country's unique natural heritage," he said. "The EUDR, which is expected to take effect in December 2024, will directly affect stakeholders in supply chains relating to wood products, rubber, and coffee, and will impact the livelihoods of farmers, especially smallholder farmers who comprise the majority in Vietnam," Minister Hoan said. Supply chains will face various obstacles, particularly in terms of location data, traceability, monitoring systems, and deforestation-free supply chain management. "These regulations are not only necessary to meet EU requirements for exporting, but MARD also considers them an opportunity to accelerate the implementation of Vietnam's agricultural development strategy," he added. Tran Quynh Chi, regional director of Asia Landscapes at IDH, stressed the importance of public-private partnerships to implement EUDR compliance solutions in Vietnam. "With nearly 10 years of experience implementing the Central Highlands Landscape programme with public agencies and companies, IDH will closely collaborate with national and local partners in Vietnam to deploy comprehensive interventions to comply with EUDR. At the same time, we call for the participation and contribution of interested companies and organisations in the EUDR Action Framework to deliver significant impacts on responsible production, natural resource protection, and social inclusion." Since the EUDR was passed by the European Parliament on May 16, it has had an impact on Vietnam's main export industries, including wood, coffee, and rubber. According to the regulation, many of Vietnam's agricultural products, especially coffee, imported into the European market must have GPS data at farm level, which will be used to assess the risk of deforestation through remote monitoring systems. vir Statistics published by the Foreign Investment Agency (FIA) under the Ministry of Planning and Investment, indicated that in the first six months of this year, foreign investors registered $13.43 billion in Vietnam. Almost 1,300 new projects were granted investment registration certificates in the period, with total registered capital of over $6.49 billion, up 72 per cent in the number of projects and up 31 per cent on-year in terms of capital. The adjusted capital of around 630 ongoing projects stood at about $2.93 billion, up 29.8 per cent on-year in number but down 57.1 per cent in capital terms. Apple supplier Foxconn has been working with the investor of Yen Lu Industrial Park (IP) in the northern province of Bac Giang to rent a 50 hectare land plot for its expansion. The 50ha factory with a cost of $300 million in Quang Chau IP started construction in early May. Foxconn is the largest foreign-invested group in Quang Chau, with projects first established in 2019. Currently, the groups total leased land area is up to 70ha and the total registered capital is $773 million. Its member companies, Fuhong, Fuyu, and Fukang, have also poured million-dollar investments into Quang Chau IP. In the first six months of 2023, Bac Giang was runner-up in the list of 50 cities and provinces receiving foreign-invested capital inflow with a total investment capital of $1.05 billion, four-times higher than the figure in the same period in 2022, according to the FIA. Many big names selected Bac Giang as the production hub, including the $621 million Fulian precision technology factory project, which is invested by Ingrasys (Singapore) Pte. Ltd. and has Fulian Co. Ltd. as operator. Meanwhile, Hainan Longi Green Energy Technology Co. Ltd. signed an MoU to manufacture solar panels with an investment capital of $140 million, starting in the first quarter of this year. Deputy Minister of Planning and Investment Tran Quoc Phuong said that he appreciated the provinces effort in completing its master plan for 2021-2030. The effort to improve the investment environment was shown via a leap of 29 steps in the Provincial Competitiveness Index ranking in 2022. Along with Bac Giang, Hanoi has also overcome many heavyweight rivals to maintain the top spot in the first months of the year. The biggest deal was the $1.5 billion agreement between Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation, Japans second-largest banking group, and VPBank. The purchase of a 15 per cent stake in VPBank was the biggest acquisition ever recorded in Vietnams banking industry. In recent times, many localities, such as Nam Dinh, Hung Yen, Thai Binh, Nghe An, Quang Binh and Long An, have seen strong action to awaken the potential in attracting foreign-invested capital. Thai Binh is a good example. The province was renowned as a rice hometown in recent years, but has started to develop large-scale IPs to welcome investors, including the 590ha Green iP-1, developed by Green I-Park JSC. The park was selected as a key pioneer project in Thai Binh Economic Zone thanks to its many advantages to meet the strictest requirements of investors. After more than two years of construction, Green iP-1 has attracted seven projects, with a total value of $721 million. The funding has brought Thai Binh good standing, ranking ninth out of all cities and provinces nationwide in terms of foreign direct investment. Speaking at a meeting between Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh and foreign-invested enterprises organised in late April, Nakajima Takeo, chief representative of the Japan External Trade Organization in Hanoi, said, I have witnessed that investors are tending to invest in provinces located in the periphery of the country, such as Thanh Hoa, Quang Ninh, and Thai Binh, about 150-200km from Hanoi. This is a precious opportunity for such provinces to recover their economy. So far this year, Singapore is the top foreign investor in Vietnam with $3 billion, accounting for 22.3 per cent of foreign direct investment into the country in the period. The runners-up were Japan ($2.2 billion), China ($1.95 billion), and South Korea ($1.22 billion). vir With the adoption of cloud services, many companies are undergoing a major shift Photo: Le Toan Tran Thi Nham, chief accountant from Kim Tin Corporation, a firm specialising in welding equipment, has experienced substantial time savings and increased accuracy by leveraging cloud-based consolidated financial statement solutions. She told VIR, With the adoption of cloud services, we can now swiftly generate reports, including cash flow statements, without the need for manual data extraction and consolidation. The automation streamlines the process and facilitates seamless collaboration, even with renowned firms, minimising the need for extensive adjustments during the reporting phase. Pham Duy Hoang Nam, CFO of FPT Retail, said that the companys financial reporting process previously required a team of at least three individuals working continuously. However, with the adoption of cloud services, the company underwent a significant shift. Our reporting team could now be streamlined to a single person. This allowed us to focus on reconciliation tasks and identifying discrepancies within the system, resulting in improved efficiency, he said. The implementation of a cloud-based system automated various tasks, saving valuable time and reducing the risk of errors. With financial data securely stored within the cloud, businesses could benefit from improved accuracy and data integrity. The automated processes streamlined their reporting workflows, leading to significant time savings and increased productivity. Le Hong Viet, CEO of FPT Smart Cloud, underscored the importance of cloud-based service providers in offering seamless integration capabilities with various accounting software and leveraging multiple cloud platforms, including Oracle, Fast Accounting, or Misa. This integrated approach plays a crucial role in enabling businesses to effectively automate their financial processes, ensuring a smooth and continuous flow of data and facilitating consolidated reporting. By consolidating data from diverse sources onto a unified cloud platform, businesses can access comprehensive financial insights efficiently, leading to more informed decision-making. Viet further highlighted, Our service could assist Vietnamese companies in seamlessly adopting International Financial Reporting Standards or transitioning from Vietnamese Accounting Standards. This feature provides significant benefits, particularly for listed entities, as it reduces the time and effort required for the conversion to global accounting practices, eliminating unnecessary complexities. In line with the growing importance of sustainability in todays business landscape, some cloud services providers could also integrate additional features that will assist companies in launching their sustainability reports and adopting environmental, social, and governance criteria. Currently, the adoption of cloud services for integrating or consolidating financial statements among listed companies in Vietnam is still relatively limited. While there is growing awareness of the benefits offered by such solutions, only a small number of companies have embraced this technology to streamline their financial processes, Viet told VIR. However, he stated, as more organisations recognise the advantages of cloud services in terms of automation, data consolidation, and improved reporting accuracy, it is expected that the number of listed companies leveraging cloud services for financial statement integration will gradually increase in the future. Nam of FPT Retail acknowledged the complexity of handling data from various sources, particularly in the retail industry, such as point-of-sale systems and accounting systems. The seamless integration of these systems becomes crucial to successfully process a high volume of transactions. An illustrative example is FPT Retails Long Chau, a local pharmacy chain, which records approximately six million sales transactions per month. To handle such a large volume of data, robust financial data processing capabilities are required, including daily synchronisation, timely closing, and comprehensive reporting functionalities, he said. He also underscored the importance of reflecting transaction fluctuations in the balance sheet, in addition to ensuring accurate account balances. Traditional accounting practices often focus on the latter while overlooking cash flow dynamics. Accurate representation of cash flow dynamics in financial reporting is crucial to align with accounting standards and facilitate effective cash flow management. In addition, industry insiders also believed cloud services offer immense value to real estate companies with numerous projects and subsidiaries. These businesses, including those exposed to high tax risks, can benefit from cloud solutions that enhance financial management and streamline tax-related processes. By leveraging cloud services, companies can effectively navigate complex tax regulations and ensure efficient financial operations. Viet of FPT also noted that cloud-based systems often adhere to rigorous personal data protection standards, ensuring compliance with upcoming regulations. Data protection policies ensure that only necessary information, such as tax identification numbers, is utilised, while sensitive personal data is not stored or violated, Viet said. In Vietnam, the cloud market has been experiencing fast-paced growth, but it still lacks the robustness needed to match global standards. While Vietnam has been recognised for its innovative initiatives in the cloud sector and is on a trajectory of strong development, it ranks 53 out of 76 countries in the 2022 Cloud Ecosystem Index, according to German online platform Statista. Training and cooperation at heart of IFRS compliance Preparation for the conversion to and adoption of International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) by Vietnam-based companies is one of the most important steps towards propelling economic development with greater transparency. However, various challenges still colour the landscape. Businesses lining up for IFRS conversion Vietnamese businesses conversion and adoption of the International Financial Reporting Standards are among the most significant measures towards pushing for greater transparency, particularly for publicly traded entities, according to a number of senior executives. This joint effort aims to enhance the professional capabilities of domestic consulting experts and improve production operations by leveraging the company's IT platform. According to Deputy Minister of Industry and Trade Do Thang Hai, Vietnamese manufacturing enterprises face significant challenges in a highly competitive market, not only from international giants but also within the domestic arena. Consequently, the development of smart factories has become an imperative for local manufacturing firms. Recently, the MoIT has collaborated with multinational corporations and large foreign-invested enterprises in the country to bolster the quality of human resources and enhance the competitive capacity of domestic businesses in processing, manufacturing, and support industries. The collaboration with Samsung Vietnam, in particular, has focused on training experts, providing production improvement consultancy services, developing human resources for the mould industry, and supporting the establishment of smart factories. Hai highlighted the positive impact of these programmes on the Vietnamese industrial sector, fostering widespread ripple effects and enabling domestic enterprises to seize development opportunities and participate in the global supply chain. The smart factory development support projects currently being implemented across various localities fall within the framework of the Smart Factory Development Cooperation Project. The MoU, signed between Samsung and the MoIT in February 2022, sets forth the objective of supporting smart factory development in 50 enterprises and training 100 Vietnamese experts in smart factory consultancy over a two-year period (2022-2023). By the end of 2022, Samsung, together with the MoIT, had successfully provided training to 51 experts in smart factory technologies in Vietnam and offered consultancy services for smart factory development to 26 businesses nationwide encompassing 14 enterprises in the northern region and 12 in the south. In 2023, the project will continue its implementation, targeting 24 businesses across the country. Choi Joo Ho, CEO of Samsung Vietnam, expressed the company's commitment to fortify cooperation in the field of smart manufacturing, building on the achievements accomplished during the past seven years of supporting the development of Vietnam's supporting industries. Samsung's focus aligns with the Vietnamese government's long-term vision of generating value-added production within the industrial sector. Through this project, Vietnamese enterprises will consolidate their competitiveness to meet global standards throughout the entire value chain, encompassing development, production, and sales. In conjunction with the commencement of Phase 1 of the Smart Factory Development Cooperation Project for 2023, a ceremony was conducted to formalise consultancy support agreements with 12 participating enterprises. The notable businesses, hailing from Hanoi, and Bac Ninh, Hung Yen, Vinh Phuc and Ha Nam provinces, include Thang Long Packaging Production and Import-Export JSC, Hong Ha Printing JSC, AMA Bac Ninh JSC, and Vinasaco International JSC, among others. The initiation of this collaborative project sets a promising trajectory for the development of smart factories in Vietnam, promoting technological advancements and enabling domestic enterprises to thrive amidst fierce competition in both the domestic and international markets. Far Eastern Group invests further $250 million to expand factory in Binh Duong Far Eastern Group, a prominent conglomerate from Taiwan, has announced an additional investment exceeding $250 million to expand its factory in Binh Duong, elevating its total stake in the region to over $1 billion and solidifying its commitment to industrial growth and economic prosperity. Navigating challenges and embracing succession: Insights for Vietnamese family businesses Dr. Peter Bartels, Global Entrepreneurial and Private Business leader, PwC Germany, and Siew Quan Ng, Asia Pacific Entrepreneurial and Private Business Leader, PwC Singapore, spoke with VIRs Luu Huong about the major challenges faced by family businesses in Vietnam, including internal conflicts and the trust gap, while providing strategies for smooth transitions and sustainable growth through collaboration and transparent communication. Siew Quan Ng (left) and Dr. Peter Bartels What are the major challenges family businesses face in general? Dr. Peter Bartels: Globally, only 20 per cent of all family businesses make it to the third generation. Often, the failure can be attributed to mismanagement of family dynamics, internal conflicts, and a lack of strategic planning for succession. In general, family businesses face two main categories of challenges; business-related and family-related. Business-related challenges are similar to those faced by all businesses, such as digitalisation, workforce development, supply chain management, and environmental, social, and governance (ESG) issues. But family businesses often grapple with a lack of resources and knowledge for proper market research and planning. Family-related challenges stem from the overlapping areas of family, business, and wealth a mix of love, power, and money. Many family businesses fail because they do not properly manage these dynamics. Is there a conflict between the current and next generations in family businesses, and how does it impact these businesses? Siew Quan Ng: Yes, conflicts between generations in a family business can be problematic. In Vietnam, this conflict is often more pronounced due to the relatively recent rise of family businesses. The first-generation owners may not have experienced such a transition, leading to suspicion and misunderstanding. However, learning from other Asian markets like Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Singapore can help Vietnamese family businesses navigate these transitions more effectively. What are the strategies employed by family businesses to prepare the next generation for succession? Siew Quan Ng: A common strategy involves having the next generation spend some time outside the family business, gaining experience and perspective. When they return, they're often given meaningful work within the family business, often overseeing a unit under the guidance of a non-family executive. This helps them understand the business, industry, customers, and employees, and also gain acceptance as a leader within the family business. Typically, this process takes around 5 to 10 years before they ascend to a senior leadership role. How can businesses ensure a smooth transition between generations and resolve conflicts? Siew Quan Ng: Going through a structured succession planning process is crucial to ensure a smooth transition between generations in family businesses. This process helps address conflicts that may arise between the current and next generations. By actively engaging in open communication, understanding each other's perspectives, and seeking external assistance if needed, family businesses can successfully navigate this transition. In addition, it is also essential to prepare the current generation for life after retirement. This involves encouraging them to develop hobbies, interests, and a life outside the business. By doing so, they can gradually detach themselves and allow the next generation to step into leadership roles. Additionally, the next generation should gain meaningful work experience outside the family business to gain a broader perspective and develop their skills before assuming senior leadership positions. How can family businesses in Vietnam improve communication, overcome the trust gap, and embrace transparency? Dr. Peter Bartels : Family businesses in Vietnam often struggle to effectively communicate their vision, mission, and values to employees and stakeholders. To address this challenge, it is crucial for private companies to embrace transparency and develop a new formula of trust. By clearly articulating their purpose, values, and long-term objectives, family businesses can build trust among customers, attract talented employees, and differentiate themselves from competitors. This shift towards transparency is particularly important for younger customers, who expect businesses to communicate their values and purpose. Overcoming the trust gap and embracing transparency is a significant challenge for many private companies in Vietnam. To address this issue, businesses should consider adopting a more open and transparent approach in their operations. By communicating their mission and vision, as well as being more accessible to customers and stakeholders, family businesses can bridge the trust gap. Additionally, seeking guidance from industry experts and leveraging the power of digital platforms can aid in effectively conveying their message to a wider audience. What unique factors should Vietnamese family businesses consider in their succession planning? Dr. Peter Bartels: Vietnamese family businesses face some unique factors in their succession planning due to the relatively young age of their families. Unlike family businesses in the West, which may have the luxury of two to three generations to build a strong foundation, Vietnamese family businesses must navigate this process more swiftly. With a higher proportion of young and better-educated individuals in Vietnam, family businesses need to focus on building transparency, trust, and purpose to attract and retain customers and talented employees. Embracing technology and adapting to changing market expectations will also be crucial for their long-term success. How can families ensure unity and prioritise personal growth before addressing larger societal issues? Siew Quan Ng: The key lies in prioritising personal growth and fostering family unity as the bedrock before tackling broader societal issues. By placing emphasis on self-improvement and cultivating strong familial bonds, individuals can expand their influence to bring about positive change in their communities and potentially even in the nation as a whole. This incremental approach allows for a more effective strategy, preventing the overwhelming burden of numerous challenges. In essence, there is truth to the old Chinese saying as the family goes, so goes the nation, which encompasses the enduring Confucian values of self-cultivation, harmonious family life, effective governance, and the attainment of peace and stability within society. What are the potential benefits of collaboration between the next generation and the current generation in family businesses? Siew Quan Ng: Collaboration between the next generation and the current generation in family businesses can bring several benefits. Firstly, the next generation can contribute fresh perspectives and tech-savvy skills, aiding in areas such as market expansion and digitalisation efforts. Secondly, the next generation can familiarise themselves with different markets and cultures by taking active roles in business ventures, thus strengthening the family business's global presence. Lastly, the focus on ESG practices can be enhanced through the involvement of the next generation, who often prioritise sustainability and social impact. What challenges can arise when involving in-laws in family businesses? Dr. Peter Bartels: Involving in-laws in family businesses can present various hurdles. One potential obstacle is defining the role and responsibilities of in-laws within the business structure. Clear communication and expectations are crucial to avoid misunderstandings and conflicts. Additionally, the transition from being a family member to becoming part of the business can be complex, requiring adjustments and alignment with the family's values and objectives. Balancing familial dynamics with business decisions can also be a delicate task that requires open dialogue and effective conflict resolution strategies. How can family businesses in Vietnam establish and benefit from a family office? Siew Quan Ng: Establishing a family office can be a valuable resource for wealthy families in Vietnam. A family office serves as a wealth management entity that oversees financial matters, investments, and the long-term sustainability of family wealth. The decision to establish a family office depends on the family's readiness to professionalise their wealth management practices. Families can choose to either build an internal family office with a team of professionals, or utilise external platforms and services. The family office provides structure, processes, and expertise to optimise wealth management and ensure the preservation of family assets across generations. Banking legacies and family ties shaping commercial banks in Vietnam Explore the intriguing dynamics of Vietnam's private banks, such as Techcombank, TPBank, LPBank, OCB, SHB, ACB, and SeABank, where family members of top executives wield significant influence and play key roles in shaping the institutions' operations and strategies. PwC: Family businesses in Vietnam need to transform to build trust Family businesses not only need to make transformative changes to build trust, they have also got to make their efforts visible and communicate them clearly to their stakeholders, according to the Family Business Survey 2023 - Transform to Build Trust by PwC Vietnam. Le Loi, the most central street of District 1 in Ho Chi Minh City, is deserted with rows of closed houses and rental signs dotting the street. A Khoi, a salesman at a souvenir shop, has just said goodbye to a foreign customer and is complaining that only a few people have stopped by, mostly for window shopping. After the pandemic, customers have saved money and the number of foreign tourists coming remains low, he said. Except for the peak pandemic, in nearly 20 years of selling souvenirs on Le Loi, Khoi has never seen a time with so few customers and so many empty lots. A house with two fronts facing Truong Dinh and Ly Tu Trong streets in District 1 was rented as a Japanese restaurant two years ago but remains vacant without new tenants. Currently, the outside of this house is plastered with brokers phone numbers, many of which have faded and can no longer be read. According to a real estate website, the house spans five-storeys with a total floor area of up to 1,800 square metres, suitable for corporations showrooms, big food and beverage (F&B) brands, or beauty centres, with an asking price of VND1.2 billion ($50,000) per month. Not far away, a three-storey apartment is being rented for $30,000 per month. Although business is sluggish with many vacant spaces, a report by CBRE Vietnam recently said the rent in Ho Chi Minh City heart was still increasing by 1.5 per cent per year. Empty space in the central area is not only expensive but also faces many obstacles with obtaining business permits, fire prevention certificates and high taxes. Therefore, retailers are looking for suitable space outside the central business districts (CBD) to launch temporary retail stores for a short period. Creating new experiences Nguyen Huong, an owner of a house at Tran Binh Trong street, said that the vacant space was due to the rental price being too high, with many branding owners reducing their space and moving to sell online. Large premises on famed streets are no longer needed. Meanwhile, most landlords think it is better not to reduce rent because the space is limited. So, they wait for the storm to pass and for tenants to return, Huong said. Nguyen Lan, a private consultant in District 1, said that a lease term usually lasts 3-5 years. If the landlord reduces the rent for any reason, it is very difficult to make it return to higher levels again, so they basically choose not to do it, Lan explained. Instead of offering rental discounts at the request of tenants, some landlords offer incentives to woo tenants, such as installing more equipment or utilising a flexible lease term. Tran Pham Phuong Quyen, manager of retail leasing department at Savills Ho Chi Minh City, said, For certain brands, when their business model has not achieved what they expected, or due to the rapid wave of changes to adapt the stores due to the changing tastes of Vietnamese consumers, the closure of prime premises is clearly visible. Particularly in the food and beverages industry, the life cycle of a brand is usually not long. Brands owners must be proactive in improving and creating new experiences for customers to be able to develop sustainably. Quyen said that for some brands, after achieving their brand promotion goals in prime locations, they move on to cutting rental costs. At the same time, they expand their stores in semi-central areas to reduce rental costs while maintaining business efficiency once customers have become familiar with their brand names. According to Savills, retail space rent in shopping centres in Ho Chi Minh City is maintaining momentum compared to the same time last year, reaching about $133 per sq.m per month for the central area. Meanwhile, the rent in the central selling area is less than half this. Omnichannel approach Shopping centres are also actively charging for large tenants. According to Savills, new brands tend to choose to set up their first stores in existing shopping centres to avoid common risks for new businesses, related to opening times or technical, legal and licensing issues. Some malls have plans to renovate or relocate tenants to expand space for larger tenants. Brands are now looking for spaces with a larger area to increase the experience for customers with a flagship or concept store model in the large shopping centres, said Quyen. Beautiful premises in the CBD are still considered a favourite destination for high-end and luxury brands. In recent years, Ho Chi Minh City has welcomed renowned names such as Tiffany & Co at Union Square, and Christian Louboutin at Rex Hotel or the Rimowa at Saigon Center. Brands like Diptique, Jo Malone, Tory Burch, and Lush have all opened their first stores in the CBD. Meanwhile, projects in semi-central locations such as Thiso Mall in Thu Thiem, or Crescent Mall in District 7 are also selected by luxury brands such as Tudor and Tag Heuer. Due to the price being too high, brands have reduced the area of offline rental space to switch to other sales channels, and omnichannel is one of the most efficient ways of trading for retailers. According to research by IDC Retail Insights, as of the end of last year, customers using omnichannel for shopping and payment accounts for about 15-30 per cent, more than the group of customers who only shop through a single channel. Now, instead of investing a large amount of money to rent space and display products on the shelves, they can display an unlimited number of products on their website and on other online channels at the same time. James Christopher, president of the based in Singapore TMX Asia, said that his recent survey indicated that right after the pandemic, the omnichannel strategy was being adopted by Vietnamese businesses to build a solid foundation for future development. Our figures indicate that up to 76 per cent in businesses in Vietnam are considering investment in omnichannel sales a top priority in the next three to five years, said Christopher. It is about 46 per cent in the whole of the Asia region. This trend is consistent with what is happening on the ground, with consumers increasingly getting used to buying goods through e-commerce channels. The omnichannel approach is a suitable strategy to help businesses ensure a constant presence and provide a seamless shopping experience for customers. The retail e-commerce market in Vietnam has now reached $16.4 billion, accounting for 7.5 per cent of sales of goods and services of the whole country, according to a Repota 2023 market report released in June. More than 60 per cent of Vietnamese users are shopping online, ranking 13th globally. In China, this figure is 61.9 per cent, ranking ninth globally, and in South Korea it 65.6 per cent, ranking second globally after Thailand. HCM City plans to have more urban green spaces The HCM City authorities have directed relevant agencies to review the use of land planned for public parks to have more urban green spaces from 2023 to 2025. Key road opens investing avenues The megaproject of Ring Road 3, which started construction this month, can help more clearly shape the face of a multipolar Ho Chi Minh City urban area and create new development impetus for the real estate market. RoK SMEs prioritise hiring Vietnamese, Indian software developers, Illustrative image (Photo: CMC Global) Seoul - More than 50 per cent of small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) of the Republic of Korea (RoK) want to hire software developers from overseas, especially those from Vietnam and India, amid a talent shortage. According to the RoK Ministry of SMEs and Startups, 54.5 per cent of the 187 companies surveyed from June 13 to 23 said they are willing to hire foreign software developers in the future. India, Vietnam and China were the preferred nationalities among Korean SMEs for offshore engineers, at 36.4 per cent, 31 per cent, and 11.8 per cent, respectively, who are paid at a lower rate than their RoK peers. The survey also showed 27.3 per cent of the respondents had already hired foreign engineers. As many as 75.4 per cent of the companies surveyed said they found it challenging to hire and retain local professional software engineers. Vietnam, RoK exchange 17 cooperation documents President Vo Van Thuong and his visiting counterpart from the Republic of Korea (RoK) Yoon Suk Yeol witnessed the exchange of 17 cooperation documents across fields between agencies of the two countries after their talks in Hanoi on June 23. Vietnamese, RoK leaders attend Vietnam-RoK business forum Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh and President of the Republic of Korea (RoK) Yoon Suk Yeol attended the Vietnam-RoK Business Forum in Hanoi on June 23, with over 500 delegates representing associations, corporations and businesses of the two countries taking part. A symposium on cyclical economics and the digital economy took place at the National Development Council in Taiwan on June 19 Vietnam's semiconductor industry is making progress in establishing domestic chip manufacturing facilities. However, local businesses still face obstacles when trying to fully participate in the production chain. There is limited involvement in assembly processes and the core technologies remain in foreign hands. Taiwanese companies have been relocating manufacturing bases to Vietnam, viewing it as a safe destination for foreign direct investment amidst the ongoing trade war. According to local media VietnamPlus, Shien Quey Kao, deputy chair of Taiwan's National Development Council, suggests that Taiwanese groups are carefully considering options before making concrete decisions. Factors such as relevant technologies and high-quality human resources are vital for establishing manufacturing plants. Supportive policies and incentives from the host country's government also play a role in the decision-making process. Vietnam's semiconductor industry is rapidly growing as companies affected by supply chain disruptions invest in the country. To ensure long-term growth, Vietnam needs to adjust its policy framework, expand vocational training in high-tech sectors, and support domestic companies. Currently, Vietnam's chip exports are mainly from foreign-invested enterprises, while the country's role in the supply chain is primarily assembly, testing, and packaging. Domestic semiconductor production is yet to be realised. Collaboration with Taiwan in terms of chip production would require talent exchanges, with Taiwan welcoming Vietnamese students to study semiconductor-related fields. Vietnam's large student population studying in Taiwan provides a foundation for this to support Vietnam-Taiwan chip production cooperation. Vietnam leads other Asia-Pacific countries in terms of the number of students studying abroad in Taiwan. Taiwanese companies have already established chip manufacturing facilities abroad, including in the United States and Japan, with more plants likely in Germany. The development of Vietnam's semiconductor industry holds promise, but further adjustments to policies, investment in human resources, and collaboration with international partners are necessary for long-term growth and integration into the global chip production landscape. Vietnam's market becomes ray of hope for South Korean semiconductor manufacturers Vietnam's emergence as a growing market for South Korean semiconductor manufacturers provides a much-needed boost amidst sluggish chip demand in China. Hanmi Semiconductor spreads wings in Vietnam South Korean firm Hanmi Semiconductor has forged its path into Vietnam, capitalising on the countrys strategic foothold in Asia's high-tech supply chain and its bountiful pool of local talent. Semiconductor makers set up shop In a testament to Vietnams burgeoning semiconductor market, numerous foreign manufacturers have swiftly announced plans to establish a presence in the country. The AOT plans to invest 100 billion THB (2.8 billion USD) in the expansion of its six international airports in Thailand over the next five years. (Photo: VNA) Bangkok The Airports of Thailand Public Company Limited (AOT) plans to invest 100 billion THB (2.8 billion USD) in the expansion of its six international airports in Thailand over the next five years. The move responds to the increasing number of passengers, which is forecast to reach 200 million per year in 2027. The six airports welcome an average of 300,000 passengers daily, 76.5 per cent of their pre-pandemic level. According to AOT chief executive officer Kirati Kitmanawat, the expansions will be funded by revenue, which rose dramatically in the first six months of this fiscal year to 2.2 billion THB. They will include the opening of a new satellite passenger terminal at Suvarnabhumi International Airport, which will add 216,000 square meters of space and 28 gates, accommodating an additional 15 million passengers annually. New passenger terminals will also be built at Chiang Mai International Airport and Phuket International Airport, with a combined budget of over 20 billion THB. Thailand boosts wellness tourism The Public Health Ministry of Thailand is implementing a five-year traditional medicine development plan to boost wellness tourism. (CNN) Hong Kong police on Monday placed $1 million ($127,603) bounties on eight prominent democracy activists in self-imposed exile, in a move strongly condemned by rights groups and Western governments. The activists, including former lawmakers Nathan Law, Dennis Kwok and Ted Hui, have been accused of violating national security offenses ranging from collusion with foreign forces to subversion of state power. After leaving Hong Kong in recent years, many of the activists have continued to speak out against what they say is Beijings crackdown on their home citys freedoms and autonomy. The group of seven men and one woman are now based in the United States, Canada, Britain and Australia countries that have suspended their extradition treaties with Hong Kong due to concerns of the controversial national security law. The sweeping law was imposed by Beijing on Hong Kong in 2020, after huge pro-democracy protests roiled the semi-autonomous city in the previous year. It criminalizes secession, subversion, terrorism, and collusion with foreign powers and carries a maximum punishment of life imprisonment. Critics say the legislation has been used to crush the citys opposition movement, overhaul its electoral system, silence its outspoken media and cripple its once-vibrant civil society. Many of Hong Kongs prominent pro-democracy figures have either been detained or fled into self-imposed exile. The Hong Kong government has repeatedly denied the national security law is suppressing freedoms. Instead, it insists the law has ended chaos and restored stability to the city. On Monday, police told a press conference 260 people had been arrested under the national security law, with 79 of them convicted for offenses including subversion and terrorism. Senior Superintendent Steve Li, with the police national security department, told reporters police had obtained arrest warrants from the court for the eight activists. Were absolutely not staging any show or spreading terror. Were enforcing the law, he said. The move was condemned by the United States, Britain and Australia, whose governments urged Hong Kong to withdraw the bounty offer and expressed concern about the targeting of democratic figures. The non-profit organization Human Rights Watch also lambasted the national security law as creating a veneer of legitimacy in wiping out Hong Kong peoples human rights, urging democratic governments to offer greater protections to activists in exile or impose more sanctions on the Hong Kong government. Kevin Yam, a lawyer who is among the eight targeted, said he had been flooded with congratulations for having the honor to be on the list since the police press conference Monday. I feel no joy over this, but feel sad for Hong Kong that people now see things this way, because it is an indication of how low Hong Kong has gone in the eyes of many, he told CNN from Australia. Law, now based in Britain, said in a statement that while the news was stressful and meant hed have to be more careful while traveling, it didnt come as a surprise. He criticized the national security law as being used to suppress dissenting voices, and reiterated his hope for Hong Kong to one day gain full democracy. I am just a Hong Konger speaking out for Hong Kongers thats all, he said, and urged the public not to cooperate with the bounty offer. We should not silence or limit ourselves, we should not be politically intimidated or blackmailed, or live in fear. Anna Kwok, also one of the exiled activists named on Monday, wrote on Twitter that the photo published by police was one shed taken at 18 years old for her ID card. The 18-year-old me would never have thought the photo would be publicized globally in an arrest warrant (with a bounty) 8 years later, she wrote. In a longer statement, Kwok, who is now based in the US, said the move was clearly meant to intimidate pro-democracy supporters and encourage further purges of remaining activists. This story was first published on CNN.com, "Hong Kong police condemned for issuing cash bounty for exiled democracy activists." Vietnam is increasingly resonating with Japanese investors, according to insights shared at the recent Investment and Trade Promotion Seminar in the Mekong Delta city of Can Tho in late June. Nobuyuki Matsumoto, chief representative of the Japan External Trade Organization (JETRO) in Ho Chi Minh City, emphasised a significant surge in Japanese corporations' investment interest in the nation. Matsumoto revealed the findings of JETRO's annual survey, which queries Japanese companies about their expansion and investment aspirations. Until 2020, the dominant investment focus had been China. However, a trend shift occurred in 2021, with Vietnam outstripping China as the favoured destination for Japanese firms. Remarkably, around 60 per cent of the surveyed businesses disclosed an intention to venture into the Vietnamese market within the next two years the highest level of interest across Southeast Asia. "The pandemic unveiled the frailties in supply chains that are overly reliant on one particular country. In an era of increasing diversification, Vietnam appears as a compelling investment destination for Japanese entities," Matsumoto opined. The attraction towards Vietnam is substantiated by actual investment figures. From January through to May, Japan ranked second to only Singapore in terms of foreign direct investment in Vietnam. This trend is particularly discernible in the country's southern provinces, with considerable investments made in Ho Chi Minh City, Binh Duong, Dong Nai, Long An, and Ba Ria-Vung Tau. Equally positive about Vietnam's investment potential was Tomoyuki Kawata, deputy general director of Manufacturing, Supply Chain, and Technology Transfer at Hau Giang Pharmaceutical JSC based in Can Tho. He underscored the nation's robust economic growth and an anticipated expansion of the pharmaceutical market, which amounted to approximately VND166 trillion (around $6.92 billion) in 2020. As the third most populous country in Southeast Asia, Vietnam showcases tremendous promise as a consumer market, alongside being an appealing manufacturing hub. The country's population, presently standing at 100 million, is projected to surpass Japans by 2040. Furthermore, competitive labour costs and advantageous land rental rates in industrial parks offer substantial operational cost benefits. Such investment appeal is epitomised by the strategic move of Taisho Pharmaceutical Group, a non-prescription drug manufacturer in Japan. In 2016, Taisho established a strategic alliance by acquiring a 24.5 per cent stake in Hau Giang Pharmaceutical JSC the largest domestic pharmaceutical company in Vietnam. The investment was further amplified to 51.1 per cent in 2019, rendering Hau Giang a consolidated subsidiary of Taisho. Japanese firms plan to boost investment in Vietnam A series of Japanese enterprises plan to pour money into Vietnam as part of the expansion of industrial parks invested by Sojitz Corporation. Swiss investors eyes Danang as potential investment destination Danang, the third important economic hub of Vietnam, is emerging as a potential investment destination for Swiss investors, according to a Business Seminar Danang A future financial center held on May 24 in Zurich, Switzerland. The event, bringing together nearly 50 parliamentarians, government officials, and specialists, highlights the value of the National Assembly uniting various stakeholders in Vietnamese society to tackle the issue as a serious problem and build momentum towards responsible pet guardianship. Discussions encouraged a more comprehensive understanding of the existing situation of the dog and cat meat trade in Vietnam Nguyen Tuan Anh, vice chairman of the Board of the Deputy Affairs under the Standing Committee of the National Assembly said: Dog and cat meat trade and consumption are increasingly burning issues. Vietnam has a legal framework on the issue, but enforcement is the major loophole." "In addition, targeted communication campaigns should be amplified so that involved actors realise that strengthening welfare standards not only improves the lives of animals, but can also educate the public about the zoonotic disease risks that they might face. I support innovative and impactful initiatives to reduce and stop the trade and consumption of dog and cat meat in Vietnam, he said. One prominent conversation revolved around strategy and roadmap to develop Hanoi as a dog and cat meat-free city. Ta Van Tuong, deputy director of Hanoi Department of Agriculture said, Phasing out dog and cat meat is key to attracting more tourists who are increasingly caring for environmental tourism services and animal welfare conditions." "Local authorities should work hard to increase education, public awareness, control of unleashed dogs and enhance animal welfare regulations, and settle violations. It contributes to make the image of the modern and civilised city, he added. The Soi Dog Foundation International led a discussion around evidence-based research on the link between animal-directed violence and its adverse impacts on human beings. The survey depicts how workers in the trade are motivated and what consequences they might suffer from, such as emotional distress, anxiety, depression, and other symptoms akin to post-traumatic stress disorder. Physical injuries and infectious diseases are not yet mentioned. International experiences, and lessons learned on how a dog meat ban in Thailand and the Philippines worked and what steps that Vietnam should take, were also featured. Director of Intenational Advocacy of the Soi Dog Foundation International Rahul Sehgal said, The ultimate goal is a ban, initially at the provincial level like with Hanoi, on the trade-in, and slaughtering of dogs and cats, and their consumption. The partnership with the National Assembly has marked a critical milestone in raising the profile of the issue to the top of government so that laws and regulations to control the dog and cat meat trade will be further improved and enforced." Dog and cat meat consumption is a long-time-rooted local culture. Public education and awareness raising should be at the forefront of tackling the issue. Eventually, an evidenced-based, comprehensive, and targeted social and behavioural change initiative should be employed to initiate and sustain a change of practice, the roundtable heard. Duyen Bui, social and behaviour change director of Intelligentmedia said, Apart from legislation improvement and increased enforcement, behavioural science should be utilised to alter habits, especially of high-frequency dog and cat meat consumers." "It necessitates in-depth understanding and proper segmenting of the user groups, the creation of barriers and restrictions, and education on alternatives. Interventions not only involve the target audiences but also their closed network and the whole community so that public scrutiny and the social norm against consumption will be kicked off and maintained. Ultimately, it will put the practice to an end, she said. The event ended on a strong consensus from parliamentarians and leaders from the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, the Ministry of Health, Hanoi Public Security, the Ministry of Trade and Industry, and the Ministry of Culture, Sport, and Tourism that stopping dog and cat trade and their meat consumption was necessary for the sake of animal welfare compliance, and public health and safety. The event is an integral effort of the Soi Dog Foundation International to put an end to the cruelty and negative consequences of the dog and cat trade as well as their consumption in Vietnam. The World Health Organization warns that the trade, slaughter, and consumption of dogs pose public health risks from trichinellosis and cholera and particularly the deadly rabies virus. The funding round to support its expansion in Asia and investments in AI was held on June 29. The investment came from global financial institutions as well as existing backers such as Gobi Partners, BitRock Capital, and Sun Hung Kai & Co, according to Bloomberg. The company's co-founder Alvin Kwock mentioned that the new investors will be announced later due to a strategic partnership. Initially focused on pet insurance, OneDegree has expanded its offerings to include parcel, fire, home, and health insurance. It also provides coverage for digital assets against hacking, malware, and theft. The firm raised $28 million in a funding round last year and anticipates the need for another round before considering an initial public offering. Kwock stated that based on their schedule, they expect to generate a profit by the end of 2024. Despite being approached for a SPAC listing, the company plans to go public only after achieving a larger business scale and turning profitable. OneDegree experienced an underwriting loss of HK$74.4 million ($9.5 million) in 2021, an increase from HK$28.1 million (around $3.6 million) the previous year, according to the Insurance Authority. The demand for digital asset insurance is growing rapidly in Hong Kong as it aims to establish itself as a hub for the crypto industry. The Securities and Futures Commission, the market regulator in Hong Kong, requires insurance coverage for firms to obtain a virtual asset trading platform licence. OneDegree has already received over 100 inquiries for digital asset insurance this year, with half of the potential clients located outside Hong Kong. Recently, OneDegree entered into a partnership to integrate Microsoft's AI service into its automated chat box and cybersecurity solutions. Bloomberg also mentioned that OneDegree has been providing its technology platforms to insurance companies in Malaysia, Taiwan, and Vietnam, and is now aiming to expand further across Asia and into the Middle East. Founded in 2016, OneDegree is part of a new generation of insurers that is reimagining the industry with technology. The company stated, "We are one of the first in Hong Kong to receive a virtual insurance licence. Our mission is to make insurance simple, transparent, and do what it was always meant to do protect us from the risks that come with life, whether big or small." Vietnam Report reveals Top 10 insurance companies in Vietnam in 2023 Vietnam Report has just released its highly anticipated list of the 10 most reputable insurance companies in Vietnam for 2023. The list encompasses two categories, life insurance and non-life insurance. Insurers to face penalties for wrongdoing in bancassurance sales The Ministry of Finance (MoF) inspection reveals regulatory violations by Prudential, MB Ageas Life, Sun Life, and BIDV Metlife in their bancassurance sales practices, leading to impending penalties and increased scrutiny in the Vietnamese insurance market. LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (AP) Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders on Monday named state Republican Party chairman and former federal prosecutor Cody Hiland to the Arkansas Supreme Court, giving it a conservative majority as justices prepare to take up a challenge to her education overhaul. Hiland was appointed to fill the vacancy created by the death of Justice Robin Wynne last month and will hold the seat until 2025 when a newly elected justice takes office. Hiland can't run in next year's election for the seat since he was appointed. The appointment pushes further to the right a court that's been the focus of expensive and heated races in recent years. Arkansas' Supreme Court seats are nonpartisan, but conservative groups have spent heavily over the years trying to flip control of the seven-member court. This is the first time the Arkansas Supreme Court will have a conservative majority, and I know it will have the same effect on our state as it has had on our country, Sanders said, announcing the appointment at the old Supreme Court chamber in the state Capitol. Hiland had been nominated as U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas by President Donald Trump in 2017 and served in that position through 2020. He is a former state prosecutor and has served as state GOP chairman since December. He also worked on Sanders campaign for governor as a senior adviser. He will be there to call balls and strikes, interpreting state law as it is written and leaving the legislating to the Legislature, Sanders said. Hiland said he was humbled by the opportunity. My prayer is at the end of this term people will say that I brought honor to the title of associate Supreme Court justice, Hiland said. Hiland joined the court as the state is appealing a judge's decision to block enforcement of Sanders' education overhaul until Aug. 1. The Pulaski County circuit judge ruled that lawmakers didn't follow correct procedures for the law to take effect immediately after Sanders signed it. The Supreme Court last monthlifted a similar temporary order from the same judge. Wynne was one of two justices to dissent from that decision. Democrats criticized Sanders over the court appointment, saying it goes against the nonpartisan spirit of the court. Americans are concerned that our courts are becoming too partisan, and the governor justifies those fears when she appoints a former campaign employee, the current Republican Party chair, to Arkansass highest court, State Party Chairman Grant Tennille said in a statement. Hiland resigned from his party chairmanship on Monday before the appointment, and Sanders endorsed Joseph Wood to be his successor. Wood is secretary of the state Department of Transformation and Shared Services and had previously served two terms as a Washington County judge. Hiland is joining the court as a race is shaping up among its members to replace Chief Justice Dan Kemp, who is not seeking reelection next year. Justices Rhonda Wood and Karen Baker are running for chief justice in next year's election, and Justice Barbara Webb is considering running as well. ST. CLAIR SHORES, Mich. (AP) A man accused of kidnaping a Lansing toddler was arrested Monday in suburban Detroit but the girl was not with him, police said. Authorities were searching for 2-year-old Wynter Smith, a Black child with braided hair who was wearing a white shirt with rainbows. The 26-year-old man was arrested in St. Clair Shores after a chase and crash, police said. Wynter's mother told Lansing police that the man, whom she knows from a previous relationship, took her daughter and her car Sunday. The 22-year-old woman was treated at a hospital for stab wounds. This is a very urgent situation, Lansing police said on Twitter early Monday. An Amber Alert was sent about 2 a.m. The FBI has joined the search for Wynter. The FBI is committed to assisting in missing person cases like these, especially when requested by law enforcement partners," the agency said. Engineering students from McLennan Community College brought home three awards at the NASA Minority University Research and Education Project (MUREP) Innovative New Designs for Space (NASA MINDS) Challenge. MCCs Team Pleiades won first place this spring in both technical poster and technical paper categories, and placed third in the design, build and demonstration category. The students project involved refining a working model of an anchor that could be used in weightless microgravity environments. The model was first constructed last school year by MCCs Team ATLAS, which also won three MINDS awards for its work. The Pleiades teams members are Gamdan Alrowaishan (chemical engineering), Joseph Cameron (electrical), Gisela Delfin (mechanical), Lum Kari (biomedical), Judith Marcos (civil), Paloma Pena (mechanical), Edward Rodriguez (mechanical), Solomon Stern (mechanical) and Ollie Wess (electrical). The MINDS Challenge is an undergraduate program that supports NASAs Artemis mission, as well as its exploration systems and space operations directorates. Students are allowed to choose any technology which interests and inspires them for their projects, as long as the technology supports a need for the Artemis lunar exploration program. The program's goal is to engage students in technologies at a fundamental and exploratory level with hands-on learning experiences, encouraging unique and innovative concepts which can assist NASA scientists and engineers. That also helps build NASA's future workforce. The Minority University Research and Education Project (MUREP) is a NASA initiative that aims to expand science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) opportunities to underrepresented and underserved students, including racial minorities, women and girls, and people with disabilities, with the goal of building a diverse workforce pipeline. The Rotary Club of Waco recently contributed 160 new books to the Greater Waco Advanced Healthcare Academy (GWAHCA) to help promote workplace literacy. The books, purchased with a $2,900 grant from Rotary District 5870, center on health care themes and are intended to enhance students general knowledge. Waco Rotary this year also provided guest speakers who have careers in health care sector to share opportunities and inspiration. A campus of Waco Independent School District, GWAHCA serves almost 300 high school juniors and seniors each year, teaching workplace skills needed to become a certified nursing assistant (CNA), certified clinical medical assistant (CCMA), community health worker or pharmacy technician. Students graduate with a high school diploma and career readiness certifications that prepare them to enter the health care workforce even before finishing high school. WAVERLY The experience for students transferring from an Iowa community college to Wartburg College or any of the other 16 members of the Iowa Private Transfer Collaborative will become more transparent, cost-effective and coordinated thanks to a three-year grant awarded by the Arthur Vining Davis Foundations and Teagle Foundation. The IPTC received the $350,000 grant as part of the foundations' shared Transfer Pathways to the Liberal Arts initiative. The IPTC is a consortium of 17 Iowa nonprofit colleges and universities and two nonprofit organizations focused on Iowa higher education. MaTina Clark, assistant director for transfer admissions, and Dan Walther, Gerald R. Kleinfeld Endowed Chair in German History, represent Wartburg on the steering committee. "Wartburg College is excited to collaborate with community colleges near us and throughout the state to welcome their graduates to our campus. In addition to the statewide transfer majors, we will work with partner institutions to develop articulation agreements in specific areas to match student interest," Debora Johnson-Ross, Wartburg's vice president of academic affairs, said in a news release. Under the grant, private institutions will work to expand their program offerings to include the existing statewide transfer majors of biology, chemistry, English, history, psychology and sociology. Other transfer credit policies also will be implemented, including the expansion of general education articulation agreements and reverse transfer opportunities. A guaranteed admission agreement for students earning associate of arts and associate of science degrees at Iowa community colleges is a significant initiative in the grant. In addition to ensuring the seamless transfer of academic credits, the grant also will fund work that places a greater emphasis on the retention rate for transfer students from community colleges to four-year institutions. According to the 2022 Fall Enrollment Report from the Iowa Department of Education, fall enrollment across Iowa's community colleges increased by 502 students from 2021. This increase represents a 0.6% rise in the total number of students enrolled last fall: 82,251 compared to 81,749 in 2021. In contrast, community college enrollment nationally decreased by 0.4%. Iowa's increase in community college enrollment is the first since fall 2010 when enrollment peaked at 106,597 students. The grant will also fund the redevelopment of the iowaprivatecolleges.org website to help centralize student transfer information for private colleges and universities. A part-time project director will be hired through the grant to coordinate grant activities. The IPTC joins many other states in receiving an implementation grant to open transfer pathways to liberal arts degrees for community college students. Other members of of the IPTC are Briar Cliff University, Buena Vista University, Central College, Clarke University, Coe College, Cornell College, Drake University, Grand View University, Loras College, Luther College, Morningside University, Mount Mercy University, Northwestern College, Saint Ambrose University, Simpson College and University of Dubuque. The two nonprofit organizations facilitating distribution of the grant money are the Iowa Higher Education Loan Authority and the Iowa Association of Independent Colleges & Universities. For the thousands of workers who never experienced upheaval in the tech sector, the recent mass layoffs at companies like Google, Microsoft, Amazon and Meta came as a shock. Now they are being courted by long-established employers whose names aren't typically synonymous with tech work, including hotel chains, retailers, investment firms, railroad companies and even the Internal Revenue Service. All of those sectors have signaled on recruiting platforms that they are still hiring software engineers, data scientists and cybersecurity specialists despite the layoffs in Big Tech. Its a chance for them to level the playing field against tech giants that have long had their pick of the top talent with lucrative compensation, alluring perks and sheer name recognition. No employer is making a more aggressive push than the countrys largest: the federal government, which is aiming to hire 22,000 tech workers in fiscal year 2023. Federal agencies have participated in a series of Tech to Gov job forums targeted in part at laid off workers, hoping to ease their own chronic labor shortages that have hindered efforts to strengthen cybersecurity defenses and modernize the way they deliver benefits and collect taxes. Its a real opportunity for the federal government, said Rob Shriver deputy director of the U.S. office of Personnel Management. We have just about any tech job that anybody could possibly be interested in in the federal government. Federal, state and local government tech job postings soared 48% in the first three months of 2023 compared to the same period last year, according to an analysis by tech trade group CompTIA of data from Lightcast, a labor analytics firm. It was a sharp contrast to the 33% decrease in tech job openings during that period in the tech industry, and a 31.5% slowdown in such postings across the economy, according to CompTIA's figures. Tech hiring reached a historic high of more than 4 million in 2022, although hiring began to fall off in the second half of the year, according to CompTIA. This year, there have been about 1.26 million tech postings between January and May, a level more on par with the pre-pandemic years, said Tim Herbert, chief research officer at CompTIA. To be sure, the competition for tech talent remains tight, and many companies, including tech companies, are still hiring just more slowly. The unemployment rate for tech workers is just 2%. But some who lost their jobs in Big Tech swiftly landed jobs at non-tech firms. After Hector Garcia, 53, was laid off by Metas Facebook in November, it didnt take long for him to be snapped up by Abbott, the Chicago-based global health company, which expects to hire hundreds of software engineers, data architects and cybersecurity analysts over the next years. I decided to go for something that I hadnt done before, said Garcia, a data architect who said he got offers from tech firms but was intrigued by the idea of working for a manufacturer that produces something tangible in medical devices. Jonathan Johnson, CEO of online retailer Overstock, said that he has seen a 20% increase in applications for tech job openings in first quarter compared to a year ago. He also noted that its taking a shorter time to fill a spot compared to a year ago and that the quality of applicants has improved. Theres less demand and more supply, Johnson said. The layoffs have been especially shocking for the newest generation of workers who are too young to remember the burst of the dot-com bubble in 2000 and grew up consuming the apps and services of the big tech brands," said Christine Cruzvergara, chief education strategy officer for Handshake, a leading career site for college students and graduates. "The volatility and layoffs of the past year rocked that image of stability and growth, Cruzvergara said. During the September 2022-2023 school year, the share of applications by tech majors to tech companies fell by 4.4 percentage points on Handshake, compared to last year. In contrast, the share of applications by tech majors to government jobs on the platform grew by 2.5 percentage points. Tech firms still saw a 46% increase applications from tech majors, as Handshake received more applications overall from that group. But the application to government jobs rose much faster, tripling from last year. Hospitality and health care jobs also saw an increase in applications from tech majors 18% and 82%, respectively and their share of applicants from that pool remained steady. Kevin Monahan, director of Carnegie Mellon Universitys Career and Professional Development Center, said he first saw a shift last fall before some of the biggest layoffs. More students returned from internships saying that tech companies werent extending job offers or return internships at that time. Indirectly, students were able to see the writing on the wall, Monahan said. Ly Na Nguyen, a computer science major at Columbia University, said she went off LinkedIn for a couple of weeks at the height of the layoffs because it was so disheartening to read posts from people shocked over their dismissals. Nguyen is happy to be returning to Amazon this summer for another internship, which she said has added prestige to her resume. But overtures from outside Big Tech has have grabbed her attention. "Right now, Im super flexible, Nguyen said. Id definitely look at a government job. In March, young tech workers from several federal agencies spoke at an online forum on Handshake about the government's urgent need to recruit new talent. Less than 7% of the federal workforce is under 30. No one is necessarily going to strike it rich working in the government, said Chris Kuang, co-founder of the U.S. Digital Corp, a federal fellowship program for early career technologists, answering a question about pay. But he encouraged students to consider benefits such as pension plans, job stability and the possibility of working on any issue under the sun. "In this economy, a federal job will be one of the most secure types out there, Kuang said. 5 industries hiring tech talent in the wake of Big Tech layoffs 5 industries hiring tech talent in the wake of Big Tech layoffs Professional, scientific, and technical services Finance and insurance Manufacturing Information Public administration Hong Kong (CNN) Vladimir Putin sought to project an image of strength in front of a virtual gathering of Moscow-friendly leaders on Tuesday, in what was the Russian leaders first appearance on the world stage since he faced an armed insurrection late last month. The comments, made during an address to leaders attending the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) hosted by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, came days after Putin diffused the rebellion launched by the Wagner mercenary group. The events were widely seen as the most significant threat to power the autocrat had faced, and left Putins partners and rivals alike wondering how tightly in control he really was, more than one year into his floundering invasion of Ukraine. Putin used his moment to speak at the one-day summit to give his answer to that question. The solidarity and high responsibility for the fate of the fatherland was clearly demonstrated by Russian political circles and the entire society by coming out as a united front against the attempted armed rebellion, he said via video link. I would like to take this opportunity to thank my colleagues from the (SCO) countries who have expressed support for the actions of the Russian leadership, Putin told the attending leaders, who included Chinas Xi Jinping, Belarus Alexander Lukashenko and Irans Ebrahim Raisi. In reference to the impact of his war on Ukraine, Putin also said Russia was withstanding sanctions and provocations and steadily developing. Many of the leaders in virtual attendance, Russia-friendly nations who share borders, diplomatic aims or strong economic ties with Moscow, could be significantly impacted by changes in Putins fate. Founded in 2001 and spreadheaded by China and Russia, the SCO also includes India, Pakistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan and accounts for a sweeping portion of Eurasia and, with the inclusion of the worlds two most populous countries, around 40% of the global population. Tuesdays summit also provided an opportunity for the grouping to extend its reach with Iran approved as a full member the second expansion in the organizations more than two decade history. Staunch Moscow ally Belarus also took a step toward gaining full membership, expected next year. Both Moscow and Beijing view the group as an alternative to Western-led blocs and a key vehicle for their bid to push back against what it sees as a US-led world order. But while many members may support a world with more dispersed global power, SCO contains an tangled web of interests and allegiances, which members must navigate as they aim to enhance regional security and cooperation more broadly. An extended family Modi in opening remarks praised the SCO as an important platform for peace, prosperity and development in the entire Eurasia region. We do not see the SCO as an extended neighborhood, but an extended family. Security, economic development, connectivity, unity, respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity, and environmental protection are the pillars of our vision for SCO, he said. But this years event was a toned down affair for the group, compared to last years gathering. That event stretched over two in-person days in Samarkand, Uzbekistan and featured a number of sideline meetings between attending leaders. India announced last month that its leaders summit would be held virtually, without specifying why. An online summit can cut time spent together and reduce the optics of solidarity between participants. Modi is hosting the gathering days after being welcomed for a state visit in the US by President Joe Biden, who is keen to cultivate New Delhi as a partner in its growing competition with China. In his address to the summit, Chinese leader Xi called for regional leaders to strengthen their coordination and resist the influence of external forces in the region employing language typically used by Beijing to decry what it claims are aims of American foreign policy. We must be highly vigilant against external forces inciting a new cold war in the region and creating confrontation between camps, (and) resolutely oppose any countrys interference in internal affairs and instigation of color revolutions, Xi said, using a term to refer to government-toppling political movements. Member countries should formulate foreign policies independently based on the overall and long-term interests of the region and firmly hold the future and destiny of our countrys development and progress in our own hands, he added, according to a transcript from Chinas Foreign Ministry. The grouping adopted a declaration and two joint statements, one on cooperation countering radicalization leading to separatism, extremism and terrorism and a second on cooperation in the field of digital transformation, Indias Ministry of External Affairs said following the close of the summit, which lasted roughly three hours. Complex backdrop Putins on-going war in Ukraine casts a long shadow over the broadly Russia-friendly gathering, especially as China and India have been under pressure from the West to limit support for Moscow or even push Putin toward peace. A joint statement between Modi and Biden late last month saw the two express concern over the conflict in Ukraine and coercive actions and rising tensions in the India-Pacific region statements that did not directly name Russia or China, but appeared to point their way. Putin and Modi spoke via phone last week, with the Indian leader reiterating his call for dialogue and diplomacy, New Delhi said. At last years SCO summit, Modi told Putin in todays era is not an era of war. And India has its own friction with neighboring China. Beijing remains deeply suspicious of a US Indo-Pacific security grouping known as the Quad of which India is a part, and the two nuclear-armed neighbors have a simmering conflict along a contested border, which has erupted into violence in recent years. The group also brings together India and Pakistan another pairing of two nuclear-armed neighbors with a long history of fractious relations. In May, Pakistani Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari became the most senior-level official to visit India in seven years, when he joined a SCO foreign ministers meeting. Irans entry into the grouping comes after it signed a memorandum of obligations at last years summit. Belarus, a close Russian partner, took that step toward full membership this year, Indias Ministry of External Affairs said after the close of the Tuesdays meeting. Aspiring SCO member Belarus played a key role in navigating Putins crisis, claiming to have brokered a deal allowing Wagner boss Yevgeny Prigozhin to safely leave Russia for Belarus. Pakistan and India were the most recent countries to join, gaining full membership in 2017. Fourteen countries hold dialogue partner status, while another three are observers, according to New Delhi. This story was first published on CNN.com, "Putin reassures pro-Russian world leaders his grip on power remains strong." SAN DIEGO As the Biden administration prepared to launch speedy asylum screenings at Border Patrol holding facilities this spring, authorities pledged a key difference from a Trump-era version of the policy: Migrants would be guaranteed access to legal counsel. Nearly three months and thousands of screenings later, the promise of attorney access appears largely unfulfilled, based on advocacy group reports and interviews with people directly involved, some of whom spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the effort publicly. A coterie of involved attorneys estimate that perhaps 100 migrants have secured formal representation, and only hundreds more have received informal advice through one-time phone calls ahead of the expedited screenings. Jones Day, one of the worlds largest law firms, has partnered with the administration to provide free legal advice to migrants. Its phone bank handled 460 informal phone consultations, each one typically lasting about two hours, as of June 21, according to one of the people who spoke to AP on condition of anonymity. Jones Day itself had only two formal clients, the person said. Four other advocacy groups that offer free advice and whose names are posted on the immigration court systems website have handled far fewer phone consultations, partly because they started much later, the person said. Representatives from those four groups declined to comment or did not respond to requests from the AP. That represents a mere fraction of the thousands of expedited screenings since early April, though a precise percentage couldn't be determined. U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, whose asylum officers conduct the interviews, didn't answer questions about attorney representation. U.S. authorities aim to complete screenings in 72 hours the limit on holding someone under Border Patrol policy. The Homeland Security Department said the accelerated timeline is meant to provide relief more quickly to those who are eligible and to more quickly remove those who are not. AP has repeatedly requested to visit a screening facility to better understand the process. During the screenings, known as credible fear interviews, migrants must convince an asylum officer that they have a significant possibility of convincing a judge that they face persecution in their home countries on grounds of race, religion, nationality, political opinion or membership in a social group. If they pass, they are typically released in the U.S. while their case winds through the system. The percentage of people who passed asylum screenings fell to 52% during the second half of May as the fast-track process picked up, down from 77% the second half of March, just before it began. The government figures give no explanation and do not say how many expedited screenings occurred in Border Patrol custody without access to legal counsel. Administration officials have attributed lower approval rates in part to a new policy that severely limits asylum for people who travel through another country, like Mexico, to reach the U.S. border. A lawsuit filed last month in federal court in Washington seeks to end the screenings in Border Patrol custody, noting that applicants get as little as 24 hours to find attorneys after often-harrowing journeys. The lawsuit contends that leaves virtually no time or ability for noncitizens to consult with anyone or meaningfully prepare for these often life-or-death interviews. Even migrants who pass are reluctant to discuss their experiences as they to continue pursuing asylum cases. U.S. Sen. Alex Padilla, a California Democrat, said in a statement that reports of lacking attorney access at Border Patrol facilities are troubling and disappointing. The administration won't say how many of the screenings it has done at Border Patrol facilities, which prohibit in-person attorney visits, though it is easily thousands. The Homeland Security Department said June 5 that asylum officers did more than 11,500 screenings on the border in the first three weeks after pandemic-related asylum restrictions ended, though some may have been at U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement centers, which do allow attorney visits. Normally, about three in four migrants pass credible fear interviews, though far fewer eventually win asylum. But the results roughly flipped during the five months of the Trump-era program of expedited screenings: Only 23% passed, while 69% failed and 9% withdrew, according to the Government Accountability Office. Biden ended Trump's fast-track reviews within a month of Democrats occupying the White House, part of an executive order aimed at restoring and enhancing asylum processing at the border. Renewed screenings began in Texas' Rio Grande Valley and expanded the following week to similarly sprawling tent complexes in Laredo and El Paso in Texas; Yuma, Arizona; and San Diego all temporary Border Patrol detention centers built since 2021 with hundreds of phone booths for interviews. Photos: Migrants rush across US border in final hours before pandemic rule expires DECORAH A special show that focuses on the importance of detail in folk art opens Thursday at Vesterheim. Embellishment will continue through Jan. 5 at the national Norwegian-American museum and folk art school, located at 520 W. Water St. It features 71 pieces by contemporary folk artists from around the country and is made possible thanks to support from the Iowa Arts Council, which is a division of the Iowa Department of Cultural Affairs, and the National Endowment for the Arts. For the artists in this show, embellishment can mean flowing painted motifs, embroidered designs, ornate beadwork, and intricate carving. Carrying forward the spirit and mission of Vesterheim Folk Art School, the exhibition includes woodworking, rosemaling, knifemaking, jewelry, weaving, and fiber arts. The artworks in the exhibition were chosen by a selection committee made up of Elliot Taillon (owner of Binkhaven, Norwegian design retreat, Ephraim, Wisconsin); Eric Sovern (owner of Cardboard Robot, Decorah); Jennie Knoebel (Iowa Arts Council, Des Moines); and Darlene Fossum-Martin (former director of folk art education at the Vesterheim). Vesterheim offers innovative and interactive exhibits, classes, and programs, both at its campus and park and online at vesterheim.org and Vesterheim social media. For more information on exhibits, classes, programs, tours, membership opportunities, and ways to donate and volunteer, connect at vesterheim.org, (563) 382-9681, and Vesterheim, 520 W. Water St., P.O. Box 379, Decorah, IA, 52101-0379. A bipartisan bill introduced by Sens. Charles E. Grassley, R-Iowa, and Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., would close several loopholes identified by The Washington Post in an investigative series published last fall. The investigation found hundreds of retired U.S. military officers taking lucrative jobs advising foreign governments known for human rights atrocities and political repression. The Retired Officers Conflict of Interest Act would require public reporting about who is working on behalf of which foreign governments and for how much. The U.S. government battled The Post in court for two years to prevent the disclosure of such data, arguing that it could subject retired officers to embarrassment and harm their public reputation. Ultimately, a federal judge ruled against such unconvincing arguments for not complying with the Freedom of Information Act. The public has a right to know if high-ranking military leaders are taking advantage of their stations or might be perceived as doing so to create employment opportunities with foreign governments in retirement, wrote U.S. District Judge Amit P. Mehta. Based on records subsequently turned over, The Posts Craig Whitlock and Nate Jones reported that 15 retired U.S. generals and admirals have worked as paid consultants since 2016 for the Saudi Defense Ministry and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, who the U.S. intelligence community has concluded ordered the murder of Post contributing columnist Jamal Khashoggi. The group included a former national security adviser, National Security Agency director and commander of U.S. troops in Afghanistan. Paydays reached into seven figures. Gallingly, Americans work for the Saudis expanded after the assassination of our colleague and amid a barbaric crackdown on dissent. The Constitutions emoluments clause requires retired military officers to receive congressional approval before accepting compensation from foreign governments, but Congress delegated this authority to the Pentagon and the State Department in 1977. Of 450 applications since 2012, the Pentagon says just 12 have been denied. The Pentagon also confirms that no retired officers have been asked over the past decade to cease working for foreign governments after they received initial approval. Scores of retirees identified on LinkedIn by Whitlock and Jones say theyve taken military contracting jobs in the Persian Gulf. Theres no record they ever sought or received federal approval, but theres no criminal penalty, and enforcement is almost nonexistent. Someone who works for a foreign government without authorization risks losing retirement pay, but fewer than five people have received this punishment. One of them was retired Army Gen. Michael Flynn, who accepted $38,557 to speak at a 2015 gala for a Russian propaganda outlet where he sat next to Russian President Vladimir Putin. This scandal led Congress to pass legislation in 2019 and 2020 requiring the Pentagon to submit annual reports to lawmakers about retired flag officers working for foreign powers. But these reports include only a few lines of information and dont name the generals and admirals. The Warren-Grassley bill would require the government to create a searchable database of retired American officers serving foreign governments. The public would be able to see the name, military service, former office, nature of work, the foreign government theyre employed by and the amount of money theyve received. The legislation would also create civil penalties of $100,000 or the amount of money received for anyone who works for a foreign government without getting approval. Other penalties for violations could include being prohibited for five years from accepting compensation from foreign governments, serving on a federal advisory committee or retaining a security clearance. ... Former diplomats and retired intelligence employees arent subject to the emoluments clause because they cannot automatically be called back into service, whereas retired military officers retain their commissions. Last years National Defense Authorization Act prohibited Senate-confirmed officials at the State Department from later representing or advising adversary governments, including China, Russia, Iran, Cuba and Syria. It also banned former secretaries and deputy secretaries of state from advising or representing any foreign government. It seems sensible to also require former State Department employees to publicly disclose any income from foreign governments, regardless of its purpose, since part of the reason anyone would hire them is their past work for the United States. Another problem identified in The Posts series is members of the military negotiating with foreign governments, or private contractors who do foreign work, while still on active duty. Federal ethics rules require a cooling-off period for military personnel who manage weapons programs before they can accept jobs from contractors they did business with while in uniform. But this doesnt apply to retiring troops who want to work for foreign governments, including places where theyre stationed. Mr. Whitlock and Mr. Jones discovered that an Army brigadier general sought permission in 2018 to work as a paid consultant for the defense minister of Qatar while he was acting deputy assistant secretary of defense for the Middle East. This meant he oversaw U.S. defense policy toward the country he was negotiating with. The proposed bill would prohibit that practice. Were not opposed to former U.S. government officials advising other countries in retirement. Its no surprise that foreign powers would be keenly interested in counsel from veterans of the most lethal, and professionalized, fighting force in human history. So long as their work does not jeopardize Americas national security, these men and women have the right to earn an income. If Americans dont provide counsel, Russia or China might fill the vacuum. Moreover, American advisers can sometimes help keep difficult partners interconnected with the West. But its essential the American public knows whats happening. Because we favor transparency over restrictions, some language in the Warren-Grassley bill feels too stringent. A provision intended to prohibit military intelligence officers from working for any foreign government for 30 months, except Britain, Canada, Australia and New Zealand, could be interpreted to cover any retiree with a security clearance. That goes too far. If retired officers collecting generous pensions and health benefits from Uncle Sam are ashamed to publicly reveal that theyre also collecting checks from odious regimes, perhaps they shouldnt take the money. MUSKEGON, MI Volunteers are needed to thief cleanable up a cardinal waterway successful nan City of Muskegon. The Ryerson Creek cleanup will beryllium 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday, July 8. Hosted by nan City of Muskegon and nan Muskegon Conservation District, nan cleanup will see free luncheon and snacks. Volunteers are asked to meet astatine nan Smith Ryerson Center, 650 Wood Street. Teams will beryllium dispatched to cleanable up trash successful areas of nan watercourse from Getty Street to Muskegon Lake. Volunteers are encouraged to bring their ain boots and waders, though location will beryllium immoderate that tin beryllium borrowed. Trash gathering materials and gloves will beryllium provided. Those pinch kayaks are encouraged to thief scope deeper parts of nan creek. The Michigan Clean Water Corps provided backing for nan event. The City of Muskegon Department of Public Works and nan Muskegon Area Municipal Storm Water Committee are providing assistance. Questions tin beryllium directed to Kara via email astatine [email protected] aliases by calling nan Muskegon Conservation District Office astatine 231-828-5097. Want much Muskegon area news? Bookmark nan section Muskegon news page aliases motion up for nan free [email protected] Muskegon regular newsletter. Also connected MLive Muskegon Heights downtown makeover gets $6M from state Italianate mansion to beryllium saved, moved by metropolis of Muskegon $18M for improvement of immense Shaw-Walker eyesore successful Muskegon awarded by state A Louisiana national judge has restricted immoderate branches of nan Biden administration from communicating aliases gathering pinch social media platforms astir contented moderation connected Facebook, YouTube and Twitter. Judge Terry A. Doughty of nan U.S. District Court for nan Western District of Louisiana blocked agencies specified arsenic nan FBI And nan Department of Health and Human Services from flagging societal media posts and accounts. The judge made exceptions for nationalist information threats and criminal activity. The ruling came successful consequence to a suit brought by GOP attorneys wide successful Louisiana and Missouri, alleging that authorities officials, nether nan guise of curbing misinformation, colluded pinch societal media platforms to remove blimpish voices and viewpoints, including posts astir nan COVID pandemic and Hunter Bidens laptop. In their tribunal filings, nan AGs alleged the astir egregious violations of nan First Amendment successful nan history of nan United States of America. A White House charismatic said nan Justice Department is reviewing nan court's injunction and will measure its options. Government officials person said they tried to trim COVID deaths by clamping down connected harmful misinformation and that they routinely alert societal media companies astir forbidden activity specified arsenic quality trafficking aliases terrorism. "This management has promoted responsible actions to protect nationalist health, safety, and information erstwhile confronted by challenges for illustration a deadly pandemic and overseas attacks connected our elections," nan charismatic said successful a statement. "Our accordant position remains that societal media platforms person a captious work to return relationship of nan effects their platforms are having connected nan American people, but make independent choices astir nan accusation they present." In nan injunction, Judge Doughty said Louisiana and Missouri produced grounds of a monolithic effort by Defendants, from nan White House to national agencies, to suppress reside based connected its content. The judge has not issued a last ruling. The injunction was first reported by nan Washington Post. Facebook and Instagram proprietor Meta declined to comment. Twitter responded pinch an automated poop emoji. Google could not beryllium reached for comment. Contributing: Francesca Chambers Thousands of Palestinians fled nan Jenin exile campy arsenic 1 of nan astir large-scale Israeli subject operations successful nan occupied West Bank successful astir 2 decades continued for a 2nd time Tuesday. The Palestinian Health Ministry said that astatine slightest 8 Palestinians person been killed and dozens much wounded. The Israeli Defense Forces said that nan ngo was basal to "dismantle" violent infrastructure, apprehension suspects and seizure weapons utilized by militant groups who usage nan campy arsenic a stronghold. The cognition successful nan camp, which is densely populated pinch civilians, comes astatine a clip of increasing home unit connected Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to respond forcefully to a spate of caller attacks connected Israeli West Bank settlers that person emanated from Jenin, including a shooting past period that killed 4 Israelis. On their nation's 75th anniversary: Israelis ask: Is this still a democracy? Israel's subject reservists: They person transformed a governmental situation into a information one "Jenin has turned into a safe haven for terrorism. We are putting an extremity to this, Netanyahu said Monday. Israel's cognition successful Jenin: What's nan context? The Jenin campy and an adjacent municipality of nan aforesaid sanction person been a flashpoint betwixt Israelis and Palestinians since unit began escalating successful outpouring 2022. Jenin has besides been a awesome clash constituent for acold longer. In nan past Palestinian uprising, successful 2002, Israel launched a awesome cognition successful nan campy aft a Palestinian termination bombing during a ample Passover gathering successful Israel that killed 30 people. The campy was group up successful nan aftermath of nan 1948-49 warfare betwixt Israel and Arab nations. UNRWA, the U.N. agency for Palestinian refugees, says astir 14,000 group unrecorded successful Jenin. It's an area of little than a 4th mile successful size. Israel says it launched its latest cognition successful Jenin because nan Palestinian Authority, nan governmental entity that controls nan civilian areas of nan West Bank Israel's subject controls nan remainder is excessively anemic to support quiet and forestall immoderate militants from utilizing nan campy arsenic a guidelines to scheme and motorboat attacks connected Israelis. The Israeli service said it was allowing group who wanted to time off Jenin to do so. The Palestinian Red Crescent rescue work said that arsenic galore arsenic 3,000 group had near by midnight, and they expected nan exodus to continue. UNRWA said galore campy residents were successful request of food, drinking h2o and beverage powder. Electricity and h2o networks wrong nan campy person been severely damaged by clashes. There whitethorn beryllium political considerations at play. Leading members of Netanyahus far-right government, which is dominated by West Bank settlers and their supporters, person called for a broader subject consequence to nan ongoing unit successful nan area, peculiarly aft nan June 20 shooting that killed 4 group successful nan Jewish colony of Eli. Proud of our heroes connected each fronts and this greeting particularly of our soldiers operating successful Jenin, Israel's National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, an ultranationalist who precocious called for Israel to termination thousands of militants if necessary, tweeted Monday. Praying for their success. More than 130 Palestinians person been killed this twelvemonth successful nan West Bank, portion of much than a yearlong spike successful unit that has seen immoderate of nan worst bloodshed successful nan area successful astir 2 decades. Israel accuses its archenemy Iran of backing immoderate of nan militant groups progressive successful nan fighting. Palestinians opportunity specified unit is inevitable successful nan absence of immoderate governmental process pinch Israel and accrued West Bank colony building and unit by extremist settlers supported by Netanyahu's government. Islamic Jihad, a militant group pinch a ample beingness successful Jenin, threatened to motorboat attacks from its Gaza Strip stronghold if nan fighting dragged on. Lebanons militant Hezbollah group besides made threats, saying nan Palestinians person many alternatives and intends that will make nan force regret its acts. Hezbollah fought a monthlong warfare against Israel successful 2006. Israel captured nan West Bank, eastbound Jerusalem and nan Gaza Strip successful nan 1967 Mideast war. The Palestinians activity those territories for their hoped-for independent state. Contributing: Associated Press We're always interested in hearing about news in our community. Let us know what's going on! Go to form In this handout photo released by Novaya Gazeta Europe via web site Novayagazeta.eu on Tuesday, July 4, 2023, Novaya Gazeta journalist Elena Milashina sitts after giving her a medical treatment in Grozny, Russia. Unidentified masked assailants in the Russian province of Chechnya have attacked and beaten a journalist and a lawyer. The violent incident underlines human rights abuses in the region. Novaya Gazeta journalist Elena Milashina and lawyer Alexander Nemov had just arrived in Chechnya to attend the trial of Zarema Musayeva, the mother of two local activists who have challenged Chechen authorities. (Novaya Gazeta Europe Novayagazeta.eu via AP) The leaders of the Netherlands and Luxembourg tell Kosovo and Serbia to normalize ties for EU hopes The leaders of the Netherlands and Luxembourg say normalizing ties between Kosovo and Serbia would serve not only regional peace and stability but also their prospects of further integration into the European Union If you live alone and have a gross income of $29,160 or less in the continental U.S., you can qualify for discounted high-speed internet, thanks to the $14.2 billion Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP). Households with seven, eight or more members can participate in the federal program with incomes topping $80,000, $90,000 and $100,000, respectively. And higher income ceilings are available for people in Alaska and Hawaii because of higher costs of living in those states. High-speed internet is not a luxury any longer. Its a necessity, President Joe Biden said, comparing it to his grandfathers need for a telephone as that technology evolved. Participation in the program to bring high-speed broadband access to households that earn up to 200 percent of federal poverty guidelines continues to rise by almost 1 percentage point each week. More households this year qualify than in 2022 because of high inflation. More than 19.5 million lower-income households had signed up as of July 17, more than double the number that were participating at the end of 2021. Most households that qualify will receive a $30 a month credit; for people in tribal areas, the benefit rises to as much as $75 because of the high cost of serving remote areas. Money for these subsidies is expected to run out next year. Affordable connectivity is critical for millions of older Americans, says Dawit Kahsai, AARPs government affairs director. From access to telehealth to connecting with loved ones and caregivers, affordable high-speed internet matters. The Affordable Connectivity Program is vital for older adults, and it must be fully funded. Nearly 40 percent of households in America qualify for the $30 a month credit, which means most folks will get on for nothing, the president said. Census figures suggest thats more than 50 million households. Hundreds of providers offer ACP eligible families at least one high-speed plan for $30 a month or less, including huge carriers such as AT&T, Comcast, Cox Communications and Verizon Fios. Regional providers, including IdeaTek in Kansas and Jackson Energy Authority in Tennessee, also are on the list. Internet speeds at that price must be at least 100 megabits per second (Mbps) where a companys infrastructure supports it. Thats fast enough for a family of four to work from home, browse the web and stream high-definition video, the administration says. The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) defines high-speed broadband as 25 Mbps for download speed and 3 Mbps for uploads. All of a companys internet plans that meet the FCC standard are eligible for the subsidy. Who is eligible for the ACP in 2023? Households with income at or below 200 percent of the federal poverty guidelines. For a family of four, 200 percent of the federal poverty guideline is $60,000 in 2023, a more than 8 percent increase from 2022. Increases Ownership in iM3NY Sydney, July 3, 2023 AEST (ABN Newswire) - Magnis Energy Technologies Ltd ( ASX:MNS ) ( U1P:FRA ) ( MNSEF:OTCMKTS ) is pleased to announce that it has increased its interest in iM3NY LLC ("iM3NY") to 73% following the conversion of the Bridging Finance announced on 31 March 2023 (and some other minor financial assistance provided by Magnis more recently) into iM3NY equity. Highlights: - Conversion of Bridging Finance into iM3NY equity takes Magnis' ownership interest to 73% - Following UN38.3 certification, commercial field trial sales from production lots are expected to begin this quarter - Potential strategic investors/partners continue to evaluate a possible investment in iM3NY With the iM3NY Battery Plant likely entering the stage of commercial field trial sales from production batches in the current quarter, the Company's board believed it was an opportune time to increase its overall stake in the project, rather than seeking repayment of the bridging finance. Magnis has also entered into a new small-scale short term debt financing facility to enable it to provide additional support to iM3NY (thereby allowing iM3NY to meet its operating and financing obligations) and to provide additional working capital to Magnis itself. UN38.3 Certification and Revenues Regulated industries such as energy (lithium-ion battery cells), pharmaceuticals, specialty chemicals, and similar critical-use sectors require certification. Now UN38.3 Certified, iM3NY cells are now permitted to be transported by land, sea, and air both locally and internationally. With the cells permitted to be transported, sales will begin in the current quarter utilising any cells that have been stockpiled that have passed the relevant Quality Control (QC) measures for field trial purposes by the clients. Production levels will progressively ramp up in parallel to field trial sales from low-rate of production to high-rate production. Strategic Partners/Investment In the last quarter, several parties have progressed their due diligence regarding investment or a strategic partnership with iM3NY. Further information will be provided as it comes to hand. iM3NY Chairman Dr. Shailesh Upreti commented: "The iM3NY Battery Plant offers an unparalleled and unique opportunity with much thanks to Magnis' foresight to have cell-manufacturing-infrastructure in place to leverage additional synergies." "iM3NY is in talks with Tier 1 EV manufacturers who value these synergies and are engaging with us." About Magnis Energy Technologies Limited Magnis Energy Technologies Limited (ASX:MNS) (OTCMKTS:MNSEF) (FRA:U1P) is involved in and has strategic investments in several aspects of the electrification supply chain including manufacturing of green credentialed lithium-ion battery cells, leading edge battery technology and high quality, high performance anode materials. The company's vision is to enable, support and accelerate the green energy transition critical for the adoption of Electric Mobility and Renewable Energy Storage. Wet Commissioning Commences At Kat Gap Processing Plant Perth, July 4, 2023 AEST (ABN Newswire) - Classic Minerals Ltd ( ASX:CLZ ) ( 2I7:FRA ) ( CSMRF:OTCMKTS ) announces that Wet commissioning of the processing plant at its Kat Gap gold project has commenced. The Company will use part of the bulk sample ore for completing this wet commissioning phase, and ongoing calibration required for efficient and automated throughput, before processing the balance through the gravity circuit. Highlights - Industrial Power Solutions Pty Ltd (IPS) commences Wet commissioning at KAT GAP Processing Plant. - Processing of ore in early July 2023. - Design expansion work continues for Stage 2 of Kat Gap Gold Project. The Company's Stage 1 plant consists of a standalone crushing facility, fed into a 1.5-micron trommel for screening, then recirculating through a ball milling operation to achieve optimum screening size. The gravity extraction and separation process will utilise the hydro-cyclone Gekko equipment to produce concentrate ready for gold recovery. Concentrate cleaning will be undertaken using a single Wilfley table separator with a capacity of 1.20 tonnes per day; generating a smeltable gold concentrate. The projects Stage 1 processing facility has a throughput of up to 100,000 tonnes per annum. Industrial Power Solutions (IPS) are overseeing the wet commissioning process which is currently being completed by an automation and controls business Consolidated Electrical Solutions Pty Ltd (Coelect). This includes a new CitectSCADA package for data acquisition and local operator control. The commissioning process will include automated sequence testing & instrument calibrations to allow for the required throughput. Classic will take the opportunity during wet commissioning to log recovery data which will be used to further progress the design work for the Stage 2 expansion of the process plant. During Stage 2 the company will look to introduce a CIL circuit and upscale the milling to achieve a throughput of up to 200,000 tonnes per annum. IPS will be leading the process design and construction package for Kat Gap Stage 2 expansion and will assist the company in developing an Engineering and Construction plan for the expansion of the processing plant, which will include increased Power Generation and Power Distribution infrastructure, Instrumentation and Software development. The Company will use bespoke software upgrades to implement all additional equipment and automate the processing plant with minimal interruptions to the existing process. CLZ will continue its civil works study for Stage 2 expansion of the Kat Gap Project. This includes the processing ROM, increased water supply and storage facilities, development of additional access roads, workshops, administration buildings, and tailings storage. IPS is a Western Australian based design engineering company that specializes in process engineering, electrical instrumentation, project management, HAZOP studies, project implementation, commissioning, operator training and operational support. Further to the announcement of 27 June 2023, Classic has completed the drilling of a second water bore which is producing significantly more water than the first bore. The two bores are now active and will be engaged to supply the required amounts of water for the processing plant and other operational and developmental needs of Classic Minerals.(1) (1) ASX Announcements of 27 June 23, 30 June 22 and 04 April 22. *To view tables and figures, please visit: https://abnnewswire.net/lnk/43L6DT08 About Classic Minerals Limited Classic Minerals Limited (ASX:CLZ) is an exploration and development company focused on gold deposits in Western Australia's famous Goldfields region. In March 2017, Classic acquired the Forrestania Gold Project, with seven tenements stretching across 450km2. Strategically located in a very prospective region, the FGP is an underexplored package surrounded by multimillion ounce deposits such as Bounty (2Moz) and Yilgarn Star (1.5Moz). Secures 39% of Bayrock Resources Limited Perth, July 4, 2023 AEST (ABN Newswire) - QX Resources Limited ( ASX:QXR ) is pleased to announce that Bayrock Resources Limited (Bayrock) has successfully completed its rights issue to raise A$1.8 million through the issue of new shares at $0.03 per share (before costs) (Rights Issue). Existing Bayrock shareholders subscribed for ~$600,000 under the Rights Issue. QXR was the underwriter to the Rights Issue, and following the conversion of QXR-provided secured loans to Bayrock, and fees payable to QXR, QX Resources Limited now holds a ~39% interest in the issued capital of Bayrock. Further details of the Underwriting Agreement are set out in the Annexure to the Company's announcement dated 8 May 2023. Bayrock has a portfolio of highly prospective battery minerals assets in Sweden, primarily in nickel, cobalt and copper. Bayrock is now fully funded to carry out its planned exploration activities at the Lainejaur Ni-Cu-Co project and the Northern Nickel Line projects, Sweden. HIGHLIGHTS - Bayrock Resources Limited (Bayrock), an unlisted public Australian company with a portfolio of highly prospective battery minerals exploration and development assets in Sweden, has successfully completed its A$1.8 million rights issue, with ~$600,000 raised from existing Bayrock shareholders. - QX Resources acted as underwriter and following the conversion of QXR-provided secured loans and fees, QXR now holds a significant ~39% of Bayrock's issued capital. - Bayrock has a portfolio of highly prospective battery minerals assets in Sweden, primarily in nickel, cobalt and copper. Following completion of the Rights Issue, Bayrock completed the acquisition of all of the Bayrock projects, and is now funded to carry out further exploration at Lainejaur and the Northern Nickel Line projects in Sweden. - A diamond drill rig has been mobilised to the Vuostok project, a near surface nickel-copper project within the Northern Nickel Line, with a series of approximately 15 shallow drillholes (~450m) planned. - Assay results for the diamond hole at Lainejaur are due in the coming weeks. Bayrock Exploration Update Bayrock has engaged a Scandinavian drilling company to mobilise a diamond drill to the Vuostok project, a near surface nickel-copper project within the Northern Nickel Line projects. Approximately 15 shallow drill holes (~450m) are planned at the Storbodsund Deposit within the Vuostok project, where high-grade nickel and copper was previously intersected 70 years ago in a flat-lying deposit of near-surface sulphides (within 20m of surface), covered by a thin veneer of glacial moraine. In the recent Bayrock Prospectus (5 May 2023), available on the Bayrock website (see website link below), the Vuostok Ni-Cu sulphide Project mineralization is described as a shallow flat-lying body of massive Ni-Cu sulphides (average grade of 2.3% Ni and 0.6% Cu (including up 3.7% Ni), between 0.3 and 3.9 meters thick, covered by glacial sediments. The sulphides were intersected by six Boliden Minerals AB drill holes completed during copper exploration in 1947 and the deposit remains open to the north, west and south. The mineralization is located close to the basal section of a gabbroic intrusive along the contact with underlying granite. The Vuostok project is located about 60km northwest of the Lainejaur Project. The aim of the drilling is to identify and characterise sufficient mineralisation within potential trucking distance of the Lainejaur project to advance the potential for future stand-alone nickel-copper operations or additional ore feed for a potential Lainejaur operation. The two deposits are connected by all-weather roads and both are close to considerable support infrastructure. As announced 14 June 2023, drilling at the Lainejaur Ni-Cu-Co project intersected visual sulphide mineralisation. Bayrock is expecting final assay results and an analysis of the results from the diamond drill hole at Lainejaur in the coming weeks. Comment QX Resources Executive Chairman Maurice Feilich commented: "Bayrock has received excellent support from its existing shareholder base, and together with QXR's investment, the Company is sufficiently capitalised to deliver further value through ongoing drilling in Sweden. We are encouraged with progress to date and look forward to first assays from the Lainejaur Ni-Cu-Co project and updates from the program at Vuostok where the drill rig is turning. "QXR also expects to shortly provide shareholders with plans for the next phase of exploration activities planned at its Pilbara lithium assets which remain an important focus for the Company." https://www.bayrockresources.com/site/investor-centre/investors-centre About QX Resources Ltd QX Resources Limited (ASX:QXR) is focused on exploration and development of battery minerals, with hard rock lithium assets in a prime location of Western Australia (WA), and gold assets in Queensland. The aim is to connect end users (battery, cathode and car makers) with QXR, an experienced explorer/developer of battery minerals, with an expanding mineral exploration project portfolio and solid financial support. Lithium portfolio: QXR's lithium strategy is centred around WA's prolific Pilbara province, where it has acquired a controlling interest in four projects through targeted M&A - all of which sit in strategic proximity to some of Australia's largest lithium deposits and mines. Across the Pilbara, QXR's regional lithium tenement package (both granted or under application) now spans more than 350 km2. Gold portfolio: QXR is also developing two Central Queensland gold projects - Lucky Break and Belyando - through an earn-in agreement with Zamia Resources Pty Ltd. Both gold projects are strategically located within the Drummond Basin, a region that has a >6.5moz gold endowment. Walt Disney Pictures Movie James Mangold insists Harrison Ford's last entry as Indiana Jones has 'a very elegant form' as the plot which contains time travel elements is branded too outlandish. Jul 4, 2023 AceShowbiz - James Mangold has stood by the mystical elements in "Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny". The 59-year-old filmmaker has directed the latest movie in the franchise that features Harrison Ford's Indy and his goddaughter Helena Shaw (Phoebe Waller-Bridge) as they try and find a device that will change the course of history but has rejected suggestions that the plot is too outlandish. "Well, certainly myself and my co-writers on the picture, we discussed it a lot. But it's not really so controversial, these movies have a very elegant form. The relic always defines the third act and the power of the relic defines the magic of the movie," James told ComicBook.com when discussing the film's time travel elements. "So whether you're talking about the Ark of the Covenant or you're talking about the Holy Grail, or at all, we can talk about all of them, but whatever goes down in the third act is usually some kind of reaction to the magic and power and mysticism possessed by the relic itself. And usually pretty mind-blowing." Mangold continued, "And I think that has become a staple of all the movies, that each movie ends up culminating with a kind of event, a kind of magical, inexplicable event that forces this doctor, this scientist to suddenly have to wrestle with how he's going to explain this with simple logic." The "Logan" director also explained how watching the franchise's original film "Raiders of the Lost Ark" inspired him to get behind the camera. James said, "I mean, on the simplest level, if you go back to the 17-year-old sitting there, I knew I wanted to be a movie director, although seeing 'Raiders' was only galvanising that feeling. But if you told me that I'd be making a movie with those people on the screen, that would blow my mind." You can share this post! Celebrity During a recent trial at London's Southwark Crown Court, alleged victims took a stand against the former 'House of Cards' actor and accused him of groping and grooming them. Jul 4, 2023 AceShowbiz - Kevin Spacey is accused of "groping" and "grabbing" a young man. The Oscar-winning actor, 63, is hit with 12 charges of sexual assault and appeared at London's Southwark Crown Court on Monday, July 3, where one of his alleged four victims gave evidence and said he had been made "very, very uncomfortable" by the former "House of Cards" star, who he accused of "grooming" him from the minute they met. "He grabbed me in private areas, and tried to get me to put my hands on him. He tried to grope me and grab me and it made me feel very, very uncomfortable. He was almost, from the get go, grooming me," the man - who cannot be named for legal reasons - said in a filmed police interview shown to the court. The man - who is the first of the four alleged victims to give evidence in court - also described Spacey as a "slippery, difficult person" and a "mixed-up individual." The man told how the alleged incidents took place over a five-year period when the "American Beauty" star was artistic director at the Old Vic Theatre in London, a position he held from 2004 to 2015. Spacey - who denies all charges - was said to be "listening intently" to the evidence after he arrived at the courthouse unhandcuffed. Prosecutor Christine Agnew kicked off the trial by detailing the numerous allegations stacked against Spacey. Agnew told the court, "He is an extremely famous actor who has won a number of awards. He is also, the prosecution allege, a man who sexually assaults other men. A man who does not respect personal boundaries or space, a man who it would seem delights in making others feel powerless and uncomfortable, a sexual bully." She told the court it was important not to get "starstruck" or "overwhelmed" by Spacey. The four male complainants whose cases will be heard over the next month or so have the right to anonymity. The first plaintiff claimed they were inappropriately touched by Spacey and that the contact got "more intense," leading to him being grabbed and groped aggressively. And Agnew told the court the Hollywood actor got a "sexual thrill out of this type of sexual aggression." The second complainant alleged that the movie star "laughed" as he tried to get away from being grabbed "with such force it was painful" at work in 2005. The third plaintiff, who reported the actor first, allegedly woke up to Spacey performing a sex act on him after spending the night at his flat following an evening at the pub. The male claims Spacey offered to mentor him. And he said he "sat and cried" at a bus stop at 5am after the alleged assault took place. In 2013, a fourth male met Spacey at the Oxfordshire pub he worked at and later met with him at another drinking establishment he suggested they meet at. According to the complainant, Spacey touched his leg and told him to "be cool" when he kissed his neck. The prosecutor then told the court that Spacey grabbed the male's crotch. Agnew said Spacey thought he could get away with doing "what and who he wanted, when he wanted." Patrick Gibbs, Spacey's barrister, argued that the allegations made against his client had been "reimagined with a sinister spin" and "deliberately exaggerated." He went on to ask the jury to consider what the male complainants wanted to gain from Spacey and whether they were after his money or using him to enter the acting industry. Gibbs added, "What did they want from his wealth and from his influence and what do they still want do you think?" The barrister then accused the complainants of spreading "damned lies" about the actor. He concluded, "You will soon hear I suggest some truths, you will soon hear some half-truths, you will also hear I suggest...some deliberate exaggerations and you will hear many damned lies." The trial is set to last for four weeks. You can share this post! Cover Images/Dara Kushner TV Kanye became the butt of a joke in the HBO controversial series fronted by Lily-Rose Depp and The Weeknd as the show took a bow with its final episode recently. Jul 4, 2023 AceShowbiz - Kanye West was ridiculed over his anti-Semitic outbursts in "The Idol" finale. The 46-year-old rapper was dismissed by a string of big-name brands in the wake of his statements, and sued by an ex-employee in November over multiple instances in which he allegedly praised Hitler and Nazism in various business meetings, and was the butt of a joke as HBO's controversial series wrapped up. During Sunday's July 2 finale of the show, Lily-Rose Depp's pop star character Jocelyn referenced Kanye's reported appreciation for Adolf Hitler. The 24-year-old actress' character put on a showcase for her management team in an attempt to convince them she was ready to go back on tour and her agent on the show said, "You know, f****** Kanye was filling arenas until he decided to start following Adolf Hitler." It was an apparent reference to how Jocelyn let herself get under the spell of sleazy nightclub owner Tedros, played by Abel "The Weeknd" Tesfaye, 33. Yeezy founder Kanye entered a settlement agreement with the employee who alleged he praised Hitler, and denied the claims made in the settlement. It later emerged the rapper wanted to name his 2018 album "Hitler" after the disgraced world leader - but changed his mind for unknown reasons, CNN reported. Kanye also allegedly professed his love for the German dictator in the same TMZ interview that he infamously argued that slavery was a "choice." Former TMZ staffer Van Lathan Jr. said on his "Higher Learning" podcast in October, "He said something like, 'I love Hitler, I love Nazis,' something to that effect." Van Lathan recalled a Jewish staff member at the tabloid allegedly challenging the "Stronger" rapper over his anti-Semitic comments, "When I saw (the new tweets), I was like, 'Oh, I knew that this was eventually coming.' " He was referencing Kanye's slew of anti-Semitic posts which got him banned from Twitter. Companies including Adidas, Gap, Balenciaga, JPMorgan Chase and Vogue severed ties with Kanye over his outbursts. The multi-Grammy award winner, who has bipolar disorder, later doubled down on his remarks when asked if he was sorry about making anti-Semitic comments. His ex-wife Kim Kardashian, 42, and her family members spoke out against him at the time of his tweets controversy, with the rapper's former sister-in-law Khloe Kardashian, 39, posted on Instagram she supported her "Jewish friends and the Jewish people." You can share this post! Cover Images/Roger Wong Celebrity As part of King Charles' apparent cost-cutting measures, the pair were initially set to be moved into Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's old home of Frogmore Cottage. Jul 4, 2023 AceShowbiz - Prince Andrew and his ex-wife Sarah Ferguson reportedly won't be kicked out of their Royal Lodge home as she recovers from her breast cancer surgery. Andrew, 63, has been living at the grand house near Windsor Castle, outside London, since 2003, with Sarah, Duchess of York, also 63, after the Duke signed a 74-year lease on the 30-room property. But as part of King Charles' apparent cost-cutting measures the pair were set to be moved into Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, Duchess of Sussex's old home of Frogmore Cottage. Insiders told Page Six about how the move is on the "back burner" while Sarah recovers from her recent eight-hour mastectomy procedure. Royal sources said it was to give her "time to recover from gruelling surgery." A friend said about the duchess, who has daughters Princess Beatrice, 34, and Princess Eugenie, 33, with Andrew, "She is resting at home. It was major surgery. She's had lots of support, both her daughters, Beatrice and Eugenie, are being very supportive, as is Andrew." Princess Eugenie is currently living in Frogmore with her husband, Jack Brooksbank, 37, their son August, two, and their newborn son Ernest. Andrew was left disgraced and without any official duties or income after paying a multimillion-dollar settlement to Jeffrey Epstein's trafficking victim Virginia Giuffre, 39. He does not appear to have enough income to cover the combined rent and upkeep of the home, which is owned by the Crown Estate, a for-profit company which runs all the property owned by the monarchy. But a royal source told Page Six, "Charles is not chucking Andrew out, but Andrew will have to find the money to look after the property himself - and where is that coming from?" Sarah has declared it is "time to heal and nurture" herself after having a mastectomy. Her long-time friend Piers Morgan, 58, said moments after he read the news Sarah had cancer he texted her and she replied, "Time to heal and nurture me now!" The former "America's Got Talent" judge added Sarah also said, "Hopefully caught in time x thank you". Sarah said on her "Tea Talks" podcast, "Tomorrow I'm going in for a mastectomy... I have to go through this operation, and I have to be well and strong. And therefore, no choice is the best choice. I'm going to go out there and get super, super well - super strong." Sarah added she was grateful for her diagnosis as it has forced her to focus on herself instead of other people. She said, "I taking this as a gift to make real changes for myself and to nurture myself and stop trying to fix everyone else." You can share this post! Cover Images/Sara De Boer Music The 'SICKO MODE' rapper drives fans crazy when he performs in front of 80,000 people to the point it is enough to make nearby residents think that there's an earthquake. Jul 4, 2023 AceShowbiz - Travis Scott (II) literally shakes Milan, Italy with his performance. The rapper drove fans crazy when he performed in front of 80,000 people to the point it was enough to make nearby residents think that there's an earthquake. A local news outlet claimed that concertgoers at Travis' June 30 show at the La Maura racetrack in Milan as well as the music were so loud and rowdy that neighbors in the western area of the city felt earthquake-like shake. In footage circulating online, toys on a table were vibrating with house plants shaking inside a small home. Upon watching the video, fans showed mixed responses on social media. "Bro really killing people and causing earthquakes. This n***a different Thanos $cott," one person wrote. "Honestly bruh thats a flex," one other added. "N***a caused the tectonic plates to shake, HES A GOAT," one other said. Someone else, meanwhile, appeared to refer to Travis' deadly Astroworld concert in 2021, saying, "Dude really not helping the crowd ritual allegations rn." Travis was hardly the first musician to produce an earthquake during concerts. Florence and The Machine did the same when they performed in front of 60,000 attendees at the Tempelhof Sounds festival at Tempelhof Airport in Berlin, Germany last year. According to a local German outlet, the crowd started jumping up and down around 9 P.M. and the vibrations were registered as an actual earthquake. "Three private seismological stations in the immediate vicinity of Tempelhofer Feld registered an above-average deflection, 1.4 on the local magnitude scale," Data scientist Jens Skapski told the outlet at the time. That aside, it was recently revealed that Travis wouldn't face criminal charges in a criminal investigation of a deadly crowd surge at the 2021 Astroworld festival that killed 10 people and injured many. Scott's lawyer Kent Schaffer confirmed that the Harris County grand jury had met and decided not to indict his client on any criminal charges stemming from the concert. In the wake of the decision, the "SICKO MODE" emcee issued a statement through his representative. "Travis Scott will not be charged with criminal charges or any wrongdoing for his involvement with Astroworld festival," his representative said at the time. The rep continued, "Today's decision by the Harris County District Attorney confirms what we have known all along - that Travis Scott is not responsible for the Astroworld tragedy. This is consistent with investigative reporting by numerous media outlets and federal and state government reports that have squarely placed the onus for event safety crises on organizers, operators and contractors -- not performers." "While waiting patiently for the District Attorney's decision to not file charges, Travis Scott has been inaccurately and wrongly singled out, despite stopping the show three separate times and being unaware of the events as they were unfolding. Now that this chapter is closed, we hope for the government efforts to focus on what is most important - stopping future heartbreaking tragedies like Astroworld from ever occurring again," the statement concluded. You can share this post! Cover Images/Sara De Boer Celebrity The 'Melrose Place' alum looks in distress as she is pictured walking on the ledge of an office building and talking to herself after leaving an hour-long meeting. Jul 4, 2023 AceShowbiz - Heather Locklear looked the worse for wear as she stepped out in Malibu, California last week. The actress sparked concerns about her welfare after she displayed erratic behavior during her outing on Thursday, June 29. Heather was dropped off by her fiance Chris Heisser outside the building at about 1 P.M. She had an undisclosed appointment that lasted an hour, according to Daily Mail which obtained pictures of the actress' outing that day. When she emerged from the building, the 61-year-old kept her fiance waiting in his car while she was seen making her way along the ledge of the building. The TV star was seen balancing along the ledge of an office building while wearing a pair of flip-flops and gripping onto pillars for support. Dressing in army fatigue sweatpants and an off-the-shoulder T-shirt, the former "Melrose Place" star was seen sitting at the top of a staircase for a while where she read from a journal and began talking to her herself. She looked in distress as she placed her palm on her head. At one point, she pointed angrily to something written in the diary and was gesticulating in an animated fashion before putting her journal back into her purse. Heather reportedly sat for a lengthy period of self-reflection at the top of the stairs while her fiance patiently waited inside the car. After well over an hour by herself, she ran over to Chris and the pair drove off together. After the news was shared on Twitter, social media users were quick to express their concerns for Heather's well-being. "I'll pray for her," a sympathetic person wrote. Another commented on the news, "How heartbreaking." A third reacted, "That is very sad. I thought she was actually stable," as a fourth person echoed the sentiment, "Sad indeed. I remember her best self well, from TV anyway." Another weighed in, "The years have not been kind to Heather. Or should I say, Hollywood has not been kind." Some others blamed her drug and alcohol use for her erratic behavior. "Too much drugs for a girl her size. Too many boyfriends that did it to her....," someone speculated. Another alleged, "She looks like she's on Methamphetamine." "Years of drug and alcohol abuse are bound to do damage," one other person claimed, while someone else took the opportunity to warn others, "Don't do drugs kids." Heather has been thought to be sober since 2019 following numerous stints in rehab, but friends are worried that she may have started drinking again. She also has had her fair share of legal issues, including a February 2018 arrest for domestic violence and battery against a police officer. In June of the same year, she was arrested again for allegedly verbally and physically abusing an ambulance EMT who responded to her home following a call for help. You can share this post! Cover Images/Faye's Vision Celebrity A few days after being spotted partying up with Chris and Liam Hemsworth, the actor of 'The Last Duel' is caught on camera locking lips with his spouse during their family outing. Jul 4, 2023 AceShowbiz - Matt Damon has enjoyed a beach outing with his wife Luciana Barroso. When going for a family trip in Mykonos, Greece, the leading actor of "The Last Duel" and his spouse packed on the PDA. On Monday, July 3, the 52-year-old was spotted not being able to keep his hands off his 46-year-old wife during their European vacation. In photos obtained by Page Six, he could be seen standing in front of his wife as he kissed her cheek. One of the pictures captured the wedded couple locking lips while he placed one of his hands on her neck. For their day out at the beach, Matt and Luciana were joined by their daughters 17-year-old Isabella and 12-year-old Stella as well as 24-year-old Alexia, whom Matt welcomed with his former partner. All five of them were all smiles and having a blast. They enjoyed doing various activities while being accompanied by each other. In other pictures, the "Thor: Love and Thunder" actor and Luciana were caught on camera getting some colorful unicorn inner tubes on the water. The two, along with the other members of the family, were later seen floating on the beach with the tubes. Another picture saw overjoyed Luciana sitting on white sand and playing with it. At one point, the couple was seen sitting on beach chairs while enjoying the view. For the occasion, Matt donned a button-down short-sleeved black shirt with white flower pattern on it. He wore a pair of short dark green pants, black slippers, black aviator sunglasses and a necklace. He later went shirtless while soaking up the sun. In the meantime, Luciana arrived at the beach wearing a black outer over her black bra top with thin straps and a pair of matching bikini bottoms. She completed the look with a gold necklace, several bracelets, a pair of earrings, a big black knitted handbag and a black bucket hat. Matt's PDA-packed beach getaway with Luciana came a few days after the two were spotted enjoying a party with Chris Hemsworth and Liam Hemsworth. In photos circulating online on June 29, the two families could be seen gathering for a vacation together in the Greek island of Mykonos. Matt, Luciana, Chris and Liam appeared close to each other during their day out. One picture showed the four of them posing for photos together, along with Liam's model girlfriend Gabriella Brooks and a group of friends. Another snap portrayed Matt being sandwiched in between Chris and Liam who had their arms wrapped around his shoulders. You can share this post! Instagram Celebrity The 29-year-old, whom the hip-hop mogul shares with Misa Hylton, was taken into custody for driving under the influence on June 4 after running a red light near Beverly Hills at around 8:00 A.M. Jul 4, 2023 AceShowbiz - Sean "P. Diddy" Combs' son Justin Combs has been charged in his DUI case. The 29-year-old was hit with two misdemeanor counts for driving under the influence and for having a blood alcohol content (BAC) higher than 0.08 percent or more. RadarOnline.com reported that a criminal case was filed against Justin on June 27. His pretrial hearing date reportedly has been set for August 10. Justin was arrested for driving under the influence on June 4. He was taken into custody after running a red light near Beverly Hills at around 8:00 A.M. Officers found Justin behind the wheel after he was stopped. He had his car searched, and police observed a smell of alcohol coming out of the car. "Officers conducted a traffic stop, and they observed the driver possibly under the influence of unknown alcohol or drugs," the Los Angeles Police Department told Fox News. "The investigation revealed that he was under the influence." The LAPD also noted that Justin "was put through a sobriety test that he failed." He was charged with misdemeanor DUI with his bail set at $5,000 before he was released on his own recognizance. In the wake of his arrest, Justin's mom Misa Hylton seemingly insinuated that the incident was the result of Diddy's bad influence. "I'm not Protecting no one anymore, Just my Son," she wrote on Instagram Story hours after the news of the arrest made media headlines. "The statement 'a fish rots from the head down' means that, in addition to being a major contributing factor [sic] in a family or organization's success, leadership is also the root of cause of its failure and demise," she added. "The Truth shall set you free." You can share this post! Instagram Movie Known for playing gay characters in 'The Devil Wears Prada' and 'Supernova', the 'Lovely Bones' actor explains why it's okay for straight actors to take on the gay roles onscreen. Jul 5, 2023 AceShowbiz - Stanley Tucci has said it's "fine" for straight actors to play gay roles. The 62-year-old actor - who is married to Emily Blunt's sister Felicity - was known for playing gay characters in 2006's "The Devil Wears Prada" and 2020 movie "Supernova". "You're supposed to play different people. You just are. That's the whole point of it. Obviously, I believe that's fine," he told BBC Radio 4's "Desert Island Discs". Stanley noted that he gets plenty of gay men approaching him to talk about the films and praising him for taking on the roles "in the right way." He added, "I am always very flattered when gay men come up to me and talk to me about 'The Devil Wears' Prada or they talk about 'Supernova', and they say that, 'It was just so beautiful,' you know, 'You did it the right way.' Because often, it's not done the right way." Last year, Tom Hanks took a very different stance as he insisted a straight actor would not be able to play a gay character like he did in 1993 drama "Philadelphia". In the Jonathan Demme movie, Tom - who won the best actor Oscar for his performance - played a gay man with HIV who faces discrimination at work. However, he told the New York Times Magazine, "Let's address 'could a straight man do what I did in Philadelphia now?' No, and rightly so. The whole point of 'Philadelphia' was don't be afraid. One of the reasons people weren't afraid of that movie is that I was playing a gay man. We're beyond that now, and I don't think people would accept the inauthenticity of a straight guy playing a gay guy." He explained that it's "not boohoo" or a big deal that people want more "authenticity" on the big screen. He added, "It's not a crime, it's not boohoo, that someone would say we are going to demand more of a movie in the modern realm of authenticity. Do I sound like I'm preaching? I don't mean to." You can share this post! Boomlet Group, an Influencer Marketing and Crisis Management agency, is pleased to announce the appointment of Dharmesh Joshi as the Creative Head. Dharmesh will spearhead all creative, strategy, and content endeavors at Boomlet. Moreover, he will lead Boomlets upcoming creative vertical called BCreates, which will position it as a comprehensive 360-degree creative agency. Bringing over 15+ years of experience in developing numerous award-winning campaigns for renowned brands, Dharmesh has an exceptional track record of starting iconic YouTube channels for brands and establishing successful video content studios at scale for agencies. Previously, he has worked with renowned brands and agencies, including Ariel, Disney+ Hotstar, Prime Video, Monster Energy Drinks, Kinnect, Glitch, and Supari Studios. Dharmesh Joshi, Creative Head of Boomlet Group, commenting on his new role, said, "Boomlet Group has consistently produced awe-inspiring work that has been deeply influenced by culture and innovation. Therefore, when the chance arose to become a member of this truly creative organization, I became exhilarated. I firmly believe that to become the agency of the future, an organization must demonstrate adaptability by consistently delivering high-impact work while innovating and seamlessly integrating new technologies, big data, and formats. However, what will truly distinguish the agency is its ability to foster a young and diverse creative force capable of delivering beyond the brief. I am delighted to join the immensely talented team here and eagerly contribute to scripting an enthralling new chapter for Boomlet Group. Danish Malik, Co-founder & CEO of Boomlet Group, said, We are excited to welcome Dharmesh Joshi to the Boomlet Group as our Creative Head. His profound understanding of the industry, coupled with his unwavering passion for creativity, aligns perfectly with our vision. Dharmesh's expertise will undoubtedly enhance our creative prowess, enabling us to deliver even more impactful campaigns and generate greater value for our esteemed clients. In addition to focusing on brands, Boomlet Group acknowledges the growing influence of creators as the new brands themselves. Consequently, this year we will exclusively sign a roster of creators and unveil a line-up of high-quality and entertaining Video IPs featuring these creators." Preety Singh, Co-founder & Managing Director of Boomlet Group, said, We are elated to have Dharmesh on board with us, a distinguished visionary with a wealth of industry expertise and an unmatched innovative mindset. Dharmesh's addition signifies a momentous milestone in our pursuit of excellence, fortifying our commitment to nurturing a culture of innovation. With his profound knowledge and keen understanding of the industry, he brings invaluable insights that will propel our organization towards new horizons. His exceptional talent for harmonizing creativity and cultural relevance positions him as a true catalyst for transformative change within our team. With the appointment of Dharmesh Joshi as the Creative Head, Boomlet Group reinforces its commitment to delivering innovative and impactful campaigns. With a diverse creative team and advanced technologies, it aims to surpass expectations, grow in the industry, and provide enhanced value to clients, embracing creators as the new brands. Hero Vired, India's leading LearnTech Company catering to professionals and higher education aspirants, announces the appointment of Prarthana Agarwal as its new Head of Finance. With an impressive track record in finance and strategic leadership, her addition to the organisation reinforces Hero Vired's position as a frontrunner in the rapidly evolving EdTech landscape. As the Head of Finance, Prarthana will play a pivotal role in driving Hero Vired's financial growth by spearheading fundraising initiatives, streamlining processes and systems, conducting competition benchmarking, and identifying areas for improvement. Leveraging her extensive experience in finance, Prarthana is poised to lead the finance team and contribute significantly to Hero Vired's long-term success. She brings in a wealth of expertise in strategic financial planning and analysis, with a proven track record in initiatives focused on risk reduction, productivity enhancement, and improved internal control. With over a decade of experience in the education and skilling domains, including acquisitions and fundraising, her appointment will fortify Hero Vired's financial foundations. Ms. Agarwal will oversee the company's financial stack, encompassing financial planning, expense management, tax compliance, financial legal compliance, and the establishment of a robust company portfolio to attract investor funding opportunities. Talking about the appointment, Akshay Munjal, Founder, and CEO, Hero Vired, stated, "We are pleased to welcome Prarthana to the Hero Vired leadership team. With her exceptional financial acumen and in-depth understanding of the skilling landscape, she will be instrumental in streamlining processes and policies to ensure best industry practices and zero non-compliance." Before joining Hero Vired, Ms. Agarwal served as the CFO at Centum Learning Ltd., where she demonstrated her prowess in implementing financial strategies that drove sustainable growth. Her professional journey also includes tenures at esteemed organisations such as PwC, Ernst & Young, and IL&FS Education/Skills Development Corp. Ltd. her wealth of experience and expertise will undoubtedly contribute to Hero Vired's continued growth trajectory. Talking about her appointment, Ms. Agarwal, Head of Finance, Hero Vired said, I am excited to be a part of a team that's revolutionising the way India learns and grows in its professional trajectory. Hero Vired is at the forefront of the LearnTech industry, and I am thrilled to contribute to the company's mission of providing career-relevant programs to professionals and higher education aspirants. Prarthana holds a Master's degree in Business Administration from the prestigious SP Jain Center of Management additionally, she has earned the prestigious designation of Chartered Accountant from the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India. Known for her strategic thinking, collaborative approach, and ability to deliver results in dynamic environments, she is well-equipped to lead Hero Vired's financial endeavors. In the ever-evolving landscape of advertising, mid-size and independent agencies are proving their game by consistently delivering impactful campaigns for their clients. Often operating on smaller budgets and limited resources compared to industry giants, these agencies have become masters of creative ideation, unlocking innovative strategies to captivate audiences and drive results. One of the key strengths of mid-size and independent agencies is their ability to foster a collaborative culture within their teams. These agencies prioritise understanding their clients specific goals and target audience, conducting in-depth research and analysis to gain a deep understanding of their clients industry, competitors, and consumer behaviour. Also Read: The One Club announces latest group of Portfolio Night All-Stars Moreover, the absence of complex internal hierarchies in independent agencies eliminates bureaucratic delays and power struggles that can hinder the creative process. Naresh Gupta, Co-Founder & Managing Partner, BangInTheMiddle, emphasised this point, stating, In case of independents, the only difference that exists in the ideation process is the independence the teams have to craft and present. The internal approval process is flat and is faster, smoother, and without many heartburns. In the world of advertising and marketing, creativity is king. However, coming up with truly original and impactful ideas can be a challenge, especially for mid-size and independent agencies. Gupta further added, In large setups, the layers and the complex internal approval process make it slower. But the biggest difference is that the leadership team of the agency sits in the brainstorm and makes the creative process richer. According to Gupta, the key to success lies in focusing on creativity. He emphasised that the work is judged solely based on the brief under consideration and the cultural fit the agency strives to achieve. The best creative ideas often stem from curiosity, questioning, exploring new ideas, and being open to trying new things. Ravpreet Ganesh, Chief Integration Officer, The Mavericks Communications, shared the importance of creativity for success in todays crowded marketplace. She emphasised that disrupting the consumer journey and measuring the impact of the work on business results are crucial. Work should always be rooted in a key consumer insight, grounded in cultural context, and should ultimately impact consumer behaviour, she added. Ganesh further said that cultural relevance is essential for creating campaigns that will have a lasting impact. Ideas must be media agnostic, she said, adding, They must be able to travel across different platforms and still be relevant. Ganesh stressed that mid-size and independent agencies should not be afraid to take risks. Being consistent in creating work that matters is what these agencies need to keep up, she added. Independent Indian ad agencies are performing well internationally, demonstrating that creativity and innovation can be found outside of the big, multinational agencies. Here are a few examples: BangInTheMiddle: This agency has won numerous awards at international festivals, including the Grand Prix at Cannes Lions in 2022. They are known for their creative and disruptive work, which often challenges the status quo. Enormous: This agency has offices in Mumbai and New York, and they have worked with clients such as Google, Amazon, and Netflix. They are known for their work in digital and social media, and they are always pushing the boundaries of creativity. Manja: This agency is based in Delhi, and they have won awards at international festivals such as D&AD and The One Show. They are known for their work in social impact, and they have created campaigns that have raised awareness about important issues such as gender equality and climate change. Talented: This agency is based in Mumbai, and they have won awards at international festivals such as Cannes Lions and The Clio Awards. They are known for their work in branding and design, and they have created campaigns that are both visually stunning and effective. LivWell Asia ("LivWell"), a digital Health and Protection-focused Insuretech operating in Vietnam and India, has appointed Wilf Blackburn as Executive Chairman, effective June 23, 2023. Blackburn brings with him a track record of driving growth and profitability in emerging markets, including Asia, where LivWell is building its presence in the health and protection segment to address the needs of Millennials and Gen Zs. Prior to joining LivWell, Blackburn most recently served as the Regional CEO, Insurance Growth Markets for Prudential, where he was responsible for steering 16 markets across Asia and Africa towards accelerated growth. Before this, Wilf was the CEO of Prudential Assurance Company Singapore (Prudential Singapore), a position he held for four years. He joined Prudential Corporation Asia in 2012 and led new market initiatives, including overseeing the launch of Prudential's business operations in Cambodia and the establishment of Prudential's representative offices in Myanmar and Laos. He also served as Vietnam Country Head, where he oversaw the asset management and consumer finance businesses. Prior to that, Blackburn had been with Allianz for over a decade, where he had served as CEO in China, Thailand, and the Philippines. Until July 2022, Wilf held the position of a non-executive director on the board of Prudential ICICI Board. "Excited to have Wilf join our board and steer our vision," said Nikhil Verma, Group CEO & Co-Founder of LivWell. "He has the transformative mindset, experience, and drive to help us accelerate towards our goal of becoming a leader in Health and Protection in Asia, and I have seen this firsthand during my time with Wilf while he was CEO at Prudential Vietnam," said Nikhil. "LivWell's vision on health and protection and their strong progress so far has got me excited to join at this early stage and be a part of the rapid building of a digitally enabled insurer for the next generation," said Wilf Blackburn. "The founding team's ambition to create a regional customer-centric insurance business was key to my interest, as we see a major opportunity to create offerings that are relevant to the emerging generation of Asian consumers," added Blackburn. LivWell, a Top 50 Insurtech in APAC, is preparing to break new ground in India as a life insurance company on the back of reforms shaping up the Indian insurance industry. This venture is further backed by Flipkart Ventures, MDV Capital, and Angels in the insurance industry. LT Foods Ltd. (NSE: DAAWAT, BSE: 532783), the 70-year-old global consumer food company, under the aegis of its flagship brand Daawat, celebrated Daawat World Biryani Day by creating a first-of-its-kind Guinness record of World's Largest Biryani Tasting Session. Held at The Grand, Vasant Kunj, Delhi on 2nd July, 2023 (first Sunday of July), the event witnessed an extraordinary feat with impressive participation of people in large numbers who tasted different variations of Biryani. Daawat World Biryani Day is a unique occasion where Daawat Basmati Rice provides an opportunity to all Biryani lovers to express their adoration for this dish that has distinctive Indian flavours, but still enjoys universal appeal across countries and cultures. This day calls for Biryani Lovers across the world to celebrate this exemplary dish by enjoying Biryani with their friends and family. The Daawat World Biryani Day was instituted last year on the first Sunday of July, i.e., July 3, 2022. Speaking on the occasion, Mr. Ritesh Arora, CEO, India Business & Far East, LT Foods Ltd., said, Biryani holds a revered status in the culinary world and is cherished globally. It can connect people of all backgrounds and ages and captivate their taste buds like no other culinary creation. We firmly believe that Biryani deserves its own special day where we honour this delectable iconic dish, whose appeal can never be satiated. Hence, we invite everyone to indulge in the universal adoration for Biryani and create unforgettable memories. At the same time, we are ecstatic to share that we have achieved a first-of-its-kind Guinness World Record of The Largest Biryani Tasting Session in recognition for the love of Biryani. This milestone reflects our unwavering dedication to bringing people together through their shared love for Biryani. Mr. K. Ganapathy Subramaniam, Head of Marketing, LT Foods Ltd., said, I am truly excited that we have set the first-of-its-kind Guinness World Record for The Largest Biryani Tasting Session. It becomes even more special for us as this record has been created on Daawat World Biryani Day. As a part of this tasting session, attendees got to discover interesting facts about biryani, its history & evolution, an opportunity to identify and appreciate great Biryanis and savour 4 different variations of the same. Our aim is to provide a platform for Biryani and ensure people continue to celebrate this exemplary dish in their own inimitable way. Prior to this, LT Foods, under the aegis of its flagship brand Daawat, organised the Daawat Biryani Champions League in Kolkata and Delhi, where professional Chefs from these two cities participated in a Live Biryani Cooking Competition. While Chef Sarfaraz Hossain (Al - Faiz Family Restaurant & Caterers) won the completion in Kolkata, Chef Lakhan Singh (Marketplace Restaurant) was declared the winner in Delhi. The winners were selected by a panel of judges led by renowned food critic Mr. Vir Sanghvi. Masterchef India Season 7 fame Baa aka GujjuBen is seen cooking Jain friendly burgers in a recently launched campaign by Mc Donalds India. Mc Donalds has always stood true to its purpose of serving a variety of options to choose from. This recently introduced Jain friendly menu comes under its higher brand purpose EatQual which speaks of equality with regards to food and has something to offer to anyone according to their tastes and preferences. In the campaign video, the 78 years old Baa is seen preparing Jain friendly burger, accompanied by Swarup Solgaonkar, who is the Mc Donalds India corporate chef. Jain friendly burgers are veg burgers with no onion or garlic but loaded with cheese. The friendly, candid vibe of Mc Donalds aligned with the warmth of Baa and together they created some scrumptious Jain friendly burgers, indicating the fact that burgers can taste well even without onion and garlic. The famed Baa of Masterchef also runs a Youtube channel. The drug menace and prevalence of substance abuse in Punjab is a major concern. The authorities and people at large are witnessing this increasing trend and are really worried. Being a socially responsible radio network MY FM morning show RJ Shonali picked up the issue and raised voice against drug menace, the activity was well supported by Narcotics Control Bureau & the Chandigarh Police. The D Negative campaign planned with a strong call to action. MY FM team wanted to help the authorities in identifying drug peddlers, dealers or individuals. Since the listeners treat RJs as their friend and are comfortable to establish a connect with them quickly, a mobile no. was shared where in the victim or anyone with information or stories can reach out to the RJ. As soon as the campaign was launched, hundreds of calls started coming from victims sharing their stories, affected families and also information about drug dealers. Amanjit Singh, the Zonal Director of the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB), during an interview with RJ Shonali, explained that people believe that the use of opium and drugs increases focus but it is just a myth. In reality, it deteriorates our health. People often start by trying it for the first time, not knowing it will become an addiction. Amanjit also mentioned that the tri-city area (Punjab, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir) has become a hub for drug consumption. In the digital world, drugs are now accessible through the dark web using bitcoin, reaching youth. Dr Asim, an associate professor from the Department of Psychology, also joined RJ Shonali and shared that the effects of drugs not only impact the individuals but also their families. The more drugs are used, the more they affect you. They turn you into a victim of addiction. "I have followed this campaign from start to finish. It started at the DC Chandigarh's office and it was a combined effort of MY FM, Chandigarh Police and NCB. The 'D Negative' campaign has been very successful and it will save many homes," said Amanjit Singh, the Zonal director of NCB. The activity culminated at the Attari Border where in more than 25000 people gathered and took plea for fight against Drugs. Speaking on this initiative Rahul Namjoshi, CEO MY FM said, Drugs and substance abuse is very sensitive and big issue in Chandigarh & Punjab. At MY FM we have always picked up social issues, RJ Shonali who does the morning show initiated the campaign. The response to the entire campaign from all walks of life has been overwhelming not just the people, victims, families but also the authorities- Narcotics Control Bureau and the Chandigarh police. We promise to pick up such issues in the future as well which impact the society at large. CleverTap, the all-in-one engagement platform, released its industry benchmark report for travel apps. In the rapidly evolving mobile apps landscape, staying ahead of the competition is crucial for marketers. Therefore, benchmarking performance has become imperative to stay ahead of competition. Travel app marketers will be able to boost conversions and drive higher app activity through the reports insights. While 80% of travel app users that sign up, do so within 31 seconds, only 42% make a transaction within the first month. This is markedly lower than fintechs 95% and foodtechs 65% signup to conversion rate. Studies have found that users do not see travel apps as being very different from interacting with travel agents. This means that while they may readily sign up for an app; the process of making a transaction may carry the same reservations as with old-school travel agents. Overcoming this challenge requires travel app marketers to place special emphasis on their retention strategies by going above and beyond in providing meaningful value to customers. CleverTap analyzed 17.9 billion push notifications, 3.8 billion emails, 919.1 million in-app messages, and a total of 64.17 million monthly active users (MAUs). The findings reflect data collected from Asia-Pacific, Europe, India, Latin America, Middle-East, and North America. These include: Install to sign-up rate: 1 in 4 users that install travel apps (28%) end up signing up within the first week. 1 in 4 users that install travel apps (28%) end up signing up within the first week. Average time to sign-up: 80% of the users that sign-up, do so within 31 seconds of launching the app for the first time. 80% of the users that sign-up, do so within 31 seconds of launching the app for the first time. Sign-up to conversion rate: 42% of newly signed-up users make a transaction in the first month. 42% of newly signed-up users make a transaction in the first month. Average time to to convert: 36% of newly signed-up users move from onboarding to deeper-in-the-funnel engagement within a week of onboarding. 36% of newly signed-up users move from onboarding to deeper-in-the-funnel engagement within a week of onboarding. Session frequency: On average, travel app users launch their app around 12 times a month. On average, travel app users launch their app around 12 times a month. Average week 1 retention rate: 13% of newly signed-up users make repeat transactions in the first week. 13% of newly signed-up users make repeat transactions in the first week. Average click through rate for push notifications: On average, 5.29% of Android users and 3.97% of iOS users will click on and interact with push notifications. On average, 5.29% of Android users and 3.97% of iOS users will click on and interact with push notifications. Average click through rate for in-app notifications: The click through rate for travel in-app notifications is 22.8%. The click through rate for travel in-app notifications is 22.8%. Average email open rate: 35.17% users open emails sent by travel app companies 35.17% users open emails sent by travel app companies Average Stickiness Quotient: Travel apps have a stickiness quotient of 18%, that indicates less than one-fifth of monthly active users (MAUs) consistently return to the app. With more than a billion travel app users today, brands must emphasize retention more than ever. Sometimes a slight nudge here, a small reminder there may be enough to get users to complete unfulfilled transactions or re-engage with the app. But to maximize customer lifetime value in the long term, marketers need to be agile and identify weak spots within the apps metrics proactively. said Jacob Joseph, VP Data Science, CleverTap. Our benchmark report spans billions of data points including push notifications, emails and in-app notifications giving marketers a holistic view of the industry. Coupled with our world leading platform which spans the entire lifetime of a customer, we are confident this will equip marketers with the right tools to raise the bar even higher. Federal Department of Foreign Affairs Bern, 04.07.2023 - The 17th human rights dialogue with China took place on 3 and 4 July in Switzerland. The two countries' delegations took advantage of the confidential framework offered by the dialogue and a local visit for a direct, critical and open exchange. Switzerland is committed to the universal protection of human rights in China and around in the world. It makes use of a range of instruments at multilateral and bilateral level, including these dialogues. The latest round of the human rights dialogue between Switzerland and China took place in Bern. It provided an opportunity for in-depth discussions on the human rights situation in both countries and on the international stage between delegations comprising representatives from various Chinese ministries, the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs (FDFA), the Federal Department of Home Affairs, the Federal Office of Justice and the State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO). A number of priorities were addressed during the dialogue, including civil and political rights such as the right to life, freedom of expression and the rule of law. Economic, social and cultural rights, the rights of national or ethnic, religious and linguistic minorities, and women's and LGBTI rights were also among the topics raised. The talks also broached emerging challenges in the fields of business and human rights, digitalisation and cooperation in multilateral forums. Specific human rights violations, such as those suffered by Tibetans and Uighurs, and human rights violations in Hong Kong as well as several individual cases were also explored during the discussions. Switzerland seeks to ensure that the fundamental rights of individuals, in particular of ethnic and religious minorities, and freedom of expression are respected. A possible way to do this is through a bilateral human rights dialogue.. Switzerland's China Strategy, which it published in 2021, sets out thematic priorities for relations between Switzerland and China, including peace, security and human rights. "Despite our differences, the human rights dialogue remains an important bilateral instrument. During this 17th meeting, the two delegations restated the importance of continuing these regular dialogues and of stepping up exchanges in between the formal meetings", said Ambassador Christine Low, deputy head of the FDFA's Peace and Human Rights Division, who led the Swiss delegation. The Chinese delegation was led by Yang Xiaokun, Special Representative for Human Rights of China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Exchange of experts and on-site visit to the Jura The discussions that have taken place as part of this dialogue since 2003 have led to regular exchanges between prison management experts. After no activities took place in the last four years,, it is encouraging to see China's renewed commitment to prioritising these exchanges in the wake of the 17th round of dialogue. The members of the two delegations also travelled to Delemont, where they met the official mediator for the Jura question, Jean-Christophe Geiser of the Federal Office of Justice. Presentations and discussions in the presence of the Jura government explained how Switzerland managed the internal political conflict surrounding the creation of the Canton of Jura and Moutier joining the Canton. Human Rights Diplomacy Section Switzerland and China have held a dialogue on human rights since 1991. It is one of a diverse range of instruments used by Switzerland to pursue its human rights diplomacy policy. Since the last dialogue in Beijing in 2018, bilateral initiatives that address individual cases and high-level talks have taken place. They are complemented by multilateral activities within the Human Rights Council and at the UN General Assembly, where Switzerland voices its stance on the human rights situation in China, both independently and in collaboration with like-minded partner states. Switzerland conducts structured exchanges on human rights through specific dialogues and consultations with a number of other states as well as China, currently Brazil, Iran, Indonesia, Mexico, Nigeria and South Africa. Address for enquiries FDFA Communication Federal Palace West Wing CH-3003 Bern, Switzerland Tel. Press service: +41 58 460 55 55 E-mail: kommunikation@eda.admin.ch Twitter: @SwissMFA Publisher Federal Department of Foreign Affairs https://www.eda.admin.ch/eda/en/home.html State Secretariat for Education, Research and Innovation Bern, 04.07.2023 - Switzerland and Spain agreed to strengthen their cooperation in the field of research and innovation. The two countries signed a joint declaration this afternoon in Madrid to encourage and support their respective research and innovation communities to undertake bilateral and multilateral activities. This instrument will intensify cooperation between the two countries, particularly in the fields of sustainability, energy, life sciences and health. The Spanish Minister for Science and Innovation, Diana Morant Ripoll, and the Swiss Ambassador to Spain and Andorra, Hanspeter Mock - representing the State Secretary for Education, Research and Innovation, Martina Hirayama - signed a joint declaration aimed at strengthening the strong and diversified ties that already exist between Switzerland and Spain in many areas of research and innovation. The two countries reaffirmed their will to promote the development of their relations in research and innovation by fostering joint initiatives and projects, conferences and symposia, the exchange of information and mobility. The joint declaration signed today has a duration of five years. Cooperation will be promoted in all areas. During the period 2023 to 2028, particular emphasis will be placed on the topics of climate and sustainability, digital transformation, energy, equality and diversity, humanities and social sciences, life sciences and health, quantum sciences and technologies, and space. The cooperation initiatives set out in the joint declaration can be conceptualized and implemented independently by the various Swiss and Spanish research and innovation entities and institutions. Address for enquiries State Secretariat for Education, Research and Innovation Communication medien@sbfi.admin.ch +41 58 485 67 74 Publisher State Secretariat for Education, Research and Innovation http://www.sbfi.admin.ch Indias consulate in San Francisco came under an attack from Khalistani supporters who tried to set the diplomatic facility on fire in the second such act of violence within months, drawing strong condemnation from the US government which termed it a criminal offence. India has summoned Canadian High Commissioner in New Delhi over propaganda material, including posters, containing threats to Indian diplomats being circulated in Canada and has served a demarche to the Justin Trudeau government. According to sources, India on Monday raised concerns over threats to its diplomats in posters being circulated in Canada with information on a pro-Khalistan rally to be held on July 8. The posters contained threats to the Indian ambassador to Canada and the consulate general in Toronto. The posters purportedly circulated by Sikh extremists have named Indian High Commissioner to Canada Sanjay Kumar Verma and the Consulate General of India, Toronto, Apoorva Srivastava accusing them of playing a role in the June killing of Khalistan Tiger Force chief and designated terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar in Canada. The rally is being held in the name of Harjit Singh Nijjar aka Hardeep Singh Nijjar, a Khalistani terrorist who was killed in a targeted shooting in Canadas Surrey on June 18. Earlier today, Canadian Foreign Minister Melanie Joly said that her country is in close contact with Indian officials in light of some unacceptable posters that have appeared in Canada, regarding a protest planned for July 8, which bears the names and photos of some top Indian diplomats. In her statement shared on Twitter, Melanie Joly stated, Canada takes its obligations under the Vienna Conventions regarding the safety of diplomats very seriously. Canada remains in close contact with Indian officials in light of some of the promotional material circulating online regarding a protest planned for July 8th, which are unacceptable. We know that the actions of a few do not speak for an entire community or Canada. On Monday, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar speaking to reporters on the sidelines of a programme in Delhi, said that India has requested partner countries like Canada, the UK, and Australia not to give space to Khalistanis as these radical extremist ideologies are not good for their relationship. When asked about reports of posters in Canada naming Indian diplomats, Jaishankar said, We have requested our partner countries, like Canada, UK, Australia, US that they should not give space to these Khalistanis. These radical extremist ideologies arent good for us, them, or our ties. Will raise the issue of these posters. Earlier this month, a tableau parade was organised in Ontario celebrating the assassination of former PM Indira Gandhi, which drew severe criticism from New Delhi. In March this year, Khalistan supporters protested outside the Indian Embassy in Canada. They raised pro-Khalistan slogans and allegedly assaulted Indian-origin journalists present on the spot. Khalistan supporters in March, protested outside the Indian Embassy in Canada. They raised pro-Khalistan slogans and allegedly assaulted Indian-origin journalists present on the spot. Madras High Court on Tuesday delivered a split verdict on the Habeas Corpus plea filed by the wife of Tamil Nadu minister Senthil Balaji against his arrest by the Enforcement Directorate last month in connection with a money-laundering case. The plea will now be referred to a larger bench. The split verdict was delivered by a division bench of Justices Nisha Banu and D Bharatha Chakravarthy. While Nisha Banu concluded that the habeas corpus plea filed for Balajis release is maintainable and therefore be allowed, Justice D Bharatha Chakravarthy said he could not agree with the opinion. According to the lawyer for petitioner NR Elango that because of the split verdict the status quo continues. As of now, the status quo continues because of the split verdict. One of the judges accepted our plea that ED has no power to seek Police custodyIt has been held by one of the judges that it is a case of illegal arrest.., said senior advocate and DMK Rajya Sabha MP Elango. Senthil Balaji was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in connection with a money laundering case. Balajis wife, S Megala, had filed a habeas corpus plea against the ministers arrest before the High Court on June 14. Justice Nisha Banu was of the opinion that the ED is not entrusted with powers to seek police custody under the Prevention of Mondy Laundering Act (PMLA). Senior Counsel NR Elangos argument in the court was that Balajis arrest had come without prior notice and hence it was illegal. The procedure adopted by Enforcement Directorate is totally illegal and unconstitutional. He was taken into custody by ED without informing him of the grounds of his arrest. We will fight this case legally, Elango had told reporters on June 14. The Supreme Court, earlier in June, refused to interfere with the Madras High Court order allowing Balaji to be moved to a private hospital in Chennai and entertaining a habeas corpus petition filed against his arrest. While addressing the BJP booth workers in Bhopal, Prime Minister Narendra Modi accused the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) of being involved in corruption worth Rs 70,000 crore. He also urged Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) workers to uncover more scams and increase NCPs scam meter. Since 2014, PM Modi and former CM of Maharashtra Devendra Fadnavis called NCP a national corrupt party; they took dig at the party during many political rallies. Modis attacks were driven by anxiety. Modi promised people to have a firm stand against corruption and he assured people that no corrupt politician would be spared and on the other hand all corrupt politicians joined BJP and got clean chit. By making Ajit Pawar a deputy CM of Maharashtra BJP has actually conveyed to the people that corruption is just an election gimmick but they have no objection to the corruption if they join the BJP camp. Time and again Maharashtras politics has seen all-time lows. Notably, the total strength of the Maharashtra legislative assembly is 288 and a minimum of 145 is needed to win the trust vote. After Eknath Shinde and his supporters rebellion against Uddhav Thackeray in 2022, the new alliance between Shinde and Fadnavis increased to 164. And, with Ajit Pawars move, the NDA governments seats crossed the 200-mark. And 90 per cent of the leaders are corrupt but BJP is fine with it. The politicians who were once under the continuous target of the BJP have now become free from all the charges of corruption after joining them and have received prominent posts. Be it Bengal, Assam, Maharashtra or any other states, the politicians, who were once the constant target of BJP, become stain-free by getting washed in a washing machine after joining BJP. Now no action will be taken against them. The Lok Sabha elections of 2024 might emerge as a Hindi movie plot. There is betrayal, hate, hijack and a new sense of insecurity. On one side is the BJP, led by Narendra Modi has geared to win a third consecutive mandate to rule the country. Jawaharlal Nehru remains the only political leader in India who won three consecutive mandates. If the BJP pulls off 2024, PM Modi will become the second one. On the other side is an array of Opposition parties that are equally determined to depose the BJP in 2024 and deny PM Modi a shot at making history. Soon after NCP President Sharad Pawar removed party working president Praful Patel and general secretary Sunil Tatkare for engaging in anti-party activities, the faction owing allegiance to Ajit Pawar hit back by sacking state unit president Jayant Patil and making new appointments. Patel appointed Ajit Pawar as the leader of the NCP legislature party. The tit for tat actions came a day after Ajit Pawar joined the Eknath Shinde-BJP government as deputy chief minister along with eight other NCP MLAs who were inducted as ministers. In Maharashtra the NCP aligned with BJP and the Shinde Sena is confused because they dont know for whom they should seek votes. As the party they belong to has already lost its credibility. For example those who love Shaead Pawar and his NCP may not vote for those NCP leaders who aligned with BJP. Similarly, those who believe in the Thackeray family and that Shiv Sena may not entertain Shinde Sena. One need to look at Ajit Pawars and trusted aides like Praful Patel and Chagan Bhujbals betrayal of and Nationalist Congress Party founder Sharad Pawar. Soon after Ajit Pawar took oath as Deputy Chief Minister of Maharashtra and joined the Eknath Shinde led government, critics accused the BJP of once again behaving like a washing machine. People may think of action by investigative agencies like the Enforcement Directorate, it seemed that Ajit Pawar and other rebels had little choice but to join hands with the BJP. But in reality BJP needed Ajit Pawar in its camp to strengthen and improve its chances of winning in 2024 and keeping Shinde in check. In Maharashtra, the BJP and now estranged Shiv Sena (Uddhav Thackeray) won 41 out of the 48 seats and ensured the victory of an independent candidate. Lets see how these new equations are going to work for BJP. Will people accept BJPs diluted stand against corruption? (Any suggestions, comments or dispute with regards to this article send us on feedback@afternoonvoice.com) A Subway restaurant in Georgia has come under fire for its sign, which references the Titan sub which imploded killing five people onboard as it descended toward the Titanic. The store in Rincon, Georgia, a suburb of Savannah, had a sign read, Our subs dont implode, WTOC 11 reported. A store manager told the news outlet that the sign has since been removed. @SUBWAY this is at your store in Rincon, GA. Not only is it distasteful, its just sad. Do better. #subway pic.twitter.com/PfgABPU8ML Amanda Butler (@Amanda72118560) July 2, 2023 We have been in contact with the franchise about this matter and made it clear that this kind of comment has no place in our business, a statement from Subway to Fox News Digital said. The sign has since been removed. The submersible carrying five people to the Titanic imploded near the site of the shipwreck and killed everyone on board, authorities said, bringing a tragic end to a saga that included an urgent around-the-clock search and a worldwide vigil for the missing vessel. The sliver of hope that remained for finding the five men alive was wiped away, when the submersibles 96-hour supply of oxygen was expected to run out. The Coast Guard announced that debris had been found roughly 1,600 feet (488 meters) from the Titanic in North Atlantic waters. After the craft was reported missing, the U.S. Navy went back and analyzed its acoustic data and found an anomaly that was consistent with an implosion or explosion in the general vicinity of where the Titan submersible was operating when communications were lost, a senior Navy official told The Associated Press. OceanGate Expeditions, the company that owned and operated the submersible, said in a statement that all five people in the vessel, including CEO and pilot Stockton Rush, have sadly been lost. The others on board were two members of a prominent Pakistani family, Shahzada Dawood and his son Suleman Dawood; British adventurer Hamish Harding; and Titanic expert Paul-Henri Nargeolet. The Associated Press contributed to this report. After a pursuit involving several north Alabama law enforcement agencies, a Texas man has been arrested and charged with first-degree robbery, Decatur police said. Arrested was Jeffrey Lyndon Gladden of Aledo, Texas, police said. He is being held in Morgan County Jail without bond. Gladden was captured Sunday night after about a 39-minute pursuit, Decatur police said. Agencies involved in the pursuit were Falkville and Hartselle police as well as Morgan County sheriffs office. The incident began when Decatur police responded to the Texaco Express on Sixth Avenue in reference to a robbery. The suspect fled in a white Jeep Wrangler as police arrived and a detailed description of the vehicle was broadcast to local law enforcement. The vehicle was observed by police going southbound on U.S. 31 about 10:47 p.m. and after a traffic stop was initiated, the suspect fled and the pursuit began. The vehicle was stopped about 11:26 p.m. and the suspect was taken into custody. The clerk at the gas station told police the suspect demanded gas and threatened to use an object capable of causing serious physical injury. The clerk provided the gas to the suspect. Additional charges are expected to be brought by the pursuing agencies, Decatur police said. Alabama has long celebrated the remarkable biodiversity within its borders, but having a huge number of species means the state also has a large number of species at risk of extinction. According to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Alabama has 151 endangered or threatened species, the third most of any state. Only Hawaii (484 species) and California (286) have more. Alabamas species include slimy salamanders like the Black Warrior waterdog, massive mammals like the West Indian manatee, and majestic birds like the whooping crane and red-cockaded woodpecker. Biologist and author Scot Duncan, who taught at Birmingham-Southern College for 20 years and is the author of the book Southern Wonder: Alabamas Surprising Biodiversity, said the states large number of freshwater rivers and creeks contribute to its high number of unique species. Alabama has a very high concentration of freshwater species, Duncan said. Were the number one state for freshwater fishes, freshwater mussels and snails, crayfish, freshwater turtles, some other taxa as well. And many of those species are only found in Alabama, or found mostly in Alabama, and a little bit in an adjacent state. And because we have so many species here, that sets the context for why weve got so many endangered species. Alabamas 151 threatened or endangered species includes: Duncan said Alabama also has the second highest number of extinctions in the modern era, primarily because of the number of large hydroelectric dams built along the states rivers that flooded out sensitive ecosystems. Dams change the ecology of these ecosystems in some fundamental ways that are seriously damaging to native species and native ecosystems, Duncan said. Dams change the depth of the water, the temperature, the water, the flow of nutrients, the flow of sediments, the availability of oxygen in the water for animals, and interrupt the migration of fishes and other species that migrate up and down the rivers as part of the natural life cycle in order to reproduce. So the combination of having lots of freshwater species in Alabama, plus the fact that weve dammed so much of our rivers and creeks, thats the reason why were in the number three position for threatened or endangered species. Duncan said that Alabama also has seen the second most extinctions of any state in modern times. We are in the number two position for extinct species across U.S. states and territories, Duncan said. The only state ahead of us is Hawaii. But if you look just at U.S. states that are on the continent, Alabama is the number one state for extinction. And again, it comes back to those two same factors: weve got so many freshwater species in the state and our history of how we have weve managed our rivers and creeks. And that has led to the extinction of many, many species in the state, primarily, freshwater snails and mussels, and a couple of fish species as well. Duncan, who left Birmingham-Southern last year to become executive director of Alabama Audubon, said he is working on another book called Southern Rivers: Saving Americas Freshwater Biodiversity to explore ways to protect the Southeasts numerous endangered species, and why saving those species will also be beneficial to the people living in those areas. The same things causing problems for freshwater species in the Southeast are causing water availability problems for us here as well, water availability and water quality problems, Duncan said. And as it turns out, we humans are suffering the same difficult future in terms of freshwater in the Southeast, as are all these endangered species. The best solutions for protecting species and protecting our water supply, theyre the same solutions. And so the future that we need to have is all about doing the right thing for us and the right thing for biodiversity. And thats the future that we need to be working towards. More endangered species coverage: An Alabama man has been charged in connection with the death of a dog that drowned in the Gulf of Mexico. WALA-Channel 10 in Mobile reported police arrested 54-year-old Shawn Taulbee of Theodore and charged him with first-degree dog cruelty. According to police, Taulbee wrapped a makeshift rope around the dogs neck on the east end beach of Dauphin Island and repeatedly pulled the dog in and out of the water until it drowned. Two witnesses confronted Taulbee and then contacted police, the report said. Police said Taulbee took the dog the water because it had fleas. Traditions abound on July 4 across the United States. Whether its spending time at the beach or at the lake or grilling hamburgers and hot dogs, Americans know how to celebrate the nations independence. The tradition most associated with the celebration of whats formally known as Independence Day is fireworks. And most likely, those fireworks come from China one of Americas foremost geopolitical rivals. Related: Are fireworks legal where I live? Related: July 4 in Alabama: Your guide to fireworks, festivals and other events in 2023 According to a study by Value Penguin, which analyzed data from the U.S. Census Bureau USA Trade Online portal, more than 97 percent of fireworks imported by the U.S. come from China. The value of those fireworks exceeds $580 million perhaps giving China a reason to celebrate on July 4 as well. Chinas outsized role on fireworks is not a new phenomenon. In 2018, NPR reported that 99 percent of backyard consumer fireworks came from China as well as about 70 percent of professional display fireworks. Alabama, though, is among the nations leaders in exporting fireworks, according to Value Penguin. The state ranks seventh, though the value of those exports is only $340,531. Tennessee is the national leader with an export value of more than $3.1 million. Meanwhile, Americans love their fireworks. Data from the American Pyrotechnics Association indicates fireworks revenue has steadily risen since the start of the century and more than doubled since 2019. The APA said Americans last year spent $2.3 billion on fireworks while display fireworks revenue accounted for another $400 million. Put another way, American consumption of consumer fireworks topped 436 million pounds last year, according to the APA, while professional display fireworks added up to another 25.3 million pounds. The good news is that as Americans light up more and more fireworks, injuries have decreased. The APA said that there were 2.2 injuries per 100,000 pounds of fireworks last year a drop from 7.2 injuries in 2000. Its time to break out the red, white and blue! July 4 also known as Independence Day is a time to celebrate America. The holiday marks the day in 1776 when the Second Continental Congress unanimously adopted the Declaration of Independence, signaling the official separation of the 13 original colonies from Great Britain amid the Revolutionary War. Since that day, July 4, 1776 has been considered Americas birthday, making her 247 years old today. According to the Library of Congress, Philadelphians marked the first anniversary of American independence with a celebration, but it wasnt until after the War of 1812 that July 4th celebrations spread across the new nation. Congress passed a law making Independence Day a federal holiday on June 28, 1870. Today, the day is often celebrated with parades, fireworks shows and parties. Here are some facts about the Declaration of Independence from Constitutionfacts.com: A Hamas militant rammed his car into a crowded Tel Aviv bus stop on Tuesday and began stabbing people, wounding eight in an attack that Palestinian armed groups said was revenge for an Israeli military offensive in the occupied West Bank. A bystander shot and killed the attacker. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu indicated the operation in the Jenin refugee camp, one of the most intense in the territory in nearly two decades, was winding down. But he gave no details on when it would end and vowed to carry out similar operations in the future. At these moments we are completing the mission, and I can say that our extensive operation in Jenin is not a one-off, during a visit to a military post on the outskirts of Jenin. We will continue as long as necessary to cut out terrorism. Israel struck the camp, known as a bastion of Palestinian militants, early Monday in an operation it said was aimed at destroying and confiscating weapons. Palestinian health officials said 11 people have been killed and dozens wounded. Massive military bulldozers have torn through alleyways, leaving heavy damage to roads and buildings in their wake, and thousands of residents fled the camp. Residents said electricity and water were knocked out. The Israeli military said Tuesday afternoon that fewer than 10 targets remained in the camp and that it hoped to complete the operation within 24 hours. The large-scale raid comes amid a more than yearlong spike in violence that has created a challenge for Netanyahus far-right government, which is dominated by ultranationalists who have called for tougher action against Palestinian militants only to see the fighting worsen. Over 140 Palestinians have been killed this year in the West Bank, and Palestinian attacks targeting Israelis have killed at least 25 people, including a shooting last month that killed four settlers. With airstrikes and a large presence of ground troops, the raid bore hallmarks of Israeli military tactics during the second Palestinian uprising in the early 2000s. But the current violence is also different from the intense years of what was known as the second intifada, a period that claimed thousands of lives. Its more limited in scope, with Israeli military operations focused on several strongholds of Palestinian militants. Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, a hard-line settler leader, rushed to the scene of Tuesdays attack in Tel Aviv. We knew that terror would raise its head, he said. He praised the person who killed the attacker and called for arming more citizens with guns, as he was heckled by an angry onlooker. The attacker was identified as a 20-year-old Palestinian man from the southern West Bank city of Hebron. The Islamic militant group Hamas praised him as a martyr fighter and called the ramming heroic and revenge for the military operation in Jenin. Islamic Jihad, a militant group with a large presence in Jenin, also praised the assault. It was not immediately clear if the man was dispatched by Hamas or acted on his own. In Jenin, rubble littered the streets, and columns of black smoke periodically rose above the skyline over the camp, which along with an adjacent town of the same name has been a flashpoint of Israeli-Palestinian violence for years. Jenin Mayor Nidal Al-Obeidi said that around 4,000 Palestinians, nearly one third of the camp, had fled to stay with relatives or in shelters. Kefah Jaayyasah, a camp resident, said that soldiers forcibly entered her home and locked the family inside. They took the young men of my family to the upper floor, and they left the women and children trapped in the apartment at the first floor, she said. She claimed that soldiers would not let her bring food to the children, and blocked an ambulance crew from entering the home when she yelled for help. I told them that one of my relatives was sick and needed medicine before she lost consciousness, Jaayyasah said. She said the soldiers eventually allowed the family to leave. The Red Cross brought the family to a hospital, and from there they went to the home of a relative. Across the West Bank, Palestinians observed a general strike to protest the Israeli raid. The Palestinian Health Ministry said Tuesday that the two-day death toll rose to 11. The Israeli military has claimed at least 10 were militants, but did not provide details. It had no immediate information on the latest death, a 17-year-old boy who died from wounds sustained in earlier fighting. During Tuesdays operations, the military said it seized weapons and explosives and demolished tunnels beneath a mosque in the refugee camp. Israeli media reported that the army had arrested at least 120 suspected Palestinian militants since Monday. Israel says that militants use civilian structures to conceal their activities. Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari, the militarys chief spokesman, told reporters Monday that Israel used the massive military bulldozers because the roads of the camp were booby-trapped with explosives. Palestinians say the violence is the natural outcome of 56 years of Israeli military occupation. The Palestinian self-rule government in the West Bank and three Arab countries with normalized ties with Israel Jordan, Egypt and the United Arab Emirates have condemned Israels incursion, as did the 57-nation Organization of Islamic Cooperation. At a news conference in Ankara with his Jordanian counterpart, Turkeys new foreign minister, Hakan Fidan, called on Israeli authorities to exercise common sense and refrain from attacks. In Berlin, Germanys Foreign Ministry condemned the Tel Aviv attack, but also expressed concern about the situation in the West Bank. It called on Israel to ensure the safety of civilians and maintain access for humanitarian aid. Israel has been carrying out near daily raids in the West Bank in response to a series of deadly Palestinian attacks in early 2022. It says the raids are meant to crack down on Palestinians militants and thwart attacks. The Palestinians say such violence is inevitable in the absence of any political process with Israel and increased West Bank settlement construction and violence by extremist settlers. Israel says most of those killed have been militants, but stone-throwing youths protesting the incursions and people uninvolved in confrontations have also died. Israel captured the West Bank, east Jerusalem and the Gaza Strip in the 1967 Mideast war. The Palestinians seek those territories for their hoped-for independent state. Despite the odds stacked against Robert F. Kennedy Jr.s run at the White House, his campaign isnt so novel or fringe that President Joe Biden should swiftly dismiss the scion of the powerful political family and likely victor of the first Democratic primary contest, experts tell the Boston Herald. RFK Jr., as he is popularly called, the son of the former attorney general and New York Sen. Robert Kennedy, announced he would follow in his fathers footsteps and seek the presidency in April, effectively answering the question of whether Biden would sail into the general election absent the weight of responding to his record throughout a primary contest. If you are Joe Biden, this is the last thing you wanted, Ken Cosgrove, a professor of political science and legal studies at Suffolk University, told the Herald. Hes sort of a hybrid of Bernie Sanders and Trump. I think hes identified a market space that certainly exists. People dont necessarily want socialism, on the other hand they want to feel like their interests are represented, and its just not a good time in the country to be associated with any kind of establishment, Cosgrove said. According to polling aggregator RealClearPolitics, Kennedy is currently averaging about 50 points behind in the primary, inching toward 15% support against Bidens 64% average. Author Marianne Williamson, who also ran in 2020, is polling at under 6%. The nephew of former President John F. Kennedy has found a home among a liberal voting base unsure of their government or large institutions after the COVID-19 pandemic and related mask mandates and vaccine rollouts, Cosgrove explained. Despite his well-heeled background, Kennedy speaks to an anti-establishment wing of his party that has only grown as the result of their regard for the sitting Democratic president. Much like Trump, Cosgrove said. Taking on an unpopular presidential incumbent from inside the Democratic Party isnt even new for a member of the Kennedy family. RFK Jr.s uncle, the late Sen. Ted Kennedy, launched a campaign against then President Jimmy Carter ahead the 1980 presidential contest after polling showed he might be able to beat the unpopular president. He went on to win 12 states and more than 37% of the popular vote. Dante Scala, a professor of political science and expert on the presidential primary at the University of New Hampshire, said there is some similarity between the contests, but that the differences outweigh the parallels. The largest difference is the Kennedys: RFK Jr. is not his uncle. Kennedy, even post-Chappaquiddick, was still seen as a legitimate candidate in a way that RFK Jr. is not, Scala said. According to Scala, people had floated Sen. Kennedys name as a potential presidential candidate for a decade after his brothers were assassinated, and when he eventually launched a campaign it was taken seriously despite the fact that it was never firing on all cylinders. He was still a prominent, sitting U.S. senator, Scala said. Sen. Kennedy was a party insider, Scala said, while RFK Jr. does not have the support of his party. Nor does the Kennedy name hold the sway among a younger electorate that it did with older generations. Its tough to say what RFK Jr. really represents within the Democratic Party, he said. Despite their differences, chances are good RFK Jr. does what his uncle didnt and wins the first-in-the-nation New Hampshire primary, putting pressure on the incumbent. I dont think Joe Biden is going to put his name on the New Hampshire primary ballot, Scala said. I think RFK stands a good chance of winning the New Hampshire Democratic primary. You could argue about whether that means Biden lost does that mean he loses if he doesnt play it means that RFK stands a decent chance of gaining some momentum. The Democratic National Committee has attempted to change which state holds the first primary, but New Hampshire hasnt been able to comply with the reordering due to a state law requiring it to vote first. Bidens team has threatened to ignore New Hampshire altogether and Iowa, where the first caucusing usually occurs if they dont let the DNCs choice of states vote first. I think the only reason he would be a real threat to Joe Biden is the bungling of Joe Bidens people with New Hampshire, Cosgrove said. Kennedy could also see a serious boost to his campaign if former President Donald Trump is too engaged with legal concerns to run a campaign. Without Trump as the potential nominee to run against, Bidens primary message that he can beat the 45th President loses value. I think this can become quite damaging if this goes on too long, Cosgrove said. Kennedys campaign and the New Hampshire Democratic Party did not return requests for comment. 2023 MediaNews Group, Inc. Visit at bostonherald.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. Millions of Americans will receive notices to restart payments on federal student loans this fall. The U.S. Department of Education says that everyone who can pay their current monthly amount should do so, but that it is creating a temporary on-ramp for borrowers who struggle to pay their balances. Payments have not been required since 2020. And while President Joe Biden has created a new student loan forgiveness program, called SAVE, that aims to cut monthly payments for many Americans, it isnt operational yet. Borrowers who want to get started now can enroll in an existing Income-Driven Repayment plan and should automatically be rolled into SAVE. A recent report by the Consumer Finance Protection Bureau found that a large chunk of borrowers -- about one in five -- may struggle to make payments. Many borrowers are currently behind on other payment obligations, researchers found, and have higher payments on other obligations, like home and car loans, than before the pandemic. When do I have to restart student debt payments? Payments will resume in October. Check your student loan servicer for an exact date of your first bill. What will happen to interest? At the beginning of the pandemic, President Donald Trump ordered a pause on interest on federal student loans. Interest will begin accruing again on Sept. 1, 2023. What can I do if my student debt payments are too high? If youre worried about paying your current bill, see if you qualify for a federal income-driven repayment plan. There are several options. Borrowers who qualify for the current REPAYE plan should automatically be rolled into a SAVE plan, according to Bidens administration. The SAVE program doesnt have a clear rollout date, but the White House says that people who apply for an IDR plan this summer should be processed and approved in time for the first federal payment due date this fall. What happens if I dont pay? You should prepare to meet your loan obligations. But the feds have said that theyll protect borrowers from the harshest consequences of late, missed, or partial payments for up to 12 months, through Sept. 30, 2024. While payments will be due and interest will accrue during this period, interest will not capitalize at the end of the on-ramp period, according to the White House. And missed payments shouldnt impact your credit report immediately. Borrowers will not be considered in default or referred to collections during the 12-month on-ramp period. Borrowers who can pay should do so, but this on-ramp period gives borrowers who cannot make payments right away the necessary time to adjust, enabling them to ultimately make their monthly payments and meet their financial obligations on their loans, the White House said. Borrowers do not need to do anything to qualify for the on-ramp; anyone who holds federal loans should receive the grace period if needed. A suspect was taken into custody Monday in connection with the shooting death of an 18-year-old girl in Montgomery. Kendarius JaQuan Coley, 21, is charged with capital murder in the Saturday slaying of MarDresha Stovall. Authorities were notified at 12:43 p.m. Saturday that Stovall had shown up with a gunshot wound and had been pronounced dead. Montgomery police Capt. Jarrett Williams said investigators determined the shooting happened in the 2200 block of Eastern Boulevard. Mar'Dresha Stovall (Facebook) According to jail records and police, the charge is capital because Stovall was in a vehicle when she was fatally shot from the outside. A motive has not been released. Coley was booked into the Montgomery County Detention Facility at 4:15 p.m. Monday. He is being held without bond. Court records show was already out of jail on bond on a charge of discharging a firearm into an occupied building. Coley was arrested June 16, after authorities said he fired shots into the Murphy USA gas station on Eastern Boulevard while employees and patrons were inside. A man rushed to the hospital from Oak Mountain State Park has died. Pelham firefighters and other first responders were called to the beach area of the park about 12:30 p.m. Monday afternoon on a possible drowning. Shelby County Coroner Lina Evans said 21-year-old Jeremy Bartalez was resuscitated and taken to Shelby Baptist Medical Center where he was later pronounced dead. Bartalez had been swimming at the park. No additional details were available, and park officials on Monday did not return multiple calls seeking more information. Twice a month, the city of Birminghams Design Review Committee convenes to discuss plans to make alterations to structures that fall within one of the citys many historic and commercial revitalization districts. This column summarizes recent DRC activity with projects grouped by type and location. This edition of Design Review recaps the DRC meeting from June 28, 2023. Decisions of the DRC, and applicants are responsible to carry out the plans as presented and approved. Any deviations from the approved plans cannot be undertaken without a return to the committee for approval. East Lake Signage 7600 Division Avenue The 45th Street Baptist Church is requesting an update to their existing pole sign. The proposed monument sign featuring an electronic readerboard will replace it. Although it complies with the district, the project will need a variance from zoning. The aluminum framed sign will cover most of the existing pole within the structure. The committee reminded the presenters that rules for what appears on the readerboard must be submitted to staff and followed. Committee members expressed concerns about safety and security as the new monument sign will block the view of pedestrians. The committee approved with two opposed. A Kentucky man was arrested Sunday on federal child exploitation charges for alleged crimes that occurred in Alabama three years ago, prosecutors said Monday. Aden Willis Yeager, 21, of Louisville, was indicted in the Northern District of Alabama with one count of production of child pornography, one count of coercion and enticement of a minor, one count of transportation of child pornography and one count of possession of child pornography, said U.S. Attorney Prim Escalona and FBI Special Agent in Charge Carlton Peeples. The charges stem from incidents that occurred between April 2020 and October 2020 in Tuscaloosa County, prosecutors said. Summer is here, and children will have an increased online presence. I encourage parents to have open and ongoing conversations about safe and appropriate online behavior, Escalona said in a statement. My office, in collaboration with our federal, state, and local law enforcement partners, will continue in our efforts to protect our most vulnerable victims our children. Yeager faces up to 30 years in federal prison if convicted of the production of child pornography charges, 10 years and a $250,000 fine if convicted of coercion and enticement of a minor and 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine on the possession of child pornography charges. This is an opinion column On this Fourth of July, we celebrate Americas founding as an uncertain sound rises up in our nation. Were concerned that the ties which bind us as countrymen may not be strong enough to overcome the forces which divide. We wonder to ourselves whether our best days are behind us. The headlines are replete with declarations that democracy itself may have perished. Instead of apologizing for America, we must remind ourselves of our core values. After the Declaration of Independence was signed in Philadelphia a raucous celebration broke out across the land. Many of the former colonists began to call themselves Americans. According to Daniel Webster, those first patriots were all on fire with a sense of oppression, and a resolution to throw it off. Other columns by Cameron Smith: Liberty is our shared American heritage. President John F. Kennedy articulated the idea with great clarity. Conceived in Grecian thought, strengthened by Christian morality, and stamped indelibly into American political philosophy, the right of the individual against the State is the keystone of our Constitution. Americas promise rises with liberty and perishes in its absence. The Constitution, our nations highest law, affirms rights held by all which no government and no political majority, however powerful, can deny. We cannot lightly gloss over the fact that America has frequently failed to live up to those ideals. Ink on parchment is no substitute for the honorable and just conduct of men and women across a nation. At the same time, we cannot ignore the progres we have made. The bonds of slavery have been broken. Voting is not limited by race, gender, or creed. Just a few weeks ago, the United States Supreme Court ruled tha America must continue to address election law disparities under the Voting Rights Act to safeguard the legitimacy of our Republic. Very few of us trace our blood ancestry back to Americas infancy. If the validity of our nations founding hinges on the demographic representation at the Constitutional Convention in 1787, we are in dire straits. Only 39 men signed the Constitution. Thankfully Gods divine providence enabled the assembled few to create a government of the people, for the people, and by the people which has, thus far, not perished from the Earth. We do not hold together as Americans because of men we read about in history books; our nation endures because we continue to declare the same truths that drove us to independence. All men are created equal. We are endowed by our Creator with unalienable rights. Our government exists to secure the preexisting rights of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Just government derives its power from the consent of the governed. Those who signed the Declaration of Independence pledged their lives, fortunes, and sacred honor to a new nation. At the time, they recognized each of them had either signed their own death warrant or created a new nation anchored in liberty itself. We must all hang together, Benjamin Franklin quipped, or, assuredly, we will all hang separately. That sentiment is as powerful for Americans today as it was hundreds of years ago. We must defend liberty even where we disagree with its exercise. Our common interest, and perhaps the only one, is freedom itself. Too many of us have become so enamored with our own righteous perspectives that we are willing to compromise on liberty. The road to hell is paved with good intentions; the descent to tyranny is similarly constructed. As we celebrate our independence, it is far more than a mere historical event. Were not celebrating ancient ideals, but rather the fire of liberty which still burns hot. Those flames are only tempered by our shared bonds as Americans living in civil society which continues to serve as a beacon of hope around the world. Our proud history, our shared dreams, our love of liberty -- these are stronger than any differences that may divide us. Whether we are Muslim or Christian, we are one nation under God. Whether we are Republican or Democrat, we are one nation indivisible. Whether we are Black or white, we are one nation dedicated to liberty and justice for all. Were continuously engaged in the perfection of our union. To that end, we must again pledge ourselves to the cause of liberty with no less vigor than those who preserved and expanded it for us. Smith is a recovering political attorney with a house full of boys, two dogs, a bearded dragon, and an extremely patient wife. Hes a partner in a media company, a business strategy wonk, and a regular on talk radio. Please direct outrage or agreement to csmith@al.com or @DCameronSmith on Twitter. After each census (last census in 2020), each state reconsiders its Federal Congressional voting districts. Alabama, by population has seven districts which will not change in at least the near future. Alabama at one time had as many as ten districts. The Voting Rights Act 2 was the focus of a Congressional bipartisan compromise wherein an effects test resulted but on the same hand it was determined that such section did not guarantee population proportional representation. Nineteen ninety-two litigation changed the Alabama map to where the districts were divided having one predominately African American district found in west Alabama and that currently meanders into the city of Montgomery and the city of Birmingham. The city of Montgomery is therefore split into two districts which to me I find strange. For the most part it divides the west part of the city which has been during my residence here since 1978 predominately African American and the east being predominately Caucasian; the east being a part of Barry Moores, District 2 and the west part of Terry Sewells, District 7. To look at earlier voting maps from many years past seem to me to be more rational. But to meet the constraints of the Voting Rights Act, et seq. from the 1960s, the map now meanders along political and thus mostly racial lines. Meandering voting lines are reminiscent of gerrymandering. Gerrymandering is a term invented in the early 1800s to describe voting lines supported by the then Boston mayor later to become a U.S. vice president. In the 1800s it was more difficult to create gerrymandered voting maps but much easier now with computers that can input needed data and use algorithms that produce about as many variable maps as you would like. Gerrymandering can consist of cracking, packing, hijacking and kidnapping. Cracking is redrawing lines so that the other party cannot get a majority where packing is drawing the lines around a predominant area. I cant help but see gerrymandered lines when looking at District 7 but folks a lot smarter than me came up with the map. Hijacking is redrawing lines where two incumbents exist and one will have to go. Kidnapping is redrawing lines to exclude the address of the incumbent to force him or her out. Following the 2010 census, a single predominately African American district still existed and has since the 2020 census. A new map was drawn after the 2020 census which looked substantially like the 2011 map. It was adopted by the legislature as HB 1. The case at hand deals with an argument that a second mostly African American district should exist through new redistricting. The 5-4 Supreme Court majority supports the original three plaintiff cases in favor of a second predominant African American district. Two of the cases were merged and the third was a parallel in Federal District Court. The case was heard by the United States Supreme Court in October 2022 but a decision was not released until June 2023. The Supreme Court held, (a) The District Court faithfully applied this Courts precedents in concluding that HB1 likely violates 2. (b) The Court declines to remake its 2 jurisprudence in line with Alabamas race-neutral benchmark theory. (c) To apply its race-neutral benchmark in practice, Alabama would require plaintiffs to make at least three showings. First, Alabama would require 2 plaintiffs to show that the illustrative maps adduced for the first Gingles precondition are not based on race. Alabama would next graft onto 2 a requirement that plaintiffs demonstrate, at the totality of circumstances stage, that the States enacted plan contains fewer majority-minority districts than what an average race-neutral plan would contain. And finally, Alabama would have plaintiffs prove that any deviation between the States plan and a race-neutral plan is explainable only by race. The Court declines to adopt any of these novel requirements. (d) The Court disagrees with Alabamas assertions that the Court should stop applying 2 in cases like these because the text of 2 does not apply to single-member redistricting and because 2 is unconstitutional as the District Court applied it here. Alabamas understanding of 2 would require abandoning four decades of the Courts 2 precedents. Interestingly enough, Justice Clarence Thomas was a part of a dissenting opinion. He said, The question presented is whether 2 of the Act, as amended, requires the State of Alabama to intentionally redraw its longstanding congressional districts so that black voters can control a number of seats roughly proportional to the black share of the States population. Section 2 demands no such thing, and, if it did, the Constitution would not permit it. He further wrote, Again, the maps key design features are: (1) making District 2 majority-black by connecting black residents in one metropolitan area (Montgomery) with parts of the rural Black Belt and black residents in another metropolitan area (Mobile); (2) leaving enough of the Black Belts majority-black rural areas for District 7 to maintain its majority-black status; and (3) reducing District 1 to the white remainder of the southern third of the State. If the State did this, we would call it a racial gerrymander, and rightly so. We would have no difficulty recognizing race as the predominant factor motivating [the placement of] significant number[s] of voters within or without Districts 1, 2, and 7. Justice Thomas looked at the percentage of African American Alabamians to Caucasian Alabamians. The ratio is less than 2/7. For the reasons above Justice Thomas dissented and was joined in dissent by three other justices. This article is informative only and not meant to be all inclusive. Additionally this article does not serve as legal advice to the reader and does not constitute an attorney- client relationship. The reader should seek counsel from their attorney should any questions exist. "No representation is made that the quality of legal services performed is greater than the quality of legal services performed by other lawyers." One of the best things about a segment on the War Room, after virtually meeting Steve Bannon, is the incoming mail two days later. The RNC, the Trump Campaign, almost every Republican state party chairperson believes the road to 2024 electoral victory is to out-ballot-harvest the left. Its hard to argue with absolute nonsense. To the rescue, however, comes a retired mail carrier who sent the following message: Message: I am a retired mail man. I just saw your War Room interview. I now know where the mules got their ballots. Straight from the post office in returned/undeliverable mail. While I have zero proof of where they ended up, I had those ballots you were talking about in my mail bag with wrong addresses or lacking apartment numbers or even people that moved and still had ballots delivered to their old apartment. We put those ballots in a basket and someone came by and picked them up. Hundreds or even thousands of ballots. Who picked them up, where did they go? Now we know why signature match was removed Someone needs to investigate the post office and their democratic union run activities. Tell us, RNC, how are you going to beat this? The only way to stop the government, in particular the United States Post Office, from gathering hundreds of thousands of loose ballots, all of which go somewhere other than to Republican candidates -- is to stop those ballots in the first place. We know, from numerous sources, that the Post Office is one of several ballot-gathering apparatuses of the Left. How much ballot harvesting at evangelical churches is needed to make up for government-sponsored ballot harvesting -- industrial scale? A key to winning in 2024 is to identify every, or as close to every as technology and diligent work can enable -- every ballot being sent out that will land in that basket that somebody later picked up. What are the addresses on those ballots? Ballots mailed to vacant lots -- or in Arizona, street corners. Ballots sent to apartment buildings without the unit or APT number. Ballots sent to college dorms for students registered there for decades. Ballots sent to fraternities with a 105-year-old student. Ballots sent to churches -- which have no bedrooms, thus cannot be someones domicile. Ballots for the person who moved -- over a year ago. Ballots mailed to hotels and casinos. Ballots where the address was modified -- by the voter commission (as in Arizona) -- the week those ballots went out, thus missing the recipient. Ballots sent to Manchurian restaurants, laundromats, banks, and 7-Elevens -- all of which are not valid addresses for voters. Ballots sent to UPS and FedEx boxes -- sometimes to a dozen people living in that little box. Ballots sent to the apartment building -- but the address is the clubhouse -- which has no bedrooms. Ballots sent to the 22,000 new voters in a single county entered just days before the election -- who were invisible to Arizona Republican candidates in 2022. Ballots sent to Mr. Gonzales, Mr. Gonzalez, Mr. Gonzalles, all at the same address with the same date of birth. Ballots sent to the Wisconsin college dorm that has 1,000 registered voters but can house only 250 adults. Ballots sent to the 11 adults at the single-family Houston home that is 823 square feet with one bedroom and one bathroom. Ballots mailed to people registered at an address in 2020 but the building was not built until 2022. Ballots sent to the rehab facility for dozens of people who claim it as a residence for years. (Rehab is not a years thing.) Welcome to the Undeliverable Ballot Database. A simple mail carrier, supported by other mail carriers we interviewed in person, shows how completely useless is the GOP campaign to out-ballot-harvest the Left. Ballots -- which will not land in an eligible recipients hand - must be identified, months in advance of being mailed. Most of those ballots, using super-compute technology, can be identified, shown to be illegitimate, and brought to everyones attention 6 months before election day. When Harris County (Houston) floods the zone six months before early voting with 240,000 new voters, each needs to be instantly checked, verified, validated, and if necessary challenged -- before the 2024 election. Wake up, Ted Cruz! When Arizona and Wisconsin counties change identifiers the week mail-in ballots go out, then change them back, real time compute needs to flag it and ask why? Here, lets do it. Two state legislatures invited the Fractal team to do a proof of concept for their state voter rolls. So, thats what were doing. We ingest multiple copies of the voter rolls. We want at least three dates but in one of the states, we will probably do a dozen. Multiple copies of voter rolls shows movement, lights up changes made to the voter rolls that make you say hmm. We compare every copy of the voter roll with every other copy -- every cell against all corresponding cells. If someones zip code was changed, we flag it. Might be no big deal, but then, might be Arizona where 33,000 zips were changed days before the election. In a state rep election, for a Republican candidate, a primary, we found 212 people who moved from all over the state to this guys district. They all voted. Then about a month after the election, they all moved out of the district. Where do you think they moved? Back to their original houses! He won! We ingest the personal property tax rolls for the county. Those show the type of building, if it is a business, the number of bedrooms, baths, units, year built, square footage of living space, and about 40 other useful attributes. In Austin, Texas, we add the construction/permit rolls, giving us a closer to real time view of every property improvement. For these two state legislatures, we want something for the Attorney General. We bring in the FEC (Federal Election Commission) contribution rolls. With a single click, the AG can see every contribution mule in the state. If thats not enough, we bring in the massive Medicaid rolls -- all claims, all providers, all recipients for dozens of years. At this point, we are in the tens of billions record level -- and guess what we find? Some of those same sketchy voter addresses -- fake people living in UPS boxes correspond to Medicaid providers -- who are likely fake. We migrated from just cleaning voter rolls to making a state some real dough -- identifying Medicaid fraud. This is the power of real time super-compute. Our thesis to state governments is that it isnt just voter fraud. Its identity fraud and it is not just in their voter rolls, identity fraud permeates every state government roll. While we developed the Undeliverable Ballot Database to identify every address where a ballot will be sent yet not find an eligible recipient, we also created an address and identity database for people who claim one identity in Medicaid, another in WIC and another on the voter roll. Vast government databases are virtually invisible to current SQL/relational technology. Fractal and other super-computes are delivering real-time visibility to identity fraud lasting decades. One of the first benefits is the Undeliverable Ballot Database -- saving the mail carrier all those fake ballots. Jay Valentine led the team that built the eBay fraud detection engine and the TSA No-Fly List. His Fractal team is currently working with several state legislatures to identify identity fraud in voter rolls, Medicaid and WIC rolls, FEC contribution mules. Jay can be reached at Omega4America.com and his Twitter is @OmeAmerica17300 Image: National Archives Too many Americans underappreciate the meaning of holidays such as July 4th, also known as Independence Day. While some connect fireworks with the firing of cannons in the Revolutionary War, most forget that when the 56 members of the Continental Congress agreed to the put pen to parchment and affirm the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776, all knew that being a signatory put a death threat on their heads as traitors to Britain. The War of Independence was into its second year by July 1776, and George Washingtons rag-tag colonial army was about half the size of the highly trained professional British army and the German mercenary troops fighting for the English. Additionally, Washingtons army was undertrained, underequipped, and underfunded. The naval mismatch was even greater at the outset of the war. In the first year of the war, the Continental Navy had less than ten converted merchant ships while the British amassed 250 dedicated warships, concentrated along the coastline and in ports between the Delaware Bay and Boston. Things appeared grim indeed for the patriot cause. The last sentence of the Declaration of Independence before the space allotted for signatures reads, for the support of this Declaration, with a firm Reliance on the Protections of divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes, and our sacred Honor. Indeed, July 4 for those Founders was a serious and somber occasion. As we think about July 4th, we should remember that America was first nation in human history to establish a free and independent constitutional republic based on two political and moral principles. First, the government was required to protect its subjects unalienable God-given freedom and rights, which would be later formalized in the Constitutions Bill of Rights. Second, it was the first country to establish that the legitimacy for government resides exclusively in the people, who would elect their leaders. Modern Americans need to remember that prior nations around the world for thousands of years were undemocratic and hierarchical, with rulers and their inner circles at the top having the power and privileges while people at the bottom had few rights. Before America was established, freedom and rights as we understand and experience them simply did not exist. We must never forget the courage, determination and Godly principles that were necessary to establish the United States. General George Washington was in New York, preparing its defense, when on July 6, 1776 a courier from Philadelphia arrived to deliver a copy of the Declaration of Independence that had been agreed upon by the Continental Congress just two days before. There were just two signatures on that document: John Hancock, President of the Continental Congress, and Secretary Charles Thomson. Because the odds of prevailing against British were so low and the penalty for treason was death, it had been decided not to reveal the identities of the other fifty-four signatories of the Declaration. Less than six months later, however, after Washington had back-to-back victories, defeating British forces in Trenton, New Jersey the day after Christmas 1776, and then routing the British in nearby Princeton eight days later, the Continental Congress perceived that a trend toward victory had begun and decided to release the 56-signature Declaration and distribute it throughout the colonies. As it turned out, Washington would lose more battles than he won, but he persisted five more years, never doubting the patriot cause. A myriad of developments that only Providence could have arranged made Washingtons final victory at Yorktown possible in 1781. In retrospect, what was more remarkable was not the reversal of odds resulting in the American military victory, but rather the spiritual power of the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution, which established that the rights of the people came from God and not the state and that the sovereign powers of the state would be shaped and limited by those unalienable rights of the citizens. When God was progressively driven out of American culture starting sixty-odd years ago, that void was filled with false idols and divisive influences such as cultural Marxism and Critical Race Theory. Little wonder that average Americans today feel demoralized and confused about the self-destructive direction of the country. A corrupt ruling elite in America seems to have neither respect for the peoples welfare nor for the Constitution that served previous generations of Americans so well. Everything can change if Americans align their interests with God and the attendant principles that good will triumph over evil and truth over lies. Just as success followed the resolve expressed on July 4th, 1776, we too can tap into the same unstoppable spiritual power that enabled the Founders to overcome impossible odds. Coming full circle from the opening observation that many have an insufficient appreciation for the meaning behind holidays, when the term holiday originally came into usage it was synonymous with holy day. July 4th is truly an American holy day for all the reasons described. It is axiomatic that most everyone resists others seeking to deny or take valuable possessions away from them. Lets make this July 4th a day of celebration of our founding ideals, but also make it a day of renewed commitment to engage and wake up everyone we know that its time to resist creeping tyranny and reclaim precious possessions -- our freedoms and rights. Its time to become active in the patriot cause, knowing that -- just as the sun comes up in the east -- persistence, courage and the truth of our cause are the sword and shield that assure victory. Scott Powell is senior fellow at Discovery Institute and a member of the Committee on the Present Danger-China. His recent book, Rediscovering America, was #1 new release in history for eight straight weeks at Amazon (https://www.amazon.com/dp/1637581599). Reach him at scottp@discovery.org Image: National Archives Loser. Loser. Loser, was the attack leveled by 2024 GOP hopeful Chris Christie (R-NJ) at former President and current GOP frontrunner Donald Trump, describing the electoral shortcomings for the Republican party under Trump in the 2018, 2020, and 2022 elections. Although Christie is the longest of long shots based on current polling data, he is hardly alone in questioning Trumps electability. Ben Shapiro, one of the most popular commentators in the conservative movement, has noted that [m]any Republicans still think of Trump as a winner, even after his losses in the 2018 midterm election, 2020 presidential election, 2021 Georgia Senate races and 2022 midterms. When they don't, he drops in the polls, as in December 2022 It will be [GOP candidate Ron] DeSantis' job to remind Republican voters that Trump has won precisely one election in the last seven years; it will be the job of Republican voters to acknowledge that reality. Though perhaps offensive to diehard conservative voters, Shapiros warning is not without merit: polling data indicates that Trump is particularly unpopular among independent voters, who claim that he is too caustic and divisive. A major fly in the ointment for the anti-Trump argument, however, is that despite constant media attacks from both the Left and the Right, along with multiple lawsuits and indictments, Trump possesses a commanding lead in the current 2024 polls. Sobering Statistics Of course, the commentator class may be right: Donald Trump may very well lose in 2024, just as he lost in 2020. What they overlook, however, is that if that happens, he will be no different than most other Republican presidential candidates since 1988. Indeed, only two Republicans have won the presidency since 1992. Moreover, the GOP has only won the popular vote once in that time. Although GOP commentators love to demonize former President Barack Obama, they often fail to mention that he absolutely mopped the floor with moderate, supposedly more palatable GOP candidates John McCain and Mitt Romney in 2008 and 2012, respectively. Remember when McCain (whose bomb bomb bomb Iran comment was far more offensive than anything Donald Trump ever said on the campaign trail), got destroyed by a one-term senator by a margin of 365-173, indicating an overwhelming rejection of neoconservative interventionist foreign policy? And then Mitt Romney, who was unwilling to fight back or even defend himself against ludicrous attacks of being sexist and homophobic, once again embarrassed the GOP through a 332-206 drubbing? (Don't forget that Christie himself helped out here, effectively campaigning for Obama in the final days of the election.) Instead of learning from these shellackings, the GOP establishment decided to further insult its base by pushing former Florida governor Jeb Bush as its nominee, before Donald Trump upended the entire conservative movement in 2016. In a few short years, the Bushes, McCains, and Romneys of the world went from being GOP kingmakers to afterthoughts who were not event present at the 2016 Republican Party national convention. And for all the conservative commentators whining about the Biden administrations many failures, lets not forget that his presidency was enabled in part by prominent figures in the pre-2016 Republican party. The Loser. Loser. Loser. Myth There is no sugar-coating it: the GOP was not as successful as hoped in the 2018-2022 elections. But lets take a closer look: in 2018, the GOP lost its House majority. However, what Christie and others fail to mention is that Trump was only the third sitting president in over 100 years to gain Senate seats, a significant accomplishment. In the 2020 election, although the GOP failed to retake the house and lost the presidency, the GOP significantly outperformed polling expectations in congressional races. In 2022, the GOP reclaimed the majority in the House. However, Trump-endorsed candidates such as Hershel Walker (R-GA) and Mehmet Oz (R-PA) were defeated soundly in what appeared to be very winnable Senate races, which reflected very poorly on Trump at the national level. However, other factors suggest that the GOP struggles extended far beyond Trump. Incumbency appears to have played a major role in the 2022 races: in the Senate, all incumbents in swing states won re-election, and the lone flip was in Pennsylvania, where sitting GOP Senator Pat Toomey declined to run for re-election. Additionally, GOP candidates also underperformed in races in which Trump was not involved. For example, Tiffany Smiley (R-WA) was expected to be competitive with incumbent Sen. Patti Murray (D-WA) based upon polling data, yet the Democrat won in a landslide. The same polling trend was observed in Colorado, yet the Democrat incumbent again won handily. Perhaps most significantly, Adam Laxalt, the GOP candidate who led his Nevada Senate race all summer according to polling data, lost to his Democrat opponent. These races can hardly be blamed on Trump. The GOP suffered other disappointments as well: a three-way race in the Oregon gubernatorial election was supposed to swing to the GOP but did not; semi-conservative Los Angeles mayoral candidate Rick Caruso was supposed to be competitive with liberal Karen Bass, but was defeated; GOP candidate Allan Fung was supposed to beat incumbent Seth Magaziner to flip RI-2, but did not. In other words, the GOP candidates generally underperformed across the country, not just in Trump-endorsed races. But what about the 2020 special election in Georgia? Surely Trumps suggestion of a rigged election cost the GOP control of the Senate during the runoffs? Maybe. But it must also be noted that the GOP incumbents in Georgia, David Perdue and Kelly Loeffler ,were both extraordinarily weak candidates who were embroiled in insider stock trading scandals. Perdues unpopularity in the state was further highlighted in the 2022 gubernatorial primary; Trump, who supposedly had enough influence in Georgia to control the 2020 Senate race, could not push Perdue past the 22% mark in the GOP primary. In other words, perhaps the 2020 special election losses in Georgia were less about GOP voters buying into Trumps claims of voter fraud and more about feeling deflated about the 2020 general election; holding the Senate seems extraordinarily important to the political commentator class, but may be less of a consolation prize to Georgia voters who felt bitter over seeing Trump lose to a braindead radical leftist. Non-Trump Candidates Must Make Arguments Beyond Electability And therein lies the main disconnect between conservative commentators and the GOP base. Winning is important, but winning isnt everything. If the GOPs electoral strategy was to attract as many moderate independent voters as possible, then Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME) would be the current frontrunner, not Trump or DeSantis; in other words, you would nominate a candidate just to the right of Biden. In practice, of course, Collins would never be a viable Republican candidate; without appealing to the GOP base, the GOP has no hope. For years, the GOP was told to accept moderates such as McCain, Bush, and Romney in the name of electability. For years, the GOP has largely been unsuccessful at the national level. Whether or not Trump is the most electable GOP candidate for 2024 is a subject worthy of great debate that will continue between now and 2024; what is not up for debate, however, is that any Republican who hopes to retake the White House must be able to win over Trump voters. Pitching a candidate based on electability thus rings hollow: after all, at some point principles must trump policies. Moderate Trump critics Asa Hutchinson, Chris Christie, or Francis Suarez would presumably appeal more to moderates and independents than either Trump or DeSantis, and, based purely on policy, would all very likely be an improvement over Joe Biden. Yet none of these candidates have generated any excitement because they would fail to motivate the conservative base. Therein lies the major challenge for GOP contenders hoping to defeat Trump: winning over those Trump voters who have a legitimate distrust of a party establishment that, for the past 20 years, has pushed ineffective, milquetoast candidates like the Bushes, McCains, and Romneys of the world on them in the name of electability. J. Allen Cartwright writes about interplay of politics with cultural and scientific institutions. He can be followed on Parler at @jallencartwright Image: Pixabay Okay, liberals, after the Supreme Court's racist-sexist-homophobic Pride Week, the world is still standing. Obviously, experts agree, the Harvard/UNC decision is the most racist of all time, and the 303 Creative web designer decision is the most homophobic of all time. And there must have been some sexism in there. So, it is understandable that the little kiddies at Boston University law school might need therapy. Hey liberals, what's the point of your administrative state with DEI administrators from stem to stern unless it can thumb its nose at the yokels, whether an Uncle Tom from Pin Point, GA, or a bigoted deplorable Christian web-page designer? And don't come on to me about "justice." CNN gave us the real story in their reporting on Biden's response to the Supreme Court's Pride Week: But Biden and his team have already begun assigning blame on Republicans for dismantling programs that have benefited young, college-educated and minority voters -- all critical components of the Democratic coalition Biden will need to mobilize if he hopes to win reelection. Oh really. So it's not about justice after all; it's just about buying the next election with "programs that have benefited young, college-educated and minority voters." Peruvian President Oscar Benavides was right after all with: For my friends, everything; for my enemies, the law. Except La Wik says it's all disinformation. But, as usual, I want to do an Ike, and make the problem bigger. Back in the day the whole point of Harvard -- founded in 1636, a mere 17 years after the fateful year of 1619 -- was to turn out good Puritan ministers. Later, its purpose was to turn out young Sam Adams so he could write revolutionary propaganda and turn the killing of five rioters into the Boston Massacre. Now the Harvard kiddies learn how to hype the George Floyd killing into martyrdom. Today, the whole point of the research university is to indoctrinate young status-seekers with regime propaganda so they can take their place in the administrative state, or do regime-sponsored activism, or fight the next World War LGBT. But what if we are entering The Autumn of the Administrative State, you legacy donors? Maybe a legacy admission to the Ivy League is yesterday's thing. Maybe you should be funding the New Thing and getting your kiddie into the coming thing, whatever it is. Think about the 14-year-old South Asian kid from Santa Clara University that just got hired by SpaceX. So if the research university is past its sell-by date, what then? Gaetano Mosca, in The Ruling Class, said that the success of a ruling class depends on its "intermediate strata," and promoting likely candidates from the lower classes to become justices and presidents of Harvard. But what if the rulers are promoting folks like Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson and Harvard president-elect Claudine Gay, who know nothing except undigested ruling-class "lived experience," and are not quite up to snuff? Perhaps the most important role of a head of state, Mosca writes, is his ability to effect "timely reforms of the ruling class" to keep its game up. (See my brief on The Ruling Class.) How is that coming along, dear Democratic friends? Here's my take on the future of America. I think it depends enormously on our rising East Asian and South Asian communities. I see lots of East Asians -- with their kids -- at symphony concerts, and East Asians now dominate piano competitions. South Asians are already the richest kind with the highest annual income. You know what? I like it. It was just after World War II that Jewish-Americans went to work on the Ivies' Jewish quota. And now the Supreme Court has "done something" about the East Asian quota. I wonder what happens next. As a racist-sexist-homophobe of the first water, I just don't think that our rising Asian friends have much time for doofus diversity hires. They just don't seem to be into the "Mascot" thing. And I seriously doubt if your average Tiger Mom heads for the therapist at the first sign of trouble. I was reading Michael Lind's "Dinners with Moynihan" last week. Thirty years ago at dinner, Pat Moynihan was always coming up with ideas about how to jiggle government programs to create an America where an ordinary male worker could earn enough to support a family with a stay-at-home mom. No, Pat. That's not how it works at all. Our U.S. history of the past 100 years is littered with the failed efforts to do this, from labor legislation to help workers, to housing subsidies to help homeowners, to Affirmative Action to help blacks, to social welfare to help the poor. It all looks so bright and shiny when the educated experts roll it out. Thirty years later it wrecks the economy or the family and ruins the latest Mascots of the Anointed. I demand reparations from the Anointed educated class to the Benighted middle class. Shall we say $10 trillion for starters? Christopher Chantrill @chrischantrill runs the go-to site on US government finances, usgovernmentspending.com. Also get his American Manifesto and his Road to the Middle Class. Image: Supreme Court At first, it was scary: a bag of white powder was found in the White House's West Wing, causing the Secret Service to do a partial evacuation. However, once it became known that the white powder in the White House was cocaine, that opened the way to some interesting questions. Is there a Biden staffer (or more than one) who uses cocaine while working for a person who is theoretically the most powerful man in the world? Or has Hunter Biden, an acknowledged serious drug addict who's allegedly "clean" and who's been hanging around the White House lately, relapsed? The story broke via Twitter when people noticed a White House shutdown: Vehicles have gone down West Executive pic.twitter.com/ZvFTERp5NK Andrew Leyden (@PenguinSix) July 3, 2023 Then HAZMAT (Hazardous Material) crews appeared: HAZMAT crews behind the gates on West Executive outside the entrance to the West Wing. pic.twitter.com/rqDRCjZVvi Andrew Leyden (@PenguinSix) July 3, 2023 At that point, everyone is probably thinking, "Anthrax!" I know I was. But, while I'm no fan of the current administration, the last thing I want is a terrorist attack on the White House. That's why it was a relief to learn that it wasn't anthrax. Instead, as the whole event went from hypothetical terrorism to actual farce, the suspicious white powder (because, of course, that's what caused the scare...a suspicious white powder) was cocaine or, as Andrew Leyden tactfully said, "Cocaine Hydrochloride": DC Fire Hazmat reports they have found a substance that tests positive for Cocaine Hydrochloride near the White House, which is a local anesthetic. Audio from @OpenMHz https://t.co/poI9vabqM7 Andrew Leyden (@PenguinSix) July 3, 2023 Once upon a time, the idea that anyone would bring cocaine into the West Wing was ludicrous. The heart of our American government should be a drug-free zone. Or at least an illicit drugfree zone. After all, we now know that John F. Kennedy was an extremely unhealthy man despite that "healthy" tan. He went through his presidency hopped up on legally prescribed meds, some of which were mood- and brain-altering: The medical records reveal that Kennedy variously took codeine, Demerol and methadone for pain; Ritalin, a stimulant; meprobamate andlibrium for anxiety; barbiturates for sleep; thyroid hormone; and injections of a blood derivative, gamma globulin, a medicine that combats infections. During the Bay of Pigs fiasco in 1961, and the Cuban Missile Crisis in October 1962, Kennedy was taking steroids for his Addison's disease, painkillers for his back, anti-spasmodics for his colitis, antibiotics for urinary tract infections, antihistamines for his allergies, and on at least one occasion, an anti-psychotic drug to treat a severe mood change that Jackie Kennedy believed was brought on by the antihistamines. And if we're honest, we all suspect that Joe Biden is on any number of prescription medicines to keep him upright and semi-coherent. Cocaine's presence in the West Wing leads to two worrisome thoughts. The first is that someone who works closely with the president (or maybe more than one person) is a user. In these unstable times, it's concerning that Biden may be getting advice from drug users. Alternatively, we've just learned that the whole narrative about Hunter Biden being clean and sober is a complete lie. Biden's corrupt, debauched son could be back to his old ways. Aside from being distasteful, having a cocaine user in the first family is dangerous. The risks of blackmail or leaked information increase exponentially. If the cocaine is Hunter's, that matters. Given that the FBI knew all along that the hard drive was real and that the insights it gave us into Hunter's sexual and drug debauchery were real, too, the American people should be furiously angry that, because of Deep State fraud, they were prevented from keeping a drug addict out of the White House. Image: Hunter Biden from his hard drive. Lancang-Mekong cooperation media summit kicks off, aims at brighter future 10:20, July 04, 2023 By Yang Ou, Qiang Wei, Qu Song ( People's Daily Recently, the 2023 Lancang-Mekong Cooperation Media Summit hosted by People's Daily kicked off in Beijing. Themed "Promoting People-to-people Bonds for a Better Shared Future," the summit was joined by over 130 representatives from relevant departments and mainstream media of China, Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand and Vietnam, who had in-depth exchanges on promoting economic recovery and deepening media cooperation. Lancang-Mekong Cooperation (LMC) mechanism has achieved fruitful results since it was initiated in 2016. It has demonstrated a Lancang-Mekong speed and efficiency, and fostered a Lancang-Mekong culture featuring equal treatment, sincerity, mutual assistance and family-like closeness. President of People's Daily Tuo Zhen said in his speech that it is important that media outlets dig deep into the concrete actions and measures of LMC to demonstrate its progress and potential, and present the tangible benefits created by the cooperation to the world. He encouraged relevant media outlets to make use of the features and advantages of local cultures to promote people-to-people exchanges, build a bond between peoples, tell the stories of mutual friendship and assistance, and make the public foundation of LMC even more solid. Qian Hongshan, vice-minister of the International Department of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, noted that media outlets of the six countries of LMC should meet challenges together and share responsibilities, tell LMC stories of common development and shared benefits, nurture the friendship of the six countries along the Lancang-Mekong river, and demonstrate their vision of building a shared and win-win future, so as to win solid public support for building a community with a shared future for Lancang-Mekong countries and even Asia at large. LMC, as the first new type of sub-regional cooperation mechanism launched by riparian countries based on wide consultation, joint contribution and shared benefits, has been growing at a high level since its inception, becoming a golden model of success for sub-regional cooperation. In 2022, trade between China and the five Mekong countries reached $416.7 billion, up by 5 percent year on year. The China-Laos Railway, Phnom Penh-Sihanoukville Expressway, China-Vietnam freight train and other projects are also contributing to the interconnectivity in the region. Vansay Tavinyan, deputy head of the Propaganda and Training Board of the Central Committee of Lao Peoples Revolutionary Party and editor-in-chief of Lao Pasaxon Newspaper, has visited China multiple times to observe China's economic and social development and poverty reduction. Calling LMC a model of regional cooperation, he said the mechanism has made important contributions to the economic and social development of the six countries. He urged media outlets from the six countries to further strengthen cooperation to publicize the measures launched by these countries to jointly safeguard the ecology along the Lancang-Mekong river and promote sustainable development of the region. "Media outlets from the six countries could launch regular communication activities for mutual learning," he said. Deputy director general of Cambodia's state-owned news agency Agence Kampuchea Presse Khan Sophirom said that countries along the Lancang-Mekong river enjoy huge potential in economic and political development, and the summit reflected their firm determination to cope with challenges and promote sustainable development. He called on media outlets from these countries to enhance cooperation, deepen traditional friendship and contribute to building a Lancang-Mekong community with a shared future. Sudruethai Lertkaserm, deputy director-general of the Government Public Relations Department of Thailand hailed the fruitful results of LMC over the years. She hopes that the six countries could enhance communication on information sharing, culture, environmental protection and green development. Assistant minister of foreign affairs of China Nong Rong said in his speech that China is advancing high-quality development and Chinese modernization on all fronts, which will bring new development opportunities for the rest of the world, especially its surrounding countries. China will stick to the policy of forging friendships and partnerships with its neighbors, and work with relevant countries to build the Lancang-Mekong region into a demonstration area for high-quality Belt and Road cooperation, a zone of pioneering efforts under China's Global Development Initiative and the Global Security Initiative, and the best example of the Global Civilization Initiative. Vu Mai Hoang, a member of the leader board of Vietnam's Nhan Dan newspaper and editor-in-chief of Nhan Dan Weekend, said that people-to-people exchanges remain an important way for people from different countries to share experiences and consolidate friendship, and news media plays an important role in promoting such exchanges. Media cooperation under LMC is particularly relevant for promoting people-to-people communication and regional cooperation and development, he added. (Web editor: Chang Sha, Liang Jun) It sounds exactly like a Babylon Bee parody, but this article in the far-left magazine Mother Jones, "For July 4th, Let's Celebrate Great American Patriots: Government Bureaucrats," offers an important lesson for conservatives to note well. The "independence" part of "Independence Day" doesn't comport too well with "federal bureaucracy," so it is unsurprising that the holiday's true name is avoided throughout the piece. Of course, the underlying critical reality is that the federal bureaucracy has become an instrument of the Democrat party and the left. Political donations from federal bureaucrats consistently run well above 90% in favor of the Dems. And the series of scandals showing favoritism to lefties and hostility to conservatives keeps growing. Lois Lerner suffered no incarceration or fine and retired on a full pension after delaying tax-free status conservative nonprofits. FBI adulterers Peter Strzok and Lisa Page reassured each other that they would stop Donald Trump from becoming president. There seems to be a widespread sense among powerful federal bureaucrats that they have the right, even a duty, to enforce their political preferences on the public they pretend to serve, but in fact which they believe they should lead and master. Veteran hard-nose lefty David Corn must have realized that his title and lede sentence, "This Fourth of July, I'd like to salute some of the greatest patriots in the land: government bureaucrats," risked mockery. But there is an important and sinister political agenda ahead that he got to five paragraphs into the piece: For years, the leading strategists of Trumpism have been plotting how to gain control of the federal workforce. Steve Bannon and others have declared war on what they call the "administrative state," which in their minds includes and extends beyond the nefarious "Deep State" cabal that is always conspiring against Trump. They believe that Trump did not achieve many of his policy aims because the federal agencies were staffed with career professionals who thwarted his plans. (snip) At the end of Trump's presidency, he signed an executive order that created a category of federal worker called Schedule F that covered possibly thousands of policy-related positions throughout the various agencies. Any employee assigned to Schedule F could lose civil service protections and be easily fired by the White House. At the time, University of Colorado, Boulder, professor Roger Pielke Jr. told Axios, "If you take how it's written at face value, [this executive order] has the potential to turn every government employee into a political appointee, who can be hired and fired at the whim of a political appointee or even the president." The prospect of federal bureaucrats being accountable to an elected representative of the people seems to horrify Corn and his bureaucratic buddies. With the left in control of the bureaucracy, they want it insulated from any accountability. He reverts to the early twentieth-century vision of the progressives, that "experts" acting in the "public interest" are the ideal form of government, untrammeled by venal politicians who lack the "expertise" to choose wise policies. This is totalitarian, a point well developed by Jonah Goldberg in his landmark bestseller Liberal Fascism, which gloriously exposed the adulation that progs and lefties heaped upon Mussolini before he became Hitler's understudy in the effort to impose fascism on the world. Trump or any other Republican who reaches the Oval Office must deal with the out-of-control bureaucracy. And enact Schedule F or its equivalent, as well as downsize and disperse out of D.C. as many departments as possible ideally (in my book) beginning with the closure of the Department of Education. The Lyndon Baines Johnson Department of Education Building in Washington, D.C. The left understands that federal bureaucrats are resented, even by many non-conservatives, for their arrogance (a product of their job security), their retirement, medical and other fringe benefits well beyond those available to most of us, their many days off (did you get a paid holiday for Juneteenth? Columbus Day? Martin Luther King Day?), and their compensation so high that the counties surrounding D.C. are the richest in the nation. In a way, Corn is to be thanked for so vividly demonstrating that federal bureaucrats have become inextricably wedded to the goals of the Democrats and the left and are a threat to what the same left usually calls "our democracy." Photo credit: Farragutful, CC BY-SA 4.0 license. What fresh leftist lunacy is this, coming up at us on the Fourth of July? According to Cristina Laila at GatewayPundit: An Obama-appointed federal judge on Monday issued a preliminary injunction against Floridas election law that imposed limitations on third-party voter registration organizations. In May Florida Governor Ron DeSantis (R) signed SB 7020, a law that barred non-citizens from handling or collecting voter registration forms. One of the plaintiffs in the lawsuit is an immigrant from El Salvador who works for Mi Vecino, a third party voter registration organization. US District Judge Mark Walker said the election law banning non-citizens from handling voter registration forms is unconstitutional. What, exactly, is "unconstitutional" about not letting foreign nationals participate in our elections, including the vital task of collecting voter registrations from, presumably, citizens? According to the Obama-appointed judge, Mark Walker, in his ruling: One new provision bars noncitizens from registering citizens to vote, thus discriminating based on alienage, one of the most questionable classifications in equal protection jurisprudence. The other exposes individuals working for third party voter registration organizations to felony prosecutions for retaining voter information without telling them to whom the prohibition applies, what they can retain, and when they can retain it.Florida may, of course, regulate elections, including the voter registration process. Here, however, the challenged provisions exemplify something Florida has struggled with in recent years; namely, governing within the bounds set by the United States Constitution. Florida may, of course, regulate elections, including the voter registration process. Here, however, the challenged provisions exemplify something Florida has struggled with in recent years; namely, governing within the bounds set by the United States Constitution. When state government power threatens to spread beyond constitutional bounds and reduce individual rights to ashes, the federal judiciary stands as a firewall.2 The Free State of Florida is simply not free to exceed the bounds of the United States Constitution. For the reasons that follow, Plaintiffs are entitled to a preliminary injunction. He cited aliens "serving their community" as largely his judicial logic, along with "equal protection" under the law as the rest of it. So aliens, including illegal aliens, are now equal-protection matters, and if an alien can't collect registrations, or, for that matter, vote, he's being discriminated against by all those dirty racists who happen to be U.S. citizens? Illegals, of course, are great ones for knowing where all the valid U.S. citizens are in this game, aren't they? And realistically, are they going to know a whole lot of potentially valid voters, or might they have an inherent interest in registering people just like themselves with their special interests, who are either foreign non-citizens here legally or foreign illegals? The second part of that initial claim is even more disturbing. Apparently, the foreigners have been collecting data off the new voter registrations that they are gathering and turning in beforehand and doing something with those data, whether a voter likes it or not. The data collected could be used to sell lists to Democrat candidates for their mailed campaign literature, perhaps, or to pressure voters over the phone, and, if these groups are really partisan, to simply give away to those Democrat candidates, which negates the nonpartisan purpose of doing voter registrations. What do they do with a newly registered voter who doesn't register Democrat? Do they throw that registration away? Nobody's asking that one. Bottom line here is, who knew that these groups were getting a little slice for themselves as they claimed to be selflessly civic-minded groups out registering voters for "democracy"? They had such a strong interest in gathering that data from those voter registrations perhaps a money stream is involved here that they took the matter to court: foreigners collecting U.S. voter registrations, and foreigners collecting personal data from them before turning those registrations in to the official registrar of voters. The foreign character listed in the case was a man from an NGO called "Mi Vecino" who is from El Salvador and apparently a legal resident. But this case itself involves all foreigners, not just those with legal status to live here and who by their very lack of citizenship status have effectively expressed that their loyalty is to El Salvador and its interests, not the U.S. It may not seem like much that the designated foreigner is a Salvadoran, given the small size of his country. But that's a camel's nose under the tent. Remember: this is the age of China setting up police stations on U.S. sovereign land, so what's to stop China from muscling voter registrations from Chinese refugees who can vote and collecting all of their data for its social credit system and then making sure that these voters vote with China's interests in the coming U.S. election? Anyone who thinks China is incapable of that, given its record, is dreaming. All kinds of horrible countries with interests at odds with ours could be doing the same thing. Would this mean that the United Nations can come in and collect voter registrations from Americans and mine their data, too? Don't bet on that not happening. Even from the perspective of international law, this seems absurd. Would the nation of El Salvador, or for that matter China, be happy to see Big Gringo come in and start to register voters? Besides registering voters, the ruling could also be applied to ballot-harvesting, which is increasingly common in the States in this age of low-confidence elections. We already know that illegals are blithely harvesting ballots in California as their way of proxy-voting. I wrote about that here. That makes me think this temporary injunction, which the judge says is not his final ruling, will come to naught. Not from him, of course it's obvious enough how he's going to rule unless he gets some signal from the Democrats to forego a coming bad ruling. But it should be overturned on appeal. Elections for U.S. office are for citizens and citizens alone. Allowing any foreigners in as key cogs in the process is a bona fide violation of U.S. sovereignty. If this isn't overturned, we are done as a country. Image: John Hood/CalTrans via Wikipedia, public domain. Heard of the term "parental rights"? If you have, forget it. Because academicians, politicians, and mainstream media types don't believe there is such a thing. How's that, you say? According to thecollegefix.com, the state of New Jersey is currently suing three school districts that require parents to be notified "when gender-nonconforming students wish to change their names, be called by new pronouns, or request other accommodations." "Other accommodations"? You can guess what that means. Pass the scalpel. Truly chilling. New Jersey attorney general Matthew Platkin recently filed civil rights complaints against the Middletown Township, Marlboro Township, and Manalapan-Englishtown Regional districts, literally only hours after the districts had approved the policies. Moreover, according to the same site, a pair of academics affiliated with York University purport to believe that allowing parents to opt out their children from drag story-time events is a "dangerous setback for 2SLGBTQ+ human rights education." To wit: Beyhan Farhadi, a fellow at York's Institute for Research on Digital Literacies, and "community educator"/York M.Ed. student Joy Henderson say the Toronto School Board's decision to allow opt-outs from the "family-friendly" activity "sends a message that [queer] rights are debatable." Attention Farhadi and Henderson: Your insistence that parents not be "allowed" to opt their own children out of events in which men clad in women's dresses and undergarments read books to their young children is a dangerous setback for freedom, dignity, morality, and humanity. Farhadi and Henderson, "queer parents" both, say the Toronto board had previously declared in opposition to a previous allegedly "discriminatory" parental rights declaration that "no student can be exempted from Human Rights education." No student can be exempted from Human Rights education? Really? Does that include Heterosexual PRIDE! courses and Jesus story-time events? If not, why? Do heterosexuals and Christians have no comparable "human rights"? It would be the absolute height of irony if everyone but heterosexuals and Christians were granted unalienable rights by their Creator. Yet this is precisely what some militant transgender thugs appear to be implying. The hypocritical, tyrannical, lying a------- on the left routinely threaten pro-lifers and conservatives in general while demanding we all be "pro-choice" when it comes to parents' decisions whether or not to murder their own baby. Yet, oddly enough, they simultaneously claim that parents must have no choice in how their children are indoctrinated educated and no say if their kids want to "switch" genders. Neither are they fond of "choice" when it comes to lockdowns, social distancing, mask-wearing, or vaccine mandates. Most aren't pro-choice as regards the purchase of firearms even for the defense of one's family...or in terms of paying taxes, engaging in "hate speech," or opinions of affirmative action. One "choice," so we don't have to choose. In everything. For all of us. That is, of course, no choice at all. It is not the definition of tolerance, inclusion, and democracy. It is the opposite. Photo credit: Jennifer Ricard, CC BY-SA 4.0 license. President Biden is saying the current Supreme Court is not "normal." Many journalists, along with Biden and other Democrats, are disparaging the six Supreme Court members that they describe as conservative are radical activists who have disregard for the Constitution and the rule of law. They, in turn, act as though the three liberal justices, who almost always vote in lockstep, have great regard for the rule of law and the Constitution. They send the message to the public that the liberals are not activists. Nothing could be farther from the truth. The liberals seem to have little if any regard for the separation of powers that we have in the United States so that one branch cannot dictatorially rule. It appears that the president, most people pretending to be journalists, and other Democrats need a lesson on the responsibilities of the three branches of government. AOC shows that she sure needs a lesson when she suggests impeaching Supreme Court justices who don't support the policies she supports. The Judicial Branch is supposed to interpret laws for constitutionality, not make laws, nor rewrite laws. The Legislative Branch passes laws and authorizes appropriations. Article I the longest article of the Constitution describes congressional powers. Congress has the power to: Make laws Declare war Raise and provide public money and oversee its proper expenditure Impeach and try federal officers Approve presidential appointments Approve treaties negotiated by the executive branch Oversight and investigations The Executive Branch must enforce laws but cannot make laws or appropriate money. A PRESIDENT CAN . . . make treaties with the approval of the Senate. veto bills and sign bills. represent our nation in talks with foreign countries. enforce the laws that Congress passes. act as Commander-in-Chief during a war. call out troops to protect our nation against an attack. make suggestions about things that should be new laws. lead his political party. entertain foreign guests. recognize foreign countries. grant pardons. nominate Cabinet members and Supreme Court Justices and other high officials. appoint ambassadors. talk directly to the people about problems. represent the best interest of all the people A PRESIDENT CANNOT . . . make laws. declare war. decide how federal money will be spent. interpret laws. choose Cabinet members or Supreme Court Justices without Senate approval. The Supreme Court case on student loans should have been 9-0 if the three liberals on the Court cared about separation of powers. If they allowed a president to spend $400 billion on a pet project to buy votes, where would it stop? There would be no limits on a would-be dictator. The ruling on affirmative action at Harvard and UNC should also have been 9-0 if the liberals truly cared about discrimination and equality. All races are people of color, including Asian-Americans and whites. How many races would universities have to discriminate against before the three liberal justices would block them? If Democrats were so concerned about blacks and Hispanics, they would not work so hard to block poor and minority children from going to better schools. Why are they so protective of the rich? Roe v. Wade: Essentially, an activist court attempted to create a national law. That is not their job. Joe Biden, Nancy Pelosi, and Chuck Schumer have or had been in Congress, and as far as I can tell, have not introduced bills to enshrine abortion into federal law, even when Democrats had control of both Houses of Congress and the White House. Why? Why didn't they do that if it was so important to them? Why haven't they introduced a bill that would limit almost all abortions to 12 or 14 weeks, like most of Europe, which would have a good chance of passing? Chief Justice John Roberts should not have essentially rewritten the Affordable Care Act to get it to pass constitutional muster. He should have rejected it and told Congress to rewrite it, as they are the only body that should write laws, not the courts, and not unelected bureaucrats. Chief Justice John Roberts saved Obamacare in 2012 by calling it a tax. A normal and honest president: Would not try to spend $400 billion to buy votes from people who owe student loans without congressional authority. Now that Joe Biden has lost this case, he is seeking another way to go around Congress to buy the votes. Would not lie by calling Roe v. Wade a constitutional right to intentionally mislead the public. It appears they either want a political issue or they want unlimited abortion, to appease Planned Parenthood, despite overwhelming opposition from the American people. Would enforce immigration laws that Congress passed. Would not dictatorially implement DACA as Obama and Biden both have done. And as a senator, vice president, and president, would not work with his own family to collect kickbacks from foreign countries and then lie continuously to the voters that he had no involvement in these business dealings and that no one in his family made money from foreign countries. A normal Justice Department: Would enforce the law equally instead of targeting political opponents and protecting criminals like the Clintons and Bidens from prosecution. Would not lie to the FISA court in order to get permission to spy on political opponents. A normal IRS: Would administer and enforce the tax code. They would not target political opponents as they did with Tea Party members who just wanted lower taxes and fewer regulations. Would not seek to minimally punish major tax cheats like Hunter Biden. A normal media eatablishment: Would not lie to the public that Roe v. Wade is a constitutional right. Would not think it is OK for a president to claim he has the right to spend $400 billion of taxpayer money without congressional approval. Would understand the importance of separation of powers. Would not spend time seeking to destroy any Supreme Court justice whom they didn't like. Would not spend years spreading Russian collusion lies. Would not cover up the truth about the Biden family corruption to elect a corrupt and incompetent president. It is pathetic and dangerous to our great country that leftists like most journalists, Biden, and other Democrats are working so hard to remake and destroy America that they are willing to destroy the Supreme Court and ruin anyone on the Court who dares to have a different opinion from their own. They are the party of personal destruction. They certainly have no regard for the rule of law, separation of powers, limitations on government bureaucrats, or the equal treatment of people under the law. We have a president who clearly doesn't care about his oath of office to enforce laws or the separation of powers. Sadly, we have three Supreme Court justices who also don't care about separation of powers or their duties, and we have a mostly complicit media establishment, which will seek to destroy anyone, including Supreme Court justices, who get in the way of the president who is abusing his power. Image: Pixabay, Pixabay License. After updating the Galaxy S22 and Galaxy S23 phones to the July 2023 security patch yesterday, Samsung has released the latest security update for the Galaxy A53 5G. The rollout has begun in Latin America. The company should expand the release to other markets, including the US, over the next few weeks. As of this writing, the July SMR (Security Maintenance Release) for the Galaxy A53 5G is available to users in Bolivia and Panama. The new firmware build number for the phone is A536EXXS7CWF6 (via SamMobile). Samsung should roll out the update in more countries in the region soon, followed by a wider release globally. The premium mid-range phone isnt getting apart from the latest security fixes. But neither Google nor Samsung has published the detailed content yet. Samsung will only update its security updates tracker after Google does. So we might have to wait a few more days to confirm what the July SMR brings to Galaxy devices. As usual, we should get dozens of vulnerability fixes, including a few critical ones. The majority of those should be Android OS fixes with Samsung patching a handful of Galaxy-specific issues. Note that not every Galaxy device is affected by all of those issues. But every model is vulnerable to at least one of them. So its important to install the latest security patches as soon as possible. Your Galaxy device will send a notification once a new OTA (over the air) update is available for it. You can tap on the notification and follow the on-screen instructions to install the update. Alternatively, you can navigate to Settings > Software update > Download and install to check for updates manually. Since updates are usually released in batches, they may now be available to all eligible users at the same time. Check again later if you dont find any updates today. The Galaxy A53 5G will get the Android 14 update The Galaxy A53 5G is Samsungs premium midrange phone from 2022. It debuted with Android 12 out of the box and has already received an update to Android 14, which may arrive at the end of this year. The device will also get Android 15 and Android 16 in its lifetime, while security updates will come at least until March 2027. The frequency of these updates will come down over time, though. It will not get monthly updates forever. Rest assured, we will keep you posted with every new update for the Galaxy A53 5G. Samsung may have already released the July security patch, but a few Galaxy devices are still awaiting the June update, at least in some markets. The company is pushing the older monthly SMR (Security Maintenance Release) to a bunch of devices in the US. The Galaxy Z Flip, Galaxy Z Flip 5G, Galaxy A71, Galaxy A51, Galaxy A51 5G, Galaxy A21, and Galaxy A13 5G are all getting last months update. The June security update is available for carrier-locked and unlocked variants of the Galaxy Z Flip and Galaxy Z Flip 5G in the US. The new firmware build numbers for the former model are F700USQU7IWE1 (carrier-locked) and F700U1UEU7IWE1 (unlocked). Those for the 5G version are F707USQU5HWE3 and F707U1UEU5HWE3 (via). The rollout is widely available on all networks. Samsung is pushing some revisions to terms and conditions but nothing more. Of course, thats in addition to last months security fixes. The Galaxy A71 is also widely getting Samsungs June update in the US. The phone is picking up the new SMR with the build number A716USQU9GWF7. It could be the same changelog for this mid-range handset as well. Thats because the Galaxy A51 and Galaxy A51 5G are also getting the same changes. The rollout for these two models is currently limited to carrier-locked variants, though. The new build numbers are A515USQUAFWF3 and A516USQUDGWF1, respectively. Unlocked units should get the update soon. Advertisement Galaxy A21 and Galaxy A13 5G are also getting the June update The Galaxy A21 is another Samsung phone that recently started picking up the June SMR in the US. Once again, the Korean firm has kept the update limited to carrier-locked units. Its getting the update with firmware version A215USQSACWF1. For a change, this release is all about the security fixes for June 2023. Theres nothing else here. A wider rollout should follow in the coming days. Lastly, the Galaxy A13 5G is joining Samsungs June update party in the US. The budget handset is getting the build number A136USQU5DWF6 (carrier-locked) and the same changelog as the Galaxy Z Flip series. Unlocked units have yet to pick up the June SMR. The 4G-only Galaxy A13 received the June SMR in the US a few weeks back. If youre using any of these Galaxy smartphones and havent yet received last months security update, watch out for it in the coming days. You can use the Settings app on your phone (Software update menu) to check for updates manually. Google, Meta, and TikTok want to sue the state of Arkansas over a law that requires social platforms to verify a users age. The tech firms believe the law violates the US Constitution and breaches users privacy. US lawmakers have passed several bills to safeguard childrens privacy online and on social platforms. While there is no evidence yet of how these bills worked, the state of Arkansas passed a bill that obligates tech firms to check a users age and prevent underage children from using the platform. NetChoice, a tech trade group that represents Google, Meta, and TikTok, is now opposing the bill by claiming it contradicts the US Constitution. Additionally, these tech firms say the Social Media Safety Act violates First Amendment free speech rights as it requires users to hand over their private data to companies. NetChoice further claims that the law is an unconstitutional power grab, that seizes decision making from families. Google, Meta, and TikTok will sue Arkansas over Social Media Safety Act The Social Media Safety Act is a set of principles to keep users safe by asking them to submit their IDs or drivers licenses before opening an account. Under-age children need to take parents consent before using social platforms. While this law seems to work to protect children, the tech firms say it has serious privacy issues in addition to ignoring existing federal law. NetChoice argues that the law forces platforms to rely on a third-party service to track, verify, and store childrens data. Beyond that, the users wont be in direct contact with the third-party service that holds their data. NetChoice added that these third-party services would be a prime target for hackers and bad actors. Advertisement In a statement to Engadget, State Attorney General Tim Griffin said he looks forward to vigorously defending the Social Media Safety Act. The case is submitted to US District Court for the Western District of Arkansas. The court will issue the final ruling, but tech firms are unlikely to win the case as lawmakers have already shown strong support for similar legislation. Senator Josh Hawley has proposed a bill that prohibits kids under 16 from using social platforms. Besides Arkansas, Utah, Connecticut, and Ohio have also passed similar bills. The concerns about childrens safety on online platforms increased after a pedophile network was found on Meta-owned Instagram. Although people generally refer to Nokia as a smartphone manufacturer, the companys advancement in telecommunication networks and especially 5G, have been remarkable. Now, in a recent development, Nokia has announced a fresh long-term patent license agreement with Apple, marking a continuation of their previous cross-patent licensing pact. The original agreement, which the two companies signed in 2017, provided Apple with specific network infrastructure products and services in exchange for the company resuming the sales of Nokia health products in its physical and online stores. However, as this agreement approached its expiration at the end of this year, the two companies have once again negotiated a new deal. Terms of the new deal While the exact terms of the agreement remain unclear, Nokia has confirmed that it will start receiving payments from Apple for several years, beginning in January 2024. And in return, Apple will gain the rights to utilize Nokias extensive portfolio of patents, with a particular emphasis on the rapidly evolving field of 5G telecommunications, where the company has invested over 140 billion Euros ($152.9 billion) in research and development. This investment has resulted in a substantial portfolio of 20,000 patent families, including over 5,500 patent families in essential 5G services alone. Speaking on the agreement, Jenni Lukander, President of Nokia Technologies, stated, The agreement reflects the strength of Nokias patent portfolio, decades-long investments in R&D, and contributions to cellular standards and other technologies. However, it is important to note that these essential patents are crucial for the functioning of 5G networks and must be licensed under fair, reasonable, and non-discriminatory (FRAND) terms. Companies can license and use these technologies without the need to make their substantial investments in the standards, fueling innovation and the development of new products and services for consumers, reads Nokias blog post announcing the agreement. There are a bunch of companies out there making foldable phones, and it seems that more are hopping on this bandwagon. Its the future, what do you expect!? Among them, Samsung is the top dog. Why is this, though? What force is keeping the Galaxy Z foldables afloat? In short, its the Samsung fanboys. Now, this isnt a hit piece on Samsung, its fans, or its products. It makes great products. Here at AH, we review Sammys phones and tablets highly. Samsung spent four generations honing the design of its foldable phones. It survived the dog days of early foldable growing pains and it continues to pour millions of R&D bucks into its foldable phones. We also cant forget that Samsung sells its phones in a lot of markets. Most other foldable phone manufacturers are Chinese, and theyre pretty wary about entering the US market for understandable reasons. Also, Google is precious about which markets to distribute its first-gen foldable. So, we cant say theres no reason for these phones to sell. But, whats keeping the Galaxy foldables afloat? The above-mentioned are reasons for the phones to sell, but theyre not whats keeping the series afloat. Other phones have a lot of R&D put into them, are refined, and are available in many markets. Some sell well while others barely break even. Oftentimes, its not the hardware that makes a phone sell, its how that hardware hypnotizes the user. Advertisement In this case, were talking about the diehard Samsung fans. Not the I think Samsung makes high-quality products kind; were talking about the Samsung does no wrong! Its the best company in the world!! kind. Were talking about the people who will take any compromise that Samsung makes and wont fault it or ask the company to do better. Other companies have left Samsung in the dust Samsung has been a driving force in the foldable phone market since day one when only it and Huawei dared to build one. Now, much smaller companies like OnePlus are making their own foldable phones. However, these other companies have left Samsung in the dust when it comes to foldable design. Other companies like Oppo and Vivo are creating more exciting and accessible foldable phones than what were getting from Samsung. People, since day one, have dragged Samsung for making a foldable phone thats so slender. When folded- in its candy bar mode- the phone almost has the exact dimensions of an actual candy bar. The display is so thin that you almost always have to open it to get work done. That defeats the purpose of having a notebook foldable in the first place. You know, where its both a phone and a tablet. Oppo defined a new era in foldable phone technology when it unveiled the Oppo Find N in 2021. This phone looked like someone took a Galaxy Foldable and squished it. And, it worked! The wider form factor let people know that they could still use their phones when closed. No matter how impressive the phone is when unfolded, you should still be able to use it as a phone. Advertisement Now, other companies have emulated that idea and left Samsungs form factor behind. We can honestly say that Oppo pushed the foldable phone market forward. Its just sad that Samsung hasnt gotten with the program. Lets talk about exciting changes or lack thereof This is a trend that were seeing more with Samsung phones. Back in the day, Samsung was the breath of fresh air we needed after every iPhone launch. Apple would launch a phone that was a carbon copy of the iteration before it, but Samsung would debut a phone with some sort of new wow factor, radical new design, and a boatload of new features. We always expected Samsung to bring the Next big thing, and it did. Now, its foldable phones show much the opposite. Each iteration of the companys foldable phones offers nothing more than minor tweaks, the latest Snapdragon chip, and maybe some boosted specs. Sure, the Z Fold 5 is expected to have IP68 water and dust resistance to protect it from sand, but whos taking their $1800 phone to the beach? What else is there to make each generation a reasonable upgrade over the last? I will say this, with those first couple of generations of foldables, Samsung did a lot in terms of making them more durable. So, thats something that I tip my hat to the company for. But, were past the days when grains of sand and dust ruined phones. Foldable phones from much smaller companies, with far fewer resources and R&B bucks, are pushing their foldable phones with no durability issues. Honor, the underdog that used to be on Huaweis leash, managed to shrink the number of hinge components to just four with its foldable. That greatly reduces the number of moving parts and the chance of ingress. Samsung cant bank on the durability aspect anymore to keep the Galaxy foldables afloat. Advertisement A pedestal built by the fans With all that said, Samsung is going to outsell the competition in the foldable market when it launches. Why? Well, those diehard Samsung fans. Other companies are showing that theyre taking the foldable market seriously. Theyre adding features, developing amazing designs, and changing those designs. Samsung is sticking its users with basically the same phone they got last year with some updated specs. And theyre okay with that! Theyll happily pay the $1800 for the same experience they paid $1800 for last year or two years ago. This gives Samsung free reign to repackage and serve the same experience. Other companies like Honor, Motorola, Vivo, Oppo, Xiaomi, etc. have to put a huge focus on making their next foldable phone leagues better than their last. They have to bring that wow factor, that excitement to make people part with over $1000. And, weve seen some amazing results of that. Meanwhile, Samsung can comfortably stand by and pump out phones with the same design its had for generations. Does that sound familiar? If so, then youve seen what Apple does. The company has successfully pushed phones with the same design since the iPhone 11. And you know what, people are still eating it up. This is the same thing that were seeing with the Galaxy foldables. They sit on a pedestal, a pedestal built by the fans, and theres no motivation to innovate. With every new Samsung product to hit the shelves, the company knows that it has a fanbase built-in that will gladly pay their arms, legs, and first-born children for. Advertisement The Apple mentality This points to a larger issue in the tech industry. Apple seemed to have struck a magical formula among its fans. The company has the ability to sell the same product year-over-year with no opposition from its fans. Try to tell the difference between the iPhone 12, iPhone 13, and iPhone 14. Try to do the same with MacBooks, iPads, etc. Youll have an easier time learning quantum physics. Yet, Apple still eats up more than half of the global smartphone shipments each year. Im sorry to say that the prodigal child Samsung is becoming the same way. Its latest Galaxy S phones show little to no change over previous iterations, and its worse for its tablets. Its selling these phones at exorbitant prices when you can get equally capable devices for hundreds less. Yet, its still the highest-selling Android OEM on the planet. Samsung has adopted the Apple mentality, and it shows with its foldable phones. The only question is, how long can the company keep this up before it starts to see fatigue? This can only keep the Galaxy foldables afloat for so long. Arnold Schwarzenegger and Jimmy Kimmel were among the celebrities wishing fans well on Independence Day in the US. The actor, bodybuilder and former governor of California said he was made in America and reminded fans to spend time with friends and family. The national holiday takes place each year on July 4 to mark the adoption of the Declaration Of Independence in 1776, with fireworks and patriotic celebrations across the US. Terminator star Schwarzenegger posted a picture of himself in an American flag jacket with a matching hat, next to a large statue of a bear. Happy 4th of July! I was born in Austria, but I am Made in America, he captioned the photo. Consider this your official reminder: put your phone down, turn off the social media, get outside, BBQ, and spend some time with your friends and family. US talk show host Kimmel posted a collection of photos in which he was dressed in various red, white and blue and flag-themed outfits. He wrote: Over the years, fashion experts and famous designers often ask Why do you dress like this on the 4th of July? and my answer is two-fold #1 because, for better or worse, I love this country and #2 because Marshalls had a sale. Happy Independence Day to my fellow Americans. Kim Kardashian posted similar themed-outfit pictures on her Instagram story, captioning them Happy July 4th. Other celebrities wishing fans well included British chef Jamie Oliver, and actors Mark Wahlberg and Halle Berry. Oscar-winning actress Berry posted a picture of herself and another of partner Van Hunt, dressed in a dressing gown and novelty daisy glasses. Cant ruin my vibe today and you damn sure cant ruin his! Happy 4th to you and yours!!, she wrote. British rock star Ozzy Osbourne posted a tribute to his wife Sharon as the day coincided with their 41st wedding anniversary. Happy Anniversary My Love! July 4, 1982, he wrote, sharing a picture of the day. China has urged Foreign Secretary James Cleverly to stop interfering after he vowed to defend pro-democracy activists targeted with arrest warrants. The diplomatic row broke out as Mr Cleverly was planning to visit China in an effort to restore relations bruised by Beijings growing aggression. Hong Kong police issued arrest warrants for eight activists and politicians living in exile for alleged breaches of the harsh national security law imposed by Beijing. The UK strongly objects to Chinas National Security Law, which suppresses Hong Kongs freedoms. The decision to issue arrest warrants for 8 activists, some of whom are in the UK, is a further example of the authoritarian reach of Chinas extraterritorial law. James Cleverly (@JamesCleverly) July 3, 2023 Some, including Nathan Law, a politician granted asylum by the UK, are living in Britain while others are residing in the US, Canada and Australia. One million Hong Kong dollars (100,500) have been offered for information leading to any of their arrests. Mr Cleverly said: We will not tolerate any attempts by China to intimidate and silence individuals in the UK and overseas. The UK will always defend the universal right to freedom of expression and stand up for those who are targeted. We strongly object to the national security law that China imposed on Hong Kong, including its extraterritorial reach, in breach of the legally binding Sino-British Joint Declaration. The Chinese embassy in London responded by defending the constitutional and legal arrest warrants issued in Hong Kong and criticising Mr Cleverly. The UK politicians spoke publicly for the wanted persons, grossly interfering in Hong Kongs rule of law and Chinas internal affairs. China strongly deplores and firmly opposes this, a spokesman said. The wanted persons are a small group of anti-China forces bent on destabilising Hong Kong. We urge relevant UK politicians to stop interfering in Chinas internal affairs and Hong Kong affairs, and stop using these anti-China disruptors to jeopardise Chinas sovereignty and security. The Chinese Foreign Ministrys office in Hong Kong warned foreign interference forces to stop shielding criminals immediately. The UK handed over the former British colony to China in 1997, with Beijing promising to maintain Western-style liberties under a one country, two systems framework. Tensions between China and the West have been growing in recent years amid a crackdown in Hong Kong and aggression towards Taiwan. A Government minister has said it is not correct that people are forced to use food banks as he suggested relying on free handouts is a personal choice. Veterans Minister Johnny Mercer appeared to suggest that some members of the armed forces are using food banks because of personal budgeting decisions as he defended military pay levels. These are personal decisions around how people are budgeting every month, the former British Army captain told Sky News. I dont want to see anyone using food banks, of course I dont. But were in an extremely difficult time around cost of living. Johnny Mercer suggested some people choose to use food banks (Jonathan Brady/PA) Ill always advocate for service personnel to get paid more, Id be mad not to. But it has to be within the constraints of a budget. Put to him that people do not choose to rely on food banks for their provisions, Mr Mercer replied: Well, in my experience that is not correct. I think there are some dire cases that we need to do more to wrap our arms around and make sure that there is a safety net for people. I dont think food bank use is an accurate portrayal of where levels of poverty, relative or absolute poverty, are in this country. Food banks are often run by charities and community groups, giving free packages of donated goods to those who cannot afford shop prices. Those attending food banks tend to be referred by a service or specialist, such as a doctor, health visitor, social workers or Citizens Advice. Meanwhile, Rishi Sunak said people can spend Government payments designed to help with the cost-of-living crisis on food when challenged over food insecurity. In a heated exchange during his appearance before the Commons Liaison Committee, Catherine McKinnell, the Labour MP who chairs the Petitions Committee, pointed to figures suggesting one in seven people are cutting back or going without food because of a lack of money. Enjoying the collective bed-wetting on this. Military personnel should not be using food banks period. Disagree if you like, but that is true. If you are serving personnel and you are using a food bank because you are 'starving' please do call me and I will come and see you. https://t.co/1ywceL02lm Rt Hon Johnny Mercer (@JohnnyMercerUK) July 4, 2023 The Prime Minister noted the support people are receiving with their energy bills and the rise in the national living wage, adding that the most vulnerable households will receive direct cost-of-living support through the welfare system. He continued: All the money that people are receiving can be used for whatever they deem is most important to them, including food. The cost-of-living payments that are going to people can be spent on food. Plymouth Moor View MP Mr Mercer later commented on Twitter after facing social media criticism for his remarks. Enjoying the collective bed-wetting on this, he posted. Military personnel should not be using food banks period. Disagree if you like, but that is true. If you are serving personnel and you are using a food bank because you are starving please do call me and I will come and see you. The Tory frontbencher was conducting the Tuesday morning round of broadcast interviews as part of an announcement around a dedicated helpline for homeless veterans. Ex-servicemen and women can be referred to a network of support, including housing providers, charities and local authorities, by calling the Government-funded hotline. The 500,000 helpline open to people in England, Scotland and Wales is part of a two-year 8.55 million programme working towards the Governments pledge to end veteran rough sleeping. The aim under the Veterans Strategy Action Plan 2022-24 was to achieve that within the current Parliament, but the Government said that with the funding the target can be achieved ahead of schedule. Mr Mercer told Sky News: There is no need for a veteran to be sleeping rough and I dont want to see anyone sleeping rough by the end of this year. The latest Combined Homelessness and Information Network (Chain) report published last week stated that 5% of people seen rough sleeping in 2022/23 in London had served in the armed forces at some point in their lives. Some 2% (119 people) of those seen rough sleeping in the year from April 2022 to March 2023 were UK nationals who have served in the armed forces, the report stated. Guidance has also been published on the Government website setting out the housing options and support available to veterans, service leavers and their families in England, including routes into both veteran-specific and civilian housing. The Government said the 8.55 million is separate from the 20 million Veteran Capital Housing Fund announced in the Spring Budget. Veterans who are homeless or at risk of homelessness can contact the helpline on 0800 952 0774 or visit riv.org.uk/opfortitude. A spokesman said work is in progress to identify how the service can be applied to Northern Ireland. A dedicated helpline has been launched for homeless veterans. Ex-servicemen and women can be referred to a network of support, including housing providers, charities and local authorities, by calling the Government-funded hotline. The 500,000 helpline open to people in England, Scotland and Wales is part of a two-year 8.55 million programme working towards the Governments pledge to end veteran rough sleeping. The aim under the Veterans Strategy Action Plan 2022-24 was to achieve that within the current Parliament, but the Government said that with the funding the target can be achieved ahead of schedule. The latest Combined Homelessness and Information Network (Chain) report published last week stated that 5% of people seen rough sleeping in 2022/23 in London had served in the armed forces at some point in their lives. Some 2% (119 people) of those seen rough sleeping in the year from April 2022 to March 2023 were UK nationals who have served in the armed forces, the report stated. Johnny Mercer hailed the scheme (Liam McBurney/PA) Veterans Affairs minister Johnny Mercer said: Everyone deserves a place they can call home, not least those who have served their country. Todays launch is a huge milestone in ending veteran homelessness and a clear demonstration of this government delivering on its promises. There is a lot of great work being done across the country to help veterans get the right level of support. Op Fortitude is about bringing all of this together, so any veteran has a clear pathway to get local and customised care. Social housing provider Riverside Group, which is running the helpline, said it is honoured to be the organisation chosen to deliver the Op Fortitude pathway. Lee Buss-Blair, the organisations operations director, said: Every veteran, including the most vulnerable, has the potential to make a positive contribution to their communities if given the right support. Ultimately our goal is to ensure that these veterans receive this support and can go on to fulfil their potential. This is the first initiative designed to end veteran homelessness, and while the task is a big one, we think that the levels of veteran rough sleeping are such that it is one that we believe can be achieved with collaboration across many sectors. Guidance has also been published on the Government website setting out the housing options and support available to veterans, service leavers and their families in England, including routes into both veteran-specific and civilian housing. The Government said the 8.55 million is separate to the 20 million Veteran Capital Housing Fund announced in the Spring Budget. Veterans who are homeless or at risk of homelessness can contact the helpline on 0800 952 0774 or visit riv.org.uk/opfortitude. A spokesperson said work is in progress to identify how the service can be applied to Northern Ireland. Sir Jim Ratcliffe has launched a stinging attack on the UK competition watchdog, branding it aggressive and hostile to British business. The billionaire boss of chemicals giant Ineos, who is currently in the running to buy Manchester United football club, lashed out after the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) sought to block a takeover deal by the firm. The regulator blocked Ineoss move to buy a concrete additives business from Swiss group Sika for around one billion US dollars (790 million) earlier this year. Sika scrapped the deal in March after receiving provisional negative feedback from the CMA over competition worries and ultimately sold the assets to US private equity firm Cinven. On Tuesday, the businessman, who is worth almost 30 billion according to the Sunday Times Rich List, argued that the watchdog and Government should take a much more positive approach to such deals to support the UKs manufacturing sector. Sir Jim Ratcliffe is currently attempting to buy Manchester United (Peter Byrne/PA) Mr Ratcliffe said: The CMA and UK Government are becoming increasingly hostile to business. This is yet another example of a deal being stopped that would benefit the UK and handed over to the Americans, who were absolutely delighted. Add to this, the ridiculous North Sea windfall tax and continuing high energy costs and we are seeing a Government that is driving business out of the UK. The CMA is building a reputation as an overly aggressive regulator with little regard for the impact of its decisions on UK business. Its attitude is mirrored in the lack of Government support for manufacturing; whether in reviews such as this, or in our uncompetitive approach to energy policy. The billionaire has become the latest to criticize the CMA, months after games giant Activision Blizzard labelled Britain as closed for business after the regulator stopped its proposed takeover by Microsoft. A CMA spokesman said: When we conclude a deal can go ahead subject to part of a merged business being sold, we assess, among other criteria, whether potential buyers could lead to further competition problems. It is critical when approving a potential buyer that we dont allow new competition problems to develop. We note that Ineos is one of only three major suppliers of a key product that Sika and its competitors rely on. James Cleverly has called for an international response to stem the flow of migrants to countries including the UK and Italy. The Foreign Secretary said Britain and the European Union are very focused on working to stabilise North African nations from which many people are fleeing. It came as Prime Minister Rishi Sunaks pledge to stop the boats crossing the Channel faced a series of setbacks, with a record number of crossings detected for the month of June; his Illegal Migration Bill suffering a string defeats during its passage through the House of Lords; and his plan to deport migrants to Rwanda being dealt a blow by an appeal court ruling. Mr Cleverly hailed closer UK-EU ties during a visit to Brussels, which are hoped can survive future post-Brexit disagreements on thorny issues including migration. Speaking to the Italian newspaper, La Repubblica, he also noted the very, very strong bilateral relationship between the UK and Italy which has seen long-standing goodwill turn into really serious deliverables. The two nations are working together on issues around illegal migration, for example, which has a huge impact on Italy as a Mediterranean country really very much in the front line, as well as the UK where were seeing real challenges, he said. He said we completely respect that these migration issues are an EU competency but noted that member states within the EU will have different challenges with regard to this, pointing to Italys location across the sea from North Africa. Were all experiencing the challenges of illegal migration, the evil of people smugglers, these are things that do not just affect the UK and we recognise that there needs to be an international response to this because it is an inherently international issue. Allies in Europe. In our support of Ukraine, we stand together. pic.twitter.com/gCS7daiZho James Cleverly (@JamesCleverly) July 4, 2023 He said the UK, EU and Italy are focused on trying to stabilise the countries that people are trying to escape from and bringing peace and prosperity to those countries. Its about disrupting these kind of people-smuggling routes. And its about looking at what we do with people who have illegally come to our country and how we can deal with the unprecedented numbers of people which is fair, which is humane, but its also decisive, because this is something that affects all countries, not just Italy, not just the UK, but all kind of European countries or developed economies like ours. Britain has to be proactive in our relationships with individual member states as it no longer has the convenience of holding regular meetings in the margins of EU summits since Brexit, Mr Cleverly said. Mr Sunak and far-right Italian premier Giorgia Meloni vowed to work together on tackling migration as they hailed the very strong relations between their two countries during her visit to London in April. Meanwhile, Downing Street said ministers remain fully committed to all aspects of the Illegal Migration Bill following the 11 defeats in the Lords. The Prime Ministers official spokesman said: We remain committed to stopping the boats and to do that we need to make clear that if you come here illegally you will be removed to a safe country. We have to break the cycle to deter people from making these dangerous journeys, being exploited by gangs. Thats what the Bill is designed to do, it was voted through by the Commons and we remain committed to defending it robustly. Nato secretary-general Jens Stoltenberg has been handed another year in charge of the alliance after potential successors including Defence Secretary Ben Wallace failed to gather support. Rishi Sunak praised Mr Stoltenbergs leadership of Nato after his term was extended again. The Prime Minister said the alliance has evolved to meet new threats and been steadfast in support of Ukraine under Mr Stoltenberg. Under @jensstoltenbergs leadership, NATO has evolved to meet new threats, continued to protect our people and has been steadfast in support of Ukraine. Looking forward to continuing that work together, Jens. https://t.co/xXrdpH9HFc Rishi Sunak (@RishiSunak) July 4, 2023 Mr Stoltenberg, a former Norwegian prime minister who has been Natos top civilian official since 2014, said he was honoured by the decision and in a more dangerous world, our alliance is more important than ever. His term was due to expire last year but it was extended after Russian President Vladimir Putins invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. Natos leaders will meet in Lithuania next week, where a decision on a successor was due to be made. Mr Wallace had pushed to become the first Briton to lead the alliance since 2003, but lacked the necessary support particularly from the US, the largest military power in Nato. He told The Economist its not going to happen and there are a lot of unresolved issues in Nato. At the regular Cabinet meeting on Tuesday, Mr Sunak said Mr Wallace had been an outstanding candidate for the role. The Prime Ministers official spokesman said Mr Sunak told the meeting of his top team that the Defence Secretary is widely respected among world leaders and the only person at non-leader level to be considered for the job of leading the alliance. But the spokesman said Mr Sunak believes Mr Stoltenberg has done an excellent job leading Nato and will continue to have the UKs support in the role. Defence Secretary Ben Wallace had expressed interest in the Nato role (James Manning/PA) US President Joe Biden made it clear to Mr Stoltenberg that he would welcome him sticking around longer particularly with no end in sight to the war in Ukraine and with the ongoing challenge of getting Sweden approved as a member of the alliance. The lack of a consensus around a potential successor meant an extension of Mr Stoltenbergs term had become the most likely scenario. Many Nato countries were keen to name a woman to the top post, with Danish leader Mette Frederiksen thought to be a favourite after a meeting with Mr Biden last month but she ruled herself out. The president of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen also ruled out her candidacy, while Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte was also rumoured to be in the running. It is the fourth time Mr Stoltenberg has had his mandate extended and he is the second-longest serving Nato secretary-general after Joseph Luns, who spent almost 13 years in the job from 1971. The Mayor of London lacks the legal power to order the expansion of the capitals Ultra Low Emission Zone (Ulez), a group of Conservative-led councils have argued at the High Court. The outer-London boroughs of Bexley, Bromley, Harrow and Hillingdon along with Surrey County Council also claim there was an unfair and unlawful approach to collecting views over Sadiq Khans proposals to enlarge the zone beyond the North and South Circular roads. Lawyers for the local authorities taking legal action against the mayors plans told a judge that key information was not disclosed during previous consultation. Mr Khans legal team reject the bid to quash his November 2022 decision to extend the Ulez to all of Londons boroughs, arguing the move is entirely lawful and that ample information was provided for a fair consultation. Anti-Ulez protesters outside the High Court in London (Lucy North/PA) If it goes ahead, the extended Ulez will see drivers in outer London pay a 12.50 daily fee from August 29 if their vehicles do not meet the required emissions standards. The new borders will reach Buckinghamshire, Essex, Hertfordshire, Kent and Surrey. At a hearing in London on Tuesday, Craig Howell Williams KC, for the councils, said the mayors approach is to create a master charging scheme for London. It is beyond Mr Khans powers to introduce the Ulez charge to an outer London zone about three times the size of the current inner London area by varying existing regulations, the barrister said in written arguments. He added that expected additional revenues from the expanded scheme are an expected surplus 200 million in the first year of operation. Mr Howell Williams said the mayor and Transport for Londons (TfL) approach would bypass legal safeguards which were designed to ensure that any new charging scheme is properly considered before coming into effect. Five Conservative-led councils are challenging London Mayor Sadiq Khans Ulez expansion plan (Lucy North/PA) The councils barrister said material provided when gathering views on the plans was unintelligible, gave a confused picture, and meant people had to perform a form of linguistic gymnastics or paper chase in relation to information which was central to TfLs assessment. Those consulted were not told how TfL calculated there was an estimated 91% compliance rate in outer London of vehicles meeting the Ulez standards, a figure used for a reference case or scenario where the Ulez proposals were not implemented, Mr Howell Williams said. As a result, intelligent responses were prevented, Mr Howell Williams said, such as comments on whether it was sufficiently robust to use data from only 106 automatic number plate recognition (ANPR) cameras in the outer London zone. The barrister also said the mayors plans for a 110 million scrappage scheme to provide grants supporting the scrapping of non-Ulez compliant vehicles were also unlawful because a buffer zone for non-Londoners affected by the extended charging zone was not considered. Ben Jaffey KC, representing the mayor and TfL an interested party in the case said in written arguments that the primary objective of the Ulez expansion is to improve Londons air quality, in particular reducing nitrogen oxides (NOx) and particulates. The barrister said Mr Khans decisions will help to get Londons air quality closer to legal limits, where they are exceeded, and World Health Organisation guideline levels everywhere. The mayor has used his powers to order changes to emissions zones rules in London on many occasions over the last 16 years. It would be bizarre if orders could not be amended to improve emissions standards as required, the lawyer said, adding that one might expect it to have come up before now. Mr Jaffey went on: The consultation materials were clear, detailed and provided more than ample information to enable an intelligent response and satisfy the requirements of fairness for consultations. He later added: Further, the scale of the information provided was enormous. There were hundreds of pages of detailed consultation material, including the outputs and explanation of complex modelling and detailed analysis of impacts. Mr Jaffey said the use of ANPR camera data was one of several different inputs into a complex model of compliance rates, traffic, emissions and air quality. The barrister said TfL had been clear that camera coverage was not comprehensive and that for full enforcement it would install 2,750 more cameras. TfL provided more than sufficient information to enable an intelligent response on how it had forecast the compliance rates, Mr Jaffey added. A Ulez protester outside the High Court (Lucy North/PA) The lawyer said Mr Khan had personally considered the level of funding available for the scrappage scheme and had rationally concluded it would mitigate some of the Ulez expansion impact, the court was told. Mr Jaffey said: Where there are finite public funds, if there are good reasons for giving preference to Londoners, that inevitably means not giving others the same benefit. These are discretionary public spending decisions. He added that the Greater London Authority has very limited funds over which there are many competing demands and said people and businesses within Greater London are generally less able to avoid the charge from the expanded Ulez than those outside Greater London. A group of placard-waving outer London residents opposed to the Ulez expansion protested outside the court amid Tuesdays proceedings. The hearing, before Mr Justice Swift, is due to conclude on Wednesday and the judge is expected to give his ruling at a later date. A 26-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of attempted murder following an incident in which he and a two-year-old boy were hit by a train. British Transport Police officers were called to Garrowhill station in Glasgow shortly before 7.30pm on Sunday following reports of two people on the tracks. They were taken to hospital where they both remain. Police said the childs injuries are minor and the man is in a non-life-threatening condition. The 26-year-old was arrested on suspicion of attempted murder on Monday evening and remains under police observation in hospital. Detective Chief Inspector Marc Francey said: This was a shocking but isolated incident and we are not looking for anyone else in connection. Specially trained officers are supporting the young boys family and it is thankfully now believed he will make a full recovery. Our investigation continues to establish the full circumstances of the incident and we are making a number of enquiries. I would urge anyone who may have witnessed what happened and hasnt already spoken to police to contact BTP by texting 61016 or calling 0800 40 50 40 with reference 564 of 2 July. Archeologists now hunt the burial site of this 19th-century elephant. Usually, archeologists focus on excavating prehistoric sites (mainly in the Anglo-Saxon and Roman eras). This is why looking for a burial site in the 19th century is quite unusual for them. But there's a reason why they are looking for it. They believe the fabled burial area of the 19th-century elephant named "Nancy" is in south Gloucestershire. Hunt for 19th-Century Elephant's Burial Site According to The Guardian's latest report, Nancy is a famous beast that was owned by the traveling menagerie called Bostock & Wombwell. Read Also: Humans 300x Deadlier Than Sharks! Scientists Finally Add More Specific Figures This menagerie explored the breadth and length of Britain. Nancy attracted many people because of her intelligence. The famous elephant was known for her ability to do astounding tricks that can certainly entertain viewers back in the 19th century. The hunt for Nancy's burial site is a part of the South Gloucestershire council's efforts to regenerate Kingswood and surrounding areas. Because of this, the council decided to fund the mission of the Wessex Archaeology to find the 19th-century mammal. "During the 19th century, the fascination with the natural world allowed both traveling and static menageries to flourish," said Dr. Steve Ward, a circus historian working with the team. "Seeing these creatures was seen as educational," he added. Lorrain Higbee, an animal bone specialist with Wessex Archaeology, said that excavating Nancy's remains and burial site will give them new insights into how menageries took care of their animals. She explained that the remains of menagerie animals could give them more understanding of how being an entertainer affected the lives of these beasts. Elephant Trivia Living as an entertainer is just one of the cool facts about elephants. To give you more idea about this majestic mammal, Business Insider provided other trivia about the animal: Baby elephants are born blind. To greet each other, elephants will hug the trunks of one another. Elephants are considered to be one of the smartest mammals. They can convey emotions, especially grieving when one of their members dies. Elephants' trunks can pick up tiny objects, even a single grain of rice. Elephants are one of the animals with self-awareness, as they can recognize themselves in mirrors. They may be gigantic, but they are afraid of bees. If you want to learn more fun facts about elephants, you can click this link. Related Article: 3000-Year-Old Mummy Found in Rubbish Dump in Peru! @ 2023 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. A man who killed a mother and two children by setting their flat on fire has been found guilty of their murders. Jamie Barrow torched the flat belonging to Fatoumatta Hydara, and daughters Fatimah Drammeh and Naeemah Drammeh in Clifton, Nottingham, last November by pouring petrol through their letterbox. Prosecutors told a trial at Nottingham Crown Court that Barrow, who lived in the neighbouring flat in Fairisle Close, had a grievance over rubbish being left in an alleyway and watched the fire take hold while ignoring screams coming from inside. Fatimah, three, and Naeemah, one, both died in the blaze on November 20 last year and Mrs Hydara, 28, died two days later, with all three succumbing to smoke inhalation. Barrow, 31, had already admitted manslaughter but a jury of seven men and four women unanimously convicted him of murder on Tuesday after almost seven hours of deliberations. He was also found guilty of arson being reckless as to whether life was endangered. The court heard Jamie Barrow had a grievance over rubbish left in an alleyway (Nottinghamshire Police/PA) Some members of the victims family, to whom Barrow apologised while giving evidence and who have packed the public gallery throughout proceedings, wept after the verdicts were delivered. Barrow remained silent throughout. In the trial, which started on June 12, prosecutor Simon Ash KC told jurors that Barrow had walked casually away from the fire after lighting petrol taken from his motorbike and set alight with tissue paper in the early hours of the morning. The defendant, who admitted he had drank seven or eight cans of San Miguel lager before starting the fire, would have known that his victims were home due to a pram being left outside the door and a light coming from the hallway, Mr Ash said. He added that after the fire took hold, Barrow did nothing to help those trapped inside the first-floor flat. While giving his evidence, Barrow said he cant explain why he chose to target the neighbouring flat but had formed the opinion that no one was inside as he had not seen or heard his neighbours in the days leading up to the fire. He had been suffering from a very, very low mood and was wallowing in self-pity in the days and hours before his actions, caused partially by his emotionally unstable personality disorder. He told the court he did not expect the fire to take hold as rapidly as it did and said he was driven to admit what he had done to police officers due to an immense amount of guilt, telling police: I need to tell you something about the fire next door. The jury heard that Barrow found starting fires cathartic and gave zero consideration to the consequences of his actions, rejecting his assertion that he had not intended to harm anyone when starting the fatal blaze. Thanking the jury for their service, Mrs Justice Tipples said: This has been a particularly distressing case in which three people died and in those circumstances I am going to discharge you from jury service for life. Barrow will be sentenced on Friday at the same court. A man and a woman have been charged with the murder of a two-year-old girl in Ipswich. The girl was found by police in a property in Sidegate Lane just after 11.45am on June 30. An initial Home Office post-mortem examination was conducted on Tuesday morning, and further tests are required, Suffolk Police said. Formal identification procedures have not yet taken place. Scott Jeff, 22, and Chelsea Gleason-Mitchell, 22, both of no fixed address and formerly of Bedfordshire, have been charged with murder after being arrested in Bury St Edmunds on July 1. They have been remanded in custody and are due to appear at Ipswich Magistrates Court on Wednesday. A mandatory referral has been made to the Independent Office for Police Conduct regarding previous police contact with the deceased elsewhere, the force said. Detectives are continuing to appeal for anyone with information about the incident to contact the Major Investigation Team at https://mipp.police.uk/operation/363723O42-PO1 or by calling 101 quoting crime reference 37/37749/23. Alternatively, contact the independent charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555111 or at crimestoppers-uk.org A protester has labelled Matt Hancocks claims that he barged and harassed him at a London Underground station as laughable. Geza Tarjanyi, 62, of Leyland in Lancashire, is accused of shoulder-barging the MP and shouting ridiculous conspiracy theories on January 19 and 24. He denies causing harassment without violence. It is claimed that on the first occasion, Mr Hancock and a member of his staff passed an anti-vaccination protest near Parliament, before Tarjanyi filmed him, asked him why he had killed so many people and shoulder-barged him during a five-minute interaction. Tarjanyi, appearing at Westminster Magistrates Court on Tuesday, denied those claims and told the court: I was against the wall, I couldnt go any further. I was against the wall when he walked into me. He walked into me, I cant say he barged into me, he just walked into me. I wouldnt see that as assault. He described Mr Hancocks claims as laughable. It is also alleged that at around 8am on January 24, after Mr Hancock had had breakfast with the Prime Minister, Tarjanyi followed the MP through Westminster Underground station and on to a train for around 10 minutes, accusing him of murdering people. Mr Hancock previously said he recognised the defendant and felt more intimidated because he was on his own and tried to get Transport for London (TfL) staff to intervene. Parveen Mansoor, defending, questioned Tarjanyi wearing a black polo shirt and green jacket about whether he harassed the former Im a Celebrity Get Me Out of Here! contestant. He replied: I absolutely did not. Tarjanyi later called the claims by Mr Hancock as lies. Matt Hancock claims he was harassed in January (Jonathan Brady/PA) Nutan Fatania, prosecuting, asked Tarjanyi: Do you agree that you despise Matt Hancock for what he stood for? Tarjanyi replied: Absolutely not. Tarjanyi boarded a Jubilee line train with Mr Hancock and accused him of murdering millions of people, before they were separated at Bond Street station. The defendants mobile phone footage of the second incident, played to the court, showed him calling Mr Hancock a murderous scumbag and saying lockdown amounted to harassment of the country due to his lies and deceit. Asked by the prosecution if he followed Mr Hancock, he repeatedly denied it and told the court he was interviewing him. He continued: Two times. Two times he put his arm into me. Does he do the same thing with any other journalist? When it was suggested he shouted at the MP, Tarjanyi told the court: I was at the back end of having laryngitis so I couldnt even shout. Referencing the video of the incident posted by Tarjanyi from June 24 which shows him calling Mr Hancock a son of a bitch, murderer and bastard as the pair get on the Tube train Ms Fatania claimed it was an attempt to gain exposure after harassing Matt Hancock. The defendant responded: Absolutely not. Discussing the moment a TfL member of staff asked Tarjanyi to stop while speaking to Mr Hancock, Ms Fatania said: You repeatedly tell her to shut up in a belittling and demeaning manner. The defendant replied: I was trying to talk to Matt Hancock, I was asking her to stop talking and jabbering. Ms Fatania asked: So you dont think it was demeaning? He replied: I was trying to expose Matt Hancock as a liar and a murderer. Ms Fatania said: Your behaviour was the opposite of calm and rational. He replied: I was calm the whole way through. Asked if he shouted on the Tube train, he said: I can demonstrate in this courtroom of what shouting is and you will be able to clearly see the difference between that and what I did on the train. When repeatedly questioned by senior district judge Paul Goldspring about whether he would have stopped earlier if it was a member of the public that he was questioning rather than Matt Hancock, he replied: Absolutely not. Senior district judge Goldspring also questioned the defendant about his interview with police where he said his actions were done with the intention of taking Mr Hancock to court. Tarjanyi told the court he wanted Mr Hancock in court before telling the court the former MP had perjured himself by when giving evidence. Mr Hancock, 44, was health secretary when the coronavirus pandemic struck and was a key figure in the lockdown restrictions and vaccine rollout that followed. He resigned after leaked CCTV images showed him kissing an adviser in his office, in breach of his own social-distancing guidance. He later angered colleagues and constituents by flying to the Australian jungle to appear on Im A Celebrity Get Me Out Of Here! in November last year. Having been stripped of the Conservative whip over the appearance, he said he would not contest his West Suffolk seat at the next election. The trial has been adjourned until August 2. Facebook owner Metas latest social media app Threads is the first credible threat to Twitter, according to a leading tech expert. Matt Navarra, a social media consultant and industry analyst, said Twitter users were crying out for a more satisfying platform after being left unhappy with changes following Elon Musks takeover. Threads, described as a text-based conversation app, will be linked to fellow Meta social media site Instagram and is due to go live on Thursday. Tesla and SpaceX founder Mr Musk, who bought Twitter in October, has overseen several major alterations to the user experience, most notably the monetisation of being verified. A temporary limit on the number of posts allowed to be read originally set at 600 for non-verified users was also introduced on Saturday. Mr Navarra told the PA news agency: I think that Threads is the first real, credible threat to Elon Musks Twitter. Users of Twitter are desperately looking for an exit from the platform to escape, and the existing options of rivals are fairly limited. They all have the same big problem, which is you have to start from zero its a network that is completely new. One of the biggest benefits for Meta is that its building off the back of Instagram, where people are familiar and can also kickstart their following because it ties into the same social graph. Mr Navarra said the similar style of interface set to be used by Threads, shared in the announcement via screenshots, was a strategic and intentional decision by Meta, as it aimed to create a platform with as little friction as possible. The new app is the latest chapter in the rivalry between Meta boss Mark Zuckerberg and Mr Musk. Last month the pair two of the worlds most high-profile billionaires agreed to take each other on in a cage fight in an exchange that went viral on social media. Biggest social media platforms 2023 The most popular social networks worldwide as of January 2023, ranked by number of monthly active users Telegram is now more popular than Snapchat, Pinterest, and Twitter https://t.co/GJtE9yZb60 pic.twitter.com/firBbQ7Uh2 Matt Navarra (@MattNavarra) July 4, 2023 The announcement of the new app comes after Twitter said TweetDeck, which allows users to manage multiple feeds and searches, will in 30 days only be accessible to verified users. Mr Navarra said that while the appetite for change exists among users, he warned it would be weighed up against mixed public opinions on Meta. The company was fined 1.2 billion euros (1 billion) in May over the transfer of data from European users to US servers. Meta and Instagram comes with baggage, a bad name and bad press. People are very wary and sceptical of anything [Meta owner] Mark Zuckerberg does, Mr Navarra said. He added that a retaliation from Musk to the Threads launch was very possible given his tendency to be quite petulant and petty. The SNPs deputy Westminster leader Mhairi Black has said she will step down at the next general election, citing the toxic environment at Westminster as the reason for her departure. Speaking to The News Agents podcast, the Paisley and Renfrewshire South MP said Westminster is one of the most unhealthy workplaces that you could ever be in. She was first elected in 2015, when a surge in support for the SNP saw the party win almost every seat in Scotland. At that point she was the baby of the House the youngest MP. Ms Black said Westminster has left her feeling tired (Jane Barlow/PA) She told Emily Maitlis: I wanted to be able to have a human conversation about why Ive made the decision not to stand at the next general election. I thought there is no better person to have a conversation with than yourself Im stepping down at the next general election. Asked why she made the decision, the MP was highly critical of the environment at Westminster. She said: Honestly, because Im tired is a big part of it. And the thing that makes me tired is Westminster. I think it is one of the most unhealthy workplaces that you could ever be in. Its a toxic environment. Just the entire design of the place and how it functions is just the opposite of everything that I find comfortable Its definitely a poisonous place. Whether thats because of what folk can get away with in it or the number of personal motivations and folk having ulterior motives for things, and its just not a nice place to be in. Both gutted by and entirely understanding of this. Her reasons resonate. But what a loss of a unique talent, not just to @theSNP but to politics generally. I only hope its temporary. The world needs more Mhairi Blacks in politics, not fewer. I hope we will see her in @ScotParl https://t.co/DfUHF65tdw Nicola Sturgeon (@NicolaSturgeon) July 4, 2023 The SNP MP said she trusts her parliamentary colleagues but those from other parties make it difficult for her to switch off. She added: Given the unsociable hours that Westminster works as well, it feels like youre spending a lot of your life there. In the run-up to the next election, Ive realised, that will be almost 10 years that Ill have been elected. So, a third of my life Ive spent in Westminster, which gives me the ick. In a statement released later on social media, Ms Black said she had decided some time ago not to seek re-election. She said she had reassessed her personal priorities and wanted to spend more time with her loved ones. Former SNP leader Nicola Sturgeon paid tribute to Ms Black, tweeting: Both gutted by and entirely understanding of this. Her reasons resonate. But what a loss of a unique talent, not just to the SNP but to politics generally. I only hope its temporary. SNP Westminster leader Stephen Flynn simply tweeted that Ms Black is in a class of her own. First Minister and SNP leader Humza Yousaf highlighted Ms Blacks impact on politics, saying: She has been a trailblazer a passionate supporter of independence, equality, social justice, and simply of trying to make life better for her constituents and the wider Scottish public. She has also served as a role model for young people, especially women, with an interest or a desire to get involved in politics. I know that Mhairi has been critical of the toxic, hostile environment of Westminster, which serves as an important wake-up call to those who are determined to safeguard our democracy. Craig Hoy said there are bitter feuds ongoing within the SNP (Fraser Bremner) The Scottish Conservatives said Ms Blacks decision pointed to failing leadership from Mr Yousaf and Mr Flynn. MSP Craig Hoy said: As much as the depute leader tries to blame Westminster, in typical SNP fashion, the public wont be fooled. Mhairi Black knows chaos is engulfing her party, which is why they are fighting like Nats in a sack. It speaks volumes about how bitter those feuds have become that Mhairi Black has thrown in the towel, just a few months after agreeing to become deputy leader, and decided not to fight another election despite not yet turning 30. Nigel Farage has accused a prestigious private bank of being dishonest amid a dispute over whether his bank account was closed because of his political views. The former leader of the UK Independence Party (Ukip) said his account with high-net-worth bank Coutts had been closed and he was being refused accounts with other banks due to political reasons. It followed a report in the BBC suggesting that the Brexit leader fell below the financial threshold needed to hold an account with Coutts. At no point in the last 10 years did Coutts give me a min threshold. More importantly, the offer of a Natwest personal acct only came after I went public last Thursday. No business solution was offered, and they even denied I was a PEP, which is why 9 other banks have said no. https://t.co/b9egKPEWMZ pic.twitter.com/DO9yMFKzGT Nigel Farage (@Nigel_Farage) July 4, 2023 Coutts requires its customers to borrow or invest at least 1 million or save at least 3 million with the private bank, according to an eligibility questionnaire on its website. But Mr Farage, who is now a presenter on the GB News channel, said at no point in the last 10 years did the bank give him a minimum threshold, and that he now has more money sitting on a current account than before. Furthermore, he said he was then offered a standard account with NatWest, which owns Coutts, but only after speaking publicly about the issue last Thursday. Coutts is a prestigious private bank (PA) Mr Farage said in a video posted on Twitter: They are telling the press I dont meet their wealth threshold. Well, they never mentioned that before in the previous 10 years. The worst of the story is, they denied to me on the phone on Friday I was a PEP (Politically Exposed Person). That is the reason Coutts will not have me, and Coutts are, frankly, being very, very dishonest indeed. He added that nine other banks have refused him on the basis of being treated as a PEP. This refers to someone who holds high public office in the UK or overseas, or their family members, meaning financial institutions can treat their accounts with extra due diligence. PEPs could pose more of a risk of abusing their public office position for personal gain, such as by making or accepting bribes, according to guidance by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA). The Government is looking into whether banks are closing peoples accounts over their political views, sparking disputes over whether freedom of speech is being denied by financial services firms. The Treasury said it was already looking into whether banks and regulators were being too rigorous in how they handle PEPs, and making sure that UK-based politicians were being treated as less risky individuals than those in other countries. A Treasury spokesman said: It would be a serious concern if financial services were being denied to those exercising the right to lawful free speech. We are already looking into this issue and have passed a law that requires the FCA to review how banks treat politically exposed persons so we can strike the right balance between the customers right to free speech and the banks right to manage commercial risk. It has asked the FCA to conduct a review into whether financial institutions are meeting its guidance over the treatment of PEPs, and whether that guidance needs to be updated. The official spokesman for the Prime Minister said he was concerned by some of the reports, adding: Free speech within the law and the legitimate expression of differing views is an important part of British liberty. He stressed that the Treasury is running a call for evidence to assess whether the current system is fair. Coutts owner NatWest declined to comment on Mr Farages claims. A man whose wife and two children were murdered by a heartless neighbour who had a grievance over rubbish being left in an alleyway has said words cannot quantify his pain. Aboubacarr Drammeh said Jamie Barrow had caused him and his family multigenerational trauma by killing his wife, Fatoumatta Hydara, and their daughters Fatimah and Naeemah Drammeh last November. Barrow was unanimously convicted of triple murder by a jury at Nottingham Crown Court on Tuesday after a jury heard how the 31-year-old poured petrol from his motorbike through Mrs Hydaras letterbox and set it alight after becoming angry about rubbish being left in an alleyway. Fatimah, three, and Naeemah, one, who were described by their father as two angels, died in the fire in Fairisle Close, Clifton, on November 20 last year, while Mrs Hydara, 28, died two days later. Following the verdicts, Mr Drammeh read a joint family statement on the steps of the court. He said: Words cannot quantify how much our family have suffered because of the horrific actions of one man. Neither can we quantify the emotional, psychological, physiological and financial impact of the crime Jamie Barrow committed against Fatoumatta, Fatimah and Naeemah. His actions were utterly heartless and cruel and have caused a multigenerational trauma that we will never understand. Fatoumatta was a caring daughter, wife, sister, mother and friend. If love and compassion could make a person immortal, she would have lived forever. She had a pure heart and was greatly loved for her personality and qualities. She was the most incredible mother to Fatimah and Naeemah, two angels who deserved a beautiful childhood and a full life. Fatoumatta Hydara and Fatimah and Naeemah Drammeh all died from smoke inhalation (Family Handout/PA) Nottingham and the rest of the world have been denied potential future teachers, civil servants, doctors who knows what they could have been? They lived a short but meaningful life, such was the joy and happiness they brought to us all. All three victims died as a result of smoke inhalation after the fire, which prosecutor Simon Ash KC told the trial was set due to a grievance that Barrow had over bags of rubbish being left in an alleyway next to his block of flats. Barrow had claimed in his evidence that he could not explain why he targeted his neighbours flat, which he claimed to believe was empty, but did so due to suffering from very, very low mood. He had been seen on CCTV walking around the area in the aftermath of the fire, with Mr Ash telling the court that Barrow had watched the fire take hold while ignoring the screams of those inside the burning flat. But the jury later heard how Barrow, who had drunk several cans of lager prior to starting the blaze, rang the local council to see whether he would be compensated for damage caused to his belongings by smoke. He said he was driven to confess to his actions to police hours later by immense guilt, telling them: I need to tell you something about the fire next door. Barrow had previously admitted manslaughter but was unanimously convicted of three counts of murder and a count of arson being reckless as to whether life was endangered. He will be sentenced at the same court on Friday. Mr Drammeh, who was living in America at the time of the fire and had to identify his loved ones on his 40th birthday, was surrounded by relatives as he delivered his statement following the verdicts. Family and friends also packed the public gallery in court throughout the trial, with some weeping as the verdicts were delivered. Mr Drammeh said: People repeatedly ask us how we as a family managed to stay calm and composed in the courtroom, the only true answer to this is the strength and patience given to us by Allah and our Khalifa as he always advises us to follow the law of the country and to stay steadfast. We have also received a great sense of companionship from our community the Ahmadiyya Muslim Jammat. The overwhelming support given to us by our Gambian Community here in the UK and around the world has encouraged us to keep calm and patient. We are extremely grateful and thankful to our family and friends, as well as the different communities within Nottingham that came together to give us support. Fatimah and Naeemah died during the fire and Mrs Hydara died two days later (Nottinghamshire Police/PA) This includes multiple communities all from different ethnicities and backgrounds. We also wish to thank the police investigation team, the Crown Prosecution Service, prosecution counsel and members of the jury for delivering the justice todays verdicts provide. Detective Inspector Kaz Smithson, of Nottinghamshire Police, led the investigation. She said: Jamie Barrow committed the most despicable crime anyone could ever commit. He destroyed a whole family and took away their dreams of a happy life together in America. Today, justice has been served for Fatoumatta, Fatimah and Naeemah and their family, all of whom have carried themselves with incredible dignity since the night of this truly awful crime. Barrow denied the killings were deliberate but, thankfully, my investigative team was able to provide overwhelming evidence that this tragic event was indeed murder. Jamie Barrow, 31, of Fairisle Close, Clifton (Nottinghamshire Police/PA) We saw through his lies and, thankfully, so did the jury. Barrow knew Fatoumatta and the children were inside the property when he set fire to it and that theyd have no chance of surviving. It beggars belief. In my opinion, Barrow is an extremely dangerous man and I am pleased he is no longer walking the streets. Finally, I want to thank the family for the dignity and incredible strength that they have shown during the trial and hope they can draw some comfort from todays verdicts. Proposals for the Orkney Islands to loosen ties with the United Kingdom and explore their Nordic connections are set to be debated by councillors. Council leader James Stockan has put forward a motion which says it is time for Orkney to consider alternative forms of governance which could provide more economic opportunity. It suggests this could be along the lines of crown dependencies such as Guernsey, Jersey and the Isle of Man. The motion will be debated at a meeting of Orkney Islands Council on Tuesday. Orkney was under Norwegian and Danish control until 1472 (David Cheskin/PA) However, No 10 has shut down the proposals, with the Prime Ministers official spokesman telling reporters: First and foremost, there is no mechanism for the conferral of crown dependency or overseas territory status on any part of the UK. But fundamentally, we are stronger as one United Kingdom, we have no plans to change that. The spokesman added: Weve got no plans to change the devolution settlement. Mr Stockan told the BBC that Orkney is being failed dreadfully by governments in both Edinburgh and London. His motion states that due to historical and contemporary challenges over funding, Orkney Islands Council should now explore options for alternative models of governance that provide greater fiscal security and economic opportunity. That should include looking at Nordic connections, crown dependencies and other options for greater subsidiarity and autonomy to be presented to the community for consideration. The council leaders motion does not commit the council to any of these options and the officials report notes that any constitutional change would likely require a combination of petitions, referenda and legislation at Holyrood and Westminster. Orkney was under Norwegian and Danish control until 1472 when the islands were given to Scotland as part of Margaret of Denmarks wedding dowry to King James III of Scotland. Police have arrested and charged a 23-year-old man in connection with a single vehicle road crash in Aberdeen that claimed the life of a teenager. The 19-year-old male was pronounced dead at the scene of the crash which reportedly occurred on the B9077 shortly after midnight on September 25 last year. The 23-year-old driver of the black Audi RS3 he was travelling in plus another male passenger were taken to Aberdeen Royal Infirmary with minor injuries. It is understood a full collision investigation was carried out at the time and officers appealed for information from the public in the wake of the crash. A Police Scotland spokesperson confirmed this week: A 23-year-old man has been arrested and charged following a fatal crash on the B9077 on Sunday, September 25, 2022. A report will be submitted to the Procurator Fiscal in due course. Former health secretary Sajid Javid has called for a royal commission into the NHS, describing the service as frozen in time. Ahead of the 75th anniversary of the health service on Wednesday, Mr Javid said both major political parties privately believe the NHS is unsustainable in its current form and will increasingly be unable to cope with surging levels of demand, despite record levels of funding. Downing Street rejected the call for a royal commission, insisting the reforms being implemented by the Government would improve outcomes. Writing in The Times, Mr Javid said a dispassionate and honest assessment of the NHS is required to make sure the NHS is here in another 75 years. He said: No universal healthcare system is perfect, but when you compare health outcomes in the UK with similar countries, it is clear that for decades we have fallen short across successive governments. Its a direct consequence of how the NHS is still structured. Since it was established in 1948, the world has significantly changed yet much of the institution remains frozen in time. Highlighting Britains ageing population and the lingering impact of the pandemic, Mr Javid said the supply of healthcare will continue to be outstripped by soaring demand. All of this is at a time of record funding for the NHS, he wrote. In 2000, the health budget accounted for 27 per cent of day-to-day UK public spending; next year it will hit 44 per cent, larger than the GDP of Greece. Mr Javid served as health secretary from June 2021 to July 2022 (Yui Mok/PA) The entire British state is on the verge of becoming a subsidiary of the NHS. Mr Javid also pointed to the politicisation of the NHS and its future as a key factor in the health services present struggles. Set up correctly, a royal commission can be the force to help break the current deadlock, he said, stressing it should be used to assess what structural reforms are required and how we should be learning from other countries. Mr Javid added: Now is the time for the national interest to come to the fore with a collective mandate for reform. To make sure the NHS is here in another 75 years, we need a royal commission. The veteran Conservative politician suggested some NHS hospitals were lagging behind elsewhere in Europe in terms of the way they are run. He told LBC: We are actually investing in technology but whenever the NHS looks at innovation and looks at doing things differently, it just seems too slow, the model seems to adopt it too slowly. There is still something like 600-plus fax machines being used in the NHS, there is some 80,000 pagers. More than 10% of hospitals are entirely paper-based. You wouldnt find that anywhere else in Europe. In this day and age, there are a whole set of changes that can be made that would help the workforce, I think they would welcome it to help them do their job, release some pressure and help them do what they want to do, which is look after more patients. The Prime Ministers official spokesman defended the reforms being pushed through by the Government. Theres no plans for a royal commission or things like that. Royal commissions can take time and we think, in order to cut waiting lists, we need to act now and thats what were doing, the spokesman said. Downing Street highlighted changes including the new workforce plan, the creation of integrated care systems and the use of virtual wards as a sign the Government was pushing through reforms to how the NHS operates. Its right that we dont seek to stand still and that will continue, the spokesman said. (Photo : Stefani Reynolds - Pool/Getty Images) Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg criticizes Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis' recent anti-LGBTQ ad, questioning the video's obective. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg questioned the objective of Republican 2024 presidential candidate and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis' recent anti-LGBTQ campaign ad. On Sunday, Buttigieg commented on the Republican lawmaker's video that targeted former United States President Donald Trump, claiming that the Republican businessman "did more than any other Republican to celebrate" pride month. Pete Buttigieg Criticizes Ron DeSantis' Anti-LGBTQ Ad The campaign ad began by citing Trump's 2016 Republican National Convention pledge, where the former president committed to protecting LGBTQ citizens. It then showed previous interview responses from Trump regarding the subject. The video abruptly transitions to clips of commentators that criticized DeSantis' policies for targeting those same citizens. The meme-filled video campaign ad depicts fictional serial killer Patrick Bateman from the show "American Psycho" in a positive light and also shows a bodybuilder posing on stage. Buttigieg said in an interview that DeSantis' video ad was "ventur[ing] into homophobic territory." In his statement, the transportation secretary was careful about his words, saying that it was because he was appearing as secretary. Buttigieg, the first openly gay Cabinet member, expressed his skepticism that the Florida governor's ad had any real value, as per Rolling Stone. Buttigieg said he would leave the "strangeness" of the video campaign aside, where DeSantis was trying to prove his manhood by splicing images of him between oiled-up, shirtless bodybuilders. After watching the video, he added that the bigger issue he was thinking about was who the Florida governor was trying to help. The transportation secretary questioned who DeSantis is trying to make better off and what public policy problems he thinks about solving every morning when he gets up. The situation comes as the Florida governor has sought to expand the "Don't Say Gay" law prohibiting kindergarten through third-grade educators from discussing sexual orientation or gender identity. DeSantis has claimed that the legislation was designed to prevent the supposed "indoctrination" of students and has led to school districts scrambling to figure out which seemingly innocuous actions were now illegal. It has also made teachers afraid for their job security and students' safety. Read Also: Moms for Liberty Becomes Game Changer for GOP Anti-LGBTQ Policies Buttigieg also said that he could not understand the mentality of someone who would get up in the morning would think that he could prove his worth by proving who can make life hardest for an already hard-hit community, which he claims is also so vulnerable in the United States, according to Yahoo News. The recent video campaign ad released by the "DeSantis War Room" Twitter account caused anger to some within the Republican Party as well. This includes Log Cabin Republicans, which are those who represent LGBT conservatives. In a Twitter post on Friday, the Log Cabin Republicans said that conservatives understand that they need to protect the county's children, preserve women's sports, safeguard women's spaces, and strengthen parental rights. However, it noted that DeSantis' extreme rhetoric was going too far. The campaign's rapid response director, Christina Pushaw, defended the video ad as a mere critique of the federal recognition of Pride Month and the "poison" that is "identity politics," said The Daily Beast. Related Article: Trump Supporters Boo Lindsey Graham During South Carolina Rally, Call Him 'Traitor' @ 2023 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. The co-leaders of the Scottish Greens have rejected an invitation to a service of thanksgiving for the King in Edinburgh this week, with one of them due to speak at an anti-monarchy rally instead. Patrick Harvie and Lorna Slater Scottish Government ministers who are two of the most outspoken republican MSPs in Holyrood announced their intentions on Tuesday. The special service to mark the Kings coronation will take place at St Giles Cathedral on the Royal Mile on Wednesday, where Charles will be presented with the Honours of Scotland the countrys crown jewels. Mr Harvie will instead speak at a rally outside Holyrood organised by the anti-monarchy group Our Republic. Charles will receive Scotlands crown jewels this week at a ceremony in Edinburgh (Andrew Milligan/PA) Alex Salmond, a former first minister of Scotland, also declined an invitation to attend the thanksgiving service. Ms Slater said: In 21st century Scotland, the monarchy is nothing to celebrate. It is an out-of-date and undemocratic institution. How can we justify a system that allows one family to enjoy so much unearned wealth and privilege at a time when millions of people have so little? Scotland can be a modern and democratic republic with an elected and accountable head of state. I want every child in Scotland to know they live in a genuine democracy and that they can achieve the highest office, regardless of which family they come from. Mr Harvie added: There are many people in Scotland who regard the monarchy as a tiresome spectacle and a symbol of values we dont hold. I will be proud to speak at the Our Republic rally and to stand with others who want to build a more democratic society where power and wealth belongs to the people rather than being passed down as an inheritance. That is just one reason why I support Scottish independence. It will give us the opportunity to ask the big questions about how we are ruled and to build a fairer and more equal society. Scottish Conservative constitution spokesman Donald Cameron said the Greens decision is akin to student politics, and Mr Harvies choice to speak at the rally instead is predictably infantile. Mr Cameron added: If he wants to ask big questions, he should start with how he conducts himself as a Government minister. The Greens may have failed to deliver a deposit return scheme, but they can definitely recycle tedious anti-monarchy rants. As on so many issues, the extremist Greens are out of touch with the majority of Scots, who see the coronation and the Kings commitment to Scotland as something to celebrate. Mr Salmond, leader of the Alba Party, said he believes Charles will be the last King of Scots, and he described the ceremony as entirely wrong headed. Former first minister Alex Salmond has also turned down an invite to the thanksgiving service (PA) He said: It will end up satisfying no-one and it has sketchy historical legitimacy. A real Scottish monarchist should have advised Charles III to have a full blown coronation in Scone, as his namesake Charles II did in 1651. It is no small thing to be crowned King of Scots and it should be treated as such, not palmed off in some artificial and second rate ceremony. Charles could have been the first Scottish King crowned using the Stone of Destiny since the 13th century and that historical authenticity would have counted for a great deal and more than compensated for a minimum of flummery and expenditure. Of course Scots Kings were expected to take an oath of allegiance to the people, not vice versa. I fear Charles is being poorly advised by a group of courtiers who have a great love of pomp and no understanding of circumstance. The Princess of Wales took shelter under an umbrella as showers saw play suspended at Wimbledon on Tuesday, but tennis-goers can expect better weather later this week. Kate watched Britains Katie Boulter face off against Australian Daria Saville on court 18 before showers halted play shortly after midday. The Met Office said 20-30mm of rain could fall over a two-to-six-hour period on Tuesday as a heavy band of rain was due to pass over the championships at around 5pm. There's nothing quite like the first week of Wimbledon. Fantastic to join the crowds watching @katiecboulter on Court 18 and @andy_murray on Centre Court pic.twitter.com/kA6NGWFUyG The Prince and Princess of Wales (@KensingtonRoyal) July 4, 2023 Home fans were set to cheer on a host of British players but play has been suspended on all courts bar Centre Court and Court One for most of the afternoon. Spectators nonetheless braved the deluge. Grandparents Robin Rickman, 81, and Alexandra Rickman, 76, told the PA news agency that they have been waiting all afternoon to watch their granddaughter, a ball girl, on court, but believe they will head home disappointed. The proud couple, from Haslemere, said the teenager had given them grounds passes for the one day as a joint birthday present. A spectator shelters from the rain (Zac Goodwin/PA) The grandfather said: We got here just in time for the rain. We had a lovely lunch and we keep hoping it will stop. But I think we will head for home disappointed. The grandmother added that they were undaunted by the weather. We are just very British and trying to stick it out, she said. Andy Murray in action against Ryan Peniston (Zac Goodwin/PA) Sadly I think we will have to call it a day. Ellie Wilson, a meteorologist at the Met Office, said Wimbledon attendees should pack a raincoat and umbrella. She added: Be prepared for wet weather that may cause disruption to some matches, particularly some outdoor matches late this afternoon into this evening. However, those attending Wimbledon later this week can expect better weather. On Wednesday therell be some early sunshine through the morning, and some scattered out through the day, and there could be some scattered showers through the afternoon, Ms Wilson said. The Princess of Wales was applauded as she took her place in the royal box (Adam Davy/PA) At the moment, it is meant to be quite light and quite scattered, so there could just be one or two showers around. It should be a much drier day than today (Tuesday) with a bit more in the way of sunshine, and feeling a lot warmer as well, with highs around 22C. She added: On Thursday, generally, a dry day again, I wouldnt rule out the odd chance of a shower, but I think there will be less showers around than Wednesday. There should be some sunny spells around and temperatures in the low 20s. Friday is looking pretty similar, perhaps a bit more in the way of sunshine, generally quite dry, feeling quite a lot warmer as well. We could see temperatures reaching into the high 20s, perhaps even reaching 30C. Thames Water has been handed a 3.3 million fine for a reckless incident in which millions of litres of undiluted sewage was pumped into rivers near Gatwick Airport in 2017. A two-day sentencing hearing at Lewes Crown Court was told there was a significant and lengthy period of polluting the Gatwick Stream and River Mole between Crawley in West Sussex and Horley in Surrey on October 11 2017. Judge Christine Laing KC said on Tuesday that she believed Thames Water had shown a deliberate attempt to mislead the Environment Agency over the incident, such as by omitting water readings and submitting a report to the regulator denying responsibility. Thames Water had pleaded guilty on February 28 to four charges relating to illegally discharging waste in October 2017, but had denied seeking to mislead the Environment Agency in the events, instead arguing that significant errors were made. The court heard that a storm pump unexpectedly activated and was filling up the storm tank, despite no substantial rainfall, for 21 hours, which went unnoticed. On October 11 2017, the pump then began spilling the sewage into the river for an estimated six hours. The court heard that no specific alarms to alert staff to the overspill, or how long the undiluted sewage was entering the tank, were in place. When an alarm was heard, the lead technician was uncontactable as they were awaiting a new mobile phone. Judge Laing KC said she found it utterly extraordinary that environmental disasters can occur because of issues such as this. Addressing the UKs largest water company, Judge Laing KC spoke of how extremely serious the number of previous convictions they had was, adding: They should have put in every effort into tidying up the problem areas. The judge also criticised Thames Water for the 2017 incident taking place just months after the firm was fined a then-record 20 million in March 2017 for a series of pollution incidents on the River Thames. The penalty comes as the utility giant, which serves 15 million households across London and Thames Valley, faces concerns over its future amid mounting debt. Thames Waters chief executive, Sarah Bentley, stepped down with immediate effect last week after she gave up her bonus due to the companys environmental performance. The current record fine against a water company for illegal discharge of sewage is held by Southern Water at 90 million for nearly 7,000 incidents across Hampshire, Kent and Sussex in a case brought by the Environment Agency in 2021. Alongside the 3.34m fine, Thames Water has been ordered to pay Environment Agency costs of nearly 129,000. This latest prosecution means Thames Water has paid 35.7 million for pollution incidents between 2017 and 2023. Speaking after the sentencing, Jamie Lloyd, who led the Environment Agency investigation, said Thames Water missed several opportunities to prevent the pollution from happening and did not provide vital information when requested by the regulator. More than 1,000 fish died after the pollution spillage (Environment Agency/PA) The senior environment officer said: We brought this case due to the major environmental impact caused, and because it was entirely avoidable. Thames Water failed to have adequate systems in place to manage the pollution risk from their site and didnt respond to alarms. After the sentencing, a statement from Thames Waters interim co-chief executive, Cathryn Ross, said the company was deeply sorry for the unacceptable pollution. Ms Ross said: I would also like to express my sincere apologies for those aspects of our response to the incident six years ago that led to the finding that we misled the regulator. We fully accept that we made significant errors and exercised poor judgment at the time, and we are genuinely sorry for that. The water company boss also highlighted the 33 million plan to improve the works at Crawley Sewage Treatment Works, and is introducing upgrades at other sites. A voluntary payment of 1 million was also given to local organisations to try to make up for the harm caused by funding projects such as fish passage and habitat works. Ms Ross added: We have undertaken a full evaluation of this unacceptable incident and have learned the lessons. Universities will adapt teaching and assessment for students to incorporate ethical use of generative artificial intelligence, leading institutions have said. The Russell Group, which includes many of the most selective universities in the UK, has published a set of principles to help universities capitalise on the opportunities that artificial intelligence (AI) offers to education. The statement, backed by the vice chancellors of the 24 Russell Group universities, hopes to support the ethical and responsible use of software like ChatGPT while ensuring that academic integrity is upheld. ChatGPT is a form of generative AI that can respond to questions in a human-like manner and understand the context of follow-up queries, much like in human conversations, as well as being able to compose essays if asked sparking fears it could be used by students to complete assignments. But the Russell Group statement suggests that incorporating generative AI tools into teaching and assessments has the potential to enhance the student learning experience, improve critical-reasoning skills and prepare students for the real-world applications of generative AI technologies. It said: All staff who support student learning should be empowered to design teaching sessions, materials and assessments that incorporate the creative use of generative AI tools where appropriate. Education Secretary Gillian Keegan previously called for evidence on the benefits and concerns around AI use in education (Jonathan Brady/PA) The principles have been published after Education Secretary Gillian Keegan launched a call for evidence last month on how generative AI could be used in a safe and secure way in education settings. It came after the UKs major exam boards suggested in March that schools should make pupils do some of their coursework in class under direct supervision amid cheating fears in the context of AI use. All of the Russell Group universities have reviewed their academic conduct policies to reflect the emergence of generative AI and these policies make it clear to students when its use is inappropriate, according to the statement. Ensuring academic integrity and the ethical use of generative AI can also be achieved by cultivating an environment where students can ask questions about specific cases of their use and discuss the associated challenges openly and without fear of penalisation, it said. Professor Andrew Brass, head of the School of Health Sciences at the University of Manchester, said: We know that students are already utilising this technology, so the question for us as educators is how do you best prepare them for this, and what are the skills they need to have to know how to engage with generative AI sensibly? From our perspective, its clear that this cant be imposed from the top down, but by working really closely with our students to co-create the guidance we provide. If there are restrictions for example, its crucial that its clearly explained to students why they are in place, or we will find that people find a way around it. He added: Assessment will also need to evolve as it has always done in response to new technology and workforce skills needs to assess problem-solving and critical-reasoning skills over knowledge recall. Professor Michael Grove, deputy pro-vice chancellor (Education Policy & Standards) at the University of Birmingham, said: Generative AI offers potential beyond a role as an intelligent information retrieval tool, and could be used to support the development of stylistic writing skills or to make learning materials more accessible and inclusive for students from different cultural or linguistic backgrounds. The rapid rise of generative AI will mean we need to continually review and re-evaluate our assessment practices, but we should view this as an opportunity rather than a threat. Dr Tim Bradshaw, chief executive of the Russell Group, said: AI breakthroughs are already changing the way we work and its crucial students get the new skills they need to build a fulfilling career. The transformative opportunity provided by AI is huge and our universities are determined to grasp it. This statement of principles underlines our commitment to doing so in a way that benefits students and staff and protects the integrity of the high-quality education Russell Group universities provide. The organisers behind a towering bonfire in Co Antrim are helping fundraising efforts for a sick girl. The bonfire in Craigyhill, Larne, reached more than 200ft high last year, which was hailed by organisers as an unofficial world record. This year they said an attempt to have the record officiated by Guinness World Records was abandoned and the fundraising efforts were redirected to a local toddler who is undergoing cancer treatment. The banner on the Craigyhill bonfire (Liam McBurney/PA) The Just Giving campaign for Pia Grace, posted by the Craigyhill Bonfire Committee, has raised more than 5,000 so far. A banner on the giant bonfire reads All donations to this bonfire will go to little Pia-Grace & her family, above a link to the donation site. The bonfire is nearing completion before being ignited on the eve of traditional July 12 celebrations. Hundreds of bonfires are constructed in loyalist neighbourhoods across Northern Ireland every year. Most pass off without incident, but several continue to be the source of controversy. The bonfire towers over surrounding homes (Liam McBurney/PA) In previous years there have been complaints from nationalist and cross-community politicians about their images being placed on the fires. The Eleventh Night is the busiest date for the Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service which usually deals with hundreds of calls related to the towering pyres. The size and proximity to houses of the Craigyhill bonfire meant nearby properties last year had their windows boarded up and were hosed down to protect against the heat. Last year a man died after falling from a separate bonfire in Larne, in the Antiville estate. Another bonfire in Moygashel, Co Tyrone, has garnered attention online for being topped with a white boat. The Moygashel bonfire (Liam McBurney/PA) The bonfire also features a banner reading Moygashel says No to Irish sea border, referring to the unionist and loyalist communities opposition to post-Brexit trading arrangements. The fires are traditionally ignited on the eve of the Twelfth of July a day when members of Protestant loyal orders parade to commemorate the Battle of the Boyne in 1690. The battle at the Boyne river, north of Dublin, saw King William of Orange defeat Catholic King James II to secure a Protestant line of succession to the British crown. A fabulously wealthy Swedish businesswomans estranged husband has been given a 12-week suspended jail sentence as a result of breaching orders made during a court fight over money. Louise Backstrom, who is in her 30s, and Martin Wennberg have been embroiled in a private family court dispute in London. Mr Justice Peel, who described Ms Backstrom as fabulously wealthy, concluded in March that Mr Wennberg was in contempt of court. The judge said he was guilty of 10 separate breaches of orders made during the litigation and handed down a sentence on Tuesday. Louise Backstrom and Martin Wennberg have been involved involved in a court fight over money in London (PA/Aaron Chown) He also ordered Mr Wennberg to pick up legal bills estimated by lawyers to be in the region of 200,000 run up by Ms Backstrom. Mr Wennberg was not at the hearing and was not represented by lawyers. He had written to the judge asking for an adjournment. Ms Backstrom was at the hearing. Mr Justice Peel said Mr Wennberg had breached orders relating to the provision of financial information and orders aimed at keeping information confidential. He described Mr Wennbergs conduct during the litigation as unacceptable and said a fine would not be a satisfactory penalty. A barrister representing Ms Backstrom had told the judge at an earlier hearing that Mr Wennbergs lack of compliance with court orders was egregious. Not only has the husband failed to provide the documentation as directed but he has not provided any explanation as to why, Michael Glaser KC said. The breaches are clear and obvious. Another judge had made decisions about the division of money earlier this summer. Deputy High Court judge Leslie Samuels had concluded that Ms Backstrom was worth about 250 million and ruled that she should hand her estranged husband more than 6.5 million, following the breakdown of their six-year marriage. He was told that Ms Backstrom and Mr Wennberg were Swedish but lived in England and heard that she was involved in a family business started and controlled by her grandfather. Mr Wennberg had wanted a financial package worth more than 40 million but Judge Samuels ruled against him. Judge Samuels heard how Ms Backstrom had made a 6.5 million housing fund offer in accordance with the terms of a pre-marital agreement and concluded that the agreement should carry full weight. He said Ms Backstrom should also hand over about 60,000 a year over the next six years to meet Mr Wennbergs income needs. As Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis campaigns for the White House, government accountability watchdogs are pointing to the long shadow of secrecy cast by his administration. In the four years since DeSantis took office, his administration has routinely stonewalled the release of public records, approved a slew of new legal exceptions aimed at keeping more information out of the public eye, and waged legal battles against open government advocates, the press and other watchdogs. DeSantis, a Harvard-educated lawyer and former U.S. attorney, is the only Florida governor known to use executive privilege to keep records hidden, transparency advocates and experts said. His travel records, previously under scrutiny by the media, are now secret, thanks to a new legal exemption one of a record number created in 2023 by the Republican-led Legislature and approved by the governor. DeSantis also has fought to conceal information about some of the most significant events during his tenure, including withholding Covid infection data and blocking release of records about the controversial relocation of dozens of migrants to Marthas Vineyard, legal filings show. Its difficult to compare DeSantis to past Florida governors on transparency issues in part because his administration has withheld some key information sought by NBC News and other media organizations that would show how often it denies requests for records and how long it takes to disclose them. Still, DeSantis transparency track record has alarmed open government advocates, particularly since he could carry the same ethos into the White House, if hes victorious in 2024. Ive never seen anything like it, Michael Barfield, director of public access for the Florida Center for Government Accountability, a nonprofit open government watchdog. Its stunning, the amount of material that has been taken off the table from a state that many have considered to be the most transparent. Weve quickly become one of the least transparent in the space of four years. Barfield called the DeSantis administration the least transparent of all that Ive witnessed in the nearly 35 years Ive been doing transparency work in Florida. DeSantis, a fierce media critic who typically avoids mainstream reporters, declined NBC News requests for an interview to discuss his record on transparency issues for this story and did not respond to written questions. Adam Marshall, a lawyer for the national nonprofit Reporters Committee for the Freedom of the Press, said transparency in Florida had fallen before DeSantis, but that decrease is now accelerating. He added that transparency at the federal level is already bad and likely would not improve under a DeSantis presidency. Could it get much worse? Yes, he said. Testing the law Florida has long had a reputation for government transparency, boasting some of the nations broadest public records and open meetings laws. In 1992, Floridians overwhelmingly approved an amendment to enshrine citizens access to public records and open meetings as rights in the states constitution the first state to do so. Such rights include access to records held by the states governor. Only Floridas Legislature is constitutionally authorized to make exceptions to the states Public Records Act, as long as it can justify each exemption as a public necessity and make it no broader than necessary. Since taking office in 2019, DeSantis has repeatedly tested the letter and spirit of Floridas sunshine laws and constitutional guarantees, sometimes bypassing the Legislature in novel ways, experts say. In legal filings, lawyers for the governor have contended DeSantis can exercise executive privilege to withhold records at his discretion, although such an exemption isnt cited in the states laws or its constitution. In a January ruling on one of those lawsuits a case involving an anonymous requester who sought the names of DeSantis advisers for deciding his picks for the state supreme court a Leon County judge agreed he could invoke the authority. The ruling a first in DeSantis favor on the issue isnt binding to other courts, but some open government activists and media groups fear it will embolden DeSantis use of executive authority. Catherine Cameron, a media law professor for Stetson University College of Law who has researched the issue, said DeSantis is among a handful of governors to use executive privilege to withhold public records and appears to be the only Florida governor in history to do so. I could find no instance of any Florida governor ever claiming executive privilege before DeSantis did, Cameron told NBC News. The issue had never landed before a Florida court, as other governors probably didnt want to rock the boat, she added. 'The biggest threat to free speech' In February, DeSantis livestreamed a panel discussion calling for reforms to defamation law. Afterward, GOP lawmakers introduced legislation to make it easier for elected officials and other public figures to sue the media for defamation over critical news stories and commentary. Among other changes, the measures aimed to strip reporters legal privileges to keep anonymous sources confidential and lower the actual malice standard required for public officials to prove defamation. That standard, set by a landmark 1964 U.S. Supreme Court ruling, requires public figures to prove that journalists knowingly published false information or did so in reckless disregard of whether it was false or not. The First Amendment Foundation, a Tallahassee-based open government advocacy group, viewed DeSantis attempt to reframe defamation law as the biggest threat to free speech and a free press during the states legislative session, said Bobby Block, the groups executive director. The bills failed to advance out of committee. But other legislative efforts to chip away at public access proved successful. By the foundations count, Floridas Legislature created 23 public records exemptions this session and reinstated nine others that were about to sunset. Its been nearly a decade since lawmakers came anywhere near that when they introduced 22 public records exemptions in 2014, Block said. One of them bars disclosure of the governors travel records and the visitor logs for his mansion. At a public appearance in May, DeSantis said the bill was not necessarily something that I came up with, adding it was motivated by a security concern. Freshman state Rep. Jeff Holcomb, a Republican who introduced the legislation, told NBC News that the project was given to me by leadership to address security glitches. I would run this bill for a Democratic governor, said Holcomb, who called characterizations that the exemption keeps the public in the dark about vital information garbage. Block said lawmakers could have narrowly tailored a measure to redact specific details about security personnel and strategies. But instead, they approved a wholesale exemption that now keeps secret details such as where the governor went, who he met with, the reason for his trip and how much it cost. Disclosure of such information in the past has helped identify taxpayer-funded travel abuses by at least two governors and other state officials, he said. Whats more, the exemption was applied retroactively, keeping hidden details of DeSantis past trips where security concerns are no longer an issue, Block said. Battling for secrecy DeSantis office has denied that any records exist in response to some public records requests including one related to Hurricane Ian, a mass-casualty natural disaster. Late last year, the Executive Office of the Governor denied a public records request from NBC News for any communications texts, emails, voice messages or other exchanges sent or received by DeSantis in the days just before and after the hurricane made landfall, becoming one of the deadliest tropical storms in modern history. The office closed the request after less than a business day, saying a search produced no documents responsive to the request. DeSantis made national headlines in September, when his administration flew nearly 50 mostly Venezuelan migrants from Texas to Marthas Vineyard, Massachusetts, and left them there in protest of President Joe Bidens immigration policies. After the Florida Center for Government Accountability filed requests seeking communications and other records about the controversial flights, DeSantis office responded 2 weeks later by releasing documents unrelated to what the group had asked for, court records show. Only after the watchdog group sued did DeSantis office start releasing some responsive records, though portions of those were blacked out. On Oct. 25, a trial court judge ruled DeSantis office had violated the Public Records Act by improperly redacting some records and failing to turn over others within a reasonable time frame. The judge ordered DeSantis office to pay the groups legal fees and costs, and to turn over any remaining records within 20 days. But DeSantis office failed to release all the records by the courts deadline, according to the judges order. Since then, the office has disclosed some records, including those showing a top administration official sent emails via a private Gmail account while seeking to help a former legal client win a contract to oversee the migrant relocation program. DeSantis office is now appealing the judges ruling that it violated the states record law by failing to disclose records in a reasonable time frame. Its outrageous. Theyre using private electronic devices and accounts to conduct official business, Barfield said. And when theyre challenged, they fight tooth and nail. Likewise, Floridas state health department under DeSantis continues to fight a two-year-old lawsuit contending it violated the states records act by failing to make Covid-19 data available during the height of the pandemic. DeSantis administration, which has touted lifting pandemic restrictions in Florida before most other states, became a national outlier when it stopped publicly posting daily, detailed Covid-19 data in June 2021, just as infections surged amid the delta variant. Carlos Guillermo Smith, then a Democratic state representative from Orlando, later sued, contending the information was vital to the ability of citizens to understand the risks and make informed decisions about their lives. The case remains pending amid state appeals. When they violate the Public Records Act, we need to hold them to account, Guillermo Smith said. The CEO of the largest independent bookstore in Texas oversees a four-story, 40,000-square-foot space in Austin and the 100 employees who staff it. BookPeople CEO Charley Rejsek said she has time to read about 30 books a year but doesnt have the time to read and rate the thousands of books she might sell to a school, nor does she have the money to pay someone else to. But a new Texas law might require her to. Book vendors selling to Texas public schools, ranging from national sellers like Amazon to local bookstores with eight employees, must now rate all the books they sell based on sexual content, according to new legislation signed into law on June 12. If the book vendor fails to comply with state library standards that will be in place by January 1, 2024, theyd be barred from selling to Texas public schools. Were losing all school business forever. Thats how its going to hurt us, Rejsek said. The laws primary author, Republican Texas State Rep. Jared Patterson, said its aim is simple: Get sexually explicit content out of schools. Republican Texas State Rep. Jared Patterson debates HB 900, which would ban sexually explicit materials from library books in schools. - Mikala Compton/Austin American-Statesman/AP But the burden of rating these books falls on book vendors. Vendors told CNN this makes complying impossible. Weve never rated books ever, Rejsek said. We have no training. Patterson said he disagrees: Ultimately, its the vendors job to rate the books appropriately, he said. I dont care if youre a small business or a big business; If youre selling something thats going to be in the hands of children, you should know whether or not its safe for that child to consume, Patterson said. The book vendor is the one with the financial relationship with the school district and, so theyre the ones that can most easily be held accountable for this. What is the READER Act? Under the Restricting Explicit and Adult-Designated Educational Resources Act, or the READER Act, vendors that sell books to Texas public schools must assign every title that describes or portrays sexual conduct one of two labels: sexually explicit or sexually relevant. The law defines sexually explicit books as those containing sexual content that is patently offensive, explained in state law as anything that affronts current community standards of decency. These books will be banned from school campuses. The law says that sexually relevant books depict sexual conduct but not necessarily in a way that is patently offensive. Students will need a parents written consent to check one out. Shirley Robinson is the executive director of the Texas Library Association, with more than 5,000 members across the state. She called the definitions very vague. What might be sexually relevant to one vendor could be sexually explicit to another, and yet another vendor may not feel like the book needs to be rated in either of those categories, Robinson said. Using the word vendor is where this whole bill went wrong, said Ben Conn, President of the Educational Book and Media Association. The following could all be considered vendors under the READER Act, according to Conn, as they all sell books: Amazon, Barnes & Noble, a publisher like Penguin Random House, a wholesaler like Conns Classroom Library Company and an independent bookstore like BookPeople. Theyve encapsulated the whole entire industry, Conn said. That would be like to say Paramounts going to come out with a movie and every individual movie theater could then go ahead and rate the movie differently. It just makes no sense whatsoever. The 31 book wholesalers that Conn advises as president have brought in over $200 million in educational book sales to Texas over the past three years. Conn called the law groundbreaking in that the book industry wasnt considered at all. Patterson, the laws primary author, told CNN he views the issue as a matter of responsibility. If you cant determine if what youre selling is going to be harmful to children or not, then maybe you shouldnt be selling into Texas school districts, he said. But the question many vendors are grappling with is not if sexually explicit content should be in schools, but how to go about getting rid of it. This law, they say, is not the answer. In a letter written to members of the Texas Senate Committee on Education in May, Conn agreed that inappropriate content has no place in childrens hands. But he recommended the bill be amended to establish one rating entity, which would prevent conflicting ratings and take the liability off of vendors shoulders. The idea didnt gain traction. Patterson said he believes capitalism is the path forward here and that financially, vendors have an incentive to figure this out. Robinson said she worries the unwanted responsibility could be a disincentive. This bill is going to put a tremendous burden on those vendors, Robinson said. Some may make the decision to no longer sell to Texas schools, which is not good for business. Our margins are already so thin Texas is home to nearly 9,000 public schools and roughly 300 independent bookstores. Valerie Koehler, owner of Blue Willow Bookshop in Houston, estimates that about 25% of her business comes from partnering with 18 to 20 local schools. The book club table at Blue Willow Bookshop in Houston, Texas. - Courtesy Mary Cate Stevenson and Noah Nofz Koehler said she doesnt read all the books that her store carries, especially because some purchase orders include books that shes never had in the bookstore before. Its very vague at best as to what were supposed to be doing, Koehler said. Certainly, we cant read everything. Koehler worries that the law may take time away from her and her employees interacting with customers, whether that be a local teacher looking for a new addition to a classroom library or a 10-year-old kid whos excited about the next book in a series. To see them get excited about books, thats why were doing this, Koehler said. Not to rate books. The children's section at Blue Willow Bookshop in Houston, Texas. - Courtesy Mary Cate Stevenson and Noah Nofz Richard Bailey, the school liaison for Interabang Books in Dallas, arranges author visits, book drives and book fairs for Dallas County schools. He wrote a letter to Gov. Greg Abbott in May in protest of the READER Act, also known as HB 900. Bailey expressed concern that contested books could be removed from libraries and classrooms for an undetermined period of time while a review is underway. It is ridiculous to think that there is a cabal within the community of booksellers and educators who are hoping, who work under cover of darkness, to present sexually explicit material to young people, Bailey said. That is absolutely wrong. The exterior of Interabang Books in Dallas, Texas. - Courtesy Lewis Parry Interabang Books and Nowhere Bookshop in San Antonio both offer educator discounts to help support their community. At Nowhere Bookshop, educator discounts start at 20% but can go up to 40% if schools buy multiple copies of a book. Our margins are already so thin on these deals, Elizabeth Jordan, manager of Nowhere Bookshop, said. If we add another layer of labor or another layer of some sort of vendor that has to do this reviewing for us, then it does not make financial sense for us to continue. Model legislation for the rest of the country Patterson told CNN this law is model legislation for the rest of the country. Jordan said it has the potential to harm childrens education. I am tired of people saying parent choice and not giving me a choice as a parent. You cant choose for all the students, Jordan, who is also a mother of two children in Texas public schools, said. I am mostly concerned that my kids are not going to have the best, most diverse libraries available to them because of a very vocal minority of parents. It is unclear in the law whether books containing innuendo or suggestive dialogue might fall under sexually relevant, in which case even a high school student would need a parents written permission to check them out. Nor is it clear whether a book contested by a parent for an inaccurate rating will be removed from school libraries while the Texas Education Agency reviews its contents. The law also applies retroactively to books sold to schools in the past, meaning that vendors must issue recalls for sexually explicit books still in circulation. But booksellers often lack the knowledge of what books are still in circulation at schools and what customers use their books for. For example, a vendor doesnt know whether a customer buys a book for themselves or, if theyre an educator, for their classroom libraries. Jordan said she cant imagine having to ask. The fact that no book vendor really understands the ramifications or our liability when this thing goes into effect theres just going to be fewer books in schools, Jordan said, which is not good for anyone. For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com Thousands of passengers were stranded at airports around the country in the last few weeks as airlines, particularly United, dealt with the fallout from staffing shortfalls among air traffic controllers and summer storms in the Northeast. Confusingly for many passengers, the severe delays and cancellations didn't necessarily entitle them to compensation from the airlines, because weather and air traffic control delays are seen by the Department of Transportation as largely out of carriers' control. That doesn't mean airlines can't voluntarily give passengers compensation in those cases, but it's essentially at the airlines' discretion. What are you entitled to if your flight is delayed? U.S. airlines are required by the DOT to give passengers refunds if their flights are outright canceled, but the rules around delays are a little murkier. There's no official requirement for passengers to receive a refund or reimbursement as a result of a flight delay, though the DOT's delay and cancellation dashboard can help travelers better understand what they're entitled to. Summer travel headaches: What airlines owe you when flights are canceled, delayed "DOT has not specifically defined 'significant delay,' " the site says. "Whether you are entitled to a refund depends on a lot of factors such as the length of the delay, the length of the flight, and your particular circumstances." The rules are different and more traveler-friendly in Europe, where laws require airlines to compensate passengers at least 250 euros for delays of three hours or more, and up to 600 euros for longer delays on long-distance flights. Domestic flights in the U.S. have few protections if something goes wrong. For the most part, it's up to individual airlines to decide how to compensate their passengers after a delay. Traveling to Europe?: Pack clean underwear in your carry-on U.S. airlines are required by the Department of Transportation to give passengers refunds if their flights are outright canceled, but the rules around delays are a little murkier. Theres no specific policy on compensations," said Shaiy Howard, president and CEO of Travel by Shaiy, a travel agency based in South Florida. "Just keep in mind that all airlines vary. When you purchase your airline ticket, in the terms and conditions, there can be delays and normally, they say youre not entitled to compensation for certain delays like weather. Here's what each of the major carriers said they do in the event of a significant delay: American Airlines flight delay compensation policy Passengers can receive a refund for unused portions of their ticket if they decide not to travel as a result of a delay. Customers may also receive compensation or reimbursement for delay-related hotel stays and ground transportation, depending on the cause of the delay, according to the airline's customer service plan. Delta Air Lines flight delay compensation policy According to the DOT, Delta commits to rebooking passengers on other Delta flights or partner airlines and will provide meal vouchers for passengers affected by delays over three hours for certain causes, as well as hotel accommodation and ground transportation for passengers affected by overnight delays for certain causes. United Airlines flight delay compensation policy According to the DOT, United commits to rebooking passengers on other United flights or partner airlines and will provide meal vouchers for passengers affected by delays over three hours for certain causes, as well as hotel accommodation and ground transportation for passengers affected by overnight delays for certain causes. Southwest Airlines flight delay compensation policy According to the DOT, Southwest commits to rebooking passengers on other Southwest flights and will provide meal vouchers for passengers affected by delays over three hours for certain causes, as well as hotel accommodation and ground transportation for passengers affected by overnight delays for certain causes. JetBlue flight delay compensation policy JetBlue has an escalating compensation structure. The minimum compensation is $50 in travel credits after a three-hour departure delay, and the credit adjusts upward by $50 for every additional hour. The credit maxes out at $200 for delays of six hours or more. Once passengers have boarded the aircraft, the compensation structure is $100 in credit for a delay between three and five hours, $175 in credit for a delay between five and six hours, or a $250 credit for a delay of six hours or more. Passengers are also entitled to compensation if they are delayed on the ground upon arrival, with a $50 credit for a delay of one to two hours, a $125 credit for a delay of two to three hours and a $200 credit for a delay of three hours or more. As with other airlines, JetBlue will also rebook passengers on other JetBlue flights or partner airlines and will provide meal vouchers for passengers affected by delays over three hours for certain causes, as well as hotel accommodation and ground transportation for passengers affected by overnight delays for certain causes, according to the DOT. Spirit Airlines flight delay compensation policy According to the DOT, Spirit commits to rebooking passengers on other Spirit flights and will provide meal vouchers for passengers affected by delays over three hours for certain causes, as well as hotel accommodation and ground transportation for passengers affected by overnight delays for certain causes. Frontier Airlines flight delay compensation policy According to the DOT, Frontier will rebook passengers on other Frontier flights and will provide meal vouchers in the event of delays under certain causes that last for three hours or more. Alaska Airlines flight delay compensation policy According to the DOT, Alaska commits to rebooking passengers on other Alaska flights or partner airlines and will provide meal vouchers for passengers affected by delays over three hours for certain causes, as well as hotel accommodation and ground transportation for passengers affected by overnight delays for certain causes. The airline also offers credits, travel vouchers or frequent flyer miles for departure delays lasting three hours or more. Hawaiian Airlines flight delay compensation policy According to the DOT, Hawaiian commits to rebooking passengers on other Hawaiian flights and will provide meal vouchers for passengers affected by delays over three hours for certain causes, as well as hotel accommodation and ground transportation for passengers affected by overnight delays for certain causes. What else should travelers know? The three biggest pieces of advice experts offered were to join the airline's frequent flyer program, take the earliest flight out if possible and buy travel insurance. I advise all my clients to purchase travel protection," said Howard, from Travel by Shaiy. Even if an airline doesn't compensate you following a delay, travel insurance may reimburse you for expenses like rental cars or hotel rooms that you incur as a result. She added that it's a good idea to get the airline's app ahead of your trip and speak to the gate agent during the delay. Marc Casto, president of Flight Centre Travel Group, said it's also important to pay attention to which kind of ticket you purchase. Advice for travelers: How to track and use your airline credits "At the stage of buying, I would encourage travelers not to buy the cheapest fare. Those are the most likely passengers to get bumped," he said. Casto also said flyers should try to resolve their issue through the app or a messaging platform, which is usually faster than calling the customer service number or waiting in line at the airport. Booking through a third party like Expedia or Orbitz can also add a layer of complication if something goes wrong, Howard and Casto said, because airlines usually require passengers to make changes and file complaints through their booking agent, and the websites sometimes have different rules around compensation. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Are you entitled to compensation if your flight is delayed? In an appearance on 'Fox and Friends' Friday, the longtime television personality discussed his time with the network and his Fourth of July birthday Roy Rochlin/Getty Images Geraldo Rivera Geraldo Rivera celebrated his 80th birthday on Tuesday, just days after the surprise announcement that he was leaving Fox News after 23 years. In an appearance on Fox and Friends Friday, the longtime television personality said he would be celebrating his birthday on the Fourth of July a day that also coincides with other special events in his life. Saying that many of his "dear friends" would be attending his July 4th birthday party, Rivera noted: "I got a lot to celebrate." He added that his birthday came around the same time as his "20th wedding celebration with [wife] Erica," and his daughter Sol's 18th birthday, adding that the two were "almost empty nesters." Rivera also opened up about his decision to leave the network, which he pinned on his recent exit from The Five (Rivera said in a video on Thursday that the dismissal was a firing, despite earlier suggesting that he left at his own will). Related: Geraldo Rivera Leaves Fox News After 23 Years: 'I Got Fired from The Five So I Quit' "I was fired from The Five and I said, Well I might as well resign totally and I quit," he said on the show Friday. "Todays my last day. I want to leave thinking about how wonderful everyone has been to me throughout the last 23 years." As Rivera noted, he came to Fox after hosting a show on CNBC, during which he covered the Sept. 22, 2001, terrorist attacks. The attacks inspired him to look for a role as a war correspondent a dream that then-Fox chairman Roger Ailes made a reality, he said. Robert Giroux/Getty Images Fox News correspondent Geraldo Rivera walks from the Coalition Press Center after he was expelled from his media embed April 3, 2003 in Kuwait. Rivera violated the media ground rules by exposing operational details while with the 101st Airborne in Iraq. "So anyway, I went to the war and ... it took me around the world," he said. "Life takes you strange places, but it established a relationship with Fox that people would not ordinarily think of as a natural relationship because of political ideologies and so forth. Me being more on the progressive side than many of my colleagues." Rivera continued: "But it worked out. Everybody was open-minded, open-hearted, I was treated as a family member her and I hope it was reciprocated. Theres a way to work as colleagues and theres a way to work as family, and I really think we became family." Related: Geraldo Rivera on 50 Years in TV, His Friendship with President Donald Trump and Biggest Regrets In his final segment on the network, Rivera grew emotional as he said he had "such affection for the people in this building." "I really, I feel very emotional and deeply moved," he added, after a montage of his work on Fox was shown to audiences. "I will always remember this morning. It is something that I didnt expect, this celebration is beyond the beyond." Rivera was also treated to an early birthday celebration during the send-off, with staffers serving two oversized cakes from the Cake Boss and Fox and Friends anchors donning mustaches, in an homage to his iconic facial hair. For more People news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter! Read the original article on People. (Photo : ANDREW CABALLERO-REYNOLDS/AFP via Getty Images) Authorities report that a 25-year-old male is recovering in the hospital following his eight-year disappearance in Texas. (not the actual photo) A Texas man was discovered alive this weekend, more than eight years after he was reported missing as an 18-year-old from Houston with wounds, injuries, and blood in his hair. The last time Rudolph Rudy Farias IV was seen was on March 6, 2015, per the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs). He was 18 years old, per NamUs. Texas Man Who Vanished as Teen Found After 8 Years According to the group, Farias was strolling his dogs in a northeast Houston neighborhood when he vanished. His family reported him missing after recovering his dogs, but he was not located. On Saturday, the Texas Center for the Missing announced on Twitter that Farias had been "located securely" and was recuperating in a hospital. Someone dialed 911 after discovering Farias unresponsive outside a church, according to Farias' mother's statement to the local news station KTRK. He was covered in wounds and injuries and had blood in his hair, his mother told the station. Farias' mother stated they attempted to communicate with him, but he would only utter a few syllables and assume the fetal position. She stated that his recovery would be long, but she is grateful he was discovered alive, as per USA Today. Farias was diagnosed with melancholy, post-traumatic stress disorder, and anxiety in 2015, according to authorities. Texas EquuSearch initiated a public call for assistance in locating him, noting that he may have been disoriented and had not taken his medication. Investigators and searchers scoured through drenched fields, desperately attempting to locate the child. Read Also: Kenya Deadliest Crash: Death Toll Rises to 52 After Truck Rammed Into Multiple Vehicles, Pedestrians Police Did Not Suspect Foul Play On March 10, 2015, authorities said they temporarily suspended the search for the then-17-year-old while they gathered more information. On March 12, two days later, the search continued and concluded the following day. On March 13, 2015, authorities thanked searchers for their dedication while searching for Farias in flooded fields. Authorities verified on Sunday, July 2, 2023, that Farias had been located and was secure, although the circumstances surrounding his disappearance remain unclear. The police said he was diagnosed with depression and anxiety. During the examination, authorities reported discovering an inhaler belonging to him. According to The Sun, his family reported that his older sibling perished in a motorcycle accident several years before he vanished. Private investigator Brenda Paradise, who worked with the family, told NBC News, "He witnessed his closest friend perish before him. His sibling was his closest friend in the entire universe. He has experienced so much more than anyone his age should." Police never disclosed a motive for Farias' disappearance. Throughout their investigation, officers did not suspect foul play. Farias' survival was characterized as a "miracle" by investigators who assisted in the search operation. It remains unknown where he has been. According to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, the FBI received nearly 360,000 reports of missing children in 2022, a number that may include duplicates. Related Article: Ohio Dad Faces Death Penalty for Executing 3 Young Sons, Tried To Hunt 1 Who Tried To Escape @ 2023 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Mario Williams raced outside his East Kansas City nightclub less than 24 hours before his planned Saturday reopening to the sound of gunfire. He looked down the street at Indiana Avenue, then up the hill, about a half block into the distance, toward College Ave. It was about 1 p.m. on Friday. Thats when he saw it: Another dead body. Kansas City police announced their investigation into the shooting death at the intersection of College and 43rd Street later that afternoon. It marked the 100th homicide in Kansas City this year, according to The Stars records, which includes police shootings. For Williams, it was a morbid way to usher in what he hoped was a safer era for his Oak Park neighborhood and Klymax Lounge. The reopening more than a month after three people died there in a shooting on May 21 doubled as a gun violence awareness fundraiser and memorial event for Jason McConnell, a security guard who was among the victims. Its unfortunate because this is what we all are starting to see This is how our city is. You just walk by and someones on the ground from being shot, Williams said Saturday, while standing near representatives from Aim4Peace, a metro area nonprofit dedicated to preventing gun violence. The fact that its happening so much, its made to be normal and thats not okay. Mario Williams could be seen Saturday running around the Klymax Lounge preparing for the reopening event following the May shooting that left three dead. Williams said its been a difficult month. Williams, who grew up in the neighborhood at 10th Street and Prospect, was inspired to open the lounge with two friends in 2021 out of a love for rap music and a desire to offer young people a place to unwind. But since the mass shooting, hes debated whether to stop hosting rap performances altogether. As part of Saturdays event, Williams said hes giving $500 to the local musician performing the most positive rap song. McConnells 15-year-old son judged the competition. According to Williams, the goal is to show artists they can make a positive impact on their community. Any money donated by patrons viewing the performances will be given to McConnells family. Next month another event will be held at the lounge to raise money for the family of shooting victim Antoinette Libby Brenson, whose memorial still sits inside the East Side nightclub. Williams said they have kept hers out, in part, because it has been combined with flowers and funeral pamphlets for Brensons aunt, who was killed in a shooting a few weeks later. Its sad to say, but as a community were starting to grow numb to this. Thats why were having the event, Williams said. Instead of everyone growing numb, lets come together as a community. Lets all grieve together. Lets talk together. Lets see what we have to do as a community to use our influence and help curb violence. A memorial for Antoinette Libby Brenson was set up inside the Klymax Lounge following the May shooting. Another member of Brensons family died in a shooting shortly after. Their flowers and funeral mementos have been combined ahead of the August event scheduled to commemorate Brensons life. Build it back up again Williams told The Star he spent a whole lot more money on security ahead of the reopening. Hes spoken with Kansas City police about having a heightened presence in the area during rap performances and changed the dress code to prohibit baggy clothes, white t-shirts, backpacks, outside containers and masks. It used to be that Williams urged people to show up to the lounge as they are, but he says, times have changed. The city is getting worse and worse and worse by the day. And its not just right here, he said. Williams, who was formerly a member of a gang and went on to work with KCUncornered, a nonprofit dedicated to helping youth find alternative paths to street violence, said previously community members would help keep the area safe. Now its to the point you cant even go to the store without worrying about someone shooting at you, he said. Williams is also enforcing an an age limit for his Wednesday and Saturday shows, barring anyone under the age of 25 from entering the lounge. Hes looking for a more responsible crowd, he said, and he wants his business to give back to the community thats supported him. Our whole goal is to keep throwing Stop the Violence events whether its a night club or its a park. Anywhere around the city where we can team up with community action coordinators to spread the message of non-violence, he said. A lot of people turn to violence. They need to focus on themselves or their emotions or seek help when they need it. Thats what I did. Williams said hes helped staff members seek spiritual guidance from local pastors, and even pursued therapy himself following the May shooting. Hes still mourning the loss of security guard Jason McConnell, 41, who often circulated funny social media posts around to staff during shifts. Williams remembers laughing alongside him at SnapChat videos of people falling down. I miss his smile, I miss his jokes, he said. Zach Mitchell, 50, who cooked up fried foods in the lounges kitchen during the Saturday event said he also missed McConnells presence. He did not know the security guard for long, but was aware how much many on staff loved him. Mitchell moved to Kansas City in 1989, and started cooking for the Klymax Lounge and Restaurant four months before the shooting. It can happen anywhere, he said while handing onion rings to a woman standing at the bar. But he came back because he missed feeding people. That, Mitchell said, had always been his passion. He knows theres a long road ahead to get customers back in the door, but he believes the community will be behind them. This is a really nice place, he said. Well build it back up again. Zach Mitchell, 50, of Mississippi worked behind the food counter at the Klymax Lounge, preparing snacks for attendees during Saturdays reopening on Kansas Citys East Side. The shooting Williams said he believes McConnell died trying to protect patrons on the night of the shooting. He remembers multiple young men trying to enter the Klymax Lounge to join a birthday party that night. McConnell did not allow them inside. Then, Williams said, one of the men outside was given a gun. As McConnell tried to keep them outside, Williams called the police. He first called at 1:04 a.m. Williams alleged the 911 operator told him police would not be able to respond to a non-emergency call. When Williams returned outside to check on McConnell, the 41-year-old told him it was not safe and asked him to try and reach police once more So, he called again. Williams said he contacted police multiple times regarding the escalating situation before gunshots were fired, but they were unable to immediately respond. Meanwhile, McConnell cleared the outside area and ensured people within the lounge would not be able to leave through the front entrance. He attempted to keep the group away, even after the shooting started. Officers responded around 1:25 a.m. and found five victims, said Officer Donna Drake, a spokeswoman for the Kansas City Police Department. Two people were pronounced dead at the scene and another three were transported to the hospital by emergency medical crews. Officials said one of the deceased victims was found outside the lounge and the other was located inside. A short time later, one of the people transported to the hospital was pronounced dead. A woman who lives near the nightclub, who asked not to be named to protect her safety, said she woke up that night to a series of about 10 gunshots. There was a pause, she said, and then she heard another five shots. This could have been prevented, Williams said. An event in memory of victim Antoinette Brenson will be hosted at the Lounge in August, and an event for victim Clarence CJ Henderson will be held in September. NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg will remain in his role leading the military alliance for one more year, NATO allies announced on Tuesday. The decision to extend Stoltenberg's term to Oct. 1, 2024, comes one week before President Joe Biden and his NATO counterparts will gather in Vilnius, Lithuania, for a critical NATO summit to discuss providing increased security guarantees for Ukraine amid its war against Russia. Stoltenberg's tenure at the helm of NATO was due to end last year, but allies agreed to keep the former Norwegian prime minister in charge of the alliance to avoid a leadership transition in the early months of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine. This year, however, the decision to extend Stoltenberg's tenure this year reflects allies' inability to come to an agreement on a successor to lead the 31-nation military alliance. Allies must make decisions unanimously, but the alliance could not find common ground on any of the leading contenders to succeed Stoltenberg in the role. President Joe Biden meets with NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg in the Oval Office of the White House, Tuesday, June 13, 2023, in Washington. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta) ORG XMIT: DCMC107 Stoltenberg said in a statement Tuesday that he is honored by the decision. "The transatlantic bond between Europe and North America has ensured our freedom and security for nearly seventy-five years, and in a more dangerous world, our great Alliance is more important than ever," he said. Biden said in a statement Tuesday that he welcomed the decision to extend Stoltenberg's tenure leading NATO. "With his steady leadership, experience, and judgement, Secretary General Stoltenberg has brought our Alliance through the most significant challenges in European security since World War II," Biden said. "Today, our Alliance is stronger, more united and purposeful than it has ever been." Biden also said he looks forward to working with Stoltenberg at the NATO summit in Lithuania next week and during next year's 75th anniversary NATO summit in Washington. Many NATO allies advocated for a woman to be named to succeed Stoltenberg, with Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen emerging as a favorite to lead the alliance. Frederiksen visited White House last month in a meeting many interpreted as an opportunity for Biden to interview Frederiksen for the role. Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen were also floated as contenders to succeed Stoltenberg. British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, who visited the White House the same week as Frederiksen, was a strong advocate to appoint his own defense secretary, Ben Wallace, to NATO's top post. Sunak wrote in tweet on Tuesday that during Stoltenberg's tenure, "NATO has evolved to meet new threats, continued to protect our people and has been steadfast in support of Ukraine." "Looking forward to continuing that work together, Jens," Sunak added. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: NATO leader Jens Stoltenberg's term extended until Oct. 1, 2024 Investigators in Baltimore are searching for multiple suspects in a mass shooting that turned a beloved annual neighborhood block party into chaos early Sunday, killing two people and injuring 28 others, most of whom were teens, officials said. The search for the shooters investigators believe at least two were involved in the incident is ongoing, Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott told CNN Monday, vowing, We will not rest until we find those who cowardly decided to shoot up this block party and carry out acts of violence which we know will be illegal guns. Officials are combing through every single lead, every minute, every second of footage, everything that we have to find out who decided to disrupt this peaceful event in this way, Scott said on CNN This Morning. The gunfire erupted early Sunday in the south Baltimore neighborhood of Brooklyn, where community members were enjoying a yearly celebration dubbed Brooklyn Day. Aaliyah Gonzalez, 18, whose surname police initially spelled ending with an s, and Kylis Fagbemi, 20, were fatally shot, the Baltimore Police Department said. Kylis Fagbemi, left, and Aaliyah Gonzalez - Baltimore Police Department The dozens of surviving victims all sustained gunshot wounds, according to acting Police Commissioner Richard Worley. Five of those injured were adults, aged 20 or older, and the remaining 23 were teenagers, ranging in age from 13 to 19, police said. Seven of the wounded remain in hospitals, with four in critical condition and three in stable condition, the mayor noted. Investigators are scouring the sprawling crime scene which spans several blocks for evidence and are poring over hours of surveillance footage, the police commissioner said. Officials have urged community members with information or video footage to come forward. A reward for information leading to the capture of the suspects has been raised to $28,000, Worley said at a news conference Monday. The attack marks one of the latest acts of gun violence to thrust an American community into grief as they gather in everyday spaces, including parks, schools, shopping malls and grocery stores. The shooting is one of about 340 mass shootings in the US this year, according to the Gun Violence Archive. The archive, like CNN, defines a mass shooting as one in which four or more people are shot, not including the shooter. This tragic incident is another glaring, unfortunate example of the deep issues of violence in Baltimore, in Maryland and this country and particularly gun violence and the access to illegal guns, Scott said. The National Rifle Association sued Maryland Gov. Wes Moore after he signed the Gun Safety Act of 2023 and other gun safety measures into law in May, court documents show. The law prohibits a person from knowingly wearing, carrying, or transporting a firearm in certain locations, according to the governors office. Block party crowd scatters amid gunfire Police began receiving calls reporting the shooting around 12:30 a.m. Sunday, according to Worley. As officers arrived to the scene, they found an 18-year-old woman later identified as Gonzalez dead, police said. Fagbemi was transported to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead. An ice cream truck was parked directly across from where Gonzalez was shot and killed. The trucks driver, Keith, who declined to give his last name, told CNN he watched her collapse on the stairs as hundreds of people ran for cover. Keith said he told his children to lay down on the floor of the truck and wait for the rounds of shooting to stop. I walked over to [Gonzalez], checked her pulse, straightened her out, tried to start doing CPR but she was already dead, he said. Some who suffered gunshot injuries took shelter inside the ice cream truck. On Monday morning, blood was still on the ground near the trucks parking spot. Keith said he could not see where the gunshots were coming from. He said there were no disruptions at the block party before the shooting started. He said his two daughters, 13 and 18 years old, are fine but extremely stressed out. Residents watch as Baltimore police investigate the site of a mass shooting in the Brooklyn Homes neighborhood on July 2, 2023. - Nathan Howard/Getty Images Investigators have yet to determine a motive in the attack and are still investigating whether the victims were targeted or indiscriminately shot at, the police commissioner said. Staff at MedStar Harbor Hospital were expecting a routine overnight shift when they were met with the arrival of several patients with traumatic gunshot wounds, Dr. Hania Habeeb, associate chair of the emergency department, said at a news conference Monday. Many of the patients were minors, brought in by concerned family and loved ones, she said. We didnt know if we were safe. We didnt know if the shooter or shooters were right outside of our hospital doors, Habeeb said. The hospital went on immediate lockdown to ensure safety while staff performed lifesaving procedures to stabilize the victims. Ive been to so many funerals Members of the Kingdom Life Church pray at the site of a mass shooting in the Brooklyn Homes neighborhood on July 2, 2023. - Nathan Howard/Getty Images The block party was held as an annual celebration of the Brooklyn neighborhood. Scott called on the public to think of the shooting as if it happened in a rural community. When it happens in Baltimore, Chicago or DC it doesnt get that same attention, he said. These Black American lives, childrens lives, matter just as anyone else, he said. Scott described the Brooklyn neighborhood as a working-class community filled with immense pride. It is a neighborhood that has had its troubles, but a neighborhood that has seen some folks in that community really determined to see it be successful and see things turn around, he added. There were at least a couple hundred people at the event Saturday, Worley said Monday, describing it as unpermitted, and noting no organizers filed paperwork with the city. Asked about whether police had been appropriately staffed for the event, Worley said the annual celebration happens on a different Saturday each year. In the past, law enforcement was able to discover the date of the event in advance to prepare resources. But this year, police did not learn of the event until the day of, Worley said. Unfortunately, we didnt get there in time to prevent what happened. The mayor said his office is mobilizing every available resource to assist with the investigation, including distributing information about community-based services available to residents in the Brooklyn Homes area, which he described as a public housing facility. Yvonne Booker, a resident of Brooklyn Homes, told CNN affiliate WBAL shes lived in the area for three decades and feels the gun violence has reached a breaking point. Its kind of hard for me. Im a mother. They need to stop. Its too much. Ive been to so many funerals in this community, Booker said. CNNs Celina Tebor, Nicole Grether, Gloria Pazmino, Artemis Moshtaghian, Sophie Tanno, Christina Maxouris, Lauren Mascarenhas and Maria Sole Campinoti contributed to this report. For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com U.S. Rep. Barbara Lee, an Oakland Democrat campaigning for the U.S. Senate seat that will open when Dianne Feinsteins term ends in early January 2025, is spending this week getting to know Central Valley residents she hopes will be her constituents. The congresswoman representing Californias 12th District began her Valley visit with a meet and greet in Modesto and a town hall in Merced on Monday. It often can feel to Valley residents like they get overlooked by elected officials, except during voting season. Lee assured that will not happen with her. When I win, theres no way I could forget the folks of the Central Valley, running statewide, she said in Merced on Monday afternoon. I will be responsible for, and be accountable to, people all over the state which includes the Central Valley. Sitting among the audience of around 60 people, Lee spoke on some of the issues she vows to champion should she be elected to the U.S. Senate: supporting health care and infrastructure and combating poverty and homelessness. She knows, too, that agriculture is a key player in this areas livelihood. Lee serves on the Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration House Subcommittee. Last session, we put in $3 million for farmers disadvantaged farmers, veteran farmers who havent been in the mix and who needed a lot of support, Lee said. Farmers need a lot in terms of access to some of the loan guarantees, the California Farm Bureau, the Department of Agriculture, and so we do a lot of casework with farmers, also. Fellow Democrat Anna Caballero, the 14th District state senator, endorses Lee and was at the town hall to support her. Im on board because it matters to her to reduce youth violence, it matters to her to build up the community from the bottom up, Caballero said. And it matters to her to build peace in our community. U.S. Rep. Barbara Lee, D-Oakland, speaks to an audience in the Prospect Theater Project building in downtown Modesto on Monday, July 3, 2023. Lee is seeking to succeed Dianne Feinstein as one of Californias U.S. senators. The dominant issues in Lees campaign are poverty and homelessness. Californias minimum wage of $15 an hour needs to be the baseline, she said. Working people deserve a living wage and affordable housing another subject she wants to focus on. Lee also said she wants to make permanent the Child Tax Credit she helped put together. Its a comprehensive strategy, to lift people out of poverty, that we have to engage in, she said. And its not only urban, its in rural and urban areas. Lee also demands better access to medical care, and at a lower cost. Healthcare is a basic human right. We have to put more federal resources out to communities that lack access, she said. For the Central Valley, she pushes for more infrastructure. She supports high-speed rail and said she believes the project brings opportunities for small businesses, small minority owners, and veterans, businesses to benefit thousands of workers that have been trained as part of the program. And its one of the few places where people coming out of prison or out of jail have an opportunity to get a good job and training, because it focuses on taking the most vulnerable in our communities, and the most in need of work, and putting them to work. Before heading to Merced on Monday afternoon, Lee spent an hour talking with an audience of a couple dozen people at the Prospect Theater Project building in downtown Modesto. On Independence Day, she will be in Fresno for a series of events and celebrations including a backyard barbecue and a meeting with local Black leaders. She will join Democratic Party leaders at 11:30 a.m. at the Fresno Democratic Party Headquarters, 1033 U St., for a discussion of her U.S. Senate campaign. And on Wednesday morning, Lee will visit the Allensworth Historic Town Site the first town in California established by African Americans in Earlimart. Wednesday also includes visits to Delano and Bakersfield. Visit barbaraleeforca.com for more information. By Amy Lv and Brenda Goh BEIJING/SHANGHAI (Reuters) -Companies caught out by China's decision to restrict exports of two metals widely used in semiconductors and electric vehicles were racing to secure supplies on Tuesday as some industry suppliers worried that curbs on rare earth exports could follow. Monday's abrupt announcement of controls from Aug. 1 on exports of some gallium and germanium products has ramped up a trade war with the United States and could potentially cause more disruption to global supply chains. Analysts saw the move, which the Chinese commerce ministry said was to protect national security, as a response to escalating efforts by Washington to curb China's technological advances. It came on the eve of U.S. Independence Day and just before U.S. Secretary of Treasury Janet Yellen visits Beijing. "China has hit the American trade restrictions where it hurts," said Peter Arkell, chairman of the Global Mining Association of China. The European Commission expressed concern, while Germany's Economy Minister Robert Habeck said any broadening of controls to materials like lithium would be "problematic". The Dutch government said the effect of the new rules would depend on how they are carried out. One U.S. semiconductor wafer manufacturer said on Tuesday it was applying for export permits, while a China-based germanium producer said buyer enquiries had come in as prices surged. The eight gallium and six germanium products cited are also used in other high-tech industries. Some in the metals industry said they feared China could follow with new restrictions on rare earth exports, after curbing shipments 12 years ago in a dispute with Japan. China is the world's biggest producer of rare earths, a group of metals used in EVs and military equipment. "Gallium and germanium are just a couple of the minor metals that are so important for the range of tech products and China is the dominant producer of most of these metals," Arkell said. "It is a fantasy to suggest that another country can replace China in the short or even medium term." China produces most of the world's gallium and germanium. In 2022, top importers of China's gallium products were Japan, Germany and the Netherlands, news website Caixin said, citing customs data. Top importers of germanium products were Japan, France, Germany and the United States, it said. The commerce ministry will meet with major producers of the metals on Thursday to discuss the export restrictions, four people familiar with the matter told Reuters. In a sign of the potential for new production outside China, Nyrstar said it would look at germanium and gallium projects in Australia, Europe and the United States. Shares in Teck Resources, North America's biggest germanium producer, briefly jumped more than 1% in early trading. They were up 0.09% at 1937 GMT. Shares in 5N Plus Inc, a Canada-based company that produces specialty semiconductors and performance materials, rallied 8.9%, while Neo Performance Materials, a recycler of gallium and manufacturer gallium trichloride, rose 5.73%. Neo Performance CEO Constantine Karayannopoulos told Reuters that it would be difficult to meet market demand without Chinese gallium supply though work-arounds could be possible with the "right industrial public policy incentives." "This was probably the least consequential measure (that China could take), since it does not hurt as much as much as other options could," Karayannopoulos said. "On the other hand, it could give very significant impetus to North American and European governments along with producers and consumers of high-purity gallium outside of China to consider more seriously what it takes to establish supply chain optionality. EXPORT PERMITS, DISRUPTION WORRIES U.S. semiconductor wafer maker AXT Inc said on Monday its Chinese manufacturing Tongmei would seek permits to keep exporting gallium and germanium substrate products. An Intel spokesman said the company was assessing the ministry's statement, adding: "Our strategy of having a diverse, global supply chain minimizes our risk to local changes and interruptions." A source at Infineon said most supplies come from outside of China. The German chipmaker produces gallium nitride semiconductors in Villach, Austria and will soon make them at its factory in Kulim, Malaysia. Germany's BDI industry group said China's move strengthens the argument for greater raw materials independence. While the new rules do not target specific countries, exports will be more difficult and China could deny licenses to some locations, said Bernstein analysts. But any rise in prices for gallium- and germanium-based materials due to a lack of supply may result in semiconductor companies looking at alternative materials, they added. A manager at a China-based germanium producer reported receiving queries from buyers in Europe, Japan and the United States hoping to build stockpiles before Aug. 1 and who expected it could take as long as two months to obtain export permits. Domestic offers rose 2% to 10,000 yuan ($1,380) per kg on Tuesday, he said, with export prices up 7% to $1,500 per kg. The industry had expected some export controls on these metals, but the timing had surprised, said the manager, who declined to be named citing the sensitivity of the matter. Some downstream users with long-term sales contracts "are vexed about a possible jump in raw material prices, as it raises their production costs and may cause them losses", he said. Taiwan and South Korea downplayed disruption from the curbs. Shares in some metal producers rose on Tuesday. Yunnan Lincang Xinyuan Germanium Industry Co jumped 10% by the daily upper limit while Yunnan Chihong Zinc & Germanium Co climbed 7%. Australian rare earths producers also rallied as investors bet that more curbs could be imposed. Shares in Lynas Rare Earths, the world's largest producer, outside China, rose 4%. ESCALATION RISK China's controls come as Washington mulls new restrictions on the shipment of high-tech microchips to China, following a series of curbs in recent years. The United States and the Netherlands are also expected to further restrict sales of chipmaking equipment to China, part of efforts to prevent their technology from being used by China's military. Beijing last made a retaliatory move in May, when it banned some domestic sectors from purchasing products from U.S. memory chipmaker Micron. Jefferies analysts said they saw the export controls as China's second, bigger countermeasure after the Micron ban. "The risk of a rapid escalation of U.S.-China tension is not small," they said. "If this action doesn't change the U.S.-China dynamics, more rare earth export controls should be expected." ($1 = 7.2326 yuan) (Reporting by Amy Lv in Beijing and Brenda Goh in Shanghai; Additional reporting by Siyi Liu in Beijing, Kentaro Sugiyama in Tokyo, Joyce Lee in Seoul, Ben Blanchard in Taipei, Melanie Burton in Melbourne, Supantha Mukherjee in Stockholm; Christina Amann in Berlin; Andrey Sychev in Gdansk; Divya Rajagopal in Toronto; Editing by Tom Hogue, Himani Sarkar and Catherine Evans) By Kanishka Singh WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. President Joe Biden on Tuesday welcomed NATO's decision to extend Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg's term by a further year, opting to stick with an experienced leader as war continues to rage on the alliance's doorstep rather than try to agree on a successor. Stoltenberg, a former prime minister of Norway, has been the transatlantic security alliance's leader since 2014 and his tenure had already been extended three previous times. The decision means continuity at the top of NATO as its 31 members grapple with the challenge of supporting Ukraine in repelling Moscow's invasion while avoiding a direct conflict between NATO and Russian forces. "With his steady leadership, experience, and judgment, Secretary General Stoltenberg has brought our Alliance through the most significant challenges in European security since World War II," Biden said in a statement released by the White House. The president said the NATO alliance was currently "stronger, more united and purposeful than it has ever been." "I look forward to continuing the work with Secretary General Stoltenberg to further strengthen the Alliance next week at the NATO Summit in Vilnius, and ahead of the 75th Anniversary NATO Summit in Washington, D.C. next year," Biden said. Stoltenberg, 64, is widely seen across the alliance as a steady leader and patient consensus builder. Stoltenberg in a tweet said he was honoured by the decision to extend his term to Oct. 1, 2024. His next tasks include overseeing a transformation of NATO forces to refocus on defending against any Russian attack, after decades in which the alliance concentrated on missions beyond its borders, such as in Afghanistan and the Balkans. He will also have to manage differences over how involved NATO should become in Asia, with the United States pushing for a greater role in countering China, while others such as France insist that NATO must maintain focus on the North Atlantic area. (Reporting by Kanishka Singh in Washington; Editing by Mark Porter) By Tommy Wilkes LONDON (Reuters) - The remaining insurers in a United Nations-backed coalition aimed at tackling climate change are poised to loosen the alliance's membership requirements, after a recent exodus of members, according to two people familiar with the discussions. The U.N.-convened Net-Zero Insurance Alliance (NZIA) is set to remove a six-month deadline for members to publish greenhouse gas emissions targets alongside other changes to make membership less prescriptive, the sources said. The hope is to "steady the ship" and create space for ex-members to consider returning later, they said. The NZIA has lost more than half its members including AXA, Lloyd's of London and Tokio Marine since attorneys general from 23 Republican-run U.S. states sent a May 15 letter seeking information about insurers' membership and threatening legal action. The AGs said the NZIA's requirements for members to publish and meet greenhouse gas emission-reduction targets appeared to violate anti-trust laws, and that the alliance's actions had pushed up insurance and other costs for consumers. Launched in 2021 to drive insurers' efforts to hit zero carbon emissions on a net basis by 2050 in their underwriting portfoliios, the NZIA is one of several industry coalitions under the Glasgow Financial Alliance for Net Zero (GFANZ) umbrella group. The NZIA now has 12 members, down from a peak of 30. Other GFANZ alliances have also come under U.S. political pressure but have not seen many members leave. CONCERN OVER POTENTIAL RULE CHANGES The NZIA's 'target-setting protocol' published in January required insurers to publish their initial 2030 targets for reducing emissions by end-July, or within six months of joining for newer entrants, and then report their progress against the targets annually. But remaining members, among them Britain's Aviva, Italy's Generali and South Korea's Shinhan Life, want to avoid insurers publishing targets simultaneously, which could invite fresh accusations of anti-competitive collaboration, the first source said, speaking on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the matter. An NZIA spokesperson declined to comment. The potential for looser rules was met with concern by environmental campaigners, who say insurers are already doing too little to curb emissions and that aggressive collective action is needed. "The NZIA has had very minimal requirements and expectations of membership from the start," said Peter Bosshard, coordinator of the Insure our Future campaign. "The target-setting is the only thing left," he added. Without such requirements "the NZIA would just become another industry talking shop". Other proposals being discussed include making the alliance a broader forum where insurance industry bodies participate in areas like target-setting best practice, the first source said. The changes under discussion have not been finalised, the sources said, and it's not clear how the alliance would deal with insurers that drag their feet in publishing targets. (Reporting by Tommy Reggiori Wilkes; Editing by Greg Roumeliotis, Simon Jessop and Emelia Sithole-Matarise) ORLANDO, Fla. Its July in Florida, which means its hot and humid. But for the 4th of July, it will be quite hot and humid even by Florida standards, as temperatures feel well over 100 degrees in some areas. Heat Advisories have been posted across much of the state Tuesday, stretching from Jacksonville to Miami, with only the Florida Panhandle excepted. Heat Advisories issued in Florida on July 4, 2023. High temperatures have reached into the mid-upper 90s nearing record-heat territory though likely to come up just a few degrees shy. But with higher-than-usual humidity levels, heat index readings will cross beyond triple digits, and in some cases around east central Florida, even past 110 degrees. WHAT IS THE HEAT INDEX AND WHY IS IT IMPORTANT TO YOUR HEALTH? "It is not just the heat, but the humidity which is to be expected this time of year for Florida, but were talking about feels like temperatures that could be getting up to 112 -115 degrees," says FOX Weather Meteorologist Britta Merwin. "So thats when we go from typical hot and humid for Florida, to pushing the envelope for safety." Orlando will see feels like temperatures around 105 Tuesday and Wednesday, with it feeling like 106 in Tampa and Naples. Even Miami will feel over 100 degrees. Forecasted heat index readings for Florida on July 4, 2023. "And we have a lot of folks traveling to Florida who are not Floridians," Merwin said. "If youre from Montana, and youre flying down to Orlando to enjoy the 4th of July, youre really going to be hit in the face by that 105 feels-like temperature. So make sure if you do have family that is visiting you, you keep everyone safe." 7 FACTS ABOUT HEAT WAVES That goes for the long-time residents too. "Even if youre seasoned with the heat and humidity because youve lived down South for a while, you can get yourself into some tricky situations," Merwin said. EATING ICE CREAM IN THE SUMMER HEAT MIGHT BE MAKING YOU EVEN HOTTER Florida has no monopoly on a hot and humid 4th of July. Heat alerts also stretch across parts of the Carolinas Tuesday as heat indexes reach over 100-105. Heat Advisories in effect for North Carolina and parts of South Carolina on July 4, 2023. Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, will feel like 102 degrees Tuesday, while Wilmington, North Carolina, could feel like 104. Much of the rest of the Southeast will see heat indexes reach well into the 90s on Tuesday. BEIRUT (AP) A French court Tuesday upheld the freezing of the assets of Lebanons embattled central bank governor, rejecting his appeal to have them released, an official close to the investigation said. Several European countries are investigating central bank Gov. Riad Salameh and his associates over myriad alleged financial crimes, including illicit enrichment and laundering of $330 million. A French investigative judge on May 16 issued an international arrest warrant, or Interpol red notice, for the 72-year-old Salameh after he failed to show up in Paris for questioning. France, Germany and Luxembourg in March 2022 froze more than $130 million in assets linked to the investigation. The European Union Agency for Criminal Justice Cooperation, or Eurojust, said at the time that the investigation targets five suspects accused of money laundering. Salameh, who has repeatedly denied charges of corruption had requested that his assets be unfrozen. On Tuesday, a French appeals court rejected his appeal, saying that his assets will remain frozen, according to an official close to the investigation who spoke on condition of anonymity in line with regulations. The central governor has repeatedly said that he made his wealth from his years working as an investment banker at Merrill Lynch, inherited properties and investments. He said he would only resign if convicted of a crime. A Lebanese judge representing the Lebanese state earlier this year charged Salameh, his brother Raja and associate Marianne Hoayek with corruption. Last week, Hoayek was questioned in France and she signed a document pledging not to return to work at the central bank and not to have any contacts with the Salameh brothers and paid a 1.5 million-euro ($1.63 million) bail, Lebanese judicial officials said. During her questioning, Hoayek denied charges of corruption saying that most of her money were inherited from her father. Salameh and his brother Raja didn't go to France for questioning. During a visit to Lebanon in March, a European delegation questioned Salameh about the Lebanese central banks assets and investments outside the country, a Paris apartment which the governor owns and his brothers brokerage firm. Reports have circulated that the Lebanese central bank had hired Forry Associates Ltd., a brokerage firm owned by Raja, to handle government bond sales from which the firm received $330 million in commissions. Riad Salameh, a Lebanese-French citizen, has held his post for almost 30 years, but says he intends to step down after his current term ends at the end of July. Once hailed as the guardian of Lebanons financial stability, Salameh since has been heavily blamed for Lebanons financial meltdown. Many say he precipitated the nearly four-year economic crisis, which has plunged three-quarters of Lebanons population of 6 million into poverty. (Photo: BEN STANSALL/AFP via Getty Images) New details about the final moments of the Titan surfaced, pointing out how the five people drowned in darkness. New details have emerged about the final hours of the OceanGate submersible Titan and the five people aboard. Drowned in Darkness It was reported that OceanGate CEO Stockton Rush, Shahzada and Suleman Dawood, Paul-Henri Nargeolet, and Hamish Harding spent their final moments engulfed in darkness before the Titan imploded. Christine Dawood, Shahzada's widow and Suleman's mother, told the New York Times Rush turned off all the floodlights on its way down the ocean floor to conserve battery power, with the only light in the sub coming from laptop screens and glowing marine organisms like flaming fungus, shimmering squid, and flashing fish. She added OceanGate recommended its passengers, among other things, to download their favorite music onto their phones so they could listen on a Bluetooth speaker, with the main exception of country music. Dawood was able to detail the information as she was present during the tutorial on safety procedures before launching to sea. She also detailed she was supposed to accompany her husband in 2019, but COVID-19 ruined their plans and Suleman became old enough to eventually take her seat during the ill-fated dive. Read Also: Oceangate's Website Continues to Market Titanic Expeditions The Dawood Duo's Final Moments The Dawoods became obsessed with the Titanic after they visited a Titanic exhibit in Singapore in 2012 and after seeing how icebergs are formed on their trip to Greenland in 2019. Christina further revealed the father-son duo nearly did not make it to St. John's, Newfoundland when their flight was canceled and the subsequent flight delayed. "We were actually quite worried, like, 'Oh, my God, what if they cancel that flight as well?'" she told the Times. "In hindsight, obviously, I wish they did." The family eventually went aboard the Polar Prince, the mothership ferrying the Titan to the site of the Titanic. Christina and her 17-year-old daughter Alina watched Shahzada and Suleman board the Titan and see them alive for the last time. "He was like a vibrating toddler," described Christina of her son's eagerness for the trip. "He was lapping everything up. He had this big glow on his face talking about all this nerdy stuff." The exorbitant fees for a seat aboard the Titan were a stark contrast to the life of the rest of the passengers and crew on The Polar Prince, with James Cameron's 1997 film about the iceberg-struck ship being their sole luxury aboard. In between the lull are countless meetings about the Titan and how it works, Christina said. Former Passenger Speaks Up About Titan's Malfunctions Meanwhile, Bill Price came forward to speak about his experience aboard the Titan when he was a passenger in 2021, saying his trip was aborted after the sub lost its propulsion system on one side. He told the Times Rush was unable to release the Titan's "drop-weight mechanism" to release for the ascent so he instructed him and his fellow passengers to try rocking the sub to do so. "After several rolls, we got the momentum going," Price said. "Then, we heard a clunk, and we all collectively knew one [weight] had dropped off. So we continued to do that until the weights were all out." Despite the issue, Price and his fellow passengers were able to successfully visit the shipwreck the next day. Price also explained that implosions due to pressure were also tackled during the meetings. In how it was described, death would come instantaneously. "In a macabre way, it was reassuring," he noted in hindsight. The Business Insider also shared the story of an unnamed former OceanGate director of finance and administration. Rush asked her if she could become the Titan's head pilot after firing David Lochridge, the submarine pilot originally billed for the role who eventually came out saying the Titan lacked enough testing for it to be dive certified. Ex-OceanGate Advisor: Titan Attempted to Surface Before Imploding In addition, former OceanGate expedition consultant Rob McCallum told The New Yorker the Titan attempted to abort its dive before it imploded. "The report that I got immediately after the event - long before they were overdue - was that the sub was approaching thirty-five hundred meters," he said. McCallum explained the submersible had "dropped weights" and aborted the dive before communication with the Polar Price was lost. Like Rush, McCallum is involved in the deep sea exploration community, co-founding EYOS Expeditions, and has also led dives to the Titanic and other deep-sea spots. But unlike Rush, the sub he used was designed to reach the depths of 19,000 feet (almost 5,800m) and was approved to reach extreme depths by the marine-classification society DNV. McCallum was at least the second person to publicly state the Titan tried to ascend before it imploded after Cameron earlier spoke about the possibility that at least one person aboard have discovered something went wrong. Related Article: What is a 'Catastrophic Implosion'? Officials Explain What Happened to Titanic Submersible @ 2023 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. By Elizabeth Pineau PARIS (Reuters) -A crowdfunding campaign to raise money for the family of the policeman who shot dead teenager Nahel M. in France topped 1.4 million euros ($1.5 million) on Tuesday, outstripping donations to his victim's family and drawing anger from a swathe of French society. The fallout from the death, and from the wave of rioting it triggered in France's poor suburbs, continued to dominate political debate, with Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne advocating in parliament a crackdown on young rioters and their parents. President Emmanuel Macron hosted a meeting with 302 mayors of towns where rioting took place and told them violence was subsiding. "Will the return to calm last? I would be prudent, but the peak that we experienced these past few days is over," he was quoted as saying by a participant. After listening to a range of views from the mayors, he said some humility was necessary as there was no consensus emerging on how best to respond to everything that had happened. The fundraising effort on behalf of the officer who shot dead Nahel M. a week ago was launched on the GoFundMe platform by far-right media personality Jean Messiha, who received more than 72,000 private donations. Leftwing politicians have branded the fundraiser as shameful, while the far-right has defended a police force it says is a daily target for violence in the low-income suburbs that ring French cities. It is a debate that reflects the deep fractures running through French society. "This police officer is the victim of a national witch-hunt and it is a disgrace," Messiha tweeted soon after launching the campaign. The police officer has been charged with voluntary homicide and remanded in custody. Socialist Party leader Olivier Faure called for the campaign for the officer to be shut down. Fundraising pledges for the family of Nahel stood at 352,000 euros. POLICE RESENTMENT The June 27 shooting of Nahel, a 17-year-old of Algerian-Moroccan descent, unleashed violence on a scale that shocked France before police clamped down on the rioters, resulting in relative quiet over the past two nights. Police made 72 arrests overnight, the interior ministry said. What started as an uprising in the high-rise estates morphed into a broader outpouring of hate and anger toward the state, and opportunistic violence in towns and cities. Rioters have torched more than 5,000 cars, looted shopping malls and targeted town halls, schools and state-owned properties considered symbols of the state. Addressing lawmakers in parliament, Borne defended a tough law-and-order stance, saying the criminal justice system should ensure that even minor offences committed during the riots were prosecuted. She also said that parents of rioters who were minors should receive fines and training on parental responsibility, and that the justice minister would imminently be sending out a directive to that effect. Responding to a left-wing opposition lawmaker who was calling for a clear condemnation of police violence and for a change to a law blamed by many police critics for a rise in the number of police shootings, Borne accused the lawmaker of not respecting the values of the republic. Her speech did not address the deep vein of resentment of law enforcement agencies in the poor and racially mixed suburbs of major French cities - known as banlieues - where Muslim communities of north African descent in particular have long accused police of racial profiling and violent tactics. ($1 = 0.9173 euros) (Reporting by Elizabeth Pineau; Writing by Richard Lough and Estelle Shirbon, editing by Emelia Sithole-Matarise and Alex Richardson) By Foo Yun Chee BRUSSELS (Reuters) - Meta Platforms on Tuesday lost its fight against a German data curb order that strikes at the heart of its business model as Europe's top court backed the German antitrust watchdog's power to also investigate privacy breaches. The ruling from the Luxembourg-based Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) potentially hand antitrust authorities more leeway in Big Tech probes. The case centred on a challenge by Meta after the German cartel office in 2019 ordered the social media giant to stop collecting users' data without their consent, calling the practice an abuse of market power. At issue was whether the German antitrust agency overstepped its authority by using its antitrust power to address data protection concerns, which are the remit of national data protection authorities. Meta harvests user data for behavioural advertising, a business model common to Big Tech. Meta, owner of Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp, challenged the finding, prompting a German court to seek advice from the CJEU. In response to the ruling a Meta spokesperson said: "We are evaluating the Court's decision and will have more to say in due course." The CJEU judges said regarding antitrust investigations that "it may be necessary for the competition authority of the member state concerned also to examine whether that undertaking's conduct complies with rules other than those relating to competition law. The CJEU, however, said antitrust regulators must "take into consideration any decision or investigation by the competent supervisory authority pursuant to that regulation". The German cartel office welcomed the ruling. "Data is a decisive factor in establishing market power. The use of the very personal data of consumers by the large internet companies can also be abusive under antitrust law," its head, Andreas Mundt, said. His counterpart at the French competition agency, Benoit Coeure, in a tweet called the ruling a landmark decision on data protection as a competition parameter. Thomas Graf, a partner at law firm Cleary Gottlieb, was more cautious on whether antitrust authorities would want to go into the details of privacy law. "You still need to explain why it is relevant for antitrust law and demonstrate restrictive effects and abuse, and they will need to coordinate with the GDPR authorities," he said. The EU's General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) is a privacy and security law that imposes obligations on organisations anywhere which target or collect data related to people in the EU. "Are antitrust authorities going to become GDPR regulators? I dont think so," Graf said. Privacy activist Max Schrems, who has filed complaints about Meta, said the judgment will have a positive impact on his pending litigation with the company. The case is C-252/21 Meta Platforms and others (User conditions for a social network). (Reporting by Foo Yun Chee, additional reporting by Charlotte Van Campenhout in Amsterdam and Madeline Chambers in Berlin; Editing by Louise Heavens and David Evans) NICOSIA, Cyprus (AP) Greece is ready to start talks with Turkey to resolve a long-standing dispute over maritime borders that has repeatedly brought the two neighbors to the brink of armed conflict, Greeces newly appointed foreign minister said Tuesday. Giorgos Gerapetritis said the Greek government wants to take advantage of the ongoing positive climate in order to come to an agreement on delineating the areas in which each country has exclusive economic rights, including the right to search for offshore oil and gas. Turkey disputes areas which Greece says fall within its own economic zone and where its seeking to start a search for offshore oil and gas reserves. Turkey claims much of the economic zone of Cyprus where several sizeable offshore natural gas deposits have been discovered. The feud over exploratory drilling rights had culminated in a naval standoff three years ago. Another key issue at the heart of Greek-Turkish tensions that Gerapetritis wants resolved is the extent of the continental shelf and by extension, Greek sovereign territory of Greek islands near Turkeys coastline in the Aegean and the eastern Mediterranean. Turkey doesnt recognize that Greek islands off its borders have a continental shelf, while Greece insists that position is in contravention of international law. All that remains is to determine whether Turkey also sincerely wishes to forge a path of rapprochement, without this meaning that Greece will go back on its red lines or its national priorities, Gerapetritis said after talks with his Cypriot counterpart, Constantinos Kombos. Gerapetritis said at the top of those priorities is an agreement to reunify ethnically divided Cyprus as a federation made up of Greek and Turkish speaking sectors in line with United Nations resolutions. Cyprus was split in 1974 when Turkey invaded following a coup by supporters of union with Greece. Turkey and the breakaway Turkish Cypriots now insist that any peace deal has to first recognize separate Turkish Cypriot sovereignty. Greek and Turkish officials have held a series of high-level meetings in the wake of devastating earthquakes in southern Turkey in February. They promised to shelve disputes that have caused repeated rounds of tension and even the risk of war over decades. Just before his reelection last month, Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis told The Associated Press in an interview that he would extend a hand of friendship to Turkey. By Kirsty Needham SYDNEY (Reuters) -Indonesian President Joko Widodo said strategic cooperation with Australia on electric vehicle batteries was a priority after talks on Tuesday with Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese that focused on green economy and regional security. Widodo, who is in his second and final term in office, wants to build an electric vehicle battery production industry in Indonesia, which has the world's largest nickel reserves. The EV industry uses the metal extensively. Widodo is seeking cooperation from Australia, a major supplier of battery component lithium. "Indonesia and Australia must build a more substantive and strategic economic cooperation through the joint production of EV batteries," Widodo told reporters after an annual leaders meeting with Albanese in Sydney. Widodo told business leaders that the Southeast Asian nation had a target to produce 1 million electric cars and 3.2 million electric motorbikes by 2035. Indonesia's Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KADIN) signed an "action plan" with the state of Western Australia on critical mineral supply chain and worker skills, Indonesia's Ministry of Economic Affairs said. Albanese said the global move towards electric vehicles was an "incredible opportunity". Meanwhile, Albanese announced a A$50 million ($33 million) initiative to attract private climate finance to Indonesia, and said Export Finance Australia would establish a $200 million capital financing facility with PT Perusahaan Listrik Negara (PLN) to support Indonesia's energy transition. Albanese also said Australia would also make visa changes to make business travel easier for visiting Indonesians. The Southeast Asian country is Australia's 13th largest trading partner with two-way trade between the nations worth A$23.3 billion last year. Australian investment in Indonesia totalled A$4.3 billion ($2.87 billion) in 2021. The countries are negotiating a defence treaty, with leaders at the meeting also emphasising the "importance of diplomacy to avoid the risks of miscalculation" in the Indo Pacific region. "All countries large and small have a collective responsibility to help keep the region peaceful, and Indonesia's contribution to regional security under the president's leadership has been central," Albanese told reporters. Widodo will travel to Papua New Guinea on Wednesday. ($1 = 1.5035 Australian dollars) (Reporting by Kirsty Needham in Sydney and Fransiska Nangoy and Ananda Teresia in Jakarta; Editing by Himani Sarkar) PHILADELPHIA (AP) A 40-year-old killed one man in a house before fatally shooting four others on the streets of a Philadelphia neighborhood, then surrendering to police officers after being cornered in an alley with an assault rifle, a pistol, extra magazines, a police scanner and a bulletproof vest, police said. A 2-year-old boy and a 13-year-old were also wounded in the Monday night violence that made the working-class area of Kingsessing the site of the nation's worst violence around the July Fourth holiday. Police called to the scene found gunshot victims and started to help them before hearing more shots. Some officers rushed victims to hospitals while others ran toward the gunfire and chased the firing suspect. Officers ultimately arrested the assailant in an alley, Police Commissioner Danielle Outlaw said at a news conference. The shooter had no connection to the victims before the shooting, she said. On what was supposed to be a beautiful summer evening, this armed and armored individual wreaked havoc, firing with a rifle at their victims seemingly at random, she said Tuesday afternoon. Staff Inspector Ernest Ransom, the homicide unit commander, said witness interviews and video indicated that the suspect went to several locations in a ski mask and body armor, carrying an AR-15-style rifle. The suspect then began shooting aimlessly at occupied vehicles and individuals on the street as they walked, he said. The vehicles included a mother driving her 2-year-old twins home, and one was wounded in the legs and the other hit in the eyes by shattered glass. Philadelphia police on Tuesday afternoon identified the victims as 20-year-old Lashyd Merritt, 29year-old Dymir Stanton, 59-year-old Ralph Moralis and 15-year-old Daujan Brown, all pronounced dead shortly after the Monday night gunfire; and 31-year-old Joseph Wamah Jr., who was found in a home early Tuesday, also with multiple bullet wounds. Investigators believe Wamah was the first victim killed, but he wasn't found by family members until hours later, Ransom said. A 2-year-old boy shot four times in the legs and a 13-year-old shot twice in the legs were in stable condition, as were a 2-year-old boy and a 33-year-old woman injured by shattered glass. Police said the suspect is believed to have acted alone and there was no reason to believe anyone else was involved. Police and prosecutors said no charges were planned at this point against a second person taken into custody who is believed to have obtained a gun somewhere and fired back at the shooter. When you are under fire in a mass shooting, there are rights to protect others and rights to protect yourself, District Attorney Larry Krasner said. Authorities asked for patience as they investigate every aspect of the shooting. That investigation, Outlaw said, "includes the why. Krasner said the suspect would face multiple counts of murder, as well as aggravated assault and weapons charges, and was expected to be denied bail. Outlaw praised the bravery of officers who tended to victims and rushed them to hospitals as others fearlessly ran toward the sounds of gunfire, and captured the suspect. "Their swift actions undoubtedly saved additional lives, she said. At a holiday weekend block party in Baltimore, about 90 miles (145 kilometers) to the southwest of Philadelphia, two people were killed and 28 others were wounded in a shooting. More than half of the victims were 18 or younger, officials said. About four hours after the Philadelphia shooting, gunfire at a neighborhood festival in Fort Worth, Texas, killed three people and wounded eight. Philadelphia Mayor Jim Kenney renewed his oft-repeated call to do something about Americas gun problem. A person walking down the city street with an AR-style rifle and shooting randomly at people while wearing a bulletproof vest with multiple magazines is a disgraceful but all-too-common situation in America, Kenney said. I was today at Independence Hall where they wrote that Constitution, and the 2nd Amendment was never intended to protect this. Krasner said that the morning after the shooting, he saw completely empty streets in the traumatized neighborhood on an otherwise beautiful morning. I saw every porch empty. I saw every door closed. I saw every curtain where there was a curtain pulled. I saw no kids playing, he said, describing a bicycle left on a corner, apparently untouched for 12 or more hours, as if everybody understood what happened here was so horrible that for right now this is a desert, and for right now everything that we associate with celebrating Fourth of July is off. Tim Eads said that on Monday night he heard fireworks, then gunshots, and saw police cars flying by. His wife was on the second floor looking out the bay window and saw the shooter actually coming down this street here behind me. Eads saw the other man with a pistol who, he said, may have been firing at the shooter. He was using my car as a shield shooting out into the street, Eads said. A resident named Roger who declined to give his last name said he and his family were eating in the living room at about 8:30 p.m. when they heard eight to 10 gunshots. Everybody thought it was fireworks but ... been around here about three years so I heard it enough, he said. I looked out the window and seen a bunch of people running. He said he heard about four more shots and thought it was the end of it. Ten minutes later, he said, police came flying down here, and about five minutes later he heard rapid gunfire open up right outside the house. The Philadelphia violence was the countrys 29th mass killing in 2023, according to a database maintained by The Associated Press and USA Today in partnership with Northeastern University, the highest on record by this time in the year. The number of people killed in such events is also the highest by this time in the year. There have been more than 550 mass killings since 2006, according to the database, in which at least 2,900 people have died and at least 2,000 people have been hurt. Haitis democracy is in peril once again. A political tsunami ransacked the nation after the assassination of President Jovenel Moise in July 2021. Local law enforcement is engulfed in a battle against violent gangs that have filled the power vacuum. Gang violence over territorial control in Port-au-Prince and other regions of the country is pervasive. Kidnappings, rape, murder and shootings happen daily. A humanitarian crisis where more than 5.2 million citizens are suffering from acute hunger, compounds Haitis troubles. The last remaining elected government senators have left office in January, meaning Haiti has no parliament, no president and a fragile democracy on the brink of failure. Haitis political woes have drawn international attention. The instability presents regional security risks for its neighbors, making the United States and countries in the Caribbean corridor vulnerable to drug, gun and human-trafficking rings. Transnational gangs can easily exploit the weakened security of Haitis ports and borders. As China seeks to expand its global influence, Haitis fragility will be seen as a geo-strategic opportunity for Sino-Haitian relations. This would pose a security risk to the United States. The Caribbean community leaders of CARICOM have convened a series of consultation sessions with Haitian stakeholders to present plans and policies for security and political stability. The most recent was convened in Kingston, Jamaica, with Haitian Prime Minister Ariel Henry, and Haitian business leaders and stakeholders. These are steps in the right direction, but there must be more. Security is the most pressing issue for Haitians. Reestablishing law and order and political stability will not happen without first providing an environment of security. Currently, gangs appear to have more guns and recruits than the state. Therefore, it is crucial for the United States and CARICOM to support revamping the Haitian National Police, providing them with enhanced training and additional anti-gang resources. A coalition police unit can be established to support the PNH, offering additional personnel and expertise to bolster their efforts. This collaborative approach will help tamp down on gangs presence and provide the support to restore the sense of security the Haitian people so desperately need. Also, it is imperative for Haiti to regain control of its state borders and ports. In so doing, the state will strengthen its ability to restrict the contraband, small arms and ammunition that flow to Haitian gangs. It is an opportunity for the U.S. Coast Guard, the Caribbean Border Interagency Group (CBIG) and individual CARICOM member states to provide Haiti with logistical and maritime support in securing its borders. The next steps toward political stability will be to hold Haitis next presidential elections under free and fair conditions and the re-establishment of its parliament. The United States and CARICOM countries can provide electoral administrative expertise, polling resources and election-day observers to work alongside Haitian officials. Such support will foster an atmosphere conducive to democratic restoration and rebuilding social capital among Haitians. The Montana Accord, developed by a commission led by members of Haitian civil society, produced a policy blueprint for resolving the countrys security, economic and political crises. The group has widespread support from several Haitian and diaspora stakeholders. The United States and CARICOM should listen to this group and support its initiatives to rebuild Haitis state and society. They should be good neighbors and provide Haiti with support stabilize the state, disempower gangs and reduce political corruption. A Haitian-led assisted strategy could, perhaps for the first time in the islands history, will allow democracy to grow and flourish. Damion Blake is associate professor of political science and policy studies at Elon University. By Daniel Wiessner (Reuters) -Three civil rights groups filed a complaint against Harvard on Monday, claiming its preferential policy for undergraduate applicants with family ties to the elite school overwhelmingly benefits white students, days after the U.S. Supreme Court struck down its race-conscious admissions policies. The groups filed a complaint with the U.S. Department of Education claiming that Harvard's preferences for "legacy" applicants violates a federal law banning race discrimination for programs that receive federal funds, as virtually all U.S. colleges and universities do. Last week, the Supreme Court said race-conscious policies adopted by Harvard University and the University of North Carolina to ensure that more non-white students are admitted are unconstitutional. The decision was a major blow to efforts to attract diverse student bodies and is expected to prompt new challenges to admission policies. Harvard College is the undergraduate school of Harvard University. The groups in Monday's complaint said the Supreme Court ruling had made it even more imperative to eliminate policies that disadvantage non-white applicants. Harvard did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The groups are represented by Lawyers for Civil Rights, a Boston-based nonprofit that describes itself on its website as working with "communities of color and immigrants to fight discrimination." Ivan Espinoza-Madrigal, the group's executive director, said the Supreme Court last week made clear that any policies that disadvantage racial groups are unlawful by noting that "eliminating racial discrimination means eliminating all of it." "Your family's last name and the size of your bank account are not a measure of merit, and should have no bearing on the college admissions process, he said in a statement. Legacy policies, which are common at U.S. colleges and universities, have become increasingly controversial President Joe Biden, a Democrat, in remarks following las week's Supreme Court ruling, said schools should consider eliminating legacy policies because they expand privilege instead of opportunity. Several prominent lawmakers from both parties made similar comments. Representative Barbara Lee, a Democrat from California, called legacy policies "affirmative action for white people" in a tweet. According to Monday's complaint, nearly 70% of Harvard applicants with family ties to donors or alumni are white and are about six times more likely to be admitted than other applicants. About 28% of Harvard's class of 2019 were legacies, the groups said in the complaint. That means fewer admissions slots were available for non-white applicants who are far less likely to have family ties to the school, they said. The groups are asking the Department of Education to investigate Harvard's admission practices and order the school to abandon legacy preferences if it wants to continue receiving federal funding. Michael Kippins, one of the lawyers who filed the complaint, said in an email that Lawyers for Civil Rights has not ruled out filing a lawsuit against Harvard in the future. When the Supreme Court heard the Harvard and UNC cases last October, a lawyer for the group that had sued the schools argued that eliminating legacy preferences "would make Harvard far less white, wealthy, and privileged." Conservative Justices Neil Gorsuch and Clarence Thomas appeared to agree, pressing Harvard's lawyer on why the school could not get rid of the legacy policy instead of granting separate preferences to non-white students. The lawyer, Seth Waxman, told the court that there was no evidence that ending legacy preferences would lead to a more diverse student body. (Reporting by Daniel Wiessner in Albany, New York; Editing by Alexia Garamfalvi and Leslie Adler) By James Pomfret and Donny Kwok HONG KONG (Reuters) -Hong Kong chief executive John Lee said on Tuesday eight overseas-based Hong Kong activists who were issued with arrest warrants for alleged national security offences, would be "pursued for life". "The only way to end their destiny of being an abscondee who will be pursued for life is to surrender," Lee told reporters. Hong Kong police issued arrest warrants for the eight overseas-based activists on Monday, accusing them of national security offences, including foreign collusion and incitement to secession, and offered rewards for information leading to their arrest. The accused are activists Nathan Law, Anna Kwok and Finn Lau, former lawmakers Dennis Kwok and Ted Hui, lawyer and legal scholar Kevin Yam, unionist Christopher Mung, and online commentator Elmer Yuen. The police also offered rewards of HK$1 million ($127,656) for information leading to each possible arrest. The activists are based in several countries, including the United States, Britain and Australia. They are wanted under a national security law that Beijing imposed on Hong Kong in 2020. A U.S. State Department spokesman said the move sets "a dangerous precedent that threatens the human rights and fundamental freedoms of people all over the world." British Foreign Secretary James Cleverly said his government "will not tolerate any attempts by China to intimidate and silence individuals in the UK and overseas". China's Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said the eight had been at the "vanguard of external anti-China forces' intervention in Hong Kong affairs" and that the moves were necessary to safeguard national security. She also expressed "resolute opposition to individual countries' blatant denigration of Hong Kong's national security laws and interference in the legal system (of Hong Kong)." Anna Kwok, one of the activists who is now based in Washington D.C., told Reuters that she would continue highlighting China's crackdown on freedoms and the rule of law in Hong Kong. "I believe the values we're fighting for are right. And that's why I'm never going to stop, and I'm never going to back down, even though there's a bounty on my head," she said. Chinese authorities have repeatedly emphasized that the national security law has restored the stability necessary for preserving Hong Kong's economic success after protracted pro-democracy protests in 2019 that drew millions to the streets. Lee said authorities would continue to "monitor" the actions and behaviour of the eight while overseas, without giving specifics on how authorities would do this. "We want them to know that we will not sit and do nothing," Lee said, who also appealed to members of the public to provide information on the activists. (Additional reporting by Jessie Pang, Beijing newsroom; Editing by Muralikumar Anantharaman and Raju Gopalakrishnan) By Sakura Murakami and John Geddie TOKYO (Reuters) -Japan won approval from the U.N.'s nuclear watchdog on Tuesday for its plan to release treated radioactive water from the tsunami-wrecked Fukushima plant into the ocean, despite fierce resistance from Beijing and some local residents. After a two-year review, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said Japan's plans were consistent with global safety standards and that they would have a "negligible radiological impact to people and the environment". "This is a very special night," IAEA chief Rafael Grossi told Prime Minister Fumio Kishida before handing him a thick blue folder containing the final report. Grossi later told reporters at the Japan National Press Club, where he was met by a small group of protesters, that he would seek to allay lingering concerns and would station IAEA staff at the Fukushima plant to monitor the release. "We have to recognise that such a thing has not happened before," he said, adding that Japan would have the final say on the release, which is due to span 30 to 40 years. Japan's government maintains the process is safe as it has treated the water - enough to fill 500 Olympic-sized swimming pools - used to cool the fuel rods of the Fukushima plant after it was damaged by the earthquake and resulting tsunami. Japan has not specified a date to start the water release pending official approval from the national nuclear regulatory body for Tokyo Electric Power (Tepco), whose final word on the plan unveiled in 2021 could come as early as this week. Japanese fishing unions have long opposed the plan, saying it would undo work to repair reputations after several countries banned some Japanese food products after the 2011 disaster. A petition from the regions around the plant has garnered more than 250,000 signatures since the proposal was first made. Some neighbouring countries have also complained over the years about the threat to the marine environment and public health, with Beijing emerging as the biggest critic. "Japan will continue to provide explanations to the Japanese people and to the international community in a sincere manner based on scientific evidence and with high level of transparency," Kishida said as he met with Grossi. Through its embassy in Japan, Beijing said the IAEA report cannot be a "pass" for the water release and called for the plan's suspension. TREATED WATER Japan says the water has been filtered to remove most radioactive elements except for tritium, an isotope of hydrogen that is difficult to separate from water. The treated water will be diluted to well below internationally approved levels of tritium before being released into the Pacific. In a presentation given to foreign journalists in China last month, Japanese officials said tritium levels in the treated water are lower than those found in waste water regularly released by nuclear plants around the world, including in China. The officials said they had made multiple and repeated attempts to explain the science behind Tokyo's stance to Beijing, but their offers had been ignored. China on Tuesday said Japan's comparison of the tritium levels in the treated water and waste water was "completely confusing concepts and misleading public opinion". "If the Japanese side is bent on going its own way, it must bear all the consequences," the Chinese foreign ministry said in a statement, adding that it "regrets" IAEA's "hasty release" of its report. Grossi will visit the Fukushima plant on Wednesday. After his Japan trip, he will head to South Korea, where consumers have been snapping up sea salt and other items ahead of the water release. He is also expected to visit New Zealand and the Cook Islands in a bid to ease concerns over the plan, according to media reports. (Reporting by Sakura Murakami, John Geddie, and Kaori Kaneko in Tokyo and Martin Pollard in Beijing; Editing by Gerry Doyle, David Holmes, Alexander Smith, William Maclean) A Tri-Cities entrepreneur and civic leader, known for taking action swiftly and quietly when she saw a need, has died. Josie Wannarachue, 79, of Kennewick, died Sunday morning after being treated for five years for breast cancer. Former Washington Gov. Gary Locke once said that her accomplishments serve as a standard the rest of us can only dream of following. She was named the Kennewick Woman of the Year for 2013, an honor given to recognize community service. She may be best known in the Tri-Cities business community for owning Kennewicks King & I restaurant from 1995 to 2010. But through the years she also had owned a travel agency, a gift shop, OHenrys restaurant in Kennewick, and apartments and other rentals, including three buildings in downtown Kennewick. She was born near Manila in the Philippines and came to the Tri-Cities in 1972. Then her husband, Dr. Nikom Wannarachue, became the only pediatrician at the time in Kennewick and Pasco, with Josie, a registered nurse, working with him to manage his practice. Many of her favorite causes were related to health care and education. Josie Wannarachue, a longtime Tri-Cities businesswoman and civic leader, shows the purse named in her honor by her daughter, JoAnne Wannarachue Lord, the founder of a handbag company. Bob Brawdy/Tri-City Herald file Health care, other causes She co-led efforts along with the late Billie Jean Lampson to build the Tri-Cities Cancer Center, according to her nomination for Kennewick Woman of the Year. She co-founded the Kennewick General Hospital Foundation, which later became the Trios Health Foundation. She and her husband were the first community members to be honored at the hospitals Gala DVine in 2005 for their contributions to health care, both, in the Tri-Cities and overseas, and their generosity. The couple recruited dozens of doctors and nurses to the Tri-Cities and established Camp Trios, a place where children with diabetes could gather for fun and education each summer, according to Josie Wannarachues nomination for Kennewick Woman of the Year. She served as a Columbia Basin College trustee for five years and was a host to dozens of foreign exchange students in the Tri-Cities. She served on many other boards in the Tri-Cities, including the Mid-Columbia Arts Council, the March of Dimes, The ARC, the Philippine American Association and the Lions Club, according to her nomination for Kennewick Woman of the Year. She also served as co-chairwoman for Mayfest for St. Josephs Catholic Church in Kennewick. She and her husband formed the Asian Association in the Tri-Cities, and they maintained their ties to their homelands, including Thailand, where Dr. Wannarachue grew up. Josie Wannarachue became an excellent Thai food cook, publishing a cookbook and adding Thai food to the menu at OHenrys during the years that she owned the restaurant. As the restaurant changed ownership through the years, Josie Wannarachue made sure that the Kennewick High School class photos from the 1930s through the 1950s that decorated its walls went to the East Benton County Historical Museum. Josie Wannarachue stands outside the downtown Kennewick building she renovated and transformed, along with her husband Dr. Nikom Wannarachue, into a salon and acupuncture studio in 2008. Bob Brawdy/Tri-City Herald file Overseas generosity When Mount Pinatubo erupted and spewed ash across part of the Philippines in 1991, Jose Wannarachue traveled to her parents home there and then into the mountains with supplies to help the 1,200 Aetas, aborigines of the Philippines, living in a makeshift relief camp. She inherited property in the village her family founded in the Philippines, but turned down a cash offer to help those who depended on jobs there. She gave the rice fields to a church to help send poor children to school, according to a nomination for an award. The Wannarachues also donated laptops to the school in Dr. Wannarachues home village to help its students better compete with those from more affluent schools. And they worked with the Rotary Club of Pasco-Kennewick to bring water filtration systems to schools in the area where Dr. Wannarachue grew up. Josie Wannarachues generosity also was well known in the Tri-Cities, whether it was filling a refrigerator for a young couple moving to the Tri-Cities or buying Christmas gifts for children who might otherwise have none. When a manicurist from Vietnam was struggling to support newborn twins in the Tri-Cities, Josie Wannarachue made sure she had formula and diapers to get the babies through at least their first 12 months. In recent years Josie Wannarachue drew on her travel experience to plan and choreograph all the details for annual trips, often to Asia, and then invite groups of her plentiful friends to join her and Dr. Wannarachue. She was always up for another adventure, said her friend Wanda Briggs, a Kennewick General Hospital District board member. Josie Wannarachue services Briggs posted on Facebook that Josie Wannarachue had more friends than she could count and we are all broken-hearted. She was the most generous and caring soul and her legacy will forever remain in my heart, another friend posted. Josie Wannarachue is survived by her husband, the three children they raised and three grandchildren. Hillcrest Funerals and Cremation of Kennewick is in charge of arrangements. A public viewing is 4-8 p.m. Wednesday, July 12, at Hillcrest, 9535 W. Clearwater Ave. At 10 a.m. Thursday, July 13, a public viewing is planned at St. Joseph Catholic Church in Kennewick, followed by a Rosary at 11 a.m. and a funeral Mass at noon. (Photo : Joe Raedle/Getty Images) A top Ron DeSantis PAC official has acknowledged that former United States President Donald Trump has a significant lead in the race to become the 2024 GOP presidential nominee. A top official from Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis' Political Action Committee (PAC) acknowledged that the presidential hopeful lags behind former United States President Donald Trump for the GOP nomination. The spokesperson added that the Florida lawmaker faces an "uphill battle" as he trailed behind Trump in key nominating states. Furthermore, Steve Cortes, who previously supported the former president, also piled on more praise for the Republican businessman, calling him a "runaway frontrunner" and "maestro" of the debate. Ron DeSantis Lags Behind Donald Trump In a Twitter spaces event recorded on Sunday night, Cortes said that DeSantis was way behind in national polling. He also called the Florida governor's campaign the "clear underdog." Cortes noted that in the first four states, which were crucial, polls were much tighter, but they were still clearly down by double digits. Cortes' remarks and acknowledgment are seen as a blunt admission of vulnerability from within the ranks of a leading presidential operation. It contrasts the projection of confidence that other DeSantis aides have taken, as per Politico. On the other hand, Cortes said that he believes the gap between DeSantis and Trump could be closed after the former's personal and political story is shared more widely on the campaign trail. However, he also rationalized a primary campaign failure by the DeSantis campaign when it predicted healthy competition would benefit Trump in a general election. When Cortes was asked about his comments regarding the situation, he said that Trump could debate through two successive presidential cycles, meaning he had much experience. The spokesperson added, however, that the Florida governor could outperform expectations and inform large audiences regarding his amazing life, political record, and winning agenda for the presidency. According to Yahoo News, Cortes argued that Trump's lead has gotten significantly greater after the indictments against him, primarily the recent one regarding classified documents taken to the former president's Mar-a-Lago estate. Read Also: Pete Buttigieg Questions Objective of Ron DeSantis' Anti-LGBTQ Campaign Ad GOP Nominee in the 2024 Presidential Election The DeSantis PAC spokesperson was previously a senior advisor to the former president during the latter's 2016 and 2020 presidential campaigns. But in May, he announced that he would be endorsing the Florida governor for the Republican nomination in the 2024 presidential election. Now, Cortes serves as an advisor and spokesman for the Never Back Down PAC, which supports the Florida governor for the Republican nomination. In an op-ed at the time that DeSantis was "the best possible option to win the presidency" and argued that the "America First movement" is larger than any one individual. The situation comes as DeSantis and Trump, who were once allies, have become the fiercest of rivals to each other in their hopes of becoming the GOP nominee in the 2024 presidential election. They previously shared stances on various issues, such as criticism of Democrats and arguing that medical experts did not do enough to curb the spread of the coronavirus. But now, both candidates claim that the other was too strict during the response to the COVID-19 health crisis, said CNN. Related Article: Joe Biden To Meet King Charles, PM Rishi Sunak in UK Trip on Way to NATO Summit @ 2023 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. (Reuters) - Russian President Vladimir Putin hosted an eight-year-old girl in the Kremlin on Tuesday and got her to join him in a bizarre phone call to his finance minister to ask for a budget grant for her home region. The Kremlin released video of Putin welcoming the girl, Raisat Akipova, in the latest of a series of appearances since a brief armed mutiny last month that seem designed to show him as caring, concerned and in control. Finance Minister Anton Siluanov initially sounded bemused by the call and failed to respond to the girl's greeting, but quickly agreed to the extra funding for her home region in southern Russia. "Excellent!" Putin responded, before telling the girl: "We've got 5 billion roubles for Dagestan" - a sum equivalent to $55.6 million. Putin chuckled with amusement during the conversation and a similar call that he made with Raisat to Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin. The girl, holding a bouquet of flowers, thanked Siluanov when prompted by the president. The visit was a sequel to a visit by Putin to Dagestan last week when, unusually, he mingled with a large crowd of people. The Kremlin cited that as evidence of the president's "astounding" support in Russian society, days after the brief mutiny by the Wagner mercenary group that had prompted him to warn of the risk of civil war in Russia. Putin told Raisat he had invited her and her parents to Moscow because he had been "upset" by seeing a picture of her in tears after failing to get to see him during his Dagestan trip. (Reporting by Mark Trevelyan; Editing by Gareth Jones) (Anne Cusack/Los Angeles Times) Nearly two weeks after former servers at Jon & Vinnys filed a class-action lawsuit against the popular Italian American restaurant, alleging that the establishment violated California gratuity laws, the restaurant changed the language tacked on to the end of customer bills regarding its 18% service fee. At the bottom of customers' checks, it now reads: The service charge is not a tip or gratuity, and is an added fee controlled by the restaurant that helps facilitate a higher living base wage for all of our employees. Please scan the QR Code at the top of the receipt for additional information, or speak with a manager. As recently as June, receipts at the Fairfax and Beverly Hills locations did not mention that the service fee was not a gratuity. Instead, the receipt had a QR code, which if scanned, linked to a web page that says What We Believe. There, customers are told, No, the service charge is not a tip or gratuity, it is an added fee that is controlled by the restaurant. Over the weekend, servers received a message from management about the change. We have decided to further update the guest check and QR Code summary page regarding the service charge, the message read. Although we have always been very clear with our guests and our staff that the service charge is not a tip or gratuity, unfortunately the recent LA Times article has created confusion and we dont want that to affect our staff or our customers experience. We believe in this team, the experience, and our ability to come together to preserve whats so special about Jon & Vinny's. A spokesperson for Jon & Vinnys declined to comment beyond the note sent to staff. Read more:Is a dine-in service fee a tip? Former servers allege in suit they are owed gratuities from Jon & Vinny's The announcement and change in billing language comes after a Los Angeles Times article published on June 21 about the class-action lawsuit filed in Los Angeles Superior Court against Joint Venture Restaurant Group Inc., which owns Jon & Vinnys. The workers claim that the company denied them tips and therefore shortchanged them on their take-home pay because of confusion resulting from the 18% service fee. Californias gratuity law requires that tips be remitted in full to non-managerial service staff. Through a spokesperson, the restaurant group including partners Jon Shook, Vinny Dotolo and Helen Johannesen, well-known figures in the L.A. culinary community denied the claims. The business partners said their service-charge model democratizes a dining staffs earnings for everyone in their restaurants, and that customers are offered information that states the fee is not a tip. Ten years ago, we recognized that the traditional tip model rewarded some employees, but left many employees behind creating a huge disparity where some employees did very well and others did not, the group said in a statement sent to the Los Angeles Times. The service fee, it added, not only unquestionably benefits hourly employees, but it is unquestionably legal, having been vetted by independent leading professionals in the hospitality industry. Read more:'Deceiving and disgusting: Readers react to the rise of restaurant service fees A server who currently works at the Jon & Vinnys Beverly Hills location said the new language might be clearer but didnt please some of their diners on Sunday evening. The server didnt want to be named due to fear of retaliation. It certainly doesnt solve the problem, because people are still pissed about the 18% and where it goes, the server said. And it clearly didnt make them tip more last night. Sunday night, the server said, diners left fewer tips than usual for him. He said customers left a lot of zeroes in tips or wrote included in the tip line. Sign up for L.A. Goes Out, a weekly newsletter about exploring and experiencing Los Angeles from the L.A. Times. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times. A Christian graphic artist who the Supreme Court said can refuse to make wedding websites for gay couples pointed during her lawsuit to a request from a man named Stewart and his husband-to-be. The twist? Stewart says it never happened. The revelation has raised questions about how Lorie Smith's case was allowed to proceed all the way to the nation's highest court with such an apparent misrepresentation and whether the state of Colorado, which lost the case last week, has any legal recourse. It has served as another distraction at the end of a highly polarizing term for a Supreme Court marked by ethical questions and contentious rulings along ideological lines that rejected affirmative action in higher education and President Joe Bidens $400 billion plan to cancel or reduce federal student loan debts. Here's a look at the legal questions surrounding the mysterious would-be customer, Stewart:" WHAT ROLE DID THE CLAIM PLAY IN THE CASE? About a month after the conservative legal group Alliance Defending Freedom filed the case in Colorado federal court in 2016, lawyers for the state said it should be dismissed partly because Smith hadn't been harmed by the states anti-discrimination law. Smith who did not plan to start creating wedding websites until her case was resolved would first have to get a request from a gay couple and refuse, triggering a possible complaint against her, the state argued. Smith's lawyers maintained that she didn't have to be punished for violating the law before challenging it. In a February 2017 filing, they revealed that though she did not need a request to pursue the case, she had, in fact, received one. An appendix to the filing included a website request form submitted by Stewart on Sept. 21, 2016, a few days after the lawsuit was filed. It also included a Feb. 1, 2017, affidavit from Smith stating that Stewarts request had been received. Two documents Smith filed with the Supreme Court briefly mention that she had received at least one request to create a website celebrating a same-sex wedding but do not elaborate. The request stated that Stewart and his fiance Mike were looking for design work on things like invitations and place setting cards for their upcoming wedding. We might also stretch to a website, the form said. Lawyers for Colorado wrote in their brief to the Supreme Court in August that it did not amount to an actual request for a website and the company did not take any steps to verify that a genuine prospective customer submitted the form. It's not clear whether the state took any steps to verify whether Stewart whose contact information was included in court papers was a real potential customer. Stewart told The Associated Press last week that he didn't even know his name had been invoked in the case until he was contacted by a reporter for The New Republic, which first reported his denial. Stewart, who declined to give his last name for fear of harassment and threats, said he was incredibly surprised, adding he has been married to a woman for 15 years. COULD THE REVELATION IMPACT THE CASE NOW? It's highly unlikely. The would-be customer's request was not the basis for Smith's original lawsuit, nor was it cited by the high court as the reason for ruling in her favor. Legal standing, or the right to bring a lawsuit, generally requires the person bringing the case to show that they have suffered some sort of harm. But pre-enforcement challenges like the one Smith brought are allowed in certain cases if the person can show they face a credible threat of prosecution or sanctions unless they conform to the law. The 10th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, which reviewed the case before the Supreme Court, found that Smith had standing to sue. That appeals court noted that Colorado had a history of past enforcement against nearly identical conduct and that the state decline to promise that it wouldn't go after Smith if she violated the law. If there are other places where you can get standing, then legally speaking I dont think it actually does make a difference, said Jessica Levinson, a professor at Loyola Law School. However, it could have affected the case by undermining the credibility of Smith's legal team, potentially causing the judge to look more skeptically at everything else they filed, Levinson said. It could also result in potential sanctions against Smith's legal team if it turns out they knew Stewart's request was false, Levinson said. While the revelation cannot change the decision, its something that shouldve come up in the litigation, said Erwin Chemerinsky, the dean of Berkeley Law, because then what the court should have done is say we have doubts about this, we cant resolve it, we send it back to the federal district court. Kristen Waggoner the president of Alliance Defending Freedom, who argued the case before the high court has said her client doesnt have a way of doing background checks on those requesting business nor is it her responsibility to do so. On Monday, Waggoner slammed suggestions that her client made up the request, adding that the more likely scenario is that "Stewart or another activist did in fact submit the request. To say that Lorie Smith or ADF fabricated a request for a same-sex wedding website is a lie," she said in an emailed statement. It would make no sense to have fabricated a request because one wasnt required for the court to decide her case. HAS ANYTHING LIKE THIS HAPPENED BEFORE? An error like that especially at the level of the Supreme Court is highly unusual, legal experts say. Assuming the allegation is correct that this was something that was factually inaccurate ... I've never seen anything that blatant happen before," said Adam Feldman, who follows the court as the creator of the Empirical SCOTUS blog. Lawyers have, however, had to walk back statements made to the court before. The solicitor general, who represents the government before the Supreme Court, apologized in a court filing this year for an inaccurate statement made to the court during oral arguments over a 2017 patent case. Solicitor General Elizabeth Prelogar wrote that the lawyer was given wrong information by the United States Patent and Trademark Office, adding: We regret any misimpression inadvertently created by the answer that was given. The court has also included errors in its own rulings. In 2017, ProPublica published a review of several dozen cases in which they found several false or wholly unsupported factual claims." Among them was an error in Shelby County v. Holder, which struck down part of the Voting Rights Act. The publication reported that Chief Justice John Roberts included incorrect data in a comparison of voter registration among Black people and white people in certain states. ____ Associated Press reporter Jesse Bedayn contributed from Denver. SAO PAULO (Reuters) -Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva said on Tuesday he wants the Mercosur trade bloc to advance in talks for deals with Canada, South Korea and Singapore, while aiming to increase commerce with other countries in Latin America and Asia. The leftist president's remarks during a summit of Mercosur leaders in Argentina came as he took temporary presidency of the bloc, which comprises Brazil, Argentina, Paraguay and Uruguay. The Mercosur has been holding negotiation rounds for trade deals with the three countries mentioned by Lula for years now, according to the Organization of American States (OAS), with advances seen especially since 2018. In addition to those three nations, Lula said, Mercosur could also "explore new negotiation fronts" with China, Indonesia, Vietnam and countries in Central America and the Caribbean. The Brazilian leader reaffirmed he is committed to completing the trade agreement struck in 2019 between the bloc and the European Union, but again called some addenda proposed by EU "unacceptable". He singled out for criticism an addendum introducing penalties for nations failing to comply with climate goals and a procurement clause allowing European companies to sell to Brazil's public sector. Lula, who has been pushing for greater integration between Latin American countries, said he also sees room for more trade between Mercosur nations and Chile, Colombia, Ecuador and Peru, while also calling for Bolivia's accession to the bloc. "It is urgent that Bolivia becomes a full member of Mercosur," he said, adding he would work to get Brazil's Congress to approve the neighboring country's accession. The heads of the Mercosur decided to accept Bolivia as a full member in 2015, but its entrance needs to be authorized by congresses of the full members. Bolivia is currently an "associated state," the same status held by Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Guyana, Peru and Suriname. Venezuela ascended to full membership in 2012 but ended up suspended five years later. (Reporting by Gabriel Araujo and Eduardo Simoes; Editing by Isabel Woodford and David Gregorio) MARSEILLE, France (Reuters) - French prosecutors have opened an investigation into the death of a 27-year old man who was hit by a projectile at the time of the riots on Saturday, the Marseille prosecutor's office said on Tuesday. There was rioting across France following the funeral of a teenager of North African descent, whose shooting by police during a traffic stop sparked nationwide unrest for several days. Prosecutors said the likely cause of the death in Marseille was a violent shock to the chest from a "flash-ball" projectile as used by riot police, but did not specify who fired or owned the gun. The impact led to cardiac arrest and sudden death. The man died in the night from July 1 to July 2, while Marseille was engulfed in riots and pillaging, but prosecutors said it was not possible to determine where the man was when he was shot or whether the victim had taken part in the riots. The biggest flashpoint on Saturday was in Marseille, where police fired tear gas and fought street battles with youths around the city centre late into the night. Flash-ball guns are designed to be non-lethal riot control weapons that do not penetrate the skin, but their use by police in France is disputed as the projectiles have led to the loss of eyes, head injuries and other trauma. (Reporting by Marc Leras, writing by Geert De Clercq; editing by David Evans) Robert Irwin and Rorie Buckey made their red carpet debut Monday at the Sydney premiere of "Mission: Impossible Dead Reckoning Part One." Buckey stepped out onto the red carpet at Darling Harbours International Convention Centre in a black off-the-shoulder dress with a side cut-out while Irwin suited up in all black as well. Irwin, 19, and Buckey, also 19, have been reported to be dating since 2022, though the pair have not yet publicly confirmed their relationship status. Irwin, son to the late wildlife expert and TV personality Steve Irwin, hosts the TV program "Roberts Real Life Adventures" and stars on Animal Planet's series "Crikey! It's the Irwins." Rorie Buckley and Robert Irwin attends the Australian premiere of Though Buckey does not work in the film industry, she also has her ties to Hollywood as niece to the late Australian actor Heath Ledger. Her mother, Kate, owns a design and media productions company and is Ledger's sister. Buckey and Irwin were first linked romantically in November 2022 when they were spotted on a date in Queensland, eating burgers and watching the sunset together. The pair was also photographed together on Irwin's birthday a few weeks later at the Australia Zoo, where he and his mother, Terri, performed a show as Buckey watched from the stands. Robert Irwin during the 33rd Annual ARIA Awards 2019 at The Star on November 27, 2019 in Sydney, Australia. (Mark Metcalfe / Getty Images) Terri, Robert and Robert's sister, Bindi, all work at the Australia Zoo, which Terri has owned independently since her husband Steve's death from a stingray injury in 2006. Robert has previously alluded to being on the lookout for a romantic partner. The wildlife photographer told E! News in an October 2022 interview that his sister, who is married and welcomed her first child in March 2021, has joked about it being time for Robert to find his own special someone. "Theres always a lot of rumors that go around," he said. "Bindis having a second kid or theyre having triplets. Theres always so many crazy things that happen so Bindi always says, Robert, its your turn now. You gotta find someone to take the heat off me! At the time, he told E! News that he would "get there" someday. Though Robert has not yet made any social media announcements regarding Buckey, he has been known to post fondly about his family members. Most recently, on June 23, he shared a set of photos on Instagram with his 2-year-old niece, Grace. "My favorite moments," he wrote in a simple and sweet caption for the post, which shows him playing with Grace on the rocks next to a lake. He also posted an old throwback photo last month of his parents in honor of their wedding anniversary. "Happy wedding anniversary Mum and Dad," his caption read. "Forever my biggest inspirations ." This article was originally published on TODAY.com Festivalgoers got more of an adventure than they bargained for Sunday when a roller coaster ride got stuck at a fair in Wisconsin, leaving them hanging upside down for hours. Eight passengers were left suspended when a mechanical failure stalled the ride at the Forest County Festival in Crandon, Wisconsin, the Crandon Fire Department said. There was a mechanical failure with the ride where it became stuck up in the upright position. The ride was recently inspected by the state of Wisconsin here on site, fire department Capt. Brennan Cook told CNN affiliate WJFW. Videos on social media and video taken by WJFW show a rescuer climbing up the side of the Fireball ride, while passengers wait upside down. Our department has never experienced a situation like we did (Sunday), Erica Kostichka from Antigo Fire/EMS told CNN affiliate WAOW. The passengers and the crews there to help them were harnessed to keep everyone safe during the rescue, Kostichka said. Emergency personnel work to remove people from a stuck roller coaster in Crandon, Wisconsin, on July 2. - WJFW An off-duty firefighter with specialized ropes rescue training happened to be on the scene and advised the Crandon Fire Department on potential rescue options, according to a joint news release Tuesday from the fire department and Crandon Area Rescue Squad. Due to the height of the ride, special equipment and rescue teams were called in to help, the news release said. Passengers waited for a ladder truck with a 100-foot platform to come from 45 minutes away, the release said. Firefighters from three cities assisted the Crandon Fire Department in the rescue. Emergency personnel stand by as eight people are removed from a stuck roller coaster in Crandon, Wisconsin. - WJFW The first passenger got back to solid ground at 3:20 p.m. CT, about two hours after emergency crews were dispatched, the news release said. The last passenger reached the ground at 5:01 p.m. more than three hours after the ride stalled. Families are being reunited with people as they come down off of the ride from the rescuers and everybody seems to be doing as best as they can, given the circumstances, Cook told WJFW. Nine patients were treated by emergency medical services and one person was transported to Aspirus Rhinelander Hospital by ambulance, according to the release. Ten fire vehicles, nine ambulances and 50 people from three counties helped rescue the passengers, the fire department said. The ordeal came two days after a father spotted a crack in a steel support pillar at the top of a roller coaster at Carowinds amusement park in Charlotte, North Carolina. That ride was closed for inspection and repair. Crandon is in northern Wisconsin, about 30 miles east of Rhinelander. For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com (Reuters) -Russia on Tuesday restated a demand for its state agricultural bank to be reconnected to the global SWIFT payments system to avert the collapse of the Black Sea grain deal, and said it would not accept a reported compromise proposal. With 13 days remaining until the expiry of the deal, which has allowed Ukraine to export grain from its Black Sea ports despite Russia's invasion, Moscow said there had been no progress on any of its key demands, including the banking issue. The Financial Times reported on Monday that the European Union was considering a proposal to allow Russia's Rosselkhozbank to set up a subsidiary that could connect to SWIFT. But Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova dismissed the idea as "deliberately unworkable", saying it would take many months to set up such a unit and another three months to connect to SWIFT. She also rejected a U.N. attempt to create an alternative payment channel between Rosselkhozbank and U.S. bank JP Morgan. "There is no real replacement for SWIFT, and cannot be," Zakharova said in a statement. Britain's U.N. Ambassador Barbara Woodward said on Monday she was not confident the grain deal would be renewed. "The U.N. is doing all it can and we will do all we can. We've already worked very closely with the City of London to enable a very complex payment system for grain in order to make it work and continue to get food on people's tables," she said. Russia says the severing of the bank's access to SWIFT is one of the obstacles facing its own exports of food and fertiliser, and that it cannot keep renewing the Black Sea deal unless those issues are addressed. 'FERTILISER CRUNCH' The stakes are high. The United Nations says the deal has so far allowed the export of more than 32 million metric tons of food from three Ukrainian Black Sea ports to 45 countries on three continents. It describes the Black Sea grain deal and the efforts to facilitate Russian grain and fertiliser exports as "a lifeline for global food security". Any disruption or halt to such trade could aggravate a food crisis in the poorest countries and push global prices higher. Since March 2022, global food prices have dropped by 22%, according to the Food and Agriculture Organization. Russia has made previous threats to quit the deal, but its rhetoric has hardened since then. Russia's foreign ministry said on Tuesday it was "obvious there are no grounds" to extend the deal beyond July 17 and that Russia was doing everything necessary for all ships covered by the deal to leave the Black Sea before that date. It also said the deal had delivered Ukrainian grain to "well-fed" countries but failed to help those most in need. The five poorest countries - Ethiopia, Yemen, Afghanistan, Sudan and Somalia - received only 2.6% of the grain shipped, it said, while the situation regarding Russian grain and fertiliser exports had "continued to worsen". The U.N. said the World Food Programme has bought more than 700,000 tonnes of grain under the Black Sea deal for aid operations in those countries - matching the volumes it procured from Ukraine in 2021. But it has acknowledged that a "fertiliser crunch remains a reality for farmers in certain developing countries, against the backdrop of the cost-of-living crisis". The U.N. said it is continuing to work on ways to facilitate Russian fertiliser exports including: a trade finance platform with the African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank); facilities related to banking and insurance; and the resumption of key transshipment routes for fertiliser and ammonia. (Additional reporting by Felix Light and Olzhas AuyezovWriting by Mark Trevelyan and Michelle NicholsEditing by David Goodman and Gareth Jones) KYIV (Reuters) -A Russian drone attack killed at least two people and injured 19 in the northern Ukrainian city of Sumy on Monday, prompting President Volodymyr Zelenskiy to call for a major upgrade of anti-aircraft defences. An official building and two residential buildings were damaged in an attack carried out with four drones, the Sumy regional administration said on the messaging app Telegram. Images posted by Ukraine's state emergency service showed mangled buildings and courtyards scattered with debris as rescue workers tackled a fire. "Unfortunately, our country does not yet have a sufficient number of high-quality air defence systems to protect our entire territory and shoot down all enemy targets," Zelenskiy said in his nightly video address. "We will do everything possible and impossible to make our air defences the strongest." Ukraine, he said, needed to protect its own territory and "in future become the basis of a European air shield. This is absolutely necessary and absolutely possible." He said Ukrainian air defences had downed more than 3,000 targets of various types over the 16 months of war. Another air-raid alert was declared in the Sumy region several hours after the morning strike. Kyiv's military had earlier on Monday reported shooting down 13 of 17 Iranian-made Shahed drones launched by Moscow overnight in a separate attack on several parts of the country. Russia, which launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, has stepped up air strikes against Ukraine in recent weeks, and Ukraine has launched a counteroffensive to try to retake occupied territory. (Reporting by Dan Peleschuk, Editing by Timothy Heritage, Andrew Heavens and Ron Popeski) (Photo : STR/AFP via Getty Images) China's Tiangong Space Station is becoming a center for global scientific collaboration as it hosts experiemce from researchers worldwide. China's Tiangong Space Station has started to become a global center for scientific collaboration as it begins hosting experiments from researchers worldwide. The efforts showcase Beijing's attempts to engage the global scientific community and shore up support for its endeavors. In a recent United Nations-hosted online symposium, China's Manned Space Agency project officially announced the transportation of the first experimental equipment for joint projects with the UN to the space station on May 10. China's Tiangong Space Station Hosts Science Experiments One of the experiments comes from the University of Tokyo, which is made in collaboration with associate Professor Shinji Nakaya and will observe the behavior of flames in a low-gravity environment. Nakaya seeks to compare the characteristics observed in the Chinese space station with ground-based measurements by looking at small flames generated from burning methane. An acquaintance approached the Japanese professor from Beijing's Tsinghua University. Subsequently, as per The Rio Times, he was cleared of any security concerns by the University of Tokyo and Japan's Ministry of Economy, Trade, and Industry. China has collaborated with the UN since 2018 in recruiting researchers for experiments on the Tiangong Space Station. Beijing covers space launch expenses, while researchers are responsible for developing experiment equipment and transporting it to China. In 2019, there were 42 applicants; nine projects involving 17 countries and 23 institutes were chosen. The project encompasses diverse fields such as disease studies, earth observation, and solar cell development. Completing the construction of the Tiangong Space Station in November 2022 has provided additional research opportunities beyond the International Space Station (ISS). Also, China's independent space station endeavor partly stems from the Wolf Amendment in a US appropriations bill of 2011, which prevents NASA from cooperating with China. Nakaya said that many factors are involved in the movement of flames, citing his research and adding that there are limitations to simulations done on Earth. According to Nikkei Asia, seven projects are currently in the development stage, with Tsinghua University and the University of Tokyo's flame experiments leading the efforts. Read Also: Powerful Gamma Ray Burst Born From Multiple Stars Colliding Near Black Hole Providing More Opportunities The Japanese professor added that they chose to go with China's Tiangong Space Station to host their experiment because the ISS does more research related to industrial applications. He noted fewer opportunities for basic research, such as combustion physics. The situation follows China's launch of a free three-person crew to the Tiangong Space Station last month. They were sent to replace three fellows, "taikonauts," wrapping up their six-month stay in outer space. The latest crew launch included 56-year-old veteran commander Jing Haipeng, accompanied by Zhu Yangzhu and Gui Haichao. The former is the first Chinese flier to make four trips to space. On the other hand, Gui, a professor at Beijing University with a doctorate in astronautics, became the first civilian taikonaut to reach orbit and the first to visit the Tiangong Space Station. The launch marked China's fifth piloted flight to its space station and its third since it began around-the-clock staffing in June, said CBS News. Related Article: SpaceX Successfully Launches Euclid Space Telescope To Map, Study 'Dark Universe' @ 2023 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. LONDON (Reuters) - Former Russian president Dmitry Medvedev said on Tuesday that 185,000 new recruits had joined the Russian army as professional contract soldiers since the start of the year, as Moscow tries to beef up forces that have suffered big losses in Ukraine. Last year Russia announced a plan to boost the size of its armed forces by more than 30% to 1.5 million combat personnel, an ambitious task made harder by its heavy but undisclosed casualties in the war. Posters urging people to join up as contract soldiers are plastered throughout Russian cities, and TV adverts frequently pump out the same message. "According to the Ministry of Defence, from January 1 to July 4, more than 185,000 people were accepted into the ranks of the Armed Forces, of which about 109,000 are in the reserve, as well as other categories of citizens who are called up to serve under contract," Medvedev said. In a video posted on Telegram, he said that almost 10,000 new recruits had joined up in the last week since a brief mutiny by the Wagner mercenary group, whose fighters were given the option of signing on as regular soldiers. "I want to specifically note that the attempted armed rebellion did not change the attitude of citizens to contract service in the zone of the special military operation," Medvedev said, referring to the conflict in Ukraine. President Vladimir Putin ordered a "partial mobilisation" of 300,000 reservists last September, prompting hundreds of thousands of others to flee Russia in order to avoid being sent to fight. Putin has said there is no need for any further mobilisation. Medvedev, appointed earlier this year to a role overseeing Russia's domestic military production, has said that factories are working round the clock to supply the army in Ukraine. In Tuesday's comments, he proposed that assets seized from criminals, including high-speed boats and cars, should also be handed to the military. He said prosecutors, the FSB security service and other agencies should work with the Defence Ministry to "take measures to transfer such equipment to our troops as soon as possible". (Reporting by Felix Light; Writing by Mark Trevelyan; Editing by Gareth Jones) By Krishn Kaushik and YP Rajesh NEW DELHI (Reuters) - The leaders of China, India, Russia and Pakistan on Tuesday sought to forge closer ties and boost cooperation within the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) group as it seeks to expand its reach and counter Western influence in the region. India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Russia's President Vladimir Putin, China's President Xi Jinping, Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and leaders of four central Asian countries attended a virtual summit of the political and security group formed in 2001 by Beijing and Moscow. Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi also took part in the proceedings as Tehran is due to join as the ninth member on Tuesday and Belarus will sign a memorandum of obligations which will lead to its membership later. When both countries, which have observer status and close ties to Moscow, are accepted as members of the SCO it will expand the grouping's western flank in both Europe and Asia. In his address from Beijing to the online summit, Xi called for strengthening exchanges and mutual learning among SCO members and efforts to safeguard regional peace and ensure common security, Chinese state media reported. He urged the grouping to focus on pragmatic cooperation to speed up economic recovery and to follow the right direction and enhance solidarity and mutual trust. Putin, making his first appearance at an international forum since a short-lived mutiny last month, reassured the leaders of Russia's stability and unity. Moscow, Putin said, planned to boost ties with SCO and supported the transition to local currencies for trade settlement. He also warned that the potential for conflicts and the risk of a global economic crisis were on the rise. Putin thanked members of the SCO who he said had expressed their support for his efforts "to protect the constitutional order, the lives and security of citizens". He told them that Russia would stand up against Western pressure, sanctions and "provocations" imposed over what Moscow calls its "special military operation" in Ukraine. Russia views countries such as China, India and Iran - the newest member of the SCO - as key partners in confronting the United States and resisting what it portrays as U.S. attempts to dictate the world order. The summit takes place barely two weeks after Modi was hosted by U.S. President Joe Biden for a state visit, and the two countries called themselves "among the closest partners in the world". DIPLOMATIC TIGHTROPE India, which holds the presidency of SCO and the G20 this year, has walked a diplomatic tightrope as relations between Western nations and a Russia-China partnership have been fraught due to Moscow's invasion of Ukraine last year, and Beijing's growing assertive presence in the global geopolitical theatre. Speaking earlier as he opened the summit, Modi urged SCO members to jointly fight terrorism, help Afghanistan and tackle global challenges such as food, fuel and fertiliser shortages. He said the world is embroiled in disputes, tensions and the impact of the pandemic and global food, fuel and fertiliser crises are big challenges for all countries. "We need to think together that are we, as a group, capable of meeting the expectations and ambitions of our people? Are we capable of facing modern challenges?" Modi said. "Is SCO becoming a group that is completely ready for the future?" Putin spoke to Modi in a call last week in the aftermath of the mercenary mutiny. During the discussion, Modi reiterated a call for dialogue and diplomacy regarding the war in Ukraine. Last year on the sidelines of the summit in Uzbekistan, Modi told Putin that it was not the era of war, which is the closest India has come to addressing the issue directly with the Russian leader. Both Putin and Xi are expected to visit New Delhi in September as India hosts the G20 summit, and Biden and leaders of other member nations are also likely to be present. India has refused to blame Russia for the war and increased bilateral trade largely by lifting purchases of Russian oil to a record high, which has irked several Western capitals. Pakistan's Sharif said the international community finds itself in a standstill on Afghanistan and that critical support needed by Kabul to prevent a humanitarian crisis has been withheld. "This policy needs an urgent reset," Sharif said. "The international community should meaningfully engage with the interim Afghan government to take the next steps. Similarly, the interim Afghan government should take concrete measures to ensure its soil is not used for terrorism by any entity." No country, including Pakistan, has formally recognised the Taliban's administration since it took over the country in 2021. A cut in development aid by foreign donors and sanctions on its banking sector have severely hampered the economy. (Reporting by Krishn Kaushik and YP Rajesh in New Delhi; Additonal reporting by Charlotte Greenfield in Islamabad; Editing by Philippa Fletcher and Jacqueline Wong) By Diadie Ba DAKAR (Reuters) -A long-awaited decision on Monday by Senegal's President Macky Sall not to run for a third term next year has thrown open the race to lead the West African nation on the verge of becoming an oil and gas producer. Neither Sall's Alliance for the Republic party, nor the broader Benno Bokk Yakaar (BBY) ruling coalition, has put forward any candidates since Sall ended widespread speculation about his political intentions. Insiders point to Prime Minister Amadou Ba, former Prime Minister Mahammad Dionne and Agriculture Minister Aly Ngouille Ndiaye as potential candidates. BBY is seeking to avoid a protracted search and primaries just under five months before a deadline to submit presidential candidates for the February poll. "We are already discussing among ourselves," Aymerou Gningue, a former parliament speaker for BBY said on Tuesday. "If we stand unified and put forward our values of solidarity and generosity to find out what we can do for Senegal we will find a strong consensus," he added. The United Nations on Tuesday commended Sall's decision as a "strong demonstration of statesmanship", echoing praise from other African leaders. Sall critics had said seeking a third would have been illegal. BBY also lauded the president and said in a statement it had all the necessary resources to keep the trust of most Senegalese people. The ruling coalition is likely to face a divided field as several opposition politicians have already voiced intentions to run for the top job. It is still unclear if firebrand opposition leader Ousmane Sonko, who finished third in the 2019 election, will be among them. Sonko was sentenced in early June to a two-year jail term for immoral behaviour toward a woman younger than 21 who he was initially accused of raping. He has denied the charges. Sonko's sentencing sparked days of deadly riots across the country. Other potential contenders include former Prime Minister Idrissa Seck, who came in second in the 2019 presidential poll, and another former Prime Minister, Aminata Toure. Toure left the BBY coalition following a public fallout with Sall earlier this year. The field could increase further as parliament is set to pass bills this week that would allow two other opposition figures struck from the 2019 voter roll to run. (Reporting by Diadie Ba; Additional reporting by Michelle Nichols in New York; Writing by Bate Felix; Editing by Sofia Christensen, Mark Potter and Bill Berkrot) Millions of dollars in state funding are headed to the Central Coast to support projects related to energy development, land preservation, storm repairs and more. San Luis Obispo County will receive more than $13 million of that funding, according to a news release from California State Sen. John Laird, D-Santa Cruz. About $20 million total will be allocated to District 17, which is represented by Laird and includes Santa Cruz and San Luis Obispo Counties, along with parts of Monterey and Santa Clara Counties. The money is allocated in the California state budget for the 2023-2024 fiscal year, which Gov. Gavin Newsom approved on June 27. While California faces another difficult budget year, it is heartening to be able to secure funding for numerous important projects that will assist in securing and improving our quality of life, Laird said in the release. From work to expand the Salinas Dam to help for an organization that works with homeless people, heres a look at which SLO County projects are set to receive state funding. The 135-foot-tall concrete Salinas Dam was completed in January 1942 by the U.S. Army. San Luis Obispo has rights to the water, and the county administers the park and dam. Which SLO County projects will get state funding? SLO County supervisors have lobbied for funding to expand the Salinas Dam at Santa Margarita Lake for years without success. Now, the state will give the county $500,000 to help conduct feasibility analysis regarding ownership, retrofit, and possible expansion of the Salinas Dam to secure future water supplies, the release said. The dam, owned by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, was built in 1941 to service Camp San Luis Obispo during World War II. It has a storage capacity of 23,843 acre-feet of water, according to the San Luis Obispo County Public Works Department. In Atascadero, El Camino Homelessness Organization will receive $150,000 to fund a dining structure large enough to serve dinner to 80 to 100 people per night, the news release said. South County projects will also benefit from a large chunk of state funding. During a series of extreme storms in January, the Arroyo Grande Creek levee failed and flooded parts of Oceano. As part of the recent round of funding, the state will give SLO County $1.23 million to help fund repairs to the levee, according to Laird. A broccoli field was flooded in Oceano as Arroyo Grande Creek overtopped the levee on Jan. 10, 2023. Offshore wind energy, storm repair projects get funding On the coast, projects related to storm damage and offshore wind energy will collect state funding. To enhance flood safety, the state gave Morro Bay $300,000 to repair 150 linear feet of failed corrugated metal pipe in its storm drain, the news release said. Additionally, the county was awarded $750,000 for staffing to support offshore wind development, the release said. In June, the U.S. Bureau of Ocean Energy Management issued leases to three companies expected to build massive floating wind farms 20 miles off the coast of SLO County in a 376-square-mile area of the Pacific Ocean known as the Morro Bay wind energy area. Cal Polys Center for Coastal Marine Sciences will receive $150,000 to assess biological, wildlife and ecosystem conditions in the Morro Bay wind energy area to help determine if offshore wind energy projects should be developed there, according to Laird. The wind turbines planned off the San Luis Obispo County coast would be similar to Ocean Winds WindFloat Atlantic floating offshore wind energy project near Portugal. They are each about 688 feet tall, or about twice the height of the Statue of Liberty. Diablo Canyon land preservation, economic development The state allocated a total of $10 million to efforts to preserve land around Diablo Canyon nuclear power plant. The California State Coastal Conservancy will use $5 million of that to develop a conservation easement on 12,000 acres of land surrounding Diablo Canyon Power Plant, Laird said. That funding will also be used to map future coastal and interior public trail locations, conduct public and tribal outreach, and undertake tasks in anticipation of the transfer to State Parks the 2400-acre unit of Diablo Canyon Lands known as Wild Cherry Canyon, the release said. The other $5 million will be used to plan regional economic development and clean energy projects for a 600-acre parcel at the power plant site, Laird said. Diablo Canyon Nuclear Power Plant on June 1, 2023. What about other District 17 counties? Other counties in District 17 won state funding for various projects, too. Santa Cruz County will receive $500,000 in state funding for improvements to the Stockton Avenue Bridge, while the city of Santa Cruz will get $1 million to develop recreation and tourism on West Cliff Drive, according to Laird. The state allocated $750,000 for vulnerable farm workers, day workers and indigenous language speaking families who were heavily storm impacted 50 in northern Monterey County and 150 in Santa Cruz County, the release said. Monterey County will also receive $1 million for wildfire prevention and eucalyptus removal, along with $230,000 to update a Federal Emergency Management Agency hydrologic model of the Carmel River, the release said. The state gave $1 million to Seaside High School to build a multicultural arts center, $1 million for the city of Marina to build a senior center, and $84,000 to the city of Monterey for lighting and bollard improvements to the Old Fishermans Wharf, Laird said. Santa Clara County received $1 million in state funding to improve railroad grade separations and $350,000 to a pedestrian safety project, according to Laird. Kansas City Royals reliever Taylor Clarke attempted to find the right words to describe his recent struggles. He couldnt pinpoint what had gone wrong. Earlier this season, Clarke had a 16-inning scoreless streak. Now, he is stuck in a tailspin and searching for a way out. I dont really know. It was kind of just going so good for a while, then the wheels just completely fell off, Clarke said. It wasnt even gradual. I dont know. I wish I had more of an answer for you. Clarke has allowed 15 earned runs in his last seven appearances. On Monday, he surrendered five runs against the Minnesota Twins. Clarke entered in the eighth inning and surrendered a pinch-hit home run to Twins infielder Edouard Julien. Later, Clarke allowed four consecutive singles as the Twins cruised to a 8-4 victory at Target Field. He generated 11 swings and just two whiffs in 18 pitches. The Twins attacked his four-seam fastball with hard contact. Julien drilled a 95.5 mph fastball into the right-field seats. Meanwhile, Twins duo Christian Vazquez and Carlos Correa did damage against Clarkes sweeper. I think the fastball is not riding as much as it usually is, Clarke said. I was trying to work on that today in the bullpen pregame. It just hasnt been there. Its something Ive just got to reevaluate and test. The Royals are operating with a seven-man bullpen after trading Aroldis Chapman to the Texas Rangers. Clarke has assumed a bulk of the high-leverage situations since the trade. Clarke understands the key role for the club. He plans to evaluate his delivery and mechanics. This includes adjusting his pitch movement and sequence. Clarke will also look at ways to rebound both physically and mentally. I am just trying to go back and look at what we were doing before, Clarke said. I think the toughest part is just that everything is the same. Royals manager Matt Quatraro still has faith in Clarke. He said the team will stick by him as he works through his struggles. We have confidence in him, Quatraro said. We are going to keep putting him out there in leverage or any situation that we feel good about. He is in a little bit of a rough patch right now, but weve seen what he can do on the positive side. We are going to keep working with him. Clarke appreciates the vote of confidence. He said his goal is to find the source of the problem in the upcoming days. Its nice of him to say that and stand by me through the tough stretch, Clarke said. Its tough costing the team wins here. Just relying on me, especially with no Chappy (Aroldis Chapman) there. The Royals are 25-60 after Mondays loss. KC continues to evaluate the roster and Clarke knows his veteran status is needed. Someone has to step up and I havent been able to do that the last two weeks, Clarke said. Thats been the part that hurts the most. By Emma Farge GENEVA (Reuters) -U.N. aid agencies on Tuesday voiced alarm at the scale of the ongoing Israeli military operation in the West Bank town of Jenin, where 10 Palestinians have been killed, saying there were restrictions on medical access. The operation, which involved drone strikes and hundreds of troops and was one of the largest of its kind in years, entered a second day on Tuesday, prompting the evacuation of thousands of people from a refugee camp. "We are alarmed at the scale of air and ground operations that are taking place in Jenin in the occupied West Bank, and air strikes hitting a densely populated refugee camp," Vanessa Huguenin, a spokesperson for the U.N. humanitarian office, told a briefing, saying three minors were among those killed. She did not immediately respond to a request for the victims' ages. Damage to infrastructure caused by air strikes have cut off most of the water and electricity at the camp, she added. The Palestinian Red Crescent previously said it has evacuated around 3,000 people. The Red Cross said it was "extremely concerned by the alarming intensification of armed violence" in Jenin. The World Health Organization and medical charity MSF both raised concerns about access. "Attacks against healthcare including prevention of access to persons injured are extremely concerning," said WHO spokesperson Christian Lindmeier, adding that restrictions put in place by Israeli forces meant first responders could not reach those critically injured within the camp. Medical charity MSF said that military bulldozers had destroyed roads leading to the camp, making it nearly impossible for ambulances to reach patients. "Palestinian paramedics have been forced to proceed on foot, in an area with active gunfire and drone strikes," it said. Israel says the objective of its operation is to uproot Iranian-backed Palestinian factions behind a surge in gun and bomb attacks, as well as preliminary efforts to make rockets. "Israel ensures that humanitarian assistance is provided and does not apply any limitation on access for medical staff, except in places where the lives of medical staff is at risk due to exchanges of fire," its diplomatic mission in Geneva said in a statement to Reuters. (Reporting by Emma Farge; Editing by Matthias Williams, Rachel More and Conor Humphries) By Kanishka Singh WASHINGTON (Reuters) -A U.S. federal judge on Tuesday restricted some agencies and officials of the administration of President Joe Biden from meeting and communicating with social media companies to moderate their content, according to a court filing. The injunction came in response to a lawsuit brought by Republican attorneys general in Louisiana and Missouri, who alleged that U.S. government officials went too far in efforts to encourage social media companies to address posts they worried could contribute to vaccine hesitancy during the COVID-19 pandemic or upend elections. The ruling said government agencies like the Department of Health and Human Services and the FBI could not talk to social media companies for "the purpose of urging, encouraging, pressuring, or inducing in any manner the removal, deletion, suppression, or reduction of content containing protected free speech" under the Free Speech Clause of the First Amendment to the United States Constitution. A White House official said the Justice Department was reviewing the order and will evaluate its options. The litigation was originally filed by former Missouri Attorney General Eric Schmitt and Louisiana Attorney General Jeff Landry. Schmitt, who was elected to the U.S. Senate in November, used Twitter to welcome the injunction and called it a win for free speech. The order also mentioned by name officials including Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas and Jen Easterly, who heads the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, in its restrictions. Judge Terry Doughty, in an order filed with the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Louisiana, made some exceptions for communications between government officials and the companies, including to warn about risks to national security and about criminal activity. The injunction was first reported by the Washington Post. Tuesday's order marks a win for Republicans who had sued the Biden administration, saying it was using the coronavirus health crisis and the threat of misinformation as an excuse to curb views that disagreed with the government. U.S. officials have said they were aiming to tamp down misinformation about COVID vaccines to curb preventable deaths. Facebook and Instagram parent Meta Platforms, Twitter, and Alphabet's YouTube did not respond to requests for comment. (Reporting by Kanishka Singh in Washington; Additional reporting by Jeff Mason; Editing by Alistair Bell, Heather Timmons and Bill Berkrot) A wildfire burns near Fort St. John, British Columbia, Canada. July 2 on Monday. (Noah Berger/AP) With hundreds of Canadian wildfires sending smoke across the northern United States, many Americans are wondering how long the bad air quality will continue and whether Prime Minister Justin Trudeaus government can do more to put out the flames. While Canada does have a policy of letting fires in some remote areas burn out on their own, the government has also simply been overmatched by this years record-breaking fire season, which has so far burned more than 32,000 square miles. Canada is also contending with other limitations and challenges some of which are of its own making. Heres a rundown: The fires are incredibly widespread and constantly starting anew Smoke rises from the Big Creek wildfire, about 110 kilometres (68 miles) northwest of Mackenzie, British Columbia, Canada June 29, 2023. (BC Wildfire Service/Handout via Reuters) As of Monday, there are 584 active fires in Canada, including three that started today, up from 501 last Thursday, according to the Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Center. Of those, 285 are considered out of control, 195 and are under control, and 104 are being held. As fires get put out, new ones keep starting. The country has seen a total of 3,255 fires so far this year, and have burned an area roughly as large as the state of South Carolina making this already the worst fire season in Canadian history and summer has just begun. Some of the fires hard to reach, and resources are limited Trees scorched by the Donnie Creek wildfire in British Columbia. (Noah Berger/AP) With a landmass second only to Russia, but with a population just one-ninth that of the U.S., Canada finds itself short of the manpower, money and equipment needed to effectively counter the extent of this summers wildfires. Massive fires burning in remote areas like some of those currently burning in northwestern Quebec are often too out of control to do anything about, CNN reported on Saturday. With so many fires across the whole country, resources are scarce, Dustan Mueller, a U.S. Forest Service deputy fire chief who has been in Canada assisting with its firefighting effort, told the Guardian. If you have limited resources, and you have a lot of fires, what you do is you protect human life and property first, Robert Gray, a Canadian wildland fire ecologist, told CNN. You protect people, infrastructure, watersheds, so theres a prioritization system. The weather, and climate change, are a factor French firefighters battle fires north of Chibugamau, Quebec. (Quentin Tyberghien/AFP via Getty Images) Scientists say that climate change is making weather conditions like heat and drought that lead to wildfires more likely, the BBC reported in June. Spring in Canada has been much warmer and drier than usual, creating a tinder-dry environment for these vast fires. Given how much energy these fires have while they burn, it is pretty much impossible for them to stop unless large swaths of heavy rains come their way, Apostolos Voulgarakis, a professor of climate change at Imperial College London, told Newsweek. Unfortunately, the forecast for the rest of the summer in Canada is for hot and mostly dry weather, Canadian fire scientist Mike Flannigan told the Associated Press last Thursday. Its a crazy year and Im not sure where its going to end. Lack of federal coordination Each Canadian province is responsible for fighting wildfires within its borders, so, for example, the neighboring provinces of Quebec and Ontario have no coordination to their responses to fires that may even span their border. It has been an issue because we dont have a strong federal government and its left us in this mess right now, Gray told ABC News. The good news Firefighters from the organization Working On Fire in Mbombela, South Africa train in preparation for being sent to Alberta, Canada, June 13. (Shiraaz Mohamed/AFP via Getty Images) Canada is getting a little help from its friends. U.S., Australian, New Zealand, South African, French, Spanish, Portuguese, Mexican, Chilean and Costa Rican firefighters have joined the struggle in Canada, the Guardian reported last Thursday. But Canadian policies, determined by each individual province, required some shifts in strategy. American firefighters were surprised to find that in Canada they are expected to stop after a 12-hour shift, and that protecting timber on private land is not considered a priority north of the border, given limited resources. Doing better next time Smoke billows upwards from a planned ignition by firefighters tackling the Donnie Creek Complex wildfire south of Fort Nelson, British Columbia, Canada June 3, 2023. (B.C. Wildfire Service/Handout via Reuters) Experts say that eastern Canadian provinces such as Quebec should start imitating their western counterparts and start deliberately burning out the underbrush every year before fire season starts, as Indigenous communities did for millennia. In the wildlands of the Quebec forests there is no prescribed program to clean up the forest floor, John Gradek, a lecturer at McGill University in Montreal, told ABC News. Churchill Downs Inc. extended its two-year ban on Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert for another 1 years through 2024. (Charlie Riedel / Associated Press) Imagine having your drivers license suspended, serving that suspension, and then being told the suspension has been extended because you havent admitted that you committed those driving offenses you were charged with two years ago. Imagine heading into court and being offered a plea deal that will greatly reduce your sentence, but you have to admit you did the crime, which you believe you didnt commit. Your heart tells you no way, but your head tells you the smart move is to not roll the dice. Imagine a more serious crime that you might or might not have committed that has landed you in prison. You are up for parole, but the parole board believes a person has to own up to the crime they allegedly committed to get released, even if they steadfastly believe they are innocent. These scenarios are not perfectly analogous but are close to the situation trainer Bob Baffert finds himself in after Churchill Downs Inc. extended its two-year ban on the Hall of Fame horse trainer by another 1 years until 2025. Baffert has not shown enough contrition or accepted responsibility, Churchill Downs says. Baffert responds: In the interest of the sport we all love, I have made no public comments on this unfortunate episode for an extended period of time, so the suggestion that I continue to peddle a false narrative is patently false. When the initial ban was announced, Churchill Downs said it was a hard two-year sentence and that it would be evaluated at the end of this years Derby meeting. And its decision was to extend. Read more:Churchill Downs extends trainer Bob Baffert's ban for at least one more year As with most everything surrounding this two-year battle of wills and personalities, more questions than answers remain. Here are some of them. Why was Baffert suspended? The ban came after Medina Spirit won the 2021 Kentucky Derby but tested positive for betamethasone, a legal medication prohibited on race day. Baffert preempted an announcement by the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission with an angry news conference outside his barn. He said he had no idea how it got in the horses system. He also went on an ill-advised national tour, saying on Fox News that he was a victim of cancel culture. If I had to do anything different, I wouldnt have had a press conference, Baffert told The Times last year. But it was out there and [the media] was waiting. I was trying to get ahead of it. I was convinced after talking to my veterinarians that [the positive] was impossible. Then it dawned on them 48 hours later, be careful with the [ointment] Otomax. Baffert and his attorneys have argued that treating a horse with a topical ointment that contains betamethasone, such as Otomax, is legal and that the rule was targeting injections. Medina Spirit was being treated for a rash on his hind quarter. How successful have the challenges been? The legal defense has been unsuccessful on all the Kentucky cases, although a subsequent two-year ban in New York was cut to one year. Baffert ran National Treasure in this years Belmont Stakes after the horse won the Preakness three weeks earlier. Baffert made a point to several media members Monday that he has no current litigation against Churchill Downs. It remains to be seen whether that changes. Bob Baffert, center, and jockey John Velazquez help hoist the Woodlawn Vase after winning the Preakness Stakes. (Julia Nikhinson / Associated Press) How has Baffert done during his ban? Baffert's horses had no drug positives in those two years. He has had two musculoskeletal deaths. One was earlier this year while training at Los Alamitos, where the horses are handled by an assistant trainer. The other was a high-profile breakdown in a stakes race at Pimlico Race Course on Preakness day in May. He has two non-musculoskeletal deaths at Los Alamitos, one in which a horse reared up twice after leaving the track, lost his balance and fell on his back, and another death because of a respiratory issue. He had one more death, and it couldnt be any bigger. Medina Spirit was working out Dec. 6, 2021, at Santa Anita, collapsed on the track and was dead when veterinarians arrived. It is classified as a sudden death. The necropsy found no drugs that werent supposed to be there, and the death was consistent with a heart attack, but that could not be made an official cause. The death was determined to be inconclusive, which happens about half the time in non-musculoskeletal necropsies. Hasnt Churchill Downs been under fire lately? The racetrack just finished a very tumultuous Kentucky Derby when nine horses died in the 10 days before the race. In addition, five Derby horses had to be scratched. Racing was halted at the track at the request of the Horse Racing Integrity and Safety Authority, and Churchill Downs moved its meeting to Ellis Park. Training was allowed to continue at Churchill. The number of deaths is now up to at least 13. Churchill Downs remains one of the least transparent tracks when it comes to horse fatalities. It does not allow its fatality statistics to be made public by the Equine Injury Database, like almost every track in California and all in New York. When the track first acknowledged the surge in deaths before the Derby, it ignored a paddock death. It later recognized all the deaths when it moved its racing schedule to Ellis Park. Has public sentiment shifted on Baffert? If social media can be indicative of public reaction, more fans are rallying around Baffert with the sentiment that he has served his sentence and it's time to move on. Predictably, animal rights groups applauded the move by Churchill Downs. Every trainer contacted by The Times declined to comment on the issue, much as they have for two years. The group that owns Santa Anita, Golden Gate and other tracks, 1st Racing, also declined to comment. Will this affect Bafferts ability to race at other tracks? Baffert can race at any track in the world that is not owned by Churchill Downs Inc. The CDI tracks, besides Churchill Downs, include Turfway Park and Ellis Park, both in Kentucky; the Fair Grounds in New Orleans; Colonial Downs in Virginia; and Presque Isle Downs in Pennsylvania. Baffert will have his usual barn at Del Mar, when it opens July 21. Read more:Bob Baffert's return to Belmont Stakes highlights exciting close to Triple Crown series Hes also welcome at the signature summer meet at Saratoga Race Course near Albany, N.Y. Bob Baffert completed a lengthy suspension from [New York Racing Assn.] tracks in January, and is able to fully participate in all training and racing activities here at Belmont Park and at Saratoga Race Course, where the 2023 summer meet begins on July 13, said Patrick McKenna, vice president of communications for NYRA. What happens next? Thats the real question and also the most unanswerable. Its unknown whether any back-channel deal can be made between Baffert and Churchill Downs. There is every indication this is more than personal, especially by the track. Litigation is always a possibility, although both sides likely want to avoid it. Baffert served his 90-day suspension from Kentucky last year, so no state regulatory bodies are involved. The trainer continues to fight to get the disqualification of Medina Spirit overturned, but that is unrelated to his ban from the Kentucky Derby. It seems as if this horse racing serial still has more episodes. Sign up for the L.A. Times SoCal high school sports newsletter to get scores, stories and a behind-the-scenes look at what makes prep sports so popular. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times. A shooter wearing a bulletproof vest and a ski mask fired randomly at vehicles and pedestrians Monday night in southwest Philadelphia, killing five people and wounding two others, authorities said. In a Tuesday afternoon news conference, Philadelphia Police Commissioner Danielle M. Outlaw told reporters the armed and armored assailant was firing seemingly at random people, including a mother driving her twins home, in the Kingsessing neighborhood. What happened last night was unimaginably disgusting and horrifying, Outlaw said. Responding officers ran toward the sound of gunfire and pursued the suspect, who fired a rifle while fleeing. The assailant was taken into custody in an alley without further incident, the commissioner said. District Attorney Larry Krasner said the suspect likely will appear in court Wednesday and will face multiple charges, including murder. The Philadelphia District Attorneys office is using they/them pronouns to refer to the suspect based on information we have at this time, a spokesperson for the DAs office told CNN. Philadelphia officials previously used he/him pronouns to gender the suspect during a Tuesday press conference. The DA said he expects the judge will deny bail for the suspect. Police officers work at the scene after a mass shooting in southwest Philadelphia on Tuesday. - Bastiaan Slabbers/Reuters A second person who was detained Monday night after also firing a gun has been released. Authorities think they were acting in self-defense and their actions were legal, but the investigation is ongoing. Philadelphia police identified the deceased victims as Lashyd Merritt, 20; Dymir Stanton, 29; Ralph Moralis, 59; and 15-year-old Daujan Brown, who police initially estimated to be between 16 and 21. The fifth victim, found around 12:30 a.m. Tuesday, was identified as Joseph Wamah Jr., 31, according to a news release. Two boys, ages 2 and 13, also suffered multiple gunshot wounds to their legs, according to the release, and police said they were in stable condition. Two other people, a 33-year-old woman and another 2-year-old boy, were injured by glass. At Tuesdays news conference, authorities indicated the 2-year-olds were twins in a vehicle that was fired upon. The suspect, who has not been identified, had an AR-style rifle, a 9 mm handgun and a scanner that tracks emergency response radio traffic, authorities said. Outlaw said earlier she thinks the suspect is 40 years old, and early evidence doesnt show a connection to the victims. We believe it appears this individual acted alone Philadelphia Police Staff Inspector Ernest Ransom said Tuesday, adding that it didnt appear the suspect was targeting specific individuals. The shooting spanned several blocks and consisted of at least 50 shell casings and damaged vehicles, Outlaw said at a Monday night news conference. The fifth victim was discovered early Tuesday, hours after the other victims were found in a home in Kingsessing, city police Chief Inspector Scott Small said at a separate news briefing. The neighborhood sits on the west bank of the Schuylkill River in southwest Philadelphia. The gunfire in Philadelphia erupted Monday evening as the United States endures a seemingly neverending epidemic of gun violence, including another Monday night shooting in Fort Worth, Texas, that left at least three people dead and eight wounded. Another shooting in Baltimore early Sunday left two people dead and 28 others injured. The shootings in all three cities were among at least 345 mass shootings in the US so far this year, according to the Gun Violence Archive, which, like CNN, defines a mass shooting as one in which four or more people are shot, not including the shooter. Police work the scene of a mass shooting Monday in the Kingsessing neighborhood of Philadelphia. - Tracie Van Auken/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock Philadelphia Mayor Jim Kenney called on national lawmakers to address firearms legislation. Im frustrated and outraged that mass shootings like this continue to happen in communities across the United States, he said. This country needs to re-examine its conscience and find out how to get guns out of dangerous peoples hands. We are begging Congress to protect lives and do something about Americas gun problem. Krasner called for Pennsylvania legislators to act. It is disgusting that you can go to New Jersey and find a whole list of reasonable gun regulation that we dont have, that you can go to Delaware and theres almost as long a list of reasonable gun legislation that we dont have, he said. Some of that legislation might have made a difference here. President Joe Biden condemned the wave of tragic and senseless shootings across the country, saying in a statement he and first lady Jill Biden grieve for those who have lost their lives and, as our nation celebrates Independence Day, we pray for the day when our communities will be free from gun violence. Tuesday, he pointed out, marks one year since a mass shooting at a July Fourth parade in Highland Park, Illinois, left seven dead and dozens more wounded. How the shooting unfolded Police on the scene of a shooting in Philadelphia on Monday night. - Drew Hallowell/Getty Images Police officers were flagged down in the area where the shooting began around 8:30 p.m. Monday, Outlaw said, and discovered multiple gunshot victims. As they were scooping up victims and preparing them for transport to the hospital, they also heard multiple gunshots up the street, Outlaw said. Again, as officers were responding to the second shooting scene, more gunshots could be heard on a nearby street, she said. Both the mayor and police commissioner said the quick response saved lives. Investigators are seen at the site of Monday's mass shooting. - Tracie Van Auken/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock The body of the slain 31-year-old man was found around 12:30 a.m. Tuesday by his father in the living room, according to Small, the chief inspector. The father reported this to an officer who was in the area investigating the shooting from hours earlier. The man had been shot several times, and responding medics declared him dead shortly after, Small said. Investigators found seven bullets from a rifle inside the home, Small said. Because of the homes location and ballistic evidence, investigators believe that persons death is related to the others, Small said. We believe now this is the seventh (person shot) and itll be the fifth person that was shot and killed, Small said. At the news conference, authorities said they think this person was the first who was killed. CNNs Steve Almasy, Jason Hanna, Elizabeth Wolfe, Christine Sever, Danny Freeman and Sara Smart contributed to this report. For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com Al Sharpton defended United States (US) President Joe Biden after his viral walk off at his live MSNBC interview. The President found an unexpected ally in civil rights activist Sharpton, who passionately defended Biden's actions. Al Sharpton Defends Joe Biden's Walk Off at Live MSNBC Interview In a viral moment that has been making the rounds on social media, President Biden was seen walking off the set of a live MSNBC interview before the host Nicole Wallace was still talking. Some have interpreted the incident as a sign of Biden's declining mental acuity, while others have defended the President, saying he was trying to wrap up the interview. One of Biden's defenders, Sharpton, has finally addressed the incident. According to Fox News Online, Sharpton dismissed speculations that Biden seemed lost during his abrupt exit in his live one-on-one interview. Instead, he notes that the President "probably was looking where his meetings were going to be when he was leaving." The civil rights activist reiterates that Biden "was not stumbling around." Instead, the longtime advocate for social justice claims that the Secret Service was directing the President. The 'Morning Joe' host, Joe Scarborough, also came to the defense of the US President on Friday. He says, "[he is just President of the United States. He said thank you, and [I am] going to leave now." Read Also: Biden Joins Meeting To Discuss Efforts of Regulating Artificial Intelligence Biden's MSNBC Interview with Nicole Wallace As per The Daily Mail, President Biden abruptly walked off his live MSNBC interview with Wallace, who used to work with President George W. Bush. In a rare one-on-one interview, the President of the US tackled various topics, such as the Supreme Court's affirmative decision and the former POTUS Donald Trump. However, they failed to discuss the pressing issue regarding Biden's son, Hunter. After wrapping up his interview with MSNBC, he stood up and shook hands with Wallace. He walked off behind the 'Deadline White House' host while she was still on air talking before going into a commercial break. The incident has sparked a debate on social media, with some users expressing concern about Biden's mental health and others defending the President. The New York Post reports that former Republican National Committee staffer Steve Guest took to Twitter to express his reaction. He tweeted, "WHAT ON EARTH IS JOE BIDEN DOING? It's live TV!" Meanwhile, ex-Republican Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker says, "The Biden Presidency in one clip." However, other people assumed Biden was rushing to address another pressing matter. Critics say it might be a much-needed "bathroom run," while others believe he still had another meeting, as Sharpton suggests. Related Article: Joe Biden Walks Off a Live MSNBC Interview While Host Nicole Wallace Was Still Speaking @ 2023 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. By Guy Faulconbridge and Lidia Kelly MOSCOW (Reuters) -Russia said on Tuesday that Ukraine had attacked Moscow with at least five drones that were all either shot down or jammed, though one of the capital's main airports had to reroute flights for several hours. Four Ukrainian drones were shot down by Moscow air defences while a fifth was jammed and crashed into the Odintsovo district of the Moscow region, the Russian defence ministry said. No one was injured. Russian news agencies reported that two drones were intercepted near a village 30 km (19 miles) southwest of the Kremlin. One drone was detected in the neighbouring Kaluga region. Landings and takeoffs at Moscow's Vnukovo were restricted for several hours early on Tuesday before normal operations resumed after 0500 GMT. A number of flights from Russia, Turkey, the United Arab Emirates and Egypt were diverted. One drone was shot down in the area of the town of Kubinka, some 63 km (40 miles) west of Moscow, RIA reported. A Russian air base is near Kubinka. Russia's foreign and defence ministries denounced the attack as terrorism. "The Kyiv regime's attempt to attack an area where civilian infrastructure is located, including the airport, which incidentally also receives foreign flights, is yet another act of terrorism," said foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova. "The international community should realise that the United States, Britain, France - permanent members of the UN Security Council - are financing a terrorist regime," she said. There was no immediate comment from Kyiv. Ukraine almost never publicly claims responsibility for attacks inside Russia or on Russian-controlled territory in Ukraine. High-profile drone attacks deep inside Russia, the world's largest country, have increased over recent months with attacks on the Kremlin in May and on Russian oil infrastructure last month. After May's drone attack on the capital, President Vladimir Putin said Ukraine was trying to scare and provoke Russia, adding that the capital's air defences would be strengthened. "At this moment, the attacks have been repelled by air defence forces," Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said on his Telegram messaging channel. "All detected drones have been eliminated." (Reporting by Lidia Kelly in Melbourne and Guy Faulconbridge in Moscow; editing by Robert Birsel) Sheetz slashes gas price by 50% to $1.776 per gallon. But only for one day An East Coast convenience chain is offering gas at a patriotic price for one day only. Sheetz will be selling gas for $1.776 on the Fourth of July, a nod to the year the Declaration of Independence was signed. The promotion began at 12:01 a.m. ET Tuesday and means drivers could save 50% on the typical pump price. Sheetz will be selling gas for $1.776 on the Fourth of July. - Sheetz Itll last all day, or at least as long as the gas lasts. Regular, E85 (flex fuel), Unleaded 88, mid-grade and premium fuel grades all fall under the promotion. The deal doesnt apply to diesel or Ethanol Free fuel. Travis Sheetz, president and CEO of Sheetz, said in a statement that he hopes this discount helps our customers keep a little more change in their wallets as they travel to celebrate the 4th of July. The record-setting 43.2 million Americans traveling for the holiday this year are already paying much less for gas compared to last year. The national average for regular gasoline dropped to $3.55 a gallon last Thursday, according to AAA, compared to $4.87 a gallon a year ago. The national average dipped even more to $3.53 a gallon on July Fourth. This is terrific. Gasoline prices are a leading economic indicator for many Americans, said Patrick De Haan, head of petroleum analysis at GasBuddy, last week. Last November, Sheetz reduced the price of Unleaded 88 to $1.99 a gallon at limited stores during the Thanksgiving holiday week. Sheetz has more than 675 locations in Pennsylvania, Maryland, Ohio, North Carolina, Virginia and West Virginia. CNNs Matt Egan contributed to this report. For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com He went missing as a Texas teenager more than eight years ago and turned up alive Saturday as a 25-year-old man. The Texas Center for the Missing said Saturday that Rudy Farias, of Houston, the subject of nationwide concern, has been "located safe" and is recovering in a hospital for reasons not mentioned. Rudy Farias. (Texas Center for the Missing) Farias was found at a church about 8 miles from where he lived in Houston, said Tim Miller, an investigator with Texas EquuSearch who helped search for Farias. "It's a miracle that he was found but now the question is, you know, whats happened?" Miller said. "Where has he been? Why? And whats he been doing over these last eight years?" He was last seen walking his two dogs on March 6, 2015, near his home, according to authorities. One dog, then the other returned home without their leashes, and Farias, then 18, disappeared, authorities said. Family members said he suffered from depression, particularly after he lost an older brother to a motorcycle accident years before. "He watched his best friend die right in front of him," Brenda Paradise, a private investigator hired by the Farias family, said in April 2015. "His brother was his best friend in the world. Hes just gone through so much more than anyone his age ever should." Houston police didn't suspect foul play, but friends and family were concerned nonetheless, particularly as time wore on. "This family has been through so much," Paradise said in 2015. "Whatever happened, a mom needs answers about her son. It's not clear where he's been or why he left. Vintage photos of July 4 on Coney Island show crowded beaches and the annual hot-dog contest. NY Daily News Archive/Getty Images; Bettmann Archive/Getty Images Coney Island has been a popular destination for the Fourth of July since the early 20th century. Nathan's Famous Hot Dog Eating Contest has been held on July 4 since 1916. Vintage photos of July 4 on Coney Island show crowded beaches and the annual hot-dog contest. Coney Island has been a destination for Fourth of July celebrations for over a century. From firework displays, parades, and live performances to the annual Nathan's Famous Hot Dog Eating Contest, Coney Island has served up Independence Day attractions since the early 20th century. Today, it's still popular for New Yorkers who want to escape the city for the day, walk along the boardwalk, enjoy some rides, and eat a hot dog or two or many more. Here are vintage photos that show what Coney Island Fourth of July celebrations have looked like through the years. In a black-and-white aerial photo from 1920, you can see thousands of people gathered on the boardwalk and Coney Island Beach during the Fourth of July. An aerial view of the crowds on Coney Island Beach during the Fourth of July. George Rinhart/Corbis/Getty Images Source: Getty Images A photo taken on July 4, 1938, shows crowds of people gathered together on the beach. There are so many people, you can hardly see the sand. People crowding the beach at Coney Island on July 4, 1938. Getty Images Thirty years later, revelers still visited Coney Island Beach to celebrate Independence Day. In this photo, a pair of unidentified men in shorts pose for the camera. A pair of unidentified men in shorts pose for the camera on the crowded Coney Island Beach on July 4, 1968. Bev Grant/Getty Images The beaches were also popular in the mid-1990s. In a photo dated 1995, children can be seen running and playing in the water while parents look on. Fourth of July crowd at Coney Island in 1995. Susan Watts/NY Daily News Archive/Getty Images In this circa-1968 photograph, a couple eats hot dogs in front of Nathan's Famous fast-food restaurant in Coney Island. A couple eats hot dogs in front of Nathan's Famous fast-food restaurant at Coney Island on July 4, 1968. Bev Grant/Getty Images The first annual Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest was held on July 4, 1916. In this 1987 photograph, contestants can be seen partaking in the contest. Contestants eat hot dogs during the 1987 Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest at Coney Island. Walter Leporati/Getty Images Source: ABC7 The first-ever winner of the contest was an Irish immigrant who ate 13 hot dogs and buns. In this photo from 1961, an unidentified man eats a Nathan's Famous hot dog outside the iconic restaurant. A man eats hotdogs at Nathan's Famous in Coney Island on July 4, 1961 Bettmann Archive/Getty Images Here, three unidentified contestants pose with plates of hot dogs prior to the 1987 Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest. Portrait of three, unidentified contestants as they pose with plates of hot dogs prior to the 1987 Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest at Coney Island. Walter Leporati/Getty Images The 1995 champion of the Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest was Edward Krachie. He's pictured holding up his trophy after eating 19 and a half hot dogs and beating the defending champion by just half a dog. American competitive eater Edward Krachie holds a trophy in his hands as he celebrates his victory in the 1995 Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest at Coney Island. Walter Leporati/Getty Images Source: The New York Times Read the original article on Insider After the week began on a stormy note, several more days of severe weather - including the risk of tornadoes- are in the offing for residents across the Rockies, Plains and Midwest. Thunderstorms have been rumbling across the center of the country in early July. On Monday, there were widespread hail and damaging wind reports in Wyoming, South Dakota, Iowa and Minnesota. Tuesday followed with widespread damaging winds along a line of storms in Kansas, Nebraska and Missouri, which knocked out power to tens of thousands in the Kansas City region. "Some of the same areas that saw severe weather on Independence Day may be the target of some thunderstorms through Thursday," said AccuWeather Meteorologist Mary Gilbert. One such place is eastern Colorado, including the city of Denver, which could be threatened by severe thunderstorms for three consecutive days. In fact, the same storm that was producing severe weather into Tuesday night moved southeastward and produced more volatile weather into Wednesday night. On Thursday, the risk of severe weather will continue in parts of the Plains, but this round will be caused by a new storm. As such, thunderstorms will focus on areas farther west, mainly from eastern Wyoming and extreme southwestern South Dakota through western Nebraska, Kansas and Oklahoma into northern Texas. Cities from Casper, Wyoming, to Dodge City, Kansas, could be at risk for the thunderstorms on Thursday and Thursday night. Just like the thunderstorms from the previous day, the severe storms expected to flare up on Thursday will be capable of producing damaging winds and hail. There is also the potential for a few isolated tornadoes in the area into Thursday night. Due to the risk of nocturnal tornadoes, experts say it is important to have a reliable way to be alerted if a tornado is approaching your area. Tornadoes are more difficult to see after the sun goes down, and it is important to get a warning should the weather turn severe during typical sleeping hours. Portions of Kansas and Nebraska still have some of the worst drought conditions in the country, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor. Nearly 85 percent of Kansas is under at least moderate drought conditions. In Nebraska, almost 75 percent of the state is experiencing at least moderate drought with over 13 percent in a state of exceptional drought. "While the strongest storms can be damaging, any rainfall will ultimately help to make a dent in the ongoing drought," said Gilbert. The persistent drought will also heighten the risk of flash flooding. Even though the region desperately needs rain, some downpours could bring too much rain at one time for the arid ground. GET THE FREE ACCUWEATHER APP As the week comes to a close, some locations will get a break from the severe weather, but another storm system is expected to trek across the Plains and produce more thunderstorms. A break in the wet weather is expected for parts of the northern Plains and the Upper Midwest on Thursday. On Friday, storms are currently forecast to target areas from eastern Colorado through Kansas and Oklahoma, and potentially northern Texas. The complex of thunderstorms is likely to dive east-southeastward across these states and into Missouri. AccuWeather meteorologists say this complex could be especially potent, with potential threats ranging from damaging winds and hail to isolated tornadoes. Thunderstorms are expected to continue unloading areas of heavy rain and strong winds over parts of the central Plains through the weekend, AccuWeather forecasters say. The risk of severe weather will extend into a significant part of the Ohio Valley as well by Saturday. 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. 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. On Friday, June 30, senior Biden-Harris Administration officials convened a listening session with leaders and officials from the labor community to discuss the implications of artificial intelligence (AI) for workers, unions, the quality of jobs, and the future of work. Leaders of unions representing diverse sectors of the economy raised concerns about the risks of AI for workers' jobs, physical and mental health, and privacy and civil rights. They also shared views on possible opportunities for AI to improve workers' lives when unions and workers are at the table and jointly developing solutions with employers. The listening session was attended by officials from the White House National Economic Council, Office of Science and Technology Policy, and Office of the Vice President. During the session, White House principals emphasized that, while AI has the potential to bring significant benefits, government and employers need to collaborate with unions to fully understand the risks for workers and how to effectively mitigate potential harms. READ NEXT: Statement from President Joe Biden on the Passing of Lowell Weicker Participants discussed different ways that AI tools are being deployed in the workplace, as well as the impacts of these tools on job quality. They shared stories, for example, of employers who have used AI tools to track workers' pace of work and monitor work quality. These uses of AI, union leaders noted, have often introduced inaccuracies and tended to raise workplace stress and worsen mental health. At the same time, leaders shared some instances where AI tools have helped support workers in their jobs, for example, by monitoring and easing the physical toll of some repetitive or dangerous tasks. The discussion also covered implications of AI for workers' privacy, civil rights, and autonomy- including from employers' use of AI to monitor and collect data on workers. Union leaders also agreed that the deployment of AI in the workplace was changing the sets of skills that employers require of their workers and threatening creators' ownership of their voices, likenesses, and ability to benefit from the intellectual property they help create. Additionally, leaders observed how employers can use AI tools to cut jobs or make work schedules more uncertain. Participants called upon employers and the Administration to ensure that workers retain access to high-quality jobs that prioritize their health and well-being, and that workers participate in decisions about how AI is deployed in the workplace. Friday's meeting was part of an ongoing effort by the Administration to engage with advocates, companies, researchers, civil rights organizations, not-for-profit organizations, communities, international partners, and others on critical AI issues. This engagement builds on considerable steps the Administration has taken to date to promote responsible innovation and mitigate the risks from AI. This work includes last week's meeting with civil society leaders in San Francisco, new investments to power responsible AI research and development, additional actions announced last month, the Blueprint for an AI Bill of Rights and related executive actions, the AI Risk Management Framework, a Request For Information (RFI) on the impacts of automated surveillance and management technologies on workers, a briefing for unions on the RFI in partnership with AFL-CIO Tech Institute, last month's listening session with workers (including union workers), and the roadmap for standing up a National AI Research Resource. Labor Participants Randi Weingarten, President, AFT Sara Steffens, Secretary-Treasurer, CWA Amanda Ballantyne, Director, Technology Institute, AFL-CIO Jeffrey Bennett, General Counsel, SAG-AFTRA Willie Burden, Jr., In-House Counsel, Teamsters Jenny Ho, Assistant Director of Research and Collective Bargaining, AFSCME Tyler McIntosh, Policy/Legislative Director, IATSE Chris Michalakis, Federal Legislative Representative, United Food and Commercial Workers Lowell Peterson, Executive Director, WGA East Justin Thompson, Senior Policy Analyst, NEA Chris Zatratz, Legislative Representative, United Auto Workers Government Participants Arati Prabhakar, Assistant to the President and Director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy Celeste Drake, Deputy Assistant to the President and Deputy Director of the National Economic Council Deirdre Mulligan, Principal Deputy U.S. Chief Technology Officer Ike Irby, Special Assistant to the President and Chief Climate Advisor to the Vice President Elizabeth Kelly, Special Assistant to the President for Economic Policy Alex Jacquez, Special Assistant to the President for Economic Development and Industrial Strategy READ MORE: Readout of National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan's Meeting with Boris Pistorius, Federal Minister of Defense of Germany @ 2023 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. YEREVAN, JULY 4, ARMENPRESS. Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has sent a congratulatory message to the President of the United States of America Joe Biden on the occasion of Independence Day. The letter reads as follows, "Honorable Mr. President, On behalf of the Republic of Armenia and myself, I warmly congratulate you and the friendly people of the United States on Independence Day. The United States and its people have gone through the difficult task of building a state by uniting around the idea of independence, forming a vision of a democratic future, and overcoming difficulties together. Continued US leadership in democracy contributes to the promotion of the fundamental values of freedom, equality, and inalienable human rights in many countries. Active Armenian-American bilateral relations in recent years are promising, especially in the areas of democratic reforms, strengthening the rule of law and fighting corruption. I am happy to record that we have cooperation based on mutual trust between our governments, which gives an opportunity to effectively address the existing challenges and further strengthen the connection between our states and peoples. We highly appreciate the position of the United States in supporting the territorial integrity, sovereignty and democracy of the Republic of Armenia, which was demonstrated in practice during the years 2021-2022. We also highly appreciate the efforts of the USA in the direction of establishing long-lasting and sustainable peace in the South Caucasus, normalizing Armenia-Azerbaijan relations, and addressing the rights and security of the people of Nagorno-Karabakh. The Republic of Armenia continues to adhere to the peace agenda for the sake of the inviolability of the territorial integrity of the Republic of Armenia, for the sake of independence, sovereignty and long-term peaceful development in the region. Mr. President, I once again congratulate you on Independence Day and wish you and the American people prosperity, peace and continued progress." YEREVAN, JULY 4, ARMENPRESS. The European Unions top diplomat, Josep Borrells scheduled trip to China next week has been cancelled by Beijing, an EU spokesperson told Reuters on Tuesday. Unfortunately, we were informed by the Chinese counterparts that the envisaged dates next week are no longer possible and we must now look for alternatives, Nabila Massrali, spokesperson for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy at the European Commission told Reuters in a written statement on Tuesday. YEREVAN, JULY 4, ARMENPRESS. On July 4, Foreign Minister of Armenia Ararat Mirzoyan received Ambassador of the Islamic Republic of Iran Abbas Badakhshan Zohouri, who is completing his diplomatic mission in the Republic of Armenia, ARMENPRESS was informed from MFA Armenia. Noting that the tenure of Ambassador Zohuri coincided with a very difficult period for Armenia, Foreign Minister Mirzoyan highly appreciated the Ambassador's efforts in contributing to deepening of mutual understanding and relations between Armenia and Iran. The Minister also wished him success in his diplomatic path. The interlocutors discussed various issues on the agenda of Armenian-Iranian cooperation. Both commended the high level of political dialogue between the two countries. It was emphasized that the cooperation between the two countries stems from the imperative to face regional challenges as well as from the historically established friendly ties between the two peoples. The willingness to maintain the positive dynamics of high-level mutual visits and regular consultations between the two ministries was reaffirmed. The steps aimed at the implementation of economic projects of mutual interest and the use of the existing potential for the advancement of bilateral trade were highlighted. The vision of the two countries to establish peace and stability in the South Caucasus and the efforts in that direction were touched upon. Basic tenets of SCO must be respected, says Modi New Delhi: In a veiled criticism of Pakistan for cross-border terrorism and China for its double standards on the matter, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday said that Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) should not hesitate to criticise such nations. Chairing the 23rd meeting of the SCO council summit in virtual mode, the PM said that "decisive action" is required to deal with terrorism and terror financing. Apart from the leaders of the other member nations, Russian President Vladimir Putin, Chinese President Xi Jinping and Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif also addressed the summit. The President of Iran, which became the ninth full-fledged member of the SCO, Ebrahim Raisi, also participated in the summit. During his address, in another veiled jibe at the China-led Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), whose flagship project, the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, passes through Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, Mr Modi said that while "strong connectivity is crucial for the progress of any region (and) better connectivity not only enhances mutual trade but also fosters mutual trust, it is essential to uphold the basic principles of the SCO charter, particularly respecting the sovereignty and regional integrity of the Member States." India has refused to join the BRI. Reiterating Indias position, Mr Modi instead endorsed the International North-South Transport Corridor, which he said "can serve as a secure and efficient route for landlocked countries in Central Asia to access the Indian Ocean". He added that "following Iran's membership in the SCO, we can work towards maximising the utilisation of the (Iranian) Chabahar Port." Raising the issue of food, fertiliser and energy security for the Global South (developing nations), the PM said that "in a world surrounded by conflicts, tensions and pandemics, food, fuel, and fertiliser crises are a significant challenge for all nations and that "we should collectively ponder upon whether we are capable, as an organisation, of fulfilling the aspirations and expectations of our people." The Prime Minister said that India supports proposals for reforms and modernisation within the SCO. He said: "The SCO can also become an important voice for reforms in global institutions, including the UN." On the situation in Afghanistan, Mr Modi said, It is important that Afghanistan's territory is not used to spread instability in neighbouring countries or to encourage extremist ideologies. He added: The situation in Afghanistan has directly impacted the security of all of us. India's concerns and expectations regarding Afghanistan are similar to those of most of the SCO countries. We must come together to strive for the well-being of the people of Afghanistan Later, in a special media briefing, foreign secretary Vinay Mohan Kwatra said that the decision announced about a month ago by India to conduct the summit in virtual mode "did not dilute the objectives". In response to Indias veiled barb against Pakistan on terrorism, Pakistan PM sought to hit back, albeit in a veiled manner. He said: "Any temptation to use it as a cudgel for diplomatic point scoring must be eschewed. Instead of cherry-picking for narrow political gains, terrorism in all its forms and manifestations, including state terrorism, must be condemned in clear and unambiguous terms." Mr Sharif also tried to rake up the Kashmir issue obliquely without naming it and pushing Islamabads narrative. In his remarks, the Russian President blasted the West and accused it of "instigating Ukraine with weapons against Donbass (region)" and promoting neo-Nazi ideology, as well as "hybrid warfare" against Russia with economic sanctions. "The Russian people are more consolidated than ever. The unity and high responsibility for the fate of the country were clearly demonstrated by the Russian political circles and the whole of society in uniting against the attempted armed rebellion," the Russian President said. Mr Putin also spoke about the increasing trade between Russia and China in Roubles and Yuan (their respective national currencies). The Chinese President spoke about the benefits of the (China-led) BRI project and also the need to oppose global "hegemony" in what is being seen as a reference to the West. The main joint statement released later in the evening reiterated that all SCO nations except India supported the BRI. It said: "Reaffirming their support for China's "Belt and Road Initiative" (BRI) initiative, the Republic of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyz Republic, Islamic Republic of Pakistan, Russian Federation, Republic of Tajikistan and Republic of Uzbekistan note the ongoing work to jointly implement this project, including efforts to link the construction of the Eurasian Economic Union and BRI." The joint statement said: "Threats and challenges are becoming more and more complex, destructive and dangerous; existing conflicts are aggravating and new conflicts are emerging The member states confirm their commitment to the formation of a more representative, democratic, just and multipolar world order based on the universally recognised principles of international law, with a central coordinating role for the UN." On terrorism, the joint statement said: "The member states are determined to continue taking active measures to eliminate the conditions conducive to the spread of terrorism, to disrupt the terror financing channels, to suppress recruitment activities and cross-border movement of terrorists, to counter extremism and radicalization of youth, the dissemination of terrorist ideology, as well as to eliminate sleeper cells and places used as terrorist safe havens." On the issue of economic sanctions seen as significant in the context of sanctions imposed by the West on Russia due to the Ukraine conflict, a joint statement issued by the SCO said that "unilateral application of economic sanctions other than those approved by the UN Security Council are incompatible with the principles of international law and has a negative impact on third countries and international economic relations". The joint statement also mentioned a "roadmap for a gradual increase in the share of national currencies in mutual settlements by the interested member states". The member states called for greater effectiveness of the World Trade Organization as a key platform for discussing the international trade agenda and adopting the regulations of the multilateral trading system. The PM suddenly singing paeans for the NDA looks a bit strange Maharashtras bizarre political developments this week in which an NCP faction headed by Ajit Pawar joined the government, giving Sharad Pawar a jolt, can be seen as an unsure BJP seeking new allies at any cost. Prime Minister Narendra Modi and home minister Amit Shah were aware the Eknath Shinde-Devendra Fadnavis government was stable and there were adequate numbers, but they still moved to split the NCP. They werent taking any chances with Maharashtra, with 48 Lok Sabha seats, next only to Uttar Pradeshs 80, with the polls just nine months away. Ajit Pawar was getting restive after Sharad Pawar virtually anointed his daughter Supriya Sule as his successor. The BJP had for long kept an eye on a disgruntled Ajit to ensure total dominance over Maharashtra. This means that minus the Congress, all forces in Maharashtra are welcome to the BJP camp as satellites. This is a change of tack by the worlds largest party. Till six months ago, the PMs taunt to the Opposition was: Ek Modi sab par bhari. Whether speaking in Parliament or addressing an election meeting, Mr Modis barbs were that his adversaries were so insignificant that they could be blown away with a single roar of the lion. Or something like that. Now, BJP strategists are bending over backwards to accommodate as many allies as possible in the NDA. Right, left and centre. Strange. The BJP-led NDA now looks like an overcrowded public bus, with the conductor allowing more people to board despite the virtual stampede inside. Its like the conductor wants to please the owner by gathering as much of a crowd as possible. From Kashmir to Kanyakumari, new partners are being discovered and prepared for inclusion in the NDA or in informal poll tie-ups. Everybody who is against the Congress or has a grudge against it is being taken care of. Suddenly, more is beautiful. The more the merrier. Gone are the days when a resurgent BJP was ready to take on the rest on its own, and depicted the non-BJP parties as forces of no consequence. The campaign initiated by none other than the PM himself of a Congress-mukt Bharat was an audacious bid to target the Opposition. Is such a campaign cohesive with the lofty talk of India as the mother of democracy? The BJPs change of tack shows how much the setback in Karnataka has damaged Brand Modi and his partys confidence. The idea of a lean and trim BJP-led NDA has been abandoned. There have also been some amusing incidents. In Maharashtra, the BJP is signalling that it is open to doing business with Uddhav Thackeray if the Sena (UBT) leader initiates negotiations with the top party leaders on his own. This is happening when chief minister Eknath Shinde, who led the revolt against Mr Thackeray and brought down the MVA government a year back, is claiming he is a far bigger leader than Devendra Fadnavis, whom the BJP high command forced to become deputy CM to cut him to size. Mr Shindes controversial action was like the tail wagging the dog. Just after Karnataka polls, the BJP opened doors for an alliance in the state with the JD(S) after party patriarch and former PM H.D. Deve Gowda met Mr Modi. The idea is to checkmate the Congress with BJP plus JD(S) votes despite the fact that Mr Deve Gowdas party is fast losing ground. In Bihar, chief minister Nitish Kumar, the friend turned foe of the BJP, is a prime target as he has taken the lead in bringing the Opposition parties together, backed by its key ally Lalu Prasad Yadavs RJD. The BJP is thus joining hands with Chirag Paswan on one side and former CM Jitan Ram Manjhi on the other. It has taken along former Union minister Upendra Kushwaha, a friend-turned-foe of Nitish Kumar, and brought in a new state party chief as it struggles to have a face in Bihar. Samrat Chaudhary is a leader from a prominent community among the backwards and is known as an articulate leader. In Andhra Pradesh, new allies are in the process of being ushered in. TDPs N. Chandrababu Naidu, who left the NDA ahead of the last Lok Sabha polls, is the prominent one. The party also has an alliance with Pawan Kalyans Jana Sena. In Tamil Nadu, the BJP hopes to keep both AIADMK factions with it. However, there is no amity or unanimity between the BJP and its allies in some states over contesting polls. In Haryana, the Jannanayak Janata Party led by deputy CM Dushyant Chautala has announced that his party would contest all 10 seats in the Lok Sabha polls in the state even though the BJP, which heads the government, plans to do the same. In Punjab, the Shiromani Akali Dal warned that the push for a Uniform Civil Code could affect his partys chances of a revival of its alliance with the BJP for 2024. The BJPs spin doctors are saying whatever happened in Maharashtra is the crash landing of the Oppositions plans to come together to take on the ruling party. But this is too naive a claim. Whatever has happened is certainly a setback, but it all depends on how things pan out in the next six months. The PM suddenly singing paeans for the NDA looks a bit strange. So far, the allies appeared to be like the extras of Bollywood who needed to be around like showpieces so that the hero was depicted in a brighter light and runs the show single-handedly. We suddenly appear to be living in interesting times as the ruling party is now proclaiming Yeh Dil maange more. The writer is a journalist based in New Delhi. Commentary: Unleash SCO's potential for fostering global security, prosperity Xinhua) 13:50, July 04, 2023 BEIJING, July 4 (Xinhua) -- The 23rd meeting of the Council of Heads of State of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) is kicking off via video conference on Tuesday amid expectations from regional countries for the SCO to play a bigger role in ensuring global security and prosperity. Chinese President Xi Jinping will attend the summit, and together with other participating leaders, chart the course for the future development of the organization. In a world reeling from turmoil, disorder and increasing instability, and fraught with uncertainties and unpredictable factors, the summit of the SCO, a champion of the spirit of mutual trust, mutual benefit, equality, consultation, respect for diverse civilizations and pursuit of common development, shines a beacon of hope in helping steer the world out of its current predicaments. The high expectations placed on the SCO are rooted in its expanding influence and conspicuous history in anchoring regional stability and fostering global prosperity. Since its inception in Shanghai in 2001, the SCO has expanded from a regional organization with six members into a global organization with eight full members, four observer countries, and 14 dialogue partners, covering over 60 percent of the Eurasian landmass and nearly half of the world's population. The world has already benefited from an increasingly stronger SCO, which has created a new model of cooperation based on partnership and dialogue, rather than alliance or confrontation, and become a constructive force in international affairs. By transcending differences among countries in ideology, social system, and development path, the SCO has mobilized resources and gathered collective strength to the fullest extent in addressing common challenges facing all humanity, like terrorism, drug trafficking, cybercrime and transnational organized crime. The SCO's glorious journey in the past more than two decades has unequivocally attested to the value and significance of the organization. However, human society is like the natural world, which encounters both sunny and rainy days in its development. Today's human society is undergoing accelerating changes unseen in a century. Regional conflicts are raging. The Cold War mentality and group politics are resurfacing, and so are unilateralism and hegemonism. Economic globalization has also encountered headwinds. A more turbulent and intertwined world is calling for a closer SCO community. Only by further unleashing the potential of the SCO as a concerted driving force in pursuing common prosperity, can the region, and the world as a whole, be better poised to meet the looming challenges. To that end, it is first of all imperative to further enhance strategic independence and boost mutual trust. Interference by external forces has become an imminent threat to regional peace and stability. The SCO should guard against attempts by external forces to instigate "color revolutions," and jointly oppose interference in other countries' internal affairs under any pretext. Second, it is necessary to maintain regional peace by expanding security cooperation. By implementing the Global Security Initiative, SCO members should jointly crack down on terrorism, separatism, extremism, drug trafficking and other transnational organized crimes. Member countries should also effectively meet the challenges in data security, biosecurity, outer space security and other non-traditional security domains. Third, it is of great significance to promote interconnected development by upholding openness and inclusiveness. Member countries should strengthen their cooperation in such areas as trade and investment, infrastructure building, supply-chain protection, scientific and technological innovation and artificial intelligence, opposing any acts that violate international economic order and market rules. Fourth, it is important to uphold multilateralism and build a more just and equitable international order. Member countries should safeguard the UN-centered international system and the international order based on international law, reject zero-sum game and bloc politics, advocate multilateralism and improve global governance by upholding fairness and justice. As scheduled, the SCO family will initiate another round of expansion during this summit. With more and more countries joining the SCO, it is bound to play a greater role in global governance. China stands ready to work together with both old and new members of the SCO family to foster consensus, deepen cooperation, and create a better future for the Eurasian continent and the world as a whole with a closer SCO community. (Web editor: Zhong Wenxing, Liang Jun) U.S. Attorney Trini E. Ross announced that Jason Koscielski, 35, of Rochester, NY, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Charles J. Siragusa to possession of child pornography by an individual with a prior sex offense conviction, which carries a mandatory minimum penalty of 10 years in prison, a maximum of 20 years, and a fine of $250,000. READ NEXT: York Man Sentenced To 25 Years' Imprisonment For Sexually Exploiting Two Children Assistant U.S. Attorney Meghan K. McGuire, who is handling the case, stated that in December 2011, Koscielski was convicted on federal charges of receipt, distribution, and possession of child pornography, and sentenced to serve 135 months in prison and 30 years supervised release, which prohibited him from possessing any unmonitored telephone. In November of 2021, Koscielski obtained a Tracfone, in violation of the terms of his supervised release. Between November 2 and November 16, 2021, Koscielski used the phone to send and receive images of child pornography and to possess approximately 476 images of child pornography. Many of the images involved children younger than 12 years old and were sexually explicit in nature. On November 5, 2021, Koscielski also used the Phone to exchange sexually explicit photos with Minor Victim 1, a 15-year-old male. The plea is the result of an investigation by the U.S. Probation Department, under the director of Chief Probation Officer Timothy Englert and the Federal Bureau of Investigation Child Exploitation Task Force, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Matthew Miraglia. Sentencing is scheduled for October 24, 2023, before Judge Siragusa. READ MORE: FBI Honors Fort Peck Tribes' Red Bird Woman Center/Children's Advocacy Center with Director's Community Leadership Award @ 2023 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Continued immigration has led to France having over four million immigrants in a population of 67 million Many are wondering just what has gone wrong with French society. An advanced country, one of the leading Western powers and a permanent member of the UN Security Council, as well as a former colonial power, is burning with internal riots and street fires. Its also not the first time its happening. A few years ago, the Yellow Vest movement engulfed France when fuel prices were increased by the government on the pretext of imposing a green tax. Being from rural areas, they said they couldnt afford the hike in fuel prices. Violent protests erupted in Paris, where rioters defaced the Arc de Triomphe and the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, looted shops and vandalised buildings. That seems to have become a norm every few years in France, exemplifying the underlying tensions of living there. This time its about the wholly unnecessary killing of a 17-year-old boy of Algerian descent who was detained by two police officers apparently for a traffic offence in the Paris suburb of Nanterre. One of the officers fired at the young man because he feared that he would run over someone with his car. It put a blotch on traditional French patience, finesse and rationale. The incident sparked off large-scale rioting. Successive nights of violence across France and its overseas territories have prompted French officials to launch a crackdown. Over 40,000 police personnel were mobilised to patrol cities across the country. More than 2,000 people have been detained and more than 500 police personnel have been injured. There has been unprecedented destruction of public and private property. Malls and high-profile branded stores have been the target, making this out to be intra-society vengeance against the better- heeled and upper crust society. We know that France is no stranger to revolution and violence in the streets. In fact, it is the cradle of protest against discrimination: the Bastille bears testimony to that. And its not just France, the rioting has also spread to French-speaking Switzerland and Belgium. If not adequately capped, the protests could spread to many other European countries. There is an explanation for all this. If you have ever ridden the Eurostar from Londons iconic Waterloo Station, through the Chunnel, and enjoyed views of the great French countryside as one speeds past northern France and enters Paris Gare du Nord railway station, you would understand this better. The first time I did it I was not sure I had entered the heart of one of the most sophisticated civilisations. To me the railway station and everything around it projected a struggling humanity of people from all over Francophonic nations in Africa and elsewhere. Mixed with them were Asians and many others. The walls were scrawled with graffiti and garbage spewed out of overfilled trash cans. It wasnt the Europe that I had expected, not the least France, which only throws up images of the Louvre, the Eiffel Tower, Notre Dame, fashion and film, art and fine dining. However, what is not realised is that after the Second World War, while much of Europe reeled under the effect of monumental casualties which laid waste almost a full generation, a need arose for immigration from many of the colonies which were dominated by European powers. Many made the journey to Europe to be absorbed in the rebuilding efforts and the manning of lower-end jobs which Europeans themselves were loath to perform. Continued immigration has led to France having over four million immigrants in a population of 67 million. The original generation of immigrants were grateful for what they got; sustenance in a world where poverty had made survival in the post-war world almost impossible. The subsequent generation may have grown in the shadow of their parents and continued to remain loyal and grateful to the colonial masters. The next and the next generations thereafter had no such compulsion, and now they were loath to doing anything below their dignity. This resulted in lack of employment and a consequent rise in societal tension as discrimination became rife. Its amazing that in a nation considered so stable and developed that it gets as many tourists as its total population, there is discrimination of such proportions against segments of its own society which has in many ways helped France to get over the ravaging effects of World War II. Travelling through Europe, one finds this phenomenon in many other places. An evening I spent in Brussels at the famous La Grande Place, the central square of the city, was partially upset by the presence of noisy, hooting and badly behaved immigrants who tended to presume that Belgium was first their country and only then belonged to its original inhabitants. All this came to a head during the immigration crisis as Syria imploded and almost four million refugees poured into Europe. The spectre of the Islamic State forced a crisis, with some European nations readily accepting and others refusing entry. Immigrants from North Africa and illegal migrants from afar also attempt illegal migration into Europe through different channels. The frequency of Frances racial issues coming to a head is likely to spread to other nations too, and one could then have a full-blown crisis on Europes hands. This along with the already major security concerns over Ukraines displaced people is likely to create challenges for Europes political leaderships. It will need a European solution and not just a French or Belgian one. The chances of low-lying terrorists exploiting the social turbulence cannot be ruled out either. An independent human rights watchdog in France found that young men perceived to be Black or Arab were 20 times more likely to be stopped by the police than their peers. The tragedy has turned the spotlight again on the so-called banlieues -- the suburbs of French cities -- which have been hit by another wave of riots across France. About 57 per cent of children living in those communities live in poverty, against 21 per cent for Frances population as a whole. But the problem is best exemplified by the fact that a crowd sourcing funds for the family of Nahel M, the victim of the current tragedy, drew less money than the fund set up by Jean Messiha, a former adviser to French far-right politician Marine Le Pen, for the family of the accused policeman who had shot Nahel. Obviously, President Emmanuel Macrons journey to the next election is strewn with obstacles, but that is so for most ruling elements in Europe. The writer, a retired lieutenant-general, is a former GOC of the Srinagar-based 15 (Chinar) Corps With India as host of the virtual summit, Iran becomes the Shanghai Cooperation Organisations ninth member. China praises the Belt and Road Initiative, slamming the use of national security as a tool of economic coercion. Sparks fly between India and Pakistan over terrorism. New Delhi (AsiaNews/Agencies) Iran has become the ninth member of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) during todays virtual summit of heads of state and government chaired by India. The political, economic, and security forum also includes Russia, China, India, Pakistan and four Central Asian countries. In Tehran, Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi hailed the historic moment, as the Iranian flag was hoisted along with the others in front of SCO headquarters in Beijing. Founded in 2001 by China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan, SCO saw its first enlargement with the entry of India and Pakistan in 2017. After Iran, Belarus is expected to follow soon. Like Mongolia and Afghanistan, it already has observer status, and at this summit, it signed a memorandum of commitment for full membership. Fourteen more countries are dialogue partners, like Turkey, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, and Egypt. Overall, SCOs ambitions are big and go far beyond security cooperation. With the addition of Iran, it now extends over an area of 36 million square kilometres, three fifths of Eurasia, with a population of 3.4 billion people, or 43 per cent of the worlds population and 30 per cent of its GDP. On this occasion, Chinese President Xi Jinping called on partners to pursue pragmatic cooperation to speed up economic recovery. In a clear swipe at the United States, he urged action against protectionism, unilateral sanctions, and the use of national security as a tool of economic coercion. In rejecting attempts to "build walls" or disrupt industrial and supply chains, the Chinese leader noted that synergies between the Belt and Road Initiative and development strategies of various countries should be encouraged. Yet, despite the lofty remarks, national interests still keep SCO members apart. The host of this summit, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, centred his address on the forums primary purpose, security. In his speech, he referred to Some countries [that] use cross-border terrorism as an instrument of their policies and give shelter to terrorists, at not-so-veiled reference to Pakistan but also China, which supports Islamabad and blocked a resolution at the UN on this issue a few days ago. SCO should not hesitate to criticise such countries. SCO countries should condemn terrorism. There should be no double standards," Modi said. For his part, Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif warned that, Any temptation to exploit [terrorism] for diplomatic gain must be resisted at all costs. State terrorism, along with all other types and expressions of terrorism, must be strongly denounced. For Russian President Vladimir Putin, today's summit was his first opportunity to appear at an international event, albeit in virtual form, since the Wagner Group rebellion more than a week ago. The Russian president reassured his colleagues that his country was stable and united, stressing its readiness to boost ties with SCO partners, including trading in local currencies. The Tehreek-e Taliban Pakistan (TTP) has been operating for years along the Durand Line with the goal of creating a new Islamic Emirate. But tens of thousands of refugees, mostly ethnic Pashtuns, also live on the border. In 2022 there was an increase in attack casualties of nearly 15 percent in Pakistan. Kabul (AsiaNews) - The Pakistani government has struck a deal with the Taliban for Tehreek-e Taliban Pakistan (TTP or Pakistani Taliban) militants operating along the border to be relocated to northern Afghan provinces along with their families. Some residents of Takhar province have expressed concern over the decision, fearing new ethnic tensions in a country already ravaged by decades of warfare, which ended only with the Taliban recapture in mid-August 2021 in conjunction with the withdrawal of U.S. troops. In addition to locals, a spokesman for the National Islamic Movement of Afghanistan party also said the situation is likely to get out of hand. "We believe that tensions will increase especially between different ethnic groups if this continues," said Ihsan Nairo, specifying that the issue has also been raised at the United Nations to find a solution. The TTP are a separate extremist group but ideologically and ethnically close to the Taliban of Afghanistan, who are also Pashtuns. They were formed in 2007 and gather under their umbrella groups with different denominations, whose goal is to create an Islamic Emirate in Pakistan. That is why their attacks are perpetrated against government targets or Pakistani security forces, which, in 2022 alone, lost 282 members. In the same year, the country recorded 376 terrorist attacks, according to data from the Center for Research and Security Studies, an increase in casualties of nearly 15 percent over 2021. For some time the government in Islamabad had been trying to strike a deal with the TTP through mediation by Kabul, and before now, despite the announcement of several ceasefires, all attempts had failed. Then in the middle of last month, Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid declared-without mentioning the TTPs or the Pakistani government-that people currently residing in the Afghan provinces of Khost, Kunar, and other border areas along the Durand Line (a very porous border not recognized by Pashtun leaders, whether Afghan or Pakistani) would be relocated to the north of the country. Some experts believe that Islamabad has directly approached the Taliban in Kabul by granting money in exchange for reducing the number of attacks, but the details of the arrangement are not known. There are an estimated 4,000 TTP members living in those regions, but also tens of thousands of refugees: according to a report published in 2019 by the Norwegian Refugee Council, at least 72,000 Pakistani refugees who fled the volatile region of Waziristan reside in a makeshift camp on the border between the two countries. According to Afghan News Agency reports, the families being relocated will receive land from Kabul, while Islamabad will provide financial assistance to purchase agricultural tools and other equipment needed for resettlement. by Arundathie Abeysinghe An alarming number of cases reported of people dying or suffering severe visual impairment after routine eye surgeries. Some doctors say the cause is an anesthetic purchased by the ministry in India from companies on the blacklist of unreliable products. But the government in Colombo rejects the allegations. Colombo (AsiaNews) - Alarm is growing in Sri Lanka over several cases of patient deaths, including a woman pregnant with twins, that have occurred in Sri Lankan hospitals, which may be linked to an uncertified anesthetic drug purchased on the black market from the Ministry of Health. There are also many people who underwent routine surgeries-such as cataracts-at hospitals in Nuwara Eliya (in the country's central province), Anuradhapura, and Polonnaruwa (in the north-central area) and lost their eyesight because of the corrupted drug. They are now awaiting compensation from the authorities. Many experts and health system workers themselves consider this affair one of the biggest failures of the National Medicines Regulatory Authority (NMRA). White coats who found themselves operating with these products are of the opinion that they were purchased by the Ministry of Health on the black market from an Indian company. Among them are surgeons Gayantha Meddegoda, Nilupuli Waidyaratna, and Dinesh Herath, who told AsiaNews that they had checked the labels of the pharmaceuticals: "Most of those imported in recent months were from some companies on the blacklist of unreliable and uncertified products. We reported this to senior officials in the Ministry of Health and NMRA, but instead of ensuring patient safety, they turned a blind eye to this problem." Sriyalatha Manampaeri (62) and Karunawathie Nissanka (49) from Teripehe and Hunnasgiriya in Central Province are some of the family members of the victims of these substandard drugs who have protested "this negligence of the health authorities." Similarly, the parents of Gunapala Rathnasiri (42), Miyuru Pathiraja (38) and Yasawathie Sedara (44) from Anuradhapura, who became blind overnight when they simply had to undergo cataract surgery in the hospital. Coming from families in economic poverty, this situation makes it impossible to care for their relatives and go to work. "So now we will have to decide who will stay at home sacrificing their jobs to take care of our parents who have been disabled by the health service," they explain. In Colombo at a press conference, Health Minister Keheliya Rambukwella dismissed the allegations, saying that "even when you buy 100,000 U.S. FDA-approved drugs, some may turn out to be defective." Similarly, when questioned in Parliament on the issue of the anesthetic drug imported from India linked to deaths and visual impairment, he simply recalled that "initial investigations revealed that the controversial drug was used on only five patients, the others are to be ascertained." Meanwhile, Mihiri Tillakaratne, a lawyer who is providing free legal assistance to relatives of the victims, is of the opinion that "people who trivialize the sanctity of human life and dismiss with contempt accidental or negligent hospital deaths are not worthy of being responsible for the nation's health." by Vladimir Rozanskij Talks wanted by Washington, soon Aliev and Pasinyan should also meet. However several 'crucial issues' remain. Azerbaijan sets the disarmament of the Armenian defence forces in Nagorno Karabakh as a precondition. The Armenian public retorts: 'They want our capitulation'. Washington (AsiaNews/Agencies) - After the three-day talks between Armenia and Azerbaijan at the "George Schulz" Foreign Affairs Study Center in Arlington, Virginia, concluded on June 30 in Washington, the foreign ministries of the two conflicting countries both said, without going into details, that there are still several "crucial issues" that require further working sessions. The ministry spokesman in Yerevan went on to specify to Radio Azatutyun that clarifications are needed on border demarcation between Armenia and Azerbaijan, the withdrawal of troops deployed at the borders, and the establishment of an international guarantee mechanism for dialogue between Baku and Stepanakert, the Armenian capital of Nagorno Karabakh. Despite these difficulties in the discussion between the parties, all praise the progress achieved by the two ministers, Armenia's Ararat Mirzoyan and Azerbaijan's Dzejkhun Bayramov, in drafting the agreement "On Peace and the Restoration of Interstate Relations," obtained at the U.S. mediation table. Even on progress, by the way, the parties always remain rather vague. U.S. Secretary of State Anthony Blinken, who took a direct part in the negotiations along with Security Adviser Jake Sullivan, joined the cautiously optimistic statements of his colleagues, and also the need for many more efforts to be made, because "it is clear to everyone that the closer you get to the goal, the more complicated the issues to be defined become." Baku has set as a precondition to any agreement the disarmament of Armenian defense forces in the disputed area. As Armenian political scientist Tigran Grigoryan notes, "so far the agreement covers only secondary issues and details, but not the fundamental ones," and so it is actually quite far from a conclusion. He notes that even the Americans have remained more measured than in previous circumstances, recalling when Blinken himself assured in May that "peace is very close." After all, this round of talks took place against a backdrop of new conflict escalation, what could not help but be reflected on the discussion table. Grigoryan believes that Azerbaijan has "used these tensions to force Armenians to make concessions, for fear of further confrontations," especially to insist on disarming Armenians. The Azerbaijani press hammers on "provocations by illegal armed formations in Nagorno Karabakh," which are allegedly supplied directly from Yerevan. According to the analyst, Azerbaijan is not really interested in a comprehensive peace, but only "in signing a document with unilateral concessions, in fact a capitulation of Armenia." The mediators should therefore put more pressure on Azerbaijan not to use provocations as weapons in the negotiations, "even in the 2020 negotiations there were not all these tensions after the 44-day war." The fact that the U.S. does not take clear positions condemning Azerbaijani strategies, again according to Grigoryan, "indicates a fear of blowing up the entire peace process, they fear that any rebuke of Baku would result in its leaving the consultation table." The same leaders of the two countries, Azerbaijani President Aliev and Armenian Prime Minister Pasinyan, are expected to meet in a few weeks, with representatives of the European Union and the Americans attending. Blinken said he is "looking forward to the next meeting, to take advantage of the positive momentum provided by the latest discussions," namely "the spirit of sincerity, openness and frankness with which both sides have been addressing such sensitive issues together." by Steve Suwannarat A southerner, 79-year-old Wan Muhamad Noor Matha, gets the post of speaker of the House of Representatives. Leader of Prachachat, the veteran of Thai politics is a non-divisive figure who will be called to mediate between the countrys various political factions. King Rama X urges the parties to act in "the best interest" of the people. Bangkok (AsiaNews) Thailand is moving towards a new prime minister and government, following parliamentary elections on 14 May won by a wide margin by parties opposed to military rule. In his address yesterday to a joint session of parliament (National Assembly)[*] King Rama X urged lawmakers to work in the best interest" of the country by focusing on the needs of the people and avoiding further conflicts. The sovereign warned that divisions can only sap investors confidence at a time of economic uncertainties and weaken excessively inward-looking ruling elites, whose role, goals and abilities are being questioned by more and more Thais. Unexpectedly but like on a cue, the two largest parties of the new majority Move Forward (Phak Kao Klai) led by Pita Limjaroenrat and the For Thais Party (Phak Phuea Thai) of the Shinawatra family agreed this morning on a single nominee for the post speaker of the House of Representatives, the lower house. Wan Muhamad Noor Matha was easily elected speaker of the House of Representatives and ex officio president of the National Assembly. The 79-year-old Wan Noor heads the National Party (Prachachat), also in the opposition until last months election. A veteran politician, he hails from the south, home to a sizable Muslim population, a region troubled by tensions over local autonomy and identity. But above all, the new speaker is a non-divisive figure. As head of parliament, he will have to reach out to pro-military parties. Although much weakened, the latter can count on the support of the 250-member military-appointed Senate. As it gets ready for 14 July when the full parliament meets to choose the new prime minister, the new ruling coalition has shown that, by choosing an outsider, it can manage its internal differences and remain engaged in dialogue. In the House of Representatives, the eight-party coalition dominated by Move Forward and For Thais party can count on 312 votes out of 500, far short of the 376 (out of 750) needed to pick the new head of government. Getting at least 64 senators to agree to their pick will be difficult, but the leaders of the new ruling coalition are optimistic. [*] The National Assembly includes the House of Representatives and the Senate. Success! An email has been sent to with a link to confirm list signup. Close Get email notifications on {{subject}} daily! Your notification has been saved. There was a problem saving your notification. {{description}} Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items. Some of Aspens streets will have detours and no parking today on the Fourth to make way for the 11 a.m. parade and other festivities in town. (Photo : Amir Levy/Getty Images) Israeli protesters clash with law enforcement personnel at the Ben Gurion Airport as they demand the reversal of the country's judicial reform legislation. Israeli protesters clashed with police at the Ben Gurion Airport, demanding the government reverse the recent judicial reform legislation. Law enforcement personnel said they arrested 37 protesters for allegedly disturbing the peace after overrunning barricades, blocking roads, and entering Terminal 3. Officers were also found to have used force to prevent protesters from blocking the street while dragging people out of the arrivals hall as they chanted "Democracy" and "This government is criminal." Israeli Protesters Clash With Police at Ben Gurion Airport After a few hours of demonstrations, police declared that the protest in the area was illegal and geared up to disperse the crowd. Law enforcement officials added that protesters dragged plants into the streets to create barricades on top of crowding into the road. Reports noted an estimated 15,000 protesters at the facility who began demonstrations in the late afternoon and continued into the night. The disturbance resulted in massive traffic jams at the airport entrance and roads leading toward the site, as per the Times of Israel. Furthermore, the situation caused some flights to be delayed by several hours, and there were reports that some passengers missed their flights. Roughly 93,000 travelers were also scheduled to arrive and depart on some 550 flights during the day. There were hundreds of protesters later gathered outside of the Ramply police station, where demonstrators who were arrested at the airport were taken to, demanding their friends' release. In a statement issued after midnight, police said the detained people were released. Law enforcement authorities said they would uphold protesters' right to demonstrate but also vowed to protect and maintain public order and keep access roads open for emergency vehicles. Despite the inconveniences caused by the protests, some passengers supported the demonstrators at the airport. According to Haaretz, the Nasser couple, who arrived from Miami at 1:00 p.m. for a midnight flight, sacrificed a day in Tel Aviv. Read Also: Poland Strengthens Belarus Border After Wagner Chief's Arrival Opposing Judicial Reform Felicia said she believed protesters were doing the right thing by fighting for democracy. Her husband, Marius, also shared a lighthearted perspective, considering the situation as a test of their relationship. He said that spending many hours in a boring place was the trick. Another person from Tamra, Bashira-Bashir, arrived at the airport five hours before his scheduled flight to Cairo. He also supported the protest, saying that it was all good if it was done against Bibi, a reference to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Netanyahu made the situation a little better in March after ordering the pause of the legislation and began compromise talks with the opposition. However, those negotiations later proved fruitless as he has turned to pursue what he believes is a scaled-back version of the judicial reform. The Israeli prime minister maintained that the reforms are meant to restore the balance between the various branches of government and redress what he and his coalition allies believe is judicial overreach, said Reuters. Related Article: Joe Biden To Meet King Charles, PM Rishi Sunak in UK Trip on Way to NATO Summit @ 2023 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Introduced for the 2018 model year, the Chevrolet Equinox has officially entered 2024. The build & price is live, and somewhat of a surprise, Chevy didn't change the price of the entry-level LS FWD. FWD AWD EV SUV LSD $27,995 is the starting price in question. The Premieralso stayed put ($33,195), whereas the RS FWD costs $250 more and the LT FWD is a staggering $1,795 more than before. The RSand LT AWD are $300 and $1,795 more, whereas the LS AWD and Premier AWD retain their 2023 sticker prices.Other changes worthy of mention? As per the order guide attached below, Riptide Blue Metallic and Lakeshore Blue Metallic have joined the exterior paint color palette. That's all, which is another way of saying the Equinox will be replaced after 2024. The next generation allegedly features internal combustion to differentiate itself from the long-awaited Equinox EV The all-electric sibling is due to arrive in dealer showrooms for the 2024 model year with a starting price of approximately $30,000 for the 1LT. Said trim level will be available in the spring of 2024. This fall, the only trim level heading to dealers is the 2RS. The Equinoxlineup further consists of the 3RS, 3LT, and 2LT.In regard to highlights, those are up to 300 miles (483 kilometers) of electric range on a full charge and approximately 70 miles (113 kilometers) of electric range for every 10 minutes of DC fast charging. Chevy warrants the battery for eight years or 100,000 miles (nearly 160,000 kilometers), whichever comes first.Scheduled to end production at the Ramos Arizpe and San Luis Potosi assembly plants in Mexico in April 2024 and October 2024, the combustion-engined Chevrolet Equinox was the segment's third best-selling crossover in 2022. General Motors delivered 212,072 units compared to 165,323 in 2021. By comparison, Toyota and Honda delivered 399,941 and 238,155 units, respectively, in 2022. In fourth place, Nissan is listed with 186,480 examples of the Rogue compactBoth the front- and all-wheel-drive versions of the Equinox rely on a 1.5-liter turbo four-cylinder engine, which is joined by a six-speed automatic. There's nothing inherently wrong with six speeds, but when the competition levels up to seven-, eight-, and nine-speed transmissions for transverse applications, you know that General Motors could've done better. But in typical fashion for General Motors, the biggest of the Big Three in Detroit cheapened out in order to save a few bucks.The VVT- and DI-equipped powerplant belts out a respectable 175 ponies and 203 pound-feet (275 Nm) at full chatter. Internally referred to as, this engine is much obliged to return 28 miles per gallon (8.4 liters per 100 kilometers) on the combined test cycle in combination with said transmission. Equipped with all-wheel drive, that would be 26 mpg (9.0 l/100 km). Stellantis currently makes third-gen HEMI engines in Saltillo, Mexico. The facility where the Hurricane 3.0L twin-turbo I6 is also made will bid farewell to most of its V8 engine production in a matter of months, with only the 6.4L powerplant believed to soldier on in heavy-duty trucks. The 5.7L and 6.2L may be discontinued by the end of 2023, leaving only the 6.4L as the only HEMI from 2024 onward. Indeed, that would be the bitter end for both the Ram 1500's optional V8 and the Ram 1500 TRX's insanely powerful Hellcat. It's a sad turn of events, especially if you remember that Ford recently unleashed a 6.8L gasser for the Super Duty line of heavy-duty trucks. Also worthy of note, General Motors pledged millions over millions of dollars for the next-generation small block, with applications including the next-generation Corvette and next-generation Silverado/Sierra lines of workhorses.Not all is lost, though. Stellantis, which includes Fiat Chrysler Automobiles, currently works on a three-door electric fastback muscle car that will bear the Charger nameplate. When it comes to internal combustion, the TRX will be offered until the end of the 2024 model year. Further down the road, the 2025 model year Ram 1500 will be treated to an extensive makeover that will include a Tungsten luxury trim level with the Hurricane 3.0L twin-turbo I6 from the beginning of the story.Confirmation comes from @ButterDaInsider, who stumbled upon the 2025 Ram 1500 Tungsten on wait for it Ram's website . Said information has been since taken down, but as with all things on the Internet, it's impossible to wipe off every trace of said information.Listed as a Crew Cab with 4x4 and vehicle identification number 1C6SRFKP9SN500103, the mystery truck comes with a panoramic sunroof of the dual-pane variety, a 12-inch digital instrument cluster, a power tailgate, LED taillamps, Full Speed Forward Collision Warning Plus, a body-color bumper out back with step pads, active grille shutters and active front air dams for improved fuel economy, power running boards, adaptive cruise control with stop & go, 285/45 by 22-inch tires wrapped around 22- by 9.0-inch wheels, remote start, bright pedals, a Class IV receiver hitch, air vents for the rear passengers, and a 5-foot bed.The fun stuff is featured in the list of extras, which includes the inline-six powerplant mentioned earlier. Said engine is the HO, the acronym for high output, and the only transmission available in combination with the Hurricane HO is the 8HP75 from ZF Friedrichshafen.8 is the number of gears, and 75 refers to approximately 750 Nm (550 pound-feet) of torque. That's how much the automatic transmission can take, and that's well clear of the peak torque rating of the Hurricane HO. The standard tune is good for 420 horsepower and 468 pound-feet (635 Nm), whereas the high output belts out a BMW M3 Competition-rivaling 510 horsepower and 500 pound-feet (678 Nm). That's 39 horsepower and 45 pound-feet (61 Nm) more than the Ram 1500-based Jeep Grand Wagoneer's 6.4L HEMI V8, which is pretty badass for a six-pot engine.On that note, what are your feelings about the Ram's 5.7L HEMI V8 getting discontinued in favor of the Hurricane SO and Hurricane HO? Is it a yay for additional horsepower and pound-feet of torque or a nay due to the twin-turbocharged inline-six engines being that little more stressed than the free-breathing V8? According to one reliable analyst, Apple is expected to take the wraps off the highly anticipated Apple Car in 2026, as the original 2025 target might be pushed back for approximately one year. Photo: Emre Husmen via Behance The Apple Car project Photo: Emre Husmen via Behance The work on the Apple Car started in 2014 based on the information that emerged at that point, though the iPhone maker has never acknowledged this project.Since then, the company has patented a continuously growing number of car-related systems and technologies while also bringing important names from the automotive industry on board. Some have already departed the company, while others are only now joining the tech giant, possibly as the work on the Apple Car makes progress.CEO Tim Cook and the rest of the executives handle the car development as a high-priority project, and nobody at Apple is allowed to speak about it. As such, while we do know that an Apple Car is coming, no confirmation has ever been offered.Wedbush analyst Daniel Ives believes Apple won't backtrack on the vehicle, as the project is now a sure thing. It's a matter of when, not if, he said in a recent interview, explaining that Apple Car could launch by 2026.The timing seems to make sense.The Apple Car was originally projected to see daylight by 2025 , but most analysts, some of them with a good track on Apple scoops, said on several occasions that this was the earliest possible time for the vehicle to hit the streets.In other words, Apple was indeed looking at 2025 as a possible release date, but any minor roadblock during the development stage would have pushed the unveiling to a later date.Now Ives' new guess is that the Apple Car could launch a year later, so maybe the iPhone maker encountered more challenges and wants to ensure it gets everything right.Previously, Ming-Chi Kuo, a highly reliable tech analyst, said the Apple Car would launch by 2025 at the earliest. Most recently, he explained that the date might have been pushed back, so the new 2026 release target seems to align with all these speculations.People familiar with the matter originally said the Apple Car was supposed to be a self-driving vehicle specifically created to compete against the likes of Tesla.With a heavy focus on technology, this new model would serve as an essential part of the Apple ecosystem, integrating seamlessly with other devices, such as the iPhone and the Apple Watch.The patents filed by Apple in the last decade support this claim, though it goes without saying not all technologies described in these documents would make their way to the Apple Car. But some will certainly be available on the vehicle when it launches, especially as Apple wants services like Apple Maps to be an integral part of the driving experience.Due to the challenges that it encountered during the development phase, Apple adjusted the Apple Car strategy and decided to hold back its aggressive push for self-driving capabilities. The latest reports on this front indicate that Apple might launch the first-generation Apple Car with limited self-driving capabilities, as the autonomous capabilities could only be enabled on highways. The company would eventually come up with a fully autonomous version of the Apple Car by the end of the decade.In fact, Apple's car project received a major downgrade for the first generation. Instead of a living room of wheels benefitting from self-driving capabilities, the Apple Car could come with a traditional cabin that uses the old-school steering wheel and pedals. It'd still run on an electric motor and sport a heavy focus on technology, but the driver will get a conventional interior and be in charge of 90 percent of the time in the car.Apple did not abandon its plan to bring this living room on wheels to the market, so the upgraded model expected by the end of the decade could eventually pioneer this transformation, assuming Apple's self-driving systems allow for permanent control of the car.In the meantime, Apple wants to keep everything secret, despite all the rumors that a potential announcement could come in 2023. I highly doubt this is the case, as Apple wouldnt take the wraps off such a massive project until it's certain the vehicle would be a hit.A 2023 announcement is, therefore, very unlikely, considering the potential 2026 release date. If anything, Apple would rather come up with a teaser in 2025, one year before the launch, as it doesn't want to be late to a party that's becoming more compelling for tech giants.In addition to Apple, other tech companies are also investing big in automotive expansion, including Xiaomi and Huawei. So far, Google is sticking with software and services, while Microsoft decided to focus on the cloud side with no plans to launch a stand-alone vehicle built from scratch. Superyachts connected to Russian oligarchs were in the spotlight for most of 2022, when the international sanctions against Russia following the invasion of Ukraine launched a real hunt for these controversial luxury assets. Some of the sanctioned oligarchs lost their incredibly opulent pleasure craft, others managed to hold on to them, while others decided to part with them. The infamous Ragnar is among those that will be starting a new chapter. Ragnar was one of the most impressive superyachts in operation even before the events that shined a light on all Russian-owned vessels. The Viking warrior king's name was a perfect match. Originally a supply ship, Ragnar was converted in 2012 and completely rebuilt in 2020. Although transformed into a highly-luxurious private explorer, Ragnar didn't try to hide its origins. Instead, it kept the rough, industrial appearance that makes it instantly recognizable to this day.At 224 feet (68 meters), Ragnar is absolutely massive. Its hull is nearly indestructible, integrating an outer and an inner shell, with an air gap between them. It combines the ice-breaking capabilities of a rugged explorer with diesel-electric propulsion and a surplus of power that keep it self-sufficient for extended periods of time.At the same time, it's as sophisticated as it gets, boasting fancy features like a certified helipad, a swimming pool and a jacuzzi, an observation lounge, a large salon with a fireplace, and a well-equipped gym.According to Charlier Baker from the acclaimed RWD studio, Ragnar 's interior was inspired by luxury sky chalets and Scottish castles. Indeed, cruising onboard Ragnar is like enjoying a floating mansion on the way to incredibly remote places like Antarctica.The one who decided to convert a rugged commercial vessel into a highly-luxurious explorer was Vladimir Strzhalkovskiy, known as a former KGB officer who later held top government positions and made a fortune in the metal industry.After the invasion of Ukraine and the sanctions that followed, Ragnar came into the spotlight even though its owner was not officially among the sanctioned oligarchs. It made headlines in the spring of 2022 when it got stuck in Norway because local suppliers refused to refuel it as a protest against the Russian invasion.Today, all that is behind it. After becoming infamous worldwide, the rough-looking Ragnar has now cut its ties to the original owner. The superyacht was sold for 69,5 million ($75.8 million) to a new mysterious owner. One thing's for sure this is one of the biggest sales on the superyacht market this year. Ragnar will most likely continue the successful charter career it had before the war. As for its controversial original owner, he will most likely get a new, shiny toy. After all, according to statistics, Russians are still the world's number one superyacht owners. Lucid Motors is now busy ramping up Air production and jump-starting the Gravity SUV production next year, but it's already working on its next vehicle models. CEO Peter Rawlinson confirmed these would be direct competitors with Tesla Model 3 and Model Y, selling for under $50,000. EV SUV kWh Lucid Motors' sales don't look very impressive at the moment, but that doesn't mean the startup is in dire straits. It has the backing of one of the wealthiest investment funds in the world, Saudi Arabia's PIF. The Saudis dream of having a local car industry , and the investment in Lucid should bring this within reach. Lucid plans a local production facility in Saudi Arabia. However, initially, it will only assemble cars using kits imported from the US.Lucid also signed a deal with Aston Martin to supplycomponents for its upcoming luxury EVs, another bonus of its Saudi connection. The agreement seriously boosts Lucid's image and finances, as the startups will get a 3.7-percent stake in Aston Martin. Lucid also provides the drive units for Formula E cars, so it's in a better position than its finances might suggest. This allows CEO Peter Rawlinson to confidently think of future products, even though the Air sales don't seem very promising.In an interview with Autoexpress, Rawlinson revealed that Lucid would develop two new models after the Gravitystarts production next year. Those would be direct competitors to Tesla Model Y and Model 3, with prices below the $50,000 mark. As before, Lucid will focus on extreme efficiency as the key to improving range, although anything beyond 250 miles (400 km) would be overkill in the future."The electric car of the future only needs 250 miles. We don't need 500-mile cars in the future, 10 years from now," said Rawlinson. Coming from a company that produced the longest-range EV on the market, this is indeed surprising. After Lucid bragged about the 520-mile EPA range for the Air Grand Touring sedan, Elon Musk replied that Tesla could've done it first, but the bigger battery would've made the Model S worse, not better.Rawlinson thinks that future EVs will need far smaller battery packs, thanks to improved efficiency and fast-charging infrastructure. Lucid is now at 4.6 miles (7.4 km) perbut aims to reach 6 miles (10 km) per kWh. At that level, a 25-kWh battery pack will be enough for a 150-mile range. Thanks to that, electric vehicles would become lighter and cheaper, and owners would still be comfortable with the limited range thanks to the ubiquitous charging infrastructure.Still, Rawlinson doesn't see Lucid competing in a race to the bottom to get cheap electric vehicles on the market, as it will remain a luxury carmaker. Instead, he wants Lucid to be an enabler, supplying the technology that allows other companies to offer cheap EVs. Sort of like the "Intel inside" certification but for EV technology. This week kind of feels like the perfect time for carmakers to release bicycles. After on Monday we've seen the Germans from BMW spilling the beans on no less than three such two-wheelers, plus their electric counterparts, it's now time for the French from Peugeot to do the same. The French company have been playing the bicycle game a lot longer than BMW (they have been at it making such vehicles for the past 140 years), so it's only natural for the brand to aim as high as it can. And what better way to do that than with an entirely new range of electrically assisted bicycles meant for both private and professional use?The brand is targeting three main sub-segments of this booming industry, namely city bikes, longtail cargo bikes, and cargo bikes with extended front wheelbase. Peugeot did not exactly detail what each bike will be all about, as they are not expected to enter the market until the end of this year and the start of the next one. The snippets provided paint however a pretty good picture of the line being planned.The city bike, called Digital e-Bike, is targeted at "families in urban areas, where cycle paths and dedicated parking facilities are being developed."Both cargo bikes (Digital e-Longtail and Digital e-Front Load) are meant for people working in industries such as last-mile delivery, logistics companies, and so on.The e-Longtail will feature an extended rear capable of holding the weight of two small children (unclear what exactly Peugeot means by that in pounds). The e-Front Load on the other hand carries a box up front, and can transport three children.You might have noticed all three bikes have the Digital word in their name. That's because all of them will be accompanied by a dedicated smartphone app that'll give riders access to "adaptive electric assistance, an anti-theft system, alarm, bike geolocation, real-time navigation, weather forecasts at destination, route statistics," and so on.For now Peugeot did not give any info on the electric assist part of the bikes . It will also not be making and designing the two-wheelers, but tasked a startup called Beweel with that. They will be sold, however, by both Beweel and Cycleurope Industries. Pricing is of course not known at this time.The French company announced the three new bikes after the past two days it has been showing them at a specialized trade show called PRO-DAYS which took place in Paris. The company said it decided on this major push into the electrically assisted bicycles industry after last year no less than 5.5 million such bikes (that's one in four of the total for the European market) were sold. (Photo : Drew Hallowell/Getty Images) Tonight, a gunman covered in a body armor vest opened fire on the streets of Philadelphia, resulting in five fatalities and two injuries to children. Five people were murdered, and two others were injured Monday night in Philadelphia, according to police. A suspect is detained. According to CBS Philadelphia, the incident occurred around 8:30 p.m. in the Kingsessing neighborhood of the city. A 2-year-old and a 13-year-old were injured and are in stable condition, according to Philadelphia Police Department Commissioner Danielle Outlaw. Multiple People Shot in Random Shooting in Philadelphia Three deceased casualties were 20, 22, and 59 years old. Outlaw stated that the age of the fourth victim was unknown, but he could be between 16 and 21 years old. She stated that all the victims were males. The 40-year-old male suspect was carrying an AR-style rifle, a handgun, and a police scanner while wearing a ballistic vest. Outlaw stated that the suspect was taken into custody "without further incident" after police officers pursuing him while he was firing, cornered him in an alley. Another individual who fired back at the shooter was also brought into custody. Outlaw stated that she had no notion why this had occurred. It was not immediately apparent whether the victims knew the gunman. The victims, shot across multiple city blocks, appeared randomly and had no immediate ties to the perpetrator. According to The Sun, the suspect continued to discharge his pistol while being pursued on foot through the Kingsessing neighborhood in the city's southwest. Eventually, the individual was cornered in an alley, where he was discovered wearing a bulletproof vest and carrying "multiple magazines." The suspect had a scanner, an AR-style rifle, and a handgun concealed beneath his body. When asked about the motive for the brutal assault, Outlaw stated, "At this time, all we know is that the gunman decided to exit their residence and target individuals." A man was also discovered deceased at a residence where seven rifle shells were discovered on a veranda. A brief video captured by a security camera shows the shooter simply strolling down the street while firing at bystanders. At the intersection of 56th Street and Chester Avenue, where the police were dispatched, several victims were discovered. Jasmine Reilly, a police spokesperson, said six victims were transported to Penn Presbyterian Medical Center and two to the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia. Outlaw characterized the scene as a two-by-four-block area where dozens of cartridge casings were discovered. Read Also: Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen Heads to China, Brings Positive Sign of Stabilizing US-China Relationship US Mass Shootings Per Daily Mail, the police themselves did not discharge any bullets. The Democratic mayor of Philadelphia, Jim Kenney, tweeted about the incident approximately two hours later. He stated that he was horrified by reports of a murder in Southwest Philadelphia. The incident occurred one day after gunfire erupted at a holiday weekend block party in Baltimore, approximately 100 miles (160 kilometers) to the southwest, murdering two individuals and injuring 28 others. The violence in Philadelphia is the 29th mass slaying in the United States in 2023, according to a database maintained by The Associated Press, USA Today, and Northeastern University. The United States has witnessed the maximum number of mass killings and fatalities in a single year to date this year. According to the database, there have been more than 550 mass murder incidents since 2006, in which at least 2,900 people have been killed, and at least 2,000 have been injured. Police continue to investigate the shooting. Related Article: Video: New Hampshire Car Crash Injures 34 Restaurant Customers, Pins Man in Bathroom @ 2023 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. If you think 37-inch off-road tires on a RAM TRX Mammoth are big (courtesy of Hennessey), you might want to consider resetting your standards to factory settings and installing the upgraded scale. Theres a new player in town, and this big boy doesnt play games. Or, if you prefer to look at the bright side, join the dark side of fun. The Atlas ATV has come States-side and is ready to go anywhere. ATV Photo: YouTube/Atlas ATV Photo: YouTube/Atlas ATV 4WD The Ukrainians are not among the most famous nation to take the lead position at social gatherings among carmaking society events. Thats mainly because the former Soviet country doesnt have a tradition of building its own brands of automobiles.But a couple of years ago, things changeda lot. Go big, or go home is the mantra of winners, and a bunch of car enthusiasts from the Eastern European country picked up the gauntlet. After turning a few wrenches, they presented the world with their creation: Atlas All-Terrain Vehicle.The name might be deceptive we usually associate theacronym with a half-breed between a sand buggy and an extreme dirt bike. Four beefy wheels, a handlebar, and best-of-luck staying in the seat thats the general recipe for ATV adventure.Not for the Ukrainians. They built something a little different. Put a straight-edge body (that appears to be chiseled out of a standard container) on 65-inch monster tires and throw a 1.5-liter diesel engine inside. Thats it, job done; theres the ATV from the we-dont-go-there end of piston sophistication.The Atlas ATV is the name of the megalodon on wheels, and the prehistoric aquatic monster reference is not arbitrary the vehicle can drive on water, land, and anything in between. And yes, thats drive: thanks to its gigantic tires that act like floats and paddlewheels simultaneously, the Atlas can advance at a steady 5-mph pace / 8 kph across any medium where boats typically venture.Courtesy of the ATLAS_ATV_USA fan club, the first example to roll the United States of America under its ego-boosting wheels has made the trip to the other end of the Atlantic. (it wouldnt surprise me to learn that it drove all the way from its home country to the home of the brave).If you happened to have been away from Planet Piston in the past two years, heres a crash course in Atlas ATV: top speed of 37 mph / 60 kph, seating for 12, four-wheel steering, air suspensions, no mirrors (cameras aid the driver in seeing whats behind the dinosaur). The self-inflating tires are its most immediately visible feature.The massive box atop the four rubber donuts is as simple as it comes: straight lines, sharp edges, and high ground clearance. Despite its intimidating tenure, the Atlas is as easy to drive as any regular passenger car. The machine weighs merely 2.2 tons and has a gross weight limit of 3.7 tons.The engine and gearbox are sourced from a small Renault (Clio is the exact model if youre interested), so theAtlas has to make do with 89 hp and 162 lb-ft (90 hp and 220 Nm). If a Cadillac is your definition of a wide car, then imagine the Atlas is 99.6 inches (253 cm) from side to side, 110.2 inches tall (280 cm), and 183 inches long (466 cm).The base price is $159,000, and the air conditioning option is $5,500 (probably attempting burnouts on a lake is cool enough). Add the other options, and youre looking at $175,000 and change for one Atlas ATV . One last note: fuel consumption is 1.1 gallons per hour (four liters), and service interval is due every 200 engine hours. Rivian announced that Amazon would deploy the EDV-500, a smaller version of its Electric Delivery Van, in Europe. More than 300 vans will start delivering packages for Amazon in Germany over the coming weeks, with more countries planned in the future. EV Rivian started its European career thanks to Amazon deploying the Electric Delivery Vans (EDV) in Germany. More than 300 Rivian delivery vans will roam the streets of major cities, including Munich, Berlin, and Dusseldorf. Germany is the first country where Rivian started its European expansion, with more to be added.The European version of the Rivian EDV will be adapted to the local city roads, being 7 inches (180 mm) narrower than the US version. It's also the shortest EDV variant, and Rivian calls it EDV-500 based on its cargo capacity in cubic feet. In the metric system, this equals 14 cubic meters. Make no mistake, this is almost as big as the biggest Ford Transit van variant (extended length, high roof), which can swallow 536 cubic feet (15.19 cubic meters) of cargo.Other than that, the Rivian EDV-500 is identical to its bigger brothers EDV-700 and EDV-1000 operating in the US. They offer advanced safety features, including automatic emergency braking systems, collision warnings, and 360-degree visibility. Rivian claims the design was penned after taking notes from real delivery drivers . The EDV vans feature an ergonomically-designed driver's cabin and a powered bulkhead door that opens automatically when drivers reach delivery destinations.Rivian recently switched to using Enduro drive units that it developed in-house to replace the Bosch-supplied motors. This should reduce costs and allow Rivian better control of manufacturing. The EDV is also the first Rivian vehicle to use lithium-iron-phosphate (LFP) batteries . While the Enduro motors are already making their way to the R1T and R1S lineups, the LFP battery packs are yet to be installed in the passenger vehicles.Rivian EDV vans were designed in partnership with Amazon, and the retail giant ordered a whopping 100,000 electric vans. It also paid upfront by investing $700 million in thestartup in 2019. About 3,000 have been delivered, with the rest expected to join Amazon's global fleet by 2030.Still, Rivian is not satisfied with the pace of Amazon's orders and would like to be able to sell the EDV to other companies. According to an earlier report, Amazon only ordered 10,000 vans for 2023. According to their agreement, this is the minimum required to keep the exclusivity clause. The contract stipulates that all the EDV vans produced by Rivian in the first four years after the first deliveries belong to Amazon.This is preventing Rivian from selling the EDV to other companies. Since the first EDV vans were delivered in December 2021, Rivian still owes the entire EDV production to Amazon until the end of 2025. It's highly unlikely that Amazon would give up EDV exclusivity , considering the electric delivery vans have become part of its brand image. Over in North America, both the Model 3 and Model Y are offered with five paint choices. Before July 2023, the standard color was Pearl White Multi-Coat. At press time, Midnight Silver Metallic took its place as the only no-cost exterior paint color of the aforementioned five. AWD Good point, will discuss with team. Floki pic tomorrow. Elon Musk (@elonmusk) October 2, 2021 This change applies exclusively to the United States, Mexican, Puerto Rican, and Canadian markets. Over in Europe, the Model 3 sedan and Model Y crossover are listed with Pearl White Multi-Coast as the included color. As for China, said color would be Solid Black.Changing the standard color in North America may be explained by a Tweet from @28delayslater, dated October 2021. The user in question tagged Elon Musk, complaining about the majority of 3s and Ys being white. The self-titled Technoking of Tesla replied that he would present this topic to his team. Approximately two years later, Elon appears to have kept his promise.As ever, the 3 for the US market is available in three main configurations. The RWD version is listed with a delivery window of between July 2023 and August 2023 with a sticker price of $40,240. Before taxes, optional extras, and the $7,500 federal tax credit for eligible buyers, that is. A similar delivery window applies to the Dual-MotorLong Range, which costs $47,240.It's the sweet spot of the Model 3's lineup, hands down. The Model 3 Performance serves as the halo with the best acceleration and highest top speed of the bunch. You can make it yours for a cool $53,240, and once again the delivery window is July through August.Being smaller, lighter, and sitting closer to the ground than the Model Y, the Model 3 offers more range across the board, better acceleration, and a higher top speed for the Performance version. The numbers in question are up to 333 miles (536 kilometers) compared to 330 miles (531 kilometers), 162 miles per hour (260 kilometers per hour) compared to 155 miles per hour (250 kilometers per hour), and 3.1 seconds compared to 3.5 seconds to 60 miles per hour (97 kilometers per hour).On July 2, the Texas-based electric vehicle automaker published both delivery and production figures for the second quarter of 2023. The Model 3 and Model Y are listed together with 446,915 and 460,211 units, respectively, of which 5 percent of vehicles are subject to operating lease accounting. The Model S and Model X recorded 19,225 units, 19,489 units, and 8 percent.Impressive results, alright, but 2023 may prove a bit difficult for Tesla due to Project Highland . That's the company's vernacular for the facelifted Model 3, which is allegedly entering series production sometime this fall. The Project Juniper Model Y should follow in the sedan's footsteps next year, also sometime in the fall.Switching or modernizing production tools, suppliers to make all-new components, and all that jazz may hinder Model 3 delivery and production figures in the third and final quarters of 2023. With just around 888,000 vehicles delivered in the first half of 2023, the company has a good chance of hitting its 1.8M deliveries target for the whole year. Only time will tell if that's doable, though, due to Project Highland. Koenigsegg built a single race car. But the model never actually raced. It was a CCGT GT1 Competition Coupe, and what a story that name makes. The Swedish carmaker worked on it for years. But regulations changed. They just could not comply and had to give everything up. Photo: Bonhams Photo: Bonhams Koenigsegg now builds street-legal race cars The Swedish manufacturer started work on the CCGT program in 2003, under the supervision of Dag Bolenius, engineer and programmer, with supercar engineer Loris Bicocchi as a test driver.They ran the first tests at the Knutstorp race track in 2008, and everything looked just right on paper. But because there is always a "but" two months into the shakedown drives, and FIA and ACO changed regulations for the GT1 class the car was supposed to compete in. They would not allow carbon monocoques anymore.Furthermore, Koenigsegg started the project knowing that they had to build 20 production cars in the upcoming years. New regulations required 350 production cars per year. Under the new circumstances, it was impossible for the CCGT GT1 program to keep up. So it just ended then and there, before it even actually started.That is why this car right here, chassis number YT9M1GOV8 007012, is the only racer that they have ever built. It is powered by a 5.0-liter 32-valve naturally aspirated V8 capable of 591 hp (600 PS), delivered via a sequential gearbox to the rear wheels.The V8 is based on the unit that powered the Koenigsegg CCX, but had the superchargers removed, and the capacity increased in order to compensate for the loss of power.Presented at the Geneva Motor Show in 2007, the model was supposed to enter the 24 Hours of Le Mans. It weighed only 1,000 kilograms (2,205 pounds) and generated over 600 kilograms (1,323 pounds) of downforce.It was not supposed to be wider than 2 meters (6.56 feet), and the cockpit had to be at least 70% of the width of the car. The team built the car by hand between 20023 and 2007. But with the new regulations in force, it was a completely useless prototype.The CCGT was purchased by the largest shareholder of Koenigsegg Automotive, former Offshore Class 1 World Champion and owner of Ever Design, Bard Ever.It still runs on the original slick Michelin racing tires. And if the next owner wants it to make its debut in the Masters Endurance Legends Series, it is cleared for that competition since it is built in compliance with the GT1 regulations. And it surely runs and drives as it has always been a garage queen, kept in a temperature-controlled room in dry and dark conditions. The current owner, the only one so far since it left the factory, also carried out twice-yearly maintenance runs to make sure that V8 is still breathing.The Koenigsegg CCGT1 now goes under the hammer with an auction guidance between 3 and 4 million pounds ($3,806,382 - $5,080,360). The future owner will be able to brag about owning the only race car that Koenigsegg has ever built. And Christian von Koenigsegg is not planning to change that any time soon.It is the manufacturer of one of the fastest production cars out there that we are dealing with, right? They revealed the limited-production mid-engine Koenigsegg Jesko at the 2019 Geneva Motor Show and sold out before the event ended.The successor of the Agera, the 5.0-liter V8-powered Jesko can hit 300 mph (483 kph). Only the Hennessey Venom F5 and the Bugatti Chiron Super Sport 300+ can go faster than that at 301 mph (485 kph) and 304 mph (490 kph), respectively.This was the plan in the first place. To hit speeds that others can only dream of. Christian von Koenigsegg founded the company in 1994, switching from import/export business to car making. He received $200,000 from the Swedish technical development board to start the business and also got financial support from his father, Jesko, in the first three years.Christian would draw the setup of the cars, he would hand-model the cars with the help of a few friends, he would do everything necessary to get those cars running. Now the Research & Development division is doing all the work.But there have always been ups and downs along this route, and a fire that engulfed the factory in February 2003 forced the company to move its headquarters into a former fighter jet facility that had previously belonged to the Swedish Air Force.The new place had everything they needed and more, including a 50-meter (164-foot) wide and 1.7-kilometer (1.05-mile) long runway. Today it serves for car testing as well as for customers arriving to spec their cars in their private jets. There is also a helipad right outside the main entrance. You can imagine that those dropping by to order such a car would not go there by public transport. The Koenigsegg Jesko comes with an eye-watering price tag of $3.4 million. For the past 10 years, Tesla skeptics have been waiting for traditional carmakers to catch up with electric vehicle production. That moment may never come, as Volkswagen appears to have hit a wall and is now forced to cut production at its main EV plant in Germany. Volkswagen blames this on "strong customer reluctance." EV SUV Only three years ago, Volkswagen was a strong contender to "surpass Tesla," something that Ford and GM also pledged to do "by mid-decade." It had a great plan, with newarchitectures, EV-dedicated factories, and the full might of Volkswagen Group backing these efforts. But then Herbert Diess, the artisan of this strategy, was fired, and his successor took a different path. Plans for new factories were shelved , and so were the new automotive platforms. At the same time, the aging MEB architecture was given a go to limp along indefinitely.Nothing good could come out of this non-strategy. As far as electric vehicles are concerned, Volkswagen CEO Oliver Blume basically froze his company in 2018 when the MEB began development. The plans to retool existing factories for EV production also affect the company's finances, increasing production costs to unsustainable levels. Volkswagen needed purpose-built plants like Tesla's gigafactories to stand a fighting chance. Instead, it continued to produce the old MEB platform in the most inefficient way.That's why Volkswagen is now in a difficult situation. Instead of surpassing Tesla, it's stuck at least 10 years behind, with few, if any, chances to catch up. The market is well aware of that, and that's why Volkswagen has problems finding customers for its electric vehicles. Its sales suffered after the German government cut the subsidies for EV purchases at the beginning of the year. The decision was made because the EV sales gained speed, making incentives unnecessary.At the end of June, the German carmaker announced it would reduce EV production by 30 percent at its Emden plant in Northern Germany. This factory is building the ID.4and should soon start production of the ID.7 sedan. Volkswagen also plans to extend the summer vacation, allowing workers an extra week off. This means the plant will stay closed for four weeks instead of the scheduled three-week break. About 300 out of 1,500 temporary workers were also announced they are no longer needed.Instead of acknowledging that its electric vehicles are no longer competitive in an increasingly demanding market, Volkswagen is blaming its customers for the lackluster sales. Manfred Wulff, head of the works council for the Emden plant, told the German press agency DPA that the problems are caused by "strong customer reluctance." This is interesting, considering other brands have seen increased EV sales in Europe. It looks like Volkswagen customers were reluctant to buy inferior EVs and flocked to the competition in droves.Volkswagen is expected to delay the ID.7 production start from July to later this year. That would be of little importance from the customers' point of view, considering that this would be an expensive vehicle, even by EV standards. It still rides on the same MEB architecture, and production costs would not allow Volkswagen to sell it competitively. In the meantime, the EV market leader Tesla has announced a record second quarter , with deliveries surpassing the most optimistic expectations. How do you leave your competitors in a cloud of dust in the car industry? That should be easy if you can afford it, of course. You slash the prices. And that is precisely what Xpeng did in China in order to undercut Teslas Model Y. What is the Xpeng G6? And apparently, it works. Xpengs US-listed shares jumped over 11% last Friday after the electric car manufacturer announced prices for the latest model in the lineup, the G6, to begin with.Tesla has just finished a new quarter record. They delivered 466,160 cars worldwide from April to June, with the Model Y/Model 3 being the A-listers of the lineup. China was the biggest market for the Model Y. But Xpeng is trying to undercut the Americans on the local market with a price that is far under that of the Y. The Chinese-made electric crossover starts at 209,900 yuan ($28,882). Meanwhile, the Model Y starts at 263,900 yuan ($36,480).The Chinese carmaker is hoping to sell 10,000 units per month and is counting on the governmental 520-billion yuan tax break for the new energy vehicle purchases to make things easier for customers.To keep up with the Xpeng G6, Tesla should cut prices of the Model Y by approximately 20%.The G6 made its debut at the Auto Shanghai 2023 as what the carmaker called "a dream car for the younger generation." Based on the companys redesigned Smart Electric Platform Architecture (SEPA 2.0), the model comes with 800V technology and 3C battery cells. The car can drive as far as 469 miles (755 kilometers) before it needs to be plugged in again. It benefits from fast charging capability, so the battery pack needs 10 minutes to be ready for a trip of up to 186 miles (300 kilometers).It wasnt much that the carmaker revealed back then. The car comes with a 114-inch (2.890-millimeter) wheelbase and a total length of 187 inches (4,753 millimeters), figures that send it straight into the mid-size crossovers segment.Two versions are available on the local market. The entry-level one is a rear-wheel drive, powered by an electric motor mounted on the rear axle. It develops 292 hp (296 PS) and 324 lb-ft (440 Nm) of torque. The other one comes with two electric motors for a total of 480 hp (487 PS) and 487 lb-ft (660 Nm) of torque.What draws the attention is the minimalist design. The panoramic sunroof covers 21.5 square feet (2 square meters).In Shanghai, the company reps claimed that the model meets the highest safety standards in China , Europe, and North America. But the G6 is only available in China for the moment, and the carmaker shows no intentions of exporting it to other continents yet. Pashinian was confronted by the 21-year-old man, Davit Avetisian, as he strolled in the city center together with his family on Sunday. Avetisian was detained on the spot and remained under arrest on Tuesday. Armenias Investigative Committee said that it is conducting a criminal inquiry into an act of hooliganism that took the form of verbal abuse and other inappropriate phrases. It gave no other details of the incident. Avetisians lawyer, Ara Papikian, said the criminal proceedings are based on a police officers claim that his client described Pashinian as a traitor and scumbag. He claimed that the police are not telling the whole truth about the incident and that Avetisian shouted the insults while being choked by one of the officers. Davit approached him not to call him a traitor, Papikian told RFE/RLs Armenian Service. He said, You will answer for my fallen friend and other guys. They toppled him to the ground only then he uttered those words. Avetisian appeared to refer to Armenians killed during the 2020 war in Nagorno-Karabakh. Opposition leaders and other government critics blame Pashinian for Armenias defeat in the six-week war that left at least 3,800 Armenian soldiers dead. They have also denounced as treasonous his apparent readiness to agree to the restoration of Azerbaijans control over Karabakh. Alen Simonian, the Armenian parliament speaker and a close Pashinian associate, was likewise branded a traitor by an opposition activist as he visited a popular dining area of central Yerevan in April. The Canadian-Armenian activist, Garen Megerdichian, said Simonian ordered his bodyguards to overpower him before spitting in his face. Simonian did not deny that. Avetisian was not formally charged with hooliganism as of Tuesday afternoon. Under Armenian law, law-enforcement authorities must indict or free him before Thursday. Insults were decriminalized in our country long ago. I think this is the reason why they still cant charge Davit, said Avetisians lawyer. The arrested man is a son of Varuzhan Avetisian, who led an armed group that seized a police base in Yerevan in 2016 to demand that then President Serzh Sarkisian free the jailed leader of their radical opposition movement and step down. The three dozen gunmen, who took police officers and medical personnel hostage, laid down their weapons after a two-week standoff with security forces which left three police officers dead. All but two of them were released from custody shortly after Sarkisian was toppled in the 2018 velvet revolution led by Pashinian. Varuzhan Avetisian and six other key members of the group called Sasna Tsrer were sent back to jail in May 2022 after Armenias Court of Cassation upheld prison sentences handed down to them by a lower court. Avetisian received a 7-year jail term. Simonian complained about the rebuff as he met with Polands President Andrzej Duda during a visit to Warsaw. He told Duda that the Armenian government had requested technical assistance from the European Peace Facility (EPF) which the EU created in 2021 to help developing countries buy military equipment. Through that mechanism, the EU allocates aid to Ukraine, Moldova and Georgia, he said, according to the Armenian parliaments press office. Unfortunately, Armenias request was rejected on the grounds of the EUs mediation efforts in the improvement of relations between Armenia and Azerbaijan as well as the issue of conflict sensitivity. I would like to repeat that we are talking about technical assistance aimed at increasing [Armenias] defense capacity, added Simonian. The speaker, who is a key member of Prime Minister Nikol Pashinians political team, did not specify what kind of security aid was sought by Yerevan. Ukraine is the main beneficiary of the EPF, having received 4.6 billion euros ($5 billion) in military aid from the EU fund since being invaded by Russia in February 2022. As recently as on June 26, EU countries agreed to increase the maximum size of the fund by 3.5 billion euros to 12 billion euros. The bulk of the extra funding is expected to be channeled into the Ukrainian military. A member of the Russian-led Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO), Armenia is not known to have ever received major weapons from the EU or its individual member states. Russia has long been its principal supplier of military hardware and ammunition. As well as criticizing the EUs refusal to provide such aid, Simonian praised the 27-nation bloc for deploying earlier this year 100 or so monitors along Armenias volatile border with Azerbaijan. Russia has been very critical of the deployment, saying that it is part of the Wests efforts to drive Moscow out of the South Caucasus. 4 July 2023 08:30 (UTC+04:00) Rena Murshud Read more Armenia and peace - these two words have become completely opposite in the lexicon. It may be hard to believe that it is sincere when you sit around a table about peace with Armenia... We have repeatedly come across news about Armenian separatists living illegally in Karabakh conducting military training with children. A lot of information and pictures about this have been spread in the media so far. Thus, separatist gangs instruct children with guns and so-called flags of separatists in their hands, and at the same time, instill in them Turkish and Azerbaijani enmity. Such a trend is continued both in Karabakh and in Armenia in parallel. It seems that the unfortunate Armenian authorities, deprived of all opportunities, have decided to corrupt the psychology of innocent children by pinning their last hope on the generation under 18. It is really difficult to understand what Armenia, which talks about peace and takes such aggressive measures, is thinking. In order to analyze the issue in more detail, being Azernews we decided to talk to both a psychologist and a political analyst. Psychologist Taryel Faziloglu, who was the first to comment on the issue, connected this type of Armenian psychology not only with today, but with the historical past in general. "This behavior of the Armenians does not apply to today; they have used this method throughout history. They raised every single child against with the anti-Turk, anti-Azerbaijan sentiment. And it is what we see as the continuation of the same story today," Faziloglu said. He added that military training and the first familiarization with weapons are provided by law only for citizens who have reached the age of 18. For this reason, young people are called up for military service when they reach 18 years of age. At the same time, according to the psychologist, there is a stage in their childhood when their physical abilities are not fully formed, and in such a period, when children are pushed to handle arms, it can cause serious behavioral disorders and emotional outbursts in them. In medical terms, this leads to a high risk of juvenile delinquency. "Due to the high hormonal activity in adolescents under 18-19 years old, negative energy in the human body is mainly reborn, therefore, in this period, it is more correct not to give them weapons. This issue has repeatedly been reflected both in scientific research and in general legislation. In other words, the association of children under 18 years of age not only with weapons but also with hostilities and war affairs causes psycho-traumatic and mental disorders," the psychologist emphasized. Faziloglu also touched on the formation of emotions in the child's brain. "All emotions are formed in the brain of a child, mainly at the age of 3-6 years. That is, the rational brain of children is inactive until the age of 3, and after this age it begins to become more active. It is at this time that children begin to learn emotional and logical reactions. Firstly, after realizing the gender difference at the age of 3-6 years, their character, various emotions, complexes, strengths and weaknesses, hatred, fear and love are formed. After this age, a period of academic development begins. For this reason, it is more correct to send children to school after 6 years," Faziloglu added. In addition, Dr.Hay Eytan Cohen Yanarocak of Tel Aviv University discussed the political aspects of the Armenians' promotion of terrorist sentiments to children in his comment for Azernews. He said that as the peace process between Armenia and Azerbaijan remains outstanding yet, it is undoubtedly very disturbing that such news is coming. For peace to reign in the South Caucasus, even in the entire world, future generations must not be subjected to such hostile indoctrination. It is unacceptable that Armenian children undergo such armed training and be brought up hostile towards Azerbaijan. All these different pictures that I read and saw reminded me of terrorists in the Middle East with weapons in hands of children, majority of which affiliate to Irans terrorist organizations. Unfortunately, we see a similar picture in Karabakh, this time against Azerbaijan, he stressed. Speaking about countermeasures against such propaganda, the expert also noted that a dangerous neighbor like Armenia should be constantly monitored. Azerbaijan should closely monitor the Armenian media. In particular, photographs and videos of children under the age of 18 being abused should be shared with the international community, the United Nations, and the European Union, with English subtitles if necessary. Special groups in Azerbaijan should form media monitoring organizations that monitor the hostility between Azerbaijan and the Turks, especially in the Armenian media or institutions, and activate them, especially in social networks. Today, in addition to the battlefield, there is an image war of images of states in social networks. At this moment, Azerbaijan should explain itself very well to the world, the professor opined. In conclusion, the expert added, analyzing the relations between Europe and Armenia, that one should not forget that the Armenians were the first people to adopt Christianity in history. Today there are a large number of French citizens of Armenian origin living in France. In the light of these data, it should not surprise anyone that the French government is pursuing a pro-Armenian policy in the Azerbaijani-Armenian conflict. "In this case, Azerbaijan should not have any particular expectations either from France or from the West in this regard. However, contrary to all defamation, all the facts that occur must be shown in the West in the entire Western languages. This should not undermine its legitimacy," the pundit added. --- Rena Murshud is AzerNews staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @RenaTagiyeva Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz (Photo : SUZANNE CORDEIRO/AFP via Getty Images) Texas authorities have recovered four bodies, including an infant, from the Rio Grande near the United States-Mexico border. Since Saturday, Texas law enforcement officers have recovered the corpses of four migrants, including an infant, from the Rio Grande River along the US-Mexico border, according to an official. To deter illicit border crossings, Texas officials are anticipated to construct a floating water barrier along portions of the Rio Grande in the coming days. Governor Greg Abbott and other officials announced last month that the first 1,000 feet of the barrier will be installed near Eagle Pass starting on July 7. 4 Bodies Pulled From Rio Grande in Eagle Pass A woman and infant girl were discovered unresponsive in the river on Saturday, and a deceased male and female were recovered on Sunday and Monday, respectively, according to a tweet by Lieutenant Christopher Olivarez of the Texas Department of Public Safety. Olivarez stated that the mother and child were located after US Customs and Border Protection requested assistance from the Tactical Marine Unit of the state department of public safety about a potential infant drowning. According to Olivarez, the marine unit deployed two watercraft in the river, where they discovered four persons, including the unresponsive mother and child. A spokesperson stated that chest compressions were administered to the unresponsive couple before their transport to a local medical center, where they were pronounced deceased. According to him, the two survivors were turned over to US Customs and Border Protection. Olivarez stated no deceased migrants possessed identification documents, and their identities are unknown. To avoid detection and enter the United States, migrants have adopted increasingly dangerous - and frequently fatal - methods in recent years. In March, near Eagle Pass, a deceased migrant was discovered among a dozen individuals stowing away in a train car. CNN reported that 2022 was the deadliest year for migrants crossing the US-Mexico border, with at least 748 deaths. CNN has previously reported that immigrant rights advocates attribute the increase in border fatalities to policies that have made it more difficult for migrants to seek asylum in the United States. Olivarez reports that on July 1, the Texas Department of Public Safety Tactical Marine Unit Operators and the Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission responded to a request from the United States Border Patrol "concerning a potential neonate drowning." As per Fox News, the authorities deployed two airboats and discovered multiple bodies afloat in the river. Olivarez stated that four persons were brought onto the boat, and two of them, a woman and an infant daughter, were unresponsive. The woman and her infant were given CPR by TMU personnel, but they remained unresponsive. After the arrival of medical personnel, both victims were transported to the Fort Duncan Regional Medical Center, where they were pronounced deceased. The two unidentified survivors were turned over to US Border Patrol. In addition, authorities recovered the corpse of an unidentified male from the Rio Grande on Sunday, followed by the body of an unidentified female on Monday, according to the Texas DPS spokesperson. Texas DPS troopers on Monday rescued two Guatemalan migrant children who had been abandoned near the border. The children, aged 8 and 11, were discovered at the Rio Grande's border in Eagle Pass, according to Olivarez. The children told the troopers that a woman left them at the river's margin in Mexico and instructed them to cross. Over 900 minors have been recovered by Texas DPS personnel during incidents involving smuggling and human trafficking. Read Also: Video: New Hampshire Car Crash Injures 34 Restaurant Customers, Pins Man in Bathroom US Migrants Crisis Meanwhile, a bus carrying migrants from a border city in Texas arrived in downtown Los Angeles for the second time in less than three weeks on Saturday. The office of Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass was made aware of the bus from the border community of Brownsville on Friday without formal notification, as per Daily. Zach Seidl, a spokesman for Bass, stated, "The City of Los Angeles believes in treating everyone with respect and dignity and will do so." The Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights reported that eleven children were also on the transport. The asylum aspirants arrived from Cuba, Belize, Colombia, El Salvador, Guatemala, Mexico, Nicaragua, and Venezuela. They received water, food, clothing, and initial legal assistance for immigration at the Croatian Parish Center and church of St. Anthony. Coalition spokesperson Jorge-Mario Cabrera stated that the group was less tense and disorderly than previously. Cabrera reported that most were gathered by family members in the vicinity and appeared to have sandwiches and water, unlike the previous incident. According to him, six individuals required flights to Las Vegas, Seattle, San Francisco, and Alameda, not Los Angeles. On June 14, the city received a transport conveying 42 migrants from Texas. Many were from Latin American nations, such as Honduras and Venezuela, and neither water nor sustenance was provided. Since last spring, Texas has bused more than 21,600 migrants out of the state, according to Texas Gov. Greg Abbott's office. Related Article: Philadelphia Shooting: 5 Dead, 2 Kids Injured After Heavily Armed Gunman with Bulletproof Vest Opens Fire on Streets @ 2023 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. 4 July 2023 15:00 (UTC+04:00) Qabil Ashirov Read more Observing snobbish French foreign policy and its results redeemed by French business circles, some dare say that French government deliberately aims to finish off French businesses performing in foreign countries. Due to its complacency, France loses its influence not over Africa, but all over the world. Actually, the process started long ago especially in Africa, but it has speeded up since the time when Macron ascended to the power. There are plenty of reasons behind the process, but political miscalculation, disrespect to local nations and large exploitation of natural resources stand forward. As if France is not aware that colonial period is over. It keeps considering other peoples as its subjects, looks down on them and thinks that it can do what it wants. France keeps in museums hundreds of leaders skulls beheaded by French soldiers in its ex-colonies. Despite asking the skulls, the French government refuses to hand them over calling them trophies. Recall that right after the 44-day war, Azerbaijan built Victory Park and demonstrated helmets and the maquettes of Armenian soldiers. However, a reactionary country like France, which is proud of human skulls, immediately called the victory of Azerbaijan over the invading country and the display of their weapons in the museum as racism. Because the problem of the French authorities was being unable to see the truth and always being indifferent to the main problems. This is due to the fact that it was always prone to racism. For example, due to ignorance of France, the most atrocious and heinous genocides in the nineteenth century happened in Rwanda. Over 800,000 Tutsis were cold-bloodedly killed en masse with machetes for three months in 1994 by Hutus. It is well known that the French government supported Hutu Juvenal Habyarimana's regimes prior the genocide. At that time, France deployed thousands of soldiers to protect local Tutsis, however they remained indifferent to all the troubles caused on population. Therefore, Tutsi activists sued the French government to court. Despite the case were dropped, Macron apologized for Rwandan genocide. Every new step taken by France lives down previous opprobrium. France lost its face to such an extent that even local peoples in Africa reject their support to fight against terrorism. Last month, a convoy of French troops heading north to support the fight against Islamist militants was repeatedly blockaded by protesters as it crossed Burkina Faso and Niger. In 2021, French army that had came to fight against terrorism together with government unilaterally withdrew from the country. Then-Malis interim prime minister Choguel Maiga described occurrence as "a stab behind". Such kind of mistakes of France is endless. Thus, looking at what happened, it can be concluded that the failed policy of France is also paralyzing its economic relations. Of course, at the end, the French business people pay the price of monkeyish policy of Frances statesmen. Many start hating them and reluctant to cooperate with them. Many African countries expelled French companies, and day-by-day the number of such countries increases. Francophone countries and peoples in Africa look for new allies such as Russia, China and Turkiye which are far from Africa, and they are eager to cooperate with these countries and the companies representing the said countries. Cornered in Africa, France tries to lay hand on other regions, one of which is the South Caucasus that France is eying. However, France not only looks through its mistakes done in Africa, it insists to reiterate the same mistakes. Like in Rwanda, France persistently stands with Armenia that committed massacres against locals and ethnic cleansing against nations such as Azerbaijanis, Meskhetians, Muslim Kurds and so on. France acts more Armenian than Armenians themselves. Of course, it will have severe consequences. Besides, France, which was once among the top five countries, has to lose an ally like Azerbaijan, which is famous for its Tiger economy in the region, by madly cherishing Armenia, a failed state of the South Caucasus. As usual, France has not taken a lesson from its mistakes and continues upholding the separatist regime in Karabakh and its main supporter Armenia. As a result, through many discussions on social media Azerbaijan is urged to terminate the contract with Total Energy giving a support to the boycott campaign. Keeping France's embarrassing Africa policy in the mind, some could conclude that France has no intention to give up its biased foreign policy against Azerbaijan based on its blunders, and soon or late Azerbaijan is more likely to terminate the contract of Total Energy. --- Qabil Ashirov is AzerNews staff journalist, follow him on Twitter: @g_Ashirov Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 4 July 2023 19:30 (UTC+04:00) Rena Murshud Read more A preparatory meeting of high-ranking officials was held on the eve of the meeting of the ministers of the Coordination Bureau of the Non-Aligned Movement at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Azerbaijan. A number of important issues are also expected to be discussed at the meeting of ministers scheduled to be held on July 5 and 6 in Azerbaijan's capital. It should be noted that the ministers of many countries have made an official visit to Baku to participate in the event hosted by Azerbaijan. Minister of for Work with Pakistanis Living Abroad and Human Resources Development of Pakistan Sajid Hussain Turi is among those officials, who also paid a tribute to the memory of national leader Heydar Aliyev and laid wreaths. In general, the Non-Aligned Movement is very important for Azerbaijan. On October 9, 2020, the member states of the Non-Aligned Movement showed solidarity during the 44-day Karabakh war, which Azerbaijan liberated its lands under Armenian occupation. Those states unanimously declared that they support the territorial integrity of Azerbaijan. In the statement of the Foreign Ministers of Azerbaijan, calls were made for the resolution of the Karabakh conflict on the basis of the four resolutions of the UN Security Council dated 1993, and the demand for the withdrawal of Armenian troops from the occupied territories of Azerbaijan. And today, the Ministerial Meeting of the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) that is going to be held on Wednesday and Thursday in Baku will have a number of important topics in the agenda of discussion. Speaking to Azernews, Pakistani experts commented on the upcoming event. According to Professor Shazia Anwer Cheema, the purpose of the NAM ministerial meeting is purely to promote peace. I believe that this meeting will be within the parameters of this year's NAM heads of state meeting that help Baku in march 2023. The world needs maintenance of international peace and security and multilateralism is needed to ensure principles laid down by UN for peace initiative. Pakistan is one of the oldest members of NAM and it believes that non-aligned and bloc-less world can help weaker nations they stand together against aggression, the professor said. The expert also highly appreciated the leadership and role of Azerbaijan in NAM meetings held at the level of heads of state. She noted that Armenia's aggressive policy against Azerbaijan may be the main topic of discussion at this meeting held at the ministerial level. Hosting a summit-level meeting of the Non-Aligned Movement in Baku on march 2 2023 and taking over the chairmanship of the second-largest group for another year was a great opportunity for Azerbaijan in its drive to turn the entire region into an island of development and cooperation serving the interests of peoples. NAM can raise the issues of Armenian aggression against Azerbaijan at its forum and also put pressure on Armenia to behave well for regional peace, she opined. Sharing the same opinion, Asif Noor, the Director, Centre for Central Asia and Eurasian Studies- Institute of Peace and Diplomatic Studies, noted that the NAM meeting can give a serious impetus to the acceleration of the peace process between Armenia and Azerbaijan. The member states of the Non-Aligned Movement are expected to contribute to the peace process between Azerbaijan and Armenia during the upcoming meeting. Although the meeting's agenda covers various topics and is not solely focused on bilateral issues between Azerbaijan and Armenia, it is likely that this particular conflict will receive significant attention. As the current chair of the Non-Aligned Movement, Azerbaijan will have the opportunity to present its position on the territorial dispute with Armenia. It is probable that Azerbaijan will use its position to explain its stance and seek diplomatic support for its perspective on the Karabakh conflict. It's worth noting that Armenia holds observer status within the Non-Aligned Movement, which means its opinions may carry less weight compared to full member states. Considering Azerbaijan's previous involvement in the Non-Aligned Movement, it has previously included the Karabakh conflict in the Outcome Document of the Heads of State Summit in 2019, reflecting its position on the matter. It is likely that Azerbaijan will once again assert its position during the meeting and seek diplomatic support for recognizing the legally correct status of the disputed territory, he emphasized. According to the Pakistani expert, Azerbaijan has always been a supporter of peace, and by sticking to its firm position this time, it will be able to make progress towards the normalization of relations between the two countries. Given that Azerbaijan is open to normalization, the chances of further escalation in their conflict are low. Azerbaijan being a responsible regional power and host to NAM and torch bearer of Peace, the conflict will not escalate unless any misadventure from Armenia, Asif Noor concluded. --- Rena Murshud is AzerNews staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @RenaTagiyeva Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 4 July 2023 14:36 (UTC+04:00) A business mission of a delegation from Tatarstan to Azerbaijan will be organized. Azernews reports with reference to the Export and Investment Promotion Agency (AZPROMO) that at the end of this month, representatives of Russian companies will make a business visit to Azerbaijan with the organization of the local Khimgrad JSC and the support of AZPROMO. The business mission is organized to familiarize with the investment and business climate created in Azerbaijan, the activities of industrial parks and free economic zones, as well as the opportunities created for entrepreneurs in the chemical industry and carpet weaving. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 4 July 2023 18:06 (UTC+04:00) A meeting was held at the Ministry of Labor and Social Protection of the Population with a Pakistani delegation on a visit to the country, headed by the Minister for Human Resources Development and Work with Pakistanis Living Abroad Sajid Hussain Turin, Azernews reports. Minister of Labor and Social Protection of the Population Sahil Babayev stressed that there are high-level relations between Azerbaijan and Pakistan based on friendship, brotherhood and strategic partnership, these relations are constantly developing thanks to the efforts of the heads of state of the two countries. Satisfaction was expressed with Pakistan's continued support for the territorial integrity of Azerbaijan, especially the political support provided to our country in the 44-day Patriotic War. It was noted that the two countries are closely cooperating within the framework of international institutions, and relations between Azerbaijan and Pakistan are expanding in the social sphere. Information was provided on the social reforms carried out in recent years in Azerbaijan, the concept of DOST, the positive experience gained in the field of creating digital platforms and services in the social sphere. It was emphasized that there is great potential for developing bilateral relations with Pakistan in the field of labor and social protection, and for an active exchange of experience. As a result of the meeting, an Action Plan for 2023-2024 was signed on the implementation of the Memorandum of Understanding between the Ministry of Labor and Social Protection of Azerbaijan and the Ministry for Human Resource Development and Work with Pakistanis living abroad on cooperation in the field of labor, employment and social protection. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 4 July 2023 11:29 (UTC+04:00) Laman Ismayilova Read more Ilona Bruvere's documentary "Tapieris" (2014) has been screened at Baku International Piano Festival. Latvian Charge d'Affaires in Azerbaijan Vija Busa and the film critic, curator of the festival's cinema program Ulvi Mehdi briefed the attendees about Latvian composer Oscar Strock, Azernews reports. Latvian composer's music pieces sounded before the start of the film screening. The film "Tapieris" tells about pianist-melodist and arranger Oscar Strock, who became famous in Europe thanks to his tango music. Glory was ahead of him so much that his music was performed more than the author himself was known by sight. It happened because of excessive modesty, dramatic twists and turns. The maestro's life was demonstrated as a film-play with endless travels, stormy romances in search of oneself through the historical and political context of the 20th century. He did not shy away from any earnings, playing in pubs, taverns and cinemas across Riga, Berlin and Paris. The documentary aroused great interest among viewers. The Baku International Piano Festival is not only the magical playing of piano and keyboard virtuosos, it is, first of all, a luxurious atmosphere that will inspire and enchant the most demanding music lovers, giving vivid emotions. The festival's program included concert programs for all music tastes: rock, classical, jazz, pop, flamenco, and even tango. Media partners of the event are Azernews.Az, Trend.Az, Day.Az, Milli.Az. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 4 July 2023 10:23 (UTC+04:00) Minister for Foreign Affairs Narayan Prakash Saud of Nepal is leaving for Azerbaijan today to participate in the Ministerial Meeting of the Coordinating Bureau of the Non-Aligned Movement (CoB NAM), Azernews reports. The meeting is being convened under the theme of NAM: United and steadfast in confronting emerging challenges on 3-6 July 2023 in Baku. Minister Saud is scheduled to address the conference on July 5. During the visit, the Foreign Minister is scheduled to call on high dignitaries of the Government of Azerbaijan as well as meet with participating heads of delegation from various countries on the margins of the Meeting, according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 4 July 2023 12:00 (UTC+04:00) President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev has sent a congratulatory letter to President of the United States of America Joseph Biden. The letter reads: Dear Mr. President, It is on the occasion of the National Holiday of the United States of America Independence Day that on my own behalf and on behalf of the people of Azerbaijan, I extend my heartfelt congratulations to you and, through you, the friendly people of the United States of America, and offer my best wishes. The relations between the Republic of Azerbaijan and the United States of America have developed dynamically, rooted in friendship and cooperation and ascended to the level of strategic partnership in a number of spheres. Tackling global challenges and confronting international terrorism, active and productive joint efforts in security matters, and engagement across the broad spectrum in the economic domain are among the primary factors defining our bilateral relations. Our critical cooperation in the energy sector is gratifying. The United States has remained a resolute and steadfast supporter of Azerbaijans energy policy at every phase. We especially value the close cooperation between our nations in ensuring energy security and the U.S.s comprehensive support for large-scale transnational projects implemented by us. Presently, a favorable environment has emerged for ushering in lasting peace in the South Caucasus. We highly appreciate the efforts by the U.S. in normalizing Armenia-Azerbaijan relations and the process of preparing the peace agreement based on the norms and principles of international law. Dear Mr. President, Today, we are determined to capitalize on the substantial potential of joint activity across a number of domains and further expand our ties with the U.S. I am confident that we will continue our consistent efforts to develop and solidify the Azerbaijan-U.S. partnership, stemming from mutual trust and support, in line with the interests of our states and for the sake of prosperity of our peoples. On this memorable day, I seize this opportunity to wish robust health and success to you and everlasting prosperity to the friendly people of the United States of America. Sincerely, Ilham Aliyev President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Baku, 3 July 2023 --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 4 July 2023 17:00 (UTC+04:00) The 43rd session of the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) continues in Rome, Italy. The Minister of Agriculture of Azerbaijan, Mejnun Mammadov, addressed the session, Azernews reports. The Department of Public Relations and Information Provision of the Ministry of Agriculture told, that the Minister's speech was dedicated to the topic of rational use of water resources. In particular, he said that agricultural activities are the main reason for the constant pressure on land and water resources on the planet. As in the rest of the world, in Azerbaijan, limited water resources, water losses and irrational use of water by farmers create difficulties in agricultural activities. Noting that most of the country's water resources are generated outside Azerbaijan, the Minister stressed the importance of more rational use of limited water resources. "There is a strong political will in our country to effectively manage existing water resources. One of the measures being implemented in this direction includes investment in climate-appropriate smart agriculture management. The Government of Azerbaijan is investing heavily in the development of climate-appropriate agri-food systems. The bulk of the investment is aimed at transforming digital and smart agriculture. The use of modern irrigation systems by farmers is subsidized by the government, replacement of soil channels with concrete ones, installation of underground water pipes, and promotion of drip and beer irrigation are the key priorities of our policy on efficient water management," Mejnun Mammadov said. Reiterating support for FAO initiatives on the effective use of land and water resources and digitalization of agriculture, the minister said that Azerbaijan enthusiastically joins these initiatives and is ready for effective cooperation within such multilateral platforms. Mejnun Mammadov also met with Qiu Dunyu, who was re-elected as FAO Secretary General during the 43rd session of the organization. The minister noted the successful cooperation of our country with FAO, stressing that it contributes to the implementation of the UN Sustainable Development Goals. Further expansion of relations between Azerbaijan and FAO, the organization's support for digital agriculture, initiatives on effective management of water resources, and other issues of mutual interest were discussed at the meeting. A meeting was also held with Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development of Israel Avi Dichter. The sides touched upon the prospects of cooperation between Azerbaijan and Israel in the field of agriculture and exchanged views on the application of modern Israeli technologies in agriculture in Azerbaijan. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 4 July 2023 18:27 (UTC+04:00) Azerbaijani Human Rights Commissioner (Ombudswoman) Sabina Aliyeva participated at the international conference dedicated to the 25th anniversary of the Constitutional Court "Development of legislation through the application of constitutional norms", Azernews reports. During her speech at the event attended by the leaders of the Constitutional Courts of Azerbaijan and a number of foreign countries, and representatives of state bodies, the Ombudswoman congratulated the chairman and staff of the Constitutional Court on the occasion of the anniversary and wished them new achievements in their activities. Sabina Aliyeva noted that there is close cooperation between the Ombudsman institution and the Constitutional Court, and said that more than 40 inquiries addressed to the Constitutional Court by the Commissioner have been considered, and relevant decisions and resolutions have been adopted. The Ombudswoman drew attention to the fact that the Constitutional Court has made great progress over the past 25 years and that it occupies a worthy place in the legal system of Azerbaijan. He also noted that the Constitutional Court made necessary contributions to the protection of human rights and freedoms and successfully coped with its duties. Then, at the event, a printed material entitled "Cooperation between the Ombudsman and the Constitutional Court: a collection of acts (for the years 2002-2022)" was presented. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 4 July 2023 10:44 (UTC+04:00) Discussions on the introduction of the new currency are due to take place at an upcoming meeting in Johannesburg in August, Azernews reports, citing Bloomberg. The decision was taken because of the large number of countries wishing to join BRICS. BRICS foreign ministers have asked experts from a specially created bank to provide advice on how a potential new common currency could work. The foreign ministers of Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa discussed how BRICS could gain greater global influence and challenge the US. Although they did not come to clear conclusions, the use of alternative currencies was one of the main topics of the talks. Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov, speaking on the prospects of BRICS expansion, said: "We call on our BRICS partners to approach this topic in an open and open manner. And I can say that, in our view, the Arab world and the Asia-Pacific region are clearly 'asking' to join BRICS, because their representatives are not there today. But we will look at what can be offered to leaders and what can be brought to the leaders' attention at the Johannesburg summit. South African Foreign Minister Naledi Pandor says BRICS members are striving "...make sure that we do not become victims of sanctions that have secondary effects on countries that, in turn, have nothing to do with the issues that led to the imposition of the unilateral sanctions. According to foreign media outlets, the BRICS foreign ministers from Iran and Saudi Arabia also arrived in South Africa for talks on the sidelines of the meeting of the BRICS foreign ministers. It is reported that already in 2023 Algeria is to join the BRICS, which has filed an application for membership in the organization. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz (Photo : EMMANUEL DUNAND/AFP via Getty Images) Jens Stoltenberg was given another year in command of NATO after potential successors, including Defense Secretary Ben Wallace, failed to garner sufficient support. After struggling to find a replacement in the shadow of Russia's conflict in Ukraine, NATO's members extended the tenure of alliance chief Jens Stoltenberg by one year. The announcement comes one week before a NATO summit in Lithuania, which will be dominated by the Western military alliance's response to the conflict and Ukraine's drive for membership. NATO Extends Jens Stoltenberg's Term After disagreeing on an apparent replacement, NATO countries decided to extend the term of the former Norwegian prime minister, who has led the organization since 2014. Other prospective candidates, such as the Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen and the British Defense Minister Ben Wallace, have recently withdrawn from the race. Frederiksen appeared to meet the criteria of some European allies as a potential first female leader and an EU citizen, according to NDTV. However, NATO nations on the alliance's eastern flank advocated for a leader from their region to emphasize a harsher posture towards Russia. Wallace volunteered, but numerous NATO allies wanted a former chief of state or government in command, and France insisted on a candidate from an EU nation. The United States and other key allies strongly support Stoltenberg, whose term was prolonged by a year shortly after Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022. Stoltenberg's current term was extended by another year shortly after the invasion. Having previously indicated that he would quit the position in September, he changed his mind on Tuesday and stated that he had agreed to extend his mandate by one year, to October 2024. In a tweet, Stoltenberg confirmed what had become apparent: "Honored by #NATO Allies' decision to extend my term as Secretary General until 1 October 2024." His reappointment removes a contentious issue from the agenda of the annual NATO summit scheduled for Vilnius, Lithuania, the following week. The meeting is intended to demonstrate trans-Atlantic unity and solidarity in support of Ukraine as it fights Russia's invasion, as per NY Times. Read Also: 4 Migrants, Including Baby, Found Dead in Rio Grande River NATO Allies Divided Over Successor The Biden administration has been unenthusiastic about other candidates for the position as the war in Ukraine continues to rage, and France and other members of the European Union had made it clear that they would not accept a non-EU figure, such as British defense secretary Ben Wallace, in the position. The prime minister of Denmark, Mette Frederiksen, traveled to Washington last month to meet with President Biden and American officials. However, she later announced that she was no longer a candidate for NATO secretary general and would support Stoltenberg if he was willing to extend his tenure. Stoltenberg, a former Norwegian prime minister, has served in his current position since 2014 and has extended his term thrice. Through his placid demeanor, public humility, and ability to navigate the demands of an organization with 31 consensus-driven member states, he has earned the confidence of allies, particularly Washington. He was especially lauded for his ability to collaborate with former President Donald J. Trump, whose disdain for NATO was frequently on exhibit. Stoltenberg is expected to preside over his final summit in Washington next year, coinciding with the 75th anniversary of NATO. Unless he is once again urged to extend his mandate. UK's Prime Minister Rishi Sunak praised Stoltenberg's stewardship of NATO following the extension of his term. Under Stoltenberg, the alliance has "evolved to meet new threats" and has been "steadfast in support of Ukraine," according to Sunak. Stoltenberg stated that he was "honored" by the decision and that "in a more perilous world, our alliance is more vital than ever." According to The Independent, Sunak stated at the routine Cabinet meeting on Tuesday that Wallace was an "outstanding candidate" for the position. The official spokesperson for the Prime Minister stated that Sunak told the meeting of his top team that the Defense Secretary is "widely respected among world leaders and the only non-leader to be considered" for the position of alliance leader. However, according to the spokesman, Sunak believes Stoltenberg has done an "outstanding job" commanding NATO and "will continue to have the support of the United Kingdom" in the position. Related Article: Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen Heads to China, Brings Positive Sign of Stabilizing US-China Relationship @ 2023 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. 4 July 2023 11:03 (UTC+04:00) In St. Petersburg, police detained a 34-year-old Armenian citizen for raping a 23-year-old saleswoman from the Primorsky district, Azernews reports. At about 22:00 on July 1, a resident of a high-rise building on one of the streets called the employees of the Ministry of Internal Affairs. He first heard about the incident from the girl. According to the victim, the Armenian abused her in her apartment and then raped her. As a result, the man was detained in hot pursuit. Now a protocol on hooliganism has been drawn up against him, the issue of initiating a case is being decided. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 4 July 2023 23:50 (UTC+04:00) A fire broke out at Rossiya Neft oil depot in Kara-Suu district, Azernews reports, citing 24.kg. The fire broke out on Monday at 6.20 p.m. It was completely extinguished at 7.01 p.m. Two fire crews worked at the scene. As a result, a pump and a DAF tanker burned down. Two people were injured. The cause of the fire is being specified, the ministry said. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz Thank you for reading! Please log in, or sign up for a new account and purchase a subscription to continue reading. You can reach Ishani Desai at 661-395-7417. You can also follow her at @_ishanidesai on Twitter. Email Dan Walters of CalMatters at dan@calmatters.org. CalMatters is a nonpartisan, nonprofit journalism venture committed to explaining Californias policies and politics. For more columns by Walters, go to calmatters.org/commentary. Archived Results for Tuesday, July 4th, 2023 Older Page 1 EU DMA's new gatekeeper criteria now include Google, Apple, Facebook (Meta), Amazon, and Microsoft (GAFAM). Because of this, seven tech giants show their concerns regarding the new rules of the Digital Markets Act. Aside from the GAFAM tech firms, TikTok (ByteDance) and Samsung also claim that they would meet the gatekeeper criteria. Even Booking.com said that it expects its business to fall into the gatekeeper category in 2024. EU DMA: Google, Other Tech Firms Fall Under Gatekeepers The EU DMA, which came into force in November 2022, states that companies with over 45 million monthly users and more than $82 billion in market capitalizations are considered as gatekeepers, as reported by Reuters. Read Also: Spotify Exploits US Black Cultural Event Trademark Without Authorization, Complaint Claims Tech firms that will fall under the gatekeeper category will face a set of prohibitions and obligations. Those who are unable to comply with the DMA rules could face very large penalties. Tech Crunch reported that non-compliant companies will face up to 10% of global annual turnover. EU officials said that the companies that will officially be under the gatekeeper category will be announced later this 2023 summer. This means that more tech companies, aside from GAFAM, will be added to the list. However, since the DMA intends to target the most powerful platforms only, experts believe that the gatekeeper category list will not grow that much. What It Means for GAFAM Since GAFAM tech firms expect to fall under the gatekeeper category of the EU DMA, they could face the following prohibitions and regulations: Ban on self-preferencing. Have limited access to third-party data. Will be required to provide their app data to third-party companies. Will be required to allow sideloading of apps. Need to allow app developers to use another mode of payment. Must ask users for their consent before tracking their activities for ads. Once the European Union confirmed the companies under the gatekeeper list, those included need to comply with the rules six months after the official designation. Since the EU is expected to name the tech firms in September, GAFAM and other companies will have until spring 2024 (around March 2024). If you want to learn more about the new EU Digital Markets Act and how it will affect GAFAM and other companies, you can click here. Related Article: Twitter CEO Suggests One Way to Win Advertisers Back-'Hand-To-Hand Combat' @ 2023 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. ARLINGTON, VA Language learning company Rosetta Stone announced today it was introducing a new course designed to teach users the difficult language that had previously only been spoken by President Joe Biden.The course, namedfully immerses the user in Joe Biden's unique dialect.said Rosetta Stone CEO & Chairman John Hass.Pre-orders for the course were already coming in by the thousands, with many of them coming from journalists, members of Congress, and foreign leaders from around the globe.said a spokesperson for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.Surprisingly, Democratic Party strategists were privately expressing concern that having the public at large know what Biden is actually saying may work to his detriment.said media personality James Carville.At publishing time, Rosetta Stone was also planning to create a course that would allow users to make sense of Vice President Kamala Harris's speeches, though the company was having trouble finding any living soul who could translate them. The North Carolina House, Senate, and governor have each released their budget proposals for the upcoming biennium The price tags, tax cuts, teacher pay increases, and savings from these budgets would have differing fiscal effects on North Carolina Over the coming weeks, the North Carolina General Assembly will convene to agree upon a conference budget to send to Gov. Cooper Budget talks are underway in Raleigh as the state Senate and House come together to arrange a conference budget for the upcoming biennium. The Senate and House have each already released their budget proposals, and Gov. Roy Cooper released his recommended budget in March.Though budget proposals have copious elements ranging from health care to capital spending, this article examines differences in just four key areas: the bottom-line spending number, taxpayer savings, teacher pay increases, and Rainy Day Fund savings.The bottom-line spending number of a state budget is extremely important. Overspending produces unsustainable budgets, leaving taxpayers on the hook. In our state's past, legislators have paid for such spending with tax hikes and state employee layoffs. Over the past decade, however, conservative leaders in the General Assembly have restrained spending, allowing for ample tax cuts that ensure more money remains in the pockets of those who earned it.The House and Senate budget versions propose to increase spending by 6.5% in the first year, increasing the total spending to $29.8 billion in the fiscal year (FY) 2023-24. Both propose spending $30.9 billion for the second year, though that number would likely be adjusted during next year's short session.Gov. Cooper, however, would increase spending by 18% to $32.95 billion in the first year if he had his way. This would be an egregious increase, especially on the eve of a recession. Such government expansion would ultimately harm North Carolinians footing the bill.Concerning the corporate income tax rate, by law it is scheduled to be phased out entirely by 2030. The current rate is 2.5%. The rate decreases are scheduled to begin in 2025, when the rate will be lowered to 2.25%. Neither the House nor Senate budget proposals make any changes to this schedule.Though the Senate proposed more aggressive cuts to the personal income tax, the House budget proposal would raise the standard deduction, increase the child tax deduction, establish a refundable adoption tax credit, repeal the privilege license tax, and reduce franchise tax liabilities.Cooper's proposed budget would take our flat personal income tax rate back to a progressive, two-tiered rate, halting tax reform for some. And he would stop the corporate income tax phaseout, denying workers bigger paychecks and more job options as this tax is passed down to workers.Each budget proposal would increase teacher pay, although the approaches differ. Cooper included a 16.6% average increase in teacher pay over the biennium. The Senate included a 4.5% average increase, and the House called for a 10.2% increase in pay over the same period, when step increases are included. The table below shows the estimated dollar amounts associated with just the proposed teacher salary increases over the biennium.The House proposal and Cooper's proposal would reinstate master's pay for teachers with advanced degrees, despite evidence showing master's degrees for teachers do not translate into better student achievement.Separate from the teacher pay issue, which dominates much of the public discourse, Cooper's plan would eliminate the Opportunity Scholarship Program, which allows working parents access to funds to send their children to the private school of their choice, while the House and Senate plans would expand eligibility for the program.State law requires 15% of the estimated growth in state tax revenues to be allocated for the Rainy Day Fund (the Savings Reserve) for each fiscal year of the upcoming biennium. The graph below looks at the proposed contribution to the Savings Reserve on top of the statutory requirement for the first fiscal year of the biennium only. Savings Reserve funds can be allocated only by the General Assembly.The Senate is the only chamber that proposed additional funding for the Savings Reserve, a move that would bring the total fund to $5 billion. Cooper called the Savings Reserveand proposed to transfer $500 million out of it.Negotiations are underway between the state House and Senate to develop a conference budget plan. The plan is largely expected to be released before the fiscal year begins on July 1. The last long session included the first time Cooper signed a state budget into law. This time, with a Republican supermajority able to override his veto, Gov. Cooper's signature is not crucial to the passage of this budget. All employees may request accommodations, including time off from work, when an employer's schedule interferes with the worker's religious beliefs and practices, the Supreme Court ruled June 29. The court "broadened religious protections for workers" in its June 29 opinion and clarified when employers, including hospitals, are permitted to refuse employee-requested religious accommodations. The previous legal standard required that employers demonstrate the minimal cost of making an accommodation for a worker's religious observance. The latest decision puts a higher burden on employers who want to deny an employee's request based on religious observance. The court said employers must "show that the burden of granting an accommodation" has "substantial increased costs in relation to the conduct of its particular business" in order to refuse an employee's request, the court said. "The unanimous opinion, written by Justice Samuel A. Alito Jr., found that employers must show that granting such an accommodation would lead to 'substantial increased costs' in relation to the conduct of its business," according to a June 29 Roll Call news report. Employers must "reasonably accommodate" a worker's religious practices, "not merely assess the reasonableness of a particular possible accommodation or accommodations," Mr. Alito wrote. "This distinction matters. it would not be enough for an employer to conclude that forcing other employees to work overtime would constitute an undue hardship. Consideration of other options, such as voluntary shift swapping, would also be necessary." From left, David Ferguson, co-owner of Bob & Berts, with Colin McClean, the founder of the coffee chain. Picture by Michael Cooper Northern Ireland coffee and food chain Bob & Berts has won the top gong at an awards ceremony for firms backed by private equity. The company was presented with the trophy at the British Private Equity & Venture Capital Association (BVCA) Vision 2023 awards in Belfasts Merchant Hotel on June 29. The award recognises the management team of a private equity-backed company said to embody competitiveness, growth, innovation and ESG commitment. Bob & Berts now has 27 stores, with 14 in Northern Ireland, six stores in Scotland, and seven in England. It employs almost 800 staff across the UK. Judges praised Bob & Berts as a real Northern Ireland success story for its impressive growth in a crowded market, while remaining true to the values of supporting community, family and its staff. It was praised for its continued expansion during the pandemic. As the winner of the Northern Ireland title, Bob & Berts will be included in the BVCA national list, which will be announced at in November. David Ferguson, co-owner of Bob & Berts, said: It is great to be recognised on a national level for the work that our team has put into growing Bob & Berts over the past year. "Taking on equity investment when we did was integral to the growth we have achieved so far, both in terms of capital and expertise. "Access to BGFs advice and network has also helped us build a strong, experienced management team that has allowed us to expand our business. Gemma Hamilton, investor at BGF, said Bob & Berts had carved a niche for itself in hospitality and leisure. "From opening its first store in the north coast of Northern Ireland, the business has excelled to nearly 30 stores across the UK. The investment from BGF has seen the company go from strength to strength, with exciting plans for its continued roll-out. "This is a testament to the energy and drive of Colin, David and their entire team. We are thrilled that they have been recognised by the BVCA as a top equity backed business. Cross border trade up by almost a third in both directions in 2021 Traffic passes close to the border between Northern Ireland and Republic of Ireland just outside Newry. Pic: PA The Irish Republic was Northern Irelands most important goods trade partner after Great Britain in 2021, with cross border trade up by almost a third in both directions, new research shows. Excluding Great Britain, the Republic accounted for 53% (5.6bn) of Northern Irelands exports in 2021 and 35% (2.6bn) of imports, a report by the Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI) said. Northern Ireland made up 2.3% of the Republics exports in 2021 and 4.7% of its imports. The ESRI report said that share was sizeable given the much smaller size of the Northern Ireland economy relative to [Irelands] other top 10 partner countries. Food and beverages accounted for 24% of goods travelling north in 2021 and 27% of goods going from Northern Ireland to Ireland. Previous ESRI research found that imports into the Republic from Northern Ireland almost doubled (up 90%) in the first half of 2021, when the EU-UK trade deal came into force, while GB exports to the Republic fell substantially. While Irish trade with Great Britain has recovered since the deal first came into force in January 2021, growth in Irish trade with Northern Ireland has outstripped it. Irish exports to Great Britain last year were up 19% to 17bn compared with 2021, while exports to Northern Ireland rose by 31% to just under 5bn. Great Britain accounted for 8% of total Irish exports in 2022, by value, compared to 2.3% for Northern Ireland. The Republics imports from Northern Ireland outstripped exports last year, the Central Statistics Office said, growing 32% to 5.4bn. Northern Ireland accounted for 3.8% of Irish goods exports last year, compared to 17% for Britain. The ESRI report shows that the next most important export partner for Northern Ireland after the Republic is Germany, accounting for 15% of total exports in 2021. The rest of the EU, excluding Ireland, made up around a third of Northern Irelands total exports. But Northern Ireland has a more concentrated export portfolio than Ireland, the ESRI report found, despite the Republics reliance on pharma, because it sells to fewer countries than Ireland. The sector accounted for 23% of Northern Irish exports in 2021 and over 55% of Irish exports. It also accounted for a large share of imports: 12% in Northern Ireland and 20% in Ireland. Cross-border trade can play a role as an accessible first step into broader exporting and this new data on trade patterns may help in the development of such policies, said one of the reports authors, Martina Lawless. The paper was part of a research programme on the all-island economy funded by business group Ibec. Fergal OBrien, Ibecs director of lobbying and influence, said the report demonstrates the importance of trade with the EU for Northern Ireland businesses. Eurostat data on Northern Irelands exports and imports to the EU are now being published separately as a result of the 2019 Brexit deal, which keeps NI in the blocs single market. Great Britain is still by far Northern Irelands largest export partner, accounting for around half of all sales. The Republic accounts for just over a quarter of exports, according to ESRI data. The Harryville bakery has been open for almost 60 years. A mock-up of how the finished premises will look after the renovation A well-known family bakery in Co Antrim is to begin work next week on the biggest transformation in its 60-year history as renovation work gets underway. Irons Home Bakery is one of the towns oldest bakeries and has been rooted in the Harryville community since it was opened in the 1960s by William John Irons at its current premises on Larne Street. Following his passing in 2014, the Ballymena business passed to his daughter Peggy Eaton and granddaughter Rachel Smith. Peggy said the pair have been able to build on the foundation laid by William John. "My father started the business almost 60 years ago, Peggy told Love Ballymena. "He served his time training as a baker in Belfast, before coming back to Ballymena to work in Morton & Simpsons bakery. The opportunity arose for him to start out on his own, and he bravely embraced it. "Myself, and my daughter Rachel, have had the privilege to build on what he started since then. Read more Beloved Ballymena bakery announces opening of new premises "We have a fantastic team of staff behind us - from our dedicated bakers who make all our delicious produce, to our friendly shop staff, added Rachel. "We are so excited about this! We have a massive thank you to say to our loyal customers past and present for keeping us in business. "My granda would be amazed and delighted to see how the wee bakery he took the risk to start all those years ago is still thriving in the heart of Harryville. Work will begin at the bakery on July 24 and will comprise partial demolition of a rear and side section and the building of an extension to the rear- of the building. The extension will provide a link between the current premises and the new premises next door, while at the front, the premises will be refreshed and a new awning fitted. The bakery will be operating as normal during the course of the work, which is expected to be completed by Christmas. British Army soldier Alexander Garms-Rizzi has been locked up after going AWOL for six months to fight in the war in Ukraine, risking the UK being dragged into a war with Russia. The 21-year-old, whose mother is Russian, was with the Royal Welsh Fusiliers in Estonia when he explicitly told his officers he was morally compelled to fight on the side of the Ukrainians. Going AWOL The unit was deployed as part of the British contingent for NATO's Operation Cabrit. The court martial heard Garms-Rizzi had been deployed to Estonia in November 2021 as part of NATO's forward presence in the region. He went on a two-week leave in March 2022, the military court was told. When his unit managed to contact him, Garms-Rizzi admitted he had gone to join the war, which he later admitted to being the wrong thing to do. Judge Advocate General Darren Reed called Garms-Rizzi's actions "deliberate and premeditated" given the fact he spent his childhood years in Russia and visited the country after leaving it at the age of 12. "You felt morally it was the right course of action to support the cause," he added. "You are clearly an intelligent and thoughtful young man... Those who serve do not have a choice about lawful orders they obey." Read Also: Ukraine Strikes Bridge Linking Mainland to Russian-Occupied Crimea Arrest and Sentencing Garms-Rizzi was arrested at the Port of Dover in September 2022. Police seized foreign military clothing among his possessions, including Ukrainian patches and insignia. Police also heard him saying he went over to help the Ukrainians and "couldn't just stand by", especially because he had Ukrainian childhood friends "getting killed" there. Military prosecutor Col. Grant Davies argued calling Garms-Rizzi's actions a "potential harm to the reputation of the British armed forces" was an understatement. "He caused a security risk to himself, and to [His Majesty's] Government had he been captured," he added. Garms-Rizzi pleaded guilty to charges of being absent without leave and contravening standing orders. He was sentenced to 12 months of military detention before being dismissed from the army. Related Article: Pence Meets Zelensky During a Surprise Visit to Ukraine, Setting Himself Apart From GOP @ 2023 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Liam Neeson has not yet been confirmed as the voice of Aslan American director Greta Gerwig is set to direct a series of Netflix films based on NI author CS Lewis Chronicles of Narnia. It is understood the Barbie director has signed a deal with the streaming giant to produce the films. CS Lewis was born in Belfast in 1898 and spent his early years in the east of the city and briefly attended Campbell College. A square named after the Chronicles of Narnia author was opened in November 2016 at the intersection of the Connswater and Comber Greenways on the anniversary of his death in 1963. Seven permanent sculptures based on characters from The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe also feature in the square, with his most poignant character, the lion Aslan, taking centre stage. The character holds another link to Northern Ireland, with Ballymena-born Hollywood actor Liam Neeson voicing the role in the 2005 film The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, as well as the sequel Prince Caspian in 2008 and in the third film of the series, The Voyage of the Dawn Treader in 2010. As yet, it is not known if Neeson will take on the role again in the upcoming Netflix adaptations. Cardi B wore a dramatic feather-like woolly bolero as she arrived in the French capital for Paris Fashion Week. The US rapper attended the Schiaparelli Haute Couture Fall/Winter 2023-2024 fashion collection on Monday. She wore a black corseted gown with gold trim and buttons, with a cropped fluffy black jacket from the Italian fashion house. The look was accessorised with a black head wrap, multiple golden bangles and matching earrings. Cardi B was pictured on the front row alongside Tracee Ellis Ross. The US actress wore a blue and white shirt and matching trousers. Cardi B, right, attends the Schiaparelli Haute Couture Fall/Winter 2023-2024 fashion collection (Michel Euler/AP) Posting a picture of her outfit on Instagram Cardi B hailed the show as beautiful. They always have an amazing show so whats new? she later told Vogue. It never fails to surprise me. Devin Griffin said he was a little bit apprehensive before a meeting with his fathers family when he saw them for the first time (PA) Devin Griffin was a little bit apprehensive before an incredibly emotional meeting with his fathers family when he saw them for the first time. The former Strictly Come Dancing contestant and Radio 1 DJ who now works at Heart FM travelled to Ireland and Jamaica as he explored his familys roots for an episode of Who Do You Think You Are?. Griffin said he had only made one trip to Jamaica before meeting his fathers family because no one wants to go somewhere where you feel a bit unsure of yourself. He also said he did not want to be reminded of something he was on the outside of growing up. Griffin said: I was a little bit apprehensive going into it because I thought, This is such a personal moment for me. I dont know if I want to have this all documented and have cameras in my face and that sort of thing but it actually ended up being a really beautiful experience and something that I almost certainly would never have done had it not been as part of this process. It was incredibly emotional. My dad is not somebody who I know that well. Dev Griffin, right, and Dianne Buswell appeared on Strictly Come Dancing together (PA) He added: This was like blowing the dust off of a lot of things that I felt like I had buried deep and answered a lot of questions for me, and certainly gave me a lot of a lot of peace as well with things that Ive maybe struggled with before. During the programme, the 38-year-old also found out that his Irish family was involved with the struggle for independence from the UK, with his great-grandfathers brother Patrick Weafer taking part in the 1916 Easter Rising. So the thing I was most shocked about was a lot of it was down to my own ignorance, Griffin said. Theres a lot about British and Irish history that I just have no idea about, or if I did, my sense of it was that it happened 500 years ago or wherever but this is very recent history as well. So things like the fact that the British had used artillery in Ireland was something to me that was so shocking it made me think about a lot of the British history that Ive not been taught about. Griffin wants to return to Jamaica to visit family he still has not met and is planning a trip with his sisters through Maynooth in County Kildare, Dublin and Kilkee in County Clare. When he arrived in Kilkee for the show he instantly felt connected to one of the most beautiful places he has visited. In a reference to Avengers: Endgame, when supervillain Thanos hunts gems that give their holder powers, Griffin added: It almost like something out of a Marvel film you get too close to the infinity stones and something like that and you start glowing. That is what it felt like arriving in a place like that. Griffin has also donated some of the fee he got for doing the show to a charity his aunt works for, The Griffin Trust Jamaica, which it has used to buy a school bus. He added: Ive tried to start setting up businesses and stuff in Jamaica. It is somewhere Id be very interested in retiring to at some point. The Who Do You Think You Are? episode with Griffin will air on BBC One on July 13. Spoken word artist George The Poet will be a guest curator for the London Literature Festival 2023, which will see celebrity readings from the likes of Sir Patrick Stewart and Jada Pinkett Smith. Other celebrities in the mix include Scandal star Kerry Washington, who will be presenting her new memoir Thicker Than Water, and British actor Nick Frost, who will discuss his memoir A Slice Of Fried Gold, with long-time collaborator Simon Pegg. Sir Patrick, who is best known for appearing in Star Trek, will present his memoir Making It So, while American actress Pinkett Smith will recount stories from her memoir Worthy. The 12-day festival will celebrate its 16th edition when it takes place at the Southbank Centre from October 18 to 29 this year. George The Poet real name George Mpanga, 32 will guest curate the opening night of the festival and will also be bringing to life his anthology Part Of A Story That Started Before Me. The artist said: Im honoured to be a guest-curator for London Literature Festival this year, kicking off the festival with a night that brings together some of my favourite music and spoken word artists from London and beyond. The environment of London has been my teacher and inspiration, so Im looking forward to celebrating the culture, sounds and poetry of the city in what promises to be a night to remember. Other spoken word celebrations include an evening with Out-Spoken, the Southbank Centres resident poetry and live music collective, hosted by Joelle Taylor. The Lambeth poet laureate Abstract Benna will give a performance that reflects on his year serving the borough whilst The National Poetry Library will host a gala day of spoken word performances and displays with BBC Radio 4 broadcaster Roger McGough. Elsewhere in the programme, Korean author Yu Miri will be reading her novel The End of August, whilst photographer, critic and novelist Teju Cole will introduce his latest novel Tremor. Dylan Thomas Prize-winning author Brian Washington will present his new novel Family Meal and author Oliver Jeffers will introduce his new picture book for adults, Begin Again: The Story Of How We Got Here And Where We Might Go. Family events will be running across the October half-term, with former childrens laureate Dame Jacqueline Wilson presenting the sequel to her 2001 top-selling title Sleepovers The Best Sleepover In The World. Classic FM presenter and author Zeb Soanes will narrate his childrens story, Fred And The Fantastic Tub Tub and broadcaster and author Jeffrey Boakye will introduce his fun new adventure Kofi And The Rap Battle Summer. We need your consent to load this Social Media content. We use a number of different Social Media outlets to manage extra content that can set cookies on your device and collect data about your activity. Please review your details and accept them to load the content The Black British Book Festival will be taking place alongside the London Literature Festival this year, kicking off with the launch of Little Mix star Leigh-Anne Pinnocks new memoir Believe. The programme of talks also includes Unmasking Brilliance: Black British Voices In Media, which will see politician Dawn Butler and journalists Clive Myrie and Gary Younge, explore the achievements of black leaders in the media industry. A host of interactive events will take place as well, including a dance-led celebration by Strictly Come Dancing champion and CBeebies Boogie Beebies host Oti Mabuse, who is marking the launch of her new book Dance Along With Mabuse. Tickets for London Literature Festival go on sale to Southbank Centre members on Wednesday July 5 and to the general public on Thursday July 6, while tickets for the Black British Book Festival are already on sale. Some of the festivals programmes will be free and unticketed. Julian Sands opened up about the hypernatural experience of confronting human remains while mountain climbing, in an interview shortly before searches for the British actor concluded in a similar manner. His death was confirmed last week after human remains were found in the Mount Baldy area of the San Gabriel mountains in southern California. The 65-year-old had been missing for more than five months after failing to return from a hike in January. The British actors death was confirmed after human remains were found in the San Gabriel mountains (Ian West/PA) The latest edition of the Radio Times has an interview with Sands which took place months before his death. Reflecting on his experience of hiking, he told the magazine: Ive found spooky things on mountains, when you know youre in a place where many people have lost their lives, whether it be on the Eiger or in the Andes. You may be confronted with human remains and that can be chilling. Its not necessarily supernatural, its possibly all too natural what I would call hypernatural. Youre in the presence of big nature and big nature is revealing itself in all its power. It can take us over a threshold of hypersensitivity into a realm of natural forces. Searches by local authorities had been unsuccessful in the search for Sands, with poor weather conditions hampering efforts since March, until his remains were found by civilian hikers last month. He was best-known for his breakout role in the 1985 romantic period drama A Room With A View, in which he starred alongside Helena Bonham Carter. Sands later moved to the horror genre, with appearances in films including Gothic, Warlock and Arachnophobia. The actor was also a keen climber and described the activity as solace and a sort of existentialist self-negation, but equally a self-affirmation. If you can deal with dangerous mountains, you can certainly deal with life as an actor the two are quite complementary, he added. (Brian Aris/Radio Times/PA) In the interview, Sands dismissed the suggestion that he was too old to climb, but said that friends who used to join him had stopped in part due to age. He also noted that climate change had made certain rock faces more unstable. Sands said: If you dont really have the desire, the focus for climbing a route, if youre not absolutely committed, it becomes much more dangerous and its a much more deflating experience. Finding folk whose company I enjoy in such stressful and intimate conditions is not easy. The thing about climbing is, youre always making plans and looking at routes maybe you end up getting to 5% of all the things you plan to do. Sands was considered an experienced and competent mountaineer by his friends, with his hiking partner and fellow actor Kevin Ryan previously telling the PA news agency that he was the most advanced hiker I know. Global fashion and lifestyle media brand Highsnobiety has given the design the thumbs up. $1,000The Frog Clutch Bag is selling for just under $1,000 A frog-shaped clutch bag designed by Co Derry designer JW Anderson is compact, but surprisingly spacious, a leading fashion media brand has said. The Magherafelt designer launched his Frog Clutch Bag this week, with the design featuring a 3D-printed frog, magnet opening on the mouth and carrying an embossed logo. Retailing at a cool $950 (747) on the designers website, the bag has drawn the attention of fashion media brand Highsnobiety, who penned a review of the item on their website. "The little froggy number is everything youd expect from a classic frog clutch: really green, quite compact, but surprisingly spacious, they said. "Open up the frog's generously-wide mouth and slip in your bits and bobs. "The frog clutch's design is finished with an embossed JW Anderson logo on its low-hanging belly, which feels almost redundant because, well, who else is going to release a plastic frog as a clutch bag other than Jonathan Anderson? "To be frank, if I had a spare $1,000 USD lying around, I'd do worse than getting on the bandwagon with one of these handy little critters. Read more NI designer JW Anderson dons Irish rugby top as he bows out of Milan Fashion Week The design comes hot on the heels of Andersons 2022 pigeon-shaped clutch bag, which sold out on the designers website last year. Sarah Jessica Parker spotted with JW Anderson's pigeon clutch bag The bag is part of an eclectic collection which Mr Anderson described as glaring, sparkling, saturated and fun. It includes eye-catching items such as rubber band shirts and hula-hoop polos. A son of Irish rugby legend Willie Anderson, JW was spotted taking a bow at the end of his Milan Fashion Show week last month while donning an Irish rugby jersey. The 38-year-old has established himself as a celebrity favourite, with Heartstopper actor Kit Connor and Sex Education star Asa Butterfield taking up front row seats to see his latest show. He made headlines earlier this year after designing Rihannas bright red jumpsuit to perform at the Super Bowl, in his capacity as creative director of Loewe. Anderson created two bodysuits for global superstar Beyonce to wear on her ongoing world tour. The pieces are inspired by the escapist joy of Beyonces seventh studio album Renaissance. A Belfast drinks firm with a portfolio of premium spirits, including Jawbox and Ginato gins and Kirker Shamrock whiskey, has appointed a new chief commercial and strategy officer. Ryan McFarland, a former growth and innovation director at Molson Coors, is to lead brand and geographic expansion strategies at Drinksology Kirker Greer (DKG). His career includes a track record of building luxury and premium spirits brands and developing strategic commercial growth initiatives within the global drinks sector. As well as his role at Molson Coors, with responsibility for the Europe, Middle East, Africa, Asia and Pacific regions, Mr McFarland has held commercial and brand building positions at Remy-Cointreau, Bacardi Martini and Brown-Forman. Steven Pattison, CEO of DKG. said: The business is readying itself for growth, we are investing to make that happen and Ryans experience to date suits us perfectly to support this next stage. Having spent over 20 years in the industry, he has gained a great reputation for building high-performing teams and strong customer relationships. Mr McFarland said: Coming from Northern Ireland myself, it has always been my ambition to take a Belfast-based business to scale globally and I believe DKG has a portfolio of exceptional brands to do this, backed with a solid innovation pipeline, passionate people and a world of untapped opportunity. "I am starting to develop a clear strategic direction for the brands on a global scale, with an immediate focus on the UK, Ireland, Australia and New Zealand. I look forward to executing that plan with not only the fantastic team DKG has already in place, but building that team too over the coming years. Kirker Greer Spirits, a division of DKG, owns, manages, and distributes a range of premium spirit brands internationally including Ukiyo Japanese Spirits, Kirker Shamrock Whiskey, Ginato Italian Gin and Jawbox Irish Gin. Accolades for the brands include Best Gin in Australia, Best Gin in the UK, Vodka of the Year and Gold medals at the IWSC awards. A second division, Drinksology Creative, designs, brands and markets some of the worlds most iconic bars, brands, and brand homes including The Dead Rabbit in New York, The Johnnie Walker Experience in Edinburgh and Roe & Co Distillery in Dublin. Demand for Charis Cancer Cares services has increased so much that it had to expand its building with new treatment and therapy rooms, writes Ivan Little Charis director Imelda McGucken (right) with some of the members of staff, Annetta Turner, Bernadette Mooney and Bernie Laird It says a lot about the resilience of charity Charis Cancer Care in Co Tyrone that its staff have been able to overcome a series of massive challenges that threatened the very existence of the retreat in the foothills of the Sperrins overlooking stunning Lough Fea. Financial headaches and difficulties presented by the pandemic could have spelt the end, but Imelda McGucken and her team dug deep into their own mental reserves to ensure that a bigger and better facility would emerge from the chaos. And now Charis, which is situated with breathtaking views on a hill a few miles outside Cookstown, is returning to normal in a state-of-the-art building that has seen the completion of extensions and refurbishments which have allowed the charity to expand its work to meet the never-diminishing problems presented by cancer. Jackie Conway, complimentary therapist working at the Charis Cancer care centre Were excited by the new facilities, says director Imelda. And the reality is that we can now help more people affected by cancer than ever before. In the 13 years that its been open in a huge house donated by local businessman Jim Henry who originally built it as a retirement home, Charis has provided holistic and complementary therapies to an incredible 11,308 cancer sufferers and their families as well as bereaved relatives from right across Northern Ireland. And with technological lessons that were taken on board during lockdown, Charis is now offering more online help to its clients to deal with cancer which is estimated to impact one in three people in Northern Ireland. The frightening scale of the disease here is underlined by the fact that Charis, which works in conjunction with clinical treatments for cancer, hosts up to 120 new clients every month with the word about its work being spread by health trusts and Macmillan nurses across the province recommending it or referring patients. Imelda adds: We take people from everywhere. They have to be over 18, and though we cant help children who are going through cancer, we can treat their parents. Through Covid, we had to radically adapt our services and make some of them available through Zoom or telephone calls and digital platforms. And because we can still do that it means we can now offer a more comprehensive service to people all over Northern Ireland who are terminally ill or cant travel because were maybe seen as too far from Belfast, where a lot of our clients come from. Things have got a lot busier and our new extension with two lovely big therapy rooms has been a boon for our work. Charis Cancer Care Director Imelda McGucken The list of services that Charis offers in-house or remotely has grown. Imelda explains: Among our services we have relaxation meditation, counselling, aromatherapy, reflexology, scar tissue therapy, mindfulness and mindful walking plus yoga in our new extension. Charis has also introduced financial and benefits advice for cancer sufferers and their families who often have to give up their jobs. The centre and its grounds, which have been described by visitors as an oasis of calm, still have Covid precautions in place like lateral flow tests, masks and temperature checked on arrival. Because many of our people are vulnerable, we will keep those measures in place as long as the hospitals do. We have a wonderful bunch of people here, Imelda says. There are now over 25 counsellors, therapists, administrators and instructors and theyre totally committed to what we do and how we try to make Charis a family. Its the loveliest job you could ask for. Its a privilege and you meet the loveliest people. You never hear them complaining but you do get to share their stories as they go along their journeys. Youre not in their shoes but you walk their paths with them from day one. Obviously there are people for whom the outcomes are not good, but because were treating their family members as well, were not a closed door to them and they often come back to Charis after their loved ones have died. Its hard when people pass but sadly thats part and parcel of our role here. Charis, which offers its services free for its clients, had never received any statutory funding until the last two years of Covid. Imelda says: We wouldnt have got through the pandemic without grants from the Department of Health. But now were returning to our own fundraising through our important Friends of Charis shop in Magherafelt and sponsored walks, concerts and other events. For information, phone 028 8676 9217; or go to info@chariscancercare.org Leo McCavana Some of the people who have received much-needed relief and support I intend to do some fundraising Leo McCavana didnt know Charis existed until after he got the all-clear from kidney cancer six weeks ago. The 50-year-old Randalstown man says: I was sign-posted to them by the Macmillan nurses I went to see for the first time, and when I contacted Imelda, she was like a breath of fresh air. I was already getting therapy for my mental and physical well-being elsewhere but Imelda told me to come to Charis for reflexology, relaxation and mindful walking. On top of everything else, staff helped me understand I wasnt on my own with cancer. They wouldnt take any money but I intend to do some fundraising for them and Macmillan. I received practical suggestions Lorna* says Charis is a far cry from the busy cancer centres that she has become so used to during her battle with breast cancer. She adds: Charis is a very unique, quiet and special place and the ethos among the warm and friendly staff is very much about relaxation and getting us away from cancer for a little while. I had reflexology which banished all thoughts of my cancer treatment from my mind, and at my counselling sessions, the conversation has been very skilfully guided to get to the heart of my emotional struggles on my cancer journey. More importantly, Ive been helped to see that I am actually doing very well and I received practical ideas as to how to boost self-care such as walks, meeting friends and cold-water showers, although I wont be trying that any time soon! I realised I was papering over the cracks Anne* accompanied a friend who had been diagnosed with cancer to Charis but ended up on a journey of discovery herself. She says: I went to Charis to support her but I realised after talking to the wonderful people there that I had underlying issues myself. Id been bereaved three times by cancer twice in five weeks and thought I was coping. But at Charis I realised that I was papering over the cracks and that I needed help to deal with my bereavements even though they were a few years ago. The centre has got everything, the time and space to be beneficial and therapeutic for everybody. *Names have been changed Aidan Manns mum Sonya and his uncle Graham leave court after seeing his killer sentenced The heartbroken mother of Aidan Mann paid tribute to the talented tattoo artist, saying he had "the most soft soul." Bangor woman Sonya Mann attended court on Tuesday with other family members where they saw Mr Mann's killer jailed for a minimum of nine years. Speaking of the devastating impact Aidan's death has had on his loved ones, his family believe it could have been prevented. Sonya said: "He was the most soft soul, he wouldn't hurt a living thing. "If he saw a wee bee struggling on the street, he would pick it up and look after it. He loved nature, he loved being outside and it gave him such inspiration for his artwork." The family described Aidan as a talented tattoo artist and a self-taught sailor who built a boat from scratch and who enjoyed sailing on Strangford Lough and to the Copeland Islands. Sonya recalled: "He loved being at sea, his heart belonged at sea." Mr Mann (28) was stabbed 14 times in Downpatrick, in January 2022 in an unprovoked attack. On Tuesday his killer, Barry Donnelly (38), whose address was given as Church Street in Downpatrick, admitted manslaughter, pleading diminished responsibility. He was given an indeterminate custodial sentence, and will serve at least nine years. Man sentenced for the manslaughter of tattoo artist Aidan Mann in Downpatrick Read more Graphic CCTV footage of fatal Co Down stabbing shown in court Aidan's grieving mother said Donnelly "stole my life when he killed my son. He chased my son down the street like an animal. "The fear my son must have felt and the suffering ... that will never, ever leave me. "I haven't watched any of the footage from that day but the thought of what happened never leaves me. It's in my brain morning, noon and night. "He (Donnelly) took everything. He took Aidan's dreams away from him, he took everything." The Mann family revealed they are convinced Aidan was attacked because of his appearance. His younger brother Lewis, who has followed in Aidan's footsteps to become a tattoo artist, has a lasting reminder from his big brother in the form of artwork on his left arm which was done by Aidan the month before he was killed. He also revealed that Aidan was one of the only Tebori tattooists in Ireland - an ancient form of Japanese body art which uses special sticks as opposed to needles. Lewis said: "Aidan was different, he looked different and we believe he was killed because of the way he looked. We believe this 100%." Lewis also spoke of the upset felt when they learned his brother had expressed fear regarding his neighbour. Lewis said: "If I'd known that I would have gone to his flat and stayed over with him. He's only just moved to Downpatrick as the rent was cheaper. "We know there were a few incidents around New Year's Eve involving the police when Donnelly was banging on Aidan's floor and banging on his door. Why was nothing done then?" Aidan's uncle, Graham, who also attended the sentencing, said: "Aidan was let down by the people who are supposed to enforce protection and after what we heard in court, it's not the first time Donnelly attacked people with weapons. He has a history for violence." His auntie Heather added: "There are so many knife crimes now in Northern Ireland and the justice system seems to be failing. "Maybe if we had stronger sentences for knife crimes, this may act as a deterrent." She added: "His life can't be forgotten, his voice can't be forgotten and we as a family will make sure Aidan will never be forgotten." 2 Ronan Keating performs at funeral of brother Ciaran: I shouldnt be singing it in these circumstances but here we are The plan by Japan to discharge millions of tons of clean radioactive water from the tsunami-damaged Fukushima Daiichi power plant into the Pacific Ocean is expected to receive support from the UN's nuclear watchdog. Rafael Grossi, the head of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), arrived in Japan on Tuesday for the start of a four-day trip. There, he will present the findings of the IAEA's two-year evaluation of the safety of the plan, as reported by Aljazeera. Japan's neighbors and other Pacific island nations have vehemently opposed the plan to release the more than 1.33 million cubic meters of water that have accumulated on the site since the nuclear disaster in 2011. Concern has also been expressed by Japanese civil society organizations and representatives of the fishing sector. After visiting the Fukushima plant on Wednesday with Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, Grossi will then fly to South Korea, New Zealand, and the Cook Islands. Read also: Fukushima Water Release Plan Underway Despite Opposition from Fishing Officials Concerns Over the Radioactive Water The Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant was severely damaged in a 2011 earthquake and tsunami, and the resulting meltdowns released large amounts of radioactive water into the environment. Since then, over 1 million tons of contaminated water have been stored in tanks at the site. (Photo: TOMOHIRO OHSUMI/AFP via Getty Images) A worker wearing a protective suit and a mask walks past storage tanks for radioactive water in the H4 area at Tokyo Electric Power Co.'s (Tepco) Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear power plant in Okuma, Fukushima Prefecture, Japan on November 7, 2013. Nuclear engineers in Japan are preparing to move uranium and plutonium fuel rods at Fukushima, their most difficult and dangerous task since the plant's runaway reactors were brought under control two years ago. The Japanese government plans to release this water into the Pacific Ocean, but there are concerns about the safety of this plan. The water contains a variety of radioactive isotopes, including tritium, carbon-14, iodine-131, caesium-137, strontium-90, and cobalt-60. Some of these isotopes have long half-lives, meaning that they will remain radioactive for thousands of years. There is some uncertainty about the potential health and environmental impacts of releasing the Fukushima water into the ocean. Some studies have suggested that the levels of radiation in the water will be too low to pose a significant risk to human health or marine life. However, other studies have raised concerns about the potential for long-term health effects, and the possibility that the water could contaminate seafood and other marine products. There are also concerns about the precedent that the Fukushima water release would set. If Japan is allowed to release this water into the ocean, it could open the door for other countries to do the same. This could have a significant impact on the global environment and could make it more difficult to manage the risks of nuclear power. The Japanese government has defended its plan to release the Fukushima water, arguing that it is the safest option available. However, there are still many unanswered questions about the potential impacts of this plan. Related article: Fukushima Plant Operator Completes Equipment for Release of Treated Wastewater @ 2023 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Whole world in my hands Syrian refugee Shefaa Al Deek arrived in the UK seven years ago hardly able to speak a word of English. But she says she feels like shes got the whole world in her hands now after graduating from Queens University with a first class honours degree in Software Engineering. Since 2016, Shefaa has taught herself English, completed maths and English courses, and an access course and sat the IELTS (an English language test) test in order to try and achieve her goal of becoming a software engineer and said her journey has been an impossible dream. It wasnt just a new language Sheefa had to adapt to, it was a new culture and a whole new life, but she has embraced every challenge and now plans to continue her studies at Queens University as she soon begins a course in MSc Artificial Intelligence. When I arrived in the UK in 2016, my English was very limited, and I couldnt speak or understand it, she said. At that time, I thought I would never be able to pick up the language and my dream of getting into university and becoming a Software Engineer looked far beyond impossible. After a lot of hard work and gaining many qualifications and an Access course, in September 2019 and I was finally a Queens student. The education system in the UK is very different to Syria as there are various ways to getting into university, she added. It was very tough and at times I thought I wasnt able to do it anymore, but all my tutors were supportive and motivated me to keep going. Despite all the barriers and difficulties, I didnt give up on my dream. Now holding a first class honours in software engineering with placement from the School of Electronics, Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, Shefaa looks back fondly on what university life had offered her and says there was hardly a moment she didnt enjoy. Being from a different background, I love how diverse Queens University is and as I got to know people from everywhere I always felt that I fitted in, she said. I was taught by professional and friendly lecturers who made the modules interesting and provided support when I needed. The best of all is that by studying I was working towards my lifetime dream. Graduation was a very proud moment for Shefaa and her family. Graduating from Queens with a first class honours feels like Ive got the whole world in my hands. No words in any language can express how thrilled I am, she added. My family and friends are happy and very proud of me. Dreams can become reality when you believe in yourself and work hard. Never let tough times hold you back from pursuing your dream and remember that tomorrow you will wish you had started today. Garda investigating the murder of a Northern Ireland man in Co Donegal have called on the UK authorities and the National Crime Agency (NCA) to help with the identification of the body. The victim is thought to be Robert Wilkin, aged in his mid-60s, who is reported missing and is known to police. The body believed to be that of Mr Wilkin was discovered at Slieve League in Co Donegal on Sunday following a week-long search involving land, air and deep-water search teams. Those offering assistance included gardai and the Irish Coast Guard, supported by the Rescue 118 helicopter and members of the Donegal Mountain Rescue Team. The badly beaten body of the victim was discovered in water at Slieve League, a popular tourist attraction. It is thought he may have been assaulted and then thrown off the cliffs into the sea below. Gardai were alerted last Monday that a potential serious assault had been committed. A tip-off from a member of the public reported that a woman had confessed that a man had been assaulted and beaten with a brick at a location in the seaside town of Killybegs. The woman was alleged to have phoned a friend and confessed that, along with her partner, they had attacked the man, beating him with rocks after he made an unwanted pass at her. The investigation was initially treated as an assault case. As investigations continued, gardai seized a car and sealed off a property. During searches a blanket soaked in blood was recovered. It is understood the car was covered in blood and also contained cleaning products. Initially gardai, with the assistance of the PSNI, sought to have a relative of Mr Wilkin, living in Larne, provide a sample that could be used for DNA testing on the blood. They hoped this would help link it to the victim. However, the discovery of a body meant this was no longer necessary. A man and woman arrested over the assault were later released without charge. Both are from the area and are known locally. The woman, who is his partner, was arrested at another location and was later admitted into a medical facility for treatment. There is expected to be further arrests once the post-mortem and identification is completed. Following Mr Wilkins arrest at a port in England in 2021, his fingerprints and DNA were stored on the police and NCA database. This will now be used to help identify the remains of the victim, which were taken to Letterkenny University Hospital. The state pathologist has been notified and an incident room has been established at Ballyshannon Garda Station, while police continue to appeal for information. In August 2021, Mr Wilkin, who had been living in Tilbury in Essex at the time, was questioned by officers from the NCA after the lorry he was driving was stopped at the Coquelles Channel Tunnel terminal. The vehicle, which was registered in Poland, had been carrying a load of Belgian chocolates which were to be delivered to a location in Maidstone, Kent. During a search of the lorry, Border Force officers found tape-wrapped packages of drugs hidden in two pallets of the chocolates. In total, 63 kilos of heroin and 32 kilos of cocaine were seized. Officers from the NCA later charged Wilkin with attempting to import a class A drug. He appeared at Folkestone Magistrates Court on August 14, 2021, and was released on bail. NCA Branch Commander Martin Grace said at the time: This was a significant seizure of class A drugs. Working with our law enforcement partners, such as Border Force, we are determined to do all we can to disrupt and dismantle the organised crime groups involved in bringing these drugs to the UK. Gardai have again appealed to anyone travelling in the vicinity of Killybegs/Slieve League between the afternoon of Saturday, June 24 and the evening of Sunday, June 25 and who observed any activity that drew their attention to come forward. A human rights group has said the UK Government should take legal action against the Irish Government for its outrageous failings on legacy, one month after the Taoiseach said they wouldnt rule out their own action over the controversial Legacy Bill. The Ulster Human Rights Watch which is based in Lurgan, has said it is hypocritical of the Irish Government to adopt such a threatening stance when it itself refuses to legislate on the vexed issue of the past. Last month, Taoiseach Leo Varadkar said Ireland will consider taking an interstate case if the UK Government's controversial legacy Bill is passed. The Legacy Bill proposes an offer of effective immunity from prosecution for perpetrators of crimes during the Troubles who cooperate with a truth recovery body. If it passes, the Bill would also halt future civil cases and inquests linked to killings during the conflict. It has been widely criticised by political figures and groups in Northern Ireland with both Sinn Fein vice-president Michelle ONeill and the DUP leader Sir Jeffrey Donaldson expressing concerns. The Bill is progressing through Parliament after being initially sponsored by then-Northern Ireland Secretary Brandon Lewis in May 2022. The Bill has not yet been enacted, and certainly if it is enacted, if it does become law, we will then at that point give consideration to whether an interstate case is appropriate, so we certainly don't rule that out, said Mr Varadkar. Ulster Human Rights Watchs advocacy manager, Axel Schmidt, has said the comments are a threat which rings hollow" and is advocating for the UK to take its own legal action against the Irish Government. We dont like what is being pushed through Westminster, but the threat from the Irish Government rings hollow, he said. The Irish Government seems to want it all their own way, yet they shy away from shining a light on what the Republic of Ireland did and didnt do during the Troubles. One has to ask why the reluctance? Why are they opposed to dealing with the legacy of the past and what are they so determined to hide? Their hands are far from clean when you consider the number of barbaric attacks that were planned and launched from the safe haven across the border, he added. Mr Schmidt pointed to examples of cases such as the involvement of former priest Father Patrick Ryan in gunrunning, stating he had never been made amenable for his crimes. Mr Ryan was tried on charges of receiving stolen goods in 1993 and was found not guilty. What we see here is a hypocritical stance being adopted by Dublin, one that is unbalanced and disingenuous. Irrespective of whether the Republic of Ireland carries out its threat of taking the UK Government to the European Court of Human Rights, the UK Government should give urgent consideration to launching legal proceedings of its own against Dublin over its outrageous failings to allow terrorist murderers and bombers to escape justice and carry out vile acts in Northern Ireland against innocent victims. Dublin needs to be given a strong message that it appeared to have been complicit in what was done in the name of Irish republicanism. A spokesperson for the Irish Government has been contacted for comment. Victim is believed to have been murdered last week as post-mortem due to take place today Gardai in Co Donegal are trying to establish if a body found in the sea yesterday morning is that of a man from Northern Ireland believed to have been murdered in the seaside town of Killybegs a week ago. A post-mortem is due to be carried out today or tomorrow on the body, following the disappearance of a man in his 60s, thought to be a lorry driver from Northern Ireland who had been staying in Donegal. The victim is thought to be known to the PSNI and authorities in Great Britain. Two people, a man and a woman, were arrested on suspicion of assault after blood was discovered in a car last week. It was previously reported that the woman phoned a friend and confessed that, along with her partner, they had attacked the man, beating him with rocks after he made an unwanted pass at her while the trio were drinking together. The friend contacted the Garda and reported this and details of the alleged victim, who she knew to be from Northern Ireland. Gardai had been searching on the basis that the man had been thrown off a cliff at Sliabh Liag. The alarm was raised last Monday, with public access to the Slieve Liag nature walk, which at this time of year is normally busy with tourists, closed until Thursday. Search teams involved gardai and the Irish Coast Guard, supported by the Rescue 118 helicopter and members of the Donegal Mountain Rescue Team. Late last Wednesday, the focus of the search shifted to the nearby Teelin Pier, where the Garda Water Unit carried out searches until Thursday evening. The Irish police continued to exercise caution around the case. At first gardai would not confirm that it was a murder investigation, but only said off the record they were investigating a possible assault. Two people, a man in his 30s and a woman in her early 20s, were arrested on Monday last but released without charge on Tuesday evening. Both are from the area and were known locally, with the man from a high-profile Donegal family. The man was originally arrested for alleged drink-driving after a car crashed in the village of Fintown last Sunday. He was later rearrested on suspicion of assault as he left Letterkenny District Court, while the woman, who is his partner, was arrested at another location. At the same time, detectives applied to local judge Brendan OReilly for a search warrant to examine the mans car. Splatters of blood were found in the car, and these have been examined and analysed by forensic officers. Garda sources say that with the assistance of the PSNI they also tried to get a DNA sample from a relative living in Northern Ireland to compare it against the blood found at the crime scene to help with identification of the victim. However, with the discovery of a body yesterday this is now no longer necessary. A warrant was also secured to examine a property on the outskirts of Killybegs, where the trio are suspected of taking drugs and drinking together on the night of the older mans suspected attack. Both were released from police custody last Tuesday evening without charge. The woman has since been admitted to hospital for treatment. The body fitting the description of the missing man has since been removed to Letterkenny University Hospital where a post-mortem examination is due to take place. Gardai said the body was recovered from the water early on Monday with the assistance of the Coast Guard. The state pathologist has been notified. An incident room has been established at Ballyshannon Garda station and police continue to appeal for information. They have again appealed to anyone travelling in the vicinity of Killybegs/Sliabh Liag between the afternoon of Saturday, June 24 and the evening of Sunday, June 25 and who observed any activity that drew their attention to come forward. Any road users travelling in these areas at these times who may have camera footage, including dash-cam, have been asked to make it available to investigating gardai. Councillors in the Orkney Islands will discuss the motion on Tuesday (David Cheskin/PA) Proposals for the Orkney Islands to loosen ties with the United Kingdom and explore their Nordic connections are set to be debated by councillors. Council leader James Stockan has put forward a motion which says it is time for Orkney to consider alternative forms of governance which could provide more economic opportunity. It suggests this could be along the lines of crown dependencies such as Guernsey, Jersey and the Isle of Man. The motion will be debated at a meeting of Orkney Islands Council on Tuesday. Orkney was under Norwegian and Danish control until 1472 (David Cheskin/PA) However, No 10 has shut down the proposals, with the Prime Ministers official spokesman telling reporters: First and foremost, there is no mechanism for the conferral of crown dependency or overseas territory status on any part of the UK. But fundamentally, we are stronger as one United Kingdom, we have no plans to change that. The spokesman added: Weve got no plans to change the devolution settlement. Mr Stockan told the BBC that Orkney is being failed dreadfully by governments in both Edinburgh and London. His motion states that due to historical and contemporary challenges over funding, Orkney Islands Council should now explore options for alternative models of governance that provide greater fiscal security and economic opportunity. That should include looking at Nordic connections, crown dependencies and other options for greater subsidiarity and autonomy to be presented to the community for consideration. The council leaders motion does not commit the council to any of these options and the officials report notes that any constitutional change would likely require a combination of petitions, referenda and legislation at Holyrood and Westminster. Orkney was under Norwegian and Danish control until 1472 when the islands were given to Scotland as part of Margaret of Denmarks wedding dowry to King James III of Scotland. Energy Secretary Grant Shapps has branded a suggestion not to provide new oil and gas licences as bonkers policy. His comments came as Green MP Caroline Lucas (Brighton Pavilion) urged the Government to rule out new licences during Commons Energy Security and Net Zero questions. She said: New oil and gas licences simply wont deliver energy security since the oil and gas is sold at global prices on international markets. But it would cost the taxpayer dearly while being a disaster for the climate. So will the Government finally do whats needed, rule out new licences and instead commit to measures to genuinely make the UK energy-secure, including a nationwide street-by-street home insulation programme, unblocking onshore wind and installing new solar on every roof? The Government was urged to increase use of renewable power sources (PA) Mr Shapps replied: Weve gone from 14% of our homes being insulated under the previous Government to nearly 50%, it will be 50% this year. Weve got an energy taskforce set up to reduce the usage of energy and make it more efficient. But I have to say, her partys policy and the official Oppositions policy of importing all of the oil and gas that we require by not providing new licences, is simply insane. It means that every single family in Britain would be subject to the next tyrant like Putin. It means that the carbon used would be double that which is taken from the North Sea, it is bonkers policy. Shadow energy minister Alan Whitehead also accused the Government of having broken its promise on onshore wind. Grant Shapps said it would be insane to take action which would mean Britain has to import all the oil and gas it needs (PA) He claimed that two onshore wind turbines have been built since February 2022, adding: Not much chance of community engagement there, to be honest. He added: The Community Secretary promised that the onshore wind ban would be completely lifted by the end of April this year, so why has the Government broken that promise? Minister Andrew Bowie replied: When they (Labour) left office in 2010 there was less than 7% of renewables on the grid, now its 43%. Mr Whitehead said: Its generally now understood that Government consultation is likely to lead to only minimal relaxation of planning rules and that (onshore wind) will effectively remain banned. Mr Bowie replied: I really do wish that the Labour Party would stop talking down what we are doing on renewable electricity and I would remind the House that consultation on onshore wind finishes on July 7. Hong Kong activist Nathan Law, centre, protests during the visit of Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi to Germany in 2020 (Markus Schreiber/AP) Hong Kongs leader said eight pro-democracy activists living in the United States, Britain, Canada and Australia will be pursued for life for alleged national security offences dismissing criticism that the move to have them arrested is a dangerous precedent. Chief Executive John Lee expressed his support for the polices efforts to arrest the eight. At his weekly media briefing, Mr Lee said anyone, including their friends and relatives, who offered information leading to their arrests will be eligible for the bounties offered by police. The only way to end their destiny of being an abscondee who will be pursued for life is to surrender, he said. The arrest warrants have been issued for former pro-democracy politicians Nathan Law, Ted Hui and Dennis Kwok, lawyer Kevin Yam, unionist Mung Siu-tat and activists Finn Lau, Anna Kwok and Elmer Yuen. They are accused of breaching the Beijing-imposed National Security Law by committing offences such as collusion and inciting secession. More than 260 people have been arrested under the law enacted in 2020 as part of a broad crackdown on dissent in the territory, but the rewards of one million Hong Kong dollars (100,609) for information leading to each arrest are the first under the law. The move quickly drew ire from the US and British governments, which took issue with the extraterritorial application of the security law. The US said such an application of the security law is a dangerous precedent that threatens human rights. Australian foreign minister Penny Wong also tweeted to say her country is deeply concerned by reports of Hong Kong authorities issuing arrest warrants for democracy advocates. Hong Kong activist Nathan Law takes part in a protest during a meeting of Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi and Italian foreign minister Luigi Di Maio, in Rome in 2020 (Andrew Medichini/AP) But Mr Lee has insisted extraterritorial power exists in the national security laws of many countries. He said how overseas officials and politicians comment on the governments moves will not change his administrations strong belief in safeguarding national security. Im not afraid of any political pressure that is put on us because we do what we believe is right, he said. The Chinese Foreign Ministrys office in Hong Kong has also rejected the criticism from the US and Britain, warning foreign interference forces to stop shielding criminals immediately. The row reflects a fresh source of contention between Beijing and the West over the alleged overseas reach of Chinas enforcement agencies following the issue of Chinas alleged secret overseas police stations. These stations have been reported across North America, Europe and in other countries where Chinese communities include critics of the Communist Party who have family or business contacts in China. Beijing has denied they are police stations, saying they exist mainly to provide citizen services such as renewing drivers licenses. But Hong Kongs further crackdown has not stopped overseas activists from speaking up. Mr Law, who is accused of foreign collusion and inciting secession, said on his Facebook page that the latest development shows he is again being targeted by Chinas ruling Communist Party and he feels the invisible pressure. He has refused to surrender. All I did was reasonable, justifiable and peaceful advocacy work, the Britain-based activist said. Mr Mung also pledged in a statement to continue advocacy work for Hong Kong labour rights abroad. If I were ever found guilty, my only crime would be speaking the truth for my fellow Hong Kongers, he said. Hong Kong, a former British colony which returned to Chinese rule in 1997, has come under increasingly tight scrutiny by Beijing following months of mass pro-democracy protests in 2019. Police on Monday acknowledged they will not be able to arrest the eight if they remain overseas. Eunice Yung, a pro-Beijing politician, who is the daughter-in-law of Mr Yuen, supported the polices move on her Facebook page, saying she cut ties with him last August. All his acts have nothing to do with me, she said. Journalist Elena Milashina after having medical treatment in Grozny (Novaya Gazeta Europe/Novayagazeta.eu/AP) Unidentified masked assailants in the Russian province of Chechnya attacked and beat a journalist and a lawyer. It was an assault that highlights a violent pattern of rampant human rights abuses in the region. Novaya Gazeta journalist Elena Milashina and lawyer Alexander Nemov had just arrived in Chechnya to attend the trial of Zarema Musayeva, the mother of two local activists who have challenged Chechen authorities. Just outside the airport, their vehicle was blocked by several cars and they were beaten by several masked assailants, who put guns to their heads and broke their equipment. Novaya Gazeta said Ms Milashina sustained a brain injury and had several fingers broken, while Mr Nemov had a deep cut on his leg. Then-first lady Michelle Obama, left, and then-US secretary of state John Kerry, right, honour Russian human rights activist, journalist Elena Milashina, with an International Women of Courage Award in Washington in 2013 (Manuel Balce Ceneta/AP) They were taken to a hospital in Chechnyas main city, Grozny, where Ms Milashina repeatedly lost consciousness, according to her newspaper. Speaking from a hospital bed in a video, Ms Milashina said the attack looked like a classic abduction. They threw the driver out of the car, got in, bent our heads down, tied my hands, forced me down to my knees and put a gun to my head, she said, adding that the assailants were visibly nervous and had trouble tying her hands. A photograph from a hospital showed her talking over the phone, with green antiseptic covering her face and multiple bruises on her shaven head. Officials are considering the pairs medical evacuation to Moscow. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said in a conference call with reporters that Russian President Vladimir Putin was informed about the incident. Mr Peskov said it was a very serious assault that warrants energetic measures from law enforcement agencies. We need your consent to load this Social Media content. We use a number of different Social Media outlets to manage extra content that can set cookies on your device and collect data about your activity. Please review your details and accept them to load the content Russian human rights ombudsperson Tatyana Moskalkova asked investigators to look into the assault. The Russian Ministry for Digital Development and Mass Communications denounced the monstrous assault and said it will offer them the necessary assistance. The ministry said it has urged law enforcement agencies to thoroughly investigate the attack and punish the perpetrators. The strong statements from Russian authorities contrasted with a muted official response to previous attacks on Ms Milashina and other journalists and human rights activists who have exposed human rights abuses in Chechnya. Ms Milashina has long exposed human rights violations in Chechnya and has faced threats, intimidation and attacks. In 2020, she and a lawyer accompanying her were beaten by a dozen people in the lobby of their hotel. Last year, she temporarily left Russia after being threatened by Chechen authorities. She has won a broad acclaim for her investigative reporting, which included exposing the torture and killings of gay people in Chechnya and other abuses by feared Chechen paramilitary forces. Zarema Musayev sits behind bars in a courtroom in Grozny, Russia (AP) In 2013, she received an International Women of Courage Award from the US Department of State. Hours after Tuesdays attack on Ms Milashina and Mr Nemov, a court in Grozny sentenced Zarema Musayeva to five-and-a-half years in prison on charges of insulting and violently resisting police, an accusation that rights groups have rejected as trumped-up. Ms Musayeva had been in custody in Grozny since Chechen security forces grabbed her from her home in the Volga River city of Nizhny Novgorod and drove her to Chechnya in January 2022. Her husband, a former judge, and her two activist sons have left Chechnya. Chechnyas strongman regional leader, Ramzan Kadyrov, has accused the Musayev family of having terrorist links and said that they should be imprisoned or killed. The Kremlin has relied on Mr Kadyrov to keep the North Caucasus region stable after two devastating separatist wars. International rights groups have accused Mr Kadyrovs feared security forces of extrajudicial killings, torture and abductions of dissenters. His clout has risen since the start of Moscows campaign in Ukraine, where his security forces have taken active part. Repeated demands by international human rights groups to end abuses in Chechnya have been stonewalled by Russian authorities. Despite the Kremlins support, Mr Kadyrov has reportedly had tense relations with some of Russias law enforcement agencies. The angry reaction from officials and Kremlin-connected politicians could signal authorities intentions to cut the Chechen strongman down to size. Andrei Klishas, head of the constitutional affairs committee in the upper house, said the attack on Ms Milashina and Mr Nemov warrants a tough response from the law enforcement agencies. Another senior politician, Alexander Khinshtein, denounced it as criminal and urged prosecutors to prioritise the case. Rafael Mariano Grossi, director general of the International Atomic Energy Agency, left, presents a comprehensive report on Fukushimas treated water release to Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida (Eugene Hoshiko/AP) The UN nuclear agency has endorsed Japans planned release of treated radioactive wastewater into the sea from the damaged Fukushima nuclear plant, saying it meets international standards and its environmental and health impact would be negligible. The plan is opposed by groups in South Korea, China and some Pacific Island nations because of safety concerns and political reasons. Local fishing organisations are worried their reputation will be damaged even if their catch is not contaminated. Rafael Mariano Grossi, the head of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), submitted its final assessment of the plan to Prime Minister Fumio Kishida on Tuesday. A work ship is seen offshore where Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings said it installed the last piece of an undersea tunnel dug to be used to release the water offshore (Kyodo News/AP) The report is a comprehensive, neutral, objective, scientifically sound evaluation, Mr Grossi said. We are very confident about it. The report said the IAEA recognises the discharge has raised societal, political and environmental concerns, associated with the radiological aspects. But it concluded the water release as currently planned will have a negligible radiological impact on people and the environment. Japans plan and the equipment for the discharge are in conformity with the agreed international standards and its application, Mr Grossi said. He said the dilution of treated but still slightly radioactive wastewater for gradual release into the sea is widely used in other countries, including China, South Korea, the United States and France, to dispose of water containing certain radionuclides from nuclear plants. A Buddhist monk protests against the Japanese governments decision to release treated radioactive wastewater from the damaged Fukushima nuclear power plant (Ahn Young-joon/AP) Japan has sought the IAEAs support to gain credibility for the plan. Experts from the UN agency and 11 nations have made several trips to Japan since early 2022 to examine preparations by the government and the plants operator, Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings (Tepco). Some scientists say the impact of long-term, low-dose exposure to radionuclides remains unknown and urge a delay in the release. Others say the discharge plan is safe but call for more transparency in sampling and monitoring. Mr Kishida, after meeting with Mr Grossi, said Japan will continue to provide detailed explanations based on scientific evidence with a high degree of transparency both domestically and internationally. A massive earthquake and tsunami on March 11 2011 destroyed the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plants cooling systems, causing three reactors to melt and their cooling water to be contaminated and leak continuously. The water is collected, treated and stored in about 1,000 tanks at the plant which will reach their capacity in early 2024. The government and Tepco say the water must be removed to prevent any accidental leaks and make room for the damaged plants decommissioning. Rafael Mariano Grossi, director general of the International Atomic Energy Agency (Eugene Hoshiko/AP) Japanese regulators finished their final safety inspection of the equipment last Friday and Tepco is expected to receive a permit in about a week to begin gradually discharging the water. The start date for the release, which is expected to take decades, is still undecided. The IAEA will continue to monitor and assess the release, Mr Grossi said. During his four-day visit, Mr Grossi will also visit the Fukushima plant and meet with Tepco officials, local fishing groups, heads of nearby municipalities and other stakeholders. I believe in transparency, I believe in open dialogue and I believe in the validity of the exercise we are carrying out, he said. Mr Grossi is also expected to visit South Korea, New Zealand and the Cook Islands after his visit to Japan to ease concerns there. Rafael Mariano Grossi, head of IAEA, left, presents the report on Fukushima water release to Japanese PM Fumio Kishida, right, in Tokyo, July 4, 2023. Japans plans to discharge treated nuclear wastewater stored at the Fukushima Daiichi power station into the Pacific Ocean are consistent with relevant international safety standards, a safety review by the United Nations atomic watchdog has concluded. The discharges of the treated water would have a negligible radiological impact on people and the environment, said the report formally presented by International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi to Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida in Tokyo on Tuesday. Japan will continue to provide explanations to the Japanese people and to the international community in a sincere manner based on scientific evidence and with a high level of transparency, Kishida said as he met with Grossi. TEPCO, the Tokyo Electric Power Co., which operates the Fukushima nuclear power plant on Hakura Beach in Japan, is set to initiate the release of about 400,000 cubic meters of treated wastewater from the plant into the Pacific this summer. More than 1.3 million cubic meters of wastewater enough to fill more than 500 Olympic-size swimming pools is contained in water storage tanks at the facility. It was used to cool the nuclear reactors damaged in a 2011 earthquake and tsunami. This aerial photo shows the Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear complex in Okumamachi, northern Japan, the year before it was hit by a massive tsunami, Sept. 18, 2010. [Yomiuri Shimbun via AP] TEPCO says that the controlled discharge of the treated wastewater adheres to a meticulous nuclear purification process utilizing a pumping and filtration system called ALPS (Advanced Liquid Processing System), designed according to the safety standards prescribed by the IAEA. In the reports foreword, Grossi said that the controlled, gradual discharges of the treated water to the sea, as currently planned and assessed by TEPCO, would have a negligible radiological impact on people and the environment. China strongly objects The plan, conceived in 2021, has been a source of concern about possible environmental and health risks for nearby countries such as South Korea, China and Pacific Island nations. Local Japanese fishing unions have also opposed it. On Tuesday, the Chinese Embassy in Japan said the IAEAs report could not be a pass for the nuclear-contaminated water to be released. It called on Japan to immediately suspend the plan, seriously negotiate with the international community and jointly explore scientific, safe, transparent and acceptable handling methods. In a press conference, Ambassador Wu Jianghao claimed there was no precedent for discharging water produced by nuclear accidents into the sea. He said it was different from other countries discharging wastewater because what they are discharging is cooling water, not polluted water that has been in contact with the molten core of the accident. Fukushimas nuclear-polluted water contains more than 60 types of radionuclides, many of which have no effective treatment technology at this stage, Wu said, claiming the effectiveness and sustainability of the Japanese processing system lacks sufficient authoritative verification. However, IAEA and Japanese officials have said that ALPS will reduce 62 of the 63 radioactive substances in the wastewater to amounts that will have a negligible environmental impact. Wu said that Japan does not respect science because it announced in 2021 that it would start releasing the wastewater, long before the IAEA completed its assessment and released its final report. He also said IAEA is not an appropriate agency to assess the long-term impact of nuclear-contaminated water on the marine environment and biological health. IAEA will monitor the discharge The decision has also divided the scientific community. However, the IAEAs report aligns with many international independent scientists who said the worries are based on misinformation. The wastewater release will take between 30 and 40 years to complete. The IAEA said it would continue its safety review during the discharge phase with a continuous on-site presence and live online monitoring from the facility. The agency said the stored water has been treated through ALPS to remove almost all radioactivity, aside from tritium, which will be diluted with the water to bring it below regulatory standards before the release. A Buddhist monk protests near a building housing the Japanese Embassy in Seoul against the Japanese governments decision to release treated radioactive wastewater from the damaged Fukushima nuclear power plant, July 4, 2023. [AP] The IAEA will continue to provide transparency to the international community, making it possible for all stakeholders to rely on verified fact and science to inform their understanding of this matter throughout the process, Grossi said. He plans to arrive at the Fukushima plant on Wednesday. The following day he heads to South Korea to explain the reports findings. He is also expected to visit some Pacific Island countries to ease their concerns over the plan. The report represents the culmination of nearly two years of effort by a specialized task force of leading experts from the agency, guided by internationally acclaimed nuclear safety advisers from 11 nations. The experts assessed Japans proposals in light of the IAEA Safety Standards, which are recognized as the benchmark for safeguarding individuals and the environment and promoting a consistent and elevated level of safety globally. During the 2023 SCO (Shanghai Cooperation Organization) meeting, Russia's President Vladimir Putin confidently said that the country is more united. The Russian leader claims that his people are "united as never before" despite the recent Wagner PMC rebellion. Previously, Russia made huge headlines after the conflict between the Russian military and the Wagner Group started. Although the violent activities of the Russian mercenary group took a huge toll on Russia, Putin is still optimistic about the unison of the Russian nation. SCO 2023: Putin Claims Russia is More United According to Military.com's latest report, Putin showed his confidence in Russia's status during the SCO meeting. Read Also: Joe Biden To Meet King Charles, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak in UK Trip Ahead of NATO Summit This is considered to be his first multilateral summit appearance ever since the rebellion of Wagner PMC affected the Russian nation. "Russian political circles and the whole of society clearly demonstrated their unity and their elevated sense of responsibility for the fate of the Fatherland," said the Russian leader via DW. Putin said that this was seen when Russia and its people responded as a united front to prevent the armed mutiny attempt of the mercenary organization. Other Things Discussed by Putin Aside from being confident about Russia's status, Vladimir Putin also talked about how sanctions make the Russian nation stronger. "Russia counters all these external sanctions, pressures, and provocations and continues to develop as never before," he said. Putin also stated that Moscow will help boost trade with the SCO partners, which now includes Iran; making the overall member count of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization nine nations. Aside from this, the Russian leader also wants to support a transition to trade deals in local currencies. This effort is considered to challenge Western attempts to restrict the Russian economy with sanctions. Putin thanked the SCO members who expressed their support to protect Russia's constitutional orders, as well as the security and life of Russian residents. These are just some of the things discussed by Vladimir Putin during the Shanghai Cooperation Organization meeting this 2023. If you want to learn more details about the SCO meeting, you can click this link. Related Article: Russia, Saudi Arabia To Cut Oil Production by a Total of Nearly 2 Million Barrels a Day @ 2023 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Wan Muhamad Noor Matha speaks to members of the Thai parliament after they voted for him to be house speaker, July 4, 2023. Thailands new parliament elected a veteran official from a minor party on Tuesday to serve as house speaker, ending the two leading parties squabble over the post as their pro-democracy alliance seeks to nominate a leader for prime minister later this month. Wan Muhamad Noor Matha, 79, head of the Prachachart Party, was the sole nominee for house speaker after the Move Forward and Pheu Thai parties, which hold the most seats in the lower house following the May 14 general election, agreed to nominate him. Prachachart is one of six smaller parties aligned with the leaders of the opposition alliance that is seeking to replace a nine-year-old government with deep military ties and headed by the man who led a 2014 coup. Better known as Wan Noor, the likely speaker needs royal approval to assume the post. He is a nine-time MP from the Malay-speaking Muslim-dominant Deep South region and previously served as house speaker in 1996 and held other government roles before establishing his own party in 2018. I will duly perform my task with neutrality and follow the advice of His Majesty the King given to the parliament yesterday, Wan Noor told MPs after the vote, which took place a day after members of the new parliament were inducted. In addition to electing Wan Noor, MPs voted for Move Forwards Padipat Santipada, a 42-year-old veterinarian, as first deputy house speaker over Wittaya Kaewparadai, the United Thai Nation Party nominee. Pheu Thai member Pichet Chuamuangphan was elected second deputy speaker. Move Forward has nominated its leader, Pita Limjaroenrat for prime minister, but it is uncertain if he has enough support from MPs. Parliament has yet to set the date for that vote. It would not be too late. About two weeks, Pheu Thai Party Leader Cholnan Srikaew, the second largest coalition party, told reporters in Bangkok about the upcoming vote. Pitas eight-party alliance holds 313 seats in the 750-seat bicameral legislature short of the combined 376 required to govern. Rules enshrined in a military-drafted constitution mean the alliance has to overcome 250 votes held by the junta-appointed Senate, which is stacked with conservative-leaning members. Move Forward Party leader Pita Limjaroenrat enters the Parliament building in Bangkok, July 4, 2023. [Nava Sangthong/BenarNews] Following the vote for speaker, Pita, 42, a Harvard-educated former executive at Southeast Asian superapp Grab, dismissed reporters questions about the new coalitions unity. [I] bear in mind that I have to concentrate on the work. [I] will try to set up the government as soon as possible to troubleshoot for the people, Pita said. Meanwhile, an analyst said Pitas outlook appeared brighter. Its highly likely Pita could become prime minister. I believe Pheu Thai would not reverse the trend to affect its own popularity, Nuttakorn Vititanon, a political science professor at Chiang Mai University, told BenarNews. It seems Pita has secured support from some business-oriented senators, but I believe he cannot do the same with the pro-military senators, he said. But in the long run, anything can happen. The investigation into Pitas stock holding is an obstacle, but it may take more than a year to finish. Election complaint Winning the support of at least 63 unelected senators to join with the 313 coalition members is not Pitas only potential hurdle in his bid to form a government. A complaint filed ahead of the election could lead to his disqualification from holding elected office. The Election Commission has launched an investigation which could take up to a year into whether he knowingly applied to be an MP candidate while holding shares in a media company, a potential violation of Thai electoral laws. Pitas investigation will not delay voting for the prime minister, said Don Hormmanee, an independent political analyst and former researcher at Chiang Mai University, adding he can be disqualified by the Election Commission should he be found guilty. Pita has denied wrongdoing and said he is confident the investigation will clear him. A similar complaint following the 2019 general election resulted in Move Forwards predecessor, Future Forward, being taken to court. Leader Thanathorn Juangroongruangkit lost his seat in parliament over ownership of shares in the V-Luck Media Co. Ltd. The court later disbanded Future Forward because of a loan Thanathorn made to the party, leading Pita and other members to establish Move Forward ahead of this years election. Bennington, VT (05201) Today Rain. Thunderstorms possible...mainly in the afternoon. Gusty winds and small hail are possible. High 76F. Winds SSE at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 90%.. Tonight Thunderstorms early, then cloudy skies after midnight. Potential for heavy rainfall. Low around 60F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 60%. Fire brigades have had millennia to hone their procedures since the founding of the first one in 6 CE. This is advantageous since the original Roman "fire brigade"-the vigiles-used brooms, sponges, siphons, and buckets of water to fight fires in addition to other tools. Imagine arriving at a modern fire with many buckets and a sponge, despite the fact that this is undoubtedly a terrific beginning step in the realm of organized firefighting. Firefighters have been using foams to put out flames since the early 1900s, and they have gotten better throughout the past century, according to IFLScience. Water is mixed with foam concentrate to produce a foam that can flow over liquid surfaces, such as gasoline, to cool the region and suffocate a fire with oxygen. On top of a fuel surface, some foams will also create a coating that seals out vapors. Fire departments started using wetting agents to make the water "wetter" around the middle of the 1960s. According to the Underwriters Laboratories Inc. (UL) Directory, the chemical agents are "liquid concentrates which, when added to plain water in proper quantities, materially reduce the surface tension of plain water and increase its penetration and spreading ability." The outcome is frequently referred to as "wet water" since it can penetrate the target more effectively than conventional water. In order to put out fires, firefighters employ a combination of foams, wetting agents, and emulsifiers, which combine with fuel sources to break them down into tiny droplets that may then be encircled by water and put out. What is Wet Water? The term "wet water" is a bit of a misnomer, as water is already wet. However, in the context of firefighting, it refers to water that has been treated with a wetting agent. (Photo: JENS BUTTNER/DPA/AFP via Getty Images)) Firefighters splash water in the evacuated locality of Alt Jabel in order to keep the area wet, as a huge forest blaze rips through a former military training area in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, northern Germany, on July 2, 2019. Wetting agents reduce the surface tension of water, which allows it to penetrate more deeply into burning materials. This makes it more effective at extinguishing fires, as it can reach the fuel source and cool it down. In addition to being more effective at extinguishing fires, wet water also has a number of other advantages. It can be used in a wider range of conditions, as it is less likely to evaporate than plain water. It is also less likely to cause damage to property, as it does not produce as much steam. Read also: Climate Activists Make Bold Statement by Turning Rome's Iconic Trevi Fountain Black Wet Water vs. Water The main difference between wet water and water is the presence of a wetting agent in wet water. In addition to being more effective at extinguishing fires, wet water also has a number of other advantages. It can be used in a wider range of conditions, as it is less likely to evaporate than plain water. It is also less likely to cause damage to property, as it does not produce as much steam. However, wet water is not always necessary. In some cases, plain water may be just as effective at extinguishing a fire. For example, if the fire is small and contained, plain water may be sufficient. Ultimately, the best choice of water for extinguishing a fire depends on the specific circumstances. If the fire is large or out of control, wet water may be the best option. However, if the fire is small and contained, plain water may be just as effective. Related article: Controversial Scientist He Jiankui Draws Fire With New Gene Editing Proposal @ 2023 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Five dead in Philadelphia shooting that's nation's worst violence around July 4 A 40-year-old killed one man in a house before fatally shooting four others on the streets of a Philadelphia neighborhood, then surrendering along with a rifle, a pistol, extra magazines, a police scanner and a bulletproof vest, police said James Taylor performs Monday night in the Koussevitsky Music Shed at Tanglewood. This year's holiday twofer marks the 30th year he has performed at the Boston Symphony Orchestra's summer home. Berkshire Bank CO Nitin Mhatre commemorates the 10th anniversary of the bank's listing on the New York Stock Exchange Wednesday by ringing the NYSE's opening bell. Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. We still have muck to clean from yards, huge piles of debris along the road front waiting to be carted away. The day lilies are flattened but still displaying their beautiful blooms. One of our tomato plants rode the base on which it was sitting like a raft and was found completely unscathed behind the house. A group stands outside the Registry of Motor Vehicles in Pittsfield on Monday to assist undocumented immigrants in the process to apply for a driver's license, including Clemente Sajquiy (left, kneeling) and Fernando Leon (standing behind the table). Qiankun in an alley: weaving East and West in Hutong's cultural tapestry 14:42, July 04, 2023 By Wu Chaolan ( People's Daily Online This photo taken on June 25, 2023 shows the collection of ancient Chinese calligraphy displayed at Qiankun Space. (People's Daily Online/ Wu Chaolan) Nestled in the vibrant heart of downtown Beijing, a hidden shop waits to be discovered within narrow alleyways. Within its walls, a harmonious fusion of China's rich traditions and international creativity unfolds, inviting visitors to embark on a unique and boundary-transcending experience. This captivating art boutique is aptly named Qiankun Space, derived from the Chinese phrase that depicts the concept of encompassing everything within its scope. True to its name, this hidden gem intricately weaves together vibrant threads of culture and creativity, capturing the very essence of cultural heritage while nurturing a lively international artistic dialogue. Threads of times As you step into Qiankun Space, you will be greeted by a tapestry of Chinese craftsmanship. From exquisite porcelain pieces to delicate calligraphy, the shop stands as a testament to the profound legacy of Chinese culture. Each piece tells a story, a thread that connects the present to a bygone era. The store's founder, Wang Jing, envisioned a space where the past could thrive alongside the present, and where the beauty of tradition could be cherished and passed down through generations. Qiankun Space is located at No. 28, Yangmeizhuxie street, in the Dashilan subdistrict, Xicheng District of Beijing. The location for Qiankun Space was not chosen by chance. Situated in a 600-year-old hutong, which serves as a gateway to the past, the historical architecture and surroundings of the shop invite visitors to embark on a captivating journey through time. "While the hutong has undergone transformations over the centuries, it has integrated enduring features and cultures elements from each era," said Wang. "The hutong serves as a living documentary, showcasing ancient Chinese culture and life in Beijing to both locals and tourists." Wang's deep affection for traditional Chinese culture stems from her family's ancestral roots in Chinese craftsmanship. Inheriting her family's traditions, she has been involved in cultural artifact preservation since the 1980s, and is dedicated to restoring and reproducing ancient porcelain. "When it comes to ancient artifacts, people often think only passionate collectors will be interested," said Wang. "We hope to transform elusive antiques into accessible merchandise, attracting wider audiences to understand and appreciate the cultures and history behind these artifacts." Photo taken on June 25, 2023 shows the collection of creative and cultural products crafted from Chinese porcelain sold at Qiankun Space in Beijing. (People's Daily Online/ Wu Chaolan) Unlike traditional art shop, Qiankun Space goes beyond being a mere repository of antiques. It is a sanctuary of knowledge, a place where the past is brought to life through creative cultural products and workshops. Visitors can acquire intricate souvenirs inspired by traditional Chinese culture, learn the art of Chinese embroidery via the exhibition, or take part in porcelain restoration. Wang firmly believes that appreciating the beauty of traditional arts and understanding their context and craftsmanship are crucial for their preservation. "We have noticed that our customers aren't satisfied with just buying our products, but also want to delve into the knowledge and culture behind them," said Wang. "We hope this space can be multidimensional where people gather together through cultural and creative products, exhibitions or activities to explore Chinese craftsmanship and the rich culture and history of the city." The passage of time has breathed new life into Wang's family tradition, bestowing it with an enriched meaning that goes beyond mere preservation. It now represents the vibrant legacy of traditional art and the ongoing continuity of our culture. "We are compelled not only to protect but also to promote these treasures in the modern era," said Wang. Kaleidoscope of cultural inclusivity Within the confines of this intimate shop, the vibrant mosaic of cultural inclusivity unfurls before visitors' eyes. It transcends the boundaries of traditional Chinese art and welcome the works of foreign artists with a connection to China. Art enthusiasts can feast their eyes on the intriguing wood engravings from a Japanese artist showcasing various traditional Chinese techniques, scintillating cartoons from a Russian illustrator depicting the bustling daily lives of Chinese people, and artworks related to Chinese embroidery from a German designer. In these works, traditional Chinese elements coexist harmoniously with contemporary pieces that showcase distinctive perspectives from artists originating from different corners of world. The vibrant colors, bold forms, and thought-provoking compositions contribute to the ever-evolving narrative of Qiankun Space and invites viewers to delve deeper into the rich fabric of Chinese culture. Visitors from Algeria participate in a porcelain restoration workshop at Qiankun Space in Beijing. (Photo provided to People's Daily Online) Wang believes civilizations thrive through dialogue and exchange. "One of the most effective approaches to promoting Chinese culture is through embracing cultural inclusiveness, inviting people from around the world to contribute to the tapestry of China by painting their own unique interpretations of Chinese society, cultures and history," said Wang. Artists who immersed themselves in the intricacies of Chinese history, traditions, and philosophies draw inspiration from its rich cultural heritage. In return, their works actively promote and diversify Chinese culture, enriching artistic expressions in the realm of Chinese art. According to Wang, the collection of artworks by foreign artists has become incredibly popular, captivating the interest of both Chinese locals and foreigners alike. One particularly beloved item among Chinese stamp enthusiasts is the personalized panda stamps created by Japanese artist Yoshiko. These stamps creatively document major events in China, offering a refreshing reinterpretation of the beloved animal and significant moments in the country's history. At the same time, foreigners are expressing great enthusiasm for a cartoon book illustrated by Russian artist Liuba. This book provides valuable tips for foreigners exploring Beijing, allowing them to easily empathize and connect with the perspectives of individuals from a similar cultural background who have shared their experiences of living in China. "It seems that every visitor can relate to these works to some extent," Wang remarked. "Behind these pieces of art lies a profound appreciation and reverence for Chinese culture from the foreign artists." Artistic expressions is a universal language of understanding and connection. The cross-cultural creations in the shop have already become a conduit for cultural exchange, encouraging dialogue, stimulating others interests in Chinese culture and fostering mutual respect among individuals from different corners of the globe. Children engage in traditional rubbing crafts at QianKun Space in Beijing. The creation of rubbings from tablet inscriptions is a craft with a history spanning over 1,000 years in China, invented as a method of document duplication before the advent of printing. (Photo provided to People's Daily Online) Qiankun Space is constantly bustling with enthralled patrons eagerly seeking out the works of their favorite artists. Even aimless city wanderers can quickly find themselves captivated by the mesmerizing artifacts within the store. Within this enchanting space, conversations thrive, diverse artistic expressions intermingle, and mutual understanding flourishes. This harmonious fusion and exchange have transformed the shop into an international cultural crossroad, expanding the horizons of artistic dialogue and warmly welcoming visitors from diverse backgrounds to actively engage with Chinese culture. "Cultures know no boundaries," said Wang. "Everyone should be encompassed in a journey of exploration of Chinese culture." Photo taken on June 25, 2023 shows the collection of traditional headwear of ancient Chinese displayed at Qiankun Space in Beijing. (People's Daily Online/ Wu Chaolan) (Web editor: Wu Chaolan, Wu Chengliang) A vehicle billed as a flying automobile has received certification from the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) for testing. This vehicle is the first entirely electric vehicle (EV) to get official US permission to fly and drive on roads. The Model A Vehicle/Aircraft Alef Automotive, a startup based in California, claims that its Model A vehicle/aircraft is the first of its kind that can be driven legally on public roads and parked in standard car spaces. In addition, it can take off and land vertically. It can supposedly transport one or two people and has a highway range of 200 miles and a flight range of 110 miles. In a report by Peacefmonline, each car will cost $300,000 to purchase, and the first deliveries are scheduled for the end of 2025. More than 400 of the cars had refundable pre-orders, the business said. As stated on the company's website, the flying car will be classified as a low-speed vehicle, meaning it would be limited to speeds of no more than 25 miles per hour when driven on a standard roadway. "The assumption is that, if a driver needs a faster route, a driver will use Alef's flight capabilities," the business said on the website. The FAA just approved a flying car for testing. Alef Automotive said that its vehicle/aircraft is the first flying vehicle that's drivable on public roads and parkable like a normal car. The vehicle is set to sell for $300,000 each with the first delivery by the end of 2025. pic.twitter.com/riXt2xnyRp Noor Chopra (@noorg420) July 4, 2023 See Also: Tesla's Supply Chain Boss Leaves EV Firm for Rival Rivian A Special Airworthiness Certificate The FAA stated that it had awarded the corporation a special airworthiness certificate for use in certain situations, such as display and research and development, as reported by CNN. Several manufacturers are developing fully electric VTOLs, a term that stands for "vehicle takeoff and landing" aircraft. According to the FAA, Alef is not the first plane of its sort to be granted a special airworthiness certificate. Alef, however, said that their vehicle stands apart since it can go on roads and in the air, look like a regular car, and fit into a standard parking spot. "We're excited to receive this certification from the FAA. It allows us to move closer to bringing people an environmentally friendly and faster commute, saving individuals and companies hours each week. This is one small step for planes, one giant step for cars," Alef CEO Jim Dukhovny stated. The vehicle's production process began in 2015. Thus, work has been going on it for a while. With inspiration from the Back to the Future films, four friends--Constantine Kisly, Pavel Markin, Oleg Petrov, and Dukhovny--set out to establish a firm with the goal of creating flying automobiles, CNN reported. The business claims that a successful autonomous test flight of a stripped-down version of the car was done in 2018 and that a full-scale prototype was flown the following year. Nevertheless, Alef claimed that it could not proceed with the necessary research and development without the FAA's special airworthiness certificate. See Also: New York City Sues Hyundai, Kia After Security Flaw Increased Car Thefts @ 2023 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Advocates for ideas and draws conclusions based on the interpretation of facts and data. Talking Points Memo: The failure of the Biden administration is only getting more and more obvious by the day. Heres three major agencies that are falling apart. President Biden snaps at reporter for asking about Hunters text messages. SCOTUS rules on states control over elections and agrees to hear case on wealth tax. Bill renews calls for investigation into Zuckerbergs efforts into the 2020 presidential election. Former Prosecutor Cully Stimson on his new book Rogue Prosecutors: How Radical Soros Lawyers are Destroying Americas Communities. Reuters releases report that says all living US Presidents descended from slaveholders all expect Donald Trump. Smart Life: pickleball injuries This Day in History: International Body Piercing Day Final Thought: Leaving money to kids, charities & friends In Case You Missed It: Read Bill's latest column, "They're Not Victims" It's the 'Summer Reading Special!' 'Killing the Killers,' Killing the Legends,' and 'Killing Crazy Horse' all for $32.95. We'll also give you a FREE 'Team Normal' hat. 'Team Normal!' gear is 15% for a limited time. Go to BillOReilly.com now and order! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices BioSpectrum organised a panel discussion on the topic Search for a New Molecule: Shift from Generics to Novel Drugs The government is working on a new R&D policy where it will be addressing most of the pain points of the life sciences industry. The government notification will be issued soon, said Dr Vinod Kotwal, Member Secretary, National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority (NPPA), while speaking at a panel discussion on the topic Search for a New Molecule: Shift from Generics to Novel Drugs organised at the BioSpectrum Excellence Awards 2023 ceremony in New Delhi on June 30. She further said We request all the industry members to participate in the discussion and share their concerns and suggest ways to overcome gaps and improve the current situations. The new R&D policy is expected to reduce the burden of the industry as it will shorten the time for getting approvals. Dr Vinod Kotwal also stated that the government has been doing its bit in supporting R&D activities. We need a collaborative approach involving government, venture funds, entrepreneurs to move from developing generics to novel drugs. Talking about the issues before the regulators, Dr Vinod Kotwal said In fact there are still many issues before the regulators. The government on the other side is making its sincere efforts by reaching out to industry leaders indirectly to take their views and opinions, before introducing any regulations. The industry has to come forward with suggestions, feedbacks to improve and overcome the issues that are hindering the growth of the industry. Speaking about the ecosystem Dr Anandkumar, Co-Founder & CEO, Bugworks Research, said The ecosystem for innovation has been much better as compared to a few years back. Now we have 5,000 startups in the biosciences space as compared to 50 eight years ago. But still, we lack the ecosystem which we find in places like Boston, Basel, Silicon Valley, Israel that have appropriate infrastructure for working on novel ideas. Making his views on the pain points of the industry Dr Anandkumar said The key pain point is the unavailability of a skilled talent pool to work on novel drug discovery areas. We have huge talent in the country in areas such as generics, chemistry, biology, developing novel vaccines like mRNA, mDNA among others, but not in novel drug discovery. Meanwhile we are now witnessing a reverse brain drain with India emerging as the pharma and vaccine hub of the world. Experts from the bioclusters of the world are looking at India. Hopefully in the coming few years we can compete with global giants in the drug discovery space. Talking about the industry expectations he said, The government should double the public health spending to 3 per cent of the gross domestic product (GDP) to support the healthcare transformation from the current spending of 1.5 per cent of the GDP. India has been spending nearly 0.6 per cent on research and development (R&D). It should be increased to 2 per cent as countries such as the United States of America spend 2.8 per cent, while Korea spends 4.2 per cent of their GDP on R&D. Sharing his thoughts further on innovation, Dr Anandkumar said Innovation is happening in the country where risk appetite is low. More research is needed for which the industry has to look at global models. Innovation comes at a cost. India has to look for a differential pricing model so as to invest in innovation and R&D. Echoing similar views, Sai Prasad, Executive Director, Bharat Biotech said Innovation comes at different costs. It is difficult to follow the single pricing model. We should have a differential pricing model so that companies can reinvest returns on R&D. Referring to the hurdles before the industry, Sai Prasad said We are still facing too many regulations. 100 per cent presentations with involvement of so many departments and ministries. Getting approvals is becoming delayed. In the vaccine and small molecules space we have launched innovative products by developing novel platforms and technology which have benefited the whole nation. However, we are still far behind in the novel and new drug molecules as innovation is not an easy thing, said Sai Prasad while making his points on the gaps in the industry. Sharing his views on issues that need the attention, Saurabh Singal, Founder, KnowDis/ Molecule AI said Deeptech is yet to take a shape in the country. VC funding for novel drug discovery is still a long way to go. On expectations from the government, Singal said We expect some non-fiscal support to be provided in addition to already available support-measures, to make best of the growth opportunity. The industry is keen on getting more support for R&D spends through fiscal (for example, Higher tax deduction on R&D spend) and non-fiscal support. Elaborating her views on the pain points, Dr Parul Ganju, Co-founder and CEO, Ahammune Biosciences, said The risk appetite is a key issue in Indian life sciences industry. The companies are comfortable with the routine works/jobs and unable to take challenges in doing new things. Venture funding is another issue for innovation. She further said We feel it will take another 5-6 years for venture capitalists (VC) to understand the industry. Besides, we need a few success stories like Pfizer and Novo Nordisk in India. That will bring and garner more confidence among VC to invest in the area of innovation in life sciences. Referring to the expectations Dr Parul said The government has increased the outlay for healthcare. We want more tax rebates /reduction for innovation as well. Dr Satya Dash, Founding Head Strategy, BIRAC and Founding CEO, BITS BioCyTiH Foundation who moderated the panel discussion said that Dr Varaprasad Reddy of Shantha Biotechnics, BioSpectrum Lifetime Achievement Award Winner 2023 is a role model for many entrepreneurs who are in the business of life sciences area. Dr Varaprasad Reddy brought a complex novel biotechnology platform and launched vaccines at an affordable price. With no industry background, he overcame all the hurdles like finance, risk involved, skilled workforce and regulatory issues as his aim to offer or launch affordable products was very much loud and clear that brought him laurels later. The Indian pharmaceutical industry has long been recognised as a global leader in the production of generic drugs, which has helped to bring affordable healthcare to millions of people around the world. However, with the increasing demand for more effective and personalised therapies, Dr Satya Dash concluded that there is a need for the industry to shift its focus from generics to novel drugs. The panel discussion was sponsored by Lonza and CPC. Photo caption - Dr Satya Dash, Founding Head Strategy, BIRAC and Founding CEO, BITS BioCyTiH Foundation was the moderator of the panel discussion (left), along with the panelists (L-R) Dr Anand Anandkumar, Co-Founder & CEO, Bugworks Research, Dr Parul Ganju, Co-founder and CEO, Ahammune Biosciences, Dr Vinod Kotwal, Member Secretary, National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority (NPPA), Saurabh Singal, Founder, KnowDis/ Molecule AI and Sai Prasad, Executive Director, Bharat Biotech MMA Spectrum Foundation launched during BioSpectrum Excellence Awards 2023 on 30th June in New Delhi Ravindra Boratkar, Managing Editor and Publisher, BioSpectrum India announced the launch of MMA (MM Activ) Spectrum Foundation to become a partner in the progress of the Bio & Health Sciences startups ecosystem. There are several other objectives of the foundation to promote startup culture and take them to the next level. Welcoming the gathering of over 200 industry leaders for the BioSpectrum Excellence Awards 2023 held at the Hyatt Regency in New Delhi on June 30, Boratkar said Very soon the foundation will commence its activities. It will work for the overall development of Bio & Health Sciences, Life Sciences and Food and Agriculture sectors and all sub-sectors under them. For this purpose, we will be setting up groups of experts to empower youngsters for launching and developing startups, and to guide and mentor young entrepreneurs. Indias bioeconomy is poised to touch $300 billion by 2030 and with its rising innovation and scientific temper, it is poised to join the global wave of a New Industrial Revolution. India is emerging as the worlds major bioeconomy with fast growing biotech startups. The number of biotech startups has increased from 50 to 5,000 in the last 8 years. India has the potential to move from 5,000 to 50,000 within the biotech startup sector, Ravindra Boratkar, Managing Director, MM Activ Sci-Tech Communications stated. There are many experts from the field. Soon, we will surely be seeking cooperation and guidance from industry experts to mentor entrepreneurs. I am confident that industry captains are glad and enthusiastic to guide the startups, he added. Talking about the awards ceremony he said BioSpectrum honours personalities from the life sciences sector whose work has, indeed, been worthy of recognition. As an esteemed media platform of the life sciences field, BioSpectrum not only recognises but also appreciates their excellence in their respective work areas by conferring upon them BioSpectrum Excellence Awards. Last year we could not organise it due to COVID, hence this year we are giving awards for two years. In her address, Dr Renu Swarup, Former Secretary, Department of Biotechnology (Jury Chair) congratulated all the award winners for their performance and achievements, and complemented BioSpectrum for its efforts in bringing the hidden jewels into the limelight. These efforts of BioSpectrum are going to help the young students of biotechnology to see these winners as role models. As the country is offering huge opportunities in the biosciences space, the young minds can grab these through their skill sets and talent to make a difference to society, she said. Congratulating BioSpectrum for launching MMA Spectrum Foundation she wished all success in its endeavour of providing the very best to the upcoming and young entrepreneurs in different fields of life sciences. In his address as jury member, Dr Taslimarif Saiyed, CEO & Director, C-CAMP said, It was my pleasure to be on the Jury panel for the prestigious BioSpectrum Jury Awards. BioSpectrum Jury Awards go back a long way to 2003 when the biotech ecosystem in India was fledgling. Thanks to the vision and tireless dedication of some eminent colleagues from this ecosystem, a few of whom I am sharing the Jury panel with, that fledgling of 2003 has become one of the top three startup capitals in the world, in a journey of 20 years of striving, focus and quiet ambition. India as a global biotech powerhouse has arrived as we saw during the pandemic years. The pandemic years were not only of tremendous churn but also of phenomenal capacity- building which have strengthened Indias position as a global biotech hub and inspired the global market and investor confidence that we are now seeing for indigenous technologies from India. Along with Ravindra Boratkar, Dr Taslimarif Saiyed and Dr Milind Kokje, Chief Editor, BioSpectrum India, Dr Renu Swarup presented Lifetime Achievement Award to Dr K I Varaprasad Reddy, Founder, Shantha Biotechnics; Businessperson of the Year 2021-22 Award to Mahima Datla, MD, Biological E; Product of the Year 2021-22 Award to SSI Mantra Surgical Robotic System, received by Ishan Shinde, Vice President of Strategic Programmes, SS Innovations; Entrepreneur of the Year 2021-22 Award to Dr Anand Anandkumar, Co-Founder, Bugworks Research; Woman Entrepreneur of the Year 2021-22 Award to Geethanjali Radhakrishnan, Founder, Adiuvo Diagnostics and Young Woman Scientist of the Year 2021-22 Award to Dr Pragya D Yadav, Scientist-F, National Institute of Virology. Dr Renu Swarup also presented the Businessperson of the Year 2020-21 Award to Sai Prasad, Executive Director, Bharat Biotech who received on behalf of Dr Krishna Ella, Executive Chairman, Bharat Biotech; Product of the Year 2020-21 Award to Covaxin COVID-19 vaccine, received by Sai Prasad, Executive Director, Bharat Biotech; Entrepreneur of the Year 2020-21 Award to Hasmukh Rawal, MD, Mylab Discovery Solutions; Woman Entrepreneur of the Year 2020-21 Award to Dr Rachana Tripathi, Co-Founder, Huwel Lifesciences and Young Woman Scientist of the Year 2020-21 Award to Dr Ritu Trivedi, Principal Scientist, Central Drug Research Institute. In his address Dr K I Varaprasad Reddy, Non-Executive Chairman, Shantha Biotechnics recalled his tough and solo journey of developing recombinant DNA vaccines with a motto of offering them at an affordable price three decades ago. He said, Shantha is the first company in the biopharma sector to ignite the growth of biotechnology based vaccines and therapeutic products. It is the only company that believed in- Make it Available locally, and Make it Affordable to the common man. But adding these many firsts was a part of a very tough journey. And it all started with anger and disappointment that eventually took the shape of obsession. Sharing the hard days of venturing into complex biotechnology industry space, Dr Varaprasad Reddy said, With no role model to follow, to develop a recombinant DNA technology for vaccine, I visited Dr Anji Reddy and few other industry leaders, but all of them told me that this task was an impossible one and I was wasting my time. Dr Varaprasad Reddy, who overcame the unethical and bad experiences, had set the prices for vaccines in India for 11 years since the launch of Shantha Biotechnics. He said We have great doctors, great engineers in our country but not great leaders. The vaccine scenario has changed considerably in India. Currently, we are strong in production but we should collaborate with other countries for joint development and own the patent rights, to become global leaders. Besides Jury awards, Industry Ranking Awards and Special Recognition Awards were also presented to the winners after a panel discussion. Dr Milind Kokje, Chief Editor, BioSpectrum India thanked the gathering for making the celebrations memorable, while Dr Manbeena Chawla, Executive Editor, BioSpectrum India conducted the entire ceremony of BioSpectrum Excellence Awards 2023 with poise and perfection. Photo caption - Dr K I Varaprasad Reddy, Non-Executive Chairman, Shantha Biotechnics, Lifetime Achievement Award winner lighting the lamp to inaugurate the BioSpectrum Excellence Awards 2023 ceremony in presence of (L-R) Dr Milind Kokje, Chief Editor, BioSpectrum India, Ravindra Boratkar, Managing Editor and Publisher, BioSpectrum India, Dr Renu Swarup, Former Secretary, Department of Biotechnology (Jury Chair) and Dr Taslimarif Saiyed, CEO & Director, C-CAMP (Jury Member) Load shedding in South Africa has significant effects on both private and public healthcare. These are far-reaching and can have severe consequences for patients, medical facilities and healthcare professionals. So just what is the impact of load shedding on healthcare in South Africa? Source: Supplied. Morgan Mkhatshwa, clinical executive of Bonitas Medical Fund. In the realm of healthcare, load shedding exacerbates the existing challenges faced by hospitals and clinics. Load shedding further strains infrastructure and compounds existing shortages, compromising patient care. New regulations allow larger public hospitals exemption from load shedding however, Eskom has warned that it would be technically impossible to isolate and exclude most healthcare facilities from load shedding. The challenges posed by load shedding and its impact on healthcare facilities are further exacerbated by the fact that prolonged or frequent loss of basic services, including the lack of electricity, has been shown to have financial, psychological, and physical implications. This reinforces the importance of private healthcare, which was already highlighted during the Covid-19 pandemic when medical aid transformed from a grudge purchase to an absolute necessity. The electricity crisis and load shedding serve as yet another reminder of the critical role private healthcare plays in ensuring uninterrupted access to essential medical services. While private hospitals are predominately well equipped with generator banks and/or inverters, medical aids take every precaution to ensure other services are available at optimum levels and of the highest quality. Ensuring uninterrupted medication integrity To ensure the delivery of cost-effective healthcare, we have a network of hospitals and clinicians with whom we have negotiated favourable rates to minimise co-payments for our members. All of these hospitals and clinician practices have put effective contingency plans in place to ensure they are able to generate sufficient back-up power for uninterrupted patientcare and that they are able to provide pharmaceuticals. These include vaccines, insulin and certain antibiotics, which are sensitive to temperature fluctuations and require refrigeration and strict maintenance of the cold chain. During power outages, the lack of electricity can compromise the integrity and efficacy of these medications, rendering them ineffective or potentially harmful. This does not only pose a risk to patient health but also leads to financial losses as medications and vaccines may need to be discarded, due to compromised storage conditions. The provision of chronic medications is essential to ensure members are able to adhere to their medicine regime. Proactive measures for members The Fund ensures their designated service providers are proactive in developing contingency plans to ensure an uninterrupted medicine supply to its members. This includes having generators and backups, double dispensing of medication to ensure chronic-medication deliveries are doubled up and developing communication tools to inform and educate members about medication supply. Its worth noting that more than 80% of South Africans are reliant on public healthcare services at the approximately 420 state-run hospitals and more than 3,000 state-run clinics. While private facilities, secondary- and tertiary-level public hospitals appear to be well equipped with generator banks, smaller healthcare facilities including primary healthcare clinics, are often left in the dark. The cost of alternative sources of power can be substantial, with a private hospital group recently reporting an average monthly expenditure of R800k to run its generators. The situation is not only unsustainable but is also putting the healthcare of our citizens at risk and, once again, it is the most vulnerable who are compromised the most. Bathu, the local manufacturer of innovative footwear, has unveiled its ultra-neoteric sneaker range, Khalanga. This range is not just about fashion but a bona fide collaboration between Bathu and Theo Baloyi's tribute to the people. This collaboration is rooted in the celebration of who you are, your truest self and your roots. Image supplied The Khalanga range marks a significant milestone in Baloyis commitment to diversity, and empowerment. With attention to detail, the sneaker blends style, craftsmanship, and the vibrant design in their six different colourways. This sneaker recognises and honours champions and industry professionals who have made ground breaking efforts to expand excellence across the world. Each shoe in the Khalanga range is a work of art that personifies authenticity and is inspired by the fortitude and inventiveness of the authentic spirit we all possess. To guarantee that the sneakers connect with significant Black artists, musicians, and cultural icons who have lived their truth, Theo Baloyi and the design team worked with key cultural figures and fashion thought leaders. Its only when I stayed true to who I am, was I then able to Walk my journey and this is the truest expression of the spirit of Khalanga. This offering is not only a celebration of my life, but also of everyone who has helped me walk this journey and enabled me to elevate excellence during our time. The Khalanga range displays an array of captivating designs and six colourways that pay homage to various aspects of my life, from patterns inspired by traditional African opulent textiles to bold, vibrant hues symbolizing the energy and vibrancy of my people, every element tells a story of resilience, pride, says Theo Baloyi, CEO and founder of Bathu. Cedrick Diphoko, managing director at Bathu had this to say: We are excited to bring about this offering, a premium sneaker brand that Africans can proud affiliate with. Khalanga speaks to the journey and our vision to bring about a quality product that is durable, and at an affordable price range. The Khalanga range is not only a fashion statement, but is also a catalyst for the South African sneaker culture evolution. In launching this new sneaker range, we aim to break barriers, challenge stereotypes about who we are, and inspire a new generation of kids to embrace their uniqueness. We want African children and adults alike to feel a sense of pride and belonging, knowing that they are celebrated and respected through this new range. concludes Baloyi. The Khalanga range will be available at Bathu retailers nationwide and through their online store. Research has shown that art education in primary schools plays a valuable role in a child's development. The Cambridge Primary Art & Design curriculum was created on this premise, giving learners the space to explore and express themselves freely, supporting the development of social and reflective skills, and encouraging teachers to nurture an environment where learners can take risks and build resilience. Photo by RDNE Stock project via www.pexels.com In the African context of education, the arts are not considered as important as STEM subjects (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics). Studies show that the cultivation of arts subjects creates the necessary balance to enhance performance in other learning areas that require more intense cerebral activity and are seen as more important. According to art historian, Amy Herman, art improves problem-solving skills, helping us discover why and how things go wrong and how to fix them. Art and design nurtures creativity in young minds, which supports them in solving problems in other Cambridge Primary subjects, including English, Mathematics, Science, Global Perspectives and Computing. Art develops concentration skills and perseverance - as children explore different tools and materials, mastering their use to create beautiful objects and designs. These are important skills, necessary to excel in all other subjects. The free exploration of art tools further supports the development of accurate letter and number formation in English and mathematics. When making models in art, learners have opportunities to explore the properties of materials. They also discover which materials can be joined and learn about their density and weight. This enhances and supports their learning about materials in science. Limitless opportunities through art and design Since its inception, Cambridge Primary Art & Design was envisaged to create limitless opportunities, which describes the range of individual and collaborative opportunities we want every learner to be able to identify and explore. Art education provides a platform for all learners to communicate and express themselves, which especially aids learners who find communication and interaction challenging, including learners with autism. The focus on experimental learning allows learners to develop and challenge their motor skills in ways that are appropriate to their physical abilities. The subject also supports those with visual impairments to touch and manipulate materials with different textures and properties, thereby providing a wide range of sensory opportunities. This has created a safe, supportive, and inclusive space for learners to experiment and develop. Lloyd Jeeves, curriculum development manager, curriculum programmes for Cambridge Assessment International Education. Image supplied Primary education is a pivotal time for developing creativity as this is when learners are most open to new ideas. An early introduction to art education helps learners develop positive attitudes to creative thinking and creative subjects, which benefits future learning. The subject encourages them to celebrate their own and others artistic experiences. This builds a sense of community in the classroom from an early age and fosters an openness to diversity as they experience art and design from different times and cultures. Expression through art, therefore, aids emotional development as learners develop skills such as perseverance and collaboration. They are better equipped to deal with criticism positively as they give, receive, and respond to feedback. Creative thinking is a valuable skill Art education provides opportunities for learners to experience and respond to art and design produced for commercial purposes. Art has a place in day-to-day life which learners get to experience as they see its use in architecture and decoration. This leads them to appreciate the commercial benefit of art, further amplifying its practicality and financial benefit to artists and the broader economy. If they choose to pursue art later in life, they are better equipped to create value from it. To best support this invaluable development, its important to engage children in art both at home and at school and to continue with their creative experience throughout their schooling. The boom of artificial intelligence (AI) in the last year has been evident everywhere. These technologies will undoubtedly change the way the world works. The rise in popularity of AI and machine learning means there is an increased demand for skilled AI professionals. AI is projected to create around 97 million new jobs. Eduvos, one of South Africas largest private higher education institutions, aims to prepare students for the rapidly changing world of work and equip Africas youth with the skills needed to thrive in the fourth industrial revolution (4IR). The introduction of an AI Engineer programme was therefore necessary to provide more young Africans with the skills and knowledge required to architect, develop, and implement Microsoft AI solutions. The aim of the Microsoft AI Engineer programme is to help prospective students develop applicable knowledge and skills that employers value by teaching them to explore, transform, model, and visualise data and to create the next generation of intelligent solutions. "Our latest offering will help you unleash your creativity, utilise AI, and create an innovative future. By joining our Microsoft AI Engineer programme, you can help expand the boundaries of what is possible with intelligent solutions, says Dr Amos Anele, head of programme of Eduvoss IT faculty. Students will walk away with an industry-recognised credential that demonstrates their proficiency in designing, implementing, and managing AI solutions on the Microsoft Azure platform. The programme emphasises practical experience with real-world scenarios, preparing individuals to tackle complex AI problems. Access to Azure resources and community provides networking opportunities and insights into the latest AI trends. Additionally, the certification gives a competitive advantage in the job market, and committing to continuous learning promotes professional growth and advancement. Eduvos is embracing the inevitable changes that AI and machine learning will bring to the world. The institution has partnered with the US based company EON Reality which will bring AI and virtual reality into the learning model. This will equip all Eduvos students with an understanding of these technologies and give them a competitive edge in the working world. Click here to enrol and start studying 24 July. For media enquiries, contact Kara van der Berg at moc.sovude@grebdv.arak. South Africa takes a giant leap towards becoming a global leader in astronomy and astrophysics as Professor Sunil Maharaj of the University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN) receives the esteemed Annual Harry Oppenheimer Fellowship Award. The accolade recognises Professor Maharaj's exceptional work in the field of gravitational processes within evolving stars, a pivotal area bridging science, mathematics, and astronomy. Professor Sunil Maharaj (left) has been honoured with the Annual Harry Oppenheimer Fellowship Award. Image supplied Under the visionary partnership with the Square Kilometre Array (SKA), South Africa's strategic vision of advancing astrophysics is being realised through this project. Reaching for the stars Professor Maharaj's research explores the intricate workings of gravitational processes within stars, offering crucial insights into our understanding of the universe. This pursuit has been a fundamental scientific challenge since the early days of gravity research. With a focus on collaborative efforts, this transformative project has brought together a dedicated team, not only from South Africa but also from Tanzania and India. Their collective expertise and contributions play an instrumental role in unravelling the mysteries of the cosmos. By fostering international collaboration, this initiative showcases the power of uniting diverse minds and resources towards a common goal. Professor Maharaj's achievement not only highlights the exceptional talent within South Africa but also underscores the nation's commitment to fostering scientific excellence and becoming a leader in the field of astrophysics. The collaborative nature of this project serves as a testament to the power of international cooperation and knowledge sharing, said Jonathan Oppenheimer, chairman of the Trust. Photo by RDNE Stock project via www.pexels.com One giant leap for South Africa The award comes at a time when South Africa is making huge strides in the field of astronomy, as SKA, the worlds largest radio telescope, is currently being constructed by South Africa jointly with Australia. Professor Maharaj adds that although South Africa is still catching up to developed countries in astronomy, the SKA is to the advantage of the country. The practical implications of this research extend far beyond the realm of theoretical physics. A deeper understanding of gravitational processes within evolving stars paves the way for technological advancements and potential applications in various fields. It opens new avenues for astronomical discoveries, space exploration, and the development of innovative technologies that can benefit South Africa and the global scientific community. Upon winning the award, an elated Professor Maharaj said: It has been a very humbling experience to be shortlisted for the award, and to actually receive it. It came as a surprise to me as I thought it would go to something more observational and practical like a product or a cure for Covid. The Harry Oppenheimer Fellowship Award is granted to scholars of the highest calibre who are engaged in cutting-edge and internationally significant work that has particular application to the advancement of knowledge, teaching, research and development in South Africa and beyond. Professor Maharaj will be collaborating with leading experts in gravity theories and relative astrophysics, including Professor Megan Govender from Durban University of Technology and Professor Aroon Beesham from the Mangosuthu University of Technology, amongst others from South African universities. China's commerce ministry announced Monday (July 3) it would control the exports of the metals gallium and germanium, which are mainly used in the semiconductor and electronics industry. The measure was a way of retaliating against a new set of restrictions imposed by the United States. With this measure taking effect from August 1, exporters are required to seek permission to ship the raw materials overseas, including going through procedures to obtain export licenses. Beijing's curbs would affect eight gallium-related products: gallium antimonide gallium arsenide gallium metal gallium nitride gallium oxide gallium phosphide gallium selenide indium gallium arsenide It would also apply to six germanium products: germanium dioxide germanium epitaxial growth substrate germanium ingot germanium metal germanium tetrachloride zinc germanium phosphide Anyone exporting the products without Chinese permission, as well as those who export in excess of the permitted volumes, would be punished. China's curbs come just as US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen was preparing to visit China later this week. Global Reaction In anticipation of rising prices for the raw materials, shares of Chinese Germanium producers skyrocketed Tuesday, which might ace at least a short-term supply disruption. However, South Korean industry ministry and Taiwanese foreign ministry officials, Reuters reported, said the Chinese curbs would only have a little short-term impact. Reuters further reported the South Korean industry ministry official saying a possible expansion of curbs to include other materials could not be ruled out. Last week, a fund backed by the Japanese government proposed a $6.3 billion acquisition of semiconductor materials giant JSR. Meanwhile, the US and the Netherlands are also set to restrict further sales of chipmaking equipment from Chinese chipmakers this summer as part of efforts to prevent their technology from being used to strengthen the Chinese military. What is Gallium? Gallium is a soft silver metal used to produce compound semiconductor wafers for electronic circuits, semiconductors, and light-emitting diodes (LEDs). It is found when processing bauxite to make aluminum. According to the European Association Critical Raw Materials Alliance (CRMA), around 80% of the world's gallium is produced in China. Gallium is also used to make gallium arsenide (GaAs) for use in electronics. Only a few companies could make such material at the required purity, the CRMA added. Most of these companies are in Japan and China, with only a single facility capable of this technology in Europe. Semiconductor wafers made with GaAs instead of silicon can operate at higher frequencies and are heat resistant, said the US company Wafer World. GaAs semiconductors also produce less noise than silicon devices, especially at high operating frequencies, making them useful in radars and radio communication devices, as well as in satellites, the company added. According to Chinese customs, the country exported 94 metric tons of gallium in 2022. US imports of gallium metal and GaAs wafers in the same year were worth about $3 million and $200 million, respectively, according to the US Geological Survey (USGS). Shanghai Metal Exchange data on Refinitiv Eikon showed gallium with a 99.99% purity produced in China priced at $245 a kilogram on Monday (July 3), an increase of 5.97% from the previous session and the highest since May 16. What is Germanium? Germanium is used in semiconductors, infrared technology, fiber optic cables, and solar cells. It is a rare ore, most of which is produced as a by-product of zinc production and from coal fly ash. China alone produces around 60% of the world's germanium, according to CRMA. According to Chinese customs, the country exported 43,7 metric tons of unwrought and wrought germanium last year. In addition, germanium and its oxides are used in military applications like night-vision devices and satellite imagery sensors. China's germanium ingot price was last assessed at $1,264 per kilogram Monday, according to Refinitiv Eikon's data on the Shanghai Metal Exchange. Read Also: EU DMA: Google, Other Tech Firms Fall Under Gatekeepers Which Countries Produce Gallium and Germanium? While China has the most prominent and most voluminous production of gallium and germanium, several countries are also capable of producing the raw materials. According to Reuters, 40% of the world's germanium came from Canada, Finland, Russia, and the United States. Meanwhile, 20% of the world's gallium can be found in Japan, Russia, and South Korea. Germany and Kazakhstan also produced the material in the past. After prices rallied in 2020 and 2021, Germany announced it would restart its primary gallium production. Why Does China Stop Exporting Metals Gallium and Germanium? China made the decision as the country faces an escalated trade war with the US, saying it was aimed at protecting its national security and interests. Beijing's move came as Washington mulled new restrictions on the shipment of high-tech microchips to China, according to media reports. In a press conference in Beijing Tuesday (July 4), Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson Mao Ning reiterated the country's export controls were in accordance with the law and were not targeted at any specific capacity. This was not the first time China restricted export quotas of raw materials. In 2010, the country restricted rare earth exports to Japan following a territorial dispute between the countries, sending prices of rare earth materials soaring and Japan scrambling to find other sources of supply. At that time, Beijing reasoned the curbs were based on environmental concerns. Rare earth magnets are used in wind turbines, electric vehicles, and laser-guided missiles. What Will Happen When China Stops Exporting Gallium and Germanium? Since China is the world's largest source of both metals, as per a European Union Study on critical raw materials this year, Eurasia Group analysts, Anna Ashton, Xiaomeng Lu, and Scott Young said the move would have a "limited impact" on global supply, given the targeted scope. "It is a shot across the bow intended to remind countries including the United States, Japan, and the Netherlands that China has retaliatory options and to thereby deter them from imposing further restrictions on Chinese access to high-end chips and tools," they added. However, the analysts also noted that China alone could be able to manage "extensive and increasingly integrated mining and processing operations" alongside state subsidies. This allowed them to "export processed minerals" at a cost that operators elsewhere could not match, which perpetuates the country's market dominance for many critical commodities. Related Article: US-China Chip War Heats Up as Dutch Join Restrictions @ 2023 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Industrial Commodities Holdings (Pty) Ltd (ICH) today finalised the sale of the ICH fertiliser business to Fertiva (Pty) Ltd, an entity which is now majority-owned by the German fertiliser supplier K+S Group. The K+S Group will operate the acquired fertiliser business under the Fertiva name. The era as a fertiliser trader concluded for ICH today with the closing of the sale of the fertiliser division to the K+S Group, one of the biggest Potash producers in the world. However, the deal does not mean slowing business for ICH but rather a different focus. By embracing the slogan of Growing the Future, ICH intends to keep growing the business and serving its customers with even more products in its diversified portfolio in the future. The ICH portfolio and offerings have evolved over the years to include mining and industrial chemicals, road and construction supplies, flexible packaging, products for cable manufacturing, polymers, paper, agricultural products, and foodstuffs. ICH Board members Heinrich van Wyk and Peter Wales will remain on the board of ICH. Three new ICH board members join them from the ranks of the current senior leadership team. They are George Wood, Gavin Fell, and Craig Lloyd. The ICH CFO, George Wood, joined ICH in 2011 and leads the companys finance functions. Gavin Fell previously worked in ICH in the 1990s and re-joined in 2014. He heads the chemical division with Peter Wales. Craig Lloyd joined Bordic in 2010 and ICH in 2011 when ICH acquired Bordic. Former ICH board member Jaco Raath is leaving ICH to join Fertiva as part of the closing of the transaction. As part of the transaction, the entire ICH fertiliser team joined Fertiva, with Kali-Union (a member of the K+S Group) as the majority shareholder. Jaco Raath and another former ICH shareholder, who previously managed the ICH fertiliser business, will hold 25% of Fertivas shares. ICH distributed K+S Group fertilisers across southern Africa for over 40 years, in addition to products from other manufacturers, since signing an agency agreement in 1980 to represent the K+S Group in sub-Saharan Africa. We wish the new owners the very best with this new beginning. We trust that the agricultural industry can rely on the same or better service than they became accustomed to under the ICH brand. ICH bought back all ICH shares from its previous shareholders Jaco Raath, Bakkies van Zyl and Anton Goosen, who are members of the fertiliser team joining Fertiva, and they no longer have any shares in ICH and are no longer representing ICH. British courts sent Stephen Terence Wood to a womens prison after he said he identified as a transwoman. While there, he sexually assaulted two female inmates. (Getty Images) This remarkable essay is taken from Brendan ONeills stirring new book, A Heretics Manifesto: Essays On The Unsayable, which I urge you to buy and read. I finished it in one sitting. Its the best book Ive read all year. Ill have more to say about it later, and well publish a podcast with Brendan soon. Until then, enjoy this vitally important piece MS We need to talk about her penis. Not about any specific individuals private parts. That would be weird. No, we need to talk about the union of those two words. The smashing together of the female pronoun and the noun for the male genital organ. Her penis. Nothing better captures the irrationalism of our age, and also the slippery authoritarianism of it, than the fact that this nonsensical phrase is frequently uttered, and as much in the respectable press as in the gender Bedlam of internet discussion forums. If anyone tries to tell you the culture war is a myth, show them her penis. Her penis is everywhere. It regularly pops up in news reports. Youll see it in The Times and on the BBC. Its inescapable. Ex-soldier exposed her penis and used wheelie bin as a sex toy in public, said a headline in Metro in April 2022. A Glasgow-born sex offender has admitted exposing her penis, said the Daily Record in that same story. Teesside Live, which covers Middlesbrough, the part of the UK in which this minimalistic anomaly reportedly whipped out her phallus, went all out. Teesside woman accused of exposing penis, its headline declared. She is charged with committing a public nuisance by indecently exposing her penis to other members of the public while masturbating from a property window, readers were informed. Readers, Im sure, will have been more startled by the news that there exists a woman with a penis than by the claims that she flashed it at unsuspecting passers-by. Speaking of flashing, the Daily Mail informed us in September 2021 that an individual exposed her penis at Wi Spa, a spa in Los Angeles. Whats more, her penis was partially erect at the time. A woman with a boner? More proof that theres nothing men can do that women cant. In September 2022, the Mail reported on allegations that American college swimmer Lia Thomas took out her penis in the womens locker room. In 2018, the Daily Mirror published a hagiographic piece about a woman who spent thousands of pounds transforming her body but who decided to keep her penis. She then realiz[ed] that she is a lesbian. Is anyone else confused? The media are meant to report facts clearly and pithily, but that Mirror piece left me bewildered. A woman with a penis who has sex with other women? You mean a straight man? Share Her penis even makes an appearance in institutions of longstanding repute. The British Film Institute published a review of the 2018 Belgian film Girl, in which it said one of the characters tucks her penis between her legs with tape during strenuous ballet rehearsals. A few years back, the BBC reported on the transgender woman [who] says she was held at an airport because her penis showed up as an anomaly when she was going through security. I bet it did. Even The Times, the newspaper of record, occasionally features her penis. Its review of trans activist Grace Laverys memoir, Please Miss: A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Penis, referred to as her penis. The author of that review at least had enough of a grip on reality, however feeble, to say her penis is a phrase I pray I never get used to writing. Though this does raise the question of why it was written in the first place. Why Britains most esteemed newspaper, renowned for its publication of vital information, would publish those two little words which, when placed in succession, become misleading and outright fraudulent: her penis. At times, the appearance of her penis isnt just strange or spurious its sinister. Consider the trial of Karen White. White is a man, a rapist, and a pedophile. Despite this, he was sent, following his conviction for his grim crimes, to a womens prison: HMP New Hall in West Yorkshire. He says hes a woman, and the prison estate believes him. There, he sexually assaulted two inmates. At his trial for those assaults, the prosecuting lawyer described Whites approach to one of the female inmates as follows: Her penis was erect and sticking out the top of her trousers. Her penis. Her trousers. Even the violent, rapacious tormentors of women are afforded the titles she and her if that is what they desire. Even the assaulters of females are addressed in feminine terms, as they, please. They rape you, and they get your pronouns. Even in a courtroom, where all swear to speak the truth, that strangulated act of Newspeak her penis is spoken and taken seriously. Her penis is all the rage with the police, too. At the end of 2021, Police Scotland said rapes would be recorded as having been committed by women where a person, born male but who identifies as a female commits [the] rape. In 2019, Freedom of Information requests were submitted to UK police forces regarding their attitude toward men who identify as women. Sixteen forces said they recorded data according to the accuseds self-declared gender rather than his or her birth sex, and eight of those forces said they do this even when the crime in question is rape. Britains National Police Chiefs Council likewise advised that people should be referred to by their self-identified gender rather than their natal sex. So there will be cops in the UK who say her penis. Who say that an individual used her penis to rape a woman. Who lie even as they seek the truth. Her penis. Say those two words to yourself. They are a falsehood, arent they? Certainly, all the examples cited above were lies masquerading as news. That woman in Teesside who exposed her penis and wanked it in front of strangers that was a man called Andrew McNab, who now goes by the name Chloe Thompson. That person who allegedly exposed her partially erect penis in a spa in Los Angeles that was a man called Darren Agee Merager, who reportedly has a history of indecent exposure. Swimmer Lia Thomas, who allegedly took out her penis in the womens changing room that was a man whose original name was Will Thomas, who went from being an average male US college swimmer to being among the top female college swimmers when he decided to become Lia. That prisoner, Karen White, who approached a fellow inmate with her penis sticking out of the top of her trousers that is a man called Stephen Terence Wood whose crimes include indecently assaulting two boys aged nine and 12 and raping a pregnant woman. His penis, his penis, his penis. Thats the phrase youre looking for. His is the only possessive pronoun that should ever appear before the word penis. But, of course, we are dealing with more than a failure of grammar here. A refresher course on English will not be enough to fix the strange 21st-century tendency of both the mainstream media and the judicial system to say her penis. No, this is a failure of reason. Its a failure of rationalism. That her penis appears everywhere now from The Times to court proceedings to the deliberations of police forces investigating allegations of rape speaks to the modern eras abandonment of reality and its acquiesence to a new form of cultural authoritarianism that demands the sanctification of peoples subjective delusions over and above objective truth. The untruth of her penis is reflective of the legion untruths we are all forced to labor under in this era of linguistic and moral tyranny. Share The Trans War On Speechcrime Tesla is considered to be the top EV company across the globe. With its advanced electric car innovations, many automakers, such as Ford, BMW, General Motors, etc., decided to embrace EV production. Thanks to the efforts made by Tesla, it was able to revolutionize the EV industry. To give you more idea about Tesla's influence on electric car manufacturing, here are some of its most influential innovations. How Tesla Revolutionizes EV Industry Business Insider reported that there are numerous ways in which Tesla's innovations revolutionized the EV industry. Read Also: Sony Blocks 'Roblox' on PlayStation Over Child Safety Concerns, But Now Considers a Softer Stance These include the following technologies: Steering Yoke : Although Tesla's steering yoke was criticized by numerous individuals, it still pushed the boundaries of traditional automotive design. : Although Tesla's steering yoke was criticized by numerous individuals, it still pushed the boundaries of traditional automotive design. Autopilot : One of the greatest innovations of Tesla is its Autopilot and FSD. These autonomous systems are still far from perfect. But, they paved the way for an autonomous driving future. : One of the greatest innovations of Tesla is its Autopilot and FSD. These autonomous systems are still far from perfect. But, they paved the way for an autonomous driving future. Temperature Control : Another big innovation of Tesla is its EVs' capability to control the temperature without the car being turned on. Despite having no engine, Tesla electric cars can still run air conditioning and heat systems. : Another big innovation of Tesla is its EVs' capability to control the temperature without the car being turned on. Despite having no engine, Tesla electric cars can still run air conditioning and heat systems. Structural Battery Packs: Tesla's structural battery packs allow its EVs to have more space inside the cabin, as well as the trunk and frunk areas. These are just some of the most influential Tesla innovations. You can click here to see more. Tesla is Not Just About EVs There's no denying that Tesla is the best EV manufacturer in the market as of writing. But, Elon Musk's car company is not just about producing electric vehicles. Tesla also offers other products. Because of its wide-range business, the giant automaker is considered to be among the most innovative companies across the globe. MakeUseOf provided other products that Tesla offers to its consumers: Tesla offers its Supercharger stations. With over 30,000 superchargers in different countries, the automaker was able to make EV charging more accessible and easier to operate. Tesla also sells its advanced Megapack batteries, which are designed to store energy on a large scale. For the past few years, Tesla's Megapack batteries have been used in businesses, houses, and even power entire cities during outages. In 2016, Tesla unveiled its Solar Roof. These solar roof tiles are designed to collect energy from the sun and convert this power into electricity. Related Article: Polestar, Xingji Meizu Work Together To Create a New Operating System for Chinese Electronic Vehicles @ 2023 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Three in five employees have said their mental health has declined this year as a result of workplace stress, a poll has found. Despite Irish employers spending millions on wellness initiatives every year, 55 per cent of professionals still think that their employer is not doing enough to combat stress in the workplace. Advertisement According to a poll of 2,000 Irish workers by recruitment firm Robert Walters, 60 per cent of professionals said they have suffered from some form of workplace-related stress this year. When asked how often they feel this way, a third said very often, with a further 27 per cent stating somewhat often, and 31 per cent identified it as happening sometimes. Just 9 per cent said they had not experienced any form of reoccurring stress at work this year. Concerns over job stability were the most common trigger for 45 per cent of people surveyed. This was followed by more pressure from management for 23 per cent, lack of a pay rise for 19 per cent and taking on a heftier workload this year for 13 per cent. Advertisement When asked whose responsibility it was to manage workplace stress, 45 per cent of professionals said it was down to HR and senior leaders, 34 per cent said line managers and only one fifth said it was down to the individual. Advertisement However, less than a fifth of professionals feel employers are doing enough, a further 27 per cent feel some efforts have been made, but they are lacking and 55 per cent state that employers simply arent doing enough. Wellness initiatives Suzanne Feeney, country manager of Robert Walters Ireland, said: Irish employers spend an estimated 100 to 200 per employee on wellness initiatives & benefits every year but our survey indicates they may only be applying a band-aid. Simple interventions such as making sure workloads are manageable, setting realistic deadlines and making sure employees have access to support, safe spaces and relevant resources, can all help to alleviate pressure in the workplace as well as professionals day-to-day work life. Long work hours, heavy workloads, tight deadlines, unclear job expectations, job insecurity and conflicts with colleagues or supervisors are all factors which contribute towards workplace stress. Workplace stress can snowball into higher turnover rates, levels of employee burnout, absenteeism and lower levels of productivity. Of those surveyed, 51 per cent identified their companys output as high, with almost a quarter noting it was of a low quality. A minister has said that the British government is concerned about Channel 4s ability to stop relying on advertisement revenue amid a tougher business climate. Sir John Whittingdale MP was appearing before the Culture, Media and Sport Committee on Tuesday as the Draft Media Bill is scrutinised. Advertisement It comes as the broadcaster reshuffles its schedule after a downturn in the ad-market which it relies on to generate money to commission shows. On Tuesday we will hold the final evidence session of our pre-legislative scrutiny of the Draft Media Bill. We will question:@vlvuk@Ofcom Advertisement Followed by @JWhittingdale @DCMS Watch live from 10am: https://t.co/lwbcrsJfEH pic.twitter.com/j44nyCoVpp Culture, Media and Sport Committee (@CommonsCMS) July 3, 2023 Advertisement Sir John was asked about whether Channel 4 will make its own shows under the new Bill, which will relax the publisher-broadcaster restriction that stops the broadcaster from creating content in-house. Advertisement He said: Were not going to say they have to have a minimum of in-house production, they can have zero in-house production if they wanted. This is a freedom, it does not mean you have to exercise the freedom. We have been concerned about the dependence of Channel 4 on advertising revenue and their inability to diversify in the way that ITV has been so successful so this gives them this opportunity to do so. Advertisement The broadcasters flagship programmes are currently made by independent production companies, with The Great British Bake Off by Love Productions and Gogglebox by Studio Lambert. Sir John was also asked if Channel 4 would be bailed out by taxpayers and did not rule the move out. He said: The Government would not like the idea of having to step-in and provide taxpayers money. Advertisement Sir John Whittingdale appeared before the Culture, Media and Sport Committee. Photo: Nick Ansell/PA. He also said: Channel 4 is a small player in a world of big, big players and they have done remarkably well, particularly in recent years. We know that the climate at the moment is a lot tougher than it has been. Sir John also said all commercial broadcasters are under increased pressure. They are operating in a very challenging environment, he added. (In-house commissioning) is not a silver bullet, its not going to suddenly remove the pressures we hope (it) will sustain them. Advertisement In June, Channel 4s content chief Ian Katz wrote a letter to suppliers acknowledging challenges for the broadcaster in the advertising market. He wrote: Our objective through this period has been to preserve planned production. Regrettably weve had to rest or not proceed with a small number of shows before they were financially greenlit. Mr Katz said the broadcaster will be commissioning relatively little over the summer months outside of digital and current affairs. However, he said the challenges are cyclical and the product of weakness in the wider economy impacting the advertising market. The government of Switzerland said on Tuesday that it intends to take part in the European Sky Shield air defense umbrella, a decision that critics claim is inconsistent with the nation's long-standing reputation of neutrality. During a meeting with her counterparts from Austria and Germany on Friday, Swiss Defense Minister Viola Amherd will sign a declaration of intent to participate in the program, as reported by Reuters. A shared air defense program called European Sky Shield was established by Germany in 2022 to strengthen European air defense, a concern that has gained more attention in the wake of Russia's invasion of Ukraine. The Sky Shield project currently has the support of 17 European nations, including Germany, Britain, Finland, and Sweden. By coordinating the purchase of air and missile defense systems like the Patriot missile system, it hopes to reduce costs for the purchasing nations. Additionally, it strives to promote collaboration in logistics, maintenance, and training. Since Russia's invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, neutral Switzerland has come under increasing pressure from its European neighbors to back Ukraine militarily by authorizing the re-export of Swiss-made weapons. Last week, Bern denied RUAG's proposal to purchase 96 Leopard 1 A5 main battle tanks for deployment in Ukraine. RUAG is a Swiss defense company. Additionally, it has previously overruled pleas from Germany and Denmark to assist Ukraine with armored vehicles and ammunition developed in Switzerland. The neutrality lobby in Switzerland has expressed worry in response to the Sky Shield action. He expressed fear that the decision would render Switzerland militarily dependent on NATO and other nations, making it a target. The Sky Shield The European Sky Shield (ESSI) is a proposed joint air and missile defense system for Europe. It was launched in October 2022 by Germany, and it is currently supported by 17 countries, including 15 NATO members. (Photo: by Robert Hradil/Getty Images) GENEVA, SWITZERLAND - MAY 03: General view of the Pont du Mont-Blanc bridge with flags of Switzerland, Geneva, and Health Forum on May 3, 2022, in Geneva, Switzerland. Switzerland, which has a long tradition of neutrality in international politics, has joined the European in a broad selection of sanctions against Russia. The goal of ESSI is to strengthen NATO's Integrated Air and Missile Defense (IAMD) system and to provide more comprehensive and integrated air defense for Europe. ESSI is expected to be a significant investment, but it is also seen as a necessary step to ensure the security of Europe in the face of increasing air and missile threats. Read also: Russian Lawmaker: Move United Nations Headquarters To Neutral Country Like Switzerland Swiss Neutrality and Sky Shield Switzerland is a neutral country, which means that it does not take sides in wars or conflicts. This neutrality has been a cornerstone of Swiss foreign policy for centuries. Some people argue that joining the Sky Shield initiative would not violate Switzerland's neutrality because it is a defensive system. They argue that the system would only be used to defend against air and missile threats and that it would not be used to attack other countries. Others argue that joining the Sky Shield initiative would violate Switzerland's neutrality because it would involve cooperation with NATO members. They argue that this cooperation would give NATO a foothold in Switzerland and that it could lead to Switzerland being drawn into a future conflict. Related article: Dropping of Switzerland Neutrality Urges the Pro-Ukraine Shift @ 2023 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. There is evidence of political interference in the awarding of the new 800 million contract for the State's search and rescue service, it has been claimed in the High Court. In May, Bristow Ireland, a subsidiary of the US-based Bristow group, was announced as the preferred bidder. The current provider, CHC Ireland, has brought a legal challenge claiming there were a number of flaws in the conduct of the tender competition. Advertisement CHC, which is one of the largest global operators of rotary wing aircraft, employs 141 people in Ireland. It was awarded the current contract in 2012 for 10 years and has exercised options to extend up to July 2025. Its proceedings are against the Minister for Transport, with Bristow as a notice party. During a hearing on Tuesday over whether the court should lift an automatic suspension on the awarding of the new contract pending the determination of the challenge, Catherine Donnelly SC, for CHC, argued the suspension should stay in place because of a number of striking or unusual aspects to the awarding of the contract. Advertisement These included that confidential had been shared during the process and certain evaluators had previously worked for Bristow, she said. Advertisement Another was that there was evidence of "political interference in this competition". Independent Senator Gerard Craughwell, in a Seanad contribution on May 31st, said he was "not one bit sorry" that CHC had lost the contract, counsel said. Mr Craughwell added that "this House and committee did much work that influenced the way this contract went," counsel said. This, counsel added, was "a very clear statement from a public representative saying there was political influence in the outcome". Ms Donnelly said it was not in the public interest that there was a race to sign this contract in circumstances where her side had raised serious doubts about the Bristow service where many of its (Bristow's) claims have not been properly addressed. Advertisement Counsel also said the claim that there was an urgency to the contract being signed to ensure a two-year transition period could start soon showed that, unlike other public procurement cases, there was no allowance for slippage when it came to awarding the new contract. The transition plan was a "high wire act," she said. Public interest Douglas Clarke SC, for the Minister, denied there was any political interference and said it was 15 years and six years since the evaluators had worked for Bristow, which was sufficient to ensure no conflict of interest. Advertisement Counsel had earlier said the balance of justice was against the continuing of the suspension. A number of public interest factors favoured this position because of the urgent imperative to conclude the contract with Bristow due to the life-saving nature of the service. It was also to ensure there is no gap between the expiration of the current contract and when the new contract commences on July 1st, 2025, counsel said. Advertisement There was a further public interest in ensuring the enhanced Bristow service is in place in 2025 and the need to ensure certainty with regard to the employees of CHC, counsel said. If CHC fails to prevent the contract from being concluded and should it win when its full challenge is heard, damages would be an adequate remedy for it, he said. However, damages would not be an adequate remedy for the Minister if one or more lives were lost as a result of the dispute. Johathan Newman SC, for Bristow, urged the court not to grant an injunction which would prevent the contract being awarded to his client. CHC had made a "really extraordinary submission" claiming the public interest favoured it because, it claimed, Bristow will not be able to deliver and that their (CHC's) aircraft are self-evidently better, which Bristow disputes, he said. Advertisement CHC claims that there could be a short extension of their current contract to facilitate the legal proceedings was to imply that it was simply a matter of "pulling down the lever and off goes the transition plan out of the traps", he said. What the court was being asked to do was take a leap in the dark, he said. Mr Newman also said when counsel for CHC was asked to elaborate on her political interference claim she said it was not one of her most important ponts. Yet she had led off on this allegation which made one take a very jaundiced view of the CHC claims, he said. Mr Justice Michael Twomey reserved his decision. Taoiseach Leo Varadkar and Sinn Fein finance spokesman Pearse Doherty clashed in the Dail ahead of the Governments Summer Economic Statement. Speaking during Leaders Questions, Mr Doherty accused the Government of failing to deliver on core issues such as housing and health. Advertisement The reason we have record levels of homelessness in this State is because youre in Government and Fine Gael is in government. The reason why rents are out of control is because youre in government and Fine Gael is in government. The reason why an entire generation have given up and are emigrating to places in Sydney and Toronto and New York and London is because Fine Gael are in government, and they have knocked home ownership beyond the reach of an entire generation. Advertisement Mr Doherty said while the Irish economy has much to celebrate, housing has deteriorated into a disaster and the crisis in health has gotten worse day by day under Fine Gael-led governments. Advertisement Mr Varadkar said the economy had full employment, rising incomes and record levels of trade and investment. Sinn Fein TD Pearse Doherty. Photo: PA/Damien Storan. He said the Summer Economic Statements parameters for the next budget will include a tax package of over one billion euro for working families. Advertisement The Taoiseach said the spending package will allow for increases in areas such as welfare and pensions as well as health, housing and education. He said the government would be able to do this because there had not been a Sinn Fein government for the last 12 years. If we follow the advice that we got from Sinn Fein for the last 12 years, wed we have a very different Summer Economic Statement today. We wouldnt be talking about full employment, wed be talking about how to find money to pay for jobseekers benefit. Advertisement We wouldnt be talking about record levels of trade and investment, wed be talking about a budget deficit, how were going to borrow the money to close that deficit. Advertisement Labour leader Ivana Bacik. Photo: PA/Brian Lawless. Labour leader Ivana Bacik also criticised the Governments approach to housing and homelessness. Advertisement She said: Your government is failing the 12,500 people now in homelessness. Ms Bacik said her office had been in touch with a mother-of-three who is in fear of eviction. She said the woman is sleeping on a couch in an apartment rented under the Housing Assistance Payments scheme while her newborn baby sleeps in a pram. Theyre in fear of losing even the limited space they have. Your governments policies are not helping her and theyre not helping renters. Mr Varadkar said: Of course, we need to do more for people facing homelessness. And it is important to bear in mind the while there are 12,000 people in emergency accommodation provided by the State who are homeless, its not the same people were lifting people out of homelessness all the time. A judge has cautioned against downloading templates of wills from the internet which, she said, is an extremely unsafe method for ensuring ones intentions are carried out after death. Ms Justice Siobhan Stack, who oversees the High Courts probate list, said there are examples of solicitor-drafted wills causing difficulties of interpretation, but such difficulties are much more likely to arise in the case of a homemade will. Advertisement She urged members of the public to make a will with professional advice and to update it from time to time. The judge made the comments when ruling that the will of William John Murphy, late of Coill Dubh, Naas, Co Kildare, was not void for uncertainty, despite the difficulties of interpreting it. However, she said, the use of the internet-sourced template significantly reduced the assets available for distribution to the beneficiaries under the will, as, even if these proceedings seeking its interpretation were not brought, the estates executor would most likely have needed to bring a summons questioning its construction. Advertisement Mr Murphy died in November 2021 a bachelor without living children. He left a house and surrounding lands worth about 335,000 and some 23,000 in a credit union, 298 of which is for distribution under the will. Advertisement His brother Brendan Murphy was named as executor of his estate and was the defendant in the action brought by three named beneficiaries: Adrienne Goodwin, Patricia Kennedy and Martin Kennedy, who contended that the will was hopelessly confusing, contradictory and void in whole or in part for uncertainty, the judge said. The plaintiffs, who are nieces and a nephew of the deceased, sought the courts interpretation of the will, whose valid execution was not challenged. They were named alongside six other niece and nephew beneficiaries under the additional provisions section of the will, which provided for any monies to be divided among the nine once my funeral expenses are paid in full. A clause in the will stated that any beneficiary who contests the will in any court shall not then be entitled to any benefits under it, is likely void as being contrary to public policy, said Ms Justice Stack. Advertisement However, she added, there appears to be nothing available for distribution to the plaintiffs, so this question does not need to be determined. Online will templates Advertisement Another niece, Fiona Murphy, who is the daughter of the executor, told the court the deceased wanted to make a will and she asked him to go to a solicitor, but he refused. He asked for her assistance so she searched online and found a company providing online will templates for a fee. She said she filled it out online with his instructions. This included leaving to her his house and adjoining three fields, which were next to land where she lived for more than 20 years. Ms Murphy claimed the deceased was fond of her daughters horse and wanted it to have use of the lands. He also wanted to ensure the land would remain in the Murphy family name, she said. Advertisement The will was witnessed by two of her sisters friends who were acquainted with the deceased, she said. She later asked him again to seek a lawyer but he refused, Ms Murphy added. The judge noted that if the deceased had left no will his estate would have been divided into four equal shares, with his three surviving siblings each getting a quarter of the estate and the final quarter divided between the children of his predeceased brother. Advertisement Dealing with the plaintiffs application, Ms Justice Stack said no ambiguity arose from certain blank spaces and the use of the plural possessive pronoun their where only one beneficiary was named. It was also her view that it was clear that the phrase any moneys should refer to the 298 left in the credit union which will obviously have been dissipated by payment of the funeral expenses. Advertisement There is no basis for extending the phrase to include the house and land, which fall to be distributed under other clauses, she held. 'Wipeout provision' More difficult to interpret was that one clause evidently purported to create a residuary gift for Fiona Murphy, while another, headed wipeout provision, quite clearly leaves 100 per cent of the residue of the estate to her daughter, said the judge. The phrase wipeout provision does not exist in Irish, English or Welsh law, said the judge, so she turned to understand the natural and ordinary meaning of the wording. She believed it referenced a potential death of a recipient and meant that Fiona Murphys daughter was to inherit the residue of the estate if Fiona Murphy predeceased him. If she is wrong on that, she said the admissible extrinsic evidence established that the deceased intended this outcome. The judge said she believes the interpretations in her judgment will allow the executor to proceed to distribute the estate. However, she will hear from the parties if he requires specific answers to further questions he posed in reply to the plaintiffs case. A company has brought a High Court challenge over the awarding of an 8 million contract for the provision of an information technology platform that supports the Department of Education's management of the administration and resourcing of schools. Some 13,000 school principals and secretaries access the management portal for around 3,300 primary schools and 730 post primary schools via 'www.esinet.ie', the court heard. Advertisement Dublin-based IT firm Version1 Software Ltd claims that in awarding the contract, the Minister for Education failed to comply with public procurement regulations. The contract was awarded to Ernst and Young (EY). Version1 says, among other things, there were manifest errors of assessment in evaluating and/or scoring tenders from both Version1 and EY. It also claims the Minister failed to inform it of the reasons, or give adequate reasons, for the rejection of its tender. Advertisement It seeks orders and declarations, including that the decision to award the contract was unlawful and that it be set aside. In a statement of opposition, the Minister says Version1 is not entitled to any of the reliefs it seeks. Mr Justice Denis McDonald entered the case into the fast track commercial list on consent between the parties. The court heard an application will be made to lift an automatic suspension on the awarding of the contract pending determination of the challenge. Green Party MEP Ciaran Cuffe is calling for a ban on rent increases for buildings with F-rated energy or lower to protect vulnerable people who are having difficulty paying bills. Mr Cuffe was speaking on Newstalk Breakfast and later on RTE radios Today with Claire Byrne show when he said that tenants who were living in poorly insulated buildings were struggling to afford rising energy bills and, in some cases, rent increases. Advertisement Ireland should follow the example of Belgium where the government had indicated that landlords could not increase rent unless energy efficiency was improved. It's a sensible idea, and I think it would do a lot to protect tenants who are experiencing the cost of living crisis in Ireland at the moment. Landlords could upgrade their ratings through insulation in the attic, or thermostatic valves on the radiators, he said. It would not cost the earth and could bring down heating bills significantly. Advertisement Mr Cuffe said that relatively simple measures could save on bills, from draught-proofing doors and windows to thermostatic valves on radiators or putting rolls of insulation in the attic. Advertisement The MEP said his concern was not for landlords, it was for tenants who pay the bills. Up to now we have no real reason or motivation for the landlord to improve the energy performance of the building. When asked if there was a fear that landlords could raise rents if they carry out improvements, Mr Cuffe said that was not necessarily the case. Even if the rent does go up, at least there's a saving on the energy bills. "Really what I want to try and do here is reduce the amount of energy that's being used in buildings and protect vulnerable people who are having real difficulty paying bills at the moment. The measures which he was proposing would not mean that tenants would have to move out, and the Government would safeguard against this. Rent pressure zones would ensure this did not happen. Mr Cuffe said the rent increase ban would also help to tackle issues such as climate change. The bigger picture was the level of greenhouse gas emissions coming from buildings, which was about a third of the European Union's carbon budget and about 40 percent of energy. An Irish tourist arrested on suspicion of murdering his partner at their Spanish hotel was reportedly seen arguing with her before she was found dead. The couple had spent hours in a state of anger according to sources quoted by respected Catalan newspaper El Periodico. Advertisement It also claimed the 30-year-old holidaymaker held after his 36-year-old partners violent death at the four-star Magnolia Hotel in the Costa Dorada resort of Salou 70 miles south of Barcelona, is refusing to cooperate with police and "slowed" attempts to contact the dead woman's next-of-kin by allegedly declining to give them any helpful information. He is still at a police station in Tarragona and officers have until Wednesday to hand him over to an investigating judge for further questioning. A well-placed source said on Tuesday morning it was unlikely he would appear in court today. The victim, described as a mother-of-two, is said to have been strangled with a ligature. Advertisement Police and other emergency responders found her dead in a second-floor corridor outside her hotel room after a 999 call from the hotel around 9.30pm on Sunday. Advertisement The man police have in custody was lying injured beside her with a wrist wound police detectives have described as self-inflicted he is thought to have sustained after cutting himself with glass. He was transferred to a police station after being taken to a hospital in Tarragona and treated while under police guard. Police statement The regional Mossos dEsquadra police force, which is investigating Sundays killing, has yet to comment officially since a statement released yesterday. The statement said: Officers from the Mossos d'Esquadras Criminal Investigation Decision in Tarragona have arrested a man allegedly related to the violent death of a woman in Salou on Sunday night. Advertisement The events occurred around half past nine when the Mossos received a warning from a hotel in Salou saying a woman was seriously injured. When they arrived at the scene, the officers found a woman lying on the floor and a man next to her with a self-inflicted wound. Although emergency medical responders tried to revive the woman, they were finally only able to certify her death. Advertisement Officers arrested the man as the alleged perpetrator of the death. Investigation They went on to confirm the arrested man was 30, with sources close to the investigation later confirming both the woman and the detainee were Irish. Advertisement A minutes silence was held for the unnamed victim on Monday evening at Salou Town Hall. Mayor Pere Granados and the regional governments Minister for Equality Tania Verge were among those who took part. Confirming the Salou killing was being treated as a gender-related crime, the department Tania heads said: A new feminicide is confirmed in Salou. It is the seventh registered in Catalonia in 2023. We will not stop until we can all live free from male violence. If you need it ask for help. The 72-room Magnolia Hotel, which is one street back from the seafront, describes itself as a Four Star Superior hotel on its website. Advertisement It says: Magnolia Hotel Salou is a specialised establishment offering an Adults Only or Child Free experience, meaning it is a hotel designed exclusively for adults. Our hotel in Salou is committed to offering a place where relaxation, peace and quiet are the most important values. So, both the hotel activities and facilities are geared towards the needs of adults travelling without children. Magnolia Hotel is a cosmopolitan, modern Adults Only establishment with carefully designed interiors that aims to offer guests a chic experience away from the hustle and bustle and noise of other types of hotels. The Sunday Game presenter Jacqui Hurley and her insurers Allianz have settled a 60,000 damages claim after she rear-ended another car on the M4 exit on the M50. In the Civil Circuit Court, Judge John OConnor heard a nine-year-old boy, Morgan Gladney, who is now 14, had been injured in the collision on May 25th, 2018. Advertisement Ms Hurley, whose address was given as c/o Allianz Insurers, Allianz House, Elmpark, Merrion Road, Dublin 4, had conceded liability after her vehicle collided with the vehicle driven by Morgans mother, the court was told. Morgan and his father Richard, of Rokeby, Lucan, Co Dublin. Morgan had brought the claim through his father Richard, of Rokeby, Lucan, Co Dublin, represented by barrister Tim Sheehan, who appeared with Coyne Solicitors. The court heard Morgan was a passenger in his mothers car and hit his head off the headrest in front of him. He was shocked, distressed and suffered from intermittent headaches following the incident. Advertisement Judge OConnor was told the scene of the collision was chaotic as Ms Hurley was very distressed because her own baby was in the back of her car at the time. An ambulance was called and firefighters attended the scene, but no one at the scene required hospitalisation. Advertisement In the boys claim, it was alleged that Ms Gladneys car was hit at speed by Ms Hurleys vehicle and the impact was severe. Morgan was treated the following day by Dr Turlough Bolger in Tallaght Hospital, with x-rays revealing there were no bone injuries. Mr Sheehan told Judge OConnor that Morgan had recovered after about three months and the Injuries Board had assessed damages for him at 5,000, which was initially deemed by another court to be insufficient. Counsel informed the court that Ms Hurley and her insurers had doubled the offer to 10,000, together with expenses of 339, which Judge OConnor approved as appropriate. Ms Hurley was not in court for the legal ruling, which was conducted by video from Judge OConnors chambers. A High Court judge has urged the parties involved in six actions brought by the family of an American couple who died after their pony and trap plunged down a steep rocky ravine in the Gap of Dunloe, Killarney, Co Kerry to enter mediation talks. The cases were due to kick off at the High Court next week, but the court has been asked to adjourn the trial of the actions to next October. Advertisement Kerry County Council said two of the engineers on its side would not be available to give evidence in the last two weeks in July. Mr Justice Paul Coffey was told that there was a very significant liability issue involved and the hearing of the actions may not be completed in the two weeks allotted, but could run to four weeks. Advertisement The family of Rosalyn Joy Few, (64), and her partner Normand Larose, (62) have sued Kerry County Council and the pony and trap driver, man Dan Casey of Beaufort, Killarney as a result of the accident at the beauty spot on April 9th, 2018. Dream holiday Rosalyn Joy Few and her partner Mr Larose of Phoenix, Arizona who were on the second day of their dream holiday to Ireland were in the first pony and trap with members of their family travelling in two other traps behind, when the accident happened on the narrow mountain pass towards Kate Kearneys Cottage. Advertisement All the claims made in each case are denied. In the High Court on Tuesday, Mr |Justice Paul Coffey noting the complexity of the claims said he would adjourn the trial of the actions on the express condition Kerry County Council and Mr Casey consent to mediation talks. Counsel for the family members Liam Reidy SC instructed by solicitor Adrian Hegarty earlier told the court that an offer of mediation had been refused by both defendants. He asked that the case be dealt with expeditiously. Expert witnesses counsel said could be the facilitated by video link. The court heard there were six cases with two equine experts, an engineer and two psychiatrists listed to give expert witnesses as well as 31 witnesses as to fact on the family side. Counsel for Kerry County Council, Henry Downing SC said it was not expected that the evidence from the family side would be finished by the end of next week. Advertisement PTSD Advertisement Counsel for Mr Casey, John Lucey SC pointed out that it is a very contentious case with a number of claims for post-traumatic stress disorder. Both counsel said they would have no difficulty with the judges proposal and said they would take instructions on the matter. Mr Justice Coffey told all the parties to liaise in relation to mediation and an adjournment date for the hearing of the actions. Ms Fews family have filed five of the actions. Ms Fews daughter Tonya Tier of West Richmond, Washington has sued on behalf of her family over the death of her mother and also sued for nervous shock. Ms Tiers husband Bill Walther and children Gavin (now 14) and Kaitlyn (now 20) have sued for nervous shock. Mr Laroses brother, Yvan Larose from Magog, Quebec, Canada has brought a separate action on behalf of the Larose family who live in Canada over the death of Normand Larose in the accident. Advertisement In all of the actions it is claimed the pony and trap was allegedly caused to lose control on an alleged particularly treacherous stretch of roadway and tumble into a deep ravine. It is further claimed there was an alleged failure to have any policies, procedures, protocols or other methods in place to ensure the safety of visitors to the Gap of Dunloe. It is also claimed there was an alleged failure to ensure that the traps in which passengers were travelling were fitted with adequate braking systems or other security measures such as would ensure the safety of passengers. In the proceedings it is further claimed there was an alleged failure to erect any barriers, warning signs or other measures to ensure the safety of visitors approaching that particular section of the roadway. There was it is contended an alleged failure to warn visitors or passengers of the danger of which allegedly existed. All the claims are denied by the defendants. A man who was on trial accused of raping his partner's 23-month-old toddler with an object has pleaded guilty to charges of reckless endangerment and child cruelty. The jury in the Central Criminal Court trial of the 30-year-old Dublin man was due to hear closing speeches on Tuesday, but was instead told the man had agreed to plead guilty to five charges, which would bring the trial to an end. Advertisement Mr Justice David Keane told the jury that the man's guilty pleas were acceptable to the Director of Public Prosecutions. He thanked jury members for their service, noting the difficult subject matter they had dealt with and he exempted them from jury duty for ten years. At the start of the trial nearly two weeks ago, the man pleaded not guilty to 10 charges, including section 4 rape, sexual assault and reckless endangerment of the toddler, as well as child cruelty to her and her brother, on dates between February and April 2018. Advertisement The girl was 23 months old and the boy was aged between two and three at the time of the alleged offences, when the accused was their mother's partner. The man cannot be named to protect the identities of the children. On Tuesday, he pleaded guilty to one count of reckless endangerment of the toddler by placing her at risk of substantial harm on dates between March 29th, 2013, and April 5th, 2018. He also pleaded guilty to two counts of child cruelty towards her and two counts of child cruelty towards her brother on April 5th, 2018. The charges carry a maximum sentence of seven years. Advertisement The trial heard the family was under investigation by gardai at the time of the offending and had been referred to Tusla the previous November after the girl, then 18 months, was taken to hospital covered in bruises. In his opening to the jury, Shane Costelloe SC, prosecuting, told the trial that on April 5th, 2018, the girl was again taken to hospital at the behest of gardai and social workers after gardai were alerted to the man failing to look after the two small children in a Dublin shopping centre. The girl was again covered in bruises, had a bloody nose and appeared unwell. Injuries Advertisement In the hospital, she was discovered to have a severe genital injury with perineal disruption, medical experts told the trial. Doctors told the jury no explanation was given by her mother or the man as to how the injury had occurred. Doctors said the injury could have become infected, or developed into sepsis, if it had continued to be left untreated. The child may have medical complications in later life as a result of the injury, the court was told. Advertisement The toddler also had an old fractured wrist injury which had gone untreated, and was covered in bruises with some bite marks, the court heard. Both children were immediately taken into care in the wake of her hospitalisation. When asked by Seamus Clarke SC, defending the man, if the severe genital injury to the girl could have occurred accidentally, one paediatrician likened the injuries to a traumatic car injury or a fall resulting in impaling. She noted the child's caregivers gave no such explanation, or any explanation at all, as to how the injury could have occurred. Another doctor told the court he could not say how the injuries occurred, but mentioned three possibilities blunt force injuries, straddle injuries or penetrative injuries. Advertisement Despite their extreme youth at the time of the offending, both children were interviewed by specialist gardai about the allegations a couple of years later. The girl was interviewed shortly after her fourth birthday. The boy was interviewed when he was four and again when he was five. Advertisement During her garda interview, the girl told gardai that the accused man bit her on her private area and that he also hit her on her privates with a stick. She said it was really sore, that she was crying and only a baby at the time. The boy told gardai the man was a bold daddy. He didn't tell the truth, the little boy said, adding: He hurted us. He said the man hurt him and his sister every day and laughed about it. The man spent much of his time bent over double in the dock and appeared emotional when the garda interviews were being played in court. He was otherwise mostly expressionless throughout the trial. He occasionally brought a puzzle book to court. Cross-examination Both children, now aged seven and eight, were briefly cross-examined at trial by defence counsel. This took place via videolink and with an intermediary present to support them. Advertisement Advertisement Prior to the girl's cross-examination and in the absence of the jury, prosecution counsel asked that care be taken not to pan out in the courtroom and show the accused man, as this would be detrimental to the child. The court also heard the little boy has anxiety issues and is hyper-vigilant. Under questioning, the little girl said she could not now remember living with the man, or any of the allegations she made to gardai when she was four. When asked if she could have been mistaken in relation to what she said about the man hitting her on her vagina with a stick, the girl paused momentarily before shaking her head and saying: No. When cross-examined at trial, the boy also said he could not now remember anything the man had allegedly done. In legal argument in the absence of the jury, Mr Clarke argued that neither the medical evidence nor the testimony of the girl was able to establish beyond reasonable doubt that the genital injury was as a result of penetration. He submitted the prosecution case was that the man penetrated her with an object, but that the girl did not tell gardai this. He said that while one had to be accommodating of the language of a child, she said he hit her with a stick. Advertisement Mr Clarke submitted that these were young children giving evidence of a time when they were at a very tender age. He noted the specialist garda interview of the girl took place two years and one month after the date of the alleged offence, and she was cross-examined at trial over five years after it allegedly occurred. He noted the children now have no memories of the evidence they gave to gardai and there was no psychological evidence before the court of when children lay down memories. He suggested policy-makers need to be aware of this issue and that garda interviews and cross-examinations need to be closer together in time. Further legal argument on these issues were due to take place this week, but instead a plea deal was reached between the parties and the man entered the guilty pleas. Last year, the children's mother pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to two counts of recklessly endangering her children, with five counts of child cruelty taken into account. She was given a five-year jail sentence in July 2022, but she is appealing the severity of this sentence in the Court of Appeal. Investigation The man fled the jurisdiction shortly after the girl was hospitalised and has been in custody since his return. He gave one voluntary interview to gardai in January 2018, when the initial investigation into the girl's November 2017 hospitalisation was underway. He told gardai he would never harm the children and that his partner was a good mother. The child cruelty charges the man pleaded guilty to relate to the incident at the shopping centre when the man was seen on CCTV footage walking away from the children, leaving the little boy who had recently turned three to trail through the busy centre holding on to his toddler sister's hand. This footage was played to the jury. Security guards, who also gave evidence at the trial, alerted gardai to the man's behaviour and the children were found standing alone outside a nearby apartment complex a short time later. The little girl was covered in bruises, had a bloody nose, was shivering in the cold and still clutching her brother's hand, the court heard. Creche workers who also gave evidence described how both children had high absenteeism rates. They described how the girl had bruising to her genital area in February 2018, was walking around clutching her genital area and appeared in pain. One creche worker recalled how, despite not knowing her very well, the toddler clung to her and did not want to go home with the man when he came to collect her. In relation to the charges no longer before the court, the man had pleaded not guilty to sexually assaulting the girl by penetrating her vagina with an object and to sexually assaulting her by biting her on her genital area. The man had also pleaded not guilty to failing to seek medical help for an injury to the girl's wrist and causing bruising to her face and body. In relation to the boy, the man had denied a charge of causing bruising to his penis, body and face. He will be sentenced for the reckless endangerment charge and the child cruelty charges on October 9th. If you have been affected by any of the issues raised in this article, you can call the national 24-hour Rape Crisis Helpline at 1800-77 8888, access text service and webchat options at drcc.ie/services/helpline/, or visit Rape Crisis Help. The Workplace Relations Commission has heard claims that a woman and her husband were asked to leave their rented apartment in Dublin after she informed her landlord that she was pregnant. Business development executive Megan Kenna told the WRC that the couple were told they could not stay in their rented apartment at Island View, Harbour Road, Howth by their landlord, Brendan OBrien, on April 9th, 2022, because of her pregnancy. Advertisement Ms Kenna claimed she was discriminated against on grounds of family status and gender by Mr OBrien under the Equal Status Act. Counsel for Ms Kenna, Michael Kinsley BL, also said that the landlords actions amounted to unlawful harassment. Mr OBriens solicitor, Colm Hickey, rejected the claims and stressed his client was concerned that there was a health and safety issue about a spiral staircase leading to the apartment which was wholly unsuitable for a pregnant woman and children. Advertisement Mr Hickey pointed out that the landlord had also made two offers of alternative accommodation to the couple. Advertisement In evidence, Ms Kenna said she had moved with her husband to Ireland from Barcelona and taken out a 12-month lease on the one-bed apartment in Howth in January 2022 with a monthly rent of 1,650. Ms Kenna became emotional as she described she had found it difficult to have children and was cautious after discovering she was pregnant in February 2022. She told the WRC that she had notified Mr OBrien's partner, Breffini Jones, on April 6th, 2022, that she was expecting a baby. Ms Kenna said she was really surprised and kind of terrified when Ms Jones informed her the next day that the landlord did not believe the apartment was suitable for a baby. Advertisement She told the WRC that it was a stressful experience when Mr OBrien called to see them on April 9th, 2022, when he told them that he did not want a child in the apartment. 'Make our lives hell' Ms Kenna said she and her husband decided to move out shortly afterwards as the landlord was going to make our lives hell. She said the impact of having to leave the apartment was immense as her landlord was wanting to evict her at a time she was hoping to celebrate her pregnancy. Advertisement Ms Kenna said she feared losing her pregnancy because of the stress and having to move home in a housing crisis. Advertisement She claimed she wanted to be a voice for other women as this situation should never happen. The WRC heard she had required additional ante-natal visits because of her anxiety, while her obstetrician had decided that she was not suitable for a vaginal delivery due to her stress levels. Under cross-examination by Mr Hickey, Ms Kenna admitted she had recorded her conversation with the landlord as he was aggressive and had declared war. She agreed that Mr OBrien had offered them another nearby apartment at the same rent but described it as very gross as the toilet was filthy and there was a lot of grime and grease. Advertisement Ms Kenna pointed out her current apartment also had a spiral staircase that was perfectly safe. However, Mr Hickey remarked that there was a major difference as the staircase in his clients apartment was an external one. Asked by WRC adjudicator, Andrew Heavey, if she accepted that Mr OBrien was trying to help her, Ms Kenna said that he could have fixed the stairs if that was his concern. Advertisement The WRC heard a recording of the meeting between Ms Keane and her landlord, with Mr OBrien opening the conversation by stating: I cant allow a child in this apartment. He maintained that he had contractually signed a lease with two people and not with three parties. He explained the health and safety issue with the spiral staircase was the only reason he was asking them to move out. If something happens, Ill get screwed, said Mr OBrien. I cant take a risk in having a child on that staircase. However, Mr OBrien said he was in the process of buying another nearby apartment which he was prepared to offer to the couple to rent but only on a monthly lease as he needed to carry out building work on it. Ill look after you. I own a lot of stuff around here, he added. Mr OBrien said there was no need to panic as there was no imminent need to move. 'It's my property' Asked if he did not have insurance to cover any accident in the apartment, Mr OBrien said he did not want to argue. Im the landlord. Its my property, he retorted. Advertisement He told the couple he was not prepared to take a risk whether he had insurance or not. At another stage he remarked: Im a wealthy man. Im not going to expose myself to someone who will take me to town. The landlord claimed the couple would be breaching the terms of the tenancy by bringing a third party into the apartment. Mr OBrien, who said he also owned 36 houses in Manchester, said his modus operandi is to keep everyone safe and to keep me from being sued. Although he acknowledged that what he was telling the couple was a shock to them, he added: Im not one of these pushy landlords. Im a decent man. In evidence, Mr OBrien said there were 46 steps in the steel staircase and he would not allow his own daughter to live there even though she wanted to. The chartered surveyor said the issue was simple as he could not sleep at night at the thought of someone carrying a buggy up the staircase. Mr OBrien said he felt quite intimidated at being before the WRC, as he had never been accused of discrimination in 34 years of renting properties, while he also took umbrage at their conversation being recorded by Ms Kenna. Im not a villain, he added. Mr OBrien said he was sorry that his former tenant suffered stress in her pregnancy, but insisted he had not discriminated against her and was only trying to help. He said he had never issued Ms Kenna with an eviction notice and had treated her in a humane manner. At the outset of the hearing, the WRC rejected an application by Mr OBriens solicitor, who handed in a note from his clients doctor, to hold the case in private and to prohibit the identification of the parties involved. A ruling on the case will be published in due course. Antonio Fernandez Rodriguez, director of the University of Las Palmas' Institute of Animal Health and Food Security, agreed to conduct a postmortem on a dead sperm whale washed up on the shore of the Canary Island of La Palma in Spain. Despite the difficulty posed by the rough waves and rising tide, the whale was examined to discover the cause of its death. To rule out digestive issues, Fernandez examined the animal's intestines and found something hard lodged inside. The stone he extracted was 50-60 centimeters in diameter and weighed 9.5 kilograms, he claimed. "The waves were washing over the whale. Everyone was watching when I returned to the beach but they didn't know that what I had in my hands was ambergris," he stated. What Makes Ambergris a Rare Substance? According to The Guardian, only after industrial whaling started in the early 19th century was it determined that around one in 100 sperm whales produced ambergris. Most of the squid and cuttlefish that whales consume are not digested and are consequently thrown up. But some stay, and it binds together in the whale's digestive tract over time to become ambergris. Ambergris is often seen floating in the ocean because it is released by various animals. But sometimes, it becomes too big, just like the one inside the whale in La Palma, resulting in gut bursts, killing the whale. For ages, ambergris has been considered the holy grail of perfumers. The appeal of ambergris among perfumers may be attributed to the fact that it has a woody aroma like sandalwood and includes ambrein, an odorless alcohol that can fix and prolong the life of smells. The US, Australia, and India have all joined the EU in banning the commercial sale of ambergris as part of their efforts to protect whale populations. See Also: How the Russian Navy Uses Dolphin Defenses in the Face of Ukraine's Attacks? Making Money to Help Victims of Volcano Eruption Having examined the remains of over a thousand whales, Fernandez concluded that the ambergris caused the animal to die of sepsis. Approximately 430,000 ($540,000) was contained in the lump of ambergris Fernandez held. The institution is now on the market in the hopes of finding a buyer. According to Fernandez, the money they make will be used to assist the victims of the 2021 La Palma volcanic eruption, which cost over 685 million ($872 million) in damages and destroyed hundreds of houses and businesses. "The law is different in every country. In our case, I hope the money will go to the island of La Palma, where the whale ran aground and died," Fernandez stated. However, there are many who are opposed to the university reaping any financial rewards, as reported by Canarian Weekly. Some claim that even if their forensics team detected ambergris in the sperm whale's stomach, the institution should not keep the money since they already have funding and should use it for urgent and essential reasons. See Also: Iceland Pauses Annual Whale Hunt; Is This the End of the Contentious Tradition? @ 2023 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Former US president Bill Clinton, largely credited for ending the Kosovo war more than two decades ago, on Monday told Kosovo's government to stop its actions in the Serb majority north, where tension has flared over the past few months. Kosovo's northern region, home to 50,000 ethnic Serbs, has recently seen its worst tensions since Pristina declared independence from Serbia in 2008. Advertisement Violence erupted in late May after ethnic Albanian mayors took office following a local election in which turnout was just 3.5 per cent after Serbs boycotted the vote. Some 30 Nato peacekeeping soldiers defending three town halls in northern Kosovo were injured in clashes with Serb protesters, and 52 protesters were wounded. "It's easy for the Albanians now in the majority to try to use the moment to make a point. But the real thing we need to do is to stop this foolishness," Mr Clinton said during a ceremony in Tirana where he received a medal from Albania's prime minister Edi Rama. Advertisement Mr Clinton was the most outspoken proponent of Nato intervention to halt killings of Kosovar civilians by Serbian forces as part of Belgrades 1998-99 crackdown on a Kosovo Albanian guerrilla uprising. Advertisement The war ended in June 1999 after 78 days of Nato bombardments against Serbia's forces. The United States and the European Union, Kosovo's main allies, have mainly blamed prime minister Albin Kurti for igniting tension in the north by installing four mayors in their offices with police despite objections from local Serbs. "What major political issue can possibly be advanced by how those four little towns are run?" Mr Clinton said. In Belgrade, Dutch prime minister Mark Rutte said growing tensions between Belgrade and Pristina "cause great concern, as well as the increase in violence". After meeting Serbias president Aleksandar Vucic, he stressed the importance of Belgrade and Pristina taking steps towards de-escalating and normalising relations. "It is crucial for the wider region and Europe as a whole. While the war in Ukraine is raging, it is more important than ever that we act together," Mr Rutte said. The EU has already placed sanctions on Kosovo, including halting a large part of its economic aid, and has threatened more measures if Kurti does not back down. A French court has upheld the freezing of the assets of Lebanons central bank governor, rejecting his appeal to have them released, an official said. Several European countries are investigating central bank governor Riad Salameh and his associates over alleged financial crimes, including illicit enrichment and laundering of 330 million US dollars (259 million). Advertisement A French investigative judge on May 16 issued an international arrest warrant, or Interpol red notice, for Mr Salameh, 72, after he failed to appear in Paris for questioning. France, Germany and Luxembourg in March 2022 froze more than 130 million dollars (102 million) in assets linked to the investigation. The European Union Agency for Criminal Justice Cooperation, or Eurojust, said at the time that the investigation was targeting five suspects accused of money laundering. Advertisement Mr Salameh, who has repeatedly denied charges of corruption had requested that his assets be unfrozen. Advertisement On Tuesday, a French appeals court rejected his appeal, saying that his assets will remain frozen, according to an official close to the investigation who spoke on condition of anonymity in line with regulations. Advertisement The central bank governor has repeatedly said that he made his wealth from his years working as an investment banker at Merrill Lynch, inherited properties and investments. He said he would resign only if convicted of a crime. A Lebanese judge representing the Lebanese state earlier this year charged Mr Salameh, his brother Raja and associate Marianne Hoayek with corruption. Last week, Ms Hoayek was questioned in France and she signed a document pledging not to return to work at the central bank and not to have any contacts with the Salameh brothers and paid a 1.5 million euro (1.28 million) bail, Lebanese judicial officials said. During her questioning, Ms Hoayek denied charges of corruption saying that most of her money was inherited from her father. Advertisement Mr Salameh and his brother Raja did not go to France for questioning. During a visit to Lebanon in March, a European delegation questioned Mr Salameh about the Lebanese central banks assets and investments outside the country, a Paris apartment which the governor owns and his brothers brokerage firm. Advertisement Reports have circulated that the Lebanese central bank had hired Forry Associates Ltd, a brokerage firm owned by Raja, to handle government bond sales from which the firm received 330 million dollars (259 million) in commissions. Riad Salameh, a Lebanese-French citizen, has held his post for almost 30 years, but says he intends to step down after his current term ends at the end of July. Advertisement Once hailed as the guardian of Lebanons financial stability, Mr Salameh since has been heavily blamed for Lebanons financial meltdown. Many say he precipitated the nearly four-year economic crisis, which has plunged three-quarters of Lebanons population of six million into poverty. The Israeli military began withdrawing troops from a militant stronghold in the occupied West Bank late on Tuesday, security officials said, winding down an intense two-day operation that killed at least 12 Palestinians. But heavy fighting between Israeli troops and Palestinian militants continued in parts of the Jenin refugee camp, delaying the planned pullout. Advertisement The development came hours after a Hamas militant rammed his car into a crowded Tel Aviv bus stop and began stabbing people, wounding eight, including a pregnant woman who reportedly lost her baby. The attacker was killed by an armed bystander. Hamas said the attack was revenge for the Israeli offensive. Smoke rises during an Israeli military raid of the militant stronghold of Jenin in the occupied West Bank (Ariel Schalit/AP/PA) Advertisement Visiting a military post outside Jenin, Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu indicated the operation, one of the most intense in the territory in nearly two decades, was nearing its end. But he vowed to carry out similar operations in the future. Advertisement At these moments we are completing the mission, and I can say that our extensive operation in Jenin is not a one-off, he said. The Israeli military said it carried out an airstrike late on Tuesday targeting a militant cell located in a cemetery. It said the gunmen threatened forces moving out of the camp. There was no immediate word on casualties. Israeli and Palestinian officials also reported fighting near a hospital in Jenin late on Tuesday. An Associated Press reporter on the ground could hear explosions and the sound of gunfire. Palestinian hospital officials told the official Wafa news agency that three civilians were hit by Israeli fire. Advertisement An Israeli security official confirmed that troops had begun to leave, but said the withdrawal was complicated by the fighting. He spoke on condition of anonymity pending a formal announcement. Israeli soldiers drive an APC out of the occupied West Bank city of Jenin (Ariel Schalit/AP/PA) Israel struck the camp, known as a bastion of Palestinian militants, early on Monday in an operation it said was aimed at destroying and confiscating weapons. Palestinian health officials said 12 people had been killed and dozens wounded. Advertisement Big military bulldozers tore through alleyways, leaving heavy damage to roads and buildings, and thousands of residents fled the camp. People said electricity and water were knocked out. The army says the bulldozers were necessary because roads were booby-trapped with explosives. Advertisement The military said it had confiscated thousands of weapons, bomb-making materials and caches of money. Weapons were found in militant hideouts and civilian areas alike, in one case beneath a mosque, the military said. The large-scale raid comes amid a more than yearlong spike in violence that has created a challenge for Mr Netanyahus far-right government, which is dominated by ultranationalists who have called for tougher action against Palestinian militants only to see the fighting worsen. More than 140 Palestinians have been killed this year in the West Bank, and Palestinian attacks targeting Israelis have killed at least 25 people, including a shooting last month that killed four settlers. Advertisement The sustained operation has raised warnings from humanitarian groups of a deteriorating situation. Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu, right, and Israels defence minister Yoav Galant arrive for a briefing near the Salem military post between Israel and the West Bank (Shir Torem, Pool/AP/PA) Doctors Without Borders accused the army of firing tear gas into a hospital, filling the emergency room with smoke and forcing emergency patients to be treated in a main hall. The office of the UNs human rights chief said the scale of the operation raises a host of serious issues with respect to international human rights norms and standards, including protecting and respecting the right to life. With airstrikes and a large presence of ground troops, the raid bore hallmarks of Israeli military tactics during the second Palestinian uprising in the early 2000s. Advertisement But there are also differences. It is more limited in scope, with Israeli military operations focused on several strongholds of Palestinian militants. Israeli national security minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, a hard-line settler leader, rushed to the scene of Tuesdays attack in Tel Aviv. We knew that terror would raise its head, Mr Ben-Gvir said. He praised the person who killed the attacker and called for arming more citizens, as he was heckled by an angry onlooker. The attacker was identified as a 20-year-old Palestinian man from the southern West Bank city of Hebron. The Islamic militant group Hamas praised him as a martyr fighter and called the ramming heroic and revenge for the military operation in Jenin. Islamic Jihad, a militant group with a large presence in Jenin, also praised the assault. It was not immediately clear if the man was dispatched by Hamas or acted on his own. In Jenin, rubble littered the streets, and columns of black smoke periodically rose above the skyline over the camp, which has been a flashpoint of Israeli-Palestinian violence for years. Jenin Mayor Nidal Al-Obeidi said around 4,000 Palestinians, nearly one third of the camp, had fled to stay with relatives or in shelters. Advertisement A bomb thrown by a Palestinian explodes next to an Israeli army vehicle during a military raid in the Jenin refugee camp (Majdi Mohammed/AP/PA) Kefah Jaayyasah, a camp resident, said soldiers forcibly entered her home and locked the family inside. They took the young men of my family to the upper floor, and they left the women and children trapped in the apartment at the first floor, she said. She claimed soldiers would not let her take food to the children and blocked an ambulance crew from entering the home when she yelled for help, before eventually allowing the family passage to a hospital. Across the West Bank, Palestinians observed a general strike to protest the Israeli raid. The Palestinian Health Ministry said on Tuesday that the two-day death toll rose to 12. The Israeli military has claimed at least 10 were militants, but did not provide details. There was no immediate information on the latest deaths. The Palestinian self-rule government in the West Bank and three Arab countries with normalised ties with Israel Jordan, Egypt and the United Arab Emirates have condemned Israels incursion, as did Saudi Arabia and the 57-nation Organisation of Islamic Cooperation. Israel has been carrying out near daily raids in the West Bank in response to a series of deadly Palestinian attacks in early 2022. It says the raids are meant to crack down on Palestinians militants and thwart attacks. Advertisement The Palestinians say such violence is the inevitable result of 56 years of occupation and the absence of any political process with Israel. They also point to increased West Bank settlement construction and violence by extremist settlers. Israel says most of those killed have been militants, but stone-throwing youths protesting the incursions and people uninvolved in confrontations have also died. The Kremlin has opened the door for talks with the US over a possible prisoner exchange that could potentially involve jailed Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich but said they must be held away from the public eye. Asked if Mondays consular visits to Mr Gershkovich, who has been held behind bars in Moscow since March on charges of espionage, and Vladimir Dunaev, a Russian citizen in US custody on cybercrime charges, could potentially herald a prisoner swap, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Moscow and Washington are exploring the issue. Advertisement We have said that there have been certain contacts on the subject but we dont want them to be discussed in public, Mr Peskov said in a conference call with reporters. They must be carried out and continue in complete silence. Advertisement He did not offer any further details but said the lawful right to consular contacts must be ensured on both sides. Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich stands in a glass cage in a courtroom at the Moscow City Court (Dmitry Serebryakov/AP) Advertisement The US ambassador to Moscow, Lynne Tracy, on Monday was allowed to visit Mr Gershkovich for the first time since April. The US embassy did not immediately provide more information. Mr Gershkovich, 31, was arrested in the city of Yekaterinburg while on a reporting trip to Russia. Advertisement He is being held at Moscows Lefortovo prison, notorious for its harsh conditions. A Moscow court last week upheld a ruling to keep him in custody until August 30. Mr Gershkovich and his employer deny the allegations and the US government declared him to be wrongfully detained. Supporters of Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich hold a sign for him during the third inning of a baseball game between the New York Mets and the New York Yankees (Frank Franklin II/AP) Advertisement His arrest rattled journalists in Russia where authorities have not provided any evidence to support the espionage charges. Mr Gershkovich is the first American reporter to face espionage charges in Russia since September 1986, when Nicholas Daniloff, a Moscow correspondent for US News and World Report, was arrested by the KGB. Advertisement Mr Daniloff was released 20 days later in a swap for an employee of the Soviet Unions UN mission who was arrested by the FBI, also on spying charges. Advertisement Mr Dunaev was extradited from South Korea on the US cybercrime charges and is in detention in Ohio. Russian diplomats were granted consular access to him on Monday for the first time since his arrest in 2021, Nadezhda Shumova, the head of the Russian Embassys consular section, said in remarks carried by the Tass news agency. Britain's Orkney Islands, an archipelago about 10 miles off the north coast of Scotland, is considering "alternative forms of governance" which could include becoming part of Norway, its council leader said on Monday. Orkney, made up of about 70 islands and with a population of 22,000 people, was considering its future after being financially neglected by the Scottish and British governments for years, council leader James Stockan said. Advertisement Orkney's historic Nordic connections give it options, Mr Stockan believes. The islands were part of Norway for about 500 years until 1472 and he says Orcadians regularly ask him for a return to that country given the shared cultural affinity. "At the moment we're not getting that support coming through from other governments and we would just like to see what other alternatives is there for us," Mr Stockan told BBC Radio on Monday. Advertisement Mr Stockan has proposed a motion for the council to "explore options for alternative models of governance that provide greater fiscal security and economic opportunity". Councillors will decide whether to back it or not on Tuesday. Among the options as well as rejoining Norway are other British arrangements, like becoming a crown dependency, the system of government in the Channel Islands, or a model like the Faroe Islands, a self-governing part of Denmark. Advertisement Orkney was under Norwegian and Danish control until 1472 (David Cheskin/PA) However, the British government shut down the proposals, with an official spokesman telling reporters: First and foremost, there is no mechanism for the conferral of crown dependency or overseas territory status on any part of the UK. But fundamentally, we are stronger as one United Kingdom, we have no plans to change that. Advertisement The spokesman added: Weve got no plans to change the devolution settlement. A row over funding for new ferries between the islands and Scotland has brought Orkney's situation to a head. Mr Stockan told the BBC that Orkney is being failed dreadfully by governments in both Edinburgh and London. Orkney was under Norwegian and Danish control until 1472 when the islands were given to Scotland as part of Margaret of Denmarks wedding dowry to King James III of Scotland. Advertisement Advertisement From the late 1970s, large volumes of Britain's North Sea oil have been processed on Orkney, but the island has not seen sufficient benefits, Mr Stockan said. With new opportunities from offshore wind farms, he wants the islands to see a greater return. Mr Stockan wasn't clear about how Orkney's return to Norway, 250 miles across the North Sea, would work. In an email a spokesperson for Norway's foreign ministry made no comment on whether the Orkney or UK authorities had been in contact with Norway's government but said: "This is a domestic and constitutional British matter. We have no view regarding this motion." A Palestinian man drove his car into a crowded bus stop in Tel Aviv and then began stabbing people, hurting eight in an attack praised by the Islamist militant group Hamas as a response to Israels ongoing military operation in the occupied West Bank. An armed civilian shot and killed the assailant, police chief Kobi Shabtai told reporters at the scene. Advertisement Tuesdays attack came as Israeli troops pressed ahead with their hunt for Palestinian militants and weapons in a refugee camp, after military bulldozers tore through alleys and thousands of residents fled to safety. The two-day Palestinian death toll rose to 10. Palestinian demonstrators wave their national flags while others burn tyres during a protest against an Israeli military raid in the West Bank city of Jenin (Adel Hana/AP) Advertisement Advertisement The large-scale raid of the Jenin camp, which began on Monday, is one of the most intense military operations in the occupied West Bank in nearly two decades. It bore hallmarks of Israeli military tactics during the second Palestinian uprising in the early 2000s and came as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu faces growing pressure from his ultranationalist political allies for a tough response to recent attacks on Israeli settlers, including a shooting last month that killed four people. But the current violence is also different from the intense years of what was known as the second intifada, a period that claimed thousands of lives. It is more limited in scope, with Israeli military operations focused on several strongholds of Palestinian militants. Advertisement Mr Netanyahu later indicated the operation in the Jenin refugee camp was winding down but he gave no details on when it would end and vowed to carry out similar operations in the future. More than 140 Palestinians have been killed this year in the West Bank, part of more than a year-long spike in violence. Palestinian attacks targeting Israelis have killed at least 26 people. Smoke rises from Jenin (Ariel Schalit/SP) Advertisement The Hamas militant group praised Tuesdays attack in Tel Aviv as heroic and revenge for the military operation in Jenin and later claimed the driver was a member, though it was not immediately clear if the attacker was dispatched by the group or acted on his own. Advertisement The so-called Islamic Jihad, a militant group with a large presence in Jenin, also praised the assault. Israelis internal security agency, the Shin Bet, identified the attacker as a Palestinian from the West Bank with no prior security record. Advertisement Mr Shabtai, the police chief, said several people connected to the man were arrested but did not provide details. Earlier in the day, rubble littered the streets of Jenin and there were reports of damage to shops. Columns of black smoke periodically punctuated the skyline over the camp, which along with an adjacent town of the same name has been a flashpoint since Israeli-Palestinian violence began escalating in spring 2022. It was also a hotbed of Palestinian militant activity in the uprising in the early 2000s. Residents of the Jenin refugee camp flee their homes (Majdi Mohammed/AP) Jenin mayor Nidal Al-Obeidi said that around 4,000 Palestinians had fled the Jenin refugee camp, finding accommodation in the homes of relatives and in shelters. Residents said there was no water or electricity in the camp. Across the West Bank, Palestinians observed a general strike to protest the Israeli raid. The Palestinian Health Ministry said on Tuesday that the two-day death toll rose to 10, with two more deaths reported overnight. Advertisement The Israeli military has claimed all were militants but did not provide details. During Tuesdays operations, the military said it seized weapons and explosives and demolished tunnels beneath a mosque in the refugee camp. Israeli media reported that the army had arrested at least 120 suspected Palestinian militants since Monday. A spokesman for the Israeli military, Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari, said on Monday that Israel had launched the operation because some 50 attacks over the past year had emanated from Jenin. The Palestinian self-rule government in the West Bank and three Arab countries with normalised ties with Israel Jordan, Egypt and the United Arab Emirates condemned Israels incursion, as did the 57-nation Organisation of Islamic Co-operation. Israel says the raids are meant to crack down on Palestinians militants and thwart attacks. The Palestinians say such violence is inevitable in the absence of any political process with Israel and increased West Bank settlement construction and violence by extremist settlers. Israel says most of those killed have been militants but stone-throwing youths protesting the incursions and people uninvolved in confrontations have also died. Israel captured the West Bank, east Jerusalem and the Gaza Strip in the 1967 Middle East war. The Palestinians seek those territories for their hoped-for independent state. Revellers across the US braved heat and heavy rain to take part in Fourth of July activities on Tuesday celebrating the nations founding with parades, fireworks and hot dog eating contests. At one longstanding celebration, fans of competitive eating crowded to watch Nathans Famous Fourth of July hot dog eating contest held in the Coney Island section of New York City. Advertisement Eating superstar Joey 'Jaws' Chestnut shook off a rain delay and gobbled his way to his 16th title, downing 62 frankfurters and buns in 10 minutes. In the womens contest, defending champion Miki Sudo forced down 39 and a half hot dogs and buns to collect her ninth Mustard Belt in New York City. In many states, weather affected events. Advertisement Rain caused the 2023 Nathans Famous Fourth of July hot dog eating contest to be paused in New York (Yuki Iwamura/AP/PA) The 10-km Atlanta Journal-Constitution Peachtree Road Race that typically draws thousands of runners in humid summer weather was cut short due to possible thunderstorms. Advertisement Further norther, storms were expected from the Dakotas and Minnesota through to Kansas and Missouri, endangering cookouts and firework displays. Hail the size of ping pong balls was reported in South Dakota. The fireworks show in Yankton, South Dakota, was postponed until Wednesday night because lightning prevented crews from setting up. In Nebraska, the Omaha Symphonys Independence Day Celebration that includes a concert and fireworks shows were also postponed until Wednesday night. Advertisement New Orleans residents welcomed rain and slightly cooler conditions after days of heat and humidity. The General Roy S Kelley fireboat was returning to New Orleans Riverfront for a patriotic water show, sending streams of red, white, and blue water into the air. Competitive eater Joey Chestnut holds a plate of hotdogs during a weigh-in ceremony before the Nathans Famous July Fourth hot dog eating contest (John Minchillo/AP/PA) In Hannibal, Missouri, the hometown of Mark Twain, the Fourth of July weekend coincides with National Tom Sawyer Day. Fence-painting and frog-jumping contests were held. Advertisement Altoona, Iowa, dubbed its celebration CORNival. In addition to the nod to Americas birthday, the festival marks the 100th anniversary of the first acre of commercial hybrid seed corn, grown and harvested in Altoona in 1923. Twenty six feet high fiberglass corn cob statutes decorated by local artists were unveiled. With fireworks came some accidents. A fireworks explosion on Monday in western Michigan killed one woman and left nine other people with injuries, the Ottawa County Sheriffs Department said. Advertisement On Tuesday, improperly disposed of fireworks tossed into a bin started a blaze that destroyed two homes in Parker, southeast of Denver, according to fire officials. Advertisement Some cities replaced firework displays for shows using drones fitted with lights. Lake Tahoe, California, Salt Lake City, and Boulder along with a few other Colorado towns, opted for the aerial spectacles that can display an expansive American flag and the year 1776 in red, white and blue. The Chicago suburb of Highland Park, where a shooting at least years Fourth of July parade left seven people dead, also held a drone show to avoid the startling noise of fireworks. Gun violence also marred some of the celebratory atmosphere, as shootings left five dead in Philadelphia and three dead in Texas. The UK's media watchdog Ofcom has said that the conclusions of ongoing investigations that look into episodes of current affairs programmes presented by British MPs will set a precedent for other editors. At a meeting of the British Culture, Media and Sport committee on Tuesday to scrutinise the Draft Media Bill, Ofcom was grilled by SNP MP John Nicolson. Advertisement The watchdog was asked why it is not taking more action on sitting politicians fronting current affairs programmes. MPs who present shows on radio and TV include Lee Anderson, vice chairman of the Conservative Party, on GB News, and British Labours shadow foreign secretary David Lammy, on LBC. Advertisement Kate Biggs, Ofcom content policy director, said the media watchdog takes its responsibility on impartiality and accuracy rules very seriously. She added: We need to take these investigations thoroughly (and) make (a) decision known publicly, because they do set a precedent for other editors. Advertisement On Monday, Ofcom announced an investigation into an episode of Sir Jacob Rees-Moggs GB News show which addressed a court case involving former US president Donald Trump. The media watchdog will look at whether the State Of The Nation show abided by guidelines which prevent politicians from acting as a newsreader unless it is editorially justified. Advertisement An episode of Talk TVs Richard Tice show, presented by the leader of the Alba Party Alex Salmond, is also being investigated. The media watchdog is already looking at an edition of GB News Saturday Morning With Esther And Philip. The programme, which stars husband-and-wife duo and serving MPs Esther McVey and Philip Davies, is being investigated over whether it breached impartiality rules after airing an interview with Chancellor Jeremy Hunt ahead of the spring Budget. Advertisement Sir Jacob Rees-Mogg presents a GB News show. Photo: Andrew Matthews/PA. Mr Nicolson also asked Ofcom why more GB News programmes presented by Sir Jacob have not been investigated. Ms Davies said: We look at every single complaint in the same way, either (an) individual complaint or multiple complaints. We look at them in relation to our rules and take a decision whether to investigate or not. Advertisement She also told the committee: The media landscape has evolved, significantly, I think there has been a long tradition of personality-based presenters but theres more. Advertisement In 2005, rules surrounding politicians presenting programmes were first introduced. The media watchdog has said it is conducting new research to gauge current audience attitudes into current affairs programmes presented by sitting politicians given the rise in the format. This report will be carried out by an research agency and Ofcom aims to publish the findings later this year. Rishi Sunak will face questions on cost-of-living pressures and the state of public services as he comes under scrutiny from senior MPs. The UK prime minister will also be grilled over the environment when he appears before the Liaison Committee, made up of the chairs of other select committees, on Tuesday afternoon. Advertisement Harriett Baldwin, from the Treasury Committee, will lead the questioning on the squeeze on living standards as the UK government comes under continued pressure on soaring costs. Five MPs will focus on public services, with questions expected on the NHS as well as the justice and education systems. Mr Sunak will face questions on the net zero strategy from Philip Dunne, the Tory chair of the Environmental Audit Committee, after the resignation of Lord Zac Goldsmith. Advertisement It has been a privilege to have been able to make a difference to a cause I have been committed to for as long as I remember. But this govts apathy in the face of the greatest challenge we face makes continuing in my role untenable. Reluctantly I am therefore stepping down pic.twitter.com/KDJKN3i6ER Advertisement Zac Goldsmith (@ZacGoldsmith) June 30, 2023 Advertisement The Conservative peer quit as a Foreign Office minister with stinging criticism of the British prime minister, who he accused of being simply uninterested in the climate crisis. Sir Chris Bryant will pose questions on standards after Boris Johnsons allies were criticised over their attacks on the Commons inquiry into his partygate denials. The Liaison Committee is chaired by Sir Bernard Jenkin, the Tory MP who also sits on the Privileges Committee attacked by those loyal to the former prime minister. Ukraine and security matters will also feature, with questioning from Home Affairs Dame Diana Johnson and Foreign Affairs Alicia Kearns. Advertisement The hearings usually last around 90 minutes. U.S. President Joe Biden said that lawmakers should act on gun reforms to solve gun violence in the American nation. On Tuesday, July 4, Biden talked about how mass shootings drastically affect the United States. He said that gun violence is tearing apart the American communities. Because of this, he called on Republican lawmakers to act on gun reforms. POTUS said that they should negotiate with fellow Democrats in the U.S. Congress to make it happen. Joe Biden Asks Lawmakers to Act on Gun Reforms Via Reuters' latest report, Joe Biden said that banning assault weapons and high-capacity mags is within their power. Read Also: Readout of White House Listening Session with Union Leaders on Advancing Responsible Artificial Intelligence Innovation The American leader explained that they should start requiring safe storage for guns, remove the immunity of gun manufacturers to make them liable, and enact universal background checks. "Our nation has once again endured a wave of tragic and senseless shootings in communities across America," said Biden via The Guardian. "Today, Jill and I grieve for those who have lost their lives and, as our nation celebrates Independence Day," added the American leader. POTUS further stated that they are praying for the day when American communities are safe and free from gun violence. Independence Day Mass Shooting Five people were killed in a mass shooting in Southwestern Philadelphia. Two minors-2 years old and 13 years old-were injured as well. The mass shooting happened on the eve of the Independence Day celebration. According to authorities, the victims of the latest mass shooting were all males. The suspect was using an AR-style rifle, wearing a bulletproof vest, and carrying a gun, as well as multiple ammunition magazines. Aside from Philadelphia, more mass shootings happened across the United States during the Independence Day holiday. In Texas, three people were killed in Fort Worth. Meanwhile, a total of five individuals were killed in Chicago; 33 were wounded during the shootout. Police authorities in Kansas also announced that a mass shooting happened over the weekend, which led to the deaths of 11 people. Because of the mass shootings on Independence Day, many experts warned that July 4 is the riskiest day for mass shootings in the U.S. calendar. As of writing, the United States is still making efforts to prevent gun violence. But, with the current situation, more efforts from the government are really needed. Related Article: Philadelphia Shooting: 5 Dead, 2 Kids Injured After Heavily Armed Gunman with Bulletproof Vest Opens Fire on Streets @ 2023 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Save Log in , register or subscribe to save articles for later. Save articles for later Add articles to your saved list and come back to them any time. Got it Normal text size Larger text size Very large text size Popular on social media used to mean something different. We laughed at it. Social media trends used to be silly, pointless: parkour, massive eyebrows a vessel through which to identify exactly what was wrong with youth today, something to resist with a pang of pride. We never fully outgrow our smug contrarian teenager phase, believing anything popular is inherently bad; that public opinion should be approached with a beat of contempt. So when someone tells me that theyve found a fantastic book via TikTok, I pause. Im a smug contrarian teenager again, my memory reeling back to all the popular trash Ive picked up to sate my curiosity, then thrown down in disappointment, relegated to my neighbours street libraries. Part of me resists, wants to save my time and money for something upmarket, bragworthy. But TikToks siren song is strong: I want to be in on the joke. I want to know what the kids are up to. I want to be relevant. So I give in, but in secret: I download Book Lovers by Emily Henry, breath held for disappointment and the ever-appealing excuse that its nice for some, but my tastes are too refined for this fluff, but it never comes. I love it. BookToker Lucy Donaldson. Its not just one book, its all of them. In two days, Im back on the app, scrolling through its infinite content, trusting the ultra-precise, hyper-agile algorithm to tailor its suggestions to exactly my taste, and it works. I get recommendations for romance novels and literary fiction: someone else gets fed videos about high fantasy stories, queer fiction, historical, crime. No two users are the same, so no two feeds are, either. The algorithm tosses you some curveballs sometimes, says 24-year-old library worker and content creator Lucy Donaldson, who posts under the handle @luckies_universe. I end up watching someone talk about a book Ive never heard of, and the next second Im adding it to my TBR [To Be Read list]. [The algorithm] is really good at targeting the niche your videos fill, says Arabella Rosier. The 25-year-old author of Silver Valley has half a million followers and has had some 30 million likes on her videos. I write YA [young adult], and theres a big young audience on BookTok. It has really connected me with the audience my book targets, and thats ever-growing. Advertisement Four years ago, the BookTok hashtag had fewer than a thousand views; in 2023 it reports more than 107.4 billion views globally. This isnt just an internet echo chamber. Find me a bookstore that doesnt have a TikTok made me buy it! section these days. You cant. Our phones are full of videos made by authors and readers, creators and fans, critics and admirers. Scroll endlessly for reviews, wrap-ups, live reactions, inside jokes, and living memes of your favourite (and least favourite) characters: its a 24-hour book club that is growing and changing faster than you can finish the book of the hour. Devouring book after book is no longer something to do when the internet cuts out: its a sport. Its a phenomenon. Its having real-world impacts. The impact of BookTok has been huge, says Gail McWhinnie, marketing and loyalty manager at Dymocks. At least half of our top 10 bestsellers each week for the last year have been BookTok-related titles. At one point this year, eight of our top 10 bestsellers were titles that were trending on TikTok. Last year, more than a third of the titles on the Dymocks Top 101 list were from BookTok authors such as Taylor Jenkins Reid, Colleen Hoover and Ali Hazelwood. BookToker Arabella Rosier has half a million followers 30 million likes on her videos BookTok is all about trends, says Dymocks book seller Josh Hortinela, a champion of local voices, and a walking reference guide for up and coming romance and crime stories. You can see trends pop up on BookTok, and that flows onto people asking about them in store. People used to come in and ask for recommendations for a paranormal romance, but now theyre asking for tropes. Theyll say, Im looking for an only one bed trope, or an enemies-to-lovers book. Thats definitely to do with how books are marketed on TikTok. Caitlin Toohey, marketing executive at HarperCollins Australia, says publishers are paying attention to some of the lighter, romantic titles that maybe havent had a lot of airtime for a while, because thats what people want ... [TikTok] is a new place to reach new readers. Advertisement What this all means is that suddenly, it isnt enough to be an author: you also have to be a content creator. Having an online presence as an author is super important, says Donaldson, who aspires to be an author herself. Its like having an audition reel as an actor If people like you, theyre more likely to engage with your content and buy your product. Now at the tail-end of the promotional period for my second novel, its something Im aware of and exhausted by. Promotional work is often at odds with what it means to be an author. Even the most lighthearted fiction can be immensely personal, as authors wrestle with difficult emotions in order to see them from new perspectives: it is both deeply uncomfortable and an occupational requirement. Authors suspend this discomfort for authenticity, creative satisfaction, and, well, the pay cheque, but to set up your ring light and record funny videos about a secret, tender part of yourself that you have bravely (or foolishly) put out into the world in hopes that views turn into sales is weird, and some days, it feels like more work than writing the book in the first place. Its not something that bothers Rosier. Its not like a job to me, and thats why I think its so successful, she says. I try to post every day, and several hours that day go into looking at comments, interacting with people sometimes its more, sometimes its less, but its usually around five or so hours every day. For some authors, its the root of their success entirely. Stacey McEwan, 33, a teacher, fantasy author and BookTokker with more than 340,000 followers and more than 10 million likes to her name, got her start as a content creator, making videos to break up the monotony of lockdown. Stacey McEwan started uploading videos to BookTok to break up the monotony of lockdown. I wrote a skit about characters of a new adult romance novel in an AA-style meeting for their super stereotypical characteristics, and posted it without a worry in my mind, because no one was watching my videos anyway, she says. But when I woke up the next morning, it had hundreds of thousands of views. It all kind of snowballed from there. A little awed by her growing following, McEwans husband encouraged her to use her platform, then approximately 11,000 followers, to promote her writing work. Advertisement Self-publishing always terrified me, but it was a dream of mine to be a published author, she says. I figured that this would be the only time Id have this many people paying attention to me, so I started writing something new. I posted about it as I was writing, and all of these people who didnt know me, who had never read anything Id written, said they couldnt wait to buy it. BookTok has been a delight ... were seeing the younger generation embracing reading and making it cool to be in a physical bookstore. Gail McWhinnie, marketing and loyalty manager at Dymocks Her following continued to grow, her usual light-hearted content interspersed with updates about her manuscript. Bolstered by a cohort of generous and communicative indie authors across the app, McEwan was prepared to self-publish her book, and posted a cover reveal, plot summary, and pre-order link. By the end of that week, I had three emails in my inbox, she says. Two were from publishers asking to read my manuscript, and one was from a literary agent asking the same. The rest is history. With BookTok fervently supporting her work, she hopes to be able to write full-time by next year, a feat few authors achieve across their careers, much less in just a few years. When we think about social media, particularly the state in which TikTok seems to hold so many of us captive, we are quick to dismiss it as a waste of time. Pet videos, makeup tutorials, gym routines, recipes, reasons why our weekly notification of screen time data is so consistently alarming and embarrassing, make it easy to forget how much work goes into the creation of the content were all too happy to consume. There was a point in 2021 and 2022 when I was making five videos a day, and spending pretty much all my free time on content creation, says 21-year-old writing student and content creator Imogen Corfield, who posts under the handle @literary_cherry. [But now] Im super fluid with posting, because I find that I enjoy the spontaneity of content far more than the preplanned stuff. Advertisement For some, its less about views and more about community. I try to create a community for my fans, not just a marketing thing, says Rosier. I want them to be part of the journey, I want them to see behind the scenes Its very much like Im working with them. Were figuring things out together, learning together ... Its like a little family. I have really enjoyed being able to cultivate my own little corner of the internet, echoes Corfield, and I think most creators are the same. Deep down we are all just big nerds talking with other nerds about our interests, and I love that! Its true: some of the people Ive met through the social media promotion of my own books have become my closest friends and writing group partners, and have played essential roles in any success Ive had. For Imogen Corfield, BookTok is about community. As for the audience numbers, Rosier is realistic about the level of success she might have achieved without the app. The day that I posted the cover reveal for my debut novel, that went so viral, to the point that it was shocking to me. As a debut author, getting a hundred pre-orders when no one knows your name, no one knows you exist, doing it all by yourself theres no way I could have done that [without TikTok]. The exposure that it gave me was baffling. It was the key decider for me being able to release my book. If it wasnt for that, I wouldnt have been able to do it. BookTok is even reviving entire genres, with Dymocks citing a 180 per cent rise in sales in the past three years. Now that we know what BookTokers want and whats trending, we can recommend similar reads from local Australian authors, says McWhinnie. BookTok has been a delight to the industry. Were seeing the younger generation embracing reading and making it cool again to be in a physical bookstore. The trick with Gen Z, the perk and the curse, is that theyre excellent at sniffing out inauthenticity, and quick to condemn it. In some ways, BookTok democratises the marketplace, by making success less reliant on marketing spend. Hit the right audience, and all the Facebook ads and bookstore newsletters in the world wont make the difference that one viral video will. For publishers such as HarperCollins, its too big to ignore, says Toohey. Its a very visible part of the [publishing] industry at the moment. For titles that we think suit the BookTok demographic, its definitely something we incorporate [into marketing]. We send out review copies, dabble in content creation, and build campaigns around it. Advertisement Save Log in , register or subscribe to save articles for later. Save articles for later Add articles to your saved list and come back to them any time. Got it Normal text size Larger text size Very large text size Theres a question that niggles throughout Hijack, Apple TVs new series about, well, a plane hijack. In the show, Idris Elba plays Sam Nelson, a high-end corporate deal-sealer who by chance finds himself in the middle of a major crisis situation on a flight back from Dubai to London, and winds up playing negotiator with the hijackers. Which is all well and good but why, you wonder, doesnt Idris Elba just go full Idris Elba on their sorry hijacker asses? When will the human colossus from Thor and the Avengers, or the one-man vengeance mission from Luther, or even the gangland kingpin from The Wire, or better still the pro kickboxer from the reality series Idris Elba: Fighter, unleash himself, end the hijack and get back to his loving family, Die Hard-style? The worst plane ride of your life: Idris Elba in Hijack. Credit: Apple TV+ This, it turns out, was all part of the plan. I was keen not to play the version that we all expect, Elba says, speaking in London. That was a theme for us all throughout. We said, Lets call it Hijack [he does a big Hollywood announcer voice] and then show people something else. Subvert all the tropes, including the leading character, the great negotiator, being this tough guy. Later, he says, well see that Sam cant really fight, even though hes big. Hes not this action hero who just headbutts everyone. Hes not even that good a negotiator. Hes just desperate to get home. The set-up for hijack is that Sam is on his way back from a job in Dubai with only a fancy necklace and a ream of apologies as hand-luggage. Hes on his way to try and win back his estranged wife (Christine Adams) although if the charisma and persuasiveness he exhibits on the plane, essentially, his Idris Elba-ness, is anything to go by that shouldnt be a problem. Advertisement When we meet Sam hes vulnerable, says Elba. Hes not going to be this action hero with big muscles who can just hit everyone because hes not built that way. Hes just going to try and talk himself in to this, to then try and get himself out of it. Hijack plays out in realtime a seven-hour flight from Dubai to London translates as seven hour-long episodes that are as seat-gripping, holiday cancelling and relentlessly more-ish as youd expect. Archie Panjabi (The Good Wife) plays a counter-terrorism officer on the ground in London trying to second-guess the hijackers next move. Max Beesley (Suits) is the UK police detective tasked with tracking down their enablers and puppetmasters. But basically, Hijack is the worst plane ride of your life made bearable only by the presence of Idris Elba for company, and for Elba that meant a lot of screentime spent in the confines of an aeroplane. They built the whole plane, he says, 360 degrees, a real plane just in a studio, no sides taken off to fit the cameras like normal. So that as an audience you watch it and say, Ive been in that, Ive seen that seat, that aisle, that kitchen area. The claustrophobia bleeds in to you. It becomes a really interesting balance between a documentary and a drama. Meeting Elba in the flesh you quickly realise that six months filming inside a plane fuselage cant have been easy: today, wearing a dark green linen shorts and shirt combo (with Gucci sliders) it couldnt be more apparent that theres a lot of him. Hes six foot two, broad, precisely the kind of guy who would happily pay for extra legroom just to make a flight bearable. (Although, as he points out, his character Sam, luckily enough, is seated in the first-class cabin and so gets to stretch out a bit.) It made the logistics of filming Hijack a challenge. There was this one moment where Sam has to get from one place to the other, right, and hes got to sneak about and hes got to run down the aisle and then hide. It didnt work: one of the extras kept saying, Er, I can see you! I said, Of course you can, Im f---ing massive. It was a problem. What would you do on a plane if you couldnt hide? How would you get around look at the size of me. I ended up having to crawl, creeping past peoples feet and Jim [Field Smith, director and executive producer] having to get under the seats to film otherwise people would be like, Er, look theres an elephant running down the aisle. Advertisement Whatever they did, it works. Hijack wraps a still, taut performance from Elba in a tense, occasionally frenzied thriller; even among some barmy plotting it sustains that tension right across the piece. Elba plays a one-man vengeance mission in Luther. Credit: John Wilson/Netflix I ask Elba if hes ever been in a similarly tense situation requiring some Sam Nelson-style Zen arbitration. Im expecting him to tell me about cutting some major studio deal or arranging a product promotion, but instead he launches in to a story about nearly getting himself killed. I was in a situation one time a bit like Sam where I nearly lost me f---ing life. It was at a party in America actually. It was a guy at the back of this club wailing on his missus, screaming in her face, Ill f---ing kill you, and so on. I, drunkenly, was taking a piss around the corner and I came round and I go, Whoa, whoa, whoa! Look how beautiful she is. Why would you talk to this beautiful princess like that? He pulled out a gun, stuck it right in my face. Goes, You talking about my girl? Are you f---ing talking about my girl? Elba says that his line of reasoning was that paying the man a compliment about his girlfriend would make him see sense and stop screaming at her. He got that one wrong. No, he thought I was trying to hit on her. I just remember thinking, Dont play negotiations like that where youre doing one thing and trying to make something else happen. Consequences, man. The presence of Elba in front of me shows that there were no consequences to his clubland near-miss. Luckily. On Hijack, its safe to say that the consequences of Sams actions, at least for Sam, are similarly positive, as you dont kill off your major star (and executive producer) if you can possibly help it. But its important, Elba says, to keep the audience guessing. Advertisement Three men allegedly involved in a violent confrontation over an e-scooter sale will remain behind bars after being charged. Aron Nsengiyumva, 21, Alex Edward Deng, 20 and John Wal Wal, 24, have been remanded in custody on a string of charges after three men were stabbed and a dog was killed during the weekend attack in Brisbanes south-west. The violence erupted on Sunday evening when three armed men allegedly demanded the residents of a Forest Lake property hand over an e-scooter that had been advertised for private sale on social media for $2000. Three men aged 33, 30 and 21 armed themselves with shovels and were stabbed during a wild backyard brawl. Two of Australias top lawyers, senior counsels Bret Walker and Sue Chrysanthou, will argue a law banning offence on a racial basis is unconstitutional as they defend One Nation senator Pauline Hanson in a case that shapes as a landmark test for the hotly debated law. Greens deputy leader Mehreen Faruqi launched Federal Court action against Hanson in May. She alleges Hanson breached section 18C of the Racial Discrimination Act, which makes it unlawful to offend, insult, humiliate or intimidate someone with race-based comments, after Hanson posted a tweet calling on Faruqi to piss off back to Pakistan. Pauline Hanson and Mehreen Faruqi in the Senate in 2020. Credit: Alex Ellinghausen Hanson, who has repeatedly been accused of racism against minorities, made the remarks in response to a tweet from Faruqi in September shortly after Queen Elizabeth II died. The Greens senator for NSW expressed her condolences to those who knew the Queen, before adding in the tweet: I cannot mourn the leader of a racist empire built on stolen lives, land and wealth of colonised peoples. Has anyone in the history of travel ever been satisfied with a continental breakfast? This, to me, is a sign of impending disappointment. Because done right, a continental breakfast could actually be pretty good some high-quality bread and pastries, delicious local cheese, cured meats, Bircher muesli thats a good start to the day. What continental breakfast usually means, however, is a few slices of stale toast and a banana. Not my idea of a good time. Your flight Ping! Your phone lights up. You glance down at the screen, and these are the first couple of words you read. Disaster. In this current age of air travel, no airline is messaging to let you know your flight is on time as planned. This SMS, a day out from your flight, or even a few hours, means theres either a lengthy delay or its been cancelled and the airline is currently looking into alternative options for you. Mild turbulence I dont have a fear of flying, so Im mostly immune to this but still, I can see how this phrase would be a large red flag for those who do. Mild turbulence, when its announced midair, carries a whole world of fraught possibilities. Youre clicking on your seat belt, tightening the strap and expecting pretty much anything from a few gentle rumbles that will make your drink shake like its in Jurassic Park, to the sort of violence that left four people requiring a hospital visit after a recent Hawaiian Airlines flight. And when will it stop? Replacement bus service Not exactly a disaster, but not ideal, either. Trains are always faster and easier to use, whether youre a traveller or just a daily commuter. Replacement bus service means you have to allow a lot more time to get to where you need to be going. Cultural demonstration Tourists attend the Kecak Fire Dance ceremony in Bali. Credit: iStock Some travellers enjoy this, but for me its a big red flag. The words cultural demonstration mean Im about to watch something forced, something rehearsed, something that is in no way organic or natural. That is not my preferred way to travel. Im not particularly interested in having culture performed for me. I much prefer to just exist in another place, to observe and participate where it feels natural. You dont need to dance for me. I feel as if my life has gotten longer, said 27-year-old software developer Choi In-ho. South Koreans might feel younger, but the superficial change will do little to address the structural challenges facing the worlds fastest ageing economy. If anything it will make it worse, said Choi. Getting one or two years younger could just make us think of delaying marriage, [kids] and retirement by one or two years. South Korean women are now expected to have an average of 0.78 children, threatening to transform one of Asias fastest-growing advanced economies into a convalescent powerhouse over the next four decades. My kids will eventually have to take all those societal burdens like taking care of the growing elderly population by paying more taxes to support the governments pension system, said Lee Hyo-jung, an administration worker and mother of two grown-up children. While there is still some time left before the direct impact really starts sinking in, its definitely a concern. The country now has the lowest birth rate in the world at below 1 for every two people. Its population will halve unless it makes drastic changes. The falling population will have dire economic consequences, said Kim, the university professor. But that will only be felt by the public in 10 or 20 years. Lee Hyo-jung says she is worried about South Koreas ageing population. Credit: Sean Na Throwing money at the issue has not solved the problem. Kim estimates that the South Korean government spent $375 billion from 2006 to 2021 on policies to encourage young Koreans to have more children, including welfare programs and direct subsidies like a baby bonus. None of the programs have worked. Kim believes Confucian traditions have brought more than just birthday systems to the Korean peninsula. Loading If you look at the fertility rate of countries that are Confucian societies like Singapore, Taiwan, China, Korea and Japan, they have some of the worlds lowest fertility rates, said Kim. So there is something about Confucianism with all the stress and emphasis on education, that I think really makes a lot of parents have second thoughts about having many children. Some South Korean families spend as much as $1000 a month on private education tutors to give their kids a leg-up in the fiercely competitive university and job market. Add to that soaring real estate costs, combined with an expectation that new spouses will buy their own home before they get married, and it means many Koreans are putting off marriage and having children altogether. In 2021, the number of marriages reached a low of 193,000, the same year the population shrank for the first time in history. By 2050, the number of economically active population will fall by one-third, which means less tax revenue for the government, said Kim. As of 2020, we had four workers taking care of one elderly, but by 2067, it will not be even one for one. Retiree Chang Hun-jin said he understood why young Koreans were putting off having children. Retiree Chang Hun-jin Credit: Sean Na Child-raising costs here have become too high. For instance, earning 1 million won ($1300) a month was enough for parents to raise kids in the past; but now, even earning 5 million won ($5699) isnt enough, the 69-year-old former construction worker said. Plans for the worlds tallest flagpole have divided Columbia Falls, a small rural town in northern New England. Supporters of the Flagpole of Freedom Park believe the project in the Maine wilderness would be a fitting tribute to generations of soldiers who have died for their country. A rendering of a proposed worlds tallest flagpole in Maine. Credit: Facebook Opponents, however, have voiced misgivings, fearing it would despoil the pristine landscape. Critics have dubbed the scheme a dead veterans Disneyland. The $US1 billion ($1.5 billion) project is the invention of the Worcester family, whose company makes wreaths and is also behind the Wreaths Across America commemoration to fallen soldiers. Aviation regulator DGCA on Tuesday started the special audit of the facilities of Go First, which has sought approval for restarting operations. A team of officials from the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) started the special audit of the facilities of Go First in Mumbai on Tuesday, according to an airline executive. The audit of the facilities will be done on Wednesday also. On Thursday, the regulator will audit the airline's facilities in Delhi, the executive told PTI. The executive also said the regulator is likely to submit the audit report on Thursday itself. Meanwhile, Go First, which stopped flying from May 3, on Tuesday extended the cancellation of its flights July 10. The Mumbai-based airline is undergoing voluntary insolvency resolution proceedings. Also Read Formulate policy on carrying pets on flights, display it on websites: DGCA Paris-New Delhi flight incidents: DGCA slaps Rs 10 lakh fine on Air India Air passengers to get reimbursement for downgrades, DGCA to bring new norms 15% of pilots in India are women, 3 times more than global average: DGCA DGCA orders probe after Pilot 'welcomes' his female friend in cockpit Promoters re-invested entire amount raised via secondary share sale: BYJU's Macrotech Developers sales bookings up 17% to Rs 3,350 cr in Apr-June qtr How 'marathoner' Irina Ghose of Microsoft India runs at her own pace Meesho collaborates with IISc's lab for research in generative AI TweetDeck users to get verified in 30 days or face restrictions: Twitter On June 30, DGCA said the special audit to be conducted from July 4 to 6 would focus on the safety-related aspects and continued compliance of the requirements to hold an Air Operator Certificate, as well as on physical verification of the arrangements made for the resumption of flight operations. Earlier, the watchdog did a preliminary review of the revival plan submitted by the Resolution Professional (RP) for Go First on June 28. Go First's Committee of the Creditors (CoC) has already approved the revival plan under which the airline is looking to resume operations with 26 planes, including four aircraft for chartered services, and over 150 flights per day. The approval of the revival plan by DGCA will depend on the outcome of the special audit. Last month, Go First secured lenders' approval for interim funding of Rs 450 crore, potentially paving the way for the grounded airline to resume operations. The Competition Commission of India (CCI) on Tuesday approved acquisition of Marnix Lux by Concentrix Corporation. The proposed combination envisages indirect acquisition of Marnix Lux SA (Marnix Lux) by Concentrix Corporation, and acquisition of approximately 22 per cent shareholding in the combined company by the shareholders of Marnix Lux, CCI said in a press release. Concentrix Corporation is a USA-based publicly listed company. It is said to be engaged in providing customer experience services, a segment of Information Technology and Information Technology enabled Services. Marnix Lux is the parent company of Webhelp SAS (Webhelp). Webhelp is said to be active in the provision of business process outsourcing services and specialised services. The U.S. military is having a hard time finding new recruits to protect American soil and water. The military branch most affected by recruitment issues is the U.S. Army, which aims to recruit over 65,000 new soldiers before 2023 ends. However, since few Americans are signing up, Army Secretary Christine Wormuth said that there's a high chance they will not meet their goal. "We are not going to make that goal. We are doing everything we can to get as close to it as possible; we are going to fall short," said Wormuth via Military.com. US Military Recruitment Problems Bloomberg's opinion columnist James Stavridis, a retired U.S. Navy admiral and former NATO supreme allied commander, provided the main reasons behind the U.S. military recruitment issues. Read Also: US Nuke-Capable Bombers Fly Over Korea After Pyongyang Staged Anti-US Rallies The civilian job market is getting stronger. Because of this, more and more Americans prefer to have civilian jobs instead of entering the military. The withdrawal of the U.S. government from large-scale wars, especially from Afghanistan back in 2021. This discourages potential recruits, especially those who are drawn to adventures. The U.S. military's standards are getting too high. It is estimated that only around 25% of young recruits can meet the standards of the U.S. Army. The political division in the United States further discourages the youth from signing up for the military. Fewer veterans are encouraging their families to enter the U.S. military. Other Reasons Behind Recruitment Issues In a previous interview, Wormuth said that they asked young Americans what the factors affecting their decisions to join the U.S. Army. The kids she interviewed told her that leaving home, fear of death or injury, and fear of leaving their family and friends are among the barriers that prevent them from joining the military. The U.S. Army secretary said that young Americans think that the Army will put their life on hold if they sign up. This is why the U.S. military, especially the Army, needs to come up with a plan on how to further encourage young blood to join them. Related Article: US Air Force NCO Found Dead During AZ Training Exercise @ 2023 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. GIC, Singapore, has launched a new platform in India to fund smart metering projects in the country. The leading global investment firm has joined hands with Genus Power Infrastructures (Genus), a leading metering company, to set up the platform. GIC will hold a 74 per cent stake; the balance will be Genus. The partners have committed to an initial pipeline with a capital outlay of $2 billion, and Genus would be the exclusive supplier to the platform for smart meters and associated services, Genus said in a public statement. The company said this is the largest transaction in the smart metering space in the country and positions Genus at the forefront of the smart metering revolution underway in the country. Genus has signed definitive agreements with Gem View Investment Pte Ltd, an affiliate of GIC, Singapore, setting up of a platform for undertaking advanced metering infrastructure service provider concessions, said the statement. The company also said, additionally, Chiswick Investment Pte Ltd, another affiliate of GIC, will invest up to Rs. 519 crore by way of a preferential allotment of warrants which shall constitute 15 per cent of the issued and paid-up share capital of Genus on a fully diluted/as converted basis. This is if and when GIC elects to exercise such warrants, it said. With these transactions, Genus would supplement its manufacturing and execution prowess with access to capital. Genus will scale up the deployment of energy smart meters across India, supporting energy security and transition through grid optimisation and efficiency, the company said. Also Read Genus, GIC affiliate to set up platform to fund smart metering projects Genus Power Infra zooms 15% on order win worth Rs 2,207 crore Greenko Energy raises Rs 5,700 crore from GIC, Orix and founders Irdai names LIC, GIC as 'domestic systemically important' insurers Backed by big deals, GIC ahead of western peers in office properties Hero MotoCorp starts Harley-Davidson X440 bookings, deliveries in Oct Biosimilar Humira likely to boost US revenues for Biocon Biologics SAIL selects mjPRO platform for project procurements, says mjunction I-T department lens on 50-60 reporting entities for non-compliance Kia expects to grow double of PV industry in 2023 amid strong SUV demand Jitendra Kumar Agarwal, joint managing director, Genus, said, GICs investment attests to the strong prospects of smart metering space, our manufacturing prowess and execution track record. We look forward to contributing to Indias sustainability goals by facilitating efficient use of energy envisioned under the time of day metering recently announced by the Government of India. The Centre has an ambitious target of installing 250 million meters by 2025, with an estimated investment of $30 billion. Ang Eng Seng, chief investment officer of infrastructure at GIC, said, We believe smart meters will play a crucial role in Indias ongoing journey towards improving power sector efficiency. India remains a key long-term market for GIC, given its strong economic fundamentals and favourable demographics, which are spurring opportunities in many sectors, including infrastructure development. By Sankalp Phartiyal Alphabet Inc.s Google is set to appoint a manufacturing and policy veteran as its top government affairs executive in India to tackle legal challenges and expand hardware assembly to the country. Sreenivasa Reddy, currently a senior engineering executive at Microsoft Corp., is likely to join Google toward the end of this year, people familiar with the matter said, asking not to be identified as the matter is private. He previously worked in senior positions at Apple Inc.s India regulatory team and headed government relations at the local unit of Swedish telecom-gear maker Ericsson AB, helping to drive domestic manufacturing at both companies. Reddys experience will come in handy at Google, which is scouting for partners in India to assemble its Pixel range of smartphones as it seeks to diversify beyond China. Pixels production in India could lead to the local manufacturing of other Google hardware products, such as speakers. The executive will also help Google navigate regulatory challenges. The Mountain View, California-based company is fighting antitrust charges in India, with authorities accusing it of abusing its dominant position in mobile operating systems. Reddy and representatives for Google in India didnt respond to requests for comment. Googles previous India policy head, Archana Gulati, left the company last year. Also Read Pixel 7a review: Google's entry-level phone is mixed bag of hits and misses Google's June Feature Drop for Pixel phones: Know what is new in update Competition body reviewing report on Apple app store billing policy Apple opens its first official store in Mumbai; what we know so far Google's parent Alphabet reports $76 bn in revenue, bets big on AI IFFCO purchases 2,500 agri drones for spraying fertlisers, chemicals Delhi HC restrains Cipla from using Gluco-C or Gluco-D trademarks Tech glitch: HMA Agro Industries starts trading before 10 am on the NSE India firms' deleveraging to slow down; little room for rating upgrade: S&P 'Onus of deducting TCS on overseas hotel bookings should be on banks' Google is among global technology firms viewing India as a key growth market. The company is adding more local languages to its services and seeking ways to make its Android smartphones cheaper, eager to win more users in the worlds most populous country. The company plans to open a global financial-technology center in Gujarat International Finance Tech-City more commonly known as GIFT City in Prime Minister Narendra Modis home state, Alphabet Chief Executive Officer Sundar Pichai said during the Indian premiers visit to the US last month. At a time when climate change poses significant challenges and the need for sustainable and efficient farming practices has never been more critical, unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) allow farmers to gain a birds-eye view of their crops from ground level. Drones have become a new force in precision agriculture, helping increase productivity while prioritising sustainability and resilience. Fertiliser major IFFCO is exploring this very transformative power of technology in agriculture. In what is perhaps one of the biggest agricultural drone purchases by a fertiliser company for nano use, IFFCO will purchase 2,500 drones in one go which it will use for spraying nano urea and nano diammonium phosphate (DAP), along with other chemicals, through a dedicated network of over 5,000 ruralpreneurs (rural entrepreneurs) . To access the technical capabilities, manufacturing capacity, manufacturing process, quality processes, training curriculum, and infrastructure, IFFCO hired the Drone Federation of India, which then evaluated the specifications and mentioned that the technical specifications of agricultural drones being procured by IFFCO for the spray of nano fertilisers are in accordance with industry standards, read an official statement. Sources said IFFCO had sought details from five vendors and chose the Drone Federation of India after a thorough evaluation. The drones would be given free of cost to over 5,000 ruralpreneurs. The entrepreneurs then would be given proper training and guidance to handle the drones, with all expenses borne by IFFCO. Sources said the training and certification of drone fliers would be done at DGCA-approved remote pilot training organisation centres. Also Read GNFC, GSFC: Trading strategies for fertiliser stocks amid rebound on charts AI-powered US military drone kills operator during simulated test: Report India to buy 31 Predator drones from US for $3.5 bn; all you need to know Subsidy Booster: GNFC, Chambal, GSFC eye up to 11% gain amid bullish bias Union Budget 2023: What did FM Nirmala Sitharaman announce for agriculture? Delhi HC restrains Cipla from using Gluco-C or Gluco-D trademarks Tech glitch: HMA Agro Industries starts trading before 10 am on the NSE India firms' deleveraging to slow down; little room for rating upgrade: S&P 'Onus of deducting TCS on overseas hotel bookings should be on banks' Byju's promoters have sold stake worth $408.5 mn since 2015-16: Report According to the plan, each drone will cover 3 acres of land for spraying nano urea on a single charge of battery in about half an hour. However, the battery offers a flying time of 18-22 minutes. After every three sorties of 20 minutes, the battery has to be replaced. It is expected that one drone would be able to cover 20 acres of land per day, spraying nano fertilisers, water-soluble fertilisers, and nano DAP. IFFCO has also procured 2,500 electric three-wheelers (of the loader type) under Category L5 (a three-wheeled motor vehicle with maximum speed exceeding 25 kilometres per hour or motor power exceeding 0.25 kilowatt) to carry the drones to the fields, along with nano fertilisers and associated utilities. IFFCO has also ordered tractor-mounted boom sprayers, tractor-mounted hosereel sprayers for the foliar application of nano fertilisers. The nano fertilisers are applied on various crops through the foliar application using agricultural sprayers and drones. The drones and sprayers can be used for any kind of spray application. We are witnessing a surge in demand for agricultural drones from agrochemical players, including fertiliser and pesticide companies. With substantial benefit to farmers, we are also witnessing a surge in demand from rural entrepreneurs and large-farm holders, said Deepak Bhardwaj and Anoop Upadhyay, co-founders, IoTechWorld Avigation, one of Indias leading agricultural drone manufacturers, in a statement. The National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT) on Tuesday questioned the maintainability of the insolvency plea filed against air carrier SpiceJet by one of its operational creditors Willis Lease Finance Corporation. A two-member NCLT bench comprising Members Mahendra Khandelwal and Rahul Prasad Bhatnagar observed that Willis Lease Finance Corporation has withdrawn its insolvency plea for the same dispute in March 2023 and has approached again with a new plea. The bench wanted to know as Willis Lease Finance Corporation, an aircraft lessor, had filed again for a similar cause of action within a few months. The NCLT posted the matter on July 21 for the next hearing over the plea moved by Willis Lease Finance Corporation, the US-based firm whose core business is leasing commercial aircraft engines to airlines. During the proceedings of the insolvency tribunal, Willis' counsel submitted that they had withdrawn after the court's permission and refiled it, and hence, it is maintainable. Willis's counsel submitted that SpiceJet owed USD 6.87 million. Also Read NCLT sends notice to SpiceJet on lessor's insolvency plea, seeks reply NCLAT to hear SMBC Aviation's plea against NCLT order on Go First today 'Air travel has come roaring back': SpiceJet net profit rises 160% Spicejet insolvency: NCLT defers hearing of plea by Aircastle to June 1 SpiceJet soars 15% as net profit jumps five-fold to Rs 107 crore in Q3 REC to provide Rs 4,785 cr loan for refinery project in Rajasthan Aviation regulator starts special audit of facilities of Go First Promoters re-invested entire amount raised via secondary share sale: BYJU's Macrotech Developers sales bookings up 17% to Rs 3,350 cr in Apr-June qtr How 'marathoner' Irina Ghose of Microsoft India runs at her own pace Presently SpiceJet is facing other insolvency pleas before the NCLT also, filed by aircraft lessors Aircastle and Wilmington. By Ragini Saxena Passengers on cash-strapped SpiceJet Ltd. are experiencing the most flight disruptions in India, the worlds fastest-growing aviation market. With the busy summer travel season arriving, only 61% of SpiceJets flights departed on time from the countrys four biggest airports Mumbai, Delhi, Bengaluru and Hyderabad in May, according to the Directorate General of Civil Aviation. Thats down from the already trailing figure of nearly 70% in April, the agencys data showed. SpiceJet, which is operating about 250 flights a day, isnt alone. Air India Ltd., the nations second-largest carrier, slid to fifth from second in the punctuality ranks, with almost twice as many flight delays in May as a month earlier. Akasa Air, launched less than a year ago, was the most on-time, though its performance also slipped. Frequent delays underscore the challenges of the post-pandemic boom in Indias intensely competitive aviation market. Travel surges during the school holidays in May and June, and carriers struggled to keep pace. Demand for some routes was higher than normal after the insolvent Go Airlines India Ltd. stopped selling tickets in May, placing a greater burden on the countrys flight networks. Also Read 'Air travel has come roaring back': SpiceJet net profit rises 160% SpiceJet soars 15% as net profit jumps five-fold to Rs 107 crore in Q3 SpiceJet insolvency row: DGCA's early warnings reveal brewing trouble DGCA orders probe after Pilot 'welcomes' his female friend in cockpit India's airline sector on to a smooth flight despite air pocketsr Mankind Pharma's success boosts hopes of more consumer IPOs in India For advising on $64 billion HDFC Bank deal, bankers get a 0.0002% fee Biocon Biologics biosimilar available in US, to treat inflammatory diseases Mumbai-based investment firm A91 Partners invests $30 million in KaarTech IDFC First Bank to merge with IDFC, makes India's largest corporate deal Soaring Demand Domestic passenger traffic climbed 15% to 13.2 million in May from the month earlier. The airlines, meanwhile, are dealing with shortages of workers and planes after both were sidelined during the pandemic. A global issue with Pratt & Whitney engines is adding to the tension by grounding dozens of planes that normally serve the Indian market. There is a huge pressure on airlines to expand services, said Harsh Vardhan, chairman of New Delhi-based Starair Consulting. The traffic has suddenly come back with a vengeance. But airlines are still in the process of streamlining operations. The weather also isnt helping, and social media is awash with complaints. Some 350 Air India passengers en route to New Delhi from London spent hours stranded in Jaipur at the end of June. The airlines pilot timed out after clocking the maximum work hours allowed while waiting for the Indian capitals weather to clear. A SpiceJet flight from Pune to Dubai departed 10 hours late. A school teacher in Bengaluru missed her uncles funeral when an AirAsia India flight was delayed. For SpiceJet, deteriorating punctuality comes hand-in-hand with financial challenges. It hasnt made money for four years, losing $40 billion over that period, and has delayed releasing its latest fiscal year results. More than two dozen of the budget carriers aircraft were grounded at the end of May, when its market share plunged to 5.4% from 7.3% at the start of the year. SpiceJet is striving hard to continuously improve performance on all aspects, including our on-time performance, a spokesperson said. Hiring Surge Its not universally bad across India, which is experiencing fewer flight delays than other top aviation markets. Some 15% of flight departures were delayed from January through June 20, compared with 30% in the UK and 20% in the US, according to data obtained from FlightAware. There are signs of improvement as airlines add staff and capacity. Market leader IndiGo, which placed a record order for 500 Airbus SE jets in June, plans to hire 5,000 workers in fiscal 2024. Air India will recruit more than 4,200 cabin crew and 900 pilots as it gears up for a fleet expansion, following its order of 470 Airbus and Boeing Co. jets. SpiceJet aims to introduce 10 additional Boeing 737 jets that it has leased by October. Heat Stroke It will take time for those efforts to pay off. In the meantime, the summer season is exacerbating supply woes. The sudden spike in demand often prompts carriers to put backup jets into service, leaving fewer in reserve in the event of complications. And planes are prone to wear and tear in hot temperatures. The result can be last-minute flight delays that might otherwise have been averted, Vardhan said. All these factors are cumulatively adding to the problem, and last-minute flight delays are becoming acute, Vardhan said. Things should be better next year, he said. HMA Agro Industries, a frozen buffalo meat exporter, started trading before 10 am on the National Stock Exchange (NSE), according to a report in the Moneycontrol. HMA Agro Industries placed new orders on the NSE at 9:55 am. The NSE conducts a pre-open session for listing of securities and orders are entered between 9:00 am and 9:45 am. Following this, orders are matched for price discovery, and between 9:45 am and 10 am, the price remains stable. After 10 am, the stock starts trading and new orders can be placed. However, in the case of HMA Agro Industries, the stock price was fluctuating before 10 am. At 9:55 am, the stock touched Rs 632, while the indicative opening price was Rs 625 on the NSE. At 10 am, the stock touched Rs 664. Market participants said that this glitch may have resulted in unrealised loss for several investors, according to the Moneycontrol report. However, those who were aware of this glitch could have used this as an arbitrage opportunity. When the stock had touched Rs 660-levels on the NSE, it was still Rs 615 on the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE). HMA Agro Industries recorded bids 1.62 times its issue size. Retail investors had bought 96 per cent shares of the allotted quota, while the reserved portion of qualified institutional buyers was subscribed 1.74 times, and that of high net worth individuals 2.97 times during June 20-23. Also Read 7 IPOs this week but don't make these 10 mistakes in pursuit of gains IPO fundraising shrinks, block deals robust during first half of CY23 IdeaForge Tech IPO to close on June 30; issue subscribed 32x so far MARKET LIVE: Sensex up 300 pts; PSBs rally up to 6%, Eicher Motors sinks 5% IdeaForge IPO fully booked on day 1; should you bid? Read what analysts say India firms' deleveraging to slow down; little room for rating upgrade: S&P 'Onus of deducting TCS on overseas hotel bookings should be on banks' Byju's promoters have sold stake worth $408.5 mn since 2015-16: Report Amid deep financial crisis, Byju's and Shah Rukh Khan may part ways SpiceJet most delayed Indian airline as travel season takes a toll At 11 am, the stock was quoting Rs 630.70 on the NSE and Rs 630.15 on the BSE. Unsubscribe to continue This is a subscriber only feature Subscribe Now to get daily updates on WhatsApp Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Tuesday met top officials of the finance and corporate affairs ministries to review the implementation of various announcements of the Union Budget FY24. The finance minister underlined the importance of continuous assessment of progress to ensure that various announcements are implemented in a time-bound manner, the finance ministry said in a tweet. Sitharaman also discussed in detail various issues on the digital competition laws with Rajeev Chandrashekhar, the minister of state for entrepreneurship, skill development, electronics and technology. The two ministers agreed that a whole of government approach should be adopted in the framing of provisions in this regard, the ministry said in a tweet. Separately, officials of the Ministry of Corporate Affairs (MCA) and the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (Meity) discussed concerns regarding systemically important digital intermediaries. It has been decided that the MCA will look into the competition issues in the digital market. MeitY will look into sector-specific & technical issues, the MCA said in a tweet. Also Read Budget 2023-24: Manufacturing sector eyes revised taxations, new PLIs Union Budget 2023: Experts don't expect surprises in social sector outlay Budget 2023: A look back at some major announcements in previous Budget Crypto industry wants 0.1% TDS, Sebi-like regulator in Budget 2023 Budget 2023 a balancing act with focus on prosperity and inclusiveness E-com firms' demand for gig workers up as shopping festivals near: Study Finance Minister reviews progress of implementation of Budget schemes OMCs increase price of commercial LPG gas cylinders by Rs 7 to Rs 1,780 Irrigation coverage: Farms in majority of states are still rain-dependent To end tomato price jumps, India needs more than stop-gap solutions A report by the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Finance in December said the government must frame a definition for systemically important digital intermediaries that need tighter regulations. The classification, it said, could be based on revenues, market capitalisation, and the number of active users. The panel had suggested the need to have a digital competition law in its report. The MCA in a tweet said several meetings of the Committee on Digital Competition Law had been held in the past, and various stakeholders have been consulted for the same. The term of the committee comes to an end on July 5 and is likely to be extended further. The committee headed by MCA Secretary Manoj Govil includes chairperson of the Competition Commission of India; Saurabh Srivastava, chairman of the Indian Angel Network and cofounder of industry body Nasscom. Legal representatives on the panel include Haigreve Khaitan of Khaitan & Co, Pallavi Shardul Shroff of Shardul Amarchand Mangaldas & Co, Anand Pathak, P&A Law Offices, Rahul Rai, Axiom5 Law Chamber. Domestic start-ups and news publishers had made presentations sharing their views on the need for a Digital Competition Act on March 4. Representatives of Google, Amazon, Meta, Apple, Twitter, and Netflix had taken part in the stakeholder discussions along with various domestic firms such as Zomato, Oyo, Swiggy, Paytm, Makemytrip, and Flipkart. The carbon credit trading mechanism that India will roll out offers domestic companies a path to adjust to the European Carbon Adjustment Mechanism that has raised the bar for exports. The CBAM will begin with a transitional phase with effect from October this year for certain carbon-intensive goods such as cement, steel aluminium and fertilisers. On June 28, the power ministry issued a notification announcing the Carbon Credit Trading Scheme (CCTS), 2023. Quoting an unnamed government official, S&P Global Commodity Insights said, The actual trades of carbon credits on Indian exchanges are about 18 months The share of exports which are predominantly delivered through digital means has been rising during the pandemic. They rose from accounting for 26.4 per cent of exports in 2019 to 28.6 per cent in 2022 in India, shows data from a joint World Bank and World Trade Organisation report released on Monday entitled, Trade in Services for Development. Actors Ha Jung-woo and Ju Ji-hoon pose during a press conference for their new film "Ransomed" at a Seoul theater, Tuesday. Yonhap Director Kim Seong-hoon said Tuesday his upcoming film "Ransomed" promises an exhilarating buddy action thriller laced with suspense and humor despite dealing with the serious subject of kidnapping. Starring Ha Jung-woo and Ju Ji-hoon, the movie follows a young South Korean diplomat tasked with delivering a ransom to rescue an abducted colleague in Lebanon and a local taxi driver who happens to be entangled in the mission. "You might associate our film with titles like 'Escape from Mogadishu' and 'The Point Man' due to keywords such as 'abduction,' 'escape,' and 'the Middle East'," the director said when questioned about what makes his film stand out from the previous hit movies during a press conference held at a theater in Seoul. "However, just as countless unique dishes can be created with two simple and familiar ingredients like kimchi and pork, I believe a film with a completely different charm can emerge. Our movie is designed as one that delivers cinematic pleasure to the audience through a story of the people rescuing one another," he said. Directed by Ryoo Seung-wan, "Escape from Mogadishu" (2021) is about diplomats at the South and North Korean missions in Somalia cooperating to escape the country during the 1991 civil war. "The Point Man" (2023), which stars Hwang Jung-min and Hyun Bin, centers on two South Korean officials' endeavor to rescue a group of Korean tourists taken hostage by Taliban militants in Afghanistan. Central to the upcoming movie's fun are its dynamic action sequences and the comedic chemistry between the two main characters who find themselves in an extreme situation. Director Kim Seong-hoon speaks during a press conference for his new film "Ransomed" at a Seoul theater, Tuesday. Yonhap The Reserve Bank of India has rejected the applications of Akhil Kumar Gupta, Cosmea Financial Holdings Private Limited and West End Housing Finance for granting a small finance bank licence. The regulator has received 12 applications for setting up small finance banks. On May 17, RBI rejected the application of V Soft Technologies Private Limited and Calicut City Service Co-operative Bank Limited. The examination of three more applications for setting-up a small finance bank has been completed as per the procedure laid down under extant guidelines. Based on the assessment of the applications, the following applicants were not found suitable for granting of in-principle approval to set up a small finance bank, RBI said on Tuesday while rejecting the applications. In a veiled reference to Pakistan, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday said the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) should not hesitate to criticise nations using cross-border terrorism as a policy instrument, and providing shelter to terrorists. Speaking at the annual summit of the SCO leaders held virtually under India's presidency, Modi said there should be no place for double standards on such serious matters and flagged the need for enhanced mutual cooperation on battling terror financing. Chinese President Xi Jinping, Russian President Vladimir Putin, and Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif attended the meeting, among others. Modis statements on terrorism coincided with the SCO adopting a thematic joint statement on cooperation in countering radicalisation leading to separatism, extremism, and terrorism. While the Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure (RATS), a permanent part of the SCO, is tasked with coordinating counterterrorism efforts across member-countries, the PM said these nations should also take proactive steps to prevent the spread of radicalisation among the youth. The SCO is a political, economic, and security alliance historically led by Russia and China representing approximately 40 per cent of the worlds population and nearly one-third of the global economy. It is considered the most important conclave in the Central Asian region, where other nations have a significant interest in trade, connectivity, and resource extraction. The SCO comprises nine countries -- China, India, Iran, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Russia, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan. The SCO nations adopted the New Delhi declaration which proposed four other joint statements on de-radicalisation, sustainable lifestyle to tackle climate change, production of millets, and digital transformation. Also Read SCO Foreign Ministers' meeting to kick off in Goa today; all you must know SCO summit: Victims of terrorism don't sit with perpetrators, says EAM SCO digital ministers adopt India's proposal to adopt digital public infra PM Modi chairs SCO Summit 2023: Here's what all happened in the meet Amit Shah chairs SCO meet on prevention, elimination of emergency situation PRAHAR writes to FinMin over violation of advertisement norms by brokers India's carbon credit trading scheme spins a maze of regulatory complexity E-com firms' demand for gig workers up as shopping festivals near: Study Finance Minister reviews progress of implementation of Budget schemes OMCs increase price of commercial LPG gas cylinders by Rs 7 to Rs 1,780 The PM said the Indian presidency had been successful in preparing several important documents, namely on cooperation on new areas, such as emerging fuels, decarbonisation in the transportation sector, and digital transformation, and digital public infrastructure. Arguing that SCO nations have contributed to the economic and social development of Afghanistan over the past two decades, Modi said the nations territory should not be used to spread instability in neighboring countries or to encourage extremist ideologies. Indian presidency The PM said the organisation can become an important voice for reforms in global institutions, including the UN. However, Modi said it was essential for SCO to maintain its primary focus on the interests and aspirations of the Central Asian countries. Flagging the need for reforms and modernisation within the SCO itself, the PM said Indias Artificial Intelligence-based language platform, Bhashini can be shared with everyone to remove language barriers within the SCO. India assumed the rotational annual Presidency of the SCO last year only the sixth summit India participates in as a full-fledged member. India held more than 134 events, 15 ministerial meetings, and four heads of agencies meetings as part of its presidency, Foreign Secretary Vinay Kwatra said at a media briefing on Tuesday. As part of New Delhis initiative, two new mechanisms have been created at the SCO a special working group on start-ups and innovation, and an expert-level working group on traditional medicines. It has focused on reviving the countries shared Buddhist heritage, and sought to promote tourism in many places in Bihar and Uttar Pradesh associated with Buddhism. Kazakhstan has taken over as the next chairman of the SCO. Iran formally joins summit as full member Iran on Tuesday joined the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) as a full member as Belarus being put on track to join the body by 2024, another step toward ending its global isolation as it builds warmer ties with Russia and China. Irans membership was announced by Indias Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Following Irans membership in the SCO, we can work towards maximising the utilisation of the Chabahar Port. The International North-South Transport Corridor can serve as a secure and efficient route for landlocked countries in Central Asia to access the Indian Ocean, the PM said. BS REPORTER The Reserve Bank of India has rejected three applications, including the of West End Housing Finance, for setting up small finance banks. These applications were found not suitable for granting of in-principle approval to set up small finance banks, it said in a statement on Tuesday. RBI had received about a dozen applications to set up banks under the guidelines for 'on tap' Licensing of Universal Banks and Small Finance Banks (SFBs). In May last year, it announced the decisions on six applications. According to RBI, the examination of three more applications for setting up a small finance banks have been completed as per the procedure laid down under extant guidelines. Based on the assessment of the applications, the applicants "not found suitable" for granting of in-principle approval to set up a small finance bank are Akhil Kumar Gupta, Cosmea Financial Holdings Pvt Ltd and West End Housing Finance Ltd, it said. Also Read AU Small Finance tumbles 5% in 4 sessions; what should investors do? MPC lowers projection for inflation, raises growth outlook a bit in FY24 RBI Monetary Policy: Repo rate up by 25 bps, FY23 inflation pegged at 6.5% RBI Grade B recruitment 2023: Application process begins for 291 posts RBI grants AU Small Finance Bank permission to deal with foreign exchange SBI Mutual Fund AUM crosses Rs 8 trillion; eyes Rs 10 trillion milestone Bank of India becomes first bank to offer Mahila Samman Savings Certificate HSBC chases wealthy clients in India with private banking business launch Rupee up 4 paise at 81.87 against dollar on bullish trend in domestic mkt Indian rupee may inch up; RBI remains in way of large appreciation The central bank also said that the remaining applications are under examination. The guidelines for 'on tap' licensing of Universal Banks and SFBs in the private sector were issued on August 1, 2016, and December 5, 2019, respectively. As per the guidelines, the initial minimum paid-up voting equity capital for a universal bank should be Rs 500 crore. Thereafter, the bank should have a minimum net worth of Rs 500 crore at all times. The minimum paid-up voting capital/net worth for SFBs should be Rs 200 crore. In case of urban co-operative banks desirous of voluntarily transiting into SFBs, the initial requirement of net worth is Rs 100 crore, which will have to be increased to Rs 200 crore within five years. However, there are several reasons why an employee might not receive this form. Ankit Jain, Partner, Ved Jain & Associates explains why this might occur: 1. No TDS Deducted: If an employee's total income in the financial year is below the taxable limit, the employer may not have deducted any TDS, thus relieving them of the obligation to issue Form 16. "When an employer deducts TDS on salaries the Income Tax lays down that TDS certificate must be issued by the employer, once in a year, on or before 15 June of the financial year immediately following the financial year in which tax is deducted," said ClearTax The first step to filing tax returns for a salaried individual is to obtain your Form 16 from your employer. Form 16 is a TDS Certificate that outlines your taxable income and TDS. It is the employer's responsibility to provide Form 16 to all employees. In the unlikely event that your employer fails to provide you with Form 16, you can still e-File your return yourself. 2. Employer Negligence or Delay: Administrative reasons or employer negligence may delay Form 16 issuance. If the employee is expecting Form 16 but hasn't received it, they should contact their employer's HR or payroll department. 3. Change in Employment: When an employee changes jobs within a financial year and the income from the previous employer was below the taxable limit, the previous employer may not issue Form 16. In such cases, it's critical to compile income from all sources when filing the income tax return. Also Read: Filing tax returns for the first time? Make sure you read these handy tips When an employee changes jobs within a financial year and the income from the previous employer was below the taxable limit, the previous employer may not issue Form 16. In such cases, it's critical to compile income from all sources when filing the income tax return. You have to file tax return even without Form 16: Here are the alternatives Even without Form 16, an individual is obligated to file an income tax return if their income exceeds the tax-free limit. "Even though the responsibility for deducting tax on salaries and providing a TDS Certificate fall squarely on the employer, the employees are required to file income tax returns and pay taxes, if applicable. The employee is required to calculate tax and file returns irrespective of the employer issuing a Form 16. The employees can refer and rely upon Form 26AS to calculate the TDS deducted from their incomes in a financial year," said Vipul Jai, Partner, PSL Advocates and Solicitors. Here are other alternatives to compile the necessary information for filing tax returns: 1. Salary Slips: Salary slips can provide income details. Total the salary for each month of the financial year, accounting for any variable components like incentives or bonuses. Deduct any exemptions such as HRA, LTA, etc., to determine the taxable salary income, said Ved. To claim the HRA deduction, you must submit your rent receipts to your payroll department in advance. If you havent submitted the receipts to your employer, you can always claim it while filing. Even without Form 16, an individual is obligated to file an income tax return if their income exceeds the tax-free limit.Here are other alternatives to compile the necessary information for filing tax returns: Also Read Filing tax returns for the first time? Make sure you read these handy tips ITR 2022-23: Three key changes to keep in mind while filing your return ITR to higher pension: Important financial and tax deadlines in July 2023 Filing your returns? Know key changes in ITR for assessment year 2023-24 Centre to come up with pre-filled GST return forms by year-end: Report Explained: How HDFC-HDFC Bank merger will impact equity mutual funds Don't dodge lender if default is imminent; request for loan recast instead How will changes in TCS regime affect international credit card holders? Explained: How to minimise capital gains tax on property, equity and MFs How HDFC merger impacts home loan borrowers, FD investors, account holders 2. Bank Statements: Bank statements can offer insights into income if the salary is credited to a bank account. They can also help identify any other taxable income, like interest on savings account balances. 3. Form 26AS: This form is crucial for filing tax returns. It's a consolidated annual tax statement containing information about the tax deducted at source, tax collected at source, and tax paid other than TDS or TCS. It can be downloaded from the income tax department's e-filing website. 4. Investment Proofs: Keep records of all tax-saving investments like PPF, NSC, Life insurance, ELSS, etc., to claim deductions under sections like 80C, 80D, etc. Some common deductions include Section 80C (for investments in tax-saving instruments like Provident Fund or Life Insurance Premiums), Section 80D (for health insurance premiums), and Section 24(b) (for home loan interest). 5. Home Loan Statement: If there is a home loan, use the home loan statement detailing the principal and interest repaid. 6. Capital Gains: In case of any sold capital asset like a house or shares, related documents are needed to calculate capital gains. "If you have switched one or more jobs in a financial year, make sure you include payslips from all employers you have worked for in the year. Also, consider rent from House PropertyCapital Gain on sale of any capital assetInterest from bank accounts, FDs, etc," said ClearTax. 7. Other Income: Income from other sources, like rent from property or freelance work, should also be calculated and reported. Also Read: Common mistakes you should avoid while filing your ITR How to file ITR Compute total income for the year: After determining income from all sources and TDS deducted on income, total income for the year is to be computed. Consider Rent from House Property, Capital Gain on sale of any capital asset, Interest from bank accounts, FDs, etc. Total income is the aggregation of income received and TDS deducted on such income. Income from other sources, like rent from property or freelance work, should also be calculated and reported. " Visit the official Income Tax e-Filing portal (incometaxindiaefiling.gov.in) and choose ITR-1 (Sahaj) or ITR-2 and enter the relevant details like income details, deductions, and tax payable as per the instructions provided with the form. Refer to your salary slips, bank statements, and other documents to accurately enter the information," said Kumar Binit, Founder & CEO at FinMapp.After verifying the form, save the ITR in XML format. Upload the XML file on the Income Tax e-Filing portal and submit it. After submitting the same you can verify electronically with Aadhaar base OTP. The Alliance Francaise will soon set up its office in the capital city of Uttarakhand. Alliance Francaise, a premier institution supported by the French government, aims to promote the education of French language and culture in Uttarakhand, an official release said here. A delegation from Alliance Francaise, along with some prominent local citizens, on Tuesday called on R Meenakshi Sundaram, secretary to chief minister, at the secretariat to apprise him of the plan. They also sought cooperation of the state government in establishing the centre. The delegation was led by Emmanuel Lebrun-Damiens, the counsellor for Education, Science, and Culture at the French Embassy. The delegation apprised Sundaram that with the support of Alliance Francaise and other local organisations, the government wished to have a presence in Dehradun in order to promote cultural ties and French education. The French government will support setting up of Alliance Francaise in Dehradun to nurture education of French language and to promote cultural exchanges between Uttarakhand and France with the help of this centre, it added. Also Read Delhi-Dehradun Expressway to be complete by December end: Nitin Gadkari Mansukh Mandaviya lays foundation stone of 500 bedded hospital in Dehradun HC directs NGO to vacate Basti Vikas Kendra for Delhi-Dehradun Expressway India's aviation market offers diverse opportunities: Star Alliance CEO Asia leads 'back to office' effort; nearly 50% say will quit if no WFH It is time to implement UCC, says Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar India summons Canadian envoy over pro-Khalistani activities in Canada Haryana govt gives nod to engaging SHGs for rural water supply scheme Warmest June for south peninsular India since 1901, says weather office EAM Jaishankar meets UN Deputy Secretary-General Amina J Mohammed A tribal organisation of Andaman and Nicobar Islands has objected to the local administration's decision to allow Schedule Tribe (ST) people from other states to apply for government jobs in the archipelago, asserting that it goes against the norms. Chairman of the Tribal Council of Car Nicobar, Lionald Nicomed, claimed that as per the Scheduled Tribe Gazette notification of the Government of India, people belonging to only six local tribes are eligible for applying for recruitment under the ST category in Andaman and Nicobar Islands. A senior Congress leader also said that allowing ST people from outside violates a Supreme Court order. Many candidates from outside have applied for government posts. This is highly objectionable, Chairman of the Tribal Council of Car Nicobar, Lionald Nicomed, told PTI. Car Nicobar is the northernmost part of the Nicobar group of islands. Nicomed also wrote a letter to Governor Devendra Kumar Joshi, requesting him to intervene in the matter. Also Read Cyclone Mocha likely to move towards Myanmar-Bangladesh coast this week Netaji will be remembered for his fierce resistance to colonial rule: PM NCST launches probe into allegations of 'adverse' impact on local tribals Govt invites EOIs for Rs 41,000 cr port project in Great Nicobar Island PM to name 21 unnamed islands in Andaman-Nicobar, pay tribute to Bose today Delhi High Court dismisses PIL against withdrawal of Rs 2,000 banknotes Health Ministry proposes 5 MoUs to create awareness on benefits of millets Harsh Chouhan resigns as NCST chairman eight months before end of term Four domestic flights diverted from Delhi airport due to 'bad weather' State Food Ministers to discuss kharif procurement, food security on Jul 5 The Tribal Council and the entire Tribal Community of these Islands are disturbed with the ongoing recruitment process for which the qualified Scheduled Tribes candidates from these Islands are directly deprived of their legitimate rights, he said in the letter. TSG Bhasker, the Campaign Committee Chairman of the Congress in Andaman and Nicobar Islands, has also raised objections against the recruitment drive involving ST candidates from other states. There is a 2013 Supreme Court order clearly stating that only six tribes belonging to Andaman and Nicobar Islands can apply for various government posts in the archipelago. Also, no OBC candidates from other states can apply for posts reserved for OBC candidates here, he said. Bhasker said the Congress demands removal of all mainland candidates who have applied for ST and OBC posts in Andaman and Nicobar Islands. Around 1,000 police personnel and drones have been deployed for surveillance and dedicated lanes created for Kanwariyas in northeast Delhi, officials said on Tuesday. A similar number of civil defence volunteers have also been deployed in the district, which has been divided into zones, they said. Deputy Commissioner of Police (Northeast) Joy Tirkey said the Kanwar Yatra commenced on Tuesday. "Kanwariyas will start coming from Tuesday. However, the number is expected to rise significantly from Wednesday and Thursday. The devotees will offer holy water on July 15 and 16," he said. "We have deployed 1,000 police personnel and as many civil defence volunteers on the ground. We have also asked for 15 companies of central forces," he said. "We have 25 drones that will be used strategically. There will be adequate presence of security personnel on the ground during the yatra. The security personnel will work in three shifts, with each shift starting an hour before the last one ends," Tirkey said. Also Read AI-powered US military drone kills operator during simulated test: Report Haryana to protect, conserve trees aged over 75 years: Minister Kanwar Pal India to buy 31 Predator drones from US for $3.5 bn; all you need to know U'khand Kanwar yatra: Devotees asked to bring IDs, keep 'kanwars' smaller IFFCO purchases 2,500 agri drones for spraying fertlisers, chemicals SC orders deferment of oath taking of chairperson designate of DERC Retail tomato prices shoot up to Rs 155/kg; highest in Kolkata among metros Women-led SMEs to benefit from proposed FTA with India: UK minister Parts of Delhi get rain, IMD predicts more likely in next few days Delhi declaration, 2 joint statements adopted in India's presidency: Kwatra Forty-seven shivirs have been set up in Northeast district. These include 41 shivirs set up by the government, he said. All shivirs should have at least eight CCTV cameras, firefighting equipment and cooking facilities, he said. Several CCTV cameras have also been installed to monitor the route of the Kanwariyas, the DCP said. "Four temporary control rooms have been set up with the help of the communication unit of the police. These control rooms became operational on Tuesday," he said. Emergency response vehicles (ERVs), volunteers, PCR vans and police motorcycles will be present on these routes round the clock, Tirkey said. "Two meetings were held with Aman committee members -- one on June 27 before Eid and the second on Monday," Tirkey said. "We have also asked for 300 more barricades and a safe corridor will be made for the Kanwar Yatra and nobody except Kanwariyas will be allowed to enter it," he said. The police have urged those undertaking the yatra to not play loud or provocative music. Tirkey said, "The district magistrate has said that the administration has arranged 'Gangajal' and will provide it to those who need it for the rituals." The Delhi Traffic Police had issued an advisory on Monday stating that elaborate arrangements have been made in view of the Kanwar Yatra and cautioning that congestion is expected at several places due to the movement of Kanwariyas. The Delhi High Court on Tuesday dismissed a petition challenging mandatory uniforms for auto rickshaw and taxi drivers in the city. A bench of Chief Justice Satish Chandra Sharma and Justice Subramonium Prasad rejected the petition and orally observed that this amounted to gross misuse of a public interest litigation (PIL). The high court's order came on a petition by Chaalak Shakti, a drivers' union, which has challenged mandatory uniform for auto rickshaw and taxi drivers and alleged that such labelling was in violation of the Constitution. The petitioner's counsel had earlier said prescribing a uniform curtailed the drivers' freedom of expression and also acted as a symbol of their status. The Delhi government's counsel had said certain discipline has to be followed in relation to uniforms. The high court had earlier asked the government counsel to clarify whether khaki or grey coloured uniform is prescribed for auto drivers in the national capital. Also Read Uniform Civil Code: Third prong in BJP's three-point core agenda All states in country should implement Uniform Civil Code: U'khand CM Dhami Framing UCC for U'khand will strengthen social fabric, says ex-SC judge Law Commission considering to work on UCC issue: Ex-Justice Ranjana Desai 90% UCC draft complete, panel to submit proposal by June 30: Uttarakhand CM India leading in spirituality, technology and economy, says PM Modi Administration of oath to Justice Umesh Kumar as DERC chairman deferred: SC Commercial LPG cylinder prices hiked by Rs 7, check new prices here 'Amrit Kaal has been named as Kartavya Kaal': PM Modi in inaugural address To end tomato price jumps, India needs more than stop-gap solutions In its plea, the petitioner has alleged that hefty challans of up to Rs 20,000 were being imposed on drivers in the national capital for not wearing uniforms even though the law on the subject was vague and ambiguous. It has submitted that there is complete ambiguity about the colour of uniform to be worn by auto drivers on duty as Rule 7 of the Delhi Motor Vehicles Rules, 1993 prescribes khaki but the permit conditions laid down by the state authorities mandate grey. The petition also highlighted there are dozens of prominent shades of both khaki and grey, and since no particular shade had been stipulated, the enforcement authorities enjoyed a huge discretion about who they wanted to prosecute. It has also stated the uniform itself has not been defined so as to mean pant-shirt, safari suit or kurta-pyjama and that even specifications of fabrics, trims and accessories are also absent. The pain and damage inflicted by the vagueness and ambiguity in respect of the uniform is immense and most of the well-known metropolitan cities such as London, New York, Hong Kong, Sydney, Dubai did not prescribe any uniform for taxi drivers, the plea said. The Delhi High Court, which dismissed a public interest litigation (PIL) challenging the RBI's decision to withdraw the Rs 2,000 denomination banknotes from circulation, has said the notification was part of the central bank's currency management system. The high court said the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has only instructed the banks not to issue to its customers notes of Rs 2,000 denomination to ensure they are not in circulation though they remain legal tender. The fact that the permission to exchange Rs 2,000 notes is available only till September 23, 2023 does not mean that RBI has issued a direction that from September 23, Rs 2,000 banknotes will be demonetised. "The RBI has, therefore, not exceeded the powers conferred to it under the RBI Act or has violated the Banking Regulation Act, 1949, a bench of Chief Justice Satish Chandra Sharma and Justice Subramonium Prasad said in a judgment which was passed on Monday and became available in public domain on Tuesday. The high court's verdict came while dismissing a PIL by Rajneesh Bhaskar Gupta who contended that the RBI has no power to withdraw the Rs 2,000 currency notes from circulation and that the power to do so was vested in the central government alone. The bench said the RBI was well within its power to issue the notification, which is only a part of the currency management system, and the notification is merely a direction to banks to not issue Rs 2,000 currency notes. Also Read Explained: What are the tax implications of depositing Rs 2,000 notes? Provide adequate infra at branches for Rs 2,000 note exchange: RBI to banks How RBI's withdrawal of Rs 2,000 notes is different from demonetisation Withdrawal of Rs 2000 notes: India once again makes money a plaything Delhi HC to hear PIL against withdrawal of Rs 2,000 banknotes on May 29 Health Ministry proposes 5 MoUs to create awareness on benefits of millets Harsh Chouhan resigns as NCST chairman eight months before end of term Four domestic flights diverted from Delhi airport due to 'bad weather' State Food Ministers to discuss kharif procurement, food security on Jul 5 Garuda Aerospace bags 400 Agri Kisan drone order from IFFCO; tally at 10K The circular is not a direction to print or discontinue to print Rs 2,000 banknotes which is the domain of the Central Government and courts generally do not interfere in policy matters unless the decision is completely arbitrary. In view of the above, the writ petition is dismissed, it said. The high court added till the time the Rs 2,000 denomination banknotes continue to be a legal tender, it cannot be said that the directions issued by the RBI to various banks to not issue these banknotes from its currency chests, or a request to the public to deposit them in their accounts in as much quantity without their being any restriction is a decision to demonetise Rs 2,000 banknotes. The RBI decision is only to manage the currency notes which are under circulation, it said. In his plea, the petitioner had submitted that the RBI has no independent power to direct the non-issue or discontinuance of issue of banknotes of any denominational value, and this power is vested only in the Centre under section 24 (2) of the RBI Act, 1934. The RBI opposed the plea saying it was only withdrawing the Rs 2,000 notes from circulation which was a currency management exercise and a matter of economic policy. Earlier, the high court had dismissed a plea by lawyer Ashwini Kumar Upadhya which claimed the notifications issued by the RBI and SBI enabling the exchange of Rs 2,000 denomination banknotes without identity proof were arbitrary and against the laws enacted to curb corruption, saying it has been done to avoid inconvenience to citizens and the court cannot sit as an appellate authority on a policy decision. The high court has maintained it cannot be said that the government's decision is perverse or arbitrary, or it encourages black money, money laundering, profiteering or abets corruption. The instant petition stated the RBI notification gave no other reason except clean note policy for the big arbitrary decision of withdrawing the Rs 2,000 denomination banknotes from circulation without analysis of the expected problems of the public at large. On May 19, the RBI had announced withdrawal of Rs 2,000 currency notes from circulation, and said the existing notes in circulation can either be deposited in bank accounts or exchanged by September 30. The bank notes in the Rs 2,000 denomination will continue to be a legal tender, the RBI had said in a statement. In order to ensure operational convenience and to avoid disruption of regular activities of bank branches, the RBI said the exchange of Rs 2,000 bank notes for bank notes of other denominations can be made up to a limit of Rs 20,000 at a time at any bank starting from May 23. In a communication to the chief general managers of all its local head offices, the State Bank of India (SBI) had said the exchange facility up to a limit of Rs 20,000 at a time will be allowed without obtaining any requisition slip or identity proof. Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Monday highlighted the importance of law and order situation necessary for good governance. "In the last six years, the Uttar Pradesh Police has established the rule of law by ridding the state of crime, riots, and anarchy," said Yogi Adityanath while inaugurating the state-of-the-art and hi-tech administrative building of Gorakhnath police station and AIIMS police station. "Today, Uttar Pradesh has emerged as the best and the safest investment destination because of the rule of law and the zero-tolerance policy against crime implemented under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi," said the UP CM. It is noteworthy that Rs 17.10 crore has been spent on the construction of the Gorakshanath police station and Rs 5.42 crore has been spent on the construction of the newly created AIIMS police station. The Chief Minister emphasized that anarchy has no place in Uttar Pradesh today, where all festivals are celebrated in peace. "The celebrations of Bakrid (Eid-ul-Adha), Ram Navami, and Eid took place without any untoward incident reported from any part of the state. There was no disturbance anywhere. The rule of law becomes the medium of change in the life of the common man and fosters an environment for investment. The most secure environment has attracted investment proposals worth Rs 36 lakh crore to Uttar Pradesh. When these proposals are implemented, one crore youth will also get jobs," he stated. Also Read Yogi Adityanath govt to present its largest-ever annual budget today Quality education that values nationalism alone is 'meaningful': CM Yogi UP industrial development authority receives investments worth Rs 3 trn Residents or migrants, UP ensured everyone's safety in pandemic: CM Yogi UP CM Yogi Adityanath receives death threat, case registered, probe on 1,000 vehicles denied entry on Samruddhi Expressway due to worn out tyres PM Narendra Modi takes stock of G20 prep, infrastructure push, capex Free fish seed scheme to benefit nearly 20,000 farmers in Rajasthan Uttar Pradesh made crime-free, riot-free in last six years: Adityanath Key cities in Uttar Pradesh set to get an artificial intelligence makeover Appreciating the state police, the CM said, "In the last six years, the Uttar Pradesh Police has played an important role in changing the perception of the people towards the state." Yogi also criticized the previous governments, saying, "6 years ago, anarchy and hooliganism were at their peak in the state. Nobody was secure--not a girl, not a businessman. During the festivals, there was an atmosphere of terror. Today, the public's negative perception of the state has changed as a result of the ongoing work done in the field of policing over the past six years. There is an environment of security in the state and, therefore, development has also taken place rapidly." The Chief Minister said that the Uttar Pradesh Police is the largest civil police force in the world. However, it was experiencing a shortage of personnel. In the last 6 years, the government has recruited 1.65 lakh personnel, which includes 20 percent women, in a transparent manner, he informed. CM Yogi said that for the safety, dignity, and self-reliance of women, the 'Mission Shakti' campaign was started in the entire state. Women's help desks were formed in all the police stations as part of the scheme. The Chief Minister informed that 18 divisions now have cyber police stations as part of the modernization of the Uttar Pradesh Police. Earlier, there were only two of them. "In the near future, we will establish a cyber police station in each district. Additionally, at the range level, forensic labs are being established. The first police forensic institute of the state will also be started in this session", CM Yogi added further. Because solar panels have been installed at Gorakhnath Police Station, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath said that the facility's electricity costs will soon be almost zero. The CM added that the state government is also addressing the issue of housing for the police force. He described how the barracks were in terrible shape five and a half years ago, and then he gave directions to the Home department to provide residential facilities in every Police Line and police stations. "Now the tallest building in the district will be the residence of the policemen in the Police Line. Along with this, arrangements for the accommodation of policemen are being made in all the police stations," said Yogi. The Chief Minister also conducted a thorough inspection of the Gorakhnath police station building. From left, KB Financial Group Vice Chairman Hur Yin, Vice Chairman Yang Jong-hee, Vice Chairman Lee Dong-cheol and Park Jeong-rim, head of capital markets, corporate and investment banking and asset management / Courtesy of KB Financial Group By Lee Yeon-woo KB Financial Group is accelerating its succession process as the current chairman's term is set to expire this November. The planned timeline involves convening an executive recommendation committee next month, narrowing down a shortlist and selecting the final candidates in September. As per the group's internal regulation, when a transition of leadership becomes necessary, such as when a chairman's term ends, the process should be initiated at least two months in advance. The term of the current chairman, Yoon Jong-kyoo, is scheduled to end on Nov. 20. Traditionally, the recommendation committee selects a shortlist from a longlist of about 10 individuals, a list which is updated every six months. The internal candidate pool is made up of key executives within the group, while the external candidate pool comprises nominees recommended by external institutions acknowledged by the committee. Market watchers consider three vice chairmen of the group and one head of the business unit to be the frontrunners in the race. KB Financial Group Chairman Yoon Jong-kyoo / Courtesy of KB Financial Group One of them is Vice Chairman Hur Yin, who oversees the group's global business and insurance business unit. His tenure as CEO of KB Kookmin Bank from 2017 to 2021 is regarded highly, as he enhanced the bank's digital competitiveness, helping it achieve a leading position. KB Financial Group headquarters in Seoul / Korea Times file The Gujarat International Finance Tec-City or the GIFT City will expand by around 2,300 acres as it will acquire land from four villages in Gujarat's Gandhinagar district, The Indian Express (IE) has reported. This will be the first major expansion for the GIFT city since its conceptualisation in 2007. When complete, the GIFT city will become thrice its existing price, expanding from 1,065 acres to around 3,365 acres. Speaking about the matter, the MD and CEO of GIFT City, Tapan Ray told IE, The expansion is needed because of the increased demand. Almost 50 per cent of the area within GIFT City has been allotted. Secondly, we do not want haphazard development in the peripheral area where there will be slums and inequitable development. So, the expanded area will be developed on the same lines as the GIFT City. An urban planner and architect based in Ahmedabad, Bimal Patel's firm HCP Design, Planning and Management Pvt Ltd has been chosen to draw up the master plan for the proposed expansion, the report added. This is the firm that built the new Parliament building in Delhi. Elaborating on Bimal Patel's selection to draw up the master plan, Ray was cited in the IE report as saying that "We needed someone who is not just a town planner, but has knowledge of local laws and regulations of the state." The GIFT City Also Read GIFT Nifty begins India journey, first day turnover tops $1 billion Alchemy India Long Term Fund relocates from Mauritius to Gift City IFSC IFSC relaxation may boost trade in foreign stocks at the GIFT City In a first, Australia's Deakin University to set up campus in GIFT city Reserve Bank of India, IFSCA likely to frame fresh norms for GIFT City Delhi HC dismisses plea against mandatory uniform for auto drivers India leading in spirituality, technology and economy, says PM Modi Administration of oath to Justice Umesh Kumar as DERC chairman deferred: SC Commercial LPG cylinder prices hiked by Rs 7, check new prices here 'Amrit Kaal has been named as Kartavya Kaal': PM Modi in inaugural address The city was first conceptualised by Prime Minister Narendra Modi as a global financial hub and India's "first operational smart city". The city is situated between Ahmedabad and Gandhinagar on the banks of the Sabarmati River. The GIFT city is home to a multi-service Special Economic Zone (SEZ) and houses the country's first International Financial Services Centre (IFSC). The four villages that will become a part of the city have been chosen as they are located right next to the existing city. Ray said that there will be no relocation of the villagers as the villages will be part of the expanded GIFT city, the IE report added. National Commission for Scheduled Tribes (NCST) Chairman Harsh Chouhan resigned with eight months left for his term to end. Following his resignation, the tribal rights body is left functioning with a lone member, Ananta Nayak. Chouhan, a social rights activist who hails from Madhya Pradesh, resigned on June 26. His resignation was accepted by President Droupadi Murmu last week, according to a report in The Economic Times (ET). He was appointed as the chairman of the NCST in February 2021 for a three-year term. The resignation follows a run-in with the environment ministry as in October 2022, Chouhan had written to the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change red-flagging the new Forest Conservation Rules, 2022. He had said that the rules violated the Forest Rights Act, 2006, by giving primacy to project clearance, according to the ET report. Chouhan had asked the ministry to keep the rules in abeyance and "reinstate, strengthen and strictly monitor" the implementation of Rules 2017 to grant the FRA rights to Scheduled Tribes (STs). Also Read Centre appoints Siddhartha Mohanty as chairman of LIC till June 2024 Chairman posts vacant in six of 11 public sector banks, some for two years Indian realty market to reach Rs 13 trillion by 2023: CII Delhi chairman Mkts may outperform after clarity on Adani issue: IIFL Securities chairman Markets gain on dovish comments by US Fed chairman; Sensex rise 378 points Four domestic flights diverted from Delhi airport due to 'bad weather' State Food Ministers to discuss kharif procurement, food security on Jul 5 Garuda Aerospace bags 400 Agri Kisan drone order from IFFCO; tally at 10K Food, fuel, fertiliser crisis big challenges for world: PM at SCO summit PM engaged cooperatives, corporates, NGOs to boost development: Shah However, in January this year, the environment ministry dismissed the concerns raised by Chouhan. Chouhan has worked extensively for tribals in Madhya Pradesh and has been associated with Sangh bodies, including the Akhil Bharatiya Vanvasi Kalyan Ashram. The Madras high court on Tuesday delivered a split verdict in the case relating to the alleged illegal custody of Tamil Nadu Minister V Senthil Balaji, who was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) last month under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA). A division bench comprising Justices J Nisha Banu and D Bharatha Chakravarthy gave the split verdict and directed the Registry to place the matter before the Chief Justice for referring it to a third judge. While Justice Nisha Banu allowed the Habeas Corpus Petition, (HCP) filed by Megala, the wife of Balaji, Justice Bharatha Chakravarthy dismissed it. Holding that the HCP was maintainable, Justice Nisha Banu directed the police to set Balaji at liberty forthwith. Disagreeing with the judgment of Justice Nisha Banu, Justice Bharatha Chakravarthy in his order framed four questions and answered the same. The judge said the HCP was not maintainable. The petitioner has not made out any case to hold that the remand was not valid. Senthil Balaji can continue to take treatment in a private hospital (Kavery Hospital) till he was discharged or 10 days from today, whichever was earlier. Also Read Who is Tamil Nadu minister Senthil Balaji, arrested by ED on Wednesday? Nothing but political harassment: Kharge slams Balaji's late-night arrest ED moves to SC against HC order allowing Senthil Balaji's hospital transfer DMK supporters put up wall posters in Chennai questioning Governor Ravi I-T searches underway at premises linked to TN Minister Senthil Balaji Azad welcomes SC decision to hear plea challenging abrogation of Art 370 SCO emerged as important platform for peace, prosperity in Eurasia: PM Modi Several educational institutions shut due to heavy rainfall in Karnataka SCO must not hesitate to criticise countries supporting terrorism: PM Modi India donates 10,000 metric tonnes of wheat to Afghanistan amid crisis Thereafter he can take treatment in a Prison/government hospital, the judge added. Balaji was arrested on June 14 by the ED in connection with a cash-for jobs-scam when he was the Transport Minister in the earlier AIADMK regime. He was later hospitalised upon complaining of chest pain and has undergone a bypass surgery in the private hospital. India's draft resolution on biofuels at the 80th session of the MEPC of International Maritime Organisation was on Tuesday referred to the Working Group for its consideration and finalisation. The draft Maritime Environment Protection Committee (MEPC) resolution put forward a biofuel certified by the International Certification Scheme to confirm the sustainability aspects in the Life Cycle Assessment guidelines are being assigned a CO2 emission conversion factor as zero. The resolution is aimed at facilitating the uptake of biofuels and reducing GHG emissions and was taken up for discussion in the plenary on Tuesday. India welcomed the decision of the Chair to refer the draft resolution to the Working Group for its consideration and finalisation. "We believe India would be able to reason out our position on the need of this Resolution to encourage uptake of Biofuels," said Ajithkumar Sukumaran, Chief Surveyor-cum-Additional Directorate General, Ministry of Shipping, representing India at the summit. The US on Monday became the only country to halt the adoption of an MEPC resolution on biofuel put forward by India at the MEPC session here, demanding further discussions on the matter before recommending it to a working group on air pollution and energy efficiency to finalise the resolution/circular. Also Read US blocks Indian draft resolution on biofuels at MEPC, demands discussions World Environment Day 2023: A global call to action for sustainable future World environment day 2023: History, Theme, Importance, Celebration SC again defers plea against WhatsApp: What is new Data Protection Bill? India, France, UAE begin maiden joint maritime exercise in the Gulf of Oman Why didn't you study? CJI asks student as SC junks PIL on male pronouns Cabinet rejig: G Kishan Reddy among 4 appointed BJP state presidents Dedicated lanes for Kanwariyas in northeast Delhi, drones to keep vigil SC orders deferment of oath taking of chairperson designate of DERC Retail tomato prices shoot up to Rs 155/kg; highest in Kolkata among metros While presenting its case, the US stated that no preferential advantage should be given to a particular technology, demanding the IMO to finalise interim guidelines about Life Cycle Assessments on sustainability. The UK and Canada shared the concerns raised by the US and urged the IMO to finalise the interim guidelines before adopting the resolution. Thanking Germany, France, and Norway, who supported the resolution and reiterated that it should be considered an immediate requirement, India said that it is working with these countries on an amended resolution/circular, taking into consideration the concerns expressed by some other delegations. Sukumaran said it would be advantageous to India if it could finalise the resolution/circular in the current session. He said that India has already operated 11 ships using biofuel and is ready to expand its use in its shipping industry. India has a "good potential to emerge as a future biofuel supplier even to the international shipping market," he said. "It's definitely promising for the shipping industry in India, and we wholeheartedly welcome the use of biofuels," CPK Kashyap, Executive Director, Operations, Sanmar Shipping Limited, told PTI. India is looking to take a leadership position as a potential biofuel supplier to the shipping industry, and the objections from other countries could be because of their commercial interests in developing other green fuels, sources said. By Mihir Sharma For Indians, the furor in the US over the Supreme Courts judgment on affirmative action in universities feels oddly familiar. Like the US, India has long had programs designed to help members of historically disadvantaged groups attend college; and, as in the US, these have often been resented by other groups. Many Indian Americans, who feel that they like others of Asian descent have an unfairly hard time getting into elite universities, seem to be doubly irate at any echo of the system they left behind in India. Most members of the Indian diaspora in the US are, after all, from upper castes, and Indias quota system is designed to benefit other groups. The similarities, however, conceal important differences. Indias system of reservations for disadvantaged groups was written explicitly into the Constitution when it came into force in 1950 and has been strengthened by various amendments since then. It sets explicit quotas for lower castes of various sorts. And it extends to public sector jobs, not just university admissions. Only colleges that receive no state aid arent required to maintain similar quotas. While the current government has promised to extend the system to private educational institutions, it has not yet followed through. The US system looks, to Indians, like an opaque halfway house in comparison to ours. In India we know in advance exactly how many members of the oppressed Dalit community will get into the exclusive Indian Institutes of Technology every year, for example. And those admitted are chosen through a transparent examination, just like everyone else its just that the cutoff mark to get in is separately determined. Such transparency has been illegal in the US since a 1978 Supreme Court decision against a University of California medical college. Also Read 'Affirmative action' ends: US SC bans use of race in university admissions Denial of opportunity: Kamala Harris as court cancels race-based admissions US Supreme Court rejects affirmative action in university admissions US Supreme Court rejects affirmative action in university admissions Two HC judges elevated to SC, total strength of apex court reaches 34 PM Modi chairs meeting of Council of Ministers, 'Vision 2047' discussed First requirement for good governance is the rule of law: Yogi Adityanath 1,000 vehicles denied entry on Samruddhi Expressway due to worn out tyres PM Narendra Modi takes stock of G20 prep, infrastructure push, capex Free fish seed scheme to benefit nearly 20,000 farmers in Rajasthan The systems are different because, in many ways, their stated purposes are different. The designers of Indias reservation system including the primary author of our Constitution, the Dalit leader Bhimrao Ambedkar intended it as a way to open up access to elite power beyond the upper-caste Hindus and wealthy Muslims who had traditionally monopolized it. Their motivations had little to do with economic inequality or personal growth; the system was meant to ensure the Republic of India had a substantively different nature than all the states it was replacing. Lower castes for the first time would have a significant voice and representation among the rulers, not just the ruled. Efforts to increase diversity in American universities have, on the other hand, been justified at least since 1978 as being necessary to promote an all-round education. Diversity in higher education was accepted as good in and of itself; how that diversity was to be attained was left to each college, as long as it could claim that race wasnt the only determinant. The Supreme Court has now decided that Harvard University will have to demonstrate how the race of each applicant is connected to their background and beliefs, and thus their value as a member of the incoming class of freshmen. Whats odd here is how Indias openly quota-based rules have achieved the aims of the US system better than the US has. In public universities, at least, Indian students are far more exposed to those unlike them than their American counterparts are. Harvards incoming freshmen, while increasingly diverse in terms of race and ethnicity, are mostly relatively well-off whereas in Indias best public engineering schools, people of all backgrounds are forced to engage with each other. At the same time, state colleges are where such engagement begins and ends in India. This countrys elite our media, our CEOs, our top lawyers, our best-known intellectuals remains dominated by upper castes even after decades of reservations. The pressures of electoral democracy mean that politics, at least, are a little more open. Still, Ambedkar would probably be deeply disappointed by how few of the other levers of power in our country are accessible to those from historically oppressed communities. By comparison, while the US elite may still be dominated by white men, it nevertheless looks far more open to those of different racial and ethnic backgrounds than ours does. The US approach rendered incomplete, perhaps even duplicitous, by decades of court verdicts has done better than Indias quota-based system at diversifying the ranks of the elite. Whats the difference? The answer lies, surely, in who is pushing for diversity in both countries. In the US, universities and institutions fight back against crippling court verdicts to find other ways of addressing historical wrongs. Indian elite institutions feel no such pressure. They go as far as is constitutionally mandated and legally required, but not a step further. Even after this Supreme Court verdict, can anyone doubt that US institutions will continue to work to expand the sort of people they take in? If anything, they will be more strongly committed to finding those among marginalized communities who have a compelling case for inclusion. The US Supreme Court is fighting a losing battle against diversity because, unlike in India, the battle to convince the elite has already been won. Disclaimer: This is a Bloomberg Opinion piece, and these are the personal opinions of the writer. They do not reflect the views of www.business-standard.com or the Business Standard newspaper Also Read Here's how climate change is fueling wildfires in the US and Canada Canada forest fires intensify, worsen air quality in Canada, United States NIA arrests close aide of foreign operatives of pro-Khalistan terrorists India summons Canadian High Commissioner on poster by Khalistan supporters People protest against Trudeau outside High Commission over Khalistan issue Haryana govt gives nod to engaging SHGs for rural water supply scheme Warmest June for south peninsular India since 1901, says weather office EAM Jaishankar meets UN Deputy Secretary-General Amina J Mohammed Cargo traffic at major ports declines 1.96% to 64.63 MT in June: IPA India's draft resolution on biofuels at MEPC referred to Working Group (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) India summoned the Canadian envoy and issued a demarche over the increasing activities by pro-Khalistani elements in Canada, people familiar with the matter said on Tuesday.The summoning of the Canadian high commissioner came following pro-Khalistani groups releasing some posters with names of certain Indian diplomats.It is learnt that India has also asked the Canadian authorities to take appropriate measures in view of planned protests by pro-Khalistan groups outside Indian missions in Canada on July 8.The Canadian high commissioner was summoned to the Ministry of External Affairs on Monday and was issued a demarche, the people cited above said while referring to the release of the posters and the planned protests.The people said India has also raised with the US the attack on the Indian consulate in San Francisco by Khalistan supporters who tried to set the diplomatic facility on fire.A video by Khalistan supporters, dated July 2 posted on Twitter, showed the act of arson at the Indian Consulate in San Francisco.The people cited above said the American authorities have been prompt in condemning the attack and taking measures to stop similar incidents.It was the second time within months that the Indian Consulate in San Francisco came under attack from Khalistani supporters.On March 19, a group of pro-Khalistan protesters attacked and damaged the Indian Consulate in San Francisco.The people cited above said India has also taken up with the Australian government the issue of activities of pro-Khalistani groups in Australia and the planned protests outside Indian missions.A spokesperson at the Australian High Commission in Delhi said Canberra "takes seriously our obligations under the Vienna Conventions to ensure the security of diplomatic and consular missions and their staff in Australia.""Any threat to accredited officials residing in Australia will be investigated, and if necessary actions taken. Australia is a tolerant, multicultural nation and does not tolerate hate speech, violence or threats of violence," the official said. IIHL to raise $1.5 bn to fund RCap buy, increase holding in IndusInd Bank Read more Hinduja group firm IndusInd International Holdings Ltd (IIHL), the promoter of IndusInd Bank, announced on Monday its plans to raise $1.5 billion (about Rs. 12,300 crore) to increase its stake in the lender to 26 per cent from the current 15 per cent as well as fund its proposed acquisition of debt-laden Reliance Capital. For advising on $64 billion HDFC Bank deal, bankers get a 0.0002% fee A $64 billion merger of two big Indian lenders is yielding almost no fees to financial advisers, highlighting investment bankers struggle for profits in the country. Housing Development Finance Corp.s all-stock merger into HDFC Bank Ltd., which created one of the most valuable banks in the world, has about 18 advisers who got credit for a fee pool of just over $1 million, according to people familiar with the matter. Morgan Stanley and Bank of America Corp. will take the bulk of that pool while the rest will be paid just a token amount, they said, asking not to be identified as the information is not public. Read more Instagram launch of Twitter's rival 'Threads' expected on Thursday Instagrams highly anticipated Twitter rival is expected to launch Thursday, according to a listing on Apple Inc.s App Store. Also Read HDFC-HDFC Bank merger: The story behind success of housing finance behemoth HDFC Bank: Despite merger, stock may remain sideways, caution analysts Instagram reels can now be downloaded on your device, says IG head 'Air travel has come roaring back': SpiceJet net profit rises 160% Meta Verified launched in India: Check its price, other details here India to virtually host SCO summit today, Pak PM Shehbaz, Xi to take part PM Modi lauds efforts to boost petrochemicals sector in Assam and Northeast India shows US how not to do affirmative action after court's judgement PM Modi chairs meeting of Council of Ministers, 'Vision 2047' discussed First requirement for good governance is the rule of law: Yogi Adityanath The app, called Threads, will function similarly to Twitter, with text-based posts that can be liked, commented on and shared, according to examples of screenshots on the App Store listing. People will be able to follow the accounts they follow on Instagram and keep their same user name. Instagram, owned by Meta Platforms Inc., declined to comment. Read more Delhi HC rules in favour of Nokia in patent infringement case against Oppo The Delhi High Court has ruled in favour of Nokia in a patent infringement suit against Oppo and ordered Oppo to furnish security payment of the India portion of the last-paid licence fee. Though the amount is confidential, it will be 23% of the amount paid under the 2018 License Agreement. This is because Oppo's India portion is 23% of its global sales. Read more SpiceJet most delayed Indian airline as travel season takes a toll Kuki National Organisation (KNO) spokesperson Seilen Haokips house in Churachandpur in Manipur was set on fire on Monday night. On Monday, the KNO and the United Peoples Front (UPF) had announced that the blockade on National Highway 2 in Kangpokpi will be lifted after almost two months. This is the first prominent instance of a Kuki-Zomi leaders residence being targeted in a Kuki-Zomi-dominated area ever since ethnic violence broke out in the state on May 3. Haokips house is located in Songpi in Churachandpur district. Ethnic clashes in Manipur began on May 3 between Meitei and Kuki communities. More than 100 people have died and over 40,000 people have been displaced so far. Thousands of security personnel have been deployed in the state and internet services remain shut. Also Read As Manipur reels from violence, home minister Shah to visit the state today Tribal protest in Manipur turns violent; curfew imposed, internet suspended Shielding governance failure will not resolve Manipur's problems 'Not consulted over CM's presence': Kuki members to boycott peace committee Union minister RK Ranjan's house torched in Manipur as violence intensifies Andaman & Nicobar tribal body against Schedule Tribe hirings from outside Delhi High Court dismisses PIL against withdrawal of Rs 2,000 banknotes Health Ministry proposes 5 MoUs to create awareness on benefits of millets Harsh Chouhan resigns as NCST chairman eight months before end of term Four domestic flights diverted from Delhi airport due to 'bad weather' On June 15, Union Minister R K Ranjan's house was set on fire by a mob of around 1,000 people in Imphal. Ranjan and his family were not at home at the time of the incident. The mob had managed to reach the minister's house at Kongba despite a curfew and threw petrol bombs at the house. On July 1, three people were killed in a gunfight with unknown assailants. On Saturday, Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh was ready to resign from his post but he changed his mind after thousands of women blocked his convoy on his way to the Raj Bhavan. Singh said, "I was really surprised that people gathered outside my house. I thought everyone had left me. But when I went out and saw the crowd, I thanked God and my people who love me so much. So, I changed my decision." Visits by political leaders Various political leaders have visited the state ever since the violence started. On May 29, Union Home Minister Amit Shah went to Manipur on a three-day visit and appealed for peace in the state. He met with the Chief Minister of Manipur and his Cabinet ministers. Shah then met various Meitei Civil Society organisations in Imphal and visited three Kuki-Zo-dominated districts of Churachandpur, Kangpokpi, and Tengnoupal (Moreh town) during his tour. Congress leader Rahul Gandhi visited relief camps on his two-day visit to the state, which started on June 29. Gandhi visited relief camps in Churachandpur district on June 29 and on June 30, he went to Moirang in Bishnupur district. He tweeted: "I came to listen to all my brothers and sisters of Manipur. People of all communities are very welcoming and loving. Its very unfortunate that the government is stopping me. Manipur needs healing. Peace has to be our only priority." Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Tuesday said the pace of the country's development increased in the last nine years as Prime Minister Narendra Modi engaged cooperatives, corporates, NGOs and individuals to participate in the process. Shah was virtually addressing a gathering during the laying of foundation stone for a Sainik School to come up in Mehsana in north Gujarat under the public-private partnership (PPP) mode. The Sainik School, coming up at Boriyavi village in Mehsana district, is part of the Centre's initiative to set up 100 such schools under the PPP mode. Shah said PM Modi gave a call to set up 100 Sainik Schools in partnership model, and the Motibhai Chaudhary Sagar Sainik School being set up in Mehsana under the PPP model will be the 20th such school to provide students a simple and easy path to enter the armed forces. The pace of development during the past governments was slow, he said. "In nine years of his rule, Prime Minister Narendra Modi not just worked for the security and development of the country and make it earn pride in the world, but also to engage a large number of cooperatives, corporates, NGOs and individuals to join the process of development which helped the country develop at a fast pace," Shah said. Also Read Pledge to use mother tongue more: Amit Shah on Int'l Mother Language Day In US, PM Modi meets experts from health sector, academia, tech, economy As Manipur reels from violence, home minister Shah to visit the state today Home Minister Amit Shah meets President Murmu after Manipur visit Union minister Amit Shah urges youth not to abandon mother tongue Delhi court seeks response from minor victim in Brij Bhushan Singh case Uttarakhand CM Dhami meets PM Modi, says UCC to be implemented soon India mulls bilateral deals for green hydrogen-linked carbon credits 15 killed, over 20 injured as container truck hits four vehicles in Dhule India summons Canadian High Commissioner on poster by Khalistan supporters As part of the same process, Modi made an appeal to set up 100 new Sainik Schools under the PPP model, he said. Shah said the Sainik School will prepare students to serve Mother India through their hard work. The new school will help students learn about security, patriotism and bravery, he added. The Union minister congratulated Dudhsagar Dairy milk cooperative, its chairman Ashok Chaudhary and the entire board for coming forward the set up the new school. Shah also said PM Modi took several initiatives to remove water scarcity in north Gujarat which faced an acute crisis due to depletion in the groundwater level. The region had turned into a dark zone and people feared it would turn into a desert like Kutch, he said. As the then chief minister of Gujarat, Modi took several initiatives to bring the Narmada and Mahisagar river water to north Gujarat which helped increase the groundwater level, he said. Apart from farming, it also helped in milk production in the region, he added. Shah also praised former MLA Motibhai Chaudhary -- after whom the upcoming school is named -- for his contribution to strengthen cooperative milk production in north Gujarat districts. He said that Dudhsagar Dairy passed on benefits worth Rs 375-crore to cattle farmers by raising the procurement price of buffalo milk, taking initiatives for the production of honey and organic farming, and taking care of the health of cattle. The National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority (NPPA) has extended the price capping on oxygen concentrators and five other medical devices, The Economic Times (ET) has reported. Price caps were first introduced in 2021. In a recent meeting conducted by the pricing regulator, MRPs of five essential medical devices were considered. These devices included pulse oximeters, blood pressure monitoring machines, nebulizers, digital thermometers, and glucometers. Given the critical nature of the devices mentioned above, the meeting concluded that it is imperative to ensure the uninterrupted availability of these devices. To this end, the price regulation was introduced during the Covid-19 pandemic, which was extended in March 2023. The price capping was extended until June 30 or till further orders, whichever is earlier. As the June 30 timeline has passed, the NPPA has decided to extend the price regulation further. According to a government notification on the subject, a cap at 70 per cent on the trade margin of oxygen concentrators was imposed at the first point of sale. National Medical Device Policy 2023 The Centre is also working out a first-ever National List of Essential Medical Devices (NLEMD). To ensure the supply of pocket-friendly healthcare equipment, a new pricing policy is being formulated by the National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority. Also Read Tamil Nadu says won't transfer land ownership to AAI for Coimbatore airport Spinning mills fret over clamp on CU India from certifying organic textiles Japanese medical devices major Omron to set up mfg unit in Tamil Nadu Tamil Nadu revenue deficit down 52%, says budget hailing welfare measures Out-of-pocket health spend share falls, govt expenditure rises: NHA US condemns vandalism against Indian Consulate by Khalistan supporters 'Lapses at multiple levels': What led to Balasore train accident on June 2? LIVE: PM Modi to chair SCO summit today virtually, Pak PM to take part Top headlines: Spicejet most delayed airline, Twitter rival to launch Thurs India to virtually host SCO summit today, Pak PM Shehbaz, Xi to take part The pricing policy is a part of the National Medical Device Policy 2023 launched by the government to facilitate the growth of the sector while also ensuring accessibility and affordability, a senior health ministry official was quoted as saying in a report by ThePrint. Patient rights groups have welcomed the move to regulate the prices of medical devices. Considering the contribution of expensive medical devices towards high hospital bills, this step may help ease the burden of high medical expenses. This file photo shows President Yoon Suk Yeol, center, speaking during a ceremony in Paris where a group of European companies announced plans to make an investment in Korea, June 21. Yonhap Foreign direct investment (FDI) pledges to Korea jumped 54.2 percent on-year in the first six months of this year to reach a record high for any first-half period, data showed Tuesday. The country received $17.09 billion of FDI commitments in the January-June period, compared with $11.09 billion logged a year earlier, according to the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy. This year's figure is the largest ever for any January-June period, with the previous record being $13.14 billion in 2021. For the second quarter alone, FDI also reached an all-time high for any second quarter at $11.46 billion, the data showed. The amount of investment that actually arrived in Korea in the first half grew 6 percent on-year to $7.75 billion, according to the ministry. By industry, the manufacturing sector received investment pledges of $7.63 billion in the first half, up 145.9 percent on-year, and FDI pledges to the service sector climbed 11 percent to $8.48 billion. The electric and electronics field, which includes the semiconductor and secondary battery industries, saw foreign investment commitments spike 663 percent on-year, and those in chemical engineering soared 464.1 percent. By investor, FDI pledges from the European Union and Britain more than doubled to $4.26 billion, accounting for 25 percent of total investment pledges made in the first half of 2023. FDI pledges from the United States advanced 24.1 percent to $3.66 billion, and the amount from China, Hong Kong, Singapore, Taiwan and Malaysia also went up 32.8 percent on-year to $3.25 billion. But investment commitments from Japan tumbled 33.4 percent on-year to $600 million, the data showed. Greenfield investment, which refers to a parent company's launch of a new venture or the establishment of new facilities, increased 53.1 percent on-year to $12.64 billion, and investment in the form of mergers and acquisitions jumped 57.3 percent to $4.45 billion. "We have seen a marked growth in foreign investment in the advanced manufacturing industry sectors, such as chips, batteries and bio fields, as well as wind power, hydrogen and other new energy industries, as Korea has a solid basis for the manufacturing industry and technology prowess," the ministry said in a release. (Yonhap) The Supreme Court Tuesday ordered deferment of the oath taking of Justice (retd) Umesh Kumar as the chairperson of the DERC and said it will examine the constitutional validity of a provision of the Centre's recent ordinance governing appointments such as that of the chief of the national capital's electricity regulatory authority. It also took on record the Delhi government's statement about deferring the oath taking ceremony of Justice Kumar, whose appointment has become yet another flashpoint in the turf war between the city's AAP government and the Centre. A bench of Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud and Justice P S Narasimha said it wanted to deal with the plea challenging the Centre's notification appointing Justice Kumar as the Delhi Electricity Regulatory Commission (DERC) chairperson in a "non-controversial" manner on July 11 and so the administration of oath to him be deferred. Dr Abhishek Manu Singhvi, senior counsel appearing on behalf of the petitioner (Delhi government) states that the administering of oath in pursuance of the notification of the Union Ministry of Home Affairs dated June 21, 2023 to the former Judge of the Allahabad High Court shall stand deferred presently, the order, uploaded on the apex court's website, said. The top court also issued notices to the Centre and the office of Lieutenant Governor V K Saxena on the plea of the Delhi government which also challenges the June 21 notification of the Union Ministry of Home Affairs appointing Justice Kumar as the DERC chairperson. Justice Kumar is a former judge of the Allahabad High Court. Also Read SPPL launches Google TV-powered Thomson Oath Pro Max 65-inch at Rs 43,999 Power Minister Atishi falls ill, DERC chairman's oath postponed to July 6 Atishi writes to new DERC chief, requests him to take oath on July 3 or 4 Delhi CM renominates retd Justice Rajiv Kumar Srivastava as DERC chief Delhi govt seeks action against appointment of DERC principal advisor Retail tomato prices shoot up to Rs 155/kg; highest in Kolkata among metros Women-led SMEs to benefit from proposed FTA with India: UK minister Parts of Delhi get rain, IMD predicts more likely in next few days Delhi declaration, 2 joint statements adopted in India's presidency: Kwatra Services curtailed on section of Delhi Metro's Magenta Line for hours When the counsel for the Centre objected to the deferment of oath taking of the former judge, the bench observed it was rather inclined to stay the MHA notification. Observing that since the matter involved a pure question of law, the bench sought the assistance of Attorney General R Venkataramani and fixed the plea for hearing on July 11. Issue notice. Since the constitutional validity of the Section 45 D of the National Capital Territory of Delhi (Amendment) (Ordinance), 2023 has been called into question, a formal notice shall also be served on the Attorney General for India. Having regard to the urgency of the matter, the proceedings shall be listed for hearing and final disposal at this stage on 11 July 2023. Since a pure question of law is raised, liberty to the parties to file brief written submissions. In the event that any counter affidavit is to be filed, a copy shall be served on the petitioner by July 10, 2023, it ordered. The appointment of the DERC chairperson has led to a fresh power tussle between the Delhi government and the Centre's pointman, the lieutenant governor, and it led to filing of a fresh case in the top court. The Delhi government said in its petition that the office of the LG has to act on the aid and advice of the council of ministers which he has not. The Centre's ordinance on services in the national capital territory gives overriding powers to the lieutenant governor over the elected government in the matter of appointments. At the outset, Singhvi sought a stay of the notification issued by the Centre appointing Justice Kumar as the DERC chairperson. The senior lawyer alleged that the unilateral action of the LG was against the spirit of the apex court's recent judgement on control over services. "As a political executive, I give free power of 200 units to the poorest of the poor in Delhi. It is the most popular scheme in Delhi. Now they want to appoint someone of their choice to stop this, he said. Solicitor General Tushar Mehta said Justice Kumar was appointed after taking the concurrence of the Chief Justice of the Allahabad High Court, as directed by the top court on May 19. The bench then asked as to who obtained the views of the chief justice of the high court. The LG, replied the solicitor general, and said, Please do not give a stamp of approval to the fact that they are already deferring this since June 23. The Delhi government has been dodging this for one reason or the other." Then we will better stay the notification which we were inclined to do. But we thought that we will deal with it in a non-controversial manner, the CJI said. Additional Solicitor General Sanjay Jain, appearing for the office of the LG, said the retired judge recommended by the Delhi government, Justice Rajeev Kumar Shrivastava, had declined to accept the post citing personal difficulties. The post of the DERC chairperson was vacant after former head of the commission Justice Shabihul Hasnain demitted office on January 9, 2023. Later, a proposal to appoint Justice Shrivastava was placed before the LG by the Delhi government. On May 19, the top court had said the lieutenant governor has to act on the aid and advice of the council of ministers and ordered that the chairperson of the DERC be appointed within two weeks. The AAP government had recommended the name of former Madhya Pradesh High Court judge Justice Srivastava for the position. However, Justice Srivastava expressed his inability to take charge due to "family commitments and requirements". Later, the government sent the name of Justice (retd) Sangeet Raj Lodha of the Rajasthan High Court on June 21. The central government, however, notified the name of Justice Kumar for the post the same evening, prompting the AAP government to move the top court challenging the notification. On July 3, the lieutenant governor advised Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal to complete the oath taking exercise of Justice Kumar through video conferencing, after the event was postponed due to Power Minister Atishi's ill health. Realty firm Arkade Group will invest Rs 470 crore to develop a housing project at Mulund in Mumbai. The project 'Arkade Nest' is spread over 2 acres and will have 350 flats. "The total investment estimate in this project is Rs 470 crore, out of which Rs.115 crore has been spent so far," Mumba-based realty firm Arkade said in a statement. Established in 1986, the Arkade Group is planning an initial public offering (IPO) to raise about Rs 600 crore in a fresh issue of shares, it added. The group clocked a total sales bookings of Rs 150 crore in the first quarter of this fiscal. Also Read LIC Housing Finance, HDFC: Trading strategies for housing finance companies Housing sales clocked a record of Rs 3.47 trillion in FY23: Anarock Hiranandani to invest Rs 1,000 cr in premium housing project in Panvel Tata Capital to LIC Housing finance: Companies to raise funds from markets Adani Group revives Mundra PVC project, gets credit line worth Rs 14,000 cr NCLT to hear on July 21 maintainability of lessor's plea against Spicejet Centre to double turnover of automobile industry to Rs 15 trillion: Gadkari Indian conglomerates look towards global brands to cash in on luxury retail Indian conglomerates look towards global brands to cash in on luxury retail India tops Russian Urals oil purchases in June as China retreats: Report Indian conglomerates are prepping to collaborate with global luxury brands as they appear to have taken note of the craze for them in the country. Business houses like the Tata Group, Reliance, and Aditya Birla Group are making plans to get a hold of this luxury retail market as they plan to partner with global brands like Shein, Balenciaga, and Armani. In a bid to add a global flavour to the Indian retail landscape, Reliance, Tata, and a number of other Indian brands have begun a series of joint ventures with global luxury brands, a Financial Express (FE) report said. As a part of a joint venture, two companies come together and form a new entity that collaborates on a specific project. In the case of Starbucks and Tata, the two companies joined hands to establish a joint venture called Tata Starbucks Limited which operates Starbucks stores in India. The partnership allowed Starbucks access to the local expertise of Tata and gave Tata a global brand like Starbucks, which is known for its expertise in the coffee industry. Reliance and Shein Led by Mukesh Ambani's daughter, Isha Ambani, the Rs four trillion retail business has joined hands with Shein, which allows the latter to enter the Indian markets once again. Earlier, Shein, along with several other Chinese apps was banned by the government which liked the brand for its affordable clothing products. Reliance and Balenciaga Also Read Local production to ownership: Strict rules of Shein's India re-entry deal Shein is coming back to India. Here's why it was banned in the past Weekend Bites: Ambani & Ambani, and old white males Shein is ready to make its second entry into India with Reliance Retail Chinese fast-fashion retailer SHEIN 100% Indian on return, says Centre India tops Russian Urals oil purchases in June as China retreats: Report Indian fantasy sports revenue increased 24% during IPL 2023: Report Delhi HC restrains Cipla from using Gluco-C or Gluco-D trademarks Sale of mid-segment homes overtakes affordable in India: Knight Frank India's fantasy sports' revenue rises 24% during IPL 2023: Redseer report Mukesh Ambani has announced Reliance's collaboration with the ultra-luxurious fashion brand, Balenciaga to the Indian market. As a part of the collaboration, Reliance will help Balenciaga in setting up multiple fancy brick-and-mortar stores along with establishing its online retail store network. Tata CLiQ and TimeVallee Tata CLiQ is partnering with the renowned Swiss luxury multi-brand watch and jewellery store in India. The joint venture has recently launched its digital boutique in the country. The online platform offers an exquisite selection of watches from six renowned brands including Cartier, IWC Schaffhausen, Jaeger-LeCoultre, Panerai, Piaget, and Roger Dubuis. Reliance and Armani Caffe Reliance has announced yet another collaboration within the culinary world with its latest partnership with Emporio Armani. The Armani Cafe will soon make its debut at Reliance's upcoming shopping destination, the Bandra Kurla Mall. Aditya Birla Fashion X Galeries Lafayette According to a report cited by FE, the renowned shopping brand of Paris will make its entry into the Indian market in 2024. The European shopping hub will enter the Indian retail market space in partnership with Aditya Birla Fashion and Retail Ltd. The entry of Galeries Lafayette marks a significant development in the Indian retail market as the brand will offer Indians a taste of a world-class retail experience. The Initial Public Offer (IPO) of jewellery retail player Senco Gold got subscribed 69 per cent on the first day of subscription on Tuesday. The Rs 405-crore IPO received bids for 65,28,018 shares against 94,18,603 shares on offer, according to NSE data. The quota for retail individual investors (RIIs) received 1.12 times the subscription and the category for non-institutional investors got subscribed 62 per cent. The initial public offer has a fresh issue of up to Rs 270 crore and an offer for sale of up to Rs 135 crore. The IPO has a price range of Rs 301-317 a share. Senco Gold Ltd on Monday said it has mobilised Rs 121.5 crore from anchor investors. Also Read 7 IPOs this week but don't make these 10 mistakes in pursuit of gains IPO fundraising shrinks, block deals robust during first half of CY23 IdeaForge Tech IPO to close on June 30; issue subscribed 32x so far Jewellery retail major Senco IPO price band at Rs 301-317 per share Senco Gold's Rs 405 cr-IPO to open for public subscription on July 4 Nova Agri, Netweb Tech India, EMS get Sebi's approval to float IPO As AIFs rise in popularity, PMS industry feels the heat: Sebi data FPI buying propels indices to new highs; Sensex adds 4% in 5 days Investors richer by Rs 7.90 trn in 5 days; BSE firms' valuation hits peak Eicher Motors cracks 6% as Hero Moto-Harley Davidson tie up for X440 bike Of the Rs 270 crore, the company proposes to use Rs 196 crore of net proceeds from the fresh issue towards funding working capital requirements and the remaining for general corporate purposes. The Kolkata-based firm has 140 showrooms across 13 states and a total of 63 per cent of them are located in West Bengal. It also sells its products through various online platforms and undertakes wholesale exports of its jewellery, primarily to Dubai, Malaysia and Singapore. IIFL Securities Ltd, Ambit Private Ltd and SBI Capital Markets Ltd are the managers to the offer. The company's equity shares are proposed to be listed on the BSE and NSE. The stock-market indices have hit record highs in the past few days and its been a broad movement. The small-cap and mid-cap indices hit new highs first, and the Sensex and Nifty followed. The Sensex on Monday closed above 65,000 for the first time. In this context, our lead editorial notes that this could be an opportune moment for the government to consider reviving disinvestment plans, which have apparently been on the backburner for a while. Read here Following Ajit Pawars rebellion, both factions of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) are now holding a meeting on Wednesday, July 5 to determine which is the real NCP. Here are the developments so far. Firing and re-appointments in both factions After Ajit Pawar was sworn into the Eknath Shinde-led Maharashtra government, both factions of NCP went on series of firing and re-appointments along with the filing of disqualification petition by Sharad Pawars side. Ajit Pawar stated that many in the party supported his decision with eight other members of NCP being sworn into the Shinde-led government in Maharashtra alongside Ajit Pawar on Sunday. Sharad Pawar removed Praful Patel and Sunil Tatkare, who was one of the eight MLAs that joined Ajit Pawar. He also fired Narendra Rathod, Vijay Deshmukh, and Shivajirao for attending the oath ceremony. Moreover, the faction had filed a disqualification petition against Ajit Pawar and the eight other members who joined the BJP-Shiv Sena alliance. Following this, Ajit Pawar replaced Maharashtra NCP chief Jayant Patil with appointed Sunil Tatkare as the party's state unit chief. The faction also approached Maharashtra Assembly Speaker to disqualify Jayant Patil and Jitendra Awhad from membership of the House. Also Read 'Dirty tricks': Opposition hits back at BJP after NCP split in Maharashtra Ajit Pawar's rebellion: How it happened and what lies ahead for NCP leader Maharashtra's politics churns amid speculations of Ajit Pawar jumping ships 2019 redux? Ajit Pawar breaks ranks, takes oath as Maharashtra Deputy CM LIVE updates: Maharashtra government reaches 200 MLAs in 51 years Maharashtra Cong meeting begins, party likely to claim Oppn leader's post K'taka assemby adjourns after BJP protests over 'failure' of govt Centre on political 'witch hunt' against Tejashwi, says JD(U) president NCP MLAs wanted Pawar to explore possibility of joining Maha govt: Patel Deputy CM Ajit Pawar to inaugurate new NCP party office in Mumbai Also Read: 'Dirty tricks': Opposition hits back at BJP after NCP split in Maharashtra Ajit Pawar was also appointed as NCP's legislature wing leader. Mishaps while inaugurating a new office In the days following his appointment as deputy chief minister (DCM) of Maharashtra, Ajit Pawar was set to inaugurate a new office for NCP near the state secretariat, however, could not enter after the keys of the office went missing. Party workers had to force their entry into the bungalow after they failed to break the doors which were reportedly locked from the inside. They claimed that the Public Works Department (PWD) had failed to provide them with the keys on time. The bungalow that would house the party office previously belonged to Ambadas Danve, a Shiv Sena (UBT) leader. Wednesday's meeting may provide clarity Both Sharad Pawar- and Ajit Pawar-led factions are set to hold meetings on Wednesdays which will involve all functionaries for both factions. Ajit Pawar will reportedly sit at 11 AM with his faction while Sharad Pawar will begin his meeting at 1 PM. After both meetings it will be clear how much support the uncle and nephew have managed to retain, therefore determining which one has the majority member support. According to a report from India Today, Ajit Pawar currently holds support from 24 out of the 53 NCP MLAs, earlier media reports had stated he had 30 out of 53. He requires at 34 members' support to avoid the anti-defection law that punishes Members of Parliament (MPs)/MLAs for defecting from one party to another. The same report claims that Sharad Pawar has the support of 14 MLAs. Ajit Pawar claims that two-thirds of the MLAs support him, if this is true then he will be able to claim authority over the party. Who will determine the real NCP The parties can approach the Election Commission to prove which one is the real NCP. According to ABP news, Sharad Pawar has consulted lawyers on whether the matter should be taken to court and if so whether it would be wiser to approach Mumbai High Court or directly to the Supreme Court. However, no decision has been made yet. Maharashtra Congress has convened a meeting of its legislators on Tuesday where the issue of staking claim to the post of Leader of Opposition in the state Assembly may come up for discussion, a party leader said. All India Congress Committee (AICC) secretary HK Patil will attend the meeting. The post of Leader of Opposition (LoP) fell vacant after Nationalist Congress Party leader Ajit Pawar resigned on Friday. He joined the Shiv Sena-BJP government on Sunday as deputy chief minister while eight other NCP MLAs took oath as ministers. Notably, the NCP, led by Sharad Pawar, has appointed MLA Jitendra Awhad as the LoP. Sharad Pawar on Monday said the Congress, a constituent of the Maha Vikas Aghadi, was justified in claiming the post of LoP. "The Congress has convened a meeting of its legislators on Tuesday where deliberations are likely to be held on staking claim to the position of Leader of Opposition," Congress Legislature Party leader Balasaheb Thorat said on Monday. Also Read 'Dirty tricks': Opposition hits back at BJP after NCP split in Maharashtra Won't be in govt if Pawar joins BJP with NCP group: Shiv Sena spokesperson Congress accuses BJP of fuelling speculation on Pawar's next political move Ajit Pawar's rebellion: How it happened and what lies ahead for NCP leader Will fight future polls on NCP symbol, says Maharashtra Dy CM Ajit Pawar Yet to ascertain whether NCP in govt or Oppn: Maharashtra Assembly Speaker Will challenge in court: Delhi govt after L-G terminated 400 pvt employees BJP has pitted communities in Manipur, which led to riots: Mamata Banerjee It's a valid demand if Congress asks LoP position, says Sharad Pawar Chhattisgarh CM Baghel hints a big 'LPG' surprise in Cong poll manifesto Thorat claimed the NCP can only appoint their group leader in the Legislative Assembly. Senior Congress leader Prithviraj Chavan said there will be no problem in appointing the new LoP after ascertaining how many MLAs are with the Sharad Pawar-led NCP, following the split in its legislature party. In the 288-member Maharashtra Assembly, the Congress has 45 MLAs, while the NCP has 53 legislators. State unit Congress president Nana Patole described Sunday's political developments as a "black spot on the state's political culture". "On one hand, there was rejoicing at Raj Bhavan after the swearing-in ceremony (of Ajit Pawar and other NCP MLAs on Sunday) and on the other hand, charred bodies of victims of the Buldhana bus accident were being cremated," he said. Twenty five people were charred to death after a private bus they were travelling in hit a road divider on the Samruddhi Expressway in Buldhana district on Saturday, fell on its left side, and burst into flames, according to police. A meeting of the Maharashtra Congress Legislature Party (CLP) got underway at the Vidhan Bhavan here on Tuesday in the presence of AICC secretary HK Patil. The party is likely to discuss the issue of staking claim to the post of Leader of Opposition in the state Assembly, in the wake of a split in the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP). The post of Leader of Opposition (LoP) fell vacant after NCP leader Ajit Pawar resigned on Friday. He joined the Shiv Sena-BJP government on Sunday as deputy chief minister while eight other NCP MLAs took oath as ministers. Notably, the NCP, led by Sharad Pawar, has appointed MLA Jitendra Awhad as the LoP. Sharad Pawar on Monday said the Congress, a constituent of the Maha Vikas Aghadi, was justified in claiming the post of LoP. The NCP has 53 MLAs in the 288-member Assembly. The Congress has 45 MLAs and CLP leader Balasaheb Thorat has said all legislators are together. Also Read Opposition unity: Is well begun, half done? MPC lowers projection for inflation, raises growth outlook a bit in FY24 Parliament proceedings in RS, LS adjourned till 12 pm amid Oppn's demand 'Who will be their PM face?' asks Ravi Shankar ahead of Oppn leaders meet Issues plaguing country to be discussed at Oppn parties' meeting: Pawar K'taka assemby adjourns after BJP protests over 'failure' of govt Centre on political 'witch hunt' against Tejashwi, says JD(U) president NCP MLAs wanted Pawar to explore possibility of joining Maha govt: Patel Deputy CM Ajit Pawar to inaugurate new NCP party office in Mumbai Maharashtra shake-up: Sibal accuses BJP of toppling Opposition govts Sources said almost all the legislators were attending the meeting, barring a few who were stuck in traffic due to heavy rains. Thorat, former chief ministers Ashok Chavan, Prithviraj Chavan, state Congress unit president Nana Patole and others paid homage to party leader Suresh Dhanokar, the MP from Chandrapur who died recently. In a new development in Maharashtra politics on Monday, the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) disqualified nine rebel MLAs including Ajit Pawar who were sworn in as ministers in the Shinde-Fadnavis government 'for indulging in anti-party activities'. While the NCP moved a disqualification petition against the nine MLAs to Maharashtra Assembly Speaker Rahul Narwekar, NCP leader Praful Patel in a joint conference announced that Lok Sabha MP Sunil Tatkare has been appointed as the new State President of the party in Maharashtra, adding that Ajit Pawar has been unanimously elected as the leader of the legislature party. "The State Discipline Committee passed a resolution dated 2 July 2023 recorded the factum of disqualification of the said 9 (nine) MLAs from the party due to their indulgence in anti-party activities," the letter served to the nine disqualified MLAs said. "It is recorded that the fact these defections were done in such a secretive manner, without the knowledge or consent of the Party President, amounts to desertion of the party which in turn invites disqualification," the letter said. The dramatic turn of events continued further as Sharad Pawar removed party vice president Praful Patel and MP Sunil Tatkare from the party "for indulging in anti-party activities". "Your actions of supporting Ajit Pawar and the eight other MLAs, who have sworn oath as Ministers in violation of the party's direction and mandate, ex-facie amount to anti-party activities and that you deemed to have voluntarily left the membership of Nationalist Congress Party," Pawar said in a communication which was also sent to the two party MPs. Also Read 'Dirty tricks': Opposition hits back at BJP after NCP split in Maharashtra Ajit Pawar's rebellion: How it happened and what lies ahead for NCP leader Ajit Pawar doesn't have support of majority of MLAs as claimed: NCP NCP moves disqualification petition against Ajit Pawar, issues notices NCP files disqualification petition against 9 MLAs including Ajit Pawar Wrong to discuss UCC now as its structure not yet known: Jayant Chaudhary Ajit Pawar joined us as he supports development, trusts Modi leadership: CM A divided Nationalist Congress Party exposes fault lines in Oppn unity BJP bats for keeping N-E states, tribals out of Uniform Civil Code ambit NCP workers visit party office in Mumbai to extend support to Sharad Pawar "I formally remove your names from the Membership Register of the Party in view of your actions of voluntarily giving up membership of the Nationalist Congress Party," it said. The communication said the action of MPs, "in a surreptitious manner, without the knowledge or consent of the party president, amounts to the desertion of the party, which in turn invites disqualification from primary membership". Praful Patel, a Rajya Sabha MP, has been a close associate of Pawar and was working president of NCP last month. He was a minister in the Congress-led UPA government along with Pawar. Meanwhile, on being asked who will be the Nationalist Congress Party national president now, Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar during the joint press conference asked whether they have forgotten that Sharad Pawar is the party's national president. He was asked the question after NCP leader Ajit Pawar and eight other party leaders joined the Shiv Sena-BJP alliance in Maharashtra in a surprise and dramatic political move. Ajit Pawar said the party will function very well. "I have come to know from media reports that action is being taken against nine MLAs. In this context, we have sent an application to Maharashtra Assembly Speaker to disqualify Jayant Patil and Jitendra Awhad," Ajit Pawar said. During the joint conference, the NCP leader Patel announced, "We are relieving Jayant Patil of his responsibilities and in his place, I am appointing Sunil Tatkare as Maharashtra President of Nationalist Congress Party. Sunil Tatkare will have the authority to make organizational changes in the party." Ajit Pawar and Chhagan Bhujbal along with Dilip Patil, Hasan Mushrif, Dhananjay Mundo, Dharmaraobaba Atram, Aditi Tatkare, Sanjay Bansode, and Anil Patil joined Eknath Shinde-Devendra Fadnavis-led Maharashtra government on Sunday The letter also ordered the disqualified MLAs to refrain from misrepresenting before any forum that they have any association with the NCP. Any such act of misrepresentation would be absolutely unlawful and illegal. Ajit Pawar took oath as Deputy Chief Minister on Sunday, July 2. Eight other NCP leaders took oath as ministers. Hours after Ajit Pawar and some other Nationalist Congress Party leaders joined the Maharashtra government, party chief Sharad Pawar on Sunday said, "This is not 'googly', it is a robbery" and that he was worried about the future of those who left the party. Talking to reporters after his nephew and eight other party leaders rebelled and joined the Shiv Sena-BJP government in Maharashtra, Pawar said he was not worried about what happened and will work to strengthen the party again. "This is not 'googly', it is a robbery. It is not a small thing," Sharad Pawar said. Ajit Pawar, who was the Leader of Opposition in Assembly, took oath as Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister on Sunday. Eight other MLAs joined the government. A day after NCP leader Ajit Pawar and eight other party leaders joined the Shiv Sena-BJP alliance in Maharashtra in a dramatic turn of events in Maharashtra politics, Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) veteran leader Lalu Yadav said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi is dismantling the democratic character of the country. "Democracy is being attacked. Prime Minister Modi is breaking and robbing everything. Recently you saw, a prominent leader from Maharashtra had come to Bihar. We had called them to gather support to defeat PM Modi," Lalu Yadav at the launch of the book on Bihar CM Nitish Kumar in Patna. Earlier today, the RJD leader asserted that Nationalist Congress Party chief Sharad Pawar is a stalwart and has inordinate power. "Sharad Pawar 'ek haisiyat hein aur takat hein' (is a stalwart and has inordinate power) and PM Modi tried to shake him, but nothing will happen, everything will fail," he said. Hong Kong: FS to visit Shanghai Financial Secretary Paul Chan will depart tomorrow morning on a visit to Shanghai to meet the city's leaders and the New Development Bank's top management. He will also attend and deliver a keynote speech at the World Artificial Intelligence Conference 2023, as well as addressing the Asian Logistics, Maritime & Aviation Conference Satellite Conference - A New Chapter of Hong Kong-Shanghai Collaboration. Other engagements on Mr Chans visit will include speaking at a luncheon jointly organised by Invest Hong Kong, the Hong Kong Economic & Trade Office in Shanghai and the Hong Kong Exchanges & Clearing, to promote Hong Kong's financial and high value-added services to Shanghai's commercial and industrial sectors and enterprises. He will also deliver a speech at Furan University to update the academic staff and students on Hong Kong's latest situation and development opportunities. In addition, Mr Chan will visit a number of technology and pharmaceutical companies, as well as meet with Hong Kong people and enterprises in Shanghai. The Financial Secretary will return to Hong Kong on July 8. During his absence, Deputy Financial Secretary Michael Wong will be Acting Secretary. This story has been published on: 2023-07-04. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article. China urges US to stop hyping China military threat narrative (People's Daily App) 16:01, July 04, 2023 China opposes constant US hyping of a China military threat narrative and urges Washington to stop manipulating the Taiwan question, the foreign ministry said on Monday. Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson Wang Wenbin made the remarks in response to US Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Mark Milleys remarks at the National Press Club in Washington on Friday that China wanted to be the regional hegemonic in Asia within the next 10 years and exceed global US military power by midcentury. The Peoples Liberation Army was developing its military capabilities with a plan of unification with Taiwan by 2027, Milley was quoted as saying. Some in the US with evil intentions misrepresent facts and constantly hype up the China military threat narrative, Wang told reporters at a routine press briefing in Beijing. They are in fact creating excuses for their efforts of arms expansion, maintaining military hegemony and sabotaging regional peace and stability and finding ways to stoke tensions in the Taiwan Strait and use Taiwan to contain China. China pursued a national defense policy that is defensive in nature and remains committed to peaceful development, he said. Chinas military growth means a stronger force for world peace and is conducive to safeguarding peace and stability in the Asia Pacific and beyond, the ministry spokesperson said. Realizing the complete reunification of the motherland is the common aspiration of the Chinese people and we will strive for the prospects of peaceful reunification with utmost sincerity and efforts. Meanwhile, China would never allow anyone or any force to separate Taiwan from the motherland, he said. The US should stop smearing China, stop dangerously ramping up a military build-up, stop manipulating the Taiwan question, abide by the one-China principle and the three China-US joint communiques and safeguard regional peace and stability with concrete actions, Wang said. (Web editor: Zhong Wenxing, Liang Jun) Gettyimagesbank Korea's industry ministry said Tuesday that China's envisioned export controls on two metals essential for chipmaking and high-tech industries would have a limited impact on the country in the near term, but vowed to beef up monitoring and seek swift responses to minimize industrywide ripple effects. On Monday, China's commerce ministry said it will impose restrictions on exporting gallium and germanium starting Aug. 1 to protect its national security, requiring their exporters to apply for special state permits. The materials are crucial for making a range of key products, including chips, solar panels and electric vehicles, and China is a major producer and exporter of the materials in the world. In the wake of the announcement, Seoul's industry ministry held an emergency meeting with major business associations, the Korea Trade-Investment Promotion Agency and other state-run industry agencies on Tuesday to assess the impact and discuss responses. The planned move is likely to have a limited impact on the domestic industry, at least in the short run, as gallium is mainly used for research projects to develop next-generation semiconductors in the chipmaking sector. The display field could be affected by the restrictions, as gallium is used for making organic light emitting diode (OLED) display items, but Korean firms will be able to import the metal from nations other than China, such as the United States, corporate officials said. Korean companies have also secured a stockpile of gallium that can last about 40 days. Domestic chipmakers have also bought germanium that they need for industry use from multiple import channels, they added. "The government will closely watch related developments and seek responses in a swift manner, as we cannot rule out the possibility of the restrictive move being expanded further. We will also analyze its impact on related, broader industry sectors," senior ministry official Joo Young-jun said. "The government will strive for securing replacement suppliers of major resources to ensure the smooth operation of chipmakers and other companies, while supporting technology development to reduce dependence on foreign sources," he added. Korea is heavily dependent on China and a handful of resource-rich nations for their supplies of key minerals for manufacturing. China's export restriction is seen as apparent retaliation after Washington restricted chip exports to China amid the intensifying Sino-U.S. rivalry, and some have pointed to chances of further tit-for-tat moves by the United States and other nations. (Yonhap) A day ahead of the key meeting in Mumbai, the Sharad Pawar-led Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) on Tuesday issued a whip to all MLAs asking them to remain present. The one-line whip issued by chief whip Jitendra Awhad said the meeting had been convened by Sharad Pawar at 1 pm at YB Chavan Centre on July 5 and the presence of all MLAs is mandatory. Pawar had named Awhad as chief whip of the NCP after Ajit Pawar joined the Shiv Sena-BJP government with eight MLAs on Sunday. The Ajit Pawar group will also hold a separate meeting in Mumbai on Wednesday. The Ajit Pawar camp had asked the Maharashtra Assembly Speaker to disqualify state NCP president Jayant Patil and Jitendra Awhad from membership of the House. NCP working president Praful Patel, who is sacked from the party by Sharad Pawar, on Monday appointed Ajit Pawar as the leader of the NCP legislature party, while Anil Bhaidas Patil, who took oath as a minister on Sunday, will continue to be the party whip in the Assembly. The NCP led by Pawar had moved a petition before Maharashtra Assembly Speaker Rahul Narwekar seeking the disqualification of Ajit Pawar and eight other MLAs who have taken oath as ministers in the Eknath Shinde-led government. Also Read 'Dirty tricks': Opposition hits back at BJP after NCP split in Maharashtra Ajit Pawar vs Sharad Pawar: NCP factions fight over control over party Ajit Pawar's rebellion: How it happened and what lies ahead for NCP leader NCP's Goa unit pledges support to Sharad Pawar after mutiny in party Will fight future polls on NCP symbol, says Maharashtra Dy CM Ajit Pawar Cabinet rejig: G Kishan Reddy among 4 appointed BJP state presidents PM Modi 'Mehengaai Man', his govt must act to control rising prices: Cong Tipra Motha chief Debbarma quits politics, says want to work for the people BJP appoints new party presidents for Andhra, Telangana, Punjab, Jharkhand NCP's Pune city unit passes resolution backing Sharad Pawar has party head Speaker Rahul Narwekar, however, said he would have to first decide whether the NCP was in power or in Opposition in the House and "who represents it". The NCP president is seeking legal opinion to tackle the crisis in the party, sources said on Tuesday. The Nationalist Congress Party's (NCP) Pune city unit on Tuesday passed a resolution announcing their support for party chief Sharad Pawar and affirmed that the party headed by him is the "real" NCP. The resolution was passed in a meeting held here in the presence of the NCP's city unit president Prashant Jagtap, Pune spokesperson Ankush Kakade, Rajya Sabha MP Vandana Chavan, party leader Ravindra Malavadkar, and several party workers were present. The party in the resolution condemned the BJP's "dirty political stand" and stated that the saffron party was aware that without finishing the NCP, it will not be able to achieve its "desired" objective. On Sunday, senior NCP leader Ajit Pawar led a vertical split in the party to become a deputy chief minister in the one-year-old Shiv Sena-BJP government, shocking his uncle Sharad Pawar, who founded the party 24 years ago after quitting the Congress. Apart from Ajit Pawar, eight other NCP MLAs, including Chhagan Bhujbal and Hasan Mushrif, were sworn in as ministers in the Eknath Shinde cabinet. "Today, the NCP is going through a difficult situation. While the party founded by Sharadrao Pawar is entering its silver jubilee year, confusion has been created among people because of a different stand taken by some leaders," the resolution stated. Also Read Need to fight forces creating communal divide in Maharashtra: Sharad Pawar NCP panel set up by Pawar to decide on next party chief to meet on May 5 NCP committee rejects Sharad Pawar's decision to step down as party chief Ahead of Karnataka assembly polls, Sharad Pawar chairs NCP meeting Decision to be taken against those who violated party line: Sharad Pawar Ajit Pawar-led group has no right to sack me as Maha NCP president: Patil Ajit Pawar vs Sharad Pawar: NCP factions fight over control over party Maharashtra Cong meeting begins, party likely to claim Oppn leader's post K'taka assemby adjourns after BJP protests over 'failure' of govt Centre on political 'witch hunt' against Tejashwi, says JD(U) president Sharad Pawar created several generations of leaders in politics and was instrumental in giving several posts and positions to them, but some remained "ungrateful", it said. A "politics of vendetta" is being witnessed in the country since 2014 and the developments that took place two days ago are part of that politics, the resolution said. "The BJP is doing all this knowing that without finishing the NCP their desired goal will not be achieved. We condemn their 'dirty political stand' in strong words," he said. The resolution further asserted that the NCP headed by Sharad Pawar is the "real" party. "We will stand strong behind Sharadrao Pawar and will abide by any decision he takes. We express our faith in the NCP, headed by him, and state that the Pune NCP is with him." the resolution said. Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD) president Jayant Chaudhary on Monday said any discussion on a Uniform Civil Code (UCC) now is "wrong" as its "structure" is not known yet, but said men and women should get equal rights. RLD's alliance partner Samajwadi Party has slammed the government over UCC. "As of now, I do not know its 'swaroop' (structure). Discussing it now is wrong. In modern India, everyone should be given equal rights. Men and women should get equal rights. How the government does this job, this has to be seen," the RLD chief told reporters here when asked to comment on UCC. Chaudhary has made his remarks on UCC for the first time, said RLD's UP unit chief Ramashis Rai. A fresh debate on UCC has been ignited after the Law Commission initiated a public consultation process on June 14 by inviting views from all stakeholders, including people and recognised religious organisations, on the politically sensitive issue. Implementation of a UCC has been part of BJP election manifestos and Prime Minister Narendra Modi while addressing BJP workers in Bhopal last month made a strong push for it, asking how can the country function with dual laws that govern personal matters, and accused the Opposition of using the issue to "mislead and provoke" the Muslim community. Also Read 90% UCC draft complete, panel to submit proposal by June 30: Uttarakhand CM Law Commission considering to work on UCC issue: Ex-Justice Ranjana Desai Uniform Civil Code: Third prong in BJP's three-point core agenda All states in country should implement Uniform Civil Code: U'khand CM Dhami Framing UCC for U'khand will strengthen social fabric, says ex-SC judge Ajit Pawar joined us as he supports development, trusts Modi leadership: CM A divided Nationalist Congress Party exposes fault lines in Oppn unity BJP bats for keeping N-E states, tribals out of Uniform Civil Code ambit NCP workers visit party office in Mumbai to extend support to Sharad Pawar Patel appoints Tatkare as NCP chief, Ajit Pawar as legislature party leader Slamming the Central government over the UCC, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav has said the UCC is being widely talked about since the BJP government has nothing to say on demonetisation and withdrawal of Rs 2000 currency notes from circulation. The SP-headed opposition alliance in UP that comprises RLD and some other small parties came during the 2022 assembly elections and Yadav has already said they would fight together the general elections next year. Softbank-backed e-commerce platform Meesho has signed a memorandum of understanding with the Vision & AI Lab of the Indian Institute of Science for one year to collaborate in the area of generative artificial intelligence, the company said on Tuesday. The goal of this partnership is to foster innovation in generative artificial intelligence and multimodal large language models in the e-commerce industry, thus enhancing user experience, the company said in a statement. "The collaboration will further strengthen our goal of creating solutions which benefit customers and sellers equally," Meesho, Data Science, Director Rajesh Kumar SA said. June 4 marks the anniversary of Operation Entebbe, officially codenamed Operation Thunderbolt, and also known as Operation Entebbe or Operation Jonathan, as it completes 47 years today. Operation Entebbe was a hostage-rescue mission by commandos of the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) at the Entebbe Airport in Uganda on July 4, 1976. On June 27, 1976, an Air France Airbus A300 with 248 passengers was hijacked by two members of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine External Operations (PFLP-EO) and two members of the German Revolutionary Cells. The hijackers had demanded the release of 40 Palestinian militants imprisoned in Israel and 13 prisoners in four other countries in exchange for the hostages. Originating in Tel Aviv with the destination of Paris, the flight was diverted to Entebbe, the main airport of Uganda. The hijackers were joined by three other terrorists in Entebbe and received support from then Ugandan president Idi Amin and the Ugandan government. The hijackers moved the hostages to a disused airport building and separated all Israelis and several non-Israeli Jews from the larger group. Also Read 39 years of Operation Bluestar: What happened in Punjab and the aftermath Operation Sheesh Mahal: Why do BJP and Congress want Delhi CM to resign? Operation Kaveri: How India is rescuing its citizens amid crisis in Sudan Chetan Sharma in the eye of storm after 'sting operation'; details here UP launches 'Operation Conviction' for cow slaughter, child abuse cases Russian military says it fended off Ukrainian drone attack on Moscow Temperatures seen surging as El Nino weather pattern returns: WMO Australian central bank leaves benchmark cash rate at 4.1%, warns of hikes Ashes 2023: Australia didn't play by spirit of the game, says UK PM Sunak China move to curb chipmaking material exports escalates supply worries Over the following two days, 148 non-Israeli hostages were released and 94 hostages, mainly Israeli, along with the 12-member Air France crew, remained as hostages. The rescue operation On June 4, the IDF acted on the information provided by the Israeli intelligence agency, Mossad, and planned a rescue mission. The operation, which lasted about 90 minutes, took place at night. Israeli transport planes carried 100 commandos to Uganda for the rescue operation. The Israel assault team landed at the airport and quickly approached the terminal. The hostages were kept in the main hall of the airport building, directly adjacent to the runway. Entering the terminal, the commandos shouted through a megaphone, "Stay down! Stay down! We are Israeli soldiers," in both Hebrew and English. The commandos then entered the second room and shot dead the remaining hijackers, ending the assault. The team then destroyed Ugandan MiG fighter planes to prevent them from pursuing. After killing the hijackers, the Israeli assault team began loading the hostages into the aircraft. The Ugandan soldiers then started shooting at them in the process and five commandos were wounded, and Israeli unit commander Yonatan Netanyahu, brother of present Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, was killed. The team finished evacuating the hostages, loaded Netanyahu's body into one of the planes, and left the airport. All seven hijackers were killed, and around 45 Ugandan soldiers were killed. Out of the 106 hostages, three were killed, one was left in Uganda for treatment (74-year-old Dora Bloch), and 10 were wounded. The 102 rescued hostages were flown to Israel via Nairobi, Kenya, shortly after the raid. The aftermath Following the Israeli raid, Ugandan commander Isaac Maliyamungu had 14 soldiers arrested under suspicion of collaborating with the Israel army and allegedly shot 12 of them with his pistol. Dora Bloch, a 74-year-old Israeli who was taken to the Mulago Hospital in Kampala was murdered by officers of the Uganda Army. President Amin ordered the killing of Kenyans living in Uganda in retaliation for Kenya's assistance to Israel in the rescue mission. The Ugandan army killed around 245 Kenyans, including airport staff at Entebbe. Awards In 1976, Michel Bacos, the pilot of the Airbus, and the crew were awarded the National Order of the Legion of Honour, the highest decoration in France. The Israeli government also awarded them medals for heroism. Commemoration In August 2012, Israel and Uganda commemorated the raid at the Old Entebbe Airport, where Yonatan Netanyahu was killed. Both nations renewed their commitment to "fight terrorism and to work towards humanity". In the ceremony, wreaths were laid and the flags of Uganda and Israel were flown side by side, symbolising the two countries' strong bilateral relations. Iran on Tuesday became the new permanent member of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) at an India-hosted virtual summit of the grouping. In his opening remarks, Prime Minister Narendra Modi congratulated Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi and the people of Iran on the country becoming a full member of the influential grouping. "I extend my congratulations to President Raisi and the people of Iran on this occasion. We also welcome the signing of the Memorandum of Obligation for Belarus' SCO membership," he said. "The interest of other countries in joining SCO today is a testament to the importance of this organisation," he said. India hosted the summit in its capacity as the grouping's current chair. The summit, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, was joined by Chinese President Xi Jinping, his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin, Pakistan PM Shehbaz Sharif and other leaders of the grouping. Also Read SCO Foreign Ministers' meeting to kick off in Goa today; all you must know India to host SCO virtual Summit tomorrow; Everything you need to know Iran blames US sanctions for causing environment, health problems India calls for close cooperation between SCO to maintain food supply chain UN nuclear head meets Iranian officials amid enrichment concerns India summons Canadian envoy over pro-Khalistani activities in Canada UAE announces plans to invest $54 bn in energy, triple renewable sources Israeli lawmakers give first approval to new judicial overhaul Bill Will stand up against sanctions and 'provocations', says Vladimir Putin US to curb China's access to Cloud services like Amazon, says report In his remarks, Raisi expressed hope that Iran's presence in the SCO will provide a platform for achieving collective security and sustainable development, as well as unity between the countries. A declaration issued at the conclusion of the summit said the member states "stressed the historical significance of the admission of the Islamic Republic of Iran to the SCO as a full member state". "They also noted the importance of signing the Memorandum of Obligations by the Republic of Belarus to achieve the status of an SCO member state," it said. The SCO was founded at a summit in Shanghai in 2001 by the presidents of Russia, China, the Kyrgyz Republic, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. India and Pakistan became its permanent members in 2017. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said that Vladimir Putin's response to the armed Wagner rebellion was "weak" and that the Russian President is losing control of his own people, CNN reported. As per CNN, Putin faced the greatest threat to his authority in two decades last month when the head of the Wagner paramilitary group, Yevgeny Prigozhin, launched a short-lived uprising, claiming control of military facilities in two Russian cities and marching toward Moscow before he agreed to stand down. Zelenskyy in an exclusive interview with CNN said: "We see Putin's reaction. It's weak." "Firstly, we see he doesn't control everything. Wagner's moving deep into Russia and taking certain regions shows how easy it is to do. Putin doesn't control the situation in the regions," he said. "All that vertical of power he used to have is just crumbling down." Some Russians cheered on Wagner fighters as Prigozhin led the unprecedented challenge to Putin's authority. Video geolocated and verified by CNN showed crowds cheering as the Wagner boss' vehicle departed the southern city of Rostov-on-Don on June 24. Also Read Press Putin on release of political prisoners: Zelenskyy to African leaders Russia-Ukraine war: Volodymyr Zelenskyy says at least 500 children killed Zelenskyy arrives in Berlin day after Germany announces military package Putin admits Russia's shortcomings as Ukraine presses counteroffensive Putin threatened me with missile strike before Ukraine war: Boris Johnson Global supplies of sugar, rice at risk from Thai drought that can last yrs Erdogan signals Turkey isn't ready to ratify Sweden Nato membership Musk, Zuckerberg lead a $852 billion surge among world's richest people UK had the hottest June since 1884, unusual heat to become frequent US blocks Indian draft resolution on biofuels at MEPC, demands discussions Zelensky said Ukrainian intelligence reports showed the Kremlin was measuring support for Prigozhin, and he claimed that half of Russia supported the Wagner boss and the paramilitary group's mutiny, as per CNN. Seven companies including Amazon, Apple, Google, Facebook-owner Meta and Microsoft say they meet the EUs new criteria of gatekeeper that means they have to meet tougher rules, EU industry chief Thierry Breton said on Tuesday. Samsung and TikTok owner ByteDance also unexpectedly said they would meet the criteria, although TikTok disputed whether it should be included on the list. Booking.com said it expected to fall into the gatekeeper category next year. Under the European Union's Digital Markets Act (DMA) which came into force in November, companies with more than 45 million monthly active users and a 75-billion-euro ($82 billion) market capitalisation are considered gatekeepers providing a core platform service. Companies labelled as such will be required to make their messaging apps interoperate with rivals and let users to decide which apps to pre-install on their devices. They will not be allowed to favour their own services over rivals or prevent users from removing pre-installed software or apps two rules that will hit Google and Apple hard. Europe is completely reorganising its digital space to both better protect EU citizens and enhance innovation for EU startups and companies, Breton said in a statement. Companies can be fined up to 10 per cent of annual global turnover for DMA violations. Also Read 'We can't pay you more', small tech firms tell laid-off Big tech employees HCL Tech Q4 preview: Weak software segment to drag profit by 4-9% QoQ European Union assures Ukraine of support as Zelensky visits Brussels UK, EU conclude new post-Brexit trade arrangement for Northern Ireland European Union wants Big Tech to alert users about AI's 'dark sides' Taliban bans women's beauty salons in Afghanistan, gives 1 month to wind up India's draft resolution on biofuels at MEPC referred to Working Group IMO to impose levy on shipping firms failing to cut down GHG emissions Women-led SMEs to benefit from proposed FTA with India: UK minister Xi calls for efforts by SCO countries to safeguard regional peace The European Commission did not provide details of the companies' core online services subject to DMA rules. It will confirm the gatekeeper designation by Sept. 6 after checking the data provided by the companies, which will then have six months to comply with the DMA rules. According to TikTok, while it meets the DMAs quantitative criteria, it falls short of the overall requirements set out under the rule which require a gatekeeper to have an "unavoidable platform to conducting online business in the EU and be an entrenched gateway between consumers and businesses. Booking.com said it expected to meet the gatekeeper threshold by the end of the year and will then notify the EU executive. Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Economy and Finance Choo Kyung-ho, right, speaks during a joint press briefing at the Government Complex in central Seoul, Tuesday. Yonhap Gov't to expand visa issuance to attract workforce By Anna J. Park Facing the challenge of a slowing economy with an aging and shrinking population, the Korean government will adopt a more open immigration policy as a means to strengthen foundations for future growth, the finance ministry said Tuesday. One of the core axes of the policy directions announced by the Ministry of Economy and Finance is to bolster the country's economically active population through an overhaul of current immigration and visa policies. The government plans to expand the scope and period of employment visas issued to foreigners while increasing the quota for employment visas for the professional workforce. Extended issuance of visas to skilled workers, as well as the activation of region-based visa systems, is also a part of the new policy direction. Specifically, the government plans to increase the quota of E-7-4 employment visas during the second half of this year. Review of the E-9 visa quota and its expansion is expected next year. Region-based visa issuance will be eased for those who seek long-term employment in agricultural and fisheries communities. The government also plans to support community planning and design for rural areas to enhance living conditions. The ministry explained that continual declines in the workforce have restricted the national economy's growth potential. It called for a structural response to address the problem in the realm of immigration and visa policy. Beefing up benefits for marriage, maternity allowance and cooperative child care allowance is another pillar of the government policy direction to create incentives for forming families. Increased tax exemptions and deductions will also be provided for newlyweds. The government also plans to initiate a pilot program for foreign housekeepers for the second half of this year. Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Economy and Finance Choo Kyung-ho speaks during a joint press briefing at the government complex in central Seoul, Tuesday. Yonhap Russia will stand up against Western sanctions and provocations, President Vladimir Putin told a virtual meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) on Tuesday, a group that also includes China and India. Putin said Moscow planned to boost ties with the group and supported the transition to settlements in local currencies in foreign trade. He also warned that the potential for conflicts and the risk of a global economic crisis were on the rise. Russia views countries, such as China, India, and Iran, as key partners in confronting the United States and resisting what it portrays as US attempts to dictate the world order. Putin told the group there was a growing risk of a new global economic and financial crisis fuelled by developed countries' debts and worsening food and environmental security. And all these problems, each of which is complex and diverse in its own way, in their totality lead to a noticeable increase in the potential for conflict, he said. Putin also reassured Asian leaders of Russias stability and unity, in his first appearance at an international forum since the country was rocked by a brief armed mutiny last month. The Russian people are consolidated as never before, Putin told a virtual meeting of the SCO, a group that also includes China and India. Russian political circles and the whole of society clearly demonstrated their unity and elevated sense of responsibility for the fate of the Fatherland when they responded as a united front against an attempted armed mutiny. Also Read Why is the world discussing Russian President Vladimir Putin's health? Putin blasts Wagner traitors in speech as Prigozhin defends revolt Russia to station tactical nuclear weapons in Belarus, says Vladimir Putin Russia maintains economic stability despite challenges: Vladimir Putin Russia and US relations are going through a deep crisis: Vladimir Putin US to curb China's access to Cloud services like Amazon, says report US Big Tech says it meets EU gatekeeper status, TikTok criticises label Taliban bans women's beauty salons in Afghanistan, gives 1 month to wind up India's draft resolution on biofuels at MEPC referred to Working Group IMO to impose levy on shipping firms failing to cut down GHG emissions His emphasis on Russias unity at a meeting with key allies appeared to show how keen he is to remove any doubts about his own authority on the world stage after the short-lived mutiny led by Wagner mercenary founder Yevgeny Prigozhin late last month. In his speech, Putin thanked members of the SCO who he said had expressed their support for his efforts to protect the constitutional order, the lives and security of citizens. Chinese President Xi Jinping on Tuesday called on the SCO member countries to safeguard regional peace and ensure common security besides focussing on pragmatic cooperation to speed up economic recovery. Addressing the 23rd meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Council of Heads of State (CHS) presided by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in a virtual format, President Xi underscored efforts to uphold multilateralism and improve global governance. In a veiled criticism of the United States, Xi called for opposing hegemonism and power politics and making the system of global governance fairer and more equitable. He also made a pitch for the SCO members to synergise high-quality cooperation under his pet multi-billion dollar project the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) with various countries' development strategies and regional cooperation initiatives. The BRI is a multi-billion-dollar initiative launched by President Xi when he came to power in 2013. It aims to link Southeast Asia, Central Asia, the Gulf region, Africa and Europe with a network of land and sea routes. The USD 60 billion China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) is the flagship project of the BRI. Also Read India to host SCO virtual Summit tomorrow; Everything you need to know Xi Jinping to attend virtual SCO summit hosted by India: Chinese official PM Modi to host Jinping, Putin, other leaders at virtual SCO summit SCO Foreign Ministers' meeting to kick off in Goa today; all you must know IndianOil, Adani-Total, Shell lap up Reliance's KG-D6 gas; IOC top bidder Music that contains AI-created elements is eligible, says Grammys CEO Meta set to take on Musk's Twitter with a rival app called 'Threads' Birth rate in Singapore falls to record low, only 35,605 babies in 2022 Massive solar flare triggers radio blackouts in the US and Pacific PM Modi chairs SCO Summit 2023: Here's what all happened in the meet India has strongly protested to China over the CPEC as it is being laid through the Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK). India is also critical of the BRI, which drew global concerns over China's debt diplomacy of extending huge loans to smaller countries for unsustainable infrastructure projects. Xi said SCO member states should have better synergize high-quality cooperation under BRI with various countries' development strategies and regional cooperation initiatives, the state-run Xinhua news agency reported. He also called for efforts to safeguard regional peace and ensure common security and strengthen exchanges and mutual learning among SCO and foster closer people-to-people ties. The virtual summit under India's presidency was attended by leaders of Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Pakistan and Iran as well. The Beijing-headquartered SCO - founded in Shanghai in 2001 - is an economic and security bloc comprising China, Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, India and Pakistan. Data demonstrate superiority vs. placebo in preventing generalized pustular psoriasis (GPP) flares up to 48 weeks 1 Prevention of unpredictable flares addresses a high unmet patient need 2,3 Results build on the EFFISAYIL 1 trial, which demonstrated rapid and sustained pustular and skin clearance in flaring GPP patients treated with spesolimab for 12 weeks2 Today, at the 25th World Congress of Dermatology (WCD), Boehringer Ingelheim presented new late-breaking data from the EFFISAYIL 2 trial showing that spesolimab significantly reduced the risk of GPP flares by 84% over 48 weeks compared to placebo. Furthermore, the trial with 123 patients demonstrated no flares after Week 4 of spesolimab treatment in the high dose group.1 This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230703881533/en/ About Generalized Pustular Psoriasis (Graphic: Business Wire) EFFISAYIL 2 is the first and largest multinational randomized clinical trial to evaluate a treatment for the prevention of GPP flares, said Bruce Strober, MD, PhD, Clinical Professor, Dermatology, Yale University and Central Connecticut Dermatology. These results provide further compelling clinical evidence for the role IL-36 signaling plays in the pathogenesis of GPP. Moving forward, our hope is that dermatologists not only have a specific treatment for GPP flares, but that we can effectively prevent them in the future. GPP flares, characterized by painful pustules all over the body, often require emergency care and can lead to serious, life-threatening complications such as sepsis, shock and multisystem organ failure.3In addition to the acute distress of a GPP flare, living with the uncertainty of the impact of the next flare can have a significant emotional burden on patients.4 At IFPA we meet people living with GPP, who share their story of physical pain due to the symptoms of the disease, and the mental burden that comes with the flares, said Frida Dunger Johnsson, Executive Director, IFPA. Any progress made to ease the burden of the disease improves the quality of life of people living with GPP. "Through our comprehensive EFFISAYIL clinical program we have already delivered spesolimab as a major advancement for flaring GPP patients," said Carinne Brouillon, Head of Human Pharma, Boehringer Ingelheim. "The EFFISAYIL 2 trial results build on this success bringing us closer to achieving our ultimate goal of a flare-free future for everyone living with GPP." Spesolimab (marketed as SPEVIGO) has recently received Breakthrough Therapy Designation (BTD) from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the Center for Drug Evaluation (CDE) of Chinas National Medical Products Administration (NMPA) as an investigational treatment for the prevention of GPP flares. In the EFFISAYIL 2 trial, spesolimab was shown to have a favorable safety profile, with a similar incidence of patients with adverse events across spesolimab and placebo treatment arms.1 About spesolimab Spesolimab is a novel, humanized, selective antibody that specifically blocks the activation of the interleukin-36 receptor (IL-36R), a signaling pathway within the immune system shown to be involved in the pathogenesis of several autoinflammatory diseases, including GPP.2,5,6 It is the first approved treatment for GPP flares in adults that has been evaluated in a statistically-powered, randomized, placebo-controlled trial.2 To date, SPEVIGO (spesolimab) has been approved by regulatory authorities in almost 40 countries including the US, Japan, Mainland China, and the European Union to treat GPP flares in adults.7,8 Spesolimab is also under investigation for the treatment of other IL-36 mediated skin diseases.9 For the full press release including Notes to Editors and references please visit: press release. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230703881533/en/ AVEVA, a global leader in industrial software, driving digital transformation and sustainability, has been selected by Topsoe, a leader in carbon emission reduction technologies, helping fast-track development of the decarbonization solutions needed for the production green hydrogen and other carbon neutral fuels. Topsoe will use AVEVA Process Simulation to model its Solid Oxide Electrolyzer Cells (SOECs) with a view to optimizing their design and developing their control strategy. To achieve global NetZero targets, a rapid decarbonization of all industries is essential, however not all of them can be easily electrified. These industries are often referred to as the hard-to-abate sectors and include heavy transportation such as shipping and aviation but also carbon intensive industries like steel manufacturing and petrochemical production. The challenge is finding and replacing fossil fuels with carbon-free alternatives. This is where Topsoe can help, and by using Topsoes highly efficient SOEC based electrolyzers, its possible to produce the green hydrogen needed to decarbonize many of these carbon intensive industries. Time is of the essence, and with its flexibility, open modeling, and ease of use, AVEVA Process Simulation1 is helping accelerate the energy transition by enabling Topsoes engineers to design and optimize their electrolyzers with increased speed and efficiency. Poul Georg Moses, Chief Technology Officer in Power-to-X at Topsoe, said: "Green hydrogen is essential for decarbonizing industries that cannot be easily electrified, and there is no time to waste if were to succeed in achieving global NetZero targets. Topsoe is already leading the way by building the worlds largest SOEC electrolyzer manufacturing facility, enabling us to deliver green hydrogen technologies Power-to-X solutions2 at industrial scale. The AVEVA Process Simulation software is a gamechanger for us, with its dynamic simulations were removing bottlenecks and speeding up the development of our solutions. Tobias Scheele, Senior Vice President of Products at AVEVA, said: We are pleased to expand our deep relationship with Topsoe as the Power-to-X industry develops. The successful energy transition will depend on how quickly industries can deliver low-carbon solutions at scale. We designed AVEVA Process Simulation to accelerate the engineering cycle, so innovations can be executed fast and deliver immediate carbon reductions." Topsoe is a long-term AVEVA customer, using AVEVA PRO/II Simulation (formerly PRO/II) and AVEVA Dynamic Simulation (formerly DYNSIM) for decades. The Denmark-headquartered company is now adopting AVEVA Process Simulation so its engineers can design sustainable solutions as the global push towards net-zero emissions spurs demand for green energy products. Lisa Wee, Global Head of Sustainability at AVEVA, said: AVEVA is committed to partnering with our customers to deliver a more sustainable and equitable future for all through technology. We recognize that the choices and actions taken in this decade by global industry will have impacts now and for generations to come. We are excited to be able to help accelerate the energy transition through the combination of our software and Topsoes innovative technology. As of 2021, global electrolyzer manufacturing capacity is insufficient to meet net-zero requirements, according to the International Energy Agency. At present alkaline and proton exchange membrane electrolyzers account for the majority of production, with less than 0.1% of todays hydrogen produced through electrolysis. As renewable energy becomes increasingly available at lower costs, Topsoes ultra-high-efficiency SOEC electrolyzers help maximize the delivery of clean hydrogen: the units deliver up to 30% more hydrogen from the same electricity volume at a 30% lower cost. -ENDS- About AVEVA AVEVA is a global leader in industrial software, sparking ingenuity to drive responsible use of the worlds resources. The companys secure industrial cloud platform and applications enable businesses to harness the power of their information and improve collaboration with customers, suppliers, and partners. Named as one of the worlds most innovative companies, AVEVA supports customers with open solutions and the expertise of more than 6,400 employees, 5,000 partners and 5,700 certified developers. The company, which has operations around the globe, is headquartered in Cambridge, UK. Learn more at www.aveva.com. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230626793730/en/ The Palace Museum, one of Beijings most iconic landmarks, has banned commercial photography without permission on its premises, forcing studios that depend on the location for package bookings to seek out other venues within in the capital. The ban, which took effect on June 30, aims to deter unruly behavior that may result in damage to historical sites and impact the enjoyment of visitors. A trend of donning traditional costume for shoots in recent years has led to a boom in commercial photography in and around ancient sites and buildings Jul 21, 2023 06:36 PM A poster encouraging North Korean people to implement the tasks set forth at a recent plenary meeting of the 8th Central Committee of the North's ruling Workers' Party is seen in this June 21 photo provided by North Korea's official Korean Central News Agency. Yonhap North Korea claimed Tuesday it has exceeded its goals across key economic sectors during the first half of the year, backed by efforts to accomplish its 12 major economic priorities for this year. In an apparent bid to boost self-reliance amid deepening economic hardships, North Korea earlier this year identified 12 major economic goals for the year and picked raising grain output as its top task. "Dazzling, miraculous feats were accomplished in the agriculture front," the North's official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) said. "In the construction sector, new standards and records were incessantly created." The KCNA said that North Korea carried out irrigation projects to prevent damage from droughts and floods, including maintenance of some 24,000 kilometers of irrigation waterways, and said that a "scientific" approach to farming will help increase production at low output farms. The state media reported that key industrial sectors exceeded their production goals, saying that power and coal production came in at 101 percent and 104 percent of their initial goals. Production in the metals and chemicals industries also came in at 112 percent and 102 percent of their goals, according to the KCNA. The state media, however, did not disclose its target figures for production. In the construction front, the KCNA noted that 13,400 new homes were built in the North Korean capital of Pyongyang, adding that major housing projects are under way in the Hwasong district of Pyongyang and the mining town of Komdok. (Yonhap) UPSC is Granted 2 Weeks to File the Response by the High Court The Delhi High Court granted the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) two weeks to file its answer to a petition challenging the Civil Services Preliminary Examination, 2023. After the UPSC counsel raised concerns about the petition's maintainability and requested time to prepare a thorough response, Justice Chandra Dhari Singh scheduled a hearing three weeks later. The appeal, filed by 17 Civil Services hopefuls, asked the High Court to order UPSC to cancel the CSE Prelims examination 2023 and reschedule it. The case has been heard by Justice Manoj Jain's vacation bench. The petitioners, represented by counsel Rajeev Kumar Dubey, have stated that they were dissatisfied with the commission's "arbitrariness" in executing the entire recruitment cycle. The request for reconsideration also challenges the UPSC news release from June 12 reporting the preliminary exam results and wants access to the Answer Key. Highlights of the Process: UPSC CSE Prelims 2023: The Next Hearing Will be in Three Weeks: After the UPSC attorney raised concerns about the petition's maintainability and requested time to prepare a thorough response, Justice Chandra Dhari Singh scheduled a hearing three weeks later. What Does the Petition Say About the UPSC CSE 2023 Prelims? According to the appeal, they experienced harm from the commission's "arbitrariness" in executing the entire recruitment procedure. The petition further questioned the UPSC news release announcing the preliminary exam results on June 12 and demanded the publication of the solution key. What Happened Before the UPSC CSE Prelims HC Hearing? During the last hearing, UPSC advocates Naresh Kaushik opposed the partition, claiming that the Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT) was the proper forum for hearing the case. UPSC CSE 2023 Prelims: What the Petitioners Had to Say Regarding the Answer Key? The petition also challenges the UPSC news release dated June 12 announcing the preliminary exam results and requests the availability of the answer key. The petitioners claimed that by failing to provide the answer key and failing to consider their representations, the commission had violated "all principles of fairness, logic, and rationality." It should be noted, however, that in the Prelims result press release, UPSC said that answer keys and cut-off marks for the CSE Prelims exam will be given when the entire exam process is completed (after final results). Journalism certificate courses are short-term in nature specific educational opportunities aimed to offer students an in-depth knowledge of journalism and the news profession. Journalism certificate courses address a variety of areas relevant to journalism, such as content creation and reporting, feature written form, morality, broadcast law, and diverse styles of journalism. Certificate Course in Public Relations You will discover the best practices and ethics rules for public relations excellence, as well as how to do research, create strategic action, and analyse results. You will receive an overview of the principles of public relations, where you will learn how to shape and maintain a favourable image of a company, organisation, or person to the general public and media. Scope Some of the major reasons for the increasing importance and breadth of public relations in India include the country's growing number of startups and multinational companies. To stand out in this highly competitive market, brands require a powerful message and the correct approach to reach the right audience; this is where a public relations specialist comes in. Expected Salary Public Relation Officer salaries in India range from 0.6 Lakhs to 7.2 Lakhs per year, with an average yearly income of 2.5 Lakhs. Where to do the Course? Coursera Udemy Class Central Alison Academic Courses Certificate Course in Digital Media Online digital media courses cover the relevance of digital media in today's environment as well as the various types of digital media available. To name a few instances, digital media is fast expanding, with major examples being social media, video games, and various websites. These courses are an excellent place to start for anyone interested in learning about digital media. Scope In light of their popularity and widespread application, technology-related professions have seen significant growth. The use of digital media is ubiquitous at an age wherein the Internet is the driving force behind practically every business. Digital media has become an essential component in all operations, whether it is social media, advertising, marketing, or education. Expected Salary Digital Media Specialist salaries in India vary between 3.0 Lakhs to 11.9 Lakhs per year and average annual pay of 6.0 Lakhs. Where to do the Course? Coursera FutureLearn GreatLearning Reliablesoft Class Central Certificate Course in Radio Production The certification course will provide you with real-world radio experience as well as an understanding of the various aspects of radio production. This thorough course is designed to provide an overview of radio station operations and the radio industry. It introduces students to the radio broadcast industry, technical and artistic aspects of radio programming, and comprehensive radio jockey training. Scope Radio production encompasses all responsibility for the audio content and operation of all radio broadcasts, such as conceptualising the radio show and planning all components of the show. We may only be aware of radio jockeys as listeners, but radio producers play an important part in making successful radio programming. Job in the Radio industry is highly demanding and opens a new era of opportunities, especially for youth. Expected Salary The average salary for a Radio Producer is 36,245 in India. Where to do the Course? AAFT Academic courses Alison Aims community college HIMCOM Certificate Course in Copywriting There are numerous online copywriting courses available that will teach you the tricks of the trade, the ins and outs of running a copywriting firm, and how to construct a winning copywriter portfolio along the way. Professional credentials demonstrate your dedication to a specific profession. A diploma from a reputable institute might boost your credibility as a copywriter. Certifications assist you not only obtain the necessary abilities but also land jobs and business prospects. Scope A career as a copywriter is a creative and ever-changing field. A copywriter is someone who creates written content for a company or organisation to market or promotes a product, service, or brand. Copywriting is critical for building a brand, advertising products and services, and increasing revenue. This holds for everything from website copy to email campaigns to social media posts. Expected Salary Copywriter salaries in India range from 1.8 Lakhs to 9.7 Lakhs per year, with an average yearly pay of 4.2 Lakhs. Where to do the Course? Coursera Udemy ClassCentral IIDE Henry Harvin Certificate Course in Data Journalism This course will help students become comfortable with numbers, think about data stories, find data, use tools to transform data, clean and analyse data, and eventually interview data. The course teaches students how to start implementing data journalism into their newsroom culture, as well as how to source and clean data, uncover stories in large data sets, and use visualisations for storytelling. Scope With the increasing need and necessity for digital platforms, digital transformation in journalism is quite obvious. Websites are experimenting with new techniques to boost readability, according to digital trends in journalism. News includes interactive technologies that are more accessible, and trustworthy, and build a culture of impacting tales in unexpected ways. With the introduction of speedier big data technology, the sources of data from which to derive conclusions are nearly endless. And this has greatly broadened the potential of data journalism. Expected Salary The national average salary for a Data Journalist is 8,25,000 in India Where to do the Course? North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, center, salutes during a military parade at Pyongyang's Kim Il Sung Square, Feb. 8, to celebrate the 75th anniversary of the founding of the North Korean military. Yonhap Military parades held almost every year under Kim Jong-un By Kang Hyun-kyung Kim Jong-un is set to surpass his father and grandfather by becoming the North Korean leader to have overseen the largest number of military parades. His father Kim Jong-il (1941-2011) and grandfather Kim Il-sung (1912-1994) are tied with 13 military parades held during their respective reigns. Kim Il-sung, the founder of North Korea, ruled the country for 46 years, and his son, Jong-il, was in power for 18 years until 2011 when he died of a heart attack. This means that, on average, a military parade was held every 3.5 years during the Kim Il-sung era, and every 1.4 years when his son was in power. Since Kim Jong-un rose to power in 2011 following his father's death, he has overseen a total of 13 military parades so far. In other words, North Korea's show of force has been held almost every year. Following the massive nighttime military parade in February, the totalitarian state is expected to hold another event on July 27 to celebrate the 70th anniversary of the signing of the armistice that halted the 1950-53 Korean War. "I believe Kim Jong-un likes the military parade," Hyun In-ae, a guest professor of Ewha Womans University's Department of North Korean Studies, told The Korea Times. "His father liked choirs and orchestral music and when he was alive, he once said he became energetic when listening to the music. Just like music was a source of inspiration for his father, for his son, Jong-un, military parades are something that seems to boost his morale." Hyun, a North Korean defector who graduated from Kim Il Sung University, said the Kim family has taken advantage of the military parades to achieve two aims: They want to make sure their residents are united and they also seek to send a signal to the outside world that the North Korean army is strong and formidable. "It's a political event," she said. Watching the military's show of force on TV, she explained that ordinary North Koreans feel proud of their strong army and state-of-the-art arsenals, and are determined to further "tighten their waist belts" a euphemism for a willingness to endure necessary pain and hardship to achieve a set goal to help their military become stronger. "The military parade has drawn keen attention from the Western media. Kim Jong-un might have felt that he was at the center of global attention," she said. North Korea displayed its new arsenals and weapons of mass destruction during the events. In its latest edition on Feb. 8, North Korea unveiled a dozen intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBM), including solid-fuel ICBMs, tactical missiles and long-range cruise missiles. The military parade, meanwhile, has helped those outside of the North to find clues about the military capabilities of the country. North Koreans wave flags enthusiastically as the Hwasong-17 missile mockups are rolled through the streets during the nighttime military parade, Feb. 8. Yonhap Rohrdorfer Zement and Bayernets plan CO2 network ICR Newsroom By 04 July 2023 Germany-based Rohrdorfer Group has been working on a feasibility study with transmission system operator Bayernets, who wants to build a pipeline to connect CO 2 sources with industrial sites for material use and possible storage sites in the region. According to the projects concept, an island network between the cement plant in Rohrdorf and the Bavarian chemical triangle of Burghausen, where there is a demand of CO 2 , is initially planned. Later the industrial and chemical region of Linz will also be connected to the grid. The intermediate storage to balance supply and demand could be constructed underground or in above-ground tank farms. In a further expansion, Bayernets plans to extend the network across the entire Bavarian region, while a connection to international routes or permanent geological storage facilities is also possible. "The Rohrdorf decarbonisation roadmap envisages the recovery of large quantities of CO 2 ," explained Rohrdorfer Managing Director, Mike Edelmann. Via the Bayernets pipeline, these quantities are to be collected, temporarily stored and later used as raw material in other production processes. Cement plants are expected to become climate neutral by 2045 in Germany. In Bavaria the deadline is set at 2040. Published under InterCement sells African businesses to Huaxin Cement 04 July 2023 InterCement Participacoes S.A. has reached an agreement with Huaxin Cement Co Ltd regarding the sale of InterCements businesses in Mozambique and South Africa. Following the announcement of the sale of InterCement's operations in Egypt in January 2023, the sale of the remaining Mozambique and South Africa businesses further positively contributes to the group's ongoing liability management plans and the acceleration of InterCements broader strategic review to return focus to its core markets in South America, according to the company. The transaction, which is valued at US$265m, remains subject to customary conditions precedent, including, among others, regulatory approvals in China, Mozambique and South Africa. InterCement anticipates using the net proceeds from the sale to repay a portion of its outstanding indebtedness. Following the sale, InterCements portfolio will include 23 cement plants, with an installed cement production capacity of approximately 29Mta. Published under Adbri names new CFO 04 July 2023 Adbri Ltd has appointed Jared Gashel as its new chief financial officer, effective 5 July 2023. Mr Gashel has more than 20 years financial experience in multiple industries working across three continents. Prior to joining Adbri, he was acting chief financial officer at Boral Ltd between April 2022 and March 2023 and previously held the position of executive general manager group finance and property at Boral. Prior to his time at Boral, Mr Gashel held multiple senior finance executive roles in Australia and Switzerland as well as more than a decade with KPMG, specialising in advisory and capital markets. He will take over from Dianne Mong, who has held the position of acting chief financial officer since March 2023. Ms Mong will resume her role as the companys general manager finance. Published under Tunisian food products are on display at the booth of the Embassy of Tunisia at the Korea Import Fair at COEX in southern Seoul, June 29. Korea Times photo by Kwon Mee-yoo By Kwon Mee-yoo Tunisia, a North African country renowned for its rich agricultural tradition and diverse food industry, is seeking to increase its market share in Korea with a wide range of products from premium olive oil and tuna to the unique Tunisian pepper paste known as Harissa, which is listed as a UNESCO intangible heritage of humanity. The Embassy of Tunisia in Korea, along with the Tunisian Export Promotion Center, presented an array of top-quality Tunisian agri-food products at the Korea Import Fair, held from June 29 to July 1 at COEX in southern Seoul. Boughedir Ahmed, charge d'affaires a.i. at the Embassy of Tunisia in Seoul, said the fair provided an opportunity for Tunisian producers to promote their goods and find the right partners. "We are trying to have bigger participation because we think that the Korean market is very important to us and we are trying to introduce, little by little, new products to the Korean market," Ahmed told The Korea Times during the fair, June 29. Ahmed noted some of Tunisia's famed agri-food products, beginning with Tunisian olive oil. Tunisia's southern Mediterranean climate contributes significantly to it being the world's third-largest exporter of olive oil. "We have olive oil, which is already famous in the market, but we are not satisfied with the quantity sold in Korea. We know that we have one of the best products in the world and we are among the top three exporters in the world, but to be frank, we have a very small market share in Korea," he said. Ahmed introduced the long-standing tradition of olive oil production in Tunisia, emphasizing its age-old roots traceable to the Carthaginian and Roman eras. "If you visit Tunisia, for example, and go to the Bardo Museum, where you can find a large collection of mosaics, you can see people from the Roman era, extracting olive oil from olives, proving that it is a very, very old tradition," he said, adding that a significant portion of Tunisian olive oil is sold in bulk to the European Union, where it's often blended with Italian and Spanish oils. "So there's a good chance you've already enjoyed Tunisian olive oil unknowingly as part of these mixed products. Korean consumers are aware that olive oil is healthy and important in cooking. So we are trying little by little to educate Korean consumers about the quality of the Tunisian product." The primary hurdle in Korea is raising awareness and knowledge about these products. Ahmed noted the importance of adopting a versatile strategy that combines education, marketing and the establishment of strong partnerships with Korean associates in promoting Tunisian food products. "We start doing that with TV documentaries. You know, cultural promotion and tourism promotion go hand in hand with commerce. When you start learning about the cultures and traditions of Tunisia, then you want to try couscous, to try harissa, to try dates, to try olive oil. So we have this multi-faceted approach of culture and business," he said. Ahmed is confident that Korean consumers will eventually recognize and look for high-quality products from Tunisia. "We will keep participating in different exhibitions and trying to keep going until we find the good alchemy between our products and the Korean market. We are aware that it will take time, but the Korean market will understand the quality of Tunisian products. I'm sure they will," the diplomat said. Prime Minister Han Duck-soo, center, talks with his counterpart from Trinidad and Tobago, Keith Rowley, Tuesday. Yonhap Prime Minister Han Duck-soo has attended an annual summit of Caribbean countries in Trinidad and Tobago and asked for their support for Korea's bid to bring the 2030 World Expo to the city of Busan, his office said Tuesday. The annual conference of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) kicked off Monday (local time) in the country's capital, Port of Spain, bringing together leaders of the region, the office said in a press release. The participants include 13 BIE member states that can cast their votes for the expo. It marks the first time for a head of state-level official from Korea to attend the CARICOM event, coinciding with the 50th anniversary of this 15-member regional integration grouping. During the conference, Han also unveiled a series of measures aimed at enhancing cooperation between Korea and the Caribbean nations, the office said. One such measure involves the establishment of an agricultural technology platform designed to address the challenges posed by climate change. In addition, Han held talks with his counterpart from Trinidad and Tobago, Keith Rowley, and U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, the office said. The attendance is part of a weeklong trip that will then take Han to Panama on Wednesday for a three-day visit, including a summit with President Laurentino Cortizo to bolster cooperation in the fields of mineral resources, energy and infrastructure. Before returning home, Han will make a brief stop in the U.S. city of Dallas on Friday, where he will meet with the overseas Korean community. (Yonhap) You have permission to edit this article. Edit Close Rafael Grossi, left, director general of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), presents IAEA's comprehensive report on Fukushima Treated Water Release to Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida at the prime minister's office in Tokyo, Tuesday. AP-Yonhap UN nuclear chief to visit Seoul on Friday to discuss water discharge issue By Lee Hyo-jin Japan's plan to discharge treated wastewater from the crippled Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant into the Pacific Ocean got the nod from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Tuesday, despite lingering concerns from neighboring countries, including Korea and China. Based on a safety assessment of the plan that took almost two years, the IAEA concluded that Tokyo's plan to release the treated water is consistent with the agency's safety standards. In addition, the United Nations nuclear watchdog said that the discharge of the treated water "would have a negligible radiological impact to people and the environment." The IAEA stated that its review addressed all key safety elements of the water discharge plan in three major areas assessment of protection and safety; regulatory activities and processes; and independent sampling, data corroboration, and analysis. The conclusion came hours after IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi arrived in Tokyo and met with Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida to submit his agency's final report in person. The Japanese government has yet to announce exactly when it will begin the discharge process, which will be carried out over the next three to four decades. Last week, Japan's nuclear regulation authority finished inspections on its system to release the treated wastewater, and is expected to make the final call as early as this week. Political parties in Korea gave contrasting responses to the IAEA's endorsement of Japan's wastewater discharge plan. The ruling People Power Party (PPP), which believes that much of the concerns about the Fukushima wastewater are "groundless rumors," welcomed the IAEA report as "appropriate." It added, "Korea, as a global pivotal state, should humbly accept the results." Korean lawmakers of the minor liberal Jinbo Party and fishermen stage a protest denouncing Japan's Fukushima water release outside Japan National Press Club in Tokyo, Tuesday, before the press conference by International Atomic Energy Agency IAEA chief Rafael Grossi. Reuters-Yonhap On the other hand, the main opposition Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) is seeking to scale up its ongoing protest against the wastewater release. About 10 DPK lawmakers plan to travel to Tokyo from July 10 to 12 to hold rallies in front of the prime minister's office. Korea's presidential office did not issue a statement on the IAEA's decision, saying that the Nuclear Safety and Security Commission will do so. Amid ongoing controversies, the IAEA chief is set to visit Seoul this Friday to explain his organization's position on the water discharge to Korean officials. Grossi's visit, which comes just three days after the publication of the IAEA's comprehensive report, appears to be part of the U.N. nuclear watchdog's efforts to alleviate the Korean public's concerns regarding the matter. Korea's Office for Government Policy Coordination announced, earlier in the day, that the IAEA chief's three-day trip to Korea from Friday to Sunday will include a meeting with the head of the Nuclear Safety and Security Commission. "The director general is scheduled to meet with Yoo Guk-hee, head of the Nuclear Safety and Security Commission, during which he will explain the details of the comprehensive report," Park Ku-yeon, the first deputy chief of the office, said during a daily briefing on the Fukushima water issue. Yoo was the head of a 21-member Korean inspection team that traveled to Fukushima in late May to conduct an on-site safety inspection of Japan's water discharge plan. Park added that Grossi will also have a meeting with Foreign Minister Park Jin. International Atomic Energy Agency chief Rafael Grossi attends a news conference at Japan National Press Club in Tokyo, Tuesday. Reuters-Yonhap A woman on N. Howell Avenue told police that during the night hours someone entered her Hyundai Santa Fe and went through her consoles. She said that she was keeping $3,000 in cash in the center console and it was taken. Police looked for fingerprinting; however, no viable prints were discovered. Also, surveillance cameras were present on other homes, but nothing was captured. * * * An unconscious woman was reported lying on the grass near the Bank Of America, 3620 Tennessee Ave. Officers spoke with the woman and identified her. The woman is homeless and frequents this area. She gathered her belongings and left the area without incident. * * * A woman on Waterwalk Place told police she found that her Jeep Wrangler (GA tag) had been rummaged through, but nothing was taken and there was no damage to her vehicle. * * * A woman on North Howell Avenue told police that sometime during the night, someone made entry inside her 2005 Honda Civic (TN tag). The person rummaged through her consoles, but did not take any items. The car was covered in dew and had already been contaminated prior to police arrival. No prints were taken. * * * A woman told police she was traveling south on I-75 and a black Toyota Tundra with a TN tag threw a coffee cup out of the window. She said that the driver was aggressively driving around her and even yelled at her when he got beside her. The coffee cup hit the passenger side of her vehicle and left a dent and scratch on the rear passenger's door. She said that she got off on the Bonny Oaks Drive exit and the driver of the Tundra continued south on I-75. The vehicle registration was run and it came back to a man out of Cleveland. Police BOLO'ed the vehicle to other units in the area. At this time, there is no other information about the driver or vehicle. The driver of the vehicle was described as a white male about 40-50 years of age. He was wearing glasses. * * * A woman told police that some time while her vehicle was parked at Economy Honda Superstore, 6001 Lee Hwy., someone entered her unlocked vehicle and took a Bowing 10-inch hunting knife with a gold handle and black stripe in a black leather case. * * * A woman on E. 49th Street told police that while sitting on her porch, she saw a tree branch fall and strike the trunk of her Chevy Malibu. * * * A disorder was reported at the Waffle House, 6007 Shallowford Road. Police found a couple who were in a disorder over a dog and a Nissan Altima (TN tag) Both of them wished to take the dog and the vehicle. The man was the registered owner of the vehicle. Both of them agreed to leave peacefully together. I am asking our local and state politicians for stricter policies on fireworks and to start advocating for nature. If you don't know better then we can just be ignorant to the issue, but these are leaders that know better and yet they would rather stand by and enjoy them than to fight against them. After you start talking about banning fireworks and then people only hear that you are taking away their right, even though it is not our right to destroy the earth. I'm not sure why we aren't looking further into the damage that these toxic chemicals are doing to our environment, but I assure you that nature will have its revenge on us for this. They release toxic chemicals, poisons and gases into the air that we breathe, the water that we drink, and the lakes and rivers that we swim in and that our wildlife drinks, and then it seeps into the soil that we grow our food in. Fireworks have been linked to increased air pollution and environmentalists are concerned about the negative effects on wildlife. They spray out toxic concoctions that rains down quickly into lakes rivers and bays throughout the country and many of these chemicals and fireworks are also persistent in the environment, meaning they sit there instead of breaking down. The stars inside a firework are made up of heavy metals that produce their awe-inspiring colors, though some studies suggest that the heavy metals have a seriously negative impact on human and environmental health. Common heavy metal colorants in fireworks include strontium (red), aluminum (white), copper (blue), barium (green), rubidium (purple) and cadmium (various). According to an article on the tree hugger, "short-term exposure to air pollution is linked to cardiovascular and respiratory mortality and morbidity. The particles emitted from a fireworks display can damage cells and lungs in mammals". Fireworks are illegal and in many areas there are laws made in an effort to reduce the risk of fires and other safety concerns, so you should always check with your city or state before setting them off. Violations can result in a hefty fine and sometimes even jail time. Let's keep discussing this and hopefully we'll all be educated a little bit more so the next time that you enjoy your fireworks display, whether you do it over a body of water, a lake or an open field, then I hope that this will make you think and be more aware of the damage that they cause. The plastic that they are wrapped in doesn't burn up when the firework explodes and how many of you actually clean up your debris from your fireworks and if you don't then it's all seeping into the environment and then it makes its way into the marine ecosystems and that pollutes the water and harms our wildlife. Fireworks cause an expensive amount of air pollution in a short amount of time. Their explosions can leave dangerous toxins, fine metal particles and harmful chemicals in the air for days. Once these dangerous chemicals and toxins find their way to the ground they contaminate our soil and waterways. Now, let's talk about trees and how they're harmed by fireworks. The toxic chemicals from the fireworks mixed with the carbon dioxide in the air which then trees inhale, this can corrupt the life of the plant and the environment. When the trees inhale this air they then exhale the air that we inhale. This harms plant life trees and essentially they harm the environment and this is because of the exchange of air between humans and trees because toxic chemicals mixed with oxygen puts humans in danger. But my main concern is what it does to nature because I reached the point of not believing too much in us humans. Litter and marine life: "Due to the distraction of the fireworks this litter is usually unnoticed in the water cycle run off is when water slides on hills and slopes back into lakes rivers etc. When this occurs the runoff can interfere with this litter and all of the litter and unnatural toxic chemicals are left on the ground, however in some cases run off brings this litter and unnecessary items and then become washed into the sea then it can harm marine animals plants and more. This occasion on a massive scale can interrupt the food chain completely. For example, if a whale's primary source of food becomes extinct due to the litter caused by fireworks, the whales will run out of food then they become extinct and this continues on to the point where all life on Earth is extinct. The main chemicals that can harm these sea animals are charcoal and potassium nitride". Soil: As well as toxic chemicals from fireworks being washed into the sea, fireworks can unleash several toxins on to the ground and into the soil if the litter is not carried off into the sea they remain on the ground and rot in the soil. "This is potentially endangering plant life around it not only just the plant life animals walk on the soil eat grass that grows on the soil and in some cases can eat plastics and paper that are left behind and this can damage animals and or even humans which also on a massive scale can interrupt a food chain. Take the smallest thing on the food chain, for example. If that species becomes extinct the next animal becomes extinct because they run out of their primary food source then the next animal becomes extinct then the next and the next until eventually humans become extinct and this is only on a large scale however fireworks can also corrupt land and infect it with whatever harmful chemicals that are used in fireworks particularly charcoal". All of this information can be found on fireworks sciences website environmental issues if you want to learn more. We can celebrate without damaging the environment. We all know we can't turn back and undo the damage we've done and we've all been a part of it simply by our existence, but it seems the longer that we survive the stupider we get and our politicians aren't doing a thing about it, they're just saying a bunch of words that add up to nothing. They make abortion illegal, yet they aren't considering the fact that without nature thriving we as humans will not thrive, it just all seems a little backwards if you ask me. They read from a script that someone else handed to them and if they don't go along with their colleagues then they will not get the votes because as we all know votes are manipulated. In June of 2022 the state fire marshal's office urged fireworks safety ahead of the July 4th holiday according to the tennessee.gov department of commerce and insurance. In 2021 fireworks caused over $1 million in damages and it goes further to say as volunteer state residents prepare to celebrate the upcoming 4th of July holiday, the Tennessee state fire marshal's office urges Tennessee and to consider the risk to their personal safety and your property and your finances that can arise from fireworks related mishaps". "Consumer fireworks pose a hazard to Tennesseans' health and safety record show 175 total fires were started in 2021 by fireworks causing 1.23 million in direct property damage in Tennessee. Aside from causing injuries fires or damage caused by fireworks in a Tennessee municipality that bands fireworks may not be covered by traditional homeowners or renters insurance policy which puts the financial burden of making repairs solely on the shoulders of consumers, so they remind Tennesseans to not risk starting a fire or injuring themselves therefore adding to the burdens of our hard working emergency and medical personnel, said State Fire Marshal Carter Lawrence. Celebrate the holiday safely by thinking of others and not pursuing risky behavior that can lead to an injury or death". It definitely poses a risk to property that is costly, but let's also start discussing what fireworks do to the environment. We should not have to be told that children under a certain age should not light a firework or that you don't point fireworks at another person or that you don't relight a firework. What we should be told and informed on is how fireworks damage our air and water, wildlife and our soil. I think we all should be thankful and grateful for our independence and most certainly should celebrate it, when there are others that only enjoy it in their dreams. We have so much to celebrate as Americans but we can do better on how we celebrate it. Without nature thriving, then what is the point? Our local leaders need to start by protecting nature in a way that has never been done before in history and then that will be a legacy worth leaving. I know that we can all do better in how we live and be more aware of some of the things that we enjoy and how it damages nature. We have to choose our battles not all can be fought let alone won but this battle we will certainly fight against ourselves. There was a time that I enjoyed fireworks but now that I know how they damage the environment I no longer participate in them. Learning and listening is knowledge and then applying what you have learned. Have a happy and safe 4th of July. Tonya McBryar Leadership Tennessee, a collective with a mission to foster non-partisan dialogue on issues of state importance, has named Councilwoman Demetrus Coonrod to its 20232024 Signature Program Class X. The cohort includes representatives from 14 Tennessee counties with diverse professional experience in business, government, education, and nonprofit sectors. Over 10 months, the cohort will visit all corners of the state, analyze Tennessee's challenges, and work together to identify the best solutions and opportunities. The statewide study will result in concrete plans to continue dialogue and actions addressing the most severe issues uncovered, said officials. "The challenge to be part of this years Leadership Tennessee Signature Program carries immense weight for me, said Councilwoman Coonrod. I fully recognize the obstacles that our state faces, and I am deeply committed to helping Tennessee thrive and serve as an example for other states that seek connection to confront issues. The group was chosen by a selection committee co-chaired by Valoria Armstrong and John Tolsma, both graduates of Leadership Tennessee. Candidates are evaluated based on the following criteria: leadership experience, a history of addressing statewide issues in both a personal and professional capacity and a strong understanding of what challenges Tennessee faces today. Collaboration is critical as we continue to work together in progressing Tennessee forward, said Alfred Degrafinreid II, president, and CEO of Leadership Tennessee. Tennessee looks starkly different today compared to when this program began 10 years ago, and every year, we face new and challenging issues. Im confident in the diverse makeup of this class and know that these are the right individuals to create meaningful change across the state. Previous classes have been able to facilitate numerous community engagement sessions across the state. Since Leadership Tennessees founding, more than 500 members have graduated through both the Signature Program and Leadership Tennessee NEXT, which is dedicated to emerging leaders. The cohorts work will begin in August and run through June 2024. A feisty, impactful trailblazer, Susan Mitchell Rogers died peacefully at her LaFayette, Georgia home on July 1. She was 86 years old. A decades-long Lafayette resident, Rogers treasured her family: her three sons Eason, Sam and Dodd; her four grandchildren Zoe, Dylan, Collier and Ashton; her great grandson, Shiloh; and her last surviving sibling, Perry. Lafayette had a special place in her heart, and she chose to be buried at the LaFayette Cemetery, where she was laid to rest on July 5. In 1989, she moved to LaFayette from Atlanta, where she was born and raised. In the 1960s, she gave birth to her three boys and founded and ran two schools, the Red Door School and the University Day School. During that time, she also was a civil rights activist, teaming up with her mother, Sara Mitchell, and Martin Luther King Jr. to help right civil rights wrongs in Atlanta and beyond. She was so committed to the cause, when she was not marching on the front lines of civil rights protests, she was the only white person to sing in the choir at Martin Luther King Jr.s Ebenezer Baptist Church during his lifetime. Rogers was married and divorced several times before living the last 40 years of her life alone. In her later years, she half-jokingly said no man was good enough to be her husband. In the late 1980s, she embarked on work in LaFayette that would be even more challenging and impactful, founding the Healing Bridge for Incest Survivors. She counseled hundreds of survivors over three decades. Many of those survivors considered Rogers to be a savior as well as a confidant and adviser. During the last few months of her life, she explained why she wanted to be buried in LaFayette: Because this community has been good to me. A celebration of life for friends of the family will be held on Wednesday, July 5, at 3:30 p.m. at 4430 Highway 151 in LaFayette, Ga. Sometimes when you read or see in the local news media about a new area park opening, you cannot completely visualize it through two or three photos or 15 seconds of video. When I saw that the new Little Debbie Park had been dedicated Friday by the Collegedale Commons, I pictured it being mostly a playground for kids. But I had also read that it covered about 10 acres, so I was curious to see it. And when I arrived Saturday morning and traversed it, I realized it was for the kid at heart, too. Or at least it is for someone who likes to walk or run or exercise in some way and get that youthful feeling of being outside and sweating on a carefree summer day when school is not in session. And the three or four statues related to Little Debbie snack cakes placed around the grounds as an ode to park benefactor McKee Foods Corporation definitely transcend the perspectives of both adult art lovers and childhood lovers of large toylike objects and sweet snacks, too. With such sights, I definitely felt a little like Charlie in the chocolate factory as I wandered around the grounds. That is, despite being more thirsty than hungry by the time I had finished my hour visit amid the hot and humid weather before the heavy area rains arrived. While the park land donation by McKee was altruistic, it also likely results in a little advertising. Between the statues and the interesting and detailed historical plaques with a few eye-catching photos also dotting the grounds, I no doubt took notice of all the Little Debbie snack cakes for sale at the Hixson Food City that night and felt my mouth water. And that is all good and fine with me in order to get 10 acres of nice land connecting with the already-existing Collegedale Greenway alongside Wolftever Creek. When I decided to visit the park, I left my Northgate Mall area home about 10 a.m. Saturday and headed out Highway 153 over Chickamauga Dam and then up Interstate 75 before getting off at Exit 9 at Volkswagen Drive. I went in the other direction on Apison Pike and traveled through an area that is no doubt rapidly changing and being taken over by suburban development, despite the occasional 1960s-era homes sitting here or there. I turned right at Swinyar Drive by the Collegedale Commons area and went back to the park behind the various community and city of Collegedale buildings and other recreation space. And there I was, 25 minutes or so after I had left home. As was requested on signs there, I had to back into my parking space on the right side of the road, just as drivers must do on that side road off Main Street near downtown Chattanooga. I got out and quickly began examining the park and trying to take a few photos of such eye-catching sights as the Little Debbie Park sign (which said it was established in 2022, not 2023) and the Little Debbie Christmas Tree Cake sculpture. Whether the latter will be the scene of a tree-lighting or maybe tree-tasting ceremony every December, I do not know. But just as eye-catching was all the grass around the park that made happy this lover of jogging on soft and natural surfaces instead of harder asphalt. The covering looked like some nice sod grass, too, perhaps to rival the Honors Course just a mile or two northeast. I then went over and saw the playground that was full of youngsters enjoying a few interesting pieces of recreation equipment under the watchful eyes of their parents. The most popular was no doubt the zipline ride of about 20 yards across a flat stretch. There was also a miniature climbing wall that looked like a Little Debbie Cosmic Brownie complete with hand and foot grasps reflective of the candy pieces on top. I then went up and examined the biggest surprise to me in the park as someone who had not been there before and did not thoroughly peruse all the news reports on its opening. That was the tall climbing hill that looks like those at Renaissance Park next to Coolidge Park on Chattanoogas North Shore. Who said Collegedale is mostly flat? The hill had well-manicured grass on its front face but was nicely surrounded on the other sides by numerous perennial flowers blooming this time of year. In fact, several parts of the park looked as well taken care of so far as a place like Biltmore. I did notice that some young and possibly newly planted dogwood trees had some drier-looking leaves. But hopefully the rains that have come through Chattanooga since Saturday morning have been helpful, although the city of Collegedale workers might be keeping an eye on them, too. I actually think that is just the nature of dogwoods in summertime. I then began walking around the rest of the acreage and saw additional grass, sidewalks and other well-landscaped trees and other plantings, including an area covered in small bushes and perhaps also used as a water runoff area during heavy rains. I also saw several small picnic areas with nice wooden coverings. Several porch swings were also covered. The latter added to the feeling of every adult of being able to transcend their age, as the swings were like adult swings and could have even been pushed from behind like a playground swing. Also a few feet from the main playground area were some pieces of outdoor musical equipment that youngsters and a few adults who want to have some rhythmic fun -- could play. These included drums and pipes that could be banged with tethered sticks. Lets hope these pieces are all still in good shape a year or two from now! By this time, I thought I had checked out basically the whole park, but then I stumbled on something very unusual. There behind the small mounds and around the large climbing hill was a path. But what made it unusual was that it was made of sodded grass, not concrete, asphalt, gravel, or even mulch as might normally be the case. I loved that effect. I then jogged a little up and down a small part of the greenway along the creek, a place I had visited in late 2020 for a story in this series. While doing that, I noticed that an adjacent parking lot was full of cars of Saturday morning attendees at the Seventh-day Adventist Church. One vehicle even had just married written on the back windshield. Congratulations to them at this time when many Collegedale residents are getting ready to spend plenty of time in the future with the park offerings as well. The strong Seventh-day Adventist Church connection is one aspect of this area that is unlike the rest of Hamilton County and would be worth a historical look sometime, including at how Southern Adventist University came to be located there. That is, even though the community appears to have plenty of people of all outlooks and persuasions arriving in larger numbers as more people look for suburban places to live in the Chattanooga area. I then went back to get ready to leave in my car, but first decided to jog slowly up the hill and experience the park and surrounding area from the top. After all, I realized I could not say I had completely visited Little Debbie Park if I did not go to the top. I successfully ascended it and enjoyed the view as king of the mountain, although an out-of-breath king at that. After that, I went down and planned to use the restroom attached to the nice open-air pavilion before leaving for my nearly half-hour journey home. The pavilion, like several buildings in the Collegedale Commons area, is shaped somewhat like a barn. On my way to the pavilion, I noticed another giant model of a bakery product. I actually thought it was a Moon Pie and that it was perhaps an ode to the other famous sweet snack made in large quantities in the Chattanooga area. But then I overheard a mother call it an Oatmeal Creme Pie to her child and realized it was obviously another Little Debbie snack cake. The Oatmeal Creme Pie actually came along before Little Debbies, I once learned, and visitors can find that out today through the historical signs at the park. And speaking of Little Debbie, there is also a statue of Little Debbie holding a plate of my favorite snack cakes Swiss Cake Rolls (although I like Nutty Bars, too!). Although I like to critique parks and make suggestions, I could not really find anything wrong with this one. Perhaps a fountain like at Coolidge Park might be a good idea, if one is not nearby at some of the other Collegedale Commons or Greenway spaces. And there certainly seems to be room for a few more sculptures of snack cakes in the future! The grassy lawns would also be perfect for concerts. Regardless, the park and all its amenities are ideal for making everyone feel like a kid at heart! I know I felt that way getting to jog past a few pretend snack cakes and real grass and plantings. * * * Among the facts of the park, McKee Foods had purchased the land from Southern Adventist University to donate park space to the city of Collegedale for people of all capabilities to use. Among those involved were Barge Design Solutions Inc., and Tinker MA LLC, who worked with PlayCore on the design. The contractor was P&C Construction, and the landscaping was done by Ooltewah Nursery & Landscaping. The Little Debbie sculpture was created by local artist Alex Paul Loza. * * * On one of the park plaques providing historical information on McKee Foods Corporation and Little Debbies is a quote by current senior vice president of stewardship Rusty McKee about the McKee familys interest in nature and parks. He says, From my grandparents to the current generation, our family has always enjoyed hiking the trails through Tennessees rolling hills and seeing our Creators wonderful designs in the trees, leaves and the breeze felt from open green fields. This is our familys gift for you, your family, and friends to experience the same. * * * To see the previous story in this series, read here. Westville Teacher of The Year throws out first pitch at St. Louis Cardinals game The conference is the elders forum; the place to voice concerns, provide recommendations on policies that are important to Native elders. Lim Soo-suk, the spokesperson for the foreign ministry, speaks during a press briefing at the ministry in Seoul, June 20. Yonhap The foreign ministry asked Korean tourists in France on Tuesday to take extra care to ensure their safety amid growing concerns over violent protests across the European country. The protests erupted after a teenager of North African decent was allegedly shot dead by police during a traffic stop in a Paris suburb on Tuesday last week an incident that rekindled public anger over purported discrimination and police violence. "With regard to the violent protests that continue in France at this point, we have posted a notice in the tourist safety section of the websites of the embassy (in France) and the foreign ministry regarding the safety of our nationals," Lim Soo-suk, the ministry's spokesperson, told a regular press briefing. He added that the ministry has also sent a text message to Korean visitors to France to ask them to take special care of their safety. In a post on its website, the Korean Embassy pointed out that there have been incidents of violent protests that threatened the safety of foreigners. The embassy called on Koreans to refrain from visiting Paris suburbs or choosing accommodation in those areas, as well as from going outside during the night or traveling to dark backstreets. (Yonhap) In this day and age of a competitive housing market, real estate scams are sadly at an all-time high. Scam artists often take advantage of unsuspecting renters by tricking them into paying for properties that dont exist or advertising false information. That is what happened to Austin Wallace (@_austin_wallace_), who lost $1,000 when he unknowingly tried to rent an apartment from a scammer. In a viral video on TikTok, Austin had decided to move to New York, and he was feeling upbeat and positive about it. Things were looking up since he was able to get an Airbnb. But his excitement plummeted when he realized the situation he was in. Austin documented the exact moment he arrived at the apartment and discovered that it was already occupied, much to his disappointment. In the clip, Jocelyn, the leasing agent, questioned the girl in the apartment. The girl called the renter, her cousin, who had happened to be out, and they feigned ignorance to what was going on. According to Jocelyn, this wasnt the first time something like this had happened, so as a result, the renters are getting kicked out. Theyve been doing this for a long time already, and theyre getting locked out as of Monday. How are you Airbnbing something youre renting? Jocelyn said. This kind of fraudulent activity is so commonplace in NYC that the citys attorney general released a statement warning people of rental scams and provided some advice for renters to adhere to in order to avoid getting scammed. Here are some of Attorney Generals recommendations: First, make sure to verify the hosts address and phone number. Also, read the reviews for the listing. If a listing does not have any reviews, thats a red flag. But if there are several reviews that repeat the same phrasing, its possible those reviews could be fake. Sign up for Chip Chicks newsletter and get stories like this delivered straight to your inbox. Although we still have a long way to go, mental healthcare in America has evolved tremendously since the 19th century. There are some horrific stories of people who were put into torturous mental institutions against their will during those times for things that are part of human nature. One of those people was Elizabeth Packard, who campaigned for the rights of the mentally ill after spending three years in an institution because she was accused of being insane for her religious beliefs. Elizabeth was born in Massachusetts in 1816. Her father was a Calvinist minister, and she attended the Amherst Female Seminary. Her first encounter with the troubling American medical system was when she was diagnosed with what was then known as brain fever. She suffered from high fevers, headaches, and delirium. When the first round of recommended treatment didnt work immediately, Elizabeths father sent her to an asylum to get better. At the asylum, Elizabeth spent six weeks receiving treatments that didnt cure her fever and only made her feel worse. After finally recovering and getting released, Elizabeth was encouraged to marry her fathers associate, Theophilus Packard Jr., who was also a Calvinist minister. Although he was 14 years older than her, they married in 1839 and had six children together. Throughout the 1850s, Elizabeth and Theophilus moved several times before settling in Manteno, Illinois. After moving, Elizabeth began stepping outside the Calvinist religious values and teachings and became more independent. Other than being a doting wife and mother, Elizabeth enjoyed traveling and, before long, started outwardly questioning her husbands religious beliefs. Before long, Elizabeth and Theophilus also began to disagree on various subjects other than religion, like how to raise their children, abolition, etc. Although they both opposed divorce, tensions grew between Elizabeth and Theophilus until he accused her of being insane and had her admitted to the Illinois Hospital for the Insane against her will in 1860. During these years, it was legal for married women to be institutionalized by their husbands without proof of mental health issues. Elizabeth was at the Illinois Hospital for the Insane for three years despite her frequent protests to leave. She heavily resisted their treatments, and her children, who were adults by then, often called for her to be released. Finally, in 1863, the hospital said she was incurably insane and released her to make room for patients who had a better chance of being cured. Sign up for Chip Chicks newsletter and get stories like this delivered straight to your inbox. Imagine being a soon-to-be mom having fun on TikTok, only to have a commentator suggest that you are overweight due to eating habits. Facing those who feel entitled to leave such a nasty comment on your social media posts can be quite challenging. While we feel many overwhelming emotions full of anger, regret, and doubt, we tend to lean toward responding to those who dont even deserve a minute of our time. Of course, the hater deserves the silent treatment, or if youre popular enough, odds are your fan base will handle the situation for you. But, sometimes, a stranger is ready to fight off the negative human and scare them off to the point of no return, aka, the regretful decision to post said comment anyway and delete the harsh words. But, there is always a sigh of relief, the surrender of a waving white flag when the hater decides to delete their comment, but its too late because you have already filmed a video addressing it. Then the infamous comment unavailable arises as the rest of the community comes to your defense. Sure, its nice to have a supportive alliance by your side, ready to handle any and all rude comments tossed your way. However, some of us are good at holding our own and know exactly how to send our haters to the unavailable comment section and private profiles. Take @mykindamum on TikTok, for example. Claire Warren, the woman behind the username @mykindamum, was fat shamed on the platform as the hater behind the bold comment decided to accuse Claire of looking how she does due to her eating habits. The user was quickly put in his place as Claire gave him a free lesson in biology. In the first 20 seconds of her TikTok, Claire proudly displays her baby bump while sporting a tight-fitting cami and calls out the accuser, also known as Kevin, for not knowing what a pregnant woman looks like. Sign up for Chip Chicks newsletter and get stories like this delivered straight to your inbox. Eric Metaxas calls on the Church to 'wake up' or face disastrous consequences: 'Everything's at stake' ORLANDO Eric Metaxas isnt afraid to speak difficult truths into an increasingly secularized culture, and hes issuing a clarion call to the American Church to do likewise, warning that neglecting this call will lead to disastrous consequences. There are many pastors and Christian leaders being silent in the face of evil today, the bestselling author and radio host told The Christian Post. They are not all consciously working for the devil, they are, nonetheless, effectively working for the devil because they are unaware that what they're doing is not what God calls His Church to do. Metaxas penned his latest book, Letter to the American Church, out of a conviction that the Church must wake up to the realities of evil and stand for biblical truth. In it, he draws from both history and the Bible to highlight the need for the church to speak out against societal evils. There are all kinds of figures from history and in the Scripture who understand that, My duty is to God, and if that makes me unpopular, if that makes me attacked, who cares? he said. According to Metaxas, the Churchs silence on critical issues effectively aids the forces of evil. In his book, he draws sobering parallels between the modern church and the German Church of the 1930s, in which pastors were somehow fooled into buying the idea that were not supposed to go against the governing authorities. What the German church did in the '30s, they had no idea that they were getting this stuff wrong. They had all kinds of theological reasons why they thought it was good not to comment on politics, he said. We now see what the results were; it was a nightmare out of the pit of Hell. The evil that was unleashed because of the silence of the German Church is part of the ugliest history imaginable. We look at Germany, and it's very easy for us to say, Oh, they should have spoken out against the Nazis, he added. But we have pastors today who are effectively not speaking out against the Nazis. The Chinese Communist Party is as wicked as the Nazis ever were, with infinitely greater technology. They are doing satanic things. The Uighur Muslims in China are being murdered for their organs, which can be sold for a lot of money that accrues to the Communist Party. Where is the Church on that issue? How can you not be outraged? The Bonhoeffer: Pastor, Martyr, Prophet, Spy author added that many Americans have been sheltered from the harsh realities faced by others in the world and thus fail to recognize the value of their freedoms and the need to defend them. Just like the German Church, he said, the American Church has grown complacent. The German Church woke up when it was too late, and evil overtook that nation in Europe, he said. The blame lies at the foot of the German Church. And I think the same can be said of the American Church today if we don't wake up. What we have is a blessing from God, entrusted to us to protect, to keep and to give to our children and grandchildren, he stressed. If you don't get that, it just sort of drifts away. We are at a moment where it's drifting away very quickly. Metaxas contended that the cultural zeitgeist and misguided interpretations of biblical principles have led to the belief that the Church should remain apolitical an idea he dismisses as nonsensical. The Church, Metaxas said, must understand its duty to God and not prioritize personal comfort or congregational numbers over speaking the truth. Imagine if a pastor got up and said, I have no position on slavery. I have no position on legalized racism and apartheid. I have no political position on Jim Crow laws. You wouldn't go to that church. You'd say, What an idiot, what a moral pygmy that he thinks that he can be a pastor and not have an opinion on those issues, Metaxas said. Pastors are called to speak out on all issues that affect human lives and dignity, he stressed: You have an obligation to speak truth on these issues, he said. So any pastor that has his head in the sand on these issues, God will hold him responsible. While avoiding controversial or divisive topics might seem appealing, the author emphasizes that it ultimately devalues the Gospel and hinders evangelism. For every person that's going to get ticked off that you said something, there's another person that's going to say, Thank goodness somebody is saying this; I didn't know where to look anymore. People are looking for leadership from Christians, Metaxas said. He pointed out that pastors who have been boldly speaking out against the "lunacy" of transgender ideology, cultural Marxism, critical race theory, open borders and defunding the police have seen their congregations surge in attendance. Things have gotten so bad that a lot of people finally are understanding, OK, maybe I missed something. Maybe we had it so good that we forgot that evil is still alive, that we haven't defeated evil, and we have to do what God calls us to do in the midst of it, and we haven't been doing it, he said. Historically, when the Church has drifted along with culture, it has gone dramatically badly, Metaxas said. The issues are always different issues, but the results are always the same, and the guilt is always the same. God wants us to be alive to what is happening, he said. Everything's at stake. God has always looked to His Church, and we have dramatically disappointed Him in the past. I don't believe it's His will that we disappoint him this time, but it really is up to individual Christians. Letter to the American Church is available everywhere books are sold. Christian woman abducted, killed for refusing to convert to Islam in Pakistan LAHORE, Pakistan A Christian family in Lahore, Pakistan is seeking justice and protection after four Muslims abducted, gang-raped and killed a widow for refusing to convert to Islam and marry the primary suspect, sources said. In the killing of 40-year-old Shazia Imran last month, the assailants slashed her neck and doused her with acid, her brother said, though it was not known if the acid burns came before or after her death. The primary suspect has confessed to the killing, according to police. Shazia Imrans husband also was killed a year and a half ago, and the family has seen no justice in that case either as police cast it as an accident, said her brother, Zafar Masih. Shazia Masih, who began working as a nanny at a daycare center at the Lahore University of Management Sciences after her husbands death, left her rented home in Lahores Mehar Town for work on June 6 but did not return, Zafar Masih said. He said that the primary suspect, Noman (known as Mani) Gujjar, was a notorious area criminal and had been pressuring her to convert to Islam along with her children and marry him. Shazia did not share this with us due to fears for our security, but three days before her abduction, she told [another relative] that Gujjar had threatened to kill her if she did not surrender to his demand, Zafar Masih told Morning Star News. After Shazia Masihs oldest son, 16, informed Zafar Masih that she had not returned home, he and other relatives began searching for her. Unable to find her, they informed police of her disappearance on June 7. Later in the day we received a call from the Hyer police station that they had found a body from a plot that matched Shazias description, Zafar Masih said. We immediately went to the police station, but when we saw the body, we could not believe our eyes. Shazias jugular vein had been slit with a sharp object, and her body had been badly burnt by acid. A forensic examination revealed that she had been gang-raped before being killed, said Zafar Masih, a member of a local Evangelical church. Police arrested Gujjar, and though he confessed to the murder, officers seemed uninterested in arresting three suspected accomplices, Gujjars brother and two cousins, Zafar Masih said. The accused are very influential, and they have been persistently threatening us to reconcile and withdraw the case, he said. Due to these threats, we have been forced to go into hiding and are not even free to pursue the case. Gujjar is still in police custody, but we doubt that well get justice for our sister, as the polices bias is evident by its inaction against the remaining accused. Zafar Masih said the incident had traumatized Shazias children, the oldest as well as a 7-year-old and a 6-year-old. His elderly mother is taking care of them. We have lost all hope for justice and appeal to our church leaders and government officials to provide justice and security to us, he said. Soon after a video appeal of the family began circulating on social media, Punjab police released a tweet from its official handle stating that they regretted the murder taking on a religious color. The main accused in his confessional statement has said that the woman had developed relations with him after her husbands death and had now started blackmailing him, prompting him to murder her, the tweet in Urdu stated. Police were conspicuously silent, however, on any evidence of blackmail and how or why it would have been attempted, nor on why the remaining three suspects have not been arrested. Morning Star News made repeated attempts to question the superintendent of police and the investigating officer, but their phones remained inaccessible. Vulnerability of minority women Pakistan is facing global censure for its shaky commitments to safeguarding religious minorities and the unwillingness of the Pakistani government to denounce extremism without equivocation. While Pakistans draconian blasphemy laws have been widely condemned by the international community, forced conversions are now the primary means of wiping out Christian communities in Pakistan, church leaders and rights activists say. Despite attempts to pass legislation against forced conversions, especially in provincial assemblies, liberal Pakistani legislators have been unable to do so, nor amend Pakistans child marriage laws. Samson Salamat, chairman of socio-political movement Rawadari Tehreek, said the murder of Shazia Imran was further evidence of the vulnerability faced by Pakistani women in general and minority women in particular. This gory incident is also an example that with forced marriage, minority women have to go through the trauma of changing their faith and in case of refusal, the result is even worse, Salamat told Morning Star News. Shazias case is crystal clear, but the circumstances show that the police are siding with the influential perpetrators instead of administering justice to the victims family. The situation is critical, as the family is fearful of even pursuing the case due to constant threat to their lives. Bishop Azad Marshall, president of the Church of Pakistan, condemned the killing and police inaction against the perpetrators. Our hearts go out to the children and other family members of our deceased sister, Marshall told Morning Star News. The manner in which the poor woman was raped and murdered and her body mutilated by acid has shocked the entire Christian community. We are now hearing such cases of aggression and brutality against Christian women almost on a daily basis, and we demand the government to take cognizance of such crimes and make examples of the perpetrators. The senior church leader said they had taken notice of the familys appeal for help and vowed to stand with them in their pursuit for justice. We are already fighting to save our young girls from the scourge of forced faith conversions, but our married women are also increasingly being targeted to convert and marry Muslims, he said. This is unacceptable. Each year dozens of girls, mostly teenagers from the Hindu community in the southern province of Sindh, along with minority Christians in Punjab Province, fall victim to forced conversions facilitated by Muslim leaders and groups, according to rights activists. At least 124 cases of forced faith conversions were reported in 2022, according to the Lahore-based Center for Social Justice; 81 Hindus, 42 Christians and one Sikh. Shockingly, 23% of the girls were below 14 years old, and 36% were between the age of 14 and 18 years. Only 12% of the victims were adults, while the age of 28 percent of the victims was not reported. The center stated that 65% of the cases were reported in Sindh Province, followed by 33% in Punjab Province and 0.8% each in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan provinces. The United States last year placed Pakistan on its list of Countries of Particular Concern for religious freedom violations. Pakistan ranked seventh on Open Doors 2023 World Watch List of the most difficult places to be a Christian, up from eighth the previous year. Backlash from Evangelical, Jewish groups after Iranian official tapped as chair of unofficial UN human rights forum Updated at 9:30 a.m. ET July 6 Voices from both the Evangelical and Jewish worlds are criticizing the World Evangelical Alliance (WEA) for organizing an event on religion and human rights with the Iranian delegation to the United Nations. In May, Vaclav Balek, the president of the U.N. Human Rights Council, confirmed the appointment of Iranian Ambassador Ali Bahreini as chairman of the U.N. Human Rights Council Social Forum 2023, according to The Telegraph. The event, titled The Role of Religions in Protection and Promotion of Human Rights, was organized with the Permanent Mission of the Islamic Republic of Iran. Following Baleks announcement, a number of groups, including the New York-based Center for Human Rights in Iran, called on the U.N. to retract the appointment, calling it a move of shocking ethical blindness. Now, both the Simon Wiesenthal Center, a prominent Jewish rights organization, and Johnnie Moore, president of The Congress of Christian Leaders, say the WEA, which bills itself as the worlds largest international organization of Evangelical churches, made the wrong move. The WEA has gone to a place no serious evangelical organization has gone to before: absurdly partnering with Iran to promote human rights, Moore told The Christian Post. The WEA may try to act like this didnt happen, but it did. Rabbi Abraham Cooper with the Simon Wiesenthal Center said the appointment could send the wrong signal to Iran and the world. It is difficult to put into words the damage done by the World Evangelical Alliance to the cause for human rights and human dignity in Iran by arranging for an opening statement by Iranian Ambassador Ali Bahreini at the United Nations in Geneva, said Cooper in a statement. This is a time when NGOs, including and especially those that purport to speak for hundreds of church groups around the world, should be focusing all of its efforts to stand in solidarity, and aid and abet, not providing legitimacy on the world stage to the murderous regime in Tehran, to the women of Iran who continue their heroic quest for full freedom of expression and freedom of religion. For Cooper, the decision by the WEA to partner with Iran and Pakistan which, as he pointed out, has anti-blasphemy laws that endanger Christians and other minorities contradicts the organization's history of working to protect victims of religious persecution. The decision flies in the face of an event that the WEA hosted just last month in which they honored an Iranian Muslim woman who converted to Christianity, he added. A 2020 report from the WEA documented a number of incidents involving persecution of Christians in Iran, including a ban on services in Farsi and the prosecution of religious minorities for peaceful activities. Moore said despite the WEAs claim to speak for over 600 million Evangelicals worldwide, nothing could be a more profane representation of Evangelicals than this. Repeatedly, Evangelicals around the world, and others, have raised concerns about the WEAs operation in Geneva with repeated assurances that things would change, he added. Apparently, rather than changing Geneva it is Geneva which has changed the WEA. Cooper seconded that concern. In organizing todays event, the WEA leadership have given a very powerful example about how religions can damage and degrade human rights, said Cooper in a statement last Friday. While the Social Forum 2023 does take place under the U.N. banner, it is not an official U.N. body or mechanism, a spokesperson told the Telegraph, adding that only one person Bahreini received a nomination for the position. No other nomination has been presented by any other regional group, the spokesperson added. A request for comment via the WEA website was not returned as of Tuesday. We will update this story in the event a response is received. With U.N. offices in New York City and Geneva, the WEA consists of nine regional and 143 national Evangelical alliances of churches and purports to represent more than 600 million evangelical Christians. Freedom only comes through sacrifice, never goes on sale On the Yorktown outcrop of a tiny Virginia peninsula in 1781, the most elite professional army ever assembled lost to a freedom-loving army of relative upstarts under the command of General George Washington. The British were so humiliated by Cornwallis catastrophic defeat that their military band marked the occasion by playing The World Turned Upside Down. The news shocked the world and forced the British prime minister, Lord Frederick North, to resign in shame. As the victors were hailed, no one was more astonished than General Washington, who measured the weight of this victory as only a battle-hardened commander could. Years later, as President of the United States, Washington expressed his gratitude for the shocking win in a letter to Rev. Samuel Langdon. The man must be bad indeed who can look upon the events of the American Revolution without feeling the warmest gratitude towards the great Author of the Universe whose divine interposition was so frequently manifested on our behalf. Cause and effect were equally evident to the father of our country. While clearly acknowledging the warriors who shed their blood by the thousands, those widowed and orphaned as a result, and the untold number who died of sickness and starvation as casualties of war, Washington credited Almighty God for Americas victory. He experienced firsthand what many only enjoy off-hand: Freedom isnt free. The kind of freedom Americans experience is one of the planets rarest finds, a reality that has been true for most of human existence. Like any scarce commodity, freedom is so costly because it is so valuable. In a strictly temporal sense, freedom is the pearl of great price. Freedom cannot be purchased by the frugal nor preserved by the faint of heart. Just like last year and the year before that, freedom only comes through sacrifice and never goes on sale. There are no discounts on freedom this holiday weekend. I am proud to be an American because of what we stand for, but I am just as proud because of who is standing for us. Having served alongside those brave enough to bear the battle, my pride is sourced in the names and faces of those for whom freedom was worth the fight. And because God is the ultimate Source of the way of life, we hold dear one minute and take for granted the next. Yet as valuable as our political freedom is every day of the week, there is much more to life than merely living for a three-day weekend. Our flourishing is the point of our freedom in Gods economy. Our founders understood this value proposition so well that everything in the Declaration of Independence rests on this premise. Beginning with the end in mind, their opening sentence 247 years ago was unmistakably clear concerning the highest ideals of freedom: We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. The God-given rights of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness are the ends of human flourishing. Securing these rights for every one created in Gods image made the benefit worth the cost for them. This is why their Declaration ended with a flourish of its own: With a firm reliance on the protection of divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes, and our sacred Honor. Then as now, freedom isnt free. In ways large and small, America has become a nation of amnesiacs who forget too easily the purpose and the price of our freedom. As a Christian, I have never been confused about the purpose. We exist for the good of others and the glory of God. As a chaplain, I never lost sight of the price because I saw up close that our fellow citizens and comrades in arms bear any burden to satisfy our yearning to be free. That yearning has been created in us, not manufactured by us. Freedom is not some scheme we concocted to live our best lives now. It is a gift God gave so we could worship Him freely and serve others joyfully in this life, with an eye on the next life. I can think of dozens of names and hundreds of faces of my own comrades in uniform who were willing to give their all to secure the blessings of liberty for those who would never know their names or see their faces. All gave some. Some gave all. Jesus Christ is preeminent in that last category, demonstrating with conviction that freedom isnt free. By His own sacrifice on the cross, He gave all, which gives all that matters to all who believe in the Name above all names. These sacred truths may not be self-evident today in a culture distracted by so many lesser things, but they are the only path to true freedom and genuine flourishing. They are the only sure way to lasting independence from everything holding us back. In other words, where the spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom (2 Cor 3:17). Freedom is not free, but those standing watch for us this Independence Day raised their right hands because of their conviction that our gain is worth their pain. Thanks be to God. Revelation 14: The fate of the 144,000 In Revelation, especially chapters 11-13, the rise of evil forces in the end times is prophesied. These powerful forces, specifically the Antichrist and his False Prophet, deceive the world and establish dominance and control over humanity. Two witnesses are said to be able to strike the earth with plagues, control the weather, and consume their enemies with fire. Eventually, they are murdered, and their martyrdom is followed by their resurrection and ascension for the whole world to see. Because of the life and ministry of these two witnesses, innumerable people from Israel and other nations believe in Christ. However, the Antichrist and the False Prophet put in place a scheme requiring people to be marked with their number. Without this number, they can neither buy nor sell, and those unwilling to bow in adoration and devotion to the Antichrist are pursued and slain. The Mark of the Beast (Antichrist) is described as being required on the right hand or the forehead. Although the number of this mark, 666, has been subject to various theories and debates throughout history, it clearly sets apart the damned from those who will be saved. It also jogs the memory of another group of individuals who, in contrast, were sealed by God on their foreheads, the 144,000 (Revelation 7:1-8). The mark of the 144,000 signifies their redemption and faithfulness to God amid terrible Tribulation, and it also provides them with divine protection until their God-given mandate is completed. The ministry of the 144,000 Messianic Jews chosen from the 12 tribes of Israel has them zealously and powerfully proclaiming the Gospel of Christ, warning people of Gods impending judgment, and calling humanity to repentance. Their role has been crucial. Until chapter 14, nothing has been said about their fate. Revelation 14 supplies the answer. The Scriptures say: Then I saw the Lamb standing on Mount Zion, and with him were 144,000 who had his name and his Fathers name written on their foreheads. And I heard a sound from Heaven like the roar of mighty ocean waves or the rolling of loud thunder. It was like the sound of many harpists playing together. This great choir sang a wonderful new song in front of the throne of God and before the four living beings and the 24 elders. No one could learn this song except the 144,000 who had been redeemed from the earth. They have kept themselves as pure as virgins, following the Lamb wherever he goes. They have been purchased from among the people on the earth as a special offering to God and to the Lamb. They have told no lies; they are without blame. So, what happened to the 144,000? Were they ultimately martyred? Were they, in due course, miraculously rescued? The book of Revelation doesnt say, leaving their exact fate somewhat ambiguous. Nevertheless, it does say that they are preserved and end up standing before the Lamb on Mount Zion. Mount Zion holds both physical and symbolic significance throughout the Bible. Mount Zion is literally a hill located in Jerusalem, physically elevated and representing a position of prominence and strength. In Old Testament times, Zion referred to a specific elevation on which the Temple of Jerusalem was built. It was the place of Gods dwelling among his people. Beyond its physical location, Mount Zion represents the presence of God, Gods Kingdom, and the establishment of his ultimate reign over the entire earth. It is associated with joy, security, and the infinite bounty of the Lords blessings. The Psalmist writes, It is high and magnificent; the whole earth rejoices to see it! Mount Zion, the holy mountain, is the city of the great King! (Psalm 48:2). This verse points to the future reign of the Messiah, the Lord Jesus Christ, and the many Old Testament passages that prophesy the establishment of his Kingdom on earth and his reign from Mount Zion in Jerusalem. Mount Zion can also be understood as a place of spiritual transformation in the human heart. Hebrews 12:22 reads, [Y]ou have come to Mount Zion, to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to countless thousands of angels in a joyful gathering. You have come to the assembly of Gods firstborn children, whose names are written in heaven. You have come to God himself, who is the judge over all things. You have come to the spirits of the righteous ones in heaven who have now been made perfect. John Owen, the tremendous Puritan preacher of the 1600s, wrote of this text from Hebrews, saying: Believers come to Mount Zion, that is, unto that state wherein they have an interest in and a right unto all the blessed and glorious things that are spoken in the Scriptures concerning Mount Zion, the place of Gods special gracious residence, of the throne of Christ in his reign, the subject of all graces, the object of all promises, as the Scriptures abundantly testify It is the city of God, of the true and only God, who is omnipotent and able to keep and preserve. It is the heavenly Jerusalem, for it is not of this world, and no small part of its inhabitants are already actually instated in Heaven. It is 10,000 times more glorious to be a citizen of this city than of the greatest city in the world. How fantastic is the knowledge that when one genuinely trusts in Christ as Savior and Lord, that person immediately becomes a citizen of the Kingdom of God and is bound for heaven forever more. Perhaps one of my most memorable experiences as a pastor was visiting one of my parishioners in the hospital. He was scheduled for serious heart surgery and was understandably anxious about it. He was to the point of tears as he told me his fear that he might not survive the operation. At this point, I asked him pertinent questions about his soul and relationship with God. He made it clear that he genuinely had given his heart to Christ and was sure of it. I replied, Well, that being the case, you mustnt worry. Because no matter whether you survive the surgery or not, everything is going to be alright. Everything will be alright if you live and God grants you additional years. If something happens during the procedure and you die, you will be immediately with the Lord, and that will be alright, too. Over and again, he began repeating the phrase, No matter what, its going to be alright. No matter what, its going to be alright. He survived the surgery and did well for many years after that. Indeed, everything was alright. That was his testimony to the church and his friends of what he had learned. No matter what happens, it will be alright for those who have trusted in Christ. It may not be clear what happened to the 144,000 during the Tribulation, but in the first verses of Revelation 14, it is apparent their mission is finished, and it can be seen that everything is more than alright for them. Some scholars think the 144,000 are standing before the Lord during Christs future earthly Kingdom. Others think they are standing before him in the heavenly Jerusalem. What are the 144,000 doing before the Lord? They are worshipping him and singing a praise song pertinent only to them. O, how deep and broad is the subject of worship! Saint Augustine of Hippo said of God, You have made us for yourself, O Lord and our heart is restless until it rests in you. Worshipping God is a fundamental aspect of human nature. Human beings find their ultimate fulfillment and satisfaction in a relationship with God. During this scene of heavenly praise and adoration, John heard a voice similar to the sound of many ocean waters and great thunder. John described the magnificent sound of Gods voice as the mighty waves of the ocean and thunder. When I was a boy, if a thunderstorm arose, I was taught by my grandparents and the people of their generation that we were to find some place to sit down in the house, be quiet and show reverence, for the Lord was speaking in the thunder. Im not saying this should necessarily be taught to children today. (Although I dont think it would hurt them.) My point, however, is there is nothing quite like the sound of thunder in the natural realm. It has a distinct and ominous quality, carrying with it a sense of awe and energy. It can be deep and base-heavy. It can range from a faint, distant grumble to a loud, explosive boom. Its raw power can produce a vibrating effect that sometimes can be felt to the bone and shake ones surroundings. The sound of thunder can be awe-inspiring or intimidating. It can evoke feelings of excitement or fearful anticipation. For the 144,000, who were redeemed and safely in heaven, the voice of God, with its resonating rumble or clap, carried a majestic weight that transcended mortal comprehension. Its timbre possessed an indescribable richness that engendered the most profound form of worship, drawing an intense devotion and reverence from everyone in heaven. O Lord my God, when I in awesome wonder, consider all the worlds Thy hands have made; I see the stars, I hear the rolling thunder, Thy power throughout the universe displayed. Then sings my soul, my Savior God to Thee, How great Thou art, how great Thou art! Then sings my soul, my Savior God to Thee, How great Thou art! There is also the mention of harpists playing their harps, suggesting the accompaniment for the song of the 144,000 was out of this world! This worship service had a celestial context. Although a church may not have heavenly harpists to play along while the choir sings or everyone sings a congregational hymn, worship here on earth can also be sweet, stirring, and divine. Dr. Jerry Vines, pastor Emeritus of the First Baptist Church, Jacksonville, Florida, used to tell this story: A deacon I know dreamed that an angel took him to the worship service in his church. The building was filled with people, but when they sang the congregational hymns, he couldnt hear a sound. When the choir sang its number, there wasnt a sound. When the preacher preached the sermon, there wasnt a sound. The deacon looked at the angel and asked, Whats wrong? The angel replied, [T]hese people are worshipping God with their lips but not with their hearts. Worship can only take on the divine when its from the heart. When going to some place of worship, we shouldnt just sit and expect the music or the preaching to move us. We should stir up our own souls! In Psalm 103:1-2, the Psalmist directs his own soul, saying, Let all that I am praise the Lord; with my whole heart, I will praise his holy name. Let all that I am praise the Lord; may I never forget the good things he does for me. But we should also understand that there has never been any perfect worship in this world. What is described in Revelation 14 is just a glimpse of that better and perfect life promised where Gods people worship fully without effort and in complete perfection. God hasten the day! Revelation 14 says the 144,000 sang a song they could only identify with and learn. One Sunday, a college student went with me to church. He had not grown up in a family that attended church regularly. When we stood to sing the hymns, I didnt use the hymnal but sang each one happily from memory. While singing, he asked me, Do you already know all these hymns? I responded, Yes, I know most of them. Although I certainly dont remember all the words. He seemed a bit astonished. Yet, I dont believe my knowledge of the hymns was what caught his attention. I think it was mainly that he didnt understand the hymns we sang. He couldnt identify with them, and learning their deepest meaning was impossible for him because he had never come to know Christ. The 144,000 who stand before the Lamb in worship are said to be virgins. Is this to be taken literally or figuratively? The late Charles C. Ryrie, in his commentary on Revelation, suggests: Although this could be understood to mean that these people were never married and therefore undistracted in their work for God (as in I Cor. 7:32), it also can mean that they were completely separated unto the God they served. The word virgin is used this way of married Corinthian believers in 2 Corinthians 11:2. The best interpretation seems to be that married people are the rule. They generally embody what God intended for humanity, while the 144,00 are the exception to the rule. They are more like the Lord Jesus was himself. With the utmost devotion, they have followed the Savior faithfully while on the earth, and now they follow him in glory. They are a special offering to God, the first fruits as some translations render it an agricultural concept among the Hebrews, where the first portion of their harvest was dedicated to God. Depicted as coming from Israels 12 tribes, the first fruits symbolize a future great harvest out of Israel who will repent of their unbelief and receive the Lord Jesus during the Tribulation. The 144,000 have told no lies. The message they preached was the unadulterated Gospel of Christ, and they are without blame. Not that they never sinned, but in a time of intense moral darkness, characterized by murders, sorceries (drug use), sexual immorality, thefts, deception, idolatry, and rebellion against Gods authority, they remained faithful to Christ. They are not safe with the Lamb on Mount Zion in Revelation 14 because they did all these things. They did all these things because they had already been saved through faith in the precious blood of the Lamb. We may not know precisely what happened to the 144,000 in life, whether in the long run, they were martyred, or like Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, they were delivered from the fiery furnace. However, at the end of their lives, their presence with the Lamb shows us that no matter what happens, for those who have trusted in Christ, it will be alright. Houston megachurch exorcises demonic statue found on property with burning Members of a Houston megachurch exorcised the "demonic" influence of a miniature Grim Reaper found hidden on their property Sunday evening, destroying it in a blazing fire and prayers just a week after thieves were captured on video stealing a safe containing money and important documents from their church building. Bishop James Dixon and members of the Community of Faith Church in Acres Homestold KHOU 11, that they found a statue of the Grim Reaper with the sickle tucked into the woodwork of the roof of a gazebo on their property Sunday and they had to address it quickly. "It's a statue that announces curses ... the curse of death, Dixon told the news outlet. Dixon was not immediately available when the church was contacted for comment by The Christian Post on Monday. A church member told KHOU 11 that the presence of the miniature Grim Reaper statue on the church property is sacrilegious. This is holy ground. This is our church," the church member said. Before crushing and setting the statue ablaze, Dixon and his congregants bathed it in olive oil and prayed over it. "We destroyed the works of the devil," the Houston pastor said. "We've never had this before. So it hurts, you know, to know that this church does so much good for so many people." Finding the statue on church property on the heels of a robbery just a week earlier, Dixon says the confluence of events at the church is a spiritual attack on the ministry that boasts 3,000 members, according to the churchs website. "Here we are a week later and we're having to defend ourselves and pray again against the works of the enemy," he said. Dixon never stated how much money the church lost in the robbery a week earlier, but he did say the crime left the church with less money to spend on its ministry work. We exist to make a difference, to make an impact, he said. We feed the homeless and the hungry every week, hundreds and thousands, so everything we receive we need. He said he couldn't identify the two men seen making off with the churchs safe on surveillance video in a matter of minutes, but he urged them to repent and turn themselves in. The money that we could be using to feed the hungry, help the poor and help children go back to school who are disadvantaged, now we have to spend those funds into upgrading security systems, Dixon said. And that takes thousands and thousands of dollars to make that happen. Yang Geum-deok, who was forced to labor in Japan by the Japanese government during the World War II, speaks during the National Assembly's Foreign Affairs and Unification Committee's plenary meeting, March 13, 2022. Korea Times file A South Korean court has decided not to accept a government request to deposit compensation for a victim of Japan's wartime forced labor who rejected the government's third-party reimbursement plan that excludes Japanese firms. The decision, made by a district court in the southwestern city of Gwangju, came after the government on Monday launched a process to deposit compensation for four victims of forced labor under Japan's 1910-45 colonial rule of the Korean Peninsula. The victims, who were among 15 plaintiffs who won against Japanese companies in a 2018 Supreme Court ruling, had strongly protested the government plan to compensate them on its own through a government-affiliated foundation. The court specifically decided against the deposit process for Yang Geum-deok, who has submitted a document to the court expressing her intent to reject the government reimbursement scheme. Separately, the court returned documents on the deposit process for Lee Chun-sik, another victim, citing insufficient paper work. The latest decision has led to the view it could hurt the government's third-party compensation plan that was drawn up in efforts to improve long-frayed ties with Japan. In a statement released Tuesday, the foreign ministry voiced regret over the decision, saying it had undergone thorough legal review of the matter ahead of launching the process and vowed not to accept it. "We will immediately launch a process for objection and ask for the court's right judgment," the ministry said, also citing procedural flaws in the decision. The government's third-party reimbursement plan had initially drawn strong protest following its announcement in March, as victims and civic groups demanded Tokyo's apology and direct involvement of the accused Japanese firms. Many plaintiffs, however, later decided to accept it. Meanwhile, a civic group supporting the forced labor victims said citizen donations for those who rejected the government's plan have surpassed 100 million won (US$76,974) within just five days. The campaign began Friday, and as of 6 p.m. Tuesday, the group had received 1,703 donations amounting to 132.42 million won, the organization said. The amount has nearly doubled since the government initiated the process of depositing the compensation money for the defiant victims with the court Monday. The actual amount is expected to be higher as contributions from overseas through a mobile app have yet to be counted, the group added. (Yonhap) Iran ousted from UN women's commission amid nationwide protests after Mahsa Amini's death The United Nations adopted a resolution to remove Iran from the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) amid nationwide protests kickstarted by the arrest and death of a young woman accused of not wearing her hijab properly. In a Wednesday statement, the U.N. announced a new Economic and Social Council resolution removing Iran from the commission for the remainder of its 2022 to 2026 term. Twenty-nine countries voted in favor of the resolution, while eight voted against it and 16 abstained from voting. The list of countries opposed to the resolution consisted of Bolivia, China, Kazakhstan, Nicaragua, Nigeria, Oman, Russian Federation and Zimbabwe. The Social Council expressed concern over the Iranian government's actions since September 2022 "to increasingly suppress human rights of women and girls, using lethal force that has resulted in the deaths of peaceful protestors." A representative from the United States said that the vote "answers the call of civil society voices in Iran," according to the U.N. statement. "Iranian women have clearly called for us, here at the United Nations, to remove Iran from the Commission on the Status of Women. It was a sensible request," U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Linda Thomas-Greenfield said in a statement. "Irans membership directly undermines the commissions work. Its membership was a stain on our credibility." Nikki Haley, the former U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. during the Trump administration, believes that kicking Iran off the U.N. womens commission is the bare minimum that the intergovernmental organization can do. Irans evil regime has murdered hundreds of protesters, including women and children, Haley tweeted Wednesday. Its embarrassing that they were ever given a seat. Iranian journalist and activist Masih Alinejad celebrated the move in a Wednesday tweet, writing that this is a victory for Iranian revolutionaries who have been facing guns & bullets as they fight this gender apartheid state. This is the flame of #IranRevolution lit by #MahsaaAmini, she continued. In a separate tweet last week, Alinejad shared a video of Iranian women resisting the morality police on a bus in Tehran. The video shows burqa-clad women fighting with several others who were not wearing a hijab. We remove our hijab everyday and no longer accept bullies from morality police, the woman who sent the video to Alinejad reportedly stated. Protests erupted in Iran after the Islamic Republic's "morality police" arrested 22-year-old Mahsa Amini for wearing her hijab improperly. Per the dress code in Iran, women must wear conceal their hair with a head covering. Amini died in custody on Sept. 16 after she was beaten to death. In October, the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom called for a United Nations Commission of Inquiry on Iran after the countrys response to the protests reportedly resulted in the deaths of nearly 200 protesters, including at least 23 minors. "Iran's use of excessive and lethal force against protesters asserting their religious freedom is a deplorable violation of international law for which there must be full accountability," said USCIRF Chair Nury Turkel. "Iranian protesters are asking that their voices be heard. We urge the Biden administration to support a U.N. Commission of Inquiry on Iran to ensure that Iranian security forces cannot silence Iranians seeking religious freedom with impunity." Most US voters oppose body mutilating sex-change surgeries for kids but too afraid speak up: poll Although most Americans oppose allowing surgeons to perform sex-change operations on children and teenagers suffering from gender dysphoria and teaching young children about sexual orientation and gender identity in schools, many are afraid to speak about such hot-button issues due to fear of retribution. Summit Ministries, in conjunction with McLaughlin & Associates, conducted a poll of 1,000 general election voters between April 22-26 and asked respondents for their views on LGBT issues, specifically the debate about body mutilation surgeries for minors and teaching matters related to sexual orientation and gender identity to young children. One question asked participants to share their personal opinions about transgenderism, specifically whether they believe it is a healthy human condition that should be celebrated or do not believe it is a healthy human condition. Those who selected the latter option had the opportunity to clarify whether they stay silent on the issue to not offend others or are willing to say so. A majority of respondents (56%) indicated that they do not believe transgenderism is a healthy human condition. Twenty-seven percent hold that view and are willing to share it in public, while 29% elect to remain silent about their true beliefs on the issue. Thirty-two percent of Americans characterized transgenderism as a healthy condition. The differing responses to that question reflect the partisan divide among demographic subgroups, with majorities of liberals (61%), those who approve of President Joe Bidens job performance (52%), Democrats (51%) and those who plan on voting for Democrats in the upcoming congressional elections (51%) viewing transgenderism as healthy, and pluralities or majorities of all other subgroups seeing it as not healthy. An overwhelming majority of those surveyed (78%) told pollsters that minors suffering from gender confusion should be required to wait until they are legal adults before undergoing life-altering surgeries, such as removing breast tissue and genital mutilation, including removing one's testicles (an orchidectomy) or severing the penis to create a cavity (a vaginoplasty). By contrast, 9% said gender-confused children should be encouraged to undergo permanent gender alteration. Majorities of all subgroups agreed that children should have to wait until adulthood before they undergo elective, life-changing elective operations. Requiring medical professionals performing gender-altering procedures to disclose the common, long-term medical and psychological impact of such procedures received an even higher level of support among all demographic groups. Eighty-one percent of respondents supported requiring the disclosure of side effects associated with body mutilation surgeries, while 9% opposed the idea. The questions about body mutilation surgeries for minors come as some states, including Arizona and Arkansas, have banned the procedures for children due to concerns about their longterm effects. As Florida continues to face pushback from LGBT activists for enacting a law prohibiting school officials from engaging in discussions about sexual orientation and gender identity with students in kindergarten through third grade, the poll demonstrated opposition to such discussions among the American public. When asked to weigh in on schools teaching about sexual identity and sexual behavior with elementary-age children, 38% of respondents described such instruction as inappropriate in a school setting, while an additional 28% said it was dangerous because it could lead to children being groomed for sexual encounters at a young age. Slightly more than one-fourth (26%) of participants thought such material was appropriate in a school setting. Liberals are the most likely demographic subgroup to view the discussion of sexual orientation and gender identity at school as appropriate (54%), followed by those who approve of President Joe Bidens job performance (47%), those planning on voting Democrat in the upcoming congressional elections (46%), Democrats (44%), those who supported Biden in the 2020 presidential election (43%), those residing in urban areas (32%) and African Americans (30%). Besides rural Americans, pluralities of all other subgroups believe that such instruction is inappropriate. A plurality of those living in rural areas (40%) think teaching children about sexual orientation and gender identity is dangerous. Another question asked whether it was possible to distinguish between men and women. An overwhelming majority of those surveyed (89%) answered in the affirmative, while 7% said no. A narrower majority of respondents (53%) disagreed with the idea that a persons biological sex and their gender are two separate things. Thirty-six percent of the sample agreed with the proposition that an individuals biological sex is different from their gender. Majorities of liberals (62%) planning on voting for Democrats in the upcoming election, those who voted for Biden in the 2020 presidential election (53%), Democrats (52%), and those who approve of Bidens performance as president (52%), view biological sex and gender identity as distinct, while majorities of all other subgroups do not. A separate poll conducted by the American Principles Project of voters in battleground states from May 2-6 yielded similar findings. The poll surveyed 1,200 likely voters in Arizona, Georgia, Nevada, New Hampshire, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin, all states that have competitive U.S. Senate races this year. The survey found that 56% of respondents residing in battleground states supported laws banning minors from obtaining puberty blockers, cross-sex hormones and medicalized gender transition surgeries, while 31% opposed them. The American Principles Project poll also revealed that 60% of Americans living in battleground states supported laws banning school officials from discussing sexual orientation and gender identity with students in kindergarten through third grade, while 34% opposed such laws. 7 historic July 4th events in US history Today, Americans are celebrating Independence Day, a date known for being when the English colonies of North America declared their independence from the British Empire. The occasion is often celebrated with parades, fireworks, performances of the 1812 Overture by Tchaikovsky, barbecue and business sales, among other things. Although the Fourth of July is closely associated with the United States Declaration of Independence that was issued in 1776, other notable moments in American history in different years also fell on July 4. Here are seven notable American historical events that fell on the Fourth of July. They include the death of former presidents, the end of a significant American Civil War battle, and a milestone in space exploration. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Next Surrogate mother felt like a 'rented uterus' after cancer diagnosis, pressured to abort A California woman contracted by a gay couple to carry their baby said she felt like a "rented uterus" after the pair learned about the surrogate's cancer diagnosis and wanted her to have an abortion. A woman named Brit explained in an interview with Center for Bioethics and Culture Network President Jennifer Lahl posted to YouTube on Saturday that she received a breast cancer diagnosis in May when she was 24 weeks pregnant with the couple's baby. The mother of four served as a surrogate before and decided to act as a surrogate a second time because there were no issues with her first surrogacy experience. Appearing alongside her sister Courtney for the interview, Brit said that her doctor discovered a lump on her breast during an appointment. The biopsy results came back positive for breast cancer the following week. "So, she sent me, obviously, to oncology, and we kind of started that process of registering that I have cancer while pregnant," she said. "I made it very clear to my OB, my oncology team, and the agency that my main focus was making sure that I can continue the pregnancy and that the baby would be OK." At the time, Brit's oncology team confirmed that it would be safe for her to continue the pregnancy if she underwent certain chemotherapy treatments. However, there were some drugs the doctors could not provide Brit until after the delivery. When asked if she told the fathers about the diagnosis, Brit said that she contacted her surrogacy agency, which then informed the couple that she had cancer. Brit remembered that the two dads were "scared, worried" and wanted updates from Brit's doctors. She claims they insisted that her oncology team speak with them on a weekly basis, which she found "intrusive." Despite promising to relay information to them as she learned more about her condition, the gay couple continued contacting the medical team and "threatening lawsuits" against various people involved, including her oncology team. The pressure "spooked" Brit's oncology team, who told her that they would seek legal help because they were unsure if they could offer the woman chemotherapy without permission from the dads. "I felt like just a rented uterus," she said. "I felt like they only cared about their baby, which I expect them to care about their baby. I obviously cared because I didn't want anything to happen to the baby either. But they didn't care. I felt like they didn't care about me at all." An MRI eventually revealed that the cancer had spread, and the option of undergoing chemotherapy that wouldn't harm the pregnancy was no longer available. The gay couple rejected the option of delivering the pregnancy early, according to Brit, as they wanted the baby aborted instead. Lahl asked Brit why, and she explained that the fathers had heard that even a baby born at 34 weeks may have disabilities or "no chance at life." Brit countered this view by noting that she had previously had twins at 34 weeks who are now "incredibly healthy" at toddlers. Brit found the dads' insistence that their child had no chance "mind-boggling," with the fathers rejecting the idea of allowing someone else to raise the baby through adoption, as they didn't want "their DNA out there." "They wanted nothing," Brit said. "They just wanted their baby's remains and to move on with life. Which I would never have chosen." The young woman found a hospital that would induce labor early, giving birth on Father's Day at 25 weeks. The baby died shortly after the delivery, and the two men opted to have the child cremated. Brit is still undergoing cancer treatment. In an op-ed published last week, Lahl highlighted the case as an example of the issues surrounding surrogacy and the commercialization of pregnancy. "We see competing interests in medical care between the mother and the baby being directed by the purchasing parents and not the physician," Lahl wrote. "The mother wanted to try and deliver early in hopes of saving the baby and being allowed to start her cancer treatment in hopes of saving her life." "But California law recognizes the contracting intended parents in surrogacy arrangements as the legal parents," she continued. "They alone can make decisions around the care of the baby. In this case, refusing care." "The rights of the mother to direct her own care are undermined, not even allowing her to advocate for her own needs and the needs of the baby she's about to deliver." In April, it was reported that 68-year-old Spanish actress Ana Obregon hired an American surrogate to give birth to her granddaughter following the death of her son to cancer. "This girl is not my daughter, but my granddaughter," she said, according to a translation from Today. "She is the daughter of Aless, and when she grows up, I will tell her that her father was a hero so that she knows who she is and how proud she has to be of him." "I don't think there is anyone in the world when they see this beautiful girl who was so desired by her father from Heaven and by me on earth and by all those who love me will not think the same way. It is something that only fathers or mothers who have lost a child will perfectly understand." A search is under way on a hill in Geoje to locate the body of a baby boy, who was allegedly murdered and buried by his mother, in this July 3 photo provided by the police. Yonhap The National Police Agency is investigating 193 cases of babies not registered at birth, officials said Tuesday, amid a string of child abuse cases involving such undocumented babies, including the shocking discovery of two dead newborns being kept in a refrigerator. Police have been expanding its probe into cases of "ghost babies" who have medical records of birth but no official birth registration, as the government launched a nationwide campaign to check the well-being of more than 2,000 unregistered babies. The campaign came after a mother was apprehended last month on charges of strangling her two newborns, in 2018 and 2019, respectively, and secretly keeping their bodies in a refrigerator in her apartment in Suwon, 30 kilometers south of Seoul. Officials said the police agency has received 209 ghost baby cases so far, and 193 of them are currently under investigation. Of them, 20 have been located, and an investigation is under way to locate 178 others, they said. Eleven of them have been confirmed dead, seven without any foul play. The remaining four cases are under investigation for suspected crimes. Of the 20 children whose whereabouts have been located, nine were alive and found to be properly cared for, resulting in their cases being dismissed, officials said. (Yonhap) This July 5, 2021 file photo shows Rep. Park Wan-joo at a meeting of the party's Supreme Council at the National Assembly in Seoul. Korea Times file Rep. Park Wan-joo, an independent lawmaker expelled from the main opposition Democratic Party of Korea (DPK), was indicted without detention on Tuesday on sexual harassment and other charges, prosecutors said. The Seoul Southern District Prosecutors Office charged Park with sexually abusing a female assistant in December 2021 and causing her to sustain post-traumatic stress disorder and other injuries. Park was also charged with abuse of power for giving disadvantages in personnel management to the victim in April last year and with defamation for disclosing information on the sexual harassment case. Park was expelled from the DPK in May last year after the victim lodged a formal criminal complaint against him. Police then began an investigation into Park on suspicion of sexually harassing the victim and attempting to dismiss her by submitting a forged letter of resignation to the National Assembly. Prosecutors have excluded the private document forgery charge from Park's indictment due to lack of evidence. (Yonhap) Police search for the body of an infant, Tuesday, who was allegedly murdered by his mother five days after birth and buried next to a stream in Geoje City, South Gyeongsang Province, based on the mother's confession during police questioning. Yonhap By Lee Hae-rin Out of 209 reported cases of "ghost babies," 193 are now under investigation, police said, Tuesday, raising concerns that there could be more cases of undocumented newborns caused due to a loophole in the country's childbirth management system. The term "ghost baby" refers to an infant who has a birth record but remains officially unregistered. Police confirmed the whereabouts of 20 unregistered newborns and are continuing to investigate the remaining 177. Twelve of the newborns, including two who were found to have been murdered by their mother and stored in a refrigerator in Suwon, Gyeonggi Province last month, were all confirmed dead. The Gyeonggi Nambu Provincial Police Agency is now investigating four of the twelve. Five were confirmed to have died in hospital, while the mother of the two victims of the Suwon murder case was sent to the prosecution, Friday. The mother in the Suwon murder case has been charged with strangling her two babies to death one in November 2018 and the other in November 2019 just one day after they were born at their respective hospitals. During police questioning, she confessed to killing her children citing poverty as the cause as she was already raising three other children at the time. Her husband told police he believed her when she told him she had had an abortion. Meanwhile, another unregistered baby was found dead, secretly buried in the southern coastal city of Busan, Tuesday, the latest in a string of undocumented "ghost baby" abuse cases. According to Busan Metropolitan Police, the baby's mother said, during police questioning, that the baby was born in February 2015 but died, and she had abandoned the body on a hill near her home in Busan. It was unclear why the newborn died and when. Last month, the Board of Audit and Inspection (BAI) discovered 2,236 out of some 2.6 million babies born between 2015 and 2022 here were unregistered. It remains yet unknown whether they are alive or dead. In response, the Ministry of Health and Welfare is conducting a total inspection in cooperation with the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency and local governments to figure out their whereabouts. Last month's Suwon murder case revealed loopholes in the country's newborn management system, which relies solely on parents to register a child's birth. The Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency also announced, Tuesday, that 38 ghost baby cases are under investigation in Seoul alone. The health ministry has been pushing for a new system, which will obligate medical institutions to notify local governments of a child's birth. But the attempt has faced opposition from the medical community citing increased administrative paperwork and concerns that pregnant women could give birth at unregistered medical facilities. A revision bill on the Family Relation Registration Act, aimed at introducing the new system, is currently pending at the National Assembly. Yoon Seung-young, center, head of the Investigation Bureau under the Korean National Police Agency, speaks during a press conference at Sejong Government Complex, Monday. Yonhap By Ko Dong-hwan Police began investigating a cram school teacher and possible accomplices, Tuesday, for allegedly leaking questions that were to be kept confidential until this year's College Scholastic Ability Test (CSAT). The Korean National Police Agency (KNPA) assigned two related cases to the Special Investigation Division, which specializes in major crimes committed by high-ranking officials or involve large sums of money. The cases were originally filed by the Ministry of Education, which said a certain cram school instructor leaked confidential questions to students after telling them he had met insiders linked to this year's CSAT. The police did not reveal the instructor's identity. The police said they will look into whether the instructor actually leaked the questions and, if so, whether money was received in exchange. The instructor could face charges of meddling in the affairs of the Korea Institute for Curriculum and Evaluation and violating Korea's Improper Solicitation and Graft Act. The CSAT and cram schools that teach students how pass the notoriously difficult test became a national issue after President Yoon Suk Yeol criticized previous exams for containing extremely difficult questions most test-sitters could not solve on their own. Yoon said last month that the exams from now on should eliminate the so-called "killer questions" to be fairer for students who cannot attend expensive cram schools. The remarks generated shockwaves through the National Assembly as well as schools across the country, raising speculation over the difficulty level of this year's CSAT. Yoon's remarks dealt a blow to the country's huge, lucrative private education market, where some A-list instructors earn tens of billions of won a year by teaching students how to solve killer questions. The ruling People Power Party lawmakers welcomed the president's remarks. Rep. Lee Tae-kyu from the National Assembly's Education Committee said omitting killer questions from future CSATs can increase the role of public education and encourage parents to spend less money on cram schools. Together with soaring home prices, the president singled out private crammers as the biggest causes of the exorbitant costs of raising children in Korea, deterring young people from having kids. Rep. Kim Young-ho from the main opposition Democratic Party of Korea and from the same committee, however, criticized Yoon for making the remarks that must have confounded this year's CSAT takers. With just less than five months left until the exam, changes in the questions might confuse the students who have been preparing for this year's test, he said. Termeni de Referinta (servicii de consultanta selectarea firmelor). Consultanta nationala pentru servicii de printare/editare a suporturilor didactice pentru cadre didactice si parintii cu copii mici refugiati din Ucraina This content has been supplied by a commercial partner. Two months after the release of OpenAIs ChatGPT, it reached 100 million monthly active users, making it the fastest-growing consumer application in history. However, some countries have since banned its usage and others are in process of restricting its use. Artificial intelligence (AI) has become much more prominent in technology solutions, but, similar to the industrial revolution, the AI revolution has both positive and adverse societal implications, and charities may be concerned about what this means for their investments. In the recent past, big tech companies have been slashing personnel from teams dedicated to evaluating ethical issues around deploying AI, which may lead to concerns about the safety of the new technology as it becomes widely adopted across consumer products. We have outlined some of the key areas of risk that our responsible investment team believes are important to consider while evaluating AI adoption and should be addressed by companies while advancing AI. Unemployment Like many revolutionary technologies before it, AI is likely to eliminate some job categories. Many professions face significant risk of job loss, with the most at-risk professions including telemarketers and a variety of post-secondary teachers. McKinsey estimates AI automation will displace between 400 and 800 million jobs, requiring as many as 375 million people to switch job categories. The good news is that worker displacement from automation has historically been offset by the creation of new jobs. The emergence of new occupations following technological innovation accounts for most of the long-run employment growth. The combination of significant labour cost savings, new job creation and higher productivity for non-displaced workers raises the possibility of a productivity boom that increases economic growth substantially, although the timing of such a boom is hard to predict. Bias Generative AI models can perpetuate and even amplify existing biases in the data used to train them. For example, a model trained on a biased dataset of news articles might generate text that reflects those biases. In addition to this, if the people training the algorithm do not represent a range of diverse backgrounds, they may not be able to account for certain biases or experiences that are relevant to environmental, social and governance (ESG) issues. This could perpetuate harmful stereotypes and discrimination. Misinformation Hallucination is a big risk arising from misinformation (i.e. the potential to generate an incorrect answer with confidence). This could create deepfakes or other manipulated content, which can be used to spread misinformation or cause harm. Generative AI employs machine-learning techniques to generate new information, so training models on publicly available information may amplify the misinformation. Safety concerns/accountability We have already seen examples of autonomous machines. With AI tools embedded in them, which is expected to become more common, there remains much ambiguity about liability and accountability in decision making. With AI, the health-care industry should get a good boost from autonomous AI-powered diagnostic tools, but if bad actors can combine AI technology with synthetic biology, serious problems could ensue. Bad actors, for example, may be able to synthesise viruses through AI systems that were previously unfeasible for individuals and could lead to a very dangerous pandemicin theory. Automation could also be extended to weapons. For instance, a weapon could independently identify and engage targets based on programmed constraints and descriptions. Data privacy and cyber security Malware, phishing and identity-based ransomware attacks are examples of harmful instruments that can empower bad actors. In general, these threats could have broad-based implications for cybersecurity, particularly for email security, identity security and threat detection. Generative AI models can be used to create realistic synthetic data, raising concerns about the protection of individuals privacy. The data collected for AI technologies are meant to train models for a good purpose but can be used in ways that violate the privacy of the data owners. Implications for charity investors In our last blog, we discussed the disruptive potential of AI. If AI does turn out to be as transformative as it appears it will be, it has the potential to do so for both virtuous and, unfortunately, nefarious reasons. But technology has always been accompanied by a fear of the unknown. Although AI could open up a number of investment opportunities, these ethical issues may also represent a reputational risk for charities, and they could additionally have direct impacts on the way charities operate. For example, a rise in unemployment could lead to increased pressure on charities resources and, given that charities are particularly vulnerable to cybersecurity threats, AI could make threats more sophisticated and harder to identify. While we do not yet know how the AI revolution will unfold, charities may want to consider how the risks, as well as the opportunities, are considered in their investment portfolios. At Newton our responsible investment team works closely with our analysts and portfolio managers to help identify risks such as these. For a theme as disruptive as AI, we keep a close eye on these potential issues which could become material to the investments we make. In addition, our active investment approach allows us to discuss these risks with companies, where relevant. Alison El-Araby is portfolio manager, and Janice Kim is associate portfolio manager at Newton CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Two Cleveland men have been arrested, accused of firing multiple rounds at a car occupied by three passengers in the citys Old Brooklyn neighborhood. Joshua Gillespie, 25, was arraigned on Saturday in Cleveland Municipal Court on felonious assault charges and issued a $75,000 bond for allegations of his role in the June 18 shooting. On Friday, Ronald Molnar 35, was indicted for attempted murder and other charges in Cuyahoga Common Pleas Court. His bond was set at $100,000. He is on parole after serving a year-and-a-half prison sentence on domestic violence charges, according to state records. Gillespie does not yet have a lawyer. Molnars attorney, appointed just days ago, said he needed to review evidence and consult with his client. In the early morning hours of June 18, Molnar and Gillespie filed several shots at the Chevrolet Captiva near the corner of West 41st Street and Woburn Avenue, shattering the drivers side front window, and striking two tires and a taillight, authorities say. The motorist told responding officers that he arrived to the area with a friend to pick up a female acquaintance. After the woman entered the backseat of the car, a man the motorist recognized as Ronny emerged from around the corner and began firing, according to a police report. No serious injuries were reported in the surprise attack, though the woman told her fellow passengers shed been struck but was not bleeding, police reported. She asked to be dropped off at a relatives home after the incident, and police have not been able to find her. KENT, Ohio - Here are the Kent restaurants and retailers cited with the most food inspection violations during the 2022-2023 inspection year ending Feb. 28, according to state records. The inspections were conducted by the Kent health department. More than 200 Kent restaurants and food places were cited during the most recent inspection year. But half of them received less than 10 citations. The places listed below are the 19 with the most violations, with the top spot being cited with 170 violations. This is the eighth in a 2023 series of stories highlighting food inspection violations on cleveland.com. Earlier, cleveland.com reported which businesses that serve food had the most frequent food inspection violations in Cleveland, Akron, suburban Cuyahoga County, suburban Summit County, Lake County, Lorain County and Medina County. To see previous inspection years, visit 2021-2022, 2018-2019, 2017-2018, 2016-17, and 2015-16. The annual reporting was paused during the pandemic. Some violations are minor. Some can be disturbing. Many problems are fixed at the time of the inspection. Health inspectors cannot impose fines, but health departments can suspend or revoke operating licenses. The most crucial violations identified as critical are those that may immediately lead to a foodborne illness, state health officials say. To learn how this list was put together, please visit this link. Cleveland Bagel Cafe has one of the highest health inspector violation counts in Kent.Zachary Smith, Cleveland.com No. 17 (tie) - 20 violations - Cleveland Bagel Cafe Cleveland Bagel Cafe, 436 E. Main St., had 20 food inspection violations during the inspection year from March 2022 through February 2023, state records show. Sept. 29, 2022 - 11 violations, including 1 critical. Feb. 23, 2023 - 9 violations, including 0 critical. Rebel has one of the highest health inspector violation counts in Kent.Zachary Smith, Cleveland.com No. 17 (tie) - 20 violations - Rebel 909 Rebel 909, 1295 W. Main St., had 20 food inspection violations during the inspection year from March 2022 through February 2023, state records show. Apr. 8, 2022 - 11 violations, including 0 critical. Dec. 12, 2022 - 9 violations, including 3 critical. Walls Elementary has one of the highest health inspector violation counts in Kent.Zachary Smith, Cleveland.com No. 17 (tie) - 20 violations - Walls Elementary School Walls Elementary School, 900 Doramor St., had 20 food inspection violations during the inspection year from March 2022 through February 2023, state records show. Apr. 27, 2022 - 11 violations, including 1 critical. Jan. 11, 2023 - 9 violations, including 0 critical. No. 16 - 21 violations - Little City Grill Little City Grill, 802 N. Manuta St., had 21 food inspection violations during the inspection year from March 2022 through February 2023, state records show. (This location is now closed.) Oct. 6, 2022 - 11 violations, including 1 critical. Feb. 9, 2022 - 10 violations, including 0 critical. Tree City Coffee & Pastry in KentZachary Smith, Cleveland.com No. 1 5 - 22 violations - Tree City Coffee & Pastry Tree City Coffee & Pastry, 135 E. Erie St., had 22 food inspection violations during the inspection year from March 2022 through February 2023, state records show. Apr. 21, 2022 - 2 violations, including 0 critical. Oct. 24, 2022 - 11 violations, including 1 critical. Feb. 23, 2023 - 9 violations, including 1 critical. Wild Goats Cafe in KentZachary Smith, Cleveland.com No. 13 (tie) - 26 violations - Wild Goats Cafe Wild Goat Cafe, 319 W. Main St., had 26 food inspection violations during the inspection year from March 2022 through February 2023, state records show. Mar. 18, 2022 - 3 violations, including 0 critical. Aug. 16, 2022 - 14 violations, including 1 critical. Dec. 6, 2022 - 9 violations, including 1 critical. Kent Health Center in KentZachary Smith, Cleveland.com No. 13 (tie) - 26 violations - Kent Health Center Kent Health Center, 1290 Fairchild Ave., had 26 food inspection violations during the inspection year from March 2022 through February 2023, state records show. Mar. 2, 2022 - 8 violations, including 1 critical. Jan. 5, 2023 - 12 violations, including 4 critical. Jan. 12, 2023 - 4 violations, including 1 critical. Feb. 22, 2023 - 2 violations, including 1 critical. Kent Frames has one of the highest health inspector violation counts in Kent.Zachary Smith, Cleveland.com No. 11 (tie) - 31 violations - Kent Lanes Kent Lanes, 1524 S. Water St., had 31 food inspection violations during the inspection year from March 2022 through February 2023, state records show. Apr. 19, 2022 - 15 violations, including 1 critical. Apr. 29, 2022 - 8 violations, including 1 critical. Feb. 6, 2023 - 8 violations, including 0 critical. Penn Station on North Willow Street has one of the highest health inspector violation counts in Kent.Zachary Smith, Cleveland.com No. 11 (tie) - 31 violations - Penn Station Penn Station, 115 N. Willow St., had 31 food inspection violations during the inspection year from March 2022 through February 2023, state records show. Mar. 4, 2022 - 25 violations, including 6 critical. Feb. 24, 2023 - 6 violations, including 1 critical. Flash's Fried Chicken has one of the highest health inspector violation counts in Kent.Zachary Smith, Cleveland.com No. 10 - 34 violations - Flashs Fried Chicken Flashs Fried Chicken, 164 Cherry St., had 34 food inspection violations during the inspection year from March 2022 through February 2023, state records show. Apr. 4, 2022 - 18 violations, including 5 critical. Apr. 8, 2022 - 7 violations, including 0 critical. Dec. 21, 2022 - 3 violations, including 1 critical. Feb. 15, 2023 - 6 violations, including 2 critical. Twisted Meltz in KentZachary Smith, Cleveland.com No. 8 (tie) - 36 violations - Twisted Meltz Twisted Meltz, 164 E. Main St., had 36 food inspection violations during the inspection year from March 2022 through February 2023, state records show. Apr. 12, 2022 - 30 violations, including 8 critical. Apr. 15, 2022 - 6 violations, including 0 critical. Guido's Pizza, Chicken & Catering has one of the highest health inspector violation counts in Kent.Zachary Smith, Cleveland.com No. 8 (tie) - 36 violations - Original Guidos Pizza & Catering Original Guidos Pizza & Catering, 1176 W. Main St., had 36 food inspection violations during the inspection year from March 2022 through February 2023, state records show. Oct. 26, 2022 - 16 violations, including 4 critical. Nov. 2, 2022 - 4 violations, including 0 critical. Feb. 8, 2023 - 16 violations, including 2 critical. Pho King in KentZachary Smith, Cleveland.com No. 7 - 41 violations - Pho King Pho King, 1627 E. Main St., had 41 food inspection violations during the inspection year from March 2022 through February 2023, state records show. Apr. 6, 2022 - 19 violations, including 6 critical. Apr. 8, 2022 - 5 violations, including 0 critical. Feb. 15, 2023 - 13 violations, including 5 critical. Feb. 20, 2023 - 4 violations, including 0 critical. No. 6 - 42 violations - La Casa Del Tacos La Casa Del Tacos, 911 E. Main St., had 42 food inspection violations during the inspection year from March 2022 through February 2023, state records show. (This location is now closed.) Mar. 25, 2022 - 27 violations, including 5 critical. Apr. 8, 2022 - 15 violations, including 1 critical. Szechuan Gourmet in KentZachary Smith, Cleveland.com No. 5 - 54 violations - China City China City, 156 Cherry St., had 54 food inspection violations during the inspection year from March 2022 through February 2023, state records show. Aug. 25, 2022 - 25 violations, including 5 critical. Sept. 9, 2022 - 14 violations, including 2 critical. Sept. 16, 2022 - 4 violations, including 0 critical. Oct. 14, 2022 - 5 violations, including 1 critical. Feb. 28, 2023 - 6 violations, including 1 critical. Bricco has one of the highest health inspector violation counts in Kent.Zachary Smith, Cleveland.com No. 4 - 63 violations - Bricco Bricco, 210 S. Depeyster St., had 63 food inspection violations during the inspection year from March 2022 through February 2023, state records show. May 9, 2022 - 18 violations, including 3 critical. May 16, 2022 - 5 violations, including 0 critical. Sept. 15, 2022 - 30 violations, including 8 critical. Sept. 23, 2022 - 10 violations, including 1 critical. No. 3 - 74 violations - Tahini MC in KSU Student Center Tahini MC in KSU Student Center, 1075 Risman Drive, had 74 food inspection violations during the inspection year from March 2022 through February 2023, state records show. Sept. 30, 2022 - 18 violations, including 4 critical. Oct. 13, 2022 - 18 violations, including 4 critical. Oct. 17, 2022 - 21 violations, including 2 critical. Oct. 24, 2022 - 10 violations, including 0 critical. Feb. 7, 2023 - 7 violations, including 0 critical. Pacific East in KentZachary Smith, Cleveland.com No. 2 - 155 violations - Pacific East Pacific East, 100 E. Main St., had 155 food inspection violations during the inspection year from March 2022 through February 2023, state records show. Apr. 27, 2022 - 53 violations, including 19 critical. May 10, 2022 - 25 violations, including 8 critical. June 7, 2022 - 10 violations, including 3 critical. Jan. 31, 2023 - 26 violations, including 6 critical. Feb. 9, 2023 - 25 violations, including 6 critical. Feb. 16, 2023 - 8 violations, including 0 critical. Feb. 21, 2023 - 8 violations, including 2 critical. Safeway Food Store has one of the highest health inspector violation counts in Kent.Zachary Smith, Cleveland.com No. 1 - 170 violations - Safeway Food Store Safeway Food Store, 1340 Fairchild, had 170 food inspection violations during the inspection year from March 2022 through February 2023, state records show. Apr. 12, 2022 - 11 violations, including 0 critical. Sept. 12, 2022 - 10 violations, including 0 critical. Oct. 4, 2022 - 37 violations, including 2 critical. Nov. 4, 2022 - 37 violations, including 3 critical. Dec. 5, 2022 - 37 violations, including 3 critical. Jan. 5, 2023 - 26 violations, including 1 critical. Feb. 6, 2023 - 12 violations, including 0 critical. Zachary Smith is the data reporter for cleveland.com and The Plain Dealer. See previous stories at this link. CLEVELAND, Ohio Panamerican Foods - a distributor-importer in Kearny, New Jersey has recalled about 4,978 pounds of pork and beef bean stew products imported from Brazil, according to the USDAs Food Safety and Inspection Service. The items, which were imported from a Brazilian establishment not eligible to export meat products to the United States, were found in a retail store. The problem was discovered when FSIS followed up on a referral from USDAs Smuggling Interdiction and Trade Compliance Program. The recalled products are 430-gram cans containing Anglo Feijoada Pronta para servir as well as Bordon Feijoada Pronto Para Servir. Cans subject to recall bear 76 S.I.F. Feijoada is Portuguese, meaning a stew of beans with beef and pork. The items were shipped to retail locations nationwide. Consumers who have purchased these products are urged to throw them away or return them to the place of purchase. Related coverage: Ohio-shipped sausage products recalled More info Contact Carlos Albarracin, president of Panamerican Foods, via email at carlospanamerican@aol.com or call 917-544-8237. For details on recalls and food-safety questions, call the USDA meat and poultry hotline, 888-674-6854 or chat via Ask USDA 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. weekdays. Consumers can email questions to MPHotline@usda.gov. For those who need to report a problem with a meat, poultry or egg product, the electronic consumer-complaint monitoring system is online. Recalls are posted online. I am on cleveland.coms life and culture team and cover food, beer, wine and sports-related topics. If you want to see my stories, heres a directory on cleveland.com. Bill Wills of WTAM-1100 and I talk food and drink usually at 8:20 a.m. Thursday morning. Twitter: @mbona30. Get a jumpstart on the weekend and sign up for Cleveland.coms weekly In the CLE email newsletter, your essential guide to the top things to do in Greater Cleveland. It will arrive in your inbox on Friday mornings - an exclusive to-do list, focusing on the best of the weekend fun. Restaurants, music, movies, performing arts, family fun and more. Just click here to subscribe. All cleveland.com newsletters are free. Like cool local food + drinks photos and videos? Follow @DineDrinkCLE on Instagram. Rotunda Rumblings Terms and conditions: The State Medical Board of Ohio is looking at adding irritable bowel syndrome to the list of conditions for which people can legally obtain medical marijuana. A five-member committee of medical board members recommended that the full board allow IBS, but it decided against adding obsessive-compulsive disorder and autism. The board has been conservative about adding conditions, which may motivate some Ohioans to vote for recreational marijuana if it qualifies for the ballot in November, Laura Hancock reports. Jackpot: Ohios casinos and racinos had $196 million in gambling revenue in May, about a 3% drop compared to this month last year. Sean McDonnell reports that the same 11 casinos and racinos brought in a combined $202 million in May 2022. The record for the month was set in 2021, at $209 million, according to data from the Ohio Casino Control and Lottery commissions. This is the money kept by the gambling houses, after paying out winnings, but before state taxes and fees. Deadline day: Backers of the proposed Right to Reproductive Freedom state constitutional amendment are planning to submit what they describe as hundreds of boxes containing thousands of petition booklets to the Ohio Secretary of States Office on Wednesday. That is the deadline by which the campaign must submit roughly 413,000 valid voter signatures, including a minimum number from 44 of Ohios 88 counties, to the state to qualify for the November ballot. The group has said it believes it will have more than enough signatures. The proposed amendment would ask Ohio voters to guarantee abortion rights in the state constitution. Rec room: Also on Wednesday, the Coalition to Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol must turn in around 125,000 signatures of Ohio registered voters to get on the Nov. 7 ballot as an initiated statute. The campaign says it will submit about 220,000 signatures on Wednesday for the proposed law that would legalize recreational marijuana for those 21 and older. An initiated statute is different from a constitutional amendment. If it makes the ballot and voters approve, it would become state law, but it would not be written into the state constitution. Back at it: One Person One Vote, the campaign group opposing State Issue 1, has renewed their statewide ad buy for this coming week. The group is re-upping the $1.1 million it spent to air TV and radio ads from Tuesday through Monday, July 10, according to Scott Schweitzer, an Ohio GOP consultant who tracks political ad spending. Aloha from Hawaii: U.S. Housing and Urban Development Secretary Marcia Fudge, a former Congress member from Warrensville Heights, visited Hawaii to discuss its lack of affordable housing, KHON2 TV reports. One of her first stops was a newly built apartment building in its Ala Moana area, reserved for people who earn between 30% and 60% of the average median income. Its rent for a one-bedroom apartment is $650. She said at least $13 million in HUD money went into the building of the property. Blurred lines: GOP U.S. Rep. Max Miller projected confidence on Monday about his chances in 2024 amid renewed uncertainty of what Ohios congressional lines might look like. Anywhere I run in Ohio I will have something none of these other candidates have: the total and complete endorsement of President Donald J. Trump. Bring it, Miller wrote in a Twitter post that was retweeted by a Trump campaign spokesman. Ohios redistricting process got somewhat more wide open on Friday after the U.S. Supreme Court kicked a congressional redistricting case back to the Ohio Supreme Court. If the result is a congressional map that looks like one the Ohio Supreme Court rejected in January 2022, Miller would see much of his current, safe GOP district redrawn into a Democratic-leaning swing district with Rep. Emilia Sykess hometown of Akron. But that map also includes a safe Republican district anchored by Stark County that could entice Miller or other potential candidates. RIP: Barry Sheets, a lobbyist who pushed for the Heartbeat six-week abortion ban and other high-profile pieces of socially conservative legislation in Ohio for decades, died on Sunday following a battle with cancer, according to Citizens for Christian Virtue, the conservative evangelical lobbying group. Holiday hiatus: Capitol Letter will be taking a short break for the Independence Day holiday. Well be back in your inbox on Thursday. Full Disclosure Five things we learned from the May 15, 2023, financial disclosure of state Sen. Kirk Schuring, a Stark County Republican. 1. He earns income as a lawmaker and from social security 2. He disclosed investments in two retirement funds 3. He owes or owed at least $1,000 to 11 different people or companies during the year 4. He received gifts worth more than $75 from Ginni Regan, ex-Ohio House Speaker Cliff Rosenberger, Steve Coon, Bob Dehoff, and the RSCC 5. He didnt disclose any real estate ownership (candidates arent required to include their personal residences) Tick-Tock The countdown is on for the special election to decide State Issue 1, a state constitutional amendment that would make it harder to pass future amendments. Here are some key dates to remember. Voter registration deadline... 6 days (July 10) Start of early voting... 7 days (July 11) Election Day... 35 days (Aug. 8) Birthdays Ex-state Rep. Bernadine Kent Jennifer McGinnis, Ohio House floor coordinator Andrew Spencer, legislative aide to state Rep. Sara Carruthers State Rep. Dick Stein Ethan Allen Brown, 7th Ohio governor (1766-1852) Straight From The Source I will not be bullied by Virginia Ragan or any other liberal major donor who seeks to meddle in Ohio House primaries. Thats why I need your help. -Republican lawyer and state House candidate Scott Pullins, in a fundraising letter, referring to heiress and GOP megadonor Virginia Gini Ragan. Capitol Letter is a daily briefing providing succinct, timely information for those who care deeply about the decisions made by state government. Subscribe to get Capitol Letter in your email box each weekday for free. CLEVELAND, Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine early Tuesday morning signed into law Ohios fiscal year 2024-2025 operating budget, House Bill 33. The massive, two-year, $190.7 billion plan will cut income and business taxes, expand the states school voucher program and strip away most of the State Board of Educations power. The governor made 44 line-item vetoes to the bill. Among other things the vetoes: Block the proposed ban of local regulations on tobacco and alternative nicotine products. Flavored tobacco bans now exist in Columbus, Toledo and Bexley and would have been overturned. Ensure the taxation of vapor products stored by Ohio manufacturers, as is the case under current law. Allow the tax commissioner, the director of budget and management and the Ohio County Commissioners Association to determine the length of an expanded back-to-school sales tax holiday in 2024, rather than committing to two weeks as proposed (up from the traditional one-weekend holiday). Enforce vaccines required for enrollment or residence in university dorms at private colleges or state institutions of higher education. As proposed, the law would have permitted students to more easily decline vaccines. Remove qualifying language and administrative rules codified into DeWines January executive order banning TikTok and other Chinese apps from state networks and phones. Empower the Ohio State University Board of Trustees to make its own decision on whether to allow its student members to have voting authority. The bill would have prohibited student members from having voting rights. Block a proposed increase to the number of childcare programs exempt from Ohios Step Up To Quality rating requirement; DeWine says that children enrolled in the systems learning and development programs perform better on kindergarten and third grade assessments. DeWine has touted the budgets focus on jobs and economic development, education, mental health, nursing homecare, and various forms of aid for mothers and children. I am proud to sign this budget, and while it makes historic investments in Ohioans across their lives, I believe we are doing more to support and encourage Ohios children to lead happy, healthy, and productive lives than ever before, DeWine said in a press release issued after Tuesdays signing. The release from the the governors office also highlighted the voucher expansions, parental notification for social media, and cutting duplicative and outdated sections of Ohios administrative code. DeWine and Lt. Gov. Jon Husted will hold a news conference to discuss the budget on Wednesday afternoon. Former Democratic Party of Korea Chairman Lee Nak-yon, center, heads to the memorial altar at the May 18th National Cemetery in Gwangju, Sunday. Yonhap Former DPK leader yet to reveal plan to meet current party chief By Nam Hyun-woo Former Democratic Party of Korea Chairman Lee Nak-yon / Yonhap The main opposition Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) could see a possible clash between its two main heavyweights, Chairman Lee Jae-myung and former Chairman Lee Nak-yon, as the latter has been openly criticizing the current DPK leader, deepening divides within the party. The former chairman returned late last month after staying in the United States for over a year, following the DPK's defeat in the presidential election last year. As the former chairman's return is anticipated to stir the current chairman's control over the party, their tug-of-war is on the political radar because of its potential repercussions on the party in the lead-up to next year's general election. On Sunday, the former chairman visited the May 18th National Cemetery in Gwangju, as part of his bid to build his political momentum in his hometown of Gwangju, where Korea's liberal party enjoys huge support. "The DPK should renovate itself to regain public trust and serve its role," Lee said. "The people of this region seem to be disappointed about not only the conservative Yoon Suk Yeol government but also the DPK." Lee continued that the renovation should be about "recovering morality and democracy within the party." The remarks have been interpreted as criticisms of the cash-for-vote allegation involving the party's leadership, which is now under investigation. Following the scandal, the current party chairman set up a renewal committee, but ended up creating more issues after disagreement over who to select to lead the committee. The former chairman's reference to "democracy within the party" is also seen as his response to some extremist actions of fervent supporters of the current chairman. After the current chairman took over the party, some supporters branded the former chairman and members of a faction critical of the party leader as "the culprits" of the presidential election defeat, criticizing them via text message. The DPK's current leadership issued a tough response to the former chairman's remarks. A member of the DPK leadership told Newsis, "I want to ask if the former chairman has any intention of apologizing for the previous government's failed policies, in other words, the housing price policies." The former chairman was the prime minister from 2017 to 2020 under the Moon Jae-in administration. "It seems like the former chairman is downgrading himself as a factional leader who is seeking to secure candidacy for the general election, not a former prime minister," the official continued. "Rather than fighting against the current party leadership, it seems more appropriate for him to consider the Yoon Suk Yeol administration as the primary opponent." Former Democratic Party of Korea Chairman Lee Nak-yon, left, shakes hands with then-presidential candidate Lee Jae-myung at the party's headquarters in Seoul, March 10, 2022, a day after the latter's defeat in the presidential election. Korea Times photo by Oh Dae-keun First lady Kim Keon Hee, right, meets participants of the second "women entrepreneurs week" at The Shilla Seoul hotel, Tuesday. Courtesy of presidential office First lady Kim Keon Hee on Tuesday attended the opening ceremony of the second "women entrepreneurs week" aimed at celebrating the achievements of women in business, the presidential office said. The women entrepreneurs week was established by law in October 2021 to enhance the pride of women entrepreneurs and raise public awareness of businesses run by women. It is marked every year in the first week of July. During the ceremony held at The Shilla Seoul hotel, Kim congratulated women entrepreneurs who have demonstrated their worth and capabilities to lead the country's economic growth and changes of the times, while also encouraging young women and students set to become future women entrepreneurs, the presidential office said. The Korean Women Entrepreneurs Association appointed Kim an honorary mentor for the country's 2.95 million women entrepreneurs, with Kim being the first spouse of a president to have worked in business, and requested her interest and support for the growth and development of women-run businesses. Kim formerly served as CEO of Covana Contents, a cultural contents company. The participants expressed their gratitude to President Yoon Suk Yeol for actively promoting domestic businesses as a self-styled "No. 1 salesman of the Republic of Korea" and for campaigning to bring the 2030 World Expo to the southeastern city of Busan, according to the presidential office. They vowed to work together with the government to win the Expo bid, while cheering for the campaign together with Kim, using promotional Busan Expo key rings designed in part by the first lady and emblazoned with the words "Busan is ready" and "Hip Korea." (Yonhap) In this article ZE594-CN Follow your favorite stocks CREATE FREE ACCOUNT BYD Vice President Yang Dongsheng speaks at a launch event for the Denza N7 electric SUV on July 3, 2023, in Beijing. Bloomberg | Bloomberg | Getty Images watch now "Denza has really been under the radar for a few years but BYD is ready to show off its rejuvenated brand and the media blitz points to their confidence in the product and their desire to keep pressure on the incumbents," he said. During Monday's hour-plus launch event, BYD showed clips of local car media's positive reviews while doing test drives. A livestream of the event had nearly 2 million views on Weibo alone, the Chinese Twitter-like platform. That's far above the 200,000 views that a Nio car launch livestream drew in late 2021. In another page from Nio's playbook, the Denza N7 launch in Beijing was followed by a live music performance. Mercedes-Benz Group has a 10% stake in the Denza brand. Its prior electric model, the D9 multi-purpose vehicle, claims more than 10,000 sales a month since since March. That car is available in Thailand, and is set for release in Hong Kong, Macao and Europe, a brand representative said Monday, without sharing dates. Tech features From fast battery charging and in-house driving assist tech, to an array of in-car entertainment, the Denza N7 launch showed off features in stiff competition with what Nio, Tesla and other leading players in China's electric car market offer. "Denza N7 is the first luxury SUV to penetrate the market of BBA," a slide at the launch event read in English, referring to the trio of high-end German brands Benz, BMW and Audi. In an in-person presentation Monday, Denza's general manager of sales, Zhao Changjiang noted the N7's data privacy features like independent chip storage and the ability to turn off cameras. The Denza N7 also claimed to come with an augmented reality head-up display which uses AR tech to project information digitally over the road in front of the driver. Certain models include BYD's new shock absorption technology for smoother rides, which domestic rivals have yet to sell. Yang Dongsheng, vice president of BYD, touted driver-assist technology using Qualcomm chips and Nvidia Orin, which is commonly used in assisted driving systems. Orin isn't affected by the U.S. bans on Nvidia's sales of more advanced chips to China. The car cockpit also connect with the Android smartphone operating system, Yang said. For young people who are used to mobile phones, in-car connectivity systems are more attractive than driver-assist technology, Craig Zeng, CFO of online car information and shopping site Autohome, said in an interview last month. That's according to a CNBC translation of his Mandarin language remarks. At the time Zeng said he expected competition in China's new energy vehicle market would move into the 400,000 yuan to 500,000 yuan price range and above. The 100,000 yuan to 200,000 yuan price range has been the primary price range for cars in China, Zeng said. New energy vehicles include hybrid-powered cars. Electric car market grows Renphoto | E+ | Getty Images What homeowners and renters insurance likely cover The typical homeowners insurance policy has two coverage areas. One is for property: your home and the things in it. The second is for liability; this covers you if you're liable for injury or property damage to another person, perhaps a friend or neighbor harmed by an errant firework. The latter coverage is generally available anywhere your liability occurs in the U.S. A renters policy is similar but wouldn't cover the physical structure of the home only the things in it. Fireworks caused $59 million in direct property damage in 2021, according to the most recent data from the National Fire Protection Association. watch now Fireworks-related damage would most likely result from a fire started by the pyrotechnics, said Robert Passmore, vice president of personal lines at the American Property Casualty Insurance Association, a trade group. Fireworks started 12,264 reported fires in the U.S. in 2021, according to NFPA. Twenty-eight percent of fires during 2014-18 were reported on July 4. Homeowners policies generally cover fire damage, whether to the house, patio furniture or other property, Passmore said. Policies generally have deductibles; policyholders are often on the hook for the first $500 to $1,000 of damage. This is true whether the policyholder lights the fireworks or someone else, such as a neighbor or friend, does so, Passmore said. "It happens every year, and people need to be aware it can cause a lot of problems, particularly if they live in a wildfire-prone area," Passmore said of fires from fireworks. Policies may also cover other damage, such as a broken window from an errant projectile, he added. Fireworks-related injuries have also "increased significantly" in the past 15 years, with 10,200 fireworks-related injuries reported in 2022, NFPA said. Liability insurance may cover a policyholder if they're legally liable for such an injury, experts said. Illegal fireworks may not be covered However, as is often the case with insurance policies, there are exceptions. Insurance policies generally carry exclusions. The fine print outlines instances in which the insurer would not pay a claim. Insurers have been using exclusions more frequently, and the details vary from policy to policy, Kochenburger said. For one, a policy likely wouldn't cover intentional behavior, such as damage from purposefully firing a bottle rocket at someone's house, experts said. In rare instances, a policy may also explicitly exclude coverage for fireworks, experts said. You want to make sure the fireworks you're purchasing are legal in your state. Peter Kochenburger executive director of the insurance law program at the University of Connecticut Members of the Korea Disaster Relief Team disembark an aircraft after arriving in Ottawa, Canada, July 2, in this photo provided by Seoul's foreign ministry. Yonhap A Korean emergency firefighting team dispatched to Canada to help the North American nation deal with raging wildfires has arrived in Ottawa, Seoul's foreign ministry said Monday. The Korea Disaster Relief Team (KDRT) of 151 workers, including firefighters, emergency workers and medical personnel, arrived in the Canadian capital Sunday (local time) and was received by Mona Fortier, president of Canada's Treasury Board, Korean Ambassador Lim Woong-soon and others. Upon arrival, the team headed to Maniwaki, Quebec province, to receive training and undergo preparations ahead of their mission. The Korean team plans to begin supporting Canadian fire authorities for 30 days in Lebel-sur-Quevillon, Quebec province, on Tuesday. Korea decided to dispatch the team Thursday after holding an interagency meeting on assisting Canada with the fallout of wildfires that have affected some 8.2 million hectares of land across the country. Foreign Minister Park Jin expressed hopes that the dispatch of the team would serve as an opportunity for the two countries, which are celebrating the 60th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties, to take a leap forward beyond their cooperation in wildfire suppression. The dispatch marks KDRT's second overseas mission this year following its activities in helping Turkey deal with the aftermath of a massive earthquake in February. (Yonhap) In this article IBE-ES ENR-DE Follow your favorite stocks CREATE FREE ACCOUNT Hydrogen storage tanks in Spain in May 2022. Hydrogen has a diverse range of applications and can be deployed in a wide range of industries. Angel Garcia | Bloomberg | Getty Images The buzz around hydrogen has gotten increasingly loud in the past few years many see it as an important tool in reducing the environmental footprint of heavy industry and helping economies hit net-zero goals. The green hydrogen sector, which is centered on producing it using renewable sources of energy like wind and solar, has drawn particular interest and boasts some high-profile backers. They include German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, who in 2022 called it "one of the most important technologies for a climate-neutral world" and "the key to decarbonizing our economies." In the world of business, multinationals from Iberdrola to Siemens Energy are also looking to make plays in green hydrogen. But while there's a huge amount of excitement about the potential of hydrogen the International Energy Agency describes it as a "versatile energy carrier" there are also undoubted challenges. For a start, the vast majority of hydrogen production is still based on fossil fuels, not renewables a fact clearly at odds with net-zero goals. And when it comes to green hydrogen specifically, production costs are a significant issue, and will need to be reduced in the years ahead. Transporting hydrogen from production sites to users is another equally important factor to consider. "Hydrogen is pretty expensive to move," Murray Douglas, head of hydrogen research at Wood Mackenzie, told CNBC during an interview. "It's more difficult to move than natural gas ... technically, engineering wise it's just harder," he added. Douglas is not alone in highlighting some of the hurdles in delivering hydrogen. The U.S. Department of Energy, for instance, notes key challenges "include reducing cost, increasing energy efficiency, maintaining hydrogen purity, and minimizing hydrogen leakage." The DOE adds that more research is required to "analyze the trade-offs between the hydrogen production options and the hydrogen delivery options when considered together as a system." Location important In relation to the logistics surrounding green hydrogen in particular, one area that will need attention is the location of production facilities. Often, these are earmarked for areas where sources of renewable energy are abundant such as Australia, North Africa and the Middle East but many miles away from where the hydrogen will actually be used. Wood Mackenzie's Douglas referenced transportation options when reflecting on the investment horizon for the next 10 years. "You can obviously pipe it, but you probably need a dedicated pipeline," he said, noting that this would likely need to be a new build and close to end-users. The only other realistic option in this investment horizon, he said, relates to exporting the hydrogen as ammonia. "You produce the hydrogen, the green hydrogen, and then you would synthesize it into ammonia with nitrogen," he said. The shipping of ammonia was, Douglas noted, "a pretty established technology and industry there's already a bunch of receiving ports in place." This ammonia could then be sold directly to end users, such as fertilizer producers. An alternative option would be to "crack the ammonia back into hydrogen," although this would not be without its own issues. "As soon as you start 'cracking' back into hydrogen use, you start to incur some quite big energy losses," Douglas said. Efficient delivery system needed In a statement sent to CNBC, Jorgo Chatzimarkakis, the CEO of industry association Hydrogen Europe, was bullish about the prospects for green hydrogen. He said it would "become a global commodity," before stressing the importance of having "an efficient delivery system." Chatzimarkakis also highlighted the need for a certification program, because "green hydrogen needs to prove that it is sourced from renewable energy." Despite some clearly big obstacles, partnerships and programs related to the supply and distribution of green hydrogen are starting to take shape. Earlier this year, for example, Greenergy and Octopus Hydrogen the latter is part of the Octopus Energy Group announced they had started a "green hydrogen delivery partnership." Elsewhere, German firm Enertrag says it's been "operating a tanker and transport trailer to deliver large quantities of green hydrogen to customers" since 2021. And back in 2022, Madrid-headquartered energy firm Cepsa said it would work with the Port of Rotterdam to develop "the first green hydrogen corridor between southern and northern Europe." Sticking point In this August 2020 photograph, pro-democracy lawmakers Ted Hui (Centre L) and Lam Cheuk-ting (C) speak to the press outside the West Kowloon Magistrates Court after being granted bail following their arrest the day before in a police operation focused on last year's huge protests. Hong Kong Chief Executive John Lee vowed Tuesday to pursue eight pro-democracy activists "for life" after they were targeted with arrest warrants for alleged national security offences. "Endangering national security is a serious crime and the [Hong Kong] government will enforce the law strictly," Lee said in Cantonese at a press conference in Hong Kong, according to a CNBC translation. "The government will use all legal means, and to the best of our ability, hold these criminals endangering national security accountable," he added. "Even if these fugitives go to the ends of the Earth, the authorities will pursue these criminals for life." Lee said surrender is the only solution for them. "Otherwise, they will be pursued for life, worrying every day about being arrested and living in fear," he added. On Monday, Hong Kong police accused the eight overseas activists of offences under the national security law, including foreign collusion, subversion and incitement to succession. The controversial law was resisted for several years before it was imposed on Hong Kong in 2020 after protracted anti-China protests the year before. Visitors take photos in front of the Meta sign at its headquarters in Menlo Park, California, December 29, 2022. Meta Platforms on Tuesday lost its fight against a German data curb order that strikes at the heart of its business model as Europe's top court backed the German antitrust watchdog's power to also investigate privacy breaches. The ruling from the Luxembourg-based Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) potentially hand antitrust authorities more leeway in Big Tech probes. The case centred on a challenge by Meta after the German cartel office in 2019 ordered the social media giant to stop collecting users' data without their consent, calling the practice an abuse of market power. At issue was whether the German antitrust agency overstepped its authority by using its antitrust power to address data protection concerns, which are the remit of national data protection authorities. Meta harvests user data for behavioural advertising, a business model common to Big Tech. Meta, owner of Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp, challenged the finding, prompting a German court to seek advice from the CJEU. In response to the ruling a Meta spokesperson said: "We are evaluating the Court's decision and will have more to say in due course." The CJEU judges said regarding antitrust investigations that "it may be necessary for the competition authority of the member state concerned also to examine whether that undertaking's conduct complies with rules other than those relating to competition law. The CJEU, however, said antitrust regulators must "take into consideration any decision or investigation by the competent supervisory authority pursuant to that regulation". The German cartel office welcomed the ruling. "Data is a decisive factor in establishing market power. The use of the very personal data of consumers by the large internet companies can also be abusive under antitrust law," its head, Andreas Mundt, said. His counterpart at the French competition agency, Benoit Coeure, in a tweet called the ruling a landmark decision on data protection as a competition parameter. Thomas Graf, a partner at law firm Cleary Gottlieb, was more cautious on whether antitrust authorities would want to go into the details of privacy law. "You still need to explain why it is relevant for antitrust law and demonstrate restrictive effects and abuse, and they will need to coordinate with the GDPR authorities," he said. The EU's General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) is a privacy and security law that imposes obligations on organisations anywhere which target or collect data related to people in the EU. "Are antitrust authorities going to become GDPR regulators? I don't think so," Graf said. Privacy activist Max Schrems, who has filed complaints about Meta, said the judgment will have a positive impact on his pending litigation with the company. The case is C-252/21 Meta Platforms and others (User conditions for a social network). Head of the Wagner Group Yevgeny Prigozhin left the Southern Military District headquarters on June 24, 2023 in Rostov-on-Don, Russia. Wagner mercenary leader Yevgeny Prigozhin appears to have resurfaced on social media after being exiled to Belarus since his failed insurrection 11 days ago. A voice recording said to be of Prigozhin was posted on the Grey Zone Telegram page an account supportive of Russian mercenaries, with more than 500,000 subscribers. NBC News is unable to authenticate the audio message. "Today, more than ever, we need your support. Thank you for that," the voice said. "I want you to understand that our "March of Justice" was aimed at fighting traitors and mobilizing our society. And I think we have achieved a lot of it," it added. "In the near future, I am sure that you will see our next victories at the front. Thanks guys!" NBC's Moscow bureau said the voice does sound like Prigozhin's, but that he is speaking more slowly than usual. The mercenary leader has not been seen in public since the uprising 11 days ago. Karen Gilchrist Palestinians inspect shops burnt and destroyed by Israeli forces in the middle of the Jenin refugee camp, during the storming of the camp near the city of Jenin, in the northern occupied West Bank. Thousands of people were evacuated from the Jenin refugee camp as one of Israel's biggest military operations in years moved to a second day on Tuesday and a suspected car-ramming attack in Tel Aviv underlined the risk of a spillover in violence. The operation, which the army said was aimed at destroying infrastructure and weapons of militant groups in the camp, was launched with a drone strike in the early hours of Monday and continued all day, with hundreds of troops. At least 10 people have been killed, Palestinian officials said. After more than 24 hours of clashes of varying intensity, Israeli National Security Adviser Tzachi Hanebi said the operation was "close to completing the achievement of the goals set," but there was no specific indication of when it might end. A car-ramming and stabbing attack in Israel's economic hub Tel Aviv, in which six people were hurt, showed the risk that the impact of the operation could lead to a further escalation. An Israeli police spokesperson described the incident as terrorism. In Jenin, sporadic gunfire and explosions sounded near the refugee camp but parts of the city were quiet and life proceeded in relative normality. Late on Monday, the Palestinian Red Crescent said it had evacuated 500 families from the camp, or around 3,000 people, and UN agencies expressed alarm at scale of the air and ground operation. Jihad Hassan, 63, who fled the camp with his family after his son was wounded, said the drone strike had prompted him to leave. "You don't hear a sound, you just see the explosion," he said, as he waited with his son at the Jenin Government Hospital. "It is something, when a person is forced to leave their home," he said. Echoing Palestinian emergency services, the World Health Organization said first responders had been prevented from entering the camp to reach wounded people. An Israeli military spokesman said there had been no such order. "Ambulances have a free pass and we are also coordinating the entry of ambulances," he told reporters late on Monday. However power and water supplies remained cut off in the camp and in some areas of the city after bulldozers that ploughed up roads looking for improvised bombs cut power cables and a main water pipe. A Palestinian wounded during the clashes died overnight and another body was found in the morning, bringing the death toll to 10, with around 100 wounded, 20 of them critically, the Palestinian health ministry said. Another Palestinian was killed in Ramallah on Monday. The Islamic Jihad faction claimed four of the dead as its fighters. Hamas, another Islamist faction, claimed a fifth. The status of the others was unclear, although Israeli officials said as far as they were aware, no civilians had been killed. Problems at the hospital morgue, forced health services to transfer some bodies from Jenin to another hospital in nearby Qabatia, officials said. The flag of Thailand flies over Bangkok on May 13, 2023, on the eve of the general election. Lawmakers in Thailand on Tuesday endorsed a veteran politician and leader of a small party as the new speaker of the lower house, signaling a detente in a row between the two biggest players as they seek to form a new coalition government. The nomination of Wan Muhamad Noor Matha, 79, was widely seen as a compromise between alliance partners Move Forward and Pheu Thai, which have sparred for weeks over the speakership, a post crucial to the passage of bills and the timing of key legislative votes. Wan Noor represents the Prachachart Party, a junior member of an eight-party alliance dominated by Move Forward and Pheu Thai, which together won the lion's share of the seats in the May 14 election, thrashing conservative parties allied with the royalist military. A southerner and ethnic Malay Muslim in predominantly Buddhist Thailand, Wan Noor has served previously as house speaker and has close ties with Pheu Thai's leadership. He was the only nomination and his selection is pending royal approval. "I will conduct duties fairly ... with transparency in considering draft laws and petitions to improve the lives of all Thais," Wan Noor told the house. Among his first tasks will be to table a joint vote of the 750-member bicameral parliament on a prime minister to form the next government. The alliance, which has 312 seats, is backing Move Forward leader Pita Limjaroenrat. To become premier, a candidate needs 376 votes, or more than half. It is unclear what the alliance's next move will be if Pita fails. He needs 64 votes from rival parties or from members of a conservative-leaning Senate that has clashed with Move Forward over its anti-establishment agenda. Move Forward were the surprise election winners after mobilising massive youth support on social media behind ambitious plans to tackle business monopolies, keep the army out of politics and reduce the severity of punishments for insulting the powerful monarchy. Pita on Tuesday said Move Forward had "retreated" on its position having been assured by Wan Noor that its policies would be supported. The two deputy speaker positions will go to Move Forward and Pheu Thai. "This decision is not about me or the party, but the mission of restoring democracy," Pita said on Facebook. "In the uncertainty of Thai politics, principle is more important than the personality." Titipol Phakdeewanich, a political analyst at Ubon Ratchathani University, said Move Forward's relent on the speaker showed its path to office faced resistance because of its determination to pursue its liberal agenda. "The party is seen as an enemy by many of the conservatives," Titipol said, adding Pita's fate was in the hands of a military-appointed upper house. "What we do not know is whether Pheu Thai will switch sides if the initial vote for Pita fails." U.S. journalist Evan Gershkovich was arrested in Russia in March on espionage charges. U.S. Ambassador to Russia Lynne Tracy saw American journalist Evan Gershkovich on Monday, the second visit by Biden administration officials since the Wall Street Journal reporter was arrested in March. U.S. consular officials, including Tracy, were last able to see Gershkovich on April 17, about two weeks after Russian government officials arrested him. A Moscow court ruled last month that Gershkovich must remain in prison until Aug. 30. "Ambassador Tracy reports that Mr. Gershkovich is in good health and remains strong, despite his circumstances," a State Department spokesperson said. "U.S. Embassy officials will continue to provide all appropriate support to Mr. Gershkovich and his family, and we expect Russian authorities to provide continued consular access." The spokesperson called on Russia to release Gershkovich, reiterating that the charges are baseless. "We also call for the immediate release of Paul Whelan," the spokesperson added. "Mr. Whelan has been wrongfully detained in Russia for more than four years. Both men deserve to go home to their families now." Gershkovich, who is being held at Moscow's Lefortovo Prison, was first detained on March 30 on suspicion of "espionage in the interests of the American government," Russia's Federal Security Service said in a statement reported by Russian state media. Russian authorities have not offered any evidence to support the charges. Warner Bros' "Barbie" movie has been banned in Vietnam, according to the country's state media, after featuring a map which contained Beijing's unilaterally claimed territory in the South China Sea. The American live-action movie reportedly features a scene with a map showing the "nine-dash line." This is used on Chinese maps to illustrate its claims to large parts of the South China Sea. Vietnam is just one of many nations that contest those claims. The territory dispute was brought to an international tribunal in The Hague in 2016, and resulted in a rejection of China's claims to the majority of the South China Sea. But Beijing did not accept the judgement. The South China Sea is a vital trade route connecting the main arteries of trade in Southeast Asia. "Barbie" was set to hit Vietnamese cinemas on July 21, the same day as its American debut, but the ban has caused movie theaters to remove the feature from lists of upcoming films, according to state newspaper Tuoi Tre. The ban was confirmed to the newspaper by Vi Kien Thanh, head of the Vietnam Cinema Department. CNBC was unable to independently verify the report. "Barbie" is not the first movie to be banned in Vietnam for including imagery of a map showing the "nine-dash line." The 2022 Tom Holland filmed "Uncharted" was barred last year for the same reason, as was the 2019 DreamWorks film "Abominable." Correction: This story has been updated with the correct title of the 2022 movie "Uncharted." watch now China is restricting exports of two niche metals that are key to manufacture electronics and semiconductors, as the tech battle with the U.S. and Europe heats up. Germanium and gallium are the two metals in the spotlight. But what and how crucial are they? Why is China slapping export curbs on the metals? China and the U.S. have been locked in a technology trade war that has been escalating since 2019. The U.S. has used trade blacklists and sweeping export restrictions to cut China off from key technology components and semiconductors or chips. These critical pieces of tech have become a focal point in the battle between the two superpowers. China has not retaliated much so far, but in May labelled U.S. chip firm Micron a "major security risk." Now, Beijing is looking to areas it has some strength in the metals and materials that go into electronics and semiconductors. China's commerce ministry on Monday said that new regulations will require exporters of gallium and germanium to get a license to ship the metals. Beijing brought in the new rules on national security grounds. What are germanium and gallium? Germanium and gallium are metals that are not found naturally. They are instead usually found as a by-product of the refineries of other metals. Germanium, a silvery-white metal, is obtained as a by-product of zinc production. Fellow soft, silvery metal Gallium, meanwhile, is a by-product of processing bauxite and zinc ores. What are germanium and gallium used for? Germanium has several uses, including in solar products and fiber optics. The metal is transparent to infrared radiation and can be employed in military applications, such as night-vision goggles. The solar panels that contain germanium have applications in space. Gallium is used for manufacturing the gallium arsenide chemical compound, which can make radio frequency chips for mobile phones and satellite communication, for example. That compound is also a key material in semiconductors. Which country produces the metals? China produces 60% of the world's germanium and 80% of gallium, according to the Critical Raw Materials Alliance, an industry body. Gallium arsenide is complex to produce, and only a few companies in the world can do so. One is located in Europe, while the others are in Japan and China, the CRM Alliance says. How big of a deal are China's curbs? Prime Minister Narendra Modi said SCO members should come out in the open to criticize nations which promote "cross-border terrorism, and harbour terrorists". In a veiled attack on Pakistan at the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) meeting on Tuesday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi raised the importance of taking decisions to curb terrorism across the globe. He said, "Some nations are promoting cross-border terrorism, and harbour terrorists as their state policy." "We have to fight this together... SCO members should come out in the open to criticize such nations. We also need to work in the direction to stop terror funding and radicalisation," he said. Speaking at the virtual SCO meet, PM Modi said, "security, economic development, connectivity, unity, respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity, and environmental protection are the pillars of our vision for SCO." "To deal with language barriers", the prime minister added, "We will be glad to introduce an AI-based language platform, Bhashini, to all. This could be an example of digital technology for inclusive," the prime minister said. He added that India has categorised five pillars in SCO cooperation. "These include startups and innovation, traditional medicine, youth empowerment, digital inclusion and shared Buddhist heritage," he said. PM Modi said the world situation is at a critical junction now and that the food, fuel, and fertiliser crisis pose challenges for every country today. "We have to think together that as a forum, are we capable to meet aspirations of our people and modern challenges of the world," PM Modi said, adding that India supports the proposal of modernisation and reform within the SCO. The prime minister also welcomes Iran in joining the SCO as a member. "We welcome MoU signing to include Belarus as a member," he added. PM Modi hosted Chinese President Xi Jinping, his Russia counterpart Vladimir Putin, Pakistan's Shehbaz Sharif and other leaders of the SCO nations at a virtual summit of the bloc on Tuesday. The meeting is expected to focus on regional security situation and ways to boost connectivity and trade. It will be Putin's first participation in a multilateral summit after a mercenary group launched a short-lived armed rebellion last week that rocked Moscow. The summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) under India's presidency is also set to welcome Iran as the new permanent member of the grouping. IAEA Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi / AP-Yonhap The chief of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) will visit Korea later this week to explain the analysis of the U.N. watchdog's safety review of Japan's planned release of water from its crippled Fukushima plant, an official said Tuesday. IAEA Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi will arrive Friday after completing an ongoing four-day trip to Japan aimed at delivering the results of the IAEA's final report, which is widely expected to approve the discharge of contaminated water into the ocean. Kyodo News reported that the director will release the results later in the day. Park Ku-yeon, the first deputy chief of the Office for Government Policy Coordination, said the director will then come to Korea for a three-day trip, including a meeting with the head of the country's nuclear safety watchdog, the Nuclear Safety and Security Commission. Park Ku-yeon, right, the first deputy chief of the Office for Government Policy Coordination, speaks during a daily briefing, Tuesday. Yonhap Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, July 4) Philippine Offshore Gaming Operations (POGOs) are now prohibited in Valenzuela City, Mayor Wes Gatchalian announced on Tuesday. New applications for Small Town Lottery (STL) and online gambling operations were also suspended under a city ordinance. Itong tatlong ordinances na to [these three ordinances], first, is Ordinance No. 1105 disallowing the Philippine Offshore Gaming Operations within the territorial jurisdiction of Valenzuela City, Gatchalian told reporters. Number two is the Ordinance No. 2023-093 temporarily disallowing new applications of Small Town Lottery, E-games, E-sabong, E-bingo, online poker, anything online basically, he added. The suspension of new applications of STL will be effective for five years, Gatchalian said. There are currently nine registered STL operators in the city, he added. The mayor said all forms of illegal gambling are prohibited in Valenzuela under Ordinance No. 2023-092. City Councilor Ricar Enriquez said those found violating the ordinances will pay a fine of 100,000 to 500,000 and face imprisonment of no more than a year. Gatchalian said there are no registered POGO establishments in the city. However, the ordinances were implemented as precautionary measures, and the local government is checking if there are illegal gambling operations in the city. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, July 3) The Bureau of Immigration (BI) said it will file deportation cases against four foreign nationals arrested on Monday for disrespecting the Philippine flag in Cavite. In a statement released on Monday, Immigration Commissioner Norman Tansingco said the three Pakistanis and one Romanian violated the Flag and Heraldic Code of the Philippines. The Cavite Police Provincial Office said the four suspects were caught in the act of pulling down the flag, causing damage, and throwing it away near the Marine Base on June 26. "Foreign nationals staying here must respect our country and our laws," Tansingco's statement read. "Foreigners destroying symbols of our country show utmost disrespect and do not deserve our hospitality." A person who fails to respect the flag will be punished by a fine of less than 5,000 and not more than 20,000 or imprisonment for not more than one year. The bureau said the four are detained at its warden facility in Taguig. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, June 2) The Department of Health will offer a shorter treatment plan for tuberculosis by the third quarter to encourage patients to continue their medication midway, Secretary Ted Herbosa said Monday. "The WHO (World Health Organization) recommended us to adopt the four-month treatment regimen, which is two months of certain list of drugs and another two months of a different set of drugs. This is for regular drug-susceptible tuberculosis," Herbosa told reporters. "Mayroon naman tayong six-month regimen for drug-resistant tuberculosis kasi yun yung dumadami. I think both of these (treatments) will be implemented," he added. [Translation: We have a six-month regimen for drug-resistant tuberculosis because its cases are rising. I think both of these treatments will be implemented.] Herbosa said the tuberculosis treatment takes about nine to 12 months. "Pag wala nang nararamdaman ang pasyente, hinihinto na niya yung meds," the Health chief said. "This shorter therapy will give us better success of really stopping the treatment, and hindi na magkahawaan." [Translation: The patient stops taking his meds once he does not feel sick.] Herbosa said the department plans to tap technology in addressing the illness. "We will use artificial intelligence in TB detection [through] radiographs that can be read by an AI," he said. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, July 3) The Department of Justice (DOJ) has ordered an investigation on the brutal killing of a female architecture student in Occidental Mindoro. Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla on Monday confirmed to reporters that he directed the National Bureau of Investigation to open a probe. Police said Eden Joy Villacete, 21, a graduating architecture student of Occidental Mindoro State College, was reported missing for a few days. They said Villacete may have been raped before she was murdered at her boarding house in San Jose town on Friday On Sunday, San Jose Municipal Police denied rumors that the suspect in the rape-slay case is in police custody. It added that authorities are still gathering information on the crime. Meanwhile, the bounty for the person or persons behind the death of Villacete was raised to over 591,000, pooled from contributions of various offices of personalities. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, July 4) The Court of Appeals (CA) has affirmed the Office of the Ombudsman's decision to dismiss four Bureau of Immigration employees for their involvement in the "pastillas" scheme uncovered in early 2020. In its decision released to the media on Tuesday, the CA Fifth Division denied the petitions filed by Deon Carlo Albao, Danieve Binsol, Fidel Mendoza, and Chevy Chase Naniong. The petition of Grifton Medina, meanwhile, was partly granted as the court reduced his sanction to a six-month suspension from office due to lack of a direct statement constituting participation in the modus operandi. "Medina is found guilty of simple neglect of duty and ordered suspended from office for a period of six months without pay," the ruling read. READ: Ombudsman indicts dozens of Immigration officers over 'pastillas' scam In the scheme, unscrupulous immigration personnel allegedly allowed Chinese nationals to enter the country without background checks in exchange for grease money. It was dubbed the "pastillas" scam as the bribe would be hidden in rolled bond paper similar to a wrapped milk candy. "It is public knowledge, and we take judicial notice, that the pastillas scheme caused such an uproar from the general populace. To the public, it appeared that the Immigration department unlawfully afforded special privilege to foreign nationals in exchange for money," read the CA ruling. "Clearly, the pastillas scheme greatly tarnished the image and integrity not just of the position of an immigration officer but of the entire Immigration department of the government," it added. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, July 3) The Commission on Audit (COA) has questioned the Presidential Communications Office (PCO) over the payment of employees' leave credits and terminal leave benefits worth over 25.7 million in 2022. In its latest report uploaded on the COA website on June 29, state auditors found that the payments lacked documentary requirements. Among the missing supporting documents are Statement of Assets, Liabilities and Net worth (SALN), affidavit of applicant that there is no pending criminal investigation/prosecution against them, and computation of terminal leave benefits certified by the accountant. "The non-submission of the required supporting documents on the payment of terminal leave benefits and monetization of leave credits casted doubt on the transactions' validity and regularity," COA said. Auditors also noted the PCO's Leave Administration Manual (LAM) does not feature guidelines regarding documentary requirements in claiming terminal leave benefits before endorsing to the Office of the Director for Administration and Finance for approval. The PCO management assured the COA it will submit the lacking records and will comply with the submission of required documents moving forward. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, July 4) Congress will investigate the mess involving the Department of Tourisms (DOT) Love the Philippines campaign once it resumes session, Rep. Joey Sarte Salceda said on Tuesday. When we resume session in Congress, we will seek facts, the lawmaker said in a statement. The second regular session of the 19th Congress will convene on July 24 before the second State of the Nation Address of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. Salceda said there is no need for Tourism Secretary Christina Garcia-Frasco to resign following the public uproar against the departments latest campaign, which featured stock video of scenes in other countries to portray local tourist destinations. The DOT terminated its contract with advertising agency DDB Philippines, the firm behind the controversial promotional video. READ: DOT scraps deal with ad agency over 'Love the Philippines' campaign video The DDB Philippines earlier apologized for using foreign stock footage. I asked her (Frasco) to fire the consultant," Salceda said. "She did. I asked her to correct mistakes and investigate internally. She did. I asked her to be more inclusive with destinations featured. She did. She is open. We can disagree without malice." And once the controversy about this rebranding effort passes, we will still need to fix our airports, our accommodations, our accessibility," he added. "So, no, I will not join calls for her to resign." The Albay representative earlier blasted the video because it did not include the world-famous Mayon Volcano among the featured tourist attractions. I will criticize openly, as needed," he said. "Thats my job as a legislator and a representative of my people. But after heated discussions, we must remain focused on solving problems." Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, July 4) Former Senator Richard Gordon has lauded the direction President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. is taking in terms of asserting the countrys rights over the West Philippine Sea, while also calling on the chief executive to be careful when appointing people to government positions. Im relieved, especially about the West Philippine Sea. There is more assertion there, and there is more cooperation from our allies, Gordon told CNN Philippines The Source on Tuesday. The former lawmaker noted that it is beneficial for the Philippines to have stronger ties with its allies since it cannot deal with China alone. China is a big bullytheir leaders are bullies, Gordon said. The policy makers in China have a policy of saying Were the boss here. Were the big guy in the block. You dont go into my neighborhood. That's not their neighborhood and Im glad President Macros has asserted that ." During Marcos first year in power, he strengthened the countrys relationship with its long-time ally, the United States, which was opposite to what his predecessor did. He earlier said that it is natural for the Philippines to seek assistance from Washington amid the growing tensions in the disputed waters. Aside from conducting military exercises with troops from the US and other allies, the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement was also expanded during the first year of the Marcos administration. READ: Navigating power rivalry: PH foreign policy during Marcos' first year Gordon also noted efforts to improve the Philippine Coast Guard. Meanwhile, he also urged Marcos not to waste his political capital on bad appointments. The era of bad mouthing, the era of foul mouthed, sewer mouthed people should be out of the parade especially when they treat women like that," Gordon said. "I don't think that has any place especially when the Supreme Court, itself, has disbarred them." He was referring to newly appointed antipoverty czar Larry Gadon who was disbarred for his abusive remarks against a journalist Raissa Robles. Gordon said it is not an excuse for Gadon to say that his case will not affect his appointment because he is no longer practicing law. Thats a mistake that can be cured right away, Gordon said. READ: Gadon says he's fit to be anti-poverty czar; denies claim of 'political accommodation' READ: Despite disbarment, Gadon says no regrets over vulgar remarks vs. journalist Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, July 4) The country's health chief on Tuesday said he will instruct the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to coordinate with the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) in fighting the spread of fake online advertisements with popular endorsers of drug and food supplements. Health Secretary Ted Herbosa said in a Palace briefing that he has personally seen such ads on social media, including those that illegally use the name and photos of his well-known friends who are physicians. Some of the personalities, Dr. Willie Ong, Dr. (Tony) Leachon have actually filed cases with the cybercrime division of the NBI, pero nawawala and then bumabalik [and the ads disappear but then eventually resurface], Herbosa told reporters. Ill instruct the head of FDA, (Samuel) Zacate, to actually coordinate with the NBI to really get to the bottom of this, he said. Earlier, Senator Jinggoy Estrada filed a resolution urging the Senate to investigate these fraudulent ads, which he said violate the Consumer Act. "There is an urgent need to protect consumers against the consumption of unregistered and potentially harmful food and health products through strict enforcement of the provisions of the Consumer Act and regulation of fraudulent advertisement in social media platforms," the lawmaker said. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, July 4) President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. is expected to soon issue an order putting an end to the state of public health emergency in the country due to COVID-19, as he already considers the status de facto lifted, Health Secretary Ted Herbosa said on Tuesday. Ang sabi niya kasi, de facto na parang naka-lift narin tayo diba? Optional na ang masking, diba? [What he said was that it appears the status is already de facto lifted, right? Masking is optional, right?] Herbosa told reporters after a Malacanang briefing. RELATED: Concerns raised on proposal to lift public health emergency status In May, the World Health Organization declared the end of the global COVID-19 health emergency. Shortly after that, the Department of Health (DOH) which was then led by officer-in-charge Maria Rosario Vergeire said the Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF) for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases will submit its recommendations regarding the COVID-19 pandemic to the Office of the President. The DOH noted that the report will include the IATFs position on the lifting of the state of public health emergency, which was declared by former President Rodrigo Duterte in March 2020. The IATF already recommended the lifting, Herbosa said during the Palace briefing. But I think the Office of the President had to study some other things that were the consequences of the lifting officially. One was the vaccine issue, because mawawala yung EUA, emergency use authorization, to get the bivalents (vaccines). Herbosa noted this problem has now been resolved after the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently issued a certificate of product registration (CPR) allowing Pfizer to sell its bivalent vaccines in the Philippines. I think that obstacle is gone kasi may CPR na tayo [because we already have a CPR], Herbosa said. For the poor, were still negotiating with COVAX for two million doses, so that we can still be able to give to those who cannot afford to buy the bivalent, he added. READ: DOH rolls out bivalent vaccines, plans to procure more With a CPR from the FDA, vaccines may be available in the market for purchase by the public. However, the national government may still subsidize a portion of the cost of vaccines if needed by the vulnerable sectors. Herbosa earlier explained that if the state of public health emergency is formally lifted, COVID-19 vaccines will remain free only for those who cant afford them. Rafael Mariano Grossi, left, head of the International Atomic Energy Agency, shakes hands with Japan Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi before their meeting at the Iikura guesthouse in Tokyo, Tuesday. Yonhap The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said Tuesday Japan's plans to release treated water stored at the Fukushima nuclear power station into the sea are consistent with its safety standards. The nuclear watchdog also said that the discharges of the treated water would have a negligible radiological impact on people and the environment. "Based on its comprehensive assessment, the IAEA has concluded that the approach and activities to the discharge of ALPS treated water taken by Japan are consistent with relevant international safety standards," IAEA Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi said in the report. Grossi formally presented the report to Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida in Tokyo earlier in the day. (Yonhap) Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, July 4) President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Tuesday ordered an investigation into the smuggling of onions and other agricultural products, saying the act was equivalent to economic sabotage. "I have just given instructions to the DOJ and the NBI to initiate an investigation into the hoarding, smuggling (and) price fixing of agricultural commodities. And this is stemming from the hearing that we've conducted in the House, specifically by Congresswoman Stella Quimbo and the findings that they came up with," said Marcos. In May, Marikina Rep. Stella Quimbo, the vice chairperson of the House Appropriations Committee, alleged that Lilia "Lea" Cruz engineered the artificial spike in onion prices late last year until the early part of 2023 through companies involved in all levels of the value chain. Cruz established the Philippine Vegetable Importers, Exporters and Vendors Association (PhilVIEVA), which Quimbo claimed is being used for operating the alleged onion cartel. Cruz, on the other hand, denied she had a hand in the soaring prices of onions, which went up to P700 per kilogram in 2022. Marcos said the findings from the series of hearings were enough to start the investigation, adding that the people behind the price manipulation would be brought to justice. RELATED: Romualdez wants 'airtight' case vs. onion smugglers Meanwhile, the Department of Justice (DOJ) said it would create an Anti-Agricultural Smuggling Task Force which, along with a special team of prosecutors, would be "primarily focused on protecting the entire agricultural sector, not only the onion industry." In a separate statement, the DOJ said the Office of the Prosecutor General and the National Bureau of Investigation would be among the members of the task force. "The shared objective is clear: to dismantle these smuggling networks and ensure that those responsible are brought to justice," said the DOJ. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, July 4) Health Secretary Ted Herbosa on Tuesday said a new multi-specialty hospital will soon rise in Clark, Pampanga. The facility, which is expected to benefit residents of Central and Northern Luzon, will break ground on July 17. "This was the original one designated in Executive No. 19 as the heart center that will be built in Clark," Herbosa told a Palace briefing. "It will be starting as a general hospital and then move up to a children specialty, and then a cardiac specialty, then the kidney specialty. So, it will be just like what we have in the North Triangle of Quezon City, wherein you have all the different specialties," he added. Herbosa noted that it has long been the Department of Health's goal to establish specialty hospitals across the country, particularly since the passage of the Sin Tax Law, which helped fund programs in the health care sector. RELATED: Gov't identifying more areas for establishment of specialty hospitals Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, July 4) The Supreme Court called out law enforcers and prosecutors for their "reprehensible" handling of a 1-billion drug case, which led to the acquittal of all six accused. The case stemmed from a police operation in 2003 that led to the arrest of five Chinese nationals and one Filipino. In a 35-page decision penned by Chief Justice Alexander Gesmundo and released on June 29, the high court "beseeches all actors in the administration of criminal justice in our jurisdiction to effectively carry out their respective duties and responsibilities, keeping in mind that any failure on their part will likely result in acquittal." Warned of deportation, four of the Chinese nationals bribed the cops with 10 kilograms of shabu in exchange for their freedom. Police said they played along and proceeded to a warehouse in Valenzuela City for entrapment. The suspects were charged for illegal transportation of 9.3 kgs of shabu and for illegal possession of 119.080 kgs of shabu. The Regional Trial Court dismissed the cases against Chinese nationals Jackie Ong, Tan Ty Siao, and Go Siak Ping on the basis of a demurrer of evidence, noting there was no proof they participated in the bribery made by Co Ching Ki. The RTC also acquitted Co Ching Ki due to the lack of "clear and direct evidence that he was ever in possession of any illegal drugs." But it found Filipino Robert Uy and another Chinese national, Willie Gan, guilty. The Court of Appeals affirmed their conviction. The SC, however, ruled that Uy must be acquitted on the basis of reasonable doubt. "Accused-appellant could not have had actual possession of the items seized from the warehouse because he was already in custody of the police officers when the search of the warehouse was conducted on Nov. 11, 2003," the decision read. "It was simply impossible for accused-appellant to have had actual possession of said drugs since he was already in custody," the high court added. The SC also called the error committed by the trial court more reprehensible for imposing a lower penalty against Gan "despite such clear language to impose the penalty of life imprisonment." Hence, the SC extended the acquittal to Gan. "Truly, the acquittal in the instant case is ordained by multiple errors, whether through negligence or misfeasance, committed by the prosecution, the defense, and the trial court," it said. CNN Philippines senior correspondent Anjo Alimario and senior multi-platform news writer Vince Ferreras contributed to this story. 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. Would you like to receive our news updates? Signup today! Sign up to receive notifications when a new Columbia Gorge News e-Edition is published. Error! There was an error processing your request. Success! An email has been sent to with a link to confirm list signup. Gorge Social Information from the News and our advertisers (Want to add your business to this to this feed?) 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. By Kim Jin-heon In 1929, Korea was occupied and governed by Japan. As a result, many Japanese people migrated to Korea and began living here. They discriminated against Korean students and Korean people. The same year, Korean students in Gwangju launched a protest against the unjust attitudes of the Japanese for the first time. Japanese students abused a Korean female student and this resulted in an outcry. The student concerned, Park Gi-ok, and her cousin Park Jun-chae, lived in Naju and commuted to school in Gwangju by train. One day, Japanese boys on the train began to pull her hair roughly. Park Jun-chae advised them to curb their unrefined behavior. They didn't and Park fought them. As the story of this encounter spread in Gwangju, a protest exploded in the streets. In those days, Jun-chae and Gi-ok were staying in Nampagotaek (an old house of Nampa) with their grandfather, Jae-gyu (1857-1931). The house was like a palace, producing 8,000 "seok" of rice (one seok is 80 kilograms) every year. Grandfather Jae-gyu, as head of a large family, taught them not to be miserly with a fortune but use it for the public good. Jae-gyu's nickname was Nampa. He was not tall, but magnanimous, powerful and shrewd. In 1895, the king of Joseon (1392-1910) ordered citizens to obey an ordinance prohibiting topknots. At that time, a public servant in Naju who supported the new mandate without considering the dissent expressed by noblemen and citizens was killed in public. A riot was being planned to oppose the ordinance. If the citizens and the government's army clashed, the future of Naju would be damaged beyond repair. Jae-gyu played a pivotal role in this critical moment as a mediator because though he was rich he was philanthropic towards the citizens. Thus, the riot did not take place. Naju had a bad crop in 1904 but Nampa donated 200 bags of rice to the citizens. In 1905, he did it again. In 1907 and 1908, when his nephews, two activists in Naju, raised an army against the occupying Japanese, he provided them with weapons, clothes and food. One of his sons also helped national newspapers to begin publication and companies to establish their businesses. Nampa and his descendants demonstrated self-esteem, patriotism and benevolence. Local historians have pointed out that Naju had a long history as a center of marine logistics and was the granary of the Naju plain. This history gave the city powerful local families and dignified citizens. Naju also has a varied cultural heritage with ancient tombs in Bannam and Bokamni, many types of ramparts and big buildings. It was a gateway from the inland regions to the sea. Naju's heritage encouraged its citizens to have a strong patriotic spirit. Whenever the city was invaded by foreigners or affected by revolution, the citizens voluntarily participated in wars or defended the city. For example, when the Sambyeolcho army raided the city during the 918-1392 Goryeo Kingdom, the people routed the army. When Donghak peasant soldiers invaded the city, they were also defeated. In exchange for the sacrifice of the citizens, the powerful families in the region maintained their power and wealth, taking care to provide the citizens with food, clothing and shelter. When Japan began to govern the Korean Peninsula in 1910, Nampa was one of the especially powerful families and his descendants helped the poor neighbors and resisted the Japanese. Later, during the 1950-53 Korean War, the family cared for the citizens with sincerity. Thanks to their altruism, this house has remained untouched. It is designated as Primary Folk Material 263 as a house typical of the region's upper class. He is a retired English teacher who published a book titled, "Flower Is Flower." The EU could open an antitrust investigation into Microsofts video and messaging platform Teams, stemming from a complaint made by Slack back in July 2020, according to a report by Reuters. Enterprise messaging application Slack, which has since been bought by Salesforce, originally filed a competition complaint against Microsoft citing illegal and anti-competitive practice of abusing its market dominance to extinguish competition in breach of European Union competition law. The complaint further alleged that Microsoft has illegally tied its Teams product into its market-dominant Office productivity suite, force installing it for millions, blocking its removal, and hiding the true cost to enterprise customers. Microsoft had seemingly been hoping to address the concerns with the EU before a formal investigation was opened, with Reuters reporting in December 2022 that the tech giant had made a preliminary offer of concessions to try and settle the European Commissions concerns. However, Reuters is now reporting that attempts by Microsoft to remedy the situation have hit a roadblock, specifically that the price reduction Microsoft offered for Office minus the Teams app was not as low as the EU had been hoping. Consequently, an investigation is now likely to take place and if found in breach of the EUs antitrust rules, Microsoft risks being fined up to 10% of its global turnover. Microsoft has faced a number of sanctions from the European Commission during the last decade, having been fined hundreds of millions of dollars by the Commission in 2004, 2008, and 2015. Earlier this year the company attempted to ward off another potential investigation by reportedly agreeing to change its cloud computing practices in order to avoid an antitrust probe from the EU. That potential investigation stemmed from complaints made by European cloud companies that raised concerns after their customers were asked to pay more to run Microsoft software in non-Microsoft cloud environments, under what they saw as restrictive cloud licensing policies. In a statment, the EU Commission said it had received several complaints regarding Microsoft, including one by Slack about Microsofts conduct in relation to its Teams product, which it was assessing based on its standard procedures. Microsoft did not immediately respond to a request for comment. China has fired the latest salvo in the ongoing electronic chip war with the US by restricting the export of two metals required for manufacturing semiconductors, mostly used in electric vehicles, displays, and defense equipment. In a statement released on Monday, the Ministry of Commerce of the Peoples Republic of China said it is using the provisions under its Export Control Law and Foreign Trade Law to implement export control on gallium and germanium-related items to maintain national security and interests. As part of the new restrictions, exporters of the two metals have to apply for licenses detailing the buyer and the application or usage of the metals. Beijings move to exercise more export controls on the two metals comes after a series of moves by the US to restrict Chinas access to advanced chips, and several moves by the EU to reduce its dependence on China. In January, the US convinced the Netherlands and Japan to join it in expanding the ban on exports of chip-making technology to China. According to analysts, Washingtons strategy to strike a deal with the two countries was a significant move, as some of the worlds largest manufacturers of semiconductor manufacturing equipment are headquartered in these nations. This move saw Beijing banning the use of semiconductors manufactured by US-based chipmaker Micron, followed by Japan imposing restrictions on chip exports to China. China has urged Japan to repeal the restrictions, citing international and trade regulations violations. The US first imposed restrictions on exports of chips to China in 2015, extending them in 2021 and twice in 2022. The most recent restrictions were introduced in December. US lawmakers have also been urging the Biden administration to take more action to impede Chinas progress in gaining dominance in areas such as artificial intelligence and quantum computing. The suggestions included imposing trade restrictions on Chinese memory chip maker Changxin Memory Technologies as a counteroffensive to China banning the use of Microns chips. The ongoing chip trade war has also seen the EU trying to reduce its dependence on China. This week, the EU formed a new partnership with Japan to improve cooperation on digital issues, after recently pledging billions of dollars in investments to shore up their domestic chip industries. In April, the European Council and the European Parliament agreed to invest $3.6 billion in EU funds to build out the bloc's semiconductor manufacturing capabilities, with the aim of attracting a further $43.7 billion in private investment. The investments could help avoid a Taiwanese bottleneck in the worlds semiconductor supply chains. During the same time, the Japanese government said it was planning to invest $532 million (70 billion yen) in projects to develop and make next generation chips in the country, including a deal with Rapidus to make 2nm chips in Japan by 2025. By David Maxwell Since Mongolia transitioned from communism to democracy it has been quietly working behind the scenes as a peace builder serving as a convening location for numerous talks, dialogues, processes, workshops and forums. June was a busy month with several events including the Ulaanbaatar Dialogue (UB) and the Mongolia Forum. The UB Process for Peace in Northeast Asia is ongoing. In addition, the United States, the Republic of Korea and Mongolia held talks on North Korean denuclearization and established a joint consultative body on mineral resources. All have a common theme: working for peace and prosperity in Northeast Asia. However, the "Mongolia Forum for Peace and Development in Northeast Asia and Korean Unification," held on June 23, is unique in that it advocates for a free and unified Korea as a path to peace and prosperity. The Mongolia Forum is a Track II event for scholars, practitioners, journalists and prominent members of civil society from many countries including Mongolia, Korea, China, Russia, India, the U.S., Japan and Malaysia. It was organized by the NGO Blue Banner, led by the tireless Ambassador Jargalsaikhan Enkhsaikhan of Mongolia, with conveners the Global Peace Foundation (GPF), the One Korea Foundation (OKF), Action for Korea United, the Mongolian Forum for Korean Unification, and the National Strategy Institute of the Chungnam National University. Dialogues were informed by a common understanding of "hongik ingan" defined as "living for the greater benefit of humanity" which is the founding philosophy of Korea. It is a central feature of Dr. Hyun Jin Preston Moon's "Korean Dream" which is a vision of a unified Korea "led by Korean civil society as the only way to solve the security, economic and social problems created through the more than 70 years of division." The speakers were inspirational and the forum personally reaffirmed my belief that the achievement of a free and unified Korea is the only acceptable durable political arrangement that will end the human rights abuses being committed in the north and the nuclear and missile threats. In fact, it is the nuclear threat and the human rights abuses that have paralyzed governments from focusing on unification. In my opinion, the only way to overcome this paralysis is by reversing the conventional wisdom of denuclearization first and then focusing on unification as the path to denuclearization, peace and security in the region. Seventy years ago the military leaders who signed the Armistice Agreement understood that there was no military solution to end the 1950-1953 war. Paragraph 60 called on all parties to come together to create a political solution to the "Korea question," which is the unnatural division of the peninsula. For seven decades governments have failed. The time is now for civil society to engage with like-minded organizations to challenge governments to drive a solution to the "Korea question." There are two areas that civil society can immediately affect: human rights and the demand for information for the Korean people in the north. The Korean people in the north are suffering terribly and every effort must be made to help them obtain relief. Civil society must support the recommendations in the 2014 United Nations Commission of Inquiry (COI) and set an example for governments to focus on human rights. Human rights are not only a moral imperative but a national security issue because Kim Jong-un denies the human rights of the Korean people in the North in order to remain in power. One of the human rights abuses identified in the COI is the isolation of the Korean people and the denial of the free flow of information into the North and to all Korean people. Escapees tell us there is a high demand for all types of information from the outside world. Civil society can make a tremendous contribution to this effort. The most important message to transmit to the Korean people living in the North is there are people around the world concerned with their welfare and who are working to help Koreans in the North and South to achieve unification as a path to peace and prosperity. It is natural that Korea should follow in the footsteps of Mongolia and make a major political transition. Korean unification can serve as a modern global beacon and inspire political change around the world as civil society collectively works for peace and prosperity. Civil society and governments should have a vision of the future of Korea. On April 26, 2023, South Korean Presidents Yoon Suk Yeol and U.S. President Joe Biden established the vision that both countries seek: "The two presidents are committed to build a better future for all Korean people and support a unified Korean Peninsula that is free and at peace." The two presidents have provided strategic clarity for their policymakers, strategists and planners. Civil society should seek a similar vision. It must begin with the realization that the only way we are going to see an end to the nuclear program and military threats as well as the human rights abuses and crimes against humanity being committed against the Korean people living in the north is through the achievement of unification and the establishment of a free and unified Korea. This new Korea must be secure and stable, non-nuclear, economically vibrant and unified under a liberal constitutional form of government based on individual liberty, free market economic principles, rule of law and human rights as determined by the Korean people. This is the vision a United Republic of Korea (UROK). Members of civil society in the South combined with escapees from the North should resurrect the 1919 Korean Declaration of Independence to serve as a foundational document for a United Republic of Korea. These words still resonate for the Korean peninsula: "We claim independence in the interest of the eternal and free development of our people and in accordance with the great movement for world reform based upon the awakening conscience of mankind." They should begin work now on a new Constitution for a UROK. By drafting a new Constitution these young Koreans will become the founding mothers and fathers of a UROK. The participants in the Mongolian Forum seek the peaceful unification of Korea. I challenge all who support unification; private citizens, businesspeople, public servants and government officials to examine their work and continually ask a single question: How does this action support achieving Korean unification? It is time to overcome unification planning paralysis caused by nuclear weapons and threats of war and develop the necessary synergy among like-minded members of civil society to bring peace and security to the region. Working together, civil society can support Korea in achieving a United Republic of Korea (UROK) that will be a model for political change in the 21st century. David Maxwell is a retired U.S. Army Special Forces Colonel and has spent more than 30 years in Asia as a practitioner and specializes in Northeast Asian security affairs and irregular, unconventional and political warfare. He is the vice president of the Center for Asia Pacific Strategy and a senior fellow at the Global Peace Foundation (where he focuses on a free and unified Korea) and the Foundation for the Defense of Democracies. Unification will never come suddenly Government ministries often undergo changes in their organizations and even missions when political power shifts. A case in point is the Ministry of Unification. Progressive governments beefed up their workforces to expand inter-Korean exchanges. In contrast, conservative ones trimmed it to a bare-bones level. In an extreme case, the 2008-13 Lee Myung-bak administration tried to abolish the ministry by merging it with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Faced with an intense backlash, he later settled for personnel trimming. However, even Lee did not attempt to change the ministry's mission from the ground up as his conservative successor is trying to do now. "So far, the unification ministry has operated as if it were a supporting agency for North Korea. That shouldn't be the case anymore," President Yoon Suk Yeol told his staff on Sunday. "It's time for the ministry to change." Yoon said so days after he appointed Kim Yung-ho, a far-right ideologue and former aide to Lee, as unification minister. Kim calls for reunifying this divided peninsula by absorbing North Korea, overthrowing the Kim Jong-un regime and having a nuclear arsenal in South Korea. Inter-Korean detente ended a few years before Yoon took office. Still, the incumbent president is trying to put the last nail in the coffin. Pyongyang is not sitting idly by. On Saturday, North Korea said it would refuse to review a bid by the chief of Hyundai Group to visit the North's Mount Geumgang next month. The refusal had been expected, but two things stood out. Pyongyang took preemptive action even before Seoul made a formal offer. Moreover, the North's foreign ministry announced it instead of its inter-Korean channel, the Asia-Pacific Peace Committee. Technically, the two Koreas are different countries, as shown by their separate membership in the United Nations. However, the two Koreas have never regarded each other as a "foreign nation" at least so far. The South's Constitution also stipulates the North is part of the Republic of Korea, subject to eventual reunification. Pyongyang's latest move is a cold reminder of the changed reality. The reclusive regime might have concluded that if the South shifts to exposing the North's internal problems, including its human rights issues, it would be better to break up. Admittedly, the North's denuclearization seems increasingly out of sight, and its human rights abuses are dire, indeed. But the situation stresses the need to continue dialogue and keep an open channel rather than sever all contact. Pyongyang is not free from blame, of course. The isolationist regime can never justify detonating the inter-Korean liaison office just north of the border years ago. Instead of venting its frustration with the South's mediating role and subsequent arms buildup, the North should have patiently stayed the course for its people. Still, Yoon and his U.S. counterpart, for that matter must know that authoritarian regimes do not yield to economic sanctions. External pressure only cements internal unity, serving the interests of those in power. What crumbled former East Germany was West Germany's ceaseless aid, which won over the hearts of East Germans. The West German government did not mention "unification" and ran the "Ministry of Intra-German Relations." Former President Lee said, "Reunification comes like a thief." Yoon also said recently, "Reunification will probably come suddenly." They're wrong. Despite growing instability, no political collapse has occurred due to economic difficulties worldwide. If the North crumbles and leads to unification by absorption, that would be a disaster for the South due to trillions of dollars of unification costs. The former East Germans' income was about one-third of West Germans'. The North Korean per capita GDP is now less than one-thirtieth of South Koreans. Reunification should come as the fruit of farmers' long toils. Even now, Japan and the U.S. might be seeking roundabout channels with North Korea as they did with China behind the back of South Korea. Pyongyang-Washington ties may accelerate if Donald Trump regains the U.S. presidency. Yoon must keep his fingers crossed that all of this will occur only after he leaves office. For as much as people love them, the Star Wars movies have gotten rather awkward from time to time. There's stuff like Luke and Leia's near twincest, or everything George Lucas has said out loud since 1994. This universe isn't just made up of movies, though. It's also comprised of books, comics, video games, and even soul-destroying dance parties. Sometimes the Star Wars empire has circled back to try to make sense of the more unwieldy aspects of the franchise, to mixed results. Look at how ... Advertisement 6 A Comic Revealed How Anakin Was Conceived The Awkward Scene: In The Phantom Menace, young Anakin Skywalker brings a bunch of randos he's just met home for dinner. Surprisingly, his impoverished mom is up for feeding these mysterious strangers, and even confiding oddly personal information. When Qui-Gon gets all Maury Povich and asks who Anakin's father is, she replies that he ... doesn't have one? 20th Century Fox Which is clearly the more likely scenario than "Poorly-cared-for slave is experiencing delusions." Instead of chalking this up as a one-night stand, as most of us would, the Jedi master takes her at her word and guesses she was secretly impregnated by midi-chlorians -- the microscopic (and apparently horny) organisms that allow humans to use the Force. No one ever mentions this again, for some reason. The Fix: In a scene that was thankfully deleted from Revenge Of The Sith, Senator Palpatine reveals to Anakin that he "used the power of the Force to will the midi-chlorians to start the cell divisions that created ." In other words, he used magic sperm to knock up Ani's mom. But that backstory was recently made official by the comic series Darth Vader: Dark Lord Of The Sith. In the big finale, Vader goes on a psychedelic Force trip and witnesses Palpatine's creepy psychic insemination. The dude shows up like the Ghost of Christmas Future and puts a Force bun in Shmi's oven. Marvel Comics Thankfully, this was added late enough that we were spared a "Luke, I am your GRANDfather!" line in Jedi. It's hard to say whether or not the Star Wars canon (or really, the world in general) is better with this image in it. Related: This Is Probably The Dumbest 'Star Wars' Deleted Scene 5 Lucas Created Those Bug Aliens In Attack Of The Clones Because Of A Scene From Clerks The Awkward Scene: Luke Skywalker seemed more distressed that he couldn't pick up some goddamn power converters than he did after taking hundreds of thousands of lives by destroying the Death Star. But those were all evil Imperial types, right? But the second Death Star was still under construction when it got blown up by the Rebels. Surely a lot of the people killed were merely civilian contractors who probably didn't even have sinister British accents. This point was famously debated by Dante and Randal in Kevin Smith's Clerks. Play The Fix: George Lucas actually addressed this problem. In Attack Of The Clones, we learn that the disgusting bug aliens the Geonosians were the ones who designed the Death Star. In the DVD commentary, Lucas suggests that this resolves the complaint from Clerks, since they were "probably contracted to build the Death Star." Of course, this directly contradicts the previously established backstory that the Death Star was built by enslaved Wookiees. ( Some with diarrhea.) Play Anyway, Lucas' solution was to make it so that the only contractors killed in Return Of The Jedi would have looked like cartoons from an insecticide commercial -- or as he puts it, "just a bunch of large termites." They sure seem sentient, and probably have families at home, but you're right, George, fuck those bugs! Related: 12 Bizarre Inspirations Behind Star Wars Movie Characters 4 The Last Jedi Novelization Tries To Explain A Controversial Scene From The Force Awakens The Awkward Scene: A lot of people took issue with Rey's quick mastery of the Force in The Force Awakens, either out of toxic bro misogyny or more general confusion. Without getting into the Endorian space weeds about how powerful Rey is, in one perplexing moment, she mind-tricks a stormtrooper into freeing her from captivity. In retrospect, it makes you wonder why the Empire never hired Jabba the Hutt and Watto the Flying Stereotype for all their security needs. Walt Disney Pictures Walt Disney Pictures "Also, raise the thermostat a little, and bring me some chips." How did Rey even know the Jedi mind trick was a thing? She lived in isolation, was raised by a bulbous garbage-monger, and thought Luke Skywalker was as real as Santa Claus until like a day before this scene. The Fix: Because only literature can fully poeticize Kylo Ren's glistening abdomen and Luke Skywalker's taste for lactating sea monsters, Lucasfilm released a novelization of The Last Jedi. The book takes time to explain just how Rey knew how to pull off this trick. In an earlier scene, Kylo tries to read her mind, but she turns the tables and starts reading his mind. The book reveals that in that moment, she had "seen more -- far more," and "even accessed some of the powers at his command." Kind of like "if his training had become hers." Great. Now no one ever needs to argue about Star Wars again. Related: THAT Controversial 'Star Wars' Scene Is Different On Disney+ 3 There's A Whole Short Story About Why That One Stormtrooper Hit His Head The Awkward Scene: Those of us who have watched the original Star Wars over and over again are intimately familiar with even the smallest background details, like how IG-88 is apparently made out of beverage equipment. Even the Special Edition crammed full of CGI upgrades forgot to make Vader's lightsaber not look like an old broom handle in one shot. 20th Century Fox Of course, fixing the CGI would've contradicted the half-dozen novels we're sure had tried to explain it by that point. Similarly, there's an infamous moment in Star Wars in which a stormtrooper smacks his head on a door like a common Tim Allen character. 20th Century Fox Lucas added a CG droid in practically every shot of the Special Editions, but couldn't spare a single Homer Simpson "D'oh" for this. We aren't mad, George, just disappointed. It's obviously a blooper, but come to think of it, concussions might be the best explanation for why all these guys are such lousy shots. The Fix: In real life, the reason this dude carelessly banged his helmet was that he had an "upset stomach," but a recent short story collection decided this needed an in-universe justification. From A Certain Point Of View retells the events of Star Wars from the POVs of a host of supporting characters. Most famously, one tale reveals that Greedo and Han Solo were secretly part of a gross love triangle. Then there's the story "Bump" -- which isn't about Sy Snootles' coke problem, but rather TD-110, the trooper who hurt his noggin. The story reveals that TD-110 had just returned from a mission to Tatooine, and he was in fact the same stormtrooper we'd earlier seen get mind-tricked by Obi-Wan. He walked straight into the door because that's the moment the "fog cleared" and the poor sap realized he'd been brainwashed by a geriatric in a bathrobe. So there you go! With the power of expanded universe retconning, no movie need ever have even the smallest flaw to bother you. Related: 6 Star Wars Characters Whose Backstories Are Total Madness Advertisement Advertisement 2 A Comic Added A Scene In Which Leia Finally Hugs Chewbacca At the end of The Force Awakens, Han Solo tragically dies, fulfilling both the evil plans of the First Order and the terms of Harrison Ford's contract. When the Millennium Falcon returns to the Resistance base, Leia already knows this, and she embraces a despondent Rey. Which would be fine if, to do so, she didn't walk right past Chewbacca without so much as friendly nod. Walt Disney Pictures Walt Disney Pictures Between this and the missing medal, we're getting the impression that Alderaan royalty are anti-Wookiee racists. Why would Leia ignore Han's best friend, whom she's known for three decades, to comfort some random girl she's known for like an afternoon? Director J.J. Abrams admitted that they made a mistake in blocking the scene, and didn't mean to give the impression that Leia was ghosting Chewie. The Fix: The comic Age Of Resistance: Rey flashes back to this moment, but adds a scene wherein Leia and Chewie move indoors and immediately start hugging the shit out of each other. Marvel Comics He knows all the comforting words we needed to hear, like "RRRRAAAAAARRRrrr." The reason they had to relocate instead of embracing near the Falcon is simply that Wookiee hugs apparently last longer than human hugs. Now maybe they can write a comic that explains why Leia consoled Luke after some old dude he just met died while she was mourning the loss of every goddamn person on her home planet. Related: 5 Ways Disney Can't Stop Screwing Up Star Wars While the annals of history are only written a single page at a time, sometimes history can be a bit impatient and dump two major historical events in our collective laps at the same time. Which is bad news for one of them, since our tiny monkey brains can only focus on one world-shattering situation at a time,. For example ... 6 The Sinking Of The Sultana Was A Bigger Tragedy Than The Titanic -- But Not The Lincoln Assassination On April 27, 1865, right after the end of the Civil War, the good ship Sultana was sailing its 2,137 souls up the Mississippi River. Most of the passengers were Union ex-prisoners of war who had survived defeat, disease and starvation to finally make their way back home victoriously. And then three of the ship's four boilers exploded and almost everyone was boiled alive. Like another, much more famous ship, the Sultana was reputed to be a state of the art ship replete with modern safety measures. And like that other famous ship, it was hubris that sank the unsinkable ship. The Sultana only had a capacity of 376 passengers, but since the government had promised to pay $5 and $10 for each enlisted man and officer returned home, so the captain kept cramming them in like sardines. Inevitably, the strained engines exploded, causing eruptions of steam to boil passengers where they stood. To make matters even more tragic, since all the POWs were so frail and underfed, many who managed to jump overboard were too weak to swim to shore and drowned. All in all, about 1,800 souls perished during the sinking, 300 more compared to the Titanic's 1,512. So if the Sultana was an even worse disaster than the Titanic, why don't we say that something is a mistake the size of the Sultana, or that someone is trying to rearrange the deckchairs on the Sultana? For that, it picked the worst month in American history to make said history. On April 15th, President Lincoln was assassinated. This led to a two-week-long manhunt for John Wilkes Booth until his death on April 26th, a day before the Sultana sank. By the time it hit the papers, America just couldn't muster the attention to flip past the front pages plastered with Lincoln to learn about their nations' greatest maritime disaster -- or prosecute the Sultana's captain, for that matter. Advertisement 5 The Most Important Egyptian Tomb Discovery Was Upstaged By The Nazi Invasion Of France Everyone and their mummy has heard of the splendors of Pharaoh Tutankhamun. The discovery of his tomb, and the many riches within, in 1922 caused a splash not seen in the dusty field of archeology since. But not even the grandeur of Tut could compare with another pharaoh finding only a decade later, except that the world was a bit busy fending off the greatest evil of modern history to pay attention. In 1939, archaeologists discovered the tomb of Pharaoh Psusennes I, who is also known as the Silver Pharaoh. For obvious reasons, as he's the only pharaoh ever to be found buried in a silver coffin (which was more rare and valuable than gold at the time) and the gold masks, necklaces and other treasures buried with him were so opulent and ostentatious they make King Tut's baubles look like the kind you pull out of a vending machine at the arcade. Advertisement Advertisement For historians, the discovery of King Psus was a much bigger deal than King Tut. His was the only tomb to date that had been left completely intact as looters hadn't managed to penetrate it in 3,000 years. Furthermore, King Psus was also a more important pharaoh than young King Tut, saving the kingdom from a Scythian invasion and shaping Egypt over a 48-year-reign compared to Tut's tiny 10 years of throne time. By any measure, uncovering the tomb of Pharaoh Psusennes I tomb was the greatest egyptological feat of the time. Unfortunately, that time in history also happened to be Nazi o'clock. The discovery of King Psus' tomb was made in 1940 by famed Egyptologist Pierre Montet, the French Indiana Jones (so, Belloq?). But the people back home weren't very interesting when the story of Psusennes broke as they were a bit busy being invaded by the Nazis. So instead of trying to out-PR Hitler, Montet packed up his family and Psusennes I's treasures and buried them in a vault in Cairo -- the treasures, not his children. It was only over half a century later that they were revealed, long after the Ancient Egypt craze of the early 20th century, at which point all the excitement the world could muster was a PBS documentary. Advertisement 4 Reporters Skipped America's Deadliest School Massacre To Witness Charles Lindbergh's Transatlantic Flight We have already talked about the oft-forgotten Bath School disaster, the worst school massacre of all time. Which is weird, right? How is it that in a country both plagued by and obsessed with school shootings, the mother of all scholarly tragedies isn't a widely spread cautionary tale? Because everyone back then was too preoccupied looking up at the sky to note the bodies on the ground. Advertisement To jog everyone's memory, on May 18, 1927, Bath's school board treasurer, 55-year-old Andrew Kehoe, blew up the local school, murdering 38 students before turning the bombs on himself, his farmstead and five more innocents. This was the worst, and first, school massacre the United States had to face, a true turning point in how the nation would deal with such senseless tragedy. But nevermind that, because Lucky Lindy is about to break the world record of being an amazing flyboy! USA! USA! USA! Advertisement On May 21, 1927, not three days after the tragedy and still into the 'thoughts and prayers' phase of American school massacres, noted American hero and Nazi-sympathizer Charles Lindbergh touched down in New York from his solo non-stop flight across the Transatlantic. As opposed to facing the gruesome realities of a school massacre, the return of the Lone Eagle was exactly the uplifting story needed during the Great Depression. News organizations pulled journalists covering the Bath disaster and reassigned them to report on Charles Lindbergh's heroic exploits, and the story of 38 murdered students was forgotten within the year. We're sure there's a lesson in there about America needing to take school tragedies more seriously and not get distracted by attention-seeking fascists, but how would that still be relevant today? Advertisement 3 The First Terrorist Jihad Had 100,000 Hostages, Still Wasn't As Important As The Iranian Hostage Crisis On November 20, 1979, 500 fringe fanatics stormed The Great Mosque of Mecca, al-Masjid al-Haram, and took over 100,000 devout Muslims hostage. This resulted in not just the largest and bloodiest hostage situation in the world, but also the start of the first-ever global jihad, one that eventually led to 9/11. But one country over, some Americans were locked in their embassy -- so who cared about all that? Advertisement The Muslim world was paralyzed when the small army of al-Ikhwan militants took control of al-Masjid al-Haram. It put Saudi troops in a bind, because it was absolutely forbidden to bear arms or spill blood in the most sacred of sacred places. So during the siege's most crucial moments, soldiers had to wait for a special religious fatwa un-damning their souls before they would even point their guns in the direction of the mosque. By that point, the terrorists, who had spent months smuggling a buttload of weapons, ammo, and food into the catacombs below, were completely entrenched, repelling wave after wave of attacks. It took the army two weeks, waves of artillery strikes and a bunch of poison gas to retake the Grand Mosque, but not before the death of 26 worshippers, 124 soldiers, and about 100 Islamic fundamentals (although some sources place that number far higher). Advertisement While one of the largest hostage situations of all time should've been the biggest news of the decade, the story missed something very crucial: white people. The event was buried in the back pages of most global publications because, just days into the attack of the Grand Mosque, the Iran Hostage Crisis kicked off, an incident that lasted almost two years. Soon after, the USSR also invaded Afghanistan, giving both superpowers their own Mideast crises to focus on. But while the siege didn't make an international splash, its ripples are still felt around the world to this day. The attack marked the end of liberalism in Saudi Arabia, allowing the monarchy to start enforcing hardline Sharia Law. Iran's Supreme Leader, Ruhollah Khomeini then accused the US of being behind the attack on Islam's holiest place, leading to riots that resulted in the killing of two Americans and two local staff members at the U.S. embassy in Pakistan. Meanwhile, the success (by terrorist standards) of the siege also inspired many smaller groups of radicals to attempt similar feats, including Osama Bin Laden who happened to be in Mecca at the time of the attack and later cited the bloodshed in Islam's holiest site as one of his reasons he became radicalized. Maybe we should have been paying attention. Advertisement Advertisement 2 The First U.S. Female Pilot's Fame Was Sunk By The Titanic Harriet Quimby is the kind of badass Disney princess who breaks records as easily as she breaks the mold. While her pretty face landed her a modeling gig for a soft drink company and her quick wits allowed her to write six Hollywood movies, it was her eagle eyes and quick reflexes that made her the first female American ace pilot. But while she was in the air breaking some glass ceilings, some dumb dudes were in the water smashing into an iceberg. In 1911, the 35-year-old Quimby became the first woman in the U.S., and only the seventh in the whole world, to earn her pilot's license and she was branded "America's First Lady of the Air." But for Quimby, being part of the flyboys' club wasn't enough, she wanted to run the joint. So not even a year after getting her license, Quimby did what only a single man had done before: pilot a solo flight across the English Channel in what was pretty much a wooden hot tub with a propeller taped to it. Advertisement The journey was very dangerous, and the times were very sexist, so no one believed Quimby could do it. Even one of her best friends, Gustav Hamel, offered to crossdress and fly the plane pretending to be Quimby. But she had more moxie than that. Refusing the con, she got into her winged coffin and, through dense fog and with nothing more than a compass to guide her, successfully flew across the Channel on her lonesome in 1912. For that alone, she should've gotten a parade twice the size of Charles Lindbergh and Amelia Earhart combined. Instead, when she returned to America having conquered the skies, Quimby was met by ... absolutely no fanfare whatsoever. Advertisement It was there that Quimby found out why she wasn't making any headlines: They all needed the space for Jack and Rose. Only two days before her aerial feat of feminism the Titanic had sunk and, unlike when it was a dude and a school massacre fifteen years later, the papers were too preoccupied with the tragedy to care about the incredible victory. Undeterred, Quimby kept pushing aviation boundaries, but the overshadowing and her untimely death that very same year (did we mention how ridiculously dangerous airplanes were in the 1910s?) has left her legacy shrouded in obscurity. Advertisement This Fourth of July, lets look back at the history of the U.S. government, whose every twist and kink was not in fact worked out by a group of founders sitting down in a room. Most programs came about long afterward, when someone suddenly said, Hey. I just thought of a good idea. Other programs, however, didnt even start that way. They started following something much weirder. 4 The National Archives Were Supposed to Destroy Any Archives By 1889, the government was getting bogged down by the accumulation of documents. Offices overflowed with the stuff, which probably served no purpose, and so on February 16th, Congress formed the Committee on Disposition of Useless Executive Papers to sort through the mess. The goal of the committee was to examine papers so they could be disposed of without any fear that wed lost something of value. Naturally, this wasnt a terribly prestigious committee to join. Congress would send unpopular members there as a punishment. Newspapers mocked the committee, calling it the wastebasket (as though the actual name werent ridiculous enough). Then in 1934, the committee ceased to be its own thing. From this point on, its function became a part of the new National Archives a necessary institution because while a lot of these papers were marked ready for disposal, many of them werent and instead needed preservation. via Wiki Commons Indeed, some politicians volunteer to preserve documents privately in their homes. The Committee on Disposition of Useless Executive Papers worked slowly and in secret, often had too few members and sometimes had none at all. Still, it accomplished something few other government projects do: It ran at a profit. During the 1920s, it regularly made hundreds of thousands of dollars annually in todays money and sometimes more, just by selling the waste paper. They didnt sell to data miners or even to paper recyclers. They sold the stuff as kindling. Advertisement 3 The Santa Tracker Was Due to a Wrong Number Every Christmas, NORAD a joint military venture between the U.S. and Canada for tracking potential aerospace threats runs a program they call NORAD Tracks Santa. Their website and social media accounts give updates on Santas supposed location as he moves across the world. Before the internet, they ran a hotline that anyone could call to check in on where Santa is during these same 24 hours around Christmas. According to one theory, this tracker does not really release accurate data on Santa but rather invents data, as sharing his actual location would endanger his safety. We cant confirm or deny that. Nearly as interesting as that potential revelation, however, is the story of how the tracker started. This goes back to the holiday season in 1955. Colonel Harry Shoup worked for the Continental Air Defense Command (NORADs predecessor) and had an actual red phone at his home for major national security emergencies. It rang one day, but rather than the Pentagon informing him of an attack, it was a child asking, Is this Santa Claus? Advertisement That year, Sears had put out an ad inviting kids to call a hotline, with Sears people answering the line as Santa: NORAD Reads as kinda creepy now, unlike todays tradition, where kids sit on Santas lap The kid had reached Shoup instead, either because the ad had printed his number by mistake, or (as the more credible version of this account goes) because the kid had dialed the number wrong. Either way, reaching Shoup was a weird bit of serendipity. It gave Shoup the idea for the Santa tracker, which the military announced with the following statement: CONAD, Army, Navy and Marine Air Forces will continue to track and guard Santa and his sleigh on his trip to and from the U.S. against possible attack from those who do not believe in Christmas. Advertisement Truly, this is a heartwarming story, of the time the military used mainstream religious identity for PR and to portray all outsiders as godless enemies. Advertisement 2 Enemy of the State Created the Surveillance It Sought to Prevent Speaking of how surveillance can be fun, lets talk about the 1998 Will Smith movie Enemy of the State. Smith uncovers a conspiracy, and in an effort to cancel him, the government either hunts him down or runs a smear campaign against him, whichevers more exciting from scene to scene. This involves slipping cameras in his home, installing bugs and putting trackers into his clothing, all of which would be unnecessary if he lived a few decades later and they could just take control of the smartphone he already voluntarily carries. The movie also features one surveillance method that did not actually exist. It shows an NSA satellite that can zoom in and look down at just about anywhere. Its a big part of the film and an even bigger part of the trailer. Sweeping shots from space down to rooftops are a lot more interesting visually than just watching dots on a map. Play Advertisement Advertisement That kind of surveillance did not exist at the time. But among the millions of people who saw the movie in theaters was an engineer at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, a government lab that researches nuclear weapons, biosecurity and something called Titan Laser. This engineer knew no satellite could surveil people like the one in the movie did. But, he figured, it sure would be cool if one could. He immediately pushed the lab into what would become the Sonoma Persistent Surveillance Program, creating a technology called wide-area motion imagery. These cameras would often be operated by aircraft rather than satellites, but it was still a deliberate attempt to replicate the system portrayed in Enemy of the State. While this sounds sinister, a representative of the Defense Department, which assumed control of the program in 2005, told us, I know we might seem imposing. But trust me, if we ever show in your section, believe me, its for your own protection. Advertisement With four official feature films and a whopping five direct-to-video installments, American Pie might just be the single biggest modern film franchise to cash in on gross-out humor and oedipal jokes. While the 1999 original remains beloved by many a person who was once a horny teen at the turn of the millennia, it has also garnered a lot of criticism since that first feature. In regards to the webcam scene, Shannon Elizabeth (who played the saucy Nadia) told Page Six in 2019, If this had come out after the #MeToo movement, there would definitely be a problem. I think that it would have gone down differently. Click right here to get the best of Cracked sent to your inbox. Whichever way folks today feel about these movies where teenagers are viewed through the lens of dumb, raging puberty, the franchise has endured, and so have those images of Jason Biggs destroying an apple pie. Since its July 4th, we collected a bushel of trivia that we heard one time at band camp about the most American of movies 15 The Fabelmans Monkey Is in American Pie Bennies pet monkey in Steven Spielbergs The Fabelmans is the female capuchin monkey actor known as Crystal. She has starred in everything from George of the Jungle and Malcolm in the Middle to The Hangover Part II and Part III and, of course, alongside Blink-182 in American Pie. Play 14 One of the Likely Inspirations Behind Stifler Ended Up Killing a Guy Broward Palm Beach New Times We know; that is one helluva headline. Apparently, Brian Krebs, the man who stabbed a local drummer in a Florida bar in 2011, went to high school with American Pie writer Adam Herz. Its alleged that Herz partly based Stifler on Krebs, even though he would neither confirm nor deny it following the bizarre murder. Its not something I feel comfortable talking about, he told New Times, saying he was mostly shocked that someone he went to school with committed such a terrible crime. 13 The Condom Conundrum of American Pie 2 For the second film, Universal made a product placement deal with Ansell Healthcare, the manufacturer of LifeStyle condoms. The deal included TV commercials that would link the product to the film. It was reported, however, that Universal pulled out (not sorry) at the last minute because the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) did not allow condoms in commercials viewed by general audiences. The company was livid, and its spokesperson released a statement, saying, Using flagrant sex to sell and entice young people while denying them information about products that can protect them is irresponsible. Play 12 The Full-Frontal Nude Scene That Was Scrapped from American Pie Presents: Girls Rules Mike Elliot, the director of the 2020 direct-to-video installment, revealed that Zachary Gordons character, Emmett, initially had a full-frontal nude scene (with a prosthetic in place) but that Universal ended up cutting it. Elliot called it a classic Hollywood double standard: Ever since theres been movie ratings, theres been this uncomfortableness that applies to male nudity, and not female nudity. It exists at the filmmaker level, the studio level and the ratings board level. I was hoping to break that, but I couldnt in this case. And I thought it would be great for Zach to do because he was in all of those (Diary of a) Wimpy Kid movies, and it was time for him to finally burst out! Maybe itll end up on a directors cut someday because its pretty funny. Play Advertisement Advertisement 11 The Writer Wrote and Sold the Script in Less Than Two Months The initial idea for the movie came from Craig Perry, who ended up as an executive producer on the film. My old partner and I kept a list of random thoughts, and one of them was about four guys doing everything they can to get laid before they graduate, Perry has explained. We gave it to Adam Herz, he had only written a couple of scripts for TV pilots at that point, but we liked his voice. He wrote a draft, and we ended up keeping the first 10 pages, which are the 10 pages where Jims parents catch him masturbating into a sock while watching scrambled porn. He rewrote the rest. Herzs spec script for the first American Pie movie landed on the executives desks with the title, Unfitted Teenage Sex Comedy Which Can Be Made for Under $10 Million That Studio Readers Will Most Likely Hate But I Think You Will Love (coincidentally, it was made for $11 million). The script spawned an actual bidding war, one that Universal would ultimately win. I graduated in 1996 from the University of Michigan as a film studies and communications major. I never even considered writing for movies, Herz told Movieline. But I started writing the script on December 6th of last year, and it was sold on January 23rd. Its been like a cliche because its gone so smoothly. Ive tried to keep cool, thinking, This is the way its supposed to happen. 10 Chris Klein and Seann William Scott Trained for Weeks to Play Lacrosse And yet, they still ended up needing stunt doubles for the scene. Scott said that he was horrible at the sport and that the three weeks of training did nothing to help. It was all sort of for naught thank God for doubles, he admitted. Play Advertisement Advertisement 9 The First Movie Initially Had an NC-17 Rating Given all the raunch (and there was loads more to start), the MPAA at first slapped the dreaded NC-17 rating onto American Pie, mostly because of the famous scene in which Biggs assaults an innocent pastry. The filmmakers were told to cut some of the filling thumping to get an R-rating. Play And to think, the scene wasnt even in the first script. It wasnt in my original draft, Herz told The New York Times. There was this line somewhere early in the first act where the kids are talking about rounding the bases of sex. I wanted this line to show Jims naivete but also show, do the other guys know what theyre talking about either? I wrote this line, What does third base feel like? And Chris Klein was like, Warm apple pie, dude, and he does this gesture. That line always stuck with me. 8 Why Chris Klein Wasnt in American Wedding Klein was suspiciously left out of the third film (no way Oz would miss his best buddys wedding), and many moviegoers were under the impression the actor had moved on from the franchise. However, fans became puzzled when he popped up in American Reunion. Klein eventually revealed to HuffPost that he wouldve loved to do American Wedding, but he was left out. I sure wish that they had invited me to play Oz at the wedding, the actor admitted. Unfortunately, that was a creative decision made way above my pay grade. Had there been a part there for me to play and a part for Mena to play, and a part for Tara to play, we absolutely would have jumped on board. He added that he had zero hard feelings about being left out of the third installment, saying, Thats not who we are. Thats not how we got cast in these movies. These movies to me, personally, are incredibly special. As not only a willing participant in these movies but also as an audience member. And I cherish my moments in the American Pie franchise, and Im really grateful that I get to be a part of it. Play Advertisement Advertisement 7 A Different Jim Levenstein? Biggs said that there was another big-name actor at the time who he was sure would get the role of the pie pervert. It was brutal because the feedback I had gotten was that I was the directors first choice, but the studio was still potentially holding out for a name in the role, Biggs said. The name that I was hearing the most at the time was Jonathan Taylor Thomas, who was at the height of Home Improvement fame. There was at least a month where I was just waiting around. 6 The Directors Advocated for More Sex Positivity from a Womans Perspectives We didnt think we were going to get the job, which actually freed us up to say what we thought we could bring to it, Chris Weitz explained, saying that he and his brother, Paul Weitz, hadnt directed anything up to that point (they had just finished writing Antz). We wanted to make it more palatable to girls. We started from the position that no one had ever done a sex comedy that wasnt chauvinistic. In American Pie, the girls are in control of, and enjoying, having sex. Theyre not just tools for the boys. Play Advertisement Advertisement 5 The Body Double for Biggs Sex Scene Was Fired We hired a body double for a scene where Jason and Alyson get it on, Paul Weitz revealed during an interview with Bullet Media. But the body double showed up, and when he stripped down, we saw, like, an 8-inch-long scar across his stomach. Jason ended up doing it in the end. Alyson Hannigan (who played Michelle) added, It was a lot of fun taking Jims virginity! On the day of the shoot, I started improvising: Whats my name? Say my name! Say my name, bitch! There was no dialogue in the script, just quick shots of us basically tearing the room apart. Play 4 Eugene Levys Character Was Originally Way More Creepy If it werent for Levy protesting his original character and the Weitz brothers taking in everything he was saying, Jims Dad (Noah Levenstein) wouldve been a real weirdo. The dad had a little bit of an edge, Levy once explained. A little nudge-nudge, wink-wink with the son. So I said, I dont want to play the character that way, really. Ive got a problem with it, so maybe I shouldnt do the movie. The Weitz brothers ended up collaborating with him to hone his character. All the scenes in American Pie came out of an improvisation, Levy continued. I wanted the character to be a real dad. Like a real, corny dad who cares about their children. I wanted to be the kind of parent that the kids didnt want to hang with. (The original version) was a little creepy. So I made him more square. Play Advertisement Advertisement 3 What Was Really in the Pale Ale Its the gagging scene where Stifler unknowingly drinks a cup of beer with another mans juice in it. Play When asked during an interview what was really in that drink and what it tasted like, Scott revealed, It was egg whites, and I really tried not to think about what it was supposed to be. Every time we did a take, I just drank it and pretended it was beer. 2 American Pie 5 Is in the Works Pitched by Sujata Day from Insecure, American Pie 5 is reportedly going to be a fresh take on the franchise, with a different cast who has yet to be announced. As reboots go these days, however, its likely we might still see a few legacy characters pop by to make some silly joke about baked goods. Of course, theres also Scotts idea of finding out what a 40-year-old unchanged Stifler would be up to these days, which, given that hes unchanged, we probably know already. Play Advertisement Advertisement Plenty of wild animals pose a threat to your well-being, but generally, a big requirement for that threat is them being alive. If an animal is dead, generally, it either means youve never been in danger, or you just now removed yourself from danger with a bit of highly stressful violence. If youre out hiking in the woods and were given the option to run into either a grizzly bear or a grizzly bears corpse by some sort of imaginary danger sommelier, its a good bet youre picking the cold variety. Some animals, though, are not only still dangerous when dead, but might be more of a threat from beyond the grave. Here are four animals who are more dangerous when dead 4 Rats Pixabay What an adorable little host! As far as being fleshy vectors of all sorts of nasty stuff, the rat is pretty much king. Only the mosquito could present any real argument against their dominance, and the rat still has some pretty compelling arguments. For example, a pesky illness known as the Black Plague. Modern research has shown that rats might not have been the only or primary method of transmission. At the same time, having even partial credit for knocking off roughly one-third of the population of Europe is plenty enough reason not to poke any bubo-riddled recently deceased rats. Historical tragedies aside, rats carry a whole lot of diseases that would recommend careful handling of their remains. Not that most people are psychotic enough to barehand a rat corpse and dunk it in a dumpster, but building some sort of improvised device around not having to touch it might be the medically recommended path. Just ask a bunch of Californian neighbors who all picked up typhus after getting rid of some dead rats on their property. Advertisement 3 Fugu Pixabay This shit better taste like truffles times one thousand. The pufferfish, in terms of traditional defense mechanisms, was dealt a pretty shitty hand. Its incredibly slow, basically floating along like a little drumstick-shaped treat for any nearby aquatic predators. Given that theyre not getting away from anyone, they developed some alternative defense mechanisms. The first gives them their name, in their ability to rapidly inflate into a spiny ball much more difficult to get a hungry mouth around. The second isnt visible, but is incredibly deadly: Organs that are positively swimming in tetrodotoxin, an incredibly deadly neurotoxin. Advertisement The solution to not dying from that neurotoxin seems pretty simple: Dont eat them. For one reason or another, however, the Japanese have instead chosen to engage in the culinary equivalent of base jumping by considering pufferfish, or fugu, a prized delicacy. Its known as an edible curiosity to foodies and Simpsons fans the world over. If the chef prepares it properly, without accidentally spilling any of the toxin inside onto the edible bits of flesh, enjoy your meal. If not, well, hopefully your affairs are in order. Its so difficult to safely prepare that it not only has its very own license required for legal preparation, but its own knife, known as a fugu-hiki. 2 Beached Whales Pixabay I d step away if you want to wear any of those clothes ever again. Advertisement Advertisement When any living creature dies, their body quickly begins the next task on the docket: decomposition. From dust to dust, as they say, though with a couple of extremely disgusting and very wet steps included in-between. Part of this decomposition includes the production of highly unpleasant gases inside the corpse in question. Weve gotten a lot better at preventing this so that a funeral can be held without the need for hazmat suits, but in worst-case scenarios, like with the body of William the Conqueror, that gas can result in one of the least cool explosions ever. Now, if you scale up that phenomenon dramatically, and add extremely thick skin and layers of blubber that are able to store a lot more force and compressed gas before giving way, you get the stinky ticking time bomb that is a beached whale. Despite how fascinating this recently expired king of the ocean might be, theres a good reason that scientists recommend, to use laymans terms, not fucking with it. Disturbing or attempting to move the corpse might result in those gases moving from inside to outside at extreme speed through the path of least resistance you just created with your hand. Advertisement At best, youre spending the next week in the shower. At worst, you might be getting clocked at high speed by whale innards. Observe from a distance, and your nose will thank you. U-S-A! U-S-A! U-S-A! We Americans love this country, dont we? Many of us root for the home team, celebrate the Fourth of July decked out in red, white and blue and enjoy the freedoms Hulkamania fought for us. After all, we are the best at everything! Except when it comes to poverty, health care, racism and Look, were still working on it. Because while Americans have plenty to be proud of, theres plenty of darkness that needs addressing, too. Click right here to get the best of Cracked sent to your inbox. So as we do some self-reflection while eating barbecue this summer, we present a few of the best dark humor jokes regarding the good ol U.S. of A... 14 Family Guy on Why Men Should Still Run the Country Play 13 Gina Yashere Prefers American Racism I prefer good ol fashioned American racism. Its in your face; you know where you stand with American racism. You guys have even made movies to let me know where Im welcome and where Im not. For instance, I know Im never going to Mississippi. Ive seen the films! Play 12 Jim Jefferies on Americas Obsession with Terrorism at Airports The Australian Jefferies discussed the moment he felt the most American: When he voluntarily complied with the U.S.s TSA bomb-inspection policies at an Australian airport. Play 11 Patton Oswalt on KFC Famous Bowls America has spoken: Pile my food in a fucking bowl; I dont give a shit. I just want a light brown hillock of glop. I want a failure pile in a sadness bowl. Play Advertisement Advertisement 10 An American Tail: Fievel Goes to Vietnam Play 9 U.S. Customs Courtesy of Saturday Night Live SNL went over the new customs process for entry into the U.S. Sadly, theyre not very far off. Play Advertisement Advertisement 8 Wanda Sykes on the Metric System Sykes discussed how the world moved on with the metric system, whereas kids and teachers in the U.S. cried and fought against it so now we have doctors that need to tell patients their diagnosis in fruit. Play 7 Mr. Shows Reparations Mr. Show presents a sketch demonstrating how the country would probably handle doling out reparations to Black Americans for slavery. Or at least what Mississippi would do. Play Advertisement Advertisement 6 Bill Burr on Americas Response to COVID 5 Daniel Tosh on Being Impressed with Black Americans Theres nothing more shameful in our countrys past than slavery. But Ive grown up in a generation where I have idolized Black people my entire life. Theyre better at everything. So the fact weve pulled off slavery Play Advertisement Advertisement 4 Christopher Titus on the 2020 Election I could not believe we were fighting each other over these idiots? And thats why we were pissed with each other? Families were breaking up. You guys do get that we get a new idiot in four years, right? Youre gonna need your family to wipe you in 20. Play 3 Kids in the Halls Ode to America In America, where spelling doesnt count, but peoples pets do! Play Advertisement Advertisement 2 Key & Peele Get Real About American Foreign Policy Play Minister of Science and ICT Lee Jong-ho speaks during a press conference at the Korea Press Center in Seoul, Tuesday. Lee said the country aims to become the global leader in hyperscale artificial intelligence (AI) platforms. Courtesy of Ministry of Science and ICT By Holly Chik Korea aims to become the global leader in hyperscale artificial intelligence (AI) platforms and preemptively dominate non-English markets around the world, according to the science ministry, Tuesday. The country will create an ecosystem for the technology to be applied in professional fields, including the legal and medical industries, Science Minister Lee Jong-ho said in a press conference. For example, AI can support the filing of legal complaints and the writing of medical opinions, as well as recommend treatment methods. Hyperscale AI refers to more powerful AI models, much like ChatGPT and local conversational AI products which are set to be launched. They are powered by a large amount of parameters comparable to the humongous number of synapses in the brain where neurons connect and communicate with each other, Lee said. "Korea is one of four countries in the world with a hyperscale AI model. We aim to create services that will lead the global market by targeting Korea's specialized fields such as law and medicine," Lee said. The three other countries are China, Israel and the United States. Lee also said the country has established a consortium with 105 private companies, in which industry, academia, researchers and government jointly "develop technologies that go beyond the limits of AI." He said the government attaches importance to research and development collaborations with other countries, which also include AI technology. "Algorithm is an area that can still be developed and we need international cooperation in this area. We need to prepare manpower who can take part in international cooperation," he said. Uhm Yul, director general of the artificial intelligence policy bureau, added that local small and medium-sized businesses can work with overseas counterparts to develop AI technologies. "International collaboration will be done by Korea very proactively. We have every intention to lead the way in terms of international collaboration," he said. The ministry also said it will continue to develop its space and quantum technologies. Korea aims to become a space economy powerhouse and is working to launch the Korea Aerospace Agency to lead space programs and aeronautics research by the end of this year. In May, the country launched its locally developed Nuri space rocket to place satellites into Earth orbit, a milestone in the country's space program. The ministry said it plans to repeat launches of the vehicle for three years in a row from 2025. It also aims to launch a lunar lander in 2032. In 2021, Korea signed the Artemis Accords set up by the U.S. government and NASA, which set rules for future lunar activities. To foster the growth of quantum technologies, the country will increase its investment in international cooperation from the current 13 billion won to 210 billion won by 2035. Last week, the science ministry announced that the government and private sector will invest a total of 3 trillion won in three stages by 2035 to raise Korea's technological capabilities to 85 percent compared to the leading countries. It will also establish new research hubs to bring the number of local quantum professionals to 10,000 by 2035 from the current 1,000, while sending students overseas for training. At the time, the minister said Korea aims to leverage its existing semiconductor technology and IT capabilities to become one of the world's top four quantum technology powerhouses. Holly Chik is a science reporter with the South China Morning Post. She is currently based in Seoul, reporting for both The Korea Times and the South China Morning Post under an exchange program. Psychology-aware security is effective security As CEO and founder of RevolutionCyber, Juliet Okafor helps organizations move from cybersecurity awareness to adoption and offers fractional business information security officer (BISO) services. Okafor, who is also an attorney with a background in communications, focuses on the human component of building a cyber-resilient organization. She says she draws on marketing and sales principles that convince people to make a purchase or take an action. "They're selling someone on making a decision they wouldn't normally make. Cybersecurity is the same. You're convincing people that cybersecurity is part of their job. And to do that, cyber must use psychology. It demands psychology for it to be effective," Okafor says. Like a marketing professional, Okafor has developed and uses personas to help her fine-tune the cybersecurity messages she delivers to individuals. Those personas consider their roles, their motivations, how they prefer to learn and other factors. "When we do this, we can personalize campaigns, we build better awareness and we better mitigate risks," she says. Okafor says cyberpsychologists have also used their training to identify enterprise vulnerabilities. She points to research that shows how people's more-rushed behaviors at certain times of day, such as just before lunch and right before leaving, make them more prone to click through emails including phishing attacks. (Cyberpsychologists call such rushed moments a "hot" visceral state.) Security teams that understand this dynamic can act on that information, she says, for example by adjusting its security information and event management (SIEM) platform to create more gates for emails to travel through during those times. Cyberpsychology works in training, too Okafor has also applied psychology to training security teams, having worked with companies looking to improve their incident response times. She used competitions to train teams and asked winners to share their strategies -- the former leveraging security workers' typically competitive nature and the latter leveraging their motivations to do good and be seen as trusted stewards. As she explains: "It's taking what you know about how people work and creating policies to make sure the right controls are in place." Christie Wilson, cyber resilience manager with UniSuper, says she, too, is bringing psychology into her organization's security program. Wilson, who has both a bachelor's degree and a post-graduate diploma in sociology, says she's working to "analyze and predict human interactions, motivations, and vulnerabilities, which are important considerations for protecting against cyber threats and designing effective security measures." Wilson says this has helped her develop awareness training that better resonates with people and helps them better understand why they need to buy into the company's cyber resilience program. People are an attack vector, not a weak link This mindset has even brought Wilson to adjust her thinking around people as "the weakest link. "People aren't the weakest link," she notes. "They are the primary attack vector. It's important we understand this when creating awareness and training content. As security professionals, we need to put ourselves in our people's shoes. Security might be the most important thing in the world to us, but for others it can be anything from a blocker to something they never consider." She adds: "Understanding that behavior change needs motivation, ability, and prompts has been a key component of our cyber resilience program." Blythe says the most effective way for CISOs to incorporate psychology into their security program is to bring a cyberpsychologist on board, saying "A cyberpsychologist would know what the science is and how it works." Others agree, but they acknowledge that's a big ask --and one that's hard to do. For one thing, there are few people trained in the discipline. Cyberpsychology, which focuses on how the mind reacts when people interact with technology, is still a relatively new field, Hadlington says. Moreover, not all cyberpsychologists and cyberpsychology programs focus on cybersecurity. CISOs already working with slim budgets may not have the money for such a position. Still, interest and information about the intersection of psychology and cybersecurity is spreading. Hadlington is taking a "train the trainer approach." Huffman researches and speaks on the topic. And institutions are adding courses in this space; for example, the SANS Institute, a training organization, is running a Managing Human Risk Summit in August 2023, which will address in part the psychology factor. Adding psychology to the security department Experts say CISOs can learn to layer psychology into their security programs to boost the effectiveness of their work. To start with, Hadlington and Huffman both recommend that CISOs engage in more communication. They should ask workers about where they struggle with security controls, why they circumvent security policies, why they clicked on the link in a simulated (or real) phishing scam, what would motivate them to be more security-minded, etc. Then they should address those human elements. CISOs should also empower workers with ways to solve their challenges and also clearly articulate the ways workers make a difference in security. "That feedback loop is really critical," Hadlington says. "People want to know 'Why am I doing this? What's in it for me? Am I helping the organization? Is what I'm doing effective?'" Additionally, Huffman says CISOs can work with their marketing teams to learn techniques for influencing behavior. And, as marketing does with the messages it sends to its audience, Huffman says security can personalize security awareness and training. Address issues that create a 'psychological hot state' CISOs can also work with their executive colleagues to address cultural issues that foster that psychological hot state, Huffman says, noting that a workplace where employees are constantly worried or unreasonably busy "gives hackers another advantage." Lance Spitzner, director of research and community at the SANS Institute, says he advises CISOs to take a broader view of this topic, applying psychology and behavioral sciences to affect not just individual workers but organizational behavior as a whole. "You're trying to create an environment in which humans exhibit strong security behaviors," he says. "To secure organizations, we need to secure people. And to secure people, we need to change their behaviors. And to change their behaviors, we need to both motivate and empower them to change. That's where the cognitive sciences come in." Kia's Sportage SUV is seen in this photo provided by the company. Yonhap Hyundai Motor and its affiliate Kia said Tuesday their combined sales in the United States rose 9 percent in June from a year earlier on robust sales of SUVs and environment-friendly models. Last month, Hyundai and Kia sold 139,846 vehicles in the world's most important automobile market, up from 128,233 units a year earlier, according to the companies' sales data. Hyundai's sales climbed 10 percent to 69,351 units in June from 63,091 a year ago, while Kia's were up 8.2 percent to 70,495 from 65,142 during the same period. Hyundai's independent Genesis brand's sales figures were not immediately available. The sales results were helped by robust sales of Hyundai's Tucson and Santa Fe SUVs, as well as the all-electric IONIQ 5 model, and Kia's Sportage, Sorento and Telluride SUVs, the companies said. "Our award-winning EV lineup continues to build momentum with the best all-time monthly sales for the IONIQ 5 and the first time with over 1,000 units sold for the IONIQ 6," Randy Parker, Hyundai Motor America CEO, said in a statement. From January to June, their sales jumped 16 percent to 788,946 autos from 677,207 during the same period of last year. Hyundai's sales climbed 15 percent on-year to 394,613 units, while Kia's were up 18 percent at 394,333. Hyundai and Kia have set a combined sales goal of 7.52 million units in 2023, up 9.8 percent from the 6.85 million units they sold last year. Hyundai and Kia aim to sell 4.32 million autos and 3.2 million units, respectively, in global markets this year. The two Korean carmakers together form the world's third-largest carmaker by sales after Toyota Motor and Volkswagen Group. (Yonhap) Lotte Energy Materials CEO Kim Yeon-seop speaks during a press conference at Lotte Hotel World in Seoul, Tuesday. Courtesy of Lotte Energy Materials By Park Jae-hyuk Lotte Energy Materials said Tuesday that it aims to become the global leader in the high-end copper foil market by increasing its market share to 30 percent by 2028. The company also expressed confidence about outperforming its competitors through a thinner copper foil with higher intensity and elongation. Such features are considered necessary for the production of batteries for high-performing electric vehicles. "It is still difficult for our rivals to produce copper foil that satisfies both high-intensity and high-elongation rate, so we are the only company producing such a product," Lotte Energy Materials CEO Kim Yeon-seop said. He made the remarks during Lotte Energy Materials' first press conference since Lotte Chemical's acquisition of the company, which was formerly Iljin Materials, the world's No. 4 copper foil maker in terms of market share. At this moment, the world's leading copper foil maker in terms of market share is SK Nexilis, the wholly owned subsidiary of SKC, a chemical unit of SK Group. When Lotte signed the deal last October to acquire Iljin Materials, SK Nexilis CEO Yi Jae-hong told reporters that there is a significantly wide gap between his company and other copper foil manufacturers. Although the Lotte affiliate emphasized its competitiveness in the high-end copper foil market, it declined to disclose its share of the market during a recent press conference, saying the global demand for high-end products is still in its infancy. "The market share is not meaningful at this moment," Kim said. The CEO also apologized to the company's shareholders for the sharp drop in its stock price after credit rating agencies recently cut the credit ratings of Lotte Chemical and its affiliates, citing the chemical firm's worsening financial soundness. "The falling stock price can be attributed to our worsening short-term performance and uncertainties about the medium- to long-term outlook for our business," Kim said. "However, there are signs of an increase in demand for our products, especially in the Chinese market. In addition, the high-end market is expected to grow rapidly in the medium to long run." Lotte Energy Materials also said it is looking into a couple of regions in North America, as candidates for the site to build another overseas factory, following the one in Malaysia and another in Spain. "We are looking for the region that can supply renewable energies at lower costs and workers who will not leave in a short period of time," Kim said. "We hope to come up with tangible results within this year, but this could be changeable." RAND TALKING POINTS Gallium and germanium could be two unknown but vital supporters for rand strength. South African PMI & FOMC minutes in focus tomorrow. Bear flag break imminent. Trade Smarter - Sign up for the DailyFX Newsletter Receive timely and compelling market commentary from the DailyFX team Subscribe to Newsletter USD/ZAR FUNDAMENTAL BACKDROP The South African rand looks for its third straight day of gains against the U.S. dollar after Fridays US Core PCE Deflator release missed estimates. In what would have been a relatively muted trading day today as the US celebrates Independence Day, Chinas Foreign Ministry stated they would look to restrict certain chip making materials including gallium and germanium. These two little known substances could have major upside for the local currency as South Africa is one of the biggest germanium producers globally and gallium is produced in aluminum production (a capability South Africa holds). The demand for these materials would in theory rise in accordance with the Chinese decision to limit exports and should increase the demand for the rand. Other major South African commodity prices are trading higher today including gold and iron ore on the back of a weaker USD and with no significant economic data scheduled for today, I do not expect much in the way of price volatility before tomorrow. Tomorrows calendar (see below) begins with South African S&P PMI data which could track lower following the ABSA release yesterday. The primary focus will be the FOMC minutes and the thought process behind its members to keep rates on hold. Foundational Trading Knowledge Commodities Trading Recommended by Warren Venketas Start Course USD/ZAR ECONOMIC CALENDAR (GMT +02:00) Source: DailyFX Economic Calendar TECHNICAL ANALYSIS USD/ZAR DAILY CHART Chart prepared by Warren Venketas, IG Daily USD/ZAR price action above shows a key channel (dashed black line) break being tested. A confirmation daily close below this support zone could spark a move lower towards the 18.5000 psychological handle. The pattern resembles that of a bear flag and the long upper wick formation on Friday could add to the downward bias short-term. Resistance levels: 50-day moving average (yellow) 18.7167 Flag support Support levels: 18.5000 Contact and followWarrenon Twitter:@WVenketas Seen is a message that Tom Jenkins, former chair of the European Union's domestic advisory group set up under the Korea-EU FTA, tweeted last Friday. Screenshot from Twitter By Park Jae-hyuk A former chair of the European Union's domestic advisory group set up under the Korea-EU FTA raised questions about the legality of a recent request by the Korea Enterprises Federation (KEF) to lower the minimum wage for migrant shipbuilding workers who hold E-7 visas issued to foreigners with special skills. "Korean employers want cut in the minimum wage for shipbuilding migrant workers. Surely a breach of non-regression commitments in the Korea-EU and indeed the Korea-U.K. FTAs?" Tom Jenkins, who also served as a senior adviser of the European Trade Union Confederation, tweeted last Friday, sharing The Korea Times' article on the business lobby's request. "I would argue that a cut in the minimum wage amounts to a weakening of labor protections and that, especially as shipbuilding is key Korean export, this would affect trade," he added on Sunday. Jenkins also asked the Delegation of the EU to Korea to look into this matter and scrutinize the treatment of migrant workers in Korea. Under current Korean laws, E-7 visa holders are guaranteed base wages equivalent to 80 percent of the previous year's gross national income (GNI) per capita. In order to help make foreign labor more affordable for subcontractors of large shipbuilding companies, however, the government took a temporary measure earlier this year, allowing small firms and startups, as well as medium-sized enterprises not located in the Seoul metropolitan area, to pay a minimum of 70 percent of the previous year's GNI per capita to employees holding the E-7 visa. As the subcontractors cried foul over the fact that foreign workers can still earn more pay than their Korean peers if they work overtime, the KEF demanded the government take more drastic deregulatory measures. Article 13.7 of the Korea-EU FTA, however, stipulates that a party shall not weaken or reduce the labor protections afforded in its laws. The Korean Confederation of Trade Unions, one of the country's two largest umbrella labor groups, also denounced the KEF for its request, accusing it of being retrogressive and infringing on human rights. Tom Jenkins, right, then chairman of the European Union's domestic advisory group set up under the Korea-EU FTA, shakes hands with his Korean counterpart, Eom Hyeon-taek, then member of the Economic and Social Development Commission, during the first Civil Society Forum in Brussels in this 2012 file photo. Courtesy of Economic, Social & Labor Council Last month, I attended the funeral of two villagers in my homeland, Botswana. Both were in their teens, tragically killed by charging wild buffalo as they travelled to school and work. Sadly, this was not an isolated incident. Just weeks later, I learnt the heartbreaking news that a young father had been killed by an elephant as he walked to his farm in a small village within the Okavango Delta, leaving behind a widow and children. Burying family members killed by wildlife, or losing entire crops to marauding elephant herds, is all too common in my country. Our lives are inextricably linked to the wild animals who share our home. Yet it's a reality often lost on well-meaning people living in the West. For many around the world, African wildlife is a sentimental showreel on a nature documentary. Philda Nani Kereng, Botswanan Minister of Environment and Tourism An elephant which has been hunted in Botswana is butchered by villagers Outrage It is this understandable but misplaced impression held by both the public and policymakers that, I fear, has led to the proposed Hunting Trophies (Import Prohibition) Bill, which would ban the importation of wildlife trophies into the UK. Last month, the Bill passed its second reading in the House of Lords, and is currently awaiting the crucial Committee Stage. Given the urgency, last week I travelled to London to highlight the terrible impact this Bill would have on conservation efforts, not only in my country but in other African nations as well. Of course, this might come as a surprise to Mail readers disgusted by the thought of someone slaughtering for sport any of the magnificent animals roaming across the beautiful African landscape. And believe me, I do understand the horror people feel when they see a photograph of a trophy hunter posing beside a recent kill. Lion killings in particular seem to cause outrage among Britons, especially after the notorious shooting of Cecil the lion by a U.S. trophy hunter in Zimbabwe in 2015. The widely circulated picture of Walter Palmer standing over Cecil's body became emblematic of man's destructive relationship with nature. Reasonable though this reaction is, it is a knee-jerk one. It fails to acknowledge that for many African nations, trophy hunting is vital for the local population. It is a wildlife conservation measure that generates income used to combat illegal poaching, support community development and enhance habitat protection. Hunting revenue has connected villages to clean water and electricity, built roads and schools, founded businesses and helped struggling families. It has also created watering holes for animals that lie safely beyond village boundaries, and created animal-proof censors that can alert villagers if wildlife is close. Sadly, all too often, Westerners focus solely on animal welfare at the expense of human life in Africa. Botswana's president, Mokgweetsi Masisi, summarised this beautifully in 2019 when he suggested that Western policymakers seem to believe no humans actually live in our vast continent. 'It is just a big zoo,' as he put it. 'And they are the keepers.' To talk about wildlife without taking into account lives and livelihoods is a terrible misstep which is why, while prioritising sustainable development, the Botswanan government also puts people at the heart of policy. So how does it work in practice? Since the 1980s, and with the ongoing support of the UK, we have implemented a community-based natural resource management programme, allocating hunting quotas to communities, administered by a trust set up by villagers. Once issued with their quota, they can then find global partners who will pay for the right to hunt. These rights are tightly controlled and hunting without a permit carries a hefty prison term ranging from five to ten years. The revenue from these permits goes directly into the community coffers. Last year, our government raised 1,635,000 from a 'Special Elephant Quota' of 70 elephants, money that was channelled into improving the lives of rural communities. This much-needed infrastructure and financial support improves life for many of Botswana's 2.5 million-strong population, and also plays a crucial role in promoting harmony between people and animals. This is vital. Any rural resident in our country knows that living among wildlife means living with risk. An elephant which has been hunted and killed is transported in Botswana to the nearest village to be butchered Africans in many countries are confronted by huge populations of elephants that cause immense damage to crops and pose a threat to people's lives Killed People travel to work on land where wild buffalo and elephants roam alongside hyenas and wild dogs. Over the past ten years, an average of five people each year have been killed by elephants, with many others injured. But at least communities now know that this risk is being balanced by laws, strategies and policies that promote sustainability as well as safety and prosperity. Trophy hunting is also not the major threat to the survival of animals that its opponents like to suggest. Habitat loss, land conversion and human-wildlife conflict are far more important. The numbers speak for themselves. Botswana is a conservation success story, with more than 40 per cent of land mass reserved for wildlife conservation, protecting large populations of threatened species including at approximately 150,000 the largest herd of elephants in the world. This flies in the face of the prophecy made by former president, Ian Khama who had criminalised trophy-hunting in 2014 ominously warning that every day without a ban on hunting trophies brought elephants nearer to extinction. It is also worth noting that during the four years in which this ill-conceived ban was in place, many communities experienced a significant reduction in income, employment prospects and increased food insecurity due to a lack of game meat. Beautiful None of this is to deny that trophy hunting continues to be a delicate balancing act for the entire African continent. Indeed, there are countries that are not working hard enough and whose conservation efforts would not withstand scrutiny. Sadly, the UK's proposed Bill fails to distinguish African countries with strong governance, such as Botswana, from those with weaker checks and balances as well as failing to differentiate between legally and illegally sourced trophies. The UK has been a strong and reliable ally to my beloved homeland, investing 100 million in our country and other ecologically sensitive landscapes through the Biodiverse Landscape Fund (BLF). However, in its current format, the proposed Hunting Trophies Bill has the potential to undo so much of the worthwhile work achieved over the past 35 years. Unpalatable though the concept may be to many, it is not enough to look at an animal and say that it is beautiful and does not deserve to die. I am here to tell you on behalf of my country and many governments across Africa, that to save the animal kingdom we must put sentiment aside and look at the facts. There are style parallels between the late Queen Elizabeth and the Princess Over the years, Kate has used a technicolour range of blazers on heavy rotation For official engagements, the Princess of Wales often turns to a tried-and-tested uniform, whether it's her Alexander McQueen coat dresses or spotty dresses from Alessandra Rich. Another key wardrobe staple is the classic blazer in various colourful iterations, adding freshness to simple silhouettes and an extra hint of polish to otherwise laid-back looks. Dating back to her early appearances on the public stage, Catherine has had a technicolour range of blazers on heavy rotation, ranging from sellout Zara boucle designs to LK Bennett sunny shades and, more recently, a vintage Chanel jacket dating back to 1995, often paired with jeans or tailored trousers. Blazers are a modern take on royal tailoring and, despite their generational differences, parallel style nuances can be spotted between the late Queen Elizabeth II and the Princess of Wales. The Princess of Wales often turns to the classic blazer in numerous colourful iterations, using them to add freshness to simple silhouettes There are style parallels between the late Queen and the Princess of Wales From neat tailored silhouettes to matching block colour palettes always a solid pillar, Kate and the late monarch find themselves sartorially matching, even down to exaggerated double breasted buttons and detailed collars and cuffs. Where the Queen chose looser fits with longer hemlines, Kate's jackets flare over her hips and nip in at the waist, although the unifying feature for both are neat lapels. The Queen's faultless style was underpinned by staples that became constants throughout her seven decades on the throne. Made to measure coats by Hardy Amies, Stewart Parvin and her royal dresser Angela Kelly, together with Launer handbags, prim Anello & Davide pumps and a collection of heirloom brooches formed the backbone of her wardrobe. Following in her footsteps, Kate has equally found a formula that fits her many royal engagements, mixing high-street pieces and luxury fashion. In the case of the Queen, simple, bright colours and clear lines had been a very deliberate choice, the more so once she teamed up with dresser Angela Kelly. It was a dress code which allowed the Queen to stand out from the crowd. For, as she memorably said: 'I have to be seen to be believed.' It seems that Catherine, our future Queen, has been paying attention... Mint Green The Princess of Wales at Wimbledon dressed in a mint green blazer and a full length skirt creating a striking image Queen Elizabeth II standing out at the station whilst boarding a train at Kings Lynn Station to return to London after her Christmas break at Sandringham in February 2017 When Kate arrived at the second day of Wimbledon in a striking mint green blazer, it was reminiscent of a shade favoured by the late Queen Elizabeth, from whom the Princess has learned so much. The Queen's chose an all-green ensemble for an appearance at Kings Lynn as she returned from her Christmas break at Sandringham to London in February 2017. Dusty Blue The Queen, when attending Ascot, opted for a cashmere coat by Stewart Parvin along with classic black accessories and a silver brooch The princess, appearing at West Ham's stadium in October 2017, modernised the dusty blue shade in a 720 Philosophy di Lorenzo Serafini blazer Soft dusty blue contrasted with black accessories is what draws these two royal looks together. With matching high necklines and double breasted buttons, the Queen, when attending Ascot, opted for a cashmere coat by Stewart Parvin. The princess, appearing at West Ham's London Stadium, used the shade in a 720 Philosophy di Lorenzo Serafini blazer featuring bronze buttons, worn with black jeans and Russell and Bromley boots. Pillar Box Red For a festive event in 2008, the Queen donned a red coat with braided trim and matching hat Kate's structured 59.99 Zara boucle blazer was layered over a ME & EM blouse and Roland Mouret trousers was a success for a visit to The Royal Foundation Centre for Early Childhood Through their respective sartorial histories, both royals have shown equal inclination towards pillar box red. For a festive event in 2008, the Queen donned a red coat with braided trim and matching hat, with Kate taking a leaf out of her style book when stepping out during a visit to Copenhagen. Wearing an equally bold red in honour of the host country's flag, her structured 59.99 Zara boucle blazer was layered over a ME & EM blouse and Roland Mouret trousers. Kate's Aspinal of London bag and Gianvito Rossi pumps mirrored The Queen's signature accessories. Peachy Pink Queen Elizabeth's Stewart Parvin double breasted pastel wool coat was contrasted with black accents and a glittering brooch for an outing to Newbury racecourse Kate opted for a peach blazer by Chloe, 2550, paired with & Other Stories pale blue jeans and Superga trainers when visiting the Natural History Museum on June 22, 2021 Stepping out at Newbury racecourse, the Queen's Stewart Parvin double breasted pastel wool coat was contrasted with black accents and a glittering brooch. In a more casual nod to the late monarch's look, Kate opted for a peach blazer by Chloe, 2550, paired with & Other Stories pale blue jeans and Superga trainers for an engagement at the Natural History Museum. Featuring matching strong shoulders and a pastel peach hue, they both use the power of colour to soften the sharp lines of tailoring. Canary Yellow The Queen dressed in a bright yellow ensemble to Board the Royal Yacht Britannia for her annual cruise around the Western Isles When visiting he Dame Kelly Holmes Trust on May 16, in Bath, Kate paired her Veja trainers with the yellow LK Bennett blazer To visit a Dame Kelly Holmes program for mental health, Kate opted for a sunny blazer over all white look. Her H&M top, Alexander McQueen trainers and Veja trainers were the perfect base for the yellow LK Bennett blazer, 379, to really stand out and make a statement. Her look seemed to pay tribute to the late Queen's ensemble worn when boarding the Royal Britannia in 2007. Here she teamed a canary coat and skirt with equally bright white accessories. Creamy Beige The Queen wore a chic boucle coat with a neat embellished trim paired with her favourite black Launer handbag and Anello & Davide pumps when attending Ascot in 2014 Kate mirrored the classic and sophisticated colour palette in a 298 Reiss blazer, LK Bennett cigarette pants and Boden flat pumps Here, minimalist style reigned supreme for the royal pair in their monochrome looks. For the late monarch it was a chic boucle coat with a neat embellished trim paired with her favourite black Launer handbag and Anello & Davide pumps when attending Ascot. Kate mirrored the classic and sophisticated colour palette in a 298 Reiss blazer, LK Bennett cigarette pants and Boden flat pumps which similarly had a buckle across the toe. Cobalt Blue The Queen appeared wearing a long line Angela Kelly designed coat with coordinating hat at Ascot in 2021 The princess chose a vintage Chanel blazer dating back to 1995 with Roland Mouret trousers during a visit to the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park Royal blue has always been a mainstay in the late monarchs closet and equally for Kate too. Both in a vibrant cobalt shade of tweed trimmed with black and featuring double breasted buttons, the royal pair mirror each others looks. For the Queen it was a long line Angela Kelly designed coat with coordinating hat at Ascot, while the princess chose a vintage Chanel blazer dating back to 1995 with Roland Mouret trousers during a visit to the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park. Powder Blue While visiting Mayflower primary school in June 2017, the Queen donned a powder blue Stewart Parvin coat with two art-deco style Boucheron brooches on the lapel Kate wore a 298 Reiss linen blazer in the same soft shade for The Big Lunch event in Windsor Striking in the palest powder blue, the Queen accessorised her Stewart Parvin coat with two art-deco style Boucheron brooches and her signature string of pearls when visiting Mayflower primary school. For Kate it was a 298 Reiss linen blazer in the same soft shade for The Big Lunch event in Windsor, although hers was dressed down with tailored trousers and Veja trainers. Both coats featured strong shoulders and hip placed pockets for polished silhouettes. Chic Checks It was houndstooth for the Queen at a church service in Sandringham in January 2020 On June 6, the Princess of Wales arrived at the Windsor Family Hub in Berkshire in a pale blue gingham 59.99 Zara blazer Both stepping out in checks, it was houndstooth for the Queen at a church service in Sandringham together with a matching dress. Teamed with her favourite black brogues and Launer handbag she looked chic and on trend. For the Princess of Wales it was a pale blue gingham 59.99 Zara blazer when attending an event in Windsor worn over a Ralph Lauren top, LK Bennett trousers and Emmy pumps. Despite their generational differences, they were equally stylish and standout. Real-life chefs have revealed what really goes on in professional kitchens after the second season of The Bear returned with yet more salacious on-screen antics. The hit FX series focuses on young chef Carmen 'Carmy' Berzatto who leaves his career in fine dining to return to his family-owned sandwich shop after the death of a loved one. The show is packed with tantalizing tensions and saucy situations as workers navigate the realm of a working kitchen. And, with viewers captivated once more by the latest installment, FEMAIL spoke to chefs from across the US who laid bare the real secrets that take place behind-the-scenes. Ryan Rondeno, originally from Louisiana, is a private chef to the stars who has cooked for a whole host of notable names including Ashton Kutcher, Ben Affleck and Will Smith Ryan Rondeno, originally from Louisiana, is a private chef to the stars who has cooked for a whole host of notable names including Ashton Kutcher, Ben Affleck and Will Smith. Discussing his own experience of professional kitchens, he told FEMAIL: 'There is always drama behind the scenes especially in cook-off shows or where there is prizes and or money involved. 'Chefs will do things to sabotage to win. I've seen things like taking ingredients and hiding them and/or not sharing them, as well as telling another you will be preparing the same dish as them or something similar to make the chef switch his menu or plans. 'I've also seen chefs walk by and turn the oven [temperature] higher or even off to ruin the recipe. Not all chefs competing are like that, you also have chefs that go above and beyond to help and/or share ingredients needed etc. It really comes down to the person. There is good and bad decision making in all areas of life.' He continued: 'In most kitchens, it's a pleasure to work with colleagues who are talented and have the upmost respect for each other. On the show of The Bear, it can be portrayed in their own way. 'Chefs who are passionate but don't have the formal training are seen throughout the show. In real restaurants, this is definitely similar as many chefs are looking to learn and grow. 'One of the first aspects that caught my attention is the intensity of the kitchen. On the set of The Bear, the pressure and demand of running the restaurant was so intense to see that you'd see chefs walk out because of constant fighting and sometimes the lack of focus. 'One of the biggest things that's preached in the kitchen is to have your mise en place.' The Bear focuses on young chef Carmen 'Carmy' Berzatto (pictured) who leaves his career in a fine dining restaurant to return to his family-owned sandwich shop after the death of a loved one The FX show (pictured) is packed with salacious scenes and tantalizing tensions as workers navigate the realm of a working kitchen Elaborating further, Rondeno said: 'The simple mistake of not having enough on your stations to make it through lunch or dinner service can make or break the restaurants. 'Obviously in real kitchens, there can be extra staff to help navigate through the process of having enough par levels for service. In real kitchens today, the intensity is there but more on the respectful level. 'In episode seven [of The Bear], the kitchen is getting ready for a new program which brings about a big day for the restaurant. We see this all the time in real time as restaurants are always rolling out new programs. 'We also don't see sexual harassment in real restaurants that was portrayed on the show. 'In comparison to real-time kitchens, they highlight the everyday life of kitchens in 20 minutes. There are lots of accuracies between the two but also differences in modern kitchens that make it unique.' But Rondeno was not the only chef to speak out about how his experience compares to The Bear. Brandon Mezurashi, corporate executive chef for Scratch Kitchen, located in Honolulu, told FEMAIL that the first season 'was so spot on with the dramatic portrayal of what goes on the restaurant' that he got 'anxiety.' He continued: 'From the sabotage to the fights and complete utter chaos. I have been in the industry for over 18 years.' Brandon Mezurashi, corporate executive chef for Scratch Kitchen, located in Honolulu, told FEMAIL that the first season 'was so spot on with the dramatic portrayal of what goes on the restaurant' that he got 'anxiety' Discussing issues he has encountered at each of his locations in detail, he began with his compact 67-seat restaurant. '[There was a] lack of staff in the kitchen with a fully sat restaurant with a line out the door to get in and the ticket printer just blowing up,' he said. 'Cooks are panicking trying to hold the composure while in a open kitchen. One of the cooks that used to work for me would take the saute pans and place the handles over the fire to get the pan handle hot to burn my hand when I would get to the station. 'I've encountered them intentionally shutting off equipment in the middle of service to sabotage the operations. Staff getting into fist fights over who's the bigger man. 'I had one time when I took my apron off to go to the restroom I came back put the apron on and someone filled the pockets with raw shrimp. 'And of course there are the love stories. Staff members hooking up with each other that never ends well. I've also lost so many of my own personal chef knifes at this location its was like they had legs and ran away.' But Mezurashi also revealed that his new 285-seater restaurant in Hawaii Kai is plagued with its own problems. He explained how his company took over the property after the existing Outback Steakhouse shut down and re-opened after completely remodeling. 'We got attacked left and right on Yelp and social media ripping apart the restaurant and the food everyday. Now we are about two months in it has gotten better and people are calming down,' Mezurashi said. Luke Thomas, the executive chef and CEO of New York City-based Cafe Habana, is also one of the professionals to have dished on kitchen realities Giving further insight, Mezurashi said: 'Overall the key is to build a team that you can trust to build a team to feel empowered to do the right thing. Once you fully gain the trust they will do anything for you. 'Now that being said not one person in my Hawaii Kai location has ever tried to mess with me or sabotage me cause the respect level we all have. 'It's rewarding knowing that as a team we have accomplished the what would be said to be impossible.' Similarly, Luke Thomas, the executive chef and CEO of New York City-based Cafe Habana, is also one of the professionals to have dished on kitchen realities. He told FEMAIL: 'The Bear truly is real, raw and reflective. In my time behind the stoves of professional kitchen's without question things have changed dramatically. 'The term "boiling point" reflected what I believe was an old-school way of managing kitchens that was something that really needed a drastic shift for the long term benefit of the industry and attracting the next generation of chefs. 'There is a shortage of chefs and you have to ask why when the hospitality sector is growing at the pace it's growing at with such consumer demand; in my view it's due to the burn-out pace that people were experiencing.' He concluded: 'The short-term and long-term affects it has on people's physical and mental health was unsustainable, it's not about lack of work ethic but more about employers understanding the importance of balance, nurturing talent and that people rightly are more demanding in modern times around what they get from [the employer] aside from just their pay package.' Raunchy billboards promoting an adult star's OnlyFans porn site have been posted across London, sparking fury among local residents. A string of the adverts featuring X-rated model Eliza Rose Watson, 34, from Hackney, north-east London, posing in her underwear have appeared in at least three different areas of the capital. The huge billboards have been spotted in Harrow and Edgware, north-west London, while another was seen in Norwood, south-east London. One outraged local resident even graffitied the OnlyFans advert in North Harrow, with the message 'Keep porn off our streets'. The adverts promote two of the glamour girl's sites, including an OnlyFans page, which contains explicit content, and her Instagram account, where she describes herself as a 'recovered addict turned gym junkie' and posts suggestive images. The 34-year-old rakes in around 180,000 a month from the online sex-cam platform. A string of the adverts featuring X-rated model Eliza Rose Watson, from Hackney, north-east London, posing in her underwear have appeared in at least three different areas of the capital One Harrow resident, who asked to not be named, said: 'I am not making a moral argument for or against pornography, but rather how it is allowed to be advertised in such an unregulated way. 'The use of sexualised imagery, although far from ideal, is not my main sticking point, rather, the service advertised is entirely inappropriate for a billboard visible to all. 'Harrow is a rural suburb of Greater London, not Soho or the red light district of Amsterdam. 'The gambling, alcohol, and tobacco industries are regulated on how and to whom they are able to advertise, with particular regard to the need to protect children, young people, and those who are vulnerable from being harmed or exploited. 'The billboard is not only visible to anyone at all times, but is also less than half a mile away from two schools, one of which being for primary school children, and shares a road with the advertisement, being on the same route parents take their children to school. 'Regardless of what the intended audience may be, it is a matter of fact that pornographic services are being promoted to children in this instance. 'Placing the responsibility of advertising standards in the hands of every parent is as impractical as it is immoral. The 34-year-old rakes in around 180,000 a month using the online sex cam platform OnlyFans One outraged resident even graffitied the OnlyFans advert in North Harrow, with the message 'Keep porn off our streets' 'This is a question of the sort of activities we choose to promote and endorse within our society, not a moral argument for or against pornography.' Other people shared images and videos online of the same billboard elsewhere in the capital - including Burnt Oak, north-west London, and another in Norwood. One resident said: 'OnlyFans being promoted on a billboard is ridiculous. This is what our generation has become.' Another added: 'Never thought I'd see OnlyFans girls buying billboards now.' OnlyFans is an online platform, mainly for users to share their homemade pornography with paying subscribers. But Ms Watson argued that the content on the billboard was no more explicit or damaging than other adult adverts for alcohol, underwear and gambling. She said much work had gone into the production of the advert and discussions were made to assure it met advertising guidelines. The model added: 'If a child was to see that it is designed for adults. 'The picture is of a 34-year-old woman and the OnlyFans logo is there. It doesn't tell you how to access it. It doesn't give a website address, it's just there. Last November Ms Watson, who is said to have become a millionaire from her online work, told how she was a drink and drug addict, but turned her life around and is helping others get clean 'And if someone underage were to try and access that, as long as there's parental controls on their phone - which I assume there are - they're not going to be able to load onlyfans.com it just doesn't work.' Last November, Ms Watson, who is said to have become a millionaire from her online work, told how she was addicted to drink and drugs, but has turned her life around and is now helping others get clean. Martin Grays, 54, who lives in Edgware, said: 'It's just not something they should advertise in public where families are walking past and kids are walking to and from school. 'It's just not right for me. I don't get why they have done it.' The billboard has been put up on the outside of a local convenient store. The huge billboards have been spotted in Harrow and Edgware, north-west London, while another was seen in Norwood, south-east London A shop employee, who asked not to be named, said he was fed up with the constant complaints he has had from customers. He added: 'I have customers complaining about it, so it is annoying having it there. People are fed up by it.' Despite complaining about it, his pleas for it to be taken it down have not been answered. He added: 'I have complained about it but they aren't going to do anything. 'The council never asked or anything to put it up, which isn't fair. I hope it won't be there long.' Harrow West MP Gareth Thomas said he has taken the matter to the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) after being made aware of the risque adverts. He added: 'I agree that the placing of this advert isn't appropriate given that young children will be walking past it on a daily basis. 'I have written to the Advertising Standards Authority asking them to assess whether their criteria for such adverts is appropriate.' The ASA confirmed two complaints have been made about the content being inappropriate. A spokesperson explained that the complaints were being reviewed to see whether the matter should be looked into, but no full investigation had started. Sometimes you may be scrolling through your phone and see something peculiar - perhaps of someone attempting to think outside of the box. Well these wacky and 'cursed' pictures will certainly make you do a double take and wonder what on earth you just saw. A thread by Bored Panda features pictures taken from around the world that you will refuse to believe are real. In Detroit, Michigan, a house full of stuffed animals looks terrifying, but it's named the Heidelberg Project, which is a community organisation with a mission to improve the lives of people and neighbourhoods through art. Another image, thought to be taken in America, shows a man loading up Coca-Cola boxes in Pepsi truck. Taking the pizza! This person forgot their pizza cutter and therefore decided to use their English language CD and a pen to slice the Italian dish instead A rather sweet snap also shows a duck riding the New York subway, as baffled onlookers question how it got there. Another person attempted to use their initiative by cutting their Italian pizza with their English language CD attached to a pen. Here FEMAIL has picked out the most bizarre looking images which will leave you rubbing your eyes. Upon first glance you may be slightly terrified of the sight of this house, but it is named The Heidelberg Project, located in Detroit, and it's a community organisation with a mission to improve the lives of people and neighbourhoods through art That's not what I asked for! It seems this man got more than he bargained for when he showed the body ink artist what he wanted and they quite literally inked on the phone as well Breezy! This store that only sells fans is ironically the same name as the website Only Fans where people can subscribe to see explicit images You can't paddle there! This boy is paddling on a balcony after it was turned into a DIY swimming pool using a cover and gallons of water This image, thought to be taken in America, shows a gigantic box of Coca-Cola being loaded into a Pepsi truck - one of their main rivals Dachshunds, which originate from Germany, are famously tiny so it's no surprise that it only took a couple of balloons to lift this little dog This crazy couple decided to make their theme park trip even more exciting by playing Jenga on the ride That's going to leave a scratch! It seems this bike has super strength, as driver drove into it and yet it escaped relatively unscathed, whereas the car looks like it is beyond repair A sweet yet bizarre image shows a duck riding the New York subway as people take pictures and wonder how on earth it managed to get there If you searched your fridge for something to eat at night these demonic-looking peppers would surely give you a fright Some people want their watches to stand out and others want theirs to blend in with what they are wearing. It seems this man wants his watch to be completely invisible, as he set the background image to his arm A two-year-old Staffordshire Bull Terrier has been named the UK's Pet of the Year after she helped her autistic owner through labour. Earlier this year, Belle served as a birthing partner to owner Amee Tomkin, 33, who has severe anxiety and ADHD. Belle accompanied Amee through fertility treatment, as well as scans and midwife appointments during her pregnancy. The dog was so well behaved that Milton Keynes University Hospital, allowed her to support nervous Amee on the maternity ward before she had a caesarean section in April. Loyal pooch Belle was even waiting for Amee as she came out of theatre and was the first to meet Olly, her newborn son, in April 2023. Amee in hospital with newborn Olly and her doggy midwife Belle, believed to be one of the first dogs in the UK ever to be allowed on a labour ward Belle was the first to see Olly and welcomed him into the world with a lick. Now she doesn't leave his side As a result, Vets Now has selected the sweet staffie as the winner of their annual Pet of the Year competition over thousands of other entries. Speaking to the Milton Keynes Citizen, Amee revealed how Belle has 'opened the whole world' for her and given her the confidence she needed to become a mother. As her OCD can make shopping difficult at times, Belle will often take Amee's bank card in her mouth and tap the machine to pay for food shops. She explained: 'If Belle senses me getting anxious, shell jump up and put her head on me to rub, which is really calming. 'She grounds me so I can take a breath and carry on.' As well as acting as a therapy dog for the charity Canine Concern, Belle also takes part in the Barks to Read programme at a local primary school. Commenting on Belle's win, Amee said: 'I could never have done any of the things I have without Belle and Im so pleased and proud that she has won the Pet of the Year award.' What's more, Head of Telehealth at Video Vet Now service Dave Leicester said the team were 'incredibly moved' by how Belle has supported Amee. The two-year-old Staffordshire Bull Terrier accompanied Amee, 33, through fertility treatment, as well as scans and midwife appointments throughout her pregnancy Amee, from Milton Keynes, said: 'Belle was waiting patiently in the hospital room when I went to theatre to have my baby.' He added: 'Belle is an outstanding example of the special bond owners can have with their pets, which goes far beyond companionship.' Reflecting on her pregnancy and experience of childbirth, Amee previously said: 'Belle was waiting patiently in the hospital room when I went to theatre to have my baby. 'And when I was wheeled back, she was the first to meet Olly I couldn't have done it without her.' Since she was a tiny pup, Belle has been trained by Amee to be an assistance dog, helping her deal with her anxiety, autism and panic attacks. And Amee said it was clear from the beginning that Belle was a natural at assisting her. For the past eighteen months, the pup has accompanied Amee wherever she goes and when she fell pregnant with her son Olly, after 12 years of fertility treatment, nothing changed. She attended all her pregnancy scans with her, where doctors decided that a C-section would be better for Amee's autism and anxiety, because she would know exactly what was happening. Amee said: 'Belle can detect symptoms of a panic attack, and does things like help me find exits in crowded places if she senses I'm feeling anxious. Doctors decided that a C-section would be better for Amee's autism and anxiety, because she would know exactly what was happening The prospect of giving birth without Belle by her side was worrying for Amee, so her midwife asked Milton Keynes University Hospital if she could accompany her on the ward 'She presses buttons on lifts and she even holds my debit card against the machine to pay for things when we're shopping. 'Basically, without her, I'm too anxious to leave the house. I'd just stay indoors all day and every day. 'She came with me to all my appointments during my pregnancy and kept me calm I couldn't have done it without her.' The prospect of giving birth without Belle by her side was worrying for Amee, so her midwife asked Milton Keynes University Hospital if she could accompany her on the ward. Once the green light was given, doctors allowed the dog to sleep on Amee's hospital bed. Amee said: 'She came with me to all my appointments during my pregnancy and kept me calm I couldn't have done it without her.' She added: 'As soon as she saw Olly, she gently sniffed him then gave his face a tiny lick to welcome him. Since then she has never left his side' She rested her nose gently on her bump, near her belly button. Amee said: 'It was as though she was checking the baby's heartbeat when I was pregnant. 'She even learned to tell the difference between the baby's heartbeat and my own. It was such a reassurance. 'Belle was allowed to stay with me before I went went to theatre and we were given our own room so she could stay with me and the baby afterwards. 'As soon as she saw Olly, she gently sniffed him then gave his face a tiny lick to welcome him. Since then she has never left his side.' Milton Keynes University Hospital has been contacted for comment. Love it, hate it, or perhaps can't stand the sight of it - but do you know what it stands for? SPAM, the tinned meat paste which became a household staple and a sandwich favourite from the Second World War onwards is still stocked on all good supermarket shelves in the UK today. But many of its lovers (and haters) recently realised they had no idea what the name of the product actually means. A recent Twitter thread, which gained thousands of followers keen to understand what the acronym stands for, decided to explore the question. And over the years, there have been many theories as to the true meaning of the name SPAM - but it is thought the official name for the product is 'spiced ham' which is condensed into the four letters. What does SPAM actually stand for? The compressed meat product, which is cooked within the can, has been a household staple for many decades According to The Sun, the name was first coined by Ken Digneau, the brother of an executive at the company which first produced the meat product. After he entered a contest on New Year's Eve to name the product and won, he was offered $100 in prize money (97) for the name. Although SPAM became a regular fixture on the British dinner table in the 1960s, it was actually first produced in the US in 1937. It was created by food production company Hormel, which is based in the state of Minnesota. According to the Hormel website, the mysterious meat product, which comes out of the tin in a perfect rectangle shape, is not actually as mysterious as it appears. In fact, Hormel insists SPAM is made up of only six ingredients. They are: Pork which contains ham meat (Hormel counts this as one ingredient), salt, water, potato starch, sugar, and sodium nitrite. The food company also explains how SPAM is made - by mixing all ingredients together for 20 minutes. Next, once the mixture has reached its correct temperature, it is put into the cans and vacuum-packed. The product is then cooked inside the cans, before they are cooled. When SPAM was first produced, it was designed to meet the needs of cash-strapped American families in a country that was putting itself back together towards the end of the Great Depression. When the Second World War began, two years later, the product was put to further good use as it could be stored for long periods of time and would keep. A man who was abandoned and left in a bin at two weeks old by his mother has met his paternal half-brother for the first time on Long Lost Family. In the ITV programme last night, Paul Connolly, who was born in east London in 1962, was searching for his father's side of the family after spending his childhood in care. He had only periodic contact with his maternal Irish relatives. Paul's mother, who suffered a breakdown, 'put him out with the rubbish' when he was less than a month old. Thankfully, a neighbour heard his cries and called social services. After his two sons gifted him a DNA test sampling kit, Paul discovered he was half Maltese - and thanks to Long Lost Family researchers, he eventually found his paternal half-brother Frankie Peroni, 62, who attended the same school as him at the same time. But the pair's astonishing similarities - including their resemblance to one another - weren't what left viewers most distracted. Instead, they couldn't get over Paul's age with many in disbelief that the youthful-looking father-of-two was 60 years old. One person wrote: 'Can't believe he is 60. He's aged well. #LongLostFamily.' While a second viewer added: 'No way he's 60.' Another said: 'Pauls 60. He sure as hell doesnt look it. Hubby said hed have said he was in his 40s #LongLostFamily.' A third added: 'He looks amazing! Hope he gets some answers #LongLostFamily.' The father-of-two was an amateur boxer before he set up his own successful fitness and rehabilitation business. Paul said his loneliness as a child was 'like a physical pain', adding: 'I've got a great life now, I've been able to give my kids everything I never had. With both of my sons it was paramount that they never felt insecure or lonely or that desperation I felt.' In emotional scenes, which aired last night, Paul, based in Billericay, Essex, met his half-brother for the first time, with the pair shocked at their uncanny physical resemblance. They were also astounded by other similarities, from both their mothers being Irish Catholic to also attending the same school in Essex at the same time. They now live just 14 miles away from one another. Telling Paul about Frankie's journey, co-presenter Davina McCall said: 'His mother shipped him to Northern Ireland to live with the grandparents and when Frankie came back to the UK he ended up going into care and being fostered. 'It's so similar to your story. He became a bit of a bad boy but he did have a turning point in his life and he started working and he loved it, he's done really well.' In the ITV programme last night, Paul Connolly (pictured right, with his half-brother Frankie, left), was searching for his father's side of the family after spending his childhood in care, having periodic contact with his maternal Irish relatives Paul (pictured right) meeting his paternal half-brother Frankie for the first time But the siblings' astonishing similarities - including their resemblance to one another - weren't what left viewers most distracted. Instead, fans couldn't get over Paul's age, with many in disbelief that the father-of-two was 60 years old Following their meeting, Paul said: 'Of course it is later in life that we've found each other, but at the same time, I think you've just got to be grateful for everyday. 'I started out looking for my father and instead I found a brother. So the future is bright as they say.' Paul endured a tough childhood after being take into care. He was sent to St. Leonards Childrens Home in Hornchurch, Essex, at eight years old. He recalled: 'There was a lot of mental torture, there was a lot of physical beatings... I slept under the bed... my comfort was a kitchen knife with a wooden handle, I held on to that for dear life.' On Paul's birth certificate, his parents are listed as Matthew and Mary Connolly, who were Irish immigrants. However, he recalled being aware that he looked different to his maternal brother, who would say to him: 'You're Pino's son.' Pino was a local Maltese businessman who ran a shop nearby his mother's home. Paul had always thought his brother was joking, however when his two sons gifted him a DNA test sampling kit, he was shocked to discovered that the results showed he was half Irish, half Maltese. Paul's 'mother put him out with the rubbish' when he was less than a month old. Thankfully a neighbour heard his cries and called social services. Pictured left, Paul as a young boy growing up in care After his two sons gifted him a DNA test sampling kit, Paul discovered he was half Maltese - and thanks to Long Lost Family researchers, he found his paternal half-brother Frankie Frankie told co-presenter Nicky Campbell that his father was a Maltese shop owner called Philip Psaila, also known as Pino Thanks to DNA analysis, the Long Lost Family team discovered Frankie, who tells co-presenter Nicky Campbell that his father was a Maltese shop owner called Philip Psaila, also known as Pino. Frankie spent his childhood with his mother, who died in 2017, with Pino visiting occasionally before the shop owner's death in 1968. During their childhoods both Frankie and Paul attended Bishop Ward, an all-boys Catholic school in Dagenham, Essex. They also crossed paths later in life. With musician Frankie performing at a nightclub where Paul worked as a doorman. Paul's mother passed away a few years ago. Speaking about the reasons why his mother might've left him, Paul told The Sun: 'My mum must have known I would look different to the rest of the kids. 'I think she was embarrassed that I was illegitimate. In the 60s, that was a big deal. She had a tough upbringing and she had to do what she had to do to survive. It was probably the best thing she could have done really.' During their childhoods both Frankie (pictured left) and Paul (pictured right) attended Bishop Ward, an all-boys Catholic school in Dagenham, Essex They also crossed paths later in life. With musician Frankie (pictured) performing at a nightclub where Paul worked as a doorman Paul's mother passed away a few years ago. Pictured, Paul during his first meeting with his paternal half-brother Frankie He added on the programme: 'I didn't have any real contact with my mother, but I had a couple of conversations with her and this was never mentioned to me. Obviously this was the secret she probably took to the grave.' Elsewhere in the programme a man who was given up for adoption as a baby was left heartbroken after discovering that his parents went on to marry and have two more children. Shaun Lawrence, 54, grew up in Kent after being adopted when he was five months old and appeared on the latest episode of ITV's Long Lost Family. The father-of-two, who works as a school site manager, said he never had any doubt that his adoptive parents saw him as their own. He said: 'My adoptive mum and dad loved me. They looked after me. It was special, and still is.' However, for the past 20 years, Shaun has been searching for more information about his biological family. School site manager Shaun Lawrence, 54, appeared on last night's episode of Long Lost Family On last night's episode, Shaun was seen inspecting his birth certificate from 1968 - which reveals his parents' full names. After doing his own independent research, the former firefighter was shocked to discover that his biological mother Eileen and father John married a year after they gave him up. Shaun said: 'I'm not a child who was born in a relationship that didn't continue - it did continue. In fact, it went on to become something more that I wasn't around for.' Following this discovery, Shaun then started a new line of research to find out if they had any more children after him. In 1973, the couple had a daughter called Michelle before then welcoming their third child Natalie the following year. As thrilled as he was to learn he had two sisters, Shaun said this discovery was somewhat bittersweet - as he wondered why his parents didn't keep him. He said: 'The questions that were going through my head were, "could you have not held onto me? John inspecting his parents' marriage certificate after discovering they tied the knot a year after his birth After meeting his parents and two sisters, an emotional Shaun said: 'All of a sudden, I mattered' 'I wonder if they had their chance again whether they would have kept me. They brought me into this world and I don't want to leave this world without ever knowing.' Although Shaun had found out the names of his immediate family, he was struggling to track them down on his own. With the help of the Long Lost Family team, Shaun found out that his parents had subsequently divorced - and his mother was registered under her new married name. After being put in contact with his mother and sisters, Shaun learned that Eileen has a rare neurological condition called PSP, which affects her speech and eyes. When she fell pregnant at 18, she was working as a student nurse and had to leave her job as a result. As a single mother, Eileen couldn't get a flat - but was able to spend six weeks with Shaun in a mother and baby home. At the time, Eileen says she felt hopeless and had no other choice but to give up her first-born. However, she was delighted to be reunited with Shaun 54 years later with her ex-husband and daughters. She said: 'Its a miracle, really. Im so excited to meet him.' During the emotional meeting, John and Eileen are profusely apologetic for giving up Shaun - but he is thrilled to know it wasn't any easy decision for them. He told them: 'To hear that I was loved and that you continued to think about meto talk about memeant so much. As all of a sudden I mattered.' Minister of Trade, Industry and Energy Lee Chang-yang, front eight from left, and heads of state-run energy organizations and private firms pose for a photo at an event celebrating the launch of the SMR Alliance at the Westin Josun Seoul hotel, Tuesday. Yonhap By Lee Kyung-min A private-public partnership has been launched to advance the small modular reactor (SMR) sector, the industry ministry said Tuesday. The SMR Alliance comprising 42 state-run and private entities called for government assistance to enhance their competitiveness on the global stage, where the capability to generate a stable supply of affordable energy is increasingly prioritized for green growth. SMRs are advanced nuclear reactors that have a power capacity of up to 300 megawatts (MW), about one-third of the generating capacity of traditional nuclear reactors. SMRs can produce a large amount of low-carbon electricity, saving costs and construction time. They can be deployed incrementally to match increasing energy demand, according to industry officials. Among the 42 participants were the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy and Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power, as well as 31 private players including SK, GS Energy, Samsung C&T, Daewoo E&C, GS E&C and Doosan Enerbility. The 31 firms said the government should bolster public acceptance of SMRs, mostly for safety concerns and benefits. "We need to raise awareness that the SMRs are safe, as strengthened by transparent communication throughout to help many understand the benefits of reinvigorating the economy under the context of energy efficiency," SK Inc. CEO Jang Dong-hyun said during the launching ceremony at the Westin Josun Seoul hotel. Korea is the only country that successfully delivers many large nuclear power plant construction projects, as underpinned by the motto "On Time and On Budget." The country solidifying itself as the global SMR powerhouse will be, the CEO added, determined largely by how fast and effective the industry players embrace the global SMR standards for the broader goal of carbon neutrality. "Our efforts can only go so far, unless the government revises energy-related laws and outlines medium- to long-term policies to include nuclear energy in the country's power plan. Measures are needed for strong local players to find a standing in the global supply chain for sustainable growth," he said. Minister of Trade, Industry and Energy Lee Chang-yang said the government will map out policy supports. "Korea has built large nuclear power plants over the past few decades," Lee said at the ceremony. "This is an achievement we need to sustain in the global SMR market, underpinned by safe and stable operation of reactors. The government will provide assistance with system maintenance, technology development, human resources training and tax incentives." DIY SOS: The Big Build viewers were left in floods of teams after the team transformed a two-bedroom bungalow into a spacious family home on last night's episode. Brothers Ruben, 17, Jaden, 11, and Uche, 10, moved in with grandparents Lynn and Steve Smedley after their mother Carrie died in her sleep in April 2017. Lynn, 56, and Steve, 62, retired foster parents who took in more than 100 children, didn't think twice about moving their grandsons into their bungalow in Carbis Bay, Cornwall, despite there only being two bedrooms. However they confessed they struggled with space, admitting they had little space to grieve for their daughter and almost no privacy. Many of those watching were blown away as the house was transformed with a huge extension, adding two bedrooms, a bathroom and a large kitchen-diner to the property. DIY SOS: The Big Build viewers were left in floods of teams after the team transformed a two-bedroom bungalow into a spacious family home on last night's episode Living room before: The family struggled to fit on the two, two-seater sofas in the front room Living room after: The space is transformed with a corner sofa that has plenty of room Grandparents' bedroom before: Lynn and Steve let Ruben use their bedroom for privacy Their bedroom after: They were given back their space and the room had a stylish makeover One commented: 'Lovely family and amazing kids, wish them all the best in their new home. Well done everyone.' Another added: 'In bits watching DIY SOS. If there was ever a family who deserved this makeover, this is the family. After all those 3 poor boys have been through, losing their mum. 'This little bit of happiness will make a difference to their lives.' A third wrote: 'My goodness...what an amazing family on DIY SOS! Have sobbed my way through watching their love and courage. 'Special mention to Reuben - what a big brother and incredible young man! They deserve that home so much!' Another added: 'What a heartbreaking but wonderful episode tonight. I hope life is being kinder to that lovely family.' 'I'm not going to lie, the tears are rolling at tonight's DIY SOS. The boys are a credit to their mum, their grandparents and themselves,' another wrote. 'Well done to all who forced the change in their story.' Many of those watching the programme confessed they had been blown away by the team's efforts and the family's story 'This evenings DIY SOS is heartbreaking but beautiful this evening,' one wrote. 'The grandparents are the loveliest. 'I was fostered and I just think the whole family are so full of love and so strong. Much love to the young lads.' Before the makeover the brothers slept in bunk beds in the same bedroom. In the evenings, Steve and Lynn gave up their room to give Ruben a space to unwind and do his homework. The family-of-five also fought over a single bathroom and struggled to fit on the two two-seater sofas in the living room. The dining table also presented a problem, with only four people able to sit properly. But despite the squished living situation and the mental hardship it created, Lynn insisted she would go on living like that if it meant she was able to keep her grandsons at home. Lynn said Uche, then just six years old, was the one to discover his mother dead in her bed. Cramped: Lynn, 56, and Steve, 62, retired foster parents, didn't think twice about moving their grandsons into their bungalow in Carbis Bay, Cornwall, despite there only being two bedrooms The boys' bedroom before: The three brothers all shared a bedroom with little privacy Kitchen before: Perfectly functional, but this kitchen was also given an amazing upgrade Dark and cramped: The dining table couldn't fit all five family members comfortably 'He and Jaden just thought they couldnt wake mummy up,' she said. 'They got their big brother Ruben, he came upstairs and realised what had happened. 'For those two little boys to have had to found their mum like that.' Ruben has stepped up to help look after his brothers and even offered to find somewhere else to stay to save Lynn and Steve from being burdened. But their grandparents were determined to have them at home. 'Theres no way in a million years wed let them go anywhere else,' Steve says. The family were overwhelmed to be chosen by the show and Ruben spoke movingly of what the makeover would mean to them. He said: 'Well be able to do more stuff together as a family. When I turned 13 I never got out of my bedroom. I regret that, I never got to spend time with my mum.' After a week of work, the house was completely transformed. After the renovation, the family were given a huge kitchen which included a new dining space for them all to share happy times together Bedroom one: The boys were each given their own space. Pictured, Ruben's bedroom Bedroom two: The second bedroom had touches of vibrant yellow mixed with navy Bedroom three: A clever use of space creates this cosy bed nook in the third bedroom Meanwhile the previous kitchen was transformed into a family bathroom for the five to enjoy The outside area was transformed to make it the perfect family entertaining space for the The boys were each given their own bedroom while Lynn and Steve's room was upgraded to a quiet oasis of their own. The living room was transformed with the addition of a corner sofa, meaning they can all enjoy a family movie together. Elsewhere a bathroom was added, giving everyone a little more space and privacy. Finally an extension created a spacious kitchen-diner flooded with natural light. The transformation continued outside where the small, practical terrace was extended and replaced with a tiled patio complete with BBQ. The team also added a small patch of grass where the boys can play. As the home was revealed to the couple, they convinced they were blown away by the transformation. Speaking of her late daughter Carrie, Lynn said: 'She'd have loved this.' And the couple were stunned as the interiors were revealed, gasping with glee and confessing: 'I am so happy. I love it. 'It's a dream come true. 'Having bedrooms for the boys, I'm just so grateful for the bedrooms for the boys.' And when the kitchen was revealed to the couple, Lynn confessed: 'I don't even know what to say!' Steve added: 'The boys can grow up living here. Before they were on top of each other too much. This is their home.' Building site: An aerial view of how the property was transformed during the massive build Team effort: The family (centre) with Nick Knowles (right), the team and volunteers Meanwhile the boys were gasping as the home was revealed, with Jayden saying: 'I think I'm the luckiest boy on earth.' And as his bedroom was revealed, Reuben added: 'That's amazing!' He said he felt life would be 'easier', adding: 'We've all got our own space. It's more like a family home now. I'm really grateful to everyone who has helped.' Speaking to the volunteers after the transformation, Reuben said: 'Thankyou so much for building us this amazing house.' Steve told the crowd when they took the boys in, it didn't feel like a family home, adding: 'It's made the world of difference to us.' Lynn said: 'When we realised we had lost Carrie, we were devastated. We couldn't believe it. Nothing can prepare you for losing a child. 'But our first instinct was to protect the boys. There was no hesitation the boys would come and live with us, then reality struck. 'It has been extremely hard at times, no privacy or space, no time to grieve. 'But the boys come first. We can now move forward and build our lives.' Kate Middleton has 'given Prince William everything he didn't have growing up but Princess Diana's influence on him is clear,' a royal expert has claimed. Former BBC royal correspondent Jennie Bond said the Prince of Wales' relationship with Kate is 'founded on friendship, passion and mutual respect'. Speaking to Ok! magazine, the expert said that the father-of-three has found a second family in Michael and Carole Middleton - who treat the royal like one of their own. Jennie claimed: '[William] can relax with them, trust them, and be himself in a way he can do with only a very few others.' Since Kate Middleton and Prince William's wedding in 2011, Carole and Michael have been welcomed into the Royal Family's fold - and were among the guests who were invited to King Charles and Queen Camilla's Coronation last month. Pictured: The Prince and Princess of Wales attending day four of Royal Ascot last month. Royal expert Jennie Bond says Kate Middleton 'given Prince William everything he didn't have growing up' What's more, the expert went on to highlight how the women in William's life have 'helped make him the man he is'. The expert explained: 'His mothers influence is still very much evidence in the relaxed and informal way he interacts with people, and in his determination to help people less well off than himself, in particular, the homeless.' Earlier this month, Prince William announced his new five-year initiative called Homewards - which aims to eradicate rough sleeping in the UK. The future king has become increasingly passionate about the issue of homeless in the UK - having been first taken to visit the charity The Passage by his late mother Princess Diana. What's more, Jennie added that Prince William has now known his wife Kate for 20 years - which is longer than Diana was in his life. The expert said William has 'deep love and respect' for Kate and is 'proud' of how she is flourishing in her new role as the Princess of Wales - having launched her Shaping Us campaign earlier this year. Continuing her discussion of the most important women in William's life, Jennie also noted how the royal was especially close to his late grandmother the Queen. Following her death at the age of 96 last September, the royal released an emotional statement highlighting how the former monarch was by his side during his 'happiest moments' and the 'saddest days of his life'. Pictured: Princess Diana pictured with her baby son Prince William at her Kensington Palace home in 1982 Pictured: Carole and Michael Middleton arriving at King Charles and Queen Camilla's Coronation with their two younger children Pippa and James last month In June 2021, royal expert Angela Levin said Carole Middleton has provided a real sense of normality amid any chaos for the Prince of Wales. Speaking to The Sun, Angela claimed: 'William adored Diana and was drawn to her magnetic charm, but she was relentlessly demanding on him as a young child, describing him as her closest confidant and talking about her lovers, when its a mothers duty to care for her son, not the other way round. [Carole] made him feel secure, comfortable and protected and he didnt have to worry about what he said or be responsible for her emotions.' The author added that the prince learnt through Kate's household how a 'loving and supportive family works'. Pictured: Princess Diana pictured hugging a member of the public as she leaves Cook County hospital in Chicago in 1996 In Belfast last Tuesday morning, Prince William was embraced by an enthusiastic well-wisher who flung her arms around the 41-year-old royal, telling him: 'It's lovely to see you' Another source told the publication that Prince William views his mother-in-law as his 'second mum' in the absence of Princess Diana. Royal expert Phil Dampier said Carole and Michael have 'provided a middle class down-to-earth haven for him', and 'helped to keep him grounded'. He added that this may have been something Prince Harry had missed out on 'because of the splintered nature' of Meghan's parents. Earlier this month, the Prince of Wales charmed royal fans when he was seen hugging members of the public during an engagement in Belfast- something his late mother would often do while on tours. On top of this, TikTok users dubbed William 'his mother's son' when footage of him cringing over his Coronation concert dance moves emerged last month. A prize-winning Ukrainian writer has been described as a 'beautiful' mother who was 'full of life' by a friend - after news emerged she was killed in a deadly Russian missile attack on a pizza restaurant. Victoria Amelina, 37, was one of Ukraine's most celebrated authors who started investigating alleged war crimes and human rights abuses after Russia invaded last February. She was amongst the 13 people killed in the attack in the embattled city of Kramatorsk. A further 61 people were injured. The majority of victims were civilians. Tributes quickly flooded in, with journalist Christina Lamb appearing on Woman's Hour yesterday to describe Victoria, who was a mother of a young son, as 'bright' and 'talented.' Christina, who said she had met with Victoria just weeks ago to discuss her plan to move to Paris in the coming months, said: 'It's just the saddest thing, she was just so young and full of life and so beautiful. Victoria Amelina, 37, was among 13 people killed during a Russian missile strike on a pizza restaurant in Kramatorsk 'It just really brings home the futility and brutality of war.' Christina explained she met Victoria through a mutual friend, saying: 'When I first started going to Ukraine, I wanted to meet Ukrainian writers. 'We were put in touch and we became friends. That was last year. 'Ever since, whenever I've gone there, I've always met her for dinner. She was just a joy to be with, she was such a bright person and such a talented writer.' Christina described her friend as 'a talented poet and writer', adding: 'After the war started, she was dedicated to try to find the truth of what was happening and tell people about it. 'Going to different places, taking risks, to tell people about the war crimes that happened.' Meanwhile she recalled seeing her last month, saying: 'I went to her flat in Kviv about three weeks ago. She was so excited because she just got a writing fellowship to go to Paris for a year. 'This would have been her last trip to go on that fellowship.' 'She was a mother, she has an 11-year-old son. She was telling me how happy she was about going to Paris. 'Her son was in Poland, she moved him there to be with family when the war started for safety. Tributes quickly flooded in, with journalist Christina Lamb appearing on Woman's Hour yesterday to describe Victoria, who was a mother of a young son, as 'bright' and 'talented' 'We talked a lot...I'm also a mother and a writer. We talked a lot about the difficulties, what's right and what's wrong, and she felt guilty she wasn't seeing him more. 'The fellowship in Paris was a chance to be with him, and she'd arranged French lessons for him before they were going.' Ms Amelina died before her first non-fiction book In War and Justice Diary: Looking at Women Looking at War was published. The account, which tells stories of Ukrainian women collecting evidence against Russian war crimes, is expected to be published soon. She also worked with children on the frontline. Christina said the book was 'very important', adding: 'It was about women like her, women with high profile careers who have given up that work to be part of the war effort.' 'She wasn't killed in a trench, she was killed in a pizza restaurant. If anything illustrates the brutality and pointlessness of this war, this really does to me, it's just so so sad.' Victoria, who was born in Lviv on January 1, 1986, published her first novel, The November Syndrome, or Home Compatiens, in 2014. It was shortlisted for the Ukrainian Valeriy Shevchuk Prize. Victoria, who was born in Lviv on January 1, 1986, published her first novel, The November Syndrome, or Home Compatiens, in 2014. It was shortlisted for the Ukrainian Valeriy Shevchuk Prize The writer (pictured) is survived by her parents, her husband and their 12-year-old son She went on to write two prize-winning children's books, Somebody, or Waterheart, and Storie-e-es of Eka the Excavator. In 2017, her novel Dom's Dream Kingdom received a raft of national and international accolades - including the Unesco City of Literature Prize and the European Union Prize for Literature. When Putin launched his attack on Ukraine, however, she turned her attention to documenting war crimes in the east of the country. She had been in Kramatorsk with a delegation of Colombian writers and journalists and had been documenting Russian war crimes with the human rights organisation Truth Hounds. While there, she discovered the diary of Volodymyr Vakulenko, a Ukrainian writer killed by the Russians. A post pinned to her Twitter profile, shows the writer taking a photo next to a bombed building in Ukraine. It read: 'It's me in this picture. I'm a Ukrainian writer. I have portraits of great Ukrainian poets on my bag. I look like I should be taking pictures of books, art, and my little son. 'But I document Russia's war crimes and listen to the sound of shelling, not poems. Why?' The attack injured a further 61 people. The majority of the victims harmed were civilians The mother-of-one had been dining with a group of Colombian journalists at Ria Lounge in the eastern Ukrainian city when the strike was launched last Tuesday The mother-of-one had been dining with a group of Colombian journalists at Ria Lounge in the eastern Ukrainian city when the strike was launched last Tuesday. Kramatorsk, in the Donbas region, is under Ukrainian control but is close to Russian-occupied areas of the country. Literature and human rights organisation PEN America said: 'She brought a literary sensibility to her work and her elegant prose described, with forensic precision, the devastating impact of these human rights violations on the lives of Ukrainians.' The writer is survived by her parents, her husband and their 12-year-old son. Just days before her death she wrote on Twitter: 'At night I looked at fireballs in the sky from my balcony in Kyiv and listened to explosions 'I went to sleep without checking the news. The war is when you can no longer follow all news and cry about all neighbors who died instead of you a couple of miles away. 'Still, I want to not forget to learn the names.' PEN Ukraine announced Ms Amelina's death after her family had been informed. Carrie Johnson has showed off her growing baby bump in an adorable selection of photographs with her children Wilf and Romy as they prepare to welcome their new sibling. In May, the mother-of-two, 35, announced she is expecting her third child with former UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson. Ahead of the family's new arrival, Carrie took to Instagram to share three sweet images taken by Romy Becker as she thanked the photographer for 'capturing a few moments of calm before the real fun begins'. The first picture shows the proud mother, dressed in a white and blue polka dot frock, holding her one-year-old daughter Romy above her baby bump while surrounded by greenery. 'Not long to go now,' she captioned the photographs, which also included a snap of Carrie walking through a field barefoot while holding onto her daughter, who was dressed in a pink dress. Wilf, three, leads the way in the image. Carrie Johnson has showed off her growing baby bump in an adorable selection of photographs with her children Wilf and Romy as they prepare to welcome their new sibling The final picture captures Romy chasing bubbles while in the field. The barefoot youngster has a bright blue bow. 'Thank you lovely @romybecker.photographer for capturing a few moments of calm before the real fun begins,' Carrie concluded in her caption. Last month, Carrie posted two photos of her children sitting in a rainbow striped hammock. The first image shows Wilf, three, and Romy, one, happily looking out over the plush green countryside as they soak up the sunshine. The proud mother captioned the heartwarming images: 'Two peas in a pod.' She then shared a closer image of her children playing together in the hammock. Wilf - who has inherited his father's striking blonde hair - is pictured wearing a red long-sleeved top and printed shorts. 'Not long to go now,' she captioned the photographs, which also included a snap of Carrie walking through a field barefoot while holding onto her daughter, who was dressed in a pink dress. Wilf, three, leads the way in the image The final picture captures Romy chasing bubbles while in the field. The barefoot youngster has a bright blue bow Meanwhile, Romy was dressed in a printed dress and had a sweet silk green bow in her light brown hair. At the end of May, Carrie announced the happy news that she is set to become a mother-of-three on Instagram. The mother - who boasts almost 70,000 followers - shared a photo of her walking hand-in-hand with her children alongside another of Romy and Wilf holding her baby bump. She captioned the images: 'New team member arriving in just a few weeks. 'Ive felt pretty exhausted for much of the last 8 months but we cant wait to meet this little one. 'Wilf is v excited about being a big brother again and has been chattering about it nonstop. Dont think Romy has a clue whats comingShe soon will!' Boris and Carrie Johnson - who are expecting their third child - pictured arriving at King Charles' Coronation at Westminster Abbey in May Last month, Carrie shared this sweet image of her children Wilf, three, and Romy, one, sitting in a rainbow striped hammock Carrie Johnson made the surprise announcement on Instagram in May. 'New team member arriving in just a few weeks,' she wrote alongside a sweet photo of Wilf, three, and one-year-old Romy Mrs Johnson said she had felt 'pretty exhausted' for the last eight months but 'can't wait' to meet her new baby. Pictured is one of the photos she shared on Instagram announcing her third pregnancy In May 2020,it was announced that Carrie and Boris had named Wilfred Lawrie Nicholas Johnson, after their grandfathers and the hospital doctors who treated the former Prime Minister for Covid-19. Romy was born at University College London Hospital in December 2021 and was named after Carrie's aunt Rosemary. When announcing their daughter's name, Boris and Carrie explained how Iris came from the Greek word meaning rainbow and Charlotte was chosen as a tribute for Mr Johnson's late mother, who they 'miss so much'. When announcing she was pregnant with Romy, Carrie revealed she had suffered a miscarriage earlier in 2021 and described her as her 'rainbow baby'. Boris will now become a father of eight, having had two children with Carrie, four children with his second wife Marina Wheeler and at least one from an affair. An 11-year-old millionaire who has spent her summer holidays in Greece, Turkey and France has been sharing her luxurious private jet getaways on social media. Pixie Curtis - originally from Sydney - is the daughter of public relations mogul Roxy Jacenko , who found her fame by founding Sweaty Betty PR when she was 24. And she brought her daughter in on the act, earning a fortune as the face of accessories range Pixie's Bows and toy brand Pixie's Pix - businesses set up by her mother. Latest snaps from her Instagram (@pixiecurtis), where Pixie boasts more than 136,000 followers, show the young entrepreneur soaking up the sun in lush beaches, living it up in fancy hotels and enjoying tea at The Ritz in Paris. In her most recent post, the socialite-in-training revealed that a pal joined her family in the French capital, showing both enjoying a shopping trip to Hermes. Latest snaps from her Instagram, where Pixie boasts more than 136,000 followers, show the young entrepreneur soaking up the sun in lush beaches, living it up in fancy hotels and enjoying tea at The Ritz in Paris with her father (pictured) Other holiday highlights include Pixie at a rug-making class in Turkey and touring her way through picturesque beaches in Greece. Aside from exciting trips abroad the young social media star - whose family is relocating to Singapore - also enjoys a life of wealth and luxury in her day to day activities. Instagram videos show the young influencer enjoying intensive skincare treatments and showing off a cosmetics collection which includes viral, pricey selections such as Laneige's Lip Sleeping Mask, Sol de Janeiro's body spray and Drunk Elephant's Protini Polypeptide Cream - marketed to prevent ageing. In past, Pixie has opened up about her lifestyle of expensive gifts, swanky events and being ferried around by nannies in luxury cars. She is already 'semi-retired' from her toy empire in order to focus on her education. In 2018 a retail expert suggested that Pixie could be worth a whopping $21million by the time she turns 18. Last month Pixie's mother stumbled across an eye-watering birthday wishlist from her daughter, and it seems the pre-teen is obsessed with luxury clothing and shoes. Roxy shared the lists with her Instagram fans and some of the items included an Yves Saint Laurent hoodie [$1350], Yeezy shoes [$700] and an Alexander McQueen T-shirt [$580]. Other holiday highlights include Pixie at a rug-making class in Turkey and touring her way through picturesque beaches in Greece (pictured) And outside exciting trips abroad the young social media star - whose family is relocating to Singapore - also enjoys a life of wealth and luxury in her day to day activities The pre-teen entrepreneur continued to showcase her taste, requesting multiple pairs of trainers, including Air Jordan, Off-White x Dunk Low [$1500 plus] and Golden Goose [$600] All up, Pixie's wishlist totalled well over $10,000 in value, with the cheaper items retailing for a few hundred dollars. Speaking to News.com.au in May, she spoke her daily life, as well as some of the more extravagant trappings of being so rich at such a young age. She told the outlet about receiving a $3,000 Goyard handbag for Christmas from her parents, and saving for a Range Rover for when she's old enough to drive. Pixie already owns a a $267,000 Mercedes-Benz GLS, which her nannies use for the school run. She also has no qualms about admitting she is a 'nepo baby' who wouldn't have had the same level of success without her ambitious mother. 'My parents have given me lots of opportunities, so I suppose I am a nepo baby,' Pixie said. 'The Goyard bag that I got for Christmas from my parents was really cool and pretty pricey. I put it on my list, but I didn't think I would actually get it.' She added: 'Any money earned from my toy business was reinvested or put into savings. I am not allowed to use it.' Pixie said her father Oliver Curtis, who spent a year in prison for insider trading, puts money in her Spriggy account - a pocket money app for kids - for when she goes out with her friends. Elsewhere in the interview, Pixie described herself as a 'night owl' who goes to bed at 11pm and is a 'nightmare' in the mornings. She also maintains an active social life, and is known to get spray tans on a Thursday night with her mother if they have a big weekend ahead. An 11-year-old millionaire who has spent her summer holidays in Greece, Turkey and France has been sharing her luxurious private-jet set getaways on social media. Pictured in Istanbul In February, Roxy announced her daughter was 'semi-retiring' from her online toy empire to focus on school. Roxy pictured getting on what appears to be a private jet from Turkey Pixie insisted her friends 'don't think I am any different to anyone else', despite having a bank balance most adults could only dream of. But one thing that sets her apart from most kids her age is her entrepreneurial spirit. 'I love thinking of ideas to make money. My friends and I even started making bracelets and selling them to our friends. I love doing things like that,' she said. Pixie insisted she's just like any other child in most ways, and is a fussy eater when it comes to her school lunch box - much to her mother's annoyance. In February, Roxy announced her daughter was 'semi-retiring' from her online toy empire to focus on school. The PR guru, 43, said that while Pixie's fidget toy brand was once raking in $200,000 a month, she has decided it is time to 'refocus' her priorities. 'Pixie has decided to hang her online toy store shoes up to focus on her impending entry into high school,' she told News.com.au at the time. Instagram videos show the young influencer enjoying intensive skincare treatments and showing off a cosmetics collection with top brands The PR guru, 43, said that while Pixie's fidget toy brand was once raking in $200,000 a month, she has decided it is time to 'refocus' her priorities Roxy previously said her daughter's savvy entrepreneurial skills would set her up for life and predicted she would retire in her teens 'Over the past few months, we have been discussing the business plans going forward as a family and decided it was time to refocus with high school just around the corner.' The mother of two said her daughter's fidget spinner store and accessories label Pixie's Bows won't be shutting down, but will be scaling back operations so Pixie can focus on her education. Roxy previously said her daughter's savvy entrepreneurial skills would set her up for life and predicted she would retire in her teens. 'You won't need to worry; you can retire at 15 the way you're going,' she said to her daughter in a joint interview in Stellar magazine in December. The Ministry of Talent founder went on to say Pixie is a natural businesswoman. 'You know, what is the most exciting for me is the entrepreneurial spirit she has at such a young age,' she told the publication. 'So I guess to me the biggest thing is her drive as an entrepreneur. Yes, I've enabled it, but she's still got it, which is for me the most rewarding part.' In May last year, Pixie's line of fidget toys generated $200,000 in revenue in their first month on sale in Australia. Roxy shares two children, Pixie and son Hunter, eight, with husband Oliver Curtis. A man who rekindled his romance with his high school sweetheart 60 years after they first met left her in tears when he surprised her with a romantic proposal at the airport. The doctor named Thomas and his now-bride-to-be, Nancy, fell in love nearly six decades ago when they were teenagers. Unfortunately, their romance didn't work out at the time and they eventually lost touch. But after reconnecting last month, the former lovers soon realized that their feelings for one another had remained after all this time. A man who rekindled his romance with his high school sweetheart 60 years after they first met left her in tears when he surprised her with a romantic proposal at the airport The doctor named Thomas and his now-bride-to-be, Nancy (seen recently), fell in love nearly six decades ago when they were teenagers but lost touch after breaking up But after reconnecting last month, Nancy decided to fly to see Thomas in person. And when she arrived in Tampa, he got down on one knee and asked her to marry him The elderly couple spent nearly three weeks talking for hours upon hours on the phone before Nancy decided to fly to Thomas' home state of Florida so they could see each other in person. But when she walked off the plane in Tampa, she was stunned to find Thomas on one knee. He delivered a heartfelt speech before asking her to marry him. The touching moment was recorded and uploaded to TikTok, where it quickly went viral, leaving millions of people around the globe moved by his sweet sentiment. In the clip, shared by one of his patients, named Jojo, Thomas - dressed up in a suit - could be seen nervously waiting for Nancy to arrive with a big smile on his face. Upon seeing her, he handed her a bouquet of roses and gave her a tender kiss before he pulled out his ring. A surprised Nancy opened her mouth wide in shock as he dropped down to one knee. 'My dear Nancy, it's been 60 years since we first met, 56 years since we first dated, 10 years since I last saw you, and 20 days since we began this,' he said, his voice shaky with emotion. 'You have always been the one I've had a crush on, since your cheerleader days. In the clip, shared by one of his patients, named Jojo, Thomas - dressed up in a suit - could be seen nervously waiting for Nancy to arrive with a big smile on his face Upon seeing her, he handed her a bouquet of roses and gave her a tender kiss before he pulled out his ring 'It brings a smile to my face, it makes my heart skip a beat [to see you]. For the last three weeks, I have thought of you every day, every hour and have talked to you every night for hours. 'I have longed to see you again, hold you in my arms, and tell you how much you mean to me.' Thomas added that he was ecstatic to finally be able to 'fulfil those dreams and make them a reality.' 'You are the most incredible person I have ever met,' he continued. 'Your beauty, both inside and out, has always captivated me. 'Your kindness and compassion to those less fortunate [than you] has touched my heart and changed me in ways that are hard to describe. 'Your mind and sense of humor have me amazed and laughing non-stop. You are everything that I've ever wanted from a partner, lover, and friend. 'So Nancy, I come to you humbly today, June 30, with a proposal. I want to spend the rest of my life with you and cherish every moment we will have together. 'We'll make every day an exciting new adventure. I want to grow old with you, wake up in your arms every morning, share our dreams and aspirations, laugh and cry and support one another through thick and thin. Nancy quickly said 'yes,' which resulted in Thomas cheering and a series of strangers who had stopped to watch clapping for the couple before they embraced in a big hug The video got more than one million views, and it sparked a slew of comments from people who said they were 'sobbing' over Nancy and Thomas' love story 'I love you more than words can express, more than you can ever comprehend. I want to spend the rest of my life proving that to you and making you the happiest woman in the world. 'Will you Nancy, give me the honor of being my soulmate in life? My partner in every sense of the word, my beloved wife forever? Will you marry me?' Nancy, who had started to cry, quickly said 'yes,' which resulted in Thomas cheering and a series of strangers who had stopped to watch clapping for the couple before they embraced in a big hug. The TikTok creator also shared a snap of Thomas and Nancy posing together while holding up a sign that read, 'She said yes!' The video has got more than one million views, and it sparked a slew of comments from people who said they were 'sobbing' over Nancy and Thomas' love story. 'They were meant to be, nor time or distance tore them apart,' one person wrote. 'When two souls are meant to be, they will find each other.' 'This is the sweetest thing,' another added. Someone else said: 'This is THE love story of all time.' 'I just cried,' a fourth comment read, while a fifth said: 'They are beyond adorable.' 'It's never too late to find your happily ever after,' a different user commented. 'They prove real love exists,' another person gushed. A personal trainer has wowed her followers after revealing she kept on weightlifting throughout her pregnancy. Londoner Meggan Grubb is currently 39 weeks pregnant, but she has not let that fact stop her from keeping up with her fitness regime. In an impressive TikTok video, the fitness guru revealed she has been weightlifting through her pregnancy after promising to herself she would try to stay active. Meggan filmed herself working out and lifting heavy weights every week of her pregnancy up until the 38th to show she had kept her promise. Fans of the expectant mother and midwives applauded her, while some admitted their pregnancy had taken too much of their energy for them to workout. Londoner Meggan Grubb is currently 39-weeks-pregnant, but she has not let that fact stop her from keeping up with her fitness regime. @meggangrubb Never been so grateful for my body exercise makes me feel strong powerful + makes me feel like me, so so lucky i was able to carry on through my pregnancy If you are able to and you WANT to, keep moving mamas youll feel happier, healthier, lighter + will help those aches and pains even if it doesnt feel like it could it really will original sound - Meggan Grubb Meggan shared the post and urged other expectant mothers to consider working out. 'Never been so grateful for my body. Exercise makes me feel strong powerful and makes me feel like me, so so lucky I was able to carry on through my pregnancy,' Meggan wrote in a post accompanying the video. 'If you are able to and you WANT to, keep moving mamas. You'll feel happier, healthier, lighter and will help those aches and pains. Even if it doesn't feel like it, could it really will,' she added. In a caption shared on the video, Meggan wrote: 'You promised yourself you'd try stay active during pregnancy.' The clip begins with Meggan showing off her flat stomach in a grey underwear set in the early days of the pregnancy. The mother-to-be then proceeded to record her workout sessions, involving weights, from four weeks into the pregnancy to 39 weeks. As her baby bump grows, Meggan does not take it easy and keeps up lifting a variety of weights while squatting. After she shared the clip, which has been seen 5.9 million times of the social media platform, the fitness influencer was flooded with positive comments from other mothers and midwives who applauded her regime. The fitness influencer recorded herself working out throughout her pregnancy from four weeks up until the 38th Meggan said she wants to encourage other expecting mother to work out throughout their pregnancy Fans and midwives applauded Meggan for keeping her fitness routine up while expecting a child 'As a midwife I love to see this! Keep on exercising through your pregnancy - the physical and mental, not to mention labour, benefits are wonderful,' a midwife said. One parent said she was too worried to workout throughout her pregnancy, writing: 'I stopped the gym when I found out, I was too scared to workout when pregnant.' However, some parents noted their pregnancies had been leaving then too tired to work out. 'Howwww. I've been so tired my entire pregnancy,' one mother asked. 'I said this too but was in bed by 5pm every night just from getting tired at work. Lordy you're a champ,' one said. 'You are inspiring! I'm 36 weeks and am out of breath walking 10 steps,' one said. Barack and Michelle Obama paid tribute to their daughter Malia on Tuesday in celebration of her milestone 25th birthday. The former president and first lady, who were recently spotted enjoying a family vacation in Greece, both took to Instagram on the Fourth of July to share throwback photos of their oldest child in honor of her big day. Barack, 61, posted a heartwarming snapshot of himself hugging a teenage Malia in the Oval Office. She was dressed casually in jeans and had a smile on her face as she embraced her dad. 'Happy birthday to this talented, hilarious, and beautiful young woman. Malia, I hope 25 brings you everything youre looking for and more,' the proud father wrote. Barack Obama, 61, shared a throwback photo of himself hugging his daughter Malia in the Oval Office on Tuesday in honor of her 25th birthday The proud dad gushed about his 'talented, hilarious, and beautiful' daughter in the caption Michelle Obama, 59, also honored their daughter on her big day, posting a snapshot of herself with her oldest child when she was a toddler The former first lady shared how she is 'so lucky' to be Malia's mother and be able to watch her become a 'wonderful young woman' Meanwhile, Michelle, 59, opted for an older photo of herself holding Malia when she was a toddler. They were both wearing white, and her daughter's stuffed animal giraffe was propped up behind her. 'Happy birthday, Malia! I feel so lucky to be your mom and to be able to watch you become the wonderful young woman you are today. Love you so much!' she captioned the image. The couple also shared a photo of themselves watching fireworks, writing, 'From our family to yours, we hope you have a happy Fourth of July!' Malia and her younger sister, Sasha, 22, share an apartment in Los Angeles together, but they recently united with their parents during a family trip to Greece. They traveled to Athens for the Obama Foundation's week-long leadership event, but they also made time for sightseeing and meeting up with old friends. The family was spotted having lunch with Tom Hanks and his wife, Rita, Wilson, at a waterfront restaurant on the island of Sifnos. The Hollywood couple became Greek citizens in 2020, and they are believed to have a villa on the island of Antiparos, which is not far from Sifnos. It's unclear if the family is spending Malia's birthday and the Fourth of July holiday together. The couple also shared a photo of themselves watching fireworks, writing, 'From our family to yours, we hope you have a happy Fourth of July!' Malia and her younger sister, Sasha, 22, share an apartment in Los Angeles together, but they recently united with their parents during a family trip to Greece Malia (pictured in 2022) is a screenwriter and recently worked on Donald Glover's Prime Video show, Swarm, a satirical thriller about a woman who has a dark obsession with a pop star Malia moved to Los Angeles to pursue a career as a screenwriter after graduating from Harvard University in 2021. Sasha later followed in her big sister's footsteps when she transferred to the University of Southern California from the University of Michigan. She graduated with a degree in sociology in May. Malia already has a writing credit to her name after scoring a lucrative position working on Donald Glover's Prime Video show, Swarm, a satirical thriller about a woman who has a dark obsession with a pop star. The Ivy League grad previously worked as an intern on Lena Dunham's HBO series Girls in 2015 and at The Weinstein Company in 2017. She also served as a production assistant on Halle Berry's CBS sci-fi drama series, Extant, before making it into the writer's room. Glover, who is also known by his stage name Childish Gambino, confirmed in March 2022 that he gave the former first daughter her first job writing for the series. 'Shes just like, an amazingly talented person,' he told Vanity Fair of Malia. 'Shes really focused, and shes working really hard.' Barack recently revealed during a sit-down with comedian Hasan Minhaj that he had watched Swarm in support of his daughter. 'I watched it because, A) I was a big fan of Atlanta,' he said, referring to Glovers FX show. 'And I watched it because my daughter worked on it. So, of course, Ive got to watch it.' Minah then asked if he had watched the pilot, alluding to a scene in which Dre (Dominique Fishback) watches Marissa (Chloe Bailey) and Khalid (Damon Idris) have sex through the crack of an open door. 'Look, if what you are suggesting is that there are aspects of that show that I found a little disturbing' the former president replied. 'But thats the nature of art these days, and at [this] moment, and thats OK.' Their mother Letizia is considered one of the best dressed royals in the world. And Princesses Leonor and Sofia of Spain appear to be following in her very glamourous footsteps. The teenage royals made a rare joint appearance as they attended a workshop on innovation and creativity led by the Spanish chef Ferran Adria in Gironda in the Galicia region of Spain today. Leonor, who is the heir to the Spanish throne, donned an elegant orange linen dress. Meanwhile, her younger sister opted for a vibrant crimson co-ord and a pair of espadrilles tied at the ankle. The teen princesses attended the event without their illustrious parents - King Felipe and Queen Letizia. Princess Leonor and Princess Sofia of Spain attended a workshop on creativity, innovation and teamwork today in Gironda Leonor, 17, who is first in line for the Spanish throne, looked elegant in an orange day dress adorned with hearts Leonor, who just graduated from UWC Atlantic College in Wales - known as 'Hippy Hogwarts - was every bit the mature royal as she stepped out with her sister. Her long-sleeve, midi-length orange number was adorned with hearts and included a knot at the bust, which emphasised her petite waist. She wore it with a pair of espadrilles - the Spanish royal families' footwear of choice during the summer months - and a cream clutch bag. Her brown locks were styled into a wave hairdo, with two platinum strands parted on each side of her face. She donned minimal makeup, with some mascara and eyeliner and a rosy lip gloss. Meanwhile, her sister Sofia showcased her sartorial flair in a pair of high-waisted crimson trousers, which she paired with a sleeveless shirt. The royal duo were led around the event by the Spanish chef Ferran Adria, who talked them through the workshop Both princesses wore espadrilles - the Spanish royal family's shoes of choice in the summer months Leonor looked elegant in her day dress, while Sofia opted for a high-waisted pair of trousers and a sleeveless top Just like her sister, Sofia was wearing a pair of beige espadrilles that highlighted her runway-worthy height. The princess's dark tresses cascaded down her shoulders in a straight blow-dry, and Sofia donned a similar makeup as her older sister. The two royals looked relaxed as they took part in the workshop with chef Ferran Adria, who guided them through the event, which aimed to discuss innovation, creativity and teamwork. Leonor and Sofia participated in the event without the supervision of their parents, suggesting they are one step further into becoming Spanish working royals. Leonor is set to start her military training before the end of the summer in August. Leonor donned a wavy blow-dry with a natural day makeup and accessorised with a cream clutch bag The two budding working royals attended the event without the supervision of their illustrious parents Leonor, who just graduated from high school in Wales waved at well-wishers as she toured the event with her sister Whereas many of her peers will go off to university, the eldest daughter of King Felipe and Queen Letizia will return to Spain to begin training. Spanish defence minister Margarita Robles confirmed Princess Leonor of Asturias's next move earlier this year to society bible Tatler. The training will include stints in the armed forces, the Spanish navy and the air force. Speaking in March, Ms Robles confirmed: 'In due course, the commander-in-chief of the armed forces will be a woman, and in recent years we have been making a very important effort to incorporate women into the armed forces.' Sofia and Leonor listened carefully to the Spanish chef as he guided them through the event today Leonor, who sported blonde highlights, took the lead and walked with Ferran in front of her sister The Princess will begin her training at Army Military Academy in Zaragoza before going to naval school, and will complete her three years at the General Air Academy. In September last year the Spanish palace announced that Princess Leonor will go to university to study law once her three years of military training have been completed. While Leonor's choice of university is unknown, the Princess's academic background already bears a resemblance to that of her father King Felipe. After graduating from high school at Lakefield College in Canada, Felipe returned to Spain and attended the General Military Academy of Zaragozo, and went on to study at the Naval Military School in Marin. He ended his training with a stint at the General Air Academy in San Javier. His also completed his military training with a stint on the shop Juan Sebastian Elcano aged 18 in 1987, and went on to study law at the Autonomous University of Madrid. A professional cleaner who transforms hoarders' houses has begun her biggest job yet. Charlotte Bosanquet owns her own cleaning business Care Cleaning Services at just 20 years old and helps people who find the task daunting. On Monday, the Sydney cleaner started a 'life-changing' job clearing out a 17-year build-up of junk and belongings, shocking thousands. Charlotte said the job will take months to complete and is first tackling the backyard which is filled with piles of stuff workers have to sort through in case there is anything valuable. The business-owner told FEMAIL it will be her 'best job yet' and she is working with the client to make sure they are comfortable with her team going through all their belongings and letting things go. Scroll down for video A professional cleaner who regularly transforms hoarders houses has taken on her 'worse' job yet - but she's excited to get started She said there are 'piles all the way up to the roof' and 'rubbish in every single inch of the big house' but she is excited to tackle it head on and help the owners. 'Imagine living in this for 17 years and today finally having an opportunity for change. Today I got the privilege of bring able to start on this project that will probably take months to complete,' she said in a TikTok clip. Charlotte has eight employees and takes on hoarder homes every month or two between commercial and residential jobs. The team's strategy is to go 'room by room' starting on the backyard before heading inside. 'This is a long process. We have to sort through every single bag to check for valuables,' she said. Charlotte (pictured) owns her own cleaning business Care Cleaning Services at just 20-years-old and helps people find the task daunting The team's strategy is to go 'room by room' starting on the backyard before heading inside. 'This is a long process. We have to sort through every bag to check for valuables,' she said She said going room by room helps the client ease into the process and see results of their hard work more often. So far, Charlotte had found brand new appliances like a microwave and fridge as well as 'thousands' of storage containers still in their packaging. She said the backyard alone will take a couple of weeks and the stuff will be sorted into three categories: keep, bin or donate. Charlotte said she doesn't think she has seen a 'worse' job than this one but 'loves it' as her stance is 'the dirtier the better'. Since posting the clip on Monday morning it has racked up more than 1million views with many in the comments amazed at the home's state and others applauding Charlotte's efforts. 'I'd just like to say you're not just cleaning their house, you are changing this person/family's whole world. You are truly amazing for what you do,' one viewer said. @carecleaningservicessyd Today I partnered up with a local company @LawnLordsAu to focus on cleaning the outside of this hoarder clean. Due to high demand of my employees, they will be starting this job alongside me in a few weeks. What a beautiful opportunity, it is truly moving #hoaderclean #youngbusinessowner #fyp Daylight - David Kushner Charlotte said the backyard alone will take a couple of weeks and the stuff will be sorted into three categories: keep, bin or donate 'I would not be caring about valuables at that point. They've gone long enough without it can't be important. They need to dump the lot and start fresh,' another wrote. 'This looks so overwhelming, I kinda understand why at one point the owner/renter doesn't have the Energy to tackle it,' a third added. Lots of users were keen to see the results of the clean which Charlotte will be sharing as they make progress and some even wanted to volunteer their time to help. 'Gosh that is crazy. You will be changing their world for them cleaning this. Can't wait to see the difference,' someone said. 'I'm lost for words. But am looking forward to the end result. You are changing this person's entire outlook on life,' a second responded. 'You could find lots of volunteers that would love to help you complete this,' another pointed out. Seen is a concept image for Samsung Biologics' Plant 4. The company said Tuesday that it signed drug manufacturing deals worth $897 million with global pharmaceutical company Pfizer. Courtesy of Samsung Biologics By Baek Byung-yeul Samsung Biologics signed two biosimilar product-manufacturing contracts with global pharmaceutical company Pfizer, totaling $897 million, demonstrating the growing reputation of the Korean contract-based drug manufacturer, the company said Tuesday. Samsung Biologics said that one of the two contracts is its largest ever for a single contract. The company will produce biosimilar products under these contracts at its facility known as Plant 4 in Incheon's Songdo District, which has the world's largest production capacity at 240,000 liters per year. The contracts with Pfizer are worth $193 million and $704 million, respectively. Pfizer previously inked a deal with Samsung Biologics for a $183 million contract manufacturing order in March, which was increased later to $193 million, Samsung Biologics said. The $704 million is a new order, which is the largest ever for a single contract. "We will produce several of Pfizer's biosimilar products, including oncology, inflammation and immunotherapy through 2029. This long-term contract for multiple products is a testament to our production capacity, speed and quality," Samsung Biologics said. Samsung Biologics' order intake this year has already surpassed the total order intake for all of 2022, when it was at $1.37 billion because the company has secured $1.49 billion in orders so far this year. The company has secured a total annual production capacity of 604,000 liters, the world's largest, at its four plants. The drug manufacturer plans to continue adding more production facilities to respond to the growing global demand for biopharmaceuticals. In April, the company broke ground on the 180,000-liter capacity Plant 5. When the fifth plant becomes operational as planned in April 2025, the total capacity will increase to 784,000 liters. "Samsung Biologics is growing steadily by securing 13 of the top 20 global pharmaceutical companies as its customers," a company spokesman said. The company added that it will continue to expand its business portfolio by adding antibody drug conjugates (ADCs), which are considered next-generation treatments. "We plan to strengthen our capabilities and expand our portfolio in line with market trends in next-generation medicines, such as ADCs," the company said. A flight attendant has revealed a rule all cabin crew must follow with their grooming. Chelsea Dorricott, from Sydney, is a Virgin flight attendant and recently shared the 'grooming requirements' all cabin crew are expected to abide by. Flight attendants cannot have any visible facial piercings or jewellery on their lips, nose, or eyebrows. Ear piercings are allowed but they need to be simple and understated, with most airlines encouraging a simple stud or a small pearl. The 29-year-old also revealed that she has to take off her ear cartilage piercing every day for work and change out her usual gold hoop earrings. A flight attendant has revealed a secret rule all cabin crew must follow - and travellers are shocked they hadn't noticed it before Chelsea shared a short clip listing the regulations. 'As cabin crew, we do have a set of grooming requirements we need to adhere to,' the flight attendant revealed. 'Im sure every airline will have a slightly different version of these,' she said. 'But, for mine specifically, we cant have any facial piercings - lip, nose, eyebrows - anything on your face is a big no-no.' She described the rules for what ear piercings were allowed. 'If you have two piercings in each lobe, they need to be two of the same - such as small studs - and hoop earrings are not allowed either. Chelsea Dorricott, from Sydney, is a Virgin Airlines flight attendant and recently shared the 'grooming requirements' all cabin crew are expected to follow Travellers have also recently discovered a hidden detail in the Virgin Australia staff uniforms. The cherry red uniforms might seem identical at first, but there's a glaring difference between those worn by flight attendants and guest services agents. Flight attendants wear a lilac and deep purple neck scarf along with a winged pin, whereas ground staff wear a purple and red neck scarf and do not have a specialised pin. While millions fly the airline everyday, many weren't aware of the subtle difference in the uniforms. Virgin staff recently shared a video revealing the differences and debunked common myths. Frequent flyers are in disbelief are discovering a hidden detail in the Virgin Airlines staff uniforms The cherry red uniforms might seem identical at first, but there's a glaring difference between flight attendants and guest services agents 'Have you noticed the difference between our red uniforms?' the video was captioned. The clip showed close ups of two Virgin Airlines staff members - one of which sported a shiny lapel pin. 'Flight attendants wear a neck scarf and a winged pin - but guest service agents wear a different patterned neck scarf and dont have a winged pin,' they revealed. Many were stunned they hadn't noticed the little detail before the video. 'Wow, my cousin flies for Virgin and I never knew!' a woman said. 'Lovely uniforms - a very beautiful red,' said another frequent flyer. 'This is very helpful, I'm going to keep an eye out for the winged pins,' wrote a third. Previously, a flight attendant has dismissed rumours that airplane water is 'unsafe to drink' in epic video which answers the top questions she asked about air travel. Virgin Australia flight attendant Brodie Capron has been in the business for over two years now and revealed that passengers frequently ask her several air travel-related questions. Brodie claimed passengers always wonder whether airplane water is safe to drink and why window shades need to be up for takeoff and landing. She was happy to reveal all the secrets from her job to satisfy the public's curiosity. The VA air hostess shared a video answering popular questions, including where toilet waste really goes, whether aircraft doors can be opened mid-flight, and why you feel drunker while in the air. Virgin Australia flight attendant Brodie Capron has been in the business for over two years now and revealed that passengers frequently ask her several air travel-related questions Is airplane water safe to drink? The safety of aircraft water is a widely debated topic - with many warning against consuming anything that doesn't come out of a sealed bottle. But Brodie, who works at Virgin Airlines, revealed that the water is completely safe to drink - at least on her flights. 'It's clean and filtered,' she said in a video. Why do window shades need to be up for take off and landing? Take off and landing are the riskiest stages of every flight - and having the window shades down will get your eyes used to the natural light outside in case of an emergency. People will be able to react to dangerous situations more quickly if their vision is at its strongest - and this is also the reason lights are dimmed during those times. Brodie also revealed another reason it's important to have window shades up. 'It's so that everyone can see the engines and warn the cabin crew if something is wrong,' she said. What happens to waste from toilets? Many often wonder if waste is simply released from the airplane when it's flying over the ocean - but this is not true. 'It does not just go into the sky,' the flight attendant said. 'Bodily discharge goes into a sewage tank which gets emptied upon landing.' Why do I need to put my oxygen mask on before helping others? Parents often scramble to get their children's masks on before worrying about themselves. But the Virgin Airlines flight attendant warned against such a practice because it could have fatal results and prevent you from assisting anyone else in need. 'You need to put your mask on before you help others because you wont be very useful if you don't have oxygen on yourself,' she said. Brodie claimed passengers always wonder whether airplane water is safe to drink and why window shades need to be up for takeoff and landing Why do carry-ons have a specific weight limit? The overhead lockers in which carry-on suitcases are stored have a specific weight limit to prevent the cabin from rupturing. Space inside an airplane is also limited, which is why airlines have dimension requirements for all carry-on luggage. Do you get drunk quicker on airplanes? Many passengers enjoy a glass or two of red wine on planes - especially when they're catching a long flight. But people often find that their alcohol tolerance seems to plummet in the air - and never understood how that could be possible. 'Yes, you get drunk quicker on airplanes!' Brodie said, answering the age-old question. 'This happens because the low oxygen percentage in the air causes the effects of alcohol to be greater.' The air hostess shared a video answering questions, including where toilet waste really goes, whether aircraft doors can be opened mid-flight, and why you feel drunker while in the air Thousands thanked Brodie for sharing her knowledge. 'This is actually so interesting!' one woman said. 'She's definitely not wrong about the alcohol - I have one glass of wine and can't walk off the plane.' 'I didn't know the one about the window shades, thank you for sharing!' 'It blows my mind that some people think when you go to the toilet it just drops out of the sky - maybe this will answer their questions.' She missed her daughter's first birthday party due to being in the hospital A mother-of-two has shared her three-month hell battling a brain infection she caught during cut-price cosmetic surgery in Mexico - in an outbreak that has killed seven Americans. Alondra Lamos, 27, was hospitalized with fungal meningitis a rare infection that causes deadly swelling around the brain and spinal cord in May after having liposuction and a Brazilian butt lift (BBL). Speaking to DailyMail.com from her hospital bed in Arizona, Ms Lamos said: 'I had pain from my head to my neck to my spine. I couldn't walk, with every step, it just hurt tremendously. It was horrible.' Doctors believe she contracted the infection from unsterilized equipment or contaminated anesthetic medication used during the procedures. The outbreak, linked to two Mexican clinics, is feared to have infected hundreds and has already killed seven American women, mostly young mothers, highlighting the dangers of so-called 'medical tourism'. Alondra Lamos, 27, was diagnosed with fungal meningitis a rare infection that causes swelling of areas around the brain and spinal cord after falling ill around three weeks after her plastic surgeries. She is pictured in St Joseph's Hospital in Arizona Ms Lomas in April after her surgery in Mexico Ms Lomas had liposuction and a BBL on March 13 at Clinica-K3, a cosmetic clinic in the northern border city of Matamoros that claimed to offer procedures 'improving the body contour and providing natural and lasting results,' according to its Facebook page. She flew back home to Phoenix, Arizona, the next day. Ms Lomas paid $3,000 for the two surgeries a fraction of the over $10,000 they would have cost in the US. The procedure went well, or so Ms Lamos thought, and she was happy with her results. But she told DailyMail.com: 'March 31 is when I felt for the first time this pain that I have never felt before in my life. I felt paralyzed.' By the end of April, she was feeling lethargic and had other symptoms. She said: 'I was always tired. I was getting headaches more often; my back hurt more often. 'Then one day was just horrible for me. It knocked me down. I live in Arizona, so it was hot, and I was in a sweater, leggings, and socks with chills and fevers.' 'As soon as my spouse got home, I was like, "I'm going to the hospital because something's wrong."' Alondra Lomas in the hospital (left) and the staples in her head following an operation (right) Ms Lomas went to Clinica K-3 in Matamoros, Mexico Ms Lamos with her son, 7, and daughter, 1, whose birthday party she sadly missed while in the hospital. They celebrated in the hospital instead She first went to the hospital on May 5, almost a month after her surgery, but doctors struggled to diagnose her. Ms Lomas said: 'All they did was check my blood and told me this is not related to your surgery I don't think, you're good, go home.' She was finally diagnosed with fungal meningitis and hospitalized at St Joseph's Hospital in Arizona on May 7. What is fungal meningitis? Fungal meningitis is a rare infection that causes deadly swelling around the brain and spinal cord. Health officials from the CDC think the fungus in question is Fusarium solani, which was linked to a previous meningitis outbreak in Durango, Mexico, late last year. Doctors think the source of the infection is either contaminated morphine used by anesthesiologists in Mexico, or contaminated equipment used to do epidurals during procedures. Advertisement Meningitis is the inflammation of the meninges, or the membranes that enclose the brain and spinal cord. The condition is usually caused when a viral or bacterial infection spreads from somewhere else in the body to the brain or spinal cord. But in rarer cases, a fungus can be the culprit. Health officials from the CDC think the fungus is Fusarium solani, which was linked to a previous meningitis outbreak in Durango, Mexico, late last year. Fusarium solani is a common soil fungus and is fatal in more than half of cases. Infection can be acquired by direct inoculation or inhalation of spores. Dr Chiller, head of the fungal diseases branch at the CDC, told DailyMail.com the agency does not know the exact source of the fungal meningitis yet, and 'we may never know it, unfortunately.' Currently, the source of the infection is thought to be the morphine provided to patients by anesthesiologists. Dr Chiller said: 'It could be contaminated morphine that anesthesiologists are purchasing. They may be sourcing it from a place that has got bad manufacturing, and there are some contaminated batches. That's one possibility. 'The other possibility is the machinery used to do the catheter and the epidural is somehow contaminated at these two clinics. That seems less likely to me because then I think we would be seeing a lot of infections altogether until it was cleaned, but you never know with fungi. 'Finally, just the procedure of mixing the drugs potentially, in the hands of the anesthesiologist, there could have been challenges there.' Infection caused by Fusarium solani is fairly rare. One study found 157 reports of fusarial infections between 1970 and 2001 in the US. Ms Lamos said she cannot wait to get out of the hospital to spend time with her children During her trip, she met Shyanne Medrano, who she called her 'surgery sister'. The pair received the same surgeries but Ms Medrano passed away from fungal meningitis on May 16, 2023. Ms Lamos said: 'We had surgery the same day and we started texting and being friends and it just broke my heart [to find out she had died].' Their surgeon was Dr Luis Manuel Rivera De Anda, who also operated on Lauren Robinson, a Texan mom-of-four who died in May. Ms Lamos is still on two antibiotics and had to get an ommaya reservoir in her head a small port, roughly the size of a quarter, placed underneath the skin on the head to deliver medication to kill the underlying infection. She said: 'It's on the right side behind my ear. It's a device that has a catheter attached to it. They drilled a hole in my skull to place the catheter in, and this device directly sends the antibiotic to my brain and spine where the infection is.' Ms Lamos with her son. She told DailyMail.com: 'I get asked all the time by my son, "Are you leaving already? Are you coming home? You were supposed to be home yesterday"' Ms Lomas has had to undergo multiple spinal taps to check the pressure in her spine But she started getting headaches again. Ms Lomas said: 'That was because I had an infection in my head from the proteins that grow. The proteins and blood were clogging the catheter.' Last week, she had a second surgery, a revision of her reservoir. Her first reservoir deflated, which meant the medication was not reaching her brain and spine. She said: 'When I went for my second revision, they pulled the whole thing out, cleaned me up, put a new one [in]. That surgery was harder because it's [sore], I just had it open, and they reopened it again. 'But right now, I feel good, and I'm hoping I'm hoping for the best.' She added: 'I still have the headaches. The doctors told me I would still feel these pains for a while, but it should be going down.' Ms Lomas has now been in the hospital for over two months and is due to have surgery on her back this week. Her doctors think the infection could have stemmed from the epidural she received in Matamoros. She said: 'The doctors think either something was not sterilized equipment-wise, or it was the anesthesia.' During her time in the hospital, she also suffered from infiltrated veins. This happens when the IV catheter goes through or comes out of your vein. The IV fluid then leaks into the surrounding tissue, causing pain and swelling. Ms Lomas has a seven-year-old son and a one-year-old daughter, whose birthday she missed while in the hospital. She said: 'I get asked all the time by my son, "Are you leaving already? Are you coming home? You were supposed to be home yesterday."' She said to women considering the surgery: 'I can't be a hypocrite because I went and got surgery myself, but just be very cautious. I know there are a lot of risks to it and we never know what can happen to us. But if they can, [go] straight to a board-certified surgeon.' Dr Anthony Fauci still believes Covid emerged naturally despite mounting indirect evidence of a lab accident. The former White House doctor told DailyMail.com that while he is keeping 'an open mind' about the origin of the pandemic, the 'data seem to weigh toward it being natural'. His assessment directly opposes the view of the FBI and other government bodies, which say the virus likely spilled from the Wuhan Institute of Virology (WIV), a top coronavirus research facility in the epicenter of the original outbreak. 'I think it's still an open question,' said Dr Fauci, 82, speaking to DailyMail.com at a health conference in New York City last week. 'You have to keep an open mind and look at the data. I think the data that has evolved seem to weigh toward it [Covid] being natural.' His comments came just days after it was revealed that one of China's earliest suspected Covid patients was a WIV scientist funded by Dr Fauci's old department. Dr Anthony Fauci (speaking to DailyMail.com last week) still believes Covid emerged naturally despite mounting indirect evidence of a lab accident Virologist Shi Zheng-li - nicknamed the 'Bat Lady' - is pictured in the lab. She hunted down dozens of deadly Covid-like viruses in bat caves and studied them at the WIV Dr Fauci claimed that while 'nothing is definitive' when it comes to how Covid emerged, 'there is no real data [that] there was a lab leak.' He added: 'But there is data that it likely would be natural. But since you don't know for sure, you have to keep an open mind.' Last month, US intelligence reports found that one of the first suspected Covid patients was a WIV scientist who'd received funding from the National Institutes for Health (NIH), which was headed by Dr Fauci until 2022. Ben Hu was one of three WIV staff who became ill with symptoms consistent with Covid in November 2019 - a month before the official cases began to emerge. Dr Hu's work included studying how coronaviruses infect humans, which proponents of the lab leak theory said was more indirect evidence of a research accident. But Dr Fauci was not convinced. When asked if the revelation made him question the natural origin, he said bluntly: 'No.' Dr Fauci spoke to DailyMail.com at the the 2023 Public Health Solutions gala in Tribeca, Manhattan. Dr Fauci has slowly eased his position on the idea of a lab leak over the past few years after being a vocal critic early in the pandemic. Leaked emails show that in early 2020, he commissioned a paper denouncing the theory as a conspiracy, then publicized the study at a White House news conference weeks later without disclosing his involvement. He and other public health experts also publicly dismissed the lab leak - with Dr Fauci saying in June 2021 that it was 'a very, very, very, very remote possibility.' It later emerged that, as the head of the NIH, he presided over the allocation of taxpayer-funded grants for virus-enhancing research at the WIV years before the pandemic began. A federal watchdog found the NIH 'did not effectively monitor' those experiments or check whether they involved pathogens with pandemic risk. Dr Fauci was honored at an event in his home city of NYC last week by the nonprofit Public Health Solutions (shown) The question of whether the global outbreak began with a spillover from wildlife sold at the market or leaked out of the Wuhan lab just eight miles across the Yangtze River has given rise to fierce debate about how to prevent the next pandemic But there has still been no direct evidence for a natural or synthetic origin, which has left officials divided over the issue. The Energy Department, FBI and several government committees believe the virus leaked from a lab, pointing to a number of coincidences and indirect evidence. Poll Do you think Covid was the result of a lab leak or natural spillover? Lab leak Natural spillover Other Do you think Covid was the result of a lab leak or natural spillover? Lab leak 627 votes Natural spillover 32 votes Other 32 votes Now share your opinion The WIV - one of the top bat virus hubs in the world - is located at the epicenter of the original Covid outbreak and suffered several security and infection control breaches before the pandemic. The lab housed viruses considered Covid's closest known relatives, and its research involved genetically engineering different strains to see how they would infect humans. However, several other intelligence agencies maintain that the virus was transferred from animals to humans in a natural spillover event. Advocates of the natural origin point to an early cluster of cases at an animal slaughter market just eight miles from the WIV, where animals known to harbor Covid, such as raccoon dogs, hedgehogs and rats, were kept in squalid conditions. Former Health Secretary Sajid Javid has called for an overhaul of NHS, describing the service as 'frozen in time'. Ahead of its 75th anniversary on Wednesday, Mr Javid said that the current structure of the NHS has left Brits sicker than those in many other Western countries, with the UK having lower life expectancy and cancer survival. The MP for Bromsgrove said both major political parties privately believe the NHS is 'unsustainable' in its current form and will be unable to cope with surging demand, despite record levels of funding. He called for a royal commission to conduct a 'dispassionate and honest assessment' of the health service to 'make sure the NHS is here in another 75 years'. Mr Javid did not detail what reforms he would back but has previously supported the idea of fees for visiting minor injury units and GPs. Ahead of its 75th anniversary on Wednesday, Mr Javid said both major political parties privately believe the NHS is 'unsustainable' in its current form and will be unable to cope with surging demand, despite record levels of funding The number of people waiting for routine hospital treatment in England soared to a record 7.42million (red line) in April, figures show. More than 370,000 people in the queue for routine ops, such as hip replacements, were waiting for more than a year (yellow bars) He told The Times: 'No universal healthcare system is perfect. 'But when you compare health outcomes in the UK with similar countries, it is clear that for decades we have fallen short across successive governments. 'It's a direct consequence of how the NHS is still structured. Since it was established in 1948, the world has significantly changed yet much of the institution remains frozen in time.' Last week, a report by think tank the King's Fund revealed the NHS has fewer beds, scanners and doctors than many developed nations. The UK also spends less than average on healthcare per person and 'under-performs significantly' on key outcomes such as life expectancy and cancer survival. Mr Javid blamed Britain's ageing population and the lingering impact of the pandemic resulting in the supply of healthcare being outstripped by soaring demand. READ MORE: NHS chief Amanda Pritchard blames the service's worst sickness rates on record on the 'extraordinary' response to the pandemic The chief executive of NHS England said the service was still suffering the pandemic's effects with a rise in mental health and respiratory issues among staff Advertisement The UK budget allocated the NHS 27 per cent of day-to-day spending in 2000 but this has now soared to 44 per cent and will soar above 50 per cent by the end of the decade if the current trajectory continues, he noted. Mr Javid warned that the politicisation of the NHS hinders reforms and 'serious conversations' about its problems and fuels short-term thinking. Mr Javid called for a royal commission to 'break the current deadlock', examine what reforms are needed and what the UK should be learning from other nations. It would be made up of a cross-party committee that has the 'legitimacy and expertise to detoxify the debate'. The group would gather evidence and produce a report within a year after the next general election, with the Government then deciding whether to act on any recommendations. Political parties are debating the future of the NHS in the run up to the general election. Last week, the Government finally unveiled its NHS Long Term Workforce Plan and Labour pledged to 'rescue the NHS from the biggest crisis in its history'. 'But behind closed doors, they know the current set-up is unsustainable. Saying that publicly is much more difficult,' Mr Javid claimed. 'Now is the time for the national interest to come to the fore with a collective mandate for reform. To make sure the NHS is here in another 75 years, we need a royal commission.' It is unclear what reforms to the NHS Mr Javid would back. NHS funding is has risen sharply in recent years, with a total budget of 152.6 billion in 2022/23, some 28.4 billion more than in 2016/17 at 2022/23 prices. The graph does not reflect the extra 2.4billion pledged by the Government in its long-term workforce plan The proposals are detailed in the first NHS Long-Term Workforce Plan, which is published today and supported by 2.4billion of Government funding But he has previously suggested making wealthy households pay for some services, such as for attending minor injuries unit without a GP referral, pointing to Ireland where the charge is 75 (64). Norway and Sweden charge 20 per visit to the GP, which could make people think twice about whether they really need an appointment or could go to their local pharmacy instead, the MP said. Mr Javid noted that there are 'significant waiting lists'. Around 7.42million Brits were in the queue for routine hospital ops in April, including 370,000 who had been waiting for more than a year. 'All of this is at a time of record funding for the NHS,' he wrote. 'The entire British state is on the verge of becoming a subsidiary of the NHS,' Mr Javid added. The Prime Minister last week detailed the 'most ambitions plan in NHS history' to slash waiting lists and boost the NHS workforce with 60,000 more doctors and an extra 170,000 nurses by 2036/37. Bosses also expect to have an additional 71,000 allied health professionals such as physiotherapists, midwives and pharmacists. The proposals are part of the first NHS Long-Term Workforce Plan, which is set to be backed by 2.4billion of Government funding. Experts said liquid is equivalent to 'mature' milk but not enough is produced Experts have today warned that biological males breastfeeding babies can be 'self-indulgent' and 'selfish' with powerful medication used to produce the milk itself carrying a potential health risk. It follows the case of a British transwoman sharing a photo of her breastfeeding her child on a bus, sparking criticism from gender critical campaigners. Mika Minio-Paluello, a former Labour special adviser, came to public attention after discussing on the news how the soaring water bills were 'tough if you're a mum'. Trans women, people who are biologically male but identify as a woman, must take powerful medication cocktails to be able to breastfeed. The practice is controversial, however, as the preferred drug used to artificially make milk can pass through the fluid and potentially affect a baby's heart. Writing on Twitter Mika Minio-Paluello said: 'Here's me on the bus to hospital for the 1st chemo round, feeding my child for the last time' Domperidone is primarily used as an anti-nausea medication. However, the drug branded as Motilium consequentially ups levels of prolactin, the hormone which encourages the production of milk, effectively tricking the body into making milk. This has led to its use by some women, like adoptive mothers or those who conceive a child via surrogacy who don't undergo the changes that naturally lead to lactation. At the same time, it has also been adopted by trans women desperate to boost milk production. While not available on the NHS for this purpose, medics are allowed under UK rules to prescribe it to increase milk production 'off-label' a technical designation when a drug is being provided outside of its intended use. How can biological men lactate? Trans women can make themselves lactate by taking a combination of medicines called the Newman-Goldfarb protocol. It tricks the body into making milk. It was originally developed for biological women who adopted or had a child via surrogacy and wanted to breastfeed. The method involves taking hormone boosting medications, including the pill. Other drugs that are used include anti-sickness medicine metoclopramide, heart medication digitalis and anti-psychotic chlorpromazine and sedative medications which are known to increase prolactin, the hormone responsible for milk production. Domperidone, an anti-nausea drug, is the preferred option for the protocol as it has fewer potentially dangerous side effects. The drug regime is used in conjunction with a breast pump to mimic the changes a women's body undergoes during the late stages of pregnancy and shortly after the birth of a child. Experts have urged caution about transwomen using the Newman-Goldfarb protocol to lactate. They have warned that long term health implications from using the treatment, for both adult and baby, are unknown. There have been separate rare cases of biological men undergoing lactation in the past without deliberately setting out to do so. These are usually the result of a rare medication side effect influencing hormone production, or from a hormone-disorder. Advertisement But the patient leaflet for Motilium itself warns breastfeeding mothers that its 'best not to take' it while nursing a baby due to the potential safety risks. 'Small amounts have been detected in breastmilk,' it reads. 'Motilium may cause unwanted side effects affecting the heart in a breastfed baby. 'Motilium should be used during breast feeding only if your physician considers this clearly necessary.' The advice doesn't explicitly state the what the risk to the heart is. However, other warning labels directed at adults advise that people with a pre-existing heart condition, those over 60, and those taking high doses of the drug are at the highest risk. Exactly how much domperidone passes through breast milk is still being assessed. But the NHS advises that it is generally only a 'tiny amount' and has been used by women for many years without causing side effects in babies. However, it still warns that it is best for breastfeeding women to only take it for a short time, and to keep a close watch on their baby for any changes in behaviour that could indicate a potential problem. Midwifery experts also say the liquid produced by trans women may not provide all the nutrition a newborn baby needs. On top of that, the volume produced artificially cannot match a growing infant's appetite, they claim. Professor Jenny Gamble, a midwifery expert at Coventry University, said the latest research into the hugely controversial topic suggested trans women produce milk which resembles that of 'mature' breastmilk. 'The milk is the same composition as for women who re-lactate or induce lactation,' she said. 'It's the composition of mature breastmilk.' So-called 'mature' breastmilk lacks colostrum, or 'liquid gold', a component of breast milk produced in late pregnancy, and shortly after birth, that is highly nutritious to a newborn. It gets its name from its yellow hue and the fact that it is packed with protein, vitamins, and antibodies that protect the baby from infection. Professor Gamble added that she was unaware of any trans women producing enough liquid by themselves to feed a baby and that they must supplement this with another source. This is not a trait unique to trans women, as biological women can also struggle to produce enough milk for their baby in some circumstances. Other experts have called for more research on the long-term health impacts of trans women breastfeeding, both for the babies and for trans women themselves. Experts have expressed concern about trans women breastfeeding, calling it 'selfish' (stock image) Domperidone, sold under the brand name Motilium is an anti-nausea medication but has been shown to boost prolactin levels, the hormone responsible for milk production READ MORE: Simple blood test can predict deadly pregnancy condition feared to have killed Olympian Tori Bowie with up to 96% accuracy The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved a blood test that can detect preeclampsia in pregnant women with a 96 percent success rate Advertisement This is because, in part due to the rarity of the practise, current research has mainly focused on individual case studies rather than a large number of people, meaning their findings may be limited. Trans women, being biologically male, cannot get pregnant as they lack the required organs, though some experts predict this will change in the near future. One midwifery expert, who spoke anonymously for fear of backlash from trans activists, called trans women breastfeeding 'self-indulgent'. 'There are some trans women who seemingly seek breastfeeding for reasons associated with gender affirmation,' they said. 'They may be quite selfish about this and may not be willing, for example, to wait until breastfeeding is established. 'They may also be persistent in breastfeeding even if the mum is not happy about it.' Trans women make themselves lactate by taking a cocktail of treatments called the Newman-Goldfarb protocol. This protocol was originally developed for women who adopted a baby or had a child via surrogacy and still wanted to breastfeed. It involves taking hormone boosting medications, including the pill, as well a breast pump in the months before a baby needs to be fed. Some of the drugs used include the anti-sickness medicine metoclopramide, heart medication digitalis and anti-psychotic chlorpromazine and sedative medications which are known to increase prolactin, the hormone responsible for milk production. Domperidone, an anti-nausea drug, is the preferred option for the protocol as it has a lower rate of potentially dangerous side effects, like heart palpations muscle contractions and depression, than alternatives. The combination of drugs and mechanical stimulation mimic the changes a women's body undergoes during the late stages of pregnancy and shortly after the birth of a child. After a feminist campaigner responded to the row by mentioning that Ms Minio-Paluello had been 'simulating breastfeeding', she hit back by saying that 'trans women can breastfeed' Ms Minio-Paluello hasn't revealed what specific method she used to induce lactation. In her post on Twitter, she revealed she only breastfed her baby for a few weeks as she had to stop due to undergoing chemotherapy after a cancer relapse. It is unclear how many other trans women have been able to breastfeed since the first recorded case in the US in 2018. Experts at the time described it as an 'exciting' breakthrough. There are also very few studies and no scientific consensus about the nutritional quality of the breastmilk produced. However, one this year, published in the Journal of Human Lactation, found that it contained similar levels of lactose, proteins and electrolytes as normal breast milk. This study, from the University of California, concerned one trans woman who co-fed a baby for four months after using domperidone and a breast pump to stimulate milk production. The trans woman, who was unnamed, fed the bay in tandem with the biological mother, her partner. Authors of the report said their findings should 'provide reassurance about the adequacy of nutrition from human milk produced by non-gestational transgender female'. They also noted the benefits to trans woman of the experience. 'The ability to nourish their infants through production of their own milk may also be a profoundly gender-affirming experience,' they wrote. It is still relatively rare for transwomen to breastfeed, with only a dozen or so cases reported. Although, the number has steadily risen in the past few years. However, whether this milk can sustain a newborn or has any long term effects, is unknown according to some experts, some of which have called for further research beyond single case studies. Last year, Dr Foteini Kakulas, a breastfeeding expert from the University of Western Australia's Medical School, said the risks were still unknown. 'While it is possible for male breast tissue to produce something, what exactly that is, how it may or may not resemble breast milk, and whether this is healthy for the individual person or for the baby, are all unknown and never been studied,' she said. 'In my view in nature only females lactate in mammals, so trying to do something against nature won't result in any good. 'At the end of the day women make babies and breastfeed.' The ITV news segment featuring Ms Minio-Paluello appeared as the second item on News At Ten and was presented by ITV News consumer editor Chris Choi. It introduced Ms Minio Paluello believed to be in her early 40s as a 'Thames Water customer' and failed to mention her Labour credentials. As the Daily Mail revealed, she is currently the TUC's Climate and Industry lead, while between October 2017 and November 2019 she was a special adviser to the shadow Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy secretary while Jeremy Corbyn was the leader of the Labour Party. Scientists have discovered why vibrators can be so sexually stimulating and it is not just because they are used in a moment of passion. Instead, a mysterious batch of nerve-endings housed within the clitoris respond to vibration directly. The same pleasurable effect also occurs in the penis, tests suggest. Krause corpuscles as the cluster of neurons are academically known were first identified by sexual experts in the 1800s. Yet researchers were, until now, clueless over what their purpose was. Using male and female mice, the scientists from Harvard Medical School discovered a 'remarkably high density' of the neurons - 15-fold higher - in the clitoris than in the penis. Pictured, a magnified cross-section of the human clitoris dorsal nerve Tests on male and female mice, carried out by experts at Harvard Medical School, have now provided an answer. Krause corpuscles were found across the two sexual regions. Those located in the penis were found to be sparsely spread, while they were much more closely concentrated in the clitoris. Adult rodents were first put under general anaesthetic before researchers applied stimuli to the male and female genitals. The findings, published on pre-print website, bioRxiv, showed Krause corpuscles were most responsive when the genitals were touched with a vibrating device or stroked with a paintbrush. Male mice displayed 'robust erectile responses' to brushing and vibration applied to the penis, researchers said. To better understand the role of the neurons, scientists then explored whether they would be activated by illuminating them with the blue light instead of physical touch. All male mice developed erections when the neurons were activated by the light, the scientists wrote. However, they didn't test this on the female mice as their sexual responses were deemed too hard to visually observe. In another experiment, some female rodents were genetically engineered with fewer Krause corpuscles to test how it affected their response to sexual advances. The researchers found that these mice were less receptive to male sexual advances and ended sex with male rodents faster than the regular females. In turn, males engineered without Krause corpuscles also took longer to initiate sex, withdrew earlier and were less likely to ejaculate than typical males. The findings suggest that stimulating the neurons is key for motivating sex and healthy sexual responses, which may be because they produce pleasurable sensations, the researchers concluded. The clitoris is the only human organ with the sole purpose of providing pleasure. It's made up of nerves that carry electrical impulses between the brain and the rest of the body, which enable women to feel and respond to touch. While the tip of the clitoris is found outside the body, much of the organ is located internally. This includes the dorsal nerve a wishbone-shaped nerve that runs down either side of the clitoral shaft and is responsible for clitoral sensation. In men meanwhile, during ejaculation, sperm is released through contraction of muscles between the anus and scrotum called the bulbospongiosus and ischiocavernosus. It comes after researchers from Oregon Health & Science University last year also suggested the clitoris contains over 10,000 nerve fibres 20 per cent more than previously estimated. A 'beloved' Filipino nurse died of Covid just days after being coughed on by a care home resident, an inquest has heard. Leilani Medel, 41, was covering the night shift for a colleague at the Anwen Care Home in Bridgend, South Wales, during the first wave of the pandemic in March 2020. The mother-of-one was not required to wear PPE while treating a patient with lung problems and regular chest infections, as it was believed she did not have Covid, the inquest was told. There was no testing regime in care homes at the time and the patient had been diagnosed over the phone by a GP. But within days of being coughed on by the patient, Mrs Medel fell ill with Covid and on March 31 she was hospitalised with a high fever. She was placed on a ventilator but died from the virus on April 9. Leilani Medel, 41, remembered being coughed on by a resident after agreeing to fill in for a colleague during the height of the first wave of the pandemic in March 2020 Mrs Medel (pictured with her husband Johnny) She was concerned about working the fill-in shift at Anwen Care Home in Bridgend, South Wales, due to the number of Covid cases there An inquest into her death heard Mrs Medel was concerned about working the fill-in shift due to the coronavirus cases at the home, where she had not worked for more than five years. In total, the nurse cared for two patients with coronavirus symptoms in close contact while wearing PPE, and two patients with suspected chest infections without protective clothing, reports the BBC. One of those patients was then hospitalised, where they tested positive for Covid-19 and later died. Clinical lead Janet Caffrey, who is now manager at the home, said it later came to her attention that Mrs Medel complained about being coughed on. She said PPE was not used because the resident had lung problems and regular chest infections, and testing was not available in care homes. Ms Caffery said: 'We were taking our advice from Public Health Wales, any government statements.' The inquest heard Mrs Medel was admitted to Princess of Wales Hospital in Bridgend on March 31, 2020 with a high fever. She was ventilated but her condition deteriorated and she died on April 9. Her husband Johnny Medel said she loved her job and described her as a beloved wife and mother to their daughter. He said: 'What I liked about Leilani, apart from her beauty, was her innocence and sincerity. 'When she gave care to someone, it would be sincere. She worked mainly with the elderly and I could see how much she enjoyed her job. I was so proud of her and what she had achieved.' The inquest heard Mrs Medel, who was born in Santiago in the Philippines, had a happy home life and was excited for the future. Mr Medel added: 'I can't get over why it had to end, Leilani was our happiness. 'I hope she will be remembered as a nurse who loved to care for people.' The inquest heard Mrs Medel was admitted to Princess of Wales Hospital in Bridgend on March 31, 2020 with a high fever The inquest heard Mrs Medel (pictured) also treated two other ill residents - but PPE was not required because they had suspected chest infections. One of those patients was then hospitalised where they tested positive for Covid-19 and later died Mrs Medel's husband Johnny Medel Jnr and his daughter Carmina Medel at their home in Bridgend, South Wales The inquest in Pontypridd continues. Between March 9 and December 28 last year, 883 health and social care workers died of Covid caught while caring for infected patients in hospitals and care homes, according to the Office for National Statistics. An unaccountably high proportion were nurses and healthcare workers from the Philippines who uprooted their lives to work for the NHS. In March last year, Professor Tim Cook, a critical care consultant, and Dr Simon Lennane, a GP in Herefordshire, began to analyse deaths among front-line workers reported in newspapers and on social media. They found that of 106 health and social care staff who had died up until April 22, 63 per cent were from non-white ethnic groups. And 19 were from the Philippines more than from the next five countries combined. That's 18 per cent of the deaths, despite Filipinos making up around just 1.5 per cent of the NHS workforce. Dr Lennane, a GP for nearly 30 years, found himself 'near tears' as he uncovered their stories. 'They were people who'd left their own families behind in the Philippines to work for our NHS, often putting their patients before themselves,' he previously told the Daily Mail. With plenty of talk of electric vehicle (EV) demand waning in the UK, car makers continue to bring their latest battery-powered models to market in a bid to win over drivers. The latest example comes from Fiat, which has today (4 July) taken the covers off the 600e - its second fully-fledged electric passenger car that sees the return of one of its long lost nameplates. The 600e takes the brand's fifties badge and pins it to an all-new compact SUV that promises over 250 miles of range between charges. But it won't be cheap. Fiat has relaunched the 600 nameplate some 68 years after it was first introduced... The Italian marque has today unveiled the new 600e - an electric compact SUV with a range of 'more than 250 miles' The Italian marque's decision to use the 600 moniker on an EV of this type will be confusing to those who remember the originals. The 600 started life in 1955 as a rear-engine, water-cooled city car aimed at the masses. A year later, it used the same number configuration for its 600 Multipla - a four-door mini people carrier designed to transport families on a budget. But the new 600e fails to reflect either of the segments the original 600 represented. Fiat first used the 600 - or 'Seicento' - nameplate for its compact family car launched in 1955 A year later, the Italian brand introduced the 600 Multipla - a small MPV aimed at families on a budget The new 600e is unlike either of the classics it shares a name with. Instead, it's a jacked-up small crossover aimed at city lovers and outdoor enthusiasts Instead, Fiat is looking to capitalise on the popularity of small SUV models with the 600e a jacked-up hatchback aimed at 'both city lovers and outdoor enthusiasts'. In fact, the car is similar both in size and style to the outgoing combustion-engined 500X SUV. Yet Fiat refers to it as an all-new model that it describes as 'the perfect embodiment of the brand's values of Italian style and sustainability'. Underneath, it uses the same platform utilised by other brands sitting under the Stellantis automotive banner. That includes the DS3 E-Tense, Peugeot e-2008, Vauxhall Mokka Electric and forthcoming Jeep Avenger SUV. Targeting those needing a bigger EV than its current 500e, the latest battery car is said to sit five people in comfort and has an inner-city range of more than 372 miles - though around 250 miles when driven on a mixture of roads. It is powered by lithium-ion batteries with a capacity of 54kWh linked to an 115kW electric motor driving the front wheels only. The combination promises 0-to-62mph acceleration in nine seconds and a limited top speed of 93mph. It comes equipped with a 100kW fast charger system meaning the batteries can be replenished quickly, granted you can plug into an equally fast device. For example, Fiat claims it takes less than half an hour to charge the battery to 80 per cent - 'about the same time needed to pack your car for a weekend away,' the Italian marque states. Alternatively, the 11kW onboard charger means a homecharger should boost the battery to 100 per cent in less than six hours. Fiat's latest battery car is said to sit five people in comfort and has an inner-city range of more than 372 miles - though around 250 miles when driven on a mixture of roads It is powered by lithium-ion batteries with a capacity of 54kWh linked to an 115kW electric motor driving the front wheels only Order books for UK customers open in the autumn and first deliveries are due before the end of 2024. However, Fiat has yet to confirm pricing for British showrooms Fiat calls it the 500e's 'bigger sister' and says it reflects the 'coolness and fresh style' of the original 600. Order books are due to open for UK customers from this autumn, with first deliveries estimated for the end of the year. However, UK pricing and specification has yet to be confirmed and will be revealed nearer to the start of sales, Fiat UK tells us. With the 500e city car priced between 28,195 and 34,195, we expect the 600e to ring in at around 37,000. Ryanair achieved record passenger numbers in June despite industrial action in France causing multiple flight cancellations. The low-cost airline revealed that 17.4 million people flew on its planes last month, a 9 per cent increase on the 15.9 million who travelled with it in June 2022 and around 400,000 higher than in May. Customer levels would have been even greater had French air traffic controllers not staged a series of walkouts over President Emmanuel Macron's controversial pension reforms, which included raising the retirement age by two years. Popular: Ryanair revealed that 17.4m people flew on its planes last month, a 9% increase on the 15.9m who travelled with the group in June 2022 Ryanair said it 'regrettably' axed more than 900 flights in June, impacting about 160,000 passengers, but still had 96,250 flights in total. The Dublin-based firm scrapped about 400 trips on 6 June, the same day French unions began a national day of action, and around 130 more on 29 June when the country's airport workers were staging a 34-hour strike. Air traffic controllers in France have organised 60 strike days this year alone, causing massive disruption to hundreds of thousands of travellers. Under French law, domestic flights must keep running during strike periods, but international flights are prohibited from flying over the country. Nonetheless, air carriers have seen their passenger volumes continue to recover strongly thanks to loosening Covid-related international travel restrictions. Russ Mould, investment director at AJ Bell, said: 'The frequent recurrence of these issues means a lot of travellers have become used to the problems that come with flying, but they still go ahead and book flights. 'Airlines will be thankful for that, although they would prefer a much smoother experience for the customer.' On a 12-month rolling basis to June 2023, 173.4million customers have flown with Ryanair, a 29 per cent jump on the 134.5million recorded the previous year. Though further industrial action is expected across Europe this summer and countries contend with cost-of-living pressures, many airlines and airports are anticipating their busiest summer ever. In May, Ryanair declared it would be operating its 'largest ever schedule' this season, covering nearly 2,500 routes and more than 3,000 daily flights. Soon afterwards, Hungarian rival Wizz Air said it was 'ready to deliver record summer traffic,' having been badly affected last year by staff shortages, industrial action and airport capacity limits. The Budapest-headquartered company also revealed its traffic figures for June on Tuesday, telling investors that 5.3 million people travelled with the firm, almost a million more than in the same month last year. In June, the group announced another 10 new routes on its Albanian network, with flights from Tirana to Birmingham, Edinburgh and Liverpool due to commence during the winter season. Wizz Air shares were 1.5 per cent higher at 28.36 this morning, while Ryanair shares on the Euronext Dublin were 0.4 per cent lower at 17.25. UK defence contractor BAE Systems has been given an 870million contract to fit cutting-edge radar to some of the RAFs fleet of Typhoon fighter jets. The ECRS Mk2 programme, in collaboration with Leonardo UK, will sustain 600 jobs at the defence contractors sites in Edinburgh, Luton and Lancashire. The radar will allow Typhoons to detect, identify and track multiple targets in the air and on the ground, a Ministry of Defence spokesman said yesterday. Locked on: The ECRS Mk 2 programme will allow RAF Typhoons to detect, identify and track multiple targets in the air and on the ground At the same time, it will have the ability to suppress enemy air defences using high-powered jamming and engage targets whilst beyond the reach of threats. The technology, described as one of the worlds most advanced radar, will be fitted to the RAFs 40 Tranche 3 Typhoon aircraft the latest version of the fighter jet. The announcement is part of a 2.35billion commitment made by the Government last year to invest in the Typhoon and keep it in the skies until 2040 and beyond. BAE shares fell 1 per cent, or 9p, to 909p. Residents evacuate the Jenin refugee camp during an Israeli military operation in the occupied West Bank, July 3. AFP-Yonhap Israel on Monday launched its most intense military operation in the occupied West Bank in nearly two decades, carrying out a series of drone strikes and sending hundreds of troops on an open-ended mission into a militant stronghold. At least eight Palestinians were killed and dozens wounded. The crackdown was reminiscent of Israeli military tactics during the second Palestinian uprising in the early 2000s and came at a time of growing domestic pressure for a tough response to recent attacks on Israeli settlers, including a shooting last month that killed four Israelis. The operation took place in the Jenin refugee camp an area in the northern West Bank that has long been known as a bastion of militants. The fighting, which began shortly after midnight, continued past nightfall. Throughout the day, black smoke rose from the crowded streets of the camp, a densely populated neighborhood that is home to some 14,000 people, while exchanges of fire rang out and drones could be heard buzzing overhead. Military bulldozers plowed through narrow streets, damaging buildings as they cleared the way for Israeli forces. "There are bulldozers destroying the streets, snipers are inside and on roofs of houses, drones are hitting houses and Palestinians are killed in the streets," said Jamal Huweil, a political activist in the camp, predicting the operation would fail. The military blocked traffic in and out of Jenin, and the city resembled a ghost town. Streets were empty as armored Israeli vehicles patrolled. Piles of burning tires and garbage containers littered traffic circles. Power and water supplies were knocked out in the camp. Palestinian youths occasionally threw stones at army vehicles before darting away. With the sound of shooting and explosions in the background, at least 10 ambulances rushed to the overwhelmed local hospital as relatives checked to see if loved ones were inside. One ambulance arrived with a bullet hole in front. The Palestinians and three Arab countries with normalized ties with Israel Jordan, Egypt and the United Arab Emirates condemned the incursion, as did the 57-nation Organization of Islamic Cooperation. Late Monday, the Palestinian leadership in the West Bank held an emergency meeting and said it was halting its already limited contacts with Israel. Leaders said a freeze on security coordination would remain in place, and they vowed to step up activity against Israel in the United Nations and international bodies. They also planned to minimize contacts with the United States. Israel's Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, was unswayed. "In recent months, Jenin has turned into a safe haven for terrorism. We are putting an end to this," he said. He said the troops were destroying militant command centers and confiscating weapons supplies and factories. He claimed the operation was taking place with "minimum harm to civilians." Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari, the chief military spokesman, said there were a total of about 10 airstrikes most of them aimed at keeping gunmen away from ground troops. He accused militants of operating next to a United Nations building and storing weapons inside of a mosque. Palestinians burn tyres and waste during an Israeli military operation in the Jenin refugee camp in the occupied West Bank, July 3. AFP-Yonhap Two of Britains biggest companies have been blasted for continuing to operate in Russia after it invaded Ukraine. Despite an exodus of firms after the war began last February, oil giant Shell is still trading Russian gas a year after promising to pull out of the countrys energy market. And Dove soap and Cornetto maker Unilever has been labelled an international sponsor of war by the Ukrainian government as it continues to sell food and hygiene products in Russia. The broadside marked a difficult start for boss Hein Schumacher, who took over at the weekend. Campaigners at the Moral Rating Agency (MRA), which pushes for companies to exit the Russian market, have called on Schumacher to do the moral thing and pull the business out of the country. Dirty money: Dove soap maker Unilever has been labelled an international sponsor of war by the Ukrainian government as it continues to sell food and hygiene products in Russia It estimated that Unilever was still contributing around 580million to the Russian economy each year, with some of the funds being used to fund the war in Ukraine. It follows claims from the Ukraine Solidarity Project that Unilever paid 260million in Russian taxes in 2022. A Cornetto ice cream seems innocuous until you realise that millions of them being sold each day can quickly pay for the launch of a missile, said MRA founder Mark Dixon. Likewise, a bar of Dove soap starts to look pretty dirty when there are enough of them being produced to purchase a Russian tank. The organisation branded Unilever a hypocrite for having previously criticised the invasion despite still operating in Russia. In March, it said it would stop importing or exporting goods from Russia but would still supply Russian shoppers with essential items made in the country. The debacle is yet another headache for the consumer goods giant, which has previously faced criticism from investors for prioritising ethical initiatives over its financial performance. Earlier this year, star stock picker Terry Smith, whose Fundsmith owns nearly 0.6 per cent of Unilever, accused it of virtue signalling and spouting corporate gobbledegook rather than focusing on sales. Shell, meanwhile, has been accused by Ukrainian officials of accepting blood money by continuing to deal in Russian energy. It is shipping Russian gas through a deal with Novatek, Russias second-largest liquefied natural gas (LNG) firm, which compels it to buy 900,000 tonnes per year from the Yamal Peninsula in Siberia. The MRA has accused Shell of using compliance rules to obscure the moral hazard and cover up its support for the Russian economy. The sanctions compliance argument is a moral red herring, said Dixon. Hundreds of companies have stopped supporting the Russian economy on a voluntary basis when doing so isnt a criminal offence. Shell said it stopped buying Russian LNG on the spot market, but it still has some long-term contractual commitments, including the Novatek deal. This is in full compliance with sanctions, applicable laws and regulations of the countries in which we operate. We have been clear about this. There is a dilemma between putting pressure on the Russian government over its atrocities in Ukraine and ensuring stable, secure energy supplies. It is for governments to decide on the incredibly difficult trade-offs that must be made, a spokesman added. But the continued trading of Russian gas will pile more public pressure on Shell, which has been heavily criticised recently after scaling back its green transition plans. Unilever made no comment last night. Ryanair carried a record number of passengers in June despite cancelling more than 900 flights due to strikes in France. The budget airline said 17.4m travellers took a Ryanair flight last month around 400,000 higher than in May and a 9 per cent jump on the 15.9m who flew in June 2022. But the numbers could have been even higher for the Dublin-based airline had French air traffic controllers not staged a series of walkouts over pension reforms, which included raising the retirement age by two years. Ryanair said 17.4m people took a Ryanair flight last month - around 400,000 higher than in May and a 9% jump on the 15.9m in June 2022 Ryanair said it was 'regrettably' forced to cancel 900 flights in June, hitting the plans of about 160,000 holidaymakers. In March, boss Michael O'Leary called on the European Union to protect flights over France. Low -cost carrier Wizz Air carried 5.3m passengers in June an increase of 22.5 per cent on the same month last year and around 200,000 more than May. Marks & Spencers chairman has suggested it could backtrack on discouraging shareholders from attending its annual meeting in person next year after a backlash. Ahead of its meeting yesterday, the High Street retailer wrote to investors to say: Shareholders are advised not to travel to the venue on the day as the meeting will be fully digitally enabled. The move follows a drive launched this spring by chairman Archie Norman to modernise popular capitalism by making meetings digital. Controversial: M&S chairman Archie Norman (pictured) said businesses have been sleepwalking into a situation where shareholders are disconnected from their firms Norman said businesses have been sleepwalking into a situation where shareholders are disconnected from their firms and AGMs resemble antiquated events that are not accessible for those who live outside London or are strapped for time. M&Ss meetings were hosted at Wembley Stadium where shareholders queued up for free sandwiches. But this year investors at the groups head office in Paddington were not able to talk to board members or offered refreshments. They were instead told to join the meeting electronically on phones or laptops. Norman admitted to Anita Anand - the BBC radio presenter fielding questions from shareholders - that the company has heard the feedback and we are thinking about it. He added: The question now, which the board is going to have to think about given the feedback we have had, is Why cant I come along physically and look the chairman eye to eye and buttonhole him? Norman admitted he didnt think this was unreasonable. Couples who take a joint approach to pension saving can boost their retirement incomes by thousands. There is a stark disparity in the amount men and women typically save towards retirement. Women in their mid-50s have saved one third less than men in their pensions, according to official data. This is mainly driven by the fact that women are paid less than men on average, and because they tend to fall behind on their savings in years they take out of work to care for children or elderly family members. But a spouse can pay into their partner's pension while they are not working to ensure they do not miss out financially in later life. On top of that, building pension savings in both partners' names rather than allowing one spouse to amass a far larger pension can have big tax perks. So when should you pay into your partner's pension? And should you ever pay into theirs over your own? Anyone can pay into their partner's private pension but the amount cannot be more than the recipient's annual salary. This can be a useful way to ensure both of you have your own pot of money in retirement, even if one of you has taken time off work. Building up two pensions can mean you are each responsible for your own spending habits and have more flexibility over your finances in retirement. I've paid into my wife's pension for 20 years Sarah Birch's husband Ian has been paying into her pension for the past 20 years. He started by contributing 110 a month, and now pays in 160. Ian, a 65-year-old police officer, did this because Sarah, 62, was a stay-at-home parent to their seven children and had built up no pension savings of her own. Ian pays into a defined benefit scheme through work, and plans to retire next year. Sarah's private pension pot is currently worth almost 80,000. 'It was Ian's suggestion, and I feel happier knowing I have my own pension savings,' she says. Why a lower earner might want to pay into a higher earner's pension Paying into a partner's pension can reduce your overall tax bill, too. This is because you can claim tax relief on any money you pay into a pension, be it your own or someone else's. Tax relief is paid at the rate of income tax of the person receiving the money and not at the rate of the person making the payment. This makes it an attractive option where one partner is a higher earner, as paying into their pension allows the couple to potentially benefit from extra tax relief. If the lower earner pays into their own pension they will only get basic rate tax relief, but by paying into the higher earner's pension instead, their spouse collects higher rate tax relief and the couple come out ahead. The risk here is that both partners will not have their own pension pots and couples could consider what might happen if they split. .> How couples who save together can max out their pensions - plus the pitfalls Helping hand: You can pay into your partner's pension while they are not working to ensure they do not miss out financially in later life The rules on paying into each other's pensions Every year you can save up to 60,000 into your own pension while benefiting from tax relief. On top of that, you can pay up to 60,000 or the equivalent of your partner's annual salary into their pension whichever is lower. If your partner is not working you can still pay in up to 2,880 a year, which would rise to 3,600 after tax relief has been applied. The pension provider will claim this tax relief on behalf of the person receiving the money and will automatically add it to their pension pot. However, these pension tax refunds do not apply in all cases to higher-rate relief and may have to be claimed back from HMRC. Any income you take from your pension after age 55 is subject to income tax. The first 25 per cent is tax-free. Then you get the personal allowance tax-free each year, currently 12,570. After that you pay 20 per cent, 40 per cent or 45 per cent tax, depending on your overall income in retirement (rates are different in Scotland). By splitting your streams of income evenly, you could make the most of the personal allowance and pay a lower rate of tax. Savings: Retired factory worker Gary Tuttle, 58, paid into wife Elizabeth's pension for six years before she retired in 2022 aged 58 For example, if you aim for a household income of 55,000 a year in retirement, it is more tax efficient for two people to draw from separate pensions to achieve this, because you start paying 40 per cent tax once your income goes above 50,270. Splitting the income would keep both as basic-rate taxpayers, meaning around 5,000 would not be taxed at 40 per cent on one income. Retired factory worker Gary Tuttle, 58, paid into his wife's pension for six years before she retired in 2022 aged 58. Gary realised that if he continued to pay into his private pension, he would be paying 40 per cent tax on some of the income he takes in retirement, while his wife Elizabeth would not be using her full 12,570 personal allowance. So he paid around 15,000 a year into Elizabeth's pension, the equivalent of her annual salary. This brought the value of her total pension to 150,000. She now withdraws 12,570 a year (plus an extra 4,167 tax-free; you can withdraw the first 25 per cent of your pension without paying tax). This will carry on until she receives the state pension aged 67, when she will reduce the amount she takes from her personal one to keep the tax bill down. Bianca Capstick, is weighing up whether to pay into partner Matt's pension as his employer has a generous scheme that he has paid into for 11 years What are the potential tax snags? Bianca Capstick, 38, is now weighing up whether to pay into her partner's pension. Her partner Matt, 32, works in nuclear energy, and his employer has a generous pension scheme that he has paid into for 11 years. As a freelance PR consultant, Bianca does not get employer contributions so she pays into her own personal pension. Bianca is a basic-rate taxpayer; Matt is a higher-rate taxpayer. They could claim back more tax relief through self-assessment if she paid into a personal pension on his behalf than if she paid into her own pension. Their dilemma is that Matt's pension is on track to exceed 1 million by the time he retires. Until this April, the amount you can save in your pension tax-free over the course of your life had been capped at 1,073,100. Above this level you faced tax charges of up to 55 per cent when you drew from your pension in retirement. The lifetime allowance was scrapped earlier this year, but the Labour Party has threatened to reinstate it if it wins the next election. In the event the cap is brought back in, Matt and Bianca could be stung if they pile their savings into Matt's pension pot alone. Bianca says: 'Managing our pension contributions is something we've been talking about. We earn and save money in different ways, so we're looking into how we can maximise our situation and be on more of a level playing field.' Iain McLeod, of wealth manager St James's Place, says there are risks associated with contributing to your partner's pension if you are not married. He says: 'In the event of a break-up, Bianca or Matt's contributions would not be protected. 'As an unmarried couple, any contributions either makes to the other's pension would be considered a 'gift' and could be subject to inheritance tax.' Unmarried couples are not automatically entitled to 50 per cent of assets if they split up. Republican Senator James Lankford draws on his deep faith everyday in his role as Oklahoma's top senator. 'My passion for religious liberty really draws from my personal faith, that I have the ability to be able to live my faith, practice my faith and speak about my faith,' he told DailyMail.com in an exclusive interview last week. 'Faith is not the freedom of worship. You have the freedom to be able to worship as you choose. It's the freedom of religion. It's the freedom to have a faith and live that faith. And so that that's been dear to me,' he explained. Lankford served for 22 years in religious ministry before entering the political world. He said those years gave him a unique perspective on the basic right of individuals to be able to choose their own faith, which has been 'core' of who he's been his whole life. 'For me, protecting the rights of a Christian, a Muslim, a Jew, a Sikh, an atheist, whatever it may be, to be able to have their own personal expression of their faith is really important.' The senator said that unfortunately that 'basic right' has been challenged under the Biden administration. Lankford served for 22 years in religious ministry before entering the political world Reflecting in the one year since the Dobbs decision, which turned over landmark abortion case Roe v. Wade and returned the issue to the state level, the senator told DailyMail.com the issue isn't going away any time soon He cited a few examples, including keeping conscious protections for medical providers in place for those who say that performing abortions goes against their personal belief systems. Lankford referenced a case that occurred in the 'early days of the Biden administration,' where a nurse in a Vermont hospital was compelled to participate in an abortion procedure against her conscious. 'They literally just trampled on her conscience rights,' and the Biden administration did not take up the case to stand by her First Amendment-protected objections. He says it has caused a 'chilling effect on religious entities' and also gives the ability for employers to run over the conscience of their individuals. 'This particular administration is not going to protect the religious liberty of conscience protections that are already in law,' Lanford accused. Reflecting in the one year since the Dobbs decision, which turned over landmark abortion case Roe v. Wade and returned the issue to the state level, the senator told DailyMail.com the issue isn't going away anytime soon. Protecting life is a top issue of importance to him, at all stages. The senator told DailyMail.com that as it was in the 2022 midterm elections, abortion will be front and center in the 2024 presidential election. However, he said 'It's not just an election issue. It is an issue about our culture. Do we value average every child? Do we think some children are valuable and some children are disposable? Or do we think all children are valuable?' Lankford says he believes all children are valuable and not 'disposable things' that can be thrown away. Now that about half of states have enacted some abortion restrictions, while the other half have increased abortion access or done nothing, Lankford says the focus should shift to the national level. He personally believes that all life begins at conception and that there should be a more normalized dialogue on the issue. 'If other people want to have other ideas on that, let's throw them out there. Let's talk about it nationally.' 'But let's not just ignore this and say this is an inconvenience issue,' Lankford continued. 'I mean, convenience, or frankly, children are always an inconvenience at every single age of their life. There's always an inconvenience with a child. So this is not about convenience. This is about how much do we value the life of each individual.' Lankford personally believes that all life begins at conception and that there should be a more normalized dialogue on the issue Lankford says he believes all children are valuable and not 'disposable things' that can be thrown away As for other issues he plans to focus on this congress, economic and tax issues are at the top of the list, including the R&D tax credit that is set to expire at the end of the year. He calls the credit that gives cash incentives to companies for development and innovation 'very significant for growth.' A big part of empowering companies is bringing them back to America, the senator added - which the Biden administration is currently not doing, he accused. In addition, he said the government should be encouraging more financial giving to nonprofits. 'A lot of these nonprofits are really important to us are giving an opportunity for for individuals to be able to give and to be able to deduct from their taxes.' Lankford, who sits on the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, says energy policy and securing the border is also critical for national security. An entomologist in Vermont who spent 21 years trying to find a particular species of butterfly which has never been recorded in the state finally realized his dream. Bryan Pfeiffer, 65, was 44 when he first embarked on the mission to spot a small butterfly called the Bog Elfin, a tailless insect with a wingspan of just under an inch never record in the Green Mountain State. They generally take flight during the springtime, from May to June, and are restricted to just the northeastern parts of North America, according to the US Forest Service website. According to NatureServe, a non-profit that deals in conservation data, the Bog Elfin 'has likely suffered some long-term declines' and 'appears to be absent from most suitable bogs'. Spotting it in Vermont was so important for Pfeiffer because until it had officially been seen, it was impossible to fight for its preservation. Bryan Pfeiffer, 65, has been trying to spot the Bog Elfin butterfly in Vermont for 21 years Pictures is a Bog Elfin, though not the specific butterfly seen by Pfeiffer. The tailless butterfly with a wingspan of just under an inch Pfeiffer, who has spent decades around the bogs of Vermont equipped with binoculars and a butterfly net, was also part of a team that compiled the first-ever Vermont Butterfly Atlas. Bog Elfin, however, are hard to find because they spend most of their life high in the canopy of the black spruce trees where they lay their eggs. 'Every year I felt like my window was closing,' he told the Boston Globe. For the last few years, his search was limited to just one bog with many spruce trees but for some serendipitous reason on May 19 he went to a new bog, he told the Globe. He added that over the years he had experienced a number of false alarms after seeing similar-looking butterflies like the Pine Elfin. But he said on this occasion he knew something was different. 'I've been looking for you for a very long time,' he told the butterfly as he approached it, he told the Globe. 'I was overjoyed when he called me because this was exactly how it should have been,' Josh Lincoln, a retired veterinarian and amateur naturalist who spent time looking for the butterfly, told the Globe. Pfeiffer spent decades exploring bogs in Vermont equipped with binoculars and a butterfly net Bryan Pfeiffer uses a net to try and catch butterflies and dragonflies in an undisclosed location in the Northeast Kingdom 'Whenever I'd search on my own, I'd secretly hope I didn't find it because the only fitting ending was for Bryan to find it,' he said. The historic sighting of the butterfly will now be featured second edition of Vermont Butterfly Atlas, according to Kent McFarland, who is leading the project for the Vermont Center for Ecostudies. 'It's hard to frame just how difficult this challenge was, and how perfect Bryan Pfeiffer was for it,' McFarland told the Globe. 'He's the bog man. He's at home in a bog, even though most people are quickly driven insane by the ridiculous quantities of black flies and mosquitos. 'And he's out there looking for something the size of a penny, and it's brown, and he's in a bog where everything is green and brown, and the vegetation is so thick you can't see two feet in front of you. It's a frustratingly secretive insect in a frustratingly difficult habitat.' Pfeiffer said that he was not going to state publicly where he found the Bog Elfin in order to prevent people from going to visit. In a blog post on his Substack page, Chasing Nature, Pfeiffer noted that the years he spent looking for the butterfly may have been a crucial to his finding it. 'It takes skill to find a Bog Elfin, to recognize its habitat, to sense where it might perch or seek nectar, to know how it carries itself and how its aeronautics differ from those of other little brown butterflies and moths flying around the bog,' he wrote. Bryan Pfeiffer (right) points out a butterfly as he and Josh Lincoln search for butterflies and dragonflies in the Northeast Kingdom 'That awareness took me years to fully realize. And I suspect my failures during the first decade or so of searching for Bog Elfins were in part due to ignorance and "user error" - looking in the wrong places and at the wrong time,' he wrote. 'I like to think that the patience, grounding, and skill that come with being a 65-year-old field biologist still count for something, that slowing down in almost every way still counts for something.' He said that he would keep visiting the bogs of Vermont in the hope of spotting yet more creatures - and that his sighting of the brown butterfly had made Vermont a better place. He also encouraged others to go out and look for butterflies. Although they may not be able to find Bog Elfins, they can find something very similar. 'Search for mottled triangles the size of pennies. Only then you might discover an elfin of your own. It wont be a Bog Elfin, and it wont take you 20 years to find,' he told his readers. 'It will be a manifestation of time and place. And it will perhaps offer you virtue in a way you had never expected from something as prosaic as a little brown butterfly.' The lawyer for boating accident victim Mallory Beach's family has condemned a film company's efforts to cast her role in a forthcoming drama series based on Alex Murdaugh as 'dehumanizing and thoughtless.' The casting call posted by Atlanta-based, Set Life Casting, and obtained exclusively by DailyMail.com features a picture of 19-year-old Mallory with the word, 'FLOAT' plastered in red ink across her face. The advertisement goes on to inform hopeful actors they 'MUST be comfortable floating/splashing etc in water!!!!' Speaking exclusively to DailyMail.com Beach family attorney Mark Tinsley said: 'Whoever did this and put 'FLOAT' over her face knew she was somebody's sister, somebody's daughter. 'She died a horrible death. I mean this should not just be a, 'Hey, we need a young pretty blonde girl to come and splash and float in the water.' 'She deserved more respect than that.' An 'insensitive' casting call for the role of Mallory Beach has been slammed by the teen's family lawyer for posting a photo of the girl with the text 'FLOAT' placed across her face Paul Murdaugh, 22, was facing charges in connection to a 2019 boat crash that resulted in Beach's death after he was drinking at the helm of the vessel The casting call by Set Life Casting, in Atlanta, sought several teenage actors to portray the group of friends and requested a 'blonde Caucasian' woman who 'must be comfortable floating/splashing' in water The production company did not immediately return a phone call and email asking for comment. Mallory was killed when the boat in which she was a passenger along with five other teens, all under the age of 21, plowed into bridge pilings on Archers Creek, South Carolina, in February 2019. Paul Murdaugh, later murdered by his own father along with his mother, was 'highly intoxicated' and at the wheel in the crash that propelled all six into the water. Mallory's boyfriend, Anthony Cook, his cousin Connor Cook and girlfriend, Miley Altman, Paul's girlfriend, Morgan Doughty and Paul, all made it to shore Mallory alone did not. Her body was found in marshland several days later. Tinsley told DailyMail.com that he hoped her parents, Renee and Phillip, would not see the 'insensitive' casting call, saying that it would 'terrorize' them to realize their daughter had been so casually reduced to a prop. He said: 'Whoever did this really wasn't thinking that these are real people. So many times, the victims get lost in the telling of the story. They're just ink on paper. 'This was tasteless and insensitive, and I pray that the family doesn't know about it.' The project description billed as a series with the working title, 'Hot Take; Murdaugh Murders,' and seen by DailyMail.com states, 'Alex Murdaugh tells the story about wealth, deception, drug addiction and murder'. It notes: 'Currently there are seven active criminal investigations surrounding the Murdaugh family centered around unsolved deaths, insurance fraud, drugs and murder.' The project description billed as a series with the working title, 'Hot Take; Murdaugh Murders' and seeks actors to portray the teens pictured Pictured is the boat that crashed into a Beaumont County bridge, leading to the death of 19-year-old Mallory Beach Family attorney Mark Tinsley told DailyMail.com Beach's parents would likely be 'terrorized' to see their daughter so casually reduced to a prop Speaking of the industry that has grown up around Murdaugh's crimes in the form of movies, documentaries and docu-dramas, Tinsley said: 'I don't know what it says about us as a society. My gut is not necessarily good things.' And he called for people involved in such projects not to lose track of the victims and their families. He said: 'These people the Beaches are incredible not because of what happened to them, they're incredible in spite of it. 'Phillip prayed with Paul on the causeway while his daughter's body was in the marsh, missing. 'At one point I called to talk to Renee, and she told me, 'Paul's here and he's staring at me, and he's got this crazy guilty look on his face.' 'I said: 'I'm happy to call and they will take him away.' And she said: 'No. Mallory wouldn't want that to happen.' 'She said: 'Mallory would want him to be able to deal with whatever he has to deal with as a result of what he's done.' That's the sort of people we're talking about here. 'These are consistently just genuinely good people, through and through. In all of the worst moments when you and I wouldn't be gracious, they have been.' At the time of his death, Paul, 22, was facing criminal charges in relation to the crash as well as wrongful death suits brought against him, his older brother Buster and father by the Beach family and other teens on board that night. Blood is seen splattered on Murdaugh's boat after the incident. The other teens all made it to shore Mallory alone did not Coolers full of beers were seen on the boat. The teens, all underage at the time of the crash on February 24, 2019, had spent the evening at an oyster roast A lawsuit filed by Beach's family alleged that despite being a minor, Paul 'would often drink to the point of intoxication and was known to operate family vehicles, including boats, while under the influence of alcohol' The Beach lawsuit proved key to the unraveling of Murdaugh's empire as their demands for his financial details combined with his own law firm's growing scrutiny over missing checks ultimately exposed decades of fraud totaling millions of dollars in stolen client settlements. The growing pressure of this imminent exposure was presented by lead prosecutor Creighton Waters as Murdaugh's motive for shooting dead his younger son and wife, Maggie, 52, when Waters presented the case against Murdaugh, 55, at Colleton County Court in February. According to the State, Murdaugh shot Paul and Maggie on the family's hunting estate of Moselle, June 7, 2021, to 'distract' from his own pressing financial and legal woes. He was convicted earlier this year and sentenced March 4. He is currently serving two life terms without hope of parole. Speaking after the sentencing Mallory's father Phillip said only, 'Justice has been served.' Reflecting on Murdaugh's heinous crimes, Tinsley said: 'It's a terrible thing to be associated with the reason why somebody would think, 'This is the only option.' 'There was something broken in Alex. I don't know when it broke. Was it always broken? I don't know. I feel like it was something learned, an evolution. 'He had gotten away with so much for so long. Would his law firm digging have led to the uncovering of all of his crimes without Mallory's case? 'I don't know. I suspect it could have, but it hadn't for 15 years.' Buster Murdaugh, 26, whose ID Paul used to buy alcohol that February night, was being sued alongside his father not only by the Beaches but by three of the other teens on board: Morgan Doughty, Connor Cook and Miley Altman. Paul Murdaugh, pictured with his girlfriend Morgan Doughty, who will also be portrayed in the upcoming film A lawsuit filed by one of the teens onboard, Connor Cook, (pictured above with girlfriend Miley Altman) claimed prominent South Carolina lawyer Alex Murdaugh allegedly tried to pin the boating crash on Cook Connor's cousin and Mallory's boyfriend, Anthony Cook was also on the boat at the time of the crash The Beach lawsuit proved key to the unraveling of Alex Murdaugh's empire and his subsequent murder conviction Buster settled his part in the suits earlier this year with the Beach family receiving a settlement of around $600,000. But their case against Murdaugh and Parkers, the store that supplied the teens with alcohol that night, continues. DailyMail.com has learned that Murdaugh will be deposed in prison, the week of July 17 and the case is due to go to trial August 14. According to Tinsley: 'When I first met Phillip, he said something to the effect of, his daughter didn't die in vain and her death will serve a greater purpose. He's very religious. 'If you've truly been injured, truly suffered a loss the position under law is you're made whole. 'In something like this you can never be made whole but it's a very cathartic, lifting of responsibility when your child dies and someone else says, "These are the people who are at fault" and that's what we hope for.' He added: 'This is just a terrible story with a terrible ending and the best the Beaches hope comes out of this is that someone else's daughter, someone else's sonthis doesn't happen to them. 'There's a spectrum of behavior from the worst of the worst to just thoughtless and insensitive. This casting call, it's thoughtless and insensitive. 'I felt bad for Paul and Maggie during Alex's trial because nobody was there truly standing up for them. The victims get forgotten. They deserved better. 'And when you see something just thoughtless like this, well, Mallory deserves better too.' Shots were fired at a pre-wedding party with more than 100 guests in Wolverhampton. Police received a number of calls to the Gujarati Association on Mander Street in Merridale, Wolverhampton, at around 9.30pm on Saturday night. It is believed a car drove up to the back of the venue before someone got out of the vehicle and fired a number of shots at another car parked at the site. A gun was then fired back towards the attacker from the direction of the wedding party by another person, according to reports. The shooting took place in the car park of Sitara Hall, a venue built ten years ago next to the Gujarati Association's main building, where a Mehndi party was taking place ahead of a Muslim wedding. No one is thought to have been injured but a vehicle was damaged and will be forensically examined, police said. The Association's vice Chair Naresh Patel told MailOnline: 'The hall is used by all communities for family occasions such as weddings, receptions, wakes and so on. On Saturday night it was a Mehndi party ahead of a Muslim wedding. The incident happened at about 8.30pm. The police came and took away the car that had been hit in the car park and took details from some of the guests. 'They did not search anyone as far as I know and the party continued until 11pm.' Sitara Hall, pictured on Monday, where a Mehndi party was taking place on Saturday Police received a number of calls to the Gujarati Association in Merridale on Saturday night A Mehndi party is a pre-wedding event for the bride, her closest female friends and other family members. The bride has henna applied to her hands and feet. It is understood that the Hall was booked from 5pm until 11pm. The Association provides security but this does not involve the searching of guests. Mr Patel added: 'We do have security. Normally this is because alcohol will be consumed but at this event there was no alcohol served.' Sitara Hall sits on Mander Street, an industrial zone on the edge of Woverhampton, where several different community centres are based. In addition to the Gujarati Association, there is a Sikh Gurdwara at the other end of the street, a Buddhist Vihara across the road and a nearby Ukranian centre. The shooting incident happened at the far end of the car park, next to Upper Zoar Street, a quiet road with a park next to it. Mr Patel added: 'Our hall was built by money donated by the Gujarati community but it serves all the communities of Wolverhampton. 'It is a big venue that can hold a lot of people and we only hire it out for family events, not commercial events. 'We have not had anything like this happen before. People at the party were annoyed that it had happened. 'It is not what you want at a celebration but the party did not stop. It went on until the end.' Officers were at the scene yesterday carrying out forensic and CCTV enquiries. The shooting took place in the car park of Sitara Hall, a purpose-built venue built ten years ago next to the Gujarati Association's main building (pictured on Monday) More than 100 people were at the event and detectives are keen to speak to witnesses Chief Inspector Paul Southern, of Wolverhampton Police said: 'This was a totally reckless attack and it's by luck rather than by design that no one was seriously injured or killed. 'We believe there were more than 100 people at this event and it's vital that we speak to anyone who was there and who saw or recorded what happened, so that we can bring those involved to justice. 'The community will be understandably shocked and worried by what happened and we'll be carrying out extra patrols to offer reassurance today. 'Anyone with information has been asked to get in touch via 101 or Live Chat on our website, quoting log 4353 of 1 July. 'Alternatively, contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.' The Gujarati Association has released a statement about the incident over the weekend. 'During the private event held at the premises of the Gujarati Association, an incident involving the discharge of a firearm took place. Our primary concern remains the safety and well-being of our community members and all those who attended the event,' the statement said. 'Law enforcement authorities were immediately notified, and they responded swiftly to the situation. They are currently conducting a thorough investigation to gather all the facts surrounding the incident. The Gujarati Association is cooperating fully with the authorities to ensure that the incident is resolved efficiently and comprehensively. 'At this time, we can confirm that no injuries have been reported as a result of the firearm discharge. The Gujarati Association deeply regrets this incident and assures the public that safety measures will be further reinforced to prevent any such occurrences in the future. 'We understand the concerns and questions that may arise due to this incident, and we assure you that we are committed to providing updates as more information becomes available. Our priority is to maintain the safety and security of our community members and visitors. 'We would like to thank the local law enforcement agencies for their swift response and ongoing support during this challenging time. We also request the cooperation of the media and the public in allowing the investigation to proceed unhindered, and to refrain from speculation or spreading unverified information that could potentially hinder the process. 'The Gujarati Association remains committed to fostering a safe and inclusive environment for everyone, and we will continue to work diligently to ensure the well-being of our community members. We appreciate your understanding and support during this time.' A 45,000-strong nationwide police operation to regain control of the streets amid widespread rioting, looting and protests would be cause for grave concern for most Heads of State. But for French President Emmanuel Macron, it's just another month. France finds itself embroiled in a seemingly never-ending cycle of civil unrest under the leadership of Macron, with cities across the nation reeling reels from yet another wave of chaotic protests after the fatal, point-blank shooting of a 17-year-old boy by a traffic cop last Tuesday. The propensity of the French people to protest and strike is deeply ingrained in the nation's history, rooted in a tradition of championing workers' rights and social justice. But since Macron rose to power in 2017, such demonstrations have appeared more frequent and intense, and images of tear gas-filled streets, burning barricades, and clashes with riot police have become all too familiar. From the infamous 'Yellow Vest' movement in 2018, which saw thousands of protestors donning high-visibility jackets and taking to the streets to decry economic inequality, to the pension reforms that led to a massive general strike in 2019 and again earlier this year, Macron's presidency has seen France grind to a halt on several occasions. With the French president still set for another four years in office before the next elections - and declaring intentions to start dishing out fines to parents of under-18s taking part in protests - MailOnline recaps some of the most chaotic riots of the Macron era so far. French police stand in position as fireworks go off during clashes with youth, after the death of Nahel, a 17-year-old teenager killed by a French police officer during a traffic stop, in Nanterre, Paris suburb, France, June 30, 2023 Yellow vest protesters set alight to a shop window in Paris Riot police and protesters class in the city streets amid Macron's hugely unpopular pension reforms High school students run amok in the streets, flipping over and burning cars Yellow vest protests: 2018-2020 The scale of the yellow vest - or yellow jacket - protests in France is truly unparalleled. The protests acquired their name from the vests which French drivers are required to keep in their cars, and were sparked in November 2018 over fuel tax increases. But the demonstrations quickly expanded into a wider assault on the Macron presidency, with some 3 million French citizens believed to have taken part in the protests at some stage. Macron, who was elected on a centrist platform in 2017, was criticised for being out of touch and a 'president of the rich', and particularly violent protests in November and December of 2018 saw rioters torch cars, destroy property and cover the Arc de Triomphe in graffiti as they called on their president to quit. The protests raged for week after week, extended throughout 2019 and even until the advent of the Covid-19 pandemic in early 2020 - though by then the millions of protesters had reduced to mere hundreds per day. At their height, thousands of protesters attempted to march on the Elysee Palace, Macron's official home, but were held back by barricades, rows of heavily kitted out riot cops, and water cannons. More than a dozen members of the Yellow Vest movement died at blockades organised at major roads around France, with hundreds more protesters and cops injured amid the chaos. Ultimately, this violence put some French people off the movement, which struggled with a lack of leadership amid claims it was being hijacked by the extreme left and the far right. But they did prove effective, with Macron ultimately scrapping the fuel tax rise and offering income tax cuts in a bid to quell protesters' rage. Yellow vests protesters hold blue, white and red smoke bombs as they demonstrate to mark May Day or Labour Day on May 1, 2019 in Toulouse People including protesters wearing yellow vests gather near La Rotonde restaurant during the traditional May Day labour union march in Paris, France, May 1, 2019 A Gilet Jaune or 'Yellow Vest' protestor demonstrates on top of a burning barricade as demonstrations for International Labour Day turn violent French riot Police intervene in protests during a demonstration of the French trade unions members and the 'Gilets Jaunes' (Yellow Vests) movement marking Labour Day in Paris, France, 01 May 2019. A French riot Police officer arrests a protester on the floor during a demonstration of the French trade unions members and the 'Gilets Jaunes' Protesters stand amid smoke during a demonstration of the French trade unions members and the 'Gilets Jaunes' (Yellow Vests) movement A policeman uses a LBD flashball gun during an anti-government demonstration called by the 'Yellow Vests' (Gilets Jaunes) movement in Nantes, western France, on September 14, 2019 A Molotov cocktail explodes in front of a French gendarme during a demonstration on Act 44 (the 44th consecutive national protest on Saturday) of the yellow vests movement in Nantes, France, September 14, 2019 Anti-police riots: 2023 The demonstrations that swept France this past week were sparked by the killing of Nahel Merzouk, a 17-year-old from an Algerian background who was shot at point blank range by a policeman during a traffic stop in the Paris suburb of Nanterre. Thousands of people have been arrested since mass protests broke out in major French cities such as Paris, Marseille, Lyon and Toulouse on Tuesday night. The worst of the violence took place in Parisian suburbs, with the wife of one local mayor sustaining significant leg injuries after protesters rammed their family home with a burning car. Several police stations and town halls were also targeted by arson attacks or vandalism. Nahel's mother, Mounia, initially took part in the protests and led a 'White March' of mourners wearing white t-shirts emblazoned with tributes to her late son on Thursday last week. But on Sunday Nahel's family members called for calm after days of bitter clashes between riot police and protesters, many of whom were young adults or teens. Interior minister Gerald Darmanin said children as young as 12 or 13 had been detained for attacking law enforcement and setting fires. Macron called the shooting of Nahel 'inexcusable', but has since spent the week condemning the rioters for destabilising the Republic and yesterday floated the idea of slapping parents of underage rioters with crippling fines. Burnt buses seen through the gates at the Fort d'Aubervilliers bus terminal in Aubervilliers, north of Paris Nahel's mother, wearing a 'Justice for Nahel' T-shirt, raises her fist as she attends a march in memory of her 17-year-old son who was killed by French Police in Nanterre, near Paris, France, 29 June 2023 Mounia, mother of the French teenager killed by police, attends a memorial march for her son Protesters clash with police, following the death of Nahel, a 17-year-old teenager killed by an officer during a traffic stop Burned cars line the street at the foot of the Pablo Picasso estate in Nanterre, west of Paris on June 30, 2023 Firefighters stand as they extinguish burning vehicles during clashes between protesters and police, after the death of Nahel, a 17-year-old teenager killed by a French police officer during a traffic stop, in Nanterre, a Paris suburb, on June 28, 2023 'With the first crime, we need to find a way of sanctioning the families financially and easily,' he said, according to comments reported by the Parisien newspaper. The 45-year-old head of state said it would be 'a sort of minimum price for the first screw up'. French Justice Minister Eric Dupond-Moretti stressed the same message on Friday and outlined how parents were already legally liable for their children. He said that parents could already be fined if they failed to accompany their children to a court appearance. They were also financially responsible for any damages awarded to a victim of a crime committed by a child. Pension riots, 2019 and 2023 In December 2019, Macron introduced sweeping pension reforms and was immediately met with outrage from unions. Some 800,000 people took to the streets to voice their disapproval, with public sector workers walking out en-masse, bringing France grinding to a halt for days on end. With the threat of Covid looming, Macron's government ultimately decided to postpone the reforms until 2023, which at the time was seen as a major victory among French unions. But earlier this year Macron bit back with a vengeance, in February harnessing Article 49.3 of the French Constitution to force his pension forms through Parliament without a vote and raising the retirement age by two years to 64. The move triggered widespread outcry in France, with millions of public sector workers announcing strikes and hundreds of thousands of citizens backing them up in mass demonstrations. A planned visit to France by the newly crowned King Charles and the Queen Consort Camilla was cancelled amid the unrest. Then, when Macron on April 14 signed the bill into law, the violence sparked again. Protestors light a fire with e-bikes in front of the Hotel de Ville during a demonstration after France's Constitutional Council approved the key elements of French President's pension reform, in Paris on April 14, 2023 Protesters march, with the Pantheon monument in background, during a demonstration in Paris, on March 7, 2023 Students hold a banner as they walk past a fire during a demonstration as part of the tenth day of nationwide strikes and protests against French government's pension reform, in Paris, France, March 28, 2023 A protester pushes a police officer during a demonstration after the government pushed a pensions reform through parliament without a vote, using article 49.3 of the constitution More than eight out of 10 people in France were unhappy with the government's decision to skip a vote in parliament, and 65 per cent wanted strikes and protests to continue, according to a poll conducted on RTL radio showed. Police used tear gas in Lyon and Strasbourg and water cannons in Paris to control the streets, while protesters set fires, built barricades and let off flares in the centre of the capital. Officers were seen charging down streets in cities across France as they battled protesters angry about the reforms. In Nantes and Rennes, police stations were briefly set on fire by rioters before being extinguished. Thousands gathered in protest at the Place de la Concorde in the capital for days on end, before streaming through nearby streets, setting fires along the way. But the reforms are still set to take effect on September 1. High school protests High school students walked out of their classes en-masse on several occasions under Macron's tenure as President, most notably in 2018 and 2020. The first round of protests came as part of the Yellow Vests demonstrations, and saw students across the country rise up against a proposed amendment to university requirements. One shocking video showed police firing smoke grenades at teenagers who kicked them back at officers as violence escalated. Thousands of pupils, many wearing high-vis vests, demonstrated in cities across France, with police brandishing batons and hitting pupils with pepper spray, while hundreds of schools were totally or partially blocked by students, denying teachers entrance. Violence: A high school student clashes with a riot police officer in Bordeaux, southwestern France, while protesting education reforms Riot police pepper-sprayed students after they blockaded a Paris high school No kid gloves: High school students run away from tear gas during a demonstration in Bordeaux, southwestern France, as thousands of teenagers stage blockades and walk-outs across the country High school students block a road during a demonstration against the education reforms in Bordeaux Some students hurled coloured liquid and glass projectiles when riot officers moved in, using pepper spray and their shields to push the pupils back Hundreds of high school students blocked doors to colleges in Paris President Macron's government wanted universities to be able to apply admissions criteria and select students on merits such as exam results or entrance exams for some oversubscribed degrees. Macron was forced to postpone a planned visit to Serbia for several weeks to deal with the crisis. Then in 2020, high school students protested yet again over what they said were inadequate COVID-19 sanitary measures, with up to 30 pupils forced into poorly ventilated classrooms. About 10 high schools in Paris took part in protests denouncing class sizes and canteen conditions in their establishments. Several dozen students used wheelie bins, metal grilles and supermarkets trolleys to block access to the entrance of the Lycee Colbert in central Paris and hung a banner reading 'on strike' from a ground floor window. Some students hurled coloured liquid and glass projectiles when riot officers moved in, using pepper spray and their shields to push the pupils back. Bin collector strikes Bin collectors in France have launched a series of protests, which left thousands of tonnes of rubbish piled up in the capital and other cities across the country. Their strikes were largely part of the Yellow Vests or pension protests, but their effect was particularly putrid. In 2021 for example, some 3,000 tonnes of rubbish were at risk of being blown into the sea after refuse workers fought against council efforts to increase their hours up to 35 hours per week. Much of the stinking waste was simply left on the streets before being swept onto the beach. A picture taken on September 30, 2021 shows accumulated garbage in a street of Marseille, southern France, during a strike of bin men in the city over the working week length Some 3000 tonnes of rubbish was at risk of being blown into the sea But the scenario in Paris in March this year amid pension riots was much more bleak. Up to 10,000 tonnes of rubbish was estimated to have been piled up throughout the city when refuse collectors walked out for almost the entire month. Protesters then used the rubbish as barricades or fuel for fires, setting multiple stinking blazes throughout the capital. And with binmen intermittently walking out and leaving the waste to stack up, France's already considerable rat population is exploding. French ranking site Topito has declared Paris the fourth most rat infested city in the world, and the astounding quantity of the rodents is earning a reputation despised by the city's tourism chiefs. France's National Academy of Medicine meanwhile said the growing number of rats is a 'threat to human health because of the numerous diseases they spread through parasites, excrement, bites and scratches'. Additionally, the court will rule on whether Trump's name can be used in a trademark and if President Joe Biden can tax ultra-wealthy Americans 25% Next term's cases could determine the future of race-based gerrymandering and whether domestic abusers have a constitutional right to own firearms Will domestic abusers be allowed guns? Will President Biden be allowed to impose a wealth tax on the richest Americans? Will an attorney win the right to use a joke about Donald Trump's manhood on a t-shirt? These are the questions the Supreme Court justices will answer when they take up new cases in the next term, which begins the first week of October. The 6-3 conservative justices delivered a series of bombshell rulings in the last two weeks at the end of an explosive term - including axing Biden's $400 billion student loan bailout and banning colleges from using affirmative action in admissions. Another significant decision now means businesses will not be forced to cater to same-sex couples due to religious objections. The landmark cases won't stop there in 2023, as the justices reconvene later this year to discuss cases that will have nationwide ramifications. The 6-3 conservative majority Supreme Court released a series of controversial decision last month and will resume for another term in the fall for another series of cases that could determine precedent in multiple areas DailyMail.com breaks down what cases to look out for in the coming months from the bench. CAN A CALIFORNIA LAWYER TRADEMARK THE PHRASE 'TRUMP TOO SMALL'? An attorney in California wants to trademark the phrase 'Trump too small' for his t-shirts mocking the size of former President Donald Trump's hands. Justices agreed last month to take up the trademark dispute Vidal v. Elster in the fall term. The bench will likely hear the case before the new year. Steve Elster, an employment lawyer and progressive political activist that teaches child actors, sought the trademark in 2018 as a play off of Florida Sen. Marco Rubio's crude comments during a 2016 presidential debate suggesting that the size of Trump's hands indicates he has a small manhood. The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office rejected the application because the word 'trump' would be immediately associated with the then-President, not the noun. Therefore, the office concluded that current law requires that Trump give written consent for his name to be used in the trademark. The Biden administration wants the Supreme Court to uphold the Trademark Office's rejection. One case will determine if an attorney in California is using First Amendment protected speech by seeking a trademark on the phrase 'Trump too small.' Current Trademark and Patent law requires consent from a living person if they're name is included in the trademark During a 2016 Republican primary debate, Florida Sen. Marco Rubio made a crude joke on stage suggesting that Donald Trump had small hands and therefore a small manhood Elster, however, argues that the trademark is part of a political commentary targeting the former president, and therefore is protected speech under the Constitution. A February 2022 ruling from the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit said the rejection of the application violated Elster's free speech under the First Amendment. The Justice Department, however, maintains that while he has the right to use the phrase on a political shirt he does not have a right to obtain a trademark without the consent of a living person whose name is included in the trademark. COURT WILL DECIDE IF BIDEN CAN IMPLEMENT HIS 'WEALTH TAX' ON AMERICA'S ULTRA-RICH President Biden has proposed a 'wealth tax' to implement higher taxes on America's ultra-wealthy, but a Supreme Court case in the fall could bring those plans to a screeching halt. The bench agreed to take up in the fall term the case arguing that 'mandatory repatriation tax' violates the 16th Amendment. Moore v. United States will determine if a critical part of the Biden administration's tax proposals can be implemented or if the brakes will be pumped on taxes aimed at the most wealthy Americans. Charles and Kathleen Moore incepted the case after they were subjected to paying a $14,729 tax for owning 10 percent of a foreign corporation. This 'mandatory repatriation tax' came after the Moores made a $40,000 investment in an Indian farm-equipment corporation in 2005 but did not receive any other money or payments from the company while it turns a profit every year. They argued that the Trump-era policy is unconstitutional because their partial ownership did not amount to 'income' under the 16th Amendment. The case is now significant for the Biden team because if the High Court rules in favor of the Moores, it could put the president's wealth tax proposal and future changes to the taxing of financial market products on ice. In March 2023, Biden unveiled next year's budget proposal, which included a plan to tax Americans with wealth over $100 million at 25 percent. Those that fall within this bracket are estimated to makeup just 0.01 percent of Americans. 'We have to reward work, not just wealth,' Biden announced when calling for a new minimum tax for America's richest. The Moores lost their case before a federal judge and then an appeals court. The Supreme Court is now taking up the case. 'There is no blanket constitutional ban on Congress disregarding the corporate form to facilitate taxation of shareholders' income,' the appeals court said in the ruling. 'In other words, there is no constitutional prohibition against Congress attributing a corporation's income pro-rata to its shareholder.' Another case, while unrelated to Joe Biden's proposed policies, could foil the president's plan to implement a 25 percent tax on ultra-wealthy Americans those with worth of $100 million DOES BANNING A DOMESTIC VIOLENCE OFFENDER FROM OWNING A GUN VIOLATE THE SECOND AMENDMENT? The nine justices will determine if people subject to a domestic violence restraining order have a right to own a firearm. Rahimi v. United States will address an appeal by Texas-based Zackey Rahimi who said he still had a right to own a gun despite a restraining order against him related to a domestic violence offense. The case was brought up to the High Court after the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit maintained in February that it is unconstitutional for a federal law to prohibit the possession of guns 'while under a domestic violence restraining order.' Rahimi appealed his conviction for violating the federal law, arguing that the New York Rifle & Pistol Assn. v. Bruen decision last summer would interpret the federal law as violating the Second Amendment. Last year's decision by the conservative court made it so that U.S. gun laws are not valid unless the government can prove 'the regulation is consistent with this Nation's historical tradition of firearm regulation.' Critics argue it's hard to base modern laws on those made centuries ago. A good example is that there are calls for bans on specific styles of firearms that did not exist at the time of the writing of the Constitution. Justices have already signaled that while they support a broader interpretation of the Second Amendment's right to bear arms, Rahimi's case goes too far. Conservative Justice Brett Kavanaugh previously endorsed implementing some prohibitions on gun possession by people who have not been convicted of a felony like those with serious mental illnesses. Fellow conservative Justice Amy Coney Barrett wrote when she was a lower court judge that 'legislatures have the power to prohibit dangerous people from possessing guns.' Rahimi's illegal ownership of firearms was uncovered after he was also involved in five shootings around the Arlington, Texas, area from late 2020 to early 2021. After police identified Rahimi as a suspect, they used a warrant to search his home. They found a rifle, a handgun, and a copy of a restraining order issued against him in 2020 after a physical altercation with his girlfriend. UPCOMING COURT TERM COULD DECIDE HOW TO DETERMINE IF A CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT IS RACIALLY GERRYMANDERED South Carolina Republicans are looking to safeguard the map for the state's 1st congressional district following a lower court decision that the area was racially gerrymandered. Rep. Nancy Mace's district in South Carolina includes a long strip of coast along the North and South of Charleston but carves into a U-shape that Democrats claim was intentionally done to exclude populations of black voters in order to keep the district red. The configuration Macce represents includes a much larger land-mass than in the past. South Carolina's NAACP said Republicans gerrymandered the state's 1st congressional district on the basis of race to ensure it flipped back to red in 2020 after going blue in 2018 The Supreme Court will hear a case on gerrymandering in the fall that could determine the future makeup of Rep. Nancy Mace's district in South Carolina Since 1981, the Palmetto State's 1st congressional district has had all Republican congressmen and women except for one term in 2019 and 2021 when it was represented by Democrat Joe Cunningham, who lost reelection to Mace. South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott, who is running for president, represented the district from 20110-2013 before being elected to the upper chamber. The racial gerrymandering case Alexander v. South Carolina State Conference of the NAACP could determine the fate of Rep. Mace's district and influence if she wins reelection in 2024. The NAACP case in South Carolina centers around how Mace could flip the seat in 2020 after Cunningham flipped it blue in the prior election. A three-judge district court panel rule in favor of the the NAACP as it argued the gerrymandering violated the federal Voting Rights Act. But attorneys for Republican lawmakers said the judges were wrong in presuming the legislature was acting in bad faith to oust voters based on their race. The Supreme Court is expected to argue the case in the fall and rule before the 2024 elections occur. If ruled in favor of the NAACP, politicians could seek to challenge the drawing of any map they feel is unfavorable based on demographics in the area carved out. DO FISHERMEN HAVE TO PAY FOR THE GOVERNMENT TO WATCH THEM CATCH HERRING A battle over bureaucratic red tape could be decided with a case involving herring fishers. Loper Bright Enterprises v. Raimondo could decide if fishermen must pay government observers to be on their boats. This decision could dramatically impact government agencies' oversight of all Americans, and introduce more red tape for even the smallest industries. A Cape May, New Jersey, herring company appealed to the Supreme Court after a lower court ruled they would have to forfeit nearly 20 percent of their pay to fund at-sea monitors. The program was suspended in April after the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) said it ran out of money to pay its administrative costs. Now fishermen are asking the High Court to review the suit to prevent mandatory monitoring payment from returning in the future. 'We are grateful to the Supreme Court for taking our case,' lead plaintiff Bill Bright of Loper Bright Enterprises said of the case after the Supreme Court agreed to hear the case in the fall. 'Our way of life is in the hands of these justices, and we hope they will keep our families and our community in mind as they weigh their decision.' The case could dramatically decrease the amount of regulatory power that federal agencies hold. Hong Kong activist Nathan Law, center, takes part in a protest during the visit of Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi in Berlin, Germany, In this Sept. 1, 2020 file photo. AP-Yonhap Hong Kong police on Monday accused eight overseas-based activists of serious national security offences including foreign collusion and incitement to secession and offered rewards for information leading to their arrest. The accused are activists Nathan Law, Anna Kwok and Finn Lau, former lawmakers Dennis Kwok and Ted Hui, lawyer and legal scholar Kevin Yam, unionist Mung Siu-tat, and online commentator Yuan Gong-yi, police told a press conference. "They have encouraged sanctions ... to destroy Hong Kong and to intimidate officials," Steve Li, an officer with the police's national security department, told reporters. Issuing wanted notices and offering rewards of HK$1 million ($127,656) each, police said the assets of the accused would be frozen where possible and warned the public not to support them financially. The notices accused the activists of asking foreign powers to impose sanctions on Hong Kong and China. The activists are based in several countries, including the United States, Britain and Australia. Yam is an Australian citizen. They are wanted under a national security law that Beijing imposed on the former British colony in 2020, after the financial hub was rocked by protracted anti-China protests the previous year. The United States on Monday condemned the move through a U.S. State Department spokesman, who said it set "a dangerous precedent that threatens the human rights and fundamental freedoms of people all over the world." British Foreign Secretary James Cleverly criticized the decision to issue the arrest warrants and said his government "will not tolerate any attempts by China to intimidate and silence individuals in the UK and overseas." Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong said her government was "deeply disappointed." Australia, she said, has consistently expressed concern about the broad application of the national security law. Some countries, including the United States, say the law has been used to suppress the city's pro-democracy movement and has undermined rights and freedoms guaranteed under a "one country, two systems" formula, agreed when Hong Kong returned to Chinese rule in 1997. Chinese and Hong Kong authorities say the law has restored the stability necessary for preserving Hong Kong's economic success. Hong Kong activist Nathan Law takes part in a protest during a meeting of Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi with Italian Foreign Minister Luigi Di Maio, in Rome, Aug. 25, 2020. AP-Yonhap A South Carolina father is charged with murdering six people including his 11-year-old daughter in a house fire, as cops revealed the sole survivor is a 13-year-old girl who identified the suspect. Ryan Lenard Mangino, 33, is charged with two counts of murder and one count of attempted murder in the stabbing deaths and house fire on Folly Creek Lane in Green Pond on Sunday that left six dead and one injured. Two of the deceased were identified as Michelle Marie Wright, 50, Mangino's sister-in-law, and Sariya Mangino, the suspect's daughter, by Colleton County Sheriff's Office (CCSO) announced at a press conference on Monday. Shamiah Rutledge, 7, was also identified as another victim by her aunt on GoFundme on Sunday. Mangino is facing more charges once the other victims are identified, per an autopsy report. Officials said that both Michelle Marie Wright and Sariya Mangino were stabbed to death before the fire. Ryan Lenard Mangino, 33, has been charged with two counts of murder and one count of attempted murder in the stabbing deaths and house fire at a home in Green Pond on Sunday that left six dead and one injured Sariya Mangino, 11, was one of the victims and daughter of the suspect, Ryan Lenard Mangino, 33 Firefighters from Colleton County Fire-Rescue were alerted to a fire at the home in Green Pond community around 11am. When they arrived the made the gruesome discovery of six lifeless bodies Firefighters from Colleton County Fire-Rescue were alerted to a blaze and when they arrived the house was engulfed in flames. Once inside, they made the gruesome discovery of the six people deceased in the burning building. The surviving victim - who has not been named -was airlifted to a nearby hospital and treated for cuts and stab wounds gave authorities Mangio's name, description and vehicle, officials said. Sheriff Guerry 'Buddy' Hill said the young girl had been found wounded and was outside the home. Hiram Davis, a spokesperson for the family of the victims said the motive for the killings remains unclear, WCIV News reported. At a press conference on Monday, 14th Circuit Solicitor Duffie Stone said: 'The two murder charges carry potential life sentences, those must be set by a circuit court judge,' NBC News reported. 'My office will arrange those and schedule those through our chief administrative judge within the next few days and we will notify the public of that hearing,' she added. Sheriff Hill said the evidence collected has been sent to the State Law Enforcement Division for analysis. 'At this time, we do not have a motive,' Hill said. 'This is a very active investigation and as details emerge, we will forward them to the family and the media.' On Sunday, SLED Director of Public Relations Renee said the SLED Arson Unit, SLED Crime Scene Unit, Agents with SLEDs Low Country Region, and SLEDs Special Victims Unit (SVU) were requested to assist in the arson and death investigation by the Colleton County Sheriffs Office, ABC4 News reported. Fire crews are seen extinguishing the fire at the home on Green Pond. It is unclear how the fire started, and A 13-year-old victim and sole survivor of the horror killing was airlifted by helicopter to a local hospital Three grief-stricken family members who tragically lost their loved ones were present at Monday's bond hearing and expressed that they were in favor of the death penalty. 'I just want Ryan to know that he'll never be forgiven,' one of the family members said. 'I wish you (Mangino) get the worst charges ever. I wish they give you the death penalty because what you did has brought death to us. We hate you,' they said. Champions in Motion, a youth program that Sariya participated in posted photos of the young victim and sent a loving tribute mourning the young cheerleader's tragic death. 'Champions in Motion asks all to lift up the Walterboro, SC family up today as we all mourn the lose of our own Sariya Mangino,' they wrote. 'What a smile, life and light she brought,' they said. 'In Columbus we ALL perform for you Sariya.' A third victim of the Sunday horror was seven-year-old Shamiah Rutledge, Law & Crime reported. A relative said the young girl had just had her birthday in May. A GoFundMe was created by Kelisha Arnold, the victim's devastated aunt who called her called her niece's death 'a tragic homicide by fire,' the news outlet reported. 'She was only 7 years old at the time of her passing and was the sweetest funniest soul anyone could meet,' she wrote. 'The whole family is still shocked and in disbelief, as this is very fresh.' As of Monday evening, $762 was raised towards their goal of $7,000. Curtis Magwood, a pastor and family member of the victims told WCSC that victims were hard to identify, KKTV News reported. 'The unfortunate part about it is we cant even identify them, so going beyond that part, the last time we saw them was the last time that well ever see them,' Magwood said. 'So, thats something we have to live with, and thats the most hurtful part of the whole thing,' he said. He also said those killed had left remarkable impacts in and around their communities. A massive rain band stretching along Australia's east coast has brought record downpours to several regions. A surface-level trough and tropical moisture combined to form a large weather system over the Northern Territory and west Queensland earlier this week, before the bleak conditions expanded down the east coast of Australia on Monday. The rain is set to continue on Tuesday, with Sydney forecast to cop rain and light winds, while Brisbane could receive up to 30mm. Fortunately, the wet weather will soon die down with conditions set to eventually clear. Rain and showers in Sydney will ease from Wednesday to cloudy conditions through to Saturday Heavy rain stretching across Australia's east coast will ease from Wednesday (pictured, combined rainfall total forecast for Monday and Tuesday) 'From Wednesday onwards, the weather system responsible should weaken significantly,' Weatherzone meteorologist Corine Brown said. 'Although showers could persist over Queensland's east coast until late Thursday. 'By the end of the working week, it may be safe to proclaim that the rain is finally done.' Parts of west Queensland have already seen their wettest July on record, just four days into the month. Cloncurry recorded 15 times its July average after recording 64.4mm of rain, while Mount Isa experience 13 times its average with 78.4mm of rain falling in the region. In the state's southeast, Brisbane is set to cop a drenching on Tuesday before the weather eases to showers on Wednesday and clears Thursday. The temperature is set to be slightly colder on Tuesday with a maximum of 19C and maximums in the low to mid 20Cs forecast for the rest of the week. The major rain system will bring similar conditions to Sydney, with rain forecast on Tuesday before clearing on Wednesday. Cloudy conditions are forecast through to Saturday. Wednesday is set to be Sydney's warmest day of the week with a high of 21C. Canberra's week is looking wetter and colder with showers forecast into next week alongside maximum temperatures in the low teens and minimums reaching 4C. Felix Levesque from Weatherzone told Daily Mail Australia a separate system will see rain hang around Australia's south coast through to the weekend. 'At the moment over Western Australia there's a cold front and trough that's bringing dusty winds and showers,' he said. A seperate system currently over Western Australia will bring rain to South Australia and south Victoria later this week 'That system's going to move into South Australia and Victoria from later this week.' Melbourne residents can expect showers and rain on Wednesday with a maximum temperature of just 12C. Higher temperatures around the mid teens are forecast for the rest of the week but the city will only see a brief reprieve from the rain on Wednesday before showers set in through to Monday. Hobart is also set to see a wet week with showers forecast from Wednesday through to next Monday. Adelaide will see partly cloudy weather on Tuesday before showers set in through to the weekend. Perth's forecast is also looking wet with showers expected through to Saturday when the weather will ease to partly cloudy conditions. Darwin is looking to be the only consistently sunny capital this week with no rain forecast and maximum temperatures sitting around the low 30Cs. Over $1.7million in untapped wages are on offer New push for city workers to move to the regions City workers are being lured to regional areas - where $1.7billion in untapped wages are on offer - after nearly half of those surveyed said they would move for a pay rise. More than 91,000 jobs are being advertised across Australia's rural and regional areas with a need for doctors, nurses, engineers, mechanics. tradies and journalists. Regional Australia Institute (RAI) is urging city dwellers to take advantage of those opportunities to move for a better pay packet and lifestyle. A recent study by the RAI found more than a million city workers were dissatisfied with their jobs, mainly because their salaries haven't risen with the cost of living. A survey of 1000 capital city workers revealed a staggering 46 per cent could be persuaded to take a job in a rural or regional area if it meant they got a pay rise. RAI chief executive Liz Richie said life was simply more affordable in rural and regional areas. 'You've got more time, more space and housing is far, far more affordable,' she said. 'We've also got a lot of research to show that regional Australians are, across the board, happier - so higher levels of wellbeing are also on offer in the regions. 'This year regional migration is up 17 per cent and it's continuing to grow as the economic downturn prompts Australians to search for a more affordable lifestyle.' Alex Ho (pictured) is one of many Australians enjoying a new life in the country. He grew up in Brisbane but is now working on a farm 2,000km away in South Australia High levels of pay are also a feature, with a greenskeeper in the regional town of Orange, about 255km west of Sydney, able to earn $95,000 to $110,000 per year A speech pathologist in Orange can pocket between $82,000 and $130,000 and an aged care facility manager can make $150,000. Only one in 10 people surveyed by the RAI said they would not consider a move to the regions, with young Australians aged 18 to 34 the most likely to be persuaded. Up to 80 per cent of respondents believed that regional living would result in overall improved wellbeing. Alex Ho is one of many Australians enjoying a new life in the country. He grew up in Brisbane but is now working on a farm 2,000km away in South Australia. Mr Ho has been working on the mixed grain and sheep farm in Cummins on the Eyre Peninsula, about 275km from Adelaide, since finishing school. '(I'm) really enjoying my time here learning something new every day,' he told AAP. Mr Ho plans to work in agriculture for a few years before studying in the industry and said he could see himself settling in the country. A recent trip home to Brisbane to visit family had solidified his decision to move. 'I spent a week there and I was like, the traffic and the noise, the honking... no one's really saying g'day,' he said. 'I compare that to the town I'm in now and it's like everyone's taking it easy and you're more or less on a first name basis with everybody.' However, it's taken some time to adjust to the cooler climate. 'It's six degrees and I'm absolutely freezing, I've got the heater on, the fire going and just three blankets on my bed, so that's not too pleasant,' he said. A survey of over 1,000 Australians living and working in major capital cities found that nearly half, 46 per cent, would be persuaded to take a job in rural or regional area if it meant they got a pay rise (pictured is an aerial view of the city of Orange, about 255km west of Sydney) Lifelong Melburnian Angela Durston-Ryan was in the depths of the pandemic when she asked her employer for a transfer to Shepparton in northern Victoria. The civil engineer now owns a house in the regional hub and loves being closer to the snow, but also not too far from the city. 'The community is probably the biggest thing that I love,' Ms Durston Ryan told AAP. 'Everyone's involved and everyone looks out for you.' RAI chief executive Liz Richie said the regions had it all. 'Coffee, restaurants, arts, festivals - it is all available in regional Australia now,' she said. 'There is a broad range of incentives because there is a war on talent right now so we're seeing everything from housing being offered, sign-on bonuses, cars, additional holidays and additional parental paid leave.' The survey found the two biggest concerns keeping Aussies from moving to the regions were healthcare and living away from their family and friends. Master Builders chief executive Denita Wawn said regional Australia offered tradies an opportunity to tap into high housing and infrastructure demand. 'Tradies who move to the regions will play a vital role in building the communities of tomorrow and contributing to the economic growth this country desperately needs,' Ms Wawn said. National Farmers Federation boss Tony Mahar said the agriculture industry was calling out for workers. 'The career opportunities in agriculture are limitless,' Mr Mahar said. 'There is a job for everyone and every skill set right now in our farm sector.' It concluded that the party may 'never return to power' The Coalition could lose the next six elections after new data revealed young Australians weren't turning 'conservative' as they got older like previous generations. A report from the Centre for Independent Studies think tank titled 'Generation Left: young voters are deserting the right' found that Millennials and Generation Z were significantly less likely to swing to the political right as they aged. At least six former and current Liberal MPs have called on the party to change its relationship with younger Australians following the shocking research. Baby Boomers - people born between 1946 and 1964 - and Generation X - people born between 1965 and 1980 - are more likely to vote for the Coalition than Labor or the Greens by the time they reach their early 50s. But the data shows that Millennials were moving towards the Coalition at a rate of 0.6 percentage points per electoral cycle - less than half the speed the previous two generations shifted towards a conservative party. The Coalition is on track to lose future elections after new research found young Australians weren't shifting their vote to a conservative party as they got older like previous generations (pictured, Opposition Leader Peter Dutton) The modelling predicted that Millennials would be in their 80s, rather than their 50s, before they were more likely to vote for the Coalition. Generation Z - people born between 1996 and 2010 - were found to be the least supportive of the Coalition and the most progressive out of any generation of the post-war era. The paper's author, Matthew Taylor, claimed the Coalition could lose the next six federal elections going by the voting trends. 'Gen Z have entered the electorate at historically low levels of support for the Coalition and are drifting further and further away from it as they move into their mid 20,' he said. 'If Gen Z support for the Coalition stays where it is and the generation that comes after has similarly low support then even if Boomers, Gen X and Millennials keep shifting towards the Coalition at the rates we have seen in the past, that still isn't enough for the Coalition to return to government in the next six elections.' He added that most Millennials were shifting their vote from Greens to Labor as they aged, which was different for Boomers and Generation X who moved from Labor to Liberal. The data from the Centre for Independent Studies showed that Millennials would be in their 80s before they were more likely to vote for the Coalition, while Generation Z were the least supportive of the Coalition (stock image) Australians who were born after 1980 made up 43.8 per cent of voters in 2022. But by 2040, they will make up 70 per cent of voters (stock image) Australians who were born after 1980 made up 43.8 per cent of voters in 2022. But by 2040, they will account for close to 70 per cent of voters. That figure includes the addition of the post-Generation Z electorate. Mr Taylor recommended the Coalition focus on issues important to younger generations such as housing affordability and climate change in a bid to remedy the voting trend. 'There is a narrow path back to government for the Coalition. That road goes through Millennials and Generation Z; not around them,' he said. He added that if the Coalition made no attempt to appeal to younger voters they'd 'risk never returning to power'. Liberal MPs Dan Tehan, Andrew Bragg, Zoe McKenzie, Bridget Archer and Keith Wolahan said the party needed to change how it connects with younger Australians. Liberal Senator Andrew Bragg (pictured right with Deputy Leader of the Opposition Sussan Ley) suggested the Coalition 'deploy economic policies which work for Millennials and Zoomers' Former Liberal MP Ken Wyatt (pictured) warned that the Coalition would fade into political irrelevance if it didn't connect with younger Australians and 'middle Australia' Senator Bragg suggested the Coalition 'deploy economic policies which work for Millennials and Zoomers (Generation Z)'. Ms McKenzie, the member for Flinders, told The Sydney Morning Herald that the party had 'to work with the community to devise policy ideas that marry (Liberal) values and principles around the priorities and plans of Millennials and Gen Z.' Ms Archer, the member for Bass, urged the Coalition to 'consider future generations' with their polices. It comes as former Liberal MP and Indigenous Australians minister Ken Wyatt slammed his party for ignoring younger Australians, along with 'middle Australia'. 'The Coalitionis not reaching the future generations of this country,' he told The Australian. 'The things that concern them and are not being addressed, and one of the things that does concern them is fairness.' 'Somewhere we are missing the mark on reaching into the future generations of Australians and I think it'll only be a matter of time before the teals start running candidates for the Senate,' He added the the Coalition risks fading into political irrelevance if it didn't connect with younger Australians and reconnect with mainstream voters. In May, ten people were rescued on a hike using the same feature Juana Reyes was saved by the iPhone's new 'SOS' feature while hiking A woman from San Diego was winched to safety after she used her iPhone's SOS feature when she broke her ankle while on a hike with her friends. Juana Reyes fell while traversing the rough terrain, breaking her ankle and leaving her in desperate need of medical attention in the Los Angeles National Forest. She and her friends attempted to call for help but were met with no cell service until Reyes remembered the new feature on her phone that does not require bars. The SOS feature uses satellites to triangulate a user's location and contact emergency services in areas outside of cellular and Wi-Fi coverage. Rescuers were alerted to Reyes and her friends and sent out a helicopter to air-lift the woman and get her to a doctor for her injuries. Juana Reyes was rescued when she used her iPhone's SOS feature after she became injured while on a hike through the Los Angeles National Forest Reyes (pictured) and her friends attempted to call for help but were met with no cell service Reyes described the horrifying situation in an interview with NBC 7 San Diego, saying the pain made it too difficult to walk. 'All I can remember was yelling, "My foot," and trying to get up, but I couldn't,' she said. 'The pain was just so unbearable.' The woman said that when she went down, she felt a crack and that her leg became contorted in an unnatural way. Apple's iPhone Emergency SOS alert feature Panicked, the group began working to call for help only to realize they were unable to make calls. 'How are we going to get out of this?' Reyes asked herself. 'That was the biggest thing on my mind.' Luckily, the new iPhone feature was there to help the woman and her friends. 'If you just try dialing 911 on an iPhone 14, just like you would normally, if you're not in any cellular coverage, it will convert it to a satellite activation,' said Mike Leum with the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Search and Rescue Team. The SOS feature will then ask the user questions about their location and their condition and will even help the user find the nearest satellite. It was because of that feature that Leum and his team received a notification from Apple alerting them to the issue. 'Our station notified us of an activation of an injured hiker up the trail near the waterfall,' Leum said. The rescuer told NBC 7 that Reyes' call was the third they have received. 'It's very helpful for us, and the call goes immediately to the nearest 911 call center,' he said. Reyes said she is grateful the service worked in a time of need and that she can only imagine how much good it will do for those in more dire situations. 'For me, it was my leg,' she said. 'It could have been a different situation for somebody else, and it would be lifesaving.' 'Our station notified us of an activation of an injured hiker up the trail near the waterfall,' said Mike Leum with the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Search and Rescue Team 'For me, it was my leg,' Reyes (pictured with rescuers) said. 'It could have been a different situation for somebody else, and it would be lifesaving' The Apple Emergency SOS feature (pictured) is displayed on the phones screen which helps a user quickly and easily call for help In May, ten hikers who were near California's 'Last Chance' canyon were miraculously rescued thanks to the Apple feature. The frightening ordeal took place on May 12 when the group of hikers became lost inside Santa Paula Canyon in Los Padres National Forest. The group was able to notify the Ventura County Sheriff's Office to their last known whereabouts via the service and it helped investigators locate them. Thirteen members of the Upper Ojai Search and Rescue (SAR) Team were then deployed to the site around 8:30pm and by 11:15pm all 10 hikers were safely rescued. None of the hikers were injured or required medical care. In May, ten hikers who were near California 's 'Last Chance' canyon were miraculously rescued thanks to the Apple feature. Pictured: The stranded hikers being rescued in May By 11:15pm the 10 missing hikers were found and safely rescued by the Upper Ojai Search and Rescue (SAR) Team Members. The officials said that 'most of the hikers were not prepared The feature was first introduced by Apple in November and rolled out around the same time in the United States and Canda. At present, the feature is only available to iPhone 14 users. The messages are sent in about 15 seconds if the user has a direct view of the sky and horizon, but the call for help could take longer if there are obstacles such as forests or mountains in the area. The service is possible through 24 Globalstar satellites, in which users point their iPhones to the sky to connect with one of the devices that then beams their message to the closest dispatch. A 'dirty creep' who was caught secretly filming his flatmate in her bedroom and on the toilet for more than a year has unleashed at a reporter after being confronted about his perverted crimes. Queensland man Angus William Gale faced Warwick Magistrates Court on June 8, pleading guilty to observations or recording in breach of privacy. The 22-year-old man obsessively took photos, video and constantly monitored his flatmate while she changed, slept, showered and went to the toilet for more than 20 months. When approached by Nine reporter Chris Allen in the street, the Warwick man showed no remorse for spying on his unsuspecting flatmate. Allen asked the young man about the secretly recorded videos, to which he shot back: 'I don't really give a s**t'. Queensland man Angus Gale (right) said he did not 'give a f**k' after he was confronted for secretly filming his flatmate for 20 months The confrontation, which aired on A Current Affair on Monday night, quickly escalated with Gale shouting a spray of foul-mouthed insults. 'I don't care you f*****g bigwigs. I don't give a f**k,'' Gale told Chris Allen. 'You c***s come from f*****g Brisbane to tell me this s**t. I'm going to work, f**k off.' Between January 2021 and September 2022 Gale would enter his flatmate's bedroom and the bathroom to position cameras before returning to his room to monitor the footage. His flatmate, Hannah Rutledge shared an apartment with Gale who was friends with her former partner and a work colleague. The 22-year-old believed Gale was 'normal' before she uncovered the sickening surveillance in 2021. 'The police had found images of me sleeping half-naked and also videos of people using the bathroom where the iPhone had been set up behind the toilet recording people,' Ms Rutledge told A Current Affair. Ms Rutledge first discovered she was being watched after finding a small black box camera angled towards her bed and hidden underneath the PlayStation remote on her TV console while cleaning her room. The 22-year-old obsessively took photos, video and constantly monitored his flatmate while she changed, slept, showered and went to the toilet The quick-thinking young woman retrieved the SD card from the camera and downloaded its contents onto her laptop - uncovering 15 video files and images of herself getting changed and walking around the room. One video shows Gale's face as he sets up the camera before leaving the room only to return again to adjust the camera angle. Ms Rutledge believes Gale was watching her when she discovered the hidden camera, receiving a Snapchat message from him within minutes trying to justify why the camera was in her room. Gale claimed he asked his brother to put the camera on charge and that he mistakenly plugged the camera in the wrong room. Ms Rutledge said she felt 'very on edge all the time' despite her flatmate promising to never do it again. The offending did not stop and 10 months later in September 2022 after returning to her room from a shower she noticed a gap in her blinds where she discovered an iPhone recording her. 'I walked in after having a shower in the bathroom and then I realised that the blind had been raised,' Ms Rutledge said. 'I could see an iPhone camera resting in the bottom corner and I reached through the broken fly screen and grabbed that camera and pulled it in to discover that it was still recording. Hannah Rutledge (pictured) uncovered 15 video files and images of herself getting changed and walking around the room from the SD card of a camera hidden in her room Ms Rutledge's mum encouraged her to call police and Gale was arrested and charged. Police found pictures on Gale's computer of Ms Rutledge including three images of her asleep in her bed and three of her using the toilet. Gale pleaded guilty to one count of observations or recording in breach of privacy and was sentenced to 18 months release under supervision. The Warwick Magistrates Court heard that Gale had been struggling with mental health issues and was the sole breadwinner for his family. Magistrate Andrew Cridland said Gale's offending was simply 'not appropriate' and if he had been older a jail sentence would have been considered. Gale, the son of a Southern Downs Regional councillor Andrew Gale, was not fined nor was a conviction recorded. The court ordered he report in person to a parole officer and attend counselling for his offending. A Current Affair's host Allison Langdon labelled Gale a 'dirty creep' and a 'grub', praising Ms Rutledge for her courage in coming forward. One video shows Gale's face as he sets up the camera before leaving the room only to return again to adjust the camera angle (pictured) Ms Rutledge's mum Anna Campbell labelled the verdict as 'weak' the outcome would not encourage victims to come forward. 'It was grubby, heartbreaking and disgusting, we had been watching her for months fade away, she just didn't look right,' Ms Campbell told The Courier Mail outside of court. 'She was terrified in her own home. It was taking on a toll on her physically and mentally, she looked like she was getting thinner and thinner. She has gone through months of hell, he traumatised my baby.' A senior office from the Darling Downs District is reviewing the matter. One per cent of ANZ transactions now done over the counter ANZ stopped over the counter withdrawals at some branches One of Australia's big four banks has defended its decision to ban over-the counter cash withdrawals, four months after it was quietly implemented. Taryn Comptyn was left shocked after she visited a local ANZ Bank branch to withdraw $3,500 over the counter for a renovation payment, as she didn't have her bank card with her. Ms Comptyn said she closed her account on the spot after a teller told her they didn't have any cash at the branch. 'The world's gone crazy,' she said. ANZ announced in March that it was stripping back some of its services and that certain branches would no longer carrying physical cash. The bank didn't disclose at the time which branches would be affected but insisted only a 'small number' would impacted. In a statement, the bank stood by its move to go cashless behind the counter - and clarified which branches are affected. ANZ Bank quietly banned over-the-counter cash withdrawals at some metropolitan branches 'At ANZ we have seen in-branch transactions fall 50 per cent over the past five years, with just one per cent of transactions now done over the counter and 96 per cent conducted digitally,' a spokesperson said. 'Some ANZ branches no longer handle cash at the counter, but continue to have cash available through our onsite Smart ATMs.' ANZ said affected branches are all located in metropolitan areas and are within 10km of the nearest branch with over-the-counter service. 'At these branches, cash and cheque deposits and cash withdrawals can continue to be made by using our Smart ATM and coin deposit machines, and we have staff on hand to help customers using them for the first time. 'These branches are all located in metropolitan areas and are within 10km of the next nearest branch with over-the-counter services.' Ms Comptyn had gone to her bank to withdraw $3,500 to pay for renovations but did not have her ATM card handy. 'I thought 'that's fine' I will just go to the teller',' she said in an online video. 'The teller proceeds to tell me they don't have cash in the bank anymore, that you can only get it out through the ATM but she said 'don't worry I'll set you a card up so you can just tap it in place of your card'.' However, when Ms Comptyn tried her temporary card at the ATM it repeatedly flashed up an error message. 'She (the teller) said 'I am really sorry there is nothing we can do',' Ms Comptyn said. TikToker Taryn Comptyn was so infuriated her bank could not hand over cash from her account that she closed it 'I was like 'what do you mean? I need to get my money out of my bank account'. 'She was like 'really sorry, we don't carry cash here'. ' Ms Comptyn said the teller suggested that she could transfer the cash to an account with another bank - if she had one - and access it there. 'Lucky for me I am with another bank so I transferred every single penny out of that account, closed the account while I was there and went and got my money out of the other bank,' Ms Comptyn said. 'But it just got me thinking about our banking system and where we are at and how the hell can you go to a bank and not access your own money.' Ms Comptyn's post attracted plenty of agreement from the more than 34,000 people who have viewed it. 'Yes they are trying to go digital.. everyone start withdrawing cash so they can't make the change,' one person wrote. 'I definitely have. Got it out while I still could. The world's gone crazy,' Ms Comptyn responded. In March the ANZ announced that some of its branches in Victoria would no longer carry any cash except in the ATMs 'No money at all at the bank?!' another person exclaimed. 'I understand not being able to take out 10k on the spot but like dude!! Don't carry cash?!' Critics have warned the move to cashless banks could cause significant harm to older people and those with disabilities who still rely on branches and physical cash. The number of bank branches in Australia has fallen by about 30 per cent in the past five years. And ATMs have decreased even more, with figures showing that they have fallen from a high of 14,000 in 2017 to around 6,000 as of last year. The Reserve Bank estimated just 13 per cent of transactions in late 2022 were in cash, a halving in just three years since the start of the Covid pandemic. He is accused to hauling a massive 917kg of cocaine into Australia Businessman David Campbell says he has brought a lot of containers full of expensive material into Australia, but not a haul of nearly a tonne of cocaine worth more than a billion dollars that he's accused of. Now facing the possibility of life in prison, Campbell told a Sydney court on Monday he was scammed in a 'disaster' caused by an overlooked typo. Messages he sent and payments he authorised as he tried to track down a missing shipping container are part of the accusation the 53-year-old conspired to import a commercial quantity of a border-controlled drug in 2017. Campbell said he was trying to track down a shipment of steel, which he did not know had cocaine secreted inside, and was concerned a container he expected had apparently gone missing. 'I've brought in a lot of containers that had a lot of expensive material in them the insurance is expensive,' he told the court. Campbell is standing trial alongside Tristan Waters, 40, after being dramatically arrested in a Serbian hotel in January 2018. Businessman David Campbell (pictured) told a Sydney court on Monday he was scammed in a 'disaster' caused by an overlooked typo Campbell (pictured, with police) thought he was sending money to a China-based steel company he'd previously done business with Waters has pleaded guilty to conspiring to possess a commercial quantity of an unlawfully imported border-controlled drug, but not guilty to the import charge. Their lawyers have described both men as expendable pawns acting under duress, exploited by organised criminals and the police pursuing them. Campbell thought he was sending money to a China-based steel company he'd previously done business with, to pay for an order made by a long-term business partner and mentor, resulting in 'disaster'. He had overlooked a misspelled email address mimicking theirs, thinking it was genuine as the sender knew so many specifics. 'The information they knew about was phenomenally accurate,' he told the jury. He believed the other business had been hacked. His barrister Ronald Driels asked if Campbell thought he had been scammed. Campbell is standing trial alongside Tristan Waters (pictured), 40, after being dramatically arrested in a Serbian hotel in January 2018 The container with 917kg of pure cocaine allegedly inside it had already been found by authorities at Sydney's Port Botany (pictured, a stock image of the shipping terminal) 'Oh I know I was scammed,' Campbell said. Campbell said he later suggested involving federal police in conversations searching for the container which did not arrive. That container and 917kg of pure cocaine allegedly inside it had already been found by authorities at Sydney's Port Botany, who set up an undercover operation spanning multiple countries, culminating in the arrests in Serbia. More than five years later, the circumstantial case is before a NSW District Court jury. The trial continues on Tuesday. Images of a crane lifting a crucifix from the front entrance of a hospital are outraging Catholics and other Christians around Australia. The religious symbol was taken off Canberra's Calvary Hospital over the weekend as the ACT government took control of the facility in a controversial compulsory acquisition following a bitter legal battle with the Catholic church over ownership. Veteran Christian activist and National Director of the Family First Party Lyle Shelton likened what he saw to the actions of communist China. 'The forced removal of the cross of Christ from a Christian-owned hospital compulsorily acquired by a hostile secularist government,' he tweeted on Sunday. 'These are the actions of a totalitarian regime, the likes of which exist in Beijing, not normally associated with Canberra. Time to wake up!' The removal of the main crucifix from Calvary Hospital has sparked outrage from Christians Canberra and Goulburn Archdiocese Archbishop Christopher Prowse also described the removal of the hospital's main cross as the actions of a 'totalitarian' authority. 'The very first thing a totalitarian government does, when it seizes Christian assets, the very first thing they all do ... they take down the crucifix,' he said. 'And right now today, over at the public hospital today is Sunday, of all days they picked is the Christian gathering-time they're taking the very big blue cross from outside the public hospital down today. 'There was a collective wrenching going on, but there was a sense of hope because they realised you can take down our physical crucifixes but you'll never take away the cross, Jesus's cross, inside my heart.' However, the ACT government on Monday denied it ordered the cross removed and said the decision and the timing was made by a Catholic agency that previously ran the hospital. 'That was entirely a decision for Calvary Health Care - we've been very clear about that the whole way through, that any decision around any of those items, when and how they were removed, was entirely a decision for Calvary,' ACT Health Minister Rachel Stephen-Smith said. Some likened the removal of the crucifix to the actions of a communist regime although it was later revealed the actions were ordered by a Catholic health agency Later on Monday a spokesperson for the agency confirmed it had arranged and paid for the cross's removal as 'part of the transition'. The spokesperson said a statue of Mary and other items of 'heritage significance to Calvary' were taken from hospital grounds and relocated. 'This included the removal of the cross on Sunday, the statue of Mary previously located outside the Xavier building, and a number of other iconography items of heritage significance to Calvary, which have been removed from within the hospital.' The spokesperson said the cost of the removal was 'associated with the transition'. 'The family, which donated the statue of Mary, and staff were advised about the removal and plans to identify a new location,' the spokesperson said. The takeover of Calvary, which will now be known as Northside Hospital, by the ACT government was finalised on Monday with 1,700 staff now being employed by Canberra Health Services. Following Canberra's ruling coalition of Labor and the Greens rushing through legislation in May to force the acquisition of hospital lands, the Catholic church - which had a 120-year lease to run the facility - mounted a legal challenge. Health Minister Rachel Stephen-Smith (pictured) was forced to deny the ACT government had ordered the removal of the cross The ACT Supreme Court dismissed the church's claims in June that it would not get appropriate compensation and that the legislation forcing the sale from Catholic order Sisters of the Little Company of Mary was invalid. Ms Stephen-Smith said on Monday the takeover was about providing a better health service and bringing the hospital into line with the rest of ACT health. 'And we need that land to invest $1 billion in a new north-side hospital, that needs to be part of the best and most efficient system we can,' she said. 'We know from other jurisdictions and experience that a single networked hospital provider is the most efficient and effective system.' Critics have claimed the takeover is part of an agenda for the hospital to practice euthanasia, which is set to be introduced to the Territory with a voluntary assisted dying in the works. There are also claims the takeover was motivated by a desire to see the hospital offer abortions. A government inquiry in April recommended health authorities pressure the hospital to provide 'full reproductive health services in accordance with human rights'. 1. On December 31, a walrus stayed overnight in the harbour in Scarborough, resulting in the town cancelling its New Year fireworks. The walrus was named after which superhero? a) Black Panther. b) Wolverine. c) The Hulk. d) Thor. On December 31, a walrus stayed overnight in the harbour in Scarborough, resulting in the town cancelling its New Year fireworks 2. The National Portrait Gallery re-opened in June, after a major refurbishment, with a special exhibition of photographs taken by which veteran musician? a) Keith Richards. b) Ozzy Osbourne. c) Paul McCartney. d) Elton John. 3. A 2023 horror movie, subtitled Blood And Honey has been described by one critic as 'the most cretinous film of the year'. It features a much-loved children's character. Who? a) Winnie the Pooh. b) Peter Pan. c) Harry Potter. d) Mickey Mouse. 4. Two of Hollywood's biggest stars play Barbie and Ken in a forthcoming film about the plastic dolls. Which stars? a) Glenn Close and Kevin Spacey. b) Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling. c) Scarlett Johansson and Tom Cruise. d) Emma Watson and Benedict Cumberbatch. Two of Hollywood's biggest stars play Barbie and Ken in a forthcoming film about the plastic dolls. Which stars? 5. In June, university psychologists discovered that gorillas enjoy spinning themselves around in circles. Why? a) Because they like feeling dizzy. b) To avoid having to look directly at university psychologists. c) Because they are on the look-out for predators. d) To attract the opposite sex. 6. Published in January, Prince Harry's memoir Spare came with an opening piece of wisdom from the American novelist William Faulkner. What? a) Who controls the past controls the future. b) In this bright future, you can't forget your past. c) The past is never dead. It's not even past. d) The past is another country. 7. On the dust jacket of Spare, Prince Harry describes himself as 'husband, father, humanitarian, military veteran . . .' and two other things. What are they? a) 'Mental wellness advocate and environmentalist.' b) 'Keep-fit fanatic and Prince of the Realm.' c) 'Podcaster and grandchild.' d) 'Dog-lover and litigant.' On the dust jacket of Spare, Prince Harry describes himself as 'husband, father, humanitarian, military veteran . . .' and two other things. What are they? 8. In Spare, Prince Harry describes suffering from frostbite in a certain area. What does he call this body part? a) My todger. b) My little man. c) My John Thomas. d) My Wee Willie Winkie. 9. On January 20, the Lancashire Police issued Rishi Sunak with a fixed-penalty notice. For what? a) Throwing orange peel out of the window of a moving vehicle. b) Taking off his seat belt in a moving car. c) Talking with his mouth full at a public event . d) Shoplifting cigarettes. 10. Three of these celebrities divorced twice. One has divorced four times. Who is the odd one out? a) Harrison Ford. b) King Henry VIII. c) Rupert Murdoch. d) Madonna. 11. In May, who had to pay 510 in fines and costs after driving at 25mph in a 20mph zone? a) The First Lord of the Admiralty. b) The Chan- cellor of the Duchy of Lancaster. c) The Governor of the Bank of England. d) The Archbishop of Canterbury. 12. E.L. James, author of Fifty Shades Of Grey, recently published her latest bonkbuster, The Missus. In the Spectator, Julie Burchill wrote: 'In more than 40 years of reviewing books, I don't think I've ever read one quite this bad.' Its first sex-based sentence comes on page 3. How does it go? a) My heavy body flows south rousing hot desire. b) My body rouses; desire, hot and heavy, flowing south. c) Desire flows through my body, rousing heavy hotness. d) Flow south, my hot body! My heavy head desires! 13. In April, who or what changed their name to Bannau Brycheiniog? a) The Brecon Beacons. b) Kemi Badenoch. c) Brylcreem. d) Bungee-jumping. Answers: 1d; 2c; 3a; 4b; 5a; 6c; 7a; 8a; 9b;10c Murdoch has divorced four times; 11d; 12b; 13a. (To be continued . . .) Demonstrators protest outside of the Supreme Court in Washington, June 29, after the Supreme Court struck down affirmative action in college admissions, saying race cannot be a factor. AP-Yonhap Three civil rights groups filed a complaint against Harvard on Monday, claiming its preferential policy for undergraduate applicants with family ties to the elite school overwhelmingly benefits white students, days after the U.S. Supreme Court struck down its race-conscious admissions policies. The groups filed a complaint with the U.S. Department of Education claiming that Harvard's preferences for "legacy" applicants violates a federal law banning race discrimination for programs that receive federal funds, as virtually all U.S. colleges and universities do. Last week, the Supreme Court said race-conscious policies adopted by Harvard University and the University of North Carolina to ensure that more non-white students are admitted are unconstitutional. The decision was a major blow to efforts to attract diverse student bodies and is expected to prompt new challenges to admission policies. Students and others gather at Harvard University's Science Center Plaza to rally in support of Affirmative Action after the Supreme Court ruling, July 1, in Cambridge, Massachusetts. AFP-Yonhap Anthony Albanese's energy minister Chris Bowen has been called out on live TV after suggesting that struggling Aussies should put solar panels on their roof to cope with rising power prices. Electricity prices in most states have seen hikes between 19 to 25 per cent under a new market offer set by the national energy regulator from July 1. That's despite the Albanese government's election promise to cut power bills for households by $275 a year by 2025. On Monday night, ABC 7.30 host Sarah Ferguson asked Bowen how families can best protect themselves against the rising prices. He responded: 'I know the demand for solar is absolutely massive. You can reduce your power bill very substantially by putting solar panels on your roof.' But Ferguson hit back, saying: 'That's assuming you have got the money to put those panels on your roof.' Solar panels cost between $4,000 and $16,000 to install after various government rebates. Several viewers also called out Bowen's solar panel suggestion on social media. 'Switch to solar? Who pays for the initial installation cost? Talk about out of touch,' one said. A second added: 'I looked at going solar in my new house. The payback period is 15 years, so why would i do it? Cheaper to stick to my regular supply and use woodfire and gas to heat the home.' A third said: 'I don't care if I offend Labor party supporters but I thought Chris Bowen's appearance on 7:30 was a waste of time and an insult to those doing it tough. 'Absolutely gobsmacking when he told people switching to solar was a way of coping with rising power prices this winter.' Earlier in the programme, Ferguson asked the minister whether he was 'prepared' to still commit to the promise of slashing bills by $275 - one of Labor's main promises at the last election. 'Certainly. We were elected with a mandate to increase the proportion of renewables in our electricity grid because that is better for emissions and better for bills and we are 100 per cent committed to doing that,' Bowen said. 'And yes, the modelling showed the impact of that policy by 2025.' He conceded that there was 'very difficult international circumstances' having an effect on prices. Still, he remained firm that the government was 'not walking away from the agenda on which we were elected'. 'That's the agenda, what about the commitment to lower prices by 2025?' Ferguson responded. Bowen stressed that the government was 'committed' to investing in more renewables to reduce prices. 'As I said, we are not walking away from our commitment to get more renewables into the system and yes, they are the cheapest form of energy available, the cheapest form of energy that has ever been available and that does mean that power prices will be lower than they otherwise would be, absolutely,' he said. He added that the government was considering a medium and longer-term plan to lower bills on top of the energy rebate. Bowen was grilled over rising electricity prices by TV host Sarah Ferguson (pictured) on the ABC's current affairs program, 7:30 Anthony Albanese (pictured alongside Chris Bowen) made a pre-election promise to reduce power bills for households by $275 a year by 2025 The ABC host asked whether there was a consideration for 'middle Australia' as the energy bill relief primarily supported households struggling the most. 'We are talking about a $500 to $1,000 increase in energy costs for people who are already struggling with cost pressures,' she said. 'Now the Labor Government came to power with broad support from middle Australia. How much is this going to hurt you politically?' Bowen argued that he 'wasn't a political commentator' and his job was focused on policy. 'I'm primarily a policymaker, not a commentator and it is my job to put the right policies before the government and the Parliament and the people and that's exactly the job I am getting on with doing,' he responded. 'Yes, there be, you know, all sorts of free commentary from an opposition that took four gigawatts of dispatchable power out of the system and only put one gigawatt on which will has lead to, in no small measure, a lot of the pressures we are dealing with now.' This graphic illustrates how power prices are set to soar in a number of Australian states with the percentage increase and the amount extra it will add to an average power bill in a year 'But to your question about the politics, Sarah, I think that many Australians look at this and know that the previous government left a mess, that there were 22 failed energy policies.' 'They know that energy prices are under pressure right around the world, but they see a government being honest about it but we've also taken action with the intervention that we brought about last year, which was a very substantial and controversial intervention, but was absolutely necessary for all the reasons you are correctly identifying.' Bowen was unable to forecast a time when bills would come down as prices were 'fluctuating internationally' due to the 'pressure coming out of Europe'. When asked about whether there would be future hikes to power bills, Bowen said that would be determined by what was happening across the globe, in particular the war in Ukraine. Ferguson then asked: 'Does that mean that we should gear ourselves up for future price rises, further price rises?' Bowen responded saying: 'Well, let's see what happens in Ukraine and Russia. Let's see what happens across the board.' It comes a month after the Australian Energy Market Operator warned that high electricity prices could 'linger' in the country for years without significant investment in renewable energy to replace coal-fired power as it's phased out. Channel 10 has been praised after switching the names of major Australian cities to their traditional Indigenous names to celebrate NAIDOC Week. Tuesday morning's 10 News First presenter read off the forecast for the day using the Indigenous names to 'honour' the week-long celebration of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island culture. During the report, Sydney was referred to as Gadigal, Melbourne as Naarm and Brisbane as Meeanjin, with some viewers describing the move as 'deadly' and 'awesome'. The switch from colonial to Indigenous names has become an annual event for Channel 10 in celebration of NAIDOC Week, with the tradition starting in 2021. The move earned the channel major praise when it was first introduced. Channel 10 used Indigenous city names in place of colonial names to celebrate NAIDOC Week (pictured, the Indigenous names used for the weather report) 'Respect to Channel 10 news who marked the beginning of NAIDOC week by using traditional names for Australian capital cities in its weather bulletin. I loved this feature,' one fan tweeted. One person said it was a 'key moment in Australian representation', while another described the change as 'fantastic'. But one Indigenous Australian said that all news channels should include Indigenous names 'in all their reports around the continent not just channel ten and not just on NAIDOC week'. NAIDOC (National Aborigines and Islanders Day Observance Committee) Week is held in the first week of July every year. It is a week to celebrate and learn about Indigenous cultures and history. This year's NAIDOC Week runs from July 2 to July 9 and is based on the theme 'For Our Elders'. 'Across every generation, our Elders have played, and continue to play, an important role and hold a prominent place in our communities and families,' organisers wrote. Some Channel 10 viewers are calling for other news channels to take notice and make it permanent The switch of names was to celebrate NAIDOC Week, a week to celebrate and learn about Indigenous cultures and history (pictured, the Aboriginal flag) 'They are cultural knowledge holders, trailblazers, nurturers, advocates, teachers, survivors, leaders, hard workers and our loved ones. 'Our loved ones who pick us up in our low moments and celebrate us in our high ones. Who cook us a feed to comfort us and pull us into line. 'They guide our generations and pave the way for us to take the paths we can take today. Guidance, not only through generations of advocacy and activism, but in everyday life and how to place ourselves in the world.' A prize-winning Ukrainian writer was amongst the 13 people killed in a deadly Russian missile attack on a popular pizza restaurant in the embattle city of Kramatorsk. Victoria Amelina, 37, was one of Ukraine's most celebrated authors who started investigating alleged war crimes and human rights abuses after Russia invaded last February. She died from her injuries following the attack A further 61 people were injured. The majority of victims were civilians. The mother-of-one had been dining with a group of Colombian journalists at Ria Lounge in the eastern Ukrainian city when the strike was launched last Tuesday. Kramatorsk, in the Donbas region, is under Ukrainian control but is close to Russian-occupied areas of the country. Victoria Amelina, 37, was among 13 people killed during a Russian missile strike on a pizza restaurant in Kramatorsk The attack injured a further 61 people. The majority of the victims harmed were civilians Award-winning Ukrainian writer Victoria Amelina was among 13 people who died after a Russian missile hit a pizza restaurant in Kramatorsk Literature and human rights organisation PEN America said: 'She brought a literary sensibility to her work and her elegant prose described, with forensic precision, the devastating impact of these human rights violations on the lives of Ukrainians.' The writer is survived by her parents, her husband and their 12-year-old son. Ms Amelina died before her first non-fiction book In War and Justice Diary: Looking at Women Looking at War was published. READ MORE: Moment Russian tank explodes in huge fireball before its crew somehow scramble free from burning wreckage - as Ukraine claws back more territory in growing counteroffensive Advertisement The account, which tells stories of Ukrainian women collecting evidence against Russian war crimes, is expected to be published soon. She also worked with children on the frontline. Just days before her death she wrote on Twitter: 'At night I looked at fireballs in the sky from my balcony in Kyiv and listened to explosions 'I went to sleep without checking the news. The war is when you can no longer follow all news and cry about all neighbors who died instead of you a couple of miles away. Still, I want to not forget to learn the names.' The day after the attack on June 27, Ukrainian authorities arrested a man, accusing him of helping Russia direct the strike. The missile suggests that the Kremlin is not easing on its aerial onslaught of Ukraine, despite the political and military turmoil within Russia, following a short-lived armed uprising last week. PEN Ukraine announced Ms Amelina's death after her family had been informed. She had been in Kramatorsk with a delegation of Colombian writers and journalists and had been documenting Russian war crimes with the human rights organisation Truth Hounds. The writer who was born in Lviv on January 1, 1986, published her first novel, The November Syndrome, or Home Compatiens, in 2014. It was shortlisted for the Ukrainian Valeriy Shevchuk Prize. She went on to write two prize-winning children's books, Somebody, or Waterheart, and Storie-e-es of Eka the Excavator. The writer (pictured) is survived by her parents, her husband and their 12-year-old son Aftermath: Missile strike leaves trail of destruction after hitting a pizza restaurant in Kramatorsk In 2017, her novel Dom's Dream Kingdom received a raft of national and international accolades - including the Unesco City of Literature Prize and the European Union Prize for Literature. When Putin launched his attack on Ukraine, however, she turned her attention to documenting war crimes in the east of the country. In Kapytolivka near Izium, she discovered the diary of Volodymyr Vakulenko, a Ukrainian writer killed by the Russians. A post pinned to her Twitter profile, shows the writer taking a photo next to a bombed building in Ukraine. It read: 'It's me in this picture. I'm a Ukrainian writer. I have portraits of great Ukrainian poets on my bag. I look like I should be taking pictures of books, art, and my little son. But I document Russia's war crimes and listen to the sound of shelling, not poems. Why?' An airman for the Special Forces could be sacked after he was caught taking drugs during an 'unheard of' crackdown in an elite unit which flies Chinook helicopters. Compulsory testing teams reportedly circled in on the RAF Special Forces Flight, 7 Squadron three separate times in just three weeks, which led to the airman's drug taking being discovered. The RAF has a zero tolerance policy towards drugs, so he is likely to be booted off the force, sources were reported to have claimed. Crews from 7 Squadron operate modified twin-rotor Chinook HC6 Helicopters in support of SAS and SBS missions. Members are amongst the most skilled members of the RAF and are always on-call to fly into enemy territory undetected or under attack. Crews from 7 Squadron operate modified twin-rotor Chinook HC6 Helicopters in support of SAS and SBS missions (file photo) However, bosses were concerned about a culture of cocaine use amongst squadron staff, the Sun reports. A source told the paper that it was 'unheard of' for a unit to get tested for drugs three times in just three weeks, so leadership must have had 'intel about a drug problem'. They said it was a 'real blow' for the elite squadron to have a drug user amongst their members. Special Forces Flight will have now been tested four times this year - and the base which houses Chinook fleet, RAF Odiham, has been drug tested 15 times. The RAF told the Sun: 'Random testing is part of our determination to ensure our people are fit to carry out operations to keep the UK safe.' Ministers were given a stark warning that more children would die from suicide than from contracting Covid-19 if they shut schools, a damning new report from parent campaigners has revealed. Former Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced on March 18, 2020, that England's schools were to close until further notice - and they would remain shut for longer than any other country in Europe. Many children returned to their classrooms in September 2020, only for schools to be shut again in January 2021. Even when they reopened that March, Covid outbreaks and isolation rules caused chaos. It has now emerged that the Government was warned in November 2020 that 'many more children will die from suicide than Covid-19 this year',' The Telegraph reports. That message was given in a joint briefing paper by the Department for Education and the Independent Scientific Pandemic Influenza Group on Behaviours - in which they cited a rise in self-harm among young people during lockdown. Ministers were given a stark warning that more children would die from suicide than from contracting Covid-19 if they shut schools. (File image) Former Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced on March 18, 2020, that England's schools were to close until further notice. They would remain shut for longer than any other country in Europe Those concerns were shared at a Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (SAGE) meeting that same month - which senior scientific advisers responsible for briefing Westminster's key players were in attendance for. At least ten senior officials from the Department for Education, the Cabinet Office, the Home Office and other departments were also at the meeting and therefore heard the warnings first hand. Despite the alarm being sounded, the Government decided schools would be closed for most of the spring term in 2021. In 2020, 161 people aged 10-19 died from suicide in England. That figure is almost five times higher than the 34 deaths from Covid for the same age group. The suicide warning is one of nine opportunities the Government ignored to avert damage caused by closing schools during the pandemic, according to parents campaign group UsForThem. UsForThem, which was set up by mothers Liz Cole and Molly Kingsley amid mounting concerns, is planning to release a series of reports on the various decisions made during Covid. This will include how SAGE papers documented the impact on school closures on stemming transmission was likely to be 'highly limited'. It will also explore safeguarding flags such as an increase in calls to Childline and the lack of plans drawn up for when schools returned in autumn 2020. The suicide warning is one of nine opportunities the Government ignored to avert damage caused by closing schools during the pandemic, according to parents campaign group UsForThem. The group was founded by mothers Molly Kingsley (pictured) and Liz Cole UsForThem, who were very vocal about keeping schools open during the pandemic, is calling on the Covid Inquiry to consider its evidence The campaigners, who were very vocal about keeping schools open during the pandemic, are calling on the Covid Inquiry to consider its evidence. UsForThem's report also noted that a 2016 test to see the Government's response to a serious influenza pandemic found that the DofE should find ways to keep schools open - which does not appear to have been followed. Anne Longfield, chair of the Commission on Young Lives and former children's commissioner for England told The Telegraph that 'despite many warnings and protestations to the contrary, the interests of children were overlooked on an industrial scale by government'. She said this had resulted in the weakening of safeguards for vulnerable children and heightened isolation and withdrawal, impacting children's mental health. Ms Longfield went on to say that the result of this has seen children - dubbed the 'lockdown generation' - struggle with 'education and social skills'. A DofE spokesman said: 'We know children were amongst those most affected by the pandemic which is why we have invested 5 billion in ambitious education recovery initiatives to help young people catch up. 'We are also rolling out Mental Health Support teams in schools which comes on top of our annual 2.3 billion investment into mental health services. 'The UK Covid-19 Inquiry is currently examining the country's response to the pandemic, and the department is cooperating fully.' For confidential support call the Samaritans on 116123 or go to samaritans.org Britons on holiday in Europe could be hit with ULEZ-like fines of up to 1,500 across the continent this summer. Cities and towns in countries like France, Spain and Italy are imposing restrictions on diesel and petrol cars that are likely to result in large fines for holidaymakers, according to a warning by the AA and Alliance of British Drivers. Due to foreign signage and varifying systems, drivers could have a hard time interpreting where boundaries for the low-emission zones start and finish, according to the Telegraph. In case the fines can't be paid on the spot, families might even be escorted to the closest cash machine by local police. Among those going ahead with the ULEZ-style zones are major cities Paris, Madrid, Barcelona and Milan. Cities and towns in countries like France, Spain and Italy are imposing restrictions on diesel and petrol cars that are likely to result in large fines for holidaymakers, according to a warning by the AA and Alliance of British Drivers (stock image of traffic in Paris) Edmund King, president of the AA, said it was crucial for British holidaymakers to do some research before driving abroad to avoid hefty fines. He told the Telegraph: 'In previous days drivers would have to be aware about the yellow vest and a warning triangle and, at some periods in France, a little self test beathalyser but that's since fallen by the wayside.' In Paris, for example, cars have to display a Crit'Air sticker which shows you have paid to enter one of the city's low-emission zone. The fines currently range from 58 to 119 but will likely rise to as much as 750 under the new rules banning cars running on fossil fuels built before 2006. While the measures were supposed to come into force in 2022 already, they were pushed back to July 1 this year and are likely to be pushed back yet again after the vote on it was postponed to July 14 due to last week's riots. Madrid's low-emission zones were already expanded in January. To enter, holidaymakers will need to be registered and display a sticker, which can be bought for 3 for petrol-powered cars and 6 for diesel-powered cars. Overall, there are 11 cities in France and nine in Spain with low-emission zones. More than two in five British drivers looking to drive abroad are unaware of the new low-emission restrictions in European cities, according to the Telegraph. Research suggests European cities enforcing their zones could also result in added points to the driver's licence of British holidaymakers when breaking these laws, instead of avoiding penalties by returning to the UK. A 'family member' has been arrested over the murder of an elderly couple who were allegedly poisoned a year apart. South Australia Police confirmed on Tuesday that a 62-year-old woman from the Adelaide suburb of Craigmore will be charged with two counts of murder. Brenda Anderson, 94, died while being treated at Noarlunga Hospital on March 12, 2022. A 'family member' has been arrested over the murder of an elderly couple who were allegedly poisoned a year apart (pictured, Lynton Anderson who died in May) Brenda Anderson, 94, died while being treated at Noarlunga Hospital on March 12, 2022 Her husband Lynton, also 94, died after being found unconscious by a carer at his home at Hackham in May this year. Police allege both died from drug overdoses from intentionally administered medication. Last week, Detective Inspector Mark McEachern said concerns over Mrs Anderson's death were first raised during a coronial investigation, which unearthed alarming toxicology results. A similarly concerning toxicology report was returned following Mr Anderson's death. Det Insp McEachern said detectives had no concern with the level of care Mrs Anderson received while in hospital and had also ruled out carers being involved in Mr Anderson's death. Police asked to speak to anyone who had contact with the couple, particularly those with knowledge of any prescription or non-prescription medication they were taking. The number of homeless on the streets of the Big Apple has risen by almost 18 percent in the space of a year, despite the mayor pledging to tackle the problem. The annual Homeless Outreach Population Estimate (HOPE) survey that was conducted in January revealed a total of 4,042 people sleeping rough in the subways or on the streets of New York City compared with 3,439 in 2022. The rise comes despite Mayor Eric Adams administration's pursuing aggressive measures to tackle the problem including enforcement, sweeps, and outreach initiatives. The city's homelessness situation has returned to pre-pandemic levels and is now reminiscent of when then-Mayor Bill de Blasio also faced criticism for insufficient action on the issue. Despite New York Mayor Eric Adams' efforts to address homelessness the number of individuals living on the streets has increased by nearly 18 percent in a year The latest survey revealed a total of 4,042 people sleeping rough in the subways or on the streets, compared to 3,439 in 2022 The numbers went up despite the 'aggressive measures' implemented by Adams including enforcement, sweeps, and outreach initiatives Many homeless remain on the streets due to a reluctance to use the city's shelters A group of homeless citizens live on the sidewalk during harsh winter conditions at the Jackson Heights neighborhood of Queens in New York City, this past January 'Over this past year, our agency has responded to a massive humanitarian crisis while ensuring that we are effectively delivering on our mission to address homelessness in New York City,' Commissioner Molly Wasow Park, responsible for the Department of Homeless Services stated. Officials appear to have come up with at least one excuse as to why the numbers went up and suggest the recent mild winter compared to previous years might be to blame. But the weather only goes part way to explaining why the numbers have gone up despite recent street sweeps and a $171 million funding boost for outreach efforts. While street homelessness went up by 18 percent the situation in the city's shelters is even worse with the population doubling due to the influx of migrants from the across the southern border. Mayor Adams proudly touted his increased spending to combat homelessness in 2022, but the results have been underwhelming. An audit by Comptroller Brad Lander revealed that out of 2,308 homeless New Yorkers living in encampments, only 119 individuals had been successfully transitioned into the shelter system - equivalent to a rate of only 5 percent. Homeless people are seen on 1st Avenue between 20 and 21st street, Manhattan days after the homeless survey was conducted NYC officials have housed migrants at the former four-star Roosevelt Hotel in Manhattan Last week, city officials said the number of homeless people in New York City shelters had surpassed 100,000, a record high attributed to migrants. The number of migrants in shelters passed 50,000 a few days earlier. More than two thirds of them are made up of families with children, the city's deputy mayor told The New York Times. Mayor Eric Adams says the immigration crisis has been a 'disaster' City Hall Press Secretary Fabien Levy says the city had reached a 'tipping point.' He called for more support from the state and federal government, saying it was 'now caring for more asylum seekers than long-time New Yorkers experiencing homelessness.' Under Mayor Eric Adams, the city has spent more than a billion dollars to shelter migrants since they started arriving in large numbers in early 2022. The costs are set to reach $4.4 billion by next year. Adams has called the immigration crisis a 'disaster' and his administration has opened 174 emergency shelters and intake centers. As well as housing the homeless in the city's regular shelters, officials have had to spend eye-watering sums on taking over hotels and other venues to house at least 17,000 unsheltered migrants. A makeshift shelter to accommodate the surge of migrants in Red Hook, Brooklyn The mayor has even used $50,000 of the city's money to send 114 migrant households to red states including Texas and Florida, with some even being sent as far as South America and China. Earlier this year, Adams visited the U.S.-Mexico border and called the situation 'a disaster' that needed to be addressed at the federal level. The visit came after governors from Republican-led states like Florida and Texas began busing and flying migrants in to New York City in 2022. In late-May Adams called for migrants to be sent to every major city in America. The fifth victim in the Philadelphia mass shooting that left five dead and two children injured on the eve of the Fourth of July was found hours later at home by his father. Families had been enjoying the festivities in the neighborhood of Kingsessing when the gunman wielding an AR-style rifle and handgun opened fire on his unsuspecting victims. Kimbrady Carriker, 40, was arrested shortly after the killing spree on the eve of the Fourth of July holiday in the Kingsessing neighborhood of Philadelphia, police said, according to the Philadelphia Inquirer. Five men between the ages of 15 and 59 were killed in the shooting. The fifth victim wasn't found until four hours later when an unnamed man returned home and found his son dead in the living room, his body riddled with bullet wounds. Police said they found ballistic evidence outside the house that matches the ballistic evidence at the scene and believe the man's homicide is related. The five victims were identified as Lashyd Merritt, 20; Dymir Stanton, 29; Ralph Moralis, 59; Daujan Brown, 15; Joseph Wamah, Jr., 31. The motive for the shooting is not yet known. It is not clear if any of the victims are connected or if there is any link between them and the suspect. Police have cleared the scene in Kingsessing neighborhood of Philadelphia after a heavily armed gunman wearing a bulletproof vest killed five men and injured two children in a mass shooting in Philadelphia on the eve of the Fourth of July Police place a rifle in a bag on the scene of a shooting on July 3 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania The two children who suffered gunshot wounds to their legs were not named. They were listed in stable condition. A 33-year-old female and a two-year-old male sustained injuries from shattered glass and were listed in stable condition. 'We believe because of where he was found and where his house is on 56th Street, and the fact that we found ballistic evidence that matches the ballistic evidence we found on the street a few hours earlier, we believe this homicide is related,' Philadelphia Police Chief Inspector Scott Small said. A second person who cops believe had 'picked up the gun and returned fire in the direction of the shooter' was also in custody, Police Commissioner Danielle Outlaw said at a news conference, but did not know whether there was a connection between that person and the mass shooter. The shooter tried to outsmart cops by using a police scanner but within 10 minutes of launching his spree he was tracked down in an alley and arrested, Outlaw said. 'At this point all we know is that this person decided to leave their home and target individuals,' Outlaw said. Security camera video shows the shooter walking down the street calmly while firing at people before responding officers chased the suspect as he continued to fire. Outlaw said she did not know if the suspect was firing from his rifle or handgun at the time he was chased by cops, but confirmed he was 'actively shooting'. She said officers managed to corner the suspect in the alleyway before ordering him to show his hands and arresting him. 'Thank God our officers responded as quickly as they did. I can't even describe the level of bravery and courage that was shown,' Outlaw said. Security camera video shows the shooter walking down the street calmly while firing at people before responding officers chased the suspect as he continued to fire Officers were able to apprehend the suspect in the rear alley of 1600 block of Frazier street and found he was armed with the rifle, handgun, multiple magazines and a police scanner Officers were flagged down at about 8:30 p.m., and multiple calls of shots fired came in from the Kingsessing. Philadelphia police were dispatched to 56th Street and Chester Avenue, where they found several victims - some of whom were fatally wounded. The officers then heard multiple gunshots further up the street on Kingsessing Avenue where they found 'multiple casings'. The cops advanced further down the street before hearing more gunshots in the area of 1800 block of Frazier Street. 'At some point, they locate the suspect and the officers were able to pursue him on foot,' Outlaw said. 'They pursued him from Kingsessing along Frazier Street to Springfield while the male was shooting.' Officers were then able to apprehend the suspect in the rear alley of 1600 block of Frazier street and found he was armed with the rifle, handgun, multiple magazines and a police scanner. The police did not fire any shots themselves. Police spokesperson Jasmine Reilly told the network four victims were taken to Penn Presbyterian Medical Center and two were taken to the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia. Outlaw said at a news conference that all of the victims of the mass shooting were male, including the two-year-old and the 13-year-old. A mass shooting is defined by the FBI as an incident in which at least four people are murdered with a gun. The total number of victims increased overnight and police said a fifth male victim was found four hours after the shooting when a man returned home and found his 31-year-old son dead in the living room with multiple gunshots wounds. Responding officers chased the suspect as he continued to fire, and he was arrested in an alley after surrendering, Police Commissioner Danielle Outlaw said at a news conference Gunman had a bulletproof vest, magazines, an 'AR-type rifle,' a handgun and a police scanner The total number of victims increased overnight and police said a fifth male victim was found four hours after the shooting when a man returned home and found his 31-year-old son dead in the living room with multiple gunshots wounds Distraught family and friends of the victims gathered outside Penn Presbyterian Medical Center on Monday night. Juliet Clarke told ABC Action News that her grandchild's father was one of the victims. 'I just came to get my grandbaby and my daughter and take them to the hospital. I came back and my house is in a crime scene. I can't even go into my house,' Clarke said. 'I think the man just ran up and started shooting people that were outside. Imagine if it was the 4th and everybody's out - it's just not safe anywhere.' One neighbor said he heard the gunshots and knew it wasn't fireworks. 'I heard shots. I heard like 30 shots,' he said. 'And then the second I had a discussion with somebody, we heard about 20 more shots.' Officials had described the scene as covering an area of two by four blocks and said around 50 spent shell casings were found. 'At this point you can see there are several scenes out here,' Outlaw said. 'We're canvassing the area to get as much as we can, to identify witnesses, to identify where cameras are located and to do everything to figure out the why.' Philadelphia Mayor Jim Kenney, a Democrat, tweeted about the shooting about two hours later. 'Horrified by the reports of a shooting in Southwest Philadelphia,' he said. 'My heart is with the loved ones and families of everyone involved, and I send my prayers to the victims.' 'My sincere thanks to @PhillyPolice for their brave response and successful apprehension of a suspect.' Philadelphia police were dispatched to 56th Street and Chester Avenue, where they found several victims The suspected shooter was identified as a 40-year-old man. One other person was in custody, but no other details were immediately available The Philadelphia violence is the country's 29th mass killing in 2023, the highest on record by this time in the year. And the Kingsessing neighborhood is becoming more and more dangerous, locals say. 'It's getting worse,' Emma Hilton, 70, who lives on the 1600 block of South 56th Street, told the Philadelphia Inquirer. 'My kids [are] getting ready to take me up out of here.' She said that with mass shootings on her doorstep, she is now thinking of moving further south to be with her children. They have been trying to convince her to do so for years. 'It's never been on this block,' Hilton, who has lived in her home for 11 years, said. 'It's really gotten worse. It's time to go.' Officials had described the scene as covering an area of two by four blocks and said around 50 spent shell casings were found Police spokesperson Jasmine Reilly told the network six victims were taken to Penn Presbyterian Medical Center and two were taken to the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia The mass shooting occurred a day after gunfire erupted at a holiday weekend block party in Baltimore, about 100 miles to the southwest, killing two people and wounding 28 others. The wounded in that shooting ranged in age from 13 to 32, with more than half of them minors, according to officials. The Philadelphia violence marks the country's 29th mass killing in 2023, according to a database maintained by The Associated Press and USA Today in partnership with Northeastern University. So far this year, the nation has witnessed the highest number on record of mass killings and deaths to this point in a single year. There have been more than 550 mass killing incidents since 2006, according to the database, in which at least 2,900 people have died and at least 2,000 people have been injured. Just across the river, the Kensington neighborhood, which is known as 'ground zero' for the city's drug epidemic, is seen strewn with trash and addicts injecting drugs in the middle of the day. The disaster has been fueled by the rise of the drug Xylazine, known as 'tranq' - a lethal sedative that is used to enhance the effects of heroin, fentanyl and cocaine. Disturbing images show a depressing sight in Philadelphia as drug users and the homeless litter the streets of the City of Brotherly Love over Fourth of July weekend It's a situation fueled by the rise of the drug Xylazine, also known as 'tranq' - a lethal sedative that is often used to enhance the effects of heroin, fentanyl and cocaine Footage by Dailymail.com back in May revealed the scale of Philadelphia's untamed 'tranq' epidemic, which has transformed the city's streets into a drug-infested hellhole. Just two months later, images show that the situation is the same. Gruesome scenes in the 'City of Brotherly Love' show droves of homeless addicts aimlessly staggering through the streets, surrounded by tents and scattered trash. One person gave Dailymail.com an inside look into the harrowing situation, explaining 'people are starving, people are overdosing.' National trends indicate the numbers of drug deaths continue to soar, with tranq and fentanyl 'zombies' slumped on streets across America. Kenyan Trade Minister Moses Kuria, left, and EU Trade Commissioner Valdis Dombrovskis shake hands after concluding a trade deal, June 19. The Citizen The East African Community (EAC) has maintained silence on a recent trade deal by Kenya and the European Union. Officials of the Secretariat could not comment on the agreement inked this week in Nairobi and witnessed by President William Ruto. The deal means Kenya has bypassed the fellow EAC member states in implementing the stalled Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) between the two sides. An agreement on the same reached by the EAC and the EU in 2014 after years of negotiations was subject to approval by all countries. It later stalled as other EAC member states declined to endorse it even as Kenya then the only middle income country signed and ratified it. While Tanzania and Uganda declined to approve the agreement for various reasons, Rwanda signed it but did not ratify the EPA. In the past all the EAC member states were required to sign and ratify the EPA with the EU for it to come into force. During the inking of the agreement on Monday, Kenya said that it was not bypassing its fellow member states in the bloc this time around. Kenya was only using a window opened up by the EAC Heads of State during their summit in February 2021. The summit, held virtually, allowed the partner states to deal bilaterally with the EU and leave room for others to join in future. Officials of the EAC reached out on Wednesday declined to comment on the matter on grounds that it was a policy needing the attention of the executives. "We are aware of the deal, but this is a policy issue," one senior official told The Citizen, referring its journalist to senior executives who, however, could not be reached. One of them said it has been a while since the EAC-EU-EPA has come up for discussions at the organization's high-level meetings. The issue could not feature in the recently concluded ministerial session of the sectoral council on trade, industry, finance and investments. By signing the trade deal, Kenya unlocked immediate duty-free, quota-free access for all its exports to the 27 member EU bloc. At the same time, the East African nation would be compelled to gradually lower import duty for goods from Europe. A Tanzanian scholar based in the U.S., Prof. Richard Mshomba, said the "go-it-alone" measure taken by Kenya was enough sign of the existing cracks in the EAC. "It has revealed, very clearly, that the EAC is not a genuine customs union," he said, noting that Kenya has also reached a bilateral EPA agreement with the U.K. "These bilateral arrangements would not be possible in a real customs union," said the economics don teaching at La Salle University in the U.S. In a customs union, member countries remove trade barriers among themselves and maintain common external tariffs. Members of a customs union usually first negotiate among themselves to establish a common position before they negotiate with non-members. On his part, a Tanzanian business consultant based in Germany, Dr. Harrison Mwilima, said a move taken by Kenya was not surprising. "It is not a coincidence that Kenya decided to go it alone. Countries such as Tanzania, Uganda and Burundi did not want to sign due to, among other things, fear that the free trade proposed through EPA would lead to the killing of their local industries." For Kenya, being the only country in the region with a middle-income status, not signing EPA meant that its exports to the EU, including mainly tea, coffee and cut flowers, would face tariffs. However, he was quick to warn that if other EAC member states will not sign regional EPA, Kenyan future trade engagement with the EU will complicate the EAC economic integration. He cited cases where and when Kenya starts to allow EU products to enter its market with reduced tariffs. That would mean that European goods have entered an EAC single market and could potentially be exported to other countries. Speaking during his visit to Brussels, the EU seat last year, EAC secretary-general Peter Mathuki said the bloc was keen to finalise the EPA agreement. He said since not all the partner states were in a position to sign, ratify and implement the agreement, there would be some flexibility. "The Partner States who wish to do so should be able to commence engagements with the EU with a view to starting the EU-EAC-EPA implementation under the principle of variable geometry," he said. (The Citizen) It's Australia - but never as you've seen her before. Almost 5,500 patriotic festivalgoers dressed in electric blue wigs broke the global record for forming the largest human image of a country deep in the Australian Outback on Tuesday morning. Attendees at the Big Red Bash - the world's most remote music festival in south west Queensland - smashed the previous record holders Romania who in 2018 managed to herd 4,807 participants into the shape of their country. Almost 5,500 patriotic festivalgoers dressed in electric blue wigs have broken the global record for forming largest human image of a country deep in the Australian Outback in an area mapped out by GPS (pictured) Matt and Evie, a couple in their mid-20s from Wangaratta in north east Victoria, took a week to travel to Simpson Desert in their Hilux with a rooftop tent before donning a bikini-themed aprons with curly blue wigs for the charity event (pictured) The feat, which was adjudicated by The Australian Book of Records, raised almost $100,000 for the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, whose official colour is blue. 'It doesn't get more Australian than this,' said festival organiser Greg Donovan, as the masses of be-wigged revellers filed in patiently. Drone shots of the record-breaking stunt showed a moving sea of blue in the exact shape of the great Australian land mass, which had been meticulously mapped out by GPS. Country music legend John Williamson then serenaded the crowds with a performance of his iconic anthem 'True Blue'. Drone shots of the record-breaking stunt showed a moving sea of blue in the exact shape of the great Australian land mass, which had been meticulously mapped out by GPS Sunset Lee and her partner Ben Chopping (pictured), turf farmers from Rockhampton in Central Queensland, travelled two long days in their Chevy towing a caravan to the festival, leaving their five children behind for a well-earned break Retiree Belinda Coyne from Coffs Harbour in NSW, had extra motivation to take part in the record-breaking challenge, being a Type 1 diabetes sufferer herself. Dressed in a fluffy blue dressing gown and with face painted like a character from the film Avatar, she refused to let the inclement weather affect her fun. 'We're enjoying despite the rain and the mud,' she said. Warren, Belinda's husband, said they had one minor hiccup on the long 200km drive out to Birdsville - Australia's most remote town. 'We broke a water tank on the gravel road from Windorah to Birdsville so we will have to limit our showers now,' laughed Warren. Matt and Evie, a couple in their mid-20s from Wangaratta in north east Victoria, took a week to travel to Simpson Desert in their Hilux with a rooftop tent. Evie, who along with Matt donned a bikini-themed apron with a curly blue wig, said the record attempt meant a lot to her. Stephen Webley (pictured), 59, a semiretired coal miner from Hervey Bay in southern Queensland, has ticked off three bucket-list items: a curried camel pie, a beer in the Birdsville hotel and attending the Big Red Bash 'As a remote nurse I see how Type 1 diabetes affects so many people so we are just happy to be part of it,' she said. Blue sky burst through for the first time during the record attempt after a couple of days of rare rainfall battered the region. Birdsville, a normally arid town of just 110 people around 35km west of where the festival is held, was battered by almost 16mm of rain on Monday. The usually scorched red landscape of the Simpson Desert was turned into a swamp by the deluge and dozens of drivers were seen queuing in the drizzle to hose down their mud-spattered vehicles at Birdsville's famous artesian springs. Jenni Denniss, 56, from Bandon Grove near Newcastle, took the blue charity theme very seriously, altering one of her daughter's Avatar fancy dress outfits. 'I thought I could fix her costume to make it work for an older lady,' she joked. Sunset Lee and her partner Ben Chopping, turf farmers from Rockhampton in Central Queensland, travelled two long days in their Chevy towing a caravan. 'We've left out five children at home - they didn't get invited,' said Ms Lee. Country music legend John Williamson serenaded the crowds with a performance of his iconic anthem 'True Blue' 'We're farmers so it's a well-deserved break for us. We're normally work in the heat so we're enjoying the cool - it's a pleasant change.' 'We were at Splendour in the Grass last year with all the kids and the mud and rain was far worse there.' Stephen Webley, 59, a semiretired coal miner from Hervey Bay in southern Queensland, is undertaking a music tour of Queensland in a FWD with an awning and swag. 'I had three bucket list items: to try a curried camel pie, to drink a beer in the Birdsville hotel and to attend the Big Red Bash,' he said. Mr Webley, who donned a blue wig and a suit covered in blue sky and clouds, who journeyed to the festival solo after his wife passed a few years ago, 'I'm a child of the 80s so I love Australian rock,' he said. 'The festival has been incredible so far: you get to meet some real characters.' Retiree Belinda Coyne from Coffs Harbour in NSW, had extra motivation to take part in the world record challenge, being a Type 1 diabetes sufferer herself (pictured alongisde her husband Warren) Elsewhere, Akuila Dean was attending the festival with his wife Natalie, their young boy Stevie and other friends. The family, from Ocean Shores in northern NSW, took three days to travel to the festival in their Toyota Land Cruiser, carrying several eskies and fridge full of food. 'It looked very, very nice when I bought it but now it looks like a real car,' laughed Akuila. 'That's what I got it for: to get dirty and go on adventures.' Their next hot shower will be on Friday when they travel on to Bedourie in south west Queensland for the camel races. 'But we're loving it - the rain and mud is part of the whole experience,' he said. Akuila, who works in construction, told of one unfortunate incident involving a snapped swag pole in the middle of the night. 'We just MacGyvered it the next day and now it's all right,' he said. Steve Donovan, operations manager for Outback Music Festival Group and type 1 diabetes sufferer, said: 'There are currently more than 130,000 of us living with type 1 diabetes in Australia, so we just wanted to say a big thank you to all who took part. 'JDRF Big Blue Day has not only raised awareness, but it's raised desperately-needed funds for diabetes research.' A tattoo parlour owned by a notorious ex-bikie that was once sprayed with bullets will close after nine years. City of Ink, in South Melbourne, owned by ex-Mongols member Toby Mitchell, and ex-Tigers footy star Jake King, opened in 2014 but will close for good on Thursday. The closure marks an end to the chequered history of the parlour that was peppered with bullets by a rival Comanchero bikie during a drive-by shooting in 2018. King, who played for Richmond from 2007 to 2014, announced the closure of the tattoo parlour on the business' Facebook page on Tuesday morning. City of Ink, in South Melbourne, owned by former Mongols member Toby Mitchell, and ex Tigers footy star Jake King (pictured), opened in 2014 but will close its doors for good on Thursday. Back in July, 2018, City of Ink was hit with at least five bullets across the shopfront and door in a drive-by shooting just before 2am 'July 6th will be our last day in the studio and we will be closing the doors. It has been an incredible journey and great life experience,' he said. 'Toby, the staff and I would like to thank all family and friends for their support over the years, as well as every single customer, no matter how big or small the tattoo is. 'All our staff have found new homes, so please follow their pages and reach out to them and continue getting your tattoos. Thanks and much love.' Back in July, 2018, City of Ink was hit with at least five bullets across the shopfront and door in a drive-by shooting just before 2am. The shop was closed at the time and nobody was injured during the shooting carried out by two men Yahya Aboueid and Mustafa Yuksel. Aboueid was sentenced to a 36-month community corrections order with 240 hours of unpaid work, while Yuksel was sentenced to 27 days of time served with a 30-month community corrections order. Mitchell had been the Victorian president of the Mongols before he was booted out of the club in April last year. He has survived two attempts on his life, having been gunned down outside of Doherty's Gym in Brunswick in 2011. Toby Mitchell often hits Instagram with celebrity influencers, such as Tammy Hembrow (pictured) Mitchell, then aged 37, had been at the top of his fear-giving game after a brutal career as a Melbourne kickboxer. He was hit three times in the hip and back in the botched assassination attempt. Mitchell lost a kidney, his gall bladder and a section of his liver in the brazen attack, which to this day has never been solved. In 2013, while still recovering from the Brunswick shooting, Mitchell was shot in a second attack. Again Mitchell believed he had been on safe ground. He had travelled to Melton to the Bandidos-affiliated Diablos' clubhouse unaware a hit squad had been on his tail. Gunman from two vehicles peppered Mitchell's car with bullets. Out of the 30 bullets police later found at the scene, just one had clipped Mitchell in the arm. Nikcole Cunningham added that white Americans needed to support reparation efforts and were a 'danger to society' A member of San Francisco's reparations committee called straight white men a 'danger to society' because they are 'the ones shooting up schools'. Nikcole Cunningham, who serves on the 15-person committee, told The Daily Telegraph that straight white men were failing to support the controversial black reparations effort and had to 'come to grips with their ancestry'. In an interview with the Telegraph, she said: 'They have the most, I watch these shows, the most serial killers. Straight white men are the ones who are shooting up schools, right?' 'So they are a danger to society,' she added, before noting it was 'not all of them'. Cunningham was appointed to the city's committee, formed in 2020, to assist in the evaluation of damages suffered by black citizens. The committee previously made headlines when it recommended a payment of $5million each. Nikcole Cunningham of San Francisco's reparations committee (pictured) called straight white men a 'danger to society' because they are 'the ones shooting up schools' In addition to San Francisco's reparations committee, a wider California task force was established by legislation signed by Governor Gavin Newsom in September 2020 She added in the recent interview that straight white men were more likely to be 'serial killers' and were harming efforts to empower black Americans in the face of systemic racism. 'If anything, they pose more of a harm than support and help. And then you got to remember their ancestors... are the ones who were standing out here in their Sunday best watching black people hang and burn,' she said. 'So until white people come to grips with their ancestry too and make amends with them, to say, I want to be the change,' she added. She went on to describe how 'white supremacy is ingrained in the DNA in this country and definitely in this city'. Cunningham also argued white people should be held responsible for the actions of slave owners as they are 'still benefiting from the harms that [their] ancestors caused', The Telegraph reported. In addition to San Francisco's reparations committee, a wider California task force was established by legislation signed by Governor Gavin Newsom in September 2020. Both committees were set a deadline to file their final proposals for legislators to consider by the end of June 2023. Cunningham's comments come as the wider California task force released a highly anticipated final report in which it laid out how hundreds of billions of dollars could be owed to black citizens of the state. Although it did not list an exact dollar amount, it did outline various methods for quantifying the economic damage suffered by black people in the state as a result of slavery. California's reparations task force handed over its final report to lawmakers last Thursday. From left, State Sen. Steven Bradford, Secretary of State Shirley Weber, task force member Lisa Holder and Assembly member Reggie Jones-Sawyer Los Angeles resident, Walter Foster, 80, holds up a sign as the California reparations task force meets to hear public input on reparations at the California Science Center in September 2022 Pictured is a man addressing the wider California reparations task force in March As part of its calculation, it considered decades of over-policing, disproportionate incarceration and housing discrimination. Initial calculations pegged California's potential cost at more than $800 billion more than 2.5 times the state's annual budget. The estimated cost was cut to $500 billion in a later report, though no explanation was made about the change. The panel has recommended prioritizing elders for financial compensation. Economists recommended nearly $1 million for a 71-year-old Black person who lived all their life in California - or $13,600 per year - for health disparities that shorten the average life span. Black people subjected to aggressive policing and prosecution in the 'war on drugs' from 1971 to 2020 could each receive $115,000 if they lived in California throughout that period, or more than $2,300 for each year, under the calculations. Cunningham is an adoption social worker for the Department of Human Services in San Francisco where she supports families with mental health services and difficult ongoing issues. She was added to the committee because she had experienced discrimination in the workplace, according to a committee document that outlines membership. Court documents seen by DailyMail.com show she complained that her employer, the city of San Francisco, 'discriminated against her for a disability and then failed to engage in the interactive process and failed to accommodate.' She also commented on the large sum proposed by her committee and compared it to the sum spent on arming the Ukrainians in their fight against Russia. 'No one asked us, "Hey, Nikcole, can we send this money to Ukraine?" They just found the money and sent it,' she told The Telegraph. In a report this January, conservative think-tank Hoover Institution published a report estimating that a payment of $5million to each black resident would total around $175billion. San Francisco's annual budget is around $14 billion. A much-loved Australian gin company founded by three best mates has been snapped up by a global brewing giant for an eyewatering sum, sparking a mixed reaction from fans. International brewing giant Lion Group has taken full ownership of Four Pillars Gin and increased their growing domination of Australia's alcohol market, four years after it acquired a 50 per cent stake in the growing distillery business. An initial $40m investment paid off for Lion with Four Pillars crowned international gin producer of the year for the two years that followed. And the Japanese-owned brewery giant recently purchased the remaining half of Four Pillars Gin for a rumoured $50m, according to the Australian Financial Review. It has been almost a decade since mates Stuart Gregor, Cameron McKenzie and Matt Jones founded Four Pillars Gin in Victoria's Yarra Valley. The founders confirmed Lion's full ownership of the business on Tuesday, hailing the sale as a momentous occasion and an opportunity to expand the business. Brewing giant Lion has taken full ownership of Aussie owned gin company Four Pillars 'Lion has been a wonderful, supportive partner since March 2019. This is a great day for our investors who supported us when we were nothing more than a pipe dream,' a statement read. 'It is also a day where we need to reinforce what we have done and what we will continue to do: make the world's best gin at the world's most sustainable distillery.' 'This is a great day for our investors (many of whom are staff and old mates) who supported us when we were nothing more than a pipe dream. 'It is also a day where we need to reinforce what we have done and what we will continue to do: make the world's best gin at the world's most sustainable distillery while having a whole load of fun.' Four Pillar's founders assured drinkers that very little will change in the short term. Head distiller McKenzie and brand director Jones will remain in their respective roles and join the Lion-owned Vanguard Luxury Brands distribution business. The two businesses will operate as a standalone division called Four Corners Global Spirits. Stuart Gregor, Cameron McKenzie and Matt Jones founded Four Pillars Gin in 2013 In a statement, Four Pillars said it was excited about the future of the brand. Above, its bloody shiraz gin Gregor will leave the business in September but is expected to return for 'special appearances'. 'This next phase is all about growth, we hope to see the distillery and whole business prosper under the new era,' the company added. 'So thanks for the decade of delicious memories and drinks we promise there will be many more to come.' The deal expands Lion's growing dominance in the alcohol market. Lion, a subsidiary of Japanese conglomerate Kirin, owns beers brands like Tooheys, XXXX, Little Creatures, Hahn and James Boag's in Australia and several more in New Zealand. 'It's not every day you get to buy the world's best gin distillery but today Lion is absolutely thrilled to add Four Pillars to our portfolio,' says Lion chief executive Sam Fischer said. 'Alongside continued investment behind our core beer business, we see premium spirits as a real opportunity for future growth.' Not everyone was happy to hear Four Pillars will no longer be an Aussie-owned business The news sparked a mixed reaction from fans with some lamenting that it will no longer be an Aussie-owned business. 'Another Aussie company's profits going overseas,' one drinker said. 'Four Pillars will slowly be lost amongst the sea of other gin brands.. just like Little Creatures and James Squire have done so in the beer world. Another added: 'No longer an Australian owned business? Sold to overseas interests? That's a shame!' A third social media fan: 'I guess Im happy because this means a brand I love will continue to grow and thrive. But kinda sad as I preferred supporting smaller businesses than multinational corporations.' Four Pillars produce an eclectic variety of creative gins with varied flavours, including spiced negroni, an olive leaf gin and its bloody shiraz. The company has a flagship distillery in Healesville in the Yarra Valley and a bar in Sydney's Surry Hills, Four Pillars is on track to sell 1.2 million bottles this year more than double what it sold in 2019. A daughter has been charged with murder after allegedly poisoning her elderly parents a year apart. Raelene Polymiadis, 62, from Adelaide, is accused of killing her mother Brenda and father Lynton Anderson by deliberately administering lethal levels of prescription drugs. Ms Anderson, 94, died while being treated at Noarlunga Hospital on March 12, 2022. Her husband Lynton, also 94, died after being found unconscious by a carer at his home at Hackham in May this year. Ms Polymiadis has been charged with two counts of murder and is due to face Adelaide Magistrates Court on Wednesday. Police will allege Ms Polymiadis' parents died from drug overdoses after she intentionally gave them prescription medication 'that had no reason to be in their system'. Raelene Polymiadis, 62, (pictured) has been charged with two counts of murder after allegedly killing her parents Pictured: Lynton Anderson, 94, died in May after allegedly being given deadly levels of prescription medication Death notices for Mrs and Mr Anderson reveal the couple are survived by four children and their partners, seven grandchildren and nine great-grand children. According to Ms Polymiadis' LinkedIn page, she has worked in aged care since 2016. Last week, Detective Inspector Mark McEachern said concerns over Mrs Anderson's death were first raised during a coronial investigation, which unearthed alarming toxicology results. A similarly concerning toxicology report was returned following Mr Anderson's death. Det Insp McEachern said detectives had no concern with the level of care Mrs Anderson received while in hospital and had also ruled out carers being involved in Mr Anderson's death. Police asked to speak to anyone who had contact with the couple, particularly those with knowledge of any prescription or non-prescription medication they were taking. Incredible footage shows thousands of flights zooming across the US as the July 4 holiday broke a travel record - but many furious passengers still remain stranded due to flight chaos. Footage from the flight analytic website FlightAware showed tens of thousands of flights criss-crossing the country as the July 4th holiday broke travel records with more people than ever traveling by air or on the nation's roads. Nevertheless, not everyone got to where they needed to be. More than 4,750 flights across the country were hit by delays on Monday, with 974 completely canceled. Those planning to celebrate Independence Day with friends and family had a choice to make: either spend another day or night at the airport hoping their flight would leave, or give up altogether. The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) revealed that a new record had been set for the number of people screened at airports on Friday, with 2.9 million people passing through security before boarding aircraft. The figure broke the previous record set on the Sunday after Thanksgiving in 2019 - despite almost 2,000 fewer flights taking to the skies. More than 4,750 flights across the country were hit by delays on Monday, while 974 flights were cancelled, according to FlightAware Passengers are seen sleeping on the floor of Miami airport on Monday still waiting to leave For many however, their taste for travel may be sullied somewhat following a chaotic few days after wave after wave of cancellations. Although the chaos lessened somewhat on Monday, weather was still a big factor in the delays with National Weather Service seeing more than 250 combined reports of wind, hail and possible tornado damage from the Mississippi River to the East Coast. Passengers with United Airlines appeared to have suffered the most with some left stranded in airports and standing in long lines to rebook flights, while others said they had to wait several days for their checked bags to arrive. One photo that was posted online on Monday, showed a couple sleeping on the floor of Miami International Airport. Even when passengers managed to reach their destination, they were often without their luggage. Dozens of images showed airport baggage claims crowded with unclaimed bags. The demand for travel would doubtless have been even stronger without the difficulties encountered during over the last few days. For those hitting the road, new records were set once again with more than 50.7 million Americans traveling 50 miles or more away from home over the holiday period. 'We've never projected travel numbers this high for Independence Day weekend,' AAA Senior Vice President Paula Twidale said in a statement. 'What this tells us is that despite inventory being limited and some prices 50 percent higher, consumers are not cutting back on travel this summer. Many of them heeded our advice and booked early, another sign of strong travel demand.' A passengers is seen waiting for their bags to arrive at the baggage claim at Newark Travelers are seen ahead of the holiday at Atlanta Airport in Georgia Delayed passengers try to get some sleep at Newark Airport on Monday July 3 2023 Delayed travelers wait for air traffic to resume at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport ahead of the July 4th holiday - pictured towards the end of last week People travel through Newark Airport on Monday July 3 2023 Travelers wait for their bags amid rows of unclaimed luggage at the United Airlines baggage claim area at Los Angeles International Airport About 43.2 million people are believed to have driven to their destinations, according to AAA. The figures are an increase of 2.4 percent from 2022, and a massive 4 percent jump from 2019. A reduction in gas prices is also helping spur things along. 'This summer, gas prices are well below what they were one year ago,' AAA said in its report. 'The national average for a gallon of regular was $4.80 on July 4th, 2022. Gas prices have remained steady the past couple of months, with the national average hovering around $3.50 to $3.60 a gallon, thanks to the lower cost of oil.' On the planes, United's initial struggles started at the beginning of last week when 22 percent of flights between Sunday and Thursday were cancelled. The airline managed to reduce the number of cancellations with only 5.5 percent scrapped between Friday and Sunday, according to FlightAware. Domestic airlines overall canceled just 1.7 percent of flights between Friday and Sunday, according to FlightAware. The number was brought lower after United's planes managed to get back into the air. Even the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) gave its seal of approval of how the nation's airlines operated following last week's severe storms. It said that delays and cancellations had now returned to normal levels. In an effort to get back into passenger's good books, United offered 30,000 frequent flier miles as a goodwill gesture to those affected by last week's delays. Video shows passengers waiting for what appeared to be just one employee at the United Airlines customer service desk One disappointed traveler shared a video on Twitter that showed her searching for her lost luggage in a sea of suitcases at Newark International Airport in New Jersey People travel through Newark Airport ahead of the July 4th Holiday on Monday People were still traveling for the July 4th holiday on Monday - pictured here at Newark, NJ Lines at security and check-in desks appeared to be far more manageable on Monday Some passengers took to Twitter to vent their frustrations. One passenger posted a video of crowds of people waiting for help from what appeared to be just one employee at the United Airlines customer service desk. 'United airlines is just criminally bad,' he wrote, noting in the video the ratio of employees to customers. 'High volume of calls? No, you are understaffed and unprepared.' Another disappointed traveler shared a video on Twitter that showed as she searched for her lost luggage in a sea of suitcases at Newark Liberty International Airport in New Jersey. She also tweeted at the airline numerous times: 'United Airlines, terminal C, flight cancelled, family vacation did not work, but somehow 4 days later our luggage made it to our destination. so disappointed!' Flight details on a board at Newark Airport ahead of the July 4th Holiday. United Airlines appeared to be getting back to normal after a week of severe delays Stranded passengers have reported having to sleep at the airport, stand in line for hours as they rebook flights, with some saying they were forced to wait days for their checked bags People wait in line at the security check in of JFK International airport on June 30 Scott Kirby, the CEO of United Airlines. His airline is offering air miles as an apology to passengers stranded this week United's Chief Customer Officer, Linda Jojo, expressed empathy for the challenging week experienced by customers and assured them of the airline's commitment to better service. United CEO Scott Kirby addressed the challenges faced by the airline during the storm-induced limited operating environment, primarily attributing the delays to the FAA's shortage of air traffic controllers. Kirby outlined measures United is taking to prevent future issues, including increased automation of systems for pilots and flight attendants. The airline will also work closely with the FAA to ensure proper staffing of key air traffic control facilities and improved balance of departures and arrivals. Despite encountering personal difficulties, Kirby apologized for taking a private jet from New Jersey to Denver during the disruptions, acknowledging that it was insensitive of him to fly private while his own customers were left waiting to get home. Delta Air Lines, which also faced high flight cancellations due to New York weather, allowed customers to rebook flights between July 1 and July 4 without fare differences or change fees to minimize problems during the Fourth of July weekend A shark's mutilated carcass has been discovered on an idyllic beach with its fins, tail and lower jaw cut off prompting community outrage over the 'cruel' and 'unnecessary' death. The remains of the big fish were found last weekend at Rowes Bay in Townsville, north of the town's popular Strand area, and was posted to social media on Monday. The discovery was made alongside other shark fins, teeth and tails found in the same area with one expert calling out the illegal 'shark finning' antics. Maya Sanderson and her family were having dinner at their favourite fish and chip shop while her grandparents were in town on Sunday when her dad found the grisly carcass slumped on the beach. 'The fins were cut at the top and tail cut off the end,' Ms Sanderson told the Townsville Bulletin. The carcass of the big fish (pictured) was found last weekend with its lower jaw, fin and tail removed It comes after discoveries of shark fins, teeth and tails were made in the same area with one expert calling out the illegal 'shark finning' antics (pictured, remains of a shark in the area) 'It looked like it had been gutted. You could see the inside of its stomach.' Another local posted images of the dismembered shark to social media, causing uproar over the 'cruel' and 'barbaric' act. 'I was there with my kids yesterday and it was there. They were not happy to see this at all, very sad indeed,' one commenter wrote on the post. Hundreds more took aim at the culprits with one local claiming she had found a dead hammerhead shark last week. 'Some mongrels are targeting them,' she alleged. Dr Leonardo Guida from the Australian Marine Conservation Society [AMCS] claimed the dead shark found over the weekend was a lemon shark - a species that is non-threatened. The shark scientist said it was clearly a case of illegal shark finning and could tell by the removal of the dorsal fins. He said on the east coast of Queensland there is a 'fins on' rule which bars those who commercially harvest species of fish to bring them back to land with fins on. Mr Guida said it was hard to tell if it was a recreational or commercial fisher who mutilated the shark but suspected it was likely land-based fishers. 'Either way it shouldn't have been treated like that it should have been released. It's clearly a barbaric act,' he told Yahoo News Australia. Hundreds more took aim at the culprits with one local claiming she had found a dead hammerhead shark last week (pictured) Commercial fishers face on-the-spot fines of up to $1,238 if they are found with a shark without its fins naturally attached The remains of the big fish were found last weekend at Rowes Bay (pictured) in Townsville, north of the town's popular Strand area If recreational fishers on the Queensland east coast are found with shark fins without the body or vice versa they face possible on-the-spot fines of $619 He added the removal of the lower jaw could have been done to get a trophy. A Fisheries Queensland spokesperson told Daily Mail Australia a lemon shark is not on the 'no-take' list. If fish that are on this list are accidentally caught they must be 'immediately and carefully returned to the water'. While it is not illegal to dispose of fish waste under fisheries legislation the organisation still encourages fishers to avoid dumping waste in areas where people might swim, they said. 'On Queenslands east coast, recreational fishers in possession of shark fins without the shark body (or vice versa) face potential on-the-spot penalties of $619,' the spokesperson said. 'Commercial fishers in possession of shark without the fins naturally attached face on-the-spot penalties of up to $1,238.' If anyone thinks illegal fishing activity is going on they can report it through the toll free Fishwatch Hotline on 1800 017 116. The Townsville City Council was contacted by Daily Mail Australia for comment. Senator Ted Cruz slammed the makers of the upcoming Barbie movie for attempting to 'appease the Chinese Communist Party' after Vietnam banned the film over scenes with a map showing China's claims to territory in the South China Sea. The movie about the doll, directed by Greta Gerwig and starring Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling, had been set for release in the country on July 21. However, its performance schedule is no longer on the websites of major Vietnamese cinema chains following the government's decision to ban the film due to scenes featuring the so-called nine-dash line, state media reported. A spokesperson for Senator Cruz sent a statement to DailyMail.com calling out the film for 'pushing Chinese propaganda.' 'Senator Cruz has been fighting for years to prevent American companies, especially Hollywood studios, from altering and censoring their content to appease the Chinese Communist Party,' his statement read. Senator Ted Cruz slammed the makers of the upcoming Barbie movie for attempting to 'appease the Chinese Communist Party' after Vietnam banned the movie over scenes with a map showing China 's claims to territory in the South China Sea The film's performance schedule is no longer on the websites of major Vietnamese cinema chains following the government's decision to ban the film due to scenes featuring the so-called nine-dash line, state media reported The nine-dash line is a maritime boundary in the South China Sea drawn up by China, which claims to own the territory inside the line 'China wants to control what Americans see, hear, and ultimately think, and they leverage their massive film markets to coerce American companies into pushing CCP propagandajust like the way the Barbie film seems to have done with the map. Sen. Cruz deserves credit for reversing these trends.' The statement also referenced legislation Senator Cruz authored and passed in 2022 preventing government cooperation on 'films that engage in exactly this kind of censorship. Beijing has been building military bases on artificial islands within the border for years and also often conducts patrols there in an attempt to impose its territorial claims. China has long used its so-called nine-dash line to demonstrate its expansive claims to most of the resource-rich sea, often to the displeasure of the Vietnamese, who also claim part of the waterway. The boundary is also contested by others including the Philippines, Taiwan, and Malaysia. 'The film review board watched the film and made the decision to ban the screening of this movie in Vietnam due to a violation regarding the 'nine-dash line',' Vietnam's Department of Cinema director, Vi Kien Thanh, told the Dan Tri news site. Another state media outlet, Tien Phong, reported that the nine-dash line scene appeared multiple times in the movie. All films in Vietnam must be approved by censors who screen for gratuitous violence, suggestive sex scenes, or politically-sensitive material. The new Barbie film starring Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling has been pulled in Vietnam for scenes showing the nine-dash line in the South China Sea Uncharted, starring Tom Holland, was also banned in Vietnam for scenes featuring the nine-dash line Last year, the action-and-adventure movie starring Tom Holland, Uncharted, was stopped from being shown due to scenes featuring the same line. The same was also the case in 2019, when Abominable was banned in Vietnam, and Netflix was told to remove episodes of the series Pine Gap. And in 2018, Vietnam cut a scene from the romantic comedy Crazy Rich Asians that featured a designer bag with a map of the world showing the disputed South China Sea islands as being under Beijing's control. The South China Sea is home to valuable oil and gas deposits and shipping lanes, and several of China's neighbors have voiced concern that Beijing is seeking to expand its reach. The company behind Optus has declared it has a 'zero tolerance' for corruption further raising questions about Gladys Berejiklian's future with the telco giant. Ms Berejiklian's role at Optus has come under scrutiny following the Independent Commission Against Corruption's findings against her on Thursday. The corruption watchdog made corrupt conduct findings against Ms Berejiklian - almost two years after she quit as NSW premier - and against her ex-lover, former Liberal MP for Wagga Wagga Daryl Maguire. It found she had breached public trust over her secret relationship with Mr Maguire and the approval of two community grants in his electorate of Wagga Wagga. Singtel, who owns Optus, said on Monday it had a 'zero tolerance' approach to corruption, fraud and conflicts of interest under company police. But the telecommunications giant did not say whether Ms Berejiklian was in breach of the company's code of conduct, which includes engaging in corruption, wrongdoing or damaging Singtel's interests or reputation. Gladys Berejiklian (pictured) was found to have engaged in serious corrupt conduct by the NSW Independent Commission Against Corruption last week, which has raised questions over the future of her executive position at Optus 'Singtel acknowledges the ICAC report published in relation to Ms Berejiklian's time as a Member of the NSW Parliament. The Singtel Group has a code of best conduct policy for all staff,' a spokesperson told the Australian Financial Review. It was announced in February last year that Ms Berejiklian had been appointed as Managing Director, Enterprise, Business and Institutional at the telco giant. Optus, who declined requests for comment from Daily Mail Australia, released a statement on the matter last week. 'Optus acknowledges the ICAC report published in relation to Gladys Berejiklian's time serving as a Member of the NSW Parliament,' it read. 'We refer you to Gladys' media statement and have no further comment to make.' ICAC found Ms Berejiklian breached the public trust in 2016 and 2017 by exercising her official functions regarding two government funded construction projects being lobbied for by Maguire. The two Wagga Wagga based projects were the Australian Clay Target Association (ACTA), and the Riverina Conservatorium of Music (RCM). 'Ms Berejiklian had presided over and/or been a member of the Expenditure Review Committee (ERC) meetings that had approved grants,' it said. The grants comprised $5.5 million for ACTA and $10 million for refurbishing and repurposing a new government-owned site to make it fit-for-purpose for the RCM (RCM Stage 1). 'At the same time, Mr Maguire and Ms Berejiklian were in an undisclosed close personal relationship.' ICAC said Ms Berejiklian helped to shepherd the project through the funding and approvals processes without disclosing a conflict of interest. It also found she failed to do her duty to report suspected corrupt conduct of Mr Maguire to ICAC. Ms Berejiklian pictured leaving her home on Thursday ahead of ICAC making its bombshell announcement The state's corruption watchdog said Ms Berejiklian had breached public trust over her secret relationship with former MP Daryl Mcguire and the approval of two community grants in his electorate of Wagga Wagga Meanwhile, the corruption watchdog said between 2012 and 2018 'Mr Maguire improperly used his office, and the resources to which he had access as a member of Parliament, to benefit G8wayInternational Pty Ltd.' The Commission said he was 'in substance a director' of the company and had arrangements with others to share in its profits. 'Mr Maguire also failed to disclose his interest and position in G8wayInternational or all the sources of his income, as he was required to do,' it added. He also misused his MP position and role as chair of the NSW Parliament Asia Pacific Friendship Group to advance his, and his associates, financial interests, it said. ICAC has sought advice from prosecutors regarding launching criminal proceedings against Ms Berejiklian's former lover, but indicated they will not recommend charges be pressed against her. The report determined: 'The Commission is not of the opinion that consideration should be given to obtaining the advice of the DPP with respect to the prosecution of Ms Berejiklian for any offence.' Both Singtel and Optus acknowledged the ICAC report but declined to comment on whether Ms Berejiklian had breached company policy or if her job was tenable In May this year, ahead of the ICAC findings, Optus CEO Kelly Bayer Rosmarin said the company was standing by Ms Berejiklian but would reassess their position when the report was released. Ms Bayer Rosmarin said the ICAC investigation was connected to events that happened 'well before Gladys joined Optus'. 'We will have to look at the findings when they come out and that will be a matter for Gladys, and then we will decide if there is anything relevant for Optus,' she told the Australian Financial Review. The company was 'not expecting' anything to emerge that would jeopardise her role, she added. Ms Berejiklian was parachuted in the newly created executive role at Optus in February last year after stepping down as premier in 2021. Australians have been warned not to fall for a series of social media ads urging generous do-gooders to donate to a sick child after they were found to be fake. The ads, which were seen on YouTube and Instagram, showed an eight-year-old boy called Semion pleading for help in Russian. There are several different versions of the video with subtitles in English, French, Spanish and Ukrainian. An ad (above) showing eight-year-old Semion asking for money to afford his lung cancer treatment has been revealed as fake In the clip, Semion says that his family can't afford treatment for his cancer, and if he doesn't receive this treatment within the next two weeks it will be too late to save him. 'I appeal to your hearts,' he pleads. 'I don't want to lie in bed and choke. 'Don't ignore me. Don't leave me lying in bed suffering. I am only 8 years old. I didn't plan to die at eight years old. Lung cancer can advance and slowly take my lungs completely. 'Then even the ventilator won't help anymore. Nothing will help me anymore and the cancer will suffocate me. 'Give me a chance to get the treatment that will save my life.' Avast, an antivirus company, claims the campaign is actually run by a criminal group with more than $293,000 stolen from generous donors so far. 'The organisers of the fundraising page claim to be from World Champions EU and be linked to an Israeli organisation called World Champions,' it said in a statement. 'When Avast researchers reached out to World Champions for comment, they did not hear back.' Avast uncovered a similar scam last year, also based in Israel, which stole more than $650,000 from donors. Avast claims the campaign is actually run by a criminal group with more than $293,000 stolen from generous donors so far (pictured, the scam's donation page) 'As cybersecurity researchers, we constantly see how criminals exploit human nature to make money,' Avast researcher Luis Corrons said. 'One of the most heart wrenching examples is when people prey on the human desire to help others, especially when it comes to exploiting sick children. 'It's our job to not only monitor these scams and develop products and services to help protect people against them but also to educate people about what's spreading online.' Mr Corrons encouraged people to take care when donating online. 'When it comes to donating, it's important to verify the authenticity of the organisation before you transfer money to ensure you're helping who you think you are,' he said. 'To be safest, directly visit the official websites of trusted organisations to donate instead of responding to calls for donations via emails, videos or social media ads.' In April, it was revealed Australians lost $3.1billion in scams in 2022 - a significant increase on the $2billion lost in 2021. Australian Competition and Consumer Commission deputy chair Catriona Lowe said scammers were becoming increasingly more sophisticated in their efforts to fleece everyday Australians out of their money. 'Australians lost more money to scams than ever before in 2022, but the true cost of scams is much more than a dollar figure as they also cause emotional distress to victims, their families and businesses,' she said. Russian President Vladimir Putin attends a meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization Heads of State Council via videoconference at the Kremlin, Russia, Tuesday. AP-Yonhap President Vladimir Putin claimed Tuesday that the Russian people were "united as never before," as he sought to project confidence in the wake of a short-lived revolt, at a meeting of a rare international organization where he can find a sympathetic audience. The Shanghai Cooperation Organization meeting, hosted via videoconference by India, was Putin's first multilateral summit since an armed rebellion rattled Russia and comes as he is eager to show that the West has failed to isolate Moscow over its 2022 invasion of Ukraine. The Asian security grouping, founded by Russia and China to counter Western alliances, also welcomed Iran as a new member, bringing its membership to nine nations. Speaking via video link from the Kremlin, Putin praised the organization for "playing an increasingly significant role in international affairs, making a real contribution to maintaining peace and stability, ensuring sustainable economic growth of the participating states, and strengthening ties between peoples." He thanked the member states for supporting the Russian authorities during the short-lived armed mutiny mounted by Wagner chief Yevgeny Prigozhin , and said the West had turned Ukraine into "a virtually hostile state anti-Russia." Putin has frequently lashed out at the West for its support of Ukraine in thewar. The summit presents an opportunity for Putin to show he is in control after an insurrection that left some wondering about divisions among Russian elites. "The Russian people are united as never before," he said. "The solidarity and responsibility for the fate of the fatherland was clearly demonstrated by the Russian political circles and the entire society by standing as a united front against the attempted armed rebellion." Earlier speakers avoided directed references to the war, while bemoaning its global consequences. In his opening speech, Prime Minister Narendra Modi warned of global challenges to food, fuel and fertilizer supplies but did not mention the war in Ukraine. Trade in all three has been disrupted by the war. He also took a veiled swipe at Pakistan, saying the group should not hesitate to criticize countries that are "using terrorism as an instrument of its state policy." "Terrorism poses a threat to regional peace and we need to take up a joint fight," Modi said without naming Pakistan. India regularly accuses Pakistan of training and arming insurgent groups, a charge Islamabad denies. Two men stand below a giant screen showing news footage of Belarus's President Alexander Lukashenko speaking virtually to the Shanghai Cooperation Organization meeting, which was being held in India, at a shopping mall in Beijing, Tuesday. AFP-Yonhap A Melbourne man's morning shower has been interrupted in the best way imaginable after he received a phone call from lottery officials confirming his $1.25 million TattsLotto windfall. The Melburnian held one of the eight division one winning entries in TattsLotto draw 4377, drawn Saturday 1 July 2023. Each division one winning entry pocketed $1,250,000.00. 'That's terrific! Thank you!' he cheered when an official from The Lott reached out this morning. 'I just jumped out of the shower. I need to grab my glasses to read it properly! 'My mind is going a mile an hour. I can't process this. 'I received an email from The Lott on Sunday morning about a win. 'I decided to go for a walk outside and then checked the ticket when I came back. STOCK IMAGE PROVIDED BY THE LOTT: The man plans to go on a holiday to the Gold Coast with the money 'I thought it was division two or three not division one! It's very unexpected. 'I've been playing since TattsLotto was first introduced. I think I was about 18 years old. I'm now in my 60s.' With $1.25 million about to land in his bank account, the long-time player was too stunned to make any concrete plans but had an interstate holiday in mind. 'I haven't even thought about it. It's such a blur!' he laughed. 'Perhaps get out of Melbourne. It's too cold here! 'Maybe a little holiday to the Gold Coast. It's nice and hot there.' The Cranbourne Authorised Newsagency team said they were overjoyed for their division one winner and wished them all the best with their million-dollar win. The winning numbers in TattsLotto draw 4377 on 1 July 2023 were 6, 7, 38, 26, 19 and 21, while the supplementary numbers were 13 and 36. A High Court challenge by five Conservative-led councils against London Mayor Sadiq Khan's plan to expand the ultra-low emission zone (Ulez) will be heard today. The outer London boroughs of Bexley, Bromley, Harrow and Hillingdon, along with Surrey County Council, began legal action in February over the proposed extension. A judge at the High Court gave the councils the go-ahead to bring the challenge in April, saying parts of the local authorities' challenge were 'arguable'. Now, a two-day hearing has begun before Mr Justice Swift. He will give a ruling on a future date, but this is expected before the courts break for summer on July 28. The court was said to be packed, but Mr Khan did not appear. His Ulez scheme has proven hugely controversial, with critics claiming it does little to improve air quality and has a negative impact on families and tradespeople who need to drive. It was launched in April 2019 by Transport for London (TfL) - the capital's transport authority - to cover the same area as the Congestion Charge zone in Central London - before being expanded in October 2021 to include the area within the North and South Circular roads. Mr Khan now plans to expand it on August 29 to cover all of Greater London, with new borders reaching Buckinghamshire, Essex, Hertfordshire, Kent and Surrey. Protesters demonstrate against the Ultra Low Emission Zone at London's High Court today Activists stage a protest outside London's High Court today against the plans to expand Ulez A Big Bus driver who stopped his bus displays a 'No 2 ULEZ' sign outside the High Court today Council representatives including Teresa O'Neill from Bexley Council (far left) and Matt Furniss from Surrey County Council (far right) at the High Court today for their Ulez case Sadiq Khan at the State of London debate at The O2 in North Greenwich last week If it goes ahead on that date, all drivers in all parts of London will pay a 12.50 daily fee if their vehicles do not meet required emissions standards. What is the ultra-low emission zone and how does it affect drivers? Mayor of London Sadiq Khan is planning to expand the city's ultra-low emission zone (Ulez) to all boroughs. Here are the answers to 11 key questions about the scheme and how it affects drivers: - When and why was the Ulez created? It was launched in April 2019 to help clean up London's air. - How bad is air quality in the capital? An estimated 4,000 Londoners die prematurely each year from conditions related to air pollution, according to Mr Khan. - How does the Ulez work? It disincentivises drivers from using the most polluting vehicles by charging them a daily fee for entering the zone. - How much is the fee? The charge for vehicles that do not comply with minimum emissions standards is 12.50 for cars, smaller vans and motorbikes. Lorries, buses, coaches and heavy vans which are non-compliant are charged 100 under the separate low emission zone scheme, which already covers most of London. - How do I avoid the fee when driving in the zone? Ensure your vehicle meets the minimum emissions standards. For petrol cars that means those generally first registered after 2005. Most diesel cars registered after September 2015 are also exempt from the charge. - When does the Ulez operate? All day, every day, except Christmas Day. - How soon after a journey do I need to pay? You have until midnight at the end of the third day following the journey. - Where does the money go? Transport for London says all revenue is reinvested into running and improving the capital's transport network, such as expanding bus routes in outer London. - What happens if I do not pay? You may receive a penalty charge notice of 160, reduced to 80 for early payment. - What area is currently covered by the Ulez? It includes everywhere within the North and South Circular roads. - How significant is the expansion? Mr Khan's plan is to make the zone much larger, covering all London boroughs from August 29. Advertisement The Labour mayor, who was elected to a second term in 2021, ordered the move last November despite a public consultation suggesting most Londoners opposed it. Councils involved in the legal challenge believe 'relevant statutory requirements' were not complied with, expected compliance rates in outer London were not considered and the proposed scrappage scheme was not consulted on. They also claimed the overall consultation process was not properly conducted and that there was a failure to carry out a cost-benefit analysis of the plan. The High Court has allowed the case to proceed on two grounds - the legal basis for the scheme and scrappage. And this will be argued on these three grounds: Failure to follow statutory procedure under Schedule 23 of the Greater London Authority Act 1999; Unlawful and unfair consultation regarding expected compliance rates in outer London; Unlawfulness regarding the scrappage scheme, including failing to consider a buffer zone, irrationality and inadequate consultation. Ian Edwards, the leader of Hillingdon Council, said today: 'We believe we can win this. The fact the court has granted us permission to challenge on three grounds gives us confidence they also see the flaws in TfL and the Mayor's proposals. 'Quite simply, with the harm our local economies face from the effects of the proposed expansion, we can't afford not to fight them.' Teresa O'Neill, leader of Bexley Council, added: 'This is a great day for the coalition but disappointing that it has had to come to this. We have called on the Mayor of London time and time again to stop his plans for this expansion.' Baroness O'Neill added: 'We know that extending Ulez will have a detrimental effect on so many of our residents and businesses, while the phenomenal cost of bringing the scheme to outer London boroughs could be put to much better use elsewhere in the capital.' Colin Smith, leader of Bromley Council, said: 'Our unswerving opposition to Mayor Khan's proposed expansion of Ulez remains absolute. 'It would be thoroughly inexcusable of us to stand back and do nothing, and allow such a blatant, socially regressive tax grab to proceed unchallenged under the false flag of a health emergency, and neither shall we do so.' Matt Furniss, Cabinet Member for Transport, Infrastructure and Growth at Surrey County Council, added: 'It is very disappointing that it has had to come to this. Our concerns have never been addressed by the Mayor, forcing these legal proceedings in order to have the voice of our residents heard.' The extension has prompted a fierce backlash from many living in and around the newly encompassed areas, who face fines of up to 160 for each day they fail to pay. Self-employed builder Chris Fordham, 62, who owns a non-compliant 2012 diesel van, said: 'It ain't right. 'They're hitting working-class people again. I'm thinking about packing up work.' Activists hold banners at a demonstration against Ulez at Marble Arch in London on June 25 Other anti-Ulez demonstrators at the same protest call for Sadiq Khan to be voted out Tree surgeon Carl Cristina, 44, insists claims that Ulez will clean up pollution are untrue Signage indicates the boundary of the Ulez scheme beside the South Circular Road in London Mr Khan insists the expanded Ulez will improve the city's 'toxic air pollution', which causes thousands of annual deaths and life-changing illnesses. The 52-year-old mayor developed adult-onset asthma nine years ago and blames it on decades of breathing the capital's poor air. In a legal first in 2021, a coroner ruled that poor air quality from vehicle emissions made a 'material contribution' to the death of a nine-year-old London girl who suffered a severe asthma attack. London's Ulez mirrors similar low-emission zones to improve air quality in more than 200 cities in ten countries across Europe. Mr Khan's office insists it has improved air quality by cutting harmful emissions. Petrol cars registered before 2006 and diesel vehicles first registered before September 2015 are unlikely to meet the minimum emissions standards required. Transport for London estimates that fewer than 200,000 such vehicles currently enter the new zone each day, based on existing Ulez camera analysis. But the RAC motoring group used a freedom of information request to discover that more than 850,000 ineligible vehicles are registered in London alone. However, Mr Khan argues that many of those are not actually driven in the capital. He has launched a scrappage scheme providing some funding to eligible vehicle owners. But critics say it does not go far enough. With Britain gripped by the worst cost-of-living crisis in a generation, many of those affected have been left feeling helpless. Protesters gather for a demonstration against the Ulez expansion on London Bridge on May 27 Protesters demonstrate against the expansion of Ulez on Whitehall in London on March 18 Another protest against the Ulez expansion at London's Trafalgar Square on February 25 Pregnant mother-of-one Sarah Farmer, who lives in Swanley, Kent, said: 'It's the wrong time with the cost of living.' READ MORE So much for the health boost from ULEZ? Research finds no 'clear' proof that the controversial zones slash rates of lung conditions Advertisement The 31-year-old regularly drives into the capital in her 2003 Ford Mondeo for her cleaning job and to visit relatives. To compound problems, her partner's 2014 diesel van used for his bricklaying job is not compliant either. 'We don't have the savings to buy a new car,' Ms Farmer explained. 'I'm not actually against it, but they need to give people more help.' Opposition to the scheme is escalating, with TfL revealing that more than 200 enforcement cameras have been sabotaged. In response, the Metropolitan Police has begun a crackdown, charging two men in May with criminal damage and other offences. 'We have been proactively targeting those we suspect of causing or seeking to cause damage,' said Detective Superintendent Daniel Smith, whose officers are leading the investigation. 'We are aware of the active discussions online and the passion felt by some in our communities. We will continue to support lawful protest, but criminal activity is not acceptable.' Meanwhile, critics have been staging anti-Ulez protests, with the latest taking place in central London late last month. Phil Elliott, 59, a haulage driver who has long campaigned against aspects of London's road-charging schemes, has been spearheading opposition, largely through Facebook. An anti-Ulez heckler shouts at Sadiq Khan at the State of London debate at The O2 on June 29 He said the new toll was the final straw for many, and predicted growing civil disobedience in Britain, emulating the so-called yellow jacket protests in France. READ MORE Ulez expansion will force two in five Londoners to change or give up their cars - and millennials and men will be the most likely to have to change their vehicles Advertisement 'Desperate times take desperate measures and unfortunately... people are getting desperate now and governments aren't listening,' Mr Elliott said. 'Before it gets too messy, people need to start listening.' Last week, Mr Khan was told to 'stop lying' by a heckler as he sought to defend his Ulez expansion plans. The Labour politician sought to defend his flagship clean air policy at the State of London debate at The 02 on June 29 following heavy criticism for having lumbered hard-pressed families and businesses with extra costs. It came as the mayor was criticised for a lack of 'transparency' after he claimed 90 per cent of cars would escape paying any charges under the scheme. The UK Statistics Authority (UKSA) told him to provide more details to back up his statement, adding that it was part of a pattern in which TfL made public claims without publishing supporting evidence. In March, Mr Khan claimed that 'anti-vaxxers, Covid deniers, conspiracy theorists and Nazis' had joined 'decent Tories' in opposing the Ulez expansion. He also branded some Ulez opponents 'far-Right' at a public meeting in Ealing, west London, earlier that month. Mr Khan's comments at the time sparked outrage, with Conservative Party chairman Greg Hands calling for him to be voted out in the next election. Hecklers shouted down Mayor Khan at a public meeting in Ealing, west London, on March 2 after he branded some Ulez opponents 'far-Right' and 'Covid deniers' After the High Court allowed the case to proceed in April, a spokesman for Mr Khan said at the time: 'The mayor is pleased to see the court has refused permission for the majority of the grounds. 'We will continue to robustly defend his life-saving decision to expand the Ulez and continue with preparations without delay. 'It is a shame that some local authorities have chosen to attempt this costly and misguided legal challenge instead of focusing on the health of those they represent. 'Around 4,000 Londoners die prematurely every year due to air pollution. 'This is a health emergency and the mayor is not prepared to stand by and do nothing while Londoners are growing up with stunted lungs and are more at risk of heart disease, cancer and dementia due to our toxic air.' Recently married Rhiley Kuhrt and his wife Maree had everything to live for with a new job and a baby girl on the way when they flew into danger. Maree was 27 weeks pregnant with baby Phoebe, due in June, with pictures of her growing belly proudly shared on social media accounts as they counted down to the new arrival. On Sunday afternoon, April 2, the couple left Natal Downs Station near Charters Towers in a small plane to attend a planned pregnancy appointment in Mackay. The couple also hoped to catch up with friends and family after the appointment, but the Piper Cherokee they were in never arrived at the Lakeside Airport north of Mackay. They had left home in good weather but the plane hit bad conditions, including low cloud around the Clarke Range before it went down. Recently married Rhiley Kuhrt (left) and his pregnant wife Maree (right) died in a plane crash in Queensland The couple left Natal Downs Station near Charters Towers in a small plane to attend a planned pregnancy appointment in Mackay but the plane hit bad conditions, including low cloud around the Clarke Range before it went down The wreckage was discovered in dense bushland in the range during an aerial search around 10am on Monday, and both occupants were pronounced dead at the scene. At the time of the crash, friends described Mr Kuhrt as an experienced pilot who had made the trip safely many times before, but an investigation has revealed he was not licensed. He was also not familiar with the Piper Cherokee he was flying, with only a handful of hours at the controls before the deadly flight. An Australian Transport Safety Bureau investigation found Mr Kuhrt was not qualified to pilot the aircraft on the night of the fatal crash and it has discontinued the investigation. Records from Mr Kuhrt's flying school showed he had completed 30.4 hours of flight instruction in a year, including 2.9 hours on the Piper Cherokee. 'On that basis, the ATSB determined there was limited safety benefit in continuing to direct resources at this investigation when compared with other priorities,' the bureau said in a statement. Licensing regulations were designed to ensure pilots were properly trained and equipped to manage challenges likely to be encountered during flights, ATSB Chief Commissioner Angus Mitchell said. 'This includes training intended to teach pilots to identify and manage situations presented by adverse weather, both at the pre-flight planning phase and during flight,' Mr Mitchell said. The wreckage was discovered in dense bushland in the Clarke Range during an aerial search around and both occupants were pronounced dead at the scene An Australian Transport Safety Bureau investigation found Mr Kuhrt was not qualified to pilot the aircraft on the night of the fatal crash 'When pilots operate outside the licensing regulations, they remove built-in safety defences,' Mr Mitchell added. Searchers reached the wreckage days later on a steep slope at an elevation of 583 metres. Despite the investigation being discontinued, Mr Mitchell emphasised important safety lessons and said it demonstrated weather continued to be one of the main causes of plane crashes in general aviation. 'The ATSB encourages all pilots, regardless of qualification or experience level, to develop the knowledge and skills required to avoid unintentional operations into adverse weather.' The train drivers' union has imposed another week-long ban on overtime sparking further chaos for commuters. Aslef announced that its members at 15 train operators will refuse to work overtime from July 17 to 22. This follows the week-long ban that began yesterday and continues until Saturday. Mick Whelan, the union's general secretary, said drivers 'don't want to be inconveniencing the public' and have called on the Government to find a way 'to resolve this dispute'. But furious travellers trying to plan their morning commutes have blasted the train companies on Twitter for not knowing which routes will be cancelled today. Operators have told commuters they 'cannot say for sure at the moment' which routes will be disrupted, reiterating that the firms also have 'limited information'. The train drivers' union has imposed another week-long ban on overtime, sparking further chaos for commuters across the country Train companies have been live tweeting updates this morning as routes are impacted by Aslef's strike action. But social media users are frustrated by the frequent changes and companies' inability to confirm which routes are operating normally. Debbie hit back at Cross Country after she arrived at the station in Southampton to learn her train to Manchester had been cancelled. Meanwhile, Debbie criticised Cross Country after she arrived at the station in Southampton to learn her train to Manchester had been cancelled The withdrawal of non-contractual overtime, or rest day working, will affect Avanti West Coast; Chiltern Railways; Cross Country; East Midlands Railway; Greater Anglia; Great Western Railway; GTR Great Northern Thameslink; Island Line; LNER; Northern Trains; Southeastern; Southern/Gatwick Express; South Western Railway main line; TransPennine Express; and West Midlands Trains The withdrawal of non-contractual overtime, or rest day working, will affect Avanti West Coast; Chiltern Railways; Cross Country; East Midlands Railway; Greater Anglia; Great Western Railway; GTR Great Northern Thameslink; Island Line; LNER; Northern Trains; Southeastern; Southern/Gatwick Express; South Western Railway main line; TransPennine Express; and West Midlands Trains. Mr Whelan said: 'We want to resolve this dispute. Train drivers don't want to be inconveniencing the public. 'That's why we have given the Government and the rail operators plenty of opportunities to come to the table and talk to us, but it is clear that they do not want a resolution. 'Our members - the train drivers who keep the railway running day in, day out, from early in the morning until late at night, all the year round - have shown they are not prepared to accept the Government's attempts to force our industry into managed decline. 'Rail travel is a vital part of our country's fight against climate change and rail connectivity is essential to the UK economy. 'That's why it's time for a fair deal and a sensible resolution so we can grow and improve our railways for the future.' Mark Zuckerberg today stepped up his personal rivalry with bete noire Elon Musk and went in for the kill by launching Threads: a new Twitter-lookalike app linked to Instagram. Threads is now available to pre-order in app stores for iPhone and Android and is expected to go live this Thursday with Twitter in turmoil after Musk moved to temporarily cap how many posts his users can read each day. Screenshots on the Apple App Store show that Threads looks remarkably like Twitter. Users can use their Instagram username to post their thoughts - with or without pictures. Detail about Threads and how it works is scant, although Meta describes it as a 'text-based conversation app... where communities come together'. Users will be able to curate Insta posts as usual while also posting their opinions and links in the same way Twitter does. Experts said today that Threads has 'the potential to become hugely impactful to Twitter' and is 'by far the biggest threat that Elon Musk has faced so far' because it is linked to Instagram, which has 500million daily users worldwide. Threads has been nicknamed 'Twitter Killer' online amid animosity between the rival billionaires who have said they would like a cage fight with the Colosseum in Rome a potential venue. Musk appears to be more keen having repeatedly urged Twitter users to delete their Facebook accounts, calling the social network 'lame'. Mr Zuckerberg is trying to muscle in to grab Twitter users left fuming and threatening to leave after Musk put a limit on how many posts account holders can read a day. TweetDeck users are also fuming after Twitter also announced it is to become the next part of the company to be limited to users who have paid for verified status. Screenshots for the new Meta app Threads, as seen in the Apple app store today. People have said it looks remarkably like Twitter Apple app store images for Threads, described as 'Instagram's text-based conversation app' Listed as 'Threads, an Instagram app', it is now available for pre-order on Apple's app store The billionaire SpaceX and Tesla boss has imposed temporary restrictions on Twitter users, citing problems with how many companies and websites are making use of Twitter's data. The same restrictions do not apply to accounts who pay for a blue tick, usually held by celebrities, high-profile individuals and companies. They can view 10,000 posts a day compared to 1,000 by non-verified users. Listed as 'Threads, an Instagram app,' the software is described on Apple's app store as 'Instagram's text-based conversation app... where communities come together'. Experts said the Instagram link means Threads has 'the potential to become hugely impactful to Twitter' and is 'by far the biggest threat that Elon Musk has faced so far'. It appeared all Apple users could see it on their app store today, but Android users could only see it on the Google Play Store in certain countries not including Britain. The plans from Meta have been announced just days after Tesla billionaire Mr Musk announced a temporary cap on how many posts users can read on Twitter. Matt Navarra, a social media consultant and industry analyst, said Twitter users were crying out for a more satisfying platform after being left unhappy with changes following Elon Musk's takeover. He said: 'I think that Threads is the first real, credible threat to Elon Musk's Twitter. 'Users of Twitter are desperately looking for an exit from the platform to escape, and the existing options of rivals are fairly limited. 'They all have the same big problem, which is you have to start from zero - it's a network that is completely new. One of the biggest benefits for Meta is that it's building off the back of Instagram, where people are familiar and can also kickstart their following because it ties into the same social graph.' Mr Navarra said the similar style of interface set to be used by Threads, shared in the announcement via screenshots, was a 'strategic and intentional decision' by Meta, as it aimed to create a platform with 'as little friction as possible'. The BBC's North America technology reporter James Clayton told Radio 4's Today programme: 'It looks almost identical to Twitter in pretty much every way. 'I think the one way that is very different to Twitter is that this is connected to Instagram. I've been speaking to Meta sources for the last few months, it's come out of Instagram, it very much has access to hundreds of millions of Instagram accounts. 'And so this isn't just starting from zero like many of Twitter's other competitors. It has that huge treasure trove of users in Instagram, so that's why journalists like me and others are quite excited by this, because it does have the potential to become hugely impactful to Twitter. This is by far the biggest threat that Elon Musk has faced so far.' Meta will benefit from having access to more than two billion monthly active Instagram users. Twitter meanwhile is estimated to have 364million monthly users. Steve Teixeira, Mozilla chief product officer and a former Twitter and Meta executive, told the Wall Street Journal: 'I do think a new microblogging leader will emerge to supplant Twitter, but it is far from a foregone conclusion that the winner will be Meta.' Meghana Dhar, a former Instagram executive, added: 'I've seen Meta do a very good job of picking up business models or product features and copy-pasting. 'Haters are going to say that they lack innovation, but I actually think this is smart.' It comes as the rivalry between Mr Zuckerberg and the Tesla billionaire, who bought Twitter in October, continues. Mark Zuckerberg's Meta announced in mid-March that it was working on a new social network It comes amid a period of uncertainty at Twitter since Elon Musk took over in October Last month the pair - two of the world's most high-profile billionaires - agreed to take each other on in a cage fight in an exchange that went viral on social media. What do the experts say about Threads? 'It does have the potential to become hugely impactful to Twitter. This is by far the biggest threat that Elon Musk has faced so far.' James Clayton, BBC's North America technology reporter 'I do think a new microblogging leader will emerge to supplant Twitter, but it is far from a foregone conclusion that the winner will be Meta.' Steve Teixeira, Mozilla chief product officer 'I've seen Meta do a very good job of picking up business models or product features and copy-pasting. Haters are going to say that they lack innovation, but I actually think this is smart.' Meghana Dhar, former Instagram executive Advertisement Thread's launch comes after a period of uncertainty at Twitter since Mr Musk took over in October, with the billionaire restructuring the company, firing thousands and placing many features behind a subscription paywall. Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, announced in mid-March that it was working on a new social network whose description made it a potential competitor to Twitter. Threads will enable users to 'connect directly with your favourite creators and others who love the same things - or build a loyal following of your own to share your ideas, opinions and creativity with the world,' according to its app store description. Meta said: 'We're thinking about a decentralised, independent social network for sharing written messages in real time.' The arrival of the new app comes after Twitter announced TweetDeck is to become the next part of the company to be limited to users who have paid for verified status. The app, which allows users to manage multiple feeds and searches, will only by accessible to verified users in 30 days, according to a tweet from Twitter Support last night. A new version of TweetDeck has been made available with the tweet giving instructions to update. The announcement follows Mr Musk saying two days earlier that users were being limited to reading 600 posts a day. He said the limit, which had been introduced 'to address extreme levels of data scraping and system manipulation', had been increased to 1,000 later on Saturday. Zuckerberg replied on his Instagram story, sharing a screenshot of Musk's challenge, writing: 'Send me location.' The Meta CEO recently placed a jiu-jitsu tournament in May Musk (right) challenged jiu-jitsu-trained Mark Zuckerberg to a 'cage match' after making a backhanded comment about Meta's reported new development Threads The interaction began after Musk commented about the Meta's reported in-development app, saying: 'I'm sure Earth can't wait to be exclusively under Zuck's thumb with no other options' Musk added fuel to the fire by tweeting out that the bout could take place at the landmark The stated aim of the decision was to limit the use of the social network's data by third parties, in particular companies feeding artificial intelligence models. But the restrictions could result in users being locked out of Twitter for the day after scrolling through several hundred tweets. Verified users - who have paid for a subscription to Twitter Blue or are considered 'notable' - can read up to 10,000 posts daily after initially being limited to 6,000. Mr Musk's latest announcements to address data scraping have sparked a fierce backlash from Twitter users and ad experts said it would undermine new chief executive Linda Yaccarino, who started in the role last month. The Italian government has reportedly offered up Rome's Colosseum as the stage for a showdown between Mark Zuckerberg and Elon Musk. The world's richest tech titans vowed to throw it down in a cage fight last week in what would be a clash for the ages. The Italian Minister of Culture has contacted the Meta chief to offer to host the UFC fight between the two billionaire's at one of history's most legendary battlegrounds, according to TMZ. Both Zuckerberg and Musk are said to be keen to take their battle to the iconic venue with the latter even tweeting: 'Some chance fight happens in Colosseum.' The Italian Minister of Culture contacted Zuckerberg to offer to host the fight at the Colosseum The proposal appears to have even gained traction as Zuckerberg's team reportedly passed the offer on to Dana White, whose representatives have reached out to the Minister, the report added. The Colosseum, one of the world's seven wonders, is Rome's most iconic landmark but has not hosted massive audiences inside for hundreds of years. The nearly 2,000-year-old amphitheater can only seat a few hundred spectators inside on temporary seating. In 2003, Sir Paul McCartney performed for 400 people who paid up to $1,500 for an exclusive charity show. But now Zuckerberg and Musk could be set to put on a show worthy of rivaling the Roman's gladiators. There have been other concerts held outside the theatre but it's unclear if Zuckerberg and Musk would throw it down inside or outside the landmark. A hospital's failure to call back the family of a little girl in the hours before she died was 'wholly inadequate', an inquest has found. Mother Natalia Griffiths-I'Anson knew something was terribly wrong when she noticed her two-year-old Callie was white as a ghost and could not keep her eyes open. The frantic mum made a late night call to the Royal Children's Hospital in Melbourne seeking urgent medical advice, hours after Callie had been discharged following a procedure. 'Whoever I spoke to said that they would contact a surgeon and they would call us straight back,' Ms Griffiths-I'Anson told the inquest into her daughter's death. But no one returned her call. Hours later, Callie's parents awoke to the startling noise of their toddler gurgling. She was limp and had stopped breathing. The toddler died in a southern NSW hospital later that morning, 16 hours after she was discharged from RCH. Five years on, a Victorian coroner has found RCH's failure to call Callie's family back was 'wholly inadequate' and recommended changes to the hospital's procedures. Two-year-old Callie Griffiths-I'Anson (pictured) tragically died in January 2018, weeks after ingesting cleaning liquid Recommended changes included improved advice to parents about their children who have undergone recent procedures. But Coroner Paresa Spanos also ruled it was reasonable for Callie to be discharged from RCH Melbourne, despite dying from surgical complications the next day. 'The discharge plan as documented in the medical record and as explained to the parents prior to the discharge was reasonable and appropriate,' she wrote. 'At the point of Callie's discharge, there was no clinical indication that she was unwell, unsuitable for discharge or had suffered an iatrogenic perforation or other complication of the procedure.' Callie was initially brought to RCH in December 2017 after ingesting cleaning liquid at the Oaklands Hotel in NSW. She had gained access to the bar area while her mother, who worked at the pub, was paying bills at a nearby post office and ingested caustic alkali liquid used to clean soda glasses. Callie, struggling to breathe with bleeding lips, was airlifted to the Melbourne hospital, nearly four hours' drive away. She was put into a medically induced coma before being transferred out of intensive care, and was released in early January 2018. Less than a week later, on January 11, Callie and her parents returned to the hospital for a fourth procedure on her oesophagus. Five weeks post-injury, her oesophagus had not yet healed and still had a significant amount of bleeding. Callie Griffiths-I'Anson tragically died a day after being discharged from hospital Callie's mum rang the Royal Children's Hospital in Melbourne seeking urgent medical advice and was told someone would ring her back. The hospital never rang back and the toddler died hours later After the operation, Callie was cleared to return to their home in Oaklands, but that evening her condition worsened. Ms Griffiths-I'Anson called the hospital switchboard for urgent help at 10pm, after being given that number when Callie was discharged. The worried parents waited for a call back but were exhausted, so placed Callie between them in bed. At 6am, they woke up to the sound of Callie gurgling. They called triple zero and paramedics tried to revive her, but the two-year-old died at Corowa District Hospital on January 12. RCH conceded the family did not receive a call back before Callie died because it had been put through to an on-call surgical registrar, who was busy in a major procedure that night. A coronial inquest into Callie's tragic death ruled ruled the hospital's failure to call the toddler's family back as 'wholly inadequate An internal hospital review found the registrar finished at 1am but felt it was too late to call the family then, planning to call first thing in the morning. In findings released this week, coroner Paresa Antoniadis Spano said this response was inadequate and recommended RCH develop better processes. This included that the hospital use technology to re-route calls, ensure the person who takes the calls is qualified, triage and differentiate such calls and use structured questioning when answering. Additionally, that call takers take into account the vulnerability of a child patient if they live in a rural area such as Callie, where the nearest paramedic station is 40 minutes' drive away. RCH Melbourne will review the findings and respond to the coroner's recommendations. 'The Royal Childrens Hospital extends its deepest sympathies to Callies family,' a spokeswoman told Daily Mail Australia on Wednesday. 'There can be no greater sadness than the loss of a child. We will review the findings and respond to the Coroners recommendation. ' Russia said on Tuesday it had downed five Ukrainian drones in the Moscow region, calling it a 'terrorist act' that disrupted the functioning of an international airport. Four of the drones were shot down by Moscow air defences near the Vnukovo airport while a fifth was jammed and crashed into the Odintsovo district of the Moscow region, the Russian defence ministry said. It added that no one was injured. Reports said that the single drone targeted a military base that sits about 25 miles away from the airport that is sometimes used by Vladimir Putin. Russia pinned the blame on Ukraine, which has not commented on the attacks that are understood to have used kamikaze drones, which damage and destroy targets by crashing an explosive payload directly into them. 'An attempt by the Kyiv regime to attack a zone where civil infrastructure is located, including an airport that receives international flights, is a new terrorist act,' foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said on Telegram. Russia said on Tuesday it had downed five Ukrainian drones in the Moscow region, calling it a 'terrorist act' that disrupted the functioning of an international airport. Footage on social media channels purportedly showed buildings in flames after the drones were downed The Russian military said it had downed all five drones. Four drones were destroyed by anti-air defence systems while a fifth was neutralised by 'electronic means' before crashing, it said. Emergency services cited by the RIA Novosti news agency said one of the drones was neutralised at Kubinka, about 25 miles from Vnukovo airport. The airport's functioning was briefly interrupted by the attack. Several flights were redirected to other airports and Russia's air transport agency said traffic at Vnukovo resumed at 0500 GMT. Russia's Federal Air Transport Agency said that other airports in Moscow and the Moscow region were operating normally. State-run agency RIA Novosti also reported that two drones had been downed near the village of Valuevo in New Moscow, citing emergency services. The drones had fallen into an 'open field' and no casualties had been reported, it said. However, an administrative building was reported to be damaged at the key Kubinka military air base some 48 miles southwest of the Kremlin. Some reports say the damage was caused after it was downed by air defences. A second wave of drones led to Vnukovo airport the diversion of at least ten incoming domestic and international flights. The airport is routinely used by government officials including Putin and VIPs, and appears to have been closed for arrivals as a precaution due to exploding drones in the vicinity. The Vnukovo airport emergency was declared over at 8am local time. Videos showed explosions caused by the suspected Ukrainian drones near Moscow. The drones are not believed to have struck the territory of Vnukovo airport itself. Moscow mayor Sergei Sobyanin called it 'another Ukrainian drone attack attempt.' 'Today there was another attempted attack by Ukrainian drones in New Moscow, and Moscow Region,' he said on Tuesday. 'So far, the attacks have been repelled by air defence forces and all detected UAVs have been eliminated. For security reasons, some flights have been temporarily diverted from Vnukovo Airport.' He said there were 'no casualties' and 'emergency services are working at the scene'. There was no immediate comment from Kyiv. Ukraine almost never publicly claims responsibility for attacks inside Russia or on Russian-controlled territory in Ukraine. Drone attacks have hit Russian cities throughout Moscow's offensive in Ukraine, but have intensified in recent months. Moscow and its environs, lying some 500 kilometres from the Ukrainian border, have up to now been rarely targeted. In early May, two drones were shot down above the Kremlin, and later the same month drones hit Moscow high-rises. And in late May, a drone strike came close to Putin's palatial official residence Novo-Ogaryovo, near Moscow. The double drone strike that hit the Kremlin was portrayed by the Russians as an attempt to assassinate Vladimir Putin. Kyiv said early Tuesday that Russia had launched 22 Iranian 'Shahed' attack drones at the Sumy, Donetsk and Zaporizhzhia regions. Its forces had 'destroyed' 16 of the drones, it said. A video purportedly shows a drone going up in smoke as it is brought down near residential buildings outside of Moscow State-run agency RIA Novosti also reported that two drones had been downed near the village of Valuevo in New Moscow, citing emergency services. The drones had fallen into an 'open field' and no casualties had been reported, it said Separately on Tuesday, a suspected Ukrainian Valkyrja strike drone was reportedly shot down in Belgorod border region, as was a Leleka-100 reconnaisance drone. Reports said there were no casualties at Kubinka despite structural damage to an administrative building at the air base which houses strike aircraft and an air force display team. Russia's Federal Agency for Air Transport said: 'For technical reasons, independent of the airport, restrictions have been introduced at Vnukovo on the acceptance and release of aircraft from 05:10. 'Restrictions on the acceptance and release of aircraft at Vnukovo Airport were extended until 08:00 in the morning. 'Other airports in Moscow and the Moscow region operate as normal. 'All airport services and air traffic controllers of air traffic services operate as normal.' Among the planes diverted to Sheremetyevo airport in Moscow were flights from Sharm El Sheikh and Dubai. One of the jammed drones crashed into a garage and exploded in the village of Krivosheino, causing a large fire. Two drones flying towards Moscow were reported over Kaluga region. Eyewitnesses reported aircraft-type drones at an altitude of some 700ft. One was black in colour, measuring around 10ft in wingspan. The other was greyish and smaller in size. Other drones were said to be helicopter type. Reports said drone attacks were between 4am and 6:30am local time. Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said: 'The Kyiv regime's attempt to attack an area where civilian infrastructure is located, including the airport, which incidentally also receives foreign flights, is yet another act of terrorism. 'Considering that [Volodymyr] Zelensky is committing these attacks with weapons supplied by the West or purchased with Western funds, this is international terrorism. 'The world community must realise that the USA, Britain and France, permanent members of the UN Security Council, are financing a terrorist regime.' Finally gives real-world examples of how it will work Linda Burney has finally shared details of the proposed Voice to Parliament, nailing down the four areas the advisory body will focus upon. The Indigenous Affairs Minister will ask the Voice body - should the referendum on the proposal succeed later this year - to consider the 'main priority areas' of health, education, jobs and housing. However, the Voice will not be limited to advising only on these specific topics. Ms Burney says the advisory body would 'have a full in-tray' from day one. 'Unlike government, it won't be distracted by the three-year election cycles. It will plan for the next generation, not the next term. It will be focused on making a better future for the next generation,' she will say in a speech to be delivered on Wednesday. Ms Burney has vowed to work closely with the Voice body in her role as minister, and will ask that it help 'solve the most pressing issues'. 'When I meet with the Voice for the first time I will say: Bring me your ideas on how to stop our people from taking their own lives,' she said. Indigenous Affairs Minister Linda Burney (pictured centre) has finally shared details of the proposed Voice to Parliament, nailing down the four areas the advisory body will focus on Ms Burney (pictured with Orange Local Aboriginal Land Council's Ricky Ah-See) will ask the Voice, should it be voted in, to consider 'priority areas' of health, education, jobs and housing Ms Burney (pictured in parliament) has faced extensive criticism for her handling of queries and criticism toward the Voice. Her speech, set to be delivered at the National Press Club, marks the first time she has delved into the details about her vision for the Voice 'Bring me your ideas on how to help our kids go to school and thrive. 'Bring me your ideas on how we make sure our mob live strong and healthy lives. How we ensure more people have jobs with the independence and purpose that brings. 'How we strengthen culture and language. How we support families better. How we keep alive our 65,000 years of culture and make it stronger.' Ms Burney has faced extensive criticism for her handling of queries and criticism toward the Voice. Her speech, set to be delivered at the National Press Club, marks the first time she has delved into the details about her vision for the Voice. She offered three hypothetical examples of the Voice in action, advising on matters relevant to First Nations people. 'Birthing on country,' she said. 'Aboriginal Community Controlled health organisations have pioneered a more effective way of caring for mums and babies. One that embraces tradition and language so mothers feel safe accessing medical services early and often.' Ms Burney says birthing on country 'works' and is a topic that the Voice could advise on if the referendum is successful. 'Doctors get better outcomes when they listen to patients. Bosses get better outcomes when they listen to workers. 'Policy-makers get better outcomes when they listen to First Nations communities.' Another practical example is the issue of low school attendance in First Nations communities. 'The community identifies that this is a challenge and wants explore local solutions to improve school attendance. 'So the community approaches their representative on the Voice and raises this issue with them. The Voice then has the power to make representations on how to improve school attendance in that local community to government and the parliament.' Ms Burney said: 'It's about linking up that local decision-making and local knowledge with policy-makers in government.' The community development program, designed in 2015, is another area which Ms Burney says could benefit from the Voice. Ms Burney offered three hypothetical examples of the Voice in action. Pictured are supporters during a Yes 23 event in Sydney in support of an Indigenous Voice to Parliament Ms Burney said she hopes a Voice to Parliament will target the 'systemic and structural disadvantage' of Indigenous Australians. Picture are protesters at an 'Invasion Day' rally 'It was meant to be an employment and training scheme that also contributed to remote communities. 'In recent years it has been a failure. It's been criticised for not being responsive to local communities and actually standing in the way of jobs and economic development. 'Because a one-size-fits-all policy simply didn't work across 1,000 communities each with different needs and aspirations.' Ms Burney said she hopes a Voice to Parliament will target the 'systemic and structural disadvantage' of Indigenous Australians. She referred to Closing the Gap statistics which demonstrate how First Nations people face higher rates of incarceration and higher chances of dying younger. 'This is about real people. Real people like Michael Riley,' she said. Mr Riley grey up 'in poverty' in Dubbo and spent time on the Talbragar Aboriginal Reserve, where 'basic hygiene was all but impossible and medical care was almost non-existent'. 'Like so many others who were forced to live in those poor conditions, Michael suffered from chronic infections and got Rheumatic Fever a condition from which his immune system never recovered.' Mr Riley went on to become a renowned photographer exploring themes of Indigenous identity and politics. Ms Burney said: 'At the peak of his career at the age of 44, he died of end stage renal failure. 'I was very close to him. I visited him every day in hospital. I watched him go blind in one eye. 'His Aboriginality condemned him to an early death. A preventable death.' Ms Burney has also insisted the Voice must be recognised in the Australian constitution in order to truly succeed. Critics and the Opposition have been calling for legislation rather than a constitutional change, citing concerns about an 'untested proposal with a 'no-return policy'. Opposition Leader Peter Dutton said: 'If Australians vote for change then our nation, our democracy, and their lives will be fundamentally altered. And in this case, not for the better. Changing our Constitution to enshrine a Voice will take our country backwards not forwards. What we know about the Voice to Parliament so far Here, Daily Mail Australia looks at some of the key questions about the Voice so far, and how the government has tackled them: What kind of advice can the Voice provide the Parliament and Government? The Voice will advise on matters that directly relate to Indigenous people. It will respond to requests made by the government, while also having the power to engage proactively on matters that they believe impact them. The group will have its own resources to research matters and engage with communities at a grassroots level to ensure it is best reflecting their needs. How will members of the Voice be chosen? Members of the Voice will be appointed by Indigenous communities and will serve on the committee for a fixed period of time, yet to be determined. The way the communities choose their representatives will be agreed upon by the local communities in tandem with the government as part of a 'post referendum process' to ensure cultural legitimacy. Who can become a member of the committee? Members of the Voice must be Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander. They will be chosen from across each state and territory and have balanced gender representation nationally. The government has also guaranteed that young people will be included in the committee to ensure representation across the broad scope of the community. Will the Voice be transparent? The government states the Voice will be subject to scrutiny and reporting requirements to ensure it is held accountable and remains transparent. Voice members will be held to standards of the National Anti-Corruption Commission and will be sanctioned or removed from the committee if there are any findings of misconduct. Will the Voice have veto power? No. Will the Voice work independently of other government bodies? The committee must respect the work and role of existing organisations, the government says. Will the Voice handle any funds? The Voice will not directly manage any money or deliver any services to the community. Its sole role will be in making representations about improving existing government programs and services, and advising on new ideas coming through the parties. Advertisement Critics including shadow Indigenous Affairs Minister Jacinta Nampijinpa Price (pictured), have called on the Yes campaign to explain details of the Voice to Parliament Opposition Leader Peter Dutton 'And it should be very clear to Australians by now that the Prime Minister is dividing our country not uniting us. 'If Australians have buyer's remorse the Voice comes with a no-return policy. It's here to stay in it. This institution hasn't even been road-tested.' But Ms Burney said there are two main reasons she is hellbent on seeing the Voice written into the constitution. 'One, a Voice or representative body cannot be truly independent or give frank advice if the government of the day can abolish it with a stroke of the pen,' she said. 'Two, it's what First Nations people requested in the Uluru Statement from the Heart.' But within her speech, which serves to answer several of the key questions crippling the Yes campaign so far, there are still points lacking clarity. Ms Burney said the independent representative body will be chosen 'by local communities, for local communities'. She also said it will be 'gender balanced, and include the views of young people'. Critics, including shadow Indigenous Affairs Minister Jacinta Nampijinpa Price, have long been calling on the Yes campaign to explain how they will ensure both of these things. It is unclear whether there will be quotas to ensure some communities choose representatives of a certain age or gender. Ms Burney made no reference to her earlier statement that changing the date of Australia Day would not be part of the Voice's remit, nor did she address widely reported comments by referendum working group member Thomas Mayo that the Voice could lead to reparations and a treaty. Her speech is also a significant backflip on comments from Aunty Pat Anderson that further details of the Voice would come after a Yes vote in the referendum. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has long assured the public that more information would come amid falling support for the proposal. Patricia Hughes used the alias of Valentine Fox to 'double dip' welfare payments A Centrelink fraudster fraudulently claimed nearly $200,000 in benefits - and was only caught after house burned down. Patricia Shirlene Dianna Hughes, 47, used the fake alias, Valentine Fox, to 'double dip' social benefits between 2005 to 2017 but it all came unstuck when a fire broke out at her house in Myponga, south of Adelaide. Hughes used the alias to file a 'multiplicity of claims' over the 12-year period to receive about $190,000 in illegitimate welfare claims. Centrelink caught onto the con after there was a 'suggestion of another person' in the home after the fire, leading to an investigation into Hughes' benefits claims. She faced Adelaide District Court on Tuesday and pleading guilty to obtaining and attempting to obtain a financial advantage by deception. A conwoman has rorted Centrelink of just under $200,000 using a fake alias to 'double dip welfare payments over a 12 year period, only being found after her house burnt down The court heard that Hughes had been receiving both legitimate welfare as well as an estimated $1200-a-month in illegitimate payments. Her defence lawyer Paul Charman said the offending was partly due to her being coerced by others who were close to her, according to The Advertiser Those who led her into continuing the fraud had direct control to the welfare payments, Mr Charman said. However, he did note that 'she (Hughes) doesn't in any way walk away from her guilt, her responsibility, her culpability'. Mr Charman also said the money was not used to fund an extravagant lifestyle, and was instead used for everyday living expenses such as food and petrol. A forensic psychologist diagnosed Hughes with a complex post-traumatic stress disorder that stems from a dysfunctional upbringing. The disorder had left her with an 'almost catastrophically damaged psychological state', Mr Charman said. The Adelaide District Court (pictured) heard that Patricia Shirlene Dianna Hughes' con was uncovered after another person, her alias, was not found in the house after the fire Hughes has attempted to sell her partially burnt home, of which she still owes more than $200,000 in mortgage payments, to cover the $190,000 owed to the Commonwealth. Mr Charman said that in the event the home is sold, any left over funds would be paid back to Centrelink. Due to her damaged mental state, Hughes has barely left her home and has been left 'petrified of going to prison'. She will be sentenced next month. Animal welfare organisations are demanding a ban on the fast growing Puppy Yoga wellness trend beloved by social media influencers after finding that the dogs are being put at 'serious risk' of harm. The RSPCA (Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty) and The Kennel Club have called the treatment of puppies at the yoga classes 'shocking' and 'dangerous' as they argued it could be in breach of the Animal Welfare Act. It comes after an ITV News investigation into Puppy Yoga uncovered the dark side to the Instagram-friendly trend, with puppies as young as six weeks old being denied access to water, sleep and worked for hours at a time. The Puppy Yoga industry has boomed in recent years after being featured on TOWIE and Made In Chelsea. There are now more than 25 companies advertising classes across the UK for up to 43 a pop and many influencers publicising the sessions. The classes, which advertise their stress-busting benefits, feature puppies roaming from one mat to the next and sometimes being incorporated into yoga poses. Dogs are obtained through local breeders or animal shelters. ITV filmed footage inside puppy yoga sessions as part of an investigation that has raised animal welfare concerns At one class hosted in Essex, puppies were placed in a small, warm room for an hour-long class without any water. They were seen trying to leave the room but prevented from doing so Footage shows dogs trying to sleep in the corner of a room before being repeatedly picked up and moved towards the customers ITV News went undercover to film classes held in Essex, Liverpool, and Nottingham and witnessed incidents that both the RSPCA and The Kennel Club have said breach basic welfare and safety standards. At one 43 class hosted by The Bully Barn Essex in Wickford, puppies were placed in a small, warm room for an hour-long class without any water. READ MORE - Monkeys to be banned as pets after RSPCA reports widespread abuse Advertisement When an undercover reporter asked whether the puppies had access to water, the teacher said: 'No, no, it might make them pee more.' Puppies were seen attempting to leave the room on several occasions but not permitted to. The investigation, which aired last night, also found that puppies as young as six and a half weeks old were used in the classes - contrary to statutory guidance which states that dogs should not leave their mother until at least eight weeks old. An advert for the class on The Bully Barn reads: 'Puppy yoga Essex feels like the right next step in our doggy journey and sharing the love with as many dog lovers as possible. 'As we have been doing this for many years, we have made friends with many others in the breeding community and will be able to bring a variety of breeds to our yoga classes, from Miniature Dachshunds to XL bulldogs and many more. 'We offer classes to complete beginners and don't forget all Yoga activities are completely original so if you want to roll around on the floor for an hour with puppies rather than take part in activities that's ok with us too!' Megan Barton Hanson from Love Island at a puppy yoga class. Organiser Paws for Thought - which did not feature on the ITV documentary - shares photos of celebs attending their classes The reality TV star is seen stretching alongside the dogs and sometimes incorporating them into her poses Esme Wheeler, Science and Policy Officer for Dog Welfare and Behaviour at the RSPCA, said: 'Not putting water out is a significant risk to dogs. 'Dogs don't have the capacity to store water in the same way that we do so they need constant access, otherwise health and potentially fatality can occur quite quickly. 'These puppies are far too young to be in an environment away from the mother.' Meanwhile, at a class in Liverpool, footage showed tired puppies trying to sleep in a corner but being woken up and forced to stay awake to take part in the class. The same was found at a 'Puppy Yoga Nottingham' class, with sleeping dogs constantly being woken up and carried back to the paying customers. Demi Sims - one of the Sims sisters from TOWIE - petting a puppy at one of the yoga classes Amber Turner and Dan Edgar from TOWIE attending a puppy yoga class organised by Paws For Thought Social media influencer Tasha Ghouri - who appeared on Love Island 2022 - attending a puppy yoga session Wheeler said: 'Sleep deprivation is a form of torture, and there's no reason to assume that this won't be as damaging to these dogs.' The Kennel Club's Health, Welfare and Breeder Services Executive Bill Lambert said: 'I think possibly there is behaviour that's taking place that already could be challenged under the Animal Welfare Act.' There are also questions over whether the businesses have the right licenses to even host such events. Liverpool City Council told ITV News that Puppy Yoga Liverpool does not have the 'appropriate license' to run the classes. Nottingham City Council said Puppy Yoga Nottingham is not licensed with them but 'more investigation would be required to see if the group holds a licence with another authority'. Geordie Shore star Vicky Pattison taking part in a puppy yoga session Paws for Thought runs puppy yoga classes in London and Essex and shares videos of them on TikTok Basildon Council are investigating whether Puppy Yoga Essex, operated by The Bully Barn Essex, has the appropriate license. Puppy Yoga Essex in Wickford declined to comment on the findings and Puppy Yoga Nottingham, Puppy Yoga Liverpool, and Puppy Yoga UK did not respond to ITV's requests for comment. Some class organisers claim that the classes benefit the puppies taking part as well as the 'mental health' of the participants because interacting with lots of humans aids their 'socialisation'. But the RSPCA's Esme Wheeler, said: 'There is nothing in that environment which I would consider to be beneficial to the health, the welfare or the behavioural lifelong development of these animals.' 'Socialisation is about introducing a young animal to something in a way which is gradual calm, and they have the freedom to move away.' Disturbing footage shows the moment a police officer can be seen looming outside the home of a woman who says she was a victim of a two-year stalking ordeal. Charlotte Smith, 28, claimed she was stalked and harassed by the police officer following a relationship that lasted a few months. Detective Sergeant Paul Whitehurst, 48, who works in the anti-corruption and professional standards department, allegedly started pursuing a sexual relationship with Smith when she bumped into him in a bar. Smith told the BBC he repeatedly sent her 'disturbing' WhatsApp messages where he asked for 'laughs, likes and plenty of s****ing'. After the relationship ended, she complained to Warwickshire Police in September 2020 about his behaviour. Whitehurst then allegedly started visiting her house uninvited even after she asked to be left alone, which prompted her to make further complaints to the police force. Footage of the incident comes as a new report from the BBC found that just 25 of 500 allegations of police abuses of power led to charges. Charlotte Smith (pictured), 28, claimed she was stalked and harassed by the police officer following a relationship that lasted a few months Detective Sergeant Paul Whitehurst (pictured left), 48, who works in the anti-corruption and professional standards department, allegedly started pursuing a sexual relationship with Smith when she bumped into him in a bar Ring doorbell footage shows one incident in May 24 2022 where Whitehurst can be seen outside Smith's home at 10:45pm repeatedly ringing her doorbell. The 28-year-old said she hid under her duvet and rang Warwickshire Police who arrived at her home 45 minutes later. She said there 'was no urgency' from the officers who didn't even take her statement at the time and was told that 'red flags' had been placed on her house following a previous incident. Whitehurst was suspended by the force last year and the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) has called for him to face a gross misconduct hearing, which is yet to take place. The officer denied the claims that he abused his position and said the messages were 'not familiar' to him when he spoke to the BBC. He added that he only visited Smith's house out of concern for her well being. Smith said that the ordeal has left her feeling 'powerless' and she questioned how her complaint would be taken seriously when Whitehurst worked in the professional standards department where they are dealt with. MailOnline has contacted Warwickshire Police for comment. Ring doorbell footage seen by the BBC shows one incident in May 24 2022 where a man they identify as Whitehurst can be seen outside Smith's home at 10:45pm repeatedly ringing her doorbell An earlier incident also showed Whitehurst outside Smith's home during the day, according to the BBC According to the law, police forces must refer the most serious allegations about the conduct of a person serving with the police to the IOPC, including allegations of abuse of position for a sexual purpose toensures an independent decision is taken. Data compiled by the BBC from Freedom of Information requests found that 536 allegations of 'abuse of position for a sexual purpose' have been made across 32 police forces in England, Wales and Scotland from 2020. It also found that just 24 officers had been handed a criminal charge for this offence. Data also showed that some officers faced up to 20 individual allegations, with one cop, who faced nine allegations, only given a written warning. Crime and Policing Minister Chris Philp said: 'There must be a zero tolerance approach to police officers abusing their positions and we are taking action to ensure predatory individuals are not only rooted out of forces, but that vetting is strengthened to ensure they cannot join the police in the first place. 'The Inspectorate's recent rapid review on vetting recognised that progress is being made and forces are also carrying out a thorough check of all serving officers and staff to identify anyone who should not be wearing the badge. 'We are reviewing the current police dismissals process to ensure it is as effective as possible at removing unfit officers and the Angiolini Inquiry will look at uncovering any further systemic issues in policing we need to address.' A British Army soldier who went AWOL for six months to fight in the Ukraine War has been locked up after a judge ruled that his actions risked dragging Britain into a war with Russia. Royal Welsh Fusilier Alexander Garms-Rizzi, whose mother is Russian, told officers he felt compelled to fight in the conflict and made no effort to conceal his actions. Garms-Rizzi, 21, was deployed to Estonia when he went missing from NATO's Operation Cabrit and sent his unit a message admitting he had crossed the border to join pro-Ukrainian forces. A court martial heard the soldier, a fluent Russian speaker, had been deployed to Estonia in November 2021 with the rest of his unit as part of Operation Cabrit and NATO's enhanced Forward Presence in the region Passing sentence, Judge Advocate General Darren Reed said: '[Your actions were] deliberate and pre-meditated. You lived in Russia until you were 12 years old and spent summers there after leaving. Royal Welsh Fusilier Alexander Garms-Rizzi (in a mask) outside Bulford Military Court, where he was sentenced to 12 months in a military detention centre A Ukrainian soldier on a Swedish CV90 infantry fighting vehicle at his positions near Bakhmut, Donetsk region, Ukraine 'You felt morally it was the right course of action to support the cause. You are clearly an intelligent and thoughtful young man. 'You made no pretence of covering up what you had done. Those who serve do not have a choice about lawful orders they obey.' The military court heard that by operating as a 'rifleman' alongside Ukrainian militia, Garms-Rizzi had defied orders and created a security risk Prosecutors said that had he been captured 'the potential harm... is difficult to overstate'. Garms-Rizzi went on leave from March 2022, and failed to return two weeks later, the court was told. When his unit managed to contact him, the soldier, who lived in Russian until the age of 12 and had Ukrainian friends, admitted he had gone to join the war. Colonel Grant Davies, prosecuting, told Bulford Military Centre, Wiltshire: 'Fus Garms-Rizzi had regularly expressed concerns about the situation in Ukraine to colleagues. His mother is Russian. He is a fluent Russian and Italian speaker. A number of attempts were made to contact him. In messages he admitted that he was in Ukraine. He said he knew what he was doing was wrong.' On September 22 last year, Garms-Rizzi was arrested at the port of Dover. Police seized foreign military clothing among his possessions, as well as Ukrainian insignia. In interview, Garms-Rizzi told officers said he went over to help the Ukrainian people, as he 'couldn't just stand by'. Appearing at Bulford Military Court, Garms-Rizzi, 21, of Tidworth Barracks, Wiltshire, was dismissed from the army and handed 12 months military detention Col Davies added: 'He told police he didn't formally sign up, but said he was paid by the Ukrainian government. The Crown has found no evidence of this having happened. 'Fus Garms-Rizzi said he carried out medical extractions and did some translation.[Had he not been absent without leave] he would have taken further part in Operation Cabrit. His unit could not find a replacement for him. 'The potential harm to the reputation of the British armed forces this could have caused is difficult to understate. He caused a security risk to himself, and to HM Government had he been captured.' After being arrested when he re-entered the UK, the soldier pleaded guilty to being absent without leave and to a charge of contravening standing orders. Representing himself, Garms-Rizzi told the hearing he had not been able to 'just stand by and watch things unfold' while his Ukrainian school friends were killed. He said: 'I handed myself in at Dover. My mother is Russian. 'If I go back to Russia [to see her] I will be sentenced to the Gulag. I can't see anyone in Russia. [I went because] my friends were getting killed. I have Ukrainian friends from school who I met in Russia. I think I did the right thing. [My role in Ukraine] was a mixture of rifleman work and humanitarian. It was translation and medical care. Judge Reed told Garms-Rizzi his actions were 'deliberate and pre-meditated'. He said: 'You spent nearly six months AWOL. Members of the British Army are not authorised to go to Ukraine. 'The order not to go to Ukraine could not have been clearer. The order was there to protect British forces and the state from being dragged into the conflict.' Garms-Rizzi of Tidworth Barracks, Wiltshire, was dismissed from the army and handed 12 months military detention. A 'merciless' rapist who left a woman with a broken back during a viscous sex attack has been jailed for 19 years. Pascal Jombla, 46 dragged the woman into his home in Hackney, east London, on June 21, 2022, where he repeatedly punched, kicked and raped her, threatening her if she did not keep quiet. She was hospitalised after suffering a fractured back amongst other injuries and only managed to escape after Jombla fell asleep. She made it to the front doorway in Jombla's Amhurst Road property where she was able to shout for help and a passer-by called 999. Jombla was still asleep when police officers arrested him at his home later that day. Pascal Jombla, 46 dragged the woman into his home in Hackney, east London, on June 21, 2022, where he repeatedly punched, kicked and raped her, threatening her if she did not keep quiet He was convicted of six counts of rape and two counts of actual bodily harm by a jury at Wood Green Crown Court. Jombla was jailed for 19 years and will be on extended licence for a further five years He was convicted of six counts of rape and two counts of actual bodily harm by a jury at Wood Green Crown Court. Jombla was jailed for 19 years and will be on extended licence for a further five years. A Met Police spokesperson said: 'Officers immediately attended and found her suffering from injuries to her face and extensive bruising to her body. 'She was taken to hospital where it was determined she had suffered a fracture to her lower back as a result of the attack, among other physical injuries.' In a statement read out at court, the woman said: 'What happened to me on that night has severely impacted on my life in every way. 'I was thinking how can this be happening to me? How is it possible? Will I get out alive? What is going to happen to me? Will he kill me? 'This will continued to affect me in all ways and I know it will continue to have an impact on my life in the future. 'I still feel uneasy to go out but I know I have to try and carry on with my life as normal as I possibly can. 'I don't think I will ever be able to fully recover from what happened to me which scares me as I don't want to spend the rest of my life thinking about the ordeal he put me through.' Detective Constable Jean-Luc Argent, who led the investigation, said: 'Jombla is a violent rapist and his actions have caused a great deal of trauma. The only place for him is behind bars' In a statement read out at court, the woman said: 'What happened to me on that night has severely impacted on my life in every way. This will continued to affect me in all ways and I know it will continue to have an impact on my life in the future' Detectives collected DNA evidence, analysed CCTV and carried out numerous witness interviews to build a case against him. Jombla made no comment in his police interview and was charged two days later on 24 June, 2022. Detective Constable Jean-Luc Argent, who led the investigation, said: 'Jombla is a violent rapist and his actions have caused a great deal of trauma. 'The only place for him is behind bars. 'The victim-survivor has been incredibly brave throughout the investigation and the trial. 'Although she continues to suffer physical and psychological effects from the sustained and brutal attack, I hope today's sentence can begin to provide some justice. 'Targeting predatory men who are violent towards women and girls is our top priority. 'We will investigate all reports of rape and sexual assault, no matter how recent, and specially trained officers will support victim-survivors.' As families and friends were getting ready for a weekend of July 4 celebrations, a gunman armed with an AR-style rifle and handgun went on a 10-minute deadly rampage in Philadelphia last night and killed five men. The 40-year-old suspect, who has not yet been named, began opening fire at passersby randomly as he stalked the streets of the largely residential neighborhood of Kingsessing for more victims to kill. Philadelphia police quickly responded to frantic 911 calls for help and found several victims - some of whom were fatally wounded - near South 56th Street and Chester Avenue. But the gunman carried on his rampage, firing shots at unsuspecting victims as he walked along Kingsessing Avenue, leaving 'multiple' casings behind him. At this point, officers had begun racing down the streets, following the sounds of the gunshots, before reaching the 1800 block of Frazier Street where they located the suspect. As families and friends were getting ready for a weekend of July 4 celebrations, a gunman armed with an AR-style rifle and handgun went on a 10-minute deadly rampage in Philadelphia last night and killed five men Police place a rifle in a bag on the scene of the mass shooting on Monday night in Philadelphia A view of crime scene from the mass shooting in Philadelphia on Monday night. Siz 'At some point, officers locate the suspect and they were able to pursue him on foot,' Police Commissioner Danielle Outlaw said last night. READ MORE: Five dead in July 4 Philly bloodbath as gunman kills men aged 20-59 and injures two kids aged 2 and 13 during rampage Advertisement Knowing that the cops were now pursuing him, the gunman began running down several streets - from Kingsessing along Frazier Street to Springfield Avenue - while manically shooting. Outlaw said she did not know if the suspect was firing from his rifle or handgun at the time he was chased by cops, but confirmed he was 'actively shooting'. The gunman had tried to outsmart cops by using a police scanner but within ten minutes of launching his violent gun spree, the mass shooter was arrested by police officers who had chased him down the streets. Officers had managed to corner the suspect in the rear alleyway of the 1600 block of South Frazier street before ordering him to show his hands and arresting him. Cops found the 40-year-old man was armed with an AR-style rifle, a handgun, and multiple magazines in his bullet proof vest. He was also carrying a police scanner. Police said the mass shooting, which took place in a two by four block radius, left three men aged between 20 and 59 dead, police said. Another male, believed to be aged between 16 and 21 was also shot dead. Two other victims, aged two and 13, were hospitalized in a stable condition, cops added. Police later told Fox 29 that a fifth victim was found. He was chased into his home and shot to death. Bullet casings were found outside the home. 'At this point all we know is that this person decided to leave their home and target individuals,' Outlaw said, noting that the shooter had seemingly no connection to any of the victims. 'Thank God our officers responded as quickly as they did. I can't even describe the level of bravery and courage that was shown,' Outlaw added. Outlaw said at a news conference that all five victims of the mass shooting were male, including the two-year-old and the 13-year-old. A mass shooting is defined by the FBI as an incident in which at least four people are murdered with a gun. She described the scene as covering an area of two by four blocks and said around 50 spent shell casings were found. 'At this point you can see there are several scenes out here,' Outlaw said. 'We're canvassing the area to get as much as we can, to identify witnesses, to identify where cameras are located and to do everything to figure out the why.' A bicycle belonging to one of the victims, a child who survived shots to the leg, lies at the scene of a mass shooting in the Kingsessing section of South Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on Monday night Officials from the Crime Scene Unit investigate the crime scene of the mass shooting in Philadelphia on Monday night after five people were shot dead Three of the dead men ranged in age from 20 to 59. Outlaw said cops have yet to identify the fourth victim but believe he could be between the ages of 16 and 21. A fifth victim has not yet been identified. There didn't appear to be a connection between the shooter and the victims. The suspect was arrested in an alley without incident, Outlaw said. Philadelphia Mayor Jim Kenney, a Democrat, tweeted about the shooting about two hours later. 'Horrified by the reports of a shooting in Southwest Philadelphia,' he said. 'My heart is with the loved ones and families of everyone involved, and I send my prayers to the victims.' 'My sincere thanks to @PhillyPolice for their brave response and successful apprehension of a suspect.' The Philadelphia violence is the country's 29th mass killing in 2023, the highest on record by this time in the year. The mass shooting occurred a day after gunfire erupted at a holiday weekend block party in Baltimore, about 100 miles (160 kilometers) to the southwest, killing two people and wounding 28 others. The wounded in that shooting ranged in age from 13 to 32, with more than half of them minors, according to officials. The moment a koala watches on as developers clear his habitat has been captured in a heartbreaking photo. The image taken by wildlife rescuer Amy Wregg shows the endangered marsupial in an exposed gum tree on the Gold Coast as workers clear land below for a highway project. The 45km Coomera Connector development is being funded by the federal and Queensland governments and will stretch from Loganholme and Coomera. 'This is what progress looks like, this poor koala is sitting in what is soon to be Coomera Connector clearing looking back at what used to be his home,' Ms Wregg wrote. 'Yes he is wearing a tracker but that won't stop him from being hit by a car trying to cross back to his old home. 'There should have been a better solution, we are not doing enough to save them other than fast track their extinction.' The moment a koala watches on as developers clear his habitat has been captured in a heartbreaking photo The image uploaded to Facebook by wildlife rescuer Amy Wregg, shows the endangered marsupial in an exposed gum tree on the Gold Coast as workers clear land below for a highway project When the next stage of the plan goes ahead, the koala population on the side of the road where the koala was seen, will need to be rehomed. Social media users were outraged by Ms Wregg's picture, saying the situation is just heartbreaking. 'Gosh. What have we done,' one person said. 'It's terrible, just heartbreaking,' another added. While a third commented: 'Absolutely heartbreaking'. Around 500 koalas lived in Coomera on the Gold Coast in 2018 but their habitat continues to dwindle to make way for new developments. The 45km Coomera Connector development is being funded by the federal and state governments and will stretch from Loganholme and Coomera Trees have been replaced by housing and retail outlets including Westfield, McDonald's, KFC, Taco Bell, a Toyota dealership and Woolworths. Koalas were declared endangered in 2022 but at that time most of the developments were already approved and underway. With a decline in the herbivorous marsupial's home, conservationists are predicting the iconic Aussie creature will soon become extinct on the Gold Coast before 2025. A 'bereft' mother suffered a cardiac arrest and died just 14 hours after her baby suddenly passed away in a suspected co-sleeping tragedy, an inquest has heard. Emergency services rushed to Viktorija Mardosiene's home in Newcastle-under-Lyme, Staffordshire, in the early hours of August 9 last year after receiving reports that her five-month old son Kevin Deguitas was not breathing and had gone cold. Ambulance crews battled to save him and took him to the Royal Stoke University Hospital, but he was later pronounced dead. His 32-year-old mother then later checked into the Harplands Hospital mental health unit and told staff there she was bereft at the death of her child. While there, the Lithuanian national went into cardiac arrest and later died at the same hospital as her son. Viktorija Mardosiene, 32, pictured with her five-month old baby Kevin Deguitas Viktorija pictured with her baby Kevin's father Arturas The 'bereft' mother suffered a cardiac arrest and died just 14 hours after her baby suddenly passed away in a suspected co-sleeping tragedy North Staffordshire coroner Duncan Richie has now opened and adjourned the inquests, stating further research was needed. At the hearing into Kevin's death, a statement was heard from PC Tyler Lowe who said: 'The living room was extremely cluttered with boxes and toys all over the floor. 'We heard from the paramedics that he was not getting any air and a tube was inserted into his mouth and throat. 'We approached Viktorija to make inquiries, she said: "No English". We kept some distance. She was on the phone to the baby's father asking: "Is my baby dead?". She began to cry. 'We heard how she had taken the baby to bed, sleeping, at 11pm. At 1:34am we heard doctors had ceased CPR and stopped life care. Viktorija was then conveyed to hospital.' DC Craig Flowers, from Staffordshire Police's child protection unit, described the conditions in the house. DC Flowers said: 'It would be fair to say the house was found in some state of disarray. I went to the address the day after and can confirm she was sleeping in a double bed. There were empty cans of alcohol in the bedroom. 'Viktorija was breathalysed at the scene and her level was found to be 40mcg/ml. The drink driving limit is 35. 'It is fair to state she was in an understandably upset state. She was screaming, shouting and rocking back and forth screaming "kill me". 'There had been concerns about domestic issues in the past. There was a history of contact between emergency services and the couple.' Consultant paediatric pathologist Dr Roger Malcomson stated: 'What we are left with is a baby who has died co-sleeping with a parent. There is no specific medical cause of death after a comprehensive autopsy. The inquest heard that Viktorija (pictured right) was on the phone to Kevin's father Arturas (pictured left) when paramedics tried to perform CPR on the baby Ambulance crews battled to save the baby and took him to the Royal Stoke University Hospital (pictured), but he was later pronounced dead. Dr Oluwafemi Popoola, a specialist in psychiatry, said Ms Mardosiene was 'distressed and crying uncontrollably' and was saying 'kill me' when she arrived at Harplands Hospital (pictured) 'There are problems associated with co-sleeping including overlaying. There is also a risk of hypothermia and restricting of airways. There is nothing sufficient to suggest a specific cause of death. 'I would consider an unascertained cause of death. With the debate of if this was a natural or unnatural death, I don't think there is sufficient evidence to suggest either way.' An inquest opened into Ms Mardosiene's death heard she was voluntarily taken to Harplands where she complained of chest pains. Later that afternoon, she suddenly collapsed and was confirmed dead at 3:53pm - just 14 hours after the death of her baby. Dr Oluwafemi Popoola, a specialist in psychiatry, said: 'She was met by the deputy ward manager and had periods where she was distressed and crying uncontrollably. However, she did engage well with the service. She had an elevated blood pressure. 'She had not reported any self-harm or suicide prior to the death of her son. However she was saying "kill me". 'She had no previous contact with mental health services. She was given diazepam before her death. The dosage was the appropriate and safe amount given.' A toxicologist's report showed while there was a small amount of diazepam, there were no traces of drugs or alcohol in her system. There was not enough to indicate drug toxicity. Dr Andrew Hitchcock, the coroner's pathologist who carried out a post-mortem examination, said: 'There were no external injuries. However, there was a granular material found in the abdomen. It looks like the medication that people take, the sort you see in open capsules. 'It looked like a pharmaceutical substance although I cannot say for certain. It was certainly taken by mouth. 'On the balance of probability, I cannot identify exactly what the medical cause of death. The granular materials themselves were non-toxic as there was no mention in the report. They would have been taken within 14 hours of death but I cannot say exactly when.' The Tories need to pick an 'outsider' to have a chance of defeating Sadiq Khan next year, a top pollster warned today. James Johnson, who founded JL Partners and previously ran research for Downing Street, said Moz Hossain's colourful back story and status as a criminal lawyer made him the best option. He suggested that rival Susan Hall would be a 'fine' candidate but 'a dull one', arguing that the Labour incumbent would win 'by default'. The assessment came as former home secretary Priti Patel endorsed Mr Hossain to become the party's standard-bearer in the capital. The Tory candidate is due to be confirmed on July 19 after a chaotic race. Daniel Korski withdrew from the race last week after being accused of groping a female TV producer a decade ago - something he denies. James Johnson, who founded JL Partners and previously ran research for Downing Street, said Moz Hossain's (pictured) colourful backstory and status as a criminal lawyer made him the best option Mr Johnson suggested that Susan Hall would be a 'fine' Tory candidate but 'a dull one', arguing that Labour incumbent Sadiq Khan would win 'by default' Mr Hossain has been dubbed 'mystery Moz' because of his sudden arrival, grew up in a family of ten in Bangladesh before moving to Britain at 21 to study law. He is now the first Bangladesh-born criminal barrister to become a Queen's or King's Counsel. He is a bus driver's son like Labour's Sadiq Khan, who will fight to win a third term in the mayoral election on May 2 next year. The main pledge from Mr Hossain, who lives in Mile End and is single, is to make London's streets safer. Writing on the grass-roots ConservativeHome site, Mr Johnson said Mr Khan was beatable amid deeply unpopular policies such as ULEZ - but only by an unconventional Tory contender. 'Voters want radicalism, excitement, and a clear alternative to what they see as a failed Mayor,' Mr Johnson said. 'High up their list of priorities for their next mayor is someone who is 'not a career politician'. 'London Tories cannot afford a candidate who is seen as a classic Conservative in a climate where the Tories are twenty points behind in the national polls.' He added: 'A 'safety first' approach will lose the Tories the election by default. It did not work in 2021, nor will it in 2024. 'Nominating Hossain would be a gamble. But if London Conservatives want to win next year, the data shows that their best bet is to vote for Mozammel Hossain.' Ms Patel, MP for Witham, told the Guido Fawkes website: 'The governance of London requires radical change and fresh Conservative leadership. 'I want a London which is safe for everyone, open to the world, dynamic and no longer in retreat. 'Moz Hossain can beat Labour's Sadiq Khan and make London safe and a great City again. 'He will bring policing back into London's communities, scrap the ULEZ tax on our drivers and make London open for business again. Conservative members have the strongest choice in Moz to beat Sadiq Khan and now is the time to vote for this change.' Two Scottish Government ministers have sparked fury by snubbing a ceremony celebrating the Coronation of Charles III. Scottish Greens co-leaders Patrick Harvie and Lorna Slater - two of the most outspoken republican MSPs in Holyrood - have turned down an invitation to a service of thanksgiving for the King in Edinburgh tomorrow. Instead Mr Harvie will join, and speak, at an anti-monarchy rally outside Holyrood while the rest of the Government is half a mile away at the St Giles' Cathedral service on the Royal Mile. Scottish Tory constitution spokesman Donald Cameron said the decision was akin to 'student politics', and Mr Harvie's choice to speak at the rally instead was 'predictably infantile'. 'If he wants to ask big questions, he should start with how he conducts himself as a government minister,' he said. Scottish Greens co-leaders Patrick Harvie and Lorna Slater - two of the most outspoken republican MSPs in Holyrood Mr Harvie will join, and speak, at an anti-monarchy rally outside Holyrood while the rest of the Government is half a mile away at the at the St Giles' Cathedral service on the Royal Mile 'The Greens may have failed to deliver a deposit return scheme, but they can definitely recycle tedious anti-monarchy rants. 'As on so many issues, the extremist Greens are out of touch with the majority of Scots, who see the coronation and the King's commitment to Scotland as something to celebrate.' Alex Salmond, the former first minister of Scotland and now leader of the Alba Party, also declined an invitation to attend the thanksgiving service. The Scottish Greens run on a republican platform, with the party's website saying the royals are 'an outdated and fundamentally undemocratic institution'. They are in an informal link-up with the SNP which has seen Mr Harvie take a junior position as minister for zero carbon buildings, active travel and tenants' rights. Ms Slater is minister for green skills, circular economy and biodiversity. The special service to mark the King's Coronation will see him presented with the Honours of Scotland - the country's crown jewels. The service will feature centuries-old aspects of Scottish royal tradition along with new additions such as music written specially for the occasion. The Scottish Greens run on a republican platform, with the party's website saying the royals are 'an outdated and fundamentally undemocratic institution'. Before the service there will be a Royal Procession and a People's Procession along the Royal Mile involving around 100 people. The Stone of Destiny is also expected to play a part in Wednesday's ceremony and there will also be a fly-past by the Red Arrows following the event. Ms Slater said: 'In 21st century Scotland, the monarchy is nothing to celebrate. It is an out-of-date and undemocratic institution. 'How can we justify a system that allows one family to enjoy so much unearned wealth and privilege at a time when millions of people have so little? 'Scotland can be a modern and democratic republic with an elected and accountable head of state. 'I want every child in Scotland to know they live in a genuine democracy and that they can achieve the highest office, regardless of which family they come from.' While Mr Harvie added: 'There are many people in Scotland who regard the monarchy as a tiresome spectacle and a symbol of values we don't hold. 'I will be proud to speak at the Our Republic rally and to stand with others who want to build a more democratic society where power and wealth belongs to the people rather than being passed down as an inheritance. 'That is just one reason why I support Scottish independence. It will give us the opportunity to ask the big questions about how we are ruled and to build a fairer and more equal society.' A leading Russian investigative journalist has been brutally attacked on a working trip to Chechnya - a republic of Russia governed by close Vladimir Putin ally Ramzan Kadyrov who had previously described the reporter as a 'terrorist'. Elena Milashina, 45, and lawyer Alexander Nemov - who was also savagely beaten - were stopped by armed and masked men as they arrived in the regional capital Grozny to attend a court case linked to human right abuses. The pair received death threats and had guns pointed at their heads, according to reports, while Milashina's head was shaved and her fingers broken in a brutal assault. The reporter, who works for the banned independent paper Novaya Gazeta, also received a head wound, passed out several times and was doused in green dye in the vile attack. Mr Nemov, 35, was stabbed with a knife and received leg wounds, according to the human rights group Team Against Torture, but still intends to go to the trial the pair had travelled to the state to attend. Reporter Elena Milashina, who works for the independent paper Novaya Gazeta, also received a head wound, passed out several times and was doused in green dye Chechen human rights commissioner Mansur Soltaev in hospital visiting Ms Milashina, a journalist for the banned independent newspaper Novaya Gazeta Lawyer Alexander Nemov and Ms Milashina get into an ambulance at the hospital in Grozny Kadyrov - sanctioned in the West over alleged human rights abuses - is one of Putin's strongest backers on the war with Ukraine. He earlier labelled Ms Milashina a terrorist, one of those who were allegedly 'always destroyed' in his republic. Rumours have swirled in recent days over his health amid claims he is suffering from acute kidney or liver problems. Referring to the attack on Ms Milashina and Mr Nemov, the human rights group Memorial said in a statement on Telegram: 'They were brutally kicked, including in the face, threatened with death, had a gun held to their heads, and had their equipment taken away and smashed. 'While being beaten, they were told: 'You have been warned. Get out of here and don't write anything.' They were hospitalised and the prominent investigative journalist is due to be moved to a different Russian region for further treatment. Chechnya is a republic of Russia governed by close Vladimir Putin ally Ramzan Kadyrov (pictured), who previously described the reporter as a 'terrorist' The pair had been in Chechnya to attend a court case involving Zarema Musaeva, mother of the persecuted Chechen activists Abubakar and Ibragim Yangulbaev. Ms Musaeva was kidnapped in January 2022 from Russian city of Nizhny Novgorod and transported to a pre-trial jail in Grozny. She was charged with 'using violence against a police officer' and faces more than five years in jail for what is seen as a politically motivated persecution. Ms Milashina works for Novaya Gazeta, Russia's top independent news source which is led by Dmitry Muratov, a Nobel Peace laureate. The then US First lady Michelle Obama, left, and then US Secretary of State John Kerry, right, honour Russian human rights activist Elena Milashina with a Secretary of State's International Women of Courage Award in 2013 A statement by the paper today read: 'Several masked people severely beat Elena and Alexander, took their phones, demanding they unblocked them, destroyed their equipment and documents. They beat them with batons and kicked them. 'Elena Milashina has a closed head wound and several broken fingers on her hands. The doctors do not share the results of her MRI scan. Elena has passed out several times. 'Attorney Nemov was beaten and stabbed with a knife. However, he still plans to attend the court hearing. Russian human rights commissioner Tatyana Moskalkova agreed to intervene in the situation on the request of the editorial office,' Novaya Gazeta wrote. The media rights group Reporters Without Borders said it was 'horrified by the savage attack' on Milashina. Novaya Gazeta had its media licence withdrawn last year, a move that Mr Muratov said was politically-motivated. Since 2000, six of its journalists and contributors have been killed, including investigative reporter Anna Politkovskaya. A 15-year-old has been attacked by a shark off the coast of a New York beach that saw six attacks in three weeks last summer. The teenager was mauled by the shark after heading out into the waves on his surfboard off the coast of Fire Island, New York, on Monday afternoon. In shock, the surfer swam to shore where he was aided by another beachgoer and given initial medical assistance. The surfer said the shark had lodged its teeth into his left heel and toes, but they still remained intact. Suffolk County Police Marine Bureau officers were then called and they rushed to the aid of the victim after he was bitten off the coast of the island's Kismet Beach at around 5.20pm. The teenager was mauled by the shark after heading out into the waves on his surfboard off the coast of Fire Island, New York, on Monday afternoon The surfer said the shark had lodged its teeth into his left heel and toes, but they still remained in tact (file image) A 15-year-old has been attacked by a shark off the coast of a New York beach that saw six attacks in three weeks last summer The 15-year-old was subsequently taken to the Good Samaritan University Hospital in West Islip for medical assistance. The unnamed teen surfer is just the latest victim attacked off the coast of the island. Fire Island will now remain on high alert for the rest of the summer after six shark attacks took place in three weeks in the area last summer. The first of the attacks last year occurred on June 30, when a 57-year-old swimmer suffered a foot laceration at Jones Beach that was a 'possible shark bite,' according to medics. A few days later over the July 4 weekend, lifeguard Zachari Gallo was ironically playing the role of a victim in a training exercise in the waters of the nearby Smith Point Beach when he was bitten in the chest by a shark. Gallo swatted the five-foot shark away, which injured his hand. It was the first reported shark attack at that beach since 1959. 'I felt sharp, sharp pain and once I felt the rubbery texture, I knew it was some kind of shark,' Gallo told CBS last year. Six shark attacks took place last year within the course of just six weeks 'I hit the shark three times. I went boom, boom, boom. I guess in the third one it spun back and it's tail hit me in the chest.' On July 7 last year, another lifeguard was playing the role of victim 200 yards from a Fire Island beach when he was bitten on the foot by a shark. Sharks often react to splashing and confuse the splashes with prey, which may explain why two lifeguards performing as victims were targeted. Less than a week later, on July 13, two more attacks occurred, one again at Smith Point Beach and another at a Fire Island beach. The first was a 41-year-old man who was knocked from his paddleboard by a sand tiger shark and bitten, before he repeatedly punched the predator and rode a wave back to shore. The second, on Fire Island, was an Arizona man wading in waist-deep water before being bitten on the buttocks and hand at approximately 6 p.m. Bradley Peterson, associate professor at the School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences at Stony Brook University, called the increased contact a 'success story.' Shark sightings look set to plague New York-area beaches again this year, with a video captured of one leaping from the water in Queens last year Peterson said last year's summer attacks and sightings were 'the result of some really excellent resource management strategies that have increased not only the shark populations somewhat modestly but also their prey.' But he also said it's risky to enter the ocean during early morning or evening, as that is when sharks hunt. Peterson told FOX Weather the sharks main goal was to feed on bunker fish, saying 'theyre there to feed on the bunker; if they bite you, its by accident because they were going after fish.' Disturbing footage shows the moment a killer neighbour grinned at police officers shortly after starting a fire that killed a mother and her two young daughters. Jamie Barrow, 31, torched the flat belonging to Fatoumatta Hydara and daughters Fatimah Drammeh and Naeemah Drammeh in Clifton, Nottingham, on November 20 last year. Barrow, who lived in the neighbouring flat, had a 'grievance' over rubbish being left in an alleyway, and watched the fire take hold while ignoring screams coming from inside, prosecutors told Nottingham Crown Court. The trial heard he 'walked casually away' from the fire and did 'nothing to help' the family trapped inside. Chilling footage of the aftermath of the blaze has now been released by Nottinghamshire Police, showing Barrow returning to the scene shortly after the fire started. He asks police officers 'how bad' the fire is before grinning at one officer who asks for his details. Another clip shows the moment he is arrested after indicating to officers that he had started the blaze. Fatimah, three, and Naeemah, one, both died in the fire and Ms Hydara, 28, died two days later, after all three succumbed to smoke inhalation. After Barrow was found guilty of murdering them today, devastated relatives including the father and husband of the victims described him as 'heartless and cruel'. Following the verdicts, Ms Hydara's husband, Aboubacarr Drammeh, read a joint family statement on the steps of the court, saying: 'Words cannot quantify how much our family have suffered because of the horrific actions of one man.' Jamie Barrow, 31, was captured on police bodycam footage grinning shortly after starting a blaze that killed a mother and her two daughters Fatoumatta Hydara and her children Naeemah Drammeh, aged one, and Fatimah Drammeh, aged three died in a fire at their home in Nottingham last year Jamie Barrow had already admitted manslaughter but a jury of seven men and four women unanimously convicted him of murder on Tuesday CCTV shows Barrow buying six cans of lager from a shop hours before starting the fatal fire The footage then shows Barrow going back to his flat. Four hours later heput petrol and burning tissues through his neighbours' letterbox Moments after starting the devastating fire, Barrow walked away, CCTV shows 'Neither can we quantify the emotional, psychological, physiological and financial impact of the crime Jamie Barrow committed against Fatoumatta, Fatimah and Naeemah. 'His actions were utterly heartless and cruel - and have caused a multi-generational trauma that we will never understand. 'Fatoumatta was a caring daughter, wife, sister, mother and friend. If love and compassion could make a person immortal, she would have lived forever. 'She had a pure heart and was greatly loved for her personality and qualities. 'She was the most incredible mother to Fatimah and Naeemah, two angels who deserved a beautiful childhood and a full life. 'Nottingham and the rest of the world have been denied potential future teachers, civil servants, doctors - who knows what they could have been? 'They lived a short but meaningful life, such was the joy and happiness they brought to us all.' CCTV released by Nottingham Police shows Barrow going to a shop and buying six cans of lager. Later that evening he went out and bought more beer, and hours later he started the fire that killed his neighbours. Moments after starting the blaze, CCTV shows Barrow walking away, before returning a short time later to ask police how 'bad' the fire was. When they requested his details, he smiled. Barrow admitted manslaughter during his trial, but a jury of seven men and four women unanimously convicted him of murder today after almost seven hours of deliberations. He was also found guilty of arson being reckless as to whether life was endangered. Some members of the victims' family, to whom Barrow apologised while giving evidence and who have packed the public gallery throughout proceedings, wept after the verdicts were delivered. Barrow remained silent throughout. During the trial, which began on June 12, prosecutor Simon Ash KC told jurors that Barrow 'walked casually away' from the fire after lighting petrol taken from his motorbike and set alight with tissue paper in the early hours of the morning. The defendant, who admitted he had drunk 'seven or eight' cans of San Miguel lager before starting the fire, would have known that his victims were at home because a pram had been left outside the door and there was a light in the hallway, Mr Ash said. He added that after the fire took hold, Barrow 'did nothing to help' those trapped inside the first-floor flat. Ms Hydara, who died in hospital two days after the blaze that killed her daughters One-year-old Naeemah Drammeh was also killed in the fire at their home in Nottingham Three-year-old Fatimah Drammeh died alongside her mother and younger sister Fatoumatta's husband Aboubacarr Drammeh, 40, paid tribute to his family after the shocking tragedy A police forensics officer leaves the scene of the blaze, which is cordoned off and under guard Chilling footage of the aftermath of the blaze has now been released by Nottinghamshire Police, showing Barrow returning to the scene shortly after the fire started The statement from the victims' family added: 'People repeatedly ask us how we as a family managed to stay calm and composed in the court room. The only true answer to this is the strength and patience given to us by Allah and our Khalifa as he always advises us to follow the law of the country and to stay steadfast. 'We have also received a great sense of companionship from our community, the Ahmadiyya Muslim Jammat. 'The overwhelming support given to us by our Gambian community here in the UK and around the world has encouraged us to keep calm and patient. 'We are extremely grateful and thankful to our family and friends, as well as the different communities within Nottingham that came together to give us support. This includes multiple communities all from different ethnicities and backgrounds. 'We also wish to thank the police investigation team, the Crown Prosecution Service, prosecution counsel and members of the jury for delivering the justice today's verdicts provide.' While giving his evidence, Barrow said he 'can't explain' why he chose to target the neighbouring flat but had formed the opinion that no one was inside as he had not seen or heard his neighbours in the days leading up to the fire. Nottingham Police has released video showing the moment Barrow was arrested Police arrested Barrow after he indicated that he'd started the deadly blaze He had been suffering from a 'very, very low mood' and was 'wallowing in self-pity' in the days and hours before his actions, caused partially by his emotionally unstable personality disorder. He told the court he did not expect the fire to take hold as rapidly as it did and said he was driven to admit what he had done to police officers due to 'an immense amount of guilt', telling police: 'I need to tell you something about the fire next door.' The jury heard that Barrow found starting fires 'cathartic' and gave 'zero' consideration to the consequences of his actions, rejecting his assertion that he had not intended to harm anyone when starting the fatal blaze. Thanking the jury for their service, Mrs Justice Tipples said: 'This has been a particularly distressing case in which three people died and in those circumstances I am going to discharge you from jury service for life.' Barrow will be sentenced on Friday at the same court. Nottinghamshire Police has released video footage detailing what happened in the chilling case Jamie Barrow in a court sketch from a previous appearance at Nottingham Crown Court A police officer stands outside Ms Hydara's fire-damaged home in Fairisle Close, Clifton, Nottingham, following the blaze on November 20 last year Smoke and soot smeared across the outside of the flat in Fairisle Close the day after the blaze Floral tributes left by mourners outside the family's home following the fire Dr Irfan Malik, of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Association in Nottinghamshire, supported the family of Ms Hydara and her children following the fatal fire. She said: 'The tragic events of 20th November 2022 sadly led to the premature deaths of three innocent victims, Fatoumatta Hydara and her young daughters Fatimah and Naeemah. 'They were a very pious and highly respected family. Their traumatic loss has left a huge void for her husband, family and members of our Ahmadiyya Muslim community. 'Nothing will bring them back. However, the verdict brings us some solace that justice has been served. Our thoughts, prayers and support are with the family, friends and our faith community.' Following the verdicts, police said the family's hopes of living together in the US had been 'cruelly ended' by Barrow's 'despicable' crime. Detective Chief Inspector Clare Dean, of Nottinghamshire Police's Major Crime Unit, said: 'This is a tragic case in which a caring and compassionate mother and two young children were taken away in the cruellest way imaginable. 'The loss of Fatoumatta, Fatimah and Naeemah was utterly senseless and, as a result, their family have experienced pain and distress which cannot be adequately described or even imagined. 'Our thoughts remain with them at this incredibly painful time, as well as the communities that have been affected by this most tragic of incidents. 'The fire took away a loving husband's wife and children, whose dreams of a happy future together in the USA were snatched away by Jamie Barrow's barbaric actions. He is a cruel and dangerous man and I am pleased justice has been served.' A jury found Barrow guilty of the murders of the mother and her two little girls Detective Inspector Kaz Smithson, who led the investigation, said she was pleased with the verdicts, adding: 'Jamie Barrow committed the most despicable crime anyone could ever commit. He destroyed a whole family and took away their dreams of a happy life together in America. 'Today, justice has been served for Fatoumatta, Fatimah and Naeemah and their family, all of whom have carried themselves with incredible dignity since the night of this truly awful crime. 'Barrow denied the killings were deliberate but, thankfully, my investigative team was able to provide overwhelming evidence that this tragic event was indeed murder. We saw through his lies and, thankfully, so did the jury. 'Barrow knew Fatoumatta and the children were inside the property when he set fire to it and that they'd have no chance of surviving. It beggars belief. In my opinion Barrow is an extremely dangerous man and I am pleased he is no longer walking the streets.' Chief Inspector Karl Thomas, the local neighbourhood commander at the time of the fire, said he hoped the verdicts would also bring a degree of comfort to members of the local community. He added: 'This was an horrendous crime that broke a family and had an immense impact, not just in Clifton but the wider community. The mother and two young girls pictured with her husband Aboubacarr Drammeh 'Personally I've found it very upsetting and I remain very perplexed by the needless loss of life of a kind and compassionate mother and two innocent young children. 'After this tragedy, we saw how the local community came together to support each other and the family through the most painful of times. This included the Ahmadi Muslim community, the Gambian community, local neighbours and other well-wishers - and I'd like to pay tribute to everyone who came together and showed their support to Fatoumatta's husband and wider family. 'The outpouring of support shows what a great community there is in Clifton and I know this has helped the family enormously. 'I acknowledge there are many members of the community who believe these murders were a hate crime. It's important to say that, following a very detailed and thorough investigation by a large team of detectives, the investigation team left no stone unturned to investigate the circumstances and presented the evidence to the jury to reach these verdicts. 'Incidents of this type are very concerning and highlight why Nottinghamshire Police will continue to work hard, with the support of partner agencies and, importantly, the community to tackle and prevent all forms of crime.' After their deaths, Fatoumatta's husband Aboubacarr Drammeh, 40, paid tribute to his loved ones and described their deaths as inconceivable. Mr Drammeh, who flew back from the US after the fire, said at the time: 'It is with great sadness that we have lost Fatoumatta and our two daughters in such a tragic way. 'Fatoumatta had lived a short but a very beautiful and fulfilling life. 'A former voluntary worker, Fatoumatta was a very happy, bubbly woman who wouldn't have the heart to hurt a fly. 'I and my in-laws are left without any daughters, grandchildren and nieces. I will deeply miss my family.' Speaking following Jamie Barrow's conviction for murder, Samantha Shallow, head of the Crown Prosecution Service East Midlands complex casework unit, said: 'The loss of these three lives is a tragedy for their loved ones and their community. 'The case we have put in front of the jury is that Jamie Barrow wanted to harm someone by setting a fire and three innocent people died as a result. 'There was never any question that this was a case of murder. He knew exactly what he was doing and what the consequences would be when he set the fire. 'The community have rightfully demanded justice, and today justice has been served. 'Our thoughts and sincere sympathies remain with those close to Ms Hydara, Fatimah and Naeemah.' A British tourist has accused a 47-year-old Greek man of raping her in a hotel while on holiday on the island of Rhodes, according to local media. The 21-year-old says she was attacked at around 2am on Monday in Pefkos and made a complaint to the local police hours later, prompting a case to be opened. According to Greece's ANT1News, the young woman's lawsuit claims the older man took her from a 'health care store' in Lindos, found on the south of the island, to a hotel in Pefkos - the main city on the island that sits around 15 miles from Turkey. There, the outlet reports, the woman claims the man forced her to have sex with him through threats of physical violence. Upon making her complaint, the police asked a medical examiner to carry out an assessment, ANT1News said. Two young British women have said they were attacked in separate incidents within 24 hours on the Greek island of Rhodes (pictured, file photo), prompting police investigations She has handed over the clothes she was wearing on the night which will be sent to Greece's Directorate of Criminal Investigations for DNA testing. According to the same publication, a second British woman made a complaint over an incident in Faliraki - seven miles south of Pefkos - 24 hours earlier. It reports that the 18-year-old British tourist was attacked in the early hours on Sunday, July 2, at a nightclub in the popular destination. She has told police she was at the club with two of her friends, when she suspects an unknown person injected her with a narcotic substance in her hand - without her realising that it had happened at the time. From that moment, she says she suffered from complete memory loss, leading her to suspect that she was secretly injected with some form of drug. As with the first case, a coroner's examination has been ordered and police have launched an investigation into the alleged attack. The news of the two complaints from the British women in Greece comes after the death of a pair of Irish teenagers over the same weekend on a different island. Two 18-year-old classmates, Andrew O'Donnell and Max Wall, died on the Greek island of Ios while on holiday with around 20 more of their fellow graduates. O'Donnell is believed to have fallen and hit his head while walking home along some cliffs to his hotel in the early hours of Saturday morning after a night out in Hora, the capital of Ios. O'Donnell's body was found on Sunday morning, and news of his death later that day caused his friend Wall to collapse from shock. Greek investigators are now probing whether the boys had their drinks spiked. The boys' devastated parents have travelled to Greece to bring home their remains, while their traumatised classmates are returning to Ireland via Bristol on Tuesday. Three people are dead and eight are wounded - including a juvenile - after a gunman opened fire in a Texas parking lot. The shooting took place hours after a festival in Fort Worth's Como neighborhood at Diaz Avenue and Horne Street at around 11.40pm on the eve of Fourth of July. The gunman escaped the scene and detectives have not found any motive, nor have police announced any arrests at this time. First responders struggled to treat victims as revelers flooded out of the area following the neighborhood's annual ComoFest. 'A lot of vehicle traffic, a lot of foot traffic,' said Captain Shawn Murray with the Fort Worth Police Department. 'Fireworks were being shot off, lots of people just trying to flee the area from the multiple gun shots, so it was difficult for them to navigate quickly into the area.' Cops on the scene after the shooting in Fort Worth's Como neighborhood at around 11.40pm on the eve of Fourth of July at Diaz Avenue and Horne Street Police cordon off the area after the shooting. First responders struggled to treat victims as revelers flooded out of the area following the neighborhood's annual ComoFest held on the eve of the Fourth of July Cops guard the scene following the deadly chaos that erupted after ComoFest. It comes after a shooting shortly after ComoFest in 2021 that left eight people wounded. Nobody was killed Cops work at the scene following the carnage in Fort Worth on Monday night Some of the victims were rushed to hospital in private cars while others were taken in ambulances. One victim was pronounced dead at the scene. Officers cordoned off two blocks of Horne Street as crime scene investigators went to work. 'We don't know if this is domestic-related, if it is gang-related. It is too early to tell at this point. We just know somebody shot and multiple times and a bunch of people were injured. Hopefully it is just a single shooter and wasn't a crossfire situation. Homicide will figure that out,' said Captain Murray. Fort Worth Police said that investigators believe someone opened fire into the crowd, hitting at least 11 people and sending terrified festival goers running for their lives. The violent incident comes after a shooting shortly after ComoFest in 2021 that left eight people wounded. Nobody was killed. Later in the day, President Joe Biden released a statement on gun violence following the Fort Worth shooting, as well as ones in Philadelphia and Baltimore. More action, he said, is needed to 'address the epidemic of gun violence that is tearing our communities apart.' He called on Congress and Capitol Hill Republicans to negotiate with Democrats on gun reform proposals. 'It is within our power to once again ban assault weapons and high-capacity magazines, to require safe storage of guns, to end gun manufacturers immunity from liability, and to enact universal background checks.' As defined by the Gun Violence Archive, there have been more than 340 mass shootings so far in 2023. Gender critical campaigners today criticised a trans woman activist after she posted an image of her breastfeeding on a bus. Mika Minio-Paluello a former Labour special adviser was seen during Wednesday night's News At Ten programme doing the washing up while she spoke of how the soaring water bills were 'tough if you're a mum'. Afterwards, Ms Minio-Paluello, who was born male, complained about viewers 'obsessing' over a breast pump that could be seen in the footage and said it belonged to a housemate. She added that 'trans women can breastfeed' before sharing a photo of herself doing so on a bus. Gender critical campaigner Maya Forstater responded to the post today by writing: 'A man is not a woman. A man is not a mother. A man having a baby suck his nipple is not breastfeeding.' Meanwhile, author Helen Joyce added: 'I'm not sharing a pic of the bloke on a bus breastfeeding a baby because it's also a pic of a baby being used non-consensually as a man's identity prop.' Mika Minio-Paluello said in the caption to this photo: 'Here's me on the bus to hospital for the 1st chemo round, feeding my child for the last time' Gender critical feminists Maya Forstater and Helen Joyce commenting today Trans women can make themselves lactate by taking a combination of medicines that tricks the body into making milk. In 2018, a 30-year-old transgender woman became the first officially recorded to breastfeed her baby and was able to produce 227 grams of milk a day. As she shared the image, Ms Minio-Paluello wrote: 'In the end, I only breastfed my child for a few weeks. I then had to stop because I had a cancer relapse and didn't want to poison my child. How can biological men lactate? Trans women can make themselves lactate by taking a combination of medicines called the Newman-Goldfarb protocol. It tricks the body into making milk. It was originally developed for biological women who adopted or had a child via surrogacy and wanted to breastfeed. The method involves taking hormone boosting medications, including the pill. Other drugs that are used include anti-sickness medicine metoclopramide, heart medication digitalis and anti-psychotic chlorpromazine and sedative medications which are known to increase prolactin, the hormone responsible for milk production. Domperidone, an anti-nausea drug, is the preferred option for the protocol as it has fewer potentially dangerous side effects. However, it's not completely risk free. The drug can pass into breast milk in small amounts and can sometimes give babies an irregular heartbeat as a result. The drug regime is used in conjunction with a breast pump to mimic the changes a women's body undergoes during the late stages of pregnancy and shortly after the birth of a child. Experts have urged caution about transwomen using the Newman-Goldfarb protocol to lactate. They have warned that long term health implications from using the treatment, for both adult and baby, are unknown. There have been separate rare cases of biological men undergoing lactation in the past without deliberately setting out to do so. These are usually the result of a rare medication side effect influencing hormone production, or from a hormone-disorder. Advertisement 'Here's me on the bus to hospital for the 1st chemo round, feeding my child for the last time.' This prompted further debate, with critics replying to the photo by saying it was not possible for someone with male sexual organs to breastfeed. Trans women can make themselves lactate by taking a combination of medicines called the Newman-Goldfarb protocol. It was originally developed for biological women who adopted or had a child via surrogacy and wanted to breastfeed. The method involves taking hormone boosting medications, including the pill. Other drugs that are used include anti-sickness medicine metoclopramide, heart medication digitalis and anti-psychotic chlorpromazine and sedative medications which are known to increase prolactin, the hormone responsible for milk production. Domperidone, an anti-nausea drug, is the preferred option for the protocol as it has fewer potentially dangerous side effects. However, the regimen is not completely risk free. The drug can pass into breast milk in small amounts and can sometimes give babies an irregular heartbeat as a result. The drug regime is used in conjunction with a breast pump to mimic the changes a women's body undergoes during the late stages of pregnancy and shortly after the birth of a child. Experts have urged caution about transwomen using the Newman-Goldfarb protocol to lactate. They have warned that long-term health implications from using the treatment, for both adult and baby, are unknown. There have been separate rare cases of biological men undergoing lactation in the past without deliberately setting out to do so. These are usually the result of a rare medication side effect influencing hormone production, or from a hormone-disorder. It is unclear how many other trans women have been able to breastfeed since the first recorded case in 2018. There are also very few studies and no scientific consensus about the nutritional quality of the breastmilk produced. However, one this year, published in the Journal of Human Lactation found it contained similar levels of lactose, proteins and electrolytes. After a feminist campaigner responded to the row by mentioning that Ms Minio-Paluello had been 'simulating breastfeeding', she hit back by saying that 'trans women can breastfeed' The ITV news segment featuring Ms Minio-Paluello appeared as the second item on News At Ten and was presented by ITV News consumer editor Chris Choi. It introduced Ms Minio Paluello believed to be in her early 40s as a 'Thames Water customer' and failed to mention her Labour credentials. As the Daily Mail revealed, she is currently the TUC's Climate and Industry lead, while between October 2017 and November 2019 she was a special adviser to the shadow Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy secretary while Jeremy Corbyn was the leader of the Labour Party. Ms Minio-Paluello's appearance is not the first time ITV News' impartiality has been called into question. Last year its political editor Robert Peston was repeatedly criticised for being anti Tory, and in particular biased against former prime minister Boris Johnson. During Wednesday night's News At Ten programme, Mika Minio-Paluello spoke about soaring water bills The clip, broadcast last night, showed her washing up and doing some laundry ITV News' coverage of rising water bills also prompted anger from women and feminists across social media for portraying the message that washing up and laundry is what mums do. The segment led to criticism from feminists including Labour MP Rosie Duffield, who wrote: 'Dear @itvnews, I am sure this is a lovely, intelligent and decent human being. This was an important piece. This is not however a struggling ''mother''.' Ms Duffield also retweeted a post by a feminist campaigner which criticised the 'breastfeeding picture' Ms Minio-Paluello shared and accused her of 'motherfaking'. Ms Minio-Paluello later tweeted: 'It needs saying: Adoptive mothers are mothers. Lesbian mothers are mothers, whether they birthed the child or not. 'Step mothers are mothers. Trans women can be mothers. It's not up to an MP or anyone else to march into a family & enforce what a child calls their parent.' Nigel Farage today lashed out at Coutts for closing his accounts as he branded the private bank 'very, very dishonest'. The ex-Brexit Party leader bristled at claims he is not wealthy enough for an account at the 327-year-old institution, whose clients include the Royal Family. He also revealed he has now been blocked from holding an account with nine other banks after being classed as a 'politically exposed person (PEP)'. Mr Farage is currently waging a furious fightback against what he claims is 'serious political persecution' by British banks who are 'trying to force me out of the UK'. The 59-year-old, previously the leader of UKIP, has suggested the action is due to his involvement in the Brexit referendum and a 'prejudice' held against him. He has claimed life in Britain could become 'unliveable' for him and he might be forced to relocate abroad. The row has seen Tory MPs express concerns about a 'chilling effect' on free speech. The House of Commons has also heard how many others have had their 'lives wrecked' by the impact of banking rules relating to PEPs. MailOnline today revealed how one of Britain's equalities leaders, a father's rights charity, and a former UKIP councillor have all had their accounts shut. Nigel Farage posted a video to Twitter this afternoon as he hit back at a BBC report that he had fallen below the financial threshold required to hold an account at Coutts The ex-Brexit Party leader bristled at claims he is not wealthy enough for an account at the 327-year-old institution, whose clients include the Royal Family Banks are now facing a Treasury investigation into claims they are closing customers' accounts because they do not like their views on controversial topics. Mr Farage posted a video to Twitter this afternoon as he hit back at a BBC report that he had fallen below the financial threshold required to hold an account at Coutts. Speaking in front of a swimming pool, the anti-EU campaigner said: 'Yes the bank that closed me up was Coutts. Now they say they've offered me a NatWest account. 'That wasn't until late on Thursday night after I'd blown the story out there, which said that then seven other banks had refused me. 'That is now nine other banks that have refused me. 'They're telling the press I don't meet their wealth threshold - well, they've never mentioned that before in the previous ten years. 'Worst of the story is, they denied to me on the phone on Friday that I was a PEP - a politically exposed person. 'That's the reason nobody else will have me and Coutts are, frankly, being very, very dishonest indeed.' The BBC had quoted 'people familiar with Coutts' move' as saying the bank's action was a 'commercial' decision. Coutts' website states that private clients are required to maintain at least 1million in investments or borrowing with the bank, or 3million in savings, to be eligible for an account. It was also reported Mr Farage had been offered a standard account at NatWest, which owns Coutts, after being rejected as a customer. Speaking later to BBC Radio 4's World At One, Mr Farage insisted that his financial situation 'hasn't changed' and Coutts are 'absolutely not telling the truth'. 'I've been with them for over a decade and at the moment I have more money sitting on current account than I've had for most of that period of time,' he said . But Mr Farage did not dispute that he did not meet the financial threshold for a Coutts account. He added he had spoken to a number of high street and private banks and had received nine refusals, with his lawyers having discovered he is classed as a PEP for both personal and business accounts. Mr Farage, who joked he is not as wealthy as 'most BBC presenters', demanded new laws to ensure it is a 'fundamental right for everybody to have a bank account' in Britain. 'We need a change to the legislation - everybody should be entitled to a bank account, simple as that,' he added. Coutts were contacted for a response to Mr Farage's claims. PEPs are described as individuals around the world with 'prominent public functions'. UK law recognises the risk of PEPs abusing their positions for private gain and using the financial system to launder the proceeds of any abuse. They are required to go through enhanced scrutiny when using the services of financial firms, such as banks. Speaking in the House of Commons yesterday, security minister Tom Tugendhat said it should be 'completely unacceptable' for a bank to close an account on 'political grounds'. 'PEP is there to prevent the corrupt use of banking facilities by politicians in corrupt regimes,' he told MPs. 'It is not here to silence individuals who may hold views with which we may or may not agree.' Mr Tugendhat's comments were made in response to senior Tory MP David Davis raising concerns that Mr Farage was 'only the latest of a number of people to have their lives wrecked by this regulation'. Equalities chief, fathers' rights charity and ex-UKIP councillor claim THEIR bank accounts were shut with no warning By Martin Robinson, chief reporter Dr Lesley Sawers OBE has a joint account with RBS with her husband William. RBS are shutting it down in August with no explanation William McKechnie, whose wife is Dr Lesley Sawers OBE, the Equalities and Human Rights Commissioner for Scotland, has revealed how they are having their Royal Bank of Scotland account shut down after 32 years. He told MailOnline: 'I joked with my wife last week that I wondered if it was to do with her work. And she replied: "Don't be silly. Banks wouldn't act like that". 'But now I have seen all these stories I am beginning to think it is. Women's rights issues are very controversial at the moment. 'Royal Bank of Scotland has categorically refused to give us a reason why they are closing our account and when I spoke to someone in customer services I was told abruptly: "We don't have to".' Mr McKechnie was told by RBS two weeks ago that their joint account, set up after they married 32 years ago and containing tens of thousands of pounds, would be shut down in August. He has banked with RBS for more than four decades. He believed it was because they were getting older and 'weren't making them as much money'. But he read MailOnline's articles on banks shutting accounts of people because of their beliefs, jobs or politics. Mr McKechnie said: 'I find what is happened completely unbelievable'. Dr Sawers OBE has been in the job since 2016. She has not been involved in any controversies in her job - but the role does deal with women's rights and LGBT issues. Mr McKechnie said that they have spoken to another bank about an account only to be told that Dr Sawers has a 'mark against her name' but gave no further details. MailOnline has asked RBS to comment. Families Need Fathers said that HSBC shut their account in April Today the incoming CEO of leading charity Families Need Fathers, said that HSBC shut their account in April. Sam Morfey insists they had no letters confirming the decision. He told MailOnline: 'Without any warning, HSBC closed our business account in April, causing us major disruption, unable to receive funds or pay service providers and our trustees having to use personal credit cards to keep the charity afloat. 'We tried on multiple occasions to contact their business managers, no response or reason was given, other than telling us we hadnt responded to letters sent, which needless to say we never received. We have responded on time to all other previous online requests'. MailOnline has asked HSBC to comment. Colin Mair, once the UKIP group leader on Lincolnshire County Council, says his account was shut down UKIP's former leader on Lincolnshire County Council, Colin Mair said that he believes it can be no coincidence that Santander shut his account. He also claims they scuppered an automatic switch to NatWest. He said: 'They closed my bank account for no reason. They gave me notice and I tried to switch to NatWest. They blocked the switch and kept my money for a month. I was in UKIP and was leader of the UKIP group at Lincolnshire County Council. Coincidence? 'I got no reason. The manager of the local branch could get no reason. I have had the account for over twenty years and never had an overdraft and always had plenty in the account. I ended up doing a manual switch to NatWest, which was a pain. 'While I was in the local NatWest branch there was a smart looking middle aged lady at the next desk very distressed because the same had happened to her. 'It was an interesting experience for me living for a month with 100 before they let me have my money, which was 60,000'. MailOnline has asked Santander to comment. The tragedy-bound Titan submersible was severely damaged after it was struck by lightning in 2018, the late OceanGate CEO Stockton Rush revealed in a resurfaced interview. Rush explained that his ill-fated sub suffered an indirect lightning strike in the Bahamas during a test dive in late April that year. 'Fortunately, it was not a direct strike. A direct strike to the carbon fiber probably would have taken us totally out,' Rush told Matt Burdyny, the Vice President of Teledyne Marine in the 2020 interview. Although the interview has since been deleted form Teledyne's website copies were uploaded to YouTube. Rush has become a household name for the fate of his Titan mission after it imploded during a tourist trip to visit the Titanic wreckage last month, killing all five passengers onboard. Stockton Rush, 58, Chief Executive Officer and founder of OceanGate Inc died alongside the rest of the crew when the Titan imploded during a June dive to the Titanic wreck OceanGate's Titan submersible went missing shortly after it departed for the Titanic wreckage, its debris was later discovered during an extensive rescue mission In a May 2018 Instagram post on OceanGate's account the firm said: 'Deep sea testing began in late April near Marsh Harbour in the Bahamas. 'Upon arrival the subs electronics sustained lightning damage that affected over 70% of its internal systems.' The strike led to a postponement of a Titanic Survey Expedition, with Rush commenting at the time that while the delay was disappointing his firm was 'not willing to short cut the testing process due to a condensed timeline.' Adding: 'We are 100% committed to safety and want to fully test the sub and validate all operational and emergency procedures before launching any expedition.' In the August interview with Burdyny, Rush appeared to be unfazed by the setback, claiming that the Titan's damaged parts were replaced within 'a couple of days'. 'Fortunately, we are using commercial off-the-shelf and line-replaceable items. So in a matter of a couple of days, we were able to replace all those components,' Rush said. But we continued to have issues on connectors, penetrators wiring, lightning can do weird things Rush explained. The safety of the submersible and OceanGate's dismissal of several warnings has drawn considerable criticism after the Titan went missing during a June 18 dive to the seafloor. The CEO - who considered himself to be more of a scientist than a salesman despite much of his efforts being focused on marketing the sub trips - was begged in 2019 to suspend operations after a submersible expert heard cracking sounds during one of the Titan's dives in the Bahamas. OceanGate Expeditions CEO Stockton Rush (pictured) made a trip to London to reassure businessmen that taking the Titan submersible to the Titanic shipwreck was safe, it has emerged The Titan submersible is seen being towed out to sea on board its raft The five passengers on board the Titan were hoping to see the 111-year-old wreckage of the Titanic Mr Rush reportedly believed going to the depths of the Atlantic in the Titan was 'safer than crossing the street', despite having been warned by dozens of experts in 2018 that his company's 'experimental' approaches could be 'catastrophic'. The chair of the Marine Technology Societys manned underwater vehicles committee had drafted a letter to Mr Rush in 2018 alleging there were potentially 'catastrophic' consequences associated with OceanGate's approach, The New York Times reported. Dozens of experts had signed the letter. The following year, an expert warned Mr Rush that he had heard cracking sounds during a dive and urged him to suspend the Titan's operations. But, after making revisions, the CEO continued to take customers onboard. In the resurfaced 2020 Teledyne interview Rush expressed frustration with members of the industry criticizing his missions. When I started the business old-timers in the industry said I was nuts, and they continued to tell me that. Partly because they said I was going to take inexperienced pilots in a submarine in current, in zero visibility and they thought I was insane. He said he told these nay-sayers that they didnt appreciate what multi-beam sonar does for situational awareness.' Rush also added that for the deep sub we needed acoustic data communications because I find nothing more annoying than someone trying to call me from the surface.' It has also been revealed that during a dive in 2021, the Titan lost its propulsion system on one side during the descent. Mr Rush reportedly aborted the trip but could not get the so-called 'drop-weight mechanism' to release ballast for the ascent. Bill Price, who was on the journey, told the newspaper that Mr Rush instructed passengers to rock the sub so the weights would drop off and they could return to the surface. Despite the issue, the Titan went out on another dive the next day. The resurfacing of the 2020 interview comes after it was revealed that the boss of the doomed Titan submarine flew to London to personally reassure a British-Pakistani billionaire and his son that the vessel was safe. Three months before the voyage, OceanGate Expeditions CEO Stockton Rush and his wife met with Shahzada Dawood and his 19-year-old son Suleman to brief them on their upcoming journey to the bottom of the Atlantic. The billionaire's grieving wife Christine Dawood claims that while Mr Rush spoke to the family about the submersible's design and safety, the technical aspects of the trip still remained unclear. 'That engineering side, we just had no idea,' Mrs Dawood told The New York Times. 'I mean, you sit in a plane without knowing how the engine works.' It's a particularly unpatriotic Fourth of July for Democrats, as their national pride remains at a near-record low. Only 29 percent of liberals say they are 'extremely proud' to be American as the nation celebrates its 247th anniversary on Tuesday. At the same time, a majority of Republicans remains very patriotic, with 60 percent saying they are extremely proud to be American, according to new Gallup data. But this is down from 86 percent 20 years ago in the wake of the 9/11 attacks. Independents, on their part, fall in between, with 33 percent saying they are extremely proud to be American - the lowest on record. The share of Americans in general who say they are patriotic has been falling for years. Only 29 percent of liberals say they are 'extremely proud' to be American as the nation celebrates its 247th anniversary Democrats saw patriotism plummet particularly during the Trump presidency and then recover slightly after Joe Biden became president in 2021. At the same time that Democrat patriotism plummeted, Republicans saw a surge of pride for country during the Trump years, which went down once Biden replaced him. The last time a majority of Democrats said they were extremely proud of their country was in 2013 during Barack Obama's second term. The Gallup numbers show that party affiliation is the best demographic differentiator for expressions of national pride. Meanwhile, the share of Americans who say they see the state of moral values in the U.S. as 'poor' has also increased. In addition to party identification, age could also be a predictor of an American's national pride. Whereas 50 percent of U.S. adults aged 55 and older say they are extremely proud to be American, 40 percent of those aged 35 to 54 say the same and 18 percent of 18- to 34-year-olds say the same. The number of Republicans who see the state of U.S. values as 'poor' has shot up over the last three years and now stands at 74 percent- nearly double what it was 20 years ago. On the other hand, 38 percent of Democrats and 51 percent of Independents replied the same, showing spikes from the last three years. In general, a record high of 50 percent of Americans view the state of morality in the U.S. as 'poor.' The Gallup numbers show that party affiliation is the best demographic differentiator for expressions of national pride (stock photo) The top moral problem, cited by 18 percent of Americans, is a lack of 'consideration for others.' However, 11 percent of Republicans said the top moral issue was a lack of faith or religion. The new Gallup numbers also show a change in family values. The number of U.S. 40-year-olds who have never married has significantly risen over the last years. As many as 25 percent of the age group has never married, according to 2021 Pew Research Center number, compared to just six percent back in 1980. Americans are being targeted by a cruel new tax refund scam, the IRS has warned. Victims are being sent a letter in the mail which misleads them into believing they are owed a rebate - and seeks to trick them into handing over personal information including a picture of their driver's license. The tax agency warned that this information can then be used by scammers to commit identity fraud. The letter, which has an IRS masthead and fake contact number for the agency, also asks people to share their cellphone number, bank routing information, Social Security number and bank account type. This latest scam comes as the deadline looms for Americans to claim for 2019 tax returns. Taxpayers have until July 17 to claim their share of almost $1.5 billion in unclaimed funds - with an average payout of $893. Victims are being sent a letter in the mail which tries to mislead them into believing they are owed an unclaimed rebate The letter, which has an IRS masthead and a fake contact number for the agency, also asks people to share their cellphone number, bank routing information, Social Security number and bank account type 'This is just the latest in the long string of attempts by identity thieves posing as the IRS in hopes of tricking people into providing valuable personal information to steal identities and money, including tax refunds,' said Commissioner Danny Werfel. The IRS warned that scammers are targeting Americans through special mailings - as well as by email and text message. Werfel added: 'People should be careful to watch out for red flags that clearly mark these as IRS scams.' A key warning sign that indicates the letters are fake, the IRS said, are awkwardly-worded requests with poor grammar. For example, the letter asks for 'A Clear Phone of Your Driver's License That Clearly Displays All Four (4) Angles, Taken in a Place with Good Lighting.' The letter claims it needs this as 'filing information' for the alleged unclaimed refund. 'These Must Be Given to a Filing Agent Who Will Help You Submit Your Unclaimed Property Claim,' the phony letter reads. 'Once You Send All The Information Please Try to Be Checking Your Email for Response From The Agents Thanks.' The IRS points out that it deals with tax refunds, not 'unclaimed property', and the letter also includes inaccurate information on tax return deadlines. The agency does contact taxpayers through regular mail delivered by the US Postal Service, but it will never initiate contact with taxpayers via email, text or social media. It warns taxpayers and tax professionals should be alert to fake communications and never click on any unsolicited messages or links. It comes as the July 17 deadline fast approaches for Americans to claim their share of $1.5 billion in unclaimed tax returns from 2019. Typically, there is a three-year deadline to claim refunds before the cash becomes property of the US Treasury, but the Government extended the deadline for 2019 rebates amid the Covid-19 pandemic. Taxpayers have until July 17 to claim their share of almost $1.5 billion in unclaimed funds According to the IRS, Texans are owed the most, with an estimated 135,000 residents in the state sitting on an average of $924 - totaling $142,235,200. The state-by-state breakdown calculated by the agency shows that California has the second highest sum of possible refunds, with a total of $141,780,000 potentially owed to 144,700 people. Florida comes in third, with a median projected refund of $893 for 89,300 residents. To find more information about whether you are owed a rebate, visit the IRS website. A golf star who traveled to the U.S. Women's Open in California slammed United Airlines after her clubs got lost at the Newark Airport as thousands of flights were delayed or canceled during the Fourth of July holiday. Aine Donegan, a 21-year-old LSU junior from Ennis, County Clare, Ireland, arrived in Pebble Beach for her first career major-championship start this week. But Donegan was without her golf clubs, which were on the other side of the country at Newark International Liberty Airport in New Jersey after the airline failed to get it on her connecting flight. Donegan tore into the embattled airline on Twitter, demanding an answer about the clubs that she desperately needed in order play in the U.S. Open this week. But when the clubs finally arrived in California, the driver was destroyed. It's the latest in the travel chaos over the Fourth of July holiday as flight cancelations today doubled the number from yesterday with airlines blaming severe weather. Aine Donegan, a 21-year-old LSU junior from Ennis County Clare, Ireland, arrived in Pebble Beach for her first career major-championship start this week But she was without her golf clubs, which were on the other side of the country at Newark International Liberty Airport in New Jersey Donegan tore into the embattled airline on Twitter, demanding an answer about the clubs she needed to play in the U.S. Open. But when the clubs arrived, the driver was destroyed She tweeted: '@united, I am not happy with you. My clubs finally arrived to Pebble Beach for the @uswomensopen and my driver is destroyed' There have already been 318 cancelations and 987 delays as of Tuesday morning, according to FlightAware. The number of cancelations has far exceeded yesterday's total which topped off at 149 cancelations. United Airlines, the worst-performing U.S. carrier for more than a week, was on pace for its best day in nearly two weeks, with fewer than 50 cancelations. But on Tuesday by noon, it so far has canceled 57 flights and and delayed 129 flights. Hundreds of customers have shared their frustrations about the company on social media, sparking United to compensate customers 30,000 airline miles. Donegan, a native of Ireland and a LSU All-SEC golfer, was one of them, and explained that her golf clubs were supposed to arrive at the San Francisco airport the day prior. '@united my golf clubs are in Newark and were supposed to arrive in San Francisco airport yesterday. Still no sign of them and need them to play in @uswomensopen this week in Pebble Beach #wheresmyclubs,' she wrote. United replied to Donegan's tweet: We are sorry to hear that we have delayed your golf clubs. Could you please share you tag number and/or claim number via DM so we can take a closer look?' Donegan had just last week captured the second of two qualifying spots and was set to play the prestigious Pebble Beach Golf championships July 6-9. Aine Donegan, from County Clare, Ireland, is currently playing golf at LSU and has qualified for the Women's US Open at Pebble Beach Donegan, a native of Ireland and a LSU All-SEC golfer, explained that her golf clubs were supposed to arrive at the San Francisco airport on Sunday, but did not arrive until Tuesday The rising golf star shared photos of her clubs that had finally arrived in California on Tuesday. But they were destroyed But things only got worse for Donegan. The rising golf star shared photos showing her clubs had finally arrived in California on Tuesday. But they were destroyed. She tweeted: '@united I am not happy with you. My clubs finally arrived to Pebble Beach for the @uswomensopen and my driver is destroyed.' There was no response from United to her tweet. On Monday, more than 3,000 flights were delayed or canceled within, into, or out of the U.S. Nearly 2.7 million people per day have been streaming through airport checkpoints since Thursday. Sunday saw the highest number of U.S. airport passengers ever, according to the Transportation Security Administration data reported by BBC. United CEO Scott Kirby laid out steps to avoid a repeat of last week, including reducing flights at its hub airport in Newark, New Jersey, and improving its crew-scheduling system. Passengers are making a last-minute dash to make it to their destination for the Fourth of July after severe thunderstorms wreaked havoc on air travel over the weekend There have already been 500 cancelations or delays as of Tuesday, according to FlightAware A short, intense rain shower passes over the Manhattan skyline Tuesday. More rain could pop up this afternoon, but dry air will push it out just in time for Fourth of July fireworks Kirby said over the weekend that United is working with regional authorities to get more gates at the airport but will need to reduce its schedule there to create more of a buffer, especially during thunderstorm season. Kirby continued to place much of the blame for his airline's recent struggles on the Federal Aviation Administration, which reduced the number of flights in and out of Newark a week ago. That caused United to cancel flights and left planes and crews stranded out of position. United was also scrambling to save face after it emerged that the carrier's CEO, Scott Kirby, flew privately from New York to Denver, while paying customers were left sleeping on airport floors. 'Taking a private jet was the wrong decision because it was insensitive to our customers who were waiting to get home,' Kirby said in a statement issued by the airline. Passengers were unimpressed, with one tweeting a screenshot of his $10 million salary - significantly more than the CEOs of Delta or American Airlines. NEWARK: People rest in Newark Liberty International Airport on Monday Scott Kirby, the CEO of United Airlines. His airline is offering air miles as an apology to passengers stranded this week Passengers have been offered 30,000 free air miles in a bid to try and keep them flying On Sunday, Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg told CBS that the reason US travel has been 'so chaotic' is because of severe weather, which he said had 'put enormous pressure on the system'. 'We had a hard two days with severe weather at the beginning of the week and that's put enormous pressure on the system,' he told CBS Face the Nation host Margaret Brennan when asked why air travel in the U.S. is 'so chaotic' recently. He added that the Federal Aviation Administration would hire 1,500 new air traffic controllers this year and another 1,800 next year. '[Cancellations] really shot up at the beginning of the week, largely because of severe weathering hitting some of our key hubs,' the Transportation secretary explained. 'I think most passengers understand that no one can control the weather. But anything that's under the control of the airlines and anything that we can do on the FAA side we need to continue pushing to make sure it's the smoothest possible experience for airline passengers everywhere.' Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg told CBS the reason US travel has been 'so chaotic' is because of severe weather, which he said had 'put enormous pressure on the system' The FAA expected about 36,500 flights on Monday and fewer than 32,000 Tuesday, then a jump to nearly 50,000 flights Wednesday, when holiday revelers will return home Stranded passengers have reported having to sleep at the airport, stand in line for hours as they rebook flights, with some saying they were forced to wait days for their checked bags More severe weather is expected to batter the the northern to central Plains and into the Midwest, according to the National Weather Service. In New York City, showers are expected to pop up in the afternoon, but dry air will push these systems out of the area just in time for the fireworks, PIX11 reported. The south will continued to bake in a heatwave with record-breaking temperatures which is expected to shift up the west coast into California and Oregon. The Federal Aviation Administration expected about 36,500 flights on Monday and fewer than 32,000 Tuesday, then a jump to nearly 50,000 flights Wednesday, when more holiday revelers will return home. Councillors in Orkney have backed plans to look into a breakaway from Britain as politicians claim 'we have been held down' and faced 'discrimination'. Orkney Islands Council leader James Stockan proposed a motion to publish a report on different options available to the islands, including exploring previous 'Nordic connections'. Despite media commentary, Mr Stockan insisted in today's debate that his motion was 'not about joining Norway'. The islands were under Norwegian and Danish control until 1472 when they were given to Scotland as part of Margaret of Denmark's wedding dowry to King James III of Scotland. The leader told his fellow councillors: 'I say enough. I say it is time for government to take us seriously, and I say it's time for us to look at all the options we've got. Orkney Islands Council leader James Stockan said: 'We have been restricted in every conversation. We have been held down' 'There is a far bigger suite of options here - this could even be that we could get our money direct from the Treasury in London and look after our own future.' Councillors voted by 15 votes to six against an amendment to block the motion. A further change, which would see the revival of a consultative group on constitutional reform for the islands, was accepted by Mr Stockan and the motion's seconder, Councillor Heather Woodbridge, without the need for a vote. In a speech which raised a number of issues with the Scottish and UK governments, Mr Stockan said: 'I have been a councillor now for 20 years, but for the last number I've been in negotiation with our governments to get what I believe is an equitable solution of position for the Orkney Islands in funding. 'In the opportunity that we have in and around these islands to benefit not just us, but to benefit our neighbours, to benefit our nation and to benefit the world. 'But we have been restricted in every conversation, we have been held down, and what I would say is we all know most of what I could say with regard to the discrimination that we've had against this community from governments in the funding settlement we have.' Orkney, he said, receives less funding per head from the Government than fellow island authorities in Shetland and the Western Isles. Closing the debate, the council leader added that if the motion was not passed 'we will never get anywhere'. The Orkney Islands were under Norwegian and Danish control until 1472 when they were given to Scotland as part of Margaret of Denmark's wedding dowry to King James III of Scotland He added: 'For us to get change today, for us to get traction today, for us to be able to engage today for the benefit of our citizens, I'm going to ask you to support this motion.' The Prime Minister's official spokesman told journalists yesterday that there was 'no mechanism for the conferral of Crown dependency or overseas territory status on any part of the UK', adding: 'Fundamentally, we are stronger as one United Kingdom. We have no plans to change that.' She yelled at a man after he denied her a cigarette in Adelaide Shocking vision has emerged of the moment two parliamentary staffers were attacked by a woman on the street. Footage shows the woman heckle the two men outside Adelaide Railway Station at 2.30pm on Friday before asking if she can buy a cigarette from them for $1. After being told no, the woman, in a black jacket and dark tracksuit, tells the pair: 'choke on it, comb-over', referring to one of the men's hairstyle. Footage shows the woman heckle the two men outside Adelaide Railway Station at 2.30pm on Friday before asking if she can buy a cigarette from them for $1 When one of the smoking parliamentary staffers exhales, she becomes even more enraged. 'How are we love? Blowing smoke in everyone's faces. Do you think that's going to be the right thing to do?' she says before asking again for a cigarette only to be told no once more. As the pair walk away, the woman follows with a clenched fist, and repeatedly shouts 'I'm not junkie ya d***head!' The raging woman then lashes out multiple times at the phone recording her. One worker is heard shouting 'Oi, don't hit him' to which the irate woman replies: 'F***ing shave your head, you w*****. Keep going.' As the pair walk away, the woman follows with a clenched fist, and repeatedly shouts 'I'm not junkie ya d***head!' One of the workers told Adelaide Now the ordeal was unsettling and is becoming a regular occurrence in the city. 'She continued to follow us trying to smash our phones,' he claimed. 'I made the mistake of turning my back and who knows how it could have ended. 'It's just crazy around there at the moment.' Just over a year ago, the same woman was filmed heckling former SA Premier Steven Marshall during his media conferences. The former Premier's press briefings ultimately had to be moved to stop it from happening. Vladimir Putin has desperately tried to convince pro-Moscow world leaders that he still has a firm grip on power during his first international conference since the Wagner group's aborted mutiny. The Russian president tried to project an image of strength - following the chaos which gripped his country last month - as he addressed leaders attending the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) via video link. Putin insisted to the conference: 'The solidarity and high responsibility for the fate of the fatherland was clearly demonstrated by Russian political circles and the entire society by coming out as a united front against the attempted armed rebellion.' Mercenary fighters led by Yevgeny Prigozhin marched towards Moscow on June 23 and 24, demanding the military leadership be replaced in a humiliating 24-hour episode for the Kremlin and the biggest threat to Putin in his 23 years in power. Since then, the the dictator has desperately tried to shore up his authority, keeping his defence minister Sergei Shoigu in post, allegedly purging supporters of the mutiny and claiming victories in the war in Ukraine. Putin used his first appearance with other world leaders to send a message of defiance to the West, insisting without evidence that Russia is growing stronger despite heavy sanctions imposed over its invasion of Ukraine. The Russian president tried to project an image of strength as he addressed leaders attending the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) via video link 'Russia counters all these external sanctions, pressures and provocations and continues to develop as never before', he told world leaders at the conference hosted by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Putin also insisted that his illegal war in Ukraine was 'steadily developing' amid Kyiv's counteroffensive, and withstanding 'sanctions and provocations'. He declared that he would like to thank those among the attending leaders who had supported his regime, after the recent internal threat to his hold on power. 'I would like to take this opportunity to thank my colleagues from the (SCO) countries who have expressed support for the actions of the Russian leadership,' he said. The SCO was founded by Russia, China and four central Asian countries as a countermeasure to limit the influence of the west in the region. It has among its members India, Pakistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. Putin used his first appearance with other world leaders to send a message of defiance to the West Belarus has applied to become a permanent member of the SCO next year, a move welcomed by Putin. The country's leader, Alexander Lukashenko, is a staunch ally of Putin and helped to bring the mutiny to an end by brokering a peace deal with Prigozhin. The SCO accounts for a huge portion of Eurasia and, with the world's two most populous countries being members, encompasses 40 per cent of the global population. At last year's SCO summit, Modi warned Putin, whose invasion of Ukraine was underway, 'today's era is not an era of war.' Lawyer for whistleblower Gary Shapley told DailyMail.com: 'None of the three were involved' in the investigation Delaware prosecutors Lesley Wolf, Shawn Weede, and Shannon Hanson had worked on the Hunter Biden case for five years Lawyers are questioning whether the Delaware attorney's office kicked its most experienced prosecutors off the Hunter Biden case just before it filed minor charges against the president's son. Whistleblowers who ran the IRS criminal probe into Hunter for five years told Congress about their travails with veteran Delaware prosecutors Lesley Wolf, Shawn Weede, and Shannon Hanson. But in a letter to a federal judge last week announcing the charges against Hunter, Delaware US Attorney David Weiss listed three different prosecutors who have apparently had no previous involvement in the case leading to questions of a last-minute overhaul by the Delaware DoJ. Under Weiss's signature, the June 20 letter lists Assistant US Attorneys Leo Wise, Derek Hines, and Benjamin Wallace. The office has been criticized for only filing 'slap-on-the-wrist' charges against the First Son - two cases of willful failure to pay tax and a firearms charge for which he will take pre-trial diversion The three original Delaware prosecutors who worked on the five-year investigation into Hunter Biden appear to have been replaced in the case just before the first son was officially charged Veteran Delaware prosecutors Lesley Wolf, Shawn Weede, and Shannon Hanson spent five years working on the case with IRS whistleblowers Delaware US Attorney David Weiss's court filings in the Hunter criminal case did not include Wolf, Weede, or Hanson's names A lawyer for IRS whistleblower Gary Shapley, who ran the agency's five-year criminal probe into the First Son, told DailyMail.com: 'None of the three were involved in the underlying investigation during Gary's tenure, to my knowledge.' One of the prosecutors listed on Weiss's letter, Assistant US Attorney (AUSA) Ben Wallace, only joined the Delaware office in March this year. On Monday DailyMail.com revealed that another, Derek Hines, has a potential conflict having worked from 2013 to 2015 as 'Special Counsel' to one of Hunter's business partners, ex-FBI director Louis Freeh. And AUSA Leo Wise was drafted to the Delaware office after being demoted from Chief of the Public Corruption and Fraud Unit at the Maryland US Attorney's Office to a mere line prosecutor in the same unit in March, the Baltimore Sun reported. Shapley, an IRS Criminal Supervisory Special Agent, and his subordinate who has not been identified, blew the whistle to Congress this year, claiming the Justice Department 'slow-walked' the Biden probe and failed to prosecute when they had ample evidence before the 2020 presidential election. In more than 400 pages of transcribed sworn testimony published by the House Ways and Means Committee last month, the two IRS officials named several members of Weiss's office who they worked with for years on the probe. But Wise, Hines and Wallace's names are nowhere to be found in their testimony. The three prosecutors appear to have been replaced with Assistant US Attorneys Derek Hines and Leo Wise Benjamin Wallace, the third prosecutor listed on Weiss's letter, only joined the Delaware office in March this year Under Weiss's signature, the June 20 letter lists Assistant US Attorneys Leo Wise, Derek Hines, and Benjamin Wallace Weiss's deputy, AUSA Wolf, appears to have been a key figure in the Delaware prosecution team, but was not listed on Weiss's letter to the judge. There were 53 mentions of Wolf in Shapley's testimony, and 30 mentions of her in the testimony of Shapley's IRS special agent subordinate and fellow whistleblower. Shapley and 'Whistleblower X' also referenced Delaware criminal chief prosecutor Shawn Weede, and assistant prosecutor Shannon Hanson, in their testimony. Neither appeared on Weiss's court filings in the Hunter criminal case. The whistleblowers were critical of Wolf in their comments to the House Ways and Means Committee, saying she blocked attempts to investigate Joe Biden's involvement in Hunter's crimes. They accused Wolf of tipping off Hunter's lawyers and the Biden presidential transition team to impending FBI and IRS Criminal Investigation interviews of key witnesses, and allowing Hunter's lawyers to get the jump on investigators hoping to search his storage unit. Wolf allegedly told investigators interviewing Hunter's business partner and Biden family friend Rob Walker that they were not allowed to ask about Joe Biden or the infamous 'big guy' email, which suggested that Hunter would hold 10% of the equity in a deal with a Chinese oil giant on behalf of his father. Wolf also allegedly told investigators that there was 'more than enough' evidence for a search warrant for the guest house at Joe Biden's Delaware mansion, but questioned whether 'the juice was worth the squeeze' and ultimately decided not to ask for one due to the 'optics'. DailyMail.com asked the Delaware US Attorney's office why Wolf did not appear on the documents, and why new and less experienced prosecutors had been drafted in. Hunter reached a deal to plead guilty to two misdemeanor tax offenses and face probation for lying on a federal form to purchase a gun, which will see him likely avoid jail time. The deal was slammed by Republicans as an obvious show of preferential treatment for President Joe Biden's 52-year-old son IRS whistleblower Gary Shapley told CBS News that Hunter Biden did receive special treatment and said he was prevented from taking the routine steps during the investigation into the president's son A spokesperson said: 'We decline to comment on staffing and personnel matters.' Wallace, one of the three assistant prosecutors named in Weiss's June 20 letter to the judge, was working as a law partner at the Washington DC office of Kirkland & Ellis until March 2023 when he joined the Delaware US Attorney's Office. He previously worked as a law clerk at the US Supreme Court. He graduated high school in 2008 in Wilmington, Delaware, then studied at the University of Virginia and Yale Law School. His colleague Wise was recently drafted to Weiss's team from the Maryland US Attorney's Office in Baltimore. Wise has a history of tackling corruption cases including prosecutions against the city's former mayor Catherine Pugh, the former police chief, two state lawmakers and a squad of corrupt Baltimore cops. However, a report in the Baltimore Sun on March 28 this year said that Wise had been demoted from his role as chief of the Maryland office's public corruption and fraud unit. Wise was leading the prosecution of former State's Attorney Marilyn Mosby for perjury and false mortgage applications as the unit's chief, but was reportedly demoted to a mere line prosecutor in the unit, while his colleague AUSA Harry Gruber was promoted to be the new chief. It is unclear what caused the demotion. Wise's LinkedIn page says that his role at the Baltimore office ended this year, and updated his profile with a job as Trial Attorney at the DoJ Criminal Division beginning last month. Weiss's June 30 letter comes more than a week after Hunter Biden reached an agreement with the government to plead guilty to misdemeanor tax offenses David Weiss a Trump appointee who was kept on by Biden has come under intense scrutiny after Shapley and his fellow whistleblower claimed the Delaware attorney had enough evidence to charge Hunter in 2019 and has been sitting on incriminating information about the First Son for years. Some of Hunter's alleged tax crimes occurred in Washington DC and California, requiring federal prosecutors in those districts to take up the cases. But Shapley told House staff in sworn testimony that both Central California US Attorney Martin Estrada and DC attorney Matthew Graves refused Weiss's request for them to prosecute in their districts. The whistleblowers also claimed Weiss told them he was denied special authority from Attorney General Merrick Garland to override his California and DC colleagues contradicting Garland's sworn testimony to the Senate in March. Weiss wrote a letter to Judiciary Committee chairman Jim Jordan on Friday insisting he had 'ultimate authority' over the Biden probe 'including responsibility for deciding where, when, and whether to file charges'. The federal prosecutor said he had 'been assured' he would be granted authority to file charges 'in the District of Columbia, the Central District of California, or any other district where charges could be brought in this matter' if it were required. A senior SNP MP has become the latest to announced she is quitting Westminster at the next election amid the ongoing turmoil in the party. Mhairi Black, who was the youngest MP in the Commons in 350 years when she was elected in 2015 at the age of 20, confirmed she will step down in a vote held before she turns 30. The SNP deputy leader at Westminster - who is called the depute leader in Scotland - said she was 'tired' after spending more than a third of her life so far in politics, and lashed out at the 'toxic' work environment in Westminster. The former Westminster leader, Ian Blackford, is also standing down, as are former treasurer Douglas Chapman and MPs Peter Grant and Angela Crawley. It comes during a troubled period for the party, which is being investigated by Police Scotland over the whereabout of more than 600,000 in donations. Former first minister Nicola Sturgeon and others have been arrested. Asked on The News Agents podcast why she was stepping down, Ms Black said: 'Honestly, because I'm tired, is a big part of it. And the thing that makes me tired is Westminster. 'I think it is one of the most unhealthy workplaces that you could ever be in. It's a toxic environment. Mhairi Black, who was the youngest MP in the Commons when she was elected in 2015 at the age of 20, confirmed she will step down in a vote held before she turns 30. The SNP deputy leader at Westminster said she was 'tired' after spending more than a third of her life so far in politics, and lashed out at the 'toxic' work environment in Westminster. 'Just the entire design of the place and how it functions is just the opposite of everything that I find comfortable. 'It's definitely a poisonous place. Whether that's because of what folk can get away with in it or the number of personal motivations and folk having ulterior motives for things, it's just not a nice place to be in.' However, Scottish Conservative chairman Craig Hoy said: 'Mhairi Black's decision to step down is yet another damning verdict from a senior SNP MP on the failing leadership of both Humza Yousaf and Stephen Flynn. 'As much as the depute leader tries to blame Westminster in typical SNP fashion, the public won't be fooled. Mhairi Black knows chaos is engulfing her party, which is why they are fighting like Nats in a sack.' The MP for Paisley and Renfrewshire South first considered quitting six years ago in 2017, saying she found Parliament 'depressing'. Ms Sturgeon led tributes to her and her career today, tweeting she was 'gutted' by the decision, adding: 'Her reasons resonate. But what a loss of a unique talent, not just to the SNP but to politics generally. 'I only hope it's temporary. The world needs more Mhairi Blacks in politics, not fewer. I hope we will see her in the Scottish Parliament in future.' Ms Black hit the headlines in 2017 when, aged 22, she appeared to swear at a Tory minister by telling her: 'You talk sh**e, hen.' In footage of a parliamentary session in the Commons she could be heard criticising the proposed withdrawal of housing benefit for those aged 18 to 21. Conservative MP Caroline Nokes replied by saying the Scottish government already had a wide range of powers that would allow them to alleviate the changes proposed. Cameras in the Commons then caught Ms Black swearing under her breath in response. SNP leader Humza Yousaf today said that Ms Black was 'a trailblazer - a passionate supporter of independence, equality, social justice, and simply of trying to make life better for her constituents and the wider Scottish public'. He added: 'I know that Mhairi has been critical of the toxic, hostile environment of Westminster, which serves as an important wake-up call to those who are determined to safeguard our democracy. 'The case for modernising our political system is stark. We must make sure it works for everyone, so we don't deter people from standing for election or speaking out for what they believe in.' SNP Westminster leader Stephen Flynn simply tweeted that Ms Black was 'in a class of her own'. Afghanistan's Taliban authorities have ordered beauty parlours across the country to shut within a month, their latest crackdown on women's rights in the country. The order - which the vice ministry confirmed Tuesday - will force the closure of thousands of businesses run by women and outlaw one of the few remaining opportunities for them to socialise away from home. Salons are often the only source of income for households. 'I think it would have been good if women did not exist at all in this society,' said the manager of a Kabul parlour who asked not to be identified. 'I am saying this now: I wish I did not exist. I wish we were not born in Afghanistan, or were not from Afghanistan.' Afghanistan's Taliban authorities have ordered beauty parlours across the country to shut within a month, the latest curb to squeeze women out of public life Since seizing power in August 2021, the Taliban government has barred girls and women from high schools and universities, banned them from parks, funfairs and gyms, and ordered them to cover up in public. READ MORE: British soldiers reveal scenes of mayhem as they destroyed equipment worth billions to stop it falling into enemy hands as Kabul fell to the Taliban Advertisement Women have also mostly been barred from working for the United Nations or NGOs, and thousands have been sacked from government jobs or are being paid to stay at home. Mohammad Sadeq Akif Muhajir, spokesman for the Ministry for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice, would not say why the order had been given. 'Once they are closed then we will share the reason with the media,' he told AFP. He said the businesses had been given time to close their affairs so they could use up their stock without incurring losses. A copy of the order seen by AFP said it was 'based on verbal instruction from the supreme leader' Hibatullah Akhundzada. Beauty parlours mushroomed across Kabul and other Afghan cities in the 20 years that US-led forces occupied the country after the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks against New York City's World Trade centre. They were seen as a safe place to gather and socialise away from men and provided vital business opportunities for women. 'Women used to chat, gossip. There was no fighting here, no noise,' said a salon worker who asked to be identified only as Neelab. 'When we see some happy and active faces here, we are also refreshed. The salon has a very important role; this place makes us feel comfortable.' The order to close the salons - which the vice ministry confirmed Tuesday - will force the shuttering of thousands of businesses run by women (pictured, April 25) and outlaw one of the few remaining opportunities for them to socialise away from home Another salon manager said she employed 25 women who were all breadwinners for their families. 'All of them are heartbroken... what should they do?' she said. A report to the UN's Human Rights Council last week by Richard Bennett, the special rapporteur for Afghanistan, said the plight of women and girls in Afghanistan 'was among the worst in the world'. 'Grave, systematic and institutionalized discrimination against women and girls is at the heart of Taliban ideology and rule, which also gives rise to concerns that they may be responsible for gender apartheid,' Bennett said. UN Deputy High Commissioner for Human Rights Nada Al-Nashif added: 'Over the past 22 months, every aspect of women's and girls' lives has been restricted.' 'They are discriminated against in every way.' Akhundzada, who rarely appears in public and rules by decree from the Taliban's birthplace in Kandahar, said last month Afghan women were being saved from 'traditional oppressions' by the adoption of Islamic governance and their status as 'free and dignified human beings' restored. Salons are often the only source of income for households. Pictured: A Taliban fighter walks past a beauty salon with images of women defaced using spray paint in Shar-e-Naw in Kabul on August 18, 2021, as the militants seized control of the country He said in a statement marking the Eid al-Adha holiday that steps had been taken to provide women with a 'comfortable and prosperous life according to Islamic Sharia'. Raha, a 24-year-old student until she was barred from university last year, was visiting a salon Tuesday for a makeover before an engagement party. 'This place was the only place left for women to earn for themselves and they want to take it, too,' she said. 'It's a question for all of us - why are they doing so? For what reason?' A wife whose husband was jailed for trying to kill her by slashing her wrists in a botched murder-suicide attempt as the couple drowned in debt during the Covid lockdown insists she still loves him and cannot wait for his release from prison, MailOnline can exclusively reveal. Karen Sawyer, 61, was sleeping when Andrew Sawyer came up to bed at their home in Trowbridge, Wiltshire to give her a cuddle before he slashed her wrist and said 'I'll stay with you until the end and then I'll do me'. Father-of-two Sawyer, 69, had taken responsibility of the family's finances but had debt 'coming out of their ears', wanted to end both their lives to 'free' them from mortgage payments, 25,000 credit card bills and a debt management plan. Mrs Sawyer, who has been married to her husband for 43 years, had lost the hair salon she ran due to the pandemic, while he lost his job as an electrical sales consultant after being furloughed. Speaking to MailOnline today, she said: 'I still love my husband very much and we want to grow old together. I have forgiven him completely and can't wait until he is released from prison. Our love is very strong, and we will soon be back together.' Karen Sawyer, 61, (pictured) told MailOnline that she still loves her husband Andrew and can't wait for his release from prison Andrew Sawyer, 69, (pictured) was jailed for three years and ten months after admitting attempted murder when he slashed his wife's wrists at their home in Trowbridge, Wiltshire, earlier this year Winchester Cown Court was told the couple, who have been married 43 years, had severe financial problems, with 25,000 debt on credit cards and locked into a debt management programme. Sawyer had lost his job as an electrical sales consultant while his wife's hairdressing salon had closed during the pandemic. The court was told he had taken on managing the family finances but they had debt 'coming out of their ears'. Since the attempted murder Mrs Sawyer has been living with her sister and the family home is soon to be sold. 'It will be going on the market very soon and that means Andrew and I can make a fresh start together,' said Mrs Sawyer. 'We are going to have a life together and I want to grow old with my husband. I and both my children have completely forgiven him for what happened.' Mrs Sawyer said she has not been able to speak to her husband since he was jailed by Judge Paul Dugdale who told him:' It is not worth ending your life because you can't afford the mortgage.' Mrs Sawyer (pictured) said: 'I have forgiven him completely and can't wait until he is released from prison. Our love is very strong, and we will soon be back together' The judge expressed sympathy for Sawyer saying he was suffering from a depressive disorder when he carried out the attack in the middle of the night in February. But he told him: 'You don't have the right to decide what happens to someone else's life and that is the error you made.' Since the attack Mrs Sawyer has been unable to work as a hairdresser due to tendons in her wrist being severed. Neighbours also said the lack of movement in her wrists meant she can no longer drive. She refuses to talk about the attempted murder saying it is not something she will ever discuss again. 'What happened, happened. I will not be talking about it to anyone. ' she said. Her husband was held on remand since the February incident and Mrs Sawyer said it was a 'relief' that he has been sentenced. 'It is all over now and I just have to wait for Andrew. I just want to be with my husband.' The mother-of-two made no secret of love for her husband, telling one neighbour: 'He will be out in 23 months and I cannot wait.' Dropping your phone on the tube tracks is one way to throw off your morning commute. Panic kicks in and you might even consider jumping down in the tracks to save your possessions yourself- but as TFL point out on every tube journey, you MUST stand behind the yellow line and never venture onto the tracks. Attempting to retrieve your items from the tracks will not only endanger your life - but put other passengers on their journeys at risk. Luckily a TikToker has shared how to retrieve your beloved items- and it involves an impressive (and expensive) device. Dropping your phone on the tube tracks can ruin your journey, luckily a TikToker has shared how to retrieve your beloved possessions The TikToker warned against retrieving your own items and instead, you should seek the help of London Underground staff members Staff will be aware of the correct procedures and may be able to retrieve your items with a handy device User @adildelwar posted the video to some 129 followers after dropping his air pods on the tracks. He shared step-by-step advice on what TFL users should do, he wrote: 'Find the help point. Press information to speak to staff.' He warned travellers to not jump on the tracks or attempt to be a 'hero', and said: 'It's very dangerous! They have to stop the train to do it.' He added that you may get electrocuted if you make the impromptu decision to jump down. Instead, he shared: '[TFL wokers] use a long stick with a sticky end to retrieve it.' The video then showed a TFL worker in an orange hi-vis vest kneeling towards the platform edge and swiftly retrieving his air pods with a long red stick. He concluded the video by saying: 'Lesson learnt! Stand way behind the yellow line! Thanks to TFL staff for their prompt support.' The video was captioned 'Stay WAAAYYYY behind the yellow lines', and has since received over 370,000 views. The handy stick TFL workers use to retrieve items is known as a 'Track Retrieval Device', each one reportedly costs over 1,000 The TikToker has received backlash for the video, with some users suggesting he may have thrown his air pods on the tracks himself. But the TikToker says he did not cause any intentional disruption and thanks TFL staff for their help The TikToker managed to save his air pods, thanks to the help of TFL workers and the handy desvice Over 20,000 people have liked the video and it has received over 1000 shares from potential accident-prone commuters. One user commented: 'I witnessed someone jump down inbetween the train and tracks the other day to get a shoe it was so scary! Do this instead!' One user joked: 'I know he got the DIRTIEST looks on the platform.' To which the creator replied: 'Not really because it took less than a minute before people could realise everything was back to usual again.' The TikToker received some backlash for his video, with some users claiming he threw his air pods on the tracks on purpose. In response to the comments, he said: 'No intentional disruption. Raising track safety awareness and appreciating the helpful London Underground staff. Thanks for understanding! While the TikToker did not reference what the device was, MyLondon previously dubbed it a 'Track Retrieval device'. Each one reportedly costs 1106.82, and has a plastic handle on one end with the option to attach a hook or sticky pad to pick up any dropped items. It was also said that the staff member will need permission from the train controller before they can reunite you with your possessions. The TFL introduced the track retriever device in 2014, after the previous year saw dropped items responsible for 195,000 items of delay. The tool helps retrieve small, high-value items such as mobile phones, electronic devices and handbags from the track. It is designed for staff to use from the platform edge, without staff having to cut off electricity and interrupt travel. At the time, Nigel Holness, the then London Underground Operations Director Jubilee, Northern and Piccadilly lines said: 'We recognise that possessions are very valuable to people so we encourage everyone to take care of them when theyre on the platform. 'If you drop anything of value on the track, please speak to a member of staff and we will do our best to retrieve it for you. 'We hope that our staff, using the Track Retrieval Device, will deter customers from attempting to pick up items themselves.' An Uber customer has claimed that she was charged $29,000 for a $54 ride while on holiday in Costa Rica, following a currency conversion mix up. Dominique, believed to be from the US, had documented the unfortunate experience she encountered via TikTok. Under the handle @dominique.xo.xo, she showed a screenshot of her bank account, which includes an outgoing transaction of $29,994.33. Commenting on the incident in a follow-up to her first video on the matter, Dominique said: 'I was going back and forth with the bank and they basically told me it was my fault because I put a travel notice on my card. 'And because of that, the charge was able to bypass all security measures [and] policies that were in place with the bank.' Dominique claimed that she was charged $29,000 for a $54 ride while on holiday in Costa Rica, following a currency conversion mix up She posted a screenshot of the outgoing transaction of $29,994.33 being taken from her acount Dominique also claimed the private taxi service service refused to take responsibility for the issue once she contacted them She also said she 'reached out to Uber as well', but Dominique claimed the private taxi service service refused to take responsibility for the issue. The TikTok user continued: 'I reached out to [Uber's] customer support. All that I was able to get from them is that it was my bank's fault and that I needed to check with my bank on why did not charge me in the correct currency.' Dominique appears to have been left in a state of limbo, not knowing which way to turn as she fumed that her 'bank and Uber were basically blaming each other'. She also said that she ordered the trip via her main bank account, which left her unable to withdraw any money, which forced her to put her holiday 'on hold'. The TikTok user finished the video by sharing that Uber responded to her claim on Twiitter, saying they would 'call her immediately'. Uber has been contacted by MailOnline for comment. Farias was suffering PTSD when he vanished in 2015 after also losing his father Rudy Farias was just 13 years old when his big brother Charles died in crash The man who went missing eight years ago only to be found alive outside a church in Houston was suffering from PTSD and depression when he vanished after watching his brother die in a motorbike crash and losing his father to suicide, it has emerged. Rudy Farias, now 25, was just 13 years old when his big brother and 'best friend' Charles died in the tragic road accident. And while still struggling to come to terms with the devastating trauma of watching his brother die in front of him, Rudy's father Rudolph Farias III, a Houston police officer, died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound three years later. Devastated by the loss of his brother and father, Rudy suffered from PTSD, depression and anxiety and his family believe he had likely stopped taking his medication at the time he vanished on March 6, 2015 at the age of 17. A missing persons flyer from the time said the grief-stricken teenager had attempted to commit suicide before going missing while taking his two dogs for a walk around the block in east Houston. His family have spent eight grueling years hoping that he might come home to them - and on Thursday, that wait finally ended when Rudy was found unconscious and bloodied outside the Immaculate Heart Church in east Houston. Rudy is currently receiving around the clock care at a hospital where he has curled himself up into a fetal position and flinching if anyone tries to touch him as if he thinks they might strike him, his emotional family said. He was found wearing his late brother Charles' necklace and now squeezes it tightly in his hand whenever family members or doctors try to speak to him. 'It's apparent he's been through hell and abused. It broke out hearts to see him in this condition,' his family wrote on Facebook. 'God only knows what he has endured during his time away from home.' Rudy Farias, now 25, was just 13 years old when his big brother and 'best friend' Charles (pictured together at Charles' high school graduation) died in the tragic road accident Rudy was found wearing his late brother Charles' necklace and now squeezes it tightly in his hand whenever family members or doctors try to speak to him. Pictured: Rudy wearing his brother's necklace before his disappearance Rudy was found collapsed outside the east Houston church emancipated, his body bloodied and covered in old bruises after cops received a 911 call from a concerned good Samaritan. Cops said they managed to identify Rudy by the necklace he was wearing, which belonged to his late brother Charles and called his anguished mother Janie Santana to tell her they had found her son after eight long years. Janie raced to see her son and she hasn't left his side since - but she said he is too traumatized to speak to anyone. Instead, he keeps clutching his brother's necklace, his mother said. It's not clear where Rudy has been for the last eight years - though at the time of his disappeared, his family and cops had voiced concerns that he might have been abducted and sold for human trafficking. But before he went missing, family accounts painted a heartbreaking childhood for Rudy, who lost his brother and father within three years of each other. Rudy was 13 when his older brother Charles died in a motorbike accident on February 13, 2011. The young teenager and his heartbroken mother Janie were two of the first people to reach the scene of the crash and Rudy watched Charles die in front of him. 'He's just had so much thrown at him in the past few years,' Brenda Paradise, a private detective who was investigating Rudy's disappearance,' told DateLine in 2015. 'He watched his best friend die right in front of him. His brother was his best friend in the world. He's just gone through so much more than anyone his age ever should.' Three years after his brother's death, Rudy's father, Houston Police Department cop Rudolph Farias IV, 52, committed suicide on 19 August 2014. Rudy was just 16 years old. Farias was found with blood found in his hair, showing obvious signs that he had been badly abused and beaten, according to his worried mother. He is now recovering in hospital (pictured) Farias was found with cuts and bruises all over his body on Saturday. His mother said they have tried to speak to him, but he only says a few words and adopts the fetal position Rudy is pictured as a small boy with his brother Charles who died in a motorcycle accident Farias, who had been a police officer for 21 years, died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound in a police parking garage on the edge of downtown Houston, My Sanantonio reported at the time. He was still in uniform and in a patrol car at the time. A day before he died, Farias, who had been married to Janie for 17 years, had been relieved of his policing duty pending the outcome of an internal investigation into allegations that he and three other officers had been involved in an alleged ticket writing scheme. The four officers were accused of listing each other as witnessing officers of traffic citations in a bid to collect overtime by appearing in court to testify. Two years after his father's suicide, Rudy took his two dogs for a walk in Houston on March 6, 2015. His dogs returned home but Rudy never did, leaving his mother and at least three siblings devastated. A missing flyer from the time of his disappearance revealed that Rudy had been diagnosed with depression, PTSD and anxiety and had likely stopped taking his medication. The flyer said he had also attempted to commit suicide. His mother said at the time it was possible he was disoriented at the time of his disappearance because he was not taking his medication. She added that he was very wary of strangers. The family were also concerned for his safety because he is asthmatic and didn't have his inhaler when he went missing. When he first disappeared, his family were concerned he may have been adducted and sold for human trafficking. 'He loves with all his heart, so that's why we know that he wouldn't just get up and leave on his own. That's not him,' Ms Santana told local news station KHOU at the time. 'It's a nightmare that you want to wake up from.' But eight years on, Rudy has now been found and receiving round the clock care at a hospital, the location of which has not been revealed for his safety, his family said. Not only is Rudy now unable to speak, he is suffering a series of physical injuries. 'He has cuts, soft tissue tumors, small hole openings and swelling on the soles of his feet, along with bruising, old and new cuts and scrapes on his body, old dry blood on his head and hair,' his family said. He also has little memory of what has happened to him. 'He thinks his name is Julio Torres and he's 14. The doctors said not to correct him, to just go with it for now until he can begin to receive further treatment, to begin healing and recovery.' A missing person note detailed what he was wearing at the time that he went missing. It also mentioned that he suffered from depression, PTSD and anxiety Farias's family posted a message detailing his condition. It notes that his road to recovery is expected to be a long one His mother Janie told the Texas Center for the Missing: 'My son Rudy is receiving the care he needs to overcome his trauma, but at this time, he is nonverbal and not able to communicate with us,' she explained. 'We are asking for privacy during this difficult time but will share more details as Rudy continues to heal.' Texas EquuSearch director Tim Miller, responding to news that Rudy had been found, told KPRC that it was a 'miracle'. 'How did this happen? We believe in miracles and this certainly was a miracle,' he said. 'I can't even tell you how many times we searched and how many leads and tips came in and they just kind of faded away and now all of a sudden, this.' The United Nations has expressed concern over the burning of a Koran in Sweden last week after the freedom of speech protests sparked anger in the Muslim world. An urgent session will be held by the UN's Human Rights Council to address the incident, a spokesman said on Tuesday. A Koran was burnt by an Iraqi man outside the Swedish capital's main mosque on June 28, triggering a diplomatic backlash and resulted in the Swedish embassy in Baghdad being stormed by furious Iraqi protesters. Anger was also expressed by other Muslim majority nations, including Turkey, which is currently holding up Sweden's bid to join the NATO military alliance. Pakistan and other nations called for a discussion of 'the alarming rise in premeditated and public acts of religious hatred as manifested by recurrent desecration of the Holy Koran in some European and other countries.' A Koran was burnt by Salwan Momika (pictured) - an Iraqi immigrant - outside the Swedish capital's main mosque on June 28, triggering a diplomatic backlash and resulted in the Swedish embassy in Baghdad being stormed by furious Iraqi protesters Salwan Momika, 37, who fled from Iraq to Sweden several years ago, stomped on the Muslim holy book after placing bacon between its pages, and set several pages alight in Stockholm - all in the face of angry counter-protesters. His actions came as Muslims around the world began marking the Eid al-Adha holiday and as the annual hajj pilgrimage to Mecca in Saudi Arabia was drawing to a close - making Momika's stunt even more controversial. The Geneva-based Human Rights Council meets for three regular sessions per year. The UN's top rights body is currently in the second session, which runs until July 14. The 47-member council will change its agenda to stage an urgent debate, following a request from Pakistan. 'The urgent debate will most likely be convened this week at a date and time to be determined by the bureau of the Human Rights Council that is meeting today,' council spokesman Pascal Sim told reporters. Khalil Hashmi, Pakistan's ambassador in Geneva, wrote to the council president on Monday on behalf of the 19 members of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation who are also on the council, plus other OIC countries, to request an urgent debate. Activists of right-wing religious Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) party burn Sweden's flag during a demonstration in Multan on July 3 People rally to denounce the burning of the Koran in Sweden and the Israeli military operation in the West Bank city of Jenin, in Sanaa, Yemen July 4 Supporters of Shiite Muslim leader Moqtada Sadr, demonstrate inside the courtyard of the Swedish embassy in Baghdad after they breached the building briefly over the burning of the Koran by an Iraqi living in Sweden, on June 29 Hashmi said the 'provocative acts' on June 28 had been widely condemned and strongly rejected worldwide. 'These unabated incidents demand immediate action by the Human Rights Council,' he said. While recognising the right to freedom of opinion and expression, the OIC group wants action to prevent recurrences and the development of legal deterrence measures against other such protests. The group also intends to present a draft resolution for adoption by the council members as an outcome of the debate, and promised to circulate the draft text shortly. Algeria, Malaysia, Qatar, Sudan, Somalia and the United Arab Emirates are among the 19 OIC countries on the 47-member Human Rights Council. At an extraordinary meeting on Sunday at its Jeddah headquarters in Saudi Arabia, the OIC called for collective measures to avoid future Koran burnings. Pakistani traders shout slogans and hold placards reading in Urdu 'Death to Sweden', July 3 Protesters belonging to Pasban-e-Hurriyat, a Kashmiri refugees organisation, burn a Sweden flag during a demonstration in Muzaffarabad on July 4 Pakistani traders burn a mock Swedish flag as they attend a protest against the burning of a copy of the Koran in Sweden, July 3 The Swedish government on Sunday condemned last week's Koran burning as 'Islamophobic'. But it added in a foreign ministry statement that Sweden had a 'constitutionally-protected right to freedom of assembly, expression and demonstration'. Countries including Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates and Morocco have summoned Swedish ambassadors in protest. Swedish police had granted Momika a permit in line with free speech protections, but authorities later said they had opened an investigation over 'agitation'. The Black Lives Matter (BLM) protests in the summer of 2020 shook the edifice of US capitalism. At its height, the movement involved over 20 million people in 2,500 cities and towns, making it the largest mobilisation in the nations history. There were many factors that contributed to the movement ending up at an impasse, not least the lack of revolutionary leadership. But for years, it was alleged state infiltrators had a hand in undermining BLM. However, there was little irrefutable evidence until now. In early 2023, award-winning investigative journalist Trevor Aaronson, using secret audio recordings, reports, and video, exposed how the FBI infiltrated and undermined the BLM movement in a 10-part series, constituting season one of the Alphabet Boys podcast, which seeks to expose the nefarious activities of intelligence bodies like the FBI, CIA, DEA, ATF etc. Incriminating documents were leaked to Aaronson by someone in the FBI who was deeply disturbed by its use of informants to undermine the struggle against racism. These documents paint a dark, shameful, and downright bizarre image of the FBIs secret operations on behalf of US capitalism. Black Identity Extremism Aaronson has long studied secret agencies of the United States, and season one of Alphabet Boys focuses on the surveillance, infiltration, and forcible breakup of Black struggle movements, especially after 9/11 when the FBI gave itself far-reaching powers not seen since the 1960s and 1970s. According to the podcast, FBI reports referred to BLM demonstrators as anti-government extremists, which is one of the ideologies classified as domestic terrorism by the FBI. Under the presidency of Donald Trump, the Justice Department came up with a new catch-all classification of Black Identity Extremism as a rising form of anti-government extremism. The FBIs justification for this largely consists of a handful of disconnected crimes over a period of years. A report released a few years before the 2020 protests is cited by ex-FBI agent Michael German, who says the bureau was assuming that any black activist who was protesting police violence and police racism was part of a violent movement to overthrow the government or to kill police. This rhetoric is largely passed over by Aaronson as excessive paranoia. But while on the one hand, it is likely the FBI was playing up the threat of Black Extremism to justify its activities and powers, it is worth recalling the rise of the Black struggle in the 60s, which did develop into a genuine threat to the interests of American capitalism. It is quite logical that they would therefore attempt to nip this latest movement in the bud. The war on terror transformed the FBI, giving it a vast array of surveillance tools it can and did use against BLM protests. By the time 2020 rolled around, the FBI had recruited a small army of informants and a surveillance network that could monitor digital communications without warrants. It also invented a new form of investigation termed an assessment, which simply means an investigation without any reasonable suspicion of a crime being committed. In this way, an FBI agent can spy on just about anyone, for just about any reason. Tools of the trade Having laid out the background, Aaronson then brings the investigation to Denver, Colorado. Here, on an unremarkable spring day in 2020, a white, middle-aged man, driving a silver hearse packed with guns, entered the BLM movement as a federal informant. Season one of the Alphabet Boys podcast focuses on the surveillance, infiltration, and forcible breakup of Black struggle movements Any notion that spying is conducted by sophisticated, suave, martini-sipping agents evaporates before this strange character, the convicted felon Mickey Windecker: a brute with a childish obsession with comicbook anti-hero The Punisher, who had previously been arrested for assault, sexual assault, failing to register as a sex offender, menacing, unlawful possession of a weapon, and for impersonating an officer, among other charges. Windecker would claim, ad nauseum, to be a badass-motherfucker who fought ISIS in Syria, as well as being a Kurdish diplomat. While he did go to Syria, the foreign volunteers he served with portrayed him as a useless liability. The FBI routinely uses such criminals and dubious figures as informants, since, in their own words: if you want to catch the devil, you need to go to hell. Windecker would go on to not only participate in BLM protests in Denver, but to lead them, and to entrap activists in federal crimes. The section of the podcast detailing his activities, spanning most of the episodes, lays bare the tactics of FBI informants. Whilst the Counter-Intelligence Program (COINTLPRO) used by the FBI against dissidents in the 1960s and 1970s was technically wound up, the tactics developed within it to crush the left are very much in use. Today, the FBI has more than 15,000 registered informants, participating either for cash payments or for leniency on criminal convictions. Windecker himself received at least $20,000 in the span of a few weeks for his work as an agent provocateur. When he came onto the scene, he immediately began to gain the trust of local activists, especially in the youth wing of the Democratic Socialists of America. Here, naive teenagers were captivated by his guns, foul language, and militant attitude. This was particularly effective when activists realised peaceful marches and merely asking for reforms were going nowhere, especially with the police ruthlessly beating protesters night after night. Some people involved in the movement were looking for a way out of the impasse, and the agent provocateur tactics of the FBI stooge appeared to be a way forward. Windecker was vocal about his ability to push the struggle to new heights. One activist who had only just begun political activity was a determined young Black man named Zeb Hall. Hall invited Windecker to his apartment, where the latter said BLM needed to expose the American economic system as fundamentally unfair to Black people and other minorities. This is when Windecker asked Hall if he wanted to learn about blowing up fucking buildings, and guerilla warfare tactics, and sabotage, as well as pushing Hall to take terrorist measures to advance the movement. Unbeknownst to Hall, Windecker was recording this discussion, building a case he could then take to the FBI to prove his worth as a paid informant. When another Black activist, Trey Quinn, became suspicious of Windecker, he called and baited him by proposing they should firebomb a building. Windecker emphatically agreed, and offered to set up a meeting with some criminals he knew. At this point, I recognise my vague language and his specific language. And so hes trying to lead me to say specific things. And I just keep it vague, said Quinn. At that point, Quinn suspected Windecker of being a snitch. Sensing his cover could soon be blown, Windecker called together a meeting with other local activists, where he went on the offensive, stating that Quinn was planning to unleash a fire bomb, which is something only a federal agent would do, basically painting Quinn as the real agent provocateur. In an instant, Quinn has been snitch-jacketed. In Jim Vander Walls Agents of Repression: The FBI's Secret Wars Against the Black Panther Party, snitch-jacketing is referred to as the practice of creating suspicion through the spread of rumours, manufacture of evidence, etc. that bona fide organisational members, usually in key positions, are FBI informants. This tactic serves to isolate and eliminate organisational leadership. This has always been a common tactic of the FBI. In one instance, Black Panther leader Fred Bennett was snitch-jacketed by FBI informant Thomas Mosher. In 1969, Bennett was executed by another Panther, Jimmie Carr, as a result. Carr himself would be snitch-jacketed by an FBI informant and assassinated on his own front yard that same year. There is no evidence that either Carr or Bennett were informants. The method worked against Quinn, who immediately found himself excluded from rallies and communication with other activists, while Windeckers own prestige rose. By August, Windecker had become a leader within the movement. Thats when he organised a full-on assault against a police station, where protestors violently clashed with cops, meeting with severe repression. Informants routinely commit crimes to gain trust. In 2011 to 2014, the FBI permitted informants to violate the law more than 20,000 times to further their investigations. It was around this time that Windecker moved ahead and attempted to implicate both Zeb Hall, and another activist, Bryce Shelby, in a plot to assassinate the attorney general. In this way, the FBI could "roll up" multiple activists into a single conspiracy case. This attempt, to put it simply, flopped, but enough voice recordings were made to whip local right-wing news sites into a frenzy over a foiled terrorist plot, which would never have existed in the first place had the FBI and its informant not created it themselves! At this point, the FBI had little in the way of hard evidence to make a case against Hall and Shelby. In instances like this, the FBI will attempt to build a back-up charge to at least have something to show for its troubles. Hall would eventually be convinced to purchase a gun for Windecker at a sporting goods store, and since Windecker was a felon, Hall had technically committed a federal crime! In the end, after months of useless investigations, the FBI gave someone with no criminal record government money, to buy a gun, to be given to a government agent, in order to frame them just to save face. Lessons for the left The FBI infiltration into the Denver social justice movement had a destabilising, chaotic, and destructive effect. It was inevitable that a powerful, spontaneous protest movement like BLM would face infiltration. As the class struggle intensifies and further struggles on this scale (and greater) erupt, we can expect the same in future. How can we fight against these tactics? Firstly, we need to understand the character of the enemy we face. The Alphabet Boys provide further evidence that there are no methods too underhanded for the agents of the capitalist state when targeting activist groups, trade unionists and the left. The US intelligence services have long used infiltration tactics to target left-wing and anti-racist organisations / Image: CIR Online Many of the activists interviewed in Alphabet Boys were, by their own admission, far too naive. Zeb Hall did not believe the FBI would ever use a convicted felon as an informant and refused to believe it even when evidence pointed to the contrary. In the end, he incriminated himself in a federal crime. Similarly, two young members of the YDSA Denver repeatedly vouched for Windecker and helped him fight off any claims he was a snitch. However, we should be clear that the BLM did not wind up in a dead end because of FBI infiltration. Rather, this was down to the absence of any party or organisation, with a revolutionary programme, capable of connecting with the anger on the streets and steering the masses towards victory through class struggle methods. The spontaneous and febrile character of BLM was a source of strength on the one hand, but on the other made it easier for a low-life like Windecker to raise himself up to a leadership position within it. This is a testament to the importance of building a disciplined, well-educated, professional Marxist organisation in advance of powerful eruptions of the masses in order to provide leadership; with democratic internal structures to weed out wrecking elements, combat adventurism, and avoid panicked witch hunts that actually benefit police agents. That being said, we should not exaggerate the invincible power of the state. Alphabet Boys actually exposes the incompetence of the FBI in great (sometimes hilarious) detail. Despite their ruthlessness, the agents of the capitalist state cannot stand against the might of the working class once it is aroused and mobilised to action under the banner of a genuine Bolshevik Party. As Alan Woods writes of the brutal Tsarist regime in his book, Bolshevism: The Road to Revolution: A more powerful state (apparently) than Russian tsarism it would be difficult to imagine, with its mighty army, numerous police force, Cossack auxiliaries and vast bureaucracy. One arm of that state as of any other was the secret police. Here the art of provocation was developed to heights hitherto unimagined. But in the moment of truth, what did it all matter? The working class, under the leadership of the Bolshevik Party, just swept it all aside with a brush of its hand. This historical example should encourage us in our struggle for socialism, and help us not be cowed by the skulduggery of state agencies. At the same time, we should loudly expose and condemn the criminal behaviour of the capitalist authorities, who trample all over their own laws and ruin the lives of earnest young class fighters in order to defend the bosses rotten, racist, exploitative system. Let us consign these snakes to the dustbin of history, along with capitalism itself! Seven transgender women who targeted foreign men by offering them sexual favors before robbing them have been sentenced to up to 10 years in prison in Colombia. The criminal network, including a woman, appeared before a Medellin judge Monday and pleaded guilty to using minors for the commission of crimes, conspiring to commit a crime, and aggravated theft and larceny. The trans suspects, Sofia Vargas; Vanesa Velez; Nicol Guaca; Estefania Suaza; Estefania Cabrera; Sara Cardona; Venezuelan national, Yuliana Palacios, and a woman, Maria Velasquez, had been in custody since May 14, 2022, according to the Attorney General's Office. Palacios will be deported to Venezuela upon the completion of her sentence. Seven transgender women were sentenced up to 10 years in prison by a court in Medellin, Colombia, on Monday for their role in 19 muggings of foreign tourists from United States, Mexico, Israel, Germany and Turkey. According to authorities, the group approached their victims in Parque Lleras, a district in the upscale neighborhood of El Poblado and offered sex services before stealing their cellphones and other personal belongings At least 169 robbery reports were filed by foreign visitors with the police in Medellin between January and March this year Prosecutors said the defendants went on a mugging spree between October 4, 2020 and March 21, 2022, robbing 19 victims from the United States, Mexico, Israel, Germany and Turkey in the Medellin upscale neighborhood of El Poblado. The suspects intercepted their targets in Parque Lleras, the city's top nightlife district, and offered sex services. They would then distract the men and rob them of their cellphones and other personal belongings. In some instances, minors were used to carry out the crimes, the prosecution said. Known as the 'City of the Eternal Spring,' Medellin is a top destination for international travelers but has seen hit hard by a rash of crimes against visitors. There were 169 robbery reports registered between January and March, according to Medellin Tourism Observatory. In comparison, only 30 reports were made in the same quarter in 2022, a decrease from 39 in the same period in 2021. In June, two Polish tourists were mugged at knifepoint while hiking at the Cerro El Volador, a ridge that overlooks the Medellin urban area. Colombia authorities arrested three men for the kidnapping of an Israeli tourist in Medellin in March. The 36-year-old was abducted after going on a Tinder date with a woman, who was not involved in the incident. The man was mugged and beaten, and rescued after the captors crashed the vehicle during a high-speed police pursuit The agency's coordinator, Carlos Calle, believes that the number of robberies could be even higher, but many go unreported because victims may have been involved in illicit activities. Some are not registered because of the language barrier that exists between the police and tourists. In March, a 36-year-old Israel national was beaten and kidnapped after leaving a restaurant where he had dined with a woman he met on Tinder. The man was rescued by cops after his three captors crashed their vehicle during a high-speed police pursuit. As part of the investigation, police discovered that the car's license plates matched the ones that were spotted on a vehicle that suspects were traveling on after murdering Kyle Mackenzie, of Sweden, on February 28. Intimate personal details have found a way of working themselves into everyday office conversation According to a Wall Street Journal report, office workers are reporting all-time high rates of candor when it comes to details of their colleagues' sex lives. Workers may have become accustomed to posting personal secrets on Instagram and TikTok, or responded to a more casual post-pandemic work environment, but whatever's going on, employees have reportedly been plopping risque emojis in company slack channels, asking bosses for advice on condoms, and generally airing details about their sex lives in the hallway. The report indicates that some employees say sharing their sexual identities - for instance, that one may be polyamorous - is more about sharing who they are, than their particular sexual proclivities. Employees have reportedly been plopping risque emojis in company slack channels, asking bosses for advice on condoms, and generally airing details about their sex lives in the hallway In a world where sharing mental-health struggles, fertility issues, and salary discrepancies has become somewhat normalized, finding the line on intimacy has proven to be a difficult task Justin Garcia, the executive director of Indiana University's Kinsey Institute, which studies sexuality, told the Journal that with more Americans currently single than in past decades, discussions about dating apps and going home with someone are now occurring in the office. 'We're all trying to figure out, where are the lines?' he said. Especially in a world where sharing mental-health struggles, fertility issues, and salary discrepancies has become somewhat normalized, finding the line on intimacy has proven to be a difficult task. In the post #MeToo era, some managers say they are concerned that what begins as chatter about intimate topics could tip into sexual harassment. One professional communication trainer told the outlet that she recommends employees who are uncomfortable with the level of intimate detail they are receiving say something like: 'Wow, this is a lot,' or 'I'm going to pretend I didn't hear that.' Some employees, however, feel that listening to the gossipy parts of co-workers' personal lives makes the workplace more palatable, and takes the edge off being part of a corporate machine. Members of Gen Z - born between 1995-2012 - feel more willing to discuss sex, even if statistically, they are having less of it than prior generations of people their age. According to research analyzed by Jean Twenge, a psychology professor at San Diego State University, some 30 percent of 18-25-year-old men and 25 percent of 18-25-year-old women say they have not had sex in the past year. When Millennials fell into the age group, the number was around 15 percent. Gen Zers, according to Twenge, have less of an expectation of privacy in their personal life because they've grown up in a world where everyone has always had a smartphone and video attached to their computer. In the post #MeToo era, some managers say they are concerned that what begins as chatter about intimate topics could tip into sexual harassment Garcia says that 'we infer things about peoples personalities and lives based on what we hear from their relationships.' Sharing too much may earn a person a reputation as an oversharer. Twenge recommends Gen-Z workers think before opening up, and ask themselves if the person they're about to share with has ever shared anything equally personal. Another way in which Gen-Z culture has seized onto the corporate world is the incessant use of emojis in official work message chains. The pandemic saw an intense escalation of the corporate usage of platforms like Slack and Zoom to quickly communicate with colleagues. As many soon came to find out, a key tenet of fast-paced text-message-like communication, is the proper use of emojis. The octopus emoji is said to be the universal sign someone wants you to cuddle with them However, while emojis are seen by some as an ideal way to quickly and effectively express their thoughts and feelings, their increased usage has also led to some very awkward miscommunication between colleagues thanks to differing views on what each emoticon actually means. Amy Worley, chief connections officer of marketing and communications company VMLY&R is a proud advocate of emojis in the workplace and told DailyMail.com that emoji usage can be very helpful in corporate comms, but only when they are used accurately and appropriately. The fire emoji is often used when someone finds you attractive '[Emojis] are a way to remind each other that were people who have feelings,' she explained. However, it is important to keep in mind that while use of emotions, symbols or objects have become a part of modern communication, their meanings have also evolved over time - particularly when it comes to generational understandings of emojis. The fire, peach, eggplant, and octopus emojis have caused particular chaos - given their alternate meanings that may not be workplace appropriate - as well as a handful of other face emojis whose meanings have been modified by Gen Z users. The estranged husband of a 'fabulously' wealthy Swedish multi-millionairess has avoided jail after breaching court orders during a bitter divorce battle. Martin Wennberg, 39, and Louise Backstrom, 33, have been embroiled in a private family court dispute in London following the breakdown of their 6-year marriage in 2021. Mr Justice Peel, who described Ms Backstrom as 'fabulously wealthy', gave Mr Wennberg a 12-week suspended jail sentence after concluding in March that he was in contempt of court. The judge said he was 'guilty' of '10 separate breaches' of orders made during the litigation and handed down a sentence earlier today. He also ordered Mr Wennberg to pick up legal bills - estimated by lawyers to be in the region of 200,000 - run up by Ms Backstrom, who is worth 250million. Martin Wennberg (pictured right), 39, who is the estranged husband of a 'fabulously' wealthy Swedish multi-millionairess Louise Backstrom (pictured left), 33, has avoided jail after breaching court orders during a bitter divorce battle Mr Wennberg was not at the hearing and was not represented by lawyers, while Ms Backstrom did attend the hearing. The 39-year-old had previously written to the judge asking for an adjournment. Mr Justice Peel said Mr Wennberg had breached orders relating to the provision of financial information - and orders aimed at keeping information confidential. He described Mr Wennberg's conduct during the litigation as 'unacceptable' and said a fine would not be a 'satisfactory' penalty. A barrister representing Ms Backstrom had told the judge at an earlier hearing that Mr Wennberg's 'lack of compliance' with court orders was 'egregious'. 'Not only has the husband failed to provide the documentation as directed but he has not provided any explanation as to why,' Michael Glaser KC said. 'The breaches are clear and obvious.' Another judge had made decisions about the division of money earlier this summer. Deputy High Court judge Leslie Samuels had concluded that Ms Backstrom was worth about 250 million and ruled that she should hand her estranged husband more than 6.5 million, following the breakdown of their six-year marriage. Mr Wennberg and Ms Backstrom (pictured outside the Royal Courts of Justice) have been embroiled in a private family court dispute in London following the breakdown of their 6 year marriage in 2021 He was told that Ms Backstrom and Mr Wennberg were Swedish but lived in England and heard that she was involved in a family business started and controlled by her grandfather. Mr Wennberg had wanted a financial package worth more than 40 million but Judge Samuels ruled against him. Judge Samuels heard how Ms Backstrom had made a 6.5 million 'housing fund' offer in accordance with the terms of a prenuptial agreement - and concluded that the agreement should carry 'full weight'. He said Ms Backstrom should also hand over about 60,000 a year over the next six years to meet Mr Wennberg's 'income needs'. Yevgeny Prigozhin, the exiled leader of the Wagner group, has vowed his fighters will soon have 'new victories' as images emerged of mercenaries' new camp in Belarus. The warlord's comments are his first since his fighters escaped prosecution and were offered refuge in Belarus last week after Minsk helped broker a deal to end what appeared to be an armed insurrection by the mercenary group. 'Our march of justice was aimed at fighting traitors and mobilising society,' Prigozhin said in a short audio message posted to the Wagner-affiliated Greyzone Telegram channel on Tuesday. 'And I think that we succeeded in much of this. In the near future, I am sure that you will see our next victories at the front.' Prigozhin gave no clue to his whereabouts, and the clip being an audio recording is a change from his typical video messages that had become his signature way of addressing his forces prior to their failed mutiny attempt on June 24. Yevgeny Prigozhin, the exiled leader of the Wagner group, has vowed his fighters will soon have 'new victories' as images emerged of mercenaries' new camp in Belarus These are the first pictures that have emerged of the Wagner mercenary army's new base in Russia's autocratic neighbour Belarus. Giant tents have been set up as barracks for the armed force that staged a revolt against Putin's regime Since the failed insurrection, Prigozhin - a once highly popular figure among Russians - has been all but erased from the public discord. Russian state media, which once hailed him and his fighters for their brutal, hard-line campaign in Ukraine, have criticised him for his perceived betrayal of President Vladimir Putin. Meanwhile, the first pictures have emerged of Wagner's new base in Russia's autocratic neighbour and only European ally Belarus. Giant tents have been set up as barracks for the armed force that staged a revolt against Putin's regime. Pictures of the encampment Osipovichi district - which could be used to strike into Ukraine - came from Popular Politics YouTube channel linked to The initial encampment holds up to 298 tents accommodating 30 people each, it was reported. Estimates have said some 8,000 Wagner forces will be transferred to Belarus. A report said: 'The first group of Wagner mercenaries has already settled in Belarus and is practicing tank manoeuvres. Another camp is going to be built near Baranovichi.' It comes after satellite images analysed by The Associated Press on Saturday also showed what a Belarusian guerrilla group and officials suggested was a base set to house fighters from the Wagner mercenary group. The images provided by Planet Labs PLC suggest that dozens of tents were erected within the past two weeks at a former military base outside Osipovichi, a town 142 miles north of the Ukrainian border. Pictures of the encampment Osipovichi district - which could be used to strike into Ukraine - came from Popular Politics YouTube channel linked to A satellite photo taken on June 15 shows no sign of the rows of white and green structures that are clearly visible in a later image, dated June 30. The appearance of the camp has raised fears that Wagner forces could be used to attack Ukraine from the north as Kyiv's forces continue their counteroffensive - which is gaining ground in the south and east. The day after the failed mutiny, Lord Dannatt, an ex-British Army chief of general staff, raised concerns of whether Prigozhin was being repositioned to lead an attack on Kyiv from Belarus. Speaking to Sky News' Sophy Ridge On Sunday programme, he said: 'Apparently he's left the stage to go to Belarus but is that the end of Prigozhin and the Wagner Group? The fact that he's gone to Belarus is I think a matter of some concern. 'What we don't know, what we will discover in the next hours and days is... how many of his fighters have actually gone with him. 'If he has gone to Belarus and has kept an effective fighting force around him, he then presents a threat again to the Ukrainian flank closest to Kyiv which is where all this began on February 24 last year. 'Although it would appear that this matter is closed I think it is far from closed and the aftershocks will reverberate for quite some time. 'They (Ukraine) need to watch that flank very carefully and make sure they have got some manoeuvre units such that they could repel a renewed attack from the direction of Belarus.' Meanwhile, Wagner's move to Belarus has led to 'young women and girls' living nearby in Mogilev region to flee the vicinity, according to one report. Crimean Wind Telegram channel said 'Young women and girls living near the location of the PMC Wagner detachments in the Mogilev region began to travel to relatives in other regions of Belarus for fear of being subjected to violence by Prigozhin's militants.' Belarusian dictator Alexander Lukashenko brokered the deal that resulted in the arrival of Wagner troops in his country. But their presence will leave him 'trembling with fear' because they are 'extremely undesirable and dangerous' to his regime, according to Valery Sakhashchyk, defence and security spokesman for the exiled Belarusian government-in-waiting. This satellite image provided by Planet Labs PBC and taken on Friday, June 30, 2023, shows apparent recent construction of tents at a former military base outside the Belarusian town of Osipovichi, which reports suggest will house Wagner troops This satellite image provided by Planet Labs PBC taken on Thursday, June 15, 2023, shows a former military base outside the Belarusian town of Osipovichi shows no signs of the structures that appeared two weeks later A former commander of the Belarusian 38th Separate Guards Air Assault Brigade, he told the i newspaper that the overwhelming majority of his country's forces were opposed to Wagner in the ex-Soviet state. Wagner fighters comprise volunteer mercenaries or hardened criminals released from Russian jails - including rapists and murderers - promised freedom by Putin and Prigozhin if they fight long enough against Ukraine. Some that have returned home to Russia have continued to commit crimes. There was also mystery over Prigozhin's whereabouts, Sakhashchyk said. 'The whereabouts of Mr Prigozhin are unclear. The Wagner leader apparently arrived in the Belarusian capital, Minsk, last week after two his private planes touched down at a military airfield - but the jets then returned to Russia.' Aliaksandr Azarau, leader of the anti-Lukashenko BYPOL guerrilla group of former military members, also told The Associated Press by phone on Thursday that construction of a site for Wagner mercenaries was underway near Osipovichi. Speaking to the Ukrainska Pravda newspaper, Andriy Demchenko said Ukraine would strengthen its 1,084 kilometer (674 mile) border with Belarus in response. Up to 8,000 fighters from Wagner's private military force may be deployed in Belarus, a spokesperson for Ukraines border force told Ukrainian media Saturday. Speaking to the Ukrainska Pravda newspaper, Andriy Demchenko said Ukraine would strengthen its 674 mile border with Belarus in response. Lukashenko previously allowed the Kremlin to use Belarusian territory to send troops and weapons into Ukraine. He has also welcomed a continued Russian armed presence in Belarus, including joint military camps and exercises, as well as the deployment of some of Russias tactical nuclear weapons there. Demchenko told Ukrainska Pravda on Saturday that as of this week, some 2,000 troops from regular Russian army units remained stationed in Belarus. Employees remove the PMC Wagner Centre logos from their closed office in Saint Petersburg, on July 2, after the group's failed mutiny a week earlier At a Friday evening gala marking the Belarusian Independence Day, Lukashenko said that the Belarusian armed forces could benefit from training by Wagner members, and asserted that the mercenaries were 'not a threat' to Belarusians. He also declared that he was 'sure' Belarus would not have to use the nuclear weapons deployed to its territory, and would not get directly involved in Moscows war against Ukraine. 'The longer we live, the more we are convinced that (nuclear weapons) should be with us, in Belarus, in a safe place. 'And I am sure that we will never have to use them while we have them, and the enemy shall never set foot on our soil,' Lukashenko said. Ioan Gruffudd and Alice Evans are officially divorced, two years after announcing their split following 14 years of marriage, DailyMail.com can reveal. In a court order handed down in LA Superior Court on Monday, Judge Josh Freeman Stinn finally granted Gruffudd's request for divorce amid the couple's ongoing custody battle. The Welsh actor had filed for bifurcation and termination of marital status on May 18 which would allow him and Evans to be declared legally divorced even as they continue settlement negotiations in their split. Ioan Gruffudd and Alice Evans were declared legally divorced on Monday, two years after the actor filed for divorce after 14 years of marriage In December 2022, the Welsh actor filed for custody and visitation rights to see his children, Elsie, now 9, and Ella, 13. He is pictured with his estranged wife, Alice Evans, and daughters in 2018 In a court order handed down in LA Superior Court Monday, Judge Josh Freeman Stinn granted 'judgment for dissolution of marriage as to status only' A minute order obtained by DailyMail.com show the judge approved the request on July 3, ruling: 'The Court finds irreconcilable differences have arisen in the marriage and grants judgment for the dissolution of marriage as to status only, effective today.' While the move means Gruffudd and Evans are now officially ex-husband and ex-wife, it's likely the pair's bitter legal battle is far from over. The couple who met while co-starring in the 2000 Disney film 102 Dalmatians are continuing to thrash out the arrangements for both their divorce and custody of their daughters, Ella, 13 and Elsie, nine. The latest saga has seen Gruffudd, 49, sensationally accuse his ex-wife of setting up fake Twitter accounts to brand him and his new girlfriend Bianca Wallace 'child abusers' after daughter Ella applied for a temporary restraining order against Gruffudd and Wallace, 30. Gruffudd filed for divorce in March 2021, shortly after Evans claimed on social media that her husband of 14 years was walking out on her and their two daughters. The actress tweeted at the time: 'Sad news. My beloved husband/soulmate of 20 years, Ioan Gruffudd, has announced he is to leave his family, starting next week. 'Me and our young daughters girls are very confused and sad. We haven't been given a reason except that he "no longer loves me." I'm so sorry.' The couple's split would only grow more acrimonious from there, with Evans making headlines with a slew of public statements and accusations against her estranged husband. After months of pointed tweets and social media posts made by Evans, Gruffudd responded by filing for a restraining order, submitting 113 pages of unhinged texts and emails that had not previously been made public. Gruffudd filed for divorce in March 2021, shortly after Evans claimed on social media that her husband of 14 years was walking out on her and their two daughters In court papers filed May 31,, Ella, the couple's teenage daughter sought a restraining order against her famous father and his girlfriend Bianca Wallace Alice and Ioan met on the set of 2000 Disney Film 102 Dalmatians and married in 2007 In his court filing, Gruffudd claimed he told Evans that he wanted out of the marriage in August 2020 and that since then, she had harassed him with hundreds of unanswered text messages, abusive emails and social media posts many of which he included in the filing. Having previously been awarded a temporary restraining order against his estranged wife, Gruffudd successfully obtained a three-year restraining order against Evans in August 2022. Harsher restrictions were put in place by a US judge, including a ruling preventing Alice from leaking private text messages from their children. Evans appeared in court in February 2023 to answer two charges of violating a restraining order that was put in place by her estranged husband. The warring former couple were scheduled to appear later that month at a custody hearing but Evans asked for a postponement. In documents filed at the Los Angeles Superior Court on May 31, the pair's teenage daughter asked for a restraining order against her famous father and his girlfriend. Ella claimed in her court filing that Bianca Wallace had 'slammed a door on her head'. The judge turned down the application and appointed her and her younger sister a minors counsel In the documents, Ella stated that she is 'afraid' of her father and accuses him of 'threatening to call the police on her anytime she misbehaves' during their visitations. Ella filed for a domestic violence restraining order against her father following what she said was an ugly incident at their home, during which she claims Bianca 'slammed a door on her head'. On June 24 Judge Freeman Stinn at the Los Angeles Superior Court turned down her application and also appointed a minors counsel a lawyer appointed by the court to represent the best interests of the child to act for Ella and her younger sister Elsie. It was the latest development in what has been an extraordinary domestic drama which has been played out in public. Weeks before, Gruffudd had filed court documents that accused Evans of setting up fake Twitter accounts to brand him and Wallace 'child abusers'. He also claimed that Evans screamed at him outside his Los Angeles home and called him a 'f***ing abuser' and 'abusive c***' in front of Ella. Both are seeking custody of the children. Former Daily Telegraph owner Sir Frederick Barclay and his ex-wife are trying to reach an out-of-court settlement after a long-running fight over money, a judge has been told. Sir Jonathan Cohen considered the latest stage of the dispute between Sir Frederick, 88, and Lady Hiroko Barclay, who is also in her 80s, at a hearing in the Family Division of the High Court in London on Tuesday. Barrister Stewart Leech KC, who represents Lady Barclay, told the judge that the pair had been 'trying to resolve the matter' and needed more time. The judge said he would reconsider the case on Wednesday. In May 2021, Sir Jonathan ordered Sir Frederick to hand Lady Barclay lump sums totalling 100million following the breakdown of their 34-year marriage. Retired businessman Sir Frederick Barclay (pictured) and his ex-wife are trying to reach an out-of-court settlement after a long-running fight over money, a judge has been told. Sir Jonathan Cohen considered the latest stage of the dispute between Sir Frederick, 88, and Lady Hiroko Barclay, (pictured) who is also in her 80s, at a hearing in the Family Division of the High Court in London on Tuesday Sir Jonathan said then that Sir Frederick had behaved in a 'reprehensible' fashion during the litigation. Lady Barclay, who petitioned for divorce on the grounds of unreasonable behaviour, has complained Sir Frederick has not paid her as ordered and alleged that he was in contempt of court. The judge subsequently ruled that Sir Frederick was in contempt as a result of failing to pay around 245,000, which he owed his ex-wife for legal fees and maintenance. Pictured: Sir David Barclay (left) and his twin brother Sir Frederick pose after receiving their knighthoods from the Queen at Buckingham Palace on January 18, 2004. Sir David died aged 86 in January 2021 after a short illness. Lady Barclay, who petitioned for divorce on the grounds of unreasonable behaviour, has complained Sir Frederick has not paid her as ordered and alleged that he was in contempt of court Sir Frederick and his twin brother, Sir David Barclay, were among the UK's most high-profile businessmen. Sir David died aged 86 in January 2021 after a short illness. Their interests included the Telegraph Media Group and The Ritz hotel in London. The family also has links to the Channel Islands and Monaco. Sir Jonathan has been told that Sir David's sons Aidan and Howard Barclay now have day-to-day responsibility for 'group business'. Robert De Niro's daughter has described holding her son Leandro for the final time in a heartbreaking Instagram post shared the day after he died. Writing on Monday, Drena De Niro, 51, said she held her 18-year-old son 'for the last time' at a funeral home, saying: 'my heart is broken forever'. The teenager's lifeless body was found sitting in a chair beside white powder inside a $950,000, one-bedroom apartment in the Cipriani Club Residences on Wall Street, New York, on Sunday, and a cause of death has not yet been confirmed. His mother - an American actress adopted by De Niro after the actor married her mother, Diahnne Abbott in 1976 - announced his death on Monday, saying: 'I wish that love alone could have saved you'. She later added a close-up monochrome photograph of Leandro laughing, thanking friends and family members who had offered support in the wake of his unexpected death. Drena De Niro posted a monochrome photograph of her 18-year-old son Leandro on Instagram, along with a heart-breaking caption about holding him for the final time at a funeral home Drena, 51, announced the tragic loss of Leandro on Monday, not revealing his cause of death but declaring 'I wish that love alone could have saved you' (Leonardo pictured with Drena and grandfather Robert) 'I can barely type through my tears but all the love, the messages, calls, texts, emails, the friends and family that held me up these last 24 hrs Ive not been able to respond yet but were grateful for the all your love and condolences,' she said. 'None of this is right or fair and my heart hurts in a way I never knew possible while still breathing and barely functioning. 'Leo my darling I love you today like the first day I held you in my arms.' The grieving mother added that she was taken to the funeral home where she 'touched and held' her son for the final time, by the same driver who picked them up from the hospital when he was born. 'You were kindness acceptance and love and I cant believe any of this is real YOU made everything bearable and every burden lighter,' she added. Drena De Niro's heart-breaking post about holding her 18-year-old son for the 'last time' 'You didnt deserve to die like this but I can only believe that God needed a strong powerful angel in their army. 'Im holding you every second of every moment in my heart and memories until Im with you again. My heart is broken forever. 'Me daddy and your family love you , I love I love you with every beat of my crying heart.' She also shared a series of photographs of Leandro with her 27.5k followers on her Instagram Story, including some of him as a younger child. Leandro's father, artist Carlos Rodriguez, posted a black square on Instagram on the day of his son's death. Rodriguez has been quieter in the wake of the tragedy, but he too recently shared a reel showing photographs of Leandro and their family, featuring the song Blessings by Hollow Coves. He shared the reel alongside the caption: 'Thank you for your messages of support. 'Drena De Niro and our families are grateful. You can't spell love without Leo.' Robert De Niro also released a statement about his grandson's death, saying he was 'deeply distressed' and appreciated the condolences which had poured in for his family. 'Im deeply distressed by the passing of my beloved grandson Leo,' he said. 'Were greatly appreciative of the condolences from everyone. We ask that we please be given privacy to grieve our loss of Leo.' Aspiring actor and director Leandro was following in his mother and grandfather's career footsteps, landing small roles in 2018's A Star Is Born and Cabaret Maxime and 2005's The Collection. Leandro's mother - an American actress adopted by De Niro after the actor married her mother, Diahnne Abbott in 1976 - announced his death on Monday, saying: 'I wish that love alone could have saved you' Aspiring actor and director Leandro was following in his mother and grandfather's career footsteps, landing small roles in 2018's A Star Is Born and Cabaret Maxime and 2005's The Collection. His mother Drena was adopted by De Niro, and took his surname, after the actor married her mother, Diahnne Abbott, in 1976. She had a relatively transient lifestyle thanks to her father's vibrant career and split her time between New York City, Los Angeles, and Italy. Drena left school and explored the arts, turning her hand to a whole host of career paths including modeling, DJing and fashion consulting. She eventually decided to follow in De Niro's footsteps and soon found her feet as an actress and filmmaker. Her first role was in Allison Anders' Grace of My Heart in 1996 and she went on to star in several of her father's films including 1999's On The Run, 2002's City By The Sea and 2002's Showtime. De Niro split with Drena's mother in 1988 but the Hollywood A-lister remained in her life nonetheless. She made him a grandfather in 2003 when she welcomed Leandro with her then-boyfriend Carlos Rodriguez. Drena, who currently lives in New York, has since turned her attention to directing, and she also describes herself as being trained in Muay Thai and martial arts. At 51, Drena is five years older than his oldest biological child, Raphael, with Abbott. Raphael, 46, works as a Manhattan estate agent whose celebrity clients have included Jon Bon Jovi and Renee Zellweger. Final post: Robert De Niro 's grandson Leandro De Niro Rodriguez also appeared in a heartbreaking social media post shared by his mother Drena on Mother's Day Parents: De Niro adopted Diahnne Abbott's daughter after the pair married in 1976 (pictured together in New York in 1977) De Niro also has two children twins Aaron and Julian from his relationship between 1988 and 1995 with former model and actress Toukie Smith. They were conceived via IVF and delivered by a surrogate mother. In 1998, he also had a son, Elliot, and in 2011, a daughter, Helen, (also born via surrogate) during a stormy 20-year marriage to his second wife, former flight attendant Grace Hightower. In May, the 79-year-old actor confirmed that he'd welcomed his seventh child. There has been no official confirmation of the mother's identity but his significantly younger girlfriend, Tiffany Chen, 43, was photographed prior with what appeared to be a baby bump. Warrender, 32, allegedly entered Turnberry Towers in Las Vegas, fired one shot before his rifle malfunctioned and attempted to leave the building An employee of Turnberry Towers in Las Vegas has been called a 'hero' after taking down a gunman armed with a rifle. The suspect, identified as Andrew Warrender, entered the building's lobby around 3:15pm on Friday June 23 and allegedly shot his Stag 6.8 rifle at an employee, according to the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department. Warrender, 32, only managed to fire one round before his weapon malfunctioned, getting a casing stuck in the ejection port, and he was shot in return by a security guard, the arrest report reads. One resident told KTNV the employee was 'a hero' that deserved recognition for stepping in. 'Warrender appears to have a malfunction of the rifle and tries to fix it,' police wrote. Warrender, 32, only managed to fire one round before his weapon malfunctioned The suspect, identified as Andrew Warrender, entered the Turnberry Tower's (pictured) lobby around 3:15pm on Friday June 23 'He then places the rifle back into his shoulder and again aims the rifle in the direction [of the victim] as he is crouched below the counter. 'Warrender's finger appeared to press the trigger but because the firearm malfunctioned, no bullet was discharged.' Police said surveillance footage reviewed by the department shows Warrender walking toward the front entrance and leaving through a revolving door with his weapon, where he is shot by the security officer. Officers found Warren on the floor in front of the building's main entrance on Karen Avenue, 3 News reported. The incident has been described as an 'isolated incident' by the LVPD. 'I want to dispel any reports of any active assailant or any active shooter situations, that was not the case here today,' Lt. Noe Esparza with the Convention Center Area Command for Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department told 8 News. 'The community is safe, this appears to be an isolated incident.' Warrender was taken to hospital in critical condition where he received surgery and has to be sedated during his recovery, police said. Officers found Warren on the floor in front of the building's main entrance on Karen Avenue Surveillance footage appears to show Warrender leaving the building through the main entrance on Karen Avenue According to the arrest report the gunman was shot in return by a security guard The security guard is believed to have shot the suspect and held him at gunpoint before police arrived on the scene Witnesses who work at Turnberry Towers (pictured) told police that Warrender often stayed at the complex He was booked in absentia on suspicion of attempted murder and assault with a deadly weapon. Witnesses who work at Turnberry Towers told police that Warrender often stayed at the complex, 3 News reported. One described him as 'socially awkward' but said that carrying a rifle was 'very out of the ordinary.' The witness claimed to have asked Warrender if he was okay, to which he responded that he was not. Some commentators have argued that the security guard should have received greater public recognition and praise for his actions. Amy Swearer, a senior legal fellow at the Heritage Foundation, wrote on Twitter that the 'Las Vegas Police have gone out of their way to downplay it, while the media have shown basically zero interest' in the case. Las Vegas Police Department did not immediately respond to DailyMail.com's request for comment. An Algerian immigrant illegally living in the UK who raped a university student in a terrifying city centre attack has been jailed for eight and faces deportation. Marwen Darwish, 23, found the victim drunk and distressed in Newcastle, then carried her into a secluded alleyway and raped her. After the sex attack he 'added insult to injury' by stealing the woman's mobile phone, which he later sold in Manchester. Newcastle Crown Court heard the woman was unconscious and does not remember what the stranger did to her during the attack, which was captured on CCTV. Darwish, of Parish Court, Byker, Newcastle, admitted rape, theft and possessing a small amount of class C drug and now faces automatic deportation on completion of an eight year jail sentence. He will be on the sex offenders register for life. Algerian immigrant Marwen Darwish (pictured), 23, who raped a university student in a terrifying attack in Newcastle city centre while living in the UK illegally has been put behind bars and faces deportation At Newcastle Crown Court (pictured) Darwish, of Parish Court, Byker, Newcastle, admitted rape, theft and possessing a small amount of class C drug and now faces automatic deportation on completion of an eight year jail sentence The court heard the student had been out in Newcastle city centre, drinking to excess and was in a 'highly vulnerable and distressed state' when she was targeted in the early hours of the morning. Mr Recorder Tony Hawks told Darwish: 'Any decent human being, seeing her in that condition, would have gone to her assistance or called the emergency services. 'You did neither. What you did was in fact to carry her to a secluded alleyway and took advantage of her condition. 'Fortunately she has no recollection of that.' Recorder Hawks added: 'Having raped her and stolen from her you walked away with utter contempt for her well being or safety. 'It is inevitable that any conduct of this sort will have a lasting effect on the victim, regardless of whether they can remember what happened or not. 'It is apparent your behaviour has had a serious effect on that young woman's enjoyment of her life.' Recorder Hawks said it is hoped the fact that Darwish will serve a prison sentence and then be automatically deported may help her put her life back together. He added that Darwish will serve two thirds of the jail term imposed then be subject to automatic deportation. The court heard has no previous convictions recorded against him. Penny Hall, defending, said Darwish was not out looking for vulnerable women that night. Miss Hall added: 'Clearly he will be deported.' Prosecutor Claire Wright, of CPS North East, said: 'Marwen Darwish claimed in his first interview with police that he had only met a woman in a bar that evening before leaving by himself. 'Unbeknown to him, his movements had been captured on various CCTV cameras around the city. As well as showing him targeting the woman, who was barely capable of walking at the time, it also showed him leading her to a secluded spot in the New Bridge Street area and committing the offences before fleeing the scene. 'On being presented with the CCTV, Darwish then claimed that he had carried out these acts with full consent from the woman involved. However, it is very clear from the evidence that his victim was so heavily intoxicated that she lacked the capacity to give informed consent. Darwish's actions following the attack also suggested that he was aware that he had forced himself upon his victim against her will. 'The Crown Prosecution Service has worked very closely with Northumbria Police to build a robust case against Marwen Darwish, which has led to him pleading guilty to multiple charges against him. The impact of his actions on his victim have been significant and we sincerely hope that she can find some measure of comfort in seeing her attacker sentenced today.' A 41-year-old father hiking with his family at Oregon's Multnomah Falls plummeted 200 feet to his death as his five children and wife watched in horror. Gerardo Hernandez-Rodriguez was walking along the Columbia River Highway when he tragically lost his footing and slipped down an embankment on Saturday around 2pm, on a busy trail near Multnomah Falls, about 30-miles east of downtown Portland, officials said. Witnesses said that they spotted the man walking along the trail beyond the Benson Bridge, about a half-mile from Oregon's tallest waterfall - that stands a towering 620-foot high - but then lost sight of him. His frantic wife called 911, though not all of his family were together in the same area at the time of their father's deadly fall and were not sure how he had fallen and where he had landed. Sheriff deputies along with the US Forest Service rangers were assisted by local agencies. Hernandez-Rodriguez' body was found 45-minutes after the incident directly below where he had fallen. He was pronounced deceased at the scene. Authorities said that alcohol was likely a contributing factor in the fatal fall. Gerardo Hernandez-Rodriguez, 41, plunged 200 feet to his death on Saturday afternoon while hiking at Multnomah Falls with his wife and five children The stunning Multnomah Falls and Benson Bridge where tourists stand to admire Oregon's tallest waterfall - that stands a towering 620-feet high A police spokesperson said the family was not all together at the time of the deadly fall and did not see what may have caused the tragic incident, as per a local news outlet. Pictured, the location where the man fell down the mountainside Sheriff deputies along with the US Forest Service rangers searched the base of the cliff on the south side of the historic Columbia River Highway. Officers from the Gresham Police Department assisted using a drone while firefighters from nearby Corbett prepared to rappel. Multnomah County Sheriff's Department Spokesperson John Plock said, in part. 'Mom, Dad, five kids were all here enjoying a beautiful day. And unfortunately, a tragic accident happened.' The family asked not to be contacted by the media and is requesting privacy, as per a news release. Corbett Fire chief Rick Wunsch told KATU-TV. 'The first big holiday weekend...that's not the way we want to start our season.' Chris Liedle, communications director with the Multnomah County Sheriff's Department told DailyMail.com that the fall occurred in the lower section and weather conditions that day were dry and sunny. Angel Salvador organized a GoFundMe to help raise funds for Hernadez-Rodriguez's funeral and share the devastating news. 'He was an amazing husband and incredible father to 5 kids. Now there's a single mom with 5 kids and she need help with the funeral,' Salvador wrote. 'He was one of our best co-workers here at the restaurant. He was super hardworking, would get along with everyone here at the restaurant, never had no problem with anyone.' He added: 'This will go directly to his family for the funeral and expenses. anything would be greatly appreciated. Gerardo's family thanks you all for the love and support.' As of Tuesday afternoon, nearly $4,800 was raised towards their goal of $20,000. Witnesses said that they spotted the man walking along the trail beyond the Benson Bridge, about a half-mile from Oregon's tallest waterfall - that stands a towering 620-foot high- but had lost sight of him Angel Salvador organized a GoFundMe to help raise funds for Hernandez-Rodriguez's funeral and share the devastating news In 2022, a 62-year-old woman who was hiking in the same area with a group of friends died after a fatal head injury. A public safety message was issued the day the news of Hernandez-Rodriguez's death. 'We encourage all who come to hike and explore the Columbia River Gorge to be prepared. Before leaving home, learn more about the hiking trail or destination, consider footwear and pack the ten essentials. 'On the trail, be aware of your surroundings, watch where you step and keep children in reach.' Liedle said more than two million people visit Multnomah Falls each year, and said its one of the most visited destinations in Oregon. Though he could not give an exact number, he estimates that about half of all visitors hike the trail to the top of the falls, which is about a mile in length and 650 feet in elevation gain. 'Its a pretty solid climb. The trail is broken pavement and gravel in the lower sections, with gravel, dirt and protruding rocks in the upper sections,' he said. 'Rocky trails are normal here due to the landscape being shaped by volcanoes.' Michael Gove today told local council staff they should copy taxpayers who fund their wages and work a 'full five-day week'. The Levelling Up Secretary claimed those who pay council tax 'deserve' to see those working in local government doing 'a full working week'. It comes after the Government ordered Liberal Democrat-run South Cambridgeshire District Council to immediately end its trial of a four-day working week. There has been growing interest in four-day week experiments in Britain and globally, with some businesses praising the shift to a shorter working week. But the Government has deemed it inappropriate for local authorities. Mr Gove this afternoon told council leaders he backed the move by Lee Rowley - a junior minister in his Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities - to order South Cambridgeshire to end its experiment. Michael Gove claimed those who pay council tax 'deserve' to see those working in local government doing 'a full working week' It comes after the Government ordered Liberal Democrat-run South Cambridgeshire District Council to immediately end its trial of a four-day working week Bridget Smith - the Lib Dem leader of South Cambridgeshire District Council 'The key thing is that I believe very strongly, as indeed does the minister for local government, that when taxpayers are paying for services, they need to have people working a full five-day week,' he told the Local Government Assciation conference in Bournemouth. 'It seems to me that for every penny that is paid in council tax, we deserve, all of us, to see those working in local government working what is a full working week for those who are council taxpayers as well. 'Of course, it will be the case that each individual local authority will have different ways of leading and motivating those who work for them. 'But I'm a strong believer that a five-day working week is what so many of our other citizens are facing, and they need to work those five days in order to be able to pay their council tax and meet their other needs. 'A five-day working week seems to me to be what we should expect of people in public service who are having their wages paid by those council taxpayers.' Mr Rowley, in a letter dated 30 June, wrote to Bridget Smith - the Lib Dem leader of South Cambridgeshire District Council - to 'ask that you end your experiment immediately'. He said he had concerns about 'value for money' for local taxpayers over the council's four-day week trial, which it had announced it would extend until next April. 'As I am sure you are aware, all councils are expected to ensure that finite and valuable taxpayers' money is used in a way which demonstrates value for money something which paying employees for an extra day of work that is not carried out is unlikely to demonstrate,' he wrote. 'I strongly believe in the ability of councils to innovate and find new ways to discharge their responsibilities yet removing up to 20 per cent of the capacity to do those activities is not something which should be acceptable for a council seeking to demonstrate value for money for its taxpayers and residents. 'Whilst some private sector organisations may choose to experiment with their own capital and capacity regarding 'four-day working weeks', local government should not do the same.' South Cambridgeshire District Council is now seeking a meeting with ministers over the row. Ms Smith claimed her council's performance had been 'maintained, and in some cases improved' in the first three months of the trial. She also said the council had been successful in filling previously 'impossible to fill' vacancies since the experiment began. 'I was surprised to receive Mr Rowley's letter and we have written to him to request a meeting with ministers to discuss this matter,' the council leader said in a statement. 'This is a trial, but we have already seen strong independently assessed evidence which showed that performance was maintained, and in some cases improved, in the first three months. 'At the start of our trial we were carrying a 2 million annual agency bill. During the first three months of the trial, we filled four permanent posts that had previously been impossible to fill. 'This has reduced our annual bill by 300,000. 'As time goes on it is becoming increasingly clear that recruitment has been positively affected, both in terms of the quality and number of applicants, and the consequent success in filling vacant posts.' A game of Internet Clue has broken out on social media as Americans share memes about the cocaine found at the White House over the holiday weekend. Mystery ensued on Tuesday following reports that a suspicious white powder that turned out to be the narcotic was found at the White House library on Sunday, sparking a hazmat situation and forcing an evacuation. The discovery came two days after recovering addict Hunter Biden, 52, was last seen at the White House, and internet trolls took joy in speculating on the culprit. There is no suggestion the cocaine found at the White House belongs to Hunter Biden. Investigators are still probing the white powder and where it came form. The library is open to tours by the public and regularly sees high footfall throughout the day. A game of Internet Clue has broken out on social media as Americans share memes about the cocaine found at the White House over the holiday weekend There is no suggestion the cocaine found at the White House belongs to Hunter Biden, but many still mocked the president's son on Twitter One meme showed Al Pacino's iconic Scarface character and the words: 'Hunter Biden chillin at the White House' Still, Americans took to Twitter to make light of the issue and share memes mocking the president and his son. The term 'cocaine' even became a trending topic on Twitter on Tuesday. One meme shared on Twitter featured a Clue game board and made fun of the mystery behind the drugs. It said: 'Hunter Biden with the drugs in the library.' 'It's as funny as the game of Clue,' read a differentTweet. 'Hunter Biden, with the 8 Ball, in the Library. 'Honestly, as much as I would like to believe it was him. Somehow I can't place him in any library, never mind the one in the White House. 'White lines in the White House.' Another meme showed Al Pacino's iconic Scarface character and the words: 'Hunter Biden chillin at the White House.' The Biden family arrived back at the White House for Independence Day celebrations as the Secret Service continues to investigate the finding. U.S. Secret Service spokesman Anthony Gulielmi told the Washington Post that they are conducting further testing to confirm if the substance is the illegal drug. He also said that President Joe Biden was not in the executive mansion when the substance was discovered. One of the meme shows president Biden shielding his son as he lights a crack pipe. The president and his son maintain that he has kicked his addiction A different meme mocked the MyPillow ads, writing 'MY KILO!!' on an edited image of Hunter holding a bag full of white powder 'It's as funny as the game of Clue,' read one Tweet shared on Tuesday A uniformed member of the USSS found the white powder substance while conducting a routine round through the White House. Authorities are investigating how the cocaine got into the White House. The president and his son maintain that he has kicked his addiction. Most recently, the younger Biden reached a plea deal with Justice Department prosecutors to avoid jail time after lying on a federal form to purchase a firearm. He checked a box claiming that he did not use and was not addicted to illegal substances a fact that would disqualify him from buying the gun. The form contradicting the timelines and claims made in Hunter Biden's own memoir. Biden critics and conservative decried Hunter's plea deal, claiming that anyone other than the president's son would receive jail time for the same offense. The deal also saw Hunter plead guilty to two tax misdemeanors. Kevin Spacey allegedly sexually assaulted a stranger at his luxury Cotswolds holiday home after drink driving a group of young men there for a 'party', a court has heard. The Oscar-winning actor is said to have invited a group he had just met in a pub back to his rented home, where he had laid out 20-to-30 pre-rolled cannabis joints and told them to 'help yourselves'. Despite spending several hours drinking double Jack Daniels and coke, the 63-year-old allegedly drove a group of six back to the drug-laden property where he is accused of groping a 23-year-old man. Today the alleged victim said Spacey went for a hug but suddenly grabbed his crotch and kissed him on the neck, telling him: 'Be cool'. Shocked, the man pushed him against a wall and fled the property in tears to the 'panic' of the Hollywood star, he said. Kevin Spacey allegedly sexually assaulted a stranger at his luxury Cotswolds holiday home after drink driving a group of young men there for a 'party', a court has heard (pictured outside court today) Southwark Crown Court, London, heard that the complainant had only met Spacey a few hours earlier when he appeared at a pub known to be a favourite with celebrities including Kate Moss and Gary Barlow. The actor asked to join him and his friends, who drank together for around three hours before Spacey allegedly said: 'If you want to carry on the party I have got drink, wine and beer back at the house and a few spliffs.' The witness recalled that the star, whom his friends jokingly called 'K-Dog', started touching him in the pub: 'There were a few moments where he had put his hand on your back, (or) pat you on the back, or put his hand on your knee or something. 'It was not anything that we thought too much about, just sort of moved to the side or moved his hands away.' Spacey was renting the property on an exclusive private estate while he worked as artistic director of The Old Vic theatre. When he arrived at the lakeside home the alleged victim said he saw '20-30' joints lying around in the living room and kitchen which 'someone had rolled' for him . The alleged victim asked to borrow a jacket so he could smoke outside on the balcony. He recalled: 'I opened two or three doors, the last door I opened his little dog shot out, so I turned around, got the dog. I turned round and closed the door behind me. Actor Kevin Spacey leaves Southwark Crown Court in London trial over sexual offence allegations 'Kevin was five yards away from me. I said, 'sorry I didn't mean to let your dog out'. 'He came towards me in a huggy motion and said 'don't worry about it. It's cool, it's cool'. 'Then we did an awkward man-hug, a pat on the back type of thing and it was then that he kissed down my neck twice and grabbed my crotch and said the words, 'Be cool, be cool' twice. 'I put my arm out and I pushed him against a wall and said; 'Sorry I don't bat for that team'. 'He had an immediate panic, went into a room and closed the door behind him.' The 'teary' witness immediately left and called his father at 3am. 'I rang my father in a bit of a panicky state. He asked me what was wrong, what happened and that's when I knew that the date was 1 April and he wouldn't believe me. 'It was April Fool's Day, everyone would think it's just a joke,' he told police. The victim said the attack left him unable to watch Spacey's films, but it became a 'running joke' with friends that he had been groped by an Oscar-winner best known for his films, American Beauty, the Usual Suspects, LA Confidential and Baby Driver. Spacey is accused of carrying out a dozen sex attacks on four younger men between 2001 and 2013. The defendant denies three counts of indecent assault, seven counts of sexual assault, one count of causing a person to engage in sexual activity without consent, and one allegation of causing a person to engage in penetrative sexual activity without consent. The trial continues. More than 2,000 rotten officers could be sacked following a major overhaul of the police disciplinary system set to be announced this month, the Mail can reveal. Following a succession of shocking scandals that have exposed flaws in the police vetting process, ministers will publish 'radical' changes to make it easier to weed out rogue cops. A review into the process for dismissing police officers was launched this year after the murder of Sarah Everard by Scotland Yard officer Wayne Couzens and the jailing of his colleague, prolific rapist David Carrick. The Mail understands that a plan to 'radically overhaul' the process for getting rid of officers who commit misconduct is now going through final clearance and is set to be published within weeks. Government sources estimate some 2,000 police officers who are still in the ranks despite being accused of crimes including sexual assault and corruption could be sacked under the measures. A review into the process for dismissing police officers was launched this year after the murder of Sarah Everard by Scotland Yard officer Wayne Couzens (pictured) and the jailing of his colleague, prolific rapist David Carrick At the end of last year, Metropolitan Police commissioner Sir Mark Rowley said there were more than 500 officers in his force who are 'suspended or restricted because of misconduct investigations' but that he is unable to sack them. The Metropolitan Police employs about a quarter of all officers in England and Wales. Sources expect the scale of misconduct at the Met to be replicated across other forces, meaning about 2,000 officers could be dismissed under the new rules. The proposals will require all misconduct panels to be chaired by chief constables - sidelining independent legally qualified chairmen (LQCs). LQCs were given the powers by Theresa May following fears that the system was potentially self-serving, but police commissioners have become frustrated that the chairmen have the final say on whether officers who commit serious transgressions should be sacked. Research published earlier this year found that when senior Met officers ran the force's disciplinary system many more police accused of wrongdoing were sacked than by LQCs. Ministers believe the current process is 'convoluted' and too slow, and want police chiefs to be responsible for managing who works in their force. In another change, officers who fail to maintain their vetting status would be automatically dismissed - whereas they can continue to work under current rules. And the six-stage process for removing officers for underperformance will be simplified to just two stages to make it easier to sack officers who demonstrate an inability or failure to perform their duties, sources said. Officers facing the sack would still be able to appeal the decision to a police tribunal, which the Home Office hopes will ensure sufficient checks in the system. A government source told the Mail that the proposals, worked up by policing minister Chris Philp, will ensure there is a 'more robust process' for weeding out officers who should not be serving. Carrick (pictured) passed his re-vetting after officers failed to put together a series of complaints about predatory behaviour. He was sentenced in February to a minimum of 30 years in prison for 24 counts of rape against 12 women while serving as a Met officer The source added: 'The plan is very developed and is with No 10 for final approval, and it should be published in the next few weeks. 'It will radically overhaul the process for getting rid of police officers who commit misconduct.' Once approved, the proposals could come into force within months because there is no need for new laws - and rogue officers could be dismissed as early as this year. The Home Office launched a review into the process of police officer dismissals in January following concerns about standards and culture within policing. Suella Braverman, the Home Secretary, said at the time that it needed to be 'easier to sack bad officers' and to ensure 'bureaucracy and unnecessary procedure does not prevail over ethics and common sense'. Couzens could have been identified as a sex offender six years before he abducted, raped and murdered Ms Everard. At the end of last year, Metropolitan Police commissioner Sir Mark Rowley (pictured) said there were more than 500 officers in his force who are 'suspended or restricted because of misconduct investigations' but that he is unable to sack them And Carrick passed his re-vetting after officers failed to put together a series of complaints about predatory behaviour. He was sentenced in February to a minimum of 30 years in prison for 24 counts of rape against 12 women while serving as a Met officer. READ MORE - Revealed: Wayne Couzens was on duty for the Met Police when he flashed female cyclist while totally naked four months before he raped and murdered Sarah Everard - as force is accused of missed opportunities to stop him Advertisement He had been repeatedly reported for domestic abuse since joining the police in 2001, but those allegations were not taken seriously. Couzens and Carrick both served in the Met, and a shock review earlier this year found that the force may harbour many more predatory officers. Baroness Casey, who spent a year examining Scotland Yard's culture and practices, described the Met as institutionally racist and corrupt as well as misogynistic and homophobic. She said successive Met commissioners had 'failed to ensure the integrity of its officers and the organisation'. Last month, official figures showed police officers were accused of rape at least once a week. Research by the Bureau of Investigative Journalism revealed that 301 officers from forces around the country have been accused of rape since 2018, which works out as a rate of more than one a week. Another 500 officers have been investigated for sex assault in that time, with half of those accused reported to the authorities more than once. Separate data published earlier this year showed 1,500 officers and staff were reported for attacks on women as serious as rape, domestic assault and sexual harassment, but just one per cent were sacked. Baroness Casey (pictured), who spent a year examining Scotland Yard's culture and practices, described the Met as institutionally racist and corrupt as well as misogynistic and homophobic In the six months between October 1, 2021 and March 31, 2022, a total of 1,539 officers and staff were accused of violence against women and girls by members of the public or their colleagues - but just 13 officers were dismissed. The data published in March by the National Police Chiefs Council shows that 70 per cent of misconduct cases completed in that period led to no further action and four officers were let off with written warnings. Harriet Wistrich, solicitor and director of the Centre for Women's Justice, told the Mail she welcomed the proposed changes to the policy disciplinary system. 'In principle we would welcome this change as we have seen far too many cases where officers suspected of domestic abuse or sexual misconduct remain in post and are enabled to continue using their power or status to commit further offences as happened certainly in the case of David Carrick and I think also Couzens. 'Obviously there may be employment law issues and it may depend on the reasons for failure of vetting as to whether sacking is an appropriate sanction.' Scotland Yard has opened an official investigation into allegations of a lockdown rule-breaking party in Parliament attended by a senior Tory MP. The Metropolitan Police confirmed today it has launched an official probe into a gathering on December 8, 2020, said to have been attended by Sir Bernard Jenkin. Sir Bernard, the chairman of the Liaison Committee, has faced criticism and allegations of hypocrisy from supporters of Boris Johnson after it was claimed he was at an event to mark his wife's birthday, at which drinks were served. The Harwich and North Essex MP sat on the committee that ruled last month that the ex-PM misled MPs over what he knew about Partygate lawbreaking, sparking his resignation as an MP. A Scotland Yard spokeswoman tonight said: 'Following assessment of material relating to a gathering in Parliament, the Met is opening an investigation into potential breaches of the Regulations at an event on 8 December 2020.' The force also revealed it was not investigation Mr Johnson over fresh claims that he was involved in further lockdown breaches in Downing Street and at Chequers, the PM's country pad. A spokesman said the claims 'do not meet the retrospective criteria for opening an investigation.' Sir Bernard, the chairman of the Liaison Committee, has faced criticism and allegations of hypocrisy from supporters of Boris Johnson after it was claimed he was at an event to mark his wife's birthday, at which drinks were served. The Harwich and North Essex MP sat on the committee that ruled last month that the ex-PM misled MPs over what he knew about Partygate lawbreaking, sparking his resignation as an MP. Sir Bernard, one of Mr Johnson's chief interrogators on the Privileges Committee inquiry, has remained silent now on the issue for two weeks. But fellow Tory MP Virigina Crosbie has apologised for being at the gathering a joint event to mark her birthday and that of Sir Bernard's wife Anne although she said she was there only briefly. Sir Bernard has been approached to comment. The police said they are also reopening an investigation into a party as Conservative Party headquarters in December 2020. Shocking footage of a Christmas party involving at least 24 revellers was revealed last month. Two dancing officials were shown twirling each other past signs saying 'please keep your distance' and stumbling into a table laden with buffet food. As they do so, other Tory staff members are heard laughing, with one joking that he hopes that they are not exposed for 'bending the rules.' The raucous party was organised by the campaign team of the then London Mayor candidate Shaun Bailey, now Lord Bailey, who was pictured attending but was not in the video. Several of those pictured now work for Moz Hossain, who is standing to be the Tory candidate at the next mayoral election. The Metropolitan Police has previously investigated the event, which took place on December 14, but only had a still image of the partygoers. Liberal Democrat Deputy Leader Daisy Cooper said: 'Once again Conservative politicians are facing allegations they broke the rules we were all asked to follow. 'Rishi Sunak needs to confirm he will call for honours to be stripped from anyone found to have broken the law. Anything less would make a complete mockery of his pledge to lead with integrity. 'He should also step in to stop Shaun Bailey from taking his seat as a peer while this investigation takes place. There's no way that Shaun Bailey should be allowed to join the House of Lords while he's under police investigation.' An extraordinary meeting is to be held over proposals to exhume the body of the dog buried at the former home of the Dambusters due to concerns connected to the site's use as a migrant camp. The black Labrador, called N*****, was owned by Wing Commander Guy Gibson, who led the RAF's 617 Squadron famous Dambusters raid from RAF Scampton, in Lincolnshire, in May 1943. The dog died on the eve of the raid and, as per Wg Cdr Gibson's instructions, was buried on the grounds of the Grade II-listed Hangar 2 at the base, which earlier this year was earmarked for use as accommodation for asylum seekers. The application by RAF Heritage to West Lindsey District Council, submitted in May, asked for Listed Building Consent which would allow the group to remove the grave and the memorial to the dog and move it to RAF Marham in Norfolk. In a heritage statement, Wg Cdr Erica Ferguson, of RAF Heritage, said: 'As there is now no guarantee of a sustainable heritage-focused future for Scampton with careful management and interpretation of the story of the raid and Wing Commander Gibson's dog, we believe the grave site is at risk and carries significant reputational risk given the racial slur now associated with the dog's name. Wing Commander Guy Gibson VC (right), Dambusters hero with his devoted dog. The black Labrador was killed by a hit-and-run driver just hours before Gibson led the RAF's crack 617 squadron to drop 'bouncing bombs' on German dams in May 1943 The black Labrador, called N*****, was owned by Wing Commander Guy Gibson (left), who led the RAF's 617 Squadron famous Dambusters raid from RAF Scampton, in Lincolnshire, in May 1943. The application by RAF Heritage to West Lindsey District Council, submitted in May, asked for Listed Building Consent which would allow the group to remove the dog's grave (right) and the memorial to the dog and move it to RAF Marham in Norfolk Wg Cdr Erica Ferguson, of RAF Heritage, said: 'Ideally the grave would remain at Scampton as part of the important story in the location hugely significant parts of the RAF, and indeed the nation's, story but the future is now too uncertain to recommend this course of action.' Pictured RAF Scampton 'We feel it would be better to return the marker and any remains to 617 Squadron. 'The dog was one of the Squadron's mascots and would take care of the story for the foreseeable future. 'Ideally the grave would remain at Scampton as part of the important story in the location hugely significant parts of the RAF, and indeed the nation's, story but the future is now too uncertain to recommend this course of action. 'Recent video footage of a group known as 'Abandoned' who broke onto the base and accessed the Officers' Mess increases concern over the future of the heritage fabric of the site.' Wing Commander Guy Gibson is pictured with members of the 617 Squadron of the Royal Air Force Pictured: Wing Commander Guy Gibson (in door of aircraft) and his crew board their Avro Lancaster bomber for the squadron's raid on the Ruhr Dams, May 16, 1943 While the grave itself is not listed, the council has deemed it to be a curtilage-listed structure to the hangars at the base, meaning consent is needed for any work to be carried out. As of Tuesday, 200 comments have been made in relation to the application, with at least 170 objecting to the proposal. The public comments come from residents living in multiple areas of Lincolnshire but also as far afield as North Yorkshire, London and Scotland. The council's planning committee has been recommended to refuse at the meeting taking place on Wednesday by several bodies. They include the council's planning and conservation officers, the Scampton Heritage Group and Historic England. Historic England said: 'The story of Guy Gibson's dog is part of the wider story of Bomber Command, Wing Commander Guy Gibson and the Dambusters Raid, all of which are centred at Scampton. Wg Cdr Gibson's dog was featured in both his biography and in the 1955 film The Dam Busters. Actor Richard Todd is pictured as Gibson in the film and alongside his dog 'The dog's grave is deliberately placed at Scampton in close association with Hangar 2 and Guy Gibson's office. 'The loss of Guy Gibson's dog's grave would harm the significance of Number 2 hangar, a building listed at Grade II. 'The dog's role as a mascot, its life and death and deliberate burial adjacent to No 2 hangar, is part of the history and significance of the listed hangars. 'Furthermore, the loss of the dog and its grave reduces the heritage significance of Scampton more widely as a place.' The council's planning officer said in their comment that there were 'no identified public benefits that would outweigh the level of substantial harm' caused by the proposal. The plans to use the base as a site for up to 2,000 asylum seekers was announced in March by the Minister for Immigration, Robert Jenrick, a decision the council described as 'irrational'. The scheme has been heavily criticised by the MP for the area, Sir Edward Leigh, with a 300 million regeneration plan for the site having to be put on hold. At a High Court hearing in May, a judge ruled against the council after lawyers asked for an interim injunction preventing the Home Office from moving 'materials, equipment or people' onto the land, pending a final ruling. Police have identified the suspected gunman in the Philadelphia mass shooting that left five men dead and two children injured as 40-year-old Kimbrady Carriker. Carriker of Philadelphia was arrested shortly after the killing spree on the eve of the Fourth of July holiday in the Kingsessing neighborhood of Philadelphia, police said, according to the Philadelphia Inquirer. Five men between the ages of 15 and 59 were killed in the shooting. The fifth victim wasn't found until four hours later when an unnamed man returned home and found his son dead in the living room, his body riddled with bullet wounds. Police identified the five victims as Lashyd Merritt, 20; Dymir Stanton, 29; Ralph Moralis, 59; Daujan Brown, 15; Joseph Wamah, Jr., 31. The two children who suffered gunshot wounds to their legs were not named. They were listed in stable condition. A 33-year-old female and a two-year-old male sustained injuries from shattered glass and were listed in stable condition. The motive for the shooting is not yet known. It is not clear if any of the victims are connected or if there is any link between them and the suspect. Kimbrady Carriker, 40, of Philadelphia, was arrested shortly after a mass shooting in Kingsessing on the eve of Fourth of July that left five men dead and two children wounded Bullet holes found on the side of a parked truck are marked as police officers work at the scene the day after a shooting in the Kingsessing section of southwest Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Families had been enjoying the festivities in the neighborhood when the gunman wearing a bullet proof vest wielding an AR-style rifle and handgun opened fire on his unsuspecting victims. A mother and daughter who lived with Carriker on the 5600 block of Belmar Terrace back in 2021 were shocked to find out he was named as a suspect in the massacre. Tina Rosette, 49, told the Philadelphia Inquirer that Carriker was 'really smart, intelligent, creative,' and loved working on computer programs. Rosette added that she while she had never seen Carriker with a gun, she admitted that he had 'an aggressive approach to some things in life.' She recalled that Carriker sometimes taught people how to fight in self-defense, but she claimed he did not give them much direction about how or when to stop. But Rosette's 24-year-old daughter Cianni said that she had seen Carriker's handgun and that he was 'trying to get me comfortable around guns and stuff like that.' District Attorney Larry Krasner listens to community members who comfort each other following a mass shooting in the Kingsessing section of southwest Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Families had been enjoying the festivities in the neighborhood when the gunman wearing a bullet proof vest wielding an AR-style rifle and handgun opened fire on his victims Philadelphia police were dispatched to 56th Street and Chester Avenue around 8:30 p.m. Monday night where they found several victims and shell casings scattered on the pavement A bicycle at the scene of the shooting at 56th Street and Chester Avenue in Philadelphia Bullet holes found on the side of a parked truck are marked as police officers work at the scene the day after a shooting in the Kingsessing section of southwest Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner tweeted on Tuesday that he visited the scene of the shooting and met with community members. 'Our hearts are broken over last nights horrific shooting, and my deepest condolences go out to everyone impacted. 'I was on site this morning and met with a witness, a family member of a victim, police, neighbors and electeds.' Philadelphia police were dispatched to 56th Street and Chester Avenue around 8:30 p.m. Monday night where they found several victims. District Attorney Larry Krasner tweeted on Tuesday that he visited the scene of the shooting and met with community members y Krasner and other officials are walk through the neighborhood after last night's shooting Security camera video viewed later shows the shooter walking down the street calmly while firing at people before responding officers chased the suspect as he continued to fire. Police Commissioner Danielle Outlaw said at a news conference overnight that she did not know if the suspect was firing from his rifle or handgun at the time he was chased by cops, but confirmed he was 'actively shooting'. The officers then heard multiple gunshots further up the street on Kingsessing Avenue where they found 'multiple casings'. The cops advanced further down the street before hearing more gunshots in the area of 1800 block of Frazier Street. Officers were then able to apprehend the suspect in the rear alley of 1600 block of Frazier street and found he was armed with the rifle, handgun, multiple magazines and a police scanner. The police did not fire any shots themselves. 'Thank God our officers responded as quickly as they did. I can't even describe the level of bravery and courage that was shown,' Outlaw said. The total number of victims increased overnight and police said a fifth male victim was found four hours after the shooting when a man returned home and found his 31-year-old son dead in the living room with multiple gunshots wounds Police place a rifle in a bag on the scene of a shooting on July 3 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Officials had described the scene as covering an area of two by four blocks and said around 50 spent shell casings were found Outlaw said at a news conference that all of the victims of the mass shooting were male, including the two-year-old and the 13-year-old. A mass shooting is defined by the FBI as an incident in which at least four people are murdered with a gun. The total number of victims increased overnight and police said a fifth male victim was found four hours after the shooting when a man returned home and found his 31-year-old son dead in the living room with multiple gunshots wounds. 'We believe because of where he was found and where his house is on 56th Street, and the fact that we found ballistic evidence that matches the ballistic evidence we found on the street a few hours earlier, we believe this homicide is related,' Philadelphia Police Chief Inspector Scott Small said. Tim Eads said that Monday night he heard fireworks, then gunshots, and saw police cars 'flying by.' His wife was on the second floor 'looking out the bay window and saw the shooter actually coming down this street here behind me.' Eads saw the other man with a pistol who, he said, may have been firing at the shooter. 'He was using my car as a shield shooting out into the street,' Eads said. An evidence marker is seen as investigations are ongoing the day after a mass shooting A resident named Roger who declined to give his last name said he and his family were eating in the living room at about 8:30 p.m. when they heard eight to 10 gunshots A resident named Roger who declined to give his last name said he and his family were eating in the living room at about 8:30 p.m. when they heard eight to 10 gunshots. 'Everybody thought it was fireworks but ... been around here about three years so I heard it enough,' he said. 'I looked out the window and seen a bunch of people running.' He said he heard about four more shots and 'thought it was the end of it.' Ten minutes later, he said, police came 'flying down here,' and about five minutes later he heard rapid gunfire open up right outside the house. The Philadelphia violence is the country's 29th mass killing in 2023, the highest on record by this time in the year. And the Kingsessing neighborhood is becoming more and more dangerous, locals say. The numbers people killed in such events is also the highest by this time in the year. There have been more than 550 mass killings since 2006, according to the database, in which at least 2,900 people have died and at least 2,000 people have been hurt. Official forecasts suggest the number of small boat crossings may fall slightly this year despite judges ruling the crucial Rwanda deal is unlawful. Home Office projections say the 'most likely' scenario is 40,000 Channel crossings by end of the year, the Daily Mail can disclose, compared with 45,000 in a previous forecast drawn up at end of last year. In the whole of last year 45,728 migrants reached Britain by small boat from northern France. The new projections say that in a 'worst case' scenario, there could be 55,000 crossings by the end of this year - far lower than the previous estimate of 80,000. And in a 'best case' scenario, the numbers could fall to as low as 35,000, the projections suggest, 10,000 lower than the previous guess of 45,000. Official forecasts suggest the number of small boat crossings may fall slightly this year despite judges ruling the crucial Rwanda deal is unlawful. Pictured: Border Force officials escorting migrants ashore on June 30 Last week Prime Minister Mr Sunak (pictured today) vowed the Government - and not people smugglers - will decide who is allowed into Britain So far this year's arrivals are down more than 12 per cent on the same point last year, at 11,434. The new forecasts indicate officials believe the downturn is likely to continue for the rest of the year. It comes despite last month seeing a record number of arrivals for the month of June, with 3,824 reaching the UK. Last week the Court of Appeal ruled the Rwanda deal - which aims to send migrants to the east African nation to claim asylum there rather than here - is unlawful. A Government source said: 'We've got our fingers crossed but the impact of the Court of Appeal ruling on migrants' behaviour remains a big unknown.' If the Government can show by the end of the year that Channel crossings have turned a corner, it would be a huge relief to Rishi Sunak, who has made stopping the boats one of his five key pledges to voters. Such a development would make it easier for the Conservatives to go into the next general election showing their policies are beginning to work. The Home Office forecasts are based on trends seen so far this year as well as on intelligence material on the numbers of migrants currently thought to be in France and other countries waiting to cross the Channel. Last year arrivals by small boat peaked in August when 8,641 migrants reached the UK. The following month there were 7,961. The Home Office forecasts are based on trends seen so far this year as well as on intelligence material on the numbers of migrants currently thought to be in France and other countries. Home Secretary Suella Braverman is pictured on June 29 There were five days during 2022 when more than 1,000 people arrived in a 24-hour period - the daily record was 1,295 on August 22. So far this year the busiest day was June 11 with 549, revised down from the figure originally published by the Home Office. At this stage last year there had already been a higher daily peak of 651. Last week Prime Minister Mr Sunak vowed the Government - and not people smugglers - will decide who is allowed into Britain. He spoke out after the flagship Rwanda scheme was thrown into disarray as it was blocked by appeal judges on human rights grounds. Senior judges said sending any migrants to Rwanda would be 'considered a breach of Article 3' of the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR), which prohibits torture and ill-treatment. The Prime Minister said he 'fundamentally disagreed' with the Court of Appeal's judgment. It was the second time the Rwanda scheme has been blocked by human rights laws - after Strasbourg judges intervened to stop the first charter flight to Kigali just over a year ago. Mr Sunak confirmed the Government will seek permission to appeal the decision in the Supreme Court. Officials have until Thursday to submit initial appeal paperwork. A conspiracy theorist has accused a father and daughter of faking their serious injuries in the Manchester Arena bombing after the pair launched a battle to sue him. Richard D Hall, a so-called 'disaster troll', made his sickening claim about Martin and Eve Hibbert in a 21-page defence document filed at the High Court. Hall has astonishingly denied the existence of the terrorist bomb at the Ariana Grande concert which killed 22 people and injured more than 1,000 others. Instead, he claims in his legal response, that the disaster was staged with the possible use of a 'pyrotechnic type device' which caused no death or serious injury. Hall also amazingly states that people supposedly injured in the attack might have been employed as 'crisis actors' to pretend it was a terrorist bomb. Mr Hall claims that the Manchester Arena bombing in 2017 was staged with pyrotechnics Eve Hibbert (pictured) and her father were injured in the attack - and are suing Richard D Hall His documents states that 'participants' may have been 'managed in readiness for a staged event' in the foyer where the bomb was detonated. His most bizarre claim is that the 22 people who were killed might have 'merely been relocated' and possibly now living in foreign countries with new identities. He also suggests that some of them might have died earlier in accidents. READ MORE: Manchester Arena bomb survivors sue conspiracy theorist who claims terror attack was staged and spied on them to try and prove they were 'actors' lying about their injuries Advertisement Mr Hibbert, 46, and Eve, 20, were severely injured when suicide bomber Salman Abedi detonated his explosive vest just 5m away from them on May 22, 2017. The father and daughter are now suing Hall after claiming he spied on them, and over his suggestions that they lied about their injuries. The pair are claiming damages of up to 50,000 from him under the Protection of Harassment Act, for misuse of their private information and breaches of the Data Protection Act. They are also seeking a restraining order against him in their groundbreaking action to prevent him making further claims. Their lawyer Neil Hudgell said: 'Martin is very determined to shut this individual down from harassing his family, and for peddling his outrageous slurs, lies and repugnant views that have caused continuing offence and distress.' Announcing the pair's intention to pursue legal action last October, Mr Hudgell said Hall had made 'outlandish claims following the Manchester Arena atrocity that our clients are not genuine and did not suffer the life-changing injuries they did'. He added: 'Several of our clients have had this man on their doorstep, taking photographs, invading their privacy in the most intrusive way. Martin and others are determined to stop this individual from continuing with his repugnant behaviour.' Hall who has written a book and produced a film on his theories about the Manchester bombing is now claiming that the case against him amounts to censorship of his 'legitimate' views. His defence document is calling for the case to be struck out by the court as an 'abuse of process'. It incredibly questions whether Mr Hibbert and his daughter were at the concert, stating that he has not seen any 'independent photographic or other evidence' placing them there. Despite the findings of Greater Manchester Police and the public inquiry held into the attack, he describes the devastating bomb as an 'incident staged to simulate serious injury or death'. His document describes the bomb as 'a pyrotechnic type device or at most a low impact bang' causing no death or serious harm. Hall, who describes himself as a journalist, broadcaster and media producer, also argues that Abedi did not die in the blast and simply ran away after dropping a bag containing a low level device. Instead he describes the Islamic extremist bomber as a 'willing and co-operative participant to carry out this scheme'. He claims in his legal papers that Abedi dropped a rucksack containing 'some kind of device' which went off making a flash, producing smoke and making a bang', leaving nobody seriously injured or dead. Hall of Twynordyn Road, Merthyr Tydfil, who runs a market stall, demands in his legal papers to see medical records proving that Mr Hibbert was left paralysed and having to use a wheelchair after being injured by shrapnel. He also wants to be shown medical records proving his daughter suffered a 'catastrophic brain injury'. He repeats his claim made in his book that Mr Hibbert mobility issues may be due to 'long term spinal issues and not from injuries sustained in a bomb blast'. As evidence of his claim, he claims to have found a quote on a physiotherapy website from Mr Hibbert, saying he had suffered from lower back pain for 15 years. Hall tries to make out that Mr Hibbert is lying by stating that X ray pictures showing nuts from Abedi's bomb inside his body 'would be easy to create using photoshop'. He also denies Mr Hibbert's claims that his actions has caused 'considerable anxiety and distress', saying that the bomb victim had previously stated in a BBC interview, 'Me, being me, I laugh it off'. Describing himself as a journalist acting in 'a professional and reasonable manner', he says his opinions in his book 'Manchester, the Night of the Big Bang' are 'honestly held' and presented in a 'logical and objective way'. He tries to dismiss evidence that the bomb contained a particular type of explosive. Hall suggest that the type of explosive would not produce a flash, but evidence from witnesses suggested there was a flash when the device went off, indicating it was 'firework or pyrotechnic device'. He goes on to suggest that casualties in images supplied to the public inquiry were 'crisis actors'. A witness who filmed the horrific scene on his mobile phone was also an actor with 'foreknowledge of what was to occur' and was playing the role of a worried parent, he claims. While failing to produce any hard evidence himself, he suggests in his document that his case is supported by the public inquiry failing to release 'images showing recognisable deceased people in the arena foyer' or pictures of seriously injured people who were recognisable. Mr Hibbert was left paralysed from the waist down after shielding his daughter from the blast The bombing left 22 people dead and hundreds more injured. Pictured are police at the scene in the aftermath of the atrocity Hall admits in his document that he knocked on Eve's door in September 2019 with the intention of speaking to her mother rather than her. But he insists he did not record or film anything where she was 'actually identifiable', and describes his actions as 'legitimate and reasonable means of enquiry' and denies acting in a 'sensational or harassing manner'. He also claims in his document that information he held about Mr Hibbert and his daughter who was aged 14 at the time of the attack was 'fair, reasonable and accurate' and did not breach data protection. Abedi's brother Hashem was convicted of murder, attempted murder and conspiracy in 2020, and jailed for life, with a minimum term of 55 years, the longest ever imposed by a British court. The Reverend Al Sharpton defended President Biden for wandering off of live television during last week's MSNBC interview. Biden was sitting with host Nicolle Wallace during Thursday's segment when the 80-year-old President got up from his chair shook Wallace's hand before he walked off the stage. The awkward on-air moment took place just as the Wallace was about to tease viewers about the upcoming segment, but she graciously thanked him for the rare interview. The video went viral with many commenting that Biden, the oldest president in US history, was confused, oblivious or lost. Biden hit back and assured voters that he 'wasn't lost.' Sharpton came to Biden's defense and said, in part, 'he probably was looking for where his meetings were going to be when he was leaving.' Biden was sitting with host Nicolle Wallace during Thursday's segment when he got up from his chair shook Wallace's hand and walked off the stage as the host was about to tease viewers on what was coming next Al Sharpton came to Biden's defense saying he 'probably was looking for where his meetings were going to be when he was leaving.' He is pictured at the 2023 Essence Festival of Culture in New Orleans The civil rights activist also referred to an article that ran in The New York Post last Thursday further defending his presidential colleague. 'He was not stumbling around. The Secret Service was directing him. I think [a producer] had the picture of him and meeting here. So, he wasn't lost,' Sharpton countered, 'I think the Post was lost.' Joe Scarborough, host of MSNBC's 'Morning Joe' also defended the President during his show on Friday as he was speaking with co-host Willie Geist. 'They act like Biden is confused. No,' Scarborough said. 'He's just... he's President of the United States. He said thank you, and I'm going to leave now.' 'People do that to us all the time and they don't end up on the frot page of the NY Post.' He added: 'He confuses Iraq and Ukraine and I get all of that stuff but some of this stuff is just ridiculous.' Did you tune in to MSNBCs #MorningJoe earlier today? I joined the table to express my outrage on the Supreme Courts decision to gut affirmative action.https://t.co/j1c8e7LS01 pic.twitter.com/UlzRYOir2X Reverend Al Sharpton (@TheRevAl) June 30, 2023 Joe Scarborough, host of MSNBC's 'Morning Joe' defended the President during his show on Friday as he was speaking with co-host Willie Geist (pictured right) The video went viral with many commenting that Biden, the oldest president in US history, was confused, oblivious or lost, the reason that prompted him to make an early exit. Biden hit back and assured those in queston that he 'wasn't lost' MSNBC host Nicolle Wallace handled the strange moment like a pro and told viewers: 'Don't go anywhere,' as Biden was seen walking behind her. The 20-minute interview featured Biden talking about the Supreme Court's ruling last week outlawing affirmative action in higher education acceptance decisions. During the segment, he argued that 'the vast majority of the American people don't agree with a lot of the decisions this court is making.' Guests who are on a cable news show, typically don't leave the set before the host announces that the show is going to a commercial break. Comments flooded in after the video hit the Internet with many trying to surmise what prompted Biden's shotgun move. 'Bathroom run?,' Media Research Center associate editor Nicholas Fondacaro said, the Post reported. Jim Pfaff, media and political consultant tweeted: 'Oh goodness! Joe Biden is really lost.' Cabinet considered the update on Sundry Initiatives towards a US$12 billion Mining Industry by 2023 as presented by the Minister of Mines and Mining Development, Honourable Wiston Chitando. The nation is reminded that Cabinet in April 2021 banned the export of lumpy chrome ores with immediate effect and export of chrome concentrates effective from July 2022. Chrome mineralization occurs mainly in two forms namely: lumpy ores which are fed straight into furnaces; and alluvial ores, like sands, which are upgraded into higher value sands for feeding into furnaces, commonly referred to as chrome concentrates. With the technology currently in use on most of the furnaces in the country, unless the concentrates undergo an agglomeration process, there is a limit to the extent to which they can be utilised in the furnaces. The rationale for banning the export of ores and concentrates was for companies to invest in the requisite facilities to value-add to ferrochrome. This policy still stands, and companies have started the process of constructing smelting furnaces. To enable these companies to raise the necessary capital, Cabinet has approved recommendations by the Ministry of Mines and Mining Development for the exemption on the ban of export of chrome ores by the concerned companies, in order to complete the construction and expansion of furnace and processing facilities. Following the boom in the mining sector, Government has seen it fit to broaden participation of communities in the sector. To that end, Cabinet wishes to advise the nation that it granted the request by the following traditional leaders to acquire mining titles in reserved areas for the benefit of their communities: Tefra Mining Syndicate (Chief Marange); Goromonzi Mining Trust (Three Chiefs Rusike, Chinamora, Chikwaka); Chinamhora Mining Syndicate (Chief Chinamhora); Chiwara Mining Syndicate (Chief Chiwara); Bere SP Mining Syndicate (Chief Bere); and Budiriro Mining Syndicate (Chief Chiweshe). Cabinet further granted the request by War Veterans for mining titles. Cabinet also approved the applications to correct technical anomalies in some mining syndicates. The following applications to optimize current operations were also approved: Inglehart Enterprises (Pvt) Ltd Jubilee Mine); Scarfbrook Services (Pvt Ltd); Dorcas Mining Syndicate; Moral Capital Zimbabwe (Pvt Ltd); Exodus and Company; and Premier Portland Cement, Zimbabwe. Cabinet approved a proposal through which part of the Mashava Reservations held by the Ministry of Mines and Mining Development will be allocated to eleven syndicates. These syndicates will be from each of the eight administrative districts of Masvingo Province with three other syndicates being solely for youth, war veterans and women to supply chrome ores to Zimbabwe Zhongxin Smelting Company (ZZSC). The company is a new ferrochrome smelting project based in Mashava, Masvingo Province with capacity to generate about US$88 million and create 200 jobs locally. STATE OF INDUSTRY BOOKLET Zimbabwe has achieved remarkable modernisation and industrialisation milestones under the Moving the Economy up the Value Chain and Structural Transformation pillar of the National Development Strategy 1: 2021-2025, as presented by the Minister of Industry and Commerce, Honourable Dr Sekai Nzenza, in her State of Industry Report to Cabinet. Strategies which Government is pursuing to spur industry and commerce growth include the following: improved access to funding by industry; implementation of the Local Content Strategy; promoting ease of doing business; economic empowerment; consumer protection; and the quality assurance programme. Furthermore, the following strategies have benefited industry: Tax rebates; Granting of Special Economic Zones status; Introducing the domestic currency; Support to the plastic industry; and Provision of land with title deeds to businesses domiciled in rural areas; and Going forward, the Industrial Development Corporation of Zimbabwe (IDCZ) will work closely with innovation hubs and industrial parks to commercialise value chains in the national interest. Cabinet is pleased to advise that Zimbabwes industrial sector remains highly diversified comprising 94 sub-sectors, producing about 6 000 products. The sector is also highly integrated with the rest of the economy, and Governments concerted measures to support industry, including macro-economic stability, have resulted in positive performance being recorded in manufacturing, as follows: The contribution of the value of the manufacturing sector to the countrys total value-added products increased from 15,7 percent in 2019 to 18,4 percent in 2021, and is ranked third after agriculture and mining. Manufactured exports have increased in value from US$324 million in 2021 to US$366 million in 2022, with most exported products being food, manufactured tobacco, textiles and packaging. Capacity utilisation increased from 47 percent in 2020 to 66 percent in 2022. The volumes of locally produced goods in retail shops increased from 40 percent in 2017 to 85 percent in 2022. In terms of product research, innovation, development and commercialisation, new commodities are now being locally produced on a commercial basis, such as tick grease for cattle (Contratik); grain protectants (Chamboko and Chikwapuro); cough syrup; water treatment chemicals; Covid-19 personal protective equipment (sanitisers, surgical masks, swabs, aprons, and tyvek suits); oxygen; and agricultural lime. The manufacturing sectors strong performance has also been buoyed by significant investments due to the conducive environment for sustainable private-sector operations created by the Second Republic, which it continues to enhance under the Zimbabwe is Open for Business mantra. Some significant investments are as follows: Varun Beverages plant and equipment expansion in Harare; Delta Corporation has invested about US$600 million in new manufacturing plant and equipment; Bakers Inn equipment expansion in Bulawayo; Kefalos dairy processing plant commissioned in Mhondoro; The Mega Market milling plant commissioned in Mutare; US$5,9 million investment in plant and machinery by Bata Shoe Company in the Midlands Province; US$11 million investment in plant upgrade by Sable Chemicals in Kwekwe; and Pretoria Portland Cements Colleen Bawn plant in Matabeleland South Province has a clinker production capacity of 650 metric tonnes per annum, which translates to one million tonnes of cement per annum. Meanwhile, the commerce sector currently accounts for 60 percent of the industry contribution to Gross Domestic Product, with e-commerce taking precedence in the retailing industry. The wholesale and retail sectors have witnessed massive expansion, notable among which is the establishment of the US$20 million state-of-the-art Highland Park Shopping Mall in Harare. The strong performance in the industry and commerce sector demonstrates that the Second Republic led by His Excellency the President, Cde ED Mnangagwa, is walking its talk in industrializing and modernizing the economy as well as economic growth. Cabinet would like to advise that the State of Industry Booklet detailing performance in the industry and commerce sector is available for public reference. CURRENT STATUS OF YOUTH FOCAL DESKS IN GOVERNMENT LINE MINISTRIES Cabinet received and adopted the Report on the Status of Youth Focal Desks in Government Line Ministries, as presented by the Minister of Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare, as Chairman of the Cabinet Committee on Social Services and Poverty Eradication, Honourable Professor Paul Mavima. To date, all line Ministries have appointed Youth Focal Persons and established Focal Desks at national and provincial level, as required by section 20 paragraph 1 of the Constitution. The public is invited to note and exploit the following services offered by the Desks: 1. Identifying and advertising youth development and empowerment programmes and opportunities in their respective Ministries; 2. Facilitating youth participation in the planning, implementation and monitoring of policies, programmes and projects; 3. Preparing sectoral reports and policy briefs; 4. Information and coordination of Ministry staff and youth desks in other Ministries; and 5. Researching and advising on the relevance and effectiveness of youth-related Ministry activities. Cabinet wishes to highlight that the positive results recorded by the establishment of Youth Focal Desks include the following: Youth empowerment opportunities have been availed in the agriculture, tourism, mining, manufacturing and social services sectors; Youths have been involved in and befitted from national projects spearheaded by Government such as national housing, road rehabilitation, public works, and land and livestock reform; Youths have benefited from Government scholarships, education, vocational and life skills training; Herald President Joe Biden ignored shouted questions from reporters Tuesday - as the Secret Service investigated who left cocaine in the White House in a major security breach. He delivered remarks alongside first lady Jill Biden to the National Education Association's Representative Assembly - as Hunter Biden and members of the first family gathered for Fourth of July celebrations. White powder found in the West Wing on Sunday while the president and his son were in Camp David tested positive for cocaine and forced the White House to be evacuated. Now the Secret Service is investigating, but Biden didn't address the shocking discovery during the event with educators on Tuesday afternoon. President Joe Biden (left) and first lady Jill Biden (right) virtually addressed educators attending the National Education Association's Representative Assembly in Orlando on Tuesday. Biden didn't take questions as he walked out The Bidens appeared virtually at the Orlando conference from the White House complex's South Court Auditorium. Biden condemned the use of guns in schools and told the attendees: 'By the way, arming teachers is not the answer.' Gun violence was on the brain as the president earlier Tuesday had put out a statement condemning the wave of shootings that shook American cities in the lead-up to the Fourth of July holiday. After the president's remarks to the virtual NEA crowd he beelined to the exit with Dr. Biden, ignoring reporters' shouts. The president was pressed on whether he was working on a deal with the Russians for the release of Wall Street Journal journalist Evan Gershkovich. The Kremlin has expressed an openness for another prisoner exchange. Reporters then shouted over each other as Biden walked out. The White House did put out a long statement about gun violence over the weekend. 'Over the last few days, our nation has once again endured a wave of tragic and senseless shootings in communities across America - from Philadelphia to Fort Worth, Baltimore to Lansing, Wichita to Chicago,' Biden's statement said. 'Today, Jill and I grieve for those who have lost their lives and, as our nation celebrates Independence Day, we pray for the day when our communities will be free from gun violence.' Biden also noted how the Fourth of July is the one-year anniversary of the Highland Park, Illinois shooting - in which an AR-15 was used. 'In the year since, Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker, Highland Park Mayor Nancy Rotering, legislative leaders, and numerous advocates, and gun violence survivors have fought tirelessly to turn the pain of Highland Park and other acts of gun violence into meaningful action on behalf of all Illinoisans,' Biden said. President Joe Biden (left), followed by Dr. Jill Biden (right), ignores reporters' shouted questions as he departs the South Court Auditorium Tuesday after delivering remarks to educators ahead of the White House's Fourth of July celebration Hunter Biden holds his son Beau in his arms as he arrives at the White House for the Fourth of July celebrations Cocaine discovery: A radio dispatch from the D.C. Fire Department initially suggested the white powder was found in the White House library. A Secret Service official later said it was discovered in the West Wing 'This past January, they succeeded in banning assault weapons like the one used in Highland Park as well as high-capacity magazines across Illinois,' the president continued. 'Their achievement will save lives. But it will not erase their grief.' Biden said the recent spate of shootings proved that more gun control laws needed to be implemented. 'It is within our power to once again ban assault weapons and high-capacity magazines, to require safe storage of guns, to end gun manufacturers immunity from liability, and to enact universal background checks,' the president encouraged. 'I urge other states to follow Illinois lead, and continue to call upon Republican lawmakers in Congress to come to the table on meaningful, commonsense reforms that the American people support,' he added. The majority of the sets were double boys, hospital officials said Ten sets of twins were born and were in the NICU at the same time A Los Angeles area hospital is dealing with a twin baby boom after ten sets of multiples were born and brought to the NICU within a two week time frame. Parents and hospital workers said they were shocked to find out the number of twins being treated at Cedars-Sinai Guerin Children's Hospital consecutively. 'We're used to twins, we're used to multiples, but having that many at one time is quite an accomplishment,' said Ashley Richardson, who works in the NICU. Most of the sets are double boys, and the babies range from 2 pounds to 6 pounds. 'It's comforting to see so many other families experiencing the same thing,' said Jordan Edelstein, a new dad who welcomed boy-girl twins. Cedars-Sinai Guerin Children's Hospital in Los Angeles is dealing with a 'twin baby boom' after ten sets of multiples were born and brought to the NICU within a two week time frame Mom Malka Naomi Feldman (pictured) called her new daughters a 'double blessing' Most of the sets are double boys, and the babies range from 2 pounds to 6 pounds Richardson, an RN and the NICU's assistant nurse manager, said she thinks the 'twin baby boom' could be a record for the hospital. 'I don't know what the record is, but 10 is pretty close to it,' she said. While hospital staff may be feeling slightly overwhelmed, the parents said they are on cloud nine with their new arrivals. Mom Malka Naomi Feldman called her new daughters a 'double blessing.' Feldman, a twin herself, said she wasn't surprised when she found out she was having twins but she did face some concerns when one of her twins was in distress. The babies were born at just 34 weeks while most twins are born around 36 weeks. Luckily her daughters, Sarah Taylor and Esther Higher Feldman, are both doing well. She said she and her husband were hoping to bring their daughters home soon so they could meet their two-year-old brother. 'We're used to twins, we're used to multiples, but having that many at one time is quite an accomplishment,' said Ashley Richardson (pictured) who works in the NICU 'I had always envisioned having boy and girl twins, and somehow, by the grace of God, we were able to have that vision come true,' Diana Edelstein (pictured) said Fellow mom Diana Edelstein said she is soaking up the time with her twins after going through a rough journey to become pregnant. Diana said finding out they were expecting twins was a dream come true. 'I had always envisioned having boy and girl twins, and somehow, by the grace of God, we were able to have that vision come true,' Diana said. Their twins were also born early but are doing well. They welcomed daughter Lexi Brooklyn Edelstein first and one minute later, son Cameron Cash Edelstein was born. Jordan said while they are spending the time enjoying their blessings they are also taking comfort in being in it with other parents of multiples. 'I was surprised there were two, let alone 10 sets of twins, but it's been great to connect with other parents and see their journey,' Jordan said. Samantha Pearlman who welcomed twins echoed the new dad's statement, saying her daughters' being surrounded by fellow twins has helped. Her daughters, Ava and Tessa Pearlman, were born at just two pounds each and have been in the NICU for six weeks. 'We've been keeping in touch, which is really wonderful, talking and exchanging numbers,' Pearlman said. 'It's comforting to see so many other families experiencing the same thing,' said Jordan Edelstein (right. Jordan and wife Diana (right) welcomed boy-girl twins All 20 babies were admitted into the neonatal itensive care unit after their birth New mom Samantha Pearlman whose twin daughters Ava and Tessa have been in the NICU for six weeks after they were each born at just two pounds Hospital staff said that while the nurses and doctors may be feeling slightly overwhelmed with the influx, they love having the babies around. 'Seeing all these twins brings back happy memories for me,' said Bevin Merideth, the NICU assistant director and nurse. Merideth has twin sisters and said they also spent time in the hospital, one of the reasons she became a nurse. 'We look forward to hearing from these parents and seeing photos as the twins progress at home. Perhaps next year at this time we'll have a reunion with 20 1-year-olds,' she said. A federal judge on Tuesday blocked key Biden administration agencies and officials from meeting and communicating with Big Tech companies in an extraordinary ruling that could change how social media is used. In his dramatic ruling on Tuesday, Donald Trump-appointed Judge Terry A. Doughty said that 'during the COVID-19 pandemic... the United States Government seems to have assumed a role similar to an Orwellian "Ministry of Truth"'. The injunction is in response to a lawsuit brought by Republican attorneys general in Louisiana and Missouri who claim the government engaged in censorship and shut down conservative voices. The states argued that government officials went too far in their efforts to encourage social media companies to address posts they worried could contribute to COVID vaccine hesitancy or upend elections. Government officials argued the contact was necessary to combat misinformation or thwart criminal activity. The case involved President Joe Biden's White House; Google, led by Sundar Pichai; Twitter led by Elon Musk; and Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, led by Mark Zuckerberg. A judge barred agencies and officials in President Joe Biden's administration from speaking with social media companies about content The ruling was a victory for Republicans and could curtail efforts to combat false and misleading narratives as Americans prepare for the 2024 presidential election. Many Republicans, including Trump himself, argued that conservatives were unfairly targeted and had posts removed by social media platforms. They accused Big Tech companies like Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube of censoring its critics. The attorneys general, in their filings, said the government's actions amount to 'the most egregious violations of the First Amendment in the history of the United States of America.' 'Big win for the First Amendment on this Independence Day,' wrote Missouri Attorney General Eric Schmitt on Twitter. 'Im proud to have led the fight.' Judge Terry Doughty agreed, ruling the states 'have produced evidence of a massive effort by Defendants, from the White House to federal agencies, to suppress speech based on its content.' He ruled parts of the government - including the Department of Health and Human Services, the White House, the Justice Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation - could not talk to social media companies for 'the purpose of urging, encouraging, pressuring, or inducing in any manner the removal, deletion, suppression, or reduction of content containing protected free speech.' Specifically named as being barred from contact were Surgeon General Vivek Murthy, Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre and all employees of the Justice Department and FBI. Companies involved in the case include Twitter, headed by Elon Musk And Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, headed by Mark Zuckerberg The judge said the agencies and officials could not flag specific posts to the social media platforms or request content be taken down. The government argued it did not have the authority to order posts or entire accounts removed. Officials also noted they have long cooperated with Big Tech to take action against illegal or harmful material, especially in cases criminal activities like child sexual abuse or human trafficking or to track potential terrorist activity. Neither the White House nor Big Tech companies had an immediate comment to the ruling. Judge Doughty did make an exception to allow communication in cases of national security threats, criminal activity or voter suppression. A child rapist befriended families without telling them of his sick offending history, buying gifts for youngsters who called him as 'Uncle Rob'. Robin Arnold, now aged 71, was one of two Britons jailed in 2010 by an Albanian court following their involvement with a missionary orphanage. Carlisle Crown Court heard on Tuesday that Arnold was handed a 15-and-a-half year jail term for the rape of a boy aged under 13. It was reported by Albanian media at the time that he and Dino Christodolou locked up for 20 years had worked at a care home guilty of sex crimes against minors. The founder of that orphanage in the early 2000s, charity worker David Brown, had been jailed in 2008 for 20 years. Image shows Robin Arnold, who was convicted for sex offences in 2010 and released in 2020 Christodolou and Arnold had left Albania but both were extradited from Britain and went on trial having pleaded not guilty. Arnold was released from custody in March, 2020, and is subject to an indefinite sexual harm prevention order (SHPO) which places strict conditions upon him. Ben Stanley, prosecuting, told Carlisle Crown Court that one condition banned him from living or remaining in any household in which there was a child or children unless parents or guardians knew of his sexual convictions. READ MORE: Two Britons jailed for abusing children at orphanage in Albania Advertisement 'Police became aware on June 2 of this year that the defendant had befriended a number of African families in Carlisle,' said Mr Stanley. Arnold introduced himself and offered to help them acquire furniture. 'His mobile number was shared within the community. He established connection with more people,' said the prosecutor. These included two mothers, each with three children, and a father with two youngsters. Police discovered that on several different occasions in late 2022 and early this year, Arnold had delivered furniture to their homes while children were present. Speaking of information gathered after one particular visit, in March, Mr Stanley said: 'The children were familiar with the defendant. He would being them gifts. They would refer to him as Uncle Rob.' Arnold was quizzed by police on June 8. 'He stated he had forgotten about the (SHPO) requirement to inform individuals of his offending,' said Mr Stanley. Arnold, now of Mountain View, High Hesket, near Carlisle, admitted four breaches of the SHPO and was sentenced by Judge Nicholas Barker. The judge heard Arnold who appeared bespectacled, tanned and wearing a patterned jumper as he attended court remotely over a video link from prison had four previous convictions for four offences. These included indecent assaults dating back to 1987 and also 1994. Kim Whittlestone, defending, said Arnold was aware the court would pass a prison sentence for flouting the SHPO. 'He is a 71-year-old man now. He has significant relevant convictions recorded against him,' said Miss Whittlestone. 'He maintains his denials in respect of the 2010 matter and asks me to reiterate that to the court today. He asks the court to bear in mind when one looks at his offending, to consider the totality of the sentence that will be imposed. 'He says that he became friendly with the families. His intentions were innocent. There is no evidence he has committed any offences against the children involved in these families. 'He wanted, out of his Christian beliefs, to help the families. It appears he did that in many ways. He says that the majority of the contact he had with them came through them approaching him.' Briton Dino Christodoulou, 45, left, and fellow Briton Robin Arnold, 56, 2nd left, follow their trial behind bars at the Tirana district court Tuesday, Jan. 12 , 2009 Robin Arnold, 56, follows his trial behind bars at the Tirana district court Tuesday, Jan. 12 2009 Miss Whittlestone said Arnold had informed at least one individual of his past offending, although she added: 'He was burying his head in the sand. He wants to try and live a law-abiding life with his Christian views.' Judge Barker said he could not be sure of Arnold's motive for breaching the order which, he stressed, 'is there to protect others'. But, jailing Arnold for 20 months, the judge concluded of the families: 'You deliberately deceived them. I am satisfied of that. I find that you are not a frank and remorseful person. 'You continued to seek to hide behind half-truths and lies. You perhaps deceive yourself as much as you seek to deceive others.' Judge Barker reminded that the strict court order will continue to run without limit of time, adding: 'It is not your choice to disregard the SHPO.' Speaking after he sentencing, a Cumbria police spokesman said: 'We work hard to monitor and manage people who are subject to such orders as part of our work to protect the public. 'As in this case, we will find out if people breach the terms of these preventative orders and we will do all we can to ensure they are held accountable for their offending.' CNN heavyweights Jeff Zucker, Allison Gollust and Don Lemon have been spotted dining on the Amalfi coast - amid rumors they could be plotting a bid for the embattled network. They were pictured enjoying a sunset dinner in a photograph shared by Lemon on social media, along with fellow vacationer, super-agent Jay Sures. The group met on the tiny island enclave of Ponza, close to the western coast of Italy. Lemon, 57, who was axed from CNN in April, has posted photographs of himself with husband Tim Malone celebrating the 4th of July on the Amalfi Coast, including videos of the duo jumping from boats into bright blue waters. In another Instagram post of the same trip, photographs of the wider group dining are included for a millisecond as part of a rapid-fire reel which comes with the caption: 'Making memories with great friends'. CNN heavyweights Jeff Zucker, Allison Gollust and Don Lemon have been spotted dining on the Amalfi coast - amid rumors they could be plotting a bid for the embattled network Lemon's holiday snaps also come amid rumors the network's boss David Zaslay is looking to sell it, with Zucker emerging as a frontrunner to snap it up David Zaslav, CEO of Warner Bros. Discovery, could look to sell CNN after a turbulent year, insiders claimed. He is pictured June 12, 2023 Along with Lemon, who was booted off CNN by former CEO Chris Licht as part of the network's revamp, the group includes Licht's predecessor, Zucker. Lemon's holiday snaps also come amid rumors the network's boss David Zaslay is looking to sell it, with Zucker emerging as a frontrunner to snap it up. Zucker has close business ties Abu Dhabi-based International Media Investments, and experts have warned that much of the money he would invest in CNN would come from the United Arab Emirates. Just over a year ago, Zucker was forced to resign 15 years into his CNN tenure after the company found he was having a relationship with fellow staffer Gollust. Gollust was also part of the Amalfi trip, along with United Talent Agency co-chairman Jay Sures. Sures, 52, boasts a client roster including the likes of ultra-liberal producer Judd Apatow and CNN's Jim Acosta. Both Zucker, 58, and Gollust, 51, are divorced. Zucker and his wife Caryn split in 2018 and Gollust is understood to have separated from her husband Billy around the same time, if not earlier. They lived in the same apartment building with their respective families for years and the romance was well-known among CNN's staff, according to multiple people. Lemon, 57, who was axed from CNN in April, has posted photographs of himself with husband Tim Malone celebrating the 4th of July on the Amalfi Coast Lemon was dismissed from the network after 17 years, and he posted a blistering statement on Twitter expressing his shock in the aftermath Jeff Zucker, Tom Brokaw and Allison Gollust pictured at the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press in 2016 Lemon was dismissed from the network after 17 years, and he posted a blistering statement on Twitter expressing his shock in the aftermath. 'I was informed this morning by my agent that I have been terminated by CNN. I am stunned,' he said. Only hours earlier, Lemon who reportedly earned $4 million a year had happily tweeted a clip from that day's edition of CNN This Morning, which he co-hosted. No one 'in management' had the 'decency' to tell him directly, he continued. 'It is clear that there are some larger issues at play.' CNN hit back, slamming Lemon's claims as 'inaccurate' and saying he had been 'offered an opportunity to meet with management'. Early reports suggested a particularly combative interview with Republican presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy, in which Lemon became visibly frustrated with his guest, was the reason for his axing. Ramaswamy had recently spoken at the annual National Rifle Association convention, where he made the controversial observation that Southern Democrats in the aftermath of the Civil War restricted the gun rights of newly freed black people and sought to keep them in bondage. Lemon's CNN co-host Poppy Harlow initially questioned Ramaswamy. It was palpably tense on set, but civil. Only when Lemon chimed in did it turn ugly. 'When you are in black skin and you live in this country, then you can disagree with me,' Lemon snapped at Ramaswany, an Indian-American man, before repeatedly accusing him of lying and failing to provide evidence. French prosecutors have opened an investigation into the death of a 27-year old man, fatally shot by a rubber bullet during riots on Saturday, the Marseille prosecutor's office said today. It comes amid a spate of civil unrest across France after a 17-year-old boy was separately shot dead at point-blank range by a policeman during a traffic stop in a Parisian suburb last week. Thousands have been arrested in the week of nationwide clashes since, with some 45,000 officers deployed to tackle the unrest. Prosecutors say the death of an unnamed man in Marseille was caused by a violent shock to the chest from a 'flash-ball' projectile as used by riot police, but did not specify who fired or owned the gun. The man died in the night from July 1 to July 2, while Marseille was engulfed in riots and pillaging. Protesters run from launched tear gas canisters during clashes with police in Marseille, southern France on July 1, 2023, after a fourth consecutive night of rioting in France A French firefighter works to extinguish a burning car during the fifth day of protests following the death of Nahel, a 17-year-old teenager killed by a French police officer in Nanterre during a traffic stop, in Tourcoing, France, July 2, 2023 Prosecutors said it was not possible to determine where the man was when he was shot or whether the victim had taken part in the riots. They say the impact of the projectile led to cardiac arrest and sudden death. The biggest flashpoint on Saturday was in Marseille, where police fired tear gas and fought street battles with youths around the city centre late into the night. Flash-ball guns are designed to be non-lethal riot control weapons that do not penetrate the skin. Their use by police in France is disputed as the projectiles have led to the loss of eyes, head injuries and other trauma. It comes after a week of clashes between police and protestors across France, in response to the death of teenager Nahel M. The death of Nahel, himself from an Algerian background, has brought focus back to accusations of systemic racism within France's security forces. Nahel's mother initially joined protests, leading tributes to her late son on Thursday last week. But the family on Sunday called for peace after days of bitter clashes with police nationwide. Images showed cars vandalised and set alight, while buildings have been also targeted in arson attacks. The capital has been the hardest hit region, but demonstrations have taken place in Marseille, Lyon, Toulouse and Lille, too. Towns and suburbs have been pressed to up police presences and implement partial curfews - even as violence subsided over the weekend. Police hold young people against a vehicle during the fifth night of protests following the death of Nahel, a 17-year-old teenager killed by a French police officer in Nanterre during a traffic stop, in the Champs Elysees area, in Paris, France, July 2, 2023 Riot police forces clash with demonstrators near the Arc de Triomphe on Saturday 1 July Police stand amid firecrackers on the third night of protests sparked by the fatal police shooting of a 17-year-old driver in the Paris suburb of Nanterre, France, Friday, June 30, 2023 French President Emmanuel Macron today met with French officials to begin exploring the 'deeper reasons' for the riots after Nahel's death. Around 250 mayors affected by the week of violence met at the Elysee Palace in Paris, where Macron said the 'peak' of violence had now 'passed', according to a participant. 'Is it a permanent return to calm? I will be cautious, but the peak that we've seen in previous days has passed,' Macron was supposed to have said. 'We all want a lasting, republican order,' he said. 'That's the absolute priority.' For now, France has refrained from declaring a state of emergency, and the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) has not officially discouraged travel to France. Separately, France has this year faced months of demonstrations in response to controversial pension reforms, raising the age of retirement from 62 to 64. Protests began on 19 January, with one million demonstrating around the country. While most protest and strike movements were peaceful, some flared up into violent clashes with the police, and acts of arson and vandalism were pictured nationwide. Pension reform unrest remains ongoing at the time of writing. For emergency services in France, travellers can call: Now, it has been suspended by Twitter after concerns were raised by users A viral liberal Twitter account run by 'Erica Marsh' - a blonde, former Obama staffer - has been suspended after complaints that it was a fake, devised to 'rage bait' and stoke division. The account amassed 130,000 followers and would routinely put itself at the center of angry, political debates. Its puppeteer, declaring themselves a 'proud Democrat in Washington, regularly asked for diehard Democrats to share their support and silence 'MAGA'. The Erica Marsh Twitter account which was 'cartoonishly liberal' and stoked angry debates over issues like affirmative action has now been suspended. The profile photo featured this image, which some said was AI generated, or was from a German site Some of Marsh's most outlandish tweets. The account amassed 130,000 followers Earlier this year, some other Twitter users began to question whether or not the profile photograph on the account was real. Some Twitter users questioned whether it was AI-generated. Erica claimed to have worked on the Obama Foundation and for Biden's campaign. But neither had any record of her when contacted by The Washington Post, which launched an investigation into whether or not the account was real. There are no phone records or voter records that matches anyone by the name she used either. 'I strongly suspect that this person doesnt exist. The account was suspended on Sunday after questions were raised. Twitter is yet to explain the decision 'Its as if she dropped from the moon and arrived fully formed with this narrative that makes liberals look like idiots,' John Scott-Railton, a senior researcher at the Citizen Lab at the University of Toronto, told the Post. Some of the tweets include a comment after SCOTUS outlawed affirmative action in colleges claiming black people would never get an education fairly. 'Today's Supreme Court decision is a direct attack on Black people. 'No Black person will be able to succeed in a merit-based system which is exactly why affirmative-action based programs were needed. 'Today's decision is a TRAVESTY!' She was inundated with remarks from Republicans who were eager to point out the flaws in her comments. Twitter did not immediately respond to inquiries today about why the account had been suspended. A mixed breed stray dog has always had a nose for the job, back to his days wandering the streets of the southern Brazilian city of Sao Jose dos Campos. Since graduating into the Civil Police department's K-9 unit, Manioca, or Mani as he is affectionally called, has become a key member of the homicide unit the first dog in Latin America to trace human blood. The four-year-old was initially spotted at a crime scene four years ago and immediately adopted by his trainer, police officer Joao Oliveria. Since joining the force in 2020, Mani has participated in 30 investigations in which forensic experts were unable to detect human blood. Police officer Joao Oliveria trained Manioca to become the first dog in Brazil to be able to detect human blood. The four-year-old mixed breed pooch was initially spotted by Civil Police agents at a crime scene in the southern city of Sao Jose dos Campos Manioca, or Mani as he is known, has participated in 30 murder investigations 'He optimizes our resources, is effective in detecting blood, helps us a lot in continuing the investigation, identifying the perpetrator and subsequent arrests,' Civil Police chief Neimar Camarco told Brazilian newspaper Jornal Hoje. The union with Mani couldn't have come at a better time for the Sao Jose dos Campos police. Afterall, they were already in the early stages of developing a program to train dogs for the detection of human blood at crime scenes in the Paraiba Valley. Oliveria started preparing Mani for his new life as the only stray dog in the K-9 unit in 2019 and recalled how he was questioned by a pair of police officers who spotted him burying a blood sample under the ground during a training session. They were not convinced when he explained that he was training the dog to work with homicide detectives and forensic cops and were still not satisfied when he called the pooch over to find the blood. Civil Police chief Neimar Camarco is impressed with Mani and what he means to the police department: 'He optimizes our resources, is effective in detecting blood, helps us a lot in continuing the investigation, identifying the perpetrator and subsequent arrests' Mani is the only dog in Brazil's police force who is trained to detect human blood Mani participated in his first police operation in 2020. The former stray dog has helped detectives and forensic cops investigate 30 homicides It took some additional convincing at the local police station to assure commanding officers that Mani was on his way to becoming a critical component of future criminal investigations. Oliveria and Mani have encountered some rough patches in their relationship were quickly solved by their close bond. Soon that union will have a new addition when one-year-old Savana finishes her training program. Oliveria rescued the crossbreed dog after he found her beaten and dehydrated on the side of a road and has grown attached to her as well. 'It made our work a lot easier, but there is also a side to it that ends up being very personal, which I think everyone at some point in their childhood has wanted to work with a dog, have a service dog,' Oliveria explained. 'And being able to have a dog and work with them helping as a partner, it seems like a movie story, really fun, I am very grateful for that.' A new book claims that the cast and crew of the iconic action film Die Hard thought Bruce Willis died while filming his first big scene. In 'The Last Action Heroes: The Triumphs, Flops, and Feuds of Hollywood's Kings of Carnage,' author Nick de Semlyen recounts trouble on the set of what would become the movie that launched Bruce Willis into superstardom. A scene in which Willis was to be shot through the air by an explosion was even scheduled for early in the shoot so if something went wrong, there would be time to recast the role. A new book describes the moment the crew of Die Hard had to check that Bruce Willis was still alive following his first major stunt For the shot, Willis would have to jump from a ledge onto an airbag below as large bags of gasoline were detonated, unleashing a fireball right behind Willis Arriving directly from the set of 'Moonlighting,' the television show on which he was starring at the time, Willis was taken to the top of a five-story parking garage. 'As he waited, rubbing his hands together and wearing only a pair of black trousers, a white firehose was looped around his bare midriff, a Heckler & Koch MP5 submachine gun hung via a strap from his neck, and a viscous gel slathered over his exposed skin,' wrote Semlyen. When Willis inquired as to what the gel was for, he was told it would prevent him from catching on fire. For the first shot Willis would be filming, he was told to jump from a ledge onto an airbag below. 'As he did, large plastic bags of gasoline were detonated, unleashing a fireball that blew Willis, he claimed, right to the edge of the bag,' wrote Semlyen. Willis later recalled: 'When I landed, everyone came running over to me and I thought they were going to say, Great job! Attaboy!'' 'And what they were doing is seeing if Im alive because I almost missed the bag,' he added. The rest of the book's account of Die Hard weaves a narrative of tension on set between Willis and the film's director, John McTiernan, who went on to say that Willis had been hard to connect with. The movie, which had been turned down by row after row of Hollywood's A-list action stars, was readjusted to accommodate Willis' blue-collar vibe Die Hard went on to become the highest grossing film of 1988, transforming Willis into a major action star overnight The movie, which had been turned down by row after row of Hollywood's A-list action stars, was readjusted to accommodate Willis' blue-collar vibe. Willis felt that playing a more emotionally relatable action star was a strength he could bring to the movie that say, Sylvester Stallone, could not. Willis went so far as to quit drinking, go to AA meetings, and begin a strict workout regimen in order to prepare for the role. Die Hard went on to become the highest grossing film of 1988, transforming Willis into a major action star overnight. The new book hit the market in the wake of the news of Bruce Willis' diagnosis of Frontotemporal Dementia. Aphasia, which the actor was first diagnosed with last year, can affect a person's ability to speak, write and understand verbal and written language. FTD affects the lobes of the brain behind the forehead, which deal with behavior, problem-solving, planning and emotions - with symptoms including personality changes, obsessive behavior and speaking difficulties. FTD occurs when nerve cells in the lobes behind the forehead die and the pathways that connect them change. The left temporal lobe is involved in the meaning of words and the names of objects. The right recognizes faces and familiar objects. Symptoms are different from just the memory loss that is associated with Alzheimer's disease. FTD affects the lobes of the brain behind the forehead, which deal with behavior, problem-solving, planning and emotions (pictured with L-R wife Emma Heming, ex-wife Demi Moore and daughters Scout, Tallulah, Mabel, Evelyn and Rumer) Willis had reportedly been struggling with cognitive issues on the sets of his films for years - and even needed an earpiece to feed him lines. A unnamed source told Page Six his declining cognitive ability had been an open secret in Hollywood as the actor repeatedly had trouble acting in his films. The famed actor can even be seen in a scene in his new movie American Siege, which was filmed in 2020, wearing an earpiece. This was a full two years before the family's announcement that Willis has aphasia. Former President Donald Trump expressed his Fourth of July well-wishes on Truth Social Tuesday, calling President Joe Biden a 'very dangerous idiot' for twice mixing up Ukraine and Iraq. Trump had marked the nation's birthday with a large rally Saturday in Pickens, South Carolina and was spending the actual holiday with his family. He also devoted some of the day to dashing off Truths. 'When Biden said that Putin is "losing the war in Iraq," twice, everybody knew, through confirmation, that we have a confirmed, and very dangerous, Idiot in the White House,' the former president said Tuesday afternoon. 'The USA cannot have this go on!' He also shared a meme with a 'F*** Biden' flag. Former President Donald Trump marked the Fourth of July holiday on July 1 with a rally in Pickens, South Carolina On the actual holiday, former President Donald Trump was active on his Truth Social network, at one point calling President Joe Biden a 'very dangerous Idiot' The ex-president also issued a more standard Fourth of July greeting, though encouraged supporters to vote in the next presidential election Earlier Tuesday, the ex-president had issued a more traditional greeting. 'Happy FOURTH OF JULY to everyone,' Trump wrote. 'We are working hard, we will take back our Country, and MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN.' 'The 2024 Election is our LAST GREAT CHANCE!' he added. Trump also Truthed a highlights reel from his Saturday rally. His campaign pushed back when The New York Times declared the ex-president was 'avoiding retail politics over the Fourth of July.' 'His campaign will have an overwhelming presence in various parades and patriotic events in Iowa, New Hampshire and South Carolina, engaging with voters and Americans who are sick of Joe Biden's failed leadership,' spokesperson Steven Cheung told the paper. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis walked in the Merrimack, New Hampshire Fourth of July parade - and got soaked South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott also appeared at the Merrimack, New Hampshire Fourth of July parade A number of his GOP rivals, however, showed up to traditional Fourth of July parades in the flesh. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, wife Casey and their daughter Madison got soaked as they marched in a parade in Merrimack, New Hampshire. Earlier in the day, the DeSantis family marched in a parade in Wolfeboro, New Hampshire. Sen. Tim Scott also marched in the Merrimack parade, while former Vice President Mike Pence marched in Urbandale, Iowa, alongside former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson. Trump relished remarks made by DeSantis' PAC spokesman Steve Cortes on Sunday. Cortes admitted that the Florida governor was 'way behind' Trump in the 2024 GOP primary race, dubbing the ex-president a 'runaway frontrunner.' THE Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) filed opposing papers in the matter in which 10 disgruntled Citizens for Coalition Change (CCC) members are challenging the electoral bodys decision to refuse them to file nomination papers for the candidature of Bulawayo Provincial Council. The CCC members argue that they were unlawfully denied an opportunity to file nomination papers when the Nomination Court sat a few weeks ago despite submitting their papers after the 4pm deadline. The Nomination Court sat on June 21 to accept candidates for Presidential, Parliamentary and Local Authority ahead of the harmonised elections scheduled for August 23. ZEC has since published the final list of candidates participating in the polls. The applicants Aquilina Kayidza Pamberi, Tinashe Kambarami, Memory Ndlovu, Promise Dalubuhle Mkhwananzi, Caroline Mapako, Garikayi Mugova, Kwanele Bango, Brian Gumbo, Gladys Mathe and Tawanda Ruzive, through their lawyers Ncube Attorneys, filed an urgent application at the Bulawayo High Court seeking a review of ZECs decision not to accept their nomination papers. In papers before the court, Bulawayo provincial elections officer Mr Innocent Ncube, ZEC, and Zanu- PF party candidates for the Bulawayo provincial/metropolitan council Manila Motsi, Eddie Dube, Kundai Nyika, Golden Ndlovu, Mnothisi Nsingo, Moleen Dube and Mlungisi Moyo, were cited as respondents. The applicants argue that when the Nomination Court closed doors they were already there and ready to file their papers. The first respondent (Mr Innocent Ncube), therefore, violated the audi alteram partem rule by refusing to permit the applicants to present their nomination papers for consideration alongside those of Manila Motsi, Eddie Dube, Kundai Nyika, Golden Ndlovu, Mnothisi Nsingo, Moleen Dube and Mlungisi Moyo, argued the CCC lawyers. Further, the refusal by the first respondent to allow the applicants to submit new nomination papers was grossly unreasonable and insupportable of the facts of this case. The applicants are seeking a relief declaring that ZEC acted contrary to the provisions of section 46(7) of the Electoral Act when it refused them the opportunity to present their nomination papers for the Bulawayo Provincial Council. Consequently, the first respondents decision to refuse applicants the opportunity to present nomination papers for the Bulawayo Provincial Council should be set aside, argued the applicants. They also want the court to nullify the election of the seven Zanu PF candidates for the Bulawayo Provincial Council. The applicants want ZEC to be directed to receive and consider their nomination papers for the Bulawayo Provincial Council. In its notice of opposition, ZEC through its lawyers, Nyika Kanengoni and Partners said there is no valid application before the court warranting the relief sought by the disgruntled CCC members. Mr Ncube said the decision that he took in his capacity as the Bulawayo provincial elections officer during the sitting of the Nomination Court was made in terms of the Electoral Act. This applies even where the applicants allege that I acted contrary to the provisions of the Electoral Act. Mr Ncube argued that the High Court lacks jurisdiction in the matter and it should therefore be struck off the roll. The right to appeal is afforded to the sponsoring political party and not to the listed candidates on the party-list. In this instance, the right reposed in the CCC party. If such right is not exercised with the four-day period prescribed, the right to appeal shall lapse and the decision of the nomination officer shall be final, he said. In the present matter, the applicants, following my decision not to accept their nomination papers, noted an appeal to the Electoral Court sitting in Bulawayo under case number EC02/2023. They did so in their individual capacities and not through their political party, thus making their appeal fatally defective. Mr Ncube contended that his decision is final in terms of section 45 (14) (c) of the Electoral Act. My decision cannot be interfered with in any manner by any court lest that court goes against the clear provisions of a statute. Nominations for party list candidates are not considered in terms of section 46 (7) of the Electoral Act. They are considered under section 45E of the same Act, he argued. Mr Ncube said the sitting of the Nomination Court to receive and consider applicants papers is not possible in terms of the law as it is only the President who proclaims. The issuing of the proclamation is a function given to the Executive by the Constitution. The court sitting as the general division of the High Court, has no legal basis to make an order that effectively makes a new proclamation or supplements the one already made by the President, he said. Mr Ncube said in the course of his duties towards the close of the Nomination Court at around 3.55pm, he announced in court that they were about to close and invited all those who were present to submit their nomination papers. I further instructed the police officers manning the court to go outside and collect all nomination papers save for those already inside the court, and began to deal with the papers on my desk, he said. When I came to the party-lists for the CCC, the party had three party list for Senatorial, National Assembly and Youth quota. They did not have one for provincial council. After checking the papers, I sent their representative back to make corrections on anomalies. Mr Ncube said at around 8pm when CCC representatives returned with the corrected party-list nomination papers, he noted that they had now added the provincial council party-list, which was not part of the original submission. The factual narration given by the applicants is thus not correct. I did not lose their nomination papers as they allege. There is, thus, no basis for this application at all. I acted fully within the law, he said. The fatal defects in the application mitigate against this court granting any relief to the applicants, ZEC lawyers argued that in terms of Rule 12 of the electoral (applications, appeal and petitions) Rules S.I 74 of 1995, the applicants were afforded all the facilities and rights prescribed in terms of section 45E of the Electoral Act. They were not denied a right to file nomination papers in terms of the law. An attempt at late filing is not filing as contemplated in terms of the Electoral Act. The letter requesting corrective measures is dated 22 June 2023, a day after the sitting of the Nomination Court at which point the nomination officer was already functus officio (an officer or agency whose mandate has expired), said the lawyers. The lawyers said the application ought to be struck off the roll, arguing that it is fatally and incurably defective. If the court finds the appeal to be valid, it should be dismissed on the merits. Bulawayo High Court judge Justice Bongani Ndlovu reserved judgment after hearing the matter on Monday. Herald The hilarious clip has been viewed on Twitter more than 2.4 million times A video shows an otter stealing a man's surfboard off the coast of California A hilarious video of an otter stealing a man's surfboard off the coast of California has prompted internet speculation on the animal's true motives. The footage of the interaction was posted to Twitter on June 29 by KSBW and shows an otter hijacking a surfboard while the owner is away swimming. The animal quickly swims away with his new ride as the surfer chases after, treading several feet behind the mammal and then engaging in a battle for the board. More than 2.4 million views have raked up on the incredible video with thousands of people weighing in with jokes, puns, and conspiracy theories. 'The otters have joined the war,' one person wrote, referencing the internet implying that orcas have waged a war on vessels in their home waters. A hilarious video of an otter stealing a man's surfboard off the coast of California has prompted internet speculation on the animal's true motives 'The otters have joined the war,' one person wrote, referencing the internet implying that orcas have waged a war on vessels in their home waters The one-minute video starts by showing the otter latching onto the board and beginning to tug it away deeper into the ocean. The encounter took place in June in the waters of Santa Cruz. In the clip, the surfer rushes after the otter and becomes enveloped in a full-blown water fight, splashing water at the mammal to try and get him to leave. The otter appears unfazed and even repeatedly mounts the board until the clip ends without showing how the situation between the pair was resolved. KSBW also shared another article referencing a similar interaction recorded just days beforehand at a nearby beach. In that story, the friendly otter swam up to a group of surfers and jumped from board to board, catching a ride unbothered by the humans around him. Since posting the first video on June 29, the tweet containing the clip has been retweeted and favorited thousands of times by Twitter users. More than 1,000 people have quoted the tweet sharing hilarious captions and memes about the playful theft. 'Its the otter audacity for me tbh,' one person wrote. 'And did the surfer really think splashing water was going to make the otter go away?' The one-minute video starts by showing the otter latching onto the board and beginning to tug it away deeper into the ocean In the clip, the surfer rushes after the otter and becomes enveloped in a full-blown water fight, splashing water at the mammal to try and get him to leave The otter appears unfazed and even repeatedly mounts the board until the clip ends without showing how the situation between the pair was resolved On Twitter, many others speculated that the otters had teamed up with the orcas who the internet has joked are laying claim to the ocean. 'Santa Cruz otters just got back from two weeks of Summer Camp with the Orcas,' one person wrote in a response. 'The orcas said yall not supposed to be out here no more!' another added. 'First the orcas, now the otters. The uprising has begun. The sea will take, what the sea will have,"' wrote a third Twitter user. 'Otters have joined the Orcas. There is no hope for us now. I, for one, welcome our new aquatic overlords,' shared a user named Chris. 'The ocean dwelling creatures had a meeting and decided they were reclaiming their home,' another wrote. On Twitter, many speculated that the otters had teamed up with the orcas who the internet has joked are laying claim to the ocean 'Santa Cruz otters just got back from two weeks of Summer Camp with the Orcas,' one person wrote in a response to the viral clip The internet has spent the last several months joking that the orcas and other sea creatures are organizing an 'animal uprising' to overthrow the humans. In June, Daily Mail.com reported that White Gladis, an orca who is believed to have kicked off the 'coup' was thought to have been pregnant when she first started ramming into boats. The orca has even taken her newborn calf with her on terror expeditions. White Gladis is among a pod of killer whales that have been attacking boats off the coast of Spain and Portugal since the summer of 2020. The so-called 'orca-uprising', believed to have been instigated by White Gladis, has seen the species ramming and circling ships before wrenching away their rudders. DuVal notes that Britain and France actually fought their final battle of the war in Cuddalore, India, in June of 1783 For decades historians focused exclusively on Massachusetts and Virginia, but are now thinking of the Revolutionary War as a 'world' war As the nation celebrates America's birthday, some historians claim that the final battle of the War of Independence wasn't actually fought on U.S. soil. Revisionist history speculates that Britain losing the naval battle of Cuddalore in India, against America's oldest ally France, was the final straw that convinced George III to abandon the 13 colonies. Kathleen DuVal, a professor of history at the University of North Carolina. told CNN that for decades almost all US historians focused exclusively on Massachusetts and Virginia battles, but over the past few decades they have been expanding their focus and calling the Revolutionary War a 'world' war. DuVal notes that Britain and France actually fought their final battle of the war in Cuddalore, India, in June of 1783. The 2018 book 'The American Revolution: A World War' features 17 essays from a variety of authors from eight different countries whose scholarship supports the new understanding. The East India Company's European Regiment at the Siege of Cuddalore, 1 July 1783 Kathleen DuVal, a professor of history at the University of North Carolina, told CNN that historians have been expanding their focus and calling the Revolutionary War a 'world war' A painting illustrating the Battle of Cuddalore, which took place between the French navy commanded by the Bailli de Suffren and the British one under the orders of Rear-Admiral Edward Hughes The 2018 book 'The American Revolution: A World War' features 17 essays from a variety of authors spanning eight different countries whose scholarship supports the new understanding The Journal of American History called the book that was published by the Smithsonian a 'multifaceted but coherent account of the American Revolution's international geopolitics.' DuVal offered a brief overview regarding the relationship between Britain and France. 'France's help for the United States has long been part of Americans' knowledge of the American Revolution, but the French king decided to enter the war because of France's opposition to Britain more than any love for the Americans after all, he was a king with his own empire,' she told the news outlet. She explained that Britain not only had an enemy in France but Spain and the Netherlands allied with France to fight Britain too. As this was taking place, America's struggle for independence was a way to harass Britain on another front. General Rochambeau and George Washington giving their orders for the last assault in the Battle of Yorktown, during the American Revolutionary War, 1781 Seattle-based historian and journalist Don Glickstein covered the topic in depth in his 2015 book, 'After Yorktown.' 'Looking at this from, say, the French perspective, taking on a role in the American Revolution enabled them to stretch British forces in just another place around the globe,' he said. He explains that during America's 247-year history, it has been taught that the last battle of that war was at Yorktown, Virginia, from September 28 to October 19, 1781. However, Glickstein argues that even describing Yorktown as an 'American' victory is a bit generous, when in fact it was a French victory. 'Kids learn that Yorktown was an American victory,' Glickstein said. 'In reality, it was a French victory, made possible by a French strategy, two French fleets, French siege engineers, French artillery that pounded the British, was fought largely by French soldiers, marines, and sailors who outnumbered their American rebel allies four-to-one.' An Australian man who suffered a brain haemorrhage while holidaying in Bali will board a medical evacuation flight in the coming hours. Raj Jayarajah, 43, was inside a Nusa Dua villa with his eight-year-old son, Ari, when he suffered a seizure and fell to the floor, hitting his head on the ground on Friday. He has undergone emergency brain surgery but requires medical evacuation to Australia to get lifesaving treatment for his injuries. Friend Andrew MacQueen, who was holidaying with the family in Bali, told Today the family have been able to secure a Life Flight that will arrive on Wednesday. Raj Jayarajah, 43, was inside a Nusa Dua villa with his eight-year-old son, Ari, when he suffered a seizure and fell to the floor, hitting his head on the ground He has undergone emergency brain surgery but requires medical evacuation to Australia to get lifesaving treatment for his injuries 'Good news is that the plane actually arrives today,' he said. "It has been approved, been paid for, everything's been funded by the family at this moment so that's arriving today which is great.' A GoFundMe started by Mr MacQueen has raised almost $180,000 of it's $250,000 target but with the insurance company taking it's time to release funds, the family have had to foot the upfront costs for the medical evacuation. 'We thank everyone for their interest and the donations have been outstanding and unbelievable, we are so thankful,' Mr MacQueen said. He said the family are surviving 'hour by hour' at the moment and are 'beside themselves with grief and anxiety'. In a post shared alongside the fundraiser, Mr MacQueen said his friend was placed in an induced coma in the intensive care unit of a Bali hospital. 'He has been put into an induced coma where they have been working with both doctors in Bali and Australia to keep him alive and stable,' he said. 'He is now in critical condition in the ICU where we are planning to send him home back to Australia via a repatriation flight with a team of medical experts and doctors.' He said the extent of the damage to his brain is still unknown and the road to recovery will be long. Mr Macqueen, who had been holidaying with the family, said the businessman's son Ari had saved his father's life with his quick-thinking. The Melbourne businessman was rushed to hospital along with his son and wife Emma (pictured) and underwent emergency brain surgery on the island Mr Jayarajah's desperate family and friends are raising money to put him on a repatriation flight to Melbourne expected to cost up to $250,000 The 10-year-old ran to hotel staff for help while his mother was out on a walk. 'Time was of the essence,' Mr MacQueen told 9News. 'If he was somewhere else on the island or stuck in traffic or snorkelling with us as we had been, I'd say he wouldn't be around.' He described Mr Jayarajah as a 'top bloke' and a 'family man' who desperately needed the help of his community to come home. The Philadelphia gunman who left five dead has been unmasked as a cross-dressing Black Lives Matter supporter who made chilling Facebook posts about 'evil spirits.' Kimbrady Carriker, 40, shot dead four men and a 15-year-old boy in the Kingsessing neighborhood on the eve of the Fourth of July. He is in custody and facing multiple murder charges after rampaging through the streets with an AR-15, a handgun and wearing a ballistic vest. The killer has now been revealed to be a firearm-obsessed computer nerd who posted a video just a few days ago of children at a gun range. Facebook posts from March 2022 show Carriker dressed as a woman, wearing a bra, hooped earrings and gold bracelets. He had posted eerie articles to Facebook titled: 'How do you know if an evil spirit is following you,' as well as a photo of a map listing historic 'black massacres' throughout the US with the caption stating: 'We kept the receipts.' Kimbrady Carriker, 40, shot dead four men and a 15-year-old boy in the Kingsessing neighborhood on the eve of the Fourth of July (pictured: a Facebook post from March 2022 show Carriker dressed as a woman, wearing a bra, hooped earrings and gold bracelets) Carriker dressed as a woman in a Facebook post from last March Carriker in a Facebook post from October 2011 Facebook posts reveal the killer is a computer nerd who is obsessed by firearms - even posting video a few days ago of children at a gun range Kimbrady Carriker, 40, of Philadelphia, was arrested shortly after a mass shooting in Kingsessing on the eve of Fourth of July that left five men dead and two children wounded In May 2020, Carriker posted a video to his Facebook of a burning Philaldelphia police car that had been daubed in graffiti with the letters, 'ACAB,' which stands for 'All Cops Are B******s.' He was also using a police scanner in an attempt to stay a step ahead of the cops but was ultimately backed into an alleyway and surrendered. City officials held a press conference Tuesday during where they refused to name the suspect and said they were unable to provide any motive for the attack. The victims were named as Ralph Moralis, 59; Joseph Wamah, 31; Dymir Stanton, 29; Lashyd Merritt, 20; and Daujan Brown, 15. Before the press conference police sources confirmed to the Philadelphia Inquirer that Carriker was the 40-year-old suspect arrested. Families had been enjoying the festivities in the neighborhood when the gunman wearing a bulletproof vest wielding an AR-style rifle and handgun opened fire on his unsuspecting victims. A mother and daughter who lived with Carriker on the 5600 block of Belmar Terrace back in 2021 were shocked to find out he was named as a suspect in the massacre. Tina Rosette, 49, told the Philadelphia Inquirer that Carriker was 'really smart, intelligent, creative,' and loved working on computer programs. Rosette added she while she had never seen Carriker with a gun, she admitted that he had 'an aggressive approach to some things in life.' She recalled Carriker sometimes taught people how to fight in self-defense, but she claimed he did not give them much direction about how or when to stop. But Rosette's 24-year-old daughter Cianni said she had seen Carriker's handgun and he was 'trying to get me comfortable around guns and stuff like that.' On his social media pages, Carriker regularly posted about supporting Black Lives Matter, including his support for workers who protested in the Strike For Black Lives in July 2020. He had also shared images of items of clothing with phrases like the first amendment defines us, the second amendment defends us on them. Another hooded sweatshirt includes branding that says: I lubricate my AR-15 liberal tears. One other design includes the eerie phrase: Know this we are many they are few. To fear death is a choice and they cant hang us all. Carriker had also shared images showing support for former President Donald Trump. Bullet holes found on the side of a parked truck are marked as police officers work at the scene the day after a shooting in the Kingsessing section of southwest Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner listens to community members who comfort each other following a mass shooting in the Kingsessing section of southwest Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner tweeted on Tuesday that he visited the scene of the shooting and met with community members. 'Our hearts are broken over last nights horrific shooting, and my deepest condolences go out to everyone impacted. 'I was on site this morning and met with a witness, a family member of a victim, police, neighbors and electeds.' Philadelphia police were dispatched to 56th Street and Chester Avenue around 8:30 p.m. Monday and found several victims. Security camera video viewed later shows the shooter walking down the street calmly while firing at people before responding officers chased the suspect as he continued to fire. Families had been enjoying the festivities in the neighborhood when the gunman wearing a bullet proof vest wielding an AR-style rifle and handgun opened fire on his victims Philadelphia police were dispatched to 56th Street and Chester Avenue around 8:30 p.m. Monday night where they found several victims and shell casings scattered on the pavement Police Commissioner Danielle Outlaw said at a news conference overnight that she did not know if the suspect was firing from his rifle or handgun at the time he was chased by cops, but confirmed he was 'actively shooting.' The officers then heard multiple gunshots further up the street on Kingsessing Avenue where they found 'multiple casings'. The cops advanced further down the street before hearing more gunshots in the area of the 1800 block of Frazier Street. Officers apprehended the suspect in the rear alley of the 1600 block of Frazier Street and found he was armed with a rifle, handgun, multiple magazines and a police scanner. The police did not fire any shots themselves. 'Thank God our officers responded as quickly as they did. I can't even describe the level of bravery and courage that was shown,' Outlaw said. Bullet holes found on the side of a parked truck are marked as police officers work at the scene the day after a shooting in the Kingsessing section of southwest Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner tweeted on Tuesday that he visited the scene of the shooting and met with community members District Attorney Larry Krasner and other officials are walk through the neighborhood after last night's shooting The total number of victims increased overnight and police said a fifth victim was found four hours after the shooting when a man returned home and found his 31-year-old son dead in the living room with multiple gunshots wounds Police place a rifle in a bag on the scene of a shooting on July 3 in Philadelphia Officials had described the scene as covering an area of two by four blocks and said around 50 spent shell casings were found Outlaw said at a news conference that all of the victims of the mass shooting were male, including the two-year-old and the 13-year-old. A mass shooting is defined by the FBI as an incident in which at least four people are murdered with a gun. The total number of victims increased overnight and police said a fifth victim was found four hours after the shooting when a man returned home and found his 31-year-old son dead in the living room with multiple gunshot wounds. 'We believe because of where he was found and where his house is on 56th Street, and the fact that we found ballistic evidence that matches the ballistic evidence we found on the street a few hours earlier, we believe this homicide is related,' Philadelphia Police Chief Inspector Scott Small said. Tim Eads said he heard fireworks, then gunshots, and saw police cars 'flying by.' His wife was on the second floor 'looking out the bay window and saw the shooter actually coming down this street here behind me.' Eads saw the other man with a pistol who, he said, may have been firing at the shooter. 'He was using my car as a shield shooting out into the street,' Eads said. A resident named Roger, who declined to give his last name, said he and his family were eating in the living room at about 8:30 p.m. when they heard eight to 10 gunshots. 'Everybody thought it was fireworks but ... been around here about three years so I heard it enough,' he said. 'I looked out the window and seen a bunch of people running.' He said he heard about four more shots and 'thought it was the end of it.' A bicycle at the scene of the shooting at 56th Street and Chester Avenue in Philadelphia An evidence marker is seen as investigations are ongoing the day after a mass shooting A resident named Roger, who declined to give his last name, said he and his family were eating in the living room at about 8:30 p.m. when they heard eight to 10 gunshots Ten minutes later, he said, police came 'flying down here,' and about five minutes later, he heard rapid gunfire outside the house. The Philadelphia violence is the country's 29th mass killing in 2023, the highest on record by this time in the year. The number of people killed in such events is also the highest by this time in the year. There have been more than 550 mass killings since 2006, according to the database, in which at least 2,900 people have died and at least 2,000 people have been hurt. Boris Johnson's Partygate inquisitor Sir Bernard Jenkin was last night facing a police investigation into claims he attended a lockdown-busting party himself. Scotland Yard said it has launched a formal probe into a 'birthday drinks' bash for the wife of the Tory grandee amid evidence of 'a serious and flagrant breach' of Covid rules. Previously, the force was only 'assessing' whether any breaches might have occurred. It means that Sir Bernard, who co-authored a controversial Commons report into claims Mr Johnson lied to Parliament about lockdown parties in Downing Street, now faces the humiliation of being questioned over his own conduct. At the same time, Mr Johnson was effectively cleared last night by police over extraordinary Cabinet Office claims that he committed further lockdown breaches while in office. Facing questions: Scotland Yard said it has launched a formal probe into a 'birthday drinks' bash for the wife of Tory grandee Sir Bernard Jenkin (left with wife Anne) amid evidence of 'a serious and flagrant breach' of Covid rules Tory peer Lord Cruddas (left with Jacob Rees Mogg), a close ally of the former prime minister, last night called on Sir Bernard to resign from the privileges committee, which investigated Mr Johnson, 'for the sake of the integrity of the Commons' Tory peer Lord Cruddas, a close ally of the former prime minister, last night called on Sir Bernard to resign from the privileges committee, which investigated Mr Johnson, 'for the sake of the integrity of the Commons'. READ MORE: Scotland Yard opens investigation into top Tory Sir Bernard Jenkin over claims he broke Covid rules by attending 'party' in Parliament during lockdown Advertisement If Sir Bernard is found to have broken the law it could raise questions about the Commons privileges committee's investigation into Mr Johnson, which triggered his shock resignation from Parliament. When the allegations about Sir Bernard first emerged last month, Mr Johnson wrote to the committee's chairman Harriet Harman accusing him of 'rank hypocrisy' and warning that if the claims were true he 'can no longer be held to have been a valid judge or investigator in these proceedings'. Yet Sir Bernard continued to contribute to the committee's damning report and voted for its findings, despite remaining silent on questions about his own conduct. The gathering being probed by police took place in December 2020 and was allegedly to celebrate the birthday of his wife, Baroness Jenkin, who also now faces an investigation. Sir Bernard has declined to answer questions over his attendance at the event where cake and alcohol were reportedly on offer for three weeks. But fellow Tory MP Virginia Crosbie has apologised for being at the gathering, saying it was an 'error of judgment' to attend, although she said she was there only briefly. As many as ten people were said to have attended, with one source claiming social distancing 'went out of the window'. In other developments: Police said they would reopen an investigation into a 'Jingle and Mingle' party held at Tory HQ by staff of former London mayoral candidate Shaun Bailey. Parliamentary sources said Deputy Commons Speaker Dame Eleanor Laing could be 'in trouble' for allegedly hosting the birthday drinks attended by Sir Bernard in her Commons suite if rules were broken. Police said diary entries supposedly showing Mr Johnson broke Covid rules at 16 events at No 10 and Chequers did not meet the threshold for investigation. The Cabinet Office denied claims by friends of Mr Johnson that it had launched a 'malicious' campaign to damage him. The news of the investigation into Sir Bernard came just minutes after he used his role as chairman of the Commons liaison committee to grill Rishi Sunak during a 90-minute hearing. He had faced calls to step down as chairman amid questions about whether he breached lockdown rules. Shortly afterwards, he declined to answer questions from the Daily Mail for the second time in a week. Asked if he broke any rules and if the police had been in touch, he said: 'I've got nothing to say.' This newspaper also contacted Baroness Jenkin, who replied: 'Sorry, I can't answer any questions. I have nothing to say.' After Scotland Yard announced its probe, Sir Bernard said: 'It is not appropriate to comment on a continuing investigation.' Boris Johnson giving evidence to the Privileges Committee at the House of Commons in March over the Partygate inquiry Sir Bernard Jenkin quizzes Boris Johnson during the Partygate inquiry in March The report he co-authored as a member of the privileges committee found Mr Johnson lied repeatedly to Parliament over lockdown gatherings in No 10, all but ending the former prime ministers Commons career. But Sir Bernard has been accused of staggering hypocrisy for condemning Mr Johnsons behaviour while himself facing allegations he broke lockdown rules. Last month Mr Johnson branded the allegations against Sir Bernard a total contempt of Parliament and said he has no choice but to recuse himself from the privileges committee. Former business secretary Sir Jacob Rees-Mogg had also called for him to step down from the liaison committee ahead of yesterdays hearing. In its statement yesterday, Scotland Yard said: Following assessment of material relating to a gathering in Parliament, the Met is opening an investigation into potential breaches of the regulations at an event on 8 December 2020. It made clear that it launches retrospective investigations into lockdown breaches when there is evidence of a serious and flagrant breach. The Met added that it only does so when there is evidence that those involved knew or ought to have known what they were doing was an offence, that not investigating would significantly undermine the legitimacy of the law and when there is little ambiguity around the absence of a reasonable defence. An ally of Sir Bernards previously told The Guardian that he briefly attended the December 2020 gathering to collect his wife and that he believed it was a work event. But this was contradicted after an invite, sent on WhatsApp by his wife, emerged apparently describing it as a birthday drinks party for a few of our favourite people. Ms Crosbies apology also contradicted his account, as it suggested rules might have been broken. The event was held in the offices of Dame Eleanor, who until now has been allowed to continue chairing debates in the Commons despite the allegations. But there were questions last night about whether she may have to step down while the police probe is carried out. At the time of the event, lockdown regulations made clear that you must not meet socially indoors with family or friends unless they are part of your household... or support bubble. Everyone who could work effectively from home must do so, official guidance added, with no justification provided for an indoor social celebration. Former culture secretary Maria Miller and Tory MP Miriam Cates are also thought to have attended and may also face questions. The police decision to reopen the investigation into the Jingle and Mingle event follows the emergence last month of a video of drinking and dancing in a room in CCHQ on December 14, 2020. A previous investigation into the event for Mr Baileys team did not result in any fines. Mr Bailey is not in the video footage but was photographed at the event. The Lib Dems last night said he should lose the peerage awarded to him in Mr Johnsons resignation honours. Boris Johnson was tonight cleared of 'malicious' allegations that he breached further lockdown rules. Police rejected fresh 'evidence' submitted by the Cabinet Office after ruling it did not meet the threshold for investigation. The development is a vindication for the former Prime Minister, who had always insisted the claims were 'totally untrue'. And it is humiliating for the Cabinet Office, which stunned Westminster in May by secretly submitting the dossier of new Partygate claims to the police. A friend of Mr Johnson tonight pointed the finger at Deputy Prime Minister Oliver Dowden, a close ally of Rishi Sunak. 'It shows how malicious it was of the Government to drag those diary entries out and hand them over to the police without asking what they were,' the source said. 'It was a very hostile act by Dowden and co.' Police rejected fresh 'evidence' submitted by the Cabinet Office after ruling it did not meet the threshold for investigation. The development is a vindication for the former Prime Minister (pictured), who had always insisted the claims were 'totally untrue' Officials highlighted 16 occasions at No 10 and Chequers (pictured) where they believed the attendance list suggested lockdown rules could have been broken. Mr Dowden is in charge of the Cabinet Office but has always denied involvement in the decision to go to the police, which is said to have been taken by officials. A Cabinet Office source said tonight it was 'total nonsense' to suggest Mr Dowden had been involved in the decision, adding that he was 'pleased' Mr Johnson had been cleared. The source added: 'Civil servants had contacted the police before ministers were aware of a concern with Boris's diaries and by that point there was no choice. This was always raking over old coals and they are pleased a line has been drawn under this.' Government lawyers who were supposed to be helping Mr Johnson prepare for the Covid inquiry went behind his back to raise concerns with the police about entries in his official diary. Officials highlighted 16 occasions at No 10 and Chequers where they believed the attendance list suggested lockdown rules could have been broken. Cabinet Office minister Jeremy Quin then submitted the claims to the Commons privileges committee which was investigating Mr Johnson at the time over allegations he lied to Parliament about lockdown parties in No 10. Cabinet Office minister Jeremy Quin then submitted the claims to the Commons privileges committee which was investigating Mr Johnson at the time over allegations he lied to Parliament about lockdown parties in No 10 (pictured: Bernard Jenkin and his wife Anne whose lockdown parties are due to be investigated) Bernard Jenkins was part of the inquiry into 'partygate' but is now facing a probe into his own lockdown activities) To Mr Johnson's fury, the referral was made without officials first making contact to discuss the events in question. He insisted that all of the events had an innocent explanation and were within the Covid rules in place at the time. Government sources claimed the material was so damning that officials had 'no choice' but to report it to the police. READ MORE: Top Tories call for Bernard Jenkin to resign as the Boris Johnson Partygate accuser faces his OWN police investigation into claims he attended a lockdown-busting party himself Advertisement But in a statement at the time, a spokesman for the former PM said he was the victim of a 'politically motivated stitch-up'. The source added: 'The events in question were all within the rules either because they were held outdoors or came within another lawful exception. 'They include regular meetings with civil servants and advisers.It appears some within government have decided to make unfounded suggestions both to the police and to the privileges committee.' The final decision to hand over the material to the police was taken by Alex Chisholm, permanent secretary at the Cabinet Office. The following month he was handed a knighthood for public service. The decision to go to the police triggered speculation that Mr Johnson would face further Partygate charges. But in a joint statement, Thames Valley Police and the Metropolitan Police said they were taking no further action. The two forces said they had examined the diary entries and 'sought some further clarification' before deciding they 'do not meet the retrospective criteria for reopening the investigation'. The Met issued 126 fines over Covid-19 rule breaches in Whitehall and Downing Street while Mr Johnson was prime minister. Mr Johnson and Rishi Sunak, who was chancellor at the time, paid fixed-penalty notices over a gathering for Mr Johnson's 56th birthday. An internet watchdog designed to rein in Big Tech will 'unleash' the industry and boost Britain's economy, the UK's competition chief has told peers. Sarah Cardell, chief executive of the Competition and Markets Authority, yesterday moved to scotch claims the Digital Markets Unit (DMU) would stifle investment and innovation. Her comments come amid lobbying from the handful of tech giants likely to be affected that the legislation risks overregulation and will make the UK a 'hostile' place to invest. The DMU aims to establish a pro-competition regime for digital markets that have become dominated by a small number of powerful firms, such as Google and Facebook. Sarah Cardell, chief executive of the Competition and Markets Authority, yesterday moved to scotch claims the Digital Markets Unit (DMU) would stifle investment and innovation. Under the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumer Bill, it will be handed powers to force firms to significantly alter their business models and fine them up to ten per cent of their turnover. READ MORE: Britons will be worse off if the tech giants are given more powers by regulators, expert warns Advertisement Lobbying efforts against the bill have ramped up in recent months however, including from firms urging ministers to give them more power to challenge any decision made by the regulator. Labour has called on the Government not to 'bow down' to pressure, in order 'to protect democracy' and create a balance. Giving evidence to the House of Lords digital and communications committee, which is scrutinising the bill, Ms Cardell dismissed the idea the watchdog would have a negative economic impact. Last year, a report by think tank the Institute for Economic Affairs raised concerns that the bill could hamper innovation. It warned the DMU's powers could force companies to ask for permission before launching products or to modify features in ways that undermine user privacy. Ms Cardell told peers: 'Actually, for me, it's very, very clear that if we have a regime that supports competition, then it supports investment, it supports innovation, and it supports growth and those all go together. 'But it's very important we do this in a targeted way, not a heavy-handed, overly interventionist approach.' The Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Bill is set to empower the new digital watchdog to mediate on negotiations between publishers and platforms, including Facebook and Google, over fair payment for news content On Monday, Labour's shadow technology minister, Alex Davies-Jones, urged the Government not to 'bow down to this pressure, in order to protect democracy, to create that fit competition and to create balance that is so desperately needed within the regime'. Speaking at an event sponsored by the All-Party Parliamentary Group for media, she said: 'Just last week we saw that Google had taken the decision to switch off all of news in Canada following the passing of a law that would compel big tech to negotiate for the value of news content.' Ms Davies-Jones added: 'The Government cannot give in to similar threats here in the UK.' An 18-year-old boy has died in London after what police believe to have been a collision between his moped and a parked car after an attack. Metropolitan Police officers and the London Ambulance Service were called to Constable Crescent in Tottenham, Haringey at around 5pm on Monday after receiving reports of an injured male. But despite the efforts of the emergency services, the boy was pronounced dead at the scene at 5.28pm. Police have now launched an investigation into his death and believe at this early stage that he may have been riding a moped and collided with a parked car after being attacked. No arrests have been made at this stage. An 18-year-old boy has died in London after what police believe to have been a collision between his moped and a parked car after an attack Officers are working to confirm the nature of the victims injuries and establish where the initial incident took place. A crime scene is in place and enquiries are ongoing. The 18-year-old's next of kin are aware. As of Tuesday afternoon, a police cordon remained in place on Stamford Road, Newton Road and Constable Close. In a statement, The Metropolitan Police said: 'An investigation has been launched following the death of a male in Haringey. 'Police were called at 17:00hrs on Monday, 3 July to Constable Crescent N15 to reports of an injured male. Officers responded with LAS. 'Despite the efforts of emergency services the 18-year-old was pronounced dead at the scene at 17:28hrs. Next of kin are aware. 'At this very early stage police believe he may have been riding a moped and collided with a parked car after being attacked. Metropolitan Police officers and the London Ambulance Service were called to Constable Crescent in Tottenham, Haringey at around 5pm on Monday 'Officers are working to confirm the nature of the victims injuries and establish where the initial incident took place. 'No arrests have been made at this time. A crime scene is in place and enquiries are ongoing. 'Police ask any witnesses or those with material that could assist them to call 101 ref CAD 5678/3 Jul. 'To remain 100% anonymous contact the independent charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.' The average person accidentally consumes one pound of bugs each year, according to the US Department of Agriculture (USDA). This is because fruits, vegetables, spices and many processed foods are legally permitted by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to contain tiny levels of bug parts, which add up over time. For example, fig paste can contain up to 13 insect heads in 100 grams, canned fruit juices can have a maggot for every 250 milliliters and 10 grams of hops used to make beer can be the home for 2,500 small sap-sucking insects. And while there is much debate over the number of bugs we consume in our sleep, scientists agree that it is not zero. Swallowing a bug is not a pleasant experience, but data shows the average person accidentally eats up to one pound of critters each year (stock image) Eating insects may not sound appetizing, but most people consume them daily without realizing it. The FDA's Food Detects Levels Handbook outlines the amount of insect heads, thoraxes, legs and even whole bugs that are allowed in a specific food. There can be up to five whole insects in Apple Butter, 500 grams of larva in berries and 10 percent of packaged coffee beans are allowed to be infested with critters. And after you have eaten 220 pounds of chocolate in your life, you can be sure you also consumed one pound of bugs. The FDA allows up to 30 insect fragments and one rodent hair to be detected in every 100 grams of peanut butter. A standard jar of peanut butter is often between 300 to 500 grams. This means that a single jar of peanut butter can have around five rodent hairs and 150 insect fragments and still pass inspection. The bugs get into the spread when peanuts are harvested to be manufactured into peanut butter - with the FDA saying they cannot reasonably be removed. This also applies to peanuts, with the agency allowing for 20 whole insects for every 100-pound bag of the snack. Accidentally swallowing also happens to the average person - from walking down the street, riding a bike and sleeping. Recently, Taylor Swift had to stop singing while performing in Chicago when she swallowed a bug on stage. There have also been cases of people unknowingly consuming maggots on spoiled meat that exposed them to salmonella and Escherichia coli. While most insects typically do not survive the journey through the mouth to the stomach, a microbiologist at Mayo Clinic said it is the ones that sting or bite that people need to be most wary about. Bobbi Pritt said bees, wasps, fire ants or certain caterpillars can cause pain, swelling and even cardiac arrest - if the individual is allergic. Many people can be overwhelmed with worry after accidentally swallowing an insect, mainly wondering if the bug can be inhaled into their lungs. Small insects can pass through a person's lungs, but it usually only happens in rare circumstances, such as inhaling a large number in a swarm. | Closer video of Taylor swallowing a bug on stage #ChicagoTSTheErasTour pic.twitter.com/BLZuHekr0B Taylor Swift News (@TSwiftNZ) June 5, 2023 Ingesting house flies can transmit certain bacteria that cause dysentery, while fleas lead to tapeworms and cockroaches host various microorganisms In this event, the insects would mostly dissolve before making their way into the lungs but can cause inflammation and infection. If you inhale a winged critter, experts suggest breathing in through your mouth and out your nose, but do not attempt to remove it with your fingers - you could lodge it further. Diane Gorgas, MD, director of Emergency Medicine at The Ohio State University, said in a statement: 'Coughing will usually expel the bug, but its a concern if it moves significantly below the vocal cords.' READ MORE: Autopsy reveals Florida man who died after winning cockroach-eating contest choked to death Edward Archbold, 32, of West Palm Beach died as a result of 'asphyxia due to choking and aspiration of gastric contents,' according to the report released by the Broward County medical examiner's office. Advertisement In this case, spit as soon as you can and drink strong tasting liquid. House flies and other arthropods like spiders, beetles and centipedes can only be an issue if you swallow one carrying bacteria. Carol M. Anelli, PhD, a professor and interim chair of Ohio States Department of Entomology, said: 'Houseflies can mechanically transmit certain bacteria (Shigella) that cause dysentery.' The University of Sydney medical lecturer Cameron Webb advises that if you risk eating it, you will probably be fine. Webb said flies are notorious for spreading disease because of their messy habits. 'Flies that land out of sight and then wander about for a few minutes vomiting and pooping on your food or food preparation area are more of a concern.' Adult house flies (musca domestica) carry over 100 human and animal diseases. These include salmonella, anthrax, typhoid, tuberculosis, cholera, diarrhea, and a host of parasites, including pinworms, roundworms, hookworms and tapeworms. Anthrax is a rare but serious bacterial illness which can cause difficulty breathing. Maggots are a sign that the food you are devouring has spoiled and eating the worm-like creatures can cause Salmonella enteritidis and Escherichia coli bacteria. However, you can eat maggots if dried, cooked or transformed into a powder. Flights are unbelievably expensive at the moment, with many airliners offering their highest airfares in years. Rising jet fuel prices, staff shortages due to pandemic disruptions and a lack of new aircraft are creating a perfect storm of problems for passengers. But there are hidden ways to utilize technology that can save you thousands on a family vacation from simple hacks like clearing your browser history, to more advanced techniques like using a VPN. The day you book your flight matters too, with experts at Expedia claiming that booking on a Sunday can chop up to 15 percent off your overall costs. Scroll down for our results in full: Can a VPN save you money on your vacation? Seasoned travelers have claimed for years that using a VPN to appear as if you are in a different country can find better deals by showing local rather than tourist prices. This is because VPN software routes your internet requests via servers in other countries, so it appears like you are abroad, and airlines, car rental companies and hotels often vary their prices by where people are buying from. Clearing your browser also gives 'trackers' in sites less information to work with. To test out the deals on offer, DailyMail.com used two laptops simultaneously to compare prices in different countries to vacation shopping from the US. We looked for vacations in late summer/early autumn for a family of four. On one laptop, we booked vacations from within the US, on a weekday and without clearing out cache. On the other, we implemented all the aforementioned hacks. Dreams Riviera Resort and Spa, Cancun - two weeks Normal price $6,940 price using VPN and tech hacks $6,025.43 Saving: $914.57 Booking via VPN is considerably cheaper (Picture: Rob Waugh) Booking from the US costs more (Picture: Rob Waugh) Page Hotels, London - two weeks Normal price $11,602 price using VPN and tech hacks $9,796 Saving: $1,805 Compared side by side, the US price comes out far higher (Picture: Rob Waugh) The UK price comes out lower (Picture: Rob Waugh) Three nights at Disneyland Paris, three-night stay at Disney Hotel New York, including park visits Normal price $3,604 price using VPN and tech hacks $3,318.50 Saving: $286.26 Booking 'locally' via VPN helps save (Picture: Rob Waugh) Booking from the US is more expensive (Picture: Rob Waugh) Ausonia Hungaria Hotel, Venice, Italy - one week Normal price $6,023 price using VPN and tech hacks $5,143 Saving: $880 The price, if you access via VPN, is quite different (Picture: Rob Waugh) Accessing from the US is considerably more expensive (Picture: Rob Waugh) Car rental Nissan Juke, Edinburgh Airport, UK - ten days Normal price $891.89 price using VPN and tech hacks $692.46 Saving: $199.43 It is considerably cheaper to book locally (Picture: Rob Waugh) And less expensive to book 'locally' using a VPN (Picture: Rob Waugh) So can you save money? DailyMail.com found that you can definitely save hundreds of dollars on car hire and hotels - but you do have to shop around, and a VPN isn't a 'magic bullet.' Be aware that deals vary minute by minute, computer by computer, so replicating the savings we found might be tricky or even impossible. Searching using a VPN can take a while to track down a decent deal (and it's worth checking to ensure that extras are added to the bill before you buy, just in case your 'deal' turns out to be less good than it appears). It's also worth noting that you can sometimes save by booking via the local website (i.e., the .fr domain for a French site rather than .com). It's worth paying for VPN software as the 'free' VPNs on offer are often dubious and sometimes outright criminal, with cases where free VPNs have sold user data or even installed malware on devices. It would help if you also shopped around - what works on one date might well not work for another. It's fairly common to find small savings, such as five percent - you need to work a bit harder to find larger savings. Make sure to clear your browser's history before starting shopping, and if you have an account with Hotels.com, for example, don't log into it: the best prices will be offered to a 'blank slate.' The biggest savings tend to be found in countries with a relatively large spending power gap - so Mexico is a good place to look, whereas Canada (for example) is not. It is also well worth checking out the vacation season dates in other countries. If you book 'out of season' from the US, you can still be charged higher rates, whereas if you use a VPN and appear to be a local booking out of season, you can find lower prices. Marijus Briedis, Chief Technology Officer at NordVPN, told DailyMail.com: 'When we plan vacations through booking platforms, we're given the impression that technology has our backs and any hotel, flight or car hire deal presented will be as cheap as it could be. 'The truth is that while these sites' online tracking and algorithms can help us home in on holiday offers faster than ever before, they can also sometimes raise and lower prices according to the spending power of different countries.' He added: 'For Americans, this means there's a risk of being shortchanged with every click you take, compared with the prices quoted to travelers from other countries. 'The way to avoid these differences is to shop smartly and stealthily on booking sites. 'Clearing your browser history will give tracker bots less information to work with, and using a VPN to make it look like you're not in the US will let you see if the price you're quoted is the same the world over.' 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 new report has revealed the existential questions people across the United States ask Google most often. Marketing specialist Digital Third Coast analyzed over 8,500 search terms, revealing the top existential questions pondered by residents of each state. For people living in Kansas, New York and Vermont, 'What am I?' was a common theme. While Californians, Massachusettsans, Ohioans and Texans pondered, 'What's the meaning of life?' A new report reveals that not all Americans are alike in their Google existential questions. Marketing specialist Digital Third Coast has analyzed over 8,500 search terms, revealing the top existential questions pondered by residents of each state Perhaps this is because California is home to prestigious universities such as Stanford and UC Berkeley, while Massachusetts houses Harvard and MIT. Ohio and Texas also host many universities. Educational environments can stimulate thoughtful debate and introspection about the nature and purpose of existence. A call for guidance resonates from Idaho, Indiana, Michigan, and New Hampshire, whose residents often ask, 'What should I do?' about a certain situation. In Oregon and Wisconsin, residents wonder, 'Is everything going to be OK?' Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, and Utah are known for having a significant religious population. Missouri and Nebraska have large Christian populations, primarily Protestant and Catholic. Utah is well-known for its large population of members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and religion plays a crucial role in the state's culture and community life. The top Google question of people living in Kansas, New York and Vermont is 'What am I,' while Californians, Massachusettsans, Ohioans and Texans ponder 'What's the meaning of life?' Montana, while less densely populated, also has a substantial Christian population. This may be why questions around faith and divinity echo from Missouri, Montana, Nebraska and Utah with, 'Is there a God?' 'Why do bad things happen to good people?' is Delaware and North Dakota's top search. West Virginia seeks an understanding of the dark side of humanity with, 'Why is there evil in the world?' We'd all like to know that. The top Google existential search in Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, and Tennessee is more like elementary school science: 'Why is the sky blue?' It could be science or the fact that these states have many outdoor activities, which might stimulate interest in the natural world and its phenomena. About Kim Komando Kim Komando hosts a weekly call-in show where she provides advice about technology gadgets, websites, smartphone apps and internet security. Listen on 425+ radio stations or get the podcast. And join over 400,000 people who get her free 5-minute daily email newsletter. Advertisement Not every state's searches are that heavy. Maryland, New Jersey and South Carolina residents want an answer to the timeless riddle, 'What came first, the chicken or the egg?' Alabama, Arkansas, Louisiana, and Washington are turning to Google for answers on 'What is love?' while Hawaii, New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Rhode Island are on a romantic quest, wanting to know, 'Does my soulmate exist?' Finally, the fine people of Maine and Wyoming are embroiled in the culinary debate, 'Is a hotdog a sandwich?' According to Merriam-Webster, a sandwich is 'two or more slices of bread or a split roll having a filling in between.' Technically, a hot dog could be considered a sandwich. Other interesting Google searches 'Why is my goldfish turning black?' It sounds bad, but this color change can be due to a natural aging process, a reaction to sunlight exposure or possibly a sign of poor water conditions. 'Do penguins have knees?' For the record, yes, penguins do have knees hidden within their bodies. Their unique skeletal structure gives them that endearing trademark waddle. 'Why does my cat hate me?' Your feline friends don't hate you, even when they come at your claws first. Your kitty's cold shoulder could just be them playing hard to get! 'Can I start my own country?' All you need is a defined territory, a permanent population, a functioning government and other nations willing to play ball. That shouldn't be too hard, right? 'How to become a wizard?' Sorry, but that letter from Hogwarts isn't coming. You could always try to video game version! Harvard team now has more evidence 'IM1' came from outside our solar system Tiny metal fragments recovered from an interstellar object that crashed into the Pacific Ocean appear 'artificial in origin', scientists say. A Harvard duo recovered 50 unusual iron spheres after tracking down the unidentified object, known as IM1, off the coast of Papua New Guinea last week as part of a $ 1.5 million underwater search mission. New lab analysis of the metal spheres reveals they are 'anomalous' and stronger than any observed meteor produced by nature, according to Professor Avi Loeb, former chair of Harvard's astronomy department who led the research. Professor Loeb - who has been dubbed 'the alien hunter of Harvard' - told DailyMail.com: 'This composition is anomalous compared to human-made alloys, known asteroids and familiar astrophysical sources.' NASA says IM1 almost certainly came from outer space - making it Earth's first known interstellar visitor - and crashed into the ocean in 2014, but it was only detected by Professor Loeb and Harvard researcher Amir Siraj in a retrospective analysis. The 50 iron spheres recovered from the Pacific (above) were analyzed at Berkeley in a lab. They were shown to be 'anomalous' With high confidence that the final path for IM1 covered 6.2 square-miles (16 sq-km) of ocean near Manus Island, the team was then able to scrape the deep ocean floor with a large magnetic 'sled' (above) both along IM1's path and several 'control' regions The Berkeley lab's new analysis of the IM1 spheres (examples pictured) now shows that the object was likely almost entirely composed of iron, which Harvard astrophysicist and Galileo Project founder Avi Loeb noted is unlike any meteors or asteroids known to man A Harvard duo recovered 50 unusual iron spheres after tracking down the unidentified object, known as IM1, off the coast of Papua New Guinea last week as part of a $ 1.5 million underwater search mission The Harvard pair argue their new results support the likelihood that IM1 was 'artificial in origin' - and have refused to rule out that it was part of an 'interstellar spacecraft' made by aliens. Siraj, who first discovered IM1, told DailyMail.com: 'It's really important to continue pushing the boundary in terms of destigmatizing the search for extraterrestrial life. 'If you don't consider a possibility, you usually won't discover something new.' IM1 withstood four times the pressure that would typically destroy an ordinary iron-metal meteor as it hurtled through Earth's atmosphere at 100,215 miles per hour. Iron is already the principal ingredient in the toughest known kinds of natural meteors, so the Harvard duo has theorized that there must be something highly unusual about how the object came to be made. And now a battery of tests on the recovered IM1 fragments, conducted at Berkeley, has proven that their chemical make-up is almost entirely iron: strong evidence in favor of the Harvard team's most controversial theories about the object. Professor Loeb told this website: 'More than 95 percent of all meteorites contain iron-nickel metal. As a consequence, meteorites have concentrations of nickel that are much greater than that of nearly any terrestrial rock.' In contrast to these standard iron-nickel meteorites, the IM1 fragments contained only 'negligible' amounts of nickel, alongside other 'trace elements,' according to a preliminary statement supplied to DailyMail.com over the weekend. Trace elements, in this kind of scientific analysis, means any chemical compound or atomic element that is present only in vanishingly small quantities, lower than 100-parts-per-million. With high confidence that the final path for IM1 covered these 6.2 square-miles of ocean (marked in orange above), the team then scraped the deep ocean floor with a meter-wide magnetic 'sled.' They made 'Runs' (green lines above) along both IM1's path and 'control' areas The Harvard team took care to ensure that the 50 spherical iron fragments dredged up from over a mile below the surface of the Pacific were, in fact, actual remnants from IM1. First, Siraj narrowed down the final trajectory of IM1 as it burst into flames on its way toward the ocean, tracking its airbursts with US Department of Defense satellite data and local seismometers set up to monitor earthquakes and volcanic activity. With high confidence that the final path for IM1 covered 6.2 square-miles (16 sq-km) of ocean near Manus Island, the team was then able to scrape the deep ocean floor with a large magnetic 'sled' both along IM1's path and several 'control' regions. The control regions served as a control to make sure more iron spheres spheres had not found their way onto the ocean floor via some event unrelated to IM1's fall to Earth. 'The spherules were mostly found along the expected meteor path,' the Galileo team said in the preliminary statement. The unusual iron composition of the spheres, they report, 'indicate a common source' which they argue is 'different from background spherules found in control regions.' Siraj who told DailyMail.com that he traveled 50 hours across four connecting flights to join the expedition from his sister's wedding in the English countryside said the chances of successfully locating IM1's remains had been quite low. The iron composition of IM1's fragments are 'anomalous' according Harvard physicist Avi Loeb compared to human-made alloys, known asteroids and familiar astrophysical sources. IM1 was unlike 95 percent of all meteorites, which contain iron-nickel metal As IM1 burst into flames above the Pacific in 2014, the unique metallic properties of molten iron raining down through the atmosphere formed 10-700 micron droplets as small or smaller than grains of table salt 'Looking for a needle in a haystack is way easier than what we were trying to do,' Siraj said via phone. 'It's the world's most unforgiving haystack.' Two factors, however, did play to their advantage, Siraj noted. First, the ocean depth of the impact zone, about 20 miles north of Manus Island off the coast of Papau New Guinea, raised the likelihood that settled fragments of IM1 could have remained 'unperturbed for a decade' ever since IM1's splashdown on January 8, 2014. Second, as IM1 burst into flames above the Pacific, the unique properties of molten iron the metal rained down through Earth's atmosphere was scientifically known to form droplets about 10-700 microns thick, as small as, or smaller, than grains of table salt. Professor Loeb has courted controversy, as well as millions in independent financing, over his quest to identify outer space materials like this material that could serve as physical evidence or artifacts of an alien civilization probing our solar system. Last year, in March of 2022, scientists and classified tech with US Space Command confirmed Professor Loeb and Siraj's 2019 calculations on IM1's interstellar trajectory, reporting in an official letter to NASA that they were 99.999 percent sure the object came from outside our solar system. The Galileo Project's critics in the world of astronomy and astrophysics had expressed skepticism over the notions that IM1 might be interstellar or composed of entirely iron metal, but on both of these details, their skeptics have been proven wrong. Professor Loeb and his team have learned that iron is the 'dominant constituent' of the IM1 spheres' chemical make-up thanks, first, to some initial on-ship analysis and, now, the new, more thorough analysis conducted at the University of California, Berkeley. The findings are a solid rebuke to astrophysicists with Canada's Institute for Earth and Space Exploration, who argued that their computer modeling of IM1's behavior before impact 'strongly argues against an iron object.' Siraj expressed confusion at the Canadian institute's approach to their IM1 analysis. 'Instead of concluding that their model might be incomplete,' Siraj told DailyMail.com, 'because it's trained on meteors with much, much lower material strengths, they concluded that the data must be wrong.' 'The logic is a little bit confounding,' he said. Currently, IM1 is ranked first in terms of material strength out of all 273 fireballs in NASA's Center for Near-Earth Object Studies (CNEOS) meteor catalog. Siraj expressed hope that further work on IM1 will help destigmatize research in new fields of science, not just the search for extraterrestrial life. 'Interstellar objects themselves shouldn't be controversial,' Siraj said, 'but they're sometimes perceived as controversial because it's a new field.' Harvard astrophysicist Avi Loeb (third from left) and Harvard-trained physicist Amir Sirah (right) worked with their Galileo team to gently removed iron samples from the magnetic sled The new analysis at Berkeley came via the assistance of nuclear scientist Ryan Weed, an active duty US Air Force test pilot whose physics research involves novel propulsion systems. Galileo's IM1 samples were tested via inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) to better determine whether or not its ratio of iron isotopes matched what's typically found in our solar system or if the isotopes were themselves 'anomalous.' The Berkeley tests also included an analysis of the microscopic shape details, or 'morphology,' of the spheres using a scanning electron microscope; as well as a deeper investigation into the sphere's chemical make-up via energy-dispersive x-ray spectroscopy. Although more work remains to be done with the data collected from all this equipment, the Galileo team reports that the results, so far, 'hint at the interstellar origin suggested by the measured IM1 velocity,' as first calculated by Siraj in 2019 and proven by US Space Force in 2022. Although the behavior and fragments of IM1 do not resemble the vast majority of known meteors and asteroids, Professor Loeb and Siraj noted that they must consider at least one possible means by which IM1 could have been naturally made by the cosmos. Distant supernovae, exploding stars at the end of their existence, have been theorized to launch iron-rich 'bullets,' as suggested by past radio and x-ray observations by astronomers, including Professor Loeb in the early 1990s. IM1 could still prove to be a highly unusual, but natural iron bullet launched from an exploding star. 'The fundamental question is whether the meteor was natural or technological in origin,' according to Professor Loeb. 'We hope to answer this question by further analysis of its isotopic composition and radioactive dating.' But IM1 was not the only object that Siraj and Professor Loeb discovered that showed an interstellar trajectory. Professor Loeb said that either IM1 or the second object, IM2, the third strongest meteor in NASA's CNEOS fireball catalogue, may 'move fast and are tough because they are artificial in origin, namely chemically-propelled interstellar spacecraft.' The objects, Professor Loeb said, could be 'like our own interstellar probes, but launched a billion years ago.' Siraj told DailyMail.com that he is even more optimistic about the potential success with their second hunt for physical evidence from an interstellar object. IM2, he said, was much larger than IM1, at eight-times the mass, and it was traveling much more slowly through Earth's atmosphere when in splashed into the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of Portugal. 'There's a higher chance of finding larger fragments from that one,' Siraj said, because less of IM2 had a chance to melt away at its size and speed. The Galileo Project will 'hopefully' be dredging up samples from this second interstellar object, he said, 'within the next couple of years.' Whether it's while you're waiting for a bus or bored at work, there are days when it seems like time is running painfully slowly. Now, a study has revealed that time really did run slower, back in the early stages of the universe. Using observations of a ferocious class of black holes called quasars, scientists have demonstrated a process called 'time dilation' shortly after the Big Bang. At this time - roughly 12.3 billion years ago - time passed only about a fifth as quickly as it does today. Geraint Lewis of the University of Sydney, who led the study, said: 'We don't really understand time and its limitation, and some things are still not ruled out: time travel, warp drives, etc. The future could be very exciting, though maybe not.' Using observations of a ferocious class of black holes called quasars, scientists have demonstrated a process called 'time dilation' shortly after the Big Bang. At this time - roughly 12.3 billion years ago - time passed only about a fifth as quickly as it does today Quasars - among the brightest objects in the universe - were used as a 'clock' in the study to measure time in the deep past. Quasars are tremendously active supermassive black holes millions to billions of times more massive than our sun, usually residing at centres of galaxies. They devour matter drawn to them by their immense gravitational pull and unleash torrents of radiation including jets of high-energy particles, while a glowing disk of matter spins around them. The researchers used observations involving the brightness of 190 quasars across the universe dating to about 1.5 billion years after the Big Bang. They compared the brightness of these quasars at various wavelengths to that of quasars existing today, finding that certain fluctuations that occur in a particular amount of time today did so five times more slowly in the most ancient quasars. Einstein, in his general theory of relativity, showed that time and space are intertwined and that the universe has been expanding outward in all directions since the Big Bang. Professor Lewis said this continual expansion explains how time flowed more slowly earlier in the universe's history relative to today. It is not as if everything was in slow motion - if you could be transported back to that time, a second would still feel like a second to you. But from the perspective of a person today, a second back then would unfold in five seconds now (stock image) It is not as if everything was in slow motion - if you could be transported back to that time, a second would still feel like a second to you. But from the perspective of a person today, a second back then would unfold in five seconds now. 'In modern physics, time is a complicated thing,' Professor Lewis said. 'Dr. Who had it right, that time is best described as "wibbly-wobbly, timey-wimey stuff."' By looking at faraway objects, scientists peer back in time because of how long it takes for light to travel through space. Scientists previously documented time dilation dating to roughly seven billion years ago, based on observations of stellar explosions called supernovas. Already knowing the time it takes for today's supernovas to brighten and fade, they studied these explosions in the past - those at great distances from Earth - and found that these events unfolded more slowly than from our time perspective. The explosion of individual stars cannot be seen beyond a certain distance away, limiting their use in studying the early universe. However, quasars are so bright that they can be observed back to the universe's infant stages. 'What is observed over time is the quasar brightness,' Professor Lewis explained. 'This fluctuates up and down, the result of lots of complicated physics in the disk of matter spinning around a black hole at almost light speed. 'This change in brightness is not simply a bright, fade, bright, fade. It looks more like the stock market, with small scale jitters on longer-term changes, with some sharp fluctuations. 'The statistical properties of the light variations contain a time scale - a typical time for the fluctuations to possess a particular statistical property. And it is this we use to set the ticking of each quasar.' Crowds gathered in disbelief as it moved seamlessly over gravel roads The bizarre car requires its driver to crawl in through the window and lay down The Fiat Panda is a charmingly small car that can be found in countless garages across the world. But a group of Italian YouTubers set their sights on making it even smaller in a bizarre plan to create the world's lowest car. The so-called 'Carmagheddon' group has unveiled impressive footage of their attempt to transform a Fiat Panda into something far closer to the ground. Sliced just below its windows, the vehicle's bottom half was switched out for a go-kart, elevated by just four small wheels. Just like any other car, it seamlessly moves across the roads when put to the test on gravel, making crowds gather in disbelief. A group of Italian YouTubers set their sights on making it even smaller in a bizarre plan to create the world's lowest car READ MORE: 'Minicar' features retractable wheels that allow it to ride through narrow spaces with ease The new shape-shifting CT-1 can fit into spaces that are just 100cm-wide Advertisement 'Hello beasts,' Carmagheddon captioned its latest video. 'What happens if you walk down the street with the world's shortest panda? We're about to find out.' Perhaps expectedly, the car does appear to run a bit slower than a typical Fiat Panda, thanks to the removal of its engine. But a driver can steer and propel the car forward like any other using the wheels and pedals of the go-kart lodged inside. To do so, a person is required to crawl through the back window and lie on their back to get into a driving position. While this has been dubbed the 'world's lowest car', it is not clear how tall the sliced Fiat Panda really is. The latest Guinness World Records suggest this title was claimed by Mirai - measuring 17.79 in (55.2 cm) from the ground to its highest part. This vehicle was put together by students and teachers at Okayama Sanyo High School in Asakuchi, Japan. It ran on six main batteries and its driving unit was sourced from the Q-car produced by the Japanese CQ motors. Sliced just below its windows, the vehicle's bottom half was switched out for a go-kart, elevated by just four small wheels Just like any other car, it seamlessly moved across the roads when put to the test on gravel A driver can steer and propel the car forward like any other using the wheel and pedals of the go-kart lodged inside The latest Guinness World Records suggest this title was claimed by Mirai - measuring 17.79 in (55.2 cm) from the ground to its highest part Mirai was made by students and teachers at Okayama Sanyo High School in Asakuchi, Japan Viral footage of the sliced Fiat Panda has baffled thousands of watchers who can't believe that it's a functioning vehicle - albeit an illegal one on roads in the UK. 'It seems like seeing an ultra realistic car game, but with the glitched car in the street,' one person said. 'Sell it to Hollywood! As a stunt machine for films in which reality/time is manipulated it is perfect!' another said. Meanwhile, one joked: 'ABSURD!! We want the next one upside down.' The Fiat Panda is by no means the first wacky project of Carmagheddon's, with several creations shared on their YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@Carmagheddon and Instagram channels. A cyclable bathtub and a giant exhaust on the back of a Mitsubishi Colt are among the countless crazy projects they have been a part of. Photos of Mark Zuckerberg's new social media platform have been released for the first time today as experts brand the app the 'Twitter Killer'. The Meta CEO has stepped up his personal rivalry with bete noire Elon Musk by launching Threads: a 'text-based conversation app... where communities come together'. Screenshots on the Apple App Store show that Threads looks remarkably like Twitter and links user's content to their Instagram account, allowing them to post their thoughts - with or without pictures. Detail about Threads and how it works is scant, but it is understood that users will be able to curate Insta posts as usual while also posting their opinions and links in the same way they would in a tweet. Experts claims the similar style of interface set to be used by Threads, shared in the announcement via screenshots, was a 'strategic and intentional decision' by Meta, as it aimed to create a platform with 'as little friction as possible'. The analysts added that the platform's link to Instagram means Threads has 'the potential to become hugely impactful to Twitter' and is 'by far the biggest threat that Elon Musk has faced so far'. Screenshots for the new Meta app Threads, as seen in the Apple app store today. People have said it looks remarkably like Twitter Apple app store images for Threads, described as 'Instagram's text-based conversation app' Listed as 'Threads, an Instagram app', it is now available for pre-order on Apple's app store Listed as 'Threads, an Instagram app,' the software is described on Apple's app store as 'Instagram's text-based conversation app... where communities come together'. Experts said today that Threads is poses a huge threat to Twitter because it is linked to Instagram, which has 500million daily users worldwide. It appeared all Apple users could see it on their app store today, but Android users could only see it on the Google Play Store in certain countries not including Britain. The plans from Meta have been announced just days after the Tesla CEO imposed temporary restrictions on Twitter users, citing problems with how many companies and websites are making use of Twitter's data. What do the experts say about Threads? 'It does have the potential to become hugely impactful to Twitter. This is by far the biggest threat that Elon Musk has faced so far.' James Clayton, BBC's North America technology reporter 'I do think a new microblogging leader will emerge to supplant Twitter, but it is far from a foregone conclusion that the winner will be Meta.' Steve Teixeira, Mozilla chief product officer 'I've seen Meta do a very good job of picking up business models or product features and copy-pasting. Haters are going to say that they lack innovation, but I actually think this is smart.' Meghana Dhar, former Instagram executive Advertisement The same restrictions do not apply to accounts who pay for a blue tick, usually held by celebrities, high-profile individuals and companies. They can view 10,000 posts a day compared to 1,000 by non-verified users. TweetDeck users are also fuming after Twitter also announced it is to become the next part of the company to be limited to users who have paid for verified status. Matt Navarra, a social media consultant and industry analyst, said Twitter users were crying out for a more satisfying platform after being left unhappy with changes following Elon Musk's takeover. He said: 'I think that Threads is the first real, credible threat to Elon Musk's Twitter. 'Users of Twitter are desperately looking for an exit from the platform to escape, and the existing options of rivals are fairly limited. 'They all have the same big problem, which is you have to start from zero - it's a network that is completely new. One of the biggest benefits for Meta is that it's building off the back of Instagram, where people are familiar and can also kickstart their following because it ties into the same social graph.' The BBC's North America technology reporter James Clayton told Radio 4's Today programme: 'It looks almost identical to Twitter in pretty much every way. 'I think the one way that is very different to Twitter is that this is connected to Instagram. I've been speaking to Meta sources for the last few months, it's come out of Instagram, it very much has access to hundreds of millions of Instagram accounts. 'And so this isn't just starting from zero like many of Twitter's other competitors. It has that huge treasure trove of users in Instagram, so that's why journalists like me and others are quite excited by this, because it does have the potential to become hugely impactful to Twitter. This is by far the biggest threat that Elon Musk has faced so far.' Meta will benefit from having access to more than two billion monthly active Instagram users. Twitter meanwhile is estimated to have 364million monthly users. Steve Teixeira, Mozilla chief product officer and a former Twitter and Meta executive, told the Wall Street Journal: 'I do think a new microblogging leader will emerge to supplant Twitter, but it is far from a foregone conclusion that the winner will be Meta.' Meghana Dhar, a former Instagram executive, added: 'I've seen Meta do a very good job of picking up business models or product features and copy-pasting. 'Haters are going to say that they lack innovation, but I actually think this is smart.' Mark Zuckerberg's Meta announced in mid-March that it was working on a new social network It comes amid a period of uncertainty at Twitter since Elon Musk took over in October It comes as the rivalry between Mr Zuckerberg and the Tesla billionaire, who bought Twitter in October, continues. Last month, the pair - two of the world's most high-profile billionaires - agreed to take each other on in a cage fight with the Colosseum in Rome a potential venue. The exchange went viral on social media. Musk appears to be more keen having repeatedly urged Twitter users to delete their Facebook accounts, calling the social network 'lame'. Thread's launch comes after a period of uncertainty at Twitter since Mr Musk took over in October, with the billionaire restructuring the company, firing thousands and placing many features behind a subscription paywall. Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, announced in mid-March that it was working on a new social network whose description made it a potential competitor to Twitter. Threads will enable users to 'connect directly with your favourite creators and others who love the same things - or build a loyal following of your own to share your ideas, opinions and creativity with the world,' according to its app store description. Meta said: 'We're thinking about a decentralised, independent social network for sharing written messages in real time.' The arrival of the new app comes after Twitter announced TweetDeck is to become the next part of the company to be limited to users who have paid for verified status. The app, which allows users to manage multiple feeds and searches, will only by accessible to verified users in 30 days, according to a tweet from Twitter Support last night. A new version of TweetDeck has been made available with the tweet giving instructions to update. The announcement follows Mr Musk saying two days earlier that users were being limited to reading 600 posts a day. He said the limit, which had been introduced 'to address extreme levels of data scraping and system manipulation', had been increased to 1,000 later on Saturday. The stated aim of the decision was to limit the use of the social network's data by third parties, in particular companies feeding artificial intelligence models. But the restrictions could result in users being locked out of Twitter for the day after scrolling through several hundred tweets. Zuckerberg replied on his Instagram story, sharing a screenshot of Musk's challenge, writing: 'Send me location.' The Meta CEO recently placed a jiu-jitsu tournament in May Musk (right) challenged jiu-jitsu-trained Mark Zuckerberg to a 'cage match' after making a backhanded comment about Meta's reported new development Threads The interaction began after Musk commented about the Meta's reported in-development app, saying: 'I'm sure Earth can't wait to be exclusively under Zuck's thumb with no other options' Musk added fuel to the fire by tweeting out that the bout could take place at the landmark Verified users - who have paid for a subscription to Twitter Blue or are considered 'notable' - can read up to 10,000 posts daily after initially being limited to 6,000. Mr Musk's latest announcements to address data scraping have sparked a fierce backlash from Twitter users and ad experts said it would undermine new chief executive Linda Yaccarino, who started in the role last month. The Italian government has reportedly offered up Rome's Colosseum as the stage for a showdown between the billionaires. The world's richest tech titans vowed to throw it down in a cage fight last week in what would be a clash for the ages. The Italian Minister of Culture has contacted the Meta chief to offer to host the UFC fight between the two billionaire's at one of history's most legendary battlegrounds, according to TMZ. Both Mr Zuckerberg and Mr Musk are said to be keen to take their battle to the iconic venue with the latter even tweeting: 'Some chance fight happens in Colosseum.' The Italian Minister of Culture contacted Zuckerberg to offer to host the fight at the Colosseum The proposal appears to have even gained traction as Mr Zuckerberg's team reportedly passed the offer on to Dana White, whose representatives have reached out to the Minister, the report added. The Colosseum, one of the world's seven wonders, is Rome's most iconic landmark but has not hosted massive audiences inside for hundreds of years. The nearly 2,000-year-old amphitheater can only seat a few hundred spectators inside on temporary seating. In 2003, Sir Paul McCartney performed for 400 people who paid up to $1,500 for an exclusive charity show. But now Mr Zuckerberg and Mr Musk could be set to put on a show worthy of rivalling the Roman's gladiators. There have been other concerts held outside the theatre but it's unclear if the billionaires would throw it down inside or outside the landmark. From Rooney Mara and Joaquin Phoenix to Kirsten Dunst and Jesse Plemons, celebrity couples often look alike. But the phenomenon is not exclusive to the rich and famous an Instagram page called @siblingsordating is dedicated to snaps of couples who appear eerily similar. Now, experiments involving speed dating show that we tend to deem people who look like us as more attractive because we perceive them as 'kind and trustworthy'. Looking similar to someone can create a sense of 'kinship' which can lead to more pro-social behaviour and a greater likelihood of becoming a couple. The study comes shortly after the new phrase 'doppelbanger' was coined to refer to dating someone who bears an uncanny resemblance to you. Many celebrity couples, including actress Rooney Mara and actor Joaquin Phoenix (pictured), look alike A new study shows that we tend to see people who look like us as more attractive because we perceive them as more 'kind and trustworthy'. Pictured, Kirsten Dunst and Jesse Plemons READ MORE: We do not grow to look like our significant other, study finds The phenomenon of couples looking alike has long fascinated scientists. Pictured, Juliette Lewis and Brad Pitt in 1991 Advertisement The new study was led by psychologists at the University of Queensland in Brisbane, Australia, and published in the journal Evolution and Human Behavior. 'Results suggest that people may seek facially similar romantic partners,' said lead study author Amy Zhao at the University of Queensland. 'They are perceived as more kind, understanding and trustworthy due to a potential overlap between facial similarity and relatedness.' Multiple studies have sought to explain why there's an attraction between people who look alike, with many putting it down to subconsciously being drawn to someone who looks like a family member. Research from 2008 by Hungarian scientists found that women are inclined to choose partners whose faces resemble those of their fathers, while men were also more likely to have a relationship with a woman who looks like their mother. Meanwhile, a French study from 2012 found that some men were most attracted to images of women that had been digitally manipulated to resemble their own features. For the new study, the team wanted to investigate what facial traits make us deem someone as attractive not just looking similar to us, but also having a masculine or feminine face and being perceived as 'prosocial' or kind. Similar eyes: LeAnn Rimes and Eddie Cibrian attend MusiCares Person of the Year in Los Angeles, California Not related: Husband and wife Maggie Gyllenhaal and Peter Sarsgaard in New York last September Similar? US actor David Burtka (left) married TV host and fellow actor Neil Patrick Harris (right) back in 2014 The psychologists recruited 682 heterosexual participants and recorded a total of 2,285 speed-dating interactions in the lab. In all, 1,188 interactions were based on participants interacting with a partner of the same ethnicity, and the remaining 1,097 interactions were with a partner of a different ethnicity. Each interaction lasted three minutes, after which participants completed a questionnaire to rate the facial attractiveness and kindness of their dating partner. READ MORE: Lookalikes share DNA and personality traits Doppelgangers don't just look similar, a 2022 study suggests Advertisement Photos taken of the participants were used to help determine facial similarities between the couples. Researchers found that facial similarity influenced perceptions of attractiveness in other words, participants who rated someone as attractive tended to look similar to them. Participants also received higher facial attractiveness ratings from partners of the same ethnicity, compared to those from a different ethnicity. Interestingly, facial similarity predicted ratings of kindness even when the partner was the same or different ethnicity to the rater. The experts think similar faces are a signal of kinship the feeling of being similar and therefore belonging together and being able to trust each other. This is even though past studies have suggested cues of kinship can decrease sexual desirability due to a subconscious awareness of the 'costs of inbreeding'. The team think there is 'likely a genetic basis' for what kind of faces we find attractive, and that preferences for certain facial features potentially evolved due to fitness benefits signalled by those features. Somewhat unsurprisingly, the team also found facial masculinity was positively associated with facial attractiveness ratings of men, and negatively associated with facial attractiveness ratings of women. Photos taken of the participants were used to help determine facial similarities between the couples Males were deemed more attractive the more masculine they appeared (unsurprisingly, females were deemed less attractive if they looked more masculine) In other words, the more masculine a man looked, the more attractive they tended to be perceived, while females were deemed less attractive if they looked more masculine. The team say past studies in this area have had 'major limitations' as they involved participants rating a series of photographs or computer-generated faces. For example, a 2002 study found that participants who faced computer game opponents who facially resembled themselves were more willing to trust the opponent. 'It was not clear that findings from those studies would generalise to real life interactions where people are moving, talking, changing facial expressions, displaying their personality, and so on,' the team say. They conclude: 'It would be worthwhile to investigate how the objective facial characteristics we found to relate to attractiveness here may or may not also relate in real couples.' Center Parcs UK has made a big change to its booking rules. Previously, holidaymakers needed to be at least 21 to book a trip to one of its holiday villages, which are known for their water slides, spas and wide range of outdoor activities. Now, in a move that will attract a younger market, the leisure company has opened up reservations to travellers aged 18 or over. A representative told MailOnline Travel: 'Center Parcs is a family short break destination, and we recognise that all families are different. As part of a regular review of our terms and conditions we made the change to ensure that younger families are also able to makes special memories in our safe forest environment.' One tourism expert has suggested that the decision - which was implemented in late May - could impact middle-aged travellers seeking a civilised break in the companys holiday parks, which currently welcome more than two million visitors every year. Center Parcs UK has reduced its minimum booking age from 21 to 18 to attract a younger market. Pictured is the UK's original holiday village at Sherwood Forest, Nottinghamshire Beverley Boden, Head of Department for Tourism at Teesside University, told The Sun: This is a new way for Center Parcs to diversify its product and to increase occupancy during term time. It's an opportunity to enter a young market and given the cost of living crisis, it will help them look to new income sources to maintain the grounds and to generate new revenue streams. This will clearly have an impact on the traditional middle-class boomers who look for a civilised escape but entering a new market could be the way forward in income generation, which is to appeal to the masses during a difficult economic climate. The rule change applies to all five sites across the UK, as well as the Center Parcs in Ireland. Pictured above is Longleat Forest Center Parcs The rule change applies to all five sites across the UK, including the original holiday village at Sherwood Forest, Nottinghamshire, as well as the Center Parcs in Ireland Center Parcs Longford Forest, which opened in 2019. However, Center Parcs Europe, which operates as a separate company, has maintained a minimum booking age of 21. 'Reservations where the booker is younger than 21 years of age are not considered valid,' the European leisure firm says. The news comes just weeks after Center Parcs UK was put on sale for 5billion by its owners, the Canadian private equity firm Brookfield, which purchased the holiday village chain for about 2.4billion in 2015. Advertisement A fascinating reworked world map reveals what people wear in saunas around the globe - and it's the swimsuit that comes out on top. On the map country names have been supplemented with their residents traditional sauna attire. The spa booking agency SpaSeekers.com conducted the research, identifying the sauna etiquette in 84 countries worldwide to help spa-goers avoid embarrassment. Wearing a swimsuit tops the overall ranking as it's the most appropriate sauna attire in 41 countries around the world, including the U.S and Australia. In total, there are 23 countries in which a completely nude sauna experience is encouraged, including Sweden and Japan. SpaSeekers.com says: While the thought of sitting naked in a hot room with strangers might feel foreign to some, the experience is completely normal practice for many spa-loving countries around the world where spa-goers can relax in the pool, sauna and other spa experiences completely starkers. There are 24 countries, meanwhile, where etiquette demands that spa-goers wear a towel in the sauna this list includes the UK, Canada and Spain. A fascinating reworked world map reveals what people wear in saunas around the globe, showing where in the world its acceptable to relax in a sauna naked SpaSeekers.com also produced a series of regional maps to show the breakdown of the results more clearly across the globe. In Europe, spa nudity is embraced in countries such as Austria, Latvia, Slovakia and Hungary. SpaSeekers.com reveals that it can even be considered rude to wear swimwear in a sauna in Germany, where spa areas are considered designated non-textile areas for hygiene reasons. Towels are sometimes required, purely to sit on, so that is worth getting clarity on from the specific spa itself, it says. Bringing a towel to the sauna is commonplace in Italy, Ireland and the Netherlands, while wearing swimwear is the norm in places such as France, Denmark and Turkey. On the map, country names have been supplemented with their residents traditional sauna attire. Overall, there are 23 countries in which a completely nude sauna experience is encouraged Wearing a swimsuit proves to be the most common spa attire - it's top in 41 countries around the world Moving to Asia and the Middle East, nudity is celebrated in South Korea and Taiwan, whereas wearing swimwear is recommended in the UAE, India, and Thailand. Bringing a towel, meanwhile, is customary in Malaysia and Jordan. Looking to Oceania, New Zealanders bring a towel, whereas wearing swimwear is preferred in Fiji. Over in South America, Brazilians wrap up in a towel during a trip to a sauna. Moving up the map to Central America, it's better to go nude in Mexico, whereas wearing swimwear is customary in Cuba, the Bahamas and Costa Rica. New Zealanders bring a towel to the sauna, whereas swimwear is preferred in Australia and Fiji When in Central America, it's better to go nude in Mexico, whereas wearing swimwear is customary in Cuba, the Bahamas and Costa Rica The spa booking agency SpaSeekers.com conducted the research, identifying the sauna etiquette in 84 countries worldwide to help spa-goers avoid embarrassment SpaSeekers.com says: 'With sauna etiquette and rules varying from country to country (and sometimes even from spa to spa), its important to know what common practice is when it comes to getting your kit off' SAUNA ETIQUETTE AROUND THE WORLD Forty one nations 'expect you to wear swimwear' Twenty four nations 'are happy with you just being in a towel' Twenty three nations 'go completely bare in the sauna' Source: SpaSeekers.com Advertisement Finally, in Africa, sauna-goers should bring a towel to saunas in South Africa and Tunisia, but wear swimwear in countries such as Egypt, Morocco and Namibia. SpaSeekers.com also shares some tips for travellers who are hoping to visit saunas, noting that if you opt to wear a bathing suit, you should ensure that your swimsuit is 100 per cent clean to avoid spreading bacteria. Furthermore, sauna-goers should avoid wearing bathing costumes which have dangling decorative pieces - this is because these can overheat and burn the skin if they were to make contact, SpaSeekers.com reveals. Similarly, swimsuits made from PVC materials 'are at risk of melting, or letting off chemicals when they overheat - and at the very least will prevent the skin from breathing properly'. SpaSeekers.com recommends that swimsuit wearers ensure the costume they choose is loose-fitting and made of quality material to 'reap the benefits of a sauna as much as possible'. Dishing out more etiquette tips, the spa site also recommends checking with other sauna guests before you decide to up the steam levels and making sure to enter and leave quickly to retain the heat inside the space. Commenting on the research, Jason Goldberg, director at SpaSeekers.com, says: 'With sauna etiquette and rules varying from country to country (and sometimes even from spa to spa), its important to know what common practice is when it comes to getting your kit off. You dont want to make anyone feel uncomfortable, or worse, get yourself kicked out of a spa for indecent exposure - so always be sure to research sauna etiquette ahead of visiting a spa in a new country. If youre unsure of the rules, check in with staff at the spa youre visiting, as theyll be able to help clarify the guidelines so that you can avoid any embarrassment. A couple of holiday-goers have been left baffled after easyJet told them they would have to fly to Bristol and then back to Spain if they wanted to eventually get home to Scotland. Carly Wilkinson, 22, and her partner, Reece Pollock, 23, had just been enjoying a relaxing week in Majorca when they were presented with the confusing route home. easyJet offered the couple a flight from Palma, Majorca, to Bristol where they would then have to turn back on themselves and fly to Alicante in Spain. Only from there would the couple be able to fly back home to Glasgow. Yet to discover the 27-hour-long travel nightmare, the couple was sat in Palma airport waiting for what should have been a two-and-a-half-hour easyJet flight back to Scotland when they received a text telling them it had been cancelled. Trying to work out how they would get back home, airline staff told them they could either spend an extra 600 to fly with an alternative airline or they could wait 11 hours for a route via Bristol. Carly Wilkinson, 22, and her partner, Reece Pollock, 23, had just been enjoying a relaxing week in Majorca when they were presented with the confusing route home easyJet offered the couple a flight from Palma, Majorca, to Bristol where they would then have to turn back on themselves and fly to Alicante in Spain. Only from there would the couple be able to fly back home to Glasgow 'They said we could pay 600 for flights with another airline and, when I asked what if people couldn't afford that, the staff just shrugged,' said Wilkinson, reflecting on their initial cancellation at Parma, LadBible reported. 'I arranged a flight home via Bristol through their app but we had to wait about the airport till 2pm.' Thinking they would soon be home after a short connecting flight on to Glasgow, the couple soon received a text after touching down in the West Country that their onwards flight had also been cancelled. It was at this point that the couple was hit with the most perplexing news. 'They said they could fly us back to Glasgow but we would have to go via Alicante in Spain, where we had just come from,' said Wilkinson. 'We couldn't believe it we had been travelling for hours and just wanted to get home. We didn't want to end up stranded in Alicante.' The two refused the idea immediately, and easyJet agreed to pay for a six-hour 400-mile (645km) taxi trip back home along with eight other passengers who had been left stunned by the same proposal. 'There were 10 of us in the same situation so we stuck together and eventually easyJet agreed to send us via taxi back to Glasgow,' Wilkinson explained, the publication reported. Wilkinson said she had enjoyed an amazing holiday with her partner but that it was 'totally ruined by the disaster we had getting home'. She added: 'We slept on the floor in the airport' The couple were sat in Palma airport waiting for their easyJet flight back to Glasgow when they received a text telling them it had been cancelled Wilkinson said she had enjoyed an amazing holiday with her partner but that it was 'totally ruined by the disaster we had getting home'. The two should have had a relatively simple route home, hopping on a two-and-a-half-hour flight home. Instead they spent the same amount of time it takes to fly to Australia, with additional time to spare. Wilkinson and Pollock said they paid 1,500 for a seven-night package holiday to Majorca with travel agency On The Beach. They said they had also contacted easyJet over the chaotic venture. 'After the longest journey home, we then had to pay another 50 for a taxi back to Balloch to collect my car. We slept on the floor in the airport and easyJet didn't offer us any vouchers towards food,' LadBible reported Wilkinson as saying. She said the airline has since issued the pair 100 in expenses. An easyJet spokesperson told the publication: 'We did all possible to minimise the impact of the disruption. They transferred to an alternative flight to Bristol where we arranged a car transfer to Glasgow due to their onward flight also being cancelled as a result of air traffic control restrictions. 'We understand the difficulty this will have caused and we are contacting the couple to apologise for their experience and reimburse them for their expenses.' A new $1,500 photobook will celebrate Arnold Schwarzenegger's journey from poverty to bodybuilding champion to movie icon - to Governor of California. The two volume edition is set to include portraits by leading photographers, such as Richard Avedon, Annie Leibovitz, Robert Mapplethorpe, Herb Ritts, Francesco Scavullo, and Andy Warhol. Among the images will be shots of Schwarzenegger in his early bodybuilding days, as well as stills from film's he has featured in and dozen's of photographs from his personal archive. The glossy coffee table book's publisher Taschen have described the project as 'a big, brawny salute to the worlds favorite muscleman!' The book, titled: 'Arnold Schwarzenegger: Athlete, Actor, American, Activist', is the result of a decade of collaboration Taschen said. Arnold Schwarzenegger, age 20, in Austria, taken by Albert Busek, in 1967 will form part of the new photobook 'Arnold Schwarzenegger: Athlete, Actor, American, Activist' Arnold Schwarzenegger photographed by Sante D'Orazio for the film End of Days in 1999 will also form part of the glossy photobook. The snap of him on the bike will likely remind fans of his role as the Terminator The Terminator actor launched the book at the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures in Los Angeles on Wednesday. The book will be available for retail purchases in July. Fans can purchase a collector's edition of the book, numbered and signed by Schwarzenegger himself, for $1,500. In addition the publisher is selling an Annie Leibovitz Art Edition of the book, complete with a nearly lifesize print of Arnold on the ski slopes from the June 1997 cover of Vanity Fair, for $15,000. As well as the book being signed by Schwarzenegger, the poster will be signed by Leibovitz. Among the images to feature in the glossy picture book is a 1967 photograph taken by Albert Busek of Schwarzenegger aged 20 as an Austrian bodybuilder. Sante D'Orazio's photograph of the actor for the film End of Days in 1999 will also form part of the photobook. Schwarzenegger is pictured while governor of California by the Lincoln Memorial captured by Peter Grigsby in 2009 Arnold Schwarzenegger and his donkey Lulu at his Los Angeles shot by Tracy Nguyen in 2021 The new photobook of Arnold Schwarzenegger will celebrate his journey from poverty to bodybuilding champion all the way to Governor of California The Terminator actor launched the book at the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures in Los Angeles on Wednesday Schwarzenegger was born in Thal, Austria in 1947 to an alcoholic father who was once a member of the Nazi party. As a young man he began bodybuilding with the International Federation of bodybuilders. He went on to win five Mr Universe titles and seven Mr. Olympia crowns during his bodybuilding career. Schwarzenegger emigrated to the United States in 1968 and turned his hand to acting, becoming a naturalized citizen in 1983. He starred in films such as Conan, The Terminator and Total Recall. The star married into the Kennedy family by wedding Maria Shriver in 1986. The couple had four children but split in 2011 following the revelation that Arnold had conducted an affair with the couple's housekeeper and fathered a lovechild. In 2003 Schwarzenegger successfully ran to become Governor of California and was reelected in 2006. He is one of the only people ever to retain duel Austrian-American citizenship. His home country usually makes its citizens give up their passport if they become citizens of another country, but a special exception was made for Arnie. Jordan Banjo has detailed son Atreus' terrifying battle with sepsis and viral meningitis in an exclusive interview with MailOnline. The Diversity star, 30, welcomed his third child with wife Naomi Courts on April 25 before the little one was rushed into hospital last month. Jordan recalled the scary incident that left the newborn grey with tubes and cannulas inserted into his tiny body as doctors hastily worked to save his life. Meningitis is an inflammation of the meninges, the layer of tissue that surrounds the brain and the spinal cord. It can lead to Sepsis as the bodys life-threatening response to an infection. Jordan, who already shares Cassius Ashley, four, and daughter Mayowa 'Mimi' Angel, three, with his wife went on to praise his partner's 'maternal instinct' after admitting he initially assumed there was nothing to worry about. Candid: Jordan Banjo, 30, has detailed his son Atreus' terrifying battle with sepsis and meningitis in an exclusive interview with MailOnline Hospital: The Diversity star welcomed his third child with wife Naomi Courts on April 25 before being rushed into hospital last month Jordan who was speaking as part of Tesco's Stronger Starts campaign, recalled Naomi spotted the the infant was pale and floppy and quickly telephoned him: 'She just knew something wasn't wasn't right, so she was like "I'm taking him to A&E". He continued: 'I was on [Radio station] Kiss on my show at the time and she said "You need to get here right now" and even then I was probably still a little bit in the moment of "everything is going to be fine". 'But when I walked in he was completely grey, he's got cables hanging off of him, cannulas in, then they start talking about sepsis and viral meningitis and it was a really, really scary time'. Thankfully baby Atreus is now home after undergoing a week long course of antibiotics in hospital. Offering advice to other parents Jordan said it was important to 'go with your gut' and not to worry about being over cautious. 'I feel like it's quite a British thing, you're so worried about being impolite and it being an inconvenience'. He went on: 'Atreus was a bit paler than usual, he started to feel a bit a bit floppy and was making like these sort of weird little noises and it it all just sort of linked to this is really unusual behaviour. 'So I guess if you notice something that's like completely out of the ordinary your gut feelings telling you they're not well.' Family: The couple already share son Cassius Ashley, four, and daughter Mayowa 'Mimi' Angel, three, after marrying in August last year Praise: Jordan praise his partner's 'mother's instinct' after admitting he initially assumed there was nothing to worry about "It's better safe than sorry, right? I'd rather go somewhere and people think I'm being a little bit overdramatic'. The TV star is working with supermarket chain Tesco introducing a 5m grant programme, in partnership with Groundwork UK, to give children across the UK a stronger start in life. He said: 'It's hard for kids to dream big when they're hungry but by nominating your local school or children's group, you can make a massive difference to the lives of thousands of youngsters.' The grants will help schools and children's groups provide nutritious food and healthy activities that support young people's physical health and mental wellbeing, such as breakfast clubs or snacks, and equipment for healthy activities. Customers can support their local school and children's groups by dropping the Tesco blue token they receive at checkout into the relevant voting box as they leave the store. Successful applications will go to a customer vote in their local Tesco store. Two out of the three blue token voting boxes by the checkout will be dedicated to local schools with the third given over to local community projects nominated by each stores colleagues. Customers can then choose which of the three projects theyd like to support by voting with a blue token. You can learn more about the Tesco Stronger Starts campaign and how to apply for a grant at www.tescoplc.com/sustainability/communities/strongerstarts. Successful applications will go to a customer vote in their local Tesco store, with customers choosing which of the projects they would like to support by voting with a blue token. Good cause: Jordan is working with supermarket chain Tesco introducing a 5m grant programme , in partnership with Groundwork UK, to give children across the UK a stronger start in life Helping hands: Customers can support their local school and children's groups by dropping the Tesco blue token they receive at checkout into the relevant voting box as they leave the store 100% of the Bangladeshi population has electricity Bangladesh has achieved an extraordinary feat as the government successfully delivers electricity to every household, accomplishing 100% electricity coverage across the country, according to an Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis (IEEFA) report. This remarkable achievement underscores the government's unwavering commitment to ensuring universal access to electricity and eliminating power shortages that plagued the nation in the past. The government's dedicated efforts have resulted in electricity reaching every household in Bangladesh, making power cuts a thing of the past. The vision of achieving comprehensive electricity coverage within the 'Mujib year' has been fully realized, marking a significant milestone in the nation's progress. This monumental accomplishment is a testament to the government's dedication to uplifting the lives of its citizens and driving socio-economic development through reliable and accessible electricity. The transformative impact of 100% electricity coverage extends to various sectors, such as education, healthcare, industry, and agriculture, empowering individuals, businesses, and communities. The private sector's role is crucial in Bangladesh's power generation, contributing 43% of the total electricity produced. Government and private joint ventures also account for 6% of the power generation capacity, highlighting the collaborative efforts driving the nation's energy landscape. Over the past 12 years, the power sector has experienced substantial growth, contributing 3.5% to the country's GDP. This upward trend underscores the sector's pivotal role in driving economic progress and enhancing the overall quality of life for Bangladeshi citizens. Bangladesh government achieves electricity for 100% of the population through tireless and inspirational work towards climate change Addressing climate change Bangladesh's commitment to renewable energy is evident through ongoing projects such as the Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant. This venture and other power plant projects, including Rampal, Matarbari, and Bashkhali, showcase the nation's dedication to cleaner and sustainable energy sources. Bangladesh has made significant strides in the global arena in an impressive display of commitment to addressing climate change, according to a The National Bureau of Asian Research (NBR) article. The country established the Climate Change Trust Fund in 2009 to promote climate change adaptation initiatives. Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina is a renowned climate champion, tirelessly advocating for her country's participation in international climate dialogues. Her efforts have highlighted the unique challenges faced by developing and vulnerable economies in the face of climate change. Despite being responsible for less than 1% of global carbon emissions, Bangladesh is one of the most climate-vulnerable nations. Undeterred by its comparatively small carbon footprint, the country has demonstrated an unwavering dedication to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals outlined in the Paris Agreement. A testament to this commitment was the cancellation of ten coal-based power projects, representing a foreign investment of $12 billion. This bold move exemplifies Bangladesh's determination to prioritize sustainable energy alternatives. Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina is a renowned climate champion, tirelessly advocating for her country's participation in international climate dialogues Renewable energy plans As part of its transition to renewable energy, Bangladesh has set an ambitious target of generating 40% of its energy from renewable sources by 2041. To achieve this vision, the country has developed a draft national solar energy action plan, envisioning the installation of approximately 41 gigawatts of solar generation capacity within the same timeframe. This ambitious plan showcases Bangladesh's resolve to embrace clean and sustainable energy solutions, contributing to the global fight against climate change. Bangladesh's remarkable progress in addressing climate change and its unwavering commitment to a sustainable future highlight its proactive approach and determination to make a meaningful impact on the global stage. By setting ambitious targets, engaging in international climate discussions, and promoting renewable energy, Bangladesh continues to emerge as a leading advocate for climate action and an inspiring example for other nations to follow. Comparing the numbers Notable advancements in the power sector are observed by comparing statistics from 2009 to 2022. The number of power plants has risen from 27 to 154, emphasizing the significant expansion of power generation capabilities. The overall power generation capacity has surged from 4,942 megawatts in 2009 to an impressive 25,730 megawatts in 2022, demonstrating remarkable progress in meeting the nation's electricity demands. Bangladesh has transitioned from being a power importer to a self-sufficient nation in power generation. This achievement symbolizes the nation's resilience and determination to strengthen its energy security, reducing dependence on external sources. Expanding the power sector infrastructure To support the robust growth of the power sector, the government has made substantial investments in transmission line infrastructure. The transmission line network has expanded from 8,000 kilometers in 2009 to 13,000 kilometers in 2022, ensuring efficient and reliable electricity distribution throughout the country. Bangladesh's achieving 100% electricity coverage and continued progress in the power sector exemplify the government's dedication to energy security and self-reliance. The nation is poised to meet its future energy needs while driving sustainable economic growth by fostering partnerships, investing in renewable energy, and bolstering power infrastructure. Guy Sebastian's wife Jules shared a heartwarming family photo on Monday, and fans were delighted to see how much their sons looked like their famous dad. The two boys, Hudson, 10, and Archie, nine, were the spitting image of The Voice Australia judge, 41, as they cuddled up to him in the sweet Instagram picture. Rugged up against the Melbourne cold, the family of four were all smiles as they posed in their hotel before heading out to see Harry Potter and the Cursed Child. 'A family weekend in Melbourne to see the incredible Harry Potter show. Im still trying to figure out some of their tricks - how?!' Jules, 43, wrote in the caption. 'We loved every minute of the show and being together. School holidays week one done and dusted!' Guy Sebastian's, 41, (left) wife Jules, 43, (right) shared a heartwarming family photo on Monday, and fans were delighted to see how much their sons looked like their famous dad The two boys, Hudson, 10, and Archie, nine, were the spitting image of The Voice Australia judge, 41, as they cuddled up to him in the sweet Instagram picture during a weekend trip to Melbourne Fans flocked to the comments to gush over how much Hudson and Archie looked just like their father. 'Omg - your eldest is a mini-Guy! Beautiful fam,' one person said. Another wrote: 'A very handsome family wow the boys are growing up fast they look like Guy.' The weekend away comes just days after the foursome took a week-long holiday at Club Med Bintan Island in Indonesia A third noted the Sebastian boys looked a lot like their mother as well, saying: 'Cute fam and you definitely can see the both of you in your boys.' The weekend away comes just days after the foursome took a week-long holiday at Club Med Bintan Island in Indonesia. Located an hour by ferry from Singapore, the luxury resort costs $2392 a night, costing the Sebastian's around $16,000 for a week's stay. Sharing a video of their adventures to Instagram last Monday, Jules documented their lavish getaway for all her online followers. Jesy Nelson has reportedly been approached by Dancing On Ice bosses to take part in the next series of the show. Television bigwigs are said to be desperate for the former Little Mix star, 32, to take part after she decided to take some time out from music. The former X Factor contestant is taking the summer off to go travelling around the world and is also reportedly scrambling to rework her debut album when she returns. And she could make her way back into the public consciousness by competing on ITV's Dancing On Ice. A source told The Sun: 'Dancing On Ice would love to sign Jesy to appear on the next series. Star appearance: Jesy Nelson, 32, has reportedly been approached by Dancing On Ice bosses to take part in the next series of the show Going solo: Jesy has been working on her solo career since leaving her former band Little Mix in 2020 (L-R: Jade Thirlwall, Leigh-Anne Pinnock, Perrie Edwards and Jesy pictured in 2019) 'She has chosen to take some time out from music and has the rest of the year off, meaning she could come back with a bang in January when the next series kicks off. 'ITV have approached Jesy to see if she would be interested. They have made it clear she is firmly at the top of their wish list and theyd do anything to make it happen. 'She is an incredibly talented performer and would have a great presence on the ice. 'The shows bosses hope the break she is on at the moment will give her time to think about taking part, as ITV think she would be brilliant.' A spokesperson for Jesy told MailOnline: 'Jesy has never been approached by Dancing on Ice.' Jesy has allegedly scrapped plans to release her third single Cried Out in favour of an 'uptempo banger' that she claims is 'me in a nutshell'. Her last released track, Bad Thing, an emotional ballad about an abusive relationship, underperformed, failing to break into the UK Top 100. Speaking to the Mirror, a source said: 'Jesy has been listening to her critics. She is desperate to give fans something epic and is doing all she can to find her authentic sound, but the sudden change-up has unsettled her camp. On show: Television bigwigs are said to be desperate for the former Little Mix star to take part in DOI after she decided to take some time out from music (L-R: Dancing On Ice judges Ashley Banjo, Oti Mabuse, Jayne Torvill and Christopher Dean pictured in January) 'Last year, most of her debut album was believed to be done - even the artwork was in place - but Jesy has since done a huge u-turn and everything is being reworked, even the aesthetic as it doesnt match her new uptempo direction.' The insider added: 'Its all a bit of a mess.' It comes after Jesy announced she will take a long break from showbusiness on Friday after launching her solo music career. The pop star - who quit girlband Little Mix in 2020 - shared the news with her 9.7M Instagram followers on the social media platform. Stepping back: It comes after Jesy announced she will take a long break from showbusiness to go travelling this summer She told how she is planning to step away from the spotlight and her social media pages across the summer to spend some time travelling the globe. Jesy wrote: 'Hey guys! So for a long time I've really wanted to go travelling but never had the time to do it. 'I've got some really exciting things coming up with work and my music, but until then I'm gonna take the summer off to travel the world,' she wrote adding a heart eyes emoji. 'I'm going to be off my social media for a while, I love you all so much and I'll see you when I'm back,' she added. Married At First Sight's Jack Millar and Love Island Australia's Courtney Stubbs announced on Monday they are having a baby girl. The lovebirds shared the news in an Instagram gender reveal video which captures them bursting a large Question Mark balloon to unveil smaller pink balloons inside. 'Oh my God, a girl, I knew it,' an excited Courtney, 25, tells Jack, 27, to which he responds: 'No, I knew it'. The couple are then seen passionately embracing before Jack kisses her growing baby bump. Many of their reality star pals were quick to offer their congratulations over the exciting news. Married At First Sight's Jack Millar and Love Island Australia's Courtney Stubbs announced on Monday they are having a baby girl. Both pictured 'Cannot wait to spoil her,' wrote Jack's MAFS ex-wife Domenica Calarco while Selina Chhaur added: 'Yay, congratulations'. Meanwhile, Ella Ding chipped in with: 'Aawwwwww. Such beautiful news'. Back in May, Jack and Courtney announced they were expecting a baby. The lovebirds shared the news in an Instagram gender reveal video which captures them bursting a large Question Mark balloon to unveil smaller pink balloons inside The pair shared the glorious news to Instagram, alongside celebratory footage of the glowing couple. In the clip, Courtney and Jack are seen posing happily on a beach. At one point Jack gets down on bended knee and kisses his ladylove's blossoming belly. 'Overjoyed to share our magical secret with you,' the couple captioned the news. The couple are then seen passionately embracing before Jack kisses her growing baby bump At the end of the footage, it's revealed Baby Millar will arrive in November 2023. Courtney and Jack went Instagram official in July 2022. Domenica Calarco confirmed the pair's relationship during an Instagram Q and A when she was asked by a fan, 'How do you feel about Jack and Courtney?' 'I'm so happy he is happy,' she replied. Kourtney Kardashian 'doesn't need' her sisters in order to rake in money as she shifts her main focus to her own growing family and successful Poosh brand. The TV personality, 44, who is 'ready to cut ties with her family's reality show,' is pregnant with her fourth child, and first with husband, Travis Barker. A source informed People in an article published on Monday that the star, 'doesnt want to engage in any family drama.' A feud between Kourtney and sister Kim has notably been playing out in the latest episodes of Hulu's The Kardashians. The insider further added, 'She has much more important focuses. She loves her business and brand. She feels very proud of Poosh. She doesnt need her family, or sisters, to make money.' The source told the outlet that the beauty is 'enjoying doing her own thing' and would 'much rather focus on her brand than filming for the show.' Main focus: Kourtney Kardashian, 44, 'doesn't need' her sisters in order to rake in money as she shifts her main focus to her own growing family and successful Poosh brand Poosh, which was launched by Kourtney back in 2019, is a popular lifestyle and wellness brand. She also created her own Lemme Vitamins line last year in September 2022. During an interview with Bustle last year in March, the reality star opened up about starting her own multi-million dollar brand and explained, 'It was really important to me when I started Poosh that it was something that I was doing for myself.' Along with working hard behind-the-scenes for Poosh, Kardashian announced last month on June 16 that she was pregnant with her fourth child while supporting her husband at a Blink-182 concert in Los Angeles. The star notably revealed that she had stopped her IVF journey last year in September. The source also gushed to People on Monday that, 'Kourtney is the happiest.' 'She is overjoyed about her baby boy and feels beyond grateful to be married to Travis. She feels like she couldnt wish for anything else.' Along with preparing to welcome a son, the businesswoman, who recently threw a rock n' roll themed gender reveal party, also shares son Mason, 13; daughter Penelope, 10; and youngest son Reign, eight, with her ex, Scott Disick. The TV personality is reportedly ready to take a step back from her family's reality series, The Kardashians, which is currently in its third season, in order to potentially focus on creating a spin-off with husband, Travis Barker. A separate source recently opened up to RadarOnline and touched on the topic of Kourtney's surprise pregnancy reveal, which she reportedly didn't tell her family about beforehand. 'Doesn't need' their money: 'She has much more important focuses. She loves her business and brand. She feels very proud of Poosh. She doesnt need her family, or sisters, to make money,' a source told People Growing family: 'She is overjoyed about her baby boy and feels beyond grateful to be married to Travis. She feels like she couldnt wish for anything else,' the insider expressed 'It was very un-Kardashian for Kourtney to do that, but she's sick of them interfering with her life and wants to cut ties now. Kourtney has learned everything she possibly can from her mom, Kris Jenner, and from being on the show.' The insider then stated, 'She wants a whole Kravis spinoff of The Kardashians that doesn't involve her sisters.' Drama has currently been seen on the screen in the most recent episodes of The Kardashians between Kourtney and her younger sister, Kim. A rift started to heat up when the SKIMS founder collaborated with Dolce & Gabbana shortly after Kourtney's wedding to Travis in Italy, which was curated by the Italian luxury brand. Amid the latest episode that aired earlier last week, Kourtney was urged by Khloe to sit down and talk to Kim to make an attempt to smooth things over. At one point, the Poosh founder stated, 'If she felt bad, dont you think she would reach out and say, "Hey, I was thinking about it and I really feel blah blah blah. Like I dont think that she feels"' Khloe added, 'To my understanding, shes tried to talk to you but you havent been ready to talk.' Kourtney stated, Zero percent false I mean, 100 percent false, zero percent true,' and added, 'It comes from an old thing of us like being 18 months apart and just having like a competitive like nature as sisters...' A 'spin-off': The insider then stated, 'She wants a whole Kravis spinoff of The Kardashians that doesn't involve her sisters' On screen feud: Drama has currently been seen on the screen in the most recent episodes of The Kardashians between Kourtney and her younger sister, Kim On good terms: Both sisters were seen posing in matching pink pajamas together as they spent time at North West's sleepover bash in Beverly Hills last month in June Kourtney added in confession, This is definitely not about a brand. It was about my wedding. I didnt feel truly supported. I think its just that its like a free-for-all. Its like no like boundaries and it felt like theres no decency to like ask me how I felt about her doing this so closely to my wedding.' She continued, 'Its also like no one just like gives a f**k about anything. Its like the Wild West, like were just gonna take and do as we want, whatever is best for us.' Back at Kourtneys house, Khloe asks, So what are you gonna do? Not talk to her forever? Kourtney adds with a laugh, Thats an option.' 'Cause shes so intolerable to even have a conversation with that shes like on her phone the whole time, can hardly look up, really hard to engage with, Kourtney said. She added later in a confession, 'Our family is so interconnected and we always have been. All of our businesses were all together, but I think, for my survival, I need my own identity and I need just my own life. I really love having some separation and having my own friends and having my own you know family.' Despite dealing with a rocky feud in the show, both Kourtney and Kim seemingly have cooled down the rift. Both sisters were seen posing in matching pink pajamas together as they spent time at North West's sleepover bash in Beverly Hills last month in June. However, late last month, Kourtney uploaded a photo of her new license as she officially changed her name to Kourtney Kardashian Barker, which came shortly after Kim got her picture taken at the DMV. Fans arose speculation that the Poosh founder was throwing 'shade' at her sister. The beginning: A rift started to heat up when the SKIMS founder collaborated with Dolce & Gabbana shortly after Kourtney's wedding to Travis in Italy, which was curated by the Italian luxury brand; Kim seen in September 2022 in Milan Baby bump! Kourtney has also proudly showcased her growing baby bump on multiple occasions, such as recently posing inside of an elevator and also soaking up the sun for a pool day in a green bikini Since her pregnancy announcement, Kourtney has kept her fans and followers updated as she prepares to welcome a baby boy. Earlier last month, the reality star and her husband, Travis, threw a lavish gender reveal bash at their Calabasas home which was rock n' roll themed. At one point, the couple sat at drums for a classic drum roll, which then prompted blue streamers to fly out into the air, revealing that they are expecting a boy. She shared an assortment of behind-the-scenes snaps and videos from the party, and also revealed that she had planned the bash in under 48 hours. Kourtney has also proudly showcased her growing baby bump on multiple occasions, such as recently posing inside of an elevator and also soaking up the sun for a pool day in a green bikini. Edwina Bartholomew has charmed fans on Sunrise since 2011 -moving up the ranks over the years to become the show's news reporter in 2021. And despite having a plum TV gig at Channel Seven, the journalist, 39, also has an impressive property portfolio with her husband, Neil Varcoe. The couple, who have been married since 2018 and share two children together, recently snapped up a 177-year-old country hotel in rural NSW after selling their inner-west Sydney home in March for $2.1million. Woman's Day reports that Edwina is set to become a 'multimillionaire' by the end of the year and is even dreaming of renovating a property in either Italy or Spain soon. 'Eddy is a natural at finding amazing properties with huge potential - and working her magic and making them into something very special,' a source told the publication. How Edwina Bartholomew became a secret 'multimillionaire': Sunrise star has gone from newsreader to a property mogul with her latest historic hotel buy - and even has plans to 'renovate a property in Italy or Spain' 'This is their money-making ticket out of the sometimes crazy media rat race.' Of their plans for snapping up property overseas, the source added: 'Eddy has big dreams one day to head to either Italy or Spain to fulfill a lifelong dream to take on an old rundown ruin and convert it into something out of this world.' The couple's latest venture 'The Victoria Hotel' was built in 1846, and Edwina has plans to renovate it to reopen for business. And despite having a plum TV gig at Channel Seven, the journalist, 39, also has an impressive property portfolio with her husband, Neil Varcoe The couple, who have been married since 2018 and share two children together, recently snapped up a 177-year-old country hotel in rural NSW after selling their inner-west Sydney home in March for $2.1million The property is located in Carcoar, 260kms west of Sydney. In May, Edwina announced the purchase on her Instagram page. 'In 1846, it was built on the banks of the Belubula River in Carcoar. 177 years later, on the same land, The Victoria returns to welcome a new generation of guests,' she explained. 'A new chapter for the town time forgot. A new full-time project for us. A new side hustle for me in addition to waking up with you every morning on @sunriseon7. 'Reopening 2025 (with a lot of Fawlty Towers updates to come between now and then).' The couple's latest venture 'The Victoria Hotel' was built in 1846, and Edwina has plans to renovate it to reopen for business Back in March, Edwina announced she and her husband Neil had secured a buyer for their renovated three-bedroom, two-bathroom property in Sydney's inner west. She posted a photo on Instagram of the 'for sale' sign outside the home with a huge 'sold' sticker plastered on the front of it. 'Our lovely little house is now another couple's home. Let the next renovation adventure begin (again),' she wrote. She previously said she did not originally plan to sell the stone brick 1880s-era house, but the couple decided to let it go after finding another renovation project. Back in March, Edwina announced she and her husband Neil had secured a buyer for their renovated three-bedroom, two-bathroom property in Sydney's inner west. The property is pictured 'We've found this other project that we want to take on and it feels right,' she told Realestate.com.au. 'I get emotional when I think about everything that's happened in this house. It's where we started our family. It's such a special place that we love so much,' she said. The Channel Seven personality bought the home after doing a story about the area for Sunrise and formed a real 'connection' with the suburb. Edwina previously said she did not originally plan to sell the stone brick 1880s-era house, but the couple decided to let it go after finding another renovation project The couple also own a historic homestead in the Greater Blue Mountains, called Warramba. Located on 100 acres of land in Glen Alice, the three-bedroom property boasts private hillside views of the Blue Mountains. The property sits just outside of Lithgow, roughly 225 kilometres from Sydney's CBD. Edwina and Neil reportedly paid $430,000 for the charming 19th century sandstone cottage in 2016 and sought the help of a school friend to redesign it the following year. 'There's a few snakes and frogs in the loo but otherwise [we're] on time and under budget!' she previously told Daily Mail Australia of the renovation process. The couple tied the knot on the property in 2018 and went on to list it on Airbnb. Emma Roberts helped transform her Aunt Mela's kitchen into a functional animal-friendly cooking space on Monday's season six episode of Celebrity IOU on HGTV. The 32-year-old American Horror Story actress gave her honorary Aunt Mela Murphy a complete custom kitchen makeover with the help of the Property Brothers star Jonathan and Drew Scott, both 45. Emma wanted to give her aunt the functional kitchen and cooking space that she deserves after helping raise her and also devoting her spare time to making wigs for cancer patients and rescuing dogs. 'Aunt Mela is family,' Emma said. 'I call her my aunt. My mom [Kelly Cunningham] calls her my sister, but we are not blood related, but we may as well be. She's been in my life since I was born.' Emma said Aunt Mela, who she also called Aunt Moo, was her fun aunt whose house she always loved going to when she was growing up. She said her aunt works at a salon, but also donates her time to her volunteer causes. Kitchen renovation: Emma Roberts helped transform her Aunt Mela's kitchen into a functional animal-friendly cooking space on Monday's season six episode of Celebrity IOU on HGTV 'She's so special to me and I just would love to do something nice for her,' Emma said. Emma said her aunt house bought the property four years ago, but did not love how the house had been renovated. Emma showed them that there had been things in the kitchen that were not even hooked up such as the gas line to the stove. The gray cabinets were not Aunt Mela's style, Emma said. 'She loves vintage, that's her vibe,' Emma said. 'The gray is a little depressing.' Emma said it was important for her rescued animals to have their own space in the kitchen. Emma said her aunt loved tea, so Jonathan suggested creating a tea bar. The Property Brothers suggested changing the floors and having custom green cabinets installed and revamping the peninsula with a doggie nook. Aunt Mela headed up to Oregon to rescue a dog so they had four weeks to redo her kitchen. Emma put on protective glasses and then helped the brothers demolish the kitchen cabinets. 'I love demo,' Emma said, wielding a sledgehammer. 'I'll help with demo any day.' Helping hand: The 32-year-old American Horror Story actress pitched in to give her honorary Aunt Mela Murphy a complete custom kitchen makeover Twin brothers: Emma worked on the kitchen transformation with the help of the Property Brothers star Jonathan and Drew Scott She's family: 'Aunt Mela is family,' Emma said. 'I call her my aunt. My mom [Kelly Cunningham] calls her my sister, but we are not blood related, but we may as well be. She's been in my life since I was born' Close bond: Emma said Aunt Mela, who she also called Aunt Moo, was her fun aunt whose house she always loved going to when she was growing up The Property Brothers also decided to open up the kitchen by expanding a doorway. Emma then helped pick out the fashionable finishes for the kitchen. 'She's always talked about green cabinets,' Emma said. Because Aunt Mela also had a turtle at her house with its own pond, Jonathan said they would call the green color 'turtle green.' 'Everything in here has to feel special and elevated,' Jonathan said. 'Nothing can be builder basic.' Emma also helped them install the cabinets when they arrived. 'It was really fun,' Emma said. 'I definitely enjoyed it.' Drew and Jonathan went shopping at an antique salvage yard to find interesting pieces for the kitchen. Emma helped them create a dog water station in the kitchen. Green cabinets: 'She's always talked about green cabinets,' Emma said Loved demo: 'I love demo,' Emma said after wielding a sledgehammer. 'I'll help with demo any day' Turtle green: Because Aunt Mela also had a turtle at her house with its own pond, Jonathan said they would call the green color 'turtle green' Animal station: Emma helped them create a dog water station in the kitchen 'This kitchen is so custom to Aunt Mela it's crazy,' Emma said. Jonathan and Emma put on paint jumpsuits and painted the kitchen cabinets green. 'This color is gorg,' Emma said. 'She's going to freak.' Emma helped put the finishing touches on the kitchen including decorating a tea station. 'Every time someone comes over she cannot relax unless someone has tea in their hands,' Emma said. Emma told the brothers to hide so they could surprise her aunt when she arrived and they agreed to reveal themselves when she said the code word 'turtle'. 'You know how you always do stuff for me.' Emma told her aunt when she arrived back at her house. 'And you never do stuff for yourself. So while I was here feeding the turtle.' Jonathan and Drew popped out of bushes and said they gave her a makeover. Emma walked her inside. Code word: Emma told the brothers to hide so they could surprise her aunt when she arrived and they agreed to reveal themselves when she said the code word 'turtle' 'It's nice to do something for you for once and make it a surprise,' Emma said. Aunt Mela was shocked when she saw the transformation. 'I just wanted to run,' Aunt Mela said. 'You know it's very rare that I'm speechless.' Aunt Mela hugged Emma when she saw the kitchen. 'Oh my God, a backsplash that I love,' Aunt Mela said. 'I feel so blessed and so grateful,' Aunt Mela said. 'I'm still feeling overwhelmed with emotion that you did this,' 'I love you,' Emma said, hugging her. Aunt Mela loved the green color and the shelves that hang from the ceiling. She also loved how the dishwasher and fridge were covered with cabinetry. 'We wanted this to function for you, because it was not functioning for you before,' Emma said. Big surprise: 'It's nice to do something for you for once and make it a surprise,' Emma said Fully functioning: 'We wanted this to function for you, because it was not functioning for you before,' Emma said Tender moment: Emma hugged her Aunt Mela after surprising her with the renovation Loved it: Aunt Mela loved the green color and the shelves that hang from the ceiling The before: The kitchen before had no color and some of the fixtures did not work Green color: The new kitchen featured green panels and everything was fixed to code Tea station: A tea station was installed for Aunt Mela, too 'Now that kitchen to me will really be the heart of the home and if I don't start cooking I will be shocked,' Aunt Mela said. Emma said she really wanted this for her 'aunt.' 'I want you to have something beautiful that makes you feel good and happy,' Emma said. 'And I just love you so much.' 'To me she is everything,' Aunt Mela said. 'To me she is the baby in the snuggie. Even then, she was performing. You could come over to her in the snuggie and she would look and go and her eyes would dart all around and wait for the audience.' Kylie Minogue will try to break America with her mega-hit Padam Padam after the single's runaway success in Europe and Australia. The Australian star, 55, who has had only had sporadic success in the US, is hoping that the lead single from her upcoming album Tension will crack the notoriously difficult American market. Despite packing out stadiums across Europe, Asia, and Australia for the past 20 years, the star still only enjoys a modest cult following in the States. Jamie Nelson, SVP of U.K. Recordings at Minogue's label BMG, confirmed to Variety this week that they were always 'confident' Padam Padam would do well, but admitted that the song's success has exceeded their expectations. 'Its now flipping into an area thats unprecedented, not just for her, but for a lot of projects that have got so much history,' he said, crediting TikTok and social media for the song's viral success. Kylie Minogue will try to break America with her mega-hit Padam Padam after the single's runaway success in Europe and Australia 'Theres a lot of heat and excitement about the record in America and well continue to constantly build that story,' he added. Nelson also says that there are plenty more hits to be found on Tension, which drops in September. 'Weve certainly got the singles for a long campaign and there will be a few surprises along the way.' The Melbourne-born megastar is enjoying unprecedented success with 'Padam Padam', which is racing up the charts in the UK and her native Australia. The song has become her first top 10 UK hit as a lead artist since 2010, and Minogue is the first woman over 50 to make BBC Radio 1's playlist as a lead artist. Padam Padam was also Kylie's first-ever top 10 Dance/Electronic song on the US Billboard chart. The Australian star, 55, who has had only had sporadic success in the US, is hoping that Padam Padam will crack the notoriously difficult American market Tension is a follow-up to 2020's Disco, which failed to produce any notable hits despite topping the charts in the UK and Australia. It comes on the heels of a possible Tension tour, with Kylie no doubt eager to add US dates if the album does well in the States. The Australian retailer Ticketek has even added a 'waitlist' for the star's next tour, after she chose not to tour Disco. Minogue last toured Australia in 2019, as part of her Golden Tour. However, she has performed a number of one-off shows, including at Sydney's WorldPride. It comes on the heels of a possible Tension tour, with Kylie no doubt eager to add US dates if the album does well in the States. Pictured in New York in 2011 Kylie addressed her chart comeback on social media recently, thanking fans for their support. 'It has been an incredible week topped off by being my birthday today and I can't thank you enough. My heart is bursting with joy so thank you so so much,' she gushed. 'What an incredible, another wild turn in my life and my career. Thank you so much for all of your love and support, everyone who has got onto Padam Padam and made this possible for me. I love you, thank you so so much.' Outside of music, Kylie has been raking in millions with her branded alcohol line, Kylie Wines. Since its launch in 2020, Kylie Wines has sold a staggering nine million bottles, making it one of the biggest celebrity booze brands in the world. The brand's Prosecco Rose is the number-one-selling branded prosecco rose in the UK after less than a year on the market. According to Now to Love, Kylie Wines is believed to have earned the songstress over $13million so far. 'I'm not stomping the grapes. I just think it's about having the team and right understanding it's about tasting for me,' she previously told the Daily Telegraph. 'I'm in it for the long haul. I'm invested in it,' she added. The Bachelor's Irena and Locky Gilbert have suffered a second miscarriage after losing a baby three years ago. Irena, 33, announced the heartbreaking news in an interview on The Morning Show on Tuesday. 'Unfortunately, we suffered yet another miscarriage. We had one a few years ago quite early in our relationship,' she told hosts Larry Emdur and Kylie Gillies. 'Since we got married we've been trying to start a family and it's been slow and not going to plan. It's devastating.' Irena said she's been keeping the loss a secret while being overwhelmed with questions about starting a family with her husband after they tied the knot earlier this year. The Bachelor 's Irena and Locky Gilbert have suffered a second miscarriage after losing a baby three years ago 'It's painful when you're going through something so traumatic and then getting asked that. It's not okay to constantly ask a woman when they're having a baby just because they're married,' she explained. Irena and Locky married in an intimate ceremony surrounded by family and friends In Melbourne earlier this year. The couple met on season eight of The Bachelor back in 2020, with Locky choosing Irena over aspiring Instagram model Bella Varelis. Irena, 33, announced the heartbreaking news in an interview on The Morning Show on Tuesday In 2021, the couple revealed they suffered a miscarriage during the first few months together. Speaking to Who magazine, Irena described the loss as a 'devastating low'. She said the miscarriage may have been linked to the stress she was going through in the aftermath of The Bachelor. To the outside world, she seemed happy after moving from Melbourne to Perth to live with adventure tour guide Locky. 'Unfortunately, we suffered yet another miscarriage. We had one a few years ago quite early in our relationship,' she told hosts Larry Emdur and Kylie Gillies But the nurse was secretly struggling after her father, Vasco, had suffered a medical emergency and she couldn't be with him due to Covid border closures. She was also dealing with trolls after Locky had infamously told his runner-up on The Bachelor, Bella Varelis, he was falling in love with her only to pick Irena instead. In an episode of SAS Australia, which was filmed in 2021, Locky fought back tears as he said he couldn't imagine life without Irena. She is always impeccably dressed on the red carpet. And Cate Blanchett looked incredibly chic as she arrived at Sydney Airport on Tuesday. The Lord of the Rings star cut a stylish figure in an all-black outfit and shielded her famous face with a pair of $700 Celine sunglasses. She teamed a pair of linen trousers and a black turtleneck top with beige runners and a black crossbody handbag. Makeup free, the acclaimed actress, 54, showcased her flawless and porcelain complexion. Cate Blanchett looked incredibly chic as she arrived at Sydney Airport on Tuesday The blonde beauty pulled her short locks back and off her face in a low bun and carried a UNHCR tote over one arm. She appeared relaxed and in good spirits as she was accompanied by an airport staff member through check in and through to the departure gate. Cate and her playwright husband Andrew Upton, 57, own properties in both Australia and the UK. The Blue Jasmine star recently revealed there is a downside to being a world famous actress, at least when it comes to her homeland of Australia. The Lord of the Rings star cut a stylish figure in an all-black outfit and shielded her famous face with a pair of $700 Celine sunglasses Makeup free, the acclaimed actress, 54, showcased her flawless and porcelain complexion She told the Courier Mail she feels embarrassed to admit what she does for a living when she's in the country. 'The worst thing for us as an actor in Australia is getting in the back of the cab and a cabbie asking "what do you do?" Because you think, "Oh, God"' she said. 'You're constantly having to fight for the space or to justify the fact that you have the right to actually be an artist in Australia.' She added that actors are more appreciated overseas and she gains an appreciation for Australia's many talented stars with an outside perspective. She teamed a pair of linen trousers and a black turtleneck top with beige runners and a black crossbody handbag 'Yet overseas, our culture is celebrated and sung and praised but we don't often do it internally,' Cate told the publication. 'We don't often know what we have here. And living and working overseas, I can see absolutely objectively what we have here.' Cate has been in Sydney to promote her latest film, The New Boy. She was also recently spotted in Cannes promoting the drama, where she plays a nun with a rebellious streak. Cate has been in Sydney to promote her latest film, The New Boy A bonafide A-lister, the Tar star first rose to prominence with her star-making performance in the 1998 historical drama, Elizabeth. Cate's portrayal of Queen Elizabeth I was critically acclaimed garnering her her first ever Academy Award nomination for Best Actress. Although the Elizabeth star would go on to play Galadriel in all three Lord of the Rings films, she wouldn't win her first Academy Award until 2005. She finally earned her first Oscar for Best Supporting Actress for her role in the 2005 film The Aviator. Cate ironically won for portraying a famous American actress in The Aviator film Katharine Hepburn. Her first Oscar win made her the only actress to ever win an Academy Award for playing another actress in a film. After her first Oscar, the Carol star has gone on to be nominated for an Academy Award eight times. Lisa Curry has paid a heartwarming tribute to her Elvis impersonator husband Mark Tabone to mark the seven-year anniversary of their engagement. The champion swimmer, 61, shared a gallery of loved-up photos to Instagram on Monday capturing the pair enjoying a romantic day out in sunny Malta. They had returned to the place Mark proposed to her in 2016 to both commemorate the occasion as well as support Tabone as he tours the country with an Elvis show. One precious photo shows Lisa flaunting her jaw-dropping diamond engagement ring at the camera and another captures his kissing the cheek of her hunky beau. She captioned the gallery with some heartfelt words: 'Right here behind us in Paradise Bay 7 years and 1 day ago, he put a ring on it! Lisa Curry has paid a heartwarming tribute to her Elvis impersonator husband Mark Tabone to mark the seven-year anniversary of their anniversary. Both pictured 'Mark hired a beautiful yacht and at sunset, got down on one knee and proposed. It was very romantic. 'Nice to be there again last night for a sold out show, Malta to Memphis,' she wrote. It didn't take long for many of Lisa's fans to gush over the romantic post. 'The love between you is strong and shines through all your pics,' one person wrote and another added: 'You look so happy and relaxed. Enjoy every moment'. The champion swimmer, 61, shared a gallery of loved-up photos to Instagram on Monday capturing the pair enjoying a romantic day out in sunny Malta One precious photo shows Lisa flaunting her jaw-dropping diamond engagement ring at the camera and another captures his kissing the cheek of her hunky beau In 2015, Lisa and Mark first confirmed their relationship together, with the athlete posting to Instagram to share the joyful news. Mark and Lisa tied the knot in Queensland in May 2018 with Lisa wearing a blush pink wedding gown. They recently celebrated their fifth wedding anniversary, and Lisa has credited Mark with being her rock the past few years. Robert Irwin and Rorie Buckey looked every inch the loved up couple on Tuesday as they stepped out at Sydney airport in his-and-hers casual looks. The pair, both 19, were matching as they practiced Covid safety with twin black face masks while the Wildlife Warrior hid his eyes behind a pair of dark shades. He showed off his style chops for his new girlfriend as he slipped into a blue and red Ralph Lauren rugby shirt over light-wash blue jeans. With a black bag over his shoulders, the celebrity conservationist hauled another huge suitcase behind him and pulled on some white and blue sneakers. Meanwhile, the niece of Aussie legend Heath Ledger rocked a pair of black sweatpants and a cream jumper with comfortable black slides. Robert Irwin (left) and Rorie Buckey (right), both 19, looked every inch the loved-up couple on Tuesday as they stepped out at Sydney airport in his-and-hers casual looks The blonde beauty let her natural complexion shine through without a lick of makeup on as she pulled her golden tresses back into a low bun. The lovebirds looked exhausted after a big night on the red carpet at the Mission Impossible: Dead Reckoning premiere in Sydney. Robert and Rorie made their official debut as a couple at the star-studded event, garbed in matching, all-black ensembles. The pair were matching as they practiced Covid safety with twin black face masks while the Wildlife Warrior hid his eyes behind a pair of dark shades He showed off his style chops for his new girlfriend as he slipped into a blue and red Ralph Lauren rugby shirt over light-wash blue jeans With a black bag over his shoulders, the celebrity conservationist hauled another huge suitcase behind him and pulled on some white and blue sneakers Meanwhile, the niece of Aussie legend Heath Ledger rocked a pair of black sweatpants and a cream jumper with comfortable black slides The blonde beauty let her natural complexion shine through without a lick of makeup on as she pulled her golden tresses back into a low bun Their outing comes after news Robert is reportedly planning to pop the question to Rorie after several months of dating. According to New Idea magazine, protective mother Terri has concerns her lovestruck son and his smitten girlfriend will rush down the aisle too early. 'Terri feels like Robert is moving way too fast,' a source told the publication. 'Rorie's a sweetheart and it's easy to see why he is absolutely smitten, but Terri knows the stakes are high.' The lovebirds looked exhausted after a big night on the red carpet at the Mission Impossible: Dead Reckoning premiere in Sydney Their outing comes after news Robert is reportedly planning to pop the question to Rorie after several months of dating According to New Idea magazine, protective mother Terri has concerns her lovestruck son and his smitten girlfriend will rush down the aisle too early 'Terri feels like Robert is moving way too fast. Rorie's a sweetheart and it's easy to see why he is absolutely smitten, but Terri knows the stakes are high,' a source told the publication Anna Paul is currently trotting around Europe with her family. And the Australian OnlyFans creator was shocked to discover a plastic surgery hack in Turkey. While the country is known for its cheap cosmetic procedures, Anna, 24, was in disbelief at just how easy it is to go under the knife. When she arrived in Turkey on Monday, the TikTok star was bombarded with advertisements for plastic surgery clinics. Anna said the wildest thing about these advertisements is that they are promoting last minute appointments for surgery, and they can be booked in just seconds by using a QR code. Anna Paul (pictured) is currently trotting around Europe with her family Sharing a photo of one of these posters to her Instagram story, Anna wrote: 'Landing in Turkey and the whole airport is full of plastic surgery ads WHERE YOU CAN SCAN QR CODES AND GO LAST MINUTE!! 'Insane. You sure you don't want that nose job? Scan QR code'. This comes just a couple weeks after the TikTok star shared the scary side effects she has faced after undergoing cosmetic procedures. The Australian OnlyFans creator was shocked to discover a plastic surgery hack in Turkey When she arrived in Turkey, the TikTok star was bombarded with advertisements for plastic surgery clinics The influencer, who is Australia's highest-earning OnlyFans creator, has been open about some of the work she has had done to her face. Taking to Instagram two weeks ago, the 24-year-old shared selfies after having 'so much filler' put in her chin. 'I got so much filler in my chin today it's not even funny,' Anna wrote alongside the gory snaps. 'But I love how it makes my face shape look!!! You can see all the puncture holes. 'P.s I look so serious because the bottom half of my face was numb and I couldn't smile.' The 24-year-old shared photos of her face after having 'so much filler' put in her chin The TikTok star then shared another photo of her chin, as one of the wounds started bleeding profusely 'Just as I posted this story I started bleeding again,' she wrote. Paul then shared another photo of her chin, as one of the wounds started bleeding. While many people have speculated that the influencers breasts are fake, Anna has said multiple times that they are real. She also said that she has never undergone plastic surgery, and has only had filler placed in her face. Ross Kemp is set to star in an unmissable thriller from Channel 5, marking his return to acting after seven years. The EastEnders alum will play the indifferent police officer Tony Warden, who is at the front of an investigation in the series. The highly anticipated series is set to air this week straight after Bake Off: The Professionals. The story follows Hannah Quinn, Beth Alsbury, a disabled woman who turns to the police about a missing woman, after viewing some concerning footage on CCTV. But who are the other stars in the new cop drama? Here is everything you need to know about the Blindspot cast. Ross Kemp and Beth Alsbury will star in the much-anticipated thriller Blindspot, which will air on Channel 5 Who stars in the new Channel 5 series, Blindspot? Ross Kemp - Tony Warden Ross Kemp is set to make his return to acting after focusing on making hard-hitting documentaries for the past few years. Born in Sheffield, Kemp wanted to be an actor since childhood and shot to fame as Grant Mitchell in EastEnders. Now, he stars as Tony Warden in Blindspot, an apathetic policeman in charge of a missing person investigation. He spoke to Radio Times about what drew him to the series, he said: 'The script, it was the story I thought it was clever, in terms of what the story is about, about people being watched and how people interpret being watched.' Speaking on how the main character, Hannah, is disabled he mentioned the BAFTA-winning director's own disability, he said: 'Jordan Hogg has got cerebral palsy, and Beth is in a wheelchair... I thought it was quite enabling, without ramming it down your throat. 'I just liked it from a point of view that it was about empowering somebody in a chair.' Ross Kemp will make his return to acting as Tony Warden in the upcoming series, the actor shot to fame in 1995 for his long-standing role in Eastenders Beth Alsbury - Hannah Quinn Newcomer Beth Alsbury will play the lead in the new series, it follows Hannah Quinn, a disabled woman who is monitoring the CCTV on a rough estate and sees a known criminal lead a young woman into a blind spot in the camera coverage. After the woman vanishes into thin air, Hannah is convinced she has been murdered and seeks the help of the police to find the woman. Beth Alsbury joins the cast of Blindspot as a TV newcomer, the disabled protagonist becomes enwrapped in an investigation Crystal Clarke - Amber Bradfield Crystal Clarke is an American actress, best known for her roles as Tina Argyll in Ordeal by Innocence and Georgiana Lambe in the ITV and PBS adaption of the Jane Austen novel. She graduated from the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland in 2014, after moving from America to pursue her dreams of acting. Since then, she has gone on to star in two Star Wars films, The Last Jedi and The Force Awakens, and the period drama series Sanditon. She also appeared in the 2019 Black Mirror episode Smithereens and the Channel 5 film Agatha And The Curse Of Ishtar. Not much is known about what her new role will be, but it comes after an already-impressive screen career for Crystal. Crystal Clark has had in impressive TV and film career, the American actress moved to Scotland in 2014 to pursue her on-screen dreams Sue Vincent - Dolly Sue Vincent is a British actress and writer, her first television role was as Anne Bevitt in Casualty. The 55-year-old is best known for her roles in comedy series such as Shameless, Mount Pleasant and Bad Move. She is even credited in one episode of the new Disney+ miniseries, The Full Monty. Sue Vincent is best known for her comedy roles in Shameless, Mount Pleasant and Bad move. More recently she featured in the Disney+ miniseries The Full Monty Kiran Landa - Geri Kiran Landa is best known for playing Marrium Nazir in Coronation Street between December 2021 and January 2022. She made a brief return to her role as Zeedan Nazir's estranged wife in February 2023. She has also featured in other British soaps such as Doctors and Hollyoaks and was even credited in the hit BBC cop drama, Line of Duty. Kiran Landa is best known for playing the estranged wife of Zeedan in Coronation street, she has also appeared in other British soaps such as Doctors and Hollyoaks Lewis Conway - Simon Wardle Lewis Conway, another newcomer, will join the cast as Simon - Hannah's concerned colleague. He becomes worried for his friend's welfare as she becomes wrapped up in the investigation. Lewis has not had much on-screen time and appeared in a single episode of Doctors. Lewis Conway is another TV newcomer and has only appeared in one episode of Doctors before being casted on Blindspot Haylie Jones - Zoe Manson Zoe is the young woman at the centre of the investigation, who had the mysterious encounter with the dangerous criminal. Like much of the cast, she has only had minor on-screen appearances and had a small role in Netflix's Stay Close. Haylie Jones is the woman at the centre of it all - Zoe Manson mysteriously vanishes and prompts an investigation Who else features in Blindspot? Michelle Bonnard, English actor and screenwriter will play Louisa in the upcoming series and Milan Bartha, a stunt performer, is also credited. When will Blindspot be released? Ross Kemp took to Twitter in anticipation of the new Drama series, Blindspot The first episode of Blindspot will air on Channel 5 at 9pm on Tuesday, July 4 and the other three episodes will follow, showing at the same time on the next three nights. You will also be able to watch online and on demand via My5. Maya Jama teased at a Love Island dumping as she jetted off to the villa ahead of the Casa Amor recoupling on Monday. The host, 28, slipped into a comfy black vest top with a matching hoodie, while telling fans: 'I'm off again.' She pulled her dark hair back into a neat ponytail and seemingly went fresh faced for her flight. Maya kicked back and relaxed, shielding her eyes with a pair of oversized sunglasses and listened to some music. The presenter shared a clip to her Instagram Story to document her flight back to Spain as she larked around. Off she goes! Maya Jama, 28, teased at a Love Island dumping as she jetted off to the villa on Monday Host: It comes following the return of Casa Amor, which means a recoupling could be on the horizon (pictured in the villa last month) Casa Amor was back with a bang during Monday's episode of the show as the sex position challenge made a return. However, the on-screen action didn't go down too well with some fans as they criticised the youngest Islander, Amber Wise, 19, for kissing a 'grown man'. Meanwhile, viewers slammed the contestants for repeating the same phrase to describe each other, while others were stunned as Zachariah Noble was rejected by returning Molly Marsh, who they accused of draining the villa of drama. Elsewhere, the audience at home was delighted as Catherine Agbaje kissed newcomer Elom Ahlijah-Wilson behind Scott Van Der Sluis's back. Love Island viewers slammed the show's latest sex position challenge amid the ongoing age-gap furore. The main villa residents battled in a string of challenges against Casa Amor in a bid to win a party, with the contestants sharing kisses and posing in X-Rated positions. However fans were left fuming after latest bombshell Amber, 19, showed off her skills and smooched 24-year-old Tyrique. Taking to Twitter one viewer declared: 'I can't watch a 19 year old snog a grown man on TV!'. Exciting: The presenter kicked back and relaxed, shielding her eyes with a pair of oversized sunglasses and listened to some music Elsewhere, Love Island's Catherine surprised viewers at home as she shared a kiss with bombshell Elom in the final moment of Monday's episode. Despite being coupled up with Scott, the stunner has had her head turned by the fitness trainer since arriving in Casa Amor and has now taken things to the next level. During a flirty chat over breakfast Elom, 22, showered the Irish model, also 22, with compliments as he praised her beauty and charm. Catherine then fed him some of her cherries before the couple leaned in for their first kiss, leaving fans horrified at the prospect of her romance with Scott dead and buried. American rapper Post Malone is set to headline Spilt Milk Festival when it returns to Australia in November and December. Joining him will be British rapper Aitch, rising star Budjerah, American hip-hop sensation Latto and pop star Peach PRC. Electro house maestro Dom Dolla, dynamic duo Lastlings, Sydney's rock mutants RedHook, and Aussie favourite Tkay Maidza will also be gracing the stage. The festival is slated to spread its magic from late November to early December, thrilling crowds in Canberra, Gold Coast, Ballarat, and for the first time, Perth. The musical fiesta will commence in Canberra on November 25, followed by the Gold Coast leg on November 26. American rapper Post Malone (pictured) is set to headline Spilt Milk Festival when it returns to Australia in November and December Joining him will be British rapper Aitch, rising star Budjerah, American hip-hop sensation Latto and Peach PRC (pictured) The following weekend will see Ballarat swing into action on December 2, with the grand finale taking place in Perth on December 3. Joining the line-up in Perth will be local artists Don Darko and The Vault DJs. The organisers recently let slip that the festival would be expanding its reach to Perth this year, a fact unintentionally revealed by headliner Post Malone in a tour announcement last week. Electro house maestro Dom Dolla, dynamic duo Lastlings, Sydney's rock mutants RedHook, and Aussie favourite Tkay Maidza (pictured) will also be gracing the stage Last year, the festival's tickets were sold out within a week, so fans eager for four days of music from some of the most beloved international and local artists should act fast. Pre-sale tickets will be up for grabs from Tuesday, July 11 at 8am local time, with the general sale beginning on Thursday, July 13 at 8am local time. Tickets can be snagged from the Spilt Milk Festival's official website here. Last year thousands of Aussies were left disappointed when UK grime sensation Stormzy pulled out of the festival at the just days before he was due to take to the stage Abbie Chatfield has shared a cheeky post demanding a second season of her reality show FBoy Island. The TV host shared a series of racy selfies to Instagram in which she went braless under a white crop top and grabbed at her bust. The images were taken behind the scenes on the show, with Abbie saying in her caption she can't wait for season two - if Foxtel commissions it. '@fboyislandaustralia better come back for S2. I wanna play FBOY detective again. Just not in my own life,' she wrote in the caption. It comes after Abbie revealed that she'll be freezing her eggs so she can have a child later in life. Abbie Chatfield (pictured) has shared a cheeky post demanding a second season of her reality show FBoy Island Speaking on her podcast It's A Lot, Chatfield, 27, said she used to be 'adamant' about not having kids, but has recently changed her mind. 'All my friends and I are almost 30 and nowhere close to having kids,' she told her guest Linda Marigliano. 'We were all very adamant that we didn't want children when we were in our early to mid twenties, and we kind of are now thinking maybe we do want kids.' She continued: 'Then I said, "Well maybe I should start freezing my eggs." Because I'm 28 next week.' The TV host shared a series of racy selfies to Instagram in which she went braless under a white crop top and grabbed at her bust '@fboyislandaustralia better come back for S2. I wanna play FBOY detective again. Just not in my own life,' she wrote in the caption The bisexual media personality recently clarified ha she is 'exclusive with a man at the moment', after one fan asked whether she was dating any women. She first mentioned she was dating someone in early May during the Adelaide leg of her Trauma Dump tour. At the time, the podcast host said she was 'trying out' monogamy again, but was confused by some of the terms involved. 'I don't get monogamous language. I didn't know what exclusive meant,' she told the sold-out crowd at the Thebarton Theatre in Torrensville. The Hit Network presenter did not reveal the identity of her partner, telling the audience her new relationship was still in its very early stages. Lupita Nyong'o looked chic as she attended the Chanel Paris Fashion Week show on Tuesday, after a week of unrest in the city. The Black Panther star, 40, wore a purple boucle top with gold buttons down the front and pair of matching shorts from the designer. The French fashion house has decided to press ahead with the Haute Couture Fall/Winter 2023/2024 showcase despite Paris being rocked by six nights of protests after a 17-year-old boy was shot dead at point-blank range by a policeman during a traffic stop. Lupita continued to rock her newly shaved head, accessorising with a large pair of cat-eye shaped sunglasses. To complete her look, the actress elevated her height with some black satin heels and carried a classic Chanel handbag. Elegant: Lupita Nyong'o, 40, looked chic as she attended the Chanel Paris Fashion Week show on Tuesday, after a week of unrest in the city She was joined at the event by Kendrick Lamar, who put on a stylish display in a white boucle jacket. The musician teamed his look with a pair of loose fitting jeans, emblazoned with Chanel's logo and a bandana. Elsewhere, Vanessa Paradis opted for a floral printed cami and matching trousers, with a pair of gold boots as she sat with Lupita on the front row. Chanel creative director Virginie Viard designed the collection with models stepping out in boucle co-ords and floral dresses. Paris Fashion Haute Couture Week kicked off on Monday, but the city has been rocked by six nights of protests after Nahel M was shot dead in a Parisian suburb on Tuesday. Celine cancelled their menswear show - which was outside the official calendar - on Sunday due to the chaos as shops were looted, cars were set on fire and fights broke out in the street. Celine designer Hedi Slimane said it was 'inconsiderate' to hold a fashion show when Paris was 'bereaved and bruised'. Thousands have been arrested since the protests began, with some 45,000 officers deployed across the country to try and quell the unrest. Stylish: The Black Panther star wore a purple boucle top with gold buttons down the front and pair of matching shorts from the designer as she joined Kendrick Lamar at the event Event: Elsewhere, Vanessa Paradis opted for a floral printed cami and matching trousers, with a pair of gold boots as she sat with Lupita on the front row Sunday night saw the intensity of the protests abate somewhat, with the grandmother of teen shooting victim Nahel M. appealing to citizens to demonstrate peacefully and stop the violence. But tensions remain fraught, particularly in the suburbs of cities like Paris, Marseille and Lyon. For now, the French government has refrained from declaring a state of emergency, though Macron delayed what would have been the first state visit to Germany by a French president in 23 years yesterday, highlighting the seriousness of the situation. While French authorities decline to implement extreme measures to calm protests, the FCDO has not officially discouraged travel to France. She instantly became a pop culture icon after bursting into the public eye as loudmouthed Page 3 girl, Jordan. Having tried her hand at modelling, singing, presenting, campaigning and reality TV, the glamour model quickly became a household name in Britain. Yet while Katie Price's moniker will ring a bell for both young and old, you would be forgiven for not recognising the star on sight alone, with Katie famously undergoing numerous cosmetic procedures over the years. After two decades in the spotlight, Katie is almost unrecognisable from the naturally pretty teenager who burst on to the modelling scene at the age of 16, with her natural curls and fresh-faced beauty winning her an army of fans. Katie, now 45, has undergone an array of procedures over the years, including rhinoplasty, a silhouette facelift, 3D, veneers, lip fillers and Botox, culminating in her first facelift in 2017. Now, after two decades under the surgeon's scalpel, MailOnline takes a look at the many faces of Katie Price. The many faces of Katie Price: MailOnline takes a look at the star's changing look after two decades of boob jobs, Botox and face lifts 1995 - Barefaced beauty At the age of 17, Katie Price was a fresh-faced natural beauty looking to make it into the world of glamour modelling. At a friend's suggestion, the teenager had professional photographs taken and was quickly snapped up by a modelling agency who landed her a Page 3 slot in The Sun newspaper the following year, sparking the creation of her glamour model alter ego, Jordan. Speaking last year, Katie revealed she was glad that she wasn't exposed to social media at the time as she had 'no idea what Botox was or fillers', otherwise she may have started her tweaks and enhancements at an even earlier age. 1995: At the age of 17, Katie Price was a fresh-faced natural beauty looking to make it into the world of glamour modelling 1998 - First boob job Having just turned 20, the rising glamour model experienced her first taste of cosmetic surgery, boosting her 32B cup breasts to a 32C. The procedure cost 4,500 and it's thought her mum Amy and stepdad Paul helped pay for her to have the procedure. Katie has since spoken out about her decision to go under the knife, admitting she was 'too young' and that she feels sorry for young girls growing up these days in a world of social media and filters. 1998: Having just turned 20, Katie experienced her first taste of cosmetic surgery, boosting her 32B cup breasts to a 32C 1999 - Second and third boob job Despite having only just increased her breast size, Katie opted to have two more procedures the following year at the age of 21. Katie boosted her bust from a C cup to a D cup and just a few months later went up again to a F cup. Katie has previously claimed that she has only paid for two of her boob jobs over the course of her career - it is not known if these were the ones. 1999: Despite having only just increased her breast size, Katie opted to have two more procedures at the age of 21 2001 - Lip fillers At the age of 21, Katie had her first cosmetic procedure on her face, opting for lip fillers. While the glamour model did not confirm the rumours at the time, she was seen sporting a noticeably fuller pout while out enjoying the party scene. Her overall look had also started drastically transforming, with the model sporting dramatic false lashes, bright lipstick and pale hair extensions. 2001: At the age of 21, Katie had her first cosmetic procedure on her face, opting for lip fillers 2004 - Botox Aged 26, Katie began to experiment with Botox injections that relax the muscles in your face to smooth out lines and wrinkles. She made no secret of her love of the procedure, announcing at the time: 'I get my forehead and around my eyes Botoxed every six months and I love it. You can't beat it. It just freezes all the wrinkles and that's what you want.' At the time, Katie insisted she would never take things further and have a facelift, explaining: 'I'd never have a full facelift. I've seen what they can do to people and I don't want to go through that.' 2004: Aged 26, Katie began to experiment with Botox injections that relax the muscles in your face to smooth out lines 2006 - Fourth boob job Katie went under the knife yet again to take her F cup breasts up to a G cup. The glamour model also played around with her overall look and embraced her dark side with a new brunette hairstyle. She also continued to dabble with fillers and Botox. 2006: Katie went under the knife yet again to take her F cup breasts up to a G cup 2007 - First nose job and veneers At the age of 29, Katie took her love of surgery to the next level, undergoing rhinoplasty, a chemical peel and treating herself to a 25,000 set of new veneers. 'Oh my God, it burned like hell!' she said at the time. 'The next day I had this hideous red rash on my chin but two days later there wasn't a single spot left.' Speaking about her nose job at the time, she admitted to liking her original nose, explaining: 'I liked my nose before and now. If I had a cupboard with both noses, I would alternate between them!' 2007:Katie took her love of surgery to the next level, undergoing rhinoplasty, a chemical peel and a 25,000 set of veneers 2008 - Fifth boob job Despite gradually increasingly her bust size over the year, Katie fancied a change on her 30th and brought her bra size back down from an F cup to a C cup. The procedure meant that Katie had returned to the size of her first boob job 10 years prior. Katie's changing shape also coincided with the launch of her first clothing line - an equestrian range. 2008: Despite gradually increasingly her bust size, Katie fancied a change and brought her bra size back down to a C cup 2011 - Sixth boob job Katie's smaller chest didn't last long, and at age 33 she went back under the knife again to boost her bust to an F cup. Katie also underwent body-contouring treatment and cheek and lip fillers. The Loose Women panelist admitted that she loved having her cheeks filled to give her a 'plumper, more youthful look'. 2011: Katie's smaller chest didn't last long, and at age 33 she went back under the knife again to boost her bust to an F cup 2015 - Seventh and eighth boob job Just before appearing on Celebrity Big Brother, the reality star had a botched boob reduction that left her with a hole in her breast and an implant protruding from her flesh. Katie told her shocked housemates: 'Ive got no tits anymore. Theyve gone. Theres not even anything there. If you saw what Im like underneath. The scars gone septic. My whole implant was hanging out on New Years Day.' Shortly after leaving the Big Brother house she underwent corrective surgery and had her implants swapped for a D-cup. 2015: Just before Celebrity Big Brother, the star had a botched boob reduction that left her with a hole in her breast 2016 - Ninth boob job and tattooed makeup Despite her surgery horror the year before, Katie was undeterred and flew to a Brussels clinic to go under the knife yet again, this time settling on a 32GG bust. The reality star also had her eyebrows and lips tattooed, also known as 'permanent make-up', explaining that she prefers to go make-up free on a day-to-day basis. Additionally the star has regular facial treatments, last year sharing a bloodied selfie after having a dermal roller micro-needling treatment, which sees a dermaroller with many tiny needles rolled across into the skin - designed to stimulate cells into regeneration. 2016: Despite her surgery horror the year before, Katie flew to a Brussels clinic to get another boob job, this time a 32GG cup 2017 - First face lift, new veneers and 10th boob job Despite insisting she would never have a face lift and could rely on Botox, Katie went back on her word undergoing a 'Silhouette' face lift. The procedure is designed to lift a sagging cheeks and blurred jawline, using 'sutures' implanted under the skin to sculpt features. However, Katie was soon spotted with puffy features, revealing that she suffered an allergic reaction to anesthetic penicillin after having further work on her veneers. She also had her breast implants reduced from 1000ml implants to 795ml. 2017: Despite insisting she would never have a face lift and could rely on Botox, Katie went back on her word 2018 - Second face lift Katie claimed her first face lift had been a botched job and went back under the knife the following year aged 40 to correct it. She said at the time 'I need to get my face re-corrected after surgeon has totally f**ked my face up', admitting it had He agent added: 'She had the thread and it really quite distorted her look. She got a lot of backlash, a lot of negative press, a lot of trolling, everyone saying shed taken it too far, when actually it was a job that had not gone to plan.' 2018: Katie claimed her first face lift had been a botched job and went back under the knife the following year aged 40 2019 - Third face lift, boob job first Brazilian bum lift and 11th boob job Katie jetted to Turkey to overhaul her entire look with a full body transformation. The reality star opted for a face, eye and eyelid lift, Brazilian bum lift along with a tummy tuck. Just three months later she returned to the clinic and opted for another boob job, going back down to a D cup. 2019: Katie jetted to Turkey to overhaul her look with a face, eye and eyelid lift, Brazilian bum lift along with a tummy tuck 2020 - 12th boob job and another set of veneers Katie returned to Turkey to have another set of veneers and revealed her real teeth had been reduced to stubs as she flashed a smile on her YouTube channel. The mother-of-five then jetted to Belgium to correct botched surgery on her breasts, saying her surgeon was utterly shocked by the 'awful' previous procedure. Katie said: 'They looked deformed, they were absolutely awful. That's the first time I've gone to a different surgeon. I had to go back to Frank with my head down, ashamed that I'd been to another clinic.' 2020: Katie returned to Turkey to have another set of veneers then jetted to Belgium to correct a botched boob job 2021 - Liposuction, eye and lid lifts and 13th boob job Amid the Covid pandemic, Katie jetted off to then red-list Turkey for a complete cosmetic surgery overhaul, undergoing full body liposuction, eye and lip lifts, liposuction under her chin, and fat injected into her bum. The reality star also visited Belgium to have her 13th boob job as well as full body liposuction with bum fat removal. The plastic surgery - performed by Dr Frank Plovier - came just five days ahead of the glamour model's sentencing for her shocking drink-drive crash. 2021: Katie jetted to Turkey for a complete cosmetic surgery overhaul, undergoing full body liposuction, eye and lip lifts 2022 - Another brow and eye lift Katie secretly jetted back to Belgium at the beginning of 2022 for an eye and brow lift and had been concealing her new look with her head in a bandage. Dr Judy Todd, an aesthetic doctor at Clinica Medica in Glasgow, said: 'It appears like she's had a face lift, temporal brow lift, and possibly an upper blepharoplasty.' It was reported last month that Katie plans to travel to Turkey imminently for yet more plastic surgery, amid claims she wanted to get some tweaks in after being unhappy with her latest work. Sian Dellar, Brow Specialist and Founder of Sian Dellar Permanent Makeup Clinic, added: 'Katie's eyebrows, like the rest of her, have changed lots over the years! 'Back in the 90s she had a very thin over plucked brow which was the fashion at the time, and today she has an extremely thick and unnatural looking brow. 'Currently it seems the face or eye lift that shes had have pulled her brows outward which looks unnatural and makes the brows appear almost stretched. 'Of course, as with any enhancement, its personal preference but we recommend not going too many shades darker, and keeping the shape as natural looking as possible and work to create or enhance brows to frame the face. 'Katies choice to have them so thick and dark and in that unusual positioning means they dominate her face and are the first thing the eye is drawn to. I would love to see Katie take her brows back to 2015/2016 when the fuller brow became a big trend. She got it right then and they framed her face well.' 2022: Katie secretly jetted back to Belgium for an eye and brow lift and is planning to to travel to Turkey for more surgery 2023 - 16th and 'biggest ever' boob job It's not clear if Katie lost track of the number of breast augmentations or opted to keep some of her surgery private but by 2023 it emerged she'd undergone her 16th boob job, two years after claiming to be on her 13th. The star went under the knife in a bid to have the 'biggest in Britain' and was subsequently pictured being wheeled into surgery at the Be Clinic in Belgium. She is said to have wanted even bigger breasts, opting for 2120 CC implants in a bid to boost her already large bust size. Katie told OK! magazine of her boobs: 'I love them. They healed really quickly and they didn't hurt at all. That probably doesn't help. Because I heal quickly, it doesn't put me off and I have more. 'I would go bigger as well and I will eventually. I just love having big boobs and a small body. I've always loved that look. In my eyes, if I'm having a boob job, I want them to look fake, I don't want them to look natural. I don't like the natural look. 'I just like that old-school American Playboy pin-up look. When I have surgery, that is what I'm striving for. If I could look like my airbrushed pictures, that would be amazing. But that's impossible to achieve.' Kit Connor has said he 'would have preferred to come out in a different way after being 'pressured' to discuss his sexuality online amid 'queerbaiting' claims. The actor, 19, revealed his bisexuality at the end of last year following intense speculation, after he was pictured holding hand with a female co-star. Speaking in a new interview Kit admitted that while he 'does not regret' coming out, he's not sure he would have made the announcement without the pressure to do so. The Heartstopper star told British Vogue: 'I just felt like it wasnt something I was ready to talk about. I wasnt angry. I was just slightly disappointed by this reaction.' Last year, Kit, who stars as Nick Nelson in Netflix's LGBTQI+ series, took to Twitter to publicly reveal he is bisexual, saying he was 'forced' to do so after online comments. Speaking out: Kit Connor, 19, has said he 'would have preferred to come out in a different way after being 'pressured' to discuss his sexuality online amid 'queerbaiting' claims Onscreen: The actor, who stars as Nick Nelson in Netflix's LGBTQI+ series Heartstopper, revealed his bisexuality at the end of last year following intense speculation on social media He continued: 'I think theres almost a feeling that because Id been in the industry for a little while, there was almost this understanding that its like, "Oh, well, he can take it." I think forced isnt the right word I would use, but I would say that I would have preferred to do it another way. 'I also dont know if I would have ever done it. But at the end of the day I dont regret it. In many ways it was really empowering.' Kit explained how his Tweet was a 'build up of emotion' as he went through 'life and mental health things' as a young man. Late last year, he was hit by accusations of 'queer-baiting' after a video showed him holding hands with his female co-star Maia Reficco. Queer-baiting refers to someone insinuating they are part of the LGBTQI+ community for their own gain. In his brief tweet, he wrote: 'Back for a minute. I'm bi. Congrats for forcing an 18 year old to out himself. I think some of you missed the point of the show. Bye.' The Emmy Award-winning actor is known around the world for his role as Nick Nelson on the hit Netflix comedy-drama Heartstopper. The LGBTQI+ coming of age series ended with Charlie and Nick becoming boyfriends and Nick coming out as bisexual to his mother, played by Olivia Coleman. The show has already been a huge hit for Netflix in over 50 countries, and the streaming giant has already ordered series two and three. Reflecting: Speaking in a new interview Kit admitted that while he 'does not regret' coming out, he's not sure he would have made the announcement without the pressure to do so The first season of the heart-warming LGBTQ+ coming-of-age show was released in April 2022 to much critical acclaim, launching stars Kit and Joe Locke (Charlie) into the limelight. Netflix has now announced that season two, which is based on the comic series by author Alice Oseman, will premiere on August 3. Netflix said of the new episodes: 'Nick and Charlie navigate their new relationship; Tara and Darcy face unforeseen challenges; Tao and Elle work out if they can ever be more than just friends. 'Plus there's exams, a school trip to Paris, and prom!' See the full feature in the August issue of British Vogue, available via digital download and on newsstands from Tuesday 18 July. Geraldo Rivera kept a positive attitude on his 80th birthday, despite his recent resignation from Fox News following his dismissal from The Five on the network. 'I got a lot to celebrate,' the television host maintained during an appearance on Fox and Friends last Friday. He acknowledged that it was his last day on the network, as he had decided to quit entirely after being fired from The Five. 'I want to leave thinking about how wonderful everyone has been to me throughout the last 23 years,' the former CNBC host added. During his last appearance on Fox News, the show aired a tribute to Geraldo's decades long career in journalism. Birthday boy: Geraldo Rivera celebrated his 80th birthday just days after he resigned from Fox News; seen in June Co-workers to the end: The Fox and Friends co-hosts jokingly wore fake mustaches at one point to honor their former Fox colleague Although it was a goodbye, the Brooklyn-born journalist made it clear that there was no hard feelings between him and the network. 'I love Fox, I love the people at Fox, I always will,' the HisPanic: Why Americans Fear Hispanics in the U.S. declared. He originally joined the network back in 2001, after being a CNBC host for nearly seven years. The journalist had dreamed of being a war correspondent, finally achieving his goal when he transitioned over to Fox, according to People. 'I went to the war and ... it took me around the world,' the Geraldo At Large host recounted. 'Life takes you strange places, but it established a relationship with Fox that people would not ordinarily think of as a natural relationship because of political ideologies and so forth.' he added. The Peabody Award winning reporter (he won for his coverage on exposing the abusive practices at the Willowbrook State School back in the 70s) believed that his colleagues at Fox were like 'family' to him. The daytime talk show host emphasized that he had so much, 'affection for the people in this building.' Boots on the ground: The former co-host of The Five has been a professional reporter since the 70s; seen in a Wounded Soldiers in Guatemala segment in 1978 Famous faces: Fox and Friends aired a special tribute to Geraldo's career, featuring moments where he spoke with famous figures like Paul McCartney Let freedom ring: The Fox News mainstay was born on America's Independence Day, July 4 While the talk show host and seasoned journalist was departing the network he had called home for years, Geraldo acknowledged that there were other milestones in his life worth celebrating. His birthday fell around the same time as his, '20th wedding celebration with [his wife] Erica.' In addition to his birthday and wedding anniversary, the Geraldo host had his daughter Sol's 18th birthday to look forward to celebrating as well. 'I will always remember this morning,' the Mystery of Al Capone's Vaults host stated during his emotional final appearance on Fox and Friends. 'It is something that I didnt expect, this celebration is beyond the beyond,' he added with gratitude. ' Former Victoria's Secret Angels Sara Sampaio and Jasmine Tookes both wore tidy updos with white mini-dresses to attend the same glitzy event in Paris on Monday night. The Lions Models joined fellow former VS Angel Alessandra Ambrosio at the star-studded 37th birthday party of Red Sea Film Foundation CEO Mohammed Al Turki on the rooftop of Italian restaurant Gigi Paris. Sara - turning 32 on July 21 - looked leggy in a long-sleeve button-down creation and matching white kitten-heeled pumps selected by stylist Luis Borges. Hairstylist Vasco Freitas coiffed Sampaio's sleek bun and she wore pearl earrings to match her pearl-embellished dress. Make-up artist Ines Aguiar brought out the Portuguese bombshell's natural beauty for the bash. Twinning! Former Victoria's Secret Angels Sara Sampaio (L) and Jasmine Tookes (R) both wore tidy updos with white mini-dresses to attend the same glitzy event in Paris on Monday night Tantalizing trio! The Lions Models joined fellow former VS Angel Alessandra Ambrosio (3-R) at the star-studded 37th birthday party of Red Sea Film Foundation CEO Mohammed Al Turki (M) on the rooftop of Italian restaurant Gigi Paris Sara is also an actress and she'll next portray Gia in Alec Griffen Roth's upcoming drama Billy Knight alongside Al Pacino, Charlie Heaton, Billy Zane, and Patrick Schwarzenegger. Meanwhile, the 32-year-old Orange County native looked polished in a sleeveless frock featuring an A-line skirt, black clutch, and matching patent leather heels. Jasmine styled her raven locks into the same similarly sleek bun as Sampaio. Tookes fully contoured her complexion and wore a dark blush and defined brows. It's hard to believe it's only been four months since the JoJa co-founder and her husband of 22 months - Snapchat exec Juan David Borrero - welcomed their first child, daughter Mia Victoria Borrero. Once safely inside the restaurant, Jasmine Instastoried a snap of her place setting and custom menu for the Saudi-born film producer's birthday. The At Midnight actress proudly posed beside the birthday boy, whom she affectionately called 'Momo.' Turning 32 on July 21! Sara looked leggy in a long-sleeve button-down creation and matching white kitten-heeled pumps selected by stylist Luis Borges Ornate: Hairstylist Vasco Freitas coiffed Sampaio's sleek bun and she wore pearl earrings to match her pearl-embellished dress Pretty! Make-up artist Ines Aguiar brought out the Portuguese bombshell's natural beauty for the bash Coming soon! Sara is also an actress and she'll next portray Gia in Alec Griffen Roth's upcoming drama Billy Knight alongside Al Pacino, Charlie Heaton, Billy Zane, and Patrick Schwarzenegger Elegant: The 32-year-old Orange County native looked polished in a sleeveless frock featuring an A-line skirt, black clutch, and matching patent leather heels Ballerina: Jasmine styled her raven locks into the same similarly sleek bun as Sampaio Profile: Tookes fully contoured her complexion and wore a dark blush and defined brows 'Mornings with Mia!' It's hard to believe it's only been four months since the JoJa co-founder and her husband of 22 months - Snapchat exec Juan David Borrero - welcomed their first child, daughter Mia Victoria Borrero (pictured June 20) Mohammed also made sure to pose with the 42-year-old Brazilian bombshell, who wore a red midi-sleeve mini-dress to the festive function with a stunning view of the Eiffel Tower. Al Turki - who received virtual birthday greetings from Naomi Campbell, Michelle Rodriguez, Ed Westwick, and Swizz Beatz - took a selfie with four-time Emmy nominee Natasha Lyonne, who came with Emily in Paris actor Jeremy O. Harris. Also attending the birthday dinner was Australian filmmaker Baz Luhrmann, whose film Elvis received eight Oscar nominations this year. Hungry? Once safely inside the restaurant, Jasmine Instastoried a snap of her place setting and custom menu for the Saudi-born film producer's birthday Man of the hour! The At Midnight actress proudly posed beside the birthday boy, whom she affectionately called 'Momo' 'Wishing you all the best on your birthday!' Mohammed also made sure to pose with the 42-year-old Brazilian bombshell (R), who wore a red midi-sleeve mini-dress to the festive function with a stunning view of the Eiffel Tower Wow! Al Turki - who received virtual birthday greetings from Naomi Campbell, Michelle Rodriguez, Ed Westwick, and Swizz Beatz - took a selfie with four-time Emmy nominee Natasha Lyonne (2-L), who came with Emily in Paris actor Jeremy O. Harris (L) Khloe Kardashian showed off her stunning figure as she was spotted on the set of a photoshoot for her fashion label Good American on Tuesday. Kardashian, who recently celebrated her 39th birthday on June 27, posed for photos in a revealing white crop-top that displayed her washboard abs. For the shoot, the reality star donned items from Good America's Denim Icons line, which also consisted of Good '90s Loose Jeans. She wore smoky eye make-up and a berry lipstick with her hair styled in soft waves. 'Our girl Koko puts the good in Good American. Channel your inner @khloekardashian this summer with our Denim Icons. Shop Good 90s Loose Jeans | Link in Bio.' Good American's July 4 Instagram post stated. Stunning: Khloe Kardashian showed off her stunning figure as she was spotted on the set of a photoshoot for her fashion label Good American on Tuesday Good '90s Loose Jeans: For the shoot, Kardashian wore a white crop top and a pair of Good '90s Loose Jeans from Good Americans Denim Icons line The song 'Bubble Gum' by Kiri T could be heard being played in the background of the video. The BTS video post comes after Kardashian opted to go topless for a further sizzling shoot. Kardashian would also drop two individual photos of this outfit on her own Instagram account. Good American was launched in 2016 by Kardashian and British businesswoman Emma Grede and initially started off selling only jeans ranging from size 00 to 24. The brand notably earned $1 million in sales on the first day. Since then, Good American has expanded into offering a variety of clothing items, including workout clothes, dresses, swimwear, and a maternity wear, to name a few. All clothing items ranging from size 00 to 32 plus. Inclusivity sizing is extremely important for the brand and Grede stated in a 2019 interview with Forbes how proud she was of herself of Kardashian for encouraging retailers to buy the complete range of sizes for all Good American clothing items and sell them together instead of in a plus-size department. 'The biggest reward [of starting Good American with Khloe] is being able to build something thats more than just a brand, but a platform that portrays strong values for all women.,' Grede told the publication. 'Im so happy to see that what weve started has inspired other brands and so many are joining the inclusivity and body positivity movement.' Alessandra Ambrosio set pulses racing as she attended the Giorgio Armani Haute Couture Fall/Winter show during Paris Fashion Week on Tuesday. The 42-year-old CAA Model showcased her elegant sense of style in a stunning white midi dress. The glamorous number featured a tight bodice, clinching her waist in the middle, and a flowing skirt. The mother-of-two looked gorgeous in the chic number which showcased her enviable figure. She paired the look with a pair of simple black strappy heels and a small black clutch bag. Wow! Alessandra Ambrosio set pulses racing as she attended the Giorgio Armani Haute Couture Fall/Winter show during Paris Fashion Week on Tuesday The model-turned-entrepreneur styled her highlighted brunette tresses poker straight and accessorised with a simple black hairband on top. She opted for a flawless palette of makeup including a swipe of pink lipstick and shielded her eyes with black sunglasses. Posing up a storm at the fashion show, Alessandra placed one hand on her hip and offered a sultry stare to the cameras. Back in 2000, Alessandra was discovered by Victoria's Secret, walking in the famous Victoria's Secret Fashion Show from 2004 to 2017. The Ale by Alessandra founder was also the first model hired to pose for the Victoria's Secret PINK line. While she's best known for her modeling work with Victoria's Secret, Alessandra has also posed in campaigns for global brands like Ralph Lauren, Christian Dior, and Armani, among many others. Before she retired her Victoria's Secret Angel wings for good in 2017, Alessandra founded her own fashion line ale by Alessandra. The entrepreneur's clothing and swimwear brand is available at many major retailers like Nordstrom and Revolve. Beauty: The 42-year-old CAA Model showcased her elegant sense of style in a stunning white midi dress Chic: The glamorous number featured a tight bodice, clinching her waist in the middle, and a flowing skirt Beauty: The mother-of-two looked gorgeous in the chic number which showcased her enviable figure Stylish: She paired the look with a pair of simple black strappy heels and a small black clutch bag Stunner: The model-turned-entrepreneur styled her highlighted brunette tresses poker straight and accessorised with a simple black hairband on top Pose: She opted for a flawless palette of makeup including a swipe of pink lipstick and shielded her eyes with black sunglasses Although the hard-working model hasn't rested on her laurels once over the span of her decades-long modeling career, she makes sure that her daughter, Anja Louise and son, Noah Phoenix are her top priorities. She shares custody of her two children with her ex-fiance, RE/DONE Jeans founder Jamie Mazur. The couple broke off their engagement in 2018, ten years after Jamie initially popped the question in 2008. The top model also dedicates her time to charitable causes, serving as an ambassador for the National Multiple Sclerosis Society. In 2019, Alessandra co-founded GAL Floripa, a lifestyle and clothing brand. She launched the brand alongside her sister Aline and her best friend Gisele Coria. Eager to inspire, the actress wrote on the GAL Floripa website that, 'We learned early on the power of cultivating women's bonds to encourage each other in gaining the confidence to reach our true selves.' In another monumental life achievement for the multi-hyphenate woman, Alessandra was granted American citizenship back in 2020. Bianca Wallace has 'celebrated' the five-year anniversary of the day she first noticed her Multiple Sclerosis symptoms. The estranged wife of actor Ioan Gruffudd took to Instagram on Tuesday to say she was proud of how far she'd come after first realising she was suffering from the inflammatory disease of the central nervous system. While she first noticed the symptoms on the 4th of July in the US, 5th of July in her home country of Australia, it was until October half a decade ago that she was diagnosed with the illness. Taking to Instagram, Bianca shared a video clip, which she captioned: 'It is a special day & Im having some big feelings & thoughts that I want to share.' In the clip, she said: 'I really wanted to come on and say this today. It is a noteworthy day in my life. It's a day that I celebrate every year, I celebrate this day, and this year is five years, half a decade, since the MS came up, 4th of July America, 5th of July Australia. Positive spin: Bianca Wallace has 'celebrated' the five-year anniversary of the day she first noticed her Multiple Sclerosis symptoms 'And I celebrate this every single year. It pops up in my calendar and I have a happy moment. 'Obviously the memory itself is not that great and it took me a long time to come to terms with it all, of course, but now this is the day to me that the beginning of my life started. This was the start to my life, this was the start to my journey. To everything that was ahead. 'And I think that we should celebrate, I think that we should celebrate our adversities, our triumph over adversity because it's important. 'These are the days of our life that change us, that create who we are, that change the trajectory, change the life that we thought that we wanted, we were living. These are the key moments in our life and they should be celebrated. 'And so I'm at five years of MS today, not diagnosed, this is the day that the symptoms came up. I'm diagnosed October, will be five years diagnosed. 'But I think it's crucial and important to celebrate these moments and do not let them take you... these anniversaries, they really pack a punch in these kind of situations. 'But it is a key day for be, 4th of July, 5th of July Australia, is my anniversary for MS and it should be celebrated, and I just wanted to come on to say that we should always aim to get to the point in life that we're celebrating out adversity. 'Celebrate who you become because of it.' Pride: The estranged wife of actor Ioan Gruffudd took to Instagram on Tuesday to say she was proud of how far she'd come Bianca revealed she was suffering with MS last year, telling how she first went to doctors after being unable to pick up a pen to write, and that after that 'everything changed'. The actress detailed how she now suffers with occasionally going blind in her left eye, has a tremor and that the whole right side of her body has nerve damage. She went on to say that the diagnosis has actually been her 'lucky charm' and pushed her to get into acting and 'appreciate life for what it is'. Common symptoms include tiredness, vision problems and problems with walking or balance. Multiple sclerosis cannot be cured, but medicines and other treatments can help ease some of the symptoms. It comes after Ioan Gruffudd's 13-year-old daughter lost her bid for a restraining order against his girlfriend. Ella Evans had filed documents for a civil harassment protection from Bianca Wallace last month but a judge at Los Angeles Superior Court turned down the teenager's application. Ella - whose mother is the Fantastic Four star's estranged wife Alice Evans - has also filed for a restraining order against Ioan, having accused both him and his partner of abuse, but the court will hear that application on 13 July as part of a wider custody hearing. Judge Josh Freeman Stinn also appointed a minors counsel - a lawyer asked to represent the best interests of a child - for Ella and her nine-year-old sister Elsie. Pictured: Actress Alice Evans and estranged husband Ioan Gruffudd with daughters The Liar actor's team are said to see the move as a 'positive' one for the case, while Bianca was described as 'relieved' to hear the ruling. The hearing came after the 49-year-old actor accused Alice - who he has a three-year restraining order against, which bars her from mentioning him on social media - used fake Twitter accounts to brand him and Bianca 'child abusers'. He said in court documents: 'Since May 26 there have been a number of anonymous social media accounts set up 22 on Twitter naming Bianca and myself child abusers, and making incredibly slanderous and 23 defamatory claims. 'Alice has slipped up a number of times on these accounts, making clear the 24 anonymous accounts are her accounts.' He added about Ella's Twitter account allegedly being involved in the smear campaign against him and Bianca: 'Ella and/or Alice have also been using Ellas own Twitter 25 account. 'I sought and obtained the DVRO (domestic violence restraining order) against Alice in part because she was using her social 26 media accounts to continue to harass, threaten, and disturb the peace of both me and Bianca. 'Most of 27 the accounts were public and I saw that Ella accessed many of them.' Documents: Ioan Gruffudd's daughter Ella filed documents for a civil harassment protection from his girlfriend actress Bianca Wallace (pictured right) Ioan also alleged Ella hacked his Instagram account and shared what he called 'unsavoury comments', which he said Alice then posted on her own account. He added: 'With the children not in therapy again and Alices behaviour worsening, by February 26, 2022, I had to seek a restraining order against Alice.' Ioan, who also has nine-year-old Elsie with Alice, insists in the court filing he told Alice in 2020 he was unhappy in their marriage, and alleges she threatened to 'ruin' him if he walked out, and added she also apparently threatened to brand him a child abuser if he left and 'take the girls away'. In Ella's restraining order documents, she claimed to be 'scared' of her father and accused Bianca of having 'slammed a door on her head', which left her bruised, as she tried to escape their home following a blazing argument. Royal pal Harry Herbert was so welcoming of the romance between his daughter, society model Frankie Herbert, and Eliot Sumner that he even invited the couple to join him and his wife, Irish TV chef Clodagh McKenna, on their Ibiza honeymoon. Sadly, I hear that Eliot, 32, whose father is rock superstar Sting, has now split up with Frankie, 27, one of the very few to have performed as a catwalk model in front of the late Queen Elizabeth. In that quintessentially modern confirmation of a relationship's demise, Eliot, who played a guard in James Bond film No Time To Die, has 'unfollowed' Frankie on picture-sharing app Instagram. Frankie a granddaughter of the 7th Earl of Carnarvon, the late Queen's racing manager and confidant appears to have already found a new love interest. She has shared a photo of her kissing an American named Kate Balison during London's annual LGBTQ+ Pride parade last weekend. Frankie (right) a granddaughter of the 7th Earl of Carnarvon, the late Queen's racing manager and confidant appears to have already found a new love interest. She has shared a photo of her kissing an American named Kate Balison (left) during London's annual LGBTQ+ Pride parade last weekend Royal pal Harry Herbert was so welcoming of the romance between his daughter, society model Frankie Herbert, and Eliot Sumner (pictured together in 2021, Eliot left and Frankie right) that he even invited the couple to join him and his wife, Irish TV chef Clodagh McKenna, on their Ibiza honeymoon 'I feel so privileged that life has been so much more delicious since I started accepting myself and allowing love to just be love without labels or definition,' she says. 'Being openly queer has allowed me to be loved to my fullest.' Frankie declared she was 'pansexual' last December, saying: 'Pansexual and proud, baby.' Pansexual means someone who 'is attracted to all people regardless of gender identity or sex'. She explains of her pansexuality: 'It is valid and has provided me with a deeper understanding of myself.' And she adds: 'I don't find a specific gender or sex more or less attractive, but rather the person beneath all of that.' Eliot, whose mother is Sting's wife, film producer Trudie Styler, took Frankie to the London premiere of No Time To Die at the Royal Albert Hall in 2021. Eliot was born a girl, but now identifies as non-binary. Blac Chyna made headlines over the weekend when she was presented with an honorary Doctorate of Humanities from Sacramento Theological Seminary and Bible College. The 35-year-old reality star shared with her 17.2 million a series of posts documenting the achievement, which DailyMail.com is taking an in-depth look at. The standards of getting a doctoral degree from the institution (where Blac Chyna also got one from earlier this year) include $10,000 in tuition; transcripts of high school or college records; and a recommendation letter from one's pastor, People reported in April. The school's accreditation comes from the national agency Transworld Accreditation, which has certification standard based on a Biblical Doctrine. The school is not accredited by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation or the US Department of Education, Buzzfeed reported in April. Details: Blac Chyna, 35, made headlines over the weekend when she was presented with an honorary Doctorate of Humanities from Sacramento Theological Seminary and Bible College It says it offers a 'flexible, focused and practical education that helps our student grow deeper in Gods Word and their ministry to others,' the outlet reported. The online education information outlet GetEducated had Transworld Accreditation Commission on a list of 'fake college accreditation agencies.' The definition of honorary doctorate degrees can vary by institution. According to the University of Washington, 'Honorary degrees recognize those who have made profound and enduring contributions to scholarship, culture, and improved quality of life in society at large. 'Achievements of national or international significance deserve priority consideration. It is important that recipients be persons of great integrity, as the choices we make reflect our values as an institution.' Harvard University noted that 'the tradition of bestowing honorary degrees began in European universities in the Middle Ages.' Benjamin Franklin in 1753 received 'the first true Harvard honorary degree' with a Master of Arts degree for his 'contributions to the world outside of the University.' In her social media posts, Chyna, whose real name is Angela Renee White, was seen being presented with a certificate as she made her way across the stage at the educational institution in Northern California. Chyna - who is mother to 10-year-old son King with Tyga and six-year-old daughter Dream with Rob Kardashian, 36 - shared the proud moment to the social media site. The Washington D.C. native shared the proud moment to the social media site Chyna - who is mother to 10-year-old son King with Tyga and six-year-old daughter Dream with Rob Kardashian, 36 - shared a copy of her honorary degree 'Thank you Sacramento Theological Seminary and Bible College for my honorary. "Doctorate of Humanities,"' the reality star said in the caption. The Washington D.C. native continued: 'The degree of Doctor of Humanities is an honorary degree awarded to those who have distinguished themselves through humanitarian and philanthropic contributions to society.' In her speech, Blac Chyna nearly wept as she reaffirmed her faith, saying, 'God has never given up on me ... I've been through a lot in my life and he's been changing my life.' Blac Chyna, who got her doctorate in liberal arts from the institution earlier in the year, said she aimed 'to continue to walk in this light and learn and grow and be an inspiration to my family, my friends and my kids.' The Fourth of July might mean independence day to any ordinary American but, for Oscar winner Julia Roberts, it marked her 21st wedding anniversary to second husband Daniel Moder. The Georgia-born 55-year-old - who boasts 11M Instagram followers - captioned her PDA picture with explosion emojis: '21! #truelove #heckyeah #fromhereonout.' Among Julia's six approved comments included one from happily married Rita Wilson, who gushed: 'Scorpio sister! Happy anniversary to you love birds! [Tom Hanks and I] love you both!' When asked by E! News on October 12 what her secret to a lasting marriage was, Roberts replied: 'I always say that same thing and I'm sticking with it. It's making out. Lots of making out.' The Chopard brand ambassador was still dating Emmy nominee Benjamin Bratt when she first crushed on the 54-year-old Emmy-nominated cinematographer while on the 2000 set of Gore Verbinski's film The Mexican. Congratulations! The Fourth of July might mean independence day to any ordinary American but, for Oscar winner Julia Roberts, it marked her 21st wedding anniversary to second husband Daniel Moder (pictured December 4) The Georgia-born 55-year-old - who boasts 11M Instagram followers - captioned her PDA picture with explosion emojis: '21! #truelove #heckyeah #fromhereonout' '[Writing handwritten notes is] something Danny and I have always done,' Julia told CBS Sunday Morning on October 9. 'The first letter he ever wrote me, which was seven pages long, I still have it tucked away. One day I'll show it to [my daughter] Hazel and say, "That's what youre looking for."' Roberts said when she's not working she's a full-time homemaker to their three children - 18-year-old twins Hazel and Phinnaeus as well as 16-year-old son Henry - at their $9.5M Point Dume hilltop estate in Malibu. 'It isn't rainbows and kittens every day, but it does bring me a lot of joy,' the Ticket to Paradise producer-star explained. 'It's just never consumed me, being an actor. It is my dream come true, but it is not my only dream come true. The life that I have built with my husband [and] the life that we've built with our children, that's the best stuff. To come home at the end of the day, triumphantly, to them.' Julia added: 'I always think that they all look like me, and then Danny comes home from work, and I go, "Oh, you, that's who they look like."' Roberts' first engagement to Flatliners co-star Kiefer Sutherland famously ended three days before their 1991 wedding, and her first marriage to four-time Grammy-winning country crooner Lyle Lovett ended in 1995 after just 21 months. Among Julia's six approved comments included one from happily married Rita Wilson, who gushed: 'Scorpio sister! Happy anniversary to you love birds! [Tom Hanks and I] love you both!' When asked by E! News on October 12 what her secret to a lasting marriage was, Roberts (pictured in 2022) replied: 'I always say that same thing and I'm sticking with it. It's making out. Lots of making out' Not Mr. Right: The Chopard brand ambassador was still dating Emmy nominee Benjamin Bratt (R) when she first crushed on the 54-year-old Emmy-nominated cinematographer while on the 2000 set of Gore Verbinski's film The Mexican Julia told CBS Sunday Morning on October 9: '[Writing handwritten notes is] something Danny and I have always done. The first letter he ever wrote me, which was seven pages long, I still have it tucked away. One day I'll show it to [my daughter] Hazel and say, "That's what youre looking for"' 2019 family portrait: Roberts said when she's not working she's a full-time homemaker to their three children - 18-year-old twins Hazel and Phinnaeus as well as 16-year-old son Henry - at their $9.5M Point Dume hilltop estate in Malibu The Ticket to Paradise producer-star explained: 'It isn't rainbows and kittens every day, but it does bring me a lot of joy. It's just never consumed me, being an actor. It is my dream come true, but it is not my only dream come true' Julia continued: 'The life that I have built with my husband [and] the life that we've built with our children, that's the best stuff. To come home at the end of the day, triumphantly, to them' Premieres December 8 on Netflix! Roberts will next produce and star as married mother-of-two Amanda in Sam Esmail's big-screen adaptation of Rumaan Alam's 2020 novel Leave the World Behind Lights out! The Long Island blackout psychological thriller also stars Mahershala Ali (L), Myha'la Herrold (2-L), Ethan Hawke (R), Farrah Mackenzie, Charlie Evans, and Kevin Bacon The Pretty Woman alum will next produce and star as married mother-of-two Amanda in Sam Esmail's big-screen adaptation of Rumaan Alam's 2020 novel Leave the World Behind, which premieres December 8 on Netflix. The Long Island blackout psychological thriller also stars Ethan Hawke, Mahershala Ali, Myha'la Herrold, Farrah Mackenzie, Charlie Evans, and Kevin Bacon. Meanwhile, Moder served DP duties on Tony Goldwyn's upcoming stand-up comedy dramedy Ezra (formerly known as Inappropriate Behavior) starring Robert DeNiro, Whoopi Goldberg, Rose Byrne, Bobby Canavale, and Vera Farmiga. The current Indian environment is very congenial to produce solar panels as we have competence and a huge demand for solar panels The Indian economy has essentially grown keeping agriculture and services as pillars. At the same time, the manufacturing sector remained largely absent. Moreso, when it comes to hi-tech manufacturing like semiconductors, robotics automation etc. India, having grown tremendously in past decades, now requires the manufacturing sector to come to the forefront of economic growth. Also, India aims to become carbon neutral by 2070. It requires a mammoth task of electrification and installation of renewable energy sources. Currently, India majorly imports solar panels from China, for the domestic panel manufacturers have limited updated capacity. Also, the production capacities of upstream products like cells, and wafers are very limited. Therefore, with our dependence on foreign supplies, the net zero mission along with the GDP growth will be dependent on the vagaries of foreign equipment suppliers. In a nutshell, heavy reliance on imports for strategic products like renewable equipment and major upstream products is something we should not accept as this may severely limit our targets. Moreover, this robs us of Indias capabilities to further develop high-efficiency equipment and restricts our abilities to foray into ancillary and equipment manufacturing streams, which are critical growth enablers for an economy. Needless to state that these imports would lead to a huge chunk of foreign capital moving out of India, thus increasing the CAD (Current Account Deficit) of India. Currently, Indian solar equipment manufacturing is not cost-competitive if we compare it with the manufacturing of Chinese players. The government of India acknowledged this shortcoming and levied numerous tariff and non-tariff barriers. E.g. BCD (Basic Customer Duty) of 25% and 40% on Solar cells and modules respectively. However, the gap can be fundamentally filled only if India achieves scale in production, and develops the supply chain of raw materials and R&D infrastructure. To achieve scale, the Government of India made an appreciative effort to launch the Production Linked Incentive (PLI) scheme for Solar manufacturing, under which the bidders were required to bid based on the extent of integration, technology, and local sourcing. The PLI tranche 1 of INR 4500 cr. was concluded in 2021 with an accumulative winning capacity of ~ 9 GW, while the PLI tranche 2 of INR 19500 cr. is recently concluded with a cumulative winning capacity of ~ 40 GW. The scheme prefers high-efficiency solar panel manufacturing. The rolling out of the PLI scheme demonstrates the governments focus on developing the full supply chain of high-efficiency solar modules, including the ancillary supply chain. However, based on the PLI scheme rollout, a full-blown ecosystem with a meaningful scale will take up to 3 years to get developed and start production. In the meanwhile, for India to be aggressive in the solar energy installation targets, it must rely heavily on imported solar modules. The current Indian regulatory environment is very congenial to produce solar panels domestically as the competence gap is addressed along with a huge forthcoming solar demand in India and other major economies. There will, however, be reliance on imports for more technical products like robotics, equipment for production, and technologically advanced raw materials like silver paste, diamond wire etc. Once the required downstream infrastructure is developed, India Inc. will have the scale and motivation to develop these elements of production to further reduce the cost of the solar panel. With this development, India can step up its R&D activities, which would build products in other economic streams thus drastically reducing dependence on overall imports. (The writer is General Manager- Strategic Initiatives, Amp Energy India) The Modi doctrine calls for a strong India through the Atmanirbhar Bharat campaign. It works for making world a better place through reconciliation Prime Minister Narendra Modi has given a tectonic shift in Indias bilateral relations with the US. His summit with US President Joe Biden had the global community glued to television screens as they witnessed history unfolding in Washington DC. Heads of the states of two equal partners discussed ways to work out the good for the global community. They firmed up their resolve to work together as partners to shape the century. PM Modi also presented democracy as a solution for the host of global challenges. Democracy runs in the veins of India, said PM Modi during a press conference with President Biden. Dialogue is the lifeline of democracy. PM Modi by underlining that dialogue, not war, is the way out of conflicts in his speech to the US Congress once more allowed American Congressmen and senators to witness a statesman in their midst. There emerged a consensus view among the Republicans and Democrats that PM Modi wasnt just speaking for India or the benefits of his country, but he was giving voice to the cause of the global community. They once more understood the significance of the Indian philosophy of Vasudhev Kutumbkam, that the world is one village and in the common good lies the wellbeing of all. Democracy delivers, said PM Modi. He asserted the thriving Indian democracy breathes in over 250 political parties in India and 20 of them ruling states. Such diversity is not to be found elsewhere. The Americans sought endorsement for their diversity by bonding with India. The Americans also found to their great satisfaction that PM Modi is a champion of human values. Indian democracy functions on the Constitution, and the statute book provides for access to all the programmes and schemes run by the government without discrimination on the basis of caste, creed, religion, age, and regions. This is stated in the mantra of SabkaVikas, SabkaVishwas, SabkaPrayas, said PM Modi, as he spoke of the inclusive nature of the Indian democracy during the joint press conference with President Biden. The leadership of the US accorded PM Modi a place of eminence with unprecedented reception to him at the White House. The Indian diaspora made a strong presence in the backyard of the White House to witness the unfolding of history. During the tech summit attended by PM Modi and President Biden, several CEOs of well-known American corporate giants were people of Indian origin. The 3.5 million strong Indian diasporas in the US have been the brand ambassadors of India. They are the vital organs of the American economy. This was evident during the visit of PM Modi to the US and richly acknowledged by the Biden administration. When I came here last, India was the 10th largest economy of the world. Now, India is the fifth largest economy in the world. Soon, India will be the third largest economy of the world, PM Modi told the US Congress. The US, the largest economy in the world, laid the red carpet for the prime minister of India, who is scripting rapid economic growth of his country with eyes set on the target to become the third largest economy in the world. This is significant because India and the US bilateral trade has crossed $190 billion, which was also stressed by President Biden. This set up the vast scope of collaborations unveiled during PM Modis visit to the US. From the Artemis agreement for the cooperation between NASA and the ISRO, the deal for the production of jet engines by GE in India and setting up a manufacturing plant for semiconductors in Gujarat, besides India procuring the predator drones revealed the beginning of an era of strategic cooperation between the two democracies working for the global good. The Modi doctrine calls for a strong India, which is being fulfilled through the Atmanirbhar Bharat campaign. In the defence sector, the collaboration between the US and India promises to accelerate self-reliance in the production of defence goods. Not only gaining self-reliance but India must also be armed with weapons, assets and technology to gain an edge. This again is in the interest of global good, because India is looked upon by several nations in the immediate neighbourhood of South Asia, the Indian Ocean, Indo-Pacific, and elsewhere as a source of security and strength. This has been affirmed recently by the Indian Coast Guard crackdown against the trafficking of drugs through the sea routes. Indian and the US, PM Modi said, are partners also for the clean energy transition as the global community looks upon the two countries to fight back against climate change. This is befitting the leadership role of India in climate mitigation efforts. India alone has acted decisively on Paris Accord to demonstrate the Modi doctrine for global good in action. (The writer is a General Secretary of the BJP) In a strategic move ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha polls and Assembly elections, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has appointed new party chiefs for Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Jharkhand, and Punjab, with two of them having strong Congress backgrounds. The announcement was made by BJP president JP Nadda following extensive brainstorming sessions with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, his Council of Ministers, and party leaders. Several senior BJP leaders and Union Ministers interacted on Tuesday with Nadda here at BJP headquarters. Ministers meeting Nadda included Nirmala Sitharaman, Arjun Ram Meghwal and Kiren Rijiju. The party is contemplating more organisational changes in other States like Karnataka, Kerala, Gujarat, Haryana and Jammu and Kashmir. A Cabinet reshuffle may relieve many senior leaders for party work. A beginning has already been made by appointing Union Minister G Kishan Reddy as Telangana BJP chief, they said. Reddy replaced Bandi Sanjay Kumar, who was perceived to have difficulty in uniting all party leaders in the State. Sanjay Kumar, a BJP MP from Karimnagar, had completed his second term as BJP president. Reports indicated that Sanjay Kumar may be reassigned as a Minister of State in the Union Cabinet. Reddy, who was promoted to Cabinet rank and currently serves as the Minister of Culture and Tourism, enjoys the confidence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah. With Telangana heading for assembly polls later this year, Reddy is expected to play a pivotal role in the BJPs campaign in the State. D Purandeshwari, daughter of former Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister NT Rama Rao, has been appointed as the BJPs State president for Andhra Pradesh. This move aligns with the BJPs efforts to form an alliance with TDP leader N Chandrababu Naidu. Incidentally, Purandeshwari is also Naidus sister-in-law. She was previously elected as an MP from Visakhapatnam and had been associated with the Congress, serving as a Minister in the Manmohan Singh Government. With her political legacy, Purandeshwari is expected to expand the partys political base, particularly in Northern Andhra Pradesh. Former Chief Minister Babulal Marandi has been appointed as Jharkhands State party president, while Sunil Jakhar is the new State party president for Punjab, according to a statement from the BJP. Marandi replaces Deepak Prakash to bolster the BJPs presence among tribal communities in the face of a strong coalition of alliances consisting of JMM, Congress and RJD, led by Chief Minister Hemant Soren, who hails from a tribal background. In Punjab, Sunil Jakhar has been appointed as the State party president, replacing Ashwani Sharma. Jakhar, who quit the Congress last year and joined the BJP, had previously served as the chief of the Congresss Punjab unit from 2017 to 2021. The BJP aims to revitalize the party and expand its organization in the border State, primarily at the expense of the ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and the opposition Congress. Jakhar is considered an adept organizational leader with a deep grassroots connection and a substantial electoral following. After the exit of the Shiromani Akali Dal, a Punjab-based party, the BJP plans to contest the upcoming elections in Punjab independently. The Shiv Sena (UBT) and the Congress have claimed that NCP leader Ajit Pawar, who recently took oath as the Deputy Chief Minister of Maharashtra, will soon replace Chief Minister Eknath Shinde. However, the BJP has dismissed such talks, saying the speculation of Shinde losing the chief ministers post is nothing but kite-flying. Ajits sudden decision to split from the NCP and join the ruling coalition led by Shinde and the BJP has sent shockwaves through Maharashtras political landscape. Eight NCP leaders were also sworn in as ministers in the Shinde-BJP Government. The Shiv Sena (UBT) mouthpiece Saamana published an editorial stating that Ajit has set a record by becoming the Deputy Chief Minister once again. This time the deal is strong, the editorial added, hinting at a significant power shift in the State. According to the editorial, Pawar has not taken up the deputy CMs post just for that. Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and rebel MLAs of the Sena will soon face disqualification, paving the way for Pawars coronation. Senior Congress leader Prithviraj Chavan also asserted that the BJP has promised Ajit the position of Maharashtra Chief Minister. However, senior BJP leader Madhav Bhandari said all these talks are nothing but kite flying. First of all the disqualification petition pending with the speaker will not go against us. Even if it does, the fallout wont impact the government as we have enough numbers. With Ajit Pawars move to join the ruling coalition, the dynamics of Maharashtras politics have undergone a significant change. Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut claimed that Shinde would lose the CM post. Raut stated, Shinde and 15 other MLAs will undoubtedly face disqualification, and the BJP has brought in Pawar to save the government. Once Shinde is disqualified, Pawar will eventually take over as the Chief Minister. Responding to a query, Chavan confirmed that he had publicly spoken about the possibility of Ajit aligning with the BJP and faced criticism for it. He further stated that they were aware of the ongoing discussions and bargaining, with Ajit being promised the chief ministers post by sidelining Eknath Shinde through the speakers decision on the disqualification of 16 Shiv Sena MLAs. The political landscape in Maharashtra remains tense as speculations and power struggles unfold within the ruling coalition. The fate of the current chief minister and the potential rise of Ajit Pawar as Maharashtras new leader hang in the balance. Having decided to stand by its ally, the rebellion-hit Sharad Pawar-led Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), the Congress, which is one of the constituents of the Opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA), dropped its plans to rake up the issue of the Leader of Opposition (LoP) in the Maharashtra Assembly. The post has fallen vacant after outgoing LoP Ajit Pawar joined the Shinde-Fadnavis Government as the Deputy Chief Minister. In the presence of the party in-charge of Maharashtra, HK Patil, who flew down from New Delhi for the meeting, the Congress Legislature Party (CLP) met in the Vidhan Bhavan complex in south Mumbai. During the meeting, the party MLAs took stock of the situation arising from the vertical split in the NCP, which has led to the vacancy of the LoPs post in the Assembly. This development should be seen in the context of the fact that the Sharad Pawar-led NCP had named former minister Jitendra Awhad as LoP-designate after Ajit Pawars exit from the party. At the meeting, the Congress decided not to stake a claim for the LoPs post in the larger interests of Opposition unity. Talking to media persons after the CLP meeting, HK Patil stated that the Congress was part of the MVA, comprising its own party, the NCP, and Shiv Sena, and it would remain united with the other two constituents in the Opposition alliance. The CLP meeting was attended by 39 of the 45 Congress MLAs of the party. No ruling has come on the unconstitutionality of the Shinde-Fadnavis Government ruling the State. In such a situation, the BJP has once again indulged in politics of breaking other parties. The people have not taken kindly to the Operation Latus practiced by the BJP. In Karnataka, the people showed the door to the BJP. In Maharashtra, the BJP engineered a split in the Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena, and now the Sharad Pawar-led NCP, Patil said. We Congress, NCP, and Shiv Sena (UBT) together are fighting against the BJP. We will continue to do so, Patil added. Patil, State Congress President Nana Patole, Working President Naseem Khan, CLP leader Balasaheb Thorat, former Chief Ministers Prithviraj Chavan and Ashok Chavan were among others present at the CLP meeting. After the meeting, senior state Congress leaders, including Patole, Khan, and Thorat, later called on NCP chief Sharad Pawar and extended their support to his party in the wake of the rebellion engineered by his nephew Ajit Pawar and others. Speaking to media persons, State Congress President Nana Patole clarified that no discussions were held on the issue of Leader of Opposition in the State Assembly. We are on a wait-and-watch mode. After the meetings of both the factions of the NCP scheduled for Wednesday, the position will be clear, Patole said. We will strengthen the MVA and the Congress. We have supported Uddhav Thackeray and Sharad Pawar. We will wait and watch how developments unfold in the coming days, Patil said. Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday called for decisive action against terrorism and urged leaders of the Shanghai Co-operation Organisation (SCO) nations in an apparent reference to Pakistan that the grouping must not hesitate to criticise countries supporting cross-border terrorism as an instrument of State policy. He also said there must not be any double standards in combating terrorist activities. During a virtual summit of the SCO, Prime Minister Narendra Modi delivered a resolute message in the presence of Pakistans Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Chinese President Xi Jinping, and Russias Vladimir Putin. Modi emphasised the necessity for decisive action to address terrorism and the financing of terrorist activities. On the other hand, the Pakistan PM said the hydra-headed monster of terrorism and extremism whether committed by individuals, groups or at State level must be fought with full vigour and conviction, as he warned against using it as a cudgel for diplomatic point-scoring. In his opening remarks, Modi said, Terrorism remains a major threat to regional and global peace. Decisive action is necessary to meet this challenge. Terrorism may be in any form, in any manifestation and we have to fight together against it. Some countries use cross-border terrorism as an instrument of their policies; give shelter to terrorists. The SCO should not hesitate to criticise such countries. There should be no room for double standards on such a serious issue, he said. Prime Minister Modi also pitched for deeper mutual cooperation to deal with terror financing and noted that the SCOs RATS (Regional Anti-Terrorism Structure) mechanism has played an important role in this. We should also take more active steps to prevent the spread of radicalisation among the youth of our countries. The joint statement being issued today on the issue of radicalisation is a symbol of our shared commitment, he said. Chairing the summit, Modi talked about the growing importance of the SCO and said, It is our shared responsibility to understand each others needs and sensitivities and resolve all challenges through better cooperation and coordination. The remarks came amid the lingering border row between India and China. The Prime Minister also highlighted the need for boosting connectivity, but asserted that it is essential to respect the basic principles of the SCO charter, especially the sovereignty and territorial integrity of member states, while making such efforts. There has been increasing global criticism of Chinas Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). India has been severely critical of the BRI as the project includes the so-called China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) that passes through Pakistan occupied Kashmir(POK). On Afghanistan, Modi said the situation there has a direct impact on the security of all of us and it is important to ensure that Afghan territory is not used to destabilise neighbouring countries or to encourage extremist ideologies. The theme of the SCO meeting was SECURE. It stands for S: Security, E: Economic development, C: Connectivity, U: Unity, R: Respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity, and E: Environmental protection. The Prime Minister also touched upon the global food, fuel and fertiliser crisis, highlighted the need for reform of the SCO and welcomed Iran as the new permanent member of the SCO. The virtual summit under Indias presidency was attended by leaders of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan and Iran as well. On the situation in Afghanistan, Modi said Indias concerns and expectations regarding that country are similar to those of most of the SCO countries. Modi said ensuring humanitarian assistance to Afghan people, formation of an inclusive government, the fight against terrorism and drug trafficking and ensuring the rights of women, children and minorities in that country are our shared priorities. The Prime Minister also favoured boosting regional connectivity and said, Better connectivity not only increases mutual business but also increases mutual trust. But in these efforts, it is essential to respect the basic principles of the SCO Charter, especially the sovereignty and territorial integrity of member states. After Irans SCO membership, we can work for better utilisation of Chabahar Port. The International North-South Transport Corridor can become a safe and easy way for the landlocked countries of Central Asia to reach the Indian Ocean, he said. We should realise its full potential, he added. India has been pushing for the Chabahar port project to boost regional trade, especially for its connectivity to Afghanistan. Prime Minister Sharif said the hydra-headed monster of terrorism and extremism - whether committed by individuals, societies or states - must be fought with full vigour and conviction. Any temptation to use it as a cudgel for diplomatic point-scoring must be avoided under all circumstances, he said. Terrorism in all its forms and manifestations, including State terrorism, must be condemned in clear and unambiguous terms. There can be no justification for the killing of innocent people regardless of the cause or pretext. He noted that while the sacrifices made by Pakistan in fighting the scourge of terrorism were without a parallel, the phenomenon continued to plague the region and was a serious obstacle to peace and stability. He also talked about the issue of religious minorities and said that the practice of demonising religious minorities in the pursuit of domestic political agendas should be stopped, without naming any country. Sharif also tried to rake up the Kashmir issue and highlighted the importance of UN resolutions to address the long overdue disputes. He also talked about the three evils of terrorism, extremism and separatism and urged the SCO countries to take concerted and immediate actions, both in their national and collective capacity, to combat them. Sharif also mentioned the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), which he said could be a game changer for connectivity and prosperity in the region. He also said stability in Afghanistan should be a common objective while Afghanistan should take measures to stop the use of its territory by any militant entity. Chinese President Xi Jinping called on the SCO member countries to safeguard regional peace and ensure common security besides focussing on pragmatic cooperation to speed up economic recovery. He also underscored efforts to uphold multilateralism and improve global governance. The SCO was founded at a summit in Shanghai in 2001 by the presidents of Russia, China, the Kyrgyz Republic, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. Pakistan became its permanent member along with India in 2017. Delhi Lieutenant Governor Vinai Kumar Saxena has given approval to a proposal by the Services Department to immediately terminate the services of approximately 400 private individuals engaged as Fellows/Associate Fellows/Advisers/Deputy Advisers/Specialists/Senior Research Officers/Consultants in 23 departments, autonomous bodies, public sector units, and other agencies. This move is likely to spark another confrontation between the Arvind Kejriwal-led Government and the Lieutenant Governor. According to a statement from Raj Niwas, the appointments of these individuals were made in violation of constitutional provisions regarding reservation. The appointments of these personnel were made by flouting the constitutional provisions of reservation; by depriving the people belonging to Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and OBCs from their constitutional rights and through back door entry without meeting the qualification / experience. It was observed that the provisions of reservations for SC/ST/OBC shall be followed in all temporary appointments lasting for 45 days or more. and such temporary appointments have been done by the Delhi Government for more than 45 days in all such cases. The appointments of these personnel also did not follow the mandatory reservation policy for SC/ST/OBC candidates prescribed by the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT). This is an open denial of the rights of Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and OBC in Delhi, the statement said. To protect the rights of these integral sections of the society of India, the LG decided to immediately cancel all such back-door recruitments undertaken in violation of constitutional provisions of reservation. The LG has further directed that all concerned Departments/Autonomous Bodies/PSUs should comply with the constitutional provisions of reservation failing which action, including departmental proceeding, may be initiated against the concerned defaulting officers for violation of such constitutional provisions. The Services Department found out that several of these private individuals did not meet the eligibility criteria, including educational qualifications and work experience, as specified in the job advertisements. Additionally, the concerned administrative departments failed to verify the authenticity of work experience certificates submitted by these individuals, many of which were found to be falsified. Consequently, the LG approved the proposal to terminate the engagement of these private individuals in all the Delhi Government departments, corporations, boards, societies, and autonomous bodies that had not obtained the necessary approval. However, administrative departments have the option to propose detailed cases justifying the continuation of these engagements. Such proposals should be forwarded to the Services Department for submission to the Lieutenant Governor for consideration and approval. The Services Department compiled information from 23 departments, autonomous bodies, and public sector units that had engaged these private individuals as specialists. It was found that the provisions of reservation for SC/ST/OBC, as prescribed by the DoPT order dated 15.05.2018, were not followed in these appointments. Several departments, including Environment, Archaeology, Delhi Archives, Women and Child Development, and Industries, engaged these private individuals without obtaining the approval of the competent authority. Similarly, corporations, boards, societies, and other autonomous bodies, such as DAMB and DPCC, failed to clearly state whether they had obtained the prior approval of the competent authority before engaging these individuals. The Services Department also discovered that 69 individuals were engaged in the departments of Archaeology, Environment, Delhi Archives, Women and Child Development, and Industries without approval. It was noticed by the Services Department that Departments like Environment, Archaeology, Delhi Archives, Women and Child Development and Industries have not obtained the approval of the competent authority, before engaging these private persons. Furthermore, 13 boards/autonomous bodies engaged 155 individuals without obtaining the necessary approval. Additionally, no information was provided to the Services Department regarding the engagement of 187 individuals in Delhi Assembly Research Centre (DARC), Dialogue and Development Commission of Delhi (DDCD), and Department of Planning, concerning the approval of the competent authority. However, 11 individuals engaged in departments such as Health and Family Welfare, Food Safety, Indira Gandhi Hospital, and Transport had the approval of the Lieutenant Governor. The Lieutenant Governor noted that the Cabinet Note related to the Chief Minister Urban Leader Fellowship Programme, which engaged 50 Fellows/Associate Fellows, was approved by the competent authority in 2018 and 2021. The LG has directed all concerned parties to comply with the instructions of the Services Department. Failure to do so may result in appropriate actions, including departmental proceedings, being initiated against the respective Administrative Secretary. Praful retains Sharad as NCP national prez, sacks Maharashtra NCP chief Jayant In a significant decision taken a day after the dramatic split in his party, NCP chief Sharad Pawar expelled partys newly appointed working president Praful Patel and party leader Sunil Tatkare from the primary membership of the party for anti-party activities. Meanwhile, his party moved Maharashtra Assembly Speaker Rahul Narwekar seeking the disqualification of key rebel leader Ajit Pawar and eight other party leaders. In a counter move akin to the one witnessed after the Eknath Shinde-engineered split in the Shiv Sena in June last year, breakaway NCP working resident Praful Patel, retained NCP chief Sharad Pawar as the national president. He sacked NCP state president Jayant Patil and appointed rebel leader Sunil Tatkare in his place with immediate effect. Announcing the removal of Patel and Tatkare, Sharad said in a letter issued to them that the two leaders had indulged in anti-party activities by facilitating and spearheading defections of nine MLAs, including Ajit Pawar, in a surreptitious manner, without the knowledge or consent of the party president. The NCP chief said that the acts by the two leaders amounted to a clear and absolute violation of Article 32 of the Constitution of the NCP and the rules framed under Article 21 (vi)(a) of the party constitution. Your actions of supporting Ajit Pawar and eight other MLAs who were sworn in as ministers in violation of the partys direction and mandate, Sharad Pawar said, amounted to the desertion of the party, which in turn invites disqualification from the primary membership. In his letter to the two leaders, the NCP chief asked them to refrain from misrepresenting before any forum that they had any association with the NCP. Any such act of misrepresentation would be absolutely unlawful and illegal, he said. Swift in acting against the nine NCP MLAs, including Ajit Pawar, who were sworn in as ministers in the Eknath Shinde-Devendra Fadnavis Government, the NCP rushed its newly appointed leader of the Opposition in the Assembly Jitendra Awahad to the residence of Assembly Speaker in the small hours of Monday with a petition seeking the disqualification of Ajit and eight other party MLAs. Apart from Ajit, the other breakaway party leaders against whom the NCP has moved the disqualification proceedings are MLAs Chhagan Bhujbal, Dilip Walse-Patil, Hasan Mushrif, Dhananjay Munde, Dharmarao Baba Atram, Aditi Sunil Tatkare, Sanjay Bansode, and Anil Patil. On Monday morning, Sharad himself called up the Speaker to confirm the delivery of the petition seeking the disqualification of nine MLAs. On his part, Speaker Narwekar confirmed the receipt of the disqualification petition sent by Sharad. However, he said that he was not aware of the exact number of MLAs who were supporting rebel leader Ajit Pawar. I have absolutely no idea as to how many MLAs are supporting Ajit Pawar, Narwekar said. Maharashtra NCP president Jayant Patil said that his party had written to the Election Commission of India, stating that the nine MLAs have engaged in anti-party activities and the moment they took the oath as ministers, they stood disqualified. Contesting the NCP leaderships decision to seek disqualification of nine MLAs, including Ajit, for anti-party activities, Praful Patel said, Nobody has the right to take action or disqualify any of the leaders who have decided to join the Maharashtra government. Addressing a news conference along with Patel, Ajit Pawar said that only the Speaker had the authority to appoint the LoP based on the majority strength of the opposition legislators. We are all very much in the NCP. A maximum number of legislators are with us. So the action or new appointments dont make any sense, Ajit Pawar said. Meanwhile, NCP working president Supriya Sule, MP, said that she had earlier written a strong letter to Sharad, demanding immediate action against Praful and Tatkare, both MPs. Patel and Tatkare, on July 2, 2023, acted in direct contravention of the Party Constitution and Rules, amounting to desertion and disqualification from the party membership. I request Pawar Saheb to take immediate action and file disqualification petitions under the 10th Schedule of the Constitution of India before the Competent Authority against the two MPs for engaging in anti-party activities, Sule said, while confirming that she had written a letter to Sharad Pawar. Simultaneously holding out an olive branch to her cousin brother and breakaway rebel leader Ajit Pawar, Sule said, Ajitdada will always remain my elder brother. I will be very happy if the party rebels return. I was not privy to any information. The BJP is doing all this because the BJP lacks confidence ahead of the 2024 elections. Indias consulate in San Francisco was recently targeted by alleged supporters of the Khalistani movement, who vandalised the premises and attempted to set it on fire. The incident, captured in a video posted on Twitter on July 2, showed the act of arson at the Indian Consulate, accompanied by the words violence begets violence and news articles regarding the death of Khalistan Tiger Force (KTF) chief Hardeep Singh Nijjar in Canada last month. The US Government condemned the incident, terming it a criminal offence. State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller tweeted on Monday, The US strongly condemns the reported vandalism and attempted arson against the Indian Consulate in San Francisco on Saturday. Vandalism or violence against diplomatic facilities or foreign diplomats in the US is a criminal offense. Diya TV, a South Asian broadcast TV network in the US, reported that a fire was set in the early hours of Sunday between 1:30-2:30 am at the San Francisco Indian Consulate. The fire was quickly suppressed by the San Francisco Department, resulting in limited damage, and no staff members were harmed. Local, state, and federal authorities have been notified of the incident. A poster circulating on social media announces a Khalistan Freedom Rally scheduled for July 8, starting in Berkeley, California, and ending at the Indian embassy in San Francisco. This is the second time within months that the Indian Consulate in San Francisco has been targeted by Khalistani supporters. On March 19, a group of pro-Khalistan protesters attacked and damaged the consulate, raising pro-Khalistan slogans and placing Khalistani flags inside the premises, which were later removed by consulate personnel. Ajay Bhutoria, an Indian community leader, strongly condemned the attack on Indias consulate in San Francisco and expressed deep concern. He emphasized the importance of providing a safe and secure environment for consulate staff and members, as well as maintaining diplomatic relations between India and the United States. Bhutoria urged the San Francisco Police Department to swiftly investigate the incident and bring the perpetrators to justice. External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar stated that India has requested partner countries such as Canada, the UK, and the US not to provide space for extremist Khalistani ideology as it is detrimental to relations. The Minister indicated that the issue will be raised with the Government of Canada in response to reports of Khalistani posters naming senior Indian diplomats in the country. Jaishankar stressed that the radical and extremist Khalistani ideology is not beneficial for India or its partner countries, including the US, Canada, the UK, and Australia. He called for a united front against violence and the promotion of peace, understanding, and harmonious relations. The Supreme Court on Monday directed the Manipur Government to file an updated status report detailing steps taken for rehabilitation, improving the law and order situation and recovery of arms in the ethnic violence-hit State. The State Government, meanwhile, told the bench headed by Chief Justice DY Chandrachud that though slowly, the situation is improving and now the curfew time has come down to five in 24 hours. Just tell us what steps have been taken with regard to rehabilitation camps, law and order and the recovery of arms, said the bench, also comprising justices P S Narasimha and Manoj Misra, while listing a batch of petitions on the issue for hearing on July 10. Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for the Manipur Government, termed as unfortunate the allegations levelled by senior advocate Colin Gonsalves, who represented minority Kuki organisations, that some militant groups were sponsored by the State and said he should avoid giving any communal angle. In a brief hearing, the top law officer gave details of the deployment of security forces and the recent status of the law and order situation. Though slowly, the situation is improving in the State. Wherever there is a problem that is being tackled. Apart from civil police, there is a deployment of Indian Reserve battalions, Manipur rifles, commandos, 114 companies of CAPF and 184 columns of Army...355 relief camps are there, he said. What I would request is that because I would not take an adversarial stand in this matter that my learned friend (Colin Gonsalves) may consider avoiding giving any communal angle Christians etc. That is not necessary. Human beings are dealt with by the law enforcement agencies, Mehta said. Gonsalves countered that attacks on Kukis have hugely increased after the State told this court that the incidents of violence have decreased. Some people are going to news shows and saying they are going to annihilate (Kukis). Their Facebook says kill the Kukis and drive them from the hills. No FIR and no action taken... Not a single person has been arrested..., the senior lawyer alleged, adding As long as these armed groups are not disbanded and are allowed to go and kill there will be an escalation in violence. This is unfortunate. This will not solve the problem, said the Solicitor General. The court also took note of the submissions of a lawyer, representing a Meitei group in the State that some of the Kuki militants are having assault rifles and the central government must answer the issue. It asked the law officer to take instruction on this aspect as well. I may or may not mention that in the (status) report... But I will take instruction and appraise the court on this...There cannot be a head count of militants, Mehta said. Under the Gondalpura mining project, Adani Foundation on Tuesday distributed branded cycles on the office premises among the children of different villages of Barkagaon block. As part of its social responsibility, the Adani Foundation provided cycles for seven boys and girls who were finding it difficult to come to school to study. These children had to walk from their villages to attend the Harli Plus Two High School. Now the cycle will save time for those children studying in class X and XII. These children of Gondalpura, Balodar and Gali villages looked very happy after getting the cycle. In the coming days also, the Adani Foundation will try to provide all possible help to the students of the affected villages of the project. Two special science teachers have been appointed by the Adani Foundation to the state-supported Harli Plus Two High School, who are continuously teaching science to the students. Due to the non-availability of science subject teachers in this school, the education of the children was getting hampered and they had to go out to study. Adani Foundation continues to execute its social responsibilities in various villages of Barkagaon block. The foundation has recently adopted 70 new TB patients. Most of the 60 TB patients adopted earlier have recovered. The Foundation recently got 39 patients' eye checks free of cost and distributed free spectacles among them. Apart from this, free health camps are being organized in the villages by the Adani Foundation, where people are given medicine and proper counseling. In the coming days, a lot of more work will be done under CSR towards the Adani Foundation, which will make the life of the villagers more comfortable. A large number of people, including Site Head Dharmendra Dubey, DGM Sanjay Kumar, the Retired DSP Surya Kumar Singh, Security Manager Ramavadh Yadav, CSR Manager Mohit Gupta, Sharad Mishra, Deputy Manager Santosh Tiwari and Chetan Sai were present on the occasion of cycle distribution program. On the auspicious occasion of Guru Purnima, the resident doctors of AIIMS Bhopal expressed their gratitude towards AIIMS Bhopal Director Dr Ajay Singh. They presented him with a token of appreciation for his guidance and support. The gesture was a way to acknowledge the valuable mentorship provided by Dr. Ajay Singh and to thank him for his relentless efforts towards the growth and development of AIIMS Bhopal. His visionary leadership has contributed significantly to the institutes progress, making it one of the premier medical institutions in the country. Dr. Singh also took the opportunity to bless all the resident doctors for their future endeavors, encouraging them to continue their pursuit of knowledge and compassionate care. He emphasized the importance of teamwork, empathy, and staying updated with the latest advancements in medicine to provide the best possible care to their patients. Bank of India, one of the largest Public Sector Banks in India, has rolled out on 3rd July, 2023, Mahila Samman Savings Certificate, 2023 at all its Branches. The Roll Out has been inaugurated at the hands of MD & CEO, Rajneesh Karnatak through VC. The inauguration session was attended by ED P.R Rajagopal and M. Karthikeyan ,CGMs and GMs from Corporate Office, besides this all offices of National Banking Group & Zones also joined through VC.MD and CEO Shri Rajneesh Karnatak has informed that Bank of India has operationalized the scheme at all its Branches. All Branches of Bank of India are authorised to open the account under Mahila Samman Savings Certificate, 2023.This Flagship Scheme was announced by our honourable Finance Minister Mrs Nirmala Sitharaman during Budget speech FY 2023 2024 on 01st Feb 2023. In the Scheme, an individual girl or woman can open Mahila Samman Saving certificate or guardian on behalf of a minor girl. The minimum investment is of Rs 1000 and any sum in multiples of Rs 100/- may be opted to deposit in an account up to maximum limit of Rs 200000/-. An individual may open any number of accounts subject to maximum limit for investment at a time gap of three months between the two accounts but within the overall cap of Rs 2,00,000. The deposits made under this Scheme shall bear interest at the rate of 7.5 % per annum. The interest shall be compounded on a quarterly basis and credited to the account. All earnings under Mahila Samman Savings Certificate will be taxable as per existing income tax provisions. However TDS will not be deducted under the scheme.The account shall mature on completion of two years from the date of opening of account and Account under this scheme can be opened till 31/03/2025. Nomination facility is also made available in the scheme. The account can be closed before maturity in case of death of the account holder. Premature closure facility can also be availed in cases of extreme compassionate grounds such as medical support in life-threatening diseases of the account holder or death of the guardian, that the operation or continuation of the account is causing undue hardship to the account holder.When an account is prematurely closed under above written conditions, interest on principal amount shall be payable at the rate applicable to the Scheme for which the account has been held i.e. at 7.5%. Account can also be prematurely closed in case of any other emergency or will of customer @5.5% i.e. with a penalty of 2% after completion of six months from the date of account opening. Partial withdrawal facility can also be availed by the account holder by withdrawing up to 40% of the eligible balance after the expiry of 1 year from date of opening of account.So far only post offices were authorised to open account under Mahila Samman Savings Certificate, but government had allowed scheduled banks for opening of MSSC vide gazette notification dated 27-06-2023. Power Minister visits Talwandi Sabo Thermal Plant, one unit starts production Chandigarh: Punjab Power Minister Harbhajan Singh ETO on Tuesday said that one of the three shutdown units of Talwandi Sabo Thermal Plant has started production and the other two units would also be operational within a day. He assured the people of the state that despite such technical problems, the Punjab government will not let the people of the state face any power shortage. Power Minister, who visited the Talwandi Sabo Thermal Plant along with PSPCL CMD Baldev Singh Sran and others, said that unit number 3 of the thermal plant has been made operational and was producing 600 megawatts of power. Unit number 1 and 2 of this thermal plant would likely be made operational by Wednesday afternoon, he said. Punjab Govt to advertise new vacancies in Health Dept soon Chandigarh: Punjab Health and Family Welfare Department is all set to advertise new vacancies to generate more employment avenues for the states youth. Announcing this while chairing a meeting with employees unions of the Health Department, the state Health and Family Welfare Minister Dr Balbir Singh on Tuesday said: I am holding meetings with employees unions to better understand their grievances, so that those can be resolved in a time-bound mannerPunjab Government is committed to fulfil the genuine demands of the employees. He said that the previous governments have failed to address their genuine demands which have led to wider unrest amongst them. Sandhwan orders all-possible assistance to chilli growers of Ferozepur belt Chandigarh: Punjab Vidhan Sabha Speaker Kultar Singh Sandhwan on Tuesday emphasized on finding a solution to the problems faced by the farmers cultivating chilli in Ferozepur belt and border areas. Sandhwan, chairing a meeting with the officials, farmers, and experts of the Agriculture Department, Punjab Mandi Board, Punjab Agro Export Corporation and Markfed, asserted that it is the governments duty to address grievances of the chilli growers. He said that cold stores as well as low-cost solar dryers to be installed in the area for the farmers cultivating chilli in the Ferozepur belt and border areas. The state government will provide all possible help to the chilli farmers for a lucrative crop, timely marketing and processing, good price of the product and profit. Punjab VB nabs SDO for accepting Rs 2L bribe Chandigarh: Punjab Vigilance Bureau on Tuesday nabbed a Panchayati Raj SDO Amarjeet Kumar, posted at Fatehgarh Sahib BDPO office, while accepting a bribe of Rs two lakh in lieu of issuing a Utilization Certificate. Spokesperson said that the SDO has been arrested on the complaint of Gurmeet Singh of Basantpura village in Rajpura tehsil. The complainant alleged that the accused SDO had demanded a bribe of Rs five lakh in lieu of issuing the Certificate regarding development works undertaken at his village. First leadless pacemaker implantation conducted at Fortis Mohali Chandigarh: First leadless pacemaker implantation has been successfully conducted at Fortis Mohali. Leadless pacemakers are about the size of a vitamin capsule and are extremely helpful for patients who need a pacemaker and have high lung pressures. A team of doctors led by Dr Arun Kochar treated the patient with state-of-the-art technology by implanting a permanent leadless pacemaker. Dr Arun Kochar, Additional Director, Department of Cardiology at Fortis Hospital Mohali, informed that an 83-year-old woman, who was having fever along with multiple comorbidities, was successfully treated. Punjab Speaker condoles demise of Dr Azad Chandigarh: Punjab Vidhan Sabha Speaker Kultar Singh Sandhwan on Tuesday expressed deep grief over the sad demise of Dr Amar Singh Azad. With the passing of Dr Azad, we have lost a unique personality. Dr Azad, who had dual MD degrees in Pediatrics and Community Medicine, was an eminent health expert. He made significant contributions in the field of preventive medicine and played a pivotal role in saving and curing millions of people from severe diseases by raising awareness about health, said the Speaker, while praying to the Almighty to grant eternal peace to the departed soul and to provide courage to the bereaved family in bearing this irreparable loss. Vigilance nabs Sub Fire Officer for accepting Rs 12,500 bribe Chandigarh: Punjab Vigilance Bureau on Tuesday nabbed a Sub Fire Officer Rana Narinder Singh, posted at Malerkotla, for demanding and accepting a bribe of Rs 12,500 from a resident of Sherpur village in Sangrur district. Spokesperson said that the Officer has been arrested on the complaint of Lovely Singh of the same village, who approached the Police Station VB, Patiala Range and lodged a complaint that the accused officer had already taken a bribe of Rs 1.70 lakhs in lieu of providing him a job in the Fire Department. Now, he has demanded Rs 12,500 to get the police verification complainant done. Taking the ongoing war of words over the controversy surrounding Uttar Pradesh-based gangster-turned-politician Mukhtar Ansaris stay in the states jail, Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Tuesday minced no words to say that the former Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh had allotted prime land of Waqf Board to Ansaris sons in Ropar. Mann, making a startling revelation regarding Capt Amarinders alleged connivance with Ansari, said that though the two-time former Chief Minister is repeatedly claiming that he didnt know Ansari, it is surprising that besides ensuring a cozy stay to a gangster in jail, Captain Government felicitated him in securing prime land in Ropar. At the same time, Mann dared Capt Amarinder to explain how Ansaris sons Abaas and Umar Ansari managed to get prime land of Waqf Board in Ropar without his connivance. If Captain wants, I will furnish more proofs in the coming days regarding hobnobbing of Captain with Ansari, said Mann. Training his guns against the former Chief Minister, Mann said that before feigning ignorance over the issue of gangster Ansari, the BJP leader must enquire about him from his son Raninder Singh. Raninder had met Ansari time and again but it is surprising that Captain is speaking lies on the issue to mislead the people. Ansari was brought from Uttar Pradesh in Punjab for VVIP treatment in JailWhen the UP Police approached the Supreme Court for getting the gangsters custody, Punjab Government hired advocates on exorbitant rates to shield him, he said. Mann also added that the recovery of this Rs 55 lakh will surely be done from Capt Amarinder and former Deputy Chief Minister Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa. On Captains claim that he had been CM of state for 9.5 years, Mann reminded him that the total distance which was covered by former Chief Minister in this period has been covered by him merely in 1.5 years as the Chief Minister. Captain and I were MPs together in Lok Sabha and it is on record that Captains attendance was merely six per cent which was lowest in India as compared to his which was 90 per cent, he added. Dubbing Capt Amarinder as an epicurean monarch who always remained away from the people without bothering about duty bestowed to him by the people, Mann said that the BJP leader failed to perform his duty as MLA, MP, and even as the Chief Minister. When elected as MP, Captain never attended the Parliament, as MLA he never came to Vidhan Sabha, and as CM he never went to Secretariat, he said, adding that this shows how incompetent and inaccessible leader he was. Manns revelations came when his decision to recover the lawyers fee in Ansaris matter from former Chief Minister Capt Amarinder and the then jails Minister Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa has snowballed into a major controversy. Randhawa, the senior Congress leader and former Deputy Chief Minister, had a day before announced to file a defamation case against the Chief Minister Mann for allegedly indulging in his character assassination by accusing him of extending largesse to Ansari. He had also challenged the Chief Minister to issue a recovery notice to him with regard to the Ansari matter. By the evening, Punjab Government had issued notices of recovery to Capt Amarinder and Randhawa for recovery of Rs 17.60 lakh as fee of lawyer in Mukhtar Ansari case. The move came after the Chief Minister Mann took to Twitter to share a letter signed by him for putting up the file for recovery of the expenditure incurred on the lawyer hired to ensure Ansari remained in Punjab jail equally from Capt Amarinder and Randhawa. Mann, in the letter, stated that engaging senior advocate Dushyant Dave for defending the case of Ansari was not required as no public interest or interest of the state of Punjab was involved in the case. The letter said that expenditure incurred on the lawyer (Dave) may be recovered equally from former Jail Minister Randhawa and former CM Captain as they proposed and approved to engage Dave as an advocate in this case. Randhawa, later on Monday evening, shared the Punjab Governments notice addressed to Randhawa as well as Capt Amarinder on Twitter, which says that Ansari succeeded to get a concocted FIR registered in January 2019 under Indian Penal Code (IPC) section 386 and 506 for demanding extortion through threats and criminal intimidation respectively. He was then brought to Punjab on production warrant and lodged in Ropar jail on January 24, 2019, where he was till April 6, 2021. The notice added that UP Government moved the Supreme Court to seek Ansaris transfer. Both of you engaged a senior advocate to oppose the transfer of Mukthar Ansari even though no public interest or the interest of the state of Punjab was involved. Now, the said senior advocate has raised bills amounting to Rs 55 lakh in this regard and an amount of Rs 17.60 lakh has become payable to him, said the notice. It is felt that the amount liable to be paid to the said senior advocate should be recovered equally from both of you as you have proposed and approved respectively to engage him as an advocate for this case. You are asked to show cause within 15 days, as to why the amount mentioned should not be recovered from you, read the notice. Notably, the Chief Minister on Sunday had declared that he would recover the amount of Rs 55 lakh spent on Ansaris cozy stay in the Rupnagar jail during the previous Congress Government in the state from former Chief Minister Capt Amarinder and then Jail Minister Randhawa. Mann had said that in case the two did not give the money, their pension and other benefits will be stopped. Responding to the allegations, Randhawa addressed the media in the morning slamming Mann for accusing him of extending largesse to gangster-turned-politician Mukhtar Ansari. He alleged that the Chief Minister has a habit of indulging in character assassination. I will file a defamation case. I will never tolerate humiliation, said the Congress leader. Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel on Tuesday held a high-level meeting ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modis visit to Chhattisgarh. On Friday, Modi will travel from Delhi to Raipur, where he will lay the foundation stone and dedicate multiple projects. Thereafter, he will attend a public meeting. The Chief Minister asked officials to ensure proper security, an official statement said. The meeting was attended by Chief Secretary Amitabh Jain, Additional Chief Secretary Subrat Sahoo, Director General of Police Ashok Juneja and others. Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan paid floral tributes to Swami Vivekananda on his death anniversary. CM Chouhan garlanded his portrait in the auditorium located at the residence office and paid homage. Swami Vivekananda was a renowned and influential spiritual teacher of Vedanta. Swami Vivekananda was born on 12 January 1863 in Kolkata. Swami Vivekananda's birthday is celebrated as National Youth Day in India. At the age of 25, Swamiji had imbibed all the ideologies of Vedas, Puranas, Bible, Quran, Dhammapada, Guru Granth Sahib, economics, political science, literature, music and philosophy. He represented Sanatan Dharma on behalf of India in the 1893 World Religion General Assembly in Chicago, USA. Even on the last day of his life, 4 July 1902, he did not change his meditation routine and took Mahasamadhi in the early morning meditation. Releasing a chargesheet on completion of two years in office of Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami, the Uttarakhand Congress has said that the State government has failed on all the fronts. Interacting with the media persons, the chief spokesperson of Uttarakhand Congress Garima Dasauni said that an effort is being made to project CM Dhami as the most popular CM of the country but the ground reality is different. She said that the State witnessed things which were unprecedented in its history during the last two years. The State witnessed a crime like Ankita Bhandari murder case and the interests of the youth were sabotaged by a series of recruitment scams during the tenure of Dhami as CM. Similarly the youngsters demanding their rights were Lathi-charged in a most brutal manner for the first time in the State. Launching further attack Dasauni said that every second office bearer of the BJP is involved in corruption and the mining mafia is ruling the roost. She said that the State government has failed in reining the mining, liquor and land mafia in the State and the disaster such as Joshimath land subsidence is a result of failure of the government. She said that Uttarakhand is a State where a large number of youngsters join armed forces and their interests were affected by the Agniveer scheme. Dasauni said that Dhami didnt utter a single word about the ills of the scheme. She said that the crime against women is increasing and so are the atrocities on the ST and SCs in the State. The migration has increased and a large number of small and medium scale industrial units in the State have closed under Dhami rule, she said. The Congress leader said that an atmosphere of fear is being created in the State in the name of Love Jihad and land Jihad. Delhi Public School Ranchi hosted Principals' Meet and Felicitation Programme for more than 90 Principals from various CBSE schools of Ranchi zone on Tuesday in its Vivekanand Auditorium. The occasion was graced by Arvind Kumar Mishra, Regional Officer, CBSE Patna Region as the Chief Guest and Dr Ram Singh, Principal, DPS Ranchi and CBSE City Coordinator, Ranchi Zone. The other eminent dignitaries present were the City Coordinators, Deputy City Coordinators and Centre Superintendents. Speaking on the occasion, Arvind Kumar Mishra, Regional Officer, CBSE Patna region appreciated the Principals for their dedication and perseverance. The latter also shared queries related to changes related to CBSE by laws, forthcoming examination activities, implementation of NEP 2020, implementation of Vocational Courses in schools, Skill based learning, CBSE training and workshop etc. which were answered enthusiastically by him. It is worth mentioning here that, the City Coordinators, Deputy City Coordinators, Centre Superintendents and Principals were felicitated by the Honourable Regional Officer as they played a vital role in the smooth conduction of Board Exams and for contributing immensely in the field of education by imparting quality education to young learners. Over a year after three-time MLA and one-time MP Sunil Kumar Jakhar left the Congress party after hinting that the non-acceptance of a Hindu face was the reason behind not making him the Punjab Chief Minister, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Tuesday officially declared him its state unit president. The strategic move comes at a time when the saffron party, going solo in Punjab for the first time in parliamentary polls, is strengthening its base in otherwise a Sikh-dominated State. It was under Jakhar's leadership that the Congress wrested control of the state from the SAD-BJP combine after 10 years in March 2017 assembly polls. He was also instrumental in the Congress winning eight out of 11 Lok Sabha seats in Punjab in 2019 polls defying the nationwide Modi wave. In 2017, Jakhar also won the Lok Sabha byelection from Gurdaspur a seat that has been BJPs pocket borough for the past 30 years, having been represented by the likes of Vinod Khanna and Sunny Deol. A former Congressman carrying the rich political legacy of his father Balram Jakhar the longest-serving Lok Sabha Speaker and a Union Minister in the Narasimha Rao Government, Jakhar had shifted his loyalties to the BJP in May 2022 nearly 26 years after he lost his first election from Ferozepur Lok Sabha segment in 1996. Just over 13 months in the party, the BJP top leadership has handed over the party reins in Punjab to Jakhar who not only has wide experience in handling the party affairs but also enjoys considerable presence among the masses, both rural and urban. BJP chief JP Nadda had also inducted Jakhar in his national executive committee in December last. Replacing senior BJP leader Ashwani Sharma as Punjab BJP chief, Jakhars appointment comes as a part of the saffron partys nationwide ongoing organizational restructuring that also saw the appointments of new party presidents in Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, and Jharkhand. With a senior Hindu-Jat leader like Jakhar who is politically well-connected, with a clean image, and enjoys support among all sections, BJP is confident of expanding its base in Punjab currently ruled by the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), with an eye on the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. His elevation as the state BJP chief may help the saffron party in not only wooing the Jat community, but also winning back the Hindu votes that has always been the BJPs vote bank but is believed to have drifted towards AAP in 2022 state assembly polls. Notably, the Hindus constitute a little over 38 per cent population in Punjab. Moreover, Jakhars claims of Congress having ignored him for the Chief Ministers post just because he was Hindu also matches with the BJPs Hindu party image. Punjab Congress former president, mincing no words ahead of 2022 polls, had even asserted that the denial of a post on the basis of religion in a democratic and secular setup is completely unfair. Though some tend to overlook it, the approach is completely unacceptable to him. BJP, which contested 65 seats in 2023 Punjab polls, could win just two seats with a vote share of a little over six percent. However, BJP is looking at the silver lining an increase in its vote share, its expansion in Punjab where it has all along been playing a second fiddle to SAD, and foraying into unexplored territories. In 2017, the party won three seats out of 23 it contested with a vote share of 5.3 percent, which, this time (in 2022), has increased to 6.6 percent witnessing an increase of 1.3 percent. Challenges Ahead Expanding the partys support base, especially in rural segments which were earlier taken care of by the Akali Dal, fortifying the party cadre and reaching out to them before taking the saffron partys agenda to the masses are among the lot of challenges waiting for Jakhar as he took over the party reins in Punjab. Appointment of a turncoat, who joined BJP just 13 months before, as Punjab unit president has led to a simmering discontentment among the partys core cadre. BJPs former MLA Arun Narang, who won Abohar assembly segment in 2017 assembly election defeating Jakharthen a Congress candidate, has resigned from all the party posts after Jakhars elevation, accusing the party high command of ignoring the partys leaders. Hours after being appointed as Punjab BJP president, Jakhar on Tuesday said that his party will play the role of opposition in the border state. the Punjab BJP chief designate, Jakhar will be meeting senior party leaders, including partys national president JP Nadda and BL Santosh, among others, on Wednesday. Ruling party in the State Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) on Tuesday held its Working Committee meeting in the State Capital led by the party Supremo, Shibu Soren. The party chalked out future strategy for upcoming by-poll for the Dumri State Assembly and upcoming Lok Sabha poll which is scheduled in April-May in next year. Apart for JMM Working president and Chief Minister, Hemant Soren, several MLAs and MPs attended the meeting. All the district presidents of the party were also present in the meeting. In the meeting of the working committee, they reviewed the functioning of completion of three and a half years of the tenure of the Hemant Government of the State. While talking to media persons JMM Lok Sabha MP, Vijay Hansada said that the party has faith in its performance and it will contest the upcoming Lok Sabha poll with existing alliance. In elections JMM contested against BJP and it is sure that with the performance of the Chief Minister, Hemant Soren led the State Government the people of the State will ensure victory for the grand alliance on all 14 seats of the State. At the same time Chief Minister, Hemant Soren will once again lead the State in the next State Assembly poll, he added. Replying to the number of seats on which JMM contest in Lok Sabha poll, Hansda said it will be decided by senior leaders of the party after the meeting of the senior party leaders. Party workers' demand will be put before central leadership. The Central Leaderships decision will be followed by all workers. It is a review meeting on work done in the past and the is assessing its decisions in the meeting. The Central Leadership gave a decision based on a review meeting for the future strategy, he added. The party MLA, Sarfaraj Ahmad said that Babulal Marandi becoming BJP State Chief is not a challenge for JMM Marandi is a challenge for BJP itself. Shibu Soren is the most trusted tribal face in the State; no other tribal leader can stand in front of him. It does not matter that BJP gave Marandi what post in the State we will delight when BJP announces him as Prime Minister Candidate, he added. Punjab School Education Minister Harjot Singh Bains on Tuesday appealed to the Union Minister of State for Education Annapurna to make Punjabs history which is replete with the stories of martyrs, gurus, saints, freedom fighters, and having a rich culture a part of the countrys school curriculum. Bains, during the online meeting of the 58th General Council of the National Education and Research Council of the Government of India, said that Punjabs history has a pivotal place in the history of India and it is very important to teach this to the students of the nation. He appealed to the central minister to make it a part of the national curriculum. During the meeting, Bains also raised an important issue about the setting up of a regional education institute for the state of Punjab. The National Council of Education and Research had given its approval in 2017 for the establishment of a regional education institute for the state. Acting on this, the Punjab Government had identified the required land in Rupnagar district to build a campus of the institute, he said. Bains said that the identified land was close to Chandigarh Airport and also connected with good road access, but Punjab Government's proposal for the land was rejected by the National Council of Education and Research on technical grounds and the matter was subsequently closed. Emphasizing the need to establish a regional education institution in the state of Punjab, Bains said that there is no national level institution for school education and training of school teachers in the state, so it is necessary to establish this institution in the State. He assured the Union Minister of State for Education that the Punjab Government is committed to providing suitable land for this institute with easy access to the airport and good road connectivity. At the same time, the Minister also raised the issue of royalty charged by the National Education and Research Council in the name of copyright of books and demanded that it should be waived so that the Punjab School Education Board can use it to improve school education in the state. Taking a swipe at the opposition parties, Suheldev Bhartiya Samaj Party (SBSP) president Om Prakash Rajbhhar, a former ally of the Samajwadi Party and the Bharatiya Janata Party, said the efforts of unity for taking on the BJP are meaningless without having Bahujan Samaj Party chief Mayawati on board. Rajbhar, a former UP minister, claimed that the BSP supremo would emerge as the key factor in the state in the next Lok Sabha elections and that he was ready to join hands with her to counter the BJP in Uttar Pradesh. Mayawati, who has been the UP CM four times, is an able administrator and her party has a wide support base across many states. She is a big face of the countrys opposition politics, and a united opposition should project her as its prime ministerial candidate. Unless Mayawati is made the prominent face of the united opposition, it will be a meaningless exercise in UP, as West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and former Bihar CM Lalu Prasad Yadav have no following in the state, Rajbhar said here on Tuesday. He said that the BSP has a strong support base in 13 states. He added that besides BSP, the Rashtriya Lok Dal, headed by Jayant Chaudhary, has a base in western Uttar Pradesh while SBSP has a strong following in eastern UP. Rajbhar also claimed that a Maharashtra-like shake-up was on the cards in Uttar Pradesh. He said that several Samajwadi Party leaders were likely to join the Yogi Adityanath cabinet in its next expansion. Several senior SP leaders, who are upset with Akhilesh Yadav, are likely to join the BJP government...we may see them take oath as ministers, said the SBSP chief, whose party had contested the 2017 UP assembly elections in alliance with the BJP and wielded influence over the Rajbhar community (OBC) which are in sizable numbers in around half-a-dozen districts in the eastern UP region. The SBSP chief, however, did not reveal the names of the SP leaders and MLAs, who, according to him, could join the UP government. A Pakistani woman, Seema Ghulam Haider, who has been arrested for illegally entering India in May and staying in Greater Noida without valid documents was on Tuesday sent to 14-days judicial custody by a local court, which also ordered her four children to stay with the mother in the jail, police said. The woman's Indian partner Sachin Meena, who lives in Greater Noida and sheltered her, and his father Netrapal Meena, who knew of the whole episode, have also been remanded in custody. Central agencies, including the Bureau of Immigration, and the Uttar Pradesh Anti-Terrorist Squad have been informed. A senior officer said the woman arrived in India on May 13 with her four children without valid documents to stay with a Greater Noida man, whom she had befriended through online game PUBG in 2019. Over the course of the time, the duo played online games together and chatted over text and phone calls on Whatsapp and Instagram. Deputy Commissioner of Police (Greater Noida) Saad Miya Khan told reporters, The Pakistani woman's four children aged seven and below will be produced in court here and further action would be taken on its direction." An FIR in the case has been lodged at the local Rabupura police station under provisions of the Foreigners Act, the Passport (Entry into India) Act and Indian Penal Code sections 120B (party to criminal conspiracy) and 34 (act done by several people with common intention), he said. Seema left Pakistan in May for Nepal where she arrived on a tourist visa with her children. She stayed there in Pokhara city and took a bus to Delhi via Kathmandu after which she reached Greater Noida. In a big relief to the former Congress president, the Jharkhand High Court on Tuesday ordered that no coercive action should be taken against Congress leader Rahul Gandhi in a defamation case filed against him over a Modi surname remark he made in the run-up to the 2019 Lok Sabha elections. The next hearing will be held on August 16. Advocate Pradeep Modi, who practices in Ranchi, had taken exception to the Gandhi scion's remark against Modi community and filed a Rs 20 crore defamation case against him. The Jharkhand High Court today gave relief to senior Congress leader Rahul Gandhi by allowing his petition challenging the Ranchi MP-MLA court order that had directed him to appear in person in the court in a defamation case. The court not only exempted Gandhi from personal appearance but also gave direction for no coercion against him. A Bench of Justice SK Dwivedi issued an order stating that no coercive action should be taken against Gandhi till August 16, when the Court will take up the matter next. During a political campaign in Kolar, Karnataka in 2019, Gandhi linked Prime Minister Narendra Modi with fugitives like Nirav Modi and Lalit Modi. He had said in a speech, "Nirav Modi, Lalit Modi, Narendra Modi. How come all the thieves have 'Modi' as a common surname?" Consequently, Advocate Pradeep Modi, who practices in the Ranchi civil court, filed defamation case against Gandhi. The Congress leader was earlier directed by the MP/MLA Court in Ranchi to appear in person. In July last year, the High Court had refused to quash criminal defamation proceedings against Gandhi in the case. In March this year a Surat court had convicted Gandhi and sentenced him to two years' imprisonment for the same remark. In an effort to reduce the number of road accidents and raise public awareness of traffic rules, the Uttar Pradesh government will run a Road Safety Fortnight from July 17 to 31. A meeting of the District Road Safety Committee will also be organised as part of this initiative. In this regard, a district road safety action plan will be prepared and sent to the transport commissioner by the end of the fortnight. Additionally, a 15-day action plan has also been prepared. During the fortnight, government employees, who arrive at their offices without helmets for the first time would be warned and in case of repeat offence, they would be marked absent. The campaign will see coordination among different departments, including, Transport, Home, Public Works, and Medical & Education. There has been a 5.5% increase in road accidents and 4.2% rise in the number of deaths as compared to last year. Maximum victims are two-wheeler riders. Concerned about it, the government is paying special attention to raise awareness among people, a government spokesman said here on Tuesday. According to the proposed programme, public representatives like MPs, and MLAs will inaugurate the ceremonies in presence of officers from the respective departments. The office bearers of buses, trucks, auto unions, and NGOs related to transport will be summoned and their opinions will be solicited. Many events will be organised during the Road Safety Fortnight. With the assistance of Save Life Foundation, drivers will receive training in safe driving and first responder skills in all 75 districts. A workshop related to basic and advanced life support will be organised for medical and paramedical students by the department of surgery and orthopedics of the Medical College on behalf of the Medical Education department. Traffic police personnel doing excellent work will be felicitated, the spokesman said. A Mumbai court on Tuesday granted anticipatory bail to Shiv Sena (UBT) leader and former Maharashtra minister Anil Parab in a case related to alleged assault on a civic engineer last month. Parab, an aide of Shiv Sena (UBT) president Uddhav Thackeray, and six other accused had sought anticipatory bail from the court fearing arrest in the case. Special judge R N Rokade allowed their anticipatory bail application. The accused, in their plea filed through advocate Rahul Arote, claimed the Opposition Shiv Sena (UBT) is being targeted by a rival outfit to gain political mileage in Maharashtra. "The applicants state that with the help of some political leaders and in collusion with government officials, party workers are being implicated in false and frivolous cases," the plea said. Four persons have already been arrested by the police in the case and they are currently in jail under judicial custody. The police have shown Parab and six others as wanted accused in the case and hence there is apprehension of their arrest, the application said. The police had last week registered an FIR (first information report) against Parab and others for allegedly assaulting and threatening an engineer of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC). According to the police, the former minister along with other Shiv Sena (UBT) activists took out a morcha in the BMC H-East ward expressing anguish over the demolition of a party office in suburban Bandra last month by the civic body. A delegation led by Parab later met H-East ward officer Swapna Kshirsagar. The delegation members asked Kshirsagar to call before them officials who had demolished the party office, as per the FIR. When some civic staffers came forward, Shiv Sena (UBT) members allegedly assaulted assistant engineer Ajay Patil (42) and also threatened him with dire consequences, it said. They were subsequently booked under Indian Penal Code (IPC) sections 353 (assault or criminal force to deter public servant from discharge of duty) and 506-2 (criminal intimidation). Delhi LG V K Saxena and National Green Tribunal Chairperson Justice (retd) Adarsh Kumar Goel took a ride on a Navy boat on Tuesday, inspecting a stretch of the Yamuna river between ISBT and ITO Bridge, according to a statement from Raj Niwas. The navigability of the stretch was ascertained last month with the boat provided by the Indian Navy at the lieutenant governor's request, it said. The Delhi L-G is chairman of a high-level committee formed by the NGT for the rejuvenation of the heavily polluted Yamuna river. "Work on the restoration of the floodplains from Wazirabad barrage to ITO barrage that was started in February this year is complete. Cleaning operations on the stretch between ITO barrage and Okhla are underway," Saxena said. He stressed that efforts to rejuvenate were slowly starting to show encouraging results. The L-G pointed out that efforts were being made to clean the Najafgarh drain through desilting and trapping of other drains. The Najafgarh drain accounts for about 68 per cent of the pollutants that flow into the Yamuna river and its cleaning will make a remarkable difference, Saxena added. Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Tuesday said the pace of the country's development increased in the last nine years as Prime Minister Narendra Modi engaged cooperatives, corporates, NGOs and individuals to participate in the process. Shah was virtually addressing a gathering during the laying of foundation stone for a Sainik School to come up in Mehsana in north Gujarat under the public-private partnership (PPP) mode. The Sainik School, coming up at Boriyavi village in Mehsana district, is part of the Centre's initiative to set up 100 such schools under the PPP mode. Shah said PM Modi gave a call to set up 100 Sainik Schools in partnership model, and the Motibhai Chaudhary Sagar Sainik School being set up in Mehsana under the PPP model will be the 20th such school to provide students a simple and easy path to enter the armed forces. The pace of development during the past governments was slow, he said. "In nine years of his rule, Prime Minister Narendra Modi not just worked for the security and development of the country and make it earn pride in the world, but also to engage a large number of cooperatives, corporates, NGOs and individuals to join the process of development which helped the country develop at a fast pace," Shah said. As part of the same process, Modi made an appeal to set up 100 new Sainik Schools under the PPP model, he said. Shah said the Sainik School will prepare students to serve Mother India through their hard work. The new school will help students learn about security, patriotism and bravery, he added. The Union minister congratulated Dudhsagar Dairy milk cooperative, its chairman Ashok Chaudhary and the entire board for coming forward the set up the new school. Shah also said PM Modi took several initiatives to remove water scarcity in north Gujarat which faced an acute crisis due to depletion in the groundwater level. The region had turned into a dark zone and people feared it would turn into a desert like Kutch, he said. As the then chief minister of Gujarat, Modi took several initiatives to bring the Narmada and Mahisagar river water to north Gujarat which helped increase the groundwater level, he said. Apart from farming, it also helped in milk production in the region, he added. Shah also praised former MLA Motibhai Chaudhary -- after whom the upcoming school is named -- for his contribution to strengthen cooperative milk production in north Gujarat districts. He said that Dudhsagar Dairy passed on benefits worth Rs 375-crore to cattle farmers by raising the procurement price of buffalo milk, taking initiatives for the production of honey and organic farming, and taking care of the health of cattle. India's consulate in San Francisco came under an attack from Khalistan supporters who tried to set the diplomatic facility on fire in the second such act of violence within months, drawing strong condemnation from the US government which termed it a "criminal offence". A video by Khalistan supporters, dated July 2 posted on Twitter, showed the act of arson at the Indian Consulate in San Francisco. The video, with the words violence begets violence emblazoned over it, also showed news articles related to the death of Canada-based Khalistan Tiger Force (KTF) chief Hardeep Singh Nijjar. Nijjar, one of India's most-wanted terrorists who carried a cash reward of Rs 10 lakh on his head, was shot dead outside a gurdwara in Canada last month. Responding to the incident, State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller in a tweet on Monday said: The US strongly condemns the reported vandalism and attempted arson against the Indian Consulate in San Francisco on Saturday. Vandalism or violence against diplomatic facilities or foreign diplomats in the US is a criminal offence. Diya TV, a South Asian broadcast TV network in the US, said in a tweet that a fire was set early Sunday morning between 1:30-2:30 am in the San Francisco Indian Consulate." "The fire was suppressed quickly by the San Francisco Department, the damage was limited and no staffers were harmed. Local, state and federal authorities have been notified, it said. The outlet also posted a video of the arson attack. A poster being shared on social media says that a "Khalistan Freedom Rally" will be organised on July 8 that will start in Berkeley, California and end at the Indian embassy in San Francisco. This is the second time within months that the Indian Consulate in San Francisco came under attack from Khalistani supporters. On March 19, a group of pro-Khalistan protesters attacked and damaged the Indian Consulate in San Francisco. Raising pro-Khalistan slogans, the protesters broke open the makeshift security barriers raised by the city police and installed two so-called Khalistani flags inside the Consulate premises. Two consulate personnel soon removed these flags. Ajay Bhutoria, an Indian community leader, said the attack on India's consulate in San Francisco is extremely concerning and must be condemned in the strongest possible terms. "It is deeply disturbing to see such acts of violence targeting diplomatic missions," he said. "The Indian consulate serves as an essential hub for providing consular services and fostering bilateral relations between India and the United States. It is crucial that the staff and members of the consulate are able to operate in a safe and secure environment, free from any threat or harm," he added. Bhutoria asked the San Francisco Police Department to swiftly investigate the incident and bring the perpetrators to justice. "Ensuring the safety and security of diplomatic missions is not only a responsibility of the host country but also a fundamental obligation under international law," he said. It is imperative that such incidents are met with a strong response from the authorities to deter any further attacks and ensure the safety of diplomatic personnel, he said. "Let us stand united against violence and work towards promoting peace, understanding, and harmonious relations," Bhutoria said. External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Monday said India has asked its partner countries such as Canada, the UK and the US not to give space to "extremist Khalistani ideology" as it is "not good" for relations. He was responding to reports of Khalistani posters in Canada naming senior Indian diplomats. The minister said the issue will be raised with the government of that country. The "radical, extremist Khalistani ideology" is not good for India or its partner countries such as the US, Canada, the UK and Australia, he told reporters on the sidelines of a BJP outreach campaign. "We have already requested our partner countries like Canada, the US, the UK and Australia where sometimes Khalistani activities happen, not to give space to Khalistanis. Because their (Khalistanis) radical, extremist thinking is neither good for us nor for them nor our relations," the minister said. "We will raise the issue of posters with those governments," Jaishankar said. Mullen Group (OTCMKTS:MLLGF Free Report) and Yamato (OTCMKTS:YATRY Free Report) are both industrials companies, but which is the superior business? We will contrast the two companies based on the strength of their risk, dividends, profitability, valuation, institutional ownership, earnings and analyst recommendations. Dividends Mullen Group pays an annual dividend of $1.20 per share and has a dividend yield of 11.5%. Yamato pays an annual dividend of $12.06 per share and has a dividend yield of 65.7%. Mullen Group pays out 120.5% of its earnings in the form of a dividend, suggesting it may not have sufficient earnings to cover its dividend payment in the future. Yamato pays out 14.7% of its earnings in the form of a dividend. Yamato is clearly the better dividend stock, given its higher yield and lower payout ratio. Get Mullen Group alerts: Profitability This table compares Mullen Group and Yamatos net margins, return on equity and return on assets. Net Margins Return on Equity Return on Assets Mullen Group N/A N/A N/A Yamato N/A N/A N/A Earnings & Valuation Gross Revenue Price/Sales Ratio Net Income Earnings Per Share Price/Earnings Ratio Mullen Group N/A N/A N/A $1.00 10.47 Yamato N/A N/A N/A $82.14 0.22 This table compares Mullen Group and Yamatos revenue, earnings per share and valuation. Yamato is trading at a lower price-to-earnings ratio than Mullen Group, indicating that it is currently the more affordable of the two stocks. Institutional and Insider Ownership 55.0% of Mullen Group shares are held by institutional investors. Comparatively, 0.0% of Yamato shares are held by institutional investors. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that hedge funds, large money managers and endowments believe a company is poised for long-term growth. Analyst Ratings This is a summary of recent ratings and recommmendations for Mullen Group and Yamato, as provided by MarketBeat. Sell Ratings Hold Ratings Buy Ratings Strong Buy Ratings Rating Score Mullen Group 0 3 1 1 2.60 Yamato 0 0 0 0 N/A Mullen Group presently has a consensus price target of $17.07, indicating a potential upside of 63.83%. Given Mullen Groups higher probable upside, equities analysts plainly believe Mullen Group is more favorable than Yamato. Summary Mullen Group beats Yamato on 5 of the 8 factors compared between the two stocks. About Mullen Group (Free Report) Mullen Group Ltd. provides a range of trucking and logistics services in Canada and the United States. The Less-Than-Truckload segment delivers general freight consisting of smaller shipments, packages, and parcels; and pharmaceutical and package products. The Logistics & Warehousing segment offers full truckload, specialized transportation, warehousing, and fulfillment centers that handle ecommerce transactions and transload facilities for intermodal and bulk shipments; technology solutions, including transportation management, inventory management, and warehouse management systems; and warehousing and distribution services. The Specialized & Industrial Services segment provides production services, well servicing, production fluid transportation, transportation of fluids for disposal, frac support, hydrovac excavation, and industrial cleaning and turnaround services; and specialized services comprising dredging and dewatering services, large diameter pipe stockpiling and stringing services, water management, environmental services, civil construction, municipal development and emergency services, hydrostatic testing services to the pipeline industry and midstream sector, and transporting of oversize and overweight shipments, as well as deals in original equipment manufacturer parts and services. This segment also offers drilling and drilling related services, consisting of transportation, handling, and storage of oilfield fluids, tubulars, and drilling mud; drilling rig relocation; general oilfield hauling; well disposal facility; core drilling; setting surface casing; and conductor pipe setting services. The U.S. & International Logistics segment provides logistics services through professional representatives and station agents. This segment also owns SilverExpress, a proprietary integrated transportation management platform. The company was founded in 1949 and is headquartered in Okotoks, Canada. About Yamato (Free Report) Yamato Holdings Co., Ltd. provides delivery, logistics, home convenience, e-business, financial, auto works, and other related services in Japan, North America, and internationally. The company's Delivery segment offers small parcel delivery services, such as door-to-door parcel delivery and posting services. Its BIZ-Logistics segment provides intercompany logistics services to B2B supply-chain management market. The company's Home Convenience segment offers lifestyle support services, including moving and household effects delivery services. Its e-Business segment provides information services comprising ASP services and information systems development for business markets. The company's Financial segment offers settlement and collection services to customers and business customers. Its Autoworks segment provides vehicle maintenance and fuel supply services for transport companies. The company was founded in 1919 and is headquartered in Tokyo, Japan. Receive News & Ratings for Mullen Group Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Mullen Group and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. StockNews.com started coverage on shares of Argo Group International (NYSE:ARGO Free Report) in a report released on Saturday morning. The firm issued a hold rating on the stock. Several other research analysts have also recently commented on ARGO. Compass Point cut shares of Argo Group International from a buy rating to a neutral rating and set a $30.00 price target for the company. in a report on Monday, March 13th. TheStreet upgraded shares of Argo Group International from a d+ rating to a c- rating in a report on Friday, May 26th. Get Argo Group International alerts: Argo Group International Stock Performance Shares of ARGO stock opened at $29.63 on Friday. The company has a quick ratio of 0.63, a current ratio of 0.63 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.37. The firm has a market capitalization of $1.04 billion, a PE ratio of -4.75 and a beta of 1.03. The company has a 50 day simple moving average of $29.45. Argo Group International has a fifty-two week low of $19.00 and a fifty-two week high of $36.85. Institutional Trading of Argo Group International Argo Group International ( NYSE:ARGO Free Report ) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Monday, May 8th. The company reported ($0.31) earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts consensus estimates of $0.80 by ($1.11). Argo Group International had a negative net margin of 9.98% and a positive return on equity of 0.06%. The business had revenue of $419.60 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $461.90 million. On average, research analysts forecast that Argo Group International will post 2.85 EPS for the current fiscal year. Institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Grace & White Inc. NY lifted its position in shares of Argo Group International by 1.0% during the 4th quarter. Grace & White Inc. NY now owns 309,506 shares of the companys stock worth $8,001,000 after buying an additional 3,000 shares during the last quarter. Zurcher Kantonalbank Zurich Cantonalbank lifted its position in shares of Argo Group International by 17.3% during the 4th quarter. Zurcher Kantonalbank Zurich Cantonalbank now owns 4,760 shares of the companys stock worth $123,000 after buying an additional 701 shares during the last quarter. Thompson Siegel & Walmsley LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Argo Group International during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $443,000. Cordatus Wealth Management LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Argo Group International during the 4th quarter worth approximately $792,000. Finally, Shell Asset Management Co. raised its position in Argo Group International by 894.7% in the 4th quarter. Shell Asset Management Co. now owns 23,186 shares of the companys stock valued at $599,000 after purchasing an additional 20,855 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 89.92% of the companys stock. About Argo Group International (Free Report) Argo Group International Holdings, Ltd. underwrites specialty insurance and reinsurance products in the property and casualty markets. The company operates in two segments, U.S. Operations and International Operations. It offers primary and excess specialty casualty, general liability, commercial multi-peril, and workers compensation, as well as product, environmental, and auto liability insurance products; management liability, transaction liability, and errors and omissions liability insurance; primary and excess property, inland marine, and auto physical damage insurance; and surety, animal mortality, and ocean marine insurance products. Read More Receive News & Ratings for Argo Group International Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Argo Group International and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Banco Santander (Brasil) S.A. (NYSE:BSBR Free Report) was the recipient of a significant decline in short interest in the month of June. As of June 15th, there was short interest totalling 1,560,000 shares, a decline of 35.5% from the May 31st total of 2,420,000 shares. Based on an average daily trading volume, of 754,300 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is currently 2.1 days. Analysts Set New Price Targets Separately, StockNews.com assumed coverage on Banco Santander (Brasil) in a research note on Thursday, May 18th. They set a hold rating on the stock. Three analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating and one has assigned a hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of Reduce and an average target price of $5.00. Get Banco Santander (Brasil) alerts: Institutional Investors Weigh In On Banco Santander (Brasil) Several institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of BSBR. Atlas Capital Advisors LLC bought a new position in Banco Santander (Brasil) during the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $26,000. Royal Bank of Canada boosted its stake in Banco Santander (Brasil) by 12,833.3% during the 3rd quarter. Royal Bank of Canada now owns 7,760 shares of the banks stock valued at $43,000 after purchasing an additional 7,700 shares during the last quarter. Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Holdings Inc. purchased a new position in shares of Banco Santander (Brasil) in the 4th quarter worth $64,000. AlphaQ Advisors LLC purchased a new position in shares of Banco Santander (Brasil) in the 4th quarter worth $64,000. Finally, Jump Financial LLC purchased a new position in shares of Banco Santander (Brasil) in the 1st quarter worth $65,000. 14.62% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors. Banco Santander (Brasil) Price Performance Banco Santander (Brasil) Cuts Dividend Shares of BSBR traded up $0.24 during midday trading on Monday, reaching $6.60. The stock had a trading volume of 725,738 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,218,280. The company has a market capitalization of $24.54 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 8.35, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.85 and a beta of 0.85. Banco Santander has a 12-month low of $4.76 and a 12-month high of $6.64. The companys 50-day moving average is $6.01 and its 200 day moving average is $5.61. The company has a current ratio of 0.21, a quick ratio of 0.21 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.18. The business also recently announced a dividend, which was paid on Monday, May 22nd. Investors of record on Wednesday, April 26th were issued a dividend of $0.0816 per share. This represents a yield of 4.7%. The ex-dividend date was Tuesday, April 25th. Banco Santander (Brasil)s dividend payout ratio is presently 30.38%. Banco Santander (Brasil) Company Profile (Free Report) Banco Santander (Brasil) SA, together with its subsidiaries, provides various banking products and services to individuals, small and medium enterprises, and corporate customers in Brazil and internationally. The company operates through, Commercial Banking and Global Wholesale Banking segments. It offers deposits and other bank funding instruments; debit and credit cards; digital prepaid solutions; payment platform; loyalty programs; employee benefit vouchers; payroll loans; digital lending and online debt renegotiation platform; mortgages; home equity financing products; consumer credit; and local loans, commercial and trade finance, guarantees, structured loans, and cash management and funding solutions, as well as on-lending transfer services. Featured Stories Receive News & Ratings for Banco Santander (Brasil) Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Banco Santander (Brasil) and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Weave Communications (NYSE:WEAV Free Report) had its price objective hoisted by Bank of America from $7.50 to $14.00 in a research report sent to investors on Friday, The Fly reports. A number of other research analysts also recently issued reports on the stock. Raymond James upgraded shares of Weave Communications from a market perform rating to an outperform rating and set a $6.00 target price on the stock in a research report on Thursday, May 4th. Loop Capital upgraded shares of Weave Communications from a hold rating to a buy rating and increased their price target for the company from $5.00 to $13.00 in a research report on Monday, June 26th. Get Weave Communications alerts: Weave Communications Stock Up 2.4 % WEAV opened at $11.38 on Friday. The firms 50-day simple moving average is $7.39 and its 200-day simple moving average is $5.79. The firm has a market cap of $759.27 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of -16.98 and a beta of 2.03. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.20, a quick ratio of 2.05 and a current ratio of 2.05. Weave Communications has a twelve month low of $3.06 and a twelve month high of $11.66. Insider Buying and Selling Weave Communications ( NYSE:WEAV Free Report ) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, May 3rd. The company reported ($0.12) earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of ($0.15) by $0.03. The business had revenue of $39.57 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $37.71 million. Weave Communications had a negative net margin of 29.49% and a negative return on equity of 51.25%. Equities research analysts anticipate that Weave Communications will post -0.54 EPS for the current fiscal year. In other news, CRO Matthew C. Hyde sold 5,353 shares of Weave Communications stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, May 5th. The shares were sold at an average price of $5.30, for a total value of $28,370.90. Following the sale, the executive now directly owns 601,873 shares in the company, valued at $3,189,926.90. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. 41.86% of the stock is owned by company insiders. Institutional Trading of Weave Communications A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the business. Prelude Capital Management LLC acquired a new position in Weave Communications during the first quarter worth $78,000. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised its stake in Weave Communications by 36.7% during the first quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 24,192 shares of the companys stock worth $120,000 after acquiring an additional 6,501 shares in the last quarter. Jane Street Group LLC acquired a new position in Weave Communications during the first quarter worth about $207,000. State Street Corp raised its stake in Weave Communications by 8.8% during the first quarter. State Street Corp now owns 687,011 shares of the companys stock worth $3,414,000 after acquiring an additional 55,580 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Squarepoint Ops LLC acquired a new position in shares of Weave Communications in the first quarter valued at approximately $116,000. 53.73% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds. About Weave Communications (Free Report) Weave Communications, Inc provides a customer communications and engagement software platform in the United States and Canada. Its platform enables small and medium-sized businesses to maximize the value of their customer interactions and minimize the time and effort spent on manual or mundane tasks. Further Reading Receive News & Ratings for Weave Communications Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Weave Communications and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. B&M European Value Retail (OTCMKTS:BMRRY Free Report) had its target price increased by Barclays from GBX 565 ($7.17) to GBX 620 ($7.87) in a research note released on Friday morning, The Fly reports. Other research analysts also recently issued research reports about the company. Stifel Nicolaus raised B&M European Value Retail from a hold rating to a buy rating in a report on Friday, June 9th. Royal Bank of Canada raised B&M European Value Retail from a sector perform rating to an outperform rating in a research note on Monday, March 6th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating and four have given a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus target price of $615.00. Get B&M European Value Retail alerts: B&M European Value Retail Trading Down 0.6 % BMRRY stock opened at $27.78 on Friday. B&M European Value Retail has a 1-year low of $12.74 and a 1-year high of $29.85. The businesss 50 day moving average is $25.79 and its 200-day moving average is $23.72. B&M European Value Retail Cuts Dividend About B&M European Value Retail The firm also recently disclosed a dividend, which will be paid on Friday, August 18th. Investors of record on Friday, June 30th will be paid a $0.2979 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, June 29th. This represents a dividend yield of 4.3%. (Free Report) B&M European Value Retail SA operates general merchandise and grocery stores. The company operates a chain of stores under the B&M, Heron Foods, and B&M Express in the United Kingdom; and stores under the B&M brand in France. It also provides property management services. The company was founded in 1978 and is based in Luxembourg, Luxembourg. Featured Articles Receive News & Ratings for B&M European Value Retail Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for B&M European Value Retail and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. China Resources Beer (Holdings) Company Limited (OTCMKTS:CRHKY Free Report) shares were up 3.8% during mid-day trading on Monday . The company traded as high as $13.30 and last traded at $13.23. Approximately 2,141 shares changed hands during mid-day trading, a decline of 71% from the average daily volume of 7,385 shares. The stock had previously closed at $12.74. China Resources Beer Price Performance The stocks fifty day moving average is $13.66 and its 200-day moving average is $14.67. Get China Resources Beer alerts: China Resources Beer Increases Dividend The company also recently disclosed a dividend, which will be paid on Monday, July 17th. Investors of record on Tuesday, May 23rd will be issued a $0.0772 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Monday, May 22nd. This represents a dividend yield of 1.59%. This is a positive change from China Resources Beers previous dividend of $0.06. About China Resources Beer China Resources Beer (Holdings) Company Limited, an investment holding company, manufactures, distributes, and sells beer products in Mainland China. The company offers its products under the Nong Li, Li, Lowen Fruit Beer, and Snow Draft Pure Malt Beer, Snow Xiao Pi Qi brands. The company was formerly known as China Resources Enterprise, Limited and changed its name to China Resources Beer (Holdings) Company Limited in October 2015. See Also Receive News & Ratings for China Resources Beer Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for China Resources Beer and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. StockNews.com initiated coverage on shares of Diebold Nixdorf (NYSE:DBD Free Report) in a research report sent to investors on Saturday. The brokerage issued a sell rating on the technology companys stock. Separately, Wedbush downgraded shares of Diebold Nixdorf from an outperform rating to a neutral rating in a research note on Thursday, May 4th. Get Diebold Nixdorf alerts: Diebold Nixdorf Price Performance Shares of NYSE DBD opened at $0.05 on Friday. Diebold Nixdorf has a twelve month low of $0.24 and a twelve month high of $5.27. The firm has a fifty day simple moving average of $0.27 and a 200 day simple moving average of $1.32. The company has a market capitalization of $4.22 million, a PE ratio of -0.01 and a beta of 2.91. Institutional Investors Weigh In On Diebold Nixdorf About Diebold Nixdorf A number of large investors have recently bought and sold shares of DBD. Swiss National Bank grew its holdings in Diebold Nixdorf by 8.2% in the first quarter. Swiss National Bank now owns 176,059 shares of the technology companys stock worth $1,185,000 after purchasing an additional 13,400 shares during the period. JPMorgan Chase & Co. grew its holdings in shares of Diebold Nixdorf by 11.4% during the first quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 62,934 shares of the technology companys stock valued at $423,000 after buying an additional 6,422 shares during the last quarter. Raymond James & Associates acquired a new position in shares of Diebold Nixdorf during the first quarter valued at about $103,000. Cambridge Investment Research Advisors Inc. grew its holdings in shares of Diebold Nixdorf by 25.4% during the first quarter. Cambridge Investment Research Advisors Inc. now owns 44,100 shares of the technology companys stock valued at $297,000 after buying an additional 8,938 shares during the last quarter. Finally, MetLife Investment Management LLC grew its holdings in shares of Diebold Nixdorf by 14.9% during the first quarter. MetLife Investment Management LLC now owns 28,775 shares of the technology companys stock valued at $194,000 after buying an additional 3,730 shares during the last quarter. 74.46% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds. (Free Report) Diebold Nixdorf, Incorporated engages in the automating, digitizing, and transforming the way people bank and shop worldwide. It operates through two segments, Banking and Retail. The company offers cash recyclers and dispensers, intelligent deposit terminals, teller automation tools, and kiosk technologies, as well as physical security solutions; and front-end applications for consumer connection points and back-end platforms that manage channel transactions, operations and integration, and facilitate omnichannel transactions, endpoint monitoring, remote asset management, customer marketing, merchandise management, and analytics. Recommended Stories Receive News & Ratings for Diebold Nixdorf Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Diebold Nixdorf and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Elanco Animal Health Incorporated (NYSE:ELAN Free Report) was the recipient of a large drop in short interest during the month of June. As of June 15th, there was short interest totalling 5,320,000 shares, a drop of 40.2% from the May 31st total of 8,900,000 shares. Based on an average daily trading volume, of 7,610,000 shares, the short-interest ratio is currently 0.7 days. Institutional Inflows and Outflows Several institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in ELAN. BI Asset Management Fondsmaeglerselskab A S increased its stake in shares of Elanco Animal Health by 311.2% during the 1st quarter. BI Asset Management Fondsmaeglerselskab A S now owns 3,191 shares of the companys stock valued at $30,000 after acquiring an additional 2,415 shares during the last quarter. Quadrant Capital Group LLC increased its stake in shares of Elanco Animal Health by 281.7% during the 4th quarter. Quadrant Capital Group LLC now owns 2,706 shares of the companys stock valued at $33,000 after acquiring an additional 1,997 shares during the last quarter. Cary Street Partners Investment Advisory LLC increased its stake in shares of Elanco Animal Health by 257.2% during the 3rd quarter. Cary Street Partners Investment Advisory LLC now owns 2,854 shares of the companys stock valued at $35,000 after acquiring an additional 2,055 shares during the last quarter. Ellevest Inc. increased its position in Elanco Animal Health by 38.0% during the 1st quarter. Ellevest Inc. now owns 4,406 shares of the companys stock worth $41,000 after purchasing an additional 1,213 shares in the last quarter. Finally, UMB Bank n.a. increased its position in Elanco Animal Health by 26.9% during the 4th quarter. UMB Bank n.a. now owns 3,747 shares of the companys stock worth $46,000 after purchasing an additional 795 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 94.81% of the companys stock. Get Elanco Animal Health alerts: Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades Separately, Barclays upgraded shares of Elanco Animal Health from an equal weight rating to an overweight rating and set a $14.00 target price on the stock in a research report on Thursday, April 20th. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, four have given a hold rating and one has assigned a buy rating to the companys stock. According to MarketBeat, Elanco Animal Health presently has an average rating of Hold and an average price target of $15.40. Elanco Animal Health Price Performance Shares of Elanco Animal Health stock traded down $0.01 on Monday, hitting $10.05. The companys stock had a trading volume of 2,310,965 shares, compared to its average volume of 7,491,869. Elanco Animal Health has a 52-week low of $7.88 and a 52-week high of $20.97. The company has a quick ratio of 1.24, a current ratio of 2.25 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.75. The firm has a fifty day moving average price of $9.26 and a 200-day moving average price of $10.66. The company has a market capitalization of $4.95 billion, a P/E ratio of -251.19, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 7.12 and a beta of 0.99. Elanco Animal Health (NYSE:ELAN Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Tuesday, May 9th. The company reported $0.45 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.29 by $0.16. Elanco Animal Health had a negative net margin of 0.49% and a positive return on equity of 8.21%. The firm had revenue of $1.26 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.18 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company posted $0.36 EPS. The firms revenue for the quarter was up 2.5% on a year-over-year basis. On average, equities research analysts expect that Elanco Animal Health will post 0.8 earnings per share for the current fiscal year. Elanco Animal Health Company Profile (Free Report) Elanco Animal Health Incorporated, an animal health company, innovates, develops, manufactures, and markets products for pets and farm animals. It offers pet health disease prevention products, such as parasiticide and vaccine products that protect pets from worms, fleas, and ticks under the Seresto, Advantage, Advantix, and Advocate brands; pet health therapeutics for pain, osteoarthritis, ear infections, cardiovascular, and dermatology indications in canines and felines under the Galliprant and Claro brands; vaccines, antibiotics, parasiticides, and other products for use in poultry and aquaculture production, as well as nutritional health products, including enzymes, probiotics, and prebiotics; and a range of vaccines, antibiotics, implants, parasiticides, and other products used in ruminant and swine production under the Rumensin and Baytril brands. See Also Receive News & Ratings for Elanco Animal Health Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Elanco Animal Health and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. JPMorgan Japan Small Cap Growth & Income plc (LON:JSGI Free Report) announced a dividend on Monday, July 3rd, Upcoming.Co.Uk reports. Investors of record on Thursday, July 13th will be given a dividend of GBX 3.50 ($0.04) per share on Friday, August 18th. This represents a yield of 1.11%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, July 13th. The official announcement can be accessed at this link. JPMorgan Japan Small Cap Growth & Income Trading Up 0.6 % Shares of JSGI stock traded up GBX 2 ($0.03) on Monday, hitting GBX 314 ($3.99). The company had a trading volume of 22,553 shares, compared to its average volume of 55,554. The stocks 50-day moving average is GBX 314.92 and its two-hundred day moving average is GBX 320.05. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 11.55, a quick ratio of 0.54 and a current ratio of 0.54. The firm has a market cap of 171.16 million, a P/E ratio of -153.69 and a beta of 0.58. JPMorgan Japan Small Cap Growth & Income has a twelve month low of GBX 303 ($3.85) and a twelve month high of GBX 353 ($4.48). Get JPMorgan Japan Small Cap Growth & Income alerts: About JPMorgan Japan Small Cap Growth & Income (Free Report) Featured Articles JPMorgan Japan Smaller Companies Trust plc is an open-ended equity mutual fund launched by JPMorgan Funds Limited. The fund is co-managed by JPMorgan Asset Management (UK) Limited and JPMorgan Asset Management (Japan) Limited. It invests in the public equity markets of Japan. The fund seeks to invest in stocks of companies operating across diversified sectors. Receive News & Ratings for JPMorgan Japan Small Cap Growth & Income Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for JPMorgan Japan Small Cap Growth & Income and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. StockNews.com downgraded shares of Rite Aid (NYSE:RAD Free Report) from a hold rating to a sell rating in a research note issued to investors on Friday. Separately, Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft cut their target price on Rite Aid from $3.00 to $1.00 in a report on Thursday, April 27th. Get Rite Aid alerts: Rite Aid Price Performance Shares of RAD stock opened at $1.49 on Friday. The businesss 50 day simple moving average is $1.88 and its 200 day simple moving average is $2.73. Rite Aid has a one year low of $1.48 and a one year high of $11.61. The stock has a market capitalization of $84.38 million, a PE ratio of -0.09 and a beta of 1.06. Hedge Funds Weigh In On Rite Aid Rite Aid ( NYSE:RAD Free Report ) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, June 29th. The company reported ($0.73) EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of ($1.50) by $0.77. The company had revenue of $5.65 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $5.32 billion. The businesss revenue was down 6.0% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company earned ($0.60) earnings per share. As a group, research analysts expect that Rite Aid will post -4.71 earnings per share for the current year. A number of large investors have recently modified their holdings of RAD. Point72 Hong Kong Ltd purchased a new stake in Rite Aid in the 2nd quarter valued at $28,000. Raymond James & Associates purchased a new stake in Rite Aid in the 1st quarter valued at $100,000. Bank of Montreal Can purchased a new stake in Rite Aid in the 4th quarter valued at $41,000. AXQ Capital LP purchased a new stake in Rite Aid in the 4th quarter valued at $43,000. Finally, Squarepoint Ops LLC purchased a new stake in Rite Aid in the 4th quarter valued at $45,000. 49.36% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors. About Rite Aid (Free Report) Rite Aid Corporation, through its subsidiaries, operates a chain of retail drugstores in the United States. The company operates through two segments, Retail Pharmacy and Pharmacy Services. The Retail Pharmacy segment sells prescription drugs and provides various other pharmacy services and an assortment of products comprising over-the-counter medications, health and beauty aids, personal care products, seasonal merchandise, cosmetics, household items, food and beverages, greeting cards, seasonal and seasonal merchandise, pet care, and a variety of other everyday and convenience products, as well as brand and generic prescription drugs; and a private brand product line. Featured Articles Receive News & Ratings for Rite Aid Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Rite Aid and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. StockNews.com initiated coverage on shares of WidePoint (NYSEAMERICAN:WYY Free Report) in a research note issued to investors on Friday. The brokerage issued a sell rating on the technology companys stock. WidePoint Stock Down 1.1 % WYY opened at $1.84 on Friday. The stock has a market cap of $16.07 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of -1.06 and a beta of 1.04. WidePoint has a 12-month low of $1.70 and a 12-month high of $3.06. The business has a 50 day moving average of $1.83 and a 200-day moving average of $1.93. Get WidePoint alerts: WidePoint (NYSEAMERICAN:WYY Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Monday, May 15th. The technology company reported ($0.11) earnings per share for the quarter. WidePoint had a positive return on equity of 2.98% and a negative net margin of 16.03%. The business had revenue of $25.27 million during the quarter. Hedge Funds Weigh In On WidePoint WidePoint Company Profile A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in WYY. Vanguard Group Inc. grew its holdings in shares of WidePoint by 9.6% in the third quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 390,757 shares of the technology companys stock worth $833,000 after purchasing an additional 34,072 shares during the last quarter. Koss Olinger Consulting LLC increased its stake in shares of WidePoint by 94.5% during the third quarter. Koss Olinger Consulting LLC now owns 68,171 shares of the technology companys stock valued at $145,000 after buying an additional 33,113 shares during the period. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP raised its holdings in WidePoint by 27.5% in the 4th quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 43,483 shares of the technology companys stock worth $79,000 after purchasing an additional 9,377 shares in the last quarter. Channel Wealth LLC purchased a new stake in shares of WidePoint in the 1st quarter worth about $40,000. Finally, Renaissance Technologies LLC purchased a new position in shares of WidePoint during the second quarter valued at about $37,000. Institutional investors own 11.85% of the companys stock. (Free Report) WidePoint Corporation provides technology management as a service (TMaaS) to the government and business enterprises in North America and Europe. The company offers TMaaS solutions through a secure federal government certified proprietary portal and secure enterprise portal that provides ability to manage, analyze, and protect communications assets, as well as deploy identity management solutions that provide secured virtual and physical access to restricted environments. See Also Receive News & Ratings for WidePoint Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for WidePoint and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Vodafone Group Public (LON:VOD Free Report) had its price objective trimmed by Berenberg Bank from GBX 95 ($1.21) to GBX 85 ($1.08) in a research note published on Friday morning, The Fly reports. A number of other analysts also recently issued reports on the stock. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft set a GBX 185 ($2.35) price target on shares of Vodafone Group Public in a report on Monday, March 27th. Citigroup reissued a neutral rating on shares of Vodafone Group Public in a report on Tuesday, May 30th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lowered their price target on shares of Vodafone Group Public from GBX 100 ($1.27) to GBX 95 ($1.21) in a report on Friday, May 12th. Finally, Barclays reissued an equal weight rating and set a GBX 115 ($1.46) price target on shares of Vodafone Group Public in a report on Thursday, June 8th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, four have assigned a hold rating and two have assigned a buy rating to the companys stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Vodafone Group Public currently has a consensus rating of Hold and an average price target of GBX 113.50 ($1.44). Get Vodafone Group Public alerts: Vodafone Group Public Stock Up 0.5 % VOD stock opened at GBX 74.32 ($0.94) on Friday. The firms fifty day simple moving average is GBX 81.72 and its 200-day simple moving average is GBX 88.42. The company has a market capitalization of 20.06 billion, a P/E ratio of 195.58, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.59 and a beta of 0.60. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 105.92, a current ratio of 0.89 and a quick ratio of 0.78. Vodafone Group Public has a 12 month low of GBX 70.06 ($0.89) and a 12 month high of GBX 132.04 ($1.68). Vodafone Group Public Dividend Announcement Vodafone Group Public Company Profile The firm also recently announced a dividend, which will be paid on Friday, August 4th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, June 8th will be given a 0.05 ($0.05) dividend. This represents a dividend yield of 4.34%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, June 8th. Vodafone Group Publics dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 2,105.26%. (Free Report) Vodafone Group Public Limited Company provides telecommunication services in Europe and internationally. It offers mobile connectivity services comprising end-to-end services for mobile voice and data, messaging, device management, BYOx, and telecoms management, as well as professional and consulting services; and fixed line connectivity, such as fixed voice and data, broadband, software-defined networks, managed WAN, LAN, ethernet, and satellite; and financial services, as well as business and merchant services. Further Reading Receive News & Ratings for Vodafone Group Public Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Vodafone Group Public and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Whitecap Resources (TSE:WCP Free Report) had its price objective decreased by Barclays from C$14.00 to C$13.00 in a research note released on Friday morning, BayStreet.CA reports. WCP has been the subject of several other reports. Canaccord Genuity Group dropped their price objective on Whitecap Resources from C$15.00 to C$14.50 in a research note on Wednesday, March 29th. National Bankshares raised their price objective on Whitecap Resources from C$15.50 to C$16.50 in a research note on Tuesday, April 18th. Finally, ATB Capital dropped their price objective on Whitecap Resources from C$16.00 to C$15.00 in a research note on Monday, April 17th. Five research analysts have rated the stock with a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, Whitecap Resources currently has an average rating of Buy and a consensus price target of C$14.89. Get Whitecap Resources alerts: Whitecap Resources Stock Up 0.9 % WCP opened at C$9.27 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 26.28, a current ratio of 0.77 and a quick ratio of 0.67. The business has a 50 day simple moving average of C$9.73 and a 200-day simple moving average of C$10.26. The stock has a market capitalization of C$5.61 billion, a P/E ratio of 4.39, a P/E/G ratio of -0.33 and a beta of 2.90. Whitecap Resources has a 12 month low of C$7.70 and a 12 month high of C$11.52. Whitecap Resources Announces Dividend Whitecap Resources ( TSE:WCP Free Report ) last released its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, April 26th. The company reported C$0.43 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of C$0.33 by C$0.10. Whitecap Resources had a return on equity of 26.68% and a net margin of 33.46%. The firm had revenue of C$952.60 million during the quarter. On average, equities analysts anticipate that Whitecap Resources will post 1.2910864 earnings per share for the current fiscal year. The business also recently declared a monthly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, July 17th. Shareholders of record on Friday, June 30th will be given a dividend of $0.048 per share. This represents a $0.58 annualized dividend and a yield of 6.21%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, June 29th. Whitecap Resourcess payout ratio is 27.49%. Insiders Place Their Bets In related news, Director Vineeta Maguire purchased 10,683 shares of the companys stock in a transaction on Wednesday, June 21st. The stock was bought at an average price of C$9.36 per share, with a total value of C$99,992.88. 0.74% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders. About Whitecap Resources (Free Report) Whitecap Resources Inc, an oil and gas company, focuses on the acquisition, development, and production of oil and gas assets in Western Canada. The company's primary areas of focus of its development programs are in Northern Alberta and British Columbia, Central Alberta, and Saskatchewan. Whitecap Resources Inc is headquartered in Calgary, Canada. Recommended Stories Receive News & Ratings for Whitecap Resources Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Whitecap Resources and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Actual Experience plc (LON:ACT Free Report) insider Kirsten English acquired 328,466 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, July 4th. The shares were acquired at an average cost of GBX 1 ($0.01) per share, for a total transaction of 3,284.66 ($4,168.88). Actual Experience Price Performance LON ACT traded up GBX 0.04 ($0.00) during trading hours on Tuesday, hitting GBX 0.59 ($0.01). 473,731 shares of the companys stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 1,189,219. Actual Experience plc has a 52-week low of GBX 0.51 ($0.01) and a 52-week high of GBX 4.70 ($0.06). The company has a market capitalization of 1.29 million, a PE ratio of -11.80 and a beta of 1.82. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 13.86, a current ratio of 5.44 and a quick ratio of 6.81. The firms 50-day moving average is GBX 0.78 and its 200-day moving average is GBX 1.06. Get Actual Experience alerts: About Actual Experience (Free Report) Recommended Stories Actual Experience plc, an analytics-as-a-service company, provides human experience management and associated consultancy services in the United Kingdom and the United States. It offers Analytics Cloud that receives data from digital users, applies algorithms to the data, and produces an objective score of digital experience quality and supply chain diagnostics; business impact assessment that helps its customer to understand the impact on top-level business metrics; and continuous improvement service to optimize the digital business over time. Receive News & Ratings for Actual Experience Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Actual Experience and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. AMI Asset Management Corp reduced its stake in BJs Wholesale Club Holdings, Inc. (NYSE:BJ Free Report) by 1.5% in the first quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The institutional investor owned 56,436 shares of the companys stock after selling 874 shares during the period. AMI Asset Management Corps holdings in BJs Wholesale Club were worth $4,293,000 at the end of the most recent quarter. Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also bought and sold shares of the stock. Nvwm LLC boosted its position in shares of BJs Wholesale Club by 1.3% during the third quarter. Nvwm LLC now owns 14,174 shares of the companys stock valued at $1,032,000 after purchasing an additional 186 shares in the last quarter. Louisiana State Employees Retirement System boosted its holdings in shares of BJs Wholesale Club by 0.6% during the 4th quarter. Louisiana State Employees Retirement System now owns 36,200 shares of the companys stock valued at $2,395,000 after buying an additional 200 shares in the last quarter. Commonwealth Equity Services LLC grew its position in shares of BJs Wholesale Club by 3.1% in the 3rd quarter. Commonwealth Equity Services LLC now owns 6,939 shares of the companys stock worth $505,000 after buying an additional 206 shares during the period. Cambridge Trust Co. increased its stake in shares of BJs Wholesale Club by 39.5% in the 4th quarter. Cambridge Trust Co. now owns 749 shares of the companys stock worth $50,000 after acquiring an additional 212 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Yousif Capital Management LLC increased its stake in shares of BJs Wholesale Club by 0.3% in the 4th quarter. Yousif Capital Management LLC now owns 69,780 shares of the companys stock worth $4,617,000 after acquiring an additional 218 shares in the last quarter. 93.02% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors. Get BJ's Wholesale Club alerts: BJs Wholesale Club Price Performance NYSE BJ opened at $62.84 on Tuesday. The stock has a market capitalization of $8.44 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 16.62, a PEG ratio of 2.10 and a beta of 0.47. BJs Wholesale Club Holdings, Inc. has a 1-year low of $60.33 and a 1-year high of $80.41. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.40, a current ratio of 0.70 and a quick ratio of 0.12. The businesss fifty day moving average price is $66.73 and its 200-day moving average price is $70.41. Insider Buying and Selling BJs Wholesale Club ( NYSE:BJ Free Report ) last posted its earnings results on Tuesday, May 23rd. The company reported $0.85 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $0.84 by $0.01. The company had revenue of $4.72 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $4.81 billion. BJs Wholesale Club had a return on equity of 53.66% and a net margin of 2.64%. BJs Wholesale Clubs revenue was up 5.0% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned $0.87 earnings per share. On average, equities analysts predict that BJs Wholesale Club Holdings, Inc. will post 3.9 earnings per share for the current year. In other BJs Wholesale Club news, EVP Monica Schwartz sold 15,168 shares of the companys stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, June 22nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $61.85, for a total transaction of $938,140.80. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president now directly owns 25,962 shares of the companys stock, valued at $1,605,749.70. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. 2.20% of the stock is currently owned by insiders. Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades BJ has been the topic of a number of recent research reports. Robert W. Baird cut their price objective on shares of BJs Wholesale Club from $90.00 to $80.00 in a report on Wednesday, May 24th. Bank of America reduced their price objective on BJs Wholesale Club from $87.00 to $85.00 in a research report on Tuesday, May 23rd. Credit Suisse Group boosted their target price on BJs Wholesale Club from $75.00 to $80.00 and gave the stock a neutral rating in a report on Friday, March 10th. Roth Capital restated a neutral rating on shares of BJs Wholesale Club in a report on Friday, March 10th. Finally, Evercore ISI upped their price target on shares of BJs Wholesale Club from $75.00 to $80.00 in a research note on Friday, March 10th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, six have assigned a hold rating and eight have assigned a buy rating to the companys stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of Hold and an average price target of $74.40. About BJs Wholesale Club (Free Report) BJ's Wholesale Club Holdings, Inc, together with its subsidiaries, operates warehouse clubs on the eastern half of the United States. It provides perishable, general merchandise, gasoline, coupon books, promotions, and other ancillary services. The company sells its products through the websites BJs.com, BerkleyJensen.com, and Wellsleyfarms.com, as well as the mobile app. See Also Want to see what other hedge funds are holding BJ? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for BJs Wholesale Club Holdings, Inc. (NYSE:BJ Free Report). Receive News & Ratings for BJ's Wholesale Club Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for BJ's Wholesale Club and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Mechanics Bank (OTC:MCHB Free Report) is one of 283 publicly-traded companies in the BanksRegional industry, but how does it weigh in compared to its peers? We will compare Mechanics Bank to similar companies based on the strength of its valuation, earnings, risk, dividends, analyst recommendations, institutional ownership and profitability. Profitability This table compares Mechanics Bank and its peers net margins, return on equity and return on assets. Get Mechanics Bank alerts: Net Margins Return on Equity Return on Assets Mechanics Bank N/A N/A N/A Mechanics Bank Competitors 33.36% 9.41% 0.87% Analyst Ratings This is a breakdown of recent ratings and target prices for Mechanics Bank and its peers, as reported by MarketBeat. Sell Ratings Hold Ratings Buy Ratings Strong Buy Ratings Rating Score Mechanics Bank 0 0 0 0 N/A Mechanics Bank Competitors 1083 3037 3006 20 2.27 Dividends As a group, BanksRegional companies have a potential upside of 340.27%. Given Mechanics Banks peers higher possible upside, analysts plainly believe Mechanics Bank has less favorable growth aspects than its peers. Mechanics Bank pays an annual dividend of $300.00 per share and has a dividend yield of 1.3%. Mechanics Bank pays out 20.0% of its earnings in the form of a dividend. As a group, BanksRegional companies pay a dividend yield of 13.3% and pay out 18.7% of their earnings in the form of a dividend. Mechanics Bank lags its peers as a dividend stock, given its lower dividend yield and higher payout ratio. Earnings and Valuation This table compares Mechanics Bank and its peers top-line revenue, earnings per share and valuation. Gross Revenue Net Income Price/Earnings Ratio Mechanics Bank N/A N/A 15.48 Mechanics Bank Competitors $3.33 billion $826.72 million 266.16 Mechanics Banks peers have higher revenue and earnings than Mechanics Bank. Mechanics Bank is trading at a lower price-to-earnings ratio than its peers, indicating that it is currently more affordable than other companies in its industry. Institutional and Insider Ownership 2.4% of Mechanics Bank shares are owned by institutional investors. Comparatively, 29.2% of shares of all BanksRegional companies are owned by institutional investors. 14.1% of shares of all BanksRegional companies are owned by insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that endowments, hedge funds and large money managers believe a stock is poised for long-term growth. Summary Mechanics Bank peers beat Mechanics Bank on 10 of the 10 factors compared. About Mechanics Bank (Free Report) Mechanics Bank provides various financial services for individuals, families, small businesses, municipalities, and non-profits in communities in Greater San Francisco, Sacramento, Los Angeles, and San Diego areas and throughout the Central Valley in California. The company offers checking and savings accounts. It also provides home and auto loans; term loans and lines of credit, multi-family lending, commercial real estate loans, owner-occupied real estate loans, equipment financing, and trade services and letters of credit; and small business administration loans. In addition, the company offers credit and debit cards; payable and receivable solutions, fraud prevention, and cash management services; merchant and payroll services, paycheck protection program solutions, and workplace benefit plans; foreign currency, cashier's checks, wire transfers, overdraft, deposit and treasury, trust and estate, investment and asset management, retirement planning, and wealth management services; and online and mobile banking services. Mechanics Bank was founded in 1905 and is headquartered in Walnut Creek, California. Receive News & Ratings for Mechanics Bank Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Mechanics Bank and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Atalaya Mining Plc (LON:ATYM Free Report) declared a dividend on Thursday, June 29th, Upcoming.Co.Uk reports. Investors of record on Thursday, July 6th will be given a dividend of $0.04 per share on Tuesday, August 8th. This represents a yield of 0.96%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, July 6th. The official announcement can be seen at this link. Atalaya Mining Stock Performance ATYM stock opened at GBX 331.84 ($4.21) on Tuesday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 14.42, a current ratio of 1.69 and a quick ratio of 1.64. The company has a 50 day moving average price of GBX 328.25 and a 200 day moving average price of GBX 339.81. Atalaya Mining has a fifty-two week low of GBX 183 ($2.32) and a fifty-two week high of GBX 385 ($4.89). The stock has a market capitalization of 464.18 million, a PE ratio of 2,006.25, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of -2.02 and a beta of 1.70. Get Atalaya Mining alerts: Analyst Ratings Changes Several brokerages have commented on ATYM. Berenberg Bank dropped their target price on shares of Atalaya Mining from GBX 480 ($6.09) to GBX 450 ($5.71) and set a buy rating for the company in a research report on Monday, May 15th. Canaccord Genuity Group reiterated a buy rating and set a GBX 600 ($7.62) target price on shares of Atalaya Mining in a research report on Monday, May 15th. Atalaya Mining Company Profile Atalaya Mining Plc, together with its subsidiaries, engages in the mineral exploration and development in Spain. The company's flagship property is its 100% owned Proyecto Riotinto mine, an open-pit copper mine located in the Andalusia region of Spain. It produces copper concentrates, including silver by-products. Recommended Stories Receive News & Ratings for Atalaya Mining Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Atalaya Mining and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Lincoln Capital Corp boosted its position in shares of Bank of America Co. (NYSE:BAC) by 935.0% during the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 95,721 shares of the financial services providers stock after purchasing an additional 86,473 shares during the period. Bank of America accounts for 1.6% of Lincoln Capital Corps investment portfolio, making the stock its 20th biggest holding. Lincoln Capital Corps holdings in Bank of America were worth $2,738,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period. Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Vanguard Group Inc. boosted its stake in shares of Bank of America by 0.6% during the 3rd quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 602,457,736 shares of the financial services providers stock valued at $18,194,222,000 after buying an additional 3,313,229 shares during the period. Moneta Group Investment Advisors LLC boosted its stake in shares of Bank of America by 108,111.3% during the 4th quarter. Moneta Group Investment Advisors LLC now owns 193,168,025 shares of the financial services providers stock valued at $6,397,725,000 after buying an additional 192,989,515 shares during the period. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD lifted its stake in shares of Bank of America by 22.7% in the 4th quarter. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD now owns 127,177,786 shares of the financial services providers stock valued at $4,212,128,000 after purchasing an additional 23,532,190 shares during the last quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC lifted its stake in shares of Bank of America by 1.1% in the 4th quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 123,636,775 shares of the financial services providers stock valued at $4,087,307,000 after purchasing an additional 1,327,840 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Norges Bank acquired a new stake in shares of Bank of America in the 4th quarter valued at $3,436,543,000. 67.34% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors. Get Bank of America alerts: Wall Street Analyst Weigh In Several equities research analysts recently issued reports on the stock. Evercore ISI reduced their price objective on shares of Bank of America from $36.00 to $35.00 in a research note on Friday, May 12th. BMO Capital Markets reduced their price objective on shares of Bank of America from $43.00 to $41.00 and set a market perform rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, April 19th. Barclays reduced their price objective on shares of Bank of America from $48.00 to $39.00 and set an overweight rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, April 12th. The Goldman Sachs Group dropped their target price on shares of Bank of America from $39.00 to $35.00 and set a buy rating on the stock in a report on Monday, April 3rd. Finally, Oppenheimer lifted their target price on shares of Bank of America from $44.00 to $47.00 and gave the stock an outperform rating in a report on Wednesday, April 19th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, seven have assigned a hold rating and ten have given a buy rating to the companys stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of Hold and a consensus target price of $36.77. Bank of America Stock Performance NYSE BAC opened at $29.19 on Tuesday. The stock has a market cap of $232.58 billion, a P/E ratio of 8.76, a PEG ratio of 1.21 and a beta of 1.36. The companys 50-day simple moving average is $28.40 and its 200 day simple moving average is $30.93. Bank of America Co. has a twelve month low of $26.32 and a twelve month high of $38.60. The company has a quick ratio of 0.82, a current ratio of 0.82 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.13. Bank of America (NYSE:BAC Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Tuesday, April 18th. The financial services provider reported $0.94 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $0.83 by $0.11. The business had revenue of $26.26 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $25.28 billion. Bank of America had a net margin of 21.85% and a return on equity of 11.72%. The firms revenue for the quarter was up 13.0% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm posted $0.80 earnings per share. As a group, research analysts forecast that Bank of America Co. will post 3.4 earnings per share for the current fiscal year. Bank of America Announces Dividend The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, June 30th. Shareholders of record on Friday, June 2nd were given a $0.22 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Thursday, June 1st. This represents a $0.88 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.02%. Bank of Americas dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 26.43%. About Bank of America (Free Report) Bank of America Corporation, through its subsidiaries, provides banking and financial products and services for individual consumers, small and middle-market businesses, institutional investors, large corporations, and governments worldwide. Its Consumer Banking segment offers traditional and money market savings accounts, certificates of deposit and IRAs, noninterest-and interest-bearing checking accounts, and investment accounts and products; and credit and debit cards, residential mortgages, and home equity loans, as well as direct and indirect loans, such as automotive, recreational vehicle, and consumer personal loans. See Also Want to see what other hedge funds are holding BAC? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Bank of America Co. (NYSE:BAC Free Report). Receive News & Ratings for Bank of America Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Bank of America and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Caledonia Mining Co. Plc (LON:CMCL Free Report) announced a dividend on Monday, July 3rd, Upcoming.Co.Uk reports. Shareholders of record on Thursday, July 13th will be given a dividend of $0.14 per share on Friday, July 28th. This represents a yield of 1.16%. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, July 13th. The official announcement can be viewed at this link. Caledonia Mining Price Performance LON:CMCL opened at GBX 930 ($11.80) on Tuesday. The company has a current ratio of 1.08, a quick ratio of 0.97 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 8.77. The stock has a 50 day moving average of GBX 1,062.42 and a two-hundred day moving average of GBX 1,113.74. The firm has a market cap of 178.47 million, a P/E ratio of 2,215.12 and a beta of 0.79. Caledonia Mining has a 12 month low of GBX 805 ($10.22) and a 12 month high of GBX 1,380 ($17.51). Get Caledonia Mining alerts: About Caledonia Mining (Free Report) Featured Articles Caledonia Mining Corporation Plc primarily operates a gold mine. It also engages in the exploration and development of mineral properties for precious metals. The company holds 64% interest in the Blanket Mine, a gold mine located in Zimbabwe. It also owns 100% interest in the Maligreen project, a brownfield gold exploration project located in the Gweru mining district in the Zimbabwe Midlands; Bilboes, gold deposit located to the north of Bulawayo, Zimbabwe; and Motapa, a gold exploration property located in Southern Zimbabwe. Receive News & Ratings for Caledonia Mining Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Caledonia Mining and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Crescent Sterling Ltd. boosted its stake in shares of Abbott Laboratories (NYSE:ABT Free Report) by 15.3% during the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 12,950 shares of the healthcare product makers stock after buying an additional 1,715 shares during the period. Abbott Laboratories comprises 1.3% of Crescent Sterling Ltd.s investment portfolio, making the stock its 25th largest holding. Crescent Sterling Ltd.s holdings in Abbott Laboratories were worth $1,311,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. A number of other hedge funds also recently bought and sold shares of ABT. Fairfield Bush & CO. purchased a new stake in Abbott Laboratories in the 1st quarter worth about $131,000. United Bank increased its holdings in shares of Abbott Laboratories by 7.2% in the 1st quarter. United Bank now owns 27,280 shares of the healthcare product makers stock valued at $3,229,000 after purchasing an additional 1,826 shares during the period. Mackenzie Financial Corp boosted its holdings in shares of Abbott Laboratories by 1.9% during the first quarter. Mackenzie Financial Corp now owns 813,253 shares of the healthcare product makers stock worth $96,257,000 after purchasing an additional 15,521 shares during the period. Kinneret Advisory LLC grew its position in Abbott Laboratories by 2.3% during the first quarter. Kinneret Advisory LLC now owns 19,467 shares of the healthcare product makers stock valued at $2,304,000 after purchasing an additional 436 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Lumature Wealth Partners LLC increased its stake in Abbott Laboratories by 636.2% in the 1st quarter. Lumature Wealth Partners LLC now owns 2,216 shares of the healthcare product makers stock valued at $262,000 after buying an additional 1,915 shares during the period. 73.08% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors. Get Abbott Laboratories alerts: Abbott Laboratories Stock Performance Abbott Laboratories stock traded down $1.80 on Tuesday, reaching $107.22. 2,267,993 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 4,892,503. The stock has a market cap of $186.45 billion, a PE ratio of 32.59, a PEG ratio of 4.88 and a beta of 0.68. The firm has a fifty day moving average price of $106.82 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $106.31. Abbott Laboratories has a twelve month low of $93.25 and a twelve month high of $115.69. The company has a current ratio of 1.68, a quick ratio of 1.22 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.39. Abbott Laboratories Dividend Announcement Abbott Laboratories ( NYSE:ABT Free Report ) last announced its earnings results on Wednesday, April 19th. The healthcare product maker reported $1.03 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.98 by $0.05. The firm had revenue of $9.75 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $9.64 billion. Abbott Laboratories had a return on equity of 22.36% and a net margin of 13.98%. The firms revenue for the quarter was down 18.1% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned $1.73 EPS. Sell-side analysts anticipate that Abbott Laboratories will post 4.39 EPS for the current year. The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, August 15th. Shareholders of record on Friday, July 14th will be issued a $0.51 dividend. This represents a $2.04 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.90%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, July 13th. Abbott Laboratoriess dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 62.01%. Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades A number of brokerages have issued reports on ABT. StockNews.com initiated coverage on shares of Abbott Laboratories in a research note on Thursday, May 18th. They set a buy rating for the company. Morgan Stanley downgraded Abbott Laboratories from an overweight rating to an equal weight rating and set a $112.00 target price on the stock. in a research note on Tuesday, May 30th. SVB Leerink lifted their price target on Abbott Laboratories from $90.00 to $102.00 and gave the company a market perform rating in a report on Friday, March 31st. Barclays increased their price objective on Abbott Laboratories from $125.00 to $127.00 and gave the stock an overweight rating in a report on Thursday, April 20th. Finally, Sanford C. Bernstein lifted their target price on shares of Abbott Laboratories from $132.00 to $133.00 and gave the company an outperform rating in a research note on Thursday, April 20th. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, five have assigned a hold rating and eleven have issued a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus price target of $121.26. Insiders Place Their Bets In related news, Director Daniel J. Starks sold 50,000 shares of Abbott Laboratories stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, May 2nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $111.02, for a total transaction of $5,551,000.00. Following the sale, the director now directly owns 6,825,316 shares of the companys stock, valued at $757,746,582.32. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. In other news, EVP Andrea F. Wainer sold 8,226 shares of the firms stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, May 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $110.56, for a total transaction of $909,466.56. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president now directly owns 70,427 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $7,786,409.12. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, Director Daniel J. Starks sold 50,000 shares of the firms stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, May 2nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $111.02, for a total transaction of $5,551,000.00. Following the transaction, the director now owns 6,825,316 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $757,746,582.32. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Company insiders own 1.10% of the companys stock. Abbott Laboratories Company Profile (Free Report) Abbott Laboratories, together with its subsidiaries, discovers, develops, manufactures, and sells health care products worldwide. It operates in four segments: Established Pharmaceutical Products, Diagnostic Products, Nutritional Products, and Medical Devices. The Established Pharmaceutical Products segment provides generic pharmaceuticals for the treatment of pancreatic exocrine insufficiency, irritable bowel syndrome or biliary spasm, intrahepatic cholestasis or depressive symptoms, gynecological disorder, hormone replacement therapy, dyslipidemia, hypertension, hypothyroidism, Meniere's disease and vestibular vertigo, pain, fever, inflammation, and migraine, as well as provides anti-infective clarithromycin, influenza vaccine, and products to regulate physiological rhythm of the colon. Recommended Stories Receive News & Ratings for Abbott Laboratories Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Abbott Laboratories and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Greggs (OTCMKTS:GGGSF Free Report) is one of 62 public companies in the Grocery Stores industry, but how does it contrast to its peers? We will compare Greggs to related businesses based on the strength of its valuation, institutional ownership, dividends, earnings, analyst recommendations, risk and profitability. Analyst Ratings This is a summary of current ratings for Greggs and its peers, as provided by MarketBeat.com. Get Greggs alerts: Sell Ratings Hold Ratings Buy Ratings Strong Buy Ratings Rating Score Greggs 0 1 1 0 2.50 Greggs Competitors 1121 2753 3008 114 2.30 Greggs currently has a consensus price target of $3,140.00, suggesting a potential upside of 9,429.59%. As a group, Grocery Stores companies have a potential upside of 32.06%. Given Greggs stronger consensus rating and higher possible upside, research analysts clearly believe Greggs is more favorable than its peers. Profitability Net Margins Return on Equity Return on Assets Greggs N/A N/A N/A Greggs Competitors 2.01% 15.36% 4.99% Valuation & Earnings This table compares Greggs and its peers net margins, return on equity and return on assets. This table compares Greggs and its peers revenue, earnings per share (EPS) and valuation. Gross Revenue Net Income Price/Earnings Ratio Greggs N/A N/A 153.72 Greggs Competitors $26.96 billion $611.52 million 188.66 Greggs peers have higher revenue and earnings than Greggs. Greggs is trading at a lower price-to-earnings ratio than its peers, indicating that it is currently more affordable than other companies in its industry. Dividends Greggs pays an annual dividend of $0.20 per share and has a dividend yield of 0.6%. Greggs pays out 91.0% of its earnings in the form of a dividend, suggesting it may not have sufficient earnings to cover its dividend payment in the future. As a group, Grocery Stores companies pay a dividend yield of 4.1% and pay out 62.3% of their earnings in the form of a dividend. Greggs lags its peers as a dividend stock, given its lower dividend yield and higher payout ratio. Insider & Institutional Ownership 42.1% of Greggs shares are owned by institutional investors. Comparatively, 45.3% of shares of all Grocery Stores companies are owned by institutional investors. 22.8% of shares of all Grocery Stores companies are owned by company insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that hedge funds, large money managers and endowments believe a company will outperform the market over the long term. Summary Greggs peers beat Greggs on 10 of the 13 factors compared. Greggs Company Profile (Free Report) Greggs plc operates as a food-on-the-go retailer in the United Kingdom. It offers a range of fresh and frozen bakery products, sandwiches, and drinks. The company sells products to franchise and wholesale partners for sale in their own outlets. It is also involved in the property holding, non-trading, and trustee businesses. The company also operates through its own shops. Greggs plc was founded in 1939 and is headquartered in Newcastle upon Tyne, the United Kingdom. Receive News & Ratings for Greggs Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Greggs and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Cross Timbers Royalty Trust (NYSE:CRT Free Report) was the recipient of a large increase in short interest during the month of June. As of June 15th, there was short interest totalling 54,000 shares, an increase of 49.6% from the May 31st total of 36,100 shares. Currently, 0.9% of the companys shares are short sold. Based on an average trading volume of 50,300 shares, the short-interest ratio is presently 1.1 days. Wall Street Analyst Weigh In Separately, StockNews.com assumed coverage on shares of Cross Timbers Royalty Trust in a research note on Thursday, May 18th. They issued a hold rating for the company. Get Cross Timbers Royalty Trust alerts: Cross Timbers Royalty Trust Price Performance NYSE CRT traded down $0.09 on Tuesday, hitting $21.94. The stock had a trading volume of 19,283 shares, compared to its average volume of 45,220. The businesss fifty day moving average price is $21.84 and its 200 day moving average price is $22.11. Cross Timbers Royalty Trust has a 52-week low of $13.20 and a 52-week high of $30.40. Cross Timbers Royalty Trust Cuts Dividend Cross Timbers Royalty Trust ( NYSE:CRT Free Report ) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Friday, May 12th. The oil and gas company reported $0.61 EPS for the quarter. Cross Timbers Royalty Trust had a net margin of 78.44% and a return on equity of 470.25%. The business had revenue of $3.93 million during the quarter. The business also recently disclosed a monthly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, July 17th. Stockholders of record on Friday, June 30th will be paid a dividend of $0.077 per share. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, June 29th. This represents a $0.92 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 4.21%. Institutional Inflows and Outflows A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in CRT. NewEdge Advisors LLC acquired a new position in Cross Timbers Royalty Trust during the first quarter valued at $780,000. UBS Group AG increased its holdings in Cross Timbers Royalty Trust by 9.3% in the first quarter. UBS Group AG now owns 13,425 shares of the oil and gas companys stock valued at $176,000 after buying an additional 1,138 shares in the last quarter. Bank of America Corp DE increased its holdings in Cross Timbers Royalty Trust by 54.9% in the first quarter. Bank of America Corp DE now owns 6,374 shares of the oil and gas companys stock valued at $83,000 after buying an additional 2,260 shares in the last quarter. LPL Financial LLC increased its holdings in Cross Timbers Royalty Trust by 20.9% in the second quarter. LPL Financial LLC now owns 13,010 shares of the oil and gas companys stock valued at $197,000 after buying an additional 2,251 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Citadel Advisors LLC purchased a new position in Cross Timbers Royalty Trust in the third quarter valued at $216,000. Cross Timbers Royalty Trust Company Profile (Free Report) Cross Timbers Royalty Trust operates as an express trust in the United States. It holds 90% net profits interests in certain producing and nonproducing royalty and overriding royalty interest properties in Texas, Oklahoma, and New Mexico; and 75% net profits working interest in four properties in Texas and three properties in Oklahoma. Further Reading Receive News & Ratings for Cross Timbers Royalty Trust Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Cross Timbers Royalty Trust and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Defined Wealth Management LLC reduced its stake in shares of iShares MSCI USA Min Vol Factor ETF (BATS:USMV Free Report) by 33.3% in the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The firm owned 34,829 shares of the companys stock after selling 17,415 shares during the quarter. iShares MSCI USA Min Vol Factor ETF makes up approximately 2.4% of Defined Wealth Management LLCs portfolio, making the stock its 14th largest position. Defined Wealth Management LLCs holdings in iShares MSCI USA Min Vol Factor ETF were worth $2,533,000 as of its most recent SEC filing. Other institutional investors have also made changes to their positions in the company. W.H. Cornerstone Investments Inc. boosted its stake in shares of iShares MSCI USA Min Vol Factor ETF by 2.3% in the 4th quarter. W.H. Cornerstone Investments Inc. now owns 6,480 shares of the companys stock valued at $477,000 after purchasing an additional 146 shares in the last quarter. Avaii Wealth Management LLC lifted its position in iShares MSCI USA Min Vol Factor ETF by 1.3% during the 1st quarter. Avaii Wealth Management LLC now owns 12,017 shares of the companys stock worth $874,000 after buying an additional 150 shares in the last quarter. Claro Advisors LLC lifted its position in iShares MSCI USA Min Vol Factor ETF by 2.2% during the 1st quarter. Claro Advisors LLC now owns 7,102 shares of the companys stock worth $517,000 after buying an additional 153 shares in the last quarter. Hutchens & Kramer Investment Management Group LLC lifted its position in iShares MSCI USA Min Vol Factor ETF by 4.5% during the 4th quarter. Hutchens & Kramer Investment Management Group LLC now owns 3,742 shares of the companys stock worth $270,000 after buying an additional 160 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Strategic Investment Advisors MI lifted its position in iShares MSCI USA Min Vol Factor ETF by 1.1% during the 4th quarter. Strategic Investment Advisors MI now owns 15,106 shares of the companys stock worth $1,089,000 after buying an additional 163 shares in the last quarter. Get iShares MSCI USA Min Vol Factor ETF alerts: iShares MSCI USA Min Vol Factor ETF Trading Down 0.1 % BATS USMV traded down $0.08 on Tuesday, hitting $74.25. 858,441 shares of the company were exchanged. The firm has a 50 day moving average of $72.94 and a two-hundred day moving average of $72.48. The company has a market cap of $29.60 billion, a P/E ratio of 20.17 and a beta of 0.75. iShares MSCI USA Min Vol Factor ETF has a 1-year low of $47.44 and a 1-year high of $55.45. iShares MSCI USA Min Vol Factor ETF Company Profile The iShares MSCI USA Min Vol Factor ETF (USMV) is an exchange-traded fund that is based on the MSCI USA Minimum Volatility (USD) index. The fund tracks an index of US-listed firms selected and weighted to create a low-volatility portfolio subject to various constraints. USMV was launched on Oct 18, 2011 and is managed by BlackRock. Featured Stories Receive News & Ratings for iShares MSCI USA Min Vol Factor ETF Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for iShares MSCI USA Min Vol Factor ETF and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Sage Rhino Capital LLC lifted its position in Eli Lilly and Company (NYSE:LLY Free Report) by 1.8% during the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 2,152 shares of the companys stock after acquiring an additional 38 shares during the period. Sage Rhino Capital LLCs holdings in Eli Lilly and Company were worth $739,000 as of its most recent SEC filing. Other institutional investors have also made changes to their positions in the company. Fairfield Bush & CO. purchased a new position in Eli Lilly and Company during the first quarter valued at approximately $107,000. Roundview Capital LLC lifted its stake in Eli Lilly and Company by 2.6% in the first quarter. Roundview Capital LLC now owns 2,056 shares of the companys stock valued at $589,000 after acquiring an additional 53 shares during the last quarter. Merit Financial Group LLC acquired a new stake in Eli Lilly and Company in the first quarter valued at approximately $210,000. NewEdge Advisors LLC lifted its stake in Eli Lilly and Company by 9.9% in the first quarter. NewEdge Advisors LLC now owns 53,052 shares of the companys stock valued at $15,193,000 after acquiring an additional 4,774 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Barometer Capital Management Inc. acquired a new stake in Eli Lilly and Company in the first quarter valued at approximately $561,000. 87.25% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors. Get Eli Lilly and Company alerts: Insiders Place Their Bets In related news, major shareholder Lilly Endowment Inc sold 164,125 shares of the firms stock in a transaction on Friday, June 30th. The shares were sold at an average price of $467.60, for a total transaction of $76,744,850.00. Following the sale, the insider now directly owns 101,028,810 shares in the company, valued at $47,241,071,556. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. In related news, major shareholder Lilly Endowment Inc sold 164,125 shares of the firms stock in a transaction on Friday, June 30th. The shares were sold at an average price of $467.60, for a total value of $76,744,850.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider now owns 101,028,810 shares of the companys stock, valued at $47,241,071,556. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, CAO Donald A. Zakrowski sold 600 shares of the firms stock in a transaction on Monday, May 15th. The shares were sold at an average price of $435.29, for a total transaction of $261,174.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief accounting officer now directly owns 5,978 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $2,602,163.62. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last three months, insiders have sold 1,040,668 shares of company stock worth $449,053,086. Company insiders own 0.13% of the companys stock. Analyst Ratings Changes Eli Lilly and Company Price Performance A number of research firms have issued reports on LLY. Bank of America lifted their target price on shares of Eli Lilly and Company from $450.00 to $500.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a research note on Wednesday, May 24th. Wells Fargo & Company boosted their price objective on shares of Eli Lilly and Company from $440.00 to $500.00 in a research note on Friday, May 26th. Truist Financial boosted their price objective on shares of Eli Lilly and Company from $421.00 to $430.00 in a research note on Friday, April 28th. BMO Capital Markets boosted their price objective on shares of Eli Lilly and Company from $430.00 to $505.00 in a research note on Thursday, May 4th. Finally, Cantor Fitzgerald boosted their price objective on shares of Eli Lilly and Company from $485.00 to $550.00 in a research note on Tuesday, June 27th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, two have given a hold rating and thirteen have given a buy rating to the companys stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Eli Lilly and Company presently has an average rating of Moderate Buy and an average target price of $437.90. Shares of Eli Lilly and Company stock opened at $460.92 on Tuesday. The company has a current ratio of 1.30, a quick ratio of 1.02 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.67. The stock has a market capitalization of $437.54 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 73.28, a P/E/G ratio of 2.15 and a beta of 0.38. Eli Lilly and Company has a 1-year low of $296.32 and a 1-year high of $469.87. The firms 50-day moving average price is $435.88 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $378.02. Eli Lilly and Company (NYSE:LLY Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, April 27th. The company reported $1.62 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $1.73 by ($0.11). Eli Lilly and Company had a net margin of 20.54% and a return on equity of 61.42%. The company had revenue of $6.96 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $6.87 billion. During the same period last year, the company earned $2.62 earnings per share. Eli Lilly and Companys revenue for the quarter was down 10.9% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, equities analysts predict that Eli Lilly and Company will post 8.78 earnings per share for the current fiscal year. Eli Lilly and Company Dividend Announcement The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, September 8th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, August 15th will be issued a $1.13 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Monday, August 14th. This represents a $4.52 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.98%. Eli Lilly and Companys dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 71.86%. About Eli Lilly and Company (Free Report) Eli Lilly and Company discovers, develops, and markets human pharmaceuticals worldwide. It offers Basaglar, Humalog, Humalog Mix 75/25, Humalog U-100, Humalog U-200, Humalog Mix 50/50, insulin lispro, insulin lispro protamine, insulin lispro mix 75/25, Humulin, Humulin 70/30, Humulin N, Humulin R, and Humulin U-500 for diabetes; and Jardiance, Trajenta, and Trulicity for type 2 diabetes. Featured Stories Want to see what other hedge funds are holding LLY? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Eli Lilly and Company (NYSE:LLY Free Report). Receive News & Ratings for Eli Lilly and Company Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Eli Lilly and Company and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. HighTower Trust Company N.A. raised its holdings in American Express (NYSE:AXP) by 26.7% during the first quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 9,305 shares of the payment services companys stock after buying an additional 1,960 shares during the quarter. HighTower Trust Company N.A.s holdings in American Express were worth $1,542,000 at the end of the most recent quarter. Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Macroview Investment Management LLC bought a new stake in American Express in the 4th quarter valued at $25,000. Elequin Securities LLC bought a new stake in American Express in the 4th quarter valued at $25,000. My Personal CFO LLC acquired a new position in American Express in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $30,000. Chelsea Counsel Co. acquired a new position in American Express in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $30,000. Finally, PFG Private Wealth Management LLC raised its holdings in American Express by 288.9% in the 4th quarter. PFG Private Wealth Management LLC now owns 210 shares of the payment services companys stock valued at $31,000 after acquiring an additional 156 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 82.84% of the companys stock. Get American Express alerts: Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades Several equities analysts have commented on the company. Royal Bank of Canada cut their price target on American Express from $186.00 to $181.00 and set a sector perform rating for the company in a report on Friday, April 21st. BMO Capital Markets lowered their price target on shares of American Express from $194.00 to $185.00 and set a market perform rating on the stock in a report on Friday, April 21st. 3M reissued a reiterates rating on shares of American Express in a report on Friday. Stephens decreased their price objective on American Express from $149.00 to $146.00 and set an underweight rating on the stock in a report on Friday, April 21st. Finally, StockNews.com started coverage on American Express in a report on Thursday, May 18th. They set a hold rating on the stock. Four research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, eight have assigned a hold rating and five have given a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of Hold and a consensus target price of $174.50. American Express Stock Up 0.8 % Shares of NYSE:AXP opened at $175.56 on Tuesday. American Express has a 12 month low of $130.65 and a 12 month high of $182.15. The companys 50-day moving average price is $161.48 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $162.27. The company has a quick ratio of 1.55, a current ratio of 1.55 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.58. The firm has a market cap of $130.49 billion, a P/E ratio of 18.46, a P/E/G ratio of 1.09 and a beta of 1.19. American Express (NYSE:AXP Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, April 20th. The payment services company reported $2.40 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $2.66 by ($0.26). American Express had a return on equity of 29.44% and a net margin of 13.00%. The firm had revenue of $14.28 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $14.02 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the company posted $2.73 EPS. The firms quarterly revenue was up 21.7% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, research analysts forecast that American Express will post 11.15 EPS for the current fiscal year. American Express Dividend Announcement The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, August 10th. Shareholders of record on Friday, July 7th will be issued a dividend of $0.60 per share. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, July 6th. This represents a $2.40 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.37%. American Expresss dividend payout ratio is currently 25.24%. American Express announced that its Board of Directors has authorized a stock buyback program on Wednesday, March 8th that permits the company to buyback 120,000,000 shares. This buyback authorization permits the payment services company to repurchase shares of its stock through open market purchases. Shares buyback programs are often a sign that the companys management believes its stock is undervalued. About American Express (Free Report) American Express Company, together with its subsidiaries, provides charge and credit payment card products, and travel-related services worldwide. The company operates through three segments: Global Consumer Services Group, Global Commercial Services, and Global Merchant and Network Services. Its products and services include payment and financing products; network services; accounts payable expense management products and services; and travel and lifestyle services. Read More Want to see what other hedge funds are holding AXP? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for American Express (NYSE:AXP Free Report). Receive News & Ratings for American Express Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for American Express and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Cardinal Strategic Wealth Guidance increased its stake in iShares National Muni Bond ETF (NYSEARCA:MUB Free Report) by 5,208.2% during the 1st quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 152,292 shares of the exchange traded funds stock after buying an additional 149,423 shares during the period. iShares National Muni Bond ETF accounts for about 7.6% of Cardinal Strategic Wealth Guidances holdings, making the stock its 5th largest holding. Cardinal Strategic Wealth Guidance owned 0.05% of iShares National Muni Bond ETF worth $16,407,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently made changes to their positions in MUB. Providence Capital Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in iShares National Muni Bond ETF during the 4th quarter valued at $25,000. Fortis Capital Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in iShares National Muni Bond ETF during the 4th quarter valued at $25,000. Morris Financial Concepts Inc. boosted its stake in iShares National Muni Bond ETF by 524.4% during the 4th quarter. Morris Financial Concepts Inc. now owns 256 shares of the exchange traded funds stock valued at $27,000 after purchasing an additional 215 shares during the last quarter. First Manhattan Co. purchased a new stake in iShares National Muni Bond ETF during the 4th quarter valued at $29,000. Finally, Sound Income Strategies LLC boosted its stake in iShares National Muni Bond ETF by 70.5% during the 4th quarter. Sound Income Strategies LLC now owns 283 shares of the exchange traded funds stock valued at $30,000 after purchasing an additional 117 shares during the last quarter. Get iShares National Muni Bond ETF alerts: iShares National Muni Bond ETF Trading Up 0.0 % Shares of MUB opened at $106.53 on Tuesday. The businesss fifty day simple moving average is $106.59 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $106.77. iShares National Muni Bond ETF has a 12 month low of $101.35 and a 12 month high of $108.82. iShares National Muni Bond ETF Company Profile iShares National AMT-Free Muni Bond ETF (the Fund), formerly iShares S&P National AMT-Free Municipal Bond Fund, is an exchange-traded fund (ETF). The Fund seeks investment results that correspond generally to the price and yield performance of the S&P National AMT-Free Municipal Bond Index (the Index). See Also Receive News & Ratings for iShares National Muni Bond ETF Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for iShares National Muni Bond ETF and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Patton Albertson Miller Group LLC grew its stake in shares of The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. (NYSE:GS Free Report) by 5.3% in the 1st quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 13,326 shares of the investment management companys stock after buying an additional 673 shares during the period. Patton Albertson Miller Group LLCs holdings in The Goldman Sachs Group were worth $4,359,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period. Other hedge funds also recently bought and sold shares of the company. BKA Wealth Consulting Inc. acquired a new position in The Goldman Sachs Group in the first quarter valued at $208,000. PFG Advisors boosted its holdings in The Goldman Sachs Group by 5.4% in the first quarter. PFG Advisors now owns 987 shares of the investment management companys stock valued at $323,000 after acquiring an additional 51 shares during the last quarter. Kovack Advisors Inc. boosted its holdings in The Goldman Sachs Group by 2.2% in the first quarter. Kovack Advisors Inc. now owns 2,793 shares of the investment management companys stock valued at $914,000 after acquiring an additional 60 shares during the last quarter. Hennion & Walsh Asset Management Inc. boosted its holdings in The Goldman Sachs Group by 108.2% in the first quarter. Hennion & Walsh Asset Management Inc. now owns 1,926 shares of the investment management companys stock valued at $630,000 after acquiring an additional 1,001 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Princeton Global Asset Management LLC boosted its holdings in The Goldman Sachs Group by 26.5% in the first quarter. Princeton Global Asset Management LLC now owns 2,199 shares of the investment management companys stock valued at $719,000 after acquiring an additional 460 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 76.90% of the companys stock. Get The Goldman Sachs Group alerts: Insider Transactions at The Goldman Sachs Group In other news, major shareholder Goldman Sachs Group Inc sold 1,145,486 shares of the companys stock in a transaction on Friday, June 30th. The shares were sold at an average price of $11.73, for a total value of $13,436,550.78. Following the transaction, the insider now directly owns 50,099,392 shares of the companys stock, valued at $587,665,868.16. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. In related news, insider Kathryn H. Ruemmler sold 7,277 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, April 19th. The shares were sold at an average price of $332.67, for a total value of $2,420,839.59. Following the completion of the sale, the insider now owns 4,334 shares in the company, valued at $1,441,791.78. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Also, major shareholder Goldman Sachs Group Inc sold 1,145,486 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Friday, June 30th. The stock was sold at an average price of $11.73, for a total transaction of $13,436,550.78. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider now directly owns 50,099,392 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $587,665,868.16. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last ninety days, insiders have sold 34,978,986 shares of company stock valued at $660,057,057. 0.54% of the stock is owned by insiders. The Goldman Sachs Group Price Performance Shares of NYSE:GS traded up $4.07 on Tuesday, reaching $326.61. 1,106,831 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 2,358,694. The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $277.84 and a fifty-two week high of $389.58. The companys 50 day moving average is $328.01 and its 200-day moving average is $339.17. The stock has a market capitalization of $108.58 billion, a PE ratio of 11.62, a P/E/G ratio of 0.85 and a beta of 1.38. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.25, a current ratio of 0.81 and a quick ratio of 0.81. The Goldman Sachs Group (NYSE:GS Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Tuesday, April 18th. The investment management company reported $8.79 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $8.14 by $0.65. The Goldman Sachs Group had a net margin of 13.23% and a return on equity of 9.84%. The company had revenue of $12.22 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $12.66 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the business earned $10.76 EPS. The companys revenue was down 5.5% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, analysts anticipate that The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. will post 32.14 earnings per share for the current fiscal year. The Goldman Sachs Group Dividend Announcement The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, June 29th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, June 1st were paid a $2.50 dividend. This represents a $10.00 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.06%. The ex-dividend date was Wednesday, May 31st. The Goldman Sachs Groups dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 35.60%. Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth GS has been the topic of a number of research analyst reports. Royal Bank of Canada lifted their target price on The Goldman Sachs Group from $339.00 to $375.00 and gave the company a sector perform rating in a report on Wednesday, April 19th. Morgan Stanley boosted their price objective on The Goldman Sachs Group from $329.00 to $337.00 and gave the stock an equal weight rating in a research note on Wednesday, April 19th. StockNews.com began coverage on The Goldman Sachs Group in a research report on Thursday, May 18th. They set a hold rating on the stock. Oppenheimer dropped their target price on The Goldman Sachs Group from $440.00 to $437.00 and set an outperform rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, April 19th. Finally, Evercore ISI lifted their target price on The Goldman Sachs Group from $360.00 to $370.00 and gave the stock an outperform rating in a research report on Wednesday, April 19th. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, six have given a hold rating and ten have assigned a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus target price of $387.95. About The Goldman Sachs Group (Free Report) The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc, a financial institution, provides a range of financial services for corporations, financial institutions, governments, and individuals worldwide. It operates through Global Banking & Markets, Asset & Wealth Management, and Platform Solutions segments. The Global Banking & Markets segment provides financial advisory services, including strategic advisory assignments related to mergers and acquisitions, divestitures, corporate defense activities, restructurings, and spin-offs; and relationship lending, and acquisition financing, as well as secured lending, through structured credit and asset-backed lending and involved in resale agreements. Recommended Stories Want to see what other hedge funds are holding GS? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. (NYSE:GS Free Report). Receive News & Ratings for The Goldman Sachs Group Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for The Goldman Sachs Group and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Herc Holdings Inc. (NYSE:HRI Free Report) was the recipient of a large decline in short interest in the month of June. As of June 15th, there was short interest totalling 825,200 shares, a decline of 21.4% from the May 31st total of 1,050,000 shares. Based on an average daily volume of 421,700 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is currently 2.0 days. Approximately 3.0% of the companys shares are sold short. Herc Stock Up 0.9 % Shares of Herc stock traded up $1.22 during trading hours on Tuesday, reaching $138.07. 143,825 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 347,626. The firm has a market cap of $3.93 billion, a PE ratio of 12.23, a PEG ratio of 0.66 and a beta of 2.52. The stocks fifty day moving average is $112.57 and its 200 day moving average is $124.85. Herc has a 1 year low of $86.54 and a 1 year high of $162.46. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 3.06, a quick ratio of 1.05 and a current ratio of 1.05. Get Herc alerts: Herc (NYSE:HRI Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, April 20th. The transportation company reported $2.35 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $2.08 by $0.27. The firm had revenue of $740.00 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $731.30 million. Herc had a return on equity of 32.23% and a net margin of 11.62%. As a group, equities research analysts forecast that Herc will post 13.8 earnings per share for the current year. Herc Dividend Announcement Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, June 9th. Shareholders of record on Friday, May 26th were issued a $0.632 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Thursday, May 25th. This represents a $2.53 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.83%. Hercs dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 22.41%. HRI has been the subject of several research analyst reports. Bank of America decreased their price objective on shares of Herc from $170.00 to $150.00 and set a buy rating for the company in a research report on Friday, April 21st. StockNews.com started coverage on shares of Herc in a research report on Thursday, May 18th. They set a hold rating for the company. Finally, KeyCorp reduced their price objective on Herc from $160.00 to $150.00 and set an overweight rating for the company in a research note on Friday, April 21st. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and four have given a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and an average price target of $158.00. Insider Transactions at Herc In other news, SVP Christian J. Cunningham sold 9,973 shares of the companys stock in a transaction dated Thursday, June 15th. The shares were sold at an average price of $125.27, for a total value of $1,249,317.71. Following the transaction, the senior vice president now directly owns 57,088 shares in the company, valued at $7,151,413.76. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. Company insiders own 1.80% of the companys stock. Institutional Trading of Herc Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of HRI. PNC Financial Services Group Inc. increased its stake in Herc by 90.9% in the first quarter. PNC Financial Services Group Inc. now owns 315 shares of the transportation companys stock valued at $52,000 after purchasing an additional 150 shares during the last quarter. Quarry LP lifted its holdings in Herc by 363.0% in the 1st quarter. Quarry LP now owns 338 shares of the transportation companys stock worth $38,000 after buying an additional 265 shares in the last quarter. CI Investments Inc. lifted its holdings in Herc by 34.4% in the 4th quarter. CI Investments Inc. now owns 500 shares of the transportation companys stock worth $66,000 after buying an additional 128 shares in the last quarter. Covestor Ltd increased its holdings in Herc by 95.8% during the 1st quarter. Covestor Ltd now owns 507 shares of the transportation companys stock worth $85,000 after purchasing an additional 248 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Salem Investment Counselors Inc. acquired a new position in Herc during the 1st quarter worth $109,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 95.79% of the companys stock. About Herc (Free Report) Herc Holdings Inc, together with its subsidiaries, operates as an equipment rental supplier. It rents aerial, earthmoving, material handling, trucks and trailers, air compressors, compaction, and lighting equipment, as well as generators, and safety supplies and expendables; and provides ProSolutions, an industry specific solution based services, such as pumping solutions, power generation, climate control, remediation and restoration, and studio and production equipment. Read More Receive News & Ratings for Herc Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Herc and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Staffline Group plc (LON:STAF Free Report) shares reached a new 52-week low on Tuesday . The stock traded as low as GBX 25.11 ($0.32) and last traded at GBX 25.50 ($0.32), with a volume of 45673 shares. The stock had previously closed at GBX 25.55 ($0.32). Staffline Group Price Performance The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 43.10, a current ratio of 0.97 and a quick ratio of 0.94. The firm has a market capitalization of 42.27 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of 1,277.50, a PEG ratio of 2.27 and a beta of 1.79. The businesss fifty day simple moving average is GBX 35.32 and its 200 day simple moving average is GBX 36.05. Get Staffline Group alerts: Insiders Place Their Bets In related news, insider Thomas Spain purchased 400,000 shares of Staffline Group stock in a transaction on Thursday, April 20th. The stock was acquired at an average cost of GBX 38 ($0.48) per share, for a total transaction of 152,000 ($192,917.88). Over the last ninety days, insiders purchased 592,762 shares of company stock worth $22,717,718. 41.31% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders. Staffline Group Company Profile Staffline Group plc, together with its subsidiaries, provides recruitment and outsourced human resource services, and skills and employment training and support services. It operates through three segments: Recruitment GB, Recruitment Ireland, and PeoplePlus. The company provides solutions to the agriculture, supermarkets, drinks, food processing, manufacturing, e-retail, driving, and logistics sectors. Featured Stories Receive News & Ratings for Staffline Group Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Staffline Group and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Swissquote Group Holding Ltd (OTCMKTS:SWQGF Free Report) was the recipient of a significant growth in short interest in the month of June. As of June 15th, there was short interest totalling 20,000 shares, a growth of 46.0% from the May 31st total of 13,700 shares. Based on an average trading volume of 0 shares, the short-interest ratio is currently days. Swissquote Group Price Performance SWQGF stock remained flat at $185.18 on Tuesday. The businesss 50 day moving average price is $185.18. Swissquote Group has a fifty-two week low of $177.50 and a fifty-two week high of $185.18. Get Swissquote Group alerts: About Swissquote Group (Free Report) Featured Articles Swissquote Group Holding Ltd provides a suite of online financial services to retail investors, affluent investors, and professional and institutional customers in Switzerland, rest of Europe, the Middle East, and the Asia Pacific. The company operates in two segments, Securities Trading and Leveraged Forex. Receive News & Ratings for Swissquote Group Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Swissquote Group and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Tatton Asset Management plc (LON:TAM Free Report) announced a dividend on Tuesday, June 13th, Upcoming.Co.Uk reports. Investors of record on Thursday, July 6th will be paid a dividend of GBX 10 ($0.13) per share on Tuesday, August 15th. This represents a yield of 2.2%. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, July 6th. This is a positive change from Tatton Asset Managements previous dividend of $4.50. The official announcement can be accessed at this link. Tatton Asset Management Stock Down 1.0 % LON TAM opened at GBX 457.25 ($5.80) on Tuesday. The stock has a market cap of 274.62 million, a PE ratio of 2,004.55, a P/E/G ratio of 1.71 and a beta of 1.11. Tatton Asset Management has a fifty-two week low of GBX 320 ($4.06) and a fifty-two week high of GBX 493.80 ($6.27). The business has a 50 day moving average price of GBX 458.56 and a two-hundred day moving average price of GBX 457.28. The company has a quick ratio of 3.50, a current ratio of 3.86 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.64. Get Tatton Asset Management alerts: Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades Separately, Royal Bank of Canada restated an outperform rating and issued a GBX 550 ($6.98) price target on shares of Tatton Asset Management in a report on Monday, March 27th. About Tatton Asset Management Tatton Asset Management plc provides fund management, compliance consultancy, and technical support services to independent financial advisers in the United Kingdom. The company operates through two segments, Tatton and Paradigm. It also offers investment management, mortgage adviser support, and mortgage and insurance product distribution services. Recommended Stories Receive News & Ratings for Tatton Asset Management Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Tatton Asset Management and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Tri City Bankshares (OTCMKTS:TRCY Free Report) is one of 273 public companies in the BanksRegional industry, but how does it contrast to its rivals? We will compare Tri City Bankshares to similar companies based on the strength of its institutional ownership, risk, valuation, earnings, dividends, analyst recommendations and profitability. Dividends Tri City Bankshares pays an annual dividend of $0.21 per share and has a dividend yield of 1.6%. Tri City Bankshares pays out 19.4% of its earnings in the form of a dividend. As a group, BanksRegional companies pay a dividend yield of 13.3% and pay out 18.7% of their earnings in the form of a dividend. Tri City Bankshares lags its rivals as a dividend stock, given its lower dividend yield and higher payout ratio. Get Tri City Bankshares alerts: Profitability This table compares Tri City Bankshares and its rivals net margins, return on equity and return on assets. Net Margins Return on Equity Return on Assets Tri City Bankshares N/A N/A N/A Tri City Bankshares Competitors 34.13% 8.42% 0.80% Analyst Recommendations Sell Ratings Hold Ratings Buy Ratings Strong Buy Ratings Rating Score Tri City Bankshares 0 0 0 0 N/A Tri City Bankshares Competitors 1073 2973 2939 11 2.27 This is a summary of current ratings and target prices for Tri City Bankshares and its rivals, as provided by MarketBeat. As a group, BanksRegional companies have a potential upside of 346.06%. Given Tri City Bankshares rivals higher probable upside, analysts clearly believe Tri City Bankshares has less favorable growth aspects than its rivals. Institutional & Insider Ownership 29.2% of shares of all BanksRegional companies are owned by institutional investors. 4.8% of Tri City Bankshares shares are owned by company insiders. Comparatively, 15.1% of shares of all BanksRegional companies are owned by company insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that endowments, large money managers and hedge funds believe a stock will outperform the market over the long term. Earnings and Valuation This table compares Tri City Bankshares and its rivals top-line revenue, earnings per share and valuation. Gross Revenue Net Income Price/Earnings Ratio Tri City Bankshares N/A N/A 12.40 Tri City Bankshares Competitors $3.10 billion $779.86 million 280.37 Tri City Bankshares rivals have higher revenue and earnings than Tri City Bankshares. Tri City Bankshares is trading at a lower price-to-earnings ratio than its rivals, indicating that it is currently more affordable than other companies in its industry. Summary Tri City Bankshares rivals beat Tri City Bankshares on 10 of the 10 factors compared. Tri City Bankshares Company Profile (Free Report) Tri City Bankshares Corporation, through its subsidiaries, provides various banking products and services primarily in Southeastern Wisconsin. The company accepts checking accounts, savings accounts, money market accounts, youth and health savings accounts, certificates of deposit, and individual retirement accounts. Its loan products include home mortgage loans, home equity loans, auto loans, construction and land loans, personal and business loans, commercial real estate loans, business lines of credit, and small business loans. The company also offers credit and debits cards; and digital banking, refinancing, overdraft protection, merchant services, remote deposit capture, bill pay, payroll, ATM, gift card, telephone banking, direct deposit, safe deposit boxes, and investment services. Tri City Bankshares Corporation was founded in 1963 and is based in Oak Creek, Wisconsin. Receive News & Ratings for Tri City Bankshares Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Tri City Bankshares and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Tsfg LLC lessened its holdings in Janus Henderson Short Duration Income ETF (NYSEARCA:VNLA Free Report) by 47.9% in the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The firm owned 2,173 shares of the companys stock after selling 1,995 shares during the quarter. Tsfg LLCs holdings in Janus Henderson Short Duration Income ETF were worth $104,000 as of its most recent SEC filing. Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also modified their holdings of VNLA. Wells Fargo & Company MN grew its holdings in shares of Janus Henderson Short Duration Income ETF by 6.3% during the 4th quarter. Wells Fargo & Company MN now owns 1,693,469 shares of the companys stock worth $80,270,000 after purchasing an additional 101,047 shares in the last quarter. LPL Financial LLC increased its holdings in Janus Henderson Short Duration Income ETF by 70.3% in the 4th quarter. LPL Financial LLC now owns 1,658,859 shares of the companys stock valued at $78,630,000 after buying an additional 684,932 shares during the period. Jane Street Group LLC acquired a new position in shares of Janus Henderson Short Duration Income ETF in the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $42,548,000. Envestnet Asset Management Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of Janus Henderson Short Duration Income ETF by 155.4% during the 4th quarter. Envestnet Asset Management Inc. now owns 821,229 shares of the companys stock worth $38,926,000 after acquiring an additional 499,625 shares during the period. Finally, Cambridge Investment Research Advisors Inc. boosted its position in shares of Janus Henderson Short Duration Income ETF by 38.7% during the 4th quarter. Cambridge Investment Research Advisors Inc. now owns 664,288 shares of the companys stock worth $31,487,000 after acquiring an additional 185,343 shares in the last quarter. Get Janus Henderson Short Duration Income ETF alerts: Janus Henderson Short Duration Income ETF Stock Performance Shares of VNLA opened at $47.68 on Tuesday. The firm has a 50 day simple moving average of $47.75 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $47.73. Janus Henderson Short Duration Income ETF has a one year low of $47.37 and a one year high of $48.85. Janus Henderson Short Duration Income ETF Announces Dividend About Janus Henderson Short Duration Income ETF The firm also recently declared a dividend, which will be paid on Monday, July 10th. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, July 5th will be issued a dividend of $0.1632 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, July 3rd. (Free Report) The Janus Henderson Short Duration Income ETF (VNLA) is an exchange-traded fund that is based on the 3-Month USD LIBOR index. The fund is an actively-managed fixed income fund that aims to outperform the FTSE 3-Month US Treasury Bill Index by holding a wide range of fixed income securities with an aggregate duration target of 0-2 years. Recommended Stories Want to see what other hedge funds are holding VNLA? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Janus Henderson Short Duration Income ETF (NYSEARCA:VNLA Free Report). Receive News & Ratings for Janus Henderson Short Duration Income ETF Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Janus Henderson Short Duration Income ETF and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Vanguard Capital Wealth Advisors lowered its stake in Uber Technologies, Inc. (NYSE:UBER Free Report) by 21.5% during the 1st quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 11,150 shares of the ride-sharing companys stock after selling 3,050 shares during the period. Vanguard Capital Wealth Advisors holdings in Uber Technologies were worth $353,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC. Several other institutional investors also recently modified their holdings of the stock. McElhenny Sheffield Capital Management LLC purchased a new position in Uber Technologies during the 4th quarter worth approximately $99,000. Pinnacle Bancorp Inc. purchased a new position in Uber Technologies during the 1st quarter worth approximately $26,000. Householder Group Estate & Retirement Specialist LLC grew its position in Uber Technologies by 89.3% during the 1st quarter. Householder Group Estate & Retirement Specialist LLC now owns 848 shares of the ride-sharing companys stock worth $27,000 after purchasing an additional 400 shares in the last quarter. MCF Advisors LLC purchased a new position in Uber Technologies during the 1st quarter worth approximately $32,000. Finally, Parkside Financial Bank & Trust grew its position in Uber Technologies by 56.9% during the 1st quarter. Parkside Financial Bank & Trust now owns 1,180 shares of the ride-sharing companys stock worth $42,000 after purchasing an additional 428 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 73.90% of the companys stock. Get Uber Technologies alerts: Wall Street Analyst Weigh In Several research firms have recently commented on UBER. Piper Sandler boosted their price target on shares of Uber Technologies from $41.00 to $43.00 in a report on Tuesday, May 2nd. Wells Fargo & Company began coverage on shares of Uber Technologies in a report on Wednesday, June 7th. They set an overweight rating and a $50.00 price target on the stock. Royal Bank of Canada restated an outperform rating and set a $46.00 price target on shares of Uber Technologies in a report on Tuesday, March 28th. Morgan Stanley boosted their price target on shares of Uber Technologies from $54.00 to $57.00 in a report on Wednesday, May 3rd. Finally, BTIG Research boosted their price target on shares of Uber Technologies from $50.00 to $55.00 in a report on Wednesday, June 28th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and twenty-seven have issued a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of Moderate Buy and an average price target of $50.44. Insider Activity at Uber Technologies Uber Technologies Stock Performance In related news, CEO Dara Khosrowshahi sold 69,975 shares of the companys stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, June 28th. The shares were sold at an average price of $45.00, for a total value of $3,148,875.00. Following the sale, the chief executive officer now owns 1,416,243 shares of the companys stock, valued at $63,730,935. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink . In related news, CEO Dara Khosrowshahi sold 69,975 shares of the companys stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, June 28th. The shares were sold at an average price of $45.00, for a total value of $3,148,875.00. Following the sale, the chief executive officer now owns 1,416,243 shares of the companys stock, valued at $63,730,935. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink . Also, insider Jill Hazelbaker sold 644 shares of the firms stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, June 9th. The stock was sold at an average price of $41.00, for a total transaction of $26,404.00. Following the sale, the insider now directly owns 128,916 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $5,285,556. The disclosure for this sale can be found here . Insiders have sold a total of 138,143 shares of company stock valued at $6,047,399 over the last quarter. 3.84% of the stock is owned by company insiders. Shares of UBER opened at $43.14 on Tuesday. The company has a 50-day simple moving average of $39.19 and a 200-day simple moving average of $33.73. The company has a quick ratio of 1.06, a current ratio of 1.06 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.12. Uber Technologies, Inc. has a 52 week low of $20.59 and a 52 week high of $45.24. Uber Technologies (NYSE:UBER Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Tuesday, May 2nd. The ride-sharing company reported ($0.08) earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of ($0.10) by $0.02. The business had revenue of $8.82 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $8.71 billion. Uber Technologies had a negative net margin of 9.95% and a negative return on equity of 43.94%. The firms revenue for the quarter was up 28.7% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm posted ($0.18) earnings per share. On average, equities research analysts forecast that Uber Technologies, Inc. will post 0.05 EPS for the current fiscal year. Uber Technologies Profile (Free Report) Uber Technologies, Inc develops and operates proprietary technology applications in the United States, Canada, Latin America, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and Asia excluding China and Southeast Asia. It operates through three segments: Mobility, Delivery, and Freight. The Mobility segment connects consumers with a range of transportation modalities, such as ridesharing, carsharing, micromobility, rentals, public transit, taxis, and other modalities; and offers riders in a variety of vehicle types, as well as financial partnerships products and advertising services. Read More Receive News & Ratings for Uber Technologies Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Uber Technologies and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Wesbanco Bank Inc. trimmed its position in shares of Eli Lilly and Company (NYSE:LLY Free Report) by 3.1% during the 1st quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 33,524 shares of the companys stock after selling 1,055 shares during the quarter. Wesbanco Bank Inc.s holdings in Eli Lilly and Company were worth $11,513,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently modified their holdings of the company. Whittier Trust Co. of Nevada Inc. boosted its position in Eli Lilly and Company by 2.6% in the first quarter. Whittier Trust Co. of Nevada Inc. now owns 6,880 shares of the companys stock worth $2,363,000 after purchasing an additional 172 shares during the last quarter. Bogart Wealth LLC lifted its stake in shares of Eli Lilly and Company by 193.3% in the 1st quarter. Bogart Wealth LLC now owns 88 shares of the companys stock worth $30,000 after purchasing an additional 58 shares during the period. Whittier Trust Co. boosted its holdings in shares of Eli Lilly and Company by 1.0% in the first quarter. Whittier Trust Co. now owns 60,219 shares of the companys stock worth $20,680,000 after buying an additional 568 shares during the last quarter. High Note Wealth LLC increased its holdings in Eli Lilly and Company by 2.5% during the first quarter. High Note Wealth LLC now owns 4,137 shares of the companys stock valued at $1,421,000 after buying an additional 101 shares during the last quarter. Finally, RNC Capital Management LLC raised its position in Eli Lilly and Company by 17.4% in the first quarter. RNC Capital Management LLC now owns 15,499 shares of the companys stock worth $5,323,000 after acquiring an additional 2,299 shares during the period. 87.25% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors. Get Eli Lilly and Company alerts: Insider Buying and Selling In other Eli Lilly and Company news, CAO Donald A. Zakrowski sold 600 shares of Eli Lilly and Company stock in a transaction on Monday, May 15th. The shares were sold at an average price of $435.29, for a total value of $261,174.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief accounting officer now directly owns 5,978 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $2,602,163.62. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. In other news, CAO Donald A. Zakrowski sold 600 shares of the firms stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, May 15th. The stock was sold at an average price of $435.29, for a total value of $261,174.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief accounting officer now directly owns 5,978 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $2,602,163.62. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. Also, EVP Patrik Jonsson sold 6,000 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, June 1st. The shares were sold at an average price of $429.46, for a total value of $2,576,760.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president now directly owns 36,941 shares in the company, valued at approximately $15,864,681.86. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last 90 days, insiders have sold 1,040,668 shares of company stock worth $449,053,086. Insiders own 0.13% of the companys stock. Eli Lilly and Company Price Performance NYSE LLY traded down $7.56 on Tuesday, reaching $461.42. The company had a trading volume of 2,113,173 shares, compared to its average volume of 2,568,236. The firms 50 day moving average price is $435.88 and its 200 day moving average price is $378.02. Eli Lilly and Company has a 12 month low of $296.32 and a 12 month high of $469.87. The stock has a market capitalization of $438.01 billion, a PE ratio of 73.28, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.15 and a beta of 0.38. The company has a quick ratio of 1.02, a current ratio of 1.30 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.67. Eli Lilly and Company (NYSE:LLY Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, April 27th. The company reported $1.62 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts consensus estimates of $1.73 by ($0.11). The firm had revenue of $6.96 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $6.87 billion. Eli Lilly and Company had a return on equity of 61.42% and a net margin of 20.54%. Eli Lilly and Companys quarterly revenue was down 10.9% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm posted $2.62 earnings per share. As a group, equities analysts predict that Eli Lilly and Company will post 8.78 earnings per share for the current year. Eli Lilly and Company Dividend Announcement The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, September 8th. Investors of record on Tuesday, August 15th will be issued a $1.13 dividend. This represents a $4.52 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.98%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, August 14th. Eli Lilly and Companys dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 71.86%. Analysts Set New Price Targets A number of equities research analysts have recently issued reports on LLY shares. Cantor Fitzgerald boosted their price objective on shares of Eli Lilly and Company from $485.00 to $550.00 in a research report on Tuesday, June 27th. Morgan Stanley boosted their price target on Eli Lilly and Company from $478.00 to $507.00 in a report on Monday, May 15th. Credit Suisse Group raised their price objective on Eli Lilly and Company from $420.00 to $490.00 in a research note on Thursday, May 4th. StockNews.com downgraded Eli Lilly and Company from a strong-buy rating to a buy rating in a research note on Monday, June 12th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company raised their target price on shares of Eli Lilly and Company from $440.00 to $500.00 in a research note on Friday, May 26th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, two have assigned a hold rating and thirteen have issued a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and an average price target of $437.90. Eli Lilly and Company Company Profile (Free Report) Eli Lilly and Company discovers, develops, and markets human pharmaceuticals worldwide. It offers Basaglar, Humalog, Humalog Mix 75/25, Humalog U-100, Humalog U-200, Humalog Mix 50/50, insulin lispro, insulin lispro protamine, insulin lispro mix 75/25, Humulin, Humulin 70/30, Humulin N, Humulin R, and Humulin U-500 for diabetes; and Jardiance, Trajenta, and Trulicity for type 2 diabetes. Read More Receive News & Ratings for Eli Lilly and Company Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Eli Lilly and Company and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Dr Reddy's Laboratories chairman Satish Reddy, Aurigene CEO Akil Ravi met industries and IT minister KT Rama Rao on Tuesday in Hyderabad. Hyderabad: Aurigene Pharmaceutical Services, a contract research, development, and manufacturing services organisation and a step-down subsidiary of Dr Reddy's Laboratories, has decided to establish a development and manufacturing facility focused on niche areas like therapeutic proteins, antibodies, and viral vectors in Hyderabad. It will invest about $ 40 million (about Rs 330 crore) in the facility. Dr Reddys Laboratories chairman Satish Reddy, Aurigene chief executive officer Akil Ravi met industries and IT minister KT Rama Rao on Tuesday to brief him about the upcoming facility and growth plans of Aurigene. The company official said the $40 million investment will create about 200 direct job positions and another 60-70 indirect job opportunities in three years. The company has plans to increase investments in future. Aurigene would collaborate with biotech innovators to facilitate development and introduction of innovative medicines into the market. Aurigene also has plans to venture into novel therapies, particularly cell and gene therapies with an intent to play a role in making affordable medicines accessible to people in India. "I am delighted that Aurigene has chosen Genome Valley to establish their research and development and manufacturing facility. This investment is aligned with the Government's vision to enhance complex manufacturing at scale. By investing in biotherapeutics discovery, Aurigene has further strengthened Hyderabad's position as a preferred destination for biopharmaceutical research and production," said Rama Rao. "We are grateful to the Government of Telangana for their efforts to develop Telangana and Hyderabad into a leading pharmaceutical and biotechnology hub by bringing together various stakeholders, providing crucial support and infrastructure," said Akhil Ravi. The company has 25 years experience in developing therapeutic proteins and antibodies, he said. Industries principal secretary Jayesh Ranjan and Telangana Life Sciences chief executive officer Shakthi Nagappan were present. Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy laying the foundation to revival of Chittoor Dairy on Monday. Minister R K Roja and others are also seen. (Image By Arrangement) TIRUPATI: Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy has fulfilled a promise he made during his last pre-poll padayatra by setting the foundation stone for revival of the long-defunct Chittoor Cooperative Dairy here on Tuesday. This marks a significant milestone in the region's dairy industry, on which a large number of farmers are dependent. The Chief Minister handed over the management of the Chittoor dairy to Amul group, which earlier entered into a Memorandum of Understanding with the state government for the revival and restoration of the defunct dairy. Under this collaboration, Amul would invest Rs 385 crore in the venture that would generate 5,000 new jobs and benefit 2 lakh people indirectly. The Chief Minister made the announcement at a public meeting held on the police parade grounds in Chittoor after performing the bhumi puja. He said the government has cleared the Chittoor dairy's debts of Rs 182 crore, and signed the MoU with Amul to breathe new life into the dairy industry in the region. "The Amul group will set up a state-of-the-art ice cream manufacturing facility with an investment of Rs 150 crore, making it the largest facility of its kind in the country. Within the next 10 months, the company aims to process 1 lakh litres of milk daily, with plans to also set up units for producing paneer, yogurt, cheese, butter, as also start a milk powder factory in subsequent phases," he said. The Chief Minister highlighted the government's commitment to reviving the dairy sector in the state through its partnership with Amul. He referred to the success of the Jagananna Pala Velluva scheme, launched on December 20, 2020, which helped in the collection of over 8.78 crore litres of milk within two years. "The scheme ensures timely payments to dairy farmers every 10 days, effectively raising the price of cow milk from Rs 32 per litre to Rs 89.76 per litre," the CM said. Recounting the glorious days of Chittoor Dairy, Jagan Mohan Reddy referred to its sudden closure on August 31, 2002, when TD leader Chandrababu Naidu was chief minister of united AP. He blamed Naidu for the downfall of the Chittoor Dairy and accused him of conspiring against it to benefit his family-owned private dairy plant, Heritage, which was established in 1992. The Chief Minister pledged to make up for the losses suffered by the Chittoor Dairy and restore its former glory as a leading cooperative entity in the country. Meanwhile, during his visit to Chittoor, the Chief Minister performed the bhumi puja for construction of the CMC medical College and Hospital at Cheerlapalli on the outskirts of Chittoor. Jagan Mohan Reddy said the medical college and hospital project had been a long-standing dream of his father and former CM, Y.S. Rajasekhar Reddy. "Now, after 14 years of negligence by successive governments, the construction of the medical college and hospital is finally becoming a reality," he added. IT Minister KT Rama Rao launches medical devices in Hyderabad. Hyderabad: Industries and IT minister KT Rama Rao unveiled medical devices developed by home grown companies Huwel Lifesciences, EMPE Diagnostics and Blue Semi. The State also entered into a memorandum of understanding with several companies to facilitate medical device testing and prototyping services to tenant companies at the Medical Devices Park, Sultanpur. "I am delighted to witness yet another milestone in the medtech sector in Telangana with the signing of the MoUs for product testing and the launch of Made in Telangana devices by our homegrown companies Huwel Lifesciences, EMPE Diagnostics and Blue Semiand. While collaboration for testing will enhance scaleup and growth, the launch of these innovative products is a testament to the vibrant medtech ecosystem in the State," Rama Rao said. Huwel Lifesciences, which is into in-vitro diagnostics and reagents, has a facility at the Medical Devices Park at Sultanpur. It developed two point of care testing (POCT) devices for testing infections and haemoglobin. Huwel has about 20 manufacturing licenses for various diagnostic kits and devices and is the largest supplier (5.4 crore tests in 25 states) of indigenously manufactured Covid RTPCR kits in India. "Huwels capabilities of indigenisation and scale up has been demonstrated by being the largest supplier of Covid RT PCR kits in the country with all components made in house in Hyderabad. Currently, we are making POCT devices from Telangana," said Dr Shesheer Kumar, managing director and founder, Huwel Lifesciences. EMPE Diagnostics has established a global production and R&D facility at Genome Valley. It invested about Rs 25 crore. The company developed an inexpensive diagnostic test kit to detect TB and its antibiotic resistance, which is first of its kind in the world. The test kit has received license from CDSCO and is ready to be supplied to TB clinics. EMPE Diagnostics is the first ever company to receive grants from European Innovation Council and Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. "We currently have a capacity to make 25 million kits and will be expanding to 100 million kits soon. Our mission is to produce the kits in Telangana and supply them to the world," said Raghavendra Goud, chief executive officer of EMPE Diagnostics. Blue Semi launched EYVA gadget that can measure six body vitals in 60 seconds including blood glucose without a prick of the needle. With over 6.6 lakh scans so far, it has proven its effectiveness. "The nurturing atmosphere in Telangana has been pivotal in the advancement of groundbreaking health tech innovations like our EYVA gadget," said Sunil Maddikatla, chief executive officer and founder, Blue Semi. Several companies and startups based in Hyderabad are focused on building 3D-printed bionic arms, imaging systems, digital health solutions, mobile dialysis units and implants. Medical Devices Park offers facilities to support innovation, research and development, manufacturing as well as product testing, warehousing and logistics, and is now catching the attention of global investors also, with many lining up to establish their units in this facility. Companies like Medtronic, and B. Braun have already made Hyderabad their growth centre. Last month, Medtronic had announced Rs 3,000 crore (more than $350 million) investment to expand the Medtronic Engineering and Innovation Center (MEIC) in Hyderabad. Industries principal secretary Jayesh Ranjan, Telangana Life Sciences chief executive officer Shakthi M Nagappan, Medical Devices Park vice president Paridhi Gupta were also present at the event. Published on: July 4, 2023 | Updated on: July 4, 2023 GHMC Commissioner D.S. Lokesh Kumar. (Image Source: Twitter) Hyderabad: Telangana government issued orders in the name of the governor for transfer and postings of certain IAS officers. As per the order dated July 4, 2023, the following IAS officers have been transferred and given postings GHMC Commissioner Lokesh Kumar DS (IAS 2033) is transferred and posted as additional chief electoral officer, I/o CEO, Telangana Hyderabad D Ronald Rose IAS (2006), Secretary to government, finance department is transfetrred and posted as commissioner, GHMC Director Prohibition and excise, Sarfaraz Ahmad IAS (2009), has been transferred and posted as Joint Chief Election Officer O/o. CEO, Telangana, Hyderabad duly relieving T. Ravi Kiran, IFS. Md Musharraf Ali Faruqui IAS (2014), who is waiting for posting has been posted as director, Prohibition & Excise vice Sarfaraz Ahmed. Bandi Sanjay Kumar. (File Photo) Hyderabad: Telangana former BJP president and Karimnagar MP Bandi Sanjay thanked all BJP leaders and karyakartas for supporting and encouraging him during his tenure as State BJP president. In a tweet, he thanked senior leaders of BJP and members of all Morchas, Sangrama Sena, employees of State party office, social media warriors, electronic and print media. He said that he is grateful to people of Telangana who welcomed him with open arms in every step during PrajaSangramaYatra. He also said that he will remain indebted to Karimnagar voters & karyakarthas. "Under the able leadership of Shri @kishanreddybjp garu I look forward to working for the party with renewed vigour, (sic)", Sanjay tweeted. Pawan Kalyan. Vijayawada: Jana Sena chief and actor Pawan Kalyan has made a debut on the popular social media platform Instagram and got 1.3 million followers in a few hours. His fans eagerly waited for his first post on Tuesday. His bio reads as, Rise, face and choose..Jai Hind!. Though he had been busy in his political campaign in the twin districts of Godavari from June 14 to June 30 by taking out roadshows on his vehicle Varahi and addressing public meetings, he took a short break a day ago to act in films. At present, he is involved in the dubbing work for his upcoming film Bro in which he is starring along with nephew Sai Dharam Tej. He has three more films like Hari Hara Veera Mallu, Ustaad Bhagat Singh and OG in the production line. Pawan Kalyan has 5.3 million followers on his Twitter account and 962k followers on his Facebook account. The actor joined Instagram marking the birth anniversary of revolutionary Telugu Freedom fighter Alluri Sitarama Raju, the character which was played by his nephew Ram Charan in the film RRR. Pawan Kalyan was yet to post anything on the newly created platform but he was being received by his fans enthusiastically and they made the hashtag #PawanKalyanOnInistagram, which is trending on Twitter. His brother Nagababu welcomed Pawan Kalyan to Instagram and said, "On the day of the birth anniversary of Alluri Sitarama Raju, who said that the freedom of motherland needs hands and not words, welcome to Instagram my Alluri, whom I know and whom I have seen." Nagababu said, "Storm Alert! The power is about to arrive on Instagram, granting us additional time to connect." With Pawan Kalyan aiming to be chief minister of Andhra Pradesh by contesting polls and also taking up the poll campaign much ahead of others, it has to be seen how his social media exposure with a huge fan following would help him be a successful politician. Union minister for tourism and culture G. Kishan Reddy.(Photo: DC) Hyderabad: The Bharatiya Janata Party has appointed Union Minister and Lok Sabha member from Secunderabad, G Kishan Reddy, as the new president of the BJP in Telangana. His appointment comes into force with immediate effect, the party announced on Tuesday afternoon. In Andhra Pradesh, the BJP handed over the party reins to D Purandeswari who replaced Somu Veerraju as the AP BJP president. Kishan Reddy replaced Bandi Sanjay Kumar who led the party for nearly four years in the state. Sanjay, who met with party national president JP Nadda and other senior leaders in Delhi, was asked to step down following which he resigned from the position. In another significant development, the BJP also announced the appointment of Etala Rajendar, the party MLA from Huzururabad, as the state party units campaign committee chairman. And in AP, the party said it was appointing former chief minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy as a member of the BJPs national executive. New BJP presidents of Telangana and Andhra Prdesh G Kishan Reddy(L) and Daggubati Purandeswari(R). (DC Image) Hyderabad: After weeks of speculation, discussions, an unending cycle of damning media leaks, chit chats and lame denials, public display of dissent, leaders asserting their demands openly, and the partys public graph falling perceptibly, the BJP has made changes to its leadership in both Telugu states ahead of the elections later this year in Telangana and next year, along with the Lok Sabha polls, in Andhra Pradesh. In Telangana, the change in leadership arises after a prolonged dissent, predominantly led by ex-BRS leader and former minister Etala Rajendar who had joined the saffron party in duress and was supported by a group of leaders sought the removal of Bandi Sanjay Kumar from the state party chief post. The orchestration, after over a year of constant efforts, finally succeeded in removing Sanjay, but the position of the state president went to Ajatashatru and former state unit chief, Union minister G Kishan Reddy. Rajendar himself was elevated almost simultaneously as the chairman of the BJPs state election management committee. "The high command has taken the decision after considering all factors. It has nothing to do with this state alone. The BJP took a decision over change of leadership in many states as part of the preparations for the coming elections. Everyone will get his or her share of responsibility and we will fight and try to win the elections unitedly," said party leader N.V.S.S. Prabhakar, a former MLA. "There is a clear indication of surrender. An aggressive leader like Bandi Sanjay has been sidelined to accommodate Rajendars demands and to bring in Kishan Reddy. This is a clear signal that the party will go soft on the BRS," said another leader, a former MLA. "Kishan Reddy is a BJP loyalist but hes neither aggressive nor confrontational. At best, at this stage, he can carry everyone along." "The party has rewarded experience and ideological commitment. Kishan Reddy can lead us all to victory," said Nizamabad MP Arvind Dharmapuri. "Rajendar is also an important leader and we are very confident we will defeat the BRS in the assembly elections." There was visible dejection in quarters that were perceived to be hardcore Sanjay loyalists, but there was hardly a matching eruption of joy or euphoria elsewhere. Most common workers and activists, including those on several dedicated BJP Whatsapp groups, said they were confused or unhappy. Rajendar has been promising a dam-burst-scale exodus of leaders from other parties into the BJP after he was made the chief of the joining committee. But he could not deliver the results, the blame for which he laid on Sanjay. In recent times, despite all efforts, the BJP could not induct Ponguleti Srinivas Reddy and Jupally Krishna Rao, both instead having joined the Congress. "The structure is clear. Kishan Reddy is president of the BJP state unit and the boss. Everyone, including Rajendar, would report to him," said N. Ramchander Rao, a former MLC. "We built the party within a short time to a point, where, for the first time in history we were within range of winning power in a Telugu state. It is Sanjays contribution. Sadly, it was all given up," said another leader. Voicing optimism, Karuna Gopal said, "Our national leaders have recast the team before elections based on a deep understanding of the existing political mood in Telangana. Sanjay, who built the party, will surely be elevated to a big position and will be a star campaigner. Kishan Reddys sangfroid and rich experience, and Etalas reach and pull, especially with the Mudiraj voters, will give us a big victory." Several leaders in the Congress, including old warhorse V. Hanumantha Rao feel these two decisions together prove that the BJP was in an undeniable, tacit understanding with the BRS. Hanumantha Rao said, "If any party replaces an aggressive tiger like Bandi Sanjay and gets a soft-spoken leader like Kishan Reddy, it proves Rahul Gandhis statement that the BRS is the BJPs B-team. Now the BJP has clearly given up the fight in Telangana." On their part, all three leaders thanked the high command, signaling that personal emotions would be set aside and all of them would work together. But only the time ahead will reveal how inspiring would Kishan Reddys leadership be, and whether the two leaders would be able to coordinate matters effectively. Political analysts are a divided lot and the jury is out on who will benefit from these moves the BJP itself, or if this was an erroneous decision, who would gain the Congress or the BRS. In Andhra Pradesh, where the direct stakes of the BJP are far lower, having polled less than the NOTA in the previous elections when it fought alone, the partys roping in of Daggubati Purandeswari as president is being interpreted as yet another signal that the BJP might look for an alliance in AP. But if she has an advantage, she has low expectations to go by; and in the coming days, there would be speculation whether the BJP will allow the Telugu Desam to re-enter the NDA. Iran on Tuesday became the new permanent member of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) at an India-hosted virtual summit of the grouping. In his opening remarks, Prime Minister Narendra Modi congratulated Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi and the people of Iran on the country becoming a full member of the influential grouping. "I extend my congratulations to President Raisi and the people of Iran on this occasion. We also welcome the signing of the Memorandum of Obligation for Belarus' SCO membership," he said. "The interest of other countries in joining SCO today is a testament to the importance of this organisation," he said. India hosted the summit in its capacity as the grouping's current chair. Also Read | Chinese President Xi Jinping calls for efforts by SCO countries to safeguard regional peace, ensure common security The summit, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, was joined by Chinese President Xi Jinping, his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin, Pakistan PM Shehbaz Sharif and other leaders of the grouping. In his remarks, Raisi expressed hope that Iran's presence in the SCO will provide a platform for achieving collective security and sustainable development, as well as unity between the countries. A declaration issued at the conclusion of the summit said the member states "stressed the historical significance of the admission of the Islamic Republic of Iran to the SCO as a full member state". "They also noted the importance of signing the Memorandum of Obligations by the Republic of Belarus to achieve the status of an SCO member state," it said. The SCO was founded at a summit in Shanghai in 2001 by the presidents of Russia, China, the Kyrgyz Republic, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. India and Pakistan became its permanent members in 2017. Ukrainian officials said at least 38 people, including 12 children, were wounded in a Russian missile strike on Tuesday which an officer said targeted a military funeral in the northeastern Kharkiv region. Television footage from the small town of Pervomaiskyi showed a tall residential building with smashed windows and black smoke pouring out. Mangled cars were in flames nearby, and a man sat in an ambulance with blood over his face. Regional governor Oleh Synehubov said an Iskander missile had slammed into a residential quarter in Pervomaiskyi at 1.35 p.m. Kyiv time (1035 GMT). "We weren't at home, we went for a walk in the park. I don't know what happened, I heard an explosion, probably a missile," a local resident, who gave her name only as Alla, said on the street as she hugged her granddaughter. "I only remember that when the explosion sounded, we were thrown up into the air. Then we continued walking, we saw blown out windows everywhere, I saw cars on fire. I just can't get a grip of myself, my legs are still shaking." Prosecutors said the youngest of the 38 people hurt in the attack was a child of three months. The child's condition was not immediately clear. About 100 people were shown in television footage gathering at a funeral in Pervomaiskyi, some of them in uniform and some in civilian clothes. Major Maksym Zhorin, a former commander of a fighting unit known as the Azov battalion that is now part of the Ukrainian army, said the town was hit as people gathered for the funeral of Oleh Fadeenko, a soldier with the call-sign "Baby" who he said had been killed in combat near Bakhmut in eastern Ukraine. "They targeted the site where the ceremony was taking place," Zhorin said on the Telegram messaging app. Russia did not immediately comment on the attack. Moscow has denied deliberately targeting civilians but its missile and drone attacks have repeatedly struck cities across Ukraine since the Feb. 24, 2022 invasion. Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla will lead a parliamentary delegation to Mongolia, the first such visit by an Indian parliamentary team to that country after a gap of seven years. This is the "return visit" of the parliamentary delegation since the Parliament of India hosted the Mongolian delegation in December 2021, the Lok Sabha Secretariat said on Tuesday. The Indian delegation is visiting at the invitation of the Speaker of the State Great Khural (parliament) of Mongolia. The July 6-8 visit will contribute towards sustaining high-level exchanges and reinforcing the strategic partnership between India and Mongolia, the Lok Sabha Secretariat said. During the visit, the Speaker will be accorded a ceremonial welcome at Sukhbaatar Square, Ulaanbaatar, by Zandanshatar Gombojav, the Speaker of the State of Great Khural. The delegation will call on President of Mongolia Ukhnaagiin Khurelsukh and will have a bilateral parliamentary dialogue with the Speaker of the host parliament. Since the visit is coinciding with the commencement of the Nadaam festivities, marking the beginning of the Mongolian new year, Birla and the delegation will get an opportunity to participate in the mini Nadaam celebrations hosted by the speaker of the Mongolian Parliament. Delhi Lt Governor V K Saxena has terminated the services of around 400 'specialists' appointed by the Arvind Kejriwal government in different departments citing alleged irregularities in recruitment, a decision dubbed as "unconstitutional" by the AAP dispensation which plans to challenge it in court. The terminated persons were engaged in a "non-transparent manner" and without the mandatory approvals of the competent authority. Several of them did not even fulfil the educational and work eligibility criteria as laid down in the advertisements issued for the recruitment on the posts, the L-G office said in a statement. The move triggered a fresh round of confrontation between the ruling party and the lieutenant governor. In a statement, the Aam Aadmi Party said that the L-G has no power to take such action and accused him of trying to paralyse the Delhi government. Also Read | Don't demolish religious structures in Delhi: AAP's Atishi urges L-G Saxena The L-G office said the appointments also did not follow the mandatory reservation policy for SC, ST and OBC candidates prescribed by the Department of Personnel and Training. "Delhi L-G, VK Saxena has agreed to the proposal of the Services department to immediately terminate the services of about 400 private persons engaged as Fellows/Associate Fellows/Advisors / Dy Advisors/Specialists/Senior Research Officers/Consultants, etc by Delhi government in its various departments and agencies," the L-G office statement said. The AAP government, however, claimed that due process was followed in the recruitment. "No principles of natural justice were followed when the L-G took this decision. Not even a single show cause notice was issued, no explanation or clarification was sought at any stage. This unconstitutional decision will be challenged before the court of law," it said. The hired fellows were from top colleges and universities such as IIM Ahmedabad, Delhi School of Economics, NALSAR, JNU, NIT, London School of Economics, Cambridge etc. and were doing excellent work in various departments, it said. "They were all hired following due process and administrative norms," it claimed. In its statement, the L-G office charged that administrative departments concerned also "did not verify" the veracity of work experience certificates submitted by these private persons, which were found to be "fudged and manipulated" in many cases. The L-G accepted the proposal of the Services department that all Delhi government departments, Corporations, Boards, Societies and other autonomous bodies will immediately terminate the engagement of these private persons which was done without seeking approval of the Lt Governor who is the competent authority in the matter, the statement said. However, if any administrative department finds it appropriate to continue such engagements, it may propose detailed cases with proper justification and forward them to the Services Department for submission to the L-G for consideration and approval, it said. It was found by the Services department that some departments like Environment, Archaeology, Delhi Archives, Women and Child Development and Industries did not obtain approval of the competent authority before engaging private persons, it said. The Services department had compiled the information received from 23 departments and agencies of the Delhi government that engaged private persons as "specialists". During the scrutiny by the Services department, it was found that 69 persons were engaged in five departments of Archaeology, Environment, Delhi Archives, Women and Child Development and Industries without the approval of the competent authority. Also, 13 Boards, autonomous bodies which engaged 155 persons, also did not take the necessary approval and no information was provided to the Services department about the engagements of 187 persons in Delhi Assembly Research Centre (DARC), Dialogue and Development Commission of Delhi (DDCD) and Department of Planning, about the issue of approval of the competent authority, the statement said. Eleven persons were engaged in 4 departments - Health and Family Welfare, Food Safety, Indira Gandhi Hospital and Transport- with the approval of the Lieutenant Governor. Saxena has also noted that the Cabinet note pertaining to the Chief Minister Urban Leader Fellowship Programme, whereby 36 fellows and 14 associate fellows were engaged, was approved in 2018 and in 2021 by the competent authority. The Lieutenant Governor directed that all concerned should comply with the Services department's instructions failing which action including departmental proceedings may be initiated against the administrative secretary concerned, added the statement. The Delhi government alleged in its statement that the L-G is "hell-bent upon completely destroying" Delhi. "He chose to punish these 400 talented young professionals only because they chose to associate with the Delhi government," it said. "The L-G does not have the power to do so. He is acting illegally and against the Constitution. His only purpose is to find new ways every day to paralyse Delhi govt so that the people of Delhi suffer," the AAP statement said. Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami called Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday as the state works to implement a Uniform Civil Code. Dhami had earlier met Home Minister Amit Shah and apprised him of the preparation for 'kanwar yatra' along with other issues while making no direct reference to the UCC. Also Read | Opposition MPs question 'intent' of UCC Last week, Dhami said the state government will act on the draft Uniform Civil Code as soon as it receives the report on the issue from the expert committee examining the subject. His comments followed a press conference by the state-appointed expert panel chaired by Ranjana Desai, who said the draft report on the UCC for the state was ready and sent for printing. In its manifesto for the 2022 assembly elections in the state, BJP had promised to bring a UCC. In a move largely seen as the preparation of the implementation of the Uniform Civil Code, Uttarakhand CM Pushkar Singh Dhami met PM Modi on Tuesday, hours after he met home minister Amit Shah. Dhami told reporters that the UCC will be implemented in the state soon, even though he added that the UCC was not part of the discussions with the prime minister. After the meeting, Dhami spoke to reporters and said that nothing will be done in haste. He (the PM) knows all about the provisions of UCC. His view is that UCC should be implemented in the country. We will bring it soon, but will we do anything in haste, Dhami said. Also Read | Opposition MPs question 'intent' of UCC The expert committee formed in the state for the implementation of the UCC is set to submit its report soon. Recently, at a function in Madhya Pradesh, PM Modi advocated the implementation of the UCC and said that the Opposition was trying to mislead the Muslims on the matter. Several tribal communities have also echoed the Opposition charge of not carrying out enough consultations on the matter. Dhami said that he also invited the PM for the investors summit, and that the Char Dham yatra, the infrastructure projects in the state as well as law and order situation was discussed. The Joshimath disaster, too, was discussed along with ways of preparing for natural calamities in monsoon. Among infrastructure projects, Dhami sought financial assistance of Rs 1,546 crore from the Centre and approval for the Kiccha-Khatima railway station project. Apart from that, he also sought clearance of a proposal to shift Dehraduns main railway station to Harrawala station, which has recently been renovated. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit Uttar Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Telangana and Rajasthan on July 7 and 8 during which he will inaugurate and lay the foundation stones of about 50 projects worth around Rs 50,000 crore, official sources said Tuesday. All these states, except Uttar Pradesh, are slated to go to polls later this year. On Friday, Prime Minister Modi will first travel from Delhi to Raipur, where he will lay the foundation stone and dedicate multiple projects, including the six-lane sections of the Raipur-Vishakhapatnam corridor, to people. Thereafter, he will attend a public meeting. Also Read | PM Modi chairs Council of Ministers meet amid Cabinet reshuffle buzz The prime minister will then travel to Gorakhpur where will attend a programme at the Gita Press, the sources said. Thereafter, he will flag off Vande Bharat trains on three routes and also lay the foundation stone for redevelopment of the Gorakhpur railway station. From Gorakhpur, Modi will travel to his constituency, Varanasi, where he will inaugurate and lay the foundation stone of multiple key projects. In Varanasi, the prime minister will inaugurate the Pandit Deen Dayal Upadhyay Junction to Son Nagar new section of the Dedicated Freight Corridor. He will also dedicate to people the four-lane widened NH56 (Varanasi-Jaunpur). PM Modi will also lay the foundation stone for the renovation of Manikarnika Ghat and Harishchandra Ghat, the sources said. On July 8, he will travel from Varanasi to Warangal in Telangana. In Warangal, he will lay the foundation stone of various projects, including for key sections of Nagpur-Vijayawada Corridor. Modi will also lay the foundation stone of four-laning of Karimnagar-Warangal section of NH-563. Thereafter, he will attend a public meeting in Warangal. The prime minister will then travel from Warangal to Bikaner, where he will lay the foundation stone and dedicate multiple projects. He will dedicate various sections of Amritsar-Jamnagar Expressway and also dedicate the Inter-State Transmission Line for Green Energy Corridor Phase-I. He will also lay the foundation stone for redevelopment of Bikaner railway station. Thereafter, he will attend a public meeting in Bikaner. Arrested Tamil Nadu Minister V Senthil Balaji failed to get any relief from the Madras High Court on Tuesday with a division bench delivering a split verdict in a habeas corpus petition filed by his wife against the arrest by Enforcement Directorate (ED) in a money laundering case. Senthil Balaji, who is now a minister without portfolio in Chief Minister M K Stalins cabinet, was arrested by the ED on June 14 in a cash-for-job scam during his 2011-2015 tenure as Transport Minister in the then AIADMK Cabinet led by J Jayalalithaa. Also Read: DMK may consider browbeating Tamil Nadu Governor R N Ravi over Senthil Balaji's dismissal However, Balaji complained of chest pain following which he was admitted to the Government Omandurar Hospital here. Days later, the minister underwent a by-pass heart surgery at a private hospital, where he is recuperating now. In her verdict, Justice J Nisha Banu said the habeas corpus petition filed by Balajis wife Megala is maintainable and declared his immediate release from judicial custody. However, justice D Bharatha Chakravarthy said he couldnt agree with his senior judge, while maintaining that there was no case made out to show that Balajis arrest by the ED was illegal. Since the judges delivered a split verdict, the matter has now been referred to Chief Justice Sanjay Vijaykumar Gangapurwala for appointment of a third judge to hear the case. Senior counsel and Rajya Sabha MP N R Elango, who appeared for Balajis wife, said status quo remains in the case as the court delivered a split verdict. Balajis arrest by the ED also led to a major political controversy in Tamil Nadu with Governor R N Ravi "dismissing" him from the Council of Ministers, only to put on abeyance his decision within a few hours. Stalin, while "disregarding" the communication from Governor, said only the CM has the right to induct or dismiss a minister. Tamil Nadu on Tuesday said it will knock at the doors of the Cauvery Water Management Authority (CWMA) seeking a direction to Karnataka to release the remaining quantum of water to the state from June month share immediately for irrigation purposes. Water Resources Minister Durai Murugan left Chennai for New Delhi Tuesday evening to meet CWMA authorities regarding non-release of water by Karnataka. He told reporters that Karnataka released only 2.83 tmcft water from the stipulated June share of 9.11 tmcft as per the 2018 final verdict of the Supreme Court. Karnataka has to comply with the orders of the Supreme Court. The monthly water release schedule should be followed and there should not be any delay. We are asking the CWMA to tell Karnataka to release the pending amount of water from June share and stick to the SC-fixed quantum for July as well, Durai Murugan said. He said the water was necessary for farmers in the Cauvery Delta region of Tamil Nadu for kuruvai (short-term crop) cultivation which has been taken up in an area of about 4 lakh acres. The cultivation is being done with water released from the Stanley Reservoir in Mettur, the lifeline of the farmers in the region. Also Read | Will stop Karnatakas efforts on Mekedatu reservoir: Tamil Nadu Officials said Karnataka is supposed to release 31.24 tmcft of Cauvery water to Tamil Nadu in July, 45.95 tmcft in August, and 36.76 tmcft in September. For the past few years, the issue of deficit wasnt raised primarily because of release of surplus water from dams in Karnataka due to incessant rains. However, officials said, the deficit for the month of June alone is nearly 7 tmcft. To a question on Karnatakas contention that it couldnt stick to the schedule due to erratic monsoon, Durai Murugan replied: They give their reasons, and we will give our reasons before the CWMA. We will fight for our share of water, he added. On Karnataka deputy chief minister D K Shivakumars contention that the state will go ahead with construction of a reservoir in Mekedatu, the minister said the neighbouring state doesnt have the rights to build a dam without the concurrence of the lower riparian state, Tamil Nadu. Karnatakas decision to build a dam in Mekedatu ostensibly to meet growing drinking water needs of Bengaluru before the Cauvery water enters Tamil Nadu has been a source of friction between the two states. While Karnataka says it is well within its rights to construct the dam, Tamil Nadu opposes the same saying the project cannot be implemented without the concurrence of the lower riparian state. Shares of Virgin Money UK PLC (OTCMKTS:CYBBF Free Report) have been given a consensus recommendation of Hold by the six brokerages that are presently covering the stock, Marketbeat Ratings reports. Four equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and two have issued a buy rating on the company. The average twelve-month price objective among analysts that have issued a report on the stock in the last year is $200.00. A number of research analysts have issued reports on the company. Citigroup decreased their target price on Virgin Money UK from GBX 265 ($3.36) to GBX 200 ($2.54) in a research note on Thursday, June 1st. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods raised Virgin Money UK from a market perform rating to an outperform rating in a research note on Tuesday, April 4th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. decreased their target price on Virgin Money UK from GBX 200 ($2.54) to GBX 180 ($2.28) in a research note on Friday, April 14th. Finally, Royal Bank of Canada upped their price target on shares of Virgin Money UK from GBX 205 ($2.60) to GBX 220 ($2.79) in a report on Tuesday, May 9th. Get Virgin Money UK alerts: Virgin Money UK Price Performance CYBBF opened at $1.90 on Tuesday. The firm has a 50 day simple moving average of $1.83 and a 200 day simple moving average of $1.85. Virgin Money UK has a fifty-two week low of $1.44 and a fifty-two week high of $2.29. Virgin Money UK Company Profile Virgin Money UK PLC provides banking products and services for consumers, and small and medium sized businesses under the Clydesdale Bank, Yorkshire Bank, and Virgin Money brands in the United Kingdom. The company offers savings and current accounts, mortgages, credit cards, and home loans; business loans, overdraft facilities, treasury solutions, and corporate and structured finance; asset and invoice finance services; risk management; international trade services; and home, car, and life and critical illness insurance products. Recommended Stories Receive News & Ratings for Virgin Money UK Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Virgin Money UK and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Being a traffic warden anywhere isnt always easy but Gerry Cooke has left his role with nothing but praise for the people of Buncrana, having patrolled the streets in recent years. Gerry, who is a native of Limavady, Co Derry, finished up at the end of last month and has been knocked off his feet so much by the well-wishes of the people in the area, then decided to pen a letter to show his gratitude, titled Thank you the People Of Buncrana. On Friday last I finished work in Buncrana after a wonderful exciting five years, Gerry wrote. Friday morning at 1:30am I was awoken by a ring of my phone and the message was telling me to check out an article on Facebook about me. To my surprise, I started to read the article that Bill ODoherty had placed on Facebook the previous day. I genuinely was surprised and humbled by the content that Bill and others had written about me during my time in Buncrana. Bill, from ODohertys Bar, had penned a tribute to Gerry, which read: Heres a photo of a man that hasnt an ounce of Buncrana blood in him & he probably has never stayed a night in the town. Yet for many, many people hes seen as almost being part of the town and its side streets. Gerry Cooke must be one of the world's most civil traffic wardens and tomorrow Friday is his last day in Buncrana. An accomplished engineer Gerry spent many years working in DuPont before seeking a wee change in career and ended up in Buncrana for a number of years, not only as the traffic warden but for many, the meeter and greeter for hundreds of people as they parked for minutes or hours on the streets of Buncrana. With a fascinating insight into who owned which car- he didnt get it wrong too often- and is known to be slightly liberal on the minutes at times- yet still top class at his job. On many occasions, we could hear him chatting nicely to a potential criminal and Gerry could listen away cooly to the many tall tales that he was spun by motorists. Even when he was getting an unsavoury mouthful from disgruntled parkers hed still be the same cool dude and didnt get excited. On occasions, we noted his ability to issue a ticket yet by the time he had finished chatting to the victim you'd be forgiven for thinking that it was he that had got the parking ticket!! Born and reared in Limavady, this highly educated, travelled and knowledgeable man is not for hanging up the boots yet, nor retiring to spend time with his adult son and two daughters who all have made careers in public service. Hes moving on to new challenges in the engineering field after enjoying most of a decade in Buncrana. On our own behalf, wed like to wish Gerry all the best for the future and we think he will always be thought of fondly as a lovely man who made fantastic work of an extremely difficult job. Gerry must be the first traffic warden in the world who has received so many gifts on the occasion of his leaving. A fitting testament to a man who could mix business with a bit of fun and banter. If you see him around tomorrow you might wish him all the best. Thanks, Gerry, and all the best for the future. The feedback on Bills post was huge, so much so that Gerry thought it best to roll over and get a good nights sleep before even attempting to wade through the replies. The best was not even started as when I went out of the office at 9am I was constantly stopped and welcomed by people the whole day wishing me the best on my retirement from Buncrana, Gerry's letter continues. Several times during the day as I shook hands with drivers on the main street and traffic was slightly held up but not one driver sounded his or her horn to move. I can tell you that I have worked in many African and European countries and enjoyed life experiencing the culture of different ways of life but believe me nothing could have prepared me when five years ago I came to work in Buncrana. Buncrana is a beautiful town but the heart of Buncrana are the people who live there. The friendship I made with the people cannot in any way be measured and it is only then you realize why visitors come in large numbers to visit Buncrana. On Friday it was a very emotional day for me as was Thursday when I went to the school and was surprised by the gifts and honest well wishes not only from the parents but from the children as well. I had a lump in my throat when talking to the many well-wishers it was a humble experience but it could not have prepared me for the next day. As I started my daily patrol on Friday I was immediately approached by so many well-wishers either on the pavement or in their vehicles. Nothing in this life could have prepared me for the number of people bearing gifts and wishing me Luck on my retirement from Buncrana. This did not stop most of the day and I honestly felt so sad finally talking to the huge numbers that day. Friends I got to know over the last five years approached me and we had a bit of craic remembering some of the times during my stay in Buncrana. Even when drivers stopped in the street to wish me good luck there was no angry response from the next vehicle as they stopped as well and so on went the morning. I would have to take up two full pages to thank every person who gave me gifts and well wishes but please can I thank everyone from the bottom of my heart for your wonderful genuine affection and respect that you have bestowed on me during my time in Wonderful Buncrana. The people I have had the privilege to work with on the Council was always a pleasure and they accepted me into their inner circle as a friend from the start. We had some great debates at break time and I was made to feel at home from the start. Thanks for that Guys and the wonderful gift. As a Traffic Warden in Buncrana during the summer the visitors would ask me directions and I am sure there were some poor souls still looking for the destination with the directions I gave them. The people I got to know in Buncrana I guarantee that you all are in my daily prayers and I will honestly never forget my time spent with the most friendly, honest and helpful people in Ireland that was my privilege to walk among. I will remember those five years so fondly and will genuinely miss my many friends who took the time to say goodbye and the gifts were incredible and I will definitely return on a regular basis to see the friends I have etched in my heart. Go raibh maith agat. Aoibhinn Loughlin, aged 29 and originally from Derry City but now lives in Dublin, celebrate her graduation last Thursday with a Masters (MSc) in Management with Distinction from Queens Management School. Aoibhinn, who already has a medical degree from Trinity College Dublin, was delighted when she was accepted to Queens to study for her Masters degree. I began my course in September 2020, thrilled to have been accepted and eager to get going. Having studied Medicine as my undergraduate degree, business management was a new topic to me and I threw myself into it. "Despite everything being online as it was the height of the pandemic, I loved my course and getting to know the other students and my lecturers (online at least). I was also performing well, achieving distinction level in most of my assignments and examinations, said Aoibhinn. It was during an online lecture in January 2021 when Aoibhinn fell ill and lost the power to walk. She was admitted to hospital with a severe COVID-19 infection, despite being perfectly healthy beforehand with no underlying conditions that she was aware of. She said: I spent the next four months in bed, only able to leave to use the bathroom, which was a massive effort. I continued to attend online lectures during this time from my bed, and this is what kept me going. Continuing to study for my Masters was my only sense of normality and achievement as even the simplest of tasks were now difficult for me. Eventually I received diagnoses of Post Covid Syndrome, Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (ME), and Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome (POTS) a year following initial infection. ME is a chronic illness that affects both the neurological and immune systems, and POTS is a blood circulation disorder characterised by symptoms when in the upright position and inappropriately increased heart rate. Due to her condition, Aoibhinn now uses a wheelchair and mobility scooter to help her get around. I have been using a mobility scooter for a year and a wheelchair for two. My mobility and health have been slowly improving since I started treatment last year and now I can walk around 200m on a good day, but still very little on a bad day. However, the bad days are thankfully becoming less frequent as time goes on, she said. Speaking about the support she received, she commented: The genuine empathy, drive, and willingness from the staff at Queens to make it possible for me to continue my studies meant so much. I received multiple one-to-one sessions with my final project supervisor to track my progress alongside my health, flexibility with deadlines, and guidance from the Universitys disability service on applying for disabled students' allowance for technology to help me study. Despite all of the challenges she faced, Aoibhinn is graduating with her Masters in Management with distinction, and she is also the winner of the Randox Award for highest result in Marketing. Looking ahead to her graduation day and to the future, Aoibhinn said: I could not be prouder to be graduating this month. There were times my health was so poor that graduation felt like such a far-off dream. It is hard to believe its actually happening, and even harder to believe that I was able to maintain my distinction until the end! It would not have happened without the support I received from Queens to help me manage my studies alongside my new disability. At present I am taking some time off to rest and focus on my health, and I have secured graduate employment beginning in September this year. Foyle MP Colum Eastwood voted against the British Government's Economic Activity and Public Bodies Bill in Westminster on Monday and called for the Bill to be scrapped. Mr Eastwood said: "This Bill is another Conservative power-grab against local councils and public bodies who wish to take moral stances when it comes to procurement and investment decisions. "More than 70 organisations, including Friends of the Earth, Green Peace, and Liberty, argued that the legislation would threaten a range of campaigns and attempts to invest and trade ethically. Importantly, it would remove Derry City and Strabane District Council's right to stand up for oppressed people. "The people of Derry have immense sympathy with the Palestinian people, and our local council frequently takes stances and actions in solidarity with them, including boycotts against Israeli-linked goods, services and companies. When I was on Derry City Council, I along with others, brought forward a successful motion that the council would boycott Israeli goods in solidarity with the people of Palestine. No Tory government will deter Derry from supporting the Palestinian people and other oppressed people worldwide. "This Bill will remove freedom of speech and non-violent protest when it comes to holding other countries, especially regimes who oppress LGBT communities and other minorities, to account. The British government cannot give carte blanche to regimes with heinous human rights records and this legislation must be scrapped. "The SDLP will continue to stand with those oppressed for a fairer, more compassionate world." Seven out of eight judicial review applications are unsuccessful, an audit office report has found. The judicial review process at the High Court in Belfast allows applicants to legally challenge a decision made by a public body. A report by Northern Irelands comptroller and auditor general, Dorinnia Carville, looks at the numbers of challenges being made, as well as time scales and costs. It comes after a report on major capital projects in 2019 looked at issues including legal challenges as well as funding difficulties. It noted a suggestion by stakeholders of an increasing tendency in Northern Ireland to challenge decisions via judicial review. While the Public Accounts Committee expressed concerns about the extent to which judicial reviews delay, and add costs to, public sector projects. However, Mrs Carville said the decreasing numbers do not support that view. The Audit Office report found that judicial review applications had been decreasing, before a surge in 2021. There were 1,770 applications between 2017 and 2022, ranging from 310 in 2017, dropping to 268 in 2020, but rising to 344 in 2021, dropping again to 290 in 2022. The report noted a suggestion that the increase in applications in 2021 may have been due to the cumulative effect of small changes in the number of applications against a wide range of public sector bodies. While the decrease in applications in 2020 may have been the result of Covid-19 restrictions. The 1,770 total had dropped to 515 by stage two of the process, the substantive hearing. Almost two-thirds of the 1,139 total applications were focused on Stormont departments, agencies and bodies. The Department of Justice saw the most judicial review applications at 593. The Audit Office report found most judicial reviews are not successful, with just one in eight applicants emerging successful in their challenges to the legality of public bodies decisions or actions. Over the last six years, it has taken on average more than a year to progress through both stages of the judicial review process. About 13.6 million was spent on legal aid for judicial review cases between 2017 and 2022, and an estimated 10.6 million was spent by departments on cases. The report found that the time associated with the court proceedings, even when the applicant is unsuccessful, can create significant delay to public bodies progressing projects or decisions. The report also found that data in relation to judicial reviews is not collated in a way that allows easy identification of the grounds on which a judicial review is taken, or subsequently granted, or the subject matter, such as major capital projects. It concluded that in the absence of this information it is difficult to assess if lessons are being learned. Ms Carville said the dropping numbers of judicial reviews does not support the view there is an increasing appetite for that type of legal challenge in Northern Ireland. The judicial review process in Northern Ireland is an important means of holding public decision-makers to account, however, concerns have been expressed about the extent to which judicial reviews delay, and add costs to, public sector projects, she said. The figures show that the number of applications in respect of judicial reviews has generally been decreasing and as such does not support the view that there is an increasing appetite to challenge decisions made by public bodies through judicial review. Mrs Carville said she has made a small number of recommendations in the new report. If acted upon, these will strengthen the management and oversight of these legal challenges in the public sector and ensure that themes and areas for learning are identified and good practice is shared, she said. Infera AI: Bridging the gap between hardware manufacturing and advanced AI Canada-based startup Infera AI seeks to bridge the gap between hardware manufacturing and cutting-edge artificial intelligence (AI) technologies. With their bespoke solutions and subject-matter expertise, Infera AI offers data-efficient AI platforms for various industrial applications. In an interview with DIGITIMES Asia, Infera AI co-founder and CEO Trefor Evans discussed the company's background, vision and where it stands in the future. Evans brings a wealth of experience to Infera AI, with a background that combines engineering and machine learning. As a founding member of AeroVelo Inc., he led the structural design and optimization of a human-powered helicopter that won the prestigious Igor I. Sikorsky prize in 2013. Evans further honed his expertise in machine learning by completing his PhD at the University of Toronto. During this time, he served as the lead developer of a machine learning library used in jet-engine development programs at Pratt & Whitney Canada, a global leader in gas turbine manufacturing. These experiences solidified his belief in the immense advantages AI can bring to the engineering and manufacturing sectors. "Infera AI was founded as I completed my PhD to build exceptionally reliable and data-efficient digital twins a digital representation of a physical asset or process," said the CEO. "Digital twins can be applied in so many different sectors, and we've pivoted a couple of times throughout the life of the company." According to Evans, Infera AI was originally built to focus on the engineering sector particularly engineering design process - but experienced some challenges. "Our technology for assisting engineering design required a software infrastructure that was not mature enough in most industries," noted Evans. Since then, the company recognized the opportunities in the manufacturing sector, including quality assurance monitoring of manufactured parts using virtual metrology, predictive maintenance of equipment & assets, process optimization & control for manufacturing. Infera AI distinguishes itself by adopting a consultative and collaborative approach to streamline the process of transforming an industry problem into a machine learning problem, solving it with a statistically rigorous machine learning approach, and delivering tailor-made AI platforms for deployment. Years of leading AI research have culminated in Infera's proprietary AI platform which performs fully probabilistic inference to capture uncertainty and allows easily incorporating subject-matter expertise, constraints, and physics. This approach allows the company to operate with significantly less data than its competitors, which is particularly crucial in cold-start scenarios when setting up new processes. As a result, their predictions are not only sensible but also more confident and accurate. Evans notes that though Infera AI is a software company, its expertise ultimately lies in bridging the gap between hardware manufacturing and the state of the art in AI. "The greatest impacts of industry 4.0 will be seen when there are manufacturing subject-matter experts working closely with AI-experts. And this is precisely how we have structured our company," noted Evans. As part of its expansion plan, Infera AI is currently identifying a target vertical to expand within. In the long run, the company aims to localize their technologies for various verticals and customize their AI platform accordingly. Meanwhile, the company is actively seeking partnerships with Taiwanese manufacturers, especially those in the semiconductor sector, interested in piloting their AI platform for quality assurance, process optimization and control, predictive maintenance and monitoring, or data analytics for business performance. "To give an example where our AI platform can be used, we can use it alongside an ion beam implantation process which is a fundamental process in semiconductor fabrication," noted Evans. The CEO indicated that Infera's platform has been demonstrated in the quality assessment of dosed 300mm wafers subject to several important constraints, such as dosing uniformity, using the company's virtual metrology capabilities. In addition, Infera has also applied the platform's process optimization and control capabilities to calibrate and optimize the dose profile provided by its AI platform in order to reduce tool downtime and wasted materials. "Using a simulation based on several real implantation tools, we demonstrated the reduction of material waste by 48% and the delivery of a greater total implantation dose using the same total implantation time and uniformity requirements compared to the existing industry methods." Jialian Wu (co-founder and chief product officer) and Dr. Trefor Evans (co-founder and CEO) Save my User ID and Password Some subscribers prefer to save their log-in information so they do not have to enter their User ID and Password each time they visit the site. To activate this function, check the 'Save my User ID and Password' box in the log-in section. This will save the password on the computer you're using to access the site. Note: If you choose to use the log-out feature, you will lose your saved information. This means you will be required to log-in the next time you visit our site. Huawei targets royalty claims at Japanese SMEs, provoking angst Having been targeted in trade sanctions, Huawei has started to find alternative revenue sources by collecting patent royalties from manufacturers in the Asia-Pacific region. Japanese stakeholders are most worried about Huawei using the royalties as bait to get access to data from IoT sensors, which may endanger national security, according to a Nikkei report. Huawei Central, the external communications website of Huawei, said the company is ramping up efforts to manage its patent royalties in the global markets by collecting patent fees from manufacturers and other companies that use wireless communication modules. The patent payment model proposed by Huawei follows a fixed fee of JPY50 (about US$0.35) or less per device or to charge at a rate of 0.1% or less of the device price. According to the Nikkei report, the 30 Japanese companies that were requested by Huawei to pay royalties ranged in size from new start-ups with a few employees to companies with a total of about 150 employees, all of which were small enterprises that typically lack legal personnel and litigation experience, and did not even know which of their technologies were related to Huawei's 4G and Wi-Fi patents. Nikkei said the claim of Huawei is less than JPY50 per unit, or less than 0.1% of the system price, which is a reasonable level in the international market, but usually, this kind of royalty claim is aimed at the big communication equipment manufacturers, not SMEs. Those small firms have lower revenues and can afford to pay little, thus the claim cost is relatively high and is not cost-effective. Huawei's demand for royalties from SMEs may reflect the difficulty in its operations, as countries such as Europe and the U.S. have not only banned Huawei's equipment from participating in future telecom infrastructure tenders but even demanded existing equipment to be phased out earlier than planned, causing Huawei to lose cash flows both from equipment sales and maintenance revenues. But the company's patent royalties are not being targeted for sanctions. Thus Huawei is trying to create new sources of revenue from royalty claims. But since the company's patent portfolio has been cross-authorized for use with other big telecom companies, it would be difficult to ask those telcos to pay extra money. So Huawei is looking elsewhere for royalties. In 2022, Japanese automaker Suzuki Motors reached an agreement with Huawei to obtain the authorization of standard essential patents related to 4G communication technology for connected cars. And now Japanese SMEs have become Huawei's targets. Although the royalty fees asked by Huawei for each unit are low, if the SMEs are in IoT-related fields, they may still have to pay lots of money because of the huge number of wireless sensors used for IoT. Huawei Central said it has established an intellectual property strategy center in Japan to oversee its intellectual property business in the Asia-Pacific region, including Singapore, South Korea, India, and Australia. "In the future, more Japanese companies may face payment requirements from Huawei," said the Huawei Central weblog. "Wireless communication modules using Huawei's patented technology are indispensable for connected IoT networks, which are being used in areas such as autonomous driving, automated factories, medicine, electricity, and logistics, according to Tokyo-based research firm Seed Planning." Symbolic or strategic? China's export controls on compound semiconductors On the evening of July 3, China's Ministry of Commerce (MOFCOM) and General Administration of Customs (GAC) announced export control measures on gallium- and germanium-related semiconductor raw materials. Gallium metal, gallium nitride (GaN), gallium oxide, gallium phosphide, gallium arsenide (GaAs), gallium indium, gallium selenide, and gallium antimony (GaSb) are all examples of gallium-related materials. Germanium products include germanium metal, ingots, germanium phosphide, germanium epitaxial growth substrate, germanium dioxide, and germanium tetrachloride. "Beijing's actions are largely symbolic silicon remains the predominant semiconductor material," observed Martijn Rasser, managing director of Datenna and a former Senior Intelligence Officer at the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA). "While China does dominate production for germanium, and gallium especially, there are ample deposits around the world," said Rasser. Joris Teer, a strategic analyst at The Hague Centre for Strategic Studies, perceives the move as a leverage used by China to see whether or not the Dutch government will give ASML the export control license after the export control regulations come into effect on September 1. According to data collected by The Hague Centre for Strategic Studies, as of 2020, China had a 97% share of global gallium production at 317,000 kg, followed by Russia, Japan, and South Korea. When it comes to germanium, China had a 68% share of global production at 95,000 kg, while countries including Germany, Belgium, Japan, and Canada accounted for 29% of global production. "Any move by Beijing to constrain exports of these critical minerals will spur efforts to diversify the global supply chain, just as we are already seeing with rare earths," indicated Rasser. Though substitute sources can be found for both materials, the cost to extract them might be a challenge. Chinese media outlet Ijiwei, for example, highlighted the high processing costs of these materials, noting that China has long been exporting these materials at relatively cheaper prices, while other countries hardly have facilities dedicated to their extraction. Nevertheless, Eric Chen, semiconductor analyst at DIGITIMES Research, pointed out that China's latest move could drive the prices of these compound semiconductor materials higher, incentivizing other countries to extract their deposits. Chen also observed that raw materials could be the next front of the US-China chip war. The questions to ask as chip war escalates As the US continues to impose sanctions on the Chinese semiconductor industry, it has long been a concern that China will leverage its raw material dominance to counterstrike. The country's near monopoly in this sector has also prompted some in the US to deem "decoupling" from China impossible. For example, in a recent interview with Financial Times, Raytheon CEO Greg Hayes indicated that there's "no alternative" when it comes to building a China-free supply chain, as "more than 95 per cent of rare earth materials or metals come from, or are processed in, China." Coming from one of the largest defense contractors in the US, the comment might sting the ears of Washington policymakers who pursue de-Sinicization of the tech supply chain on national security grounds. Meanwhile, as China lags behind in terms of silicon-based semiconductor manufacturing technology, the country's industry has been seeking to "leapfrog" in terms of compound semiconductors, especially when it comes to silicon carbide (SiC) and gallium nitride (GaN). Apart from their growing role in power electronics and next-gen telecommunication, compound semiconductors are also critical to the defense sector, especially when it comes to space applications and radars. Back in August 2022, gallium oxide (Ga2O3) was among the four technologies placed under US export controls, but the Chinese compound semiconductor industry has so far been spared, even though Western equipment remains crucial to Chinese compound semiconductor manufacturing capability. Therefore, it remains to be seen if China's latest move will open a new front in the chip war. Another aspect is also worthy of closer inspection. When China banned Micron's products in critical IT infrastructure in May, national security risks were cited. Though the latest announced measures were also conducted on vague national security grounds, companies seeking to export the regulated materials are required to come up with certificate of end user and end use, in addition to filling out the application form for export of dual-use items. In other words, the measures target military applications too, and it is up to China to decide which countries and which use cases are targeted. In comparison, US export controls against Chinese chip industry clearly specified its objective to halt Chinese military modernization. If China is ready to escalate the chip war, perhaps it is the time to ask if doing so merely serves as petty retaliation, or does it serve military objectives as well? A LITERARY pamphlet will celebrate the exploration of gender, identity, memory and form - just in time for Limerick Pride Weekend. Produced by Poetry Ireland and funded by the Arts Council of Ireland, Trumpet 12 was guest-edited by Limerick writer, William Keohane. The pamphlet will explore the theme of crossing and will be launched this City Gallery of Art on 7 July at 1pm ahead of Limerick Pride Weekend. The event is open to everyone, and will include readings from contributors, discussions, and refreshments. With this issue, William aimed to highlight literary talent from Limerick, but also to give a platform to emerging trans and non-binary artists working across Ireland and beyond. Speaking of Trumpet 12, William said: "Trumpet 12 includes reflections on age, heritage, home; on the thin line between sickness and health, life and death." Theres also a piece called Reflections on Memory, where I asked seven different writers to reflect on different intersections between their life and memory, noted William. Representation is important for anybody who feels that theyre not reflected in literature. Representation is important because you can't really envisage a future for yourself if you can't see that future. And I think writing is a really wonderful way to sort of make futures visible. Representation is important for queer and trans writers, but it's also important for anybody who feels that they're not reflected in the realm of literature. The pamphlet has a pride focus. Pride is a wonderful celebration of trans identity and LGBQ+ identity. But not everybody feels comfortable out marching in the streets and to be perfectly honest, some people don't feel safe in that way. We've seen recently with protests happening at bookshops, at libraries and at drag story time events that the realm of literature is now being targeted and that is something that has to be protected, because literature can be a really important force for good and for change. But Trumpet 12 is also a place for play and experimentation with form. As well as serious and poignant pieces of writing, theres also moments of levity and humour that I think are really necessary, especially right now, he said. "Along with a strong Limerick contingent, there are French, Galician, Canadian, Nigerian/Irish, and American writers included in Trumpet 12, all of whom share a connection to Ireland in some way and share in the belief that literature can help us to cross boundaries and build bridges," William concluded. Trumpet 12 is available in selected bookshops, or via poetryireland.ie Above from left: Ciara Lynch, Water Safety Manager Louth Co Co, Cllr. Antoin Watters, Cllr Conor Keelan, Oliver Winters, Environment Awareness Officer Louth Co Co, Joan Martin, Chief Executive Louth Co Co, and Sean McQuillan, General Services Supervisor North Louth, Louth Co Co In a landmark collaboration, Louth County Council has come together with other local authorities from coastal regions across Ireland to pledge their commitment to the "Think Before You Flush" campaign on all Blue Flag Beaches. This initiative aims to raise awareness about the detrimental effects of flushing instead of binning sanitary products on our natural environment including beaches and promote responsible waste management practices among beachgoers. The "Think Before You Flush" campaign, operated by Clean Coasts in partnership with Uisce Eireann, emphasises the importance of appropriate flushing behaviour and disposal of items including wipes and other sanitary products in the bin, even if they are labelled as flushable. Only the 3 Ps, pee, poo and paper should be flushed down the toilet. When items such as wipes and sanitary products are flushed down the toilet, they can cause serious blockages in sewage systems, leading to sewage overflows and ultimately polluting coastal waters and beaches. Recognising the urgent need to protect Ireland's remarkable coastal ecosystems, Louth County Council has united with other coastal local authorities around Ireland in their commitment to spread awareness about the campaign and promote responsible waste disposal practices. Under this collaborative effort, participating councils will display Think Before You Flush signage on Blue Flag Beaches, offering clear instructions on appropriate flushing behaviour, highlighting the main items people incorrectly flush down their toilets (the Dirty Dozen) and encouraging visitors to use designated sanitary waste bins. By partnering with Clean Coasts and Uisce Eireanns Think Before You Flush campaign, Louth County Council aims to foster a culture of environmental responsibility, where individuals can take proactive steps to protect our coastal habitats. The success of this campaign hinges on the participation and support of Louths coastal stakeholders, including the public, beachgoers, residents, and tourists alike. Sinead McCoy, Coastal Communities Manager at Clean Coasts, expressed her enthusiasm for Louth County Councils collaborative efforts and support of the campaign. "We are thrilled to see Louth County Council and communities from coastal regions across Ireland joining forces to champion the 'Think Before You Flush' campaign on our cherished Blue Flag Beaches. This joint commitment not only underscores Louth County Councils dedication to promoting environmental practices but also highlights shared responsibility for our coastal communities." Talking about the importance of safeguarding our water and our local environment including our Blue Flag beaches Tom Cuddy, Uisce Eireann said: Everyday people flush thousands of sanitary items such as wet wipes and cotton buds down the toilet instead of simply putting them in the bin. "This causes blockages in our network, pumping stations and wastewater treatment plants and can lead to sewage overflows impacting some of our most beautiful coastal and river locations. We clear approximately 10,000 blockages from our wastewater network every year. Tom continued: We are delighted to continue our partnership with Clean Coasts and collaborate with local councils and communities including those with Blue Flag beaches to preserve and protect our environment and shine a light on the link between what you flush down the toilet and can end up on your local beach. Learn more about the Think Before You Flush campaign at https:// thinkbeforeyouflush.org/ A Louth based home carer has been honoured for her work in the community during a special day of celebrations at leading home care provider Comfort Keepers. Clients, community partners, staff, and carers at Comfort Keepers Louth/Monaghan office in Ardee, celebrated Comfort Keepers' National Day of Joy, titled Live the Joy, to help everyone find joy in everyday moments. It was also a 25-year commemoration of Comfort Keepers brand, recognition for members of its care team who have been with the company for 10 years, a day to visit clients who have turned 100 years this year, or clients and carers who were celebrating a birthday, as well as the day the company announced its finalists for Comfort Keepers Carer of the Year 2023. During the Day of Joy celebrations, Jennifer McGee from Dundalk was announced as a finalist for the Comfort Keepers Carer of the Year 2023 award for her dedication and passion for her work and for making a positive impact on her clients daily lives. Following the selection based on set criteria, Jennifer was chosen as one of 11 finalists in the running for the prestigious accolade of Comfort Keepers Carer of the Year 2023. Collette Gleeson, Managing Director of Comfort Keepers Ireland, said: Our teams all across the country are made up of amazing individuals providing outstanding support and uplifting, in-home care to the most vulnerable in our society and their families. Jennifer goes above and beyond for her clients and is a great representative for Comfort Keepers and our quality care. Our day of joy is a great opportunity for us to connect in person to all those who have been instrumental in our success in Ardee and to celebrate 25 years of elevating the human spirit while providing rewarding careers to our carers. Most importantly, it provides an opportunity for us to honour the hard work and dedication of members of our incredible care team who have been spreading joy in their communities every day and announce our Carer of the Year finalists. With the work we do with our carers, our valued clients, and their families, we understand the value of experiencing moments of joy every day to boost our overall health, mood and wellbeing. We wanted to use this day to encourage our wider Comfort Keepers community to rejoice in the moments we live for - whatever it takes to make us laugh, smile and create memories that will form and last a lifetime. Additionally, Rosanna McEntee, Branch manager for Louth/Monaghan, Rachel Carroll, Planner from the Ardee office and Angela Nulty, a home support worker from Drogheda received recognition awards for their 10 years of service with the company. On being nominated for this years award, Jennifer said: I am delighted and very proud to have been nominated this year for the work I love doing, helping my clients to stay safe and happy at home for as long as possible. Its a hugely rewarding job knowing that the people I am caring for have been helped by my visits. Comfort Keepers works closely with the HSE, their clients and their families to deliver quality, person-centred home care services. Its mission is to provide people with the highest quality of life that is achievable, treating each client with the respect and dignity they deserve. Collectively, the Comfort Keepers management team has over 100 years of experience working in the healthcare industry. The National Day of Joy was celebrated in more than 100 locations worldwide where Comfort Keepers has a presence. Comfort Keepers Ireland is currently recruiting roles all over the country including home support worker, office administration, clinical management and supervisory roles. Visit www.ckjobs.ie for more information. Sixty percent of professionals in Ireland suffer from workplace related stress with particular concern over job stability, a new survey of Irish workers has revealed. 3 in 5 state that they have started suffering from workplace stress this year. Other findings in the survey reveal: 46% of professionals saying concerns over job stability are the biggest trigger 55% dont think employers are doing enough to help combat it 45% of professionals say it is down to senior leaders & HR to manage workplace stress, followed by line managers (34%) 51% of professionals identify their companys output as high, 24% note that it is low quality. Three in five employees have stated that their mental health has declined this year as a result of workplace stress. Despite Irish employers spending millions on wellness initiatives every year increasing their spend by 20% since the pandemic - 55% of professionals still think that their employer is not doing enough to combat stress in the workplace. According to a poll of 2,000 Irish workers, by recruitment firm Robert Walters, 60% of professionals stated they have suffered from some form of workplace-related stress, which has been onset this year. When asked how often they feel this way, a third stated very often (33%), with a further 27% stating somewhat often, and 31% identified it as happening sometimes. Just 9% stated that they had not experienced any form of reoccurring stress* at work this year. *stress-symptoms experienced more than 3 times for 7+ days at a time. When asked about what causes workplace stress, concerns over job stability were the most common trigger (45%). Followed by more pressure from management (23%), lack of a pay rise (19%) and taking on a heftier workload this year (13%). When asked whose responsibility it was to manage workplace stress 45% of professionals said it was down to HR and senior leaders, followed by line managers (34%) with only a fraction (20%) thinking it was down to the individual. However, less than a fifth of professionals feel employers are doing enough, a further 27% feel some efforts have been made, but they are lacking whilst the majority (55%) state that employers simply arent doing enough. Suzanne Feeney, Country Manager of Robert Walters Ireland commented: "Irish employers spend an estimated 100-200 per employee on wellness initiatives & benefits every year but our survey indicates they may only be applying a band-aid. "Employers must strike the balance between not breaking the bank or piling pressure onto managers to solve workplace stress but still being proactive and listening to the needs of their employees," she said. Long work hours, heavy workloads, tight deadlines, unclear job expectations, job insecurity, and conflicts with colleagues or supervisors are all factors which contribute towards workplace stress. If not addressed, workplace stress can snowball into higher turnover rates, levels of employee burnout, absenteeism and lower levels of productivity. Indeed, 51% of professionals identified their companys output as high with almost a quarter noting it was of a low quality. Ms Feeney added: Workplace stress is something everyone in a business has a hand in creating however it is down to senior leaders & HR to set the tone for how it is handled. Simple interventions such as making sure workloads are manageable, setting realistic deadlines and making sure employees have access to support, safe spaces and relevant resources, can all help to alleviate pressure in the workplace as well as professionals day-to-day work life. Taoiseach Leo Varadkar and Sinn Fein finance spokesman Pearse Doherty clashed in the Dail over economic policy. Speaking during Leaders Questions, Mr Doherty accused the Government of failing to deliver on core issues such as housing and health. He said: The reason we have record levels of homelessness in this State is because youre in government and Fine Gael is in government. The reason why rents are out of control is because youre in government and Fine Gael is in government. The reason why an entire generation have given up and are emigrating to places in Sydney and Toronto and New York and London is because Fine Gael are in government and they have knocked home ownership beyond the reach of an entire generation. Mr Doherty said while the Irish economy has much to celebrate, housing has deteriorated into a disaster and the crisis in health has gotten worse day by day under Fine Gael-led governments. Mr Varadkar said the economy had full employment, rising incomes and record levels of trade and investment. The Fine Gael leader said the next budget will include a tax package of more than one billion euros for working families. The Taoiseach said a spending package will allow for increases in areas such as welfare and pensions as well as health, housing and education. He said this would be possible because there had not been a Sinn Fein government for the last 12 years. If we follow the advice that we got from Sinn Fein for the last 12 years, wed have a very different Summer Economic Statement today. We wouldnt be talking about full employment, wed be talking about how to find money to pay for jobseekers benefit. We wouldnt be talking about record levels of trade and investment, wed be talking about a budget deficit, how were going to borrow the money to close that deficit. Labour leader Ivana Bacik also criticised the Governments approach to housing and homelessness. She said: Your Government is failing the 12,500 people now in homelessness. Ms Bacik said her office had been in touch with a mother of three who is in fear of eviction. She said the woman is sleeping on a couch in an apartment rented under the Housing Assistance Payments scheme while her newborn baby sleeps in a pram. Theyre in fear of losing even the limited space they have. Your Governments policies are not helping her and theyre not helping renters. Mr Varadkar said: Of course, we need to do more for people facing homelessness. And it is important to bear in mind that while there are 12,000 people in emergency accommodation provided by the State who are homeless, its not the same people were lifting people out of homelessness all the time. 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. EBRD launches US$ 137 million GEFF Mongolia Green Economy Financing Facility GEFF Mongolia to offer green financing to businesses and households Technical support to be provided by the GCF and Japan Mongolia is the latest country to join the European Bank for Reconstruction and Developments (EBRD) Green Economy Financing Facility (GEFF). The GEFF Mongolia will support the countrys transition to a greener economy, facilitate better access to green technologies for private companies and local households, and promote higher energy efficiency standards. This is particularly important in a country known for its extreme weather conditions and vulnerability to the negative impacts of climate change. The US$ 137 million GEFF Mongolia, launched by the EBRD and the Green Climate Fund (GCF) in the countrys capital, Ulaanbaatar, today, will encourage individuals and businesses to invest in green and innovative solutions that promote the efficient use of water, sustainable land management and greater resource efficiency. For now, the funds will be available to borrowers across the country through partner financial institutions Khan Bank and XacBank. Other local financial intermediaries are expected to join the programme in future. The GEFF, supported by concessional co-financing provided by the GCF and technical assistance funded by the GCF and the government of Japan, will also offer financing to vendors and producers of high-performing green goods and equipment, including those covered by the online Green Technology Selector, available on the GEFF Mongolia website. With the Banks support, XacBank will also develop and implement a transition plan aimed at aligning its business practices with the goals of the Paris Agreement. The GEFF Mongolia will also contribute to the growth of the countrys green economy, make green technologies more affordable and create new job opportunities. It will facilitate investment in climate change mitigation and adaptation projects, advance the circular economy, and promote the decarbonisation and competitiveness of Mongolia. The new facility builds on the US$ 25 million Mongolian Sustainable Energy Financing Facility (MonSEFF) that was in place from 2014 to 2019, which helped dozens of local businesses reduce their energy consumption through targeted investments in new equipment and energy efficiency measures. These projects collectively generated more than 255,000 MWh of energy savings and helped reduce CO 2 emissions by more than 94,000 tonnes annually. Launched in 2006, the Banks GEFF is being now implemented in 29 economies. Over 6.3 billion has been provided to more than 230,000 clients under the facility to date. As of June 2023, the EBRD has invested almost 2.25 billion in Mongolias economy through 136 projects. EBRD invests 45 million in inaugural green mortgage covered bond issued by UCBCS Issue facilitates capital market development as the first green covered bond placed by a Czech issuer Investment to support the EBRDs green agenda in the Czech Republic and the Slovak Republic The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) is investing 45 million to support the first green covered bond issued by UniCredit Bank Czech Republic and Slovakia a.s. (UCBCS). The bond will have a five-year maturity and be listed on the Luxembourg Stock Exchange. This is the EBRDs second transaction in the Czech Republics financial sector since re-engaging in the country in 2021. The EBRDs investment encourages high standards in green lending to the real sector in the Czech Republic and the Slovak Republic, supporting the Banks green agenda in both countries. The Bank will contribute to the resilience of a systemic financial institution in the Czech Republic and will enhance its capacity to support green projects in the Czech Republic and the Slovak Republic. Melis Ekmen Tabojer, EBRD Director, EU Banks and Structured Finance, said: This is a milestone transaction for both UniCredit Bank Czech Republic and Slovakia, and the EBRD. The Bank is proud to contribute to the first green covered bond issued by a Czech bank, facilitating green lending in the Czech Republic and the Slovak Republic. With this investment, the EBRD helps UCBCS to realise its strong green ambition and supports capital market development at a time of increased instability and volatility, particularly for central and eastern European issuers. The EBRD has to date invested around 1.38 billion through 119 projects in the Czech Republic. EBRD lends 25 million to city of Dnipro to alleviate war impacts, particularly refugee flows Emergency liquidity to guarantee vital municipal infrastructure continues functioning EBRD has committed to provide 3 billion of finance for Ukraine in 2022-23 The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) is lending 25 million to the city of Dnipro in south-eastern Ukraine. The loan will help to ensure continuous provision of vital municipal services in the city, which has experienced an influx of refugees as a result of Russias war on Ukraine. Dnipro is Ukraines fourth largest city with a population of approximately one million people. This number has been boosted further in recent months as a result of constant inflows of internally displaced people. Since the beginning of the war, the city has become a natural destination for refugees because of role as a major economic centre in south-eastern Ukraine. Dnipro and its key municipal utilities have been seriously affected by the war and are struggling to keep day-to-day operations functioning. The emergency funds will ensure the continuous provision of public services to the citys growing population. In this way, they will fill a gap created by the difficult economic situation in the country, with local lenders unable to provide such medium term financing. The city is the second in just a few months to benefit from liquidity support after Lviv at the end of last year. The EBRD is Ukraines largest institutional investor. In 2022 alone, it deployed 1.7 billion and mobilised a further 200 million of support from partner financial institutions. The Bank has pledged to provide Ukraine with finance of 3 billion by the end of 2023. The EBRDs primary focus is to support Ukraines real economy maintaining energy and food security, and supporting trade, vital infrastructure and the private sector. The EBRD was swift to condemn the Russian invasion and has closed its offices in Russia and Belarus. Called Charlottes Choice, this year's Summer Soap is about a Cork woman and her tangled love life, and was written by Gabrielle Dufrene, from the MA in Creative Writing Programme at UCC. Catch up with previous episodes at echolive.ie. In the second episode, Charlotte has bumped into an old flame, and gets some distressing news from him... SEAN, Charlotte muttered, inhaling deeply. She didnt want to pull away, but she forced herself to. Christ, I cant believe it. She took in the sight of him. He looked the same, just with the lines of a few more years etched into his face. He had the faint scruff of a beard and a worn brown jacket over a blue jumper and cargo pants. In his left hand was a paper cup of coffee. He still towered over her, her gentle giant, despite her high-heeled boots. You look lovely, Char, he said. Howve you been getting on? What... how... why are you here? What about London? I didnt think you were... Ah. I actually just got back. Its, er... Its my mam. Shes not well. Charlotte felt her stomach drop. Because when she thought of the word mother, Mary Walshs name was the first that came to mind. Not her own. Mary was the one who fixed her hair for her Debs, the one who accepted her with loving arms when Alice Cahill couldnt put the bottle down. The many times throughout her youth when the woman who birthed her failed to be a mother, Mary was there with a cup of tea and a listening ear. What do you mean? She had a heart attack a few days ago. Shes been over in University Hospital. Its not... He raked his hand through his hair and let it drop to his side in defeat. Its not looking good. Not good how? Like... how much time? He swirled the remnants of his coffee around the cup and didnt look up at her. Around them, the sound of the water rushing under the bridge joined with the cacophony of Cork city starting its day. Charlotte pictured Mary in the hospital bed a few kilometres away, hooked up to tubes, surrounded by nurses, the fluorescent lights a cruel, incomparably inadequate substitute for the sunlight. Ah, well, its probably a matter of days. Charlottes hand flew to her mouth. Days? Oh, Sean... No, its all right. Charlotte debated whether it would be appropriate to ask, but couldnt stop herself. I want to see her. Can I please? I know its been a long time, but she meant so much to me, you know that. He nodded. Of course, Im sure shed love to see you. Im heading back that way after a walk now. Just needed a bit of air. But youre welcome to come along. I... all right. There would be time for the article, and for the shopping, later. Charlotte didnt regret the infrequency of her visits back home, but as a result, was completely disconnected from news of the lives of those shed grown up with. She cursed herself for her lack of awareness that this woman, whod meant so much to her, was on her deathbed. She could have at least made it a point to check in with either Saoirse or Fiona in the last few years, but once shed started seeing Gregory, she went home even less, opting to spend her holidays in either Dublin or Cork, and explaining why she felt the need to keep in close contact with her ex-boyfriends family would have made for an uncomfortable conversation. So why didnt you tell me you were back here? Charlotte asked as they walked toward the hospital. Ah, Sean began, I dont want to come off as a stalker. No, you couldnt, Charlotte protested. What is it? I saw you were engaged. On Instagram or something. Just didnt want to cause any trouble for you, thats all. Congratulations, by the way. Oh. I... yes. Well, thank you. Yes. She realised what a silly response this was, but didnt want to sound too celebratory in the face of the current situation. Got yourself a posh Dublin boy, didnt ye? Charlotte rolled her eyes. Oh, come off it, wont you? He smiled back at her, and for a moment, they stood in silence. Ive missed you so much, Sean said, his voice barely above a whisper. Charlotte couldnt bring herself to reply, just buried her head into his chest. Cork GPs have called for urgent action to address a shortage of doctors in the sector, with some forced to cancel holiday plans, come back to work early, or temporarily close their practices amid a lack of cover. Bantry GP Paul O'Sullivan described how some of his colleagues have found themselves turning around at the airport after receiving calls to inform them that the locum GPs covering their practices had failed to show up. He said that the issue will likely lead to increased burn out and early retirements in the sector. The problem is that most GPs have to be contactable on a 24-hour basis so its not as simple as shutting up shop for a week or two. You have to make provisions for your patients, Dr OSullivan explained. If a GP doesnt turn up, you literally have to step in even though you and your family have been preparing for this break. Essentially, they have to come home unless they can locate another locum GP. However, this is extremely difficult. Dr OSullivan stated that GPs having to cancel holidays while at the airport has happened more than once. This is why so many young GPs are moving abroad where they dont have this problem and are looked after a lot better. BURNOUT Dr OSullivan said the current situation will lead to an increase in burnout and early retirements, a loss of GPs in rural areas and a loss of GPs in general. He added that the issue has become more pronounced, given the ageing GP population. Locum GPs are worth their weight in gold if you can find them. However, a lot of them were young GPs starting off in their careers. Now, because there is such a shortage of GPs, young GPS are snapped up fairly quickly. Unfortunately, this is leading to some GPS getting no breaks whatsoever, contributing to burnout and early retirement." Dr OSullivans concerns were raised in the wake of an incident highlighted by Dr Fiona Kelly, who runs the Bank Place Clinic in Castletownbere and had to close her practice recently for one day after repeated attempts to secure locum cover were unsuccessful. Dr Kelly was on her first holiday since summer last year when she made the decision, which she said was not taken lightly. I did everything in my power to secure a locum doctor. They simply do not exist. "So, the difficult decision was taken to close the practice. This decision was not taken lightly. It took approximately 30 minutes for a HSE official to contact me regarding my closure, she said. Dr Kelly said the current situation facing GPs is at crisis level. General practice is on its knees. The manpower situation has reached crisis level. GPs are retiring in their droves, and they are not being replaced quickly enough. GPs who are still working are facing burnout and nobody cares. No wonder newly qualified GPs are emigrating as soon as they qualify, the Cork GP added. No wonder rural areas are suffering. No wonder GPs are closing their lists to new patients. No wonder urban GPs have waiting lists of several weeks. Urgent action is needed. SOLUTIONS The Cork GP said there are many solutions to ease the current GP manpower situation. The GMS contract states that GPs have a 24/7 commitment to their patients. Younger doctors are not willing to accept this commitment. This contract needs to change, she explained. The HSE must accept some responsibility for helping to secure locum cover for sick leave, annual leave and maternity leave, and making the application process easier for international doctors who want to work in areas of need. Reduced rates of insurance should apply for GPs who are semi-retired, added Dr Kelly. This would be an incentive for them to work occasionally if they so wish. "GPs should have protected time for annual leave, sick leave, and maternity leave, otherwise burnout is inevitable. Approximately 30% of our time is spent doing paperwork - less forms should be directed towards GPs. Another solution would be to increase the time that medical undergraduate students spend in general practice. Students need adequate exposure so that they might consider general practice as a career. HSE RESPONSE A spokesperson for the HSE said the health service is working closely with the Irish College of General Practitioners (ICGP) to expand the GP workforce and in developing a sustainable model of general practice in line with Slaintecare. Training places have increased from an intake of 120 over a decade ago to 285 entering training in July 2023 and a planned expansion to 350 in 2026. There are currently 940 GPs in training through the ICGP. A further initiative developed by the ICGP in collaboration with the HSE involves the establishment of a Non-EU GP scheme, the spokesperson added. This collaboration has seen the establishment of 50 people working since Q2, with a further 25 people identified for Q3 and 25 additional places in Q4. The intention is to target these places during the training period to rural areas and areas of disadvantage where it has been difficult to secure sufficient replacement GPs for retirements, and other geographic areas of the country where the number of GPs are less than optimum. A 29-year-old man with 75 previous convictions for being drunk and a danger has been convicted on another count of the same offence. Aaron Babington of 25 Churchfield Avenue, Churchfield, Cork, pleaded guilty to the latest charge of being drunk and a danger at Cork District Court. The charge arose out of his behaviour outside the Centra shop on Shandon Street, Cork, on June 7. Sergeant Gearoid Davis said the young man was arrested on that occasion because he was deemed to be so intoxicated that he was a danger to himself or others. Frank Buttimer, solicitor, said the accused was pleading guilty at the earliest opportunity. Judge Olann Kelleher convicted him and fined him 100 or five days in prison in default of payment. A 50-year-old Cork man had to be arrested at St. Augustines Church where he was drunk and a danger to himself or others and fell asleep in the church. Sergeant Gearoid Davis said the accused man had 193 previous convictions. Paul McCarthy of Cork Simon Community pleaded guilty to the charge at Cork District Court. It arose out an incident in the city centre church on June 10. Judge Olann Kelleher imposed a 200 fine or five days in prison in default of payment. That custodial period will run concurrently with a sentence of one year which was imposed on McCarthy in Cork District Court last week. RTE presenter of The Sunday Game Jacqui Hurley and her insurers Allianz have settled a 60,000 damages claim after she rear-ended another car on the M4 exit of the M50. Judge John OConnor in the Circuit Civil Court was told a nine-year-old schoolboy, Morgan Gladney, who is now aged 14, had been injured in the accident on May 25, 2018. Ms Hurley, whose address was given as c/o Allianz Insurers, Allianz House, Elmpark, Merrion Road, Dublin 4, had, the court was told, conceded liability after her vehicle collided with that driven by Morgans mother. Barrister Tim Sheehan, with Coyne Solicitors, represented Morgan and his father Richard, of Rokeby, Lucan, Co Dublin. Morgan had brought the claim through his father. The court heard Morgan was a passenger in his mothers car and hit his head off the headrest in front of him. He was shocked, distressed and afterwards suffered from intermittent headaches. Judge OConnor was told the scene of the accident was chaotic as Ms Hurley was very distressed because her own baby was in the back of her car at the time. An ambulance was called and firemen attended the scene but the ambulance did not take anyone to hospital and in fact answered a call to another accident. In the boys claim it was alleged Ms Gladneys car was hit at speed by Ms Hurleys vehicle and the impact was severe. Morgan was treated the following day by Dr Turlough Bolger at Tallaght Hospital. X-rays revealed there were no bone injuries. Mr Sheehan told Judge OConnor that Morgan had recovered after about three months and the Injuries Board had assessed damages for him at 5,000, which was initially deemed by an earlier court to be insufficient. Counsel informed the court Ms Hurley and her insurers had doubled the offer to 10,000 together with expenses of 339 which Judge OConnor approved as appropriate in the circumstances. Ms Hurley was not in court for the legal ruling, which was conducted by video from Judge OConnors chambers. COST of living measures have been identified as the number one business concern ahead of Budget 2024 in a newly published survey hearing from members of Corks business community. Over half (55%) of respondents to a Cork Chamber survey stated that measures to assist people with the cost of living should be the top priority in the next budget. The finding was published in Cork Chambers second Economic Trends survey of 2023. The survey, supported by Permanent TSB, asked Cork Chamber members to share their experiences through the most recent business quarter, their outlook for the third quarter of 2023 and business priorities for the upcoming Budget 2024. Companies confidence in their own business remains high at 97% on par with that recorded at the close of Q1 2023. Also among the findings, 49% reported that supply-side housing stimulus should be a focal point in the upcoming budget and 34% called for the budget surplus to be used to finance it. Commenting following the publication of the Economic Trends survey, president of Cork Chamber, Ronan Murray said it is positive to see that business confidence remains high. This confidence has been evident through the quarter with a wealth of investment and growth plans announced by businesses across the region. Budget 2024 will be an important moment for government to match that optimism and willingness to invest with constructive and strategic financing for the key economic enablers, he said. The supply of housing and the associated infrastructural supports, such as public transport, are key for Cork businesses as they continue to grow and innovate, he continued. Mr Murray said Cork Chamber will continue to advocate and work with government and elected representatives on behalf of its members to ensure our city region remains competitive and attractive to talent and investors. By Cillian Sherlock, PA Taoiseach Leo Varadkar and Sinn Fein finance spokesman Pearse Doherty clashed in the Dail ahead of the Governments Summer Economic Statement. Speaking during Leaders Questions, Mr Doherty accused the Government of failing to deliver on core issues such as housing and health. The reason we have record levels of homelessness in this State is because youre in Government and Fine Gael is in government. The reason why rents are out of control is because youre in government and Fine Gael is in government. The reason why an entire generation have given up and are emigrating to places in Sydney and Toronto and New York and London is because Fine Gael are in government, and they have knocked home ownership beyond the reach of an entire generation. Mr Doherty said while the Irish economy has much to celebrate, housing has deteriorated into a disaster and the crisis in health has gotten worse day by day under Fine Gael-led governments. Mr Varadkar said the economy had full employment, rising incomes and record levels of trade and investment. Sinn Fein TD Pearse Doherty. Photo: PA/Damien Storan. He said the Summer Economic Statements parameters for the next budget will include a tax package of over one billion euro for working families. The Taoiseach said the spending package will allow for increases in areas such as welfare and pensions as well as health, housing and education. He said the government would be able to do this because there had not been a Sinn Fein government for the last 12 years. If we follow the advice that we got from Sinn Fein for the last 12 years, wed we have a very different Summer Economic Statement today. We wouldnt be talking about full employment, wed be talking about how to find money to pay for jobseekers benefit. We wouldnt be talking about record levels of trade and investment, wed be talking about a budget deficit, how were going to borrow the money to close that deficit. Labour leader Ivana Bacik. Photo: PA/Brian Lawless. Labour leader Ivana Bacik also criticised the Governments approach to housing and homelessness. She said: Your government is failing the 12,500 people now in homelessness. Ms Bacik said her office had been in touch with a mother-of-three who is in fear of eviction. She said the woman is sleeping on a couch in an apartment rented under the Housing Assistance Payments scheme while her newborn baby sleeps in a pram. Theyre in fear of losing even the limited space they have. Your governments policies are not helping her and theyre not helping renters. Mr Varadkar said: Of course, we need to do more for people facing homelessness. And it is important to bear in mind the while there are 12,000 people in emergency accommodation provided by the State who are homeless, its not the same people were lifting people out of homelessness all the time. Philippines' Vitarich takes step forward into hog production despite lingering ASF threat Philippines animal feed producer Vitarich Corp has entered the hog production business even as threats from the African swine fever (ASF) remained. With the expected recovery of the industry next year, Vitarich president and chief executive officer Ricardo Manuel Sarmiento said the listed firm has "reestablished efforts to get into hog (production) primarily through piglet production." Sarmiento said diversification into hog production was originally planned for 2021 but the spread of the animal disease hampered full-scale efforts. "We're looking for a site now [where we can] put the sows in our current farm," he told reporters, adding the hogs should be available before July 2024. The listed firm's target is to have up to 200 sows per site in multiple, but smaller areas in green zones. These zones have no reported cases of ASF such as Central Luzon and North Luzon. "Central Luzon is mostly [in the] red [zone] but we have a farm in Bulacan that got hit, but after a year, it became free of the disease. We sent sentinel animals and they didn't die, so we're [producing there] now," he said. "So, it's the offsprings of that farm which we will use to expand into another site," Sarmiento added, noting Vitarich would start with small sites and not big ones because if "they're hit, we don't want to lose everything." He said the current plan was not contingent on the approval of an ASF vaccine, but its entry would help the swine industry "tremendously." "With or without the vaccines, we have plans to ramp up output by next year. If the vaccines come, we can be more aggressive," Sarmiento said. The Avac ASF live vaccine produced in Vietnam has been endorsed to the Food and Drug Administration for the latter's review and approval. The Philippines' Bureau of Animal Industry recently said the vaccine may cost around 600 (US$10.85) per dose. In the meantime, Vitarich is beefing up and redesigning its biosecurity measures by initiating campaigns to raise awareness and support on-farm biosecurity practices. - Inquirer Fall in demand for pork in Philippines, agriculture official confirms An official from the Philippines Department of Agriculture (DA) confirmed on July 2 a drop in the demand for pork in the domestic market as the Philippine Statistics Authority pegged the total consumption for the second quarter to 403,000 tonnes. Traders complained that the volume of pork being procured by vendors from them was slashed by half, Agriculture Assistant Secretary and spokesman Kristine Evangelista said in an interview. "There is a low demand for pork," Evangelista noted. "We need to verify the data as based on the data from the PSA, the demand for the second quarter is at 403,000 metric tonnes, that is based on per capita consumption." Philippine Pork Producers Federation president Nonon Tambago attributed the drop in the demand for pork to the low purchasing power of consumers. "Based on observations, pork demand was affected because of low purchasing power of low income bracket consumers as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic," Tambago said. Evangelista added that despite the reduction in the demand for pork, there is fear of possible shortage in the supply of the meat amid the outbreak of African swine fever (ASF) in many areas in the country. "...the consumer affairs department (is) still vetting the data as we do not only rely on the locally produced (pork). We also have inventory in the cold storage facilities of imported, or frozen pork," Evangelista said. Agriculture Assistant Secretary for Operations Arnel de Mesa said that the Philippines needs to resort to more pork imports to address the shortage in the supply amid the outbreak of ASF in the Philippines. - Philstar Quad Island Forum meets in London The Financial Intelligence Units (FIUs) from the Isle of Man, Gibraltar, Guernsey and Jersey met in London recently (21-23 June) to discuss economic crime and international tax crime. The three days of meetings included participation from the Jersey Economic Crime and Confiscation Unit and the Isle of Man Proactive International Money Laundering Investigation Team with a focus on exchanging best practices. The Forum also introduced an initiative for the tax authorities from each jurisdiction to work closer together. Closer working and more information sharing will help combat serious tax-related crimes and sophisticated tax fraud schemes. During the meeting, participants deliberated on topics including strategic objectives, fostering effective cooperation, exploring training opportunities, sharing best practices for accessing tax data, addressing legal challenges, resources and information technology. The development of this sub-group is encouraging and demonstrates each jurisdictions commitment to ensure that they have access to the broadest range of financial intelligence and effective mechanisms to target criminals and the proceeds of crime. The Director of the Isle of Man Financial Intelligence Unit, Phil Hunkin, said: The benefit of meeting in the Quad Island Forum is that it provides an ideal platform for multilateral engagement. Productive discussions between technical experts in these specialised fields will undoubtedly lead to the enhancement of existing measures and frameworks. We look forward to building on this initial engagement. The Quad Island Forum facilitates the sharing of knowledge and experience, and works collaboratively to achieve the four jurisdictions aims and objectives. It recognises the importance of international cooperation in the fight against money laundering and the financing of terrorism and proliferation, and the necessity for collaboration. The partnership is a key part of discussing how criminal activity can be identified and tackled effectively. The Forum members share the same values, face similar challenges and work closely on issues of common importance. The Forum has also established other subgroups to provide shared focus on topics such as Strategic Analysis, Public Private Partnerships and Terrorist Financing. Pilot phase launched for the Island's first MASH A six-month pilot phase is underway of the Islands first ever Multi Agency Safeguarding Hub (MASH). The MASH is a co-located, multi-agency and multi-disciplinary team that brings together professionals from services that have contact with children and young people of the Island who may be at risk of harm. Its purpose is to improve outcomes for them by ensuring there is a comprehensive and joined-up response to reducing the risk of harm, with professionals able to make the best possible use of their combined knowledge to ensure that children and young people are safe. Some of the agencies represented in the MASH include Manx Cares Childrens Social Care and Adult Social Work teams, its Early Help team, broader Health professionals from across Manx Care including its Safeguarding team, and officers from Isle of Man Constabulary. The new MASH arrangement will strengthen the relationships between all partner agencies, ensure there is joint responsibility for all safeguarding matters and, thanks to the co-location of teams, will improve knowledge and insight into some of the safeguarding themes and issues arising across the Island. Establishment of the MASH has been led by Superintendent Steve Maddocks from IOM Constabulary, Julie Gibney, Manx Cares Assistant Director of Childrens and Families Services, and Terri Banks, Manx Cares Head of Safeguarding, with support from their respective teams. During the pilot phase, the MASH team will be based at Murray House in Douglas, home to Manx Cares Integrated Social Care Services division. Teresa Cope, Manx Cares Chief Executive, commented: When professional, multi-disciplinary agencies work together to share information about children, young people and their families, it supports harm reduction and ensures there is better decision-making around a childs welfare and safety. This is a six-month pilot initially in order for us to work with our partners to make sure the model we are embedding fits the needs of children, young people and their families across the Isle of Man. This is an incredibly positive step forward and I would like to thank everyone who has worked so diligently over the last year to make this happen. Isle of Man Chief Constable Russ Foster, KPM, added: Having worked within a MASH arrangement during my time in the UK, I have seen for myself the clear benefits to the co-location of professional agencies when it comes to safeguarding matters. As a Police force we are committed to protecting vulnerable people and reducing harm in our communities across the Island, with early intervention and partnership working key to this. I look forward to seeing the progress that the MASH team makes over the next six months whilst in pilot phase, and am confident this will make a significant difference to safeguarding arrangements for children and young people living on the Isle of Man. Manx herring quota a 'once-in-a-generation opportunity' A new Isle of Man herring quota that follows two years of constructive post-Brexit discussions will provide a 'once-in-a-generation opportunity' for the Manx fishing industry. The deal follows lengthy and productive talks between the Isle of Man and UK governments and means local fishermen can fish commercially viable quantities of herring for the first time in nearly 25 years. Fishermen had been free to catch the oily fish, which can be salted, smoked and pickled, for centuries before the EU Common Fisheries Policy introduced quotas in the 1980s. A century earlier and at its peak, the Manx herring industry was estimated to directly employ around 3,500 people with a thriving kipper industry in full swing. However, falling stocks meant Manx fishermens focus turned to scallops and queenies and the quota allocated by the UK fell so far that the fishery was not commercially viable. By the time the herring numbers recovered to todays sustainable levels, quotas had become consolidated outside the Isle of Man under UK quota allocation rules. However, since Brexit the UK has gained a greater share of Irish Sea herring quotas and the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, Therese Coffey MP, recently determined how this should be shared among British vessels. It means Manx fishermen can once again diversify, signalling the end of their reliance on shellfish. The concerted effort by the Isle of Man Government and Manx Fish Producers Organisation (MFPO) to engage positively with the UK Government means that Manx fishermen can initially land up to 100 tonnes of herring this year. The Island has also been given a 100 tonne quota for the small and extremely valuable lobsters, known as langoustines, from 2024. Clare Barber MHK, Minister for Environment, Food and Agriculture, said: These quotas are a major boost for the Manx fishing industry and a once-in-a-generation opportunity. The Manx herring quota could quadruple over three years bringing a herring industry worth hundreds of thousands of pounds and a langoustine quota potentially worth far more. 'I must thank DEFA fisheries officers and the MFPO, which has been instrumental in this very positive outcome, and the UK Government for taking our unique position into account.' DEFA has made an additional 150,000 available to fishing businesses wishing to diversify and those interested should contact the MFPO, which will be responsible for managing quota alongside DEFA, by emailing iomfishermen@manx.net. David Beard, CEO of MFPO said: 'It is excellent news and tribute to the hard work undertaken. For many years the Manx fleet has relied solely on king and queen scallops for their income, but these are seasonal fisheries and there are periods when neither is fishable. The new quota will allow a number of Manx boats to diversify into the new fisheries which will be managed sustainably.' The Manx herring season will run from July to the end of the year. We've known for quite a while that Meta has been building a Twitter competitor, but now we have a more solid idea of when it will become available. A listing for the app called Threads has popped up in the iOS App Store with an estimated release date of July 6th. In May, a report came out saying that the microblogging service was nearing completion and could be out as soon as the end of June. While an end-of-June launch didn't quite happen, the app could be arriving at a time when Twitter users are more willing (and maybe even eager) to try an alternative. Twitter recently put a cap on how many tweets an unverified account can read per day. In a post, Elon Musk announced that verified accounts which translates to paying users can read 6,000 posts a day, while unverified/nonpaying users can only read 600. He said the website is adopting the measure to "address extreme levels of data scraping [and] system manipulation." A regular user can easily hit 600 posts, so people who haven't been paying $8 to $11 a month for blue checkmark have been getting locked out of their feeds as a result. Meta describes Threads as "Instagram's text-based conversation app." Based on the screenshots posted in the listing, users can keep their Instagram handle and follow the same accounts they follow on the photo-sharing platform. That means users will have a pre-existing following and circles on the new app, giving it an edge over other Twitter rivals. Users will also be able to choose the privacy of their posts and make them visible to anyone, to the profiles they follow or only to the accounts they mention. They will be able to heart, send and share other people's posts, as well. Previous reports said Meta's Twitter competitor would be a decentralized service that's compatible with Mastodon, but it's unclear if that's still the case when it launches. We'll know for sure within a few days. All products recommended by Engadget are selected by our editorial team, independent of our parent company. Some of our stories include affiliate links. If you buy something through one of these links, we may earn an affiliate commission. All prices are correct at the time of publishing. The Pound Rand (GBP/ZAR) exchange rate is seen trading lower on Tuesday's session, despite the Sterling's overall strength on currency markets. At the time of writing, GBP/ZAR traded at around 23.75242, a 0.26% decline from Mondays opening rates. Pound (GBP) Exchange Rates Tick Higher After UK Manufacturing PMI Release The Pound (GBP) found some respite on Tuesday after the Final Manufacturing Index print came in slightly higher than expected. According to the latest data released by S&P Global, "The end of the second quarter saw the UK manufacturing sector remain in contraction territory, with levels of output, new orders and employment suffering further declines. This was despite signs of price and supply chain pressures easing, as client uncertainty and subdued conditions in domestic and export markets continued to weigh on order books." GBP investors' attention now shifts to the UK Services PMI on Wednesday. Rand (ZAR) Exchange Rates Recovers in June The South African Rand experienced a swift appreciation in June after reversing its significant losses from May. However, despite this rebound, the SA Rand continues to face substantial challenges, including hawkish US Federal Reserve updates, deteriorating terms of trade, and domestic policy issues that have dented confidence in South African assets. In a monthly outlook brief to clients, Derek Halpenny, Head of Research at MUFG underscores the challenges the Rand is facing in the global economic landscape. The hawkish stance of the US Federal Reserve, which has resulted in higher US rates and a stronger US dollar, along with concerns over slower growth outside the US, are contributing to the Rand's sustained weakness. "While rand undervaluation has become less extreme, the rand continues to trade at weaker levels reflecting the less supportive external backdrop. The rand is being undermined by the hawkish central bank updates from the Fed that has lifted US rates and the US dollar," says Halpenny. He further elaborates on the impact of disappointing activity data from China and Europe, which has been putting pressure on commodity prices, a key factor for South Africas economy, stating, "At the same time, there has been more concern over weaker growth outside of the US with activity data disappointing recently in China and Europe which is continuing to weigh on commodity prices. South Africas terms of trade have been deteriorating for over a year now encouraging a weaker rand." Pound Rand (GBP/ZAR) Exchange Rate Forecast: UK PMIs in Focus Looking ahead for the Pound Sterling (GBP), the anticipation of a continued deceleration in the Services Purchasing Managers' Index (PMI) could place pressure on the Sterling. There's a prevailing belief that the services PMI may decline for the third month in a row, indicating that the sector's momentum seems to be waning. Meanwhile, the Rand (ZAR) is expected to be influenced by the trajectory of global monetary policy, international trade trends, and how effectively South Africa tackles its domestic challenges. "We expect the rand to remain weak," says Halpenny. It remains to be seen how the interplay of these factors will shape the future performance of the Rand. "Fionne Foxxe Farraday continues her "out of this world" sci-fi romance series with DARZIK." John Kelly, Detroit Free Press Named an Amazon HOT NEW RELEASEin More Ways Than One! Cookeville, TNFionne Foxxe Farraday's smoldering hot Mates of the Alliance series continues with DARZIK, a slow and sensual follow-up to the steamy kickoff found in the first installment. DARZIK: Mates of the Alliance draws on and develops the hints of connection between Darzik and Emily into a full-blown relationship while weaving themes of healing, hope, and commitment into the tapestry of Farraday's sweeping intergalactic romance series. Fionne Foxxe Farraday, an experienced physician working in pulmonary and critical care medicine, combines her firsthand experiences in the ICU and experiences of military family members who served in WWII and Vietnam to create\ her tantalizing and creative sci-fi romance series. Farraday created the Mates of the Alliance novels as a means of fighting cabin fever during a period of enforced medical leave due to a personal health crisis. Even after returning to her ICU duties, Farraday found her writing to be a therapeutic way to deal with the daily stresses of medical care during the midst of a pandemic. "For as long as I can remember, I've always enjoyed writing, but I never actually dreamed I'd be a writer," recalls Farraday. "Initially I was just writing for myself, but eventually I began reading my writing to my late husband and friends. They enjoyed listening and encouraged me to see where the story would go. Now, even though I work full time as a physician, I write when I get home and on weekends. It's wonderfully cathartic -- and has helped me greatly in the past two years of stress as a medical professional in the middle of a global pandemic. It has been such a rush to see my work published it sometimes feels like a dream!" Watch the book trailer here: https://bit.ly/DARZIK_Trailer "Fionne Foxxe Farraday is a writer who creates a science fiction fantasy so closely tied to reality that the concept succeeds on every level. DARZIK, the second book of her Mates of the Alliance series, continues the journey into a fascinating and delightful world! Very highly recommended." Grady Harp, Amazon Hall of Fame Top 50 Reviewer, 5-Stars With Earth still recovering from the devastating alien attack that drained the oceans and set the planet ablaze, the Luperans have remained to continue recovery efforts and establish ties on behalf of the Galactic Alliance. As relationships between Humans and the Luperans continue to deepen, Darzik has a front row seat to the Bond between his friend Kairn and his Mate, Daria. This puts him in close proximity to Emily, Daria's friend, whose dreams he begins to share. Only Emily's dreams are anything but peaceful years before she survived a devastating sexual assault, which led her to change her name and guard her heart to protect herself from future hurt. Yet now Emily/ "Mikka" has witnessed the love between Daria and Kairn. Seeing their Bond and the ways that they care for each other reawakens thoughts and desires that she had thought long buried. Darzik senses the pain and fear behind the walls she has built, but can he wait patiently and earn Mikka's trust? Can Mikka muster her courage, let down her guard, and take her life back? And when a potentially catastrophic geological event sends Darzik on dangerous mission, will he return to Mikka and the growing Bond between them? "I've been living in the Mates of the Alliance world for a while," shares Farraday. "It seems like every book becomes my favorite while I'm writing it, but I have a real soft spot for DARZIK. In this story, Emily has been through something horrific which altered the course of her life. She is a survivor and doesn't see herself be a victim. Most of this book is her journey to reclaim her life and how Darzik is there for her through it all as her staunchest cheerleader, the one who sees her bravery and supports her as she steps forward into a new life." "Fionne Foxxe Farraday continues her "out of this world" sci-fi romance series with DARZIK, the second installment in her Mates of the Alliance series. DARZIK follows the journey of Emily, a survivor of sexual assault, as she grows closer to Darzik, the commanding officer of the Luperans.This is an extraordinary story of healing, restoration, and trusta heartwarming (and steamy!) exploration of hope. Highly recommended." John J. Kelly, Detroit Free Press, 5-Stars "We live in a very tumultuous and uncertain world," says Farraday. "Hope gets us through - even when it is buried pretty deep, it's there. We need to find it, hang onto it, and nurture it. I hope this book will help readers do that, giving them a happy ending that will help them hold onto hope that it is possible to heal from even horrific events. Often the help of family and friends are what ultimately see us through." "In DARZIK: Mates of the Alliance, Farraday has once again penned another slow-burn romance, in which she torments readers with the torturously slow unfolding of the relationship between Mikka and Darzik, a tantalizing literary foreplay that will leave readers on the edge of their seats." Jessica Tofino, Educator and Writer, 5-Stars With DARZIK, Farraday continues to build and expand the emotionally resonant cast of characters from her Mates of the Alliance world, demonstrating how the bonds of love and friendship can be found in unexpected places and reminding readers of the power of true love and deep commitment. If you like your sci-fi stories filled with smoldering romantic heat and creative banter, Mates of the Alliance might be just the series for you! DARZIK: Mates of the Alliance, ASIN: B0C63FR6HZ is available on Amazon and the author's website: https://matesofthealliance.com/ About Fionne Foxxe Farraday: Fionne Foxxe Farraday is a medical professional working in pulmonary and critical care medicine. She is the author of the award winning KAIRN and DARZIK, the first two installments of the Mates of the Alliance, an epic new sci-fi romance series. With her background in medicine and military family members, Farraday's books are a salute to all the medical and military personnel whose sacrifices allow us to do what we do. A mother, grandmother, and animal lover, Fionne Foxxe Farraday lives in Cookeville, TN. Media Contact: For a review copy of DARZIK: Mates of the Alliance or to arrange an interview with Fionne Foxxe Farraday, contact Scott Lorenz of Westwind Communications Book Marketing at scottlorenz@westwindcos.com or by phone at 734-667-2090. Reach Lorenz on Twitter @abookpublicist Tuesday, July 4, 2023 Its Americas Birthday Celebrate the Freedom of Writing and Being an Author Today is the 4th of July a huge day in America. Its Americas birthday. For some, the celebration of Americas independence started days before the 4thstretching it over many. Last Friday was the get-away day for many and was in full view. Flags were out. Families and friends planning gatherings for picnics, barbecues, movies, and or just a layback and take a few days off. All a good thing, celebrating a long weekend into the new week. But theres more to think about. What happened within the walls of what became known as Independence Hall in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania was life-changing. The Declaration of Independence and the Constitution were both debated, adopted, and birthed. Within the Constitution lies multiple Amendments. The First Amendment is essential and critical to what authors do: Freedom of Religion, Speech, and the Press. ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ Amendment 1 Freedom of Religion, Speech, and the Press Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion or prohibiting the free exercise thereof or abridging the freedom of speech or of the press, or the right of people peaceably to assemble and to petition the government for a redress of grievances. ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ Value greatly that the Founding Fathers lit the authors writing path with freedom. Freedom for words and the creation of books. True independence. ALL authors and writers globally should be joining in a universal cheer and celebration of the power of words. Their meaning their impact their ability to make a difference to create change to solve problems to relieve pain to entertain. Thats a tremendous amount of power and ability to practice. Its a very cool thing to think about this 4th of July weekwouldnt you agree? Many in the literary community see and experiencing clouds growing for censoring, even banning of words of books. More books. In bookstores I visit, I see tables filled with books that are on the banned book lists. On the 14th of this month, I have the privilege of presenting author Avi, winner of the Newbury Medal for Crispin: The Cross of Lead in 2003 to an online chat and Q&A. For middle school kids, Crispin is an amazing, creative book with twists and turns based in medieval England from Avis imagination that hit the banned book list. I know this topic will be hot where Im heading next month. I have the privilege of speaking at the annual meeting of the Florida Authors and Publishers Association and will be interacting with authors, librarians, and publishers. Honor this day. Embrace the power of your words and that you can still write what you do and publish and get it published and available. There are avenues to make it happen. Think of the symbolic sparkler of the 4th. Its in your hand representing your words, your passion, and your vision. Hold it high for the freedom to write what you can and do. Im celebrating with you. And speaking out for the ability to write what I want. Dr. Judith Briles is a book publishing expert and coach. Often, she must roll up her writing sleeves and become a Book Doctor, juicing up storylines and author words. She empowers authors and works directly with authors who want to be seriously successful and has been writing about and conducting workshops on publishing since the 80s. Judith is the author of 44 books including Author YOU: Creating and Building Your Author and Book Platforms, Snappy Sassy Salty: Success for Authors and Writers, and How to Create a Million Dollar Speech. Her personal memoir When God Says NO-Revealing the YES When Adversity and Loss Are Present is a #1 bestseller on Amazon and her historical fiction debut Secret Journey. Collectively, her books have earned over 45 book awards. Judith speaks throughout the year at publishing conferences. Throughout the year, she holds Judith Briles Book Unplugged in-person and online experiences: Publishing, Speaking, Marketing, and Social Media. All are two-day intensives limited to a small group of authors who want to be seriously successful. Join Judith live for the AuthorU-Your Guide to Book Publishing podcast on the Toginet Radio Network HERE. Follow @AuthorUYOUBooks and @MyBookShepherd on Twitter and do a Like at AuthorYOU, and join the Facebook group Book Publishing with The Book Shepherd. If you want to create a book that has no regrets, contact her. 2023 Judith Briles The Book Shepherd All Rights Reserved. (The Center Square) Voters across the country have largely soured on the two major political parties, with just 20% of respondents in a new State Policy Network (SPN) survey considering the parties civil and fewer than half of partisans finding their own party ethical. In the poll of 2,043 voters conducted from June 14-18, fewer than one in five of respondents also indicated they see either of the parties as civil and just half of interviewees view their own party that way. SPN messaging strategist Erin Norman told The Center Square the message being sent by voters couldnt be clearer. There is strong and increasing desire among most Americans to return to greater civility in politics, which includes bipartisan work in Congress, Norman said. Neither party is putting effort in those places and its showing in what the people think of the parties. Norman said all the back-and-forth has frustrated voters who ponder what other options they may have. We have had a few cycles where voters have openly said they disliked both major candidates but still went to the polls and voted for one or the other, so there are clearly barriers to a third-party run, she added. But there is a massive opportunity for a major party candidate to take a new approach and win over more than enough moderate and party-leaners to win and go into office with good momentum. On average, just 26% of voters (28% of Republicans and 24% of Democrats) said they consider the ideals and policies of the two parties to be balanced and an average of 21% of respondents said they view them as compassionate, with Republicans at just 16%. Norman said its not hard to see why so many voters see things in such a dwindling light. Its not what we traditionally think of as issues like health care, education, or taxes, she added. Its a lack of compromise from both sides, and a feeling that there are very few politicians that are focused on solutions to the problems that matter to the American people. In addition, just 28% of Democrats say fair describes their party's ideals and policies vs. 30% of Republicans. An average of 31% of interviewees view their partys ideals and policies as irresponsible, topped by 35% of Democrats. The poll, conducted in partnership with Morning Consult, had a margin of error of 2%. The government has launched an eight-week consultation on firearms and shotgun licencing, with rural campaigners calling it the most important development affecting UK gun laws in 35 years. The Minister for Crime and Policing, Chris Philp unveiled the consultation, which includes proposals such as mandatory involvement of GPs and the review of the length of a certificate. The British Association for Shooting and Conservation (BASC) is urging farmers and landowners to respond so that the shooting community "has a voice in decisions that will have an impact for decades to come." The rural campaigning body has billed it as the most important consultation on firearms ownership in 35 years. BASC director of firearms Bill Harriman said: People must not be silent and think others will do the work for them. The shooting community must respond in numbers - make sure you have your say. BASC has welcomed many of the proposals announced by the minister, including mandatory involvement of GPs and the review of the length of a certificate. While there are "many sensible suggestions" within the consultation, the body said any proposals must be "evidence-led and proven to enhance public safety without disproportionately hindering legitimate shooting activities". Mr Harriman added: The focus of any changes to legislation should remain on ensuring that the firearms licensing system is workable and efficient. "A high level of service and consistency across the 43 licensing departments in England and Wales is essential." The egg industry in the UK is currently facing its fair share of challenges - from rising production costs due to the war in Ukraine to the threat of avian influenza, farmers are facing difficulties in maintaining high bird welfare standards and quality egg production. At Tecno we have entered a partnership with PWMaines, a reputable family-owned company with more than 40 years of experience in delivering solutions for the poultry industry. Together we aim at providing customized production solutions to UK egg farmers and help them strengthen their businesses and overcome some of the challenges they are facing. The two companies are united by a common goal providing UK customers the very best egg production solutions enabling the highest level of quality eggs without compromising animal welfare. We and PWMaines share the same vision that a one size fits all approach is not the right solution. Together, we strive to support customers businesses by advising and supplying bespoke egg production systems meeting the special operational requirements and conditions of the individual businesses. At Tecno, we provide hens the freedom needed to ensure their welfare and ensuring costumers solutions to fully align with the UK's welfare standards. Through our partnership with PWMaines, we bring combined experience to our customers benefitting their businesses. Our commitment to providing exceptional support in identifying the optimal solution for any situation, coupled with PWMaines's market insight and commitment to supplying only trustworthy brands to their customers, positions both companies to achieve the best outcomes possible. This partnership represents an important step forward in providing bespoke production solutions to UK egg farmers. By partnering with PWMaines, we can provide tailored solutions that meets the ever-evolving needs of the UK egg production industry, while continuing to prioritize the welfare of the hens. Prince Andrew and his ex-wife Sarah Ferguson reportedly wont be kicked out of their Royal Lodge home as she recovers from her breast cancer surgery. Prince Andrew and his ex-wife Sarah Ferguson reportedly wont be kicked out of their Royal Lodge home as she recovers from her breast cancer surgery Andrew, 63, has been living at the grand house near Windsor Castle, outside London, since 2003, with Sarah, Duchess of York, also 63, after the Duke signed a 74-year lease on the 30-room property. But as part of King Charles apparent cost-cutting measures the pair were set to be moved into Prince Harry and Meghan, Duchess of Sussexs old home of Frogmore Cottage. Insiders told Page Six about how the move is on the back burner while Sarah recovers from her recent eight-hour mastectomy procedure: Royal sources said it was to give her time to recover from gruelling surgery. A friend said about the duchess, who has daughters Princess Beatrice, 34, and Princess Eugenie, 33, with Andrew: She is resting at home. It was major surgery. Shes had lots of support, both her daughters, Beatrice and Eugenie, are being very supportive, as is Andrew. Princess Eugenie is currently living in Frogmore with her husband, Jack Brooksbank, 37, their son August, two, and their newborn son Ernest. Andrew was left disgraced and without any official duties or income after paying a multimillion-dollar settlement to Jeffrey Epsteins trafficking victim Virginia Giuffre, 39. He does not appear to have enough income to cover the combined rent and upkeep of the home, which is owned by the Crown Estate, a for-profit company which runs all the property owned by the monarchy. But a royal source told Page Six: Charles is not chucking Andrew out, but Andrew will have to find the money to look after the property himself and where is that coming from? Sarah has declared it is time to heal and nurture herself after having a mastectomy. Her long-time friend Piers Morgan, 58, said moments after he read the news Sarah had cancer he texted her and she replied: Time to heal and nurture me now! The former American Got Talent judge added Sarah also said: Hopefully caught in time x thank you. Sarah said on her Tea Talks podcast: Tomorrow Im going in for a mastectomy... I have to go through this operation, and I have to be well and strong. And therefore, no choice is the best choice. Im going to go out there and get super, super well super strong. Sarah added she was grateful for her diagnosis as it has forced her to focus on herself instead of other people. She said: I taking this as a gift to make real changes for myself and to nurture myself and stop trying to fix everyone else. Kit Connor "would have preferred" to come out in a different way. Kit Connor isn't sure he would have ever came out had it not been for pressure from social media The 19-year-old actor revealed his bisexuality to the world towards the end of last year following intense speculation on social media and admitted that while he "does not regret" coming out, he is not sure he would have made the announcement at all had there not been the online pressure to do so. He told British Vogue: "I think theres almost a feeling that because Id been in the industry for a little while, there was almost this understanding that its like, Oh, well, he can take it. I think forced isnt the right word I would use, but I would say that I would have preferred to do it another way. "I also dont know if I would have ever done it. But at the end of the day I dont regret it. In many ways it was really empowering." At the time, Kit had taken to social media as he accused fans on Twitter of "forcing" him to disclose his sexuality. He tweeted: "back for a minute. im bi. congrats for forcing an 18 year old to out himself. "(sic) The Emmy Award-winning actor is known around the world for his role as Nick Nelson on the hit Netflix comedy-drama 'Heartstopper' and even though he will be seen starring in the show's second series - which premieres on the streaming giant in August - went on to admit that he wants to be seen as an actor who can do a variety of "different" roles. He said: "Im conscious of the fact I dont want people to go and watch everything Im ever in now and go, Oh, its Nick from Heartstopper. I also dont want to be labelled as anything, as a heart-throb or as the queer actor or as this or that. I want to be labelled as an actor who can do different things. "I was never nearly as popular as Nick was, I think. Nick is super socially comfortable and I can get quite sort of socially inept. Not socially inept, but, like, awkward. I am a bit introverted and generally like to keep myself to myself. " Sri Lanka's garment exports were valued at $1,843.3 million from January to May 2023, showing a decrease of 16.5 per cent compared to exports of $2,206.6 million during the same period in the previous year, according to statistics released by the Central Bank of Sri Lanka. The country's garment exports fell by 14.2 per cent in May 2023 due to a global economic slowdown. In the first five months of 2023, textile exports from the island nation dropped by 3.1 per cent year-on-year, totalling $144.6 million. The exports of other manufactured textile articles were valued at $42.7 million during the same period, a decrease of 19 per cent, as detailed in the bank's report titled 'External Sector Performance'. Exports of textiles, garments, and other manufactured textile articles collectively made up 53.07 per cent of all industrial exports from Sri Lanka during the reviewed period, the report showed. All textile product exports summed up to $2,030.6 million from January to May 2023, while Sri Lanka's total industrial exports were $3,825.2 million in the first five months of the year. Sri Lanka's garment exports dropped 16.5 per cent to $1,843.3 million in January-May 2023, due to the global slowdown. Textile exports fell 3.1 per cent to $144.6 million. Despite the decline, textile-related exports constituted 53.07 per cent of all industrial exports. Imports of textiles also fell by 28.8 per cent to $999.9 million during the same period. In May 2023, all textile product exports from the country dropped by 14.5 per cent year-on-year, totalling $413.9 million. Categorically, garment exports decreased by 14.2 per cent to $374.6 million, while textile exports declined by 18 per cent to $30.4 million. Exports of other manufactured textile articles fell by 12.1 per cent, amounting to $8.9 million. Conversely, imports of textiles and textile articles declined by 28.8 per cent to $999.9 million, while imports of clothing and accessories were down by 35.1 per cent, amounting to $71.2 million from January to May 2023. Fibre2Fashion News Desk (KUL) Vietnams disbursement of capital from foreign direct investment (FDI) projects in the first half (H1) this year reached $10.02 billiona modest rise of 0.5 per cent year on year (YoY), according to the ministry of planning and investment. Following consecutive declines in the first five months, the disbursement of FDI capital rose in Junea result of the strong government measures, the Foreign Investment Agency claimed. Despite the increase in FDI disbursements in June, total pledged capital dropped. As of June 20, the total registered capital amounted to $13.43 billiona decline of 4.3 per cent YoY. Vietnam's foreign direct investment disbursement in the first half this year reached $10.02 billiona modest rise of 0.5 per cent year on year (YoY), government statistics show. Despite the increase in FDI disbursements in June following consecutive declines in the first five months, total registered capital dropped by 4.3 per cent YoY to $13.43 billion. During the six-month period, 1,293 new projects were granted investment registration certificates, with total pledged capital estimated at $6.49 billiona significant YoY increase of 71.9 per cent in volume and 31.3 per cent in value, according to Vietnamese media reports. Foreign investors contributed capital to or acquired shares from businesses in the country in 1,594 transactions during that period, with a total of over $4 billion. Despite the volume of transactions falling by 6.6 per cent, the value soared by 76.8 per cent YoY. Fibre2Fashion News Desk (DS) News and commentary on organized crime, street crime, white collar crime, cyber crime, sex crime, crime fiction, crime prevention, espionage and terrorism. Here are the upcoming movies and OTT releases we're watching this week: Joyland Audiences who caught Joyland at the Cannes Film Festival have been raving about the film that follows a man who joins a Burlesque theatre where he falls in love with a trans woman. It will finally be out on OTT this week. Release date: July 5 Where: OTT Insidious: The Red Door Insidious: The Red Door, the latest chapter of the Insidious series, is set ten years after the second instalment. It follows Josh Lambert as he drops his son Dalton off to an Ivy League University. However, demons are back to haunt the father and son duo. Release date: July 6 Where: Theatres Neeyat Neeyat is an upcoming whodunnit that will see Vidya Balan don her detective hat. The Anu Menon directorial will follow the mysterious murder case of a rich man in a Knives Out-style movie. Release date: July 7 Where: Theatres Blind In her comeback movie and OTT debut, Sonam Kapoor plays a visually impaired detective out to nab a serial killer. From what we've seen in the trailer, it's shaping up to be quite a convincing act. Release date: July 7 Where: OTT Tarla Before Barbie and Oppenheimer, we have a clash between female-led movies between Neeyat, Blind and Tarla. The film will see an unrecognisable Huma Qureshi play the beloved home chef who revolutionised the food industry. Release date: July 7 Adhura After School of Lies, Adhura is the next thriller series set in a small town boarding school. Starring Rasika Dugal and Ishwak Singh, the show promises to unleash chilling events that target students and teachers alike. Release date: July 7 Where: OTT Past Lives Past Lives is about two friends - Have Subf and Nora, who are reunited in New York City twenty years after the latter immigrated from South Korea. Release date: July 7 Where: Theatres Return to Seoul Return to Seoul sees a 25-year-old French woman visit South Korea for the first time in search of her biological parents. Release date: July 7 Where: OTT Where: OTT This week is packed with female-led movies and shows. From Vidya Balan's Neeyat and Sonam Kapoor's comeback movie Blind to Rasika Dugal-starrer Adhura, the line-up is pretty impressive. The week will also mark the release of not one but two Korean titles - Past Lives and Return to Seoul. Adoor Gopalakrishnan Director/Producer Biography: Moutatthu "Adoor" Gopalakrishnan Unnithan (July 3, 1941) is a seven-time National Award winning Indian film director, script writer, and producer. Most of his films are rarely released worldwide in DVD or VHS. They go to a few film festivals around the world, and are released in Kerala. They may be found in certain film societies in Kerala. Biography Gopalakrishnan was born on 3 July 1941 in the village of Pallickal (Medayil Bungalow) near Adoor, present day Kerala, India as the son of Madhavan Unnithan and Mouttathu Gauri Kunjamma. He started his artistic life as an actor in amateur plays when he was 8. Later he shifted his base to writing and direction and wrote and directed a few plays. After securing a degree in Economics, Political Science and Public Administration in 1961 from the Gandhigram Rural Institute[1], he worked as a Government officer near Dindigul in Tamilnadu . In 1962, he left his job to study screenwriting and direction from the Pune Film Institute. He completed his course from there with a scholarship from the Government of India. With his classmates and friends, Adoor established Chithralekha Film Society and Chalachithra Sahakarana Sangham; the organization was the first film society in Kerala and it aimed at production, distribution and exhibition of films in the co-operative sector. Adoor has scripted and directed eleven feature films and about thirty Shorts and documentaries. Notable amongst the non-feature films are those on Keralas performing arts. Adoor's debut film the national award winning Swayamvaram(1972) was a milestone in Malayalam film history. The film was exhibited widely in various international film festivals including those held in Moscow, Melbourne, London and Paris. The films that followed namely Kodiyettam, Elippathayam, Mukhamukham, Anantharam, Mathilukal Vidheyan and Kathapurushan lived up to the reputation of his first film and were well received by critics at various film festivals and fetched him many awards. However, Mukhamukham was criticized in Kerala while Vidheyan was at the centre of a debate due to the differences in opinion between the writer of story of the film Sakhariya and Adoor. Adoor's later films are Nizhalkuthu, narrating the experiences of an executioner who comes to know that one of his subjects was innocent, and Naalu Pennungal, a film adaptation of 4 short stories by Thakazhi Sivasankara Pillai. All his films have won national and international awards (National award for best film twice, best director four times, and best script two times. His films have also won his actors and technicians several national awards). Adoors third feature, Elippathayam won him the coveted British Film Institute Award for 'the most original and imaginative film' of 1982. The International Film Critics Prize (FIPRESCI) has gone to him six times successively for Mukhamukham, Anantaram, Mathilukal, Vidheyan, Kathapurushan and Nizhalkkuthu. Winner of several international awards like the UNICEF film prize (Venice), OCIC film prize (Amiens), INTERFILM Prize (Mannheim) etc, his films have been shown in Cannes, Venice, Berlin, Toronto, London, Rotterdam and every important festival around the world. In consideration of his contribution to Indian cinema, the nation honoured him with the title of Padmashri in 1984. Documentaries and New Cinema movement Apart from nine feature films, he has over 30 short films and documentaries to his credit. All the nine films he directed, from Swayamvaram to Nizhalkkuthu, were screened at many international film festivals and won him national and international awards. The Helsinki Film Festival was the first film festival to have a retrospective of his films. He has headed the jury at the National Film Awards and many international film festivals. Apart from his films, Adoor's major contribution towards introducing a new cinema culture in Kerala was the constitution of the first Film Society in Kerala, "Chitralekha Film Society". He also took active part in the constitution of "Chitralekha," Kerala's first Film Co-operative Society for film production. These movements triggered a fresh wave of films, called "art films," by directors like G Aravindan, PA Becker, KG George, Pavithran, and Raveendran. At a time this movement was so strong that even popular cinema synthesised with art cinema to create a new genre of films. Style and Trademarks Adoor has been known as a director who completely dictates every fine detail of his films. On the performance of actors in his movies, he stated that - "It is not the artist's job to do the detailing. I do not want different interpretations of roles that may clash with each other. It has to be absolutely unified." He normally does not encourage his crew to read the script or even the stories. The actors are told at the time of shooting about the role and the scenes before conducting several rehearsals. According to Adoor movies, the actor is not performing to the audience like the stage actor. Here they are acting for me. I am the audience and I will decide whether it is correct or not, enough or not." Posts Held Adoor also worked in several respected posts in the film fraternity. He was a member of Sivaramakarath committee formed by the Government of India for framing a national film policy. He was a national film award committee member in 1974. He was a member of jury in Venice, Singapore, Hawaii and Delhi international film festivals. He was the chairman of International Film Festival of Kerala in 1999. He headed the National Film Development Corporation in the years 19801983. He was the director of Pune Film and Television Institute. In the years 19751977, he was a member of the advisory board for National Film Archives, Pune. Read More India, 4th July 2023: Dr. Amit Kamle, the renowned Gospel Maestro, founder of Glorify Christ has been awarded the prestigious Music Composer of the Year 2023 in the Gospel Genre. The esteemed award was presented to him by the talented Bollywood actress Parineeti Chopra at a glittering award ceremony held recently. During the award ceremony, The Gospel Maestro Dr. Amit Kamle interacted with Bollywood Diva Parineeti Chopra. Impressed by her presence, he complimented the actress, saying, "You look beautiful," to which Parineeti graciously responded with folded hands, "Thank you very much. Privileged!" Expressing his excitement and gratitude for the honour, Dr.Amit Kamle remarked, "Parineeti is one of my favorite artists, and to receive this prestigious award from her feels absolutely amazing. It is a true recognition of my passion for music and the efforts I have put into creating soulful compositions." Dr.Amit Kamle's compositions in the Gospel Genre have gained widespread acclaim for their spiritual themes, expressions of gratitude and faith. His songs resonate deeply with audiences, earning appreciation for their soul-stirring melodies and meaningful lyrics. Besides his expertise in music composition and lyric writing, Dr. Amit Kamle has showcased his artistic versatility by directing and acting in some of his projects, such as "Irada Nek Hai" with actress Akshita Mudgal and "Jaijaikar" with actress Nyra Banerjee. Among his notable works, Dr. Amit Kamle's compositions include the following: "Tera Shukriya" sung by Anil Kant "Dil Mera Dil" sung by Shaan "Main Aur Mera Gharana" sung by Adwita Amit Kamle "Mere Papa" sung by S.P. Balasubrahmanyam "Tu Hi Hai" sung by Shirin George "Dhanyawad Kare" sung by Nithya Mammen "Israel" sung by Udit Narayan "Teri Daya" sung by Kavita Krishnamurthy "Main Stuti Karu" sung by Alka Yagnik Dr Amit Kamle's exceptional talent and dedication to his craft have made him a respected figure in the music industry, and this recognition as Music Composer of the Year further solidifies his status as a Gospel Maestro. Dr.Amit Kamle is an acclaimed music composer and lyricist known for his contributions to the Gospel Genre. With his soulful melodies and meaningful compositions, he has touched the hearts of millions worldwide. In addition to his music career, Dr.Amit Kamle has also directed and acted in various projects, showcasing his artistic range and versatility. Dr. Amit Kamle and his musical journey can be witnessed on official website at www.youtube.com/akinternationaltourism Thalapathy Vijay To Focus On Politics Photo Credit: Gallery Thalapathy Vijay To Take A Small Break From Acting Career To Pursue Politics: Thalapathy Vijay is set to pause his acting career for a short break of about three years to focus on the upcoming elections in 2026. Reportedly, the actor will start taking part in the activities of 'Thalapathy Vijay Makal Iyyakam' after the release of Lokesh Kanagaraj's directorial LEO. Despite the break being only for a while, fans of the actor are disappointed and unhappy about him not doing films, and they expressed excitement over his decision to join active politics. Meanwhile, after LEO, Vijay announced his 68th film with director Venkat Prabhu. He is aiming to complete the work of the movie, which is rumoured to be titled CSK, by January 2024, making his way clear for focusing on politics and earning a solid base for Makkal Iyyakam. After the news about his political break surfaced on the internet, fans started making it viral by adding slogans like 'Time To Lead.' Recently, Vijay, who always had ambition for politics, took part in a student appreciation meet where he made his intentions clear about his foray into the political realm. Kollywood stars and their tryst with politics are as old as time. Many Tamil cinema personalities have left irreplaceable impacts on the state's politics, including MGR, Karunanidhi, and Jaya Lalita. Actor-producer Udhayanidhi Stalin also quit his film career and is now a Minister. According to a report in India Today, the Thalapathy Vijay Makkal Iyyakam contested in the local body elections in the year 2022. The fans organization released a statement that read, "As per the instructions of Vijay, TVMI will contest in the Urban Local Body Elections without forming any alliance or seeking the support of any political party. Fans, cadres, and office bearers are requested to support our candidates, let people know about our work, and pave the way for their victory." However, an official confirmation about the three years break is awaited from the horse's mouth. Bigg Boss OTT 2 update: Fukra Insaan's brother Triggered Insaan has been extending support to him on social media ever since the former entered Salman Khan's show. He has been sharing his thoughts about the show, pointing out how the celebrities have been targeting his brother. BIGG BOSS OTT 2: TRIGGERED INSAAN SUPPORTS FUKRA INSAAN Nischay Malhan had expressed his displeasure after a video went viral where Falaq Naaz allegedly used the word 'gay' for Fukra Insaan. While Avinash Sachdev was heard saying 'Janani', one couldn't decipher if the Sasural Simar Ka actress used the word 'gay' or not. Nischay was miffed with the video and he slammed Falaq for allegedly disrespecting the LGBTQI community. He accused the actress of spreading a false narrative against Fukra Insaan aka Abhishek Malhan. "Okay, I don't even want to watch #BBOTT2 anymore! First, what's the problem of this world with LGBT community? Where's the respect? Second, when you can't defeat them just spread rumours to create a wrong narrative! Shame on #FalakNaaz (sic)," he said. In a separate tweet, which he deleted later, Triggered Insaan said that people should not talk about his or Abhishek's upbringing, slamming the BB OTT contestants for the same. He deleted his post a few minutes after calling Bigg Boss a 'dirty show'. "Bigg boss #BiggBossOTT2 is a dirty show and people talk trash all the time, so tbh I don't care what these self-proclaimed CELEBRITIES even say about my brother. But hamari upbringing achi hai isliye inke level pe nahi gir sakte," Nischay wrote on Twitter. NISCHAY MALHAN REACTS TO FAN'S TWEET ON 'FAMILY REACTION' A Twitter user asked Nischay why he and his family were constantly writing about Bigg Boss OTT season 2 when they know that Fukra Insaan will win the show. He tweeted, "bro Abhishek is not a kid, he will handle, he is a mature guy ??? why uh all guys need a family reaction on it ? Leave we all know he will be back with the trophy just wait and watch (sic)." Triggered Insaan was 'triggered' by the tweet and he seemed angry while responding to the user. He asked him if he would get angry or not when someones questions his brother's 'upbringing' and 'gender shames' him. "You stupid or wot? Tere sage bhai ko gender shame karenge, uski upbringing pe question karenge to gussa to aega na. And maine konsa andolan shuru kardiya, tweet hi kari hai na apni opinion," Nischat wrote on the micro-blogging site. On a related note, Abhishek Malhan has been removed as the captain of Bigg Boss OTT 2 for breaking house rules. Niharika Konidela and Chaitanya JV Photo Credit: Twitter Niharika Konidela and Chaitanya Jonnalagadda Are Offically Divorced! Megastar Chiranjeevi's niece, RRR star Ram Charan's cousin Niharika Konidela, daughter of Nagababu, has been in the news of late for her separation rumours from her husband of two years, Chaitanya JV aka Venkata Chaitanya Jonnalagadda. According to the latest update, the couple are now officially divorced. The couple filed for a divorce with mutual consent, and the procedure was completed formally. The reason for their breakup is said to be due to irreconcilable differences. Niharika Konidela was referred to as a mega princess at first when she made her grand debut as an actress in the Tollywood film industry. She also starred in a Tamil film along with Vijay Sethupathi and Gautam Karthik. After dabbling with acting, Niharika turned a producer and has been successfully making web series, shows, and films under her banner Pink Elephant. She recently opened a plush office for her production house in Hyderabad. Niharika Konidela, Varun Tej's sister, got married to Chaitanya JV, a management graduate from BITS, in December 2020. Theirs was an love-cum-arranged marriage as Varun Tej was a senior at College to Chaitanya, and Chaitanya's father and IPS Officer were close friends with Chiranjeevi. Chaitanya and Niharika got hitched in a lavish heritage hotel in Udaipur, Rajasthan. Their wedding celebrations took place for over a week in Hyderabad and Udaipur. The mega family and Allu family had taken part in the wedding revelries with several actors and actresses in attendance. Within an year into their marriage, the couple seemed to have been disturbed due to their new phase in lives together. They unfollowed each other on social media handles several times. An year ago, the rumours about their separation were rife. Both families also remained tight-lipped about the couple's relationship status. But Chaitanya then posted a picture of Niharika in his status, hinting that they have reconciled. Again, a couple of months ago, the duo unfollowed each other and Niharika reportedly moved back to Nagababu's house. This time things were clear for the media and the public as the duo didn't want to comment on it but have been making public appearances separately. For the engagement of Varun Tej with Lavanya Tripathi, Chaitanya wasn't there and Niharika posted a slew of pictures from the event with her brother and his fiance, sans her husband. Fans came to a conclusion that they have indeed separated. Recently, after a hiatus, Chaitanya JV posted on his social media about his meditation trip to a spiritual place, which confirmed that they are trying to cope and heal. The divorce announcement is yet to be made officially. Niharika Konidela & Chaitanya JV Divorce! Reason Revealed: Megastar Chiranjeevi's niece, Niharika Konidela, who is also the cousin of RRR star Ram Charan and the daughter of Nagababu, has recently made headlines following her separation from her husband of two years, Chaitanya JV, also known as Venkata Chaitanya Jonnalagadda. Acoording to the latest reports, the couple has officially obtained a divorce. They had filed for mutual divorce last month, and the legal process has been completed. Telugu media reports suggest that irreconcilable mutual differences were cited as the reason behind their decision to end their marriage. Neither Niharika nor Chaitanya have responded to or confirmed the news of their divorce. Niharika Konidela, known as a mega princess, made her debut as an actress in the Tollywood film industry and also appeared in a Tamil film alongside Vijay Sethupathi and Gautam Karthik. After her acting career, Niharika ventured into producing web series, shows, and films under her banner, Pink Elephant Pictures. She recently established a luxurious office for her production house in Hyderabad. Niharika & Chaitanya's Grand Wedding Niharika, the sister of Varun Tej, tied the knot with Chaitanya JV in December 2020. Their marriage was a mix of love and an arranged setup, as Chaitanya was a college senior to Varun Tej, and Chaitanya's father, an IPS officer, was a close friend of Chiranjeevi. The grand wedding took place in a heritage hotel in Udaipur, Rajasthan, with week-long celebrations in Hyderabad and Udaipur, attended by members of the Mega and Allu families and various actors and actresses. However, according to reports, within a year of their marriage, the couple faced difficulties adjusting to their new phase of life together. They unfollowed each other on social media multiple times, sparking rumours of their separation. While Chaitanya once hinted at reconciliation by posting a picture of Niharika on his status, they later unfollowed each other again, and Niharika reportedly moved back to Nagababu's house. The rumours of Niharika divorcing her husband resurfaced when Chaitanya was absent from Varun Tej's engagement with Lavanya Tripathi. Niharika's social media post about the engagement drew comments asking about her husband's whereabouts. Recently, Chaitanya JV was seen practising meditation at the Global Vipassana Pagoda meditation centre, seemingly finding solace amidst the personal challenges he has been facing. Home Top Listing Top Listing Most Anticipated Movies In 2023 Second Half In India After success of several blockbuster hit movies, now cinephiles across the nation are waiting for the releases of the second half of 2023. No doubt, it will be an exciting moment for all the cinephiles, with release of many anticipated movies in the languages like Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada and Malayalam. So, let's take a look at list of most anticipated Indian movies which will be released in theaters in the second half of this year. Hindi - Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani, Jawan and Tiger 3 Shah Rukh Khan-starrer 'Jawaan' will be released in theaters on 7th September 2023. The action-thriller drama directed by Atlee, it will feature actors Vijay Sethupathi and Nayanthara. The film also marks first collaboration between King and Atlee. Meanwhile, Karan Johar's Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani is set to release on July 28, 2023. Starring Alia Bhatt and Ranveer Singh in the lead roles, it marks seventh directorial venture of Karan Johar. In addition, Salman Khan's most-anticipated movie 'Tiger-3' will be released in the end of this year. Tamil 3 - Leo, Jailer and Ayalaan The second of half of 2023 will become busy for Tamil film industry with release of many super stars and big-budget movies. With suspense thriller story plots and stellar performance, many of them will attract the cinephiles to the silver screen. As per the reports, the action thriller drama 'Leo' will be released in theaters on 19 October 2023. Starring Thalapathy Vijay in the titular role, the film is one of the highly anticipated movies of this year. Apart from this, Superstar Rajnikanth's Jailer and Siva Karthikeyan's Ayalaan will be released in theaters on Diwali. Telugu-Salaar, Tiger Nageswara Rao and Kushi Pan-Indian super star Prabhas's anticipated movie 'Salaar' announced the official release date. As per the reports the film will be released in theaters on 28th September 2023. At the same time, Vijay Deverakonda and Samantha's 'Kushi' will be released in theaters in the first week of September month. On other hand, Ravi Teja's upcoming movie 'Tiger Nageswara Rao ' will release in the theaters in October 2023. Kannada - Martin, Ghost and Kaatera Dhruva Sarjaa's 'Martin' is one of the highly anticipated Kannada films of 2023. Directed by A.P. Arjun, the teaser of the film released and gained the attention of his fans and cinephiles in the industry. The action drama features Druv Sarja in the central role and it's success is very crucial for his rise of stardom in the industry. On other hand, Darshan's Kaatera and Shiva Raj Kumar's Ghost are scheduled to release in this year. But the makers are not yet announced the official release date of these movies. Malayalam-Malaikkottai Vaaliban, Aadujeevitham and Ajayantea Randaam Moashanam After success of blockbuster hit movie '2018', Malaylam film industry is waiting for many big budget movies which includes Super star Mohanlal's Malaikkottai Vaaliban, Blessy's Aadujeevitham, Tovino's upcoming movie 'Ajayantea Randaam Moashanam'and among others. According to the reports, the second half of this year will suprise the audience with many big star movies on the screen. If the reports are believed, these movies will make great impact in box-office collection. LOADING...... BEIJING, July 4, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- A news report by Huanqiu.com Facing the global challenges posed by ecological changes, the Chinese government launched the global initiative on ecological construction, appealing to the international community to uphold the concept of a community with a shared future for mankind. It also promotes the construction of a fair and reasonable global environmental governance with win-win cooperation for the joint construction of a cleaner and more beautiful world. On July 3, the Press Conference of the Eco Forum Global Guiyang 2023 was held in Beijing. It will kick off from July 8 to 9 in Guiyang, Guizhou Province, in both online and offline forms. More than 2500 guests are expected to attend the forum, among whom leaders of the CPC and the state, political figures of foreign countries, heads of national ministries and departments, and responsible persons of international organizations, research institutes, and leading enterprises of green development will deliver speeches. Themed "Pursuing the Modernization of Harmony between Humanity and Nature - Promoting Green and Low-carbon Development," the forum will hold the opening and closing ceremonies, theme forums, exhibitions, and investment attraction of the green industry. It is characterized by more focused themes for discussion, more diversified exhibitions and more effective investment attraction. More focused themes for discussion: a total of 17 theme forums are set up in four modules, namely "Theory and Practices of Xi Jinping's Thoughts on Ecological Civilization," "Green and Low-carbon Development," "Ecological Protection and Pollution Prevention and Treatment," and "International Exchanges and Cooperation." Over 50 renowned experts and scholars will attend the forum, including 17 academicians from the Chinese Academy of Sciences and Chinese Academy of Engineering. The forum is scheduled to release theoretical research findings, establish the Green Climate Fund of Guizhou, and implement other results in practices. More diversified exhibitions: focusing on green development, the forum will hold an exhibition displaying green innovative products in various areas and build demonstration bases for site investigation of the forum with distinctive features and significant ecological results. In addition, by integrating online and offline means, the forum is committed to demonstrating the achievements in seeking green economic development at home and abroad, as well as in Guizhou. Six modules have been set up, including the exhibition area of the guest-of-honor province, the Guizhou exhibition area, the exhibition area of environmental technology enterprises, the exhibition area of international commodities, the new product release area, and the trade negotiation area. More effective investment attraction: concentrating on the key areas of new energy, new material, energy-saving and environmental protection and recycled utilization, the forum will build a platform for the green industry to attract investment while seeking cooperation and exchanges. The forum will undertake the campaign on the capital introduction of the green industry and organize green cooperation projects for on-site agreement signing. With a focus on several areas, it has planned and formulated 220 green ecological projects for investment attraction and promotion. Furthermore, it plans to undertake the signing of the "Eco Forum Global Guiyang Green Industrial Projects" and the "Guizhou Major Green Development Projects and Strategic Cooperation Agreement," with the total signing value expected to exceed RMB 16 billion. In recent years, Guizhou has been strictly implementing Xi Jinping's Thoughts on Ecological Civilization and relevant work arrangements of the CPC Central Committee on ecological construction. It has carried out the "general ecology" strategic actions and actively promoted the construction of the national ecological civilization pilot zone with remarkable achievements, turning its fine ecological environment into the biggest advantage for development and competition. The Eco Forum Global Guiyang is the only international forum at the national level themed ecological civilization in China and has been successfully held 11 times since its establishment in 2009. Since the holding of the forum, Guizhou has been carrying forward and exploring the concept of ecological civilization and sustainable development and deepening its extensive exchanges and practical cooperation with the international community in ecological protection, carbon peaking and carbon neutrality, climate change, and other areas. The forum has served as a significant platform to spread Xi Jinping's Thoughts on Ecological Civilization, serve the state's diplomatic strategy, and showcase achievements of different countries in ecological construction, promoting the global construction of ecological civilization. This year, the forum aims to make further innovations, give full play to its advantages, and pool collective wisdom to form a consensus. Meanwhile, it remains dedicated to deepening cooperation, strengthening international exchanges and cooperation on ecological civilization, and seeking the modernization of harmony between humanity and nature. Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2146072/The_Press_Conference_of_the_Eco_Forum_Global_Guiyang_2023_was_held_in_Beijing_on_July_3___Gog_cnHu_H.jpg Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2146073/A_beautiful_view_of_Guanshanhu_District_of_Guiyang___Guizhou_province__Photo_by_Cao_Jingjian.jpg View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/the-press-conference-of-the-eco-forum-global-guiyang-2023-held-in-beijing-301868975.html BEIJING, July 4, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Changsha County, an inland locality in central China's Hunan Province also called Xingsha, saw local economic and trade cooperation with Africa burgeoning during the Third China-Africa Economic and Trade Expo (CAETE). On July 1 when the county hosted the First XingshaAfrica Economic and Trade Exchange Meeting during the expo, contracts for 14 related programs involving investment of 1.5 billion U.S. dollars were signed, marking new China-Africa cooperation in sectors such as manufacturing, energy, urban infrastructure, agricultural industrialization and the tertiary industry. As a county whose foreign trade approached 130 billion yuan and trade with Africa partners exceeded 7.0 billion yuan in 2022, Xingsha has been unlocking the potential of opening up-driven development in recent years. To expand the share of local engineering machinery, electronic information, agriculture and other industries in China-Africa economic and trade cooperation, Changsha County has made unremitting efforts to encourage grouped going global of advantageous industries. Engineering machinery giant Sany Group is a vivid example of how local manufacturers explored the African market. Since 2002 when its first batch of land levelers were exported to Morocco, the company has been operating on the continent for 20 years and reaped nearly 17 billion yuan of sales revenue in Africa, ranking the first among all its Chinese peers. Thanks to the 40-plus years of friendship with African nations, Changsha County inked during the meeting a memorandum of understanding for sister regions with Rwamagana in the Eastern Province of Rwanda to further the China-Africa friendship. The two sides pledged to communicate and cooperate in economic and trade, sci-tech, culture, sports, agriculture, and tourism sectors. Meanwhile, Changsha County chamber of commerce for boosting China-Africa economic and trade was inaugurated on July 1 to serve as a bridge to connect the county with its African counterparts to spur related investment and opening up. Fu Xuming, secretary with CPC Changsha County committee, said the county is striving to provide the most convenient business environment, heart-warming services and excellent working conditions for enterprises and friends from Africa to invest, live and work comfortably in Changsha County. By joining hands with Africa, it will also contribute more to China-Africa cooperation under the Belt and Road Initiative and in building a community of shared future, Fu noted. Original link: https://en.imsilkroad.com/p/334872.html View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/xinhua-silk-road-inland-county-in-central-china-sees-burgeoning-economic-trade-cooperation-with-africa-301869370.html Die KI-Revolution ist in vollem Gange und vor allem ein Bereich wird stark betroffen sein: Cyber-Security. Die Experten sind sich sicher: Mit steigender Entwicklung von KI-Technologien nehmen auch KI-gestutzte Cyber-Attacken zu. Wir zeigen hier, welche Aktien profitieren konnen. MADRID (dpa-AFX) - Foreign trade data from Germany is the only major economic data due on Tuesday, headlining a light day for the European economic news. At 2.00 am ET, Destatis is scheduled to issue Germany's external trade data for May. Exports are forecast to grow at a slower pace of 0.3 percent on month in May, while imports are expected to rebound 3.1 percent. At 3.00 am ET, Spain's unemployment data is due. The number of unemployed is forecast to fall by 63,500 in June after falling 49,300 in May. Copyright(c) 2023 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. Not for release to US wire services or distribution in the United States HIGHLIGHTS Approximately A$14 million to be raised via institutional share placement Placement strongly supported by a number of leading institutional investors Placement strengthens RTG's balance sheet enabling the Company to advance the Mabilo Project towards start-up together with other business development opportunities SUBIACO, WESTERN AUSTRALIA / ACCESSWIRE / July 4, 2023 / The Board of RTG Mining Inc. ("RTG", the "Company") (TSX Code:RTG, ASX Code:RTG) is pleased to announce that the Company has received commitments to raise approximately A$14 million (circa US$9 million) in a private placement to institutional and sophisticated investors ("Private Placement"). With the recent announcement of a prominent and successful new partner for the Mabilo Project in the Philippines the Private Placement received strong institutional support, demonstrating the considerable support for RTG's high grade copper/gold/magnetite Mabilo Project and the Company's other projects and opportunities. The Private Placement will result in the issue of approximately 289.9 million Chess Depository Instruments ("Securities") to be listed on the ASX at an issue price of A$0.048 per Security ("Issue Price"), representing a 7.7% discount to RTG's last closing price on the ASX of A$0.052. The Company will also issue two (2) free attaching unlisted options for every three (3) Securities issued pursuant to the Placement (exercisable at 7.5c with a 12 month expiry from the date of issue) ("Attaching Options"). Net proceeds of the Private Placement will be used to continue to advance the Mabilo Project towards start-up, the first phase being a Direct Shipping Operation as well progress plans for additional exploration at the Mabilo Project, exploration plans at the Company's Chanach Copper and Gold Project in the Kyrgyz Republic, continue the pursuit of new potential business development opportunities, including the Panguna Project in the Autonomous Region of Bougainville, repayment of the US$0.5 million Corporate Loan Facility together with any interest and general working capital purposes. Placement Details The Private Placement consists of 289.9 million new Securities to be issued at the Issue Price of A$0.048 per Security to raise total funds of circa A$14 million. The first tranche of approximately 208.9 million Securities are expected to be issued on or around 12 July 2023 under the Company's ASX placement capacity, comprising the issue of: 125,808,218 Securities using the Company's 15% placement capacity under ASX Listing Rule 7.1 to raise ~A$6 million (before costs); and 83,084,972 Securities using the Company's 10% placement capacity under ASX Listing Rule 7.1A to raise ~A$4 million (before costs). The balance of the Private Placement (~81 million Securities) relates to: subject to receiving shareholder approval under ASX Listing Rule 10.11.1, the issue of up to 3.6 million Securities to the RTG Directors; and subject to receiving shareholder approval under ASX Listing Rule 7.1, the issue of a total of up to 77.4 million Securities to the Company's substantial shareholders, Equinox Partners and a portion of the Hains Family subscription. Equinox Partners and the Hains Family have committed to subscribe for 57.5 million and 19.9 million Securities respectively in respect of Tranche 2. The participation by Equinox Partners and the Hains Family are expected to result in those shareholders holding a 19.7% and 18.3% interest in RTG respectively. Shareholder approval under ASX Listing Rule 7.1 will also be sought at the General Meeting for the issue of the Attaching Options described above. Details relating to the issue of these securities will be set out in a Notice of Meeting to be sent to shareholders in due course. The Private Placement will be conducted under exemptions from prospectus and registration requirements of securities laws in relevant countries. The Private Placement is subject to approval of TSX. Euroz Hartleys and Foster Stockbroking, together with INTE Securities LLC and M2-Advisors (the "Agents"), acted as Joint Lead Managers to the Private Placement. ABOUT RTG MINING INC RTG Mining Inc. is a mining and exploration company listed on the main board of the Toronto Stock Exchange and the Australian Securities Exchange. RTG is currently focused primarily on progressing the Mabilo Project to start-up having now received a mining permit for the Project, with a view to moving quickly and safely to a producing gold and copper company. RTG also has a number of exciting new opportunities including the Panguna Project in Bougainville, which it remains committed to while also considering further new business development opportunities. RTG has an experienced management team which has to date developed seven mines in five different countries, including being responsible for the development of the Masbate Gold Mine in the Philippines through CGA Mining Limited. RTG has some of the most respected international institutional investors as shareholders including Franklin Templeton, Equinox Partners and Sun Valley. ENQUIRIES Australian Contact President & CEO - Justine Magee Tel: +61 8 6489 2900 Fax: +61 8 6489 2920 Email: jmagee@rtgmining.com US Contact Investor Relations - Jaime Wells +1 970 640 0611 jwells@rtgmining.com COMPLIANCE STATEMENT Date: 4 July 2023 Authorised for release by: By the Board of Directors CAUTIONARY NOTE STATEMENT The Toronto Stock Exchange has not reviewed nor does it accept responsibility for the accuracy or adequacy of this press release, which has been prepared by management. This announcement includes certain "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of Canadian securities legislation. All statements in this announcement, other than statements of historical facts are forward-looking statements, including statements made or implied relating to the anticipated timing, closing, size, structure of and exemptions utilized under the Private Placement, the use of the net proceeds from the Private Placement, the timing of the shareholder meeting to approve Tranche 2 of the Private Placement, the Company's opportunities to diversify its Philippine interests and to participate in the redevelopment of the Panguna Mine in Bougainville, the Company's objectives, strategies to achieve those objectives, the Company's beliefs, plans, estimates and intentions, and similar statements concerning anticipated future events, plans for further exploration. Forward-looking statements involve various risks and uncertainties and are based on certain factors and assumptions. There can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate, and actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from RTG's expectations include uncertainties related to market conditions and demand for the Private Placement, the receipt of requisite shareholder and regulatory approvals, fluctuations in gold and other commodity prices and currency exchange rates; uncertainties relating to interpretation of drill results and the geology, continuity and grade of mineral deposits; uncertainty of estimates of capital and operating costs, recovery rates, production estimates and estimated economic return; the need for cooperation of government agencies in the development of RTG's mineral projects; the need to obtain additional financing to develop RTG's mineral projects; the possibility of delay in development programs or in construction projects and uncertainty of meeting anticipated program milestones for RTG's mineral projects and other risks and uncertainties as discussed in RTG's annual report for the year ended December 31, 2022 and detailed from time to time in our other filings with the Canadian securities regulatory authorities available at www.sedar.com. The forward-looking statements made in this announcement relate only to events as of the date on which the statements are made. RTG will not release publicly any revisions or updates to these forward-looking statements to reflect events, circumstances or unanticipated events occurring after the date of this announcement except as required by law or by any appropriate regulatory authority. NOT FOR RELEASE OR DISTRIBUTION IN THE UNITED STATES This announcement has been prepared for publication in Canada and Australia and may not be released to US wire services or distributed in the United States. This announcement does not constitute an offer to sell, or a solicitation of an offer to buy, securities in the United States or any other jurisdiction. Any securities described in this announcement have not been, and will not be, registered under the US Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "US Securities Act"), or any state securities laws, and may not be offered or sold in the United States or to or for the account or benefit of a U.S. Person (as defined in Regulation S under the US Securities Act), except in transactions exempt from, or not subject to, registration under the US Securities Act and applicable US state securities laws. SOURCE: RTG Mining Inc. View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/765511/A14m-Raised-in-Private-Placement-Announcement-to-The-Toronto-Stock-Exchange-and-Australian-Stock-Exchange-4-July-2023 Stratio BD launches Stratio Gen-AI, the world-first, secure engine for enterprises enabling businesses to use company data in natural language with generative AI MADRID, July 4, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Launched today by leading Generative AI Data Fabric specialist Stratio BD, Stratio Gen-AI is a world-first generative AI engine designed to solve one of the biggest data management issues facing businesses - giving any worker easy, quick, and secure access to any information they require regardless of technical know-how. The technology utilises a Large Language Model (LLM) with a user experience similar - but unrelated - to that of globally successful ChatGPT, enabling it to deliver information and data insights in easy-to-understand, human language, as well as understanding varying user language. This includes anything from various native tongues to different technical and literacy abilities, in order to provide the most relevant and accurate response. This also ensures any user in all departments can effectively ask any question and Stratio Gen-AI will provide the answer instantly, rapidly improving productivity while enhancing each department's ability to make informed decisions based on insightful data. For example, it eradicates the need for teams to download multiple reports from different applications and amalgamate them into a single spreadsheet, as well as avoiding the often lengthy waiting time it takes for data analysts to compile reports. The new conversational tool is the final piece in the puzzle for Stratio BD's vision to democratise data with its Generative AI Data Fabric offering: an AI-driven, end-to-end data management product designed to break down traditional barriers to data access, enabling businesses to simplify data analysis, automate tasks, and ultimately make better, more informed decisions that benefit the bottom line. Oscar Mendez-Soto, CEO and Founder of Stratio BD said: "No matter what department you work in, whether it's sales, HR, legal, marketing, or operations, your work will always be governed in some way by the most up-to-date and accurate data available to you. The Stratio Gen-AI engine is revolutionary for businesses as it empowers teams to use insights that would otherwise be either inaccessible, incomplete, or only possible for a data scientist to retrieve and understand. The use cases for how businesses can utilise this tool to improve and streamline operations are immeasurable." From day-to-day questions a manager would otherwise ask their team, to the more complex that would require a full data report from the technical teams, Stratio Gen-AI cuts out any obstacles for users to maximise their performance while reducing the need for administrative reporting. For example: sourcing a sales forecast; identifying the company's most popular products that month; or forecasting which customers are a flight risk, are now all possible by asking a simple question to Stratio Gen-AI. Often, businesses struggle to obtain true meaning from data as it is stored in siloed locations or across multiple applications. But because Stratio Gen-AI sits above a unified business data layer created by Stratio BD's Generative AI Data Fabric product, the engine is able to access all of a company's data in one view and simultaneously get an answer which is understandable in context to the business. Stratio Gen-AI is a closed-source interface that businesses can safely use without any risk to data security as the data does not leave the company's systems. Equally, thanks to the governance and role-based access to data already enabled by Stratio BD's data governance module, users of the Stratio Gen-AI can only access data that is relevant and unrestricted to their position in the business. The tool uses deep learning techniques to understand, summarise, generate, and make forecasts from large data sets. In particular, enterprises that stand to benefit the most are those that normally handle large volumes of data at scale, such as the financial, manufacturing, retail, telco, the public sector, and health and life sciences. The engine is now available and in high demand, with a number of Stratio BD's clients within the financial industry already starting to use the tool, including household name, high-street banks. The news comes as the Spain-headquartered company launched regional offices in both the UK and France earlier in 2023 as part of ambitious worldwide expansion plans, now with more than 500 employees in seven countries. Founded by entrepreneurs Oscar Mendez Soto and Ernesto Funes in 2014, Stratio BD's clients include major corporate enterprises such as Santander, HSBC, BBVA, and Carrefour. The company is recognised by analysts such as Gartner and Forrester as international leaders in the data fabric space, and last year completed its Series C funding worth EUR 65 million while also achieving 40 per cent growth. Oscar concluded: "Crucially, this technological leap is only possible because of the incredible capabilities of our market-leading data fabric product. Generative AI cannot understand or manage technical data unless it is available in a unified business layer and given business meaning through ontologies. Our Stratio Gen-AI product does this best, which is why we are in prime position to pioneer this technology for our clients." For more information visit http://stratio.com/gen-ai About Stratio BD: Generative data fabric specialist Stratio BD was founded in 2014 by fellow entrepreneurs Oscar Mendez Soto and Ernesto Funes. The Madrid, Spain-headquartered company was created to help businesses fully harness the power of data fabric and AI. Stratio BD's Generative Data Fabric product provides businesses with composable data management solutions, enabling governance, virtualisation, advanced analytics, and AI to multiply the productivity of companies that use it, reducing costs and time to a fraction of what they need. The product provides a range of functions, including simplifying data understanding for business users, providing knowledge graph representations, applying AI algorithms to augment data management tasks, and automating manual AI development. Last year, Stratio BD completed its Series C funding worth EUR 65 million, led by InfraVia with participation from Adara (A and B-Series investor) and the founders. The company had reached critical mass in its historic markets of Spain and Latin America and is now leveraging the round proceeds to fund commercial expansion across Europe. Stratio BD was named Gartner's Cool Vendor in Data Management in 2021 for its innovative generative data fabric platform. Stratio BD's Generative AI tool, Stratio Gen-AI, is designed to assist businesses in generating answers and insights based on their available data. Stratio Gen-AI is provided by Stratio BD solely as a technology solution. The use and utilization of the tool, as well as any decisions made based on its outputs, are the sole responsibility of the customers. Stratio BD does not guarantee in any way that the tool will operate without errors or problems. It is important to note that Stratio BD cannot guarantee the accuracy, completeness, or reliability of the results and answers generated by Stratio Gen-AI. The interpretation and use of these results are solely the responsibility of the customers. Stratio BD shall not be held liable for any loss of business, damages, or consequences arising from the use of our solution. Customers are responsible for ensuring the quality and suitability of their data and for making informed decisions based on the outputs provided by our tool. Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2009600/4147672/Stratio_BD_Logo.jpg View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/global-launch-of-generative-ai-engine-set-to-revolutionise-how-businesses-access-and-utilise-their-data-301869208.html Steps Out 135m From Discovery Hole and Extends Strike Length to 156m Kelowna, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - July 4, 2023) - F3 Uranium Corp (TSV: FUU) (OTCQB: FUUFF) ("F3" or "the Company") is pleased to announce scintillometer results from the initial eight holes of the ongoing 30-hole summer drill program at the JR Zone on the Patterson Lake North ("PLN") Property, including four high grade intercepts. Drill hole PLN23-068 tested for mineralization 22 meters up-dip of the high grade intercept reported in PLN23-060 (see NR April 17, 2023) on line 060S and intersected mineralization over a 19.0m interval, including 6.00m off-scale radioactivity (>65,535 cps) between 234.00m and 245.00m, 5.00m of which is continuous. The JR Zone was extended grid south to line 135S, a 50% increase in the JR Zone strike length to 156m, after stepping out 30m from line 105S, where PLN23-66 hit 16.5m of composite mineralization between 219.0m and 260.5m. Sam Hartmann, Vice President Exploration, commented: "We are pleased with the rapid progression of this summer drill program and the results generated far. In particular PLN23-068 returned exceedingly strong results on line 60S, with mineralization starting only approximately 17 meters vertically below the Athabasca Unconformity, which remains a target for this drill program. So far we are sticking to the script and growing the mineralized footprint along strike and up-dip towards the unconformity as planned. PLN23-067 stepped out to line 135S, and although the radioactivity is less intense, there is mineralization over a 16.5 meter interval, which sets us up for further step outs towards the south. A second sonic drill in addition to a second diamond drill later this month will see the inclusion of some exploration drilling along the A1 main shear, as well as contribute to JR Zone expansion drilling." Drilling Highlight: PLN23-068 (line 060S): 19.0m mineralization from 228.0m - 247.0m, including 8.09m composite mineralization of >10,000 cps radioactivity between 233.60m - 245.00m including 6.00m off-scale radioactivity(> 65,535 cps) between 234.00m and 245.00m, of which 5.00m is continuous mineralization from 228.0m - 247.0m, including Main Intercepts: PLN23-063 (line 030S): 13.5m mineralization from 233.0m - 246.5m, including 0.70m continuous mineralization of >10,000 cps radioactivity between 237.30m - 238.00m 0.43m continuous mineralization of >10,000 cps radioactivity between 243.73m - 244.16m mineralization from 233.0m - 246.5m, including PLN23-064 (line 105S): 17.5m mineralization from 233.0m - 250.5m, including 0.40m composite mineralization of >10,000 cps radioactivity between 237.88m - 241.5m with a peak of 35,500 cps over 0.12m from 237.88m - 238.00m mineralization from 233.0m - 250.5m, including PLN23-065 (line 0755S): 3.5m mineralization from 242.0m - 245.5m PLN23-066 (line 105S): 16.5m composite mineralization from 219.0m - 260.5m, including 0.21m of mineralization of > 10,000 cps radioactivity between 248.79m - 249.0m with a peak of 11,700 cps composite mineralization from 219.0m - 260.5m, including PLN23-067 (line 135S): 16.5m mineralization from 222.0m - 238.5m PLN23-069 (line 135S): 1.5m mineralization from 228.5m - 230.0m PLN23-070 (line 135S): 6.0m composite mineralization from 232.0m - 244.5m Natural gamma radiation in the drill core that is reported in this news release was measured in counts per second (cps) using a handheld Radiation Solutions RS-125 scintillometer. The Company considers greater than 300 cps on the handheld spectrometer as anomalous, >10,000 cps as high grade and greater than 65,535 cps as off-scale. The reader is cautioned that scintillometer readings are not directly or uniformly related to uranium grades of the rock sample measured and should be used only as a preliminary indication of the presence of radioactive materials. Samples from the drill core are split in half on site and are standardized at 0.5m lengths. One half of the split sample will be submitted to SRC Geoanalytical Laboratories (an SCC ISO/IEC 17025: 2005 Accredited Facility) in Saskatoon, SK. for lithogeochemical analysis using their "Uranium Package". All depth measurements reported are down-hole and true thickness are yet to be determined but the Company estimates true thickness of the reported intervals in this news release to be close to reported interval widths. Table 1. Drill Hole Summary and Handheld Spectrometer Results Collar Information * Hand-held Spectrometer Results On Mineralized Drillcore (>300 cps / >0.5m minimum) Athabasca Unconformity Depth (m) Total Drillhole Depth (m) Hole ID Section Line Easting Northing Elevation Az Dip From (m) To (m) Interval (m) Max CPS PLN23-063 030S 587715.691 6410720.56 545.108 56 -61 233.00 233.50 0.50 1000 207.1 350 233.50 234.00 0.50 520 234.00 234.50 0.50 2800 234.50 235.00 0.50 4700 235.00 235.50 0.50 1100 235.50 236.00 0.50 960 236.00 236.50 0.50 5100 236.50 237.00 0.50 1400 237.00 237.30 0.30 6300 237.30 237.50 0.20 25300 237.50 238.00 0.50 23800 238.00 238.50 0.50 2200 238.50 239.00 0.50 2200 239.00 239.50 0.50 660 239.50 240.00 0.50 810 240.00 240.50 0.50 480 240.50 241.00 0.50 1300 241.00 241.50 0.50 820 241.50 242.00 0.50 1400 242.00 242.50 0.50 1500 242.50 243.00 0.50 590 243.00 243.50 0.50 2500 243.50 243.73 0.23 3500 243.73 244.00 0.27 13000 244.00 244.16 0.16 16900 244.16 244.50 0.34 2400 244.50 246.00 1.50 <300 246.00 246.50 0.50 440 PLN23-064 105S 587746.116 6410646.05 545.245 55 -58 233.00 233.50 0.50 370 203.0 428.2 233.50 234.00 0.50 600 234.00 234.50 0.50 800 234.50 235.00 0.50 950 235.00 235.50 0.50 580 235.50 236.00 0.50 610 236.00 236.50 0.50 5400 236.50 237.00 0.50 2500 237.00 237.50 0.50 2500 237.50 237.88 0.38 2900 237.88 238.00 0.12 35500 238.00 238.50 0.50 8400 238.50 239.00 0.50 4100 239.00 239.50 0.50 5200 239.50 240.00 0.50 800 240.00 240.50 0.50 3300 240.50 241.00 0.50 6100 241.00 241.22 0.22 3100 241.22 241.50 0.28 11400 241.50 242.00 0.50 5000 242.00 242.50 0.50 2100 242.50 243.00 0.50 4400 243.00 243.50 0.50 360 243.50 244.00 0.50 430 244.00 244.50 0.50 940 244.50 245.00 0.50 1700 245.00 245.50 0.50 3900 245.50 246.00 0.50 430 246.00 246.50 0.50 810 246.50 247.00 0.50 730 247.00 247.50 0.50 410 247.50 248.00 0.50 430 248.00 248.50 0.50 <300 248.50 249.00 0.50 1100 249.00 249.50 0.50 2700 249.50 250.00 0.50 1100 250.00 250.50 0.50 440 PLN23-065 075S 587715.124 6410659.46 545.447 55 -61 242.00 242.50 0.50 360 198.0 317 242.50 243.00 0.50 540 243.00 243.50 0.50 520 243.50 244.00 0.50 1100 244.00 244.50 0.50 310 244.50 245.00 0.50 <300 245.00 245.50 0.50 1300 PLN23-066 105S 587737.885 6410640.33 545.017 54 -60 219.00 219.50 0.50 510 194.2 356 219.50 220.00 0.50 680 220.00 220.50 0.50 470 220.50 222.00 1.50 <300 222.00 222.50 0.50 840 222.50 223.00 0.50 770 223.00 223.50 0.50 470 223.50 224.00 0.50 830 224.00 224.50 0.50 1400 224.50 225.00 0.50 1100 225.00 225.50 0.50 1400 225.50 226.00 0.50 1600 226.00 226.50 0.50 980 226.50 227.00 0.50 940 227.00 227.50 0.50 980 239.50 240.00 0.50 370 240.00 240.50 0.50 330 240.50 241.00 0.50 560 243.50 244.00 0.50 1300 244.00 244.50 0.50 370 244.50 245.00 0.50 500 245.00 245.50 0.50 500 245.50 246.00 0.50 720 246.00 246.50 0.50 1400 246.50 247.00 0.50 4000 247.00 247.50 0.50 500 247.50 248.00 0.50 1500 248.00 248.50 0.50 3800 248.50 248.79 0.29 8800 248.79 249.00 0.21 11700 249.00 249.50 0.50 5000 260.00 260.50 0.50 690 PLN23-067 135S 587771.893 6410629.1 544.924 54 -61 222.00 222.50 0.50 980 185.3 386 222.50 223.00 0.50 1300 223.00 223.50 0.50 420 223.50 224.00 0.50 <300 224.00 224.50 0.50 850 224.50 225.00 0.50 760 225.00 225.50 0.50 460 225.50 226.00 0.50 310 226.00 226.50 0.50 420 226.50 227.00 0.50 710 227.00 227.50 0.50 1100 227.50 228.00 0.50 630 228.00 228.50 0.50 930 228.50 229.50 1.00 <300 229.50 230.00 0.50 330 230.00 230.50 0.50 570 230.50 231.00 0.50 3400 231.00 231.50 0.50 3200 231.50 232.00 0.50 2300 232.00 232.50 0.50 490 232.50 233.00 0.50 460 233.00 233.50 0.50 490 233.50 234.00 0.50 3100 234.00 234.50 0.50 3100 234.50 235.00 0.50 6300 235.00 235.50 0.50 1400 235.50 236.00 0.50 1400 236.00 236.50 0.50 2100 236.50 237.00 0.50 1900 237.00 237.50 0.50 970 237.50 238.00 0.50 2800 238.00 238.50 0.50 4200 PLN23-068 060S 587736.962 6410695.49 545.483 54 -59 228.00 228.50 0.50 390 209.0 365 228.50 230.00 1.50 <300 230.00 230.50 0.50 410 230.50 231.00 0.50 670 231.00 231.50 0.50 730 231.50 232.00 0.50 330 232.00 232.50 0.50 1700 232.50 233.00 0.50 820 233.00 233.50 0.50 2400 233.50 233.60 0.10 6000 233.60 234.00 0.40 62100 234.00 234.50 0.50 >65535 234.50 234.74 0.24 4900 234.74 234.80 0.06 13600 234.80 235.00 0.20 9600 235.00 235.50 0.50 >65535 235.50 236.00 0.50 >65535 236.00 236.50 0.50 >65535 236.50 237.00 0.50 >65535 237.00 237.50 0.50 >65535 237.50 238.00 0.50 >65535 238.00 238.50 0.50 >65535 238.50 239.00 0.50 >65535 239.00 239.50 0.50 >65535 239.50 240.00 0.50 >65535 240.00 240.25 0.25 6700 240.25 240.50 0.25 12800 240.50 240.90 0.40 7200 240.90 241.00 0.10 10100 241.00 241.17 0.17 6100 241.17 241.50 0.33 13100 241.50 242.00 0.50 3100 242.00 242.15 0.15 7200 242.15 242.50 0.35 23200 242.50 243.00 0.50 1800 243.00 243.20 0.20 710 243.20 243.50 0.30 11300 243.50 243.80 0.30 18600 243.80 244.00 0.20 3200 244.00 244.50 0.50 3800 244.50 245.00 0.50 >65535 245.00 245.50 0.50 2500 245.50 246.00 0.50 3400 246.00 246.50 0.50 620 246.50 247.00 0.50 440 PLN23-069 135S 587780.362 6410634.04 544.934 55 -60 228.50 229.00 0.50 2400 191.7 308 229.00 229.50 0.50 1300 229.50 230.00 0.50 310 PLN23-070 135S 587764.928 6410620.11 544.8 54 -62 232.00 232.50 0.50 300 185.1 353 232.50 233.00 0.50 <300 233.00 233.50 0.50 440 240.00 240.50 0.50 320 240.50 241.00 0.50 480 241.00 241.50 0.50 <300 241.50 242.00 0.50 1400 242.00 243.50 1.50 <300 243.50 244.00 0.50 520 244.00 244.50 0.50 350 Handheld spectrometer composite parameters: 1: Minimum Thickness of 0.5m 2: CPS Cut-Off of 300 counts per second 3: Maximum Internal Dilution of 2.0m About Patterson Lake North: The Company's large 39,946-hectare 100% owned Patterson Lake North property (PLN) is located just within the south-western edge of the Athabasca Basin in proximity to Fission Uranium's Triple R and NexGen Energy's Arrow high-grade world class uranium deposits which is poised to become the next major area of development for new uranium operations in northern Saskatchewan. PLN is accessed by Provincial Highway 955, which transects the property, and the new JR Zone uranium discovery is located 23km northwest of Fission Uranium's Triple R deposit. Qualified Person: The technical information in this news release has been prepare in accordance with the Canadian regulatory requirements set out in National Instrument 43-101 and approved on behalf of the company by Raymond Ashley, P.Geo., Vice President of Exploration of F3 Uranium Corp, a Qualified Person. Mr. Ashley has verified the data disclosed. About F3 Uranium Corp.: F3 Uranium is a uranium project generator and exploration company, focusing on projects in the Athabasca Basin, home to some of the world's largest high grade uranium discovery. F3 Uranium currently has 16 projects in the Athabasca Basin. Several of F3's projects are near large uranium discoveries including Triple R, Arrow and Hurricane. Forward Looking Statements This news release contains certain forward-looking statements within the meaning of applicable securities laws. All statements that are not historical facts, including without limitation, statements regarding future estimates, plans, programs, forecasts, projections, objectives, assumptions, expectations or beliefs of future performance, including statements regarding the suitability of the Properties for mining exploration, future payments, issuance of shares and work commitment funds, entry into of a definitive option agreement respecting the Properties, are "forward-looking statements." These forward-looking statements reflect the expectations or beliefs of management of the Company based on information currently available to it. Forward-looking statements are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties, including those detailed from time to time in filings made by the Company with securities regulatory authorities, which may cause actual outcomes to differ materially from those discussed in the forward-looking statements. These factors should be considered carefully and readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on such forward-looking statements. 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 securities laws. The TSX Venture Exchange and the Canadian Securities Exchange have not reviewed, approved or disapproved the contents of this press release, and do not accept responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. F3 Uranium Corp. 750-1620 Dickson Avenue Kelowna, BC V1Y9Y2 Contact Information Investor Relations Telephone: 778 484 8030 Email: ir@fission3corp.com ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD "Dev Randhawa" Dev Randhawa, CEO (See plan map and 5 cross sections below) Plan Map: To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit: https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/8110/172287_c094d839c44e4b8b_007full.jpg To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit: https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/8110/172287_c094d839c44e4b8b_008full.jpg To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit: https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/8110/172287_c094d839c44e4b8b_009full.jpg To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit: https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/8110/172287_c094d839c44e4b8b_010full.jpg To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit: https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/8110/172287_c094d839c44e4b8b_011full.jpg To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit: https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/8110/172287_c094d839c44e4b8b_012full.jpg To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/172287 Everest Global Plc - Investment in UK wine retailer PR Newswire LONDON, United Kingdom, July 04 4 July 2023 Everest Global plc ("Everest" or the "Company") Investment in UK wine retailer Everest has entered into an agreement to provide a loan to Precious Link (UK) Limited ("Precious Link"), a wine retailer, incorporated and registered in England and Wales, located within the Southeast of England. The loan is for a sum of 200,000, is unsecured and attracts interest at 10 per cent. per annum payable monthly in arrears. The loan is repayable on demand by the Company and is repayable on 5 business days' notice from Precious Link. The strategy of the Company has been to develop a group with a focus on food, agriculture and agricultural related products. The Company believes Precious Link operates in a complementary sector and therefore the loan to Precious Link could assist the Company in expanding its activities into the wider food and beverage sector. This announcement contains inside information for the purposes of Article 7 of EU Regulation 596/2014 (which forms part of domestic UK law pursuant to the European Union (Withdrawal) Act 2018). The Directors of the Company take responsibility for the contents of this announcement. For further information please contact the following: Find Addiction Rehabs celebrates the release of new Tricare rehab resources and expanded coverage for Tricare rehabs in California. The comprehensive resources aim to empower individuals seeking addiction treatment, while the expanded coverage provides more options for those covered by Tricare in California. Los Angeles, California--(Newsfile Corp. - July 4, 2023) - Find Addiction Rehabs, a leading provider of addiction treatment and dual diagnosis program resources nationwide, is thrilled to announce the release of its new Tricare rehab resources and the expansion of coverage for Tricare rehabs in California. This exciting development comes as part of the company's ongoing commitment to providing comprehensive support to individuals in the Armed Forces struggling with addiction and their immediate family members. Find Addiction Rehabs Celebrates its New Tricare Rehab Resources and Expanded Coverage for Tricare Rehabs in California To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit: https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/8814/172124_a4fd2385f4316956_001full.jpg New Tricare Rehab Resources Unveiled Find Addiction Rehabs has diligently worked to develop an array of valuable and expanding Tricare rehab resources that will greatly benefit those seeking addiction treatment services using Tricare insurance in California. The newly released resources encompass a wide range of informative materials, including in-depth guides, testimonials and success stories, and expert advice, to assist individuals in making well-informed decisions about their recovery journey. These resources have been meticulously curated and developed to address various aspects of seeking addiction treatment using Tricare and military insurance. Details covered include drug and alcohol detoxification, evidence-based therapy modalities, aftercare programs, and relapse prevention strategies specific to military members and their families. By providing comprehensive and up-to-date information, Find Addiction Rehabs aims to empower individuals and their loved ones with the knowledge necessary to choose the most suitable treatment options available, no matter where they may live in the country. Expanded Coverage for Tricare Rehabs in California Find Addiction Rehabs understands the importance of accessible and affordable addiction treatment options, especially for individuals covered by Tricare, a healthcare program for military personnel and their families. To further support those in need, the company is thrilled to announce the expansion of coverage for Tricare rehabs in California. This expansion means that individuals covered by Tricare insurance will now have a broader selection of rehab facilities and treatment programs to choose from within California. Find Addiction Rehabs has partnered with a network of reputable Tricare-approved rehabs across the state, ensuring that individuals can access high-quality addiction treatment services that cater to their unique needs. With this expanded coverage related to seeking addiction support with Tricare, individuals, and their families can rest assured that they will receive the utmost care and support throughout their recovery journey. Find Addiction Rehabs remains committed to helping individuals break free from the grip of addiction and achieve lasting sobriety. About Find Addiction Rehabs Find Addiction Rehabs is a trusted online resource dedicated to assisting individuals in finding the most suitable addiction treatment options. The company's mission is to provide comprehensive information and resources that empower individuals to make informed decisions about their recovery. By partnering with reputable rehab facilities and continuously updating their resources, Find Addiction Rehabs remains at the forefront of addiction treatment support, in particular for those searching for detox and rehab using Tricare insurance. With a 24-hour helpline staffed by dedicated recovery representatives, their team is well-positioned to help those struggling to find recovery support, no matter where they reside in the United States. About Us: Alcohol Rehab and Drug Rehab Resources Across America Contact Info: Name: Eric Reinach Email: outreach@findaddictionrehabs.com Organization: Find Addiction Rehabs Website: https://findaddictionrehabs.com/ Video URL: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EROKBvox43I To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/172124 United Renewables CEO, Chris Caldwell, Engages in Insightful Conversation with Eduardo Famini Silva, Director of Renewables and Utilities at RBC Capital Markets. United Renewables CEO, Chris Caldwell, Engages in Insightful Conversation with Eduardo Famini Silva, Director of Renewables and Utilities at RBC Capital Markets. DOUGLAS, Isle of Man, July 04, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- United Renewables, a renowned provider of renewable energy solutions, takes a bold stance in promoting energy justice for the Global South. Chris Caldwell, the CEO of United Renewables, emphasises the need for a revolution in energy development, calling for decentralised energy solutions. In a thought-provoking article , Caldwell highlights the recent conflict in Ukraine as an eye-opening event that calls for a paradigm shift in the Global South's energy landscape. He asserts that the current energy system's fragility necessitates a reimagining of development and distribution methods, with decentralised renewable energy solutions taking centre stage. Caldwell states, "Traditional centralised solutions fall short when compared to the resilience, autonomy, and sustainability of decentralised renewable energy alternatives. By embracing these solutions, we can alleviate energy poverty and significantly improve the lives of millions of people." Drawing attention to the transformative potential of micro solar generation, Caldwell demonstrates how affordable and reliable electricity can be provided to rural communities currently disconnected from the grid. Furthermore, he underscores the economic opportunities that decentralised renewable energy solutions can unlock, promoting inclusive economic development in the Global South. "We must acknowledge our past shortcomings and learn from them," Caldwell urges. "The conventional energy development model has proven inadequate for the Global South. It is imperative to empower these communities to choose their own energy future." "We need to embrace this revolution to drive positive change and secure a sustainable future for generations to come." Caldwell further emphasises the advantages of decentralised renewable energy, including enhanced resilience, autonomy, and sustainability. Caldwell states, "By empowering communities and regions with their own renewable energy sources, we can reduce dependency, improve energy access, and mitigate environmental impact." About United Renewables: United Renewables is a renowned leader in the renewable energy sector, committed to driving a global energy transition. The company specialises in delivering cutting-edge renewable energy solutions to island communities, empowering small communities and businesses to embrace sustainable practices. Caldwell is also a growing authority in the digital climate debate, as host of the podcast Conversations on Climate . Conversations on Climateis a joint production of United Renewables and the London Business School Alumni Energy Club. Episode 1 of Season 2 of the Conversations on Climate Podcast, featuring Francois Ortalo-Magne Dean of the of London Business School, is available here. Conversations on Climate brings world-leading thinkers from business and academia together to share their expertise on the subject of climate change. Guests include Sir Andrew Likierman , Julio Dal Poz , Professor Jean-Pierre Benoit , Professor Ioannou , Tara Schmidt , Professor Dan Cable , Professor Zoe Chance , Professor Lynda Gratton , Tom Gosling, Eduardo Famini Silva, and Dr. Linda Yueh. All previous episodes can be found here. Related articles can be found here. CONTACT Isabella Hawke - Sales and Marketing Consultant COMPANY United Renewables PHONE +447624457139 EMAIL IIhawke@unitedrenewables.co.uk WEB unitedrenewables.co.uk/resources A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/6314b021-cf63-4bbd-a413-16775eceeac6 Created by Jerome Lascombe and Raphael Labbe, Wiztopic is the publisher of the solution that helps communication departments to manage, distribute and measure the performance of their content.In 2020, they created Wiztrust the new blockchain based certification platform for corporate information. Nearly a third of companies listed in Paris and and communications teams in 60 countries use Wiztrust.Today, they announce that Wiztopic is adopting the Wiztrust brand with the ambition of being the only solution on the market to offer an integrated platform for PR management, corporate information governance and protection of all stakeholders against misinformation. As the Yes Men's false Adidas press release showed again last January, companies are more and more often victims of disinformation schemes. The irruption of AI in communication also reinforces the scope of "dark PR" actions. Beyond the reputational damage, the consequences for companies can be very serious, especially on their stock value or the confidence of their investors. In concrete terms, how does that work? Before sending a press release, the communication team will certify the authenticity of the document with its Wiztrustaccount. At the other end of the chain, investors or journalists will be able to verify the authenticity of the press release by posting it on https://protect.wiztrust.com/ The software will then compare the metadata of the two files and tell the user in real time if the file he has received is indeed certified by its issuer, therefore authentic, or if it is not certified and requires another verification with the issuer. For Jerome Lascombe, co-founder of Wiztrust: "Being able to quickly identify the authenticity of a source is the promise that Wiztrust makes to the media, investors and its customers. In this game, the blockchain is infallible". For Raphael Labbe, co-founder of Wiztrust: "Adopting Wiztrust is the guarantee of integrating an ecosystem of trust protecting its members from the fake news that threatens them". About Wiztrust Wiztrust is the N1 solution to manage, certify, distribute and measure communication performance. With Wiztrust PR, communicators can improve the governance of their PR. With Wiztrust Protect, they can protect themselves from misinformation. Finally, with Wiztrust Data, they will be able to give meaning to the data generated by their actions and optimize communication reporting. Wiztrust creates an ecosystem of trust by bringing together many companies around the fight against fake news. Its solutions are used in particular by L'Oreal, Total Energies, Schneider Electric, Allianz, Axa, Air Liquide, BNP Paribas, Capgemini. Based in Paris, Wiztrust now has users in more than 60 countries. www.wiztrust.com Press Contact - Jerome Lascombe - Francois Coen - francois@sources.agency - +33 6 20 53 27 74 Attachment GENEVA, July 4, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- REYL Intesa Sanpaolo ("REYL") is proud to announce the acquisition of Carnegie Fund Services SA ("Carnegie"), one of Switzerland's leading Swiss Fund Representatives. Founded in 2003, Carnegie services clients encompassing fund management companies, boutique firms and large global asset management groups based in Europe, North America, Asia, and Australia. Today, it acts as a Swiss representative for over 100 global investment managers and over 700 funds. These funds are domiciled anywhere from Ireland, Luxembourg, France, all the way to Singapore and Cayman. The acquisition of Carnegie marks a significant milestone for REYL Intesa Sanpaolo's Fund Representation Solutions ("FRS") department that already offers Swiss representation as well as paying agent solutions to some of the world's largest asset managers. By integrating Carnegie's expertise and client base, FRS will significantly strengthen its market base and reinforce its position as a trusted partner for tailored asset services. REYL Intesa Sanpaolo's robust financial position and strategic vision makes it well-equipped to seamlessly incorporate Carnegie into its operations, a process managed jointly by Colin Vidal and Philippe Steffen. The transaction will leverage the collective strengths of both organizations, enhancing the range of services and expertise available to clients. REYL Intesa Sanpaolo's commitment to innovation and technology will further bolster the combined team's ability to provide cutting-edge solutions to its clients. REYL is part of the Intesa Sanpaolo Group, one of Europe's leading banking groups with operations in all the key funds markets, including New York, London, Luxembourg and Ireland. REYL Intesa Sanpaolo's "Success. Together." mindset pushes it to adopt a strong collaborative approach and to bring together the best team of experts. REYL Intesa Sanpaolo's Corporate Finance department therefore took the lead on the acquisition of Carnegie for REYL Intesa Sanpaolo's FRS department. REYL Intesa Sanpaolo Corporate Finance's invaluable insights and expertise brought this transaction to fruition. Colin Vidal, Head of Business Development at REYL Intesa Sanpaolo's FRS commented: "REYL and Carnegie are both considered pioneers in their own rights and have established themselves as respected institutions known for their client-centric approach and commitment to excellence. We are therefore very excited to bring Carnegie into our banking infrastructure and continue to develop the best solutions to assist our clients with the ever-evolving regulatory requirements and investor demands regarding distribution." Philippe Steffen, Head of Operations at REYL Intesa Sanpaolo's FRS added: "The acquisition of one of the key players in the Swiss fund representation sector is an important milestone in the development of Fund Representation Solutions at REYL. In combination with the paying agent services already offered by the bank, it represents a high value-added offer for our clients. The opportunity to provide Carnegie's clients with the full range of REYL services will undoubtedly be greatly appreciated by them." Alexandre Pini, CEO at Carnegie, concluded: "Carnegie is recognised as one of the founding fathers of fund representation and distribution in Switzerland. We are thrilled to become part of REYL, a powerful and innovative banking group that will open the next chapter of our development. The whole team looks forward to working alongside FRS with a view to constantly improve the quality and scope of the services provided to our clients." About Carnegie Fund Services www.carnegie-fund-services.ch Carnegie Fund Services Ltd was founded in 2003 and authorised by FINMA the same year. Among their clients are fund management companies, boutique firms and large global groups based on three continents. Carnegie provides them with access to the Swiss market by representing their funds, obtaining the necessary authorisations and offering them a portfolio of distribution support services. Thanks to their integrated business model, they offer an efficient and competitive service. About REYL Intesa Sanpaolo www.reyl.com Founded in 1973, REYL & Cie is a diversified banking group with offices in Switzerland (Geneva, Zurich, Lugano), Europe (London, Luxembourg, Malta) and the rest of the world (Singapore, Dubai). It manages assets in excess of CHF 26 billion (CHF 39.2 billion including minority interests) and employs around 400 professionals. In 2021, it entered into a strategic partnership with Fideuram - Intesa Sanpaolo Private Banking, a leading European banking player, pursuant to which Fideuram ISP acquired a 69% stake in REYL & Cie. Developing an innovative approach to banking, REYL & Cie serves a clientele of international entrepreneurs and institutional investors through its Wealth Management, Entrepreneur & Family Office Services, Corporate Finance, Asset Services and Asset Management business lines. It has further diversified its activities in the areas of impact investing, through the launch of pure-play impact asset management firm Asteria Investment Managers & Obviam, and of digital banking for mass affluent clients via the incubation of Alpian, an app-based aspiring Swiss bank which obtained its banking license in 2022. In December 2021, REYL & Cie acquired a 40% stake in 1875 Finance, a Geneva-based multi-family office and independent asset manager with over CHF 13 billion of assets under management for private clients. REYL & Cie Ltd is licensed as a bank in Switzerland and performs its activities under the direct control of the Swiss Financial Market regulator (FINMA). Its subsidiaries are also regulated by the FCA in the UK, the MFSA in Malta, the MAS in Singapore, the DFSA in Dubai and the SEC in the United States. View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/reyl-intesa-sanpaolo-acquires-leading-swiss-fund-representative-carnegie-fund-services-301869527.html CRANBROOK, BC / ACCESSWIRE / July 4, 2023 / Eagle Plains Resources Ltd. (TSX-V:EPL) ("EPL" or "Eagle Plains") is pleased to report that diamond drilling activity continues at its 100%-owned Vulcan Project, located 30km west of Kimberley, BC. The planned program will include a minimum of 3,000m (9,842') of diamond drilling in 4-5 holes at the Hilo & West Basin Zones, following up on encouraging results obtained during 2022 drilling (details following). To date, drill-hole VU22004 has been successfully extended from a previous depth of 597.2m to a total depth of 829.0m. The extension was planned to test beneath mineralization encountered during 2022 (see highlights below) and to establish the base of a sub-basin interpreted to exist in the immediate area. These objectives have been met and valuable information gained on mineralization, alteration and stratigraphy in the immediate area. Previously reported analytical results for VU22004 include: 11.55m @ 0.46% Zn, 0.02% Pb, 21.48 ppm Cd, 90.65 ppm Sn (545.50-557.05m), including 1.50m @1.72% Zn, 68.83 ppm Cd, 32.09 ppm Sn (554.58-556.08m), including 0.22m @ 6.46% Zn , 259.00 ppm Cd, 39.10 ppm Sn (554.58-554.80m), and 0.18m @ 3.16% Zn, 126.50 ppm Cd, 26.80 ppm Sn (555.53-555.71m) Drill-hole VU23001 has recently been completed to a total depth of 765.6m. This hole encountered significant cm-scale stratabound (laminated) and fragmental (clast) zinc, lead and silver mineralization consistent with that seen in VU22004. Underlying the mineralized laminations was a marked increase in iron sulphides (pyrite and pyrrhotite) in both net textures and cm-scale laminations associated with increased amounts of copper and arsenic with intense tourmaline alteration - all indications of hydrothermal venting nearby. Borehole surveys indicate that mineralization intercepted in VU23001 is located approximately 130m SE and stratigraphically correlates with mineralized horizons observed in VU22004, confirming a widespread distribution. Detailed logging and sampling is underway, with complete analytical results expected in the coming months. Visual observations and preliminary portable X-ray fluorescence ("pXRF") analysis of mineralized material confirms the presence of widespread alteration associated with narrow bands of high-grade mineralization consistent with that of sedimentary-exhalative ("sedex") deposits, particularly as extensively documented at the nearby Sullivan deposit. Highlights from preliminary pXRF analysis*: 503.47m: >10% Zn, 5519 ppm Pb over ~1cm (stratabound) 506.20m: 4.09% Zn, 3.49% Pb over~2cm (stratabound) 506.68m - mineralized clast: 6.26% Zn, 3.79% Pb 513.28m: 2.78% Zn, 1.89% Pb over ~ 2cm (stratabound) *The reader is cautioned that pXRF data should be treated only as an indication of elements including lead and zinc that are present at the particular location in which the pXRF is placed on a drill core. All pXRF data is point data and the data collected at that point may not be representative of all the pXRF detectable elements occurring over an extended interval. The Company has no intention of using pXRF data for the purpose of weighted average calculations but does compare and evaluate pXRF point data with results of chemical analyses once received. The Company relies on chemical assays from an independent certified laboratory to determine the "true" values of lead and zinc occurring in sampled drill core, as well as all other elements the Company is targeting at the Vulcan Property. The Company expects these assays to be available to the public once certified analytical results are received and evaluated. Drill-hole VU23002 is now underway and is testing the area northeast of VU22004. It is planned to test depths of up to 700m. See core photos and pXRF results here See Vulcan drill-hole plan here Vulcan consists of 12,400ha located 30km west of the world-class Sullivan sedex critical metals deposit near Kimberley, BC and is accessible by an extensive network of well-maintained forest service roads. The property is owned 100% by Eagle Plains and has no underlying royalties or encumbrances. Encouraging results from the 2022 drill program were announced previously by Eagle Plains (see news releases December 7th, 2022 and January 18, 2023). Initial observations of core lithologies, mineralogy, alteration and mineralization from VU22004 suggest proximity to a sedex-type vent source near the trace of drill-hole VU22004. The 2023 program is designed to extend the mineralized horizons by completing systematic step-out drilling that will include testing of a prominent off-hole borehole electromagnetic ("BHEM") anomaly delineated in late 2022. Drilling is expected to further define stratabound Pb-Zn-Ag mineralization and vector towards a suspected source vent complex such as that found at the now-depleted Sullivan deposit. Eagle Plains' management cautions that past results or discoveries on proximate land are not necessarily indicative of the results that may be achieved on the Vulcan property. Management of Eagle Plains considers the Vulcan project to hold excellent potential for the presence of sedex zinc/lead/silver mineralization. Rocks underlying Vulcan are within the same sedimentary sequence and host occurrences, with mineralization and alteration styles similar to those observed at and adjacent to Sullivan. The Main (Hilo 3) mineral occurrence at Vulcan returned trench samples up to 1.6 % combined lead-zinc over 1.5 metres from rocks near the Lower-Middle Aldridge contact ("LMC"), the same time-stratigraphic horizon associated with the Sullivan deposit. Tim Termuende, P.Geo, President and CEO of Eagle Plains commented recently on the ongoing Vulcan program: "We are extremely encouraged by results to date at Vulcan. The deepening of VU22004 provided critical information on the interpreted sub-basin geometry, which will greatly aid in planning and interpreting upcoming drill-holes. Mineralization encountered in VU23001 is further evidence of a significant, widespread mineralizing system at Vulcan. Additional drilling is planned based on geologic features observed to date. The target we are testing is world-class in scope and results obtained suggest the presence of a mineralized sedex vent system. To date, our geologists have observed many of the important hallmarks of the nearby world-class Sullivan deposit, giving us confidence that the ongoing program will provide critical information toward the potential discovery of source mineralization". The Sullivan mine was discovered in 1892 and is one of the largest sedex deposits in the world. Over its 100+ year lifetime, Sullivan contained a total of 160 million tonnes of ore averaging 6.5% lead, 5.6% zinc and 67 g/t silver, resulting in 298 million ounces of silver, 18.5 billion pounds of lead, 17.5 billion pounds of zinc and significant quantities of associated metals, collectively worth over $40B at current metal prices. Vulcan Project History Sullivan-style mineralization was first reported in the mid-1950s at Vulcan. During the 1970s and 1980s, Texas Gulf Sulphur and later Cominco completed extensive geophysical work and drilled shallow holes to test for continuous mineralization in areas of the property. Drill testing occurred in the Hilo area during the early 1990s by Ascot Resources. In 1991 a five-hole, 1003m drill program was completed, with three holes totaling 1535m completed in 1992. Since acquiring the initial claims on the property in 2002, Eagle Plains has completed an extensive compilation of all existing data, followed in 2006 by a 125 line-km helicopter-borne time-domain geophysical survey flown at 200m spacing. Additional claims were added to the property position as they became available through staking. Systematic geochemical, geological and geophysical programs were conducted by Eagle Plains and its partners from 2011-2019. In June 2020, Eagle Plains completed a two-hole, 977m drill program to test the LMC along an existing road cut in an area of elevated soil geochemistry and anomalous geophysical features (magnetometer, induced polarization and magneto-telluric). The LMC contact was successfully intercepted in Hole VU20002 with significant alteration suggesting proximity to a hydrothermal source, though no economic mineralization was encountered. In 2022, Eagle Plains completed a 537 line-km helicopter-borne high-resolution aeromagnetic survey. Geophysics was followed-up with a 3-hole, 1700m diamond drilling program. Hole VU22004 identified sedex-style mineralization at the West Basin zone deeper in the stratigraphic package than historically tested. Analytical results from VU22004 defined the best intercept on the property to date. Results from this program have been used to re-interpret the stratigraphic sequence at the Hilo and West Basin Zones and have identified target stratigraphy considered to hold high potential to host economic mineralization. Qualified Persons The current program will be conducted under the direct supervision by K. Bates, P.Geo; Exploration Manager of Eagle Plains. TerraLogic Exploration Inc. of Cranbrook, BC has been engaged to provide overall project support. New Age Drilling Solutions has been contracted to complete diamond drilling activities and Bighorn Helicopters of Cranbrook, BC is providing helicopter support. Charles C. Downie, P.Geo., a "qualified person" for the purposes of National Instrument 43-101 - Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects and a director of Eagle Plains, has reviewed and approved the scientific and technical disclosure in this news release. Update on Slocan Graphite Property Option Eagle Plains reports that is has received formal notice from option partner Aben Minerals Ltd. (formerly Aben Resources Ltd.) that it has terminated its option on the 2826 ha Slocan Graphite property located 34km NW of Castlegar, BC. The property has recently seen systematic surface geological exploration work and is currently permitted for drilling. About Eagle Plains Resources Based in Cranbrook, B.C., Eagle Plains is a well-funded, prolific project generator that continues to conduct research, acquire and explore mineral projects throughout western Canada. The Company was formed in 1992 and is the ninth-oldest listed issuer on the TSX-V (and one of only three that has not seen a roll-back or restructuring of its shares). Eagle Plains has continued to deliver shareholder value over the years and through numerous spin outs has transferred over $100,000,000 in value directly to its shareholders, with Copper Canyon Resources and Taiga Gold Corp. being notable examples. Eagle Plains latest spinout, Eagle Royalties Ltd. (CSE:"ER") was listed on May 24, 2023, and holds a diverse portfolio of royalty assets throughout western Canada. Eagle Plains' core business is acquiring grassroots critical- and precious-metal exploration properties. The Company is committed to steadily enhancing shareholder value by advancing our diverse portfolio of projects toward discovery through collaborative partnerships and development of a highly experienced technical team. Expenditures from 2011-2022 on Eagle Plains-related projects exceed $30M, the majority of which was funded by third-party partners. This exploration work resulted in approximately 45,000m of diamond-drilling and extensive ground-based exploration work facilitating the advancement of numerous projects at various stages of development. Throughout the exploration process, our mission is to help maintain prosperous communities by exploring for and discovering resource opportunities while building lasting relationships through honest and respectful business practices. On behalf of the Board of Directors "Tim J. Termuende" President and CEO For further information on EPL, please contact Mike Labach at 1 866 HUNT ORE (486 8673) Email: mgl@eagleplains.com or visit our website at https://www.eagleplains.com Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. This news release may contain forward-looking statements including but not limited to comments regarding the timing and content of upcoming work programs, geological interpretations, receipt of property titles, potential mineral recovery processes, etc. Forward-looking statements address future events and conditions and therefore, involve inherent risks and uncertainties. Actual results may differ materially from those currently anticipated in such statements. SOURCE: Eagle Plains Resources Ltd. View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/765147/Eagle-Plains-Provides-Update-on-Drilling-Activity-on-Vulcan-Critical-Metals-Project-Southeastern-BC A Place for All Conservatives to Speak Their Mind. VANCOUVER, BC / ACCESSWIRE / July 4, 2023 / Q Battery Metals Corp. ("Q Battery Metals" or the "Company") (CSE:QMET) is pleased to provide an update of their targeted sampling and mapping projects for June 2023. The geological team recently completed sampling at the La Corne South lithium project north of Val d'Or (see Q Battery Metals news release dated June 20, 2023) and sampling for Ni-Cu-PGE at the Lorrain project located immediately south of Lorrainville, Quebec. As part of the targeted exploration of their claims in the Val d'Or region, the Q Battery team conducted a geologic review and sampling of the Maruska showing (also referred to as "Showing d'Or"). The Sigeom database notes that the Maruska mineral showing was discovered by prospecting in 1989. It is described as quartz veins cutting massive diorite and granodiorite of the Pascalis-Tiblemont batholith. The mineralization is in a subparallel set of narrow quartz veins varying between 5 and 25 cm thickness trending for at least 185 metres. Mineralization consists of pyrite, native gold and native silver disseminated in quartz veins. Historically documented samples from the Maruska returned 241.8 g/t Au and 97.3 g/t Ag (sample 9051); 107.2 g/t Au (sample 9002); and 97.2 g/t Au (sample 9050), (GM 49855). The Q Battery Metals team notes that a significant area of surface stripping at the Maruska has revealed sporadic quartz veining trending in east-west and north-south directions over an approximate 100 m by 100 m area. The stripped area is within 150 metres of the Q Battery McKenzie East claims. Q Battery Metals exploration crew recently undertook a reconnaissance and sampling of quartz veins at the Maruska. Q Battery Metals is very interested in this high grade gold showing due to its location very near to the south block of the company's McKenzie East claims. However, the reader is warned that results obtained from adjoining properties are not direct indications for potential on the Q Battery Metals claims. While at the Maruska, Q Battery Metals obtained a rock sample that included chips from a number of the exposed quartz-pyrite veins. The sampling is to verify the gold and silver content of the veins. The sample is to be submitted to ALS Laboratory in Val d'Or for analysis. The McKenzie East property is located adjacent to the McKenzie Break Project owned and operated by Monarch Mining Corporation. Monarch completed a gold resource estimate in February 2021 with open pit and underground indicated resource of 145,982 ounces and inferred resource of 250,593 ounces gold. (NI43-101 Technical Evaluation Report on the McKenzie Break Property, February 11, 2021). Resource Estimate for the McKenzie Break Project, Monarch Mining Corporation* *Readers are warned that resources estimated on an adjoining property do not imply that similar resources or mineralization exist on the Black Tusk - McKenzie East property. From 2020 to 2021 Black Tusk completed ground Induced Polarization (IP) electrical survey, a MMI soil sampling survey, a drone-supported airborne magnetic survey, and diamond drilling on the McKenzie East. In 2021, Black Tusk completed 2,587 metres of drilling over 8 drill holes on the property. Results include 1.185 grams per tonne gold (gpt Au) over 1 metre from hole MKE-21-01 as well as intercepts of > 0.5 gpt from holes MKE-21-03, MKE-21-06 and MKE-21-08 (see Black Tusk news release dated July 13, 2021). Q Battery Metals exploration programs undertaken in Quebec are supervised by Dr. Mathieu Piche, OGQ, with office located north of Val d'Or. He is also a Q Battery Metals company director. The company has 100% interest in mineral claims within Quebec and British Columbia, with exploration targeting critical and precious metals. Perry Grunenberg, P.Geo, a "Qualified Person" as that term is defined under NI 43-101, has reviewed and approved the technical information in this news release. Cautionary Statement This press release contains forward-looking statements based on assumptions as of that date. These statements reflect management's current estimates, beliefs, intentions and expectations; they are not guarantees of future performance. The Company cautions that all forward-looking statements are inherently uncertain and that actual performance may be affected by a number of material factors, many of which are beyond the Company's control. Such factors include, among other things: risks and uncertainties relating to exploration and development; the ability of the Company to obtain additional financing; the Company's limited operating history; the need to comply with environmental and governmental regulations; fluctuations in the prices of commodities; operating hazards and risks; competition and other risks and uncertainties, including those described in the Company's Prospectus dated September 8, 2017 available on www.sedar.com. Accordingly, actual and future events, conditions, and results may differ materially from the estimates, beliefs, intentions, and expectations expressed or implied in the forward-looking information. Except as required under applicable securities legislation, the Company undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise forward-looking information. On behalf of the Board of Directors Richard Penn CEO (778) 384-8923 SOURCE: Q Battery Metals Corp. View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/765519/Q-Battery-Metals-Samples-Maruska-Gold-Showing-Mckenzie-East-Project-Val-Dor-Quebec VANCOUVER, BC / ACCESSWIRE / July 4, 2023 /Mobilum Technologies Inc. (the "Company") (CSE:MBLM)(OTCQB:MBLMF)(FRA:C0B), announces that its Board has accepted Steven LaBella's resignation as CEO. The Board has appointed John Henderson as the interim CEO to navigate the organization going forward. Since the onset of Mobilum Technologies, John Henderson has served both as its Chief Operating Officer and Chief Financial Officer. The organization now looks to John's experience from his former senior executive roles in capital markets and corporate development for venture level innovation and growth companies. Complementing John's extensive work experience is an MBA earned from Sauder UBC and a PhD in Management from UBC Okanagan, where he specialized in the use and integration of artificial intelligence for business applications. "We are looking to John to guide the company through these difficult times in the distributed/blockchain industry. Throughout the evolution of this organization, he has stepped into whatever role was needed. John really has demonstrated unwavering commitment to the organization." commented Mobilum Board member, Robert Nizol. About Mobilum Technologies Inc. Mobilum Technologies Inc. (CSE:MBLM) (OTC:MBLMF) (FRA:C0B) is a Canadian venture level technology company. The company has recently embarked on a strategic change by divesting non-core assets with a goal to refocus on innovation. For further information go to www.mobilum.com. SOURCE Mobilum Technologies Inc. Related Links https://mobilum.com For further information: please contact John Henderson, +1 (250) 809-5909 or via email at ir@mobilum.com This news release may contain certain "Forward-Looking Statements" within the meaning of the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and applicable Canadian securities laws. When or if used in this news release, the words "anticipate", "believe", "estimate", "expect", "target, "plan", "forecast", "may", "schedule" and similar words or expressions identify forward-looking statements or information. Such statements represent the Company's current views with respect to future events and are necessarily based upon a number of assumptions and estimates that, while considered reasonable by the Company, are inherently subject to significant business, economic, competitive, political and social risks, contingencies and uncertainties. Many factors, both known and unknown, could cause results, performance or achievements to be materially different from the results, performance or achievements that are or may be expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. The Company does not intend, and does not assume any obligation, to update these forward-looking statements or information to reflect changes in assumptions or changes in circumstances or any other events affecting such statements and information other than as required by applicable laws, rules and regulations. Contact Information: Investor Relations John Henderson, Interim CEO and CFO Phone: +1 (250) 809-5909 Email: IR@mobilum.com SOURCE: Mobilum Technologies Inc. View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/765514/Mobilum-Technologies-Reports-Key-Management-Changes Jinan TCPEL Machinery Co. Ltd is a Chinese company specializing in biomass machinery manufacturing. With a focus on research, and production, they offer a diverse range of high-quality products and have gained global recognition. They provide comprehensive after-sales support and have a strong international presence. Shandong, China--(Newsfile Corp. - July 4, 2023) - Jinan TCPEL Machinery Co. Ltd, a renowned pellet device producer based in China, has been at the vanguard of the industry since its its establishment in 2004. With a strong cognizance on research, analysis, development, and manufacturing, the company has garnered a recognition for excellence in turning in first-class biomass equipment solutions on a global scale. To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit: https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/8814/172285_6db59ccb945068cb_001full.jpg Covering a vast area of 40000m2, they have continuously strived for innovation and improvement in its products. The company's commitment to excellence is reflected in its achievement of various certifications, including ISO9001:2000 Certification, CE Certification, SGS Certification, and multiple patents. The product portfolio of Jinan TCPEL encompasses a wide range of biomass machinery, catering to diverse industry needs. These include Drum Chippers, Hammer Mill, Rotary Dryer, Pellet Machine, Feed Pellet Machine, and Pellet Production Line. With a strong emphasis on quality and performance, the company's products have received acclaim on both the local and international landscape. TCPEL reach extends to over 60 countries and regions throughout the globe, Their merchandise have been extensively exported to nations such as Germany, Finland, Russia, New Zealand, South Korea, Pakistan, India, Bangladesh, Vietnam, Malaysia, and Turkey. This worldwide presence is a testament to the company's dedication to meeting the demands of international customers, and providing them with reliable and efficient biomass machinery solutions. One of the key differentiators for Jinan TCPEL is its dedicated after-sales service team and comprehensive support system. With an experienced and skilled team, the company ensures prompt and accurate solutions to customer service requirements at any time. The company maintains complete customer files, enabling them to deliver tailored assistance and support to meet specific needs. They continues to innovate and extend its product services, staying at the forefront of the biomass equipment industry. By continuously delivering superior, superb merchandise and disseminating awesome customer support, the company has set up itself as a trusted name within the market. To learn more about Jinan TCPEL Machinery Co. Ltd and its variety of biomass machinery solutions, visit www.tcpel.com About Jinan TCPEL It is a leading pellet machine manufacturer based in China. Since its establishment in 2004, the company has been dedicated to research and development, production, sales, and service of biomass machinery. With a wide range of products and a global presence, Jinan TCPEL Machinery Co.Ltd has gained recognition for its commitment to quality and customer satisfaction. Contact Info: Name: Jack Wu Email: jack@tcpel.com Organization: Jinan TCPEL Co. Ltd Website: https://www.tcpel.com/ To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/172285 Toronto, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - July 4, 2023) - Lorne Park Capital Partners Inc. (TSXV: LPC) ("LPCP") is pleased to announce that its Board of Directors has approved the declaration of a cash dividend of $0.007 per common share, payable on July 31, 2023, to the shareholders of record as of July 17, 2023. The dividend payments qualify as eligible dividends for Canadian income tax purposes. The declaration, amount and payment of future cash dividends are subject to the Board of Directors' continuing determination that the payment of dividends is in the best interests of the Company, its shareholders and is in compliance with all laws and agreements of the Company applicable to the declaration and payment of cash dividends. The ability of the Company to pay future dividends will be reviewed on a quarterly basis taking into consideration actual and forecasted cash flows and the macroeconomic outlook at that point in time. About Lorne Park Capital Partners Inc. LPCP was created to bring together boutique investment management and wealth advisory firms in order to deliver robust, cost effective investment solutions to affluent investors, foundations, estates and trusts. LPCP's unique strategy creates better alignment between investment managers and wealth advisors while providing them with additional resources to accelerate their growth. For further information, please contact: Robert Sewell Chief Executive Officer Lorne Park Capital Partners Inc. investor.relations@lpcp.ca (905) 337-2227 Cautionary Notes 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 contains statements which constitute "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable securities laws. Forward-looking information may be identified by such terms as "believes", "anticipates", "expects", "estimates", "may", "could", "would", "will", "plan", and other similar expressions. Forward-looking information in this news release includes, without limitation, LPCP's objectives, goals and future plans. Forward-looking information addresses possible future events, conditions and financial performance based upon management's current expectations, estimates, projections and assumptions. In particular, the forward-looking information contained in this news release reflects assumptions about the timing and results of the amalgamation and regulatory approvals. Management of LPCP considers the assumptions on which the forward-looking information contained herein are based to be reasonable. However, by its very nature, forward-looking information inherently involves known and unknown risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such information. Such risks include, without limitation, changes in economic conditions, applicable laws or regulations. Accordingly, readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking information. LPCP disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking information, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by law. /NOT FOR DISTRIBUTION IN THE UNITED STATES, ANY FAILURE TO COMPLY WITH THIS RESTRICTION MAY CONSTITUTE A VIOLATION OF U.S. SECURITIES LAW/ To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/171298 Mr Ronald Ho, Regional Director, South East Asia and South Asia of the HKTDC BANGKOK, July 4, 2023 - (ACN Newswire) - The Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC) is taking its Think Business, Think Hong Kong (TBTHK) signature promotion event to Bangkok next week. The event will showcase Hong Kong as a resilient innovation hub where businesses from around the world can seize opportunities. TBTHK will run on 13-14 July at Centara Grand and Bangkok Convention Centre at CentralWorld, where the Hong Kong and Thai business communities will explore partnership opportunities through exhibition, seminars and networking activities.Mr Ronald Ho, Regional Director, South East Asia and South Asia of the HKTDC said at the press luncheon, "Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) has a long history of close economic ties with Hong Kong and is the city's second-largest trading partner in merchandise trade. The TBTHK in Bangkok will highlight Hong Kong's offerings in ASEAN, as well as provide additional impetus for promoting regional trade and investment partnerships and creating opportunities through regional economic and supply chain integration.""Our main goal is to promote Hong Kong's strengths in merchandises and services and introduce the city's latest developments, demonstrating to the Thai business community that Hong Kong is the premier international business hub in Asia, as well as an investment and business platform for Thai enterprises to maximise China opportunities. Simultaneously, we will showcase how the Thai, mainland and Hong Kong business communities can collaborate to create mutually beneficial business opportunities and maintain long-standing close business and trade ties.""These opportunities are made possible by strong, visionary planning by governments, as well as free trade agreements such as FTAs and Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP), that provide a framework for regional cooperation." Ronald added.Hong Kong is at the geographic heart of Asia and serves as an international financial centre with distinct advantages such as providing trusted legal, financial, investment and tax systems, producing high quality, innovative and creative products and services for trade, and serving as the pre-eminent access point to explore and develop business links and markets with Mainland China, the ASEAN and beyond.The city is a bridge between the mainland and the world. Its role as a two-way platform for the flow of capital, goods, information and people is as important as ever. Development plans such as the Belt and Road Initiative and Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA) Development Plan create new prospects, expanding Hong Kong's role as a hub for finance, trade, logistics and cultural exchange. Hong Kong is the ideal partner for Thai companies seeking to tap the vast opportunities from the GBA and international markets.This year, this signature promotion event will be a holistic platform where the Thai trade community can learn about Hong Kong's role as an ideal gateway for them to tap into mainland and international markets. Building on the strong trade ties between Hong Kong and Thailand, a Trade Expo showcasing high-quality and innovative products from more than 100 Hong Kong exhibitors, including Chow Tai Fook, Green Common, B.Duck, Vita Green, Memorigin, Smart City consortium and more. This would help Hong Kong companies introduce high-quality products to the regional market, while Thai companies may identify potential business partners and supply chains for business collaborations.During today's press luncheon, a wide range of Hong Kong's innovative and creative quality products ranging from fashion & lifestyle, home & gifts, sustainable & green sectors were showcased to Thai media as a trade expo preview.Featured products include the following:- Kapture's tote bags, which combine BioNTex antiviral tech and upcycled fabric from garment production;- Iconic Camel flasks, which have championed vacuum technology since 1940's;- Temporis watches - designed for stylish youngsters, these high-quality timepieces boast K1 crystals instead of tempered glass. This is a major upgrade in comparison to other wristwatches in this price category;- Romago watches - this luxury Swiss watch brand originated its business in deluxe custom-made timepieces or collectors. Nowadays the brand is focusing on timepieces with sleek designs using unique materials and new manufacturing technologies refining the traditional diving watches.- Derangedsign, a dynamic design studio based in Hong Kong will showcase its Coexistence set which includes two trays designed as sculptures in landscape shapes. Ideal for serving fruits, candy, nuts and jewellery, these trays have received many international awards and accolades;- B.Duck, the main IP-ed brand of Hong Kong's famous product design company, Semk Products Ltd. will present its legendary duck-shaped lamps.In addition to the Trade Expo, a Trade Talks series solidifying Hong Kong's competitive advantage as a trading hub will be held during the event period. Experts from renowned retail groups, associations and innovative companies will gather at the Trade Talks to shed lights on a plethora of hot topics, such as Innovating the Future of Retail, Maximising Business Opportunities through Licensing, Re-shaping E-commerce and Embracing Sustainability & ESG.A giveaway session on the second day of the event (14 July) will offer prizes including smart phones, Tourbillion, tablets and more. Participants may have a chance to win air tickets during the event period. In addition, there will be a captivating photo booth featuring Hong Kong's iconic buildings set in the venue with a TBTHK branded Tuk Tuk, providing an immersive experience and promoting Hong Kong's authentic culture and iconic scenery to Thai community.Website- Think Business, Think Hong Kong: https://www.thinkbusinessthinkhk.com/bangkok2023/en- Photo download: https://rb.gy/4cdvrAbout HKTDCThe Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC) is a statutory body established in 1966 to promote, assist and develop Hong Kong's trade. With 50 offices globally, including 13 in Mainland China, the HKTDC promotes Hong Kong as a two-way global investment and business hub. The HKTDC organises international exhibitions, conferences and business missions to create business opportunities for companies, particularly small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), in the mainland and international markets. The HKTDC also provides up-to-date market insights and product information via research reports and digital news channels. For more information, please visit: www.hktdc.com/aboutus. Follow us on Twitter @hktdc and LinkedInMedia enquiriesFor enquiries please contact:Midas Communications International Co., Ltd.Nawaporn Rojarayanont, Tel: 097-250-1603, Email: nawaporn@midas-pr.comWanrawee Kongkraphan, Tel: 088-887-9718, Email: namtarn@midas-pr.comHKTDC's Communications & Public Affairs Department:Janet Chan, Tel: +852 2584 4369, Email: janet.ch.chan@hktdc.orgAgnes Wat, Tel: +852 2584 4554, Email: agnes.ky.wat@hktdc.orgSource: HKTDCCopyright 2023 ACN Newswire . All rights reserved. The Start-up Express Final Pitching winners pictured together with the judging panel and special guests. HONG KONG, July 4, 2023 - (ACN Newswire) - The sixth edition of Start-up Express, an entrepreneurship development programme organised by the Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC), came to a successful conclusion today. The judging panel at the in-person Final Pitching, held at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre, selected 10 winning start-ups from 20 finalists. The My Favourite Start-up Award, decided through live polling of the audience, was awarded to Meat The Next, while the ESG Award went to Negawatt Technology in recognition of its sustainable and socially impactful business solution. The 10 winning teams will participate in a series of local and international events to develop their businesses by building connections, exploring markets, seeking partners and enhancing brand awareness.The record number of applications for Start-up Express 2023 reflected the great enthusiasm of Hong Kong's entrepreneurs. The 20 finalists come from diverse sectors such as ed tech, con (construction) tech & prop tech, fintech, health tech, as well as metaverse, Web 3.0, smart city, HR tech and food tech. More than 100 industry players were invited to attend the Final Pitching Day in person, including investors, business leaders, representatives from overseas entities and more. Booths were also set up during the event to showcase Start-up Express past winners and finalists, in addition to demo-pitch from secondary school teams.Stephen Liang, Assistant Executive Director of the HKTDC, said Hong Kong start-ups were highly adaptive and had shown great resilience during the COVID-19 pandemic. "We're still at an initial phase of post-COVID-19 recovery, when the global economic outlook is still uncertain. Investors remain conservative, and start-ups are in need of more support. Finalists of this year's Start-up Express have developed products with advanced technology, and they have great potential to become unicorns. With business matching via HKTDC's physical and online platforms to help start-ups connect with international investors and partners, we will step up efforts to promote local innovations to the world, and grasp post-COVID-19 opportunities," Mr Liang said.Diverse opportunities offered to winning start-upsFinal Pitching contestants presented innovative business ideas and responded to questions raised by a distinguished panel of judges. This year's judging panel comprises five renowned industry experts: Jason Chiu, Chairman of Hong Kong Startup Council; Gordon Yen, Chairman of Hong Kong Business Angel Network; Winnie Han, Head of China Issuer Services/ Senior Vice President, Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing Limited; Ben Cheng, President and Chief Executive Officer of C Capital; and Danny Yeung, Co-founder and Chief Executive Officer of Prenetics. The 10 winning start-ups are: Big Bang Academy, DimOrder, Haofood, Kodifly, Meat the Next, Moongate, Negawatt Technology, Neuropix, Rocket Academy, and Syngular Technology (click here to download the list of winners and their company profiles). The HKTDC will arrange a series of exposure opportunities through which the winning teams can interact with buyers and investors.Outstanding presentations at Final PitchingJason Chiu, Chairman of Hong Kong Startup Council is a third-time judge of the programme. He said: "I am thrilled to participate in this year's Final Pitching. Entering its sixth edition, Start-up Express' competition is fiercer than ever, and each team displayed enormous growth potential. The industry verticals of the finalists this year were also more diverse, ranging from Web3.0 to con tech, which demonstrates their innovative thinking and proves the capability of Hong Kong tech talents. It is encouraging to see how vibrant the Hong Kong start-up ecosystem is becoming, with the number of start-ups increasing over the past few years. The winning teams this year will leverage the unique platform of Start-up Express to obtain more business opportunities and connections, and explore the Mainland and overseas markets."Danny Yeung, Co-founder and Chief Executive Officer of Prenetics, who led his start-up to unicorn status, gave insightful advice to the finalists. He said: "It is definitely challenging for early-stage companies to gain a foothold in competitive markets. I am happy to see that the HKSAR government is strengthening its support to the innovative & tech sector; Start-up Express is also a meaningful programme for start-ups to connect with investors and business leaders. He also cheered for start-ups: "The journey of building a start-up is never easy. Founders must keep an eye on the latest market trends and make unremitting efforts, in order to scale-up in the challenging business environment."Grasping the market pulse and building a global networkStart-up Express gives start-ups the chance to promote their business ideas. They can take part in exhibitions in Mainland China and overseas, and investor meetings in Hong Kong and the mainland. They can also strengthen their business networks, as well as expand their markets and businesses through the exposure they have gained.Dr Martin Zhu, Co-founder of i2Cool, a winner last year, said: "Through Start-up Express, we have unlocked many publicity opportunities. HKTDC's global network also helped us obtain many new customers from all over the world. For example, at last year's Entrepreneur Day, we met with a construction company from the Philippines, and signed a large-amount business order with them on the spot. All of these are valuable opportunities offered by Start-up Express."Start-up Express International returns in DecemberThe HKTDC has always given its full support to Hong Kong's entrepreneurial ecosystem, helping to maintain the city's status as a competitive business centre and hub for innovation. Launched in 2022, Start-up Express International has attracted participants from around the world, including the United States, Germany, Japan, Korea, Turkey, Singapore and more. 10 winners were selected and exchange sessions were arranged between them and the Hong Kong start-up winners. Start-up Express International will return during Entrepreneur Day in December. The HKTDC will support the winning international start-ups to set up their businesses in Hong Kong, as well as to explore the mainland and Greater Bay Area markets.Start-up Express website: https://portal.hktdc.com/startupexpress/en/Photo download: https://bit.ly/3CVHKAHAbout HKTDCThe Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC) is a statutory body established in 1966 to promote, assist and develop Hong Kong's trade. With 50 offices globally, including 13 in Mainland China, the HKTDC promotes Hong Kong as a two-way global investment and business hub. The HKTDC organises international exhibitions, conferences and business missions to create business opportunities for companies, particularly small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), in the mainland and international markets. The HKTDC also provides up-to-date market insights and product information via research reports and digital news channels. For more information, please visit: www.hktdc.com/aboutus. Follow us on Twitter @hktdc and LinkedInMedia enquiriesPlease contact HKTDC's Communications & Public Affairs Department:Jane Cheung, Tel: +852 2584 4137, Email: jane.mh.cheung@hktdc.orgSource: HKTDCCopyright 2023 ACN Newswire . All rights reserved. Die KI-Revolution ist in vollem Gange und vor allem ein Bereich wird stark betroffen sein: Cyber-Security. Die Experten sind sich sicher: Mit steigender Entwicklung von KI-Technologien nehmen auch KI-gestutzte Cyber-Attacken zu. Wir zeigen hier, welche Aktien profitieren konnen. BEIJING (dpa-AFX) - U.S. Secretary of the Treasury Janet Yellen has met with China's new Ambassador to the United States Xie Feng. The Department of the Treasury said the meeting was 'frank and productive'. 'The discussion supported ongoing efforts to maintain open lines of communication and responsibly manage the U.S.-China bilateral relationship, in line with Secretary Yellen's upcoming trip to Beijing'. The Treasury had announced Sunday that Yellen will embark on a four-day crucial visit to Beijing this week for meetings with senior Chinese officials aiming to improve communication and economic relations between the two countries. In a press release issued after her meeting with the Chinese Ambassador Monday, the Treasury noted that Secretary Yellen raised issues of concern with Feng. U.S.-China relationship has been passing through a complicated phase in the recent past, with areas of concern such as trade war, sanctions on high-ranking officials, human rights issues, Hong Kong and Taiwan, continue to raise tensions. The US Treasury chief also conveyed to Feng 'the importance of the two largest economies working together on global challenges, including on macroeconomic and financial issues'. Yellen is scheduled to meet with top Chinese officials and U.S. companies doing business in China during the visit, which begins on Thursday. The Yellen-Feng meeting took place just three days after the top Chinese diplomat presented his credentials to President Joe Biden at the Oval Office. On Saturday, Xie told Biden that the Chinese government hopes Washington will work with Beijing to stabilise and restore bilateral relationship. He had earlier criticized Biden for calling Chinese President Xi Jinping a dictator at an event last month. Copyright(c) 2023 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. Toronto, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - July 4, 2023) - Canuc Resources Corporation (TSXV: CDA) (OTCQB: CNUCF) ("Canuc" or the "Company") is pleased to announce the closing of a non-brokered private placement financing ("Private Placement"), raising gross proceeds of $2,000,000 CAD (out of a maximum of $2,000,000) through the issuance of 25,000,000 Units (out of a maximum of 25,000,000 Units) at $0.08 per Unit. Each Unit consists of one common share ("Common Share") priced at $0.08 per Common Share, and one half of one common share purchase warrant ("Warrant"). Each whole Warrant entitles the holder to purchase one additional Common Share at $0.25 for a period of two years from the closing of the Private Placement. Each whole Warrant has an early exercise provision that allows the Company to trigger exercise of the Warrant when the 10-day average price of Common Shares traded on the TSX Venture Exchange exceeds $0.50 per share. Thirty days (30) after the trigger date, any unexercised Warrants will be deemed to be null and void. All securities issued under this Private Placement will be subject to a hold period expiring four months and one day from the date of closing. Proceeds will be used for exploration on the Company's San Javier Silver-Gold Project in Sonora State, Mexico and for developing the Company's MidTex Energy Assets in Central West Texas. No finder fees or commissions are payable in connection with this closing. This Private Placement does not result in any new insiders or control persons of the Company, and closing is subject to final approval by the TSX Venture Exchange. About Canuc Canuc is a junior resource company focusing on its San Javier Silver-Gold Project in Sonora State, Mexico. The Company also generates cash flow from natural gas production at its MidTex Energy Project in Central West Texas, USA where Canuc has an interest in eight (8) producing natural gas wells and has rights for further in field developments. For further information please contact: Canuc Resources Corporation. (416) 525 - 6869 cberlet@canucresources.ca Forward Looking Information This news release contains forward-looking information. All information, other than information of historical fact, constitute "forward-looking statements" and includes any information that addresses activities, events or developments that the Corporation believes, expects or anticipates will or may occur in the future including the Corporation's strategy, plans or future financial or operating performance. When used in this news release, the words "estimate", "project", "anticipate", "expect", "intend", "believe", "hope", "may" and similar expressions, as well as "will", "shall" and other indications of future tense, are intended to identify forward-looking information. The forward-looking information is based on current expectations and applies only as of the date on which they were made. The factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those indicated in such forward-looking information include, but are not limited to, the ability of the Corporation to fund the exploration expenditures required under the Agreement. Other factors such as uncertainties regarding government regulations could also affect the results. Other risks may be set out in the Corporation's annual financial statements, MD&A and other publicly filed documents. The Corporation cautions that there can be no assurance that forward-looking information will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such information. Accordingly, investors should not place undue reliance on forward-looking information. Except as required by law, the Corporation does not assume any obligation to release publicly any revisions to forward-looking information contained in this press release to reflect events or circumstances after the date hereof. 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/172009 The iconic symbol of Italian style and culture marks 160th anniversary Family-owned spirits company Bacardi is celebrating the 160th anniversary of MARTINI, the leading vermouth and sparkling wine brand, with a series of events and launches that will build on its legacy as an icon of Italian style and culture. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230704849599/en/ 160 years of Italian taste' draws inspiration from the legacy of MARTINI as a symbol of Italian style and culture. The campaign brings together the brand's heritage and its vision for the future with imagery that illustrates how the brand is moving into a new era. (Photo: Business Wire) Since 1863, MARTINI has been a pioneering presence in the world of drinks and in cocktail culture thanks to its Italian craftsmanship, Italian quality and Italian taste. Aperitivo would not be aperitivo without MARTINI. This year is also the 30th anniversary of MARTINI joining the Bacardi portfolio of premium wines and spirits. Since Bacardi, a family-owned company that recently marked its own 160th anniversary, acquired the Martini Rossi Group in 1993, MARTINI has been part of a growing portfolio of iconic brands which today includes BOMBAY SAPPHIRE gin, GREY GOOSE vodka, PATRON tequila, ST-GERMAIN liqueur and, of course, BACARDl rum. "For 160 years, MARTINI has been an icon of Italian culture while continuously evolving, innovating and inspiring each new generation. What's stayed constant is a commitment to craftsmanship, quality and exceptional taste," says Mahesh Madhavan, CEO of Bacardi Limited. "As we celebrate this milestone for MARTINI, we continue to make MARTINI a modern, Italian lifestyle brand, that we can continue to be proud of while carrying its legacy for future generations." The 160th anniversary of MARTINI is being celebrated in a number of exciting ways: New MARTINI global campaign '160 years of Italian taste' draws inspiration from the legacy of MARTINI as a symbol of Italian style and culture. The campaign brings together the brand's heritage and its vision for the future with imagery that illustrates how the brand is moving into a new era. The new creative reflects consumers' changing drinking habits the brand's newest innovation, MARTINI Non-Alcoholic Aperitivo is front and center and represents how MARTINI is meeting the demand for the rise in mindful drinking, while remaining grounded in aperitivo culture; First ever aged MARTINI vermouth MARTINI Maestro 36, demonstrates the brand's constant drive to innovate and create new experiences for every generation. MARTINI Maestro 36 is aged for 36 months to create an exceptional, super-premium expression of the classic vermouth. Created by MARTINI Master Blender, Beppe Musso, Maestro 36 captures 160 years of vermouth-making expertise in a limited edition of only 2,000 bottles. To celebrate the Italian hospitality industry's support for MARTINI over 160 years, Maestro 36 is available exclusively in bars and restaurants in Italy; MARTINI Pop-Up Bar at DAZI Milano Everyone in Milan, the style capital of Italy, is invited to join the celebration by visiting this special pop-up MARTINI bar. Enjoy an unforgettable MARTINI aperitivo in an unforgettable venue, open until July 4; MARTINI postage stamp The Italian Government is celebrating 160years of MARTINI and 160 years of an iconic brand proudly Made in Italy with the release of a MARTINI postage stamp, available at post offices across Italy starting in July; Terrazza MARTINI influencers digitized for future generations - A collection of 30,000 photographs taken at the Terrazza MARTINI since its opening in 1958 is being preserved for future generations in the first corporate digitization project supported by the Italgas Heritage Lab. The collection captures generations of celebrities and influencers at Milan's most fashionable destination. Founded in 1863 by entrepreneur Alessandro Martini and herbalist Luigi Rossi, MARTINI has a legacy that goes far beyond the world of drinks. MARTINI has left its mark on everything from culture to sport. Hollywood stars and artists have collaborated with MARTINI to create legendary advertising campaigns; Terrazza MARTINI parties have influenced generations of style leaders; and the now classic MARTINI racing stripes are famous around the world. MARTINI can look back on an extraordinary legacy and look forward to a future full of new innovations. For generations, MARTINI has cared for the environment, for suppliers and their communities. The brand's sustainability milestones are a reflection of Bacardi and its mission to be the most environmentally responsible global spirits company. Back in 1987, L'Osservatorio MARTINI the MARTINI Observatory was established in Northern Italy as a center dedicated to promoting sustainable farming methods. And in just the last year, MARTINI has been using solar energy to power the distillation of its botanicals and 100% of the wineries for the entire MARTINI portfolio have been certified sustainable. Helping to achieve these sustainability milestones is newly appointed Master of Botanicals, Alessandro Garneri and MARTINI Master Blender, Beppe Musso. Only the eighth Master Blender in the 160-year history of MARTINI, Beppe has been instrumental in the creation of contemporary vermouth MARTINI Fiero, a 100% natural blend of citrus, bittersweet orange and crisp white wines, as well as the deliciously complex MARTINI Non-Alcoholic Aperitivo range. "This year, MARTINI is celebrating its 160th birthday but we are still young," says Beppe Musso. "Our knowledge and experience grows with each new generation and that is reflected in the quality and taste of every MARTINI drink and in our commitment to sustainable practices that will secure our future for the next 160 years. That's what really excites me our future legacy. This is only the beginning." About MARTINI One of the most iconic brands in the world, MARTINI is the leading name in Italian winemaking and a purveyor of the highest quality vermouths and sparkling wines. The award- winning, vibrant and bittersweet taste of the MARTINI range is the result of secret blends of more than 40 botanicals sourced from the finest locations across the globe. First created in 1863 in Turin, Italy, the MARTINI portfolio today includes: MARTINI Fiero, MARTINI Riserva Speciale Rubino, Ambrato Bitter, MARTINI Bianco, Rosato, Rosso Extra Dry, MARTINI Non-Alcoholic Vibrante Floreale, MARTINI Asti, Prosecco Rose Extra Dry. For more information, please visit www.martini.com or @martini on all social media platforms. MARTINI and the ball bar logo are trademarks. MARTINI is part of the portfolio of Bacardi Limited, headquartered in Hamilton, Bermuda. Bacardi Limited refers to the Bacardi group of companies, including Bacardi International Limited. About BacardiLimited Bacardi Limited, the world's largest privately held international spirits company, produces, markets, and distributes internationally recognized spirits and wines. The Bacardi Limited portfolio comprises more than 200 brands and labels, including BACARDI rum, PATRON tequila, GREY GOOSE vodka, DEWAR'S Blended Scotch whisky, BOMBAY SAPPHIRE gin, MARTINI vermouth and sparkling wines, CAZADORES 100% blue agave tequila, and other leading and emerging brands including WILLIAM LAWSON'S Scotch whisky, D'USSE Cognac, ANGEL'S ENVY American straight whiskey, and ST-GERMAIN elderflower liqueur. Founded more than 161 years ago in Santiago de Cuba, family-owned Bacardi Limited currently employs approximately 9,000, operates production facilities in 11 countries and territories, and sells its brands in more than 160 markets. Bacardi Limited refers to the Bacardi group of companies, including Bacardi International Limited. Visit www.bacardilimited.com or follow us on LinkedIn, Instagram or Twitter. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230704849599/en/ Contacts: Jessica Merz, VP Global Corporate Communications, jmerz@bacardi.com Toronto, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - July 4, 2023) - PesoRama Inc. (TSXV: PESO) ("PesoRama" or the "Company"), a Canadian company operating dollar stores in Mexico under the JOi Canadian Stores brand, it has agreed to settle an aggregate of $546,191 of indebtedness owed to certain non-arm's length creditors of the Company through the issuance of an aggregate of 2,482,684 common shares ("Common Shares") of the Company at a deemed price of $0.22 per Common Share (the "Debt Settlement"). The Debt Settlement remains subject to receipt of all necessary corporate and regulatory approvals, including the approval of the TSX Venture Exchange and disinterested shareholder approval which it will be seeking at its upcoming annual and special shareholder meeting being held on August 8, 2023. All securities issued in connection with the Debt Settlement will be subject to a statutory hold period of four months plus a day from the date of issuance in accordance with applicable securities legislation. The Debt Settlement will constitute a "related party transaction" as defined in Multilateral Instrument 61-101 - Protection of Minority Securityholders in Special Transactions ("MI 61-101"), as insiders of the Company will be issued an aggregate of 2,482,684 Common Shares. The Company is relying on the exemptions from the formal valuation and minority shareholder approval requirements of MI 61-101 contained in sections 5.5(b) and 5.7(1)(a) of MI 61-101, as the Company is not listed on a specified market and the fair market value of the Common Shares being issued to insiders in connection with the Debt Settlement does not exceed 25% of the market capitalization of the Company, as determined in accordance with MI 61-101. A material change report will be filed not less than 21 days before the closing date of the Debt Settlement. This shorter period was reasonable and necessary in the circumstances, as it was necessary for the Company to complete the Debt Settlement to immediately improve the financial position of the Company. About PesoRama Inc. PesoRama, operating under the JOi Canadian Stores brand, is a Mexican value dollar store retailer. PesoRama launched operations in 2019 in Mexico City and the surrounding areas targeting high density, high traffic locations. PesoRama's 21 stores offer consistent merchandise offerings which include items in the following categories: household goods, pet supplies, seasonal products, party supplies, health and beauty, snack food items, confectionery and more. For further information please contact: Rahim Bhaloo Founder & Executive Chairman rahim@rahimbhaloo.com 416-816-3291 Erica Fattore President & Chief Executive Officer erica@joi.mx Alyssa Barry Investor Relations investors@pesorama.ca Cautionary Note This press release contains "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable securities laws, including, among other things, statements regarding the Company's planned expansion, new store openings and expected future developments and other factors that have been considered appropriate. While the Company believes that the expectations reflected in this forward-looking information are reasonable, undue reliance should not be placed on them because the Company can give no assurance that they will prove to be correct. Readers are cautioned to not place undue reliance on forward-looking information. Actual results and developments may differ materially from those contemplated by these statements, including due to changes in consumer behaviour, general economic factors, the ability of the Company to execute its strategies, the availability of capital and the risk factors which are discussed in greater detail in the "Risk Factors" section of the Company's prospectus dated January 31, 2022 and filed under the Company's profile on www.sedar.com. The statements in this press release are made as of the date of this release. PesoRama undertakes no obligation to comment on analyses, expectations or statements made by third-parties in respect of PesoRama, its securities, or its financial or operating results (as applicable). Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/172299 The ESG Report 2022 summarizes the company's sustainability ambitions, materiality analysis, and action plans for environmental, social, and governance impact. Zurich, June 30th, 2023 - gategroup proudly presents its inaugural annual Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) report for 2022. This comprehensive publication marks a significant milestone as gategroup solidifies its commitment to sustainability, outlines its ambitions, and introduces further innovative initiatives. The ESG Report 2022 reflects the culmination of extensive data collection, analysis, and engagement across the organization, emphasizing the company's dedication to positively impacting the planet and society. "Sustainability has always played an important role at gategroup," stated Christoph Schmitz, CEO of gategroup", the unprecedented challenges posed by the pandemic, have however heightened our focus and we emerged with additional insights, gaining a more profound understanding of our stakeholders' sustainability needs. Moreover, we used this knowledge to integrate ESG practices across our organization, leveraging the strength of our suppliers and utilizing our diverse internal capabilities across multiple industry segments. All these transformative experiences are captured in our comprehensive 2022 report". The publication sheds light on the essential ESG priorities for gategroup and outlines a roadmap for advancing towards our full potential. This strategic approach seamlessly integrates innovation, commercial objectives, and sustainability, unlocking new possibilities within our business. Our ambitions and targets include: Reducing water usage by 50% in water-stressed areas by 2035. Implementing a zero food waste solution and reducing waste to landfill and incineration by 50% by 2040. Achieving Net Zero business status by 2050. Fostering a zero-incident culture. Improving animal welfare and emission impact in our supply chain by offering 50% of hot dishes with plant protein in our menus by 2025. Eliminating single-use plastics by transitioning to 100% reusable, recyclable, or compostable packaging by the same year. Driven by a commitment to supporting the United Nations Sustainability Development Goals, gategroup has identified key areas where it can make significant contributions. As a testament to its dedication, gategroup became a participant in the United Nations Global Compact at the end of 2022, wholeheartedly supporting its principles. "The publication of our ESG report not only establishes a baseline but also provides us with a blueprint for advancing sustainability throughout our entire value chain," added Schmitz. "Our ESG goals are integral to our overall business strategy, driving our industry leadership, market share, employer reputation, environmental stewardship, humanitarian engagement, and ethical relationships with stakeholders." Read the ESG Report here About gategroup gategroup is the global leader in airline catering, retail-on-board and hospitality products and services. gategroup provides passengers with superior culinary and retail experiences, leveraging innovation and advanced technology solutions. Headquartered in Zurich, Switzerland, gategroup delivers operational excellence through the most extensive catering network in the aviation industry, serving passengers from over 200 operating units in over 60 countries/territories across all continents. For further information, please visit www.gategroup.com. Contact: mediacontact@gategroup.com An extraordinary General Meeting of Awilco Drilling PLC will be held Thursday 20 July 2023 at 12:00 noon (UK time), at the offices of Awilco Drilling on 2 Kingshill Park, Venture Drive, Arnhall Business Park, Westhill, Aberdeen, AB32 6FL, UK. The notice including agenda for the General Meeting is attached to this disclosure. The notice will be sent by mail or e-mail to the shareholders. The notice and appendices have been made available on our website www.awilcodrilling.com. Aberdeen, 4 July 2023For further information please contact:Eric Jacobs, Interim CEOPhone: +44 1224 737900Cathrine Haavind, Investor RelationsPhone: +47 93 42 84 64Email: ch@awilcodrilling.comThis information is subject of the disclosure requirements pursuant to section 5-12 of the Norwegian Securities Trading Act. Attachment Calgary, Alberta--(Newsfile Corp. - July 4, 2023) - West High Yield (W.H.Y.) Resources Ltd. (TSXV: WHY) ("West High Yield" or the "Company") is pleased to provide an update on the progress of its application for a mining permit for its Record Ridge Industrial Mineral Mine ("RRIMM" or the "Project") magnesium deposit located 10 kilometers southwest of Rossland, British Columbia. First Provincial Mining Development Review Committee Meeting introduced the technical review process On June 27, 2023, a meeting (the "MDRC Meeting") with the Provincial Mining Development Review Committee (the "MDRC") was held in Rossland, British Columbia, where the technical review process for the Project was introduced. At the MDRC Meeting, which was run and facilitated by British Columbia's Ministry of Energy, Mines and Low Carbon Innovation, the MDRC initiated the technical review of the Company's permit application process and allowed for discussions regarding the further engagement of interested parties as the permit process and Project unfolds. Participants at the MDRC Meeting included government officials, technical experts, and First Nations groups and Indigenous peoples. At the MDRC Meeting, the Company outlined a number of the proposed Project mitigation strategies to address concerns and interests that have been expressed through its public engagement to date. These included: substituting the use of explosives with mechanized equipment for ore extraction; implementing enclosed environments for crushing equipment to effectively manage dust and noise; and exploring the option with the British Columbia Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure of utilizing a trucking route along Highway 22 to North Port, Washington, rather than passing through the City of Rossland. "We appreciate the community members who provided feedback at our open houses in May, and we have responded to show our commitment to working together to make this the best possible project," said Barry Baim, Director and Corporate Secretary of West High Yield. "We look forward to ongoing conversations to demonstrate the positive benefits of the Project for the First Nations and Indigenous people and community." Engagement with Indigenous Nations West High Yield continues it engagements with First Nations groups and Indigenous peoples that reside in the Project territory, and discussions with the Osoyoos Indian Band continue to advance. "We appreciate the constructive approach West High Yield has taken, and we look forward to working with the Company and the B.C. Government to ensure that any decisions going forward reflect an approach that is sustainable and includes the Osoyoos Band," said Clarence Louie, Chief of the Osoyoos Indian Band. About West High Yield West High Yield is a publicly traded junior mining exploration and development company focused on the acquisition, exploration, and development of mineral resource properties in Canada with a primary objective to develop its Record Ridge magnesium, silica, and nickel deposit using green processing techniques to minimize waste and CO2 emissions. The Company's Record Ridge magnesium deposit is located 10 kilometres southwest of Rossland, British Columbia and has approximately 10.6 million tonnes of contained magnesium based on an independently produced preliminary economic assessment technical report prepared by SRK in accordance with the National Instrument 43-101 - Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects. Contact Information: West High Yield (W.H.Y.) Resources Ltd. Frank Marasco Jr., President and Chief Executive Officer Telephone: (403) 660-3488 Email: frank@whyresources.com Barry Baim, Director and Corporate Secretary Telephone: (403) 829-2246 Email: barry@whyresources.com Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Information This press release contains forward-looking statements and forward-looking information within the meaning of Canadian securities legislation. The forward-looking statements and information are based on certain key expectations and assumptions made by the Company. 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. Forward-looking information is based on the opinions and estimates of management 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 information. Some of the risks and other factors that could cause the results to differ materially from those expressed in the forward-looking information include, but are not limited to: general economic conditions in Canada and globally; industry conditions, including governmental regulation; failure to obtain industry partner and other third party consents and approvals, if and when required; the availability of capital on acceptable terms; the need to obtain required approvals from regulatory authorities; and other factors. Readers are cautioned that this list of risk factors should not be construed as exhaustive. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on this forward-looking information, which is given as of the date hereof, and to not use such forward-looking information for anything other than its intended purpose. The Company undertakes no obligation to update publicly or revise any forward-looking information, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by applicable law. This press release does not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy any securities in the United States. The securities of the Company will not be registered under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "U.S. Securities Act") and may not be offered or sold within the United States or to, or for the account or benefit of U.S. persons except in certain transactions exempt from the registration requirements of the U.S. Securities Act. 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 OF THIS RELEASE. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/172313 VANCOUVER, BC / ACCESSWIRE / July 4, 2023 / CMC Metals Ltd. (TSXV:CMB)(Frankfurt:ZM5P)(OTCQB:CMCXF) ("CMC" or the "Company") is pleased to announce that drilling has commenced at its Silverknife Property, north-central British Columbia, Canada. The program will comprise of an initial 3,000 meters focused on exploring recent discoveries identified as gravity anomalies in the northernmost portion of the Silverknife Project. Approximately 10-12 holes will be completed reaching depths of up to 400 meters, with projections of mineralization to be encountered at depths of between 50-75 meters from surface (see Figures 1 and 2). Silverknife is located immediately adjacent to the west of the Silvertip Mine owned by Coeur Mining Ltd. ("Couer"). Silvertip is one of the highest-grade underground carbonate replacement ("CRD") silver-lead-zinc deposits in the world. Coeur have recently announced several new discoveries in the Silvertip area, a new mineralization model, and have postulated that Silvertip is likely The resources at Silvertip a small part of a larger mineralizing system and that they have identified evidence that the resources outlined to date (at the immediate SilverTip area) are only one of several potential mineralizing spokes (see Figure 3)." Recent indications of the presence of critical minerals such as germanium, gallium and indium in the Silvertip area are encouraging. CMC will therefore be testing any mineralized core in this drill program as well we will be testing previous core and surface samples at Silver Hart for these critical minerals. Mr. John Bossio, Chairman noted, "Our Company is very fortunate to have identified highly prospective areas right next door to SilverTip, one of the most significant high-grade silver-lead-zinc CRD discoveries being actively explored. The level of prospectivity on Silverknife and Amy has increased significantly due to the recent discoveries and findings by Coeur in the Silvertip region. Our plan for this season is very ambitious as we hope this program will results in a significant discovery at Silverknife and also serve to identify new prospects on our other properties in the Rancheria Silver District." Mr. Kevin Brewer, President and CEO noted, "I am very pleased with the hard work and commitment of our exploration team and service companies in preparing for this season and having this project start on schedule. Mapping and drilling has commenced at Silverknife and we hope to get early results." Figure 1: Bouguer Gravity Anomalies Identified at Silverknife in 2022 (Source: Intelligent Exploration). Figure 2: Proposed Drill Holes in the Gravity Anomalies, Silverknife Property. (Source: Intelligent Exploration, 2023) Figure 3: The Silverknife Prospect and the Gravity Target sits on one of the main prospective "spokes" for CRD deposits in the Silvertip region within a north-easterly structural corridor. (Source: Coeur Mining, 2022) Qualified Person Qualified Person Kevin Brewer, a registered professional geoscientist, is the Company's President and CEO, and Qualified Person (as defined by National Instrument 43-101). He has given his approval of the technical information pertaining reported herein. The Company is committed to meeting the highest standards of integrity, transparency and consistency in reporting technical content, including geological reporting, geophysical investigations, environmental and baseline studies, engineering studies, metallurgical testing, assaying and all other technical data. About CMC Metals Ltd. CMC Metals Ltd. is a growth stage exploration company focused on opportunities for high grade polymetallic deposits in Yukon, British Columbia and Newfoundland. Our polymetallic silver-lead-zinc CRD prospects include the Silver Hart Deposit and Blue Heaven claims (the "Silver Hart Project") and the Amy and Silverknife claims. Our polymetallic projects with potential for copper-silver-gold and other metals include Logjam (Yukon), Bridal Veil, Terra Nova and Rodney Pond (central Newfoundland). On behalf of the Board: "John Bossio" John Bossio, Chairman CMC Metals Ltd. For Further Information and Investor Inquiries: Kevin Brewer, P. Geo., MBA, B.Sc. (Hons), Dip. Mine Eng. President, CEO and Director Tel: (709) 327 8013 kbrewer80@hotmail.com Suite 1000-409 Granville St. Vancouver, BC V6C 1T2 To be added to CMC's news distribution list, please send an email to info@cmcmetals.ca or contact Mr. Kevin Brewer directly. 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 certain statements that constitute "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable securities law, including without limitation, statements that address the timing and content of upcoming work programs, geological interpretations, receipt of property titles and exploitation activities and developments. In this release disclosure regarding the potential to undertake future exploration work comprise forward looking statements. Forward-looking statements address future events and conditions and are necessarily based upon a number of estimates and assumptions. While such estimates and assumptions are considered reasonable by the management of the Company, they are inherently subject to significant business, economic, competitive and regulatory uncertainties and risks, including the ability of the Company to raise the funds necessary to fund its projects, to carry out the work and, accordingly, may not occur as described herein or at all. Actual results may differ materially from those currently anticipated in such statements. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in forward looking statements include market prices, exploitation and exploration successes, the timing and receipt of government and regulatory approvals, the impact of the constantly evolving COVID-19 pandemic crisis and continued availability of capital and financing and general economic, market or business conditions. Readers are referred to the Company's filings with the Canadian securities regulators for information on these and other risk factors, available at www.sedar.com. Investors are cautioned that forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance or events and, accordingly are cautioned not to put undue reliance on forward-looking statements due to the inherent uncertainty of such statements. The forward-looking statements included in this news release are made as of the date hereof and 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 expressly required by applicable securities legislation." SOURCE: CMC Metals Ltd. View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/765541/CMC-Metals-Ltd-Initiates-Drilling-at-its-Silverknife-Property-North-Central-British-Columbia The growth of the smoke and fire damper market is driven by the growth in awareness regarding the use of fire safety systems along with stringent government regulations along with growing construction industry and rising investment on infrastructure. PORTLAND, Ore., July 4, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Allied Market Research published a report, titled, "Smoke and fire damper Market by Mechanism (Sliding, Hinged), By Door Type (Swing Doors, Sliding Doors, Folding Doors, Revolving Doors, Others), By Material (Wood, Aluminum, PVC): Global Opportunity Analysis and Industry Forecast, 2023-2032". According to the report, the global smoke and fire damper industry generated $163.2 million in 2022, and is anticipated to generate $277.6 million by 2032, witnessing a CAGR of 5.5% from 2023 to 2032. Download Free Sample Report @ https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/request-sample/75119 Prime determinants of growth The growth in awareness regarding the use of fire safety systems along with stringent fire safety regulations drives the smoke and fire damper market. However, lack of skilled staff and high initial cost are restraining the growth of the market. On the contrary rising investment on infrastructure are expected to offer lucrative opportunities for the growth of the market. Report coverage & details: Report Coverage Details Forecast Period 2022-2032 Base Year 2022 Market Size in 2021 $ 163.2 million Market Size in 2031 $ 277.6 million CAGR 5.5 % No. of Pages in Report 213 Segments covered Type, Distribution Channel, Application, and Region. Drivers Growth in awareness regarding use of fire safety systems and stringent fire safety regulations Growth in the construction industry Opportunities Increase in investment in infrastructure Restraints Lack of skilled staff and high initial costs Covid-19 Scenario The outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic had a negative impact on the global smoke and fire damper market, owing to a downfall in the construction activities during the lockdown. Not only the smoke and fire damper market but also the production of fire safety systems was hampered due to the closure of manufacturing units across the world, especially in the initial period of the pandemic. Although the smoke and fire damper industry faced losses, ongoing construction activities in different developing regions aided in its recovery. The motorized segment to maintain its leadership status throughout the forecast period Based on type, the motorized segment held the highest market share in 2022, accounting for more than half of the global smoke and fire damper market revenue owing to growing demand for dampers in commercial and industrial sectors such as offices, hospitals, manufacturing facilities and warehouses are driving the demand for motorized smoke and fire dampers. However, manual segment is projected to manifest the highest CAGR of 6.8% from 2022 to 2032. There is a growth in emphasis on fire safety regulations and building codes worldwide. For instance, according to the Indian Government, in February 2022, rise in fire incidences necessitated the installation of fire protection equipment in passenger and school buses. Government officials are taking a variety of moves to recognize the need for fire protection systems. Buy This Research Report (213 Pages PDF with Insights, Charts, Tables, Figures): https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/checkout-final/27211c0b7498db5a369f592416305ed6 The offline segment to maintain its leadership status throughout the forecast period Based on distribution channel, the offline segment held the highest market share in 2022, accounting for more than two-thirds of the global smoke and fire damper market, as these multichannel initiatives increase brand awareness, link the messaging across all points of contact, and can potentially result in a higher return on investment (ROI). However, the online segment is projected to manifest the highest CAGR of 7.0% from 2022 to 2032. The online distribution channel is experiencing growth as customers can receive real-time notifications of new product releases, special discounts, promotional schemes, and the one-touch buy option. According to the report "The Ecommerce Explosion" published by Aaron Orendorff in 2019, states that E-commerce in the Asia-Pacific area accounts for more than 70% of worldwide ecommerce. China alone contributes for $740 billion in the e-commerce sales, while the U.S. accounts for $560 billion. Estimates show that China will reach $1,086 billion in e-commerce sales by 2023. Similarly, the U.S. is also expected to reach $735 billion in e-commerce sales by 2023. Such numbers exhibit the growth of the e-commerce sector and therefore major key players of smoke and fire dampers are expected to promote and distribute their products through online services. The commercial segment to maintain its lead position during the forecast period Based on application, the commercia segment accounted for the largest share in 2022, contributing to nearly half of the global smoke and fire damper market revenue, and is projected to maintain its lead position during the forecast period. Growth in adoption of smoke and fire dampers for construction of commercial buildings boosts the growth of the global market, as many developers, contractors along with major key players have invested or planned to invest in installation of smoke and fire damper in commercial buildings. However, the residential segment is expected to portray the largest CAGR of 7.7% from 2023 to 2032. Rapid urbanization and infrastructure development in emerging market present significant opportunities for smoke and fire dampers manufacturers. According to the European Union and Eurostat, residential construction of Germany surged from 5.9% to 6% from 2019 to 2020. In addition, over the last few years, residential construction witnessed substantial increase, owing to rise in investments from North American, Asia-Pacific, and African countries. North America to maintain its dominance by 2032 Based on region, North America held the highest market share in terms of revenue in 2022, accounting for more than two-fifths of the global smoke and fire damper market revenue, and is likely to dominate the market during the forecast period North America has well-established building codes and regulations that prioritize fire safety. Regulations, such as the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) standards and International Building Code (IBC), mandate the installation of smoke and fire dampers in commercial, residential, and industrial buildings. The enforcement of similar regulations creates a steady demand for smoke and fire damper systems. However, the LAMEA region is expected to witness the fastest CAGR of 12.4% from 2023 to 2032. Latin America and the Middle East have many developing countries with huge growth potential. Many countries in the Middle East region are focusing on the rapid development of infrastructure for boosting the tourism industry. This creates a demand for hotels, resorts and other guests' accommodation; thereby increasing the demand for smoke and fire dampers is to prevent the spread of fire and smoke in a building. Enquire Before Buying @ https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/purchase-enquiry/75119 Leading Market Players: - Trox Gmbh Johnson Controls International Plc Flakt Group Ruidong Group ALnor System BSB Engineering Services Ltd Nailor Industries Komfovent Celmec International Tecno-Ventil The report provides a detailed analysis of these key players in the global smoke and fire damper market. These players have adopted different strategies to increase their market share and maintain dominant shares in different regions. The report is valuable in highlighting business performance, operating segments, product portfolio, and strategic moves of market players to showcase the competitive scenario. Trending Reports in Smoke And Fire Damper (Book Now with 10% Discount): Busway-Bus Duct Market is projected to reach $21 billion by 2031 Pressure Relief Valves Market is projected to reach $7 billion by 2031 Zero-liquid-discharge-system-market is estimated to reach $11.2 billion by 2032 Warm Air Heating Equipment Market: Global Opportunity Analysis and Industry Forecast, 2023-2032 Compressor Parts and Accessories Market: Global Opportunity Analysis and Industry Forecast, 2023-2032 High-Integrity Pressure Protection System (HIPPS) Market: Global Opportunity Analysis and Industry Forecast, 2023-2032 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/636519/3950895/Allied_Market_Research_Logo.jpg View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/smoke-and-fire-damper-market-to-reach-277-6-million-globally-by-2032-at-5-5-cagr-allied-market-research-301869724.html The European Accessibility Resource Centre was officially launched this past Tuesday in an event chaired by Commissioner Helena Dalli and Miguel Carballeda, President of ONCE Social Group European Economic and Social Committee hosted the official launching of the European Accessibility Resource Centre (AccessibleEU), which will promote the implementation of accessibility legislation in EU Member States. The event was chaired by European Commissioner for Equality, Helena Dalli, and the President of ONCE Social Group, Miguel Carballeda, who highlighted the relevance of creating AccessibleEU as lever for improving the quality of life of more than 80 million European citizens with disabilities. AccessibleEU was launched by a consortium led by Fundacion ONCE, an international renowned organisation in the field of accessibility, Johannes Kepler University Linz and the European Network for Accessible Tourism (ENAT). The Spanish Association for Standardization (UNE) and the European Association of Service Providers for People with Disabilities (EASPD) are also part of the consortium. Jesus Hernandez, Director of Accessibility and Innovation of Fundacion ONCE; Inmaculada Placencia, Senior Expert on Disability and Inclusion at the European Commission Directorate General for Employment, and Sachin Dev Pavithran, Executive Director of US Access Board explained both the objectives of AccessibleEU and its North American counterpart. AccessibleEU is one of the flagship initiatives proposed by the European Commission's Strategy for the Rights of Persons with Disabilities 2021-2030. It aims to increase coherence in accessibility policies and facilitate access to relevant knowledge. AccessibleEU will bring together national authorities responsible for implementing and ensuring compliance with accessibility standards along with experts and other professionals from all accessibility fields, to share good practices, inspire the development of both national and European policies and promote tools and standards aimed at facilitating the implementation of European Union Law. The main goal of AccessibleEU is to facilitate the practical application of EU legislation on accessibility to improve the availability of more accessible products, services and infrastructures across the EU. In this regard, the Centre will offer an online library specialised in accessibility that will include direct links to the most important databases on legislation, standards, documentation on accessibility, assistive technologies and products, among others. Additionally, the Centre will create a network of national experts that will be in charge of bringing together stakeholders and creating a common European space, in the style of a one-stop-shop, that will offer knowledge about accessibility, professional training programs, promote standardisation and the participation of persons with disabilities in its processes. Lastly, AccessibleEU will offer guidelines on how to implement disability related policies across different sectors and will monitor compliance with accessibility standards and rules. An innovative self-assessment methodology will be designed for this task. Prior to the presentation of the Centre's goals, a response session was held chaired by Katarina Invakovic-Knezevic, Director DG Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion. Pietro Vittorio Barbieri, member of the European Economic and Social Committee; Ioannis Vardakastanis, President of the European Disability Forum; Katrin Langensiepen, MEP, and Carme Artigas, Secretary of State for Digitization and Artificial Intelligence of the Government of Spain participated in the discussion. Additionally, two workshops were organised. One dealt with how to promote the participation of people with disabilities in technical standardisation committees, and the other with the importance of sharing experiences as the basis for AccessibleEU. Video: link photo: link info: comunicacion@fundaciononce.es Miami Lakes, Florida--(Newsfile Corp. - July 4, 2023) - The Ward Law Group, PL, a renowned family-owned personal injury law firm, is proud to announce a significant milestone of securing over $500 million in settlements for car accident victims since its inception in 2012. With a commitment to providing legal representation and personalized service, the Ward Law Group flourishes in the Hispanic community, specializing in advocating for Spanish-speaking clients injured due to the negligence of others. The Ward Law Group facilitates clients from South Florida and New York City law firms with its comprehensive understanding of the unique challenges faced by accident victims in a foreign country with a different language and legal system. The firm's success lies in bridging these gaps, ensuring clients receive the support and representation they deserve. The company provides one-on-one support and care throughout the legal process. With a team of experienced accident lawyers, the firm assists clients in navigating the complexities of personal injury cases, empowering them with knowledge and resources to pursue just compensation for their injuries, emotional trauma, and financial losses. Jany Martinez-Ward has been hailed as one of the most prominent Hispanic attorneys in South Florida, and her expertise in car accident cases has made her a sought-after speaker and contributor to legal publications. Furthermore, the firm's commitment to its employees and fostering a positive work environment has resulted in being awarded "Best Places to Work" by local newspapers for two consecutive years. As the Ward Law Group looks to the future, its expansion plans include establishing a presence in the Northeast, Southwest, and Texas, further extending its reach to assist Spanish-speaking communities in need. The recent opening of an office in New York demonstrates the firm's dedication to serving the Hispanic community in the metro area and its suburbs. About the Founder - Jany Martinez Ward Jany Martinez-Ward, the founder of The Ward Law Group, is an inspirational attorney who overcame immense challenges to become a powerful advocate for the Hispanic community. From a young age, she experienced the helplessness and overwhelming decisions made for her family as they sought refuge in the United States. It fueled her determination to ensure no one else would feel that same powerlessness. She founded her law firm to assist Spanish-speaking clients injured in car accidents, providing them with the representation and justice they deserved. Martinez-Ward's commitment and dedication have led to extraordinary success. Her firm has secured over $500 million in settlements, with notable achievements including one of the largest confidential settlements in the country. She has become a trusted advisor and advocate, not only for her clients but also for the Hispanic community at large. Martinez-Ward's journey from adversity to triumph is a powerful reminder of the importance of fighting for justice and positively impacting the lives of those who need it most. About the Company - The Ward Law Group, PL: The Ward Law Group, PL is a leading personal injury law firm with offices in Miami Lakes, FL, and New York, NY. Founded in 2012 by Jany Martinez-Ward, the firm specializes in representing Spanish-speaking clients injured in car accidents caused by the negligence of others. With a steadfast commitment to justice, the Ward Law Group has secured over $500 million in settlements and earned a reputation for providing service to accident victims and their families. For further details, visit the following link: https://www.855dolor55.com/en/ Media Details: Company's Name: The Ward Law Group, PL Address: 6625 Miami Lakes Dr., Suite 100 Miami Lakes, FL 33014 Contact Phone Number: 305-209-0613 Contact person name: Lucy Zavala City: Miami Lakes State: Florida Email: lzavala@gwardlaw.com Website: http://www.855dolor.com To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/172314 The world of Forex trading is continuously evolving, and among the pioneers making strides is My Forex Funds. This topic is essential given the potential impact on professional traders worldwide. My Forex Funds is a proprietary trading company, and it has become a significant talking point due to its unique approach to providing capital to Forex traders. Traders Union has published a detailed My Forex Funds review, highlighting its operations and overall effectiveness. This analysis aims to offer an in-depth understanding of My Forex Funds and how it can revolutionize the trading experience. What is My Forex Funds? According to TU experts, My Forex Funds has been a prop trading company since July 2020. The firm offers its capital to professional Forex traders through three financing plans, including an accelerated program that provides a live account on the subscription payment day. Clients can utilize the capital received to trade a broad spectrum of instruments: currency pairs, metals, oil, stock indices, and cryptocurrencies, all in CFD format. My Forex Funds operate on MT4 and MT5 platforms, enabling trading with leverage and floating narrow spreads. Advantages and disadvantages of My Forex Funds TU experts have detailed both the pros and cons of trading with My Forex Funds. Advantages: Global Accessibility : With no country restrictions, except for Canada, My Forex Funds opens its doors to traders from around the globe. This inclusivity provides opportunities for a broad spectrum of traders to utilize the companys capital and expertise, enhancing their trading experiences. : With no country restrictions, except for Canada, My Forex Funds opens its doors to traders from around the globe. This inclusivity provides opportunities for a broad spectrum of traders to utilize the companys capital and expertise, enhancing their trading experiences. Variety of Financing Plans : My Forex Funds offers diverse financing plans. These options cater to a wide range of trader needs, allowing them to choose a plan that suits their unique trading style and goals. This flexibility gives traders the freedom to select a strategy that optimizes their potential for profitability. : My Forex Funds offers diverse financing plans. These options cater to a wide range of trader needs, allowing them to choose a plan that suits their unique trading style and goals. This flexibility gives traders the freedom to select a strategy that optimizes their potential for profitability. Lax Drawdown Levels : The company imposes lenient general and daily drawdown level requirements. This relaxed approach can help traders manage their risks better, potentially leading to more sustainable trading practices. : The company imposes lenient general and daily drawdown level requirements. This relaxed approach can help traders manage their risks better, potentially leading to more sustainable trading practices. Profit-Sharing Range : Traders using My Forex Funds can enjoy profit shares ranging from 12% to 85% of the total amount. This wide range could lead to significant earnings for successful traders. : Traders using My Forex Funds can enjoy profit shares ranging from 12% to 85% of the total amount. This wide range could lead to significant earnings for successful traders. Access to Capital : After a nominal payment of $49, traders gain access to the companys capital. This low entry barrier facilitates more traders to take advantage of the firms resources and trade a wide range of instruments. : After a nominal payment of $49, traders gain access to the companys capital. This low entry barrier facilitates more traders to take advantage of the firms resources and trade a wide range of instruments. Accelerated Plan for Professionals : For seasoned traders, an accelerated plan is available from day one. This program allows professional traders to hit the ground running, potentially leading to quicker returns. : For seasoned traders, an accelerated plan is available from day one. This program allows professional traders to hit the ground running, potentially leading to quicker returns. Partnership and Bonus Programs: The company also offers partnership and bonus programs. These incentives can provide additional financial rewards to traders, adding value to their trading experience. Disadvantages: Fee Per Lot : My Forex Funds charges a fee per lot for spreads on all trading instruments. This expense could potentially affect a traders profits, mainly if they trade large volumes. : My Forex Funds charges a fee per lot for spreads on all trading instruments. This expense could potentially affect a traders profits, mainly if they trade large volumes. Strategy Restrictions : The company imposes restrictions on specific trading strategies. These limitations could hinder traders from relying on these strategies to generate returns. : The company imposes restrictions on specific trading strategies. These limitations could hinder traders from relying on these strategies to generate returns. Lack of Telephone Support: My Forex Funds does not provide technical support via telephone. This limitation might challenge traders who prefer direct communication for their queries or issues. Evaluation of the most influential parameters of My Forex Funds TU experts have rated the following aspects: User Satisfaction: 6.27/10 Regulation and Safety: 7.41/10 Commissions and Fees: 7.05/10 Variety of Instruments: 6.83/10 Brand Popularity: 6.99/10 Customer Support work: 7.35/10 Education: 7.57/10. Trading conditions for My Forex Funds users My Forex Funds clients can access the classic Forex MetaTrader platforms with floating spreads and low fees per lot. Leverage varies depending on the trading instrument and account type. Assets are traded in the CFD format, and the order execution type is Market Execution. Further details about the trading conditions can be found on Traders Unions website. My Forex Funds commissions & fees According to TU experts, the minimum spread for currency pairs is 1 pip and a $3 fee per lot is charged for each transaction. The My Forex Funds fee, charged during the subscription payment, ranges from $49 $4,900, depending on the financing plan. Additional fees may apply for withdrawals facilitated by banks and payment systems. In addition to My Forex Funds, Traders Union has also published the Funded Trader review. To read an in-depth review, please visit the official website of Traders Union. Conclusion My Forex Funds has carved a niche for itself in the Forex trading world. It provides an innovative platform that aids professional traders in maximizing their profits while minimizing risks. However, like all trading platforms, it has its strengths and weaknesses. In conclusion, My Forex Funds seems a viable option for traders looking for flexible trading conditions and diverse financing plans. Prospective traders should visit the official Traders Union website for a more comprehensive understanding. Finally, Harry plans to go solo away from the clutches of his wife, Meghan. He will be returning to Africa solo for a new Netflix documentary. Its truly a delicious turn of events as Harry is making headlines this time with a sensational solo project for Netflix. As per reports published in Daily Record, the Duke of Sussex, no stranger to Africa, is reportedly venturing back to the beloved continent to film a captivating documentary, following in the footsteps of his late mother, Princess Diana. According to a story published in Page Six, despite questions over the future of the Duke and Duchess of Sussexs $100 million Netflix deal, the renegade royal is planning a new doc. The Sussexes are under pressure to come up with winning content for Netflix after it was revealed their Spotify deal had imploded. The loss of their $20m Spotify deal led to the unfortunate cancellation of Meghans Archetypes podcast after just one season. Speculations swirled, casting doubt on the future of their Netflix deal, but it seems Harrys African documentary is the silver lining theyve been waiting for. A Netflix insider confirmed to Page Six that a Harrys Africa-type show was one of the more warmly received suggestions from the father-of-two. Another source said: Obviously, Harry has a lot of roots in Africa and he feels at home there. He has previously called Africa his second home. Page Six spoke to insiders about the royals proposed project. It is unclear exactly what the programme will cover, and that the ongoing Hollywood writers strike has meant the Duke of Sussex, 38, has not been able to start his ideas yet. The Duke and Duchess only documentary so far for the streaming service was Meghan & Harry, which was released last year. Prior to the docuseries, Harry featured solo in an Apple TV series about mental health, titled The Me You Cant See. Prince Harry has visited Botswana, country in Southern Africa, on multiple occasions, sometimes spending months at a time there. As well as helping conserve wildlife populations, he also frequently met with local communities and did charity work. Prince Harrys Africa connection Prince Harry has a charity in Africa called Sentebale in Lesotho. He has been campaigning for Africa for a very long time. Reportedly Prince Harry has visited Botswana, country in Southern Africa, on multiple occasions, sometimes spending months at a time there. As well as helping conserve wildlife populations, he also frequently met with local communities and did charity work. He has also taken Meghan Markle to Africa on their third date. According to reports, Harry admitted he was astonished that Meghan said yes as he had only met Meghan twice at the point. He said: This woman that I have only met twice, shes coming to Botswana and we are going to be living in a tent for 10 days. On the personal front things are not going well with Harry and Meghan. And experts have to say that they are heading for a divorce. (With inputs from agencies) Read all the Latest News, Trending News, Cricket News, Bollywood News, India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. India is set to host a Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit on Tuesday. The SCO, comprising India, China, Russia, Pakistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan, is an influential economic and security bloc and has emerged as one of the largest transregional international organisations. The SCO was founded at a summit in Shanghai in 2001 by the presidents of Russia, China, the Kyrgyz Republic, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. Pakistan became its permanent member along with India in 2017. But who is attending the summit? And what can we expect? Lets take a closer look: Who is attending? India, which assumed the rotating chairmanship of the SCO at the previous Samarkand Summit in Uzbekistan on September 16, is hosting the SCO summit in a virtual format. According to Indian Express, while the summit was originally scheduled to take place in New Delhi, the decision to change it to a virtual format was taken in early June. The summit will begin around 12.30 pm and conclude around 3 pm. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will host Chinas Xi Jinping, Russias Vladimir Putin, Pakistans Shehbaz Sharif and other leaders of SCO nations. This will be Putins first participation in a multilateral summit after a mercenary group launched a short-lived armed rebellion last week that rocked Moscow. The summit is also taking place against the backdrop of the over three-year eastern Ladakh border standoff between Indian and Chinese troops, and two weeks after Prime Minister Modis high-profile visit to the US. Turkmenistan has been invited as the guest of the Chair, as per Business Today. Heads of six international and regional organisations have also been invited to the summit. The organisations are the UN, the ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations), CIS (Commonwealth of Independent States), CSTO (Collective Security Treaty Organisation), EAEU (Eurasian Economic Union) and CICA (Conference on Interaction and Confidence Building Measures in Asia). Heads of the two SCO bodies the secretariat and the SCO RATS (Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure) are also set to attend Tuesdays virtual summit whose theme is Towards a SECURE SCO. The SECURE acronym was coined by Prime Minister Modi at the 2018 SCO summit and it stands for Security; Economy and Trade; Connectivity; Unity; Respect for Sovereignty and Territorial Integrity; and Environment. What can we expect? As per Business Today, Xi is slated to make significant remarks The outlet quoted Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Mao Ning as saying, As a founding member, China views the SCO as a priority in its foreign affairs. We stand ready to work with other members to act on the Global Development Initiative, the Global Security Initiative, and the Global Civilisation Initiative, build an even closer SCO community with a shared future and usher in a brighter future for the Eurasian continent. Pakistans foreign ministry added, The Prime Ministers participation in the CHS illustrates the high importance that Pakistan attaches to the SCO, as an important forum for regional security and prosperity, and enhanced engagement with the region. All eyes will be on Putin. The forum is more important than ever for Moscow, which is eager to show that the West has failed to isolate it. This SCO meeting is really one of the few opportunities globally that Putin will have to project strength and credibility, said Michael Kugelman, director of the Wilson Centers South Asia Institute. None of the member countries has condemned Russia in U.N. resolutions, choosing instead to abstain. China has sent an envoy to mediate between Russia and Ukraine, and India has repeatedly called for a peaceful resolution of the conflict. For Putin personally, the summit presents an opportunity to show he is in control after a short-lived insurrection by Wagner mercenary chief Yevgeny Prigozhin. Putin will want to reassure his partners that he is very much still in charge, and leave no doubt that the challenges to his government have been crushed, said Tanvi Madan, a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution. Analysts say China, seeking to posture itself as a global force, is becoming a dominant player in forums like the SCO, where interest for full membership from countries like Myanmar, Turkey and Afghanistan has grown in recent years. The limitation with the SCO is that China and Russia are trying to turn it into an anti-Western grouping, and that does not fit with Indias independent foreign policy, said Madan. The SCO could also prove challenging for Washington and its allies in the long run. For countries uncomfortable with the West and their foreign policies, the SCO is a welcome alternative, mainly because of the roles Russia and China play. I think that highlights just how relevant and concerning this group could be for a number of Western capitals, especially if it keeps expanding, said Kugelman. The summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) under Indias presidency is also set to welcome Iran as the new permanent member of the grouping. According to Mint, leaders are also likely to make a push for Belarus to join the group. Bahrain, Kuwait, Myanmar, the Maldives and the UAE are about to join SCO-led cooperation efforts as new dialogue partners, the outlet quoted the Russian foreign ministry as saying in a press release. The situation in Afghanistan, the Ukraine conflict and enhancing cooperation among the SCO member countries are expected to figure in the summit, people familiar with the matter said, adding boosting connectivity and trade is also likely to be discussed. Leaders of the SCO nations are expected to focus on regional security situation and ways to boost connectivity and trade. The group so far has focused on deepening security and economic cooperation, fighting terrorism and drug trafficking, tackling climate change and the situation in Afghanistan after the Taliban took over in 2021. When the foreign ministers met in India last month, Russias war on Ukraine barely featured in their public remarks but the fallout for developing countries on food and fuel security remains a concern for the group, analysts say. India and SCO A key priority for India in the forum is to balance its ties with the West and the East, with the country also hosting the Group of 20 leading economies summit in September. Its also a platform for New Delhi to engage more deeply with Central Asia. India glorifies in this type of foreign policy where its wheeling and dealing with everybody at the same time, said Derek Grossman, an Indo-Pacific analyst at the RAND Corporation. New Delhi, observers say, will be looking to secure its own interests at the summit. It will likely emphasize the need to combat what it calls cross-border terrorism a dig at Pakistan, whom India accuses of arming and training rebels fighting for independence of Indian-controlled Kashmir or its integration into Pakistan, a charge Islamabad denies. It may also stress the need to respect territorial integrity and sovereignty a charge often directed towards its other rival, China. India and China have been locked in an intense three-year standoff involving thousands of soldiers stationed along their disputed border in the eastern Ladakh region. Indias presidency of the SCO saw significant activities in a number of areas. New Delhi created five new pillars for cooperation in SCO. These are startups and innovation, traditional medicine, digital inclusion, youth empowerment and shared Buddhist heritage. The special working group on startups and innovation and experts working group on traditional medicine were created on Indias initiative. We intend to contribute substantially in both these areas, said one of the people cited above. To further Prime Minister Modis vision of Vasudhaiv Kutumbakom (world is one family), India emphasised on building greater people-to-people connect, the person said. A number of signature events were held under the Indian presidency with the intention to further deepen people to people connect. Indias association with the SCO began in 2005 as an observer country. It became a full member state of SCO at the Astana summit in 2017. India has shown a keen interest in deepening its security-related cooperation with the SCO and its RATS, which specifically deals with issues relating to security and defence. With inputs from agencies Read all the Latest News, Trending News, Cricket News, Bollywood News, India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. The threat of the Khalistan movement is growing overseas and Indian diplomatic facilities have become regular targets. The latest attack has been on the Indian consulate in San Francisco, United States. The building was set ablaze between 1.30 am and 2.30 am on Sunday allegedly by Khalistani supporters. This is the second attack on the consulate in five months; the first was in March. Diya TV, a local channel, shared a video, which was released by Khalistani supporters, which showed the consulate on fire. The blaze was brought under control by the San Francisco fire department. No staff was harmed in the attack and no major damages were reported to the building. Supporters of the Khalistani movement, a separatist movement seeking to establish a sovereign state for Sikhs in Indias Punjab, released a video of the attack. Cameras were set up outside the consulate to capture the arson and send out a message to India. Avenging the killing of Hardeep Singh Nijjar? The attack on the Indian consulate in San Francisco is reportedly linked to the death of Hardeep Singh Nijjar, the chief of the militant outfit Khalistan Tiger Force (KTF), who was shot dead in Surrey, British Columbia, Canada on 18 June. He was a wanted man in India for terror-related activities and had links to outlawed Sikhs for Justice (SFJ). Khalistani groups have been attempting to link Nijjars death to the work of Indian intelligence agencies. Some reports in the media suggest that SFJ was responsible for the fire at the Indian consulate. ARSON ATTEMPT AT SF INDIAN CONSULATE: #DiyaTV has verified with @CGISFO @NagenTV that a fire was set early Sunday morning between 1:30-2:30 am in the San Francisco Indian Consulate. The fire was suppressed quickly by the San Francisco Department, damage was limited and no pic.twitter.com/bHXNPmqSVm Diya TV 24/7 * Free * Local (@DiyaTV) July 3, 2023 Khalistani groups have also released a poster targeting the Indian ambassador to the US, Taranjit Singh Sandhu, after the arson. In the new poster, Sandhu and TV Nagendra Prasad, Consul General, Consulate General of India, San Francisco, have been accused of playing a role in the killing of Nijjar. Khalistani activity has seen a further rise in the United States and Canada after Nijjars killing. Two Indian diplomats in Canada were also targeted in a poster titled Kill India reportedly circulated by Sikh extremists. They were accused of playing a role in the terrorists death. The poster, which was doing the rounds on social media, featured photographs of Indias High Commissioner to Ottawa Sanjay Kumar Verma and Consul General in Toronto Apoorva Srivastav. Above their images, the caption read, Faces of Shaheed Nijjars Killers in Toronto. The posters are an invitation to a rally, Khalistan Freedom Rally, planned for 8 July, which will start from Great Punjab Business Centre Malton in Toronto. The march is expected to culminate at the Consulate General of India. After the KTF chief was killed, there have been several anti-India protests by Khalistani supporters in the US and Canada. A criminal offence, says US Sundays arson at the consulate has evoked strong reactions from the United States. The US state department condemned the act of violence. The US strongly condemns the reported vandalism and attempted arson against the Indian Consulate in San Francisco on Saturday. Vandalism or violence against diplomatic facilities or foreign diplomats in the U.S. is a criminal offense, wrote Matthew Miller, spokesperson for the US state department, on Twitter. The U.S. strongly condemns the reported vandalism and attempted arson against the Indian Consulate in San Francisco on Saturday. Vandalism or violence against diplomatic facilities or foreign diplomats in the U.S. is a criminal offense. Matthew Miller (@StateDeptSpox) July 3, 2023 Reacting to the posters, Canada said on Tuesday that it takes its obligations regarding safety of diplomats very seriously. Canadian minister of foreign affairs Melanie Joly said in a statement, Canada takes its obligations under the Vienna Conventions regarding the safety of diplomats very seriously. Canada remains in close contact with Indian officials in light of some of the promotional material circulating online regarding a protest planned for July 8th, which are unacceptable. We know that the actions of a few do not speak for an entire community, or Canada, she added. My comment regarding some of the promotional material circulating for a planned protest on July 8. pic.twitter.com/yYoWDCvAdi Melanie Joly (@melaniejoly) July 4, 2023 Dont give space to Khalistanis India has been raising alarm over the growing Khalistani activities overseas. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) criticised the attack on the Indian consulate. We condemn in strong voice the attempt to set on fire the Indian Consulate in San Francisco (by Khalistan supporters). These people have become enemy of India and Sikhs. They are playing into the hands of ISI, BJP leader Manjinder Singh Sirsa told news agency PTI on Tuesday. On Monday, after the poster controversy, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said that it would impact bilateral relations. We have requested our partner countries like Canada, the United States, the UK and Australia not to give space to the Khalistanis. This will affect our relations. We will raise this poster issue with the government[s] of these countries, Jaishankar told ANI. Radical Khalistani views are harmful not only to us nor for them or our relations, he added. The Indian government is also expected to serve a demarche to the Justin Trudeau government this week asking it to take action against the Khalistan extremists for naming and threatening Indian diplomats, according to a report in The Hindustan Times. The Indian High Commission in Canada has requested the government to take comprehensive safety precautions and provide escorts for the High Commissioner and two Consul Generals in the country until the overall threat subsides. New Delhi has summoned Canadian High Commissioner over Khalistani extremists threats against the diplomats. The rising Khalistani threats Its in Canada, the US, Australia and the UK, where anti-India activities by Khalistani sympathisers have seen a rise. Last month, the display of a controversial tableau glorifying the assassination of former Indian prime minister Indira Gandhi during a Nagar Kirtan procession in Brampton, Canada, sparked widespread outrage. Hindu temples have been vandalised and desecrated with pro-Khalistani slogans in Canada on several occasions. A Khalistan referendum was also organised by Sikhs for Justice last year. Their presence is growing in the US. Khalistan supporters had in March allegedly attacked Indian Consulate in San Francisco. Videos circulating on social media show them breaking doors and barging into the office while loud Punjabi music played in the background. A large number of Khalistan sympathisers also staged a protest at Times Square in New York in March to express support for the fugitive radical preacher Amritpal Singh. There was a gathering outside the Indian embassy in Washington DC, where they attempted to incite violence. In Australia, there was an attack on the Indian consulate in Brisbane in March and over the past few months, several temples were vandalised with anti-India graffiti across the country. During Prime Minister Narendra Modis recent visit Down Under, he discussed the Khalistani issue with his counterparty Anthony Albanese. In the UK, the situation is familiar. An attack on the Indian High Commission in London was foiled in March. Khalistani referendums have been organised in the country and anti-India protests by separatist groups have been held in the past few years. With inputs from agencies Read all the Latest News, Trending News, Cricket News, Bollywood News, India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. What the Israeli occupation government is doing in the city of Jenin and its camp is a new war crime against our defenceless people. Nabil Abu Rudeineh, spokesperson for the Palestinian presidency, said just hours after Israel launched a major aerial and ground offensive into the occupied West Bank city of Jenin, its biggest military operation in the Palestinian territory since 2002. The attack on Monday, which came around 1 am (local time), has led to the death of nine Palestinians and another 100 injured. Also, an Israeli soldier was slightly injured by shrapnel from a grenade used during the incursion, said officials. Mondays attack marks a significant escalation in violence and follows a raid in Jenin two weeks ago that killed seven Palestinians and that was itself one of the largest conducted in years. Lets take a closer look at Israels targeting of Jenin. What we know of the attack? Before we look at why the attacks took place, heres a rundown of what happened on Monday. Around 1 am (local time), Israels military launched its most intense attack on Jenin, in the occupied West Bank. Several missiles were fired by drones and a brigade of Israeli troops around 1,000 and 2,000 soldiers backed by armoured bulldozers and snipers on rooftops entered the city and its refugee camp, encountering fire from Palestinians. Videos obtained by CNN from Jenin showed Israeli bulldozers tearing up streets to disarm potential explosives, as well as Israeli tanks outside the city limits. Residents were also quoted as telling CNN that there were explosions and heavy gunfire in the area. Mohammed Jarrar, Jenins deputy mayor, also said that homes and infrastructure had been destroyed, cutting off electricity and water in the area. Duha Turkman, a 16-year-old from Jenin recounting the horror, said to CNN: We ran out with people from the camp, so many children walked with their parents while terrified and crying, they didnt understand what was happening to them and why. Many were missing; families were looking for members that they couldnt get in contact with due to the electricity cut. After the first drone strike, Israeli forces then completely surrounded the refugee camp using dozens of armoured vehicles, leading to gunfights between the Israeli forces and Palestinian resistance fighters. Of those killed in the attacks were five teenagers, said the Palestinian Ministry of Health. Who was Israel targeting? Mondays attack on Jenin, according to Israel, was an extensive counter-terrorism effort. The military said a drone attack struck a joint operations centre used by militants of a group known as the Jenin Brigade in the refugee camp, and that Israeli forces also targeted a facility for weapons production and explosive device storage. A spokesperson for the Israeli military, Lt Col Richard Hecht, was quoted as telling the New York Times that the goal of the Israeli operation was to break the safe-haven mindset of the refugee camp. At least 19 people suspected of attacks on Israelis had found shelter there in recent months, according to the military. Hecht said the airstrikes were intended to minimise friction on the ground and the risk to Israeli troops, adding that the assault would go on for as long as needed. The chief spokesperson for the Israeli military, Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari, also echoed similar statements, saying that as Israel could ascertain, those killed were all combatants, attributing that to what he described as the precision of the airstrikes and the minimal payloads of the missiles used. However, he did acknowledge that civilians were among the injured, but insisted the operation only meant to target terrorists. Its not an invasion on Jenin, its not against the Palestinian Authority. Its not against innocent, innocent Palestinians. Its against terrorists in this camp, he said, as per a CNN report. How other countries reacted? While Israel defended its actions in Jenin Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu praised its forces for entering what he called the nest of terrorists Palestinian leaders called it a war crime and called on the international community to break its shameful silence and take serious action. The Palestinian foreign ministry described the Jenin operation as a barbaric aggression, saying it was part of Israels official policy of using military force in dealing with the defenceless Palestinian people as an alternative to political solutions to the conflict. The United States said it defended Israels right to security and was monitoring the situation on the West Bank closely. We have seen the reports and are monitoring the situation closely, a White House spokesperson said. We support Israels security and right to defend its people against Hamas, Palestinian Islamic Jihad and other terrorist groups. Britain asked that Israel exercise restraint. A spokesperson for Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said, While we support Israels right to self defence, the protection of civilians must be prioritised. In any military operation, we would urge the Israel Defence Forces to demonstrate restraint in its operations and for all parties to avoid further escalation in the West Bank and Gaza. Jordan, a neighbour to Israel, said the operation was a clear violation of international humanitarian law. Iran and Egypt also backed Palestine, with Tehran further describing it as a reckless crime and a prominent measure of state terrorism, stressing that the Zionist entity will be defeated this time as well. But why Jenin? Mondays attacks are reminiscent of the violence that rocked the city during the second intifada, or Palestinian uprising, of the 2000s. The camp is the epicentre of the new wave of violence engulfing Israel and the Palestinian territories. According to the IDF, 50 shooting attacks against Israelis in the last two years originated in Jenin and 19 suspects have taken shelter there. Jenin, located in the northern West Bank, is a poverty-stricken city and home to one of the largest camps in the West Bank set up for Palestinians expelled from their homes after the creation of Israel. According to a report in The Guardian, Jenin has long been a centre of resistance to the 55-year-old Israeli occupation of the Palestinian territories. It is reported that today it has become home to Palestinian fighters, a number of them making up the Jenin Brigades. It is a group that reportedly brings together members from different factions rather than carrying out the agenda of any particular faction. It is because of this that Israel has been increasingly launching raids on Jenin in the past two years. Recently, on 20 June, seven Palestinians died during an Israeli raid in Jenin. It was the first time that the military used an attack helicopter in the West Bank in years. The next day, two Hamas gunmen shot dead four Israelis near the settlement of Eli, 40 km (25 miles) to the south. In the same week, three Palestinian militants from Jenin killed in a rare Israeli drone strike. Reports have stated that over 133 Palestinians have lost their lives in the West Bank so far, while another 36 have been killed in the Gaza Strip. According to some analysts, the escalation in the violence is part of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahus effort to placate far-right ministers in his own government. Sarah Leah Whitson, executive director of the advocacy and research organisation Democracy for the Arab World Now, told VOX, The death toll over both in the West Bank and now in Jerusalem is in fact the entirely predictable result of an extremist Israeli government that is propagating violence. With inputs from agencies Read all the Latest News, Trending News, Cricket News, Bollywood News, India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Maharashtra politics is in turmoil. On Sunday, Nationalist Congress Partys (NCP) Ajit Pawar and eight other MLAs broke ranks and joined the Eknath Shinde-Devendra Fadnavis government, engineering a vertical split within the Sharad Pawar-led party. The moves made on Sunday and Monday, prompting reactions from all corners have also led to worries about a similar situation arising in the state of Bihar and that the Bharatiya Janata Partys next target will be Bihar CM Nitish Kumars Janata Dal (United) {JDU}. Also read: With Ajit Pawars entry, is BJP trying to replace Eknath Shinde as Maharashtra CM? The speculation is not without signs, however. There are indications of a rumble within the Bihar governing alliance of the JD(U), the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) and the Congress. So much so that Chief Minister Nitish Kumar held one-to-one meetings with several JD(U) legislators. But is it actually possible? Is a Maharashtra-like coup on the horizon in Bihar? We examine whats happening. Unrest within the Grand Alliance? On Monday, just a day after NCPs Ajit Pawar took oath as deputy chief minister of Maharashtra, Union Minister Ramdas Athawale raised the possibility of rifts in other Opposition camps, including Nitish Kumar-led JD(U). He said, Maharashtra-like situation may erupt in Bihar and Uttar Pradesh as many MLAs are unhappy with Nitish Kumar joining hands with RJD. Similarly in UP, Jayant Chaudhary can join the NDA as he did not attend the Patna opposition meeting. VIDEO | Maharashtra-like situation may erupt in Bihar and UP as many MLAs are unhappy with Nitish Kumar joining hands with RJD. Similarly in UP, Jayant Chaudhary can join the NDA as he did not attend the Patna opposition meeting, says Union Minister Ramdas Athawale amid the pic.twitter.com/FrM7T2ip4D Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) July 3, 2023 Shortly afterwards, BJP Rajya Sabha member Sushil Modi, who was the deputy chief minister under Nitish Kumar when the JD(U) and the BJP ruled Bihar also stated that there was a likelihood of a Maharashtra-like situation emerging in his state. JD(U) MLAs are unhappy over the manner in which Nitish Kumar backstabbed the BJP; the legislators of both the parties had a natural relationship for the past 16-17 years. They are insecure about their future now, he said. He further added that a stampede is waiting to take place anytime in the JD(U), reported the Times of India, adding, These JD(U) leaders are neither able to accept RJDs Tejashwi Yadav as Chief Minister Nitish Kumars successor, nor the Congress Rahul Gandhi as the leader of the united Opposition. Even Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) leader Chirag Paswan chimed in saying that several MLAs and leaders from Nitish Kumars party JD(U) were in touch with him. He further said that the JD(U) would not even win 10 seats in the Lok Sabha elections next year. But do these statements hold any merit? Some political pundits observe that there is trouble brewing within the Grand Alliance in Bihar and that the BJP could capitalise on it. Firstly, Nitish Kumars meetings with MLAs come as reports emerge that BJP leaders have been reaching out to his members, making attempts to lure them over. Also, reports have stated that Nitish Kumar is under pressure from his own ally, the RJD, to shift his focus to the national stage and hand over the state of Bihar to deputy Tejashwi Yadav. There is also some speculation that Nitish himself, known for switching alliances, might return to the BJP fold, keeping his moniker of Paltu Ram alive. After all, hes in power right now after breaking ties with the BJP and joining hands with the RJD. Importantly when Home Minister and senior BJP leader Amit Shah visited Bihar last on 29 June, he did not make a single comment regarding Nitish Kumar neither did he state that the BJPs doors are shut for him. Moreover, late last month, Nitish Kumar called on Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar at the Raj Bhawan in Patna, after which Sushil Kumar Modi paid a visit to the Raj Bhawan. Sushil Kumar Modi called his and Nitish Kuamrs visit to the Raj Bhawan on the same day a coincidence. These two visits may have nothing in common, but many see a connection. However, amid all this speculation, Sushil Kumar Modi on Monday said that Union Home Minister Amit Shah made it very clear in the beginning that the BJP would not accept Nitish Kumar at any cost. Even if Nitish Kumar rubs his nose at BJPs doors, we will not accept him. BJP will not carry his baggage. How the numbers stack up? For the BJP to engineer a coup in Bihar, the numbers are an important factor. To stake claim to the government, the BJP, currently having 74 seats, needs to reach the 122 mark in the 243-member Assembly. This means the BJP needs 48 more MLAs. As of now, the ruling coalition has close to 160 MLAs. It comprises JD(U), RJD and Congress besides three Left parties which are supporting the government from outside. Last month, the Hindustani Awam Morcha (HAM), led by former Bihar chief minister Jitan Ram Manjhi, withdrew its support to the Nitish Kumar government. The HAM with four MLAs had joined the ruling alliance last year. How is the Grand Alliance reacting? While the buzz is ongoing, JD(U) national spokesperson Rajib Ranjan dismissed reports of unrest and called it a BJP propaganda campaign. RJDs supremo Lalu Prasad also said on Monday, Narendra Modi is against reservation. Now I hear that the attempt is to repeat Maharashtra in Bihar, but it will not happen. Here, all are united. Bihar does not budge. We will unitedly work to uproot the Modi government. With inputs from agencies Read all the Latest News, Trending News, Cricket News, Bollywood News, India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. We have all experienced flight delays and waiting around until our aircraft takes off. But for flyers on board IndiGo flight 6E-518 on Sunday, the experience was nothing short of a nightmare. The flight, which was scheduled to take off from Dehradun to Chennai (with a layover in Lucknow) was supposed to be for four-and-a-half hours. However, at the end of it all the flight touched down in Chennai after 10 hours and an even saw an unscheduled stop in Delhi. And all this drama, according to flyers on board, was owing to the fact that the pilot was suffering from a condition called pilot fatigue and refused to operate the aircraft any further. So, what exactly went down on IndiGo flight 6E-518? More importantly, what is pilot fatigue and how does it affect the aviation sector? Flight that went on and on, and on On 2 July, IndiGo had scheduled a flight 6E-518 from Dehradun to Chennai, with a layover in Lucknow. The flight was to take off from Dehdraduns Jolly Grant Airport at 4.45 pm and land in Lucknow at 5.33 pm. Here comes the first delay. The flight didnt take off until 7.22 pm and no information was shared about the deferral. The aircraft, which was expected to land at 5.33 pm, then reached around 9 pm. Now, here is where more trouble brews. Twitter user Sameer Mohan (@sleepyhead148), whose wife was one of the passengers on board, at 9.47 pm tweeted: Dear @IndiGo6E, my wifes on a flight that has been delayed for 3+ hours now and is now been going to Delhi. If this is how youre gonna treat regulars then god bless. This is not done. Amid this, his wife then informed him that the plane was now being rerouted to Delhi, a second layover, as the Captain is angry and didnt want to fly further. Dear @IndiGo6E my wifes on a flight that has been delayed for 3+ hours now and is now been going to Delhi. If this is how youre gonna treat regulars then god bless. This is not done. Tagging the hon minister of civil aviation for resolution @JM_Scindia pic.twitter.com/wDlFrJLVni Sameer Mohan (@sleepyhead148) July 2, 2023 As one can see in the Whatsapp chat, the pilot was too tired to fly and wanted a replacement. Another passenger also shared the horrible experience on Twitter, saying that the plane then went to Delhi and around midnight a new captain and pilot had finally arrived. The date was 3 July now. A new day, but passengers who had taken off from Dehradun hours earlier were still not at their destination. Finally captain & pilot arrived. New crew. It's 0000 hrs on July 3rd. Yet 2 take off. Passengers have been struck since 3 PM, its been 9 hours minimum.... Horrible experience. Just giving a cookie & juice doesn't help. Many like me are diabetic@IndiGo6E @DGCAIndia @timesofindia Ketharinath Kamalanathan (@kknath) July 2, 2023 Finally, at 3 am on 3 July, passengers touched down in Chennai after the harrowing incident. IndiGo didnt offer any official statement, but in response to Mohans tweets wrote, we deeply regret the inconvenience caused due to the unforeseen flight delay. Pilot fatigue The IndiGo nightmare, if passengers are to be believed, was owing to a pilot refusing to fly any more owing to fatigue. The pilot cited FDTL (flight duty time limitation) norms for not flying further, reported Moneycontrol. And its not the only case. On 26 June, 350 passengers on an Air India flight from London to Delhi were stranded in Jaipur for about three hours after their pilot refused to fly citing flight duty time limitations and duty hours. While some may scoff at the notion, pilot fatigue is real and poses a risk to civil aviation. Simply put, pilot fatigue is when a pilot suffers a general lack of alertness and degradation in mental and physical performance, which can affect his/her alertness, performance, and judgement during a flight. The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) defines flight fatigue/pilot fatigue, as a physiological and psychological state of tiredness and weariness experienced by pilots due to prolonged periods of wakefulness and/or insufficient restorative sleep. Pilot fatigue has been documented as early as 1927 when Charles Lindbergh crossed the Atlantic Ocean. While taking the historic flight, the aviator had written, My mind clicks on and off I try letting one eyelid close at a time while I prop the other open with my will. My whole body argues dully that nothing, nothing life can attain, is quite so desirable as sleep. My mind is losing resolution and control. Since then, pilot fatigue has been identified as a crucial factor to ensure safety on board and in 2020, the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) identified state of wellbeing and fitness for duties as top safety issue for large aeroplanes. Risks of pilot fatigue Pilot fatigue is a cause of real concern. It can cause a pilot to make wrong decisions or even fall asleep inside the cockpit, leading to a fatal crash. A pilot survey conducted by the Safety Matters Foundation in 2022 revealed that 66 per cent of pilots admitted to falling asleep in the cockpit, without informing crew members. It further revealed that half of Indian pilots suffered from severe daytime sleepiness. Additionally, 31 per cent of the pilots in the survey admitted to having a close call because of sleepiness during a flight. This clearly shows how dangerous pilot fatigue is and the situation is only worsening as more people opt to fly, increasing the number of flights. The situation is no better in the US where pilots from all carriers filed about 60 reports of mistakes or other incidents involving fatigue to the federal Aviation Safety Reporting System in 2022. Tackling pilot fatigue According to aviation safety regulations, a pilot can fly a maximum of 35 hours a week on domestic and 40 hours on international routes. In a month, pilots can fly a maximum of 125 hours on both routes and the yearly limit is 1,000 hours. The Directorate General of Civil Aviation, Indias aviation regulator, is tasked with ensuring that these rules are followed and have also formed a fatigue reporting system under which a can report to the safety department of the airline concerned and the report is then sent to the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA). However, in 2022, the Indian Commercial Pilots Association (ICPA), which represents around 900 pilots of narrow-body aircraft at Air India, wrote to DGCA urging the regulator to do away with all the current regulations related to fatigue management for flight crew and formulate new norms. Its high time that the aviation industry wakes up to pilot fatigue. If not, then incidents such as the Sunday IndiGo drama or even a tragedy such as the crash of Afriqiyah Airways Flight 771 in 2010 in Libyas Tripoli will continue. With inputs from agencies Read all the Latest News, Trending News, Cricket News, Bollywood News, India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Should the ketchup bottle go in the refrigerator or not? is an age-old argument. While many contend that the tangy sauce belongs in the pantry, others believe the refrigerator is where it will keep fresher for longer. The debate over how best to keep ketchup has been settled in just five words by Kraft Heinz, a company known for its popular sauces. FYI, began the tweet from the United Kingdom-based branch of the food and beverage company. Ketchup. Goes. In. The. Fridge!!! The next day, the company polled the public on Twitter to find out whether they stored their ketchup in the refrigerator or the cupboard. Where do you keep yours? It has to be in the fridge! the poll stated. In an accompanying Twitter poll, over 63.2 per cent of respondents said they kept the condiment in their fridges, while 36.8 per cent copped to keeping it in the cupboard. Where do you keep yours? It has to be in the fridge! Heinz (@HeinzUK) June 28, 2023 Also read: Love French fries, think again. How they could leave you feeling anxious and depressed The debate The firm was more cautious in 2017, however, telling the Today Show that Heinz Ketchup is shelf-stable because of its natural acidity. The storage conditions may have an impact on its stability after opening, according to The Guardian. Like other processed food, this item should be kept in the refrigerator after being opened. The greatest product quality will be maintained after opening by refrigeration. While Muir Glen likewise recommended refrigeration, Hunts claimed to HuffPost in the same year that the storage issue was truly a matter of choice. Which is it then? Despite the fact that several people in the comments on a recent tweet claimed that chilling ketchup keeps it fresh, others expressed apprehension at the idea of the cold condiment contacting their warm food. So yall like cold ketchup on hot food, a user exclaimed with a disgusting face emoticon. Another person claimed they kept their bottle on the counter ready to be used at any moment. So yall like cold ketchup on hot food HOODFARMER (@Ski_Bop51) July 3, 2023 Big companies have to give the safe answer, we have stored our ketchup in the pantry for years at room temp, no issues, doesnt change taste. Tim Saeger (@steelerfanman7) July 3, 2023 I like my ketchup room temp, so cupboard for me. James (@fashionfangs) July 3, 2023 Madness. I live in Britain where it doesnt get hot enough to put it in the fridge. I dont want to dip my hot chips into fridge cold ketchup. Madness Alex McKay (@LadyALytham) June 28, 2023 Fridge. I think restaurants dont fridge them coz they use it up fast. Lin Lim (@strangedudette) July 1, 2023 Heinz Ketchup has a lot of sugar. Sugar does not need cooling. Klaus Laus (@dabbljuh111) June 30, 2023 Also read: A Dominos Pizza outlet got its license suspended for below standard sauce A refrigerator is the best choice While ketchup is shelf-stable, according to experts in food safety, it generally tastes better when kept cold. Martin Bucknavage, a Penn State University food safety expert, expressed his disbelief at the controversy and told The Guardian, If you want to maximize the quality of your ketchup, you keep it in the fridge. While some restaurants keep bottles of room-temperature ketchup out on tables for patrons to use, according to Bucknavage, those bottles should be placed in the refrigerator at the end of the day. Additionally, he said that businesses use ketchup bottles more quickly than the majority of people do, thus how they keep it is less crucial. Once you open up ketchup, there is the potential for mould to get into the top, which is the biggest concern if the product is left out for an extended period of time, Bucknavage said. On a personal level, I store my ketchup in the fridge. I prefer my ketchup to be firm, not runny, so it doesnt separate. When I squeeze the bottle and liquid comes out first, it gets on the bun and makes me mad. With inputs from agencies Read all the Latest News, Trending News, Cricket News, Bollywood News, India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Scientists have been baffled by the enigmatic gravity hole in the Indian Ocean for decades. It is not the kind of hole that would allow the entire ocean to be drained. However, there is a massive anomaly in the Earths crust that has a much weaker gravitational attraction than usual. It is located about 600 miles below the surface of the Earth. This gravity hole is actually the Indian Ocean Geoid Low (IOGL), which spans an area of more than two million square miles (more than two-thirds the size of the lower 48 US states). During a ship-based gravity investigation, Dutch geophysicist Felix Andries Vening Meinesz discovered it in 1948. But research into what triggers this gravity hole is still ongoing. Recent studies suggested some potential causes for the large, broad depression at the oceans bottom. Lets take a look. Also read: Indian Ocean Dipole: What is it and how can it cause higher rainfall in the country? Tracing the origin The latest study, which was just published in Geophysical Research Letters, used a number of computer models to analyse the gravity dip and determine how the region has changed over the past 140 million years as a result of the shifting of the Earths tectonic plates. Additionally, they used a variety of variables to mimic the convection of molten material within the mantle. Debanjan Pal and Attreye Ghosh, two geoscientists from the Indian Institute of Science (IISc), conducted the research. According to Scientific American, the study argues that the Indian Ocean Geoid Low (IOGL) is composed of blocks from the long-lost Tethys Ocean, which sunk beneath the surface of the globe millions of years ago. The Mystery of the Giant Gravity Hole in the Indian Ocean The term gravity hole is used by geophysicists to denote a concentrated area where the effects of Earths gravity are far lower than average. In the Indian Ocean, this gravity anamoly manifests as a vast depression in pic.twitter.com/jSdnR8DLcC David Ullrich (@DavidUllrich202) July 3, 2023 The existence of the Indian Ocean geoid low is one of the most outstanding problems in Earth Sciences. It is the lowest geoid/gravity anomaly on Earth and so far no consensus existed regarding its source, Professor Ghosh, an Assistant Professor at the Centre for Earth Science, said about the research, as published on the IISc website. The African Large Low Shear Velocity Province, commonly known as the African blob, is thought to have been disturbed by the Tethys Ocean, which originally divided the supercontinents of Gondwana and Laurasia, causing plumes to form beneath the Indian Ocean. Lead authors Pal and Ghosh said in the study, These plumes, along with the mantle structure in the vicinity of the geoid low, are responsible for the formation of this negative geoid anomaly. What were seeing is that hot, low-density material coming from this LLSVP underneath Africa is sitting underneath the Indian Ocean and creating this geoid low, Attreyee Ghosh, one of the authors of this study, told Scientific American. Also read: Planet X: Earths solar system may be hiding an extra planet It started forming 20 million years ago The team estimates that the geoid acquired its present shape about 20 million years ago and will probably keep it as long as mantle material continues to flow. The remnants of a long-gone Tethys Oceans bottom are thought to have generated this mantle structure beneath the Indian Ocean. Two supercontinents, Laurasia and Gondwana, were split by this ancient ocean approximately 200 million years ago, explained Interesting Engineering. Africa and India were once part of Gondwana, but the Indian Ocean was created behind what is now India as it moved north into the Tethys Ocean around 120 million years ago. The authors emphasise that there might be additional supporting evidence for the IOGLs existence. The Gravity Hole nevertheless serves as a reminder that the Earth still conceals a number of mysteries that need to be investigated and understood. With inputs from agencies Read all the Latest News, Trending News, Cricket News, Bollywood News, India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Ajit Pawar, who took oath as the Deputy Chief Minister of Maharashtra on Sunday, will be crowned Maharashtras chief minister after the Monsoon Session of Parliament ends on August 11, according to a report. Maharashtra Assembly Speaker Rahul Narvekar will disqualify all 16 MLAs of Shiv Sena, including Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, who will then be asked to resign from his post leading to dissolution of the council of ministers, Rediff reported quoting insiders. The report claimed that this formula took shape in Delhi with the blessings of the BJPs central leadership. Sources told Rediff that Ajit Pawar was asked to join the Shinde government as deputy chief minister and wait till Parliaments Monsoon Session concludes. After that, the BJP is said to have promised to anoint him as the states next chief minister. Further, the media outlet alleged that Ajit Pawar and the NCP were in regular touch with Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Devendra Fadnavis even before Eknath Shinde rebelled against Uddhav Thackeray on June 20, 2022 and formed a government with the BJP. They were close to an arrangement, but the plan fizzled out at the last minute due to the BJP rejecting Pawars demand to make him chief minister, it claimed. Ajit Pawar was in regular touch with Amit Shah since last March (2022); even before Shindes rebellion Ajit Pawar and the NCP would have formed a government with the BJP if the latter had conceded the NCPs demand of making Ajit Pawar chief minister, the report quoted an NCP leader as saying. But at that time the BJP was not willing to compromise on the chief ministers post as it was still smarting from its wounds that the Shiv Sena and Uddhav Thackeray inflicted upon it by joining hands with the NCP and Congress, the NCP leader added. Read all the Latest News, Trending News, Cricket News, Bollywood News, India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday renamed Amrit Kal to Kartavya Kaal, and stated that the next 25 years of Indias Independence is going to be Kartvya Kaal as the country is giving top priority to its kartavya (duties). India is giving top priority to its Kartavya. The next 25 years of Independence are going to be our Kartavya Kaal. Moving forward towards the goal of 100 years of independence, we have named our Amrit Kaal as Kartavya Kaal. The Prime Minister was addressing a gathering through video conferencing after inaugurating the Sai Hira Global Convention Centre in Puttaparthi of Andhra Pradesh. I have seen pictures of this convention centre. This will be the centre of spiritual conferences and academic programs. Experts from all across the world will come here and I hope this centre will help the youth of the country. There is also the guidance of spiritual values in our duties and there are resolutions for the future. There is development and legacy in this, PM Modi said. The country is getting a premier think tank in the form of the Shree Hira Global Convention Centre. The centre has a feel of spirituality as well as an aura of modernity. It has cultural divinity as well as ideological grandeur, the PM said. The Prime Minister further mentioned that the centre will become a centre for spiritual conferences and academic programmes. Experts from across the world, from different fields, will come together here. I expect that the youth will get a huge help from this centre, he added. Read all the Latest News, Trending News, Cricket News, Bollywood News, India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. The Congress on Tuesday condemned the attack by Khalistan supporters on the Indian consulate in San Francisco and called on the Centre to work with host governments to take necessary steps to protect Indias diplomatic missions and ensure that the perpetrators are brought to justice. Khalistan supporters tried to set Indias consulate in San Francisco on fire, the second such incident within months, drawing strong condemnation from the US government which termed it a criminal offence. A video of the incident by Khalistani supporters dated July 2 was posted on Twitter. In a statement, Congress media and publicity department head Pawan Khera said, The Indian National Congress condemns the attack and attempted arson on the Indian Consulate building in San Francisco, reportedly by supporters of Khalistan. We note with deep concern that this is the latest in a series of threats and attacks on Indian diplomatic missions following an attack in the UK, threats of violence in Canada, and an earlier attack on the Consulate in San Francisco in March this year, he said. In view of the serious and continuing threat, the Congress calls on the government of India to work with host governments to take all steps necessary to protect Indian diplomatic missions and personnel, and ensure that the perpetrators of such attacks are brought to justice, Khera said. Asked about the incident at a press conference at the AICC headquarters here, Congress spokesperson Supriya Shrinate said, We absolutely denounce any action like that. We denounce it as we have been at the receiving end of what terrorism has done in this country. We have been at the receiving end of extremist forces which is why we believe that there is no place for violence and no place for extremism, she said. We have lost one former prime minister and one PM was assassinated in office by these extremist forces. Which is why when people like these obstruct Rahul Gandhis meetings overseas, we expect the Indian government to take it up with the Biden administration and instead they chose to stand with the extremists, she alleged. BJP leader Manjinder Singh Sirsa also condemned the incident. I strongly condemn the attack on Indias consulate in San Francisco by Khalistan supporters who tried to set the diplomatic facility on fire. They are the enemies of India and the Sikhs.I appeal to the Sikhs living abroad to identify such people and strict action must be taken against them, he said. Civil society group Indian World Forum also condemned attempts by anti-India forces, including Khalistani activists, to target the countrys diplomatic missions and diaspora community abroad. The video of the incident posted on Twitter, with the words violence begets violence emblazoned over it, also showed news articles related to the death of Canada-based Khalistan Tiger Force (KTF) chief Hardeep Singh Nijjar. Nijjar, one of Indias most-wanted terrorists who carried a cash reward of Rs 10 lakh on his head, was shot dead outside a gurdwara in Canada last month. Read all the Latest News, Trending News, Cricket News, Bollywood News, India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Just a few days after Ajit Pawar took oath as the second Deputy Chief Minister of Maharashtra, the Maha Vikar Aghadi (MVA) announced the launch of a statewide tour to galvanise support for their fight against the Shiv Sena-BJP government after Congress leaders met NCP supremo Sharad Pawar. The national party has extended its support to NCP in the wake of the crisis that has ensued within the party. The NCP is in churn after senior leader Ajit Pawar joined the Shiv Sena-BJP government as deputy chief minister along with eight MLAs who took oath as ministers. The Ajit Pawar camp has claimed the support of 40 out of 53 MLAs of the Nationalist Congress Party. Following the meeting between NCP and Congress Legislature Party (CLP), state Congress president Nana Patole and working president Naseem Khan went to YB Chavan Centre to meet Sharad Pawar. Congress condemns the manner in which the BJP engineered a split in the NCP legislature party. The MVA will stay united and defeat the BJP, Patole told reporters after meeting the NCP chief. The Congress stands united. Sharad Pawar is a senior leader and all of us look to him for guidance, he added. Naseem Khan said the MVA will soon launch a state-wide tour to galvanise its cadres to fight against the Eknath Shinde-BJP government. He said Congress expressed solidarity with Pawar and resolved to work unitedly. An NCP spokesperson said Sharad Pawar will be on a tour of Nashik on July 8. With inputs from PTI Read all the Latest News, Trending News, Cricket News, Bollywood News, India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. A police constable and four of his friends have been arrested for allegedly kidnapping and molesting a minor girl in Chandrapur district of Maharashtra. The constable, attached with the C-60 unit of police, has been suspended on Monday, Chandrapur District Superintendent of Police Ravindra Singh Pardeshi said. Forcefully made girl sit in car The policeman alongwith his friends had gone to Mamla area of Chandrapur for a party. On their way back, they saw two couples, including a minor girl, sitting on Mamla road. The accused allegedly forcefully made the girl sit in their vehicle and threatened the couples who were restricting them. Threatened girl for refusing to accompany They also threatened the minor girl and told her that they would file an offence against her if she refuses to accompany them, police said. A friend of the girl immediately rushed to Ramnagar police station and registered a complaint. Based on the complaint, the police arrested the five accused and booked them Indian Penal Code Sections 354 (assault or criminal force on woman with intent to outrage her modesty) and 363 (kidnapping) and provisions of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, the official said. A probe was on into the case, the police said. With inputs from PTI Read all the Latest News, Trending News, Cricket News, Bollywood News, India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. The Madras high court on Tuesday delivered a split verdict in the case relating to the alleged illegal custody of Tamil Nadu Minister V Senthil Balaji, who was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate last month under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA). A division bench comprising Justices J Nisha Banu and D Bharatha Chakravarthy gave the split verdict and directed the Registry to place the matter before the Chief Justice for referring it to a third judge. While Justice Nisha Banu allowed the Habeas Corpus Petition, (HCP) filed by Megala, the wife of Balaji, Justice Bharatha Chakravarthy dismissed it. Holding that the HCP was maintainable, Justice Nisha Banu directed the police to set Balaji at liberty forthwith. Disagreeing with the judgment of Justice Nisha Banu, Justice Bharatha Chakravarthy in his order framed four questions and answered the same. The judge said the HCP was not maintainable. The petitioner has not made out any case to hold that the remand was not valid. Senthil Balaji can continue to take treatment in a private hospital (Kavery Hospital) till he was discharged or 10 days from today, whichever was earlier. Thereafter he can take treatment in a Prison/government hospital, the judge added. Reacting to the development, DMK Rajya Sabha MP and senior advocate NR Elango said, As of now, the status quo continues because of the split verdict. One of the judges accepted our plea that ED has no power to seek police custodyIt has been held by one of the judges that it is a case of illegal arrest.. #WATCH | As of now, the status quo continues because of the split verdict. One of the judges accepted our plea that ED has no power to seek Police custodyIt has been held by one of the judges that it is a case of illegal arrest.., says DMK Rajya Sabha MP & senior advocate https://t.co/wmu091Hwpd pic.twitter.com/HjaojOnkks ANI (@ANI) July 4, 2023 Balaji was arrested on June 14 by the ED in connection with a cash-for jobs-scam when he was the Transport Minister in the earlier AIADMK regime. He was later hospitalised upon complaining of chest pain and has undergone a bypass surgery in the private hospital. With inputs from agencies Read all the Latest News, Trending News, Cricket News, Bollywood News, India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Delhi High Court LIVE Updates Delhi HC allows TMC leader Anubrata Mondal to withdraw plea alleging 'illegal' custody The Delhi High Court allowed TMC leader Anubrata Mondal to drop his habeas corpus plea, which claimed that his prolonged detention in a money laundering case relating to cattle smuggling in West Bengal was unlawful. A bench led by Justice Siddharth Mridul told Mondal's lawyer that his appeal, which claimed there was no legitimate judicial order remanding him in judicial custody, would not be admissible and gave him the liberty to commence necessary legal processes. A habeas corpus petition is used to bring a person who is in illegal custody or imprisonment before a court. "After some submissions the counsel for the petitioner seeks leave to withdraw the present habeas corpus petition with liberty to initiate appropriate proceedings as per law. Leave granted. Petition is dismissed (as withdrawn)," the bench, also comprising Justice Gaurang Kanth said. India on Tuesday once again refused to endorse Chinas ambitious Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) scheme which envisions rebuilding the old Silk Road to connect China with Asia, Europe and beyond with large infrastructure spending. India was the only country in the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) not to support the project. Leaders of the SCO on Tuesday sought to forge closer ties and boost cooperation within the expanding Eurasian bloc but stressed the group is not directed against any other states. A joint declaration by the leaders at the end of an online summit hosted by India also said SCO members oppose bloc, ideological and confrontational approaches to address problems and security challenges. The leaders were critical of what they said was the negative impact of unilateral and unlimited expansion of global missile defence systems by certain countries or groups of countries, without directly referring to NATOs expansion and Western military assistance to Ukraine. Expressing concern about the situation in Afghanistan, the leaders said they consider it essential to establish an inclusive government in Afghanistan with the participation of representatives of all ethnic, religious and political groups in Afghan society. A declaration issued at the end of an India-hosted virtual summit of the grouping said Russia, Pakistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan reaffirmed their support to the BRI. It said the member states also considered it important to ensure the implementation of the SCO Economic Development Strategy 2030 adopted by interested member states and projects aimed at promoting cooperation in areas of digital economy, high technology and modernisation of existing international routes for road and rail transport. In his opening remarks at the summit, Prime Minister Narendra Modi highlighted the need for boosting connectivity, but asserted that it is essential to respect the basic principles of the SCO charter, especially the sovereignty and territorial integrity of member states, while making such efforts. The summit, chaired by Modi, was joined by Chinese President Xi Jinping, his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin, Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and other leaders of the grouping. Strong connectivity is crucial for the progress of any region. Better connectivity not only enhances mutual trade but also fosters mutual trust, he said. However, in these efforts, it is essential to uphold the basic principles of the SCO charter, particularly respecting the sovereignty and regional integrity of the member states, Modi said. On earlier occasions also, India did not endorse the BRI at the SCO while other members supported the project. Reaffirming their support for Chinas Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) initiative, the Republic of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyz Republic, Islamic Republic of Pakistan, Russian Federation, Republic of Tajikistan and Republic of Uzbekistan note the ongoing work to jointly implement this project, including efforts to link the construction of the Eurasian Economic Union and BRI, the New Delhi declaration said. They spoke in favour of implementing the roadmap for gradual increase in the share of national currencies in mutual settlements by the interested member States, it added. It said the member states intend to broaden and deepen cooperation for sustainable socio-economic development and to improve the well-being and living standards of the people in the SCO region. They consider it important to ensure the implementation of the SCO Economic Development Strategy 2030 adopted by interested member states, other joint programmes and projects aimed at promoting cooperation, it said. The priority areas identified under the Economic Development Strategy are as digital economy, high technology and innovation, modernisation of existing international routes for road and rail transport, multimodal transport corridors and logistics centres, finance and investment, energy and food security, reliable, resilient and diversified supply chains and industrial cooperation. On Afghanistan, the declaration said the member states believed that one of the most important factors of preservation and strengthening of safety and stability within the SCO region is the early settlement of the situation in Afghanistan. They advocate building Afghanistan as an independent, neutral, united, democratic and peaceful state, free from terrorism, war and drugs, it said. With inputs from agencies Read all the Latest News, Trending News, Cricket News, Bollywood News, India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. In a bid to ensure peace and security during the upcoming Kanwar Yatra, Delhi Traffic Police has issued a traffic advisory. The traffic department has elaborated the arrangements made to segregate the movement of Kanwarias and road users during the auspicious occasion. The Kanwar Yatra that takes place in the holy month of Shravan also known as Saavan or Sawan is a pilgrimage taken out by Hindu devotees known as Kanwarias in the month of July and August annually as per the Gregorian Calendar. With utmost devotion, devotees from all over the India travel barefoot to Haridwar, Gangotri, parts of Uttarakhand, Bihar and other holy sites to fetch the holy water from River Ganges. The water is then offered on Lord Shivas Shivlings. Notably, this year, Kanwar Yatra commences from today, 4 July and will culminate on 15 August. In the advisory, Delhi Traffic Police have cautioned people about the expected congestion at several places due to Kanwar Yatra. Kanwarias in large number travel to the Capital every year and some of the devotees walk to the holy places via Delhi borders. As per the advisory, this year, there will be a record-breaking footfall of around 15 to 20 lakhs devotees. Kanwar Yatra 2023: Delhi Traffic Polices Advisory The Kanwarias and road users are advised to follow the traffic rules and obey the policemen directions on duty. During this auspicious period of Kanwarias movement, traffic violations will be checked by on-the-spot prosecution and by photography/videography of violations which will be followed by prosecution, the advisory said. Traffic Advisory In view of the movement of Kanwar devotees from adjoining states to Gangotri Dham & Haridwar via Delhi, #DelhiTrafficPolice has made elaborate traffic arrangements to minimise inconvenience to commuters & devotees. Kindly follow the advisory.#DPTrafficAdvisory pic.twitter.com/MaHFRhcbMZ Delhi Traffic Police (@dtptraffic) July 3, 2023 Kanwar Yatra 2023: Diverted routes Uttar Pradesh Police will divert heavy transport vehicles (HTV) from Mohan Nagar towards NH-24. No traffic congestion will be allowed towards GT Road via Apsara Border or towards Wazirabad Road via Bhopura. HTVs except city buses will not be permitted on GT Road towards Shahdara and Wazirabad Road, the advisory said. Heavy commercial transport vehicles, other than city buses, coming from GT Karnal Road at Outer Ring Road will be diverted towards NH-24. They will not be permitted to travel on GT Road and Wazirabad Road towards Shahdara. Heavy commercial transport vehicles will be diverted on Wazirabad Road to exit from Outer Ring Road coming from Loni Road (Shahdara side), the advisory stated. During these auspicious days of Kanwar Yatra and Kanwar camps on road sides, traffic congestion or obstruction is experienced at several places. Usually, heavy traffic congestion is experienced on Rani Jhansi Road from Baraf Khana Chowk to fire station, 66 Foota Road, Mathura Road, Maujpur Chowk, Gokalpuri Flyover, Boulevard Road and at Azad Market Chowk, Badarpur T- Point, it said. Likewise, on NH8 from Dhaula Kuan Metro Station up to Rajokri Border there is a huge traffic congestion. As per the advisory, due to the diversion of vehicular traffic by UP Police bound for Apsara Border and Maharajpur Border to Ghazipur, there will be congestion on NH24 as well. In view of the upcoming #KanwarYatra2023, a meeting with stakeholders, civil administration and organizers was conducted in North-East District. Wherein, they were briefed about their role, security measures, dos and donts and for better coordination, DCP northeast district tweeted. In view of the upcoming #KanwarYatra2023, a meeting with stakeholders, civil administration & organizers was held in North-East District, wherein they were briefed about their role, security measures, dos & donts and for better coordination.#DelhiPoliceCares pic.twitter.com/SL79qzibjV DCP North East Delhi (@DCPNEastDelhi) July 3, 2023 Kanwar Yatra 2023: Guidelines For Kanwarias No individual is allowed to commence the Kanwar Yatra without a valid identification card. The Kanwar exceeding 12 feet height will be stopped. Sticks, Trisuls, or any other sharp objects is banned to carry by the Kanwarias. Strict action to be taken against inappropriate songs that can ignite religious sentiments. Kanwarias are not barred of playing music but the volume should be played in a controlled manner. Read all the Latest News, Trending News, Cricket News, Bollywood News, India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Senior BJP leader and minister in BJP led Maharashtra government Sudhir Mungantiwar on Tuesday asked the Sharad Pawar-led NCP to parade the number of MLAs supporting them. Earlier today, Maharashtra Deputy CM Ajit Pawar after the state cabinet meeting said that the majority of MLAs are with him. There was nothing new as such. We and CM Shinde have worked together in the cabinet. We have experience for the cabinet. Most of them were ministers in that cabinet. BJP also has some ministers, like Radhakrishna Vikhe Patil when he was in Congress, I worked with him. So it is nothing new. All works are properly going on. It would help if you did not worry at all, the majority of (NCP) MLAs are with me, he said. Ajit Pawar joined the Shiv Sena-BJP government on Sunday as deputy chief minister while eight other NCP MLAs took oath as ministers. The NCP has 53 MLAs in the 288-member Assembly. The Ajit Pawar camp has claimed the support of more than 40 MLAs. Speaking to reporters here, Mungantiwar said, I challenge them (Sharad Pawar-led NCP) to show the number of MLAs supporting them. The MLAs are behind Ajit Pawar. He has chosen to go with development and truth. They (Sharad Pawar-led NCP) can organise a meeting and parade the number of MLAs that are supporting them. They should show their strength, he said. Asked about Shiv Sena leader Eknath Shinde and other ministers (after the revolt in June last year) claiming Ajit Pawar, as finance minister (in the previous MVA government), was biased in the disbursement of funds, Mungantiwar said the comments were hyped. He said that Shinde is the chief minister and that no work file can be stopped if he signs on it. The Uddhav Thackeray-led Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government, comprising the Shiv Sena (then undivided), NCP and Congress, collapsed in June last year after a revolt led by Shinde. The revolt also led to a split in the Shiv Sena. Later, Shinde became the chief minister with BJPs support. With inputs from agencies Read all the Latest News, Trending News, Cricket News, Bollywood News, India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) president Sharad Pawar on Tuesday said those who betrayed his ideology should not use his photograph. Only the party of which I am the national president and Jayant Patil the state president can use my photograph, he told reporters here. In his lifetime, it was his prerogative to decide who should use his photograph, Pawar said. Those who betrayed my ideology and with whom I have ideological differences cannot use my photograph, the veteran leader added. This comes days after his nephew Ajit Pawar and eight other MLAs of the Nationalist Congress Party joined the BJP-Shiv Sena government in Maharashtra. The Ajit Pawar faction also removed Jayant Patil as state NCP president. Patil, on the other hand, has submitted a petition to the Assembly Speaker seeking to disqualify Ajit and his associates. (With inputs from PTI) Read all the Latest News, Trending News, Cricket News, Bollywood News, India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) recently announced the re-naming of its last station on the yellow line in a series of tweets on Twitter. The move comes after several discussions with the competent authorities to rename Huda City Centre to Millennium City Centre Gurugram, the rail authority stated in a post. Anuj Dayal, Principal Executive Director for Corporate Communication for DMRC said that the gradual process towards changing the stations name in all official documents, signage, announcements, etc has begun. Check out the post: In partial modification of the earlier announcement regarding the renaming of the HUDA City Centre Metro station on Yellow Line, it has now been decided by competent authorities to rename the station as Millennium City Centre. Delhi Metro Rail Corporation I (@OfficialDMRC) July 3, 2023 In addition, DMRC announced that the process of making the necessary changes would be carried out gradually. Accordingly, the process of changing the name in all official documents, signage, announcements etc has been initiated and shall be changed gradually. Delhi Metro Rail Corporation I (@OfficialDMRC) July 3, 2023 In another post, the rail authority informed the public that the stations full name will read Millennium City Centre Gurugram. In reference to our earlier tweet regarding the renaming of the HUDA City Centre Metro station, this is to inform that the full name of the station will read as Millennium City Centre Gurugram. Anuj Dayal Principal Executive Director Corporate Communication DMRC Delhi Metro Rail Corporation I (@OfficialDMRC) July 3, 2023 The post garnered several likes and comments. The repeated updates on changing the stations name led users to take opposing sides. Several users commented on the post. Check out some of the comments below: Ek din aur le lo uske baad confirm bta dena kya naam rkha hai (Take a day more to confirm and then tell us the final name) wrote a user jokingly. ek din aur le lo uske baad confirm bta dena kya naam rkha hai. Nitin Kumar (@Nitinkrm14) July 3, 2023 Another user said: HUDA stands for Haryana Urban Development Authority. HUDA city centre is on everyones tongue. Huda stands for Haryana Urban development Authority. HUDA city centre is on everybodys tongue, easy to remember Icon (@icon_35174) July 3, 2023 Better change it to Aquarium City as in monsoons it feels like it would in Haryana with no proper drainage, suggested a third user. Better change it to aquarium City as in monsoons it feels like that way in haryana with no proper drainage. Rohit (@Rohit55242484) July 3, 2023 There were a few names that were characteristic of the city suggested by a fourth user. He wrote: Better is Flood City Center, Sharaab City Center, or Overcrowded City Center. Better Flood City Center Sharaab City Center Overcrowded City Center Roma (@thenewpitchfork) July 3, 2023 What about Water Logged City Centre? asked a fifth. What about "Water Logged City Centre"? Democratic Soul (@ranadeep_basu) July 3, 2023 The station is located in Haryanas Gurugram, a National Capital Region (NCR) known for its bustling IT industry. It is better known as Millennium City. In 2016, the Haryana government decided to change the name of Gurgaon citing the citys name Gurugram with origins dating back to ancient Hindu scriptures. The land is believed to have been owned by legendary rulers the Pandavas and Kauravas. They presented it to Guru Dronacharaya, their royal warfare guru, as an appreciation for his training. Read all the Latest News, Trending News, Cricket News, Bollywood News, India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. There is no leader like Prime Minister Narendra Modi. There is no alternative to him, said Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar. After inaugurating his NCP factions new office in south Mumbai, Pawar said that the country is marching ahead under his (Modis) leadership. We have joined the government to support him, he added. Ajit Pawar indicated that the allocation of portfolios in the state ministry may not be announced immediately. He attributed the delay to Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis leaving for Nagpur to welcome President Murmu who is reaching there later in the evening. We all have decided to work together. There is no question of disgruntlement, he said, when asked if some members in the Eknath Shinde group are unhappy over his inclusion in the ministry. Earlier on Monday, Pawar said the NCP decided to join the coalition government in Maharashtra to support Prime Minister Narendra Modis effort in taking India forward on the path of development. He asserted that the country is progressing under the leadership of PM Modi and therefore, he decided to extend support to the Centre by joining the Eknath Shinde-led government in Maharashtra. We decided to prioritise development. PM Narendra Modi has been strongly working for the country for the last nine years and he is taking the country forward on the path of development. We believed that we should also support that effort, Pawar said. Overall and comprehensive development was taken into account. We have a vast experience of the administration, we can utilise it for the good, he said.Ajit Pawar has not become the Deputy Chief Minister of Maharashtra for the first time. He has served the post five times, including twice before 2019 in a Congress-led government. Interestingly, Pawar has been donning the role of Deputy CM for the third time in four years under three chief ministers BJPs Devendra Fadnavis, Shiv Senas Uddhav Thackeray and Eknath Shinde. With inputs from agencies Read all the Latest News, Trending News, Cricket News, Bollywood News, India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Noida Police Tuesday neither confirmed nor denied if the Pakistan woman arrested from Greater Noida Monday for having illegally entered India was a spy. Moreover, in a damaging revelation, the police said that 27-year-old Seema Ghulam Haidar, mother of four, had learnt the route to enter India on a YouTube video. Allegedly, she went to Sharjah and then to Nepal and took a bus to Greater Noida. Seemas husband, the police said, was a mason in Karachi, and had left for Saudi Arabia. She had met Sachin, her online lover in 2019 on PUBG. They had then stayed in contact via Instagram and WhatsApp chat and video calls. The police Tuesday also said that Seema had gone to Sharjah in March 2023 and then to Kathmandu. Sachin had met her in Nepal and the two had stayed in a hotel for seven days. She had then gone back to Pakistan, the police claimed, only to return to Kathmandu on a tourist Visa with her four children. Seema Ghulam Haidars love story Seema Ghulam Haidar from Karachi, Pakistan, crossed two international borders to illegally enter India, ostensibly for love of an Indian man who she had met on the popular gaming app PUBG. Now, she is in the net of Noida Police. She could well be a spy, cops say. According to reports, Seema sneaked into India across the porous Nepal border about a month ago without any valid documents. She had come looking from Pakistan for one Sachin, a resident of Greater Noidas Rabupura. Reportedly, Seema landed into the police dragnet before she and Sachin could finally tie the knot. It so transpired that the lawyer the duo engaged to validate their marriage ratted them out to the police. The Noida Police, upon receiving the tip from the lawyer, got alerted and started investigating Seema and Sachin. But, in a major twist to this rather unusual love story, the two allegedly made good before the police could raid their rented accommodation. This was Saturday. The persistent cops, however, traced the duo Monday to a nearby area. Since the arrest, the police have been probing if this is a genuine Gadar story, or a tale of deception and honey-trapping and spying. Allegedly, earlier, Sachin had told the lawyer that he had met the Pakistani woman playing PUBG. Both became close friends within a few days of chatting and playing the online game together. According to sources who talked exclusively to Firstpost, Seema had described herself as a resident of Karachi; that her brother works in Pakistan army. She had on herself a Pakistani passport and an expired visa for Nepal with which she had managed to enter India with her four children to unite with her online lover and get married to him. Sachin, meanwhile, had reportedly told the lawyer that he wanted to marry Seema. Sachin, reportedly, had developed cold feet when Seema insisted on roaming around in Delhi for site-seeing. He suspected that the two would be caught. Noida police have arrested Seema, Sachin and Sachins father Netrapal and have booked all three under IPC sections 120B (Criminal Conspiracy), 34(Acts done by several persons in furtherance of common intention) along with section 14 of The Foreigners Act and 3/4/5 of The Passport Act (Entry into India) Act 1920. Read all the Latest News, Trending News, Cricket News, Bollywood News, India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. by M. K. Bhadrakumar The former US president Donald Trumps remarks regarding the failed coup attempt in Russia by Yevgeniy Prigozhin stood out for their sheer subtlety amidst the crass new western narrative that the dramatic events on June 23-24 highlighted cracks within the Russian system. No one cares to explain what these cracks are but the coinage conveys that Russia is heading for implosion. Per Trump, Russian President Vladimir Putin may have been somewhat weakened, creating an opportunity for the US to broker a peace settlement in Ukraine. The entrance lobby of the PMC Wagner Centre in St. Petersburg [Photo: Special Arrangement] Trump focused on ending the conflict in Ukraine and suggested territorial concessions to Russia as part of a settlement, taking into account the facts on the ground. However, the Biden administration is unlikely to follow up. In this context, the remarks on July 1 at a lecture at the Ditchley Foundation in Oxfordshire, a ceremonial county in South East England, by the CIA Director William Burns are of much interest. Especially so, as the backdrop is the battlefields of Ukraine. Kievs counteroffensive, much against its wishes and almost entirely due to pressure from Washington, is floundering and it underscores the catastrophic politico-military defeat that NATO faces. Yet, Burns blithely claimed: Putins war has already been a strategic failure for Russia its military weaknesses laid bare; its economy badly damaged for years to come; its future as a junior partner and economic colony of China being shaped by Putins mistakes; its revanchist ambitions blunted by a NATO which has only grown bigger and stronger. Each of Burns contentions is debatable. Again, he sees Prigozgins coup attempt as a scathing indictment of the Kremlins mendacious rationale for its invasion of Ukraine, and of the Russian military leaderships conduct of the war Disaffection with the war will continue to gnaw away at the Russian leadership That disaffection creates a once-in-a-generation opportunity for us at CIA, at our core a human intelligence service. Were not letting it go to waste (boasting about a new CIA drive to recruit Russian agents via internet.) Burns, while serving as counsellor in the Moscow embassy handled the bloody insurgency in Chechnya (fuelled by the CIA). He should, therefore, have no quarrel with the historical truth that Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov recalled the other day, Russia has always emerged more resilient and stronger after any difficulties and it is hard to call it (Prigozhins revolt) anything more than difficulties. Moreover, we already feel that the process has started. Those who manufacture false and self-serving narratives often run the risk of becoming their consumers. The unfinished business of the disbandment of Soviet Union revved up American diplomacy in the early 1990s to the project to encircle and stymie the Russian Federation. Its flip side was the attempt to transform Ukraine incrementally as an anti-Russia state and the ill-conceived decision by the Clinton administration on NATOs expansion into the territories of the Warsaw Pact alliance. Being a first-hand witness of these strategic blunders, Burns is well-placed to remind President Biden that the CIA plot to foster secessionism in North Caucasus and undermine the unity and integrity of the fledgling Russian Federation, the US interference in Ukraine and Georgia the dismemberment of the former Yugoslavia, the NATO expansion all these trampled upon Russias legitimate security interests, which ultimately created an adversary out of Russia by the end of the 1990s. But Burns instead puts all the blame on Putin, who came to power in 2000. So long as such patent intellectual and moral dishonesty permeates American thinking, how can there be a genuine US-Russia dialogue with mutual respect? Trump put the Wagner affair in proper perspective. Indeed, Putin may have become somewhat weaker, but that is largely because Prigozhin, an exceptionally gifted name caller and climber, cultivated a certain optics hinting at proximity with Putin and exploited it to amass great wealth and indulge in all sorts of nefarious activities. Putins fault lies in his failure to clearly define inappropriate behaviour and that has somewhat weakened him. On the other hand, this phenomenon is endemic to all top-down political systems, including the US, where no one is in a position to cross-check the veracity of the name callers claims that he is wired into the fountainhead of decision-making. In the final analysis, Putin is answerable to the people. Remember how he backtracked on pension reforms in 2018? Reportedly, the Kremlin has started preparing for the 2024 presidential campaign, therefore, Putins handling of Prigozhins treason will be closely watched in the months ahead. The bottom line is that Putin brilliantly succeeded in averting the massive bloodshed that the CIA had reportedly predicted as imminent in its top secret briefings to the US lawmakers in anticipation of Prigozhins coup attempt. The Wall Street Journal carried an exhaustive report today titled Putins Corporate Takeover Of Wagner Has Begun, which shows that the Russian state is already holding a searchlight into the antecedents and labyrinthine activities of the vast business empire that Prigozhin created. The Journal estimates that Prigozhin built one of the worlds most complicated and unaccountable corporate structures, a heavily-sanctioned spidergram of hundreds of companies in Russia and other jurisdictions that often paid their thousands of workers, mercenaries, line cooks, mining geologists, and social-media trolls in cash. Many of the deals Wagner-linked companies struck with African governments were informal, reliant on smuggling and illicit transfers and personally negotiated by Prigozhin himself Prigozhin had transferred some of his holdings to employees in the weeks before the mutiny, potentially making them even more complicated for the government to requisition. How is Putin responsible for all this? President Biden refuses to be accountable even for his sons shady business dealings! What Burns overlooks is that the Russian people are heads and shoulders above the American public when it comes to political erudition a legacy of the extraordinary heights of social formation in the Soviet era. That is why the Orwellian media censorship that is happening in America today cannot work in the Russian society where people are literate enough to glean facts unlike the gullible average American. The Russian people have no love lost for oligarchs and will overwhelmingly endorse the Kremlins moves to bring Prigozhin to justice. Equally, there is no question that all sections of Russian society have rallied behind Putin who scattered the coup plotters without bloodshed. The western attempt to portray Prigozhin as some charismatic figure with mass base is all bunkum. Such schadenfreude can only cloud rational thinking. Trump was not a career diplomat specialising on Russia but his intuitive cognition sensed that a window of opportunity has opened for the Biden Administration to take the Ukraine crisis to the negotiating table meaning, the Russian state and Putin are here to stay and make an authentic interlocutor. The only good part about Burns speech is that he refrained from bragging about defeating Russia. The proxy war turns out to be a flop and now the CIA returns to the greener pastures of internal subversion of Russia. To that end, a new narrative replaces the discredited one of Russias military defeat. The Ukraine war has badly exposed the CIAs shallow understanding of Russia. Burns caricatures Russia as the combustible combination of grievance, ambition and insecurity that Putin embodies. He says Russia constantly reminds us that declining powers can be at least as disruptive as rising ones. Hello, where does that put the US in the pecking order? Among the rising ones? M. K. Bhadrakumar was a career diplomat by profession. Roughly half of the 3 decades of his diplomatic career was devoted to assignments on the territories of the former Soviet Union and to Pakistan, Iran and Afghanistan. Other overseas postings included South Korea, Sri Lanka, Germany, and Turkey. He writes mainly on Indian foreign policy and the affairs of the Middle East, Eurasia, Central Asia, South Asia and the Asia-Pacific. The Union Minister of Parliamentary Affairs Pralhad Joshi chaired a meeting of secretaries and senior officers of various ministries and departments to review the preparedness of legislative and other government business for the ensuing Monsoon Session,2023 of Parliament. Joshi reviewed the preparedness of the legislative and other government business for the Monsoon Session, beginning July 20, during a meeting attended by ministers of state for parliamentary affairs Arjun Ram Meghwal and V Muraleedharan and officials of the ministry. The focus of the meeting was on repeal and re-enactment of pre-Constitution Acts according to present scenario as well as on Legislations concerning public welfare, an official statement said. Joshi directed the officials to complete all the procedural formalities with respect to the Bills to be brought during the session on priority basis. As on date, 38 draft legislations are pending before Parliament as just one bill was passed during the budget session. Among the bills pending before Parliament are the Inter-services Organisations (Command, Control and Discipline) Bill, 2023, the Jan Vishwas (Amendment of Provisions) Bill, 2022, and the Multi-State Co-operative Societies (Amendment) Bill, 2022. During the session, the governments priority will remain on the bill to replace the Government of National Capital Territory of Delhi (Amendment) Ordinance. The ordinance was promulgated effectively to nullify the Supreme Court judgment that gave the Delhi government greater legislative and administrative control over matters related to the transfer and postings of bureaucrats working under the Delhi government. Pralhad Joshi, monsson session, delhi ordinance, UCC Parliamentary affairs minister Pralhad Joshi on Tuesday directed officials to complete formalities related to the draft legislations to be introduced during the upcoming Monsoon Session. Joshi reviewed the preparedness of the legislative and other government business for the Monsoon Session, beginning July 20, during a meeting attended by ministers of state for parliamentary affairs Arjun Ram Meghwal and V Muraleedharan and officials of the ministry. The focus of the meeting was on repeal and re-enactment of pre-Constitution Acts according to present scenario as well as on Legislations concerning public welfare, an official statement said. Joshi directed the officials to complete all the procedural formalities with respect to the Bills to be brought during the session on priority basis. As on date, 38 draft legislations are pending before Parliament as just one bill was passed during the budget session. Among the bills pending before Parliament are the Inter-services Organisations (Command, Control and Discipline) Bill, 2023, the Jan Vishwas (Amendment of Provisions) Bill, 2022, and the Multi-State Co-operative Societies (Amendment) Bill, 2022. During the session, the governments priority will remain on the bill to replace the Government of National Capital Territory of Delhi (Amendment) Ordinance. The ordinance was promulgated effectively to nullify the Supreme Court judgment that gave the Delhi government greater legislative and administrative control over matters related to the transfer and postings of bureaucrats working under the Delhi government. With inputs from agencies Read all the Latest News, Trending News, Cricket News, Bollywood News, India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. With battle lines drawn in Maharashtra, veteran NCP leader Sharad Pawar and his nephew Ajit Pawar, who initiated a vertical split in the party on Sunday, have called all their MPs, MLAs, MLCs, district heads and state delegates to attend meetings at Yashwantrao Chavan Centre in south Mumbai and MET Bandra, respectively, on Wednesday. Both factions have claimed maximum number of MLAs are with them. NCP chief Sharad Pawar has called a meeting at 1 pm while the Ajit Pawar faction, which has aligned with the ruling Eknath Shinde-Devendra Fadnavis dispensation, will have its meet at 11 am, functionaries from both sides said. This will be the first meeting involving all functionaries for both factions since the party split on Sunday after Ajit Pawar and eight MLAs, including Chhagan Bhujbal, Dilip Walse Patil and Hasan Mushrif, joined the Eknath Shinde government. Incidentally, Amol Kolhe, Lok Sabha MP from Shirur, who attended the swearing-in ceremony on Sunday, a day later tweeted that he continued to be loyal to party supremo Sharad Pawar. Meanwhile, reports of Ajit Pawar taking over as the Chief Minister of Maharashtra in August are also doing the rounds. According to Rediff, Ajit Pawar will be crowned Maharashtras chief minister after the Monsoon Session of Parliament ends on August 11. Maharashtra Assembly Speaker Rahul Narvekar will disqualify all 16 MLAs of Shiv Sena, including Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, who will then be asked to resign from his post leading to dissolution of the council of ministers, the report quoted insiders as saying. The report claimed that this formula took shape in Delhi with the blessings of the BJPs central leadership. With inputs from agencies Read all the Latest News, Trending News, Cricket News, Bollywood News, India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit Uttar Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Telangana and Rajasthan on July 7 and 8 during which he will inaugurate and lay the foundation stones of about 50 projects worth around Rs 50,000 crore, official sources said Tuesday. All these states, except Uttar Pradesh, are slated to go to polls later this year. On July 7, PM Modi will first travel from Delhi to Raipur, where he will lay the foundation stone and dedicate multiple projects. These include foundation stones for various six-lane sections of the Raipur Vishakhapatnam corridor. Thereafter, he will attend a public meeting. PM Modi will then travel to Gorakhpur where will attend the programme at Gita Press. Thereafter, he will flag off 3 Vande Bharat trains and will also lay the foundation stone for the redevelopment of Gorakhpur railway station. From Gorakhpur, PM Modi will travel to his constituency, Varanasi, where he will inaugurate and lay the foundation stone of multiple key projects. He will also dedicate the four-lane widening of NH56 (Varanasi-Jaunpur). The PM will also lay the foundation stone for the renovation of Manikarnika Ghat and Harishchandra Ghat. On July 8, the PM will travel from Varanasi to Warangal in Telangana. Here, he will lay the foundation stone of various projects, including key sections of the Nagpur-Vijayawada Corridor. The PM will also lay the foundation stone of the Four Laning of the Karimnagar-Warangal section of NH- 563. Thereafter, he will attend a public meeting in Warangal. The PM will then travel from Warangal to Bikaner, where he will lay the foundation stone and dedicate multiple projects. He will dedicate various sections of the Amritsar Jamnagar Expressway. The Prime Minister will also dedicate the Inter-State Transmission Line for Green Energy CorridorPhase- I. He will also lay the foundation stone for the redevelopment of Bikaner railway station. Thereafter, he will attend a public meeting in Bikaner. With inputs from agencies Read all the Latest News, Trending News, Cricket News, Bollywood News, India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Prime Minister Narendra Modi took an indirect jibe at Pakistan for harboring terrorists and called the SCO members to come together and fight the menace. Terrorism is a threat to global peace. it is important to take decision to curb this. We have to fight this together, PM Modi said in his address at the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summit 2023 today. Some nations are using cross-border terrorism as an instrument of their policies and giving shelter to terrorists, PM Modi said. Through his statement, PM Modi also slammed China and said: SCO members should not hesitate and instead should come out in open to criticise such nations. SCO countries should condemn it. There should be no double standards on terrorism. #WATCH | Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), says Terrorism is a threat to regional and global peace. We will have to fight against terrorismSome countries use cross-border terrorism as an instrument of their policies and give shelter pic.twitter.com/qOjYt3Juo5 ANI (@ANI) July 4, 2023 The Prime Minister also asked the SCO members to work in direction to stop terror funding and radicalisation. The statement of PM Modi comes at an event which was also virtually attended by Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Chinese President Xi Jinping. Also, Prime Minister Modi's indirect attack on Pakistan and China comes within days after Beijing blocked a proposal by India and the US to designate Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba terrorist and 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks mastermind Sajid Mir as a global terrorist at the United Nations. India and the US had, earlier, jointly moved the proposal to blacklist Mir under the 1267 Al Qaeda Sanctions Committee of the UN Security Council as a global terrorist and subject him to an assets freeze, a travel ban and an arms embargo. Last year in September, China had put a hold on the proposal and this time around has blocked it. It wasn't the first such shielding of Pakistani terrorists by China. In October 2022, China had placed a hold on the proposal to add Hafiz Talah Saeed, the son of Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) chief and 26/11 mastermind Hafiz Saeed, on UNs global terrorists list. At the same time, China also blocked a proposal by India and the US at the UN to list LeTs Shahid Mahmood as a global terrorist. Mahmood, a senior leader based in Karachi, was declared a Specially Designated Global Terrorist (SDGT) in 2016 by the US. In August 2022, China blocked a proposal to blacklist the senior Jaish-e-Mohammed (JEM) deputy chief Abdul Rauf Azhar, saying it needed more time to assess the application. In June last year, Beijing put a technical hold on the proposal by India and the US to blacklist Pakistan-based terrorist Abdul Rehman Makki, the brother-in-law of Hafiz Saeed. In March 2019, China prevented a UNSC committee from blacklisting Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) Masood Azhar. However, two months on, the United Nations declared him a global terrorist, which came as a big diplomatic win for India after China withdrew its objections. With inputs from agencies Read all the Latest News, Trending News, Cricket News, Bollywood News, India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Often called the Muslim arm of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), the Muslim Rashtriya Manch (MRM) has launched a pan-India campaign for rallying the Muslim community in favour of the Uniform Civil Code (UCC) that is rumoured to be presented in Parliament this Monsoon Session. We had conducted a national abhyas varg in Madhya Pradesh between June 8 and 11 and we passed a resolution on the Uniform Civil Code and why it should be made into a law. We believe in the motto of one country, one people, one law, Mohammad Afzal, the national convenor of MRM told Firstpost. The MRM has also been conducting a survey among the Muslim community to gauge the mood of the people when it comes to UCC. The MP session was attended by delegates from across India and they were unanimous in their support for UCC. We dont want our religious tenets to be touched or tinkered with, and if a uniform civil law can be legislated keeping that in mind, whats the harm, Afzal added. Most of the people from the Muslim community that we have talked to across India are in favour of the UCC, Afzal claimed. Afzal also cited that what has been called Muslim Personal Law is not cast in stone and that it has also been changing with time under different rulers or generations. Initially the Muslim law was brought to India by the Muslim immigrants and the Muslim rulers. Then came the Mughals who imposed a different law, such as the Fatwa-i-Alamgiri. Then the British came and a different set of laws was put in action for Muslims; it was called the Anglo-Muslim Law. Muslim personal law is different from the Sharia, Afzal told Firstpost. Earlier, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had pitched for UCC after the 22nd Law Commission invited public views on it. PM Modi had attacked the Opposition for inciting the Muslim community against the idea. Read all the Latest News, Trending News, Cricket News, Bollywood News, India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Three individuals have been apprehended for the sexual abuse and gang rape of a young girl in Rajasthan. According to Baran Police, a 13-year-old girl who had reportedly endured sexual abuse from her 68-year-old father was subsequently subjected to gang rape by two others who claimed to be rescuing her from her father. All three suspects are scheduled to appear in court later today. On June 26, a man filed a report stating that his 13-year-old daughter had been missing from their home since June 22. The police intervened and rescued the girl on June 30. During her rescue, she disclosed that her father had been sexually abusing her for approximately a year and a half, and had threatened her life if she confided in anyone. The girl informed the authorities that her mother had passed away about five years prior, and she had been residing with her father since then. Subsequently, the young girl came into contact with a 29-year-old man who, under the guise of rescuing her from her father, took her with him on June 22. Then, both he and his accomplice proceeded to rape her multiple times. Based on the minors statements, the police registered a rape case against the father under relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and the Protection of Children from Sexual Offenses (POCSO) Act. Additionally, a separate case of gang rape was filed against the two men. Following initial investigations and the survivors medical examination, the police arrested all three suspects on Monday evening, as reported by PTI. Further inquiries into the incident are currently underway. Read all the Latest News, Trending News, Cricket News, Bollywood News, India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Hitting out at RJD chief Lalu Prasad Yadav and his family for involvement in land-for-jobs scam worth Rs 600 crore, the BJP on Tuesday said that the Yadav family adopted a reverse Robinhood strategy where in they looted the poor by acquiring their land and filled their pockets. This is reverse Robinhood. Robinhood used to loot the rich and provide for the poor. But in reverse Robinhood, the first family of corruption loots the poor, acquires their land and fills its pockets indulging in Rs 600 crores of scam, said BJP leader Shehzad Poonawalla. #WATCH | On RJD chief Lalu Yadav, Rabri Devi & Tejashwi Yadav named in chargesheet filed by CBI in land-for-jobs alleged scam case, BJP leader Shehzad Poonawalla says, This is reverse Robinhood. Robinhood used to loot the rich and provide for the poor. But in reverse pic.twitter.com/wpNdLhAS1T ANI (@ANI) July 4, 2023 His comments came a day after the CBI filed a charge sheet against Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Tejashwi Yadav, his father and former railway minister Lalu Prasad, and mother and former chief minister Rabri Devi in connection with the land-for-jobs scam. Though this is the second charge sheet filed by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in the case before a special court, it is the first time that Tejashwi Yadav has been named as an accused. Besides the three members of the Yadav family, the federal agency has named 14 individuals and entities in the charge sheet. The accused have been charged under Indian Penal Code sections related to criminal conspiracy, cheating and others in addition to provisions of the Prevention of Corruption Act. This comes days after over a dozen opposition parties, including Lalu Prasads RJD, resolved to take on the BJP unitedly in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections at a crucial meeting in Patna on 23 June. The BJP on Monday demanded the immediate dismissal of Tejashwi Yadav as Bihar deputy chief minister and reminded Chief Minister Nitish Kumar of his stand that he would not compromise on corruption. The CBIs case pertains to Group-D appointments for substitutes made in Western Central Zone based in Jabalpur, Madhya Pradesh during Lalu Prasads tenure as the railway minister from 2004 to 2009 in return for land parcels gifted or transferred by the recruits in the name of Lalu Prasads family or associates, according to officials. The agency had registered the case on 18 May, 2022 against Lalu Prasad and 15 others including his wife, two daughters, and unidentified public servants and private persons. A probe into similar recruitment in other railway zones is going on and will be part of future charge sheets, the officials said. The CBI had filed the first charge sheet in the case in October last year against Lalu Prasad, Rabri Devi and others pertaining to the appointments in the Central Zone of Railways based in Mumbai. With inputs from agencies Read all the Latest News, Trending News, Cricket News, Bollywood News, India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami on Tuesday met Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi amid the raging debate over the implementation of the proposed uniform civil code in the country. The visit came days after the PM unequivocally said that the country cannot be run on two laws. The Chief Minister said a common code will soon be implemented in the state, even as he denied having any discussion with the PM on the topic. Addressing the media after the meeting, Dhami said he has invited the PM to visit Uttarakhand. The chief minister said he also discussed the issue of assistance for the people affected by the Joshimath, Char Dham Yatra, and the increase in Goods and Services Tax (GST) collection in the state among other issues. However, when asked whether the UCC was also a topic of discussion, Dhami evaded a direct reply by saying the PM is already aware of all the details. He knows all about the provisions of UCC. It is his thought that UCC should be implemented in the country, Dhami said. He said the state government has not received a complete draft of the report on the code yet. We will bring it (UCC) soon, we will not delay it, nor will we do anything in a hurry so that there are shortcomings he said. Asked if Tribal groups will be exempted from the common code, the chief minister said the committee has reached out to different tribal groups in the state. Speaking with ANI on Tuesday, Dhami said that the expert committee is examining the views of more than 2.35 lakh people in the state representing different sections of society. All intellectuals, UCC committee and experts collected the suggestions of more than 2.35 lakh people. They also spoke with religious and other organisations. All these suggestions are being compiled. They will present a draft, CM Dhami said. Commenting on his meeting with Home Minister Amit Shah earlier, Dhami said they discussed the Char Dham yatra, the law-and-order situation in the state, and preparedness for natural disasters in view of the arrival of the monsoon. In its manifesto for the 2022 assembly elections in the state, BJP had promised to bring a UCC. Implementation of a UCC has been part of BJP election manifestos and Prime Minister Narendra Modi while addressing BJP workers in Bhopal last month made a strong push for it, asking how can the country function with dual laws that govern personal matters, and accused the Opposition of using the issue to mislead and provoke the Muslim community. Uttarakhand is already in the process of implementing its common code. With inputs from agencies Read all the Latest News, Trending News, Cricket News, Bollywood News, India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Maharashtra Legislative Assembly Speaker Rahul Narwekar has said that it is not yet certain whether the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) has joined the Shiv Sena-BJP coalition government or is still in the Opposition. On Sunday, Ajit Pawar took oath as the deputy chief minister of Maharashtra in a sudden move that is expected to change political equations in the state ahead of the Lok Sabha elections in 2024. Ajit Pawar, the nephew of NCP chief Sharad Pawar, was joined by eight other MLAs, some of whom were close allies of Sharad Pawar, in taking oath as ministers in the Shiv Sena-BJP coalition government in Maharashtra. Narwekar said he has not received a petition mentioning a split in the party. I am yet to ascertain whether the NCP is a part of the state government or is still in the Opposition bloc. I will go through the details available before me and take a call on it, he said. He added, I have received only one petition from NCP MLA Jayant Patil seeking disqualification of nine MLAs (Ajit Pawar and eight others who took oath as ministers along with him). There is no written communication from any other leader of the NCP. When asked how many MLAs have expressed their support to Ajit Pawar, Narwekar said, I do not have any information on it because there is no written communication from his side. The party-wise strength in the Legislative Assembly still remains unchanged. The Speaker said his office has received several representations from legislators related to recent developments in the NCP. We will look into them, study their legality and then only take a decision, he said without elaborating on the nature of representations received by his office. With inputs from agencies Read all the Latest News, Trending News, Cricket News, Bollywood News, India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Sawan or Shravan, a Hindu festival honouring Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati, starts today, 4 July. According to the Hindu calendar, this year, Sawan will last for 58 days. The holy month of Sawan starts today and will continue till 31 August. According to religious beliefs, from Devshayani Ekadashi (29 June) to Devuthani Ekadashi (29 November), Lord Vishnu is in Yognidra (psychic sleep). It is when the universes operation remains in the hands of Lord Shiva. Due to Adhikamas (extra month), this time, Chaturmas (holy period of four months) will be of five months instead of four. History and Significance of Sawan As per the Hindu calendar, Sawan is the fifth month. After Ashadh ends, the holy month of Sawan starts from the Pratipada (first day in the lunar fortnight) date of the Krishna Paksha. Also known as Shravan, this month is said to be the favourite of Lord Shiva. According to Hindu mythology, in the month of Sawan, goddess Parvati severed penance to have Lord Shiva as her husband. Later, he was impressed with the goddess dedication and accepted her as his wife. Shivlings Jalabhishek and Rudrabhishek have special significance in the month of Sawan. In this particular month, Monday fasting, monthly Shivratri and Kanwar Yatra have special importance too. Important dates of Sawan 2023 Due to Adhikamas this year, the month of Sawan will last for as many as 58 days. Sawan is starting from 4 July and will continue till 31 August. Actually, due to the extra month in Shravan, the month of Sawan will be of two months instead of one. After 19 years, such a coincidence will be seen in the month of Sawan. There are several other festivals too, that will be celebrated during the holy month of Shravan. Sankashti Chaturthi is on 6 July, Kamika Ekadashi is on 13 July, Masik Shivratri is on 15 July, and Amavasya of Shravan month is on 17 July. Later, Hariyali Teej will be celebrated on 19 August, Nag Panchami on 21 August and lastly, Raksha Bandhan will be celebrated on 30 August. Sawan 2023: Puja Vidhi According to religious beliefs, worshiping Lord Shiva and goddess Parvati and chanting mantras in the month of Sawan is a must. The ones wanting to impress Lord Shiva are expected to wake up early in the morning, take a bath, and wear clean clothes. After this, they should visit any Shiva temple located near their house and anoint Lord Shiva with Ganges water, milk, curd, honey, and sugarcane juice. Keep chanting the Om Namah Shivay mantra and offer Belpatra, Bhang, Dhatura, Shamipatra, etc. on the Shivling. After offering fruits and flowers, recite Shiva Chalisa and perform Shiva Aarti. On the other hand, married women keep fast each Monday in the month of Sawan and pray for the long life, happiness, and prosperity of their husbands and family. Read all the Latest News, Trending News, Cricket News, Bollywood News, India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. South Korean firm Hyundai Rotem has designed a new main battle tank called the K3. Current K2 tanks used by South Korea are based on the American M1. The K3 is more similar to the Russian T-14, which the Russians promoted as the tank of the future. The T-14 did not work. Its engine had persistent problems as did many electronic systems essential to the T-14soperation. Hyundai is aware of this and taking its time to get things right. The first working K3 prototype wont be available until 2030. The K3 design is similar in many ways to the T-14. K3 is a 55-ton tank with a three-man crew (commander, gunner and driver) operating from inside a heavily protected capsule underneath the turret, which is unmanned and uses an auto-loader. The K3 turret is designed to also handle the 130mm gun proposed as a replacement for the current NATO-standard 120mmm smoothbore cannon. The turret also contains a 12.7mm machine-gun that is usually operated by the gunner but can also be operated by the tank commander. There is an APS (active protection system) to defend against anti-tank rockets and missiles. There is supposed to be a system for detecting anti-tank mines and roadside bombs which have been a major source of tank losses for nearly a century. The K3 will have numerous video cameras and other sensors installed on the external hull. The armor itself is to be an improvement on the current composite design. The external sensors give the crew a 360 degree view of whats outside the tank day or night. The crew may use special visors for their helmets that display the outside view on the visor. This sort of thing is already in use. Communications systems also use the latest tech, which may include anti-jamming capabilities. The K3 has a top road sped of 70 kilometers an hour and up to 50 kilometers off-road. On roads, K3 range is 500 kilometers. There will also be a smaller auxiliary power generator to enable the main engine to be shut down while there is still sufficient power to keep all the electronics and air-conditioning operating. There was a similar, in some ways, new 35-ton PL-01 light tank developed by Poland and Britain back in 2013. The PL-01 worked but was not competitive with the Leopard 2 or M1. K3 developers learned much from the flawed development of the similar Russian T-14 design, which was meant to be a major improvement on the current T-72. T-14 development began over a decade ago and was supposed to be ready for combat by 2020 at the latest. That did not happen because of a growing list of problems. The worst was an unreliable engine and many of the electronic systems still have significant problems. Costs also increased to the point where it was no longer affordable. T-14 has not been in combat and is too expensive to purchase in large quantities. The 48-ton T-14 is a radical new design that appeared quite impressive but has so far proved too complex and too expensive to mass produce. Mass production was supposed to have started in 2015 but technical problems and shrinking defense budgets halted that until 2020 when covid19 restrictions again delayed production until 2022. The war in Ukraine meant further delays. Russia has fewer than thirty development and pre-production T-14s which have been undergoing field tests with tank units since 2016. The T-14 has a three-man crew and a fully automated turret with the three crew all in an armored capsule under the turret. The T-14 relies on a lot of new techs, some more advanced than any other Western tank has installed. Getting all that tech to work reliably has been a major problem. Getting all these problems fixed has made the T-14 more expensive, at about $4 million each. Thats twice what the reliable T-72B3 costs and Russian combat commanders and crews will have to be convinced that the T-14 works and is not just as reliable as the T-72B3, but also better at surviving in combat. Mass production to build less than two hundred more T-14s was supposed to begin in 2022. The Russians considered sending some T-14s to Ukraine but the list of known and potential defects made it obvious that T-14s in combat would be an embarrassment. There are major problems with the engine and electronics and now Russia cant afford the money needed to deal with those problems. The destruction of a family destroys its rituals of righteousness, and when the righteous rituals are no more, unrighteousness overwhelms the whole family. Bhagavad Gita (1:40) On winning the Nobel Prize for Literature, in 2001, VS Naipaul spoke of England my home, and India, the home of my ancestors. When asked why no mention of Trinidad, he said he feared it would encumber the tribute. The England that Naipaul paid tribute to, at the beginning of this millennium, has changed. Then, it was still the cool Britannia, which prided itself on multiculturalism. Now, the idea of celebrating differences frightens it because the experiment has spectacularly failed. Its message is not being heard by some to whom it was addressed. The idea of multiculturalism was introduced at a time when Muslims were embracing the transnational intensification of identity, and Britain wanted these migrant communities to integrate, without losing their identity. Its objective was that if all bloom and grow together, it will be good for everyone and the UK as well. But this wish soon began to clash with the suprastate that the Ummah (Muslim community across the globe) was advocating. These contradictory pulls led to disappointments. Finally, the Conservative Party under David Cameron rejected multiculturalism, citing it as a doctrine that tolerated segregated communities behaving in ways that run counter to our values. Later, as the British prime minister, Cameron said in 2011, Frankly, we need a lot less of the passive tolerance of recent years and much more active, muscular liberalism. There is no doubt that the idea of multiculturalism is under strain in the UK and in many other parts of the world. Instead of a society where all had a feeling of belonging, multiculturalism, in practice, became a convenient way of being comfortable in self-appointed silos, segregated and divided rather than being a part of the whole. The idea of blooming in togetherness was overwhelmed by the safety of the familiar. While multiculturalism is not dead, it is not vibrant either. Thats why some fear that there is the risk that its decline may lead significant numbers towards hostility. With multiculturalism dead, or dying, the latent sentiments against migrants have now emerged to the fore. Politicians, sections of society and many in the media are questioning the need of a policy that leads to more silos. Like England, the US, Germany, Poland, Hungary, France and Italy are putting up barriers. Since Naipaul was a fussy critic, it is difficult to say whether he would have still proudly called this changed England his home. But about India, the land of his ancestors, his view may have remained the same because even he could not have changed what has already come to pass. From ancient times, India has been a land of inclusion. That spirit of acceptance has been a positive influence, leaving the society that much more liberal and culturally vibrant. It is true that as elsewhere in the world, the Indian society has also periodically put up barriers. There were aberrations like the taboos against mixing with the invader, the odious Sati practice and orthodoxy in a society famed for Khajuraho. They were syndromes of an otherwise liberal tradition under test because the foreigner had invaded and conquered. But every time such tensions have gripped the Indian society, and the extreme view proliferated, the society has suffered. Once again, there is concern that the secular tradition that India was proud of is under threat. The liberals hope that it is a passing phase till the next elections. The silent majority in small towns and villages is apprehensive worried that the social fabric that has held together for centuries might start fraying. In that event, the disruption of a civil conflict would be enormous. This protective reaction is not just peculiar to India. Every society under siege tries to insulate itself when its culture, beliefs and traditions are under challenge. Sometimes, the reaction leads them to rigidity in religion, and that becomes the turning point. Even the otherwise prosperous societies begin their decline when the extreme view of religion begins to proliferate. As debate gets stifled, so does innovation. Multiculturalism should have been an antidote to that rigidity. It is, in essence, a shade of acceptance that India has practised for ages. Had it flourished in the present-day world, as it was intended to, multiculturalism would have enriched societies through multiplicity of ideas. Still, there is hope in the fact that the constant truth in the affairs of people and nations is that nothing is constant. Perceptions change periodically. Circumstances dictate covenants between nations, and opportunity erases them just as easily. Who could have imagined that there might be tranquillity of the rulesbased order in the world after the scale of violence in the two World Wars. Nor could those living in the 1970s think that the Cold War would end as abruptly as it did. When the Cold War ended, there was a sense of relief that the ideological and political extremes of the East and the West would no longer divide nations. But this relief was short-lived. Soon other apprehensions took over. Cultural differences became the new worry. Jacques Delors felt that future conflicts will be sparked by cultural factors rather than economics or ideology. The then Czech president Vaclav Havel offered his support to the possibility, Cultural conflicts are increasing and are more dangerous today than at any time in the history. David Cameron went a step further to pronounce bluntly, multiculturalism has failed. He may have been provoked by real grievances within Britain to go that far. But he was not wide of the mark. The fact is that the cultural divide is increasing, and not just in Britain. There are developments that are beginning to stifle multiculturalism in other parts of the world. Over the years, Pakistan has virtually wiped out its once-substantial minority population of Hindus and Christians. Chinas harsh methods against the minorities are a largely untold story simply because foreigners are denied access to the cities where China is disciplining these minorities to atheism. Tibetans are long used to beatings and the attempts at brainwashing. The Uyghurs, much larger in numbers, are the latest target of the Chinese stick. Gulag-like mass camps and a spy system that is pervasive are all designed with the sole purpose of enforcing religionless uniformity. But Pakistan and China are not the only countries enforcing repression. This intolerance of the other belief has been practised in the Gulf region ever since the oil boom started in the 1970s. Expatriates rushed in to take advantage of business opportunities and high-paying jobs. Other immigrants also flooded in to take up work as accountants, clerks, domestic helps and labourers. There was just one major rule that the Gulf states enforced no other religion except Islam could be practised within their borders. Accept this restriction or leave; it was as simple as that. However, over the years, some accommodation has been permitted to the discreet practise of other religions. A mild sort of multiculturalism thrives there within the rigidly drawn boundaries. Going by these examples and the record of migration through the ages, the shift of people away from the land of their birth occurs because of a variety of factors, ranging from better economic prospects abroad to persecution at home. But the continuing longing for their roots, generations after their forefathers had taken the first journey, explains their distinctive identity and the desire to preserve what they claim as theirs. Therefore, the questions that must be asked are these: why dont people rebel against state-enforced rules that deprive them of their identity? Why do they follow the enforced line? Why should their personal beliefs and conduct be regulated by a foreign regime? These questions were not necessary in the exuberance of postcolonialism and during the period of plenty in the Western world. That liberal spirit is now in retreat. Excerpts from Rajiv Dogras book, War Time: The World in Danger (Rupa Publications). The writer is a former diplomat. Views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not represent the stand of this publication. Read all the Latest News, Trending News, Cricket News, Bollywood News, India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. The Uniform Civil Code is a proposal based upon Article 44 of the Indian Constitution, that aims to establish a uniform system for personal matters related to all citizens of India. Currently, in India, there is a different legal framework under personal laws based on religious scriptures interpretations of matters such as religion, caste, and gender. Under the Uniform Civil Code (UCC), uniform provisions will be proposed for marital cases, divorce-related cases, inheritance cases, adoption cases, and matters related to sustenance and support, which will apply to all citizens of India. This is considered a necessary suggestion for the progress and governance of any secular nation. For many years, there has been a debate on whether the UCC can be considered an appropriate civil code for a country where people of various castes, tribes, and religions reside. On 27 June, while addressing BJP functionaries, Prime Minister Narendra Modi drew the nations attention to the UCC saying one home cannot have two sets of laws. The issue has sparked a debate surrounding its compatibility with Sharia Law, which is considered a mandatory legal system within the Muslim community. Sharia Law encompasses rules derived from the interpretation of the Quran and narrations attributed to Prophet Muhammad, covering both civil and penal codes. The All-India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB) opposes the UCC, asserting that Sharia Law should exclusively govern Muslims in any state. However, I argue that the UCC is not contrary to the Islamic Creed and should be implemented in every secular state. Living in an Islamic state is not a requirement for being a Muslim The Quran emphasizes the equality of all human beings and distinguishes them based on their righteousness (49/13). While it does provide instructions for a set of civil and penal laws to be followed by Muslim society, it specifically assigns this responsibility to the Prophet alone and does not authorise others to participate in the complex task of proclaiming true guidance and establishing an Islamic State (09/33). Indeed, the noble companions of the Prophet stood by him in every difficult situation and were commanded to assist him in his mission with sincerity for establishing the Islamic state (24/54-55). Islam began with Prophet Muhammads proclamation in Mecca, and over the course of 23 years, it was completed through the efforts of Prophet Muhammad and his noble companions. During the Prophets final years, he is said to have been visited by the Angel Gabriel, who asked him a series of five questions regarding Al-Islam, Al-Eman, and Al-Ehsan. In response, the Prophet provided clarifications without emphasizing the establishment of an Islamic state as an integral part of the Islamic creed (USC-MSA Vol. 1, Book 2, Hadith 48). Throughout the Quran, whenever a verse appears to support the establishment of an Islamic state, it is important to consider the context in which it was revealed. These verses often addressed specific circumstances and situations during the time of Prophet Muhammad and the early Muslim community only. They provided guidance for governing and organizing the community in a particular historical context. It is also reported in a narration that it suffices for a person to become successful if they believe in One God, offer obligatory prayers, observe fasting in the month of Ramadan, and pay the due charity. (USC-MSA Vol. 1, Book 2, Hadith 46). In the entirety of the Quran and the narrations, it is understood that living in an Islamic State or following the obligatory commands in the Islamic State is not a requirement for being a Muslim. The Quran has clarified it twice that to become successful, one must believe in God, perform righteous deeds and have faith on the Day of Judgment (02/62, 05/69). Muslims in both Muslim and non-Muslim States do not necessarily follow the Sharia Law Sharia Law encompasses not only civil affairs but also penal codes, which may involve severe punishments such as amputation of hands for theft and stoning to death for committing adultery. Many Muslims living in Muslim states, including Pakistan, Tunisia, and Turkey, do not adhere to Sharia Law. Meanwhile, Muslims living in non-Muslim states have been implementing the laws of the state in civil and penal codes. How would the AIMPLB justify categorizing them as insincere because they are not adhering to Sharia Law? Instead, they have chosen to abide by the civil and penal laws of the state in their daily lives. In fact, Muslims living in India have never followed the Sharia law in criminal matters and instead have followed the Indian Penal Code (IPC), like any other fellow citizen of theirs belonging to other religious communities. In contrast to this selective approach, the Quran provides examples of people who insincerely follow only certain parts of the Book for their convenience (02/85). As I stated above, living in a Muslim state and adhering to Sharia Law is not a requirement for being a Muslim. Instead, the key criterion for being a good Muslim is a sincere faith in God and the performance of ordained rituals, including prayers and fasting. Every Muslim is aware of this condition, which is why they can live happily in both Muslim and non-Muslim states without practising Sharia Law. We have also witnessed the radicalization of groups like ISIS and the Taliban, who sought to implement Sharia Law but displayed extreme cruelty towards non-Muslims, non-practising Muslims, and women. Many Muslims have recognised and acknowledged that such acts of cruelty are not representative of Islam. Improbability of AIMPLB The AIMPLB is a self-proclaimed organisation that has not consulted the Muslim population regarding their governance in civil matters. In a democratic state, any organisation participating in the civil lives of its citizens should have the support of democratically elected representatives. Every Muslim should raise objections as to why this non-governmental organization is interfering in their civil affairs without their consent. Even when a Muslim is living in an Islamic state, they are expected to reject authority in cases of disagreement and refer back to the Quran and the Prophets sunnah (04/59). In conclusion, the AIMPLB has no authority to judge and decide on the adoption of the UCC for Indian Muslims. Will UCC benefit Indian citizens? The opposition to the UCC is essentially an opposition to the unity, integrity, and sovereignty of the country, which has proven to be an obstacle to the development of the nation in the past and will continue to be so in the future. Therefore, the UCC can be considered a proper civil code for the country. I myself am a Muslim, and after studying all the renowned books of Islam, I have come to the conclusion that the UCC is indeed the better civil code for Muslims of Indian origin. It will provide guidance to life within this nation under the laws created by the intellectual class of this nation and allows for changes in laws according to time and circumstances. The author is a nationalist Indian Muslim, a student of Philosophy and a researcher in the Quran and Islamic theology, having in-depth knowledge in Islam. Views expressed are personal. Read all the Latest News, Trending News, Cricket News, Bollywood News, India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. A dramatic video surfaced on social media on 24 June. The actors played their role brilliantly, reflecting the ominous situation that had engulfed Russia and challenged and weakened its imperium, Vladimir Putin. Shot in Rostov-on-Don, Russias Southern Military Districts headquarters (HQ), the day after the Wagner coup facade, the footage shows the citys captor Yevgeny Prigozhin flanked by Russian deputy defence minister Yunus-Bek Yevkurov and military intelligence GRUs deputy chief Lieutenant General Vladimir Alekseyev on a bench. Just wow. A video has surfaced showing Prigozhin at the Southern Military District HQ in Rostov-on-Don talking to (and HUMILIATING) Deputy Defense Minister Yunus-bek Yevkurov. He threatens to blockade Rostov and head for Moscow! I have extreme trouble understanding Yevkurov and pic.twitter.com/jGr9gaLB1i Kevin Rothrock (@KevinRothrock) June 24, 2023 At the base of the Russian Joint Group of Forces in Ukraine, from where the 58th Combined Arms Army is countering Kyivs counteroffensive, Prigozhin brazenly challenges and humiliates Yevkurov and Alekseyev. They [Russian Air Force] shoot at us, we shoot them down, he tells Alekseyev. A third one [too]. And we will bring down all of them if you keep sending them, Prigozhin throws the gauntlet to Yevkurov, who exhales in apparent helplessness. We want to get the head of the General Staff [General Valery Gerasimov] and [defence minister Sergei] Shoigu. So long as they are not here, we remain here, blocking the city of Rostovand we will head for Moscow, he tells Alekseyev while refusing to release regular soldiers apparently held inside the HQ when Yevkurov asks. And the farce continues only to end in burlesque the next dayPrigozhin orders his men, who are around 200 km from Moscow, to march back and agrees to an exile in Belarus in a deal brokered by its President and Putins vassal Alexander Lukashenko. So-called strategic/military experts, global media outlets and the West cried Coup! and hastily concluded that Putin had been debilitated after the chink in his armour. Fake coup Putin staged the coup. Prigozhin is not a fool to risk his status and friendship with Putin. The Russian military would have decimated his mercenaries in a day. Traitors in Russia are either poisoned or jump/pushed down to death from buildings, not allowed to relocate to neighbouring nations. Putin never named Prigozhin during the national TV speech mentioning the stab in the back. Wagner marching into two cities unhindered without firing a shot and capturing them, with the 58th Combined Arms Army, the Rosgvardiya, the Federal Protective Service (FSO) and the brutal Chechen leader Ramazan Kadyrov not bothering to act, was comical. Social media was flooded with pictures and videos of Wagner battling the Russian Army. However, German broadcaster DW busted them as computer games like Arma 3 or Call of Duty. For example, a photo from a security camera showing a Wagner assault on a Moscow international airport was shared more than 600,000 times on Twitter. However, DW discovered that it was a blog entry describing a scene in the 2009 shooting game Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2. The Russian media also claimed that the air force has targeted Wagner on the M4 highway, linking Moscow and Rostov-on-Don. A video showing the attack was viewed more than half-a-million timesbut it was an Arma 3 clip. Did Putin use Maskirovka, the centuries-old and time-tested Russian art of masking, denial and deception used in the battles of Stalingrad and Kursk and before the Cuban Missile Crisis, to bamboozle the West and appeal to ordinary Russians to be steadfast in foiling a foreign plot hatched to disintegrate their fatherland? Each day post-coup is a revelation showing how the Kremlin scripted the drama. There are three reasons why Putin chose to helm the thriller. Russian front north of Ukraine Belying the initial predictions of a Russian cakewalk during the invasion, Ukrainians, assisted by Western arms and ammunition, have become a formidable challenge. Instead of occupying new territories, the mighty Russian military has lost a few and is reduced to defending the remaining with a staggering loss of troops and equipment. Russia controls only 17 per cent, or 103,600 sq km [in south and east viz. Luhansk, Kherson, Zaporizhzhia and Donetsk], of Ukraines 595,697 sq km of land compared to 132,000 sq km last year, according to the Institute for the Study of War. A US intelligence estimate from the Discord leaks in April showed that Russia has lost 189,500-223,000 troops, 2,048 tanks and 3,900 APCsand the grinding war could last beyond 2023. In such a scenario, Putin has no option but to change his military tactics or open a new front to divert the Ukrainian counteroffensives attention in the south and southeast and prevent further ignominy of loss of men, equipment and territories. What Lukashenko and Putin portrayed as an exile deal with Prigozhin was merely for public consumption. The Russian President fooled the media and strategic/military experts into believing that Prigozhin was exiled and Wagner would be disbanded. What seemed a relief could turn out to be a horror with the presence of Wagner in Belarus, which already has tactical Russian nukes. Ukraine and NATO members Poland, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania are already alarmed. First, the Belarusian strongman invited Wagner to train his military. Europes last dictator doesnt brook dissenta private army would increase his clout and make him stronger. Unfortunately, they [Wagner mercenaries] are not here. And if their instructors, as I already told them, come and pass on combat experience to us, we will accept this experience, he said and boasted of his 20-year friendship with Prigozhin in a speech dedicated to Belaruss Independence Day, state news agency Belta reported. The presence of the US Patriot missile system in Poland has always riled Russia and Belarus. Likening Poland to Ukraine, Lukashenko said that America is turning its neighbour into Ukraine-like hotspot. Second, high-resolution satellite imagery obtained by BBC Verify shows more than 300 tents were set up in Belaruss Osipovichi city, 230 km north of the Ukrainian border. Independent Russian news portal Verstka reported that the tents are meant for 8,000 Wagner men who were part of the staged rebellion. The tents show that the fake coup was planned and staged with perfection. Third, Russia has recently increased missile strikes on northern Ukraine from Belarus. On June 21, towns and cities in Sumy, Chernihiv and Kharkiv were attacked with mortar and artillery, according to the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. On June 25, Chernihiv and Sumy were attacked with 120 mm mortars 21 and 13 times, respectively, The Kyiv Independent reported. Fourth, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy has ordered top military commanders to fortify the north. The decision is for Commander-in-Chief [General Valeriy] Zaluzhnyi and North commander [General Serhiy] Naev to implement a set of measures to strengthen this direction, he said on Telegram on June 30. Ukraines counteroffensive is concentrated on the south and southeast. Considering Wagners success in Bakhmut, there is a high possibility of Putin using the mercenaries to reopen the north front, throwing the counteroffensive into disarray with Kyiv rushing to defend its northern border. Estonia, Poland, Latvia and Lithuania are also concerned about the situation in the eastern borders of NATO and EU becoming even more precarious. The emergence of the Wagner mercenary group in Belarus could make the security situation on the eastern borders of NATO and the EU even more precarious, Parliament speakers in Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania said in a statement urging the EU to brand Wagner a terrorist organisation. This move needs to be assessed from a different security point of view. We have seen the capabilities of those mercenaries, Latvian foreign minister Edgars Rinkevics said. After meeting seven NATO members, the blocs secretary general Jens Stoltenberg said, We have already increased our military presence in the eastern part of the alliance. Moreover, Lukashenko has banned unfriendly foreign media. It is not a coincidence. With no hostile reporters present in Belarus, Wagner can operate freely without the risk of being either reported or exposed. Putin needs Wagner The Ukraine war has exposed the incapability of Russian top military brass, which was unaware of the calibre of Ukrainian forces and the Russian militarys weaknesses. Their plans were not implemented cohesively by the middle rung. Putin needs Wagner all the more now. The best example was Bakhmutwhen the military failed, Putin called the mercenaries, who won the battle. Besides, Putin cannot afford to lose control in the Central African Republic, Libya, Sudan and Mali, where Wagner deals in diamonds and gold. Most interestingly, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told the media on June 25 that some Wagner members, if they wish to do so, can later ink contracts with the defence ministry, signalling that the group could be subsumed. However, Wagner continues to recruit fighters across Russia. The BBC called more than a dozen recruitment centres using a Russian phone number and found that Wagner is still recruiting fighters for Ukraine. In fact, fighters are signing contracts with Wagner, not the defence ministry. Putin cements unifier image further With the protracted and agonising war looking to either end in a pyrrhic victory or cessation/peace and eight months to the national election, Putin needs public supportthough elections under him are neither free nor fair. Surveys conducted confidentially by political managers and experts on the invasion in the last half of 2022 and accessed by The Moscow Times revealed that the number of Russians who believed Putin was right by attacking Ukraine had dropped from 70 per cent to 60 per cent nine months after the war. Now, it has been 17 months. Putin urgently needs a deflection from the misadventure. What could be a better way to divert the publics attention from battlefield losses by using government information machinery and social media to create the phantom of a coup and the West trying to dislodge the government? As Adolf Hitler writes in Mein Kampf: In the primitive simplicity of their minds they [the masses] are more easily victimised by a large than by a small lie An untruth of that sort would never come into their heads, and they cannot believe that others would indulge in so vast an impudence as gross distortion. Hitler further writes that the masses will long continue to doubt and waver despite being enlightened. [They] will still believe there must be some truth behind it somewhere. For this reason, some part of even the boldest lie is sure to stick. Dictators/autocrats often use this chapter in their authoritarian playbooks to drum up support and mislead the public: create a domestic problem to divert attention from an external crisis and vice-versa. Putin adopted the same tactic. Amid the mayhem triggered by the coup, Papa appeared as the unifier and saviour junking his pandemic-induced three-year seclusion. Putin addressed the nation, gave another speech extolling soldiers on the Kremlins Cathedral Square, allowed a crowd to mob him in Dagestans Derbent city and got a standing ovation and doodled on an interactive whiteboard at a business conference on Russian brands in Moscow. Divide and rule to maintain grip Dictators/autocrats frequently use the divide-and-rule principle to maintain their iron grip. Hitler protected and enhanced his powers by pitting different groups against each other. The Nazi state has been depicted as a chaotic competition of power blocksthose Nazi and non-Nazi groups with influence: the SS, the Nazi party, the Army, the conservative elites and Germanys powerful industrialists, Martin Collier and Philip Pedley write in their book Hitler and the Nazi State. The authors found a coherence to this chaos: all competing groups and institutions were attempting to create policy in the Fuhrers name, according to what they believed to be the Fuhrers will. When the invasion started faltering in the last few months of 2022, Putin sacked Eastern Military District Commander Colonel-General Alexander Chaiko and his Western Military District counterpart Colonel-General Alexander Zhuravlyov in October. In the same month Air Force General Sergei Surovikin, aka General ArmageddonPrigozhins friend and Wagners secret VIP memberwas named the overall Commander of Russian forces fighting in Ukraine. In the next three months, as Russia lost Kherson, Surovikin was replaced with Gerasimov. Last week, The Moscow Times cited two sources close to the defence ministry saying that Surovikin was arrested for supporting Prigozhin. Contrarily, it was reported initially that he had tried to convince Prigozhin not to rebel. Neither the ministry nor the Kremlin confirmed his arrest. According to some sources, Surovikin, not seen since the coup, had only been questioned and then released. None of the reports could be confirmed. Surovikis Wagner membership might appear a bombshell but Wagner primarily comprises former Russian Army personnel and Spetsnaz members. In fact, the group was founded by Lieutenant Colonel Dmitry Utkin, who had commanded the 2nd Spetsnaz Brigade. Wagners main base is in Molkino, in the Krasnodar district, and is jointly operated by the 10th Separate Special Purpose Brigade of Russias GRU, where Utkin once served. Its impossible even to imagine that a former GRU member would be part of a coup. It would be incredulous to believe that the GRU, FSB and SVR spies were ignorant of the coup. The New York Times reported citing unnamed American officials that Surovikin knew about the coup. The Kremlin, which uses surveillance and forced disappearances to control the masses and eliminates its enemies or detractors in a jiffy, would have sniffed the coup before it was plotted. All this while, Putin conveniently overlooked Prigozhins public rantings against Shoigu and Gerasimov. Obviously, the Wagner boss was acting at the behest of Putin, who wanted to target the duo for failing him in the battlefield. Besides, the President never fulfilled Prigozhins demand to replace Shoigu and Gerasimov. Clearly, it was a tactic to pit Prigozhin against the duo to name and shame it for their failures. The writer is a freelance journalist with two decades of experience and comments primarily on foreign affairs. Views expressed are personal. Read all the Latest News, Trending News, Cricket News, Bollywood News, India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. The visit of Philippine Foreign Minister (Called Secretary for Foreign Affairs) Enrique Manalo to India (27-30 June) is like a breath of fresh air. The Philippines was a laggard among ASEAN countries in developing a relationship with India. Over the last two years, the relationship has intensified. The Fifth Joint Commission meeting has gone rather well. Secretary Manalo is leading a Philippines effort to enhance its strategic, economic and political security by expanding its relations with countries in its neighbourhood and beyond. Its identification with the Indo-Pacific goals of India is remarkable and they are now studying association with the Indo-Pacific Oceans Initiative. The Philippines is exhibiting a clear path forward. It sanctifies ASEAN unity and centrality, recognises that the Quad acknowledges this, and is ready to move beyond into ASEAN Plus postures. The Philippines is ready to look at new trilateral partnerships, with the US-Japan and with Japan-Australia. The Philippines evidently has no issue in dealing with Quad countries. India is an important partner for renewed engagement through an active foreign policy. Traditionally the Indian engagement with the Philippines has been correct but lacked trade and cultural energy. This has now picked up and crossed $3 billion, small even by ASEAN standards. The Philippines is yet not a major trading partner. They continue to invite Indian investment, which is now $5 billion. There is interest in developing this but the constraints of distance, the lack of direct flights and their being a part of other supply chains are constraints. Indian companies do not use the ASEAN India FTA well, and during the visit, a bilateral PTA was discussed. On the socio-cultural side, the Philippines is less visible in the tourism, Bollywood, Ramayana and Mahabharata engagement that India has with several ASEAN countries. However, in areas like climate change IT services in new technologies and the health sector, there is a growing interest which could contribute to greater cooperation. The locomotive of the India-Philippines renewed relationship is the defence and security pillar. The Philippines is the first ASEAN country to place orders for the BrahMos missiles beating long-term interests from Indonesia and Vietnam. The $375 million deal has given unexpected momentum to Indo-Philippine ties and shows the seriousness with which the Philippines approaches India. Secretary Manalo was clear during his visit that they seek a more robust defence partnership. This will not stop only at purchases and will include the acquisition of naval assets, expansion of training and joint exercises on maritime security and disaster response, among others. A follow-up to the India-ASEAN maritime exercise in which the Philippines participated may happen. The possibility of Indian patrol boats and similar equipment being looked at by the Philippines exists and as India and the Philippines have agreed to enhance cooperation on maritime security these will come to the fore. This also means that the Philippines now accept the cooperation which the Quad offered for MDA and will form a part of further engagement with India. Both Ministers emphasized the utility of maritime domain awareness, and in this context called for early operationalization of the Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for the White Shipping Agreement between the Indian Navy (IN) and the Philippines Coast Guard (PCG). They looked forward to the signing of the MoU on Enhanced Maritime Cooperation between the Indian Coast Guard (ICG) and Philippines Coast Guard (PCG). Terrorism and transnational crimes as common security threats, an MOU on Cooperation in Preventing and Combating Terrorism and Transnational Crime is envisaged, as are a Mutual Legal Assistance Treaty on Criminal Matters and a Treaty on Transfer of Sentenced Persons. Bilaterally the Philippines looks to advance cooperation with India in the sectors of space, public health, cybersecurity and tourism. On the defence side, it would like to work more on nontraditional security threats. In 2024, India and the Philippines will celebrate 75 years of their bilateral partnership. The Philippines wants to reinvigorate all the bilateral mechanisms and celebrate that anniversary in a fitting manner. India is ready to share its digital innovations for the benefit of local communities in the Philippines across sectors such as disaster resilience, health, water, environment protection, education and others. The ratification of the Agreement on Indian Grant Assistance for Implementation of Quick Impact Projects (QIP) in the Philippines signed in February 2023, will add a fillip to the partnership. The Philippines is not a major player in ASEAN. It is not the current chair and does not carry the burden of current challenges to ASEAN centrality and unity. It has several direct problems with China in the South China Sea. China is critical of the Philippines for reviving the defence arrangements with the US which have brought back to life several facilities in the northern Philippines, which is closer to Taiwan. The Philippines is clear that ASEAN Plus arrangements are not detrimental to ASEAN centrality and therefore it also recognizes that the Quad and Philippines could work together.it is evolving into a trilateral with the US and Japan. It is conscious that all ASEAN countries do not always have the same view and consensus is difficult. That impinges on how each country reacts to the Quad as each country has reacted differently to Chinese offers under the code of conduct which is negotiated over two decades. The Filipino economy grew at 7.6 per cent in 2022, the fastest in ASEAN and its best since 1976. The Philippines believes that with its active growth rate, as with India, the chances of economic cooperation and complementarities could improve and with a ratified Bilateral Air Services Agreement, the feasibility of a direct flight also goes up. It is evident that at the governmental level, the Philippines is reaching out to India and India is responding well. However, at the popular level, there is still a gap because India is not a preference for people in the Philippines. In an ISEAS survey on the State of SE Asia 2023, there was little interest among Filipinos in tourism or educational exchanges with India. Yet the trust factor in India is rising. Clearly, the effort at the level of governments and strategic coherence which is emerging around the Indo-Pacific needs to enhance people-to-people relationships, increase socio-cultural engagement and more trade ties. That will make the engagement substantive and vibrant. The author is a former ambassador to Germany, Indonesia, Ethiopia ASEAN and the African Union. He tweets @AmbGurjitSingh. Views expressed are personal. Read all the Latest News, Trending News, Cricket News, Bollywood News, India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Google has recently announced a significant breakthrough in the development of quantum computers, claiming to have achieved quantum supremacy. They assert that their quantum computer can perform super complex calculations within seconds that would take the fastest supercomputers from their rivals about 47 years to complete. Experts believe that quantum computers will replace traditional computers in our daily lives and bring about a revolution within the next few decades. By harnessing the peculiarities of quantum physics, these advanced machines are expected to accelerate machine learning, tackle climate change, and facilitate the discovery of new drugs. Not the first time that Google has made such a claim This is not the first time Google has made such a claim. In 2019, they proclaimed quantum supremacy, but sceptics questioned the validity of their assertion. IBM, their rival, argued that the task accomplished by Googles Sycamore quantum computer was not particularly challenging and could technically be performed by a classical machine, albeit at a much slower pace. However, Google now asserts that they have developed a more powerful quantum computer that surpasses classical machines, thus achieving quantum supremacy. The exact cost of developing this quantum computer remains unknown at present, but Google has been approached for additional information. The Google researchers behind this achievement explain in their paper, which is published on the arXiv pre-print server (yet to undergo peer review), that quantum computers have the potential to perform tasks that are beyond the capabilities of classical computers. They further emphasize that their experiment surpasses existing classical supercomputers when evaluating the computational cost against improved classical methods. How do quantum computers work? Quantum technology exploits the mysterious effects of quantum physics to significantly enhance information processing speed, potentially leading to the creation of the most powerful computer on Earth. The potential of quantum computers surpasses even the fastest classical computers like the Frontier supercomputer in Tennessee. Classical computers operate on binary code, using only two states (zeroes or ones). In contrast, quantum computers utilize quantum mechanics, allowing quantum bits or qubits to exist in multiple states simultaneouslyzero, one, or both. Google has announced an upgraded version of its Sycamore quantum processor, now running on 70 qubits compared to the previous 53 qubits. With 70 qubits, the quantum processor can store and process 70 units of quantum information, a task impossible for any classical computer, regardless of its speed. To illustrate the power increase, the team states that Frontier, a classical supercomputer, would take 6.18 seconds to match a calculation from Googles 53-qubit computer but 47.2 years to match a calculation from the latest one. A Major Milestone Google researchers aim to demonstrate the superior performance of their 70-qubit device beyond classical capabilities. While IBM has not yet commented on Googles recent work, industry experts view it as a significant milestone. Steve Brierley, CEO of quantum company Riverlane, considers it a resolution to the previous debates on quantum supremacy. However, some critics, including Sebastian Weidt from the University of Sussexs Ion Quantum Technology group, raise concerns about the practical applications of Googles achievement, emphasizing the need for quantum computers to deliver tangible value to society. Various entities, including the University of Sussex, Google, IBM, and Microsoft, are actively involved in developing quantum computers. The long-term goal is to create commercial quantum computers available for public purchase, although this is still a decade or two away, at the very least. Currently, experimental quantum computers are being built for research and development purposes. IBMs Q System One, released in 2019, is an example of a quantum machine with 20 qubits, but it fell short of achieving quantum supremacy, according to critics. Read all the Latest News, Trending News, Cricket News, Bollywood News, India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Award-winning Russian journalist Elena Milashina was beaten by armed masked men in Chechnya who broke her fingers and left bruises all over her body. Milashina is undergoing treatment in hospital and is sometimes losing consciousness, the Memorial human rights group said on Tuesday. The renowned investigative journalist with Novaya Gazeta newspaper was attacked when she was travelling from the airport to the Chenchen capital Grozny with her lawyer Alexander Nemov. Her car was forcibly stopped by the armed assailants. Russian journalist gets death threats The Memorial human rights group said the armed men savagely kicked Milashina and her lawyer, including in the face, received death threats and was threatened with a gun to the head. Also, the equipment which they were carrying were snatched and smashed before them. Photos of Milashina in hospital shared by Crew Against Torture show her head shaven by her assailants, her face covered in green dye thrown over her by her attackers, and bandages on her left arm and right hand. President Vladimir Putin had been informed about what the Kremlin called a very serious attack, saying that it had to be investigated and followed by energetic measures. Milashina recalls horror Lying in hospital in Grozny, Milashina, while speaking to a Chechen human rights official said: It was a classic kidnapping They pinned (our driver) down, threw him out of his car, got in, bent our heads down, tied my hands, knelt me down there, and put a gun to my head. Milashina is expected to be flown to Moscow for further treatment. What was she doing in Chechnya? Milashina was in Grozny to attend the sentencing of Zarema Musayeva, the mother of three exiles critical of Chechen strongman Ramzan Kadyrov. Kadyrov is a military officer and former warlord closely allied with the Kremlin. Musayeva was detained by Chechen forces in Nizhny Novgorod in January 2022. The journalist had covered rights abuses in Chechnya for Novaya Gazeta for years. However, in February last year Novaya Gazeta said Milashina had to leave Russia temporarily after receiving death threats from the Chechen leadership. With inputs from agencies Read all the Latest News, Trending News, Cricket News, Bollywood News, India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. The Centre has summoned Canadian High Commissioner Cameron MacKayove over Khalistani posters informing about 8 July march to Indian embassies in Canada and carrying threat messages to Indian diplomats. Khalistan extremists are planning to take out a protest march to Indian embassies in Toronto and Vancouver after deliberately trying to blame Indian diplomats and security agencies for the killing of designated terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar. The 45-year-old Khalistan Tiger Force (KTF) chief was killed in an inter-gang warfare on 19 June in Sikh-dominated Surrey town in Vancouver. Meanwhile, Canada has reaffirmed its commitment to the safety of Indian diplomats in the country following the circulation of the threat posters. Taking to Twitter, Canadian Foreign Minister Melanie Joly said, Canada takes its obligations under the Vienna Conventions regarding the safety of diplomats very seriously. Canada remains in close contact with Indian officials in light of some of the promotional material circulating online regarding a protest planned for July 8th, which are unacceptable. Canada takes its obligations under the Vienna Conventions regarding the safety of diplomats very seriously. Canada remains in close contact with Indian officials in light of some of the promotional material circulating online regarding a protest planned for July 8th, which are pic.twitter.com/ZRblnqkUZq ANI (@ANI) July 4, 2023 We know that the actions of a few do not speak for an entire community, or Canada, she added. Jolys comments came a day after External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said that India will take up the issue of Khalistanis threatening Indian diplomats in posters with the Trudeau government, and also talk to other partner countries where such issues keeps cropping up. Jaishankar said that India has requested its partner countries including Canada and the UK to not give space to the Khalistanis as it will affect their relationship. We have requested our partner countries like Canada, the United States, the UK and Australia not to give space to the Khalistanis. This will affect our relations. We will raise this poster issue with the government of these countries, the EAM had said. With inputs from agencies Read all the Latest News, Trending News, Cricket News, Bollywood News, India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. The Chinese government has escalated its crackdown on Christians, targeting a pastor who has been slapped with substantial fines for leading a house church. This troubling incident has raised grave concerns within religious communities across the country, as many describe this as a case of religious persecution. Pastor Yang Xibo and his wife, Wang Xiaofei, who oversee the Xunsiding Church, have been collectively fined 400,000 yuan (approximately $55,100) for organising religious activities. The case was revealed by ChinaAid, a Texas-based nonprofit organization that monitors Christian oppression in China. Xunsiding Church, situated in Xiamen, a port city on Chinas southeast coast near Taiwan, is the largest house church in the region. House churches are Christian congregations that have chosen not to register with Chinas official Protestant or Roman Catholic churches. The couple has been embroiled in a legal battle over the fine since 2021, and ChinaAid reported that the amount was doubled on June 28. Yang and Wang recently took to social media to announce their refusal to pay, expressing gratitude to God for allowing them to endure persecution and noting that they possess no property for the court to seizean unexpected blessing. Yang Xibo, a fourth-generation minister, follows in the footsteps of his father and aunt, who were both imprisoned for rejecting membership in the state-sanctioned Three-Self Church, as reported by ChinaAid. Xunsiding Church initially faced a ban and a 25,000 yuan fine in May 2019. According to ChinaAid, the Chinese government deployed police to surround the church and subjected its members to 30 days of harassment. The congregation frequently changed locations as authorities continued their surveillance, conducting repeated raids that resulted in property destruction. In addition, churchgoers were pressured to enroll their children in public schools. The targeted persecution of Xunsiding Church is part of a broader crackdown on unregistered churches in China, where only five religious groups are permitted to practice under strict state supervision, according to ChinaAid. Earlier this year, ChinaAid President Bob Fu informed Fox News Digital that Christian persecution in China has reached a level not seen since the Cultural Revolution under Mao Zedong. According to a report published by ChinaAid, Chinese Christians are routinely imprisoned and subjected to torture. The government exploits the traditional Christian practice of tithing to fabricate fraud charges, aiming to financially suffocate house churches. Numerous house church pastors and elders have been imprisoned, facing the prospect of lengthy sentences. In Henan province, religious individuals are obligated to register with the governments Smart Religion app to participate in worship services. Fu also cautioned that the tactics employed by Western governments are increasingly resembling those of the Chinese Communist Party he fled from when he sought refuge in the United States during the 1990s. Read all the Latest News, Trending News, Cricket News, Bollywood News, India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Chinese leader Xi Jinping warned against colour revolutions and a new Cold War Tuesday, according to a state media readout of his speech to a virtual summit of Shanghai Cooperation Organisation leaders. We must be highly vigilant against external forces fomenting a new Cold War and creating confrontation in the region, and resolutely oppose any country interfering in internal affairs and staging a colour revolution for any reason, Xi said. Earlier On Tuesday, President Xi Jinping urged members of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation to continue in the correct direction and strengthen solidarity and mutual trust, emphasising that the historical trend of peace, development, and win-win cooperation is irreversible. The US on Monday recommended Americans reconsider travelling to China because of arbitrary law enforcement and exit bans and the risk of wrongful detentions. No specific cases were cited, but the advisory came after a 78-year-old U.S. citizen was sentenced to life in prison on spying charges in May. It also followed the passage last week of a sweeping Foreign Relations Law that threatens countermeasures against those seen as harming Chinas interests. The advisory also said that Chinese authorities appear to have broad discretion to deem a wide range of documents, data, statistics, or materials as state secrets and to detain and prosecute foreign nationals for alleged espionage. It listed a wide range of potential offences from taking part in demonstrations to sending electronic messages critical of Chinese policies or even simply conducting research into areas deemed sensitive. Read all the Latest News, Trending News, Cricket News, Bollywood News, India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. An NHS nurse has been barred from service after authorities found out she was having a year-long affair with a patient and refused to call him an ambulance as he had a heart attack during a romp session inside a car. Nurse has affair with dialysis patient Penelope Williams, was working at Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board as a Registered Nurse in a Renal Haemodialysis Unit in October 2019, when she got involved with the dialysis patient two years later. Penelope, 42, however, failed to call for an ambulance when the man blacked out in the back of his car, while having sex with her, with his trousers around his ankles. Turns out, the man, known only as Patient A, suffered a heart attack during the late night romp session, a disciplinary committee hear, reported The Sun. The report further said Williams did not call 999 for help and instead rang a colleague while crying and distressed to perform CPR on her semi-naked lover. Heres what happened next The nurse called her colleague around 11.56 pm, in distress and begging for help. The co-worker told her to call an ambulance while she rushed over, but Williams failed to do so. The colleague found the patient unresponsive on arrival and called for an ambulance, while police started performing CPR on the unconscious man. Police said that the patient subsequently died from heart failure and chronic kidney disease triggered by a medical episode. The nurse barred from working Following the hearing, the nurse has been struck off by the Nursing and Midwifery Council, which said she brought the nursing profession into disrepute. The Nursing and Midwifery Council in its decision cited that the nurse broke three rules, including entering an intimate and/or sexual relationship with a patient, communicating with a patient via Facebook and meeting with a patient outside work environment. With inputs from agencies Read all the Latest News, Trending News, Cricket News, Bollywood News, India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. North Korea is very poor and cannot afford modern air defense systems. There is also an international arms embargo on North Korea which prevents North Korea from buying new weapons even if it had the money. North Korea has to improvise and does this by (sort of) keeping older weapons and aircraft in service. North Korea has a lot of elderly air defense artillery and SAM (Surface to Air Missile) systems and puts most of this round the capital and some key military installations. This may improve North Korean morale but any potential attackers, like South Korea or the United States plan to use guided missiles against these targets. Anti-aircraft guns and obsolete SAMs can do little against this sort of thing. North Korea also has hundreds of nominally operational Russian aircraft. Only a few dozen MiG-29 and Su-27 aircraft, which entered service in the 1980s, are available. Most (about 600) of the North Korea jet fighters are 1950s designs. This includes nearly 500 MiG-15s and 17s plus about a hundred MiG-21s and 23s. North Korea manages to keep these aircraft operational by only letting pilots fly them one or two hours a month. That means pilot skills are as limited as the effectiveness of these elderly jet fighters. While North Korea has been unable to afford new jet fighters, UAVs are another matter. North Korea has been able to obtain several hundred of these from China and Russia. Many of them are over 20 years old and many have a range of over 400 kilometers, but few can carry weapons. North Korea has sent some of these into South Korea on reconnaissance missions but the South Koreans learned how to spot them and shot them down using jet fighters, armed helicopters and ground fire. As UAV losses increased, North Korea halted the cross border flights. South Korea is prepared to do the same to any North Korea jet fighters or bombers. North Korea has about 80 Cold War era Il-28 Russian bombers. North Korea is the only country still operating these 21-ton two-engine bombers. The Il-28 was the first Russian jet bomber, over 6,000 were built in the 1950s, and most were retired in the 1960s because faster and more capable jet bombers became available. Russian exported the IL-28 to dozens of countries, including North Korea. The Il-28 has a crew of three and carries up to three tons of bombs. Top speed of the IL-28 is 900 kilometers an hour but the more economic cruising speed is 770 kilometers an hour. At that speed the IL-28 has a max range of about 2,000 kilometers. Most countries with IL-28s retired them in the 1970s and 80s. North Korea kept theirs because it was the only jet bomber they could get. One elderly Russian military aircraft that remains very useful is the AN-2 biplane transport. North Korea has several hundred of these and they are to be used in wartime to sneak North Korean commandos into South Korea. An AN-2 can carry ten of these troops at slow (under 60 kilometers an hour) and low altitudes that modern radars cannot detect. South Korea modified some of its air defense radars to detect AN-2s and shoot them down before they can deliver their commandos. Those commandos that do reach South Korea are supposed to create as much havoc and confusion as possible. AN-2s can also carry two tons of cargo or bombs. The bombs would simply be armed and pushed out the cargo door by a second crew member. Normally the AN-2 is flown by a single pilot. Over 18,000 AN-2s were built and production continues in some countries. For North Korea, the AN-2 is the only really effective military aircraft they have. India has served a demarche on Canada after pro-Khalistani supporters declared their intent to protest outside Indian embassies in Canadian cities on July 8. The Canadian government-led by Justin Trudeau has been asked by the Indian government to take strong measures to prevent protesters from congregating close to missions and consulates or desecrating the Indian national flag, sticking pamphlets or items to the boundary fence or throwing projectiles into the Indian diplomatic premises in Canada. US-based proscribed organisation SFJ that has main link in Canada has planned protests outside Indian High Commission in Ottawa, and two consulates in Toronto and Vancouver on July 8. On Monday, India had called the Canadian High Commissioner to the South Block and conveyed Indian concerns. The note verbal was sent to Global Affairs Canada on Tuesday. On March 23, 2023, Khalistani activists had lobbed two smoke grenades into the premises of the High Commission. What did Trudeau government say? Minister of Foreign Affairs in Trudeau government, Melanie Joly reacted to the announcement of protests by pro-Khalistani supporters and said, Canada takes its obligation under the Vienna Conventions regarding the safety of diplomats very seriously. Canada remains in close contact with Indian officials in light of some of the promotional material circulating online regarding a protest planned on July 8th, which are unacceptable, she said. My comment regarding some of the promotional material circulating for a planned protest on July 8. pic.twitter.com/yYoWDCvAdi Melanie Joly (@melaniejoly) July 4, 2023 Indian High Commission in Canada demands safety Meanwhile, the Indian High Commission in Canada has asked the government to take all safety precautions including providing escort to the High Commissioner and two Consul Generals till the threat situation persists. The pamphlets, calling for protests, circulated by Khalistanis have named the Indian High Commissioner Sanjay Kumar Verma, Consul General Vancouver Manish, Consul General Toronto Apoorva Srivastava. The Indian embassy has also informed the Canadian authorities that Khalistan separatists have even planned to burn the Indian national flag during the protest. Why Khalistanis in Canada have called for protest on July 8? Khalistan supporters have been deliberately blaming Indian diplomats in Canada as well as security agencies for killing 45-year-old designated terrorist and Khalistan Tiger Force (KTF) chief Hardeep Singh Nijjar on June 19. Nijjar, was gunned down in Surrey, Vancouver in inter-gang warfare. The rivals of Nijjar pumped him with 15 bullets for taking over crime in Surrey but the SFJ has used this killing to blame Indian security agencies to raise funds and radicalise the Sikh youth against Indian diaspora in the west. The vandalism of the Indian consulate in San Francisco and the burning of the building are also part of the SFJ campaign run by G S Pannu, who allegedly gets soft treatment in Canada and the UK. What is a demarche? Commonly used in diplomatic circles, demarche is a more formal communication of one government's official position, views, or wishes on a given subject to an appropriate official in another government. With inputs from agencies Read all the Latest News, Trending News, Cricket News, Bollywood News, India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Pro-Khalistan supporters vandalised and set Indian consulate in San Francisco on fire, drawing strong condemnation from the United States on Tuesday. According to Diya TV, an American broadcast television network, the Khalistanis supporters released a video dated 2 July related to the act of violence. ARSON ATTEMPT AT SF INDIAN CONSULATE: #DiyaTV has verified with @CGISFO @NagenTV that a fire was set early Sunday morning between 1:30-2:30 am in the San Francisco Indian Consulate. The fire was suppressed quickly by the San Francisco Department, damage was limited and no pic.twitter.com/bHXNPmqSVm Diya TV 24/7 * Free * Local (@DiyaTV) July 3, 2023 The Khalistanis radicals set the Indian consulate on fire between 1:30 am and 2:30 am on Sunday. But it was quickly doused by the San Francisco fire department, the channel reported, adding, that the damage was limited and no staffers were harmed. Local, state and federal authorities have been notified, said the report. Taking to Twitter, Matthew Miller, the spokesperson for the US State Department, on Tuesday strongly condemned the incident saying vandalism or violence against diplomatic facilities or foreign diplomats in the US is a criminal offense. The U.S. strongly condemns the reported vandalism and attempted arson against the Indian Consulate in San Francisco on Saturday. Vandalism or violence against diplomatic facilities or foreign diplomats in the U.S. is a criminal offense, Matthew Miller, the spokesperson for the US State Department tweeted. The U.S. strongly condemns the reported vandalism and attempted arson against the Indian Consulate in San Francisco on Saturday. Vandalism or violence against diplomatic facilities or foreign diplomats in the U.S. is a criminal offense. Matthew Miller (@StateDeptSpox) July 3, 2023 In March, a group of pro-Khalistani protesters had attacked and damaged the Indian consulate in San Francisco, prompting sharp condemnation from the Indian government and India-Americans. Raising pro-Khalistan slogans, the protesters broke open the makeshift security barriers erected by the city police and installed two Khalistani flags inside the Consulate premises. Two consulate personnel soon removed these flags. The attack on the Indian consulate came hours after pro-Khalistani supporters pulled down the Indian tricolour flying atop the Indian high commission in London. On Monday, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said India will take up the issue of Khalistanis threatening Indian diplomats in posters circulated in Canada with the Trudeau government, and also talk to other partner countries where such issues keeps cropping up. Khalistan extremists are planning to take out a protest march to Indian embassies in Toronto and Vancouver on 8 July after deliberately trying to blame Indian diplomats and security agencies for the killing of designated terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar. The 45-year-old Khalistan Tiger Force (KTF) chief was killed in an inter-gang warfare on June 19 in Sikh-dominated Surrey town in Vancouver. Jaishankar said that India has requested its partner countries including Canada, UK and the US to not give space to the Khalistanis as it will affect their relationship. We have requested our partner countries like Canada, the United States, the UK and Australia not to give space to the Khalistanis. This will affect our relations. We will raise this poster issue with the government of these countries, said the EAM. With inputs from agencies Read all the Latest News, Trending News, Cricket News, Bollywood News, India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. The BJP on Tuesday condemned in strong voice the attempt by Khalistani supporters to set ablaze the Indian Consulate in San Francisco, saying that the Khalistanis are playing into the hands of ISI and have become the enemy of India and Sikhs. We condemn in strong voice the attempt to set on fire the Indian Consulate in San Francisco. Consulates are a ray of hope and a support centre for the people of our country living in foreign nations. These people (Khalistanis) have become the enemy of India and Sikhs. They are playing into the hands of ISI, said BJP leader Manjinder Singh Sirsa. #WATCH | On fire at Indian Consulate in San Francisco, BJP leader Manjinder Singh Sirsa, says We condemn in strong voice the attempt to set on fire the Indian Consulate in San Francisco. Consulates are a ray of hope and a support centre for the people of our country living in pic.twitter.com/nejLedznvE ANI (@ANI) July 4, 2023 I request the Sikhs abroad to identify these people and take strict action against them, Sirsa added. The US on Tuesday also strongly condemned the pro-Khalistan supporters for vandalising and setting Indian consulate in San Francisco on fire. A video by Khalistan supporters, dated 2 July posted on Twitter, showed the act of arson at the Indian Consulate in San Francisco. ARSON ATTEMPT AT SF INDIAN CONSULATE: #DiyaTV has verified with @CGISFO @NagenTV that a fire was set early Sunday morning between 1:30-2:30 am in the San Francisco Indian Consulate. The fire was suppressed quickly by the San Francisco Department, damage was limited and no pic.twitter.com/bHXNPmqSVm Diya TV 24/7 * Free * Local (@DiyaTV) July 3, 2023 The video, with the words violence begets violence emblazoned over it, also showed news articles related to the death of Canada-based Khalistan Tiger Force (KTF) chief Hardeep Singh Nijjar. Nijjar, one of Indias most-wanted terrorists who carried a cash reward of Rs 10 lakh on his head, was shot dead outside a gurdwara in Canada last month. Responding to the incident, State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller in a tweet on Monday said, The US strongly condemns the reported vandalism and attempted arson against the Indian Consulate in San Francisco on Saturday. Vandalism or violence against diplomatic facilities or foreign diplomats in the US is a criminal offence. Diya TV, a South Asian broadcast TV network in the US, said in a tweet that a fire was set early Sunday morning between 1:30-2:30 am in the San Francisco Indian Consulate. The fire was suppressed quickly by the San Francisco Department, the damage was limited and no staffers were harmed. Local, state and federal authorities have been notified, it said. The outlet also posted a video of the arson attack. A poster being shared on social media says that a Khalistan Freedom Rally will be organised on 8 July that will start in Berkeley, California and end at the Indian embassy in San Francisco. This is the second time within months that the Indian Consulate in San Francisco came under attack from Khalistani supporters. On 19 March, a group of pro-Khalistan protesters attacked and damaged the Indian Consulate in San Francisco. Raising pro-Khalistan slogans, the protesters broke open the makeshift security barriers raised by the city police and installed two so-called Khalistani flags inside the Consulate premises. Two consulate personnel soon removed these flags. With inputs from agencies Read all the Latest News, Trending News, Cricket News, Bollywood News, India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Pakistan gives full support to fighting terrorism, said Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Tuesday while addressing the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summit 2023. We need to fight terrorism spreading over the region and over the world. Terrorism in all.. including state terrorism, we must eradicate it, and religious minorities should not be stigmatised, dehumanised to attain political goals. Pakistan gives full support to fighting terrorism. The SCO countries should act together to use its potential to act together jointly, Sharif said. Earlier, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in his opening remarks at the virtual summit, said that some countries use cross-border terrorism as an instrument of their policy and the grouping must not hesitate to criticise them. With Shehbaz Sharif listening, PM Modi said there is a need for decisive action to deal with terrorism. The summit was joined by Chinese President Xi Jinping, his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin, Sharif and other leaders of the SCO nations. Terrorism has become a threat to regional and global peace, Prime Minister Modi said, calling for expanding mutual cooperation to deal with terror financing as well. We have to fight together against terrorism that may be in any form and any manifestation, Modi said. Indias concerns and expectations regarding Afghanistan are similar to those of most SCO countries, he said. (With inputs from PTI) Read all the Latest News, Trending News, Cricket News, Bollywood News, India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Russian President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday said that Russia supports the New Delhi declaration which gives a consolidated approach to international issues and vowed to continue strengthening ties with SCO member states. Thanking Prime Minister Narendra Modi for organising the SCO summit, Putin said, Implementation of a lot of documents and the decisions were prepared for this summit. Russia supports the New Delhi declaration which gives a consolidated approach to international issues. We will continue to strengthen ties with SCO member states. At SCO Summit, Russian President Vladimir Putin says I would like to thank PM Modi for organising this Summit. Implementation of a lot of documents and the decisions that were prepared for this Summit. Russia supports the New Delhi declaration which gives a consolidated approach pic.twitter.com/fd7t1VocTv ANI (@ANI) July 4, 2023 Echoing PM Modis concerns on the situation in Afghanistan, President Putin said things are regrettably not becoming better. Another focus of the SCO is the current situation in Afghanistan. The situation that regrettably is not becoming better. The SCOs priority must be counter-terrorism, counter radicalism, extremism and to counter drug trafficking, said Putin. Apart from Russia, the virtual summit under Indias presidency was also attended by leaders of China, Pakistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan and Iran. Earlier, in a veiled attack on Pakistan, PM Modi told leaders of the SCO nations that there must not be any double standards in combating terrorist activities and the bloc must not hesitate to criticise countries that support cross-border terrorism as part of state policy. #WATCH | Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), says Terrorism is a threat to regional and global peace. We will have to fight against terrorismSome countries use cross-border terrorism as an instrument of their policies and give shelter pic.twitter.com/qOjYt3Juo5 ANI (@ANI) July 4, 2023 With Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Chinese President Xi Jinping and Putin listening, Modi said that there is a need for decisive action to deal with terrorism and terror financing. Terrorism has become a threat to regional and global peace, Modi said calling for expanding mutual cooperation to deal with the menace by the grouping. We have to fight together against terrorism that may be in any form and any manifestation, Modi said, asserting that there must not be any double standards in fighting terrorism. Chairing the summit, Modi also delved into various global challenges. The food, fuel and fertiliser crisis is a big challenge for all the countries in the world surrounded by controversies, tensions and epidemics and there must be united efforts to deal with it, he said. On the situation in Afghanistan, Modi said Indias concerns and expectations regarding that country are similar to those of most SCO countries. The prime minister said the SCO has emerged as a key platform for peace, prosperity and development for Eurasia. Indias thousands of years old cultural and people-to-people ties with this region (Eurasia) are living testimony to our shared heritage, he said. As chair of SCO, India has made sustained efforts to take our multifaceted cooperation to new heights, he added. Modi said India has established five pillars of cooperation within the SCO that included startup and innovation, traditional medicine, youth empowerment, digital inclusion, and shared Buddhist heritage. He said India supports the proposal of reform and modernisation of the SCO. I am happy that Iran is going to join the SCO family as a new member, he said. The prime minister also welcomed the signing of the Memorandum of Obligation for the SCO membership of Belarus. A number of signature events were held under the Indian presidency with the intention to further deepen people-to-people connect. Indias association with the SCO began in 2005 as an observer country. It became a full member state of SCO at the Astana summit in 2017. India has shown a keen interest in deepening its security-related cooperation with the SCO and its Regional Anti-Terrorism Structure (RATS), which specifically deals with issues relating to security and defence. The SCO was founded at a summit in Shanghai in 2001 by the presidents of Russia, China, the Kyrgyz Republic, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. India and Pakistan became full members of the SCO in 2017. With inputs from agencies Read all the Latest News, Trending News, Cricket News, Bollywood News, India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Russia has completely shunned US dollar and is now settling trade with China in ruble and yuan. President Putin said his country is promoting the use of national currencies to clear shipment payments with other SCO member countries. Russia will continue to strengthen ties with SCO member states and these ties are becoming stronger and stronger. The trade between Russia and SCO countries increased last year by more than 37 per cent. It reached the record high 263 billion dollar and in January-April of this year, it increased by 35 percent more, Russian President Vladimir Putin said in his virtual address at SCO summit chaired by India. Putin said Russia has been expanding the use of national currencies and mutual settlement with its other overseas trading partners. For example more than 80 per cent of commercial transactions between Russia and China is being done in rubles and yuan, he said. The share of Russian currency in the transaction with other SCO members in 2022 exceeded 40 per cent, Putin said. The Russian president said his country has been taking active participation in the implementation of the roadmap of the SCO on transitioning to the national currencies in mutual trade which was approved at the previous summit. Russia has been at the receiving end of US-led sanctions regime by Western countries after it invaded Ukraine in February last year. With inputs from agencies Read all the Latest News, Trending News, Cricket News, Bollywood News, India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Russian President Vladimir Putin said that the country will continue to challenge sanctions and restrictions imposed by different countries in the wake of the Ukraine war. A lot of times, external forces have created hostile state. Ukraine was pumped with weapons for eight years, they were instigating aggression against the peaceful population of Donbas. They were also encouraging neo-nazi ideology, Putin said. External forces implemented creation of anti-Russia state in Ukraine Putin at SCO summit Follow us on Rumble: https://t.co/Nuc9nUzTc5 pic.twitter.com/CM4KbadIlg RT (@RT_com) July 4, 2023 He added, All of this was done to put Russias security at risk and to stop the development of our country. Putin said that hybrid warfare has been unleashed against Russia. I would like to emphasise that Russia counters all these sanctions and external pressures. Under current conditions, our country continues to develop. Russian people are more consolidated than ever, he said. Sanctions on Russia Russia has been slapped with multiple sanctions ever since it launched a special military operation against Ukraine. With the war currently in its second year, Western countries have increased the number of sanctions imposed on Russia. The European Union, the US, Canada and the UK have frozen the assets of Russian banks functioning in their countries. Additionally, the EU has set limits on the amount of money Russians can deposit in banks. The UK government had planned to implement similar measures last year but dropped it this year. Apart from financial sanctions, over 1,000 Russian businesses and individuals have been targeted by the UK, US and EU countries. In retaliation, Russia banned exports of certain goods and services like telecoms, medical, vehicle, agricultural, electrical equipment and timber products. These measures are a logical response to those imposed on Russia, the Russian economy ministry said. Read all the Latest News, Trending News, Cricket News, Bollywood News, India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Five Ukrainian drones were shot down by Russia on Tuesday in the Moscow area, which it described as a terrorist act that interfered with the operation of the Vnukovo international airport. An attempt by the Kyiv regime to attack a zone where civil infrastructure is located, including an airport that receives international flights, is a new terrorist act, AFP quoted foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova as saying on Telegram. The Russian military said that there was no damage or casualties. Four drones were destroyed by anti-air defence systems while a fifth was neutralised by electronic means before crashing, it added. Emergency services cited by the RIA Novosti news agency said one of the drones was neutralised at Kubinka, about 40 kilometres (25 miles) from Vnukovo, whose functioning was briefly interrupted by the attack. Several flights were redirected to other airports and Russias air transport agency said traffic at Vnukovo resumed at 0500 GMT. Russias Federal Air Transport Agency said that other airports in Moscow and the Moscow region were operating normally. State-run agency RIA Novosti also reported that two drones had been downed near the village of Valuevo in New Moscow, citing emergency services. The drones had fallen into an open field and no casualties had been reported, it said. Moscow mayor Sergei Sobyanin called it another Ukrainian drone attack attempt. Drone attacks have hit Russian cities throughout Moscows offensive in Ukraine, but have intensified in recent months. Moscow and its environs, lying some 500 kilometres from the Ukrainian border, have up to now been rarely targeted. In early May, two drones were shot down above the Kremlin, and later the same month drones hit Moscow high-rises. Kyiv said early Tuesday that Russia had launched 22 Iranian Shahed attack drones at the Sumy, Donetsk and Zaporizhzhia regions. Its forces had destroyed 16 of the drones, it said. With inputs from agencies Read all the Latest News, Trending News, Cricket News, Bollywood News, India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, during his address at the SCO Summit, mentioned the sorry state of affairs in Afghanistan, saying that the situation in the country has a direct impact on all countries. The situation in Afghanistan has had a direct impact on the security of all of us (countries). Indias concerns and expectations regarding Afghanistan are the same as most of the SCO Member countries, he said. Calling on all the member countries to make efforts to stabilising the situation in Afghanistan, PM Modi said, We have to make united efforts for the welfare of the people of AfghanistanIt is important that the land of Afghanistan is not used to spread unrest in neighbouring nations or promote extremist ideologies. Incidentally, the Taliban banned beauty salons run by women in Afghanistan. All beauty salons operated by women in Kabul and other provinces should be banned immediately and follow our order, the Ministry of Vice and Virtue. India is hosting the SCO Summit under its presidency this year. The meeting saw the attendance of Russian President Vladimir Putin, Chinese President Xi Jinping, and Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, among others. This years Summit theme is Towards a SECURE SCO. SECURE is short for Security, Economy and Trade, Connectivity, Unity and Respect. The Indian leader added that as the chair of SCO, India has facilitated taking the groups multifaceted cooperations to new heights. Emphasising the role India has played in developing SCO, PM Modi said, In 14 ministerial meetings of SCO, we have prepared and agreed on important documents on infra, de-carbonisation, digital public infrastructure. India has taken several initiatives at this forum. Read all the Latest News, Trending News, Cricket News, Bollywood News, India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Explosions again rocked Sudans capital Khartoum on Monday as the army rallied civilians to take up arms against a renewed onslaught by its paramilitary foes. The sound of artillery fire shook the dawn in northwest Khartoum and progressed towards the centre and east of the city, witnesses told AFP. The fighting began at 4:00 am (0200 GMT) and is still going, one resident said. The war-torn capital barely saw a few hours of respite after heavy clashes on Sunday between troops loyal to army chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and those of the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF). The army announced Monday it was ready to receive and prepare volunteer fighters, after Burhan last week urged Sudanese youth and all those able to defend to join the military. War-weary civilians have largely rejected the call, pleading for an end to the relentless war between Burhan and his former deputy, RSF commander Mohamed Hamdan Daglo. Later on Monday, witnesses reported the air force targeted an armoured RSF convoy as it wound its way from the countrys south towards Khartoum. Outside the capital, some of the worst fighting has been in the vast western region of Darfur, where late Sunday RSF forces attacked the military base in Nyala, the capital of South Darfur state. Since April 15, nearly 3,000 people have been killed in the violence, according to the Armed Conflict Location and Event Data Project. But medics warn the death toll is likely to be much higher, with about two-thirds of health facilities in combat areas still out of service. A further 2.2 million people have been displaced within the country, with another 645,000 fleeing across borders, according to the International Organization for Migration. Darfur violence Darfur is home to a quarter of Sudans population and is still scarred by a two-decade war. Residents there, as well as the United Nations, United States and others, say civilians have been targeted and killed for their ethnicity by the RSF and allied Arab militias. The RSF has been accused of intentionally targeting civilians in Darfur, including by shooting people fleeing towards the Chadian border. The paramilitaries have also been identified as the main perpetrators of conflict-related sexual assault by survivors in both Darfur and Khartoum, according to the governmental Combating Violence Against Women and Children Unit. Since the conflict began, RSF fighters highly mobile and embedded in densely populated neighbourhoods have been accused of widespread break-ins and looting. Late on Sunday, the RSF announced it was cracking down on looting and vandalism, particularly the theft of civilian cars. The force, which traces its origins to the notorious Janjaweed militia recruited in the early 2000s to crush a rebellion by ethnic minority groups in Darfur, announced last week it had begun to try some of its undisciplined members. On Monday a coalition of Arab tribes from South Darfur announced in an online video its allegiance to the RSF, urging community members in the armed forces to desert and join ranks with the paramilitaries. Children fleeing More than half of Sudans population is now in need of aid, according to UN figures. In addition to food and water, people are also in need of protection, the UNs deputy special representative for Sudan, Clementine Nkweta-Salami, told Saudi-owned Al Arabiya television on Sunday. She reiterated appeals to both parties to allow for supplies and personnel to enter the country and move freely. Relief deliveries have been repeatedly looted and humanitarian workers attacked. The situation has been especially horrific in Darfur, where entire neighbourhoods have been razed to the ground, cities besieged and bodies left to rot on the streets. Barely any humanitarian assistance has reached desperate civilians, as aid groups report their teams standing by in neighbouring Chad, waiting for humanitarian corridors to open. Since April, more than 170,000 people have fled Darfur across the Chadian border, according to the UN refugee agency. Thousands of families with children are fleeing the violence in West Darfur, according to Mandeep OBrien, country representative for UNICEF which has reported hundreds of children killed in the fighting. The UN agency estimates that more than 13 million children are in dire need of humanitarian assistance. Read all the Latest News, Trending News, Cricket News, Bollywood News, India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. In a move to further restrict womens right in Afghanistan, the Taliban has issued a new verbal decree, imposing a ban on womens beauty salon in Kabul and other provinces across the country. The Taliban Ministry of Vice and Virtue issued an order to the Kabul municipality to cancel the licenses of womens beauty salons to make the new rule effective. The men are jobless. When men cannot take care of their families, the women are forced to work in a beauty salon to find a loaf of bread. If they are banned there, what can we do? said Raihan Mubariz, a makeup artist, as per TOLO News. We will not get out of the home if men (of the family) have jobs. What can we do? We should starve to death, what should we do? You want us to die, said a makeup artist. The situation continues to be nasty after Taliban took over Afghanistan in August 2021. Earlier,Islamic Emirate has banned girls and women from going to schools, universities and working at NGOs as well as going to public areas such as parks, cinemas and other recreation areas. Kabul resident Abdul Khabir said: The government should make a framework for it. The framework should be in a way that neither Islam would be damaged nor the country. The imposition of restrictions on Afghan girls and women by the Taliban has sparked reactions at both the national and international levels. Read all the Latest News, Trending News, Cricket News, Bollywood News, India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Eight people were wounded in a car-ramming and stabbing terror attack in Tel Aviv on Tuesday, police said, adding that a Palestinian rammed a pickup truck into pedestrians in Tel Aviv and then went on a stabbing rampage. The Hamas militant group has reportedly claimed responsibility for the attack. According to authorities, the 20-year-old Palestinian from the occupied West Bank was killed by an armed citizen. According to Israels Shin Bet security organisation, he entered the country without a permit and had no record of security violations. Hamas claimed him as a member, saying he struck Israels commercial capital in retaliation for the ongoing military raid in the flashpoint West Bank town of Jenin, in which 10 Palestinians have been killed during clashes with local gunmen. This heroic (Tel Aviv) operation is an act of self-defence in the face of the ongoing Zionist massacre in Jenin, the crimes of displacement, killing and destruction executed by occupation forces, Hamas said in a statement. CCTV video circulated online showed a pickup truck mounting a pavement and bicycle lane outside a mall at high speed, striking at least two people. The driver is seen exiting through a window, stabbing a cafe-goer and chasing other people with a knife in hand. Khaled Al-Batsh, a senior official from the Iranian-backed Islamic Jihad movement praised the attack as an initial and natural response of the resistance towards what is happening in Jenin. A spokesperson for the Magen David Adom ambulance service said some of the eight people injured had knife wounds. With inputs from Reuters Read all the Latest News, Trending News, Cricket News, Bollywood News, India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. In a major relief for Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chairman Imran Khan, the Islamabad High Court on Tuesday declared that the Toshakhana case against the former prime minister of Pakistan was not maintainable. The High Court was hearing a plea filed by the PTI chief seeking to have the case declared inadmissible. Chief Justice Amir Farooq pronounced the verdict, which was reserved on June 23, Geo News reported. Back on May 10, Imran Khan was indicted in the Toshakhana case by Additional Sessions Judge Humayun Dilawar, who rejected objections about the admissibility of the case. Later on, the former Pakistani PM approached the High Court, which had stayed criminal proceedings against him till June 8. While speaking to the media personnel outside the court, Imran Khans lawyer Gohar Khan termed the verdict a victory. An appeal was filed against the decision of the session judge in the Toshakhana case, he said, adding that the wrong person filed the complaint. We were trying in courts for a year. Today, PTI has won. (With inputs from agencies) Read all the Latest News, Trending News, Cricket News, Bollywood News, India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. For around three hours, eight roller coaster riders found themselves stranded upside down at the Forest County Festival in Wisconsin, US. The incident occurred during the festivals final day at the Crandon International Raceway. Among the stuck passengers were seven children, according to media reports. Watch: Firefighter Erica Kostichka told WSAW-TV that although they were understandably scared, all of them managed to remain calm despite being in the inverted position for an extended period. The cause of the mechanical malfunction that led to the coasters unexpected stoppage remains unknown, as confirmed by the Crandon fire chief in a statement to CBS News. No injuries were reported, but one individual required transportation to a nearby hospital, as stated by the fire chief. This occurrence adds to a string of recent mishaps at amusement parks worldwide. In another incident, a roller coaster at a theme park in Charlotte, North Carolina, was closed after a crack was discovered on one of its support beams. The safety and maintenance of amusement park rides have become significant concerns following these incidents. With inputs from agencies Read all the Latest News, Trending News, Cricket News, Bollywood News, India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday addressed the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) where he said that India does not consider the group as an extended neighbourhood but as an extended family. India has maintained age-long relations with SCO. We see this platform as an extended family and not just an external neighbourhood. Security, economic development, connectivity, unity, respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity, and environmental protection are the pillars of our vision for SCO, he said. India is hosting the SCO Summit under its presidency this year. The meeting saw the attendance of Russian President Vladimir Putin, Chinese President Xi Jinping, and Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, among others. This years Summit theme is Towards a SECURE SCO. SECURE is short for Security, Economy and Trade, Connectivity, Unity and Respect. The Indian leader added that as the chair of SCO, India has facilitated taking the groups multifaceted cooperations to new heights. Emphasising the role India has played in developing SCO, PM Modi said, In 14 ministerial meetings of SCO, we have prepared and agreed on important documents on infra, de-carbonisation, digital public infrastructure. India has taken several initiatives at this forum. We have to think together that as a forum are we capable to meet aspirations of our people and modern challenges of the world, he added. India has added five new pillars for cooperation in the SCO Startups and Innovation, Traditional Medicine, Youth Empowerment, Digital Inclusion and Shared Buddhist Heritage. India has made five new pillars for cooperation in the SCO: Startups and Innovation Traditional Medicine Youth Empowerment Digital Inclusion Shared Buddhist Heritage PM @narendramodi BJP (@BJP4India) July 4, 2023 The Indian leader also expressed happiness about Irans inclusion in SCO as a new member. Read all the Latest News, Trending News, Cricket News, Bollywood News, India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. UK on Monday issued a warning to China after Hong Kong police offered bounties for information leading to the capture of prominent democracy activists based abroad who are wanted for national security crimes. Hong Kong police offered on Monday HK$1 million bounties for information leading to the capture of eight prominent democracy activists based abroad and wanted for national security crimes. All eight fled Hong Kong after Beijing imposed a sweeping national security law on the financial hub in mid-2020 to quell dissent after huge, sometimes violent pro-democracy protests in 2019 were quashed. They have committed very serious offences that endanger national security, said Steven Li, chief superintendent of the national security department. UK Foreign Secretary James Cleverly warned China: We will not tolerate any attempts by China to intimidate and silence individuals in the UK and overseas. The UK will always defend the universal right to freedom of expression and stand up for those who are targeted. The UK has been vocal in condemning China over what it sees as the erosion of rights and civil liberties in its former colony. In 2020, it suspended its extradition treaty with Hong Kong in protest at Beijings introduction of the national security law in the territory. It was one of 10 countries, including the United States, Australia and Canada, to suspend mutual legal assistance in criminal matters with Hong Kong. The activists facing bounties The group includes former pro-democracy lawmakers Nathan Law Kwun-chung, Ted Hui Chi-fung and Dennis Kwok Wing-hang, and veteran unionist Mung Siu-tat. The remaining four are activists Elmer Yuen Gong-yi, Finn Lau Cho-dik, Anna Kwok Fung-yee and Kevin Yam Kin-fung. All eight are alleged to have colluded with foreign forces to endanger national security an offence that carries a sentence of up to life in prison. Some have also been accused of subversion, incitement to subversion and secession. They advocated for sanctions to damage Hong Kongs interests and intimidate Hong Kongs officials with some targeting specifically some judges and prosecutors, Li said. He added that police cannot arrest the eight if they remain overseas. But we will not stop (chasing them), he said. A reward of HK$1 million ($127,644) was offered for each activist to anyone providing information on their whereabouts leading to the arrest or satisfactory prosecution. The national security law which has reshaped Hong Kong society and busted down the legal firewall that once existed between the special autonomous region and the mainland has the power to hold accused people across the world accountable. Under the law, security cases are handled by designated police officers, prosecutors and judges in Hong Kong, and Beijing can take over certain cases to try them in the mainlands opaque, Communist Party-controlled justice system. The announcement of the wanted list came two days after the city celebrated the 26th anniversary of its handover from Britain to China. It was also the third anniversary of the promulgation of the national security law. Hong Kong: 260 people arrested under national security law In Hong Kong, 260 people have been arrested under the law, with more than 160 individuals and five companies charged. The bulk of the accused are prominent pro-democracy politicians, activists, unionists and journalists. One of the accused activists Yam a former lawyer in Hong Kong and an Australian citizen told AFP he was saddened for Hong Kong. This reflects how far Hong Kong has fallen, Yam said. The Hong Kong and China authorities are trying to say that their laws have global reach. Another accused, Ted Hui, who is in exile in Australia, said the bounty was ridiculous and hilarious but would add to the weight of Chinas persecution against the Hong Kong diaspora. It even makes it clearer to the western democracies that China is going towards a more extreme authoritarian (direction) and (is posing) more of a threat to the world, Hui told AFP in a written response. Nathan Law once Hong Kongs youngest elected legislator and now on the wanted list rejected the allegations and called on Hong Kong people not to cooperate for the bounties. I am just a HongKonger who speaks out for HongKongers, Law wrote on Twitter. We should not limit ourselves, self-censor, be intimidated, or live in fear. In Hong Kong, Eunice Yung, a serving legislator and the daughter-in-law of accused activist Elmer Yuen, supported the police move against Yuen and emphasised that she had openly severed ties with him last year. All his acts and deeds have nothing to do with me, Yung wrote on her social media page. With inputs from AFP Read all the Latest News, Trending News, Cricket News, Bollywood News, India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Statement by H.E. Xi Jinping President of the Peoples Republic of China At the 23rd Meeting of the Council of Heads of State Of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization July 4, 2023 Your Excellency Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Distinguished Colleagues, I wish to thank India for hosting the meeting of the Council of Heads of State as the current president of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO). At this meeting, we are going to welcome Iran as a full member and sign the memorandum of obligations on the membership of Belarus. This will manifest the vitality of our SCO family. I offer my congratulations to the two countries. Colleagues, Ten years ago, in view of the changes of the world, of our times and of the trajectory of history, I opined that mankind, living in the same global village, are increasingly becoming a community with a shared future in which everyones interest is closely interlinked. Since then, the concept of a community with a shared future for mankind has gained extensive recognition and support from the international community, and has been transforming from an idea to action and a vision to reality. At the forefront of this trend is the SCO, upholding this very concept and the Shanghai Spirit to build an SCO community with a shared future. We have followed our fine tradition of standing together through thick and thin, as passengers in the same boat should do, and we have firmly supported each other in standing up for our respective core interests. We have become trustworthy partners on our paths to development and national rejuvenation. We have acted out the concept of common, comprehensive, cooperative and sustainable security, accommodated each others legitimate security concerns, and responded to both traditional and nontraditional security challenges. Together we have safeguarded peace and tranquility in the region, and fostered a favorable environment for countries in the region to pursue development and prosperity. We have embraced the development philosophy of innovative, coordinated, green, open and shared growth, synergized our national development strategies and regional cooperation initiatives, and nurtured new growth areas for our cooperation in economy and trade, connectivity, energy, agriculture, finance, and innovation. This has helped promote coordination in our economic development. We have carried forward the spirit of good-neighborliness, and advocated equality, mutual learning, dialogue and inclusiveness between civilizations. We have called for peaceful coexistence and harmonious development of different civilizations, and expanded people-to-people and cultural cooperation. We have enhanced the popular support for our state-to-state relations. We have upheld international fairness and justice, and opposed hegemonic, high-handed, and bullying acts. We have enlarged the circle of friends of our Organization, and built partnerships featuring dialogue instead of confrontation, cooperation instead of alliance. This has strengthened the progressive forces for world peace and stability. Colleagues, The world today is undergoing both transformation and upheaval; changes unseen in a century are unfolding at a faster pace; human society faces unprecedented challenges. Unity or split, peace or conflict, cooperation or confrontationthese are the questions raised again by our times. My answer is this: the peoples wish for a happy life is our goal, and peace, development and win-win cooperation are the unstoppable trends of the times. The SCO has been growing stronger in recent years. This means development opportunities as well as unprecedented risks and challenges. As the great Indian poet Rabindranath Tagore put it, The sea of danger, doubt and denial around mans little island of certainty challenges him to dare the unknown. We must rise to the call of our times, keep in mind our founding mission, and stay in unity and coordination to bring more certainty and positive energy to world peace and development. To this end, I wish to make the following proposals: First, we should keep to the right direction and enhance solidarity and mutual trust. Since its founding over 20 years ago, the SCO has withstood the test of the changing international landscape, and kept moving in the right direction of promoting solidarity, mutual trust, development and cooperation. We have accumulated valuable experience, and achieved hard-won development gains. Facts have shown that as long as we bear in mind the larger picture, shoulder our responsibilities and remain undisturbed by all sorts of distractions, we will be able to protect and promote the security and development interests of our member states. We should step up strategic communication and coordination, bridge differences through dialogue, and replace competition with cooperation. We should truly respect each others core interests and major concerns, and firmly support each others endeavor for development and rejuvenation. We should keep in mind the overall and long-term interests of our region, and make our foreign policies independently. We must be highly vigilant against external attempts to foment a new Cold War or camp-based confrontation in our region. We must resolutely reject any interference in our internal affairs and the instigation of color revolutions by any country under whatever pretext. The future of our development must be held firmly in our own hands. Second, we should maintain regional peace and safeguard common security. Sustaining peace and security in this region is our common responsibility. China stands ready to work with all sides to implement the Global Security Initiative, promote the settlement of international disputes through dialogue and consultation, and encourage political settlement of international and regional hotspots, so as to forge a solid security shield in our region. We need to upgrade SCO security cooperation, and continue to conduct joint operations. We should crack down hard on the forces of terrorism, separatism and extremism such as the East Turkistan elements, drug trafficking, and cyber and transnational organized crimes. We should move faster to strengthen the mechanisms for our law enforcement and security cooperation, and expand cooperation in the nontraditional security fields, including digital, biological and outer space security. We should continue to utilize platforms such as the mechanism of coordination and cooperation among Afghanistans neighbors to increase humanitarian support to Afghanistan, and encourage the Afghan authorities to establish a broad-based and inclusive political structure and embark on the path of peace and reconstruction. Third, we should focus on practical cooperation and expedite economic recovery. Promoting economic growth is a common task for all countries in the region. China stands ready to work with all sides to implement the Global Development Initiative, keep to the right direction of economic globalization, oppose protectionism, unilateral sanctions and the overstretching of national security, and reject the moves of setting up barriers, decoupling and severing supply chains. We should make the pie of win-win cooperation bigger, and ensure that more development gains will be shared more fairly by people across the world. We need to enhance the connection of high-quality Belt and Road cooperation with development strategies of various countries and regional cooperation initiatives. We should further promote trade and investment liberalization and facilitation, speed up the development of port infrastructure and regional and international logistic corridors, and ensure stable and smooth functioning of regional industrial and supply chains. Ten years ago I proposed the Belt and Road Initiative, and on its tenth anniversary, China will hold the third Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation. I welcome your participation. We should work together to broaden the Belt and Road as a path of happiness benefiting the whole world. China proposes that the SCO scale up local currency settlement between member states, expand cooperation on sovereign digital currency, and promote the establishment of an SCO development bank. China is ready to share market opportunities and development experience, and implement the capacity-building program to empower young professional farmers. China will carry out digital technology training programs in collaboration with the China-SCO Big Data Cooperation Center, and host an SCO national green development forum. There are already a number of ministerial meeting mechanisms under the SCO framework for practical cooperation in various areas. China has also established cooperation platforms such as the local economic and trade cooperation demonstration area, and the demonstration base for agricultural technology exchange and training. We should make full use of these mechanisms and platforms to help us tackle the vexing issues in our practical cooperation and facilitate high-quality development of SCO economies. Fourth, we should strengthen exchanges and mutual learning and forge closer bonds between our peoples. All nations in the region aspire to see harmonious development of different civilizations. We welcome all sides to work together to implement the Global Civilization Initiative, promote inclusiveness and coexistence among all civilizations, and increase mutual understanding and friendship among all nations. We should further deepen cooperation in education, science and technology, culture, health, sport and media, support the work of non-official organizations such as the SCO Committee on Good-Neighborliness, Friendship and Cooperation, and organize more events for people-to-people exchanges. In the coming three years, China will provide SCO member states with 1,000 International Chinese Language Teachers Scholarships, offer 3,000 Chinese Bridge summer camp opportunities, and invite 100 young scientists to China for scientific research exchanges. China will also host events on rural revitalization and climate response. Your participation will be most welcome. Fifth, we should practice multilateralism and improve global governance. All countries in the region pursue fairness and justice. We should advocate the common values of humanity, uphold the UN-centered international system and the international order based on international law, and oppose hegemonism and power politics. We should make global governance more just and equitable, and advance modernization of the entire humanity through collective efforts to promote equal rights, equal opportunities and fair rules for all. We should support more SCO engagements with observer states, dialogue partners and other regional and international organizations such as the UN, and jointly promote world peace, drive global development and safeguard the international order. Colleagues, The Chinese people are rallied behind the Communist Party of China to pursue Chinese modernization. It is the modernization of a huge population, of common prosperity for all, of material and cultural-ethical advancement, of harmony between humanity and nature, and of peaceful development. With these main attributes, it has created a new form of human advancement. China hopes to share new development opportunities with SCO members and all countries around the world through its achievements in modernization, and together make the world a better place. Colleagues, China congratulates President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev on assuming the presidency of the Council of Heads of State, and will work with all member states to actively support Kazakhstans presidency. A just cause finds great support, and a journey with many companions gets far. The SCOs development accords with the trend of our times and goes along with the direction of human progress. Through our joint efforts, it will definitely grow from strength to strength. Thank you. The Department of Telecommunications (DoT) has introduced the Bharat 6G Alliance, a collaborative initiative aimed at promoting innovation and collaboration in next-generation wireless technology. This alliance aligns with the vision of the Honorable Prime Minister to achieve universal and affordable connectivity, foster indigenous technology development, and nurture the telecom and semiconductor manufacturing ecosystem in India. Key Announcements 1. Consortium-based Initiatives: A 6G THz Testbed featuring OAM and Multiplexing was launched by a consortium including SAMEER, IIT Madras, IIT Guwahati, and IIT Patna. An Advanced Optical Communication Test Bed was introduced in collaboration with consortium members including IIT Madras, IIT Delhi, IIIT Delhi, Signalchip Innovations, Signaltron Systems Pvt Ltd, Sasmos het Technologies Ltd, SFO Technologies Pvt. Ltd, ERNET India, Quanfluence Private Ltd, Sterlite Technologies Limited, Nav tech, and Tejas network. 2. Support for Startups and MSMEs: Granting of Rs. 48 crore to 66 startups and MSMEs under the DCIS (Digital Communication Innovation Square) program. Felicitation of 75 innovators by the DoT, recognizing their remarkable contributions to the field. The DCIS scheme continues to fund startups and MSMEs in the telecommunications sector. Remarkable Achievements and Industry Reforms The Minister of State for Communications, Shri Devusinh Chauhan, acknowledged Indias exceptional performance in the global economy, with the telecom sector shining as a beacon. He commended the stakeholders for their efforts and highlighted the transparent spectrum auction, rapid deployment of 5G sites, and the indigenous design of 4G and 5G technologies. He expressed confidence that India, through the Bharat 6G Alliance, will now lead in 6G technology. Shri Devusinh Chauhan highlighted Indias remarkable technological progress over the past nine years: Reduction in data costs from Rs. 300/GB (2014) to Rs. 10/GB (2023). Drastic reduction in Right of Way permission time from 230 days to 9 days. Four-fold increase in BTS sites, reaching 25 lakh. FDI in the telecom sector increased to 24 billion dollars. Investments of over 2.25 lakh crore in 5G by the Indian telecom industry. Swift allocation of spectrum to Telecom Service Providers (TSPs) within 24 hours after auctions. Transformation of BSNL into a market stabilizer, generating operating profits. Export of technology to 12 countries, including the USA. Broadband connections provided in rural areas, exceeding 1.5 lakh. Telecom Manufacturing attracting over 1,600 crore in investments under the PLI scheme. Over 200 patents in 6G technology. Collaborative Efforts and Future Prospects Shri Devusinh Chauhan highlighted the collaboration between India and the United States, which will lead to co-creation of technology for a developed India. Notable achievements include the Semiconductor Mission, fast-tracking approvals for chip manufacturing, and the development of advanced optical communication for applications such as telemedicine and telesurgery. He reiterated that the Bharat 6GAlliance will propel India to become a global leader in 6G technology and intellectual property rights. Through collaborations with startups, industry, academia, and research institutes, the government is dedicated to empowering citizens with last-mile digital revolution and rapid proliferation of mobile and digital services. About Bharat 6G Alliance (B6GA) and Telecom Technology Development Fund (TTDF) B6GA promotes innovation and collaboration in next-gen wireless technology. It brings together startups, companies, and the manufacturing ecosystem to drive 6G technology in India, accelerating patent creation and contributing to international standardization organizations. Additionally, the website for Bharat6G Alliance was also launched. TTDF scheme supports indigenous technology development through grants to Indian entities, bridging the digital divide and creating an ecosystem for research, design, and prototyping to meet national requirements. Commenting on the announcement, Shri Ashwini Vaishnaw, Minister for Communications, Railways and Electronics & IT, said: HMD LCO2 multi-gas carriers LCO Capital Ship Management Twitter has announced the launch of its new version of TweetDeck to address recent issues. The company previously shut down the Mac app in June 2022, but the company had previously mentioned testing a new web app for TweetDeck in select regions. As part of the changes implemented by Twitters CEO, Elon Musk, TweetDeck will become a Verified-only feature in 30 days, requiring a Twitter Blue subscription for access. Musk has also made other significant changes, such as mandating user login to view tweets and limiting the number of daily tweets for unverified accounts. While the new TweetDeck has been officially launched, it is still referred to as TweetDeck Preview within the app. Twitter assures a straightforward transition, with saved searches, lists, and columns carrying over instantly. The updated preview build also includes support for Twitter Spaces, polls, and previously missing features, but Teams functionality is currently unavailable. Although Twitter has not officially announced the retirement of the old version of TweetDeck, a Twitter employee hinted at the change being permanent, stating that everyone would be migrated to the preview version. According to Twitter Support, TweetDeck will become exclusive to Twitter Blue subscribers soon. Users are required to be verified in order to access TweetDeck after a period of 30 days. The exact timing of this change is unclear, whether it will be applied to all users in early August or if users will have a 30-day trial of the new TweetDeck before being prompted to subscribe. To learn more about New TweetDeck- visit tweetdeck.twitter.com ZAMBIA His Majesty King Mswati III visited three giant Zambian companies trading in the Lusaka South Multi-Facility Economic Zone on Sunday afternoon and was highly impressed. This is an incentivised investment area, commonly referred to as a special economic zone (SEZ). Eswatini has also designated similar spaces. The three companies are Big Tree Beverages, Trade Kings Group and Twyford. The Big Tree Beverages is a subsidiary company of Trade Kings Group, a wholly Zambian-owned company established in 1995. This is a wholly Zambian-owned business, specialising in the creation and manufacture of innovative laundry and cleaning products, delicious sweets, confectionary, snacks, biscuits and reinventing both traditional and exciting new beverages. It has invested over 250 million dollars (approximately E4.7 billion) and hired over 16 000 employees. Twyford is a Chinese-led company specialising in the production of tiles of all kinds. It also sells its products across the Southern Africa Development Community (SADC) and has indicated interest in establishing a branch in Eswatini. His Majesty the King thanked President Hakainde Hichilema for allowing him to pay a visit to the Special Economic Zone, or Industrial Park, that is reserved for the establishment of all sorts of companies. Jobs His Majesty thanked the companies for having shown interest and invested in Zambia, thereby creating jobs for the citizens. He said he was impressed not just by the state-of-the-art equipment installed there, but also by their first-world-standard products, which are also sold beyond the borders of Zambia. We say well done, and we have been pleased to move around in these facilities. In order to be successful, such facilities require a lot of commitment from all involved, including the workers, so that they can be in a position to meet their targets and objectives, he said. His Majesty said visiting the companies gave him and his entourage, which included Inkhosikati Make LaMagongo, Commerce, Industry and Trade Minister Manqoba Khumalo and Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Minister Thulisile Dlamini, the opportunity to see what is being produced in Zambia. Now that we know what sorts of goods these companies produce, it has given us insight and when we get back home, we will see what we may require or buy from Zambia, the King said. In fact, in his deliberations during the tour of the companies, His Majesty the King encouraged the companies to consider opening their branches in the kingdom as well. LOBAMBA Senators have urged the Ministry of Finance to consider reducing Pay-As-You-Earn (PAYE) as emaSwati are struggling to make ends meet. The senators made this suggestion yesterday during the Clause by Clause session of the Income Tax Amendment Bill of 2022. The senators were responding to several clauses of the Bill that they were taken through which included Clause 37 which was adding Section 68 of the 1975 Tax Order which introduces the taxation of companies outside the country and a proposal to increase PAYE tax from a maximum of 33 per cent to 36 per cent for high income earners and reduction of corporate tax from 27.5 per cent to 25 per cent. The legislators were of the view that the proposal to increase personal taxes was a recipe of turning the people against the King and might fuel strife in the country. The senators challenged the Minister of Finance, Neal Rijkenberg, who was with Eswatini Revenue Service (ERS) Commissioner General Brightwell Nkambule and Legal Officer Henry Sukati. ill-informed The senators stated that the proposal to increase PAYE and reduce corporate tax was ill-informed. They wondered what informed government or whoever made that decision, given the fact that workers were already paying a lot of taxes through PAYE as well as Value Added Tax (VAT). Senate President Pastor Lindiwe Dlamini was of those who voiced out her displeasure. So corporate tax is reduced by 2.5 per cent with an assumption that more companies will be coming in the country and create more jobs. The question is, has that reduction had a lot of investors coming in and by extension had there been a lot of jobs created to justify the proposal? Those are the questions we are asking ourselves as to what is the motive behind this. In terms of PAYE, the question is why the ministry decided to make citizens bleed, who are already struggling and giving preferential treatment to the employer who are the corporates. We should be looking out for all citizens, not a selected few, she said. Dlamini noted that PAYE was already at 33 per cent and asked the minister with his officials how come the idea of reducing PAYE never crossed their mind. Why didnt we think of reducing the PAYE by at least one per cent and accommodate all citizens? Why are we looking out for a certain group? she said. The senator said she was well aware that the ministry had an obligation to look at ways of generating revenue but at the same time, they shouldnt be setting the people against the King. She said whenever people were not happy about something, they blamed the head of State, not government. Senator Princess Ntfombiyenkhosi wanted to find out if there would be any link between the credit for tax paid outside Eswatini and PAYE. 33 per cent PAYE is too much already, instead bring back graded tax, she said. Other Senators such as Princess Gcebile wondered what the motive behind increasing PAYE and relieving companies was. Worth noting is that the House of Assembly did not pass the proposal to increase the PAYE to 36 per cent. Senator Moi Moi Masilela, who was also irked by the proposal, alleged that there was someone who was sly about the taxes. He said somebody lied and claimed that the reduction of corporate tax would invite more investors. investors He said that particular person did not have a list of investors lined-up who were waiting to invest. We were told that investors were flocking to South Africa and we were tricked to consider the reduction of corporate tax. Stop playing us, he said. The senators asked the ministry to at least consider reducing PAYE from 33 per cent to 30 per cent. Senator Sigombeni Dlamini mentioned that employees had not been getting salary increment for years and the prices of goods and services were alarming in stores. He stated that adding PAYE was also taking from the empty pockets of emaSwati. The proposal is more like adding fuel to the fire, people are struggling, please think for emaSwati, he said. Senator Ngalonkhulu Mabuza also supported the senators. Senator Princess Ntfombiyenkhosi also suggested that the ministry should also consider exempting some products from VAT in stores. She said salaries were not providing people with a decent living anymore. Consider exempting basic households products from VAT but include it to luxury products such as colognes, jewellery, perfumed soaps and processed foods, she said. The senator said some countries used a similar method of exempting certain goods and imposing high taxes on luxury items. On the other hand, Senator Chief Zabeni Shiba stated that he had a feeling that the Ministry of Finance together with ERS should halt the repealing of the Graded Tax Act. There were a number of people who were unemployed but who could afford to pay graded tax. Rather increase Graded Tax to E30, he said. He said instead of reaping the Act, the ministry should consider innovative ways of collecting graded tax and increase it in order to increase tax collection instead of pounding the working class with high taxes. MBABANE Due to the ailing public health system, some local pharmacies are making a killing as they now operate for 24 hours. Some pharmacists in different parts of the country shared that patients now call them even in the early morning hours to buy medication. While the Ministry of Health is sorting out the current drug shortage in public health institutions, the pharmacies have been making more money from the sale of drugs, medicine and gauze bandages. This has resulted in members of the public in need of medicinal supplies to purchase it from the pharmacies, even at night. Positive Living Pharmacys Mthunzi Maziya, operating at Piggs Peak, shared that patients usually call him during awkward hours, even after he had closed shop. He stated that this had been a regular occurrence ever since there were drug shortages in the country. When a patient calls asking for medication, I gladly sell it to them because they have no other alternative at that time of the night. If we do not sell, imagine what would happen? he rhetorically asked. He recalled a time when a parent of an asthmatic child called at night asking for medication and he quickly rushed to sell the medication since it was a matter of life and death. Another pharmacy owner based in Matsapha, who preferred to remain anonymous, said some patients even fetched pharmacists from their homes just so they could buy the medication they desperately needed. She went on to say that, at times, she did not respond to calls, since it was risky to open the pharmacy very late at night. She mentioned that people were in dire need of medical assistance and she was happy to serve emaSwati, especially at this time when there was no medication in public health institutions. Risking Another Mbabane-based pharmacy owner, said this had become a normal exercise for pharmacies. He said although they were risking to open shop at night, the situation permitted. He further said: In a week, I think I get more than 10 calls from patients who are either in hospital or at home. We then make arrangements for their relatives to come and purchase for them. Most of these patients who need urgent help are diabetic and asthmatic patients, notwithstanding injured patients, who are admitted to hospitals. Eswatini Business Pharmacy Association Public Relations Officer (PRO) Bhekane Maziya confirmed that pharmacies had been operating like this for some time now. He added that the association had received many calls from various pharmacies and said they had no choice but to offer their services to the public. Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Trade Chief Commercial Officer Sonto Hlophe said pharmacies were not breaking the law by selling to the public, even after normal business operating hours. Pharmacies can operate 24 hours on any day unless the minister announces otherwise on a specific day. They are also allowed to open their businesses even during Incwala Day. This owes to the fact that they provide medication to the public. This has been ongoing since 2011, she said. She went on to share that the pharmacies were also obligated to provide for their own security if and when working at night, including compensating their employees. NHLANGANO A couple, comprising a 15-year old-girl and her 20-year-old boyfriend, was found dead on suspicion that they jointly committed suicide in a bush at Mpatheni, near Hlatikhulu. The girl was a Form 1 pupil at Mpatheni High School, while her alleged boyfriend was a herdsman at her homestead. It was gathered that their affair had been forbidden by their guardians. A man who was running from muggers stumbled across the lifeless bodies of the two after they disappeared from home for over two weeks. It was said that the two had been previously rebuked for the affair in the past and warned to end the relationship. Following the rebuke, it is said that the duo went missing for two weeks, prompting the community to launch a search party. The matter had also been reported to the police. Both of them were not available on local cellular networks. Sources revealed that after two days, the duo switched on their phones and called a member of the community police, whom they told they were fine where they were. They said no one should be worried about them. The community then called off the search party, with the hope that they would come back voluntarily, narrated the source. A close family member who spoke on condition of anonymity, confirmed that the duo went missing on Sunday and that they called a community police member and informed him that they were fine. The family member narrated that on Saturday night, a community member was on his way to Mohioek, when he came across thugs that wanted to mug him. As he fled from them, he took another route and found himself standing in front of two dead bodies. The man is said to have gone back to the community to raise the alarm. It was said that the community members went to the scene to see the bodies, and further called the police. Milk The duo was found sleeping next to each other with a poisonous substance which they are feared to have ingested. Also next to the bodies were two containers of milk. According to the family member, they were found with other personal belongings, including cellphones. Mathabela, grandfather to the deceased female minor politely asked for privacy, stating that the family was still in shock and tongue-tied. We are not ready to address the matter; we are still tongue-tied, he said. Chief Police Information and Communications Officer Superintendent Phindile Vilakati confirmed that a 15-year-old and a 20-year-old who were found dead in a forest. In an interview, Africa Regional Coordinator of the One Billion Rising Campaign Colani Hlatjwako said the news was devastating. She stated that the young generation, in her view, needed to be allowed room to express themselves and talk about things that bothered them. She stated that suicide was a serious predicament, more so because the victims usually had no one to talk to at family level. She stated that inasmuch as families reprimanded and condemned certain behaviours among children, they were supposed to leave room for the children to express themselves in the event they had personal difficulties. Hlatjwako said though it was not clear what happened in this particular case, suicide had to do with being pressed to the edge with no one to talk to. Parents need to accept, talk to their children and listen to them, she added. She further passed her condolences to the families. Hlatjwako stated that One Billion rising has introduced youth groups, where the youth was able to talk about issues affecting them. .. parents need to change tune Ndo NHLANGANO Psychologist Ndo Mdlalose says the youth hastily takes suicidal decisions without exploring other options. She stated that they normally act this way while trying to pay revenge to their parents, assuming they would survive the suicide bid. She added that other people were attached to a person regardless of class because they were not getting love or attention at home or school. This leaves them with no one to talk to. You will find that this one person is giving them that personal attention to the point that they feel they do not want to lose such a person, she added. She said most of the young children had bad behaviours, unaware of the consequences. She added that parents needed to have a different approach towards their children, who were dating, to minimise such incidents. Welcome to my genealogy blog. Genea-Musings features genealogy research tips and techniques, genealogy news items and commentary, genealogy humor, San Diego genealogy society news, family history research and some family history stories from the keyboard of Randy Seaver (of Chula Vista CA), who thinks that Genealogy Research Is really FUN! Copyright (c) Randall J. Seaver, 2006-2021. LOBAMBA MPs have told the Minister of Health, Lizzie Nkosi, that her portfolio was besieged by thieves who had become very rich at the expense of the lives of emaSwati. Ndzingeni MP Lutfo Dlamini said the Ministry of Health was in shambles and it should change to ministry of sickness. He shared that the shortage of medication in public hospitals and clinics had given birth to millionaires, the same way they used to mushroom at the Ministry of Public Works and Transport previously. The MP shared that if there were people who had the guts to stop a forensic audit on something deemed a national crisis, it left a lot to be desired. It should be noted that there is an ongoing matter at the Industrial Court where government wants the court to discharge the order stopping it from proceeding with the forensic investigation against two senior health officials. During argument of the matter in court government contended that the interim order would collapse the healthcare service. The interim order, which government now seeks to have discharged, was issued by the court on June 16, 2023. The people who are behind this are probably celebrating in victory because of the developments that unfolded in court. This is not about Cabinet or a government portfolio, but the thieves in the ministry and we cant have a country that will be run by thieves, he said. Minister of Health, Lizzie Nkosi, responding to the matter in Parliament yesterday, stated that it would be bad for the ministry to have the forensic investigation dropped because they wanted answers on the issue. Dlamini then suggested that the ministry should sign a memorandum of understanding with The Luke Commission and work collaboratively because there was a lot that the ministry could benefit after that move. Joke The legislator shared that The Luke Commission was a top class facility that offered the best medical care the country had ever seen. What the minister is sharing with us in her update is nothing short of a joke. Let us go to the Luke Commission and ask for help. They boast the best surveillance system on the supply and distribution of drugs, one which could come in handy for the country because we have obviously failed on that aspect, he submitted. Dlamini also shared that the ministry should heap praises to His Majesty the King for visiting the facility recently. In response, Nkosi stated that the MP was right on The Luke Commission, stating that it was not just it, but Twitter To Revamp TweetDeck And Offer More Features But Access Will Be Restricted To Paying Subscribers Only? Features oi -Alap Naik Desai Twitter is actively working on improving TweetDeck and ensuring it operates reliably. However, many would be disappointed with Twitter's latest policy change about the platform. Twitter has started offering TweetDeck. The feature enables users to see tweets from multiple accounts on a single screen. The feature is useful for social media influencers, media companies, and social media managers. However, Twitter is now placing TweetDeck behind the Twitter Blue subscription paywall. Twitter Will Continue Offering The Older TweetDeck Version With Limited Features Twitter is officially launching its "new" version of TweetDeck to everyone, indicated a Tweet from Twitter's support account. The new version of TweetDeck appears to be Twitter's answer to the problem of large-scale data scraping from the platform. Twitter announced a new policy this week. It indicated that all Twitter users will be subjected to a new rule that restricts the visibility of Tweets. Twitter Blue subscribers have access to 10,000 Tweets per day, while unverified accounts can view 1,000 and new unverified accounts can access only 500. This has garnered a lot of negative feedback. We have just launched a new, improved version of TweetDeck. All users can continue to access their saved searches & workflows via https://t.co/2WwL3hNVR2 by selecting Try the new TweetDeck in the bottom left menu. Some notes on getting started and the future of the product Twitter Support (@TwitterSupport) July 3, 2023 Elon Musk, the owner of Twitter, claimed he wanted to thwart or limit the widespread practice of data scraping and system manipulation. It appears the new and improved TweetDeck is yet another solution to thwart data-gathering attempts. The majority of Twitter users will have to switch over to the new version, reportedly indicated two Twitter employees. Incidentally, Twitter will continue offering a basic version of TweetDeck, with limited features, functions, and visibility. It seems Twitter has scrapped several legacy APIs to thwart data scraping. This has been causing the older version of TweetDeck to malfunction. The new and improved version of TweetDeck won't have such issues. The New Version Of TweetDeck Will Need A Verified Twitter Blue Account The new version of TweetDeck is currently available as a "Preview". Every Twitter user can test the platform and explore its features and functions. Twitter is offering a 30-day free trial of the TweetDeck starting today. After that, the platform will need a verified Twitter Blue account. Essentially, Twitter has decided to charge for accessing TweetDeck. Individual Twitter users currently have to pay $8 per month to verify their accounts. Organizations have to pay $1,000 per month for a verified Twitter account. Needless to say, Charging for TweetDeck, which is widely used by businesses and news organizations to easily monitor content, could bring a revenue boost to Twitter. An older version of TweetDeck is currently available to everyone. However, it is nowhere close to the new and improved version that now supports previously missing features such as Twitter Spaces and polls. Moreover, it is quite possible that Twitter may decide to shutter the basic version and retain only TweetDeck Advanced for Twitter Blue subscribers. Best Mobiles in India Facebook, To stay updated with latest technology news & gadget reviews, follow GizBot on Twitter YouTube and also subscribe to our notification. Allow Notifications Apple Seeks to Overturn Antitrust Order on App Store in Epic Games Lawsuit Tech Biz oi -Kabir Jain The battle between Apple and Epic Games, the creator of Fortnite, continues as Apple announced its intention to seek the review of a judge's order in the ongoing antitrust case. The outcome of this review could potentially lead to changes in Apple's payment practices within the App Store. The clash between Apple and Epic Games originated in 2020 when Epic filed a lawsuit against Apple, challenging the fees imposed on in-app payments. While the case progressed, Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers issued an order in 2021 that Apple is now seeking to appeal. The order mandates that Apple cannot prevent developers from including links and buttons to alternative payment options in their apps, potentially reducing the commissions paid to Apple. Apple's Announcement In a recent court filing, Apple expressed its plans to appeal the ruling issued by the 9th US Circuit Court of Appeals, which mostly upheld Judge Rogers' order. The company seeks the review of the ruling by the US Supreme Court, aiming to address significant questions concerning the authority of judges to issue broad injunctions. The Judge's Order Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers' order is centered around the inclusion of alternative payment options within apps. The order prevents Apple from prohibiting developers from incorporating links and buttons to these alternative options. By doing so, the ruling challenges Apple's established practice of exclusively using its own payment system within the App Store. Epic Games' Lawsuit Epic Games' lawsuit against Apple was motivated by its objective to halt Apple's practices rather than seek monetary damages. The lawsuit questioned the fees imposed on in-app payments and the restrictions imposed on app distribution and payment services. Although Judge Rogers ruled against most of Epic's claims, she did issue the order that Apple is currently contesting. Appeals to the 9th Circuit Both Epic Games and Apple presented appeals to the 9th Circuit following Judge Rogers' ruling. Epic Games aimed to challenge aspects of the judge's decision that favored Apple, while Apple objected to the order regarding the App Store. In April, the 9th Circuit upheld the majority of Judge Rogers' decision, refusing to reconsider it in a subsequent ruling. The Supreme Court Option In addition to seeking review from the 9th Circuit, Epic Games has the option to request that the US Supreme Court hear its appeal. This avenue would provide another opportunity for Epic Games to present its antitrust allegations against Apple concerning restrictive app distribution and payment services. Epic's Antitrust Allegations Epic Games, in its appeal to the 9th Circuit, sought to revive its antitrust allegations against Apple. These allegations pertain to the restrictive practices of app distribution and payment services within the App Store. The outcome of the review sought by Epic Games may potentially impact the way Apple operates its App Store. Apple's Argument Apple's attorneys argued in their filing that the 9th Circuit exceeded its authority by issuing a nationwide injunction against Apple. The injunction was issued based on allegations of Apple violating a California state unfair competition law. Apple aims to address these concerns through its petition to the US Supreme Court. Source Best Mobiles in India Facebook, To stay updated with latest technology news & gadget reviews, follow GizBot on Twitter YouTube and also subscribe to our notification. Allow Notifications Microsoft May End Up In Yet Another EU Antitrust Investigation Because Slack Had Issues With Teams Tech Biz oi -Alap Naik Desai Microsoft could soon face yet another antitrust investigation in the European Union (EU). The company has reportedly failed to reach an agreement with the EU Antitrust Commission regarding its Teams platform. The EU had previously warned and fined Microsoft for bundling two or more products together. The Windows OS maker may have to defend itself because it bundled Microsoft Teams with Microsoft Office 365 as a complimentary add-on. Slack Drags Microsoft Into EU Antitrust Probe For Bundling Teams With Office 365 Microsoft has offered Skype for individuals and businesses for a long time. However, Skype for Business was gradually retired in favor of Microsoft Teams. Microsoft Teams is a feature-packed collaboration and office productivity as well as a remote communications platform. It rivals Google Workspace, Zoom, Slack, and several other platforms that offer similar functionalities and features. Microsoft added Teams to Office 365 in 2017 as a complimentary add-on. The platform eventually replaced Skype for Business. Slack, which is owned by Salesforce, objected to this inclusion. The company alleged that its rival had unfairly integrated workplace chat and video app Teams into its Office product. In a statement given to Financial Times in 2020, Slack said that Microsoft, "illegally tied its Teams product into its market-dominant Office productivity suite, force installing it for millions, blocking its removal, and hiding the true cost to enterprise customers". The EU Antitrust Commission Has Rejected Microsoft's Remedial Steps The EU Antitrust Commission took cognizance of the issue and asked Microsoft to respond. As a remedial measure, Microsoft suggested it would offer a cheaper version of Office 365 for users who chose not to use Teams. The EU wants Microsoft to reduce the price of the Office 365 subscription without Teams. The price differentiation between the two versions of the remote collaboration and office productivity suite must be wider to ensure a level playing field and give consumers more choices, the EU watchdog insisted. A Microsoft spokesperson has indicated that the company is actively cooperating with the Commission and the company is, "open to pragmatic solutions that address its concerns and serve customers well." It is quite possible that Microsoft could submit a new remedial proposal before the EU watchdog to stave off the investigation. However, the company will have to hurry if it wants to avoid the investigation from starting. Best Mobiles in India Facebook, To stay updated with latest technology news & gadget reviews, follow GizBot on Twitter YouTube and also subscribe to our notification. Allow Notifications Turkey says uncovers, disrupts 'ghost' Mossad spy network in Istanbul Iran Press TV Monday, 03 July 2023 5:02 PM Turkish authorities say they have uncovered and disrupted a vast "ghost" Mossad spy network centered in Istanbul, following months of surveillance. The substantial efforts by Turkey's National Intelligence Organization (MIT) exposed 56 operatives allegedly spying on non-Turkish citizens in Turkey in the service of the Israeli spy agency Mossad, Turkey's Daily Sabah newspaper reported on Monday. MIT and the Anti-Terrorism Branch of the Istanbul Police Department also managed to arrest seven of the suspected spies during a collaborative operation, the report further said, adding that the detainees, according to the agency's counterintelligence unit, had confessed to working for Mossad in their testimonies. "The seven suspects are among the 56 operatives linked to a total of nine networks, which are each overseen by nine Mossad agents based in Tel Aviv and have the ability to operate on an international scale," the reported cited MIT as saying. The vast network consisted of citizens from various West Asian countries, the agency said. The findings by MIT also revealed that the Mossad agents would gather information about foreigners through various surveillance methods, vehicle movements using GPS, and hacking into password-protected networks using Wi-Fi and location tracking devices. Furthermore, the spies also physically followed various targets determined by Mossad and filmed one-on-one meetings in an operation that, according to the report, "was supervised by an Israeli of Arab origin, Soliman Agbaria." These Mossad spies also used several fake websites in multiple languages, mainly Arabic, to secure technical locations and real IP addresses of the targeted individuals, the report said. All communication between Mossad agents in Turkey and abroad was done through single-use mobile phone lines owned by fake individuals in Spain, England, Germany, Sweden, Malaysia, Indonesia and Belgium. "One of the group's leaders, a Mossad spy codenamed 'Shirin Alayan' whose real identity MIT was unable to determine, used a German phone line to instruct a Palestinian named 'Khaled Nijim' to set up bogus news platforms like 'najarland.com, almeshar.com, nasrin-news.com and hresource.co.uk.' These websites featured exclusively pinpoint articles to attract targets who would then click on virus links, enabling the network to infiltrate their phones," the report said. MIT also found that Mossad sent its spies of Arab origin in Istanbul abroad, particularly to Lebanon and Syria, to secure intelligence and mark locations to be struck by armed drones. Back in May, for instance, Turkish media outlets reported that local authorities had managed to arrest 11 people accused of being part of a Mossad-led network. Turkey has also broken Mossad-aligned spy rings in 2022 and 2021. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address LOBAMBA Members of Parliament (MPs) were not swayed by an update on the health crisis, which was presented by Minister of Health Lizzie Nkosi. The minister delivered a statement, which was to provide an update from the tabled report, as a response to Private Members Motion Number 4 of 2023. The motion was moved by Siphocosini MP Mduduzi Matsebula who sought to get a report from the minister on measures the ministry undertook to resolve the health crisis facing the country. The report should pay particular attention to the following: shortage of human resources and equipment in public clinics and hospitals; shortage of medical supplies in public clinics and hospitals; shortage of linen and bedding in public hospitals; shortage of transport and; fuel and the creation of a contingency reserve of medical supplies of strategic importance, reads the motion. On the issue of shortage of medical supplies in public clinics and hospitals, the minister highlighted that there had been many issues raised and both the public and Parliament were concerned. The minister shared that they had positive changes in the past few weeks as the ministry looked at the gaps in medical supply with Cabinet, which approved expediting processes to procure commodities. She stated that the normative procurement process took three to seven months and, to deal with the current situation, emergency procurement was being utilised. Nkosi highlighted that the ministry returned to the tender board and requested that they be allowed to purchase as an emergency and the tender board had given them a short window to procure the most urgent medicines. procurement This procurement started on June 23, 2023; the ministry had a meeting with suppliers and from June 26, 2023 deliveries had begun to come into the tertiary facilities to Mbabane Government Hospital, RFM, Nhlangano Health Centre, Mankayane Government Hospital, Hlatikhulu Government Hospital, Matsanjeni Health Centre, Manzini Psychiatric Centre and Piggs Peak Hospital. On the normative regions deliveries, Shiselweni and Lubombo were covered on June 26-30, 2023 with Hhohho and Manzini regions to be covered this week, she said. However, her update was met with resistance from the MPs, who felt that what she was saying was not helping the current situation in any way. Hhukwini MP Nkhanyeti Ngwenya pointed out that the ministers update was missing specific timelines on what was currently being done to alleviate the situation in public hospitals and clinics because there was absolutely no medication. The specific timelines will give people the comfort that the ministry is doing something to help the situation at our hospitals, he asserted. Lomahasha MP Ndumiso Masimula minced no words when he submitted that the minister was not doing enough to sell the idea that indeed the ministry was working around the clock to change the health crisis faced by the country. The minister should present to us something that will match the level of the crisis that we are witnessing in our hospitals currently. The update she is delivering does not hold any water for me, he said. KuMethula MP Derrick Masuku enquired from the minister if there was any way that government could speed up the procurement of the medication, because this was not just any procurement but one that involved saving lives. Masuku submitted that the three to seven weeks that the minister was talking about in her update report were too long for a country that was losing people at an alarming rate, due to the shortage of medication. Hhohho Region MP Nokunceda Bujela shared that in the 55 years of independence, the country has never experienced a health crisis of such magnitude, as has been the case during the 11th Parliament. She said it was clear that the ministry had failed the country. There is a very big problem that the Cabinet is probably not telling us, she said. Deliveries The minister clarified that the three months she was referring to was the period that the ministry had been given to help the situation and she mentioned that deliveries were ongoing as stock was coming in. The ministry continues to work with suppliers to source key missing commodities that are delivered at the Central Medical Stores (CMS), recorded, and distributed to health facilities, she stated. The minister shared, in her update, that the tender board approved that for items that the supplier did not have in stock, the ministry could request a quotation so that emergency procurement could be done to obtain these critical medicines. Additionally, the ministry is happy to report that funds to procure drugs for this year have been released and the ministry is working on procuring medicines for this year through the normative procurement processes. Drugs for this year will be procured earlier and we anticipate that the new government will find drugs and avoid the stock-outs that we faced, she submitted. To echo the minister on the seriousness that the Cabinet was giving to this issue, Minister of Finance Neal Rijkenberg shared that Cabinet had selected a task team of ministers who would look into the progress of the matter. On the shortage of human resources and equipment in public clinics and hospitals, the minister stated that to address critical shortages, government approved the ministry to hire 100 healthcare workers comprising 31 doctors and other cadres including nurses, pharmacists and others. She said that the approval helped the ministry to address some of the most critical needs as the Ministry of Public Service and Civil Services Commission collaborated on what other teams were required to do so in health to fill the rest of the shortages. Finally, the Mbabane Government Hospitals new wing is being fully operationalised, the process has started, she submitted. Venezuela : Statement by the High Representative on the latest electoral decisions European External Action Service (EEAS) 03.07.2023 EEAS Press Team The European Union has worked with Venezuelan and international partners for a peaceful and democratic Venezuelan-led solution to end the long-lasting political and social crisis. Credible, transparent and inclusive presidential elections in 2024 are a key part to that solution. In this context, the EU expresses its deep concern with the decisions intended to prevent members of the opposition from exercising their core political rights, as has been the case of Maria Corina Machado and other political figures. These decisions undermine democracy and the rule of law and will only deepen the longstanding political and social crisis in Venezuela. The European Union recalls the 23 recommendations of the 2021 EU Electoral Observation Mission, where a priority recommendation is "to abolish the Comptroller General's prerogative to strip citizens of their fundamental right to stand for election through an administrative procedure and without a timely notification, which negatively impacts on the right to defence." We stress once again the importance of making full use of these recommendations to improve electoral conditions in Venezuela. The European Union will continue to work with international partners and build on international and regional efforts, such as last April's Bogota Conference on Venezuela, to seek an end to the political, socioeconomic and humanitarian crisis and to contribute to the Venezuelan-led effort to restore democracy, the rule of law and the respect of human rights in Venezuela. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Statement on the developments in Guatemala Government of Norway News story | Date: 03/07/2023 'Norway is concerned by the developments in Guatemala following last week's elections. Like other international partners we encourage the Guatemalan authorities to respect the popular vote and the democratic will of the Guatemalan people, as was freely and clearly expressed in the elections on 25 June', says Foreign Minister Anniken Huitfeldt. As international observation missions, including from the European Union (EU) and the Organization of American States (OAS) have stated, the published results corresponded with the results that were observed in the election districts throughout the country. The Guatemalan election authorities (TSE) organized the elections in an orderly manner and no major irregularities were recorded by national and international observers. 'Norway stands by its historic commitment to support the Guatemalan people's right to a democratic and peaceful future. We trust that a second election round will be carried out as planned on 20 August', says Huitfeldt. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Strong support for Swedish NATO membership in joint statement by Nordic defence ministers Government Offices of Sweden 03 July 2023 "Nordic defence cooperation is more important than ever," say the Nordic defence ministers in a joint statement from a meeting in Iceland on 20-21 June within the framework of the Nordic Defence Cooperation (NORDEFCO). "It is important that Sweden becomes a member of the alliance as soon as possible so that NORDEFCO can reach its potential in support of European and transatlantic security and collective defence," the statement continues. In 2023, while Sweden holds the Chair, a new vision for NORDEFCO will be developed. The vision will apply once all the Nordic countries are members of NATO. The Nordic Defence Cooperation was launched in 2009 and has helped strengthen both the individual countries and their joint capabilities in education and training, logistics, international operations and defence equipment. Once it is ready, the new vision will open the way for enhanced cooperation in the area of defence, for example by strengthening the ability to conduct joint operations, host country support, logistical support and support from civil defence. "In the Nordic countries, we have jointly created trust and confidence in one another through long-standing cooperation based on shared values and security interests. We are now preparing to deepen our defence policy cooperation by means of a new vision. NORDEFCO is a complementary organisation that strengthens NATO," says Minister for Defence Pal Jonson. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address The Baltic states will speak with one voice at the NATO Summit, says Z. Tomkus Republic of Lithuania - Ministry of Foreign Affairs 2023-07-03 International cooperation Vice Minister of National Defence Zilvinas Tomkus took part at a meeting of Permanent Secretaries and Vice Ministers of Defence of the Baltic states in Latvia, Bauska, on July 3. They discussed security situation in the region, assistance to Ukraine, development of joint Baltic capability and the upcoming NATO Summit in Vilnius. "The Baltic states are conducting active preparation for the NATO Summit where we will speak with one voice. We are united about our mutual goals - strengthening deterrence and defence on the eastern flank of NATO. We are also united about welcoming Sweden's NATO membership, a clear direction for Ukraine and its Euro-Atlantic ambitions, the rotational air defence model implementation, and more substantial defence investment," said Z. Tomkus. Vice Minister, Estonia's Permanent Secretary Kusti Salm and Latvia's State Secretary Janis Garison also visited a VAIROG EU ammunition factory established in Latvia. Representatives of the countries familiarized with the production line for different calibers of ammunition and discussed the challenges and opportunities facing the European Defence industry. The Baltic cooperation has been intensified in the areas of NATO Air Policing Mission, Navy, military exercises and officer and civilian training at the Baltic Defence College. The countries also synch force planning, coordinate joint procurement, hold joint exercises, courses, seminars, and conduct cooperation between separate services. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Chair of the Military Committee and SHAPE Deputy Chief of Staff Operations brief on integration of NATO and national military planning NATO - North Atlantic Treaty Organisation 03 Jul. 2023 In a briefing with journalists on Monday (3 July 2023) at NATO Headquarters in Brussels, the Chair of the NATO Military Committee, Admiral Rob Bauer, and the SHAPE Deputy Chief of Staff Operations, Major General Matthew Van Wagenen, presented an overview on the integration of NATO military planning and national military planning. The briefers made clear that the Alliance started the planning process for collective defence several years ago, and that we have now reached a phase of unparalleled integration of NATO and national military planning. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Philippines-EU Joint Committee Meets, Establishes New Dialogue on Maritime Security Republic of the Philippines - Department of Foreign Affairs 30 June 2023 Brussels 1. The third Joint Committee Meeting between the Philippines and the EU was convened on 30 June 2023 in Brussels. 2. The Joint Committee reviewed the on-going bilateral, regional and multilateral cooperation under the Philippines - European Union Partnership and Cooperation Agreement (PCA) and discussed possible future cooperation initiatives in a number areas. It built upon the outcomes of the three subcommittee meetings (on Good Governance, Rule of Law and Human Rights; Development Cooperation as well as Trade, Investment and Economic Cooperation;), held physically in Manila (the Philippines) on 6 October, 23 November and 25 November 2022, respectively. 3. As concerns regional security developments, the Philippines and the EU agreed on the need to find peaceful solutions to conflicts while respecting principles of international law and the UN Charter. The Philippines and the EU reiterated their condemnation of Russia's aggression against Ukraine and renewed their call for an immediate and unconditional withdrawal of all Russian military forces and military equipment from the territory of Ukraine within its internationally recognised borders. International humanitarian law must be respected and safe and unhindered access to humanitarian assistance must be allowed. The Philippines and the EU agreed to continue to work together closely and stand up for the rules-based international order, the principles of sovereignty, territorial integrity and non-aggression, as well as for a just peace based on respect for Ukraine's independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity, as protected by the UN Charter. 4. The Philippines and the EU discussed the EU Strategy for Cooperation in the Indo-Pacific and the ASEAN Outlook on the Indo-Pacific. They agreed to build on and reinforce synergies between both strategies in order to strengthen mutually beneficial cooperation with all partners in the Indo-Pacific region. They underscored the priority areas for further cooperation, among others, security, including maritime security, cybersecurity, trade, multilateralism and rule-based international order. 5. On maritime security, the Philippines and the EU expressed concern over unilateral actions that endanger peace, security and stability and the rules-based international order. They underscored their unwavering commitment to freedom of navigation and overflight in the South China Sea, and the importance of respecting the sovereign rights of states within their exclusive economic zones consistent with international law, in particular the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) and its dispute settlement mechanisms, and the Arbitration Award rendered under UNCLOS on 12 July 2016. Moreover, they agreed to strengthen cooperation on maritime matters by establishing a Philippines-EU Subcommittee on Maritime Cooperation. 6. The Philippines and the EU also discussed other areas of sectoral cooperation, such as, environment, energy, climate change, disaster management, the fight against Illegal, Unreported, and Unregulated (IUU) Fishing, Critical Infrastructure, Connectivity. 7. The Philippines and the EU underscored the importance of rule of law, and respect for human rights, including labour rights, freedom of expression, press, and association, countering any form of violence in our societies, such as against civil society, women, children, migrants, and marginalized groups. They reaffirmed their commitment to those, as stated in the Partnership and Cooperation agreement while recognizing the accomplishments and the need for tangible and measurable progress in some areas of concern. The EU reaffirmed its support for the Joint Programme between the Philippines and the United Nations (UN) and the Philippines Government's commitment to its operationalization. The Philippines underscored its priorities to boost the efficiency of the criminal justice system and appreciated the EU's technical support in this regard, including through the Go Just mechanism. The Philippines highlighted its efforts to address human rights issues, provide remedies for victims of crimes and hold their perpetrators accountable. The EU will host the next sub-committee meeting in the second semester of 2023. 8. The EU reiterated its commitment to peace and development in Mindanao, and announced a number of programs that aim to support local capacities. The Philippines acknowledged that the EU is a valued partner, particularly in the area of renewable energy, good governance, justice reform, peace and development, and improvement of the country's trade performance and competitiveness. 9. While discussing the ASEAN-EU relation, they referred to the situation in Myanmar, emphasizing the need to implement of the ASEAN Five Point Consensus of 24 April 2021in order to bring about a resolution to the crisis in Myanmar and reiterated support for the ASEAN Chair's Special Envoy to Myanmar. 10. The next Joint Committee meeting will take place in Manila (Philippines) in 2024. 11. The EU Delegation was headed by Mr. Gunnar Wiegand, Managing Director for Asia and the Pacific at the EEAS and the Philippine delegation by Hon. Ma. Theresa P. Lazaro, Undersecretary for Bilateral Relations and ASEAN Affairs at the Department of Foreign Affairs. They were also joined by the European Commission, and EU Member States and representatives from Philippine government agencies. END NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Israel forces thousands of Palestinians to leave their homes in Jenin amid continued attacks Iran Press TV Monday, 03 July 2023 11:29 PM Israeli troops have forced hundreds of Palestinian families in the occupied West Bank city of Jenin and its refugee camp to leave their homes, as the regime continues its savage aggression against the camp's residents. Israeli forces' brutal attack on the Jenin camp started on Monday, with the regime's forces making the camp and the entire city of Jenin target of their incessant land and aerial assaults. So far, more than 10 Palestinians have lost their lives and scores of others been injured in the barbaric offensive, whose main focus is the Jenin refugee camp. According to a statement by the Palestinian Red Crescent on Monday, Israeli troops have forced hundreds of families in the Jenin camp to leave their homes in preparation for demolishing them in order to reach the resistance fighters. The statement confirmed the evacuation of about 500 families from inside the Jenin camp, adding, "We are facing difficulty in moving inside the camp as roads are closed due to the destruction" caused by Israel's attack. It said a total of 3,000 Palestinian citizens have been evacuated from Jenin so far, and the number is increasing, as Israeli authorities are threatening to destroy the entire camp. Palestinians citizens leaving their homes say the regime's forces had threatened to target them if they refused to go, and some of them said Israeli forces fired live shots at them while they were inside their homes. According to Palestinian media reports, as the camp's residents were leaving, Israeli forces used gas bombs against them. The mayor of Jenin told Palestinian outlets that the Israeli army is deliberately demolishing houses in the Jenin camp after displacing their residents and the extent of the destruction is large. Reacting to the regime's inhumane moves, the Palestinian Foreign Ministry issued a statement, strongly condemning "the crime of expelling and displacing Palestinian families in the Jenin camp from their homes under flimsy security pretexts." Meanwhile, the Palestinian factions coordination committee announced a day of general strike on Tuesday, which will be observed by all walks of life. It added that there will also be a large rally at noon "to support our people who are subjected to a massacre in the city and camp of Jenin." A senior official of the Islamic Jihad movement said forcible expulsion of Palestinian citizens from their homes is part of Israel's so-called transfer project, which the occupying regime seeks to implement in the West Bank. PA urges international protection for Palestinians, sanctions on Israel In another development on Monday, the Palestinian Authority (PA), which is headquartered in the occupied West Bank city of Ramallah, called on international community to take steps to protect Palestinians amid the Israeli aggression and impose sanctions against the regime, while condemning "the ongoing terrorist aggression against Jenin and its refugee camp." "I directed the government and its agencies to provide everything necessary to strengthen the steadfastness of our people in Jenin...," PA President Mahmoud Abbas said, while calling on the Palestinian people "to stand firm and steadfast in these difficult moments." He also urged all Palestinian factions to unite "and defend the Palestinian people's land, sanctities, and legitimate rights to freedom and independence." NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Palestinian resistance groups vow to retaliate against Israeli raid on Jenin Iran Press TV Monday, 03 July 2023 11:12 AM Palestinian resistance factions have pledged to retaliate against Israel in the wake of a deadly act of aggression by the occupying regime against the northern West Bank city of Jenin. In a statement released on Monday, the Joint Chamber of Palestinian Resistance Groups urged all resistance fighters in Jenin and its refugee camp to stand by each other and fight the enemy in a unified manner. "The Joint Chamber always stands ready to pursue the brutal aggressions against Jenin. The resistance is present in all fields and does not allow the enemy to encroach on our people in Jenin," the statement read. "We ask all our people ..., especially those in the Jenin camp, to join the battle against the occupiers and support Jenin. If the occupiers continue their crime and assault, the Palestinian resistance is ready to respond to the enemy in all fields." Early on Monday, Israeli aircraft and ground forces conducted a massive raid on Jenin, killing at least ten Palestinians and injuring dozens, some of them in critical condition. The Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) also said in a statement that Israel will not achieve its goals and that Jenin will not surrender. "The aggression against Jenin will not achieve its goals, and we will remain [in] Jenin as a symbol of steadfastness," the statement said. "Our fighters are determined to confront and fight no matter the sacrifices." It added that all options are on the table, including striking the enemy in response to its aggression in Jenin. Hamas Spokesperson Hazem Qassem also said that the aggression will not achieve its goals adding that the Zionist enemy will fail. "Throughout history, Jenin has proven to be unbreakable and has a great capacity to stand steadfast in the face of the enemy," he added. Ismail Haniyeh, the head of the political bureau of Hamas, also called on the Palestinian people across the occupied West Bank to stand by Jenin and defend its people to thwart the enemy's plan. He said Palestinians and the resistance groups "know how to respond to this savage aggression." Fatah political party also said the Israeli occupation is delusional about its ability to kill the resistance spirit through its terror and incursions into the Palestinian camps. It urged the Palestinian people to take caution, because "the enemy is insidious, and its aim is killing, destruction and sabotage." Palestine calls for intl. action The Palestinian Foreign Ministry strongly condemned "the barbaric aggression" and called for urgent international intervention. The carnage, it added, is part of the official Israeli policy of using military force in dealing with the defenseless Palestinian people instead of political solutions. The ministry also called on The Hague-based International Criminal Court (ICC) to "end its silence and start holding Israeli war criminals accountable." Jordan demands intl. pressure on Israel to stop bloodshed Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman al-Safadi condemned the Jenin attack, calling on the international community to pressure Tel Aviv to stop its strikes before the situation "explodes." In a telephone conversation with Palestinian Authority Civil Affairs Minister Hussein al-Sheikh, Safadi said, "The repeated Israeli attacks on Palestinian cities will only contribute to increasing tension, which is also fueled by illegal Israeli measures that undermine the two-state solution and kill hope in the chances of achieving a just and comprehensive peace." NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Israeli military sends reinforcements to Jenin camp after deadly air raid Iran Press TV Monday, 03 July 2023 9:50 AM The Israeli military has sent reinforcements to the Jenin refugee camp in the northern part of the West Bank after it carried out large-scale air attacks on the area, which killed at least seven Palestinians and wounded 40 others. According to the Palestinian news agency Quds News Network, convoys of dozens of Israeli armored vehicles rolled into the refugee camp from all sides, as the forces launched a ground military operation, causing heavy damage to homes and roads. A video shared on the agency's Twitter account showed an Israeli military bulldozer plowing through several roads in the camp, blocking residents from accessing other neighborhoods in the city. At least six drones could be seen circling over the city. Palestinian resistance fighters could intercept one of the unmanned aerial vehicles and shoot it down, the agency added. Later, Palestinian fighters managed to blow up an Israeli military bulldozer with an improvised explosive device at the entrance to Jenin camp, it said. Media reports said that ambulances cannot get to the wounded as a fierce gun battle is underway between Israeli soldiers and Palestinian resistance fighters. Jenin's deputy governor Kamal Abu al-Rub told Al Jazeera the Israeli army "is not only targeting people, but the infrastructure of the camp as well. They have cut off all electricity, telecommunications and water". Abu al-Rub said this is "collective punishment" for all residents of Jenin and particularly the refugee camp, describing Israel's actions inside the camp as "terrorism". "They are the ones [who] raid our areas and our homes, and it is our right to defend our dignity and honor because we are the rightful owners of this land." "There is bombing from the air and an invasion from the ground," Mahmoud al-Saadi, the director of the Palestine Red Crescent Society in Jenin, told AFP. "Several houses and sites have been bombed ... smoke is rising from everywhere," Saadi said. The Jenin Brigades said it was engaging the Israeli forces, while the Gaza-based Palestinian Islamic Jihad resistance movement announced in a statement that "all options are open to strike the enemy [Israel] in response to its aggression in Jenin." The Israeli military asserted in a statement on Monday that it struck a "joint operations center", which served as a command center for the Jenin Brigades. It further claimed the site functioned as an "advanced observation and reconnaissance center" and a weapons and explosives site as well as a coordination and communications hub for Palestinian fighters. On June 19, Israeli soldiers stormed Jenin and fired live ammunition, stun grenades, and toxic gas. At least seven Palestinians, including one minor, were killed and more than 90 people suffered injuries. Combat helicopters were used for the first time in decades after the ensuing hours-long exchange of gunfire between Palestinian resistance fighters and Israeli army soldiers. Since the start of 2023, Israeli forces have killed more than 190 Palestinians, including 26 children, according to the Palestinian Health Ministry. The death toll includes 36 Palestinians, who lost their lives during a four-day Israeli army onslaught on the besieged Gaza Strip between May 9 and 13. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address UK forces killed 80 Afghan civilians between 2010-13 as part of wider war crimes: Report Iran Press TV Monday, 03 July 2023 7:57 AM British forces may have summarily executed 80 Afghan civilians between 2010 and 2013 during the US-led military occupation of Afghanistan, lawyers representing the victim families have unveiled at a public inquiry. One of the elite soldiers from the UK's elite Special Air Services (SAS) is believed to have "personally killed" 35 Afghans on a single six-month tour of duty as part of an alleged policy to terminate "all fighting-age males" in homes raided, "regardless of the threat they posed," the lawyers further unveiled as cited in a report on Sunday by The Guardian daily. The latest details of war crimes committed by British troops during their 20-year engagement in Afghanistan were cited in a document submitted by the law firm Leigh Day to a new public inquiry into reported atrocities committed by SAS forces in Afghanistan, based on previous court disclosures submitted by UK's Defense Ministry (MoD). The elite SAS soldiers "routinely raided family compounds in search of Taliban fighters, often at night-time, in the latter stages of the UK's long and bloody military deployment in Helmand province" that ended in 2014, the lawyers further unveiled. Leigh Day, the report noted, also argues that there were "at least 30 suspicious incidents which resulted in the deaths of more than 80 individuals" between 2010 and 2013, but until now there has been no independent public probe into what transpired. Last December, according to the daily, British ministers announced the establishment of a statutory inquiry, led by appeal court judge Lord Justice Haddon-Cave, following increasing pressure after a string of investigative reports and civil cases confirming that UK's SAS troops had repeatedly killed Afghans in cold blood. Earlier estimates had pointed out that there were 54 Afghan victims from a single SAS unit, but the lawyers now argue the reported war crimes cover more British troops and a longer period than previously suggested, and "reveal credible evidence of a widespread and systematic pattern of unlawful extrajudicial killings" of Afghans by UK forces. According to the report, UK's military police launched Operation Northmoor in 2014, an investigation into reports of more than 600 war crimes committed by British forces in Afghanistan, including the alleged killing of civilians by the SAS. The probe, however, "was wound down in 2017 by ministers and closed in 2019, and the MoD claimed no evidence of criminality was found." The report then cited the lawyers as further arguing that in the years that followed, there was "a wide-ranging, multilayered and years-long cover-up" involving senior British officers, officials and a range of inquiries. At one point, they emphasized, military police ordered the leadership of the UK's Special Forces not to delete any material held on their server. However, "in direct defiance of that order," staff at the Special Forces headquarters "permanently deleted an unknown quantity of data" shortly before military police investigators arrived to examine it. While full hearings are expected to begin next fall, Haddon-Cave plans to issue a ruling on Wednesday and Thursday on a request by the British defense ministry to keep large parts of the procedures secret, without the presence of journalists or the public. The British military demands that any pieces of evidence that "tend to confirm or deny the alleged involvement" of the SAS itself in Afghanistan be heard in secret -- although it has been the subject of several documentaries reports and court hearings - as well as an order granting anonymity to all members of UK's armed forces. British forces were among the largest contingents of the US-led NATO military alliance forces that invaded Afghanistan from 2001 to 2021 to purportedly root-out the ruling Taliban government and terrorism across war-ravaged Afghanistan. However, after 20 years of their military occupation of the country -- marked by many reports of war crimes against Afghan civilians and militants by the US-led forces -- terror acts remained prevalent across the country and the Taliban rule was re-established in Kabul. Meanwhile, Afghan families demand a transparent and impartial investigation into atrocities and wrongdoings committed by British SAS troops and other Western forces during the military occupation of Afghanistan. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Bahrain's oil refining giant Bapco has announced that steady progress is being made on its multibillion-dollar expansion project being implemented by a number of prestigious international companies, including Technip Energies (Italy), Technicas Reunidas (Spain) and Samsung (South Korea). The Bapco Modernisation Programme (BMP), the largest project ever undertaken in the history of Bahrain, is aimed at increasing the refining capacity, enhancing the product list and improving energy efficiency so as to make the Bahrain Refinery one of the most competitive in the region and one of the most environment-friendly, reported BNA. This multi-billion dollar venture is the largest capital investment in its 90 year history, it stated. Work has been completed on the main building for the control units south of Bapco Refinery, which includes all the control, monitoring and operation management systems for all the new facilities of the BMP project, said His Highness Shaikh Nasser bin Hamad Al Khalifa, HM the Kings Representative for Humanitarian Work and Youth Affairs, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Bapco Energies Company, after a visit to the BMP work sites. Following the inspection tour, Shaikh Nasser was briefed on the ongoing progress of BMP project. He lauded the Bapco team for achieving various stages of the ambitious project and also gave directives related to the main aspects of the promising project. A ceremony was later held to mark the completion of the main control units building under the BMP project. During the event, a unique three-dimensional model of the project, was presented. It is the first of its kind to be implemented in the Middle East with three-dimensional technology said the BNA report. The model clearly and accurately shows all aspects of the facilities of the mega project, it added Shaikh Nasser hailed the progress made since his last visit and congratulated Bapco contractors in charge of implementing the current phase. He then interacted with a number of Bahraini female and male staff working on the project, including operators, engineers, specialists and technicians, and commended them for their active contribution to the BMP project. He was accompanied by Bapco Energies board members, CEO of Bapco Energies, Mark Thomas, Board of Directors of Bapco, Abdulla Jehad Al-Zain, and CEO of Bapco, Dr. Abdul Rahman Jawahery, and senior executives at Bapco during the field visit. Several Palestinians killed, dozens injured as Israeli forces, aircraft attack West Bank city of Jenin Iran Press TV Monday, 03 July 2023 1:02 AM Israeli aircraft and ground forces have conducted a nighttime raid on the city of Jenin and its refugee camp in the occupied West Bank, killing at least eight Palestinians and injuring dozens, some of them in critical condition. According to Palestinian Health Ministry, one of the Palestinian youths killed in Israel's early Monday raid has been identified as 21-year-old Samih Abu al-Wafa. They were fatally shot after Israeli aircraft targeted a house in the center of the Jenin refugee camp with several missiles. According to eyewitnesses, after Israeli aircraft launched a series of air raids on the Jenin refugee camp, dozens of the regime's military vehicles stormed the camp, following which armed clashes broke out between Palestinian resistance fighters and Israeli forces. Palestinian media said Israeli forces stormed the camp from two directions, while resistance fighters targeted their vehicles with homemade explosive devices. In addition to the house targeted in the center of the Jenin refugee camp, Israeli aircraft bombed several other locations across the camp, causing injuries among its residents. As the aerial raid on the camp continued, a large number of Israeli forces, accompanied by military bulldozers and supported by Apache helicopters and reconnaissance planes, stormed the city of Jenin . "There is bombing from the air and an invasion from the ground," Mahmoud al-Saadi, director of the Palestinian Red Crescent in Jenin, was quoted by AFP as saying, adding, "Several houses and sites have been bombed....smoke is rising from everywhere." Israel's Kan television channel claimed the decision to launch the military operation in Jenin was taken about two weeks ago, but it was postponed until the end of the Muslim holiday of Eid al-Adha. Various Palestinian resistance movements were quick to react to the occupying regime's nocturnal raid on Jenin. The Islamic Jihad, which is headquartered in the besieged Gaza Strip, issued a statement, condemning the raid. The Islamic Jihad said Jenin will not surrender "and our fighters are determined to confront the Zionist enemy and fight regardless of the sacrifices they may have to make." The movement said the Zionist enemy bears full responsibility for the consequences of this aggression, adding that Israel will fail to achieve its objectives while Jenin will remain a symbol of steadfastness. The Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP), for its part, slammed the Israeli savagery, saying, "The Zionist aggression against Jenin and the crimes of the occupation will only strengthen our people's determination and steadfastness to continue the resistance." "We call on our people in all the neighboring villages and towns to unite with the people of Jenin to repel this terrorist aggression," it added. Hazem Qassem, a spokesman for the Gaza-based Hamas resistance movement, said the Israeli onslaught against Jenin will not achieve its goals and the Zionist enemy will fail. He added that Israel's fascist and extremist cabinet, headed by the its criminal prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, bears all responsibility for the consequences of tonight's aggression against Jenin. The Hamas spokesman noted that the occupying regime "will not be able to win the battle against the resistance and our people, who will continue their struggle and fight until achieving their goals of freedom and independence." Qassem added that Jenin, along with all other Palestinian cities, will continue their uprising despite the crimes of Israel, stressing that "the will of our people to stand firm is stronger than the military machine of the occupation." Head of the political bureau of Hamas, Ismail Haniyeh, also reacted to Israel's attack on Jenin, emphasizing that the blood shed in Jenin will determine the next stage of the fight against the regime. Haniyeh said, "Our people know how to respond to this barbaric aggression in all places where they are present." He also called on all Palestinian people throughout the West Bank to stand by Jenin and defend its people in order to thwart the enemy's plans. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Analysis finds inconsistencies during Cambodia's 2022 commune election Human Rights Watch findings raise questions about impartiality of July 23 parliamentary elections. By RFA Khmer 2023.07.03 -- A report from Human Rights Watch released Monday found numerous irregularities during the 2022 local commune elections that suggest widespread vote tampering and improper counting, raising concerns about whether Cambodia can hold a fair parliamentary election later this month. The irregularities, which include vote tampering and improper vote counting and reporting, "call into question the credibility of Cambodia's National Election Committee," said Phil Robertson, deputy Asia director at Human Rights Watch. "While it's already clear that the national election in July will be a mockery of the democratic process, a toothless and incompetent National Election Committee only makes matters worse," he said. The report comes as Cambodia's Constitutional Council approved - as expected - an amendment to the election law that prohibits those who don't vote in the July 23 election from running for office in future elections. It now goes to King Norodom Sihamoni for his signature. The election change appears to be aimed at preventing a large-scale boycott of the vote by supporters of the main opposition Candlelight Party, the only one that could have mounted a serious challenge to Prime Minister Hun Sen's ruling Cambodian People's Party. A boycott would be a way of expressing public anger over the committee's decision in May to ban the Candlelight Party from running in the election. The committee blamed inadequate paperwork, but opposition activists have said the decision was politically motivated. Anyone who doesn't vote next month won't be able to run as a candidate in next year's Senate, district and commune elections, and also won't be able to run in the next general election scheduled for 2027. The amendment also allows for the prosecution of individuals and parties who discourage people from voting. Human Rights Watch's report cites a joint statement issued last week by a coalition of civil society organizations, associations and trade unions that was critical of the amendment's "impact on free democracy, voter freedom of expression, voting rights, and to stand for candidates." It said the amendment "was made hastily and without consultation with stakeholders, including civil society organizations" in keeping with democratic standards. Fraud and tampering Human Rights Watch's report also noted that the Candlelight Party reported widespread intimidation of its polling place observers in Phnom Penh during last year's commune elections. In at least five Phnom Penh polling places, officials counted votes behind closed doors, the organization said. Limiting observation of ballot counting wasn't widely seen or reported during the previous commune election in 2017, it said. Election officials were required last year to submit a results form - called an "1102 form" - after ballots were counted at each site. Human Rights Watch said it looked at the Phnom Penh forms because the 2022 results in the capital were so different from previous elections. In 2017, for example, the CPP won in 690 of 2,080 polling places, or 33 percent. But last year, the CPP won 99.9 percent - or all but one - of the 2,155 polling places in Phnom Penh for which Human Rights Watch examined the 1102 forms. Additionally, vote numbers didn't correctly add up on the 1102 form in 19 percent of total stations, and "corrections, correction fluid or crossed-out sections were found in key sections" on 1102 forms in 15 percent of polling stations. "The irregularities in the 1102 forms are especially important because the commune elections are often seen as a testing ground for the national elections," Human Rights Watch said. Translated by Sok Ry Sum. Edited by Matt Reed and Malcolm Foster. Copyright 1998-2023, RFA. Used with the permission of Radio Free Asia, 2025 M St. NW, Suite 300, Washington DC 20036. For any commercial use of RFA content please send an email to: mahajanr@rfa.org. RFA content July not be used in a manner which would give the appearance of any endorsement of any product or support of any issue or political position. Please read the full text of our Terms of Use. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Vietnam gives activist 6-year sentence for trying to start new political party His vision for Prosperous Vietnam Party was to eliminate power inequality under Communist Party By RFA Vietnamese 2023.07.03 -- Vietnam on Monday sentenced activist Phan Son Tung to six years in prison for advocating the formation of an opposition to the ruling Communist Party of Vietnam, his lawyer told Radio Free Asia. Tung, 39, was arrested in August 2022 on anti-state propaganda charges for calling for the formation of the Prosperous Vietnam Party, which would work toward eliminating inequality in political power by removing communist party leadership. Also related to his charges were his demand for citizens to have the freedom to establish associations and political organizations, and his social media content, which authorities said was "anti-state." According to the indictment, Phan Son Tung created and managed three YouTube channels, namely "For a prosperous Vietnam," Phan Son Tung and Son Tung TV, and a Facebook page under the name David Phan. He had posted around 1,000 video clips on these channels, generating more than 148 million views with 530,000 followers. The indictment also accused him of creating and disseminating 16 video clips with fabricated and confusion-creating content, six of which contained information promoting psychological warfare. Another 17 pieces of content distorted, slandered or insulted the prestige of organizations or the honor and dignity of individuals. The indictment also acknowledged that he had been remorseful, cooperative and sincere in his confessions, and had paid a fine of 27 million dong (US$1,149), the total revenue generated from advertising income and from selling merchandise emblazoned with the words "For a Prosperous Vietnam." 'Full of social evils' According to a Facebook post by attorney Le Van Luan, Tung used to work on the Project Management Board of Vietel Real Estate Firm but then moved out to establish his own company. It was then that he learned that Vietnam is a society "full of social evils," and he began to advocate for a stronger Vietnam with a "clean government" that is free of corruption, with each person playing their role. During Monday's trial, which began at 8:30 a.m. and ended at noon, Tung acknowledged every action he was accused of. But he maintained that none of those were crimes, his lawyer Ngo Anh Tuan told RFA's Vietnamese Service. "He reaffirmed that his acts were not unlawful and the defense lawyers also proved this," Tuan said. "However, the prosecutors still stuck with their viewpoint." Tuan said he was expecting a shorter sentence because during the trial the prosecution did not demonstrate how his actions deserved a greater sentence. But because he had multiple violations, the judge decided to hand down the minimum sentence proposed by the prosecution, said Tuan. Tung has become the sixth activist charged with "anti-state" propaganda under Article 117 since January 2023. Amnesty International has described the law as a means to suppress legitimate dissent and "a favored tool of the authorities to arbitrarily imprison journalists, bloggers and others who express views that do not align with the interests of the communist party." Translated by Anna Vu. Edited by Eugene Whong and Malcolm Foster Copyright 1998-2023, RFA. Used with the permission of Radio Free Asia, 2025 M St. NW, Suite 300, Washington DC 20036. For any commercial use of RFA content please send an email to: mahajanr@rfa.org. RFA content July not be used in a manner which would give the appearance of any endorsement of any product or support of any issue or political position. Please read the full text of our Terms of Use. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address With Ukraine Poised For Closer NATO Relationship, Georgia Falls Further Behind By Joshua Kucera July 03, 2023 TBILISI -- Since 2008, when NATO promised both Georgia and Ukraine that they "will become members," their geopolitical fates have appeared to be tightly linked: post-Soviet Russian neighbors straining to join the West. Now, though, with the transatlantic military alliance's members preparing for an annual summit in Vilnius on July 11-12, all the talk is about Ukraine and how to bring a country that's battling a full-scale Russian invasion more closely into the NATO fold. Georgia, where the Ukraine war has spurred fears of another Russian invasion, is barely an afterthought. "Georgia and Ukraine -- which since 2008 have been sort of a tandem, moving toward the alliance at different speeds but always mentioned in the same breath -- I think the Ukraine-Georgia tandem is broken, probably irrevocably," Bob Hamilton, a former U.S. defense attache in Tbilisi and now head of the Eurasia Program at the Foreign Policy Research Institute (FPRI), a U.S.-based think tank, said. "Whatever happens with Ukraine at the Vilnius summit...no one is talking about a path to membership in NATO for Georgia." While the war in Ukraine has accelerated Georgia's often uneven path toward EU candidacy, it has only slowed Tbilisi's advances toward joining NATO, Western analysts say. Georgia's ties with NATO are too cozy to avoid attracting Moscow's ire, they say, but not nearly close enough to ensure membership for the small state on Russia's southern border. The strains were most recently reflected in Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili's announcement last week of his decision to break with tradition by sending his foreign minister instead of attending NATO's Vilnius summit himself. "We must tell the truth to our society and ourselves," Garibashvili told parliament on June 30, "acknowledging that we should not create unnecessary expectations." Analysts say that key NATO allies including the United States remain unwilling to offer NATO membership -- and its cornerstone security guarantee, known as Article 5 -- to a weak country in what Moscow considers its sphere of influence. Meanwhile, Garibashvili has called into question the kind of half-measures that the alliance has been offering in the absence of any guarantee of military protection against Russia. "One of the main reasons was NATO, right? NATO enlargement," Garibashvili responded at a security conference in Bratislava on May 30 when a journalist asked him why he thought Russia invaded Ukraine. "One of the reasons was Ukraine's will and determination to become a member of NATO. And so, therefore, we see the consequences." The Georgian prime minister's comments set off a political firestorm at home, with opposition figures accusing him of echoing Kremlin justifications for the war and seeking to steer Georgians eastward. "[W]hile Ukraine will get something out of the Vilnius Summit, Georgia's momentum appears to be waning," Nata Koridze, managing editor of local news website Civil.ge and a former Georgian diplomat, wrote. "It is hard to imagine NATO embracing a country whose prime minister, echoing [Russian President Vladimir] Putin's rhetoric, blames the Alliance for the war in Ukraine." Garibashvili's Georgian Dream colleague, parliament speaker Shalva Papuashvili, then penned an op-ed complaining that it was NATO that had let Georgia down, demanding much of the country while offering little in return. Georgia joined NATO's Partnership for Peace in 1994 and declared its ambitions to join shortly after the Rose Revolution ousted the last of its Soviet-era leaders in 2003-04. The Bucharest declaration in 2008 included a pledge of eventual NATO membership, but a five-day war with Russian forces backing separatists in two Georgian republics four months later seemingly recast geopolitical calculations on all sides. By 2012, Georgian Dream was in power, and Ivanishvili, who made his fortune in Russia, was seemingly keen to reopen economic, cultural, and diplomatic ties with Russians. "For all these years, Georgia did its best to become a member of NATO and get into the EU, despite the real and present danger of Russian reprisal for doing so. Despite becoming fully interoperable with NATO, developing democratic institutions beyond the Alliance's entry-level standards, and codifying European and Euro-Atlantic integration into its Constitution, Georgia has been left out in the cold," Papuashvili wrote. "We call on our partners, instead of directing undue criticism at us, to help us to overcome our security predicament and achieve well-deserved membership in NATO and the EU." In fact, a Western diplomat in Tbilisi who requested anonymity to speak more freely told RFE/RL, Georgia's misgivings about NATO began to emerge before Russia's invasion of Ukraine. The start of that full-scale war in February 2022, the source said, merely deepened some Georgians' sense that it was too risky to move toward NATO without an iron-clad guarantee that the West would come to Georgia's defense if necessary. "In years past, there was a feeling of frustration among Georgian officials that the process was going so slowly, that the lack of a security guarantee made them more vulnerable. I think today they feel that more than ever, that the lack of a security guarantee leaves them vulnerable," the diplomat said. "Where they used to view receiving a Membership Action Plan" -- a MAP, the alliance's formal procedure for gaining membership -- "as a positive step, the prime minister made it clear in Bratislava that maybe his perception is that steps short of actual security guarantees actually increase Georgia's vulnerability rather than increasing Georgia's deterrence." Asked if that assessment was accurate, the diplomat said, "I think only Putin knows if that is truly accurate, but I don't think it's irrational." In lieu of offering a MAP to Georgia, NATO spent years creating a series of programs aimed at deepening ties between Georgia and the alliance. Those have largely been seen as "consolation prizes" for not getting the real thing, resulting in a growing "NATO fatigue," according to U.S. Army Lieutenant Colonel Walter Landgraf, a fellow at the FPRI's Eurasia Program. Like Ukraine, Georgia has been "told for a very long time now, 15 years, if you keep working and keep working hard you will earn a Membership Action Plan," Landgraf said during a recent security conference in Tbilisi. "But instead of a Membership Action Plan other things are doled out by NATO." Hamilton said that over time, NATO has become less willing to admit states on Russia's borders that aren't capable of protecting themselves. A move like bringing the Baltic states into NATO in 2004 "will not happen again," he said. "NATO is not going to admit countries that are military liabilities into the alliance. Georgia right now is a military liability to the alliance. Ukraine is not -- Ukraine has shown that it can defend itself, and very effectively." Landgraf suggested the standards are less rigorous for countries farther from Russia. He noted that when North Macedonia was admitted in 2020, NATO acknowledged that country's military reform process was incomplete. "North Macedonia doesn't border the Russian Federation. North Macedonia doesn't have territorial divisions," Landgraf said. "They are differing geopolitical contexts, but that is probably not comforting to ordinary Georgians." Georgia's NATO aspirations also have suffered from the same political issues that have hampered its EU bid: a series of seemingly regressive policy decisions that have raised doubts among the country's Western partners about its democratic bona fides. NATO officials have increasingly raised those concerns. NATO's liaison office in Tbilisi did not respond to queries from RFE/RL for this article. Georgia's military cooperation with NATO has not suffered in the same way that its political ties have, the diplomatic source said. "At the technical level, whether it be military or civilian who are working to ensure Georgian interoperability -- especially on the military side -- that has not slowed at all," the diplomat said. Despite any "NATO fatigue" among officers and policymakers, membership remains a popular goal among Georgians. A survey conducted in March by the National Democratic Institute found 73 percent of respondents in favor of NATO membership compared to just 13 percent against it. Senior Georgian officials have said little publicly about what they hope to get from the upcoming NATO summit. The Defense Ministry did not respond to RFE/RL's request for comments for this article. There have been proposals to remove a MAP as a formal requirement for Georgian accession, endorsed by opposition members of parliament. Such a move would "send the right signal to the Georgian people," Levan Dolidze, a former head of Georgia's mission to NATO, told RFE/RL. Ukraine is unlikely to be granted a direct path to membership in Vilnius, either. But NATO members were reportedly working on a significant boost in military aid for Kyiv and a new NATO-Ukraine Council. Meanwhile, Finland joined the alliance earlier this year and Sweden appears to be on the cusp of doing so, in accelerated processes that skipped the MAP step altogether. While neither is in direct conflict with Russia, their accelerated bids have raised questions about why such exceptions might not be allowed for Kyiv or Tbilisi. "For many years, NATO has said to both Ukraine and Georgia that the Membership Action Plan is the next step on your direct way to membership. But NATO has also said that both countries already have the practical tools to prepare them for membership -- meaning that MAP is not a practical tool and holds mostly symbolic value," Landgraf said. The result could be the unintentional specter of a double standard, he added, signaling "that there is one standard for countries like Finland and Sweden and then another standard for countries like Georgia and Ukraine." If the polls are accurate, nearly three out of four Georgians hope that's not the case. Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/ukraine-nato- membership-georgia-falling-behind/32487545.html Copyright (c) 2023. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Emaciated Saakashvili Reiterates Innocence In Georgia Trial As Zelenskiy Urges His Release By RFE/RL's Georgian Service July 03, 2023 TBILISI -- An emaciated Mikheil Saakashvili reiterated his innocence from a medical clinic as the former Georgian president took part in a trial via video link for the first time since February. Saakashvili, whose state of health appears to have significantly deteriorated, also called on the Georgian government to let him "openly debate" with them so that "people can decide who is right and who is wrong." "If need be, put an electronic bracelet on me...but do not prevent the Georgian people from making their own choice," Saakashvili said, stressing that he will continue his political activities if he is released. Saakashvili also blamed parliament speaker Shalva Papuashvili for his current physical state, lifting his shirt to show his extremely emaciated body. The court appearance led Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy to call for the immediate release of Saakashvili, who is also a Ukrainian citizen. "I once again call on the Georgian authorities to hand over Ukrainian citizen Mikheil Saakashvili to Ukraine for the necessary treatment and care. And I call on our partners to address, not ignore, this situation and save this person. No government in Europe has the right to execute people: Life is a basic European value," he said on hisTelegram channel. "Today, I instructed the Foreign Ministry to summon the Georgian ambassador to Ukraine and express our strong protest and to ask him to leave Ukraine within 48 hours to hold consultations with his capital," Zelenskiy said. It was not immediately clear if the comments meant that Zelenskiy was expelling the Georgian envoy. Saakashvili, who was Georgia's president from 2004 to 2013, is serving a six-year sentence for abuse of power, a charge that he and his supporters say was politically motivated. He is currently on trial on separate charges of violently dispersing an antigovernment rally in November 2007 and illegal border crossing. Family members and his lawyers have warned for months that Saakashvili's health condition has been deteriorating even as he has been receiving medical treatment at a private clinic in Tbilisi since May last year. Saakashvili's medical team has said his health has worsened since he went to prison in October 2021 and staged repeated hunger strikes to protest against his incarceration. Saakashvili's legal team has also asserted that he was "poisoned" with heavy metals while in custody. Since the 55-year-old politician's arrest in 2021, several mass rallies were held by his supporters and opposition activists, demanding his immediate release. The European Union has also expressed concerns over Saakashvili's deteriorated health. Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/emaciated-saakashvili- reiterates-innocence-trial-video-link/32487438.html Copyright (c) 2023. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Wider Europe Briefing: Why The EU Is Reluctant To Hit Third Countries With Sanctions; The Dashed Hopes Of The Western Balkans By Rikard Jozwiak July 03, 2023 Brief #1: The EU Creates A Sanctions Tool It Likely Won't Use What You Need To Know: When EU member states finally approved the bloc's latest sanctions package against Russia on June 23, perhaps the most interesting feature was a new anti-circumvention framework aimed at third countries. Although this framework for the moment very much remains an empty canvas, it has now given Brussels the legal tools to do two things: Draw up a list of products made in the bloc that it believes are being sent to Russia via third countries, and another register in which third countries can be named and hence will no longer be able to import things from the EU. This move will, in theory, bring the EU closer to the "secondary sanctions" that the United States is already applying around the globe -- a framework designed to prevent or restrict third countries from trading with countries subject to U.S. sanctions. And there is little doubt that the new EU tool might come in handy going forward. Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, and Poland have all pointed out that, in 2022, exports of potential dual-use goods -- items that can be used for both civilian and military purposes -- to Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Uzbekistan grew more than 62 percent, 83 percent, and 30 percent, respectively, compared to the previous year. The EU's sanctions implementation envoy, David O'Sullivan, has in recent months traveled extensively to both Central Asia and places such as Armenia and Georgia to hammer home the message that items, or parts of them, imported from the EU to other countries have been found in Russian military equipment and weapons used in its war against Ukraine. A senior EU official with knowledge of the matter, speaking under the condition of anonymity, noted that "we are seeing circumvention. Look at the envoy and where he is traveling. There is evidence that something is happening." Deep Background: The big question, however, is if the EU will ever use this instrument. The smart money is that it won't, and that the lists will remain empty. Pretty much all of the EU officials I have spoken to essentially say the same thing: It is a last-resort measure, only to be used when all other things have failed -- notably, more intense diplomacy. I hear that this is a tool designed for O'Sullivan to threaten the countries he travels to with, but nothing more. And people familiar with the topic also explain to me that Brussels isn't at all keen to push countries into the arms of Russia and China. This is the sort of tool that would accomplish exactly that. As evidence, they point to countries like Serbia and Georgia that, despite their refusal to align with EU sanctions on Moscow -- even to the point of allowing Russian flights to land on their soil -- still haven't faced any negative consequences from Brussels for their actions. Finally, there is the issue of unanimity, which is needed for any listing under this new framework. Right now, it is hard to see all 27 EU member states seeing eye to eye on this. Drilling Down One of the reasons for the skepticism is that Germany, backed notably by Italy, worked very hard to make the sanctions text on this issue longer and more complicated. Several EU officials familiar with the matter told me that Germany was even keen to remove the possibility of listing specific third countries, but that this was resisted by most other EU member states. When the sanctions package with this proposal was first presented by the European Commission in early May, there were hopes in Brussels that it would be agreed on rather quickly, as it wasn't the most comprehensive measures ever proposed by the EU. Yet it took nearly two months to reach an agreement, largely due to Berlin continuously insisting on various clarifications of the anti-circumvention language. Having seen both the original text, as proposed by the European Commission, and the final version agreed by member states, it is clear just how difficult it will be to do anything with this anti-circumvention instrument. And it is obvious that the EU will first exhaust all diplomatic tools available before any restrictive measures are proposed. Both documents spell out that "the [EU] recognizes the efforts made by national authorities in many third countries to stem the flow of goods, technology, and services that are covered by the restrictive measures adopted by the [EU] in response to Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine. The [EU] should further support third countries in that endeavor" -- interestingly, the final agreed text adds "with all available means" at the end. The adopted text also outlines other steps that first must be taken before a third country is targeted, which includes that the EU's foreign policy chief and the European Commission must brief the member states on all technical details and outreach actions taken before any proposal for sanctioning is to be submitted. It is also stated that such info must include "available trade data demonstrating that the alternative measures taken have been ineffective, as well as information about the efforts carried out by the [EU] to address the matter with the third country in question, and a clear indication that such efforts were not successful." But that's not all. Before a decision is taken, Brussels must also "inform and actively seek the views of the government of that third country on the basis of the preliminary findings set out in the technical analysis by the [European] Commission and the [EU's] intended remedial action." Finally, it is clearly stated that the EU member states should be "informed of all steps of the engagement and of the outcome" and that a final decision only can be taken unanimously "after the final outreach to that third country has been concluded." Brief #2: The Ghosts Of Thessaloniki What You Need To Know: EU enlargement is back in vogue. EU ministers and officials are busy discussing what an EU of up to 35 member states would look like. People I speak to in Brussels excitedly point out that the portfolio of the EU enlargement commissioner, which will be vacant in 2024, is one of the most sought after, with several EU member states wanting their candidate to get the job. The buzz is due to the way Ukraine has responded to the full-scale invasion by Russia last year. In historic speed, the country became an EU candidate country together with Moldova last year. Both have continued to reform in recent months, despite the political hardships they are facing, and all indicators point to the pair starting EU accession talks at the end of this year. But there is a cautionary tale here that is worth revisiting. June 21 marked the 20th anniversary of the Thessaloniki summit. Now, the EU loves a summit. If there is one thing everyone in Brussels can agree on, it is that there are too many of them, with at least one gathering happening every month. But this summit, in Greece's second city two decades ago, was historic. It was the first-ever EU-Western Balkans summit, and the outcome was that all countries emerging from the former Yugoslavia, plus Albania, would become EU members. Then, much like now, there was hope and excitement all around. Granted, the region had just come out of the devastating wars of the 1990s, but now they were all gathered, smiling and ready to cooperate. And the EU itself was supercharged. Only a few months before, the treaty of Athens was signed, paving the way for eight Central and Eastern European countries, including the former Yugoslav republic of Slovenia, to join the bloc in 2004. And a year before, on January 1, 2002, the first euro notes and coins started circulating in 12 EU states. The future looked bright. Deep Background: I recently reread the Thessaloniki declaration and watched the final press conference from that gathering. And it is palpable how much has changed. And how much hasn't. Perhaps the key line in the declaration was that "the EU reiterates its unequivocal support to the European perspective of the Western Balkan countries. The future of the Balkans is within the European Union." Back then, this was quite something. But perhaps the frustrating part is that there hasn't been much more movement in the last 20 years. When EU leaders met in Brussels last week, they adopted summit conclusions stating "recalling the EU-Western Balkans Thessaloniki Summit Declaration of 21 June 2003 and its previous conclusions, notably those of 23-24 June 2022, the European Council reiterates its full and unequivocal commitment to the EU membership perspective of the Western Balkans and its support for the acceleration of the accession process and the related reforms." Not really much of a difference. Yes, not all has remained the same. Croatia became a member back in 2013, and all countries in the region, apart from Kosovo, which back in 2003 hadn't yet achieved independence, are now official EU candidate countries. But only two -- Montenegro and Serbia -- have started accession talks, and the last time any of them opened or closed any of the 30-plus policy chapters in the negotiations was two years ago. Simply put: No Western Balkan country will join the EU anytime soon. Drilling Down Part of the problem is the EU itself. Two years after Thessaloniki, French and Dutch voters rejected a new EU constitution, plunging the bloc into an institutional crisis. Then, problem after problem appeared. The eurozone almost imploded during the financial crisis that started in 2008; the migration crisis of 2015-16 nearly tore the bloc apart; Brexit; the pandemic; and the Russian invasion all made the EU focus elsewhere but on the Balkans. To illustrate this, just go back to the Thessaloniki declaration. In the final paragraph it states that: "We have agreed to meet periodically at our level, within the framework of an EU-Western Balkan forum, in order to discuss issues of common concern, to review progress of the countries of the region in their road to Europe, and to exchange views on major developments in the EU." When did the next EU-Western Balkans summit take place? In Sofia, in 2018! Since then, the summits have happened almost on a regular basis, but they have been rather unhappy affairs. In one of them, in Slovenia in 2021, some western EU member states didn't even want to mention the word "enlargement" in the final communique. Contrast that with the triumphant positivity back in 2003. The Greek foreign minister, Giorgios Papandreou, confidently noted that the countries will be part of "our family" and added: "In the Balkans, people have lived through wars, they have live through times of hope that have been dashed. So, what we are providing them is a very secure road of getting there." The European Commission president at the time, Romano Prodi, was even more cocksure: "There is no unknown future. There is a known future, a very well-known one -- they will be part of Europe. I fought for that." But the optimism was apparent also among the Balkan politicians gathered at the press conference -- producing quotes that with hindsight look comical. The Bosnian foreign minister, Mladen Ivanic, for example, noted that the "Balkans is the place where cooperation is normal," even though his own country over the last decade has been deadlocked due in large part to its two entities divided over ethnic lines. And the president of Macedonia, Boris Trajkovski, said that "the Western Balkans now is moving towards the EU, and it was necessary for the EU to move towards the Western Balkans." Nothing was mentioned of the naming issue between Skopje and Athens that made him represent the "former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia" in Thessaloniki and would be solved by renaming the country to North Macedonia first 15 years later. But perhaps the biggest irony were the words of the EU's foreign policy chief at the time, Javier Solana, announcing at the final presser that Belgrade and Pristina "clearly expressed the readiness to enter a practical dialogue on issues of mutual interest and that dialogue will begin shortly." Due to growing tensions and other developments, those talks didn't start until 2011. And despite some deals between the pair, relations between Kosovo and Serbia are currently at an all-time low: At a recent EU-mediated crisis meeting in Brussels lasting four hours, the leaders didn't even meet; the EU is mulling whether to freeze some EU funds for Kosovo; and there are serious talks that an international conference is needed to solve the impasse. After the meeting, almost 20 years to the day after Solana's hopeful announcement in Thessaloniki, the current EU foreign policy chief and fellow Spaniard, Josef Borrell, glumly told the Brussels press: "We have called on Kosovo and Serbia many times to de-escalate tensions and to return to the process of normalization of relations," adding: "Unfortunately, so far, all what we have been witnessing is just the opposite." Looking Ahead On July 6, NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg will invite the foreign ministers of Finland, Sweden, and Turkey, as well as the intelligence and security chiefs from the three countries, to Brussels in a last-ditch bid to get some sort of agreement on Sweden's accession to the military alliance ahead of or during the Vilnius summit on July 11-12. The prospects, however, look grim. Hungary, which also has not ratified Stockholm's accession protocol, recently announced that its parliament won't vote on it until its autumn legislative session. Turkey has also demanded that Sweden do more, especially against various Kurdish groups that Ankara believes are engaged in terrorism. The burning of the Koran outside a Stockholm Mosque last week also incensed Ankara and is likely to further complicate the situation. This week, I am in Tallinn to interview Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas -- one of the most outspoken leaders in Europe -- whose name is often mentioned for various top positions in the EU and NATO. The interview will focus on the upcoming NATO summit, the ongoing war in Ukraine, the chances for Kyiv to join the alliance, and how she sees the future of Russia and Belarus in the wake of Wagner chief Yevgeny Prigozhin's recent mutiny. Check out RFE/RL in the coming days for coverage on all of these issues. Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/wider-europe-briefing-sanctions- tool-russia-western-balkans/32483757.html Copyright (c) 2023. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Former U.S. President Clinton Visits Albania, Urges Solution To Crisis In Northern Kosovo By RFE/RL's Balkan Service July 03, 2023 TIRANA -- Former U.S. President Bill Clinton, during a visit to Albania, called for a solution to the crisis in northern Kosovo that has ratcheted up tensions between the Pristina government and the country's Serb minority and Belgrade. In a speech in Tirana on July 3, Clinton directly addressed the tensions that have boiled over following the election of ethnic Albanian mayors in four Serb-majority towns after Serbian leaders called for a boycott of the votes. "There is a dispute going on in Kosovo that I wish had never happened," Clinton said during the first day of a two-day visit. With the Serb boycott, minority Albanian candidates were able to win the mayoral posts with a minimum number of votes, leading to violent protests by many local Serbs after Kosovar authorities defied Western warnings and used force to install the winners in city halls. Clinton said the Kosovo people "created those four towns for the benefit of the Serbs....So I think that they [Serb residents] made a mistake not to vote," Clinton said. "I think it is easy for the Albanians, now in the majority [in Kosovo], to try to take advantage of the moment to make their point, but the real thing we need to do is to stop this nonsense...What big political issue can be advanced by having these tensions? The people in those municipalities need decent government and citizens need to vote," he said. The protests, which turned violent and led to injuries among NATO-led KFOR peacekeepers and demonstrators, took place after Western-backed Pristina ignored pleas to avoid escalation and instead tried to forcibly seat the ethnic Albanian mayors after the boycotted elections. U.S. and EU diplomats told Kosovar Prime Minister Albin Kurti that he needed to calm the situation in the north, hold new municipal elections, and return to dialogue with Serbia on normalizing relations. Diplomats have also long urged Belgrade to take steps to normalize relations with Kosovo, which it refuses to recognize. Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic has refused to meet directly with Kurti in efforts to simmer tensions, which also rose when three Kosovar police officers were detained by Serbian authorities last month. The government of Kosovo claimed they were illegally arrested on its territory. Serbia denied the claim and said the police had entered "deep" into their territory. The officers were later released. Kosovo, which has a largely ethnic Albanian population, declared its sovereignty in 2008, a move recognized by many Western states but not Serbia or its allies Russia and China. Kosovo's 1998-99 war of independence from Serbia left more than 10,000 people dead -- most of them ethnic Albanians from Kosovo. The fighting ended after a 78-day NATO air campaign against Serbia. Clinton remains popular in Kosovo and Albania for his efforts to stop the fighting. In 2019, Kosovar President Hashim Thaci awarded the visiting Clinton the Freedom Order in gratitude for his role in helping end the war. In his July 3 remarks, Clinton -- who has no role in the current administration of President Joe Biden, who like Clinton, is a Democrat -- also said he is convinced the United States is "committed to Albania's freedom, strength, and integrity." Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama praised Clinton for his role in ending the war in Kosovo. He called Clinton's speech in March 1999, when announcing NATO's intervention in Kosovo, "another pearl" and said it was "about the history of Kosovo and our region, a defining stone of the road to the future." He also thanked Clinton for assisting now NATO-member Albania as it emerged out of the former Communist regime. Clinton served two terms as president from 1993 to 2001. CORRECTION: A previous version of this story included quotes by Clinton that were incorrectly stated. Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/clinton-albania-crisis- northern-kosovo/32487635.html Copyright (c) 2023. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Polish Plan to Launch Tank Repair Center Hampered by Lack of Spare Parts Sputnik News 20230703 WARSAW (Sputnik) - Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki said on Monday that lack of spare parts for German-made Leopard main battle tanks stood in the way of creating a maintenance center to support the Ukrainian offensive. "From what I know, the main problem is lack of spare parts for Leopards. It is hard to talk about Leopard maintenance when there is not enough spare parts," Morawiecki told reporters. In mid-June Polish envoy to NATO Tomasz Szatkowski said that Warsaw and Berlin planned to set up a repair center in Poland's southern city of Gliwice in the near future. Szatkowski said Poland was also interested in servicing US-made Abrams tanks. Ukraine's counteroffensive kicked off in early June after months of delays over a lack of military supplies from Western donors. According to Russian Defense Ministry, Ukrainian commanders failed to achieve their goals. The Ukrainian military has been trying to break through the defense lines of the Russian armed forces in the Donetsk and Zaporozhye regions, but their attempts have been unsuccessful and Ukraine has suffered heavy losses in armored equipment and manpower. Russian Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu said on Monday that Russian armed forces had destroyed 920 Ukrainian armored vehicles, including 16 Leopard tanks, in Donbass and Zaporozhye regions in June. Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Daily Press Briefing by the Office of the Spokesperson for the Secretary-General Department of Public Information . News and Media Division . New York 3 July 2023 The following is a near-verbatim transcript of today's noon briefing by Farhan Haq, Deputy Spokesperson for the Secretary-General. ** Secretary-General's Travels Okay, good afternoon, everyone. As you know, the Secretary-General is in Trinidad and Tobago where moments ago he held a joint press encounter with Prime Minister Keith Rowley. He said that Caribbean nations may be small in size, but they are taking on the largest challenges of our age including the climate crisis, finance justice, and sustainable development. He also spoke about his visit to Haiti on Saturday, where the security situation is rapidly deteriorating, and humanitarian needs are soaring. The Secretary-General reiterated his call on all partners to increase support for Haiti's national police in the form of financing, training or equipment. He also said we must collectively do more to help the Haitian people chart a path towards elections and a political solution. And yesterday, in Trinidad, the Secretary-General visited the Asa Wright Centre, which guards approximately 1,500 acres of forested land and more than 250 species of birds. The Secretary-General said that the Centre is a prime example of the country's commitment to biodiversity and conservation. And later today he will address the opening of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) conference. And as you know, on Saturday, the Secretary-General was in Haiti where he met with Prime Minister Ariel Henri, members of the High Transitional Council, members of various political parties and members of civil society. He also held a press conference before leaving and those remarks were shared with you. ** Financial Contribution And speaking of Haiti, we are delighted to thank our friends there for their full payment to the UN's regular budget. So far, 121 Member States have paid in full for 2023. Mesi anpil, as they say in Port-au-Prince, or "thank you very much". ** Marine Environment The Secretary-General delivered a message by video today at the session of the Marine Environment Protection Committee in London. He said that humanity is in dangerous waters on climate, but the decisions the Committee takes over the coming days could help us chart a safer course. He urged delegates to leave London having agreed to a Greenhouse Gas Strategy that commits the sector to net-zero emissions by 2050 at the latest. He added that the meeting of the Marine Environment Protection Committee is a chance to steer us towards a clean, prosperous future for the industry and a safer future for humanity. He urged all those gathered to take it. ** Guatemala The Secretary-General is following with concern the developments in Guatemala in the aftermath of the 25 June elections. The Secretary-General has taken note of the concerns expressed and trusts that any action taken will be in conformity with applicable electoral rules. ** Bangladesh The Deputy Secretary-General, Amina Mohammed, traveled to Bangladesh over the weekend, where she discussed the importance of the UN-Bangladesh cooperation to achieve sustainable development of the country, as well as advancement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) globally. Those discussions were with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, as well as the Foreign Minister, the Speaker of the Parliament, the UN country team and Government and private sector representatives. On Sunday, Ms. Mohammed toured various climate action initiatives in Mongala, Khulna division, such as a UN Development Programme (UNDP) and UN Capital Development Fund climate adaptation project, and she engaged with local community members to discuss building resilience. This morning, the Deputy Secretary-General departed Bangladesh and travelled to India. ** Middle East Tor Wennesland, the Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process, warned today that the current escalation in the occupied West Bank is very dangerous and follows months of mounting tensions. He said that eight Palestinians have been killed and several others wounded by Israeli Security Forces fire during an Israeli military operation that began early this morning. He added that the operation comes after months of growing tension that once again reminds us of the extremely volatile and unpredictable situation across the occupied West Bank. All must ensure that the civilian population is protected, he said. From the outset, Mr. Wennesland has been in direct contact with all relevant parties to urgently de-escalate the situation and ensure humanitarian access and delivery of necessary medical and other supplies into Jenin. ** Afghanistan Our UN team in Afghanistan today released its new road map through 2025, guiding its work on the ground to address basic human needs in Afghanistan. The new Framework will prioritize the needs and rights of those most vulnerable, including women and girls, children and youth, internally displaced persons, returnees, refugees, [and] ethnic and religious minorities. The Framework focuses on three complementary and mutually reinforcing joint priorities: sustaining essential services; economic opportunities and resilient livelihoods; and social cohesion, inclusion, gender equality, human rights and the rule of law. It is available online on the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) website. ** Central African Republic Over the weekend, the Secretary-General announced the appointment of Joanne Adamson of the United Kingdom as his new Deputy Special Representative and Deputy Head of the UN Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in the Central African Republic (MINUSCA). Ms. Adamson will succeed Lizbeth Cullity of the United States, to whom the Secretary-General is grateful for her long and distinguished service with the United Nations, including her important contribution to the work of MINUSCA in support of the people of the Central African Republic. The Secretary-General is also grateful to Louis Aucoin of the United States, who provided steadfast support during the interim period. We have details of her bio online. ** Food and Agriculture Organization Over the weekend, Mr. Qu Dongyu was re-elected to a second term as Director-General of the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). Since being elected as FAO Director-General for the first time in 2019, Mr. Qu has championed a wide range of reforms and initiatives to overhaul the Organization's business model, improving efficiency and implementing best practices that support programme and administrative effectiveness. ** Resident Coordinators We have two new Resident Coordinators to announce today. Our colleagues in the UN Development Coordination Office tell us that Catherine Sozi of Uganda and Raul Salazar of Peru took up their new posts on 1 July as Resident Coordinator in Mozambique and in Belize and El Salvador, respectively. They were appointed by the Secretary-General and confirmed by the host Governments. They both have extensive experience in the UN system and will add up to the cohort of Resident Coordinators leading our UN teams on the ground to reinforce support to the authorities towards the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals. They are the Secretary-General's representatives for development at the country level. And their full bios are available online. ** Briefings And at 1 p.m., there will be a hybrid briefing here by Ambassador Barbara Woodward, Permanent Representative of the United Kingdom to the United Nations and President of the Security Council for the month of July. And she will discuss the Council's programme of work for the month. And tomorrow is the US Independence Day, so the UN Headquarters will be closed. We will see you back here on Wednesday. Have a happy holiday, everyone. And any questions? Yes, James? ** Questions and Answers Question : So, the situation in Jenin, the Secretary-General and his representative, Mr. Wennesland, have been calling for de-escalation for some considerable time. And you've had the exact opposite. You've had a major escalation and incursion by Israel. Does the Secretary-General condemn that action? Deputy Spokesman : At this point, we're evaluating the situation on the ground. The Secretary-General has spoken out about the violence in Jenin and in the West Bank in a statement we put out last week, I believe, and I would just refer you to the sentiments of that statement, which are reflected again today. It's very clear that he said that there's a need to avoid further escalation and what's happening today demonstrates that... exactly what his point was. Question : And we've had I think 15 attacks by drones from the air. Is this an acceptable use of force from Israel? Deputy Spokesman : We've always said that it is not acceptable for there to be armed attacks in areas of high population density, and that's the case. All parties need to abide by international humanitarian law. Abdelhamid? Question : Yeah. A follow-up, Farhan. A hospital was attacked this morning. A residential building, the third floor completely was razed to the ground. And all the roads were completely dug by Israeli bulldozers. And thousands of people are trapped, and they are preventing the ambulances to reach out to the wounded, which they are numbering 50 and maybe more; 10 of them are in critical conditions. And the only language we hear is de-escalation. Is this a flagrant case of aggression and excessive use of force or not? Deputy Spokesman : We certainly want all parties to avoid any excessive use of force, and that includes calling on them to avoid any attacks on hospitals, such as what you've mentioned, and on civilian infrastructure. So, we will continue to do that. Edie? Question : Thank you, Farhan. I was also going to ask about drone attacks in residential areas. Is this something that the Secretary-General is prepared to condemn? Deputy Spokesman : What I can say is we want all attacks that hit residential areas, highly populated areas of any sort to stop. Question : I have another question on Hong Kong. The Hong Kong police have accused eight pro-democracy activists who went into exile of violating the territory's harsh national security law, and they've offered rewards of 1 million Hong Kong dollars, which is over $127,000, for information leading to their arrests. Does the Secretary-General have any comment on this action of going after pro-democracy activists? Deputy Spokesman : I'll check and see whether our human rights colleagues have anything to say about that. Yes, Frank? Question : Actually, you may have heard over the weekend that Turkiye rescued more than 84 migrants from overloaded boats... about three overloaded boats in the Aegean Sea. Now, these were apparently what I refer to as irregular migrants that were pushed back into apparently Turkish waters by Greek forces. Now, according to international law, wouldn't this be a violation and particularly, a violation of the human rights of the vulnerable migrants on the boats? Deputy Spokesman : Well, I'll leave it to our colleagues in the UN refugee agency to deal with that issue. From our standpoint, we simply want to make sure that all nations treat all migrants with respect for their dignity and for their safety. Yes, Michelle? Question : Thanks, Farhan. I have a question on Ukraine and the Black Sea rain deal. There was a story in the FT this morning about some possible moves. Is the UN discussing with the EU [European Union] a proposal for the Russian Agricultural Bank to set up a subsidiary that could then be connected to SWIFT? Deputy Spokesman : I don't think it would help me to talk in any detail about what the UN is doing. It's very clear that our colleague, Rebeca Grynspan, has been in touch with a number of nations, including European nations, to find creative ways in which exports of food and fertilizer from the Russian Federation could be expedited throughout the world. Yes? Question : And you said last week that there would likely be some meetings possibly between Rebeca Grynspan and maybe Russian officials. Anything you can tell us? Deputy Spokesman : We'll try to get you details on this when it's possible. I'm trying to see whether we can get any of them to talk to you, and I'll let you know when that's possible. Yes? Question : Yeah. Thank you, Farhan. Today, the International Centre for the Prosecution of the Crime of Aggression against Ukraine was opened in The Hague. Its purpose is to collect evidence of Russia's crimes. President of European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, said that this is the first step towards the establishment of a tribunal for the crime of aggression. So, is this approach in line with the position of the UN Secretary-General, who has repeatedly spoken about the accountability of the aggression? Does he welcome this decision? Deputy Spokesman : Well, we'll follow these proceedings as they develop. Certainly, it's important for there to be accountability, and we'll see how these mechanisms proceed with their work. Is that it? Okay. Oh, Dezhi. Question : Sorry, let me get back to Jenin. Today, Mr. Tor Wennesland said on Twitter that he had been in direct contacts with all relevant parties to urgently de-escalate the situation. Do you have the information who Mr. Wennesland has been talked to? Deputy Spokesman : He has regular discussions with counterparts on the various sides, including with the Israeli Government and their body, COGAT, that deals with the occupied territories. Question : For this particular operation, for today, has he talked to them? Deputy Spokesman : He continues to be in touch with a range of parties. Yes. Question : The Israeli Government believe that terrorist groups use Jenin as a terrorist hub. That's why they started this operation. That's the reason the Israeli Government gave to the media outlets. When you see those drone attacks on the residential area, do you believe it's a counter-terrorism operation? Deputy Spokesman : Well, again, like I've pointed out, attacks on heavily populated areas are violations of international humanitarian law. They must be avoided. Question : And today, the White House said: "We have seen the reports and are monitoring the situation closely. We support Israel's security and right to defend its people against Hamas, Palestinian Islamic Jihad and other terrorist groups." Just want to know, first, are there any responses from the UN on this comment? Deputy Spokesman : We've pointed out in the past that although Israel is able to carry out security operations, it has to do so in such a way that avoids civilian casualties and destruction of civilian infrastructure. Question : Now, then do Palestinians have the right to defend? Deputy Spokesman : All people have rights and they have certainly the rights to protect themselves. What we want is to make sure that all parties de-escalate the situation on the ground. Yes, Evelyn? Question : Yes. Thank you, sorry. Farhan, on Afghanistan, I'm not sure what's different with this new framework and can it exist without women participating at this point? Deputy Spokesman : This is the framework that they've developed. It's meant to be something that can be carried out, but, obviously, our concerns about the ability of all of our staff to work without discrimination continue to apply. James? Question : I've got a few other items. Stay with Afghanistan, then, as you were on it. The Taliban have issued a new decree saying that women's hair salons all to be closed and women are not allowed to go to them. What's your reaction? Deputy Spokesman : We're against all of the discriminatory policies that have been put in place by the de facto authorities. Yes. Hold on; in the back. Question : Hi Farhan. Vladimir Kostyrev of TASS News Agency. Could you tell whether somebody from UN will attend Shanghai Cooperation Summit in New Delhi tomorrow? And if I may, should we expect some meeting on the grain deal this week? Thank you. Deputy Spokesman : On the grain deal, we'll provide updates as we can. Regarding the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, the person who will be participating by video is, in fact, the Secretary-General himself, who will be participating by video while he is in Trinidad and Tobago. So, he has to get up in the middle of the night to do that. And we will share with you his remarks. Abdelhamid? Question : Thank you again. Tomorrow, the US celebrates its independence. They're celebrating the defeat of colonialist and foreign domination. Every country in the world celebrates that. Except one people, the Palestinians. Their struggle against foreign domination, foreign occupation is labelled as terrorism. Is there more double standard than this? Deputy Spokesman : I see that more as an editorial comment than as a question. And beyond that, Abdelhamid, it's simply not the case that they're the only people in the world living under occupation. Question : My question now. You have been trying to avoid to use the word "condemn" with excessive force, with drones, with attacking hospitals, but Tor Wennesland did not hesitate one second when Palestinian attacked settlers to use the word "strongly condemn". Is there fairness in that? Deputy Spokesman : A week and a half ago, we came out with a statement that condemned the violence that occurred both from Palestinian terrorist groups and from settlers. Look back at the statement that we came out with. Question : So, you call them terrorists also? Deputy Spokesman : Look back at the statement we came out with a week and a half ago. Yes, James? Question : So, I was listening carefully to the Secretary-General's comments in Haiti, in Port-au-Prince. And I just wanted to see whether there is a slight change here. The Secretary-General has long called for this paramilitary police strike force to go to Haiti to try and get rid of the gangs, to restore order. But, the problem has been that no one was prepared to lead that force and the Security Council were waiting for someone to lead the force before coming out with a resolution. The way the Secretary-General answered the question seems to suggest he wants a resolution now and then worry about the force contribution. So, it's sort of chicken and egg, and we're now looking at the other side of it. Is that right? Deputy Spokesman : I'll just leave you with the words he said himself; you're free to interpret them as you see fit. What we want, and the Secretary-General has been very clear about it, is for there to be immediate help for the Haitian people. They cannot continue to wait indefinitely for their basic safety and security to be upheld. Question : So, is the next phase the Security Council passing Chapter 7 resolution, according to the Secretary-General? Deputy Spokesman : I will just leave you to what he himself said. We shared you the transcript of his remarks, and we're sharing you the questions and answers from that briefing in the coming half hour or so. And with that, I'll turn the floor over to my colleague, Paulina Kubiak. Happy holiday, everyone. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Secretary-General's opening remarks at joint press conference with Prime Minister Keith Rowley of Trinidad and Tobago United Nations Secretary-General 03 July 2023 Honourable Prime Minister, Ladies and gentlemen of the media, Good morning. It is wonderful to be in Trinidad and Tobago - in "sweet, sweet TnT". I understand that if I want to be "Trini to de bone" I will have to learn how to "ramajay" and "dingolay" and eat plenty of "doubles"! I have already filled my suitcase with chocolate from Grande Rivere and Brasso Seco and I must say I tasted them last night and the problem was to stop. Mr. Prime Minister, thank you very much for your warm welcome. Trinidad is a fitting place to mark CARICOM's 50th anniversary. Your country is an example of the strength and richness that comes from unity in diversity. And your region is an example of the power of a shared moral voice for global change. Caribbean nations may be small in size - but you are taking on the largest challenges of our age. You are on the frontiers of global debates around climate action, finance justice, and sustainable development. I am pleased that those global debates in the coming year will be led in the UN General Assembly by its new President - and proud Trinbagonian - Ambassador Dennis Francis. His election is testament to the value the international community places on Caribbean expertise and leadership. And it continues Trinidad and Tobago's legacy of leadership in multilateral affairs - from the champion of international justice and one of the main architects of the International Criminal Court, the late Arthur Robinson, to pioneers of the Law of the Sea like Lennox Ballah and Anthony Lucky. I also want to salute Trinidad and Tobago for introducing the General Assembly Resolution on "Women, Disarmament, Non-proliferation and Arms Control", which recognized the essential role of women in advancing peace and security. You have served with distinction on the Security Council, the Economic and Social Council, and a range of other UN bodies and organs. The United Nations is proud to be your partner. As I have just discussed with the Prime Minister, we are united across the spectrum of our shared priorities. United in calling for transformative reforms to an international financial system that is failing developing and emerging economies. Our UN Country Team is working with Trinidad and Tobago on a Multidimensional Vulnerability Index - to ensure you receive the support you need in the face of immense external shocks. We are united in pursuit of multilateral solutions to global problems - from tackling widening inequalities, to bolstering citizen security, to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals, to advancing peace, and to fight the trafficking of drugs and weapons. I have come here from Haiti, where the security situation is rapidly deteriorating, and humanitarian needs are soaring. I reiterate my call on all partners to increase support for Haiti's national police - in the form of financing, training, or equipment. And we must collectively do more to help the Haitian people chart a path towards elections and a political solution. But there can be no lasting security without strengthened democratic institutions - and there can be no strong democratic institutions without a drastic improvement in the security situation. That is why I have been advocating for the deployment of an international security force authorized by the Security Council and able to cooperate with the Haiti National Police to dismantle the gangs that have created this unprecedented violence. And I register the fact that those African and Caribbean countries have shown their availability to participate in this effort. And I appeal to those that have the capacity to do so to also volunteer themselves. Ladies and gentlemen of the media, We are also united in urging more ambitious action against the climate crisis that is threatening the very survival of small island and low-lying coastal states. We must cut carbon emissions by 45 per cent in this decade to limit global heating to 1.5 degrees Celsius and avoid the worst impacts of climate change. It is still possible - but it requires action by everyone, on every front. That is why I have called for a Climate Solidarity Pact, in which all big emitters make extra efforts to cut emissions and wealthier countries mobilize financial and technical resources to support emerging economies. And it is why I have presented a plan to super-charge our efforts: the Acceleration Agenda, which includes calls to urgently scale up support for adaptation and operationalize the loss and damage fund this year. Yesterday, I had the great pleasure of visiting the Asa Wright Nature Centre. I was struck by its enormous natural beauty - and inspired by your determined efforts to safeguard its incredible biodiversity. We must step up our actions on every front - for people, for prosperity and for the planet. And throughout, let us take inspiration from your national motto: "Together we aspire, Together we achieve." Because, as a Trinbagonian colleague reminded me the other day: "One hand can't clap." Thank you. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Vulcan Steel, a company owned by leading Indian industrialist Naveen Jindal, is in talks with multiple export credit agencies (ECAs) from across the globe to raise $2.5 billion in funds for its new green steel facility in Oman, said Indian media reports. Expected to be commissioned by 2027, the plant will have a manufacturing capacity of 5 million tonnes per annum. It will be a part of Jindal Shadeed Iron and Steel, which Vulcan Steel had acquired in 2020, reported The Economic Times, citing senior sources. Vulcan Steel had then paid an enterprise value of $1 billion to Jindal Steel and Power (JSPL) for acquiring the steel firm. JSPL decided to divest from the asset in 2020 as part of its plan to deleverage its balance sheet and focus on the core steel business in India. JSPL held a 99.9% stake in the Oman asset which it had acquired for $ 464 million in 2010, it stated. Vulcan Steel said these ECAs will help finance the purchase of the capital goods for the plant, which will largely be imported from overseas in Oman. Typically, ECAs fund the purchases of foreign buyers from their home country, thus promoting export, it stated. The plant will be built entirely with funds from non-bank sources, it added. In all, the company plans to invest more than $3 billion in the project to be set up in the Omani port city of Duqm, said the ET report, citing a company official. The project has been undertaken with a focus on the European steel markets as the continent favours lower emission raw materials to meet its decarbonisation goals. Vulcan Steel is betting on the demand potential for green steel as it is seen as one of the leading solutions for manufacturing companies to cut their carbon footprint, said the report. Green steel has the same properties as regular steel but is produced without the use of fossil fuels and, thus, has a minimal carbon footprint, it added. Jolly Vihar 23 enhances US, Hungarian air forces interoperability Published July 3, 2023 By Airman Synsere Howard 31st Fighter Wing Public Affairs PAPA AIR BASE, Hungary (AFNS) -- The 56th Rescue Squadron and the 56th Rescue Generation Squadron assigned to Aviano Air Base, Italy, are participating in the bilateral training exercise Jolly Vihar 23-2 at Papa Air Base, Hungary June 26 through July 7. Exercise Jolly Vihar is aimed to enhance the U.S. and Hungarian forces' ability to conduct integrated combat search and rescue scenarios and perform maintenance operations. This exercise benefits the 56th RQS and 56th RGS along with NATO ally and partner nations by enhancing interoperability while learning each other's techniques, strategies and procedures. "The purpose of exercise Jolly Vihar for the 56th Rescue Squadron is terminal employment," said U.S. Air Force Tech. Sgt. Kayleigh Jones, 56th RQS special missions aviator instructor. "This is a great time for aircrew to practice factor threat analysis because we never know what squadron or unit we're going to be working with. The more we integrate, the better we can facilitate personnel recovery across Europe." Three U.S. Air Force HH-60G Pave Hawks flew to Papa Air Base for Jolly Vihar. During the two-week exercise, a large portion of the training was live fire and search and rescue missions. Airman assigned to Aviano AB and Papa AB act as red cells during the search and rescue missions. Red cells are role players whose purpose is to present problems that the aircrew must solve as a team. Norwegian forces on each aircraft fulfill the role of a pararescue team. Their job is to help to mitigate threats and safely recover red cells with information relayed to them and the aircrew. According to Jones, working with the Norwegian forces improves cohesion with the knowledge learned from one another. This can also be applied to real-world situations. "We're out here working with NATO allies and partner nations such as the Norwegians and the Hungarians," Jones said. "We're working on interoperability and learning their techniques and procedures while sharing ours with them." According to Jones, there are a lot of moving pieces in an exercise of this magnitude. The mission cannot be accomplished without other agencies, such as maintenance personnel, aviation resource managers, communications technicians and aircrew flight equipment specialists. "These personnel are essential to making sure this exercise is executed safely and efficiently," Jones said. Jolly Vihar aims to advance and support rescue capability in U.S. European Command and NATO. Training with NATO allies and partners in exercises like Jolly Vihar strengthens partnerships, reduces tensions between nations and helps address potential conflicts before they start. "We're trying to build this network to increase our partner building capabilities," Jones said. "We can't do this alone." NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Biden's Comments on Taliban's Role to Defeat Al-Qaida Reignite Controversy on Peace Deal By Patsy Widakuswara July 03, 2023 Nearly two years after the chaotic American military withdrawal from Afghanistan, President Joe Biden's statement that the Taliban is helping the U.S. push out al-Qaida from the war-torn country is reigniting controversy about the presence of terror groups there and the deal that ended the Afghan war. "Remember what I said about Afghanistan? I said al-Qaida would not be there. I said it wouldn't be there. I said we'd get help from the Taliban," Biden said Friday. "What's happening now? What's going on? Read your press. I was right." The president made the comments in response to a question about a recent State Department report that highlighted shortcomings of the Trump and Biden administrations as key contributors to the frenzied U.S. military withdrawal in August 2021. Biden's remarks sparked immediate controversy. A former Afghan intelligence chief cited them to reiterate long-standing criticisms of the 2020 peace deal between the then-Trump administration and the Taliban that ended the war. Rahmatullah Nabil served as head of Afghanistan's National Directorate of Security from 2010 to 2012. In a Saturday tweet, he mocked Biden's remarks, joking that they made the Taliban look like a U.S. paramilitary partner, similar to Russia's Wagner mercenaries. He said Biden has "made a groundbreaking revelation by exposing the hidden annexes of the Doha deal, shedding light on the true nature of the Taliban as the Wagner Group of the United States in this region." Under the Doha agreement, in return for Washington withdrawing its troops from Afghanistan, the Taliban agreed to prevent the country from becoming a haven for terrorists and to stop attacking U.S. service members. Biden's claims that al-Qaida has retreated from Afghanistan also contradict a February United Nations report that concluded terrorist groups including al-Qaida "enjoy greater freedom of movement in Afghanistan owing to the absence of an effective Taliban security strategy," and are making "good use of this." Ending the U.S.'s longest war Asked to clarify Biden's comments, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said the president had to make a tough decision to end the nation's longest war. "And he also wanted to and this is part of what he said at the end, which is he wanted to make sure that we remain vigilant against terrorism," she said during her press briefing Friday. "We took a leader of al-Qaida without having any troops - any troops on the ground," Jean-Pierre added. She was referring to the killing of Ayman al-Zawahiri by U.S. drone missiles in downtown Kabul, where according to the administration, he was residing as a guest of the Taliban. A U.S. official who spoke to VOA on condition of anonymity in order to discuss intelligence matters said that in referencing the Taliban's "help," the president was referring to the Taliban operation in April that killed a leader of ISIS-K, also known as Islamic State Khorasan, an affiliate of the terrorist group in Afghanistan. The National Security Council has claimed that the individual planned the deadly 2021 suicide bombing at the Kabul international airport's Abbey Gate that killed 13 U.S. service members and at least 160 Afghans. Biden's assessment of al-Qaida in Afghanistan highlighted the division between Washington and the United Nations on the presence of terror groups in Afghanistan and the threat they pose to the region. A U.N. report released earlier this year concluded that the group is expected to remain in Afghanistan for the near future, keeping the country as "the primary source of terrorist threat for Central and South Asia." "Ties between Al-Qaida and the Taliban remain close," said the report by the U.N. Analytical Support and Sanctions Monitoring Team, based on member states' intelligence. The administration has dismissed the U.N. report since its release, emphasizing that al-Qaida in Afghanistan is not a threat to the homeland as Washington has relied on "over-the-horizon" capability since the withdrawal. The term is a euphemism for drone strikes and other actions by special operations forces. The U.S. official said that the administration assesses the terrorist group "does not have a capability to launch attacks against the U.S. or its interests abroad from Afghanistan." "We have no indication that al-Qaida in Afghanistan individuals are involved in external attack plotting," the official said. "Of course, we will continue to monitor closely." The Taliban's foreign ministry spokesperson, Abdul Qahar Balkhi, welcomed Biden's remarks as "an acknowledgment of reality" that no terrorist entities operated in Afghanistan under the group's rule. Michael Kugelman, deputy director of the South Asia Program at the Wilson Center, is skeptical of such claims. The Taliban have gone after their bitter rival, ISIS-K, but have done little to curb the presence of al-Qaida and most other terror groups in Afghanistan, he told VOA. "The Taliban isn't known to turn on its militant allies, so I have no reason to think it's trying to remove al-Qaida-or what's left of it from Afghan soil," Kugelman said. Republican criticism Republicans including former Vice President Mike Pence, who has announced he is running for president in 2024, have piled criticism on Biden following the State Department report. "The blame for what happened here falls squarely on the current commander-in-chief," said Pence during a television interview with the CBS television network Sunday. He said the "disastrous withdrawal" would never have happened under the Trump administration. The report, however, laid the blame on both Biden and his immediate predecessor, Donald Trump. It highlighted how poor planning by officials in both administrations contributed to the chaotic and deadly withdrawal. The report concluded that decisions by both Biden and Trump on ending the U.S. military mission in Afghanistan had "serious consequences for the viability of the Afghan government and its security." "Those decisions are beyond the scope of this review, but the AAR (After Action Review) team found that during both administrations there was insufficient senior-level consideration of worst-case scenarios and how quickly those might follow," it said. The report also noted that the State Department, "confronted a task of unprecedented scale and complexity," in implementing an evacuation with a scope and scale that was "highly unusual, with no comparable situation since the U.S. departure from Vietnam in 1975." Following the rapid takeover of the Afghan capital, Kabul, by the Taliban, the United States evacuated about 125,000 people - including nearly 6,000 U.S. citizens from the city's Hamid Karzai International Airport. The administration said it has helped resettle 88,500 Afghan allies since the withdrawal. Advocates say tens of thousands are still left behind. VOA's Sayed Aziz Rahman and Jeff Seldin contributed to this article. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Israeli Attack on West Bank Kills 8 Palestinians, Wounds 50 By VOA News July 03, 2023 Israel launched drone strikes on a militant stronghold in the occupied West Bank early Monday, with Palestinian health officials saying that at least eight Palestinians were killed and another 50 wounded. Israel's military said it conducted the middle-of-the-night raid on the Jenin refugee camp, striking what it called a "unified command center" for militants. Israeli troops remained at the camp at midday in its largest operation in the West Bank in more than a year. Black smoke rose from the crowded streets of the camp, with exchanges of gunfire ringing out and drones flying overhead. Residents said electricity was cut in some parts, and military bulldozers plowed through narrow streets, damaging buildings as they cleared the way for Israeli forces. The Palestinians, neighboring Jordan and Egypt and the 57-nation Organization of Islamic Cooperation condemned the violence. In Washington, the U.S. State Department said it was closely monitoring the conflict and that it was "imperative to take all possible precautions to prevent the loss of civilian lives." It said the fighting underscored the need for Israeli and Palestinian security forces to work together to restore peace. The Jenin attack came as Israeli officials faced growing pressure for a tough response to a string of attacks on Israelis in the region, one of which killed four people last month. Jenin has been a flashpoint of Israeli-Palestinian violence since the spring of 2022. Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said the operation was "proceeding as planned," but did not say when it would end. Lieutenant Colonel Richard Hecht, an army spokesman, said a brigade-size force roughly 2,000 soldiers was taking part in the operation, the biggest since a Palestinian uprising ended in 2006. "We're not planning to hold ground," he said. "We're acting against specific targets." National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, an ultranationalist who recently called for Israel to kill "thousands" of militants, if necessary, tweeted, "Proud of our heroes on all fronts and this morning especially of our soldiers operating in Jenin. Praying for their success." The official Palestinian news agency Wafa said the Israeli military blocked roads within the camp, took over houses and buildings and set up snipers on rooftops. The tactics signaled the operation could drag on for some time. Palestinian presidential spokesman Nabil Abu Rudeineh said, "Our Palestinian people will not kneel, will not surrender, will not raise the white flag, and will remain steadfast on their land in the face of this brutal aggression." Israeli Foreign Minister Eli Cohen accused archenemy Iran of being behind the violence by funding Palestinian militant groups. "Due to the funds they receive from Iran, the Jenin camp has become a center for terrorist activity," he told foreign journalists. He said the operation would be conducted in a "targeted manner" to avoid civilian casualties. Palestinians reject such claims, saying the violence is a natural response to 56 years of occupation since Israel captured the West Bank in the 1967 Middle East war. Lynn Hastings, the United Nations humanitarian coordinator in the Palestinian areas, said on Twitter that she was "alarmed by scale of Israeli forces operation." She said the U.N. was mobilizing humanitarian aid. Last week, the U.N. Security Council urged restraint and called on Israelis and Palestinians to "refrain from unilateral actions that further inflame tensions." Some information for this story came from The Associated Press, Agence France-Presse and Reuters. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Indonesian President Arrives in Australia By Phil Mercer July 03, 2023 Defense and renewable energy are on the agenda as Indonesia's President Joko Widodo begins an official visit to Australia Monday. The Indonesian leader is on a three-day trip to Australia. Before his trip, President Joko Widodo told Australian media that the two countries "have a great potential for integration." Indonesia has ambitions to become a global hub for the manufacture of electric batteries and vehicles, or EVs. Indonesia is the world's biggest producer of nickel, a key component for EV batteries, but it lacks Australia's reserves of lithium, another critical ingredient. The Indonesian president urged Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese to co-operate in the production of EV batteries during the G20 Summit in Bali last November. In a statement, Albanese said "as one of our closest neighbours, Australia is building extensive cooperation with Indonesia on climate, economic development, education and regional security issues." In 2021-22, total two-way trade in goods and services between Australia and Indonesia was worth $12.1 billion, making Indonesia Australia's 14th largest trading partner. Andrew Hudson, from the Centre for Policy Development - a research organization - told the Australian Broadcasting Corp. there is great trading potential. "Indonesia's economy is forecast to become the fourth largest in the world and larger than Germany or (the) UK in just seven years and, yet, Indonesia remains outside Australia's top ten trading partners. It is obviously our largest neighbor, so I think there is a huge opportunity there." Widodo will meet Prime Minister Albanese for talks Tuesday. Albanese will urge for progress on an upgraded defence deal with Indonesia, although analysts have said that Australia's commitment to the new AUKUS alliance with the United States and Britain has provoked some uncertainty and hesitancy in Jakarta. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Fresh violence grips Sudan's capital as army calls for volunteer fighters Iran Press TV Tuesday, 04 July 2023 12:50 AM Explosions have once again rocked Sudan's capital city of Khartoum as the army renewed its call on civilians to join its ranks and fight against the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF). The blasts rang out across Khartoum on Monday, as artillery fire was heard in the city's northwest progressing towards its center and east. Eyewitnesses said the fighting began at 4:00 am local time (0200 GMT) and is ongoing. The new wave of hostilities erupted as the army announced one more time that it is ready to "receive and prepare" volunteer fighters following a last week call by its chief, General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, on the Sudanese "youth and all those able to defend" to join the military. The new call came after on Sunday clashes resumed between the two sides, which have been fighting since April 15 over a power struggle between Burhan and his former deputy, Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, who heads the RSF. Later on Monday, witnesses said the air force targeted an armored RSF convoy as it wound its way from the country's south towards Khartoum. Close to 3,000 people have so far died and 2.2 million others been rendered homeless, while another 645,000 have fled across borders, mostly to Chad and Egypt. Apart from Khartoum, the conflict has also caused turmoil in other parts of Sudan, particularly in North Kordofan and Darfur regions, where the RSF has been accused of intentionally targeting the civilians. The United Nations has estimated that more than half of Sudan's population is in need of aid. The figure includes more than 13 million children, who, according to the UN children's agency, UNICEF, are in "dire need" of humanitarian assistance. In addition to food and water, people are "also in need of protection," the UN's deputy special representative for Sudan, Clementine Nkweta-Salami, said on Sunday. She also appealed to both warring factions to allow for supplies and personnel to enter the country and move freely. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Russo-Ukraine War - 03 July 2023 - Day 495 Su M Tu W Th F Sa 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 A number of claims and counterclaims are being made on the Ukraine-Russia conflict on the ground and online. While GlobalSecurity.org takes utmost care to accurately report this news story, we cannot independently verify the authenticity of all statements, photos and videos. On 24 February 2022, Ukraine was suddenly and deliberately attacked by land, naval and air forces of Russia, igniting the largest European war since the Great Patriotic War. Russian President Vladimir Putin announced a "special military operation" (SVO - spetsialnaya voennaya operatsiya) in Ukraine in response to the appeal of the leaders of the "Donbass republics" for help. That attack is a blatant violation of the territorial integrity, sovereignty and independence of Ukraine. Putin stressed that Moscow's goal is the demilitarization and denazification of the country. The military buildup in preceeding months makes it obvious that the unprovoked and dastardly Russian attack was deliberately planned long in advance. During the intervening time, the Russian government had deliberately sought to deceive the world by false statements and expressions of hope for continued peace. "To initiate a war of aggression... is not only an international crime; it is the supreme international crime differing only from other war crimes in that it contains within itself the accumulated evil of the whole." [Judgment of the International Military Tribunal] The UK Ministry of Defence reported that on 29 June 2023, Ukrainian authorities reported that, under emergency legislation,139,000 citizens have been evacuated from the combat zones in the Ukrainian controlled areas of the Donetsk, Kharkiv and Kherson regions since July 2022. This is just one part of Ukraine's ongoing broader crisis of displacement. The UN estimates 6.3 million Ukrainians remain refugees, and over five million internally displaced. With a pre-war population of 44 million, a quarter of Ukrainians remain forced from their homes as a result of Russia's invasion. The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reported that during the day July 2, the Russian occupiers launched another missile-air strike at Ukraine, using 3x anti-aircraft guided missiles from the S-300 and 20x Iranian strike UAVs of the "Shahed" type against civilian infrastructure in Sumy, Donetsk and Zaporizhzhia Oblasts. As a result of air combat, Ukrainian Air Defense Forces, in cooperation with other components of the Defense Forces of Ukraine, destroyed 14x attack UAVs of the "Shahed" type. Russian forces carried out 44x airstrikes and launched about 50x MLRS attacks on Ukrainian cities and Ukrainian Armed Forces. The threat of missile and air strikes across Ukraine remains high. Russia is concentrating its main efforts on the Lyman, Bakhmut, Avdiivka, and Mar'inka axes, heavy battles are ongoing. More than 30x combat clashes took place during the day. Volyn' and Polissya axes: no significant changes detected. There is no signs of the formation of offensive groupings. Armed Forces of Belarus perform tasks in the border of Ukraine. Transferring of the russian armed forces, which underwent training at Belarusian training grounds, to the frontlines of Ukraine, has begun. Sivershchyna and Slobozhanshchyna axes: Russian forces maintain an enhanced military presence. They carried out airstrikes at Sumy and in the Katerynivka area of the Sumy Oblast. russians shelled with mortars and artillery more than 10x settlements, including Bachivsk, Khodine, Katerynivka of the Sumy Oblast and Veterenarne, Kozacha Lopan', Budarky of the Kharkiv Oblast. Kup'yans'k axis: Petro-Ivanivka, Figolivka, Novomlyns'k, Dvorichna and Kup'yans'k of the Kharkiv Oblast were shelled by Russian artillery and mortar fire. Lyman axis: more than 10x settlements were shelled by artillery, in particular, Nevs'ke, Bilogorivka of the Luhansk Oblast and Verkhn'yokam'ians'ke, Berestov, Rozdolivka of the Donetsk Oblast. Bakhmut axis: Russian forces conducted unsuccessful offensives southeast of Orihovo-Vasylivka and west of Bakhmut. More than 10x settlements, including Kramators'k, Kostyantynivka, Vasyukivka, Bogdanivka, Chasiv Yar, Klishchiivka, and Bila Hora of the Donetsk Oblast, were shelled by artillery. Avdiivka axis: the Russian forces shelled with artillery more than 10x settlements. Keramik, Avdiivka, Severne, Vodyane and Nevels'ke of the Donetsk Oblast were shelled. Mar'inka axis: despite Russian airstrikes and artillery fire, Ukrainian defenders repelled all 14x Russian attacks in the vicinities of Mar'inka. Russian forces shelled more than 10x settlements. In particular, Krasnohorivka, Georgiivka, Maksimilianivka and Pobyeda of the Donetsk Oblast wereunder fire. Shakhtars'k axis: Russians launched an airstrike in the Blagodatny area of the Donetsk Oblast. Shelled more than 10x settlements, including Blagodatne, Vugledar, Bogoyavlenka, Shakhtars'ke, Zolota Niva and Vugledar of the Donetsk Oblast. Zaporizhzhia and Kherson axes: Russian forces are on the defensive, and concentrate their main efforts on preventing the advance of Ukrainian troops. They shelled with artillery more than 30x settlements, including Hulyaipils'ke, Biloghirya, Mala Tokmachka of the Zaporizhzhia Oblast; Manganets, Nikopol', Dnipropetrovsk Oblast; Antonivka of the Kherson Oblast and Kherson. Ukrainian Air Force conducted 14x strikes on Russian manpower concentrations. Ukrainian missile and artillery units hit 2x Russian manpower, weapons and military equipment concentrations and 5x Russian artillery units at firing positions. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Prosecutions filed against Chinese chemical manufacturers The US is moving to charge Chinese companies behind the crisis in painkiller overdoses. Chris Taylor for RFA 2023.07.03 -- The United States is muscling up to turn around what might be described as the Opium Wars Part II, even if it was Britain, not the U.S., that was perpetrator of the first two in the 19th century. In an interview with NBC's Meet the Press on Sunday, Drug Enforcement Administration administrator Anne Milgram called for further cooperation from China and Mexico to battle the U.S.'s synthetic opioid crisis. Milgram said that even though the D.E.A. was "ready to work with anyone who will work with us," China has not been cooperative, adding that the Mexican government also "needs to do more." Fentanyl, an extremely heavy-duty painkiller, is behind what the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention calls an "opioid overdose epidemic." The drug is responsible for tens of thousands of deaths each year - and the numbers are continuing to rise. Just over a week ago, the U.S. for the first time filed prosecutions against Chinese companies and individuals involved in manufacturing the precursor chemicals used to make fentanyl, which has flooded the country via Mexico. The Department of Justice filed criminal charges in New York on June 23 against four Chinese companies and eight individuals, alleging that they "knowingly manufactured, marketed, sold, and supplied precursor chemicals" for illegal fentanyl production in the U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland said that Chinese companies openly advertised the chemicals on social media platforms and stealth shipped them to buyers. "We are targeting every step of the movement and manufacturing sale of fentanyl, from start to finish," Garland said, according to reports. "Just one of these China-based chemical companies shipped more than 200 kilograms [441 pounds] of fentanyl-related precursor chemicals to the U.S. for the purpose of making 50 kilograms of fentanyl, a quantity that could contain enough deadly doses of fentanyl to kill 25 million Americans," Garland said. A federal court in New York charged Hubei Amarvel Biotech, Anhui Rencheng Technology, Anhui Moker New Material Technology and Hefei GSK Trade in three separate cases. The eight individuals charged included executives and employees of the four companies. The two people arrested, both employees of Hubei Amarvel, were expelled from Fiji and taken into custody by U.S. officials and held in Honolulu, Hawaii. Diplomacy on the rocks The announcement of the prosecutions came shortly after U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken visited Beijing, where he met with Chinese leader Xi Jinping. Blinken raised the issue of stemming the flow of chemical components for fentanyl to laboratories in Mexico, where the finished substance is believed to be made before being shipped and smuggled to the U.S., but no progress was made. It is a contentious issue that has yet to gain traction with Beijing, despite it being raised repeatedly. Speaking on the Biden-Harris Administration's approach to foreign policy, in New York, in a public discussion moderated by the Council on Foreign Relations President Richard Haass on June 28, Blinken said that the Fentanyl issue was an issue "worth pausing on." Blinken added: "The No. 1 Killer - the No. 1 killer - of Americans aged 18 to 49 is fentanyl. "So, if you start with that premise, it makes sense that you'd want to be focusing a lot of your time and resources and effort on that. And we are. And indeed, as I just mentioned, in a couple of weeks' time, we'll be moving forward with a broader international coalition to deal with this." China's Ministry of Commerce condemned the most recent moves by the U.S. "China has always enforced rigorous anti-drug measures and, guided by humanitarianism principles, has taken the lead in globally controlling substances like fentanyl," Chinese state media reported the ministry's website as saying last week. The foreign ministry, meanwhile, demanded the immediate release of Chinese citizens who were "illegally arrested." "China urges the U.S. side to stop dumping blame and to stop smear attacks on China," the ministry said in a statement. 'Down payment on a pledge' Deputy Attorney General Lisa O. Monaco of the U.S. Attorney's Office, Southern District of New York, said in a statement: "Today's announcement is a down payment on our pledge to use every tool in the government's arsenal, in every corner of the globe, to protect American communities. "The Justice Department will not rest or relent in investigating and prosecuting every link of the fentanyl supply chain, including the PRC companies and executives who produce and export vast quantities of the precursor chemicals the drug cartels need to peddle their poison. There can be no safe haven." In late May the US Treasury Department's Office of Foreign Assets Control announced new sanctions against seven entities and six individuals based in China, as well as one entity in Mexico. China has long countered that the U.S. needs to control its apparently insatiable appetite for illicit drugs. As nationalist state tabloid, The Global Times, editorialized on Monday, "The U.S. has never been able to solve its drug problem. The U.S. drug epidemic's root cause lies within the country itself ... The opioid epidemic in the U.S. is mainly due to the long-term and widespread abuse of prescription painkillers. The U.S. government continues to push for the legalization of marijuana, playing a role in condoning and exacerbating the problem." Foreign ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning said last week. "These are common commodities, which are not controlled both at home or abroad ... "The importer is responsible for preventing related equipment from flowing into drug production channels. "If someone commits a crime with a knife, it is very clear whether the person who wields the knife or the manufacturer of the knife should be sanctioned and punished," she added. The Wall Street Journal recently reported that Chinese social platform WeChat is being used to facilitate payments for chemicals, according to Robert Zachariasiewicz, a former senior supervisory agent for the Drug Enforcement Administration. Once payments have been made, Chinese suppliers send chemical components to laboratories in Mexico. It is then illegally shipped to the U.S. where it is "sold to end users for cash by networks that are often controlled by Chinese nationals or the Chinese diaspora," the report said. Edited by Mike Firn. Copyright 1998-2023, RFA. Used with the permission of Radio Free Asia, 2025 M St. NW, Suite 300, Washington DC 20036. For any commercial use of RFA content please send an email to: mahajanr@rfa.org. RFA content July not be used in a manner which would give the appearance of any endorsement of any product or support of any issue or political position. Please read the full text of our Terms of Use. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Townsville to be home of Apache helicopters 3 July 2023 The Government is investing nearly $700 million upgrading RAAF Base Townsville to support the new AH-64E Apache helicopters, which will be based there from 2025. It is one of the steps being taken to improve the Australian Defence Force's ability to operate from Australia's northern bases, one of the six priority areas identified by the Government in response to the Defence Strategic Review. Army's 1st Aviation Regiment will relocate to Townsville incrementally as it continues to operate the ARH Tiger from Darwin until its planned withdrawal from service in 2028. In Townsville, Boeing Australia will provide maintenance support to the Apache and Chinook helicopters. In Sydney, Nowra and south-east Queensland, Lockheed Martin Australia and Sikorsky Australia will provide maintenance support to the UH-60M Black Hawk and MH-60R Sea Hawk helicopters. Defence Minister Richard Marles said the geographic consolidation of industrial support to ADF helicopters would generate greater operational reliability and reduce sustainment and flying costs. "The Apache is the most advanced attack helicopter operating today. Its introduction into service represents a capability leap for Army," Mr Marles said. "In the past year we have taken a number of difficult and important decisions to improve the Army's aviation capability. "Our significant investment in renovated and new facilities at RAAF Townsville will ensure the ADF members and civilians working with Apache have the infrastructure they need to support these important capabilities." Minister for Defence Industry Pat Conroy said the relocation of the 1st Aviation Regiment to Townsville would help Defence sustain the new helicopters more efficiently and effectively, and would mean more high-skilled, secure jobs in Townsville. "The hubs created as a result of consolidating and re-locating our helicopter capabilities will also generate other opportunities for international partners to operate and be supported in Australia," Mr Conroy said. "Defence-related investment in Darwin will grow over the coming years as new capabilities are moved to the north. This will include investment in major capital facilities and a net workforce growth in the Top End." NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Self-propelled howitzer a game-changer 4 July 2023 Tests of Army's incoming AS9 Huntsman self-propelled howitzer, with its three-round burst and automated loading capabilities, are nearing completion in South Korea. Army will first receive two AS9s, modelled off the South Korean K9 Thunder, and an AS10 armoured ammunition resupply vehicle imported from South Korea. Construction of a new Hanwha Defense Australia factory is underway near Avalon, Victoria, where the remaining 42 vehicles will begin production in Australia late next year. Hanwha has been working with the ADF to integrate Australian 155mm shells, including the new Rheinmetall Assegai munitions. Major Brendan Kelleher, of the project team under Land 8116, said the tests ensured the combination of Australian ammunition and a Korean cannon were safe for service. "While we know in isolation the K9's cannon is safe, and in isolation the ammunition is safe, this testing makes sure they are compatible," Major Kelleher said. Once that is established, subsequent tests will collect ballistics data required to use the AS9 with the Advanced Field Artillery Tactical Data Systems, used to calculate and coordinate firing. Further testing will be conducted in Australia focused on protection of the vehicle from small arms fire and shrapnel. "A coupon [metal sample] from the steel, of which the vehicle is built, is placed in a vice and a slug is shot into it," Major Kelleher said. "This is repeated against coupons of different thickness to understand the levels of protection." Blast testing was also recently conducted in Israel involving a full size AS9 hull fitted with crash test dummies, cameras and sensors inside. An explosive charge was detonated at the base of the vehicle to imitate the effects of a land mine. The results will inform design changes to ensure the vehicles provide the required protection and survivability for soldiers. "The feedback we're getting from other users is they are impressed by the maturity and ease of use of the platform," Major Kelleher said. "It is a big increase in range and lethality from the in-service towed howitzer, made possible by the longer cannon and higher rates of fire. "For junior gunners and non-commissioned officers, it's going to be a challenging but exciting step up to manage both a cannon and an armoured vehicle, likely with greater autonomy than they might have on a normal gun line." Elphinstone, a company on the north coast of Tasmania, will manufacture the hulls and turrets. The first AS9 to be completed in Australia is expected to roll out the door by the end of 2025. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Royal Canadian Navy ships to join Standing NATO Mine Countermeasures in Europe National Defence News release July 3, 2023 - Ottawa - National Defence / Canadian Armed Forces Today, the ships' companies of His Majesty's Canadian Ships (HMCS) Shawinigan and Summerside depart their homeport of Halifax, N.S., to join Standing NATO Mine Countermeasures Group 1 (SNMCMG1) on Operation REASSURANCE. The contribution of two Kingston-class Maritime Coastal Defence Vessels (MCDV) to SNMCMG1 demonstrates Canada's ongoing commitment to NATO's high readiness continuous at-sea presence, and the Royal Canadian Navy's leadership on the world stage to work alongside Allies to strengthen security throughout European waters. This will be the second full-length deployment for HMCS Summerside and the first deployment for HMCS Shawinigan on Operation REASSURANCE. Both ships have embarked Royal Canadian Navy clearance diving teams from Fleet Diving Units Atlantic and Pacific, and mine countermeasure search capabilities using autonomous underwater vehicles. The deployment of HMCS Summerside and Shawinigan follows on the deployment of HMCS Fredericton, which has been serving with Standing NATO Maritime Group 2 in the Mediterranean since January 2023. Quotes "This deployment of two Royal Canadian Navy ships under Operation REASSURANCE demonstrates Canada's ironclad commitment to Euro-Atlantic security. Canada will continue to make tangible contributions to NATO maritime operations. To the companies of HMCS Shawinigan and HMCS Summerside - I wish you fair winds and following seas, and I thank you for your service." The Honourable Anita Anand, Minister of National Defence "This deployment of two Royal Canadian Navy ships under Operation REASSURANCE demonstrates Canada's ironclad commitment to Euro-Atlantic security. Canada will continue to make tangible contributions to NATO maritime operations. To the companies of HMCS Shawinigan and HMCS Summerside - I wish you fair winds and following seas, and I thank you for your service." The Honourable Anita Anand, Minister of National Defence "The support of HMCS Summerside and Shawinigan to NATO Standing Naval Forces demonstrates the flexibility and capabilities of the Maritime Coastal Defence Vessels and their ability to execute a range of missions. I am proud of the dedicated sailors supporting this mission and confident that they will represent the Royal Canadian Navy with pride and professionalism." Rear-Admiral JosAe Kurtz, Commander Maritime Forces Atlantic and Joint Task Force Atlantic Quick facts Canada has deployed Royal Canadian Navy ships on Operation REASSURANCE on a continuous, rotational basis since 2014, following Russia's illegal invasion of Crimea. Deploying Royal Canadian Navy ships in support of NATO provides Canada with the flexibility to execute a range of exercises and operations in real training environments with our Allies. This helps support the Alliance efforts in the Baltic region, including surveillance, monitoring, and diplomatic engagement. SNMCMG1 is one of four Standing Naval Forces that operate under NATO Allied Maritime Command, headquartered in Northwood, United Kingdom. NATO Standing Naval Forces are multinational, integrated, maritime forces made up of vessels from various Allied countries which demonstrate solidarity, conduct routine diplomatic visits to different countries, support partner engagement, and provide a variety of maritime military capabilities to ongoing missions. Operation REASSURANCE is Canada's largest current international military operation. In addition to a persistent naval presence in European waters, it includes the Canada-led multinational NATO enhanced Forward Presence Battle Group Latvia, and a Tactical Air Lift Detachment based out of Prestwick, Scotland. HMCS Shawinigan and Summerside are Kingston-class MCDVs with a ship's company of approximately 45 personnel of all ranks for a combined total of 90 sailors. The MCDVs are a modular platform which can accommodate several types of mission specific payloads offering the Royal Canadian Navy a large degree of flexibility in support of Allies. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address HEFEI, July 2 (Xinhua) -- Yuan Yuan, a performer of China's traditional Huangmei Opera, reached a new peak in her career this year. In May, she was presented with the Plum Performance Award, the highest award for traditional Chinese theatrical art. The piece she performed in the final round of the competition was the fictional story of Lin Yufei, a young communist who sacrificed her life in the 1920s in order to realize her communist ideals. The opera titled "The Communist Manifesto" was created by the Anhui Huangmei Opera Theatre in east China's Anhui Province to commemorate the centenary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) in 2021. A leading performance artist at the theatre and a member of the CPC at the same time, Yuan has been exploring the creation of modern-themed Huangmei Operas since 2011. That year, she participated in the performance of another opera inspired by the heroic deeds of Chinese communist pioneers titled "Hong Mei Zan" or "Ode to the Red Plum Flower." It was the first time she had played a lead character in an opera. Yuan recalled that, when preparing for that role, she found herself facing a number of challenges. From the costume she wore to the arrangement of her singing, everything was different from performing traditional operas. "The spirit of revolutionary pioneers is conveyed using the soft, gentle tune of Huangmei Opera, integrating contemporary aesthetics and traditional opera performance. Every performance can be both a challenge and a breakthrough for us," said Yuan. To overcome the difficulties and enhance the opera's presentation, Yuan visited Huangmei Opera composer Shi Bailin for inspiration, so as to better determine how the characters should sing and move. In addition, she also incorporated a western orchestra and digital screen into the opera, adding further modern innovations to the stage presentation. A decade later, when creating "The Communist Manifesto," she and her colleagues took a further step forward by combining classic revolutionary-themed music with traditional dancing. Over a period of more than two years, the opera has garnered immense popularity among theatergoers. Huangmei Opera is a national-level form of intangible cultural heritage in China. From Yuan's perspective, the secret of its development in the new era lies in the combination of tradition and innovative ideas. In recent years, Anhui Huangmei Opera Theatre has produced a number of modern-themed Huangmei Operas inspired by contemporary events, such as the fight against corruption and rural revitalization. Yuan was a delegate to the 20th CPC National Congress in 2022, and subsequently brought the congress' guiding principles onto the stage. "Only when we performers have strong faith can we create profound works," said Yuan, adding that she wishes to continue promoting and publicizing the fine traditional Chinese culture by portraying more characters who are resilient, amiable and of high moral character. New Chinese foreign relations law targets businesspeople, journalists It embraces ambiguity to the point it could be used to clamp down on any perceived threat, analysts say. By Chris Taylor for RFA 2023.07.02 -- China has enacted a new foreign relations law that takes a broad view of what constitutes espionage in a move that may make China even harder to safely navigate for foreign journalists and businesspeople. The law - which came into effect on Saturday - appears to be an effort to provide a legal basis for punishing any individuals or organizations that threaten China's interests, which may include any moves that suggest "de-risking" or "decoupling," at least according to state media rhetoric over recent days. The law has also been interpreted to be a move to provide a legal framework for Chinese President Xi Jinping's world view, as it embraces two of his signature foreign policy initiatives: The Global Security Initiative and the Global Civilization Initiative. Experts concurred roundly that the legislation's ambiguous language would be open to interpretation on a case-by-case basis and could threaten the activities of foreign journalists and businesspeople in China. It expands the definition of espionage to constitute accessing "documents, data, materials or items related to national security and interests," leading Cedric Alviani of Reporters Without Borders to comment that it covered, "basically any type of information." The law was approved by the standing committee of the National People's Congress last Wednesday, just days ahead of the Communist Party's 102nd founding anniversary, which was on Saturday. The revisions to China's counterespionage law first came to light in late April this year, amid raids on foreign businesses in Shanghai and Beijing - notably, U.S. management consultancy firm Bain and Co. and U.S. due diligence company Mintz. Mao Ning, spokesperson for China's Foreign Ministry, said at a news conference: "There is no need to associate the counterespionage law with reporting activities of foreign journalists. "China always welcomes media outlets and journalists of all countries to conduct interviews and run stories in China in accordance with laws and regulations, and we will provide facilitation and assistance to them. "As long as one abides by laws and regulations, there is no need to worry," Mao added. Commentators countered that so-called "state secrets" and "activities that undermine social order" were so poorly defined it was difficult to know how to avoid being accused of breaking the rules. Legitimizing foreign policy Some legal experts were less convinced that the new law would be used as a dragnet to sweep up anyone the Communist Party doesn't like or ban them from the country - given that China has regularly done so before the law was promulgated. Rather, they said that the law aims to provide a legitimizing framework for China's resistance to an international rules-based system that Beijing perceives as biased against China's development and rise. Suisheng Zhao, a professor at the University of Denver's Josef Korbel School of International Studies, described the law as a broad legal legitimization of Chinese President Xi Jinping's stated goal of bringing about a post-Western, new world order. "It's a personalization of Chinese foreign policy through a legal process," making it "clear that the party is in charge of foreign policy, and the foreign ministry and State Council is the implementing institution" Zhao said. "In order to counter the 'Western containment,' Xi tries to mobilize everything available to him - including so-called legal instruments," he added. An editorial in state tabloid the Global Times said the new law would counteract frequent interference in China's internal affairs, unilateral sanctions, and "long-arm jurisdiction" by certain Western hegemonic countries using "legal" means. China's top diplomat Wang Yi wrote in Chinese-language state media on Thursday that the law was a systematic integration of China's long-standing diplomatic policies and conceptual practices. "This legislation marks a new legal and institutional development stage in China's foreign relations," the Global Times added. Worsening relations An increasingly isolated Beijing has been seeking ways to strike back at U.S. sanctions, tariffs and export controls, as it struggles to juggle its aggressive wolf-warrior diplomacy and simultaneously project an "open for business" faAade to the West. On Friday, in a further blow to China's access to advanced chip technology, Dutch manufacturer ASML said in a statement that effective September 1, it will be necessary to apply for a license from The Hague to ship its most advanced chip-manufacturing lithography systems. China has its own "unreliable entity list" but it has been largely ineffective in terms of pushing back on U.S. Defense contractors. Lockheed Martin Corp. and Raytheon Corp. have been named as entities but neither provides arms to China. Beijing has put an effective ban on Micron Technology Inc., a U.S. manufacturer of memory chips, which was described as a "cautious move" because such chips can be locally sourced. On Sunday, according to a U.S. Treasury Department press release, it was announced that Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen will travel to Beijing, from July 6-9 for meetings with senior Chinese officials, in a further effort to bolster Sino-U.S. relations, which are at their most fractious in decades. The trip follows close on the heels of last month's trip by U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, during which both sides claimed to be "satisfied" that a first step had been made toward reestablishing communication between the two powers. Edited by Mike Firn. Copyright 1998-2023, RFA. Used with the permission of Radio Free Asia, 2025 M St. NW, Suite 300, Washington DC 20036. For any commercial use of RFA content please send an email to: mahajanr@rfa.org. RFA content July not be used in a manner which would give the appearance of any endorsement of any product or support of any issue or political position. Please read the full text of our Terms of Use. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address How risky is travel to Hong Kong under the national security law? 'They treated me like a terrorist,' says Taiwanese professor who was turned away By Chang Chen-hung, Lee Hsue-li and Lee Yee-an for The Reporter/RFA Mandarin 2023.07.02 -- As a former resident and frequent traveler to Hong Kong, R had never considered himself a political threat under the city's national security law, which ushered in an ongoing crackdown on dissent when it was imposed three years ago. Until he was ushered into a small, windowless room at Hong Kong International Airport at the beginning of this year on arrival from his native Taiwan, and subjected to questioning and a full body search by both uniformed and plainclothes police. "Who do you know in Hong Kong?" his interrogators wanted to know. "Who have you worked for, either salaried or unpaid, during your time in Hong Kong?" A sign on the wall seemed reassuring: "You have the right to contact friends and relatives, and you have the right to a lawyer, as long as it doesn't obstruct official duties." But R, who was initially detained by immigration officers, wasn't allowed to use his phone. Later, a couple of plainclothes officers showed up and took his personal documents, including his passport, Taiwanese ID card and even his staff lanyard from his Taiwanese university, away for photocopying. R, who asked not to be named for fear of further reprisals, was denied entry to Hong Kong, then loaded into a prison van with bars on the windows, for deportation back to Taiwan. "That was the first time in my life I'd been inside a prison van," he said. "There were nine of them in there with me, watching me closely." "They treated me like a terrorist." Denying entry R once worked in a Hong Kong university, yet his research doesn't directly touch on the city or its politics, he said. He has traveled there frequently in recent years, however, regarding it as a kind of second home. While he did go and observe some of the mass marches of the 2019 protest movement, he was never a direct participant. Occasionally, he would repost news about political developments in the city on Facebook. R was officially denied entry to Hong Kong because he had "failed to meet the qualifications following comprehensive assessment." He won't be trying again for a few years. The Hong Kong authorities have been denying entry to prominent democracy activists and rights campaigners for years, starting during the 2014 pro-democracy Umbrella Movement. R still can't figure out what he has done wrong, given that his research doesn't even involve Hong Kong. The Taiwanese government recently updated its travel advice for the city, warning its nationals not to run afoul of the national security law. Possible infractions include wearing the wrong kind of T-shirt, or singing the wrong song in public, or otherwise displaying slogans relating to the protest movement. Cracking down The national security law - imposed by Beijing on Hong Kong from July 1, 2020 - ushered in a citywide crackdown on public dissent and criticism of the authorities that has seen senior journalists, pro-democracy media magnate Jimmy Lai and 47 former lawmakers and democracy activists charged with offenses from "collusion with a foreign power" to "subversion." It applies to speech and acts committed anywhere in the world, and has been used to issue the leaders of a London-based rights group with a takedown order for its website. Shouting or displaying protest slogans in a public place, including the banned "Free Hong Kong! Revolution Now!" or playing the British national anthem in public were also on the list of actions to avoid published by Taiwan's Mainland Affairs Council, an executive body in charge of the island's complicated relationship with China. But the Council declined to comment on R's case when contacted by The Reporter recently, saying that it hadn't received any report of his treatment. So who decides who gets onto the "blacklist" of people arriving in Hong Kong, and according to what criteria. From around 2018 It's a murky area that Taiwan's officials were unable to shine a light on, aside from saying off the record that things started to get more risky for the island's nationals in Hong Kong in around 2018. They have long been fair game for police in mainland China. Taiwanese political activist Lee Ming-cheh was detained and jailed for five years while on a trip there in 2017, with fellow activist Lee Meng-chu meeting a similar fate in 2019. More recently, Chinese authorities arrested leading Taiwanese nationalist politician Yang Chih-yuan for 'secession' and detained Taiwan-based publisher Li Yanhe, known by his penname "Fucha," in Shanghai. The recent charging of Yuen King-ting, 23, with sedition for posting banned Hong Kong protest slogans while she was studying in Japan has also heightened fears in Taiwan. According to former Chinese University of Hong Kong anthropology professor Gordon Mathews, most foreign nationals are likely to be refused entry to Hong Kong if they are deemed suspect, unless they have been charged with a felony, rather than being detained and prosecuted. But he doesn't expect there to be national security law-related issues for foreign nationals merely transiting at Hong Kong. However, his advice specifically refers to people not born in China or Hong Kong, and who have never held citizenship in those territories. Foreign passport-holders who used to be Chinese citizens tend to have their foreign nationality disregarded, as in the case of Jimmy Lai, he said. Arbitrary list? It's not just academics from Taiwan who could be at risk. Foreign journalists working in Hong Kong could also be at risk -- it's just very hard to say how much, according to Reporters Without Borders' East Asia bureau chief CAdric Alviani. That's because the Chinese government can always override its own guidelines and detain anyone arbitrarily. Alviani also warned that journalists of Chinese descent holding foreign passports are particularly vulnerable to this kind of treatment, citing the cases of Cheng Lei, Yang Hengjun and Jimmy Lai. Lin Thung-Hong, who directs the Center for Contemporary China Studies at Taiwan's National Tsinghua University, agreed that the "blacklist" can be an arbitrary thing. "It's impossible and pretty meaningless to try to second-guess where Hong Kong's political red lines are drawn," Lin told The Reporter. "An authoritarian government will never allow these lines to be clearly drawn, because [opacity] is the best way to spread fear and facilitate control," he said, adding that there are no rules of thumb for figuring out if you have been blacklisted or not. But he said his university warns researchers traveling to both China and Hong Kong to go with empty phones and hard drives, and to use only custom-made alphanumeric passwords, not facial recognition or other identification factors. If detained, stay calm, never admit to any crime, and don't mention anyone else's name or details, he said. Translated by Luisetta Mudie. Edited by Malcolm Foster. This is an edited version of a collaborative report by RFA's Mandarin Service and The Reporter, a Taiwan-based investigative magazine. Copyright 1998-2023, RFA. Used with the permission of Radio Free Asia, 2025 M St. NW, Suite 300, Washington DC 20036. For any commercial use of RFA content please send an email to: mahajanr@rfa.org. RFA content July not be used in a manner which would give the appearance of any endorsement of any product or support of any issue or political position. Please read the full text of our Terms of Use. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address China's J-20 stealth fighter flies with new engines: reports Global Times By Liu Xuanzun Published: Jul 03, 2023 06:15 PM Updated: Jul 03, 2023 06:10 PM China's most advanced J-20 fighter jet reportedly flew with a pair of newly developed engines for the first time recently, attracting news coverage from overseas media outlets, some of which claimed that with the latest update, the Chinese stealth aircraft has caught up with and surpassed its US counterparts. A J-20 stealth fighter jet recently made its first flight while being equipped with a pair of domestically developed WS-15 engines, taiwan.cn, a news website affiliated with the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council, reported on Monday, citing media on the island of Taiwan. With the new engines, the J-20 would receive a significant boost in thrust, allowing it to basically surpass its US counterpart, the report quoted a former external affairs official on the island of Taiwan as saying. These reports came after US media outlets including thedrive.com on Thursday first covered the flight in late June, citing unverified pictures and videos circulated on social media, which allegedly showed a J-20 taking off from a test airfield in Chengdu, Southwest China's Sichuan Province, with two WS-15 engines instead of the previous WS-10 engines. Neither the Chinese military nor the aircraft's developer has confirmed the event to the general public as of press time. The first J-20s were powered by Russian AL-31 engines, later at Airshow China 2021, J-20s equipped with domestically developed WS-10 engines delivered public flight performances, marking the mass production of J-20s with this type of engines. It has been long expected that the J-20 would eventually convert to engines of a next generation, a Chinese military expert who requested anonymity told the Global Times on Monday. When equipped, the engines are expected to provide a larger thrust, leading to longer range, faster speed and super-cruise capability among many tactical advantages, the expert said. Wang Ya'nan, chief editor of Beijing-based Aerospace Knowledge magazine, told the Global Times that China used to trail leading countries like the US in terms of aircraft engine technologies by decades, but it is catching up fast. More powerful engines with vector thrust control and variable cycle engines are also likely under development, Wang said. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address If China-US relations are already on the wrong track, what use US-proposed 'guardrails' are: Former Chinese ambassador Global Times By Chen Qingqing and Bai Yunyi Published: Jul 03, 2023 05:38 PM If the bilateral relationship is already on the wrong track, what use are "guardrails"? Cui Tiankai, former Chinese ambassador to the US, remarked at the 11th World Peace Forum. He emphasized that it's necessary to ensure that the relationship is on the right path, only then can "guardrails" work, and this requires enough political will from both sides. The remarks were made in response to Washington's calls for "setting up guardrails" for China-US relations. Responding to recent comments by US Secretary of State Antony Blinken that "the US will continue to do things and say things China doesn't like," Cui stated that China never expected the US to say or do things to please China, and China has never promised to say or do things that the US likes. The key is for both sides to find a true way to respect each other and peacefully coexist. "This is not about one side trying to make the other side like itself," Cui said. Cui expressed hope that the future direction of China-US relations will be beneficial to both countries and to the world. To achieve this kind of relationship, both countries need to have a common political will, not a "win or lose" or "life-or-death" zero-sum mentality. Consensus on goals and paths is required to strive together. In addressing a question about the future of China-US relations, saying, "Now my American colleagues often say that we need 'guardrails'. I have reservations about this. If the relationship is already on the wrong track, what use are these 'guardrails'? We first need to ensure that the relationship is on the right path, only then can 'guardrails' work." This requires enough political will and effort from both sides. "I hope we can make progress." The former Chinese ambassador to the US agreed that China and the US can cooperate in many areas. He recalled that during his time in Washington, China and the US cooperated practically in addressing the Ebola crisis in Africa, and medical staff from both militaries cooperated on the ground in African countries. "Why can't this kind of cooperation be extended to other areas?" Cui noted that when the Belt and Road Initiative was proposed and when the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank was established, China approached the US in search of cooperation. "Unfortunately, the US did not accept [China's proposal for cooperation] at the time. If the US had accepted our proposal and we had worked on these things together, the situation might be very different now." In addressing the recent "restart" of engagement between China and the US, Cui stated that recent high-level interactions between the two countries are a good thing. It's better to sit down and talk than not to meet or talk. Cui also discussed the prospects for NATO and its intent to expand to the Asia-Pacific region at the forum. He stated that the Asia-Pacific region does not need NATO. "We do not welcome NATO's presence in the Asia-Pacific. If NATO tries to expand into the Asia-Pacific, it might well signify its decline." NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Wang Yi calls on Japan, S.Korea to practice open regionalism, resist coercion Global Times Trilateral cooperation mechanism expected to restart under joint efforts By Xu Keyue in Qingdao Published: Jul 03, 2023 09:42 PM Senior diplomats from China, Japan and South Korea on Monday expressed willingness to make joint efforts to restart trilateral cooperation mechanism and boost regional economic and social recovery, during their speeches at a trilateral cooperation forum that was held offline for the first time since 2020. China, Japan and South Korea, as well as other Asian countries, should practice open regionalism, promote inclusive Asian values, cultivate strategic autonomy, safeguard regional unity and stability, resist the Cold War mentality, and avoid coercion by hegemony, said Wang Yi, a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and director of the Office of the Foreign Affairs Commission of the CPC Central Committee, during his speech at the 2023 International Forum for Trilateral Cooperation in Qingdao, East China's Shandong Province on Monday. Wang said this forum was held offline for the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic, and we need to send a clear signal from Qingdao that cooperation among the three countries will resume. China will vigorously promote opening-up at a higher level, welcome Japan and South Korea to board the express train of China's high-quality development, and create a better future for the three countries and Asia, Wang said. However, in recent years, some major powers outside the region have deliberately played up ideological differences and created various exclusive cliques in an attempt to replace cooperation and unity with confrontation and division in order to realize their own geopolitical interests. If this trend is allowed to develop, it will not only seriously interfere with the smooth progress of trilateral cooperation, but also increase tension and confrontation in the region, Wang warned. Also, when meeting with the guests attending the forum, Wang noted that Europeans and Americans can't distinguish between Chinese, Japanese and South Koreans. No matter how yellow our hair is dyed or how sharp we change our nose, we can't become Westerners. We should know where our roots are, he told the main group of guests, stressing cooperation between the three countries can revitalize Asia and benefit the world. In order to revitalize Asia amid the changing times, China suggests that on major issues concerning the foundation of bilateral relations, such as historical issues and the Taiwan question, we keep our promises and abide by the spirit of the four political documents between China and Japan and the joint communiquA on the establishment of diplomatic ties between China and South Korea with no ambiguity or backtracking, the Chinese senior diplomat told the forum. We must resolutely resist "decoupling" and chain breaking under various names, maintain regional industrial systems that complement each other's strengths, and create a good environment and stable expectations for business operations, Wang noted. Wang called on the three countries to speed up negotiations on the China-Japan-South Korea Free Trade Area, further enhance trade liberalization and facilitation, and play a leading role in the East Asian economy. Also, commenting on Japan's plan of dumping nuclear-contaminated wastewater into the sea, Wang urged that it "must be handled carefully with in-depth coordination with neighboring countries and the international community" as it concerns the marine ecological environment and the safety of people's lives. Separately, South Korean Foreign Minister Park Jin made a virtual speech during the forum, saying that his country will make efforts to restart the trilateral cooperation mechanism. Park extended an invitation to Wang in his speech, saying "when visiting Seoul, we can climb the Bukhansan mountain together and go down the mountain to taste jajangmyeon [noodles]." Wang Yi said in his speech that he had in-depth strategic communications with Park in Qingdao last year, and thanked Park for inviting him to climb mountain. Wang said he would like to invite Park again to Shandong to climb Taishan Mountain together, which would "broaden our horizons and define the direction of our efforts." Wang Yi also mentioned in his speech that Yoshiro Hayashi, late father of Japanese Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi, had been engaged in the cause of China-Japan friendship for many years and was the chairman of the Japan-China Friendship Parliamentarians' Union for many years. "I think at that time, the young Yoshimasa Hayashi was influenced by it and had a unique perspective on promoting China-Japan friendship. We hope that he will make efforts to improve China-Japan-South Korea relations," Wang said. Senior politicians, scholars and experts from the three countries attended the forum on Monday, including former speaker of the National Assembly of South Korea Kang Chang-hee, former Japanese commissioner of the Agency for Cultural Affairs Seiichi Kondo and Secretary General Ou Boqian of the Trilateral Cooperation Secretariat. Li Bing, associate editor of the Institute of Northeast Asian Studies, Tianjin Academy of Social Sciences, told the Global Times on Monday that this event with senior diplomats showing up demonstrates that the three governments attach great importance to the their trilateral relations. The three countries are the economic centers in Northeast Asia with a huge development potential. China and Japan are the second and third largest economies in the world, and South Korea is one of the most important economies in the world, which make the development prospects of trilateral cooperation more than 1+1+, Li said. But under the influence of external forces, their cooperation has not yet achieved the great synergy effect that it should have, he noted. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Central govt office for safeguarding national security in HKSAR states firm support for issuance of arrest warrants for eight anti-China rioters Global Times By GT staff reporters Published: Jul 03, 2023 10:22 PM The Office for Safeguarding National Security of the Central People's Government in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) on Monday stated firm support for the Hong Kong Police Force (HKPF)'s issuing of arrest warrants for eight anti-China rioters in accordance with the law, emphasizing that overseas regions are not lands beyond the law. The office said that overseas regions are not lawless lands for anti-China rioters to endanger the China's sovereignty, security and development interests. Anyone who violates the national security law for Hong Kong or commits relevant criminal acts anywhere must be prosecuted and punished by law, according to the office. The HKSAR government also said on Monday that it supports the HKPF in taking actions in accordance with the law. The HKPF's national security department on Monday said that earlier, the city court had approved the issuance of arrest warrants for eight persons including Nathan Law Kwun-chung, Ted Hui Chi-fung and Dennis Kwok Wing-hang, who have fled overseas and allegedly contravened the national security law for Hong Kong, and the persons at large are wanted by the police. The police in HKSAR are offering HK$1 million ($127,627) in rewards for each of the wanted persons, which is valid until July 2, 2024. Steve Li Kwai-wah, chief superintendent of the national security department of the HKPF, stressed that all the actions are aimed at enforcing the law. Li called on the eight persons to come back to the HKSAR and turn themselves in, so as to get reduced sentences, according to local media reports. Their alleged criminal activities include urging foreign countries to sanction judges in HKSAR, and offering advice for other countries and regions to undermine the HKSAR's status as an international financial hub, according to local media reports. These persons have colluded with external forces to engage in anti-China destabilization activities in HKSAR for a long time and have continued to engage in activities detrimental to national security overseas, including "incitement to secession" and "incitement to subversion," according to the statement released by the central government office for safeguarding national security in HKSAR. According to open sources, the wanted persons or fugitives are now in the US, UK or Australia, as they have absconded from HKSAR and intended to run away from their legal liabilities, Chu Kar-kin, a veteran current affairs commentator based in HKSAR and a member of the Chinese Association of Hong Kong and Macao Studies, told the Global Times on Monday. They are still actively lobbying by approaching foreign politicians, demanding that the foreign parliaments sanction officials from the mainland and HKSAR, whose image and rule of law has been defamed by these fugitives, Chu said. "Such conveyances of harassment and messages of hatred should be put to a stop. They should return to HKSAR to give themselves in, surrender and admit their wrongdoings in return for a plea bargain of a sentence reduction. They are a disgrace to the HKSAR community," Chu noted. "They are not guests or celebrities, but fugitives. Many younger people who have been misled by them have now ended up in jail or black-marked with criminal records and uncertain futures," Chu said. Ted Hui Chi-fung, 41, is suspected of illegally inciting another person not to vote, or to cast an invalid vote through an activity in public during the election period of the Legislative Council of the HKSAR. Hui left the HKSAR in November 2020. The other person on the wanted list, Nathan Law Kwun-chung, 29, left the HKSAR in June 2020. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address China expresses 'dissatisfaction' over Dutch plan to curb chip equipment exports Global Times By Global Times Published: Jul 03, 2023 07:49 PM China's Ministry of Commerce (MOFCOM) on Saturday expressed "dissatisfaction" over the Netherlands' decision to impose restrictions on the export of some semiconductor equipment despite months of talks, and urged the Dutch side to respect market principles and contractual spirit to avoid hurdles from impacting bilateral cooperation. Responding to the Dutch government's announcement on Friday, a spokesperson for MOFCOM, said that the two sides have carried out multi-level and frequent communication and consultation regarding the issue of semiconductor export controls over recent months. "However, the Dutch side ultimately still put relevant semiconductor equipment under control. For this, the Chinese side expresses dissatisfaction," the spokesperson said. The Dutch government announced new restrictions on the export of some chip equipment, which would boost the US' led push to curb exports of high-tech components to China, Reuters reported. Dutch Trade Minister Liesje Schreinemacher said that the move was "in the interest of our national security" and a "very limited" number of firms and product models would be impacted, according to Reuters. In the response on Saturday, a MOFCOM spokesperson urged the Dutch side to respect market principles and contractual spirit so as to prevent relevant measures from hindering the normal cooperation and development of the semiconductor industries of the two countries. The Netherlands was also urged to not abuse export control measures and earnestly protect the common interests of Chinese and Dutch companies and safeguard the stability of the global semiconductor supply chain. The spokesperson also slammed the US' abuse of export control measures in recent years as a tool to preserve its global hegemony and constantly stretch the concept of national security. "The US didn't even blink in sacrificing the interests of its allies, coerced and wooed other countries to suppress and contain China's semiconductor industry, artificially promoted industrial decoupling and broken supply chains, and seriously damaged the development of the global semiconductor industry," the spokesperson said, "China firmly opposes this." Washington has exerted intense pressure on allies, particularly the Netherlands and Japan, to join in its curbs on the export of chip equipment to China. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address China's defense minister, Russia's navy chief meet for 1st time since Wagner mutiny Iran Press TV Monday, 03 July 2023 7:03 PM China's Defense Minister Li Shangfu and Russia's Navy chief, Admiral Nikolai Yevmenov, have met in what is the most high-level meeting between the representatives of the two countries since the Wagner mutiny last month. The two sides met in the Chinese capital of Beijing on Monday, with Li telling Yevmenov that China hopes to "strengthen communication at all levels" with the Russian navy, according to a Chinese Defense Ministry readout. China and Russia should "regularly organize joint exercises, joint cruises and joint military skills competition," as well as "expand practical cooperation in professional fields," Li said, less than four months after the two countries took part in joint naval exercises in the Gulf of Oman. Elsewhere in his remarks, the Chinese minister said the two countries should "make positive contributions to maintaining regional and world peace and stability." Yevmenov, for his part, said Moscow and Beijing should "continue to expand exchanges at all levels of the two countries navies" and "continuously push the relationship between the two militaries to new heights." China operates the world's largest navy by number of hulls and hugely surpasses Russia's navy in both size and technical ability. The short-lived mutiny began on June 23 over differences between Wagner's boss Yevgeny Prigozhin and Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu. The episode promptly ended with a deal between the two sides brokered by Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko. Prigozhin agreed to turn his forces back from their march on the Russian capital in exchange for immunity from prosecution. Moscow dropped charges against him and said he was free to go to Belarus. The Chinese government previously said it supported Russia in "protecting national stability" regarding the Wagner mutiny against Russian armed forces. China has so far adopted a neutral stance regarding Russia's war in Ukraine, drawing condemnation from the West for not denouncing Moscow and for maintaining its ties with the Kremlin. Beijing has stood solidly beside Moscow, accusing the United States and NATO of provoking Russia and of fueling the bloodshed by helping arm Ukraine. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Hong Kong issues arrest warrants, bounties for eight overseas activists Former lawmakers and overseas lobbyists are targeted in latest 'long-arm' law enforcement By Edward Li and Amelia Loi for RFA Cantonese, Chen Zifei for RFA Mandarin 2023.07.03 -- Hong Kong police on Monday issued arrest warrants and offered bounties for eight activists and former lawmakers who have fled the city, saying they are wanted in connection with "serious crimes" under Hong Kong's national security law. Police named former pro-democracy lawmakers Nathan Law, Ted Hui and Dennis Kwok, U.S.-based activist and political lobbyist Anna Kwok and legal scholar Kevin Yam among the wanted, and offered bounties of HK$1 million (US$127,700) for information that might lead to an arrest. "We attach great importance to this case, and so we are offering rewards of 1 million Hong Kong dollars for each wanted person," Chief Superintendent Steve Li said. He said many on the list had "advocated sanctions ... to destroy or intimidate Hong Kong officials" or advised foreign countries to attack Hong Kong's status as a financial center. "We hope that the public will provide information on these people and their cases," he told a news conference in Hong Kong on Monday. On Tuesday, Hong Kong chief executive John Lee followed up at a news conference by saying the activists would be "pursued for life," Reuters reported, saying Lee urged them "to give themselves up as soon as possible." The move is the latest example of China's 'long-arm' law enforcement that has included police surveillance among Chinese and their relatives overseas, including through unapproved "police service stations" in many countries. U.K-based activists Finn Lau and Mung Siu-tat and U.S.-based businessman Elmer Yuen are also on the wanted list. Those named face a slew of charges including "collusion with foreign powers" and "inciting subversion and secession" under a draconian law imposed on Hong Kong by the Communist Party in the wake of the 2019 protest movement that effectively bans public dissent and peaceful political opposition. 'Absolutely evil' Law, 29, a former student leader of the 2014 Umbrella Movement who at 23 was the youngest person to serve as a member of the city's Legislative Council following a landslide victory in the 2016 general election, is wanted on charges of "incitement to secession" and "collusion with foreign forces to endanger national security," national security police Superintendent Hung Ngan told reporters. Law, who has been granted political asylum in the United Kingdom, said the news was "stressful," and that he would need to be more careful about where he chose to travel in future. In comments posted to his Facebook page, he said the accusations against him were an abuse of national security terminology, a bid to suppress dissent, and denied receiving foreign funding of any kind. "The right to work on any peaceful political initiative should be guaranteed in a civilized country," Law said. "The only conclusion is that the national security law is absolutely evil." Anna Kwok tweeted in response: "Just woke up to see I'm wanted with a $1M HKD bounty on my head. Our work at @hkdc_us continues, stronger and louder." She called on U.S. President Joe Biden not to allow Hong Kong chief executive John Lee into the United States for an upcoming Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation meeting, or APEC, in San Francisco in November. On Monday evening, the U.S. State Department condemned the Hong Kong Police Force for putting "an international bounty" on the pro-democracy activists. "The extraterritorial application of the Beijing-imposed National Security Law is a dangerous precedent that threatens the human rights and fundamental freedoms of people all over the world," spokesperson Matthew Millar said in a statement. "We call on the Hong Kong government to immediately withdraw this bounty, respect other countries' sovereignty, and stop the international assertion of the National Security Law imposed by Beijing," the State Department said, adding that it continues to oppose "transnational repression efforts," by the People's Republic of China and supports the rights of individuals to freedoms of expression and peaceful assembly. 'Soft confrontation' Australia-based Ted Hui, 41, whose assets were frozen by HSBC in January 2021 after he fled the city, is wanted on the same charges in connection with "repeatedly advocating for independence" for Hong Kong and the democratic island of Taiwan on social media. The move came after an article in the ruling Chinese Communist Party-backed Ta Kung Pao newspaper called on China to use the Interpol "red notice" system to try to apprehend people overseas for breaching the national security law, which applies to speech and acts all over the world without regard to a person's nationality. Security chief Chris Tang, who was chief of police during the 2019 protest movement, also warned in an interview with the paper that anyone engaging in "soft confrontation," including online comments anywhere in the world, could be targeted by the authorities under the law. "Endangering national security is a very serious offense," a Hong Kong government spokesman said on Monday. "The fugitives should not have any delusion that they could evade their legal liabilities by absconding from Hong Kong." A police statement said anyone aiding, abetting or funding anyone accused under the law, including online, could also be targeted in future. The arrest warrants were issued after protesters gathered in overseas cities at the weekend to mark the third anniversary of the law, implemented on July 1, 2020, and to mourn those who died during the 2019 protest movement against the erosion of Hong Kong's promised freedoms. Memorial for those who died Hong Kongers in Taipei held a memorial service for those who died in the protests, placing flowers before portraits of those who died. A former protester who is now living in Taiwan said he only escaped the city because the national security law hadn't yet been implemented at the time of his arrest, meaning that he was granted bail - now very unusual under the law - and was able to flee. "Once the national security law was passed ... there was no more justice - it's one-sidedly pro-government," the protester said. "It has destroyed fairness and the spirit of the rule of law." Meanwhile, protesters gathered in London on Saturday to mark the death of Leung Kin-fai, who died after stabbing himself on July 1, 2021, after delivering a non-fatal stab wound to a police officer outside the Sogo department store in Causeway Bay. "I don't want to talk about it, but I daren't forget it," one protester told Radio Free Asia at the scene, where many participants wore masks and hoods in an apparent bid to avoid reprisals against loved ones back home or attacks from supporters of Beijing on British soil. A protester who gave only the nickname J told the crowd that the recent crackdown on dissent in Hong Kong had given the lie to Beijing's promises that the city would be allowed to retain its traditional freedoms under its "one country, two systems" framework following the 1997 handover to Chinese rule. The handover anniversary was marked in Hong Kong by a celebratory mass of red flags throughout the downtown area and in busy thoroughfares. Police have made more than 1,000 arrests under the law, with thousands more targeting former protesters under colonial-era public order and sedition laws. Translated by Luisetta Mudie. Edited by Malcolm Foster. Updated with comments from Hong Kong Chief Executive John Lee Copyright 1998-2023, RFA. Used with the permission of Radio Free Asia, 2025 M St. NW, Suite 300, Washington DC 20036. For any commercial use of RFA content please send an email to: mahajanr@rfa.org. RFA content July not be used in a manner which would give the appearance of any endorsement of any product or support of any issue or political position. Please read the full text of our Terms of Use. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Historic Kashgar mosque open for tourists, but not worshipers Authorities begin to sell tickets to visitors, but Uyghurs not allowed to pray except for special days. By Shohret Hoshur for RFA Uyghur 2023.07.03 -- Chinese authorities have begun selling tickets to tourists to visit the historic Id Kah Mosque in Kashgar - where they have prohibited Muslim Uyghurs from praying for years except for certain holy days and for propaganda purposes, officials in the ancient city in Xinjiang said. The mosque has been mostly closed for worship since 2016 amid a severe crackdown by Chinese authorities on the religion and culture of the Uyghurs in Xinjiang in a bid to stamp out religious extremism China believed to be behind terrorist attacks. Information about the issuance of tickets to visit the mosque first circulated last week on the Chinese short-video platform Duoyin and later on Facebook by Uyghurs. It also appeared in the marketing material of a travel agency based in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region, which said visitors had to pay 20-40 yuan (US$2.75-5.50) for tickets, based on their ages, and that entry was free for people 65 years of age and older. Authorities allow small groups of elderly worshipers to pray during Ramadan and other Islamic holy days, or for propaganda purposes when arranging visits for dignitaries from other parts of the world to give an impression that Uyghurs are not prohibited from praying, sources say. Those who saw the recent social media post about tickets being sold assumed that the Chinese had turned the Id Kah Mosque into a museum. Kashgar police told Radio Free Asia that the mosque was open for visitors but not for worshipers, and suggested contacting local travel agencies for more information. "I am not sure how much money each visitor pays, but I am positive that people are allowed to enter the mosque," said an officer who declined to be named, per normal practice. "But no one is allowed to pray because the mosque sells tickets to visitors," he said. "However, the government organizes people to pray inside the mosque. Only they can perform their prayers. It has been like this for five or six years." Systematic campaign Since about 2017, up to 16,000 mosques, or roughly 65%, of all mosques have been destroyed or damaged as a result of government policies, according to the Uyghur Human Rights Project, a U.S.-based activist group. Other mosques have been closed but left standing, and a few famous ones remain open but under surveillance. The moves are part of a larger campaign of repression to erase Uyghur religious practices culture, along with the arbitrary detention of an estimated 1.8 million Uyghurs and other Turkic minorities in internment centers and prisons. In May 2022, when Michelle Bachelet, former U.N. high commissioner for human rights, visited the mosque, the imam, Memet Jume, told her that the facility was open for normal religious activities, even though it was not. When asked why there were so few worshipers in the mosque, he said that the faithful were busy with their work and that some had changed their viewpoints. Residential committees paid Uyghurs to perform a dance outside the mosque in an apparent bid to show that all was well ahead of Bachelet's visit. Bachelet's office issued a report in August 2022 documenting cases of torture, forced labor and other severe rights abuses against Uyghurs and other Turkic minorities. For years now, foreign visitors have noticed the absence of prayers inside the Id Kah Mosque. One of them posted a travel blog on YouTube, showing thousands of worshippers praying in the mosque between 2011 and 2016, but then an empty holy place in 2019. Turghunjan Alawudin, a vice chairman of the executive committee of the World Uyghur Congress, said under Islam, it was never permissible to take money from those who enter a mosque, including tourists. "If the tourists say they will donate to the mosque, they will," he told RFA. "A mosque is only a place to worship Allah." "Therefore, it is completely fraudulent to say that we made half of the mosque a picnic ground and the other half a prayer ground," he added. Translated by RFA Uyghur. Edited by Roseanne Gerin and Malcolm Foster. Copyright 1998-2023, RFA. Used with the permission of Radio Free Asia, 2025 M St. NW, Suite 300, Washington DC 20036. For any commercial use of RFA content please send an email to: mahajanr@rfa.org. RFA content July not be used in a manner which would give the appearance of any endorsement of any product or support of any issue or political position. Please read the full text of our Terms of Use. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address A civil rights legal group is challenging legacy admissions at Harvard University, saying the practice discriminates against students of color by giving an unfair boost to the mostly white children of alumni Chinese Defense Minister, Russian Navy Commander-in-Chief Meet in Beijing Sputnik News 20230703 BEIJING(Sputnik) - Chinese Defense Minister Li Shangfu has held a meeting with Commander-in-Chief of the Russian Navy Nikolay Yevmenov in Beijing, the Chinese Defense Ministry said on Monday. "Chinese Defense Minister Li Shangfu held a meeting with Commander-in-Chief of the Russian Navy Nikolay Yevmenov in Beijing on July 3," the ministry said in a statement. During the meeting, the minister expressed the hope that China will expand cooperation with the Russian Navy to jointly contribute to maintaining peace and stability in the region and across the world, the statement read. The Russian navy commander-in-chief, in turn, told the Chinese defense head during the meeting that Russia attaches great importance to the strengthening of cooperation between the military of the two countries, as quoted by the Chinese ministry. Russia is also ready to expand contacts with the Chinese Navy at all levels and conduct joint exercises and patrols, Yevmenov was quoted as saying. A Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Hong Kong's Extra-Territorial Application of the National Security Law US Department of State Press Statement Matthew Miller, Department Spokesperson July 3, 2023 The United States condemns the Hong Kong Police Force's issuance of an international bounty for information leading to the arrest of eight pro-democracy activists who no longer live in Hong Kong. The extraterritorial application of the Beijing-imposed National Security Law is a dangerous precedent that threatens the human rights and fundamental freedoms of people all over the world. We call on the Hong Kong government to immediately withdraw this bounty, respect other countries' sovereignty, and stop the international assertion of the National Security Law imposed by Beijing. We will continue to oppose the PRC's transnational repression efforts, which undermine human rights. We support individuals' rights to freedoms of expression and peaceful assembly. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address US Treasury Secretary to Visit China By VOA News July 03, 2023 U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen is due to travel Thursday to China to meet with senior officials in the latest effort to address strained relations between the two countries. The Treasury Department said in a statement Sunday that Yellen's visit would take place from July 6-9 and follows a directive from President Joe Biden to deepen communications on issues such as financial developments and the global macroeconomy. "While in Beijing, Secretary Yellen will discuss with PRC officials the importance for our countries a as the world's two largest economies a to responsibly manage our relationship, communicate directly about areas of concern, and work together to address global challenges," the statement said. A senior Treasury Department official told reporters Sunday that the United States wants a healthy economic relationship with China and that halting trade and investment "would be destabilizing for both our countries and the global economy." Yellen's visit follows Secretary of State Antony Blinken's trip to China last month in which he and President Xi Jinping agreed to stabilize U.S.-China relations and ensure that areas of disagreement do not turn into conflict. A senior treasury official said Yellen plans to discuss U.S. concerns about a new Chinese counter-espionage law. "We have concerns with the new measure, and how it might apply, that it could expand the scope of what is considered by the authorities in China to be espionage activity," the official said, citing possible spillovers to the broader investment climate and the economic relationship. Yellen addressed U.S.-China relations during an April speech at Johns Hopkins University, saying it would be healthy to have a relationship that fosters growth an innovation in both countries. "A growing China that plays by international rules is good for the United States and the world," Yellen said. "Both countries can benefit from healthy competition in the economic sphere. But healthy economic competition a where both sides benefit a is only sustainable if that competition is fair." Yellen also said that for the sake of global stability, the United States and China should cooperate "on the urgent global challenges of our day." Some information for this story came from The Associated Press, Agence France-Presse and Reuters. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Chinese analysts refute rumors on Xinjiang, Xizang at UN meeting Global Times By Liu Xin Published: Jul 04, 2023 12:14 AM Chinese analysts shared their views on the concept and practices of human rights in China and refuted disinformation spread by anti-China forces in the US and some Western countries on the topics of Tibetan Buddhism's living Buddha reincarnation system and the human rights situation in Xinjiang during a meeting at the 53rd session of the UN Human Rights Council on Monday. The meeting was held by a Chinese nongovernmental organization, the China Society for Human Rights Studies, at the Palais des Nations on Monday. Seven scholars from China delivered speeches on various topics, including China's path to modernization, China's human rights development, how feminism has been developing in Xinjiang, language protection and development in Xinjiang, and freedom of religion in Xizang. The event could help to dispel disinformation on China's human rights situation as anti-China forces in the US and the West have not ceased attacking China on its policies in Xizang, Xinjiang and Hong Kong, analysts said. For example, Nasrjiang Yibulayin, an associate professor at the School of Law and Politics in Kashi University, refuted the "forced labor" lies and said that the purpose of the US and Western powers to fabricate these lies is to use them as a pretext to abuse their long-arm jurisdiction. They seek to impose sanctions and suppress businesses, creating a narrative of "forced labor" and "forced poverty" in an attempt to keep ethnic groups in Xinjiang "trapped in poverty, isolation, and backwardness, thereby causing turmoil and chaos in the region," said Nasrjiang. As a witness and builder of the Xinjiang region, Nasrjiang said he had the most right to speak about the truth of the region, adding that the region's tomorrow will be brighter, despite the West's smears. Topics on China's Xizang region have also been hyped by anti-China forces. At the Monday event, Bianbalamu, a research fellow from the National Institute of International Strategy of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, traced the history of the Xizang region becoming an inalienable part of China. Throughout China's modern history, despite the decline of the ruling classes and the encroachment of European colonizers, successive Chinese governments have consistently exercised sovereignty over the Xizang region, firmly maintaining central authority over the region. However, there are individuals who, driven by ulterior motives, propagate the idea of "Tibetan independence" on the global stage, said Bianbalamu. Nevertheless, their claims that the Yuan and Qing dynasties represented ethnic rulers who are distinct from the present-day China are entirely baseless. Such assertions reveal their limited understanding of the concepts of a nation and its national sovereignty and suggest their illegitimate political motivations, said the scholar. Bianbalamu noted that some Western forces who advocate for "Tibetan independence" often overlook the complex development that China, including the Xizang region, has undergone. They attempt to use the notion of "suzerainty" to challenge China's central authority in the region, promoting the ideas of "national self-determination" and "ethnicity as basis for sovereignty" with the purpose of fooling others and to undermine China's ethnic unity and contain China's growth, said Bianbalamu. While the reincarnation of Living Buddhas has always been a hot issue hyped by Western anti-China forces and the 14th Dalai Lama clique, Suolangzhuoma, a scholar from the China Tibetology Research Center, also shared her views on the topic. Suolangzhuoma noted that the system of reincarnation of living Buddhas, as a religious system of Tibetan Buddhism practicing dharma succession, has long been recognized and respected by the state. The "Measures for the Administration of the Reincarnation of Living Buddhas in Tibetan Buddhism" mark the reincarnation of living Buddhas as part of the rule of law and standardization, which is of great significance for maintaining the normal order of Tibetan Buddhism, protecting the legitimate rights and interests of the Tibetan Buddhist community, and promoting the adaptation of Tibetan Buddhism to socialist society, said Suolangzhuoma. Over the years, the Central People's Government and the government of Xizang have comprehensively implemented the policy of freedom of religious belief. All religions and sects in Xizang have been equally respected and protected and normal religious activities have been protected in accordance with the law. Citizens' right to freedom of religious belief has also been effectively guaranteed, said the expert. Considering the development of religions and changes in religious work, and learning from both positive and negative experiences at home and abroad, China has embarked on a road to success that enshrines freedom of religious belief in law, promotes harmonious religious relations, and encourages religious groups to play a positive role, said Suolangzhuoma. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address China commits to building closer SCO community with shared future People's Daily Online (Xinhua) 08:25, July 04, 2023 * As the first intergovernmental organization named after a Chinese city, SCO today stands as a comprehensive regional cooperation organization that covers the largest area and population in the world. * Over the years, the SCO has evolved from an organization that focuses on security and economic cooperation to one with a holistic view, aiming to build "a community of health for us all," "a community of security for us all," "a community of development for us all" and "a community of cultural exchanges for us all." * In the face of a torrent of global challenges and crises, the SCO has become an indispensable force in anchoring global stability, safeguarding world peace and security, and building a community with a shared future for mankind. BEIJING, July 3 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Xi Jinping will attend the 23rd meeting of the Council of Heads of State of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) via video conference from Beijing on Tuesday. As the first intergovernmental organization named after a Chinese city, SCO today stands as a comprehensive regional cooperation organization that covers the largest area and population in the world. Over the years, China has been firmly upholding the Shanghai Spirit and is ready to chart the way forward and work with other SCO members to build a closer community with a shared future. EVOLVING CORE VALUES At the landmark Qingdao summit of the SCO in 2018, Xi called on countries involved in the regional bloc to work closely to build an SCO community with a shared future, enriching the Shanghai Spirit which champions mutual trust, mutual benefit, equality, consultation, respect for diverse civilizations and pursuit of common development. "We owe SCO's remarkable success to the Shanghai Spirit. And we will continue to follow its guidance as we forge ahead," Xi said. In the Qingdao Declaration, the SCO members embraced "building a community with a shared future for humanity" their most important political consensus and the goal for their future efforts. Last year in Samarkand, an important town on the ancient Silk Road, Xi summarized the successful experience of the SCO, namely, upholding political trust, mutually beneficial cooperation, equality, openness and inclusiveness, and equity and justice. These five points fully embody the Shanghai Spirit, he said. Amid the complex international situation and constantly evolving global challenges, Xi's vision has also been enriching the connotation of the Shanghai Spirit. From putting forward China's view of "a global community of health for all," "an indivisible security community" and "a global development community," to proposing the Global Development Initiative and Global Security Initiative, Xi has been promoting the steady and long-term progress of the SCO along with the common development of mankind. With a long history of exchanges, similar development tasks and a closely linked future, countries on the Eurasian continent have joined hands to build an even closer SCO community with a shared future, injecting vigorous impetus into regional and global development. Under the Shanghai Spirit, they have carried out comprehensive cooperation, safeguarding energy security and food security, stabilizing and diversifying supply chains, as well as combating climate change, among others. In 2022, leaders of the SCO member states adopted the Comprehensive Plan for the Implementation of the SCO Treaty on Long-Term Good-Neighborliness, Friendship and Cooperation for 2023-2027, drawing a blueprint for future collaboration in the next five years. SCO Secretary-General Zhang Ming said that the SCO has brought together countries from different regions, with different traditions and development paths thanks to the Shanghai Spirit, which has become a source of life and endless force propelling the group's development. PRACTICAL APPROACH Over the years, the SCO has evolved from an organization that focuses on security and economic cooperation to one with a holistic view, aiming to build "a community of health for us all," "a community of security for us all," "a community of development for us all" and "a community of cultural exchanges for us all." The outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic has compounded the surging problems that have been plaguing human beings and also provided the SCO members with an opportunity to build a closer community with a shared future. Guided by the vision of building "a community of health for us all," China has provided COVID-19 vaccines to Uzbekistan, donated anti-epidemic materials to Kyrgyzstan, and sent medical experts to Russia and Kazakhstan. Over the past three years, China has provided over 2.2 billion COVID-19 vaccine doses to more than 120 countries and international organizations, offering vital support to developing nations in their battle against the COVID-19 pandemic. Regional security lays a solid foundation for SCO cooperation. Mechanisms such as the SCO-Afghanistan Contact Group have been proven to be effective in helping facilitate the peace process of the war-torn country for years. Over the past decade, the SCO has become an important platform for practical Belt and Road cooperation. Major projects such as the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, SCO training and demonstration base for agricultural technology exchange and China-SCO local economic and trade cooperation demonstration zone have brought tangible benefits to local people. In recent years, a comprehensive infrastructure network involving roads, oil and gas pipelines, and railways was gradually formed in the SCO region. With the construction of transportation services such as the China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan railway, the China-Central Asia natural gas pipeline and the regular operation of China-Europe freight train services, ties among SCO member states have physically become closer. In June, the fifth anniversary of the China-SCO Local Economic and Trade Cooperation Demonstration Area was celebrated in the eastern Chinese coastal city of Qingdao. Statistics showed that apart from sea, air, and road transport, the Area operates 31 international freight train routes, reaching 54 cities in 23 countries, including the SCO countries and those along the Belt and Road. "China's economic growth momentum is strong, and I hope that more Kazakh businessmen will continue to deeply integrate into China's new development paradigm and achieve win-win results through cooperation," said Botakoz Yelshibek, a Kazakhstan youth who had studied and worked in China for six years. Established in January 2022, the China-SCO Institute of Economy and Trade in Qingdao has held over 130 training programs covering international logistics and cross-border e-commerce and trained over 9,900 people from 43 SCO countries and others along the Belt and Road. Meanwhile, China has also promised to establish a China-SCO base for training counter-terrorism personnel, set up a China-SCO Big Data Cooperation Center and provide developing countries in need with emergency humanitarian assistance of grain and other supplies worth 1.5 billion RMB yuan (about 214 million U.S. dollars). Its commitments to the SCO not only benefit the region but also lead a broader range of practical cooperation. EXPANDING FAMILY As a steadfast champion of multilateralism since its founding, the SCO is committed to building an open and inclusive "big family" for like-minded countries. At the Samarkand summit in 2022, the SCO kicked off a new round of the largest expansion of the SCO membership, signing a memorandum of obligations on Iran's SCO membership, starting the procedure for Belarus' accession, granting Egypt, Saudi Arabia and Qatar the status of SCO dialogue partners, and reaching an agreement on admitting Bahrain, the Maldives, the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait and Myanmar as new dialogue partners. "In recent years, an increasing number of countries have applied to join our SCO family. This fully demonstrates the power of SCO's vision and the widely shared confidence in its future," Xi said on the significance of the SCO membership expansion. From a regional organization with six founding members to a big family with dozens of members and partners, the SCO has developed into a new type of international organization, transcending differences in ideology, social system, and development path, and setting an example of international relations. People-to-people exchanges constitute a crucial component of SCO cooperation. Cultural events such as the Year of Languages, the Year of Culture, and the Year of Tourism have been held in succession among member countries. The first Luban Workshop in Tajikistan in Central Asia has trained plenty of local professionals. Through flourishing cultural and people-to-people exchange events, the civil bond of the SCO family is getting stronger. Over the years, China has worked to forge a series of consensus among SCO members on strengthening cooperation in big data, artificial intelligence, green infrastructure, tackling climate change, and safeguarding international energy and food security. In the face of a torrent of global challenges and crises, the SCO has become an indispensable force in anchoring global stability, safeguarding world peace and security, and building a community with a shared future for mankind. Looking into the future, China is ready to work with other SCO member states to actively implement the Global Development Initiative, the Global Security Initiative, and the Global Civilization Initiative, promote the development and prosperity of regional countries, build an even closer SCO community with a shared future, and jointly open up a brighter future for the Eurasian region. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Albania hands over MKO hard drives to Iran: Official IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency Jul 3, 2023 Tehran, IRNA -- An Iranian official has revealed that several electronic and storage devices, seized during a recent Albanian police operation at a camp belonging to the terrorist Mujahedin-e-Khalq Organization (MKO), have been handed over to Iran. Sepehr Khalaji, head of the Iranian government's information council, said in a tweet on Monday that "part of the hard drives and cases" had arrived in Iran. He said Iranian experts were engaged in data recovery and identifying the terrorist group's agents and sabotage cells. "The results so far are promising," he added. On June 20, Albania's police forces entered the MKO's camp northwest of Tirana, leading to intense clashes with members of the terrorist cult. According to a security source cited by IRNA at the time, at least two terrorists were killed and dozens were injured. Authorities seized 150 computer devices linked to terrorist activities. The search operation was authorized by Albania's Special Court against Crime and Corruption due to concerns about the MKO's involvement in acts of terrorism and cyber attacks. Since 2016, Albania has been hosting the MKO after the terrorist cult was expelled from Iraq, where they had been harbored and armed by the former Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein to carry out attacks against Iran. **2050 NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address 'Iran advanced in all areas of defense despite sanctions' IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency Jul 3, 2023 Tehran, IRNA -- A senior Iranian Army official has said the Islamic Republic has made significant headway in all areas of defense despite sanctions imposed on the country by the United States and its Western allies. "Despite sanctions, Iran has experienced growth in all fields and achieved significant accomplishments through the efforts of Iranian elites and youth," Rear Admiral Habibollah Sayyari, deputy commander of the Iranian Army for coordination affairs, said on Monday. "Highly qualified human resources can contribute to the growth and excellence of the organization," he said at a conference in Khatam Al-Anbia Air Defense Academy in Tehran. Rear Admiral Sayyari underscored the importance of defensive deterrence, calling on the armed forces to further build their capabilities to "deter the enemy from crossing our borders and undermining our national interests". Iranian officials have long asserted that the country's military capabilities are entirely meant for defense purposes. **2050 NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Damavand-2 destroyer equipped with most up-to-date defense equipment ISNA - Iranian Students' News Agency Mon / 3 July 2023 / 13:49 Tehran (ISNA) - Iranian Army's Navy Commander Rear Admiral Shahram Irani emphasized that all the defense equipment installed in the Damavand 2 destroyer is the most up-to-date equipment in the fields of discovery, reconnaissance and combat. Announcing that Damavand 2 destroyer will join the Navy's northern fleet in the Caspian Sea in the coming days, Admiral Shahram Irani said, "The most up-to-date equipment will be installed in all destroyers. Damavand 2 destroyer is equipped with new radar and missile systems, as well as propulsion and weaponry systems". End Item NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Iran receives hard drives seized from MKO camp in Albania: Official Iran Press TV Monday, 03 July 2023 2:02 PM Iran has gained access to a batch of electronic devices and storage equipment confiscated during a recent search operation conducted by Albanian police at a camp belonging to the Mujahedin-e-Khalq terrorist organization (MKO), an Iranian government official has said. Sepehr Khalaji, the head of the Iranian government's information council, tweeted on Monday that a shipment containing hard drives and computer cases belonging to the MKO had arrived in Iran. Iranian experts are currently engaged in data retrieval from these devices and identifying the terrorist group's connections and sabotage cells, he added. "The results have been promising so far," the official said. The MKO has carried out numerous terrorist attacks against Iranian civilians and government officials since the victory of the Islamic Revolution in 1979. Out of the nearly 17,000 Iranians killed in terrorist attacks over the past four decades, about 12,000 have fallen victim to the MKO's acts of terror. Albanian police forces entered the MKO camp, known as Ashraf-3, in the northwestern region of the capital, Tirana, on June 20 due to its engagement in "terror and cyber attacks" against foreign institutions. Authorities seized 150 computer devices linked to terrorist activities. At least one person was killed and dozens of others were injured during the clashes at the camp. More than a week later, police in Albania entered the Ashraf-3 camp again and security forces were deployed at the entrance to the camp and controlled all vehicles leaving the site. In a statement issued on Sunday, Iran's Intelligence Ministry said it is seriously pursuing terrorists beyond the country's borders, following a string of successful operations that led to the arrest of individuals affiliated with the MKO. The statement said that the intelligence ministry has consistently warned European intelligence and security services about the MKO's ongoing terrorist activities, particularly from their main base in Albania and other Western countries. In an interview with the German magazine Der Spiegel published on Friday, Albania's Prime Minister Edi Rama also said that the MKO members must leave the country if the group wants to use Albanian soil to fight against Iran. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Iran to install hypersonic missile on Damavand-2 destroyer: Navy chief Iran Press TV Monday, 03 July 2023 10:08 AM Iranian Navy Commander Rear Admiral Shahram Irani says a hypersonic missile will be installed on Iran's homegrown Damavand-2 destroyer that will join the Navy in the near future. On Monday, Irani said the Damavand-2 destroyer will be equipped with "defensive and offensive missiles." "All defensive equipment installed on Damavand-2 destroyer is completely up-to-date," he stated. Irani stressed that Damavand is equipped with cutting-edge means in all fields, including the latest reconnaissance and combat systems. He also announced, "All the equipment installed on all other destroyers will be updated over time." According to media reports, the Damavand-2 destroyer will join the Navy's northern fleet in the Caspian Sea. The Damavand-2, which is an advanced type of Jamaran destroyer, is equipped with new radar and missile systems, as well as propulsion and weaponry systems thanks to cooperation between the Defense Ministry, the Iranian Navy, and the knowledge-based companies, the reports added. Damavand-1, a 100-meter-long destroyer weighing more than 1,300 tons, officially joined the Iranian Navy's northern fleet in March 2015. Three years later, however, the frigate collided with a breakwater while docking at the Caspian port of Bandar Anzali and sank there. It was recovered from the sea and entered the operational cycle, with new pictures showing that it is equipped with an anti-ship cruise missile launcher and a 76mm gun. Iran's Navy has in recent years achieved self-sufficiency in manufacturing surface and sub-surface vessels. It has also increased its presence in international waters to protect naval routes and provide security for merchant vessels and tankers. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Fort Polk, LA (71446) Today Some clouds this morning will give way to generally sunny skies for the afternoon. Near record high temperatures. High near 100F. Winds SW at 5 to 10 mph.. Tonight Mainly clear. Low 77F. Winds light and variable. Iran Steps Up Closure Of Businesses For Not Complying With Mandatory Head Covering By RFE/RL's Radio Farda July 03, 2023 Iranian authorities have stepped up their monitoring of commercial and recreational venues, shutting dozens of cafes, restaurants, and other businesses across the country they say were failing to comply with the mandatory head-scarf law. Anger over the hijab law has boiled over since the death of Mahsa Amini in September 2022 in police custody over an alleged hijab infraction. Women have taken to the streets in growing numbers without the head scarf in protest of the government's policies. The unrest has tapped into broader discontent over the regime's corruption, economic mismanagement, and oppression of Iranians. As part of a brutal and sometimes deadly crackdown on dissent, the government has looked to enforce the law amid one of the biggest threats to the Islamic regime since 1979. The closing of businesses has been met with resistance from women and the growing trend of refusing to wear the hijab has reached such an extent that Abdolhossein Khosropour, the secretary of the Supreme Council of the Cultural Revolution, noted last month that "women without a mandatory hijab should be arrested, but due to the large number of these women, it is not possible to do so." The cities affected in the most recent wave of closures include Bandar Abbas, Mashhad, Tehran, Islamshahr, Eshtehard, Parand, Rasht, and Motel Qu. The hijab became compulsory for women and girls over the age of 9 in 1981, two years after the Islamic Revolution in Iran. The move triggered protests that were swiftly crushed by the new regime. Many women have flouted the rule over the years and pushed the boundaries of what officials say is acceptable clothing. In the face of unrest, some religious and government figures have repeatedly advocated for a tougher stance by the government against offenders, even going as far as encouraging a "fire-at-will" approach against noncompliant women. Resistance to the hijab is likely to increase further, analysts say, as it is seen now as a symbol of the state's repression of women and the deadly crackdown on society. Written by Ardeshir Tayebi based on an original story in Persian by RFE/RL's Radio Farda Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/iran-businesses- closed-hijab/32487120.html Copyright (c) 2023. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address India sells arms to junta while claiming concern over crisis in Myanmar Observers say such sales abet junta war crimes and suppliers should be held accountable. By RFA Burmese 2023.07.03 -- Companies in India are supplying weapons to Myanmar's junta while Prime Minister Narendra Modi expresses concern about the political crisis in Myanmar on the international stage, observers said Monday, highlighting the two-faced nature of the strategy. Indian arms manufacturer Bharat Electronics Limited, or BEL, transferred military equipment worth more than US$5.1 million to Myanmar's army or known Myanmar arms brokers Alliance Engineering Consultancy and Mega Hill General Trading over a period of six months from November 2022 to April 2023, the rights group Justice for Myanmar reported in June. The military equipment included metallic sonar domes; transducers and gaskets for the domes to be used on frigates, warships or submarines; directing gear systems; technical documents; various items for radio transmission or radar equipment; and manpack radios for battlefield communication. Justice for Myanmar called the shipments "part of a pattern of Indian support for the Myanmar military and its domestic arms industry" and called on India's allies to use their leverage to "pressure India to stop the supply of arms and dual use goods and technology" to the regime, including during Modi's state visits to the U.S. and France this year. The weapons sales come even as Modi and U.S. President Joe Biden issued a joint statement following their meeting at the White House on June 22 expressing concern about the worsening rights situation in Myanmar and calling for the release of the country's political prisoners. Than Soe Naing, a political analyst, pointed out the hypocrisy of India selling weapons to the junta with one hand while saying it is concerned with the situation in Myanmar on the other. He noted that India has stayed neutral amid the ongoing conflict in Myanmar and neglected or even arrested refugees who have fled fighting across its border. "But on the international arena, when making a statement as a democratic country, it uses the terms 'democracy and human rights,'" he told RFA. "It doesn't make any sense. It is a government that is indirectly supporting the crimes committed by the Myanmar military by willfully ignoring them." Justice for Myanmar's report came on the heels of one released in May by U.N. Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Myanmar Tom Andrews, who said the junta had imported at least US$1 billion in arms and raw materials to manufacture weapons between the Feb. 1, 2021, military coup d'etat and December 2022. Rights groups say the junta is using such weapons against the people of Myanmar, including to attack the armed resistance and civilians who oppose its rule. While Russia, China and Singapore were the major sources by far, the U.N. report found that Indian entities, including state-owned entities, had transferred US$51 million in arms and related materials to the junta over the same period. That followed Russia's US$406 million, China's US$267 million, and Singapore's US$254 million. Selling weapons for war crimes Ko Mike, a spokesman for the Blood Money Campaign, a collective of Myanmar activists campaigning to stop revenues reaching the junta, said that Indian companies selling weapons to Myanmar are abetting war crimes. "They are supporting killings by a terrorist group [the junta] that is committing the worst crimes in the world," he said. "Sometime in the future, it will be necessary to do something internationally about accountability [for such entities]." Ye Tun, a political analyst, said that Modi appears to believe the junta is responsible for maintaining stability in Myanmar. "So if you [maintain stability] by using weapons, India will sell weapons to Myanmar's military [to support such alleged efforts]." Prior to the sales detailed in Justice for Myanmar's latest report, the group noted that Indian state-owned arms producer Yantra India Limited shipped multiple 122mm howitzer barrels to the junta in October 2022 in an apparent breach of international law. The Indian government has so far ignored calls by civil society organizations and the people of Myanmar, including the shadow National Unity Government, or NUG, and failed to comply with U.N. resolutions and its responsibilities under international law, said Justice For Myanmar spokesperson Yadana Maung. Radio Free Asia attempted to contact the Indian Embassy in Myanmar by email for comment but received no response. Calls to junta Deputy Information Minister Major Gen. Zaw Min Tun, seeking comment on the claims, went unanswered Monday. Regional stability at risk Thein Tun Oo, the executive director of the Thayninga Institute for Strategic Studies, which is made up of former military officers, called it "normal" for India to assist its neighbor. "India can stand on its own two feet and cooperate with anyone it wants to," he said. "India has taken Myanmar as a partner ... [because] Myanmar is the best country for India to cooperate with on the security of the Indian Ocean. So, it is normal for India to cooperate with Myanmar." But NUG spokesman Kyaw Zaw said that as the world's largest democracy, India is expected to embrace democratic values and not prop up regimes that oppress their own people. "We hope that India will try to understand the will of the people of Myanmar and help them to fulfill that will," he said. If India instead continues to support the junta, he said, there will be no resolution to the conflict in Myanmar and the stability of the region will be at risk. Translated by Htin Aung Kyaw. Edited by Joshua Lipes and Malcolm Foster. Copyright 1998-2023, RFA. Used with the permission of Radio Free Asia, 2025 M St. NW, Suite 300, Washington DC 20036. For any commercial use of RFA content please send an email to: mahajanr@rfa.org. RFA content July not be used in a manner which would give the appearance of any endorsement of any product or support of any issue or political position. Please read the full text of our Terms of Use. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Deadly dengue outbreaks strike Rohingya camps, Bangladesh cities Health officials have taken steps to kill off mosquitos that carry the disease. Abdur Rahman and Ahammad Foyez 2023.07.03 -- Bangladesh has seen a spike in dengue cases and deaths in less than a month, according to government health figures released on Monday that did not include infections in Rohingya refugee camps, where cases of the mosquito-borne disease have been climbing as well. The government reported 9,193 cases and 56 deaths since the start of 2023, compared with 2,865 cases and 21 deaths on June 9. Health officials in Cox's Bazar, a southeastern district that hosts about 1 million Rohingya refugees, reported 330 cases in June and 10 more during the first three days of July. The officials estimated that about 96% of those infected were Rohingya Muslims living in the sprawling and densely populated camps by the border with Myanmar, from which members of the stateless group fled persecution. Since Jan. 1, more than 1,500 Rohingya have been infected and three have died - numbers that are expected to climb during the monsoon season, which just began and runs through mid-August. Rashid-e-Mahbub, president of Health Rights Movement, an NGO, said Rohingya camp leaders should act to combat mosquitoes responsible for the spread of the disease. "The living space in the Rohingya refugee camps in Cox's Bazar is very densely populated. If its management is not done effectively, the dengue situation can escalate," he told BenarNews, an RFA-affiliated news service. Meanwhile, Medical Officer Fahim Ahmed Faisal of the Cox's Bazar Civil Surgeon's Office, said 350,000 mosquito nets had been distributed in the camps. A government official in Cox's Bazar said other steps were being taken to combat the spread of mosquitoes. "Our people regularly clean the drains, garbage bins and standing water points in the camps," Md. Mostafa Sadek told BenarNews, adding that fogger machines to kill adult mosquitos have been used in camps stricken with dengue outbreaks. Of the 33 refugee camps in Cox's Bazar, dengue outbreaks have been most prevalent in four camps in Ukhia, a local sub-district. Abul Kalam, a resident of the Shalbon Rohingya camp in Teknaf, complained of poor sanitary conditions. "Because of unclean drains, mosquito infestation has increased ... as a result, most children suffer from various diseases including dengue," he told BenarNews. Another Shalbon resident expressed concern for family members who had become sick recently. "I have six children in my house. Two of them have had high fevers since yesterday," Nur Nahar told BenarNews on Monday. "Even after first aid, their health condition did not improve. I think they were infected with dengue," he said, adding that two family members were infected last year. During a visit to the Shalbon camp on Monday, a BenarNews correspondent saw three people cleaning the camp's drains while children sat nearby. An entomologist blamed the refugee camps for contributing to the outbreak. Dengue cases this year are much higher than in previous years, Jahangirnagar University professor and entomologist Kabirul Bashar told BenarNews. "In Rohingya refugee camps, due to the lack of sanitation and overcrowding, infection rates are much higher than in areas outside the camps," he said. On Monday, the Directorate General of Health Services reported that four people had died in the previous 24 hours, bringing to 56 the year's nationwide death toll from dengue. Data shows three deaths occurred in Dhaka city and one in Mymensingh. In addition, at least 436 dengue patients were admitted to hospitals in the last day, including 174 in Dhaka city. BenarNews is an RFA-affiliated news service. Copyright 1998-2023, RFA. Used with the permission of Radio Free Asia, 2025 M St. NW, Suite 300, Washington DC 20036. For any commercial use of RFA content please send an email to: mahajanr@rfa.org. RFA content July not be used in a manner which would give the appearance of any endorsement of any product or support of any issue or political position. Please read the full text of our Terms of Use. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Around 6,000 villagers forced to flee township in Myanmar's Sagaing region Troops shot and injured 1 resident and killed 2 from another township. By RFA Burmese 2023.07.03 -- Myanmar's military is carrying on its campaign to seize control of townships in northern Sagaing region, torching buildings and forcing around 6,000 locals to flee Khin-U, residents told RFA on Monday. An official of Khin-U township's Right Information Group told RFA that a total of 15 villages in the township were raided by two military columns. The man, who requested anonymity for security reasons, said nearly 3,500 residents in the northeastern part and 2,500 in the southwestern part of Khin-U township abandoned their homes ahead of the military raids. A resident of Khin-U's Ah Lel Sho village told RFA troops killed livestock and captured locals. "Four cows and two pigs were slaughtered, and five people were arrested. I think they have to carry the packs. Three people were in their 20s and two in their 60s," said the local who declined to be named for fear of reprisals. "Now, the junta troops are burning down Yauk Thwar Aing village to the south of Ah Lel Sho. I can see the smoke in the distance but I can't get close because of the troops." Residents of Chan Thar Kone village said a 60-year-old man, Than Win, was shot and injured while he bumped into a military junta column on July 1. Meanwhile, residents of neighboring Shwebo township said troops shot dead two local men. They said the bodies were discovered after a column of around 40 troops withdrew on Saturday. "Two people were shot dead near a rest tent in Kawt village in the eastern part of Shwebo. That was the route the junta took when it carried out its offensive," said a local who didn't want to be named for security reasons, "It's not yet known who they were or where they were from. The bodies were still there on Monday morning." RFA called the junta spokesperson for Sagaing region, Saw Naing, on Sunday and Monday regarding the arson attacks and killings, but he did not answer. More than 1.5 million civilians have fled their homes since the Feb. 1, 2021 coup, according to the United Nation Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UNOCHA), It said around 765,200 were from Sagaing region. Translated by RFA Burmese. Edited by Mike Firn. Copyright 1998-2023, RFA. Used with the permission of Radio Free Asia, 2025 M St. NW, Suite 300, Washington DC 20036. For any commercial use of RFA content please send an email to: mahajanr@rfa.org. RFA content July not be used in a manner which would give the appearance of any endorsement of any product or support of any issue or political position. Please read the full text of our Terms of Use. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Militant Ambush Kills 2 Pakistan Soldiers Amid Spike in Terrorism By Ayaz Gul July 03, 2023 Officials in Pakistan said Monday that insurgents had ambushed a military convoy in a southwestern region and killed two security personnel, including an army major. The deadly overnight assault occurred in Balor in the turbulent Baluchistan province. The army's media wing said troops were on a counterterrorism search mission in the area and trying to block "escape routes" when a group of "terrorists" ambushed them. The ensuing "heavy exchange of fire" killed two army officers and injured another, it added. No group claimed responsibility for Sunday's deadly ambush in Baluchistan, where several ethnic Baluch insurgent groups and the outlawed Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan, or TTP, routinely target security forces. Sunday's attack came just hours after heavily armed militants in another part of the province assaulted a security post with rocket-propelled grenades and assault rifles, killing three police officers and a soldier. Provincial authorities said police and paramilitary forces were jointly operating the post in the Shirani district. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, in a statement Monday, said that "the entire nation, including me, are saddened over the martyrdom of six security personnel" in the Baluchistan attacks on Sunday. Militant attacks, including suicide bombings, have dramatically risen in Pakistan in 2023. The violence has reportedly killed around 390 people, including security forces, and injured more than 650 others during the first six months of the current year. The Islamabad-based Pakistan Institute for Conflict and Security Studies documented the casualties in a report local media published Monday. It said that most of the deaths, 266, occurred in northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. The report noted an almost 80% increase in militant attacks nationwide compared to the same period last year. It added that Pakistan witnessed 13 suicide attacks this year, which resulted in 142 deaths, noting that only five suicide bombings had taken place during the first six months of 2022, causing around 80 fatalities. The Pakistani military said last week that it had "killed or captured nearly 1,200 terrorists" in thousands of nationwide anti-terrorism operations. However, the claims could not be ascertained independently. Army spokesman Major-General Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry shared the details at a news conference, saying that 95 military officers and soldiers were also killed during these operations. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Greetings to President of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko Vladimir Putin sent a message of greetings to President of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko on the occasion of the republic's Independence Day. July 3, 2023 09:00 The message reads, in part: "This holiday has special importance not only for Belarusians but for Russians as well, since it marks a landmark event in our common history - the liberation of Minsk from the Nazi invaders. The bonds of brotherly friendship and mutual support, which became only stronger during the harsh years of the war, remain the firm foundation of the allied Russia-Belarus relations. This is fully confirmed today, when our countries are jointly confronting serious external threats and challenges. I am confident that through our efforts to consistently build up efficient bilateral ties in all areas and strengthen the institutions of the Union State, we will overcome any challenges and defend our nations' legitimate interests on the global stage. I sincerely wish you good health and success, and happiness and prosperity to the brotherly people of Belarus." NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Russian combat strength not altered without Wagner: Lawmaker Iran Press TV Monday, 03 July 2023 9:07 AM The combat strength of Russian forces is not impacted by the departure of the Wagner private military group, says the chairman of Moscow's legislative lower house defense committee, as Ukrainian authorities reported Russia's advances in multiple war fronts. "No new wave of mobilization will be required," insisted the influential lawmaker, Colonel General Andrei Kartapolov, in an interview published Monday by TASS news agency, adding that Russia's regular army forces have effectively repulsed Ukraine's latest counteroffensives without Wagner fighters. He further pointed out that the withdrawal of Wagner forces following the short-lived mutiny staged by its chief commander last week poses no risk to Russia's combat potential, "both in the mid-term and long-term perspective." The mutiny began over differences between Wagner's boss Yevgeny Prigozhin, and Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu and promptly ended with a deal between the two sides brokered by Belarusian president Alexander Lukashenko. Kiev admits Russia advancing in multiple fronts The development comes after senior Ukrainian military authorities confirmed that Russian forces were advancing in the country's eastern regions amid what they described as "fierce fighting." Kiev's Deputy Defense Minister Ganna Maliar declared on Sunday that Russian troops were advancing near Avdiivka, Mariinka, Lyman and Svatove. "Fierce fighting is going on everywhere," Maliar said in a social media post, emphasizing that "the situation is quite complicated." Maliar further claimed that Ukrainian troops were advancing with "partial success" on the southern flank of Bakhmut in the east and near Berdyansk and Melitopol in the south. Russia launched what it described as a "special military operation" in Ukraine in February 2022 in response to the unyielding eastward expansion of the US-led NATO military alliance despite Moscow's pleas for security guarantees. Russia regards NATO's efforts to make Ukraine a member of the alliance and deploy missiles closer to its borders as a direct threat to its national security. The West, meanwhile, has supplied Kiev with tens of billions of dollars worth of various weaponry since the onset of the raging conflict largely fueled by Ukraine's Western backers. Moscow has denounced the West's incessant arming of Kiev as counterproductive measures that would only prolong the conflict. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address EU's Von Der Leyen Vows To Hold Putin, 'Henchmen' Responsible As Center Opens To Probe Alleged Russian Crimes Against Ukraine By RFE/RL July 03, 2023 EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen vowed to "leave no stone unturned" to hold Russian President Vladimir Putin and others responsible for alleged crimes committed during the Kremlin's war against Ukraine as the international community opened a new office in The Hague to investigate and gather evidence for any future trials. "We will leave no stone unturned to hold Putin and his henchmen accountable," von der Leyen said in a statement on July 3 marking the opening of the International Center For The Prosecution Of The Crime Of Aggression (ICPA). "The new international prosecution center will play a key role in making sure that the perpetrators are brought to justice," she added. The new center, at the offices of the EU's Eurojust justice agency, includes prosecutors from Ukraine, the EU, the United States, and the International Criminal Court (ICC), which is also located in The Hague. The ICC has previously issued international arrest warrants for Putin on suspicion of war crimes, including the alleged deportation of children to Russia from Ukraine. The new center looks to plug some gaps in the ICC's jurisdiction, which does not allow it to prosecute crimes of aggression -- a key charge leveled against the Kremlin in its unprovoked February 2022 attack on Ukraine. The Eurojust agency has already established a database for evidence on war crimes, crimes against humanity, and genocide related to the war. "With the setup of the ICPA, the European Union reiterates its commitment to ensuring full accountability for the international crimes committed during Russia's war against Ukraine, including the crime of aggression," European Commissioner for Justice Didier Reynders said. He added that the ICPA is a "clear signal to the world that the prohibition of the use of force continues to be the foundation of our international rule-based order and that those who violate it will be held accountable." Ukraine Prosecutor General Andriy Kostin, speaking at the center's opening, said a special tribunal for Russian leadership was now "inevitable." "We are gathered here on the occasion of a truly historic moment. I would say an epoch-defining moment," Kostin told reporters. In an interview before the opening, Kostin said that "we need experts, we need forensics, we need additional information, including intelligence information, in order for this case to be strong, because we all know that the crime of aggression is the leadership crime." Ukrainian officials have pressed for a special tribunal since the ass killings of civilians was discovered in the town of Bucha in April 2022 following the withdrawal of Russian troops. Russia has denied it targets civilians, despite evidence and witnesses to the contrary. It has also labeled its invasion a "special military operation" and forbids the use of the word "war" among reports in Russia. With reporting by AFP, dpa, and Reuters Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/eu-putin-henchmen-center- probe-russian-war-crimes-ukraine/32487464.html Copyright (c) 2023. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Russian Navy Commander-in-Chief and Chinese Defence Minister meet in Beijing 03.07.2023 Commander-in-Chief of the Russian Navy Admiral Nikolay Yevmenov met today in Beijing with the Minister of Defence of the People's Republic of China General Li Shangfu. During the meeting, the parties exchanged views on way of further strengthening bilateral cooperation between the two navy, in particular in the Asia-Pacific region. As part of the visit, Admiral Nikolay Yevmenov is scheduled to meet with Admiral Dong Jun, Chinese People's Liberation Army Navy, visit naval construction enterprises, naval bases, and naval training institutions in the cities of Qingdao and Shanghai. The Navy Commander-in-Chief will visit the anchorage of Pacific Fleet ships on a long-distance voyage to China during the visit. The visit of Admiral Nikolay Yevmenov to the People's Republic of China takes place in accordance with the parties' agreements at the invitation of Chinese partners. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Russian Defence Minister gives a welcome speech at special teleconference 03.07.2023 I will start with the situation in the zone of the special military operation. The Armed Forces of the Russian Federation continue to inflict effective fire damage on the enemy significantly reducing the offensive potential of the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU). The Groups of the Russian Armed Forces have neutralised 15 airplanes, three helicopters, and 920 pieces of armoured hardware, including 16 Leopard tanks, in the South Donetsk, Zaporozhye, and Donetsk directions alone, where Ukrainian troops are making futile attacks. This is nearly all of the tanks of this type that Poland and Portugal provided to the AFU. The Ukrainian troops have lost a total of about 2,500 pieces of various weapons in all directions since 4 June 2023. Moreover, over the past month, Russian air defence units have shot down 158 HIMARS rockets, 25 Storm Shadow cruise missiles, and 386 unmanned aerial vehicles. Overall, neither of the enemy's goals in either direction has been met. This confirms the prowess of Russian warriors and the obviously inflated hopes for the acclaimed Western armaments. The Ukrainian leadership, under the pressure of its Western controllers, is insisting that the AFU command continue the attack despite the significant losses. By using terrorist shelling of civilian targets to achieve a propaganda effect, Kiev is attempting to make up for its inability to guarantee success on the ground. It has been feasible to minimise civilian losses and save hundreds of lives because of the professional activities of Russian servicemen. I must take into consideration one more issue to which our Supreme Commander-in-Chief has already given a comprehensive answer. It is about an attempt to destabilise the situation in Russia on 23-25 of June 2023. These plans failed mainly because the Armed Forces personnel were loyal to the military oath and their military duty. The provocation itself did not have any impact on actions of the Groups of Forces. I thank the Russian servicemen for their faithful service. Now let us move to the agenda of our meeting. We have to address two issues. The first concerns the execution of a state contract on repairing and modernisation of the A-50 aircraft by the Taganrog Aviation Scientific-Technical Complex named after G.M. Beriev. These flying radars have found their use in the special military operation. The modernisation of these aviation complexes in time will considerably increase efficiency of the Groups of Forces in completing their missions. Today we will discuss how the company is fulfilling its obligations to the Ministry of Defence. Next, we will be briefed on the course of the newly formed military units' combat training. In accordance with the Presidential Decree on increasing the strength of the Armed Forces, the command of the Moscow and Leningrad military districts, the combined arms army and the army corps are undergoing a process of formation now. At the moment, the scheduled supply of weapons, military and special hardware is being carried out along with recruiting, training, and unit cohesion efforts. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Pacific Fleet's frigate Varyag and frigate Marshall Shaposhnikov return to the Fleet's base after drills in the Pacific Ocean 03.07.2023 The Guards missile cruiser Varyag, flagship of the Pacific Fleet, and frigate Marshall Shaposhnikov have returned to the Fleet's base in Vladivostok after drills in the Pacific Ocean. For more than a month, the vessels performed tasks in the designated areas of the Sea of Okhotsk and the Sea of Japan, as well as in the off-shore maritime zone. Before arriving in Vladivostok, the vessels travelled thousands of nautical miles while undergoing exercises during the Fleet's drills. The ships' crews underwent drills on air defence and anti-submarine warfare, and conducted dozens of private exercises and joint training sessions. The Pacific Fleet's ommand set tasks to be performed at sea in conditions as close to combat as possible with imitation of countermeasures by a mock enemy. The Guards missile cruiser Varyag and frigate Marshall Shaposhnikov are the last vessels to arrive at the base after the drills. Right before returning to Vladivostok, the vessels crossed La Perouse Strait from the Sea of Okhotsk to the Sea of Japan. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Taiwan stages live-fire drill to test ability in countering sea attacks ROC Central News Agency 07/03/2023 06:07 PM Taipei, July 3 (CNA) Taiwan's Army on Monday held a round of precision weapon live-fire exercises in southern Pingtung County to test troops' capabilities in countering potential amphibious and sea attacks from China. Tilted Tien Ma () or Sky Horse exercise, the military drills were open to the media and involved troops from the Army's 542nd, 564th, 269th and 234th brigades, Hualien Defense Command, Army Infantry Training Command, and 99th Marine Brigade. During the Monday afternoon drill, soldiers fired TOW 2A anti-tank missiles at targets in the sea from a coastal drill area in Pingtung's Fangshan Township. Major Huang Chieh-hung (), a military instructor from the Army Infantry Training Command who was in charge of Monday's drill, told reporters that soldiers were using sighting devices to help them fire missiles accurately, and that around 70 percent of rounds successfully hit their designated targets in the sea. The major difference between this year's Sky Horse exercise and previous ones was that this year TOW 2B anti-tank missiles were fired from vehicles instead of from the ground, Huang said. Firing a missile from a military vehicle could help provide better mobility and help the armed forces defend enemy attacks by engaging effectively at an early stage, he added. According to the defense ministry, aside from Taiwan's existing TOW 2A missiles, the country has also purchased more advanced TOW 2B anti-tank missiles from the United States. A total of 1,240 TOW 2B anti-tank missiles, 24 HMMWV armored vehicles upon which the missiles will be mounted, and 30 targeting systems are set to be delivered to Taiwan by 2025, according to the ministry. Meanwhile, the Army also held a helicopter live-fire weapon firing exercise and Thunderbolt-2000 rocket system drills Monday at another drill ground in Pingtung. On Tuesday, the Army will hold another round of live-fire exercises that will include its Avenger Air Defense Weapon System and Stinger surface-to-air missiles. (By Matt Yu and Joseph Yeh) Enditem/kb NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Foreign Secretary to hail renewed "close and friendly UK-EU cooperation" in first speech to EU Parliament Foreign Secretary sets out UK priorities for future cooperation with the EU in his first speech to the EU Parliament in Brussels. 3 July 2023 James Cleverly in Brussels to co-chair second Withdrawal Agreement Joint Committee meeting since Windsor Framework alongside EU Vice President Maros Sefcovic he will set out the UK's priorities for future cooperation with the EU including on trade and Ukraine the Foreign Secretary will also meet with European Parliament President Roberta Metsola and NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg ahead of the NATO Vilnius Summit next week Today [Monday 3 July] the Foreign Secretary James Cleverly will use a speech at the UK-EU Parliamentary Partnership Assembly (PPA) to promote a post-Windsor Framework future and welcome the more mature relationship the UK and EU have been able to build. Cleverly will stress the importance of our continued coordinated support for Ukraine and thank the EU for their contribution to last month's Ukraine Recovery Conference hosted in London. Cleverly will also co-chair the 11th Withdrawal Agreement Joint Committee alongside Maros Sefcovic in Brussels and have a bilateral meeting with his counterpart. The meetings are an opportunity to monitor progress on the implementation of the Windsor Framework and discuss shared UK-EU issues such as citizens' rights or tackling illegal migration. Ahead of the visit, Foreign Secretary James Cleverly said: This is a new chapter in the UK-EU relationship. We stand together in our support of Ukraine, and we want to maximise the opportunities of our trade deal. But we don't have to agree on everything - a mature relationship can deal with differences. He will also celebrate recent successes, such as signing an MoU on financial services and cooperating on immigration via a Working Arrangement with Frontex. Whilst there, the Foreign Secretary will meet with Roberta Metsola to discuss UK-EU cooperation in areas such as support for Ukraine. He will also sit down with NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg to discuss the Alliance's support package for Ukraine and how the Alliance can adapt to future threats, including by increasing defence spending. He will also reiterate the UK's backing for Sweden to become a NATO Ally as soon as possible, following a successful visit to the country last week. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address UK-EU Parliamentary Partnership Assembly, 3 July 2023: Foreign Secretary's speech The Foreign Secretary hailed renewed "close and friendly UK-EU cooperation" in his first speech to the EU Parliament, alongside EU Vice President Maros Sefcovic. 3 July 2023 Madame Loiseau, Sir Oliver, colleagues, friends, it is an honour to be the first UK Foreign Secretary to speak at the UK/EU Parliamentary Partnership Assembly. We are here amongst friends. It has always been obvious to me that close and friendly cooperation between the UK and the EU would be the ultimate and eventual outcome of Brexit, because that is the sensible and pragmatic outcome and we are all sensible and pragmatic people. Though it did take slightly longer to get here than many of us would have liked. But, we have seen real progress and I'm committed to maintaining that positive trajectory. Today's Parliamentary Partnership Assembly is an important part of that. I very much welcome and value your recommendations, including on energy cooperation. But that is not the limit of the work that you do. Because actually what you're really doing here is an incredibly important function about building mutual understanding, building mutual confidence. You are building mutual trust and of course you are building relationships. Relationships matter, that's why we do diplomacy and I value the kind words that Maros has said about the work that we've done together on the Windsor Framework, and I would like to put on record my thanks for the spirit of friendship and cooperation that he brought into all our meetings. And the level of trust that I was able to invest in our relationship I think was part of the reason we got the Windsor Agreement over the line. And while it's never a brilliant idea speaking on behalf of someone else, I think I can say with some great confidence that Maros and I are committed to the full implementation of that agreement, including on important issues that have already been raised such as citizens' rights and I know that there are many people in the room who are focused on that. I want to let you know that the UK's position is that we will continue to protect the rights of those individuals. But to come back to the theme of trust, what I realised is that Maros and I ultimately were speaking the same language. And I don't just mean English. As those that know me as Foreign Secretary know that my language skills are somewhat limited. Luckily enough his English is excellent and was able to pick up on the nuances of our conversations. But ultimately the language that we both shared was the language of politics. I think it's a language you all speak and understand. You've all been on the campaign trail. You know what it is like to speak to voters, you know what it's like to understand their concerns and think about their concerns while you interact with partners, whether they be nationally or internationally. And that is an important thing to have in your mind when you know that you have to justify yourself to the electorate. It does bring a focus, and I think the gentle fear that we all have of voters is not only healthy but it is a small price to pay for the honour of being able to serve the public. And it is important for parliamentarians that those of us who understand the need to justify ourselves to the electorate come together and provide the vital scrutiny that any successful democracy needs. You are serving the interests of the people who voted for you. We all face challenges and threats. In our refreshed Integrated Review we made it very, very clear, the UK's primary theatre for security and defence will always be the Euro-Atlantic, our home turf. The UK and EU have shown that we stand shoulder to shoulder with Ukraine in war and conflict. And when the fighting is over, we will stand shoulder to shoulder once again in helping Ukraine rebuild its society, its economy and its infrastructure. I hope that the close work that we have done together over the last 16, 17, 18 months highlighted that when we said the UK was leaving the EU but it was not leaving Europe, we meant it. That's why we were delighted when Ursula von der Leyen, on behalf of the EU, pledged 50 billion in grants and loans at the Ukraine Recovery Conference in London late last month. And whilst NATO remains the primary guarantor of our collective security, the EU does of course have a vital role to play in bolstering and supplementing our cooperation. Security cooperation between the EU and UK on Ukraine is helping the Ukrainians expel Russian forces - and, in doing so, keeping all of us safe. And we should of course maintain regular security cooperation. The UK was proud to welcome Finland to NATO. And we look forward to Sweden's immediate accession. I've said publicly, and I stand by it, what I would love to see is a flag raising ceremony at the first day of the Vilnius summit and then Sweden playing a full and active role as part of NATO. But of course the challenges we face extend far beyond the traditional realms of defence and security. Supply chains, for example, around the world are being disrupted by Putin's illegal war in Ukraine. And we don't want the challenges of the green transition to become an excuse for protectionism. We want to minimise risks to our economic security. And of course the UK and the EU share many geo-strategic priorities. One of the most pressing of course is getting the right balance with our engagement with and relationship with China - and I note President von der Leyen and I set out positions which were strikingly similar in our respective speeches this spring, explaining why we need to deepen our relations in the Indo-Pacific as well as our relations across the channel. This assembly can contribute an awful lot to forging closer relations between the EU and the UK, and we will both be better for it. By building a spirit of mutual understanding and mutual confidence, it will allow us to think more creatively about the challenges that we face. For example, how we collectively confront the challenges, whilst harnessing the opportunities, of new technology. The UK government is, just like the EU, developing new policies on artificial intelligence, on semiconductors and on cyberspace, and I will be chairing the first UN Security Council on artificial intelligence later on this month. And the British Prime Minister will be hosting an international summit on security issues around AI, later on this year. As I set out in my speech at Chatham House last month, we want to work with our international partners, including of course with our closest allies like the EU, in shaping and development and governance of AI technologies. We have to recognise that we will not agree on everything. But in mature relationships, we can deal with differences, whilst making the most of the areas where we agree, and there is ample room for us to cooperate on things like harmful emissions and other global challenges. Migration of course is an issue that is at the top of the agenda in the UK but also is in the minds of the governments of member states. That's why I welcome discussions between the UK and Frontex. All of us want strong European borders. And all of us benefit from financial stability, that's why as Maros said we very much welcome the Memorandum of Understanding for trade in financial services which paves the way for a constructive and mutually beneficial relationship in this area. And I am very pleased that we have resumed cooperation on renewable energy in the North Sea. It's good for jobs. It's good for growth. It's good for energy security. It's good for net zero. It's good for the EU. And of course it is good for the UK. So, in conclusion we have shared values, we have an incentive in mutual cooperation for mutual gain. That's what our agreements are about. That is why this parliamentary partnership assembly is good, and that is why the UK and the EU showing a united front against the challenges that affect all our people is good for us all. I hope you will have an excellent day's discussions. And I look forward to hearing the outcome. Thank you. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address PM meeting with Prime Minister of Bahrain: 3 July 2023 The Prime Minister hosted the Crown Prince Salman Bin Hamad Al Khalifa, Prime Minister of Bahrain, at Downing Street today. 3 July 2023 The Prime Minister hosted Crown Prince Salman Bin Hamad Al Khalifa, Prime Minister of Bahrain, at Downing Street today for a bilateral meeting. The leaders welcomed the signing of a new Strategic Investment and Collaboration Partnership today between the UK and Bahrain. The agreement aims to facilitate additional investment of more than A1 billion into the UK, support the diversification of Bahrain's economy and drive greater cooperation between our countries in clean technology, business services and manufacturing. The Prime Minister said the agreement marks the next chapter the historic and close relationship between the UK and Bahrain, which spans security, defence and trade. The leaders discussed the situation in Ukraine, noting the threat to international stability and norms posed by Russia's invasion, and agreed on the importance of a strong united stance in the face of Iran's destabilising regional activity. The Prime Minister also welcomed progress on domestic reforms in Bahrain, particularly in relation to the judiciary and legal process, and looked forward to working closely with the Crown Prince on our shared priorities going forward. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Switzerland increases support for rehabilitation of Ukrainian schools Swiss Government Bern, 03.07.2023 -- Switzerland continues to provide aid to Ukraine. Federal Councillor Ignazio Cassis has approved an additional CHF 5.5 million to renovate and refurbish around 30 schools in Ukraine. The aim is to ensure that nearly 15,000 schoolchildren have access to a decent and safe education. Russian military aggression has dealt a severe blow to Ukraine's education sector. Thousands of schools across the country have been damaged or destroyed, and many teachers have fled the conflict zones, thereby disrupting the education of millions of students. In response to this crisis, Federal Councillor Ignazio Cassis has increased Switzerland's support for the 'Decentralisation for Improved Democratic Education' (DECIDE) project by CHF 5.5 million in order to rehabilitate around 30 schools in the regions directly affected by the fighting in Chernihiv, Odesa and Poltava. The project involves the installation of secure multi-purpose classrooms to ensure uninterrupted learning, even during air raid warnings. The rehabilitation and upgrading of schools in municipalities that have long-standing partnerships with the SDC will provide pupils with a safe and appropriate environment for face-to-face classroom learning. This initiative will not only strengthen local public services but also bolster the education system's resilience in crisis situations. The continuation of face-to-face teaching will also contribute to the integration of displaced children and their families into host communities. This additional Swiss contribution will also enable the DECIDE project to provide technical and pedagogical support for online education for displaced children and children living in areas particularly vulnerable to hostilities where in-person teaching is unfeasible. Thanks to this contribution from the Swiss Confederation, nearly 15,000 schoolchildren will be able to continue their education in safety and dignity. Ukraine's Ministry of Education and Science is committed to rebuilding the education sector, ensuring that children return to school, and guaranteeing a safe learning environment and education services for the duration of the war. The DECIDE project is being implemented in close cooperation with the Ukrainian Ministry of Education and Science, the Ukrainian Ministry for Communities, Territories and Infrastructure Development, and local authorities. Switzerland's support for schools is part of the CHF 140 million aid plan for Ukraine announced by the Federal Council in February and approved by Parliament. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Denmark launches support package for the reconstruction of schools and hospitals in Ukraine Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Denmark 3.7.2023 With schools in ruins, bombed hospitals, and damaged water supply systems, Ukraine faces an enormous task of reconstruction. Denmark is now providing support through the first civil support package under the Ukraine Fund. Today, Denmark has announced the Ukraine Fund's Reconstruction Package I, a civil support package amounting to 615 million Danish kroner for Ukraine. The funds will be used to initiate the reconstruction of schools, hospitals, clinics, bomb shelters, water, heating, and energy supply, as well as support for the population in the war-torn areas, focusing on the region and the port city of Mykolaiv. The purpose of the package is to address the urgent needs of Ukrainians who have remained in the country during the war and to create the opportunity for the many displaced individuals to return home. Minister for Development Cooperation and Global Climate Policy, Dan JArgensen, states: "Denmark is among Ukraine's strongest partners, and unfortunately the need for reconstruction assistance is massive. Ukrainian children should be able to attend school, and necessary medical treatments should be available at hospitals despite the ongoing war." The package also includes funds to kick-start the Ukrainian economy. Through the Investment Fund for Developing Countries (IFU), the government has established a Ukraine facility for investments in key sectors such as agriculture, energy and IT. The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) supports economic activity and job creation, including increased support for independent business ventures in Ukraine. The support package has been developed in close dialogue with the Ukrainian Minister for Reconstruction and the regional and local authorities of Mykolaiv. Life-saving humanitarian and emergency aid for Ukraine The package also includes a humanitarian track, providing support to the UN, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), and Danish civil society organizations and their Ukrainian partners. Minister for Development Cooperation and Global Climate Policy, Dan JArgensen, states: "It is important that we target humanitarian aid to areas where the population is most vulnerable and exposed to the hostilities. Millions of people are in need of emergency assistance, medicine and food. Mines also need to be cleared to ensure the delivery of supplies. I am particularly pleased that so many Danish civil society organizations are ready to assist with this important work." Denmark is one of the countries that provide the most comprehensive support to Ukraine relative to its size. Earlier this year, Denmark launched the Ukraine Fund, which has three pillars: military support, civil support and private sector support. In 2023, 1.2 billion Danish kroner have been allocated for civil interventions in Ukraine and other Eastern neighboring countries. BACKGROUND Since last year, Denmark has provided humanitarian assistance and reconstruction of energy, heating, and water supply systems in Mykolaiv, as well as repairs to housing and buildings. This work has been underway since Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen accepted Ukrainian President Zelensky's invitation to play a special role in the reconstruction of the region and the port city of Mykolaiv. Ukraine Fund's Reconstruction Package I includes the following interventions: Reconstruction efforts 110 million Danish kroner to the Investment Fund for Developing Countries (IFU) for IFU's Ukraine facility for investments in reconstruction. 100.7 million Danish kroner to the United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS) for needs assessment, repairs, and reconstruction of schools, healthcare facilities, bomb shelters, and housing. 75 million Danish kroner to the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) for EBRD's Crisis Response Special Fund, which provides emergency assistance to Ukraine, including Mykolaiv's water supply system. 60 million Danish kroner to Danida Sustainable Infrastructure Finance (DSIF) for the reconstruction of the water supply in Mykolaiv. 52.8 million Danish kroner to the "Ukraine Energy Support Fund," which was established shortly after the invasion to provide assistance to Ukraine in the energy sector and ensure the country's energy supply despite the Russian attacks. 35 million Danish kroner to the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)'s "Recovery and Peacebuilding Programme," which will provide support for job creation, healthcare clinics, and decentralized citizen service units. 35 million Danish kroner to the International Organization for Migration (IOM) for improving socio-economic conditions for particularly vulnerable and war-affected population groups, as well as their access to basic services, especially water. 1.5 million Danish kroner to the Association of Municipalities in Denmark (KL) for twinning cooperation between Ukrainian and Danish municipalities. Humanitarian efforts 20 million Danish kroner to the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) for the protection of civilians in the war-torn areas. 25 million Danish kroner to the United Nations Humanitarian Fund for general humanitarian interventions in areas close to the frontlines. 100 million Danish kroner to Danish civil society organizations for protection, distribution of emergency aid to hard-to-reach areas, and humanitarian mine clearance. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite, Jr. Delivers Remarks Announcing the Launch of the International Centre for the Prosecution of the Crime of Aggression Against Ukraine Monday, July 3, 2023 Location The Hague Netherlands Good morning. The United States Department of Justice is proud to stand with our European partners and be among the first to participate in the International Centre for the Prosecution of the Crime of Aggression Against Ukraine (ICPA). I want to thank everyone who has played a role in launching the ICPA, including my close friends and colleagues with whom I have the honor of sharing this stage. Eurojust's ability to operationalize the concept of the ICPA within months is absolutely remarkable and demonstrates the ingenuity of this exceptional agency. The Justice Department's newly appointed U.S. Special Prosecutor for the Crime of Aggression, Jessica Kim, will represent the United States at the ICPA, and she will have unfettered access to the substantial body of expertise and resources that the Department has amassed in response to Russia's unlawful war of aggression against the people of Ukraine. The ICPA is the most recent addition to the ecosystem for investigating and prosecuting atrocity crimes committed in Ukraine. The Centre complements other domestic, regional, and international efforts to promote accountability and combat impunity. Two weeks ago, our Attorney General Merrick Garland visited The Hague so that he could see and observe firsthand the robust response to Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine by our Dutch partners, and at Eurojust, Europol, and the International Criminal Court, indeed becoming the first Attorney General to visit the ICC. During his visit here, the Attorney General pledged that the United States would contribute to Eurojust's Core International Crimes Evidence Database. I am proud to announce that last week the United States made its initial contribution to this very important database. And it will not be our last. Today, we honor the launch of the ICPA. Tomorrow, we roll up our sleeves and get back to work. Together, we will pursue justice no matter how long it takes. Thank you. Speaker: Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite, Jr. Topic: Foreign Corruption Component: Criminal Division NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Ukraine: International Centre for the prosecution of Russia's crime of aggression against Ukraine starts operations today European Commission Press release 3 July 2023 The Hague Today, the International Centre for the Prosecution of the Crime of Aggression against Ukraine (ICPA) started its operations in the Hague, hosted by the European Union Agency for Criminal Justice Cooperation (Eurojust). The newly established Centre will be key to investigate Russia's crime of aggression against Ukraine and facilitate case building for future trials. It will provide a structure to support and enhance ongoing and future investigations into the crime of aggression and contribute to the exchange and analysis of evidence gathered since the start of the Russian aggression. The Centre, set up with the Commission's support, is composed of selected national prosecutors that are already participating in the Joint Investigation Team, to which the Centre is linked in its operations. The participating experts will be able to work together daily, exchange evidence quickly, and agree on a common strategy. Eurojust will provide operational, legal, financial, and logistical support, including for preserving, storing, and analysing evidence. This work is essential to prepare for future trials, be it before national or international courts, including a possible tribunal for the crime of aggression or the International Criminal Court (ICC) for crimes within its jurisdiction. President Ursula von der Leyen said: "Russia's invasion of Ukraine continues to bring unspeakable horrors, every day. Deeply worrying news about deliberate attacks against civilians, including children, have become a cruel daily reminder of the bloodshed that Putin brought back to our continent. Evidence of countless international crimes committed by Russia is piling up. The new international prosecution centre will play a key role in making sure that the perpetrators are brought to justice, including for the crime of aggression. We will leave no stone unturned to hold Putin and his henchmen accountable." Next steps The Centre will begin operating as of today. Eurojust will work closely with the Commission and the members of the Joint Investigation Team to ensure that the Centre can provide the best possible support to national authorities. Background The International Criminal Court (ICC) is competent to prosecute the gravest international crimes (genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes and the crime of aggression). However, at the moment, the ICC cannot prosecute Russia for the crime of aggression, since Russia is not a State party to the ICC. To close this gap, in November 2022 the Commission presented options to the Member States to guarantee that there is full accountability for all crimes committed in Ukraine. These options explored the possibility of establishing an accountability mechanism to allow the prosecution of the crime of aggression. While discussions continue, in particular within the Core Group on the establishment of the Special Tribunal, it is crucial to ensure that the relevant evidence is properly secured, and that investigations can begin within the existing legal frameworks. The evidence collected by the Centre could be used before other jurisdictions, including national and international courts, including a possible tribunal for the crime of aggression or the International Criminal Court (ICC) for crimes within its jurisdiction. Prosecutors from the members of the Joint Investigation Centre will be relocated to Eurojust, where they can work together on a daily basis. The prosecutors will be supported by legal and analytical experts from Eurojust. Evidence identified can be stored securely in Eurojust's Core International Crimes Evidence Database, established following the changes to the Eurojust Regulation based on the Commission's proposal to amend Eurojust's regulation. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Russia's Medvedev warns nuclear war 'quite probable' amid West's support for Ukraine Iran Press TV Monday, 03 July 2023 2:26 PM Russia's former President Dmitry Medvedev says confrontation with the West will "last decades," warning against a "quite probable" nuclear conflict. Medvedev, the deputy head of President Vladimir Putin's Security Council, said in an article published in the government-affiliated newspaper Rossiiskaya Gazeta that an apocalyptic scenario is not only possible but also quite likely. He has repeatedly warned that Western support for Ukraine could make the risk of a nuclear conflict irresistible - a conflict Medvedev believes would have no winners. The former Russian president said the potential decades-long conflict could be checked if the two sides engage in serious negotiations. Medvedev pointed to significant disagreements over Ukraine and the structure of the world order as sources of tension. Since the start of the war in Ukraine in February 2022, the United States and its Western allies have been providing Kiev with military equipment worth tens of billions of dollars. The supplied arms include rocket systems, drones, tanks and armored vehicles and communication systems as reports also indicate a probable supply of F-16 fighter jets. Medvedev said the conflict in Ukraine could become "permanent" given its existential significance to Moscow. The West has committed to standing by Kiev for as long as necessary, despite warnings from Moscow that the military assistance will only prolong the conflict. Medvedev also reiterated Moscow's commitment to preventing Ukraine from joining NATO. He said the goal is to eliminate the threat of Ukraine's NATO membership, and Moscow will achieve it "one way or another." President Vladimir Putin has also railed against the West for driving NATO's eastward expansion, especially its courting of ex-Soviet republics such as Ukraine and Georgia. Ukraine was last offered NATO membership in 2008 on the condition it met the terms set out in a Membership Action Plan. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Russia thwarts Ukrainian terror plot against Crimean head Iran Press TV Monday, 03 July 2023 11:19 AM Russia's Federal Security Service (FSB) has reportedly foiled a Ukraine-planned assassination attempt on the head of Crimea, insisting that the scheme was organized by the Ukrainian special services. "An assassination attempt on the head of the Republic of Crimea, Sergey Aksyonov, organized by the Ukrainian special services, has been thwarted," an FSB statement declared on Monday as quoted in a report by Sputnik News, noting that the suspect was caught red-handed while retrieving the stashed-away bomb and taken into custody. "A citizen of Russia, born in 1988, who was recruited by the Ukrainian Security Service and took a course in reconnaissance and subversive activities on the territory of Ukraine, including training in mine blasting, was detained," the statement further explained. According to the report, Russian law enforcement authorities have opened a criminal case against the suspected perpetrator on charges of bomb possession and terrorism. Crimea and Sevastopol became Russian regions following a referendum held in March 2014, in which nearly 97 percent of participants voted for reunification. Russian President Vladimir Putin, along with Aksyonov and other officials signed a treaty on March 18, 2014, on the accession of the Republic of Crimea and the city of Sevastopol to the Russian Federation. Under the treaty, all the residents of Crimea are recognized as citizens of Russia unless they signed an application stating that they wished to retain Ukrainian citizenship. After Crimea four more regions, including Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson and Zaporizhzhia, separated from Ukraine and made their choice in referendums to become part of the Russian Federation. The Donetsk and Luhansk regions had already been recognized as independent states by Russia before Moscow launched its "special military operation" in Donbas in February 2022 to protect its people against Kiev's persecution. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Ukraine to Receive Dozens of Leopard Tanks in Coming Weeks - Germany Sputnik News 20230703 WARSAW (Sputnik) - Over the past weeks, the much-hyped Ukrainian "counteroffensive" resulted in severe losses for Kiev's forces, with multiple tanks and military vehicles being destroyed - all while Ukraine failed to damage Russian defenses. "In the coming weeks, dozens of Leopard 1 A5 battle tanks will be delivered to Ukraine provided by Germany and Denmark," German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius said on Monday in an interview with Polish press. Pistorius mentioned a military aid package to Kiev prepared in May. "Only in May, we prepared a new 2.7 billion euros [$3 million] aid package that includes other urgently needed weapons, as well as additional IRIS-T SLM air defense systems," Pistorius added. Russian Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu said on Monday that Russian armed forces had destroyed 920 Ukrainian armored vehicles, including 16 Leopard tanks, in the Donbass and Zaporozhye regions in June. Western countries have been supplying Kiev with various types of weapon systems, including air defense missiles, multiple launch rocket systems, tanks, self-propelled artillery and anti-aircraft guns since Russia launched its military operation in Ukraine over a year ago. The Kremlin has consistently warned against further arms deliveries to Kiev. A Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Ukrainian Counteroffensive Running Out of Time a Russian Ex-General Sputnik News 20230703 Kiev is preparing the second stage of the counteroffensive because the first, despite using huge amounts of Western military equipment and Ukrainian troops, did not bring results, Leonid Reshetnikov, a veteran Russian foreign intelligence official, told Sputnik. Kiev is reportedly eager to receive an invitation to begin the process of joining NATO during the upcoming summit in Vilnius, according to a Ukrainian presidential aide. As Kiev expects a response to its membership application, which was submitted in September 2022, President Volodymyr Zelensky has stated that he will not attend the summit unless NATO leaders show "courage" in their decision. Leonid Reshetnikov, a retired lieutenant general of Russia's Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR), told Sputnik that the second stage of Ukraine's counteroffensive in the battlefield is expected by the time the Vilnius summit opens in just ten days. According to him, the Kiev regime needs results in order to get decisions in favor of further arms and financial support, and even NATO membership. "Faced with limited options, the Kiev regime has no other choice but to press on. This next phase involves a comprehensive review of tactics and strategy, coupled with the deployment of previously untapped reserves," he said. According to Reshetnikov, reports indicate the possibility of introducing new elements, such as major provocations, similar to when Ukrainians blew up the Kakhovka Hydroelectric Power Plant. "So far, that explosion hasn't had the desired result. Perhaps something along those lines, including possibly related to the Zaporozhye Nuclear Power Plant. They are building up tension in this regard. It is possible that it will be used for the offensive," he stressed. This offensive is expected to be launched before the upcoming summit in Vilnius. The ongoing nationwide mobilization signals growing understanding that Kiev's current forces may not be sufficient to achieve a breakthrough. "Such plans exist. But I repeat, their offensive is inevitable," Reshetnikov noted. However, the primary objective for Ukraine remains to break through the Russian defense lines to reach the Sea of Azov and the border with Crimea, the expert noted. "In the first stage, Ukrainian forces were unable to breach the initial line of Russian defenses. In response, the second stage is based on the hope that a protracted defense will exhaust the defenders psychologically and technologically," he said. Reshetnikov likewise noted that the Ukrainian military is pursuing a strategy of sending inexperienced soldiers on frenzied attacks in a desperate bid to locate potential weak links in the Russian defense. "However, the Russian defense lines have been fortified while, as far as we know, a significant part of the reserves have not been put in place. So the Ukrainian plans are very questionable," he noted. The commander of the Ukrainian Armed Forces General Valery Zaluzhny recently told Western media that it would be impossible to conduct an offensive without additional supplies of NATO ammunition and aircraft. Reshetnikov believes that these statements serve a dual purpose: to garner increased Western support and to justify the lack of success so far. "Nevertheless, it is important to note that Western assistance, while valuable, cannot single-handedly alter the situation on the ground. Substantial and sustained assistance would be required to have a significant impact," he said. In an attempt to explain Kiev's shortcomings, Ukrainian Deputy Defense Minister Hanna Maliar has propagated the idea that Russian forces are conducting an offensive in four directions - Avdeyevka, Maryinka, Krasny Liman and Svatovo. However, Reshetnikov believes that this claim is purely a propaganda tactic to rationalize Ukrainian setbacks. "While Russian forces have adopted an active defense strategy that includes counterattacks and advances on enemy [Ukrainian] strongholds, these actions fall short of a full-fledged offensive. In the event of another failed counteroffensive, the Russian army may seize the opportunity to launch a counteroffensive of its own, taking advantage of a worn-out Ukrainian military," he said. As the Kiev regime prepares for the second phase of its counteroffensive, the prospects for success remain uncertain. Ukraine faces formidable challenges, including the need to revise tactics and strategy, the reliance on untapped reserves, and the potential introduction of new elements to tip the scales. The question remains whether these measures will be sufficient to break through the Russian defenses and achieve their "intended objectives". In the coming weeks, the world will see whether Ukraine's NATO-concerted efforts can produce the desired results, or whether more setbacks lie ahead. A Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Ukraine's Counteroffensive Failing in All Directions - Shoigu Sputnik News 20230703 MOSCOW (Sputnik) - Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu said on Monday that the ongoing Ukrainian counteroffensive has not reached its goals in any of the directions of the military campaign. "In general, the enemy did not achieve its goals in any of the directions. This testifies to the skill of our fighters and clearly inflated expectations from the vaunted Western weapons," Shoigu told top military officials. He also announced that Russian forces managed to destroy some 920 armored vehicles, including 16 Leopard tanks, in Donbass and in Zaporozhye regions last month. At the same time, Shoigu accused Ukrainian forces of carrying out strikes against civilian targets to make up for Kiev's inability to attain success on the battlefield. "Kiev is trying to compensate for its inability to ensure success on the ground through terrorist attacks on civilian targets and thus achieve a propaganda effect," the Russian defense minister said. Last month, Ukrainian forces finally launched the "counteroffensive" that Kiev had been announcing for months. Despite committing significant numbers of troops and military hardware to this undertaking, Kiev has so far failed to breach even the first line of Russian defenses despite sacrificing hundreds of Ukrainian soldiers and losing a considerable number of tanks and armored vehicles supplied by NATO countries. Wagner's Aborted Mutiny Shoigu has also addressed the events that transpired in Russia on June 23-25 involving the forces of PMC Wagner. "I cannot but touch upon one more issue ... We are talking about an attempt on June 23-25 to destabilize the situation in Russia. These plans failed primarily because the personnel of the armed forces showed loyalty to the oath and military duty," he said. On Friday, June 23, forces of the Wagner Group (PMC) seized the headquarters of Russia's Southern Military District in the city of Rostov-on-Don following accusations leveled against the Russian Ministry of Defense of striking the group's camps. Both the Russian military and the Federal Security Service denied the allegations. Later that day, Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko revealed that he had spent the entire day negotiating with Yevgeny Prigozhin, as agreed upon with Russian President Vladimir Putin. As a result of the talks, the Wagner group leader accepted Lukashenko's proposal to stop the movement of his troops in Russia and take measures to de-escalate the situation. Putin guaranteed that the Wagner group fighters would have the opportunity to sign contracts with the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation, return home, or move to Belarus. A Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address FSB Thwarts Ukrainian Assassination Plot Targeting Crimea Head Sputnik News 20230703 MOSCOW (Sputnik) - The Russian Federal Security Service (FSB) said on Monday that it had thwarted an assassination attempt on Sergey Aksyonov, the head of the Republic of Crimea, organized by the Ukrainian special services. "An assassination attempt on the head of the Republic of Crimea, Sergey Aksyonov, organized by the Ukrainian special services, has been thwarted ... A citizen of Russia, born in 1988, who was recruited by the Ukrainian Security Service and took a course in reconnaissance and subversive activities on the territory of Ukraine, including training in mine blasting, was detained," the FSB said in a statement. The would-be-assassin planned to blow up the politician's car. He was apprehended by FSB after being caught red-handed while removing the stashed-away bomb. Law enforcement officials have opened a criminal case against the perpetrator on bomb possession and terrorism charges. Crimea and Sevastopol became Russian regions after a referendum held on 16 March 2014, when 97 percent of those who participated in the vote supported reunification. On 18 March 2014, Russian President Vladimir Putin, Crimean head Sergey Aksyonov and other officials signed a treaty on the accession of the Republic of Crimea and the city of Sevastopol to Russia. Under the treaty, all the residents of Crimea are recognised as citizens of Russia unless they signed an application stating that they wished to retain Ukrainian citizenship. A Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address President had a phone call with the Chancellor of Germany President of Ukraine 3 July 2023 - 21:15 President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy had a phone call with Chancellor of the Federal Republic of Germany Olaf Scholz. The Head of State noted the important signals of Germany in support of Ukraine at the London Recovery Conference and the European Council meeting. Volodymyr Zelenskyy also thanked for the active implementation of the a2.7 billion previous defense package and for the a8.8 billion multi-year defense support plan for Ukraine. The interlocutors noted the meeting at the level of advisors in Copenhagen as an important step towards the implementation of the Peace Formula and agreed to continue active work in this direction. The leaders coordinated their positions on the eve of the NATO Summit in Vilnius and discussed the formats of future security guarantees for Ukraine. The President informed the German Chancellor about the situation on the battlefield. Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Olaf Scholz shared their assessments of the latest developments in Russia and Belarus, exchanged views on the current state of the grain deal and prospects for its continuation. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address We will do everything possible and impossible to make our air defense system the most powerful - address by the President of Ukraine President of Ukraine 3 July 2023 - 20:49 I wish you health, dear Ukrainians! First of all, I congratulate our anti-aircraft warriors - the warriors of the anti-aircraft missile troops of the Ukrainian Air Force, who are celebrating their holiday today. I thank you for every target you have shot down, warriors! More than three thousand targets have been shot down: more than 180 aircraft, more than 130 helicopters, nearly 40 ballistic and more than a thousand cruise missiles, more than 1,600 drones of various types... All this means thousands and thousands of lives saved by you, hundreds of critical infrastructure facilities that you have protected. During this war, eight anti-aircraft missile brigades received the honorary award "For Courage and Bravery". More than 1,100 anti-aircraft warriors received state awards, and eight of them were awarded the highest title - Hero of Ukraine. They are Colonel Serhiy Yaremenko, Lieutenant Colonels Volodymyr Vesnin, Andriy Kruhlov, Serhiy Poberezhets, Artem Sharkov, Dmytro Shumakov, Major Yaroslav Melnyk and Senior Lieutenant Artem Slisarchuk, who was posthumously awarded the title of Hero of Ukraine. Unfortunately, our state does not yet have enough high-quality air defense systems to protect our entire territory and shoot down all enemy targets. The enemy is taking advantage of this, as it did today, when it launched another terrorist attack on the city of Sumy with an Iranian drone, hitting residential buildings and the building of the Security Service of Ukraine. As a result of these strikes, there are wounded and killed... My condolences! We will do everything possible and impossible to make our air defense system the most powerful. Today, General Oleshchuk, the commander of the Air Force, reported to me on our actions to strengthen air defense. The goal is for the Ukrainian sky shield to be able to protect our entire territory from Russian terror, and in the future, to become the basis for the European sky shield. This is absolutely necessary and absolutely possible. By the way, I spoke with Mr. Chancellor Scholz today. Germany has helped Ukraine with air defense in a very powerful way. The brilliant German IRIS-T systems have proved to be very effective in protecting our skies. We also have very effective American Patriots, which were given to us by Germany. Ukraine is grateful for them, as well as for the rest of the vital assistance! In today's conversation with Mr. Chancellor, we focused, of course, on further defense cooperation, as well as on strategic issues of protecting our Europe - a Europe that can only be peaceful if peace is guaranteed by full security certainty. Europe cannot have a deficit of security certainty that will provoke Russian tyranny and aggression. Russia will try to take a bite out of Europe only when it sees any kind of security uncertainty. When everything is certain and obvious, Russian tyranny does not dare to violate security. It is obvious that Europe can be protected from any aggression only together with Ukraine and only together with Ukraine in NATO. That is why we must achieve security certainty about our future in the Alliance. Then Russia will have to refocus on its own statehood - to finally take care of itself, not some expansions. We are preparing for the Summit very actively, and we expect our partners to be as determined as this historic moment requires. And, of course, our active actions. The frontline. The heroic 35th and 36th separate marine brigades - thank you, warriors! The 47th separate mechanized brigade "Magura" - thank you! The glorious 55th separate artillery brigade "Zaporizhzhia Sich" - thank you, warriors! The 128th separate brigade of the Territorial Defense Forces - thank you! Today, it is worth mentioning Junior Lieutenant Oleksandr Pavlov, platoon commander of the 36th marine brigade. His confident and powerful actions, skillful command in combat bring good results to the state. Thank you! The crew of the T-80 tank under the command of Junior Sergeant Andriy Marchuk - thank you for your accuracy and bravery! This is the 36th marine brigade. And from the 35th brigade, I would like to mention the tank commander, Junior Sergeant Artem Obrazko, for his true Ukrainian courage and skill in liberating Makarivka. Thank you, Artem! Senior Soldier Yevhen Piddubnyi, a sapper from the 47th mechanized brigade. He operates in a very hot area and performs his tasks very effectively. Thank you, Yevhen! Captain Ivan Ohurtsov. Operating in the Avdiivka sector, our artillery fire groups under his command are very effective in destroying enemy positions and depots. Thank you, warrior! Maryinka direction... The artillery division under the command of Lieutenant Colonel Pavlo Lukyanov does not give the occupiers a single minute of rest. Your combat results are really significant! Thank you! I thank everyone who is now in combat, at combat posts and in positions! Thank you to everyone who helps! And one more thing. Today, the world once again saw how the Kremlin - unfortunately, at the hands of the current Georgian government - is killing Ukrainian citizen Mykhailo Saakashvili. Human life is the highest value, and we cannot allow Mykhailo to be simply killed. Ukraine has repeatedly called on the Georgian authorities to stop this demonstrative execution. Both we and our partners have offered various options to save Mykhailo. Today, I have instructed the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine to summon the Ambassador of Georgia to Ukraine, to express our protest and to offer him to leave Ukraine within the next 48 hours to hold consultations with his capital. Once again, I call on the Georgian authorities to transfer Ukrainian citizen Mykhailo Saakashvili to Ukraine for the necessary treatment and care. And I urge our partners to address this situation, not to ignore it and save this man. No government in Europe has the right to execute people, life is a basic European value. Glory to Ukraine! NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Latest in Ukraine: Zelenskyy Touts Ukraine as Asset for NATO By VOA News July 03, 2023 Latest developments: Saudi Arabia and Russia are cutting oil production to boost prices. The Saudi Energy Ministry announced Monday it would extend its previously stated cut of 1 million barrels per day in July through August to support "the stability and balance of oil markets." Russia will cut an additional 500,000 barrels a day in August for a total of 1 million. Chinese Defense Minister Li Shangfu reaffirmed China's military relations with Russia during his meeting in Beijing with Admiral Nikolai Yevmenov, head of the Russian navy. The Chinese envoy expressed hope for increased exchanges and other forms of cooperation with Russia that would take the countries' defense ties to "reach a new level." Commenting for the first time on last month's Wagner mercenary group mutiny, Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu on Monday said the revolt did not affect Russia's "special military operation" in Ukraine. Shoigu said that plans to destabilize Russia had failed because of Russian troops' loyalty. In his nightly video address Monday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy touted Ukraine as a significant asset for NATO, stating that his country is an important safeguard in Europe's security against Russian aggression. "It is obvious that Europe can be protected from any aggression only together with Ukraine and only together with Ukraine in NATO. That is why we must achieve security certainty about our future in the Alliance," he said. Zelenskyy made these comments as NATO leaders are preparing for their two-day summit in Vilnius, Lithuania, on July 11 and 12. The summit arrives at a critical juncture for NATO and European security with the Kyiv counteroffensive and political upheaval in Moscow. Ukraine formally applied to join NATO last year, but all member states have now agreed that Ukraine will not join the alliance before the war there ends. During a Monday news conference in Brussels, NATO's top military official, Admiral Rob Bauer, acknowledged that Ukraine's road to victory will be difficult and lengthy. "The counteroffensive, it is difficult," he said, adding that Ukrainian forces are right to proceed cautiously. "People should never think that this is an easy walkover. It will never be," he said, noting that the Russian defense lines are sometimes up to 30 kilometers (18.5 miles) deep, and Ukrainian forces face landmines and other obstacles. Bauer drew a comparison between breaking through these obstacles and fighting in Normandy during World War II. "We saw in Normandy in the Second World War that it took seven, eight, nine weeks for the allies to actually break through the defensive lines of the Germans. And so, it is not a surprise that it is not going fast," he said. Satellite images reviewed by Reuters in April showed Russia had built extensive fortifications, trenches, anti-vehicle barriers and other obstacles to slow any Ukrainian advance. Bauer also cautioned that Russia's armed forces are bruised but by no means beaten in the Ukraine fighting. "They might not be 11 feet tall, but they are certainly not two feet tall," he told reporters. "So, we should never underestimate the Russians and their ability to bounce back." Heavy fighting At least two people were killed and 19 others were injured by a Russian drone attack on the northern Ukrainian city of Sumy on Monday. According to Sumy's regional administration, four drones struck an official building and two residential ones. Ukraine's state emergency service posted images from the attack showing mangled buildings. Debris was strewn on courtyards while rescue workers tried to put out a fire. Several hours after the morning strike, another air raid alert sounded in the Sumy region that more drones could be on the way. Earlier Monday, Kyiv's military reported shooting down 13 of 17 Iranian-made Shahed drones launched by Moscow overnight on several parts of the Ukraine. Ukraine said Monday its forces had retaken 37-square kilometers (23 square miles) of territory in eastern and southern Ukraine during the past week. Deputy Defense Minister Hanna Maliar said on Telegram that Ukrainian troops were advancing in the Bakhmut area in the east, while Russia was attacking in Lyman, Avdiivka and Mariinka. Maliar said there was "heavy fighting going on" in those areas. Zelenskyy noted that the situation on the front line has been difficult, but that "we are making progress," he tweeted. "We are moving forward, step by step!" Ukrainian children deportations Russia has brought some 700,000 Ukrainian children fleeing the bombing and shelling from the conflict zones in Ukraine to Russian territory, Grigory Karasin, head of the international committee in the Federation Council, Russia's upper house of parliament, said on his Telegram messaging channel late Sunday. Moscow claims its program of bringing children from Ukrainian to Russian territory aims to protect orphans and children abandoned in the conflict zone. Ukraine says many children have been illegally deported. In July 2022, the United States estimated that Russia "forcibly deported" 260,000 children. Ukraine's Ministry of Integration of Occupied Territories says 19,492 Ukrainian children are currently considered illegally deported. EU-Ukraine During a Monday speech before the European Union Commissioners meeting in Madrid, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said the European Union should address the issue of its enlargement as soon as possible to include countries such as Ukraine and Moldova to guarantee they do not fall under Russian or Chinese spheres of influence. Continued support for Ukraine in its war with Russia was high on the agenda at the meeting and a priority for the Spanish presidency. Von der Leyen remarked that the commission is proposing 50 billion euros ($55 billion) in budget and rebuilding support until 2027. EU officials estimate that the bloc's institutions and 27 member states have provided around 75 billion euros ($81.6 billion) in aid, arms and ammunition since the war began in February 2022. The EU provides 1.8 billion euros each month to help Ukraine's economy. Some information for this story came from The Associated Press, Agence France-Presse and Reuters. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address NEWARK, Del, July 03, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- According to Future Market Insight, the global climate tech market is projected to reach US$ 182.54 billion by 2033, registering a noteworthy CAGR of 24.5%. This is a considerable increase from its present value of US$ 20.34 billion in 2023. The market is experiencing robust growth and offers immense potential for addressing climate change and promoting sustainable development. This growth could be attributed to the urgency to tackle climate change becoming increasingly evident. This rapidly expanding market is driven by several factors, including the growing global awareness of climate change government regulations and policies corporate sustainability goals remarkable technological advancements Get an overview of this Climate Tech market from industry experts to evaluate and develop growth strategies. Get your sample report here: https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/sample/rep-gb-15411 One of the primary market drivers is the rising global awareness of climate change and its adverse effects. People are becoming more conscientious about the need to transition toward cleaner and more sustainable energy sources to reduce carbon emissions. This heightened awareness has led to an increased public demand for climate tech services and solutions. This has also encouraged governments and businesses to invest in renewable energy, energy efficiency, and other sustainable technologies. Government regulations and policies are crucial in shaping the climate tech market. Many countries have implemented ambitious renewable energy targets, carbon pricing mechanisms, and stricter emissions standards. These regulations create a favorable environment for climate tech companies by providing incentives and support for the development and adoption of sustainable technologies. Governments also invest in research and development initiatives, fostering innovation in the climate tech sector. Corporate sustainability goals and commitments have become another key force behind market expansion. Numerous companies, including large multinational corporations as well as micro, small & medium enterprises, have set targets to reduce their carbon footprints. This has created a significant demand for climate tech solutions. These solutions include renewable energy generation systems, energy-efficient technologies, and sustainable supply chain solutions. Several trends are shaping the Climate Tech market. One notable trend is the growing integration of digital technologies, such as artificial intelligence, big data analytics, and the Internet of Things, in climate solutions. These technologies enable better monitoring, management, and optimization of energy systems, leading to improved efficiency and sustainability. Another trend is the emergence of decentralized and distributed energy systems. Renewable energy technologies become more affordable and accessible. Therefore, individuals and communities are adopting localized energy generation solutions, such as rooftop solar panels and community microgrids. This trend empowers individuals and reduces reliance on centralized power grids. This, in turn, enhances energy resilience and promotes sustainable development. The electrification of transportation is another significant trend in the market. The shift toward electric vehicles is driven by concerns over air pollution and carbon emissions from traditional internal combustion engines. This trend has led to increased demand for EV charging infrastructure, battery technologies, and smart mobility solutions. This opens up significant opportunities for climate tech market players. Key Takeaways from this Market: The climate tech industry in the United Kingdom is anticipated to rise, exhibiting a CAGR of 21.3 % through 2033. through 2033. The United States held a 17.7% share of the global climate tech industry in 2022. With a CAGR of 24.9 % over the forecast period, India is predicted to develop rapidly in the climate tech industry. over the forecast period, India is predicted to develop rapidly in the climate tech industry. In 2022, Japan had a 6.5 % share of the climate tech industry globally share of the climate tech industry globally The climate tech industry in China is expected to increase, registering a CAGR of 26.7 % over the forecast period. over the forecast period. Germany accounted for 10.4% of the global climate tech industry in 2022. Speak to Our Research Expert @ https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/ask-question/rep-gb-15411 Competitive Landscape in this Market: Key market players are actively driving innovation and sustainable solutions. They focus on electric vehicles and renewable energy, invest in renewable projects, and aim for carbon neutrality. They also commit to being carbon-negative and developing AI-powered energy efficiency solutions. Certain players pursue carbon-free energy and sustainable infrastructure. A few of them operate on renewable energy and strive for a carbon-neutral supply chain. Climate tech companies also provide grid solutions, wind turbines, offshore wind farms, solar power solutions, and fuel cell technology. These companies contribute to the advancement of clean technologies and sustainable practices in various sectors. Major Players are: GE IBM Enablon Microsoft Schneider Electric Engie Impact Intelex Enviance Sensus Lo3 Energy Isometrix Recent Developments by Key Players: In May 2023, Salesforce launched 'Green Code,' a new program aimed at reducing carbon emissions in software development. The program provides sustainability principles for IT operations managers, system architects, software developers, and UX designers. 'Green Code' helps accelerate the global transition toward achieving net-zero carbon emissions. The Swiss start-up Climeworks AG unveiled its intention to construct its second sizable direct air capture (DAC) facility in June 2022. It has the potential to remove around 36,000 tons of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere annually. Expand operations for the future ask for your customized report: https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/customization-available/rep-gb-15411 Outlook by Categorization: By Component: Climate Tech Solutions Services Consulting Integration and Deployment Support and Maintenance By Technology: IoT AI and Analytics Digital Twin Cloud Computing Security Blockchain By Application: Carbon Footprint Management Green Building Water Purification Soil Condition/Moisture Monitoring Crop Monitoring Forest Monitoring Weather Monitoring and Forecasting Air and Water Pollution Monitoring Sustainable Mining and Exploration By Region: North America Latin America Europe East Asia South Asia & Pacific Middle East and Africa (MEA) Grow your profit margins Buy this report now at a discounted price @ https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/checkout/15411 Top Reports Related To Technology Market: Navigation Satellite System Market Size: The global demand for navigation satellite systems market is expected to rise at a healthy CAGR of 8.1% from 2022 to 2032. The market is expected to reach US$ 3,80,322.0 million by 2032. Printed Electronics Devices Market Share: The global printed electronics devices market size is estimated to be valued at US$ 9,552.0 Million in 2022 and is projected to surpass US$ 40,877.0 Million by 2032. PV Combiner Box Market Trends: The global PV combiner box market is poised to register a 5.1% CAGR, capturing a revenue share of US$ 120 million in 2022, to reach US$ 205 million by 2032. Safety Reporting Systems Market Outlook: The global safety reporting systems market holds a forecasted share of US$ 2972.3 million in 2022 and is likely to surpass US$ 10889.8 million by 2032, moving ahead with a CAGR of 13.5% during the forecast period (2022 to 2032). Network Equipment Market Demand - The global network equipment market is forecasted to be valued at US$ 65,788 Million by 2032, up from US$ 29,544 Million in 2022, and advancing at a CAGR of 8.3 % during the forecast period. Network Optimization Market Type: The global network optimization market is forecasted to reach US$ 15859.7 million by 2032, up from US$ 3513.2 million in 2022, expanding at a CAGR of 16.3% through 2032. Network Security Firewalls Market Analysis: The global network security firewalls market is expected to be valued at US$ 19677 million by 2032, up from US$ 4882 million in 2022, expanding at a CAGR of 15% during the forecast period. Social Advertising Tools Market Overview: The global social advertising tools market is anticipated to reach US$ 3,35,822.0 million by 2032, up from US$ 1,28,729.0 million in 2022, with a CAGR of 10.1% during the forecast period. Calendered Polyvinyl Chloride Flexible Films Market Forecast: The calendered polyvinyl chloride flexible films market looks all set to hit a valuation of US$ 29,998.5 million in 2033. The market is expected to grow at a fair CAGR of 5.5% during the forecast period and is estimated at US$ 17,507.2 million as of 2023. Solid State Lighting System Market Growth: The overall value of the global solid state lighting system market is poised to reach around US$ 89 Billion by the end of the year 2032 by following an impressive CAGR of 9.3%. About Future Market Insights, Inc. Future Market Insights, Inc. (ESOMAR certified, Stevie Award recipient market research organization and a member of Greater New York Chamber of Commerce) provides in-depth insights into governing factors elevating the demand in the market. It discloses opportunities that will favor the market growth in various segments on the basis of Source, Application, Sales Channel and End Use over the next 10 years. Contact Us: Future Market Insights, Inc. Christiana Corporate, 200 Continental Drive, Suite 401, Newark, Delaware 19713, USA T: +1-845-579-5705 LinkedIn | Twitter | Blogs | YouTube For Sales Enquiries: sales@futuremarketinsights.com TORONTO, July 03, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The travel app Visited allows users to map their travels, browse bucket list destinations, and get personalized travel stats. Visited has ranked the most popular destinations for Singaporean travelers . Based on the apps data, Singapore is the 29th most popular country to visit. The Visited app has over 1.75 million users around the world. The popular travel planner app allows users to discover dream destinations, mark off where theyve been, and get personalized maps. The app provides travel stats on the top 10 destinations visited, the percentage of the world users have been to, and how close travelers are to meeting their travel goals. Users can download the Android app to get started. Here are the top countries visited by Singapore travelers: Malaysia Thailand Indonesia Australia Hong Kong China France U.K. Japan U.S. Although France is the most visited country in the world, it ranks number 7 for Singaporeans. Singapore travelers most commonly visit the nearby Asian countries of Malaysia, Thailand, and Indonesia. Australia, the most desired destination to visit by all international travelers, ranks as the fourth most popular destination for travelers from Singapore. With their close proximity and excellent airport, Singapore travelers can visit Australia more easily than many other people. About Visited App: Visited is a travel map and trip planner app that allows users to create their own travel map with past and future trips by country, region/state, and city. Users can map their journeys, create personalized travel goals, and get travel stats. Users can download the app from the Google Play store to get started. The Visited app has a travel list feature that allows travelers to check off famous places they have been to or want to visit based on their interests. Examples of lists include art museums, ancient sites, famous beaches , snorkeling spots , castles , and culinary delicacies worldwide. To learn more about the Visited app and its latest feature update, please visit https://visitedapp.com . To download the app for free, you can find Visited on Android or iOS . About Arriving In High Heels Corporation Arriving In High Heels Corporation is a mobile app company; Visited is its most popular app. For inspiration on travel destinations, travel stats, and the latest travel news, follow Visiteds Travel Blog. Contact: Anna Kayfitz anna@arrivinginhighheels.com TOKYO, July 04, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Global Industrial Solar Generator Market Size accounted for USD 452 Million in 2022 and is projected to achieve a market size of USD 1,232 Million by 2032 growing at a CAGR of 10.7% from 2023 to 2032. Industrial Solar Generator Market Stats and Highlights: The Global Industrial Solar Generator Market is expected to witness substantial growth in the coming years, driven by increasing demand from various industries. The Industrial Solar Generator Market attained a valuation of USD 452 Million in 2022 and it is anticipated to expand significantly, progressing at a CAGR of 10.7% from 2022 to 2032. The Asia Pacific region contributes significantly to the growth of the industrial solar generator market. The industrial solar generator market is becoming increasingly versatile, with a wide range of applications, attracting new investments and technological advancements. Request For Free Sample Report @ https://www.acumenresearchandconsulting.com/request-sample/3227 Industrial Solar Generator Market Report Coverage: Market Industrial Solar Generator Market Industrial Solar Generator Market Size 2022 USD 452 Million Industrial Solar Generator Market Forecast 2032 USD 1,232 Million Industrial Solar Generator Market CAGR During 2023 - 2032 10.7% Industrial Solar Generator Market Analysis Period 2020 - 2032 Industrial Solar Generator Market Base Year 2022 Industrial Solar Generator Market Forecast Data 2023 - 2032 Segments Covered By Type, By Application, And By Geography Industrial Solar Generator Market Regional Scope North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Latin America, and Middle East & Africa Key Companies Profiled Intech Clean Energy, Juwi AG, Altern Limited, Goal Zero Llc, Jakson Group, Ameresco, Hollandia Solar, REC Solar Holdings AS, and Kirchner Solar Group GmbH. Report Coverage Market Trends, Drivers, Restraints, Competitive Analysis, Player Profiling, Regulation Analysis Industrial Solar Generator Market Analysis: The industrial solar generator market is characterized by rapid growth, primarily due to the increasing adoption of renewable energy in various industries. Utilities, construction, and emergency services sectors, for instance, rely on industrial solar generators for sustainable and reliable power solutions. Industrial solar generators offer benefits like low maintenance, zero fuel costs, and reduced emissions, making them a preferred choice. Furthermore, the increase in demand for renewable power due to environmental concerns, supporting policies and targets for the deployment of renewable power, technological advances, and the declining price of Li-ion batteries, which are commonly used in solar generators, are factors driving the growth of this market. Industrial Solar Generator Market Trends: Sustainability Focus: The increasing interest in environmentally friendly energy solutions is driving a trend towards renewable energy sources like solar power. Manufacturers are investing in research and development to create efficient and reliable solar generators. Advanced Applications: The application of industrial solar generators in various sectors such as utilities, construction, and emergency services is on the rise. Solar generators offer sustainable, reliable power solutions for these sectors, contributing to their growth. Technological Advancements: The integration of new technologies in solar generator production is becoming increasingly prevalent. This integration enables improved efficiency and reliability, leading to reduced costs. Increased Adoption: Increased adoption of industrial solar generators due to the declining costs of renewable energy technologies is a notable trend in the market. Industrial Solar Generator Market Growth Dynamics: Rising Demand: Rapid industrialization, especially in emerging economies, is significantly driving up the demand for industrial solar generators. The growing population, urbanization, and increased adoption of renewable energy contribute to increased consumption of solar generators. Evolving Technology: Technological advancements are enabling higher production efficiency and innovative applications. Advanced manufacturing techniques and process improvements are enhancing the performance and characteristics of solar generators, expanding their potential applications. Regulatory Policies: Positive government policies and support are fueling growth in the industrial solar generator market. Regulations promoting sustainability, renewable energy, and reduced carbon emissions are driving the adoption of industrial solar generators across industries. Increased Research & Development: Heightened focus on research and development activities is leading to the development of new and improved solar generators. Companies are investing in developing high-performance generators with enhanced properties, such as efficiency, reliability, and durability. Reasons for Slowdown: Market Saturation: In some markets, particularly those with well-established industries, the industrial solar generator market may approach saturation. This saturation could potentially limit the growth prospects, requiring companies to explore new applications or expand into untapped regions. Regulatory Challenges: Strict regulations on energy usage, particularly in some regions, could pose challenges to the industrial solar generator market. Compliance with these regulations and the need to develop efficient alternatives can impose additional costs, potentially slowing market growth. High Initial Investment: The high initial cost of setting up solar generators can deter potential customers, especially in regions with low levels of development or income. Although solar generators offer significant cost savings over time, the high upfront cost can be a barrier to adoption. Check the detailed table of contents of the report @ https://www.acumenresearchandconsulting.com/table-of-content/industrial-solar-generator-market Industrial Solar Generator Market Segmentation: By Type 40-80 KWH Below 40 KWH Over 150 KWH 80-150 KWH Based on Applications Electrical Industry Oil and Gas Industry Other Industrial Solar Generator Market Regional Analysis: Asia Pacific is the largest and fastest-growing market for industrial solar generators, accounting for a substantial share of the global market. This growth is due to the rapid industrialization in countries like China and India, coupled with the increasing adoption of renewable energy solutions. Europe and North America also hold significant shares in the industrial solar generator market, driven by advanced infrastructure and high awareness about renewable energy. The markets in the Middle East, Africa, and Latin America are also expected to witness considerable growth, fueled by government initiatives promoting renewable energy and increased investment in infrastructure development. Buy this premium research report https://www.acumenresearchandconsulting.com/buy-now/0/3227 Industrial Solar Generator Market Key Players: The industrial solar generator market is characterized by the presence of several key players, including Ameresco Inc., Carnegie Clean Energy Ltd, Enviroearth, Intech GmbH and Co. KG, Jakson Group, among others. These players are focusing on research and development activities to introduce innovative products and improve their market position. They are also adopting strategies such as mergers and acquisitions, partnerships, and collaborations to expand their market presence and enhance their product offerings. Browse More Research Topic on Energy and Power Industries Related Reports: The Global Submarine Power Cable Market is anticipated to reach market size of around USD 21,800 Million by 2028 and is anticipated to grow at a CAGR of around 15.4% in terms of revenue during the forecast period 2021 to 2028 Global Renewable Energy Market is expected to reach the market value of around USD 1500 Billion by 2027 and is anticipated to grow at a CAGR of around 6% in terms of revenue during the forecast period 2020 to 2027 The Global Oil Storage Market is anticipated to grow at a CAGR of around 4.5% during the forecast period 2020 to 2027 and to reach around USD 5.0 Billion by 2027. 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 , Instagram and LinkedIn Contact Us: Mr. Richard Johnson Acumen Research and Consulting USA: +13474743864 India: +918983225533 E-mail: sales@acumenresearchandconsulting.com Dublin, July 04, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The "Data Center Market - Global Outlook & Forecast 2023-2028" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering. The global data center market is expected to grow at a CAGR of 5.03% from 2022 to 2028, reaching a value of 289.66 billion by 2028. New innovative IT technologies are replacing the traditional IT infrastructure, improving the functionality and sustainability of the facilities. Some trending innovations in the IT infrastructure include adopting NVMe storage devices, ARM-based architecture, 200/400 GbE ports, converged and hyper-converged infrastructure, and others. The hyperscale and colocation operators such as Meta (Facebook), Microsoft, Google, Amazon Web Services, CyrusOne, Digital Realty, Equinix, Iron Mountain, Vantage Data Centers, STACK Infrastructure, QTS Realty Trust, and others are involved in signing several Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) across the world to power their facilities with renewable energy. In addition, many smaller facilities operators are installing solar panels on the rooftops of their facilities. The data centers have witnessed immense changes and transformations in adopting power and cooling infrastructure. Some of such innovations include diesel generators getting replaced with natural gas, hydrotreated vegetable oil (HVO), and hydrogen fuel cells, replacing lead-acid batteries with advanced UPS batteries such as Lithium-ion, Nickle-Zinc, and Prussian Blue sodium-ion, and microgrid adoption in facilities majorly among hyperscalers. Liquid cooling is the most popular cooling technology used in High-Performance Computing (HPC) in the data center market to support AI and ML workloads. Google adopted liquid cooling for its latest AI hardware and has retrofitted its existing data center infrastructure to accommodate liquid cooling. Meta (Facebook) has announced its plan to pause its several new and expansion projects across the US, as it wants to create a new AI design for the facilities. Supply Chain Issues The supply chain is among the major challenge faced by data center developers in recent times. The supply chain issue was aided by the onset of COVID-19, leading to a shortage of infrastructure such as chips, power equipment, cooling infrastructure, and other infrastructure. Also, political instability and disturbances between Russia and Ukraine led to a price hike in energy and fuel costs. Insights by Facility Type Google, Meta (Facebook), Microsoft, Oracle, Amazon Web Services, Alibaba, and Apple are some of the major hyperscale companies in the data center market that operate facilities and have a presence worldwide. Real estate companies are also involved in setting up new data center business units and offering colocation services. For instance, American Real Estate Partners (AREP) and Harrison Street Real Estate formed a new joint venture (JV) called PowerHouse Data Centers to develop facilities in Northern Virginia. Segmentation by Facility Type Hyperscale Data Centers Colocation Data Centers Enterprise Data Centers Insights by IT Infrastructure In servers, AI-based computing infrastructure is gaining increased traction in the market. NVMe Flash storage is dominating with its growth rate and 25/100 GbE switch ports among network infrastructures. Operators are adopting high-density servers to improve the efficiency of their facilities. It is expected that operators are likely to use more rack servers, followed by blade servers. Segmentation by Infrastructure IT Infrastructure Electrical Infrastructure Mechanical Infrastructure General Construction Segmentation by IT Infrastructure Server Infrastructure Storage Infrastructure Network Infrastructure Insights by Electrical Infrastructure Vendors in the global data center market continuously innovate with UPS solutions to increase efficiency and reduce costs. In terms of capacity, there is an increased interest among facilities to procure UPS systems of more than 750 kVA. In contrast, smaller facilities and hyperscale in-rack UPS solutions are the major contributors to UPS systems with a capacity of less than 500 kVA. Currently, operators majorly use diesel for backup power. However, diesel-powered generators are noisy and cause adverse environmental effects. Diesel generators are now giving way to power backup using natural gas, which data center operators will adopt in the medium term. Segmentation by Electrical Infrastructure UPS Systems Generators Transfer Switches & Switchgears PDUs Other Electrical Infrastructure Insights by Mechanical Infrastructure In data center projects, the investment in cooling systems is expected to be 15-20% of the overall cost, depending on the facility design and IT load. The selection of cooling systems is based on the location, i.e., whether the climatic conditions favor free cooling and have abundant water resources. The higher rack power density, powerful infrastructure, and increase in high-performance computing have led to innovations by vendors in new designs and types of racks. Segmentation by Mechanical Infrastructure Cooling Systems Racks Other Mechanical Infrastructure Insights by General Construction Services Supply chain constraints have increased the data center construction and procurement cost, averaging USD 2 - USD 3 million per MW. Building development involves providing access to incoming and outgoing network fibers. The brownfield development of data centers will continue to grow along with installing on-site renewable power sources such as wind and solar energy to partially or entirely power operations. Segmentation by General Construction Core & Shell Development Installation & Commissioning Services Engineering & Building Design Fire Detection & Suppression Physical Security DCIM/BMS Solutions Geographical Analysis The Americas region is among the world's most mature and developed data center markets. In 2022, the U.S. and Canada led the market regarding investment, white floor addition, and power capacity. In the Latin America region, Brazil is considered among the developed markets, with other countries such as Mexico, Chile, and Colombia among the emerging locations in the region. Vendor Landscape The colocation providers are undertaking the construction of facilities in a phased manner, depending on the market demand. Over the next few years, there is expected to be more demand for higher-capacity systems. Vendors such as Arista Networks, Cisco Systems, Dell Technologies, Hewlett Packard Enterprise, IBM, Huawei Technologies, NetApp, Lenovo, and others are among the top IT infrastructure providers in the global data center market. Key Data Center IT Infrastructure Providers Arista Networks Atos Broadcom Cisco Systems Dell Technologies Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE) Huawei Technologies IBM Juniper Networks Lenovo NetApp Other Data Center IT Infrastructure Providers DataDirect Networks (DDN Extreme Networks Fujitsu Hitachi Vantara Infortrend Technology Inspur Intel Micron Technology MiTAC Holdings NEC Nimbus Data Oracle Pure Storage Seagate Technology Silk (Kaminario) Supermicro Synology Toshiba StorCentric QNAP Systems Quanta Cloud Technology Quantum (Pivot3) Western Digital Wistron (Wiwynn) Key Data Center Support Infrastructure Providers ABB Caterpillar Cummins Delta Electronics Eaton Legrand Rolls-Royce Schneider Electric STULZ Vertiv Other Data Center Support Infrastructure Providers 3M Airedale Alfa Laval Asetek Assa Abloy Bloom Energy Carrier Condair Cormant Cyber Power Systems Daikin Applied Data Aire Enlogic FNT Software Generac Power Systems Green Revolution Cooling (GRC) HITEC Power Protection Honeywell Johnson Controls KOHLER KyotoCooling Mitsubishi Electric Munters Natron Energy NetZoom Nlyte Software Panduit Piller Power Systems Rittal Siemens Trane (Ingersoll Rand) Tripp Lite Yanmar (HIMOINSA) ZincFive Key Data Center Contractors AECOM Arup Corgan DPR Construction Fortis Construction Holder Construction Jacobs Mercury Red Engineering Rogers-O'Brien Construction Syska Hennessy Group Turner Construction Turner & Townsend Key Data Center Operators 21Vianet Group (VNET) Amazon Web Services Apple China Telecom Colt Data Centre Services (Colt DCS) Compass Datacenters CyrusOne Digital Realty EdgeConneX (EQT Infrastructure) Equinix GDS Services Global Switch Google Iron Mountain Meta (Facebook) Microsoft NTT Global Data Centers QTS Realty Trust STACK Infrastructure ST Telemedia Global Data Centres Vantage Data Centers Other Data Center Operators 3data Africa Data Centres AirTrunk Aligned American Tower AQ Compute Aruba AtlasEdge atNorth AT TOKYO BDx (Big Data Exchange) Bulk Infrastructure Bridge Data Centres CDC Data Centres Chayora China Mobile Chindata CloudHQ Cologix COPT Data Center Solutions CtrlS Datacenters Cyxtera Technologies Data4 DataBank DC BLOX Digital Edge Digital Parks Africa Element Critical ePLDT eStruxture Data Centers fifteenfortyseven Critical Systems Realty (1547) Flexential Green Mountain Gulf Data Hub H5 Data Centers HostDime KDDI Keppel Data Centres Khazna Data Centers (G42 & Etisalat) LG Uplus Lumen Technologies maincubes one MainOne (Equinix) MEEZA Millicom (Tigo) Mobily Moro Hub NEXTDC Nxtra by Airtel ODATA Orange Business Services Ooredoo Prime Data Centers Princeton Digital Group (PDG) Proximity Data Centres Rack Centre Raxio Group Rostelecom Data Centers Sabey Data Centers Saudi Telecom Company (stc) Scala Data Centers Sify Technologies Skybox Datacenters Stream Data Centers SUNeVision (iAdvantage) Switch T5 Data Centers Tenglong Holdings Group Teraco (Digital Realty) TierPoint Turkcell Urbacon Data Centre Solutions Wingu Yondr Yotta Infrastructure (Hiranandani Group) New Entrants AdaniConneX AUBix Cloudoon ClusterPower Corscale Data Centers Damac Data Centres (EDGNEX) Data Center First DHAmericas Edge Centres Evolution Data Centres Global Technical Realty Hickory iMCritical Infinity Kasi Cloud MettaDC Open Access Data Centres PowerHouse Data Centers Pure Data Centres Group Quantum Loophole Quantum Switch Tamasuk (QST) Stratus DC Management YCO Cloud YTL Data Center ZeroPoint DC Key Questions Answered in the Report How big is the global data center market? What is the growth rate of the global data center market? What is the estimated market size in terms of area in the global data center market by 2028? What are the key trends in the data center market? How many MW of power capacity is expected to reach the global data center market by 2028? Key Attributes Report Attribute Details No. of Pages 1234 Forecast Period 2022-2028 Estimated Market Value (USD) in 2022 $215.73 Billion Forecasted Market Value (USD) by 2028 $289.66 Billion Compound Annual Growth Rate 5.0% Regions Covered Global For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/wc1o55 About ResearchAndMarkets.com ResearchAndMarkets.com is the world's leading source for international market research reports and market data. We provide you with the latest data on international and regional markets, key industries, the top companies, new products and the latest trends. Attachment Westford,USA, July 04, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- According to SkyQuest, the remarkable growth of the vegan cheese market can be attributed to various factors, including the global expansion of organized retail locations. The proliferation of supermarkets, hypermarkets, convenience stores, and specialized shops has played a crucial role in driving the increased availability and accessibility of vegan cheese to consumers. Vendors in this market heavily rely on established, organized merchants to ensure effective product promotion and widespread distribution. Browse in-depth TOC on the "Vegan Cheese Market" Pages - 265 Tables - 64 Figures 75 The growth of the vegan cheese market is primarily fueled by a growing desire for transformation and change among consumers. Increasing awareness of animal cruelty and the detrimental environmental impact of the dairy industry has significantly influenced individuals to shift towards plant-based alternatives. Get a sample copy of this report: https://www.skyquestt.com/sample-request/vegan-cheese-market Prominent Players in Vegan Cheese Market Daiya Foods Violife Foods Kite Hill Field Roast Grain Meat Co. Miyoko's Creamery Follow Your Heart Tofutti Brands Inc. Good Planet Foods Nush Foods Treeline Cheese Vtopian Artisan Cheeses Nuttin Ordinary Punk Rawk Labs Dr. Cow Tree Nut Cheese GreenSpace Brands Inc. Heidi Ho Parmela Creamery The Frauxmagerie Kinda Co. Wildwood Foods CashewSegment is Expected to Grow the Market Due to theRising Popularity of Vegan Cheese The cashew segment emerged as the leading contender, capturing an impressive revenue share of over 35%. This dominance is expected to persist throughout the forecast period, solidifying its commanding position in the market. The rising popularity of vegan cheese derived from cashews is a significant contributing factor to this success. The market in the Asia Pacific is projected to emerge as the fastest-growing market, boasting an impressive CAGR of 14.1% from 2023 to 2030. The surge in demand for plant-based bakery and confectionery products within the region is a major driving force behind the escalating vegan cheese sales. Countries such as China, Japan, and Australia play a pivotal role in propelling the growth of the market. Browse summary of the report and Complete Table of Contents (ToC): https://www.skyquestt.com/report/vegan-cheese-market Soy is Expected to Dominate the Market Due to the Increasing Popularity of Soy Milk The soy segment is poised to experience rapid growth, expected to soar at a remarkable rate of 13.1% between 2023 and 2030. One of the primary drivers behind this surge is the increasing popularity of soy milk, which serves as an affordable and sustainable alternative to traditional dairy products. Beyond its cost-effectiveness, soy milk boasts a perfect balance of essential fatty and amino acids, making it a nutritionally beneficial option for health-conscious consumers. Regional markets in Europe emerged as the dominant market, securing a substantial revenue share of over 35%, and it is anticipated to maintain its leadership position throughout the forecast period. This can be attributed to the shifting consumer preferences in the region, driven by a growing awareness of animal cruelty and the environmental impact associated with the consumption of animal-derived products. A comprehensive analysis of the major players in the vegan cheese market has been recently conducted in a report. The report encompasses various aspects, including collaborations, mergers, innovative business policies, and strategies, providing valuable insights into key trends and breakthroughs in the market. Furthermore, the report scrutinizes the market share of the top segments and presents a detailed geographic analysis. Lastly, the report highlights the major players in the industry and their endeavours to develop innovative solutions to cater to the growing demand. Key Developments in the Vegan Cheese Market In 2021, Feel Foods Ltd announced the successful completion of its arm's length acquisition of the British Columbia-based vegan cheese company, "Black Sheep Vegan Cheeze Company Corp." The strategic acquisition aims to address the soaring consumer demand for vegan cheese by boosting production volume and expanding Feel Foods' business operations. With this acquisition, Feel Foods Ltd positions itself to capitalize on the growing market for plant-based alternatives, catering to consumers' evolving preferences seeking dairy-free options. Miyoko's Creamery recently unveiled an innovative addition to its product lineup in the United States. The company introduced vegan cheddar cheese snack sticks crafted from oats and legumes. This lactose-free, gluten-free, soy-free, and cashew-free alternative was developed in response to the robust demand for plant-based dairy products. Speak to Analyst for your custom requirements: https://www.skyquestt.com/speak-with-analyst/vegan-cheese-market Key Questions Answered in Vegan Cheese Market Report What specific growth drivers are projected to impact the market during the forecast period? List the top companies in the market and explain how they have achieved their positions of influence. In what ways do regional trends and patterns differ within the global market, and how these differences shape the market's future growth? Related Reports in SkyQuests Library: Global Soy Protein Ingredients Market Global Saffron Market Global Bakery Ingredients Market Global Clean Label Ingredients Market Global Food Flavors Market About Us: SkyQuest Technology is leading growth consulting firm providing market intelligence, commercialization and technology services. It has 450+ happy clients globally. Address: 1 Apache Way, Westford, Massachusetts 01886 Phone: USA (+1) 617-230-0741 Email: sales@skyquestt.com Dublin, July 04, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The "Satellite Imaging for Agriculture Market - A Global and Regional Analysis: Focus on, Application, End User, Product, and Region - Analysis and Forecast, 2023-2028" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering. The global satellite imaging for agriculture market was valued at $516.1 million in 2022, and it is expected to grow with a CAGR of 7.50% during the forecast period 2023-2028 to reach $785.3 million by 2028. The growth in the global satellite imaging for agriculture technology market is expected to be driven by the increasing need for efficient and sustainable agriculture practices. Through the analysis of satellite imagery, farmers can assess soil characteristics, track crop health, and identify susceptibility to diseases, pests, and other risks. The integration of satellite imaging into precision agriculture practices has significantly enhanced sustainability and intelligence in the field. Recognizing the potential of satellite imaging in agriculture, the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) acknowledges the need for improved management of global agricultural resources, especially in developing nations. Industrial Impacts Market for satellite imaging technology in agriculture is set to benefit significantly from the advancement of small satellite constellations. These constellations consist of multiple compact satellites working collaboratively to provide high-resolution and high-frequency satellite services, delivering crucial information for achieving profitable, efficient, and sustainable agricultural practices. In comparison to traditional satellite systems, small satellite constellations offer notable advantages, including cost reduction, shorter revisit intervals, and enhanced image resolution. These factors have substantially improved farmers' accessibility to satellite imagery, enabling its integration into sustainable farming methods and precision agriculture. In the global market for satellite imaging in agriculture, companies are proactively employing knowledge-driven strategies and technological innovations to establish themselves as market leaders. By adopting effective business or corporate strategies, these companies aim to maintain their relevance in the market and identify opportunities for growth. They strive to gain a competitive edge by implementing efficient business or corporate strategies that contribute to long-term profitability and ensure their future success. Demands, Drivers and Limitations Increasing Requirements from the Insurance Sector In the realm of payment claims management, crop insurance companies are progressively incorporating satellite imagery as a valuable tool to assess the magnitude and extent of crop damage. An accurate and unbiased view of a crop's status and potential can be obtained from satellite imagery, which can assist insurers in making more informed choices regarding crop insurance claims. Increasing Farm Consolidation The proliferation of satellite imagery in agricultural applications is projected to surge in response to the growing trend of farm consolidation. As farms expand in size, the integration of remote sensing technology would enable managers to effectively monitor various aspects such as growth, weather conditions, and other relevant factors. Moreover, identifying underutilized or suboptimal areas would empower farmers to consolidate these areas and increase overall productivity and operational efficiency. High Benefits over Other Remote Sensing Technology and Infield Monitoring Technology By incorporating satellite data into sophisticated algorithms, it is also possible to measure a variety of characteristics, including yield and crop growth stage, using satellite imagery. Satellite imagery can also aid farmers in understanding a variety of farming-related issues, such as areas that require more or less irrigation, the areas where their livestock graze, where to apply fertilizer, and the effects of changing weather patterns. Need for Sustainable Agriculture Practices In several ways, satellite imagery in agriculture supports the need for sustainable agricultural practices. First, crop health and growth rates can be tracked using satellite imagery, which can assist farmers in maximizing inputs and minimizing the use of pesticides and fertilizers. Second, land use and changes in vegetation cover can be tracked using satellite imagery, which can be used by farmers to identify underutilized or underused land. Deforestation and other types of land-use changes may not be as necessary as a result of more effective land use. Market Challenges: Technical Challenges in Obtaining and Analyzing Satellite Imagery Even though satellite imagery has long been used in the agriculture industry, many developing nations still lack knowledge and understanding of the technology. This ignorance and lack of understanding may limit the use of satellite imagery in agriculture and prevent farmers from benefiting from its advantages. Although satellite imagery offers data for agricultural practices, crop types, and the corresponding outcome variables over lengthy time periods, farmers in developing nations might lack the technical know-how or expertise to effectively access and use the data. Geopolitical Issues High-resolution satellite imagery is restricted from being accessed for agricultural purposes due to national security, political, and privacy concerns, among other geopolitical issues. Additionally, some nations might not have the resources or infrastructure necessary to access and use satellite imagery efficiently, which can restrict the extent to which farmers in those nations can take advantage of satellite imagery's advantages in agriculture. Limited Understanding and Awareness Across Developing Countries Israel and the U.S. are two nations that limit access to high-resolution satellite imagery. While access to high-resolution satellite imagery in Israel has historically been constrained due to national security concerns, production of satellite imagery with a resolution finer than 0.31 m is prohibited in the U.S. Market Opportunities: Rising Threat of Climate Risk Satellite imagery is employed to tackle climate risks in agriculture. It aids in precision agriculture, enabling farmers to manage their environment sustainably. Remote sensing combines satellite data with field samples for a comprehensive agricultural landscape overview. Decision-makers can utilize satellite data for climate-sensitive matters like land use and water management. Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning in Action By advancing crop production, raising agricultural efficiencies, enhancing crop yields, and cutting costs associated with food production, AI and ML are revolutionizing satellite imagery in agriculture. In order to predict crop yields, ML analyzes sensor data and historical trends, aiding farmers in the practice of precision farming. To help farmers monitor, manage, and protect crops from extreme weather conditions, diseases, pests, and other threats, satellite imagery can be combined with other cutting-edge solutions, such as the Internet of Things. Tapping Small Holding Farmers with Affordable Solutions The free use of satellite imagery on services such as Amazon Web Services (AWS) is one of the cost-effective solutions offered to smallholder farmers by satellite imaging. This can improve efficiency and help farmers conserve water and fertilizer. Additionally, utilizing satellite data and machine learning can promote smallholder farmers' financial inclusion. Key Market Players and Competition Synopsis The companies that are profiled have been selected based on inputs gathered from primary experts and analyzing company coverage, product portfolio, and market penetration. The top leading players include the public companies operating in the global satellite imaging for agriculture market, which had a market share of around 62% in 2021. The rest of the market share, 38%, was taken by the private and start-up companies. Key Attributes: Report Attribute Details No. of Pages 317 Forecast Period 2023 - 2028 Estimated Market Value (USD) in 2023 $547 Million Forecasted Market Value (USD) by 2028 $785.3 Million Compound Annual Growth Rate 7.5% Regions Covered Global Industry Outlook Market Dynamics Business Drivers Increasing Requirements from Insurance Sector Increasing Farm Consolidation High Benefits over Other Remote Sensing Technology and Infield Monitoring Technology Need for Sustainable Agriculture Practices Business Opportunities Rising Threat of Climate Risk Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) in Action Business Challenges Technical Challenges in Obtaining and Analyzing Satellite Imagery Hindrance Due to Cloud Cover Hindrance due to Spatial and Temporal Resolution Limited Awareness and Understanding across Developing Countries Geopolitical Issues Business Dynamics Ongoing Trends Development of Small Satellite Constellations Integration with other technologies Ecosystem/Ongoing Programs Consortiums, Associations, and Regulatory Bodies Government Initiatives and Impacts Tapping Small Holding Farmer with Affordable Solutions Market Strategies and Developments Business Strategies Product Developments Market Developments Corporate Strategies Mergers and Acquisitions Partnerships, Collaborations, and Joint Ventures Snapshot of Corporate Strategies Adopted by the Key Players in the Market Case Study Airbus in Yield Optimization Planet Labs PBC in Irrigation Intelligence EOS Data Analytics,Inc in Precision Agriculture Start-Up Landscape Key Start-Ups in the Ecosystem Funding Analysis Total Investment and Number of Funding Deals Top Funding Deals by the Start-ups Funding Analysis (by Country) Top Investors Active Satellites for Digital Agriculture Application and their Technicalities Impact of Russia-Ukraine Crisis on the Global Satellite Imaging for Agriculture Market Key Companies Profiled Public Companies Airbus Farmers Edge Inc Planet Labs PBC Satellogic Syngenta Maxar Technologies Private Companies Descartes Labs, Inc EOS Data Analytics,Inc Esri European Space Imaging Gamaya ICEYE NaraSpace Inc Open Cosmos Ltd Satellite Imaging Corporation SkyWatch SpaceKnow Inc. EarthDaily Analytics SatSure SpaceSense Synspective For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/ocan91 About ResearchAndMarkets.com ResearchAndMarkets.com is the world's leading source for international market research reports and market data. We provide you with the latest data on international and regional markets, key industries, the top companies, new products and the latest trends. Attachment Dublin, July 04, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The "Benchtop Tools Market - Global Outlook & Forecast 2023-2028" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering. The global benchtop tools market is expected to grow at a CAGR of 5.42% from 2022 to 2028, enabling the market to surpass $3 billion by 2028. Increase in Infrastructural Development Projects Infrastructure is a major sector that boosts the overall development of any nation's economy. There has been a significant rise in infrastructure development initiatives in several countries worldwide to cater to the rapid pace of urbanization and the considerable increase in demand for housing units in recent years. For instance, Saudi Arabia's latest budget shows that the government focuses on infrastructural reforms per the 2030 vision. The initiative aims to provide a dignified life for Saudi families by enabling them to own houses that match their requirements and financial capabilities. Thus, the surge in such infrastructure development initiatives will offer tremendous growth potential for vendors in the benchtop tools market. Rising Popularity of Benchtop CNC Machines Benchtop CNC machines have become increasingly popular, leading to demand for benchtop tools. CNC (Computer Numerical Control) machines are automated cutting machines that use a computer program to control their movement and cutting tools. CNC automatically operate parts such as lathes, grinders, routers, shapers, and other with the help of a computer rather than a human operator. They are often used in manufacturing, but benchtop CNC machines are smaller, more affordable, and designed for hobbyists and small businesses. Opportunities & Trends Growing Adoption of Power Tools Increasing Demand from Home Improvement & DIY Segment Rising Popularity of Benchtop CNC Machines Growth Enablers Surge in e-Commerce Increasing Demand from the Woodworking Industry Increase in Infrastructural Development Projects Restraints Fluctuations in Raw Material Pricing Low Labor Cost & Supply Chain Disruptions High Competition & Price Sensitivity Supply chain disruptions are considered a risk factor for vendors in the global benchtop tools market. Sometimes vendors have limited supplies and high prices during a market upturn. If suppliers cannot purchase sufficient products at reasonable prices and quality products on time to meet customer demands, product shipments might be delayed due to product shortage. Fluctuations in Raw Material Pricing Raw material costs account for approximately 50%-60% of the overall cost of production in the global benchtop tools market. The prices of major raw materials used to manufacture benchtop tools - steel, plastic, and rubber - have been volatile over the last few years. The volatility of raw material prices poses a serious threat to vendor margins. Chinese manufacturers that offer cheap and high-quality bench tools have added to the worries of prominent vendors to comply with the growing demand and changing industry standards cost-efficiently. These factors burden vendors that strive to manufacture efficient benchtop tools at affordable prices to cope with the market's competition. Insights by Product The sawing tools product segment accounted for the largest revenue share in the global benchtop tools market, accounting for over 42% in 2022. Factors such as affordability, technological advancements, and versatility in sawing tools likely play a significant role in the segment's revenue generation in the global industry. As more & more people are engaged in DIY & home improvement projects, the demand for sawing tools may increase. These tools are often used to cut wood, plastic, and other materials for home improvement and renovation tasks. Following this, Bench Drill press accounts for the second-highest share in the market. The bench drill press is placed on a workbench or table and is smaller than larger industrial drill presses. It finds usage in home workshops, garages, and small-scale manufacturing setups. Segmentation by Product Sawing Tools Bench Drill Press Grinder & Sander Jointer, Planer & Router Others Insights by End-user The global benchtop tools market serves various end users, including industrial and residential. Industrial end users include construction, aerospace, metalworking, woodworking, automotive, and jewelry. Industrial end-user is the major contributors to the global benchtop tool market growth and generated the maximum revenue in the global industry in 2022. The scenario is expected to remain consistent throughout the forecast period due to the rise in demand for sophisticated tools and the rise in precision manufacturing. However, renovations, retrofits, and DIY activities are expected to drive the demand for benchtop tools in the residential segment. The growth is expected to be more evident across regions such as APAC, Latin America, and the Middle East & Africa. Segmentation by End-user Industrial Residential Insights by Distribution Channel The offline distribution channel dominated the global benchtop tools market in 2022. Factors such as product demonstration, trust & security, instant gratification, accessibility, and others are driving the growth of this segment. The online channel holds a relatively low market share. Also, vendors are expected to increase their online presence through e-commerce platforms and collaborations with other e-commerce firms. Furthermore, the surge in sales through the online channel began due to lockdown implications on offline stores during the pandemic, leading to a shift in consumer preference. Segmentation by Distribution Channel Offline Online Geographical Analysis The global benchtop tool market has a strong demand from the industrial and residential segments. The major regions driving the market's growth are North America, Europe, and Asia Pacific. North America accounted for the highest share of the global benchtop tool market in 2022. Increased construction activities and rising disposable income would drive the market for benchtop tools in the region, as disposable income plays a significant role in discretionary spending. In the U.S., the demand for benchtop tools is driven by the overall economic growth in the country. The stable economic growth in the U.S. is expected to increase commercial and industrial facilities activities, which, in turn, will drive the need for benchtop tools. Competitive Landscape The global benchtop tool market is highly competitive, with several key players operating in the industry. Intense competition, rapid technological advancements, and increasing demand for high-quality products characterize the market. Some of the major players in the global benchtop tools market are Robert Bosch, Stanley Black & Decker, Makita Corporation, Techtronic Industries, Koki Holdings, and Hilti. These companies compete based on product quality, price, innovation, and brand recognition. The market is anticipated to continue to be highly competitive in the coming years as companies focus on developing new and innovative products to meet the life-changing needs of their customers. Key Company Profiles Robert Bosch Stanley Black & Decker Makita Corporation Techtronic Industries Koki Holdings Hilti Other Prominent Vendors CHERVON CHANG TYPE Industrial Festool Ferm International JPW Industries KYOCERA Corporation Laguna Tools POWERTEC Positec Tool Corporation PROXXON Richpower Industries Record Power RIKON Power Tools Triton Tools WEN Products Key Questions Answered in the Report How big is the benchtop tools market? What is the growth rate of the global benchtop tools market? What are the growing trends in the benchtop tools market? Which region holds the most significant global benchtop tools market share? Who are the key players in the global benchtop tools market? Key Attributes Report Attribute Details No. of Pages 238 Forecast Period 2022-2028 Estimated Market Value (USD) in 2022 $2.2 Billion Forecasted Market Value (USD) by 2028 $3.02 Billion Compound Annual Growth Rate 5.4% Regions Covered Global For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/6ey0 About ResearchAndMarkets.com ResearchAndMarkets.com is the world's leading source for international market research reports and market data. We provide you with the latest data on international and regional markets, key industries, the top companies, new products and the latest trends. Attachment New York, July 04, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Reportlinker.com announces the release of the report "Eastern Europe Food Market Value and Volume Growth Analysis by Region, Sector, Country, Distribution Channel, Brands, Packaging, Case Studies, Innovations and Forecast to 2027" - https://www.reportlinker.com/p06471590/?utm_source=GNW Oils & fats sector is expected to register the fastest value and volume growth over 202227 in the Eastern Europe food industry. The top five companies in the Eastern Europe food industry accounted for a combined value share of 1.3% in 2022. The industry was led by Mondel?z International, which held the highest value share of 1.3%, followed by Unilever (1.1%), Nestle (1%), Danone Group (0.9%), and Yildiz Holding (0.9%). Private labels held a 8.4% value share in the Eastern European food industry in 2022. In 2022, hypermarkets & supermarkets was the leading distribution channel in the Eastern European food industry, ahead of food and drinks specialists. This report brings together multiple data sources to provide a comprehensive overview of the Eastern Europe food industry, analyzing data from 21 countries in the region. It includes analysis on the following - Market Environment: Includes sector size, market size, and growth analysis by sectors. High-Potential Countries Analysis: Indicates changing share of value consumption of various food products by sectors across high-potential countries in the Eastern European region. It also provides riskreward analysis of four countries across the Eastern European region based on market assessment, economic development, sociodemographic factors, governance indicators, and technological infrastructure. Country Deep Dive: Provides the overview, demographic analysis, and key trends across high-potential countries. Success Stories: This section features some of the most compelling food manufacturers, brands, products, and marketing campaigns in the Eastern European region. It also provides a better understanding of how certain manufacturers achieved success in the sector, and insights. Competitive Environment: Provides an overview of leading companies in the Eastern European region, besides analyzing the growth of private label penetration in the region. Health & Wellness Analysis*: Provides insights on Health & Wellness products in terms of value and percentage share in the overall food industry between 201621.The analysis includes key health & wellness attributes and consumer benefits driving the sales of the food industry in 2021. It also covers the market share of leading companies offering food products with health & wellness attributes in the same year. Distribution Analysis: Provides analysis on the leading distribution channels in the Eastern European food industry in 2022.It covers six distribution channels: hypermarkets & supermarkets, food & drinks specialists, convenience stores, e-retailers; dollar stores variety stores & general merchandise retailers, and others. Others includes cash & carries and warehouse clubs, drug stores & pharmacies, vending machines, department stores, and others. Packaging Analysis*: The report provides percentage share (2022) and growth analysis (during 201722) for various pack materials, pack types, closures, and primary outer types based on volume sales (by pack units) of food. Challenges and Future Outlook: Provides the challenges and outlook pertaining to the Eastern European food industry. Key Highlights Manufacturing and retailers seek latest information on how the market is evolving to formulate their sales and marketing strategies.There is also demand for authentic market data with a high level of detail. This report has been created to provide its readers with up-to-date information and analysis to uncover emerging opportunities of growth within the industry in the region The report provides a detailed analysis of the countries in the region, covering the key challenges, competitive landscape and demographic analysis, that can help companies gain insight into the country specific nuances The analysts have also placed a significant emphasis on the key trends that drive consumer choice and the future opportunities that can be explored in the region, than can help companies in revenue expansion To gain competitive intelligence about leading brands in the industry in the region with information about their market share and growth rates Scope - The report provides an overview of current food industry scenario regarding the future outlook in terms of ingredients, product claims, labeling, distribution, and packaging. The analysis also covers regional overview across five regions - Asia-Pacific, Middle East & Africa, Americas, Western Europe, and Eastern Europe - highlighting industry size, growth drivers, latest developments, and future inhibitors for the regions. Reasons to Buy - Manufacturing and retailers seek latest information on how the market is evolving to formulate their sales and marketing strategies. There is also demand for authentic market data with a high level of detail. This report has been created to provide its readers with up-to-date information and analysis to uncover emerging opportunities of growth within the sector in the region - The report provides a detailed analysis of the countries in the region, covering the key challenges, competitive landscape and demographic analysis, that can help companies gain insight into the country specific nuances - The analysts have also placed a significant emphasis on the key trends that drive consumer choice and the future opportunities that can be explored in the region, than can help companies in revenue expansion - To gain competitive intelligence about leading brands in the sector in the region with information about their market share and growth rates Read the full report: https://www.reportlinker.com/p06471590/?utm_source=GNW About Reportlinker ReportLinker is an award-winning market research solution. Reportlinker finds and organizes the latest industry data so you get all the market research you need - instantly, in one place. __________________________ New York, July 04, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Reportlinker.com announces the release of the report "MENAT Butterfly Needles Market Forecast to 2028 - COVID-19 Impact and Regional Analysis by Application and End User" - https://www.reportlinker.com/p06382142/?utm_source=GNW The market growth is attributed to various factors such as increasing prevalence of chronic disorders and rising incidence of blood disorders in the region.Moreover, increase in product launches and geographical expansion of market players in the region are expected to drive the market. The surge in cancer research and treatment is likely to generate ample opportunities for MENAT butterfly needles market. Increasing Cancer Research in MENAT Region An intravenous (IV) needle is used to administer chemotherapy for cancer treatment.The medicine is administered directly into the bloodstream through a butterfly needle, which is inserted into a vein in the upper arm or hand. According to a research article published in the Journal of the Egyptian Public Health Association in 2022, cancer is one of the leading causes of death in Arab countries, and its incidence is on the rise.The cancer incidence rate in Middle East and North Africa is increasing, like the rest of the world, which has led to a lot of research activities in the region. According to the American Society of Clinical Oncology, in 2021, oncology clinical trials were on the rise in MENA.Yet, the region remained under-represented in the global clinical trial market, despite its promising potential. For instance, MENA has been conducting more oncology clinical trials (phases 14) than ever before, from 47 trials in 2015 to 53 trials in 2020. A multi-level approach is required to advance clinical research in the region, involving collaboration between the pharma industry, regulators, government, and healthcare professionals. Thus, increasing number of cancer cases and rising cancer-related research activities in the region are expected to provide lucrative market growth opportunities during the forecast period. Based on application, the MENAT butterfly needles market is segmented into blood collection, blood transfusion, venipuncture, IV rehydration, and delivery of medications.The blood collection segment held the largest share of the market in 2021. However, the IV rehydration segment is anticipated to register a CAGR of 8.1% in the market during the forecast period. Butterfly needles or winged infusion sets are uniquely designed devices used for blood collection. When the butterfly needle is inserted into a vein, a small amount of blood will enter the first section of the tube. A butterfly needle may be used by phlebotomists when collecting numerous tubes since this method makes changing tubes easier. Butterfly needles are less likely to cause blood breakdown than IV catheters, which is driving their demand for blood collection. They may also offer more advantages to patients with bleeding disorders such as hemophilia or von Willebrands disease. According to an article published by Arab News, in December 2021, more than 10 blood donations have been donated per 1,000 population each year (more than 1%) in GCC countries. Dubai Blood Donation Centre received more than 53,000 units in 2019, which represents approximately half of all blood collected in the UAE. Dubai Health Authority and Dubai Holdings have partnered to conduct several initiatives throughout the year. Moreover, Terumo Corporation offers Surshield Safety Winged Blood Collection Sets which readily conform to the body with the help of soft, flexible interlocking wings. With a slight angle between the needle and the wings, there is less risk of vessel damage or occlusion, and the coil-resistant tubing reduces recoil. Based on end user, the MENAT butterfly needles market is segmented into hospitals, clinics, blood banks, and others. The hospitals segment held the largest market share in 2021, and it is anticipated to register the highest CAGR of 8.1% in the market during the forecast period. A few of the major primary and secondary sources referred to while preparing the report on the MENAT butterfly needles market are the Ministry of Investment (Saudi Arabia), africahealthexhibition, and macrotrends, among others. Read the full report: https://www.reportlinker.com/p06382142/?utm_source=GNW About Reportlinker ReportLinker is an award-winning market research solution. Reportlinker finds and organizes the latest industry data so you get all the market research you need - instantly, in one place. __________________________ Dubai, UAE, July 04, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- According to the recent report published by Extrapolate, the global Renewable Energy Market was worth around USD 0.90 trillion in 2022 and is likely to grow to USD 2.06 trillion by 2032, exhibiting a CAGR of 8.6% from 2023 to 2032. The numerous factors contributing to the growth of the renewable energy market include increasing government policies encouraging the use of clean, renewable resources for power generation. The transition to low-carbon fuels and strict environmental legislation in most developed nations have given the renewable energy market a significant boost. As a result of the increased environmental concerns and pressure to mitigate the adverse impacts of Greenhouse Gases (GHG), the renewable energy market has seen an increase in the installed capacity of renewable sources over the past few years. This has played a significant role in the growth of the solar and wind energy industries. Request Sample PDF of the Report: https://www.extrapolate.com/sample/energy-and-power/renewable-energy-market/87379 Competitive Landscape Key industry players are concentrating on technological improvements and innovation to reduce the cost of renewable energy generation. Additionally, market participants have implemented a number of strategic initiatives into practice to strengthen their market position. Leading companies operating in the global renewable energy market include: ABB Acconia ENEL SPA General Electric Innergex Invenergy Schneider Electric Siemens Gamesa Renewable Energy, S.A. Tata Power NEXTERA ENERGY, INC. Iberdrola SA Xcel Energy, Inc. Suzlon Energy Ltd. Global Renewable Energy Market Segmentation: By Source Hydropower Wind power Solar power Bioenergy Geothermal Increasing Adoption of Hydropower to Provide Electricity in Rural Regions to Gain Traction The hydropower segment dominated the global renewable energy market in 2022, accounting for over 30% of total revenue. Hydropower is primarily utilized to provide electricity in rural regions and is produced by capturing the energy of moving water. Major contributions to the rising adoption of hydropower include developing nations such as China, India, Vietnam, Colombia, and Brazil. Hydroelectric power plants incur significant initial expenses but benefit from relatively low ongoing operating and maintenance costs. This cost advantage contributes to the growing acceptance and adoption of hydropower. Have an Enquiry? Talk to our Analyst @ https://www.extrapolate.com/enquire/energy-and-power/renewable-energy-market/87379 By Application Industrial Residential Commercial Accelerated Demand and Utility of Power in Industrial Applications to Fuel Renewable Energy Market Growth The industrial segment dominated the global renewable energy market in 2022, accounting for a market share of over 53.7%. The segment's growth is primarily attributable to the increased demand for and utility of power in industrial settings. The price of solar equipment and setups has dropped by over 50% due to the overabundance of demand for solar energy. Solar energy-related industrial objectives have further bolstered the market. According to the Solar Energy Industries Association, there were over 149 GW of operating power plants in the United States in 2020. These factors are anticipated to fuel demand for solar PV panels in the industrial application segment throughout the projection period. Rising Shift from Fossil Fuel to Clean Energy to Promote the Renewable Energy Market Growth Utilizing alternative energy sources that exhibit carbon neutrality or low carbon emissions has gained popularity due to rising environmental concerns about carbon emissions. On account of the overuse of resources, especially conventional energy sources, including coal, natural gas, fossil fuels, and others, they are depleted and are not sustainable in the long run. There has been a noticeable shift towards endlessly available energy sources, such as geothermal, biomass, and renewable energy. The active participation of several nations in efforts to mitigate the effects of carbon emissions has slowly led to the development of trends in the market for alternative energy sources. Purchase This Comprehensive Research Report for Valuable Market Insights: https://www.extrapolate.com/complete-checkout-buy/87379 Pressing Demand for Profitable and Cheaper Alternatives to Traditional Energy Sources to Fuel Market Growth Traditional, non-renewable energy sources can be replaced by more affordable ones like hydro, wind, and solar. The cost differential between renewable and non-renewable energy continues to increase as technology progresses, making renewable energy an attractive investment option for businesses and individuals. In addition, renewable energy sources are environmentally friendly and sustainable, lowering carbon emissions and protecting natural resources, which further bolsters market growth. Recent Trends One trend that Extrapolate expects to witness in the renewable energy market is energy storage. Identifying an approach to storing extra energy while conditions are favorable for production is an important development in the renewable energy market. In an effort to address this issue, numerous businesses have entered the power grid energy storage market. Some businesses have been concentrating on producing more robust, lower-priced batteries. This relates to other green energy applications, including electric vehicles, where battery capacity is crucial. This issue has received attention from prominent companies such as Tesla, Toshiba, General Electric, and NextEra Energy. For more information on the report, visit: https://www.extrapolate.com/energy-and-power/renewable-energy-market/87379 Europe to Experience Significant Growth Due to High Capital Investments by Leading Companies Europe is the second-largest market for global renewable energy and has witnessed significant growth in recent years, mainly propelled by technological advancements that have led to more efficient and innovative products. The region has experienced higher capital expenditures due to increased competitiveness spurred on by the decrease in the cost of energy-generating products, particularly in the European Union. Additionally, a trend towards environmentally friendly investments has sped up the expansion of renewable energy in the region. The solar photovoltaic (PV) sector has experienced significant growth in the renewable energy market, with notable progress in projects in Germany, Poland, Spain, and France. The installed capacity of solar PV in the region has significantly increased due to the favorable policies and regulations that these nations have established to assist the deployment of solar power. Key Points from TOC: Chapter 1. Executive Summary Chapter 2. Research Methodology Chapter 3. Market Outlook Chapter 4. COVID-19 Impact on Renewable Energy Market Chapter 5. Global Renewable Energy Market Overview, By Source, 2018 - 2032 (USD Million) Chapter 6. Global Renewable Energy Market Overview, By Application, 2018 - 2032 (USD Million) Chapter 7. Global Renewable Energy Market Overview, By Geography, 2018 - 2032 (USD Million) Chapter 8. North America Renewable Energy Market Overview, By Countries, 2018 - 2032 (USD Million) Chapter 9. Europe Renewable Energy Market Overview, By Countries, 2018 - 2032 (USD Million) Chapter 10. Asia Pacific Renewable Energy Market Overview, By Countries, 2018 - 2032 (USD Million) Chapter 11. Middle East & Africa Renewable Energy Market Overview, By Countries, 2018 - 2032 (USD Million) Chapter 12. South America Renewable Energy Market Overview, By Countries, 2018 - 2032 (USD Million) Chapter 13. Competitive Landscape Chapter 14. Key Vendor Analysis Chapter 15. Sourcing Strategy and Downstream Buyers Chapter 16. Marketing Strategy Analysis, Distributors/Traders Chapter 17. Market Effect Factors Analysis Chapter 18. Future Outlook of the Market Browse Complete TOC: https://www.extrapolate.com/toc/energy-and-power/renewable-energy-market/87379 About Us: Extrapolate is a Global Market Research, Advisory, and Consulting firm that works closely with Industry experts from various industries to bring the latest and most accurate research reports. In an era of breakneck change and a low tolerance for missed or misread opportunities, businesses need astute guidance to shape markets - not merely respond to them. Extrapolate helps clients develop market perspectives that drive success. NEW YORK, July 04, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- WHY: Rosen Law Firm, a global investor rights law firm, reminds purchasers of securities of NextEra Energy, Inc. (NYSE: NEE, NEE-PR, NEE-PQ) between December 2, 2021 and February 1, 2023, both dates inclusive (the Class Period), of the important July 25, 2023 lead plaintiff deadline. SO WHAT: If you purchased NextEra securities during the Class Period you may be entitled to compensation without payment of any out of pocket fees or costs through a contingency fee arrangement. WHAT TO DO NEXT: To join the NextEra class action, go to https://rosenlegal.com/submit-form/?case_id=16680 or call Phillip Kim, Esq. toll-free at 866-767-3653 or email pkim@rosenlegal.com or cases@rosenlegal.com for information on the class action. A class action lawsuit has already been filed. If you wish to serve as lead plaintiff, you must move the Court no later than July 25, 2023. A lead plaintiff is a representative party acting on behalf of other class members in directing the litigation. WHY ROSEN LAW: We encourage investors to select qualified counsel with a track record of success in leadership roles. Often, firms issuing notices do not have comparable experience, resources or any meaningful peer recognition. Many of these firms do not actually litigate securities class actions, but are merely middlemen that refer clients or partner with law firms that actually litigate the cases. Be wise in selecting counsel. The Rosen Law Firm represents investors throughout the globe, concentrating its practice in securities class actions and shareholder derivative litigation. Rosen Law Firm has achieved the largest ever securities class action settlement against a Chinese Company. Rosen Law Firm was Ranked No. 1 by ISS Securities Class Action Services for number of securities class action settlements in 2017. The firm has been ranked in the top 4 each year since 2013 and has recovered hundreds of millions of dollars for investors. In 2019 alone the firm secured over $438 million for investors. In 2020, founding partner Laurence Rosen was named by law360 as a Titan of Plaintiffs Bar. Many of the firms attorneys have been recognized by Lawdragon and Super Lawyers. DETAILS OF THE CASE: According to the lawsuit, defendants throughout the Class Period made false and/or misleading statements and/or failed to disclose that: (1) NextEras primary subsidiary, Florida Power and Light Co. (FPL), surreptitious orchestration of political misconduct exposed NextEra to substantial legal and reputational risk; and (2) in light of the above, defendants positive statements about the Companys business, operations, and prospects were materially misleading and/or lacked a reasonable basis. When the true details entered the market, the lawsuit claims that investors suffered damages. To join the NextEra class action, go to https://rosenlegal.com/submit-form/?case_id=16680 or call Phillip Kim, Esq. toll-free at 866-767-3653 or email pkim@rosenlegal.com or cases@rosenlegal.com for information on the class action. No Class Has Been Certified. Until a class is certified, you are not represented by counsel unless you retain one. You may select counsel of your choice. You may also remain an absent class member and do nothing at this point. An investors ability to share in any potential future recovery is not dependent upon serving as lead plaintiff. Follow us for updates on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-rosen-law-firm, on Twitter: https://twitter.com/rosen_firm or on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rosenlawfirm/. Attorney Advertising. Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome. ------------------------------- Contact Information: Laurence Rosen, Esq. Phillip Kim, Esq. The Rosen Law Firm, P.A. 275 Madison Avenue, 40th Floor New York, NY 10016 Tel: (212) 686-1060 Toll Free: (866) 767-3653 Fax: (212) 202-3827 lrosen@rosenlegal.com pkim@rosenlegal.com cases@rosenlegal.com www.rosenlegal.com NEW YORK, July 04, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- WHY: Rosen Law Firm, a global investor rights law firm, reminds purchasers of securities of TriplePoint Venture Growth BDC Corp. (NYSE: TPVG) between March 4, 2020 and May 1, 2023, both dates inclusive (the Class Period), of the important August 15, 2023 lead plaintiff deadline. SO WHAT: If you purchased TriplePoint securities during the Class Period you may be entitled to compensation without payment of any out of pocket fees or costs through a contingency fee arrangement. WHAT TO DO NEXT: To join the TriplePoint class action, go to https://rosenlegal.com/submit-form/?case_id=15759 or call Phillip Kim, Esq. toll-free at 866-767-3653 or email pkim@rosenlegal.com or cases@rosenlegal.com for information on the class action. A class action lawsuit has already been filed. If you wish to serve as lead plaintiff, you must move the Court no later than August 15, 2023. A lead plaintiff is a representative party acting on behalf of other class members in directing the litigation. WHY ROSEN LAW: We encourage investors to select qualified counsel with a track record of success in leadership roles. Often, firms issuing notices do not have comparable experience, resources or any meaningful peer recognition. Many of these firms do not actually litigate securities class actions, but are merely middlemen that refer clients or partner with law firms that actually litigate the cases. Be wise in selecting counsel. The Rosen Law Firm represents investors throughout the globe, concentrating its practice in securities class actions and shareholder derivative litigation. Rosen Law Firm has achieved the largest ever securities class action settlement against a Chinese Company. Rosen Law Firm was Ranked No. 1 by ISS Securities Class Action Services for number of securities class action settlements in 2017. The firm has been ranked in the top 4 each year since 2013 and has recovered hundreds of millions of dollars for investors. In 2019 alone the firm secured over $438 million for investors. In 2020, founding partner Laurence Rosen was named by law360 as a Titan of Plaintiffs Bar. Many of the firms attorneys have been recognized by Lawdragon and Super Lawyers. DETAILS OF THE CASE: According to the lawsuit, defendants made false and/or misleading statements regarding the Companys business, operations, and prospects. Specifically, defendants failed to disclose to investors that: (1) TriplePoint had overstated the strength of its various portfolio companies and loan book, as well as the viability of its overall investment strategy; (2) the foregoing, once revealed, was likely to have a material negative impact on the Companys financial position and/or prospects; and (3) as a result, the Companys public statements were materially false and misleading at all relevant times. When the true details entered the market, the lawsuit claims that investors suffered damages. To join the TriplePoint class action, go to https://rosenlegal.com/submit-form/?case_id=15759 or call Phillip Kim, Esq. toll-free at 866-767-3653 or email pkim@rosenlegal.com or cases@rosenlegal.com for information on the class action. No Class Has Been Certified. Until a class is certified, you are not represented by counsel unless you retain one. You may select counsel of your choice. You may also remain an absent class member and do nothing at this point. An investors ability to share in any potential future recovery is not dependent upon serving as lead plaintiff. Follow us for updates on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-rosen-law-firm, on Twitter: https://twitter.com/rosen_firm or on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rosenlawfirm/. Attorney Advertising. Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome. ------------------------------- Contact Information: Laurence Rosen, Esq. Phillip Kim, Esq. The Rosen Law Firm, P.A. 275 Madison Avenue, 40th Floor New York, NY 10016 Tel: (212) 686-1060 Toll Free: (866) 767-3653 Fax: (212) 202-3827 lrosen@rosenlegal.com pkim@rosenlegal.com cases@rosenlegal.com www.rosenlegal.com Analyst Conference Call 8:00 a.m. Pacific, Friday, August 4, 2023 BURNABY, British Columbia, July 04, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- INTERFOR CORPORATION (Interfor or the Company) (TSX: IFP) will release its second quarter financial results on August 3, 2023. Information related to Interfors second quarter financial results will be available at www.interfor.com/investors. The analyst conference call is scheduled for 8:00 a.m. Pacific on Friday, August 4, 2023. It will feature a brief summary of financial results by Interfor management followed by a question and answer period with analysts. The dial-in phone number is: 1-888-396-8049 The conference call will also be recorded for those unable to join the live discussion. The number to call to listen to the recording is 1-877-674-7070, Passcode 138247# and it will be available until September 4, 2023. ABOUT INTERFOR Interfor is a growth-oriented forest products company with operations in Canada and the United States. The Company has annual lumber production capacity of approximately 5.2 billion board feet and offers a diverse line of lumber products to customers around the world. For more information about Interfor, visit our website at www.interfor.com. For further information: Richard Pozzebon, Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer (604) 689-6804 Svetlana Kayumova, Senior Manager, Corporate Affairs & Communications (604) 422-7329 svetlana.kayumova@interfor.com VANCOUVER, July 4, 2023 - Kainantu Resources Ltd. (TSXV: KRL) ("KRL" or the "Company"), the Asia-Pacific focused gold mining company, is pleased to announce the appointment of Mr. Martin Cooper as Acting Chief Financial Officer (CFO), with immediate effective. Mr. Cooper's exceptional qualifications and experience make him an invaluable addition to the Company's leadership team. Acting Chief Financial Officer Appointment Mr. Cooper has over 35 years' finance experience including over 20 years as Group CFO of various public companies listed on the Australian, UK and Norwegian stock exchanges. In addition, he spent one year as CEO of REC, a US$600 million revenue solar panel manufacturer. Over a long career, Mr. Cooper has developed a broad suite of skill sets of immediate benefit to KRL, with substantial experience in raising debt and equity. In addition, he has strong credentials in mergers and acquisitions, corporate governance and risk management; especially for fast growth companies operating in the Asian region. Mr. Cooper is a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants England & Wales, having qualified with Deloitte in 1990 and has an MBA from Henley Management College. The Company also takes this opportunity to acknowledge the hard work and contribution of Mr. Bart Lendrum, the outgoing CFO; including taking a leading role in the development of the finance function since inception of KRL in 2020. Mr. Lendrum will leave KRL in the near future to pursue other opportunities; while ensuring a seamless handover to Mr. Cooper in the meantime. Matthew Salthouse, CEO of KRL, commented: "Mr. Cooper brings significant Asian focused corporate experience to KRL. As Acting CFO, he will work closely with me in executing strategies and initiatives to fund our growth programme. KRL also acknowledges the significant contribution of outgoing CFO, Bart Lendrum, to KRL from its establishment through to listing and the activities to fund and build a portfolio of considerable intrinsic value." About KRL Kainantu Resources 'KRL' is an Asia-Pacific focused gold mining company with four highly prospective gold-copper projects, the Kili Teke Project, KRL South, KRL North and the May River Project. All projects are located in premier mining regions in PNG. Both KRL North and KRL South show potential to host high-grade epithermal and porphyry mineralisation, as seen elsewhere in the high-grade Kainantu Gold District. The May River project is in close proximity to the world-renowned Frieda River Copper-Gold Project, with historical drilling indicating the potential for significant copper-gold projects. KRL has a highly experienced board and management team with a proven track record of working together in the region; and an established in-country partner. For further information please visit https://kainanturesources.com/ Neither the TSX-V nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX-V) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. Disclaimer and Forward-Looking Information Statements contained in this release that are not historical facts are forward-looking statements that involve various risks and uncertainty affecting the business of KRL. In making the forward-looking statements, KRL has applied certain assumptions that are based on information available, including KRL's strategic plan for the near and mid-term. There can be no assurance that such information will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking information. KRL does not undertake to update any forward-looking information, except in accordance with applicable securities laws. SOURCE Kainantu Resources Ltd. TSX.V: FKM OTCQB: FKMCF FRANKFURT: F7E1 ROUYN-NORANDA, QC, July 4, 2023 /CNW/ - Fokus Mining Corp. ("Fokus" or the "Company") (TSXV: FKM) (OTCQB: FKMCF) (FSE: F7E1) is pleased to announce the results of its annual meeting of shareholders held on June 29, 2023, in Rouyn-Noranda, Quebec. At the meeting, Fokus shareholders re-elected Jean Rainville, Sylvain Champagne, Gilles Laverdiere, Marc-Andre Lavoie, Ciro Cucciniello, Steve Duchesne and Jean-David Moore as directors of Fokus. Following the meeting, Fokus Board of Directors re-appointed Jean Rainville as President and Chief Executive Officer and Sylvain Champagne as Corporate Secretary and Chief Financial Officer of the Company. At the Meeting, Fokus shareholders also approved resolutions (i) appointing Raymond Chabot Grant Thornton LLP, Chartered Professional Accountants, as the auditor of Fokus, and (ii) ratifying, approving and confirming Fokus' stock option plan. Fokus also announces that its Board of Directors has granted, subject to regulatory approval, including of the TSX Venture Exchange, stock options in respect of 2,410,000 common shares to Fokus' seven Directors and one consultant. The options were granted pursuant to Fokus stock option plan. The exercise price of the options is $0.08, which is higher of the closing price of Fokus common shares on the TSX Venture Exchange on Friday June 30, 2023. The options vest immediately and will expire in five years for the options granted to Directors and will expire in two years for the options granted to the consultant. Also, the Company shall, acting in the best interests of all of its stakeholders, for proper risk management and subject to prevailing market conditions, consider at the opportune time(s), selling an appropriate number of shares currently owned in Mosaic Minerals Corp. About Fokus Fokus Mining Corp. is a mineral resource company actively acquiring and exploring precious metal deposits located in the province of Quebec, Canada. In implementing this major undertaking within the Canadian mining industry, we are determined to unlock the secret of the Galloway gold project. The Galloway project covers an area of 2865.54 hectares and is located just north of the Cadillac-Larder Lake deformation which extends laterally for more than 100 km. Numerous gold deposits are related to that structure and its subsidiaries. The current work focuses on a small western portion of the mineral claims where several mineral occurrences have been identified. For more information, visit our website: fokusmining.com. The TSX Venture Exchange and its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the TSX Venture Exchange Policies) do not accept any responsibility for the truth or accuracy of its content. Related Links http://fokusmining.com/ Caution Regarding Forward-Looking Statements This news release contains statements that may constitute "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities legislation. Forward-looking information may include, among others, statements regarding the future plans, costs, objectives or performance of the Company, or the assumptions underlying any of the foregoing. In this news release, words such as "may", "would", "could", "will", "likely", "believe", "expect", "anticipate", "intend", "plan", "estimate" and similar words and the negative form thereof are used to identify forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements should not be read as guarantees of future performance or results, and will not necessarily be accurate indications of whether, or the times at or by which, such future performance will be achieved. No assurance can be given that any events anticipated by the forward-looking information will transpire or occur, including additional closings of the private placement or the result of, or benefits the Company will obtained, if any, from any exploration works conducted on its Galloway property. Forward-looking information is based on information available at the time and/or management's good-faith belief with respect to future events and are subject to known or unknown risks, uncertainties, assumptions and other unpredictable factors, many of which are beyond the Company's control. These risks, uncertainties and assumptions include, but are not limited to, those described under "Risk and Uncertainties" and "Financial Risk Management Objectives and Policies" in the Company's Annual Report for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2022, a copy of which is available on SEDAR at www.sedar.com, and could cause actual events or results to differ materially from those projected in any forward-looking statements. The Company does not intend, nor does the Company undertake any obligation, to update or revise any forward-looking information contained in this news release to reflect subsequent information, events or circumstances or otherwise, except if required by applicable laws. SOURCE Fokus Mining Corp. 4 July 2023 - Australia - Jervois Global Ltd. (ASX:JRV) (TSXV:JRV) (OTC:JRVMF) ("Jervois" or the "Company") announced on Wednesday, 28 June 2023, that it is undertaking a US$50 million capital raising ("Capital Raising"), comprised of a US$25 million issuance of Unsecured Convertible Notes ("Convertible Notes Offer") and a concurrent, fully underwritten 1 for 3.34 accelerated non-renounceable entitlement offer to raise US$25 million (A$37.4 million)1 ("Entitlement Offer"). The institutional component of the Entitlement Offer ("Institutional Entitlement Offer") has now successfully completed. Approximately 336.7 million Jervois shares were issued under the Institutional Entitlement Offer, to raise A$20.2 million (US$13.5 million). The Institutional Entitlement Offer was supported by new and existing domestic and offshore institutional investors. Under the Institutional Entitlement Offer, AustralianSuper (Jervois' largest shareholder at 18.5% before the Entitlement Offer) and Mercuria (Jervois second largest shareholder at 9.9% before the Entitlement Offer) both subscribed for their full entitlements. The retail component of the Entitlement Offer ("Retail Entitlement Offer") is also fully underwritten and will raise an additional A$17.2 million (US$11.5 million). Together with proceeds from the US$25 million Convertible Notes Offer, proceeds from the Entitlement Offer will be used to strengthen Jervois' balance sheet, improve liquidity and working capital flexibility, with cash also being applied to debt reduction. New Jervois shares issued under the Institutional Entitlement Offer will be issued on Friday, 7 July 2023 and are expected to commence trading on the Australian Securities Exchange ("ASX") on a normal settlement basis on that day. Jervois shares are expected to resume trading on the ASX from market open on Monday, 3 July 2023. Retail Entitlement Offer Eligible retail shareholders in Australia and New Zealand will be invited to participate in the Retail Entitlement Offer at the same offer price and ratio as the Institutional Entitlement Offer. The Retail Entitlement Offer will open on Wednesday, 5 July 2023 and close at 5.00pm in Sydney, Australia, on Tuesday, 18 July 2023. Further details about the Retail Entitlement Offer will be set out in the retail offer booklet, which Jervois expects to lodge with the ASX on Wednesday, 5 July 2023. Indicative Timetable Event Date in Australia2 Announcement of Entitlement Offer Wednesday, 28 June 2023 Institutional Entitlement Offer closes Thursday, 29 June 2023 Announcement of the completion of Institutional Entitlement Offer and trading resumes on an ex-entitlement basis Monday, 3 July 2023 Record Date for Entitlement Offer (7pm) Monday, 3 July 2023 Access letter despatched to Eligible Retail Shareholders Wednesday, 5 July 2023 Retail Entitlement Offer opens Wednesday, 5 July 2023 Settlement of New Shares to be issued under the Institutional Entitlement Offer Thursday, 6 July 2023 Expected settlement of Convertible Note Offer Thursday, 6 July 2023 Allotment and Quotation of New Shares under the Institutional Entitlement Offer Friday, 7 July 2023 Closing date for acceptances under Retail Entitlement Offer (5pm) Tuesday, 18 July 2023 Announcement of results of Retail Entitlement Offer and notification of any shortfall Friday, 21 July 2023 Settlement of Retail Entitlement Offer Monday, 24 July 2023 Allotment and issue of New Shares under the Retail Entitlement Offer Tuesday, 25 July 2023 Commencement of trading and holding statements dispatched for Retail Entitlement Offer Wednesday, 26 July 2023 Additional Information Further details on the Capital Raising are set out in the Investor Presentation released to the ASX on Wednesday, 28 June 2023. The Investor Presentation contains important information including disclaimers, key risks and foreign selling restrictions with respect to the Entitlement Offer. Jefferies (Australia) Pty Ltd and Canaccord Genuity (Australia) Limited are acting as Joint Lead Managers and Underwriters to the Entitlement Offer. This announcement has been approved for release by the Board of Directors of Jervois Global Ltd.. Completion of the Capital Raising is subject to the approval of the TSX Venture Exchange. For further information, please contact: Investors and analysts: James May Chief Financial Officer Jervois Global james.may@jervoisglobal.com Media: Nathan Ryan NWR Communications nathan.ryan@nwrcommunications.com.au Mob: +61 420 582 887 Forward-Looking Statements This news release may contain certain "Forward-Looking Statements" within the meaning of the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and applicable Canadian securities laws. When used in this news release, the words "anticipate", "believe", "estimate", "expect", "target, "plan", "forecast", "may", "schedule", "expected" and other similar words or expressions identify forward-looking statements or information. These forward-looking statements or information may relate to the Capital Raising and approvals of the TSXV, future operations at Jervois Finland, anticipated partnerships, restart and timing of SMP Refinery; future operations; future growth potential of Jervois' projects and future development plans; and certain other factors or information. Such statements represent Jervois' current views with respect to future events and are necessarily based upon a number of assumptions and estimates that, while considered reasonable by Jervois, are inherently subject to significant business, economic, competitive, political and social risks, contingencies and uncertainties. Many factors, both known and unknown, could cause results, performance or achievements to be materially different from the results, performance or achievements that are or may be expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements are based on assumptions and contingencies that are subject to change without notice and involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors, many of which are beyond the control of the Company and its related bodies corporate and affiliates (and each of their respective directors, securityholders, officers, employees, partners, agents, advisers and management), and could cause results, performance or achievements to be materially different from the results, performance or achievements that are or may be expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements or any projections and assumptions on which those statements are based. This includes statements about market and industry trends, which are based on interpretations of market conditions. Forward-looking statements are provided as a general guide only and should not be relied on as an indication or guarantee of future performance. These statements may assume the success of the Company's business strategies, the success of which may not be realised within the period for which the forward-looking statements may have been prepared, or at all, and the receipt of applicable approvals to complete the Capital Raising. No guarantee, representation or warranty, express or implied, is made as to the accuracy, likelihood of achievement or reasonableness of any forecasts, prospects, returns, statements or tax treatment in relation to future matters contained in this announcement. The forward-looking statements are based on information available to the Company as at the date of this announcement. Except as required by applicable laws, rules or regulations, none of the Company, its representatives or advisers intends to, or undertakes to, or assumes any obligation to, provide any additional information, update or revise the statements in this announcement, whether as a result of a change in expectations or assumptions, new information, future events, results or circumstances. Not an offer of securities This announcement has been prepared for publication in Australia and may not be released to US wire services or distributed in the United States. This announcement does not constitute an offer to sell, or a solicitation of an offer to buy, securities in the United States or any other jurisdiction. Any securities described in this announcement have not been, and will not be, registered under the US Securities Act of 1933 and may not be offered or sold in the United States except in transactions exempt from, or not subject to, the registration requirements of the US Securities Act and applicable US state securities laws. General In addition, this announcement is subject to the same "Important Notice and Disclaimer" as appears on slides 2 to 5 of the Investor Presentation with any necessary contextual changes. 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. Not for release to US wire services or distribution in the United States 1 AUD/USD conversions in this announcement based on an AUD/USD exchange rate of 0.67 (27 June 2023) 2 The timetable (and each reference in this announcement to a date specified in the timetable) is indicative only and Jervois may, at its discretion, vary any of the above dates by lodging a revised timetable with the ASX. All times are Sydney times. Copyright (c) 2023 TheNewswire - All rights reserved. Pension liabilities Infrastructure maintenance Depleting reserves Most states and many municipalities are legally required to pass balanced budgets each year. But a budget that is balanced isnt always one representing a healthy spending plan. At the most basic level a sustainable operating budget is one where normally occurring revenues are equal to your normally occurring expenditures, says Suzanne Finnegan, chief credit officer for Build American Mutual. And alternatively, she adds, extraordinary sources of revenue are used for extraordinary, one-time expenditures.New Jersey had its credit rating downgraded in 2014 because it was relying on one-time fixes to plug budget holes this year and not paying its long term liabilities. Its $807 million budget gap would also be much larger if the state hadn't pumped $91.6 million worth of one-time tobacco settlement money into the general fund this year.In the eyes of credit ratings agencies, regularly occurring expenditures extend beyond the daily expenses of salaries and supplies to include long-term liabilities like retiree healthcare and benefits payments.The following are some of the major areas where states and cities can cheat and often do en route to balancing the budget. Budgets that include these practices are generally not considered sustainable spending plans.States and cities often dont pay what they need to every year in order to keep pension plans fully funded. Employees have their contributions automatically taken out of their paychecks. But the government employer has to set aside money in the budget for its share. If money is tight, the government might only pay some (or none) of what is needed for the government to make good on its benefits promises down the road. Pension funds still pay out to existing retirees, however, so the consequences arent felt immediately. But the government skimping on a payment leaves the pension fund less healthy at the end of the year than it started.Illinois has consistently underfunded its pension obligations over the last decade. Once a well-funded operation, the state's pension fund today has less than 40 percent of the money it needs to make good on all its benefits promises for the future.Deferring maintenance on infrastructure is one of the easiest things to do, particularly because maintenance can seem like an extra cost. Theres no visible problem, so the desire to spend money isnt always there. Sadly, deferring maintenance has become very much the norm across America. Hence, the consistently below-average grades doled out every four years by the American Society of Civil Engineers, which rates the condition and performance of the nations roads and bridges.Unlike pension liabilities, which will likely be the next generations problem, the bills from deteriorating infrastructure are coming due today. The lesson isnt really sticking, however. In the wake of a Minneapolis bridge collapse that killed 13 people in 2007, states closed bridges, reduced weight limits or made immediate repairs. In 2012, the Federal Highway Administration said 67,000, or 11 percent, of the nation's bridges were structurally deficient an improvement of one percentage point in the five years since the collapse.Rainy day funds are there for a reason when the economy contracts, governments are still expected to provide. Consequeently, many will have to draw upon their reserves at that point. Five states Arkansas, Colorado, Illinois, Kansas and Montana did not have specifically designated rainy day funds at the onset of the 2008 recession. In a report on the topic, the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities (CBPP) points out that these states (except Montana) were hit hard by the recent economic downturn, and the lack of a rainy day fund left them more vulnerable to the recessions effects, the report said. Among these states, Illinois completely depleted any leftover money it had from previous operating budgets during the recession.Regularly drawing down reserves, however, is not a sustainable way to balance a budget. In particular, using reserve funds during a budget year that also includes a spending increase will at a minimum create red flags in the eyes of credit ratings agencies.In the 1980s and '90s, Washington, D.C., consistently hit deficits as mayoral administrations outspent their budgets and squandered reserve funds in the process. In 1995, a Congressional control board took over the city's finances and didn't give budgeting power back for eight years.Governments that consistently turn to their reserves are not living within their means and are also placing themselves in a precarious position for the next economic downturn. Besides the absolute dominance of Max Verstappen and Red Bull Racing, the Austrian Grand Prix was marked by the number of track limits crossed. The FIA received a total of 1,200(!) reports from drivers who had crossed the white line with three or four tyres. Max Verstappen, Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz discussed the problem during the post-qualifying press conference. Article continues under ad "The problem is that it could easily be solved by putting gravel next to the curbs, but as I said, the MotorGP does not want that. Then this circuit in general, as we said before, is just more difficult to judge the limit of the circuit," reigning world champion Verstappen told reporters. Ferrari drivers also unhappy Leclerc says he does not see much of the track limits limit. "The white line is only visual, and as we said before, we cannot see, so it is very easy to get five centimetres outside the white line. With curbs, you can feel where you are, and it is a bit easier to judge," said the Monegasque Ferrari driver. Sainz also calls for changes: "I think what we have seen today [Friday], with so many laps being removed and so many drivers being caught. So many laps that even they [the stewards] couldn't keep up. We have to find a way to correct it and we are going to sit around the table. Hopefully, it will be sorted out for next year," the Spaniard told reporters. Analysis of IMF conditionalities, implication for businesses (3) Korsi Dzokoto Business News Jul - 04 - 2023 , 03:24 The IMF has imposed a prior action on Ghana, requiring the reporting of provisional spending budgets in Hyperion at a disaggregated level for the GETFund, Road Fund, and District Assemblies Common Fund. This condition aims to leverage the functionalities of the Ghana Integrated Financial Management Information System (GIFMIS) to enhance budget execution, commitment control, and reporting. This prior action signifies that Ghana was facing challenges in its budget execution processes and commitment control mechanisms. The existing systems might have been inadequate in ensuring transparent and effective utilization of funds allocated to specific sectors, such as the GETFund, Road Fund, and District Assemblies Common Fund. By implementing the reporting of provisional spending budgets in Hyperion at a disaggregated level, Ghana seeks to strengthen the functionality of GIFMIS. GIFMIS is an integrated financial management system designed to manage budgetary resources, monitor commitments, and ensure financial transparency and accountability. The objective of this action is to address issues related to inefficient fund utilization, weak commitment controls, and insufficient reporting mechanisms. By doing so, Ghana aims to enhance transparency, efficiency, and accountability in the management of public funds. Failure to achieve the objective of strengthening budget execution, commitment control, and reporting could have adverse consequences. It may lead to mismanagement of funds, lack of transparency, challenges in tracking expenditures, and inadequate reporting on budget execution. These issues can erode public trust, hinder effective financial management, and result in inefficiencies in resource allocation. Implementing the prior action would enable Ghana to enhance the functionality of GIFMIS and improve budget execution, commitment control, and reporting. This, in turn, would contribute to better financial management practices, increased transparency in fund utilization, and improved accountability. Ultimately, strengthening budget execution, commitment control, and reporting is vital for ensuring effective financial governance, fostering public trust, and optimizing the allocation of resources in Ghana. Policy Impact Analysis: 1. Potential Delays in Public Service Delivery: The implementation of the prior action may require significant adjustments and upgrades to the existing financial management systems. This could result in temporary disruptions or delays in the provision of public services, as government agencies and departments adapt to the new reporting requirements. Citizens may experience difficulties in accessing necessary services or encounter delays in critical infrastructure projects. 2. Increased Administrative Burden on Government Agencies: The reporting of provisional spending budgets at a disaggregated level can increase the administrative burden on government agencies responsible for budget execution and reporting. This additional workload may divert resources and attention away from frontline service delivery and essential public programs. The strain on government agencies can potentially impact the quality and efficiency of public services. 3. Limited Financial Flexibility for Local Governments: The prior action specifically targets the reporting requirements for the District Assemblies Common Fund, which supports local government operations and development projects at the district level. The increased reporting standards may place additional financial and administrative burdens on local governments, potentially limiting their flexibility in utilizing funds to address local needs and priorities. 4. Temporary Disruptions in Financial Management Processes: As Ghana adjusts its financial management systems to meet the IMF's prior action requirements, there may be temporary disruptions in budget execution, commitment control, and reporting processes. These disruptions could affect financial planning, decision-making, and coordination within government agencies, potentially leading to inefficiencies and delays in resource allocation. 5. Limited Citizen Engagement and Participation: While the prior action aims to enhance financial transparency and accountability, the complex technical requirements and focus on internal reporting may limit citizen engagement and participation in budgetary processes. Citizens may face challenges in accessing and understanding the disaggregated spending information, reducing their ability to hold the government accountable for resource allocation and spending decisions. 6. Potential Misallocation of Resources: If the implementation of the prior action is not effectively managed, there is a risk of misallocating resources or failing to address systemic issues related to budget execution and commitment control. Inefficient fund utilization, weak commitment controls, and insufficient reporting mechanisms can persist, leading to suboptimal resource allocation and ineffective public spending. 7. Limited Immediate Benefits for Citizens: While strengthening budget execution, commitment control, and reporting is crucial for overall financial management, citizens may not experience immediate direct benefits from these improvements. The impact on citizens' lives and well-being may be indirect, as enhanced financial transparency and accountability can contribute to better resource allocation, improved public service delivery, and long-term economic development. It is essential for the Ghanaian government to effectively manage the implementation of the prior action to minimize potential negative impacts on citizens. Measures should be put in place to mitigate disruptions, provide necessary support to government agencies, and ensure that the enhanced financial management systems translate into improved public service delivery and citizen-centric outcomes. The writer is an economic policy and financial analyst Discover new opportunities amid economic crisis Dr Arthur-Annobil Business Desk Report Business News Jul - 04 - 2023 , 02:06 Dr Kweku Arthur-Annobil, Strategic Lead and Business Manager, at Stanbic Bank Ghana, has advised small and medium enterprise (SME) owners to manage their resources more efficiently to survive the current economic situation. He made this statement at the second edition of the quarterly Graphic Business/Stanbic Bank Breakfast Meeting held at the Labadi Beach Hotel under the theme, The Current Economic Situation and You: What to Expect, How to Cope, and How to Thrive. Speaking on the sidelines of the event, Dr Arthur-Annobil advised Ghanaians to look for opportunities that have emerged as a result of the current economic challenges. In the face of challenges and uncertainties, it is important that we look beyond the difficulties surrounding us and discover the opportunities available. If you look closely at your ecosystem, you will realise that these difficult times may have birthed a need among people that may become an opportunity for you, he said. Dr Arthur-Annobil further added that crises drove innovation, saying Beyond the crises what are some of the problems that you can identify and solve? By discovering and finding a solution to the said problem, you will be able to expand your scope and diversify your revenue stream. The Strategic Lead and Business Manager of Stanbic Bank also advised SMEs and individuals to manage their resources efficiently to cope with the current economic climate. A number of SMEs have been strongly affected by the current economic crisis. I believe that in this situation it is important that SMEs review their operations and structure their activities towards more efficient options to avoid waste, he said. Dr Arthur-Annobil insisted that the current financial climate in the country did not allow for waste of any sort. One effect of these times is that there are constraints on almost everything. From your finances to your taxes and even your revenues there are constraints everywhere. You need to be as efficient as possible to navigate and survive this situation. The same applies to individuals as well. Think carefully about what you want to use your money for and make sure that you only spend on necessary things, Dr Arthur-Annobil stated. The Graphic Business/Stanbic Breakfast Meeting is a platform designed to bring policymakers and the business community at large together to deliberate on pressing national issues. Ghana RE profit declines by 5% Pays GH5m dividend to government Elizabeth Nyaadu Adu Business News Jul - 04 - 2023 , 05:24 PROFIT of Ghana Reinsurance PLC declined by five per cent in 2022 on account of high claims ratio and impairment losses as a result of the Domestic Debt Exchange Programme (DDEP). The companys profit after tax fell from GH51.73m in 2021 to GH49.50m in the year under review. These developments impacted negatively on the Return on Equity (ROE) resulting in a decrease from 16 per cent in 2021 to 14 per cent in 2022. In spite of the financial losses, the company declared a dividend of GH5m to be paid to the sole shareholder, Government of Ghana. This is against the dividend of GH12m declared in 2021. The Board Chairman of the company, George Otoo, announced this on Friday at the groups 20th annual general meeting (AGM) in Accra. He said an amount of GH248.3m was incurred as net claims for 2022, representing a 77 per cent increase over the GH140.2m recorded in 2021. This deteriorated claims percentage rose from 43 per cent to 58 per cent in 2022. The increase, he said, was attributable to the Oil Marketing Companies (OMC) bond claims and the depreciation of the cedi in the second half of 2022. Mr Otoo said shareholders equity grew by 20 per cent from GH 435.75 m in 2021 to GH521.72m in 2022. Premium income The Board Chairman said gross premium income recorded for the year under review was GH550.23m compared to the 2021 figure of GH385.92m representing an increase of 42 per cent. General business contributed about 95 per cent of the Group gross premium which represents GH520.69m in absolute terms. This represents a growth of about 45 per cent of the 2021 figure. The largest contributor to this key achievement is the gross premium from Fire Business which contributed about 63 per cent to the premium generated from General Business and 59 per cent to the total premium recorded by the group, he said. He said Life business portfolio contributed five per cent to the groups total gross premium, adding that the gross premium increased from GH26.58m in 2021 to GH29.54m in 2022, this represents a growth of 11 per cent. Impairment loss Mr Otoo explained that the group in compliance with International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) recognised an impairment loss of GH60.60m in 2022 as a result of DDEP. The provision covered its holdings in GOG bonds, treasury bills and Euro bonds, the GHS60.60m provided for under International Accounting Standards (IAS 39) impacted negatively on the profit for the year, he said. He said the companys Capital Adequacy Ratio (CAR) for 2022 was 315 per cent far above the minimum regulatory figure of 150 per cent. He added that the board and management of the company have put in place measures to mitigate the negative impact that it will have on the groups liquidity, profitability and solvency position going forward. Outlook The Board Chairman explained that 2022 marked the year two of the three-year strategic plans of the company have seen tremendous progress in the four pillars of the strategic plan. He gave an assurance that the company would be able to meet most of the targets set in the strategic plan, notwithstanding the challenges of the economic environment which was not envisaged when the strategic plan was drawn. Reacting to the dividend declared, the Acting Head of Public Entities and Assets Unit, Public Investments and Assets Division (PIAD) at the Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning (MoFEP), Kwame Okyere-Mensuo, expressed appreciation to the group for the dividend despite the economic adversity. We appreciate the dividend because some companies did not declare a dividend due to recapitalisation and global economic crisis. However, we expect an increase and we hope to recover from our economic challenges, he said. KfW-AGRA project on rice, cassava ends 3.5m invested in phase 1 Elizabeth Nyaadu Adu Business News Jul - 04 - 2023 , 03:46 KfW, a German Development Cooperation, through its phase one project supervised by AGRA, has invested 3.5 million in the last four years to address the challenges in the rice and cassava value chains in the country. Under the phase one project implemented between 2018-2022, it was established to mobilise investment for the development of infrastructure, facilitate structured market and value chain financing for rice and cassava that would improve competitiveness, productivity and profitability along the value chains. A Programmes Officer at AGRA, Bashiru Musah Dokurugu, disclosed this at an event in Accra last Thursday to wrap up the KfW phase one project. He said the project, which was under a partnership,tasked AGRA to provide technical support to the Ministry of Food and Agriculture (MoFA) and the Ministry of Trade and Industry (MoTI) to develop appropriate Public-Private Partnership (PPP) model to facilitate and mobilise the public and private investment into rice and cassava production infrastructure and value chain. The consortium supported the production and marketing system around lead processors to create commercial opportunities for rice and cassava farmers that resulted in increased access to markets, long-term business relationships with processors, improved access to services and products including financing, high-quality inputs, productivity enhancing technologies and mechanisation services, he added. The event, which brought together key stakeholders and partners, was to share insights and learnings from the implementation of Phase one of the KfW-AGRA project and provided the opportunity for stakeholders and partners to share outcome stories, best practices and feedback to improve future interventions. Success of PFJ A Deputy Minister of Agriculture, Yaw Frimpong Addo, mentioned that the KfW-AGRA project had been one of the key transformational projects in the rice and cassava value chains. The project, he said, coincided with governments flagship programme Planting for Food and Jobs (PFJ) which had in focus, agricultural development as the indispensable engine for growth and development for the entire nation. That, he said, was a reason why the government harnessed resources from all ends to give the agricultural sector the needed support to boost production along the value chain to meet the countrys food and nutrition security needs as well as create wealth and increase income for farmers. Therefore, the success of PFJ cannot be mentioned without the support of these two projects and their contribution to agricultural development in Ghana, the minister added. For her part, the Country Manager for AGRA, Juliette Lampoh-Agroh, described the project as a successful one which has reached more 200,000 small holder farmers in the country. All targets and indicators have either been achieved or over achieved across the value chain and the entire system the project has worked on right from production to processing and the value chain. Indeed, it was part of this project that we supported the promotion of local rice in Ghana and we managed to align very closely with governments interventions where we supported the PFJ intervention which also helped us to expand our interventions from eight regions at the beginning to 12 regions in the country and we are looking to expand to 16 regions, she said. UBA partners AfCFTA to support SMEs with $6bn investment Business Desk Report Business News Jul - 04 - 2023 , 02:08 The United Bank for Africa (UBA) Plc, has signed an agreement with the Africa Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) Secretariat to invest $6billion as funding for African Small and Medium Enterprises within the next three years. A breakdown of the $6bn investment shows that a total of $1.2bn has been budgeted for the year 2023; $1.9bn for 2024 and $2.88bn for 2025. The UBA signed the agreement with AfCFTA on the sidelines of the opening ceremony of the 30th Afreximbank Annual Meeting (AAM) which was held in Accra. By this agreement, UBA will provide financial services in four main areas which are agro-processing, automotive, pharmaceuticals and transport and logistics to Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) in all the 20 African countries where UBA operates. These countries are Nigeria, Benin, Ghana, Sierra Leone, Liberia, Cote d'Ivoire, Senegal, Mali, Burkina Faso, Guinea, Zambia, Tanzania, Kenya, Uganda, Mozambique, Gabon, Congo Brazzaville, Congo DRC, Chad and Cameroun. Access to finance One of the key initiatives of the AfCFTA Agreement focuses on improving access to finance and markets for SMEs to encourage their growth and contribution to the socio-economic development of Africa. The UBA Groups Deputy Managing Director, Muyiwa Akinyemi, who signed the agreement on behalf of the group, noted that as Africas global bank, the UBA remained committed towards supporting SMEs in Africa, especially given its robust network, which is spread across 20 countries. He said, We entered into this partnership because we see the future of intra-African payments developed by AfCFTA, which will ease payment constraints across 54 countries in Africa (with about 40 different currencies) powered by Pan-African Payment and Settlement System (PAPSS). However, we need to develop these businesses before we can talk about helping them trade, which is the strength of the UBA, as we are vital in supporting SMEs and with our presence in 20 African countries, we say your small business is big business, he added. Africas industrialisation On his part, the Secretary-General of the AfCFTA Secretariat, H.E. Wamkele Mene, emphasised the need to catalyse Africa's industrialisation and boost intra-Africa trade. This, he said, would improve the socio-economic well-being of the continent and its people which he noted was a key factor behind the partnership. The Secretariat is committed to supporting SMEs as critical drivers of African economies. We recognise the financing gap SMEs face on the continent and intend to mitigate this gap through this important partnership. WAPCo cuts supply over $13m mounting debt Kester Aburam Korankye Business News Jul - 04 - 2023 , 03:52 The West African Gas Pipeline Company Limited (WAPCo) has suspensed natural gas transportation services to the Ghana National Petroleum Corporation (GNPC),deep throat sources have confirmed to the Graphic Business. This follows the inability of GNPC to settle its indebtedness to WAPCo to the tune of over a $13.99 million. The decision, which took effect from July 1, comes after a series of negotiations between the two entities over debt arrears, although the GNPC paid $1.246 million to WAPCo last week. WAPCo, responsible for transporting natural gas from Nigeria to several countries in West Africa, in a letter dated June 27 to the GNPC, cited the payment arrears as the primary reason for the interruption. This means that GNPC will not be allowed to flow any gas, including the 60,000 MMBtu/ day firm transportation services mainly from Takoradi to Tema. The sudden halt in gas supply to GNPC has raised alarm bells among industry experts, as the countrys energy generational mix relies on natural gas and thermal for electricity production, with the GNPC playing a crucial role in ensuring a steady supply to power plants across the country. The suspension, therefore, threatens to disrupt the nation's energy stability and potentially lead to power shortages. The interruption in gas supply has also sparked concerns among citizens, who fear a return to the frequent power outages experienced in the past. However, experts are hopeful that a resolution can be reached promptly, given the significance of the issue for both WAPCo and GNPC. As negotiations continue, Ghana remains on high alert for potential energy shortages. Power production Last week, the government assured citizens that contingency plans are in place to ensure minimal disruption to power supply, including increased reliance on other energy sources such as hydroelectricity and thermal generation after independent power producers threatened to shut their operations over debt arrears. So far the Electricity Company of Ghana and the IPPs have agreed on a settlement that covers 30 percent of debt arrears. A source familiar with the situation told the GRAPHIC BUSINESS that the situation highlights the importance of diversifying the country's energy mix and reducing reliance on a single source. It also serves as a reminder of the need for effective communication and collaboration between stakeholders to ensure a stable and sustainable energy sector, the source said. The source added that both WAPCo and GNPC are expected to engage in intense negotiations in the coming days to find a resolution and restore gas supply to GNPC. The outcome of these talks will undoubtedly have significant implications for Ghana's energy stability and the overall well-being of its citizens, the source added. Transportation WAPCo, in June 2019 completed commissioning and performance testing of the Takoradi phase of the Takoradi - Tema Interconnection Project (TTIP) and began transporting natural gas from the west (Takoradi) to the east (Tema) at the request of customers. The project involved the expansion of WAPCo facilities at Takoradi and Tema as well as the tie-in of the West African Gas Pipeline (WAGP) system at Takoradi to the Ghana National Gas Companys facility/line. This was achieved by the execution of various commercial agreements by the parties. The TTIP is a collaboration between WAPCo, the Ghanaian Energy Ministry, the Ghana National Petroleum Corporation, the Ghana National Gas Company and Eni Ghana. Smile Fun House presents Kosua Ne Meko play on Saturday Graphic Showbiz Showbiz News Jul - 03 - 2023 , 16:31 Theatre lovers in Capecoast and its environs are in for a good treat when production company, Smile Fun House presents its latest play, 'Kosua Ne Meko' on Saturday, July 8 at the Centre for National Culture (CNC) in Capecoast. The upcoming play is a collaboration between Smile Fun House and the Capecoast Centre for National Culture and aimed at igniting huge interest in theatre which have dwindled over the years. With political polarisation being a threat to the unending calls for national unity, Kosua Ne Meko directed by David Chapman Quayson tackles the growing menace. Kosua Ne Meko is a story about two families with different political leanings. Their support for different political parties has created hostility with both families attacking each other at the least chance. Interestingly, love comes calling and they get themselves in a web of a fancy love story. But how does this love story end? The answers will be provided at CNC at 6:00pm and 8:00pm when the two shows come off respectively. The cast of the play include Opana P.O.P, Papa Bings, Honorable, Kabutey, Naa Atw, Rev. Bling Bling and Omo Naija. In a chat with Graphic Showbiz, Gideon Nana Asmah of Smile Fun House said the play is intended to highlight the negative sides of political enmity and its adverse effects on development. Since time immemorial, partisan politics and the urge for political parties to support blindly has been thought to contribute to economic failures. We want to take the audience through a journey of how political differences hinder development and also how politicians ride on this to amass wealth for themselves without caring about the citizens, he said. Nana Asmah said Kosua Ne Meko is a roller coaster of emotions, laughter, betrayal and suspense. Recommended articles Fiifi Coleman to honour late Prof. Ama Atta Aidoo with stage play Playing many shows not equal to money S3fa Stop listening to Sarkodies song- Counselor Adofoli tells Yvonne Nelson Edith Mensah Showbiz News Jul - 04 - 2023 , 12:25 Renowned marriage counselor, Frank Edem Adofoli is entreating actress Yvonne Nelson to stop listening to Sarkodies Try Me since it will not help the healing she is seeking for. He pointed out that the contents of Try Me, which is Sarkodies response to claims that Yvonne had an abortion for him in 2010 were very harsh and will not help the mental stability she needs. Counsellor Adofoli noted that if the actress continued to listen to the rapper's counter song, the therapeutic process she hopes to get for writing the book, I am Not Yvonne Nelson will fail. He wrote in a recent Facebook post: For your own peace of mind, stop listening to the song of your 'former friend'. Don't try him for you have nothing to prove. He mistook your pain for an attack on his image and integrity. He sang out of anger so don't take the words of the song to heart. That is why you have to stop listening to it. He commended her for taking the brave step for baring it all in her memoir stressing that majority of her colleagues, would rather hide behind cheerful smiles on social media and pretend while they suffered in silence. Thanks for letting us know that making mistakes is better than faking perfections. Your book did not only reveal your life and your story but also the things we hide as society. Don't let anyone make you feel bad or guilty for telling your story. You don't need to explain yourself because many people only understand you from their level of perception. Counsellor Adofoli urged the actress to seek counselling or therapy for full recovery warning that she risked breaking down if she ignored a professional healing process. You two are good people who made some mistakes in the past, let the lessons learnt make you a better person and not a bitter one. You need counseling or therapy. Pain can shut you down, make you overthink and lose trust. Read also: Angela White bemoans lack of support from Ghanas government for foreign film projects +233 hosts Jeff Kashiwa to two nights of first-rate jazz Kouame Koulibaly Life Jul - 03 - 2023 , 11:57 American multi-horn player, Jeff Kashiwa, has been a long-time exponent of different textures of contemporary jazz, and music lovers who make it to the +233 Jazz Bar & Grill in Accra on July 8 and July 9 will hear why he is so highly rated. Music has been the force behind Kashiwas life since his early years in Seattle, Washington. One of his first big breaks landed when he became a member of the famous jazz fusion band, The Rippingtons, in 1989. With a great deal of improvised flair and ingenious dips into funk, pop and R&B, The Rippingtons effectively catered to the tastes of millions of fans across the world. Kashiwa was in the band for over 18 years and featured on several of their chart-topping releases. He appeared on two Grammy-nominated instrumental jazz recordings by Acoustic Alchemy and The Rippingtons. Aside of his own solo projects, Kashiwas professional services have been available in other directions as a composer, producer and sought-after teacher. Set to play in Ghana for the first time, the widely travelled Kashiwa will share stage with Native Vibe made up of bassist Nee Sackey and guitarist Bill Macpherson, as well as the enterprising GH Jazz Collective. Native Vibe last appeared at +233 in February 2022 during the venues highly patronised Blues & Jazz Festival. That session had Kevin Flournoy on keyboards and the man who has produced, written, performed and recorded with artists including The Jazz Crusaders, Ronnie Laws, Kirk Whalum, Chaka Khan and Gladys Knight, would be up on stage again with Native Vibe. The GH Jazz Collective, a squad of some of the nations finest instrumentalists, is made up of Victor Dey (piano), Bernard Ayisa (saxophone), Frank Kissi (drums) and Gaddiel Amoah (bass). They are not new to the +233 crowd who would demand their usual doses of brilliant jazz. For jazz lovers in and around Accra, the July 8 and July 9 dates with Jeff Kashiwa and the others should be moments to relax and soak in their favourite style of music. Lime, ash ineffective against armpit odour Dermatologist Gloria Aprrey Life Jul - 04 - 2023 , 11:36 A dermatologist, Mrs Abigail Appiah-Cofie, has cautioned against relying on home remedies like lime and ash for treating armpit odour. According to her, these remedies are ineffective as long-term solutions and should not be considered replacements for antiperspirant deodorants and roll-ons. Mrs Appiah-Cofie, who is the head doctor of Skinvil Dermatological Centre at Madina, Accra, shared her insights on the causes, symptoms and preventive measures for armpit odour in an interview with The Mirror last Tuesday. She said that "the odour occurs when sweat combines with bacteria on the skin's surface, leading to the production of foul-smelling compounds. The apocrine glands, found in the armpits and genital areas, are primarily responsible for this type of sweating." Regarding the use of remedies such as lime juice, ash, baking soda or apple cider vinegar, Mrs Appiah-Cofie stressed that they do not effectively penetrate the skin to stop sweat production. She stated that at best, these options could temporarily neutralise the odour. However, she warned that without proper personal hygiene, relying solely on such treatments could lead to the accumulation of unpleasant odours. The dermatologist also pointed out the lack of scientific research supporting the effectiveness of these homemade remedies, highlighting the need for scientifically proven and standardised solutions when it comes to health. She warned that these remedies may cause skin irritation and allergic reactions in some individuals, as they do not come with usage guidelines, and ingredients like vinegar can cause burns or rashes in sensitive areas. Mrs Appiah-Cofie noted that certain medical conditions, such as hyperhidrosis (excessive sweating) and apocrine bromhidrosis (a disorder of the apocrine glands), could contribute to persistent and intense armpit odour. In such cases, she recommended consulting a dermatologist who may prescribe antibiotics or high-strength antiperspirants containing aluminium chloride. These treatments are typically applied to dry skin before bedtime and washed off in the morning. "In addition to medicinal treatments, regularly washing the armpits with antibacterial soap and warm water can help eliminate odour-causing bacteria. Shaving regularly can also reduce the surface area where bacteria thrive, and wearing loose-fitting clothing made of cotton allows air circulation, aiding moisture absorption," she added. When asked about people's preference for home remedies, Mrs Appiah-Cofie attributed it to the desire for cost-effective solutions. However, she emphasised that personal hygiene and body odour should not be compromised, given the availability of deodorants ranging from as low as GH10 to GH100. She stated that affordable options were also available for every budget. Mrs Appiah-Cofie urged individuals to adopt proper self-care routines and seek professional help when needed. By doing so, individuals can successfully overcome the challenges associated with armpit odour, regain confidence and enjoy odour-free days, she added. Tourism Mecca Kofi Akpabli Life Jul - 03 - 2023 , 13:05 The meaning of Eid al-Adha is the 'feast of the sacrifice' and is celebrated around two months after Eid al-Fitr. While diversification efforts are underway to expand Saudi Arabia's tourism sector beyond religious tourism, the hajj pilgrimage continues to be a vital pillar of the country's tourism and economic landscape. Mecca is Islams holiest city and a focal point for followers of the faith. Its the birthplace of Prophet Muhammad, where Muslims believe he first received Gods revelations of the Quran. Its the location of the Kaaba, the black, cube-shaped structure that Muslims around the world turn to five times a day when praying. Away from the pilgrim-dominated areas, the citys modern neighbourhoods spread out among boulevards with strip malls, gyms, schools and a university. The city has little of the glitz of Gulf cities such as Dubai or Doha, or even Riyadh. The malls are modest, though bubble tea shops and well known chains such as Sephora are moving in. One malls food court had a sign proclaiming that the U.S. fast-food chicken chain Popeyes was opening soon. Daily life does make concessions to the citys sacredness. Mecca has no cinemas, despite the government lifting a nationwide ban on movie theatres in 2018. For a cinema, residents go to the coastal city of Jeddah, about 70 kilometers (35 miles) away. Wedding halls are tucked away from sacred areas. This week is the feast of Eid-ul-Adha. The feast of Sacrifice, is the second major Muslim festival in the Islamic calendar after Eid al-Fitr which marks the end of Ramadan - the month of fasting. It varies according to moon sightings in different parts of the world. Muslims celebrate Eid ul-Adha on the final day of the Hajj which is the pilgrimage to Mecca or Makkah in Saudi Arabia. This pilgrimage takes place every year and all Muslims who are physically able to do so should visit Mecca at least once in their lives. During the Hajj, people carry out acts of worship and stand before the Kabah, a shrine built by Ibrahim and praise Allah together. And once a year, the citys population effectively doubles for up to a month as Hajj pilgrims from around the world flow in, as is happening this week. Security tightens in the streets to direct traffic as massive crowds move around the Grand Mosque and out to the holy sites in the nearby desert like Mina, Muzdalifa and Mount Arafat. Meccans used to have more personal interaction with the Hajj pilgrims. Back in the day, people had their homes open to pilgrims. When pilgrims got sick some were treated in the homes of residents. But the measures authorities have put in to control and organise the crowds have imposed a distance. Huge investment pouring in has transformed Mecca. Authorities in the kingdom said this year, more than 1.6 million pilgrims had already arrived for the pilgrimage as of Sunday. The gathering officially starts on Tuesday. Hajj, a once-in-a-lifetime duty for every able-bodied Muslim who can afford it, is a major source of income for the Saudi government from worshippers lodging, transport, fees and gifts. The kingdom earned about $12 billion annually from the 2.6 million pilgrims that used to visit Mecca and Medina for hajj, and another 19 million visitors for the umrah, according to official data for 2019, or the last year before the pandemic hit the global travel industry. Umrah is another form of pilgrimage which can be carried out at any time of the year. Vast crowds of men wrapped in white and women mostly in black circled the Kaaba in Meccas Holy Mosque as security officers walked among pilgrims, closely watching the ritual. Green barriers were set outside the mosque to direct the crowds and prevent stampedes that killed hundreds in the past. Many pilgrims said they were happy to take the spiritual journey and buy gifts for their family members despite high prices. Even if I had to sell everything to come (to hajj), I would have done it I have been trying for three years already, said Alameer Eid Al-Omar, a 52-year-old pilgrim from Egypt. Such devotion provides business for the merchants of Mecca. And that goes a long way to make tourism in Mecca significant. Dr Afeti outlines measures to transform TVET in new book Dickson Worlanyo Dotse Education Jul - 04 - 2023 , 11:40 A BOOK that seeks to break down and create a better understanding of Technical and Vocational Education Training (TVET) as a credible education track for building human capital for national development has been launched in Accra. The book, titled "Understanding TVET in Africa", systematically lays out strategies and policy actions that need to be implemented by key stakeholders, government and industry to derive the full socio-economic benefits of investing in TVET. Furthermore, it attempts to correct the misconception that misrepresents TVET as a learning pathway for the academically less endowed. The 261-page book was authored by a TVET expert and consultant, Dr George Afeti. The literary piece, which took seven years (2015 to 2022) to author, is a compilation of selected journal articles on TVET and public lectures delivered by the author in several African countries on a variety of topics. The foreword of the book was written by the Director-General of the Commission for TVET, Dr Fred Kyei Asamoah, who said that because there had been a continent-wide paradigm shift towards skills development in the last decade, the book had come at an opportune time to bring greater clarity on TVET as a vehicle for equipping young people with the skills they need to contribute to the socioeconomic development of their countries. Masterpiece In his review, a retired Justice of the Supreme Court, Victor Jones Mawulom Dotse, described the book as a masterpiece that went beyond the bare text of the subject matter by providing cutting-edge statistics and verifiable examples from Ghana, Nigeria, Tanzania, Kenya and South Africa, among other countries. Furthermore, Justice Dotse said the author had performed an invaluable service to education policymakers because he solved, with remarkable ease, the problems associated with TVET in the country and on the continent as a whole. He, therefore, recommended the book to all policymakers on education and heads of schools at all levels; basic, intermediate, higher, tertiary and post-tertiary, adding that it provided the blueprint for political, policy and educational leaders to draw lessons in solving the critical shortage of the required technical manpower. Investment In an interview with the Daily Graphic, Dr Afeti, who is a former Secretary General of the Commonwealth Association of Technical Universities and Polytechnics in Africa, opined that though TVET was a lot more expensive compared to mainstream education, due to the high amount of consumables needed, policymakers should view its adequate funding as an investment for the future development of the country. That, he said, was because it had been proven that any nation with a highly skilled labour force was able to leapfrog in socioeconomic development, citing countries such as South Korea, Japan, China and Rwanda to buttress his point. People have heard enough about how TVET is not for the less academically endowed and whatnot. It is time to show people what TVET has actually done and is capable of doing, to change mindsets, the former Principal of Ho Technical University, who served for 13 years, added. 25 To receive this years Presidential Pitch Chris Nunoo Jul - 04 - 2023 , 12:06 Twenty-five young Ghanaian entrepreneurs are to receive an amount of GH2.5 million as prize money for this years Presidential pitch. This is the fourth edition since the launch of the initiative as a deliberate, systematic and integrated policy initiative by the government to boost the entrepreneurial ecosystem in the country. Powered by the National Entrepreneurship and Innovation Programme (NEIP), the Presidential Pitch had since the year 2018 dealt with about 400 applications from various sectors, out of which the 60 persons supported have created 450 direct jobs. These beneficiaries, among other young entrepreneurs, include the famous Pizza Man Chicken Man, Kawa Moka Coffee Company and NAYA Success Axis, a poultry farm, all of which were said to be doing very well. The Deputy Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the NEIP, Abigail Swad Laryea, at the launch of this years Presidential Pitch in Accra last Friday announced that the government had earmarked an amount of GH 2.5 million for this years top 25 applicants. She said the policy seeks to turn creative businesses owned by the youth of the country into global business giants with the support of the government. Job creators Our country is facing enormous challenges and there is the need to encourage our youth to be job creators and not job seekers, Ms Laryea said. The Presidential pitch, she explained, had become one of the solutions to the national unemployment menace and a special-purpose vehicle provided to create jobs. Detailing the rules and regulations governing this years edition, Ms Laryea said the methodology for the competition had been changed to sectorial picking instead of general picking. In that regard, she mentioned that agriculture, fintech and technology, manufacturing, tourism and creative arts and TVET were the sectors, adding that there was also space for any other viable economic area. In the past, it was 1,000 applications were reviewed. However, it has been narrowed down to 100 and the top 20 were invited to Accra to pitch before the judges. This year, with the five categories, we are going to have each applicant apply, grouped into categories, narrowed down to the top 25 and each sector will have five finalists, she explained. Once that is done, she said, the top 25 would pitch. After that, the top three from each of the categories would be awarded and the number will be narrowed down to the top 15. Ms Laryea said the top 15 would then enter the competition by pitching for a place in the top three. She said an applicant stands to benefit from GH100, 000 from the top three, as well as an extra GH100, 000 from the main competition. She, therefore, encouraged all qualified youth entrepreneurs to participate. Ms Laryea said the NEIP had been a catalyst in realising the vision of building an integrated, innovative and conducive ecosystem for entrepreneurs in the country, pointing out that the primary objective of the NEIP was to provide training, basic development services, capacity building, funding and access to the market. Eligibility Touching on the expectations of NEIP from the applicants, the Deputy NEIP CEO said participants could start applying from last Friday till July 14, 2023. She added that participants must be Ghanaians aged between 18 years and 40 years at the time of application. She said applicants must present businesses that were innovative, feasible, scalable, enjoyable and impactful while ideas submitted must also be the original work of the participants. She indicated that the work presented should not infringe on the intellectual property rights of others. The CEO of Kawa Moka Coffee Company, and a beneficiary, Elizabeth Quantson, who shared her experiences after receiving support from previous editions of the programme, said it had been impactful and also a good opportunity for young entrepreneurs to start their businesses. For her part, the CEO of NAYA Success Axis, Yaa Aduba Asare, who was also a beneficiary, said the Presidential Pitch helped her to make her business concept realistic. She said she worked to grow her business to the extent that she was adjudged the best female farmer during the 2020 Farmers Day in the Adentan Municipality of the Greater Accra Region. Budget review must include tax reliefs for businesses Maclean Kwofi Jul - 04 - 2023 , 05:47 The Ghana National Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GNCCI) has advised the government to consider introducing tax reliefs in the mid-year budget which is due for presentation to Parliament this month. The chamber explained that reliefs in the form of eliminating some of the taxes that fell in the category of nuisance taxes such as COVID-19 Health Recovery Levy would help to lighten the burden on businesses and the citizenry. To enable it to meet the International Monetary Fund (IMF) conditionalities, the government introduced tougher tax measures in the 2023 Budget. However, the chamber said that those measures were currently having a grave impact on the operations of local businesses in the country. The President of the chamber, Clement Osei-Amoako, was speaking at a three-day Chamber Bazaar in Accra on the theme: Harnessing business potentials through trade fairs and exhibitions. More than 50 local firms were present to showcase their products, services and innovative ideas to a diverse audience at the bazaar. Some of the firms included Extra Fashion, Salem Upholstery, African Diamond Cable Company Limited, Amalena Childrens Haven, T.T Brothers Limited, and Home Foods and Cannery Limited. It was meant to promote the consumption and patronage of made-in-Ghana products, services and wares. Action The president further urged the government to respond to the relative improvements in some major macro-economic indicators by abolishing taxes that were harmful to the growth of businesses. While reforms such as tightening monetary policy, raising taxes and implementing automatic adjustments to utility tariffs, among others, were intended to rectify fiscal imbalances and promote economic stability, they have resulted in higher operational costs for businesses operating in the country, he said. Mr Osei-Amoako claimed that many local businesses were collapsing, while others were relocating in response to those challenges. He, therefore, said that it was crucial for the government to swiftly reconsider its tax policies and streamline the structure to ensure fairness and justification to support growth of businesses. The president further said that by creating a favourable business environment, the government would unlock the true potential of the private sector and drive resilient economic growth and prosperity in the country. Mr Osei-Amoako said the chamber remained committed to fulfilling its legislative mandate of promoting and protecting the commercial and industrial interests of the country. He said over the years, the chamber had provided targeted business support services and opportunities for its members and the business community. The Deputy Chief Commercial Officer of the Ministry of Trade and Industry, Benjamin Asiam, said that private sector initiatives such as the bazaar enhanced public efforts to bring firms closer to the market and buyers. He said the significance of such initiatives was evidenced in the drive to harness the full benefit of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA). Mr Asiam added that under the AfCFTA guided trade programmes, eight countries had already started active trading. The countries are Ghana, Kenya, Cameroun, Egypt, Tunisia, Mauritius, Rwanda and Tanzania, which are trading in ceramics, palm oil, car batteries, coffee and other products. Strategic partnerships The Head of Small and Medium Enterprises of the Ghana Export-Import Bank, Bright Evans Darko, commended the chamber for holding the exhibition to promote made-in-Ghana products and services. He said the bank was committed to providing strategic partnerships to promote locally made products. Burkina Faso, Mali must not fall Defence Minister Maclean Kwofi Jul - 04 - 2023 , 12:55 The Minister of Defence, Dominic Nitiwul, has called on countries in West Africa to combine their strengths in order to ward off all terrorism activities in Burkina Faso and Mali. That, he said, was because countries in the region, including Ghana, would suffer the brunt should the two West African countries fall to the ongoing terrorist activities there. The Defence Minister explained that countries in the region must be prepared to take the responsibility to ensure that peace returned to Burkina Faso, Mali and the region in general as the United Nations (UN) withdrew its Peace Support Operations in December 2023. Press conference Addressing a joint press conference between ministers of defence and foreign affairs from Ghana and Portugal in Accra yesterday (July 3), Mr Nitiwul said Ghana must collaborate with its counterparts in the region to ensure that the situation in Burkina Faso and Mali did not escalate. The last issue we discussed in the meeting was the withdrawal of the UN Peace Support Operations in the region which we should expect a surge in problems in Burkina Faso and Mali. We should not leave these two countries to their fate, although the UN may be withdrawing their operations but individual countries in the region must ensure the issue does not escalate because any problem in the two countries, especially Burkina Faso, will directly affect Ghana, he said. Historic visit The press conference was after a close door bilateral discussion between a Portuguese delegation, led by Minister of Foreign Affairs, Joao Gomes Cravinho, and Minister of Defence, Helena Carrieras, and its Ghanaian counterpart represented by the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration, Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey, and Mr Nitiwul. The visit of the ministers is historic given that they are the highest-ranking government officials from Portugal to visit Ghana. Their visit is in preparation for the state visit of President Akufo-Addo to Portugal in July 2023. The Portuguese delegation is on a two-day working visit to Ghana and will hold other high-level meetings today. Ghana faces potent threats Mr Nitiwul noted that terrorism was one of the potent threats facing the country, especially from the northern part of the West African region. However, he said, the government had put in place strong measures to ensure that the country would be able to respond and ward off any terrorist attacks. And so, in the meeting I explained the role Ghana was playing in trying to ensure that we did not allow terrorism to take root in our country. Yes, it is true that Ghana has not had any terrorist attack but its also because of what we are trying to put in place stronger measures to ward off any such attacks, he added. Historical links Ms Botchwey acknowledged the historical links between the two countries which dated back to the 15th Century when Portuguese sailors first landed on the shores of Elmina in the Gold Coast, now Ghana, while formal diplomatic relations were established in 1975. She said the meeting discussed the need to expand Ghanas frontiers in relations and cooperation with Portugal, both at the bilateral and multilateral levels. At the bilateral level, Ms Botchwey said the two parties agreed on the potential for trade and economic cooperation and urged the private sectors of both countries to come together to explore possible avenues for cooperation in various sectors of the economy. This is in support of the government's programmes such as Planting for Food and Jobs and its overall transformation agenda to promote economic growth and employment generation to help address the rising youth unemployment, she added. Portuguese pledge Ms Carrieras pledged the support of the Portugal Government to help Ghana and its counterpart in the West African sub-region to defeat terrorism in all forms. Portugal has a lot of experience in combating terrorism, particularly with Mozambique, where its expertise was laid to bear to defeat terrorism; and so, working together we can deal with the threat facing Ghana and the sub-region, he said. The Portuguese minister of defence said the two countries would soon sign a defence agreement to help serve as a blueprint to support Ghanas quest to help deal with the emerging insurgents of terrorists in the Sahel region. Choked canals hinder vegetable production at Weija Vincent Amenuveve Jul - 04 - 2023 , 07:42 Choked canals at the Weija Irrigation Scheme in the Greater Accra Region are hindering vegetable production meant for both domestic consumption and the export market. The free flow of water through the canals has become virtually impossible as silt and debris fill the water channels. The situation has been blamed on the publics indiscriminate refuse dumping in surrounding communities, while silt is also usually washed down from upland areas during heavy rains. It has left portions of the canal embankments buried underneath the silt. In their effort to resolve the issue, the 302 beneficiary farmers on the scheme made up of 136 men and 67 women levied themselves to raise money to engage the services of excavators to clear the canals anytime they were choked. The clearing exercise, which lasts 10 days on the average, costs the farmers GH6,000 a day, with other miscellaneous expenses amounting to GH4,000 for the period of the exercise. These challenges came to light when officials of the Ghana Irrigation Development Authority (GIDA) paid a familiarisation visit to the scheme last Thursday. Vegetable production The Weija scheme was constructed in 1984 to help farmers in the enclave to undertake vegetable production, especially tomatoes, all-year-round. It is one of the vibrant vegetable producing irrigation schemes in the country with an irrigable area of 224 hectares. The crops are produced for the local and export markets. The scheme produces annually a total of 10.14 tonnes per one hectare of vegetables like okra, pepper, tinda, cucumber, tomatoes, onions, sweet potato and maize. Cropping all the irrigable land translates to 2,271.36 tonnes of the vegetables annually. The beneficiary communities are Tuba, Kokrobitey, Kasoa, Bortianor, and other adjoining communities. A spokesperson for the farmers, Alhassan Issah Tei Agbo, and the Field Supervisor of the scheme, Solomon Oteng, both told the Daily Graphic that the government must expedite action to support farmers in clearing the canals or to re-engineer them, if possible, to prevent frequent silting of the canals, particularly during the rainy season. Bacteria Mr Oteng, for his part, said the situation was dire because some of the residents living in the surrounding communities had been dumping faecal matter and plastic materials around the canals which were usually washed into the canals during heavy rains. This, he said, decreased yield and affected the proper formation of plants because the water became polluted and infested with bacteria whenever it found its way into the fields. Mr Agbo explained that sometimes the farmers cleared the canals three times in a year and said last year, for instance, farmers contributed to clear the choked canals and if nothing was urgently done to address the challenge, farmers would contribute again to clear the canals this rainy season. The situation, he noted, was dwindling the fortunes of the farmers on the scheme who were already overburdened with high cost of production. Other farmers on the scheme complained of challenges such as high cost of farm inputs, high electricity bills, lack of tractors, inadequate buyers for the vegetables, and lack of credit facilities to support vegetable cultivation. The farmers, who spoke, included Karimato Ahmed, Inusah Kwaetsu, 63 and 40 years, respectively. They both cultivate onions, pepper, tomatoes, cabbage, okro and maize. The Weija Irrigation Scheme Manager, Alice Wakah, commended the farmers for attending to the choked canal when the need arose. She reiterated the enormous potential of the scheme in vegetable production and emphasised the need for financial support. Rehabilitation When contacted, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Ghana Irrigation Development Authority(GIDA), Richard Oppong-Boateng, said the authority had undertaken an assessment and cost estimates for rehabilitation of the canal system but efforts were being made to secure funding for work to commence on the project. Additionally, he explained that studies had also been conducted by China Geo Engineering company with cost estimates on the best energy options available to provide for the scheme to reduce high electricity tariffs. Mr Opong-Boateng revealed that the irrigation scheme provided direct and indirect job opportunities to over 2,000 people. The acting CEO said the scheme used two pump stations due to its topography. He explained that the first one had been installed at Machigani which lifted water from the Weija reservoir through a canal of about 6.5 kilometres(Km) long. He, however, said there was a high amount of siltation from the adjoining highlands thereby increasing the pumping duration resulting in high electricity tariffs. Court gives Ato Essien another lifeline Emmanuel Ebo Hawkson & Justice Agbenorsi Jul - 04 - 2023 , 18:27 The Accra High Court has given another lifeline to the convicted Founder of the Capital Bank, William Ato Essien by extending the payment of GH20million restitution to the state to July 27, 2023. The GH20 million represents the first tranche of a total of 60 million expected to be paid to the state. The court, presided over by Justice Eric Kyei Baffour, today decided to adjourn the case again to enable Essien, who has paid only GHC 8 million so far to settle the outstanding GH12 million. Based on the pleas of his counsel, I once again reluctantly give the convict one more opportunity to make payment. If by that date, that money has been redeemed, the court may favourably consider the outstanding amount to be paid, the presiding judge said. Conviction Essien who was convicted for stealing over GH90million of Bank of Ghanas liquidity support to the Capital was supposed to have paid 20 million of the 60million restitution by April 28 this year and pay the rest by the end December this year. Failure to pay the amount per the agreed terms will lead to the court jailing Essien Essien failed to pay the GH20million by the April 28 deadline and rather paid GH8 million so far. Proceedings In court today (July 4), Essien lawyer, Baffour Gyau Bonsu Ashia, told the Court that Essien and Swiss International Holdings had entered into an agreement to dispose of some of his clients properties in a bid to pay back the money. He added that his client was expecting an amount of $300,000 by end of July 2023. Mr Ashia further noted that the money could be easily retrieved if Essiens passport was released to him to bring funds from outside the jurisdiction to help pay back the money, praying for an extra 3 months lifeline. But that was turned down by the presiding judge on grounds Essiens current agreement with the state emanated from a criminal trial adding that he does not have the liberty to release the passport He further urged Essien not to regard the adjournment as a freedom adding: Its just a little space for you to mobilise the funds by July 27. Fire officer jailed two days for beating court bailiff Emmanuel Ebo Hawkson & Justice Agbenorsi Jul - 04 - 2023 , 18:31 The Probate and Administration Division of the Accra High Court has sentenced a Fire Service Officer, Emmanuel Ayitah Quansah, to two days imprisonment for beating a court bailiff. Ayitah was found guilty of contempt of court for beating the bailiff who wanted to serve him with documents in a civil case. The court, presided over by Justice Sarah Aryeee, held that assault on judicial officers must not be encouraged. This canker has to be nipped n the bud. The respondent is found guilty of contempt of court since he failed to purge himself when the court gave him the opportunity to do so before the court, the court ordered. The case was brought to the attention of the court by the Judicial Staff Association of Ghana (JUSAG). What happened? Per the court records, the bailiff decided to serve the Fire Officer at his home with court documents in relation to a dispute over a will of someone. Ayitah refused to accept the court process, insisting that it should be served at his office. According to court documents, the bailiff threw the process at the fire officer who got annoyed and beat up the bailiff. From the Court's record, the Bailiff was entrusted with a process to serve on the Respondent in this matter. Contempt Making a case for the Fire Officer to be committed for contempt, counsel for JUSAG, Theophilus Donkor, said the bailiff was performing his official duties and should not have been subjected to such an assault. The respondent being a serving Fire Service Officer ought to have known that the bailiff was performing his official duties and if he had any challenge with the process or the mode the bailiff was using, he could have come to court to verify. He should not have resorted to taking the law into his own hands., the counsel said Bailiffs angry At yesterdays hearing of the contempt case, some bailiffs and court officials at the Law Court Complex in Accra were angered by the actions of Ayitah, insisting that he must face the consequences of his actions. After the sentence, a bailiff expressed his displeasure at what he described as the lenient punishment meted out to the Fire Officer. We do not want to take the law into our own hands but we think it is not fair for the judge to impose only two days sentence on someone who decided to beat an officer of the court. This is the highest form of contempt, one bailiff told Graphic Online. Ghana can make more profit from fish than gold & oil Prof. Akpalu Zadok Kwame Gyesi Jul - 04 - 2023 , 09:26 A Natural Resource Economist and Dean of the School of Research and Graduate Studies, Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration (GIMPA), Professor Wisdom Akpalu, has expressed the conviction that Ghana will derive more economic benefits from its biological natural resources than non-renewable resources such as gold, diamonds and oil. He said economically, biological or renewable natural resources such as fish offers more advantages in terms of their economic and environmental benefits to the state than mineral and other extractive resources. He explained that whereas biological resources could replenish themselves within the shortest possible time when they are reasonably extracted, same could not be said of non-renewable natural resources. These (biological) resources are extremely valuable to us and we need to manage them sustainably, he noted. Inaugural lecture Prof. Akpalu, who was delivering his inaugural professorial lecture at the Graduate Block Auditorium at GIMPA on June 29, 2023, on the topic The complexities of managing natural resources in developing countries called on the government to institute prudent and sustainable management practices that will ensure that the countrys natural resources were used for the good of all citizens. He observed that although many African countries have been blessed with abundant natural resources, the resources had rather become a curse for many of them, brewing environmental pollution, conflicts, corruption, and wars. The lecture dealt into the complexities surrounding the management of natural resources in developing countries, both in theory and practice. Additionally, the lecture also explored the various aspects of natural resources, including biophysical dynamics of natural resources management, conflicts and externalities arising from natural resource use, counterproductive incentives, and the importance of institutional quality. Prof. Akpalu, who is also the Director of the Environment and Natural Resource Research Initiative (ENRRI EfD Ghana), said many African countries, particularly those in the Sub-Saharan were still poor in spite of their abundant natural resources. He expressed the concern that it was sad that Sub-Saharan Africa was still home to some of the worlds poorest countries, urging governments in the region to relook at how their natural resources were exploited and used. Africa is home to approximately 30 per cent of the worlds mineral resources and boasts highly productive timber forests. However, it is paradoxical that these nations, including many African countries, often experience poverty and deprivation, he explained. Prof. Akpalu, however, said the mere presence of resource wealth does not automatically lead to socio-economic growth and development unless rents (profit) from such resources were properly utilised for the general good of the people. The inefficiency in resource exploitation, the inadequate share of resource rents, and the failure to invest those rents in productive assets or capital are key factors contributing to this phenomenon, he noted. Benefits He said for Africa to benefit from its natural resources utilisation, there was the need to sequence how such resources are extracted, explaining that sequencing the extraction process of natural resources would enable the continent to decide how much of the resources should be taken at any given time. Prof. Akpalu explained, for instance, that Africa loses about US$ 2.3 billion yearly in the fisheries sector due to activities linked to illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing (IUU), a situation he said, could be prevented to through effective management and governance practices. If we manage our natural resources properly, we can make a headway, he said, adding that Ghana also loses US$200 annually due to IUU fishing. Corruption He said there was the need to strengthen institutions that had been mandated to manage natural resources, stressing that lack of quality institutions to manage natural resources would result in corruption and inefficient management practices. There is so much corruption when it comes to the management of our natural resources, Prof. Akpalu said, pointing out that political interference in the management of natural resources has left many African countries not benefiting from their natural resources. He further expressed the concern that the weak bargaining power of Africa in terms of negotiating with external parties in the exploitation of their natural resources has brought little rents from such engagements to the continent. Proper use of rents Prof. Akpalu also called on African governments to invest the rents they get from their natural resources especially in the non-renewable natural resources in other productive assets such as roads, schools, hospital so that future generations would also enjoy proceeds from the natural resources. It said it would be wrong to invest rents from natural resources in consumables. He has, therefore, called on African governments to encourage their nationals to go into the exploitation natural resources as the involvement of the external investors has benefitted Africa very little. Govt, GEA committed to making MSMEs thrive Maclean Kwofi Jul - 04 - 2023 , 10:14 The government through the Ghana Enterprises Agency (GEA) has embarked on several initiatives to foster an enabling environment for micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) to thrive. Through training and capacity-building programmes, business advisory and financial assistance, the agency and its partners have equipped MSMEs with the right tools to grow. The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) at GEA, Kosi Yankey-Ayeh, who made this known at the 2023 MSME Day Celebration in Accra last Tuesday, said the government had now shifted the attention to the creation of indigenous entrepreneurs to accelerate the development of the economy. We have over the years equipped MSMEs with the right tools that have put them on the trajectory of growth and we will continue to help them to grow in the long term, she said. MSME day celebration The celebration was on the theme: Building resilient and sustainable MSMEs to create one million jobs. It seeks to strengthen the capacity and competitiveness of MSMEs and maximise their contributions to the economic and social development of the country. With more than 60 MSME participants, some of the MSMEs that showcased their products included Rosswood Company Limited, AB OVO Confectionery, Panels Company Limited, Medy Vocational Training, Marrad Enterprise, Golden Breed Ventures and Amanex Company Limited. Support Mrs Yankey-Ayeh said the GEA had collaborated with institutions such as the Food and Drugs Authority (FDA) and other regulatory bodies to streamline bureaucratic processes and reduced the constraints MSMEs faced in mainstreaming and formalising their businesses. Additionally, the government through the GEA has injected GH800 million into the operations of 900,000 MSMEs to support their growth in the country since 2017. The funds, the GEA CEO said, were made possible through interventions designed to revive and transform the operations of MSMEs into sustainable firms that could support the governments job creation agenda. She said the MSME firms, throughout the period, had been provided with access to financing, capacity-building, mentorship, training and networking opportunities. Our commitment to building resilient MSMEs is unwavering. I reiterate that we will continue to work with you to create opportunities for growth and prosperity. We remain dedicated and resolute to using our resources to help you access the tools needed to succeed, she emphasised. While lauding the strides MSMEs were making, the GEA CEO stressed the need for all stakeholders in the MSMEs space to redouble their efforts to provide the needed assistance and resources for the sector, which served as the backbone of the economy. We must all work together to build a world where MSMEs have the resources and support they need to make their dreams come true and create one million jobs, she said. Strengthen operational capacities A Deputy Minister of Trade and Industry, Dr Stephen Amoah, challenged MSMEs in the country to keep themselves from endeavours that were no longer relevant in todays dynamic world. He said MSMEs must be adaptable with the ability to deliver new products and services or to build new systems and structures that could strengthen their operational capacities. He underlined the need for MSMEs to properly manage their operations to grow into global giants and support the countrys economy. Lets think in unique way - Digital Consultant urges African nations Justice Agbenorsi & Dickson Worlanyo Dotse Jul - 04 - 2023 , 07:26 The time has come for Africa to stop trying to solve problems based on models designed by the international community and organisations for African nations, a digital transformation consultant and policy advisor has said. Derry Dean Dadzie, who is also the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Heritors Lab, said if the continent wanted to push the frontiers of scientific discovery then it must rather define and solve problems exclusive to it because that could create niches and unique advantages to fuel the continents transformation. Everything we are doing is based on copying. We are not thinking in any unique way to disrupt. When you pursue paths like that, you will almost never catch up because we are not solving problems peculiar to us. We need to reinvent the wheel, Mr Dadzie said. He said this during a panel discussion in Accra last Friday in an event by the University of Ghana (UG) to commemorate the Day of Scientific Renaissance of Africa (DSRA). DSRA The DSRA is celebrated across the continent annually on June 30 following an African Union (AU) resolution passed in July 1987. It is meant to showcase the continents contribution to the development of science and technology given that its story with regard to research, science and technology is usually left untold. The discussion climaxed a month-long commemoration which was characterised by exhibitions by various colleges, schools, institutes and departments on the theme: Nurturing resilience, adopting technology and embracing humanity. Also climaxing the celebrations was the launch of seven electronic textbooks authored by faculties of the university and funded by Building Stronger Universities (BSU), an initiative of the Denmark Government. Renaissance Mr Dadzie, who is a Technology Entrepreneur, urged young researchers and scientists to be audacious and ambitious in attempting to improve on the status quo adding that renaissance should mean finding the next dimension. Life, academia and thinking are not linear. There are different dimensions and you have to be very flexible and open enough to exploit avenues creating room for mistakes and being amenable to new ideas, he explained. Assistive Technology A Principal Software Engineer for Microsoft and Disability Rights Advocate, Farida Bedwei, urged scientists and tertiary institutions to pay critical attention to the development of assistive innovations, devices and technologies and added that when an inclusive society was built, everyone benefits. Touching on Artificial Intelligence, she described the technology as a slippery slope and advised the relevant authorities to put in measures before it got out of control. We need to build our laws and institutions so that we are not taken by surprise. We need to be proactive and not reactive, Ms Bedwei stressed. The Vice-Chancellor of the university, Professor Nana Aba Appiah Amfo, said the institution would continue to champion the spirit of the DSRA as part of its internationalisation drive, commitment to become a research intensive university and mission to be a key player in the realisation of the science and technology goals of Ghana and Africa. She, therefore, commended the level of participation exhibited adding that it was an indication that the university had bought into the idea of using the day as a platform to engage its communities by drawing attention to scientific innovations, scholarly activities and researches by hardworking members of the university community. Rotary Club of Accra North supports Lardowayo-Odumse Health Centre Linda Sah Jul - 04 - 2023 , 11:21 The Rotary Club of Accra North has donated assorted hospital equipment to the Lardowayo-Odumse Health Centre in the Shai-Osudoku District for the operationalisation of the health centre. The items, worth GH130,000, were to support the effort of a non-profit organisation, Qatar Charity, which built the health centre. The items included delivery beds, crank beds, blood pressure monitors, thermometers, open file cabinets and wheelchairs. The President of the Club, Rita Donkubari, said the project would help in the delivery of quality health care to the people in the community. While commending Qatar Charity, Ms Donkubari appealed to the organisation to finance the construction of a fence, which was part of their programme to improve security and ward off animals from the compound of the health centre. She urged the health workers to maintain the equipment donated to the centre to serve the purpose for which they were provided. Health care The Greater Accra Regional Director of Health Services, Dr Charity Sarpong, said healthcare delivery was a shared partnership among the community, stakeholders and health workers. She commended Rotary for the presentation, assuring them that the equipment would be put to good use. Dr Sarpong, however, pleaded with the community members and chiefs to access health care at the facility and support the health workers to provide the medical care they needed. If you do not utilise it and turn it into a white elephant, not much will come out of it. We can only get more if we let people see its benefits, she said. Dr Sarpong called on the government to help secure accommodation for healthcare staff deployed to the centre. The District Director of Health Service, Ebenezer Asiamah, said the health centre at Lardorwayo was long overdue because as a district, Lardorwayo and other adjoining communities such as Odumse, Fiankonya and Sota with over five thousand population had had no public health facility. Some parts of Afienya and Mobole in the neighbouring district, Ningo-Prampram with over four thousand population also have no public facility, he explained. Mr Asiamah said the health facility would be the largest provider of high-quality comprehensive services for children, adolescents and the adult population in the catchment area. I am hopeful that the facility would grow to be one of the best facilities in the district, he said. The Member of Parliament (MP) of the Shai-Osudoku Constituency, Linda Akweley Ocloo, stated that the facility would serve as an employment avenue for the community. She assured them that the roads leading to the hospital would be fixed with the facility now ready for operation. Solar energy solution for poultry farm electric operations Delali Sika Jul - 04 - 2023 , 08:18 Kuipers Breeders Ghana, a company that specialises in breeding and hatching top-quality day-old chicks, has installed a 378-kilowatt (KWp) ground-mounted solar panel to ensure stable and clean energy on its poultry farm. The project, which was constructed and installed by Dutch & Company , a solar energy outfit, was also to contribute to governments agenda of reducing carbon footprint in the country During the commissioning of the installation at the farm in Sege, a suburb of the Dangme East District in Accra, the General Manager of Kuipers Breeders Ghana, Moses Aidoo said the ground mount solar installation was expected to generate 501,739 kWh of green, stable and clean electricity in its first year of operation, and in excess of 11,500,000 kWh during its lifetime. Investment The solar systems power output, he said, was equivalent to providing electricity for about 670 households. Were delighted to have invested in this milestone project, not only because it provides us with energy savings, but it also stabilizes our energy supply which is essential to our operations, he noted. Further Mr Aidoo noted that switching to solar energy meant subscribing to international protocols, which as an environmentally responsible company, we want to do. Dutch & Co is registered with the Ghana Energy Commission and they hold international compliance certification and since they know that we are looking for, we decided to go the them. Again, they have a record of installing and maintaining PV Solar, and thats why we decided to work with them on this project, he noted. Obligation The General Manager of Dutch & C, Herbert Friese expressed excitement over the ability to contribute to the to the reduction carbon emissions in Ghana stressing that, the step would also lower the demand of electricity and increase the supply of green, affordable and stable electricity The use of energy efficiency and renewable energy is not just an opportunity, but rather an obligation, Mr Friese stated. Reducing carbon emission Ghana aims to reduce carbon emissions by about 64 million tonnes by 2030. Currently, the country has become the second country in Africa after Mozambique to receive payments from a World Bank trust fund for reducing emissions from deforestation and forest degradation, commonly known as REDD+. Pullquote The use of energy efficiency and renewable energy is not just an opportunity, but rather an obligation, Water pollution threat to achieving SDG 6 EPA Timothy Ngnenbe & Linda Sah Jul - 04 - 2023 , 12:13 The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has identified the pollution of water bodies in the country as the greatest threat to achieving sustainable development goal (SDG) Six in the next seven years. The United Nations (UN) SDG Six seeks to ensure universal access to clean water and improved sanitation for all by 2030. With seven years to the deadline, the Executive Director of the EPA, Dr Henry Kwabena Kokofu, said the heavy pollution of rivers by human activities, particularly through illegal mining and industrial waste, would be the waterloo for the countrys effort at meeting the target. Dr Kokofu has, therefore, warned that the EPA would crack the whip on errant companies in the manufacturing, chemicals and extractive sectors. "We at the EPA cannot run away from blame in terms of water pollution because we have the mandate to lead the process of protecting the environment. We are doing our best to fulfil that mandate but our best may not be enough. "We have been cracking the whip as an authority but we will have to tighten the knot going forward. Going forward, we will name and shame in public. Whatever punishment we give out to errant companies will be made public to serve as a deterrent," he said. The EPA boss stated that at a workshop on wastewater management organised by the Embassy of Denmark last Thursday. Danish Wastewater technology The workshop was meant to discuss the prospects of sustainably managing wastewater in the country through the adoption of modern technologies from Danish companies. Currently, Denmark treats 97 per cent of wastewater generated by companies, far above the global average of 20 per cent. As a measure to help Ghana manage its wastewater, two Danish technology companies - Alumichem and Biokube, are partnering with Nutrifoods, producers of Tasty Tom tomato paste, in a pilot project that seeks to transfer the Danish technology into the country. The workshop discussed the success of the pilot project and the possibility to scale up. Good move Dr Kokofu said the partnership with the Danish companies was crucial as it would ensure appropriate technologies were deployed to effectively manage wastewater. Again, she observed that the partnership would help build local capacity to effectively manage wastewater. He added that as the government was vigorously pursuing the one distinct one factory (1D1F) policy, there was the need for proper wastewater management regimes to ensure that the activities of those companies did not pollute waterbodies. As we industrialise, the infractions on the environment will be high, and that is why we need to strengthen our monitoring regimes to ensure that the appropriate technologies are deployed for effectively managing wastewater in particular, he said. Industries need to also up their game in terms of compliance. The compliance level now by industries is around 60 per cent but they must do more. They must up the technologies for managing wastewater, he said. Enhanced collaboration The Deputy Head of Missions at the Embassy of Denmark, Vibeke Sandholm Pedersen, called for enhanced sharing of technologies on wastewater management between developed and developing countries to help achieve SDG Six. She noted that Denmark companies were ready to share their high technology for the treatment of wastewater. Ms Pedersen explained that Denmark achieved 97 per cent wastewater management because it was an environmental legal requirement. She said based on that legal requirement, many Danish companies had been at the forefront of developing innovative technologies within the water sector. Ms Pedersen added that based on the critical need for efficient management of wastewater, the Danish Embassy, in collaboration with those companies, started a project to aimed at transferring their wastewater treatment technologies to Ghana. She said the leveraging expertise of the partner companies would accelerate Ghanas quest to achieve SDG Six related to water and sanitation. "By working together, we can ensure the responsible management of our water resources and create a better future for generations to come," he said. Alan Kyerematen commences constituency tour Vincent Amenuveve & Joshua Bediako Koomson Politics Jul - 04 - 2023 , 11:30 A presidential hopeful of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Alan Kyerematen, has disclosed that as part of his constituency tour which will commence today, he will introduce an innovation by clustering the various constituencies to help bring the party executives together. He said the essence of the innovation was to unite the executives not just within their own constituencies but in other few constituencies within the cluster. He said the main reason behind the innovation was to energise the rank and file of the party to make sure they worked together as a party in the march towards victory in 2024. The cluster of engagements, which commences today in the Greater Accra Region, will be replicated in the other regions. It was to help delegates and the presidential hopeful to devise winning strategies towards the Alan for President (A4P) goal of building a strong partnership for power between the NPP and the public. Vetting The former minister of trade said this while engaging the media after his vetting at the partys campaign office in Accra yesterday. He said the vetting went smoothly and he had good interactions with the committee. As you are all aware, Ive been through this exercise on several occasions so Im quite familiar with this whole process, he added. Track record The Spokesperson for Mr Kyerematen, Yaw Buaben Asamoa, who spoke to the media prior to the vetting, also indicated that none of the presidential hopefuls of the NPP had the track record of consistently delivering sustainable jobs as compared to Mr Kyerematen. He stressed that Mr Kyerematen was better and had the expertise in job creation and that singled him out among the other contenders. With the current high unemployment figures, he noted the country was at the stage where it needed someone who had the expertise in creating jobs and the frameworks that delivered more jobs and income and Alan is the best person for that compared to the others. His brain child, his creation and his establishment which is the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) is now the celebration of the entire African continent. Every African leader is now talking about this establishment and Alan is the man behind it. So how do we bypass such a person for somebody else? He is in the driving seat because of that singular effort. Aside from that he is also an industrialist and a business promoter as well as somebody who is capable of establishing frameworks and structures that deliver jobs and income, that makes him the man, Mr Asamoa said. Campaign slogan Mr Asamoa, who is also the former Communications Director of the New Patriotic Party(NPP), said Mr Kyerematens campaign slogan Aduru wo so to wit it is your turn was a clear indication that the party members had seen his track record and had concluded that its time for him to take up the mantle. Alan hasnt said its his turn. It is rather his supporters who are telling him. The whole country is telling him, chiefs, religious leaders, the citizens and the party members are telling him its his turn so obviously, its not in his control to deny that. Everyone is at liberty to design their own slogans, Mr Asamoa said. Ayikoi Otoo: It will be a good thing to enter a nolle prosequi in Quayson's case Graphic.com.gh Politics Jul - 04 - 2023 , 04:12 A former Attorney-General and Minister of Justice, Nii Ayikoi Otoo, says it will be good for the New Patriotic Party (NPP) in future elections at Assin North if the current Attorney-General discontinues the criminal case against James Gyakye Quayson, the Member of Parliament-elect for the area. Nii Ayikoi Otto, a former Ghana High Commissioner to Canada in a radio interview with Accra based Citi FM on Monday [July 3], stressed that it was politically prudent to enter a nolle prosequi in the case because the NPP needs to look at the wider public sentiment and how the people of Assin North will react to its continuation. He was, however, quick to add that the Attorney-General on his own volition does not have the capacity to take the decision except if Cabinet so agrees. "In the matter of negotiations, if we [NPP] want to win elections in Assin North next time and we go on with this trend and then we convict him, in the likely event that we convict him, and then he gets out again, we are going to go into another by-election, this time not with him, but what will the people of Assin North think of the NPP. Will they be ever comfortable voting us into power, will they decide never to forgive us anymore. This is what we should be looking at." It will be a good thing to enter a nolle prosequi and stop all this to show more maturity but you cannot as an Attorney-General do it on your own, you are not independent, you are part of a whole." The Attorney-General is bound by Cabinet decision and Cabinet secrecy even if he disagrees, once it has been taken, you are bound," he said on the Citi FM EyeWitness News on Monday evening (July 3). So, if you ask me, what I will tell you is that there is the need for some negotiation, a broader conversation on the matter, he stressed. The former A-G was speaking in reaction to recent comments by the Dormaahene that the state should discontinue the Gyakye Quayson trial in an Accra High Court, which comment attracted a swift rebuttal from A-G Godfred Yeboah Dame. James Quayson had pleaded not guilty to five charges of deceit of the public officer, forgery of passport or travel certificates, knowingly making a false statutory declaration, perjury and false declaration for office. The charges relate to his participation in the 2020 polls at a time he supposedly held dual citizenship. The Accra High Court ordered a daily trial, which ruling has been challenged by his lawyers in the Court of Appeal. Eliminate vote buying in elections - 2 Political analysts advocate Vincent Amenuveve Politics Jul - 04 - 2023 , 11:58 Two political analysts have called for urgent steps to carefully examine and eliminate the common trends of vot ebuying and any form of inducements to change voting patterns in the country's electoral system. That, they explained, could be achieved if state institutions such as the National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE) made deliberate attempts to educate the electorate about the consequences and dangers of vote buying in tarnishing the nation's democratic credentials. The analysts, a Senior Lecturer at the Department of Political Science, University of Ghana, Dr Kwame Asah-Asante, and a former Political Science Lecturer of the Methodist University, Ghana, Dr Bonsu Osei-Owusu, made the call in separate interviews with the Daily Graphic in Accra. They were commenting on the outcome of the Assin North by-election. Three strategies Dr Asah-Asante pointed out that the just-ended by-election was an indication that nobody wins any election by way of inducements, intimidation, lies and deception, but only through hard work". He stated that both parties were guilty of vote buying and that when you do that, you don't give the people the opportunity to make informed decisions and think for themselves. The senior lecturer observed that the National Democratic Congress (NDC) employed three main strategies to win -effective mobilisation and utilisation of human and available logistics; strategy; and campaign messages (propaganda). He noted that the NDC deployed all their human resources from party foot soldiers to the bigwigs in the party such as former President John Mahama and other executives of the NDC. In terms of strategy, he argued that the party sent an advanced team far ahead of the scheduled date for the elections to map out strategies to win, using the party bigwigs including Elvis Afriyie Ankrah. The third tool, Dr Asah-Asante said the NDC used was the bandwagon technique" where the party made the electorate to understand that despite the raw deal" handed down to their candidate, the right people were in town to right the wrongs. Dr Asah-Asante, who is also the Director of the Centre for European Studies at the University of Ghana, stated that the NDC used other tools to their advantage including the testimonial strategy. The senior lecturer said the opposition party also used electoral technology to monitor the results while they were also vigilant throughout the electoral process until the end. In their campaign messages, he observed that the NDC played the economy card, citing the economic challenges facing the nation as due to mismanagement by the ruling NPP, which by far worked to their advantage. Sympathy votes Dr Osei-Owusu, for his part, said the NDC won with a larger margin partly because of the popularity of its candidate and the sympathy votes he won. He said both parties traded accusations and counter-accusations of distributing money to the electorate, which must be condemned in no uncertain terms. He said there was a need for security agencies, particularly the police, to arrest and prosecute candidates or politicians that engage in distributing money just to buy votes, to serve as a deterrent to others. NPP flagbearership race: Bawumia calls for clean campaign Samuel Duodu Politics Jul - 04 - 2023 , 03:27 The Vice-President, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, has stressed the importance of a clean and respectful campaign as the New Patriotic Party (NPP) flagbearership race intensifies. "We are one family and we must remain united. Once the contest concludes, we will come together as a cohesive force to ensure the National Democratic Congress (NDC) does not return to power. That unity is of utmost importance. Let us maintain the NPP's position of power and foster unity within the party," he said. Dr Bawumia, a flagbearer hopeful of the NPP, emphasised the need for unity within the party while addressing delegates during his final day of the Greater Accra tour. With 10 individuals, including Dr Bawumia himself, vying for the position of the flag bearer, campaigning has grown more fervent, leading to some candidates resorting to personal attacks against their rivals. Unity Dr Bawumia stressed that as a family, it was crucial for all factions to recognise that a united front was necessary to confront the "main enemy," which is the NDC. He stated, "We must understand that the current campaign is an internal election. Our primary opponent in 2024 is the NDC. As we embark on this campaign, let us refrain from speaking ill of one another." He continued, "We seek peace, a clean campaign and a fair election. We do not want anyone to engage in attacks against their opponents. After the elections, we will require everyone's support to tackle the NDC." In a demonstration of his commitment to a clean campaign, Dr Bawumia revealed that he had urged his campaign staff and well-wishers to be mindful of their language to uphold party unity. "I have instructed all my supporters and spokespersons that we must conduct a clean campaign, avoiding any form of insults," he stated. "We are one family, and we must remain united. Once the contest concludes, we will come together as a cohesive force to ensure the NDC does not return to power. That unity is of utmost importance. Let us maintain the NPP's position of power and foster unity within the party." Dr Bawumia concluded his campaign in the Greater Accra Region with a visit to the Obom Domeabra Constituency over the weekend, marking the end of his tour. Renew commitment to nation building - Mahama to Ghanaians Samuel Duodu Politics Jul - 04 - 2023 , 06:33 Former President John Dramani Mahama has urged Ghanaians to renew their commitment towards building a prosperous nation with the emblem of Freedom and Justice being their guiding principles. Freedom and Justice is not and cannot just be a mere adornment on our Coat of Arms. It must be a moral compass and a guiding light leading every Ghanaian, he said. Imagine a Ghana where freedom and justice are not just empty words but a powerful force guiding every citizen towards a brighter future, Mr Mahama said in a message to Ghanaians to commemorate this years Republic Day which fell on Saturday, July 1, 2023. The day The day is to commemorate Ghana becoming a republic on July 1, 1960. It was a public holiday until 2019 when the Public Holiday Amendment Bill was passed making the Republic Day as one of the commemorative days and not a holiday in the country. Mr Mahama, who is also the 2024 flag bearer of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC), in his message, also charged Ghanaians to fight against any kind of injustice and promote free speech irrespective of ones status. A Ghana where every person, no matter their background or circumstance, is protected and provided for, he said. A Ghana where our institutions and courts are trusted to defend constitutional rights and deliver impartial justice, Mr Mahama added. A Ghana where speaking up against injustice is not criminalised but allowed and encouraged, the former President stated. GUIYANG -- China's leading liquor maker Kweichow Moutai, with more than 100 overseas distributors, has its roots in the city of Zunyi in Southwest China's Guizhou province. The local red soil, rich in chili pepper cultivation, is also home to China's famous Lao Gan Ma chili sauce, an essential ingredient in Chinese kitchens and a cherished necessity for Chinese students studying abroad. Zunyi also gained household recognition among Chinese people primarily due to a crucial meeting held in the city by the Red Army which has helped shape modern China. In January 1935, an enlarged meeting of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee was held in Zunyi during the Long March. The meeting focused on rectifying the left-leaning errors in military and organizational affairs and established the correct leadership of the new Central Committee, as represented by Mao Zedong. The Zunyi Meeting is regarded as a crucial turning point of the Long March, leading to the ultimate success of the Chinese revolution. Since then, Zunyi has become a sacred place for generations of CPC members, and the footprints of the Red Army are forever imprinted on the city's culture and spirits. Decades later, the site of the Zunyi Meeting is teeming with tourists this summer. Yang Hongru, a 72-year-old visitor from northeast China's Heilongjiang Province, went all the way to Guizhou and Zunyi was her first stop in the province. "Bearing the history in mind, I came to the site for a more profound understanding of China's past," Yang said. To meet the growing demand among visitors, the memorial hall of the Zunyi Meeting announced that it would remain open at night for tourists starting from May 20 amid China's red tourism boom. Last year alone, Zunyi received a total of 81.86 million visitors, raking in 85.7 billion yuan (about $12 billion). Approximately 18 percent of the tourists were drawn to the red tourism sites among various attractions. Every Saturday, the Red Army Street close to the site of the Zunyi Meeting resounds to the melodies sung by the local "red song" art ensemble. The ensemble comprises over 180 members, all of whom are retirees from the city, with the eldest aged 84 and the youngest aged 57. With an average age of nearly 70 years old, the elderly members are quite familiar with the songs themed on China's revolutionary era. "We didn't know each other until our shared passion for music and a collective desire to preserve and carry forward China's revolutionary spirit brought us together," said Chen Huiyan, 60, deputy head of the art ensemble. Chen added that younger generations are also interested in their performances and would join their chorus from time to time. Qi Mingchen, a fourth grader from Zunyi Cultural Elementary School, is among the city's energetic youngsters who voluntarily embrace the responsibility of carrying forward Zunyi's revolutionary glory and the Red Army spirit. A year ago, Qi volunteered to become an exhibition guide at the memorial hall of the Zunyi Meeting. During holidays and spring and summer breaks, the little boy will come to the exhibition hall and tell stories of the Red Army's Long March to visitors. Born in Zunyi, Qi loves the revolutionary stories of his hometown. So far, he has delivered nearly 20 presentations as the exhibition guide. "I can still feel the influence of the Red Army in our daily life," Qi said. Zunyi's "red genes" have brought tangible benefits to the locals in modern days. Official data released in 2022 showed that Zunyi had seen its GDP exceed 400 billion yuan over the past decade, treble the 2012 level. Rooted in its revolutionary past, the city is now embarking on a new chapter of development while retaining its historical significance. Just last week Apple signed a long-term patent agreement with Nokia that covers 5G and other technologies. However, Cupertino has no such agreement with Optis Cellular Technology, which is suing Apple over eight patents. The UK Court of Appeal just confirmed a decision from March 2022 that states that Apple infringed on two of them. The two patents were ruled to be essential for 4G connectivity and were found to be used by Apples iPhones. Apple appealed the decision in May, but that appeal was rejected by the court. All of this is a part of an ongoing legal saga that began four ago. In 2020 a jury in East Texas decided that Apple owes sibling Optis affiliate PanOptis $506 million, then in 2022 the sum was lowered to $300 million, which eventually stuck as the court decided not to hold a third trial. Source As of Tuesday at 1 p.m., the Guam Power Authority has officially restored power to 95.4% of all customers, which is a 0.4% increase from Mondays update. Another 200 customers had their services restored within the last 24 hours. A total of 2,706 customers are still without power, according to GPA. They are spread out across the following areas: Yigo: 555 customers Dededo: 444 customers Tamuning-Tumon-Harmon: 563 customers Mangilao and Barrigada: 369 customers Hagatna-Anigua, Agana Heights, Sinajana, Mongmong-Toto-Maite, Piti, Asan-Maina, Ordot-Chalan Pago: 449 customers Hagat, Santa Rita, Humatak, Malesso, Inalahan, Talofofo, Yona: 326 customers GPA crews continue to conduct village sweeps to address the following: Customers who were previously isolated pending more extensive repair All lateral lines in each sector Service to customers with completed inspection reports of repaired weather heads Damaged meters and transformers Emergencies are still addressed on demand. Over the next one to three days, GPA will focus on the following areas for Phase III recovery: Northern Sector Various areas in Dededo, including those at and around Ysengsong Several areas in Yigo, including those around East Gayinero, Route 15, Taitano area, Anao area, Cortez area, Route 15 and Mt. Santa Rosa. Central Sector Mangilao, Pagat, Rte 15 Mongmong-Toto-Maite Tamuning-Harmon-Tumon Hagatna Ordot-Chalan Pago Southern Sector Inalahan Malesso Customers are reminded that if they have damaged weather heads, they must obtain GPA Work Clearance and GPA Inspection Report forms at the GPWA customer lobbies in the following areas: Fadian from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. from Monday to Friday Julale from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. from Monday to Friday Upper Tumon from 7:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday to Friday and from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. on Saturdays Residents are also reminded to not perform repair work on energized electrical lines. The Office of the Attorney General of Guam continues its aggressive prosecutions. Two reports sent from the AGs office on Monday night stated that they have initiated prosecutions against multiple government of Guam officials for committing a number of crimes against the community. Prosecutor Gloria Lujan secured the indictments in both reports, and the indictments were voted upon by a grand jury of citizens in Guam. Guam Regional Transit Authority One report pertains to alleged improper expenditures of government funds in paying an interim executive manager for a position that he was not qualified to hold. The office alleged that Richard Ybanez was not qualified for his position due to not having the positions requisite college degree. The report has accused five officials within the Guam Regional Transit Authority with the following: Third Degree Felony-Conspiracy for Misapplication of Entrusted Funds Second Degree Felony-Theft by Deception Misdemeanors-Official Misconduct and Misapplication of Entrusted Funds Officials charged include the Interim GRTA Executive Manager Richard Ybanez, Inalahan Mayor Anthony Chargualaf and Hagat Mayor Kevin Susuico in their capacities in GRTAs Board of Directors, Jennifer Badar Cruz as GRTAs Certifying Officer, and Alejo Sablan as Chairman of GRTAs Board of Directors. Cruz was also charged with a third-degree felony for tampering with public records. Department of Public Health and Social Services The second report pertains to the alleged wrongful issuance of sanitary permits allegedly endangering DOE students, teachers, staff, visitors and general public at multiple government of Guam public schools, according to the Office of the AG. The report also alleged that sanitary permits were approved by responsible government officials without any inspections. This report accused Guams Department of Public Health and Social Services Director Arthur San Agustin of five counts of tampering with public records as a second-degree felony and one count each for obstructing governmental functions and official misconduct, which were both misdemeanors. The report also accused the DPHSS Chief Environmental Health Officer Masatomo Nadeau for obstructing governmental functions and official misconduct. The Attorney General is by law required to, and is committed to enforcing Guams laws and in rooting out waste, fraud and abuse. All public officials have a fiduciary duty to the public to expend funds as required by law, stated the Office of the AG. Officials are appointed and paid to important positions to protect taxpayer monies. No one can be treated above the law. The AGs office reminds the public that all defendants are innocent until proven guilty. They also continue to invite anyone with additional information to contact them at (671)475-2705 or to send an email to gcd@oagguam.org. Identities can be kept anonymous if requested. The Guam Police Department is continuing the investigation of the death of Jason Quintanilla Susuico, whose body was found decomposing in the jungles by the Guam Raceway Park in Yigo. Susuicos death was ultimately ruled a homicide during the initial investigations in January 2023. In June 2023, GPDs Criminal Investigation Division detectives met with an informant, who provided information to further this case, stating that the murder of Susuico took place at a residence in Pagat, Mangilao. Autopsy reports from Dr. Jeffrey Nine identified Susuicos cause of death was due to blunt force trauma. On July 3, detectives made a check of the residence through new information given by an informant and found Cynthia Rose Quinata. Quinata was also asked about Justin Jay Nenedog Perez. Quinata told detectives that Perez was not at her residence. With assistance from Forensic Science Division Personnel, a substantial amount of blood was located inside the home, which was consistent with the informants new information. Throughout the course of the investigation, Perez was located. Based on the evidence gathered, and in consultation with the Attorney Generals Office, sufficient probable cause was found to have been established to effectuate the arrest of Quinata. Quinata was arrested for aggravated murder, conspiracy to commit aggravated murder and guilt established by complicity execution of warrants hindering apprehension. Perez was arrested on an outstanding warrant of arrest. The details of his involvement in the homicide were referred to the Office of the Attorney General of Guam for possible indictment. The case remains open and remains under investigation. The arrest reports have been forwarded to the AGs office for their information. Both Quinata and Perez were booked and confined to the Department of Corrections. Sen. Dwayne San Nicolas introduced Bill Number 145-37 on Monday to create a government of Guam Lottery Commission, which he believes will generate revenue for the island and support local government programs. According to the Office of Sen. San Nicolas, the 37th Guam Legislature finds that by establishing a form of state lotteries in Guam, managed and administered by a government of Guam commission, the island will be able to cultivate and form another industry that will further bolster the economy and create another revenue source that can be used for a variety of government programs and address the islands financial burdens. What I want to do is to create a gaming commission that would allow all types of gaming, everything like lottery, casino, carnival activities, games of chances, just to name a few, said Sen. San Nicolas, the author of Bill 145-37. I want to regulate it, hopefully to generate revenues for the government of Guam without actually taxing the people. Games of chance can generate a lot of revenue at the fun of participating. He shared how the idea of the bill came about. When I was a child, my dad would always bring home scratch cards, Sen. San Nicolas said. I would spend 20 minutes with a nickel scratching the card. That was exciting as a child to win money by scratching something off. This isnt the first time such a government agency is established. Forty-five states, the District of Columbia and territories, such as Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands, all have government-controlled and managed lotteries that fund programs and contribute to finances, according to the bill. In California, revenues from its state lottery go directly into the funding of its public education system providing more than $37.5 billion overall since the creation of the lottery commission in 1985. Similarly, New Mexico also has a lottery scholarship that fully funds up to seven semesters worth of tuition within their public universities for their residents up to 16 months after graduating from high school, according to their Higher Education website. Using the model that the 45 states, U.S. Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico are utilizing for government-operated lotteries, Guam could similarly partake in the benefits that the industry brings and provide an additional revenue source for many of the government programs. The bill, if enacted into Guam law, will allow government-controlled and operated lottery that is managed and operated by a dedicated government of Guam Lottery Commission. If passed, the bill will create another revenue source that will be able to provide additional funds or even completely fund a variety of government programs, according to the Office of Sen. San Nicolas. Haiti - FLASH : Antonio Guterres, asks for volunteers to intervene in Haiti Monday, July 3rd, 2023, during the 45th regular meeting of Heads of State and Government of Caricom (July 3 to 5), Antonio Guterres, the Secretary General of the United Nations Organization (UN), insisted with the international community on the need to train a foreign security force for an intervention in Haiti. He told the media "[...] countries in Africa and the Caribbean have shown their willingness to participate in an intervention and the most important thing is that we need countries that have strong police forces and the equipment and logistical support needed to volunteer [...] Solutions must be found in terms of crime and security, in terms of political stability. There is a huge humanitarian crisis in Haiti that no one seems to be paying attention to [...]" "We must collectively do more to help the people of Haiti chart the best path to elections and a political solution," Guterres said after a bilateral meeting with Trinidad and Tobago Prime Minister Keith Rowley in Port of Spain. "There can be no lasting security without insisting on democratic institutions. And there can be no institutions of strong democracies without a drastic improvement in the security situation," in this sense Guterres advocates the "deployment of an international security force authorized by the Security Council and which cooperates with the National Police of Haiti to dismantle the gangs that have created this unprecedented violence." Carla Barnett, Secretary General of Caricom, said that the Caribbean community will not intervene in Haiti "if the Haitian people do not want it." Moreover, she underlined "there are problems that prevent [this intervention] from being implemented. For example, legal authority to do so. There is no UN Security Council resolution providing for this at the moment, so there are things that need to be resolved before this can be achieved." SL/ HaitiLibre Haiti - News : Zapping... A husband killed with machete by his wife and children In Grand'Anse, Mecene Dimanche was killed with machetes and stones by his wife and two children, in the 3rd communal section of Corail. The women and two children were arrested. Artibonite: The price of fuel doubles The Artibonite department has been facing a severe fuel supply problem in recent weeks. The gallon of gasoline has gone from 850 gourdes to 1,500 gourdes in certain areas... The bandit hunt continues The hunt for bandits continues in the country. The past weekend, Edison alias "Marasa" presumed member of the Village de Dieu gang, was lynched and his body burned by members of the population of the 3rd communal section of Irois. USA July 4 : Wishes from P.M. Ariel Henry "On this solemn Independence Day of the United States of America [4th of July], it is my pleasure to wish a happy holiday to the people and the government of the United States. I take this opportunity to salute the Haitian-American relations, a model of bilateral cooperation, based on solidarity and respect. On behalf of the Haitian people, I express the wish to see the ties of a lasting and more fruitful friendship between the two countries become stronger," Acting Prime Minister Ariel Henry. Fuel, targeted subsidies, start of census Monday, July 3rd, as part of the oil program of targeted subsidies, the campaign to identify public transport vehicles was launched in several municipalities in the Ouest department. Internal ONA documents on the internet In a press note dated July 3rd, 2023, the General Management of the National Old-Age Insurance Office (ONA) denounces and condemns the dissemination on social networks of strictly internal administrative documents of the institution. "The General Directorate will take the necessary steps to determine the responsibilities and sanction the culprits" specifies Marguerite Berthe MARESCOT, Director General. HL/ HaitiLibre Published on 2023/07/03 | Source EXO member Suho will make a comeback on the small screen. Advertisement In JTBC's new Saturday and Sunday drama "Behind your Touch", Suho plays the role of Seon-woo, who has a beautiful appearance, an angelic smile, and a friendly personality, showing off his extreme charm. Seon-woo a part-time worker at a convenience store, suddenly appears in a small neighborhood called Mujin and catches everyone's attention. He is expected to stimulate the curiosity of viewers through the mysterious aspect of being kind but rarely able to read thoughts. Seon-woo is scheduled to have a special friendship with veterinarian Ye-boon (Han Ji-min) in the wake of taking care of an abandoned cat by accident, drawing keen attention to his performance in the drama. Suho said, "I'm happy to see the viewers with acting after a long time". "Behind your Touch" is a comic investigation drama about a sincere nosy-body veterinarian who can see the past of animals and people with her accidental psychometry ability in Mujin, a clean crime-free rural village, and an elite detective who needs her ability to return to Gwangsu University in Seoul. The first broadcast is set to air at 10:30 PM on August 12th. Published on 2023/07/03 | Source New behind-the-scene stills added for the upcoming Korean movie "Where Would You Like to Go?" (2023) Advertisement Directed by Kim Hee-jung With Park Ha-sun, Kim Nam-hee-I, Jun Suk-ho, Moon Woo-jin,... Synopsis A Korean-Polish co-production. Do-kyeong jumped in to save his student Ji-yong from drowning. After the two pass away, Myoung-ji, Do-kyeong's wife, and Ji-eun, Ji-yong's sister, are left alone in the world, having to cope with the loss of their loved ones. Myoung-ji travels to Warsaw, Poland, to avoid her harsh reality. She meets an old friend and hides her husband's death as if trying to reject the tragedy. 24th Jeonju International Film Festival Release date in Korea : 2023/07/05 Helsingin Sanomat on Monday reported that Minister for Foreign Trade and Development Ville Tavio (PS) has pointed to the conspiracy theory in a number of statements in the session hall of the Finnish Parliament. A HANDFUL of the Finns Partys ministers have made overt and less overt references to the predominantly white far-right conspiracy theory known as the great replacement or replacement theory. The theory alleges that left-leaning domestic or international elites are trying to replace the white population with non-white immigrants, enabling non-white majorities to take control of key institutions, destroy cultures and traditions, and ultimately eliminate white populations. The theory has also found its way into, for example, the rhetoric of the Republican Party in the US. The Finnish name for the theory is 'vaestonvaihto,' which translates directly into population replacement. Tavio has spoken about population replacement, a population change process, foreignisation of the population and artificial population growth through immigration, listed Helsingin Sanomat. In 2021, he linked the conspiracy theory to the governments policy toward the EU: The Finnish population wont get back its own free land because it has been handed over as a playground for the EU. Were being depleted and the basis of our population is being changed supposedly in the name of wonderful multiculturalism. The socialist government is advocating its own agendas with no regard for the means and wont stop until our country has been depleted in the name of climate change and our population has been replaced in line with multicultural ideals, he stated later during the same session. Tavio viewed a year earlier that immigration is on track to result in a demographic change that can be likened to population replacement. Population growth rests on immigration and the birth rate among immigrants. If this continues, the outcome is a change in demographics. You could also talk about the so-called population replacement, he remarked according to the newspaper. Minister of the Interior Mari Rantanen (PS) in February used a hashtag related to the replacement theory when sharing a tweet concerning demographic changes in Espoo, Southern Finland, according to YLE. Two years earlier she appeared to nod at the theory when commenting on a newspaper article about population growth in Africa: At this rate, Europe will become part of Africa unless the tone and politics change. But some may genuinely want that. YLE also reported that her website was recently updated to remove a sentence that played on the Finnish word sinisilmainen, which translates literally to blue-eyed and figuratively to gullible and naive. We mustnt be so blue-eyed that soon we wont be blue-eyed, the removed part read according to the public broadcaster. Minister of Justice Leena Meri (PS) in February stated on YLE A-studio that the National Coalitions readiness to double the number of work permits granted to non-EU citizens indicates a readiness to replace the population. Minister of Finance Riikka Purra (PS) argued on Facebook in 2019 that talk about population replacement is not an exaggeration, pointing to a projection about the share of native-born population in Finland, Denmark, Norway and Sweden. I havent acquainted myself with conspiracy theories of the far right that deal with population replacement, and Im not planning on doing so, she wrote. When I talk about an increase in the number of immigrants and foreigners, about population change, turnover, replacement, variation and the kind, Im referring to a fact depicted in this graph, for example. Purra was at the time the first deputy chairperson of the Finns Party. Meri, Purra and Rantanen on Sunday all tweeted that they do not believe in conspiracy theories. Ill state this to be clear: I dont believe in conspiracy theories. I also dont believe in the replacement theory, wrote Rantanen. Her response seemed to leave it open to interpretation whether she believes the replacement theory to be a conspiracy theory. Niko Pyrhonen, a researcher who has specialised in populism and conspiracy theories at the University of Helsinki, on Sunday told YLE that Rantanen has probably employed the term deliberately. She chooses and specifically employs the term vaestonvaihto, which is one of the few that are linked to conspiracy theories and serve as a dog whistle, he stated. The Finnish Security Intelligence Service (Supo) has noted that the great replacement is associated with ethnic nationalism, an ideology rooted in the notion of preserving the ethnic uniformity of society. Supo highlighted in its yearbook for 2020 that the theory has been one of the most noteworthy ideological drivers of far-right terrorists. This conspiracy theory framework rests on the idea that immigration and multiculturalism pose a fundamental threat to the western white population, it wrote. Aleksi Teivainen HT SIR Steve Redgrave has criticised sewage discharges into the River Thames. A citizen science programme investigation run by campaign group River Action and Henley residents has revealed that sewage pollution is affecting the stretch of water used by Henley Royal Regatta known as the Henley Mile. Tests were carried out every weekday over a four-week period from May 31 to Tuesday last week to check levels of phosphate, nitrate and harmful material. These showed that the levels of phosphate and nitrate in the water were consistently double the levels considered ecologically damaging, indicating that the river is excessively nutrient-enriched and in a very poor condition. On June 20 levels of E.coli and intestinal enterococci increased fourfold, equivalent to official bathing water status of poor. The tests, which were carried out both upstream and downstream of the Henley sewage treatment works, were analysed by Latis Scientific. The testers used methods developed by Earthwatch Europes FreshWater Watch programme. The majority of the phosphate results (34 out of 40) recorded were 0.2 mg/l or above. All but three of the 40 nitrate samples measured levels of 2mg/l or above. Any reading of 0.1 mg/l or above is considered ecologically damaging for rivers, meaning that the water posed a serious risk to human health during the four weeks. Analysis by the charity Windrush Against Sewage Pollution has suggested that the treatment works in Marlow Road, which are operated by Thames Water, are breaching permitted levels of ammonia. As reported by the Henley Standard on June 16, WASP claims that there were illegal discharges from the treatment works almost every year between 2009 and 2019. River Action has launched a Charter for Rivers and is calling on the Government to adopt it as a matter of urgency to rescue Britains rivers. Sir Steve, who is chairman of the regatta, said: We are deeply concerned about the impact that sewage pollution is having on our beautiful river. Sewage pollution is harming the environment that we enjoy and respect so much. I canoe from my hometown of Marlow at Longridge. Theres a water treatment plant there and sometimes you can see from the colour of the water that there has been a discharge its not somewhere I would ever want to fall in. We have to improve this situation so that we can preserve wildlife and make our rivers safe for everyone who uses them. Thats why I, and Henley Royal Regatta, are backing River Actions Charter for Rivers and throwing all our weight behind the campaign to end sewage pollution in the River Thames at Henley. James Wallace, chief executive of River Action, said: The results of this citizen science prove the dire state of Englands capital river. Wildlife along the Thames is collapsing and river users are at serious risk. The Government and industry are treating our national life support system like a diseased open sewer while staring down the barrel of a freshwater emergency. However, its time to end the culture of blame and denial. Unravelling the financial mess left by rampant profiteering and deregulation must not distract us from rescuing our rivers together. Thames Water and the Government must admit culpability and invest in modernising infrastructure and enforcing the law, targeting exposed communities like Henley. The Charter for Rivers positions healthy rivers as a top priority in the next general election to all candidates and voters, clearly laying out urgent actions to end pollution and over-abstraction. We have seen what can be done in a national health or energy crisis. Government ministers and corporate chief executives must publicly commit the finances and solutions this emergency requires or endure the wrath of the electorate. Jo Robb, South Oxfordshire District Councils Thames champion and a member of the Henley Mermaids open water swimming group, said: We know the Thames intimately we swim in it year-round and have swum it from Castle Eaton to Marlow. Over the past five years we have been horrified by the scandal of sewage dumping in our precious river and its tributaries, caused by the water industrys lack of investment in sewage infrastructure. We have witnessed the impacts of sewage pollution with our own eyes: sanitary products, sewage foam, sewage tide lines on swans and dead fish. We are contacted regularly by parents asking us if the river is clean enough for their children to swim in. It disgusts us that in one of the worlds richest countries in 2023, our children cant even swim in our rivers without falling ill. In the water-stressed South-East, we are facing a crisis of water security. With accelerating climate breakdown, its vital we have a water industry that can deliver water to our population while protecting our rivers. This crisis can be fixed. We can have clean, healthy rivers safe for humans and nature. We need real investment in our crumbling sewage and water infrastructure and meaningful, positive action to rescue our rivers. We need a water industry that puts people and nature at its heart. We wholeheartedly support the Charter for Rivers. A Thames Water spokeswoman said: Taking action to improve the health of rivers is a key focus for us and we will review the findings of this report. We have an upgrade planned for the Henley sewage treatment works which will provide a major increase in the sites treatment capacity and is expected to be completed in 2025. We are also supporting the local communitys application for a designated bathing water site in Henley. We regard all discharges of untreated sewage as unacceptable and its understandable why the public are demanding more from water companies to do better. We recently announced our plans to invest 1.6billion in our sewage treatment works and networks over the next two years and are striving every day to reduce the discharge of untreated sewage into our rivers. At the beginning of the year we published an online map providing close to real-time information about storm discharges from all our 468 permitted locations and this continues to be updated with information on improvements being planned for more than 250 sites across our region. In addition, The Tideway Tunnel, which will be completed by 2025 at a total investment of more than 4billion, is designed to dramatically improve the water quality of the River Thames by capturing around 95 per cent of sewage overflows. Stopping discharges altogether will take time and sustained investment. However, each step we take on this journey is a move in the right direction. Hair Transplant Turkey Cost The price of a hair transplant in Turkey might vary based on a number of variables, including the clinic you select, the severity of your hair loss, the procedure utilized, and any other treatments offered as part of the package. However, to give you a basic estimate, a hair transplant in Turkey typically costs between $1,500 and $4,000. Many foreign patients travel to Turkey for hair transplant surgeries since it is known for offering reasonable prices. The lower prices are mostly the result of reduced operational expenses and intense competition among hair transplant clinics nationwide. Additionally, Turkey has grown in popularity as a location for medical travel since it provides top-notch care at a fraction of the price of other nations. It's crucial to remember that, even while cost is a crucial consideration, you should also take into account the credentials and experience of the hair transplant surgeon, the clinic's standing, and the caliber of its facilities when making your choice. When selecting a hair transplant clinic, always put safety, experience, and patient testimonials before cost. Hair Transplant Istanbul Hair transplant surgeries are frequently performed in Istanbul, Turkey. As a result of its growing popularity among those seeking hair restoration procedures, the city now draws both domestic and foreign patients. Numerous reputable facilities and skilled hair transplant doctors may be found in Istanbul. Getting a hair transplant in Istanbul has a number of benefits. First off, the city has a large selection of clinics with a range of fee structures, enabling people to discover an appropriate choice within their budget. Additionally, a lot of clinics in Istanbul use cutting-edge hair transplantation methods and have state-of-the-art facilities. The price of a hair transplant in Istanbul can differ based on the clinic, the method utilized, the quantity of grafts necessary, and any other services offered. The usual price, as previously indicated, can range from $1,500 to $4,000, but it's crucial to remember that these costs are only estimations and might change. It's critical to conduct extensive research and select a reputed clinic with skilled surgeons if you're thinking about getting a hair transplant in Istanbul. Seek out facilities with a history of effective hair transplant treatments, certifications, and excellent patient ratings. It's also advised to arrange a consultation with the clinic of your choosing to go over your individual requirements, get a precise price quote, and address any worries you might have. Turkey offers the best hair transplant specialists worldwide and at affordable rates. Check below to learn more about the best transplant surgeons in Turkey. 1. Smile Hair Clinic Primarily, Smile Hair Clinic facilitates a visionary perspective to excellent hair transplant Turkey by holistically handling the entire process. This clinic delivers not only the best medical operation procedures but also an amazing hospitality experience. The professionals here utilize the sapphire FUE transplantation technique, ensuring high hair transplant operations standards. It will cost you about 2400-8500 dollars for a 6000 graft hair transplant operation. Whatsapp : +90 549 149 24 00 2. Dr. Serkan Aygn A hair transplant at Dr. Serkan Aygn's hair transplant clinic costs approximately 1600-3600 dollars per 4000 grafts. Getting your hair transplant from this clinic allows you to benefit from the best hair transplant surgeon in Turkey utilizing the latest methods. 3. Dr. Levent Acar Dr. Levent Acar is not just your ordinary doctor; he is an award-winning aesthetics doctor. He always focuses on providing patients with the best and most effective hair restorations with advanced techniques and minimally invasive approaches. You can also get a free hair analysis at Cosmedica, the facility he operates from. Primarily, the costs for hair transplants will range from about 2000-3500 Euros. 4. ASMED Surgical Medical Center. ASMED Surgical Medical Center utilizes the most advanced FUE hair transplant inspiring people to feel and look their best. The medical center focuses on establishing an optimum appearance of naturalness and fullness. Each graft or transplanted follicular unit will cost you about 3 euros. 5. Clinicana Hair transplant surgery includes a critical procedure that must be taken seriously. Therefore, visiting a trustworthy and quality medical clinic like Clinicana is best. Typically, the price for a hair treatment procedure using the FUE technique will cost about $2500. 6. Este Medical Group The price for hair transplant procedures at Este Medical Group usually depends on the number of grafts you require. Este Medical Group provides expert medical care and is among Turkey's hair and skin professionals. With over 20 years of practice, this medical group provides its clients access to top-tier specialist consultants, surgeons, medical support staff, and doctors. 7. Civas Hair Clinic Civas Hair Clinic diagnoses and treats hair loss issues for men and women using the latest and most advanced technology. This clinic involves the best hair restoration center in Turkey, where a doctor carries out hair transplant procedures. The prices for hair transplants are available in different packages, including 1 Euro per graft, 1.5 Euros per graft, and 2.5 Euros per graft. 8. Este world This health group offers various services, including hair transplants, laser hair removal, dental aesthetics, etc. While various factors are considered when setting the hair transplant costs, the prices start from at least 2200 Euros. 9. Capil Clinic Capil Clinic involves a tremendous advance in the hair transplant field. Also, this clinic is notably the first European health Centre to offer stem cell treatment. The costs for a hair transplant in 2023 are 2190 Euros. 10. Elit Hair Do not let hair loss give you a headache while you can get successful hair treatment procedures from the best professionals. Elit Hair includes one of the biggest hair transplant clinics worldwide. The cost for hair treatment procedures is about 2200 Euros. If you want a successful and natural hair transplant, think of Turkey. Disclaimer: This article is a paid publication and does not have journalistic/editorial involvement of Hindustan Times. Hindustan Times does not endorse/subscribe to the content(s) of the article/advertisement and/or view(s) expressed herein. Hindustan Times shall not in any manner, be responsible and/or liable in any manner whatsoever for all that is stated in the article and/or also with regard to the view(s), opinion(s), announcement(s), declaration(s), affirmation(s) etc., stated/featured in the same. It's time to grab your hats and whips, folks! After close to two decades since the fourth movie came out, Harrison Ford is stepping back into the world of Indiana Jones as the beloved archaeologist. Adventure Movie! Here are options for downloading or watching Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny streaming the full movie online for free on 123movies & Reddit, including where to watch Harrison Ford's adventure movies at home. Is Indiana Jones 2023 available to stream? Is watching Indiana Jones 5 on Netflix, HBO Max, Disney Plus, Peacock, or Amazon Prime? Yes, we have found an authentic streaming option/service. Watch Now: Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny Online Free Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny follows Indy in 1969, after he's retired from his jaunts around the world and settled into a life of academia. But when his goddaughter Helena "Wombat" Shaw (Phoebe Waller-Bridge) asks him for help to find a lost artifact called the Dial of Destiny, he gets thrown back into his glory days of globe-trotting. Through this new quest though, Indy realizes there are a lot of secrets he needs to unlock from his past. And some of them, well, they go as far back to his days working against the Nazis from the events of Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark. If you've been searching far and wide for the final Indiana Jones film, look no further. Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny hits theaters this weekend, marking the last time Harrison Ford appears as the legendary archeologist. He's found the Holy Grail, drank magical, mind-controlling blood, and even proved that aliens actually did build the pyramids. Now, he's fighting his greatest foe yet: time. The legacy of the Indiana Jones franchise is truly one to behold and one that was likely impossible to predict even for the franchise's creators, Steven Spielberg and George Lucas. The first adventure, Raiders of the Lost Ark, became an instant sensation for its action, characters, and emphasis on history and mythology. The adventures continued in the flawed but entertaining Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom and the refreshing return to form of Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade. There's also the fourth film of Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, though the film's trade-in of supernatural elements for science fiction did not go over well with fans. Indiana Jones is one of the most beloved characters in cinema history. Hes smart, sarcastic, handsome, strong, and adventurous, and his movies arent too shabby, either. While opinions are pretty aligned on which is the worst Indiana Jones movie, the first film in the franchise, Raiders of the Lost Ark, and the third, Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, are largely considered the highlights so far. These have the richest storylines and are the most intriguing to watch of the four films. The fifth installment of the Indiana Jones franchise is slated to be released exclusively in movie theaters on June 30, 2023. When Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny was first announced, its initial release date was 2019 before being pushed back to 2020, 2021, and finally 2022. The film had its world premiere at the 76th Cannes Film Festival where it screened out of competition. We wouldn't be surprised if you're ready to go on this next trek in the franchise. So, you're probably wondering how you can watch and stream Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny from the comfort of your own home. Luckily, we dug up some clues. Here's where to watch and stream Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny online. When Does Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny Release? The fifth installment of the Indiana Jones franchise is slated to be released exclusively in movie theaters on June 30, 2023. When Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny was first announced, its initial release date was 2019 before being pushed back to 2020, 2021, and finally 2022. The film had its world premiere at the 76th Cannes Film Festival where it screened out of competition. Where Can I Watch Indiana Jones 5 Online? There's been no official announcement regarding Indiana Jones And The Dial Of Destiny's streaming release. However, given it's a Universal film, Indiana Jones And The Dial Of Destiny will eventually be released on Peacock rather than Netflix, HBO Max, or Disney+ As for a potential release date, we know the Universal Pictures deal requires movies to be released on streaming no later than four months after their theatrical debuts. Universal's past two movies to hit Peacock Knock at the Cabin and M3GAN were added to the service 49 days after their debuts. This, theoretically, puts Indiana Jones And The Dial Of Destiny streaming release date as early as June 24 and as late as August 5. How to Watch And Stream Indiana Jones 5 At the moment, you can watch Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse at your local theater. But like most movies these days, it should hit a streaming website in the near future. Fans will be able to watch Indiana Jones 5 in UK cinemas on June 28 and US cinemas on Friday, June 30, 2023. The Harrison Ford movie will have an exclusive theatrical run once it hits the big screen globally. So, if you fancy catching the flick as soon as possible, then you need to head to your local Cineplex and start booking those tickets, friends! Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny Streaming Release Status Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny should eventually be released on Disney+, rather than Netflix or (HBO) Max, given it's a Disney film. The company has yet to announce a streaming release date, though Disney has consistently put its movies on streaming roughly two-three months after their theatrical debuts, which puts The Dial of Destiny's potential streaming date between late August and early October. Will Indiana Jones And The Dial Of Destiny release on Disney+? The eagerly awaited film is scheduled for an exclusive theatrical release on June 30th, 2023. While fans are excited to witness the latest chapter in Indiana Jones' epic saga, no official release date on Disney+ has been announced yet. As Disney Studios handles the distribution, it is expected that "Indiana Jones And The Dial Of Destiny" will become available on Disney+ after its theatrical run and subsequent digital release. Is Indiana Jones And The Dial Of Destiny Streaming On Peacock? Some fans may believe either Disney+ or HBO Max will host Indiana Jones And The Dial Of Destiny., but that will not be the case. Instead, youll find the movie on Peacock. Not right away, though. The animated feature will be in theaters for a number of weeks before landing on the streaming service. How long, exactly? Were not sure, but well be updating you as soon as we do. Do you have a Peacock subscription? This is a great time to join! Peacock has recently made some sweet upgrades and content additions, you dont want to miss out. Will Indiana Jones And The Dial Of Destiny Be On HBO Max? No, Indiana Jones And The Dial Of Destiny is not on HBO Max since its not a Warner Bros. movie. Last year, the company released its films in theaters and on the streamer on the same day. However, they now allow a 45-day window between the theatrical release and the streaming release. While we don't yet have a confirmed streaming release date for The Indiana Jones And The Dial Of Destiny, we can look at other Universal releases in 2023 to get a sense of when it might be available to watch at home. Will Indiana Jones And The Dial Of Destiny Be On Netflix? No, The Indiana Jones And The Dial Of Destiny will likely not be on Netflix any time soon, seeing as it will go directly to Disney Plus after its theatrical run. A similar timeline would put the rental release date for The Indiana Jones And The Dial Of Destiny in the UK in early August, but it'll then be another month or two until you can buy and own a copy of the movie. Is Indiana Jones And The Dial Of Destiny Available On Hulu? Viewers are saying that they want to view the new Adventure movie Indiana Jones And The Dial Of Destiny on Hulu. Unfortunately, this is not possible since Hulu currently does not offer any of the free episodes of this series streaming at this time. It will be exclusive to the MTV channel, which you get by subscribing to cable or satellite TV services. You will not be able to watch it on Hulu or any other free streaming service. How to Watch Indiana Jones And The Dial Of Destiny Online For Free On 123Movies Most Viewed, Most Favorite, Top Rating, Top IMDb movies online. Here we can download and watch 123movies movies offline. 123Movies website is the best alternative to Indiana Jones And The Dial Of Destiny (2023) free online. We will recommend 123Movies is the best Solarmovie alternatives. There are a few ways to watch Indiana Jones And The Dial Of Destiny online in the U.S. You can use a streaming service such as Netflix, Hulu, or Amazon Prime Video. You can also rent or buy the movie on iTunes or Google Play. You can also watch it on-demand or on a streaming app available on your TV or streaming device if you have cable. What Is the Story of Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny? Rumors have been swirling around about the plot of the fifth Indiana Jones film for years. Yet, Disney and Lucasfilm have still not provided an official synopsis for the film. From the trailers, we know that the film will involve time travel and will implement de-aging technology, so Ford can play a younger Indy in 1944 as well as one closer to his actual age, in 1969. The space race between the US and the Soviet Union will also play a major role in the plot, as Dr. Jones is alarmed by the fact that the US government is being aided by former Nazis. Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny Cast and Characters Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny was written by Jez Butterworth, John-Henry Butterworth, David Koepp, and James Mangold. It was directed by James Mangold and stars the following actors: Harrison Ford as Indiana Jones Phoebe Waller-Bridge as Helena Shaw Mads Mikkelsen as Jurgen Voller Antonio Banderas as Renaldo John Rhys-Davies as Sallah Boyd Holbrook as Klaber Toby Jones as Basil Shaw Disclaimer: This article is a paid publication and does not have journalistic/editorial involvement of Hindustan Times. Hindustan Times does not endorse/subscribe to the content(s) of the article/advertisement and/or view(s) expressed herein. Hindustan Times shall not in any manner, be responsible and/or liable in any manner whatsoever for all that is stated in the article and/or also with regard to the view(s), opinion(s), announcement(s), declaration(s), affirmation(s) etc., stated/featured in the same. Hindustan Times does not encourage/ promote piracy by any means. The links given here are not taking the users to pirated streaming contents. New Delhi (India), July 4: Pie Matrix, the fastest-growing Astronomical Equipment E-commerce Start-up, recently made history by hosting the world's first Astronomical car rally event, known as "Sprint to Stars." This thrilling event took place in the mesmerizing landscapes of Himachal Pradesh, encompassing the breathtaking route from Delhi to Narkanda, Chitkul, Tabo, Kaza, and Chandratal Lake and concluding in Manali. Led by the visionary entrepreneurs Aman Choudhary and Akash Choudhary, under the capable mentorship of Dr. Sachin Bahmba, Pie Matrix continues to push boundaries in the field of Astronomy, Space Education, and AstroTourism in India. The primary goal of the "Sprint to Stars" event was to reach remote villages and inspire young minds and students to delve into the wonders of astronomy. Pie Matrix not only hosted an awe-inspiring astronomical event but also took a significant step towards shaping the future of India by educating children about the universe and its mysteries. The event successfully ignited the curiosity and imagination of young minds, encouraging them to explore the captivating world of science. Reflecting on the event, the organizers expressed their profound belief, stating, We strongly believe that understanding the vastness of our universe is essential for the progress of our society. The 'Sprint to Stars event brought together like-minded individuals, allowing them to unravel the mysteries of the cosmos. Together, we unveiled the secrets of the universe. The "Sprint to Stars" event featured a wide array of astronomical activities for the participants, including mesmerizing stargazing sessions, deep explorations of the universe, space mapping, astro photography, and more. Additionally, a special workshop was organized at Kaza Senior Secondary School, where students had the opportunity to experience socio-economic development and gain global attention. This showcased the potential and opportunities that Pie Matrix offers for the advancement of these regions. Pie Matrix remains committed to promoting astronomy and making it accessible to everyone. Through the resounding success of the "Sprint to Stars" event, they have inspired countless individuals to look beyond their immediate surroundings and embark on a journey to discover the wonders of the universe. By combining adventure, education, and exploration, Pie Matrix has made a lasting impact on the astronomical landscape. The "Sprint to Stars" event has carved a remarkable chapter in the chronicles of Pie Matrix's journey, leaving an indelible mark on the hearts and minds of all those who participated. As Pie Matrix continues to evolve and innovate, they aim to further inspire individuals to embrace the vastness of the universe and unlock the boundless possibilities that lie within. To know more, please visit - https://thepiematrix.com/ Disclaimer: This article is a paid publication and does not have journalistic/editorial involvement of Hindustan Times. Hindustan Times does not endorse/subscribe to the content(s) of the article/advertisement and/or view(s) expressed herein. Hindustan Times shall not in any manner, be responsible and/or liable in any manner whatsoever for all that is stated in the article and/or also with regard to the view(s), opinion(s), announcement(s), declaration(s), affirmation(s) etc., stated/featured in the same. The last date to file income tax returns (ITR) this year is July 31. If you are a Gen Z and filing your ITR for the first time, it would be a daunting process. But don't worry, we will provide you with everything you need to know about filing an income tax return. Here is the checklist which you need to keep in mind for filing your returns. 1. Tax regime: Union finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman in her Budget 2023 speech had announced a new tax regime which will be the default tax regime. But the taxpayers will have the option to avail the benefits of the old tax regime. You must file your income tax return before deadline to avoid penalties and interest charges. Amit Gupta, managing director at SAG Infotech, told Hindustan Times,"Depending on your income, deductions, and exemptions, you can evaluate whether the new tax regime or the old regime is more beneficial for you. Consider consulting a tax professional to assess which option suits your specific circumstances." 2. Deductions under Section 80C: It is considered to be one of the most popular sections of the Income Tax Act as it allows taxpayers to cut their taxable income. It allows for a maximum deduction of up to 1.5 lakh per year from a citizen's total salary during a financial year. Remember, the deductions are not available if you choose to pay tax under new regime. The investment options under Section 80C are National Pension System, Equity Linked Savings Scheme (ELSS), Public Provident Fund (PPF), Senior Citizens Savings Scheme etc. In addition to Section 80C, there are other sections under the Income Tax Act that offer deductions. For instance, Section 80D allows deductions for health insurance premiums paid for yourself, your family, and your parents. This can significantly reduce your tax liability while providing essential healthcare coverage. Section 80E offers deductions for interest paid on education loans, making it easier for you to pursue higher education without worrying about the financial burden. Furthermore, Section 80G allows deductions for donations made to specified charitable institutions, encouraging philanthropy while reducing taxable income Gupta said. 3. Form 15G/15H: They are basically self-declaration forms which a taxpayer submits requesting the bank not to deduct tax deducted at source (TDS) on interest income as their income is below the exemption limit. On Form 15G and 15H, SAG Infotech's Amit Gupta said,"This form helps you avoid Tax Deducted at Source (TDS) deductions on interest income from fixed deposits and other sources. It ensures that you don't pay unnecessary taxes on income that falls below the taxable threshold". 4. Keep track of expenses: It is extremely important to keep track of the expenses. It is advisable to maintain proper records and receipt of the expenses by which you can claim eligible deductions and reduce taxable income. Tax-saving investments play a significant role in reducing your tax burden. The National Pension Scheme (NPS) is a popular option that not only helps you save taxes but also provides retirement benefits. By investing in tax-saving mutual funds like Equity Linked Savings Schemes (ELSS), you can grow your wealth while enjoying tax benefits, Gupta added. 5. File ITR on time: You must file your income tax return on time to avoid penalties and interest charges. It not only ensures compliance with tax regulations but also prevents unnecessary financial burden. However, Gupta maintained that it is essential to seek advice from a qualified tax professional or chartered accountant, who can provide personalized guidance based on your specific financial situation, help you optimize your tax-saving strategies, and ensure compliance with tax laws. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON BENGALURU: Senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader BS Yediyurappa on Tuesday backed up Janata Dal (Secular) leader HD Kumaraswamy who launched a sharp attack on the ruling Congress government in Karnataka and declared that the two parties will together fight against the states Siddaramaiah-led government. Senior BJP leader BS Yediyurappa (ANI) Whatever HD Kumaraswamy said is true and I back his statement. We will fight together in future, Yediyurappa told reporters in Bengaluru on Tuesday, referring to Kumaraswamys allegations on Monday that officials in the chief ministers office were demanding 30 lakh in bribes to issue transfer order for bureaucrats. Kumaraswamy also claimed that there were syndicates in the state road transport corporation and sub-registrar offices. Responding to Yediyurappas statement, Kumaraswamy said that it will probably happen by the end of this year or after the Parliament election. I dont want to particularly name anyone. Anything may happen. It will not take too much time. Most probably, it will happen this year-end or after the Parliament election. For that, we will have to wait, said Kumaraswamy on the possibility of an arrangement with the BJP. Kumaraswamys JD (S) delivered its worst-ever performance in the state elections held in May this year, winning just 19 seats, down from the 37 assembly segments it won in 2018. The Congress won 135 of the assemblys 224 seats while the BJP, which was in power and had hoped for another term, ended up with just 66 seats. The JD(S) and BJP forged an alliance in 2006 when Kumaraswamy was first elevated as chief minister and Yediyurappa was his deputy. The power-sharing formula lasted about 20 months and collapsed in October 2007. There has been speculation that the JD(S) and BJP could arrive at an arrangement again, particularly after the former PM HD Deve Gowda first attended the event to inaugurate the new parliament building in May and then skipped the anti-BJP opposition alliance meetings, saying that all political parties have been associated with the BJP in the past. I can analyse in detail about this countrys politics, what is the use? Show me one party which has not associated with the BJP, either directly or indirectly. Show me one party in the whole country, then I will answer, Deve Gowda said in June. The budget session of the Karnataka Legislature began on Monday with Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot emphasising on the need to eradicate corruption in the state, and the ruling Congress and opposition BJP gearing up for a battle both inside and outside the Assembly. Expressing serious concern over corruption, Gehlot in his address to the joint session of both Houses of the State Legislature said corruption has become almost institutionalised and the state government would take administrative and legislative measures to meet the challenge and eradicate it. Karnataka governor Thaawarchand Gehlot addresses the joint session of state assembly, at Vidhana Soudha, in Bengaluru on Monday. (ANI)(HT_PRINT) Gehlot said, "Eradicating it is a major challenge. I seek your cooperation to meet this challenge and root out corruption. The government will take all necessary administrative and legislative measures in this regard." He also said in the next five years, the state government would place emphasis on a people-centric economy. Speaking about the pre-poll 'guarantees' announced by the Congress, Gehlot said that under the 'Yuva Nidhi' scheme 3,000 per month will be given to graduates and post-graduates and 1,500 per month to diploma holders, who completed their courses in the year 2022-23 but are unemployed even after six months. READ | Kumaraswamy accuses Karnataka govt of corruption The dole will be given for a period of 24 months or until they get employment or become self-employed productively, whichever is earlier. Up to 200 units of free electricity under 'Gruha Jyoti Yojana' will benefit about 2.14 crore household consumers, the Governor said. He said the 'Gruha Lakshmi' scheme has been drawn up by the government for empowerment of women. Under the scheme, 2,000 per month will be provided to the women "in the women-headed households". Gehlot also referred to the 'Shakti' scheme saying that more than 50 lakh women from Karnataka have benefited from the free bus travel in government buses. Meanwhile, as the budget session gets going from Tuesday following the Governor's address, the BJP is yet to pick its leader in the Assembly, with its central leaders weighing their options. BJP president J P Nadda has appointed Union minister Mansukh Mandaviya and party general secretary Vinod Tawde as central observers for the election of the leader of opposition in the Karnataka Assembly. The central observers are expected to come to Bengaluru tomorrow, BJP sources said. Taking a swipe at the BJP, Congress General Secretary Jairam Ramesh said in a Tweet, "The Budget session of the Karnataka Assembly starts today. For the first time since 1952 both in the state and in the country too, the session begins without the main opposition -- in this case the BJP -- announcing its legislature leader. This BJP is loud when it wins but crumbles and croaks when it loses" Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah commented that the BJP not having elected the leader of opposition in the Assembly shows there is groupism in the outfit, and dubbed it the "most undisciplined" political party. READ | Bommai to be interim LoP in Karnataka assembly, says BJP The BJP has made clear its intentions to attack the ruling party over implementation of its poll guarantees one-and-a-half months after it came to power with a thumping majority. The party has decided to hold demonstrations inside and outside the Karnataka Assembly against the "failure" of the state government to implement its guarantees, with former chief minister and BJP stalwart B S Yediyurappa giving the call for the protests and saying thousands of party workers will join him. As Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, who holds the finance portfolio, gets ready to present his budget on July 7, the BJP is prepared to attack the Congress for its "failure" to implement the five guarantees that were supposed to come into effect from the day the government came to power. The Karnataka government is likely to table a bill scrapping the anti-conversion law called Karnataka Protection of Right to Freedom of Religion Act, 2022, which was promulgated by the previous BJP government. According to some Congress insiders, the government will also introduce a bill scrapping the anti-cow slaughter law called Karnataka Prevention of Slaughter and Preservation of Cattle Act, 2020. The government may also introduce a bill repealing the Karnataka Land Reforms (Amendment) Act, besides another amendment pertaining to the Agricultural Produce Marketing (Regulation and Development) (Amendment) Act, 2020. The Siddaramaiah government will also make budgetary provisions for its five pre-poll guarantee schemes. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Tuesday appointed former Punjab Congress chief Sunil Jakhar, 68, as its state unit chief. BJP national chief JP Nadda handing over the appointment letter to Punjab unit leader Sunil Jakhar in New Delhi on Tuesday. (HT Photo) A formal letter of Jakhars appointment was handed over to him by BJP national chief JP Nadda in New Delhi. On Monday, Hindustan Times was the first to report that Jakhar is set to succeed Pathankot MLA Ashwani Sharma as the Punjab BJP chief. Also read: BJP appoints new state chiefs for Andhra Pradesh, Telangana and Jharkhand. See list Sunil Jakhar, one of the senior most Congress leaders in Punjab, joined the saffron party in May 2022, three months after the assembly elections that the Congress lost. A former Lok Sabha MP from Gurdaspur, Jakhar is a three-time MLA from Abohar assembly constituency. He is known for his plain speak and straightforward approach. Jakhar had been Punjab Congress chief for four years before being replaced by Navjot Singh Sidhu in 2021. A Hindu Jat, he was the leader of opposition in the Punjab assembly from 2012-16. The son of former Lok Sabha Speaker, the late Balram Jakhar, he became the PPCC chief in 2017 and headed the partys campaign committee for the 2022 elections. He succeeds Sharma, who has been serving his second consecutive tenure as state BJP chief for the past six months. Sharma had constituted the units state and district level teams after taking charge. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Toronto: The Canadian government has described the proposed rally by pro-Khalistan elements to Indian missions in the country as unacceptable, which has caused concerns over the safety of its senior envoys. According to the poster, the Khalistan freedom rally will be organised on July 8. (Representative file image)(HT_PRINT) In a statement released on Twitter on Monday evening, Melanie Joly, Canadas minister of foreign affairs, said: Canada takes its obligations under Vienna Conventions regarding the safety of diplomats very seriously. Canada remains in close contact with Indian officials in light of some of the promotional material circulating online regarding a protest planned for July 8th, which are unacceptable. A similar statement was also tweeted by minister of national defence Anita Anand, who said: The materials posted online for a protest on July 8 are unacceptable, and they do not represent Canadians. Canada will continue to ensure the safety of foreign diplomats in this country and we take this responsibility seriously. Also Read: India demarches Canada, warns against desecration of Indian flag by Sikh extremists The threat perception over the security of Indian missions and envoys has escalated after pro-Khalistan elements put out a poster with violent imagery, the words Kill India and photographs of its high commissioner to Ottawa Sanjay Kumar Verna, consul general in Toronto Apoorva Srivastava and consul general in Vancouver Manish. India has already communicated its concerns to Global Affairs Canada (GAC), the countrys foreign ministry, Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP), which is tasked with diplomatic security, and local police in Ottawa, Toronto and Vancouver. Security worries have increased following reports of an incident of arson at the Indian consulate in San Francisco. A senior Indian official said these details were being shared with Canadian authorities and they were being sensitised to these issues. The official added that security patrols at the missions in Canada already appear to have been enhanced by law enforcement agencies. A poster, similar to those targeting officials in Canada, was circulated featuring the Indias ambassador to Washington Taranjit Singh Sandhu and Consul General in SF TV Nagendra Prasad. The arson in the US proves the danger of violence is real, a senior Indian official said. The so-called Khalistan freedom rally is being organised in the name of Hardeep Singh Nijjar, who was murdered in the parking lot of the Guru Nanak Sikh Gurdwara in the town of Surrey in British Columbia on June 18. One will leave from a business centre in the town of Malton in the Greater Toronto Area or GTA to the Indian Consulate in Toronto. Another will leave from the gurdwara, which was headed by Nijjar, to the Indian Consulate in Vancouver. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Khap panchayats (caste councils) in Haryana have asked the Bharatiya Janata Party-Jannayak Janta Party government to amend the Hindu Marriage Act for prohibiting same gotra (clan) marriages in the state. Bharat Bhoomi Bachao Sangharsh Samiti, an umbrella organisation comprising several khaps and citizens, in a July 1 representation to Haryana chief minister Manohar Lal Khattar, said that the state should amend the Hindu Marriage Act, 1955, and declare intra-gotra and intra-village marriages invalid in public interest. Khap panchayats (caste councils) in Haryana have asked the Bharatiya Janata Party-Jannayak Janta Party government to amend the Hindu Marriage Act for prohibiting same gotra (clan) marriages in the state. (HT File) Ramesh Dalal, the president of the Samiti, said that certain marriages such as those within the gotra, within the village and villages sharing geographical boundaries are not permissible in the civil society as per Haryanvi culture and custom. Dalal, a lawyer himself, said that the civil society in Haryana however permits inter-caste and inter-religion marriages. Justification for proposing the ban Unfortunately, there are instances of intra-gotra and intra-village marriages which are completely against our culture and customs. Resultantly, there has been an increase in violence, honour killings, threats, and harassment. It is important to note here that due to lack of social permissibility for intra-gotra and intra-village marriages, the resultant violent reaction is not only limited to the families of such marriages, but also impacts the society at large. Thus, there is always an apprehension of large-scale violence impacting the whole society, he said. Tek Ram Kandela, head of national Sarv Jatiya Kandela Khap, has also expressed intent to push for a comprehensive ban on the same gotra marriage. Dalal, who met state officials last week, said that over 200 mahapanchayats have been organised by Khap panchayats from time to time, demanding the prohibition of intra-gotra and intra-village marriages. Recently, through a peaceful agitation, which has been continuing for more than 170 days under Samitis banner, the demand for ban on such marriages was vociferously made. Politics behind proposed amendments By dredging up the same gotra marriage ban demand, the khap panchayats in the state are mounting pressure on the ruling BJP-JJP government ahead of the 2024 assembly polls. The khaps hold a certain sway in several Jat-dominated constituencies and can influence the poll outcome. The Samiti, in its representation, said that law is meant and made for society and therefore cannot supersede custom and usage. Therefore, changes be brought in the law to prohibit intra-gotra and intra-village marriages. It said that the Haryana assembly should amend Section 5 of the Hindu Marriage Act, 1955, pertaining to conditions for a Hindu marriage. Provisions that the parties are not of the same gotras, unless the custom or usage governing each of them permits of a marriage between the two and the parties are neither belonging to the same village nor belonging to the village sharing geographical boundaries (seam), unless the custom or usage governing each of them permits of a marriage between the two should be inserted in Section 5, Dalal said quoting from the representation. Similarly, new provisions - Section 3(h), (i) and (j) may be added defining same gotra, belonging to the same village and belonging to village sharing geographical boundaries, it said. The representation said that the topic of marriage falls at entry 5 in concurrent list of the seventh schedule to the Constitution. Therefore, the Haryana legislative assembly is competent and empowered to legislate and to make these amendments, it said. Dalal said since the Hindu Marriage Disabilities Removal Act, 1946, expressly allowed same gotra marriages, thus the proposed amendment will create inconsistency between the Central and the state Act. Therefore, the amendment Bill would need the assent of the President under Article 254 (2) of the Constitution, he said. Ban legally untenable: Legal experts The fresh demand for outlawing the same gotra marriages, however, has been disapproved by legal and social experts who termed it as legally flawed. A three-member Supreme Court bench, headed by the then chief justice Dipak Misra, in its March 27, 2018 judgment pertaining to honour killings had held that the choice of an individual is an inextricable part of dignity, for dignity cannot be thought of where there is erosion of choice. The same is bound by the principle of constitutional limitation but in the absence of such limitation, none, we mean, no one shall be permitted to interfere in the fructification of the said choice. If the right to express ones own choice is obstructed, it would be extremely difficult to think of dignity in its sanctified completeness, the apex court said. The apex court said that when two adults marry out of their volition, they choose their path; they consummate their relationship; they feel that it is their goal and they have the right to do so. And it can unequivocally be stated that they have the right and any infringement of the said right is a constitutional violation, the top court held. Senior Punjab and Haryana high court lawyer Vikram Jain said that while prudent customs and traditions need to be respected to maintain societal values, a ban on same gotra marriages would not pass the legal test as it tends to be violative of fundamental rights. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON As apple harvest has begun in low altitude regions, farmers bodies and Opposition parties have started mounting pressure on the government to implement the Himachal Pradesh Agricultural and Horticultural Produce Marketing (Development and Regulation) Act, 2005. Farmers bodies demanded the government curb the practice of deducting 2 kg unlawfully from each box by the traders in the wholesale market and strict action against those involved in such practice. (File photo) The Congress government, after taking over the reins first decided to replace the telescopic cartons used for apple packaging with universal cartons. A telescopic box consists of an attached top cover, while universal cartons have a fixed size. However, the government later decided to continue with telescopic cartons with fixed carrying capacity of 24 kg. BJP leaders MLA Balbir Verma and Chetan Bragta alleged that apple growers in Himachal were in a state of confusion due to the state governments order. The state government has fixed the weight of the carton at 24 kg without due consideration, groundwork, gathering information and facts. Such decisions will harm the interest of apple growers, said Verma. Bragta said the government notified 24-kg packing for apples but the growers are getting a price of only 22 kg as the traders and middleman were deducting the amount of carton and tray weight. Apple growers will have to buy weighing machines which cost between 8,000 and 15,000, said Bragta Meanwhile, the Samyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM), a conglomerate of farmers organisations has urged the government to implement to use of universal cartons recommended by the Indian Institute of Packaging (IIP). The farmers group also wants the sale of apples and other products by weight, in accordance with the provisions of the APMC Act, 2005. Failure to issue a timely government notification for this would be a betrayal to the states countless apple growers, as the government had previously announced the adoption of universal cartons based on weight, said SKM convener Harish Chauhan. The governments current approach is needlessly causing confusion by stipulating a weight limit of 24 kg per carton of apples, said SKM co-convener and former Shimla mayor Sanjay Chauhan. He said in 2013, the Congress government had initiated a project to bring universal cartons for apple packaging and entrusted the responsibility to the Indian Institute of Packaging (IIP). The IIP, following international standards, recommended 20-kg cartons but it was never implemented, he added. Chauhan said the Congress government had even allocated an amount of 11 lakh from the public treasury to fund this project at that time Farmers bodies demanded the government curb the practice of deducting 2 kg unlawfully from each box by the traders in the wholesale market and strict action against those involved in such practice. Farmers demanded the government to further implement the APMC Act, 2005, HP Metrology Act, 2009, and HP Passengers and Goods Taxation Act, 1955, for the marketing of apples. Horticulture minister Jagat Singh Negi on Tuesday visited the market yard at Parala and was gheraoed by farmers and traders expressed their inability to sell apple by weight. The APMC Act provides for direct sale of farm produce to contract farming sponsors; provides for setting up special markets for specified agricultural commodities mostly perishable; and permits private persons, farmers and consumers to establish new markets for agricultural produce in any area. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Pepsu Road Transport Corporation (PRTC) contractual workers union organised a protest rally at depot gates of nine districts in the state on Tuesday. The rally was against their long pending demands including regularisation of the contractual workers, bringing changes in km scheme and wage hike. PRTC contract workers union, Punjab holding a protest gate rallies at Ludhiana on Tuesday. (HT Photo) Referring to a meeting held on December 19, 2022 with chief secretary Vijay Kumar Janjua, Union spokesperson Jagtar Singh mentioned that the government had requested approximately 15 days for considering the demands put forward by members of the union. However, even after six months, no concrete steps have been taken to address the issues. A meeting with state transport secretary Naresh Kumar was also held a few months back but still resulted in nothing, owing to which the union announced a protest on June 27. Gurbaaj Singh, Amritpal Singh and Gurpreet Singh Vaddech, representatives of the union, highlighted that they have agreed to a wage hike of 5% and changes in the kilometre scheme. The matter was discussed in the meeting of the Board of Directors, but these demands were not included in the agenda of the meeting. Protestors highlighted that the government should resolve the issues of the contractual workers immediately otherwise the bus stand will remain closed for two hours on July 11, 2023. The vice-chancellor of Punjab Agricultural University (PAU), Satbir Singh Gosal, along with the deans of various constituent colleges, visited the newly established Alumni Relations Centre and Pro Gallery of the College of Agricultural Engineering and Technology. An initiative aimed to celebrate the achievements of PAU alumni, create a network spanning continents and promote invaluable mentorship opportunities. Punjab Agricultural University VC Satbir Singh Gosal along with the deans of other constituent colleges at the Alumni Relations Centre & and Pro Gallery on Tuesday. (HT Photo) Gosal expressed admiration for the profound impact made by PAU alumni in various professional domains. He emphasised that their accomplishments not only exemplify their skills, dedication and indomitable spirit but also highlight the eminence and rigorous education imparted by their alma mater. The establishment of the Alumni Relations Centre has facilitated a robust network of alumni, bridging the gap between current students and accomplished graduates. This connection is expected to bring about a transformative exchange of resources and opportunities. Gosal stated, Just as the mightiest trees derive strength from their deep-rooted foundations, so too shall our university thrive and endure through the resolute bonds with our alumni. S K Gupta, president of the alumni association, and Vishal Bector, associate director (Institution Relations), highlighted the various programs and activities offered by the centre. These include mentorship programs, lecture series, professional and soft skill development and financial support for underprivileged students, travel grants for conferences and seminars, assistance for extracurricular activities and incentives for cracking administrative services. Additionally, the centre invites alumni to relive cherished moments from their educational journey, explore archives, stay updated with the latest developments and appreciate the academic and sporting milestones of the institution. A 17-year-old girl and her female school teacher have been reported missing in Rajasthan's Bikaner district, police said on Monday. An FIR was registered at the Dungargarh police station on Saturday.((PTI Photo/Representative use)) The minor's family members have alleged that she was kidnapped by the teacher in a bid to convert her from Hinduism to Islam, they added. Dungargarh SHO Ashok Bishnoi said, "The girl, a Class 12 student, left her home to attend school on June 30 but she neither reached the school nor did she return home. When her family members enquired, they came to know that her teacher Nida Bahleem was also missing. Bahleem taught at the private school the girl attended. An FIR was registered at the Dungargarh police station on Saturday and the matter is being probed from all angles, Bishnoi said. Although the teenager's family members have alleged that she was abducted for religious conversion, the matter will become clear once the duo is traced, the SHO said. Several teams have been deployed to trace the student and her teacher, he added. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Azaadi! and Jai Bhim slogans reverberated in the halls at the International Buddhist Research Institute here on Tuesday morning where a seminar on trans and queer struggles in employability and social security was organised by Humsafar Trust. (File photo for representation) The Humsafar Trust, a non-profit support centre for women, youth and queer folk, invited trans activists from Lucknow and other cities from Bihar, Telangana, and Maharashtra, to speak on the injustice and violence faced by queer people, specifically trans people when it comes to security and jobs. The event titled Sangharshon ki Saajhedari: Jan andolano ki satrangi awaazein (Sharing of struggles: the colourful voices of a mass movement) started off with satrangi salaams (rainbow salutes) and made way for the discussions with poetry, songs and dance. The members from the Lucknow queer community and allies from the trust sang and performed on songs about freedom and identity. A report titled Beyond the Binary with research on the entanglement of gender issues with other matters like caste and religion, was also inaugurated by the panelists invited to speak at the seminar. Rachna Mudraboyina, a trans activist from Hyderabad recalled the Trans Bill of 2019 prohibiting the discrimination against transgender people and the various pride marches she attended during her address to the audience. She went on to talk about how she planned to come out as trans to her family only after she finished her studies and started earning, even though she knew much before about her gender identity. I have been a sex worker for the last 20-25 years and in that duration, I have lost so many friends to HIV and AIDS, other sicknesses. Some have been murdered in broad daylight too, she said. Which authority will be responsible for us? She said that many trans women are left with no other option but to beg on the streets as they find it very hard to get employed, and workspace atmospheres are highly turbulent for them. Disha Shaikh, a trans activist and poet from Maharashtra questioned the root of patriarchy and gender norms, stressing that the patriarchy faced by cisgender heterosexual women in society looks much the same as the patriarchy faced by trans women and hijras - which perpetuates a culture of accepting abuse as a matter of course. She also said the same people who love to debate on trans rights and casteism within the trans community are the same who would not move an inch in the direction of change. Hasina Khan of the Bebaak Collective, an autonomous coalition of womens activist groups as well as Tanmay, a trans and feminist activist were also on the speakers panel, with activist Meera Sanghamitra as the moderator. It is important for women and children from low-income communities also to be aware of these issues and be open to these conversations, said Arundhati Pandey of the Humsafar Trust. Maharashtra deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar on Tuesday hailed Prime Minister Narendra Modi, saying there is no leader like him. The 63-year-old leader, who led a vertical split in the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) helmed by his uncle Sharad Pawar on Sunday to become deputy chief minister in the BJP-Shiv Sena (Shinde faction) government, inaugurated his NCP faction's new office in south Mumbai. The country is marching ahead under his (Modis) leadership. We have joined the government to support him. There is no alternative to him, he was quoted by PTI as saying. On Sunday when Ajit Pawar was questioned why he decided to join the Shinde-Fadnavis government, he replied,"There can be no doubt that PM Modi is working towards developing the country". But this is not the first time when he has hailed the prime minister. ALSO READ: Ajit Pawar's 'exit' from Maha Vikas Aghadi, NCP: What played behind | A timeline Ajit Pawar, who became the state's deputy CM for the seventh time, had praised Modi on numerous occasions while declaring that he will never leave NCP. However, on Sunday, he along with eight other NCP MLAs including Chhagan Bhujbal, Dilip Walse Patil, Sanjay Bansode and Aditi Tatkare took oath to join the ruling government. Ajit Pawar with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Devendra Fadnavis at the event last year. (Pratham Gokhale/HT file photo) Ajit Pawar has indicated that the allocation of portfolios in the state ministry may not be announced immediately, attributing the delay to CM Shinde and fellow deputy CM Fadnavis heading to Nagpur to welcome President Droupadi Murmu who is arriving in the evening. We all have decided to work together. There is no question of disgruntlement, he said on reports of Shinde faction members being unhappy about his inclusion in the government. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON NAVI MUMBAI: NCP leader Ajit Pawars move to join forces with the Eknath Shinde-Devendra Fadnavis government has left the partys Navi Mumbai unit leaders in confusion. While some are openly siding with the party chief Sharad Pawar, those inclined towards Ajit Pawar have adopted a wait and watch policy to ensure there are no repercussions in case of another twist in the saga. HT Image The party had previously suffered a setback after the Navi Mumbai strongman Ganesh Naik switched loyalty to BJP before the 2019 Assembly elections. City unit president Namdeo Bhagat, who was picked by Ajit Pawar after he quit the Shiv Sena, remained non-committal. Not just Ajit Pawar, but other top leaders like Chhagan Bhujbal and Dilip Walse Patil have also joined the government. I do not want to make any comments for now. We need to understand the situation first, Bhagat said. Another senior leader, G S Patil, has also taken a cautious approach. On the other hand, Prashant Patil, NCP general secretary and party observer for Navi Mumbai has sided with the party chief Sharad Pawar. I have only one Vitthal in the party and that is Sharad Pawar. There is no question of leaving him at any cost. The party rank and file are firmly behind him and it is not going to be any different in Navi Mumbai. NCP will further strengthen not just in Navi Mumbai, but also Panvel and Raigad. Though there was a split in Shiv Sena, the Uddhav Thackeray-led faction has done well. Similarly, under Sharad Pawar, Jayant Patil and Supriya Sule, the party will further rise. This is a time for struggle. We have decided to fight and win, he added. Saluja Sutar, city NCP (women) chief, said that the party is firmly behind Sharad Pawar. Her husband and former corporator Sandeep Sutar said, We did not leave even when Ganesh Naik left the party, though we had been with him for years and we also have family relations. There is no question of quitting now. Stating that it is too early to comment, another former corporator Raju Shinde, said, We are with Sharad Pawar. We have had such an experience earlier. I am expecting some positive developments soon. Even if a leader leaves the party, the power lies with the people in a democracy. In future elections, the people will decide which leader to be given power in view of the fact that some people have gone against the wishes of the mandate. Our committee meeting will be held soon and everyones views will be taken, he added. Mumbai: Hours after the Ajit Pawar faction of the NCP was sworn in, the three ruling parties are at loggerheads over the allocation of ministerial berths, reshuffle of departments and power-sharing. While Shiv Sena leaders have openly expressed their displeasure over the BJPs bringing in a new ally, BJP leaders too are worried on several counts. Unsurprisingly, therefore, the allocation of portfolios did not happen even a day after Pawar and his eight ministers took oath. Newly sworn-in Maharashtra deputy CM Ajit Pawar, Devendra Fadnavis, CM Eknath Shinde. Chief minister Eknath Shinde held a meeting with his two deputy CMs immediately after the cabinet meeting on Tuesday. The meet, however, remained inconclusive because of differences on the distribution of portfolios, and the three were compelled to defer the decision. Also Read: Shinde avoids political comments, says next cabinet expansion soon Sources said that the discontent of CM Shinde, who barely spoke during the cabinet meeting, was clearly visible. His body language and that of his ministers was subdued, while the Ajit Pawar camp appeared to be aggressive, said an official. Besides that, Pawar and Fadnavis were seen to be more friendly, which gave an impression that Shinde was isolated. The three leaders will meet again on Wednesday to discuss the allocation. The Ajit Pawar camp has been demanding finance, energy, food and civil supplies, rural development, water resources, and women and child welfare, said a senior BJP leader. The Shinde faction is strongly opposed to Ajit getting finance, as his disproportionate distribution of the outlay as finance minister in the MVA government was a major reason for their rebellion last year. The CM also opposed the idea of a reshuffle of departments held by his partys ministers, which the BJP had proposed. The Shinde camp, meanwhile, is deeply upset. Legislators Sanjay Shirsat, Bharat Gogawale and minister Deepak Kesarkar questioned the BJPs adding a new ally, that too without taking them into confidence. We had a full majority so where was the need to do this? demanded Shirsat. Gogawale, on his part, was agitated because his political rival, the NCPs Aditi Tatkare, is now a minister and is likely to get the guardian ministership of Raigad, which he was eyeing. The disgruntlement, however, is tempered with helplessness. What will we achieve by getting angry? Gogawale told the media. We will accept the situation and move forward. Those who were to get one bhakri (bread) will now get half and those who were to get half will now get quarter. When asked whether Shiv Sena legislators were apprehensive about Ajit getting the finance portfolio, Gogawale said he believed the BJP would do justice to the Shiv Sena. Shiv Sena leader Gajanan Kirtikar too said it was fine if the Shiv Sena got less portfolios. The inclusion of the NCP has been done to win the Lok Sabha polls and decimate Sharad Pawar, he said. Some of our MLAs who wanted ministerships are upset but this is not a big problem. Sources, however, claimed that some MLAs who wanted ministerships had told Shinde openly that he had reneged on the commitments made to them. On Tuesday evening, party ministers met at the residence of education minister Deepak Kesarkar to redress the issue and discuss the impact of the NCP joining the government. Significantly, Shinde, who was in Nagpur to attend a function with President Murmu, rushed back to Mumbai. Sources in his party said that he had come back to discuss portfolio allocations and was likely to fly back to Nagpur the next morning. His sudden trip to Mumbai led to speculations in political circles. BJP leaders too were upset about peoples reactions to the split in the NCP. Voters are not happy about our joining hands with a party against whom we levelled so many allegations, said the BJP leader. Some leaders too are dismayed, as loyal party workers have been left out of the power-sharing. But the party leadership was convinced that the move was imperative for the Lok Sabha elections. Another BJP leader said that the Pawar and Shinde camps were expected to get around 13 ministerial berths each, while the BJP would retain about 16 berths. The Shinde camp may make a noise but it has lost its bargaining power after the induction of the Ajit Pawar faction, he added. It will have to follow orders from the central leadership of the BJP. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON PUNE: A speeding truck on the Mumbai-Agra highway crashed into four vehicles killing at least 10 people before ramming into a hotel in Dhule district on Tuesday morning, police said. Police said a technical examination of the truck will indicate if the claim that the vehicles brakes failed was true The accident took place at about 11am near Palasner village in Dhule district, about 350km from Mumbai. Police said 20 other people were injured in the accident and some of them are in critical condition in hospitals in Shirpur and Dhule. The accident took place when the driver of the truck carrying a container lost control of the vehicle and first hit two motorcycles, rear-ended a car and another truck before crashing into a hotel along the highway. Pradeep Bhivasen Mairale, deputy superintendent of police, highway safety squad, Nashik range said he was on his way to the accident spot. As per initial information, some people have died on the spot and several injured are admitted to hospital, Mairale said. A second official said it was being claimed that the trucks brakes failed. The dead include some people who were waiting for a bus by the roadside . SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON After three days of questioning by local police, the Pakistani woman who allegedly entered India illegally via Nepal to marry a Greater Noida man, was arrested on Tuesday, along with the man and his father, police said. The suspects in custody. (HT Photo) The three suspects were produced before a magistrate at the Gautam Budh Nagar district court in Surajpur and remanded in judicial custody for 14 days. The womans four minor children will stay with their mother, as directed by the magistrate, said senior officers associated with the case. After being alerted by a local lawyer about a Pakistan national residing in Greater Noida, the police apprehended the woman Seema Gulam Haider (27), her friend Sachin Meena (22) and his father Netrapal Singh (51) on Saturday. The woman was accompanied by her four minor children -- three daughters and a son -- and they too were detained, said police. Also Read: 4 held for celebrating birthday party, firing crackers on Noida Elevated Road The woman allegedly entered India illegally via Nepal on night of May 11 and took a bus to Greater Noida to marry Meena, a resident of Ambedkar Nagar colony in Rabupura, whom she came in contact with through online gaming, said the police. She has been residing in Rabupura since May 13. While Haider has been booked for illegally entering India, Meena and his father have been booked for helping and providing shelter to a foreign national who entered the country illegally. The three have been booked under relevant provisions of The Passport (Entry into India) Act and the Foreigners Act, said SM Khan, deputy commissioner of police, Greater Noida. Before being taken to the court on Tuesday, Haider and Meena spoke to reporters and said they loved each other. Haider, who belongs to Sindh in Pakistan, said, Sachin and I love each other and we have decided to spend our lives together. I came to India on his directions to marry him. I do not want to go back and will continue to stay in India. She said she met Meena on an online gaming platform in 2020 and later started speaking to each other on social media platforms. We used to play the video games all night and talk to each other. We met for the first time this year in March, in Nepal. That was when we decided to spend our lives together, she told reporters. When asked how she managed to sneak into India, she said, Sachin and I searched for routes from Pakistan to India on YouTube and found that Nepal was the safest option; and we planned accordingly. Meena, while speaking to the media, urged the Indian government to help him get married to Haider. Our only intention is to marry each other as we love each other. I am willing to accept Seemas four children as well, he said. Police said during questioning, the couple revealed that they stayed at a hotel in Kathmandu for a week this March. Haider got married in 2014 and had four children with her husband -- the youngest one was born in 2019. Her husband used to work as a mason in Karachi and went to Saudi Arabia in 2019. She started playing online games, and came in contact with Meena. This year in March, the couple decided to meet in Nepal. While Haider came to Kathmandu via a connecting flight from Sharjah, UAE, Meena took a direct bus from Delhi, said DCP Khan. Police said Haider came without her children and the couple stayed at a hotel in Kathmandu for a week. While in Kathmandu, they decided to get married. Meena asked Haider to come to India with her children so that they could all live together, said Khan. On May 13 this year, Haider reached Greater Noida via Kathmandu on a Nepal visa. This time as well, Haider entered Kathmandu through Sharjah, UAE, and then took a private bus from Pokhara to Delhi and another to Greater Noida. She travelled with her four children -- the eldest is seven and the youngest four. As she was with her children, and gave her name as Seema, no one doubted her nationality, said Sudhir Kumar, station house officer, Rabupura police station. The officer said she and her children were residing with Meena in a room he rented for 2,500 a month in Ambedkar Nagar colony, Rabupura. Meena informed his family that Haider is from Pakistan and that he intends to wed her. The family wanted to get the two married as soon as possible and so they approached an advocate, who alerted the police after going through Seemas documents, said the officer, adding that Meena earned 9,000 a month by selling groceries in town. On Saturday evening, the couple was detained for questioning. Haider has studied till class 5 but knows how to use the internet well. She is fond of playing games and we found at least 35 to 40 video games on two of her mobile phones. She had Indian sim cards in both phones, said the SHO. Khan said the statements of Haider, Meena and his father are being corroborated. Central agencies and the Uttar Pradesh anti terror squad have been alerted. We have also communicated with the Bureau of Immigration to inform the womans family, as according to her, no one from her family knows that she is in India, said Khan, adding that the woman has a brother and two sisters in Pakistan. Among the recoveries made by police from Haider are two video cassettes of her wedding , one family registration certificate, four birth certificates of her children, an ID card issued by the Pakistan National Database and Registration Authority, five vaccination cards and one bus ticket from Pokhara to Delhi. Haider says she separated from her husband by giving him talaaq by word; but she was unable to show any documents to that effect. She also told investigators that she has not met her husband since 2019, said SHO Kumar. He said to afford the transportation costs, Haider sold a plot of land in her native town for 12 lakh. The passwords of the social media accounts of Haider and Meena are each others names, and the two also used each others social media accounts for playing games. Seema is fond of making TikTok videos and has over 800 such videos on her phone, said an officer familiar with the investigation. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON LUCKNOW Triggering a fresh spark, the statute of Dr Bhimrao Ramji Ambedkar was vandalised in the Bargadi Kalan village under Itaunja police station of Lucknow on Tuesday. Following the incident, villagers staged a demonstration in protest. Following the incident, villagers staged a demonstration in protest. (HT Photo) The villagers found out about the desecration of the idol on Tuesday morning after which they started protesting and also called police to look into the matter. The villagers demanded the arrest of the mischiefs before allowing the idol to be repaired. Till the time the police arrest the person who vandalised the idol of Dr Ambedkar, the idol will not be allowed to be repaired. As long as the police do not apprehend who did it. The idol wont be touched in any manner because the accused wont be apprehended and jailed, said villagers while adding that this idol was vandalised by mischievous elements 10 years ago as well. However, the police somehow pacified the matter and got the idol repaired. Later, a case was also registered against unknown people. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON PATNA: Rajya Sabha deputy chairman Harivansh Narayan Singh called on Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar in Patna on Monday evening in what has been described as a courtesy call. Rajya Sabha deputy chairman Harivansh Narayan Singh speaking at the inauguration of the new Parliament building in New Delhi (ANI File Photo) Bihar minister and senior Janata Dal-United leader Ashok Chowdhary said the Rajya Sabha deputy chairman was a party MP and he met the chief minister in the capacity of an MP. He is a JD-U member of parliament and he met the CM in that capacity only. Nothing more should be read into this, said Chowdhary said. According to ANI, the Rajya Sabha deputy chairmans office has described the meeting as a courtesy call and said that the meeting lasted 15 minutes. Neither Singh nor Nitish Kumar has spoken about the one-on-one meeting which comes weeks after JD-U attacked Harivansh Narayan Singh for attending the inaugural ceremony of the new Parliament building in May and accused him of working for the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). It looks like he has thrown his conscience into a dustbin and moved on, JD-U president Lalan Singh said on May 30 after Harivansh Narayan Singh participated in the ceremony. The JD-U leader also reminded him that it was Nitish Kumar, and not the BJP, who worked the phones to ensure his election as deputy chairman. Nitish Kumars critics such as his former election strategist Prashant Kishor have alleged in the past that the chief minister hasnt closed his channels with the BJP even after snapping ties with NDA. We dont need any more proof other than the fact that Rajya Sabha deputy chairman Harivansh Narayan Singh is a JD(U) MP. Neither has he resigned from the post, nor has the party asked him to vacate the post...the BJP has also not removed him, Kishor said in November last year. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON ABOUT THE AUTHOR Vijay Swaroop Vijay is chief of bureau, Patna. He has spent 21 years in journalism and covers political beats and public affairs. ...view detail The India Meteorological Department (IMD) on Tuesday said that the intensity of rainfall in some parts of Maharashtra including Pune will increase as the monsoons Arabian Sea branch is active Tourists throng Bushi Dam in Lonavla over the weekend. (HT PHOTO) While Pune city area is likely to receive 30-40 mm rainfall in isolated areas, the ghat areas around the city are expected to receive heavy rainfall. Weather experts have warned citizens to avoid ghat areas for the next 48 hours or travel with necessary precaution. Since the last three-four days, the rainfall activity has slightly reduced in Pune City. However, as the Arabian Sea branch of the monsoon is strengthening now, it is again being activated in some parts of Maharashtra including Pune, said officials. Vineet Kumar, a former scientist at IITM said, Very heavy rain to lash Khandala, Lonavla, Matheran, Mahabaleshwar, Wai, and Mulshi tehsil on July 6 and 7 July. Citizens should avoid travel to all ghat areas and take precautions while crossing the Pune-Mumbai expressway. Pune city will also see a gradual increase in rain. As per the IMD-GFS model, in the next 24 hours, 35-45 mm of rain is expected in Pune city. Hinjewadi, Talegaon, Bavdhan and other areas of west Pune can even see over 50mm of rainfall. Marathwada experiencing high rainfall deficiency The IMD data revealed that parts of Konkan & Goa, central Maharashtra, and Vidarbha meteorological sub-divisions are experiencing good rainfall that led to a reduction in rainfall deficiency in the state as well as in the region. However, many districts in the Marathwada and Vidarbha sub-divisions are experiencing a large rainfall deficiency. According to the data, considering rainfall between June 1 to July 4, currently, Maharashtra state is experiencing - 38% rainfall deficiency. While Konkan & Goa and central Maharashtra sub-divisions are experiencing a reduction in rainfall deficiency of -13% and -38% consequently. The Marathawada is experiencing the highest rainfall deficiency in all four sub-divisions at - 64%, while in Vidarbha the rainfall deficiency is - 56% In Pune, the cumulative rainfall deficiency (June 1 to July 4) is -26%. The normal rainfall for this period is 227.1 mm, while the district received 168.5 mm of rainfall during the said period. A large rainfall deficiency can be seen in many districts in the state. Maharashtra needs more rain to reduce the deficiency. The IMD has forecasted that there will be good rainfall in July, and we are hoping that it will help to reduce the rainfall deficiency in the upcoming days, said KS Hosalikar, head of Climate Research and Services, IMD, Pune. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Despite the merger of Wagholi with the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC), its residents do not have access to basic infrastructure which includes regular and uninterrupted power supply. While the Maharashtra State Electricity Distribution Company Limited (MSEDCL) has finalised land and sent a proposal to the Maharashtra State Electricity Transmission Company Limited (Mahatransco) for setting up a sub-station, it will take at least two years for the same. Despite the merger of Wagholi with PMC, its residents do not have access to basic infrastructure which includes regular and uninterrupted power supply (REPRESENTATIVE IMAGE) Presently, Wagholi is part of Pune Circle rural of Mahavitaran. With a population of around one lakh, it is among the most urbanised of the newly merged villages. Wagholi gets power from the Lonikand-based 400 kilowatt (KV) sub-station which is around 18 to 20 kilometres from Wagholi. There is no sub-station between Lonikand and Kharadi and Wagholi is located at the tail end of the Lonikand sub-station and faces low voltage and power fluctuation. Recently, residents of Wagholi faced a 12-hour-long power outage after which the MSEDCL has taken up the matter on a priority basis. On Monday, MSEDCL officials paid a visit to different areas to set up extra high voltage (EHV) sub-stations. Rajendra Pawar, chief superintendent of MSEDCL Pune Circle, said, From the last two years, we were searching for land for two EHV sub-stations. One is located in Manjari and the other is in Kharadi. Information Technology (IT) companies are moving from Kharadi to Wagholi. There was no government land available in Wagholi. Therefore, one of the IT companies has shown a positive response and offered land to set up a 100 megawatt (MW) sub-station in the area. At present, we have decided to set up one sub-station in the Kharadi area. Pawar said, We visited the place and sent a proposal to Mahatransco to assess the technical feasibility of setting up a sub-station. They will complete other formalities and set up the sub-stations. It will take around one-and-a-half years. We have considered the increasing population of Wagholi. Yogesh Dudhal, a resident of Wagholi, said, It is good decision by the MSEDCL. After more than a decade, MSEDCL has finally acknowledged the problem. However, we have to wait for two more years. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Tuesday appointed former Jharkhand chief minister Babulal Marandi as its state unit president, replacing Rajya Sabha member Deepak Prakash who had completed his three-year term in February this year. Former Jharkhand CM Babulal Marandi. (HT) Party president JP Nadda has appointed MLA and former chief minister Babulal Marandi as president of Jharkhand BJP. His appointment is being done with immediate effect, the letter issued by BJP general secretary Arun Singh said. Thanking the party top leadership for giving him the responsibility, Marandi said service of the country and development of Jharkhand would be his priority. My priority is to work along with party leaders, especially the workers, to further strengthen the party for the upcoming Lok Sabha and assembly elections, he said. Marandi, 65, who started his public life with the RSS and VHP, has the distinction of being the first chief minister of Jharkhand after it was carved out of Bihar in 2000. He had left the BJP in 2006 over differences with the central and state leadership. Fourteen years later, Marandi returned home as he merged his JVM (P) with the saffron party in February 2020, soon after the 2019 assembly elections in which the Hemant Soren-led three-party alliance wrested power from the BJP. Though BJP made him its legislature party leader, the Speaker is yet to give leader of opposition status to Marandi as a disqualification petition against him is pending. Party insiders said the central leadership could name a new legislature party leader soon. His appointment gives a clear signal that he continues to enjoy the confidence of the central leadership, especially the prime minister. The party did not budge despite the Speaker sitting on the disqualification petition after reserving the order in August last year. BJP did not replace him as legislature party leader. And now with Lok Sabha elections drawing closer and assembly elections scheduled soon after in 2024, the party has given a clear signal that it is Marandi who would lead the BJPs march, a senior party leader said. Of the 14 Lok Sabha seats in the state, the BJP had won 11 seats in 2019 while its ally AJSU Party had won one. However, six months later, BJP was routed in the assembly elections, largely blamed by political observers on the tribals turning against the party. Marandi belongs to Santhali tribe, the biggest tribal subgroup in the state, where scheduled tribes account for around 26.5 per cent of the 3.24 crore population, as per the 2011 census. The patriarch of the ruling Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM), Shibu Soren, who is also the tallest tribal leader in the state, also belongs to Santhal tribe that dwells majorly in Santhal Parganas and North Chhota Nagpur divisions of the state. Marandi emerged on the political landscape of the state in 1998, when he defeated Shibu Soren from Dumka Lok Sabha seat, the pocket borough of Sorens in Santhal Parganas. A year later, he repeated his feat by defeating Rupi Soren, wife of Shibu Soren, from the same seat. Rewarding him for his performance and organizational work, Atal Bihari Vajpayee inducted him in his cabinet during his first tenure as the Prime Minister and gave him forest and environment portfolio. In November 2000, he was made first chief minister of Jharkhand. Marandi is a four-term MP and two-term MLA. Currently, he represents his home constituency, Dhanwar in Giridih district, in the assembly. While the party workers and leaders welcomed the appointment, party insiders said the biggest challenge of Marandi would be to curb infighting in the party, besides winning over the confidence of the tribal community ahead of the upcoming elections. Return of Marandi opens another front in the party, which was already divided into camps led by two other former chief ministers, Arjun Munda and Raghubar Das. Also, BJP was at the receiving end in 2019 elections after it experimented by making Raghubar Das first non-tribal chief minister of the state in 2014, a senior party leader said. Of the 28 assembly seats reserved for scheduled tribes (ST), BJP could only win two seats in 2019, down from 14 in the 2014 state elections. The JMM and Congress won other 26 ST seats and won a handsome majority of 47 along with the third ally RJD in the 81-member House. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON For the second time in less than three months, Khalistani separatist groups targeted the Indian consulate in San Francisco. In March, Khalistani activists planted flags at the consulate, broke through barricades, used flagpoles to attack the consulate, smashed windows and damaged doors. This time, two men attacked and sought to burn down the building, painting pro-Khalistan graffiti on the walls and using fuel cans to spray inflammable liquid inside the diplomatic premises before setting it alight. Though no material damage was caused, the incident represented an unacceptable breach of security and a dangerous escalation of extremist tendencies of Khalistani groups that calls for a commensurate response from local American authorities. PREMIUM For some time now, it has been clear that Khalistani groups getting squeezed out of political space in Punjab and battling diminishing popularity are looking to ratchet up tensions outside the country to garner attention. (ANI Representative Image) For some time now, it has been clear that Khalistani groups getting squeezed out of political space in Punjab and battling diminishing popularity are looking to ratchet up tensions outside the country to garner attention. That this has happened with barely a ripple in the villages of Punjab once the epicentre of the struggle against State brutality and demands for a separate homeland should offer enough proof of the negligible traction such groups have among demographics they claim to represent. Rallies in Canada celebrating the assassination of former prime minister Indira Gandhi or vandalism at Indian missions in the United Kingdom (UK) are part of the same pattern. New Delhi has been rightly mounting pressure on these countries to institute criminal proceedings against the perpetrators of these attacks. India is clear that it wants to see action, not just sympathy, the arrests of those involved in recent incidents, and pre-emptive measures by local authorities to stop any such future attacks. Signals by Khalistani groups they posted a video titled Violence Begets Violence indicate that they are unlikely to desert this provocative course of action unless strongly prevailed upon. The local authorities in the US , and wherever else such attacks have happened, need to take strong punitive and preventive action to deter any such adventurism. While there should always be space for peaceful dissent and discussion in a democracy, there should be no tolerance of violence and incendiary tactics. India should leverage its improved diplomatic relations to press upon the American authorities the importance of strong action in such cases, and in countries where permissible, make claims for compensation for the attacks and the damage caused to the Indian missions. Institute of Chartered Accountants of India will release ICAI CA Result 2023 for Inter, Final courses on July 5, 2023. Candidates who have appeared for intermediate and final courses examination can check the results through the official site of ICAI at icai.org. ICAI CA Result 2023 for Inter, Final courses releasing tomorrow, heres how to check As per the official notice, The results of the Chartered Accountants Final and Intermediate Examination held in May 2023 are likely to be declared on Wednesday, the 05th July, 2023 and the same can be accessed by candidates on the website icai.nic.in. ICAI CA Result 2023 for Inter, Final: How to check To check the results, candidates can follow the steps given below. Visit the official site of ICAI at icai.org. Click on ICAI CA Result 2023 for Inter, Final links available on the home page. Enter the login details and click on submit. Your result will be displayed on the screen. Check the result and download the page. Keep a hard copy of the same for further need. The Inter course examination for Group 1 was conducted on May 3, 6, 8 and 10, 2023 and Group II was conducted on May 12, 14, 16 and 18, 2023. The final course exam for Group 1 was conducted on May 2, 4, 7 and 9, 2023 and Group II was conducted on May 11, 13, 15 and 17, 2023. The intermediate and final course examination was held from 2 pm to 4 pm, 2 pm to 5 pm and 2 pm to 6 pm on different days. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON ICAI Result 2023 Highlights: Institute of Chartered Accountants of India has declared ICAI CA Inter and Final May exam result 2023 today, July 5. It can be checked by all appeared candidates on the official site of ICAI at icai.nic.in. ICAI CA Inter, Final May result 2023 Highlights: Results declared (icai.nic.in) ICAI CA Final result direct link ICAI CA Inter result direct link As per the official notice, The results of the Chartered Accountants Final and Intermediate Examination held in May 2023 are likely to be declared on Wednesday, the 05th July, 2023 and the same can be accessed by candidates on the website icai.nic.in. Candidates can check their results by entering their registration number along with their roll numbers. The CA Inter and Final examination was conducted in May 2023. The exam was started on May 2 and ended on May 18, 2023 across the country at various exam centres. Follow the blog for latest updates on results, direct link, toppers and other details. In her two-decade-long career, Genelia Deshmukh has done quite a few films, but the one that remains the most special for audiences has to be Jaane Tu... Ya Jaane Na. As the romantic cult clocks 15 years, Genelia says that it was the casualness, intent of simplicity, emotions, and songs that went deep with people and they enjoyed it. The actor, who essayed the role of Aditi Meow Mahant adds, Everyone sets out to make a relatable film, but some connections go personal. Jaane Tu..Ya Jaane Na was a story of a lot of people and youngsters who have lived it or felt it. Going down memory lane, the 35-year-old recalls some interesting tidbits. Actor Genelia Deshmukh played the role of Aditi aka Meow in Jaane Tu...Ya Jaane Na that completes 15 years of its release on July 4. I gave three screen tests before I finally got the role For Genelia, playing the role of Aditi might have looked really effortless, but the actor recounts the multiple auditions and prep that went behind. When you do an Aamir Khan production, you have to test to get the film. There were three screen tests that I did before finally getting the role. There was a month of reading and hanging out together. All of that really helped because we were friends before we knew it. It was such a natural process. Imran was more comfortable with the other girl who was shortlisted During auditions, besides Genelia, there was another girl who was shortlisted for the lead role opposite Imran Khan who played Jai Singh Rathore. It was really cool as we were going to shoot the final screen test to see how it looked. I remember Imran telling me that he was more comfortable with the other girl, than with me. And then, when he went and saw it [his scene with me] on the screen, it was a totally different thing! It looked like we were best pals forever, shares the actor. Imran and Genelia, the bond continues Even though Imran has quit acting, Genelia says they still share a great camaraderie and keep in touch. Our kids are now in the same school, so we often catch up at the school. 80% of the film was shot during night For those who would have noticed, the film was mostly shot in the dark and Genelia reveals it was director Abbas Tyrewalas idea. He used to say that Love happens in the night, more than the day, so our film was primarily shot in the night. Everyday, we would pack-up at 6am, chasing the night, hoping that the light doesnt come in. Besides the two songs Kabhi Kabhi Aditi Zindagi and Nazre Milaana most of the scenes are night sequences, she recounts, adding, After finishing the shoot every morning, despite being so tired, the entire unit would dance on the film's songs. Im very unlike Aditi now While Genelia says she could totally relate to her character in the film back then, today she is completely a different person. Aditi was very close to me back then. She was a firebrand, someone who spoke her emotions. I was young and just went with no makeup, all natural. So, it was just me and how I was. However, today, I am different from Aditi because I think before speaking, says the mother of two, confessing that today, the film has attained a classic status but back then, I didnt even know what was happening. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Ushna Shah's pic with Anurag Kashyap Posing alongside him in an undated photo, Ushna described Anurag as a 'genius' and 'a maestro of his craft'. She wrote in her Instagram caption, "A perpendicular genius; maestro of his craft. An institution, I learnt so much. (Also the reason I met my husband)." It is not clear if the picture was recently clicked or is a throwback. Both Anurag and Ushna are casually dressed in the photo that was seemingly taken at an event. He is wearing black, while she is in a beige and blue look. Ushna Shah said Anurag Kashyap is the reason she met her husband Hamza Amin. Reactions to her post Ushna's photo with Anurag captured fans attention. Many said they were intrigued by her revelation that the Indian filmmaker had played a role in connecting her with her husband. "Noooo wayyyy (fire emojis)," commented a fan. Another one wrote, "I did not see this coming? How do you know him? Any project coming together?" Some also showered love on Anurag. One wrote, "Bollywoods very own Tarantino (Hollywood filmmaker Quentin Tarantino). Nawaz (Nawazuddin Siddiqui), Vicky Kaushal, Rajkummar Rao, Pankaj Tripathi, and so many other stars were made because of Anurag." He has directed numerous critically-acclaimed films, including Gangs of Wasseypur, Dev.D, and the Sunny Leone-starrer Kennedy, which had its world premiere at Cannes Film Festival 2023. Pakistani actor Ushna Shah and Hamza Amin at their wedding. Ushna Shah's wedding outfit In February, Ushna and Hamza married in Karachi. Soon after their wedding, a section of social media users slammed the actor for wearing a red lehenga for the wedding, while a few also objected to the Pakistani actor dancing at the festivities. Ushna had responded after people slammed her for 'dressing up like an Indian bride' in a red wedding lehenga. Ushna schooled people policing her wedding outfit, and said they had not paid for her wedding lehenga. She added that 'those who have a problem with her dress' were not invited to her wedding. Along with a photo of herself wearing her red bridal lehenga and giving a glimpse of her mehendi, the actor had written on Instagram Stories, "Mrs Amin (referencing her husband's name) to those who have a problem with my dress: you weren't invited, nor did you pay for my shade of red. My jewellery, my jora (wedding outfit): purely Pakistani. My heart, however, half-Austrian (hinting at her husband). Allah humein khush rakhey aameen (May God keep us happy)." She further wrote, Beigaani shaadi mein jo inunived photographers ghuss gaye, unko salaam (my greetings to the uninvited photographers who came to our wedding). SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON ABOUT THE AUTHOR HT Entertainment Desk Dedicated professionals who write about cinema and television in all their vibrancy. Expect views, reviews and news. ...view detail Fans have been tweeting about Shah Rukh Khan and extending their best wishes to the actor after he reportedly met with an accident on the sets of one of his upcoming projects in Los Angeles. The actor has reportedly undergone surgery after he ended up hurting his nose on set and was bleeding. He was immediately rushed to hospital, said a report. Also read: Shah Rukh Khan meets with accident on set, undergoes surgery in US Actor Shah Rukh Khan at an event in Mumbai earlier this year. (File Photo: AP) Fans wish Shah Rukh a full recovery Shah Rukh Khan is receiving support from his fans after the news of his recent accident broke. While some shared news articles about the actor's accident that landed him in the hospital, others wished him a full recovery. One fan tweeted, Wishing you a speed recovery @iamsrk sir. Love you and God bless you. A person said, "Get well soon SRK (Shah Rukh Khan) and get back with Jawan." A fan also tweeted, "Praying for speedy recovery. He will be fine soon." One said, Get well fully King Khan. We are praying for you! About Shah Rukh's accident So far, neither Shah Rukh Khan nor his team has issued any statement regarding the alleged accident and surgery. A source told ETimes about the actor's accident, SRK was shooting in Los Angeles for a project and he ended up hurting his nose. He began bleeding and was immediately rushed to a hospital. The report further said quoting the source, "His team was informed by the doctors that there was nothing to worry and that King Khan would need to undergo a minor surgery to stop the bleeding. Post the operation, SRK was spotted with a bandage on his nose Shah Rukh Khan is now back in the country, recuperating at home." Shah Rukh's recent projects Shah Rukh was last seen with Deepika Padukone and John Abraham in the action film Pathaan. He will be next seen in Atlees upcoming action film Jawan, which also features Nayanthara, Vijay Sethupathi, Sanya Malhotra, Priyamani and Sunil Grover, among others. He also has Dunki. Directed by Rajkumar Hirani, Dunki marks the first collaboration between Shah Rukh and the National Film Awards-winning director. The movie also features Taapsee Pannu and Vicky Kaushal. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON ABOUT THE AUTHOR HT Entertainment Desk Dedicated professionals who write about cinema and television in all their vibrancy. Expect views, reviews and news. ...view detail Satya completed 25 years since its release on July 3. The path-breaking film by Ram Gopal Varma starred Urmila Matondkar, Manoj Bajpayee, Shefali Shah and JD Chakravarthy in pivotal roles. In a new tweet, Urmila, who played the role of Vidya in the film, shared stills of her character and said how she was snubbed at award ceremonies that year. (Also read: Satya turns 25: Ram Gopal Varma's film showed underworld's enduring romance with Bollywood) Urmila Matondkar posted on the occasion of Satya completing 25 years of release.. Urmila's tweet on Satya In a tweet on Tuesday, Urmila took a dig at award ceremonies and said how she played a part in Satya, which was extremely opposite to the glamorous roles in her career and still got snubbed at award ceremonies. She tweeted, "25 years of Satya and of playing simple naive chawl (a type of residential building) girl Vidya at the peak of an scintillating glamorous career. But NO what did that have to do with acting so no awards and not even nominations. So sit down and dont talk to me about favouritism and nepotism... just saying." Awards received by Satya Satya was released in 1998 and won several awards that year, especially for Manoj Bajpayee and the craft team. It won six Filmfare Awards, including Best Film (Critics), Best Actor (Critics) for both Manoj Bajpayee and Shefali Shah, Best Background Score for Sandeep Chowta, Best Editing Apurva Asrani and Bhanodaya and Best Sound Design for H. Sridhar. It also won a National Award for Best Supporting Actor for Manoj Bajpayee's performance as Bhiku Mhatre. In that year Kajol won majority of the Best Actress awards in various award ceremonies for her performances in Kuch Kuch Hota Hai and Dushman. Urmila's political career Urmila joined the Indian National Congress in March 2019, and contested for the 2019 Lok Sabha Elections. After losing the election, later in the same year, Urmila went on to resign from Congress citing internal politics. In December 2020, she joined Shiv Sena. In 2020, there also emerged a war of words between Urmila and actor Kangana Ranaut. In an interview, Urmila had asked Kangana to introspect about the drug culture in her home state of Himachal Pradesh before levelling allegations against Bollywood. Kangana hit back saying it wouldnt be very difficult for her to get a ticket to contest in politics if she so wished, and tweeted, Even Urmila, she is a soft porn star. I know its very blatant. But she isnt known for her acting for sure. What is she known for? For doing soft porn right? If she can get a ticket, why wont I get a ticket? Urmila was last seen in the 2018 film Blackmail. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON ABOUT THE AUTHOR HT Entertainment Desk Dedicated professionals who write about cinema and television in all their vibrancy. Expect views, reviews and news. ...view detail While Oppenheimer, starring Cillian Murphy in the titular role of a nuclear scientist; and Barbie, starring Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling in a film based on the Mattel Barbie and Ken dolls, will release in cinemas on the same day on July 21, Tom's action thriller Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part One will hit the theatres only nine days prior to that, on July 12. Tom's Barbenheimer plans I want to see both Barbie and Oppenheimer. Ill see them opening weekend. Friday Ill see Oppenheimer first and then Barbie on Saturday," Tom told The Sydney Morning Herald, when he was in the Australian capital for the premiere of Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning - Part One. What Tom said earlier on Barbenheimer Tom had earlier taken to Instagram last week to lend support to the upcoming double feature of Oppenheimer and Barbie on July 21. He posed with Mission: Impossible director Christopher McQuarrie in front of the posters of both the films with tickets in hand. He wrote in the caption, I love a double feature, and it doesnt get more explosive (or more pink) than one with Christopher Nolans Oppenheimer and Greta Gerwigs Barbie. Tom also promoted Indiana Jones In the same Instagram post, Tom also sent a shoutout to the new release, Harrison Ford-starrer Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny. He wrote, Congratulations, Harrison Ford, on 40 years of Indiana Jones and creating one of the most iconic characters in cinema history. You have given us countless hours of joy, with a picture of him and McQuarrie posing with tickets in front of a poster of the movie. Harrison Ford is a legend; I hope to be still going; Ive got 20 years to catch up with him. I hope to keep making Mission: Impossible films until Im his age, Tom said in the interview to The Sydney Morning Herald. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Robert De Niro's 19-year-old grandson Leandro De Niro Rodriguez who was found dead on Sunday afternoon was discovered so by a friend who went to visit him at his New York City apartment. The friend hadn't heard from Leandro for few days and went to check in on him. According to a report by TMZ, law enforcement authorities have revealed that both drugs and drug paraphernalia were found near Leandro's body. Robert De Niro, his grandson Leandro De Niro Rodriguez(Twitter) Leandro's death is being investigated as a possible drug overdose case. However, the exact cause of death is yet to be confirmed. "Im deeply distressed by the passing of my beloved grandson Leo. Were greatly appreciative of the condolences from everyone. We ask that we please be given privacy to grieve our loss of Leo," read a statement from Robert De Niro on Monday. ALSO READ| Arnold Schwarzenegger warns about Artificial Intelligence with scary reminder from Terminator movie How Leandro's mother Drena De Niro expressed her emotions after his death? "My beautiful sweet angel. I have loved you beyond words or description from the moment I felt you in my belly. You have been my joy my heart and all that was ever pure and real in my life. I wish I was with you right now. I wish I was with you. I dont know how to live without you but Ill try to go on and spread the love and light that you so made me feel in getting to be your mama. You were so deeply loved and appreciated and I wish that love alone could have saved you. Rest in Peace and Eternal Paradise my darling boy," wrote Drena on Instagram on Sunday night. Leandro's relationship to Robert De Niro Interestingly, Leandro's mother Drena was born to Diahnne Abbott. She got adoped by Robert De Niro after his marriage to Abbott. Leandro's father was artist Carlos Rodriguez. Leandro's career 19-year-old Leandro was a budding young actor. His first major break in Hollywood was the 2018 movie "A Star Is Born" in which was directed by Bradley Cooper. Leandro also acted in 2018 drama "Cabaret Maxime". Belgian musician Apashe shot his single, Gasoline, in India recently. While the country has been a favourite shoot destination for several international musicians, including Coldplay, DJ Snake and Marshmello, Apashes reason for shooting here was different. This was my first trip to India and it was a dream come true. My grandfather is from Goa, so I grew up hearing all the stories from him and my mum, who used to visit frequently. It always felt like a part of our history was left there and it really made me eager to visit India. We chose to include scenes from New Delhi where Raga (Indian musician and his collaborator on the video) is from and the rest was shot in Rajasthan and Mumbai. Rajasthan had the perfect moody landscapes and Mumbai was the perfect location for a dance sequence in an epic Bollywood-film style, says the music producer. Apashe Ask if music videos shot by other international musicians also encouraged him to shoot here and the 31-year-old says, I try not to look at other artistes work, as I dont want to be influenced by anyone. For me, originality is key and I wanted to make an Indian music video that feels different. One that would fit with my universe, yet had an Indian influence. He enjoyed spending two weeks near Goa where his family lives and Apashe hopes to return to India for a performance soon. Talking about his love for Bollywood, he adds, Im really fond of older Bollywood music. It sounds so different; its a sample goldmine. Among Indian musicians, I enjoy Raga, Divine, RANJ, Sidhu Moosewala and Rashmeet Kaurs music. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Kourtney Kardashian Barker, the eldest sister of the famous Kardashian family, has decided to distance herself from the drama and focus on her own priorities. Kourtney Kardashian(Getty Images) Despite tension with her younger sister Kim Kardashian on the reality show "The Kardashians" on Hulu, Kourtney, 44, is primarily concentrating on her family and her successful brand. According to a source close to the family, told PEOPLE Kourtney "doesn't want to engage in any family drama" and has more important things to focus on. The insider shared, She has much more important focuses, added, She loves her business and brand. She feels very proud of Poosh. She doesnt need her family, or sisters, to make money. She is very much enjoying doing her own thing. Shes much rather focus on her brand than filming for the show. Kardashian siblings. (Image Credit: Instagram/KIMKARDASHIAN) Kourtney's renewed happiness and sense of purpose stem from her pregnancy and the blissful afterglow of her first year of marriage to Blink-182 drummer Travis Barker. The couple recently delighted their fans with a series of Instagram posts announcing that they are expecting a baby boy. The source reveals, Kourtney is the happiest. She is overjoyed about her baby boy and feels beyond grateful to be married to Travis. She feels like she couldnt wish for anything else. Meanwhile, viewers of the reality show are witnessing some drama unfold between Kourtney and Kim, specifically related to Kourtney's wedding ceremony in Italy with Travis, 47. Kourtney accused Kim of stealing her thunder and profiting off her wedding when Kim's shapewear brand SKIMS partnered with Dolce & Gabbana (the same designer responsible for styling Kourtney's wedding) shortly after the nuptials. The 44-year-old reality TV star expressed her sentiments on the show, highlighting, It comes from an old thing of us being 18 months apart and just having more competitive nature as sisters. I think that one time Ive even slightly done anything that was similar to her was, like, hang some Christmas lights in my entry that were similar to hers. ALSO READ| | Jimmy Fallon shares adorable family photo ahead of Fourth of July celebrations I feel like I go to big extents to have my own thing, but theres no sense of loyalty. Its almost like a greediness. New episodes of "The Kardashians" are airing on Hulu every Thursday, allowing fans to stay up to date with the ongoing developments in the Kardashian family. A team of scientists found themselves encircled by a group of formidable sharks in the waters off O'ahu, the vibrant Hawaiian island. The heart-pounding incident unfolded during the making of the exclusive documentary Sharkcano: Hawaii, set to air as part of National Geographic's thrilling Sharkfest programming event. Sharkfest sneak peek! Scientists face off formidable sharks in Sharkcano: Hawaii(Twitter/@NatGeoTV) The thrilling video clip, a sneak peek of Sharkcano: Hawaii, showcases researchers Mike Heithaus and Frances Farabaugh as they embark on a quest to uncover the mysteries behind the attraction of various shark species to Hawaiian waters. The documentary, scheduled to premiere at 8 p.m. on July 20, aims to shed light on the captivating science that draws these majestic creatures to volcanic islands like Hawaii. "Our goal with Sharkcano: Hawaii is to provide audiences with insight into the multiple reasons why sharks are drawn to these volcanic areas," explained Heithaus when speaking to Newsweek. "One possibility is that sharks come here to find mates. So, we wanted to investigate if Galapagos sharks, known to inhabit the region, might be mating there. We look for bite marks as evidence of male-female interactions during mating. The presence of scars tells us that Galapagos sharks are indeed mating in the area." Galapagos sharks, members of the Carcharhinidae family, are globally distributed in tropical oceanic regions. The species was initially identified near the Galapagos Islands in Ecuador, which bestowed its name upon them. These sharks are among the largest of their family, reaching lengths of up to 11 feet. The underwater encounter captured in the documentary highlights the intensity of swimming with Galapagos sharks. The researchers found themselves surrounded by a rapidly multiplying group, as Heithaus shared, "You can go from one shark to 10, to 20, or even more, really quickly." However, Heithaus reassured that the scientists were not in danger, emphasizing the calm demeanor of the sharks and the presence of safety divers as a precautionary measure. The chosen research location, notorious for shark attacks in Hawaii, prompted Heithaus and Farabaugh to exercise caution during their investigations. Working alongside safety divers, the scientists meticulously collected photographic evidence while remaining vigilant for any potential risks. The documentary footage captures the unfolding drama as initially, one Galapagos shark makes an appearance, followed swiftly by another. Notably, the sharks exhibit telltale signs of male-female interactions, with scars and bite marks clearly visible. The suspense heightens when the duo of sharks is soon joined by a larger group, encircling the scientists and creating an awe-inspiring spectacle. As Sharkfest continues to captivate viewers with its thrilling lineup, Sharkcano: Hawaii promises to be a mesmerizing addition to the roster. Audiences eagerly await the documentary's premiere, eager to witness the incredible encounters between scientists and these magnificent creatures, showcasing the delicate balance between humans and the natural world. On September 1, 2022, the Government of India launched the new indigenous cervical cancer vaccine, Cervavac, in partnership with Serum Institute of India Private Limited. This vaccine is a consequence of the partnership programme, Grand Challenges India, between the department of biotechnology (DBT) and the Biotechnology Industry Research Assistance Council (BIRAC) with the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. The project to develop the vaccine began in 2011 and it was only in July of 2022 that Cervavac got market authorisation from the Drug Controller General of India. The introduction of this vaccine is a welcome step in the battle against cervical cancer in India where every eight minutes, one woman dies of this preventable disease. Vaccination(Marwan Naamani/dpa/picture alliance) Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) causes 95% of all cervical cancers. Currently, two HPV vaccines are for sale in India, Cervarix and Gardasil, which protect against two and four strains of HPV, respectively. These two vaccines have been on the market since 2008. As they are manufactured by foreign manufacturers, they have been sold at steep prices, posing an affordability conundrum. Similar to Cervarix, Cervavac is a quadrivalent HPV vaccine protecting against four strains. The introduction of Cervavac, which is promised to be sold at one-tenth of the price of the previously existing vaccines, solves the problem of affordability. However, there are several barriers to HPV vaccination scoping beyond the vaccines cost. The stigma around reproductive health issues in India is a significant barrier. Women often feel uncomfortable discussing symptoms of diseases associated with sexual organs like the cervix. Coupled with cancer, this problem only worsens. Misplaced beliefs of cancer as a contagious disease, a punishment, and a death sentence have stigmatised cancer as well. Eventually, the stigma associated with these diseases leads to a delay in seeking medical care once the symptoms of cervical cancer develop. Various cultural beliefs have also resulted in poor uptake of vaccines against cervical cancer. As cervical cancer is linked to sexual activity, Indian parents and guardians believe that offering HPV vaccination might lead to an increase in a persons sexual activity. The awareness related to cervical cancer and its vaccination is also low in our community which has led to the development of fear and misconceptions related to vaccination and further reduced its uptake. HPV vaccination uptake, however, has only been studied in women in India. This is mainly because of the misconception that HPV infection causes cancer only in women. HPV is known to cause anorectal, oral, nasopharyngeal, oesophageal, and penile cancers in men too. Lack of awareness has therefore resulted in close to no uptake of HPV vaccination in men who also could benefit from the same. Community health workers could play a crucial role in addressing these barriers by interacting with the people and addressing the misconceptions and myths. In Kolkata, interaction with trained social workers and the distribution of factsheets increased vaccine acceptance. Therefore, addressing the drivers of stigma, misconceptions, and poor understanding of the vaccine through cancer awareness camps is important to successfully vaccinate people with the new indigenous vaccine. It is important to foresee that HPV vaccination might affect cancer screening. It has been seen in other places that vaccination can create a false sense of security from cancer and reduce screening. Screening for cervical cancer is already low in India which is highlighted by the fact that only one in three women in India gets diagnosed with localized disease while the rest present only once the disease has reached a more advanced stage. It has been shown that twice-lifetime screening accompanying vaccination can help in identifying and managing abnormal lesions early and thus reduce cancer occurrence in the community. Therefore, it becomes imperative to strengthen screening services before launching widespread vaccination drives to use those drives as an opportunity to promote screening as well. The public health system could also draw inspiration from the previous successful methods of promoting HPV vaccination in India. Vaccination drives carried out in schools in Sikkim are a great example to follow. Moreover, adding the vaccine to the Universal Immunisation Programme will increase its accessibility, and boost its uptake. The HPV vaccine has previously been successfully introduced in India as a part of the immunisation schedule in Punjab and through opportunistic vaccination in Delhi. It is known that government-supported vaccination has better acceptance. Therefore, efforts should be made to introduce the HPV vaccine in the national immunisation schedule as soon as possible. A blooming private health sector could also be leveraged to promote vaccination. Collaborating with professional bodies like the Federation of Obstetric and Gynaecological Societies of India (FOGSI) and other professional bodies and private corporations could play an integral role in promoting vaccine uptake. Like in the case of tuberculosis, public-private partnerships and the establishment of a referral system could help in guiding eligible people to the nearest designated facilities for vaccination, thus improving awareness and accessibility of the vaccine. Lastly, cervical cancer should be made a notifiable disease under the National Programme for Prevention and Control of Non-Communicable Diseases (NPNCD). Indias cancer registries need to be strengthened to adequately gauge the extent of the problem of cervical cancer among other cancers. Only then it will be possible to monitor the impact of vaccination on reducing the cervical cancer burden. Time is running out and we are losing countless lives to preventable cancer every hour. A cheaper vaccine, however, is not the ultimate solution to this problem. A problem as complex as this requires a multipronged assessment and approach for a successful and long-lasting solution. This article is authored by Parth Sharma, public health physician, Anoushka Arora, medical student and research intern and Siddhesh Zadey, co-founding director, Association for Socially Applicable Research (ASAR). SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON New Delhi On Tuesday, former Karnataka chief minister and senior Bharatiya Janata Party leader BS Yediyurappa said that his party and the former prime minister HD Dewe Gowda-headed Janata Dal (Secular) would fight together against the ruling Congress in Karnataka in the future. PREMIUM BJP steps up game to make alliances and get a strong foothold ahead of the Lok Sabha elections in 2024. (PTI) Also on Tuesday, in Lucknow, moves were afoot to induct Om Prakash Rajbhar, an ally of the Samajwadi Party in the 2022 assembly elections, into the Yogi Adityanath cabinet to broaden to social base of the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) in the state. And the Union government (also on Tuesday) announced Y-category security for Santosh Majhi, son of Hindustan Awam Morcha (HAM) leader, Jitam Ram Majhi, who is likely to join the NDA. Santosh Majhi resigned from the Nitish Kumar cabinet before the June 23 opposition meeting in Patna and the ruling grand alliance in Bihar accused his father of spying for the BJP. The HAMs return to the NDA is expected to boost the coalitions chances in central parts of Bihar mainly in Jehanabad and Gaya districts. Also Read: Anything may happen: Kumaraswamy hinting at BJP-JDS alliance for 2024? While many of these events have been weeks, perhaps months in the making, there is a discernible acceleration in the BJPs efforts to build an alliance ahead of the 2024 national elections -- and coming in the wake the weekends events that saw a section of Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) lawmakers led by Ajit Pawar joining the Shiv Sena-BJP government in Maharashtra, it is clear that the party that has emerged the political hegemon over the past decade is working to a script. Many parties are eager to join the NDA and the NCP has just taken the lead, Union Information and Broadcasting Minister Anurag Thakur said in Kangra on Tuesday. HT reported on June 10, that the BJP was working on a plan to rebuild the NDA by winning back old allies such as the Shiromani Akali Dal and the Telugu Desam Party, and wooing new ones. Its moves come even as the Opposition is trying to put together a united front, or at least arrive at some kind of understanding to take on the BJP. In Andhra Pradesh, the BJP is confident of forging an alliance with the N Chandrababu Naidu-led TDP and Pawan Kalyan of the Jana Sena. The TDP walked out of the NDA in March 2018 after the Union government refused to give Andhra Pradesh special category status . However, since the TDPs loss in 2019 state assembly elections, the party seems to have changed its stance regarding the BJP. Naidu has met PM Narendra Modi a few times and also met with BJP chief JP Nadda and home minister Amit Shah on June 4. Analysts say that the formal announcement is not being made because the BJP does not want to upset its equation with the YSR Congress party, which has 22 Lok Sabha MPs and 9 in Rajya Sabha, ahead of an important Parliament session. The YSRCP has supported every decision of the NDA government at the Centre . The TDP is yet to react to the appointment of former UPA minister, D Purandeshwari, daughter of the late NT Rama Rao, as state BJP president. Naidu, the son-in-law of Rama Rao, founder of TDP, and Purandeshwari are considered bitter political rivals in the state. He (Naidu) and the Prime Minister share a very close bond, said a BJP functionary, refusing to comment on the appointment of Purandeshwari. In Telangana, where the BJP appointed Union tourism minister, G Kishan Reddy, as the state president on Tuesday, the Congress has accused the ruling Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) of being the B-team of the BJP. Although the BRS had denied the accusation, analysts said chief minister K Chandrasekhar Rao has stopped attacking the BJP since the Congress won the Karnataka assembly elections on May 13 and his daughter K Kavithas name cropped up in the Delhi excise scam. They point to the meeting last week between his son and state minister K T Rama Rao and home minister Shah could change political equations in the state. There could be an unwritten understanding between the BRS and the BJP, which is why he is targeting the Congress and trying to split the anti-establishment vote in Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh, political analyst Sriram Karri said. In Punjab, Sukhbir Singh Badal returned from his London vacation on Monday and is expected to revive talks with the BJP. SAD leaders say that the talks wont be a walkover and that the party will only return to the NDA on favourable terms. All this talk about Harsimrat Badal returning to the Modi cabinet is a bit premature, said a spokesperson for the SAD. A BJP leader familiar with the matter said that SADs re-entry is something that has support at the highest level.Nadda, Shah and organisation general secretary BL Santhosh are believed to be involved in the talks. The Akali Dal, part of NDA for almost 25 years, left the alliance to protest against the Centres farm laws in 2021. In Bihar, the BJP is looking to build a formidable social alliance to take on the JD(U)-RJD-led grand alliance which also includes the Congress and the Left parties. In addition to the HAM, the BJP has already extended an olive branch to its former ally, the Mukesh Sahni-led Vikasheel Insaan Party (VIP) . The Chirag Paswan-led Lok Janashakti Party (LJP-RV) remains part of the NDA. Another prominent Kushwaha leader of Bihar, Upendra Kushwaha, who resigned from the JD(U) and formed a new party, the Rashtriya Lok Janata Dal (RLJD), is believed to be in touch with the BJP leaders . NDA will announce formidable partners in coming days, said BJPs Bihar spokesperson, Santosh Pathak. Maharashtra and Bihar are both key states from the perspective of the Lok Sabha elections. The first sends 48 members to Parliament and the second, 40. The BJPs success in breaking the Shiv Sena last year, and the NCP over the weekend may have given it an edge in Maharashtra, analysts said, adding that it could try something similar in Bihar. After some top leaders including former union minister R C P Singh resigned from JD(U) and joined the BJP earlier this year, the buzz is that more JD(U) leaders could join the BJP soon. Bihar will face Maharashtra like situation soon, Kushwaha said on Monday. The JD(U) has rejected the claims even though chief minister Nitish Kumar has started meeting party legislators and MPs individually, primarily, to gauge their minds. In Bengaluru, JD(S)s Kumaraswamy did not rule out an alliance with the BJP and said it could happen by the end of this year or early next year. Anything may happen. It will not take too much time. Bengaluru Former Karnataka chief minister BS Yediyurappa, Sadananda Gowda, BJP state President Nalin Kumar Kateel and others during a protest against the state government in Bengaluru on Tuesday. (PTI) In a major political development, former Karnataka chief minister and senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader BS Yediyurappa on Tuesday said that his party and the Janata Dal (Secular) JD(S) will fight together against the ruling Congress in Karnataka. Addressing the media, the BJP strongman supported former chief minister and JD(S) leader HD Kumaraswamys allegations against the Congress government on the issue of corruption. Kumaraswamy on Monday accused the chief ministers office (CMO) of demanding bribes for transferring officials. Whatever HD Kumaraswamy said is true and I back his statement. We will fight together in future, Yediyurappa told reporters in Bengaluru. Responding to Yediyurappas statement, Kumaraswamy said that it will probably happen by the end of this year or after the upcoming 2024 Lok Sabha elections. I dont want to particularly name anyone. Anything may happen. It will not take too much time. Most probably, it will happen this year-end or after the Parliament election. For that, we will have to wait. After its defeat in the state Assembly elections, the JD(S) has been attacking the Congress government of rampant corruption. Kumaraswamy has alleged that the CMO officials were demanding 30 lakh for transfers of officials and an MLA letter alone was not enough for the task. Recently, an official who was seeking transfer got the letter of the local MLA to the CMO. But the CMO officials said that a recommendation letter alone will not work and that he should get 30 lakh along with it for posting. This happened at the CMs office Krishna, Kumaraswamy said on Monday. Attacking the Congress, the JD(S) leader said that syndicates in Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) and sub-registrars officers have been formed for this and everyone knows under whose nose these activities are going on, without elaborating. Let the Congress say as to who the mastermind was for these transfers. Earlier on Sunday, Kumaraswamy accused the Congress government of levying a YST (Yathindra Siddaramaiah Tax) as bribes in order to transfer officials. A new tax YST [Yathindra Siddaramaiah Tax] has been introduced by the government, he chided, in a veiled reference to Siddaramaiahs son, Dr Yathindra Siddaramaiah. Yathindra, who was elected as an MLA from Varuna constituency in 2018, vacated his seat for his father in 2023. Former chief minister Basavaraj Bommai also backed Kumaraswamys allegations. There have been several indications that the JD(S) is once again gravitating towards the BJP. The first indication. The party chief had attended the inauguration of the new Parliament House even as 20 Opposition parties boycotted it. In June, the speculation gathered steam when JD(S) chief HD Deve Gowda hinted that his party might stay away from the anti-BJP Opposition alliance ahead of the 2024 elections, and said that all parties have had associations with the BJP. I can analyse in detail about this countrys politics, what is the use? Show me one party which has not associated with the BJP, either directly or indirectly. Show me one party in the whole country, then I will answer, Gowda had said. In the state assembly elections, held on 10 May, the Congress secured a thumping victory by winning 135 seats in the 224-member Assembly, while the BJP had to settle for 66 seats. The JD(S) saw its worst-ever performance in over two decades with steep fall in its number of seats from 37 in 2018 to 19 in 2023. JD(S) and BJP had forged an alliance in 2006, and then as per the talks between the two parties, Kumaraswamy was made the chief minister and Yediyurappa as his deputy, under a 20-month power-sharing formula. However, the coalition did not last long as the JD(S) did not transfer power to BJP and the government collapsed in October 2007. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Tuesday appointed new state presidents in four states, including poll-bound Telangana in what is seen as the first wave of organisational changes ahead of key state elections later this year and the national elections in 2024, with more changes in the organisation, and even a reshuffle of the Union Cabinet, expected in coming days. A Bharatiya Janta Party worker erecting BJP flags, in Jammu.(Nitin Kanotra / Hindustan Times) Among the changes announced on Tuesday, Union minister G Kishen Reddy has been appointed the president of the state unit in Telangana, while Etela Rajender has been given charge of the election management committee. In Punjab, Ashwani Sharma has been replaced by Sunil Jhakhar, a former Congressman and state unit chief, who joined the BJP in March 2022, following a public showdown over being overlooked for the position of Punjab CM. Former minister in the UPA government, D Purandeshwari, was appointed as the president of the Andhra Pradesh unit, where the BJP has been aggressively pushing for expanding its footprint. She replaces Somu Veeraju. And in Jharkhand, where the BJP has been struggling to put together a team after it lost the last assembly election, former CM Babulal Marandi was appointed as president. New appointments are expected in several other states where the terms of the presidents are over and in those where the party wants to reboot its strategy for the Lok Sabha polls. Changes are also expected in Karnataka, where state unit president Nalin Kateel resigned after the BJP lost the state elections, and in Haryana where the partys alliance with the Jannayak Janta Party (JJP) has come under a cloud following the protest by the wrestlers, which is perceived to have alienated the dominant Jat community in the state. Reddys appointment indicates that a rejig in the Union council of ministers is on the cards. There has been speculation that ahead of the 2024 general elections there be will new faces inducted in the union council of ministers, to balance caste and regional aspirations. The last reshuffle was in 2021. The party also follows the practice of giving younger and newer faces a chance so that new leadership emerges, said a senior party functionary in Delhi who asked not to be named. Telangana Reddy replaces Bandi Sanjay Kumar, who seemed to have lost the confidence of some state leaders, and whose controversial utterances often ended up embarrassing the party. Commenting on the appointment, a senior leader said Reddy would keep the flock together as he is seen as a friend to all. There were many issues that had cropped up in the party after Bandis elevation and with Reddys appointment we expect those to be resolved. While Reddy is soft spoken and amiable, Rajender is aggressive; it will be the right combination, the leader added, asking not to be named. The appointment of Reddy as president and Rajender as the campaign committee chief, the leader said, would help balance the caste composition as well. Punjab Jhakhar was made part of the BJPs national executive in December. The party is keen on rebuilding the state unit after its alliance with the Shiromani Akali Dal ended it is separately working to revive it and has been scouting for strong and recognisable leaders on the ground. Jhakhar has a clean image, and he is a Hindu, a community that is the BJPs vote bank in the state, said the senior leader quoted above. Andhra Pradesh The Andhra state unit is believed to have told the BJPs central leadership that the party did not have any support from politically dominant castes and that its local leadership was wanting. Still, Purandeshwaris appointment seemed to take everyone by surprise. It is intriguing since there is talk of the BJP and TDP realigning ahead of the 2024 elections. She was inducted to wean away the politically dominant Kamma votes that constitute about 6% of the electorate and are considered the vote bank of the TDP, added the leader. Purandeswari, who was inducted in the national team as a general secretary, is the daughter of former chief minister NT Rama Rao and is TDP leader Chandrababu Naidus sister-in-law (and bitter rival). Former Andhra chief minister, Kiran Kumar Reddy, who moved to the party from the Congress in April this year, has been inducted in the BJP national executive. Jharkhand Marandi is tribal leader who announced the merger of his Jharkhand Vikas Morcha (Prajatantrik) with the BJP in 2020, and is expected to consolidate the partys position among tribal communities. Marandi left the BJP in 2006 to set up his own party. He replaces Deepak Prakash. The BJPs experiment with appointing a non-tribal leader as CM (Raghubar Das) did not pay off. The appointment of Marandi, who was the first tribal leader of the state to become CM is a clear indication that the BJP wants to woo the tribal communities who have grown distant from the party over some issues such as land and forest rights and, more recently, the Uniform Civil Code debate, said a state BJP leader who asked not to be named. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON ABOUT THE AUTHOR Smriti Kak Ramachandran Smriti covers an intersection of politics and governance. Having spent over a decade in journalism, she combines old fashioned leg work with modern story telling tools. ...view detail Bengaluru: Chaos unfolded in the Karnataka Assembly on Tuesday as the Opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) staged protests inside and outside the Assembly against the alleged delay in fulfilling the pre-poll promises made by the ruling Congress government in the state. BJP MLAs shout slogans as they gather in well of the house during the state assembly session, at Vidhana Soudha in Bengaluru on Tuesday. (PTI) BJP leaders were seen storming into the Well of the House and raising slogans against the Congress, thereby, causing disruptions in the sessionss proceedings. The proceedings began with the Speaker, UT Khader, allowing the star questions to be raised. Even as Congress MLA Shivalinge Gowda got up to raise the question, former chief minister Basavaraj Bommai and former ministers R Ashoka and Ashwath Narayan demanded the suspension of Question Hour and discussion on the guarantees announced by the Congress. Ashoka accused the ruling government in the state of cheating people in the name of five guarantees. Soon after, other BJP legislators too raised the issue demanding that their submission be allowed first. The Speaker repeatedly appealed the BJP to allow the Question Hour to take place, but couldnt calm down the chaos. Heated arguments ensued between the Congress and the BJP MLAs as the Opposition demanded implementation of the five pre-poll promises at the earliest. In the run-up to the Assembly elections in the state, the Congress had promised 200 units of free power to all households under the Gruha Jyothi scheme, 2,000 a month to each woman head of the family under the Gruha Lakshmi scheme, free travel for women in government-run buses under the Gruha Shakti scheme, 3,000 a month to unemployed graduates and 1,500 a month to unemployed diploma graduates for two years under the Yuva Nidhi scheme and 10kg food grains to each member of a below poverty line (BPL) family under the Anna Bhagya scheme, as the five pre-poll promises. Deputy chief minister DK Shivakumar, taking a swipe at the BJP, said that they were unable to tolerate the success of five guarantees. Let the Question Hour happen. Then we will hear their [BJPs] pearls of wisdom, he said on Monday. However, the BJP MLAs were firm to make a submission about the alleged failure in implementation of the five promises. Shivakumar, attacking the BJP, further asked that have they ever fulfilled their promise of depositing 15 lakh in everyones bank account and bringing back black money parked overseas. We are committed to our promises and we will fulfill them, he asserted. Siddaramaiah too appealed to the BJP to give up its adamant posture. Soon after, the BJP legislators trooped into the Well of the House raising slogans against the incumbent government. Following which, the Speaker adjourned the proceedings for briefly. As the house assembled again, the BJP MLAs stood at the Well of the house raising slogans. Amidst the ongoing chaos, Khader went ahead with the question hour and later allowed the documents of various departments to be tabled in the house. Outside the Assembly, former chief minister BS Yediyurappa, along with BJP state president Nalin Kumar Kateel and BJP MP DV Sadananda Gowda, joined hundreds of BJP workers at the Freedom Park in Bengaluru to protest against the Karnataka government. Yediyurappa accused the Congress of misleading people with the five guarantees. Our agitation is against the failure of fulfilling the five guarantees. We are also opposing the governments stand to withdraw the anti-conversion and anti-cow slaughter laws, which our government had introduced in the past, he said. Responding to Yediyurappa, Shivakumar told reporters that the veteran BJP leader is helping to promote Congress schemes. Its good that Yediyurappa protested. He is promoting our guarantees. If we have done something wrong, correct us. We are ready to change, he said. BJP MLA Basanagouda Patil Yatnal said that Shivakumar will not become the chief minister and the Congress government will collapse by December. During the discussion in the Assembly, it was Shivakumar who was frequently standing to speak as he is waiting for Siddaramaiah to vacate the CM chair. I guarantee that Siddaramaiah will not leave the chair and that Shivakumar will not become the CM since this governments warranty ends in December. Congress will be destroyed, Yatnal said. (With inputs from agencies) SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON The Canadian government has described the proposed rally by pro-Khalistan elements to Indian missions in the country as 'unacceptable', which has caused concerns over the safety of its senior envoys. In a statement released on Twitter on Monday evening, Melanie Joly, Canada's minister of foreign affairs, said, "Canada takes its obligations under Vienna Conventions regarding the safety of diplomats very seriously. Canada remains in close contact with Indian officials in light of some of the promotional material circulating online regarding a protest planned for July 8th, which are unacceptable." Members of Khalistani separatist groups and others protest outside the Indian embassy in Washington, D.C. in the United States. (File) A similar statement was also tweeted by minister of national defence Anita Anand, who said, "The materials posted online for a protest on July 8 are unacceptable, and they do not represent Canadians. Canada will continue to ensure the safety of foreign diplomats in this country and we take this responsibility seriously." READ | India demarches Canada, warns against desecration of Indian flag by Sikh extremists New Delhi briefs Ottawa The threat perception over the security of Indian missions and envoys has escalated after pro-Khalistan elements put out a poster with violent imagery, the words Kill India and photographs of its High Commissioner to Ottawa Sanjay Kumar Verma, Consul General in Toronto Apoorva Srivastava and Consul General in Vancouver Manish. India has already communicated its concerns to Global Affairs Canada (GAC), the countrys foreign ministry, Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP), which is tasked with diplomatic security, and local police in Ottawa, Toronto and Vancouver. READ | India concerned over threats to officials in Canada ahead of July 8 'Khalistan rally' Attack in United States Security worries have increased following reports of an incident of arson at the Indian Consulate in San Francisco. A senior Indian official said these details were being shared with Canadian authorities and they were being 'sensitised' to these issues. The official added that security patrols at the missions in Canada already appear to have been enhanced by law enforcement agencies. ALSO READ | Khalistanis attempt to burn down Indian consulate in San Francisco; India seeks action A poster, similar to those targeting officials in Canada, was circulated featuring the India's Ambassador to Washington Taranjit Singh Sandhu and Consul General in SF TV Nagendra Prasad. "The arson in the US proves the danger of violence is real," a senior Indian official said. On Sunday, the protest was criticised by the high commissioner. Speaking to Hindustan Times, Verma said, "In the garb of freedom of expression, they are attempting to cause harm to foreign envoys, which may not be the intention of Canadian law and constitution, under which such rights are provided." What does the Vienna Convention say? Under the Vienna Conventions on consular relations, the 'receiving State is under a special duty to take all appropriate steps to protect the consular premises against any intrusion or damage and to prevent any disturbance of the peace of the consular post or impairment of its dignity.' READ | What is a 'demarche', served by India to Canada over Khalistan rally Protest after Nijjar's kiling The so-called Khalistan Freedom Rally is being organised in the name of Hardeep Singh Nijjar, who was murdered in the parking lot of the Guru Nanak Sikh Gurdwara in the town of Surrey in British Columbia on June 18. One will leave from a business center in the town of Malton in the Greater Toronto Area or GTA to the Indian Consulate in Toronto. Another will leave from the gurdwara, which was headed by Nijjar, to the Indian Consulate in Vancouver. Pro-Khalistan elements have accused India of being behind Nijjar's killing. SFJs legal counsel Gurpatwant Pannun described it as an 'assassination'. However, the Integrated Homicide Investigation Team or IHIT, investigating the killing, has not ascribed any motive while it seeks the murderers. Who was Hardeep Singh Nijjar? Nijjar was alleged to be the head of the Khalistan Tiger Force (KTF) by Indian law enforcement and faced several terror-related charges. The National Investigation Agency or NIA had announced an award of 10 lakh in July last year for information leading to his capture. None of the charges against him were tested in Canadian courts and SFJ has maintained it does not use violence. Protests during Amritpal Singh manhunt Prior to the latest incident at the SF Consulate, on March 23, pro-Khalistan agitators, protesting the hunt for Waris de Punjab chief Amritpal Singh, who was absconding at that time, breached the security perimeter to the High Commission in Ottawa and the incident is being probed by Ottawa Police. Similar instances occurred elsewhere during the March protests, with attempts to cut down the Indian flag from the building housing the Indian Consulate in Vancouver and the tricolour being burned in front of the Consulate in Toronto. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON On July 1, a very significant anniversary was celebrated by a certain section of media professionals Kannada print journalists in Karnataka. It was on this date, 180 years earlier, that the very first edition of the very first Kannada newspaper, the Mangaloora Samachara, was published, giving Kannadigas a window to the world, and to themselves, in their own language. Roopa Pai The remarkable story of the MS began in 1836, when Hermann Moegling, a young German missionary, arrived from the Basel Mission in Switzerland to the bustling markets of the ancient port city of Mangaluru. His brief was simple to teach the word of the Gospel to this stray flock. Recognizing that his facility with languages would be handy, the 25-year-old came armed with more than a smattering of Sanskrit, Arabic and English, but found himself stumped by one unexpected aspect of speaking Indian languages. What a demanding task to give up the guttural R so late in life, he laments to his colleague, Hermann Gundert, in a biography the latter wrote, and instead learn the R spoken here, which is produced by a fluttering of the tongue! Gundert would have understood. He himself was based in Tellicherry; eventually, he would master Malayalam and, in 1872, compile the first Malayalam-English dictionary. (PS: Gundert was the grandfather of Hermann Hesse, the author of the 20th century classic, Siddhartha.) Like Gundert, Moegling did not let the difficulties of pronunciation deter him. By 1840, he was not only speaking Kanarese fluently, but slowly and surely falling in love with the language. In 1841, the Basel Mission set up the first lithographic printing press of coastal Karnataka in Mangalurus Balmatta (today the Balmatta Institute of Printing Technology). The lithographic process involved printing off stone slabs inscribed with text that had been painted on to the stone with oil, fat or wax. Moegling was fascinated. In 1842, he had 1500 copies of a Kannada pamphlet printed and was thrilled by the ease and speed with which the information was disseminated to large numbers of his flock. By 1843, he was dreaming of a Kannada newspaper that had little to do with the Gospel. The first edition of the four-page Mangaloora Samachara came out to great fanfare on July 1st, 1843. With a mission to prevent the spread of rumours and untruthful things, and also to make available genuine information to the people at large, the fortnightly had sections devoted to various topics, including oora varthamanagalu (local news), sarakarada niroopagalu (government read: East India Company laws and policies), sarva rajya varthamanagalu (news from all over the state, although it also included news from places further afield, like Afghanistan), nutanavada ashcharya suddigalu (new and sensational news), and even kathegalu (moral stories, songs about good conduct by Purandaradasa). Citizen journalism was also encouraged - Anybody can send the news and it will be published but a cautionary corollary was issued alongside if it is true. A total of 7,850 copies of the MS were lithographed at the Basel Mission Press between 1st July 1843 and February 15, 1844. From its 15th edition onwards, the printing of the newspaper was taken over by the London Missionary Society in Ballari, which had a letterpress machine. Delighted with the response to MS from all over present-day Karnataka, Moegling expanded the scope of the newspaper, rechristening it Karnataka Samachara. Unfortunately, it did not have a long run. In its last edition, which came out in December 1844, Moegling spoke feelingly of a Samagra Karnataka, in which all Kannada-speaking regions would come together as one, little dreaming that it would be another 112 years before that fond hope came to fruition. (Roopa Pai is a writer who has carried on a longtime love affair with her hometown Bengaluru) SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON New Delhi: The Centre has approved a scheme to help states and Union territories sharing international borders in setting up protection and rehabilitation homes for victims of trafficking, the women and child development (WCD) ministry announced on Monday. New Delhi, India - June 23, 2023: Union Minister Smriti Irani address a press conference at BJP HQ, in New Delhi, India, on Friday, June 23, 2023. (Photo by Vipin Kumar/ Hindustan Times) (Hindustan Times) The homes will ensure that victims of trafficking from neighbouring countries, particularly minors, are provided food, shelter, clothing, counselling and primary health care facilities, among other requirements, a statement released by the ministry said. Noting that India is a source as well as destination country for human trafficking, the ministry said that women and minors are often trafficked to India from neighbouring countries like Nepal, Bangladesh and Myanmar on the pretext of getting a better life, job and good standard of living. A majority of those trafficked are minor girls or young women, who after their arrival in India are sold and forced into commercial sex work. These girls/women often reach major cities like Mumbai, Delhi, Hyderabad etc. from where they are taken to the Middle East and Southeast Asia... This is the reason why states bordering these countries need to be more vigilant and have adequate facilities to provide relief and rehabilitation services to the victims, the ministry said. Several states and UTs in the county share borders with neighbouring countries including Rajasthan, Punjab, Gujarat, Sikkim, West Bengal, Ladakh, Jammu and Kashmir, Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh, and Assam. Currently, the central government provides financial assistance to all states and Union territories under the Nirbhaya Fund to set up anti-human trafficking units in every district. The government also provides assistance for similar units to security forces guarding the borders such as Border Security Force and Sashastra Seema Bal. According to NCRB data, as many as 6213 victims of human trafficking were rescued in 2021, and of them, 3912 were female. Maximum number of victims were rescued from Odisha ( 1290 ), followed by Maharashtra ( 890), Telangana ( 796), and Delhi ( 509). A senior ministry official said that the supporting infrastructure for the victims of trafficking is not currently available in the states sharing borders with neighbouring countries. The government has not decided to provide financial assistance to set up the required infrastructure . The ministry will soon ask the states to send proposals for the same, said an official, who didnt want to be identified. Sanjay Gupta, director of Childhood Enhancement Through Training and Action (Chetna), an NGO working on child issues including trafficking, welcomed the initiative. At a time when India is chairing the South Asia Initiative to End Violence Against Children, an apex body in SAARC, such an initiative is really welcoming. It will help in finding out solutions to our common problems including trafficking of minors. However, there should be proper SoPs for such homes and they should be run in a very child friendly way, he said. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON ABOUT THE AUTHOR Fareeha Iftikhar Fareeha Iftikhar is a principal correspondent with the national political bureau of the Hindustan Times. She tracks the education ministry, and covers the beat at the national level for the newspaper. She also writes on issues related to gender, human rights and different policy matters. ...view detail RAIPUR: The Chhattisgarh Sarva Adivasi Samaj (CSAS) on Tuesday said that the central government should not be in a rush to implement a uniform civil code as it could threaten the identity and traditional practices of tribals who follow customary laws. Chhattisgarh chief minister Bhupesh Baghel recently criticised UCC, saying that uniform code will destroy tribal culture. (Representative Image/File Photo) Former Union minister and CSAS president Arvind Netam told reporters that the Centre should take everyone into confidence before going ahead to implement it. Netams comments come against the backdrop of Chhattisgarh chief minister Bhupesh Baghels statement that a uniform code will destroy tribal culture. Netam said the UCC may affect tribal societys specific customs and traditions, which have existed for centuries, resulting in a threat to the identity and existence of tribals. It seems impractical to implement the UCC in a tribal society. The Law Commission of India has invited suggestions for the UCC in the country and tribal communities of Chhattisgarh have submitted their opinions keeping in view their customary rules, he added. The tribal community is governed by its customary laws in matters of birth, divorce, partition, succession, inheritance, land and property, and this is its identity, which is different from the rest of the castes, communities and religions, he said. Citing examples, Netam said in tribal society, women have the freedom to marry multiple times after leaving the incumbent husband and they dont have the right to ancestral land. He underlined that customary practices of tribals have the force of law under Article 13(3)(a) of the Constitution Tribals enjoy multiple rights under the Fifth and Sixth schedule of the Constitution and the Panchayat (Extension to Scheduled Areas) Act. The CSAS is in touch with tribal groups in other states of central India so that they can collectively raise their voice against any such law that is a threat to their customs and traditions, Netam said. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON The Congress government in Karnataka is likely to order a judicial probe into the allegations of 40% commission paid on state contracts during the preceding Basavaraj Bommai-led Bharatiya Janata Party regime, Congress leaders said on Tuesday. The inquiry panel would be headed by retired high court judge, they said. The inquiry panel would be headed by retired high court judge, Congress leaders said. (ANI) We are delivering as we promised. Whether it is the Ganga Kalyana bore well scam, PSI recruitment scam, bitcoin scam or any other scam, we have set up special investigation teams depending on the nature of the scam, said Priyank Kharge, IT and biotechnology minister. The 40% commission allegations were not made by the Congress, said Kharge, who is also minister for rural development and Panchayati Raj. They were made by the contractors. The government is thinking of some kind of probe, including forming a special investigation team, to probe the allegations, state law and parliamentary affairs minister H K Patil said. After a decision in the cabinet, the order will be done. As of now, the government is thinking of enquiring. Such rampant things have happened. The government is thinking and it will take a decision, Patil said. Also Read: BJP and JD(S) will fight together against Congress in Karnataka in future, says Yediyurappa The 40% commission row made headlines in April after the death by suicide of Belagavi-based contractor Santosh Patil, who had accused BJP leader and former minister KS Eshwarappa of demanding 40% commission for a government project. However, a police investigation cleared Eshwarappa, who was charged with abetting the suicide. D Kempanna, president of the Karnataka State Contractors Association, had written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi in 2021, alleging that contractors had to shell out 40% commission for public projects, a charge which the Congress used as its key campaign issue to target the then incumbent BJP government. The BJP had dismissed the allegations. The contractors association had alleged on several occasions that despite raising the issue several times and despite assurances by Bommai, no effective action was taken. In August last year, the association, for the first time, named and accused the then state cabinet minister Munirathna of allegedly demanding bribes from contractors. Kempanna had said he would not share any evidence with anyone, as some contractors who have shared information were being harassed. He said he and his team were ready to prove the 40% corruption charge, provided that there is an independent judicial probe. Last week, after a meeting with the association, chief minister Siddaramaiah promised the contractors that his government would initiate action to stop the commission menace and ensure that their interests are not harmed in any way. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON The Kerala unit of the Congress will hold a leadership meeting on Wednesday to chalk out strategies and plan protests against the BJP-led union governments push for the Uniform Civil Code (UCC). The Congress meeting will be attended by all its MLAs, MPs, district presidents and other key office-bearers. (File PTI image) Though the meeting was earlier planned to pass resolutions against cases registered by the local police on state Congress president K Sudhakaran and leader of opposition (LoP) VD Satheesan, the agenda was changed Monday night to discuss the UCC issue in light of political developments in the state. The state Congress was taken aback after the ruling CPM had announced seminars where Muslim bodies would participate. Also Read: Parliamentary panel discusses keeping tribals, NE out of UCCs ambit The ruling party even invited the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML), an ally of the Congress, and the Samastha Kerala Jem-iyyathul Ulama, an influential body of Sunni scholars, to the seminars. CPM state secretary MV Govindan said that the Congress was not invited as it does not have a clear stand on the issue. With 2024 elections approaching, the Congress is wary of the CPMs moves to gain wider influence among the Muslim community, which form 25% of the states population as per the 2011 census. It is also particularly alert about the CPMs overtures to the IUML, one of its oldest allies. The Congress meeting on Wednesday will be attended by all its MLAs, MPs, district presidents and other key office-bearers. Another key meeting on the UCC will be held in Kozhikode on Tuesday under the leadership of the IUML in which all Muslim outfits have been invited. UCC essentially means a common set of laws governing personal matters such as marriage, divorce, adoption, inheritance and succession for all citizens of the country, irrespective of religion. Currently, different laws regulate these aspects for adherents of different religions and UCC is meant to do away with these inconsistent personal laws. Article 44 of the Constitution, which is one of the Directive Principles of State Policy, lays down that the State shall endeavour to secure for the citizens a uniform civil code throughout the territory of India. However, directive principles, as Article 37 clarifies, are not enforceable by courts. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON KOCHI: Ahead of a crucial meeting of the Congress in Kerala on Wednesday at which the central agenda will be the controversial issue of Uniform Civil Code (UCC), leaders of the party are advocating a strong campaign against it to counter malicious strategies of the CPI(M). UCC draft panel during a discussion in Uttarakhand. The Left in Kerala was the first off the block to announce a series of seminars and awareness programmes as part of its campaign against the UCC and even rubbed salt in the wounds of the Congress by inviting its oldest ally Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) to participate in them. Leaders of the Congress see it as a calculated move to attract the Muslim community ahead of general elections next year. Muslims comprise about 25% of the states population, as per the census. While the AICC had said that the UCC was undesirable at this stage and that it will comment on it when a draft bill or report comes up, the Kerala unit is likely to chart strategy and protest mode in the backdrop of the CPMs belligerent campaign against the proposal. The KPCC meeting will be attended by all MLAs, MPs, district presidents and top office-bearers. We must unleash a strong campaign against the uniform civil code and expose the double standards of the CPM when it comes to personal laws. Thats what I am going to say at the KPCC meeting tomorrow. What form the protest will take, the party will decide, said AA Shukkoor, former MLA and party general secretary. The UCC is a political goal of the BJP in view of elections next year and the Congress can never be seen in favour of the law. We have to take a stand in the national interest. As for the CPM, it has malicious strategies regarding the issue. At the time of the Shah Bano case verdict, the CPM had criticised the then decision of the Rajiv Gandhi government. But its leader and former CM EMS Namboodiripad has spoken against the Shariat laws and ran a campaign against it. What is Sitaram Yechurys stand on EMS remarks. Will they correct it? he asked. S Ashokan, KPCC general secretary, echoed the views of his colleague and said the Congress will be compelled to take a strong stand against UCC especially with CPM making it a hot topic of discussion. CPM is very good at religious polarisation and it is ready for any kind of gambling. Unfortunately, the Muslim community is not realising the traps the CPM is setting. They should ask the CPM what its past leaders thought about Shariat, he said. While the CPM and Congress have similar positions on UCC, Ashokan said there is no chance for joint protests on the issue in the state. At the national level, both parties are in agreement on most issues, but in Kerala, it is impossible (to come together). The states politics will get polluted if that happens. It will be an unnatural alliance, he said. PC Thomas, former MP and deputy chairman of the regional Kerala Congress party, said the issue of UCC is likely to be discussed at a meeting of the UDF constituents in the days to come. UDF is the alliance that Congress leads in the state. Personal laws concerning marriage, divorce, inheritance etc of different faiths have existed in India even before the formation of the Constitution. There are no reasons to reject these laws now as I find there are no deficiencies in them, he said. The former MP also underlined that protests are not necessary now as the Centre has not brought forward a draft bill yet. Meanwhile, a meeting convened by the IUML of various Muslim outfits in Kozhikode on Tuesday decided to fight the issue of UCC legally and politically. This is not an issue to be fought and won on the streets. We will fight it legally and politically as we will need the support of all parties. There should never be any kind of religious polarisation in society, Syed Sadiq Ali Shihab Thangal, state president of IUML, told reporters Tuesday. ends The attack on Indias consulate in San Francisco and threats to senior diplomats in Australia, Canada and the US through posters issued by pro-Khalistan elements are being seen as another instance of coordinated action, people familiar with the matter said on Tuesday. HT Image Violent Khalistani activists sought to burn down the Indian consulate in San Francisco in the early hours of July 2 in what they claimed was an attempt to avenge the killing of Khalistani separatist leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar, a designated terrorist, in Canada last month. The latest attack, coming a little more than three months after another violent incident at the same mission, was brought to the attention of the highest rung of American national security and diplomatic apparatus in Washington DC, which instructed its agencies to immediately investigate the incident, step up security, and offer all assistance to Indian officials. The US state department described the attack as a criminal offence. The incident did not cause any damage inside the diplomatic premises. On Monday, a video titled Violence Begets Violence with the hashtag Long Live Khalistan, posted on social media by Khalistani radicals, depicted and celebrated the fire inside the consulate. People familiar with the incident said that around 1.30am on Sunday (PST), two men, dressed in dark overalls which obscured their identity, came to the front gate of the consulate. They painted pro-Khalistani graffiti on the walls and then used what appeared to be fuel cans to spray inflammable liquid inside the diplomatic premises. They set it alight, and within minutes, fled the scene. Within six minutes of the incident, the fire engines of the San Francisco Fire Department were on the spot and doused the fire. The entire incident lasted less than 10 minutes and there was no damage to the consulate or harm to the diplomatic personnel and support staff. By 2.30am, local police authorities arrived at the consulate to make preliminary enquiries. In March, Khalistani activists had planted flags at the consulate, broken through the barricades, and used flagpoles to attack the mission and smash windows. What helped was that after the attack in March, India had erected grills and railings to bolster security at the consulate. Since the incident, given the diplomatic engagement that brought the event to the attention of the highest authorities in Washington, American security agencies, from the Federal Bureau of Investigation to the Bureau of Diplomatic Security to the San Francisco police, have been in touch with Indian consulate. India has been cooperating with the investigation, sharing CCTV footage and details of active Khalistani groups and clues about the possible perpetrators. Condemning the incident, US state department spokesperson Matthew Miller tweeted, The US strongly condemns the reported vandalism and attempted arson against the Indian Consulate in San Francisco on Saturday. Vandalism or violence against diplomatic facilities or foreign diplomats in the US is a criminal offence. The attack in San Francisco coincided with the emergence of posters issued by pro-Khalistan groups in Australia, Canada and the US that featured photos of the most senior Indian diplomats in these countries and held out threats against them in connection with the death of Nijjar. The people cited above said Canadian high commissioner Cameron Mackay was summoned to the external affairs ministry on Monday and served a demarche or written protest over the threat to Indian diplomats. The people said the Canadian envoy was summoned as that countrys response to the latest activities of Khalistani elements was considered inadequate. They added that the matter was raised with Australia and the US, whose authorities responded promptly. Indian security agencies have been working closely with their counterparts in Australia and the US to counter activities of Khalistani groups, they said. India is clear that it wants to see action, not just sympathy; arrests of those involved in recent incidents; and pre-emptive measures by the US authorities to stop any such future attacks, the people added. Given the attack on the San Francisco consulate in March, the harassment and attack against an Indian journalist in front of the Indian embassy in Washington DC, and the attempted burning of the consulate, there is a clear pattern of criminal intent and action of pro-Khalistani groups that has been established, the people indicated. In addition, Khalistani activists have announced what they have described as a Khalistan Freedom Rally on July 8 to the Indian consulate in San Francisco. They have put up pictures of the Indian ambassador to US, Taranjit Singh Sandhu, and Indian consul general in San Francisco, TV Nagendra Prasad, on the poster announcing the march, declaring them Faces of Shaheed Nijjars Killers in San Francisco. Posters issued in Canada and Australia featured Indias high commissioners to these countries Sanjay Verma and Manpreet Vohra, respectively. It is very clear the Khalistani groups are all using the same playbook, one of the people cited above said. Officials have brought the proposed Khalistan Freedom Rally to the attention of American authorities, given the consistent tendency of these groups to engage in violence, arson, vandalism, and personal physical attacks. Nijjar was the head of the Khalistan Tiger Force (KTF) and was shot dead by two unidentified gunmen outside a gurdwara in Canadas British Columbia province on June 18. He was a designated terrorist in India, and KTF is a banned group. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Bengaluru IMD has issued orange alerts for the districts of Dakshina Kannada, Udupi, Chikkamagaluu, Shivamogga and Uttara Kannada. (HT Photo) As heavy rains continue to lash Dakshina Kannada, the district administration on Tuesday declared a holiday for educational institutions in the Mangaluru sub-division. Schools and colleges in Mangaluru, Mulki, Bantwal, Ullal and Moodbidri taluks remained closed. In the last 24 hours, heavy rains were recorded in Dakshina Kannadas Mangaluru sub-division. An orange alert has been issued. Hence, a holiday has been announced on July 4 for all Anganwadis, primary and high schools, PUCs, government, aided and private institutions in Mangaluru, Bantwal, Ullal, Mulki and Moodabidri, Deputy Commissioner (DC) Mullai Muhilan MP said. The precautionary measure applies to all educational institutions including government, private, and aided schools and colleges, as well as Anganwadi centres. Muhilan, emphasised the need for proactive measures to ensure the safety of students and staff during inclement weather conditions. Education officers, school headmasters, and college principals of the respective blocks have also been directed to prepare a comprehensive report and submit it to the Tahsildar in order to determine the necessity of declaring holidays. The deputy commissioner also advised parents not to allow children to venture into low-lying areas, lakes, river banks, and seashores. Fishermen have also been told not to venture into the sea. District and taluk-level authorities have been asked to be on standby and carry out disaster management activities. Torrential rain has been lashing the district with inundation in low-lying areas the last couple of days. In Mangaluru, the heavy downpour resulted in waterlogging in low-lying areas on Monday. Flooding was seen in Pumpwell Circle, Kottara Chowki junction and Rao and Rao Circle resulting in traffic congestion for hours. According to the Karnataka State Natural Disaster Monitoring Centre (KSNDMC), Pajiru in Bantwal taluk recorded the highest rainfall of 172.5 mm in 24 hours as of 8.30 am on July 4. Meanwhile, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) has warned of heavy rainfall in the coastal districts. The weather department issued a thunderstorm with lightning warning accompanied by gusty winds with speed reaching 40-45Kmph at isolated places over the districts of coastal Karnataka till July 8. It has issued orange alerts for the districts of Dakshina Kannada, Udupi, Chikkamagaluu, Shivamogga and Uttara Kannada. In the wake of present systems, thunderstorms with lightning are likely to occur at isolated places over the state during July 3-5. Gusty winds at speeds of 40-50 kmph are also likely to occur at most places over North Interior Karnataka during July 3-7, the IMD officials said. India has served a demarche on Canada on planned protests by pro-Khalistan terrorist outfits outside Indian High Commission in Ottawa, and two consulates in Toronto and Vancouver on July 8. It has asked the Justin Trudeau government to take strong measures to prevent the protestors from gathering close to missions and consulates, desecrating the Indian National Flag, sticking pamphlets or items to the boundary fence and throwing projectiles into the Indian diplomatic premises in Canada. The protests are being organized by US-based proscribed organisation SFJ,(File) While the Canadian High Commissioner was called to the South Block on Monday to convey Indian concerns very bluntly, the note verbal was sent to Global Affairs Canada early morning Tuesday (IST). The Indian High Commissioner to Canada reminded the Trudeau government that Sikh extremists had lobbed two smoke grenades into the High Commission premises on March 23, 2023. The protests are being organized by US-based proscribed organization SFJ, whose main link in Canada, Hardeep Singh Nijjar, was gunned down in Surrey, Vancouver on June 19 in inter-gang warfare. The arch rivals of Khalistan Tiger Force terrorist Nijjar pumped him with 15 bullets for taking over crime in Surrey but the SFJ has used this killing to blame Indian security agencies to raise funds and radicalize the Sikh youth against Indian diaspora in the west. The attack on the Indian consulate in San Francisco is part of the SFJ campaign run by terrorist G S Pannu, who gets soft treatment in the west particularly in Canada and UK. The Indian High Commission in Canada has asked the Federal Government to take all safety precautions including providing escort to the High Commissioner and two Consul Generals till the overall threat subsides and especially during the events attended by them. The Indian High Commissioner Sanjay Kumar Verma, Consul General Vancouver Manish, Consul General Toronto Apoorva Srivastava have been named in the pamphlets circulated by the extremists as if to blame them for terrorist Nijjars killing. The Indian mission has also informed the Canadian authorities that these Khalistan separatists have planned to burn the Indian national flag during the protest, indicating the violent nature or extremist character of these gatherings planned in Toronto and Vancouver. Despite the Narendra Modi government taking up the threat posed by designated SFJ convenor G S Pannu with Canada, UK, US and Germany through the diplomatic and intelligence channels, the Canadian, UK and German authorities treat these extremists with kid gloves in the name of right to protest. However, New Delhi has decided not to take the desceration and burning of Indian national flag lying down and there will be retaliation if the July 8 protests turn violent in Ottawa, Toronto and Vancvouver. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Leaders of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) on Tuesday will hold an online summit hosted by India seeking to expand the influence of the Eurasian group by including Iran and opening a path to membership for Belarus. Flags flutter at the headquarters of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation in Beijing on July 4, 2023. India will host the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation, with Iran expected to join the Asian grouping and Russian President Vladimir Putin addressing his first summit since a short-lived mutiny, officials said. (AFP) Chinas President Xi Jinping and Russian leader Vladimir Putin will participate in the virtual summit, which will be Putins first appearance at an international event since the short-lived mutiny by the Wagner mercenary group in late June. Formed in 2001 by China and Russia, with former Soviet central Asian states as members and joined later by India and Pakistan, the eight-member SCO is a political and security group that seeks to counter Western influence in Eurasia. While Iran is expected to be accepted as a member at Tuesday's summit, Belarus will sign a memorandum of obligations which will lead to its membership later. When both countries, which have observer status and enjoy close ties to Moscow, are accepted as members of the SCO it will expand the grouping's western flank in both Europe and Asia. The summit takes place barely two weeks after Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi was hosted by U.S. President Joe Biden for a state visit, and the two countries called themselves "among the closest partners in the world". India, which holds the presidency of SCO and the G20 this year, has walked a diplomatic tightrope as relations between Western nations and a Russia-China partnership have been fraught due to Moscows invasion of Ukraine last year, and Beijings growing assertive presence in the global geopolitical theatre. Putin spoke to Modi in a call last week to discuss the aftermath of the mercenary mutiny. During the discussion, Modi reiterated a call for dialogue and diplomacy regarding the war in Ukraine. Last year on the sidelines of the summit in Uzbekistan, Modi told Putin that it was not the era of war, which is the closest India has come to addressing the issue directly with the Russian leader. RUSSIAN OIL Both Putin and Xi are expected to visit New Delhi in September as India hosts the G20 summit, and Biden and leaders of other member nations are also likely to be present. India has refused to blame Russia for the war and increased bilateral trade largely by lifting purchases of Russian oil to a record high, which has irked several Western capitals. The summit on Tuesday will also see Modi sharing the virtual stage with Xi for the first time since November when the two leaders were present at the G20 summit in Indonesia. The relationship between the two nuclear-armed Asian giants has been frosty for over three years as they are involved in a continuing standoff on their Himalayan frontier. It will also bring Modi face to face online with his Pakistani counterpart Shehbaz Sharif, 10 months after they both attended the SCO summit in Uzbekistan. United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres is also scheduled to speak at the summit, continuing a tradition that has seen the UN chief deliver remarks through video messages or through UN officials at previous meetings. New Delhi announced last month that the summit will be held virtually, without providing any justification. India will hand over the presidency of the bloc to Kazakhstan at the summit. SCO member nations are expected to discuss Afghanistan, terrorism, regional security, climate change and digital inclusion, among other topics. Foreign ministers of SCO members met in Indias coastal resort-state of Goa in May, which ended in old rivals India and Pakistan attacking each other over Kashmir, terrorism and a souring of bilateral ties. In a veiled swipe against Pakistan and China, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday pushed back against double standards in the fight against terror and said the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) shouldnt hesitate in criticising countries that use cross-border terrorism as an instrument of policy. Prime Minister Narendra Modi addresses the 23rd Summit of the SCO Council of Heads of State via video conferencing, in New Delhi, Tuesday.(PTI) Regional security formed a key part of Modis televised opening address at the virtual SCO Summit hosted by India, with the Prime Minister insisting that Afghanistans soil shouldnt be used to destabilise neighbouring countries or to spread extremist ideologies. India backs proposals for reforming and modernising the SCO, Modi said, adding that Irans inclusion as the newest member of the Eurasian grouping should spur efforts to use Chabahar port and the International North-South Transport Corridor (INSTC) to give the landlocked countries of Central Asia access to the Indian Ocean. India chaired the SCO for the first time since joining the grouping in 2017, and Modi spoke to a virtual gathering that included Chinese President Xi Jinping, Russian President Vladimir Putin and Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif. Without directly naming Pakistan or China and speaking in Hindi, Modi said: Some countries use cross-border terrorism as an instrument of their policies, provide shelter to terrorists. SCO should not hesitate to criticise such nations. There should be no place for double standards on such serious matters. India has for long accused Pakistan of sheltering terror groups such as Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) and Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) and supporting cross-border terrorism in Jammu and Kashmir. Amid the border standoff between India and China, Beijings action of blocking the designation of several Pakistan-based terrorists at the UN Security Council has emerged as another irritant in bilateral ties. Modi described terrorism as a major threat to regional and global peace and said: Dealing with this challenge requires decisive action. Regardless of its form or manifestation, we must unite in our fight against terrorism. The SCOs Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure (RATS) mechanism has played an important role in enhancing cooperation to counter terror financing, he said. We should also take more active steps to prevent the spread of radicalisation among the youth of our countries, he added. SCO represents 40% of the world population and about a third of the global economy, and member states have a shared responsibility to understand each others needs and sensitivities and to resolve all challenges through better cooperation and coordination, Modi noted. Speaking on the direct impact of the situation in Afghanistan on the security of all SCO states, Modi said that Indias concerns and expectations regarding the war-torn country are similar to those of a majority of member states. It is essential that the soil of Afghanistan is not used to destabilise neighbouring countries or to encourage extremist ideologies, he said. Calling for joint efforts for the welfare of the Afghan people, he added: Humanitarian assistance to Afghan civilians, formation of an inclusive government, the fight against terrorism and drug trafficking, and ensuring the rights of women, children and minorities are our shared priorities. India contributed to the economic and social development of Afghanistan over the past two decades, and it continued to provide humanitarian aid even after the events of 2021, Modi said in a reference to the Taliban takeover of the country after the withdrawal of US troops. Pointing to Iran joining the SCO as a full member at Tuesdays meeting, Modi said member states can work for better utilisation of Chabahar port and making the INSTC a safe and easy way for the landlocked countries of Central Asia to reach the Indian Ocean. In a tacit reference to Chinas Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), which India has opposed because a key part of it passes through Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, Modi said strong connectivity is very important for the progress of any region, but such efforts must respect the basic principles of the SCO Charter, especially the sovereignty and territorial integrity of member states. Better connectivity not only increases mutual business but also increases mutual trust, he said. The Prime Ministers decision to raise both issues is crucial at a time when the geopolitical iron is hot for India to strike with rifts between the East and the West being at their widest since the beginning of the Ukraine war, New Delhi has played a key role in pushing the message of peace and consensus. This position primes India to raise matters such as Pakistans support for terrorism and Chinas belligerence on contested areas while it has the worlds ear. Modi highlighted new measures taken by India to drive cooperation between SCO member states and said India perceives the region not just as an extended neighborhood but as an extended family. In this context, he spoke of new dimensions to cooperation within the grouping, such as work on emerging fuels in the energy sector, decarbonisation in transport, and using digital public infrastructure (DPI) for digital transformation. However, he questioned whether the SCO is capable of fulfilling the aspirations of the people at a time when the world is grappling with conflicts, tensions and pandemics and food, fuel and fertiliser crises are a challenge for all nations. Are we equipped to tackle modern day challenges? Is SCO evolving into an organisation that is fully prepared for the future? he asked. In this regard, India supports proposals for reforms and modernisation within SCO... SCO can also become an important voice for reforms in global institutions, including the UN, he added. Sameer Patil, a Mumbai-based security expert, said Indias emphasis on cross-border terrorism, the security situation in Afghanistan and reforming multilateral institutions demonstrated its keenness to use the SCO to promote New Delhis priorities rather than align itself with any Sino-Russian agenda. By highlighting the key challenges for the regional organisation and low hanging fruits for advancing cooperation, India wants to ensure that it expands engagement with Central Asian republics, which are fearful or sceptical of Moscow and Beijings ambitions in the region, he said. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON ABOUT THE AUTHOR Rezaul H Laskar Rezaul H Laskar is the Foreign Affairs Editor at Hindustan Times. His interests include movies and music. ...view detail Iran, one of India's neighbours in its extended neighbourhood, has formally become a full member of Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO). Iran originally requested to join the alliance 15 years ago. SCO follows a rigorous process of admission. (ANI) Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who on Tuesday chaired the SCO Summit virtually, said Iran is going to join as new member of the organization and also welcomed the signing of the Memorandum of Obligation for the SCO membership of Belarus. "I am happy that today Iran is going to join the SCO family as a new member. For this, I convey my best wishes to President Ebrahim Raisi and the people of Iran. Also, we welcome the signing of the memorandum of obligation for Belarus' SCO membership," PM Modi said at the summit. Iran originally requested to join the alliance 15 years ago. SCO follows a rigorous process of admission. In 2021, Iran's Foreign Ministry announced that they had joined the SCO as the ninth member. "The Islamic Republic of Iran becomes 9th member of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation. At the end of the 21st Summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO), held in the Tajik capital Dushanbe, the leaders of the eight main members of the organisation agreed to change the membership of the Islamic Republic of Iran from an observer member to a full member and signed the relevant documents," the ministry said in a release. Earlier, in May, an official said that the observer countries of the SCO, Iran and Belarus could soon become full-time members of the charter as the decision is under consideration as of now. In his virtual address at the 23rd Summit of the SCO Council of Heads of State, PM Modi also stated that several new platforms such as the Young Scientist Conclave, Authors Conclave, Startup Forum, and Youth Council have been organized to harness the talent of the youth from SCO countries. "Over the past two decades, the SCO has emerged as an important platform for peace, prosperity and development in the entire Eurasia region. India's thousands of years old cultural and people-to-people ties with this region are living testimony to our shared heritage," he said. PM Modi chaired the SCO meeting virtually. Russian President Vladimir Putin, Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Chinese President Xi Jinping, Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi, Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko, Kazakhstan President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev and other leaders virtually participated in the SCO meeting. PM Modi said that India has made efforts to take its multi-faceted cooperation with SCO to new heights. "We do not only see the SCO (Shanghai Cooperation Organisation) as an extended neighbourhood, but rather as an extended family. As Chair of the SCO, India has made efforts to take our multi-faceted cooperation to new heights," PM Modi said. PM Modi noted that security, economic development, connectivity, unity, respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity and environmental protection are pillars of India's vision for SCO. Mysuru: The principal and sessions courts judge of Chitradurga district, Premavathi Managooli M, took charge as the temporary administrator of the Sri Jagadguru Murugharajendra (SJM) Mutt on Tuesday, after the direction from a divisonal bench of the Karnataka high court. The head of Muruga Mutt, Shivamurthy Sharanaru, is currently in judicial custody in a Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) case. (HT Archives) On Tuesday, she went to the administrators office, where retired IAS officer PS Vastrad handed over the reins to her. In accordance with the high courts direction, I have assumed the responsibility as the temporary administrator of the Mutt.. I will continue in this position until further orders from the high court. Managooli told reporters. The head of Muruga Mutt, Shivamurthy Sharanaru, is currently in judicial custody in a Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) case. Earlier, the government had appointed PS Vastrad, a former IAS officer, as the administrative officer to oversee the management of the Mutt. The development comes after the Karnataka high court, on Monday, directed the district court judge to assume the role of administrator additionally. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Rajya Sabha MP Kapil Sibal on Tuesday accused the BJP of toppling Opposition governments in states such as Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra in the last few years, and said it was "over to the Supreme Court" to act on the trend. Former Union minister Kapil Sibal. The remarks by Sibal, a noted advocate, came after NCP leader Ajit Pawar and eight others were inducted into the Eknath Shinde-led Maharashtra government. ALSO READ: 'First attack, then embrace': Kapil Sibal's swipe at Modi over NCP split Ajit Pawar pulled off a stunning revolt in the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) on Sunday, triggering a vertical split, and joined hands with the ruling Shiv Sena-BJP alliance in Maharashtra to become the deputy chief minister. In a tweet, Sibal said, "The BJP: Toppled by inducement of office and otherwise the following elected opposition governments: Uttarakhand (2016); Arunachal Pradesh (2016); Karnataka (2019); Madhya Pradesh (2020); Maharashtra (2022)." "The law now permits it? Over to the Supreme Court!" the independent Rajya Sabha MP said. Sibal on Monday had also taken a swipe at the BJP over Ajit Pawar joining the Eknath Shinde-led Maharashtra government, saying "first attack the corrupt and then embrace" them. In a sudden turn of events that capped weeks of speculation over his next political move, Ajit Pawar was sworn in as the deputy chief minister by Governor Ramesh Bais at a ceremony held at the Raj Bhawan in Mumbai on Sunday. The United States on Tuesday strongly condemned the reported vandalism and attempted arson by pro-Khalistan supporters at the Indian consulate in San Francisco on Sunday (local time). A security guard and San Francisco Police Officer stand in front of the entrance to the Consulate General of India in San Francisco. (AP file) Diya TV, a local channel, reported that Khalistanis radicals set the Indian consulate on fire between 1:30am and 2:30am. But it was quickly doused by the San Francisco fire department. The report added that while the damage was limited, no staffers were injured in the incident. Khalistan supporters reportedly released a video in connection with the incident. HT could not independently verify the authenticity of the video. The U.S. strongly condemns the reported vandalism and attempted arson against the Indian Consulate in San Francisco on Saturday. Vandalism or violence against diplomatic facilities or foreign diplomats in the U.S. is a criminal offense, Matthew Miller, the spokesperson for the US State Department tweeted. The incident came months after a group of pro-Khalistani protesters in March attacked and damaged the Indian consulate in San Francisco, prompting sharp condemnation from the Indian government and India-Americans, who demanded immediate action against those responsible for it. Raising pro-Khalistan slogans, the protesters broke open the makeshift security barriers raised by the city police and installed two so-called Khalistani flags inside the Consulate premises. Two consulate personnel soon removed these flags. The attack on the Indian consulate came hours after pro-Khalistani supporters pulled down the Indian tricolour flying atop the Indian high commission in London. On Monday, HT reported that India has asked Canada to urgently act against so-called Khalistan extremists who are planning to take out a protest march to Indian embassies in Toronto and Vancouver after deliberately trying to blame Indian diplomats and security agencies for the killing of designated terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar. The 45-year-old Khalistan Tiger Force (KTF) chief was killed in an inter-gang warfare on June 19 in Sikh-dominated Surrey town in Vancouver. Nijjar had links with the proscribed organization SFJ, which is led by a US-based designated terrorist. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Chinese President Xi Jinping addresses the 23rd meeting of the Council of Heads of State of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) via video conference from Beijing, capital of China, July 4, 2023. (Xinhua/Li Xueren) * Chinese President Xi Jinping said on Tuesday that the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) must rise to the call of the times, keep in mind its founding mission, and stay in unity and coordination to bring more certainty and positive energy to world peace and development. * The Chinese people are rallied behind the Communist Party of China to pursue Chinese modernization. China hopes to share new development opportunities with SCO members and all countries around the world through its achievements in modernization, and together make the world a better place, Xi said. * Leaders attending the summit spoke highly of the remarkable achievements of the SCO in its development, welcoming Iran to become a full member and hoping Belarus will complete the procedures for joining the SCO as soon as possible. BEIJING, July 4 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Xi Jinping said on Tuesday that the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) must rise to the call of the times, keep in mind its founding mission, and stay in unity and coordination to bring more certainty and positive energy to world peace and development. Xi made the remarks when addressing the 23rd meeting of the Council of Heads of State of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) via video conference from Beijing. SCO GROWTH Xi said ten years ago, in view of the changes of the world, of the times and of the trajectory of history, he opined that mankind, living in the same global village, are increasingly becoming a community with a shared future in which everyone's interest is closely interlinked. Since then, the concept of a community with a shared future for mankind has gained extensive recognition and support from the international community, and has been transforming from an idea to action and a vision to reality. At the forefront of this trend is the SCO, upholding this very concept and the Shanghai Spirit to build an SCO community with a shared future, Xi said. Member states have followed their fine tradition of standing together through thick and thin, as passengers in the same boat should do, and have firmly supported each other in standing up for their respective core interests and have become trustworthy partners on their paths to development and national rejuvenation, Xi said. Member states have acted out the concept of common, comprehensive, cooperative and sustainable security, accommodated each other's legitimate security concerns, and responded to both traditional and nontraditional security challenges. Together member states have safeguarded peace and tranquility in the region, he said. Chinese President Xi Jinping addresses the 23rd meeting of the Council of Heads of State of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) via video conference from Beijing, capital of China, July 4, 2023. (Xinhua/Liu Bin) Xi pointed out that member states have embraced the development philosophy of innovative, coordinated, green, open and shared growth, synergized national development strategies and regional cooperation initiatives, which has helped promote coordination in the economic development. Member states have carried forward the spirit of good-neighborliness, and advocated equality, mutual learning, dialogue and inclusiveness between civilizations, and called for peaceful coexistence and harmonious development of different civilizations, he said. He noted member states have upheld international fairness and justice, opposed hegemonic, high-handed, and bullying acts, and built partnerships featuring dialogue instead of confrontation, cooperation instead of alliance, strengthening the progressive forces for world peace and stability. "More and more countries have realized that the SCO is not an exclusive 'small circle,' but a new type of international organization with vitality and openness. The accession of new members will help the SCO play a positive role on a larger scale," said Li Yongquan, an expert with the Development Research Center of the State Council of China. Leaders attending the summit spoke highly of the remarkable achievements of the SCO in its development, welcoming Iran to become a full member and hoping Belarus will complete the procedures for joining the SCO as soon as possible. They noted that the SCO has been growing with increasing international influence, making important contributions to deepening good-neighborliness and friendship, safeguarding the common interests of member states, promoting lasting peace and stability in the region and the world, and promoting sustainable development. They said it has become a model of mutual trust, equal dialogue and mutually beneficial cooperation. They said member states should further carry forward the Shanghai Spirit, enhance mutual understanding and cooperation, promote regional economic cooperation, and oppose ideological confrontation, division and discrimination. They agreed member states should strengthen regional connectivity and the building of major corridors, support the synergy of the Belt and Road Initiative with the building of the Eurasian Economic Union, deepen cooperation in economy, trade, finance, energy, science and technology, environmental protection, digital economy and people-to-people exchanges, and jointly address global challenges such as the food and energy crises and climate change. They also called for joint efforts to combat the forces of terrorism, separatism and extremism and uphold genuine multilateralism, support the United Nations in playing a leading role and strengthen global governance. It was decided at the summit that Kazakhstan will take over the rotating presidency of the SCO in 2023-2024. The summit was hosted by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, gathering Xi and leaders from member states Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Russia, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan as well as observer states Belarus, Iran, and Mongolia. Chinese President Xi Jinping addresses the 23rd meeting of the Council of Heads of State of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) via video conference from Beijing, capital of China, July 4, 2023. (Xinhua/Shen Hong) CHINESE PROPOSALS The world today is undergoing both transformation and upheaval; changes unseen in a century are unfolding at a faster pace; human society faces unprecedented challenges. Unity or split, peace or conflict, cooperation or confrontation -- these are the questions raised again by the times, Xi said. "My answer is this: the people's wish for a happy life is our goal, and peace, development and win-win cooperation are the unstoppable trends of the times," Xi said. Xi said that member states should keep to the right direction and enhance solidarity and mutual trust. "Facts have shown that as long as we bear in mind the larger picture, shoulder our responsibilities and remain undisturbed by all sorts of distractions, we will be able to protect and promote the security and development interests of our member states," Xi said. Member states should step up strategic communication and coordination, bridge differences through dialogue, replace competition with cooperation, truly respect each other's core interests and major concerns, and firmly support each other's endeavor for development and rejuvenation, Xi said. Member states should keep in mind the overall and long-term interests of the region, and make the foreign policies independently so that the future of their development is held firmly in their own hands, Xi said. He said member states should maintain regional peace and safeguard common security. China stands ready to work with all sides to implement the Global Security Initiative, promote the settlement of international disputes through dialogue and consultation, and encourage political settlement of international and regional hotspots, so as to forge a solid security shield in the region. He called for upgrading SCO security cooperation, and crack down hard on the forces of terrorism, separatism and extremism such as the "East Turkistan" elements, drug trafficking, and cyber and transnational organized crimes and expand cooperation in the nontraditional security fields, including digital, biological and outer space security. Xi said member states should continue to utilize platforms such as the mechanism of coordination and cooperation among Afghanistan's neighbors, and encourage the country to embark on the path of peace and reconstruction. Member states should focus on practical cooperation and expedite economic recovery. China stands ready to work with all sides to implement the Global Development Initiative, keep to the right direction of economic globalization, oppose protectionism, unilateral sanctions and the overstretching of national security, and reject the moves of setting up barriers, decoupling and severing supply chains, the Chinese president said. "We should make the pie of win-win cooperation bigger, and ensure that more development gains will be shared more fairly by people across the world," Xi said. He welcomed member states' participation in the third Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation to broaden the Belt and Road as a "path of happiness" benefiting the whole world. China proposes that the SCO scale up local currency settlement between member states, and promote the establishment of an SCO development bank, according to Xi. On strengthening exchanges and mutual learning and forging closer bonds between peoples, Xi said China welcomes all sides to work together to implement the Global Civilization Initiative, promote inclusiveness and coexistence among all civilizations, and increase mutual understanding and friendship among all nations. Member states should further deepen cooperation in education, science and technology, culture, health, sport and media. In the coming three years, China will provide member states with 1,000 International Chinese Language Teachers Scholarships, offer 3,000 "Chinese Bridge" summer camp opportunities, and invite 100 young scientists to China for scientific research exchanges, Xi said. Xi said member countries should practice multilateralism and improve global governance. Member states should advocate the common values of humanity, uphold the UN-centered international system and the international order based on international law, and oppose hegemonism and power politics. He called on member states to make global governance more just and equitable, and advance modernization of the entire humanity through collective efforts to promote equal rights, equal opportunities and fair rules for all, and jointly promote world peace, drive global development and safeguard the international order. Chinese President Xi Jinping addresses the 23rd meeting of the Council of Heads of State of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) via video conference from Beijing, capital of China, July 4, 2023. (Xinhua/Shen Hong) The Chinese people are rallied behind the Communist Party of China to pursue Chinese modernization. China hopes to share new development opportunities with SCO members and all countries around the world through its achievements in modernization, and together make the world a better place, Xi said. "A just cause finds great support, and a journey with many companions gets far," Xi said. "The SCO's development accords with the trend of our times and goes along with the direction of human progress. Through our joint efforts, it will definitely grow from strength to strength." Sun Zhuangzhi, director of the Institute of Russian, Eastern European and Central Asian Studies at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, said China's willingness to work with other countries to implement the three initiatives, which are important public goods that China provides to the world, will have a positive impact on the SCO. WUHAN, July 3 (Xinhua) -- Undeterred by the scorching summer sun, 64-year-old photographer Yang He patiently awaits at the bank of the Yangtze River in Yichang City of central China's Hubei Province every noon to capture finless porpoises with his shutter. "At noon, the ray of sunlight is strong enough to penetrate the river surface, so I can see what's going on in the water. Moreover, there's a higher likelihood of finless porpoises coming to the surface when the water gets warmer," said Yang, who started taking photos of finless porpoises five years ago. He told Xinhua that the finless porpoises are reminiscent of his childhood. "I have vivid memories of playing by the riverbank and witnessing herds of finless porpoises frolicking in the water," recalled Yang, adding that as human activity intensified in the Yichang section of the Yangtze River over the years, it became increasingly challenging to catch sight of these magnificent mammals. Known as the "giant panda of the water," the Yangtze finless porpoise is under top-level state protection and serves as a barometer of the Yangtze River ecology. To restore the biodiversity along the river, China imposed a full fishing ban in 332 conservation areas of the Yangtze River basin in January 2020. The move has since been expanded to a 10-year moratorium along the river's main streams and major tributaries, effective Jan. 1, 2021. By the end of 2022, China had channeled over 26.9 billion yuan (about 3.71 billion U.S. dollars) to support fishermen after they gave up using nets and boats on the Yangtze River. The fishing ban and removal of the big polluters have improved biodiversity in the Yangtze River. According to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, the population of the Yangtze finless porpoises had increased to 1,249 in 2022, up 23.42 percent from five years ago. The species has been more frequently spotted in Poyang Lake, Dongting Lake, and the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River. "Back in 2017, capturing even a single photograph of finless porpoises in Yichang throughout the entire year was a challenge," said Yang. "However, things took a turn in 2020 as more sightings of finless porpoises began to be reported. Once I saw a pod of five or six of them and tirelessly searched along the river for months until I eventually discovered that they had settled in the Dianjun district. The chemical industry was once the backbone of the district's economy. For instance, the Tiantian Chemical Plant, which was set up in the 1970s, could generate tens of millions of yuan in tax revenue each year. For the protection of the Yangtze River's ecology, however, the plant was closed in 2017. "Now I can put my hand on my heart and say that I can capture finless porpoises with my camera every day," Yang said. Other aquatic bioresources in the key waters of the Yangtze River have also seen a recovery. According to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, in 2022, 193 varieties of fish were spotted in these waters, marking an increase of 25 varieties from 2020. "Protecting the Yangtze finless porpoise is protecting the aquatic biodiversity of the Yangtze River," said Wang Ding, an academician with the Institute of Hydrobiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences. Noting that the recovery of the mammal is an encouraging sign, Wang said there is still a long way to go in terms of protecting the species and the Yangtze River as a whole. "We should continue to focus on the protection of finless porpoises, and use scientific investigations to know the status quo of all the aquatic species and their habitats along the Yangtze River. Meanwhile, the possible risk factors and the effects of protection measures should be analyzed to further formulate targeted protection plans," Wang added. In what they claimed was an attempt to avenge the killing of Khalistani separatist leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar, a designated terrorist, in Canada in June, violent Khalistani activists attacked and sought to burn down Indias consulate in San Francisco (SF) in the early hours of July 2 Pacific Time. Within six minutes of the incident, fire engines were on the spot and doused the fire immediately. (AP file image) Watch: Khalistani Goons Vandalise Indian Consulate In San Francisco; U.S Condemns 'Criminal' Act I Details The latest attack was brought to the attention of the highest rung of American national security and diplomatic apparatus in Washington DC, which instructed its agencies to immediately investigate the incident, step up security, and offer all assistance to Indian officials. The State Department termed it a criminal offense. The incident did not cause any damage inside the diplomatic premises, but it is the second time in less than three months that Khalistanis have made the SF consulate a target. In March, Khalistani activists had planted flags at the consulate, broken through the barricades, used flagpoles to attack the consulate, smashed windows and hit the doors. Also Read:India to demarche Canada on Khalistanis targeting Indian diplomats On Monday, a video posted on social media, titled Violence Begets Violence with the hashtag Long Live Khalistan, depicted and celebrated the fire inside the consulate. People familiar with the incident said that around 1:30am, two men, dressed in dark overalls which made them hard to recognise, came to the front gate of the consulate. They painted pro-Khalistani graffiti on the walls and then used what appeared to be fuel cans to spray inflammable liquid inside the diplomatic premises. They set it alight, and within minutes, fled the scene. Within six minutes of the incident, fire engines were on the spot and doused the fire immediately. The entire incident lasted for less than ten minutes and there was no damage done either to the infrastructure of the consulate or harm caused to the diplomatic personnel and support staff. By 2:30am, local police authorities had arrived at the consulate to make preliminary enquiries. What helped was that after the attack by Khalistanis in March, India had erected grills and railings to beef up the security at the consulate. Since the incident, given the diplomatic engagement that brought the event to the attention of the highest authorities in Washington, American security agencies, from the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) to Bureau of Diplomatic Security to the local SF police, have been in touch with Indian consulate authorities in San Francisco. India has been cooperating with the investigation, sharing CCTV footage and details of active Khalistani groups and clues about the possible perpetrators. Condemning the incident, Matthew Miller, the State Department spokesperson, tweeted, The U.S. strongly condemns the reported vandalism and attempted arson against the Indian Consulate in San Francisco on Saturday. Vandalism or violence against diplomatic facilities or foreign diplomats in the U.S. is a criminal offense. India is clear that it wants to see action, not just sympathy, arrests of those involved in recent incidents, and preemptive measures by the US authorities to stop any such future attacks. Given the Khalistani attack on the SF consulate in March, the harassment and attack against an Indian journalist in front of the Indian embassy in Washington DC, and now the attempted burning of the consulate, there is a clear pattern of criminal intent and action of Khalistani groups that has been established, people familiar with the developments indicated. In addition, Khalistani groups have announced what they have termed a Khalistan Freedom Rally on July 8 to the Indian consulate in SF. They have put up pictures of the Indian ambassador to US, Taranjit Singh Sandhu, and Indian consul general in SF, TV Nagendra Prasad on the poster announcing the march, declaring them Faces of Shaheed Nijjars Killers in San Francisco. Officials have brought the proposed event to the attention of the local American authorities, given the consistent tendency of these groups to engage in violence, arson, vandalism, and personal physical attacks. Nijjar was the head of the Khalistan Tiger Force (KTF) and was shot dead by two unidentified gunmen at a gurudwara in Canadas British Columbia province on June 18. He was a designated terrorist in India, and KTF is a banned outfit. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Nearly a month after Khalistani extremists threatened Indian diplomats in Canada, the Indian diplomats in Australia too are being intimidated by the extremist elements, Australia Today reported. A poster has been circulated on social media by the extremist elements having pictures of both diplomats.(ANI) The High Commissioner of India in Australia, Manpreet Vohra and the Consulate General of India in Melbourne, Sushil Kumar are being threatened by Khalistan extremists. A poster has been circulated on social media by the extremist elements having pictures of both diplomats and the text reading "Faces of Shaheed Nijjar's killers in Australia," Australia Today reported. Terry Milewski, a Candian journalist and former CBC correspondent also tweeted on the issue and shared the poster issued by Khalistani elements. "Now, after targeting Indian diplomats in Canada, the menacing Khalistani posters have spread to Australia. Again, both High Commissioner and Consul-General are pictured and named as "Killers" of "Shaheed" Nijjar. A march on the Indian embassy in Melbourne is set for July 8," Milewski said in a tweet. The issue has also drawn stern criticism from New Delhi. An Indian official told the Australia based news platform that the Indian authorities are taking the issue very seriously and are in touch with Australian officials. "We all should condemn this terror, Melbourne is the third best city to live in and here the democratic values and harmony of the community are being destroyed by few. Indian Authorities are taking this very seriously and are in touch with relevant Australian officials," Australia Today quoted the official. The Australian government has also ensured the security of foreign missions and their staff in the country. "The Australian Government takes seriously its obligations under the Vienna Convention to ensure the security of foreign missions and their staff in the country. Australia does not tolerate hate speech, violence, or threats of violence. Any threat to accredited officials residing in Australia will be investigated," Australia Today quoted the spokesperson of the department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. This comes on the heels of the June killing of Khalistan Tiger Force chief Hardeep Singh Nijjar, who was wanted in India and with National Investigation Agency (NIA) announcing a bounty for his arrest. Nijjar was gunned down outside a gurdwara in the parking area in Canada's Surrey, according to a report in Vancouver Sun. Since the killing of designated terrorist Nijjar, the Khalistani extremists are targeting Indian diplomats in Canada, United States of America, United Kingdom and Australia. Ambassador of India in USA Taranjit Singh Sandhu and the Consulate General of India in San Francisco Dr TV Nagendra Prasad were also threatened and targeted the same way with posters, Australia Today reported. Earlier on Sunday, some pro-Khalistani elements candalised and attempted arson at the Indian consulate in San Francisco. The fire was suppressed quickly by the San Francisco Fire Department and so staffers were harmed. The US strongly condemned the incident and called it a criminal offence. "The US strongly condemns the reported vandalism and attempted arson against the Indian Consulate in San Francisco on Saturday. Vandalism or violence against diplomatic facilities or foreign diplomats in the US is a criminal offense," US state department spokesperson Matthew Miller said in a tweet on Monday (local time). A war of words broke out between the ruling Janata Dal-United, its ally Rashtriya Janata Dal and the Bharatiya Janata Party on Tuesday, a day after the Central Bureau Investigation filed a chargesheet against Bihar deputy chief minister Tejashwi Yadav and his parents in connection with the land-for-jobs scam. Bihar CM Nitish Kumar and RJD chief Lalu Yadav.(ANI file) JD(U) national president Rajiv Ranjan Singh accused the BJP-led central government of running a "witch-hunt" against the RJD leader. The second chargesheet of the CBI in this case was filed without a shred of evidence against Yadav. The CBI had earlier said there was no proof against him. But when the RJD and JD(U) along with other parties formed the grand alliance government in Bihar in August 2022, the Centre started using its 'parrot' (CBI) and other federal probe agencies against the deputy CM, Singh said in a video message. The CBI on Monday filed a chargesheet against Yadav, his father and former railways minister Lalu Prasad and mother and former chief minister Rabri Devi in connection with the land-for-jobs scam in a competent court in New Delhi. The chargesheet, which also named 14 others, is the second in the case. CBI officials said the second chargesheet was filed as the investigation into the alleged roles of the accused could not be completed by the time the initial report was filed. It's a well-known fact that the CBI goes after only those who are opposed to the BJP. We all know that Prime Minister Narendra Modi, after the opposition meet in Patna on June 23, said in a public meeting that Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leaders are involved in corruption cases amounting to 70,000 crore. Five days later, when NCP leaders became part of the BJP-led Maharashtra government, everything was fine for Modi. He has conveniently forgotten the corrupt NCP leaders, said Singh. This kind of political witch hunt will only strengthen opposition unity in the country. Yadav will not get scared with CBIs act or the BJP-led central government. Electorates understand all these undemocratic act of the Modi government and people will give a befitting reply to the saffron party in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls, he said. Rashtriya Janata Dal leader Manoj Jha has called the action a "political vendetta". "Such actions are taken because the BJP lost its government in Bihar. It is a political vendetta. Such actions by the central agencies ... BJP is trying to do something which it cannot achieve," Manoj Jha told news agency ANI. "This is no more CBI. It is being directed by the two top leaders of BJP who run the Union government," the Rajya Sabha MP further alleged. Speaking over the same issue, senior JD(U) leader KC Tyagi alleged that the CBI's move has come keeping in mind the unity of opposition parties. Bihar BJP leader Ajay Alok claimed that Nitish Kumar will resign in just 10-15 days from now. He added that Kumar is now riding on the swing of 3 Cs Crime, Corruption and Communism, that he used to talk about. The BJP leader also attacked the Yadavs by saying, Earlier they were saying that why hasn't the chargesheet been filed yet if we are guilty, and now when it has been filed then they are blaming Modi for it. "Nitish Kumar has now become the guardian of corruption. He is now riding on the swing of the 3 Cs that he used to talk about viz. Crime, Corruption and Communism. He is with criminals, so many criminals are in his cabinet from top to bottom. Lalu Yadav inaugurated the book written on the biography of the chief minister. Both of them are an excellent example of corruption. He appeases the Muslims by wearing Taqiyah (Muslim cap). He did Iftar at 150 places and he talks about communism? He is the prime example of CCC. His staying as the CM of Bihar for even an hour is dragging Bihar back a month. He will resign immediately, within 10-15 days only," Alok said. Meanwhile, BJP leader Shehzad Poonawalla also reacted on the matter. "This is reverse Robinhood. Robinhood used to loot the rich and provide for the poor. But in reverse Robinhood, the first family of corruption loots the poor, acquires their land and fills its pockets - indulging in 600 crore of scam," he said. The CBI's case pertains to Group-D appointments for 'substitutes' made in Western Central Zone based in Jabalpur, Madhya Pradesh, during Lalu Prasad's tenure as the railway minister from 2004 to 2009 in return for land parcels gifted or transferred by the recruits in the name of Lalu Prasad's family or associates, according to officials. (With inputs from PTI, ANI) SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Sharad Pawar took a dig at his rebel nephew and newly-appointed deputy chief minister of Maharashtra Ajit Pawar for keeping his portrait without his permission at the new party office in south Mumbai. His remarks came after a photograph of him was seen kept inside the office of the Ajit Pawar-led faction. Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Sharad Pawar. (ANI) "Those who betrayed my ideology and with whom I have ideological differences cannot use my photograph," he told reporters in Mumbai without taking his nephew's name. Ajit Pawar moved into a new office after he was initially being locked out citing keys to the bungalow found to be missing. He along with his eight loyalists jumped ship and joined the BJP-Shiv Sena coalition Maharashtra government. Sharad Pawar reiterated that Jayant Patil is the state president of the party and added that it was his prerogative to call the shots on who should use his photograph. "Only the party of which I am the national president and Jayant Patil the state president can use my photograph," he said. Notably, the Ajit Pawar faction had earlier removed Patil as the state president of the party and appointed Lok Sabha MP Sunil Tatkare in his place. Responding to the reaction, NCP leader (Ajit Pawar faction) Praful Patel said Sharad Pawar's picture was used to show their reference towards him. "Sharad Pawar is our mentor and Guru...we will always respect and regard him and his position, he is a father figure to all of us. We are using his picture not out of disrespect, but we are showing our reference towards him," he told news agency ANI. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON The recent political turmoil in Maharashtra following a vertical split in the Sharad Pawar-led Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) has raised speculations that a similar situation may arise in the Bihar politics. Reports suggest the Bharatiya Jananta Party (BJP) is likely to set its sights on the Janata Dal (United) (JDU) amid discontent within the ruling alliance in the state. Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar(HT) Political leaders from the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) have been suggesting a Maharashtra-like situation could emerge in other opposition parties, including the Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar-led JD(U). What do political leaders say about a possible rift in Nitish Kumar's party? Sushil Modi Former deputy chief minister of Bihar Sushil Modi hinted the likelihood of a situation similar to Maharashtra and claimed that JD(U) MLAs feel betrayed after Nitish Kumar severed a longstanding relationship with BJP. He also said that the Bihar CM had ignored his MLAs in the last 17 years and now he is meeting them individually, calling it a sign of nervousness. A situation of rebellion is also being created in Bihar because Nitish Kumar has never given even one minute to meet his MLAs and MPs in the last 17 years. They had to wait. Now each of them is being given half an hour time, he told news agency ANI. Ramdas Athawale Union minister Ramdas Athawale has also mentioned the likelihood of a rift in Nitish Kumar's, suggesting reasons similar to what Sushil Modi said. He also claimed that Rashtriya Lok Dal chief Jayant Chaudhary will join the NDA coalition as he didn't attend the recent opposition meeting in Patna. Maharashtra-like situation may erupt in Bihar and Uttar Pradesh as many MLAs are unhappy with Nitish Kumar joining hands with RJD. Similarly in UP, Jayant Chaudhary can join the NDA as he did not attend the Patna opposition meeting, he said. Chirag Paswan Following the developments in Maharashtra, Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) leader Chirag Paswan predicted a similar fate for Bihar. He claimed that Nitish Kumar will fail to complete his tenure as the chief minister. He further said that several JD(U) leaders were in touch with him. Upendra Kushwaha Rashtriya Lok Janata Dal (RJD) leader and former Union minister Upendra Kushwaha has been fanning the talk of likely merger of the JD-U and the RJD. JD-U will be merged with RJD soon, and thereafter, there will be an exodus of party leaders to join other parties. Several JD-U leaders are in touch with me and the BJP, Kushwaha had claimed while addressing media persons in Patna earlier this week. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Tuesday slammed the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) over NCP MLAs joining the Eknath Shinde government in Maharashtra, saying that the saffron party is guaranteed to make every scamster a minister. The party shared a compiled picture of MLAs and MPs who have been named in several scams, who have joined the BJP. BJP leader Devendra Fadnavis and NCP leader Ajit Pawar at Raj Bhavan in Mumbai on Sunday. (Anshuman Poyrekar/HT Photo) Modi ji will not spare any corrupt person. Will catch everyone and include them in BJP! Modi, your BJP has become dirty while washing away the sins of the sinners, the AAP wrote on its Uttar Pradesh Twitter handle which was retweeted by the party's official Twitter handle. Earlier on Sunday - when Ajit Pawar took oath as the deputy chief minister of Maharashtra - AAP national spokesperson Sanjay Singh hit out at Prime Minister Narendra Modi calling him the biggest patron of corruption in the country. Two days after the prime minister gave a guarantee of action against corruption, Pawar was appointed as the deputy chief minister in the Shiv Sena-BJP coalition government in Maharashtra and Bhujbal also inducted into the cabinet, he said. On Sunday afternoon, Ajit Pawar took oath as the deputy CM of Maharashtra. Along with him, eight other NCP MLAs including Chhagan Bhujbal, Hasan Mushrif, Dhananjay Munde, Dilip Walse Patil, Dharmarao Baba Atram, Aditi Tatkare, Anil Patil, and Sanjay Bansode were also sworn in as ministers. Bhopal/Rewa: A video showing a man urinating on a tribal labourer triggered uproar in Madhya Pradeshs Sidhi district on Tuesday, with chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan ordering his arrest under the stringent National Security Act (NSA). A video showing a man urinating on a tribal labourer triggered uproar in Madhya Pradeshs Sidhi district on Tuesday. (PTI) The incident took place on June 26 and came to light on Tuesday after a viral video showed Pravesh Shukla, who claims to be a Bharatiya Janata Party worker on social media, abusing a tribal man sitting in the Kubari market of Sidhi district, and later urinating on him in an inebriated state. A viral video of Sidhi district has come to my notice. I have instructed the administration to arrest the culprit and take strict action and also impose NSA, Chouhan tweeted. Confirming the incident, Sidhi superintendent of police Ravindra Verma said, An FIR has been registered against him (Shukla) under section 294 (using obscene language), 504 (Intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of the peace) and under relevant sections of the SC/ST Act. The incident also triggered a political slugfest in the poll-bound state with Opposition Congress alleging that the culprit is an associate of BJP MLA Kedarnath Shukla a charge the ruling party has denied. Madhya Pradesh is already number one in tribal atrocities. This incident has put the entire Madhya Pradesh to shame. I demand to give strict punishment to the accused, MP Congress president Kamal Nath said, claiming that Pravesh Shukla is associated with the BJP. MLA Kedarnath Shukla, however, dismissed the charge. Pravesh was never a representative of mine. I just know him, he said. For two whole months, Manipur has been on fire. The ethnic violence began on May 3, and has continued sporadically. Gunshots still often rent the air. Wisps of smoke from villages set ablaze still mingle with the night sky. And hospitals still get a steady stream of those that are injured, or worse, dead. PREMIUM Members of Catholic Association of Bengal organized a candlelight Procession after Holy Mass Praying for Peace in Manipur at St. Thomas Church in Kolkata, India, on Sunday. (Photo by Samir Jana/ Hindustan Times) Overall, the clashes between the Meitei, the dominant community in Manipur accounting for 53% of the population, and the tribal Kuki, have left 122 dead, over 310 injured, and over 50,000 displaced from their homes. For 62 days, the state and central governments have tried a plethora of steps to mitigate a spiraling situation. The Indian Army was called in on May 4, as were scores of paramilitary personnel. The Union home minister went on a three-day trip even if the Prime Minister hasnt, and announced the formation of a judicial commission and an investigation into the violence by the Central Bureau of Investigation. There have been attempts at the creation of a peace committee, and a slew of relief measures from camps to compensation. Yet, nothing has worked. Every pillar of the state the army, the police, the administration, and the political class has been unable to deliver, stymied by an extraordinary set of circumstances, failing to do even their most basic roles. In conversations with stakeholders conducted two months, HT pieces together accounts from representatives of these organs of the state, of the scale and peculiarity of the crisis, and the factors behind the anarchy Manipur has descended into. ARMY AND PARAMILITARY FORCES The biggest problem the army, the Assam Rifles, and other paramilitary forces have faced is disinformation this, despite a controversial ban on data services including broadband that has been in force since May 3. On June 5, for instance, the Indian Army was forced to issue a statement on the circulation of a video that claimed that there had been clashes between the 37th battalion of the Assam Rifles and personnel of the Manipur Police that left one person dead. The video riled local communities; it showed people in olive green carrying some injured, and trying to revive others on the ground. The video, however, was of an Indian Army training exercise held in Punjab in 2021. This is yet another failed attempt by inimical elements to build hate against those at the forefront of preventing violence, Lt Col Amit Shukla, PRO (defence), Kohima, said. Army officials said that they have been dealing with a synergized malicious campaign, battling rumours that they are not impartial in the discharge of their duties. On June 1, the army was forced to issue a statement that denounced a viral message on social media that gave out the personal details of army personnel of a particular community posted in Manipur, casting aspersions on the loyalty of these officers to the nation. All ranks of the Indian Army are race, caste, creed and gender agnostic fair to all and fear none... the post is an attempt to undermine an institution that is a microcosm of the nation and has never let regional biases interfere in its functioning, the statement said. Importantly, the armed forces are often drawn into shoot-outs with insurgents and large mobs that are heavily armed with sophisticated weapons. Since the beginning of the violence, the targeted looting of armouries has been a huge concern with the most conservative estimate of looted arms and ammunition pegged at 4,000 weapons and over 500,000 pieces of ammunition. In fact, the first speech to the public by the state police by former DGP P Doungel on May 5, pleaded for looted weapons to be returned. Thus far, state police officials say only around 1,100 weapons and close to 14,000 rounds of ammunition have been recovered. Then, there is the issue of mobs blocking operations. On June 26, the Indian Army released an unprecedented video, showing videos of large groups of protesters, largely led by women of both communities, that were hampering operations. The video characterised the actions of the women protesters, often brought to sensitive spots in vehicles, as deliberate and inimical to restoring normalcy. On June 13, for instance, the Indian Army said that a large mob of women preventing them from reaching villages in Kangpokpi and Yaigankpoki where armed miscreants fired from automatic weapons in nine villages over three days, leaving nine people dead. Army personnel said that the force had not been able to function as it normally does because they hadnt been given a free hand. We find ourselves in a rare situation where we are not allowed to function freely and have to report to a unified command which is headed by an IPS officer who was earlier head of CRPF. On top of that, we are receiving flak for the continuance of violence and have been accused of taking sides. This has affected morale of both officers and jawans. But over the past week, things are getting better, said one army officer who asked not to be named. THE POLICE Senior police officers said that right from when the violence first began, there has been little faith shown in the state police constabulary, given the ethnic cleavages within the force, drawn as they are from the local population. One of the first moves of the Union and state governments, both ruled by the BJP, was to appoint retired IPS officer and former CRPF DG Kuldiep Singh as security adviser to the state government, forming a unified command. In the same breath, the state government removed Manipur cadre IPS officer P Doungel, a Kuki, as the director general of police, and replaced him with Rajiv Singh, a Tripura-cadre IPS officer. But senior police officers said these are not just questions of trust. There have been real, demonstrable examples that typify the searing divide. On June 9, for instance, three people including an elderly woman were killed and two others injured when armed miscreants dressed in what looked like police fatigues entered and attacked residents on the boundary of Kangpokpi and Imphal West districts. A police officer, on condition of anonymity, said, Personnel at the New Keithelmanbi police station got information of the gunfire at 7am but they were able to send reinforcements only around 3.30pm as the station had only Meitei personnel and there were no Kuki police officers who could be sent to [the] Kuki village. A second police officer, speaking of the same incident said, The head of the station is a Meitei so many Kuki officers under him had not joined work. On several occasions, such has been the dissipation of their authority in the state, police personnel themselves have had to be rescued. One of the first homes to be attacked in Imphal on May 5 was the home of the former DGP P Doungel. But there have also been instances where people come to police stations in large mobs and ask for the Aadhaar cards of the police. If it is a Meitei area, they check if there is a Kuki policeperson there. If it is a Kuki area, they check if there is a Meitei policeperson there. At one police station in Chandel, 10 Meitei cops had to be rescued, a police officer said on condition of anonymity. POLITICIANS The crisis in Manipur hasnt left the states political leadership unscathed either. On May 4, BJP MLA Vungzagin Valte was grievously injured in an attack by a mob in Imphal. Valte was flown to Delhi where he is still recuperating from head injuries. The home of the Union minister of state for external affairs RK Ranjan Singh was attacked twice first stormed by a mob on May 23 after which security personnel managed to disperse the angry crowd by firing shots in the air; and then, less than a month later, on June 15, even as the minister was away at a government event in Kochi . A disconsolate Singh said, There is a total failure of law and order in Manipur. The existing [state] government hasnt been able to maintain peace despite the central government sending lot of protection. The list is long. On May 24,BJP MLA and cabinet minister Govindass Konthoujams home in Imphal was vandalised; on June 9, the home of BJP MLA Soraisam Kebiu in Imphal West came under a grenade attack by unidentified men on a motorcycle; and on June 14, the official residence of BJP MLA Nemcha Kipgen was set on fire. There is lawlessness in Manipur and it has remained incessant for two months. People from both communities want their representatives to voice their demands. If they feel that a certain minister or MLA is not doing that or going soft, they turn on those people. As a result, even ministers from the BJP are afraid to speak of reconciliation, said Joseph Riamei, assistant professor at Guwahati-campus of Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS). It doesnt help, of course, that one primary stakeholder in the conflict, the tribal Kuki population, sees chief minister N Biren Singh, a Meitei, who has thus far been roundly backed by the BJP despite an orchestrated resignation drama on June 30, as part of the problem. Letzamang Haokip, a BJP MLA from Henglep in Churachandpur, a tribal district, said, The chief minister has the support of the members of the two Meitei groups Arambai Tenggol and Meitei Leepun. This is now beyond community clashes. We are already in civil war. When Union Minister Amit Shah visited Manipur, he said he would find a solution in 15 days. Now we are seeking the Prime Ministers intervention. He has not said a word since May 3. One Manipur BJP legislator characterised the problem as a choice between the devil and the deep blue sea. Right now our constituents are angry at everything. If they are Meitei, they want the Kuki driven out. If they are Kuki, they want the Meitei to be reined in. If you are a politician, and you argue for peace, you may end your political career permanently because people will feel we did not stand with them. It is very delicate, the MLA said on condition of anonymity. Manipur Congress president K Meghachandra said: The situation is not improving because of a power struggle inside the BJP in Manipur. Apart from the 10 tribal MLAs of the BJP who left the government last month and demanded separate administration for the hill districts, more than 10 non-tribal MLAs of the ruling party are demanding removal of chief minister N Biren Singh. The Meitei largely live in the valley around Imphal, and control two-thirds of the 60assembly seats in the state; the Kuki largely reside in the hill districts, which account for 90%of the area of the state, and they, along with Naga tribes, control 20assembly seats. The Meitei are mostly Hindus, and the Kuki are mostly Christians. ADMINISTRATION Typically, this scale of dysfunction at multiple levels means that even normal tasks of administration, of running towns, cities and villages, have mostly been suspended. For the last 62 days, all school operations have been suspended, and classes from I to 8 will reopen on July 5, the government announced on Monday. To be sure, the government was set to open the schools on June 21 earlier, but had to rescind the decision after no let up in violence. The Manipur Fire Department, overworked and understaffed, has found itself stretched to the limit. Officials said that even if they have been able to reach spots in Churachandpur or Imphal, they are largely unable to answer distress calls in villages. In Khamenlok, on June 9, nine villages were burnt, but no fire truck reached the spot. The ethnic nature of the clashes has meant that among the internally displaced are hundreds of bureaucrats and government personnel. Houses and government quarters of several of these officials have been among those ransacked, looted, burnt down or simply taken over. On June 26, the Manipur government invoked a no work, no pay notification for employees who have been missing from their official duties. The circular signed by Michael Achom, secretary of the general administration department, asked all administrative secretaries to furnish details like names, designations, present addresses of truant employees. The Indigenous Tribal Leaders Forum (ITLF), a conglomerate of Kuki groups in Churachandpur district, was among those to respond sharply and said that officials of the tribes had been subjected to inhumane treatment in the Imphal valley and elsewhere. Their homes, properties, personal documents and belongings have been looted and burned, leaving them without any means to return to work or their residences, the release said. Officials confirmed to HT that the order has had no immediate impact on the ground, with Meitei far too afraid to return to postings in tribal areas, and Kuki afraid to return to the capital Imphal. With the scale of violence that has taken place, people are more scared for their safety of their families than absenteeism from work, said Riamei from TISS. This has meant that even the simplest of government functions are for now, beyond Manipur. The All India Radio station in Imphal runs programmes in the Kuki dialects of Thadou, Hmar and Paite. On June 10, instead of the programme in Thadou, for 30 minutes, All India Radio played Christmas songs. There were no Kuki officials left. GUWAHATI: Miscreants burnt down the house of a senior leader of a Kuki militant group in Churachandpur district of Manipur on Monday night, a spokesperson of the tribal body Indigenous Tribal Leaders Forum (ITLF) said on Tuesday. KNO spokesperson Seilen Haokip, whose house was burnt down, said his house was in an isolated place outside town else the fire could have spread No one was injured in the attack which gutted a house in Songpi, nearly 5km from the Churachandpur town. A car parked outside the house was also completely damaged. Manipur has been roiled by ethnic clashes between Meitei and Kuki communities since May 3, which has claimed at least 122 lives, injured over 300 and displaced around 50,000. Thousands of houses and religious places have also been burned. Unknown miscreants burned down the house of Seilen Haokip, Kuki National Organisation (KNO) spokesperson last night. This comes after KNO/United Peoples Front (UPF) lifted the blockade of National Highway-2, ITLF spokesperson Ginza Vualzong said. KNO and UPF issued a joint statement on Sunday to announce the end of the two-month-long blockade of a stretch of NH-2 in Manipurs Kangpokpi district following a fresh appeal by Union home minister Amit Shah. Seilen Haokip said his house was at an isolated location about 5km out of town. Had it been in town, it (fire) could have spread. we have to contain the situation from escalation, Haokip said. Kuki militant groups signed a suspension of operations (SoO) agreement with the Centre and the state government in August 2008. The agreement was signed with 25 Kuki militant groups-(17 of them are under the umbrella group KNO and another 8 under the United Peoples Front (UPF). The cadres of these groups were required to be confined to designated camps and their arms were kept locked. There have been allegations by the state government from the start of ethnic clashes that militants belonging to the SoO groups could be involved in spreading violence. Inspection of designated camps of the Kuki groups under SoO by the military in June revealed that almost all arms were intact. On the other hand, Kuki groups have accused two radical Meitei groups, Arambai Tenggol and Meitei Leepun of targeting Kukis. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON ABOUT THE AUTHOR Utpal Parashar Utpal is a Senior Assistant Editor based in Guwahati. He covers seven states of North-East India and heads the editorial team for the region. He was previously based in Kathmandu, Dehradun and Delhi with Hindustan Times. ...view detail Mizoram chief minister Zoramthanga on Tuesday made an emotional appeal to end violence in neighbouring Manipur, saying it was incumbent upon those responsible and law-abiding citizens or entities of India to look for immediate ways to restore peace. Mizoram chief minister Zoramthanga called for immediate steps to restore peace in Manipur (Twitter/ZoramthangaCM) The onset of May witnessed a brutal, untoward and uncalled-for incident in Manipur. At this very moment, 3:30am, July the 4th, 2023; nothing seems to have changed. We are counting, and today is the 62nd day, Zoramthanga said in the post. Also read: Kuki militant group leaders house burnt down in Manipur; no casualties At least 120 people have been killed, over 300 injured and nearly 40,000 displaced in Manipur since May 3, when ethnic violence erupted between the Meitei and Kuki communities. Over 120 people have been killed, more than 300 injured and nearly 40,000 displaced in Manipur since May 3, when ethnic violence erupted in the northeastern state between the numerically dominant Meitei community which forms 53% of the state population and tribal communities, especially Kukis, who live primarily in the hill districts. When will it STOP? said a poster accompanying the chief ministers post on Twitter, a question that figured in the text of the post as well as he consoled my Manipuri Zo Ethnic brethren who had suffered and lost their loved ones in the violence. The Kuki-Zomi tribe comes under the larger Zo ethnic umbrella. I wish not to see any more pictures and video clips of churches being burnt, brutal killings and violence of all nature, regardless of gender and age. If there is ONLY one way of settling for peace, shall we opt for that? Many lives have been lost, bloodshed all over, physical torture & the victims are looking for refuge wherever possible. With no iota of doubt, those victims are my kin and kin, my own blood and should we quieten the situation by just being silent? I dont think so! I would like to call for immediate restoration of peace and normalcy. It is incumbent and imperative upon those responsible and law-abiding citizens or entities of India to look for immediate ways for peace restoration. Development with a human touch and Sabka Saath Sabka Vikas applies to my Zo ethnic tribes in Manipur too! Zoramthanga said. The Mizoram chief ministers message underlined that the situation hadnt improved as they had hoped. Also read: Wont allow creation of separate administration at any cost, says Manipur CM Biren Singh The brutal violence in Manipur has resulted in Internally Displaced People (IDP) to the tune of 12,000 in Mizoram. Refugees and/or IDPs from Manipur, Myanmar & Bangladesh have risen to over 50,000. I wish & pray that the Central Govt., on humanitarian ground lend us an immediate helping hand. On May 27, the chief minister asked union home minister Amit Shah for 10 crore to support the displaced persons from Manipur. Mizoram currently has 12,301 IDPs from Manipur in 11 districts, with 13 relief camps in Aizawl district and 14 relief camps in Kolasib district. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Mumbai: Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) president Sharad Pawar and Maharashtra deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar have summoned party lawmakers, legislators and office-bearers loyal to each group for separate meetings in Mumbai on Wednesday, a move that could potentially decide the future of the factionalised party. NCP chief Sharad Pawar in a meeting with Maharashtra Pradesh Congress Committee President Nana Patole and others, at YB Chavan Center in Mumbai, Tuesday, July 4, 2023. (PTI Photo)(PTI07_04_2023_000089A) (PTI) While NCP veteran Sharad Pawar will hold the meeting at YB Chavan Centre at Nariman Point, the faction led by his nephew Ajit Pawar, who joined the Shiv Sena-Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) coalition government on Sunday, vertically dividing the 24-year-old party, will meet at MET Bhujbal Knowledge City in Bandra. Following the split in the party, both senior leaders have convened separate meetings of their loyalists. Sharad Pawar is personally calling legislators, MPs and other senior office bearers to be with him in the time of adversity, a leader loyal to his faction said, requesting anonymity. This is the right time, take the appropriate decision, the leader cited above quoted Pawar as saying to an MLA on phone. Pawars daughter and NCP working president Supriya Sule and partys state president Jayant Patil released video messages asking all party office-bearers and leaders to attend the meeting. I will be waiting for you all. The 83-year-old warrior and our beloved leader Sharad Pawar will be there to guide us all. He will tell us future plans of the party and our responsibilities, Sule said in a 54-second video message. Jitendra Awhad, who has been appointed as the leader of opposition and partys chief whip in the assembly, issued a whip directing all NCP MLAs to be present for Pawars meeting. In the rival faction, Ajit Pawar also held meetings with senior leaders and spoke on phone with MLAs, who have backed his decision to join the Maharashtra government led by chief minister Eknath Shinde and his deputy Devendra Fadnavis. Ajit Pawars faction has already taken affidavits from legislators and senior office bearers loyal to him as part of his plan to claim control of NCP, a leader familiar with the matter said. Even as Ajit Pawar was busy in Mumbai preparing for the crucial Wednesday meeting, Shinde and Fadnavis on Tuesday went to Nagpur to welcome President Droupadi Murmu, who is on her maiden Maharashtra visit after becoming the head of the state. On Sunday, Ajit Pawar along with eight NCP MLAs took oath as ministers in the Sena-BJP government. Ajit faction, which has claimed to have support of majority of MLAs, needs backing of at least 36 of the partys 55 legislators to avoid disqualification under the anti-defection law. Meanwhile, the conflict between the two factions spilled on to the streets in Nashik on Tuesday when office-bearers supporting Ajit Pawar reached the party office to take its possession. They faced strong resistance from those supporting senior Pawar. The Ajit Pawar faction could not take possession after they were informed the office is the property of Rashtrawadi Welfare Trust headed by Sharad Pawar. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON NEW DELHI: In a veiled swipe against Pakistan and China, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday pushed back against double standards in the fight against terror and said the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) shouldnt hesitate in criticising countries that use cross-border terrorism as an instrument of policy. India is chairing the SCO for the first time since joining the grouping in 2017. (ANI photo) Regional security formed a key part of Modis televised opening address at the virtual SCO Summit hosted by India, with the Prime Minister insisting that Afghanistans soil shouldnt be used to destabilise neighbouring countries or to spread extremist ideologies. India backs proposals for reforming and modernising the SCO, Modi said, adding that Irans inclusion as the newest member of the Eurasian grouping should spur efforts to use Chabahar port and the International North-South Transport Corridor (INSTC) to give the landlocked countries of Central Asia access to the Indian Ocean. India chaired the SCO for the first time since joining the grouping in 2017, and Modi spoke to a virtual gathering that included Chinese President Xi Jinping, Russian President Vladimir Putin and Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif. Without directly naming Pakistan or China and speaking in Hindi, Modi said: Some countries use cross-border terrorism as an instrument of their policies, provide shelter to terrorists. SCO should not hesitate to criticise such nations. There should be no place for double standards on such serious matters. India has for long accused Pakistan of sheltering terror groups such as Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) and Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) and supporting cross-border terrorism in Jammu and Kashmir. Amid the border standoff between India and China, Beijings action of blocking the designation of several Pakistan-based terrorists at the UN Security Council has emerged as another irritant in bilateral ties. Modi described terrorism as a major threat to regional and global peace and said: Dealing with this challenge requires decisive action. Regardless of its form or manifestation, we must unite in our fight against terrorism. The SCOs Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure (RATS) mechanism has played an important role in enhancing cooperation to counter terror financing, he said. We should also take more active steps to prevent the spread of radicalisation among the youth of our countries, he added. SCO represents 40% of the world population and about a third of the global economy, and member states have a shared responsibility to understand each others needs and sensitivities and to resolve all challenges through better cooperation and coordination, Modi noted. Speaking on the direct impact of the situation in Afghanistan on the security of all SCO states, Modi said that Indias concerns and expectations regarding the war-torn country are similar to those of a majority of member states. It is essential that the soil of Afghanistan is not used to destabilise neighbouring countries or to encourage extremist ideologies, he said. Calling for joint efforts for the welfare of the Afghan people, he added: Humanitarian assistance to Afghan civilians, formation of an inclusive government, the fight against terrorism and drug trafficking, and ensuring the rights of women, children and minorities are our shared priorities. India contributed to the economic and social development of Afghanistan over the past two decades, and it continued to provide humanitarian aid even after the events of 2021, Modi said in a reference to the Taliban takeover of the country after the withdrawal of US troops. Pointing to Iran joining the SCO as a full member at Tuesdays meeting, Modi said member states can work for better utilisation of Chabahar port and making the INSTC a safe and easy way for the landlocked countries of Central Asia to reach the Indian Ocean. In a tacit reference to Chinas Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), which India has opposed because a key part of it passes through Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, Modi said strong connectivity is very important for the progress of any region, but such efforts must respect the basic principles of the SCO Charter, especially the sovereignty and territorial integrity of member states. Better connectivity not only increases mutual business but also increases mutual trust, he said. Modi highlighted new measures taken by India to drive cooperation between SCO member states and said India perceives the region not just as an extended neighborhood but as an extended family. In this context, he spoke of new dimensions to cooperation within the grouping, such as work on emerging fuels in the energy sector, decarbonisation in transport, and using digital public infrastructure (DPI) for digital transformation. However, he questioned whether the SCO is capable of fulfilling the aspirations of the people at a time when the world is grappling with conflicts, tensions and pandemics and food, fuel and fertiliser crises are a challenge for all nations. Are we equipped to tackle modern day challenges? Is SCO evolving into an organisation that is fully prepared for the future? he asked. In this regard, India supports proposals for reforms and modernisation within SCO... SCO can also become an important voice for reforms in global institutions, including the UN, he added. Sameer Patil, a Mumbai-based security expert, said Indias emphasis on cross-border terrorism, the security situation in Afghanistan and reforming multilateral institutions demonstrated its keenness to use the SCO to promote New Delhis priorities rather than align itself with any Sino-Russian agenda. By highlighting the key challenges for the regional organisation and low hanging fruits for advancing cooperation, India wants to ensure that it expands engagement with Central Asian republics, which are fearful or sceptical of Moscow and Beijings ambitions in the region, he said.. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON ABOUT THE AUTHOR Rezaul H Laskar Rezaul H Laskar is the Foreign Affairs Editor at Hindustan Times. His interests include movies and music. ...view detail Prime Minister Narendra Modi will undertake a hectic tour of Uttar Pradesh, Telangana, Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh on July 7-8, sources in the government told Hindustan Times on Tuesday. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit Telangana, Chhattisgarh and Rajasthan, which go to poll at the end of this year. (ANI) The prime minister will participate in around a dozen programmes across five cities- Gorakhpur, Varanasi, Raipur, Warangal and Bikaner. He will unveil, dedicate and lay the foundation stones of about 50 projects worth around 50,000 crore. The prime minister will begin his exhaustive tour with Raipur on July 7, where he will lay the foundation stone and dedicate multiple projects. These include foundation stone of various six-lane sections of Raipur-Visakhapatnam corridor. He will attend a public meeting thereafter. From Raipur, Modi will head to Gorakhpur in Uttar Pradesh where he will attend the programme at Gita Press, the renowned publisher of religious books. He will then flag off 3 Vande Bharat trains. The prime minister will also lay the foundation stone for the redevelopment of Gorakhpur railway station. After Gorakhpur, PM Modi will be in his Lok Sabha constituency Varanasi. He will inaugurate and lay the foundation stone of multiple key projects. The PM will dedicate Pandit Deen Dayal Upadhyay Junction to Son Nagar new line of Dedicated Freight Corridor. He will also dedicate the four lane widening of NH-56 (Varanasi - Jaunpur). PM Modi will also lay the foundation stone for the renovation of Manikarnika Ghat and Harishchandra Ghat, sources added. On July 8, PM Modi will travel from Varanasi to Warangal in Telangana. He will lay the foundation stone of various projects, including key sections of Nagpur-Vijayawada Corridor. The prime minister will also lay the foundation stone of four laning of Karimnagar Warangal section of NH- 563. Thereafter, he will attend a public meeting in Warangal. From Warangal, PM Modi will then travel to Bikaner, where he will lay the foundation stone and dedicate multiple projects. The prime minister will dedicate various sections of the Amritsar-Jamnagar Expressway. He will also dedicate the Inter-State Transmission Line for Green Energy CorridorPhase- I. The prime minister will also lay the foundation stone for redevelopment of Bikaner railway station, and later attend a public meeting in Bikaner. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON The Lansdowne Cantonment Boards proposal to rename the serene hill town in Pauri Garhwal district of Uttarakhand as Jaswantgarh, after Rifleman Jaswant Singh, one of the heroes of the 1962 India-China war, is likely to be challenged before the states high court by local residents. The proposal to change the name of the town has been sent to Principal Directorate Defence Estates, Central Command, Lucknow after the defence ministry sought from all cantonment boards to rechristen places named during the British era, officials said. (HT) The proposal to change the name of the town, around 300km from Delhi, has already been sent to the Principal Directorate Defence Estates, Central Command, Lucknow after the defence ministry sought from all cantonment boards to rechristen places named during the British era, officials said. Earlier known as Kalundanda, the town was renamed as Lansdowne after the then Viceroy of India, Lord Lansdowne, on September 21, 1890. Lord Lansdowne or Henry Charles Keith Petty-Firzmaurice, the fifth Marquess of Lansdowne, served as the Viceroy of India from 1888 to 1894. Colonel TC Sharma (Retd), president of Lansdowne Hotel Association, said a series of meetings, including with prominent civil society members, has been held in this regard, where residents have decided to move the high court against the cantonment boards proposal. The name Lansdowne is the soul of this place. They cant take out its soul, Sharma told HT. The proposal doesnt reflect the desires and aspirations of civil society whose sentiments are attached to the name of Lansdowne. After years of efforts, Sharma said, people now know about the tranquil and beautiful hill town as a popular tourist destination. People visit the town from Delhi and other parts of the country. Thats why the tourism industry is flourishing here. The move will kill the local tourism industry. It is a death warrant of Lansdownes identity, he said. On one hand, they (the government) talk about promoting tourism, but on the other they try to hurt it by changing the name of a town. There is absolute contradiction. On July 1, Shilpa Gual, Chief Executive Officer of Lansdowne Cantonment, said that the board in its proposal to the higher authorities has informed them that local residents are not in favour of changing the name of the town. Some locals had given to me in writing that they dont want the name of Lansdowne to be changed because of its popularity by the same name and tourism attached to it, Gual had told HT. I apprised the board president Brigadier VM Chaudhari and other members about the civilians choice. The brigadier apprised me about the armys choice being Jaswantgarh. She added: We decided in the proposal that our first preference is to retain the name as Lansdowne. If it has to be changed, then change it to Jaswantgarh, after Jaswant Singh, 1962 India-China war hero. The decision, Gual added, was taken in a meeting of the board members on June 20. Rifleman Jaswant Singh, who was serving in the 4th Battalion of the Garhwal Rifles, attained martyrdom on November 17, 1962 in Arunachal Pradesh [then North-East Frontier Agency] during the India-China war, after preventing the Chinese troops from advancing for 72 hours. Singh, a resident of Baria village in Pauri district, was awarded (posthumously) with Maha Vir Chakra the second highest military decoration in India. Lansdowne is home to the Garhwal Rifles a regiment that came into being on May 5, 1887 at the instance of Field Marshal Sir FS Roberts, the then Commander-in-Chief of the British army in India. Lt Col EP Mainwaring raised the First battalion at Almora on May 5, 1887 and moved it to Kalundanda later renamed as Lansdowne on November 4, 1887. The regimental centre was established at Lansdowne on October 1, 1921. Union external affairs minister S Jaishankar on Monday explained the significance of a strong foreign policy to regulate the prices of items used in day-to-day life. He said a good foreign policy will impact the prices of items including petrol to the next iPhone. External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar(PTI) Speaking at the National Institute of Technology (NIT), Delhi, Jaishankar said, without a good foreign policy, the petrol price would be much higher, the cooking oil price would be too, and the price of your next iPhone will be higher too." He discussed how globalisation has broken down the boundaries and urged people to be aware of the affairs taking place around them. "Globalisation has broken down the boundaries between inside and outside and you should understand what is happening around you," he said. He further discussed about Russia's changing stance in economic relation with Asia post Ukraine war. Russias main economic partner was the Western countries. After the Ukraine conflict, that way was closed. Russia is now turning more and more towards Asia. Our trade before the Ukraine conflict was about 12-14 billion dollars, our trade last year was 40 billion dollars," he added. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON ABOUT THE AUTHOR HT News Desk Follow the latest breaking news and developments from India and around the world with Hindustan Times' newsdesk. From politics and policies to the economy and the environment, from local issues to national events and global affairs, we've got you covered. ...view detail The Supreme Court on Tuesday deferred the oath taking ceremony of Delhi electricity regulatory commission (DERC) chairperson-designate Justice (retd) Umesh Kumar and sought responses from the Centre and the office of the Lieutenant Governor (L-G) on a plea of the Delhi government challenging the law governing such an appointment. The oath was to be administered on July 3, but the Delhi power minister Atishi expressed her inability to attend due to illness. (Representative file image) Issuing notice on the petition filed by the Delhi government, a bench of chief justice of India (CJI) Dhananjaya Y Chandrachud and justice PS Narasimha agreed to hear the matter on July 11 as the petition raised a legal issue with regard to the constitutional validity of Section 45D of the Government of National Capital Territory of Delhi (GNCTD) Ordinance 2023 recently brought in by the Centre after the apex court ruled on May 11 giving Delhi government control over services in the national Capital. The Court said, Having regard to urgency of the matter, let the petition be listed on July 11... It will be understood that administering of oath in pursuance of notification of June 21 to the former judge of the Allahabad high court shall stand deferred presently. Also Read: Oath taking of new DERC chief in Delhi soon, but no date fixed Solicitor general Tushar Mehta appeared for Centre while senior advocate Sanjay Jain appeared for L-G. The Court also issued notice to Attorney General of India R Venkatramani to assist in the matter. The Court told Mehta that till the next date of the hearing, the L-G should not seek administering of oath when the matter is pending in the Court. Mehta told the Court that the oath is to be administered by the Delhi government which it has been delaying since June 21. He referred to the chain of events pointing out that despite several communications, the former judge has not been administered oath. The oath was to be administered on July 3, but the Delhi power minister Atishi expressed her inability after she fell ill and sought deferment of oath till July 6. Will this Court permit such kind of approach to a former judge, Mehta said, adding, They (Delhi government) have been playing with the judge in this manner. Mehta further noted that this petition intends to test the waters before the petition challenging the ordinance is taken up. Ordinance is already under challenge. This is testing the water by challenging Section 45D. Dont permit such games to be played, he said. As the oath has to be administered by the Delhi government, Singhvi appearing for Delhi said that no steps will be taken in this regard till the next date. Section 45D states, Notwithstanding anything contained in any other law for the time being in force, any authority, board, commission or any statutory body, by whatever name it may be called, or any office-bearer or member thereof, constituted or appointed by or under any law for the time being in force, in and for the National Capital Territory of Delhi, shall be constituted or appointed or nominated by the President. Using this provision, the Centre appointed justice Umesh Kumar, a former judge of the Allahabad high court on June 21 which has been challenged by the Delhi government in the top court. The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government has also challenged the ordinance by way of a separate petition which is yet to come up for hearing in the top court. The DERC chairperson post has been vacant since January and on May 19, the Supreme Court had directed the L-G to process the name forwarded by Delhi government within two weeks. The Delhi government had named a former Madhya Pradesh high court judge, Justice (retd) Rajeev Kumar Srivastava for the DERC chairman post. Singhvi pointed out that though the two weeks expired in the first week of June, nothing was done by the L-G and on June 16 justice Srivastava expressed his disinclination for the post. On June 21, the Delhi government recommended the name of a former Rajasthan high court judge for the same post but the same evening, the President issued the notification appointing justice Kumar. Singhvi told the Court that the Centre wants its choice of person as DERC chairperson as it wants to stop the Delhi governments scheme of providing free and subsidised electricity to people. Senior advocate Sanjay Jain appearing for L-G told the Court that the May 19 judgment of the top court had held that while appointing DERC chairperson, the consent of the chief justice of the parent high court to which the retired judge belongs should be taken. In this case, Jain pointed out that the consent of Allahabad high court chief justice was taken. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON NEW DELHI: The Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) on Tuesday pledged to prevent the spread of terrorism and to counter terror financing, even as India stopped short of joining other members of the grouping in endorsing Chinas Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). Leaders of states and officials of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) are seen on a screen during a summit via a video conference at the Kremlin in Moscow (via REUTERS) The New Delhi Declaration issued at the conclusion of the virtual SCO Summit hosted by India listed steps the member states will take to fight terrorism, separatism and extremism, including active measures to eliminate the conditions conducive to the spread of terrorism, disruption of terror financing channels, and suppression of recruitment activities and cross-border movement of terrorists. The SCO members will eliminate sleeper cells and terrorist safe havens, and counter the radicalisation of youth and dissemination of terrorist ideology, according to the joint declaration, which was issued hours after Prime Minister Narendra Modi said in his opening remarks at the summit that the grouping shouldnt hesitate to criticise countries which use terror as an instrument of policy. However, India didnt join Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Russia, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan in reaffirming support for BRI, Chinas flagship connectivity initiative. The joint declaration said these countries backed ongoing work to jointly implement the project, including efforts to link BRI and the construction of the Eurasian Economic Union. India is among the few countries that didnt sign on for BRI and it has consistently opposed the initiative as a key part of it, the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), passes through Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. Indian officials have also spoken of the debt burden imposed on countries in the region by BRI projects. According to the joint statement, the SCO members noted the inadmissibility of interference in the internal affairs of states under the pretext of countering terrorism and extremism, and the unacceptability of using terrorist, extremist and radical groups for mercenary goals. The member states said it was important to build coordinated efforts by the world community to counter attempts by terrorist, separatist and extremist groups to involve youngsters. The international community should also prevent the spread of religious intolerance, aggressive nationalism, ethnic and racial discrimination, xenophobia, fascism and chauvinism while taking joint action to counter terrorist and extremist groups, the declaration said. The member states described the early settlement of the situation in Afghanistan as one of the most important factors for strengthening stability within the SCO region, and said the war-torn country should be built as an independent, neutral, united, democratic and peaceful state, free from terrorism, war and drugs. The establishment of an inclusive government in Afghanistan with the participation of all ethnic, religious and political groups is essential, and the world community should work to facilitate the dignified and sustainable return of Afghan refugees to their homeland, the declaration said. With Iran becoming the newest member of the SCO on Tuesday, member states said it was important to ensure sustainable implementation of the Joint Comprehensive Action Plan on the Iranian nuclear programme. In line with UN Security Council Resolution 2231, all participants should strictly fulfil their obligations for comprehensive and effective implementation of the document, the declaration said. In the context of economic cooperation, the joint declaration said SCO countries were in favour of implementing the roadmap for gradual increase in the share of national currencies in mutual settlements by the interested member states. New approaches are required to promote more equitable and effective international cooperation amid a growing technological and digital divide, turbulence in global financial markets, instability of supply chains, barriers to international trade, and the consequences of climate change and Covid-19 pandemic. All these factors have added to volatility and uncertainty in the global economy and created additional challenges for economic growth and ensuring food and energy security, the declaration said. The SCO Summit, which was joined by the leaders of China, India, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Pakistan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan, also adopted two joint statements proposed by the Indian side on countering radicalisation and cooperation in digital transformation. The joint statement on countering radicalisation said SCO members will develop cooperation to fight radicalisation that leads to terrorism, separatism and extremism. This will include sharing experiences and best practices in accordance with the SCO Charter and international law. The member states will implement programmes to rehabilitate and reintegrate radicalised individuals into society and prevent their return to terrorist activity. They will also exchange practical experiences to ensure the security of major international events held by member states. In the second joint statement, SCO members acknowledged the role of digital transformation in inclusive and sustainable growth and in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The member states will support the integration of digital solutions in priority areas, such as the financial sector and in implementing digital payments. The introduction of digital technologies and the growing number of internet users is creating a significant amount of data that requires robust protection and analysis in terms of assessing the social and economic needs of people, the joint statement said. An approach to development based on analysis of digital data can address a wide range of issues in economics, health and education, it added. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday said some countries use cross-border terrorism and give safe haven to terrorists, and urged the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation countries to condemn it. PM Narendra Modi at the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit "Terrorism is a threat to regional and global peace. We will have to fight against terrorism...Some countries use cross-border terrorism as an instrument of their policies and give shelter to terrorists. SCO should not hesitate to criticise such countries. SCO countries should condemn it. There should be no double standards on terrorism," Modi said at the SCO Summit, hosted by India, without naming any country. Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif was also present at the virtual SCO Summit. "We do not see the SCO as an extended neighbourhood, but rather as an extended family. Security, economic development, connectivity, unity, respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity, and environmental protection are the pillars of our vision for SCO," Modi said. Leaders of the SCO held an online summit seeking to expand the influence of the Eurasian group by including Iran and opening a path to membership for Belarus. Chinas President Xi Jinping and Russian leader Vladimir Putin participated in the virtual summit, which will be Putins first appearance at an international event since the short-lived mutiny by the Wagner mercenary group in late June. Afghanistan situation has had direct impact on us: PM Modi "The situation in Afghanistan has had a direct impact on the security of all of us (countries). India's concerns and expectations regarding Afghanistan are the same as most of the SCO Member countries. We have to make united efforts for the welfare of the people of Afghanistan...It is important that the land of Afghanistan is not used to spread unrest in neighbouring nations or promote extremist ideologies," Modi said at the summit. Formed in 2001 by China and Russia, with former Soviet central Asian states as members and joined later by India and Pakistan, the eight-member SCO is a political and security group that seeks to counter Western influence in Eurasia. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON A day after Suheldev Bharatiya Samaj Partys president Om Prakash Rajbhar said that a Maharashtra-like situation will soon emerge in Uttar Pradesh as several Samajwadi Party (SP) leaders were angry with party chief Akhilesh Yadav , senior SP leader Shivpal Singh Yadav on Tuesday said the party stands united. In an interview with Rajesh Kumar Singh, Yadav alleged that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) was wary of the SPs unity and was trying to create confusion in the Opposition ranks. Edited excerpts: Shivpal Singh Yadav (HT PHOTO) Amid the Maharashtra political crisis, the BJP and its alliance partners have claimed that several SP MLAs are likely to join the NDA government... The BJPs Operation Lotus will not succeed in Uttar Pradesh. The NDA should not take the SP lightly... The SP is united to challenge the BJP in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections with the opposition parties. The BJPs plan to repeat a Maharashtra-like situation will not work in UP. Republican Party of India Ramdas Athawale says that you are in contact with NDA leaders. Are you thinking of moving away from SP due to differences with Akhilesh Yadav? There are no differences between party chief Akhilesh Yadav and me... The estranged relationship with Akhilesh is in the past and we are working together to strengthen the organisation before the Lok Sabha elections. The NDA is wary of our unity and adopting tricks to create confusion in the opposition ranks and among common people ahead of the elections. The SP is talking of opposition unity to challenge BJP in the LS polls? Is the SP open to alliance with BSP, Congress? We are working on opposition unity in the Uttar Pradesh as well as across the country to defeat the BJP in the Lok Sabha elections. Our doors are open for all parties [for alliance] willing to join hands with us to defeat the BJP. It is clear that SBSP is likely to join hands with the BJP... at present, we will not disclose our strategy. Rashtriya Lok Dal chief Jayant Chaudhary did not attend the opposition meeting in Patna. BJP leaders say that RLD is leaving the SP alliance to join BJP. Your take? RLD is with the SP alliance. On Monday Chaudhary clarified that he will attend the next opposition meeting... The SP-RLD alliance will contest the 2024 LS elections together to defeat the BJP. What is SPs stand on Uniform Civil Code? The BJP is raising the UCC before the Lok Sabha elections to polarise voters on communal lines. SP chief Akhilesh Yadav has made it clear that his party is against the UCC. The BJP is doing politics over the issue to serve its vested political interests. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON The Supreme Court on Monday permitted a petition challenging the Haryanas cow protection law to be filed before the Punjab and Haryana high court. The petitioners were aggrieved by Sections 16 and 17 of the Haryana Gauvansh Sanrakshan and Gausamvardhan Act, 2015. (Representative file image) The petition was filed by seven villagers staying in the Mewat region who felt victimised by the 2015 law passed by the Haryana Assembly which seeks to protect and preserve cows in the state. They were aggrieved by Sections 16 and 17 of the Haryana Gauvansh Sanrakshan and Gausamvardhan Act, 2015 which allowed the police or any person authorised by the government to stop, search and seize bovine animals intended for slaughter. Also Read: Murder over beef: 11 vigilantes arrested; survivor recalls trauma Senior advocate Kapil Sibal appearing for the petitioner along with advocate MR Shamshad said, Everyday killings are happening. There have been murders and violence by vigilante groups from 2015 onwards in the Mewat region falling in Haryana and Rajasthan. This cannot go on. How do you hand over police powers to ordinary citizens referred as gau rakshaks (protectors of cow). The bench of justices BR Gavai and JB Pardiwala asked Sibal, Is high court not empowered to deal with this issue under Article 226 of the Constitution. That power is wider. Sibal said that the problem involves two states and laws operating in Rajasthan as well. He referred to Section 12-A of the Rajasthan Bovine Animal (Prohibition of Slaughter and Regulation of Temporary Migration or Export) Act, 1995 which creates a bar on slaughter of bovine animals. What is happening is that persons are being caught in Rajasthan and brought to Haryana. This Court must protect individual liberties, he said. The petition said, Passing of the 2015 Act read with the Rajasthan Act of 1995 has made the entire Mewat region vulnerable as the non-state actors got legal sanctions to take law and order into their own hands and lynch and attack Muslims in the area in the name of cow protection. It further added, The 1995 Act and 2015 Act have institutionalised and weaponised the anti-Muslim violence and propaganda narrative in view of the arbitrary police powers to non-state actors and volunteers. The bench told Sibal that it was not inclined to entertain the petition. While parting with the petition, the bench added in the order, The petitioner is at liberty to avail of the remedy under Article 226 of the Constitution. The Supreme Court on Tuesday requested the Madras high court chief justice to pave the way for speedy disposal of a case over the legality of arrest and custodial interrogation of DMK minister V Senthil Balaji in connection with a money laundering case, hours after a two-judge bench in the high court delivered a split verdict in the matter. Supreme Court of India. (ANI Photo) A bench, headed by justice Surya Kant, took note of the fact that after the split verdict by the HC division bench, the habeas corpus petition filed by Balajis wife challenging her husbands arrest will have to go to a third judge for a decision by majority. Thus, the bench that also comprised justice Dipankar Datta, requested the chief justice of the high court to place the matter before the third judge at the earliest. We further request the assigned bench to decide the legal issues as mentioned as early as possible. It goes without saying that pendency of these petitions before this Court will have no bearing on the case before the high court, the bench said in its order. Balaji, who held the electricity, excise and prohibition portfolios, was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on June 14 for allegations that date back to 2014 when he was transport minister in the then AIADMK government. He had joined the DMK in 2018. On the day of his arrest, Balaji dramatically collapsed, and later underwent a beating heart coronary artery bypass surgery in a Chennai hospital on June 21 and has been hospitalised since. On Wednesday, his judicial custody was extended by a trial court until July 12 as the Madras high court was dealing with his wifes habeas corpus plea. Balaji has been at the centre of the latest row between Tamil Nadu governor RN Ravi and the DMK government led by Stalin. The face-off between the two intensified last week with the governor dismissing Balaji from the council of ministers a decision that Ravi sought to back down from hours later. Late on Thursday, the governor wrote to Stalin again, conveying that the decision to dismiss Balaji may be kept in abeyance until further communication since he is approaching the attorney general for a legal opinion following Union home minister Amit Shahs advice. To be sure, Stalin responded to Ravis letters on June 30, stating Ravis unconstitutional communication dismissing a minister without his advice is void ab initio and non-est in law. The top court is currently seized of two petitions moved by ED. The first petition is against the June 15 high court order that allowed the shifting of the minister from a city government hospital to a private facility of his choice after Balajis wife moved a habeas corpus petition, disputing the legality of his arrest. ED, in its plea before the Supreme Court, argued that challenge the ministers arrest was not maintainable after he was remanded to EDs custody by a trial court of competent jurisdiction. EDs second petition challenges the Chennai sessions court order of June 16, restricting EDs interrogation at the hospital after obtaining permission from the team of doctors treating Balaji. The federal agency has implored the top court to issue an order that the period of Balajis stay in hospital for should be excluded from the 15-day period of EDs custodial interrogation. Also Read:BJP distances itself from governor amid Balaji row On June 21, the Supreme Court had turned down EDs plea to pass an order at this stage regarding Balajis custodial interrogation, asking the agency to go back to the Madras HC where the habeas corpus petition was already pending. It had, however, agreed to keep the petitions pending in the top court for the time being. On Tuesday morning, a two-judge bench of the Madras HC delivered a split ruling with one judge declaring that the habeas corpus was maintainable and thus, ED was not entitled to custodial interrogation, while another dismissed the habeas corpus plea. In view of the difference of opinion, the matter was referred to the HC chief justice for placing it before a third judge. When the matter was taken up in the Supreme Court hours later, solicitor general Tushar Mehta, arguing for ED, apprised the bench of the split verdict, urging the Court to finally decide the matter by itself instead of waiting for a decision by the third judge. These are neat questions of law. First, whether a habeas corpus will lie after an order of remand. And second, whether the 15-day remand period can be excluded if an accused gets hospitalised. Rather than the matter going to a third single judge, decide it here, Mehta said. The S-Gs submissions were vociferously opposed by senior advocates Kapil Sibal and Mukul Rohatgi, who appeared for Balaji and his wife. How can this request be ever entertained that you bring it to the Supreme Court after bypassing the high court which it yet to decide? In what circumstances, this CVurt will now say bring it to this Court? Such a request cannot be entertained in law, Sibal contended. Responding, the bench said that it would rather request the HC chief justice to place the matter before a third judge at the earliest. And of course, we will say let it be decided at the earliest. Ultimately, its a question of law and we will decide it. But we will want to have the benefit of the views of the third judge too, added the bench, fixing the next hearing on July 24. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON New Delhi The Supreme Court on Tuesday requested the Madras high court chief justice to pave the way for the speedy disposal of a case surrounding the legality of arrest and custodial interrogation of state minister V Senthil Balaji of the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) in connection with a money laundering case, hours after a two-judge bench in the high court delivered a split verdict in the matter. DMK leader V Senthil Balaji, who held the electricity, excise and prohibition portfolios, was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate on June 14 (PTI) A bench, headed by justice Surya Kant, took note of the fact that after the split verdict by the high court division bench, the habeas corpus petition filed by Balajis wife challenging her husbands arrest will have to go to a third judge for a decision by majority. Thus, the bench that also comprised justice Dipankar Datta, requested the chief justice of the high court to place the matter before the third judge at the earliest. We further request the assigned bench to decide the legal issues as mentioned as early as possible. It goes without saying that pendency of these petitions before this Court will have no bearing on the case before the high court, the bench said in its order. Also Read: BJP distances itself from governor amid Balaji row Balaji, who held the electricity, excise and prohibition portfolios, was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on June 14 for allegations that date back to 2014 when he was transport minister in the then AIADMK government. He joined the DMK in 2018. On the day of his arrest, Balaji dramatically collapsed, and later underwent a beating heart coronary artery bypass surgery in a Chennai hospital on June 21 and has been hospitalised since. On Wednesday, his judicial custody was extended by a trial court until July 12. Balaji has been at the centre of the latest row between Tamil Nadu governor RN Ravi and the DMK government led by MK Stalin. The face-off between the two intensified last week with the governor dismissing Balaji from the council of ministers a decision that Ravi sought to back down from hours later. Late on Thursday, the governor wrote to Stalin again, conveying that the decision to dismiss Balaji may be kept in abeyance until further communication since he is approaching the attorney general for a legal opinion following Union home minister Amit Shahs advice. To be sure, Stalin responded to Ravis letters on June 30, stating Ravis unconstitutional communication dismissing a minister without his advice is void ab initio and non-est in law. The top court is currently seized of two petitions moved by ED. The first petition is against the June 15 high court order that allowed the shifting of the minister from a city government hospital to a private facility of his choice after Balajis wife moved a habeas corpus petition, disputing the legality of his arrest. ED, in its plea before the Supreme Court, argued that challenge the ministers arrest was not maintainable after he was remanded to EDs custody by a trial court of competent jurisdiction. EDs second petition challenges the Chennai sessions court order of June 16, restricting EDs interrogation at the hospital after obtaining permission from the team of doctors treating Balaji. The federal agency has implored the top court to issue an order that the period of Balajis stay in hospital for should be excluded from the 15-day period of EDs custodial interrogation. On June 21, the Supreme Court turned down EDs plea to pass an order at this stage regarding Balajis custodial interrogation, asking the agency to go back to the Madras HC where the habeas corpus petition was already pending. It had however agreed to keep the petitions pending in the top court for the time being. On Tuesday morning, a two-judge bench of the Madras high court delivered a split ruling with one judge declaring that the habeas corpus was maintainable and thus, ED was not entitled to custodial interrogation, while another dismissed the habeas corpus plea. In view of the difference of opinion, the matter was referred to the high court chief justice for placing it before a third judge. When the matter was taken up in the Supreme Court hours later, solicitor general (SG) Tushar Mehta, arguing for ED, apprised the bench of the split verdict, urging the Court to finally decide the matter by itself instead of waiting for a decision by the third judge. These are neat questions of law. First, whether a habeas corpus will lie after an order of remand. And second, whether the 15-day remand period can be excluded if an accused gets hospitalised. Rather than the matter going to a third single judge, decide it here, Mehta said. The SGs submissions were vociferously opposed by senior advocates Kapil Sibal and Mukul Rohatgi, who appeared for Balaji and his wife. How can this request be ever entertained that you bring it to the Supreme Court after bypassing the high court which it yet to decide? In what circumstances, this court will now say bring it to this Court? Such a request cannot be entertained in law, Sibal contended. Responding, the bench said that it would rather request the high court chief justice to place the matter before a third judge at the earliest. And of course, we will say let it be decided at the earliest. Ultimately, its a question of law and we will decide it. But we will want to have the benefit of the views of the third judge too, added the bench, fixing the next hearing on July 24. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON The Supreme Court must rein in the Enforcement Directorate given the drastic powers it has to throw people in jail, said senior advocate Harish Salve while arguing for the directors of reality firm M3M who were arrested for alleged money laundering charges last month. Senior advocate Harish Salve suggests the Supreme Court to rein in EDs powers to throw people in jail. (ANI) Appearing for the two brothers Basant Bansal and Pankaj Bansal of Gurugram-based M3M Group who are in ED custody, Salve referred to the brazen manner in which the ED officers called the brothers for questioning and at the end of it, served them summons. As the brothers refused to accept the summons and insisted on being served properly, the ED officials arrested them and accused them for willfully declining to accept summons. Noting the disturbing facts of the case, Salve said, When these things happen, we have to be careful. These are drastic powers given to ED and if this is not reined in, there are drastic consequences for citizens. Salve was appearing before a bench of justices AS Bopanna and MM Sundresh to defend his clients in a petition filed by Enforcement Directorate. The ED had approached the top court against an order passed by the Delhi high court on June 12 granting anticipatory bail to Pankaj Bansal and another. The ED had linked the two brothers with a corruption case against a former special judge in Haryana who was accused of favouring M3M group directors and another real estate firm IREO in the cases filed by ED and central bureau of investigation (CBI) before the judge. The special judg, Sudhir Parmar, was suspended on April 27. In a statement issued by ED after conducting raids at M3M premises on June 1, it was alleged that M3M group allegedly received about 400 crore from the IREO group through several shell companies in multiple layers. This money was siphoned off by the M3M group, the ED statement alleged. Salve pointed out that the FIR does not name Pankaj as it was against Roop Bansal, another director with the firm. These are very strong powers available to ED (under the prevention of money laundering act) that is being used to throw people in jail, Salve added. He was assisted by senior advocates Mukul Rohatgi and Maninder Singh. A three-judge bench of the Supreme Court had on July 27 last year upheld the draconian provisions of PMLA relating to powers of arrest, seizure, summoning of witnesses and stringent bail conditions. In August, the Supreme Court admitted a review petition against the same judgment. Later, a separate bench of the top court entertained petitions questioning validity of two specific provisions of PMLA Section 50 that relates to EDs power to summon witnesses and record evidence and Section 63 prescribing punishment for giving false statement to ED. These matters are expected to come up for hearing on July 18. Chennai: Tamil Nadu has risen to the top spot as the exporter of electronic goods for the 2022-2023 financial year nearly tripling in a year at $5.37 billion from $1.86 billion in the previous year. The data was released by the National Import-Export for Yearly Analysis of Trade (NIRYAT). Tamil Nadu is followed by other major states who are dominant in this sectorUttar Pradesh, Karnataka and Maharashtra. (PTI) Tamil Nadu has accounted for a share of 22.8 % of Indias exports valued at $ 23.57 billion. In the previous year, Tamil Nadu stood third contributing $ 1.864 billion or 11.98 % to Indias total export of $ 15.59 billion in the sector. The electronic goods exported include computer hardware, electrodes, consumer electronics and telecom instruments. The state is home to electronic majors such as Foxconn, Pegatron.Tamil Nadu is followed by other major states who are dominant in this sectorUttar Pradesh, Karnataka and Maharashtra. This achievement is a small example of our Dravidian Model Governance, said chief minister M K Stalin on Tuesday. We strive to position Tamil Nadu as the first portal of call for investors and make it the investment hub of South Asia. We will continue to explore opportunities and excel in them. The state nodal agency for investment promotion, Guidance Tamil Nadu attributed this achievement to factors such as being the mobile phone manufacturing hub of India, dedicated SEZs for the manufacture of electronic goods at Sriperumbudur-Oragadam clusters near Chennai and availability of a vast and skilled manpower. Tamil Nadu continues to pave the way for the electronic sectors growth. It is a testament to the States vibrant ecosystem that encourages businesses to invest, innovate, and create, the agency said. Hyderabad: Tension prevailed in Gajwel town of Telanganas Siddipet district on Monday night as two groups clashed after a Muslim man was assaulted for allegedly urinating near a statute of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj in an inebriated state, police said. Telangana man held for urinating near Shivaji Maharaj statue: Police The accused was allegedly paraded naked on the streets and thrashed by a group of men, suspected to be members of a Hindu right-wing outfit, on Monday night. The accused, a local Muslim man, has been arrested for desecrating the statue of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj and remanded to 14-day judicial custody, Gajwel assistant commissioner of police (ACP) M Ramesh told HT on Tuesday. We have booked a case under Section 295-A (hurting the religious sentiments and beliefs of other communities) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) against the accused, he said. The ACP added that two other people were also arrested in connection with the clashes that erupted between two groups following the incident. The two persons have also been remanded to judicial custody, Ramesh said. The situation is absolutely under control and peaceful. We have stepped up security in the area to prevent any further untoward incidents. The officer, however, did not divulge any details about the accused in both cases. Gajwel is the home constituency of chief minister and Bharat Rashtra Samithi president K Chandrashekar Rao. Following a call given by Hindu organisations, a shutdown was observed in Gajwel on Tuesday. It was only partial and there was no disruption to normal life, the ACP said. Meanwhile, videos of the incident purportedly showing a group of men parading the accused naked on the streets while raising slogans of Jai Shri Ram, Bharat Mata Ki Jai, and Chatrapati Shivaji Ki Jai, were widely circulated on social media. The videos purportedly showed the protesters force the accused clean the area in front of the statue where he had allegedly urinated. HT could not independently verify the veracity of the videos. As the videos went viral, members of the Muslim community from nearby areas gathered at the spot and protested against the attack on the accused. This led to a clash between Hindu and Muslim groups in which stones were pelted, leading to injuries to one person, an officer said. However, the police quickly intervened and brought the situation under control. Siddipet police commissioner N Swetha, who rushed to the spot along with senior officials, spoke to both the warring groups. We shall take stringent action against those who were behind the incident and also those who were involved in the clashes, she said. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON ABOUT THE AUTHOR Srinivasa Rao Apparasu Srinivasa Rao is Senior Assistant Editor based out of Hyderabad covering developments in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana . He has over three decades of reporting experience. ...view detail Srinivasa Rao Apparasu/Hyderabad The ACP also said two other people were also arrested in connection with the clashes that erupted between two groups following the incident (HT Archives) Tension prevailed in Gajwel town of Telanganas Siddipet district on Monday night, when a group of right-wing activists thrashed and paraded him half-naked on the streets for allegedly urinating near the statue of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj under the influence of alcohol. Gajwel Assistant Commissioner of Police M Ramesh told Hindustan Times on Tuesday that the man, identified as a local Muslim, had been arrested for desecrating the statue of Shivaji and remanded to 14-day judicial custody. We have booked a case under Section 295-A (hurting the religious sentiments and beliefs of other communities), he said. The ACP also said two other people were also arrested in connection with the clashes that erupted between two groups following the incident. Cases were booked against the two persons under similar sections and they, too, were remanded to judicial custody. The situation is absolutely under control and peaceful. We have stepped up security in the area to prevent any further untoward incidents, Ramesh said. Gajwel is the home constituency of Bharat Rashtra Samithi president and chief minister K Chandrasekhar Rao. Following a call given by the Hindu organisations, a shutdown was observed in Gajwel town on Tuesday. It was only partial and there was no disruption to normal life, the ACP said. Videos of some activists of Hindu outfits parading the man half-naked on the streets while raising slogans Jai Shri Ram, Bharat Mata ki Jai, and Chatrapati Shivaji ki jai, went viral on social media. The protestors made the man clean the area in front of the Shivaji statue where he had allegedly urinated. Majlis-Bachao-Tehreek convenor Mohd Amanullah Khan, who posted the video clips on Twitter, alleged that the man was paraded naked, forced to chant Jai Shree Ram and lick the footpath full of urine. All this happened in @TelanganaCMO Constituency and @gajwel_ps was a mute spectator, Req @TelanganaDGP & @siddipetcp to inquire into this incident ensure fool proof security to Muslim .., he tweeted and demanded strict action against anti-social elements for taking law into their own hands. As the visuals went viral, Muslims from the surrounding areas gathered at the spot and protested against the attack on the accused. This led to stone pelting between the two groups leading to injuries to one person. But the police quickly intervened and brought the situation under control. Siddipet police commissioner N Swetha, who rushed to the spot along with senior officials, spoke to both the warring groups. We shall take stringent action against those who were behind the incident and also those who were involved in the clashes, she said. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON The implementation of a Uniform Civil Code (UCC) should not be delayed any further as it will strengthen India and bind the country together, vice-president Jagdeep Dhankar said on Tuesday, at a time the Bharaitya Janata Party (BJP) is pushing the controversial issue across the country. Vice President Jagdeep Dhankar said the situation has come to implement this and I have no doubt about it (PTI) Speaking at the 25th convocation ceremony of the Indian institute of Technology, Guwahati, the V-P also said that he is shocked to see some people opposing the implementation of UCC. I am stunned to see the reaction of some people when there is a thought that something should be done on Article 44, that is uniform civil code, in the country, Dhankar said. The situation has come to implement this and I have no doubt about it. While drafting the Constitution, BR Ambedkar framed the directive principles of state policy, which later resulted in many laws such as those related to the right to education and panchayati raj, he argued. The underlying sublimity of implementation of UCC should be understood. Itll bind Bharat and its nationalism more effectively, the vice-president said. Itll be corrosive if it is delayed further. Commenting on Dhankhars remarks, P Sreedharana, a former secretary general of the Lok Sabha, said: There is already a debate in the country over UCC. This is not the first time the vice-president is commenting on a raging issue. One way of looking at it is that he has also given his opinion on an ongoing issue. But in any case, it has to come to Parliament and finally Parliament will decide the fate of the UCC. Indias stature is growing in the world, Dhankar said. We all have seen how Prime Minister Narendra Modi is getting reception in the US, he said. Wherever you go after completing the studies, youll be valued more now. India is home to a sixth of the global population and it makes the country a leader in human resources, he said. India is also ahead of developed nations such as the US, UK and France in digital transactions, he added. In 2022, the quantum of digital transections was 1.5 trillion globally and, of that, 46% was done by Indians. Technology will make India the most powerful country by 2047 and these students will contribute most in this, he said. Foreign companies are coming to India because it has a big market, but they should not be allowed to interfere with the countrys reputation, the vice-president said. We must nurture economic nationalism. Our human resource are impacting the global markets and big agencies are coming here. They should be allowed to come, but not at the cost our countrys reputation, Dhankar added. The vice-president was accompanied by Assam governor Gulab Chand Kataria and chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma. Dhankar praised Sarma for transforming Assam into one of the fastest-developing states in the country. This man is unique, he said. He has Assam in his mind 24 hours and his visions are reflecting through his work. The first three decades of last century created momentum for Indias Independence and the first three decades of this century will see India moving towards becoming a global power, Sarma said at the convocation. Uniform Civil Code (UCC) will be implemented in Uttarakhand soon but not in a haste, chief minister Pushkar Singh Dhami said on Tuesday after meeting Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Delhi. We have not got the UCC draft committees complete report. When the report will be submitted, then it would be possible to comment on this, said Pushkar Singh Dhami (ANI) We will bring it (UCC) soon, we will not delay it, nor will we do anything in haste, Dhami told reporters in Delhi. We dont want anything to go wrong. Work is being done with due diligence on the matter. Asked if the tribal communities will be exempted from UCC, Dhami said, We have not got the UCC draft committees complete report. When the report will be submitted, then it would be possible to comment on this. The chief minister, who also met Union home minister Amit Shah on Monday late evening, denied having discussion on UCC with the two top leaders. He said he discussed various matters, including assistance for the people affected in Joshimath and the preparedness for natural disasters in view of the arrival of the monsoon season. He added that he also apprised them of the law-and-order situation in the state, Kanwar yatra and Char Dham Yatra. The Prime Minister has assured of cooperation for rehabilitation package to affected people in Joshimath, Dhami said. I informed the Prime Minister about the Char Dham Yatra that has already seen over 34 lakh (3.4 million) pilgrims, which is a record compared to previous years, he said. I also apprised the Prime Minister about the progress of Kedarnath reconstruction and development works and informed him about the Kanwar yatra, which has started today with people from across the country coming to Haridwar. The chief minister said he also informed Modi about the GST collection in Uttarakhand increasing by 23%. UCC refers to a common set of laws that will subsume customary laws across faiths and tribes and govern issues such as marriage, divorce, inheritance and maintenance. In the Constitution, it is a part of the non-justiciable directive principles of state policy. In a 2018 consultation paper, the law commission said UCC was neither necessary nor desirable at this stage. Earlier this month, the law commission again sought views and suggestions on UCC from the public and recognised religious organisations. Moreover, some states such as Uttarakhand have set up panels to explore implementation of UCC. The issue got a fresh fillip on June 27, when Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke to BJP booth workers and made a strong case for UCC. These days, people are being provoked by the UCC. You tell me, if there is one law for one person in a home, and another law for another person, can that house function? Modi asked. As the crowd roared in denial, Modi said, Then how can a country work with such a hypocritical system? We have to remember that even the Constitution of India talks of common rights. On June 30, the five-member UCC draft committee, constituted by the state government on May 27 last year, announced that a draft report has been completed and the same will be submitted to the state government soon. It is going to strengthen the secular fabric of the country and will be good for everyone, UCC panel chairperson Justice (retd) Ranjana Prakash Desai said. The committee received 230,000 suggestions, met 63 times, while its sub-committee met over 140 times and interacted with over 20,000 people, the former Supreme Court judge added. An official familiar with developments in the UCC panel, requesting anonymity, said the draft, with focus on women, will incorporate suggestions including a ban on polygamy/polyandry. It will also include recommendations such as uniform child adoption laws, increasing the minimum age of marriage for women from 18 to 21 years, equal share in parental property for Muslim women, mandatory registration of live-in relationships, reverse inheritance provisions to help parents get share in the property/earnings of their daughter-in-law, given the fact that many soldiers from the state get martyred during duty, the official added. New initiatives to bolster economic connectivity and trade and the inclusion of Iran as a new member state are expected to be among the outcomes of the virtual Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summit being hosted by India on Tuesday. India is chairing the SCO for the first time since it became a full member of the grouping, along with Pakistan, in 2017. (AFP Photo) Chinese President Xi Jinping, Russian President Vladimir Putin and Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif will be among the leaders hosted by Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the summit, which was originally expected to be held in-person. India is chairing the SCO for the first time since it became a full member of the grouping, along with Pakistan, in 2017. Also Read: SCO Summit in India today: Xi Jinping, Vladimir Putin to attend; security, connectivity, trade in focus This will be the first multilateral meeting joined by Putin since a brief rebellion by the Wagner mercenary group on June 24. Besides Iran joining as a full member of the SCO during Tuesdays summit, Belarus is set to sign a memorandum of obligations to become a member state, with the process expected to be completed in 2024. The summit is set to begin with the prime ministers remarks at 12:30pm and this will be followed by statements by other leaders and deliberations. The meeting is set to conclude by 2:45pm. Regional security, especially the situation in Afghanistan and ways to counter radicalism and extremism, and the Ukraine crisis and its fallout on the Global South are expected to figure in deliberations at the summit, people familiar with the matter said. Besides the SCO Summit declaration or the New Delhi Declaration, the Indian side has proposed four thematic joint statements on cooperation in deradicalisation strategies, digital transformation, sustainable lifestyles to address climate change and promotion of millets for adoption during the summit. While India has signed on for the SCOs initiatives to enhance economic connectivity and trade, it has kept away from any measures that endorse Chinas Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). The people said this stance will continue at Tuesdays summit. Initial reports had suggested the summit would be held in-person, though the leaders of China and Pakistan did not provide formal confirmation about their attendance till last month, affecting the planning for the meeting. The Indian side has not formally offered any reason for holding the summit virtually. The summit is being held against the backdrop of Indias strained relations with both China and Pakistan. A military standoff between India and China on the Line of Actual Control (LAC) for the past three years has taken bilateral relations to their lowest point in the last six decades, while ties between New Delhi and Islamabad have hit rock bottom over the issue of terrorism. The summit is expected to discuss the regional security situation, the Ukraine crisis and bolstering cooperation between SCO states, especially ways to strengthen economic connectivity, the people said. In this context, India has taken a number of steps to enhance connectivity and trade with Central Asian states in recent years. The theme for Indias presidency of SCO is SECURE or security, economic development, connectivity, unity, respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity, and environmental protection. India also created five pillars and focus areas of cooperation under SCO start-ups and innovation, digital inclusion, empowering youth, traditional medicine, and shared Buddhist heritage. New initiatives in these sectors are expected to figure in the joint declaration and other documents to be issued at the conclusion of the summit, the people said. The SCO, created in 2001, currently comprises India, China, Russia, Pakistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. Indias association with the grouping began as an observer in 2005. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Nefertiti appears to gaze into the distance, proud and aloof. Not much is known about the woman who lived in ancient Egypt around 3,500 years ago. Her name means "the beautiful one has come forth." But was she tall or short, was she stern, generous, or haughty? All her personal qualities have been lost to history. There are no reports from her contemporaries, no papyrus with stories from her life. Only a few ancient reliefs and inscriptions give scant details about the mysterious Nefertiti. Nefertiti is considered to be one of the most powerful women in antiquity and one of the most beautiful. What is known is that at a young age, presumably between the ages of 12 and 15, she became the wife of Amenhotep IV. He was given the epithet of "heretic pharaoh" because he abolished polytheism and subsequently worshiped only Aten, the god of light, depicted as a radiant sun disk. He also changed his name, from Amenhotep to Akhenaten ("he who serves Aten"), while Nefertiti became Neferneferuaten ("beautiful is the beauty of Aten"). She bore the title of Great Royal Wife and stood on equal footing with her husband, according to Olivia Zorn, deputy director of the Egyptian Museum Berlin, which is part of the Neues Museum. "They formed a triad, a trinity, with the god Aten. Aten, Akhenaten and Nefertiti were virtually a government unit," she told DW. A new city for the god Aten Around 1350 BC, the royal couple left the capital Thebes and within a short time built the city of Akhetaten ("horizon of Aten"), with a population of 50,000, as the new royal residence. The location was a valley protected by steep cliffs, the plain of Amarna. Akhenaten also had a temple dedicated to his god built in record time, the Gem-pa-Aten ("Aten is found"). But by decreeing monotheism, the ruling couple made powerful enemies. Thousands of priests were unemployed. Akhenaten died in the 17th year of his reign. No one knows for sure what happened to Nefertiti then. According to one theory, she may have ruled for a time after her husband's death under the name Smenkhkare. "But she may well have died before him," said Olivia Zorn. 'Most vivid Egyptian artwork' The historical record is more detailed with the next pharaonic dynasty, under the legendary Tutankhamun. He and his advisors resurrected the old gods and had Akhenaten's structures honouring Aten torn down to their foundations and used as quarries. The new capital Akhetaten also crumbled. We may never have heard of Nefertiti at all if the German architect and Egyptologist Ludwig Borchardt hadn't travelled to Egypt in the early 20th century, on the trail of the legendary city of Amarna. He had been commissioned by Kaiser Wilhelm II to acquire items for the royal museums in Berlin. On December 6, 1912, he and his excavation team came across the workshop of a sculptor, who may have worked for the royal court in the year 1300 BC. There were numerous busts under the mounds of rubble, including one with a dark blue cap crown. The figure's earlobes were pierced, the eyes rimmed with kohl. The iris was missing from the left eye, but otherwise the bust was completely preserved. Borchardt was thrilled: "We held the most vivid Egyptian artwork in our hands," he noted. "Life-sized painted bust of the queen, 47 cm high. Work quite outstanding. No use describing, must be seen." Nefertiti's cap crown was a common headdress in ancient Egypt, as were voluminous wigs. The queen's head was most likely shaved that would have made it easier to wear heavy headdresses, as well as preventing infestations by lice. Did she also use makeup to enhance her beauty? "Makeup like we have today didn't exist back then," says Zorn. "But people made up their eyes, decorated them with that pretty eyeliner. It also had an antiseptic effect, warding away bacteria that could get into the eyes and lead to blindness." Exchanged antiquities: Nefertiti for an altarpiece With the financial support of the German Oriental Society, which funded his Egypt expedition, Borchardt took the bust of Nefertiti to Berlin. According to the regulations of the time, all ancient finds were divided equally between Egypt and the country that carried out the excavations. Borchardt represented the German Empire. Gaston Maspero, director of the antiquities service under French guardianship, commissioned his colleague Gustave Lefebvre with arranging the division of the find. One part contained, among other things, the bust of Nefertiti, the second an altarpiece showing the royal couple Akhenaten and Nefertiti with three of their children. Because the Egyptian Museum in Cairo did not yet own an altarpiece, it was decided they would not take the bust. Later, Borchardt was accused of presenting the bust under less-than-ideal conditions, so Lefebvre would not recognize its true value. Nefertiti conforms to modern beauty standards So the Egyptian beauty went on a journey to Berlin, where she was first presented to the public in 1924, triggering a veritable Nefertiti craze. Images of the bust were splashed on magazine covers and used in advertising campaigns for cosmetics, perfume and jewellery, as well as beer, coffee, and cigarettes. Having lain lost in the desert sands for millennia, the bust of Nefertiti became an admired idol as the real person it was based on presumably was during her lifetime. "Back in the early 20th century, she already fit today's modern ideal of beauty, with her high cheekbones and delicate features, said Zorn. But she added that "we of course can't say precisely whether that was also the beauty ideal some 3,500 years ago. The secrets of the bust of Nefertiti The colourful bust is not the only image of Nefertiti that was found. Ancient reliefs show her hand in hand with Akhenaten during religious ceremonies, or as a devoted mother to her six daughters. And there are other statues: "All of them corresponded to the subjective idea of the artist; that is, to what he found beautiful. Or he created what he was told to do by the king or by high officials. But does that really show the real Nefertiti?" The bust is made of a limestone core, upon which the sculptor applied stucco to model Nefertiti's features. A computed tomography (CT) scan in 2006 revealed a wrinkled face carved into the limestone. Zorn says, "The artist applied a thin layer of stucco over that, which functioned the way foundation makeup does, and smoothed out the surface." Nefertiti most likely did have both eyes, but Zorn has a theory about why the famous bust only has one: "It's simply a model. It was used by the artist as a template for other statues of the queen. That one iris insert was probably used to try out different materials," she explains. The challenge of creating an authentic nose To get a more accurate reconstruction of Nefertiti's actual face, one would need her mummy. "But so far, Nefertiti's mummy has not been clearly identified, although there have often been attempts," said Zorn. And even if her mummy were to one day be conclusively identified, there would still be inaccuracies. "Mummies are naturally caved in. There are only the bones and the skin, and the difficult part of a facial reconstruction is usually the nose." Of course, there are scientists who could say exactly how much flesh had been under the skin. "But I think that with what's available to us today, it's not possible to definitively reconstruct a nose. However, you could surely make a Nefertiti out of any mummy, especially since it's likely you'd be influenced by the image of the famous bust when working." That, she adds, would no longer be an objective reconstruction. Today, some 3,500 years after her death, its impossible to say exactly how she looked. And thanks to the bust, she remains a remarkable beauty in people's minds. To whom does the bust belong? Egypt would like to have the country's famous ambassador back, but Berlin sees no reason to return it. "There are absolutely no restitution claims. The legal situation is clear," said the deputy director of the Egyptian Museum after all, the bust was awarded to the German Egyptologist Ludwig Borchardt by contract 100 years ago. But seen from today's perspective, the question arises as to whether Egypt had any say in the matter at all, since the country was under British colonial rule and the antiquities authority was under French management. Olivia Zorn quickly has a counterargument for keeping it: "The bust is not suitable for travel, if only for conservation reasons. If we send it on a journey, we run the risk that it will not arrive intact. And I don't think anyone wants that." So Nefertiti will most likely continue to hold court in Berlin for the time being. The ground is wet. Dark slush makes the route more slippery than ice. Misshapen rocks and boulders seem to be the only protection from fierce curves and deadly troughs. Just then, a sturdy vehicle emerges around a hairpin bend, its massive tyres making short work of the path. Despite the odds, a pair of helmeted drivers confidently make their way through this dangerous, undriveable route. The Rainforest Challenge organised during Goas monsoon, is the official India chapter of one of the toughest motorsport events in the world. The annual Ultimate Desert Challenge in Bikaner is one of the most popular off-roading challenges, drawing over 100 participants. Off-roading is basically trekking with your vehicles, says Chennai-based Arkaprava Datta, co-founder of off-roading group Terra Tigers and organiser of Indias oldest off-roading competition, the 17-year-old Palar Challenge. Its a mix of adventure and motorsports, he adds. Biker Kongkon Talukdar from Guwahati prefers tough mountain trails with his Kawasaki Z900. Participants spend months preparing themselves and their vehicles for the week-long event in July. People go out of their way to help and support each other, says Gupta. Friendships of a lifetime are forged, and people wait eagerly to spend time with each other and exchange notes on off-roading and more when they converge in Goa. At Palar Challenge, Indias oldest off-roading competition, 30-40 vehicles navigate their way through seven routes to show their skill, dexterity and mental acuity every monsoon. Gurugram-based Arvind Balan, the director of Maxperience, a boutique motorsports marketing agency, and founder of UDC, puts this down to the ease of participation. All one needs is a 4x4 stock vehicle straight out of the showroom, instead of the souped-up fripperies that are necessary to qualify for other challenges. You dont need to modify your vehicle. This puts the complete focus on the drivers ability and skill set and makes it cheaper to participate, he explains. Actor Sonam Kapoor attended the Christian Dior Autumn-Winter 2023-24 collection during the Paris Haute Couture show in Paris. Sonam took to Instagram to share pictures of her glam goddess look for the occasion, dressed in a beige trench coat and a matching midi dress styled with striking accessories. Sonam's photos garnered love from her fans, including her husband, Anand Ahuja. Scroll through to see her pictures and find what Anand commented. Sonam Kapoor brings glam goddess energy to Dior's Paris Haute Couture show. (Instagram) Sonam Kapoor's glam goddess avatar for Dior's Paris Haute Couture show Maria Grazia Chiuri unveiled Dior's latest Fall/Winter couture collection during the Paris Haute Couture show at the Musee Rodin. Many celebrities, including Natalie Portman and Rosamund Pike, were part of the fashion extravaganza. Sonam Kapoor graced the event in a beige ensemble and shared pictures of her look on Instagram. She captioned her post, "What a stunning show @mariagraziachiuri thank you for inviting me @dior." Sonam's sister, Rhea Kapoor, styled the star for the occasion. Check out her photos below. Anand Ahuja and Sonam's fans react to the glamorous look Sonam's pictures got much love from her fans on social media. Anand Ahuja was left speechless by the glamorous look and dropped face exhaling, heart eye and heart emojis under the post. Karisma Kapoor dropped a heart emoji. A fan commented, "Global Fashion Icon." Another wrote, "This look is perfection." A user remarked, "Fashion Queen." Another wrote. "OG fashion queen! Show them how to slay girl." Sonam Kapoor's Dior look decoded Sonam Kapoor's Dior outfit for the Dior shows features a beige-coloured midi dress styled with a matching trench coat. The dress has noodle straps, a layered design on the torso, a pin-up design on the waist, cinched waist, and a midi-length flowy skirt. She styled it with a matching coat featuring notch lapel collars, a front opening with contrast black button closures, and full-length sleeves. Sonam styled the ensemble with a black hat embroidered with lace, a Dior top handle bag, and heeled loafers. She chose striking gold jewellery, including statement rings, a watch, ear cuffs, and earrings from Dior and Repossi. Lastly, open locks, bold smoky eye shadow, glossy mauve lip shade, kohl-lined eyes, mascara on the lashes, darkened brows, rouged cheekbones, and a light contoured dewy base completed the glam picks. The Supreme Court (SC) is set to take up the Delhi governments petition against an ordinance promulgated by the Centre last month, giving authority over services to the Lieutenant-Governor (LG), making the elected legislature and government virtually toothless, and upsetting the hierarchical structure that is the hallmark of democratic governance everywhere. The ordinance came weeks after the SCs Constitution Bench judgment upheld the primacy of the elected government in service matters, except in police, public order and land. But interpretation of a purported loophole in paragraph 95 of the verdict gave room to the Centre to overturn the judgment by bringing in the ordinance, making the LG and the bureaucracy prime arbiters in Delhi. PREMIUM In an ideal democratic governance structure, the ministers and the civil servants must work hand in hand Services, item 41 in List II of the Seventh Schedule, was brought under the jurisdiction of the LG, in addition to the powers he already held over public order, police and land by virtue of Article 233 AA (3) of the Constitution. This change was done by using Article 233 AA (7) of the Constitution, which, in the Centres view, empowered Parliament to make provisions to effect or supplement the clauses contained in the article, without resorting to the elaborate process of amending the Constitution. I am no lawyer and hence cannot express any definitive view on the legal accuracy of this interpretation. However, as a common citizen with considerable experience in dealing with the law and lawyers, I believe that any judgment should be read in its entirety. Paragraph 95 of the judgment does say that in the absence of law and provision of the Constitution, the executive power of the LG would extend only to the aforementioned three areas. Whether this is an invitation to the Centre to pass an ordinance extending the powers of the LG to other powers will surely be hotly contested before SC. To me, the dilution of the power of the State, in this case, would lead to the inescapable conclusion that it is possible to take away more powers indeed, even all powers under List II without going through the process of amendment of the Constitution. The apex court appears to have a different view on the role of the state government. In paragraph 63 of the judgment, SC says categorically, The members of the legislative assembly have been chosen by the electorate to act in their stead. Thus, the legislative competence of the NCTD must be interpreted to give full impetus to the will of the electorate. Paragraph 106 says that civil service officers are accountable to ministers, ministers in turn to Parliament or the legislative assembly, and the legislators are answerable to the people. Paragraph 111 goes still further: Therefore, the ideal conclusion would be that GNCTD ought to have control over services, subject to exclusion of subjects which are out of its legislative domain. If services are excluded from its legislative and executive domain, the ministers and the executive who are charged with formulating policies in the territory of NCTD would be excluded from controlling the civil service officers who implement such executive decisions. This is very much in line with the Government of India (Allocation of Business) Rules, 1961, where the authority for the disposal of business is vested in the minister-in-charge. As the SC pointed out in its judgment, there is a triple chain of command in a Westminster-style parliamentary democracy, and if this becomes fuzzy, the consequences will be felt by the people of Delhi, who have elected a government with certain expectations. As Vallabhbhai Patel said many years ago, A civil servant cannot afford to, and must not, take part in politics. Nor must he involve himself in communal wrangles. In this case, it appears to me that they are being dragged into a political wrangle between the Centre and the LG on one side and the elected state government on the other. This will inevitably lead to inaction and policy paralysis. In an ideal democratic governance structure, the ministers and the civil servants must work hand in hand. There should be mutual respect and team spirit, not an us-versus-them approach. It is very much the duty of a responsible chief minister to create an atmosphere of trust and goodwill and prevent conflict between ministers and civil servants. It is the role of the governor to support and encourage good practices. It is not his role to engage in conflict with an elected government just because the people chose to elect to power a political party other than the one that has appointed him. I am dismayed to see some governors flexing their muscles in select states at every turn. Throughout my career, I have respected the impartial and benign role that governors have played in government. The events in Delhi must also be seen in the larger perspective of federalism. Over the years, there has been a creeping attempt to dilute the power of the states and to expand that of the central government. Allocation of resources to the states has been progressively squeezed, and the room given to them to decide and implement their own schemes is increasingly reduced, while the Centres revenue sources and scope to spend have correspondingly increased. In a diverse society as in India, state governments, even local governments, are in a better position to devise and implement schemes in tune with the specific needs of each area. What Uttar Pradesh needs may not be what Kerala wants. Even the concept of a so-called double-engine government is essentially a message to the people that they either vote a particular way or stand to lose in comparison with states that choose to vote wisely. Accordingly, the Delhi conundrum is multi-faceted, and the earlier the SC clarifies its position, the better it is for the country. KM Chandrasekhar is former cabinet secretary and author of As Good as My Word: A Memoir. The views expressed are personal Would you eat a pizza with pineapple on it? It is a question that has often been asked. And almost always, the answer you get is: Of course not. Or even: That sounds disgusting? The Taste With Vir: To love or not to love pineapple pizza(Pexels) And yet, not everyone is telling the truth. Because pizza with pineapple keeps turning up on menus. So obviously, it is a popular dish that people do order. Sometimes it is even called Hawaiian pizza as though Hawaii is a small Italian town a few miles away from Naples. Speaking for myself, I would rather go hungry than eat a pineapple-topped pizza. And despite its popularity around the world, it is not a pizza you will find at many pizzerias in Italy. There is a reason for that: Pineapple is not an Italian topping. As far as we can tell, the pineapple pizza was invented by an expatriate Greek in Canada in the 1960s. As almost no dish invented in Canada even makes it out of Quebec or Ontario, the pineapple pizza may be the most famous Canadian dish of the second half of the 20th century . I am being serious here. Have you ever heard of that great Montreal delicacy: Poutine? Probably not. Even the maple sauce that we think is Canadian is usually just a sugar syrup invented by American multinationals. It has very little to do with Canada. (You can get real maple syrup from Canada, but it is expensive and thus served much less). So why does pineapple pizza divide people so much? Well, partly it is because we think of pizza as a savoury dish and are horrified by the idea of putting anything sweet on it. Certainly, thats how Indians look at it. We say we dont like sugar in anything except for dessert and believe that sweet pineapple just does not belong on a savoury dish. In reality, it is not that simple. Though North Indians will diss Gujarati food for being too sweet (it shouldnt be: If it is well-made it should merge sweet and sour flavours to create a complex taste), they ignore the fact that they often like a sweet and savoury combination themselves. Chaat should be savoury but it relies on sweetish chutneys (made from tamarind, dates etc.) to provide a counterpart to the teekha flavours. No North Indian I have met has ever complained about the sweetness of those chutneys. But the claim that sweet and savoury must not mix will continue to be advanced --- even when the people doing the complaining are settling down to a pulao studded with kishmish. Other cuisines are more appreciative of the role that sweetness can play in serving as a contrast to savoury flavours. We think of Thai food as being hot but nearly every Thai curry contains sugar. And at restaurants in Thailand, they wont put salt and pepper on the table. Instead, they will place chilli powder, nam pla and you guessed it! sugar. Thai chefs say that the chilli needs to be balanced out with sweetness. The final dish will work better because of the contrast. In most western cuisines, many meats are traditionally paired with sweet flavours. The classic sauce for duck is made with oranges. Pork goes with sweet and fruity accompaniments, say prunes or apples. Foie gras needs something sweet to set it off. In Italy, cheese is served with mostarda, a sweetish condiment made from fruit and mustard. In the South of the United States, it is not uncommon to ladle maple syrup over your bacon and eggs. (Its horrible: Dont try it.) Even the Brits like adding sweet flavours to (sort of) spicy dishes. Their version of curry has sultanas. When they serve a gammon (a salt cured hind leg of pork which tastes a lot like ham) they often add a slice of tinned pineapple. (Yeah well, they are Brits). As we all know, the Japanese will use all kinds of sweet sauces with fish and meat, among them yuzu sauce which is made from lemons and oranges. Tempura is usually served with tentsuyu, a sweetish sauce that includes a sugary rice wine called mirin or even, sugar. Most cuisines, except ours of course, consider the ability to mix sweet and savoury flavours as a measure of culinary sophistication. The Thais even have a sweet chilli sauce which can be really hot. But the heat is backed by a sugary background. Which brings us back to pineapple pizza. Just as it has nothing to do with Italy, it has nothing to do with Hawaii either though it is routinely described as Hawaiian pizza on menus outside Italy. It turns out that the guy who invented it named it after the brand name on the can of pineapple he was using. But it is definitively Canadian - Justin Trudeau has officially claimed it for his nation. (Not that there was much competition for trying to own it, I would imagine). But I dont think that matters. Pizza is now so international that new toppings are being invented every day. The Greek-Canadian who invented Hawaiian pizza says he was inspired by his previous experiences of cooking Chinese food where sweet flavours are often matched with savoury. So, I guess that makes it a truly international pizza. Whether you like Hawaiian pizza or not is entirely up to you. Dont be put off by the sweetness or the fruit flavours. As we have seen, the whole world (except perhaps us) likes to mix sweet and savoury. You should try it and make up your own mind. Every palate has its own preferences. (Okay. So, I tried it again while writing this column. It is truly disgusting . But thats just me!) SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Adult website Pornhub has now blocked users in United States' Virginia and Mississippi from visiting its website over the state laws requiring them to verify their age. In a statement on Twitter, the company said,"A number of states including Virginia and Mississippi effective July 1, are requiring mandatory age verification of users, but they are not regulating the enforcement of these laws. So that means adult platforms can choose whether or not to comply. Responsible platforms will follow the law, irresponsible platforms won't". Citing the law which was introduced in Louisiana, Pornhub said its traffic in the state dropped by 80 per cent after it decided to comply with it. These people did not stop looking for porn. They just migrated to other corners of the internet that don't ask users to verify their age, that don't follow the law, that don't take user safety seriously, and that often don't even moderate content, the company statement added. Like Utah, Pornhub said it had taken the difficult decision to fully block the site in Virginia and Mississippi. Pornhub said its traffic in the state dropped by 80 per cent after it decided to comply with laws in Louisiana. (Unsplash) A recent national poll conducted by ABC News/Ipsos has revealed the American public's opinions on several key Supreme Court rulings. U.S. President Joe Biden speaks about his plans for continued student debt relief after a U.S. Supreme Court decision blocking his plan to cancel $430 billion in student loan debt, at the White House in Washington, U.S. June 30, 2023. REUTERS/Leah Millis(REUTERS) The survey found that slightly more Americans approve than disapprove of the court's decisions regarding federal student debt cancellation and First Amendment rights for a web designer. But, the country appears to be more divided on the court's ruling regarding affirmative action in college admissions. Regarding President Biden's attempt to forgive an estimated $430 billion in federally held student debt, the poll found that 45% of Americans approve of the Supreme Court's decision to strike down the attempt, while 40% disapprove. The remaining 14% responded that they didn't know. Party affiliations played a significant role in the responses, with 71% of Republicans and only 17% of Democrats approving of the court's ruling. In another case involving First Amendment rights, the court ruled in favor of web designer Lorie Smith, stating that the Colorado government could not compel her to create websites celebrating same-sex couples. The survey revealed that 43% of Americans approved of the decision, 42% disapproved, and 14% were unsure. Similar to the student loan case, the responses were largely split along party lines, with 68% of Republicans and 15% of Democrats supporting the court's ruling. The court's decision on affirmative action in college admissions received majority approval, with 52% of Americans backing the ruling, 32% disapproving, and 16% unsure. The responses varied among different racial and ethnic groups, with 60% of white Americans and 58% of Asian Americans supporting the decision. A demonstrator protests outside the U.S. Supreme Court as the court made their final rulings of their session on the issues of student loan forgiveness and LGBTQ rights in Washington, U.S. June 30, 2023. REUTERS/Jim Bourg(REUTERS) On the other hand, a majority of black Americans (52%) disagreed with the ruling, while Hispanic and Latino respondents were evenly split, with 40% approving and 40% disapproving. The poll also found that a majority of Americans (53%) believe that Supreme Court justices make decisions based on partisan political considerations rather than the basis of law (33%). Notably, 14% of respondents did not have an opinion on the matter. The Supreme Court's rulings in these cases were delivered by the conservative justices, including Chief Justice John Roberts and Justices Neil Gorsuch, Brett Kavanaugh, Amy Coney Barrett, Samuel Alito, and Clarence Thomas. They held that the Colorado Civil Rights Commission could not force Lorie Smith, an evangelical Christian, to promote same-sex marriage through her web design company. ALSO READ| Do Prince Harry and Meghan Markle not have anyone to defend them anymore? Royal expert comments The conservative justices ruled that the president did not have the authority to forgive student loans without congressional approval, invalidating President Biden's attempt to utilize a 2003 law intended for veterans' benefits during a national emergency. The court's liberal bloc, consisting of Justices Elena Kagan, Sonia Sotomayor, and Ketanji Brown Jackson, dissented in both cases. The ABC News/Ipsos poll surveyed 937 US adults, with a margin of error of plus or minus 3.6 percentage points. President Joe Biden recently experienced a decline in his approval rating, falling below 40 percent for the first time since August 2022, as indicated by data from elections analytics website FiveThirtyEight. With only 39.9 percent of American voters expressing their approval and 54.9 percent displaying disapproval, Biden's net approval rate plummeted to a concerning minus 15. FILE - President Joe Biden speaks during a news conference on the final day of the NATO summit in Madrid, Thursday, June 30, 2022. (AP) This development raises questions about Biden's future political endeavors, particularly his intention to seek a second term in 2024. While early polls suggested a strong lead for Biden among other Democratic contenders, there is a possibility of a rematch with former President Donald Trump, who has been gaining momentum and enjoying a significant advantage over Florida Governor Ron DeSantis. Approval woes: Biden's ratings plummet to new lows FiveThirtyEight's data highlights a concerning trend for Biden, with his approval rating hitting a new low on Saturday, the lowest recorded since August 9, 2022. Additionally, he faced the lowest approval rating of his presidency just last month, with a disheartening 37.4 percent on July 18. Although there has been a slight recovery since then, with FiveThirtyEight reporting a 40.1 percent approval rate on Monday, the disapproval rate remains significant at 54.5 percent. Trump dominates early Republican primary polls, DeSantis lags behind FiveThirtyEight data also revealed that Donald Trump currently holds 51.9 percent of national support in preliminary Republican primary surveys. Meanwhile, Ron DeSantis stands at 23.8 percent. What's the reason behind Biden's low approval rate? Amidst the backdrop of turbulent events in Afghanistan, Biden's popularity witnessed a sharp decline, coinciding with the country's fall to the Taliban in August 2021. Ever since FiveThirtyEight's data reveals that Biden has struggled to attain a positive net approval rating. Furthermore, in comparison to former President Donald Trump's support from 42.4 percent of Americans at a similar point in his term, Biden's approval rating stands at 40.1 percent, trailing behind the previous administrations of Barack Obama, George W. Bush, Bill Clinton, and George H.W. Bush at this stage of their presidencies. Also Read | Americans favor supreme court rulings on student loans and first amendment rights by slim margin, Poll reveals The situation isn't helped by Biden's recent setback in the Supreme Court, where his student debt forgiveness scheme was rejected. The plan aimed to alleviate student loan burdens by wiping up to $10,000 from graduates' debts, and up to $20,000 for Pell Grant recipients. However, Republican-controlled states challenged the plan, citing concerns about executive overreach and fairness. As President Biden grapples with declining approval ratings and legal setbacks, the road to a successful re-election campaign appears uncertain. The outcome remains unclear, and only time will reveal the impact of these developments on Biden's political future. China has cancelled a trip by European Union foreign policy chief Josep Borrell scheduled for next week, an EU spokesperson said on Tuesday. An attendant walks past EU and China flags in Beijing, China. (Reuters/File) No reasons were given for the cancellation, which comes as Europe seeks to reduce the risks created by its close economic relationship with China, which Brussels has dubbed an "economic competitor and a systemic rival". "Unfortunately, we were informed by the Chinese counterparts that the envisaged dates next week are no longer possible and we must now look for alternatives," spokesperson Nabila Massrali told Reuters in a written statement on Tuesday. The Chinese foreign ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Borrell was due to visit Beijing on July 10 to meet his Chinese counterpart and discuss "strategic issues" including human rights and Russia's war in Ukraine, the EU's ambassador to China said on Sunday. Ambassador Jorge Toledo had told the World Peace Forum in Beijing on Sunday that China and Europe are likely to hold two in-person dialogues in September, one on the economy and trade and another on digital matters, before a leaders' summit at the end of the year. "We want to engage with China but we need progress and we need it this year," Toledo said. This is the second time this year that Borrell's trip was cancelled. He could not come in April after testing positive for COVID-19. In a prepared speech for delivery in Beijing in April, Borrell had said that EU cannot trust China if it does not seek peace in Ukraine. China has said it wants to broker a peace in Ukraine but its position paper released in February was met with lukewarm responses by both Russia and Ukraine. EU climate chief Frans Timmermans, who is in Beijing this week for environment talks, also failed to visit China in April because he caught COVID-19. Eight Chinese aircraft crossed the median line of the Taiwan Strait on Tuesday morning, an unofficial barrier between the two sides, Taiwan's defence ministry said, as China ramps up military pressure on the democratic island. A worker holds Taiwan's flag.(AFP) A total of 24 Chinese war planes including fighter jets and bombers were spotted near Taiwan on Tuesday morning from around 8 a.m. (00:00 GMT), the defence ministry said, adding four Chinese battleships also joined a "joint combat readiness patrol." SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Dr. Susan Love, an eminent breast surgeon and pioneer in the field of breast cancer research, author, and researcher passed away on July 2, 2023, in Los Angeles, California. She was 75. Her death comes after a battle with recurrent leukemia. Dr. Susan Love. (Image Credit: Steven Dewall) Dr. Love was widely recognized for her groundbreaking work challenging the paternalistic approach of the medical establishment towards women. She advocated for breast-conserving surgery and was among the first to raise concerns about the risks of routine hormone replacement therapy for menopausal women. Beyond her contributions to medicine, Dr. Love was a passionate advocate for LGBTQ+ rights. In 1993, she made history alongside her wife, Dr. Helen Cooksey, by obtaining the first joint adoption by a gay couple from the Supreme Court of Massachusetts. This milestone set the stage for Massachusetts to become the first state to legalize same-sex marriage ten years later. The former faculty member at the medical schools of Harvard and the University of California, Los Angeless impact extended beyond her surgical career. She played a pivotal role in establishing the Revlon UCLA Breast Center and was a founding member of the National Breast Cancer Coalition (NBCC) and the Young Survival Coalition. Recognized as a leading authority on breast cancer, her book "Dr. Susan Love's Breast Book" has served as a valuable resource for patients and will soon be released in its updated 7th edition. As the Founder and Chief Visionary Officer of the Dr. Susan Love Foundation for Breast Cancer Research, Dr. Love dedicated her efforts to understanding the causes of breast cancer and working towards its eradication. Her foundation spearheaded innovative research projects, such as a recent NIH-sponsored study that highlighted the effectiveness of handheld ultrasound devices with AI in providing mammography to underserved communities. The renowned breast surgeons commitment to accelerating cancer research led to the establishment of the Love Research Army, a platform that enlisted volunteers and scientists for clinical trials and collaborative research. With over 390,000 supporters worldwide, the Love Research Army has made significant contributions to advancing breast cancer research. Born in New Jersey, Dr. Susan Love's educational journey took her from Puerto Rico to Mexico before pursuing her medical studies. Despite the limited opportunities for women in medicine at the time, she graduated among the top of her class at the State University of New York's Downstate Medical School. Dr. Love completed her surgical training at Boston's Beth Israel Hospital and later founded the Faulkner Breast Center before joining the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) to establish the Revlon UCLA Breast Center. ALSO READ| | I thought he was joking: Ex-passenger says Stockton Rush told crew to sleep when Titan's battery died during voyage Her legacy as a visionary, dedicated researcher, and compassionate advocate will endure. Christopher Clinton Conway, CEO of the Dr. Susan Love Foundation, expressed gratitude for her invaluable contributions and stated that the world will mourn her loss. Dr. Love is survived by her wife, Dr. Helen Cooksey, their daughter Katie Patton-LoveCooksey, and daughter-in-law Diana Patton-LoveCooksey. Service arrangements are currently pending as the medical and research communities, as well as millions of people around the world, remember Dr. Susan Love's remarkable impact and unwavering commitment to ending breast cancer for all. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Former consultant to OceanGate Rob McCallum has revealed that everyone appeared to be on board with the operations before a workshop of OceanGate Expeditions, although there were glaring problems with the Titan submersible. The catastrophic implosion of the Titan killed OceanGate Expeditions CEO Stockton Rush, British billionaire Hamish Harding, French diver Paul Henry Nargeolet, and Pakistani businessman Shahzada Dawood and his son, Suleman. A view of the Horizon Arctic ship, as salvaged pieces of the Titan submersible from OceanGate Expeditions are returned, in St. John's harbour, Newfoundland, Canada June 28, 2023 (REUTERS/David Hiscock) (REUTERS) "Everyone was drinking Kool-Aid and saying how cool they were with a Sony PlayStation," the deep-sea exploration expert told the New Yorker's Ben Taub. The Sony PlayStation refers to a video game controller used in the submersibles. It was also used in the doomed Titan vessel. During the visit, which was disturbing for Rob, he examined the submersible called Cyclops I. At the time, the companys next iteration Cyclops II was being planned. Cyclops II was later renamed the Titan. "And I said at the time, 'Does Sony know that it's been used for this application? Because, you know, this is not what it was designed for.' And now you have the hand controller talking to a Wi-Fi unit, which is talking to a black box, which is talking to the sub's thrusters," Rob said. "There were multiple points of failure." Rob said that he was also worried when he learned that the system ran on Bluetooth. He said that every sub in the world has hardwired controls for a reason that if the signal drops out, you're not fu****. Rob recently also revealed that the passengers on board the Titan were not referred to as passengers, but as mission specialists to avoid legal trouble if anyone died. These customers reportedly paid $250,000 for a place on the submersible. But "there were no passengers the word 'passenger' was never used," Rob said. He added that it is not legal to transport passengers in an "unclassed, experimental submersible" under US regulations. The Titans hull was constructed with aerospace-grade carbon fibre, even though submersible hulls are typically made with solid metals like steel or titanium. Several emails and messages between experts and CEO Stockton went viral after his death, revealing that he dismissed repeated warnings that the submersible was not safe. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON US airports witnessed extreme travel chaos on the eve of Independence Day, as more than 100 million Americans were under extreme weather warnings. More than 3,000 flights were delayed or cancelled within, into, or out of the US on Monday itself, BBC reported citing FlightAware. Data from the Transportation security administration showed that Sunday saw the highest number of US airport passengers ever. Fourth Of July: Travelers walk with their luggage through Union Station in Washington ahead of the Fourth of July holiday.(AP) Carrier United Airlines remained the worst affected by the delays, accounting for over 300 postponed flights, data from the FlightAware website showed. More than 5,000 delays and cancellations over the past week- were registered by the carrier. In a letter to employees, chief executive Scott Kirby said that thunderstorms created an extended limited operating environment, adding that the situation was one of the most operationally challenging weeks I've experienced in my entire career. The airline said it would compensate customers worst hit by the travel chaos with 30,000 frequent flier miles. This comes as storms threatened eastern US while an unusual heatwave was experienced in the south and west US. Secretary of transportation Pete Buttigieg said that US travel had been "so chaotic" because of severe weather which "put enormous pressure on the system". Thunderstorms were forecast on Monday across the east from Mississippi to Massachusetts, as well as in Montana and Minnesota. The heatwave across the US south will also continue, it was forecasted. More than 150,000 residents in the US Midwest were still without electricity after storms over the weekend. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Chinese scientist He Jiankui, who faced international condemnation in 2018 for creating the first gene-edited children, presented a new research proposal which involves modifying human embryos as Beijing faces the problem of an ageing population. The scientist was sentenced to three years in prison in 2019 for "illegal medical practices" but resurfaced last year as he announced the opening of a research lab in Beijing. Chinese researcher He Jiankui is seen.(AP) Posting a research proposal on social media outlining plans to gene-edit mouse embryos and human-fertilised egg cells, he said that the proposed experiment would involve abnormal fertilised egg cells not suitable for implantation. The scientist plans to test whether a mutation confers protection against Alzheimers disease. "The ageing population is of grave importance as both a socioeconomic issue and a strain on the medical system Currently, there is no effective drug for Alzheimers disease," wrote the scientist. "Government permits and ethical approval" would be required before any experimentation, he added. It remains to be seen whether approval is granted for his proposal as Chinese authorities tightened regulations and ethical standards governing human gene editing following his previous proposal. In March of this year, over 200 Chinese scholars released a statement condemning He Jiankui's attitude and refusal to reflect on his criminal actions of violating ethics and regulations of gene editing calling for regulatory authorities to launch a new investigation into the scientist's alleged reviolation of scientific integrity, ethical norms, laws and regulations. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON ABOUT THE AUTHOR Mallika Soni When not reading, this ex-literature student can be found searching for an answer to the question, "What is the purpose of journalism in society?" ...view detail Startling info related to one of the men who died in Titan mishap, has emerged. Paul-Henri Nargeolet was a Titanic expert who died as one of the five persons after Titan sub imploded during its trip to explore Titanic wreck. According to an article by New York Post, Nargeolet said he was well aware of the risks involved in the trip and even considered an implosion a "good way" to go. Paul-Henri Nargeolet(AP) Patrick Lahey, president of Triton Submarines, interacted with The New Yorker and revealed that Nargeolet was his friend. Lahey disclosed that he had warned Nargeolet(known to him by his nickname PH) not to take part in trips involving the Titan sub, citing safety concerns. Lahey had raised the issue of OceanGate CEO Stockton Rush's ignorance about the safety of the vessel. I had a conversation with PH just as recently as a few months ago, said Lahey. I kept giving him st for going out there. I said, PH, by you being out there, you legitimize what this guys doing. Its a tacit endorsement. And, worse than that, I think hes using your involvement with the project, and your presence on the site, as a way to fg lure people into it, shared Lahey. Lahey has claimed that 77-year-old dismissed his arguments and replied that he was an elderly widower and that if you have to go, that would be a good way. Instant," referring to any deep sea implosion which would happen in milliseconds. I said, OK, so youre ready to f-g die? Is that what it is, PH? Lahey recalled to The New Yorker. And he said, No, no, but I figure that, maybe if Im out there, I can help them avoid a tragedy. But instead, he found himself right in the f-g center of a tragedy. And he didnt deserve to go that way." British billionaire businessman Hamish Harding, British father and son Shahzada and Suleman Dawood who had roots in Pakistan as one of its richest families, OceanGate CEO Stockton Rush and former French navy diver Paul-Henry Nargeolet were the five men who met their unfortunate deaths in the Titan submersible tragedy. Meanwhile, The US Coast Guard have recovered presumed human remains from the Titan wreckage. United States medical professionals will conduct a formal analysis of the presumed human remains. A 49-year-old man in the US state of Washington was sentenced to 364 days in jail after he pleaded guilty to stalking prominent Indian-American Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal, a media report said. US Representative Pramila Jayapal(AFP) Brett Forsell pleaded to misdemeanour stalking in Seattle's King County Superior Court on Thursday rather than the felony charge prosecutors originally filed against him, The Seattle Times reported on Saturday. Seattle police arrested Forsell, armed with a handgun, outside Jayapals house a year ago and jailed him on suspicion of committing a hate crime. He was released four days later because police couldnt say with certainty that he told the Congresswoman to go back to India or that he had threatened to kill her. King County prosecutors later charged Forsell with repeatedly harassing and intimidating Jayapal, who feared the man wanted to hurt or kill her. Jayapal, 57, represents Washingtons 7th Congressional District and became the first Indian-American woman elected to the US House of Representatives in 2016. She was born in Chennai city of India and moved to the US at 16. Democrat Jayapal heads the party's congressional liberals as chairperson of the House Progressive Caucus. Forsell was arrested with a loaded .40-caliber handgun holstered on his waist. Neighbours also reported hearing Forsells verbal attack and saw him try to erect a tent across the street from Jayapals house. While in custody, camera footage recorded Forsell saying he was going to keep coming back to Jayapals house until she goes back to India, according to prosecutors. According to charging papers, Jayapal told detectives Forsells behaviour scared her because it was reminiscent of the anger and vitriol she experienced on January 6, 2021, when insurgents attacked the US Capitol in a failed attempt to stop the certification of President Joe Bidens election. During his arraignment last year, he pled not guilty to charges of felony stalking. Forsell has since been ordered to have no contact with Jayapal and prohibited from possessing firearms for eight years, among other stipulations. Iran hanged at least 354 people in the first six months of 2023, a rights group said. The pace of executions was much higher than in 2022, Norway-based Iran Human Rights (IHR) warned. Rights groups have accused Iran of increasing the use of death penalty to cause panic and fear following the widespread protests which erupted last September following the custodial death of Mahsa Amini. She had been arrested by the morality police for not wearing her hijab properly. Iran Executions: An Iranian flag flutters.(Reuters) The 354 people figure for the first six months up to June 30 was up 36 per cent on the same period in 2022 when 261 people were executed, Iran Human Rights noted, emphasising concerns that non-Persian ethnic groups are disproportionately affected by executions in Iran as 20 per cent of all executions were of members of the Sunni Baluch minority. 206 people were executed for drug-related charges, a 126 per cent rise compared to the same period last year, the group said while six women were among those executed in the period while two men were publicly hanged, it added. The death penalty is used to create societal fear and prevent more protests. The majority of those killed are low-cost victims of the killing machine, drug defendants who are from the most marginalised communities, IHR director Mahmood Amiry-Moghaddam said. IHR reported earlier this year that Iran carried out 582 executions in 2022, the highest since 2015. Iran is the world's second biggest executioner after China for which no data is available, Amnesty International said. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON ABOUT THE AUTHOR Mallika Soni When not reading, this ex-literature student can be found searching for an answer to the question, "What is the purpose of journalism in society?" ...view detail A former director of finance and administration for OceanGate has revealed that the companys CEO Stockton Rush approached her in 2018, suggesting that she become the chief pilot for the Titan submersible. Stockton made the proposal to the former director, who has not been named, after David Lochridge was fired. Debris from the Titan submersible, recovered from the ocean floor near the wreck of the Titanic, is unloaded from the ship Horizon Arctic at the Canadian Coast Guard pier in St. John's, Newfoundland, Wednesday, June 28, 2023. AP/PTI(AP06_28_2023_000234B)(AP) David, a former director of marine operations and chief submersible pilot, had reportedly warned of quality control and safety problems related to the Titan submersible back in 2018. As per a lawsuit, he was wrongfully terminated after he said he found a lack of non-destructive testing performed on the hull of the Titan. Soon after the firing of David, Stockton asked the finance director to fill in for the pilot. "It freaked me out that he would want me to be head pilot, since my background is in accounting," she told the New Yorker, adding that she "did not trust" Rush. She quit her job as soon as she found a new role at a different company. The catastrophic implosion of the Titan submersible killed OceanGate Expeditions CEO Stockton Rush, British billionaire Hamish Harding, French diver Paul Henry Nargeolet, and Pakistani businessman Shahzada Dawood and his son, Suleman. It has been reported that Stockton employed college-aged interns to design the electrical systems for the Titan submersible. Deep sea exploration specialist Rob McCallum emailed David in 2018, asking him how Stockton was taking his departure. "Stockton must be gutted," Rob wrote. "I think you are going to [be] even more taken aback when I tell you what's happening. David said he would be "taken aback when I tell you what's happening," and added that he was afraid Stockton would retaliate if he expressed his concerns over the submersible, due to his "influence and money." That sub is Not safe to dive," David said. "Do you think the sub could be made safe to dive, or is it a complete lemon?" Rob asked. "You will get a lot of support from people in the industry. Everyone is watching and waiting and quietly shitting their pants." "It's a lemon, David said. "Oh dear," Rob replied. "Oh dear, oh dear." SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Afghanistans Taliban banned beauty salons run by women in its latest crackdown on the few avenues left for female employment. All beauty salons operated by women in Kabul and other provinces should be banned immediately and follow our order, the Ministry of Vice and Virtue said as per Bloomberg. Afghanistan: An Afghan woman walks on a street in Kabul, Afghanistan.(Reuters) Violators will face legal action," it warned as Taliban continues to push back women from visible roles in society, forcing them to stay at home. The United Nations has repeatedly condemned Talibans previous restrictions which include prohibiting women from pursuing education above sixth grade, working in the government or private sector and visiting parks or using gyms. The UN said that such rules against women have made it nearly impossible for the international community to recognize Taliban government. Currently, working in hospitals as nurses and doctors is the only job that women can do in Afghanistan. The Taliban dont consider women as human beings but as a commodity to own and oppress, Jamila Afghan, an Afghan womens rights activist who fled Afghanistan and now lives in Turkey, said. The latest ban will affect thousands of makeup artists and close hundreds of beauty shops nationwide, she added. Raihan Mubariz, a makeup artist, told TOLO News, The men are jobless. When men cannot take care of their families, the women are forced to work in a beauty salon to find a loaf of bread. If they are banned there, what can we do? "We will not get out of the home if men (of the family) have jobs. What can we do? We should starve to death, what should we do? You want us to die," another makeup artist said while Kabul resident Abdul Khabir told the outlet, The government should make a framework for it. The framework should be in a way that neither Islam would be damaged nor the country. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON ABOUT THE AUTHOR Mallika Soni When not reading, this ex-literature student can be found searching for an answer to the question, "What is the purpose of journalism in society?" ...view detail North Korea appeared to have eased a strict Covid mask mandate, reports said as state news agencies showed many people maskless. The country maintained border lockdowns and other anti-Covid measures long after most other nations ended such restrictions. Even though North Korean state television and newspapers did not make any official announcement, it showed crowds of people at theatres and other locations without any masks. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un speaks in Pyongyang, North Korea.(AP) This marks a "stark change" compared to newspaper coverage dating back to September, NK News, a Seoul-based site that monitors North Korea, reported. Residents, factories and social groups were told that the mandate was lifted as of July 1, Radio Free Asia (RFA) said. Authorities had eased the mandates because wearing used masks and strict mask control had led to the spread of skin and eye infections, it added. Last August, Pyongyang had dropped a face mask mandate along with other social distancing rules. Then North Korean leader Kim Jong Un had declared victory over Covid-19. But one month after the announcement, the authorities ordered citizens to wear masks in public again, citing flu and infectious diseases. South Korea's spy agency said defectors who fled North Korea in May decided to do so because of the country's strict Covid rules. The curbs were also criticized by a United Nations report last year. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Pakistan police searched for 13 prisoners who broke out of a jail in the southwestern province of Balochistan last week, a report claimed. In the dramatic escape, one inmate killed after seventeen prisoners turned on their guards as they were taken out of their cells for morning prayers at Chaman district jail, district officer Muhammad Naeem Achakzai told CNN. Police fired at the men, killing one and injuring two.(Representational) The inmates took guns from two officers on duty prompting clashes in the prison. Three officers were injured in the attack by the prisoners, Naeem Achakzai said. Police fired at the men, killing one and injuring two. One prisoner surrendered to the police but 13 remained on the run. All the prisoners were awaiting trial for alleged crimes including murder, robbery and drug possession, the district officer said. The prison is located on Taj Road- about 3 kilometers from the Afghan border. The prisoners could have escaped to Afghanistan, the officer said. Patrolling of border areas is also being done, he added, saying that as there were lesser officers in the prison due to Eid, the prison break was planned by the inmates accordingly. Police in Chaman suspended 10 officials, including three police officers who were posted at the jail, it was reported. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON ABOUT THE AUTHOR Mallika Soni When not reading, this ex-literature student can be found searching for an answer to the question, "What is the purpose of journalism in society?" ...view detail Multiple people were shot in Philadelphia on Monday night and four were killed, Associated Press reported quoting the police. A spokesperson for the Philadelphia Police Department said that there were multiple gunshot victims but said no other information on their conditions was immediately available. The suspect was wearing a ballistic vest, the network added. (Representational) Police spokesperson Miguel Torres told CNN that the suspect was in custody and a weapon was recovered while eight victims were taken to hospital. Several juveniles were among those injured by gunfire, Fox News reported. The suspect was wearing a ballistic vest, the network added. This comes after two people were killed and 28 were wounded in a shooting at a block party in Baltimore. America has now endured 339 mass shootings so far this year, according to the Gun Violence Archive. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON New Delhi: President Xi Jinping on Tuesday called for efforts to safeguard regional peace and ensure common security in a speech delivered via video link at the 23rd virtual summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) hosted by India and attended by Russia and Pakistan among other member countries. Chinese President Xi Jinping attends the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit via video conference, on Tuesday. (ANI) In remarks released by the official Chinese news agency, Xinhua, Xi said it is the alliances common responsibility to achieve long-term peace and stability in the region. China is willing to work with all parties to implement global security initiatives, insist on resolving differences and conflicts, he said. The Chinese leader went out to say that conflicts should be resolved through dialogue and consultation. Without directly referring to Russias invasion of Ukraine, the SCO, he said, should promote political settlement of international and regional hotspot issues, and build a solid barrier for regional security. Xi called for opposing hegemonism and power politics without naming the US-led Western powers. Without naming any country involved, the Chinese leader criticised unilateral sanctions, adding that China opposes the generalisation of the concept of national security, building walls and barriers and decoupling and breaking chains. Make the pie of cooperation bigger, so that the fruits of development can benefit people of all countries more and more equitably, Xi said, according to Xinhua. Xi pitched for his signature Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) in his speech, saying the infrastructure project would facilitate regional cooperation and trade and investment. Xi, according to Xinhua, called for efforts to better synergise high-quality cooperation under the BRI with various countries development strategies and regional cooperation initiatives. The BRI, he said, would accelerate the construction of port infrastructure and regional (and) international logistics channels. India, which became an SCO member in 2017 along with Pakistan, has refused to join the BRI over sovereignty concerns because one of its flagship projects, the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), passes through PoK. Since its founding in Shanghai in 2001, the SCO has expanded from a regional organisation with six members into one with eight full members, four observer countries, and 14 dialogue partners. Mexico's president requested US citizens not to vote for Florida governor and Republican presidential candidate Ron DeSantis because of his state's enactment of an immigration bill. The Florida law, Mexican government said, could cause discrimination against migrants. The comments mark president Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador's second recent break with Mexico's tradition of not talking about the politics of other countries. Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, Mexico's president, during a rally celebrating his five years in office.(Bloomberg) In March, he had called Peru's government racist and illegitimate. We could not remain silent, Lopez Obrador said of the Florida law, as per Associated Press, calling for not one vote for those who despise migrants. In a statement, Mexico's foreign relations department said the Florida law will affect the human rights of thousands of people, Mexican girls and boys, exacerbating hostile situations that could result in hate crimes against the migrant community. What is the Florida law at the centre of the controversy? The Florida law went into effect on July 1. According to it, employers who hire immigrants who are in the US illegally will face tough punishments. Ron DeSantis signed the law last month expanding requirements for businesses with more than 25 staffers to use E-Verify. The federal system determines if employees can legally work in the US or not. The law also requires hospitals that accept Medicaid to include a citizenship question on forms. According to Ron DeSantis' website, the new law includes allocating funds to move migrants without lawful status out of the state; restricting access to ID cards; and requiring more businesses to use an electronic system to validate a person's eligibility to work. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON ABOUT THE AUTHOR Mallika Soni When not reading, this ex-literature student can be found searching for an answer to the question, "What is the purpose of journalism in society?" ...view detail A royal commentator believes that Prince Harrys two words about King Charles' second wife Camilla Parker Bowles blew any chance of reconciliation with the monarch in the future. Royal commentator Daniela Elser, while talking about the fractured relationship between King Charles and his youngest son Prince Harry said that the monarch found two of his remarks unforgivable. Britain's Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex is seen. (Reuters) For more than 30 years, Charles has been wholly devoted to Camilla, a woman who knows her way around a pair of wellies, an Aga, and a decent bottle of shiraz. His [Charles] fidelity to his horsey paramour having extended to going against his mother, his family, and his homeland at various points in time," Daniela Elser said. She continued, There is a certain romance to it all if you think about it. It might not seem it, but theirs is quite the love story. Which is why, when His Majesty read those two blasted words wicked stepmother, his son would seem to have crossed the Rubicon. He crossed a line in the sand that dealt a disastrous blow to any chance of reconciliation and a regal hug coming Harrys way any time soon." Earlier a friend of Camilla's told The Daily Beast, How does she get past that? Its one thing to call your stepmother a b**** privately or in a family argument. But to put it in a book catching up with the Bible on sales? I think Harry knew exactly what he was doing, and the result is predictable. Charles loves Camilla. He made her queen. He doesnt react very well to criticism of her. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Queen Elizabeth II chose to delay her response to Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's bombshell interview with Oprah Winfrey in 2021 because she was "adamant" on waiting until it aired in the UK, according to a new book. Royal author Valentine Low made the claim his book Courtiers. Queen Elizabeth In an extract published by the Times of London, Valentine Low revealed the royal family's frantic reaction to the interview. In the talk, the pair had talked about a racist member of the royal family who commented on the skin color of the couple's future children. A palace team had watched the interview overnight. Senior officials had spent the morning locked in conference calls as they debated how to respond. A draft statement was ready by 2pm on Monday. Much to the frustration of the media, however, the palace remained silent, Valentine Low wrote. The reason for this silence was the queen, the author claimed, explaining, "One of the reasons was that the late Queen was adamant that she was going to watch the programme first.' And she was going to watch it with the rest of the population, on [television network] ITV on Monday evening." After the late monarch watched the interview, the drafted statement of response was debated by the senior royal households, the author said. While they were as concerned as anyone about not getting into a tit-for-tat with Harry and Meghan, William and Kate were clear which side of the debate they were on. They wanted it toughened up a bit. They were both of one mind that we needed something that said that the institution did not accept a lot of what had been said. He [William] said, 'It is really important that you guys come up with the right way of making sure that we are saying that this does not stand.' She [Kate] was certainly right behind him on it', the commentator wrote. The Palace had then said, The whole family is saddened to learn the full extent of how challenging the last few years have been for Harry and Meghan. The issues raised, particularly that of race, are concerning. While some recollections may vary, they are taken very seriously and will be addressed by the family privately. Harry, Meghan and Archie will always remain much loved family members. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON King Charles's anger towards Prince Harry may stem from his criticism of Camilla. But there are other reasons why he may continue to pull back from his youngest son. Royal commentator Daniela Elser said that there is fear of secondary retribution in a second book from the Duke of Sussex. King Charles III and Prince Harry. Even if Charles was in mind to overlook the grievous slight that Harry had done to his darling wifes reputation by casting her as Snow Whites evil queen sans apple, there is another key factor preventing His Majesty or anyone with an HRH picking up the phone with the Sussexes. It could all end up as fodder for a future bestseller," Daniela Elser said. Prince Harry once said there could have been two books about his life as he claimed that he left many details out of his memoir Spare as they would be unforgivable to royal family members. Daniela Elser believes there is a tiny glimmer of hope that relations may shift between the Duke of Sussex and King Charles someday. Hugs might be shared, and American grandchildren bounced on a regal knee. Inside Charles and Camillas private quarters, even now, there are reportedly still photos of the entire Sussex family in prime position, she explained. However, no olive branch has yet been offered by the monarch as Prince Harry and his wife Meghan Markle continue to make comments about the royal family. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Russia and Ukraine on Tuesday accused each other of plotting to stage an attack on the Russian-held Zaporizhzhia nuclear power station, long the subject of mutual recriminations and suspicions. A Russian service member stands guard at a checkpoint near the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant outside Enerhodar in the Zaporizhzhia region, Russian-controlled Ukraine.(REUTERS) Russian troops seized the station, Europe's largest nuclear facility with six reactors, in the days following the Kremlin's invasion of its neighbour in February 2022. Each side has since regularly accused the other of shelling around the plant, situated in Ukraine's south, and risking a major nuclear mishap. Renat Karchaa, an adviser to the head of Rosenergoatom, which operates Russia's nuclear network, said Ukraine planned to drop on the plant ammunition laced with nuclear waste transported from another of the country's five nuclear stations. "Under cover of darkness overnight on 5th July, the Ukrainian military will try to attack the Zaporizhzhia station using long-range precision equipment and kamikaze attack drones," Russian news agencies quoted Karchaa as telling Russian television. He offered no evidence in support of his allegation. A statement issued by the Ukrainian armed forces quoted "operational data" as saying that "explosive devices" had been placed on the roof of the station's third and fourth reactors on Tuesday. An attack was possible "in the near future". "If detonated, they would not damage the reactors but would create an image of shelling from the Ukrainian side," the statement on Telegram said. It said the Ukrainian army stood "ready to act under any circumstances". The military also provided no evidence for its assertions. None of the reactors at the plant is producing electricity. The U.N.'s nuclear watchdog, the International Atomic Energy Agency, has been trying for more than a year to clinch a deal to ensure the plant is demilitarised and reduce the risks of any possible nuclear accident. IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi has visited the plant three times since the Russian takeover but failed to clinch any agreement to keep the facility safe from shelling or other incidents linked to the conflict. Mykhailo Podolyak, an adviser to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, told Ukrainian television that Grossi had proved ineffective in trying to uphold safety at the plant. "Any disaster at Zaporizhzhia could have been prevented if (Grossi had been) clear straight away," Podolyak said, accusing the IAEA of flipflopping in his approach to the problem. That is, instead of this clowning around that this man is doing. And when there is a disaster, he will say they had nothing to do with it and warned about the dangers. At least three drones were intercepted over the Moscow region early on Tuesday, Russian news agencies reported citing emergency services. One was intercepted in the neighbouring Kaluga region. "According to preliminary information, three drones were heading towards Moscow at different times," TASS reported. Noctilucent clouds are seen over the tower of Moscow's Kremlin in Russia.(Reuters) Two drones were shot down near the village of Valuevo-about 30 km southwest of the Kremlin, RIA news agency reported. One was in the Kaluga region, which borders the Moscow region, it added. Another drone was shot down in the area of the town of Kubinka- 63 km west of Moscow where a Russian air base also located. There were no casualties or damage, preliminary information revealed. RIA also reported that landings and takeoffs at Moscow's Vnukovo airport was also restricted following the incident due to "technical reasons beyond the control of the airport," Russia's federal air transport agency, or Rosaviatsiya, said as per news agency Reuters. A number of flights were diverted to other airports which were functioning normally, it informed. Moscow mayor Sergei Sobyanin blamed Ukraine saying that they had launched another drone attack on the Russian capital and its region. At this moment, the attacks have been repelled by air defence forces. All detected drones have been eliminated, Sergei Sobyanin said as per news agency Reuters. Ukraine attempted to strike civil infrastructure including the airport which amounts to an "act of terrorism", Russian foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said. "The Kyiv regime's attempt to attack an area where civilian infrastructure is located, including the airport, which incidentally also receives foreign flights, is yet another act of terrorism," Zakharova said. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON ABOUT THE AUTHOR Mallika Soni When not reading, this ex-literature student can be found searching for an answer to the question, "What is the purpose of journalism in society?" ...view detail Award-winning Ukrainian writer Victoria Amelina died from injuries she suffered after a Russian missile hit a pizza restaurant in Kramatorsk. The war crimes researcher and novelist became the thirteenth person to die as a result of the attack which Human rights activists have branded as a war crime. Victoria Amelina: Kramatorsk is under Ukrainian control but is close to Russian-occupied areas of the country. Kramatorsk is under Ukrainian control but is close to Russian-occupied areas of the country. At least 60 others were also injured in the strike. Writers' association PEN Ukraine said that medics "did everything they could to save her life, but unfortunately the wound was fatal". When the missile hit, Victoria Amelina was dining with a group of Colombian journalists and writers in the Ria Lounge. She was taken to hospital in Dnipro, but succumbed to her injuries, PEN Ukraine said. It is with great pain that we inform you that the heart of the writer Victoria Amelina stopped beating on 1 July. In the last days of Victoria's life, her family and friends were by her side, the group said. Victoria Amelina had been documenting alleged war crimes since Russian invasion of 2022 and had also started working with children near the frontline. Her first non-fiction book in English, War And Justice Diary: Looking At Women Looking At War, is due to be published. A post on her Twitter page showsVictoria Amelina taking a photo of a bombed out building in Ukraine where she describes herself as a Ukrainian writer. I have portraits of great Ukrainian poets on my bag. I look like I should be taking pictures of books, art, and my little son. But I document Russia's war crimes and listen to the sound of shelling, not poems. Why? SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON ABOUT THE AUTHOR Mallika Soni When not reading, this ex-literature student can be found searching for an answer to the question, "What is the purpose of journalism in society?" ...view detail The Russia-Ukraine war will not be over until Crimea is back in Ukrainian hands, Volodymyr Zelensky said. "We cannot imagine Ukraine without Crimea," the Ukrainian president told CNN, adding, "And while Crimea is under the Russian occupation, it means only one thing: the war is not over yet." Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky attending a ceremony marking the Day of the Naval Forces in Odesa. (AFP) Crimea was annexed by Russia in 2014. Asked if the Ukrainian president could envisage a scenario in which peace could be achieved without Crimea, he said, "It will not be victory then." On Wagner group chief Yevgeny Prigozhin's brief rebellion, Zelensky said that it showed that Vladimir Putin "doesn't control everything". The Russian leader's response to the attempted coup was lukewarm, his Ukrainian counterpart said, "It's weak. Firstly, we see he doesn't control everything. Wagner moving deep into Russia and taking certain regions shows how easy it is to do. Putin doesn't control the situation in the regions. All that vertical power he used to have is just crumbling down." Ukrainian intelligence showed the Kremlin was measuring support for Prigozhin, he said, claiming that half of Russia supported the Wagner boss and the group's mutiny. This comes as Ukraine said it was making gains in the south and east over the past week but the fighting remained difficult as Russia's security service (FSB) claimed it had foiled an assassination attempt on the head of Crimea. "Last week was difficult on the front line. But we are making progress," Volodymyr Zelensky said. We are moving forward, step by step!, he added. Ukraine deputy defence minister Ganna Malyar noted that Ukrainian forces over the past week recaptured nine square kilometres in the east and 28 square kilometres in the south. Ukraine's forces have taken back over 158 square kilometres in the south, Ganna Malyar said. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Saudi Arabia put five people, convicted of carrying out a deadly attack on a house of worship, to death, state media said, marking the biggest group execution this year. The five men included four Saudis and one Egyptian national. They were tried for an attack that killed five people and injured an untold number of others. The interior ministry statement published by the official Saudi Press Agency did not specify when the attack took place or what type of house of worship was targeted. Saudi Arabia Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud are seen. The method of execution used was also not detailed but Saudi Arabia has carried out beheadings in the past. With this, the total number of people put to death so far by Saudi Arabia reached 68 this year. More than 20 executions have been carried out since early May for terrorism-related offences, reports claimed. In late May, authorities put to death two Bahrainis convicted of terrorism. Amnesty International had then said that the case hinged on "torture-tainted confessions". Last year, Saudi Arabia executed 147 people in total - over double the 2021 figure of 69, news agency AFP reported. The 2022 figure included 81 people executed on a single day in March for terrorism-related offences. The recent surge in executions in Saudi Arabia comes as the kingdom has been trying to soften its image through sweeping social and economic changes brought by King Salman's son and Saudi Arabia's de facto ruler Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. The kingdom had "got rid of" the death penalty except for cases of murder or when someone "threatens the lives of many people", the Crown Prince had earlier said. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON ABOUT THE AUTHOR Mallika Soni When not reading, this ex-literature student can be found searching for an answer to the question, "What is the purpose of journalism in society?" ...view detail Russia will stand up against Western sanctions and "provocations", President Vladimir Putin told a virtual meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation on Tuesday, a group that also includes China and India. Russian President Vladimir Putin attends a meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Heads of State Council via videoconference at the Kremlin, in Moscow, Russia, Tuesday. (AP) Putin said Moscow planned to boost ties with the group and supported the transition to settlements in local currencies in foreign trade. He also warned that the potential for conflicts and the risk of a global economic crisis were on the rise. Shortly after prime minister Narendra Modi's pointed message at the 23rd meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation - at which he called out (but did not name) countries that 'use cross-border terrorism as an instrument and give shelter to terrorists' - Pakistan's Shehbaz Sharif warned against the use of terrorism as a 'bat for diplomatic point-swearing'. Sharif also spoke about terrorism as a 'hydra-headed monster' to be fought with 'full conviction' irrespective of its source. FILE PHOTO: Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif speaks during the COP27 climate summit in Egypt's Red Sea resort of Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt November 8, 2022. REUTERS/Thaier Al-Sudani/File Photo(REUTERS) "Terrorism in all its forms and manifestations, including state terrorism, must be condemned in clear and unambiguous terms. There can be no justification for the killing of innocent people regardless of the cause or pretext," he said at a virtual meet hosted by India. Sharif called on the SCO to take 'concerted and immediate actions both in their national and collective capacity, to combat them'. The Pakistani leader also declared that sacrifices made by his countrymen and women - in fighting against terrorism - were without parallel but acknowledged the evil continues to plague the region and is a 'serious obstacle' to regional peace and stability. What did PM Modi say? Sharif's remarks came after Modi labelled terrorism a 'threat to regional and global peace' and urged SCO leaders to not shy away from taking to task those countries that offer support of any kind. "Some countries use cross-border terrorism as an instrument of their policies and give shelter to terrorists. SCO should not hesitate to criticise such countries. SCO countries should condemn it. There should be no double standards on terrorism," he said. "We do not see the SCO as an extended neighbourhood, but rather as an extended family. Security, economic development, connectivity, unity, respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity, and environmental protection are the pillars of our vision for SCO," Modi added. The summit was also attended by Russia president Vladimir Putin and China's Xi Jinping. About the summit The SCO was founded in 2001 in Shanghai by Russia, China, the Kyrgyz Republic, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. India and Pakistan joined in 2017. The eight-member regional political and security bloc is seen as trying to counter Western influence in Eurasia. (With inputs from PTI) The U.S. Secret Service has launched an investigation into a suspicious substance that was discovered inside the White House, leading to a brief evacuation on Sunday evening. FILE - With the Washington Monument in the background, the American flag flies at half-staff over the White House, Sept. 8, 2022, in Washington, after Queen Elizabeth II, Britain's longest-reigning monarch and a rock of stability across much of a turbulent century, died at 96 after 70 years on the throne. Only in the mid-19th century does the U.S. flag become a permanent fixture at the White House, scholars believe. (AP Photo/Gemunu Amarasinghe, File)(AP) Law enforcement authorities are working to determine the nature of the substance, which preliminary tests suggest maybe cocaine. The incident has raised concerns about security protocols and how the substance found its way into the presidential residence. According to Anthony Guglielmi, a spokesperson for the Secret Service, the substance is undergoing further testing to confirm its composition. Authorities are also actively investigating the source and manner in which it entered the White House. Guglielmi assured the public that the substance did not pose a threat, as determined by the D.C. fire department. The discovery of the suspicious substance triggered an elevated security alert, resulting in a temporary evacuation of the executive mansion. Notably, President Joe Biden was not present in the White House at the time of the incident. Guglielmi emphasized that an investigation into the cause and manner surrounding the entry of the substance into the highly secured premises. Details regarding the exact location within the White House where the substance was found and its packaging have not been disclosed by Guglielmi. It was confirmed that the substance was discovered during routine rounds conducted by members of the Uniformed Division of the Secret Service. An audio dispatch recording obtained from the D.C. fire department reveals that a preliminary test on the substance indicated it was cocaine hydrochloride. The recording, timestamped at 8:49 p.m., was made by a firefighter from the department's hazardous materials team. We have a yellow bar saying cocaine hydrochloride. While the exact quantity of the substance has not been disclosed, an official familiar with the investigation described it as small. ALSO READ| Eminent surgeon and breast health advocate, Dr. Susan love, Passes away at 75 Vito Maggiolo, a spokesperson for the D.C. Fire and EMS Department, confirmed that their agency provided support to the U.S. Secret Service during the investigation. The incident has raised concerns about the security measures in place at the White House and the need for a thorough review to prevent similar incidents from occurring in the future. Meanwhile, the Secret Service and other law enforcement agencies will work diligently to uncover the origins and circumstances surrounding the discovery of the suspicious substance. White House evacuated over cocaine memes WHEN UKRAINIAN gunners began firing Excalibur precision-guided shells early in the war they were cock-a-hoop. Ordinary shells required many rounds to hit their targets, even if you knew precisely what you were aiming at. Excalibur, guided by GPS, appeared to be a silver bullet: one shot, one strike. But in March 2023 something changed. Excalibur shells began falling out of the sky or failing to destroy their targets. And not just one: weeks went by without registering a successful hit. It was an unsettling reminder of how the electronic war in Ukraine has profoundly affected the visible one. PREMIUM If modern warfare rests on three pillarsever-more powerful sensors to detect targets, increasingly precise munitions to hit them, and networks that connect the twoelectronic warfare can chip away at each. If modern warfare rests on three pillarsever-more powerful sensors to detect targets, increasingly precise munitions to hit them, and networks that connect the twoelectronic warfare can chip away at each. Excaliburs were probably dropping like flies because Russia was turning on powerful jammers that disrupted the GPS signals guiding them to their targets or, more likely, the radar fuze that tells them when to explode. They were not the only weapons to be discombobulated in this way. Leaked Pentagon documents from the spring show that four out of nine Ukrainian air strikes with American-supplied JDAM-ER bombs may have missed their targets because of Russian GPS jamming. [Russian] jammers are a high priority, read one slide, and we will continue torecommend that those jammers are disrupted/destroyedto the maximum extent possible. GMLRS, the precision-guided rockets fired by American HIMARS launchers, have also increasingly missed targets or failed to achieve their desired effects. The airwaves in Kyiv and Moscow are thick with jamming as both sides seek to deflect drones and missiles. This sort of electronic warfare (EW, in the lingo) is not new. It probably began in 1904 during the Russo-Japanese war. Although the shells of that era were dumbthe radar proximity fuze was 40 years away and GPS satellites more than 70the age of radio had arrived. An enterprising Russian radio operator in Port Arthur drowned out transmissions from a Japanese warship that was helping correct naval gunfire. During the second world war, the so-called battle of the beams saw Britain jam and deceive radio signals used by German bombers to navigate to their targets. And as air power grew in importance through the cold war, finding and jamming the emissions of air-defence radars became vital. Ukraine sometimes loses as many as 2,000 drones in a single week Russia was long believed to excel at this. It invested heavily in new EW vehicles a decade ago and battle-tested many in Ukraine in 2014 and then Syria in 2015, often causing disruption to civilian airliners. But its latest invasion of Ukraine offers a more mixed picture. Russian EW was highly effective in some areas, concludes the RUSI think-tank. Ukrainian jets initially found that their communications, navigation and radar were all disrupted and in some cases knocked out. The disruption to Excalibur has disturbed some Western officials. But Russias land and maritime capabilities have been lacklustre, argues Thomas Withingon, an expert analyst of EW. Our [pre-war] assessment of Russian EW capability was at the pessimistic end of the range, agrees Edward Stringer, a retired air marshal in Britains Royal Air Force. Russian EW is eminently beatable. It may not always feel like that to a drone operator. Ukraine sometimes loses as many as 10,000 drones in a single month. Around half of those losses are directly caused by electronic attack, according to Andriy (not his real name), a senior officer in Ukraines general staff. Jamming often blocks the control signals used to fly a drone remotely or the communication link needed to send data. Operators can get round this by telling a drone to fly a preset route and downloading data when it returns, but that delays targeting by hours. And it does not resolve the core problem: that most drones are lost when their GPS signal is disrupted, causing them to wander off. This creates a stark trade-off for defenders. Military drones (and missiles) can be fitted with special receivers that read M-code signals from American GPS satellites. Those signals are higher powered than civilian GPS and encrypted, making them both easier to pick up and harder to jamabout eight times harder, says Dana Goward, president of the Resilient Navigation and Timing Foundation, a non-profit in Virginia. But M-code receivers are subject to export controls and pricier. Electronic shielding costs money and adds weight. Ukraines drone fleet is mostly cheap to the point of being easily disposable. That is changing, albeit slowly. Ukrainian officials hope to phase out the Chinese DJI consumer drones that are ubiquitous on both sides of the front line in favour of more professional platforms. One of the takeaways from Ukraine is that having any unencrypted radio link is no longer a choice, says Mr Withington. If youre NATO, you need to encrypt everything. Even then, M-code would offer only marginal benefit, cautions Mr Goward, because the technology is now nearly two decades old and GPS signals are inherently weak. Being weak is not the same as being unusable. Western armies have long worried that Russias electronic blitz might counter their technological advantage. Electronic warfare is the great leveller, wrote Major-General Charles Collins, assistant chief of the general staff in the British army, in a recent paper. By depriving forces of connectivity, it drives armies back to the 20th century. Yet that has not proved true in Ukraine. In truth, jamming is imperfect and intermittent. One reason is that EW systems are scarce. Russia has been forced to keep some at home to protect cities and bases. Another is that using them comes at a price. Big jammers emit a powerful signal, making them conspicuous targets. Russia has had to pull many of its best ones farther to the rear, says one official. This leaves gaps to exploit. America is providing Ukraine with cuts, or maps, of electromagnetic activityessentially, the location of jamming and the frequencies used32 times a day, says T.J. Holland of Americas XVIII Corps. That is a boon to Ukrainian drone operators. Jamming the jammers It is not the case that EW has cut off all communications, either. Russia has failed to knock out the Starlink terminals that give Ukraines army near-universal internet access via communication satellites. One reason is that a Starlink beam is extremely narrow you have to get within 100-200 metres to spot it, says Andriy. Russian EW vehicles also seem incapable of jamming Starlink radio frequencies or the SINCGARS tactical radios that America has supplied to Ukraine, says Mr Withington. If Russian EW has frequently fallen short, at times it has also been too powerful for its own good. A paper by Justin Bronk and his colleagues at RUSI describes serious electronic fratricide. Two days into the invasion, Russia had to scale down ground-based jamming because it was hindering the Russian armys own communications. That is one reason why Ukrainian air-defence radars could be turned back on, causing Russian warplanes to be downed in significant numbers by March 2022. Moreover, Russian jets flying in pairs found that EW pods on one interfered with the others radar. In effect, they could choose between jamming incoming missiles or having a functioning radar. There are other ways to defeat EW. Drones that have GPS jammed can resort to terrain matching: comparing images of the ground below to a stored map. The technique dates to the 1950s and is used by many cruise missiles, like Americas Tomahawk. But modern algorithms and computing power allow it to be done with remarkable precision, at lower cost and on a tiny chip. GPS can also be supplemented with signals from communications satellites in low orbit (like Starlink), ground-based transmission sites (like Russias Loran system) and even magnetic-field navigation, suggests Mr Goward. And as weapons increasingly morph into explosive computers, the line between EW and cyber-attacks is blurring. Andriy, the Ukrainian officer, says Ukraine often inserts malicious code into Russian drones mid-flight. EW is ultimately a game of cat and mouse. Russia and Ukraine both seek electromagnetic supremacy, says Mr Withington, but neither can achieve it for good. Control will ebb and flow throughout the battle. Jammers will find a way through; defenders will eventually plug the gap. America helped fix the problems with JDAM-ER by ensuring that the bombs acquired a good GPS signal before leaving the plane, according to leaked documents. Excalibur is now hitting its targets again, says a Western official. In EW, things change very fast, says Andriy. But the battle must be waged. In this war, we see that if you do not dominate this domain, you will not be effective in other domains. 2023, The Economist Newspaper Limited. All rights reserved. From The Economist, published under licence. The original content can be found on www.economist.com Egypt and Turkey took a further step toward restoring full diplomatic ties on Tuesday by dispatching ambassadors for the first time in years, the latest step in the reconciliation between the two regional powers. FILE PHOTO: Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu meets with his Egyptian counterpart Sameh Shoukry in Cairo, Egypt March 18, 2023. REUTERS/Mohamed Abd El Ghany/File Photo(REUTERS) In a joint statement, the two countries announced the appointment of Salih Mutlu Sen as Turkish ambassador to Cairo and of Amr Elhamamy as the Egyptian ambassador to Ankara. This step aims to establish normal relations between the two countries once again and demonstrates their mutual determination to work towards enhancing their bilateral relations for the best interest of both the Turkish and Egyptian peoples, the statement said. Egypt and Turkey withdrew their ambassadors as tensions between them flared following the Egyptian military's 2013 ouster of Islamist President Mohammed Morsi amid mass protests against his divisive one year of rule. Morsi hailed from the Muslim Brotherhood group, which Turkey supported. Egypt has designated the group a terrorist organisation. Egypt's government celebrated the 10th anniversary of the anti-Brotherhood protests on June 30. The rapprochement between the two countries is part of Turkey's efforts to build bridges with countries in the region and end its international isolation amid an economic downturn. Turkey has recently also repaired its ties with Israel, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Americans should reconsider travel to China due to the risk of wrongful detention, warned the US state department said in an updated travel advisory. The department had listed China as a "Level 3: Reconsider Travel" destination in its previous advisory due to the risk of "arbitrary enforcement of local laws". Travellers walk with their luggage at Beijing Capital International Airport.(Reuters) The risk of wrongful detention was also listed as a reason for US travellers to "exercise increased caution" in a March advisory. A state department spokesperson said that the Chinese government "continues to engage in this practice" of wrongful detention owing to which "the Travel Advisory has been updated to advise US citizens to reconsider travel to Mainland China due to the risk of wrongful detention." The Department of State has determined the risk of wrongful detention of US nationals by the PRC government exists in the PRC, advisories in late June and March noted. The advisory comes after US secretary of state Antony Blinken travelled to Beijing last month. The US and China had made "progress" toward steering relations back on track as both sides agreed on the need to "stabilize" the bilateral relationship, he had then said, adding that he raised the cases of the three Americans known to be wrongfully detained in China: Kai Li, Mark Swidan and David Lin. US treasury secretary Janet Yellen will travel to the Chinese capital this week. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON The United States celebrated the 247th anniversary of its independence on Fourth of July 2023. On the historic day, US President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris acknowledged the efforts of US soldiers and military in safeguarding the nation. The nation commemorated the sacrifices of the revolutionaries who fought for independence from the British in 1776. The United States celebrated the 247th anniversary of its independence on Fourth of July 2023.(Twitter) Former President Barack Obama extended his wishes. Former President Donald Trump posted an emotional video wish on Instagram. Elon Musk quoted a tweet showing rocket shooting into the sky with USA's national flag in the foreground. He wrote Happy Independence Day!. Hollywood actor Arnold Schwarzenegger wrote on Instagram Happy 4th of July! I was born in Austria, but I am Made in America. Consider this your official reminder: put your phone down, turn off the social media, get outside, BBQ, and spend some time with your friends and family. Joey Chestnut won at the Nathans Famous Hot Dog Eating Contest on July 4, 2023. He ate 62 hot dogs in 10 minutes! Millions of US citizens used the holiday to party, relish sumptuous meals, engaged in fun activities and had picnics with family and friends. US department of education concluded its inquiry into a shocking sexual misconduct incident at the Takoma/Silver Spring Campus of Montgomery College in Maryland. The investigation related to a case on a professor who, in 2019, brazenly asked female students to strip during class. Saying that it is medical assessment, the professor demanded that the girls remove their shirts. The professor also made inappropriate comments about the students.(Representational) The request was uncalled for as there was no legitimate reason for clothing removal, according to department's office for civil rights (OCR). The professor also made inappropriate comments about the students' nipples and breast positioning, the OCR found as per Fox News. Montgomery college concluded that the professor had created a hostile environment based on sex. The professor was immediately placed on leave upon the filing of a report. He was later terminated. The OCR initiated its investigation after a student's complaint that the college had discriminated against her by not promptly addressing her sexual harassment complaint. Montgomery College's spokesperson, Marcus Rosano, expressed the college's support for the resolutions outlined in the department of education's final report while declining to disclose the professor's identity. Montgomery County Council member Will Jawando said, "I do think the most important thing happened when this horrible sexual harassment happened, the person was removed immediately when the complaint came in and they were shortly thereafter fired. I think that worked." SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Israeli forces began withdrawing from a refugee camp in the occupied West Bank on Tuesday, an army spokesman said, after nearly two days of a large-scale military operation in the area that killed 12 Palestinians. Israeli forces stand near a fence, as an Israeli military operation continues on Jenin refugee camp in the Israeli-occupied West Bank.(REUTERS) The raid on Jenin refugee camp, launched early Monday under Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's hard-right government, employed hundreds of troops as well as drone strikes and army bulldozers that ripped up streets. Elsewhere a car ramming and stabbing attack in Tel Aviv had wounded seven people before the suspect was shot dead on the second day of Israel's biggest military operation in years in the occupied West Bank. "Israeli forces have started withdrawing from Jenin camp," an army spokesman told AFP late on Tuesday night, without offering further details. Hours earlier explosions had been heard from the camp and a drone hovered overhead, an AFP correspondent reported. Also Read: Israel carries out airstrikes near Syrian city of Homs Palestinian health ministry said two Palestinians were killed on Tuesday, taking the total death toll to 12 since the start of the raid that displaced from their homes. "In the last five years, this is the worst raid," said Qasem Benighader, a nurse at a hospital morgue. The army said its forces had dismantled six explosives manufacturing facilities, three operational situation rooms in Jenin and confiscated large quantities of weapons. "The weapons were located in hideouts, a mosque, pits concealed in civilian areas, operational situation rooms, and in vehicles," it said. The army said it had uncovered militant hideouts, arms depots and underground shafts used to store explosives. - 'Cut off from world' - During a visit to an army base near Jenin, Netanyahu vowed to "uproot terrorism". "We will not allow Jenin to go back to being a city of refuge for terrorism." The Palestinian foreign ministry labelled the escalation "open war against the people of Jenin". Medical charity Doctors Without Borders also condemned Israeli forces for firing tear gas inside Khalil Suleiman hospital in Jenin, calling it "unacceptable". On Tuesday, shops in Jenin were shuttered amid a general strike and the near-empty streets littered with debris and burned roadblocks. The army said it does not intend to stay in the camp housing about 18,000 people but was ready for prolonged fighting. "The most dangerous is what happened inside the camp, where there is no electricity, no water, and no roads for those who need to go to hospital," Jenin mayor Nidal Abu Saleh told AFP. Around 3,000 people had fled their homes in the refugee camp, said deputy governor of Jenin, Kamal Abu al-Roub. Imad Jabarin, one of those leaving in the rubbles-strewn camp, said "all aspects of life have been destroyed, there is no electricity and no communications... we are cut off from the world to some extent". The northern West Bank has seen a recent spate of attacks on Israelis as well as Jewish settler violence targeting Palestinians. The Israel-Palestinian conflict has worsened since early last year, and escalated further under the Netanyahu government that includes extreme-right allies. Palestinian militant group Hamas, meanwhile, praised the "heroic" attack in Tel Aviv as "an initial response to crimes against our people in the Jenin camp". The driver in Tel Aviv was thought to have intentionally hit several pedestrians on a shopping street before getting out of the vehicle to "stab civilians with a sharp object", police said. The "terrorist", a West Bank resident, was shot dead by an armed civilian passerby, said police chief Yaakov Shabtai. - 'Strengthen settlements' - The United Nations decried the violence in Tel Aviv and Jenin. "The killing, maiming and the destruction of property must stop," UN rights chief Volker Turk said. The United States said its ally Israel had a right to "defend its people against... terrorist groups" but called for protection of civilians. In the Israeli-blockaded Gaza Strip, protesters burned tyres near the border fence with Israel. Israel has occupied the West Bank since the Six-Day War of 1967. Excluding annexed east Jerusalem, the territory is now home to around 490,000 Israelis in settlements considered illegal under international law. The Palestinians, who seek their own independent state, want Israel to withdraw from all land it seized in 1967 and to dismantle all Jewish settlements. Netanyahu, however, has pledged to "strengthen settlements" and expressed no interest in reviving peace talks, which have been moribund since 2014. At least 190 Palestinians, 25 Israelis, one Ukrainian and one Italian have been killed this year, according to an AFP tally compiled from official sources from both sides. They include, on the Palestinian side, combatants and civilians, and on the Israeli side, mostly civilians and three members of the Arab minority. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON A champion skydiver from Australia reportedly died in Texas while testing a high-risk method for the sport called swooping. 29-year-old Melissa Porter, of Perth, was an instructor at Skydive Spaceland Houston. She was attempting the new method, and eventually had a hard landing and fell into shallow water, according to ABC 13 Houston. Melissa Porter, of Perth, was an instructor at Skydive Spaceland Houston (Eloy Navarro via Mel Porter/Facebook) As per witnesses, Melissas parachute deployed during the advanced landing manoeuvre. However, it was too close to the ground, news.com.au reported. Melissa was declared dead after being rushed to a nearby hospital. According to investigators, they noticed no blunt force trauma to her body. They were unsure if she had suffered a medical emergency either. Her cause of death will be determined by the Galveston County Medical Examiners Office. Melissas mother, Vonnie Porter, was asked to call the hospital in America. She subsequently received the heartbreaking news of her daughters death. "I said, 'I'm ringing about Mel Porter.' I said, 'She's been in a skydiving accident'," Vonnie told 9News. "He said, 'She is dead.' "She's my baby and she's not coming home, Vonnie said, adding that Melissa "loved" the sport. "That was her happy place. She'll forever be in the sky roaming the world now," she said. Earlier this year, Melissa helped set a skydiving record in Queensland. She was one of only 23 women who jumped at Skydive Ramblers in Toogoolawah on May 6. Melissa finished the "2-point 23 way", which is an Australian women's total-break sequential record. The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) is now "providing consular assistance to the family of an Australian woman who died in the United States". "We send our deepest condolences to the woman's family," a DFAT spokesperson said. What is swooping in skydiving? According to Skydive Monroe, Skydiving swooping is all about how a skydiver lands their parachute, aka canopy. To achieve a swoop landing, they perform various skilled maneuvers while relatively close to the ground that increases the dive and speed of their canopy flying and they swoop over the ground (or water!) at super-fast speeds. When someone swoops, they essentially create a surge that drives the canopy towards the ground. They do this by giving a specific amount (not too much and not too little!) input to slightly stall the canopy. This stall momentarily pauses the forward motion, giving the canopy pilot an opportunity to strategically dive (so sick!). Swoopers do this with just enough time to level out and stylishly glide across the ground (or the corn, snow, or pond anything really)! Note, this level out is the end of what we call a flight cycle of the canopy, it continues. It adds, Canopy piloting varies for every swooper because every skydiver has their own style and idiosyncrasies that work for them and their particular canopy. Different canopies will respond differently to input from the pilot, but the goal is to control the increase or decrease in forwarding speed or drive. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON A woman hiking a remote part of Arizona's Grand Canyon tragically died in triple-digit heat, officials have confirmed. The 57-year-old hiker, who has not been named, was discovered dead in the Tuweep section of the national park on Monday, July 3. Parts of the Grand Canyon have even peaked at 114 degrees. Parts of the Grand Canyon have even peaked at 114 degrees (AP Photo/Ty O'Neil - Representational image)(AP) On July 2 at approximately 6:30 p.m., a U.S. Park Ranger received a report of a distressed day hiker in the Tuweep area of Grand Canyon National Park, a press release by the park reads. The hiker, a 57-year-old female, was attempting an eight-mile hike in the remote Tuweep area of the park when she became unconscious. A ranger arrived on scene at approximately 1 a.m. on July 3 and pronounced the hiker deceased. On July 2, the high temperature at Tuweep was well over 100F (38C), with the high temperature at Phantom Ranch, near the Colorado River along the North Kaibab trail, reached approximately 114F (46C). Park rangers at Grand Canyon National Park urge visitors to Grand Canyon, especially inner canyon hikers and backpackers, to be prepared for excessively hot days in the coming weeks. An Excessive Heat Warning has been issued for inner canyon portions of the Grand Canyon through Wednesday, July 5, the release adds. The press release further says that temperatures on exposed parts of the trail can even reach over 120F (49 C) in the shade. It says hiking in extreme heat can lead to heat exhaustion, heat stroke, hyponatremia, and even death. Park rangers strongly advise not hiking in the inner canyon during the heat of the day between the hours of 10 a.m. and 4 p.m, it adds. The press release confirms that an investigation into the death of the woman is being conducted by the NPS in coordination with the Mohave County Medical Examiner. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON A dangerous drug called Tranq is wreaking havoc on unsuspecting users, rotting their flesh and causing a surge in deaths. Xylazine, also known as Tranq, has infiltrated the drug market, making its way into bags of heroin, cocaine, meth, and even commonly abused pills like Xanax. Healthcare workers and addicts alike are bewildered by the horrifying side effects of this consciousness-erasing substance. Registered nurse Jazmyna Fanini cleans the wound of drug user Crystal Mojica in a park in New York City on April 24, 2023. The tranquillizer, approved for veterinary use by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), has infiltrated the illegal drugs market in the US, with producers increasingly using it to augment fentanyl. Overdose deaths where tranq was detected have soared in recent years and in April the White House designated the drug an "emerging threat." (AFP) Melanie Cox, a 51-year-old mother of three, shared her harrowing experience with Tranq, explaining how a small injection spot between her thumb and index finger turned into a grotesque, brownish-green lesion. It wasn't the heroin she had been using for years that caused this flesh-eating wound; it was the animal sedative known as Tranq. Cox described the sensation as if her hand was emitting heat, with the drug eating away at her flesh under the skin. Tranq's prevalence has shocked healthcare professionals, with the Visiting Nurse Association Health Group in Asbury Park reporting that every single client shows traces of Tranq in their urine. The drug's reach extends beyond just causing flesh-eating lesions; deaths linked to Tranq have spiked significantly in recent years. According to a report from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the rate of drug overdose deaths involving xylazine was 35 times higher in 2021 compared to just three years earlier. The combination of tranq with fentanyl has created an especially deadly concoction that puts users at a higher risk of fatal drug poisoning. The effects of Tranq are nightmarish. Users experience severe sedation, low blood pressure, and a state of semi-consciousness akin to zombies. The drug can also induce psychosis, causing users to suffer from delusions and paranoia. Lee McCully, a harm reductionist working with the nurse association in Asbury, revealed the alarming stories she has heard, including users believing they have GPS in their bodies or that they are being followed by the FBI or CIA. The epidemic of Tranq abuse has reached alarming levels, with Philadelphia serving as the epicenter. The city reported that over 90% of tested drug samples contained xylazine. Disturbing footage from Philadelphia's Kensington neighborhood showcased rows of individuals in a zombie-like state, leading to increased risks of robberies and violence targeting these vulnerable users. Public health officials are struggling to address this emerging crisis. The rising death toll and widespread distribution of Tranq prompted the White House to designate the fentanyl/xylazine blend as an "emerging threat," requiring a comprehensive strategy to tackle the issue. However, until effective measures are put in place, individuals must recognize the immense danger posed by the current drug supply. It is vital to protect oneself and be aware that the substances being used may contain deadly additives like Tranq. good neighbor, a neighborhood home for global brands and locally-designed goods, is announcing a new hospitality concept, guesthouse opening in Baltimore in late summer 2023. A hospitality alternative that features the touchstones of what our neighbors have come to expect: seven unique, design-immersive, thoughtfully curated spaces that are a fully shoppable experience. guesthouse is the full realization of staying at a loved one's home. Shawn Chopra designed each room with heritage in mind and a love for modern design. Materials from Baltimore, Egypt, North Africa, and India, where Shawn and his wife are from, informed his design decisions. Shawn pushed to reimagine larger landmarks, such as the Pyramids of Giza or the step-wells in India, into interior details, such as the lobby bar and the powder room sink, while bringing them to life with a sustainable team of makers from Baltimore and materials sourced locally. Shawn's design background is rooted in childhood memories. As a son of immigrant parents from India, who worked hard to build a life stateside, Shawn's parents' would buy an old home in lesser condition and renovate while living in it over some time before moving onto another fixer-upper - this led Shawn to become immersed with interiors, renovations, and design growing up gutting, painting, framing and furnishing numerous homes over the years. Vacations were never a common practice for his family, except for visiting India every few years, specifically the town of Chandigarh, India, where Shawn's parents met. Chandigarh is one of the design capitals of the world. It is a historic UNESCO site now, as it was the first modern brutalist city designed by French architect Le Corbusier and his cousin Pierre Jeannerret at the request of India's first PM after British rule, Jawaharlal Nehru. The city was inherently built to settle India's religiously diverse population and refugees and be a home and safe space for everyone no matter what background - to do such, clever and open design was needed. Likewise, this idea informed Shawn's initial design brief and direction of a good neighbor in 2019. good neighbor was founded by Shawn Chopra and his wife, Anne Morgan with the goal of creating a seamless, multi-touchpoint retail concept, built around being a good neighbor and welcoming people into your home. It combines their love of design with their immigrant culture of abundant hospitality going above and beyond for their guests in all areas including food & drink - anticipating and curating needs of each guest fostering an open community filled with thoughtful products, and sparking creativity and conversation around art, design, fashion, music and film. Amenities will include and take design inspiration from brands sold inside the shop: Maryland oak bed frames and custom millwork by good neighbor's in-house design team Baltimore Douglas fir reclaimed floors by Brick & Board Lighting by MENU Custom concrete countertops designed by local maker, LukeWorks Original artwork and ceramics by artists from Baltimore and India Scandinavian birch wood bath accessories by Iris Hantverk Apothecary and aromas by Le Labo Oeko-tex certified cotton towels and linens designed by good neighbor Sound systems by Bang & Olufsen Samsung Frame Television Stationary designed in collaboration with Odette Press Artisanal Bejmat Zellige tiles, crafted in Spain Mini-refrigerator Curated wine, beer, and snacks The boutique hotel has seven rooms available from $139 - $295 a night. Hotel website IHG Hotels & Resorts, one of the world's leading hospitality companies, today announces the signing of Hotel Indigo Satu Mare, a brand debut in Romania. This latest signing delivers the lifestyle brand's market debut in the Balkan nation and strengthens the brand's presence in Eastern Europe. Located in one of the area's best-known Art Nouveau building in Satu Mare, the hotel will celebrate the neighbourhood's individuality through a reimagined upscale boutique-design - creating a gateway to discover the local culture. Satu Mare is a city located in Romania's northern borderlands and is known as a gateway to some of the country's most picturesque landscapes, has some of the oldest architecture in the region and excellent rail links to the rest of the country. The Old Town is famed for its quaint 'village-like' feel and archaeological heritage dating back to the Bronze and Middle Ages. The hotel's facade is one of the most iconic aspects of the city's skyline, with architecture dating back to 1902. Slated to open in 2025, Hotel Indigo Satu Mare joins IHG's three other properties in Romania; Intercontinental Athenee Palace Bucharest, Crowne Plaza Bucharest, and Holiday Inn Bucharest-Times - with other properties such as Crowne Plaza Constanta Mamaia Beach in the pipeline - further strengthening IHG's footprint across the emerging market and overall growth momentum in Europe. Romania is one of the fastest growing economies in the CEE, presenting plentiful opportunity for hotel development and investment. Comprising of 62 design-led rooms and suites, Hotel Indigo Satu Mare will feature a locally inspired restaurant, stylish cocktail bar and a spa. Signed under a franchise agreement with Dacia SRL, a subsidiary of Manevi ZRT, the hotel also ushers in a new era of collaboration between IHG and a new, ambitious owner group. The hotel will be operated by Hotel & More, a Hungarian hotel Operator with a vast experience in the hotel sector and in the region. Pictured above, from left to right: Farkhad Kamilov - Development Manager, IHG; Andrzej Szymczyk - Development Director, IHG; Karin Sheppard - SVP & MD Europe, IHG (front left); Balazs Klemm - CEO, Hotel & More Holding (back middle); Dr Orsolya Pacsay-Tomassich - Director General of Foundation for Preserving Built Heritage in Central Europe (front right); Miguel Martins - Head of Development, Northern Europe, IHG; Marton Nandori - CEO of Dacia SRL Sofitel Melbourne On Collins is pleased to announce the appointment of Rachael Harman to the position of General Manager, commencing from 24 July 2023 following the retirement of renowned industry veteran, Clive Scott AM. As an accomplished hospitality and tourism professional, Rachael brings over 20 years of experience to her new role having spent time working in senior management roles for various luxury hotel brands across Australia, New Zealand, Malaysia and Singapore. In her most recent role as General Manager, Sofitel Adelaide, she oversaw the hugely successful launch of South Australia's newest luxury international property which has quickly become one of Australia's leading hotels. With a passion for hospitality, Rachael is committed to excellence while providing exceptional service and experience for her guests. Although born and raised in Adelaide, she is no stranger to Melbourne having previously spent eight years in the city and is excited to be moving into her next chapter at Sofitel Melbourne On Collins. In addition, Accor has announced the appointment of Clive Scott AM to the new consultant role of Sofitel Arts Ambassador Australia. Having built an incredible world-class arts program during his time as General Manager at Sofitel Melbourne On Collins, which is known as Melbourne's 'Hotel for the Arts', his new role will focus on developing similar programs across all Sofitel properties in Australia. The Future Hospitality Summit (FHS) has confirmed the first speakers for the regions flagship hospitality investment platform taking place from 25-27 September at Hilton Abu Dhabi Yas Island. Organised by The Bench, FHS brings together the Middle East and Africa's industry leaders for discussions, deals and insight on the continued growth of the region's hospitality and tourism sectors. Leaders from some of the worlds most dynamic hospitality brands who have confirmed to speak include Accor Chairman & CEO Sebastian Bazin, Camil Yazbeck, Global Chief Development Officer of Accor; Guy Hutchinson, President & CEO of Rotana; Kevin Jacobs, Chief Financial Officer and President, Global Development for Hilton, and Gilda Perez-Alvarado, Global CEO of JLL Hotels & Hospitality. Among the names representing the real estate, asset management, consulting, banking and investment community are Mariam Al Musharekh, Executive Director of Human Resources at Miral Group; Raed Kuhail, Executive Director of Digital & Technology at Miral Group; Giuliano Gasparini, Head of Hospitality Asset Management at Wasl Group; Dale Qi Shen, Vice President, Director - Real Estate Structuring & Advisory of Mashreq Bank; Andrew Gilmore, Principal Economist at The Economist Group, and Nick van Marken, Managing Director van Marken Consulting. Stephen Sackur, Presenter of HARDTalk, will return to FHS as MC for the event. Technology will once again be at the forefront of the FHS 2023 programme with leaders discussing the future of the hospitality and travel tech stack. Confirmed speakers include Cenk Sidar, CEO and Co-Founder of Enquire IA. We are excited to announce our first speakers as part of what is set to be an exceptional line up of distinguished regional and global industry leaders, representing some of the worlds most respected hospitality brands and investment organisations. FHS, alongside the 19th edition of our flagship event AHIC - Arabian Hospitality Investment Conference, will be making its debut in Abu Dhabi thanks to our host sponsors, Abu Dhabi Convention & Exhibition Bureau, Miral, and Hilton Abu Dhabi Yas Island. Jonathan Worsley, Chairman of The Bench Under the theme Focus on Investment, FHS 2023 will comprise several content tracks including Investment, Operating Models, Innovation, the Future of Tourism and ESG. In addition to main stage keynotes, interviews and panel discussions, the event will feature a series of networking opportunities, excursions, master classes and workshops, including a sneak peek of USALI 2024, a masterclass on best practice for financing hospitality assets and key considerations in the UAE, a student workshop with The Emirates Academy, and a Think Tank to discuss the hospitality talent pipeline to develop and attract the best industry professionals. We are proud to host the Future Hospitality Summit on Yas Island, bringing one of the leading hospitality summits to Abu Dhabi for the first time. Our partnership with the Abu Dhabi Convention and Exhibition Bureau marks an exciting chapter in our journey to solidify Yas Islands position as a leading global business destination, defined by world-class assets and unparalleled experiences. We look forward to hosting a new record-breaking event in the Capital and welcoming industry leaders to explore the exceptional experiences this remarkable Island has to offer. >Taghrid Alsaeed, Executive Director, Group Communications and Destination Marketing at Miral Again this year, the Future Hospitality Summit will be hosting the finals of the Sustainable Hospitality Challenge, a Hotelschool The Hague initiative that sees over 50 schools participate in a global competition that inspires and connects students from around the world to create innovative, regenerative, and sustainable solutions. This year's challenge is proud to announce that for the first time, internationally reputable architecture, technology and design universities will be joining the top-tier hospitality institutions, forming multidisciplinary student teams. For more information and registration for delegate passes please visit https://www.futurehospitalitysummit.com/. Discounted rates are available for students, investors and startups. About The Bench The Benchhas established a legacy for delivering world-leading investment forums and conferences in Europe, Africa, the Middle East, and Latin America. The key principle behind these platforms has remained "dealmaking'. Transforming the way business connect, Bench has developed a reputation for creating innovative and high-impact meeting spaces for the industry. For over two decades - government leaders, tourism ministries, global travel & tourism associations, the world's most influential hospitality brands, hotel owners & investors, renowned restaurant groups, airlines & aviation authorities, destination developers, asset managers, financial groups and consultants have been participating in The Bench's events for their respective objectives. These include AHIC, AHIF, GRIF, FHS, AHF, IDEEA, AviaDev and RENEW where industry players showcase their brands, position themselves as thought leaders or innovators, and connect with the right opportunities and knowledge. Learn more on www.thebench.com Anne Bleeker In2 Consulting +971 56 603 0886 The Bench An innovative new project is announced today aimed at supporting hotels in eight African countries in sourcing more through local supply chains. The project will be run by the Sustainable Hospitality Alliance and aims to increase the hospitality industrys positive impact in local communities and improve hotels environmental and social sustainability. The Alliance will work with local Four Seasons, Hilton, Iberostar, IHG Hotels & Resorts, Kerten, Marriott and Wyndham Hotels & Resorts procurement teams and properties on the project. The project will be supported by the Special Initiative "Decent Work for a Just Transition" of the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), which is implemented by the Deutsche Gesellschaft fur Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH among others and also operates under the Invest for Jobs brand. Procurement processes are a fundamental part of the Alliances work, especially in the developing markets across the globe. Spanning over two years, the project will focus on local supply chains in Ethiopia, Rwanda, Egypt, Tunisia, Morocco, Senegal, Cote DIvoire and Ghana. The project will include local supplier training, hotel guidance and impact reporting on fair employment, diversity and environment. The purpose of this project is to identify and understand the challenges and opportunities in developing holistic local sourcing strategies and to enable and support hospitality businesses to do so. This project will support local suppliers in engaging with hospitality businesses, helping them to grow their customer base and enabling them to create jobs to support this expansion. It will help local suppliers to respond to the needs of hotel companies (including through aligning their measurement of social and environmental KPIs with what hotels require), while helping hotels to understand and account for how local suppliers may operate differently to their current supply base. This project is part of the Alliances Net Positive Accelerators one of the new initiatives which are part of the Alliances new five-year strategic plan. The strategy, launched earlier this year, promotes Net Positive Hospitality for People and Planet. The accelerator programme aims to inspire the Alliances members and leverage their footprints and operations to launch collaborative pilot initiatives targeting systemic issues in specific destinations. The aim is to capture critical learnings and potential for scaling and replication, which will be disseminated to the broader industry. There is tremendous potential for hotels to source more through local supply chains, thereby increasing their positive impact in local communities. We hope this Accelerator project can be fundamental in changing procurement processes in developing markets and beyond, inspiring the hospitality sector to develop more holistic local sourcing strategies. Sustainable Hospitality Alliance CEO, Glenn Mandziuk Our goal is to create decent jobs in our partner countries while contributing to a sustainable transformation of economy and society and at the same time empowering women and girls. I am confident that this cooperation will help us to achieve these goals. Thomas Rolf, Head of Programme at GIZ About the Special Initiative "Decent Work for a Just Transition": Under the Invest for Jobs brand, the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) has put together a package of measures to support German, European and African companies in investment activities that have a high impact on employment in Africa. The Special Initiative "Decent Work for a Just Transition" the official title offers comprehensive advice, contacts and financial support to overcome investment barriers. The development objective is to team up with companies to create good jobs and improve working conditions in the eight African partner countries. The Special Initiative is implemented by the Deutsche Gesellschaft fur Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH among others. Further information is available at www.invest-for-jobs.com. About the Sustainable Hospitality Alliance The Sustainable Hospitality Alliance brings together the hospitality industry and strategic partners to address key challenges affecting the planet and its people, local destinations and communities. They develop practical free resources and programmes to create a prosperous and responsible hospitality sector that gives back more than it takes. Their members represent over 50,000 hotels totalling 7 million rooms and include world-leading companies including Choice Hotels International, Marriott International, Hilton Hotels & Resorts, IHG Hotels & Resorts, Hyatt Hotels Corporation, BWH Hotel Group and Radisson Hotel Group, as well as regional brands. Their network also includes other parts of the hospitality value chain, including owners, investors and suppliers, to further drive joined up action on sustainability, and accelerate the industry on the path to net positive hospitality. For more information, please visit: www.sustainablehospitalityalliance.org. Becca Smith Sustainable Hospitality Alliance Sustainable Hospitality Alliance Booking.com creates a large positive impact in the Netherlands. This is the finding of a new study by consultancy KPMG based on its True Value methodology. This research project provides a holistic assessment of Booking.coms economic, social and environmental impact in the Netherlands. The study values Booking.coms net-contribution to Dutch society at 3.6 billion from 20192021. Booking.coms headquarters in Amsterdam accounts for 57% of the estimated societal value creation. The remaining 43% of the value is attributable to Booking.coms positive impact on accommodation providers throughout the Netherlands, who benefit from additional demand for their services by being listed on Booking.com. The largest part of the upside can be attributed to the economic and social impacts from operations, while the negative effects arise mainly from greenhouse gas emissions. True Value Methodology By assigning a monetary value to the natural and social dimensions of Booking.coms business model, it quantifies costs and benefits, which might otherwise be overlooked, and allows for a more holistic understanding of Booking.coms net contribution to the Dutch economy, society, and natural environment. The analysis was built upon Booking.coms data, but the valuation factors were derived from reliable third party sources such as governmental papers and scientific research. Our platforms global reach allows us to effectively match global demand with local supply, and thus generate incremental bookings, increase national income and boost tourism spending and, ultimately, job-creation. The True Value analysis focuses on the identification and valuation of the impacts generated by Booking.coms operations, and that by our accommodation partners in the Netherlands. This includes the additional revenue realised by accommodations through working with Booking.com as well as the associated environmental and social impacts of these incremental stays. Other environmental and social impacts generated by tourists when staying at the hospitality partners of Booking.com, such as the food waste generated at establishments other than the property partners or carbon footprint of the transportation they have taken, are not in scope as they are not under the influence of Booking.com. The analysis covers a three year period from 2019 to 2021. The table below provides an overview of the impacts in scope of this report and their societal impact. Economic impact Headquartered in Amsterdam, Booking.com has contributed 1.9 billion to the national income from 2019 to 2021 by purchasing local services, creating employment, and paying taxes. Our platforms global reach allows us to effectively match global demand with local supply, and thus generate incremental bookings, increase national income and boost tourism spending and, ultimately, job-creation. The study estimates this economic impact at 1.6 billion for tourism spend and 12.5 million in local tourism tax collections. However, the study may have underestimated the impact due to the Covid-19 pandemics effect on the tourism industry as a whole and our company in particular. Socio-economic impact Booking.com creates socio-economic impact in several dimensions some of which could only be assessed qualitatively. This includes Booking.com enabling geographic dispersion and thereby reducing the pressures of over-tourism on certain locations. Additionally, Booking.com plays an active role in attracting international talents, which positively impacts the highly-skilled labour shortage in the Netherlands, especially in the Information Technology sector. For example, in 20202021, 68% of its total attrition moved on to other firms within the Netherlands, and 43% of its total attrition stayed in the Information Technology sector. Booking.com pays above living wages to its employees in the Netherlands, improving their quality of life. The quality of life improvements due to Booking.coms above living wages is valued at 135,5 million over the study period. The report notes that there is room for improvement when it comes to equal pay between males and females. While employees in the same role and same department are paid equally, females are underrepresented in more senior and leadership roles. At Booking.com, we believe that travel is a force for good in the world. By the same token, we want to be a positive force within Dutch society Environmental impact Booking.com has three main environmental impact categories: greenhouse gas emissions, waste generation, and water consumption. Zooming in on the most material finding: Booking.com, our suppliers and accommodation partners emit greenhouse gases, which amounts to a negative externality of 18,2 million over a three year period (20192021), 73% of which is attributable to the incremental nights booked with property partners. Water consumption has an estimated negative impact of 0.8 million, and waste generation has a monetised negative impact of 0.01 million. Some potential negative impacts, like air pollution, couldnt be quantified due to data limitations. However, these environmental impacts are relatively small and unlikely to materially affect the overall assessment. In closing At Booking.com, we believe that travel is a force for good in the world. By the same token, we want to be a positive force within Dutch society; our goal is to demonstrate commitment to sustainable development and exemplify corporate citizenship. A first step in delivering on this ambition is to understand the state of play. Weve learned a great deal from this independent assessment by KPMG and are excited to share the findings with you. As Booking.com HQ moved into the new campus in Amsterdam, we look forward to the next chapter of our journey together. Booking.com Officially Opens New Campus in the Heart of Amsterdam Source: Booking.com View source From left to right: Farkhad Kamilov; Andrzej Szymczyk; Karin Sheppard (front left); Balazs Klemm (back middle); Orsolya Pacsay-Tomassich (front right); Miguel Martins; Mrton Nndori IHG Hotels & Resorts lifestyle brand announces its presence in Romania with the signing of Hotel Indigo Satu Mare IHG Hotels & Resorts today announces the signing of Hotel Indigo Satu Mare, a brand debut in Romania. This latest signing delivers the lifestyle brands market debut in the Balkan nation and strengthens the brands presence in Eastern Europe. Located in one of the areas best-known Art Nouveau building in Satu Mare, the hotel will celebrate the neighbourhoods individuality through a reimagined upscale boutique-design - creating a gateway to discover the local culture. Satu Mare is a city located in Romanias northern borderlands and is known as a gateway to some of the countrys most picturesque landscapes, has some of the oldest architecture in the region and excellent rail links to the rest of the country. The Old Town is famed for its quaint village-like feel and archaeological heritage dating back to the Bronze and Middle Ages. The hotels facade is one of the most iconic aspects of the citys skyline, with architecture dating back to 1902. Slated to open in 2025, Hotel Indigo Satu Mare joins IHGs three other properties in Romania; Intercontinental Athenee Palace Bucharest, Crowne Plaza Bucharest, and Holiday Inn Bucharest-Times - with other properties such as Crowne Plaza Constanta Mamaia Beach in the pipeline - further strengthening IHGs footprint across the emerging market and overall growth momentum in Europe. Romania is one of the fastest growing economies in the CEE, presenting plentiful opportunity for hotel development and investment. Comprising of 62 design-led rooms and suites, Hotel Indigo Satu Mare will feature a locally inspired restaurant, stylish cocktail bar and a spa. Signed under a franchise agreement with Dacia SRL, a subsidiary of Manevi ZRT, the hotel also ushers in a new era of collaboration between IHG and a new, ambitious owner group. The hotel will be operated by Hotel & More, a Hungarian hotel Operator with a vast experience in the hotel sector and in the region. Willemijn Geels, VP Development, Europe, IHG Hotels & Resorts, said: This new signing marks the beginning of a new partnership in Romania; to have introduced another brand to this growing market is an exciting milestone and we are so proud to be redeveloping one of the countrys most iconic hotels. Hotel Indigo Satu Mare will bring a defined lifestyle presence to the city and paves the way for further development in Romania. Dr Orsolya Pacsay-Tomassich, Director General of Foundation for Preserving Built Heritage in Central Europe, said, We are proud to be partnering with IHG Hotels & Resorts to bring the first Hotel Indigo property to Romania. Given the rich history of the building and Hotel Indigos famed appreciation for the unique details of individual neighbourhoods, it is set to be a perfect pairing and one which will transform the city of Satu Mare. This deal marks the start of a partnership with IHG that will bring new and exciting projects to Romania. Mr Balazs Klemm, CEO, Hotel & More Holding, We are excited to be taking on the operation of the first Hotel Indigo property in Romania. The lifestyle brand is renowned worldwide and were confident we can deliver exceptional stays for guests coming to explore Satu Mare. The Crown, Bhubaneswar IHCL SeleQtions Hotel Indian Hotels Company (IHCL) announced the opening of The Crown, Bhubaneswar IHCL SeleQtions hotel in Odisha. The hotel inspired by the cultural heritage of Odisha is located in the heart of Bhubaneswar. Mr. Puneet Chhatwal, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, IHCL said, We are delighted to open the doors of The Crown, Bhubaneswar IHCL SeleQtions, and it marks the debut of the SeleQtions brand in the state. The ancient temple city being part of the golden triangle of Odisha has always had tremendous tourism potential. This opening strengthens IHCLs presence in the states most popular circuit. Spread over 1.75 acres of lush greenery, the hotel is strategically located adjacent to the Kalinga stadium and a short driving distance to Biju Patnaik International Airport. The 81 keys hotel offers spacious rooms with their decor influenced by the local art and craft. Guests can indulge in a gastronomic journey at the all-day diner Zodiac Cafe, enjoy coastal specialties at Bait or relax at the bar, Highness with handpicked selection of beverages. The hotel also offers confectionery and on-the -go meals at Deli, the patisserie. With over 10,000 square feet of meticulously designed event spaces spread across five conference venues, as well as expansive open spaces, it is an ideal destination for every occasion. The hotel features state-of-the-art gym and a pool. The Crown offers curated exclusive experiences to enhance your stay, including fascinating temple visits and culinary trails. Mr. Jalpreet Singh, General Manager, The Crown, Bhubaneswar IHCL SeleQtions, said, This hotel is a testament to our commitment to enhancing the travel experiences of our guests, providing a haven of luxury and comfort amidst the vibrant beauty of Odisha. Bhubaneswar is the capital and the largest city in the state of Odisha. It is an information technology and education hub with tourism as its major industry. With the addition of this hotel IHCL will have six hotels in the state of Odisha across brands including two under development. Google My Business Listings Google My Business for hotels (now Google Business Profile), is a free local search product that opens the door to a bevy of hotel SEO opportunities and increased visibility of your property. Whether youre running a hotel or bed & breakfast, you can use a Google Business Profile to better promote your property and increase your presence in the local search results. We already know that holding real estate on the search engine results page (SERP) is super important, and Googles constant algorithm updates play a prominent role. But focusing and optimizing for local search is an increasingly important element of earning SERP real estate. First things first Claim and Verify Your Hotels Google Business Profile Before your business listing can display on Google Maps, Search, and other Google services, you must claim and verify your account. To claim your listing: Enter the name of your business in the Google Maps search bar. Choose the correct business from the search results. Select Claim this business and Manage now Select your preferred verification option. If youre opening a new hotel, see our breakdown of how to set your hotel up for success before it opens. Typically, verification is accomplished by postcard, email, or phone. If youve already verified your businesss website with Google Search Console, you may be able to verify your hotel instantly. Just make sure youre using the same email account you used to verify your site with Google Search Console as your Google Business Profile. Choose your primary category Once verified, youll also choose a primary category for your property. That could be Hotel, Resort, Bed & breakfast, etc. The category you select can influence the types of searches your hotel can appear for in the Google Hotel Pack. The Hotel Pack is a search feature that lists several hotels when someone makes a local search like boutique hotels in san diego, pet friendly hotels in chattanooga, or hotels near me. Important Note: A Google Business Profile typically sits to the right of the SERP on desktop, and below search ads on mobile. On Maps, it will display to the left on desktop and at the bottom on mobile. Update Your Knowledge Panel to Display Your Businesss Information You may have heard that your Google Business Profile is like the front door to your business. Thats because its true. A Google Business Profile acts as your virtual storefront and communicates important information to searchers, similar to what you may see in a physical storefront. It cant be stressed enough how important it is that this information is correct. Business Profile section of a hotels Google Business Profile. How many times have you made a search for a service, only to discover the phone number or hours listed in the Google My Business listing was inaccurate? Pretty frustrating, right? Dont be that business. When searchers find your local listing, the Business Profile - which sits at the top of your listing - will contain the following information: Phone number Address Hours of operation Website URL Important Note: Make sure the info (phone #, address, etc.) displayed on your Google Business Profile matches with your social profiles, website, and other online citations and directories to avoid confusion. Hotel Attributes and Details Using Google Business Profiles Hotel attributes section lets you select the amenities and services offered at your property. You can also select amenities that are in your hotel rooms. You can select whether your property has a casino, a kids club, daily housekeeping, and so on and whether those amenities are free, only offered on specific days or seasons, or are under renovation. Other attributes include eco - friendly certifications and sustainability practices implemented at your hotel. These are useful features that can make your listing user - friendly and your property more appealing. A Hotel details section in the Knowledge Panel will also provide a short description detailing the property. Important Note: Unfortunately, hotels do not have the option to customize the summary under the Hotel details section. This information is aggregated by Google from your website and other digital listings, so make sure your information is consistent and correct across the web. Dont Leave Questions Unanswered A potentially time - consuming, yet positive function of a Google Business Profile if performed well, is the Questions and Answers feature. This section is super useful because it allows you to respond to questions from potential guests. When answering a question, dont respond with simple yes or no answers; be informative and leave a detailed response. If someone asks about check - in or check - out times, provide the answer and refer them to visit your website or contact the front desk if they have any more questions. If a searcher asks a question that you find particularly important, you can upvote it, potentially increasing the visibility of that question on your listing for others to see. Important Note: Anyone can answer questions on your Google Business Profile listing. Therefore, its best to frequently audit your listing and make sure people are seeing the correct answers by answering questions yourself. Build Your Own FAQ Page Like previously mentioned, you can upvote questions and answers on your local search listing within the Questions and Answers section. If someone asks a question you believe to be particularly important you can upvote it. Doing so may increase the visibility of the question. With that in mind, you can also create your own questions, answer the questions yourself, and upvote the question and the answer. Not only does this provide searchers with an instant answer straight from the source, but it also prioritizes your time so youre not receiving the same questions over and over. When you can, incorporate keywords in a loose, organic manner. But dont keyword stuff. Encourage Guests to Leave Reviews Reviews carry a lot of weight on the SERP - your local listings visibility can increase because of them. Google reviews and star ratings sit just below your propertys name - near the top of the Google Business Profile - and can help your property stand out. Profiles also include a Reviews section where 65% of people are likely to check out before making a decision. This section sits towards the bottom of the Google Business Profile. Did you know: 72% of people left a review after a local business asked them to do so. If youre looking to build reviews for your hotels Google Business Profile, the odds are in your favor! Incorporate ways to encourage guests to leave reviews across several mediums like post - stay emails, physical signage (in - room, front desk, etc.), social media, or a hotel mobile app. Similar to answering questions left by searchers, if a guest leaves a review - positive or negative - its best practice to leave a response. Add High - Quality Photos and Video It goes without saying, but presenting your hotel with high - quality images and video is an eye - catching advantage. Photos and videos sit at the top of your listing and they should provide guests with an inside look at your property. This includes a logo, a cover photo, 360 photos, a video, and several image categories/labels including the exterior, interior, rooms, and food and drink. A couple of dos and donts for adding photos and videos: Do include images of unique features that separates your hotel from the rest include images of unique features that separates your hotel from the rest Dont use stock photos use stock photos Do include exterior shots, room interiors, amenities, employees assisting guests, etc include exterior shots, room interiors, amenities, employees assisting guests, etc Dont use a logo as your preferred photo ( FYI : its not a guarantee Google will use the photo you select as the preferred photo) use a logo as your preferred photo ( : its not a guarantee Google will use the photo you select as the preferred photo) Do use wide - angle, well - lit shots use wide - angle, well - lit shots Dont use close - cropped images or images that dont convey what your hotel has to offer use close - cropped images or images that dont convey what your hotel has to offer Do optimize your images for SEO: filenames and alt tags (optimizing your images can have a positive impact on Google Image searches) optimize your images for SEO: filenames and alt tags (optimizing your images can have a positive impact on Google Image searches) Dont keyword stuff the filenames or alt tags of your images (ex. Alt text: Downtown Chicago Hotels for an image of a room interior) - be clear and descriptive of what is in the image. If you dont have equipment for 360 photos or video, its worth it to hire a professional. Important Note: Guests can also post photos to your listing. If theres an image someone posted that you believe is harmful to your business or violates Googles policy guidelines, you can report the image to Google for removal. Google Posts for Hotels Now available to all hotel profiles, Google Posts are a great way to share announcements and updates about your hotel. Currently, Google offers two types of posts that hotels can use: Add update and Add event. For the Whats New post type, you can include an image and a call to action with a link to your website. For the Event post type, you can add an image or a video, event details, event title, event dates, and a call to action with a link to your website. Important Note: Google says hotels cant create a post that suggests the existence of or that links out to deals, promotions, special offers, or discounts. Google wants people to stay within their hotel metasearch ecosystem, so it makes sense that they wouldnt want anyone to book another way. Google Business Profile for Hotels: Things to Avoid Weve covered a handful of dos and donts, but there are a few other items that you should avoid when optimizing your Google Business Profile - avoiding these will not only keep you in the good graces of Google but will also provide a better user experience for searchers: Having multiple listings for the same location Keyword stuffing in responses to questions and reviews, image alt text, etc. Using the wrong address Including links to your website in a response to a question or review Choosing categories that dont match your offering Do follow Googles guidelines so you dont get penalized. Health and safety updates Google Business Profile also includes Health & safety attributes. In TravelBooms latest traveler sentiment study, nearly 30% of leisure travelers see COVID - 19 as a concern in the traveler decision process. While this is much lower than what weve seen in past traveler sentiment studies, there are still travelers that may think twice if your hotel isnt doing a diligence to keep guest health and safety in mind. If youre looking to keep travelers minds at ease, Google Business Profiles Health & safety attributes accomplishes that. There are several options to choose from, including Enhanced cleaning of guest rooms and Masks required on the property that will help your listing stand out and build confidence in travelers to stay at your hotel. Dont Forget About Bing Places With all of this Google talk, Bing can easily be overlooked, but its just as important. Claim, verify and make sure your Bing Places for Business listing is optimized and displays the correct information. If you havent claimed your Bing Places listing, you can do so here. Aside from traditional verification methods like mail and phone, you can also verify your Bing Places listing via Bing Webmaster Tools. If you have a Bing Webmaster Tools account set up using the same email account you used to claim your Bing Places listing, and the website URL in Bing Places matches the verified domain in Bing Webmaster Tools, your listing should verify instantly. Once verified, it typically takes up to two weeks for your listing to publish with any new information youve added. You can also import your business information from your Google Business Profile, which saves time from filling out property details. The login information you used for Bing Places must also match the login information you use for Google Business Profile for this feature to work. Always Be Active Now that you have your shiny, updated listing ready for the world to see, that doesnt mean you should take a set it and forget it approach. Staying active on your listing, whether it be answering questions, responding to reviews, or adding new images every so often, sends signals to Google that your profile is active and updated, which can have a positive impact on your local rankings. Get more insight into local SEO for hotels. Have a question? Need assistance with optimizing your Google Business Profile? Contact TravelBoom Marketing for expert advice and service. About TravelBoom Marketing TravelBoom specializes in developing and executing customized data - driven marketing solutions that drive direct bookings and growth for its clients. With over 25 years of experience in digital marketing for travel and hotels, TravelBoom leverages advanced data science and analytics to uncover insights and develop strategies that greatly enhance results for our clients and reduce reliance on third - party channels. TravelBoom is also host of the worlds #1 ranked Hotel Marketing Podcast and its quarterly Traveler Sentiment Study both of which can be found at www.travelboommarketing.com. As an existing print subscriber it is easy to get FREE access to all our online content. If you have already been getting our print edition mailed to you and you were never mailed a login and password you can create one yourself and attached the customer account and zip to get access. You simply use the account number and zip from the front cover of your print edition. If you just signed up on our subscription site, it does take about a week for our systems to update your print subscription to our online services. Our circulation representatives will send you and email with your login information and your account number. After your online account has been created and you have logged in, you can attach your print subscription account number and zip code to it to gain online access. Once logged and on the Print Subscriber Access page you will be prompted to enter an account number and a zip code, or just your zip code. When entering the zip code, only enter the first 5 digits. The account number and zip code are easily available on your most recent issue of the High Plains Journal in the address fields as is shown here. Sometimes the account number has extra zero's in front of it, just ignore those. MassDOT Online Vehicle Census Dashboard BOSTON? The Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT) announced the launch of a new online dashboard, the Massachusetts Vehicle Census (MVC),?the first public dataset that joins information about how much vehicles are being driven with information about the vehicles themselves, including vehicle type, vehicle use, fuel classification, and the municipality the vehicle is garaged in. The Massachusetts Vehicle Census is a resource for the public providing information regarding vehicle usage, baseline data on the total number of vehicles available, and mileage accrual. The data now available to the public will support conversations regarding how to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. "Governor Healey and Lieutenant Governor Driscoll have said the climate crisis is our biggest challenge, and they want us to meet this moment with innovation and urgency. This new dashboard is going to be a significant resource to increase the public conversation about steps we should be taking,"?said Transportation Secretary and CEO Gina Fiandaca. "Data is a powerful tool, and the new Massachusetts Vehicle Census has accurate and timely information on the types of vehicles registered in Massachusetts, whether they are gas, electric or hybrid, and where the vehicles are town by town.? We are grateful to the Metropolitan Area Planning Commission for helping us develop the dashboard and believe the information on it will help increase the public conversation around ways to achieve our climate goals." The Massachusetts Vehicle Census, with Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) regarding the states vehicle fleet, fulfills the legislative requirements established in the 2022 climate and clean energy bill (Chapter 170 of the Acts of 2022). MassDOT worked in collaboration with the Metropolitan Area Planning Council (MAPC) in the development of this resource. The public can view the dataset and then filter data geographically by municipality and metropolitan planning organization (MPO), as well as by selected characteristics about vehicles. The dashboard is available at?this link, and the data is available for download. The new dashboard supports the Healey-Driscoll Administrations commitment to taking steps to combat climate change.? The Administration recently created the position of Climate Chief, a new cabinet-level position responsible for driving climate policy across every agency and ensuring that climate change is considered in all relevant decision-making. Massachusetts is the first state in the nation to establish such a position at the cabinet level.? Climate Chief Melissa Hoffer will be monitoring the progress of the administrations cross-agency climate work to ensure that municipal leaders, labor, and those disproportionately impacted by the climate crisis have a seat at the table. She will play an integral role in putting Massachusetts on track to meet the administrations ambitious climate goals.? Innovation:Anhui bets big on industries of the future China's efforts to promote independent innovation will accelerate the construction of a modern industrial system, which will help the country counter external curbs on crucial technologies, said industry experts and company executives. They made the comments as East China's Anhui province, for decades overshadowed by coastal regions, emerges at the forefront of technological innovation by achieving breakthroughs in artificial intelligence, quantum computing, new energy and many other future industries. Fu Baozong, director of the industry department at the Beijing-based Academy of Macroeconomic Research, which is part of the National Development and Reform Commission, the country's top economic regulator, said: "Prioritizing innovation will consolidate China's advantages in traditional industries and at the same time speed up breakthroughs in core technologies for a modern industrial system. It will further enable the country's industrial development to be strong enough to withstand external risks and challenges." His comments echo President Xi Jinping's remarks during his inspection of Anhui in 2020, where he emphasized that for Anhui, innovation is key to leapfrog development. Xi has also emphasized on various occasions this year that high-level self-reliance and strength in science and technology are key to Chinese modernization. Anhui might not seem like another Silicon Valley, but it has seen great scientific and technological innovations. It aims to build China's own global technology and innovation center for modern industrial development. The center, known as USTC Silicon Valley, was set up in Hefei, capital city of Anhui, last year. USTC, or the University of Science and Technology of China, the Anhui provincial government and Hefei municipal government are the founding partners. Together they will invest in and support global talents to incubate their tech breakthroughs at the center. Wu Hailong, chairman of the service platform company of USTC Silicon Valley, said: "The soul of the valley is to innovate in the system and mechanism for entrepreneurship, and to bring together forces from the government, university and research institutes as well as companies." "Ideally, a scientist can do research and development, incubate ideas into a business, find partners, start a company, cooperate with industrial chain providers all in a single building in the valley," Wu said, adding that the government wants to make each building in the valley an "innovation consortium". By 2025, the valley is expected to gather more than 100,000 high-level talents from across the world, form a diversified funding system with over 200 billion yuan ($29.86 billion), nurture 1,000 high-tech enterprises and more than 50 listed firms and unicorns. Zhang Lianqi, a member of the Standing Committee of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, said: "To build a modern industrial system, there must be a group of world-class enterprises that are developed and led by innovation. Only through innovation can Chinese companies occupy a dominant position in the global industrial competition, and form the right to speak on the global stage." A case in point is voice recognition software firm iFlytek based in Hefei. The company unveiled in May its own artificial intelligence language model called SparkDesk to challenge the United States' ground-breaking chatbot ChatGPT in education and enterprise uses. Liu Qingfeng, chairman of iFlytek, said: "It is expected that the large model will surpass the current level of ChatGPT in Chinese understanding and match the OpenAI chatbot's capabilities in English by October." Before that, the model will go through three rounds of key technical upgrades, Liu said, claiming that it has already outperformed ChatGPT in text generation, knowledge-based questioning and answering, and mathematical ability. Hu Yu, senior vice-president of Geovis Technology Co Ltd, a Beijing-headquartered digital earth solutions provider, said: "Driving technological innovation will make a huge impact. The commercial aerospace sector, for instance, has incorporated technologies like big data, artificial intelligence and deep learning and will empower China to gain a lead in the next round of technological revolution." Looking into the future, Anhui is also betting big on strategic, emerging industries for long-term innovative development. The local government has outlined several future industries, including new energy, in its development plan during the period covered by the 14th Five-Year Plan (2021-25). Developing future industries was also emphasized by President Xi during the two sessionsthe annual meetings of the National People's Congress, the top legislative body, and the CPPCC, the top advisory body, in March, where he said that strategic capabilities in emerging fields must be bolstered in pursuit of new advantages in national development and international competitions. Pan Wang, secretary of the board of leading power battery firm Gotion High-Tech, said: "The company will continue to map out industrial chains on a global scale, beef up research and development, and make innovations on core technologies, so as to boost China's new energy competitiveness on the global stage." Wang Zhen, deputy head of Shanghai Academy of Social Sciences, said: "Gathering different innovative factors will make a huge difference. Inland regions of China may have the opportunity to be emerging centers for innovation and entrepreneurship, in the same manner as Silicon Valley." Who in this world hasnt come across someone labelled a weasel? However, after reading the chapter The Weasel Family in John Lister-Kayes moving tribute to nature Footprints in the Woods: The Secret Life of Forest and Riverbank (Canongate) it seems these mustelids get a bad press for being sneaky and sly. According to Lister-Kaye, weasels are ferociously courageous, frequently taking on prey up to 20 times their weight. Pound for pound the weasel ranks with the fiercest carnivores on Earth, he writes. Pop goes the cliche. Another book full of natural wonders is Juhani Karilas Summer Fishing in Lapland (Pushkin Press, translated by Lola Rogers), which is described as a literary mash-up. The novel, which was a big hit in Finland, has a wonderfully zany energy, although the swarm of bugs mentioned put me off a trip to Lapland anytime soon. Karila describes the giant horseflies as black turds with wings and details how they snip at your scalp and ladle out the blood. Horseflies were living Swiss Army knives built by Satan himself, is how Karila flamboyantly puts it. The blaring morass that is London and the mythical Lake District are the settings for James Clarkes engaging, inventive literary noir novel Sandersons Isle (Serpents Tail). The novel, full of neat twists and potent writing, is about a television presenter and his friend who get caught up in an off-grid 1960s psychedelic hippy cult as they hunt for a missing child. Get our free weekly email for all the latest cinematic news from our film critic Clarisse Loughrey Get our The Life Cinematic email for free Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the The Life Cinematic email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} The Barbie film will not be released in Vietnam over its apparent inclusion of a controversial marking in a map of the South China Sea. Starring Margot Robbie as the iconic doll, Barbie was scheduled to be released in the southeast Asian country on 21 July, in line with its cinematic debut in most countries across the world. However, state media announced on Monday that the movie will no longer be distributed in Vietnam due to the depiction of a map that uses the nine-dash line. The U-shaped line, used on Chinese maps, represents areas that China has claimed as its territory. First shown on a map in 1947, the nine-dash line is controversial as the area specified as Chinese territory is contested and includes a significant area that Vietnam considers its continental shelf. China and Vietnam have long been in a standoff over the region, while Taiwan, the Philippines, Brunei, Malaysia and Vietnam all make claims to parts of the sea. As reported by Reuters, the Vietnamese state-run newspaper Tuoi Tre said that due to its use of a map depicting this territorial shape, Barbie will no longer be released in the country. Vi Kien Thanh, head of the department of cinema in Vietnam, was quoted in the publication as saying: We do not grant license for the American movie Barbie to release in Vietnam because it contains the offending image of the nine-dash line. Ryan Gosling and Margot Robbie as Ken and Barbie (Warner Bros) The Independent has reached out to Warner Bros, Barbies distributor, for comment. This is not the first time that the Vietnamese government has decided to halt a films release due to the inclusion of the nine-dash line. Last year, Sony's action movie Uncharted was pulled for the same reason, as well as the DreamWorks animated film Abominable in 2019. Netflix also removed an Australian spy drama series, Pine Gap, from streaming services in 2021. Watch Apple TV+ free for 7 days New subscribers only. 6.99/mo. after free trial. Plan auto-renews until cancelled Try for free Watch Apple TV+ free for 7 days New subscribers only. 6.99/mo. after free trial. Plan auto-renews until cancelled Try for free Ahead of the films highly anticipated release, cast members have been stoking fans excitement with their promotional efforts. Ryan Gosling, who plays Barbies companion Ken, has been praised for fully embracing the happy-go-lucky energy of his character throughout the press tour. Robbie, meanwhile, has shared some insider knowledge about the creation of the film, including how they managed to achieve a genius shot of Barbies foot, as seen in the trailer, and a jaw-dropping joke that was cut from page one of the script. Barbie will be released in UK cinemas on 21 July. Get our free weekly email for all the latest cinematic news from our film critic Clarisse Loughrey Get our The Life Cinematic email for free Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the The Life Cinematic email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} Bollywood star Shah Rukh Khan was admitted to a hospital after suffering an injury at a film set in Los Angeles. The 57-year-old actor reportedly suffered a nose injury while shooting for one of his upcoming projects in the city. According to a source, the Pathaan star began bleeding and was immediately rushed to a hospital. His team was informed by the doctors that there was nothing to worry about and that King Khan would need to undergo a minor surgery to stop the bleeding, the source told ETimes. Post the operation, SRK was spotted with a bandage on his nose. He is now back in [India], recuperating at home. It is unclear when exactly the accident took place. The Independent has contacted Khans representatives for comment. Earlier this year, Khan broke his four-year hiatus by releasing his much-anticipated film Pathaan. (Getty Images) During a fan-meet session on Twitter, Khan revealed details of what he did during his hiatus. I just sat at home and watched all films that I could to become an audience again and not be a movie maker, he said. Soon after its release on 25 January, Pathaan made history by becoming the Hindi film with the most big-screen showings in cinema history. The spy thriller was being shown across 8,000 screens worldwide, according to NDTV. In April this year, Khans daughter Suhana was announced as Maybellines new brand ambassador for India. For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} China has tightened controls on the export of two crucial materials used in making computer chips amid an escalating chip war with the US and Europe. Starting next month, exporters will require special licenses to ship gallium and germanium metals that are vital components in semiconductors, communications equipment and missile systems. Chinas commerce ministry made the announcement on Monday in which it said the restrictions were needed to safeguard national security and interests, without providing any further reasons. The move comes just a few days ahead of US treasury secretary Janet Yellens high-stakes trip to Beijing which is seen as an attempt by president Joe Biden to stabilise the relationship between the two world powers who have constantly been at loggerheads. Chinas move is being seen as a retaliation to the efforts the US took in recent months to restrict Chinese access to advanced microprocessors. The semiconductor industry, which powers a wide range of devices from mobile phones to military hardware, has become a focal point of contention between China and the US. The US has been implementing measures to limit Chinas access to technology that it perceives as having potential military applications, including chips used in supercomputing and artificial intelligence. The US policy announced last October requires licenses for companies exporting chips to China, regardless of their origin. Following the US, the Netherlands recently announced plans to restrict exports of certain semiconductor manufacturing equipment, after an earlier decision to limit exports of their most advanced microchip technology. Japan also intends to restrict the export of specific computer chip manufacturing equipment to China. Chinese state media Global Times said the US is abusing export control measures to maintain its hegemony while creating disruption to global supply chains with the chip war. Anthony Blinken during his recent visit to China aimed at reducing tensions (AP) As the worlds largest producer of these metals, Chinas fresh move can also have a considerable impact on the global chip manufacturing and supply chain. A South Korean industry ministry official said on Tuesday that there would be a short-term limited impact from Chinas move. Commenting on the worsening tensions, Morris Chang, the retired founder of Taiwanese chipmaker Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, said globalisation is taking a backseat. Mr Chang, who founded the worlds largest contract chipmaker, said globalisation has been redefined as allowing businesses to move across borders only under the condition that such exchanges do not harm national security, technological supremacy and economic leadership. But can this still be considered globalisation? Mr Chang asked at a business forum in Taipei after China announced its curbs. Meanwhile, the Biden administration is also preparing to restrict Chinese companies access to US cloud-computing services, The Wall Street Journal reported on Tuesday, citing people familiar with the situation. The new rule, if adopted, would likely require US cloud-service providers such as Amazon and Microsoft to seek US government permission before they provide cloud-computing services that use advanced artificial intelligence chips to Chinese customers, the newspaper said. For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} Former British prime minister Liz Truss was paid more than 90,000 for her five-day trip to Taiwan in May, a visit that was severely criticised by China. Ms Truss, the shortest-serving prime minister of the UK for just 44 days, was the first British leader to visit Taiwan since Margaret Thatcher in 1996. She was invited to Taipei by Taiwan's foreign ministry to meet high-ranking officials, including president Tsai Ing-wen, in an effort to strengthen Western ties amid China's escalating aggression. She was paid 10,841 by the Taiwanese government for flights and accommodation, according to financial disclosures published on the British parliaments website last month. However, she received the majority of the payment from Prospect Foundation, a Taiwan-based think tank, for whom she delivered a keynote address on 17 May. She was paid 80,000 for her speaking engagement by the think tank which was sanctioned by China. Taiwan's foreign ministry on Monday said such speaking engagements were common for outgoing British leaders but did not comment on the speaking fee as it was not a party to the payment contract, Taiwan News reported. In her speech to the Prospect Foundation, Ms Truss urged the West not to work with China, while drawing comparisons between the self-governed East Asian island with Ukraine. "If Beijing keeps its word and escalates aggression towards Taiwan, substantial decoupling will be unavoidable. If we fail to prepare for this, the consequent economic pain will be felt by all of our people across the free world," she said. Her visit was vehemently condemned by Beijing, who called it a "dangerous political stunt" which will "do nothing but harm to the UK. "We urge the relevant British politician to correct her wrongdoing, stop making political shows with the Taiwan question and stop conniving at and supporting Taiwan independence secessionist forces," a spokesperson for the Chinese embassy in London said in a statement. China has beefed up its military activities around the self-ruled island in recent years, arguing that Taipei is obliged to reunite with Beijing, by force if necessary. Beijing claims Taiwan has no right to conduct foreign relations and often responds with large-scale military exercises around the island that split from the mainland in 1949 following a civil war. While Taiwan maintains official diplomatic relations with just 13 sovereign nations, it retains robust ties with most major countries, including the US. The Taiwanese government has been ramping up its effort to build Western relations to deter China's advances by inviting state leaders and visiting ally countries in Central America. The foreign ministry is reportedly planning to expand its budget to about 10.90m in order to invite around 2,400 foreign guests in 2023, an increase of 300 compared to 2022. Chinese state media Global Times in its report alleged that prior to Ms Truss, former US secretary of state Mike Pompeo and former house speaker Nancy Pelosi received similar payments for their visits and speaking engagements. The foreign ministry last year rejected a local media report on payments made for Mr Pompeo visit, saying that the "malicious speculation made with the aim of shifting public focus from the true meaning of the visit and disparaging a true friend of Taiwan". Mr Pompeos contributions to the development of Taiwan-US ties during his tenure as US secretary of state is a matter of public record and the two nations friendship has been deepened thanks to his visit, the ministry added. For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} The ongoing civil conflict in Indias border state Manipur has threatened food security in the region, warned a prominent local non-profit that called for an imminent resolution of the dispute. Due to unprovoked attacks on farmers, more than 10,000 hectares of agricultural land in the northeastern state might not see rice plantation this season, Irabot Foundation Manipur said, urging the government to act immediately. Highlighting the urgency of the situation, the president of the group, Gopen Luwang, said around 100,000 people may be deprived of a sufficient share of rice, with the region seeing widespread starvation in the coming years. Manipur has been under the grip of unprecedented violence for nearly two months. There have been more than 100 deaths, while 40,000 people have been displaced in clashes between the largely Hindu Meitei, which constitute little over half of the states population and tribal group Kuki, which make up 16 per cent of the population and comprise mostly of Christians. The clashes first erupted after a Tribal Solidarity March was called by the All Tribal Students Union of Manipur in May. The march was organised in protest against the demand for the inclusion of the areas majority Meitei community in the Scheduled Tribe (ST) category, following a 19 April Manipur High Court directive. Under Indian law, some government jobs, college admissions and electoral seats from village councils to parliament are reserved for communities under the ST category as a form of affirmative action to tackle historical structural inequality and discrimination. Charred remains of official residence of Manipurs minister Nemcha Kipgen in Imphal, which was set ablaze by mob last evening during ongoing ethnic violence in Indias north-eastern Manipur state, pictured on 15 June 2023 (AFP via Getty Images) The Kuki community has opposed the Meitei communitys inclusion in the list, fearing opportunity and job loss due to the groups demographically and politically advantageous position. The tribal group also argued that extending affirmative action to the Meiteis could expand their economic dominance and allow them to take over land in tribal areas. Mr Luwang highlighted that the farmers were not able to cultivate rice and vegetable due to unprovoked attacks on them by unknown miscreants. Around 40 thousand metric tonnes of rice would be under deficit next year, which means around one lakh [100,000] of the population will not receive a sufficient share of rice; this is an alarming situation and the government must step on the pedal if they want to avoid famine in Manipur, said Mr Luwang, according to local daily Imphal Free Press. Smoke bellows from a street after a standoff between mob and security forces at Sekhon in Imphal East during ongoing ethnic violence in Indias north-eastern Manipur state on 15 June 2023 (AFP via Getty Images) Meanwhile, Indias Supreme Court on Monday directed the states government to provide an updated status report on the ethnic violence, as the countrys solicitor general Tushar Mehta informed the court that the situation was improving, though slowly. Earlier, senior advocate Colin Gonsalves, appearing for the Manipur Tribal Forum, said the situation in the region has worsened, and told the court that the number of killings have gone up from 20 to 110. The tribal forum had filed a petition in the top court seeking the protection of the Kukis by the Indian army. The chief minister of the neighbouring Mizoram state also issued a statement saying the situation in Manipur has worsened. At this very moment, 3.30am, July the 4th, 2023; nothing seems to have changed. We are counting, and today is the 62nd day, tweeted chief minister Zoramthanga. While we hope with much goodwill, anticipation and hope, things would turn for the better, situations seem to have worsened [sic]. When will it STOP? he asked and sought the federal governments support for the rehabilitation of 12,000 people displaced from Manipur to Mizoram. Earlier, Indias opposition leader Rahul Gandhi took a helicopter to Manipur and visited relief camps to meet people who were affected by ethnic violence. Mr Gandhi also raised concerns over the scarcity of medicines, food and other basic amenities at the relief camps and urged the government to take action. Several rounds of peace talks between the two groups have failed and sporadic incidents of violence and arson continue to deepen the crisis in the state governed by prime minister Narendra Modis Bharatiya Janata Party. Federal home minister Amit Shah visited the state early this month and met community leaders in a bid to restore peace. But the opposition has repeatedly questioned the prime ministers stoic silence while asking Manipurs chief minister N Biren Sigh to resign from his post. For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} The UN's nuclear watchdog on Tuesday gave Japan the green signal to dump treated radioactive water from the tsunami-wrecked Fukushima power plant into the ocean. Japan is set to release more than 1 million metric tons of water into the Pacific that was used to cool damaged reactors at the power plant hit by an earthquake and a tsunami in 2011. The move has been criticised by neighbours China and South Korea despite Tokyo's assurance that the water is safe and has been filtered to remove most isotopes though it does contain traces of tritium. The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), after a two-year review, found Japan's plans were consistent with global safety standards and that they would have a "negligible radiological impact to people and the environment". "This is a very special night," IAEA chief Rafael Grossi told prime minister Fumio Kishida before handing him a thick blue folder containing the final report. Mr Grossi later told reporters that he would seek to allay lingering concerns and would station IAEA staff at the Fukushima plant to monitor the release. "We have to recognise that such a thing has not happened before," he said, adding that Japan would have the final say on the release, which is due to span 30 to 40 years. Tokyo has not specified a date to begin the water release pending official approval from the national nuclear regulatory body for Tokyo Electric Power (Tepco), whose final word on the plan unveiled in 2021 could come as early as this week. The treated water, enough to fill 500 Olympic-sized swimming pools, will be diluted to well below internationally approved levels of tritium (an isotope of hydrogen hard to separate from water) before being released into the Pacific. South Koreans stock up on sea salt and other sea products ahead of Fukushima wastewater release (Reuters) Japanese fishing unions have opposed the wastewater dumping plan, saying it would undo work to repair reputations after several countries banned some Japanese food products after the 2011 disaster. A petition from the regions around the plant has garnered more than 250,000 signatures since the proposal was first made. "Japan will continue to provide explanations to the Japanese people and to the international community in a sincere manner based on scientific evidence and with high level of transparency," Mr Kishida said after meeting the nuclear watchdog chief. Mr Grossi is scheduled to visit the Fukushima power plant on Wednesday and later head to South Korea, where consumers have been stockpiling sea salt due to fear of contamination. South Korea's fisheries authorities have vowed to ramp up efforts to monitor natural salt farms for any rise in radioactive substances and maintain a ban on seafood from the waters near the power plant. Chung Hwang-keun, the South Korean agricultural minister, said the country will not lift a ban on Japanese food products from the area around the nuclear plant until public concern over contamination is eased. Because that ban will keep any affected items out, "there is no need to worry about agricultural products," he told Reuters. China, which previously accused Japan of a lack of transparency, expressed regret over the "hasty" release of the nuclear watchdog's report. "If the Japanese side is bent on going its own way, it must bear all the consequences," China's foreign ministry said in a statement. For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} The death of a horse during a centuries-old riding festival in Japan has prompted allegations of animal abuse and a national outcry with calls growing to amend the rules. The backlash began after a horse named Merzouga was put down after falling down the hill and fracturing its left leg during the two-day festival called Ageuma Shinji (Riding Horse) in May in the city of Kuwana in central Japan. Merzougas death led to an outpouring of grief on social media as more videos emerged of horses jumping through the tough terrains with their riders on the back and getting injured in the process. Apart from Merzouga, five other horses were reported injured in this years festival held on 4 and 5 May. So far, the festival has been a cultural practice rooted in local traditions and beliefs and has a long history that dates back to the Edo period between 1603 1868. It is believed to have originated as a way to pray for a good harvest and protection against evil spirits. However, the death of Merzouga has led to demands of the landscape for this race to be reviewed with the prefecture receiving 1,000 complaints. The issue has also reached Japans parliament with lawmakers discussing a petition filed to end the festival which collected more than 31,000 signatures. The Life Investigation Agency NGO also filed a criminal complaint against 130 people linked to the Ageuma Shinji festival, demanding a review of terrain where the horses are made to run. Following a backlash over the euthanisation of Merzouga, a council made up of shrine officials, representatives of the prefecture, local police and local residents met behind closed doors on June 19 at the shrine, Ren Yabuki, the groups founder said, reported SCMP. The council then told local media that the structure of the hill, including the wall, was to be reviewed. Now, in a win for campaigners, the prefectural government has announced it will review the slope and structure of the wall in line with animal welfare concerns. Horses frequently face injuries during the festival as they are forced to jump through nearly impossible obstacles with some videos showing the animals smashing onto walls or falling down during the race. Disturbing videos on social media show horses being dragged by onlookers, some also seen slapping them and hitting them with ropes, sticks and whips. The 680-year-old Shinto festival takes place in the Japanese mountain town annually attracting visitors from around the country. Riders dressed as ancient Japanese warriors participate in the 100m race where horses are made to run along a track up a steep hill that includes clearing a difficult two-metre high embankment before they can enter the precincts of the Tado Taisha Shinto shrine. For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} Japan is launching a pilot scheme to identify potential lone actors to prevent attacks like the assassination of former prime minister Shinzo Abe. Local media reported that the initiative, which will be launched in August, was in response to Abes assassination and an attempted attack on prime minister Fumio Kishida earlier this year. Japans National Police Agency (NPA) said on Monday that the pilot scheme would identify potentially dangerous individuals to mitigate any future attacks by lone actors. Once the pilot is rolled out in August, it will be monitored and the results of the scheme will dictate whether it can be replicated in other jurisdictions, local media said. This new initiative is part of a series of changes introduced in guidelines drawn up by Japans national police agency just ahead of the first anniversary of Abes killing. The former prime minister was shot dead while giving a speech in Nara Prefecture on 8 July last year. Earlier this year, there was an attempted attack on Mr Kishida as well. Both attacks were by individuals who had no affiliation with any crime organisation. Speaking at an event where police chiefs all across Japan were gathered, NPA commissioner general Yasuhiro Tsuyuki said on Monday that the new guidelines including those on lone actors are aimed at making the police as effective an organisation as possible by looking closely at changing circumstances and our present state. As per the pilot scheme, police in some jurisdictions will gather information on individuals deemed particularly dangerous during questioning or other investigative activities, the Kyodo news agency reported. These officers will pass on this data to public security officials who will then access their threat level. According to a study by Dr Kiriu Masayuki of Tokyo University, a lone actor or lone wolf attack is an activity in which perpetrators, based on their personal ideology, in order to solve their own problems, kill or injure persons who are the cause or symbol of the problem, or destroy organisations that are the cause or symbol of the problem. The study said lone actors dont have a political or ideological view, their motives are personal and that they have a sense of psychological stagnation and disappointment in the future. In January, Japanese prosecutors formally charged Tetsuya Yamagami, the suspect in Abes assassination, with murder. The accused had written in a typed letter and tweets believed to be made by him that his mother made donations worth thousands of dollars to the controversial Unification Church, leaving him struggling with financial setbacks. He was four years old when his father had died by suicide. Though I feel bitter, Abe is not my true enemy. He is only one of the Unification Churchs most influential sympathisers, he had written. Ive already lost the mental space to think about political meanings or the consequences Abes death will bring, Mr Yamagami had further stated. The church is said to have deep ties with Japans ruling party lawmakers and even with Abe himself, who had praised its emphasis on family values. Several Japanese citizens had expressed their sympathy with Mr Yamagami and sought prosecutorial leniency for him. There were also suggestions of sending care packages to his detention centre to cheer him up, the Associated Press had reported. Sign up to the Independent Climate email for the latest advice on saving the planet Get our free Climate email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Independent Climate email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} Monsoon rains lashing parts of Pakistan are raising concerns over urban flooding and the preparedness of the South Asian country a year after it was devastated by a massive deluge. The Pakistan Meteorological Department issued warnings on Sunday that heavy rain and thunderstorms are expected to last for several days, increasing the risk of flooding in areas still recovering from the previous catastrophe. Last year, Pakistan experienced its worst floods driven by the manmade climate crisis, which left a third of the country underwater, killed at least 1,700 people and caused damages over $30bn. The Meteorological Department has predicted monsoon rains, that began from Monday, to last till the end of the week. Moist currents from the Arabian Sea are expected to penetrate the upper parts of Pakistan, accompanied by a westerly wave, leading to rain or thundershowers in various areas. It said cities like capital Islamabad, Peshawar, and Lahore are at risk of flooding due to the heavy downpour, while vulnerable areas like Khyber Pakhtunkhwa are at risk of landslides. The department advised authorities to remain on high alert. Even though the monsoon season has just started, large parts of Pakistan that are still reeling from last years flooding have repeatedly been hit by flooding and heavy downpours in the last few weeks, raising fears over the preparedness of the country. In June, authorities said at least 25 people died and 145 were injured due to heavy downpours and flooding in different parts of Pakistan. Eleven deaths were also reported due to lightning strikes. Heavy rains and thunderstorms in late June disrupted public life in Islamabad and Rawalpindi, submerging roads and hospitals. PNN, a Pakistani news channel, shared a video of a hospital flooded with water, while residents shared videos of bridges and roads underwater. Earlier, tens of thousands of people in Sindhs low lying areas, who also survived last years catastrophic floods, were evacuated and moved due to cyclone Biparjoy which lashed India and Pakistan with heavy rains. South Asian countries, including India, Pakistan and Bangladesh, have been experiencing intensified heatwaves and monsoon due to climate change. Experts said the monsoon is becoming more erratic, causing above normal rainfall in a short period after longer dry spells. Last years devastating floods in Pakistan were found to be more likely due to the climate crisis as the country faced intense rainfall within a short period, with melting glaciers leading to overflowing rivers. The role of poor infrastructure and the early warning system, however, was also highlighted by scientists as a factor that increased the countrys vulnerability. Pakistan is one of the worlds most vulnerable countries to intensifying extreme weather events although it responsible for less than 1 per cent of planet-warming greenhouse gas emissions. The country has received commitments of over $9bn from international donors to aid in recovery efforts, as rebuilding is estimated to cost approximately $16.3bn. Sign up to the Independent Climate email for the latest advice on saving the planet Get our free Climate email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Independent Climate email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} Investors have launched more environmental campaigns than ever before this year, as more companies are coming under pressures from a wave of shareholder activism, a new report has found. The UK is a top target for activist investors as major firms like Shell, BP, HSBC and The Restaurant Group have faced shareholder rebellions this year. The number of activist campaigns has grown steadily each month since January, resulting in 25 launched across Europe in May, according to professional services firm Alvarez & Marsal (A&M). The growing momentum bucks the trend of previous years where new campaigns dipped after annual general meeting (AGM) season, typically and March and April. Environmental campaigns have become more prominent as activists ramp up calls for corporations to commit to stronger climate policies. They accounted for 12% of all activist campaigns in 2023, compared to just 4% in 2019. As uncertainty in the market eases in the second half of the year and into 2024, we predict that a wave of activism will sweep across Europe Malcolm McKenzie, Alvarez & Marsal Energy giants BP and Shell are among the big UK businesses to have faced shareholder revolts as more ethically-conscious investors used activism to drive change. Investors and large pension funds demanded that Shell strengthen its goals for reducing greenhouse gas emissions at its AGM in May, while BP faced a rival climate proposal from activist group Follow This. Meanwhile, a group of investors and pension funds coordinated by ShareAction put pressure on banking giant Barclays to stop financing new oil and gas fields this year. For the first time, there are more than 100 major funds using activist tactics across the continent, A&Ms analysis found. Furthermore, while there has been fewer mergers and takeovers this year, activists have turned their attention to corporate transformation campaigns. HSBC was embroiled in a dispute with its top shareholder, Ping An Asset Management, over demands to split up the bank and spin off its Asia business, which it wanted to improve performance and growth opportunities in the continent. The plan to break up the bank was rejected at its AGM, but HSBC has since unveiled plans to bolster revenues in Asia amid the pressure. Elsewhere this year, Wagamama and Frankie & Bennys owner The Restaurant Group was hit by a shareholder revolt over the 792,000 pay package handed to chief executive Andy Hornby. Activist fund manager Oasis Management protested against the unpalatable pay after four years of deep losses. The flurry of activism is likely to continue throughout the year and into 2024, A&M said. The firm said there are at least 140 European companies at higher risk of shareholder revolts unless they urgently address their own performance. Malcolm McKenzie, a managing director at A&M, said: As uncertainty in the market eases in the second half of the year and into 2024, we predict that a wave of activism will sweep across Europe. Management teams should expect significantly increased levels of shareholder scrutiny in the coming months and, with even more funds taking activist positions, anticipate demands from multiple activists at a time. Stay ahead of the trend in fashion and beyond with our free weekly Lifestyle Edit newsletter Stay ahead of the trend in fashion and beyond with our free weekly Lifestyle Edit newsletter Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Lifestyle Edit email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} On Tuesday, 4 July, millions of Americans will celebrate Independence Day. The occasion marks the date back in 1776 when Americans broke away from being ruled by the British, who had been on the continent since the 16th Century. First introduced by Congress in 1885 when it was decided that federal employees should have certain days off from work, the list of US federal holidays is made up of 11 days of significance that Americans recognise - and celebrate. To ensure that these holidays are observed, certain guidelines have been put in place, with federal holidays that fall on a Saturday observed by federal employees on the previous Friday, while holidays that fall on Sunday are observed the following Monday. On these 11 days, all non-essential federal offices are closed, while banks, post offices and schools may also be closed. However, that doesnt mean that all Americans will receive a day off from work, as employees in the private sector may or may not get the day off, depending on their employer. From Memorial Day to Thanksgiving, these are the dates of the 2023 federal holidays. 2023 federal holidays: New Years Day: Sunday, January 1 (Observed Monday, January 2) Martin Luther King Jr Day: Monday, January 16 Presidents Day: Monday, February 20 Memorial Day: Monday, May 29 Juneteenth: Friday, June 16 Independence Day: Tuesday, July 4 Labor Day: Monday, September 4 Indigenous Peoples Day (also observed as Columbus Day): Monday, October 9 Veterans Day: Saturday, November 11 (Observed Friday, November 10) Thanksgiving: Thursday, November 23 Christmas: Monday, December 25 Other important days to note: Valentines Day: Tuesday, February 14 St Patricks Day: Friday, March 17 Passover: Thursday, April 6 Good Friday: Friday, April 7 Easter: Sunday, April 9 Mothers Day: Sunday, May 14 Fathers Day: Sunday, June 18 Stay ahead of the trend in fashion and beyond with our free weekly Lifestyle Edit newsletter Stay ahead of the trend in fashion and beyond with our free weekly Lifestyle Edit newsletter Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Lifestyle Edit email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} A veterinarian has debunked a myth about why dogs are afraid of fireworks, as he explained how to help your pets when they hear fireworks on the Fourth of July. On his TikTok, Ben, who goes by the username @ben.the.vet, frequently shares videos with tips on how to care for animals. In a video shared last October, he did a duet of another clip, which showed a dog looking out of the window of a home and barking at fireworks outside. The initial video also claimed that dogs are scared of fireworks because they only hear banging. However, according to Ben, theres a different reason why dogs get nervous around fireworks. I think dogs are scared of fireworks because theyre really loud, and they sound threatening, he said. If your dogs are frightened of fireworks, dont just expose them to [fireworks] straight off, because theyre probably going to be traumatised, and itll be counterproductive. According to The Humane Society of the United States, many animals have been so frightened by fireworks on the Fourth of July that they run from otherwise familiar environments and people, and sadly become lost. Dogs could also suffer devastating or even fatal health effects from the stress. In his video, Ben continued by explaining the best way to help pets with their fear of fireworks: Desensitising them slowly to fireworks noises. The veterinarian noted that this strategy could be done by playing recordings of fireworks as background noises, with the volume changing over time. Do it several times everyday and start off really quietly, he said. And gradually increase the volume as the days go on. Ben noted that if your pets get scared by sounds of fireworks, then you should stop playing them. However, if they become nice and calm when hearing the background noises, he recommended owners give them a reward, in order to create a positive association with the sounds. He then explained different ways to help dogs during fireworks season. For example, Ben noted thatcould tire pets out by taking them on a really long walk before the fireworks starts . He also noted that people could use blankets or a crate to make a den for their dogs. This way they have somewhere to go and hide if theyre scared, he said. He encouraged viewers to close all their curtains and blinds during fireworks and turn the TV volume up, in order to help mask some of the banging noises from pets. Ben noted that while you can give a dog a toy as a distraction, dont fuss over your pets too much, because then theyll feel like they have something to worry about. He then encouraged people to stay calm during fireworks, since dogs are exceptionally good at sensing our emotional state. If youre stressed your dog will be stressed, he said, before noting that there are medications that you can get for dogs if theyre feeling anxious. Use them in conjunction with some of the other measures Ive described, theyre certainly not a solution on their own, he claimed about the medications. In some cases, it might be necessary for your dog to be prescribed some medication to reduce their anxiety by your vet. The Independent has contacted Ben for comment. Along with medications and keeping them away from fireworks, The Humane Society of the United States has recommended other ways to protect pets during Fourth of July festivities. For example, even when kept inside, dogs should always wear collars with ID tags. Indoor-only pets can become so frightened during fireworks displays that they may take desperate measures to escape the noise, including breaking through windows or door screens, the organisation explained. In addition, the Humane Society of the US recommended that your pets are microchipped and that the chip is properly registered with your current contact information. Sign up to IndyEat's free newsletter for weekly recipes, foodie features and cookbook releases Get our Now Hear This email for free Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the IndyEats email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} Nathans Famous Hot Dog Eating Contest in Coney Island has officially concluded, with defending champions Miki Sudo and Joey Chestnut taking home the prizes. On Tuesday 4 July, Sudo successfully consumed 39 and a half hot dogs and buns to claim a ninth women's title in Nathans Famous Fourth of July hot dog eating contest. Sudo beat competitor Mayoi Ebiharas 33 and a half hot dogs in 10 minutes. Although the two women appeared close throughout much of the competition, with the unofficial real-time counter showing the women tied, a final count of plates found that Sudo had come out on top. Despite winning the title, the 37-year-old competitive eater was disappointed in her winning total, as it was nine hot dogs short of her all-time high. The first couple minutes, I found myself watching her, which I never want to do, Sudo, of Port Richey, Florida. said of her 27-year-old competitor. I never want to be distracted by the other competitors. Watching her, I fumbled my hands. I got stuck with a big burp early on but was able to correct. The mens competition was then briefly delayed by rain, with some outlets reporting that the annual competiton had been cancelled altogether. However, George Shea, the events host and promoter, said that that was not the case when he told fans still gathered to watch the competition: We will never surrender, according to The New York Times. After the brief rain, the competition resumed at 2.20pm on Tuesday, with reigning champion Joey Jaws Chestnut easily winning his 16th title in the men's division with 62 hot dogs. Chestnut holds the mens world record of 76 hot dogs and buns consumed in 10 minutes, a feat he achieved in 2021. Sudo holds the womens world record with 48 and a half hot dogs eaten in 10 minutes. (Getty Images) (Getty Images) The annual contest on New York Citys Coney Island boardwalk drew competitors from England, Canada, South Korea, Japan, Brazil and Australia, according to ESPN. As noted by The New York Times, the eating contest is often touted as beginning in 1916. However, Mortimer Matz, one of the original promoters of the hot dog eating contest, previously revealed that the fact was made up in Coney Island pitchman style. The contest actually began in the 1970s. Stay ahead of the trend in fashion and beyond with our free weekly Lifestyle Edit newsletter Stay ahead of the trend in fashion and beyond with our free weekly Lifestyle Edit newsletter Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Lifestyle Edit email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} YouTube star Grace Helbig has revealed that shes been diagnosed with breast cancer in a new video. The actor, 37, posted an emotional video on YouTube on Monday to share the news, as she described her diagnosis as very shocking and surreal. After noting that she found out about her cancer about a month ago, she acknowledged that she finally felt ready to open up about it. While she went on to share that she has triple-positive breast cancer, she also expressed that her condition is treatable. From every doctor or medical professional or person who has any knowledge about cancer, they have said its super treatable, highly beatable. Were going for cure, not remission here. Which is exciting, encouraging, helpful, good, she said before adding that her doctors think she has Stage IIA breast cancer. According to the American Cancer Society, triple-positive breast cancer means that the tumours in ones body are HER2-positive, ER-positive, and PR-positive. StageII A breast cancer could mean that a tumour may not be found in the breast, but cancer cells have spread to at least one to three lymph nodes, according to the American College of Surgeons. This stage may also show a two to five centimeter tumour in the breast, with or without spread to the axillary lymph nodes. Helbig, who has more than 2.6m subscribers on YouTube, continued her video by describing her treatment plan. She said that she would be six rounds of chemotherapy, followed by surgery, followed by hormonal therapy. After thanking her friends and family for their support, she recalled how she was diagnosed with breast cancer at her annual gynaecologist appointment. However, she said that even before this appointment, shed already noticed a weird lump in her left breast. I really had to like talk myself into bringing it up to her in the appointment because I thought that I was just a stupid little girl that didnt know how girl bodies worked, and its probably just muscle tissue, she explained. Thank God I listened to that little voice inside of me that finally got the courage to bring it up to her, because she also thought it was abnormal. She also encouraged her viewers to get those lump checked, before recalling how she got a mammogram and ultrasound after her gynaecologist appointment. She then said that she had a biopsy, which, according to Helbig, her doctor had ordered for her to get done stat. The YouTuber star also revealed that shes been talking to VidCon founder Hank Green, who announced in May that hed been diagnosed with Hodgkins lymphoma, a cancer that impacts the immune system. I have been texting with him and his videos have been so incredibly helpful, she said. And I am now eagerly awaiting his cancer stand-up to read through, which he has promised to send me because Im going to need comedy through this process. She went on to note that fighting her cancer is her job now, while shes still been working on getting [her] confidence back throughout the last few years. She noted that she previously felt like she lost a sense of [herself] due to burn out, so she took a break from YouTube. She then confessed that before her cancer diagnosis, she was looking forward to making videos once again. I was really excited about the idea of starting to make content again from this healthier and more grounded place, she said. And then I got breast cancer. So I still have this desire to potentially make content, but I also need to listen to myself and play it by ear. Helbig confirmed that shes still going to be making episodes of her podcast, Lets Get Weird, with Mamrie Hart for as long as [she] can. She concluded her video by sharing a message she learned after being diagnosed with cancer, saying: You cannot plan for the future, you have to take it one step at a time. And this was the next step for me. Helbig went on to thank her husband, Elliot Morgan, for standing by her side, before adding: I am doing well, and Im ready to take this on. And I know I can take this on. In the comments of the video, many fans and fellow YouTubers wrote messages of support to Helbig. Green here just to say that we love you and [Elliot] and are thinking of you and your whole awesome family of supporters and caregivers. Im so sorry youre going through this, but ... theres no but to that sentence. Im just sorry, Kirkland Brand and Hank Green wrote, before adding a playful message from John Green: This is where I would insert a heart emoji but Im 45 years old. Oh Grace, I, and we ALL...love you! We are all cheering you on and thank you for being vulnerable and for always being strong enough, to make jokes and show people how humour can help you through so many hard things! makeup artist Kandee Johnson added. Im sending you all the air hugs, support and rallying behind you in every bit of love and support! This really hit me, Ive been watching you for over a decade since early high school you were a huge part of my adolescence, a third fan wrote. Youve got this Grace, kick this things a**. Stay ahead of the trend in fashion and beyond with our free weekly Lifestyle Edit newsletter Stay ahead of the trend in fashion and beyond with our free weekly Lifestyle Edit newsletter Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Lifestyle Edit email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} Americans are celebrating the biggest holiday of the year on Tuesday, Fourth of July, marking the 247th anniversary of the founding of the United States. The Fourth of July, celebrates the Second Continental Congress unanimous adoption of the Declaration of Independence, which occured on 4 July 1776. The document marked the colonies official separation from Great Britain and the establishment of the United States as a sovereign nation. All around the country, Americans are gearing up for their annual plans, which typically includes the customary barbecues, picnics, town parades and fireworks displays. As these festivities are about to begin, heres everything you need to know about the holidays historical significance and traditions, and why Americans celebrate it. What is the Fourth of July and the history behind it? The occasion honours the signing of the Declaration of Independence by the Founding Fathers on 4 July 1776. In putting quill to parchment, these 56 statesmen, who included Thomas Jefferson and Benjamin Franklin, renounced the British Empire and pronounced the North American colonies free states. Prior to this signing, the British Empire had built a commanding presence in the New World since Sir Walter Raleigh led the first attempts to establish settlements on the East Coast in the late Elizabethan era. By the 18th century, North America was governed from London and comprised of the Thirteen Colonies, consisting of Delaware, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Georgia, Connecticut, Massachusetts Bay, Maryland, South Carolina, New Hampshire, Virginia, New York, North Carolina and Rhode Island and the Providence Plantations. While relations between settlers and the Crown were initially amicable, tensions began to escalate under King George III, due to the imposition of British laws and taxes on American colonies, also known as the Stamp Act. By 1765, Americans began to demand an end to taxation without representation, calling for their voices to be heard in the Houses of Parliament. Acts of dissent followed, notably the Boston Tea Party in 1773. Two Continental Congresses were staged, bringing together delegates from the Thirteen Colonies to coordinate the resistance. At the second meeting in Philadelphia in 1775, the Declaration of Independence was signed, and the American War of Independence declared, with open combat erupting in Concord, Massachusetts, that April. The conflict would rage for eight years, until the signing of the Treaty of Paris in 1783. The declaration was drafted by the Committee of Five Jefferson, Franklin, John Adams, Roger Sherman and Robert Livingston and established citizens unalienable rights, observing that all men are created equal and enshrining the individuals entitlement to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. The draft was submitted to Congress on 28 June 1776, voted into law on 2 July and formally ratified on 4 July, a date that has been celebrated by patriotic Americans ever since. How has it been celebrated throughout history? The first readings of the Declaration were made in Philadelphia squares and met with bonfires and the ringing of bells. In Bristol, Rhode Island, a salute of 13 gunshots in the morning and evening marked the day in 1777, the countrys first formal Fourth of July celebration and a point of pride in the town to this day, which has held an annual parade since 1785. In 1778, George Washington, who was a general in the revolutionary army at the time, issued his troops with a double rum ration to cheer the day. The first recorded music commemorating independence was the Psalm of Joy, written by Johann Friedrich Peter in Salem, North Carolina, in 1783. Congress made the day an unpaid national holiday for federal workers in 1870 but it has been a paid vacation since 1938. How has it been celebrated today? Firework displays and parties are the most well-known activities associated with Independence Day. As a national holiday, it also serves as an occasion for reunions and vacations. Over the last two decades, American consumers have continued to purchase more fireworks to celebrate federal holidays. The American Pyrotechnics Association found that in the year 2000, American consumers spent $407m on fireworks. In 2022, there was a significant rise in sales, as consumers spent $2.3bn on fireworks during that year. Back in the 18th century, Founding Father John Adams predicted that fireworks would become a big part of Fourth of July. In a letter to his wife, Abigail, dated July 3, 1776, Adams wrote that commemoration of Americas independence ought to be solemnized with Pomp and Parade, with Shews, Games, Sports, Guns, Bells, Bonfires and Illuminations from one End of this Continent to the other from this Time forward forever more. Despite its widespread popularity on 4 July, fireworks can be quite dangerous. The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission reports that in 2022, 10,200 people were treated at emergency rooms and 11 deaths were blamed on fireworks. 73 per cent of the injuries occured in the weeks before or after 4 July. The organisation gave some safety tips for celebrating the holiday, which includes keeping children away from all fireworks, including sparklers, and keeping a bucket of water nearby incase of a fire. The agency also urges Americans to make sure fireworks are legal in their areas before buying or using them. Which US President refused to celebrate the Fourth of July? While many presidents throughout US history have honoured the Declaration of Independence on 4 July, there was one President who opted not to: John Adams. In a letter to his wife, he wrote that he refused to celebrate the holiday on July 4 because he felt July 2 was the real Independence Day. On 2 July, 1776, the Continental Congress voted in favour of the resolution for independence, though the Declaration of Independence wasnt formally adopted until two days later. Adams was quite adamant about his rule, as he even turned down invitations to Fourth of July festivals while serving as the nations second president. Unfortunately, Adams and Thomas Jefferson, the primary author of the Declaration of Independence, both died on the 50th anniversary of the documents formal adoption, 4 July, 1826. The fifth president of the US, James Monroe, also died on 4 July, but in the year 1831. Stay ahead of the trend in fashion and beyond with our free weekly Lifestyle Edit newsletter Stay ahead of the trend in fashion and beyond with our free weekly Lifestyle Edit newsletter Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Lifestyle Edit email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} The Duke of Sussex reportedly missed the wedding of his friend Jack Mann, who was an usher at his wedding to Meghan Markle and appeared among his band of brothers in a memorable photograph at Windsor Castle. Some reports speculated earlier this year that Prince Harry would return to the UK to attend Manns nuptials to osteopath Isabella Clark, which took place over the weekend in Suffolk. But according to the Daily Mail, neither Harry nor the Duchess of Sussex were present to see Mann marry Clark at St Peters Church in Stutton. In the Sussexes Netflix docuseries, Harry and Meghan, a black-and-white photograph of Harry with six of his closest friends on the night of his and Meghans 2018 wedding was shown along with a number of other previously unseen images. Mann was reportedly Harrys unofficial best man, although the official honour went to Harrys brother William, the Prince of Wales. The Independent has contacted the Sussexes representatives for comment. Mann served as one of several ushers on Harry and Meghans wedding day, alongside another close friend, Charlie van Staubenzee, who is the brother of Williams best friend, Thomas van Straubenzee. Earlier this year, after the release of Harry and Meghan, a source told the Mail on Sunday: There have long been rumours in Harrys circle that there was another best man, in secret. [Prince] William was the public-facing best man but not the sole best man, nor the true best man in Harrys eyes. However, it is unclear if Harry and Mann remain close friends. Earlier this year, Australian journalist Daniela Elser claimed that the duke only kept a small circle of six close friends and therefore does not have many people who can warn him if he is making bad decisions. The duke and Mann, the co-founder of a private security company, first met at Sandhurst where they were commissioned into the Blues and Royals. They served in Iraq and Afghanistan. Thomas, who is Williams daughter Princess Charlottes godfather, was in attendance at Manns wedding over the weekend. He was present with his wife Lucy, who is an assistant headteacher at Charlotte and Prince Georges former school, Thomass Battersea. (Aaron Chown - WPA Pool/Getty Images) Mann is the son of former SAS officer Simon Francis Mann, who served in Cyprus, Germany, Norway and Northern Ireland. Simon later co-founded private military company Sandline International, which became controversial after signing a contract with the government of Papua New Guinea in a political scandal that became known as the Sandline affair. Last year, Mann went on a business trip with his company Alma Risk to Libya that made headlines after it was interrupted and he was held by security officials in Malta. He told the Daily Mail: We did not continue the journey from Malta on the advice of Maltese immigration to rectify our paperwork. The issue was resolved within five days. Meanwhile, his new bride Clark is the daughter of property developer Stephen Clark. Harry was last in the UK in early June to give evidence in his lawsuit against Mirror Group Newspapers (MGN). He claimed that journalists from the Daily and Sunday Mirror and Sunday People used methods, including phone-hacking, to obtain information about him to be published. Last week, his lawyers told the High Court that the duke should be awarded up to 320,000 in compensation over the alleged misuse of his private information. MGN have denied unlawful activity and said there is no evidence of phone hacking. Prior to that, Harry attended the coronation of his father, King Charles III, on 6 May without Meghan or their two children. He was seated in the third row in Westminster Abbey and did not interact publicly with his father or brother. The duke left for Heathrow airport immediately after the ceremony to return to California in order to celebrate his son, Prince Archies birthday. This month, a Palace representative confirmed that Harry and Meghan have officially moved out of their former UK residence, Frogmore Cottage. Stay ahead of the trend in fashion and beyond with our free weekly Lifestyle Edit newsletter Stay ahead of the trend in fashion and beyond with our free weekly Lifestyle Edit newsletter Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Lifestyle Edit email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} A video of a woman aboard an American Airlines flight has gone viral after capturing the moment the passenger appeared to accuse a fellow traveller of being not real. In the video, which has been circulating, a woman could be seen walking down the aisle of a full flight while screaming at the fellow passengers about why she was getting off the plane. Im telling you, Im getting the f*** off, and theres a reason why Im getting the f*** off, the woman could be heard yelling as she walked up the plane aisle. And everyone can either believe it or they can not believe it. I dont give two f***s. But I am telling you right now, that motherf***er back there is not real. The video then captured the moment that the majority of passengers, who remained seated throughout the encounter, turned to look toward the back of the plane where the woman was gesturing. The woman then continued the profanity-filled tirade, adding: And you can sit on this plane and you can f***ing die with them or not. Im not going to. As she turned around to continue exiting the plane, a fellow passenger could be heard loudly telling the woman: Bye! The video was reportedly taken aboard an American Airlines flight departing Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport, according to the DailyMail, which noted that the original poster of the video claimed the incident delayed the flight by three hours. The TikTok user also claimed the woman somehow didnt get arrested and got back through security after the whole plane had to deplane. The Independent has contacted American Airlines for comment. The clip, which has since been viewed more than 10m times on TikTok, was captioned: AA [American Airlines], what yall doing about this? In the comments under the viral video, the womans comments sparked both amusement and concern from viewers, with many speculating about what she was referring to. I need to see who shes talking about, one person commented, along with a laughing face emoji, while another said: Lol, the way they all turned their heads and looked. My question is how is everybody keeping a straight face? someone else asked. Others compared the scenario to movies, with some suggesting the clip reminded them of the moment that Kristen Wiigs character in Bridesmaids began to see things while intoxicated aboard a plane. Its giving Kristen Wiig, one person commented, while someone else said: Reenactment of Annie from Bridesmaids. Hope she came down safely. Several others revealed that they would probably follow the woman off the plane, with one person explaining: Idk, she seems distressed Id believe her. Others said they have watched enough Final Destination to also be concerned about the womans claim. No because I would HAVE to get off the plane. Im not about to be Final Destinationed, one person wrote, while someone else said: Ive seen Final Destination enough to know Im getting off the plane. For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} Turkeys foreign minister said Tuesday that Swedish authorities failure to prevent Quran-burning protests in their country is raising security concerns and questions about Swedens credentials for possible NATO membership. But Hakan Fidan said Turkey would still approve Swedens membership in the military alliance if Stockholm completes its homework and presses ahead with efforts to address Turkeys concerns. The fact that the Swedish security system is incapable of preventing provocations and is presenting an image of a (country) that brings problems to NATO instead of more power is making us think in terms of the strategic and security aspects, Fidan said at a joint news conference with his Jordanian counterpart. When it comes to Swedens membership in NATO, whether it will become a burden or a benefit has become more open to debate, he said. Sweden and Finland abandoned their decades-long neutrality and applied to join NATO last year following Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Turkey has been holding off ratifying Swedens membership in the alliance, accusing the Scandinavian country of being too soft toward groups that Ankara regards as threats to its security, including Kurdish militants and members of a network that Ankara blames for a failed coup in 2016. Ankara has also been angered by a series of demonstrations in Sweden by supporters of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers Party, or PKK, as well as Quran-burning protests, including one that took place last week that was condemned by Muslim countries. The PKK has waged a 38-year insurgency against Turkey that has left tens of thousands dead. It is designated a terrorist organization by the U.S and the European Union. NATO wants to bring Sweden into the fold by the time the alliances leaders meet in Lithuania on July 11 to 12, and NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg has called a meeting of senior officials from Turkey, Sweden and Finland for July 6 to try to overcome Turkish objections to Sweden's membership. NATO requires the unanimous approval of all existing members to expand. Turkey and Hungary are the only countries that have not yet ratified Swedens bid. Sweden has changed its anti-terror legislation after applying for membership. Fidan, Turkeys former intelligence chief who was appointed foreign minister last month, maintained that terror groups were able to continue to stage demonstrations, raise money and recruit members in Sweden. If Sweden continues with its efforts and does its homework, there are always alternatives, just as there was in the case of Finland, Fidan said. He was referring to a memorandum that Sweden and Finland signed with Turkey last year under which they agreed to address Ankaras concerns. Finland was able to join the alliance earlier this year, after Turkey expressed satisfaction with its efforts to meet demands and the Turkish parliament ratified its membership. Meanwhile, Pope Francis lamented last weeks Quran-burning protest outside a mosque in central Stockholm in an interview with the United Arab Emirates' Al-Ittihad newspaper. Swedish police allowed the event to take place, citing freedom of speech, after a court overturned a ban on a similar Quran-burning. Any book considered sacred by its authors must be respected out of respect for its believers, and freedom of expression must never be used as an excuse to despise others, and to allow this, must be rejected and condemned, the pope was quoted as saying. In Sweden, a top bishop called the incident "an attack" on all believers. Freedom of speech is about standing up for things, but its not about being allowed to do it at any price, Ake Bonnier, a bishop who is acting as a spokesperson for Swedens Lutheran Archbishop Martin Modeus, told Swedish broadcaster SVT on Monday. The Jordanian foreign minister also called for mutual respect of religious values and for the prevention of such protests. A spokesperson for the United Nations Human Rights Council said Tuesday that following a request by Pakistan, the council will discuss "the alarming rise" in acts of religious hatred such as the desecration of the Quran. Pakistan's prime minister, Shehbaz Sharif, issued a call Tuesday for a daylong protest to defend the sanctity of the Quran and condemn the desecration of Islam's holy book in Sweden. In a statement, he urged people to join in the demonstration Friday, when a joint sitting of Pakistan's parliament will be held to discuss the burning of the Quran. Sharif said honoring the Quran is part of their faith, and "we are all united for it." ___ Associated Press writers Frances D'Emilio in Rome, Kirsten Grieshaber in Berlin, Jan M. Olsen in Copenhagen, Denmark, and Munir Ahmed in Islamabad, Pakistan, contributed to this report. For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} The co-leaders of the Scottish Greens have rejected an invitation to a service of thanksgiving for the King in Edinburgh this week, with one of them due to speak at an anti-monarchy rally instead. Patrick Harvie and Lorna Slater Scottish Government ministers who are two of the most outspoken republican MSPs in Holyrood announced their intentions on Tuesday. The special service to mark the Kings coronation will take place at St Giles Cathedral on the Royal Mile on Wednesday, where Charles will be presented with the Honours of Scotland the countrys crown jewels. Mr Harvie will instead speak at a rally outside Holyrood organised by the anti-monarchy group Our Republic. Alex Salmond, a former first minister of Scotland, also declined an invitation to attend the thanksgiving service. Ms Slater said: In 21st century Scotland, the monarchy is nothing to celebrate. It is an out-of-date and undemocratic institution. How can we justify a system that allows one family to enjoy so much unearned wealth and privilege at a time when millions of people have so little? Scotland can be a modern and democratic republic with an elected and accountable head of state. I want every child in Scotland to know they live in a genuine democracy and that they can achieve the highest office, regardless of which family they come from. Mr Harvie added: There are many people in Scotland who regard the monarchy as a tiresome spectacle and a symbol of values we dont hold. The Greens may have failed to deliver a deposit return scheme, but they can definitely recycle tedious anti-monarchy rants Donald Cameron, Scottish Conservatives I will be proud to speak at the Our Republic rally and to stand with others who want to build a more democratic society where power and wealth belongs to the people rather than being passed down as an inheritance. That is just one reason why I support Scottish independence. It will give us the opportunity to ask the big questions about how we are ruled and to build a fairer and more equal society. Scottish Conservative constitution spokesman Donald Cameron said the Greens decision is akin to student politics, and Mr Harvies choice to speak at the rally instead is predictably infantile. Mr Cameron added: If he wants to ask big questions, he should start with how he conducts himself as a Government minister. The Greens may have failed to deliver a deposit return scheme, but they can definitely recycle tedious anti-monarchy rants. As on so many issues, the extremist Greens are out of touch with the majority of Scots, who see the coronation and the Kings commitment to Scotland as something to celebrate. Mr Salmond, leader of the Alba Party, said he believes Charles will be the last King of Scots, and he described the ceremony as entirely wrong headed. He said: It will end up satisfying no-one and it has sketchy historical legitimacy. A real Scottish monarchist should have advised Charles III to have a full blown coronation in Scone, as his namesake Charles II did in 1651. It is no small thing to be crowned King of Scots and it should be treated as such, not palmed off in some artificial and second rate ceremony. Charles could have been the first Scottish King crowned using the Stone of Destiny since the 13th century and that historical authenticity would have counted for a great deal and more than compensated for a minimum of flummery and expenditure. Of course Scots Kings were expected to take an oath of allegiance to the people, not vice versa. I fear Charles is being poorly advised by a group of courtiers who have a great love of pomp and no understanding of circumstance. For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} The Mayor of London lacks the legal power to order the expansion of the capitals Ultra Low Emission Zone (Ulez), a group of Conservative-led councils have argued at the High Court. The outer-London boroughs of Bexley, Bromley, Harrow and Hillingdon along with Surrey County Council also claim there was an unfair and unlawful approach to collecting views over Sadiq Khans proposals to enlarge the zone beyond the North and South Circular roads. Lawyers for the local authorities taking legal action against the mayors plans told a judge that key information was not disclosed during previous consultation. Mr Khans legal team reject the bid to quash his November 2022 decision to extend the Ulez to all of Londons boroughs, arguing the move is entirely lawful and that ample information was provided for a fair consultation. If it goes ahead, the extended Ulez will see drivers in outer London pay a 12.50 daily fee from August 29 if their vehicles do not meet the required emissions standards. The new borders will reach Buckinghamshire, Essex, Hertfordshire, Kent and Surrey. At a hearing in London on Tuesday, Craig Howell Williams KC, for the councils, said the mayors approach is to create a master charging scheme for London. It is beyond Mr Khans powers to introduce the Ulez charge to an outer London zone about three times the size of the current inner London area by varying existing regulations, the barrister said in written arguments. He added that expected additional revenues from the expanded scheme are an expected surplus 200 million in the first year of operation. Mr Howell Williams said the mayor and Transport for Londons (TfL) approach would bypass legal safeguards which were designed to ensure that any new charging scheme is properly considered before coming into effect. The councils barrister said material provided when gathering views on the plans was unintelligible, gave a confused picture, and meant people had to perform a form of linguistic gymnastics or paper chase in relation to information which was central to TfLs assessment. Those consulted were not told how TfL calculated there was an estimated 91% compliance rate in outer London of vehicles meeting the Ulez standards, a figure used for a reference case or scenario where the Ulez proposals were not implemented, Mr Howell Williams said. As a result, intelligent responses were prevented, Mr Howell Williams said, such as comments on whether it was sufficiently robust to use data from only 106 automatic number plate recognition (ANPR) cameras in the outer London zone. The barrister also said the mayors plans for a 110 million scrappage scheme to provide grants supporting the scrapping of non-Ulez compliant vehicles were also unlawful because a buffer zone for non-Londoners affected by the extended charging zone was not considered. Ben Jaffey KC, representing the mayor and TfL an interested party in the case said in written arguments that the primary objective of the Ulez expansion is to improve Londons air quality, in particular reducing nitrogen oxides (NOx) and particulates. The barrister said Mr Khans decisions will help to get Londons air quality closer to legal limits, where they are exceeded, and World Health Organisation guideline levels everywhere. It would be bizarre if orders could not be amended to improve emissions standards as required Ben Jaffey KC, lawyer for London Mayor Sadiq Khan and TfL The mayor has used his powers to order changes to emissions zones rules in London on many occasions over the last 16 years. It would be bizarre if orders could not be amended to improve emissions standards as required, the lawyer said, adding that one might expect it to have come up before now. Mr Jaffey went on: The consultation materials were clear, detailed and provided more than ample information to enable an intelligent response and satisfy the requirements of fairness for consultations. He later added: Further, the scale of the information provided was enormous. There were hundreds of pages of detailed consultation material, including the outputs and explanation of complex modelling and detailed analysis of impacts. Mr Jaffey said the use of ANPR camera data was one of several different inputs into a complex model of compliance rates, traffic, emissions and air quality. The barrister said TfL had been clear that camera coverage was not comprehensive and that for full enforcement it would install 2,750 more cameras. TfL provided more than sufficient information to enable an intelligent response on how it had forecast the compliance rates, Mr Jaffey added. The lawyer said Mr Khan had personally considered the level of funding available for the scrappage scheme and had rationally concluded it would mitigate some of the Ulez expansion impact, the court was told. Mr Jaffey said: Where there are finite public funds, if there are good reasons for giving preference to Londoners, that inevitably means not giving others the same benefit. These are discretionary public spending decisions. He added that the Greater London Authority has very limited funds over which there are many competing demands and said people and businesses within Greater London are generally less able to avoid the charge from the expanded Ulez than those outside Greater London. A group of placard-waving outer London residents opposed to the Ulez expansion protested outside the court amid Tuesdays proceedings. The hearing, before Mr Justice Swift, is due to conclude on Wednesday and the judge is expected to give his ruling at a later date. For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} A fugitive on the run for more than three years after choking a man to death has pleaded guilty to the killing. Stasious Scott, 34, attacked Justin Bello in his flat in Stockwell, south-west London, early on November 23 2019. Afterwards, 38-year-old Mr Bellos body was stripped and dumped in a bin shed in Wembley, north-west London, where it was found by refuse collectors some 48 hours later. One of the binmen made the grim discovery when he saw a black suitcase on the ground with feet sticking out of it. Scott fled the country four days after the killing but was arrested in Jamaica on January 24 this year. He was returned to the UK on March 23 and charged with Mr Bellos murder. On Tuesday, Scott appeared at the Old Bailey and pleaded guilty to the lesser offence of manslaughter and conspiring to pervert the course of justice. Prosecutor Bill Emlyn Jones KC said the plea was acceptable to the Crown. Judge Anuja Dhir KC remanded Scott into custody and adjourned sentencing until August 1 for reports to be prepared. Last year, Scotts father, Oliver Scott, 53, from Hornsey, north London; Cecilia Bruce-Annan, 50, from Stanmore, north-west London; and Christopher Hatton, 44, of no fixed address, were jailed after being found guilty of conspiracy to pervert the course of justice. Scotts partner, Suzanne John, 40, from Mitcham, south London, who is a solicitor working in the area of criminal law, was cleared of the offence. For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} A man whose wife and two children were murdered by a heartless neighbour who had a grievance over rubbish being left in an alleyway has said words cannot quantify his pain. Aboubacarr Drammeh said Jamie Barrow had caused him and his family multigenerational trauma by killing his wife, Fatoumatta Hydara, and their daughters Fatimah and Naeemah Drammeh last November. Barrow was unanimously convicted of triple murder by a jury at Nottingham Crown Court on Tuesday after a jury heard how the 31-year-old poured petrol from his motorbike through Mrs Hydaras letterbox and set it alight after becoming angry about rubbish being left in an alleyway. Fatimah, three, and Naeemah, one, who were described by their father as two angels, died in the fire in Fairisle Close, Clifton, on November 20 last year, while Mrs Hydara, 28, died two days later. If love and compassion could make a person immortal, she would have lived forever Aboubacarr Drammeh Following the verdicts, Mr Drammeh read a joint family statement on the steps of the court. He said: Words cannot quantify how much our family have suffered because of the horrific actions of one man. Neither can we quantify the emotional, psychological, physiological and financial impact of the crime Jamie Barrow committed against Fatoumatta, Fatimah and Naeemah. His actions were utterly heartless and cruel and have caused a multigenerational trauma that we will never understand. Fatoumatta was a caring daughter, wife, sister, mother and friend. If love and compassion could make a person immortal, she would have lived forever. She had a pure heart and was greatly loved for her personality and qualities. She was the most incredible mother to Fatimah and Naeemah, two angels who deserved a beautiful childhood and a full life. Nottingham and the rest of the world have been denied potential future teachers, civil servants, doctors who knows what they could have been? They lived a short but meaningful life, such was the joy and happiness they brought to us all. All three victims died as a result of smoke inhalation after the fire, which prosecutor Simon Ash KC told the trial was set due to a grievance that Barrow had over bags of rubbish being left in an alleyway next to his block of flats. Barrow had claimed in his evidence that he could not explain why he targeted his neighbours flat, which he claimed to believe was empty, but did so due to suffering from very, very low mood. He had been seen on CCTV walking around the area in the aftermath of the fire, with Mr Ash telling the court that Barrow had watched the fire take hold while ignoring the screams of those inside the burning flat. But the jury later heard how Barrow, who had drunk several cans of lager prior to starting the blaze, rang the local council to see whether he would be compensated for damage caused to his belongings by smoke. He said he was driven to confess to his actions to police hours later by immense guilt, telling them: I need to tell you something about the fire next door. Barrow had previously admitted manslaughter but was unanimously convicted of three counts of murder and a count of arson being reckless as to whether life was endangered. He will be sentenced at the same court on Friday. Mr Drammeh, who was living in America at the time of the fire and had to identify his loved ones on his 40th birthday, was surrounded by relatives as he delivered his statement following the verdicts. Family and friends also packed the public gallery in court throughout the trial, with some weeping as the verdicts were delivered. We are extremely grateful and thankful to our family and friends, as well as the different communities within Nottingham that came together to give us support. Aboubacarr Drammeh Mr Drammeh said: People repeatedly ask us how we as a family managed to stay calm and composed in the courtroom, the only true answer to this is the strength and patience given to us by Allah and our Khalifa as he always advises us to follow the law of the country and to stay steadfast. We have also received a great sense of companionship from our community the Ahmadiyya Muslim Jammat. The overwhelming support given to us by our Gambian Community here in the UK and around the world has encouraged us to keep calm and patient. We are extremely grateful and thankful to our family and friends, as well as the different communities within Nottingham that came together to give us support. This includes multiple communities all from different ethnicities and backgrounds. We also wish to thank the police investigation team, the Crown Prosecution Service, prosecution counsel and members of the jury for delivering the justice todays verdicts provide. Detective Inspector Kaz Smithson, of Nottinghamshire Police, led the investigation. She said: Jamie Barrow committed the most despicable crime anyone could ever commit. He destroyed a whole family and took away their dreams of a happy life together in America. Today, justice has been served for Fatoumatta, Fatimah and Naeemah and their family, all of whom have carried themselves with incredible dignity since the night of this truly awful crime. Barrow denied the killings were deliberate but, thankfully, my investigative team was able to provide overwhelming evidence that this tragic event was indeed murder. We saw through his lies and, thankfully, so did the jury. Barrow knew Fatoumatta and the children were inside the property when he set fire to it and that theyd have no chance of surviving. It beggars belief. In my opinion, Barrow is an extremely dangerous man and I am pleased he is no longer walking the streets. Finally, I want to thank the family for the dignity and incredible strength that they have shown during the trial and hope they can draw some comfort from todays verdicts. For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} The Partygate scandal deepened on Tuesday night as police dramatically opened two new investigations into events held in parliament and Conservative Party headquarters during Covid restrictions but said they would take no further action against Boris Johnson. Scotland Yard announced that it was reinvestigating a jingle and mingle Christmas party held by Shaun Baileys London mayoral campaign staff at CCHQ on 14 December 2020, after assessing new video evidence. Rishi Sunak immediately faced fresh calls to block Mr Baileys peerage handed to the failed mayoral candidate by Mr Johnson in his resignation honours while the police investigation takes place. The Metropolitan Police also announced an investigation into potential breaches of Covid rules at a gathering inside parliament on 8 December the same year, the date of an alleged drinks event attended by Tory grandee Sir Bernard Jenkin for his wifes birthday. More than 18 months into the Partygate scandal, the latest move means that questionnaires will be sent out to those who were present at either of the events, asking if they had a reasonable excuse to attend a gathering under the Covid laws in place at the time. But police said that a number of other events at Downing Street and the prime ministers country residence, Chequers, that were believed to involve Mr Johnson in 2020 and 2021, would not be investigated further. The Cabinet Office came under fire from Mr Johnson after it emerged that it had handed police a dossier of potential rule breaches pulled from the former PMs diaries. Mr Johnsons office previously said that his lawyers had written to police to explain in detail why the Cabinet Office was entirely wrong in its assertions. The Mets decision to investigate will inflame already heightened tensions within the Conservative Party. Just last week, Zac Goldsmith, a key Johnson ally, quit the government with an attack on the PM. A government source told The Independent that the decision to look into the events was an operational matter for the police. The Met said its own officers and their Thames Valley colleagues had assessed official diary entries passed to them by the Cabinet Office. Scotland Yard said that the two forces had looked into events in their respective areas, and that each had concluded that they do not meet the retrospective criteria for opening an investigation. Boris Johnson had claimed that the Cabinet Office was entirely wrong to hand over the dossier (AP) However, Scotland Yard revealed that it would open a new inquiry into a birthday drinks event held for Sir Bernards wife Anne Jenkin on 8 December 2020 a gathering held in the Westminster office of deputy Commons speaker Dame Eleanor Laing. Sir Bernard a member of the privileges committee, which investigated Mr Johnson over Partygate is reported to have attended the drinks gathering to mark the 65th birthday of Lady Jenkin, a Conservative peer, at a time when London was under strict tier 2 measures that banned socialising indoors. Mr Johnson previously demanded Mr Jenkins resignation from the privileges committee after the Guido Fawkes website first revealed details of the drinks reception, accusing him of rank hypocrisy. Dame Eleanor initially confirmed that the event had taken place, but claimed she had used a two-metre ruler to ensure social distancing so that nobody who was working here was put at risk. Senior Tory MP Sir Bernard Jenkin is reported to have attended the drinks event (PA Media) Sir Bernard told Guido Fawkes that he did not attend any drinks parties during lockdown. When pressed on whether he was denying drinking at the event, Mr Jenkin said: I dont recall. Responding on Tuesday night, Sir Bernard said: It is not appropriate to comment on a continuing investigation. Lady Jenkin and Dame Eleanor did not respond to questions about the event. A WhatsApp message reportedly sent by Lady Jenkin described the event as joint birthday drinks that would be socially distanced to mark her own birthday and the 54th birthday of Tory MP Virginia Crosbie. Ms Crosbie apologised last week for briefly attending the gathering, but insisted that she did not drink. I apologise unreservedly for a momentary error of judgment in attending the event, she said in a statement. Police detectives had originally decided not to issue any fines in relation to the CCHQ party on 14 December, after an investigation that was based solely on photos and questionnaires. But a video that later emerged, which showed staff drinking, dancing and joking about Covid rules, sparked a rethink. An invitation obtained by the BBC read: Jingle and Mingle: Save the date Monday December 14th at 6pm for the Shaun Bailey for London holiday party. Footage of the jingle and mingle Christmas party sparked a rethink of the Mets decision not to investigate (Daily Mirror) The failed mayoral candidate has previously apologised for the event. The Liberal Democrats again called on Mr Sunak to block Mr Bailey from taking his seat in the Lords while the Christmas party is under investigation and strip him of his peerage if he is fined by police. Rishi Sunak needs to confirm he will call for honours to be stripped from anyone found to have broken the law, said Daisy Cooper, the Lib Dems deputy leader, on Tuesday night. CCHQ said formal disciplinary action was taken against four staff members seconded to Mr Baileys London mayoral campaign over the unauthorised event. Tory aide Ben Mallett, who was awarded an OBE in Mr Johnsons resignation honours, is also visible in the footage. The force said it could revisit assessments of No 10 and Chequers events if significant evidence comes to light. It added: The approach to the assessment of these events has been consistent, enforcing the law carefully, thoroughly, proportionately, impartially and without fear or favour. For a full investigation to be launched, police said they require evidence of a serious and flagrant breach of the Covid laws, and that the concerns relate to people who knew or ought to have known what they were doing was an offence. The Mets previous Partygate investigation saw 83 people, including the former prime minister and Mr Sunak, given a total of 126 fines. For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} A man accused of assisting the alleged gunman who killed a 26-year-old woman in a pub on Christmas Eve will not give evidence in his trial. Thomas Waring is accused of helping Connor Chapman to burn out the stolen Mercedes car used in the murder of Elle Edwards. Ms Edwards was killed when a man, alleged to be Chapman, opened fire with a Skorpion sub-machine gun outside the Lighthouse pub in Wallasey Village, Wirral, Merseyside, shortly before midnight on December 24 last year. Waring, 20, is also charged with possession of a prohibited weapon. At Liverpool Crown Court on Tuesday, William England, defending Waring, said he would not be calling the defendant to give evidence. Trial judge Mr Justice Goose told the jury: This is the stage of his case where he had the opportunity to give evidence in his trial and he may do so or decline to do so. He asked Mr England if he had the opportunity to give Waring advice and tell him it may be open to the jury to hold the fact he chose not to give evidence against him. Mr England confirmed he had. Chapman, 23, is accused of carrying out the shooting as the culmination of a feud between groups on the Woodchurch and Beechwood estates in Wirral. After the attack, in which five men were injured, he is said to have travelled to Warings house on Private Drive, Barnston, Wirral. CCTV near the address just after midnight on Christmas Day shows a man alleged to be the gunman, with long hair, walking towards Warings property and, the prosecution has suggested, appearing to drop a weapon. Chapman has told the jury he was at home all night. But, the court has heard Waring instructed his barrister to suggest that Chapman had been at his house following the shooting. During his evidence on Monday, Chapman said: I wouldnt really know why Tom would say that. In my personal opinion, hes got more than enough reason to tell the prosecution what they want to hear. Chapman denies murdering Ms Edwards, two counts of attempted murder, two counts of wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm and one count of assault occasioning actual bodily harm. He also denies having a Skorpion sub-machine gun with intent to endanger life and ammunition with intent to endanger life. Waring denies possessing a prohibited weapon and assisting an offender by helping Chapman dispose of the car. For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} Energy Secretary Grant Shapps has branded a suggestion not to provide new oil and gas licences as bonkers policy. His comments came as Green MP Caroline Lucas (Brighton Pavilion) urged the Government to rule out new licences during Commons Energy Security and Net Zero questions. She said: New oil and gas licences simply wont deliver energy security since the oil and gas is sold at global prices on international markets. But it would cost the taxpayer dearly while being a disaster for the climate. So will the Government finally do whats needed, rule out new licences and instead commit to measures to genuinely make the UK energy-secure, including a nationwide street-by-street home insulation programme, unblocking onshore wind and installing new solar on every roof? Mr Shapps replied: Weve gone from 14% of our homes being insulated under the previous Government to nearly 50%, it will be 50% this year. Weve got an energy taskforce set up to reduce the usage of energy and make it more efficient. But I have to say, her partys policy and the official Oppositions policy of importing all of the oil and gas that we require by not providing new licences, is simply insane. It means that every single family in Britain would be subject to the next tyrant like Putin. It means that the carbon used would be double that which is taken from the North Sea, it is bonkers policy. Shadow energy minister Alan Whitehead also accused the Government of having broken its promise on onshore wind. He claimed that two onshore wind turbines have been built since February 2022, adding: Not much chance of community engagement there, to be honest. He added: The Community Secretary promised that the onshore wind ban would be completely lifted by the end of April this year, so why has the Government broken that promise? Minister Andrew Bowie replied: When they (Labour) left office in 2010 there was less than 7% of renewables on the grid, now its 43%. Mr Whitehead said: Its generally now understood that Government consultation is likely to lead to only minimal relaxation of planning rules and that (onshore wind) will effectively remain banned. Mr Bowie replied: I really do wish that the Labour Party would stop talking down what we are doing on renewable electricity and I would remind the House that consultation on onshore wind finishes on July 7. Get the free Morning Headlines email for news from our reporters across the world Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Morning Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} Thousands of Afghan asylum seekers being evicted from Home Office hotels face homelessness due to a housing shortage and long waiting lists, council leaders have warned. The government announced in March that 8,000 Afghans living in the UK after fleeing the Taliban in August 2021 would have to leave their government-paid for hotels by the end of August because it could no longer help with housing. The vast majority will not be offered an alternative place to live and will be expected to support themselves. One notice sent to those in a hotel housing around 250 Afghan families in West Sussex in May read: If possession is not delivered up by the Notice Expiry Date, you will be a trespasser, and the Secretary of State for the Home Department shall be at liberty to evict you from the Property. As the August deadline looms, the Local Government Association (LGA), which represents councils in England, has warned that the timeframe for those needing to find alternative housing is too short. Combined with nationwide housing shortages, it said councils were struggling to secure accommodation ahead of the August deadline. Britain has ordered two more accommodation barges to house asylum-seekers, Rishi Sunak announced last month (AFP via Getty Images) In a speech to its annual conference in Bournemouth on Tuesday, LGA chairman Shaun Davies will say: Councils have a proud history of stepping up and supporting asylum seekers and refugees to settle in the UK and rebuild their lives. But combined pressures from government asylum and resettlement schemes are growing on councils. We are at crisis point. We want to work with the government to get this right. Not just in a way that best supports the people arriving in the UK but also tackles the unsustainable pressures on our local services and on our communities. The LGA will also raise the funding of councils for their support for Ukrainian refugees who have fled the war and the change to the roles and responsibilities for councils proposed in the Illegal Migration Bill that will see anyone who arrives in the UK illegally deported. It will also highlight the impact on local services of the rapid rise in numbers of new arrivals of those crossing the channel. In May, it was announced that councils would receive 35 million in government funding to support asylum seekers living in government-funded hotels and tackle potential homelessness. A second fund, equating to 250 million, was similarly announced to help councils secure homes for Afghan asylum seekers. Alongside this funding announcement, the Home Office iterated that hotels were never designed to be suitable long-term accommodation for refugees. Hotels are not, and were never designed to be, suitable long-term accommodation for Afghans resettled in the UK. That is why we have announced a plan, backed by 285m of new funding, to speed up the resettlement of Afghans into long-term homes, a Home Office spokesperson said. Where available, the government will continue to make offers of suitable housing, which we strongly encourage Afghan families to accept. Where an offer cannot be made or is rejected, increased government support is available to help Afghans find their own homes and begin rebuilding their lives here. Meanwhile, last week, peers in the House of Lords attacked the Illegal Migration Bills plans to deport trafficking victims to Rwanda and other countries. Concern was also expressed over its compliance with international law following home secretary Suella Bravermans declaration to parliament that while the bill may not be compatible with the Human Rights Act, it did comply with international law. Get the free Morning Headlines email for news from our reporters across the world Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Morning Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} The UK-based tourist who triggered widespread outrage for carving his girlfriends initials into the Colosseum has begged for forgiveness. Ivan Dimitrov, who lives in Bristol, was caught by a fuming tourist engraving his and Hayley Braceys letters into the 2,000-year-old Rome structure. Footage of the incident soon went viral before Italys Carabinieri tracked the pair down in Bulgaria this week. Ivan Dimitrov was seen in the footage online (YouTube) The video, titled A*****e tourist carves name in Colosseum in Rome 6-23-23, has received over 300,000 views. Carabinieri said Dimitrov expressed sincere remorse for his actions, according to spokesman and Major Roberto Martina. He told us he was very upset by what he had done, and he kept apologising for it, Mr Martina told Mail Online. I think he was worried about the consequences of any trial and we explained that he could be jailed for between two and five years and be fined up to 15,000 Euro. Mr Martina went on to say the case will be reasonably straightforward due to the video. He had contacted us after we secured his mobile telephone from hotel records and left a message for him to call us, Mr Martina said. He was naturally worried about the legal implications, and these were all explained to him. We didnt ask him why he did it, that will be for a judge to hear, we just told him that he was a suspect and was part of the investigation. Mr Martina went on to say Ms Bracey is not part of any complaint so is an innocent party as far as we are concerned. Although technically, she could be seen as an accessory, he said. Sign up to our free fortnightly newsletter from The Independent's Race Correspondent Nadine White Sign up to our free fortnightly newsletter The Race Report Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the The Race Report email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} Rishi Sunak has denounced a government document on benefit assessments that had to be withdrawn after The Independent revealed that it included a racist slur. The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) guidance, which was first issued in 2010 to help doctors assess disability benefit claims but was still in use last month, referred to Black people as being of the N*****d race. Asked about the document, which has now been scrapped after the issue was raised by this publication, the PMs official spokesperson said: It is clearly offensive and unacceptable. We do not condone the language in this 13-year-old document. Mr Sunaks criticism came as a chorus of politicians and campaigners hit out at the document, which refers specifically to assessments for osteoporosis and was issued as a guide to doctors in Northern Ireland. Simon Woolley praised The Independent for highlighting this awful discriminatory labelling by government officials. It is not just that it was a racial slur, Lord Woolley added. It is also indicative of how demeaning[ly] Black people in this country are seen. Tory MP Sir Peter Bottomley, a member of the all-party parliamentary group on race and community, said officials responsible for the advice ought to hang their heads in shame. He called on the DWP to search through the rest of its guidance to ensure there are no other terms which should not have been in current guidance, and should not have been in current guidance for 100 years. And Sir Peter said the DWP should be thanking The Independent for spotting what was in front of their own eyes. He said: The intent is questionable, but the use of the word is at least 100 years past its acceptable use. I think that those responsible for providing this advice to DWP staff ought to hang their heads in shame. Rishi Sunak has denounced document (PA Wire) Former pensions minister Ros Altmann said it was astonishing that the term had been used in an official document, as she praised The Independent for exposing the guidance and added that she is pleased that it is no longer going out. She also called on the DWP to launch a review of the language used in its guidance in the wake of the incident. I am sure this was inadvertent, but it does seem there should be some review of the wording and guidance from the point of view of the standards of modern language, said Baroness Altmann. There should be some standardised language for any public-facing documents so that we do not cause inadvertent offence. The offending document was signed off by the DWP before being distributed to health professionals employed by Atos, a contractor that runs disability benefit assessments on behalf of the government. After the use of the word was raised by The Independent, Atos launched an investigation. It confirmed that the document had first been handed out in Northern Ireland in 2010 and was still in circulation. The company said the guidance was issued to medics carrying out specific assessments for Medical Support Services on behalf of the government. Labour MP Anneliese Dodds, the shadow secretary of state for women and equalities, said: Its unacceptable that an official government document could use such overtly racist language and appalling that healthcare professionals are still being influenced by the disgusting trope this document contains. The government must urgently explain how this document was approved by the Department of Work and Pensions and investigate how on earth it has remained in circulation for so long. A Conservative government that denies the existence of structural racism will never be fit to tackle it. Liberal Democrat equalities spokesperson Christine Jardine MP said: There is absolutely no place for racist terms or racism of any kind anywhere in our society, but especially not within government. It is appalling that this language was used in written guidance by the DWP and that it took an investigation by The Independent for it to be unearthed. It is right for it to now be withdrawn, but it is disturbing it took this long. Dr Shabna Begum, co-CEO of the race equality think tank the Runnymede Trust, also said it was shocking that the paperwork had been in circulation so recently. Whether something was drafted 100 years ago or one year ago, no document, particularly one from a government department, containing racist language should be in circulation in 2023, she said. It is telling that this has only been noticed now, and shows how important it is that everyone is properly educated on what racist language is. MPs and peers have called on the DWP to launch a review of the language used in its guidance (PA) Dr Begum claimed the use of racist language in official guidance is symptomatic of the reason behind racial inequalities in healthcare: entrenched discriminatory attitudes towards people from minoritised communities. Language matters because it tells us about how people know and understand the world, and has real-life consequences informing how we behave, she continued. Healthcare professionals have been guided to think about some of societys most vulnerable people in terms that are racist and dehumanising; to imagine that this doesnt influence the service and decisions that are made is disingenuous. Until we take seriously an anti-racist approach to healthcare, whether in [the] language [used] in documents or how medical care is practically delivered, Black and minority ethnic people are being actively harmed. The Black Equity Organisation (BEO), the UKs first major Black civil rights charity, described the DWP slur as troubling and called on the government to launch an internal inquiry into its materials. Dr Wanda Wyporska, CEO of BEO, said: It is concerning that major institutions, such as the recent example at the Post Office and now those working on behalf of the DWP, have not reviewed shared materials for over a decade how does that benefit the people they are meant to serve? It is essential that government institutions, and those who work on their behalf, lead by example and prioritise inclusivity and respect for all citizens. Therefore, we are calling on the government for a comprehensive review of internal processes to prevent any further incidences of disseminating offensive content and racial slurs. An Atos spokesperson said: We are grateful this has been brought to our attention. We regret that this term appeared in osteoporosis training materials for health professionals in one region of the UK these have now been removed pending further investigation. A DWP spokesperson said: We do not condone the language used in this 13-year-old document, which was produced for the use of Atos health professionals in 2010. The spokesperson added that work capability assessments in Northern Ireland are a devolved matter and that they are the responsibility of the Department for Communities (DfC) in Northern Ireland. But a spokesperson for the DfC said the DWP is responsible. A DfC spokesperson said: The Department for Communities did not commission or approve this guidance but regrets the use of this language in material owned by its Work Capability Assessment provider in Northern Ireland. Get the free Morning Headlines email for news from our reporters across the world Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Morning Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} A fresh independence row is brewing in Scotland that could spark an unexpected new alliance for the residents of the remote Orkney islands. Orkney council leader James Stockan claims it is time for the islands to consider reviving its historic links with Norway and put forward a motion for a vote on exploring leaving the United Kingdom. Downing Street shut down suggestions that the islands could loosen ties with Scotland and Westminster, with Rishi Sunaks official spokesman telling reporters on Monday: Fundamentally, we are stronger as one United Kingdom, we have no plans to change that. Weve got no plans to change the devolution settlement. But frustration with years of underfunding prompted a highly-publicised vote. On Tuesday, councillors in Orkney backed Mr Stockans motion and voted to explore alternative forms of governance. Boris Johnson in Orkney (Getty Images) Former Orkney Council deputy leader Leslie Manson explained that despite the island lobbying for many years, it had received a lack of response from both Holyrood and Westminster. We dont vote for the Tories, so we are out of favour with Westminster. We dont vote SNP, so we are out of favour with Holyrood, he told The Independent. The substantive underfunding has equated to Scotlands smallest council receiving hundreds of pounds less per person than other areas, the councillor for Kirkwall West and Orphir claimed. This includes the nearby Western Isles and Shetland which get a much better crack of the whip, he said. Orkney islands could switch alligence to Norway if a vote is passed (AP2005) And while the issues range far and wide, Mr Manson who has an MBE for services to Scottish education and the community in Orkney claimed issues around replacing the islands ageing ferries were the straw that broke the camels back. He described the fleet, some of whose boats are 40 years old, as the lifeblood of remoter islands especially. But they are becoming increasingly unreliable, presenting issues for people who use them for everyday tasks like commuting. This has prompted the council to appeal for help from the Scottish and UK governments to help with the more than 100 million required for a new fleet, Mr Manson said. While there would be a cost with exploring leaving the UK to become Norwegian, he said it would be peanuts in comparison. There are a number of people who would like to disentangle us from the British and Scottish governments, he said. Councillor Lesley Manson said the islands are a long, long way from independence (Orkney Council) But thats not really what the report (which is the basis of todays vote) is saying. It is saying should we invest the time, energy and finance in exploring other options? Orkney was under Norwegian and Danish control until 1472 when the islands were given to Scotland as part of Margaret of Denmark's wedding dowry to King James III of Scotland. Mr Manson said the vote was proposed by Mr Stockan and so most of the other members wont have had much involvement until the Tuesday vote. We are exploring it but we are long, long way from making a decision, he explained. We havent looked carefully into the options yet. Thats all to be explored and to be looked into. But the vote being passed is the first step towards leaving the UK. One of the initial tasks would be to reach out to Norway something which has not yet happened, he said. And while there are many people on the islands who want to leave the UK, he admitted that many people will be sceptical. Its a wee bit like the mouse that roars, he added. The whole concept does lend itself to a degree of ridicule. Speaking to BBC Radio Scotland after the vote was called, Mr Stockan had said he wanted the council to look at other Crown dependencies, such as the Channel Islands and overseas territories like the Falkland Islands. He even suggested examining a model based on the Faroe Islands, which is a self-governing territory of Denmark. The radical action was prompted because many areas where Orkney was being "failed dreadfully" by both the UK and Scottish governments, he said. Orkeny became part of Scotland in 1472 (PA) (PA Archive) Despite blanket coverage of the vote, both Westminster and Holyrood have done their best to downplay its significance. Last night, Mr Sunaks spokesman insisted there was no mechanism for the conferral of crown dependency or overseas territory status on any part of the UK. In an earlier statement, the UK government said it was providing 50m to grow the economies of Scotland's Islands, including Orkney. A spokesperson said: "We will always be stronger together as one United Kingdom, and we have no plans to change the devolution settlement." The Scottish government said in 2023-24 Orkney Islands Council would receive 89.7m to fund services, with an extra 4.6m from an increase in council tax by 10 per cent. A Scottish government spokesperson said it was "committed to supporting island communities". Get the free Morning Headlines email for news from our reporters across the world Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Morning Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} Britains military chief, Admiral Sir Tony Radakin, insists he has not fallen out with the head of the army, whose impending departure has been blamed on unhappiness with cuts to the force and destructive internal politics. Appearing before the House of Commons defence committee, Admiral Radakin denied General Sir Patrick Sanders was being forced out of his post for publicly expressing concern about the future of the army and the failure to invest adequately in equipment such as armour. There had been rumours of clashes between General Sanders and Admiral Radakin, who, it has been claimed, suggested the next head of the army could be from the Royal Marines who are part of the Royal Navy. But Admiral Radakin, who is chief of the defence staff, said reports that General Sanders had been forced out ... are all nonsense. Patrick and I havent fallen out, he told MPs, adding that there was never any intention that he would be replaced by a marine. Admiral Radakin wanted to stress that General Sanders had been appointed as army chief for two years by defence secretary Ben Wallace, and that his tenure was going to come to an end next year in any case. MPs on the committee, who expressed admiration for General Sanders ability, asked why his term in post had not been extended as was widely expected to happen. Tobias Ellwood MP, the Conservative chair of the committee, said: Patrick Sanders is highly respected, hes seen as a strategist, hes moving the forces forward. The question is, why was he only given a two-year contract anyway? And even if he was, why wasnt there consideration for extension? Admiral Radakin responded: I think you would have to ask the defence secretary ... the tenure of chiefs is very much something for the defence secretary. General Sanders had already held another senior position for three years, as head of strategic command, he added. I think it was a view about the talent management that we have for the people in the army. I think youd have to go into more detail with Ben Wallace, because its his decision. Committee members also expressed surprise that Mr Wallace had personally attended the senior appointments committee. This was a break from past procedure, they said, and could lead to the perception that the process was being politicised. The exit of Patrick Sanders has raised concerns about underlying issues in the UKs armed forces (PA) Admiral Radakin acknowledged there had been changes, but added: I chair the senior appointments committee ... the defence secretary [is] merely in attendance, hes just understanding the process that is going on. Conservative MP Richard Drax wondered if General Sanders outspoken comments about army concerns could have led to him being pushed out. Could you just confirm to me that both you and the defence secretary were not alarmed by him speaking out quite as truthfully as he did, and told him Look, Im sorry, youve just [got to] either shut up or go? the MP asked. Admiral Radakin denied that this was the case, saying that General Sanders had been told his appointment was for two years and that something that he said two months ago, six months ago, has not impacted on when he was leaving the job. Mr Wallace said at the weekend that General Sanders had been outstanding but that generals come and go. For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} Nato secretary-general Jens Stoltenberg has been handed another year in charge of the alliance after potential successors including Defence Secretary Ben Wallace failed to gather support. Rishi Sunak praised Mr Stoltenbergs leadership of Nato after his term was extended again. The Prime Minister said the alliance has evolved to meet new threats and been steadfast in support of Ukraine under Mr Stoltenberg. Mr Stoltenberg, a former Norwegian prime minister who has been Natos top civilian official since 2014, said he was honoured by the decision and in a more dangerous world, our alliance is more important than ever. His term was due to expire last year but it was extended after Russian President Vladimir Putins invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. Natos leaders will meet in Lithuania next week, where a decision on a successor was due to be made. Mr Wallace had pushed to become the first Briton to lead the alliance since 2003, but lacked the necessary support particularly from the US, the largest military power in Nato. He told The Economist its not going to happen and there are a lot of unresolved issues in Nato. At the regular Cabinet meeting on Tuesday, Mr Sunak said Mr Wallace had been an outstanding candidate for the role. The Prime Ministers official spokesman said Mr Sunak told the meeting of his top team that the Defence Secretary is widely respected among world leaders and the only person at non-leader level to be considered for the job of leading the alliance. But the spokesman said Mr Sunak believes Mr Stoltenberg has done an excellent job leading Nato and will continue to have the UKs support in the role. US President Joe Biden made it clear to Mr Stoltenberg that he would welcome him sticking around longer particularly with no end in sight to the war in Ukraine and with the ongoing challenge of getting Sweden approved as a member of the alliance. The lack of a consensus around a potential successor meant an extension of Mr Stoltenbergs term had become the most likely scenario. Many Nato countries were keen to name a woman to the top post, with Danish leader Mette Frederiksen thought to be a favourite after a meeting with Mr Biden last month but she ruled herself out. The president of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen also ruled out her candidacy, while Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte was also rumoured to be in the running. It is the fourth time Mr Stoltenberg has had his mandate extended and he is the second-longest serving Nato secretary-general after Joseph Luns, who spent almost 13 years in the job from 1971. For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} The NHS is collapsing and doctors are being forced to apologise to their patients because they cannot provide adequate care, a leading medic has warned. Dr Phil Banfield, chairman of council at the British Medical Association, described the frighteningly common situation where dying patients are forced to sleep in a corridor or on a chair while hospitals (are) failing and falling apart and ambulances (are) stacked outside emergency departments. Addressing the unions annual representative meeting in Liverpool, Dr Banfield said that almost every metric measuring the health services performance is flashing red as he warned that the NHS 75th anniversary celebration threatens to be a wake. Sleeping in a corridor or or a chair is frighteningly common, and remember this may be people for whom this is the last day of their life Dr Phil Banfield On the publication of the long-term workforce plan for the health service, he said that the crisis is now and the crunch is today, adding: investing in medical school places while refusing to reverse years of pay erosion is illogical. In his keynote address to the conference, Dr Banfield said: As we look at our health service today, we see hospitals failing and falling apart and ambulances stacked outside emergency departments. We look patients in the eye and apologise when weve not been able to provide the care and treatment we have been trained to give. All around us the NHS is collapsing. Where we are today is not the result of the pandemic, nor due to new economic challenges precipitated by war in Europe, weve been warning of catastrophe for 10 years, its now arrived. This devastation has been wrought by successive UK governments. On the long-term workforce plan, he added: Thank you for a costed workforce plan at last. But this ignores that the crisis is now the crunch is today. Who will train the workforce? Who will teach medicine when there are no medics and academics left? Investing in medical school places while refusing to reverse years of pay erosion is illogical. And we saw the Prime Minister unable to answer questions about why pay wasnt part of their retention strategy. Dr Banfield also spoke about the NHS 75th anniversary, on July 5. He told delegates: This week The NHS celebrates its 75th anniversary. I remain immensely proud to work as a doctor in an organisation I truly believe in. But as we know, waiting lists have never been higher, cancer targets are missed, emergency departments are overwhelmed. Sleeping in a corridor or or a chair is frighteningly common, and remember this may be people for whom this is the last day of their life. Those needing mental health support a cruelly sent across the country this government said that that practice would stop by now, yet another failed promise. The same government that said it would expand GP numbers by 5,000, instead we have over 2,000 fewer full-time equivalent GPS than in 2015 while patient numbers soar. Almost every metric for understanding what is happening is flashing red right now Dr Phil Banfield In England we are almost 50,000 Doctors short of the OECD and EU nation average. Almost every metric for understanding what is happening is flashing red right now. Whats the governments response? Heap more work on an already burnt-out workforce. Repeat lines to the press about how much they value doctors while simultaneously cutting the value of pay. Taking the nurses union to court shameful. This government takes pride in beating the very workers who care for the people of this country. This NHS is far removed from the one we want to be celebrating at 75. Its birthday threatens to be a wake. A Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson said: As we celebrate the NHSs 75th birthday this week, we have so much to be proud of and are making progress on our plans to recover and improve services, backed by record funding. There are more staff than ever before working in the NHS which has led to a record number of cancer patients being treated over the last two years and in April there were a record number of diagnostic tests carried out per working day. Were also tackling the backlog caused by the pandemic and have reduced the number of patients waiting more than 18 months by over 90% since the September 2021 peak and virtually eliminated two-year waits for treatment, despite more people coming forward for treatment. The NHS has published the first ever Long Term Workforce Plan, backed by over 2.4 billion Government funding to deliver the biggest training expansion in NHS history alongside measures to improve culture, leadership and wellbeing. For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} The NHS has survived for 75 years thanks to the dedication, compassion and commitment of its nurses, the Royal College of Nursing (RCN) has said. But the college said that while the institution cares for everyone, from people who live on the street to those who live in palaces, it could do more to care for its own nursing staff. Pat Cullen, chief executive and general secretary of the RCN, said that nurses on the front line have described a service crumbling at the seams due to neglect and constant cuts over the last decade. Nurses have described working in extreme conditions with a depleted workforce and their feeling of sadness about the state of the NHS is palpable, she said. In an interview with the PA news agency to mark the milestone anniversary of the health service, Ms Cullen said: There absolutely wouldnt be a health service without nurses. Theyre the backbone of the NHS and I would describe them as the beating heart of the NHS. I think the NHS has survived because of the dedication and the compassion and the commitment of nursing staff. Theres no doubt if you look at our health service and it is sad to think were celebrating 75 years being in such a state that it is in. In (recent weeks) I have spoken to hundreds and hundreds of nurses, their feeling of sadness about the state of the NHS is palpable. They describe working in the most extreme conditions, they describe an NHS thats thats crumbling at the seams. The NHS deserves much more. It deserves to be nurtured and looked after and treated as the incredible institution that it is and was set up to be. Yet over this last decade, at least, the NHS has been subjected to constant neglect and constant cuts. (Patients that I have spoken to) have said that against all odds our nursing staff even with the conditions that they find themselves working in, with a depleted nursing workforce, a service that is under crisis, and one that is is almost always on red alert that they still manage to give them the best possible care and treatment and make every patient feel individual and highly special when they come into that system. I think the NHS has survived because of the dedication and the compassion and the commitment of nursing staff. Pat Cullen, RCN Asked if the service would still be around in another 75 years time, she said: If nurses have anything to do with it. You definitely will have an NHS for the next 75 years. And thats why it is so so important to address the crisis that weve got within our nursing profession. When you think about the NHS, what other great institution is set up to provide care for the most disadvantaged and underprivileged in this community, the people that we walk by on our streets, homeless at night, and those people within our NHS are as equally entitled to healthcare at the point of delivery, as is a member of the royal family. So thats the greatness of our NHS institution. Nurses have protected for the last 75 years and will continue to do for the next 75 years. At present there are around 40,000 nursing vacancies across England. Though the new NHS Long Term Workforce plan, released last week, sets out how the NHS intends to boost nursing numbers in the coming years and the work it intends to do on retaining current staff. Nurses have been in a bitter industrial dispute with the Government over pay since December last year when RCN members staged the first mass walkout of nurses in NHS history. The most recent ballot of members failed to reach a strike mandate and the RCN said it will continue fighting for nurses rights though other means. For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} Proposals for the Orkney Islands to loosen ties with the United Kingdom and explore their Nordic connections are set to be debated by councillors. Council leader James Stockan has put forward a motion which says it is time for Orkney to consider alternative forms of governance which could provide more economic opportunity. It suggests this could be along the lines of crown dependencies such as Guernsey, Jersey and the Isle of Man. The motion will be debated at a meeting of Orkney Islands Council on Tuesday. However, No 10 has shut down the proposals, with the Prime Ministers official spokesman telling reporters: First and foremost, there is no mechanism for the conferral of crown dependency or overseas territory status on any part of the UK. But fundamentally, we are stronger as one United Kingdom, we have no plans to change that. The spokesman added: Weve got no plans to change the devolution settlement. Mr Stockan told the BBC that Orkney is being failed dreadfully by governments in both Edinburgh and London. His motion states that due to historical and contemporary challenges over funding, Orkney Islands Council should now explore options for alternative models of governance that provide greater fiscal security and economic opportunity. That should include looking at Nordic connections, crown dependencies and other options for greater subsidiarity and autonomy to be presented to the community for consideration. The council leaders motion does not commit the council to any of these options and the officials report notes that any constitutional change would likely require a combination of petitions, referenda and legislation at Holyrood and Westminster. Orkney was under Norwegian and Danish control until 1472 when the islands were given to Scotland as part of Margaret of Denmarks wedding dowry to King James III of Scotland. Sign up to our free Brexit and beyond email for the latest headlines on what Brexit is meaning for the UK Sign up to our Brexit email for the latest insight Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Brexit and beyond email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} Nigel Farages bank accounts were closed because they did not contain enough money, not because of his political views, it has been claimed. The former Brexit Party and Ukip leader sparked a free speech row after claiming his accounts were shuttered by upmarket lender Coutts in revenge for Brexit. Mr Farage said he has since been rejected from several other banks, and claimed he was a victim of the big corporate structures who did not want Brexit to happen. The extraordinary row saw the prime minister wade in, confirming there was concern at the top of government and ordering a Treasury probe into whether banks were being overzealous in closing certain accounts. But sources at the bank said Mr Farages accounts were closed because he fell below the financial threshold Coutts requires. They told the BBC he was even offered a regular account at NatWest which owns Coutts which Mr Farage confirmed to The Independent. Coutts requires clients to maintain at least 1m in investments or borrowing, or hold 3m in savings, to be eligible for an account, the BBC reported. Mr Farage, who says he has been with the bank since 1980, suggested another reason his accounts may have been cancelled was his status as a so-called politically exposed person (PEP), which carries extra costs for banks. But sources familiar with the banks thinking told the BBC this was not the reason his accounts were closed and that it was a commercial move. The bank, which acts on behalf of the royal family, said it can not comment on individual clients. Mr Farage said he maintained a healthy cash balance with Coutts (AFP/Getty) Speaking to The Independent, Mr Farage said there is a lot of spin coming out of Coutts. He disputed that he was offered a NatWest account at the time his Coutts accounts were withdrawn and says the offer only came late last week. He said: Number one, the idea was that I was offered a bank account, that was not until 6.55pm on Thursday evening after they steadfastly refused to offer me any banking facilities within the group. The NatWest account was only offered after I had blown the gaff on the fact that nobody in the UK banking industry would have me. He added: I still have not had any offers from them on business banking. The point is, nine other banks have said no. Coutts denied I was PEP status when the fact is every other bank said I was and I am beginning to get subject access requests back from international agencies confirming that. Mr Farage said he maintained a healthy cash balance with Coutts, and he had no idea about the banks thresholds for clients. In a video posted on Twitter on Tuesday, Mr Farage confirmed Coutts was the bank he had complained about. He did not deny that he had failed to meet the financial threshold to keep an account with the bank, but said they have never mentioned that before. The latest developments came after No 10 said on Monday that the Treasury was consulting on whether the current framework for banks strikes the right balance between the rights of a bank customer to express themselves freely and the right of a bank to manage commercial risks. Rishi Sunak said banks should not be allowed to close customers accounts because of their views. Responding to the Farage row, the PM told broadcasters that the right to free speech had to be respected and that should not be an excuse to close anyones account. Culture secretary Lucy Frazer said earlier on Monday that she was concerned that peoples bank accounts might be closed for the wrong reasons warning that financial institutions should tread very carefully when it comes to peoples political views. Mr Farage revealed last week that a major banking group he had been with for 43 years had phoned him two months previously, apparently to say: We are closing your accounts. He alleged that it amounted to serious political persecution, claiming that British banks are part of the big corporate structures who did not want Brexit to happen. Meanwhile, Church of England vicar Rev Richard Fothergill told The Times that his own bank account with the Yorkshire Building Society had been closed after he complained about its support for what he has termed the transsexual agenda during Pride month. He accused the company of bullying him. A Yorkshire Building Society spokesperson said the company did not close accounts for particular views but only if a customer is rude, abusive, violent or discriminates in any way. Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inbox Get our free View from Westminster email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the View from Westminster email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} Orkneys decision to explore alternative governance has been branded a revolution in its relationship with the UK and Scottish governments. The Scottish islands council voted by 15 to six today for a proposal which includes examining the archipelagos Nordic connections and looking into adopting models similar to crown dependencies such as Jersey and Guernsey. Norway and Demark controlled Orkney before it was passed to Scotland in 1472 as part of a dowry to mark Margaret of Denmarks wedding to King James III of Scotland. Boris Johnson on a trip to Orkney (Getty Images) Council leader James Stockan proposed the motion after claiming the islands had faced discrimination from both governments. This largely relates to funding models which Orkney council feel leaves it unfairly penalised compared with neighbouring islands like Shetland and the Western Isles. Fellow Orkney councillor Lesley Manson, who voted for the motion, revealed the wall-to-wall coverage of the vote had proved a revolution in its calls for more autonomy and funding. Mr Manson said that after being largely ignored and disrespected by Westminster and Holyrood for years, they are now in conversation with both. At least now they are talking to us and considering us in a way they werent before which is a good thing, he told The Independent. Councillor Lesley Manson warned against any drastic action following the vote (Orkney Council) Its baby steps but we are unashamedly taking advantage of that. Mr Manson, a former deputy leader of the council, was keen to play down the likelihood of Orkney leaving the UK and warned against anyone expecting drastic action. I dont think the permissions [to leave the UK] would be there, he explained. I think it would be like SNP and its frustrations with Westminster for it not allowing it to have another independence referendum. Instead, he said the motions selling point was that the actual words of the motion dont commit the council to action. It was a direction of travel rather than a roadmap, which didnt specify how much money or time the council would have to commit, he added. Shetland councillor Robbie McGregor said little had happened in Shetland since it held a similar vote in 2020 (Shetland Islands Council) People felt, I certainly did, that starting the conversation has already led to the Scottish and UK governments being very prompt in getting in touch with our chief executive. We felt that before they were completely unresponsive to the point of discourtesy. It seems to have shamed the governments into some sort of response. He also believes the initial rebuttals from the administrations of Rishi Sunak and Humza Yousaf after the story broke were holding statements and both are now sat up and paying attention. Its forcing the governments to respond in a way that they didnt before, he added. Despite the vote, a councillor from the neighbouring Shetland Islands warned that Orkney would face a very difficult battle leaving the UK should it try. Robbie McGregor, the Scottish islands sole SNP councillor, revealed that not an awful lot had been done about Shetland leaving the union since the council passed a similar motion in 2020. I certainly havent heard of anything [recently about the motion], he told The Independent. There are probably council officers looking into it in the background but no concrete proposals have come to council meetings. He also warned that pursuing a model similar to the Isle of Man a self-governing Crown dependency could leave the council with less autonomy. The Orkney isles were under Norwegian and Danish control until 1472 (Alamy/PA) I hope they realise what they are doing, he said. Under the Isle of Man model, a civil servant has the right to veto anything that the Manx parliament decides so there would be less autonomy in my opinion. A spokesperson for the Isle of Man government disputed Mr McGregors characterisation of the Manx parliamentary model. They said that while the governor did have the power to deny royal assent, convention meant it would only be used in exceptional circumstances. Speaking to councillors before the vote, Mr Stockan said: I say enough. I say it is time for government to take us seriously, and I say its time for us to look at all the options weve got. There is a far bigger suite of options here this could even be that we could get our money direct from the Treasury in London and look after our own future. Despite passing with a healthy majority, the motion was not without its detractors. Rishi Sunaks government has dismissed the councils ability to leave the UK (Frank Augstein/PA) (PA Wire) Councillor Steven Heddle said the disadvantages of leaving the UK included having to buy back the sea bed, and tuition fees for students wishing to study in Scotland. On Monday, the prime ministers official spokesman said there was no mechanism for the conferral of crown dependency or overseas territory status on any part of the UK. The Scottish government said it was "committed to supporting island communities". The Norwegian government declined to comment on the proposals. Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inbox Get our free View from Westminster email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the View from Westminster email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} Rishi Sunak has said the world is a long way from establishing an alliance on artificial intelligence (AI) that includes nations such as China and Russia. The Prime Ministers planned summit on the future of the technology will bring together like-minded countries, he emphasised. Quizzed on the biggest dangers of AI during his appearance before the Commons Liaison Committee, Mr Sunak highlighted large-scale societal shifts, risk of misuse, and national security risks. He said the existential risk of AI must be taken seriously because theres just a lack of understanding at this point about what the potential of these models might be. Were a long way from anyone establishing an IAEA equivalent for AI Rishi Sunak On the benefits of AI, the Prime Minister spoke of the possibility of tackling incurable diseases like cancer and dementia or new ways to grow crops. He also pointed to a recent paper estimating that it could boost GDP by 10% over the coming decade and drive up productivity. Mr Sunak was asked whether his conference in the autumn would be open to all nations, similar to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), which includes China and Russia. He said it would be bringing people together who are thinking about these things in a similar way to exchange ideas, share information, as AI doesnt respect national borders. Mr Sunak added: We will all benefit from hearing and talking to each other in conversation with businesses themselves. Were a long way from anyone establishing an IAEA equivalent for AI, those things are long into the distance. But in the first instance just talking through this with like-minded countries is a sensible thing. The Prime Minister declined to answer a question on whether there will be an AI Bill in the Kings Speech. What we need to do, and I think probably we can do lots of this without legislation, is sitting down and figuring out what are the safety features and guardrails that wed like to put in place, he said. Mr Sunak said the UK can lead on AI safety research because we already have good capability in it. Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inbox Get our free View from Westminster email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the View from Westminster email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} The NHS is frozen in time and has left Britons sicker than those in many other western countries, Sajid Javid has warned. The former health secretary is calling for a royal commission into the health service, to provide a dispassionate and honest assessment of how it can be reformed. Mr Javid said a public inquiry should look at models of care in other countries and report back within a year to provide a collective mandate for reform. And he claimed that both the Conservatives and Labour privately concede that the NHS is unsustainable and cannot cope with surging levels of demand despite record levels of funding. Ahead of the 75th anniversary of the NHS on Wednesday, Mr Javid said: No universal healthcare system is perfect, but when you compare health outcomes in the UK with similar countries, it is clear that for decades we have fallen short across successive governments. He blamed short-term thinking by the Conservatives and Labour caused by the politicisation of the service. And he blasted the ongoing use of fax machines and pagers by doctors and nurses, saying other countries have embraced new technologies much more quickly than Britain. There are some hospitals that are still entirely paper-based, and I think you'd be hard pressed to find that anywhere else in a comparable country in Europe, Mr Javid said. Writing in The Times, Mr Javid said the UK faces worse health outcomes than comparable countries as a direct consequence of how the NHS is set up. Highlighting Britains ageing population and the lingering impact of the pandemic, Mr Javid said the supply of healthcare will continue to be outstripped by soaring demand. All of this is at a time of record funding for the NHS, he wrote. In 2000, the health budget accounted for 27 per cent of day-to-day UK public spending; next year it will hit 44 per cent, larger than the GDP of Greece. The backbench MP, who served as health secretary under Boris Johnson, said entire British state is on the verge of becoming a subsidiary of the NHS, Mr Javid said: Its a direct consequence of how the NHS is still structured. Since it was established in 1948, the world has significantly changed yet much of the institution remains frozen in time. And he said: Now is the time for the national interest to come to the fore with a collective mandate for reform. To make sure the NHS is here in another 75 years, we need a royal commission. An inquiry should consider ideas such as a greater focus on preventing illness, rather than treating it, Mr Javid said. He told Times Radio: The NHS is very much, think of it as a national hospital service, it looks after you when you have become ill. There is a lot more than can be done as a country on trying to prevent that in the first place or slow it down. We know what the biggest killers are out there, it is obesity, smoking, alcohol and drug addiction. Other countries have a much broader joined up approach to prevention. And Mr Javid called for the UK to consider different models used by countries including Germany, which has a social insurance scheme, or Denmark which relies on fewer but larger so-called mega hospitals. I am not saying each one of these is necessarily the answer for us, but we do need to look at why other countries are using different models and the outcomes that brings, he added. His intervention comes a week after a report showed the NHS is performing substantially less well than similar countries on life expectancy and other health outcomes. The Kings Fund study said the UK health system is lagging behind peers on crucial measures, including avoidable mortality deaths that could have been avoided with better primary care. Another damning finding from the report was that Britain has substantially fewer key physical resources than many of its peers, including MRI scanners and hospital beds. The UK had the fourth and second-highest rates of preventable and treatable mortality in 2019 among the 19 health systems in the report, with 119 deaths and 69 deaths per 100,000 people respectively. And it suggested that British policy makers should pick out specific areas of learning and interesting practice from other health systems, rather than attempt an entire reset. And it came as Dr Phil Banfield, chairman of council at the British Medical Association, warned the NHS is collapsing and doctors are being forced to apologise to their patients because they cannot provide adequate care. For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} Prime Minister Rishi Sunak will give evidence to the Infected Blood Inquiry later this month amid complaints the Government is dragging its heels over compensation payments. Mr Sunak has previously said the Government will wait for the full report into the infected blood scandal before considering whether to extend the compensation scheme for victims. Mr Sunak will give evidence to the inquiry on July 26, with Chancellor and former health secretary Jeremy Hunt due to appear on July 28. Commons Leader and former paymaster general Penny Mordaunt will appear on July 24, with current Paymaster General Jeremy Quin at the inquiry the following day. The ministers will give evidence on the Governments response to the use of infected blood and the question of compensation. The chairman of the inquiry has said that an interim compensation scheme should be widened so more people including orphaned children and parents who lost children could be compensated. Sir Brian Langstaff said in April that he was taking the unusual step of publishing the recommendation ahead of the publication of the full report into the scandal so that victims would not face any more delays. Under the initial scheme victims themselves or bereaved partners can receive an interim payment of around 100,000. Jason Evans, director of campaign group Factor 8, said: The decision to call the Prime Minister to testify is a powerful indicator of the seriousness with which the inquiry is treating this matter. The situation is urgent and there is a pressing need for resolution and justice for those impacted. The delay in implementing the inquirys compensation recommendations has raised significant concerns, leading to the unprecedented step of the Prime Minister himself being called to address these issues in front of the inquiry. The inquiry was established in 2017 to examine how thousands of patients in the UK were infected with HIV and hepatitis C through contaminated blood products in the 1970s and 1980s. About 2,400 people died in what has been labelled the worst treatment disaster in the history of the NHS. Thousands of adults and approximately 380 children received infected blood products or transfusions during treatment by the NHS, the inquiry has heard. Many had the blood clotting disorder haemophilia and were given injections of the US product Factor VIII. For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} The only portrait known to have been painted by Sir Henry Raeburn in 18th century Rome has been saved for the nation. The painting, titled Patrick Moir, has been acquired by National Galleries of Scotland (NGS) and has gone on show at the National in Edinburgh in the month of the bicentenary of Raeburns death on July 8, 1823. It joins the NGS collection of the artists work which includes the much loved Skating Minister painting, Reverend Robert Walker (17551808) Skating On Duddingston Loch, which is also on show at the gallery on The Mound. Patrick Moir was painted in Rome at a key moment in Raeburns life and career, and is the only known portrait dating from his one study visit to Italy (from 17846). It depicts the nephew of Raeburns most influential acquaintance in the city James Byres of Tonley (17341817), a well-known dealer in antiquities and Old Master paintings. NGS acquired the painting through the Private Treaty Sale scheme, which allows private owners to sell items considered to be culturally pre-eminent to national organisations without recourse to an auction process. Helen Smailes, NGS senior curator, said: This fascinating painting has been a cherished heirloom of the Moir-Byres family since 1785 and is a remarkable survivor of the French invasion of Italy in the 1790s. We are delighted to have been able to save Patrick Moir for the nation in Raeburns bicentenary year Helen Smailes, National Galleries of Scotland Raeburns only known portrait painted in Rome, its acquisition has transformed the galleries internationally important holdings of his work. We are delighted to have been able to save Patrick Moir for the nation in Raeburns bicentenary year, with the unwavering commitment of the Moir-Byres family and generous support from the Art Fund. The acquisition was enabled by 54,000 of support from Art Fund, together with funds from the Cowan Smith and Treaty of Union Bequests. Raeburn (17561823) was considered the top Scottish portrait painter of the late 18th and early 19th century and painted more than 1,000 canvases in his lifetime, despite lacking any formal artistic training. The painting, believed to have been commissioned by Byres, will join the NGS collection of art relating to Scots undertaking a Grand Tour of Italy, including works by Allan Ramsay and William Aikman. Patrick Moir was the son of Reverend George Moir (17411818) of Peterhead, Aberdeenshire. In time, Patrick managed his uncles business and became known as the English banker in Rome and a supplier of funds to Cardinal York, brother of Prince Charles Edward Stewart. The portrait remained in Rome with the rest of Byress art collection during the turmoil of the citys invasion by French revolutionary troops and eventually returned to the Byres family in Aberdeenshire. Jenny Waldman, director of Art Fund, said: This rare painting is the only known surviving full-scale portrait from Sir Henry Raeburns stay in Italy, a formative moment in the artists career. Im thrilled that Art Fund has been able to support this important acquisition, where it will join the National Galleries of Scotlands world-leading collection of Raeburns work for the public to enjoy for many years to come. Sign up to our Evening Headlines email for your daily guide to the latest news Sign up to our free US Evening Headlines email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Evening Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} Eight thrill seekers were left hanging upside down for hours after a roller coaster suffered mechanical failure at a fair in Wisconsin on Monday. The riders became trapped when a Fireball roller coaster broke down near the top of a loop at the Forest County Festival in Crandon, about 100 miles northwest of Green Bay, according to local authorities. Crandon Fire Department chief Brennan Cook said emergency services were called to the festival site at the Crandon International Offroad Raceway just after 1.30pm local time. The first trapped passenger was freed about two hours later, and the last one was brought down just after 5pm. Nine people were treated on site by medics, and one was taken to hospital, authorities said. Due to the height of ride, specialized technical rescue teams and mutual aid equipment were needed to remove riders from ride, Mr Cook said. Footage posted to social media showed a rescuer in a harness scaling the side of the stricken ride as the passengers hand upside down. Eight people were stuck upside down in a roller coaster at a fair in Crandon, Wisconsin, on 3 July (WJFW) Search and rescue teams and firefighters from three districts were called in to help with the effort. An off-duty firefighter with specialised rope rescue training who happened to be on the scene advised the Crandon Fire Department on possible rescue options, Mr Cook added. Eventually, a ladder truck with a 100ft platform from the City of Antigo in Langlade arrived and was able to reach the passengers. Erica Kostichka from Antigo Fire/EMS told WAOW the stranded passengers and rescuers were harnessed together during the rescue. Our department has never experienced a situation like we did yesterday, Ms Kostichka said. Close Search for suspects after Molotov cocktail detonated Sign up to our free US news bulletin sent straight to your inbox each weekday morning Sign up to our free morning US email news bulletin Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the US Morning Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} Police have released additional photos of a suspect on the run after three explosions took place in Washington, DC over the weekend in what appears to be targeted attacks on businesses. An ATM, a Nike store, and a Safeway grocery store were all struck by explosions starting at about 4.30am on Sunday. Police are on the lookout for a vehicle used in the explosions. The attacks all occurred within 15 minutes, with the first taking place when the suspect blew up an ATM outside Truist Bank in the 2300 block of Washington Place. After leaving the scene in the car, the suspect detonated a second explosion at 4.36am at the Nike Store located in the 700 block of H Street. Nine minutes later, a Molotov cocktail-style explosive was thrown at the Safeway grocery store on the 300 block of 40th Street before the suspect again left the scene by car. No injuries have been reported and the Metropolitan Police has said that the suspect didnt appear to have been targeting the public as the explosions took place at closed businesses. Close Philadelphia mass shooting leaves 4 dead, 2 injured: Police Sign up to our free US news bulletin sent straight to your inbox each weekday morning Sign up to our free morning US email news bulletin Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the US Morning Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} The man accused of killing five people in a mass shooting in the Kingsessing neighbourhood on Monday evening, left disturbing messages on social media before carrying out one of several US mass shootings that marred the Fourth of July weekend. The suspect, identified as 40-year-old Kimbrady Carriker, appeared on Wednesday in Philadelphia County Municipal Court for arraignment on five counts of murder and other charges related to the shooting, which appeared to be random. Law enforcement officers revealed to CNN that Carriker told them in sum that he carried out the shooting to clean up the neighbourhood. The shooting unfolded at around 8.30pm on Monday when the suspected assailant, dressed in a bullet-proof vest and ski mask and armed with an AR-15-style rifle and a handgun, wreaked havoc, firing with a rifle at their victims seemingly at random. Five people were killed in the attack: Lashyd Merritt, 22; Dymir Stanton, 29; Ralph Moralis, 59; Joseph Wamah Jr, 31, and Daujan Brown, 15. Two children aged two and 13 were also injured by gunfire but are in stable condition. The two-year-olds twin and a 33-year-old woman were also injured via broken glass. Sign up to our free US news bulletin sent straight to your inbox each weekday morning Sign up to our free morning US email news bulletin Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the US Morning Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} Before the end of a long Fourth of July holiday weekend, more than 75 people were injured and at least 11 people were killed in nearly a dozen mass shootings across the country, accelerating an already fast-moving rate of mass acts of gun violence in the US this year. At least 346 mass shootings were recorded within the first six months of 2023 and through the July 4 weekend, a rate of at least one every day, and outpacing the rates of mass shootings at similar points in the calendar in previous years. Three people were killed and eight others were wounded in a mass shooting at a festival in Fort Worth, Texas on 3 July. Five people were killed and two others were injured when a gunman in a bulletproof vest fired into a crowd of strangers in Philadelphia that same night. And in Baltimore, two people were fatally shot and 28 others half of which were children were injured in a hail of gunfire during a block party in Baltimore on 2 July. The deadly incidents underscore the nations failure to combat an epidemic of gun violence even as officials across the US and in the highest courts in the country loosen gun laws and make it easier to arm Americans in public. As of 4 July, more than 21,000 people in the US have died from gun violence, including suicide, which accounts for the largset number of gun deaths each year, according to the Gun Violence Archive. Nearly 19,000 people have been injured in gun-related incidents so far this year. The organisation counts mass shootings as incidents in which four or more people are killed or injured. Some of the most visible and deadliest acts of violence have been inside Americas schools. In February, a mass shooting at Michigan State University left three students dead and five others injured. The following month, a mass shooting inside a school in Nashville killed six people, including three young schoolchildren. Meanwhile, nearly every US state allows gun owners to carry concealed weapons in public in some form. But more than half of US states allow most gun owners to carry a concealed firearm in most public spaces without a permit, background check or safety training, as Republican lawmakers advance a so-called constitutional carry movement through state legislatures. The attacks during the July 4 holiday come one year after a gunman armed with an AR-15 opened fire above a parade in Highland Park, Illinois, where seven people were killed and at least 48 others were injured. State officials later moved to ban assault weapons and high-capacity magazines like the one used in that attack in the months that followed. But assault weapons like AR-style rifles remain widely available across the country, despite repeated demands from President Joe Biden and widespread support among Democratic members of Congress to reinstate a federal ban. Since taking office, the president has had more success in enacting new gun safety legislation than any president since Bill Clintons two terms in the 1990s. But with a Republican-controlled House of Representatives and a de facto 60-vote threshold for any legislative action on any matter in the Democratic-controlled Senate, it is unlikely that Congress will make any progress towards any new laws that would restrict the availability of firearms in the US even as a majority of Americans believe it should be more difficult to get them. And as we have seen over the last few days, much more must be done in Illinois and across America to address the epidemic of gun violence that is tearing our communities apart, President Joe Biden said in a statement following the latest wave of violence on 4 July. It is within our power to once again ban assault weapons and high-capacity magazines, to require safe storage of guns, to end gun manufacturers immunity from liability, and to enact universal background checks, he added. I urge other states to follow Illinois lead, and continue to call upon Republican lawmakers in Congress to come to the table on meaningful, commonsense reforms that the American people support. Meanwhile, the US Supreme Court one year after striking down a century-old New York law requiring handgun owners to show proper cause for a licence to carry a concealed weapon will consider another major Second Amendment case in the coming months. The conservative supermajority court will hear arguments in a case that asks whether the government can prohibit domestic violence offenders from owning firearms, setting up another major Second Amendment test that could radically reshape gun safety laws across the country in the grip of a record-breaking year for gun violence. Here is a look at several high-profile acts of mass violence in the US in 2023 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania At least five people were fatally shot and two children were injured the night before the Fourth of July during the long holiday weekend. Police arrested a suspect who was reportedly armed with an AR-15-style rifle and a handgun and wearing a bulletproof vest. The apparent shooting spree spanned several blocks and damaged several cars. Baltimore, Maryland At least two people were killed and at least 28 others were injured during a block party on 2 July during the Fourth of July holiday weekend. Hollywood, Florida Nine people were injured on 29 May during the Memorial Day holiday when gunfire erupted between two groups along the beach. Allen, Texas A gunman whose alleged online history and writings included violent neo-Nazi images and statements opened fire at a crowded mall in a Dalla suburb on 6 May, killing at least eight people and injuring at least seven others. An officer at the scene fatally shot him. Atlanta, Georgia A 24-year-old gunman walked into a waiting room at a medical office complex in midtown Atlanta on 3 May and killed one person and injured four others before fleeing the city and triggering an hourslong statewide manhunt. Deion Patterson was charged with one count of murder and four counts of aggravated assault. Henryetta, Oklahoma On 1 May, convicted sex offender Jesse McFadden killed six people, including his wife and three of her children, before fatally shooting himself on his ranch in a small town outside of Tulsa. Cleveland, Texas On 28 April, a gunman fatally shot five people after a neighbor asked him to stop firing his gun in his yard. State and federal law enforcement officers discovered Francisco Oropeza after a four-day search. He was charged with five counts of murder and was indicted for capital murder of multiple persons, which allows prosecutors to seek the death penalty. Dadeville, Alabama A shooting at a Sweet 16 birthday party on 15 April left four people dead and 28 others injured in a small town of roughly 3,000 people 45 miles northeast of Montgomery. Roughly 60 people were inside the venue at the time of the shooting. At least six people who were allegedly involved with the shooting face a range of charges. Two brothers ages 16 and 17 were charged with four counts of reckless murder. Johnny Letron Brown, Wilson LaMar Hill and Willie George Brown Jr, also face the same charges. A sixth suspect, a 15-year-old from Tuskegee, also faces the same charges. Louisville, Kentucky A 25-year-old employee opened fire at a bank on 10 April, killing five people and injuring eight others while live streaming the attack and exchanging gunfire with responding police officers. The gunman, identified as bank employee Connor Sturgeon, was armed with an AR-15-style rifle. He was fatally shot by police. Nashville, Tennessee Three nine-year-old students and three staff members died after a shooting at a private Christian grade school on 27 March. The suspect, 28-year-old Audrey Hale, was fatally shot by police at the Covenant School in Nasvhilles Green Hills suburb. Half Moon Bay, California On 23 January, Chunli Zhao shot seven people across two agricultural business locations a mushroom farm and a trucking facility. Zhao fatally shot four people at Mountain Mushroom Farm and three others at Concord Farms, roughly two miles away. Zhao was a former employee at both farms. He has been charged with seven counts of murder, one count of attempted murder, firearm use enhancements, and one count of special circumstance allegation of multiple murder. Monterey Park, California Huu Can Tran, a one-time fixture at the Star Ballroom Dance Studio, fatally shot 11 people and wounded nine others with a submachine gun-style semiautomatic handgun on 21 January. He killed himself as police surrounded his van the next morning. Sign up to our free US news bulletin sent straight to your inbox each weekday morning Sign up to our free morning US email news bulletin Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the US Morning Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} A New York police officer has been arrested for allegedly falsely claiming her coworkers were sending her threatening messages. Prosecutors allege the officer was really sending the messages to herself. Emily Hirshowitz, 36, of the Ossining Police Department, was taken into custody on Wednesday and charged with four counts of third-degree falsely reporting an indicent, and three counts of first-degree filing a false instrument, which is a felony, according to The New York Post. This is a case of a harassed woman and it is riddled with mystery and confusion, her attorney Paul DerOhannesian told The Independent in a statement via email. In May of 2022, the officer, a seven-year member of the Ossining police force, reported to the Westchester District Attorneys Office that she was receiving threatening text messages from her colleagues, claiming, a fellow police officer or multiple police officers at my department are involved, according to court documents obtained by the Rockland / Westchester Journal News. The messages were hostile in tone, calling the officer insults like dumb, useless, and reject, with one text even urging her suicide, according to messages shared with officials in the following months. Local officials took the complaints seriously. On 23 August, police chief Kevin Sylvester convened a meeting to discuss the mesages, inviting local officials like the mayor. That same month, Hirshowitz attempted to withdraw her complaint. By October of 2022, investigators looking into the case obtained a search warrant for the officers phone and Apple iCloud account, and prosecutors allege that evidence obtained there suggests Hirshowitz controlled multiple phone numbers sending the threatening messages. A footnote in their complaint, however, notes that a different individual in the DAs office could be linked to three messages, but that prosecutors were unable to press charges. Former Ossining police officer Louis Rinaldi, who resigned this year, has emerged as a potential accomplice to Hirshowtiz, according to the Post. Sign up to our free US news bulletin sent straight to your inbox each weekday morning Sign up to our free morning US email news bulletin Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the US Morning Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} At least five people were killed in a mass shootout on Monday evening in Philadelphia after a gunman decided to leave their home and target individuals, according to the police. There were multiple gunshot victims, the Philadelphia Police Department said but didnt reveal the identities or any further details about the victims. Police commissioner Danielle Outlaw said at a news conference: At this point, all we know is that this person (the suspect) decided to leave their home and target individuals. He had a bulletproof vest, an AR-type rifle, multiple magazines, a handgun, and a police scanner, she said. Reports said that at least eight people were shot. The figure was later revised to seven five were killed and two wounded. Six victims were taken to the Penn Presbyterian Medical Center and two were taken to the Childrens Hospital of Philadelphia, according to local reports. Three of the dead were 20 to 59 years old men, while the fourth, who had not yet been identified, was estimated to be between 16 and 21. Police said a fifth victims body was later found. Ms Outlaw said that the two hospitalised victims are boys, aged two and 13 and are believed to be in stable condition. The shooting took place over several blocks in southwestern Philadelphias Kingsessing neighbourhood at around 8.30pm local time, police said. The suspect, reportedly was wearing a bulletproof vest and was identified to be a 40-year-old male. The Philadephia Inquirer reported that the bodies of four victims were found at several locations. You can see there are several scenes out here, Ms Outlaw said. Were canvassing the area to get as much as we can, to identify witnesses, to identify where cameras are located and to do everything to figure out the why. Police spokesperson Miguel Torres said in a statement to CNN that officers took the suspect into custody from an alleyway behind the 1600 block of South Frazier Street. Police chased the suspect before he surrendered. According to Gun Violence Archive, at least 339 mass shootings with four or more killed or injured have occurred in the US so far this year. Horrified by the reports of a shooting in Southwest Philadelphia, Philadelphia mayor Jim Kenney tweeted. My heart is with the loved ones and families of everyone involved, and I send my prayers to the victims. This devastating violence must stop, he added. Meanwhile, police said that officers did not discharge their firearms during the arrest. Sign up to our free US news bulletin sent straight to your inbox each weekday morning Sign up to our free morning US email news bulletin Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the US Morning Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} Jurors in Pittsburgh have begun considering whether the gunman in a white supremacist 2018 shooting at a local synagogue complex should get the death penalty. In June, Robert Bowers, who killed 11 people at the Tree of Life synagogue, was convicted on 63 federal counts. According to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, experts called by his attorneys have been arguing in court in recent days that he was so mentally damaged by the time of the shooting he shouldnt face the death penalty, which is forbidden against people with certain intellectual handicaps. They pointed out how Bowers had been in multiple psychiatric hospitals by the time he was 13 years old, diagnosed with depression and other ailments. As a teenager, he also attempted to kill his mother by spraying an aerosol toward her and trying to light it on fire. Robert Bowers (Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved) By 16, he was voluntarily committed again to a mental facility and had made repeated suicide attempts, according to the defence. Richard Rogers, a forensic psychologist who met with Bowers four times while he was in prison, told jurors the gunman showed signs of delusional thinking tied to his white supremacist ideas. He did not just believe [his conduct] to be correct, Mr Rogers said, he believed it absolutely had to be done. A majority of families whose loved ones died in the shooting have voiced their support for the death penalty in the case. We are not a ruthless, uncompassionate people; we, as a persecuted people, understand when there is a time for compassion and when there is a time to stand up and say enough is enough such violent hatred will not be tolerated on this earth, they wrote in a 2022 letter in the Pittsburg Jewish Chronicle. Our beloved 11 were taken from us in a brutal, cold-blooded act of hatred and violence. We, the undersigned, will feel further violated by letting the defendant have the easy way out. His crimes deserve the death penalty. Others tied to the tragedy, the deadliest antisemitic shooting in US history, argued the death penalty violates Jewish tradition. Jewish practice as I understand it does not outside of self-defense allow humans to take the lives of other humans. Not even the life of a murderer whose guilt is beyond doubt, Beth Kissileff, whose husband, a rabbi, was in the Tree of Life facility during the shooting, wrote in The New York Times. The death penalty does nothing to promote healing; it only continues more killing, she added. The Independent and the nonprofit Responsible Business Initiative for Justice (RBIJ) have launched a joint campaign calling for an end to the death penalty in the US. The RBIJ has attracted more than 150 well-known signatories to their Business Leaders Declaration Against the Death Penalty - with The Independent as the latest on the list. We join high-profile executives like Ariana Huffington, Facebooks Sheryl Sandberg, and Virgin Group founder Sir Richard Branson as part of this initiative and are making a pledge to highlight the injustices of the death penalty in our coverage. Sign up to our Evening Headlines email for your daily guide to the latest news Sign up to our free US Evening Headlines email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Evening Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} Over the weekend, Elon Musk appeared in a Twitter post to endorse the idea of taking the right to vote away from people without children. The billionaire Tesla co-founder replied Yup, to a series of posts from Twitter user @fentasyl, which argued democracy is probably unworkable long term without limiting suffrage to parents. The exchange came as Mr Musk continued his recent run of interacting with right-wing figures on the social network. The posts from fentasyl themselves were a response to a previous post from Mr Musk. On Saturday, in the comments under an Islamophobic nonprofits video, where commenters insinuated that single white women were turning France into a majority-Muslim country, Mr Musk claimed, The childless have little stake in the future. The Independent has contacted Mr Musk for comment. These opinions are hardly surprising for Mr Musk, who has long expressed concerns about declining birth rates in the US and the lack of smart people having enough children, views which critics have argued are verging on eugenicist. In 2022, Musk, who has fathered nine children, wrote on Twitter that, A collapsing birth rate is the biggest danger civilization faces by far. Earlier this year, he elaborated, telling former Fox News anchor Tucker Carlson that society hasnt evolved to respond to abortions and contraception, which the billionaire incorrectly claimed were invented in the last 50 years. Im sort of worried that hey, civilisation, if we dont make enough people to at least sustain our numbers, perhaps increase a little bit, then civilisations going to crumble, Musk said. The old question of, will civilisation end with a bang or a whimper? (In fact, the world population has doubled in the last 50 years to more than 8 billion, according to the UN, though the birth rate has slowed in some places.) Observer argue that such so-called natalist views are often entangled with eugenicist ideas about intentionally manipulating future births to privilege and center certain groups of people. Mr Musk has previously lamented that smart people arent having enough children. If each successive generation of smart people has fewer kids, thats probably bad, he once told a biographer. The tech billionaire has touted a prototype robot as a solution to a hypothetical world where declining numbers of workers are available to toil in Tesla factories. For someone concerned with human civilizations long-term longevity, Mr Musk lives a fabulously carbon intensive life. The carbon footprint from his 2022 private jet flights alone was 132 times greater than the average US residents total footprint, a doubly astounding figure given people in the US consume far more resources than less wealthy nations. Sign up to our Evening Headlines email for your daily guide to the latest news Sign up to our free US Evening Headlines email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Evening Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} A hiker has been rescued three days after she got stuck in the mud at a Massachusetts park. Emma Tetewsky was found after other hikers heard screams in Borderlake State Park, where police believe she was trapped in a swap for around three days before she was found. Utilizing ATVs, Easton PD undertook rescue efforts to reach Emma and free her as she was stuck in the mud for several days, Stoughton Police said. Emma was conscious and alert and she was taken by ambulance to a local hospital for observation. There were so many agencies involved in the search for Emma over the last week, Stoughton Police wrote. We thank everyone involved. The public never gave up hope that she would be located safely. She could not have been located without the publics help, they added. The 31-year-old woman was reported missing by her family on 26 June, and was found a week later after police responded to reports from hikers that they could hear a woman shouting for help. Police attended Borderland State Park where they could hear Ms Tetewsky but couldnt see her - eventually locatiing her after wading through thick brush and swamp to find her. Police are pictured near the scene where Emma Tetewsky was found (Easton Police Department) Id like to commend our Easton officers, who blindly jumped into the water and followed the womans calls for help, said Easton Police Chief Keith Boone. Their immediate action resulted in saving Emma Tetewsky. Wed also like to thank our incredible Fire Department, Borderland State Park rangers, and the hikers who heard Emma and called 911. Without this coordinated effort, this rescue would not have been successful. The hiker was taken to a nearby hospital where she is receiving treatment for serious, but not life-threatening, injuries. Sign up to our Evening Headlines email for your daily guide to the latest news Sign up to our free US Evening Headlines email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Evening Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} Debris from the Titan was brought ashore by deep-sea robots on Wednesday as the US Coast Guard continues recovery operations following the subs catastrophic implosion. The Titans wreckage was seen for the first time in pictures after the Coast Guard announced on 22 June that ROVs (remotely-operated vehicles) found its chambers in a sea of debris 1,600ft from the bow of the Titanic, roughly 12,000ft below the ocean surface. Pelagic Research Services, the company that operated the ROV that made the previous debris findings, said on Wednesday that its team had successfully completed off-shore operations and was now in the process of demobilisation after 10 days of work. The company said a press conference will be held later in the day. Photos from the wharf show what appear to be several pieces of the submersible being lifted from the ship, including the nose cone with its distinctive circular window. The pieces were unloaded from the American ships Sycamore and Horizon Arctic at a port in St Johns, Newfoundland. The US Coast Guard declined to comment on the investigation or the return of debris to shore. Representatives for the National Transportation Safety Board and Transportation Safety Board of Canada (TSB), which are both involved in the investigation, also declined to comment. We are not able to provide any additional information at this time as the investigation is ongoing, said Liam MacDonald, a spokesperson for the TSB said. The Coast Guard announced just hours later that presumed human remains had been found on the sea floor. They will now be formally analysed. The CEO of the company that operated the Titan, Stockton Rush, British billionaire Hamish Harding, renowned French diver Paul-Henri Nargeolet and Pakistani businessman Shahzada Dawood and his 19-year-old son Suleman were aboard the Titan when it imploded last week. The submersible lost contact with its mothership Polar Prince just one hour and 45 minutes into its descent to the wreck of the Titanic on 18 June, sparking a frantic four-day search. Canadian, American and French marine authorities and experts combed large portions of the ocean hoping to find signs of life, before the tragic developments on 22 June. Photos shared by the Associated Press showed what appeared to be several pieces covered with white tarps being unloaded from the American ships Sycamore and Horizon Arctic at a port in St Johns, Newfoundland. (AP) The submersible lost contact with its mothership Polar Prince just one hour and 45 minutes into its descent to the wreck of the Titanic on 18 June (AP) (Reuters) The Coast Guard said last week that the US Navy had detected sounds that matched an implosion or explosion sometime after the sub vanished and before rescue efforts were launched. Rescue efforts continued at the time because the information was not definitive, the Coast Guard said. An international group of agencies is now investigating what may have caused the submersible to implode, and US maritime officials say theyll issue a report aimed at improving the safety of submersibles worldwide. (REUTERS) Debris from the Titan submersible, recovered from the ocean floor near the wreck of the Titanic, is unloaded from the shore (AP) An international group of agencies is now investigating what may have caused the submersible to implode (AP) The Coast Guard said over the weekend that salvage operations were ongoing, but recovery of the bodies will be difficult due to the unforgiving condition on the ocean floor. A final report will be issued by the International maritime Organisation. Sign up to our Evening Headlines email for your daily guide to the latest news Sign up to our free US Evening Headlines email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Evening Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} Five people, including the pilot, died after a plane crashed within a minute of take-off at North Myrtle Beach in South Carolina, police said on Sunday. Horry County coroner Tamara Willard told the media that four died on the spot and one was taken out of the wreckage of the plane and transferred to a hospital. But he also died a short while later. The plane a Piper PA-32R-300 had departed the Grand Strand Airport before crashing two miles northwest, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) said on Sunday. According to FlightAware data, the plane took off at 11.02am and crashed at 11.03am. The Horry County Coroners Office is still in the process of identifying the victims. They will be releasing the information once everyone is identified and next of kin are notified, North Myrtle Beach Police public information officer Pat Wilkinson told CNN. The coroners office said that the victims identities will be revealed once their families are notified. Local media reported that several of the victims are related and their families are from another country. The aircraft seats six people and is considered by aviation experts as a high performance single-engine plane. So far, the circumstances behind the crash were unknown. NTSB and the Federal Aviation Administration [FAA] have launched an investigation. Meanwhile, the road where the wreckage landed was closed and reopened only on Monday night. The crash took place along Pete Dye Drive just off Gray Heron Road, according to the police. According to local reports, the planes registration number N5524F indicated that it belonged to New Jersey native Joseph T Farnese. But it was unclear whether he was flying the plane or was on it, according to WBTW News 13. Sign up to our Evening Headlines email for your daily guide to the latest news Sign up to our free US Evening Headlines email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Evening Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} On 29 June, Janie Santana was delivered news that any parent of a missing child yearns for. After what she says were eight long years of praying her son Rudy Farias was alive, Ms Santana got a much-anticipated call from the Houston Police Department informing her that he had been found. Ms Santana claimed Rudy, now 25, was badly beaten and abused, but expressed relief at the prospect of finally holding her son in her arms after years of uncertainty. However, what appeared to be a miracle outcome against the odds is now being questioned as allegations have emerged from Ms Santanas neighbours that her son was never missing. The Houston Police Department confirmed that Rudy was never missing in a press conference on Thursday. Accounts by Ms Santana tell of Rudys tragic past filled with loss, mental health struggles and challenges. But as questions mount over his fake disappearance for the last eight years, those who participated in the initial search for the then 17-year-old have been left wondering why. Rudy was reported missing in 2015 According to the information featured on a Texas EquuSearch flyer distributed after he went missing, Rudy was last seen while walking his dogs near Tidwell and Park Avenue around 6.30pm on 6 March 2015. He was wearing blue jeans, a black T-shirt, grey cotton gloves and brown shoes. The pets were eventually found safe but Rudy reportedly never returned home. At the time of his disappearance, it was shared with the public that Rudy was diagnosed with depression, post-traumatic stress disorder and anxiety and had likely stopped taking his medication. He had previously suffered an injury to his right leg and walked with a slight limp. Rudy was usually wary around strangers and was not carrying his asthma inhaler with him. A missing poster for Rudolph Rudy Farias IV. Mr Farias went missing on 6 March 2015 and was found over the weekend Ms Santana told local news station KHOU in 2015 that she had been desperately looking for her son, and claimed that HPD had told her Rudy may have been abducted and sold for human trafficking. She did not show her face in that interview, alleging that she had been advised by law enforcement to be extra cautious. He loves with all his heart, so thats why we know that he wouldnt just get up and leave on his own. Thats not him, Ms Santana told the outlet as she fought tears. Its a nightmare that you want to wake up from. Authorities received a call in 2018 from a relative claiming they had spotted Rudy behind their home, but officers who responded to the scene did not find him. A life of tragedy According to Insider, Rudys father, Houston police officer Rudolph Farias III, died by suicide in 2014. He was a 21-year veteran and was facing an internal affairs investigation at the time of his death. The EquuSearch flyer stated that Rudy had also attempted to take his own life in the past. In addition to experiencing mental health problems, Rudy lost his brother to a motorcycle accident four years earlier in 2011, his mother told ABC. Rudy lost his brother to a motorcycle accident four years earlier in 2011, his mother told ABC (GoFundMe) An article published on FOX 26 Houston in 2012 reported that Rudy and his mother, described as marine mother and son, were facing homelessness. Rudy Farias was unable to talk to us face to face today as hes lying in a hospital bed, the preview of the report, which has since been removed, read. My son is receiving the care he needs to overcome his trauma The news that Rudy had been found was first reported in a tweet on Saturday by the Texas Center for the Missing, which was handling public communications on behalf of his family. Ms Santana also said in a statement that her son was nonverbal and asked for privacy. What we do know is at the time of his recovery, a good Samaritan located him unresponsive and immediately called police and 911. My son Rudy is receiving the care he needs to overcome his trauma, but at this time, he is nonverbal and not able to communicate with us, the statement read. Houston Police confirmed they received a 911 call reporting an unconscious man outside the Immaculate Heart Church, according to ABC News. When first responders arrived at the scene, they found a man later identified as Rudy, who according to his mother was visibly beaten, with bruises and cuts all over his body and dry blood on his head. Police contacted his family over the weekend to tell them he had been found alive. Currently, we do not have any additional information on Rudys case. What we do know is ... a good Samaritan located him unresponsive and immediately called police and 911, Ms Santana said in a statement to local news station KHOU. A picture was released apparently showing Rudy Farias recovering after his supposed rediscovery (Bella Ninos) My son Rudy is receiving the care he needs to overcome his trauma, but at this time, he is nonverbal and not able to communicate with us. We are asking for privacy during this difficult time but will share more details as Rudy continues to heal. Ms Santana claimed that Rudy was found wearing a necklace that belonged to his late brother and kept squeezing it every time doctors or family members tried to talk to him. She also said that he remained disorientated and would only say a few words before shutting down and going into a foetal position. Rudy was never missing Shortly after it was announced by police that Rudy was not missing, neighbours of Ms Santana told ABC News said they were never aware Rudy was considered missing because theyve often seen him in recent years. He used to come in my garage, chill with my cousin, son, and daughter, Kisha Ross, who lives a few houses from Ms Santana, told ABC. That boy has never been missing ... Sometimes he would go to the park by himself. Ms Rosss cousin Broderick Conley also told the network that he knew Rudy as Dolph, short for Rudolph, and spent laughing good times when they hung out together. However, Mr Conley and Ms Ross said they hadnt seen Rudy in recent years. Authorities are investigating the circumstances surrounding Rudys disappearance and are trying to find out where he has been for the past eight years. Our mission is to continue supporting our families whose loved ones go missing, Melissa Rangel, a spokesperson with the Texas Center for the Missing, told CNN. Rudy Farias has been missing for eight years and now has been located safe. We at Texas Center for the Missing continue to support our families through reunification and want to continue to support the families through the healing and the hope when their loved ones are missing. But Texas Equusearch founder Tim Miller described the case as very strange. Then Houston authorities revealed that Rudy was in fact never missing during a press conference on Thursday. Rudy Farias mother is not facing charges for eight-year lie, police say Police Chief Troy Finner said that over the eight years Rudy was considered missing, police interviewed Mr Farias and Ms Santana who both claimed he was her nephew and gave a false name. After investigators talked with him yesterday, it was discovered that Rudy returned home the following day on March 8, 2015, Lieutenant Christopher Zamora, a detective with Houston Police Department (HPD)s missing persons unit, said. Janie continued to deceive police by remaining adamant that Rudy was still missing. She alleged her nephew was the person friends and family [saw] coming and going. Despite the lie, Mr Zamora said the district attorney declined to press charges against Ms Santana and Mr Farias for making false statements. Mr Zamora also contradicted claims made by Houston activist and counsellor Quanell X, who alleged that Mr Farias had suffered sexual and physical abuse during the past eight years. We do take all allegations seriously and any new information or facts that we receive will be investigated, Mr Zamora said. Police said they would not release any information about the possible sexual abuse of a victim, and declined to comment whether mental health had been a factor in the long-running saga. They did not discuss a possible motive for the eight-year deception. Over the weekend Quanell X doubled down on his claims, telling The Independent: I believe that Rudy is absolutely a victim. Speaking of his demeanour in a police interview that he also attended, he added: The kid was distraught ... absolutely distraught. He went back and forth; he acted like a teenager, then he would act 20...is he 23 or 25? He went back and forth between like a child state to a mature state. Its all confusing as hell to me now, he said. I think theyre revictimising the kid all over again. I believe he needs extensive medical, psychological help and treatment. Why would his mother lie about his disappearance? While police have said Ms Santana was lying about the disappearance of her son, they have not put forward an explanation of why she might have done such a thing. However, a private investigator who tried to track down Rudy said she believed Ms Santana may be suffering from a condition such as Munchausen syndrome by proxy. Brenda Paradise told The Independent that she wasnt surprised when he turned out to have been with his mother all along. She said she became suspicious about the mother from the beginning of the case. When she started asking difficult questions that Ms Santana didnt like, she said they lost contact. Ms Paradise also said she believed Ms Santana was hoping to collect donations from the public. If you are experiencing feelings of distress, or are struggling to cope, you can speak to the Samaritans, in confidence, on 116 123 (UK and ROI), email jo@samaritans.org, or visit the Samaritans website to find details of your nearest branch. If you are based in the US, and you or someone you know needs mental health assistance right now, call or text the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline at 988. This is a free, confidential crisis hotline that is available to everyone 24 hours a day, seven days a week. If you are in another country, you can go to www.befrienders.org to find a helpline near you. Sign up to our Evening Headlines email for your daily guide to the latest news Sign up to our free US Evening Headlines email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Evening Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} A Texas man who was found eight years after he went missing has been unable to speak with investigators because he is non-verbal, according to his mother. Rudy Farias, then 17, was walking his two dogs in northeast Houston when he vanished on 6 March 2015, prompting a years-long desperate search for the missing teen. Over the weekend, law enforcement informed Mr Farias mother Janie Santana that her 25-year-old son was found unconscious and beaten outside a church. Mr Farias had several cuts and bruises across his body, Ms Santana told ABC News, and has only been able to utter a few words when relatives attempted to speak with him. The Houston Police Department (HPD) has confirmed that Mr Farias has not spoken to detectives but is scheduled to be interviewed on Wednesday. Details about Mr Farias disappearance or where he has been for the past eight years are now being investigated by HPD. What we do know is at the time of his recovery, a good Samaritan located him unresponsive and immediately called police and 911. My son Rudy is receiving the care he needs to overcome his trauma, but at this time, he is nonverbal and not able to communicate with us, Ms Santana said in a statement. The news that Mr Farias had been found was first reported in a tweet on Saturday by the Texas Center for the Missing, which was handling public communications on behalf of his family. A missing poster for Rudolph Rudy Farias IV is shown during the Missing Person Day event at City Hall Sunday, January 3 We do know when a loved one goes missing this is the day all families hope for and dream of REUNIFICATION. We are thankful that Rudy has been found and receiving the care he needs, the centre said in a statement Monday. Houston police, along with Texas Equusearch, a civilian search and recovery team, looked for Mr Farias when he went missing in 2015. Texas Equusearch reported at the time that he suffered from depression and anxiety, and he might have been disoriented because he wasnt taking his medication. Mr Farias also had asthma and walked with a slight limp because of an injured right leg. According to his mother he is very wary around strangers, Texas Equusearch said in 2015. Details about Mr Farias disappearance or where he has been for the past eight years are now being investigated by HPD (Bella Ninos) Law enforcement reportedly told family members that Mr Farias may have been abducted and sold for human drug trafficking, according to local news station KHOU. He loves with all his heart, so thats why we know that he wouldnt just get up and leave on his own. Thats not him, Ms Santana told the outlet in a 2015 interview. Its a nightmare that you want to wake up from. Authorities received a call in 2018 from a relative claiming they had spotted Mr Farias behind their home, but officers who responded to the scene did not find him. Sign up to our Evening Headlines email for your daily guide to the latest news Sign up to our free US Evening Headlines email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Evening Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} Joe Biden addressed teachers and representatives from the National Education Association. Biden returned from a holiday weekend in Delaware and is due to speak in front of the members of the National Education Association during an event Tuesday, along with first lady Jill Biden. Recently, President Joe Biden unveiled a new path for student debt relief that, he assured, is legally sound but will take longer. In remarks from the White House on 30 June, the president hit out at Republican state officials and legislators who supported the lawsuit which enabled the nations highest court to strike down his student debt forgiveness initiative, accusing many of them of hypocrisy for taking money from pandemic-era relief programs while opposing relatively meagre relief for student loan borrowers. The US President and the first lady are expected to host a barbecue for military families to celebrate the 4th of July later in the afternoon. Sign up to our Evening Headlines email for your daily guide to the latest news Sign up to our free US Evening Headlines email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Evening Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} A former passenger of the Titan submersible that imploded last month, killing all five people on board, has spoken out about a brutal implosion warning. Retired California businessman Bill Price, who went on a Titan dive in 2021, recalled discussing the effects of an implosion before the deep ocean expedition started. Mr Price recalled some of the analogies of what it would be like to be crushed by extreme pressure in the ocean. He said it would be like a Coke can smashed with a sledgehammer. Or like an elephant standing on one foot with 100 more elephants on top of it. Mr Price said that he understood that death would be instantaneous in such a case. In a macabre way, it was reassuring, he told the New York Times in an interview. During an earlier expedition to the Titanic, Mr Price who retired from running a travel business in California aborted the mission as he realised there was a problem with the subs propulsion system on one side. However, he decided to go on the expedition the very next day despite the malfunction of the propulsion system to see the Titanics wreckage. The fact that we went through that, we experienced some worst-case scenarios, and we overcame it, my thinking was, We can do this, Mr Price was quoted as saying. After seeing the Titanic, the team celebrated at the surface with sparkling cider, the report said. The NYT reported that more Titan missions were aborted than accomplished. Meanwhile, another former passenger on the Titan, Mike Reiss, told BBC Breakfast last month that I know the logistics of it and I know how vast the ocean is and how very tiny this craft is. The TV writer added: This is not to say this is a shoddy ship or anything, its just that this is all new technology and theyre learning it as they go along. You have to just remember the early days of the space programme or the early days of aviation, where you just make a lot of mistakes on the way to figuring out what youre doing. Stockton Rush the CEO of the company that operated the Titan British billionaire Hamish Harding, renowned French diver Paul-Henri Nargeolet and Pakistani businessman Shahzada Dawood and his 19-year-old son Suleman were aboard the Titan when it imploded. The US Coast Guard said last week that the US Navy had detected sounds that matched an implosion or explosion sometime after the sub vanished and before rescue efforts were launched. However, rescue efforts continued at the time because the information was not definitive, the Coast Guard added. Sign up for the daily Inside Washington email for exclusive US coverage and analysis sent to your inbox Get our free Inside Washington email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Inside Washington email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} A week after Guatemalas June 25 elections boosted a relative long-shot candidate into the final second round of voting, the countrys top court has frozen certification of the election results. Several political parties filed appeals questioning the vote, and the court agreed to freeze certification of final tallies until those complaints can be reviewed. The United States and international bodies have criticized the freeze as a lack of respect for the will of almost 5.5 million people who turned out to vote. The elections were already marred by the official disqualification of several popular candidates, often on questionable technical grounds. WHAT HAPPENED IN THE JUNE 25 ELECTIONS? In a crowded field, the center-right candidate and former first lady Sandra Torres of the National Hope Unity part came in first with 15.8% of the vote. Coming in second was left-of-center candidate Bernardo Arevalo, whose father was president before Jacobo Arbenz, who was overthrown in a CIA-backed coup in 1954. Arevalo got 11.7% support. While Torres is widely seen as a continuity candidate, Arevalo, of the Seed Movement, has pledged to go after endemic corruption. While there were an incredible 29 candidates, the biggest winner was null or voided votes, at about 17.3%. The null votes were widely seen as a protest against the current state of Guatemalan politics, and the fact several candidates were kept out of the race. Given that nobody won 50%, the top two vote-getters will compete in a second round on Aug. 20 if the results of the first round are upheld. WHAT HAPPENED WITH THE VOTE COUNT? By the day after the elections, a preliminary count based on tallies reported by voting precincts was quickly added up, revealing the results. But those results must still be officialized by the country's electoral court. Ten of the 29 parties that ran candidates in the race filed complaints, alleging there were problems with the count they claim may have cost them votes. They filed for an injunction against officializing the results. But none of those parties won more than 8% of the vote. WHAT IS THE COURT DOING? The court has frozen the tally process, and said it will go back to compare the totals of votes reported by each polling place, adding them up and comparing them to the preliminary count. The court has also said that, if necessary, it could order a ballot-by-ballot recount, even though the country's electoral laws make no provision for that. Precincts have five days to report back with the results of each polling place. That would push the court's next move to at least late this week. HOW HAVE GUATEMALANS RESPONDED? Dozens of people demonstrated outside the court over the weekend, shouting My vote should count at the ballot box, not in court. Arevalo attended the protest, saying we are not going to allow the will of the people of Guatemala to be cheated." Civic groups noted that, because so many candidates were disqualified from running in the race, the dispute is very dangerous for a democracy that has become ever more corroded by the misuse of legal tricks. WHAT HAS BEEN THE REACTION? International observers have said the voting appeared to have been fair, and noted that recounts were not contemplated in existing legislation. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken wrote that the United States supports the Guatemalan peoples constitutional right to elect their leaders via free and fair elections. We are deeply concerned by the ongoing efforts that interfere with the June 25 election result. U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres issued a statement saying he has taken note of the concerns and urged the problem be resolved in conformity with the applicable electoral norms. The Guatemalan government issued a statement Sunday brushing off the concerns and suggesting they constituted interference. For us the principle of sovereignty is unwavering, and, therefore, the respect for legality that lays the foundations of our democratic system. Tiziano Breda, a Latin America expert at Italys Instituto Affari Internazionali, called the court action one of the most baseless and barefaced attempts in recent years to question the results of an election. Breda added that it seems like the parties that didn't make it to the second round or into Congress are worried there could be some policy changes that affect them. Sign up for the daily Inside Washington email for exclusive US coverage and analysis sent to your inbox Get our free Inside Washington email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Inside Washington email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} A former sheriff and congressman known for his work that led to the capture of the Green River Killer" has entered the race to become Washingtons next governor. Former King County Sheriff and U.S. Rep. Dave Reichert, 72, filed campaign paperwork with the state Public Disclosure Commission on June 30 to run as a Republican candidate to replace Democratic Gov. Jay Inslee, who is not seeking a fourth term. Reichert, who has not officially announced his campaign, joins a growing field of gubernatorial candidates, including a pair of prominent Democrats Washington Attorney General Bob Ferguson and Washington Public Lands Commissioner Hilary Franz. Republican candidates include Yakima doctor Raul Garcia and Richland School Board member Semi Bird. Reichert served two terms as sheriff and was the first detective assigned to the Green River killings, named for the river where the first bodies were found in 1982. Gary Ridgway, who killed 49 women, was arrested and convicted in 2003 during Reichert's second term. Ridgway said he likely committed more than 71 murders and is serving a sentence of life without parole. Reichert was elected to Congress in 2004 and retired after his seventh term in 2019. While in Congress, he worked to expand the Alpine Lakes Wilderness Area and introduced national bills to improve the foster care system and combat sex trafficking. Inslee, the longest-serving governor in office in the U.S. and only the second Washington governor to be elected to three consecutive terms, announced in May he would not seek a fourth term. A primary election is set for August 2024, leading to a general election in November. Sign up for the daily Inside Washington email for exclusive US coverage and analysis sent to your inbox Get our free Inside Washington email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Inside Washington email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} A federal judge has blocked key agencies within President Joe Bidens administration from communicating with social media companies about certain online speech in an extraordinary ruling as part of an ongoing case that could have profound impacts on the First Amendment. The preliminary injunction granted by Donald Trump-appointed US District Judge Terry A Doughty in Louisiana on 4 July prohibits the FBI and the US Department of Health and Human Services, among others, from speaking with platforms for the purpose of urging, encouraging, pressuring, or inducing in any manner the removal, deletion, suppression, or reduction of content containing protected free speech. The ruling which could obstruct the administrations attempts to combat false and potentially dangerous claims about vaccines and elections is a victory for Republican attorneys general in Louisiana and Missouri who have alleged that the federal government was overreaching in its attempts to combat Covid-19 disinformation and baseless election fraud narratives. Judge Doughty, who has yet to issue a final ruling, stated in his injunction that the Republican plaintiffs have produced evidence of a massive effort by Defendants, from the White House to federal agencies, to suppress speech based on its content. He did make some exceptions that would allow the government to warn platforms about national security threats, criminal activity or voter suppression. In his 155-page ruling, the judge compared the administartions efforts to halt the spread of false claims surrounding Covid-19 during a crisis that has killed more than one million Americans to an Orwellian Ministry of Truth. His ruling, released on a federal holiday, argued that suppressed viewpoints including opposition to vaccines and wearing masks as well as bogus claims about the outcome of the 2020 election that Mr Trump lost is quiet telling and a targeted suppression of conservative ideas that is a perfect example of discrimination of political speech. American citizens have the right to engage in free debate about the significant issues affecting the country the evidence produced thus far depicts an almost dystopian scenario, he wrote. The legal challenge follows ongoing allegations from right-wing officials and Republican lawmakers that the federal government specifically, Democratic officials have conspired with Big Tech to silence conservative voices, a long-running conspiracy theory that proponents will argue is substantiated by the latest decision. GOP attorneys general in the case have accused government agencies of a systemic and systematic campaign to control speech on social media platforms that accelerated during the Trump administration and experienced a quantum leap under President Biden. Attorneys for the Biden administration have disputed such claims and warned that an injunction could undermine national security efforts, pointing to the programs developed among government agencies to combat disinformation in the aftermath of the 2016 election. The US Department of Justice has defended its interactions with social media companies as the governments attempt to encourage them to police their platforms to prevent the spread of harfmul false infofmation, and that the nature of those interactions also constitutes First Amendment-protected speech. Government officials have categorically denied engaging in threatening actions or attempts to force platforms to kick people off of them. A statement from a White House official to The Independent said that the US Department of Justice is reviewing the courts injunction and will evaluate its options in this case. This Administration has promoted responsible actions to protect public health, safety, and security when confronted by challenges like a deadly pandemic and foreign attacks on our elections, the statement added. Our consistent view remains that social media platforms have a critical responsibility to take account of the effects their platforms are having on the American people, but make independent choices about the information they present. Missouris Attorney General Eric Schmitt, who originally filed the lawsuit with Louisianas Attorney General Jeff Landry, called the ruling a big win for the First Amendment on this Independence Day. Though the case originated with those Republican officials, several additional plaintiffs added their name to the case, arguing that they also were unfairly targeted after spreading disinformation online. Other figures who have entered the fray include vaccine conspiracy theorist and presidential hopeful Robert F Kennedy Jr and Jim Hoft, the founder of the far-right conspiracy theory-fuelled website The Gateway Pundit and a defendant in a defamation lawsuit filed by election workers who faced death threats over false reporting about them in the 2020 presidential election. Sign up for the daily Inside Washington email for exclusive US coverage and analysis sent to your inbox Get our free Inside Washington email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Inside Washington email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} Former US Rep Chris Collins, who was pardoned by former president Donald Trump, is reportedly contemplating a run for Congress in Florida. The former representative, who pleaded guilty in 2019 to conspiracy to commit securities fraud, told WGRZs Scott Levin that he is planning to run for the seat currently held by Rep Byron Donalds should Mr Donalds vacate it to make a run for higher office. If Mr Collins were to win election to the House in Florida, he would be the first person to represent two different states in Congress in more than five decades. Former US Rep Chris Collins, who is reportedly planning another run for Congress (Copyright 2019 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.) Mr Collins tenure representing New York in Congress, his former state of residence, ended in ignominy. In 2016, he became the largest stockholder of a company called Innate Immunotherapeutics. The next year, the Office of Congressional Ethics found reason to believe Mr Collins had used his office to improperly benefit the company by sharing nonpublic information with investors. Mr Collins and his son Cameron were arrested by the FBI in August of 2018, but Mr Collins eventually decided to run for re-election while under indictment. He won narrowly, with just 49 per cent of the vote in a heavily-Republican district, but resigned his seat just before pleading guilty to the charges he was facing. After a Covid-induced delay, Mr Collins reported to prison near Pensacola, Florida in October 2020. But his sentence was cut short in December when Mr Trump pardoned him on his way out of office rewarding Mr Collins for his political loyalty and opening the door to him for a possible political comeback. Now, with Mr Trump himself under federal indictment while he attempts his own political comeback, Mr Collins is said to be weighing another run for office. The district hes supposedly eyeing for his next run, Floridas 19th congressional district, is comprised of parts of Fort Myers, Cape Coral, Sanibel, Bonita Springs, Naples, and Marco Island along the states Gulf Coast. Its currently represented by Mr Donalds, who has been linked with a future bid for the Senate or for governor. The states current governor, Ron DeSantis, is running for president. He is term-limited as governor, and will depart that office in 2026 at the latest. For now, Mr Collins is making do with a spot as a Trump surrogate. At a campaign event for the former president in Florida over the weekend, he told the crowd that he never would have been convicted by a jury and that President Joe Biden and his supporters are attacking the moral compass of our great nation. Only Joe Biden and his woke extremists are celebrating Pride Month, Mr Collins said. Theyre supporting the LGPQRSTUVWXYZ population. If I had my way, wed be replacing Pride Month with make America great again month. Sign up for the daily Inside Washington email for exclusive US coverage and analysis sent to your inbox Get our free Inside Washington email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Inside Washington email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} A new immigration law passed by Florida governor Ron DeSantis, described by observers as one of the harshest in the country, has caused a massive decline in the Sunshine States labour force since it took effect, according to some business owners. The Republican leader and 2024 presidential campaigns signature immigration law, which took effect 1 July, makes it a third-degree felony for unauthorised immigrants to knowingly use false IDs for employment, and business that knowingly employ unauthorised immigrants or who avoid using the E-Verify system can lose their licenses or face up to $1000 in fines. The law also requires hospitals that accept Medicaid to check for immigration status, and invalidates drivers licenses issued to unauthorised immigrants from other states. In Miamis booming construction industry, some companies are reporpting up to a 25 per cent decline in workers, The Wall Street Joural reports. Ron DeSantis stands on the banks of the Rio Grande during a press conference in Eagle Pass, Texas, in June (Getty Images) Weve seen some fallout on job sites, particularly as it relates to hourly labor as a result of this new law, Tom C Murphy, co-president of Coastal Construction, a company with more than 30 active projects across the state, told the paper. There at least 400,000 undocumented immigrants working in the state, according to Samuel Vilchez Santiago, the American Business Immigration Coalitions Florida director. We are in dire need of workers, he told the Associated Press last month. So there is a lot of fear from across the state ... that this new law will actually be devastating. Activists protest new immigration law (EPA) Migrant groups protested the new law in June, while the governors office told the AP in a statement, Any business that exploits this crisis by employing illegal aliens instead of Floridians will be held accountable. Mr DeSantis, despite governing a state known for its vibrant immigrant populations from Latin America, has positioned himself as a hard-line anti-immigrant crusader as he runs for president. In late June, he visited the US-Mexico border, where he blamed security issues on the Biden administration and proposed a return to most of Donald Trumps most controversial immigration policies. That includes detaining migrant families with children beyond the customary 20 days, finishing the US-Mexico border wall, and ending the long-standing practice of releasing migrants into the US ahead of their court dates on potential immigration charges, which are usually civil violations rather than criminal ones more typically associated with prison. Sign up for the daily Inside Washington email for exclusive US coverage and analysis sent to your inbox Get our free Inside Washington email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Inside Washington email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} President Joe Biden has issued a fresh appeal for a ban on assault weapons after dozens of people were killed or wounded in mass shootings in the lead-up to Independence Day celebrations. Five people were shot dead and two boys, aged two and 13, were injured when a gunman armed with an AR-15-style assault rifle and wearing a bulletproof vest opened fire in Philadelphias Kingsessing neighbourhood at around 8.30pm on Monday night, according to authorities. Hours later, three died and 14 were injured in four separate shootings in Fort Worth, Texas. Mr Biden said he and First Lady Jill Biden were also grieving tragic and senseless shootings that had occurred in recent days in Baltimore, Lansing, Chicago and Wichita in a July 4 statement. He said it was within our power to ban AR-15-style weapons and high-capacity magazines while also enforcing safe storage of guns and enacting universal background checks. Mr Biden also marked the one year anniversary of a mass shooting that claimed the lives of seven people at an Independence Day parade in Highland Park, Illinois. Police work the scene of a shooting on 3 July, 2023 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (Getty Images) In the wake of the shooting, Illinois Governor JB Pritzker and Highland Park mayor Nancy Rotering had worked with gun control advocates to ban assault rifles and high capacity magazines in the state. Their achievement will save lives. But it will not erase their grief, Mr Biden said. And as we have seen over the last few days, much more must be done in Illinois and across America to address the epidemic of gun violence that is tearing our communities apart. President Joe Biden has once again called for a ban on assault weapons (Associated Press) Mr Biden called on other states to follow Illinois lead and for Republican lawmakers in Congress to come to the table on meaningful, commonsense reform. In a speech to the National Education Association on Tuesday, Mr Biden said gun reform was urgently needed to protect children and teachers. As you know all too well, educators now find themselves in the frontlines of gun violence, Mr Biden told the association. Congress needs to step up, pass common sense gun safety laws to protect our kids and educators, and by the way, arming teachers is not the answer. According to the Gun Violence Archive, 21,782 Americans have been killed in shootings halfway through 2023. The US has experienced 346 mass shootings, when four or more people are shot, and 26 mass murders, according to the archive. Last June, Congress passed its first new gun control legislation in 28 years in the wake of twin tragedies in Buffalo, New York, where 10 Black shoppers were murdered, and the fatal shooting of 19 children and two teachers at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas. Sign up for the daily Inside Washington email for exclusive US coverage and analysis sent to your inbox Get our free Inside Washington email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Inside Washington email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} Georgia's Foreign Ministry criticized Ukraine on Tuesday for urging the Georgian ambassador to return to Tbilisi for consultations over the poor health of imprisoned former president Mikheil Saakashvili, who is also a Ukrainian citizen. The Foreign Ministry called Ukraine's action an extreme form of escalation. Ukraines Foreign Ministry had summoned Georgian Ambassador George Zakarashvili to express its protest over the apparent significant deterioration in the health of Saakashvili, who was convicted of abuse of power while he was president in 2004-2013. The decision of the Ukrainian authorities causes serious damage to the strategic relations between the two countries and represents a direct interference in the internal affairs of a sovereign state, Georgias Foreign Ministry said in its statement. Saakashvili appeared severely emaciated Monday during a videolink testimony to a court considering a new abuse-of-power case against him. Saakashvili and his supporters claim that he has been poisoned while imprisoned and that he now weighs about 60 kilograms (132 pounds), half of what he weighed when he was arrested in October 2021. Speaking from a private clinic where he is being held, he told the court that despite his poor health, he is spiritually fit and determined to serve the country, according to local news site Agenda. Saakashvili, who became Georgias president after leading the Rose Revolution protests that drove the previous president out of office, left for Ukraine after the end of his second term. He was later convicted in absentia of abuse of power and sentenced to six years in prison. He was arrested in October 2021 after returning to Georgia to try to bolster opposition forces before nationwide municipal elections. He is now on trial on charges connected to the violent dispersal of an opposition rally in 2007. Saakashvili holds Ukrainian citizenship and was governor of that nations Odesa region in 2015-16. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Monday called on Georgia to send Saakashvili to Ukraine for medical treatment. Sign up for the daily Inside Washington email for exclusive US coverage and analysis sent to your inbox Get our free Inside Washington email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Inside Washington email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} Robert F Kennedy Jr was left grasping for answers after being confronted with a lengthy list of his conspiracy theories in a new interview. The Democratic presidential candidate, 69, sat last week for a wide-ranging interview with Nick Gillespie and Zach Weissmueller from Reason, which bills itself as the nations leading libertarian magazine. Mr Kennedy told the publication he had always been aligned with libertarians on most issues, and that he would consider appointing Tulsi Gabbard as his secretary of state. Towards the end of the hour-long interview, Mr Gillespie, Reasons editor-at-large, noted that RFK Jr routinely trafficked in conspiracies and displayed a kind of conspiracist mindset where almost everything that we take for granted is bad. Mr Gillespie went on to list the numerous conspiracies that RFK Jr has peddled, including his anti-vaccine stance and claims that 5G and Wi-Fi are controlling our mind, that AIDs is not caused by HIV, that boys are becoming transgender due to chemicals in the drinking water, and that his cousin Michael Skakel was not guilty of a murder he had been convicted of. It kind of goes on and on, Mr Gillespie says. How do you answer people who say, you know, like this is the sign of somebody whose thinking is fundamentally conspiracy-minded rather than kind of dealing with brute reality? Mr Kennedy responded that the questions were very unfair. You made a series of characterisations of my beliefs that you read in the newspapers. Many of which are just wrong. When pushed, Mr Kennedy offered to go through each one individually and challenged the interviewers to show me where I get it wrong. Mr Gillespie then brought up a now-retracted article published by Rolling Stone and Slate in 2005 which made scientifically disproven claims linking childhood vaccines to autism. Mr Kennedy falsely insisted that he had not been shown one mistake in the articles. Robert F Kennedy sat for a wide-ranging interview with Nick Gillespie and Zach Weissmueller from Reason magazine (Reason / YouTube) Mr Kennedy, who is running a longshot candidacy to be the Democratic presidential nominee in 2024, has been repeatedly called out by the scientific community for spreading dangerous misinformation about vaccines. Last month, former Salon editor Joan Walsh said publishing Mr Kennedys article was the worst mistake of my career and that she should have been fired for it. The nephew of John F Kennedy and son of Robert F Kennedy recently appeared on the controversial Joe Rogan podcast where he continued to spread baseless claims about vaccines. The pair challenged Dr Petez Hotez, a noted medical expert and virologist, to debate the science behind vaccines. Dr Hotez declined, saying hed be happy to speak with Rogan but didnt want to create a talk show-style spectacle. Ive offered to come and talk to Joe Rogan again, and have that discussion with him, but not to turn it into the Jerry Springer with having RFK Jr on, he told MSNBC. Sign up for the daily Inside Washington email for exclusive US coverage and analysis sent to your inbox Get our free Inside Washington email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Inside Washington email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} Ted Cruz is accusing the highly anticipated Barbie film of pushing Chinese propaganda, after a trailer for the Warner Bros release appeared to show a map referencing Chinas disputed claims to the South China Sea. Senator Cruz has been fighting for years to prevent American companies, especially Hollywood studios, from altering and censoring their content to appease the Chinese Communist Party, a spokesperson for the Texas Republican told The Daily Mail. The issue stems back to the so-called nine-dash line used on Chinese maps, illustrating what it claims are its posessions within the South China Sea. The Barbie movie premiers this month ( 2022 Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc.) The line, first published on Chinese maps in the 1940s, demarks an area 1,200 miles from the Chinese mainlaind comprised more than 80 per cent of the South China Sea, according to The Los Angeles Times. Parts of the territory within the line, a busy fishing and trade corridor with valuable oil and gas deposits as well as strategic importance, are claimed by nations including Vietnam and the Philippines. About a minute into the Barbie films main trailer, a map of the world can be seen with a line of eigh dots jutting off a cartoonish drawing of Asia. The Independent has contacted Warner Bros for comment. The Republican Texas senator isnt the only one upset about the map. Vietnam reportedly banned the movie over the apparent reference to the Chinese claims. The decision was issued by the countrys Central Council of Film Evaluation and Classification, Vi Kien Thanh, head of the Vietnam Cinema Department, told theTuoi Tre newspaper on Monday. The film was set to premiere in the country on 21 July, the same time as it hit US screens. Its not the first time the territorial claims have impacted a Hollywood release. Showings of the action film Uncharted in Vietnam were halted last year for the same reason. The map dispute also led Vietnam to cut a scene from the 2018 smash Crazy Rich Asians, according to the Mail. The territorial dispute over the South China Sea territory at issue was brought before The Hague in 2016, where China lost on most of its claims. Beijing has not accepted the judgment. Close Trump shares threatening fan-made video Sign up for the daily Inside Washington email for exclusive US coverage and analysis sent to your inbox Get our free Inside Washington email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Inside Washington email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} Donald Trump has been busy bullying his rivals for the Republican presidential nomination, including Ron DeSantis, Chris Christie and Asa Hutchinson, on Truth Social as he braces for an imminent grand jury indictment over his efforts to overturn the 2020 presidential election and his role in inciting the Capitol riot of 6 January 2021. Mr Trump announced on Tuesday that he had been sent a letter by special prosecutor Jack Smith informing him that he is the target of the investigation, citing three statutes under which he could be charged, including conspiracy to commit offence or to defraud the United States, deprivation of rights under colour of law and tampering with a witness, victim or informant. That indictment, Mr Trumps third in four months, could be handed down as soon as this week, The Independent has learned. William Russell, a former White House aide who now works for the Trump presidential campaign and spent much of 6 January with the then-president, is believed to have testified before the grand jury on Thursday. The former president was given until midnight on Thursday to report to the Washington, DC, federal courthouse but did not appear. Sign up for the daily Inside Washington email for exclusive US coverage and analysis sent to your inbox Get our free Inside Washington email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Inside Washington email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} A financial firm linked to Donald Trumps Truth Social platform has reached an $18m settlement with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) in order to bring an end to the investigation into its merger with the company. Digital World Acquisition Corp (DWAC) announced the tentative settlement on Monday, saying that the payment would remove the cloud of uncertainty lingering over DWAC and would allow DWAC to move forward in achieving its objective of delivering a strategic merger. The SEC had been looking into whether DWAC held talks with Truth Socials parent company before going public, which would be a violation of certain antifraud provisions of the Securities Act and the Exchange Act. The settlement means once DWAC has paid the civil penalty it can move forward with the merger, which would see Truth Social become a public company. News of the settlement comes after three people involved in the merger were indicted for insider trading last week. Michael Shvartsman, Gerald Shvartsman and Bruce Garelick were named in a federal indictment unsealed last Thursday (29 June) in Manhattan federal court. All three were charged with trading in securities of Digital World Acquisition Corporation (DWAC) based on non-public information about the companys planned business combination with Trump Media & Technology Group founded by former president Mr Trump the parent company of social media platform Truth Social. They were arrested on Thursday morning in Florida. In 2021, the three investors were invited to invest in DWAC and another SPAC. After signing non-disclosure agreements, they were provided with confidential information, including the planned deal with Trump Media. They were prohibited from using this knowledge in the open market. Former President Donald Trump speaks during a rally on 1 July (AP) According to the indictment, after making initial investments into DWAC through the initial public offering process, Mr Garelick was given a seat on the board of directors, which gave him access to valuable non-public information about the planned merger. He provided these updates to his co-conspirators, calling it intelligence. The defendants bought millions of dollars of DWAC securities on the open market before the news of the Trump Media business combination was public. In addition to their own purchases, they also passed the information to their friends on a trip to Las Vegas, to Michael Shvartsmans neighbours, and to Gerald Shvartsmans employees at a furniture supply store. After DWACs merger with Trump Media was announced publicly on 20 October 2021, the stock and warrant holdings significantly increased in value. The defendants and the individuals they tipped then sold their DWAC securities for a significant profit. Michael Shvartsman and Bruce Garelick have been charged with five counts of securities fraud under Title 15, each of which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison; Gerald Shvartsman has been charged with three counts. All three defendants have also been charged with one count of securities fraud under Title 18, which carries a maximum sentence of 25 years in prison; and one count of conspiracy, which carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison. Sign up for the daily Inside Washington email for exclusive US coverage and analysis sent to your inbox Get our free Inside Washington email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Inside Washington email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} Indias prime minister on Tuesday took a veiled swipe at rival neighbor Pakistan and avoided mentioning the war in Ukraine while addressing a group of Asian countries led by China and Russia. In his opening speech to the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said the group should not hesitate to criticize countries that are "using terrorism as an instrument of its state policy." "Terrorism poses a threat to regional peace and we need to take up a joint fight, Modi said without naming Pakistan. India regularly accuses Pakistan of training and arming insurgent groups, a charge Islamabad denies. Russian President Vladimir Putin, Chinese President Xi Jinping and Pakistan Prime Minister Shebaz Sharif are scheduled to address the day-long virtual summit. Modi also warned of global challenges to food, fuel and fertilizer supplies. Trade in all three has been disrupted by Russia's 14-month-long war in Ukraine, but SCO members have largely avoided direct mention of the war. Putin is participating in his first multilateral summit since an armed rebellion rattled Russia, at one of the few international grouping in which he enjoys warm relations with most members. For Putin, the summit presents an opportunity to show he is in control after a short-lived insurrection by Wagner mercenary chief Yevgeny Prigozhin. The Shanghai Cooperation Organization is a security grouping founded by Russia and China to counter Western alliances from East Asia to the Indian Ocean. The group includes the four Central Asian nations of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan, all former Soviet republics in which Russian influence runs deep. Pakistan became a member in 2017, and Iran, which is set to join on Tuesday. Belarus is also in line for membership. The United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres in a message to the summit that it was taking place amid growing global challenges and risks. "But at a time when the world needs to work together, divisions are growing, and geopolitical tensions are rising. "These differences have been aggravated by several factors: diverging approaches to global crises; contrasting views on nontraditional security threats; and, of course, the consequences of COVID-19 and Russias invasion of Ukraine, he said. This years event is hosted by India, which became a member in 2017. Its the latest venue for Prime Minister Narendra Modi to showcase the countrys growing global clout. Days after his return from a high-profile visit to the United States, Indias Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday had a telephone conversation with Putin about the recent developments in Russia, Indias External Affairs Ministry said. Modi reiterated calls for dialogue and diplomacy between Russia and Ukraine, ministry spokesman Arindam Bagchi said. India has avoided condemning Russia for its war on Ukraine and abstained from voting on U.N. resolutions against Russia. SCO meeting usually focus on issues like security and economic cooperation, fighting terrorism and drug trafficking, tackling climate change and the situation in Afghanistan. When SCO foreign ministers met in India last month, Russias war in Ukraine barely featured in their public remarks but the fallout for developing countries on food and fuel security remains a concern for members of the group, analysts say. Sign up to our Evening Headlines email for your daily guide to the latest news Sign up to our free US Evening Headlines email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Evening Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} On Tuesday, the US celebrates 247 years of independence from colonial British rule, the end of the Revolutionary War and the day a global superpower was born. Millions of Americans are preparing for their Fourth of July gatherings, during which theyll enjoy fireworks, parades, picnics and barbecues with their loved ones. To mark the occasion, we look back at the history of the Fourth of July and the men who made it all possible. America lost its second and third presidents on the same day Three US presidents have died on 4 July, all Founding Fathers and two on the same day: 4 July 1826, the 50th anniversary of the countrys foundation. Thomas Jeffersons later years were riddled with ill health and debt. The third president died at home in Virginia, aged 83, surrounded by his family. That same day, John Adams, who had succeeded George Washington and masterminded the Declaration of Independence, also passed away at home in Quincy, Massachusetts, aged 85. Tragically, Adams consoled himself with the final words Thomas Jefferson survives, the statesman mercifully unaware that his friend and fellow nation-builder had himself expired just hours earlier. These men would be joined by the fifth president, James Monroe, who died on 4 July 1831. The Adams legacy lived on, however. John's son, John Quincy Adams, served as the sixth president. The Boston Tea Party and a fight for freedom American independence was the product of years of souring relations with Great Britain, as the citizens of the Thirteen American Colonies grew increasingly frustrated with Parliamentary rule from across the Atlantic and the notion of "taxation without representation". Discontent began brewing in 1763, as the House of Commons introduced measures to increase revenue from its imperial subjects, with the Stamp Act of 1765 and the Townshend Acts of 1767 sparking particular anger across the pond. Matters came to a head with the Boston Tea Party in 1773, when a political protest group known as the Sons of Liberty dressed as Native Americans and dumped an entire shipment of British tea leaves imported by the East India Company into the harbour. The demonstration was both a gleeful satire of the ruling powers obsession with its national beverage and a call to arms against the decadence and entitlement of empire. The bloody War of Independence broke out in earnest two years later. (Library of Congress/Wikimedia Commons) The signing of the Declaration of Independence A year into the outbreak of the American Revolutionary War, delegates from the Thirteen Colonies gathered to compose a statement formally declaring their sovereignty from London. Known as the Second Continental Congress, the meeting saw the leaders come together at the Pennsylvanian State House in Philadelphia to sign a document that would both renounce British imperial control and introduce a new nation: the United States of America. Drafted by the Committee of Five John Adams, Thomas Jefferson, Benjamin Franklin, Roger Sherman and Robert Livingston the document established citizens "unalienable" rights, observing that "all men are created equal" and enshrining the individuals entitlement to "life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness". The draft was submitted to Congress on 28 June 1776, voted into law on 2 July and formally ratified on 4 July, a date that has been celebrated by patriotic Americans ever since. Among the most famous statesmen to sign the declaration was John Hancock, whose name lives on as a synonym for signature, as well as Adams and Jefferson, both then future presidents in waiting. Benjamin Franklin: Enlightenment polymath While the Founding Fathers were all men of grand vision, none was more so than Benjamin Franklin. Later celebrated as the First American, Franklin embodied the Puritan work ethic of the 18th century, serving as political campaigner, diplomat, ambassador to France, postmaster-general and newspaper publisher while still finding time to dabble in freemasonry, music, chess and scientific experimentation. It is in this final capacity that he is best remembered outside of the political sphere today. Franklin first experimented with electricity in 1746 and successfully trapped lightning by flying a kite in a storm from a Philadelphia hillside in 1752, therein establishing both the principle of battery storage and the lightning rod. Franklins other inventions included bifocal glasses, a metal-lined cooking stove and a flexible urinary catheter. Truly a remarkable man. Thomas Jeffersons not-so-secret mistress Although hailed as the author of independence, Jefferson was no saint. The third president of the United States kept slaves, including Sally Hemings (1773-1835), a mixed-race servant girl whose six children. Jefferson is widely believed to have fathered these children, following the death of his wife Martha in 1782. A DNA study in 1998 established a direct genetic link between the revered politician and Eston Hemings, Sallys youngest son. (Getty Images) Hemings lived and worked on Jeffersons Monticello plantation home in Charlottesville, Virginia, and travelled with him to Paris, where their relationship is thought to have first been consummated. The affair was controversial at the time and used to discredit Jefferson by political journalist James T Callender, though the president himself never confirmed or denied it. Hemings four surviving teenage children were released from slavery upon Jeffersons death as stipulated in his will, as was Sally herself. She lived the final nine years of her life as a free woman, residing near Monticello with her two sons until her death. Sign up to our Evening Headlines email for your daily guide to the latest news Sign up to our free US Evening Headlines email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Evening Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} The Fourth of July is a day of summer weather, barbeques and national hot dog eating competitions in America, as the nation celebrates its independence. But few people will know that the tune of the US national anthem, The Star Spangled Banner, a song sung proudly at every Super Bowl, actually originally came from England. The melody to which Francis Scott Key set the lyrics was derived from To Anacreon in Heaven, the constitutional song of the Anacreontic Society, a private gentlemans club in London. The song was named after a Greek poet called Anacreon, who gained notoriety for his poems about women and drinking. It went on to be a common song sung in taverns in colonial America, but Congress did not name it the official US anthem until 1931. The composer of the melody was John Stafford Smith, born in Gloucester in March 1750 and the son of a cathedral organist. He went on to join the Chapel Royal in London and was a pupil of composer William Boyce. Smith became a member of the Anacreontic Society, which first met in taverns on The Strand in central London, reaching around 80 members. Held every other week, the meeting would begin with a concert of musicians and end with a dinner, puppet shows and other activities. Members sang To Anacreon in Heaven, whose lyrics were written by society president Ralph Tomlinson. While the private club dissipated in the 1790s, the song continued to appear in printed music and made its way across the Atlantic. Despite its growing popularity overseas, the composer, Smith, apparently did not attempt to advertise his own authorship. He died in London in 1836. By the time of the US civil war in 1861, the mix of Smiths melody with Keys lyrics had become one of the countrys most known and treasured songs, and was adopted by the military soon after. For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} More than 1 million (860,000) has been raised for the family of a French police officer who shot dead a teenager at a traffic stop, an act that sparked riots across the country. That is far more than a similar campaign for the family of the boy killed. The online fundraiser started by Jean Messiha, an independent right-wing populist and former adviser to Marine Le Pen, has attracted donations from more than 52,000 people, while a fund set up by the policemans colleagues has raised around 60,000. The grandmother of Nahel Merzouk, 17, said she was heartbroken by the donations. He took the life of my grandson. This man must pay, the same as everyone, Nadia said to BFMTV about the officer. "Jean Messiha is playing with fire," said MP Eric Bothorel, part of President Emmanuel Macrons ruling party. He called the fundraiser "indecent and scandalous". The justice minister, Eric Dupond-Moretti, said the fundraiser was fuelling the fire of unrest, describing it as a populist instrumentalisation of the teenagers death. Meanwhile, a fundraiser for the victims family has raised more than 200,000 from around 100,000 donations. Nahel, who was of Algerian descent, was shot dead in his car by a police officer last Tuesday during a traffic check in Paris. The 38-year-old officer has been charged with voluntary homicide and remanded in custody. He claims he had the right to fire his gun to protect himself, a colleague and other road users. Prosecutor Pascal Prache concluded in an initial investigation that the conditions for the legal use of the weapon were not met. Thousands of protesters have been arrested since fiery clashes first erupted on Tuesday night in and around the Paris suburb of Nanterre where the teenager was killed. Protesters walk past a burnt out trash bin during clashes with police in Marseille (AFP via Getty Images) The family of the slain teen has pleaded for the unrest to calm down after council-run buildings including libraries and primary schools, and law enforcement stations were attacked, and vehicles and buildings were torched. The aunt of the slain teen told The Independent: The family is very much against the violence. But I hope that Nahels death is going to trigger some kind of change that means this never happens again. Criminal lawyer Carole-Olivia Monteno called the fundraiser for the officer insulting to Nahels family. It only increases hate where theres too much of it already, its completely inappropriate and politically it does nothing, she said. La France Insoumise MP Mathilde Panot also wrote: Killing a young North African, in France in 2023, can earn you a lot of money. While first secretary of the opposition Socialist Party Olivier Faure has called for it to be shut down. French riot police officers walk next to a vehicle upside down (REUTERS) Itc omes after the home of a Paris mayor was raided and set alight on Sunday while his wife and children were inside sleeping. Vincent Jeanbrun, who is in charge of the area of LHay-les-Roses in the southern suburbs, said rockets were thrown as the family fled from the burning house in what he has called an assassination attempt. Mr Jeanbruns wife, Melanie Nowak, broke her leg as she attempted to flee through rocket fire and one of the couples two children was also injured. Overnight, 297 vehicles were torched across France, along with 34 buildings. Some 157 people were arrested, down from a peak of 3,880 arrests during the fiery night of June 30. More than 3,000 people have been detained overall since Nahels death. Hundreds of police and firefighters have also been injured in the violence, although authorities have not commented on how many protesters have been hurt. Close Police clash with rioters as unrest continues for fifth night For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} Children as young as 12 or 13 have been detained for attacking law enforcement and setting fires during six nights of violence after the fatal police shooting of 17-year-old Nahel Merzouk in suburban Paris. The average age of the 3,354 people arrested over the past week was 17, the interior minister Gerald Darmanin said. In all, 99 town halls have been attacked during the unrest, including an attempt to ram a burning vehicle into the home of lHay-les-Les Roses mayor Vincent Jeanbrun. His wife and one of his young children were injured during the attack, which began at the weekend while they slept. We saw the real face of the rioters, that of assassins, Mr Jeanbrun said in an emotional speech. France and democracy itself were being attacked in the days of rioting, he said. Meanwhile, an insulting fundraiser set up for the family of the police officer who shot Nahel has amassed more than 1 million (840,000). Organised by Jean Messiha, a former adviser to the French far-right politician Marine Le Pen, the appeal has raised far more than the donation page set up for the family of the teenage victim. For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} Watch as Emmanuel Macron meets mayors affected by riots on Tuesday, 4 July. The French president talked to mayors of 220 cities that have been affected by violence at the Elysee palace after the fatal police shooting of 17-year-old Nahel Merzouk in suburban Paris. Vincent Jeanbrun, mayor of LHay les Roses south of Paris, took part in a march on Monday after his home was hit by a burning car over the weekend. His wife and one of his young children were injured during the attack. The meeting comes after children as young as 12 or 13 were detained for attacking law enforcement and setting fires during six nights of violence following the shooting. Interior minister Gerald Darmanin has said that the average age of the 3,354 people arrested over the past week was 17. Around 99 town halls have been attacked in the riots. For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} The British tourist who attracted outrage in Rome after being accused of carving his name into the Colosseum walls with a key is facing up to five years in prison and a 15,000 (12,850) fine. The man identified as Ivan Dimitrov, a 27-year-old fitness instructor and delivery driver resident in Bristol but originally from Bulgaria was visiting Italys Eternal City with his girlfriend Hayley Bracey when he was filmed scratching Ivan + Hayley 23 into the ancient stone walls of the 2,000-year-old amphitheatre. The venue, a protected Unesco World Heritage site, was constructed during the reigns of the emperors Vespasian and Titus in the first century AD. It attracted the Roman public to see spectacular gladiatorial bouts, historical reenactments and parades of exotic wild animals imported from Africa and the Middle East, including elephants, rhinoceroses, giraffes, lions, leopards, panthers and ostriches. The act of vandalism was caught on camera by another visitor, Californian Ryan Lutz, who was incensed by the incident and asked Are you serious, man?. He then uploaded the footage to YouTube under the title A****** tourist carves name in Colosseum in Rome, where it promptly went viral. The Italian Carabinieri responded to the video and quickly identified Mr Dimitrov as their suspect, with Major Roberto Martina telling the media he had expressed sincere remorse for his actions when confronted. He told us he was very upset by what he had done, and he kept apologising for it, Major Martina told Mail Online. I think he was worried about the consequences of any trial and we explained that he could be jailed for between two and five years and be fined up to 15,000, he said. The major went on to say he believed the case would be reasonably straightforward to prosecute because of the video evidence. He had contacted us after we secured his mobile telephone from hotel records and left a message for him to call us, Major Martina said of the Carabineris investigation. He was naturally worried about the legal implications, and these were all explained to him. We didnt ask him why he did it, that will be for a judge to hear, we just told him that he was a suspect and was part of the investigation. The officer added that Ms Bracey is not part of any complaint so is an innocent party as far as we are concerned, adding: Although technically, she could be seen as an accessory. The Colosseum in Rome (PA) Italian culture minister Gennaro Sangiuliano thanked the police for identifying the suspect of the uncivilised and absurd act committed at the Colosseum. It was an act that offended those around the world who appreciate the value of archaeology, monuments and history, he said. Now I hope justice will take its course by rigorously applying the laws. This is not the first such incident at the Colosseum. A Russian tourist was given a suspended four-year jail sentence and fined 20,000 (17,000) in 2014 for engraving a K on its walls. The following year, two American tourists were also cited for aggravated damage after they likewise carved their names into its stones. For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} The aunt of a French teenager shot dead by police last week has urged the violence to stop and her nephews death to trigger real change peacefully, in a heartfelt interview with The Independent. Hatifa, who turned 47 on Saturday, the day of her nephews funeral, described Nahel Merzouk, 17, as a loving teddy bear who had big ambitions, liked to write rap lyrics, and was dedicated to his mother. She said the family who are of Algerian and Moroccan origin had been overwhelmed by the national and global response to his killing last week by a police officer during a traffic stop in a west Parisian suburb. A woman pays her respects at the site where Nahel died in Nanterre (Getty) Thousands of people have taken to the streets across the country, calling for an end to police impunity and discrimination after a video of the incident was shared online. But it has also ignited violence with multiple cities ablaze as looters ransacked dozens of shops and torched thousands of vehicles, according to the interior ministry. On Sunday morning a group of rioters ram-raided the home of a Paris suburb mayor, set the car alight and launched fireworks at his wife and young children. I ask that the violence stop. I dont want people to get hurt. The family is very much against the violence, Hatifa, a mother-of-four herself, told The Independent. We knew Nahels killing would have some impact but not this much. I think there are mass protests because so many mothers, like my sister, have had enough of being scared all the time. She said the family were very grateful for the global support, which had helped as they dealt with deep grief. Demonstrators run as French police officers use teargas to disperse riots (AFP via Getty) But I hope that Nahels death is going to trigger some kind of change that means this never happens again, she added. At the end of the day, a grown-up shot a child. Nahel was fired at by a police officer during a traffic stop in the west Parisian suburb. The perpetrator of the shooting justified his action by saying the teenager refused to comply and the police said he was known to them. But the incident was caught on mobile phone footage and showed Nahel driving away from the officers before one fired at him. His family believe he was likely terrified, and so panicked and drove off. Frances human rights ombudsman has opened an inquiry into the killing and the officer involved has been charged with homicide. Outraged at the murder, and the apparent efforts by the police to paint Nahel as a troubled teenager wanted by the law, has seen thousands take to the streets across the country. But that has spiralled into violence in many areas. More than 3,000 people have been arrested across the country (AFP via Getty) Emmanuel Macron, facing the most severe challenge yet to his presidency, deployed 45,000 officers, including elite anti-terrorism units, in a bid to end the unrest. Police unions, meanwhile, have declared they are at war with savage hordes of vermin. More than 3,000 people have now been arrested across the country, with curfews imposed and public transport curtailed as open street battles raged between protesters and police, and looting became rampant. Hatifa said that the anger in the disenfranchised banlieues or city suburbs had been simmering for a while because of the endemic problem of discrimination in the police force. The youths, including Nahel, are regularly stopped by police, an action that scares them and heightens tensions, she added. I dont have all the answers to fix this. Racism and discrimination within the police has to stop. I know policemen are reaching their wits end and are taking their frustration out on young people. But it has to stop, young people dont like police, the police should be defending us not killing us, she added. Hatifas words echo those of Nahels grandmother who also called for calm in an interview with French TV channel BFMTV on Sunday. Dont break windows, dont smash up schools, dont smash up buses. Stop it, theyre mums on buses, theyre mums walking outside, the grandmother begged. Nahel is dead. My daughter had just one child, shes lost, its over, my daughter has no life left. And they made me lose my daughter and my grandson. Emmanuel Macron chaired an emergency meeting on Sunday evening to tackle the riots (AP) Hatifa said the whole family was concerned about the mental health of Nahels mother, Mounia, who has been thrust into the international limelight. My sister is focused entirely on the loss of her son, her only son. I am scared that she might make a mistake in her loneliness and solitude when this quietens down, she added. The officer who fired at Nahel has been taken into pre-trial custody, which French criminal law professors told The Independent was unprecedented. But many, including the family, fear that he may still be released. Nahel is the 16th driver to be shot at a traffic stop since the start of 2022, experts have told The Independent. The difference this time is that it was caught on camera. Hatifa said they were concerned by the impunity in the police force and hoped the officer, who has been detained on charges of homicide, is convicted and jailed. It would be a disaster if, after all that has happened, nothing changes and for this person to walk free. Young people in my neighbourhood go to prison for much less, she said with a shake in her voice. We didnt ask for a policeman to wake up one morning and put a bullet through my nephews heart. I cant breathe at night I have never felt such pain. Nahel never hurt anyone. For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} France has seen six consecutive nights of violence and unrest after police shot a 17-year-old boy during a traffic check in Paris. Thousands have been arrested since clashes first erupted on Tuesday night in and around the Paris suburb of Nanterre where Nahel Merzouk was killed. "I lost a child of 17-year-old, they took my baby," the mother said in a TikTok video. "He was still a child, he needed his mother. This morning he gave me a big kiss and told me he loved me. I told him be careful and I loved him." According to his mother, they both had left the house together. While he went to get a McDonalds takeout, she left for work. "And then I am told they shot my son, what can I do," the heartbroken woman said. "I only had him. I didn't have 10 like him. He was my life, my best friend. He was my son, He was my everything." LIle-Saint-Denis city hall damaged during the riots in Paris (AFP via Getty Images) Aftermath of clashes between protesters and police in Mons-en-Baroeul northern France (REUTERS) This photograph taken 29 June 2023 in Brest, western of France shows a Biocoop, an organic supermarket partly burnt, two days after a 17-year-old boy was shot in the chest by police at point-blank range in Nanterre, a western suburb of Paris (AFP via Getty Images) The victim's grandmother, who also remained unidentified said: I will never forgive them. My grandson died, they killed my grandson. We are not happy at all, I am against the government." They killed my grandson, now I don't care about anyone, they took my grandson from me, I will never forgive them in my life, never, never, never. A video shared on social media showed two police officers beside a Mercedes AMG car, with one shooting at the teenage driver at close range as he pulled away. He died shortly afterward from his wounds, the local prosecutor said. The teenager, who was too young to hold a full license in France, was driving illegally, a source familiar with the investigation told Reuters. The Nanterre prosecutor said the boy failed on Tuesday to obey the officers orders. A lawyer for Nahel's family, Yassine Bouzrou, said they want the police officer prosecuted for murder instead of manslaughter. He said he would file an additional complaint for false testimony over the allegation that the victim had tried to run over the police officer. President Macron said the killing was inexplicable and inexcusable and called for calm. Nothing justifies the death of a young person, he told reporters in Marseille on Wednesday. Young people from our neighbourhood go to prison for so much less, said Hatifa, the aunt of a French teenager whose shooting by a police officer at a traffic stop last week ignited nationwide protests and violent unrest. The killing of Nahel, 17, which was caught on camera, has thrust his family, who are of Algerian and Moroccan origin, into the international spotlight. Alarmed by the rising violence, his aunt wanted to make it clear they were calling for calm and an end to the ransacking and looting. For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} Russians are united as never before, Vladimir Putin said at his first international summit since an armed revolt that briefly triggered fears of a coup. Solidarity and responsibility for the fate of the fatherland was clearly shown, he said, by the entire society by standing as a united front against the attempted armed rebellion. He was speaking at the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation meeting, hosted via videoconference by India and one of the few remaining global platforms where he can get a sympathetic hearing. It was founded by Russia and China to counter Western alliances, and also welcomed Iran as a new member, bringing its membership to nine. On a video link from the Kremlin, Mr Putin thanked the SCO for supporting Moscow during the short-lived mutiny mounted by Wagner chief Yevgeny Prigozhin, and said the West has turned Ukraine into a virtually hostile state anti-Russia. It came as Russias military claimed to have fended off a Ukrainian drone attack that briefly forced the closure of one of Moscows airports. Putin joins a video conference from the Kremlin (SPUTNIK/AFP/Getty) Four out of the five drones were downed by air defences and the fifth was jammed and forced down, the defence ministry said. Flights were disrupted at Moscows Vnukovo airport and arrivals were diverted to others in the city. Ukrainian forces continue to probe Russian defences in the south and the east of the country in the initial stages of a counteroffensive. They are up against minefields, anti-tank ditches and other obstacles, as well as layered defensive lines reportedly up to 12 miles deep in some places as they try to dislodge Russian occupiers. Oleksiy Danilov, secretary of Ukraines Security and Defence Council, claimed that the last few days of fighting have been particularly fruitful, though he provided no evidence for his claim. Western analysts say the counteroffensive, even if it prospers, will not end the war which started with Russias full-scale invasion in February 2022. Russia, meanwhile, has continued its missile and drone barrage deep behind the frontline. Shelling of Pervomaiskyi, in Ukraines Kharkiv region, wounded 31 civilians. Nine children, including two babies, were among the wounded. Meanwhile, tearful mourners filled one of Kyivs main cathedrals to honour a prominent Ukrainian writer and war crimes researcher killed in a Russian missile strike on a cafe. The funeral ceremony in Kyiv for Ukrainian novelist Victoria Amelina who was killed in Kramatorsk (EPA) Victoria Amelina, 37, died from injuries in a 27 June attack on a restaurant packed with civilians in Kramatorsk. She was a real crusader for truth. She was extraordinarily persistent, Roman Avramenko, executive director of Truth Hounds, an NGO that documents Russian war crimes, told reporters after the service. Mourners cover the coffin of Victoria Amelina at St. Mykhailivsky Cathedral in Kyiv on Tuesday (EPA) A wide array of writers, journalists and other public intellectuals streamed into the golden-domed St Michaels Cathedral to pay tribute. Relatives and friends broke down as they filed past Amelinas coffin. It came as armed masked men attacked and seriously injured a prominent female Russian journalist. Yelena Milashina, a journalist for Novaya Gazeta, was travelling to Grozny, Chechnya from the local airport with a lawyer when they were attacked. It was a classic kidnapping... They pinned [our driver] down, threw him out of his car, got in, bent our heads down, tied my hands, knelt me down there, and put a gun to my head, Milashina told Mansur Soltayev, a Chechen human rights official. Memorial, a rights group outlawed in Russia, said the pair had been brutally kicked, including in the face, threatened with death, had a gun held to their heads, and had their equipment taken away and smashed. Separately, the Kremlin has opened the door for talks with the US over a possible prisoner exchange that could potentially involve jailed Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich but said they must be held away from the public eye. We have said that there have been certain contacts on the subject but we don't want them to be discussed in public, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said. Mr Gershkovich, 31, was arrested in Yekaterinburg while on a reporting trip and is being held at Moscows notorious Lefortovo prison. Reuters and Associated Press contributed to this report. For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} Vladimir Putin claimed that Russians were more united than ever after responding to the short-lived but dramatic mutiny by his private mercenary Wagner group and its march on Moscow. The Russian president was speaking alongside Asian leaders such as his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping and Indian prime minister Narendra Modi at the virtual meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) on Tuesday. He was delivering his first remarks outside of Moscow acknowledging Junes aborted coup the biggest challenge to the Russian leaders rule in decades. The Russian people are consolidated as never before, he said "Russian political circles and the whole of society clearly demonstrated their unity and elevated sense of responsibility for the fate of the Fatherland when they responded as a united front against an attempted armed mutiny, Mr Putin said in his remarks to his allies. The speech on a united front to Russias key allies by Mr Putin comes as he looks to assure the leaders about his challenged authority on the world stage while Russian forces continue to carry out a full-scale invasion of Ukraine for nearly 500 days. Hundreds of Wagner fighters led by Mr Putins affiliate and the groups chief Yevgeny Prigozhin marched on Moscow after taking control of a southern city on 24 June, threatening to overthrow the defence ministry. After a failed rebellion, Mr Putin accused the Wagner group of a stab in the back and said Russia was facing treason. He also thanked his army and security services for averting chaos and civil war. On Tuesday, 10 days after the Wagners insurgency, Mr Putin shifted his focus to the invasion of Ukraine in his public remarks at the virtual summit helmed by New Delhi and tried to project confidence. He said Russia will stand up against the Wests sanctions and provocations. Moscow and the countrys oligarchs are reeling under hundreds of financial sanctions imposed by the international community for launching a war on Ukraine. Thanking the SCO nations for backing the Russian authorities during the rebellion, he said that the West turned Ukraine into a virtually hostile state anti-Russia. Mr Putin said Moscow was looking to boost ties with the SCO member nations, and backed the transition to settlements in local currencies in foreign trade. The Russian president, who launched a special military operation on Ukraine in February last year, added that the world was seeing an increasing potential for conflicts, and that the risk of a global economic crisis was on the rise. Experts have said the summit gave Mr Putin a rare window to demonstrate control over rumblings in Moscow. Putin will want to reassure his partners that he is very much still in charge, and leave no doubt that the challenges to his government have been crushed, said Tanvi Madan, a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution. The summit of the security-led group saw the top leaders of its member states China, India, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Pakistan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan in attendance as Indian prime minister Narendra Modi commenced the gathering virtually. Mr Modi, who wrapped up his state visit to the US two weeks earlier with pomp and fervour after meeting Joe Biden, did not mention the war in Ukraine in his opening remarks. While he warned of global challenges to food, fuel and fertiliser supplies, Mr Modi did not blame Moscows continuing invasion and halt on grain deal which has shot up the prices across the world. International trade, especially for Russias allies, suffered a major setback but all SCO members avoided directly mentioning the war. Mr Modi instead kept his focus on indirectly targeting Pakistan for terrorism, asking the SCO members to not hesitate while criticising the nations using terrorism as an instrument of its state policy. India has largely protested any support to Pakistan, accusing its neighbour of breeding terrorism and armed insurgent groups for decades. Terrorism poses a threat to regional peace and we need to take up a joint fight, Mr Modi said without naming Pakistan. He was joined by Pakistan prime minister Shahbaz Sharif in condemnation of terrorism, who defended his nations fight against it. While the sacrifices made by Pakistan in fighting terrorism are without parallel, this scourge continues to plague our region and remains a serious obstacle to the maintenance of peace and stability, Mr Sharif said. Any temptation to use it as a cudgel for diplomatic point scoring must be eschewed, Mr Sharif said. The Asian security grouping founded by Russia and China in 2001 to counter Western alliances also welcomed Iran as a new member, bringing its membership to nine nations. Belarus has also queued up at the summit for membership. Close Head of MI6 says Putin clearly under pressure after Wagner Group uprising For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} President Vladimir Putin on Friday accused Nato member Poland of having territorial ambitions in the former Soviet Union, and said any aggression against Russias neighbour and close ally Belarus would be considered an attack on Russia. Moscow would react to any aggression against Belarus, which forms a loose Union State with Russia, with all the means at our disposal, Putin told a meeting of his Security Council in televised remarks. Warsaws Security Committee decided on Wednesday to move military units to eastern Poland after members of the Russian Wagner mercenary force arrived in Belarus, the state-run news agency PAP quoted its secretary as saying on Friday. On Wednesday, Wagner chief Yevgeny Prigozhin was shown in a video welcoming his fighters to Belarus, telling them they would take no further part for now in the war in Ukraine but ordering them to gather strength for Africa while they trained the Belarusian army. It comes as US-supplied cluster bombs are now being deployed by Ukraine in the battle against Russia, according to the White House. Close Aftermath of car-ramming that injured several Tel Aviv For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} Israeli forces withdrew from the Jenin refugee camp after a two-day deadly raid that left at least 12 Palestinians and one Israeli soldier dead, around 100 wounded, and thousands driven from their homes. The incursion on the militant stronghold in the West Bank, one of the most intense in the territory in nearly two decades, began with late-night drone strikes, followed by a sweep involving more than 1,000 Israeli troops. As the troops withdrew overnight, tensions remained high as Israel reported a volley of rockets from the Gaza Strip, another Palestinian territory. The rockets were shot down and Israels air force struck targets in Gaza belonging to the ruling Hamas, causing no casualties. In a further sign of violence spilling over from Jenin, a Palestinian rammed his car into pedestrians in Tel Aviv and went on a stabbing spree on Tuesday, wounding eight people before he was shot dead. Hamas claimed him as a member. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed to carry out similar offensives in the future. He said: "At these moments we are completing the mission, and I can say that our extensive operation in Jenin is not a one-off." For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} Thousands have fled Israels biggest military operation into the occupied West Bank in decades, as a car-ramming in Tel Aviv underlined the risk of violence spreading. At least 12 Palestinians, including three children, have been killed and over 100 injured during Israels raid in the Jenin refugee camp which started with a drone strike on Monday. The United Nations has said Israeli military bulldozers destroyed key roads, stopping ambulances from entering the camp, which has lost access to drinking water, electricity and in some areas food supplies. At this moment we are completing the mission, and I can say that our extensive activity in Jenin is not a one-time operation, Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu said. Israels military said it aimed to thwart terrorism and remove threats, while a defence source said forces had begun to withdraw late on Tuesday. Jenin mayor Nidal Al-Obeidi said around 4,000 Palestinians, nearly one third of the camp, had fled to stay with relatives or in shelters. UN agencies said they were deeply alarmed and concerned by the violence, adding that the level of injuries was placing a strain on the fragile and underfunded health system in Jenin while medical teams had restricted access preventing them from reaching the critically injured. The population of Jenin, located in the far north of the West Bank, are mostly descendants of Palestinians that fled or were forced to flee the conflict which surrounded the creation of Israel in 1948. In the early 2000s it was the theatre of some if the worst bloodshed during the second intifada. Palestinians carry a wounded man shot by Israeli fire in Jenin on Tuesday (AP) This year the densely populated area, where some 14,000 people live in less than half a square kilometre, has again become the focal point of a wave of violence that has swept the area. In 2023 alone more than 140 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces in the West Bank while Palestinian attacks targeting Israelis have killed at least 26 people. The Israeli military has described Jenin as a stronghold of terrorist activity accusing militant groups of basing fighters within densely populated urban areas. Jenin and the outlying areas have become the target of intensified raids ordered by Israels nationalist-religious government. In Tel Aviv, a Palestinian man drove his car into a crowded bus stop and then began stabbing bystanders, injuring eight people. CCTV video circulated online showed a pickup truck strike two people as it mounted a pavement and bicycle lane at speed. The driver is seen scrambling out of a window, stabbing a cafe-goer and chasing other people with knife in hand. Hamas said the attacker, identified as 23-year-old Abdel-Wahab Khalyleh, who was shot dead by an armed bystander, was a member. It said the attack was an act of self-defence in the face of the ongoing Zionist massacre in Jenin. In Jenin, drones circulated overhead and sporadic gunfire and explosions sounded near the refugee camp, which fighters from militant groups including Hamas, Palestinian Islamic Jihad and Fatah have fortified with a range of obstacles and watching posts to counter regular army raids. Power and water supplies remained cut off in the camp and in some areas of the city for a second day after bulldozers that ploughed up roads looking for improvised bombs, cut power cables and a main water pipe. Israeli forces said they uncovered several underground explosives caches, one concealed in a tunnel under a mosque. The Palestinian Red Crescent said it has evacuated 500 families from the camp around 3,000 people. Trucks brought food, water and other supplies collected by volunteers in nearby Nablus. Medicins Sans Frontiers (Doctors Without Broders) accused the army of firing tear gas into a hospital, filling the emergency room with smoke and forcing emergency patients to be treated in a main hall. The Israeli military countered this, saying said it had no knowledge of its forces firing in the vicinity of a hospital. Dr Wissam Bakr, director of the Jenin Governmental Hospital, that serves the area, said that its staff was overwhelmed. The medical teams, especially the surgeons and anaesthetists, have been working for 40 hours nonstop, and still are on top of their work to help the wounded, he said. Jihad Hassan, 63, who fled the camp with his family after his son was wounded, said the drone strike had prompted him to leave. You dont hear a sound, you just see the explosion, he said, as he waited with his son at the Jenin Governmental Hospital. It is something, when a person is forced to leave their home, he said. Many offices and businesses across the West Bank closed on Tuesday in response to calls for a general strike to protest against the operation, which the Palestinian Authority has described as a war crime. Mohammed Moustafa Orfy, Egypts permanent representative to the Arab League, said the operation would hinder efforts to bring reconciliation after months of escalating violence. What is happening in Jenin, from brutal killing using the Israeli war machine, is aimed at shrinking to a very large extent the chances of reviving the peace process, he said. Rishi Sunak said the Israel army must demonstrate restraint and prioritise civilian safety, as he urged all parties to avoid further escalation. We support Israels right to self-defence, we have condemned the recent terrorist attacks, he told MPs, but Israel must adhere to principles of necessity and proportionality when defending their legitimate security interests. The UNs child agency warned that children had been caught in the crossfire, adding that 2023 was fast becoming one of the deadliest years in two decades for young people in the West Bank. For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} The Israeli military launched one of its largest operations in the occupied West Bank for two decades on Monday, carrying out drone strikes and sending in hundreds of troops and armoured bulldozers to hit what it claims are terrorist infrastructure targets and armed gunmen in the Jenin camp. Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the area had become a safe haven for terrorists and declared: We are putting an end to this. The Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) said its soldiers had found explosive devices, weapons and military equipment in a mosque at the camp, alleging that 50 per cent of the local population is affiliated with Palestinian militant organisations like the Jenin Brigades. The raid on the refugee camp near the city of Jenin sparked fierce gun battles, leaving at least 10 Palestinians dead, 100 people injured and causing thousands more to flee the area, which the IDF said it was allowing them to do unimpeded. The Palestinian Red Crescent rescue service said as many as 3,000 people had left as of midnight on Monday and that the exodus is expected to continue. The humanitarian situation is very difficult and is getting worse. All the roads are closed, no ambulances, vehicles or people are allowed to pass into the camp or inside its alleyways, said Mahmoud al-Saadi, the groups director in Jenin. The streets and infrastructure are completely destroyed, the water and electricity are cut all across the camp. The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) added that many camp residents were in need of food supplies, clean drinking water and milk powder for infants. Israel has said it is only intent on hitting military targets but reports on the ground indicate civilian infrastructure has also been damaged and the Al Araby TV Network has alleged that two of its journalists were directly targeted by gunfire. Mustafa Sheta, director of Jenins Freedom Theatre and community centre told The Independent: It started at midnight with bombing and then large groups of soldiers attacked Jenin from different entrances simultaneously. Later they used bulldozers to cut a path through the neighbourhood. Bulldozers came to the street, either side of the theatre we dont know the extent of the damage. Israeli defence minister Yoav Gallant said its operation in Jenin was proceeding as planned but gave no indication as to when the incursion would end. It could take hours, but it could also take days. We are focused on our goals, an Israeli military spokesman said, when asked to offer a timeframe on its activities. A map to show the location of the Jenin refugee camp (The Independent/Datawrapper) Human rights groups including Amnesty International have meanwhile reacted to the intervention by accusing Israel of recklessly endangering desperate and marginalised people. Coming after Israels massive five-day offensive in Gaza in May, the Jenin attack seems to show that the Israeli military is increasingly abandoning what little restraint it previously had and wilfully endangering the lives of Palestinian civilians, including children, older people and people with disabilities, said Kristyan Benedict, Amnesty UKs crisis response manager. Hamas, which governs in Gaza, said on Monday that it was ready to intervene if Israel goes too far and persists in its aggression in Jenin. Our people and their resistance everywhere know how to respond to this barbaric aggression, Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh said in a statement. We call on our people throughout the West Bank to stand by Jenin and defend its people in order to thwart the enemys plan. The blood being shed in Jenin will determine the nature of the next stage in all directions. For its part, the White House has said via a spokesman: We have seen the reports and are monitoring the situation closely. We support Israels security and right to defend its people against Hamas, Palestinian Islamic Jihad, and other terrorist groups. For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} UN agencies expressed their alarm on Tuesday after it emerged that at least three children were among those killed by Israeli forces during their raids in the Jenin refugee camp of the occupied West Bank. Israel on Monday launched one of its biggest operations in the refugee camp in 20 years, carrying out a series of drone strikes and sending in bulldozers and hundreds of troops who engaged in extensive gun battles, forcing thousands of Palestinians to flee the camps through alleyways. Later in Tel Aviv at least six people suffered injuries in a car-ramming and stabbing attack on Tuesday, A motorist, described as a Palestinian by Israeli police, was "neutralised" at the scene by a civilian first-responder, officials said. In the West Bank, a spokesperson for the UN humanitarian office said they are alarmed at the scale of air and ground operations that are taking place in Jenin... and airstrikes hitting a densely populated refugee camp. First responders have been prevented from entering the refugee camp, including to reach persons who have been critically injured, World Health Organisation spokesperson Christian Lindmeier added. The Israeli army said it was allowing people who wanted to leave to do so. The Palestinian Red Crescent rescue service said as many as 3,000 people had left by midnight on Monday and that they expected the exodus to continue. Residents said there was no running water and that the electricity supply had been severed in much of the camp. Israeli forces have detained dozens of people inside narrow rooms in their homes, without providing or allowing any food or drink, the Red Crescent said, adding that their work has been hampered dur to great damage to roads and infrastructure inside the camp. The army said it was striking "terrorist infrastructure targets and armed gunmen" in the camp and had found explosives during a search of a mosque. Residents evacuate the Jenin refugee camp during an Israeli military operation in the occupied West Bank (AFP via Getty Images) At least 120 suspected Palestinian militants have been arrested, Israeli media, said as hundreds of Israeli troops continued to operate in the camp on Tuesday, seizing weapons and explosives and destroying tunnels and command posts. The Jenin operation led to protests across the occupied West Bank, including at a checkpoint near the city of Ramallah, where a 21-year-old Palestinian was killed by Israeli fire. Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari, a spokesperson for the Israeli military, said the operation was necessary because nearly 50 attacks over the past year have emanated from Jenin. Earlier, video showed Israeli soldiers shooting at a camera and transmitter belonging to two West Bank journalists reporting from the refugee camp. Al-Araby TV reporter Amid Shehadeh and video journalist Rabi Munir said they were "directly targetted" with more than six bullets that set their equipments ablaze. Hamas supporters wave green Islamic flags while raise their hands up and chant slogans (Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.) The Palestinian leadership in the West Bank held an emergency meeting late on Monday and announced a halt to its already limited contacts with Israel. A spokesperson for Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas called the operation a new war crime against our defenceless people. Jordan, Egypt and the United Arab Emirates, who have normal ties with Isreal, condemned the incursion along with the 57-nation Organization of Islamic Cooperation. Isreal, however, remained unfazed. "In recent months, Jenin has turned into a safe haven for terrorism. We are putting an end to this," Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu said, hailing the operation. He claimed the raid was taking place with "minimum harm to civilians". An Israeli armoured vehicle fires tear gas during an ongoing military operation in Jenin city (AFP via Getty Images) Hamas, which governs in Gaza, said it was ready to intervene if Israel goes too far and persists in its aggression in the camp. Our people and their resistance everywhere know how to respond to this barbaric aggression, Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh reportedly said in a statement. For more than a year, army raids in cities like Jenin have been linked to a series of deadly attacks by Palestinians against Israelis and rampages by settler mobs against Palestinian villages. We have seen the reports and are monitoring the situation closely, a White House spokesperson said. We support Israels security and right to defend its people against Hamas, Palestinian Islamic Jihad, and other terrorist groups. More than 140 Palestinians have been killed so far this year by Israeli fire in the West Bank, according to the Associated Presss count, almost half of them affiliated with militant groups. Civilians have also been killed, including a two-year-old in June and a 15-year-old girl in a raid on Jenin camp last week. For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} Instagrams new Twitter competitor app Threads is slated to be rolled out on Thursday in the US and on Friday for the rest of the world, according to a listing spotted on Apples App Store. The Twitter alternative app from Instagrams parent company Meta briefly showed up on Google Play on Saturday and was spotted by mobile developer Alessandro Paluzzi, who flagged some of its features on the Elon Musk-owned social media platform. Screenshots and some initial details revealed some of the apps UI elements, including its login screen, which suggested an ability to log into the app with ones Instagram account. The interface, as seen on the screenshots, also appears similar to other text-based social media apps. Threads is where communities come together to discuss everything from the topics you care about today to whatll be trending tomorrow, said the apps App Store preview notes. Whatever it is youre interested in, you can follow and connect directly with your favorite creators and others who love the same things or build a loyal following of your own to share your ideas, opinions, and creativity with the world. Meta has also launched a new webpage with a countdown ahead of Threads release. The tech giant has been working on the app for some time now, initially under the name Barcelona. The Threads app was being planned for an end-of-July release, but its launch is being sped up following Twitter users expressing frustration over Mr Musks rate limiting fiasco, 9to5Mac reported. Chaos erupted on Twitter on Saturday as the companys owner and chief technology officer Mr Musk announced new limits on the number of posts accounts can read in a day. The Tesla boss said the decision was made to address extreme levels of data scraping & system manipulation. He had previously expressed displeasure with artificial intelligence firms like ChatGPT-owner OpenAI using Twitters data to train their AI models. Many users expressed their frustration over the weekend as they got notifications saying, Sorry, you are rate limited. Please wait a few moments then try again. The growing frustration among Twitters users has also led to a new surge of activity on rival social networks like Mastodon and Bluesky. Threads rollout in this atmosphere of backlash against Twitters moves might see the new app get more takers. The Twitter competitor also appears to directly port over users Instagram followers and following lists, instead of rebuilding their communities from scratch. Sign up to Simon Calders free travel email for expert advice and money-saving discounts Get Simon Calders Travel email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Simon Calders Travel email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} Railway ticket offices across England could start closing by Christmas, according to plans about to be rolled out by train operators with the blessing of ministers. More than 1,000 station booking offices are set to be closed as the government seeks savings in the cost of running the railway. Officials insist passengers will also benefit by ticket office staff moving onto the concourse and platforms, where they can assist travellers. They point out that 43 per cent of British railway stations are currently unstaffed or have no ticket office, and 40 per cent of ticket offices are only part-time. But Mick Lynch, general secretary of the RMT union, said: The removal of ticket offices would create the conditions for a muggers paradise on the railways. And disability rights activists have demanded urgent action from the Office of Rail and Road and the Equality and Human Rights Commission. The Independent understands that train operators will orchestrate the announcement of plans to close all but a handful of booking offices in England. Some busier English stations may retain ticket offices. ScotRail and Transport for Wales are unaffected, and Merseyrail is not involved. Transport for Wales manages five stations in England Chester, Hereford, Leominster, Runcorn East and Shrewsbury and has no plans for wholesale changes at these or other stations it manages. Rail industry insiders insist that the legally required notices under Schedule 17 of the Ticketing & Settlement Agreement mark the start of a consultation designed to improve passenger service rather than a predetermined plan to cut costs. One executive at a leading train operator said: This isnt about pulling the shutters down with nothing to replace it. We are trying to move our staff to where they are most needed, on concourses and platforms. We want to give them permission to come out of the ticket office and the natural consequence of that is to close the ticket office. The biggest upheaval in the railway industry for a generation is to be imposed without the involvement of the RMT. Members working in ticket offices will be retrained for wider roles unless they choose to leave the industry. The proposed mass closure is being pushed through during an impasse in negotiations in the long and bitter rail dispute. National strikes by members of the RMT union began in June 2021, and employees at more than a dozen train operators will walk out again for three days later this month. The stalemate is largely over reforms to working practices. The unions are demanding no-strings pay rises, while ministers who will sign off on the final settlement say efficiencies are required to fund wage increases. Train firms are legally obliged to give a 21-day notice of intention to close a ticket office and invite responses from the public. If objections are raised by the passenger watchdog Transport Focus (or, in the capital, London Travelwatch), then a two-week consultation takes place, while the transport secretary, Mark Harper, has the final say. In theory, the first closures could begin by mid-August, though consultation with existing staff and possible retraining means the target is to start shutting some ticket offices down by Christmas. Rail industry sources say the consultation will be serious. Challenges are expected from passenger groups such as the Association of British Commuters and those representing travellers with reduced mobility and needing additional support. Disability rights activists have written to the chief executive of the Office of Rail and Road as well as the chair of the Equality and Human Rights Commission. In an open letter, signed by a dozen leading figures, they say: Both regulators must now take urgent action, including a public position on whether accessibility and retail mitigations are ready to go forward. If they do not believe this to be the case, they should call for an immediate pause to proceedings and prepare to make use of their full regulatory powers to intervene. This is the only way to ensure that rail modernisation plans are properly regulated and consistent with the public sector equality duty of to eliminate discrimination and advance equality of opportunity. Opponents also say the anticipated proposals will harm passengers who, they say, should be able to continue to seek the best-value ticket with the help of an expert. But train operators say passenger booking habits have changed dramatically since the Covid pandemic, stating: The proportion of tickets bought at booking offices has halved from 24 to 12 per cent The number of tickets purchased online has risen from 34 to 50 per cent The remainder is from ticket vending machines (currently 12 per cent) or through pay as you go cards such as Oyster in the London area (26 per cent). Effectively, ticket office staff are doing half the amount of work than they were in 2019, and this is designed to rectify that, a source said. But the RMT maintains that booking offices are essential. Mr Lynch said: Ticket offices serve multiple purposes on stations, including a place where elderly people and the vulnerable can seek assistance. Ticket offices are also secure locations that provide a place of safety and security for staff and passengers, including during emergencies or disruption. We are totally opposed to ticket office closures and a railway that is run on the cheap for the maximum profit of private companies. And our strike action on 20, 22 and 29 July on the 14 train operating companies, is part of our resistance to ticket office closures. Swedish Railways has recently removed all station staff in a bid to control costs. Passengers needing assistance are told to call a helpline. Sign up to Simon Calders free travel email for expert advice and money-saving discounts Get Simon Calders Travel email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Simon Calders Travel email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} A popular tourist island in Thailand is facing a severe water crisis caused by a rush of tourists combined and a decline in rainfall. Local reports said many water reserves on Koh Samui such as the Phru Na Mueang and Phru Krajud reservoirs along with Hin Lard waterfall have seen a drop in their water levels, aggravating the freshwater crisis. According to local estimates, the remaining water is sufficient only for the next 30 days. Due to the water crisis on the island, the tourist paradise is also seeing numbers dwindle. According to reports, taps in resorts on the island are starting to run dry, but authorities are reportedly working to fix the situation. Sutham Samthong, a deputy mayor of Koh Samui, has urged residents and tourists alike to use water judiciously. He said that with careful management, freshwater on the island can last till the next two months, after which he said rains are expected. We are not complacent. We are trying to solve the situation. We dont want the provincial or upper [administration] to announce that Koh Samui is a disaster zone, he told The Guardian. According to Ratchaporn Poonsawat, the chair of the Tourism Association of Koh Samui, the crisis might force resort owners and local businesses to buy freshwater which will result in a surge in costs. The mounting costs associated with the shortage could also adversely affect the livelihood of hospitality workers on the island. If water supplies continue to deplete, these hard-working individuals might be forced to bear higher living costs, he said, according to Thai news website The Thaiger. Bangkok Post reported that because of the shortage, locals are now starting to buy freshwater at 250BHT (5.64) to 300BHT (6.76) for 2,000 litres of water for their daily use. There are also concerns that due to the El Nino weather phenomenon which is associated with less rain the island might see even more severe shortages in the next few months. At least one million tourists visited Koh Samui island in the past five months, according to local media. To ease the water crisis on the island, authorities are using an underwater pipeline from the Surat Thani province on the Thai mainland. Koh Samui, according to the deputy mayor, requires around 30,000 cubic metres of water a day. The pipeline is able to meet 24,000 cubic metres so far. Prateep Kusolwattana, director-general of the Provincial Waterworks Authority said this operation, which began last Saturday, will be repeated every other day until the water situation returns to normal. CCTV footage has been released of a car ramming into pedestrians in Tel Aviv, Israel, after seven people were left injured. The incident, which took place on Pinchas Rosen Street, was alleged to have been a Palestinian attack, shortly after ten people, including three children, were killed during an Israeli military operation in Jenin in the occupied West Bank. It's thought the suspect tried to stab the victims before being shot dead by a member of the public. Islamist militant group Hamas praised the attack as heroic". Imran Khan has said that his staff were tortured after he was arrested in an exclusive interview with The Independent. The former Pakistan prime minister spoke about how he first thought that paramilitary police coming to arrest him were commandos, and said that though he was not tortured himself, his staff were subjected to horrific treatment. My senator has been tortured. My chief of staff, they were taken, tortured badly, you know, stripped naked and really humiliated and tortured. So I was wondering, you know, the way that picked me up, was I going to suffer the same fate? Mr Khan said. Read the full interview with Imran Khan, only on Independent Premium. Journalists reporting in the occupied West Bank have said that they were "directly targeted" by the Israeli army in Jenin. Footage shows camera equipment set up by al-Araby reporters Amid Shehadeh and video journalist Rabi Munir being hit by bullets and catching fire. Soldiers "directly targeted" them with more than six bullets, Mr Shehadeh said. We call on all colleagues, as well human rights and media organizations, to join us in expressing their unequivocal rejection of these practices and their full support for freedom of the press and the absolute necessity of guaranteeing the safety of journalists, Al Araby TV Network said. Residents fled from the Jenin refugee camp in the occupied West Bank on Monday night (3 July) after Israel launched large-scale military operation against Palestinian militants in the camp. At 10 Palestinians have been killed in raids by Israeli forces on the city. It is one of the largest incursions into the occupied West Bank in 20 years. Around 3,000 people had left the camp by midnight but dozens have been detained inside narrow rooms in their homes, without providing or allowing any food or drink, the Palestinian Red Crescent said. Rishi Sunak was avoided a question at the Liaison Committee on whether the government has a plan B if the governments appeal against a High Court judgement ruling plans to deport asylum seekers to Rwanda are unlawful is unsuccessful. The prime minister has previously stated that the government will seek permission to appeal against the decision at the Supreme Court as he insisted that Rwanda was a safe country and said that the court had agreed with this. Appearing before parliaments Liaison Committe on Tuesday, 4 July, the prime minister did not say whether the government has alternative plans if the scheme is not upheld in the Supreme Court. Emergency services attended the scene of car ramming after several people were injured in an attack in Tel Aviv on Tuesday, 4 July. Israeli police said Tuesday's incident was a suspected Palestinian attack. It comes after ten people, including three children, were killed during an Israeli military operation in Jenin in the occupied West Bank. Police said the suspect rammed into pedestrians on Pinchas Rosen Street before trying to stab them. He was shot dead by a civilian. Islamist militant group Hamas praised the attack as heroic and revenge for the military operation in Jenin. Follow our live coverage here. He told US business leaders that tax windfall must not be used for permanent spending measures The next budget will provide for a public investment fund for key infrastructure projects, Finance Minister Michael McGrath has said, as well as a long-term sovereign wealth fund. Speaking at an American Chamber of Commerce event in Dublin to mark US Independence Day, Mr McGrath warned against the temptation to make permanent day-to-day spending hikes or tax cuts next year with windfall corporation tax receipts. We need to be careful in the decisions that we make with [corporation tax receipts] and avoid the temptation to make permanent expenditure or indeed taxation commitments on the back of receipts that could prove to be temporary, he said. Ahead of the summer economic statement on Tuesday, Mr McGrath told an audience of US business leaders that the budget surplus would be at least 10bn this year and higher next year, thanks to bumper corporation tax receipts. The summer statement will lay out the overall size of the 2024 budget package. Mr McGrath said a public investment fund to be proposed later this year would ensure that capital investment is not the first victim every time there is a negative turn in the economy. He made the comments after the American Chamber of Commerce in Ireland told the Government to triage public investment, prioritising housing and energy. A survey by the American Chamber found that 70pc of firms intend to add jobs in Ireland in the next year but that 57pc say housing is the biggest challenge for them to grow their business here. Mr McGrath also promised to legislate for a 15pc minimum corporate tax rate in the autumn, following a two-pillar global deal in 2021. The second part of that deal which the Department of Finance believes could cost Ireland up to 2bn a year in lost revenues is still being negotiated. Mr McGrath said the talks "are almost at the finish line" but said it would "require everyone to jump together" to implement it. Belfast-based Harland & Wolff has reported an increased pre-tax loss of 70.35m (82m), up from 25.5m, in its latest annual results as revenues rose 51pc to 27.96m and the number of employees almost doubled. The firm, led by group chief executive John Wood, is targeting annual revenue of 500m by 2025. It said revenues in the 2023 financial year are expected to be around 100-115m, while contracted revenues for the 2024 financial year have already exceeded 70m. Harland & Wolff was bought out of administration in 2019 by British firm Infrastrata, which has since rebranded under the name of the historic Belfast shipbuilder. The company said its loss was largely due to recruitment in preparation for bidding on large-value contracts across its five target markets. They said the investment was expected to generate cost savings in the long term. Large numbers of personnel were hired, for example, in preparation for key contracts such as the 55m M55 Regeneration Programme, 18m Cory barges and 1.6bn Fleet Solid Support (FSS) projects. These are supply vessels for the Royal Navy. The workforce increased by 88pc to 769 core employees in the year ending December 31, 2022. Harland & Wolff said its contracted backlog has increased from 110m to 900m, while its uncontracted weighted pipeline of opportunities has risen from 1.36bn to over 2.50bn over a five-year period. It has also secured an increase in its corporate debt facility to $100m (92m) to meet the groups growing capital needs as further investment is made to win and execute fabrication contacts. Mr Wood said: Having completed the third year of our turnaround strategy at the end of financial year 2022, we have started on a strong foot at the beginning of financial year 2023 with the award of the subcontract for the FSS programme. Whilst the FSS subcontract is a game-changing contract win for the company, it will take several years to deliver, and we still have a lot to achieve over the next two years in order to turn this company into a target 500m per annum business. We believe this is a wholly achievable goal and our maturing presence across five markets will fuel the growth that we are targeting by the time we end the fifth year (FY 2025) of our turnaround strategy. Malcolm Groat, chairman of Harland & Wolff, said: Post the balance sheet date, we secured the manufacture subcontract for the FSS which will see a 77m investment into technology in our Belfast yard, making it the most state of-the-art shipyard in the UK, also bringing a ramp up of 1,200 shipyard jobs across Belfast and Appledore. This contract award is a game-changer for the company and will allow us to rekindle and modernise world class shipbuilding skills and trades that were otherwise dying out. FSS has enabled us to build a legacy that will provide secure and sustainable high-quality employment for decades to come. The firm is meanwhile addressing a skills gap through its apprenticeship programme, with intake totalling 37 apprentices in 2021, rising to 64 in 2022 and set to increase to 100 this year. The firm is confident that a judicial review aimed at overturning the marine licence awarded to its Islandmagee gas storage project has limited chance of success. The Islandmagee facility is expected to provide over a quarter of the UKs natural gas storage capacity. A majority of US firms is set to hire more people here in the next year but say the Government must "effectively plan for its people and economy. More than two-thirds (70pc) of US firms surveyed by the American Chamber of Commerce in Ireland (AmCham) expect to increase employment in Ireland in the next 12 months, up from 64pc in March. Almost all (91pc) respondents said their US headquarters have a positive view of Ireland as an investment or growth location. But the survey, published in time for American Independence Day, found that 57pc cited housing as the most important challenge for Ireland to overcome in order for their businesses to grow. Almost two-thirds of firms (60pc) said housing requires the most urgent investment from Government. Its not the first time the business grouping has called for housing investment. In March, AmCham bosses told Housing Minister Darragh OBrien at an event that the future of investment would be as much about where people want to live as where firms want to locate. A large majority (82pc) said the Government should implement a triage system to prioritise critical infrastructure and investments within the planning system. And 96pc said certainty of energy cost and supply was important for more foreign investment in Ireland. AmChams vision for Ireland in 2050 is that Ireland will be recognised globally as being able to effectively plan for its people and economy, said American Chamber President Seamus Fives. Our challenge, and our opportunity, is to show the world that we can plan and deliver a society where 8 million people can lead healthy, safe and successful lives. We believe now is the time to make the necessary investments, not only to address the challenges of today, but to seize the opportunities of tomorrow. US multinationals now employ 210,000 people in Ireland, an increase of over 30pc in four years, AmCham estimates. The business organisation has submitted a pre-budget statement calling on the Government to deliver critical infrastructure and address the housing gap. AmCham is also calling for more investment in renewable energy, skills (particularly digital and cyber skills) and enhancements to the research ecosystem. While 93pc of those surveyed said Irelands workforce meets their recruitment needs, 76pc said there should be more collaboration between universities and industry. Almost 30pc of those surveyed said green tax incentives for businesses were important. The US government has been joined as a party to Commercial Court proceedings by Facebook owner Meta over a decision of the Data Protection Commission (DPC) that it must suspend the transfer and storage of user data from Europe to the US. Mr Justice Denis McDonald agreed to a request from Eileen Barrington SC, for the US government, that her client be joined as an amicus curiae (friend of the court) in the case. Meta consented to the application, as did Ireland and the Attorney General who are also respondents, along with the DPC. The DPC did not object to the application. In an affidavit, US Department of Justice senior trial counsel Katherine L Nesbitt said the proceedings are of crucial interest to the US. The US has a vital and bona fide interest in ensuring the court has before it an accurate, up-to-date and comprehensive account of the US legal regime regarding government access to data for national security purposes, she said. This includes potential access to the data of EU citizens and related privacy safeguards including available redress measures along with reforms consequent to the making in March last year of an executive order by the US president on enhancing safeguards for US signals intelligence activities, she said. That order, she said, has led to a number of reforms in US law and practice, some of which were considered in the DPCs final decision on data transfers and in expert reports presented by Meta. Mr Justice McDonald said a judgment in previous proceedings over the same subject had outlined the principles governing a decision to join the US government to that case. The judge was satisfied to join the US as an amicus on conditions that it will bear its own costs and that it will not add materially to the length of the proceedings. Meta was last week granted an extension to the end of this month of an interim stay on the DPC decision that it must suspend the transfer and storage of user data to the US. Meta was fined 1.2bn in the DPC ruling in May. The Dublin actor was back in Ireland to shoot his new film, The Martini Shot, and opened up about career, family, Charlize Theron and missing out on the Lord of the Rings role When Stuart Townsend came to Ireland to shoot his latest feature The Martini Shot, he hadnt been home in years. These days, the Howth native calls deep within the jungle in Costa Rica his home. Yet for the film shoot, which took place partly in Clare and Limerick, Townsend had his two young sons Desmond and Ezra in tow, who were pre-schoolers at the time. Soldiers and some of the people they helped to escape to safety are the only interviewees in James W Newtons heart-wrenching documentary The documentary reveals the inside story of the perilous British campaign to evacuate Kabul in 2021 (Photo: Channel4) Soldiers are tough. Soldiers are hardened. Soldiers are professionals who know to keep their emotions in check and are not supposed to cry. There are many soldiers in the searing three-part documentary Evacuation (Channel 4), currently showing on consecutive nights (Sun-Tue) at 9pm and streaming in full at channel4.com, formerly All 4. Most of them cry openly. The few who manage to not buckle often just stare at something far away, lost in memories and lost for words. They and some of the people they helped to escape to safety are the only interviewees in James W Newtons heart-wrenching documentary about the evacuation of Kabul after the US had withdrawn from Afghanistan and the country had again fallen into the murderous hands of the Taliban. There are seasoned veterans whove seen things no one should ever have to see, done things no one should ever have to do. There are younger personnel, mere teenagers for whom this was their very first operational duty. I was taking 19-year-olds, recalled Diana (only first names are used), a squadron leader with RAF police. I basically took a sixth-form field trip to Kabul. The documentary reveals the inside story of the perilous British campaign to evacuate Kabul in 2021 (Photo: Channel4) There have been other documentaries about the evacuation of Kabul, yet none so emotionally intimate, intense and bone-raw as this. Sundays instalment featured mobile phone camera footage as shocking as any youll see. A group of Afghans cling desperately to the undercarriage of a US military aircraft as it takes off. Theres really nothing to hold onto, but they try to hold on nonetheless, because the alternative is life, and most probably death, under the Taliban. In the distance, as the plane swoops upwards, a tiny black dot appears in the sky: a body falling to the ground. Its followed by another body, then another, then another, until there are none left. Theres nothing quite as visually upsetting in episode two (I havent watched the third yet), but whatever the cameras didnt manage to capture is vividly conjured up by the contributors words. The initial operation was supposed to be straightforward enough. Eligible people British passport holders and Afghans whod worked with the British government, such as interpreter Burhan, who made it out with his wife and their young son were told to report to the Baron Hotel, where theyd be processed and flown out. Soon, however, both the hotel and Kabul Airport were surrounded by thousands of terrified Afghans fleeing the Taliban who eventually arrived at the airport gates and begging to be let on a plane. In the surge, many were crushed to death. Fahim, a private with the parachute regiment, who was born in Afghanistan but grew up in Britain, said: I understood every single scream Help me. Im going to die. Lucy in uniform in operation (Photo: Channel4) RAF squadron leader Mark flew the first group of evacuees out of the country in his C-17 aircraft. His eyes brimmed with tears as he remembered the two little girls who cheerily skipped onto his plane. In the midst of all of this, they were dancing, he said. Two little girls in matching outfits. Rules regarding who was eligible for evacuation and who wasnt were issued from on high, but the military personnel were the ones facing reality on the ground. They had to make the calls. David, a lance-corporal, persuaded an eligible family to take with them a young boy whod turned up alone. One of his parents had been killed, the other had abandoned him. David wasnt about to let him fall into the hands of child-traffickers. One of the saddest stories came from Padre Meikle, an army chaplain and, as he noted, the only soldier who doesnt carry a gun. He came upon five children standing in a circle around their dead mother. It took a few moments for him to realise the eldest of them, a girl of no more than 10, had had her hand chopped off. By the time he got hold of a UNICEF worker to take care of the children, theyd disappeared. I was gutted, he said, breaking down. This is a superlative documentary, a story filled with horror and tragedy, but also with shining acts of courage, compassion and humanity in the most inhumane regime in the world. Once watched, it will stay with you for a long time. All episodes now on www.channel4.com Farming Independent analysis also has shown that public auction of land was worth almost 108m in 2022. An estimated billion euro worth of land quietly changes hands in Ireland each year, with 238 farms worth over 1m coming under new ownership in 2022 through consanguinity relief alone. The disease continues to wreak havoc on ash trees and plantations nationwide and across Europe, with estimates that up to 90pc of ash trees will succumb to ash dieback. Photo: Bethany Clarke/Getty Images The origin of ash dieback disease in Ireland or when it was introduced remains unknown, Minister for Agriculture Charlie McConalogue said despite Independent TD Richard Boyd Barrett claiming his predecessor, Minister Simon Coveney, identified a source in 2012. The disease continues to wreak havoc on ash trees and plantations nationwide and across Europe, with estimates that up to 90pc of ash trees will succumb to ash dieback. Mr Boyd Barrett claimed that in November 2012, then Minister for Agriculture Simon Coveney identified a consignment of 30,000 ash plants imported from continental Europe as the origin of the disease in Ireland in response to a parliamentary question on the issue. The first finding of the disease was confirmed on October 12, 2012, in Co Leitrim... The consignment, made up of some 30,000 plants imported from continental Europe, was planted over 11 sites, Mr Coveney said at the time. The ash trees at each of these 11 sites were cut and destroyed by burning without delay last month. Symptoms were found initially on the site in Leitrim and then subsequently in a small number of trees in a site in Galway, two sites in Tipperary, a site in Meath and a site in Monaghan, all from this one infected batch. Mr Boyd Barrett called on Minister McConalogue to release the name of the importer and distributor and to correct the record that the exact origin is unknown. Responding to the calls, Minister McConalogue said he would not be correcting or making any amendments to his response. My response... stated two things and I quote directly, ash dieback disease was first found in Ireland in late 2012, and I further stated in that same reply, the exact origin of ash dieback disease in Ireland or when it was introduced are unknown. It is likely that the disease was introduced into Ireland on infected plants for use in either forest, farm or roadside planting. Both of these statements are correct as a first finding is not considered proof of the origin of the disease in Ireland. Furthermore, these statements are entirely consistent with my predecessors response, said Minister McConalogue. In relation to the first finding and the associated trees, the Minister said it is not appropriate to share details of the business names, importers and distributors involved. Apart from the fact that these businesses did not do anything illegal in importing and distributing imported trees, my Department relies on information from members of the public and from businesses in its role in tackling the risks of introduction and establishment of harmful pests and diseases. Publishing their names may also be harmful to their reputation among the wider public, he said. The Indo Daily: The post office deception and the dead mans pension What happened in Carlow? As a new initiative looks to address the painfully slow uptake of digital technologies on Irish sheep farms, Connemara farmer Tomas OToole explains how EID tagging has improved his flock and saved him money Tomas O'Toole tells visitors to his Connemara farm about the advantages of tagging It is estimated that just 2-3pc of sheep farmers in Ireland actually make use of the potential of EID tagging Every day, farmers tag thousands of lambs ready for sale just hours before heading to the mart or slaughterhouse. Indeed its not uncommon to see farmers tag lambs in the mart or even in the trailer while queuing up to offload. In the case of the factory, the tags may only be in the lambs ear for a few short hours. When the mandatory EID tagging of sheep came into force in Ireland in 2009, even the Minister for Agriculture at the time, Brendan Smith, was against it. But despite his best efforts, the EU demanded Ireland enforce the electronic tagging on the grounds it was needed for traceability in the food supply chain, albeit he did secure a derogation till 2019 on lambs going directly for slaughter. It is estimated that just 2-3pc of sheep farmers in Ireland actually make use of the potential of EID tagging on their farms. According to Teagasc research officer Dr Tim Keady, the lack of time on sheep farms these days is the biggest barrier to the uptake of the technology, with few farmers having the time to tag lambs at birth an essential requirement to make the most out of EID tagging. But its far from the only factor. In 2020, almost one-third of all farm holders were aged 65 or over, and age has been shown to be a barrier to the uptake of technology on farms, while the small size of many sheep flocks also means few see the value in EID. Keady is involved in an EU-backed project aiming to share knowledge and improve the uptake of new digital technologies in Europe and beyond. The Sm@RT project seeks to address the lower uptake of innovative digital technologies, or Precision Livestock Farming (PLF) tools on sheep farms when compared to other livestock sectors, such as the dairy and pig sectors. The Irish group involved in the project recently visited the farm of Tomas OToole, near Clifden, Co Galway. One of the few Irish farmers making use of EID tagging, Tomas has been farming in Connemara since 2014, having taken over the farm from his father after returning from working in the UK. Tomas O'Toole tells visitors to his Connemara farm about the advantages of tagging Having joined the Teagasc Better Farm Programme soon after coming back, Tomas got involved heavily with technology. I took up a lot of TAMS grants in regards to fencing, splitting up a lot of bigger fields into paddocks. I bought footbaths, rollover creates, scales and barriers for the sheep shed. Whatever I could get, I was in on it, he says. Tomas also uses a host of farm management software tools, including Pasturebase for grass measuring and TGM and Flockwatch for managing the flock. To utilise electronic tagging on his farm, Tomas tags his lambs at birth and says he doesnt mind the extra work as he sees it as beneficial in the long run. Lambing the majority of his flock indoors, he says the key is to tag the lambs before they leave their individual pen after lambing. I tag them and tail-ring them at that point, he says. It could be any time of the day, but generally, it is mid-afternoon. Sometimes I wait for the kids to come home from school, because there is a little box to carry around. A pen of sheep A maximum of 15-17 ewes might lamb down in one day, and the process would take around 45 minutes for that amount. Some would say that is a lot of time, but my argument to that is, when you have them in individual pens, you are handling them anyway, particularly if you are ringing the lambs tails. Whats the difference in putting tags in? Tomas says its recording the data thats really time-consuming, as when the lamb is tagged, Tomas must scan the ewe and then the new tag in the lamb and link them together. He then records a host of farm management details, including lamb weight, whether its a single, twin or triplet, sex, breed of the lamb (based on ram), lambing difficulty and information on the ewe, including motherability and prolapse. Inputting all this information takes about 3-4 minutes per ewe, he says. As the data has built up over the years, I am only seeing the results of it now, he says. I can now select my replacements off the computer rather than just visually. I had a big issue here with prolapse no one could give me a definite answer as to why. The only solution I had was to sell everything that had anything to do with prolapse. Eradicate it. I have gone from 15-20 prolapse harnesses in the shed to zero. Tomas also uses the tech to monitor lamb and ewe performance, weighing the lamb at birth, at seven weeks and at weaning. Technology in action This shows me how they are doing and gives us a good indication about the mother, her milk etc, he says, adding that the quality of his replacement ewe lambs is improving as he is able to monitor them a lot more. If I had a ewe here that had two ewe lambs and she prolapsed, those ewe lambs could look great at weaning, but I will not keep them because of that issue, he says. And its not always prolapse, it could be motherability, or other issues at birth. I couldnt do that without tagging at birth. I might sell some of the best-looking ewe lambs on the basis of the history of the mother. Dosing and vaccinations are also recorded, and this aids hugely in terms of Department or Bord Bia inspections, Tomas says. I have started using the Flockwatch software, and I find it very useful. It can show me the history of every single sheep, weights, doses etc, and crucially, its all on the phone, which makes life easier when youre in the yard working with sheep. It also works in conjunction with Bord Bia inspections etc. It really makes this part easy. I havent written anything down in a book in five years. EID tagging at birth and the use of tools like Flockwatch also make the process of selling stock off-farm much easier, Tomas says. With the technology, I can just split the lambs up into weight categories and then scan them into specific groups without the need for all the paperwork and tagging at the same time. The financial return here is the reduction in labour. There is a cost to using the technology: an EID reader can set you back 500-1,500, while Flockwatch costs 12.42/month. The price has increased, and it seems like a lot of money, but the way things are going, it makes it life a lot simpler, Tomas says. Farmers of Agrounia and other union organisations protest near the border with Ukraine in Hrubieszow, Poland, urging the Polish government to regulate imports. Photo: Beata Zawrzel/NurPhoto via Getty Images Ukraine must be ready to export grain almost exclusively via its Danube River ports because Russia is effectively blocking Black Sea shipments, the Ukrainian Sea Ports Authority has said. It comes as Minister for Agriculture Charlie McConalogue has been called on to respond to what has been described as growing concerns over the potential impact imports of Ukrainian grain could have on prices for Irish grain growers. The United Nations and Turkey brokered a deal between Moscow and Kyiv last July on the safe passage of Black Sea grain to help tackle a global food crisis worsened by Russias invasion of its neighbour and a blockade of Ukrainian Black Sea ports. Moscow has threatened not to extend the deal beyond July 18 unless a series of demands are met, including the removal of obstacles to Russian grain and fertiliser exports. It says that promises of help with those exports have not materialised. With Russia effectively blocking the operation of the grain corridor, we need to be ready to receive almost the entire export volume of the new harvest through the Danube ports, Dmytro Barinov, the Ukrainian Sea Ports Authoritys Deputy Head, said last week. Ukraine is a major grain grower and exporter, but production has fallen sharply since Russias full-scale invasion in February 2022. With a working grain corridor, about half of its agricultural exports are shipped via Black Sea ports, a quarter pass through its Danube ports and a quarter go via its western border. The Sea Ports Authority said this month that three Ukrainian Danube river ports had exported a record three million tonnes of food in May. Anger is rising among farmers in central and eastern Europe over a flood of cheap Ukrainian grain imports, exempt from customs fees until June 2024, which have hurt prices and sales of local producers. Sinn Fein spokesperson for Agriculture, Claire Kerrane, last week raised concerns over the fact imported Ukrainian grain costs less than the current market price for Irish grain. I have been contacted by several tillage farmers and Irish Grain Growers who are very worried about what these imports will mean for the sector, she said. President Michael D Higgins says national broadcaster has been damaged by the revelations The Government has announced two external reviews into failures at RTE to examine governance and culture at the broadcaster that will report back by March next year. A forensic accountant will also be sent into the broadcaster under special powers invoked by Media Minister Catherine Martin under the Broadcasting Act in the wake of the Ryan Tubridy undisclosed payments scandal. This person will look at the controversial barter account, which has been described as a slush fund, and any other RTE accounts that may be off balance sheet, Ms Martin said. They will be in place by the beginning of August subject to procurement. Procurement will also be carried out for the two reviews, which the minister hopes will begin by the end of August. The first external review will examine governance structures and organisational culture in RTE and will be led by corporate governance expert Professor Niamh Brennan, the academic director of the UCD Centre for Corporate Governance. She was previously enlisted by an Oireachtas committee for advice on the financial crisis at the FAI in the wake of the John Delaney loan controversy. Dr Margaret Cullen, also from UCD, and a third person to be appointed in the coming days will also work on this strand of the review. The second review will examine how external RTE contractors are engaged, the fees paid and a number of HR matters including gender equality, diversity and inclusion. This will be overseen by employment expert Brendan McGinty and former ICTU secretary general Patricia King and a third person to be Speaking at Government Buildings, Ms Martin said that the reviews will publish interim reports and said their terms of reference could be updated depending on what further issues are uncovered by two Oireachtas committees currently probing RTE. She said RTE has lost the trust of the people and of its own staff. Our job as Government is to help rebuild that trust. President Michael D Higgins has said revelations about secret payments at RTE have been damaging. Speaking to reporters at Ictu's biennial conference in Kilkenny, he said public service broadcasting is crucial but that it would be unfair of him to comment before any reviews have been completed. I know nothing about any of these deals. It would be very unfair [for him to comment]. Let there be process. Again, like I have been saying about everything, let there be the fullest accountability, he said. We all have to move on to get to a better place. Look at the good things that are happening for example. He referred to public service broadcasting developments including short films involving TG4. Theres a lot of good stuff, he said. The great pity about it is that if you ask me a question, have we been damaged by this, yes. Mr Higgins said he was minister for broadcasting in the 1990s and was swimming against the tide with TnaG. It comes a day before RTE representatives come before the Oireachtas Media Committee for a second time to answer questions on the payment fiasco. The eight RTE bosses appearing before the Oireachtas Media Committee on Wednesday have now been confirmed. The lineup from last week remains unchanged apart from one new addition - former RTE board chairperson Moya Doherty, who appeared at the PAC but not Media Committee. Former director general Noel Curran and former chief financial officer Breda O'Keefe were invited. It is understood Mr Curran is not available but is happy to attend at a later date, while Ms OKeeffe will attend. She will be the ninth witness to appear before the committee. Interim deputy director general Adrian Lynch; director of commercial Geraldine O'Leary; chief financial offer Richard Collins; director of strategy Rory Coveney; RTE board chair Siun Ni Raghallaigh and journalist board representative Robert Shortt. Anne O'Leary, chair of the RTE audit and risk committee, will also take part in the committee remotely. The documentation the committee requested has not yet been received by TDs and Senators on the committee. Committee member and Fianna Fail TD Christopher OSullivan said the committee will be looking for more honesty, a bit more transparency. They need to be more forthcoming with information. I think last week's sessions were painful, certainly from the committee members' point of view in terms of trying to extract information and it was like pulling teeth very much in many instances, and that was frustrating for us, Mr OSullivan told RTEs Morning Ireland. It was also frustrating for the public who did tune in in big numbers. I understand the Oireachtas website actually crashed because of the interest in these committees. So first and foremost, we need to see the witnesses - the Executive Board in particular - be more forthcoming with information because we're into week three of this crisis now, people are getting fatigued with it, the sooner that we can get good, accurate information and the more forthcoming the witnesses are, then the sooner that we can move on from this and start putting in place structures that can ensure that this type of thing never happens again, Mr OSullivan said. He also added that he has absolutely no doubt in my mind that the Executive Board members who attended last week...has plenty of information that can help us get to the bottom of this. The Cork TD also said both the Oireachtas Media Committee and the Public Accounts Committee want truck loads of documents from RTE ahead of this weeks hearings. A mother-of-one caught handing over a package of cannabis to her then partner while visiting him in prison has been spared a criminal record. Cathy Cross (35) was put under pressure to smuggle 100 of the drug into Wheatfield Prison, but was caught by staff and arrested. Judge Gerard Jones struck the case out at Blanchardstown District Court, leaving her without a conviction, after she made a 200 charity donation. Cross, of Riverside, Loughlinstown Drive, Ballybrack, pleaded guilty to conveying drugs into prison, as well as a related charge of simple possession of cannabis. The court had heard gardai were dispatched to the prison on April 5. An Irish Prison Service staff member said he had seen the handover of a package from a visitor to an inmate. The package was found to contain cannabis worth 100. Cross, who had no previous convictions, made full admissions. Her partner at the time was serving a sentence in the prison and he put her under pressure to bring the package in, the court heard. Cross had since seen the error of her ways and was no longer with this man, her barrister said. Sacked teacher Enoch Burke has raised concerns about the impartiality of some members of the disciplinary panel due to hear the appeal over his dismissal. Mr Burke appealed his dismissal from Wilsons Hospital School and the hearing is due to take place in front of a Disciplinary Appeal Panel (DAP) on Friday at a hotel in Athlone, Co Westmeath. However, in a statement issued this morning, Mr Burke said he has written to the DAP expressing concern that some of the members of the panel have worked closely with the organisation Transgender Equality Network Ireland (TENI) in schools. He said it would therefore be inappropriate for them to sit on the panel. In May, the High Court found the school behaved lawfully when it suspended Mr Burke last August. Mr Justice Alexander Owens awarded the Co Westmeath school 15,000 in damages for trespass, which Mr Burke must pay in addition to around 88,000 in fines he has already amassed for defying a court order restraining him from going to the school premises. He spent 108 days in prison for contempt of court and resumed his almost daily visits to the school following his release. Mr Burkes dispute with the school had its roots in a request by principal Niamh McShane in May of last year that teachers call a transgender child by a new name and by their preferred pronouns. Mr Burke, an evangelical Christian, objected and publicly challenged Ms McShane at a chapel service and after a school dinner. These events prompted the principal to compile a report for the board of management, which ultimately decided to put Mr Burke on paid administrative leave on August 22 last. Gardai were called to a meeting of the board of management at Wilsons Hospital School in January where it was due to consider the case of suspended teacher Enoch Burke. Officers were called in after members of the Burke family began shouting objections to the meeting going ahead due to the absence of the board's chairman John Rogers. Mr Burke said he requested certain documents from the school board for the appeal hearing including WhatsApp messages exchanged between then principal Niamh McShane and chair of the board of management, John Rogers He also sought an audio/video file of his contribution to the school chapel service. He said none of the material has been provided to him. The refusal of the DAP to engage with my concerns over the composition of the panel and to request that the Board make proper discovery of materials is regrettable, incomprehensible and unacceptable, he said. I am calling on the DAP Chairperson Mr Sean O Longain to address both of these issues as a matter of urgency before Fridays hearing. The members of the panel did not wish to comment on Mr Burke's statement. In his emails to the DAP, Mr Burke said he will be accompanied on Friday by his mother, Martina, his brother Isaac and sister Ammi for support. The Irish Independent contacted the DAP for comment. Today's News in 90 Seconds July 4th Funds also freed up for extra staff as appointments set to rise substantially The new measure equates to a saving of up to 70 a visit, although patients will still have to pay for medication. Stock image More than 78,000 children aged six and seven are to be give free GP care in the coming weeks, the Irish Independent has learned. Meanwhile, another 400,000 people will qualify through an easier means test. However, due to the pressures on GPs, this will be phased in over the coming months. It will mean a saving of up to 70 a visit, although patients will still have to pay for medication. The conclusion of talks with the Irish Medical Organisation (IMO) in recent days has paved the way for the long-delayed roll-out of the additional GP visit cards. Health Minister Stephen Donnelly is expected to announce the move today following the finalisation of lengthy discussions with the IMO, which will see substantial extra supports for practices. Agreement was also reached on extending free GP care to around 430,000 other people who will qualify through relaxed means. The roll-out will have to be done on a phased basis, beginning with the six and seven-year-olds. The additional GP visit cards, based on means tests, will be done on a staged basis, beginning with those on the lowest income. When the extension is complete, around 500,000 more people will have free GP care. The extension of free GP care to children aged six and seven was announced in Budget 2023 but has been held up due to objections from GPs, many of whom have had to close their lists to new patients. GPs have described how the rise in population and the increasing levels of chronic illness are contributing to surgeries being overwhelmed. They said they could not cope with an influx of up to half a million patients becoming eligible for free visits as consultations would inevitably increase. When the full extension is complete, over half the population will have access to free GP care through a medical card or GP visit card. The agreement with the IMO will see GPs receive significant financial supports to recruit additional staff to help meet the additional demand. Eligibility will be extended to people who earn the median household income of 46,000 or less. It will be adjusted for people living alone and for those with children. On This Day In History - July 4th Mr Donnelly has previously said around 2.1 million men, women and children have either a medical card or GP card. We have three groups of people accessing GP care. We have those with medical cards and GP cards for whom the State funds their access, he said. We have people who pay the private fees of GPs and can afford to do so. We then have a third group of people who do not qualify for GP cards and who very much cannot afford the fee, be it 50, 60 or 70, to visit their GP. We know that there are people who need to see a GP, or whose child needs to see a GP, and they are putting off that visit. That is something that no GP I have spoken to wants either. He said it was necessary to do a short round of intensive engagements with the IMO. I have put a very substantial amount on the table in respect of permanent recurrent funding to support general practice, he added. [This is] so that we can expand capacity in general practice at the same time as we increase demand through State-funded access. The Hotel Magnolia in Salou where the Irish woman was found dead Gardai are assisting local police investigating the murder of an Irish woman in the Spanish holiday resort of Salou. The victim, a 36-year-old who is understood to be a mother-of-two, was found dead at the Hotel Magnolia in the town at 9.30pm on Sunday. Her 30-year-old partner was discovered beside her with self-inflicted injuries to his hand. He was initially treated in hospital before being arrested on suspicion of murder. Local police believe the woman was strangled after a ligature was recovered at the scene. A garda liaison officer based in Madrid has also travelled to Salou, around 90km south of Barcelona, to assist with the inquiry. In a statement this afternoon Garda Headquarters said: "An Garda Siochana is aware of the death of an Irish citizen in an alleged incident in the Spanish town of Salou on Sunday, July 2nd 2023. "A member of An Garda Siochana has travelled to Salou to provide assistance with the ongoing investigation and with the repatriation of the womans remains. "As this is an investigation led by Spanish authorities, An Garda Siochana has no further comment at this time." The Irish suspect remains in police custody and is expected to appear before a local judge tomorrow. As is standard with Spanish legal proceedings the names of the deceased and the arrested man have not been released. However, it is understood both are from Dublin. Gardai assist local Spanish police as they probe murder of Irish mum-of-two in Salou The Department of Foreign Affairs yesterday confirmed that it is aware of the case and that consular assistance is being provided. Local police officers attached to the Mossos dEsquadras Criminal Investigation Division (DIC) in Tarragona were alerted to the disturbance at around 9.30pm on Sunday. When they arrived, the officers found the woman lying on the floor of the four-star adult-only hotel and a man next to her with a self-inflicted wound. Despite the best efforts of paramedics, the victim was pronounced dead a short time later. In a statement the police agency said that it has arrested the alleged perpetrator and that the investigation is under the secrecy of proceedings. A local judicial official said: Tarragonas Duty Court proceeded last night to order the removal of the body of a woman who suffered a violent death at a hotel in Salou. The case, which is under judicial secrecy, will be investigated by a court specialising in violence against women. The victim and alleged aggressor are not residents in Spain and therefore it is not possible at this time to state whether there had been previous episodes of violence involving the couple. Yesterday evening around 50 people gathered for a minutes silence in memory of the victim at the local civic office in Salou. A spokesman for the Department of Equality and Feminisms of the Catalan regional government, called the Generalitat, has also condemned the crime and is referring to it as a femicide. The department said in a tweet: We are keeping tabs on the femicide in Salou. We are working with the town hall and making our services available to the family and close friends of the victim who need maximum privacy at these difficult moments. Today's News in 90 Seconds July 4th The subjects were more ready for action and alert to external stimuli after having coffee. Photo: Getty Researchers found that plain caffeine only partially reproduces the effects of drinking a cup of coffee. Photo: Getty The boost people get from drinking a cup of coffee cant be replicated with plain caffeine, reveals a new study that found additional areas of the brain activated by the hot beverage. Studies have shown how coffee that millions across the world refuse to start their day without makes people more alert. Researchers, including those from the University of Minho in Portugal, examined whether the wakefulness effect of coffee is dependent only on the properties of caffeine or if additional factors were at play. They found that plain caffeine only partially reproduced the effects of drinking a cup of coffee, according to the study, published recently in the journal Frontiers in Behavioral Neuroscience. While caffeine boosted areas of the brain that make one feel more alert, coffee brought additional effects on brain areas that affect working memory and goal-directed behaviour. The subjects were more ready for action and alert to external stimuli after having coffee. Photo: Getty There is a common expectation that coffee increases alertness and psychomotor functioning. When you get to understand better the mechanisms underlying a biological phenomenon, you open pathways for exploring the factors that may modulate it and even the potential benefits of that mechanism, study co-author Nuno Sousa explained. People who drank a minimum of one cup of coffee per day were recruited and asked to refrain from eating or drinking caffeinated beverages for at least three hours before the study. The participants social and demographic data was then collected and they underwent two brief MRI brain scans one before and one 30 minutes after either taking caffeine or drinking a standardised cup of coffee. During the scans, the participants were instructed to relax and let their minds wander. Scientists found that consuming both coffee and caffeine led to decreased nerve connectivity in the brains default mode network, which is involved in introspection and self-reflection processes. Researchers said this change could indicate people are more prepared to move from resting to working on tasks. However, they said drinking coffee may have additional benefits of increasing the connectivity in the brains more advanced nerve network controlling vision, and other parts involved in working memory, cognitive control and goal-directed behaviour. The new findings also suggest that while caffeinated drinks share some of the effects of coffee, there are still some special benefits from coffee drinking. These effects were not found when participants only took caffeine. In other words, researchers said, if one wants to not just feel alert but ready to go, caffeine alone might not cut it. Acute coffee consumption decreased the functional connectivity between brain regions of the default mode network, a network that is associated with self-referential processes when participants are at rest, study co-author Maria Pico-Perez said. The subjects were more ready for action and alert to external stimuli after having coffee, she said. Citing a limitation of the study, researchers said they could not identify benefits coffee drinkers claim that could be due to the relief of withdrawal symptoms. The new findings also suggest that while caffeinated drinks share some of the effects of coffee, there are still some special benefits from coffee drinking. These may include factors such as the particular smell and taste of the drink or the psychological expectation associated with consuming that drink. Home Economics: My infirm mother-in-law is moving in with us but we cant let or sell her house are there supports to help financially? Ireland is no longer seen as a soft touch by people coming here, a source said The number of migrants arriving in Ireland from countries deemed safe by the Government has dropped by 70pc. The Government believes Ireland is no longer seen as a viable destination for economic migrants leaving so-called safe countries because the systems for processing people arriving here have been fast-tracked. Safe countries of origin are described as being states where there is generally no persecution, no torture or degrading treatment or punishment, and no threat of indiscriminate violence in situations of international or internal armed conflict. Justice Minister Helen McEntee introduced a package of measures aimed at clamping down on migrants from countries such as Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Georgia, Kosovo, Serbia and South Africa seeking international protection in Ireland. This included giving more resources to the International Protection Office (IPO) to process applications faster and stationing gardai in airports to question passengers coming from safe countries. The extra funding was aimed at ensuring applicants were given a first decision on their application within three months, which is a significant reduction from the previous processing time of 17 to 24 months. A Government source said: The message seems to be getting to these countries that Ireland isnt a soft touch anymore. The numbers arriving from safe countries have decreased from 210 applications last November to 64 in May a drop of almost 70pc. Ms McEntee will also tell her Cabinet colleagues today of her plans to modernise the IPO and expand the output of the immigration agency. The IPO is currently processing 750 decisions per month, and the aim is to increase this further. A new target of 1,000 first-instance decisions being issued per month by the spring of 2024 will be adopted. This would mark a significant rise in the 200 decisions per month made in 2021. Processing priority cases in less than three months will play a significant role in achieving the objective of reducing international protection applications from safe countries. Air traffic control strikes in France have huge impact About 160,000 passengers were impacted after Ryanair cancelled more than 900 flights last month amid disruption from air traffic control strikes across France, the low cost carrier has said. French air traffic controllers staged a series of strikes last month, with the latest, a 34-hour walkout ending on June 30, marking their 60th day of strike action this year. The Dublin-based airline was among the most heavily impacted by the industrial action, with flights cancelled across a number of airports and other routes also disrupted by aircraft or crew in the wrong locations. It said it operated more than 96,250 flights last month but that "regrettably" more than 900 flights were cancelled, "mainly due to ATC (air traffic control) strikes". The last French strikes in June were in response to President Emmanuel Macron's plan to raise the country's pension age from 62 to 64 and come as part of industrial action across a raft of sectors that has crippled the country since the start of the year. The former boss of British Airways, Willie Walsh, recently called for a change in the rules to allow flights over France during air traffic control strikes. He said their action was threatening to wreak havoc for British holidaymakers and impact travel to other European countries. The law in France dictates that domestic flights must be able to continue during industrial action, but international flights are banned from flying over the country while air traffic controllers are on strike. In its latest update, Ryanair said overall it carried 17.4 million passengers in June, up 9pc year-on-year. The man was told his operation will happen in eight years' time. Stock image An 82-year-old man who is on a waiting list for cataract surgery has been told his operation has been pencilled in for July 2031. The case was raised in the Dail by Cork TD Mick Barry of People Before Profit. He told Taoiseach Leo Varadkar his constituent told the HSE person on the other end of the telephone line that he would be in the departure lounge by then. However the health worker misunderstood him and thought he would be going on a holiday at the time in 2031, the Taoiseach was told. Were here today to discuss that situation, and more broadly the 400,000 people who are on waiting list for surgery in the State as of April, Mr Barry said. He asked Mr Varadkar: What action do you intend to take to remedy this situation? The Taoiseach replied: I am genuinely sorry to hear about your constituents experience. The policy we have set out in Slaintecare is that nobody should wait more than 10-12 weeks to see a specialist, and nobody should wait more than 10-12 weeks to have an operation if they need it. Waiting times in Ireland now are considerably lower now than in Northern Ireland or Britain. I dont know the circumstances of this case. To get an appointment in eight years time is not a normal experience. Mr Varadkar suggested the elderly man concerned could avail of the NTPF the National Treatment Purchase Fund. We regularly pay for people to go privately and have the operation, he said. Cross-border is also an option, and Government will reimburse that fully, although not for travel, he said. Separately Fianna Fail TD Aindrias Moynihan asked if there was a focus in Cabinet on health-related recruitment. It's a very significant issue impacting community services right across the country, he said. Today's News in 90 Seconds July 4th Finance Minister says there is a lot at stake for RTEs executive board after new spending emerges RTE's focus is skewed when it thinks viewers are as obsessed with celebrities as it is RTE has discovered additional barter accounts and revealed that all their top 100 earners get paid more than 100,000. In another series of shocking revelations, it has emerged: RTE agreed to pay for food, drink and even guests at Renault events. Patrick Kielty was promised business class flights for Late Late Show rehearsals Station bosses havent been able to provide details of spending on Toy Show The Musical Dee Forbes wrote a letter assuring Ryan Tubridy of no pay cuts before 2025 On foot of the new revelations Finance Minister Michael McGrath tonight twice refused to express confidence in RTEs executive board. Speaking on the Tonight Show on Virgin Media, Mr McGrath said the board deserve an opportunity to come before the Oireachtas Media Committee tomorrow and explain themselves. RTE's biggest stars and some of the well-known brands they advertised on social media There is a lot at stake tomorrow, he said. A review of the broadcaster's finances has now found more secret accounts similar to the one used to top up Ryan Tubridy's salary. "RTE will provide comment and context regarding these barter accounts at tomorrow's Joint Oireachtas Committee meeting," an RTE spokesperson said tonight. The RTE board held an emergency meeting tonight where it was provided with an update on a Grant Thornton review into RTEs finances. This review has discovered that rather than one single barter account outside the remit of RTE's finance department, there were, in fact, several barter accounts - all outside the remit of the station's finance department. The board was told that the cumulative figure spent through these accounts over a 10-year period was 1.25m - the same figure disclosed to the Dails Public Accounts Committee last week - however it has not been confirmed if this is completely accurate. Among a raft of documents supplied by RTE to committee members was a breakdown of pay for the stations top 100 earners. They were not named individually due to data protection concerns. An analysis by Independent.ie shows all executive board members get between 24,100 and 31,711 in allowances every year as well as salaries between 169,950 and 250,00. There are 84 staff members and 16 contractors in the top 100 list. Of these, 10 are members of the Executive Board, 59 people hold management positions and 31 people are presenters or not in management. At the top of the board are presenters and not manager positions. The top three earners make 515,000, followed by 343,083 and 342,000. In a letter to the Committee, RTE said a number of staff members complained to the broadcasters data protection officer objecting to their personal information being published. RTE is mindful of its obligations to the Committee but is also mindful of its obligations to its staff and accordingly we are taking advice in respect of these competing obligations before proceeding further, Deputy Director General Aridan Lynch said. RTE told the Oireachtas Media Committee tonight that it was not able to provide details on expenditure on the Toy Show: The Musical due to ongoing financial verification and said these records will be supplied as early as possible. Documents also show RTE promised Patrick Kielty business class flights and at least four star hotels during rehearsals in the lead up to taking over The Late Late Show. The presenter has indicated he will forego the benefits but they are stated in his contract. He is also entitled to four return business class flights from Heathrow and at least four star hotels during the rehearsal period in the lead up to The Late Late Show. Kielty revealed last week that his salary will be 250,000 and he has waived travel and accommodation expenses of 50,000 per year. His contract, submitted to TDs and senators by RTE, shows Mr Kielty will be paid 8,333 per episode for hosting the first 30 episodes of and 8,000 per episode afterwards. He will also have private use of a dressing room with a private bathroom in RTE. He has a right to not broadcast live for three episodes as long as he is free to do a pre-record instead - these include one to be aired on Good Friday, the Country and Western Show and one other date around Christmas. His contract began on July 1 and is due to expire on May 30, 2026. In a statement tonight, Media Minister Catherine Martins spokesperson said: The minister is aware the board of RTE met this evening. And notes comments on behalf of the board. She is awaiting an update from the chair. If there are any further developments of concern, they will be included in the forthcoming external examination initiated by the minister today. Speaking tonight, Labour senator Marie Sherlock said that, following the latest revelation about further barter accounts, RTE must put absolutely everything on the table tomorrow. There can be no more drip feed of information from RTE. I would implore the senior management team to get all their ducks in a row before returning to the Oireachtas this week. There is now an existential threat to our national broadcaster, and we cannot allow it to implode on itself. News breaking this evening that at least one more barter account is in use in the organisation is shocking for the public and gut wrenching for workers at RTE who have fought with management for additional crews and resources. Every day something new is breaking from RTE. In order to safeguard its future, we need RTE to put absolutely everything on the table tomorrow. Meanwhile the Dail heard earlier today that RTE stars Doireann Garrihy and Eoin McGee were paid substantial public funds by State bodies, even though they were already publicly funded. TD Catherine Murphy, former co-leader of the Social Democrats, claimed in the Dail that Garrihy was paid 20,000 by the publicly-funded Horse Racing Ireland to promote Cheltenham an event in another jurisdiction. Another RTE star, Eoin McGee, who wrote a book How To Be Good With Money, was paid 17,000 for his advice by the Competition And Consumer Protection Commission (CCPC), she said. Sinn Fein spokeswoman Imelda Munster TD says what has been revealed in recent times would shame the most extravagant of Celtic Tiger excesses. These payments had been revealed to her through replies to parliamentary questions, she said. The situation indeed raised questions about how to be good with money, she told a Dail debate on the RTE finances scandal. Ms Murphy also predicted there would be a lot more tickets and dinners revealed when the details of the barter account were published. RTE executives had not been honest with each other, she suggested. The commercial director of RTE, Geraldine OLeary, had the choice to say no instead she did what she was told by the Director General, Ms Murphy said. She raised a newspaper report that Ms OLeary had been questioned internally within RTE about one payment over a year ago. Fiann Fail TD Jennifer Murnane OConnor said a woman on an old age pension had told her that we all struggle to pay our TV licences. As a granny I find it very hard when I hear these stories. Former chairman of the Public Accounts Committee (PAC), Fianna Fail TD John McGuinness, said there had to be compellability, and he wondered why the Comptroller and Auditor General (C&AG) had not been sent in to audit the monies that went into RTE. The Government should be looking outside the State for auditors that are not in any way compromised, he said. All of the paperwork, including the contract with Renault, should be opened and made available for scrutiny, he said. The audit committee and governance at Montrose had failed over 10 years, he said. We need to do something extraordinary to rescue the reputation of RTE, he added. Getting information from RTE executives had been like extracting teeth at the PAC meeting last week, he said. What we should be looking at is who did the deal? Corruption starts at the top, he said. He wanted reform of the PAC, the strengthening of its powers, and the involvement of the C&AG. Until that was done, the message that was going out was one of lip-service, he said. Patrick Costello of the Green Party said there should be pay-caps for all in RTE, so that everyone was treated fairly, a sentiment echoed by Sinn Fein Deputies. Mairead Farrell TD said there was a concept within RTE that only certain people were talented and these deserved very large sums of money. Colleague Ruairi O Murchu said it took a fair bit of arm-twisting before RTE put their hands up to a certain extent last week. The good news is that, after a number of years, this was brought to light. It looks like Renault events at a figure of 47,000 -- also cost the taxpayer, he said. Social Democrats TD Gary Gannon said he would describe what happened as a fraud. Referring to Media Minister Catherine Martin, he said her own lack of curiosity when first told of the situation also had to be questioned. Were three months down the road, he said, asking for clarification of what the minister had been told in March, and what questions she had asked. Two reviews announced in root and branch examination' of RTE Meanwhile Sinn Fein TD Imelda Munster said Ryan Tubridy, his agent Noel Kelly and former RTE director general Dee Forbes must do the decent thing and turn up to the Dails Media Committee this week. Ms Munster said that what had been revealed in recent times would shame the most extravagant of Celtic Tiger excesses. The ask-no-questions mentality had destroyed the broadcasters relationship with the Oireachtas and the public, she said. Accountants Deloitte missed the Ryan Tubridy payments for six years, Ms Munster added. The executive boards arrogance and self-importance was striking, and its attitude to the rest of the staff was let them eat cake, she said. The insider culture was rotten to the core and needed to be rooted out once and for all. There has to be consequences for those involved, because if there isnt, then nothing changes, she said. We know that they deliberately concealed these paymentsand deliberately concealed that the published earnings figures for their top presenter were false, she added. Brian Stanley, chairman of the PAC, said there needed to be public of all transactions involved in the 1.25m slushfund of the barter account. There was something rotten in RTEs relations with agents, he added. Minutes needed to be produced from an online meeting in which Mr Tubridys secret extra payments were signed off, he said. When all Tubridys top-ups were added up they came to half a million euro, he claimed. Meanwhile people who paid their licence fees were struggling to make ends meet in the cost-of-living crisis. He said a woman from Tullamore who had been wrongly arrested had been hauled off to the Joy (Mountjoy Prison) because she was 16 off the television licence fee, having accumulated more than 140 in stamps towards it. Invitations will be sent this week to Mr Tubridy, Mr Kelly and Ms Forbes to attend PAC, along with three other former RTE officeholders, he said. They should do the decent thing and show up, he said. Sinn Fein TD John Brady said: If I had a euro for every person who told me over the weekend they would not now pay their TV licence, I would be a very wealthy person indeed - and probably able to fund RTE. Addressing the Dail debate on the RTE scandal, Media Minister Catherine Martin said she was supportive of independent and accountable public broadcasting. All of this rests on trust. Trust between a national institution and the people of the country, she said. The revelations of the last few days have been an absolute betrayal of that trust, Ms Martin added. The glaring governance failures that had come to light had led to her taking action in appointing twin external inquiries, she said. Ms Martin said she had noted the comments on RTE economics correspondent Robert Shortt at committee last week that many in RTE were uncomfortable with the high earnings of presenters, especially at a time of falling commercial revenues. It is imperative that we get this right, and that we allow the reviews the time to do this properly, she said. She expected regular updates over the six months timeframe of the reviews, she said. The forensic accountant, she was separately appointing, would be examining the barter account, she said. The public and Oireachtas were owed openness and transparency, she said. I am confident that trust can restored if all those involve demonstrated the commitment to the truth and the public good that is at the heart of public service broadcasting, he said. Separately, a TD on the PAC said its probe into RTE has an awful lot of parallels with the Angela Kerins case. The former Rehab chief executive is in a long-running quest for damages over her 2014 appearance before the PAC. The PAC is in the middle of its probe into RTE finances and governance and has liaised extensively with Oireachtas lawyers. The RTE executive board appeared before the committee last week and chair Mr Stanley has said he is happy enough TDs are on safe legal ground. Committee member Paul McAuliffe said there are an awful lot of parallels with the Angela Kerins case. I think theres an awful lot of, I suppose, parallels, with [the Angela Kerins] case and I think we in the committee are very, very mindful of that, said the Fianna Fail Dublin TD. But I think the three key differences on this occasion is remit, weve been given a very strong remit. I think in terms of mandate, I think the entire house of the Oireachtas has given us the powers to do that. In terms of the way that were operating in the committee, were doing it in a very fair manner, we have time for breaks. I think theres a very fair exchange between people, its respectful. The PAC has had lawyers from the Office of Parliamentary Legal Advisers (OPLA) meet TDs to give legal advice. Im happy enough that were on safe legal ground here and in fairness to the members of the committee, with all political persuasions, they have been diligent about this but they havent been restricted either in terms of their questioning, said Mr Stanley. The chair said the main differences between the probes in the PAC and the Media Committee is that the PAC will focus on finances and governance, whereas the Media Committee will also examine the future of public service broadcasting. TDs have also raised compelling witnesses to come before the committee if they refuse invites. This has been discussed with the OPLA and senior civil servants, with Mr Stanley saying he is fairly confident most witnesses can be compelled. The committee is not currently planning to go to court over a legal note which the head of legal at RTE indicated last week received legal advice to not share. The legal note was made by a lawyer during a Microsoft Teams meeting in May 2020 when an agreement was made for RTE to underwrite the Renault deal. Mr Stanley said RTE should waive legal privilege and said he has not heard an explanation for the justification in not sharing the note. Rory Deegan (23) was remembered as a bubbly, good-humoured man who made others feel special at his Funeral Mass today. Rory died on Sunday, June 25, in Zakynthos, after he was found unresponsive in a swimming pool. He is one of three young Irish men to lose their lives while on holidays in Greece in the past fortnight. The chief celebrant of the Mass was Fr Bobby Fletcher a cousin of Rory. He said the Cullohill, Laois, native will be always young, always loved. "He was a great son, a great brother, a great character. Now, he will be a great loss, Fr Fletcher said. Fr Fletcher said Rory left those who loved him with countless memories, chief among them was a fabulous smile. The ultimate sign of someone who loved deeply and was deeply loved. Honourable mention was also given to Rorys beloved dog Spud, whom he described as his Queen. To Rorys heartbroken parents Joe and Diane, Fr Fletcher said: A man who loses his wife is a widower or a woman who loses her husband is a widow. But there is no name for parents who lose a son or daughter, as there are no words to describe the pain. Tears are how our heart speaks when our lips cannot describe about which we are hurting. Among the gifts brought to the altar to celebrate Rorys life were the last Harps GAA jersey he ever wore, a Liverpool scarf, a Limerick jersey to mark his time studying in the city and a Centra T-shirt to mark his time working in his familys shop in Urlingford, Co Kilkenny, where he famously declared he loved everyone and everyone loved me. The congregation heard how he was right. Rorys father Joe in a eulogy remembered his sons love of sport that saw him represent Laois at underage level and also playing in front of a packed Croke Park for the Go Games during the All-Ireland final. Joe said he had never seen Rory so happy before his final fatal trip to Zakynthos. I was almost envious of the friends he had, he said. "We find it hard to comprehend we will not see his smile or hear his laugh again. "We are grateful to have had you in our lives for 23 years. Look after us and look after your friends. Rorys older brother Barry read Youll Never Walk Alone in memory of his brother. Rory, a student at the Technological University of the Shannon in Limerick, had travelled to the Greek Island Zakynthos with four other students for work for the summer. Rory was predeceased by his infant sister Laura, his grandparents John and Mary Cullen and his aunt Agnes Hyland. His funeral notice read that his loss is deeply regretted by his heartbroken parents Joe and Diane, brothers Conor, Barry, Ross, Jack and sister Rachael, his grandparents Donal and Margaret, his uncles, aunts, cousins, extended family, neighbours, his large circle of friends and his beloved dog Spud. Today's News in 90 Seconds July 4th Lottie Ryan has confirmed that she has parted ways with agent Noel Kelly. Ryan wrote on social media this morning to say Mr Kelly no longer represents her. My relationship with NK management ended a number of weeks ago when we respectfully parted ways. I will not be making any further comment. It comes amid the RTE scandal involving Noel Kelly, who negotiated Ryan Tubridys most recent contract with then director general Dee Forbes which led to RTE paying the Tubridy with undisclosed payments. Lottie Ryan Instagram story Ryan herself also became engulfed in the RTE scandal after it emerged that she filmed a promotional advert for a car company on the public service broadcasters campus, without any permission. The video plugging a 50,000 car appeared the day after the scandal of Ryan Tubridys payments from a commercial deal with another car maker was revealed. In the latest embarrassment for RTE, the promotion has now been taken down and Ms Ryan has been spoken to by RTE management. Kelly is the representative of many of RTEs top talent and negotiates their contracts with RTE bosses. Independent.ie revealed that eight of RTEs biggest on-air stars were given cars in promotional deals, including Lottie Ryan. Seven of the eight are represented by Noel Kelly. Lottie Ryan stars in Toyota promo in RTE car park Deals between presenters and brands are coming under increased scrutiny. The deals are separate to RTE contracts, but the Dail Public Accounts Committee was told such arrangements have to be approved by a line manager at the publicly-funded broadcaster. Interim deputy director general Adrian Lynch told politicians that RTE may introduce a register of interests to shed a light on the commercial deals done by its biggest stars. Independent.ie has also detailed today how some of RTEs best-known names have earned thousands of euro creating social media adverts for up to 70 brands in the past two years. Champagne, days at the races, cars, televisions and jewellery are among the Instagram posts by RTE presenters who strike the lucrative brand deals. Rates charged by RTE presenters for sponsored social media posts are not publicly available, but it is understood that a star with more than 300,000 followers could stand to earn between 3,000 and 4,500 from a post. The Spanish seaside resort of Salou, about 100km south of Barcelona. Photo: Getty An Irishman remained in police custody last night over the murder of a woman in the Spanish seaside resort of Salou. The 36-year-old Irishwoman, a mother of two, was found dead at the Hotel Magnolia at 9.30pm on Sunday. She had been violently assaulted and is believed to have been strangled. Emergency services discovered a ligature around her neck. A 30-year-old man, who was known to her, was discovered at the scene with self-inflicted injuries to his hand and was hospitalised before being detained by police. The woman had been on holiday in the region. Her two young children had remained in Ireland. Initial local reports suggested the woman and the man were both from Dublin, although this has not been confirmed. The alarm was raised on Sunday night when officers attached to the Mossos dEsquadras police force in the nearby town of Tarragona were alerted to the disturbance in Salou, about 100km south of Barcelona. When they arrived, the officers found the woman lying on the floor of the four-star adults-only hotel and a man next to her with a self-inflicted wound. The woman was pronounced dead a short time later. The police said they had arrested the alleged perpetrator. A garda spokesman said they were aware of an alleged incident that took place in the Spanish town of Salou involving Irish citizen(s) on Sunday, July 2, 2023. As this is an investigation led by the Spanish authorities, An Garda Siochana has no further comment at this time, he added. The Department of Foreign Affairs confirmed it was aware of the case and that consular assistance was being provided. Tanaiste Micheal Martin described the death as shocking and said his department was awaiting further updates. I obviously dont have the details and obviously the Spanish police will be investigating that, but it is very shocking news that a young woman should be killed in a violent manner like this, he said. He also told RTEs News at One that his officials were doing everything they could to help those affected. The accuseds court appearance will take place behind closed doors, as is normal in Spain where only trials take place in public. He is expected to be remanded in custody on the orders of a judge while the investigations continue. A local judicial official said: Tarragonas Duty Court proceeded last night to order the removal of the body of a woman who suffered a violent death at a hotel in Salou. The case, which is under judicial secrecy, will be investigated by a court specialising in violence against women. The victim and alleged aggressor are not residents in Spain. Around 50 people gathered for a minutes silence in memory of the victim at the local civic office in Salou yesterday. A spokesman for the Department of Equality and Feminisms of the Catalan regional government, the Generalitat, has also condemned the crime and has referred to it as a femicide. The name El Nino is widely used to describe the warming of sea surface temperature that occurs every few years (Alamy/PA) El Nino, the periodic package of climate conditions that supercharges global temperatures, is here. The World Meteorological Organisation (WMO) announced the arrival of the naturally occurring phenomenon this morning. Impacts will be a likely surge in global temperatures and disruptive weather and climate patterns, the WMO said. The US National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration had already made the declaration of El Ninos arrival a month ago but other meteorological bodies held off, awaiting greater certainty. Its opposite, La Nina, has dominated for the past seven years and despite its cooling effect, those same years have been the hottest on record globally and have brought some bizarre extreme weather events. With El Nino now in place, the fear is of a rapid intensification in warming and even more erratic and severe weather. The onset of El Nino will greatly increase the likelihood of breaking temperature records and triggering more extreme heat in many parts of the world and in the ocean, said WMO secretary-general Professor Petteri Taalas. The WMO explains that El Nino occurs on average every two to seven years, and episodes typically last nine to 12 months. It is a naturally occurring climate pattern associated with warming of the ocean surface temperatures in the central and eastern tropical Pacific Ocean but such changes in the worlds largest ocean mean the knock-on effects on weather systems are global. Without exception, positive temperature anomalies are expected over all land areas in the Northern and Southern Hemisphere, says the WMOs latest update for July, August and September. The impacts are likely to be magnified because El Nino is taking place against the backdrop of climate changed by human activities with average temperatures already steadily rising. Prof Taalas said world leaders needed to be ready for the consequences. The declaration of an El Nino by WMO is the signal to governments around the world to mobilize preparations to limit the impacts on our health, our ecosystems and our economies, he said. On This Day In History - July 4th Early warnings and anticipatory action of extreme weather events associated with this major climate phenomenon are vital to save lives and livelihoods. El Nino events are typically associated with increased rainfall in parts of southern South America, the southern United States, the Horn of Africa and central Asia. In contrast, El Nino can also cause severe droughts over Australia, Indonesia, parts of southern Asia, Central America and northern South America. The Horn of Africa is in dire need of relief from prolonged drought but there are fears that the sudden intense deluges becoming more frequent can lead to severe flooding. Meanwhile drought is feared in Australia which has suffered massive wildfire damage in recent years. During summer in the northern hemisphere, El Ninos warm water can fuel greater hurricane activity in the central and eastern Pacific Ocean, while it could slow hurricane formation in the Atlantic. The last time El Nino conditions were in place was in 2016 which remains the warmest year on record. The WMO said this was due to a double whammy of human-induced warming and a very powerful El Nino. The current El Nino is forecast to be at least of moderate strength, the WMO said. It said the effect on global temperatures usually played out in the year after El Nino developed so the impact would likely be most apparent in 2024. Met Eireann recently declared last month the hottest June on record in Ireland and said it was the seventh month in a row that average temperatures had exceeded the long-term norm. Media Minister Catherine Martin announced the commissioning of a root and branch examination of RTE following revelations of shocking governance failures at the broadcaster. Two separate reviews will take place and are set to be directed by three-person expert advisory committees. The committees tasked with a review of governance and culture will be chaired by Professor Niamh Brennan. She will be joined by Dr Margaret Cullen and a third person to be named in the coming days. Prof Brennan is the Michael McCormac Professor of Management at University College Dublin (UCD) and the founder and academic director of the UCD Centre for Corporate Governance. She has a history of working on government appointed committees. She chaired the Commission on Financial Management and Control Systems in the Health Services and was vice-chair of the Review Group on Auditing. She is also the current chairperson of the Audit and Risk Committee of An Garda Siochana. A former non-executive director of the HSE, Childrens Health Ireland and Ulster Bank, she has held director positions at a number of private companies. She became a chartered accountant working at KPMG in 1979 and received a PhD from the University of Warwick in 1995. She became a chartered director at the Institute of Directors in 2007. The UCD academic has spent time in a number of visiting positions at universities across Australia and New Zealand. Prof Brennan was elected to the Royal Irish Academy in 2020, making her the first business school academic to receive Irelands highest academic honour. She is an Honorary Fellow of The Institute of Directors in Ireland and an Honorary Fellow of the Society of Actuaries in Ireland. She was previously enlisted by an Oireachtas committee for advice on the financial crisis at the FAI in the wake of the John Delaney loan controversy. In 2009 was appointed by then Environment Minister John Gormley to chair the Dublin Docklands Development Authority and oversaw inquiries into its activities during the boom years, including its disastrous investment in the former Irish Glass Bottle site in Ringsend. Prof Brennan is married to former attorney general and justice minister, the barrister and senator Michael McDowell. Dr Cullen is a board evaluation assessor with the Institute of Directors (IoD) in Ireland. She holds a PhD in governance from UCD. Her doctoral research focused on the role and effectiveness of boards of directors in investment fund governance. She lectures on behavioural aspects of boards at the UCD Smurfit Business School. She previously held senior positions at the Central Bank of Ireland and JP Morgan Bank Ireland. In an op-ed piece for the Irish Independent in August 2021, Dr Cullen said corporate governance failures are often caused by the behaviours of directors. She said: A litany of corporate governance failures, here and abroad, provide ample evidence that it is typically the behaviours and dynamics among directors that derail the effectiveness of corporate boards, not their formal processes and structures. The piece cited research conducted by the IoD in 2021 into boards who had recently gone through an external evaluation. A participant in the research said: Sometimes, directors are sitting on an egg waiting to crack it. The board evaluation gives them an opportunity to crack the egg. Speaking as part of a webcast series released by Chartered Accountants Ireland, Dr Cullen said the behavioural posture of a boards chair is crucial to proper governance. She said no one person should have unfettered control and that a chair must ensure certain people arent dominating discussions in board meetings. Dr Cullen established and runs Think Governance, a firm providing training for directors, boards and executive committees. Past clients of Think Governance include Permanent TSB and BNY Mellon, one of the worlds largest investment banks. A second, parallel review of contractor fees, human resources and other matters at RTE will be led by a separate three-person committee. Speaking at todays announcement, Minister Martin said: At its best, [RTE] has held up a mirror to Irish society, one that has demonstrated not only the best in our society but one that also revealed its injustices, both glaring and sometimes all too hidden. In doing so, RTE has been sustained not only by the tireless work of its staff over the years but also through the trust of the people. That trust has been shattered. The independent, root and branch examination of RTE I am announcing today is the beginning of our efforts to restore that trust. We need to talk about death while were still healthy: Janie Lazar on voluntary assisted dying After being diagnosed with cancer for the first time in her forties, Janie Lazar from Dublin began to consider the reality of a terminal diagnosis. Now the chair of End of Life Ireland, she believes the terminally ill should be able to choose how they end their life Janie Lazar, chair of End Of Life Ireland. Photo: Steve Humphreys Janie Lazar Tue 4 Jul 2023 at 03:30 In the sprawling suburbs that ring many French cities, heavily populated by working-class minorities, the rage is rarely far from the surface. Often, for good reason, it is directed at the police. French police discharge their weapons and kill civilians at a fraction of the rate their US counterparts do, and many people in France tend to regard violence and racism by law enforcement as mainly an American problem. Many white people in France, that is. Among migrants and their children, most of them from North and sub-Saharan Africa, hard feelings toward law enforcement have run deep for years, and many regard police bigotry as a symptom of bias in French society. In a recent survey of black and mixed-race residents of France, nine out of 10 said they had encountered racial discrimination, and roughly half said they had been stopped and asked for their identification more than twice the share of the overall population who reported the same thing. In the first months of the pandemic lockdown, a survey by Reuters found that in Frances five departments with the greatest percentage of immigrants, police issued fines at a rate more than 50pc higher than elsewhere. Such routine racial profiling is a quotidian reality for millions of residents who, even if they were born in France or have lived here for decades, often are made to feel not fully French. For years, researchers have documented discrimination in hiring and schools and on the streets. That was the social kindling lit by the death of Nahel Merzouk last Tuesday, which ignited riots in and around Paris, Marseille and other major cities. President Emmanuel Macron cut short a trip to Brussels and returned to Paris to address the convulsions on Thursday. Faced with calls that he declare a state of emergency which would trigger curfews and allow authorities to ban protests he tried to strike a balance between insisting on a return to order and expressing indignation at what he called Nahels unjustified death. But as Macron surely knows, he has been forced to address symptoms, not causes, of Frances inequity schisms with roots in the countrys colonial past that have been papered over for decades by a policy of official colourblindness untethered to real peoples lives. Under French law, data collection on race and ethnicity is strictly limited, meaning that the government which, for instance, publishes no information on the racial or ethnic composition of its police operates in a state of self-imposed ignorance and denial. For minority residents of France, however, the absence of data is irrelevant. Their lived reality is evidence of actual bias even if Macron has previously asserted there is no systemic racism in the police. Calls for France to grapple with those dilemmas are all too familiar. They were issued with numbing regularity even before the resentments of the countrys migrant communities exploded into weeks of anarchy in 2005, after two teenagers were electrocuted inside an electrical substation where they had fled following a confrontation with police. In that instance, the government declared a state of emergency to contain the crisis after nearly two weeks of running street battles between rioters and police, often set against a tableau of flaming cars. The emergency lasted two months, enabling the authorities to impose curfews and regain control of the streets. Yet despite the ensuing years of reforms, including programmes targeted at the cities and neighbourhoods that burned in 2005, the problems still fester. And the police remain reviled by communities they are duty-bound to protect. Concern is providing aid in Chad, but it is a very difficult situation that becomes more challenging with each passing day. Photo: Getty Images A father shot dead in front of his family as they tried to escape a new wave of violence in their country. A mother desperate to hear if her husband and four children are alive after they got separated fleeing armed groups who opened fire on them. Strong relationship: Former US senator George Mitchell (centre) with John Hume (left) and Gerry Adams (right) during the John F Kennedy Profiles in Courage Award ceremony at the JFK Presidential Library in Boston in December 1998. Photo: Jim Bourg/Reuters I n addition to this year marking the 25th anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement, it is also the 25th anniversary of the US-Ireland Alliance, and in November we will select our 25th class of George J Mitchell Scholars. We created both to build ties between the US and Ireland for future generations and admittedly started with uncertainty about the long-term prospects for the relationship. This month, several Mitchell alums will return to Dublin for a reunion. We can both celebrate these connections and be candid about what is necessary for both the scholarship and the relationship to be sustained. When I worked in the 1990s as Senator Ted Kennedys foreign policy adviser, the opportunity to help bring peace to Northern Ireland meant Congress and President Bill Clinton had good reason to be focused on this island. Success means US interest has waned, which is why Ireland needs to shoulder the responsibility for a while. In the 1990s, there were 44 million Irish Americans. Today, there are 34 million. In the 1990s, Irish Americans had a lock on the highest positions in Congress: Tom Foley was the Speaker of the House; George Mitchell was the Senate Majority Leader, and the leadership included Ted Kennedy, Joe Biden, Daniel Patrick Moynihan, Patrick Leahy, John McCain, Chris Dodd, and Connie Mack. Those days are gone. The relationship is not served by the over-exaggeration of how solid it is. The statements, in the immediate aftermath of Brexit, about how the US wouldnt do a trade deal with the UK if the Good Friday Agreement wasnt upheld, have had some value in reminding British prime ministers that we were watching, but the truth is that the Biden administration is in no hurry to negotiate trade agreements with anybody. In an interview with the New York Times, in December 2020, President-elect Biden said he wouldnt enter any new trade agreement with anybody until we have made major investments here at home. The deepened aversion to traditional free trade agreements is tied to supply chain concerns. Trade agreements make supply chains more efficient, but they also make us more vulnerable. Covid, climate change and the Russia-Ukraine war starkly remind us of our overdependence on Russia and China for things like medical equipment, semiconductors, and critical minerals. In March, National Security Council advisor Jake Sullivan said the administration strategy is to move beyond traditional trade deals. That was seen during Rishi Sunaks recent visit to Washington which resulted in the signing of an Atlantic declaration but not a free trade deal. In my book Shenanigans, I wrote of the deprioritisation of Europe which began in the Obama years. Foreign policy observers now write about how Mr Biden has revived the pivot strategy to address the rise of China. The world of prestigious scholarships is one area where you can see real evidence that the pivot to Asia is at the expense of Europe. Educational exchanges are an important element of many bilateral relationships. We asked Mr Biden to have his administration contribute to the Mitchell programme. One would assume that would be an easy deliverable for his visit to the island in March, but it didnt happen. But just one month later, when the South Korean president visited the United States, the two leaders announced $60m would be spent on youth exchanges between the two countries. In 2021, the US, India, Japan, and Australia announced The Quad Fellowships designed to build ties among the next generation of scientists and technologists. It sponsors 25 post-grad students, from each of the four countries, to study in the US. Nearly every major, prestigious scholarship started with the funding of the wealthy donor who put his name on his scholarship and endowed it. Stephen Schwarzmans scholarships are for China. That programme has a $600m endowment, and he envisions a $1bn endowment. In March, the American Australian Association opened a new headquarters in New York which is heavily funded by Rupert Murdochs News Corp and Fox Corporation. At the opening, Murdoch spoke of the mission of fostering stronger US-Australia ties, including post-graduate scholarships. Nike founder Phil Knight created a $750m endowment for post-grad scholarships to Stanford. The Rhodes Scholarship for study at Oxford, created by Cecil Rhodes, has an endowment of around $700m. Bill Gatess scholarships for Cambridge stand at around $400m. Still, with very little money in comparison, the Mitchell Scholarship has gone head-to-head with other programmes. But this competitiveness simply cant be sustained without an endowment. Mitchell Scholars are already great ambassadors for this island. The true value of the programme wont be seen in our lifetime, and if it is to go on, it requires those with power and resources to share the vision. It took nine decades for the Rhodes to see Bill Clinton become president. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo, Jake Sullivan are all Rhodes alums. Given the value of the relationship to Ireland; the decline in Irish American demographics and US interest; the value of the Mitchell in bringing attention to Ireland as an education destination; not to mention the value of our annual Oscar Wilde Awards being the genesis for Star Wars being filmed in Ireland, if Ireland provided the entire 40m endowment (a small fraction of the surplus largely funded by US multinationals in Ireland), it would be a win-win. Trina Y Vargo is the founder and president and the US-Ireland Alliance. The survey's answers to the likelihood of an end to partition should provide food for thought for Sinn Fein leader Mary Lou McDonald and her members. Photo: Liam McBurney The more talk about a united Ireland takes on a more realistic tone, the less attractive it seems to appear to Irish people south of the Border, while strong support for the concept in the North appears limited. That is just one of many conclusions to be drawn from the findings of a very important opinion poll published this morning by European Movement Ireland. This survey is important because it was professionally conducted at the same time on both sides of the Border with a sample of 1,200 in each of the two jurisdictions early last month. The questions, which focused on the vital issue of the island of Irelands status within the European Union seven years after the Brexit referendum, are of huge significance and the answers break new ground. Firstly, the notion of ending partition within the next decade is seen as likely to just 24pc of people in the Republic against 45pc in Northern Ireland. This suggests that the likelihood of any such thing happening appears remote and should give food for thought to Sinn Fein and other advocates for a border poll sooner rather than later. Against that, the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP), whose handling of the Brexit issue since 2016 showed at kindest estimate poor political judgement, has plenty to contemplate from the light shone on attitudes of people in the North to the European Union. Significantly, seven out of 10 people in the North who opted for Leave in 2016 now support Irelands continued EU membership. Two-thirds of people in the North believe the region is faring worse since the divorce, as do more than half of those surveyed in the Republic. Equally, 64pc of people who voted Leave in the North now believe the regions fortunes have worsened since then. Hope persists that the DUP can by the end of this summer find a way of extricating itself from its hopeless opposition to the latest Brexit operational compromise. Surely these findings should give finding that political fix greater urgency and even provide a deal of political cover for adopting a new-found realism. Whatever happens about the future of partition on this island, the future of functioning trade with the 450 million people in the other 26 EU nations is of immediate practical interest to all Irish people. Flags and the colour of the postal pillar boxes do not provide jobs and incomes but untrammelled trade very definitely does. It is also worth noting that European Movement Ireland has been operating in Ireland since 1954 almost two decades before Ireland joined the forerunner of the EU. While always making no secret of advocating for Irelands positive European engagement, the movement has also always been dedicated to delivering solid information on the issue to Irish people. We note that this survey finds very positive Irish views on the EU, it also finds that six out of 10 people in the Republic have doubts about the current trend of its policies. The poll also addresses the 20-year-old question of whether we feel closer to Boston or Berlin and the answer north and south is Berlin. Oscar-winning actor Kevin Spacey stands trial accused of sex offences against four men. The Hollywood star has previously denied 12 charges including sexual assault and indecent assault. Spacey is a sexual bully who delights in making others feel powerless that is what the prosecutor told jurors at the opening of the sexual assault trial of the award-winning actor in London. The actor pleaded not guilty in January to three counts of indecent assault, three counts of sexual assault and one count of causing a person to engage in sexual activity without consent. Fionnan Sheehan is joined on the Indo Daily by Dee Molumby audience editor at the Irish Independent to look at the latest developments in the Kevin Spacey trial and ask what impact this will have on the Oscar-winning actor. Cork TD Aindrias Moynihan says centre would address the big gap in local day care services It is proposed the day care centre will be located in an empty building on the Macroom Hospital campus. A CORK TD has called on the HSE to make funds available for the provision of a dedicated day care centre on the grounds of Macroom Hospital. Addressing the issue during a recent Dail debate Cork North West Fianna Fail TD Aindrias Moynihan said what he described as a the big gap that exists in day care services across the greater Macroom area needs to be urgently addressed. Deputy Moynihan said the census results showing Ireland has an aging population should come as no surprise to anyone. There is a great need for people who are growing older to be able to remain independent for as long as possible and to live in their own homes with dignity. Day care centres are a fundamental part and a key support in providing social interaction, advice and support to clients and their carers, said Deputy Moynihan. However, there is a big gap in these services around the Macroom and Lee Valley areas. While a limited service is in place once a week for people with dementia through the Alzheimers Society of Ireland (ASI), there are presently no other services available. This needs to be rectified, he added. Deputy Moynihan said a building on the grounds of Macroom Hospital, vacated when the primary care centre was relocated to the Mart area of Macroom ,would be a great location for the delivery of day care and dementia services. For more than10-years the HSE has been talking about and making different preparations to provide day care services around the Macroom area and in that time the demand and need has continued to grow, said Deputy Moynihan. The HSE should not now wait until the hospital extension is completed. As many efforts as possible should be run in parallel to advance those services. I understand some preparations are underway and plans have been advanced, but they have still not moved to tender stage. It is time to move forward with the plans for the other building. We really need to make sure the capital funding is available and the project can move along and that services are put in place, he added. Deputy Moynihan that facilitating the ASIs Wednesday Macroom service in the building would also provide an opportunity for them to expand their services to the local community. People who are growing older deserve to remain in their homes for as long as possible. The HSE need to put in place funding and use the old health centre on the Macroom hospital grounds to service the growing need locally, said Deputy Moynihan. Responding to Deputy Moynihans comments the Minister of State for Older People and Mental Health, Mary Butler TD, said she had recently visited the Macroom Hospital campus to see the ongoing works. It is a fantastic facility. However, there is room to do so much more on the campus. There is a huge opportunity here because when we try to put supports in place for people, we have to think outside the box and must utilise every empty building and make them all fit for purpose. I believe this is the plan, said Minister Butler. She said the HSE had advised her this was not currently possible to define a timeline for the day care centre as the allocation of capital funding is still awaited. However, the HSE is very supportive of it and this is something in which I will take a specific interest, promised Minister Butler. Since I came into this House as Minister of State, I have often spoken about the postcode lottery. It is important, no matter of where you live, that you can access those vital supports, she added. The plan makes provision for a two-storey extension to the emergency department at the hospital. A PLAN to extend the footprint of the existing emergency department at the Cork University Hospital has been put on hold after planning permission granted by Cork City Council was appealed to An Bord Pleanala. In April the HSE lodged an application with the local authority for a two-story 439 sq metre extension with a rooftop plant room. The plan also made provision for a new ambulance entrance, new CT scanning area the installation of an underground decontamination waste holding tank, alterations to the set down car-park are serving the Glandore Centre and other ancillary works necessary to complete the development. A number of third party submissions/observations were subsequently lodged with planners in relation to the proposed development from local residents and bodies including Irish Water and the Irish Aviation Authority (IAA). Among the concerns raised were that it would have a negative impact on surrounding properties due to its scale, car-parking on the CUH was already at saturation point, the potential for noise pollution from the rooftop plant, that the nature of the waste being stored was not clear and that there had been no consultation with local residents in relation to the proposal. In their submission the IAA wrote that the applicant should be required to undertake a preliminary screening assessment in order to confirm the planned development and any cranes used during its construction would not have an impact on the safety of helicopters operating in the vicinity of the hospital. In making their decision City Council planners ruled that an environmental impact assessment was not required as it was not likely to have any significant effects on the local environment. In granting permission for the development the planners reports said the authority supported the scheme, saying the planned development was not over excessive, that any overshadowing would be substantially contained with the CUH boundary and the design was in keeping with that of the existing hospital building. While the report said it noted concerns over the decontamination unit the plans showed there was already an existing in situ that was being relocated. It noted the scale of the scheme was small in relative terms, there was no evidence it would generate any significant noise impacts and the councils Environment Section had no objections with regard to contamination or noise. The report concluded that the development was in accordance with the proper planning and sustainable development of the area and recommended it be given the green light subject to a number of conditions relating to issues including the orderly management, waste disposal, noise levels and working hours during construction. That has now been referred to the appeals board, with the case due to be decided by October 26. A fund-raiser for a man seriously injured following a fall in Barraduff has already brought in more than 40,000. Jerry OLeary (53) fell near his home last month. He was taken to University Hospital Kerry and then airlifted to Dublin for major surgery. He is currently in a spinal unit and communicating through a voice box. He is on a ventilator, and his family expects he will continue to receive extensive care for the foreseeable future. He fell while walking home after the driver bringing him home was arrested on suspicion of drink-driving, later released without charge. The matter is being investigated by GSOC. His brother, sisters, and mother have asked the public to donate to the idonate page to help Jerry; his wife, Bina; and two sons, Gearoid and Mikey, with the financial burden the incident has placed on the family. All the medical team including the amazing nurses are just second to none, his sister, Kate, said in recent days. The support, concern, and love of Jerry shown by hundreds was amazing, she added. on behalf of us all we would greatly appreciate any help at all ye can give to support our brother, his wife and children through this very difficult time. The page can be accessed by clicking here. A series of consultation events organised by SSE Thermal will be held this July for residents in Kerry and Limerick to give their views on the proposed Tarbert Next Generation Power Station. SSE Thermal is a leading provider of flexible power generation in Ireland that is setting out plans for a new power station at its existing Tarbert site. The plant would be run on 100% sustainable biofuels, namely Hydrotreated Vegetable Oil (HVO) produced from waste oils to create a fossil-free alternative to diesel, in line with EU sustainability standards. The station could also, potentially, convert to hydrogen in the future, further supporting Irelands net zero ambitions. The online consultation opens on July 10, while in-person events take place at the Tarbert Community Centre and the Listowel Arms Hotel on July 18 & 19. The existing Tarbert Power Station is due to close by the end of 2023, in alignment with environmental requirements. SSE Thermal is also progressing with the development of a Temporary Emergency Generation project at the site, providing an additional 150MW of generation capacity, operating until 2028 at the latest. Our consultation events are a great opportunity for members of the public to learn more about our proposed station, give feedback and ask questions of the Project Team, said Conor Joy, community liaison officer for SSE Thermal. These plans have the potential to secure power generation at the Tarbert site into the future. We want the local community to help us shape the future of sustainable energy generation in Tarbert and Ireland, he said. Bishop of Elphin, Kevin Doran, presided over the liturgy On Sunday, the local community gathered in the South East Sligo parish of Geevagh to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the ordination to the Priesthood of Fr. Laurence Cullen. Fr. Laurence, a Sligo native, studied for the Priesthood across three colleges, all named in honour of our national Saint: St.Patricks, Kiltegan, Co Wicklow; Douglas, Co.Cork and St.Paticks, Maynooth, Co.Kildare. Commencing his studies in September 1976, Fr. Laurence was ordained on June 12th 1983, by the then Bishop of Elphin, Dr. Dominic Conway in the Cathedral, Sligo. The first pastoral experiences the young priest had following his ordination was in providing cover in the County Roscommon parishes of Ballintubber and Strokestown, until in February 1984 he was appointed School Chaplain to St.Aloysius and St.Josephs Colleges in Athlone. The Parish Priest of Geevagh takes up his story. He said; Throughout my youth and adult life, I have always had a love of learning, and an appreciation of the sense of community that exists within the school, and of the positive difference that a committed teacher can make to the lives and minds of young people. However, much as I enjoyed my time as a school Chaplain, Bishop Conway determined that I could serve the needs of the Diocese better in Parish work. Accordingly in September 1990 I was appointed Curate to Dangan, Kilmore where I remained for four years, being appointed as Curate to Caltra, Co.Galway where I remained until August 2002. On August 9th the same year, I was appointed as Parish Priest to the South East Sligo parish of Geevagh, where I remain to this day. I spent my childhood and youth in Sligo Town, and have lived for the vast majority of my time in active ministry in rural parishes. While Irish society in general, and life in the Catholic Church in particular, has seen many changes, I see today, amongst the people in Geevagh, a lively faith and a commitment to kingdom values. In times of need, and in times of celebration, when people are at their most vulnerable, and at their most joyous, they reach out to the Church, to their faith family, and I consider myself privileged to have shared in so many of these moments over the last forty years. A large number of parishioners, priestly colleagues, family, friends and well wishers attended the celebration. The Bishop of Elphin, Kevin Doran, presided over the liturgy and the Anglican Dean of Christchurch Cathedral in Dublin, the very Reverend Dermot Dunne preached the homily. Fr. Laurence explained: Ecumenism has always been a very important part of my ministry, and I have a particular regard for the Anglican tradition within Christianity, so I was absolutely thrilled that members of our local Church of Ireland community were able to join the celebrations. Dean Dermot Dunne is a longstanding personal friend. Fr. Cullen concluded: I would like to thank everyone who came here this evening, both to the celebratory Mass, and the social event which followed. To everyone who has contributed in any way I would like to say a special thank you. The Luxe performance of the 'The Seas Above' as part of the Cairde Festival in Mullaghmore last Sunday evening. Pics: Carl Brennan. The Luxe performance of the 'The Seas Above' as part of the Cairde Festival in Mullaghmore last Sunday evening. Pics: Carl Brennan. Cillian Rogers in the Luxe performance of the 'The Seas Above' as part of the Cairde Festival in Mullaghmore last Sunday evening. Pics: Carl Brennan. The Luxe performance of the 'The Seas Above' as part of the Cairde Festival in Mullaghmore last Sunday evening. Pics: Carl Brennan. The Luxe performance of the 'The Seas Above' as part of the Cairde Festival in Mullaghmore last Sunday evening. Pics: Carl Brennan. The Luxe performance of the 'The Seas Above' as part of the Cairde Festival in Mullaghmore last Sunday evening. Pics: Carl Brennan. Close to 1,500 people flocked to Mullaghmore in Sligo on Sunday night for LUXE The Seas Above as part of Cairde Sligo Arts Festival. It was a spectacle of sumptuous costume, processional and fire sculpture. LUXEs newly commissioned performance The Seas Above is a spectacular illuminated event which took place in Mullaghmore at dusk Sunday and at dawn on Monday morning as part of the opening weekend of the festival. The Seas Above is a new commission by Cairde Sligo Arts Festival in cooperation with Earagail Arts Festival supported by an Arts Council of Ireland Festivals Commission Award. Plus, join LUXE for a very special closing festival procession (July 9) as they navigate the audience on a celestial path through Sligo town culminating with a fiery finale celebration at the Old Quay. Cairde Sligo Arts Festival Nine days of incredible art in buildings, on the street and in magical outdoor locations. Music, theatre, circus, visual art, literature, fun for the family. Cairde Sligo Arts Festival kicked off from July 1 - 9 with a packed programme and organisers have compiled a list of some of their favourites. For more information, to make a booking or to download your festival programme visit cairdefestival.com. Niall Byrne is charged with two counts of threatening to kill Bail was refused in the case of a man prosecuted on two counts of threatening to kill in the wake of an attack by a pit bull terrier on a boy in Enniscorthy which drew national attention. Niall Byrne (27) of 19 Forgelands, Enniscorthy was brought before the Circuit Court charged with inhumane destruction of an animal. He stood further accused of making threats to kill in November of 2022, against the father of his girlfriend and against a neighbour. Garda Keith Arnold asserted to Judge James McCourt that the accused man was a flight risk. Barrister Nicholas Reville responded that his client had nowhere to go adding he was estranged from his family. He also said if his client was late signing on with gardai, then every garda in Wexford would know about it. He pointed out Byrne had surrendered his passport and was willing to abide by any conditions that might be imposed. The judge acknowledged that Byrne had handed over his passport but was concerned that the accused man could be on a ferry out of Rosslare or Dublin and be gone out of the country. In opposing Byrne's bail application, Garda Arnold alleged that Byrne had threatened to burn down the house of Francis Miller, the father of Byrnes girlfriend Karen Miller, and to kill him. Garda Arnold said that the body of the dog believed to have injured the boy was handed over to the authorities by Ms Miller in the wake of the attack. He said a post mortem examination by a vet showed that it had suffered blunt force trauma and would have been in considerable pain. The court heard that before it died, the pit bull was seen with a hole in its head. The garda said he feared Byrne would commit violent offences and intimidate witnesses if released. Evidence was taken by the court from Francis Miller who said he feared for his safety and the safety of his family if Byrne were at large. Bail was refused. The court also turned down an application for a change of bail conditions from Byrne's girlfriend Karen Miller. She was previously allowed her liberty with the condition that she must reside at 23 Emmet Place in Carnew. However, she looked to move to an address in Pairc Mhuire in Ferns while awaiting trial charged with endangerment. The application was opposed by Garda Keith Arnold who described the Ferns address as not acceptable. He was concerned that the house in Pairc Mhuire was frequented by people taking drugs. Barrister Nicholas Reville responded that no drugs had ever been seized there despite repeated garda searches. Counsel felt that garda objections to the proffered address had not been backed up but Judge McCourt was not persuaded to change the terms Ms Miller's bail. The existing terms were reasonable, he felt. Today's News in 90 Seconds July 4th A year after the Department of Integration declined an offer from the OPW to use the old Wexford Garda Station building to house displaced Ukrainian refugees, a private operator has been granted planning permission and has begun the process of converting the building for that very purpose. This time last year, the OPW (Office of Public Works) was seeking alternative uses for the long-vacant building and provided details to the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth under the assumption that it may of of interest as part of the humanitarian response to the Ukraine crisis. However, in July of last year the OPW stated that the Department confirmed that the old Wexford Garda Station is not viable for their requirements and the OPW will proceed with its disposal. In March of this year, the building subsequently sold at auction for 800,000 and less than three months later, a planning application was lodged by Dekeldale Ltd to repurpose it into temporary refugee accommodation for those fleeing the war in Ukraine. The Bunclody-based company, under the directorship of Majella and Fintan Kelly, stated its intention to alter the building to fast-track living accommodation for refugees fleeing the war in Ukraine. While the planning application never stated the exact numbers of people who are set to be accommodated in the building, it does allow for 17 separate rooms, as well as shower rooms etc. Planning permission was subsequently granted by Wexford County Council last week and, in recent days, the building has seen its first signs of life since the gardai moved out in 2017, as work vans were visible parked outside. Across the country the Department of Integration has agreed massive contracts worth millions with private operators to provide accommodation for Ukrainian refugees in vacant buildings, hotels, B&Bs and old nursing homes. The Local Link bus service will increase the frequency of the Wexford town to Rosslare Europort from Monday, July 10. From that date Route 387 will now operate 15 daily return services, seven days a week. The improvements will mean a morning and late evening bus service and a peak-time service for commuters. This enhancement is part of the Connecting Ireland Rural Mobility Plan which is a major national public transport initiative developed and funded by the National Transport Authority (NTA) as part of the Transport for Ireland (TFI) Network. The expansion of the 387 will provide better connectivity to and from Wexford town and Rosslare for onward travel; connecting with sailings at Rosslare Europort and in Wexford town connecting with public transport services to New Ross, Waterford, Gorey and Dublin by bus and rail. The service will also provide improved connectivity to Wexford General Hospital and the SETU Campus Wexford. The route, which takes in Rosslare Strand, will allow locals and visitors to experience the countys beaches, and explore its many walks, hikes, historical sites and family friendly attractions. The route will also connect with Rosslare Europort, one of Irelands leading ports and a gateway to Europe for the freight and tourist industries. Speaking ahead of the launch, TFI Local Link Wexford, General Manager MaryB OLeary said, Route 387 Wexford to Rosslare is a very busy route and we are delighted to announce the service frequency enhancements that will better serve the Wexford and Rosslare areas providing vital connections for education, employment, leisure and onward travel. Ukraines Constitution Day is a public holiday in the country and has been celebrated every year, on June 28, since 1996, when the constitution was adopted. With over 1,300 Ukrainians in County Wicklow and, in Greystones, just over 100 residing at Tiglins centre in Coolnagreina in the town, where better to celebrate than at the centre, which welcomed Ukrainians only weeks after the Russian invasion, after Tiglin chairman Aubrey McCarthy called the head of the Irish Red Cross, Pat Carey, who then swiftly linked Tiglin with the International Protection Office. Those living at Coolnagreina are mainly women and children, while most primary school children in Greystones attend St Patricks NS. And Principal Rachel Harper, who is also a board member of Tiglin, and Whale Theatre founder Ross McParland, were among those who helped to a organise a truly memorable day for the towns Ukrainian nationals, where among the guests were Ukrainian Ambassador to Ireland Larysa Gerasko, the Polish Ambassador to Ireland Anna Sochanska and Israeli Ambassador to Ireland Lironne Bar Sadeh. Jay Bobinac, who is one of Tiglin's centre managers, said that over 150 people turned out on the day where there was a number of performances, including poetry reading, Irish dancing and acts from local theatre groups. Her Excellency expressed her gratitude to the people of Ireland and Greystones for accepting her countrymen to the town, saying that she was grateful to all the organisers of this wonderful day full of good mood, Ukrainian and Irish songs and pleasant communication that brings Ukrainians and Irish together every day. "She was so thankful for the approach of the town, where they are integrated into the community, Jay said. Most of the people that live with us have an opportunity to build in the community and find work, and they have been so well supported. The children are going to local schools and those that want to work are working. Some of the pupils from St Patrick's also performed on the day and the ambassador and the guests were so impressed with them and it was a lovely occasion. "We just have to thank the community for being so supportive and for the Ukrainians it was such a great day for them to get together. The Ukrainian people also prepared Ukrainian food, so they played a big role as well. Opening the event, Ms Harper told all gathered that our hearts are with our Ukrainian friends, you have become such a huge part of our community. "You have brought so much to Greystones and we are so grateful and we are all in awe at your strength and courage, she added, remarking at how much the children at St Patricks heave learnt from their new Ukrainian friends. Addressing the Ukrainians directly, she concluded by telling them that Greystones is your home for as long as you want it to be. Tributes have been paid to a pioneer of the Irish travel industry, Andrew (Andy) McKenna, from Greystones, who died at home surrounded by his devoted family on Monday. Known to all in the Irish travel industry as the founder of Atlas Travel Services, the late Andy McKenna travelled to the USA in 1967, where he worked at Trans World Airlines before establishing his firm in San Francisco at the age of 24, making it the first Irish-owned travel agency on the West Coast, and for many years it was also the largest. This was followed by Atlas Travel Dublin, which was set up in the early 1970s to cater for Americans visiting Ireland, given travel at the time was affected by the Troubles in Northern Ireland. Andy was greatly supported by many Irish Americans in the industry, becoming the President of United Irish Societies at the age of 32. The Atlas Travel Irish operation then expanded to offer a broad range of leisure and corporate travel services, including its highly successful sporting division headed up by his brother Frank McKenna, who died in 1989. In 1977, Andy helped set up Irish Group Travel, with nine other shareholders from the Travel Industry, and concentrated on charter flights to promote leisure travel to North America. Between 1978 and 1980, he was president of the Irish Travel Agents Association, which was founded in 1971 to represent Irelands travel agents and tour operators. Andy then bought out the remaining shareholders at Irish Group Travel and changed the name to American Holidays, whereupon he became the first Irish agent to charter flights offering discounted prices between Ireland and the United States. American Holidays became a very successful company, with offices in Belfast and Dublin, and was sold in 1994 when it became part of the TUI group. Atlas Travel went on to become one of Irelands largest independent Travel Agencies, winning many industry awards. It was bought by Club Travel Limited in 2019 and is now part of the wider Club Travel Group. Among those who paid tribute to Andy was another veteran of the travel industry, John Galligan, who praised Andy as a stalwart of the travel business and a great mentor to young, aspiring travel people. He guided and advised me on many occasions and I owe him a great debt of gratitude. Always a steady, cool head in a tempestuous business, he will be sadly missed. Michael Caslin, from 747 Travel, said: So sorry to hear of Andy's passing a true legend in the travel Industry. Sincere condolences to all his family. Olivia Byrne nee Gilsenan wrote: He was a lovely man and true gentleman. I have great memories of him from my days in Northwest Airlines. Sadly missed by his wife Patricia, children Frank, Trina, Eimer, Ciara, Stephen and Beth, all his grandchildren, and his sister Mary, Andy is set to be laid to rest at Redford Cemetery on Wednesday, July 5, following Requiem Mass at the Holy Rosary Church in Greystones from 10am. A three-part documentary series about English woman Rose Dugdale, who took part in the 1974 robbery of 8 million worth of artwork from Wicklows Russborough House, will begin tonight on RTE One at 9.35 p.m. Firmly rooted in the Republican landscape of 1970s Ireland, The Heiress and the Heist tells the extraordinary story of how Rose Dugdale, an English heiress who abandoned her life of privilege to join the IRA, devised one of the biggest art heists in history in order to free the Price sisters, who were facing a prison sentence for car-bombing attacks. The focus of the series is the Russborough House heist, which was largely orchestrated by Dugdale, who acted as the brains of the operation, selecting which paintings were to be stolen at the time of the robbery. The immediate aftermath of the crime is relayed by key witness testimonies, including crime correspondents who reported the story and the police officer who made the detection and arrest of Dugdale in Cork with the 19 paintings. Episode one of the documentary series details how Rose and three armed men forced their way into Russborough House with the intention of stealing a series of paintings for the IRA and how the gang manage to escape with the works of art. The story travels back in time to Roses background her privileged upbringing in an aristocratic family and her academic achievements at Oxford and abroad to reveal how these chapters of her life led her down the path of a revolutionary. Moved to action after Bloody Sunday, she develops bold plans in support of the IRA, even stealing from her own family home to obtain funds. Then, she follows the cause to Northern Ireland, where she engineers a plan with Eddie Gallagher to drop milk churns loaded with explosives on the RUC station in Strabane. Divorce papers said that after his first divorce, Costner found himself without a home base. Photo: Getty Kevin Costner has given his ex-wife Christine Baumgartner a new deadline to move out of the $145m (133m) home they shared, amid their ongoing divorce battle. The Yellowstone star reportedly accused Baumgartner of [grasping] at straws with one baseless argument after another for why she should be allowed to stay in the California property. Court documents obtained by People say that Costner respectfully requests that Christine be ordered to vacate his separate property residence forthwith and no later than 13 July 2023. It comes after Baumgartner reportedly said she would move out of the beachfront house by August 31, as long as Costner agreed to provide further financial support as determined by the court. The handbag designer, who filed for divorce in early May, asked a judge to force Costner to pay $248,000 (227,000) per month in child support for their three children. She argued that the figure is less than the amount needed to maintain the children in their accustomed lifestyle, and is also requesting that the Bodyguard star pay 100pc of their private school tuition fees and healthcare expenses. It was reported that the amount Baumgartner is requesting is more than six times the $38,000 a month that Costner offered. Both parties are seeking joint custody of the children, but Costner has rejected the figure his ex-wife is seeking as inflated while she insists the money would help her set up a suitable separate household for them. Divorce papers said that after his first divorce, Costner found himself without a home base. Photo: Getty Costner has also claimed that the former couples pre-nuptial agreement required that Baumgartner leave within 30 days of filing for divorce. She has missed the deadline and remained in the $145m property since. In a new memorandum, Costners legal team insisted that Baumgartner can afford to move, adding: She has at her disposal almost $1.5m in cash to find alternative housing. Multiple four-bedroom, four-bathroom lovely homes are presently available, located in close proximity to Kevins separate property residence Kevin made multiple offers to assist her in relocating. Documents obtained by TMZ reportedly said Costner was also willing to give his estranged wife $10,000 to cover moving expenses, as well as $30,000 per month towards a rental home. A source close to Costner added to People: This is all about Christine. Kevin has gone above and beyond in providing Christine the necessary means to find a suitable place for her to move. It is understood that Baumgartner is entitled to a settlement of $1.4m under the conditions of the pre-nup. Costners net worth is estimated to be upwards of $250m. In legal documents, it was noted that following Costners divorce from his first wife Cindy Silva in 1994 to whom he reportedly paid out a $80m settlement he found himself without a home base. Costner also alleged that, because Baumgartner has not vacated their home, his work has been affected and he is unable to begin post-production work on his forthcoming project, Horizon: An American Saga. He added: Because I am not now comfortable sharing a residence with Christine, I very reluctantly changed my travel plans and delayed returning home This forced change in my plans is materially interfering with my work commitments. The actor reportedly went to his 160-acre ranch in Aspen, Colorado, instead of staying in the California property. The Independent has contacted representatives for Baumgartner and Costner for comment. Actor Kevin Costner with his first wife, Cindy Silva, in 1992. Photo: Getty In her divorce filing, Baumgartner cited irreconcilable differences and listed their date of separation as 11 April. Costners representatives confirmed their split and said: It is with great sadness that circumstances beyond his control have transpired which have resulted in Mr Costner having to participate in a dissolution of marriage action. We ask that his, Christines and their childrens privacy be respected as they navigate this difficult time. The pair married in 2004 and have three children, Cayden (16), Hayes (14), and Grace (13). Costner was previously married to Silva for 16 years before they divorced in 1994. He also has three children with her, and has another son with Bridget Rooney. On This Day In History - July 4th Meet the firm behind our content. Visit their website to see how their services can help your business succeed. Mumbai: Bandhan Bank on Tuesday announced that its Chief Financial Officer (CFO), Sunil Samdani, has resigned from his position on July 3 in order to pursue a new opportunity. In accordance with his appointment terms, Samdani will serve a notice period of three months, ending on October 1, 2023. In addition to serving as the CFO, Samdani also holds the positions of executive president and key managerial person (KMP) at Bandhan Bank. "I am grateful to you for placing the trust in me and giving me the valuable opportunity to build a Bank of this size and stature," Samdhani said in his resignation letter, according to the bank's regulatory filing. Samdani thanked the board for the opportunity. "This has been the toughest decision of my career as I have built this institution from the start. It has been challenging, enriching and fulfilling experience which offered me phenomenal learning every single day," he said. With more than 23 years of experience in the financial services sector, Sunil Samdani has held several top roles throughout his career. Before joining Bandhan Bank as its CFO, he served as the Head of Business Analytics and Strategy at Development Credit Bank. Prior to that, he held the position of CFO at Karvy Financial Services Ltd. Samdani's diverse experience in these key positions has contributed to his expertise and knowledge in the field of financial services. The bank is currently in the process of searching for a suitable candidate to fill the position of CFO and key managerial personnel, according to a statement. Meanwhile, on July 4, the shares of Bandhan Bank experienced a decline, closing 1.78 percent lower at Rs 231.25 per share on the BSE (Bombay Stock Exchange). Image: WFP/Michael Tewelde New York: Global heating is a burning human rights issue, as extreme weather and climate disasters threaten humanitys universal right to food, UN rights chief Volker Turk said on Monday. We must not leave this for our children to fix no matter how inspiring their activism, he told the Human Rights Council, advocating for a just transition to a green economy. I ask every member of this Council to take this clear message out of the Palais des Nations and into every aspect of their work, he said, stressing that it was todays leaders who had the responsibility to take climate action. Short-term thinking Mr. Turk warned that on the worlds current trajectory, our air, our food, our water, and human life itself would be unrecognizable, with an average temperature increase by the end of the century soaring to 3C, well above the 1.5C limit, as outlined in the landmark Paris Agreement on climate change. He deplored that despite all the alarm bells going off, leaders were still not acting with the determination required and getting stuck in the short term. If this is not a human rights issue, what is?, he asked. United Nations SDG 13: Take urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts Right to food increasingly challenged The High Commissioner underscored that the right to food was comprehensively threatened by climate change and recalled that there had been a 134 per cent increase in climate-fuelled, flood-related disasters since the turn of the century. Not only do extreme weather events and disasters destroy ecosystems and farmers livelihoods, but their fast and relentless repetition makes it impossible for communities to rebuild and support themselves, he said. Avenues for action With millions going hungry in countries which contributed next to nothing to the industrial processes which are killing our environment and violating rights, Mr. Turk stressed the urgency of ending fossil fuel subsidies, transforming international development and financing institutions into engines of climate action, and making this Novembers COP28 conference a decisive game-changer. He also called for good governance to ensure that climate funds go to the most affected people and pointed to climate litigation as a way of holding businesses and Governments accountable in court. The time is now The UN rights chief said that humanity must not deliver a future of hunger and suffering to the next generations, and insisted that, equipped with the most powerful technological tools in history, we have the capacity to change the status quo. There is still time to act, but that time is now, he insisted. Diya TV screen Grab The US State Department has condemned the vandalisation of the Indian consulate in San Francisco by suspected Khalistan separatists. US State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller tweeted: "The U.S. strongly condemns the reported vandalism and attempted arson against the Indian Consulate in San Francisco on Saturday. Vandalism or violence against diplomatic facilities or foreign diplomats in the U.S. is a criminal offense." The U.S. strongly condemns the reported vandalism and attempted arson against the Indian Consulate in San Francisco on Saturday. Vandalism or violence against diplomatic facilities or foreign diplomats in the U.S. is a criminal offense. Matthew Miller (@StateDeptSpox) July 3, 2023 As per local US channel named Diya TV, the consulate was set on fire on Sunday morning. No major damage or injury was caused due to the incident. " The fire was suppressed quickly by the San Francisco Department, damage was limited and no staffers were harmed," the news channel tweeted. Meanwhile, the Indian government has served demarche to Canada on the suspected planned protests by pro-Khalistan terrorist outfits outside the Indian High Commission in Ottawa, and two consulates in Toronto and Vancouver on July 8, media reports said. It has asked the Justin Trudeau government to take strong measures to prevent the protestors from gathering close to missions and consulates, desecrating the Indian National Flag, sticking pamphlets or items to the boundary fence and throwing projectiles into the Indian diplomatic premises in Canada, reports Hindustan Times. ARSON ATTEMPT AT SF INDIAN CONSULATE: #DiyaTV has verified with @CGISFO @NagenTV that a fire was set early Sunday morning between 1:30-2:30 am in the San Francisco Indian Consulate. The fire was suppressed quickly by the San Francisco Department, damage was limited and no pic.twitter.com/bHXNPmqSVm Diya TV - 24/7 * Free * Local (@DiyaTV) July 3, 2023 While the Canadian High Commissioner was called to the South Block on Monday to convey Indian concerns very bluntly, the note verbal was sent to Global Affairs Canada early morning Tuesday (IST), the Indian newspaper reported. Canadian Foreign Minister Melanie Joly, meanwhile, said the country takes the safety of diplomats very seriously. Image Credit: Twitter/Droupadi Murmu Hyderabad/UNI: President Droupadi Murmu arrived here by a special Indian Air Force (IAF) flight from Bengaluru on a one-day visit. Telangana Governor Dr Tamilisai Soundararajan, Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao, his Cabinet Ministers, Union Minister G Kishan Reddy, Chief Secretary Santhi Kumari and other officials received the President at Hakimpet Air Force Station here. She later left to Rashtrapathi Nilayam in Bollarum by Road. Murmu will address the closing ceremony of legendary Freedom Fighter Alluri Sitarama Raju's 125th Birth Anniversary Celebrations at Gachibowli Indoor Stadium in the evening. Police imposed traffic restrictions in view of the President's visit. The President will leave for Nagpur from Hakimpet Air Force Station at 6 pm. Image: UNI New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday asserted that terrorism remains a major threat to regional and global peace and called upon the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) countries to take decisive action for countering its challenges. "Terrorism may be in any form, in any manifestation, we have to fight together against it," Modis said while addressing the 23rd Summit of the SCO Council of Heads virtually on Tuesday where Pakistan PM Shehbaz Sharif was also present. Attacking indirectly to Pakistan, Modi said, "Some countries use cross-border terrorism as a policy instrument and shelter terrorists and the SCO should condemn such countries." "There should be no double standards on terrorism," Modi added. Raising concerns over the Afghanistan situation, he said India's concerns and expectations regarding Afghanistan are similar to those of most of the SCO countries. "The land of Afghanistan is not used to spread instability in neighboring countries or encourage extremist ideologies," he added. The Prime Minister said, "The people of India and Afghanistan enjoy age-old friendly relations and in the last two decades, we have contributed to the economic and social development of Afghanistan,' adding, 'Even after the events of 2021, we have been sending humanitarian aid." Taking the importance and role of SCO countries, the Prime Minister said the food, fuel and fertiliser crisis are a big challenge for all countries in the world surrounded by controversies, tensions, epidemics. He added that over the past two decades, the SCO has emerged as an important platform for peace, prosperity and development in the entire Eurasia region. "India has made sustained efforts to take SCO's multifaceted cooperation to new heights as the chair of SCO, adding that India has made five new pillars for cooperation in the SCO and they are Startups and Innovation, Traditional Medicine, Youth Empowerment, Digital Inclusion and Shared Buddhist Heritage," the Prime Minister underlined. The Prime Minister said, "Several new platforms including Young Scientist Conclave, Authors Conclave, Startup Forum, and Youth Council have been organized to harness the talent of the youth from SCO countries." "These platforms aim to channel the potential of SCO's youth and provide them with meaningful opportunities and India supports proposals for reform and modernisation of SCO," he added. The 23rd Summit of the SCO Council of Heads of State is being chaired by Prime Minister Modi. All the SCO Member States China, Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan have been invited to attend the Summit. Iran, Belarus, and Mongolia have been invited as Observer States. As per SCO tradition, Turkmenistan has also been invited as the guest of the Chair. India assumed the rotating Chairmanship of SCO at the Samarkand Summit in September last year. India set up new pillars of cooperation under its Chairmanship by emphasizing startups and innovation, traditional medicine, digital inclusion, youth empowerment, and shared Buddhist heritage. India emphasized on building greater people-to-people connect to further the Prime Ministers vision of Vasudhaiv Kutumbakom. India has hosted a total of 134 meetings and events, including 14 Ministerial-level meetings. (With UNI inputs) Image: UNI New Delhi/IBNS: Gearing up for the big 2024 general elections as well as some crucial state polls this year, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), who is eyeing a third term at the Centre, announced new chiefs in many states on Tuesday. BJP MLA Etela Rajender, who served as the first finance minister of Telangana, has been appointed chairman of the BJP's state election management committee for the upcoming Telangana assembly polls. He started his political career with K Chandrashekar Rao-led Bharat Rashtra Samithi and stayed with it till 2021, after which he joined the BJP. Daggubati Purandeswari, daughter of Telugu Desam Party founder and former Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister NT Rama Rao, has been appointed Andhra Pradesh BJP president. Sunil Kumar Jakhar, the former MP who switched to the BJP from Congress in May last year claiming he wanted to support "nationalism, unity and brotherhood in Punjab", will lead the party in Punjab. Babulal Marandi, the first Chief Minister of Jharkhand and current Leader of the Opposition in the Jharkhand Legislative Assembly, has been appointed the BJP Jharkhand president. Kiran Kumar Reddy, the last Chief Minister of the United Andhra Pradesh before the formation of the Telangana state, has been appointed as a member of the party's national executive committee. The BJP has called a meeting of all the state presidents, state general secretaries, and state in-charges on July 7. BJP President JP Nadda and National General Secretary BL Santosh will preside over this meeting. A union cabinet meeting is also likely at 10:30 am on Wednesday, media reports said. File image from Facebook/Loreto College Official Kolkata/IBNS: Loreto College, one of the oldest prestigious educational institutes of Kolkata, has apologized after its 'English Medium Only' undergraduate admission policy sparked a widespread debate. The 111-year-old Catholic women's college, which is affiliated to the University of Calcutta (CU), had earlier announced an admission policy for undergraduate students for 2023-24 session, shutting its doors to the students coming from non-English medium background. "All lectures at Loreto College are in English. Hence, fluency in English is very essential for a student to be able to understand/follow classes. The student must also be able to express herself freely in English to enable her to do well in her written work/viva voce. This applies to all subjects except Hindi and Bengali," the notice issued by Loreto College read. "Examinations will have to be answered only in English. Our reputed Open Shelf Library has only English reference/text books and journals for all subjects other than Vernacular Bengali and Hindi," it added. The college located near south Kolkata's Park Street area, in its notice, also recommended that the candidates hailing from 'vernacular medium' schools opt to study in institutions where the medium of instruction is bilingual. "Students whose medium of instruction in class XII was the vernacular will not be considered for admission," Loreto College wrote in bold letters in its admission notice. This 'English Medium Only' policy of Loreto College triggered a huge backlash and it was criticized by educationists as well as general people. The University of Calcutta (CU), which affiliates this college, on Monday also criticised the college's decision as it goes against the CU's 'Education For All' policy. The university had also called Loreto College's principal Christine Coutinho to appear at the CU for discussion. According to reports, the principal discussed the matter with CU officials on Tuesday where she apologized for the controversial policy and promised to revoke it. Later in the afternoon, Loreto College authority published a fresh notification revoking the controversial 'English Medium Only' admission policy with immediate effect. "Loreto College, Kolkata, has a rich legacy of service and all-round education for over 100 years in Bengal. The recent admission policy notice does not reflect the values we cherish. It is an unintended error from our side," the college wrote in the new notice. "Loreto College, Kolkata, unconditionally apologizes to the people of Bengal and revokes the said admission policy notice with immediate effect. We recommit ourselves to serving all of Bengal as we have always done," it added. Meanwhile, the CU has asked the college authority to publish another merit list as the Loreto College has already published its merit list based on the 'English Medium Only' admission policy. "Loreto College has to publish a fresh merit list based on the 'corrected' policy, keeping the existing merit list, which was published based on the controversial admission policy," a senior CU official told IBNS. "The college authorities have agreed to do so and unconditionally apologized for their previously declared 'English Medium Only' admission policy. (Reporting by Deepayan Sinha) Image: Wikimedia Commons Seoul/London: Blackpink has emerged as the first Korean band to headline a significant UK music festival. The K-pop girl group played an electrifying set at London's BST Hyde Park to a sold-out crowd of 65,000 fans, some of whom travelled half way across the world to see them perform, reports BBC. Fans voiced their happiness after attending the show. "We've been waiting for this since last year," Jeangil Pagunsan, who had come to the UK from the Philippines, told BBC. "No words can explain the joy we feel right now. This night was so insane," the music enthusiast told the British media. "We love everything about them," her friend Rick Mae Vaporoso told BBC. "Everything was so hype." Image: Wikimedia Commons Vietnam has banned the new Barbie movie over a scene that featured a map that depicted the contested Chinese territorial claims in the South China Sea, media reports said. Vi Kien Thanh, head of the Department of Cinema, under the Ministry of Culture, Sports, and Tourism, on Monday informed the media of the decision made by the National Council for Film Appraisal and Classification after a review of the movie, reports Vietnam News. Vietnam is one of the many nations that contests China's claim to almost all of the South China Sea. It is unclear which scene depicts what a senior official called the "offensive image" of China's nine-dash line, reports BBC. The nine-dash line is used in Chinese maps of the South China Sea to show its territorial claims, the British media reported. Barbie is an upcoming fantasy comedy film directed by Greta Gerwig from a screenplay she wrote with Noah Baumbach. Based on the Barbie fashion dolls by Mattel, the film is the first live-action Barbie film after many computer-animated direct-to-video and streaming television films. The film stars Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling as Barbie and Ken, respectively, alongside an ensemble supporting cast that includes America Ferrera, Kate McKinnon, Issa Rae, Rhea Perlman, and Will Ferrell. Barbie will premiere in Los Angeles on July 9, 2023, and is scheduled to be released in the United States on July 21 by Warner Bros. Pictures. Uzbekistan President Shavkat Mirziyoyev on Tuesday addressed the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) meeting where he addressed important issues related to long-term sustainable development in the SCO region for increasing inter-regional trade, the Green Agenda and cooperation in the sphere of tourism among others. Speaking about the vast economic opportunities in the SCO region, he pointed out that SCO accounts for approximately one-third of the global GDP, about 27 percent of foreign direct investments, and up to 20 percent of global trade. In this context, the initiative to establish a common space for increasing inter-regional trade and industrial-technological cooperation has never been more relevant, he said. He further said, I propose to instruct our governments and agencies to work out the issue of adopting the SCO New Economic Dialogue Program, covering such areas as, innovative development, digitalization and robotics, artificial intelligence, biotechnology, pharmaceuticals, and other industries of the future. President Mirziyoyev, while highlighting the issues of the Green Agenda, spoke about the need for closer coordination and practical cooperation within the SCO on issues such as adaptation to climate change, decarbonization and implementation of clean technologies and the development of smart agriculture and water conservation. Going further, he proposed to develop a joint action plan to support regional environmental projects and the introduction of "green" technologies as part of the Green Belt Program. To promote tourism in the SCO region he proposed a joint scientific-practical conference on the development of tourism industry of the SCO as part of the anniversary session of the General Assembly of the World Tourism Organization in October this year. The President of Uzbekistan echoed the sentiments of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, when he spoke about the need to step up the activities of the SCO Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure (RATS). PM Modi, during his earlier speech, had spoken about some countries using cross-border terrorism as an instrument of their policy. PM Modi said, We have to fight together against terrorism that may be in any form and any manifestation. Taking further his vision to tackle terrorism in the regional and a global level, President Mirziyoyev said that Uzbekistan considers it necessary to speed up the preparation and adoption of major multilateral documents such as the Convention on Cooperation against Cybercrime and the Joint Program to Combat Extremist Ideology. He emphasized the need to accelerate the adoption of these important multilateral instruments and addressing the root causes of the growth of terrorism in the world. He said, The practical implementation of these documents should become an adequate response to the challenges of radicalization and neutralize the attempts of destructive forces to spread their ideology, especially among the youth. The President highlighted Uzbekistans principled position on the central role of the United Nations in the settlement of disputes and conflicts, in the search and adoption of compromise solutions in order to ensure peace and stability. He further pointed out that unfortunately, in recent years, there are no significant movements and expected effectiveness in a number of directions of interaction within the SCO. The implementation of some initiatives and documents remains, as they say, on "paper". Our working bodies are bogged down in lengthy negotiations and approval procedures. Image: Wikimedia Commons A pro-democracy leader, who fled Hong Kong, has said his life became more dangerous as a bounty was offered for his arrest, media reports said. Nathan Law, who lives in the UK, is among eight exiled activists wanted by the territory's police, reports BBC. Authorities are offering rewards of HK$1 million (100,581; $127,637) for information leading to the capture of the leader. Law told BBC he needed to be "more careful" about divulging his whereabouts as a result of the bounty. The eight activists targeted are accused of colluding with foreign forces - a crime that can carry a sentence of life in prison. The offence comes under Hong Kong's draconian security law, which was imposed three years ago after widespread pro-democracy protests took place in 2019, the British media reported. UK's Foreign Secretary James Cleverly said his nation will not tolerate any attempts by China to intimidate and silence individuals in the UK and overseas." " The UK will always defend the universal right to freedom of expression and stand up for those who are targeted," he said in a statement. " We strongly object to the National Security Law that China imposed on Hong Kong, including its extraterritorial reach, in breach of the legally binding Sino-British Joint Declaration," he said. He said: " We call on Beijing to remove the National Security Law and for the Hong Kong authorities to end their targeting of those who stand up for freedom and democracy." Image: Videograb New Delhi/IBNS: The US will no longer consider the Khalistani groups as 'protesters' and as a result, the recent attacks on Indian missions, including the latest incident in which sympathisers tried to set ablaze the Indian consulate in San Francisco, will fall under the purview of a criminal act. According to reports, the FBI is planning to take action as per criminal laws against such groups and has named those people it seeks to target. Earlier the US had always justified protests and other activities by such pro-Khalistan groups as freedom of expression. The Government of India and intelligence agencies are following up with counterparts in the US government and FBI. In India, too, we are going to file a case regarding the attack and it will be investigated by a federal agency, an official said. In a second such act of violence against an Indian mission within months, pro-Khalistan supporters launched an arson attack on the Indian Consulate in San Francisco on Tuesday. The act drew strong condemnation from the US government which termed it a criminal offence". A video posted on Twitter dated July 2, with the words violence begets violence emblazoned over it, showed news articles related to the death of Canada-based Khalistan Tiger Force (KTF) chief Hardeep Singh Nijjar. Nijjar, one of Indias most-wanted terrorists who carried a cash reward of Rs 10 lakh on his head, was shot dead outside a gurdwara in Canada last month. iWorld | Social Media Twitter faces backlash over restricted tweet limits According to experts, Twitter's new reading paywall that restricts the number of daily tweets available to paying and non-paying users could harm the platform's revenue and usage. On Saturday, Twitter executive chair Elon Musk announced that Twitter Blue subscribers. Read More... MAM | Marketing Langoor Digital opens UK office for European digital innovation Langoor, a leading digital marketing/ transformation agency operating at the intersection of technology, creativity, and data, is pleased to announce the opening of its UK office. Read More... MAM | Media And Advertising Berger Paints awards its Media account to dentsu X Berger Paints, a paint major in India and among the frontrunners in the paints & coatings industry globally, has awarded its media mandate to dentsu X, the media agency from dentsu India. Berger Paints currently has media spends of around 200 crores. Read More... MAM | Media And Advertising Infectious Advertising onboards Subhash Kamath as leadership mentor Infectious Advertising has roped in Subhash Kamath as its leadership mentor. Kamath is an advertising veteran just shy of 40 years of hands-on experience. In this time he has worked with Ogilvy, Grey, Ambience Publicis, Bates and BBH. Read More... Fights and verbal altercations on planes in India have become a common occurrence. A new video of some man or woman shouting at the top of their lungs reaches the halls of the internet and gains viral craze as people keep on questioning the civility of desis in mid-air. Father Causes Ruckus Mid-Air On Flight To Defend Daughter Twitter A new viral video taking the internet by storm captures two passengers engaging in a heated argument as the crew on the flight toils hard to make the passengers calm down and act civil. The video, now roaming around social media, was taken on a Vistara plane from Mumbai to Dehradun on June 25. In the 27-second clip, a man is seen aggressively charging at another man sitting across an aisle from him. As the man shouts at the passenger sitting far away at the top of his lungs, a woman, presumably his wife, stops him from engaging in a brawl and sits him down by tugging on his shirt. While all this is happening, a young girls shrill voice fills the planes air. This girl was the agitated mans daughter, sitting far apart from the rest of her family. According to Vistaras statement, A passenger got disturbed by a young passenger sitting in the row behind him. The said passenger questioned the behaviour, to which the parents of the young passenger objected. This led to a verbal altercation. It was "settled amicably upon the intervention of the Vistaras cabin crew onboard. The remainder of the journey after that was completed peacefully." A spokesperson also confirmed, "This matter pertains to an argument between two passengers on Vistara flight UK852 going from Mumbai to Dehradun on June 25, 2023." The Men Spared The Cabin Crew From the looks of it, the cabin crew was doing their best to calm the situation down while the father was at it with no sign of stopping. This was when the crew called on the captain to settle the issue. Mid-air brawl: 2 pax 22a man & 23a girl; she ws eating her meal & started pushing 22a seat by her legs, 22a pax ws sleeping & woke up & said don't u hav manners etc. So her parents got offended & started shouting aggressively, willing to beat him; crew called th captain (vistara) pic.twitter.com/tKUnqAqRed Men's Rights Professionals (@MensRightsBlitz) June 30, 2023 Even though the father was visibly angry at the other passenger and was heard shouting at the top of his lungs, "How dare you threaten my daughter?" He was not aggressive towards the crew members trying to solve the issue at hand. The internet was up in arms after watching the video. After a quick sweep of the comments on the video, anyone would find out that the people on the internet were rarely in favour of the girl shouting in the clip. Everyone agreed that this was just another case of a spoiled brat whom the people named, "Papa ki pari." Papa ki pari lagta hai pehle baar udi hai! Deepak -- bug_vs_me (@bug_vs_me) July 1, 2023 In highly congested and Closed spaces, confusions and unintentional brushes do happen ... give people a chance and try to reason with people at least once ! D Jain (@djjjel) July 2, 2023 Atleast show the real reason admin the girl was pushing the seat on the which the man was sleeping and the man just told her not to do that. They are not daughters they are papa ki Parii . Aman Kumar Raushan (@exponentialaman) July 2, 2023 Tell us what you think about the viral video in the comments below. For more trending stories, follow us on Telegram. At a time when the economic crisis hit Pakistan is finally seeing a glimmer of hope by landing a fresh loan of $3 billion in the next nine months from the IMF. Another big news story has been circulating around the world regarding the cash-strapped country. Chinese Billionaire Jack Ma Makes A Surprise Visit To Pakistan reuters Recently, Chinese billionaire and co-founder of Alibaba Group, Jack Ma, ignited lots of rumours among observers when he unexpectedly visited Pakistan, according to the Express Tribune newspaper. For the unversed, The Express Tribune is a daily English-language newspaper based in Pakistan. Former Chairman of the Board of Investment (BOI), Muhammad Azfar Ahsan, confirmed Jack Ma's visit to The Express Tribune, stating that Ma arrived in Lahore on June 29 and stayed for 23 hours. Jack Ma, during the visit, avoided interactions with government officials and the media. He resided at a private location and left on June 30 via a private jet registered under the name VP-CMA, owned by Jet Aviation, as per the ANI report. While the purpose of Ma's visit remains confidential at this point, there is hope that it will yield positive outcomes for Pakistan in the days to come, according to Ahsan, The Express Tribune reported. More Details About Jack Ma's Visit indiatimes Billionaire Jack Ma, who had returned to China a few months ago after spending more than a year away, was accompanied by a delegation of seven businessmen, consisting of five Chinese nationals, one Danish individual, and one US citizen. They arrived in Pakistan from Nepal via a chartered flight from Hong Kong's business aviation sector. There have been various speculations on social media about Ma and his team exploring business opportunities in Pakistan, including visits to trade centres and meetings with prominent businessmen and officials from various chambers of commerce. However, there has been no confirmation regarding any specific business deals or meetings. Also Read: Alibaba Shares Fall After It Announces Surprise Shakeup "Even Chinese Embassy Was Unaware Of His Visit" In a tweet, former Chairman of the Board of Investment (BOI) Ahsan clarified that Ma's visit was strictly for personal purposes. Interestingly, even the Chinese embassy was unaware of the details of Ma's visit and engagements in the country, he said in the report. Speaking to the Express Tribune, P@SHA Chairman Zohaib Khan remarked, "Although it was a personal visit, it helped enhance Pakistan's reputation from a tourism standpoint." Khan expressed the view that Pakistani authorities should have taken the opportunity to arrange a meeting with Ma and gain insights from his seasoned experience in the IT world. He said even a statement from Ma regarding Pakistan's IT sector would have a significant impact. For the latest and more interesting financial news, keep reading Indiatimes Worth. Click here Many conservatives have voiced concerns that the bill infringes on Americans First Amendment rights Contributing more than 1 billion euros to the national economy and having a multiplier effect for many more sectors (transportation, catering hotel accommodation, etc.), the exhibition industry creates jobs , brings Greek exhibition industry contributes more than 1 billion euros per year - The expulsion of Chimaroke Nnamani, a former senator representing Enugu west, from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) was on Monday nullified by a Federal High Court in Abuja. The Presiding Judge, James Omotosho, in his ruling, held that Nnamani was not given a fair hearing, noting that the expulsion did not follow due process. Omotosho while citing article 57 of the PDPs constitution, ruled that the power to discipline and expel an erring party member lies with the national executive council (NEC), not the national working committee (NWC) which made the decision. Recall that the former Enugu State governor, was expelled by the NWC of the PDP in February while he was serving as senator. He was suspended and subsequently sacked from the party over alleged anti-party activities. However, Nnamani, in a suit marked: FHC/ABJ/CS/163/23 filed on February 6, sued the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), the PDP National Chairman, and the NWC as first, second, and third respondents, over alleged violation of his fundamental rights to a fair hearing. Among other demands, he prayed the court to determine whether it was proper for the Party to take disciplinary actions against him without first giving him a fair hearing. According to him, neither was he notified of any complaint against him nor afforded the opportunity to defend himself before he was suspended. In a counter affidavit and preliminary objection, the defendants, sought an order dismissing the suit, stating that Nnamani campaigned for another political party while being a member of the PDP. READ ALSO: Nnamani Sues PDP, Ayu, Over Expulsion; Backs Tinubu They said they had the power to suspend Nnamani having been found to have engaged in anti-party activities, adding that the issues bordered on the Partys internal affairs which the court lacked the jurisdiction to determine. Meanwhile, Omotosho stated that while the supreme court previously determined that matters such as membership fell under the jurisdiction of the Party and were not within the purview of the courts, section 46(2) of the 1999 constitution granted the court the authority to address allegations of violations of individual rights. This court will not dabble into the internal affairs of the Party but will restrict itself to whether the fundamental right of the plaintiff has been breached, Omotosho said. Articles 4 and 5 of the PDP constitution, he said, gives provision for a fair hearing to erring members. He furthered that a fair hearing means giving equal opportunity to parties, noting that where such has been done, no one can complain. But the complaint of the plaintiff is that he was not giving a fair hearing. The law is clear that specific provisions override general provisions, he said. The judge said the available fact before the court is that the NWC, at its 566th meeting, considered all the allegations against Nnamani and approved his suspension for one month. Omotosho said it was the NWC that expelled the former governor on February 10 in a press release, which he said was a gross violation of the Partys constitution. He conclusively ruled that the decision of the PDP NWC that expelled Nnamani was nullified. Justice Njideka Nwosu-Iheme of a High Court in Abuja, has awarded N5.5 million damages in favour of Ifeanyi Ejiofor, counsel to the detained leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu. The court also issued a permanent order barring the defendant, Emeka Ugwuonye, Executive Director of Due Process Advocate, and his representatives, from making or publishing any defamatory statements about Ejiofor. Ejiofor had filed a suit, number CV/535/2022, against Ugwuonye, demanding N5.1 billion ($12 million approx.) over an alleged defamatory publication. Ugwuonye had accused Ejiofor of being under investigation by the EFCC for fraud and forgery. The damaging material was reportedly published online and shared with third parties from February 5-8, 2022. Among the reliefs sought by Ejiofor included the following: A declaration that the publications variously made by the defendant of and concerning the claimant, on the 5th, 6th, 7th, 8th, 9th, 10th, and 12th of February, 2022, the particulars of which are contained in the statement of claim, are defamatory of the claimant. An order of the Honourable Court directing the defendant to forthwith publish a full retraction of the utterly libellous publications and an unqualified apology to the claimant in at least three national Newspapers with nationwide circulation. An order of the Honourable Court directing the defendant to forthwith publish a written undertaking not to publish any similar or further libel of and concerning the claimant. A perpetual order of injunction restraining the defendant, his agents, associates, privies, and/or proxies howsoever called, from publishing any similar or further libel of and concerning the claimant. The sum of N5,000,000,000:00 (Five Billion Naira Only) as general and exemplary damages. The sum of N100,000,000:00 (Hundred Million Naira Only) being the cost of this action. Justice Nwosu-Iheme in his judgement on Tuesday, ordered that the publications variously made by the defendant concerning Ejiofor on February 5, 6, 7, 8, 10, and 12 2022, the particulars of which were contained in the statement of claim, were defamatory. READ MORE: Youre Not Abacha Or Buhari, Let Nnamdi Kanu Go Ejimakor Tells Tinubu The court also ordered the defendant (Emeka Ugwuonye) to forthwith publish a full retraction of the utterly libellous publications apology to the claimant (Sir Ifeanyi Ejiofor) in at least three national Newspapers with nationwide circulation, including Punch, Daily Times, and Premium Times. The defendant was also ordered to forthwith publish a written undertaking not to publish any similar or further libel of and concerning the claimant. Other orders made by the court included, Perpetual injunction restraining the defendant (Emeka Ugwuonye) his agents, associates, privies and/or proxies howsoever called, from publishing any similar or further libel of and concerning the Claimant (Sir Ejiofor). The sum of N5 million only as general and exemplary damages. The sum of N500 thousand being the cost of this action. Reacting to the judgement, Ejiofor said, Be rest assured that this judgment shall be executed to the letter. I immensely thank my colleagues in chambers and Barrister Maxwell Opara, who worked assiduously to secure this victory. Ugwuonyes ilks, including a certain lawyer in America who ought to have known better, are by this publication put on notice that- it does not matter who you are or whom youre affiliated with or where you are; it is only a matter of time. But I shall ensure that the long arm of the law catches up with you, and you shall definitely pay for the irreparable damages caused. Now that I am done with the civil proceedings in the instant case, I shall now proceed with criminal proceedings against the said cyberstalkers pursuant to the Cybercrime (Prohibition, Prevention, etc) Act 2015. If you are courageous enough to commit a crime, you should also be courageous enough to face the inescapable consequences of your actions. The other suits I initiated against some of these social media noisemakers are ongoing, and upon the conclusion of same, I shall make the necessary update(s). The former governor of Zamfara State, Sani Yerima, has urged the Bola Ahmed Tinubu administration to dialogue with terror groups, locally called bandits, operating in the North-West. Yerima who said this while addressing journalists after meeting with Tinubu in Abuja, said the current government should conduct a similar dialogue as the one that led to the amnesty programme for militants in Niger Delta after dialogue with the Umar YarAdua administration These people are Nigerians and I believe that the Nigerian military and other security agencies have the capacity to deal with them squarely if directed and are given the resources they require, support and the political will. But the collateral damage that will be associated with the actions they will take is what I believe should be avoided. In the past, the late President Umaru Yaradua had similar interaction with militants of the Niger-Delta and it was successful, he said. READ ALSO: Bandits Have No Leader, Youll Regret Negotiating With Them Shehu Sani Warns Tinubu, Governors According to him, poverty and ignorance were the causes of such conflicts. While proposing rehabilitation programmes as a means to integrate the bandits into society, he said negotiation is an integral part of governance and should be pursued before resorting to extensive military operations. You see, these people are Nigerians. And I believe that the Nigerian government has the capacity. The military, and security agencies have the capacity to deal with them immediately if so directed; if they are given the resources they require and the support and political will. But the collateral damage that could be associated with the actions that could be taken is what I believe should be avoided. If you send an aircraft now to where you identify the bandits, it is not only the bandits that would be affected. So if the government now comes up with a programme of rehabilitation just like they did in the issue of Boko Haram when the issue was handled. Im sure you will have a successful ending to this crisis, he opined. No reason has been given as Journalists from various media organizations accredited to cover the Senate plenary on Tuesday were barred by the National Assemblys security. INFORMATION NIGERIA reports that a sergeant-at-arms barricaded the door leading to the gallery, from where the public and journalists observe proceedings. After locking the gallery door, the security operative left the scene. According to TheCable, a monitor in the press centre and online streaming platforms, as well as a Twitter feed for live updates of the upper legislative chamber, were also not working. READ MORE: 10th Senate: Akpabio Names Bamidele, Ndume, Umahi, Asiru Principal Officers After 45 mins, the sergeant-at-arms allowed about 20 journalists in. The public is only shut out of parliamentary proceedings during an executive session which is usually announced a few minutes before the senators go behind closed-doors. The upper legislative chamber is resuming from a two-week break after the 10th session was inaugurated in June. Apart from appointing its principal officers, the senate is gearing up to receive a request from President Bola Tinubu to screen and confirm his ministerial nominees. Recall that Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, on Tuesday, announced four principal officers for the majority in the 10th Senate. The new officers are Opeyemi Bamidele representing Ekiti State Central as Senate Leader, Dave Umahi representing Ebonyi South as Deputy Senate Leader, Ali Ndume representing Borno South as Chief Whip and Lola Ashiru as Deputy Chief Whip who represents Kwara South. Akpabio who said the choice of the principal officers was by consensus also announced the names of minority principal officers. An unidentified driver of a Sienna car has reportedly bitten off the ear of a Vehicle Inspection Officer, (VIO) identified as Papu Prosper during an altercation while on patrol in Warri, Delta State. According to Vanguard, the unfortunate incident occurred following an aggravated argument of expired particulars in the early hours of Friday along Eagle roundabout, by Federal Government College, in Warri. READ ALSO: One Way: Soldiers Beat Up Policeman, LASTMA Officer In Lagos According to Prosper, I am a Vehicle Inspection Officer, VIO. We went for a patrol team in Warri, Delta State, where we held a driver whose particulars have expired. In the process, my boss told me to follow him to our office in Warri to check whether his particulars are up to date or not. While following the man, he said, he will kill me, that the VIO has done a lot. So he brought out a dagger and was trying to butcher me into pieces. I struggled to move out of the vehicle as the vehicle was on speed. In the process, I fought him, and he bite off my ear, and my ear fell on the ground. He stated. Speaking further, Prosper said the Sienna driver ejected his ear on the ground, left his vehicle behind and ran away after the act. While the Sienna is under the custody of VIO, Prosper thanked God for saving him as he beseeched the government to do justice if the Sienna driver is caught. I give God all the glory for keeping me alive, and for the man, let the law do what they have to do. He stated. The Presidential Election Petitions Court has admitted exhibits, the Chicago State University credentials of President Bola Tinubu, who formally opened his defence in a petition filed against his election victory by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and its presidential candidate, Abubakar Atiku. INFORMATION NIGERIA reports that the educational credentials tendered in evidence by Tinubu to prove his attendance and graduation at the Chicago State University included the admission letter. Also tendered before the PEPC, were Tinubus US Visa documents which indicated that he severally visited the United States of America unhindered between 2011 and 2021. In addition, Tinubu, who is the 2nd respondent in the petition also tendered all documents of the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) which cleared him for the US trips. The United States of Americas Embassy letter of April 4, 2003, which was a response to a letter of the Nigerian Police dated February 3, 2003, which claimed that the Embassy had no criminal records of Tinubu in the USA, was equally submitted to the PEPC. READ MORE: Presidential Tribunal Orders Tinubu To Defend Election Victory The Court further admitted an originating summon of a suit filed at the Supreme Court by the Attorneys General of Adamawa, Akwa Ibom, Bayelsa, Delta, Edo and Sokoto States challenging the educational background of Tinubu to stand for the 2023 presidential election. Having laid the documentary evidence to establish its case, lawyers to the President asked for an adjournment to enable them call oral witnesses. The Independent National Electoral Commission (1st respondent) and the All Progressives Congress (3rd respondent) in the petition, did not object to the admission of all the documents. Meanwhile, Tinubu will on Wednesday, July 5, open his defence in the petition filed against his election victory by the Labour Party and its presidential candidate, Peter Obi. The decision by Tinubu to begin defense followed INECS dramatic decision on Tuesday to terminate its own defence in Obis petition after calling one witness and tendering four documents. Street sweepers in Edo State, have protested against the payment of N17,820 as their salary by the State waste management board. The women sweepers, took the protest to the secretariat of the Edo chapter of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) on Monday to express their grievances. The protesters, in their uniforms, carried placards with inscriptions such as We need increment in our salary, We are tired of N17,820 among others. Glory Efosa, speaking on behalf of her colleagues, said they had been receiving the amount for the past six years. According to her, with the current economic realities, they can no longer cope with such a meagre salary, They pay us N18,000 but when they deduct the tax, we will be left with N17,820. We have complained and written several letters calling for increment but to no avail. We started receiving this amount as salary during the administration of Gov. Adams Oshiomhole and we are still being paid the same salary. READ ALSO: I Recieve Nothing Less Than 30 Calls Daily Seeking Help Atikus Aide Laments Nigerians Hardship Anytime we go on protest, the general manager would say we dont have employment letters. They would tell us that Governor Godwin Obaseki said he didnt recognise us as working with the government, but if they want to do anything in Benin and they want to make the city look beautiful, they will come to call us. For instance, after finishing our own task on Saturday, they asked us to go to New Benin and clean it up and we went, she said. The general manager was present during the cleaning and when we wanted to bring the matter up, we were asked to hold on and that was how we abandoned the matter. Now, we are having a president who has removed fuel subsidy and things are now very expensive; that money cannot take us anywhere. How do they want us to pay our childrens school fees and our house rent? How do they want us to feed ourselves and our families? Efosa queried. While commending the governor for increasing the minimum wage, Efosa said their own salaries should also be increased to enhance their survival. Information Nigeria reports that in May 2022, Governor Godwin Obaseki approved N40,000 as the minimum wage for workers in the State. The failure of one of the witnesses called by the Labour Party governorship candidate, Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour, has delayed the hearing of his petition against the outcome of the March 18 poll at the Lagos state election petition tribunal on Monday. INFORMATION NIGERIA gathered that the witness was the 11th person scheduled to testify before the Lagos State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal headed by Justice Arum Ashom. At a previous sitting, the petitioner indicated that he would call about 30 witnesses in proof of his petition. He had also presented over 20,000 documents before the Tribunal. Recall that Gbadebo is challenging the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) declaration of Sanwo-Olu as the winner of the governorship poll over alleged widespread irregularities and voter intimidation. At the proceedings on Monday, the lead counsel for the petitioner, Olumide Ayeni (SAN) was absent but the counsel who held his brief, Idowu Benson, told the Tribunal that the witness came to the court earlier but had to leave for medical attention when his health condition deteriorated before the days proceedings commenced. The counsel asked the Tribunal to grant a short adjournment of the proceedings till the next day. He said, The witness complained of feeling ill after waiting for some time and then excused himself that he needed to go to the hospital. We have informed the other counsel and craved their understanding. READ MORE: Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour Loses Polling Unit To Sanwo-Olu However, Counsel for the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Eric Ogiegor; and Segun Ajibola, counsel representing Sanwo-Olu, and his deputy, Obafemi Hamzat did not object to the application for an adjournment. Counsel for the All Progressives Congress, Norrison Quakers (SAN), also said he has no objection since it was a health-related issue. Quakers said, The witness of the Tribunal had a health challenge. If tomorrow (Tuesday) is convenient, we can come back tomorrow, except they have another witness. After taking the submissions of all parties, the Chairman of the Tribunal, Justice Ashom, subsequently adjourned hearing to Tuesday, July 4, 2023 for continuation. Rhodes-Vivour, who scored 257,502 in the March 18, 2023 elections, is seeking an order of the Tribunal nullifying the election of Sanwo-Olu and his deputy on grounds that they were not qualified to contest the election. He asked the Tribunal to disqualify the governor for non-compliance with the Electoral Act 2022 and the guidelines of INEC and to declare him winner of the election. Rhodes-Vivour also argued that the governor was not duly elected by a majority of the lawful votes cast at the election. A four-storey building still under construction in Dape, Lifecamp, Abuja has reportedly collapsed leaving many trapped under the rubble. According to Punch report, the incident occurred at about 4 pm while workers were on the construction site in the swampy Dape Area near the Berger Clinic. Officials of the FCT Fire Service and the National Emergency Management Agency are reportedly at the site of the collapse to rescue victims from the collapsed building. Report also have it that no fewer than 20 persons are currently trapped in the four-storey building that had an underground facility. INFORMATION NIGERIA learnt that The building was intended for hotel accommodation, gave way unexpectedly, trapping several workers who were on-site at the time of the collapse. READ MORE: Four Injured, Many Trapped As Two-Storey Building Collapses In Port Harcourt The Head of Operations of the FCT Fire Service, Amiola Adebayo, who confirmed the incident to PUNCH said rescue operations were still ongoing and could not yet confirm any casualties from the incident. The case of building collapse has become a trending issue, as more than three houses under construction have reportedly claimed many lives while others are still battling to survive the horrible incident. See photos President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, on Monday, urged the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, Service Chiefs, and the Inspector-General of Police to work as a team to address insecurity. Tinubu made the remark when he met the new National Security Adviser (NSA) Nuhu Ribadu and the new service chiefs for the first time in Abuja, since their appointment on June 19, 2023. The President also assured them of his 100 percent support, considering the enormity of the work expected of them. In a chat with State House correspondents, the NSA conveyed the Presidents assurances to the service chiefs that they have his unwavering support. Ribadu, who said the service chiefs pledged their loyalty to the President and Nigerians, also underlined their commitment to work tirelessly to secure the country. He told us that we must work as a team and that theres work to be done, Ribadu told State House Correspondents after a closed-door meeting with the President and Service Chiefs at the Aso Rock Villa, Abuja. Revealing what transpired behind the glass door, the NSA said, He (Tinubu) gave us the assurance that hes with us hundred percent. READ MORE: President Tinubu Sacks All Service Chiefs, Names Replacements He told us that we must work as a team and that theres work to be done, hell expect us to deliver and were grateful for the opportunity. Thats why we are here. You can see already things are improving in our country. If you see, the record of crimes and activities of criminals are going down. It will continue to go down. Well secure this place. Nigerians have seen the quality of the people that are given the opportunity, they are probably some of the best we have and they are not going to fail you; theyll certainly deliver, he said. We also pledged our loyalty to him, Nigeria, and Nigerians. We believe the choice he made is the right one, the correct one, and we know what he wants for this country. Were going to work tirelessly to ensure that we accomplish that objective of securing our country, establishing peace and stability, and lets get our lives back, Ribadu added. INFORMATION NIGERIA gathered that the Chief of Defence Staff, Maj. Gen. C.G Musa; the Chief of Army Staff, Maj. Gen T. A Lagbaja; the Chief of Naval Staff, Rear Admiral E. A Ogalla; and the Chief of Air Staff, AVM H.B Abubakar, were at the meeting. The Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun was also present at the security meeting. Sani Yerima, a former governor of Zamfara State, says President Bola Ahmed Tinubu requested that he broker peace between Dauda Lawal, Governor of Zamfara, and his predecessor, Bello Matawalle. The former deputy senate minority leader disclosed this with State House correspondents after he met with Tinubu on Monday. Recall that after Lawal accused Matawalle of looting the government house, Zamfara government said it recovered 40 official vehicles from Matawalle after the police conducted a raid on his residences in his hometown. In reaction to steps he is taking as the father of the State to settle the rift between the duo, Yerima said plans are underway to ensure that the crisis is settled. You see, the issue of Zamafara like you rightly said, Im now a father in Zamfara. Even Mr President, in my interaction this afternoon, has requested me to put my best to ensure that theres stability in the state and that is what we are doing already, Yerima said. READ ALSO: Return Missing Vehicles Within Five Days Zamfara Gov, Lawal To Matawalle And by the grace of God, we will come together and you will see that all the crises that are going on will be over. He further commended Tinubus decision to remove the petrol subsidy, saying the action was vital in achieving price equilibrium. Im here this afternoon to congratulate Mr President for a very successful take-off having taken over the helms of affairs of our country He came up with three quick decisions that I believe as an economist are going to help this country to achieve development. First, he removed the fuel subsidy, which former leaders couldnt do and looked at the exchange rate disparity which he is bringing together. It is going to help the export and import system and finally the reopening of the border for goods and services to flow into Nigeria. I think these three decisions are especially in the interest of Nigerians. And with patience, Nigerians will see the advantages of the decisions. What he needs is prayers from us and the support of Nigerians, he said. President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, has reiterated his commitment to ensuring consistency in policy and a better business climate to attract investment. The President gave the assurance on Monday while receiving a delegation from the Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC) in Abuja. According to a statement by Dele Alake, Special Adviser to the President on Special Duties, Communication and Strategy, the visit was led by Zoe Yujnovich, SPDCs global upstream director. At the meeting, Tinubu welcomed the SPDCs offer for more investments in the Nigerian oil and gas sector, saying such investments are needed now more than ever, to enable the government meet its obligations. He furthered that attracting investments was a promise I made personally to Nigerians. Whatever it takes, I will fulfill that promise to Nigerians. Tinubu, while assuring Shells management that Nigeria was ready for business, also assured the investor community of his administrations willingness to maintain an open-door policy and address their concerns. READ ALSO: Theres Work To Be Done, Tinubu Tasks Service Chiefs At First Meeting We are open for business. We are serious. I give you the assurance of consistency in policy, he said. He added that his government was removing all forms of bottlenecks in order to ensure that Nigeria becomes an attractive investment destination. Meanwhile, Yujnovich lauded the President for his effort to make the country environment-friendly for investors. She described it as an incredibly strong start of the presidency and expressed her optimism about the moves made so far. The bold step taken by the government would renew Nigerias pride of place as an investment destination, Yujnovich said. According to her, the SPDC was willing to ramp up investment in the country especially in the areas of gas and deep-water assets by pumping in billions of dollars. She however stressed that Nigeria remains a strategic investment country for the company in view of the long history between the two entities and the prospects held by the countys oil and gas sector. Today's C-suite is filled with bosses who see artificial intelligence as the future, and many technology leaders take ChatGPT as synonymous with AI. But OpenAIs flagship project is far from the only large language modeland for some software projects or domains, it might not even be the best choice. New competitors are popping up almost daily. Everyone, it seems, wants to build the next generation of AI tools that will either liberate the Earth or destroy it, depending on who is talking. Are some models better than others? Perhaps. All of them have flaws, quirks, glitches, and weaknesses that become more evident the longer you use them. Generative AI seems amazing at first glance, but over time its strange and unpredictable side begins to emerge. Benchmarking LLMs Measuring the quality of generative AI responses scientifically is difficult because of the scope of the models and how they're used. A data scientist could feed in thousands or even millions of test questions and evaluate the responses, but the results will be limited if the test sets focus on only one type of question. Consulting a resource like Hugging Face's Open LLM Leaderboard is interesting but not necessarily accurate. If finding a precise way to benchmark LLMs is tough, at least switching between them is getting easier. Some projects like OpenLLM or FastChat make it simpler to wire up various models despite their different APIs and interfaces. You can stitch together the layers and sometimes even run the models in parallel. A big question in the background is cost. While everyone is enjoying the explosion of interest and investment, building a large language model can take months or even years. Teams first assemble the training data, then they push the data through expensive hardware that sucks down electricity. Finally, they produce the model. The best way to monetize and sustain this work is an evolving question. Some organizations are experimenting with open sourcing their results, while others happily rely on services with their own billing models. Open source LLMs can be a real giftbut only if youre able to handle the work of deploying the model and keeping it running. Here's a look at 14 large language models that arent ChatGPT. They may or may not be just what your project needs. The only way to know is to send them your prompts and carefully evaluate the results. Llama Facebook (now Meta) created this foundational LLM and then released it as part of its stated commitment to open science." Anyone can download Llama and use it as a foundation for creating more finely-tuned models for particular applications. (Alpaca and Vicuna were both built on top of Llama.) The model is also available in four different sizes. The smaller versions, with only 7 billion parameters, are already being used in unlikely places. One developer even claims to have Llama running on a Raspberry Pi, with just 4GB of RAM. Alpaca Several Stanford researchers took Metas Llama 7B and trained it on a set of prompts that mimic the instruction-following models like ChatGPT. This bit of fine-tuning produced Alpaca 7B, an LLM that opens up the knowledge encoded in the Llama LLM into something that the average person can access by asking questions and giving instructions. Some estimates suggest that the lightweight LLM can run on less than $600 worth of hardware. Alpaca 7B's creators are distributing the training set and the code that built it. Anyone can duplicate the model or create something new from a different set. Vicuna Another descendant of Llama is Vicuna from LMSYS.org. The Vicuna team gathered a training set of 70,000 different conversations from ShareGPT and paid particular attention to creating multi-round interactions and instruction-following capabilities. Available as either Vicuna-13b or Vicuna-7b, this LLM is among the most price-competitive open solutions for basic interactive chat. NodePad Not everyone is enthralled with the way that LLMs generate linguistically accurate text. The creators of NodePad believe that the quality of the text tends to distract users from double-checking the underlying facts. LLMs with nice UIs, tend to unintentionally glorify the result making it more difficult for users to anticipate these problems. NodePad is designed to nurture exploration and ideation without producing polished writing samples that users will barely skim. Results from this LLM appear as nodes and connections, like you see in many mind mapping tools, and not like finished writing. Users can tap the model's encyclopedic knowledge for great ideas without getting lost in presentation. Orca The first generation of large language models succeeded by size, growing larger and larger over time. Orca, from a team of researchers at Microsoft, reverses that trend. The model uses only 13 billion parameters, making it possible to run on average machines. Orca's developers achieved this feat by enhancing the training algorithm to use explanation traces, step-by-step thought processes, and instructions. Instead of just asking the AI to learn from raw material, Orca was given a training set designed to teach. In other words, just like humans, AIs learn faster when theyre not thrown into the deep end. The initial results are promising and Microsofts team offered benchmarks that suggest that the model performs as well as much larger models. Jasper The creators of Jasper didnt want to build a wise generalist; they wanted a focused machine for creating content. Instead of just an open-ended chat session, the system offers more than 50 templates designed for particular tasks like crafting a real estate listing or writing product features for a site like Amazon. The paid versions are specifically aimed at businesses that want to create marketing copy with a consistent tone. Claude Anthropic created Claude to be a helpful assistant who can handle many of a business's text-based chores, from research to customer service. In goes a prompt and out comes an answer. Anthropic deliberately allows long prompts to encourage more complex instructions, giving users more control over the results. Anthropic currently offers two versions: the full model called Claude-v1 and a cheaper, simplified one called Claude Instant, which is significantly less expensive. The first is for jobs that need more complex, structured reasoning while the second is faster and better for simple tasks like classification and moderation. Cerebras When specialized hardware and a general model co-evolve, you can end up with a very fast and efficient solution. Cerebras offers its LLM on Hugging Face in a variety of sizes from small (111 million parameters) to larger (13 billion parameters) for those who want to run it locally. Many, though, will want to use the cloud services, which run on Cerebrass own wafer-scale integrated processors optimized for plowing through large training sets. Falcon The full-sized Falcon-40b and the smaller Falcon-7b were built by the Technology Innovation Institute (TII) in the United Arab Emirates. They trained the Falcon model on a large set of general examples from the RefinedWeb, with a focus on improving inference. Then, they turned around and released it with the Apache 2.0, making it one of the most open and unrestricted models available for experimentation. ImageBind Many think of Meta as a big company that dominates social media, but its also a powerful force in open source software development. Now that interest in AI is booming, it shouldnt be a surprise that the company is starting to share many of its own innovations. ImageBind is a project thats meant to show how AI can create many different types of data at once; in this case, text, audio, and video. In other words, generative AI can stitch together an entire imaginary world, if you let it. Gorilla You've probably been hearing a lot about using generative AI to write code. The results are often superficially impressive but deeply flawed on close examination. The syntax may be correct, but the API calls are all wrong, or they may even be directed at a function that doesnt exist. Gorilla is an LLM thats designed to do a better job with programming interfaces. Its creators started with Llama and then fine-tuned it with a focus on deeper programming details scraped directly from documentation. Gorilla's team also offer its own API-centric set of benchmarks for testing success. That's an important addition for programmers who are looking to rely on AIs for coding assistance. Ora.ai Ora is a system that allows users to create their own targeted chatbots that are optimized for a particular task. LibrarianGPT will try to answer any question with a direct passage from a book. Professor Carl Sagan, for example, is a bot that draws from all of Sagan's writings so he can live on for billions and billions of years. You can create your own bot or use one of the hundreds created by others already. AgentGPT Another tool that stitches together all the code necessary for an application is AgentGPT. Its designed to create agents that can be sent to tackle jobs like planning a vacation or write the code for a type of game. The source code for much of the tech stack is available under GPL 3.0. There's also a running version available as a service. FrugalGPT This isnt a different model as much as a careful strategy for finding the cheapest possible model to answer a particular question. The researchers who developed FrugalGPT recognized that many questions dont need the biggest, most expensive model. Their algorithm starts with the simplest and moves up a list of LLMs in a cascade until it's found a good answer. The researchers experiments suggest that this careful approach may save 98% of the cost because many questions do not actually need a sophisticated model. A Chevy parked on 56th Street was riddled with many bullet holes on Monday night. Read more Five people were killed and two children ages 2 and 13 were injured Monday night in a mass shooting in the Kingsessing section of Southwest Philadelphia. A suspect is in custody, police said. Police responded shortly before 8:30 p.m. to gunfire in the area of South 56th Street and Chester Avenue, and about 10 minutes later, with police following the suspect as gunfire continued to ring out, a 40-year-old man was confronted several blocks away in an alleyway on the 1600 block of South Frazier Street, Police Commissioner Danielle Outlaw said at a news conference at the scene. Advertisement Police officers issued verbal commands, and then took him into custody without further incident, Outlaw said. Outlaw initially said the people killed were ages 59, 22, and 20, and one deceased victim was unidentified but believed to be between 16 and 21, Outlaw said. A fifth person was found several hours later in the living room of his home on 56th Street, which Chief Inspector Scott Small told reporters on the scene was related to the earlier shooting. READ MORE: Police identify suspect in Kingsessing shooting where five men died and two children were injured The two children were reported to be in stable condition, Outlaw said. All the victims were male. Police initially reported a total of eight shooting victims. A second person believed to have returned gunfire at the primary shooter also was taken into custody, and a gun from that individual was taken into evidence, Outlaw said. The suspect allegedly was armed with an AR-style rifle and a handgun, Outlaw said. He also was wearing a ballistic vest, and was carrying additional magazines of ammunition and a police scanner. The shooting scene encompassed an area of several blocks, and included approximately 50 spent shell casings, Outlaw said. Several vehicles were struck by bullets. Within minutes, police had found and transported several victims to Penn Presbyterian Medical Center. The remaining victims arrived by private vehicle to the same hospital. READ MORE: The morning after a mass shooting in Kingsessing, the streets are quiet: People scared, people on edge No officers discharged their firearms during the arrest, police said. Outlaw said the motive for the shooting remained under investigation. Mayor Jim Kenney posted a statement on Twitter shortly before 10:40 p.m. Horrified by the reports of a shooting in Southwest Philadelphia. My heart is with the loved ones and families of everyone involved, and I send my prayers to the victims, the mayor said. My sincere thanks to @PhillyPolice for their brave response and successful apprehension of a suspect. This devasting [sic] violence must stop. If you have any information about this crime or any other, please report it to PPD by calling or texting 215-686-TIPS, Kenney said. At least six shell casings were visible on the street on the 1600 block of South 56th Street, not far from where one of the juvenile victims was located. Emma Hilton, 70, sipped on a drink and watched from her porch as police marked shell casings and flashed lights on bullet holes in a nearby box truck. In her 11 years living on that block in Kingsessing, shed heard gunfire. But its getting more dangerous, she said. Its getting worse. My kids getting ready to take me up out of here, she said. With the mass shooting happening so close to her doorstep, she said she was ready to move down South, where her children had already tried to convince her to move. Its never been on this block. ... Its gotten worse around here. Its really gotten worse. Its time to go, she said. As of late Sunday, the city had recorded 212 homicides so far this year, down 19% from the same period in 2022. A Philadelphia Police Crime Scene investigator arrives at the intersection of 56th Street and Kingsessing Avenue after a multiple shooting in Southwest Philadelphia on Monday. Read more Sources have identified the suspect in Mondays mass shooting in Southwest Philadelphia as Kimbrady Carriker. Carriker, 40, of Philadelphia, was arrested in connection with the shooting death of five people and injuring two children in a killing spree in the Kingsessing section of Philadelphia, sources said. READ MORE: The killer in one of Philadelphias deadliest mass shootings evidently fired randomly, police say Advertisement Shortly before 8:30 p.m., police responded to gunfire in the area of South 56th Street and Chester Avenue, said Police Commissioner Danielle Outlaw. About 10 minutes later, with police following the suspect, who was continued to fire a gun and was cornered several blocks away in an alleyway on the 1600 block of South Frazier Street, she said. The suspect was taken into custody without incident, police said. Tina Rosette, 49, said she lived with Carriker for about a year on the 5600 block of Belmar Terrace in 2021. She said Carriker was really smart, intelligent, creative, and loved working on computer programs. She was shocked to hear of the accusations, saying shed never seen Carriker with a gun before. Still, she said Carriker did have an aggressive approach to some things in life. One example: She said Carriker sometimes taught young people how to fight, purportedly in self-defense, but didnt give them much direction about how or when to stop. READ MORE: The morning after a mass shooting in Kingsessing, the streets are quiet: People scared, people on edge Tinas daughter, Cianni Rosette, 24, who lived with Tina and Carriker in West Philadelphia, said the two of them got along for a while, and that she enjoyed Carrikers personality, which she said was cool and creative. But unlike her mother, Cianni Rosette said Carriker did show her a handgun several times and was trying to get me comfortable around guns and stuff like that. And she said Carriker could be difficult to talk to occasionally someone who could be aloof or easy to anger, even if not outwardly expressing it. At one point, she said, Carriker indicated a desire to start a romantic relationship with her, and was pushy about it. I havent really talked to him after that rejection, she said. Tina Rosette and her daughter moved out about a year ago, and she said she believed Carriker had been in a dark place recently, though she wasnt sure why. She said she tried to stay in touch but only talked to Carriker sporadically in the time since she left the house. A child's bike left at the scene of a Monday night shooting in Kingsessing with seven gunshot victims. Read more On a day when Philadelphians would normally be celebrating, a corner of the city was quiet. The streets of Kingsessing were largely empty Tuesday residents inside their homes, the doors double-locked. Most of the people outside were politicians and police officers keeping watch. A childs mint-green bike lay abandoned in the street. No one is willing, including kids, to come by and pick it up, District Attorney Larry Krasner said. Theyre too scared, he said. Advertisement Because 12 hours earlier, a person with a gun started shooting along 56th Street near Chester and Springfield Avenues in Southwest Philadelphia. Police say the suspect, identified by officials as Kimbrady Carriker, 40, opened fire on occupied cars and passersby while dressed in body armor and armed with an automatic rifle. Seven people were shot across several blocks. Police officers rushed them to Penn Presbyterian Medical Center, but five people died: DaJuan Brown, 15; Lashyd Merritt, 21; Ralph Moralis, 59; Dymir Stanton, 29; and Joseph Wamah Jr., 31. Two boys, ages 2 and 13, were shot in the legs. They were stable at a hospital Tuesday. Mondays shooting is the deadliest in Philadelphia in more than two decades. People scared, people on edge, said Amer Barber, 40, a Kingsessing resident. Police believe the first person to be fatally shot was Wamah, who lived on the 1600 block of South 56th Street. Then, police say, Carriker wandered out into the street and began shooting aimlessly, at occupied vehicles and people on the street, said Staff Inspector Ernest Ransom, head of the Homicide Unit. A 31-year-old woman was driving down the street, heading home, when bullets flew through the car, Ransom said. Her 2-year-old son was struck in the legs, and his twin was struck in the eyes by shattered glass. Both were in stable condition. About 10 minutes later, after following the sounds of gunfire, officers followed the suspect into an alleyway, Police Commissioner Danielle Outlaw said, and took the suspect into custody without incident. READ MORE: What we know about Monday's mass shooting in Kingsessing Theo James, 25, a lifelong resident of the neighborhood, was on the corner of 55th Street and Paschall Avenue when he heard someone was shooting up people in cars. I heard a young man screaming, Help, help, help! Please help! Theres people walking by him, said James. He ran toward the screams blocks away, even as the shots continued to ring out, he said. He helped move three victims into police cars, but had to stop out of fear he could hear shots still being fired. A second person believed to have returned gunfire also was taken into custody, but was not facing charges because it appeared the person fired in self-defense, Krasner said. On Tuesday, families began to process the senseless violence that stole their loved ones. Such as the family of Ralph Moralis, who was supposed to walk his eldest daughter down the aisle this weekend at her wedding, said Tamika Veney, Moralis former partner of 25 years. He did well by his family, she said of Moralis. Hes really going to be missed. Even after they split up, Veney said, the two remained cordial for their now-20-year-old daughter, who was always his baby. Talking to residents alongside elected officials, including Councilmember Katherine Gilmore Richardson and state Rep. Joanna McClinton, Krasner noted that the bike was serving as an unofficial memorial for victims Tuesday morning. Doors here are locked, Krasner said. Theyre double-locked, curtains are closed, kids are being told not to go outside because of the horror that went down here yesterday. Its absolutely heartbreaking. Staff writers Robert Moran, Rodrigo Torrejon, and Ryan Briggs contributed to this article. Miles Wilson, the president/CEO of EducationWorks, gets ready to read to kindergarten kids in the after school program at Grover Cleveland Mastery Charter School in 2017. He died in June, the same week his nonprofit laid off 133 workers. Read more Nearly a month after EducationWorks, the publicly funded education nonprofit, laid off 133 workers, employees still havent been paid the final paychecks theyre owed. EducationWorks, which runs afterschool programs for Philadelphia and New Jersey public schools and housed workforce development organization PowerCorpsPHL, failed to pay workers for a month before laying them off, citing a serious financial shortfall due to outstanding accounts receivable and operating costs. The layoffs came the same week as the death of CEO Miles Wilson. In the layoff notice, dated June 5, Chief financial officer Jamil Rivers wrote that workers would get their pay, as well as unused paid time off, when additional funding becomes available. Advertisement Through a spokesperson, EducationWorks said that the organization itself was waiting to get paid. More than 90% of EducationWorks funding comes from city, state, and federal grant dollars, according to its federal tax filing for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2021, the most recent available. We believe that there are outstanding receivables for services already earned that will cover compensation to the laid off and furloughed employees, the statement said. We are in discussions with those agencies and our lender. Ensuring payment to the employees remains our highest priority. In a statement, the City of Philadelphia said, There are a number of outstanding questions about our legal ability to pay EducationWorks. We are working through these questions and agree that payments to staff should be prioritized. The nonprofits tax filing said it employed 311 people. Its not clear how many workers were furloughed this summer. READ MORE: EducationWorks lays off 133 employees after CEOs death, citing serious financial shortfall Since the layoffs, workers say they have sent desperate pleas to leadership about not being able to pay their bills and have received frustrating responses. On June 20, Rivers wrote to staff, Unfortunately, we did not receive payment in from [Public Health Management Corporation] or the City of Philadelphia. The funders received a notice of default from the lender of our line of credit, the Reinvestment Fund, which prohibits them sending payments to us. Two days later, board member Nikki Frazier wrote in an email to an employee that it was rumors that caused the delay in pay. A ripple effect was created when there was an inflow of emails from staff and articles written which caused rumors to spread, Frazier wrote. Because of the rumors, vendors decided to hold payments owed to us. That has delayed the situation significantly as we have been doing damage control to produce information and financials to prove the rumors false, so they may release funds. The Reinvestment Fund did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Neither did Public Health Management Corporation. In a report on the audit of EducationWorks financial statements for the fiscal years ending June 2021, accounting firm Milligan and Company noted what it described as a material weakness in internal control over compliance. EducationWorks had failed to submit audit documentation on time, delaying the audit process, the report said. EducationWorks had missed these deadlines the previous two years, reports show, despite saying it developed procedures to ensure supporting documents are retained and readily accessible. In the report on the audit for the fiscal year ending June 2020, auditors noted additional issues with EducationWorks grant compliance, describing these issues as significant deficiencies in internal control over compliance. Those included missing documentation about students and failure to provide required trainings for certain workers. Its illegal under city, state, and federal law for an employer to fail to pay its workers, but employers can and do get away with doing so, sometimes even when the U.S. Department of Labor comes after them. The City of Philadelphias Department of Labor enforces the city wage theft law. The city generally does not levy penalties or fines on employers that break the wage theft law. The Man Full of Trouble Tavern at 2nd and Spruce Streets, was recently purchased by Dan Wheeler, an Old City Attorney. The tavern is Philadelphias only surviving pre-Revolutionary War drinking spot and Wheeler plans to turn the building into a microbrewery and museum. Read more Happy Fourth of July. When youre out and about, keep in mind whats open and closed today. If you need a guide to find official fireworks, we have the rundown of that later in the newsletter. If youre doing your own personal show, please be safe. I dont recommend playing with fireworks on your own, but if you do, we have tips from federal and state officials on how to avoid injuries. Our main story today features a bar that is described as a great place to plot a revolution. A Man Full of Trouble Tavern in Society Hill is the last of its kind. It originally opened in 1759, and its the last surviving dive bar in Philadelphia from the Revolutionary era. For context, Colonial Philadelphia was full of bars. It had 101 taverns, which means there was about one bar for every 160 citizens. Advertisement After decades of being closed to the public, the bar is reopening. We take a look at what goes into opening its doors again. Also, in more somber news, four people were killed and two children injured in a shooting in the Kingsessing section of Southwest Philadelphia on Monday night. Well share with you what we know. Taylor Allen (@TayImanAllen, morningnewsletter@inquirer.com) A Man Full of Trouble Tavern is Philadelphias only surviving pre-Revolutionary War bar. Its been closed for decades, but that didnt stop generations of Philadelphians from checking out the charming piece of history. When Dan Wheeler, an Old City lawyer and real estate investor, saw it on a real estate listing two years, he jumped at the chance to buy it, with a dream to bring life back to the old bar. Fast forward to this past June, he teamed up with the Chester County brewery Succession Fermentory for a Philly Beer Week pop-up at A Man Full of Trouble. It was the first time drinks had been served there in more than a century. When will it open? Wheeler is hoping for next spring. Keep reading to learn more about Wheelers vision for the historic bar. The U.S. Air Force has been refueling planes while in the air for 100 years. Its part of typical training for the Pennsylvania Air National Guard. Its pretty routine now, but it wasnt always. Exactly a century ago, it was more of a crude operation. Crews flying two World War I-era DH-4B airplanes in San Diego flew on top of one another and dropped a hose to connect the pair and transfer gasoline. To commemorate the anniversary, the U.S. Air Force opened training exercises to the media across the country. Its supposed to be a way for the public to see what they do, but its also a recruitment effort. Note: The armed forces are having well-documented recruitment and retention issues. Civilians either dont qualify or dont have an interest. For the 193rd, the third-largest Air National Guard wing in the country, the publicity could help it reach its goal of recruiting 220 people a year. Click here to see pictures of the crew refueling planes 10,000 feet above the ground. What you should know today The Fourth of July festivities kicked off this weekend, so that means youve probably been celebrating since Saturday. But todays the actual day, so why stop now? If youre looking for a place to catch the best local fireworks for Americas birthday, we have you covered. Philadelphia spots: Freedom Fest Fireworks & Food Truck Festival: July 4, at dusk, Linden and Delaware Avenues, eventbrite.com Wawa Welcome America: July 4, 7 p.m. Demi Lovato and Ludacris concert followed by fireworks, entrance at Logan Circle on 20th Street, july4thphilly.com Bucks County locations: Click here to find the best fireworks at the Jersey Shore and in Chester, Delaware, and Montgomery counties. Trivia time Who is the Philly ballroom legend known as The Voice of Philadelphia that emcees Beyonce's Renaissance Tour? A) Kevin JZ Prodigy B) Meechie Lanvin C) Jacen Prodigy D) None of the above Think you know? Check your answer. What were... Watching: A civil rights group is challenging legacy admissions at Harvard University in light of the Supreme Courts affirmative action ruling last week. Considering: Other social media platforms after Elon Musk put new limits on viewing tweets. Unscramble the anagram Hint: Her house is in Old City BYRES TOSS Email us if you know the answer. Well select a reader at random to shout out here. Cheers to Joseph Reardon, who correctly guessed Mondays answer: Demi Lovato. Photo of the day Im craving my first tea of the day . Ill be spending the rest of the day enjoying the holiday, so there wont be a newsletter tomorrow. I hope your day is full of fantastic barbecue, and Ill be back in your inbox on Thursday. Najee (left) and Naeem Roundtree work with instructor Rasheed Knox during a summer program at the Strawberry Mansion Learning Center, where kids can keep up with reading skills. Read more The steep drop in test scores for 13-year-olds should be cause for alarm for educators across the country, and thats especially true in big cities such as Philadelphia, where Black and brown students have been impacted the most by the learning loss since the pandemic. Average test scores plummeted nine points in math and four points in reading on the National Assessment of Education Progress (NAEP), which is considered the nations report card. The drop in math test scores was the largest in 50 years. The alarming decrease lines up with other testing data in Philadelphia that show only 17% of students in third through eighth grades met the state standard for math in the 2021-22 school year, down from 22% in 2018-19. Proficiency in English also dropped from 36% to 34% during the same period, while in science, just 37% of students met the state standard, down from 40% before the pandemic. The plunging test scores point to a crisis in public education brought on by the pandemic. The sharp rise in student absenteeism combined with a youth mental health crisis and the exodus of teachers compound concerns that a generation of students may never catch up. Advertisement READ MORE: Phillys kids cant succeed in school if theyre not showing up to class | Editorial Although the decline in test scores spanned all racial and economic levels, research shows students in poorer neighborhoods were disproportionately impacted. Many of those students had less access to the internet and spent more time doing remote learning. As a result, two years of COVID-19 shutdowns and disruptions upended 20 years of gains in closing the education gap. Theres plenty of blame to go around. Former President Donald Trumps mismanagement of the pandemic worsened and prolonged broader recovery efforts. Meanwhile, many Democratic lawmakers and the powerful teachers unions fought the return to in-person learning for too long. The pandemic also spurred much uncertainty, anxiety, and politicization of science and mask mandates that deepened the educational divide. The ongoing culture battles over book banning, Pride flags, and transgender students only further distract school boards, teachers, students, and parents from the goal of education. The challenge now is a return to normal but with an added urgency to make up the lost ground. The first step is to acknowledge the long-term impact the pandemic will have on the preparedness of the future workforce if it is not addressed. One study found that the learning loss will hamper economic growth for the next 50 years. Cherelle Parker, who is likely to become Philadelphias mayor in 2024, proposed lengthening the school day and implementing year-round school. At first blush, that makes sense, but there are complications, including the added cost, opposition from teachers unions as well as some parents, and the fact that some schools lack central air-conditioning for those sweltering summer days. READ MORE: Mayoral candidates need real plans to fix the citys troubled schools | Editorial From 2000 through 2004, Philadelphia tried year-round education at Grover Washington Jr. Middle School in Olney, but the experiment ended after it showed little promise. Parents, teachers, and administrators in Richmond, Va., have been ensnared in a heated debate over year-round education. Los Angeles embraced it in the 1980s to combat a population boom, but by 2015, only one school remained in the program. More to the point, research shows year-round school doesnt increase test scores because it doesnt result in more class times. Likewise, adding time to the school day has had mixed results, boosting test scores in some schools but not all in others. Despite the lack of success, Philadelphia Superintendent Tony B. Watlington Sr. proposed a year-round pilot program. That is not a game changer, so why bother? However, Watlingtons other plan to have students read more and teach phonics makes sense. While there are no easy solutions to make up for the lost time, studies show intensive and targeted tutoring is the best way to boost scores and close the achievement gap. But that can be expensive, and finding enough qualified tutors is difficult given the teacher shortage. Federal and state lawmakers must work with local school districts to boost funding to help solve the education crisis. The pandemic claimed more than a million American lives, and cost trillions in lost economic output and impaired health outcomes it cannot be allowed to claim a generation of student learning. Demonstrators protest outside of the U.S. Supreme Court in Washington on Thursday after the court's conservative majority struck down affirmative action in college admissions, saying race cannot be a factor. Read more Affirmative reaction The U.S. Supreme Courts ruling on affirmative action is causing much debate around the country. For me, it is both good news and bad news. For our granddaughter, who is Asian American, it is great news. She has always dreamed of going to Harvard. She has visited there several times, winning debating contests. She often wears Harvard sweatshirts. She is accomplished but had little chance of getting into Harvard simply because she is Asian American. I am so happy for her. On the other hand, I believe that diversity is critical in a multicultural democracy. I believe part of the solution resides in how we fund our schools. My grandkids go to schools in Howard County, Md., and Greenwich, Conn., in two of the higher-performing school districts in the country. They are lucky to be able to attend those schools. Now think about the kid who goes to a school in North Philly that is old, may have asbestos, no air-conditioning, little funds, and crowded classrooms, and perhaps that child goes to school hungry. How could he or she ever compete with my grandkids? Its not fair, and it is an example of systemic racism. We need to figure out a way that all kids have the same opportunities. Advertisement Barry Vernick, Philadelphia . . . Jonathan Zimmermans column, much like all conversation regarding the end of affirmative action in education, focused on the insulated bubble of Ivy League schools. Its uncertain why most of the media seem to ignore the fact that these elite universities are but a fraction of our higher education system. Zimmerman goes on to suggest using income-based admission policies could fill the void left by the Supreme Courts ruling and maintain diversity, but economic struggles affect all races. Is it realistic that these universities would forgo their hefty tuition? Very unlikely, so that would create additional generations mired in college debt. How about the pre-1978 system, where applicants were judged on their ability, character, and likelihood of completing studies and obtaining a degree? These qualities are ignored in the authors assertions. It also seems the hand-wringing over legacy admissions is a bit of a red herring, given the total enrollment these represent is a drop in the collective bucket. If colleges could put their avarice on the back burner and admit on merit and character qualities that come in all colors the playing field may have a chance at self-leveling. J. Savage, Philadelphia . . . I am a University of Pennsylvania student who went to Lower Merion, one of the best public schools in the Philadelphia area. While there were other Black students in my grade, I was consistently the only one in my AP and honors classes. At my school, many counselors were known for automatically streamlining Black and Latinx students into lower-level classes. I am blessed to have parents who ensured that I was in the best classes and extracurriculars. But for those unlike me, it was easy to slip through the cracks. I was so struck by how lonely my experience was that I conducted my senior project on the experience of being a high-achieving student of color within the Main Lines top high schools. A common theme that came up was students feeling the pressure to prove that Black students belonged in the classes and extracurriculars they took part in. Successes were either overemphasized or underacknowledged. While by no means majority-Black, compared with my high school, Penn felt like a haven. In my freshman year, I was tapped for a doctoral pipeline program for Black and other underrepresented students, sang with my Black a cappella group, went to Divine Nine parties, and took Africana studies classes filled with others who looked like me. With the U.S. Supreme Court decision overturning affirmative action, I feel the threat of all of that looking very different in the years to come. I urge educators to not let this be an excuse that further allows Black students to slip through the cracks. Get Black students on the path to upper-level classes in high school early. Give us the chance to be more than the exception. Charissa Howard, Philadelphia Join the conversation: Send letters to letters@inquirer.com. Limit length to 150 words and include home address and day and evening phone number. Letters run in The Inquirer six days a week on the editorial pages and online. Philadelphia police continued to investigate the Kingsessing shooting scene Tuesday morning. Forty-year-old Kimbrady Carriker was identified as a suspect and was arrested Monday night. Five people were killed and two children ages 2 and 13 in the mass shooting. The 1,472-square-foot corner rowhouse is in walking distance of Main Street Manayunk, Regional Rail, and several parks. Read more Jen Larkin had lived briefly in Manayunk while a graduate student at Bryn Mawr College, so when she moved into her new husbands bachelor home, he didnt have to sell her on the neighborhood. Its a good family scene, said Jen, chief development officer for a local nonprofit. Husband Andrew, who is in sales for a power tool and hardware dealer, bought the three-bedroom, 2-bath house in 2013. In the 10 years hes lived there, Ive touched every single room in the house. Jen moved in 2019. While it needed limited work when he first moved in, he said, the projects were manageable and the end of the row [location] let in a lot of light. The Larkins added a deck and a rear-of-the-house extension. Now, with two children, they are headed to Jenkintown for more space. The rowhouse has a covered front porch, and the interior features hardwood floors and recessed lighting. Advertisement The combined living and dining room has exposed brick walls and high ceilings. The kitchen has stainless steel appliances, a center island, and a white subway tile backsplash, with an adjacent laundry room and powder room. The second-floor primary bedroom has a private bathroom, and the other two bedrooms have ample closet space. There is sheltered three-car parking and a private composite deck. There are also central air and an unfinished basement for storage. Total square footage is 1,472. Jen described the neighborhood as really kid-friendly, lots of people our age with kids and plenty to do. The house is in walking distance of Main Street Manayunk, Regional Rail, and several parks. It has easy access to Route 1, the Schuylkill Expressway, and Kelly Drive. It is listed by Sean Adams of Compass Real estate for $420,000. Senior associates Hanna Kim Hong (insurance, Sydney); Joshua Noney (insurance, Sydney); Selma Causevic (insurance, Sydney); and Myles Bryant (insurance, Sydney). Commenting on the appointment spree, GC managing principal Richard Wood said: We work hard to make sure we get the right people in the door to do good work for great clients. The calibre of the GC lawyers being promoted, as well as the senior hires joining us across our network, is therefore particularly pleasing. I am delighted to welcome Andrew and Scott to Meridian and to the national insurance group. Both are recognised leaders in the legal market with an exceptionally loyal client following. Their experience and standing in the insurance industry, exemplary track record, and technical skills complement the expertise of our high calibre team and reinforce our position as a firm providing preeminent strategic legal advice and representation, Baker said. Bluebook was particularly attractive to us because it also shares very similar cultural values to BMS, and its senior management are passionate about supporting their staff and clients to achieve success, said Andrew Godden, CEO of BMS Australia. Global risk and reinsurance specialist Guy Carpenter, a subsidiary of Marsh McLennan, has confirmed the successful completion of its acquisition of Re Solutions, an independent reinsurance broker headquartered in Israel. The financial terms of the deal have not been disclosed. Businesses in Cork say the cost of living crisis and housing remain their top concerns to be addressed in the Budget this year. According to the Chamber's latest Economic Trends trends survey, 55% of respondents reported they want to see the cost of living measures as the number one priority in Budget 2024 with a similar number (49%) reporting that supply-side housing stimulus should be a focal point in the upcoming budget and 34% called for the budget surplus to be used to finance it. Infrastructural investment, business competitiveness, tax reform, and climate action investment were the next items firms want to see prioritised. In relation to housing, businesses said targeted and timebound VAT reduction for construction activity came out as the top priority action that government should undertake to address the supply of housing, followed by accelerated capital allowances for apartment development and increasing the income threshold for cost rental. Investment in large-scale public transport projects and investment in the supporting infrastructure for renewable energy were identified as the most desired measures for government to undertake to combat climate action. Business confidence Despite the pre-Budget concerns, 97% of Cork firms expressed confidence in their own business with 71% expressing confidence in the overall economy. While businesses reported difficulties filling vacant roles, more than half of companies (55%) plan to increase their headcounts over the next 12 months. A shortage of the required skill remains the most significant barrier to filling vacancies followed by housing concerns. It is positive to see that business confidence remains high at 97%," Cork Chamber President Ronan Murray said. "This confidence has been evident through the quarter with a wealth of investment and growth plans announced by businesses across the region. Budget 2024 will be an important moment for government to match that optimism and willingness to invest with constructive and strategic financing for the key economic enablers." Despite inflation and changing consumer spending, businesses are continuing to expand and have sustained strong hiring numbers this quarter with 41% reporting an increase to employee numbers and only 7% having decreased their staff numbers," said Auriol Kelly, Business Banking Manager at Permanent TSB who sponsor the survey. "As businesses continue to adapt to a changing environment, Permanent TSB remains committed to supporting the business community." Mr Murray said previous housing measures announced by Government are positive in terms of addressing the housing shortage. "It is important to retain this focus for Budget 2024 to help deliver increased affordable, sustainable and high-density housing. The supply of housing and the associated infrastructural supports, such as public transport, are key for Cork businesses." With the advent of the M7 Limerick-Dublin motorway, as well as the ring-road developments around Limerick city, the area to the north of Limerick has been undergoing gradual transformation from a string of villages to a suburban zone. Thus, a 23-acre parcel of agricultural land just outside the village of Birdhill in County Tipperary is likely to attract as many farmers as investors with an eye to the potential future of such land parcels. At the age of 16 in Afghanistan, Sola Mahfouz didnt know how to add or subtract. Today at 27 shes a quantum computing researcher at Tufts University, Boston. Along with Malaina Kapoor, Sola is co-author of newly-published Defiant Dreams, The Journey of an Afghan Girl Who Risked Everything for Education. Shes also the subject of the book. At our three-way Zoom meet Malainas joining from California where shes studying International Relations at Stanford University I discover that Sola Mahfouz is a pseudonym. Its for the privacy of my family, the safety of my relatives in Afghanistan, she explains, adding that she chose the name, Sola, for its meaning: peace. Sola born a year after the Taliban took over her home town of Kandahar was just days past her 11th birthday when men came to her home and gave her father a dire ultimatum: stop sending his daughters to school or theyd suffer acid attacks, be kidnapped or worse. I was still young and I hated school, so I saw it more as a child at that stage. It was years later when I understood what it meant. What it meant was a life suffocated by restrictions. I was only allowed go outside a few times a year. And when I went out I had to always be accompanied by someone and wear a suffocating burka, which covered me from head to toe. I was very jealous of my brothers, of the freedoms they had. I ask Sola what its like to wear the burka to be the person inside that garment? Its like you are never seen as a person, you are just like an object standing there. The minute you wear it, you stop being you you enter this space of non-existence. Malaina tells a story, which she says eloquently shows how the burka handicaps women a story about one of Solas brothers thinking their burka-clad mother was blind. You can see, but through these tiny mesh holes. Wearing the burka, women do become blind because they can only see a tiny straight line in front of them. Solas brother was guiding their mother be careful, dont step there. For me, the burkas a symbol of what is taken from a woman, how it strips her of the basic dignity of being human. By the time she was 14, Sola realised education was the way out of this oppressed, restricted life. And what she achieved educationally over the next few years is nothing short of mind-boggling. Secretly teaching herself Maths and English, she read dictionaries and whatever newspapers she could lay her hands on despite finding news reports about her countrys problems really disturbing. She translated vocabulary, recorded it in her own voice and, while cleaning and cooking, listened to understand. She discovered the Khan Academy, an American non-profit educational organisation with the goal of providing a free, world-class education for anyone, anywhere. The organisation offers thousands of lessons in maths, science and the humanities for students of all ages. Sola downloaded lessons and study sheets and did much of her learning in the dead of night. I studied philosophy, science. I read diverse literature from all around the world. I was so obsessed with learning that within three years I was able to study college level calculus. Malaina Kapoor, author of Defiant Dreams. For Malaina who was introduced to Sola by a mutual friend during the pandemic and who began writing down the stories the Afghan woman shared about her life what Sola has achieved is stunning. She barely had a handle on the alphabet. Yet, using the Internet and an extremely slow dial-up connection, she was able to move from kindergarten level to studying calculus and reading philosophy and science. And this was despite Sola having so many household responsibilities. She had to take turns with the other women to cook these huge spreads for breakfast, lunch and dinner. What struck me was how I see cleaning and cooking, versus how all-consuming it was in her life. But despite the obstacles, Sola says it was all about keeping trying. In my life, I was dependent on someone else for everything on my father for food, on my brother to take me out. So each word I learned, each equation I solved was empowering. It was something in my control. In freeing herself from her life under the thumb of the Taliban in finding a road out Sola had to surmount seemingly-impossible challenges. To get a college place in the US, she had to prove what she knew I tried to get a high school certificate in Afghanistan, the official at the Ministry of Education wouldnt even look in my eyes. She needed to secure a visa for the US in one minute the officer denied me a visa, I felt the ground was taken from me. But she managed to conquer the barriers, even if doing so involved, for example, crossing the dangerous border between Afghanistan and Pakistan. She finally arrived in the US in 2016, where aged 20 she began studying physics and maths at Arizona State University. For Sola, education isnt about learning facts. Im still educating myself. Its a never-ending process through which you become who you are. For me, its about breaking away from old ways of thinking. Im learning about patriarchy, how our values developed under that and Im trying to break from it. She spends her free time reading, studying different styles of fiction, something she says helps her in understanding her homeland. Life is so complex in Afghanistan. Fiction gives us a way to understand human dynamics, emotions. I love Turgenevs Fathers and Sons, the story of the clash of different generations and different values. Defiant Dreams, by Sola Mahfouz and Malaina Kapoor Sola dedicates the book to her mother, crediting her positive outlook toward life, like light in a dark lane as giving her courage to go through the darkest time in my life with defiance. As a young woman, Solas mother was a Kabul university student. She wore skirts and short-sleeved blouses and had a fashionable bob haircut that she rarely covered with a veil. She eventually became a university professor. With the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights reporting in March this year that 20 years of progress for women and girls rights have been erased in Afghanistan since the Taliban takeover, Malaina points to a central theme of Defiant Dreams: In Afghanistan, mothers had more freedoms [in the past] than their daughters do today. Sola sees the very free life her mother enjoyed as a young woman as evidence that nothing is set in stone about what Afghanistan is. The news says our society is backward, but it is so much more the politics. Does she miss her country? I dont feel I want to be there now. But Id like to go back to that place of childhood. I think about and I miss the music, the smell of the food, the way my mother would be when we came back from school I want to go back to that time. Malaina says the book is the story of one girl but also the story of all the girls in Afghanistan today, and the girls whove suffered in Afghanistan through history. And its the story of girls fighting for freedom in other places, like Iran. It is so personal, but also widely relevant. As a baby, Niamh Ni Dhrisceoil either napped in the bow of her dads fishing punt while he hauled in lobster pots or in her carrycot on the tractor while he fed cattle on their Cape Clear Island farm. Mum was principal in the islands national school so my dad minded me while she was at work, explains Niamh, a secondary schoolteacher at Colaiste Choilm, Ballincollig, and Irelands first female ferry skipper. I grew up on boats. As I got older, my dad would give me little jobs to do baiting the lobster pots, clearing them. He taught me and my two older brothers how to handle a boat, where the rocks were, what routes to take, the various markings. This was when we were five to eight years old we were at it all our lives growing up. Niamh Ni Dhrisceoil hauling lobster pots with her father Padraig Niamhs one of three people whose unique relationship with the sea is showcased in Mealladh na Mara, a new three-part TV series on RTE One, broadcasting from July 11. In Mayo, we discover the world beneath the ocean with search and rescue diver Conall O Domhnaill. GP Dr Eoin McCarthy Deering, an accomplished surfer, talks about balancing his professional career against the constant lure of the big wave. And on Cape Clear in West Cork the countrys most southerly island we meet Niamh, nicknamed the lifeboat baby at birth. Mum had two rapid labours with my brothers. So when she was due to have me, her doctor wasnt best pleased she wanted to stay put on the island for Christmas. She agreed shed go to hospital on St Stephens Day but the weather was inclement. So the skipper said it was better take the lifeboat and medivac her off the island. I was born the following day but I began my journey into the world on a lifeboat. I was guest of honour at the following summers Lifeboat Day. Describing herself as not really a city person, Niamh, whos in her 30s, says: I get the DTs if Im away from the sea too long. I love getting into the car on Fridays [after teaching] and heading down to get the last ferry home. Niamh Ni Dhrisceoil and her father Padraig on their lobster boat While she loves to travel and spent the first weeks of her summer holidays in Albania, shes back on the island now for the rest of the summer. My hearts always in Cape Clear, she says recalling her very homesick first year at boarding school in Rosscarbery. Of course I missed my parents, but I missed island life the complete freedom of living outdoors, in the boats, on the farm. We were told be back before dark, so youd spend hours around the island. The routined life of boarding school was very hard. Its hard to describe the pull the sea has. Its quite innate. If Im gone from it too long I feel quite unsettled. The longest shes ever been away was for two months during one of the Covid lockdowns. I missed the settling calming power the sea has, the sense of being home when Im surrounded by it, she says, recalling the first lockdown as pure bliss when she spent almost 12 uninterrupted weeks there, and her parents sunroom overlooking the bay became her online classroom. I remember one day stopping what I was doing as a pod of 20 to 25 dolphins swam past. Niamh Ni Dhrisceoil, skippering the Cape Clear ferry The first woman to crew on the Cape Clear ferry she was 20 she continued crewing in the summer holidays during her college years. Once she began teaching, she got down to studying for her skippers licence. Part of her final exam in April 2010 involved a 90-minute journey by ferry from Baltimore to Cape Clear. By the time I got to Cape Clear the exam was officially over and Id passed with flying colours, but I didnt feel it was over til Id returned the surveyor to the mainland! Niamhs family have lived on Cape Clear for seven generations and her grandmother, Nonie, was very community-oriented. She was curator of the museum, chaplain of the islands Seipeal Naomh Chiarain and all-round character. She was one of those I looked up to most. Niamhs following in Nonies footsteps. Shes chairperson of Comharchumann Chleire Teo (CCT Cape Clear Co-operative) and was shortlisted in the Social Entrepreneur category for the IMAGE/pwc Businesswoman of the Year 2023 awards. Her big aim is future-proofing sustainability and safety of island living on Cape Clear, which today has a population of 130, with numbers swelling to about 200 in summer. Niamh Ni Dhrisceoil and her mother Cecilia A big current CCT project is The Cape Clear Island Gateway Housing Initiative to provide good quality transition housing to families wishing to return/move to the island. In Scotland, where theyve a similar initiative, it not only stopped population decline but reversed it. Were confident well have similar success on Cape Clear, Niamh says. Like so many coastal families, hers has lost loved ones to the sea. My Uncle Ciaran was lost at sea when he was only 18. Its why safety at sea was instilled in all of us from a young age. But theres salt in her veins, she says. Im at my happiest when Im on or in the sea. And just as our interview winds up, her mum Cecelia is making signs outside the window to get her daughters attention. We swim off the pier. We work around the tides. Shes asking are we going swimming or not? Foo Fighters bass guitarist Nate Mendel paid a visit to a restaurant in Ardmore Co Waterford on Tuesday afternoon while spending time in the village with his family. Locals say the rock star had been rumoured to be in the area earlier in the week but many did not believe it. Having recently played Glastonbury, Mendel, and his bandmates are due to play in Canada in the coming days. Homeless charity the Dublin Simon Community breached its operating agreement with the HSE by not reporting the theft of 38,000 carried out by one of its own staff, an internal audit has found. In November 2021, a Dublin Simon employee stole cash and cheques with a value of 37,713 from the charity, the audit found. However, while the incident was reported to the Simon board and both gardai and the Charities Regulator, it was not reported to the HSE, with whom Simon operates a service level agreement (SLA). The Simon Community received 5,182,000 from the HSE during the 12 months up to the end of 2021. The audit, carried out by Crowleys DFK on the part of the HSE, concluded Simon had breached its reporting requirements, as detailed in the SLA, by failing to report the incident. The auditors recommended that Simons management must ensure that reporting requirements prescribed in the SLA are adhered to. The recommendation was given HSE internal audits highest priority rating. However, the charitys management said it was their understanding that we met all reporting requirements in relation to this incident to the relevant authorities. They said the incident had related to unrestricted funds, involving a service not directly funded by the HSE, and therefore it was not deemed necessary to report it. The audit, first published in February of this year, concluded that only a limited level of assurance could be provided to the HSE regarding the adequacy and effectiveness of the governance, risk management and internal control system used by Simon. Value for money The audit also found there was a risk of failure to obtain value for money due to the operating practices at the charity, which has a list of preferred suppliers for recurring purchases of goods and services. There is no documentation to demonstrate that Dublin Simon considered performing a procurement exercise, ie obtaining quotations from other suppliers to ensure value for money, the audit said. Simons management acknowledged this point and said a new electronic procurement system had since been put in place and all recommendations will be incorporated into revised processes and systems. The audit noted there was room for improvement in how the charity documents its board meetings, notably with regard to the recording of conflicts of interest, while instances of directors not fulfilling the expected attendance rate were also noted. One director has not been rotated within the past 19 years, the audit found, which does not align with the terms of the organisations own governance manual. The audit also found Simon was at risk of financial loss due to fraud because five separate employees have the authority to both set up and authorise payments via online banking. No one user should have rights to both create and authorise online banking payments, the auditors said, adding the practice should not be permitted. Simon said this issue had been rectified as of the first quarter of 2023. Two students who died while holidaying on an island in Greece received a guard of honour from around a thousand students as their bodies were taken to Athens for autopsy. Andrew ODonnell and Max Wall, both 18, died over the weekend while on a post-Leaving Cert holiday with friends on the island of Ios. The classmates who had just completed their exams at St Michaels College in south Dublin, were two of around 90 students from the same school who had gone to the Greek island to celebrate completing their exams last week. On Tuesday, as their remains were being taken by ferry to Athens, classmates, friends and students from other schools lined the port as a mark of respect. The boys' families, who flew out to be with them on Sunday, were also on the ferry. Our doors and our hearts are open Thank you to all who formed a Guard Of Honour as Andrew and Max left IOS for Athens this morning. Fr Paddy Moran CSSp and Tom Kelleher will officiate at services here today and tomorrow at 12 noon and 6pm All welcome pic.twitter.com/0euUgtfucG St Michael's College Union (@StMichaelsColl1) July 4, 2023 St Michaels principal Tim Kelleher told the Irish Examiner: Up to 1,000 students are on holidays on the island at the moment, according to the Tanaiste. All of them did a guard of honour this morning as the coffins of Andrew and Max left the island and were taken by ferry over to Athens. They are on their journey towards home now with their families and a postmortem will take place today. The gardai are gone over to Athens, I understand, to help with the investigation, but it is my understanding that is standard practice. Mr Kelleher also confirmed that some of the sixth-year boys who had been on the same vacation returned home last night with their parents. A handful of the students are back now, and we have services and support here for them, he said. There will be a service today for the students and their families, it is going to be private. Andrew ODonnell and Max Wall. 'Shock and despair' The tight-knit community of south Dublin is in shock and despair over the deaths of the two young men. Andrew went missing on Friday and his body was found on Sunday at around lunchtime after a massive search operation on the island. Mr Kelleher added: Postmortems will determine the exact cause of death, but we understand with Andrew it was an accident at night and he fell. Max, who in the past suffered with a heart condition, died of natural causes, according to his school principal. He fell ill on Sunday in Greece near the port on the island and was rushed to hospital where he was pronounced dead. Max underwent a successful operation on his heart around three years ago, his parents have confirmed, and we understand he died of natural causes, said Mr Kelleher. Flowers left outside the school where the two students sat their Leaving Cert. Picture: Colin Keegan, Collins Dublin It is an extremely difficult time, and we are here for the pupils who are making their way home. Many of their parents went over to collect them as did members of the parents council. Fr Paddy Moran, the school chaplain, told the Irish Examiner on Monday that he hoped the remains of Andrew and Max would be home in the coming days. We believed it may be two or three days, he said. We are here to support the boys and their families, as well as the other students. There is profound sadness and shock and the children over there are traumatised. We are here for them. Andrew and Max have been described by their school as extremely popular, academic and great sportsmen who had their whole future ahead of them. Mr Kelleher said the college will be taking care of the students over the next week and the building will remain open. I will put any updates on our website from today onwards, he said. We will take the next while to look after the boys and their families and appeal for privacy going forward as the students come home and then we will await the arrival of Andrew and Max." An Irish tourist arrested on suspicion of murdering his partner at their Spanish hotel will remain in police custody until Wednesday. Detectives have 72 hours to hold him from the time of his arrest under Spanish law. On Tuesday police confirmed he would spend a second night in a police cell before being taken to court on Wednesday. The 30-year-old was arrested on Sunday night after his partner was found dead on a second-floor corridor of the four-star Magnolia Hotel in the Costa Dorada resort of Salou, 70 miles south of Barcelona. He spent that night at a hospital in Tarragona receiving treatment for a wrist wound police have described as self-inflicted. A spokesman for the regional Mossos dEsquadra police force said on Tuesday: The man in custody will be held for the maximum period allowed under Spanish law. That will mean him appearing before a judge tomorrow [Wednesday]. A source close to the investigation added: The seriousness of the charges the suspect is facing is the main contributing factor to the decision on how long he should be held because of all the necessary inquiries pertinent to the investigation that need to be made. The judge will determine what steps are taken once he is handed over to the courts. The victim, described as a mother of two, is said to have been strangled with a ligature. Police and other emergency responders found her dead in a second-floor corridor outside her hotel room after a 999 call from the hotel around 9.30pm on Sunday. Minute's silence A minutes silence was held for the unnamed victim on Monday evening at Salou Town Hall. Mayor Pere Granados and the regional governments minister for equality Tania Verge were among those who took part. Confirming the Salou killing was being treated as a gender-related crime, the department Ms Verge heads said: A new feminicide is confirmed in Salou. It is the seventh registered in Catalonia in 2023. We will not stop until we can all live free from male violence. If you need it ask for help. On Monday, police said: Officers from the Mossos d'Esquadras Criminal Investigation Decision in Tarragona have arrested a man allegedly related to the violent death of a woman in Salou on Sunday night. The events occurred around half past nine when the Mossos received a warning from a hotel in Salou saying a woman was seriously injured. When they arrived at the scene, the officers found a woman lying on the floor and a man next to her with a self-inflicted wound. Although emergency medical responders tried to revive the woman, they were finally only able to certify her death. Officers arrested the man as the alleged perpetrator of the death. They went on to confirm the arrested man was 30, with sources close to the investigation later confirming both the woman and the detainee were Irish. More than 140 artists who were incorrectly told by the Arts Council that they had won a life-changing award worth 25,000 are to meet with council director Maureen Kennelly today as a first step. The artists say the error had a devastating impact on them and reflects the precarious circumstances of those trying trying to make a living from the arts. Musician, producer, and writer Bobby Aherne said it was his fifth time applying for the highly competitive Next Generation Artists Award, and so it was especially overwhelming to have heard that he won. It was probably the greatest news Id ever received, he said, adding he had 10 minutes of being completely bowled over, experiencing every single positive emotion. Dancer Stephanie Dufresne: 'The Arts Council employees who sent me these mistaken emails have contracts, and they have pensions and salaries and sick pay. I dont have any of these things.' Picture: Moya Nolan However, shortly after, he, along with 140 other artists, received another email from the Arts Council advising him that it was an error. I thought maybe thered been a typo on the date or something simple like that," he said. "It didnt even occur to me that a mistake of this scale could occur." Big thanks to the Arts Council for emailing me at 4pm to say I'd been awarded a 25,000 grant, and then emailing me ten minutes later to say "whoops, nope, admin error!" bobby aherne (@bawwby) June 28, 2023 Dancer, actor, and choreographer Stephanie Dufresne said the error is symptomatic of a larger problem with the Arts Council, being that double standards exist between what artists are expected to do, and what the Arts Council does. People are really shook, she said. I have been intermittently crying for three days. Ms Dufresne, a Galway native living in Dublin, said the error is devastating, having put 15 hours of work into her application, time which those impacted are saying should be paid to them. I have a letter from the Arts Council with my name, my address, and the amount of money theyre lucky were not showing up to Merrion Square and saying: Wheres my money? Ms Dufresne said she is in disbelief that a system so unforgiving and uncompromising could make an error of this magnitude. She, along with several others impacted, say that funding applications require artists to jump through absolute hoops. The Arts Council employees who sent me these mistaken emails have contracts, and they have pensions and salaries and sick pay. I dont have any of these things. Their mistakes cause devastation but are unlikely to have material effects on their livelihood. On the contrary, in the past, Ive had project applications rendered ineligible because I omitted a CV. I have had tense exchanges when creative projects need modification relative to the original funding application. I have found them at times uncompromising and frankly out of touch with the realities of being an artist and producer trying to make shows work. Im just so mad and so upset, also because of the landscape at large at the moment for artists, she said. Working solely as an artist for the last 12 years, Ms Dufresne said she has never made more than 25,000 in one year: Its very difficult to live in one of the most expensive cities in Europe during a housing crisis on 25,000 a year. I have absolutely no security. 'It was probably the greatest news Id ever received,' says musician, producer, and writer Bobby Aherne of the 25,000 award. But the Arts Council followed up with another email saying the first message was sent by mistake. File picture: Lucy Jorgensen I have spent the last 12 years worrying about rent, worrying about making it month to month. I sublet for a year last year, sleeping in spare beds for weeks at a time, travelling between my parents in Galway and Dublin while working as a performer. Im 33, and I rang banks about a mortgage during the pandemic, and three or four of them just laughed at me and said: Sorry. When we look at nurses and teachers and what they make, these people cant afford to live in Dublin either, she said. As far as Im concerned, society is broken, and the amount of money the Arts Council get is a reflection of that. One welcome development is the universal basic income for artists, which Ms Dufresne said she is one of the lucky few to receive. The scheme, which attracted over 9,000 applicants, began payments last month of 325 per week to 2,000 artists. She said the basic income, most of which goes towards rent, has changed her life. The fact that I know I have that for three years means I have stopped considering emigrating, she said. However, Ireland has a way to go before artists can do more than simply survive. 'Ive had project applications rendered ineligible because I omitted a CV,' says dancer and choreographer Stephanie Dufresne who says the Arts Council is 'unforgiving and uncompromising'. Picture: Moya Nolan Although saying she understands, Ms Dufresne said the pandemic highlighted that artists are at the bottom of the hierarchy. With the idea of essential workers versus non-essential workers, it was very clear that artists are at the bottom of the hierarchy in terms of our importance, she said. Across the board, were such an artistic country, and the infrastructure does not reflect that. Were really punching above our weight in terms of playwrights, in terms of writers, in terms of films and actors, but I would like to see an Ireland where artists are valued and where something like this is not swept under the rug and where people like myself, feel that we can remain in the arts but also, maybe one day own a home and maybe have a family and not be in this constant existential crisis of trying to survive. The Arts Council said the error was regrettable and that an email was issued to apologise unreservedly. Our mistake has understandably caused upset and disappointment, and for this, we are truly sorry, they said. There were 60 yellow roses placed by the coffins carrying the remains of two Leaving Cert students who died in Greece over the weekend as they boarded a ferry, their school principal has said. Andrew ODonnell and Max Wall, both 18, died while on their post-exam holiday with friends on the island of Ios. On Tuesday morning, a thousand students lined the port on the Greek island in a silent vigil as the boys were taken to Athens accompanied by their parents. At a memorial service held at their school, St Michaels College in south Dublin, Mr Kelleher said the flowers were placed by our boys as the ferry was about to pull out. He said: Sixty boys from St Michaels wanted to stay, wanted to be there, wanted to stand in solidarity. It is a mark of those men and of all the boys who were there searching, some of whom are here today, who went out searching for Andrew and we really are so proud of you. We are so thankful to you and so proud of you that you are Michaels men and that youve done the right thing. We wouldnt expect anything less. Our hearts go out to you and to the pain you are suffering. The double tragedy began when Andrew ODonnell went missing on the island on Friday. A massive search operation got underway. His remains were found on Sunday at around 1pm. Mr Kelleher said: Post-mortems will determine the exact cause of death, but we understand with Andrew it was an accident at night and he fell. Max Wall fell ill on Sunday near the port on the island at around 2pm and was rushed to hospital where he was pronounced dead. Max underwent a successful operation on his heart around three years ago, but we understand he died of natural causes, said Mr Kelleher. Services On Tuesday, fellow students and their families packed into St Michaels College for thefirst of a number of services due to take place this week. Mr Kelleher opened the Mass by saying: Theres no script for this, there is no script today, theres no powerful words that we can say other than to be together, to talk to one another, to hold each others hands. He said he has been in regular touch with Andrew and Max's families adding: Our hearts are broken for the two families. They are making the most heartbreaking journey that any of us as parents or relatives will ever have to make. As a parent who has had three boys through the school, I know the anxiety that can exist when groups of young people go out together, even if that is for a weekend, but when its a holiday and theyve all arrived home safely theres a lifting of that anxiety. I know as a parent and I can imagine if you get a call, like that call that was made to those two families last Sunday, how gut-wrenching it was. It was unbelievable our hearts were absolutely smashed to smithereens and however bad it was for us, how must it have been for the parents to get that call? So, all we can do today is just think of Gavin, Bevin, Niall, Fiona, Rory, and Charlie who are here with us. Our hearts and souls go out to you all. Classmates Andrew and Max were two of around 90 students from St Michaels College who had gone to the Greek island last week. Mr Kelleher said he had stood in the very same church just six weeks ago for a special Mass to mark the class of 2023 saying these guys are going to change the world. They came through the covid years and came through the difficult times, they emerged strong and tenacious," he said on Tuesday. They are a fantastic group of young men and to have something like this happen to you, its wrong and we really feel for you. He confirmed that some of the sixth-year boys who had been on the same holiday returned home on Monday night with their parents. The school chaplain Fr Paddy Moran said he expects the remains of Andrew and Max to be home later this week. A 53-year-old man has admitted to laundering tens of thousands in crime cash after his arrest as part of a major garda operation in Limerick, while his partner has seen charges against her dropped. Before the Special Criminal Court on Monday, Dermot McManus, 53, Keating Park, Killalee, Co Limerick, pleaded guilty to three charges relating to money laundering offences. On June 17, 2020, he handled sums of cash worth 28,550 and 11,795, knowing or believing or being reckless as to whether this was the proceeds of criminal conduct. Between January 1, 2018, and June 17, 2020, he handled or used money credited to an account in his own name at the Limerick and District Credit Union, knowing or believing or being reckless as to whether it was the proceeds of criminal conduct. He also pleaded guilty to handling a white Mercedes Sprinter van between June 2, 2020, and May 23, 2021. The matter has been adjourned to October 16 next for sentencing, while a previous bail condition that McManus observe a curfew between 10pm and 7am has been lifted. McManus partner, Terese Halpin, 50, of the same address, was charged with possession of the same cash sums and allowing a Permanent TSB account to be used for handling the proceeds of crime. Dominic McGinn, prosecuting, said that a nolle prosequi could be entered on these matters, and the charges against Ms Halpin were dropped. McManus arrest followed what gardai described as a significant development in Operation Coronation, which targeted organised crime in Co. Limerick. At a previous bail hearing for McManus, Detective Garda John Sheahan gave evidence that after a search warrant was obtained for Keating Park in June 2020, 28,550 was found in socks on top of a wardrobe while an amount of cash in sterling was discovered in a jacket pocket. Det Gda Sheahan said Manus told gardai he had bought the Mercedes Sprinter in Northern Ireland, but that the accused's only regular income was a disability payment and that he had never filed a revenue return or paid income tax. In September 2021, gardai carried out 65 raids in the county as part of the same operation, involving soldiers, detectives, customs officers and over 300 local gardai, with 12 people arrested. Housing Minister Darragh OBrien is to update Cabinet about how emergency changes have prevented vulture funds from buying more than 30,000 homes in the last two years. The measure was introduced by Government following a public outcry after vulture funds snapped up new homes in Maynooth and Lucan, forcing ministers to sign off on the measure. In the two years since the move, 31,000 houses and duplexes have been ringfenced for individual buyers and restricted from bulk buying or multiple sales to a single purchaser. Solar panel grant Separately, new grants of up to 162,500 are being made available for businesses to install solar panels. Environment Minister Eamon Ryan and Enterprise Minister Simon Coveney will bring details of the extended range of supports for businesses which will help reduce energy bills and reduce their carbon footprint. The new tiered grant system will range from 2,700 up to 162,500 to support the installation of solar PV and associated smart energy infrastructure for a wide range of commercial and public-sector non-residential buildings. The business grants will run alongside similar supports for residential buildings. To date, nearly 60,000 homes have availed of solar grants. Meanwhile, Tanaiste Micheal Martin and Housing Minister Darragh OBrien will seek approval to join other States in calling for a precautionary pause on deep-sea mining on the international seabed amid fears of exploitation and environmental damage. Drop in asylum-seeker number Separately, Cabinet is also to be told that there has been a drop of nearly 70% in the number of people seeking asylum here that have arrived from so-called safe countries as the Government moves to make further changes to the process. Justice Minister Helen McEntee will inform ministers that the sharp decrease has come about following the introduction of an accelerated process last year for those who arrive in Ireland seeking international protection. She will provide the details as part of a memo to Government on the modernisation of the International Protection Office, proposing increasing its output. Changes were already designed to ensure a first-instance decision was made within three months in such cases, a significant reduction from a norm of 17-24 months last year. The safe countries are Albania; Bosnia & Herzegovina; Georgia; Kosovo; Macedonia (Former Yugoslav Republic of); Montenegro; Serbia; and South Africa. Since last November, the numbers arriving from these countries have decreased from 210 applications in November to 64 in May this year a drop of almost 70%. A new target of 1,000 first-instance decisions being issued per month by spring 2024 will be adopted, a significant rise from the 200 decisions per month made in 2021. When he bought the pretty little striped field mouse on the internet for $8 to give to his daughter for her sixth birthday, the businessman from Sao Paulo was told it was free of infection and had been bred by a registered dealer. In fact, it had been sourced from the vast sugar cane fields planted in Brazil to grow biofuels to reduce the use of fossil fuels and which were swarming with rodents after yet another heatwave. It nipped his daughter on the finger, but no one thought much of it and six days later, he left on a trip to Europe. By the time he reached Amsterdam, she had started suffering fevers, muscle aches and breathing problems and had been rushed to hospital, and he too felt unwell. It was the start of one of the worst pandemics in human history, killing more people than covid-19, Sars or the 1918 flu pandemic put together. In one week 300 people had been infected, a month later 300,000 people around the world were gasping for breath. After eight months, possibly 20 million people had died and one billion people were infected. It was covid on steroids. Whereas covid killed 1% of people infected, this novel hantavirus mutated as fast as the Omicron variant and killed one in three people it infected. Disease X Disease X is the name adopted in 2018 by World Health Organization disease experts to an as yet unknown, hyper-virulent disease for which no drug or vaccine was available, but which could kill hundreds of millions of people. It was Disease X, the name adopted in 2018 by World Health Organization disease experts to an as yet unknown, hyper-virulent disease for which no drug or vaccine was available, but which could kill hundreds of millions of people. That much is fiction. Disease X is hypothetical. But the consensus is that something like it is coming. It may not be a hantavirus. It could well be a flu, a coronavirus like covid-19, or a returning, souped-up ancient killer like typhoid, tuberculosis or plague. It may spill over to humans through a hamster, a bat, a chicken, or a tick. It could come out of a fur farm in Norway or a pig farm in Mexico. It could incubate in a disturbed forest, a US weapons lab or a farmers market in the UK. It may not arrive for many decades but with climate change, new global ecological conditions, hyper-mobility and ever denser human and animal populations, another great pandemic is inevitable. Pandemics kill far more people and cost economies more than war. Pandemics kill far more people and cost economies more than war, but no government or global body at present plans to address the underlying cause of covid-19 or the question of why outbreaks of major new infectious diseases like HIV/Aids, Ebola, Marburg , avian flu, Sars, Middle East respiratory syndrome (Mers), mpox and Nipah have all emerged in the past 50 years. The priority of government and industry is to find better ways to treat symptoms with better vaccines and technology, rather than address the causes of disease. But we are not helpless. We know enough to strongly expect the next great pandemic will be zoonotic (or linked to animals), be ecologically driven and connected to the way humanity manipulates, changes and degrades the global environment. Intensive deforestation, the draining of wetland, climate change, the degradation of soil, the collapse of biodiversity, and the growth of vast, impoverished cities have together helped create the perfect conditions for new viruses to evolve faster, emerge more easily and cross from one species to another. Covid has taught us that we cannot stop the evolution of microbes or escape from them. Covid has taught us that we cannot stop the evolution of microbes or escape from them. There are at least six things we can do, however, to not only reduce the risk of pandemics emerging but also reduce their severity. Rethink human relationships with animals Animals have played a major part in nearly every major disease outbreak since 1970. In that short time, about 500 new zoonotic, or animal-born diseases have emerged, including Mers, avian influenza, Ebola, Marburg, Lassa, Nipah , Zika, covid-19 and HIV/Aids. Humans have never been closer to the pathogens of other species. Reform farming We have never farmed so many animals so intensively: Over 70 billion of them a year are slaughtered for meat. Global food production now relies on vast flocks and herds of genetically identical poultry, cattle and pigs being reared in high-intensity, overcrowded, confined, entirely unnatural conditions. The growing danger is that industrial farms are becoming disease factories, incubating and enhancing pathogens like flu, and enabling hyper-virulent pathogens to spread within flocks or cross to humans. Restore ecosystems The past 30 years have seen an astonishingly fast transformation of the worlds forests, wetlands and soils to provide food; the greatest mining and extraction of fossil fuels for energy, power and minerals in human history; and the biggest increase ever known in trade and human travel. Logging, urbanisation and human population growth have all fragmented ecosystems and helped create the condition for diseases to emerge and spread. We must minimise the disturbance of nature and reduce the interactions between ourselves and the pathogens of other species. Control greenhouse emissions Global heating increases the threat of diseases emerging and changes where and when they emerge and spread. When temperatures rise, rains are heavier or droughts and heatwaves last longer, then the conditions for life change and the insects, bats, ticks and other wildlife that mostly carry pathogens or diseases like malaria, Rift Valley fever, cholera and dengue are likely to geographically spread. The changing climate is already driving wildlife into new areas, destroying habitat and forcing it to survive in new ecological conditions in which previously isolated species may mix and exchange pathogens. Unless climate heating is brought under control, not only will humanity suffer, but there are likely to be many new diseases emerging, and in unexpected places. Control lab experiments There is no consensus on the origin of covid-19, but the risk of a pandemic starting in a laboratory is real, and grows every year. There is no consensus on the origin of covid-19, but the risk of a pandemic starting in a laboratory is real, and grows every year. Medical and military research uses the worlds most dangerous bacteria, viruses and pathogens and is now conducted in thousands of state, corporate and academic laboratories around the world. New ways to find vaccines and control dangerous pathogens are now a multibillion-dollar global industry. The risk of future pandemics originating from controversial gain-of-function research that aims to increase a pathogens virulence for possible military or medical use is high. Improve disease surveillance Infectious diseases will continue to break out, mutate and haunt us. But who they affect and where they strike now depends on us. Strong public health systems, especially in the worlds great urban centres, are best placed to monitor new disease outbreaks, to identify what strains may be spreading and to test and stop them in their tracks. But that requires commitments by all countries to invest heavily in eradicating global poverty. This may be the global norths best insurance policy against future pandemics. Eliminating the risk of infectious disease is as impossible now as it was 20 years ago, but if we only try to treat the symptoms of disease with vaccines and technology, we are in danger of not preventing them occurring in the first place. The only way to ensure good long-term human and planetary health is to minimise the disturbance of nature and avoid interactions between ourselves and the pathogens of other species. Kenyan President William Ruto has lifted a six-year ban on logging despite concerns from environmentalists. He said it is foolish to have mature trees rotting in forests while local industries lack timber. This is why we have decided to open up the forest and harvest timber so that we can create jobs for our youth, he said. Mr Ruto became Kenyas president in September. I wish we could have done it in phases In 2018, while serving as deputy president, he announced a government ban on logging to protect water catchment areas and avert a looming drought. His administrations first budget imposed a tax on all imported timber products, a move aimed at encouraging local manufacturing. Last year, he launched a plan to plant 15 billion trees in Kenya over 10 years as a way to combat climate change. During an address last month at the Global Citizen Festival in Paris, Mr Ruto said his country is leading the way on taking action to prevent global warming. On one hand we are planting, on the other hand we are cutting, and I can assure you, the cutting will be more Green Africa Foundation executive director John Kioli said lifting the logging ban will undermine all efforts to put Kenya on a low-carbon trajectory through forest rehabilitation. While stakeholders have not yet received full details of the governments methodology for deciding which trees are ready to harvest, Mr Kioli said a nationwide lifting of the ban would make it difficult to monitor the moves environmental impacts. I wish we could have done it in phases, he said. Mr Kioli said he is not optimistic the presidents tree-planting goal will be achieved. On one hand we are planting, on the other hand we are cutting, and I can assure you, the cutting will be more, he said. A Palestinian man has driven a car into pedestrians in Tel Aviv, hurting at least four people, in an attack praised by the Islamist militant group Hamas as a response to Israels ongoing military operation in the occupied West Bank. Israeli paramedics said at least four people were wounded when a car hit pedestrians on a pavement in the seaside city on Tuesday. Police spokesman Eli Levi told Kan public radio the incident was a deliberate attack and that a civilian shot and killed the driver at the scene. The Hamas militant group praised the attack as heroic and revenge for the military operation in Jenin. Israeli media identified the attacker as Hasin Halila, 23, a Palestinian man from a village near the West Bank city of Hebron. Palestinian demonstrators wave their national flags while others burn tyres during a protest against an Israeli military raid in the West Bank city of Jenin (Adel Hana/AP) The attack came as Israeli troops pressed ahead with their hunt for Palestinian militants and weapons in a West Bank refugee camp, after military bulldozers tore through alleys and thousands of residents fled to safety. The two-day Palestinian death toll rose to 10. The large-scale raid of the Jenin camp, which began on Monday, is one of the most intense military operations in the occupied West Bank in nearly two decades. It bore hallmarks of Israeli military tactics during the second Palestinian uprising in the early 2000s and came as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu faces growing pressure from his ultranationalist political allies for a tough response to recent attacks on Israeli settlers, including a shooting last month that killed four people. Earlier in the day, rubble littered the streets of Jenin and there were reports of damage to shops. Columns of black smoke periodically punctuated the skyline over the camp in the northern West Bank city, long a Palestinian militant stronghold. Jenin mayor Nidal Al-Obeidi said that around 4,000 Palestinians had fled the Jenin refugee camp, finding accommodation in the homes of relatives and in shelters. Residents said there was no water or electricity in the camp. Across the West Bank, Palestinians observed a general strike to protest the Israeli raid. Smoke rises from Jenin (Ariel Schalit/SP) Meanwhile, the Palestinian Health Ministry said on Tuesday that the two-day death toll rose to 10, with two more deaths reported overnight. The Israeli military has claimed all were militants but did not provide details. During Tuesdays operations, the military said it seized weapons and demolished tunnels under a mosque in the Jenin refugee camp. A spokesman for the Israeli military, Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari, said on Monday that Israel had launched the operation because some 50 attacks over the past year had emanated from Jenin. The Jenin camp and an adjacent town of the same name have been a flashpoint since Israeli-Palestinian violence began escalating in spring 2022. It was also a hotbed of Palestinian military activity in the second Palestinian uprising in the early 2000s. On Tuesday, hundreds of Israeli troops continued to operate in the camp, seizing weapons and explosives and destroying tunnels and command posts, the army said. Israeli media reported that the army had arrested at least 120 suspected Palestinian militants since Monday. Residents of the Jenin refugee camp flee their homes (Majdi Mohammed/AP) The Palestinian self-rule government in the West Bank and three Arab countries with normalised ties with Israel Jordan, Egypt and the United Arab Emirates condemned Israels incursion, as did the 57-nation Organisation of Islamic Co-operation. More than 140 Palestinians have been killed this year in the West Bank, part of more than a year-long spike in violence that has seen some of the worst bloodshed in the area in nearly two decades. Palestinian attacks targeting Israelis have killed at least 26 people. Israel says the raids are meant to crack down on Palestinians militants and thwart attacks. The Palestinians say such violence is inevitable in the absence of any political process with Israel and increased West Bank settlement construction and violence by extremist settlers. Israel says most of those killed have been militants but stone-throwing youths protesting the incursions and people uninvolved in confrontations have also died. Israel captured the West Bank, east Jerusalem and the Gaza Strip in the 1967 Middle East war. The Palestinians seek those territories for their hoped-for independent state. Unidentified masked assailants in the Russian province of Chechnya attacked and beat a journalist and a lawyer. It was an assault that highlights a violent pattern of rampant human rights abuses in the region. Novaya Gazeta journalist Elena Milashina and lawyer Alexander Nemov had just arrived in Chechnya to attend the trial of Zarema Musayeva, the mother of two local activists who have challenged Chechen authorities. Just outside the airport, their vehicle was blocked by several cars and they were beaten by several masked assailants, who put guns to their heads and broke their equipment. Novaya Gazeta said Ms Milashina sustained a brain injury and had several fingers broken, while Mr Nemov had a deep cut on his leg. Then-first lady Michelle Obama, left, and then-US secretary of state John Kerry, right, honour Russian human rights activist, journalist Elena Milashina, with an International Women of Courage Award in Washington in 2013 (Manuel Balce Ceneta/AP) They were taken to a hospital in Chechnyas main city, Grozny, where Ms Milashina repeatedly lost consciousness, according to her newspaper. Speaking from a hospital bed in a video, Ms Milashina said the attack looked like a classic abduction. They threw the driver out of the car, got in, bent our heads down, tied my hands, forced me down to my knees and put a gun to my head, she said, adding that the assailants were visibly nervous and had trouble tying her hands. A photograph from a hospital showed her talking over the phone, with green antiseptic covering her face and multiple bruises on her shaven head. Officials are considering the pairs medical evacuation to Moscow. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said in a conference call with reporters that Russian President Vladimir Putin was informed about the incident. Mr Peskov said it was a very serious assault that warrants energetic measures from law enforcement agencies. Horrific. Elena Milashina is a brilliant journalist who has exposed some of the worst human rights abuses in Chechnya. Shes had death threats before; left the country at times. Its amazing she kept going back. Now this is what was done to her in Grozny https://t.co/E7RY3xcIV4 Sarah Rainsford (@sarahrainsford) July 4, 2023 Russian human rights ombudsperson Tatyana Moskalkova asked investigators to look into the assault. The Russian Ministry for Digital Development and Mass Communications denounced the monstrous assault and said it will offer them the necessary assistance. The ministry said it has urged law enforcement agencies to thoroughly investigate the attack and punish the perpetrators. The strong statements from Russian authorities contrasted with a muted official response to previous attacks on Ms Milashina and other journalists and human rights activists who have exposed human rights abuses in Chechnya. Ms Milashina has long exposed human rights violations in Chechnya and has faced threats, intimidation and attacks. In 2020, she and a lawyer accompanying her were beaten by a dozen people in the lobby of their hotel. Last year, she temporarily left Russia after being threatened by Chechen authorities. She has won a broad acclaim for her investigative reporting, which included exposing the torture and killings of gay people in Chechnya and other abuses by feared Chechen paramilitary forces. Zarema Musayev sits behind bars in a courtroom in Grozny, Russia (AP) In 2013, she received an International Women of Courage Award from the US Department of State. Hours after Tuesdays attack on Ms Milashina and Mr Nemov, a court in Grozny sentenced Zarema Musayeva to five-and-a-half years in prison on charges of insulting and violently resisting police, an accusation that rights groups have rejected as trumped-up. Ms Musayeva had been in custody in Grozny since Chechen security forces grabbed her from her home in the Volga River city of Nizhny Novgorod and drove her to Chechnya in January 2022. Her husband, a former judge, and her two activist sons have left Chechnya. Chechnyas strongman regional leader, Ramzan Kadyrov, has accused the Musayev family of having terrorist links and said that they should be imprisoned or killed. The Kremlin has relied on Mr Kadyrov to keep the North Caucasus region stable after two devastating separatist wars. International rights groups have accused Mr Kadyrovs feared security forces of extrajudicial killings, torture and abductions of dissenters. His clout has risen since the start of Moscows campaign in Ukraine, where his security forces have taken active part. They threw the driver out of the car, got in, bent our heads down, tied my hands, forced me down to my knees and put a gun to my head Repeated demands by international human rights groups to end abuses in Chechnya have been stonewalled by Russian authorities. Despite the Kremlins support, Mr Kadyrov has reportedly had tense relations with some of Russias law enforcement agencies. The angry reaction from officials and Kremlin-connected politicians could signal authorities intentions to cut the Chechen strongman down to size. Andrei Klishas, head of the constitutional affairs committee in the upper house, said the attack on Ms Milashina and Mr Nemov warrants a tough response from the law enforcement agencies. Another senior politician, Alexander Khinshtein, denounced it as criminal and urged prosecutors to prioritise the case. A French court has upheld the freezing of the assets of Lebanons central bank governor, rejecting his appeal to have them released, an official said. Several European countries are investigating central bank governor Riad Salameh and his associates over alleged financial crimes, including illicit enrichment and laundering of 330 million US dollars (259 million). A French investigative judge on May 16 issued an international arrest warrant, or Interpol red notice, for Mr Salameh, 72, after he failed to appear in Paris for questioning. France, Germany and Luxembourg in March 2022 froze more than 130 million dollars (102 million) in assets linked to the investigation. The European Union Agency for Criminal Justice Cooperation, or Eurojust, said at the time that the investigation was targeting five suspects accused of money laundering. 102 million Value of assets frozen Mr Salameh, who has repeatedly denied charges of corruption had requested that his assets be unfrozen. On Tuesday, a French appeals court rejected his appeal, saying that his assets will remain frozen, according to an official close to the investigation who spoke on condition of anonymity in line with regulations. The central bank governor has repeatedly said that he made his wealth from his years working as an investment banker at Merrill Lynch, inherited properties and investments. He said he would resign only if convicted of a crime. A Lebanese judge representing the Lebanese state earlier this year charged Mr Salameh, his brother Raja and associate Marianne Hoayek with corruption. Last week, Ms Hoayek was questioned in France and she signed a document pledging not to return to work at the central bank and not to have any contacts with the Salameh brothers and paid a 1.5 million euro (1.28 million) bail, Lebanese judicial officials said. During her questioning, Ms Hoayek denied charges of corruption saying that most of her money was inherited from her father. Mr Salameh and his brother Raja did not go to France for questioning. During a visit to Lebanon in March, a European delegation questioned Mr Salameh about the Lebanese central banks assets and investments outside the country, a Paris apartment which the governor owns and his brothers brokerage firm. Reports have circulated that the Lebanese central bank had hired Forry Associates Ltd, a brokerage firm owned by Raja, to handle government bond sales from which the firm received 330 million dollars (259 million) in commissions. Riad Salameh, a Lebanese-French citizen, has held his post for almost 30 years, but says he intends to step down after his current term ends at the end of July. Once hailed as the guardian of Lebanons financial stability, Mr Salameh since has been heavily blamed for Lebanons financial meltdown. Many say he precipitated the nearly four-year economic crisis, which has plunged three-quarters of Lebanons population of six million into poverty. As Myanmars junta continues to lose ground to resistance forces, former army captain Lin Htet Aung, who joined the nationwide civil disobedience movement in March 2021, is helping others to defect. He recently talked to The Irrawaddy about the revolution, how the juntas tactics might change and the effect of the regimes scorched earth attacks. Why is the junta conducting so many airstrikes and shelling attacks on resistance and civilian targets? The ground troops cannot meet the regimes goals. Without shelling and airstrikes, the troops achieve nothing. There is a slogan, The military will fight with heavy explosives. They think they can win with explosives and they are prepared to use them plentifully whenever they are attacked. Can the junta use any more extreme tactics? The next step might be to use chemical weapons. The junta expected to have toppled the resistance by now. It is now also using politics and religion to break public support and stop supplies from reaching the resistance. It is suffering badly militarily, which is why we see more shelling. Junta forces burn peoples homes while arbitrarily arresting and killing civilians. These acts are among their high efforts. Chemical weapons and cluster bombs are the next steps. Does the junta have chemical weapons and cluster bombs? The junta will not admit it but we have learned that its factories are producing those weapons. Personnel who have defected from those factories said the military is designing and producing cluster bombs with 120mm explosives. We hear the junta has produced chemical bombs but we have no documents. Defectors from the factories say the regime has been collecting these weapons for several years. How is the junta trying to reduce public support for the revolution? The juntas airstrike on Pazi Gyi village was a message that anyone who supported the revolution would be killed. Troops burn villages based on accusations they are sheltering resistance fighters. In Magwe Region, the regime banned oil drilling to stop supplies to the resistance. This is nothing new. We used to use these tactics in conflict areas. They follow stages: block off the whole conflict area, conduct violence to divide the revolutionary organizations from the people and, if that fails, kill civilians to increase fear. This is a familiar strategy. Is it easy to conduct airstrikes? In the past, the military used its air force sparingly. Helicopters were sometimes used in clashes with the Arakan Army in Rakhine State. Now fighter jets and helicopters are used in every situation. Helicopters are deployed at many bases and fighter jets are always on standby. The junta uses its aircraft for almost every incident, no matter how small because the routes for reinforcements are controlled by revolutionary forces. In the past, the use of helicopters was restricted due to the costs. Does the junta consider any code of conduct to avoid harming civilians? The regime does not follow any code of conduct. There are also rules about taking up positions near civilian areas but the regime ignores them. They use civilians as human shields during operations. There is no distinction between civilians and military targets. Anyone who opposes military rule is an enemy. Does the regime worry about violating the Geneva Conventions? There are war crimes and crimes against humanity committed but to the junta there is no such thing. It only respects its own rules. From the bottom to junta boss Min Aung Hlaing, they all have the same attitude. Could the revolution succeed if the regime lost its airpower? The resistance groups are much stronger now in tactics and capabilities. They have really improved while junta troops have weakened. The regime is losing ground, despite using 120mm rounds or heavy machine guns that cause great damage. Helicopters and fighter jets have become the main strike force. Everything would change if we could stop the airstrikes. But the revolutionary forces need weapons to match the junta troops. With their current weapons, revolutionary groups can still not counter and protect themselves from junta offensives. Power outages in major cities like Yangon and Mandalay are getting worse despite the advent of rainy season, causing difficulties in daily life, say residents. Prolonged blackouts have expanded across the country since the military coup in 2021. In early 2022, the electricity supply was reduced to three or four hours per day, blighting life for people in Myanmar. The state-owned Yangon Electrical Supply Corporation (YESC) said in April that production capacity at large hydropower plants had fallen in line with dry, summer conditions, resulting in widespread electricity shortages across the country. However, blackouts are normally rare in the rainy season, when hydropower dams fill and electricity production increases. Forty percent of Myanmars electricity is generated by hydropower and there have been no restrictions on supply in the rainy season in past years. Yet since the coup, regular power outages have been reported even by residents in the commercial capital of Yangon. The Department of Meteorology and Hydrology recorded plentiful rainfall in June, when the number of rainy days across the country ranged from 18 to 29. However, the military regime has continued to distribute only four hours of electricity per day on a rotating basis, while frequent blackouts in cities are disrupting life for people and businesses. Yangon residents confirm they got only four hours of electricity per day last month. Its very rare that we get electricity at all at night. We cant even cook rice with electricity, said a resident of Yangons Hlaing Thar Yar Township. A housewife living in Insein Township said she now pays more money for cooking gas because of the prolonged power outages. The weather is hot when there is no rain and when there is a blackout at night, I dont sleep well, she told The Irrawaddy. Even hospitals and universities are suffering the power outages, a resident of North Dagon Township told The Irrawaddy. Our township public hospital cut electricity each night for an hour in the last week of June, he told The Irrawaddy. Before the coup, under the civilian National League for Democracy Government, the country generated about 3,700 MW daily and Yangon consumed about half of that amount. The daily power generation declined from 3,711 MW in October 2021 to 2,665 MW in March 2022. Junta boss Min Aung Hlaing has sought to blame the ousted NLD government for the fall in power production. He claimed at a national business promotion meeting last Friday that the electricity shortage was due to the postponement or cancellation of power plant projects for various reasons under the NLD government. He added that power distribution was also being disrupted by sabotage operations conducted by Peoples Defense Forces. However, Yangon residents blamed Min Aung Hlaing and his military regime for lacking ability to govern the country. If the power is cut this much during the rainy season, meter boxes may have to be removed altogether in the summer, a resident of Yangons Tharkayta Township told The Irrawaddy. The World Banks latest report on Myanmar highlights the electricity crisis, saying it had deepened hardship caused by high prices and shortages resulting from import restrictions. It added that many Myanmar businesses now face difficulties sourcing raw materials. Myanmar has the lowest electrification rate in Southeast Asia with only 50 percent of households connected to the public grid, according to the World Bank. The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) on Monday demanded the Myanmar junta release The Irrawaddys ex-publisher and let the independent news outlet operate freely following the regimes jailing of the publisher last week. U Thaung Win was sentenced by Western Yangon District Court to five years imprisonment and fined 100,000 kyats (about US$47) under Article 124-A of the Penal Code, which deals with the crime of sedition. The court has also issued arrest warrants for three other editors from The Irrawaddy. He was arrested at his home in Yangon on Sept. 29 last year and initially charged with violating the Publishing and Distribution Act by reporting news that negatively affected national security, rule of law and public peace. The punitive and unjust sentencing of The Irrawaddy publisher Thaung Win is repugnant and should be immediately reversed, said Shawn Crispin, CPJs senior Southeast Asia representative. The military regime must release him and stop harassing The Irrawaddy for its fearless and uncompromising news reporting, he said. The military regime has banned The Irrawaddy and at least 13 other independent news outlets since a media crackdown following a coup against a democratically elected government on Feb. 1, 2021. U Thaung Win, a former political prisoner for his pro-democracy activism in 1988, applied for a publishing license for The Irrawaddy in late 2012 after Myanmar launched democratic reforms the previous year. However, he was never involved in the editorial department or its decisions. His arrest came a year-and-a-half after the regime first targeted The Irrawaddy by filing a lawsuit against it. After that its journalists went into hiding to avoid arrest by the junta, and The Irrawaddy now operates offshore. U Thaung Win left the organization when it moved offshore. Founded in exile in 1993, The Irrawaddy has been at the forefront of reporting on the regimes atrocities against civilians while exposing the network of crony businessmen who have enjoyed shady links with the regime both at home and abroad since the coup. Its ex-publishers jailing is the latest in a series of steps taken against The Irrawaddy by the junta since it seized power in 2021. In March of that year the military regime sued the news outlet under Article 505 (a) for disregarding the armed forces in its reporting on the anti-regime protests that were occurring at the time. The police opened a case against The Irrawaddy as a whole rather than against individual employees, making it the first news outlet to be sued by the regime after the coup. On two occasions later that year, The Irrawaddys office in downtown Yangon was raided by regime troops. No one was arrested during the raids. In August last year, Zaw Zaw, a former photojournalist who had once worked for The Irrawaddy, was sentenced to three years in prison for incitement. One staff member was temporarily detained in early 2022, and the home of one of the news organizations editors was also raided. In October 2022, the junta officially ordered the closure of The Irrawaddy and revoked its publishing license. Myanmar was the worlds third-worst jailer of journalists, with at least 42 members of the press behind bars, at the time of the CPJs Dec. 1, 2022 prison census. Fresh clashes broke out between junta troops and the Kachin Independence Army (KIA) in Waingmaw Township in northern Myanmars Kachin State on Monday, displacing over 1,000 people, according to local sources. Junta troops have advanced toward Nam San Yang Village in the township, about 20 km from Laiza town, which is home to the ethnic armed organizations headquarters. Local media reported that the junta has reinforced its ground troops near Nam San Yang Bridge and has been shelling KIA positions since Tuesday morning. In a report, the Kachin News Group quoted a KIA spokesperson as saying that the fighting will become intense if junta troops push further. Many residents have fled their homes and are taking refuge in churches in Waingmaw town and nearby villages, according to sources. In a statement, the Laiza Administration Office urged residents to stay alert and avoid areas where clashes have occurred, including the Myitkyina-Bhamo road. The area has a long history of conflict. Residents of Nam San Yang returned to their village in December 2018 after it had been deserted for nearly eight years due to fighting between junta troops and KIA forces that erupted in 2011. The two sides agreed to abolish their bases near Nam San Yang, but renewed clashes broke out in September 2022 and again on June 23 this year when junta troops mobilized near the village. Myanmars junta-controlled Supreme Court is set to hear appeals from jailed State Counselor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi and President U Win Myint this month. On Wednesday it will hear appeals over Daw Aung San Suu Kyis convictions for electoral fraud under Article 130(a) of the colonial-era Penal Code and Official Secrets Act. The 78-year-old was given three years for each charge. The Supreme Court of the Union will also hear appeals from the 71-year-old president and government office minister U Min Thu over three convictions, including for electoral fraud. On July 12 it will hear appeals for five cases of corruption affecting both leaders. The cases involve the alleged misuse of public funds for the rent and purchase of a helicopter. The pair were sentenced to seven years in prison in December last year. On July 18 the court is set to hear Daw Aung San Suu Kyis appeals against five convictions for violations of coronavirus restrictions and the Telecommunications Law. The court will also hear appeals from U Win Myint and Naypyitaw Mayor Dr Myo Aung over sedition convictions. Their appeals have already been dismissed by lower courts. Daw Aung San Suu Kyi has been sentenced to 33 years on 19 charges by the regime. She is held in solitary confinement in Naypyitaw Prison and her health condition is unknown. Her lawyers last met the state counselor on December 30, when she faced her final charge. The regime imposed a gagging order on her lawyers, stopping them speaking to the media or foreign organizations about the jailed civilian leader. U Win Myint was given 12 years on eight charges. He is held in Taungoo Prison and lacks proper treatment for ongoing health conditions, a National League for Democracy member told The Irrawaddy on condition of anonymity. According to the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners, more than 20,000 people had been detained since the 2021 coup, of whom 19,295 are still behind bars. It reported that 3,736 people had been killed by the junta. A painting by prominent democracy activist Ko Min Ko Naing was auctioned for US$ 12,345 (about 37 million kyats) on Monday, with the funds going to support the anti-regime resistance movement. The painting, Pyi Taw Win (Returning Home), conveys the ambiance of Myanmars second-largest city, Mandalay, and was sold to help the Mandalay Peoples Defense Force (PDF). The auction is part of a project that aims to provide weapons and ammunition to the PDF so that it can conduct a mission to drive out the junta troops based at the Mandalay Palace. The painting was the final one auctioned as part of the Pyi Taw Win project. The series of auctions began on May 25 and ended on Monday. The final auction was conducted live on Facebook on Monday night. A bidder identified by alias Shwe Bhawdi won the auction. A member of the Mandalay PDF said: When I saw the painting, I missed my home town, Mandalay, and I wanted to go home. He made the comment in a video posted on Padauk Phoos Facebook page, one of the Facebook pages where the auction was broadcast. The auction began on June 27 with a starting price of US$ 1,988 (about 6 million kyats). Bidding pushed the price up to more than 15 million kyats within a few hours. Ko Min Ko Naing is a member of the 88 Generation student movement and a prominent democracy figure. He was imprisoned for 25 years after the 1988 pro-democracy uprising. He was awarded the Gwangju Prize for Human Rights in 2009. The prize is given by the May 18 Memorial Foundation in honor of the 1980 Gwangju Uprising against South Korean dictator Chun Doo-hwan, and those killed in the massacre that ensued. The uprising is considered by many South Koreans to be a pivotal event in their decades-long struggle for democracy. This Week in Review A weekly review of the best and most popular stories published in the Imperial Valley Press. Also, featured upcoming events, new movies at local theaters, the week in photos and much more. Country United States of America US Virgin Islands United States Minor Outlying Islands Canada Mexico, United Mexican States Bahamas, Commonwealth of the Cuba, Republic of Dominican Republic Haiti, Republic of Jamaica Afghanistan Albania, People's Socialist Republic of Algeria, People's Democratic Republic of American Samoa Andorra, Principality of Angola, Republic of Anguilla Antarctica (the territory South of 60 deg S) Antigua and Barbuda Argentina, Argentine Republic Armenia Aruba Australia, Commonwealth of Austria, Republic of Azerbaijan, Republic of Bahrain, Kingdom of Bangladesh, People's Republic of Barbados Belarus Belgium, Kingdom of Belize Benin, People's Republic of Bermuda Bhutan, Kingdom of Bolivia, Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina Botswana, Republic of Bouvet Island (Bouvetoya) Brazil, Federative Republic of British Indian Ocean Territory (Chagos Archipelago) British Virgin Islands Brunei Darussalam Bulgaria, People's Republic of Burkina Faso Burundi, Republic of Cambodia, Kingdom of Cameroon, United Republic of Cape Verde, Republic of Cayman Islands Central African Republic Chad, Republic of Chile, Republic of China, People's Republic of Christmas Island Cocos (Keeling) Islands Colombia, Republic of Comoros, Union of the Congo, Democratic Republic of Congo, People's Republic of Cook Islands Costa Rica, Republic of Cote D'Ivoire, Ivory Coast, Republic of the Cyprus, Republic of Czech Republic Denmark, Kingdom of Djibouti, Republic of Dominica, Commonwealth of Ecuador, Republic of Egypt, Arab Republic of El Salvador, Republic of Equatorial Guinea, Republic of Eritrea Estonia Ethiopia Faeroe Islands Falkland Islands (Malvinas) Fiji, Republic of the Fiji Islands Finland, Republic of France, French Republic French Guiana French Polynesia French Southern Territories Gabon, Gabonese Republic Gambia, Republic of the Georgia Germany Ghana, Republic of Gibraltar Greece, Hellenic Republic Greenland Grenada Guadaloupe Guam Guatemala, Republic of Guinea, Revolutionary People's Rep'c of Guinea-Bissau, Republic of Guyana, Republic of Heard and McDonald Islands Holy See (Vatican City State) Honduras, Republic of Hong Kong, Special Administrative Region of China Hrvatska (Croatia) Hungary, Hungarian People's Republic Iceland, Republic of India, Republic of Indonesia, Republic of Iran, Islamic Republic of Iraq, Republic of Ireland Israel, State of Italy, Italian Republic Japan Jordan, Hashemite Kingdom of Kazakhstan, Republic of Kenya, Republic of Kiribati, Republic of Korea, Democratic People's Republic of Korea, Republic of Kuwait, State of Kyrgyz Republic Lao People's Democratic Republic Latvia Lebanon, Lebanese Republic Lesotho, Kingdom of Liberia, Republic of Libyan Arab Jamahiriya Liechtenstein, Principality of Lithuania Luxembourg, Grand Duchy of Macao, Special Administrative Region of China Macedonia, the former Yugoslav Republic of Madagascar, Republic of Malawi, Republic of Malaysia Maldives, Republic of Mali, Republic of Malta, Republic of Marshall Islands Martinique Mauritania, Islamic Republic of Mauritius Mayotte Micronesia, Federated States of Moldova, Republic of Monaco, Principality of Mongolia, Mongolian People's Republic Montserrat Morocco, Kingdom of Mozambique, People's Republic of Myanmar Namibia Nauru, Republic of Nepal, Kingdom of Netherlands Antilles Netherlands, Kingdom of the New Caledonia New Zealand Nicaragua, Republic of Niger, Republic of the Nigeria, Federal Republic of Niue, Republic of Norfolk Island Northern Mariana Islands Norway, Kingdom of Oman, Sultanate of Pakistan, Islamic Republic of Palau Palestinian Territory, Occupied Panama, Republic of Papua New Guinea Paraguay, Republic of Peru, Republic of Philippines, Republic of the Pitcairn Island Poland, Polish People's Republic Portugal, Portuguese Republic Puerto Rico Qatar, State of Reunion Romania, Socialist Republic of Russian Federation Rwanda, Rwandese Republic Samoa, Independent State of San Marino, Republic of Sao Tome and Principe, Democratic Republic of Saudi Arabia, Kingdom of Senegal, Republic of Serbia and Montenegro Seychelles, Republic of Sierra Leone, Republic of Singapore, Republic of Slovakia (Slovak Republic) Slovenia Solomon Islands Somalia, Somali Republic South Africa, Republic of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands Spain, Spanish State Sri Lanka, Democratic Socialist Republic of St. Helena St. Kitts and Nevis St. Lucia St. Pierre and Miquelon St. Vincent and the Grenadines Sudan, Democratic Republic of the Suriname, Republic of Svalbard & Jan Mayen Islands Swaziland, Kingdom of Sweden, Kingdom of Switzerland, Swiss Confederation Syrian Arab Republic Taiwan, Province of China Tajikistan Tanzania, United Republic of Thailand, Kingdom of Timor-Leste, Democratic Republic of Togo, Togolese Republic Tokelau (Tokelau Islands) Tonga, Kingdom of Trinidad and Tobago, Republic of Tunisia, Republic of Turkey, Republic of Turkmenistan Turks and Caicos Islands Tuvalu Uganda, Republic of Ukraine United Arab Emirates United Kingdom of Great Britain & N. Ireland Uruguay, Eastern Republic of Uzbekistan Vanuatu Venezuela, Bolivarian Republic of Viet Nam, Socialist Republic of Wallis and Futuna Islands Western Sahara Yemen Zambia, Republic of Zimbabwe Reddit Email 14 Shares Relentless Crackdown on Media, Rights Defenders, Civil Society Human Rights Watch (Beirut) Iranian authorities have brought vague propaganda and national security charges against three journalists, Human Rights Watch said today. The authorities should drop the charges, which stem from the journalists reporting and writing on social media, and end the ongoing harassment, prosecution, and punishment of those exercising their rights to free speech. The trial of the journalists Saeideh Shafiei, Mehrnoush Zarei Henzaki, and Nasim Sultan Beigi is scheduled for July 3, 2023, before Branch 26 of the Revolutionary Court. Under articles 500 and 610 of the Islamic Penal Code of Iran, each of these charges carries a sentence of up to five years in prison. Irans judiciary has once again begun summoning and harassing journalists and human rights defenders, punishing anyone who refuses to remain silent, said Tara Sepehri Far, senior Iran researcher at Human Rights Watch. The authorities have been relentless in prosecuting and punishing anyone reporting on the social issues and grievances that were central to the protests over the last months. The charges against Shafiei relate to several articles she wrote on topics such as rising poverty and the governments management of energy subsidies and public resources. The charges against Henzaki relate to her articles on reproductive laws and the state of Irans national parks. Sultan Bigis charges are based on her collaboration with numerous domestic and foreign media outlets. The prosecutor has apparently sought the most severe penalty for Sultan Bigi due to her lack of cooperation during her interrogation and her promotion of the removal of the hijab. Get updates on human rights issues from around the globe. Join our movement today. Have it sent to your inbox. Articles 500 and 610 criminalize propaganda against the state and assembly and collusion to commit acts against national security. Iran has a long history of using vaguely defined national security charges against protesters, dissidents, and journalists in trials that fall grossly short of international standards. Revolutionary Guard agents arrested Shafiei, an economic journalist who had worked with several Iranian newspapers, at her home in Tehran on February 22, the Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA) reported. Authorities transferred her to Ward 2A in Evin prison in Tehran. She was released on March 8, upon posting bail of 500 million tomans (approximately US$12,150). Revolutionary Guard agents arrested Henzaki at her mothers home in Tehran on January 22. She was also transferred to Ward 2A in Evin prison and released on bail on February 15. Henzaki reports on health care and social issues for various Iranian outlets. On the evening of January 11, Revolutionary Guard agents detained Sultan Beigi at Imam Khomeini International Airport as she attempted to leave Iran. They also transferred her to Ward 2A in Evin prison, then released her on a 1 billion Tomans (approximately $24,350) bail on February 6. Sultan Beigi previously worked as a journalist with several Iranian publications, such as Shargh Newspaper, Arman, Iscanews, and Shahrvand. The authorities had previously arrested Sultan Beigi when she was a student activist in 2006, when she was detained for almost two months, and again in 2007. She was detained again from 2012 to 2013, serving a prison sentence she had received for her activism. In September 2022, Iranians took to the streets to protest the death of Mahsa (Jina) Amini, a 22-year-old Kurdish Iranian woman, in the custody of the abusive morality police, as well as the autocratic governments long track record of repression and impunity. Iranian authorities cracked down against the nationwide protests with excessive and lethal force, killing hundreds of protestors. They also imprisoned tens of thousands of protesters, as well as hundreds of activists, journalists, and human rights defenders on dubious charges and issued death sentences in grossly unfair trials. Article continues after bonus IC video Royal Society for Asian Affairs: Freedom of Expression in Iran In February, Iranian authorities announced a broad amnesty, which included the release of many of those detained as well as pardons, or reduced sentences for those arrested, charged, or detained during the protest. But the Iranian authorities are now summoning several of activists and protesters just recently released, especially journalists, media have reported. It is unclear whether they are facing old or new charges. Zahra and Hoda Tohidi, journalist and activist sisters, were arrested in September 2022, HRANA reported, and released on bail on December 17. On May 31, they were rearrested and transferred to Evin prison to serve a one-year prison sentence. On July 21, Alireza Khoshbakht, Zahra Tohidis husband, tweeted that authorities had brought a new charge propaganda against the state against her based on her Instagram account activity before she was detained. Committee Follow Up Iran reported that in May, Branch 28 of Tehrans Revolutionary Court sentenced Ruhollah Nakhai, a journalist who was released in January, to two years and seven months in prison. Saeid Khalili, Nakhais lawyer, tweeted that Nakhai was sentenced even though he satisfied the conditions of the amnesty. Niloofar Hamedi and Elaheh Mohammadi, journalists from the Shargh and Ham-Mihan Iranian newspapers who were among the first to report on Aminis death in custody and her funeral, have remained in Evin prison for nine months. They are charged with collaborating with the hostile United States government, propaganda against the state, and assembly and collusion to act against national security. They denied the charges and insisted that they were doing their jobs as journalists. The international community should keep cases of journalists and human rights defenders at the center of its engagement with Iran, Sepehri Far said. States should be demanding that Iran drop these and other ridiculous charges that authorities have brought against journalists. Reddit Email 58 Shares By Sam Pizzigati | ( Inequality.org ) In our United States today, all of us do not have an equal opportunity to become rich or even comfortable. Rich people like things that way. Grand fortunes only grow grander when the richest among us have plenty of exploitable people around to exploit. To keep things that way, rich people have gone out of their way over the past half-century to make sure all of us do not have equal opportunity to a quality education. This week, with the Supreme Courts stunning ruling that strikes down affirmative action in higher ed admissions, the most fervent advocates of plutocratic privilege have now completed their squashing of the worlds most ambitious attempt to create a system of public education that can truly guarantee all kids a quality education. That ambitious effort began all the way back in 1787 when our new nations earliest lawmakers, in the Northwest Ordinance, required towns in future states to reserve prime real estate for public schools. Their goal: to ensure that the means of education shall forever be encouraged. Without education, the founders feared democracy would devolve into mob rule and open doors to unscrupulous politicians and hucksters, the University of South Carolina Law Schools Derek Black has pointed out. Our democratic experiment might very well just fail. Realizing the founders goal of forever encouraging public education would end up taking almost forever. Not until the years after World War II would the United States have anything remotely close to a public school system that extended equal opportunity to young people of all colors and classes, to children with and without disabilities. In the 1960s, federal tax dollars finally began helping every community offer all children a quality educational experience. Those dollars came via progressive tax rates that actually had most of Americas richest contributing something close to their fair tax share. In those same mid-20th-century decades, we overhauled American higher education. We created networks of public community colleges, all with free or low-cost tuition. We created student grant and loan programs that enabled millions of young people to earn four-year and postgraduate degrees without building up debts that would take them lifetimes to pay off. Americans who wanted to opt out of this ambitious new world of public education remained free to do so. The rich could still send their kids to private academies. Any families that so chose could send their kids to religious schools but not on the public dime. Public tax dollars went to fund public education. Those dollars, we believed, were building democracy, teaching people of all backgrounds how to work with and learn from each other. These noble goals would, of course, regularly go unmet. But the goals themselves the rhetoric of equal educational opportunity did really matter. Parents and communities, armed with this rhetoric, ventured forth and did noble battle against the still formidable barriers to equal opportunity. They even won many of those battles. We were moving, as a nation, in the right direction. And then rich people said stop. These rich felt like saps. High taxes on their hard-earned incomes were bankrolling the education of other peoples children. Their alma maters, our wealthiest fretted, might even start cutting back on the legacy admissions that guaranteed their offspring easy entry into the nations most prestigious colleges and universities. The indignities these wealthy endured went well beyond the disrespect they felt. They saw the source of their fortunes, their right to run Corporate America as they saw fit, under direct threat as the United States entered into the 1970s. The federal government under a Republican president no less seemed to be hobbling business at every turn. At the end of 1970, Richard Nixon had signed into law legislation that created a new federal agency to protect workers from injury and illness. Just a few weeks earlier, the first administrator of another new federal office, the Environmental Protection Agency, had announced his attention to give business polluters no quarter. As an independent agency, William Ruckelshaus pronounced, the EPA had only the critical obligation to protect and enhance the environment. Things were clearly getting out of hand. Business seemed to be taking a shellacking from every direction. New federal agencies. A restless labor movement. Campuses full of profs and students who felt free to ridicule business values. Corporate America clearly had to respond. But how? The U.S. Chamber of Commerce would put that question to Lewis Powell, a leading corporate attorney. Powells answer would come in a confidential 1971 memo, just two months before his nomination to the U.S. Supreme Court. The time had come, Powell declared, for the wisdom, ingenuity, and resources of American business to be marshalled against those who would destroy it. Business confronts, Powell would contend, critics seeking insidiously to sabotage free enterprise. Extremists on the left, he insisted, have become far more numerous, better financed, and increasingly are more welcomed and encouraged by other elements of society, than ever before. Corporate America, Powell would exhort, must show more stomach for hard-nose combat. Yet individual corporate leaders, Powell understood, can only do so much. Real strength, he would go on to explain, lies in careful long-range planning and consistency of action over an indefinite period of years. Real strength demands a scale of financing available only through joint effort and the political power available only through united action and national organizations. Powells 1971 musings, notes historian Kim Phillips-Fein, crystallized a set of concerns shared by business conservatives in the early 1970s and gave inspiration to corporate leaders who would later become familiar names and powerful forces, men like arch Colorado right-winger Joseph Coors. Together, these newly energized corporate leaders would unleash upon America what political scientists Jacob Hacker and Paul Pierson have called a domestic version of Shock and Awe. The number of corporate public affairs offices in Washington, D.C. would quintuple between 1968 and 1978, from 100 to over 500. In 1971, only 175 U.S. corporations had registered lobbyists in Washington. The 1982 total: almost 2,500. Corporate leaders also bankrolled a series of new militantly free market think tanks and action centers: the Heritage Foundation and American Legislative Exchange Council in 1973, the Cato Institute in 1977, the Manhattan Institute in 1978, among many others. The U.S. Chamber of Commerce, for its part, would double its membership between 1974 and 1980 and triple its budget. Photo by Gayatri Malhotra on Unsplash Complementing this new ideological infrastructure: a torrent of campaign contributions to rich people-friendly pols. In the mid-1970s, U.S. senators were depending on labor for almost half their campaign funding. By the mid-1980s, senators were getting less than a fifth of their funding from union PACs. By the early 2000s, adds Jacob Hacker, the Republican Party had solidified its intimacy with very, very, very rich billionaire donors and corporate groups. The GOP now marched in total sync with the policy priorities of Americas most fortunate: more regressive tax cuts, more deregulation, and more extreme conservatives on the nations judicial benches. The personal payoff from this synchronization would be huge for Americas deepest pockets. Between 1995 and 2007, sinking effective income tax rates saved Americas 400 richest households an average $46 million per year. The flip side of this aggressive pursuit of lower taxes by the rich? Hacker and fellow analyst Nathan Loewentheil have the consequential answer: chronic government budget deficits and insufficient funds for public goods like public education. The predictable result? Everything from overcrowded elementary school classrooms to tuition rates that make higher education unaffordable for vast numbers of American households. George Washington would not approve. In 1796, in his annual presidential address to Congress, Washington opined that our nations lawmakers had no duty more pressing than the common education of a portion of our youth from every quarter. We are failing that youth. We are coddling our rich instead. Via Inequality.org Content licensed under a Creative Commons 3.0 License VANCOUVER, BC / ACCESSWIRE / July 4, 2023 / CMC Metals Ltd. (TSXV:CMB) (Frankfurt:ZM5P) (OTCQB:CMCXF) ("CMC" or the "Company") is pleased to announce that drilling has commenced at its Silverknife Property, north-central British Columbia, Canada. The program will comprise of an initial 3,000 meters focused on exploring recent discoveries identified as gravity anomalies in the northernmost portion of the Silverknife Project. Approximately 10-12 holes will be completed reaching depths of up to 400 meters, with projections of mineralization to be encountered at depths of between 50-75 meters from surface (see Figures 1 and 2). Silverknife is located immediately adjacent to the west of the Silvertip Mine owned by Coeur Mining Ltd. ("Couer"). Silvertip is one of the highest-grade underground carbonate replacement ("CRD") silver-lead-zinc deposits in the world. Coeur have recently announced several new discoveries in the Silvertip area, a new mineralization model, and have postulated that Silvertip is likely The resources at Silvertip a small part of a larger mineralizing system and that they have identified evidence that the resources outlined to date (at the immediate SilverTip area) are only one of several potential mineralizing spokes (see Figure 3)." Recent indications of the presence of critical minerals such as germanium, gallium and indium in the Silvertip area are encouraging. CMC will therefore be testing any mineralized core in this drill program as well we will be testing previous core and surface samples at Silver Hart for these critical minerals. Mr. John Bossio, Chairman noted, "Our Company is very fortunate to have identified highly prospective areas right next door to SilverTip, one of the most significant high-grade silver-lead-zinc CRD discoveries being actively explored. The level of prospectivity on Silverknife and Amy has increased significantly due to the recent discoveries and findings by Coeur in the Silvertip region. Our plan for this season is very ambitious as we hope this program will results in a significant discovery at Silverknife and also serve to identify new prospects on our other properties in the Rancheria Silver District." Mr. Kevin Brewer, President and CEO noted, "I am very pleased with the hard work and commitment of our exploration team and service companies in preparing for this season and having this project start on schedule. Mapping and drilling has commenced at Silverknife and we hope to get early results." Figure 1: Bouguer Gravity Anomalies Identified at Silverknife in 2022 (Source: Intelligent Exploration). Figure 2: Proposed Drill Holes in the Gravity Anomalies, Silverknife Property. (Source: Intelligent Exploration, 2023) Figure 3: The Silverknife Prospect and the Gravity Target sits on one of the main prospective "spokes" for CRD deposits in the Silvertip region within a north-easterly structural corridor. (Source: Coeur Mining, 2022) Qualified Person Qualified Person Kevin Brewer, a registered professional geoscientist, is the Company's President and CEO, and Qualified Person (as defined by National Instrument 43-101). He has given his approval of the technical information pertaining reported herein. The Company is committed to meeting the highest standards of integrity, transparency and consistency in reporting technical content, including geological reporting, geophysical investigations, environmental and baseline studies, engineering studies, metallurgical testing, assaying and all other technical data. About CMC Metals Ltd. CMC Metals Ltd. is a growth stage exploration company focused on opportunities for high grade polymetallic deposits in Yukon, British Columbia and Newfoundland. Our polymetallic silver-lead-zinc CRD prospects include the Silver Hart Deposit and Blue Heaven claims (the "Silver Hart Project") and the Amy and Silverknife claims. Our polymetallic projects with potential for copper-silver-gold and other metals include Logjam (Yukon), Bridal Veil, Terra Nova and Rodney Pond (central Newfoundland). On behalf of the Board: "John Bossio" John Bossio, Chairman CMC Metals Ltd. For Further Information and Investor Inquiries: Kevin Brewer, P. Geo., MBA, B.Sc. (Hons), Dip. Mine Eng. President, CEO and Director Tel: (709) 327 8013 This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. Suite 1000-409 Granville St. Vancouver, BC V6C 1T2 To be added to CMC's news distribution list, please send an email to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or contact Mr. Kevin Brewer directly. 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 certain statements that constitute "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable securities law, including without limitation, statements that address the timing and content of upcoming work programs, geological interpretations, receipt of property titles and exploitation activities and developments. In this release disclosure regarding the potential to undertake future exploration work comprise forward looking statements. Forward-looking statements address future events and conditions and are necessarily based upon a number of estimates and assumptions. While such estimates and assumptions are considered reasonable by the management of the Company, they are inherently subject to significant business, economic, competitive and regulatory uncertainties and risks, including the ability of the Company to raise the funds necessary to fund its projects, to carry out the work and, accordingly, may not occur as described herein or at all. Actual results may differ materially from those currently anticipated in such statements. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in forward looking statements include market prices, exploitation and exploration successes, the timing and receipt of government and regulatory approvals, the impact of the constantly evolving COVID-19 pandemic crisis and continued availability of capital and financing and general economic, market or business conditions. Readers are referred to the Company's filings with the Canadian securities regulators for information on these and other risk factors, available at www.sedar.com. Investors are cautioned that forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance or events and, accordingly are cautioned not to put undue reliance on forward-looking statements due to the inherent uncertainty of such statements. The forward-looking statements included in this news release are made as of the date hereof and 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 expressly required by applicable securities legislation." Highest-grade copper-gold mineralization in all holes at Canada Honda drilled to date Mineralization open in all directions Gravity anomaly more than 2km long Canada Honda one of more than 14 Escacena gravity anomalies VANCOUVER, BC, July 4, 2023 /CNW/ - Pan Global Resources Inc. ("Pan Global" or the "Company") (TSXV: PGZ) (OTCQB: PGZFF) is pleased to announce positive results for the first of three follow-up drill holes at the Canada Honda target at the Company's 100%-owned Escacena Project in the Iberian Pyrite Belt, southern Spain. "Higher-grade copper mineralization continues to be delineated at the Canada Honda target. Hole CHD05 reported today was a large step-out along a two-kilometer-long gravity anomaly and intercepted a wide zone of copper-gold mineralization 150m down-dip. It is particularly encouraging to see an increase in thickness of the copper-gold mineralization down-dip coincident with a gravity target. This indicates good potential for additional mineralization associated with the gravity anomaly," said Tim Moody, Pan Global's President and CEO. "Follow-up drill hole CHD06, more than 100m to the east of hole CHD05, has intersected visible copper mineralization coincident with a downhole EM (DHEM) conductor anomaly, confirming that mineralization at Canada Honda is open in all directions." Canada Honda, one of more than 14 gravity anomalies in the Escacena Project, is a high-priority target following drill results reported on June 1, 2023 that show gold and copper mineralization increasing down-dip on the edge of a 2km long east-west gravity and DHEM anomaly. Drill hole CHD05, the first of a three-hole follow-up drill program, targeted the gravity anomaly 150m down-dip from previous drill hole CHD04, and approximately 330m down-dip from a historic mine tunnel. Results are pending for hole CHD06 located 100m east of CHD05, targeting a large DHEM anomaly. Hole CHD07 is in-progress targeting a resistivity-low anomaly 100m down-dip from CHD05. The Canada Honda target is approximately 3.5km north of Pan Global's La Romana copper-tin-silver discovery at the Escacena Project. Drill results for Canada Honda hole CHD05 are summarized in Table 1 and drill collar details are presented in Table 2 below. Drill hole locations are shown in Figure 1. The gravity anomaly cross-section is shown in Figure 2. Highlights Hole CHD05 confirms that copper-gold mineralization continues with increasing thickness 150m down-dip from hole CHD04, and remains wide open. down-dip from hole CHD04, and remains wide open. Results for CHD05 include: 20m at 0.5% Cu, 0.3g/t Au, and 1.9g/t Ag from 287m down-hole, including 5.1m at 1.3% Cu, 0.5g/t Au, and 3.9g/t Ag 0.5m at 10.3% Cu, 1.4g/t Au and 29g/t Ag Assays are pending for the upper part of the drill hole Hole CHD06 shows visible copper mineralization coincident with the DHEM target approximately 100m east of hole CHD05. Table 1 Canada Honda drill hole CHD05 results summary (all intersections are >90% to 100% of true thickness) Hole From To Int Cu Au Ag Pb Zn Co m m m % g/t g/t ppm ppm ppm CHD05 287.0 307.0 20.0 0.5 0.3 1.9 38 124 102 296.0 307.0 11.0 0.8 0.4 2.4 36 147 117 296.0 301.0 5.1 1.3 0.5 3.9 39 154 182 296.0 296.5 0.5 10.3 1.4 29.2 114 371 592 Table 2 Canada Honda drillhole CHD05 collar information Hole_ID Easting1 Northing1 Azimuth () Dip () Depth (m) CHD05 737208 4156446 180 -70 443.4 1Coordinates are in ERTS89 datum UTM29N QA/QC Procedures Core size was HQ (63mm) and all samples were core. Nominal sample size was 1m core length and ranged from 0.4m to 2m. Sample intervals were defined using geological contacts with the start and end of each sample physically marked on the core. Diamond blade core cutting and sampling was supervised at all times by Company staff. Duplicate samples of core were taken approximately every 30 samples and Certified Reference materials inserted every 25 samples in each batch. Samples were delivered to ALS laboratory in Sevilla, Spain and assayed at the ALS laboratory in Ireland. All samples were crushed and split (method CRU-31, SPL22Y), and pulverized using (method PUL-31). Gold analysis was by 50gm Fire assay with ICP finish (method Au-ICP22) and multi element analysis was undertaken using a 4-acid digest with ICP AES finish (method ME-ICP61). Over grade base metal results were assayed using a 4-acid digest ICP AES (method OG-62). About the Escacena Project The Escacena Project comprises a large, contiguous, 5,760-hectare land package controlled 100% by Pan Global in the east of the Iberian Pyrite Belt. Escacena is located near operating mines at Las Cruces and Riotinto and is immediately adjacent to the former Aznalcollar and Los Frailes mines where Minera Los Frailes/Grupo Mexico is in the final permitting stage with construction anticipated to start in 2023. The Escacena Project hosts the La Romana copper-tin-silver discovery and a number of other prospective targets, including Zarcita, Hornitos, La Jarosa, Romana Deep, Romana North, Romana West, Canada Honda, Bravo, Barbacena, El Pozo, and San Pablo. About Pan Global Resources Pan Global Resources Inc. is actively targeting copper-rich mineral deposits, given copper's compelling supply-demand fundamentals and outlook for strong long-term prices as a critical metal for global electrification and energy transition. The Company's flagship Escacena Project is located in the prolific Iberian Pyrite Belt in southern Spain, where infrastructure, mining and professional expertise, and support for copper as a Strategic Raw Material by the European Commission collectively define a tier-one jurisdiction for mining investment. The Pan Global team comprises proven talent in exploration, development, and mine operations - all of which are committed to operating safely and with utmost respect for the environment and our partnered communities. Qualified Persons James Royall, Vice President Exploration for Pan Global Resources and a qualified person as defined by National Instrument 43-101, has reviewed the scientific and technical information for this news release. Mr. Royall is not independent of the Company. On behalf of the Board of Directors www.panglobalresources.com Forward-looking statements Statements which are not purely historical are forward-looking statements, including any statements regarding beliefs, plans, expectations or intentions regarding the future. It is important to note that actual outcomes and the Company's actual results could differ materially from those in such forward-looking statements. The Company believes that the expectations reflected in the forward-looking information included in this news release are reasonable but no assurance can be given that these expectations will prove to be correct and such forward-looking information should not be unduly relied upon. Risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, economic, competitive, governmental, environmental and technological factors that may affect the Company's operations, markets, products and prices. Readers should refer to the risk disclosures outlined in the Company's Management Discussion and Analysis of its audited financial statements filed with the British Columbia Securities Commission. The forward-looking information contained in this news release is based on information available to the Company as of the date of this news release. Except as required under applicable securities legislation, the Company does not intend, and does not assume any obligation, to update this 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. Vancouver, BC TheNewswire - July 4th, 2023 - Recharge Resources Ltd. ("Recharge" or the "Company") (CSE:RR) (OTC:RECHF) (Frankfurt:SL5) is pleased to announce that SouthernRock Geophysics S.A. (SouthernRock) has provided the company with its final report from the Magnetotellurics Survey (MT Survey) conducted at the companys Pocitos lithium brine project in Salta, Argentina. Figure 1. Map showing the traverses across Pocitos 1 and 2 and location near Arizaro, Incahuasi, Rincon and Pozuelos salars. The north south line is the border between Pocitos 1 and Pocitos 2 concessions. Jeremy Barrett, General Manager of SouthernRock stated, The inversion models for the Magneto-Telluric data describe a very conductive setting throughout, although in detail it is generally comprised of an upper sub-1m layer overlying a slightly less conductive layer of about 1 m of variable thickness that in turn overlies an extensive conductive interval of about 0.5 m extending indeterminately to perhaps 1km depth. Marginally higher resistivities of up to 2 or 3 m in the eastern part of the northernmost survey line may represent a contrast in composition of the basin material or fluid salinity, in an otherwise fairly homogenous conductive setting. The data will now be incorporated into the companys NI 43-101 report. As previously announced, the basis for the NI 43-101 report is well underway after Recharges Qualified Person, Phillip Thomas set up the drill program in Argentina when he was there in November 2022 and again in January 2023 and most recently in May of 2023 to measure and review core, flow rates and assays to complement the work WSP will do complete a mineral resource estimate within the NI43-101 compliant report. WSP hydrologists have also visited the project and inspected the site and core. CEO, David Greenway, summarised, "Recharge is pushing forward on all fronts with an inaugural NI 43-101, a pending drilling program, and a subsequent NI 43-101 resource estimate. The MT survey shows us exactly where the lithology has been concentrating conductive brines containing lithium. These developments should make for an exciting next period for Recharge and its stakeholders at the Pocitos lithium brine project. Figure 2. The 1D inversion (showing vertical lines of resistivity) inverted into a 2d model shows low resistivity near where three wells have been drilled, but another deep low resistivity area to the west that extends north south across the whole concession. Figure 3. 2D Inversion shows the low resistivity to the west with a different lithological unit (dark blue) appearing at the border of Pocitos 1 and 2. As previously announced SouthernRock had surveyed a major zone with a resistivity of just 0.3 Ohm-m implying a highly conductive ellipsoidal shaped unit with a thickness of 750 metres and a length of 2.5 kilometres to a high value of 0.5ohm-m as shown in figure 3 2D inversion above. Pocitos 2 Option As a result of the MT signaling identifying a much larger potential at Pocitos 1 project over the undrilled Pocitos 2 block the board of Recharge has elected to rescind its option to acquire the Pocitos 2 block as announced on February 27th, 2023. Waiving the option to the Pocitos 2 smaller untested block saves Recharge from making a cash payment of USD $744,800 as well as $1.5 Million in share payments. Furthermore, the company has requested the return of $500,000 (925,926 shares at a deemed price of $0.54) in Recharges shares paid to Spey Resources as a refundable deposit upon execution of the option back in February 2023. The company will now focus its expenditure on further development and drilling to confirm the much larger potential at the Pocitos 1 block in preparation for the contemplated development of an up to 20,000 tonne per year Ekosolve lithium plant at the Pocitos 1 project. Recharge has also paid a fee to enter an auction for a property nearby Pocitos 1 on the Pocitos salar. About Pocitos Lithium Brine Project The Pocitos Project is located approximately 10 km from the township of Pocitos where there is gas, electricity, and internet services. Pocitos 1 is approximately 800hectares and is accessible by road. Collective exploration totals over USD $2.0 million developing the project, including surface sampling, trenching, TEM and MT geophysics and drilling three holes that had outstanding brine flow results. Locations for immediate follow up drilling have already been designed and identified for upcoming exploration. Lithium values of 169 ppm from drill hole 3 packer test assayed from laboratory analysis conducted by Alex Stewart were recorded during the projects December 2022 drill campaigns. A double packer sampling system in HQ Diamond drill holes were drilled to a depth of up to 409 metres. The flow of brine was observed to continue for more than five hours. All holes had exceptional brine flow rates. Figure 4. Pocitos Lithium Claim Map Qualified Person Phillip Thomas, BSc Geol, MBusM, FAusIMM, MAIG, MAIMVA, (CMV), a Qualified Person as defined under NI 43-101 regulations, has reviewed the technical information that forms the basis for portions of this news release, and has approved the disclosure herein. Mr. Thomas is independent of the Company and is NOT a shareholder of Recharge Resources. Thomas visited the property to view the core between January 15th-22nd, 2023 and 8 May 2023 to determine if additional flow tests could be arranged. About SouthernRock Geophysics S.A. SouthernRock Geophysics S.A. is dedicated to providing geophysical services for the mineral exploration sector with further expertise in ground water, geothermal and other monitoring programs. The company formerly operated in the region as Zonge Ingenieria y Geofisica (Chile) S.A., with the new identity prompted by its independence from Zonge International (USA) several years ago. SouthernRock Geophysics boasts over 20 years of experience in the Andean region with a field base in Antofagasta, a technical office in Santiago and a sister company Ridgeback Geofisica Argentina S.A. based in Mendoza, all of which form a resource network that delivers innovative earth imaging solutions to a broad base of local and multinational clients. About Recharge Resources Recharge Resources is a Canadian mineral exploration company focused on exploring and developing the production of high-value battery metals to create green, renewable energy to meet the demands of the advancing electric vehicle and fuel cell vehicle market. All Stakeholders are encouraged to follow the Company on Instagram and other social media profiles. On Behalf of the Board of Directors David Greenway David Greenway, CEO For further information, please contact: Recharge Resources Ltd. Joel Warawa Phone: 778-588-5473 E-Mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. Website: recharge-resources.com Neither the Canadian Securities Exchange 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 release. Disclaimer for Forward-Looking Information Certain statements in this release are forward-looking statements, which reflect the expectations of management regarding Recharges intention to continue to identify potential transactions and make certain corporate changes and applications. Forward looking statements consist of statements that are not purely historical, including any statements regarding beliefs, plans, expectations, or intentions regarding the future. Such statements are subject to risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results, performance, or developments to differ materially from those contained in the statements. No assurance can be given that any of the events anticipated by the forward-looking statements will occur or, if they do occur, what benefits Recharge will obtain from them. These forward-looking statements reflect managements current views and are based on certain expectations, estimates and assumptions which may prove to be incorrect. A number of risks and uncertainties could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements, including Recharges results of exploration or review of properties that Recharge does acquire. These forward-looking statements are made as of the date of this news release and Recharge assumes no obligation to update these forward-looking statements, or to update the reasons why actual results differed from those projected in the forward-looking statements, except in accordance with applicable securities laws. July 4th, 2023 TheNewswire - Kiplin Metals Inc. (TSXV:KIP) (the Company or Kiplin) is pleased to announce that it will conduct a non-brokered private placement (the Offering), under the Listed Issuer Financing Exemption (as defined below), of up to 15,000,000 units of the Company (each, a Unit) at a price of $0.20 per Unit to raise gross proceeds of up to $3,000,000. Each Unit will consist of one common share of the Company and one common share purchase warrant (each, a Warrant). Each Warrant will entitle the holder to purchase one common share of the Company at a price of $0.25 at any time on or before that date which is twelve months after the closing date of the Offering. The net proceeds raised from the Offering will be used to advance the upcoming exploration program on the Cluff Lake Road (CLR) Uranium Project, located in the Southwestern Athabasca basis of Northern Saskatchewan, and for general working capital purposes. Subject to compliance with applicable regulatory requirements and in accordance with National Instrument 45-106 Prospectus Exemptions (NI 45-106), the Offering is being made to purchasers resident in Canada, except Quebec, pursuant to the listed issuer financing exemption under Part 5A of NI- 45-106 (the Listed Issuer Financing Exemption). The securities offered under the Listed Issuer Financing Exemption will not be subject to a hold period in accordance with applicable Canadian securities laws. There is an offering document related to the Offering that can be accessed under the Companys profile at www.sedar.com and on the Companys website at: www.kiplinmetals.com. Prospective investors should read this offering document before making an investment decision. The Company may pay finders fees to eligible parties who have assisted in introducing subscribers to the Offering. Closing of the Offering remains subject to the approval of the TSX Venture Exchange. About Kiplin Metals Inc. Kiplin Metals Inc. is a mineral exploration company. We create value for our shareholders by identifying and developing highly prospective mineral exploration opportunities. Our strategy is to advance our projects from discovery all the way to production. This vertically integrated strategy allows Kiplin Metals to achieve exceptional shareholder value through the entire life-cycle of the mining process. For further information, contact the Company at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or 604-622-1199, or visit the Companys website at www.kiplinmetals.com. On behalf of the Board, Kiplin Metals Inc. Peter Born Director Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. This news release may include forward-looking statements that are subject to risks and uncertainties. All statements within, other than statements of historical fact, are to be considered forward looking. Although the Company believes the expectations expressed in such forward-looking statements are based on reasonable assumptions, such statements are not guarantees of future performance and actual results or developments may differ materially from those in forward-looking statements. There can be no assurances that such statements will prove accurate and, therefore, readers are advised to rely on their own evaluation of such uncertainties. We do not assume any obligation to update any forward-looking statements except as required under the applicable laws. VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA--(Marketwired - July 5, 2016) - NOT FOR DISTRIBUTION IN THE UNITED STATES OR FOR DISSEMINATION TO OR THROUGH US NEWSWIRE SERVICES- Blue Sky Uranium Corp. (TSX VENTURE:BSK)(FRANKFURT:MAL)(WKN:A0MKXP), "Blue Sky" or the "Company") is pleased to announce the completion of... Read More The level of tension in the criminal case against Gennadyi Herman was quite high from the start. Early in the trial that started in October 2022, a fake story began circulating on social media suggesting that the court in Mykolaiv had already sentenced Herman to life imprisonment, but that his lawyers had obtained a review of the sentence in the Prymorskyi Court of Odesa. Such procedure is impossible from a legal point of view but the rumor set the tone and gave a sense of the sensitivity of the case in Ukraine. Eventually, on June 28 the court in Odesa did sentence the former head of the Mykolaiv District Prosecutor's Office to life in prison. This is the first time an official of this rank has been tried for high treason during the full-scale war. According to the prosecution, in early March 2022, soon after the full-scale invasion of Ukraine by Russia, Herman reached out to the administrator of a pro-Russian Telegram channel and asked for his personal contact information. The administrator turned out to be a Russian propagandist with a Ukrainian passport, Yuriy Podolyaka. Herman allegedly disagreed with the Ukrainian government's information policy, aspired to Russian occupation and hoped for a leadership position in the event of the takeover of Mykolaiv by the Russian army. And therefore he offered his assistance to the blogger. In his correspondence Herman is accused to have put forward his influence on local law enforcement officers and, in the event of occupation, that he would convince them to betray their oath of allegiance to Ukraine. Podolyaka immediately instructed Herman to provide all the information at his disposal in his capacity as the head of the Mykolaiv District Prosecutor's Office regarding the military situation in Mykolaiv and the region. And the blogger forwarded the information he received to Lieutenant Colonel Igor Bezler of the Russian military intelligence service. Gennadiy Herman, former head of the Mykolaiv district prosecutor's office in southern Ukraine, has been sentenced to life imprisonment. He denies having betrayed his country. Iryna Salii Disclosed information The data included up-to-date information on Russian military personnel and members of illegal armed groups and sabotage and intelligence groups who had been captured in Ukraine, and information on the number of casualties among Ukrainian soldiers, police officers and civilians. At the end of February 2022, the National Police Department in the Mykolaiv region initiated a criminal investigation over the deaths of Ukrainian soldiers and civilians in the first days after the Russian invasion. Lists of the dead had to be made in order to identify the bodies and release them to their families for burial. Herman was the procedural supervisor in this case and, as police officers and prosecutors later testified, was constantly receiving updated information. He allegedly passed on this information to his Telegram contact. Herman also sent personal observations regarding the work of law enforcement agencies in the region, the social and operational situation in the city - the condition of bridges, the traffic on major roads, the mood of current and former law enforcement officers, etc. He provided information on the registration of prisoners of war and the facilities for them in penal institutions, indicating the name of the institution, its address, the number of people in it, the full names of the heads of such institutions and their mobile phone numbers. On March 30, Herman sent an image of the operational report of the Mykolaiv District Police Department N1 on the consequences of the deadly rocket attack on the premises of the Mykolaiv Regional Military Administration, indicating the date and time of the attack, the number of dead and injured persons, including the details of the affiliation of the deceased with a specific military formation or law enforcement agency. He provided Podolyaka with passwords for passing the checkpoints in Mykolaiv and the region as well as the updates of these passwords. And on April 4, the prosecutor sent information on the results of the work of the State Emergency Service in the Mykolaiv region in dealing with the consequences of Russias armed aggression - data on the number of cases in which the State Emergency Service was deployed to a particular district or street location, the number of damaged properties, the number of injured and killed victims, including military personnel, the number of defused explosive devices, the number of reported citizens' statements on such cases, and the number of communities cut from electric and gas supply. A trap set up by Ukraines intelligence services Later that day, Herman was arrested. As it turned out, the prosecutor was under surveillance. The Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) had extracted information from the Telegram account and read Herman's correspondence. A criminal investigation was opened on March 15, 2022. To prove that the information was being leaked, the investigators arranged for Herman to receive fake documents, including a list of four killed Ukrainian soldiers and information about the work of the State Emergency Service in the Mykolaiv region. They involved one of the chiefs of the Mykolaiv region police and an official of the local State Emergency Service in confidential assistance, in order to provide such fake information to Herman. From March 15 to April 4, 2022, Podolyaka had received from Herman the following files: "List of prisoners", "Situation in Mykolaiv", "Facilities for prisoners of war", "Civilian casualties", "Regional State Administration 03.04.22_15 30". During the pre-trial proceedings, Herman did not deny that he had passed the information to Podolyaka but said that he had sent the information to a blogger he had found on the Internet in order to provide objective coverage of the situation in Ukraine. Revenge on traitors The relatives of Ukrainian soldiers who died in the missile attack on the barracks of the 79th separate airborne assault brigade of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in Mykolaiv on March 18, 2022 where at least 50 people were killed - began to attend the court hearings, holding portraits of the victims. They accused Herman to be responsible for the death of their beloved ones. However, the indictment does not mention the bombing of the barracks as a result of Herman's tip-off and the relatives of the deceased soldiers were not acknowledged as victims in this case. Yet they eventually convinced the court to make Herman's trial partly public. Oksana Rutska (3rd from left), director of the NGO Human Rights Protection Group, in court in Odessa with other mothers and wives of Ukrainian soldiers killed in a Russian bombardment in Mikolaiv in March 2022. Iryna Salii Oksana Rutska, head of the NGO Human Rights Protection Group, lost her 25-year-old son Mykola Novikov in the attack. She brought together people who, like her family, were looking for information on social media about the missing persons after the shelling of the barracks. They created a Viber group called "Revenge on traitors", which includes more than 80 members who have already buried their dead and are demanding that the perpetrators be punished. Another group, "Mykolaiv Barracks", brings together those who still hope that their relatives are alive and might be in captivity. As Rutska told us, her son served in the presidential regiment on conscript duty and tried his hand at being a ship's cook. Six months before the full-scale invasion, Novikov signed a contract to join the Marines and was sent to training in Chaplynka, in the Kherson region. This is where he faced the great war when on the morning of February 24, the Russians started shelling the military camp. The enemy was advancing rapidly, and a couple of days later Novikov and his fellow soldiers were transferred to defend Mykolaiv. Horror at the barracks "The last time we heard from our son was on the 17th [of March] between 11 p.m. and midnight, recalled Rutska. He said: Weve come back from a mission, we are exhausted, we are going to sleep, and tomorrow morning we will go on another mission. There were fierce battles near Voznesensk, near Snihurivka, and it was our guys who fought back in Kherson direction. When he stopped contacting us on August 18-19, we thought he was on a mission and was not allowed to use his phone. We could not imagine such a tragedy. Then we learned from unofficial sources about the explosions in the barracks. We started calling the military unit, the morgue, hospitals... We received a reply that the Marines were on a mission and that they could not be reached. I got in touch with the head of the territorial defense of Mykolaiv. He assured me that the 137th battalion was not in the barracks, that they were on a mission. We calmed ourselves down for a few days. And then, when I read a lot of messages on Facebook saying "we are searching", "we are searching as well", "the last contact was on the 17th", I told my family that we were not going to wait any longer. On the 25th, we went to Mykolaiv. The city was under heavy shelling. We were driving to the hospitals looking for him, we didn't think there could be such horror. But we passed near the morgue and I said, "Let's go in to make sure he's not there. The three of us were there - me, my husband, and my daughter-in-law, Rutska said. Ukrainian soldiers amid the ruins of the Mikolaiv barracks, the day after a Russian bombardment killed around 50 Ukrainian soldiers, on 18 March 2022. Bulent Kilic / AFP There were four hangars and the young men were lying in rows on the floor, she continued. We had to walk by them to be able to identify them all. Some of them had arms and legs severed, bowels in bags... The first thing that struck me was mothers sitting over the corpses of their children and screaming. It was terrifying. We didn't find him in the first hangar, although we turned some of the bodies over to look at them because some were burnt, some were missing their heads, in pieces... When we went to the second hangar, he was lying there without a face, a bag over his head. We passed by him. And then, when we were coming out, my husband froze, as if he felt something. There was a chunk of his beard... I saw a ring on his hand. My daughter-in-law cleaned it with a handkerchief and started screaming because she gave him that ring as a gift and knew what it looked like. That's how we found him. No one told us anything, no one called us. If we hadn't come on our own, we probably wouldn't have found him to this day. Some mothers are still looking and hoping that their children are in captivity. They have given their DNA, but do not recognize what they are shown. Some bodies are still being stored in the morgue in Mykolaiv. There are about 20 families who have not yet buried their children because they think those are not their loved ones." Whos fault? Vitaliy Saluk comes to court hearings with a portrait of his 22-year-old son Andriy. The young man served in Mykolaiv on a contract basis. On February 26, his contract expired, but the full-scale Russian invasion had begun and everyone automatically stayed in the army. After the attack on the barracks, the father searched for his son for six months. He gave his DNA samples three times. The first time, the experts committed a mistake; the second time, the DNA samples never reached the laboratory for analysis. Only in September of last year was the young man buried. Ihor Guzenko is the father of 19-year-old soldier Vladyslav, who volunteered to join the army on February 27, 2022. On March 14, he was leading Ukrainian soldiers out of an ambush near Kherson, and on the 18th he was killed. "The authorities say that before sending conscripts to the front line, they are sent to training... There was no training, nothing. He was a machine gunner on a "Kozak" [an armored vehicle]. An untrained child of 19 years old on a combat vehicle is complete lunacy," Guzenko said. Three criminal cases are currently under investigation into the bombing of the barracks in Mykolaiv. The SBU is looking for the Russian pilots who fired the missiles and their commanders. The Main Investigation Department of the Mykolaiv National Police is investigating premeditated murder, and the State Bureau of Investigation is verifying the possible misconduct of Ukrainian army officials who allowed soldiers to sleep in the barracks even though they knew that there had already been airstrikes on the barracks. Oksana Rutska, monitoring the investigation, says that there are very few witnesses to the events. The soldiers who survived the bombing of the barracks were sent to the front line and it is impossible to summon them to testify, and some are afraid to say anything when it comes to their direct superiors. Against the wall and thats it! Rutska says that Herman does not react in any way to the victims parents. "He drops his eyes to the floor and that's it. Because the parents are shouting and cursing. And what kind of reaction can you have to a person who was involved in the deaths of your loved ones? As for the court's questions, he answers them briefly," she says. "This trial has been going on for a year and a half. I didn't live in Stalin's time, but I know what it was like. One step against the wall, and that's it!" said Ihor Guzenko, the father of Vladyslav, a 19-year-old Ukrainian soldier killed in a Russian missile strike. Iryna Salii At one hearing, people waited outside the courtroom for about an hour, while Herman was interrogated. The accused refused to give explanations in the presence of the public. People were allowed back in the courtroom to listen to the closing arguments. "I would not have dragged this out for long. I would have called a bunch of reporters and television and handed [Herman] over to the parents, says Guzenko in the court corridor, waiting for the verdict. And the next person who would think of betraying the homeland or making strike corrections would have to consider it very carefully. This trial has been ongoing for a year and a half. He lives on state-funded food. They bring him in, take him back... I didn't live through Stalin's time, but I know what it was like. Step against the wall - and that's it!" Hermans changing stance Upon the insistence of the parties to the proceedings, the materials of the undercover investigative and search operations, which were supposed to shed light on Herman's communication with Podolyaka, were examined in a closed session. The prosecutor explained that information about the methods of law enforcement agencies and undercover information gathering should not be made public. The examination of Herman's personal life and his interrogation were also conducted behind closed doors. In open court, prosecutor Oleksandr Choklya said that Herman repeatedly changed his testimony in an attempt to mislead the court. During the pre-trial hearing, as well as during the establishment and extension of the preventive measures, he did not deny passing information to Podolyaka, Choklya noted. However, the accused said that he considered Podolyaka to be a blogger and journalist. The prosecutor also said that during his interrogation in court Herman suggested that the information could have been sent by other persons who had access to his mobile phone. But during the interrogation, as well as during the final pleadings in public, Herman stated that he didn't know Podolyaka at all and that he might only have watched his videos on Youtube a couple of times. "I did not commit high treason. I don't know Igor Bezler and Yuriy Podolyaka, I have never met them, I have never talked to them. I did not send them any documents. I do not consider myself guilty. I ask for a lawful and fair decision," the accused said. Did the information qualified as secret? In court, defense lawyer Stanislav Klymenko said that not only Herman's guilt was not proven, but that it was also refuted by the case file. The defense believes that the disclosure of information can only constitute high treason if the information is a state secret. If the information is considered to be internal service information, the criminal offense should be charged under Article 330 of the Criminal Code (transmission or collection of internal service information obtained in the course of operational and investigative, counter-intelligence or defense activities). This offense is subject to a maximum sentence of 8 years in prison. According to defence lawyer Stanislav Klymenko, Henadyi Herman's guilt has not been proven and the information he allegedly leaked was not secret. Iryna Salii "The indictment does not include any references to the legislative definition as to whether the information allegedly passed by Herman is a state secret or a internal service document... There are no criteria for what kind of information helps a foreign state to conduct subversive activities against Ukraine. And, unfortunately, it is not the law but the pre-trial investigation and prosecutor's office employees who determine this matter at their own discretion. This approach is arbitrary. The established practice of the European Court of Human Rights regarding the clarity, precision and consistency of the law has been violated... The prosecutor qualifies as high treason the transmission of information that, in the opinion of the investigation, harms defense capabilities, but at the same time does not represent neither state secret nor internal service information," the lawyer said. Prosecutor Andriy Milevsky explained that Herman is not charged with high treason through espionage, which requires the transmission of classified information. Instead, it is a case of assisting a foreign state in subversive activities against Ukraine, which can occur in various ways. The Criminal Code has no definition of subversive activity, providing a range of subjective interpretations. During the arguments, the prosecutor acknowledged that subversive activity is an evaluative concept, but insisted that the guilt of treason has been proven. The role of Podolyaka Blogger Podolyaka is a citizen of Ukraine. According to the defense lawyer, the prosecutor failed to provide evidence that Podolyaka represents the Russian Federation. In fact, the proof of such representation should be a contract, or an act of a legal entity. Podolyaka is being tried in absentia in Vinnytsia, in Western Ukraine, for justifying an armed aggression, but there is no verdict yet. According to the defense, there is no evidence that Podolyaka collaborated with the Russian Federation or provided information to the Russian Federation. The defense also refutes the fact of sending the information. The examination of the mobile phone and the findings of the computer forensic examination did not establish any interaction between Herman and Podolyaka in a question-and-answer mode, the defense argued. "The mere fact that Herman had the files in his possession which, according to the prosecution, were later transmitted by Podolyaka to [Russian colonel] Bezler, cannot indicate that such files were sent to Podolyaka," Klymenko said. During the pre-trial investigation, 23 other persons who had access to such information were identified. But the prosecutor decided not to question them all in court. Defense asks for acquittal The defense counsel Vladislav Kalanzhov asked the court to acquit Herman of all charges, or consider to change the qualification of Herman's actions and sentence him to a less severe punishment. If found guilty of high treason in time of war, he asked that the minimum sentence of 15 years in prison be imposed. The prosecutor denied the defense's arguments, saying that the direct transmission of information by Herman to Podolyaka was proven. They had repeatedly communicated on Telegram, with Herman being the initiator. According to the prosecutor, the transmitted information did not contain publicly available information, but rather information that Herman received in his senior position in the prosecutor's office. In order to confirm the transmission of such information, fake documents had been produced and, as a witness involved in the undercover investigation said in court, the information concerning the work of the State Emergency Service was not shared with anyone else but Herman. Video footage of the day Henadyi Herman was convicted of high treason and the dramatic reaction in the courtroom of families of slain Ukrainian soldiers. Iryna Salii Throwing eggs at the accused During a break after the closing arguments, people could not keep their emotions hidden. "Remember what you said when they were arresting you? Bastard! That you wanted to work as a prosecutor in charge of the ruscists [Russian fascists]. You have one goal, one motive. Thats why you leaked our positions, betrayed our boys. Human rights! What about our rights parents rights? The rights of our children to live? shouted parents of the fallen soldiers in the hall. The audience does not understand how anyone has the audacity to be Hermans lawyer. "My son had a three-week-old baby, and you are defending a scumbag like that," a crying woman shouted at counsel Klymenko, who was standing in the distance, seemingly ignoring her while talking on the phone. After about an hour and a half, everyone returned to the courtroom. The verdict was pronounced. Herman was sentenced to life imprisonment with confiscation of property. As always, he listened without showing any emotion. The relatives of the victims wiped their tears. Herman was told that he could file an appeal and get acquainted with the case file. "In addition, for the sake of procedure, you have the right to be pardoned," Judge Osiik told the accused. This statement provoked discontent in the courtroom. "What do you mean, pardon?" said a victims relative. The court session was adjourned. "Glory to Ukraine! Death to the enemies!" With these words women threw eggs at Herman. The yolk spread across the glass cabin. "Thank you so much, Judge! May you die, you scum! Glory to the heroes! And death to the enemies of Ukraine!" the women shouted. Someone played the Ukrainian national anthem on his phone. "Execute him in prison! You betrayed the country, you bastard!" The eggshells were then swept onto a scoop, and the same women who had thrown the eggs cleaned the stained cabin with napkins. "We have nothing left to lose, we have already lost the most important," they said, crying. This report is part of our coverage of war crimes justice produced in partnership with Ukrainian journalists. A first version of this article was published on the "Sudovyi Reporter" website. After revealing everything, Shin Hye Sun and Ha Yoon Kyung grow closer together than ever. Meanwhile, best friends Ahn Bo Hyun and Ahn Dong Goo get in a fight. In "See You In My 19th Life" episode 6, suspicions about Shin Hye Sun's sudden death arise as new revelations are laid down one by one. Read to know more. Ban Ji Eum Reunites With Yoon Cho Won "See You In My 19th Life" episode 6 begins with Ban Ji Eum (Shin Hye Sun) and Yoon Cho Won's (Ha Yoon Kyung) confrontation. After seeing her younger sister cry, Ban Ji Eum reveals that she's Yoon Ju Won (Kim Sia) in her past life. She also tells Yoon Cho Won that she remembers all the lives she had lived before. Despite that, Yoon Cho Won is hesitant to accept it and to make her believe, Ban Ji Eum reveals some shared secrets to confirm her identity. Yoon Cho Won couldn't believe it but she soon welcomes Ban Ji Eum back to her life, the sister whom she lost before. Ban Ji Eum's Consequence The eerie part-time worker Kang Min Gi (Lee Chae Min) meets up with another mysterious woman to discuss Ban Ji Eum's situation. It is revealed that the incarnated people aren't allowed to reveal their identities to the people from their past lives or something bad awaits them. Because of this, Kang Min Gi suspects that Kim Ae Gyeong (Cha Chung Hwa) feels ill because it's the consequences of learning about her uncle's new life. The Truth Behind Yoon Ju Won's Death Ban Ji Eum's brother learns that the loan sharks were the one who organized the accident that was supposed to kill Moon Seo Ha (Ahn Bo Hyun). Unfortunately, Yoon Ju Won was killed instead. Moon Seo Ha then reveals a call from Ban Ji Eum's brother who relays what he knows in exchange for money. When the other learns that she was killed, she heads out to find the truth. Ban Ji Eum's Promise To Moon Seo Ha At work, Ban Ji Eum and Yoon Cho Won grow closer, even addressing one another casually. Ha Do Yoon (Ahn Dong Goo) even overhears their conversation. The sisters then urge the other to keep it a secret. On the other hand, Moon Seo Ha discovers that Ha Do Yoon knows the name of the driver during their accident. They get into a fight after Ha Do Yoon refuses to reveal his identity. Thankfully, they make up immediately and try to understand one another. At the end of the episode, Ban Ji Eum embraces Moon Seo Ha and promises that their new story will not have a bad ending. KDramaStars owns this article. Written by Elijah Mully. "See You In My 19th Life" finally revealed the progress between Shin Hye Sun and Ha Yoon Kyung's characters. Unfortunately, the series failed to record a high score despite the exciting episode. The production team as well as the viewers hope to recover from the dip as it now heads to its second half. Read on to know more. 'See You In My 19th Life' Ratings Drip With New Episode Shin Hye Sun and Ahn Bo Hyun's "See You In My 19th Life" sees a slight decline in ratings with its newest episode. For two weeks, the work has received positive feedback from the viewers. It is one of the most awaited series of 2023 and since its premiere, fans showed their immense support to the production. On July 2, "See You In My 19th Life" released its sixth episode, the final episode of its first half of broadcast. It also depicted the climactic reveal of Shin Hye Sun's character's identity. Unfortunately, the drama failed to record a new personal best with the latest episode despite the exciting scenes between Shin Hye Sun and Ha Yoon Kyung who play the roles of two sisters. It is speculated that the series experienced a rating slump due to the string of controversies that had been linked to the tvN drama. In its third week, "See You In My 19th Life" production was called out by Iranian viewers for distorting their history. Because of this, "See You In My 19th Life" episode 6 only recorded an average nationwide score of 5.5% which is 0.2% lower than the drama's personal best. On the brighter side, the drama still has plenty of time to bounce back from its slight dip as it heads into its second half of broadcast this July. 'See You In My 19th Life' Remains Silent Amidst Controversies On July 1, Iranian viewers called out the production unit of "See You In My 19th Life" before the new episodes of the work were released. The foreign viewers expressed their distaste for the work as it allegedly distorted the history of Iran. In an episode of the series, Shin Hye Sun's character had been reincarnated into an Arab man. He created the alcoholic drink called "arak" in the 10th century, which was the origin of South Korea's most famous soju. However, it didn't sit right with Iranian viewers due to its insensitivity to their culture. They claim that the alcohol was discovered by an Iranian physician and alchemist Abu Bakr Al-Razi, and demand an explanation as to why the Netflix series stated that he was Arabian. Amidst the allegations, Netflix released the newest episodes of "See You In My 19th Life," much to some viewers' surprise. As of this writing, no statement has been released in regards to the issue. Netflix also hasn't responded to the request of the Iranian viewers, leaving a sour taste on the international fans. On the other hand, "See You In My 19th Life" airs every weekend at 9:20 p.m. KST on tvN and Netflix. KDramaStars owns this article. Written by Elijah Mully. In 2021, Gong Yoo and Bae Doona teamed up in the highly loved sci-fi series "The Silent Sea." The duo transformed into space explorers who fly to the moon to retrieve an undisclosed research sample. It topped Netflix's global charts thanks to the great reception from the viewers. With that, the eight-parter series became one of the most celebrated sci-fi shows up until this writing. On the other hand, here's what's next for Gong Yoo and Bae Doona this 2023. Gong Yoo This 2023, Netflix is set to release the long anticipated sci-fi film "Wonderland" starring Bae Suzy, Choi Woo Shik and Park Bo Gum. It follows the story of a virtual world where grieving families are given a chance to reunite with their deceased loved ones through an artificial intelligence. Gong Yoo is set to make a special appearance in the forthcoming film which is slated to air in the second half of 2023 on Netflix. It will also be released in China simultaneously. On the other hand, Gong Yoo reprised his role in the second installment of the smash hit Netflix series "Squid Game" with Lee Jung Jae and Park Hae Soo. IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: Park Bo Young Wows Fans With Mature Image For Upcoming Film 'Concrete Utopia' Im Siwan, Kang Ha Neul, Park Sung Hoon, Park Gyu Young, Lee Jin Wook and more joined the new season which is expected to be released in early 2024. Bae Doona Like Gong Yoo, Bae Doona has also been in the industry for decades now, and has established her name in both Hallyu and Hollywood. Earlier this year, she returned to the scene with the drama film "Next Sohee" with Kim Si Eun. In the work, she transformed into a reputable detective who seeks answers behind a missing girl's mysterious disappearance. "Next Sohee" earned a seven-minute standing ovation after it was screened at Cannes. Bae Doona also received a nod as Best Actress. At the moment, she's gearing up for her American epic space opera film "Rebel Moon" which depicts the war of deities in space. It will be released on December 22 on Netflix. "Rebel Moon" will also be screened in limited theaters nationwide as "Rebel Moon Part 2," a follow-up film, is in the works. Don't miss its premiere this Christmas. Are you excited to see Gong Yoo and Bae Doona in the theaters? Tell us what you think in the comments below! YOU MIGHT ALSO BE INTERESTED IN THIS: 'Revenant' Creates Major Buzz After Production Team Did THIS KDramaStars owns this article. Written by Elijah Mully. The Internal Affairs Minister Gen Kahinda Otafiire has this afternoon revealed that the government already knew about the terror threat prior to an alert issued by the United Kingdom (UK) government. In his address to journalists at Parliament on Tuesday, Gen Otafiire stated that the terror alert issued by the UK government simply confirmed what government intelligence units had gathered. The United Kingdom Government is a friend to Uganda. They alerted us to be careful because terrorists are about to attack us. It is a friendly gesture, what they told us, even us (Government) we had known about it, we had some information about it. What I am asking Ugandans is to see to it that we protect ourselves and our places and report any person you suspect may do harm to Uganda. It is not the first time that terrorists are attacking us and it wont be the last, but it is upon us to protect ourselves, Otafiire said. Last month, the United States government issued a similar alert days before the suspected Allied Defense Forces (ADF) rebels attacked and killed over 40 people at Lhubiriha Secondary Schools in Kasese district. President Yoweri Museveni is today expected in Oyam district to drum up support for the National Resistance Movement (NRM) candidate in Thursdays parliamentary by-election. With just a day to the July 6th by-election, political parties are rushing to make last-minute attempts to woo voters. The race to replace former labour minister Charles Engola has attracted four candidates including; National Unity Platforms (NUP) Daniel Okello, Forum for Democratic Changes (FDC) Newton Okello, Uganda Peoples Congress (UPC), Dr. Eunice Apio and NRMs Samuel Engola who hopes to replace his father. The race has in the last few days tightened especially between the ruling National Resistance Movement and the Uganda Peoples Congress after more heavyweights joined the respective camps. In the NRM camp, government Chief Whip Denis Obua has joined the partys electoral head Dr. Tanga Odoi and Secretary General Richard Todwong in traversing villages to drum up support for Engola. While on the UPC side, the party president and Lira City East MP Jimmy Akena and his team are at it too to prop up their candidate, Dr. Eunice Apio. According to the NRM district spokesperson, Philips Ogile, the president, who is also the NRM national chairman will address two rallies and is also expected to lay a wreath on the grave of the late Charles Engola at Awang village, about 5km East of Oyam town. By Frederic Musisi The prospects of Uganda starting oil production in 2025 may not be realised after the much-anticipated oil refinery project deal hit another dead end. Government is scouting for a lead investor to finance the construction of the 60,000-barrel-per-day oil refinery planned to be built in Hoima district. This follows the expiry of the key Project Framework Agreement (PFA) signed on April 10, 2018, with Albertine Graben Energy Consortium (AGEC), a special purpose vehicle of American and Italian firms. The agreement expired on June 30th when AGEC remained behind schedule on key agreed obligations. The initial expiry of the agreement was reportedly extended twice due to the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020 and 2021. In a statement, the energy ministry says the government is now open to receiving offers from public sector capital providers to participate in this nationally and regionally strategic project. Uganda Peoples Congress (UPC) party president, Jimmy Akena, on Tuesday joined a group of party bigwigs on a campaign trail of their candidate, Dr. Eunice Apio in the Oyam North parliamentary by-election. The team led by Akena on Tuesday camped at Aleka and Iceme sub-counties in a last-minute attempt to persuade voters as the candidates wrap up their campaigns. Akena has particularly asked Oyam residents not to sell their constituency into the hands of what he terms as greedy leaders by accepting vote buying. He was accompanied by Maruzi South MP, Maxwell Akora, Apac Municipality MP, Patrick Ocan, Maruzi North MP, Okello Lemba, and Kwania MP, Kenny Auma among others. On the other hand, President Museveni is also expected in the constituency this afternoon to drum up support for National Resistance Movement (NRM) partys candidate, Samuel Engola. The race attracted four candidates including; National Unity Platforms (NUP) Daniel Okello, Forum for Democratic Changes (FDC) Newton Okello, Uganda Peoples Congress (UPC), Dr. Eunice Apio and NRMs Samuel Engola who hopes to replace his father. The Electoral Commission scheduled 6th July as the polling day to fill the vacant seat following the death of the former junior Labour minister Charles Engola in May who also doubled as the area Member of Parliament. By Denis Edema Police in Jinja City have deployed sniffer dogs to detect explosives at the Source of the Nile Bridge also known as new Jinja bridge. Kiira Region Police Spokesperson, James Mubi, says they have acquired two sniffer dogs through Richard Okullu, the Kiira Region Police Commander, to boost their investigations, especially in Bugembe, Mafubira, Namulesa, Buwekula, and Wanyange areas. He explains that the sniffer dogs will be used in addition to CCTV cameras and patrol vehicles. This comes days after the UK government issued a terror alert indicating that terrorists were likely to strike Uganda. It also follows a ban on pedestrians from using the Old Railway Bridge at night after three suspects were arrested carrying a gun in a sack. Constructed in the 1940s, the Bridge, which lies South of the New Bridge and has a suspended railway line, offers pedestrians a shortcut from Jinja City to Bukaya, Nyenga and Nile. Ssezibwa Region Police Spokesperson, Hellen Butoto, earlier said three suspects, including a Fisheries Protection Unit officer from the Uganda Peoples Defence Force (UPDF) were last Thursday arrested on the said Bridge with a gun in a sack. Butoto said the trio was allegedly trying to cross to Jinja City from Njeru in Buikwe District and are currently being detained at Njeru Police Station pending investigations. By Stephen Otage A number of security firms and business owners that had by Sunday not taken the UK governments warning of terrorist attacks targeting Uganda, have now stepped up their security surveillance measures. At several popular shopping malls and arcades in Bugolobi and Lugogo manned by personnel from private security companies, body checks for pedestrians have been stepped up with their men and women thoroughly searching vehicles. At the entrance to a restaurant which is popular with whites but was not guarded on Sunday when our reporter visited yesterday, the proprietor said Kira Road Police had contacted him and the management of Acacia Mall to discuss in detail their security plans and also discuss how to deploy professional security officers. Speaking to KFM after patrolling the Central Business District with men in Uganda Peoples Defence Force (UPDF) uniform on Monday, Bosco Ambayo the Officer In charge of Nakasero Police Station said the New Taxi Park and St Balikuddembe Market had been fully covered and they were getting more men to cover Nakasero market. However at the Taxi Park and St Balikuddembe market, one could hardly see any uniformed security personnel, suggesting that probably the deployment was undercover to avoid creating anxiety among the population. 1 of 1 Neemrana Resort Fraud: Rajkishore Modi has already gone to jail, sections of making fake documents have been added in the new case as well. khaskhabar.com : Tue, 04 July 2023 3:34 PM Alwar. Kolkata based company Sanjeevani Projects Pvt. Ltd. The troubles of the directors are increasing day by day . In the FIR lodged on behalf of the investors of Rajasthan in Shahjahanpur, the police have now added sections of preparing forged (fake) documents and taking advantage of them. If the vicious accused involved in this forgery do not cooperate in the investigation, then the police is preparing to arrest them and send them to jail. On the other hand, investors say that among them Rajkishore Modi is so cunning that many cases have been registered against him under sections 467, 468, 471, 420, 34 and section 506 of IPC. In these many times the bail petition was rejected by the Honble High Court of Kolkota and he remains in imprisonment for couple months. Many cases of contempt of court are going on against Rajkishore Modi. Mr Modi is a habitual criminal. Investors say that Sanjay Pasari and Rajeev Pasari are also involved in his forgery in a very planned manner by virtue of taking director ship and then resinising from the same . These all are act as gang and distribute the cheated money among themselves. According to the investors, the investigation so far has revealed that Sanjay Pasari was also a director in the fraud company Vedica sanjeevani . Many important evidences have come to the fore in the Neemrana resort project fraud case, which is enough to prove the allegations against these directors including Sanjay Pasari., Rajkishore Modi, Sanjay Pasari ,Amarnath Shroff and Rajeev Pasari all were active directors at that time of conceiving the conspiracy. Among these, Sanjay Pasari resigned from the directorship of the project company on September 29, 2012. On the same day, Rajeev Pasari became the director of this company. After this, on March 30, 2013, Rajeev Pasari became the director in company dealing with project . The investors were defrauded in December 2013. According to the investors, Sanjay Pasari first gave a Guarantee to Rajkishore Modi that he will not let anything happen to him. Because he has a flamboyant lawyer named Pankaj Saraogi who oversees everything. But on other side the investors have provided all the evidence and documents to the police on the basis of which if the police investigates in an impartial manner and takes legal action, then it is not possible for any of these directors to escape from jail. The investors have also provided documents of theft of stamps worth crores of rupees by these people to the state government. Because the evasion of stamp duty has caused crores of rupees revenue loss to the state government. Investors say that to avoid the notice given by the police for questioning under Section 41, these directors are making new false excuses at every final day of the notice . They are so cunning that they get air tickets made before coming from Kolkata to Shahjahanpur via delhi . Then they get it cancelled by calling it as base less medical emergency. They do this so that documentary evidence can be prepared to deceive the police as wellas the honble court. While Rajkishore Modi is roaming freely in Kolkata. According to the investors, Siddharth Jaipuria, involved in this fraud of crores of rupees, has been staying in a five star hotel of a major tourist destination for the last several days for which the payment is being made by Raj Kishore Modi. The South-East branch of the Irish Hotels Federation have voiced concerns over possible government plans to increase the VAT rate on hospitality and tourism. In an open letter to Carlow-Kilkenny TDs, writing on behalf of hotels and guesthouses throughout the two counties, the Irish Hotels Federation spelled out some of their key worries. Government estimates indicate that the proposed increase in VAT to 13.5 per cent would see people paying an additional 560m in taxes each year, the letter reads. Thats a 50 per cent increase in taxes on everything from the price of a cup of coffee, to the price of a meal out, a stay in a hotel or guesthouse and the cost of social events such as weddings. This is at a time when peoples personal finances are already under significant pressure due to the cost-of-living crisis. This has a knock-on effect on the decisions the average person makes when deciding whether or not to spend money on discretionary items such as going out for a meal with family and friends or taking a short break in Ireland. From a tourism perspective, the current 9 per cent VAT is the right rate for Ireland. It is in line with average rates of tourism VAT across Europe. Increasing the rate of VAT paid by consumers to 13.5 per cent would make us an outlier among our competitors. We would have the third highest tourism VAT in Europe, which would seriously undermine our international competitiveness and ability to attract visitors. On behalf of hoteliers in Kilkenny and Carlow and our wider tourism community, we are urging local TDs to support our call on the Government to retain the 9 per cent VAT rate. Two reviews have been announced in an independent root and branch examination of RTE. Media Minister Catherine Martin also revealed that she will use her powers under the Broadcasting Act 2009 to appoint a forensic accountant to examine the books or other records of account of the Irish state broadcaster. It had previously been announced that the governance and culture of RTE would be looked at, but there is also to be a second review which will focus on contractor fees and human resources. RTE has been engulfed in crisis following revelations last month that it underreported the salary paid to star presenter Ryan Tubridy and failed to disclose 345,000 euro-worth of additional payments to him between 2017 to 2022. The furore has since widened amid further revelations about RTEs internal financial, accounting and governance practices. Many of the issues emerged when senior RTE executives faced intensive grilling at two parliamentary committees in Dublin last week. Much of the focus has centred on the workings of a UK-based barter account used by RTE to pay for certain services and tickets and trips related to corporate client entertaining. Addressing media at government buildings in Dublin following a Cabinet meeting, Ms Martin said the RTE revelations have been an affront to everything that public broadcasting is meant to stand for. Emphasising that trust must be restored, she announced she had published the terms of reference of an independent examination of RTE. It includes the appointment of two expert advisory committees composed of experts in their field to oversee the two different strands. She said the first review will examine and make recommendations on the measures necessary to build stronger governance structures and to reform the organisational culture in RTE. It will be overseen by Professor Niamh Brennan, Dr Margaret Cullen and a third person who will be appointed in the coming days. The second review will examine how external RTE contractors are engaged, the fees paid and HR matters, with a focus on gender equality, diversity and inclusion. It will be overseen by Brendan McGinty, Patricia King and a third person who will be appointed in the coming days. The Media Minister said she expects to receive the final report within six months of the commencement of the examination, and interim reports will be submitted as required. She said the Oireachtas Committees are undertaking their own deliberations, adding she will, if necessary, extend the terms of reference of the examination to take account of any further revelations through those committees or future reports by professional services firm Grant Thornton. I will also invoke my powers under section 109(7)(a) of the Broadcasting Act to appoint a forensic accountant to examine the books or other records of account of RTE in respect of any financial year or other period, she said. This will initially direct its focus on the barter account and address any other off-balance-sheet accounts. Ms Martin is to meet the incoming director-general and chair of the RTE board on Friday to discuss how the broadcaster will co-operate with the reviews. This year's Woodenbridge Erkina River Festival will trace the route of the ancient road that ran from Western Upper Ossory to Kilkenny. It crossed the River Erkina near a ford which was located near Coolkerry Church 2km North/West of Rathdowney. It then continued by Carrick and Kilnaseer to Gurteen crossing the River Goul near Newtown Nunnery before continuing to Kilkenny via Aharney Church. Along with rambling by four rivers and three parishes you will also discover many historical sites in this area along the South Laois/Kilkenny border. The Sligh Dhala was one of five principal highways leading from Tara in Early Medieval Ireland dates back to AD 123 according to an entry in the annals of the Four Masters for that period. With Laois Tourism Officer Regina Dunne at the starting post on Sunday, July 16, a 10km walk will start from the Woodenbridge over the Erkina River at 2.30pm. Walkers will then make their way to Killogue Churchyard. There they will follow a pathway to a temporary constructed bridge at the original crossing of the ancient road over the River Goul close to the 7th Century nunnery at Newtown. Pilgrims on the ancient road will then continued by the site of an 18th Century Mass rock, the church and castle at Cahir Hill to the townland of Graigueavoice before meeting the Glosh Stream where a pathway would have taken you to St John's Well and Church at Killenny More. Ballykelly Castle is next on the ancient road before meeting the Seskin River. Your journey will now continue by the Wavers Way, the Ford of an Ancient Battle, St Bridget's Well and Aharney Church. Having reached the county boundary the walk will finish in Lisdowney, County Kilkenny A bus service will be available here to carry walkers to where refreshments will be available in the same parish at the tavern of Mackey's in Gathabawn. Afterwards the bus will return all to the carpark at the Woodenbridge. Ancient roads are featured in the recently-launched book, The Erkina River - From Source To Sea. Registration from 2pm at the Woodenbridge where parking will also be available. Reg (donation) which includes your bus fair. Proceeds to the Woodenbridge Paddlers and Woodenbridge Community Alert. A presentation to mark the occasion will be made to all participants. Get all the essential market news and expert opinions in one place with our daily newsletter. Receive a comprehensive recap of the day's top stories directly to your inbox. Sign up here! (Kitco News) - As central banks around the world work to develop central bank digital currencies (CBDCs) intended to be used by the public, recent surveys show that opinions on digital fiat vary greatly by country, with U.S. citizens highly skeptical of a digital dollar, while a majority of Canadians are open to using a digital loonie. According to the results of the Cato Institute 2023 CBDC national survey conducted in conjunction with YouGov, only 16% of Americans support the adoption of a digital dollar while 34% came out strongly against it. 49% of those surveyed have yet to form an opinion on the matter. The large percentage of undecided respondents was partially attributed to the fact that only 28% of Americans are familiar with CBDCs while 72% are not. Breaking it down by political party, Democrats (22%) were found to support the adoption of a digital dollar at twice the rate of Republicans (11%), with 53% of Republicans explicitly opposing a CBDC versus 22% of Democrats. However, once benefits and risks are considered, both Democrats and Republicans are wary of a CBDC, the survey found. American men (22%) were twice as likely to support a digital dollar as compared to women (11%), and nearly a third (32%) of people under age 30 support a CBDC compared to 25% of 3044-year-olds, 8% of 4564-year-olds, and 3% of Americans over 65. While CBDCs are advertised as enhancing financial inclusion in the economy, the data showed that lower-income groups do not support a CBDC more than higher-income groups. Among those earning less than $20,000 a year, 19% support a CBDC, while 21% of those earning more than $100,000 a year support one. The biggest concern for respondents revolved around the level of control a digital dollar would give the U.S. government. 74% said they would oppose the adoption of a CBDC if it meant that the government could control what people spend their money on, and 68% said they would oppose it if the government could monitor their spending. 68% also said they would oppose the digital dollar if it abolishes all U.S. cash, 64% would oppose it if the government could charge a tax on those who dont spend money during recessions, and 59% said they would reject it if the government could freeze the digital bank accounts of political protesters. A majority of both Democrats (71%) and Republicans (82%) said they would oppose a CBDC if the government could control what people spend their money on and when, and both groups (D-61%, R-82%) were opposed to the government being able to see what people buy with the digital currency. When it comes to potential advantages, 42% of respondents said they would support a digital dollar if it reduced the risk of money laundering and fraud, and 40% would back the CBDC if it meant that the government could ensure welfare payments were spent on their intended purpose. Overall, 76% of Americans said the government should not issue a central bank digital currency because it would potentially allow the government to monitor what people buy and potentially control how they spend their money. 24% said that the government should issue a central bank digital currency because it would reduce financial crime and other illegal activity and would increase access to the financial system. Canadians more open to the idea of a digital dollar While Americans are not too keen on the creation of a digital dollar, the results of a survey conducted by WealthRocket regarding the potential creation of a CBDC by the Bank of Canada (BoC) found that 59% of Canadians are willing, to varying degrees, to use a CBDC if one ever becomes available, and 25% would use it in place of cash. WealthRockets survey was conducted during the public consultation period announced by the BoC, which ran from May 8 to June 19, and sought to get the publics input on creating a digital Canadian dollar. The survey asked Canadians a variety of questions related to CBDCs and spending, including how they currently make day-to-day transactions, in what ways they would or would not use a CBDC, and whether they trust the government and other institutions to safeguard their data. Out of the 59% that said they are willing to use a CBDC, 43% are somewhat willing, 11% are very willing, and 5% are extremely willing. On the opposite end of the spectrum, 25% said theyre not at all willing to use a central bank digital currency in Canada. 16% said they didnt understand enough to make an informed decision at the time. A major concern for 45% of respondents was that a CBDC could result in cash being phased out. When respondents were asked if they would use a CBDC in place of cash, 38% said maybe, 25% said yes, 12% said no, and 25% said theyd continue using cash alongside a CBDC. Issues related to privacy also ranked high on the list of concerns, including the potential for fraud (56%), the risk of cyber attacks (53%), and the loss of control over personal finances (39%). The Canadian government's response to the Freedom Convoy protestors in Ottawa in early 2022, which included the freezing of bank accounts belonging to some protestors, likely contributed to concerns over the loss of control over personal finances, the report said. Despite their concerns, 51% of Canadians are somewhat confident in the Bank of Canada to safeguard their privacy if a CBDC is ever implemented. 35% expressed concerns about a lack of anonymity and transaction tracking. Survey respondents were also given an open-ended question about the benefits they saw with the creation of a digital Canadian dollar. The top responses were related to convenience and safety. Many respondents mentioned the convenience of digital transactions [and] highlighted the ease of online purchases and transfers between companies and people, the report said. Several respondents pointed out the potential for more secure transactions with digital currency, including the idea that one can't be robbed if they don't have physical money on them. MEXICO CITY, July 3 (Reuters) - The U.S. wants Mexico's government to build strong institutions to protect worker rights as companies aiming to avoid supply chain disruptions in far-off production spots bring more jobs to the country, a top U.S. labor official told Reuters. Mexico has begun to benefit from "nearshoring" in which companies seek to move production closer to the U.S. market while maintaining competitive costs. The trend is further testing a trade deal known as the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA), in effect since July 2020. The pact has tougher labor rules than its 1994 predecessor and underpins new Mexican laws that empower workers to push for better wages and conditions after years of stagnant salaries and pro-business union contracts. Three years into the deal, experts say, some workers have begun to benefit but broad impacts are still far off. "Hopefully that will ensure that Mexico doesn't become a dumping ground for companies looking for cheap labor and lax regulations," said Thea Lee, U.S. Deputy Undersecretary for International Labor Affairs who polices USMCA compliance. She said in an interview that Mexico was working to fulfill its commitments, backed by leadership keen on helping workers. Mexico's new regulations favor companies taking on higher ethical standards, she said. "Maybe 20 years ago it was okay for a multinational corporation to throw up their hands and say, 'we have no idea what's in our supply chain, what the labor conditions are,'" she added. "That doesn't seem to be acceptable anymore." Mexico has made progress improving labor courts, resolving worker complaints faster and easing union organization, but needs to do more, Lee said. "Our hope is that Mexico will be well-poised to take advantage of nearshoring ... if they continue on the path towards really building labor institutions that work, where workers can have confidence." Since 2020, several U.S. labor complaints in Mexico have paved the way for independent unions to land pay raises and even expand. Lee said such examples inspire workers who in the past may have feared threats or dismissals for trying to organize. Four more cases are under review: At a garment factory, an auto parts plant, a Goodyear tire plant, and a mine owned by conglomerate Grupo Mexico. Yet one employer that faced two USMCA complaints, U.S.-based VU Manufacturing that makes interior car parts in the northern city of Piedras Negras, recently dismissed dozens of employees just months after a new union, La Liga, pressed for better wages. VU did not respond to a request for comment. Lee said the company risks penalties if it does not uphold an agreement around worker rights. But La Liga members have already been laid off, and fear the company aims to discourage organizing, said union leader Cristina Ramirez, who lost her job. "It's very disappointing and frustrating," Ramirez said. "We wanted to fight for things to improve." NAIROBI/LONDON, July 3 (Reuters) - An eleventh-hour deal between Botswana and De Beers over the weekend demonstrates the pressure the 135-year-old gems producer is under as it resets ties with its leading supplier amid pressure from falling prices and growing competition. Both parties potentially had a lot to lose if talks broke down. While Botswana supplies 70% of De Beers' rough diamonds, diamond sales account for two-thirds of Botswana's foreign currency receipts, and a fifth of its gross domestic product. Nonetheless, as the deadline for a new sales deal closed in, President Mokgweetsi Masisi publicly threatened to torpedo Botswana's 54-year ties with De Beers unless it ceded a bigger share of rough stones to the state. It sounded like populist rhetoric in a high-stakes negotiation - until the global diamond miner caved in. "There was... a desire to cooperate and reach a deal. The opposite would have been very damaging for everyone concerned, for our industry," De Beers CEO Al Cook, who took the helm of the company in February, told Reuters on Monday. The company, along with the rest of the global diamond sector, is facing headwinds from a 6.5% drop in diamond prices in the year to date, and a loss of market share to synthetic diamonds. Western customers seeking assurances that purchases do not come from Russia, where the other main producer Alrosa (ALRS.MM) is headquartered, also worked strongly in Botswana's favour in the talks. That helped the country wring handsome concessions from De Beers, including an increase in its share of diamond production from their Debswana joint venture to 30% in the near term and 50% by 2033, from 25% currently. Botswana had already increased its share of gems from Debswana - sales of which stood at $4.588 billion in 2022 compared with $3.466 billion in 2021 - from 10% in 2011 to 25% in 2020. In addition, the world's number one producing country by value secured multi-billion dollar spending commitments to extend the life of its giant Jwaneng diamond mine, one of the world's richest. Analysts said the agreement weakens the investment case for the Anglo American (AAL.L)-owned gems miner. "With the mines going deeper and capital operating costs significantly increasing, the investment required by De Beers for only 19.2% of the profits makes this partnership no longer the dripping roast it once was," Richard Chetwode, a diamonds industry analyst said. "Without diamond price upside, this deal makes the investment much more marginal," he said. Analysts at RMB Morgan Stanley said the pact could result in a $100 million hit on DeBeers' core earnings. Over a decade, the impact on its finances may reach $200 million, or 15% of total earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation, they said. "The agreement removes prospects of a protracted dispute and an eventual bear-case scenario that could undermine the economics of De Beers' Botswana business altogether," RMB Morgan said. "Nonetheless, the outcome of these discussions is likely to result in additional value leakage." Cook, who said some analysts had misinterpreted the details of the deal, defended it. "We had to do two things," he said. "Make sure we got what we needed - and make sure that we got Botswana what it needed." The deal achieved both, he said. Get all the essential market news and expert opinions in one place with our daily newsletter. Receive a comprehensive recap of the day's top stories directly to your inbox. Sign up here! (Kitco News) - Silvers inelastic supply may be overwhelmed by skyrocketing demand from solar panel manufacturers as early as this year, according to Peter Krauth, editor of SilverStockInvestor and author of The Great Silver Bull. Krauth sat down with Kitco in June to go over the current projections for silver supply and demand in light of the latest numbers coming from the solar industry. He said forecasts like those issued by the Silver Institute just months ago may already be out of date as solar continues to drive demand for the precious metal. Solar alone is 12 percent of all silver demand every year, that was 140 million ounces last year, Krauth said. The forecasts are about 160 million ounces this year, which I believe are going to be dramatically outpaced when we see the final numbers about a year from now. Krauth pointed to two major factors which he believes have not been fully reflected in the silver demand scenario. First, he said the current projections underestimate the volume and pace of new solar installations. You have all sorts of tax credits worldwide going into solar, he said. Solar is, in many many cases, in many places, the cheapest form of additional electricity output. So solars become very cheap, and it's quick and easy to install. China continues to dominate the worldwide market for solar panel production, representing about 80 percent of the global production capacity. But Krauth said China is also consuming more solar panels domestically, with installations very high and growing quickly. Bloomberg believes that in 2023, China will install three times as much solar power as they did in 2021, he said. These are just tremendous numbers that are coming at us. I think that by the time we get to a year from now, and we see what the 2023 numbers turn out to be, I think 160 million ounces is going to look very, very conservative. It's probably going to be closer to 180 or 200 million ounces. The second factor that could blow current silver demand projections out of the water is changes to the solar cells themselves. The predominant solar panel technology in use today is the passivated emitter and rear contact (PERC) cell, but this design is being replaced by two newer and more efficient technologies: tunnel oxide passivated contact (TOPCon) and heterojunction structures (HJT). This additional efficiency comes at the cost of additional silver; while PERC cells use around 10 milligrams of silver per watt, TOPCon cells need 13 milligrams, and HJT uses as much as 22 milligrams per watt. Krauth said the industry is quickly pivoting to these newer technologies. In 2023, 80% of all new solar panel production will be those two technologies, he said. As manufacturers produce additional capacity, they're going to be investing, 80% of this new capacity will be these two new technologies, which require 50 to 150 percent more silver. I'm not saying that we shouldn't get carried away, because honestly, when you look at what this looks like, it really is tremendous. Another way to measure the potential increase in silver demand from solar is by looking at the growth projections for solar power generation. The International Energy Agency projects that between 2021 and 2030, we're going to produce seven times more electricity from solar, he said. The annual growth on that is at 25 percent. Krauth said this doesnt even account for the new technologies. If I had to venture a guess in terms of how much silver that's going to require, it would not surprise me if it required half to three quarters of all of the silver supply every year, he said. A 25% year-over-year increase over the next eight years, its enormous. Turning to supply, Krauth said that on balance, supply has actually been falling since 2015, and he doesnt see any obvious solution on the horizon to address the projected silver shortfalls in the short or even medium term. Miners are struggling to find silver, and to get it out of the ground, he said, and noted that weak silver prices are not encouraging more silver production. I would say that the all-in sustaining cost to produce an ounce of silver is probably around $18 to $20 an ounce, he said. Margins at $24 or $23 are okay, but there's not a huge incentive to go out and find silver and produce it, and it takes 10 to 15 years to go from finding an economic deposit to getting the silver out of the ground. He said that silver is also quite particular in that most of the supply comes as a byproduct of other mining operations, which further hampers the ability of production to respond directly to increased demand. Less than 30 percent of it comes from primary silver mines, Krauth said. More than 70 percent of silver depends on producing gold, lead, zinc and copper, so the supply of silver coming to market is very much dependent on the production of these other metals. Krauth said that because of these limiting factors, even when the silver price spikes and producers have a big new incentive, silver supply will lag for some time. The silver supply is very inelastic to price, he said. Silver could go to $30 and stay there for a year, or a couple of years, and my guess is it would do very little to increase the mine supply. So really, when you look at the big picture, the supply side is very much restrained. BEIJING/SHANGHAI, July 4 (Reuters) - Companies caught out by China's decision to restrict exports of some metals widely used in semiconductors and electric vehicles were racing to secure supplies on Tuesday as some industry suppliers worried that curbs on rare earth exports could follow. Monday's abrupt announcement of controls from Aug. 1 on exports of some gallium and germanium products has ramped up a trade war with the United States and could potentially cause more disruption to global supply chains. Analysts saw the move, which the Chinese commerce ministry said was to protect national security, as a response to escalating efforts by Washington to curb China's technological advances. It came on the eve of U.S. Independence Day and just ahead of a planned visit to Beijing by U.S. Secretary of Treasury Janet Yellen. "China has hit the American trade restrictions where it hurts," said Peter Arkell, chairman of the Global Mining Association of China. The European Commission expressed concern over the move. One U.S. semiconductor wafer manufacturer said on Tuesday it was applying for export permits to assure investors, while a China-based germanium producer said enquiries from buyers had come in overnight as prices surged. The eight gallium and six germanium products cited are also used in other high-tech industries. Some in the metals industry said they feared China could follow with new restrictions on rare earth exports, after curbing shipments 12 years ago in a dispute with Japan. Rare earths are a group of metals used in EVs and military equipment and China is by far the world's biggest producer. "Gallium and germanium are just a couple of the minor metals that are so important for the range of tech products and China is the dominant producer of most of these metals. It is a fantasy to suggest that another country can replace China in the short or even medium term," Arkell said. China produces most of the world's gallium and germanium. In 2022, top importers of China's gallium products were Japan, Germany and the Netherlands, news website Caixin said, citing customs data. Top importers of germanium products were Japan, France, Germany and the United States, it said. The commerce ministry will meet with major producers of the metals on Thursday to discuss the export restrictions, four people familiar with the matter told Reuters. EXPORT PERMITS, DISRUPTION WORRIES U.S. semiconductor wafer maker AXT Inc (AXTI.O), which has manufacturing facilities in China, said on Monday its Chinese subsidiary Tongmei would apply for permits to keep exporting gallium and germanium substrate products. "We are actively pursuing the necessary permits and are working to minimize any potential disruption to our customers," said AXT CEO Morris Young. An Intel (INTC.O) spokesman said the company was still assessing the ministry's statement. "Our strategy of having a diverse, global supply chain minimizes our risk to local changes and interruptions," he said. A source at German chipmaker Infineon (IFXGn.DE) said most supplies come from outside of China. The company produces gallium nitride semiconductors in Villach, Austria and will soon make them at its factory in Kulim, Malaysia. Germany's BDI industry group said China's move strengthens the argument for greater raw materials independence. While the new rules do not target specific countries, it does make export more difficult and China could deny licenses to some locations, said Bernstein analysts. However any rise in price of gallium- and germanium-based materials due to a lack of supply may result in semiconductor companies looking at alternative materials, they added. A manager at a China-based germanium producer said his company had received several queries from buyers in Europe, Japan and the United States hoping to stockpile product before the export controls take effect. The buyers were anticipating it could take as long as two months to obtain export permits. Domestic offers rose 2% to 10,000 yuan ($1,380) per kg on Tuesday, he said, with export prices up 7% to $1,500 per kg. The industry had expected some export controls on these metals, but the timing had surprised, said the manager, who declined to be named citing the sensitivity of the matter. Some downstream users with long-term sales contracts "are vexed about a possible jump in raw material prices, as it raises their production costs and may cause them losses", he said. Taiwan and South Korea downplayed any disruption from the curbs. Shares in some metal producers rose on Tuesday. Yunnan Lincang Xinyuan Germanium Industry Co (002428.SZ) jumped 10% by the daily upper limit while Yunnan Chihong Zinc & Germanium Co (600497.SS) climbed 7%. Shares of Australian rare earths producers also rallied as investors placed bets that more curbs could be imposed. Shares in Lynas Rare Earths (LYC.AX), the world's largest producer of rare earths outside of China, rose 4%. ESCALATION RISK China's controls come as Washington mulls new restrictions on the shipment of high-tech microchips to China, following a series of curbs in recent years. The United States and the Netherlands are also expected to further restrict sales of chipmaking equipment to China this summer, part of efforts to prevent their technology from being used by China's military. Beijing last made a retaliatory move against U.S. pressure on chips in May, when it banned some domestic sectors from purchasing products from U.S. memory chipmaker Micron (MU.O). Jefferies analysts said they saw the export controls as China's second and bigger countermeasure after the Micron ban. "The risk of a rapid escalation of U.S.-China tension is not small," they said. "If this action doesn't change the U.S.-China dynamics, more rare earth export controls should be expected." ($1 = 7.2326 yuan) ZURICH, July 4 (Reuters) - A Swiss proxy adviser representing some former Credit Suisse shareholders has backed a class-action lawsuit seeking a better price from UBS (UBSG.S) for its takeover of its cross-town rival, it said on Tuesday. Ethos Foundation, which represents a Swiss pension funds that owned more than 3% of Credit Suisse, "has decided to support the Lausanne-based legal start-up LegalPass in its legal action against the exchange ratio set in the context of the acquisition of Credit Suisse by UBS," it said in a statement. Under the deal, sealed last month, Credit Suisse shareholders were offered one UBS share for 22.48 Credit Suisse shares, valuing the stricken bank at 3 billion Swiss francs ($3.35 billion). Just 48 hours before deal was struck, Credit Suisse was worth 7 billion francs, Ethos said. "The exchange ratio ..was really not in the best interest of Credit Suisses shareholders and that there is room to improve it," said Ethos Chief Executive Vincent Kaufmann. If successful, all Credit Suisse shareholders would benefit from the new exchange ratio, it said. The case is the latest legal battle prompted by the emergency takeover, with holders of Credit Suisse's Additional Tier 1 bonds - which were all written down to zero - also claiming compensation. A group of Credit Suisse AT1 bondholders has also filed a class action suit accusing former executives at the Swiss bank, including three past CEOs, of being responsible for the bank's downfall. 'ADEQUATE COMPENSATION' The LegalPass claim comes under the Swiss mergers act which allows for a "verification of the exchange ratio" that enables shareholders to claim "adequate compensation" for their shares, LegalPass said last month. The aim is to enable shareholders to obtain cash compensation corresponding to the difference in value between the share price determined in the merger contract and the price determined by the court. Ethos has previously raised concerns about how the acquisition of Credit Suisse by UBS was carried out, particularly that the deal was forced through without consulting shareholders. "Since (Swiss financial regulator) FINMA has decided to withdraw shareholders' voting rights, the only way to challenge the exchange ratio is to go court, as LegalPass intends to do," Kaufmann added. UBS declined to comment on the case, which will be filed before a court in Zurich. Launching the claim last month, LegalPass said UBS's acquisition of Switzerland's second biggest bank was a "steal" with UBS document valuing the Credit Suisse business at almost $34 billion. "Credit Suisse was sold below its market price during secret negotiations and under governmental pressure, all without shareholders having any say in that matter," said Alexandre Osti, a lawyer at LegalPass. LegalPass has set a of July 20 deadline to join the class action. ($1 = 0.8965 Swiss francs) (Adds quotes from paragraph 3) LONDON, July 4 (Reuters) - Nyrstar is looking at germanium and gallium projects in Australia, Europe and the United States, the company said on Tuesday, which could help ease any shortages created by China's export controls on the materials used for computer chips. China has announced export restrictions on some gallium and germanium products, citing national security interests. The metals are used in computer chips and other products. "Nyrstar is currently in the process of identifying a number of potential projects in Australia, Europe and the US," Netherlands-based Nyrstar, majority owned by trading and logistics company Trafigura, told Reuters via email. The company said it is aiming to add additional critical and strategic raw materials, "including Germanium and Gallium, to its product portfolio in order to support local as well as regional needs". (Reporting by Pratima Desai Editing by David Goodman and Emma Rumney) JENIN, West Bank, July 4 (Reuters) - Thousands of people were evacuated from the Jenin refugee camp as one of Israel's biggest military operations in years moved to a second day on Tuesday and a suspected car-ramming attack in Tel Aviv underlined the risk of a spillover in violence. The operation, which the army said was aimed at destroying infrastructure and weapons of militant groups in the camp, was launched with a drone strike in the early hours of Monday and continued all day, with hundreds of troops. At least 10 people have been killed, Palestinian officials said. After more than 24 hours of clashes of varying intensity, Israeli National Security Adviser Tzachi Hanebi said the operation was "close to completing the achievement of the goals set," but there was no specific indication of when it might end. A car-ramming and stabbing attack in Israel's economic hub Tel Aviv, in which six people were hurt, showed the risk that the impact of the operation could lead to a further escalation. An Israeli police spokesperson described the incident as terrorism. In Jenin, sporadic gunfire and explosions sounded near the refugee camp but parts of the city were quiet and life proceeded in relative normality. Late on Monday, the Palestinian Red Crescent said it had evacuated 500 families from the camp, or around 3,000 people, and UN agencies expressed alarm at scale of the air and ground operation. Jihad Hassan, 63, who fled the camp with his family after his son was wounded, said the drone strike had prompted him to leave. "You don't hear a sound, you just see the explosion," he said, as he waited with his son at the Jenin Government Hospital. "It is something, when a person is forced to leave their home," he said. Echoing Palestinian emergency services, the World Health Organization said first responders had been prevented from entering the camp to reach wounded people. An Israeli military spokesman said there had been no such order. "Ambulances have a free pass and we are also coordinating the entry of ambulances," he told reporters late on Monday. However power and water supplies remained cut off in the camp and in some areas of the city after bulldozers that ploughed up roads looking for improvised bombs cut power cables and a main water pipe. A Palestinian wounded during the clashes died overnight and another body was found in the morning, bringing the death toll to 10, with around 100 wounded, 20 of them critically, the Palestinian health ministry said. Another Palestinian was killed in Ramallah on Monday. The Islamic Jihad faction claimed four of the dead as its fighters. Hamas, another Islamist faction, claimed a fifth. The status of the others was unclear, although Israeli officials said as far as they were aware, no civilians had been killed. Problems at the hospital morgue, forced health services to transfer some bodies from Jenin to another hospital in nearby Qabatia, officials said. OFFICES CLOSED Offices and businesses across the occupied West Bank were expected to close on Tuesday in response to calls for a general strike to protest the operation, which the Palestinian Authority has described as a "war crime". International reaction to the operation has been mixed. The United States said it respected Israel's right to defend itself but said it was imperative to avoid civilian casualties. Mohammed Moustafa Orfy, Egypt's permanent representative to the Arab League, said the operation would hinder efforts to bring reconciliation after months of escalating violence. "What is happening in Jenin, from brutal killing using the Israeli war machine, is aimed at shrinking to a very large extent the chances of reviving the peace process, he said. The densely populated camp, where some 14,000 people live in less than half a square kilometre, has been one of the focal points of a wave of violence that has swept the West Bank for more than a year. Hundreds of fighters from militant groups including Hamas, Islamic Jihad and Fatah, live in the camp, which has been fortified with a range of obstacles and watching posts to counter the regular army raids. On Tuesday, the military said border police had found an underground shaft used to store explosives in the refugee camp and had dismantled two observation posts. The latest management changes under Chief Executive Andrea Orcel come as UniCredit embarks on a new phase of its digital transformation. Banks around the world face a major challenge in having to shift their core IT infrastructure, which is made extremely complex by several layers of legacy systems that built up over the years, on to the cloud. UniCredit said it would put Ali Khan, a cloud specialist who joins from consultancy PwC, in charge of digital and information Currently based in New York, Khan is PwC's U.S. head for cloud and asset based solutions, with 23 years of experience in designing and coding computing systems. UniCredit also said it was appointing veteran executive Gianfranco Bisagni as chief operating officer, replacing Bart Schlatmann who had taken the role only in October and is now leaving the group. The changes will be effective at the end of September. UniCredit said Khan knew UniCredit's current technology well and would help its move to a cloud and data driven approach. Bisagni, currently head of central Europe, will return to a more central role to "partner with Khan". Khan's predecessor joined UniCredit in July 2021, a few months after Orcel's arrival at the helm. Jingle had played a key role in the digital transformation of China's Ping An, a financial firm with 227 million retail customers where her team supported 360,000 employees and 100 subsidiaries. A year later however, UniCredit hired former Monte dei Paschi di Siena (BMPS.MI) and Nexi (NEXII.MI) executive Giovanni Damiani as head of digital excellence to act as a deputy to Jingle. UniCredit said Jingle wanted to work closer to her family, who are based in Britain and China, and would leave the bank, having laid the foundations of its digital turnaround. Former St. Louis County officer, Thomas Favazza, is charged for allegedly choking his wife and driving drunk with a revoked license. Ormat Technologies, Inc. (NYSE:ORA Free Report) has received a consensus rating of Hold from the eight ratings firms that are currently covering the stock, MarketBeat reports. Six equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold recommendation and two have assigned a buy recommendation to the company. The average 1 year target price among brokerages that have updated their coverage on the stock in the last year is $91.25. ORA has been the topic of a number of recent analyst reports. Citigroup decreased their price target on Ormat Technologies from $91.00 to $88.00 and set a neutral rating on the stock in a research report on Monday, March 27th. Bank of America lifted their target price on Ormat Technologies from $85.00 to $87.00 in a research report on Wednesday, June 14th. Barclays assumed coverage on Ormat Technologies in a research report on Monday, May 22nd. They issued an equal weight rating and a $89.00 target price on the stock. Finally, StockNews.com assumed coverage on Ormat Technologies in a research report on Thursday, May 18th. They issued a sell rating on the stock. Get Ormat Technologies alerts: Hedge Funds Weigh In On Ormat Technologies Several institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. BlackRock Inc. lifted its stake in Ormat Technologies by 8.2% in the first quarter. BlackRock Inc. now owns 8,528,140 shares of the energy companys stock valued at $722,930,000 after buying an additional 643,171 shares during the period. Clal Insurance Enterprises Holdings Ltd lifted its stake in Ormat Technologies by 7.7% in the first quarter. Clal Insurance Enterprises Holdings Ltd now owns 2,318,362 shares of the energy companys stock valued at $196,528,000 after buying an additional 166,625 shares during the period. Impax Asset Management Group plc lifted its stake in Ormat Technologies by 17.5% in the first quarter. Impax Asset Management Group plc now owns 2,119,477 shares of the energy companys stock valued at $178,845,000 after buying an additional 315,055 shares during the period. Global Alpha Capital Management Ltd. lifted its stake in Ormat Technologies by 4.0% in the first quarter. Global Alpha Capital Management Ltd. now owns 2,001,707 shares of the energy companys stock valued at $169,533,000 after buying an additional 77,456 shares during the period. Finally, State Street Corp raised its position in shares of Ormat Technologies by 7.6% during the first quarter. State Street Corp now owns 1,947,280 shares of the energy companys stock worth $165,071,000 after purchasing an additional 137,486 shares during the period. 88.23% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds. Ormat Technologies Stock Down 0.5 % ORA opened at $80.07 on Tuesday. Ormat Technologies has a 1-year low of $75.25 and a 1-year high of $101.81. The stocks fifty day simple moving average is $84.31 and its 200 day simple moving average is $86.27. The company has a current ratio of 2.07, a quick ratio of 1.96 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.71. The stock has a market cap of $4.78 billion, a PE ratio of 59.31, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.82 and a beta of 0.44. Ormat Technologies (NYSE:ORA Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, May 9th. The energy company reported $0.51 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.49 by $0.02. Ormat Technologies had a return on equity of 4.86% and a net margin of 10.39%. The firm had revenue of $185.20 million for the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $212.86 million. During the same quarter last year, the business earned $0.35 EPS. The companys quarterly revenue was up .8% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, research analysts expect that Ormat Technologies will post 1.91 earnings per share for the current year. Ormat Technologies Dividend Announcement The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, June 6th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, May 23rd were paid a $0.12 dividend. This represents a $0.48 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.60%. The ex-dividend date was Monday, May 22nd. Ormat Technologiess dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 35.56%. Ormat Technologies Company Profile (Free Report Ormat Technologies, Inc engages in the geothermal and recovered energy power business in the United States, Indonesia, Kenya, Turkey, Chile, Guadeloupe, Guatemala, Ethiopia, New Zealand, Honduras, and internationally. It operates through three segments: Electricity, Product, and Energy Storage. The Electricity segment develops, builds, owns, and operates geothermal, solar photovoltaic, and recovered energy-based power plants; and sells electricity. Read More Receive News & Ratings for Ormat Technologies Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Ormat Technologies and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Vodafone Group Public (LON:VOD Free Report) had its target price decreased by Berenberg Bank from GBX 95 ($1.21) to GBX 85 ($1.08) in a research report report published on Friday, The Fly reports. VOD has been the topic of a number of other research reports. Barclays reissued an equal weight rating and set a GBX 115 ($1.46) price objective on shares of Vodafone Group Public in a report on Thursday, June 8th. Citigroup reissued a neutral rating on shares of Vodafone Group Public in a report on Tuesday, May 30th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. cut their price objective on shares of Vodafone Group Public from GBX 100 ($1.27) to GBX 95 ($1.21) in a report on Friday, May 12th. Finally, Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft set a GBX 185 ($2.35) price objective on shares of Vodafone Group Public in a report on Monday, March 27th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, four have assigned a hold rating and two have issued a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, Vodafone Group Public currently has a consensus rating of Hold and an average target price of GBX 113.50 ($1.44). Get Vodafone Group Public alerts: Vodafone Group Public Stock Up 0.5 % Shares of LON:VOD opened at GBX 74.32 ($0.94) on Friday. The firms 50 day moving average price is GBX 81.72 and its 200 day moving average price is GBX 88.42. The stock has a market cap of 20.06 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 195.58, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.59 and a beta of 0.60. Vodafone Group Public has a fifty-two week low of GBX 70.06 ($0.89) and a fifty-two week high of GBX 132.04 ($1.68). The company has a quick ratio of 0.78, a current ratio of 0.89 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 105.92. Vodafone Group Public Announces Dividend Vodafone Group Public Company Profile The firm also recently announced a dividend, which will be paid on Friday, August 4th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, June 8th will be issued a 0.05 ($0.05) dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, June 8th. This represents a dividend yield of 4.34%. Vodafone Group Publics payout ratio is 2,105.26%. (Free Report) Vodafone Group Public Limited Company provides telecommunication services in Europe and internationally. It offers mobile connectivity services comprising end-to-end services for mobile voice and data, messaging, device management, BYOx, and telecoms management, as well as professional and consulting services; and fixed line connectivity, such as fixed voice and data, broadband, software-defined networks, managed WAN, LAN, ethernet, and satellite; and financial services, as well as business and merchant services. Further Reading Receive News & Ratings for Vodafone Group Public Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Vodafone Group Public and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Canadian Pacific Kansas City (TSE:CP Free Report) (NYSE:CP) had its price target hoisted by Royal Bank of Canada from C$122.00 to C$125.00 in a research report sent to investors on Friday morning, BayStreet.CA reports. The brokerage currently has an outperform rating on the stock. Other equities analysts also recently issued reports about the company. National Bank Financial boosted their price objective on Canadian Pacific Kansas City from C$106.00 to C$107.00 in a research report on Monday, April 17th. TD Securities upped their target price on Canadian Pacific Kansas City from C$120.00 to C$125.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a research report on Thursday, April 27th. Barclays cut their target price on Canadian Pacific Kansas City from C$90.00 to C$89.00 in a research report on Wednesday, April 12th. CIBC cut their target price on Canadian Pacific Kansas City from C$125.00 to C$123.00 in a research report on Friday, June 16th. Finally, Scotiabank cut their target price on Canadian Pacific Kansas City from C$124.00 to C$123.00 in a research report on Thursday, June 29th. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and nine have assigned a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, Canadian Pacific Kansas City presently has an average rating of Moderate Buy and an average target price of C$111.60. Get Canadian Pacific Kansas City alerts: Canadian Pacific Kansas City Stock Up 1.8 % TSE:CP opened at C$107.00 on Friday. The firm has a market capitalization of C$99.62 billion, a PE ratio of 26.75, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.81 and a beta of 0.83. The stock has a 50 day moving average of C$106.22 and a 200-day moving average of C$104.93. Canadian Pacific Kansas City has a 52 week low of C$90.00 and a 52 week high of C$112.27. The company has a current ratio of 0.67, a quick ratio of 0.42 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 49.11. Canadian Pacific Kansas City Announces Dividend Canadian Pacific Kansas City Company Profile The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, July 31st. Investors of record on Friday, June 30th will be issued a $0.19 dividend. This represents a $0.76 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.71%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, June 29th. Canadian Pacific Kansas Citys dividend payout ratio is presently 19.00%. (Free Report) Canadian Pacific Kansas City Limited, together with its subsidiaries, owns and operates a transcontinental freight railway in Canada and the United States. The company transports bulk commodities, including grain, coal, potash, fertilizers, and sulphur; and merchandise freight, such as energy, chemicals and plastics, metals, minerals and consumer, automotive, and forest products. Further Reading Receive News & Ratings for Canadian Pacific Kansas City Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Canadian Pacific Kansas City and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Extra Space Storage (NYSE:EXR Free Report) and Impac Mortgage (NYSE:IMH Free Report) are both finance companies, but which is the better business? We will contrast the two businesses based on the strength of their analyst recommendations, earnings, risk, valuation, profitability, institutional ownership and dividends. Analyst Recommendations This is a summary of current ratings for Extra Space Storage and Impac Mortgage, as provided by MarketBeat.com. Get Extra Space Storage alerts: Sell Ratings Hold Ratings Buy Ratings Strong Buy Ratings Rating Score Extra Space Storage 1 4 4 1 2.50 Impac Mortgage 0 0 0 0 N/A Extra Space Storage currently has a consensus target price of $169.38, indicating a potential upside of 12.60%. Given Extra Space Storages higher possible upside, equities analysts clearly believe Extra Space Storage is more favorable than Impac Mortgage. Volatility & Risk Valuation & Earnings Extra Space Storage has a beta of 0.54, indicating that its share price is 46% less volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, Impac Mortgage has a beta of 0.9, indicating that its share price is 10% less volatile than the S&P 500. This table compares Extra Space Storage and Impac Mortgages revenue, earnings per share (EPS) and valuation. Gross Revenue Price/Sales Ratio Net Income Earnings Per Share Price/Earnings Ratio Extra Space Storage $1.92 billion 10.56 $860.69 million $6.36 23.65 Impac Mortgage $8.60 million 0.21 -$39.43 million ($1.71) -0.03 Extra Space Storage has higher revenue and earnings than Impac Mortgage. Impac Mortgage is trading at a lower price-to-earnings ratio than Extra Space Storage, indicating that it is currently the more affordable of the two stocks. Profitability This table compares Extra Space Storage and Impac Mortgages net margins, return on equity and return on assets. Net Margins Return on Equity Return on Assets Extra Space Storage 43.79% 21.62% 7.36% Impac Mortgage N/A -1,309.14% -37.12% Insider & Institutional Ownership 96.8% of Extra Space Storage shares are owned by institutional investors. Comparatively, 12.5% of Impac Mortgage shares are owned by institutional investors. 1.6% of Extra Space Storage shares are owned by company insiders. Comparatively, 2.8% of Impac Mortgage shares are owned by company insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that large money managers, endowments and hedge funds believe a stock is poised for long-term growth. Summary Extra Space Storage beats Impac Mortgage on 12 of the 14 factors compared between the two stocks. About Extra Space Storage (Free Report) Extra Space Storage Inc., headquartered in Salt Lake City, Utah, is a self-administered and self-managed REIT and a member of the S&P 500. As of March 31, 2023, the Company owned and/or operated 2,388 self-storage stores in 41 states and Washington, D.C. The Company's stores comprise approximately 1.7 million units and approximately 180.0 million square feet of rentable space. The Company offers customers a wide selection of conveniently located and secure storage units across the country, including boat storage, RV storage and business storage. The Company is the second largest owner and/or operator of self-storage stores in the United States and is the largest self-storage management company in the United States. About Impac Mortgage (Free Report) Impac Mortgage Holdings, Inc. engages in the provision of mortgage and real estate solutions. It operates through the following segments: Mortgage Lending, Real Estate Services, and Long-Term Mortgage Portfolio. The Mortgage Lending segment offers mortgage lending products through lending channels, retail, wholesale, and correspondent, and retains mortgage servicing rights and warehouse lending facilities. The Real Estate Services segment performs servicing and provides loss mitigation services for securitized long-term mortgage portfolio. The Long-Term Mortgage Portfolio segment is composed of residual interests in securitization trusts. The company was founded by Joseph R. Tomkinson in August 1995 and is headquartered in Newport Beach, CA. Receive News & Ratings for Extra Space Storage Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Extra Space Storage and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. China Pacific Insurance (Group) (OTCMKTS:CHPXF Free Report) and CNO Financial Group (NYSE:CNO Free Report) are both financial services companies, but which is the superior investment? We will compare the two businesses based on the strength of their institutional ownership, dividends, risk, valuation, analyst recommendations, profitability and earnings. Institutional & Insider Ownership 10.0% of China Pacific Insurance (Group) shares are owned by institutional investors. Comparatively, 93.0% of CNO Financial Group shares are owned by institutional investors. 3.0% of CNO Financial Group shares are owned by company insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that endowments, hedge funds and large money managers believe a company is poised for long-term growth. Get China Pacific Insurance (Group) alerts: Valuation and Earnings This table compares China Pacific Insurance (Group) and CNO Financial Groups top-line revenue, earnings per share (EPS) and valuation. Gross Revenue Price/Sales Ratio Net Income Earnings Per Share Price/Earnings Ratio China Pacific Insurance (Group) N/A N/A N/A $1.12 2.27 CNO Financial Group $3.58 billion 0.76 $396.80 million $2.43 9.82 Dividends CNO Financial Group has higher revenue and earnings than China Pacific Insurance (Group). China Pacific Insurance (Group) is trading at a lower price-to-earnings ratio than CNO Financial Group, indicating that it is currently the more affordable of the two stocks. China Pacific Insurance (Group) pays an annual dividend of $0.36 per share and has a dividend yield of 14.2%. CNO Financial Group pays an annual dividend of $0.60 per share and has a dividend yield of 2.5%. China Pacific Insurance (Group) pays out 32.2% of its earnings in the form of a dividend. CNO Financial Group pays out 24.7% of its earnings in the form of a dividend. Both companies have healthy payout ratios and should be able to cover their dividend payments with earnings for the next several years. CNO Financial Group has increased its dividend for 11 consecutive years. Analyst Recommendations This is a summary of recent recommendations for China Pacific Insurance (Group) and CNO Financial Group, as provided by MarketBeat.com. Sell Ratings Hold Ratings Buy Ratings Strong Buy Ratings Rating Score China Pacific Insurance (Group) 0 2 1 0 2.33 CNO Financial Group 0 4 1 0 2.20 CNO Financial Group has a consensus price target of $25.25, indicating a potential upside of 5.78%. Given CNO Financial Groups higher possible upside, analysts clearly believe CNO Financial Group is more favorable than China Pacific Insurance (Group). Profitability This table compares China Pacific Insurance (Group) and CNO Financial Groups net margins, return on equity and return on assets. Net Margins Return on Equity Return on Assets China Pacific Insurance (Group) N/A N/A N/A CNO Financial Group 7.59% 16.21% 0.84% Summary CNO Financial Group beats China Pacific Insurance (Group) on 11 of the 13 factors compared between the two stocks. About China Pacific Insurance (Group) (Free Report) China Pacific Insurance (Group) Co., Ltd., together with its subsidiaries, provides insurance products to individual and institutional customers in the People's Republic of China. It operates through Life and Health Insurance, Property and Casualty Insurance, and Other Businesses segments. The company offers life, health, automobile, liability, agricultural, property, accident, construction and engineering, and guarantee insurance products; pension and annuity insurance products; investments with insurance funds, etc.; and reinsurance products. It also provides real estate management, consulting, medical consulting, insurance agency, fund management, seniors and disabled care, elderly, real estate development and operation, technical, cloud computing, bid data, and health advisory services, as well as senior living property investment, construction, and management services. It sells its products directly, as well as through agents, bancassurance, telemarketing, and internet Sales. The company was founded in 1991 and is headquartered in Shanghai, the People's Republic of China. About CNO Financial Group (Free Report) CNO Financial Group, Inc., through its subsidiaries, develops, markets, and administers health insurance, annuity, individual life insurance, insurance products, and financial services for senior and middle-income markets in the United States. It offers Medicare supplement, supplemental health, and long-term care insurance policies; life insurance; and annuities, as well as Medicare advantage plans to individuals through phone, online, mail, and face-to-face. The company also focuses on worksite and group sales for businesses, associations, and other membership groups by interacting with customers at their place of employment. In addition, it provides fixed index annuities; fixed interest annuities, including fixed rate single and flexible premium deferred annuities; single premium immediate annuities; supplemental health products, such as specified disease, accident, and hospital indemnity products; and long-term care plans primarily to retirees and older self-employed individuals in the middle-income market. Further, the company offers universal life and other interest-sensitive life products; and traditional life policies that include whole life, graded benefit life, term life, and single premium whole life products, as well as graded benefit life insurance products. CNO Financial Group, Inc. markets its products under the Bankers Life, Washington National, and Colonial Penn brand names. The company was founded in 1979 and is headquartered in Carmel, Indiana. Receive News & Ratings for China Pacific Insurance (Group) Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for China Pacific Insurance (Group) and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. North American Construction Group Ltd. (NYSE:NOA Free Report) (TSE:NOA) was the target of a large increase in short interest during the month of June. As of June 15th, there was short interest totalling 265,500 shares, an increase of 54.9% from the May 31st total of 171,400 shares. Based on an average trading volume of 57,500 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is currently 4.6 days. Approximately 1.1% of the companys stock are sold short. Analysts Set New Price Targets Separately, StockNews.com upgraded North American Construction Group from a buy rating to a strong-buy rating in a report on Tuesday, June 27th. Get North American Construction Group alerts: Institutional Inflows and Outflows Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the stock. PenderFund Capital Management Ltd. grew its stake in shares of North American Construction Group by 62.0% in the 3rd quarter. PenderFund Capital Management Ltd. now owns 46,620 shares of the oil and gas companys stock valued at $615,000 after purchasing an additional 17,850 shares during the last quarter. O Shaughnessy Asset Management LLC grew its stake in shares of North American Construction Group by 27.4% in the 4th quarter. O Shaughnessy Asset Management LLC now owns 15,249 shares of the oil and gas companys stock valued at $204,000 after purchasing an additional 3,279 shares during the last quarter. Polar Asset Management Partners Inc. grew its stake in shares of North American Construction Group by 121.3% in the 3rd quarter. Polar Asset Management Partners Inc. now owns 2,109,167 shares of the oil and gas companys stock valued at $20,254,000 after purchasing an additional 1,156,209 shares during the last quarter. Acuitas Investments LLC grew its stake in shares of North American Construction Group by 30.3% in the 4th quarter. Acuitas Investments LLC now owns 129,737 shares of the oil and gas companys stock valued at $1,735,000 after purchasing an additional 30,184 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Janney Montgomery Scott LLC grew its stake in shares of North American Construction Group by 10.6% in the 1st quarter. Janney Montgomery Scott LLC now owns 44,501 shares of the oil and gas companys stock valued at $743,000 after purchasing an additional 4,267 shares during the last quarter. 56.21% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors. North American Construction Group Trading Up 0.8 % NYSE:NOA opened at $19.29 on Tuesday. The stocks 50 day moving average price is $19.04 and its 200 day moving average price is $16.81. The company has a market capitalization of $509.64 million, a PE ratio of 10.43 and a beta of 1.48. The company has a quick ratio of 0.81, a current ratio of 1.15 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.08. North American Construction Group has a 52-week low of $9.20 and a 52-week high of $20.23. North American Construction Group (NYSE:NOA Free Report) (TSE:NOA) last released its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, April 26th. The oil and gas company reported $0.71 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $0.60 by $0.11. The firm had revenue of $179.42 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $166.89 million. North American Construction Group had a return on equity of 25.16% and a net margin of 9.01%. On average, research analysts anticipate that North American Construction Group will post 1.78 EPS for the current year. North American Construction Group Cuts Dividend The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, July 7th. Investors of record on Friday, May 26th will be paid a dividend of $0.074 per share. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, May 25th. This represents a $0.30 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.53%. North American Construction Groups dividend payout ratio is presently 16.22%. North American Construction Group Company Profile (Free Report) North American Construction Group Ltd. provides equipment maintenance, and mining and heavy construction services in Canada, the United States, and Australia. Its Heavy Construction & Mining division offers constructability reviews, budgetary cost estimates, design-build construction, project management, contract mining, pre-stripping/pit pioneering, overburden removal and stockpile, muskeg removal and stockpile, site preparation, air strip construction, site dewatering/perimeter ditching, tailings and process pipelines, haulage and access road construction, tailings dam construction and densification, mechanically stabilized earth walls, dyke construction, and reclamation services; and Equipment Maintenance services. Further Reading Receive News & Ratings for North American Construction Group Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for North American Construction Group and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Resonant Capital Advisors LLC grew its stake in Eli Lilly and Company (NYSE:LLY Free Report) by 0.7% during the 1st quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The firm owned 4,788 shares of the companys stock after buying an additional 35 shares during the quarter. Resonant Capital Advisors LLCs holdings in Eli Lilly and Company were worth $1,644,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Y.D. More Investments Ltd purchased a new position in shares of Eli Lilly and Company during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $26,000. Bogart Wealth LLC lifted its position in shares of Eli Lilly and Company by 193.3% during the 1st quarter. Bogart Wealth LLC now owns 88 shares of the companys stock valued at $30,000 after buying an additional 58 shares in the last quarter. Destiny Wealth Partners LLC lifted its position in shares of Eli Lilly and Company by 97.8% during the 4th quarter. Destiny Wealth Partners LLC now owns 91 shares of the companys stock valued at $33,000 after buying an additional 45 shares in the last quarter. New England Capital Financial Advisors LLC purchased a new position in shares of Eli Lilly and Company during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $35,000. Finally, Tanglewood Legacy Advisors LLC purchased a new position in shares of Eli Lilly and Company during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $37,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 87.25% of the companys stock. Get Eli Lilly and Company alerts: Insider Buying and Selling In related news, CAO Donald A. Zakrowski sold 600 shares of the firms stock in a transaction dated Monday, May 15th. The stock was sold at an average price of $435.29, for a total transaction of $261,174.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief accounting officer now directly owns 5,978 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $2,602,163.62. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. In related news, CAO Donald A. Zakrowski sold 600 shares of the firms stock in a transaction dated Monday, May 15th. The stock was sold at an average price of $435.29, for a total transaction of $261,174.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief accounting officer now directly owns 5,978 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,602,163.62. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, EVP Patrik Jonsson sold 6,000 shares of the firms stock in a transaction dated Thursday, June 1st. The shares were sold at an average price of $429.46, for a total value of $2,576,760.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president now owns 36,941 shares of the companys stock, valued at $15,864,681.86. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last ninety days, insiders sold 1,040,668 shares of company stock valued at $449,053,086. 0.13% of the stock is currently owned by insiders. Analyst Ratings Changes Eli Lilly and Company Trading Down 1.6 % A number of brokerages have recently issued reports on LLY. 3M reiterated a maintains rating on shares of Eli Lilly and Company in a research report on Friday, April 28th. Jefferies Financial Group raised their price objective on Eli Lilly and Company from $290.00 to $310.00 and gave the company a hold rating in a report on Monday, April 3rd. Credit Suisse Group raised their price objective on Eli Lilly and Company from $420.00 to $490.00 in a report on Thursday, May 4th. Barclays raised their price objective on Eli Lilly and Company from $420.00 to $500.00 in a report on Tuesday, June 27th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company raised their price objective on Eli Lilly and Company from $440.00 to $500.00 in a report on Friday, May 26th. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, two have issued a hold rating and thirteen have issued a buy rating to the companys stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of Moderate Buy and an average target price of $437.90. Shares of LLY traded down $7.56 during midday trading on Tuesday, reaching $461.42. The company had a trading volume of 2,113,173 shares, compared to its average volume of 2,568,236. Eli Lilly and Company has a 1-year low of $296.32 and a 1-year high of $469.87. The stock has a market cap of $438.01 billion, a PE ratio of 73.28, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.15 and a beta of 0.38. The firm has a 50 day simple moving average of $435.88 and a 200-day simple moving average of $378.02. The company has a quick ratio of 1.02, a current ratio of 1.30 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.67. Eli Lilly and Company (NYSE:LLY Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, April 27th. The company reported $1.62 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts consensus estimates of $1.73 by ($0.11). The business had revenue of $6.96 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $6.87 billion. Eli Lilly and Company had a return on equity of 61.42% and a net margin of 20.54%. The firms revenue for the quarter was down 10.9% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the business posted $2.62 earnings per share. Research analysts forecast that Eli Lilly and Company will post 8.78 EPS for the current fiscal year. Eli Lilly and Company Dividend Announcement The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, August 15th. Investors of record on Friday, September 8th will be given a dividend of $1.13 per share. This represents a $4.52 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.98%. The ex-dividend date is Monday, August 14th. Eli Lilly and Companys payout ratio is 71.86%. Eli Lilly and Company Profile (Free Report) Eli Lilly and Company discovers, develops, and markets human pharmaceuticals worldwide. It offers Basaglar, Humalog, Humalog Mix 75/25, Humalog U-100, Humalog U-200, Humalog Mix 50/50, insulin lispro, insulin lispro protamine, insulin lispro mix 75/25, Humulin, Humulin 70/30, Humulin N, Humulin R, and Humulin U-500 for diabetes; and Jardiance, Trajenta, and Trulicity for type 2 diabetes. See Also Want to see what other hedge funds are holding LLY? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Eli Lilly and Company (NYSE:LLY Free Report). Receive News & Ratings for Eli Lilly and Company Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Eli Lilly and Company and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. StockNews.com upgraded shares of Denison Mines (NYSEAMERICAN:DNN Free Report) (TSE:DML) to a sell rating in a report issued on Saturday morning. Other equities research analysts have also issued research reports about the company. 92 Resources reiterated a maintains rating on shares of Denison Mines in a research report on Tuesday, June 27th. Raymond James dropped their target price on Denison Mines from C$2.50 to C$2.40 in a research report on Tuesday, June 27th. TD Securities upped their target price on Denison Mines from C$2.25 to C$2.50 in a research report on Tuesday, June 27th. Finally, Cormark upgraded Denison Mines to a buy rating in a research report on Tuesday, June 27th. Get Denison Mines alerts: Denison Mines Price Performance Shares of DNN stock opened at $1.25 on Friday. The businesss 50-day simple moving average is $1.20. The stock has a market capitalization of $1.04 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -41.67 and a beta of 1.83. Denison Mines has a fifty-two week low of $0.91 and a fifty-two week high of $1.53. Institutional Investors Weigh In On Denison Mines About Denison Mines Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the company. JPMorgan Chase & Co. acquired a new stake in Denison Mines in the 1st quarter valued at $1,001,000. Advisory Services Network LLC grew its stake in Denison Mines by 235.2% in the 1st quarter. Advisory Services Network LLC now owns 22,625 shares of the basic materials companys stock valued at $25,000 after acquiring an additional 15,875 shares during the period. Ardsley Advisory Partners LP acquired a new stake in Denison Mines in the 1st quarter valued at $109,000. Two Sigma Securities LLC acquired a new stake in Denison Mines in the 1st quarter valued at $41,000. Finally, Hood River Capital Management LLC grew its stake in Denison Mines by 10.8% in the 1st quarter. Hood River Capital Management LLC now owns 23,920,381 shares of the basic materials companys stock valued at $26,073,000 after acquiring an additional 2,331,888 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 29.88% of the companys stock. (Free Report) Denison Mines Corp. operates as a uranium exploration and development company in Canada. Its flagship project is the 95% interest owned Wheeler River uranium project covering an area of approximately 300,000 hectares located in the Athabasca Basin region in northern Saskatchewan. The company was formerly known as International Uranium Corporation and changed its name to Denison Mines Corp. Featured Stories Receive News & Ratings for Denison Mines Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Denison Mines and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. StockNews.com downgraded shares of ZTO Express (Cayman) (NYSE:ZTO Free Report) from a buy rating to a hold rating in a report released on Saturday morning. ZTO has been the subject of several other research reports. The Goldman Sachs Group upgraded shares of ZTO Express (Cayman) from a neutral rating to a buy rating and upped their price target for the company from $37.00 to $42.00 in a research report on Monday, April 24th. HSBC upped their price objective on shares of ZTO Express (Cayman) from $33.00 to $36.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a research report on Friday, March 17th. Finally, Bank of America upped their price objective on shares of ZTO Express (Cayman) from $36.00 to $39.00 in a research report on Thursday, May 18th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and four have assigned a buy rating to the companys stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of Moderate Buy and an average price target of $36.96. Get ZTO Express (Cayman) alerts: ZTO Express (Cayman) Stock Up 0.3 % Shares of NYSE:ZTO opened at $25.15 on Friday. The company has a market capitalization of $15.37 billion, a PE ratio of 18.77, a P/E/G ratio of 1.06 and a beta of 0.02. The company has a current ratio of 1.32, a quick ratio of 1.32 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.13. ZTO Express has a twelve month low of $16.27 and a twelve month high of $30.05. The firm has a 50 day simple moving average of $27.15 and a 200-day simple moving average of $27.34. Institutional Investors Weigh In On ZTO Express (Cayman) ZTO Express (Cayman) ( NYSE:ZTO Free Report ) last released its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, May 17th. The transportation company reported $0.30 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.23 by $0.07. ZTO Express (Cayman) had a net margin of 20.76% and a return on equity of 14.25%. The firm had revenue of $1.31 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.38 billion. On average, equities analysts predict that ZTO Express will post 1.43 EPS for the current fiscal year. Several hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the company. Ronald Blue Trust Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of ZTO Express (Cayman) by 420.1% during the 4th quarter. Ronald Blue Trust Inc. now owns 1,165 shares of the transportation companys stock worth $28,000 after acquiring an additional 941 shares during the period. Captrust Financial Advisors purchased a new position in shares of ZTO Express (Cayman) during the 2nd quarter worth about $36,000. China Universal Asset Management Co. Ltd. purchased a new position in shares of ZTO Express (Cayman) during the 4th quarter worth about $43,000. Advisor Group Holdings Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of ZTO Express (Cayman) by 26.2% during the 4th quarter. Advisor Group Holdings Inc. now owns 2,248 shares of the transportation companys stock worth $61,000 after acquiring an additional 466 shares during the period. Finally, CI Investments Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of ZTO Express (Cayman) by 529.2% during the 4th quarter. CI Investments Inc. now owns 3,278 shares of the transportation companys stock worth $88,000 after acquiring an additional 2,757 shares during the period. 42.86% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds. About ZTO Express (Cayman) (Free Report) ZTO Express (Cayman) Inc provides express delivery and other value-added logistics services in the People's Republic of China. It offers freight forwarding services; and delivery services for e-commerce and traditional merchants, and other express service users. The company was founded in 2002 and is headquartered in Shanghai, the People's Republic of China. Read More Receive News & Ratings for ZTO Express (Cayman) Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for ZTO Express (Cayman) and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. South Korean Defense Minister Lee Jong-sup, right, U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, center, and Japanese Defense Minister Yasukazu Hamada join hands before their talks on the sidelines of the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore, June 3. Yonhap The House Committee on Armed Services is seeking to encourage trilateral defense cooperation between South Korea, Japan and the United States, a committee report showed Monday. In a report on the 2024 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), the committee also stressed the need for the U.S. to develop and deploy more advanced missile defense systems against North Korea's evolving missile threat. "The committee recognizes the importance of defense cooperation involving Japan and the Republic of Korea to maintaining peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific region," said the report, dated June 30, referring to South Korea by its official name. The report suggests the NDAA for fiscal year 2024 should require the Department of Defense to provide a briefing to congressional defense committee by March 1, 2024 on "recent defense cooperation efforts involving Japan and the Republic of Korea." The briefing should also include "a description of any opportunities or initiatives through which the United States may facilitate enhanced bilateral defense cooperation between Japan and the Republic of Korea or enhanced trilateral defense cooperation among the United States, Japan, and the Republic of Korea," along with "an identification of any new or additional cooperative steps that may be taken by the United States, Japan, or the Republic of Korea to deter destabilizing activities." The call comes amid a recent thaw in South Korea-Japan relations that had been long tainted by historical issues surrounding Japan's 1910-1945 colonial rule of Korea. Seoul restored its bilateral defense information sharing agreement, known as the General Security of Military Information Agreement, with Japan in March, following its unilateral decision to mend ties with Tokyo earlier in the year. The countries have since agreed to launch a new system together with their shared ally, the U.S., that will allow sharing their real-time missile warning data with one another. Seoul officials have said the new system will officially be launched before the end of the year. South Korean Defense Minister Lee Jong-sup, right, speaks at a press conference with his U.S. counterpart, Lloyd Austin, after their talks at Lee's office in central Seoul, Jan. 31. Yonhap A recent portrait of BTS's V taken during his visit to Paris has left South Korean netizens bewildered and intrigued. The collage of various sources capturing V's experiences in the City of Love has sparked curiosity and admiration among fans and online communities. From Fashion Show Disappointment to Parisian Icon BTS V, a member of the globally acclaimed K-pop group BTS, jetted off to Paris on June 30, 2023, with the intention of attending a fashion show by Celine. However, fate had other plans as the show was unexpectedly canceled, forcing V to return to his home country, South Korea. In an effort to share a glimpse of his time in the captivating French capital, V offered fans a fleeting moment through a photograph. The image revealed V enjoying a leisurely moment in a Parisian cafe, savoring a cup of coffee while striking a pose. The casual attire provided by Celine, coupled with his improvised hairstyling and absence of makeup, unleashed a frenzy among fans, who were captivated by V's latest portrait. READ ALSO: TXT Yeonjun Shocked by Dangerous Airport Incident - Issues Urgent Warning to Fans! Notably, it wasn't just devoted fans who were enthralled by V's appearance. South Korean netizens flooded various online community forums with expressions of astonishment, comparing him to a true Parisian. The netizens couldn't contain their awe at V's exquisite charm in the portrait. Additionally, V's decision to don light-colored blonde hair during his time in Paris added another layer of allure to the photograph. In the portrait, V can be seen holding a glass of espresso in his right hand, comfortably seated amidst the bustling crowd of the restaurant. The image immediately garnered a deluge of compliments from admirers. One KNetz remarked, "Wow, he looks like someone who truly belongs there." Quoting comments from theqoo site, numerous KNetz expressed their surprise at V's mesmerizing visuals. Fans Reaction #BTS' #V enjoying the moment in #Paris at the #Loulourestaurant... "Not only does this martini bring joy to my espresso loving heart but, the view and atmosphere make this particular espresso martini one I will never forget" pic.twitter.com/a4cA1dgZQ2 World Music Awards (@WORLDMUSICAWARD) July 3, 2023 One fan confessed, "Wow, his face caught me off guard. I was eating chocolate, but my attention immediately shifted, leaving me awestruck." Others marveled at V's ability to pull off such a daring hair color, noting, "Are you refreshed?Please have a good day ." The admiration continued with remarks like, "Tae is truly magnificent! ," and "He's unbelievably handsome, like a French actor." As V's experiences abroad reach global audiences, speculation arises whether the portrait is part of a planned photoshoot or simply a candid moment captured by chance. The fascination surrounding V's Parisian adventure extends further, as V, alongside fellow brand ambassador Park Bo Gum, greeted fans through V Magazine and VMan in a video before bidding adieu to the City of Light and returning to Korea. READ MORE: 9 Most Jaw-Dropping Kpop Idol Glow-Ups- From Awkward to Astonishing Follow and subscribe to KpopStarz for more K-pop news and lists. Cassidy Jones wrote this. KpopStarz owns this article. THIS pre-debut group is already taking the internet by storm with their heavenly live singing skills, stirring the community to praise the rookies. Read more to find out who they are! ZEROBASEONE Creates Buzz With Live Singing Skills at Variety Show On July 3, netizens were taken aback by ZEROBASEONE's live singing skills at variety show "TheKStarNextDoor 3." ZEROBASEONE (a.k.a. ZB1) guested on "TheKStarNextDoor 3" on July 1, marking their first-ever variety program appearance as a full group. The episode showcased the members having fun with its iconic host Jonathan Thona, who engaged both members and viewers. On the video's 27:11 mark, the episode transitioned to the part where Jonathan mentions the song recommendations sent by fans for ZB1 to sing. When asked about which song ZB1 chose, they mentioned 10cm's "Phonecert," before proceeding to sing it for their fandom ZERO_SE. The room was taken over by members Sung Han Bin, Ricky, Kim Gyu Vin, Park Gun Wook, and Jonathan himself. As soon as they started singing a cover of 10cm's "Phonecert," the boys didn't hesitate to showcase their impressive vocals and charming performance! Watch their cover of 10cm's "Phonecert" here: YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE: Is ZEROBASEONE Copying Wanna One? Here's What People Think Meanwhile, netizens were amazed with ZEROBASEONE, who successfully trended online just by their singing skills alone. Pre-debut groups are usually challenged when it comes to gaining buzz, but ZB1 members are already making waves ahead of their debut! Netters were mesmerized with boys' talent in singing, praising them on how they pull off certain high notes and harmonization naturally. They also noticed the members' confidence and the willingness to deliver an outstanding live performance. Read their comments below: "Everyone is so good, but Park Gunwook is extremely good." "For real Hanbin and Gunwook were already showing their skills during 'Boys Planet' so they're good as expected, but I didn't expect Ricky to be this good either. His high notes and doubling are that good?" "Gyuvin is also good, and it looks like he also has confidence They really showcased their talents well at 'TheKStarNextDoor 3' this time." "Ricky is so freaking good at singing I got shocked." "This is so freaking good." "Sung Hanbin and Kim Gyuvin's voices are impressive." ZEROBASEONE is a nine-membered group comprised of Kim Ji Woong, Zhang Hao, Sung Han Bin, Seok Matthew, Kim Tae Rae, Ricky, Kim Gyu Vin, Park Gun Wook, and Han Yu Jin. The group was formed under Mnet's survival program "Boys Planet." On July 10, ZEROBASEONE will officially debut by releasing their first mini album "Youth in the Shade," along with its title track "In Boom." Since they are a project group, ZB1 is expected to conclude their group activities in January 2024 and return to their respective labels. Were you also amazed with ZEROBASEONE's live singing? Tell us in the comments below! Read KpopStarz for more K-pop news. IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: Born Flawless? ZEROBASEONE's Ricky Leaves Netizens Speechless with Past Photos KpopStarz owns this article Written by Riely Miller The Commission is providing 16.5 million to assist the most vulnerable people in Pakistan who have been affected by conflict as well as climate-induced disasters. Of the overall allocation, 15 million will fund humanitarian organisations in Pakistan to provide food assistance, shelter, water and sanitation services as well as supporting Afghan refugees and their host communities. The other 1.5 million will focus on disaster preparedness programmes to promote climate resilience, foster coordination with local authorities and enhance the response. The EU mobilised 30 million in humanitarian aid and coordinated the incoming assistance from Member States channelled through its Civil Protection Mechanism in response to the devastating floods that hit Pakistan in summer 2022. A year after, the funding announced today will also ensure continued support to those who lost resources and struggle to recover from the flood disaster. Background In summer 2022, Pakistan faced the worst floods in its recent history which affected 33 million people, killing over 1700 people, and destroying at least 2.2 million houses. The floods submerged almost a third of the country and massively impacted agricultural production, resulting in a dramatic heightening of humanitarian needs. The spillover of the humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan is also affecting neighbouring countries, especially Pakistan and Iran, which also continue to deal with cross-border displacement. Pakistan has hosted refugees for over four decades. The estimated Afghan population in Pakistan amounts to around 3.7 million, including a deemed 1.6 million undocumented Afghans and those of other status. The EU has allocated over 136 million in humanitarian assistance for Pakistan since 2016 and has been supporting the country since the 1990s, offering support in the wake of major disasters such as the 2005 earthquake and the 2010 and 2015 floods. For More Information Factsheet Pakistan New Delhi [India], July 4 (ANI): Crisis-hit airline Go First on Tuesday informed that its scheduled flight operations will remain cancelled till July 10 due to operational reasons. The fleet of the cash-strapped carrier has been grounded since May 3. Also Read | EU Top Court Sides with Germany in Meta Antitrust Case. The airline operator filed for voluntary bankruptcy in early May before the National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT), alleging delays on the part of a US-based engine maker for its inability to promptly meet obligations - leading to the grounding of a portion of its fleet. There were reports that the grounding of the Go First flights had put pressure on airfares, particularly on select routes where the now-grounded airline had its footprint Also Read | 4th of July 2023 History and Significance: All You Need To Know About the Day That Marks the Independence Day of America. Last week, Resolution Professionals (RP) submitted a detailed plan for Go First revival before the Directorate of General Civil Aviation (DGCA). After an almost two-and-a-half-hour-long meeting with DGCA and its senior officials in Delhi, Go First Resolution Professionals assured the regulator that the company is serious about restarting the business. A statement from GoFirst had then said, "Resolution Professionals assured DGCA that there would be enough pilots and ground staff to resume operations." "Resumption plan proposes to operate GoFirst from maximum airports, flying over 70 routes with approximately 160 daily flights." If the DGCA is satisfied with the revival plan of GoFirst then the regulator will conduct an inspection audit on the basis of the resumption plan, the statement added. (ANI) (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) Patna, Jul 4 (PTI) In a relief to foreign medical graduates, the Bihar government on Tuesday announced that government medical colleges and hospitals will not charge any fee from them for granting permission for internships. Besides, the state government also decided to provide stipends and other facilities at par with those extended to Indian medical graduates, officials said. Also Read | Odisha Shocker: Mother Gives Poison to Two Kids; Daughter Dies, Son Survives. The decisions were taken at a cabinet meeting chaired by Chief Minister Nitish Kumar here on Tuesday. Now, government medical colleges or hospitals will not charge any fee from the medical graduates from abroad for permitting them to do internships in the state, said S Siddharth, Additional Chief Secretary (Cabinet Secretariat). Also Read | BJP Appoints New State Presidents in Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Punjab and Jharkhand. The maximum FMG quota in internship will be 7.5 per cent of the institute's total permitted seats. Majority of the FMGs were those who returned to India after the COVID-19 outbreak and the Ukraine war with incomplete internships, he told reporters here. Besides, the state cabinet also approved a policy to regulate chit fund companies in the state. With the cabinet approving a policy in this regard, the government can now confiscate properties of those chit fund companies who operate illegally, Siddharth said. The Bihar cabinet also announced incentives for setting up compressed biogas units. The state government will provide an incentive of 15 per cent of the total capital investment or Rs 5 crore in case of investors belonging to the general category, 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) New Delhi, Jul 4 (PTI) The Delhi High Court has refused to direct the Lieutenant Governor to give assent or return the Delhi School Education (Amendment) Bill, 2015 which proposes to ban the screening procedure for children in nursery admissions, saying courts cannot interfere in the legislative procedure. The high court said it is not proper for it to issue any kind of writ to the governor whether to accept or reject a Bill within any timeframe. Also Read | Odisha Shocker: Mother Gives Poison to Two Kids; Daughter Dies, Son Survives. It is always for the governor to give his assent or withhold his assent to any Bill however desirable the legislation may be, the court said, adding while exercising this discretion, the governor cannot feel bound on the act and advice of his ministers and courts also cannot control or interfere in this process. The HC, however, noted that if the bill does not get an assent, Article 200 of the Constitution indicates that the governor must as soon as possible after the presentation of the Bill to him return the Bill together with a message to the House/Houses to reconsider the Bill or any specified provision. Also Read | BJP Appoints New State Presidents in Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Punjab and Jharkhand. "It is not proper for a high court while exercising its jurisdiction under Article 226 of the Constitution to direct a governor who is a constitutional authority to set a time frame in matters which come purely within the domain of the governor. "In the considered opinion of this court, even though the Bill has been passed by the House, it is always open to the governor to agree or to send the Bill back to the House and this court ought not pass a writ of mandamus directing the governor to act, a bench of Chief Justice Satish Chandra Sharma and Justice Subramonium Prasad said in its judgment passed on Monday. The high court's verdict came while rejecting a public interest litigation (PIL) which submitted that a "child-friendly" bill - Delhi School Education (Amendment) Bill, 2015 - is hanging between central and Delhi governments for the past seven years without any justification and against public interest and opposed to public policy. It said the mandamus as prayed for cannot be granted and termed the PIL to be not maintainable. The petition by NGO Social Jurist, through advocates Ashok Agarwal and Kumar Utkarsh, said the very objective and purpose of the bill - to protect tiny tots from exploitation and unjust discrimination in the matter of nursery admission in private schools - is defeated by delay in finalising it by the governments and making it a law. The high court, in its verdict, said till the assent is not granted, the legislative process is not completed and it is well settled that courts cannot issue a writ of mandamus to the governor directing him to pass a bill. It is always for the governor to give his assent or withhold his assent to any Bill however desirable the legislation may be, the bench said. While perusing several apex court judgments, the high court said it showed that after the Bill had passed through the legislature, it is presented to the governor and it is for the governor to declare at that stage whether he gives assent or he withholds the assent or refers the Bill to the President for assent. What the Governor does is peculiarly within his discretion and, exercising his discretion, he cannot feel bound on the act and advice of his ministers. Courts cannot control or interfere in this procedure and cannot direct the Governor or pass a writ to the Governor to grant assent or desist from granting assent. "Article 200 of the Constitution within its fold indicates that the Governor must as soon as possible after the presentation of the Bill to him for his assent either return the Bill together with a message to the House/Houses to reconsider the Bill or any specified provision thereof, it said. The NGO had said it made a representation to the authorities on March 21 requesting them to urgently finalise the bill. However, on April 11, a response was received from the Centre stating that the finalisation of the bill is still pending between the two governments. It had said that more than 1.5 lakh admissions at nursery level take place every year in Delhi in private schools and children above three years of age are subjected to screening procedure which is against the letter and spirit of the Right to Information Act, 2009. "There is no justification at all to not prohibit screening procedure at nursery level and therefore, respondents are required to finalise the bill as soon as possible to do justice to tiny tots of the country," the plea said. It sought the court to direct the authorities to expedite the process of finalisation of the bill so far as it relates to the prohibition of screening procedure in the matter of admission of children at pre-primary level (nursery/ pre-primary) in schools. (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) Gorakhpur (Uttar Pradesh) [India], July 4 (ANI): Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Tuesday said that Uttar Pradesh has made a big leap in the field of basic education over the past six years and many schools which were on the verge of closure, have been rejuvenated during the period because of strong will, determined effort, resources, technology and innovation. Inaugurating the 'Sampark Smartshala-Smart Block' program, a joint initiative of the Basic Education Department and Sampark Foundation, held at Yogiraj Baba Gambhirnath Auditorium, the CM said that the Skilled India Mission with better use of technology is giving great results in improving the quality of education in the state. Also Read | Seema Sisodia Health Update: Former Deputy CM Manish Sisodias Wife Admitted to Hospital After Her Health Deteriorates. Under the 'Sampark Smartshala-Smart Block' program, 58 council schools in the city area and 68 council schools in Chargawan block were equipped with LED TVs as well as maths and English kits. The CM personally provided Teaching-Learning Material (TLM) kits to the teachers from five schools and also released the magazine of Sampark Foundation. The Chief Minister said that education is the foundation of society. He also highlighted the situation prior to 2017, where there were insufficient toilets, flooring, and drinking water facilities in the schools of the Basic Education Council. Also Read | Jharkhand Shocker: Woman Lynched for Having Extramarital Affair in Chatra District; Seven Accused Held. With around 1.34 crore children attending about 1.56 lakh schools, there was also a severe shortage of teachers in schools. To address these issues, the government made a commitment to improve the education system and recruitment, hiring 1.65 lakh teachers from basic and secondary schools in a transparent manner. The Mission Kayakalp was launched to transform schools, ensuring they had proper infrastructure including furniture, toilets, drinking water, smart classes, libraries, and digital libraries. As a result, 1.36 lakh schools have been rejuvenated and the number of school-going children has increased to 1.91 crore. CM Yogi emphasized that in the past, children attending basic schools lacked basic facilities, they used to go barefoot with no uniforms. However, today the government is giving them all the basic facilities. Currently, students are given two uniforms, sweaters, shoes, and bags during the winter season. Also, for providing these facilities, the respective amount is directly transferred to the parents' accounts through Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT). The Chief Minister said that when he became MLC in 2017, he allocated his entire fund for the construction of furniture and toilets in basic schools of the Gorakhpur urban area. Furthermore, the GDA and Municipal Corporation are also working towards making schools smart. He also emphasized that the People's representatives should visit schools in their respective areas and make necessary arrangements there. While discussing the importance of technology in the field of education, CM Yogi said that with the effective use of technology, the educational landscape has advanced rapidly. During the challenging period of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Chief Minister admitted the impact it had on school education but added that with the inspiration of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the campaign for Digital India started, ensuring that children's education continued uninterrupted. The miraculous results of Digital India are being seen at every level and India is in a position to provide leadership, he remarked. CM Yogi praised the Sampark Foundation for their efforts and commended their role in initiating the Smart Schools. He also focused on highlighting the importance of making education interesting and engaging for students. CM Yogi appreciated that the Sampark Foundation is working towards this goal. He emphasized that by incorporating an emotional connection between teachers and students, the children's enthusiasm for learning will naturally awaken. The CM further stated the importance of strengthening education as it serves as the foundation of both the country and society. To achieve this, he emphasized the need to integrate education with technology and innovation. He said that after witnessing the result of the smart school, smart block program as a pilot project in Gorakhpur, a plan will be made to implement it in the entire state. During the event, Yogi also visited the stalls set up by the Basic Education Department for the Nipun Bharat Mission and Sampark Foundation. He interacted with the children and basic schools who were present at the stalls. At the stalls, he inquired about the activities of the Nipun Bharat Mission and the work of the Sampark Foundation and appreciated the innovations in education.MP Ravi Kishan Shukla, Founder and managing director of Sampark Foundation, Vineet Nair and Additional Chief Secretary of Basic Education Deepak Kumar were also present at the occasion. (ANI) (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) New Delhi [India], July 4 (ANI): Delhi Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena along with National Green Tribunal (NGT) Chairperson, Justice Adarsh Kumar Goel on Tuesday inspected the navigable stretch of Yamuna between ISBT and ITO Barrage, on an Indian Navy Boat brought in recently. The navigability of the stretch was ascertained last month by the boat provided by the Indian Navy at the LG's behest. The LG and the NGT Chairperson, accompanied by senior officials of the stakeholder departments, Delhi Development Authority (DDA), Irrigation and Flood Control Department (I&FC), Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) and Delhi Jal Board (DJB), also took stock of the cleaning works undertaken on the floodplains of the river under directions of the High-Level Committee (HLC), constituted by the NGT January 9, 2023. Priests from different faiths also accompanied the visiting team. It may be noted that the HLC has been monitoring the rejuvenation of river Yamuna vide eight different implementation parameters that also include, cleaning and restoration of the floodplains, apart from the desiltation of the sewerage accumulated in the river and on its banks. Also Read | West Bengal Panchayat Elections 2023: 50% Central Security Personnel in Each Booth, Directs Calcutta High Court to Nodal Officers. Works on the restoration of the floodplains from Wazirabad Barrage to ITO Barrage, in its first phase started in February this year and have since been completed. Cleaning operations on the stretch between ITO Barrage and Okhla are underway. Speaking on the occasion, the LG said that the cleaning works on the 11 Km stretch till the ITO Barrage had been successfully completed and it was there for anyone to see. He reiterated that any long-term solution to the rejuvenation of the Yamuna would have to involve the common residents of Delhi and once the waterway becomes fully navigable citizens could start involving themselves at the physical level with the river. Also Read | NCP Split in Maharashtra: Dont Use My Photos Without Permission, NCP Chief Sharad Pawar Warns Ajit Pawar. This, LG added, will help develop a sense of belongingness in the people towards the Yamuna. The LG stressed that the efforts at rejuvenating the river had slowly but surely started showing encouraging results and it was evident in the physical appearance of the ghats as indeed the quality of the water if one were to compare on a year-to-year basis. LG Saxena specifically pointed out the massive efforts being undertaken to clean the Najafgarh Drain through the desiltation and trapping of drains for diversion to STPs and said that cleaning of the drain, which accounts for about 68 per cent of pollution into the river, will make a remarkable difference. Saxena however, emphasized that the task of cleaning the river, hitherto neglected for over three decades, despite consistent monitoring by the Supreme Court and the NGT, will take time to complete and there is a long road ahead. It had been an endeavour on the part of the Lt. Governor to involve the people of the city in the efforts to rejuvenate the Yamuna by bringing them closer to the river and instilling a sense of ownership towards the river in them. In this respect, apart from other initiatives, making the river navigable for use as a recreational as well as public transport means was also envisaged. (ANI) (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) New Delhi, Jul 4 (PTI) Newly-appointed DERC Chairman Justice (retired) Umesh Kumar could not be administered the oath of office by Delhi Power Minister Atishi till 10 am on Tuesday, as directed by Lieutenant Governor V K Saxena in his letter to Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal a day before, officials said. The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government has challenged Justice Kumar's appointment in the Supreme Court, which is likely to hear the case later in the day. Also Read | HC on Live-In Relationship: Live-In Relationships Cannot Be at Cost of Countrys Social Fabric, Says Allahabad High Court; Denies Protection to Married Woman and Her Lover. In his letter to Kejriwal, the LG said Kumar, a former Allahabad High Court judge, was available for the oath ceremony only till 10 am on Tuesday. The LG directed that either the power minister would administer the oath of office and secrecy to Kumar virtually through a video-conference or video call or the chief minister or any of his ministers would complete the formalities or the chief secretary may be asked to perform the task. Also Read | SCO Summit 2023: PM Narendra Modi to Chair Virtual Shanghai Cooperation Organisation Summit Today With Pakistan PM Shehbaz Sharif, Chinese President Xi Jinping in Attendance. Atishi was scheduled to administer the oath of office to Justice Kumar on Monday, but she suddenly faced a "health issue", leading to the event being postponed to July 6, officials had said. Kumar was appointed as the chairman of the Delhi Electricity Regulatory Commission (DERC) on June 21. The appointment of the DERC chairman is the latest flashpoint between the Delhi government and the LG's office, following the Centre's ordinance on control of services. The AAP has challenged the ordinance in the Supreme Court. (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) Ganderbal (JK), Jul 4 (PTI) National Conference leader Omar Abdullah on Tuesday hoped that the Supreme Court will expedite the hearings in the petitions challenging the Centre's decision to revoke Article 370 and reorganise the erstwhile state into two union territories. Nearly four years after the government abrogated the provisions of Article 370 that bestowed a special status on the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir, a five-judge Constitution bench headed by Chief Justice of India D Y Chandrachud will take up a batch of pleas challenging the decision for hearing on July 11. Also Read | Rajasthan Shocker: 13-Year-Old Girl Gang-Raped by Two Men on Pretext of Rescuing Her From Father's Sexual Abuse in Kota, Arrested. "It is better late than never, we have been eagerly waiting for this day. The hearings will start on July 11 and we hope that they would be expedited as soon as this case is addressed in the Supreme Court and a verdict will out soon," he told reporters here, 25 kilometres from Srinagar. The former chief minister said his party has no hopes from the BJP-led NDA government to restore the pre-August 2019 status of Jammu and Kashmir. Also Read | Lok Sabha Elections 2024: BJP Appoints New State Presidents in Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Punjab and Jharkhand Ahead of Polls. "We have been saying this from day one that whatever has been snatched from us on 5 August 2019, we should not have any hope from the present dispensation to bring that back to us. "Our fight is long but in a peaceful manner and through democratic and constitutional ways. We want to get back whatever has been snatched from us," 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) Mumbai, July 4: Days after joining the BJP-Shiv Sena government in Maharashtra, state Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar will shortly inaugurate a new Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) party office near Mantralaya in Mumbai on Tuesday. Ajit Pawar had claimed that the entire NCP was on his side. Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) Ajit Pawar group leader Praful Patel on Monday in a joint conference announced that Lok Sabha MP Sunil Tatkare has been appointed as the new State President of the party in Maharashtra. NCP 'Split': 51 NCP MLAs Wanted Sharad Pawar to Explore Possibility of Joining Hands With BJP After MVA Government in Maharashtra Fell in 2022, Claims Praful Patel. During a joint conference, the NCP leader Patel announced, "We are relieving Jayant Patil of his responsibilities and in his place, I am appointing Sunil Tatkare as Maharashtra President of Nationalist Congress Party. Sunil Tatkare will have the authority to make organizational changes in the party." He further said that Ajit Pawar has been unanimously elected as the leader of the legislature party. "Ajit Pawar has been unanimously elected as the leader of the legislature party. We have informed Maharashtra Assembly Speaker about our decision. Anil Bhaidas Patil has been appointed as the chief whip of NCP in the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly. We request him (Sharad Pawar) with folded hands to give us his blessings as he is our guru", Patel had said. During the press briefing, the newly elected party state president Sunil Tatkare said he will strengthen the party in Maharashtra. "I have taken over as the State president of the Nationalist Congress Party. I will strengthen the party in Maharashtra. I have taken into confidence all leaders of the party. I have also called a meeting of all the legislators and zila parishad leaders", Sunil Tatkare had said. NCP Split in Maharashtra: Ajit Pawar Loyalist Party Workers Protest Against Jayant Patil, Jitendra Awhad in Thane. Maharashtra politics will be interesting to watch in the coming days, as NCP chief Sharad Pawar has called a meeting on July 5 in Mumbai in which all MPs and MLAs are asked to remain present. Ajit Pawar has also called a meeting on the same day at another venue, and he has also called all NCP leaders, including all MLAs, and MLCs. The interesting thing is what Ajit Pawar and his supporting MLAs will do. (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) Mumbai, Jul 4 (PTI) The entry of the Ajit Pawar-led NCP camp in the Maharashtra cabinet headed by Eknath Shinde has left members of Shiv Sena anxious and many of them are wondering whether their political space will shrink which they might have to share with NCP which has wide base in the state. Notably, the group of MLAs loyal to Shinde had cited the inadequate allocation of funds by Ajit Pawar, who was finance minister in the erstwhile MVA government, to their constituencies as one of the reasons for rebelling against Uddhav Thackeray. Also Read | NCP Split in Maharashtra: Dont Use My Photos Without Permission, NCP Chief Sharad Pawar Warns Ajit Pawar. However, Shiv Sena spokesperson and MLA Sanjay Shirsat on Tuesday claimed Ajit Pawar-led NCP joining the Sena-BJP government is as per a larger strategy ahead of the Lok Sabha and Assembly polls scheduled next year. Party (Shiv Sena) workers and supporters have started asking us how and why did Ajit Pawar and NCP join the government? They said will it shrink their political space in the state. But I can assure you that Ajit Pawar joining the government was inevitable, Shirsat told a regional news channel. Also Read | Uttar Pradesh Shocker: Half-Burnt Bodies of Two Women Found Lying on Roadside in Budaun. He said the induction of Ajit Pawar in the state cabinet is a "strong shock" delivered to Uddhav Thackeray and Sharad Pawar for their style of politics. Every party as well as some individuals have some strength. I feel this decision was taken considering all these factors. CM Eknath Shinde was well aware of the decision and he also has some plans in his mind, Shirsat said. He claimed that there could be another round of Cabinet expansion by this Sunday. Queried about the need to seek Ajit Pawar's support when the government is in a strong position, Shirsat said, There was no need for us to make the government stable. We already have nearly 172 MLAs on our side. The NCP's support will strengthen us further. It is always easy to make tall claims of winning more than 40 Lok Sabha seats. But you need a strategy and plan for the same, 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 [India], July 4 (ANI): President Droupadi Murmu on Monday called upon the youth to learn from the teaching of the Buddha, to enrich themselves and immensely contribute to building a peaceful society, a nation, and a world. The President in a recorded message on Asadha Purnima, the Dharma Chakra Pravartana Divas celebrations said that following the three teachings of Lord Buddha- Sheel, Sadhachar and Pragya- the younger generation could empower themselves and bring a positive impact to society, stated a release from Ministry of Culture. Also Read | France: Anti-violence Rallies Held as Riot Tensions Ease. "On Asadha Purnima, we got acquainted with the Dhamma of Lord Buddha which is not only a part of our ancient cultural heritage but is also an essential feature of our daily life," the President said, adding that to know about Buddha Dhamma we should learn and understand the first sermon given by Shakyamuni on the sacred land of Sarnath. The President addressing the celebrations, organized by the International Buddhist Confederation (IBC), under the aegis of the Ministry of Culture, Government of India, recalled that on Asadha Purnima Lord Buddha through his first sermon planted the seeds of the middle path of the Dhamma. It is important that on this auspicious day, we absorb the teachings of lord Buddha into our behaviour and thought. Also Read | Uttar Pradesh Made Crime-Free, Riot-Free in Past Six Years, Says CM Yogi Adityanath. Minister of State for Culture and External Affairs, Meenakashi Lekhi, in her special address described a lay person's journey to attain the level of a Bodhisattva. "Though we are all connected in our values, yet we are responsible for our own actions. Right actions can change our destiny." She went on to explain that living simply and in sustainable manner, in our daily life, following the principles of consciousness and with mindfulness in action, speech, conduct and pursuing the right livelihood, we are already on the right path of Dhamma. It was Covid that showed us the worth of our life, a sense of detachment to material and physical existence. In a sense, this was the path to attaining higher levels of consciousness, she added. As we have very little time on this planet, the Minister noted, every individual should do the right thing according to his consciousness which will in return make the community stronger. Members of the diplomatic community, dignitaries, patriarchs of Buddhist Sanghas, eminent Masters, Scholars, monks, and nuns based in New Delhi participated in the event organised at the National Museum in New Delhi. His Holiness the 12th Chamgon Kenting Tai Situpa, in his Dhamma talk on the Significance of Asadha Purnima said, "We celebrate the first teachings of the Buddha. He taught us the deepest commonsense; suffering is the object that we have to overcome it is important to experience and realize the words of Buddha before we overcome suffering and pursue peace, harmony and compassion." On the auspicious day of Asadha Purnima, in the presence of Minister Meenakashi Lekhi, the contact was awarded for the construction of India's Buddhist Centre in the Monastic Zone of Lumbini. The Certificate of the 'Award of Contract' to an Indo-Nepal Joint Venture company was presented by International Buddhist Confederation (IBC) to M/S ACC- Gorakha for the construction of the India International Centre for Buddhist Culture and Heritage (IICBCH) in the Monastic Zone of Lumbini, the birthplace of Lord Buddha in Nepal. It may be recalled, following an agreement between the Lumbini Development Trust (LDT) and the IBC, on 25 March 2022, Prime Minister of India, Shri Narendra Modi along with the then Prime Minister of Nepal, Sher Bahadur Deuba performed the 'shilanyas' ceremony and laid the foundation stone of IICBCH at the site on 16 May 2022. Before the handing over of the Contract Award, a film on the -"India International Centre for Buddhist Culture and Heritage", IBC's- project in Lumbini was shown. Asadha Purnima day marks Buddha's first teaching after attaining Enlightenment to the first five ascetic disciples (pancavargiya) on the full-moon day of Ashadha at 'Deer Park', Risipatana Mrigadaya in the present day Sarnath, near Varanasi, India. This teaching of Dhamma Cakka- Pavattana Sutta (Pali) or Dharma Cakra Pravartana Sutra (Sanskrit) is also known as the Turning of Wheels of Dharma and comprised of the Four Noble Truths and the Noble Eight-Fold Path. The Rainy Season retreat (Varsha Vassa) for the Monks and Nuns also starts with this day lasting for three lunar months from July to October, during which they remain in a single place, generally in their temples dedicated to intensive meditation. The day is also observed as Guru Purnima by both Buddhists and Hindus as a day to mark reverence to their Gurus. (ANI) (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) New Delhi, Jul 4 (PTI) The onus of deducting TCS should be banks, in case a person makes an overseas hotel booking using the e-commerce portal of tour operators, said a senior official of MakeMyTrip, a leading online travel service provider. MakeMyTrip Group Vice President-Taxation Tajinder Singh said, in case a tour package is booked from the e-commerce portal, the company will take an undertaking from its customers, on whether the total amount remitted abroad so far has exceeded the threshold of Rs 7 lakh in the fiscal year. Also Read | Kartik Aaryan Box Office: SatyaPrem Ki Katha is Actors Second-Highest Opening Weekend, Check Out His Top 5 First Weekend Collections. The government has said that from October 1, a 5 per cent Tax Collected at Source (TCS) will be levied on tour packages up to Rs 7 lakh in a fiscal. The rate will go up to 20 per cent for spending beyond the threshold. Currently, 5 per cent TCS is levied on overseas tour packages irrespective of spending. Also Read | UPSC IFS Result 2023: Union Public Service Commission Declares Indian Forest Service Final Exam Results at upsc.gov.in, Get Direct Link and Know Steps To Check Scores. Singh said TCS collection on overseas tour spendings has two aspects -- one where a tour package is booked using the e-commerce portal and secondly, when the customer uses the portal to make a standalone hotel booking. He said in case of tour packages booked from an e-commerce website, the company will seek a declaration from customers about the total money remitted so far in a fiscal year. In case of standalone hotel booking, he said it will fall in the category where authorised dealer banks would be responsible for taking this declaration from customers. "We have been talking to banks that for these declarations, banks will have to come up with their own facility and infrastructure where they would be able to directly use the KYC data available of their customers to collect the information directly from customers. That is where we are pushing it to the banks to do the compliances at their end. "It is the compliance of the banks. Banks are liable to collect the TCS from customers who are remitting outside India. The compliance is on banks, but because we are intermediaries we will have to pitch-in somewhere and facilitate this," Singh said. The government's decision on levying higher TCS on overseas tour packages beyond Rs 7 lakh would impact outbound tourism. "A lot of customers would be looking at the higher TCS rate as a cost... The higher cash outflow at the time of booking might pinch a lot of customers and they might curtail their expenditure," Singh added. (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) London, Jul 4 (PTI) A 52-year-old man, who pleaded guilty to the triple murder of his nurse wife from Kerala and their two children last year, has been sentenced to life imprisonment with a minimum term of 40 years behind bars by a UK court. Saju Chelavalel, also from Kerala, appeared at Northampton Crown Court in eastern England on Monday, having previously admitted to killing his wife Anju Asok, 35, and children Jeeva Saju, 6 and Janvi Saju, 4. Also Read | Pakistani Rupee Appreciates by Rs 15 Against US Dollar in Early Trade. Justice Edward Pepperall referred to an audio recording taken at the time of Anju's death, which was played to the court during the sentencing hearing. While you were squeezing the life out of your wife, your children can be heard crying in the background for their mummy. It is clear that they heard what was going on and knew that she was being hurt by you, the judge noted in his sentencing remarks. Also Read | SCO Summit 2023: Pakistan PM Shehbaz Sharif Says 'Hydra-Headed Monster' of Terrorism Must Be Fought With Full Vigour, Conviction. The court heard that on December 15, 2022, emergency services were called to the Indian family's home in Kettering, Northampton, to report that a woman and two children had suffered serious injuries. Northamptonshire Police said its officers broke the door down in order to gain entry and found Chelavalel holding a knife. Despite repeated calls for him to put the knife down, he continued to wield it whilst shouting: You shoot me, resulting in him being Tasered and arrested. Anju was declared dead at the scene and both children were also declared dead a short time later. Forensic postmortem examinations, which took place at Leicester Royal Infirmary following their deaths, concluded that all three died as a result of asphyxiation. The life of Anju's parents and siblings back in India will never be the same without her. She came to this country with a lot of expectations and dreams. She was not expecting a tragic death from her husband, whom she trusted, a family spokesperson told the court this week. Her only surviving sister and the aunt of Jeeva and Janvi is so traumatised that she hasn't recovered from this incident's mental shock and deep scars. Indeed, she was hospitalised for a week in India due to the shock of what happened, the spokesperson said, adding that Chelavalel had been trying to contact Anju's family from prison which was also causing them deep upset. Prosecutor James Newton-Price said there was no evidence to support the claim Anju Asok had been unfaithful. However, an examination of Chelavalel's phone showed that he had been searching dating websites for other women while she was at work, the BBC reported. Sarah Powell, the headteacher of Kettering Park Infant Academy where Jeeva and Janvi attended school, told the court that the two children were valued members of the school community. We have two colourful benches in our playground to remember them both. Having the two police officers and next of kin present during this memorial meant a lot to our whole school community. The school has also created an album of memories of the children from their time at the school, she shared. Detective Inspector Simon Barnes, the Senior Investigating Officer from Northamptonshire Police in the case, described Anju as a mother like many all over the world. She wanted to provide the best possible life she could for her children Jeeva and Janvi. She has been described by her colleagues and friends as very hard-working, conscientious, friendly, kind and will be sorely missed. She was one to never complain and barely missed a shift, he said. As an adult, detective and father, I cannot comprehend how Saju Chelavalel could do this and don't think I ever will. He has never fully accounted for what he did or why and will now spend the rest of his life with not much else to think about, but that. There is no amount of time behind bars that will ever be enough for what he did. His primary role as a husband and a father was to protect his family from harm. They should have been at their safest, at home, with him, but he destroyed that, he added. The officer also expressed his condolences to Anju's devastated family in India, who he said are still struggling to come to terms with what happened. (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) New Delhi, July 4: India is all set to virtually host the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit today. The summit will witness the participation of Chinese President Xi Jinping, and Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif. The meeting of the SCO Heads of State will be chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The major issues that are expected to be on the agenda include terrorism, regional security and prosperity. The theme of India's chairship of SCO- SECURE is derived from the acronym coined by PM Modi at the 2018 SCO Qingdao Summit. It stands for S: Security, E: Economic development, C: Connectivity, U: Unity, R: Respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity, E: Environmental protection. SCO Summit 2023: Foreign Ministerial Meeting in Goa To Focus on Challenges Facing the Region. Russian President Vladimir Putin will also participate in the summit this week. This comes at a time when the Russia-Ukraine war has completed over a war. India has condemned the war but has not voted against Russia at any forum. Speaking to President Putin on the sidelines of the SCO summit in Uzbekistan last year, PM Modi said, "This is not the era of war", a statement that even made to the G20 communique under the Indian presidency. Earlier on June 30, PM Modi held a telephonic conversation with Russian President Vladimir Putin and discussed issues of bilateral cooperation including Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) and G20. All the SCO Member States, China, Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan, have been invited to attend the Summit. In addition, Iran, Belarus and Mongolia have been invited as Observer States. As per the SCO tradition, Turkmenistan has also been invited as the guest of the Chair. Heads of the two SCO Bodies, the Secretariat and the SCO RATS, will also be present. One of the major highlights of the summit, Pakistan and China have expressed their willingness to participate in the summit. Pakistan which has been isolated globally for harbouring terrorists, is set to attend the summit. With Chinese aggression in 2020 at Galwan, there has been an ongoing stand-off and amassing of troops in large numbers at Indian positions on the LAC in eastern Ladakh. The Indian side has also deployed a heavy number of troops and developed infrastructure at a very fast pace for them. PM Modi ahead of his visit to the US said that for "normal bilateral ties" with China "peace and tranquillity in the border areas is essential," the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) reported. "We have a core belief in respecting sovereignty and territorial integrity, observing the rule of law and peaceful resolution of differences and disputes. At the same time, India is fully prepared and committed to protecting its sovereignty and dignity," PM Modi said in his interview to the US publication. Jinping, who will attend the virtual summit of the SCO being hosted by India, will deliver important remarks at the meeting and along with other leaders chart the course for the future growth of the organization, Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Mao Ning said in a statement. Shehbaz Sharif will also participate in the SCO meeting. The invitation to the Pakistan PM Shehbaz Sharif was extended by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, informed the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Pakistan. The participation of the two leaders comes at a time when China blocked a proposal by India and the United States at the United Nations to designate Lashkar-e-Taiba terrorist Sajid Mir, wanted for his involvement in the 26/11 Mumbai terrorist attacks, as a global terrorist, which also drew stern criticism from New Delhi. India joined the SCO in 2005 as an observer country and became a full member of the group at the Astana Summit in 2017, marking a watershed point in its relationship with the Organisation.In the last six years, India has taken an active and positive role in all SCO operations. At the SCO Summit in Samarkand in September 2022, India took over the chairmanship of the SCO for the first time from Uzbekistan. During India's presidency, the SCO has reached new milestones in the depth and intensity of its engagements and interactions across wide-ranging sectors. India created five new pillars and focus areas of cooperation in SCO, Startups and Innovation, Traditional Medicine, Digital Inclusion, Youth Empowerment and Shared Buddhist Heritage. SCO Summit 2023: Terrorism Must Be Stopped in All Forms Including Cross-Border Terror, Says EAM S Jaishankar. Two new mechanisms in SCO, Special Working Group on Startups and Innovation and Experts Working Group on Traditional Medicine, were created at India's initiative. (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], July 4 (ANI): Mumbai will host the G20 Research and Innovation Initiative Gathering (RIIG) Summit and Research Ministers' Meeting from July 4 to 5. The G20 Research Ministers' Meeting (RMM) on Wednesday will be chaired by Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Science and Technology Jitendra Singh, according to a release issued by the Ministry of Science and Technology. Also Read | India Permits Potato Imports From Bhutan Without Any License Till June 2024. A total of about 107 foreign delegates including Research Ministers from 29 G20 members, invited guest countries and international organizations are likely to participate in the meeting. The RIIG Summit will take place on Tuesday in Mumbai and will be chaired by the Secretary, Department of Science and Technology (DST), Dr Srivari Chandrasekhar. Also Read | Will IMF Deal End Pakistans Economic Misery?. The Ministerial Declaration of the G20 science engagements will be discussed and adopted at the two-day RIIG Summit and Research Ministers' meeting. The adoption of the Ministerial declaration marks the culmination of the G20 RIIG engagements that took place in the series of meetings held in different parts of India during India's G-20 Presidency in 2023. As per the official release, India has taken forward the Research and Innovation Initiative (RIIG) during its presidency in 2023 under the theme "Research and Innovation for Equitable Society". A total of five RIIG meetings were hosted by India this year under the theme "Research and Innovation for Equitable Society". The RIIG Inception Meeting was held at Kolkata, followed by four thematic conferences: i) Ranchi on the theme: 'Materials for Sustainable Energy'; ii) Dibrugarh on the theme: 'Circular Bioeconomy', iii) Dharamshala, on the theme: 'Eco-Innovations for Energy Transition'; and in iv) Diu, on the theme 'Sustainable Blue-economy'. Strong correlations between science and economy can act as instruments of social transformation. The interactions between these ecosystems are crucial to achieving an equitable society and can take place only in an appropriate environment that sustains research and innovation. The RIIG meetings as per the release, provide a platform for stakeholders at all levels to share ideas and create new partnerships to elevate Research and Innovation as a tool to achieve socio-economic equity. The series of meetings culminating in the Research Ministers' Meeting which sums up the earlier deliberations will enhance cooperation amongst G20 member countries, with a focus on addressing aspects of achieving socio-economic equity through 'Scientific Research and Innovation'. After attending the RIIG Summit and Research Ministers' Meeting, the G20 delegates will on Thursday visit IIT Bombay to see the research and innovation facilities at the institution. The G20 is an intergovernmental forum comprising 19 countries and the European Union (EU) that works to address major issues related to the global economy, such as international financial stability, climate change mitigation and sustainable development. It consists of most of the world's largest economies, including both industrialized and developing nations. (ANI) (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) Islamabad, July 4: The Supreme Court of Pakistan on Tuesday will take up former Prime Minister Imran Khan's plea against the rejection by the Balochistan High Court of his plea seeking to quash the FIR and arrest warrants against him in the murder case of senior lawyer Abdul Razzaq Shar in Quetta, Dawn reported. The plea of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf (PTI) Chairman will be taken up by a two-judge SC bench comprising Justice Ijazul Ahsan and Justice Ayesha A Malik, after the former prime minister's one-page application seeking early fixing of the matter. US Independence Day or Fourth of July 2023: Date, History and Significance of the Day That Celebrates American Independence Day. In his application, Khan has stated that his protective bail, earlier granted by the Islamabad High Court, expired on Monday and due to security and other reasons he was unable to travel to Quetta. He has further said that "it is necessary" that his pending petition is taken for the suspension of further proceedings before the Balochistan HC as his "liberty and life" are at stake. US Heat Wave: Woman Dies in Arizona's Grand Canyon Park While Hiking. The PTI Chairman has requested the apex court to fix the matter as early as possible preferably on July 4 in the interest of justice. In his earlier petition, Khan had argued that the BHC had dismissed his petition in the preliminary stage, without considering the actual facts of the matter, Dawn reported. The petition urged the SC to set aside the HC's June 15 order and quash the FIR as a "grave miscarriage of justice" has been done in the case. It added that the petitioner was a victim of "malicious prosecution" on the part of the complainant and local police who became instrumental at the hands of political rivals of the PTI chief, Dawn reported. (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) Jenin (West Bank), Jul 4 (AP) A Palestinian man drove his car into a crowded bus stop in Tel Aviv on Tuesday and then began stabbing people, wounding eight in an attack praised by the Islamist militant group Hamas as a response to Israel's ongoing military operation in the occupied West Bank. Police chief Kobi Shabtai told reporters at the scene that an armed civilian shot and killed the assailant. Also Read | Pakistani Rupee Appreciates by Rs 15 Against US Dollar in Early Trade. The attack came as Israeli troops pressed ahead with their hunt for Palestinian militants and weapons in a refugee camp, after military bulldozers tore through alleys and thousands of residents fled to safety. The two-day Palestinian death toll rose to 10. The large-scale raid of the Jenin camp, which began Monday, is one of the most intense military operations in the occupied West Bank in nearly two decades. Also Read | SCO Summit 2023: Pakistan PM Shehbaz Sharif Says 'Hydra-Headed Monster' of Terrorism Must Be Fought With Full Vigour, Conviction. It bore hallmarks of Israeli military tactics during the second Palestinian uprising in the early 2000s and came as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu faces growing pressure from his ultranationalist political allies for a tough response to recent attacks on Israeli settlers, including a shooting last month that killed four people. But the current violence is also different from the intense years of what was known as the second intifada, a period that claimed thousands of lives. It's more limited in scope, with Israeli military operations focused on several strongholds of Palestinian militants. More than 140 Palestinians have been killed this year in the West Bank, part of more than a yearlong spike in violence. Palestinian attacks targeting Israelis have killed at least 26 people. The Hamas militant group praised Tuesday's attack in Tel Aviv as heroic and revenge for the military operation in Jenin and later claimed the driver was a member, though it was not immediately clear if the attacker was dispatched by the group or acted on his own. Islamic Jihad, a militant group with a large presence in Jenin, also praised the assault. Israeli's internal security agency, the Shin Bet, identified the attacker as a Palestinian from the West Bank with no prior security record. Shabtai, the police chief, said that several people connected to the man were arrested but did not provide details. Earlier in the day, rubble littered the streets of Jenin and there were reports of damage to shops. Columns of black smoke periodically punctuated the skyline over the camp, which along with an adjacent town of the same name has been a flashpoint since Israeli-Palestinian violence began escalating in spring 2022. It was also a hotbed of Palestinian militant activity in the uprising in the early 2000s. Jenin Mayor Nidal Al-Obeidi said that around 4,000 Palestinians had fled the Jenin refugee camp, finding accommodation in the homes of relatives and in shelters. Residents said there was no water or electricity in the camp. Across the West Bank, Palestinians observed a general strike to protest the Israeli raid. The Palestinian Health Ministry said Tuesday that the two-day death toll rose to 10, with two more deaths reported overnight. The Israeli military has claimed all were militants, but did not provide details. During Tuesday's operations, the military said it seized weapons and explosives and demolished tunnels beneath a mosque in the refugee camp. Israeli media reported that the army had arrested at least 120 suspected Palestinian militants since Monday. A spokesman for the Israeli military, Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari, said Monday that Israel had launched the operation because some 50 attacks over the past year had emanated from Jenin. The Palestinian self-rule government in the West Bank and three Arab countries with normalised ties with Israel Jordan, Egypt and the United Arab Emirates condemned Israel's incursion, as did the 57-nation Organisation of Islamic Cooperation. Israel says the raids are meant to crack down on Palestinians militants and thwart attacks. The Palestinians say such violence is inevitable in the absence of any political process with Israel and increased West Bank settlement construction and violence by extremist settlers. Israel says most of those killed have been militants, but stone-throwing youths protesting the incursions and people uninvolved in confrontations have also died. Israel captured the West Bank, east Jerusalem and the Gaza Strip in the 1967 Mideast war. The Palestinians seek those territories for their hoped-for independent state. (AP) (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) Ankara, Jul 4 (AP) Egypt and Turkiye took a further step toward restoring full diplomatic ties on Tuesday by dispatching ambassadors for the first time in years, the latest step in the reconciliation between the two regional powers. In a joint statement, the two countries announced the appointment of Salih Mutlu Sen as Turkish ambassador to Cairo and of Amr Elhamamy as the Egyptian ambassador to Ankara. Also Read | Pakistani Rupee Appreciates by Rs 15 Against US Dollar in Early Trade. This step aims to establish normal relations between the two countries once again and demonstrates their mutual determination to work towards enhancing their bilateral relations for the best interest of both the Turkish and Egyptian peoples, the statement said. Egypt and Turkiye withdrew their ambassadors as tensions between them flared following the Egyptian military's 2013 ouster of Islamist President Mohammed Morsi amid mass protests against his divisive one year of rule. Morsi hailed from the Muslim Brotherhood group, which Turkiye supported. Egypt has designated the group a terrorist organisation. Also Read | SCO Summit 2023: Pakistan PM Shehbaz Sharif Says 'Hydra-Headed Monster' of Terrorism Must Be Fought With Full Vigour, Conviction. Turkiye's newly appointed foreign minister, Hakan Fidan, described the mutual appointment of ambassadors as an important stage of the normalisation efforts. "Turkiye and Egypt are two brotherly, powerful countries in their regions," Fidan said during a joint news conference with his Jordanian counterpart in Ankara. Due to their historic, geographical, cultural, strategic and religious ties, these two important countries do not have the luxury of staying apart from each other. "From now on, our relations will continue to progress rapidly in the political, economic and all other fields. The rapprochement between the two countries is part of Turkiye's efforts to build bridges with countries in the region and end its international isolation amid an economic downturn. Turkiye has recently also repaired its ties with Israel, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. Arab League Secretary-General Ahmed Abouel Gheit welcomed the appointment of ambassadors as a positive development that would contribute in easing (tensions) in the region. Egypt's government celebrated the 10th anniversary of the anti-Brotherhood protests on June 30. (AP) (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) Mumbai, July 4: The Gujarat Secondary and Higher Secondary Education Board (GSHSEB) or GSEB released the Supplementary exams hall tickets for Class 10 and 12 examinations. The Gujarat Board has released admit cards for GSEB Supplementary Exam for SSC and HSC students. The Gujarat Class 10 and 12 Supplementary exams are scheduled to take place this month, July 2023. Schools can visit the official website of GSEB at gseb.org to check and download the admit cards for their students. It must be noted that the school will require login credentials such as school index number and mobile number or email address to download the GSEB SSC or HSC July Supplementary exam hall tickets. UP Board Result 2023: UPMSP Class 10 and 12 Scrutiny Examination Results Likely To Be Declared on This Date at upmsp.edu.in, Know Steps To Check Score. Steps To Download GSEB SSC or HSC July Exam Hall Ticket: Visit the official website of GSEB at gseb.org On the homepage, click on the "July 2023 SSC or HSC exam hall ticket download" link Next, enter using the school index number and mobile number Click on submit Now, download the hall tickets Take a printout for future reference Here's the direct link to download the GSEB HSC General Supplementary exam hall ticket 2023. After the hall tickets are downloaded, the schools can then distribute them among the students. "Students have to collect their hall tickets from their respective schools," the notification on the GSEB website read. Here's the direct link to download the GSEB SSC Supplementary exam hall ticket 2023. ICAI CA Final, Inter May 2023 Result: Chartered Accountants Final and Intermediate Examination Results Likely To Be Declared on This Date at icai.nic.in, Know Steps To Check Score. Meanwhile, the Jammu and Kashmir State Board of School Education (JKBOSE) is likely to declare the Class 11th results anytime soon. Once released, candidates can visit the official website of JKBOSE at jkbose.nic.in to check and download their exam results. (The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jul 04, 2023 04:23 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com). Mumbai, July 4: In a shocking incident that took place in Tamil Nadu, a 23-year-old woman allegedly threw her newborn daughter into a lake in Chennai. The incident came to light after local people in Chennai's Velachery spotted the body of a newborn floating in the lake. After the incident came to light, the Velachery police arrested the woman on charges of murdering her child. According to a report in the Times of India, the woman allegedly threw the child into the Velachery lake. After the police were alerted, cops recovered the newborn's body and sent it to Government Royapettah Hospital for postmortem. Following this, the police registered a case and began an investigation. The police asked locals in Velachery in order to identify the accused who threw the child. Chennai Shocker: Baby Loses Arm Due to Alleged Medical Negligence at Government Hospital, Probe Ordered. Woman Kills Daughter Born Out of Illicit Affair The cops received a tip that a woman named Sangeetha, a resident of Eri Karai Street could have committed the murder. Upon further investigation, cops learned that the woman was married to Karthik, who worked as a construction worker. An officer said that the couple has a daughter. In her statement, the woman said that she had an affair with another man from the same locality. She further told cops that she had become pregnant and her husband used to often her about the bulge in her stomach. However, the woman said that she used to lied to her husband saying that she was putting on weight as she was sitting idle at home. Furthermore, the woman said that on Sunday she developed labour pain and gave birth to the baby in the bathroom of her house. Chennai Shocker: Elderly Woman Robbed, Stripped and Filmed by Six in Arumbakkam; Three Arrested. Later, she took the newborn baby and threw it into the lake before returning home. Meanwhile, the police have arrested the woman for killing the child and on charges of murder. (The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jul 04, 2023 09:36 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com). New Delhi, July 4: The Uddhav Thackeray faction of the Shiv Sena has moved the apex court against delay by the Maharashtra Assembly Speaker in deciding the disqualification proceedings filed against Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and his camp. The petition alleged that Speaker Rahul Narwekar is delaying the adjudications of the disqualification plea to permit the illegal continuance of Eknath Shinde as Chief Minister, against whom the disqualification petitions are pending. On May 11, a constitution bench of the Supreme Court had directed that the Maharashtra Assembly Speaker must decide disqualification petitions in a reasonable time against 16 Shiv Sena MLAs, including Shinde, who were accused of anti-party activities. Maharashtra CM Eknath Shinde Passes Resolution To Rename Churchgate Railway Station in Mumbai as Chintamanrao Deshmukh Station After Taking Over Reins of Shiv Sena. Despite the categorical directions ..that the pending disqualification petitions must be decided within a reasonable period, (the Speaker) has chosen to not conduct a single hearing pursuant to the judgment of the Honble Court, stated the latest plea filed by the Shiv Sena-UBT leader Sunil Prabhu. Samruddhi Mahamarg Expressway Accident: Eknath Shinde, Devendra Fadnavs Visit Accident Spot After 25 People Charred to Death in Fatal Bus Mishap in Maharashtra's Buldhana (See Photos and Video). The petition said that the Speaker, when deciding the disqualification proceedings under the Tenth Schedule of the Constitution, acts as a judicial tribunal and must act fairly without any bias. The constitutional requirement of fairness enjoins upon the Speaker the obligation to decide the question of disqualification in an expeditious manner, it said while referring to a previous judgment of the Supreme Court where it has been held that disqualification petitions should normally be decided within 90 days. In its recent judgment around the Maharashtra political crisis, the top court had refused to reinstate Uddhav Thackery as the Chief Minister as he had tendered his resignation voluntarily before facing the floor test in the house. The five judges unanimously had held that that then Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari was not justified in calling upon Thackeray to prove his majority, but said that it was justified to invite Eknath Shinde to form the government after the post of the Chief Minister felt vacant as Thackeray tendered resignation on June 29. Declaring the decision taken by the Speaker to recognise Bharat Gogawale (from Shinde faction) as the Chief Whip of Shiv Sena in place of Prabhu as contrary to law, the CJI D.Y. Chandrachud-led constitution bench had held that the political party and not the legislature party appoints the Whip and the Leader of the party in the House. (The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jul 04, 2023 06:33 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com). Later, the minor came in contact with a 29-year-old man, who took her with him on June 22 on the pretext of rescuing the girl from her father, police said. But the man, along with a friend, raped her several times, they said. Islamabad, July 4: Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Tuesday said the "hydra-headed monster" of terrorism and extremism whether committed by individuals, groups or at state level must be fought with full vigour and conviction, as he warned against using it as a cudgel for diplomatic point-scoring. Addressing the 23rd meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Council of Heads of State (CHS) hosted by India in a virtual format, he also talked about religious minorities. SCO Summit 2023: PM Narendra Modi to Chair Virtual Shanghai Cooperation Organisation Summit Today With Pakistan PM Shehbaz Sharif, Chinese President Xi Jinping in Attendance. The hydra-headed monster of terrorism and extremism whether committed by individuals, societies or states must be fought with full vigour and conviction. Any temptation to use it as a cudgel for diplomatic point-scoring must be avoided under all circumstances, he said. PM Modi Takes Swipe at Pakistan at SCO Summit 2023 Video: 'Some Countries Use Cross-Border Terrorism As Instrument of Policies, Shelter Terrorists, Says Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Terrorism in all its forms and manifestations, including state terrorism, must be condemned in clear and unambiguous terms. There can be no justification for the killing of innocent people regardless of the cause or pretext. He noted that while the sacrifices made by Pakistan in fighting the scourge of terrorism were without a parallel, the phenomenon continued to plague the region and was a serious obstacle to peace and stability. He also talked about the issue of religious minorities and said that the practice of demonising religious minorities in the pursuit of domestic political agendas should be stopped, without naming any country. Sharif also tried to rake up the Kashmir issue and highlighted the importance of UN resolutions to address the long overdue disputes. He also talked about the three evils of terrorism, extremism and separatism and urged the SCO countries to take concerted and immediate actions, both in their national and collective capacity, to combat them. He also highlighted the importance of connectivity by saying that it had become a defining feature in the modern global economy. He added that it was rightly hailed as a vehicle for peace and prosperity. He also talked about the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), which he said could be a game changer for connectivity and prosperity in the region. Pakistan's location serves as a natural bridge, connecting Europe and Central Asia with China, South Asia and the Middle East, he said, adding that special economic zones under the CPEC could also serve as convenient conduits for promoting regional trade. The CPEC, which connects Gwadar Port in Pakistan's Balochistan with China's Xinjiang province, is the flagship project of China's ambitious multi-billion-dollar Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). India has protested to China over the CPEC as it is being laid through Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. Sharif also said that climate-induced disaster is knocking at our door and demanded global solidarity and response to tackle it. He also mentioned the floods last year that hit Pakistan and caused over USD 30 billion of losses to its economy and urged the developed countries to help the poor to mitigate the impact of climate change. He said poverty alleviation was a huge challenge for the SCO nations, which hosts the largest number of poor in the world. He said the high commodity process due to wars and other related issues demands a response by the SCO countries. The prime minister also said that stability in Afghanistan should be a common objective while Afghanistan should take measures to stop the use of its territory by any militant entity. The SCO was founded at a summit in Shanghai in 2001 by the presidents of Russia, China, the Kyrgyz Republic, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. Pakistan became its permanent member along with India in 2017. On 3 July four senators belonging to Mexicos centrist opposition Partido Revolucionario Institucional (PRI) tendered their resignations from the party. End of preview - This article contains approximately 504 words. Subscribers: Log in now to read the full article Not a Subscriber? Choose from one of the following options On 3 July foreign ministers of the four member states of the Southern Common Market (Mercosur) met in the Argentine border city of Puerto Iguazu ahead of a heads of state summit today (4 July). End of preview - This article contains approximately 353 words. Subscribers: Log in now to read the full article Not a Subscriber? Choose from one of the following options On 3 July Brazil's environment minister, Marina Silva, spoke of the governments sustainable development ambitions at an event in Brasilia commemorating the 45th anniversary of the Amazon Cooperation Treaty Organisation (OTCA), an intergovernmental organisation formed by eight Amazonian countries. Analysis: Leaders from Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Guyana, Peru, Suriname, and Venezuela signed the Amazon Cooperation Treaty in 1978 with the promise to improve the quality of life for people in the Amazonian regions of each member state as well as to preserve the resources and ecosystems of the rainforests. Brazil will host the OTCAs next leaders summit on 8-9 August in Belem, the capital of the northern Amazonian state of Para, which will also be the venue for the United Nations climate change conference (COP30) in 2025. The Brazilian government led by President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva has sought to build its international reputation as a reliable protector of the Amazon rainforest. However, with recent policies and legislative initiatives which could undermine his green credentials, Lula has struggled to balance the objective of sustainability with the push for economic development. Silva hailed the summit in August as an opportunity to discuss the key strategies for sustainability development, including infrastructure actions and other projects in the area of technical-scientific cooperation. Also attending yesterdays anniversary event was former environment minister Rubens Ricupero (1993-1994), the diplomat who was Brazils main negotiator for the 1978 treaty, who lamented that the past 45 years have seen the expansion of livestock farming, mining, logging, and other activities which cause deforestation. (1993-1994), the diplomat who was Brazils main negotiator for the 1978 treaty, who lamented that the past 45 years have seen the expansion of livestock farming, mining, logging, and other activities which cause deforestation. According to Brazils national space research institute (Inpe), in January-July this year, forest burnings (a practice carried out by farmers to expand their grazing land) were most prevalent in Brazils central-west region (8,178 fires detected) but the region which saw the largest yearly increase was the north-east, registering 6,169 fires, up 32% from the same period in 2022. Yesterday, in Ilheus municipality, Bahia state, President Lula attended the opening event of the first section of the Oeste-Leste railway (Fiol), which would connect Brazils northeastern coast with agricultural-producing states further inland, such as Tocantins, highlighting Lulas push to increase agricultural exports and infrastructure development, to the possible detriment of his green agenda. Looking Ahead: Lula is scheduled to travel to Colombia on 8 July to discuss preparations for the OTCA summit in Belem. Authorities are now looking for multiple Baltimore shooting suspects who shot up an annual block party in Brooklyn Homes, even setting a reward for their capture. The incident resulted in the deaths of two young people and injured dozens of others. Police say at least two gunmen were involved in the shooting of the block party that happens every year in the southern part of Baltimore. As of writing, police have yet to determine if they had any accomplices in this deadly mass shooting. There is still not much information about who the shooters are either, though the reward for any information that leads to their capture has been raised to $28,000. It was initially placed at $8,000. Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott recently spoke with CNN on Monday, saying, "We will not rest until we find those who cowardly decided to shoot up this block party and carry out acts of violence which we know will be illegal guns." Scott also vowed that Baltimore police will be combing through "every single lead, every minute, every second of footage, everything that we have to find out who decided to disrupt this peaceful event in this way." The two people who died were identified as 18-year-old Aaliyah Gonzalez and 20-year-old Kylis Fagbemi. Gonzalez was declared dead at the scene, while Fagbemi died at the hospital. The shooters also injured 28 others, including kids as young as 13 years old. Twenty-three of the 28 people who suffered gunshot wounds were teenagers. Police also confirmed that the suspects brought at least three guns to shoot up the crowd at the Brooklyn Homes block party. READ NEXT: Wanted January 6 Rioter Arrested Near Barack Obama's Washington DC Home Shocking Video of Baltimore Shooting Attack Surfaces As police comb through videos to look for information about the Baltimore shooting suspects, a new video surfaced regarding the attack. It showed people running from the party where the shooters were firing their weapons indiscriminately. According to CBS News, the gunshots were first reported around 12:30 am. Those who were wounded in the deadly assault included two 13-year-olds, a 14-year-old, three 15-year-olds, five 16-year-olds, four 17-year-olds, five 18-year-olds, a 19-year-old, a 20-year-old, a 22-year-old, a 23-year-old, a 31-year-old, and a 32-year-old. While the block party happened every year, police admit it happened without a permit, and authorities were unaware of it until hours before the mass shooting happened. Police said the event does not happen on the same day of the year and is not posted in the same social media spaces as in previous years. Meanwhile, police are taking flak for their lack of presence at the block party. Baltimore Leaders Scrambling To Assure Fourth of July Celebrations Will Be Safe The attack was made at a public gathering in Baltimore. This has made residents in the city afraid to go out in public spaces, especially with Fourth of July celebrations expected to happen. However, according to the Washington Post, the city's leaders are trying to assure the public that Independence Day events around the city would be safe, including the fireworks display at the Inner Harbor. READ NEXT: OceanGate Implosion Update This article is owned by Latin Post. Written by: Rick Martin WATCH: 'We will find you': two dead and dozens injured in Baltimore mass shooting - Guardian News Award-winning actor Robert De Niro has opened up about the heartbreaking loss of his grandson, Leandro De Niro Rodriguez, E! Online reported. The 79-year-old actor expressed profound distress over the passing of his beloved grandson in an official statement on July 3. "We are deeply saddened by the loss of my beloved grandson and find ourselves in a state of profound grief," De Niro conveyed. He expressed gratitude for the outpouring of condolences received from well-wishers during this difficult time. The family kindly requested privacy to mourn the loss of young Leo. The exact cause of his untimely passing has yet to be disclosed. Drena De Niro, Leandro's mother and Robert's daughter from his previous marriage to Diahnne Abbott, also confirmed the devastating news through an Instagram tribute posted on July 2. She expressed her deep maternal love alongside a touching photo of her departed son, describing him as her "beautiful sweet angel." Her emotional words convey the immeasurable bond they shared since the moment she felt him in her belly, encapsulating his profound impact on her life. READ NEXT: Robert De Niro's New Baby Robert De Niro's Grandson Found Dead Tragedy struck the De Niro family when Leandro De Niro, the grandson of renowned actor Robert De Niro, was discovered lifeless in a prominent building located in lower Manhattan on Sunday afternoon, authorities have confirmed, per Insider. Officers promptly responded to a distress call at 55 Wall Street shortly before 2:30 p.m. on Sunday. They arrived to find an unconscious and unresponsive young male, according to a spokesperson from the New York Police Department. It was later identified as the 19-year-old Leandro De Niro. Despite the efforts of emergency medical services, De Niro was pronounced dead at the scene, as confirmed by the NYPD. The Office of the Chief Medical Examiner will now undertake the solemn task of determining the cause of his untimely passing. Robert De Niro's Grandson, Leandro De Niro Rodriguez's Acting Career Leandro De Niro Rodriguez's promising talent was showcased in the 2018 film "A Star Is Born," where he shared the screen with his mother, Drena De Niro, portraying the characters of Leo Stone and Paulette Stone, respectively, according to Deadline. Their on-screen collaborations extended beyond this project, as they also portrayed mother and son in "Cabaret Maxime" (2018) and "The Collection" (2005), further highlighting their artistic connection. Following Drena De Niro's announcement of her son's tragic passing on Instagram, heartfelt messages of condolences poured in from various notable figures. Carlos Mare, the father of Leandro De Niro-Rodriguez and an artist, took to his Instagram pages to share his grief and pay tribute to his son. He posted a somber black image, symbolizing the depth of his sorrow, and responded to Drena's post, CBS News noted. In his heartfelt response, Mare acknowledged that words are inadequate to fully convey Leandro's immense joy and the profound loss they now endure alongside their families and friends. "He is Godschild now. On this full moon, his spirit luminates what could not be seen in the dark. You can't spell LOVE without LEO," he wrote. Debi Mazar, known for her role in "Goodfellas," expressed her shock and sorrow, confessing her love for Drena and Leandro. Naomi Campbell conveyed her profound sympathy, acknowledging the deep bond between mother and son. Lee Daniels offered his prayers and support to Drena, urging her to find solace in God's embrace during this profoundly sorrowful time. READ MORE: Actor Julian Sands Dead This article is owned by Latin Post. Written by: Bert Hoover WATCH: Robert De Niro's grandson Leandro dead at 19, mom Drena reveals - From Page Six Former Donald Trump attorney Rudy Giuliani recently spoke to Jack Smith willingly regarding their efforts to overturn the election, and it has come out that he talked about Sidney Powell and a "shouting match" that happened as they were plotting to keep Trump in power. This was part of the special counsel's bigger probe regarding the events leading to January 6. This includes Trump's election meddling in several key battleground states, his pressure campaign on Mike Pence to overturn the election results, and his inciting of his supporters to besiege the Capitol. According to The Independent, Giuliani is likely to be one of Jack Smith's eventual targets for criminal indictments should the Department of Justice decide to move forward with the case. However, during the interview, the former New York City mayor spoke about a chaotic December 2020 meeting. During that meeting that happened at Trump's now-shuttered DC hotel, members of the ex-POTUS's so-called "War Room" clashed as some were pushing for Mike Pence to interfere in the certification of Joe Biden's victory, while some were firmly opposing it. The infamous "Kraken" lawyer, Sidney Powell, who is known to push conspiracy theories without evidence, presented her case about the military seizing voting machines in that meeting, and it prompted a "shouting match." Donald Trump then asked Giuliani to try and mediate the discussion. Giuliani's testimony might prove important to the case because if he flips on Donald Trump, it could mean trouble for the former president. He may also receive immunity from whatever criminal acts are described in the session should his statements be found truthful. Jack Smith May Be Targeting Donald Trump Lawyers Like Rudy Giuliani and Sidney Powell The people involved in that meeting included not just Giuliani and Powell but also Powell's colleague, Emily Newman, and Republican operative Mike Roman. Subpoenas have already been issued for both of them. READ MORE: Donald Trump Campaign Advisor Who Saw Classified Map Is Also a Lobbyist for Chinese Firm It is notable because Giuliani was mostly grilled about the actions of other Trump lawyers regarding that eight-hour meeting. He was not only questioned about Powell but also lawyer John Eastman who was the one responsible for devising the fake electors scheme, as well as the plot to have Mike Pence undermine the elections, according to Yahoo! Finance. This might mean that Jack Smith is now also going after Donald Trump's former attorneys, as he did for the classified documents case where he got a Trump attorney to admit that the ex-POTUS lied to him about handing over the classified documents. Jack Smith Preparing to Hand Out More Charges Against Former President Donald Trump Radar Online reported that Jack Smith may be considering adding more charges against Donald Trump and his allies. Trump was previously hit with a 37-count indictment in connection to his ordering classified documents to be hidden from authorities after he illegally took them from the White House after leaving office. The DOJ has now found new evidence against Trump and his allies, and this might mean that Smith might file a "superseding indictment." Jack Smith might add around 30-45 new charges against Trump regarding the classified documents case. READ MORE: Donald Trump Leaked Tape on Classified Documents Released by CNN This article is owned by Latin Post. Written by: Rick Martin WATCH: WSJ: Giuliani testified for 8 hours in DOJ probe, questioned on Sidney Powell - MSNBC Peru is set to declare an emergency status in the vicinity of the Ubinas volcano, located in the southern region of Moquegua, according to Reuters. The country's prime minister, Alberto Otarola, announced on Monday in response to the ongoing emission of ash from the volcano, which is considered the most active in Peru. The National Institute of Civil Defense (Indeci) issued a statement indicating that the alert level for the area has been raised from "yellow" to "orange" based on national standards. This decision was prompted by the volcano's recent ash emissions, which reached a height of approximately 1,700 meters. The southern region of Peru, known for its significant mining sites, is home to a cluster of active volcanoes. Considering the situation, Prime Minister Otarola emphasized the importance of taking preventive measures to safeguard the region. He stated that the official declaration of emergency status would likely be made in the coming days to facilitate the implementation of necessary measures. Indeci has advised the local population of around 2,000 individuals to steer clear of the volcano and keep doors and windows closed. Additionally, authorities have distributed masks and glasses to help protect residents from potential ash-related hazards. READ NEXT: Mexico: Popocatepetl Volcano Rumbles To Life Peru's Ubinas Volcano The Ubinas volcano, situated in Peru and recognized as the country's most active volcano, holds a significant position within the "Ring of Fire," an area characterized by heightened seismic activity encircling the Pacific Ocean's tectonic plate, Al Jazeera noted. The current eruption of Ubinas commenced around June 22. In the following days, the institute recorded 402 earthquakes associated with the volcano between June 23 and 25, according to the Geophysics Institute of Peru (IGP). During this period of heightened activity, a plume of ash rose to an elevation of nearly 1,300 meters (4,265 feet) above the volcano's summit. Given the ongoing eruption, the National Civil Defense Institute has issued advisories to residents, urging them to wear face masks and protect their eyes from ash particles. Additionally, residents have been encouraged to establish evacuation plans if such measures are necessary. Ubinas has a history of volcanic activity, with its last major eruption in 2019. This event resulted in the displacement of thousands of individuals. Although the volcano has exhibited regular eruptive behavior since 1550, one of the most noteworthy incidents unfolded in 2006 following a prolonged period of relative inactivity. The eruption at that time engulfed the region in a blanket of ash, prompting evacuations and leading to the loss of livestock due to the emission of toxic substances. Volcanologist Warns of Possible Transition to Explosive Stage as Ubinas Volcano Continues Eruptive Activity Jose Carpio, a volcanologist from the Geophysics Institute of Peru (IGP), explained that the volcano could either maintain its current levels with occasional ash emissions or enter a more intense phase due to escalating monitoring parameters, per La Prensa Latina. In response to the volcanic activity, the National Civil Defense Institute (Indeci) reported on June 23 that approximately 1,741 individuals and 722 households were exposed to the volcanic effects. As a result, regional authorities raised the alert level from green to yellow, highlighting the need for heightened vigilance and preparedness in the affected areas. Peru is home to over 400 volcanoes, with Ubinas and Sabancaya, located in Arequipa, currently undergoing eruptive processes. In addition, five other volcanoes in the region-Misti, Huaynaputina, Ticsani, Yucamane, and Tutupaca-are classified as active. READ MORE: Mexico: 16 Kidnapped Police Employees Freed This article is owned by Latin Post. Written by: Bert Hoover WATCH: Gas column rises from Ubinas volcano in Peru - From CTV News The United States is warning of election interference in Guatemala following the surprising results of the Guatemalan presidential elections that saw a notable anti-corruption advocate win a spot at the country's run-off election against one of its most notable veteran politicians. The US warning came after the Constitutional Court, Guatemala's equivalent to the Supreme Court, ordered ballots from the first-round vote be reviewed and set up a possible recount. According to The Guardian, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken stated that Washington has already endorsed findings by independent observers regarding the validity of the Guatemala elections. He added that this review would undermine the outcome and become a "grave threat to democracy with far-reaching implications." The European Union was also monitoring the results and also backed the outcome that was released by the country's electoral tribunal. The group then called on Guatemala's institutions and political parties to respect the electoral process, saying that the results "clearly manifested the will of citizens." Other international observers, such as the Organization of American States, agreed with the US and the EU and said that its observers witnessed "a satisfactory election day, in which citizens expressed their will, members of the electoral board facilitated the vote, and political parties inspected the vote at every stage." The inter-American organization then called for Guatemala to respect the will of its citizens. Guatemala Election Results Challenged By 10 Parties, Including Frontrunner Sandra Torres' Party Former First Lady Sandra Torres, a conservative, took the top spot in the elections, with center-left anti-corruption advocate Bernardo Arevalo surprising many by defying the pre-election poll results and getting second place. Both candidates are now the only two left and will face off in the run-off elections in August. However, Arevalo might not be able to run at all should a recount be done and the US warnings come true. READ MORE: Guatemala Elections: Former First Lady Sandra Torres Vs. Center-Leftist Bernardo Arevalo The Associated Press reported that the Constitutional Court's temporary injunction was made after 10 parties challenged the results of the election, which happened last June 25. A new hearing will now the contested tallies in no more than five days. Even though she took the top spot in the first round of the Guatemala elections, Sandra Torres alleged that Arevalo's votes might have been manipulated as he was not polling very highly before the elections. The ex-First Lady's party was one of the ten political parties that challenged the results. Her surprising underdog opponent pushed back, however, saying that Torres's request to review the vote was lacking in merit. Political observers say that Arevalo's surprising rise represented the fact that many Guatemalans are now sick of the status quo in the country. Bernardo Arevalo Warns Followers To Remain Vigilant Against Election Interference While Torres represents the Guatemalan establishment, Torres is largely seen as coming out of nowhere to challenge the political elites. Following the warnings from international observers, Arevalo also told his supporters to remain vigilant, according to DW. "We can't let the same old parties, frustrated and disappointed by their poor results in the first round, tarnish and call into question the free decision of thousands of Guatemalans," the candidate said in a video on social media. READ NEXT: Guatemala Ex-Pres. Otto Perez Molina and Ex-VP Roxana Baldetti Imprisoned This article is owned by Latin Post. Written by: Rick Martin WATCH: Guatemala's TSE suspends electoral results - TeleSUR English Another mass shooting has happened, this time in the Kingsessing section of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Police confirm that four people were killed, while another four people were wounded. Two of those who were injured were children, ages 2 and 13. They were taken to a nearby hospital in the area and are now in stable condition, according to ABC 6 News. However, police confirmed that one of the four who were killed was possibly a teen male who could be between the ages of 16 and 21. Philadelphia Police Commissioner Danielle Outlaw held a press conference shortly after the deadly shooting happened. He confirmed that three of those who died in the attack were males between 20 and 59 years old. The shooting happened around 56th Street and Chester Avenue. Multiple shots were reported around 8:30 pm, with police responding to those reports. At least 50 shell casings were found at the crime scene, with Police Commissioner Outlaw confirming that the lone gunman also managed to hit some vehicles. Investigations into the attack are ongoing, with authorities closing off 56th Street so that forensic evidence can be gathered. Philadelphia Mass Shooting Suspect Captured and Taken Into Custody Following the attack, Philadelphia Police Commissioner Danielle Outlaw confirmed that the suspect who opened fire into the busy Philly street was captured without any incident. Commissioner Outlaw explained that when police arrived, the suspect tried to run away while also shooting at the responding officers. However, the cops managed to catch up on the shooter and cornered him at an alley where he was safely captured. READ NEXT: Wanted January 6 Rioter Arrested Near Barack Obama's Washington DC Home The police commissioner also reported that the suspect, whose name they did not release, was wearing a bulletproof vest and carrying an AR-style rifle. Police also found that he had a handgun, as well as a police scanner. Authorities are still trying to determine the shooter's motives on why he carried out such a deadly assault. It is still unclear if the victims had any connection to the shooter, though the Philly police chief admitted that she has no idea why this tragic attack happened in the first place. According to CBS News, another man was also arrested after he shot back at the Philadelphia mass shooting suspect during his rampage. Outlaw said that the second shooter acquired a gun and shot in the direction of the alleged shooter. Mass Shootings Happen Every Fourth of July This latest mass shooting happened on the eve of the Fourth of July. However, USA Today pointed out that the holiday seems to always see its fair share of mass shootings, including last year's incident in Highland Park, Illinois that saw seven people dead and almost 50 others wounded. Over the last ten years, the US has seen five mass shootings every Fourth of July, and over 50 of those mass shootings saw more than four people being hit. This was according to an analysis of Gun Violence Archive data by researcher James Alan Fox of Northeastern University in Boston. READ MORE: Baltimore Mass Shooting Leaves 2 Dead, 28 Injured This article is owned by Latin Post. Written by: Rick Martin WATCH: DEADLY SHOOTING: 4 dead, 4 hurt in shooting in Philadelphia; Suspect found in bulletproof vest - 6abc Philadelphia A high-speed chase in the East Bay took a dramatic turn early Monday morning when authorities fatally shot a man who was reportedly assaulting a California Highway Patrol (CHP) officer, according to ABC7. The incident occurred in the unincorporated Alameda County jurisdiction of Ashland, near the exit of eastbound I-580 at 164th Ave. According to the Alameda County Sheriff's Office, the pursuit ended abruptly when the pursued vehicle, later confirmed as stolen, crashed, prompting the suspects to flee on foot. A witness in the area observed the crash and noticed three individuals, wearing ski masks, running away from the scene. The CHP officer engaged in a brief foot chase with the suspects through the neighborhood, leading to a confrontation. As the altercation escalated, a deputy from the Alameda County Sheriff's Office arrived at the scene to respond to the crash. The two suspects were found engaged in a physical struggle with the CHP officer, attempting to disarm him. Recognizing the immediate threat, shots were fired during the altercation. One of the suspects managed to escape, while the other was fatally wounded. READ NEXT: California: Police Chase Suspect Dies Suspect Tries To Disarm a California Highway Patrol Officer Authorities have handed over the investigation to the office of California Attorney General Rob Bonta after a man was fatally shot during an altercation with a California Highway Patrol (CHP) officer in the East Bay, KTVU noted. The incident, which occurred following a high-speed chase in Ashland, falls under the state attorney general's office's jurisdiction due to the shooting's circumstances. The Alameda County Sheriff's Office, while not disclosing whether any of the suspects were armed, stated that it appeared the suspect involved in the altercation was attempting to disarm the CHP officer. The details regarding the specific events leading up to the use of deadly force are still being investigated. During the incident, three additional suspects were apprehended and taken into custody by authorities. The suspects' identities have not been revealed, and the deceased individual has yet to be identified. Both the CHP officer and the deputy from the Alameda County Sheriff's Office, who arrived at the scene to respond to the crash, have not been named publicly. The California Highway Patrol officer sustained injuries during the altercation and was transported to a local hospital for medical treatment. Fortunately, the deputy emerged from the incident unharmed. Concerns Mount as Neighborhood Residents Report Escalating Issues Leslie Bocalan, a long-time resident in the neighborhood, expressed growing unease over the deteriorating situation in the area, per CBS News. Recounting three decades of living in the community, Bocalan pointed to a concerning trend of increasing problems, including drag racing and high-speed chases. While the recent incident involving the California high-speed chase and a fatal shooting stands out as particularly alarming, Bocalan noted that issues linked to nearby Interstate 580 had been a persistent source of trouble for the community. The convenient freeway access appears to facilitate the troubles, with individuals using it to quickly enter or leave the vicinity. Residents in the neighborhood are now grappling with the impact of these ongoing concerns. Bocalan emphasized that the situation has gradually worsened over the years, prompting a collective sense of worry among community members. READ MORE: Missing Teen Found After 8 Years This article is owned by Latin Post. Written by: Bert Hoover WATCH: 1 killed in Alameda Co. after high-speed chase, struggle with authorities, officials say - From ABC7 News Bay Area Plans to convert a 350,000-square-foot office building in the heart of Allentowns PPL Plaza into a mixed-use apartment building are in motion. A spokesperson for developer DLP Capital said five floors of the building at 835 Hamilton St. are being gutted to construct 118 luxury apartments that could be move-in ready as early as next summer. Pre-leasing could begin next spring, the spokesperson said. The Grand Plaza was formerly a co-working space, according to the real estate listing site LoopNet. DLP purchased the building in December 2021 for $15.3 million, the company said. The new residential building would be called the Dream Grand Plaza and will feature a state-of-the-art fitness center, a pet grooming center, and a package delivery room, according to a news release. A spiral staircase will connect two floors. The buildings first floor will be opened for retail space and its eighth floor would continue to house DLPs main offices. Its meant to be the center of downtown, with its plaza the only open space on Hamilton, DLP Capital CEO Don Wenner told lehighvalleylive.com on Monday. Dream Grand Plaza will be at the forefront, offering the epitome of modern apartment living in a very central locationand offering area workforces great options for a dynamic live-work environment. Once completed, Dream Grand Plaza would hold a LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) gold-rating, the company claims. Serfass Construction Company Inc. is leading construction on the project. Architect Robert A.M. Stern handled the buildings new internal design. Hes best known for designing some the countrys tallest and most elegant buildings, including some of New York Citys most famous buildings, like 15 Central Park West. A.M. Stern designed the Comcast Center in Philadelphia and the George W. Bush Presidential Center, part of the presidential library complex located in University Park, Texas. Downtown is only going to thrive if people live and work there, DLPs Director of Communications Anne Kazel-Wilcox said. Were looking to provide workforce housing thats attainable and desirable by people who work in the area and want to live here too. Plans for a comprehensive $2.5 million revamp of Allentowns Seventh and Hamilton Streets intersection, just two blocks east of the Dream Grand Plaza, are also in the works. The public was given a first look and asked to weigh in on prospective designs during public meeting last month Architects for Omnes Studio, an Easton development firm, presented plans to change the Center Square intersection from a busy traffic intersection to a pedestrian plaza, according to reports. Plans for the redesign are expected to be finalized before the end of the year, the city said, with construction expected to wrap up by winter 2024. Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to lehighvalleylive.com. Glenn Epps can be reached at gepps@lehighvalleylive.com or glenn_epps_on Twitter. Authorities are asking for help in their search for a blue Mazda CX9 with New York license plates that was reported missing last month. Pennsylvania State Police at Belfast said they responded to reports of a possibly stolen vehicle on the morning of June 28. When they arrived to the scene on Stone Church Drive, the vehicles owner claimed her car was stolen from a parking lot outside her Upper Mount Bethel Township hotel, police documents stated. The missing vehicle is described as being a 2021 blue Mazda CX9 bearing the New York license plate number KLB5285. The Eco Showboat dropped anchor in Vicarstown last weekend. The Eco Showboat a fully solar-powered boat which has slowly been making its way along Irelands waterways with a mission to spread awareness on climate change through the arts arrived in Vicarstown on Saturday, July 1. There they collaborated with local artists to create an event around the observation and appreciation of Irelands delicate ecosystem, particularly in and around Laois. After presenting a talk on their long adventure along the inland waterways, the Eco Showboat team left the stage to artist Emily Miller, a recent graduate of NCAD, to show her strange and wonderful work which showcases the threat that we humans pose to the animals that surround us. Stretching the taxidermied hides of creatures killed in roadside incidents over handmade frames, Emily Miller both reveals and revels in these small disasters that we ignore each day. Her work, which is a stark reminder of human responsibility, will be shown in the Kevin Kavanagh Gallery in Dublin this autumn. In the afternoon, audiences were treated to delicious and sustainable refreshments by musicians Anna Tanvir and Maninder Singh, who seek to bring together different arts and cultures in their work. Their love of food and music has brought them to invent performances wherein audiences are served colcannon-samosas with a dash of traditional music from Ireland, Madagascar, and India. Stomachs and heads replete, the crowd finally walked down to the harbour in the end of the afternoon to see the Mayfly solar boat and meet with the SVT Canoe and Kayak Club, who came out to support the project and highlight how important it is to clean canoes and kayaks thoroughly to prevent the spread of invasive species. Next up, the Eco Showboat will be making its way to Carlow for an event on Saturday, July 22, where they will continue to bring people together around ecology and arts in ways that are enjoyable and fun. The Eco Showboat Journey to the East is a five month arts expedition, from Askeaton to Dublin aboard the solar powered Mayfly, flagship of the Eco Showboat project. Brainchild of artists Anne Cleary and Denis Connolly, the project is supported by the Arts Council, SFI, Creative Ireland, Waterways Ireland, and LAWPRO. A woman who has three degrees and who suffers from kleptomania was prosecuted for theft at Naas District Court. The court was told that she had taken items from 13 shops at Kildare Village. Kristina Rutkauskaite, 42, whose address was given as 1 Orchard Grove, Abbeyfort, Kinsale, Co Cork, was prosecuted for stealing the items on June 14, 2021. Sgt Dave Hanrahan told the court that all of the goods, worth 3,200, were recovered. He added she was arrested and made full admissions. The court was also told that it was believed the woman was acting alone. She was caught by security in one shop and when questioned she admitted the other thefts. Solicitor Tim Kennelly said the woman had degrees in English and history, software engineering and computer science and was originally from Lithuania. He said she grew up in a broken home and in poverty and she was suffering from kleptomania. He added: To impress each other as children, they stole. He also said that the woman had attended 79 meetings with a psychologist. He said her condition is treatable and she is being treated. Read more Kildare news He further said she earns a good wage and her husband is in full time employment. He also said she engages in triathlon training four or five times a week. Judge Desmond Zaidan imposed fines of 500 each on two offences and took the remainder into consideration. The women also handed over 3,000 which was donated to charities. The judge noted that a medical report indicated that as long as the woman continues to attend counselling she is unlikely to offend again. It was also stated that she will continue to attend for counselling. A Senator based in County Kildare has called for back pay for the Army Ranger Wing to be implemented without delay. Fianna Fail Senator Fiona OLoughlin has said that she welcomes the long-awaited progress on the Army Ranger Wing allowances. The Newbridge politician said: "I have long campaigned for an increase in the pay for members of our Defence Forces and for better conditions for them and their families... Finally, the Army Ranger Wing have won their battle for better allowances. "These are the elite military forces in our state, and I want to commend PDFORRA, especially Mark Keane, Ger Guinan and all involved." She continued: "This has been a long fight, PDFORRA secured an arbitration recommendation in 2010 to get significant improvements to allowances for the troops because of the unique requirements of their job, but this was halted due to the crash and never returned to. Senator Fiona O'Loughlin (Fianna Fail). "I want to commend An Tanaiste Micheal Martin for delivering for our Army Rangers." "Our Army Ranger Wing have served us diligently abroad in Afghanistan and Chad, and have for years received significantly less in allowances than elite forces in other countries." "The new adjudication will increase the ARW special allowance by slightly more than 200 per month, backdated to October 2021: this represents an increase of around 27 per cent in their special allowance." Senator O'Loughlin concluded: "I want to see this implemented without delay." In related news, Senator O'Loughlin last week welcomed the news that the government had allocated almost 50,000 in funding to forest parks and walking trails in Kildare. Eamon Ryan must immediately ban practice of corporations dumping unused goods that's according to one Sinn Fein TD. Patricia Ryan TD, who is based in Kildare-South, has said the government 'must intervene now to end waste by corporations.' She was speaking ahead of a Sinn Fein bill on the issue, which will be debated in the Seanad on Wednesday, where her party has called on the government to ban the practice of dumping unused goods by corporations. Her party colleague, Senator Lynn Boylan, made a similar call to action back in October, when she said that she planned to present the legislation before the government at a later date. Commenting on the matter today, Ms Ryan said: "We are calling for an immediate ban on the dumping of new goods by corporations. "This practice perpetuates waste, exacerbates environmental degradation, and deepens social inequalities." Patricia Ryan TD. File Pic. She continued: "In the fashion and electronics industries especially, we witness countless perfectly usable products being needlessly destroyed maximise profit. "With the proliferation of online shopping, this problem has reached alarming levels... Returned items, often in pristine condition, are recklessly discarded instead of being resold. "Some luxury brands have been documented destroying goods to maintain exclusivity rather than see them be resold in charity shops." Ms Ryan added that this legislation would ban the practice of dumping unused goods, and would force companies to redistribute excess stock 'to charities and people who need them.' She elaborated: "In a cost-of-living crisis, when people are going without necessities, dumping electronics, hygiene products and household items instead of giving them to people who need them, it is morally bankrupt. "For too long, the government and corporations have tried to put the blame for our environmental catastrophe squarely on the shoulders of individuals as consumers. "In contrast, this bill highlights Sinn Feins commitment to a different approach that puts blame where it lies; on corporations who put profit over planet. "This bill addresses the root causes of waste, which is overproduction, and challenges the prevailing notion of limitless growth at the expense of our environment. "It requires strong government leadership to stand up to corporate interests who benefit from the status quo," Ms Ryan concluded. This years Boyle Arts Festival and Visual Art Exhibition will be officially opened by Academy Award nominated actor Brendan Gleeson in King House on Thursday, July 20 at 8pm. Brendan, who has a keen interest in visual art, Irish music and folklore has played leading roles in films like The Banshees of Inisherin, Calvary and In Bruges. This years Visual Art exhibition has been selected by leading Irish artist Sinead Ni Mhaonaigh, who brings a new energy and approach to the Festival. Building on the knowledge and interests of such a senior figure in Irish Art Work, the exhibition has a strong emphasis on painting. The theme Connections will be manifested through a pride in place and landscape, ideas, diverse artistic approaches and by linking newer generations of emerging artists with more established senior artists. The exhibition will feature close to 100 works from artists across Ireland. Largely focused on painting, the exhibition includes sculptural works by Eileen McDonagh, Cathy Carman, Kate Oram and Martin Lyttle. The excitement and energy of the exhibition also focuses on painting by leading lights such as Mick ODea, Gwen ODowd, Alice Maher, Julie Merriman, Mark Garry and Dr Abigail O'Brien, PRHA, who will show works with some of Ireland's best-emerging talents in such as Eve OCallaghan, Sian Costello, Stephine Deady, David Smith and Eleanor McCaughey. Year after year the exhibition has grown in reputation and strength and is considered one of the leading summer exhibitions in Ireland. It will highlight some of the wonderful talents based in the region and artists of international standing such as Ciara OToole, Andy Parsons, Naomi Draper, Tinka Bechert, Vanya Lambrecht Ward. The exhibition is a wonderful opportunity to see and buy new work by some of Ireland's leading artists. During the Festival, there will be opportunities to take part in guided tours of the Exhibition with the curator and artist Sinead Ni Mhaonaigh, curators Anna Spearman, Sarah Searson and Laura Mahon along with curator and producer Linda Shevlin. Please see our full programme for times and details of these tours. Booking is essential as places are limited. This exhibition is open to the public until August 7. The Festivals Visual arts strand also includes the Boyle Open Exhibition, solo exhibitions, group shows and an Art Trail taking in shop windows and venues across the town. It also incorporates the Boyle Sculpture Trail in the Pleasure Grounds, with works commissioned by Roscommon County Council. The hugely popular Open Exhibition provides a forum for artists who would otherwise find few opportunities to display their work and attracts entrants from all over Ireland. The art is always of an exceptionally high standard and the exhibition provides an important showcase of local talent. Come and see this years stunning collection from 10am to 5pm every day during the Festival, in the former Royal Hotel building on Bridge Street. Boyle has the finest collection of contemporary Irish art, which spans over 30 years of the Festivals life. The Boyle collection punches high above its weight and is one of the foremost of its kind in the country. It is because of both the vision and determination of the late Fergus Ahern that the Boyle Arts Festival and the Civic Collection of Art endure so well today. In grateful recognition of this, the annual Fergus Ahern award for merit will be awarded to an artist with work in the Main Exhibition. Previous winners are Colin Davidson, Miseon Lee and John Rainey. This years winner will be announced at the opening. Please note that entrance to all exhibitions is free. For more information, please visit www.boylearts.com. Patients are now waiting an average of 15 weeks to access long COVID-19 clinics in hospitals across the country, with the longest wait of 35 weeks for patients trying to access the clinic at Tallaght Hospital. Symptoms of long COVID-19 include fatigue and brain fog, which are experienced at least three months after the initial infection for significant periods of time, with some patients experiencing symptoms in some cases for over three years. The HSE has been operating a number of clinics for 2,740 patients referred during 2022 - who have failed to recover from COVID-19 - through both post-acute COVID-19 clinics and long COVID-19 clinics in 10 hospitals across the country. Its important to note that referrals to these clinics only take place when the symptoms associated with long COVID-19, such as fatigue and memory problems, persist for at least 12 weeks and GPs have excluded all other potential causes of such symptoms, stated Denis Naughten. In practical terms this means that patients can wait for up to a year to see a specialist at some of the long COVID-19 centres being established across the country, with a particular problem in the Dublin region where there is an average 28 week wait in St. Vincents and 20 week wait at James Connolly Hospital. The wait times are based on the latest available figures provided for COVID-19 clinics which relate to 2022. When compared to figures for August 2022 waiting time to access specialists at St Vincents Hospital has gone down from 42 weeks to 28 weeks yet at the same time patients referred to Tallaght have seen the waiting times go from 26 weeks to 35 weeks with both Cork and Galway COVID-19 clinics seeing a reduction in waiting times to 9 and 11 weeks, respectively. Disappointingly, while the waiting times have eased at some COVID-19 clinics, overall there was a 15% increase in the number of patients waiting to see a specialist for the first time at 763 patients, with half of the funding allocated for the operation of the clinics unspent at the end of last year, said Denis Naughten. Its clear that despite the increase in the number of long COVID-19 clinics more patients are being referred for specialist management of their condition as a result of chronic and ongoing illness because of their failure to make a recovery from COVID-19 with thousands more suffering in silence with more moderate symptoms, concluded Denis Naughten. An enhanced grant scheme providing up to 420,000 to homeowners affected by defective concrete blocks has commenced. The Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage, Darragh O Brien TD, yesterday (July 3) announced the onset of the enhanced Defective Concrete Blocks (DCB) Grant Scheme, which will provide financial support to affected homeowners in counties Donegal, Mayo, Limerick and Clare whose homes were constructed with defective blocks. Transitional arrangements for the transfer of applicants from the current scheme to the new scheme are in place, with new applications now also accepted. Speaking about the news, Minister O'Brien said, "I am really pleased to be able to launch this much needed scheme today. I know the difficulties faced by affected households in financial and personal terms has been very significant these past number of years. "The improved package of measures under this considerably enhanced scheme will mark a new beginning for those who need to remediate their homes." The minister acknowledged the efforts of all involved, stating, "I particularly want to thank the affected homeowners for working with my Department and their County Councils on the development of the enhanced scheme. I feel through their constructive and helpful engagement we have managed to develop a Scheme that can, and will deliver for all concerned." He concluded: "I look forward to continuing this positive working relationship. To this end I have asked my Department to establish, without delay, an Implementation Steering Group made up of officials from the relevant local authorities, the Department, the Housing Agency and the Homeowners Liaison Officer to ensure the successful roll-out of the enhanced scheme. "I have also asked the implementation steering group to provide me with a first report of the operation of the scheme after 6 months. I have always said that schemes evolve and this one will be no different. Given the complex nature of the scheme it will be important to keep the operation of the regulations and guidelines under review. "The Implementation Steering Group will be tasked with working through issues as they arise and to make recommendations to me if further changes to the regulations or guidelines are needed." The Department is advising homeowners to be aware of possible delays in the early stages of the new scheme due to the high volume of calls and queries to local authorities. Key features of the Scheme include: 100% grants subject to an overall maximum grant of 420,000 per dwelling grant rates in keeping with advice from SCSI a government guarantee in the form of a second grant option if required for a period of 40 years a revised application process which removes the financial barrier to scheme entry an independent appeals process for applicants alternative accommodation and storage costs and immediate repair works to a maximum value of 25,000 the expertise of the Housing Agency in assessing applications the inclusion of RTB registered rental properties the inclusion of Clare and Limerick in the enhanced scheme upon commencement and the option for other counties to enter the scheme exempt development status for like for like remediation works completed under the scheme Under the enhanced scheme, the basic rate per square metre applicable to homes in Donegal and Mayo is 2,045 for the first 180 square metres, while the corresponding figure in Limerick and Clare is 2,160. The US Supreme Court has just banned all racial selection criteria for university admissions, with the ruling in Students for Fair Admissions v. University of North Carolina and Harvard putting an end to affirmative action. In the Black Lives Matter era, the number of Blacks and Hispanics in elite institutions will decline. In order to avoid isolation, they may even avoid them more. "Racially neutral" selection measures, based on such criteria as ZIP code, will not be able to compensate for the decline. The six-justice conservative majority, appointed by Republican presidents, is continuing to roll out its reactionary agenda. One year after overturning Roe v. Wade, it banned affirmative action on the grounds that it was merely racial discrimination, and in another ruling the next day, it authorized a right to homophobic discrimination in the name of religious freedom. Affirmative action marked a decisive stage in the history of civil rights in the United States. Indeed, it was in response to the movement that it took shape in 1965, in an executive order issued by Lyndon B. Johnson. The president explained then that it was not enough to "take a person who, for years, has been hobbled by chains and liberate him, bring him up to the starting line of a race and then say, 'you are free to compete with all the others.'" However, as early as 1978, the political backward surge reduced the scope of these reparations, with the first ruling: Regents of the University of California v. Bakke. To be sure, for four of the justices at that time, it was necessary to "remedy disadvantages cast on minorities by past racial prejudice." But four others affirmed that "the Constitution itself required a colorblind standard on the part of government." The ninth justice's opinion outlined a lasting compromise: While racial quotas were prohibited, universities could use racial criteria, but only among others, to ensure diversity among admitted students. The court then subjected this criterion to "strict scrutiny": It is legitimate only if it serves a "compelling interest." Read more Article reserve a nos abonnes US Supreme Court decision to overturn affirmative action exposes universities to legal challenges The social value of equality As for the states, over the years, nine have chosen to reject affirmative action, starting with California in 1996. The current Supreme Court usually claims to defend states' rights against federal power, as in the case of abortion (Dobbs). But with this new ruling, affirmative action is now banned at the university level in all states. Chief Justice John Roberts has long been opposed to it. He declared in 2007: "The way to stop discrimination on the basis of race is to stop discriminating on the basis of race." The slogan seems tautological, but it's a logical fallacy: Banning affirmative action won't put an end to racial discrimination, unless you postulate that society doesn't exist and that there are only individuals. For the majority of the Court, "the student must be treated based on his or her experiences as an individual not on the basis of race." In this way, "admissions are a zero-sum game." This is true for individuals, but not for the university. Equality has a social value that transcends particular interests. You have 54.88% of this article left to read. The rest is for subscribers only. France's President Emmanuel Macron addresses mayors of cities affected by the violent clashes that erupted after a teen was shot dead by police last week during a meeting at the presidential Elysee Palace in Paris on July 4, 2023. LUDOVIC MARIN / AFP French President Emmanuel Macron on Tuesday, July 4, met with hundreds of French officials to begin exploring the "deeper reasons" for the country's plunge into riots after the killing of a teenager at a traffic stop. The Elysee Palace meeting with more than 300 mayors, whose municipalities suffered damage over a week of violence, came after the authorities reported a much calmer night across the country. "Is it a permanent return to calm? I will be cautious, but the peak that we've seen in previous days has passed," Macron said, according to a participant. "We all want a lasting, republican order," he said. "That's the absolute priority." The government has battled riots and looting since 17-year-old Nahel M. was killed by an officer during a traffic stop on June 27 just outside Paris, rekindling long-standing accusations of systemic racism among security forces. Overnight violence in French cities had halved in 24 hours, the interior ministry said, with 72 people arrested overnight nationwide bringing the total to almost 3,500. That included 24 arrested in and around Paris, where the riots first broke out. The interior ministry said dozens of buildings were damaged including attacks on four offices of police or gendarmes but there were no injuries. More than 150 vehicles had been set ablaze, and hundreds of fires started in rubbish bins or other public areas. Read more Article reserve a nos abonnes Riots in France: How a fundraising campaign became a flashpoint in a divided country 'Painstaking long-term work' Police mobilization had been kept at the same level as the two previous nights, at 45,000 across France. Mayors across France held rallies Monday calling for an end to the violent clashes. Their call for a "return to republican order" came after the home of the mayor of a Paris suburb was rammed with a burning car, prompting widespread outrage. At the gathering of mayors, Macron was hoping to "start the painstaking, long-term work needed to understand the deeper reasons that led to these events", an official at the president's office said. But with right- and left-wing officials pointing fingers at one another and each side insistent on their own solutions, the centrist president said at the end of the meeting that they had failed to find "unanimity." His government would "reach very real solutions" over the summer, he added, saying "we must strike while the iron is hot." "I came to hear the president give us a vision, set a course. I didn't come for a group therapy session," complained Zartoshte Bakhtiari, mayor of Neuilly-sur-Marne east of Paris. Just under 4,000 arrests have been made since Friday, including more than 1,200 minors, according to justice ministry figures. Macron raised the idea of handing out quick-fire fines to the parents of children caught for vandalism or robberies. "With the first crime, we need to find a way of sanctioning the families financially and easily," he said, according to comments reported by Le Parisien newspaper. During the meeting with mayors, Macron also promised to fast-track a new law allowing for rapid assistance with rebuilding damaged buildings, public spaces and vandalized transport infrastructure. Read more After the death of Nahel, political unity remains out of reach ST JOHNS Hospital has secured 1.4 million in funding from the Department of Health to establish a permanent weekend Medical Assessment Unit (MAU). This significant investment will allow the hospital to expand its services and enhance patient care in the Mid-West. The unit will operate seven days a week from July 29, providing an additional 2,024 MAU slots annually. The expansion will contribute to meeting the identified need for 5,000 additional slots across the Mid-West, as recognised by the HSE. To support the implementation of the weekend MAU, St Johns will employ ten new staff members, including a consultant doctor, two medical registrars, three nursing staff, one senior physiotherapist, one radiographer, one porter, and one clerical officer. These positions will help ensure the smooth operation of the unit and facilitate the provision of high-quality healthcare services. The UL Hospitals Group, of which St Johns is a part, serves a population of 385,172 individuals residing in Limerick, Clare, and North Tipperary. The expansion of the MAU will help meet the healthcare needs of this substantial population, providing them with improved access to medical assessment and reducing the strain on existing services. One notable aspect of the St. Johns Hospital MAU is its availability of advanced diagnostic facilities during weekends. It will be the only Model 2 MAU within the UL Hospitals Group to offer access to a full CT scan service on weekends, in addition to full X-ray capabilities. The announcement of the funding was marked by the presence of Minister for Health Stephen Donnelly, who visited St Johns Hospital. He said that this expansion would help to reduce waiting times across the Mid-West region. Emer Martin, CEO of St Johns Hospital, expressed her delight at the announcement: We hope that the opening of this unit at the weekends will help alleviate capacity concerns and offer the people of the Mid-West a quality service for their healthcare needs. THE LAND Development Agency (LDA) has failed to deliver its Limerick projects. That's according to Cllr Joe Leddin who said the LDA has failed to deliver one house on state-owned land since its establishment. Last month a special meeting of the local authority heard accusations that the LDA were delaying projects in Limerick City and County, including the development of housing at the old Guinness site on Upper Carey's Road, which is part of the Colbert Quarter. The latest project update by the LDA confirms that not one site in Limerick is earmarked for development for the foreseeable future, stated Cllr Leddin. The projects listed on their website highlight several sites in Dublin, Cork, Waterford and Mullingar yet Limerick, which was originally identified as a key location, remains excluded and forgotten about, he continued. Several sites identified and acquired by the LDA in Limerick including the lands at Colbert Station, Careys Road, Limerick Docklands and Rosbrien are listed as class 3 sites meaning the future development will be complicated and protracted. Effectively, we will fail to see any house or apartment in the next 20-30 years on these strategic located sites, he added. The much published and talked about Colbert Quarter which includes lands at Carey's Road, Roxboro Road and Hyde Road are now designated as class 3 therefore the expected timeframe for any development is 20+ years. This is a shocking indictment by Government in the midst of a housing crisis causing misery to thousands of families and children languishing on waiting lists that grow every year. Sites such as the former Gas Networks site on OCurry Street designated as class 1 can expect development within a 5-10 year period despite the site being strategically located within walking distance to the city centre. ONE OF Irelands greatest war heroes could be at the centre of a battle one last time as two local authorities have made a claim for his remains. Patrick Sarsfield signed the Treaty of Limerick in 1691, and now his remains are understood to be buried in Huy in Belgium, where he died fighting for the French Army in 1693. The potential burial site was discovered by Dr Loic Guyon, Honorary Consul of France in Limerick, and founder of The Sarsfield Homecoming Project, after over two years of research. A delegation from Limerick including Dr Guyon; the then Mayor of Limerick Francis Foley; Dr Pat Daly, Chief Executive of Limerick City and County Council; Frank Coyne of Aegis Archaeology and sponsor of the project John Shaw of Carelon Ireland, visited the site in Belgium in May and met with authorities. However, South Dublin County Council have also staked a claim for Sarsfield's remains, as the general was named as the Earl of Lucan by James II for his actions in the Williamite wars in Ireland, and his family had resided in the area. A motion was submitted to the February 2023 Lucan/Palmerstown/North Clondalkin Area committee meeting asking that the Council would prepare to make the case that if [Sarsfield's] remains are repatriated to Ireland, it should be to Lucan. For Dr Guyon, who set the whole project in motion, the important thing is that Sarsfields remains return to Ireland. After that it is for the Irish government to decide, he said. GARDAI in Limerick are investigating after an elderly woman handed over money to a scammer posing as her daughter. The elderly woman was contacted by a scammer on her mobile phone, the person was pretending to be her daughter. The woman was vulnerable and has a medical condition which means she is on heavy medication. The scammer said that she urgently needed funds to pay for a bill that had come due. She asked for a loan of funds to meet this bill. The elderly woman was convinced that it was her daughter on the phone. She made immediate arrangements to transfer funds to a bank account that she understood was her daughter's. The funds were paid over to what was unfortunately the bank account of the scammer and the funds were never seen again. Gardai at Henry Street garda station are investigating the incident. Garda John Finnerty, Henry Street garda station said: "We would like to issue a warning to everyone not to transfer funds to anyone in a hurry under any circumstances. "There are very few circumstances in life that require immediate payment of a large amount of funds at short notice. "When you do transfer funds to a third party be very confident that it is a bone fide reason, that the recipient is bone fide and that you have all the correct bank details." PHOTOGRAPHERS from Limerick and its surrounds were put in the frame at their society's annual awards ceremony. To mark the end of another successful year, the Limerick Camera Clubs members held their yearly celebration in The Strand Hotel in the city centre. And the efforts its members went to, to snap some of Limerick's most stunning scenery was recognised, with five first prize awards given out, plus recognition for those who came second and third. The club's public relations officer Ivan O'Riordan reported: It's been a spectacular year for the ladies with Michelle Dempsey achieving the photographer of the year title. Aidan Ryan was runner-up with Siobhan Gleeson and Nancy Geary following in third and fourth places. Another lady, Sarah Warde, was the recipient of the Limerick Cup, awarded to the person who takes the best image of Limerick and its surrounds. Limerick Camera Club is currently on its summer recess and will start meeting again in September at their new venue in Mary Immaculate College. It's a very special year for the club, which is now in its 80th year. To this end, a book of members photographs is to be released to mark the anniversary. New members are always welcome. For more information, please telephone 0872521194. We and our partners use cookies to Store and/or access information on a device. We and our partners use data for Personalised ads and content, ad and content measurement, audience insights and product development. An example of data being processed may be a unique identifier stored in a cookie. Some of our partners may process your data as a part of their legitimate business interest without asking for consent. To view the purposes they believe they have legitimate interest for, or to object to this data processing use the vendor list link below. The consent submitted will only be used for data processing originating from this website. If you would like to change your settings or withdraw consent at any time, the link to do so is in our privacy policy accessible from our home page.. Asics India Private Limited, a sports gear company, has appointed actor Shraddha Kapoor as its new brand ambassador. The company said it will focus on the theme of Sound Mind, Sound Body and the actor will endorse the brands footwear and womens sportswear segment. Rajat Khurana, managing director of the company in India and South Asia, said, Shraddha Kapoors on screen performances and dedication to fitness align with our brand ethos. With a strong fan base and influential presence, she is the ideal ambassador to inspire and educate people about the importance of nurturing a healthy mind and body. This association will enhance our brands appeal and expand our reach across the country, fostering a holistic and active lifestyle." The company said it has 88 stores in India. Kapoor said, The growing awareness around the significance of physical and emotional well-being has made it essential for one and all to prioritize their overall health. I firmly believe that a healthy body nurtures a healthy mind, and it has always been my goal to share these values with my fans." In absolute terms, celebrity brand valuations accounted for $1.6 billion in 2022 as compared to $1.4 billion in 2021, as per a report by corporate investigation and risk consulting firm Kroll titled Celebrity Brand Valuation. According to one research firm, the countrys footwear market saw a decline in the pandemic years. It stood at 79,900 crore in FY19 but fell to 53,300 crore in FY20, said Euromonitor. But according to other industry estimates, the global sneaker market was valued at $86.86 billion, and has a CAGR of 6.8%. It will reach $139.8 billion by 2032. Indias sneaker market was about $3.01 billion in 2023. The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has started auditing the Mumbai facilities of low-cost airline Go First. The auditing will continue till 6 July. The Delhi facilities will also be auditied on Thursday. Mint exclusively reported on 29 June that the civil aviation regulator will conduct an audit of the airline next week to assess its preparations for the launch. Go First has sought approval for restarting operations. A team of officials from the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) started the special audit of the facilities of Go First in Mumbai on Tuesday, according to an airline executive. The audit of the facilities will be done on Wednesday also. On Thursday, the regulator will audit the airline's facilities in Delhi, the executive told PTI. The executive also said the regulator is likely to submit the audit report on Thursday itself. Meanwhile, Go First, which stopped flying from May 3, on Tuesday extended the cancellation of its flights July 10. The Mumbai-based airline is undergoing voluntary insolvency resolution proceedings. On June 30, DGCA said the special audit to be conducted from July 4 to 6 would focus on the safety-related aspects and continued compliance of the requirements to hold an Air Operator Certificate, as well as on physical verification of the arrangements made for the resumption of flight operations. Earlier, the watchdog did a preliminary review of the revival plan submitted by the Resolution Professional (RP) for Go First on June 28. Go First's Committee of the Creditors (CoC) has already approved the revival plan under which the airline is looking to resume operations with 26 planes, including four aircraft for chartered services, and over 150 flights per day. The approval of the revival plan by DGCA will depend on the outcome of the special audit. Last month, Go First secured lenders approval for interim funding of 450 crore, potentially paving the way for the grounded airline to resume operations. Bengaluru/Mumbai: About eighty minutes into the virtual annual general meeting of Tata Consultancy Services Ltd (TCS) on Friday, Hyderabad resident and company shareholder Praful Chavda asked the question everyone tuning in had been anticipating. Sir," Chavda started, speaking in Hindi, addressing TCS chairman Natarajan Chandrasekaran, who is also the chairman of parent Tata Sons, one of Indias largest and best-regarded business houses. There was this news in the media where it was mentioned something was wrong with the recruitment process." Chavda was referring to the bribes-for- jobs scam at TCS, which was first reported by this paper on 23 June. Sir, the strictest of action should be taken and no leniency should be offered. So that no one can ever think of repeating the same." Chavda was not the only worried shareholder; four other shareholders expressed their bafflement over how such an episode could occur. For Chandra, as he is addressed by colleagues, and for TCS, this was an unusual and somewhat unfortunate moment. The man and the institution in many ways represent the best of Indian capitalism. Chandra, who started as a trainee at TCS in 1987, worked his way up to become not just the companys CEO, but eventually the chairman of the $128 billion parent, which employs more than a million people. TCS is as unalloyed a success story as it gets in corporate India. Founded in 1968, it grew to become Indias largest IT services company and a flagbearer for this critical industry. It counts close to 60% of Fortune 500 as its clients. With $27.9 billion in 2023 revenues and $5.2 billion in profits, its the crown jewel of the Tata empire. Landing a job at TCS straight out of college, in many parts of the country, is nearly as effective a booster for a young mans marital prospects as a government job. If Chandra epitomises meritocratic success, TCS is something of a shrine to it. Thats why revelations last week that some employees of the company took bribes from third-party staffing firms were met with widespread shock and disbelief. It was that disbelief that shareholders at the AGM channelled in their questions to Chandra. A visibly distraught Chandra, who was sitting in the TCS House in Mumbai, heard all the questions from the shareholders. And then he broke his silence on this subject, in a rare public expression of anguish. [W]henever there is a violation of ethical conduct by any employee it pains us. And pains me. And all the leaders very deeply. And we take it extremely seriously. We deal with it (with) very strong action," said Chandrasekaran. He added that two complaints were about certain favouritism being done and certain favours being received in recruitment" of temporary workers from contract staffing firms. Consequently, TCS sacked six employees and blacklisted six staffing firms even as a probe continues against three more employees. We cannot quantify what favours they got but they certainly behaved in a way that they were favouring certain firms," Chandra said. TCS continues to probe this episode. One immediate fallout, according to one executive who spoke on the condition of anonymity, has been that senior executives are fielding questions from top clients about the episode. TCS did not respond to questions for this story. The whistle blows In the last week of February, a whistleblower wrote to the then CEO Rajesh Gopinathan, bringing to light that the then head of Resource Management Group (known within the company as RMG) and certain executives in his team were taking bribes for hiring contract workers. A few weeks later, another email was received by Gopinathan, pointing to the mess inside RMG in India. These two emails couldnt have come at a worse time. The senders couldnt have known, but TCS was on the cusp of a surprise leadership change. About a fortnight after the first email landed, on 15 March, TCS appointed K. Krithivasan after the surprise departure of Gopinathan. To TCSs credit, the company quickly swung into action and set up two probe teams. After five weeks of inquiry, heads began to roll. In the third week of April, the first executive to be sent on leave was the then-head of RMG, E.S. Chakravarthy. Later, the company appointed Sivakumar Viswanathan, a veteran of about 30 years, as the head of RMG. At least four other current and former RMG executives have moved out of the company in the last five weeks. Mint is not disclosing their names due to our inability to independently ascertain as yet if all these departures were related to the scandal. The executives who have moved out of TCS include a senior RMG leader in New Jersey and Bengaluru and a former RMG Head in Hyderabad. Arun G.K., a member of the RMG Team in the US, was summoned by TCS to fly down from New Jersey. Arun, who had moved to the US from Canada at the start of the year, was subsequently asked to put in his papers. Sometime after 24 June, he deleted his LinkedIn profile. All the above executives had been with TCS for more than 15 years. The role of RMG Tech outsourcing firms such as TCS need to possess one critical trait in their human resource operationsagility. They need to be able to quickly deploy and redeploy large numbers of people with very specific tech skills into projects. RMG is in that sense the heart of TCS. Like the organ that pumps blood to various parts of the body, RMG determines how its 614,795 employees are deployed to projects. It also augments its large workforce by recruiting contract workers. The task of recruiting permanent staff to the company is done by Talent Acquisition Group (TAG), which is part of the companys HR department. RMG, even as it collaborated with HR, rolled up to the companys chief operating officer (COO), N Ganapathy Subramaniam. Chakravarthy, the suspended RMG head, reported to Subramaniam, who has worked at TCS since 1982 and is due to retire next year. He also happens to be Chandrasekarans elder brother. Inside TCS, RMG puts almost 1,400 engineers into projects, every day, averaging one placement every minute. Because you cant hire people after a project lands, IT firms typically have a floating population of staff that are not deployed to any project. If 100 people are employed by a firm but only 90 are allotted to billable projects, in industry parlance, its said the firms current utilization rate is 90%. Keeping the utilization rate high is critical to profitability, as you dont want to pay more staff than what clients are paying for. The task of keeping the utilization rate consistently high, while ensuring projects are not delayed due to lack of manpower, is one of the delicate dances IT firms must perform well. At TCS, RMGs efforts determine the utilization rate. Because delivery in tech services hinges on steady and timely supply of manpower, the head of RMG is a powerful leader within the company. As RMG is critical to their ability to deliver, leaders within the company tend to keep the RMG head and senior leaders in good humour, two executives who spoke on the condition of anonymity, said. Say TCS wins a $50 million deal. Before the company looks to hire from outside, people within the organization are deployed on the project. This is where the RMG head plays the most important role. Now, the profitability of any contract is a function of the people deployed on a project. He (RMG Head) can redeploy people and no one can question his decision," said a former executive. Inside TCS, no one can question the RMGs authority. The RMG can always fault the profitability of a current project and take out people from the project," one executive said. You are my nuclear reactor For this reason, the role of Chakravarthy, or Chaks, as colleagues called him, is at the heart of this episode. Before taking over as the global head of the RMG in 2018, Chakravarthy served as the head of the companys Bengaluru centre for a little more than eight years. Chaks has always been the brand ambassador for TCS in colleges in Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu," said a second executive. Him getting embroiled in this case is the biggest setback as the companys reputation built over the last two decades in colleges will take a beating." An engineer by training, Chakravarthy joined TCS in 1997 and climbed up the ranks through what his former colleagues describe as an uncommonly efficient work ethic. Once Chaks got a message from Rajesh (Gopinathan, the former CEO), complimenting him for his work. It said: You (Chakravarthy) are my nuclear reactor," said one executive with direct knowledge of the message. His ability to get people deployed on projects is unparalleled," he added. Chakravarthys proximity to the top brass of TCS (read the CEO and COO), the extent of which he never shied away from letting others in the company know, combined with his own influence as RMG head, made him an intimidating figure in the eyes of many peers, according to two executives. Chaks is a micromanager and he ran it (RMG) like a tight ship," said one of the executives. He (Chaks) picked all the people in key leadership roles at RMG. To give you an example, typically, RMG and HR staff people get relatively fewer opportunities to work overseas. Even if they go, there is a rotational policy designed to extend overseas postings to as many staff within these departments as possible. In the last decade, Arun spent more than seven years overseasfirst in Chile, then in Canada and most recently in the US. All this makes me believe it is highly surprising he (Chakravarthy) was not aware of what was going on inside RMG," one executive said, implying Arun was favoured by Chakravarthy. Another executive was more scathing. If the DCP of an area is not doing his job, then what is the incentive for the station in-charge or constable to maintain order?" Calls and text messages to Chakravarthy seeking comments went unanswered. Anatomy of the scam How could something of this nature happen at TCS, reputed for water-tight corporate governance practices, internal audits and other checks finetuned over decades of working with top global corporations and their compliance teams? The simple answer is that even best in class processes can be hoodwinked by people determined to abuse their authority. In the aftermath of Covid-19, as the world went virtual and remote, companies around the world scrambled to deploy solutions that allowed them to carry on their business with limited physical contact with customers. This means building more digital applications, chatbots and web interfaces, along with reconfiguring internal process to meet new realities. To build these solutions, they turned to trusted technology partners they have worked with for yearsIndian IT services firms. This meant a groundswell of business for Indias IT sector and despite the forces of automation winding their way through the industry, projects needed manpower in unprecedented numbers. Typically if you ask recruitment teams, it will take 90-120 days for you to get a batch of candidates," said a fourth TCS executive interviewed for this story. What is a company supposed to do? Twiddle its thumbs and wait for the contract to get scrapped or incur billing losses? No, right?" It is here that contract staffing firms or Business Associates, the nomenclature that TCS uses, come into the picture. Business Associates can help you with resources in 15-30 days," said the executive cited above. IT firms, like most companies in the manufacturing space, have an empanelled list of vendors, including contract staffing firms. But TCSs RMG runs a tad differently, according to two former company executives. At most companies, the procurement department does the verification checks and decides which staffing firms to register. At TCS, the RMG team is empowered to enlist contract staffing firms, said one executive. This authorization appears to have been misused by a few people. As for staffing firms, in a high-demand environment, getting empanelled by such a major employer was a sure ticket to business volumes. For the last two years, it was an open secret that many people of RMG were allegedly abusing their power by demanding an upfront commission for the empanelment process of staffing firms," said the fourth executive. Mint learned of another episode, as recounted by two executives, that pointed to ethical breaches around the empanelment of new staffing firms. Early this year, Sage IT, a staffing firm headquartered out of Chennai with offices across the world, wanted to work with TCS. A few weeks after it reached out to the company, co-founder Sagar Pelaprolu got a call from an executive claiming to be from TCS, according to a former TCS executive with direct knowledge of the incident. The caller demanded a hefty sum (seven-digit sum in rupees) in return for empanelling the company. Pelaprolu declined to pay, the executive cited above said. Multiple emails sent to Pelaprolu seeking comment went unanswered. The second executive confirmed he was aware of concerns of an ethical breach involving Sage IT but was not aware of the details. Its unclear if Pelaprolu ever made an official complaint about the incident. Another way in which some TCS executives have allegedly profited is by sharing information about staffing needs with a few favoured vendors ahead of others. Inside TCS, the leader of a business unit raises the request for the number of people and skill sets that are needed. Ideally, the RMG team should have shared this information on the companys internal portal, called Ultimatix, an enterprise resource planning platform. Ultimatix has over 200 apps, including Global Business Associate Management (GBAM) System, that the 1,000-odd empanelled contract staffing firms can access. Whenever a business unit head inside TCS needs people, a request is raised and it shows up in the GBAM app. Subsequently, all BA firms would upload the resume of people on GBAM. But over the last two years, contract staffing firms that allegedly paid commissions to some of the RMG executives got to know the requirements ahead of others. This allowed these staffing firms to directly email the resumes of the candidates to the RMG executive, who then secured approvals from the business unit heads, who might not have known about the process bypass. Unlike permanent workers, when staffing firms supply temporary manpower, they typically dont go through a stringent interview process within tech firms. In effect, the Ultimatix platform, designed to offer a level playing field to TCS vendors, was bypassed for personal gains. Which contract staffing firms benefitted thus? According to multiple executives familiar with the situation, two of the five staffing firms that have been thus far been blacklisted by TCS may have ties with Chakravarthy amounting to inappropriateness, if not outright conflict of interest. Chakravarthys first cousin Rakesh Edupuganti is director of operations at Foray Software Pvt Ltd, a Hyderabad-based staffing firm that has been barred by TCS. This relationship between Chakravarthy and Edupuganti was never disclosed to TCS and was discovered by the company in its ongoing probe. Taltech Technologies Pvt Ltd is a Bengaluru-based contract staffing firm that is the second staffing firm that has been blacklisted by TCS. Taltech was founded by Sudhakar Rao Puchakayla and Kranthi Sagar Puchakayla in December 2018. Kranthi Sagar, a former TCS executive, left the company in the summer of 2018 and set up a staffing company, which in about two years managed to get drafted with TCS. The founder of Taltech and Foray Software and Chakravarthy are all from Ongole town in Prakasam district of Andhra Pradesh. One executive said the firm was blacklisted as it has emerged that Chakravarthys wife is related to Kranthi Sagars wife Gurram Soudami, also a director of Taltech. It is important to mention here that Taltech and Foray Software are the biggest BA firms or contract staffing firms for TCS in all of South India, placing thousands of engineers at the marquee IT firm. We could not get onto TCS contract hiring list for more than five years, despite being one of the fastest-growing recruitment firms. We did not accept some of their demands made from the RMG team," said the chief executive of a Bengaluru-based staffing firm. Three other contract staffing firms that have been blacklisted by TCS are IDC Technologies Ltd, USG Inc. and Tech Orbit Inc, according to executives with knowledge of the developments. IDC Technologies, Tech Orbit and USG Inc. (through Stratosphere IT services in India) have been enlisted by TCS both in the US and India. Now, Indias largest IT services firm has blacklisted them in both countries. An email sent to Taltech and Tech Orbit went unanswered while USG and Stratosphere IT could not be reached. Foray and IDC Technologies deny that their engagement has been terminated. More ways than one In addition to seeking upfront money for the empanelment of contract staffing firms and sharing insider information with a few contract staffing firms, there were two other ways errant executives are alleged to have profited themselves. One is by taking a commission from staffing firms on the total billing. Some employees in the US are alleged to gave taken commissions on the per-hour rate. If the rate for someone having proficiency in Java (a coding language) is say $50 an hour, the company paid up to $60-$65 an hour for the person. This is because both the contract staffing firm and RMG executive split the extra $10-15 an hour," said the fourth executive. Unfortunately, there is more. After all the temp hiring, the approving authority on the invoices is Chakravarthy. In times when there is a huge demand for talent, a companys cost for hiring a contract worker shoots up and so IT services firms budgets for a cost overshoot of 5-10%. TCS, like its peers, calls it a deviation from the pre-fixed rate of contract hires to be offered at the time of enlisting of contract staffing firms. But over the last year, deviation rates of almost all the temp hires were about 25-30% higher. No red flags? A disconcerting issue for many is how the companys audit process missed all these red flags. Engagement of staffing firms with IT firms like TCS involves compliance audits and process audits. The compliance audit happens on a quarterly basis and is a check if the staffing firm is paying salary, Provident Funds, and following statutory guidelines. Process audits deals is a review of which vendors got contracts, the reason why contracts were awarded and importantly if any group of vendors is getting a larger share of the pie. According to multiple staffing firms that Mint spoke to, IT companies had started to neglect process audits during the boom time. During the period of hiring frenzy, they were guzzling talent and the audits were taking place sporadically. But now that there is a lull, we expect more questions on processes involvedhow we sourced the candidate, did we follow all vendor-related protocols and that no unethical means were used," said a head of a Bengaluru-based staffing firm. Where does TCS go from here? Last year, Chakravarthy was the chief guest at an event organized by an engineering college in Guntur. During his speech at the Vignans Foundation for Science, Technology, and Research, Chakravarthy prodded students to follow their dreams, bragging: Today, I have a currency of respect because I belong to TCS, the most trusted IT company in the world." Trust that was built over decades and one that the firm must now act quickly to protect. Following HDFC Bank HDFC merger, IDFC First Bank IDFC merger has been announced, signaling some more such mergers to follow. The move is expected to help corporates to become a bigger business entity in India and global merchandise. It would also enable corporates to improve their margins and deliver better quarterly numbers in coming quarters, which is expecting to bring more foreign investment in the Indian stock market (in case of merger of listed entities). According to experts, these mergers would make such companies to raise fund with ease as they would emerge as 'too big to fail' as a corporate. Speaking on the benefit coming to these corporates after the merger, Chandan Taparia, Derivative and Technical Analyst at Motilal Oswal said, "HDFC twins merger and IDFC First Bank IDFC mergers are going to enable these entities to improve their margins as Indian as well as global corporates are facing huge challenge on margin improvement front. After the merger, corporates will be able to contain their expenditure without putting any added pressure on their clientele. Apart from that they would get an additional cash reserve after the merger, which is also a positive sign for these companies after merger." Possibility of Improvement in balance sheet On how these margin improvements would benefit India Inc, Chandan Taparia said, "Improvement in margins would lead to strong balance sheet of the companies helping them to come with better quarterly numbers. In other words, we can say that mergers would help a company to improve its fundamentals, which will attract more portfolio investment, leading to sharp upside in their share price." On vision behind such move, Avinash Gorakshkar, Head of Research at Profitmart Securities said, "Such mergers are new in India but not in global business. After the inception of WTO (World Trade Organisation), we witnessed a good number of Japanese corporates merging their subsidiaries with their flagship umbrella companies and emerge as a giant corporate, which all of a sudden emerged as one of the major market leader in the global economy. This model was replicated in China later as well. This helped them create a giant corporate that had a say in the global business system the way HDFC Bank all of a sudden emerged as fourth biggest bank in the world after the merger." Ease of raising fund Avinash Gorakshkar said that after the merger, the emerging entity would be able to generate fund with ease as they will govern a better face value in global and domestic market. So, these mergers are going to provide ease of doing business without getting support from any outside entity. He said that some more corporates are going to follow the footsteps of HDFC twins merger and IDFC First Bank IDFC merger and said that Equitas Small Finance Bank and Equitas merger is also doing the rounds. Ujjivan Small Finance Bank and Ujjivan merger is also hitting the headlines. "Though, these SFBs are small in size and they continue to remain smaller even after the merger, but their corporate governance and balance sheet is definitely going to improve after the merger. If a big corporate like HDFC Bank would be able to dictate on global levels then small SFBs would be able to create a conducive milieu at domestic levels with this merger pun," said Avinash Gorakshkar. IDFC First Bank IDFC merger The Board of Directors of IDFC First Bank Limited at its meeting held on Monday, July 03, 2023, approved the Scheme of Amalgamation of IDFC limited with IDFC First Bank. The Share Exchange Ratio for the amalgamation of IDFC Limited with IDFC First Bank shall be 155 equity shares of face value of 10 each fully paid-up of IDFC First Bank for every 100 equity shares of face value of 10 each fully paid-up of IDFC Limited. Disclaimer: The views and recommendations given in this article are those of individual analysts. These do not represent the views of Mint. We advise investors to check with certified experts before taking any investment decisions. The record-setting spree of the Indian market continued on Tuesday as the frontline indices the Sensex and the Nifty settled at their record closing highs for the fourth consecutive session. The Indian market has been on an upward trajectory on robust foreign capital inflow amid the country's bright macroeconomic outlook. Analysts and brokerage firms remain bullish on the medium and long-term outlook of the Indian market. Sensex opened at 65,503.85 against the previous close of 65,205.05 and hit its fresh record high of 65,672.97 in intraday trade before ending 274 points, or 0.42 per cent, higher at 65,479.05. Nifty closed with a gain of 66 points, or 0.34 per cent, at 19,389 after hitting its record high of 19,434.15 in intraday trade. It was the fifth consecutive session of gains for Sensex whereas for Nifty it was the sixth consecutive session of gains. BSE Midcap and Smallcap indices also hit their fresh record highs of 28,951.49 and 32,990 respectively during the session. The BSE Midcap index closed 0.22 per cent lower at 28,798.91 while the Smallcap index closed with a nominal gain of 0.05 per cent at 32,802.63. Nearly 200 stocks, including Bajaj Finance, IndusInd Bank, ITC, NTPC, Titan and UltraTech Cement, hit their 52-week highs in intraday trade on BSE. Crude oil prices remained high after top exporters Saudi Arabia and Russia announced supply cuts in August. Brent Crude traded over a per cent higher near the $76 per barrel mark around 4:15 pm. The rupee slipped 7 paise to close at 82.02 per dollar. Top Nifty Gainers and Losers As many as 29 stocks ended in the green in the Nifty index while 21 stocks suffered losses. Shares of Bajaj Finance (up 7.30 per cent), Bajaj Finserv (up 5.71 per cent) and Hero MotoCorp (up 4.70 per cent) ended as the top gainers in the Nifty index. On the flip side, shares of Eicher Motors (down 6.06 per cent), Bharti Airtel (down 1.46 per cent) and Grasim (down 1.46 per cent) ended as the top losers in the Nifty pack. Top gainers, losers today: Bajaj twins, Bharti Airtel, Tech Mahindra, Eicher Motors; check full list here Sectoral Indices Among the sectoral indices, Nifty PSU Bank rose 1.89 per cent, ending as the top sectoral gainer, followed by Nifty IT which rose 1.04 per cent. Nifty Bank hit its record high of 45,655.50 in intraday trade before settling 0.32 per cent higher at 45,301.45. Nifty Oil & Gas (down 0.68 per cent), Auto (down 0.48 per cent), Realty (down 0.18 per cent) and Private Bank (down 0.03 per cent) ended in the red. Experts' Views on Markets "Buoyancy in the markets continued as benchmark indices touched new highs in spite of mixed Asian cues and weak European markets in early trades. The cushion provided by Indian markets on the back of its strong fundamentals is offsetting some of the negative catalysts seen in key developed economies, and strong backing by the FIIs in recent weeks is a testimony to it," said Shrikant Chouhan, Head of Research (Retail), Kotak Securities. Vinod Nair, Head of Research at Geojit Financial Services is of the view that the market is maintaining its optimism; however, a profit-booking tendency is visible at the upper band as the recent rally has raised the market to the historic new high range. "The momentum of the market has shifted from the frontlines of this year to the laggards like IT, commodities, and PSUBs. The market is taking a breather ahead of the upcoming Q1 results. Pharma and banking displayed a positive trend, while the auto sector faced selling pressure following a mixed set of sales data for the month of June," said Nair. Technical Views on Markets Chouhan of Kotak Securities said the short-term texture of the market is still on the positive side. "For the trend, the following traders now 19,300-19,250/65,200-65,000 would act as key support zones while 19,450-19,500/65,700-65,900 could be the key resistance areas for the index. On the other side, below 19,250/65,000 traders may prefer to exit out from the trading long positions," said Chouhan. Jatin Gedia, Technical Research Analyst at Sharekhan by BNP Paribas observed that the Nifty witnessed a gap-up opening for the fifth consecutive day, however, it could not sustain at higher levels and witnessed profit booking. Gedia said the hourly momentum indicator has triggered a negative crossover and could be the reason for Nifty not able to sustain at higher levels. "Over the next few trading sessions, we expect the Nifty to consolidate in the range of 19,500 19,300 and a dip towards the 19,300 should be used as a buying opportunity. Overall, the uptrend is intact, and we expect levels of 19,500. In terms of levels, 19,300 19,270 shall act as a crucial support zone while 19,450 19,500 shall act as a crucial resistance zone," said Gedia. "As far as Bank Nifty is concerned, the index also witnessed profit booking at higher levels and closed well off the intraday highs. The hourly momentum indicator has a negative crossover and negative divergence which indicates a loss of momentum on the upside. Thus, after a strong up move a consolidation is likely in the short term. Overall, the range of consolidation is likely to be 45,000 - 45,600," said Gedia. Read all market-related news here Disclaimer: The views and recommendations given in this article are those of individual analysts. These do not represent the views of Mint. We advise investors to check with certified experts before taking any investment decisions. HERO MOTOCORP More Information EICHER MOTORS More Information BAJAJ FINANCE More Information BSE More Information The National Pension Scheme (NPS) will soon offer its subscribers the option of systematic withdrawal plan (SWP) for the 60% corpus disbursed at the time of retirement instead of the lump sum payment that they usually get, said Deepak Mohanty, chairman, Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority. Mohanty, who assumed charge in March, said in an interview with Mint that the SWP option is slated to be rolled out in October. Edited excerpts from the interview: What is the checklist that you have for your tenure? The larger focus will be on the NPS sector but since the adoption of pension scheme in the non-government sector is quite low, we want to focus on an all-citizen model. Globally, one of the critical issues faced by elderly people is poverty due to the lack of a sustainable source of income in their old age. Despite the fact that people in advanced countries have access to multiple pensionsstate, occupational and private pensionthis is still not enough to meet their needs. The challenge in India is bigger because about 90% of the workforce is in the informal sector and do not have access to any kind of statutory old age retirement benefit and are left to fend for themselves. They need a pension and so, the sector needs to grow. Currently, there are 65 million pension accounts of NPS and Atal Pension Yojana (APY) combined, but the numbers are actually coming from APY: about 52 million accounts. Of the remaining 13 million NPS accounts , 8.5 million are in the government sector, where the pension scheme is on autopilot and so employees necessarily have to come into NPS. Hence, the focus would be on the non-government sector and it will have two components one is the corporate sector and the other is the all-citizen model which allows any common person to enrol for the pension scheme. One common belief here is that if the head of the family has a pension account, that would suffice for everyone. Even those who can afford one dont open a pension account for their spouse. But thats not correct. Everybody needs to have a pension account. There is ample scope for that and we are focusing on it. Intermediaries earn very low commissions from NPS and so they sell other products more. What is your plan to counter this? NPS is an attractive product because of its low cost. Having said that, the intermediaries should be reasonably remunerated and hence, the fee structure was reviewed and revised in early 2022. As of now, that is quite adequate. View Full Image Mint There has been a slowdown in enrolments in the last couple of months. Is it because of the new tax regime, which allows no benefit for NPS under section 80CCD? Yes, we saw a dip but thats because the NPS subscriptions have a seasonality. A section of people who do tax planning during the last quarter of the year come to NPS. The new tax regime is neutral to saving instruments, and, NPS, by its own merit, would also fit the bill in that whole process. So I dont think removing tax benefit under the new tax regime will slow down the process of NPS enrollment. What was seen in the last few months was temporary and I think we will see reasonable growth now. Are you thinking of broadening the investment avenues, such as stocks that pension funds can invest in and other products, for example private equity or something similar in nature, that allows longer tenure? The investment guideline is subject to periodic review and we have reviewed and expanded to 200 companies on the equity side. Our interaction with pension funds doesnt suggest the need to do any kind of revision at this stage. But we always interact and take a view on the investment pattern. On the debt side, we have given limits on infrastructure bonds and green bonds. We are open to the newer instruments but at the same time, we also do due diligence in terms of the rating and other things that need to be done. In the case of pension, what you see is what you get as it follows mark-to-market accounting on a daily basis. With all the precautions and guidelines, in the short quantity that we offer, we are open to new instruments coming in. Isnt it strange that foreign pension money is funding a lot of Indias infrastructure development and even startups, whereas our own pension money is mostly locked up in the largest companies. I wont say its like that. We cant say the money is locked in large companies as the bulk of it is in the central government securities. Yes, there is opportunity but the size of the pension fund is not big right now. The corpus that we are sitting on is about 9.65 trillion, which is not a big corpus. In terms of GDP, the NPS corpus would be around 3.5% of the GDP, whereas globally, the pension assets in OECD countries are on an average 80-90%, some even 200% of the GDP. Theres a lot of potential for the pension sector to grow. But currently, the pension sector is quite small and there is adequate space for investment domestically. The minimum guaranteed plan has been in the works for a long time. Are you facing a dilemma about how to keep the rates competitive and costs low at the same time and also ask PFMs (pension fund Manager) to increase their capital base? Yes, if somebody is to bring in a guarantee, there is a cost to that. We also have to look for systemic stability because pension funds are essentially pass-through vehicles and hence are thinly capitalized. If theyre taking more risk in terms of giving guarantees, then more capital needs to be brought in. We, then, also need to see that the guaranteed product bucket doesnt spill over the overall product and we will have to bring in solvency capital. All these things have a cost and, with this, we also have to ensure an attractive return. Currently, we are at this place of balancing the return and risk and hopefully well be able to come up with a solution to the process. Can people opt for SWP until the 60% lump sum is exhausted and then draw pension from the balance 40%? Yes, they can do that because annuity can be deferred. Given the annuity rates, people make this comparison their annuity is low but their pension corpus is giving good returns, so why cant they stay there for longer. We are facilitating this in a way that people can defer the annuity if they want and draw from the 60% through SWPs. But as things stand now, by 75 years of age. pensioners would have to exit SWPs. Will the PFRDA Act be amended? It is under the governments consideration. One of the suggestions that we have made is to have an alternate pension product. The advantage of this is it will give competition to annuity, which typically has a low yield. So, people can get better rates and would have more choices. Do you have any wish list for the NPS and old pension system (OPS) committee? Its too premature for me to comment on NPS, OPS. NPS is a fully funded scheme, while OPS is a purely pay as you go out of the general revenue kind of scheme and is not financially sustainable. Even the countries that have a defined benefit plan for the public sector employees structure them as contributory schemes. There is hardly any country where it is completely not funded. India has taken action by serving a demarche on Canada, calling for strong measures to be implemented by the Justin Trudeau government to prevent protests organised by pro-Khalistan terrorist outfits. The demonstrations are set to occur outside the Indian High Commission in Ottawa, as well as two consulates in Toronto and Vancouver on July 8. The primary concern is to avoid incidents such as desecration of the Indian flag, affixing pamphlets or items to the boundary fence, and throwing projectiles into Indian diplomatic premises in Canada. Also read: India raises concern over threats to its officials in Canada as Khalistan freedom rally to be held on 8 July Canada has assured India that it is committed to the safety of its diplomats after Khalistani posters circulated online, which named Indian officials and were deemed "unacceptable." Canadian Foreign Minister Melanie Joly's statement came in response to External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar's request for partner countries like Canada, the UK, and the US to avoid promoting "extremist Khalistani ideology," as it harms bilateral relations. Minister Joly stressed Canada's adherence to the Vienna Conventions and its serious approach to diplomatic safety. In a Twitter statement, she confirmed that Canada is in close contact with Indian officials regarding the offensive promotional material related to an upcoming Khalistan rally on July 8. Joly emphasized that the actions of a few individuals should not be taken as representative of the entire Canadian community or the country as a whole. NEW DELHI : Indian Railways should adopt a universal standard operating procedure for all works related to modifying signalling systems in order to prevent a repeat of the accident that killed nearly 300 people in Balasore, Odisha, according to the Commissioner of Railway Safetys report which squarely blames human error for the three-train crash. The 2 June Balasore tragedy involving the Coromandel Express, the Bengaluru-Howrah Express and a stationary goods train occurred while modifications were being made to the signalling system. The report by Commissioner A.M. Chowdhary identified human error and faulty signalling as responsible for the accident. It suggested that operation and maintenance of electronic interlocking systems at stations across the country be standardized, and responsibility fixed on officer- level people with relevant expertise to oversee maintenance work. Mint has seen a copy of the report. The report suggested a system of competency certificates in order to ensure that only experienced and competent people are allowed to execute, check and test signalling modification works. The suggestions were made in the context of the report fixing responsibility for the accident on the signal and telecommunication (S&T) department of railways where lapses were noticed at multiple levels. The report suggested that a separate team for checking and testing of modified signalling circuits should be set up to prevent a repeat of Balasore. Work on signalling circuits at the Odisha station on 2 June caused the main signal to show a green light to the approaching high-speed Coromandel Express, even as its track remained connected with a loop line where an iron-ore laden goods train was parked. The report revealed that there had been repairs made to signalling at the same location in 2018 but there was information on this. Information could have prevented occurrence of similar problems going un-noticed. The CRS report points squarely to human error, where signs of movement between the main line and loop line were overlooked. The report repointed to the failure of Railways to learn from past mistakes. It said a similar incident of mismatch between the intended routes set by signals and the actual route taken by the train occurred on 16 May, 2022 at Bankranayabaz station in Kharagpur Division of South Eastern Railways. But no action was taken to address the issue. The CRS report suggested a better and faster response system for the Railways to accidents and coordination between railways and various disaster response forces. The CRS report will now be studied by the Railways. It is expected to be used as inputs by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), which is carrying out the main criminal investigation into the Balasore accident. Queries sent to ministry of railways remained unanswered till the press time. A preliminary probe by Railways earlier had suggested deliberate interference" in the signalling system, with the possibility of sabotage. Besides, rail minister Ashwini Vaishnaw told journalists in Odisha earlier that the root cause" of the accident and criminals" responsible for it had been identified. New Delhi: Iran joined the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation at its 23rd leaders summit, hosted virtually by India as chairman of the grouping. Irans inclusion is set to give the West Asian nation more breathing room as it looks to break out of its diplomatic isolation after the collapse of its nuclear agreement with the US. China and Russia, two other SCO members, have also been keen to build closer ties with countries that are not aligned with Western powers. Belarus, a close ally of Russia, also moved closer to securing membership. Indias foreign secretary Vinay Mohan Kwatra stated that the country will be admitted to the body during next years summit. China, for its part, proposed the creation of an SCO development bank during the summit. China proposes that the SCO scale up local currency settlement between member states, expand cooperation on sovereign digital currency, and promote the establishment of an SCO development bank," said Chinese President Xi Jinping. Chinas push for settling trade in national currencies was backed by Russian President Vladimir Putin. The SCO began as a grouping of the Russian Federation, Central Asian republics and China in the late 1990s.It was originally intended to function as a minilateral body that would build trust and reduce tensions between these erstwhile rivals in the aftermath of the Cold War. The SCO as it stands today was founded in 2001, and India joined the grouping in 2017 along with Pakistan. The summit saw participation from Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Russias Putin, Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Chinas Xi. The SCOs focus has traditionally been on functional issues like economic development, security and counter-terrorism. India has established five new pillars of cooperation within the SCO: Startups and Innovation, Traditional Medicine, Youth Empowerment, Digital Inclusion, and Shared Buddhist Heritage," said Modi in his remarks at the summit. New Delhi also took aim at Islamabad and Beijing during the summit. Strong connectivity is crucial for the progress of any region. Better connectivity not only enhances mutual trade but also fosters mutual trust. However, in these efforts, it is essential to uphold the basic principles of the SCO charter, particularly respecting the sovereignty and regional integrity of the Member States," Modi said. His words were an allusion to the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, which India has opposed since its runs through Pakistan Occupied Kashmir (POK). India also restated its concerns over the continuation of cross-border terrorism. Some countries use cross-border terrorism as an instrument of their policies, provide shelter to terrorists. SCO should not hesitate to criticize such nations. There should be no place for double standards on such serious matters," the Prime Minister added. However, the SCOs connectivity agenda may also get a boost from Irans entry. Modi called for the use of Chabahar Port in Iran to boost trade and connectivity between India and Central Asia. Jharkhand High Court directed for no coercive action against Congress leader Rahul Gandhi in the PM Modi surname case. The next hearing will be on August 16. Rahul Gandhi, has been granted relief by the Jharkhand High Court. The court has issued interim orders to prevent any actions, such as issuing a warrant, against Rahul Gandhi until further notice, reported Hindustan Times. Also read: Modi surname case: Gujarat HC refuses interim protection to Rahul Gandhi The case stems from comments made by Rahul Gandhi in 2018 regarding Prime Minister Narendra Modi's last name and inappropriate remarks about the BJP president. BJP activists filed petitions against Rahul Gandhi, prompting the Jharkhand High Court to take up the matter. In response, the court has temporarily prohibited any action against Rahul Gandhi and adjourned the next hearing to August 16. Also read: Gujarat HC to hear Rahul Gandhi's plea on 'Modi surname' defamation case today During a speech in Ranchi, Rahul Gandhi remarked, "In this country, it is possible for a murderer to become the president of a party only in BJP. Such a thing is impossible in Congress." These comments led to multiple cases being filed against him in various Jharkhand courts, including the Ranchi Civil Court, which issued a warrant. A defamation case is filed against him for making derogatory remarks about the Modi surname. During his campaign for the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, Rahul Gandhi allegedly stated, Nirav Modi, Lalit Modi, Narendra Modi... how come they all have Modi as the common surname. How come all the thieves have Modi as the common surname?" Rahul Gandhi has faced legal repercussions in a separate case in Gujarat. The Surat court had sentenced him to two years in jail for making inappropriate comments about Prime Minister Modi's surname. Rahul Gandhi appealed this verdict in the high court. However, based on the Surat court's judgment, the government declared him ineligible for Lok Sabha membership under the Representation of the People Act, reported Hindustan Times. A woman from Pakistan illegally entered India along with her four children after she fell in love with a man from Greater Noida on gaming app PUBG Mobile. The 27-year-old Pakistan woman identified as Seema Ghulam Haider and name of the man is Sachin, 22. Both met on the gaming platform and fell in love after which they decided to stay together in India. In India, they were living in a rented apartment in Greater Noida's Rabupura area. As per India Today report, the woman entered India along with her four children in May as the owner of the apartment Brijesh told police that they had rented the house in May. In May, she illegally entered India via Nepal. From Kathmandu they went to Pokhara and from there they took a bus and crossed the international borders despite checks. She later reached Delhi and later met Sachin. Sachin is a grocery store in Greater Noida's Rabupura area. Prior to her entering India illegally, both the lovers had met January in Nepal and had also decided to live together, Additional CP Sureshro Arvind Kulkarni told TOI. Recently, the couple approached a lawyer and wanted consultion about her residency and legality of marriage. After growing suspicion on the woman, the advocate informed the local cops. Last Friday, when Seema visited the lawyer, she got up and left as she was asked about her Indian visa. "One of my associates followed them. When I learned they were living in a house in Rabupura, I informed the police," the lawyer said as quoted by TOI. Meanwhile, currently both Sachin and Seema have been arrested by police, and further investigation on the case is underway. "The Pakistani woman and the local man have been detained. The woman's four children are also in police custody," Deputy Commissioner of Police (Greater Noida) Saad Miya Khan told PTI. According to the lawyer and police, Seema claimed that she was a victim of domestic abuse in Pakistan. "She told me she was married to a Pakistani man who works in Saudi Arabia and he would beat her for every little thing. She said she hadn't met him in four years. She also said her brother is with the Pakistani army," the lawyer as quoted by TOI. Dakshina Kannada deputy commissioner Mulai Mugilan has announced a holiday for schools and colleges in Mangaluru, Mulki, Ullal, Moodbidri and Bantwal areas owing to excessive rains. India Meteorological Department (IMD) has on Sunday issued an extremely heavy rainfall warning over Coastal and South Interior Karnataka on July 4. Moreover, the weather office also issued isolated heavy to heavy rainfall over South Interior Karnataka, Coastal Karnataka till 6 July. Heavy rains have been pouring all over South India leading to many areas being inundated. Earlier, Kerala government had declared a holiday in all the state government-run education institutions owing to heavy rainfall prediction by the IMD in Ernakulam and Alappuzha districts. The weathermen have predicted light to moderate intensity rainfall in South India during the next 5 days while heavy to very heavy rainfall is expected at isolated places in the next 5 days. IMD also predicted isolated extremely heavy rainfall at various places in Kerala on July 4. and July 5. NEW DELHI : The leaders summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) takes places on Tuesday under the chairmanship of India, with a likely push for inducting Iran and possibly Belarus as new members. Apart from Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the virtual summit is set to be attended by President Xi Jinping of China, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif of Pakistan, President Vladimir Putin of Russia and the leaders of a number of Central Asian countries. The previous summit took place in Samarkand, Uzbekistan, in September last year. The summit is likely to see a push for expanding the SCO, with Iran likely to join as a member. Besides this, the leaders are likely to push for Belarus to also join the grouping. Bahrain, Kuwait, Myanmar, the Maldives and the UAE are about to join SCO-led cooperation efforts as new dialogue partners," according to a press statement from the Russian foreign ministry. Besides this, counter-terrorism, anti-drug trafficking and anti-extremism will be the focus of te summit. The SCO establishes cooperation between members on a variety of functional issues like economic development, security and anti-terrorism. For example, in the field of security, the grouping has established institutions like the SCO Counter-Terrorism Centre, the SCO Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure (RATS), the SCO Information Security Centre and the SCO Centre against International Organized Crime to bring about regular cooperation between member countries. The SCO began as a grouping of the Russian Federation, Central Asian republics and China in the late 1990s. It was originally intended to function as a minilateral body that would build trust and reduce tensions between these erstwhile rivals in the aftermath of the Cold War. The SCO as it stands today was founded in 2001 and India joined the grouping in 2017 along with Pakistan. Prime Minister Narendra Modi Tuesday said the members of Shanghai Cooperation Organisation can work towards maximizing the utilization of the Chabahar Port following Iran's membership of the world's largest regional organization. "The International North-South Transport Corridor can serve as a secure and efficient route for landlocked countries in Central Asia to access the Indian Ocean. We should strive to realize its full potential," the prime minister said. "Strong connectivity is crucial for the progress of any region. Better connectivity not only enhances mutual trade but also fosters mutual trust. However, in these efforts, it is essential to uphold the basic principles of the SCO charter, particularly respecting the sovereignty and regional integrity of the Member States," the release said. The India prime minister was speaking through video conferencing on the occasion of 23rd SCO Summit today. The virtual summit was joined by Chinese President Xi Jinping, Russian President Vladimir Putin, Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, and other leaders of member countries. Chabahar Port is a seaport in the Sistan-Balochistan province of Iran, on the Gulf of Oman. Its geographic proximity to Afghanistan, Pakistan, India and International North-South Transport Corridor (INSTC) gives it the potential to develop into one of the most important commercial hubs. $85 million port project, signed in May 2016, is one of the major focussed projects of India in Iran. The deal agreement aims to establish an International Transport and Transit Corridor in Chabahar. The construction of the Chabahar Port and the construction of a rail line from Chabahar port to Zahedan are the major highlights of this project. Through the Chabahar Port Project, the cargo can be brought to the Bandar Abbas port and Chabahar port and free Kabul from its dependence on Pakistan. The will give India access to Afghanistan and beyond to Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, Russia, and Europe via the 7,200-km-long multi-modal North-South Transport Corridor (INSTC). Elon Musk has stumped Twitter users once again with his move to limit the number of posts users can read on the platform. On 1 July he tweeted that users with unverified accounts and new unverified accounts would be limited to reading 600 posts a day and 300 posts a day, respectively, while those with verified accounts could read 6,000 posts a day. These temporary" limits were later raised to 10,000 posts a day for verified users, 1,000 a day for unverified users and 500 a day for new unverified users. Musk believes the move will address the extreme levels of data scraping and system manipulation" . Twitter has a little over 360 million monthly active users, with most of them in the US (about 80 million), followed by Japan (58 million) and India (about 24 million) but as we have pointed out earlier, our online lives today are intricately intertwined with our offline lives. What we do online affects our real-world lives and vice versa. Online Twitter feeds spread offline through thousands of newspapers, each copy of which is typically read by three to five people. Add to this the thousands of media websites reporting on stories that originate on Twitter. Twitter feeds also go viral on other social media platforms and instant messaging apps, including Instagram, Facebook, WhatsApp, Signal and Telegram, which collectively have nearly three billion users. The end result is a manifestation of Metcalfes Law, which states that a networks value is proportional to the square of the number of nodes in it. In simple terms, what we tweet quickly spreads well beyond Twitter. This begs the question: why wold Musk want to limit the reading of posts, especially on a platform that makes money primarily from advertising? Here are some possible reasons. Twitter provides companies, developers and users with access to Twitter data through pieces of code called application programming interfaces (APIs), which broadly cover five categories: accounts and users, public tweets and replies, direct messages, advertisements, publisher tools and software development kits (SDKs). For instance, Twitter's direct-message APIs provide limited access" to developers to create personalised experiences on the platform. This helps businesses to, among other things, create human- or chatbot-powered customer service, marketing, and brand-engagement experiences. Developers can also use public Tweets to identify topics and interests, and provide businesses with tools to run advertising campaigns on Twitter. The platform also gives software developers and publishers tools to embed tweets, share buttons and other Twitter content on webpages. Many researchers had long been using Twitter APIs to mine the platforms data for academic papers. But this ended in February, when Musk said the APIs would go behind a paywall. Twitter now has a free" version for write-only use cases and testing the Twitter API". Its basic version, for hobbyists or prototypes", costs $100; the pro version costs $5,000, and the three-levels of its enterprise version are much more expensive still. As a workaround, some sites advocate the free scraping of Twitter data with programming languages like Python and a headless browser (a browser without a graphical user interface that is typically used for things like automated testing, scraping, analysing, crawling, and even hacking). These web-scraping tools can extract Twitter profiles; metadata associated with the content of a tweet including likes, retweets, and replies; hashtags; and Twitter lists. Twitter is in the public domain, so while scraping may seem legal, many tweets contain copyrighted material like images or videos, and scraping them could be illegal depending on ones jurisdiction. OpenAI, Microsoft sued over data scraping Its hardly a surprise, then, that Musk dislikes data scraping and system manipulation. Interestingly, data scraping is the reason why OpenAI and Microsoft have recently been taken to court. In a 157-page class action lawsuit filed on June 28 in a US District Court in California, the plaintiffs alleged that the defendants used unlawful and harmful conduct in developing, marketing, and operating their AI products including ChatGPT-3.5, ChatGPT-4.0, Dall-E, and Vall-E", which use stolen private information" from hundreds of millions of internet users, including children of all ages, without their informed consent or knowledge, and continue to do so to develop and train the products. ChatGPT, for instance, is based on a large language model (LLM) in the Generative Pre-trained Transformer series (GPT-3.5), which enables it to write poems, articles, books, tweets, and even code like humans. LLMs, such as the current GPT versions or Googles LaMDA, represent a major advance in AI. They are trained on humongous volumes of data. GPT-3, for instance, had 175 billion parameters. GPT-4 is rumoured have been launched with about 100 trillion. ChatGPT-3.5 was trained on 570GB of text data from the internet containing hundreds of billions of words, including text harvested from books, articles, and websites, including social media. DALL-E and DALL-E 2 are deep-learning models developed by OpenAI to generate realistic digital images from natural language descriptions known as prompts. VALL-E is an AI model that needs only a three-second recording of a speaker to clone their voice. The lawsuit alleges that instead of legally acquiring all that data to train its models, which requires consent and remuneration", OpenAI took a different approach: theft". They systematically scraped 300 billion words from the internet including personal information obtained without consent." It alleges OpenAI did so "in secret, and without registering as a data broker as it was required to do under applicable law." Acknowledging that OpenAI CEO Sam Altman has curtailed the training of its system with user inputs, the plaintiffs argue that OpenAI has not made it clear in its updated Terms of Use" whether it will only refrain from training on data from API users but continue to feed the inputted, collected, and stored data of the millions of everyday ChatGPT users to train the AI products." The plaintiffs want OpenAI to introduce an option for users to opt out of all data collection and to stop its illegal" scraping of internet data. On 9 June OpenAI was sued again. Georgia radio host Mark Walters discovered that ChatGPT was spreading false information about him and filed a lawsuit against the company, as first reported by Bloomberg Law. In November 2022, Microsoft, its subsidiary GitHub and OpenAI were served a class action lawsuit that accused AI-powered coding assistant GitHub Copilot of relying on software piracy on an unprecedented scale", underscoring the pitfalls of training software on copyright-protected data. Here, too, Copilot has been trained on public repositories of code scraped from the web, many of which are published with licenses that require anyone reusing the code to credit its creators. Among other things, the suit noted, AI systems are not exempt from the law. Those who create and operate these systems must remain accountable. If companies like Microsoft, GitHub, and OpenAI choose to disregard the law, they should not expect that we the public will sit still. AI needs to be fair & ethical for everyone. If its not, then it can never achieve its vaunted aims of elevating humanity. It will just become another way for the privileged few to profit from the work of the many." Given the tone of these class action suits, companies looking to develop and monetise generative AI models have their work cut out for them. On Father's Day, 18 June, Christine Dawood witnessed her husband, Shahzada, and their son, Suleman, embark on a journey to explore the wreckage of Titanic, resting 13,000 feet beneath the surface. Little did they know that this expedition would end in tragedy. Among the victims were Shahzada Dawood, a 48-year-old British-Pakistani businessman from a prominent Pakistani family, and his 19-year-old son, Suleman. The pair boarded the Titan, a 22-foot submersible craft, with Nikon camera armed a Rubik's Cube respectively. As they were enclosed inside the submersible, Christine watched anxiously from the support ship, accompanied by their daughter, Alina. "You sit in a plane without knowing how the engine works," said Christine. News arrived that communication with the submersible had been lost just 1 hour and 45 minutes into the dive. The Coast Guard confirmed the communication failure, sparking concern among the crew on the support ship. Hours stretched into agonizing dread as Christine anxiously awaited any sign of the Titan's return. Unfortunately, four days later, Coast Guard officials announced the discovery of debris from the submersible, indicating that it had most likely imploded, resulting in the tragic loss of all those on board. Also on board were Paul-Henri Nargeolet,77, a renowned French scientist and a global authority on the Titanic, and Hamish Harding,58, a British airline executive excitedly embarking on his first dive. The man behind the expedition was Stockton Rush, the 61-year-old CEO of OceanGate, a company blending science and tourism. Rush, known for his innovative approach, aimed to provide a unique and unforgettable experience to his clientele. The Dawood family's fascination with the Titanic began in 2012 when they visited an exhibition commemorating the ship's 100th anniversary. This passion grew, leading them to OceanGate's offer to explore the Titanic. In 2019, the family visited Greenland and was intrigued by the glaciers that sheathed into icebergs that's when Ms. Dawood spotted an OceanGate ad, offering trips to the Titanic, reported New York Times. OceanGate operated with a vision similar to that of fictional tales and daring scientists: offering a select group of outsiders a rare glimpse into their groundbreaking discovery. The opportunity to witness the iconic shipwreck through a small porthole came with a price tag of $250,000 per person, with negotiations possible. Also read: Netflix under fire over ill-timed promo release amid Titan submarine tragedy: 'Not the best-timed tweet The Dawood family encountered cramped cabins during their journey. In order to accommodate everyone, the husband and wife resorted to sleeping in bunk beds, with the wife occupying the top bunk. Each of the children was assigned their own cabin. As for meals, the family gathered together in the ship's galley, where they enjoyed buffet-style dining, with food served on trays. Every day, at both 7 a.m. and 7 p.m., hour-long or even longer all-hands meetings were held onboard the ship, Polar Prince. Main idea was to keep the paying customers; the explorers, adventurers, and citizen scientists" to be active participants. OceanGate's marketing material portrayed a blend of excitement and scientific exploration, appealing to a mix of clients seeking both validation and adventure. Mission participants, referred to as "mission specialists," received personalized gear and embarked on what OceanGate described as "SpaceX for the ocean." The adventurers were given shirts and jackets embroidered with their names and the flags of their countries while A patch on the sleeve read, Titanic Survey Exploration Crew." Also read: Titanic Submarine highlights: US, Canada probe submersible implosion, formal inquiry yet to be launched However, OceanGate faced criticism and skepticism within the submersible community. Concerns were raised regarding the submersible's cylindrical design, the size of the porthole, and the durability of the materials used. Despite these doubts, Rush continued to take on customers and make revisions to address safety concerns, reported New York Times. OceanGate had planned a series of expeditions to the Titanic site. Unfavourable weather conditions in May and June and rough seas prevented the previous four attempts from reaching the Titanic. The ill-fated dive marked the final mission, known as Mission V. New Delhi: Several American technology firms are considering establishing innovation centres in India to tap the countrys skilled technology workforce, Mukesh Aghi, president and CEO of the US-India Strategic Partnership Forum, said in an interview. This comes after US tech major Applied Materials announced a $400 million investment to build an innovation centre in India. In a bid to boost technology flows between the two countries, Aghi said USISPF is looking to bring Indian startups to the US. The deepening of the economic relationship has coincided with tensions with China. Aghi believes that the China Plus One strategy is accelerating among US firms and India can be a key beneficiary. However, further reforms will be needed. USISPF, Aghi said, is pushing for legislative changes to allow for easier skilled immigration to the US. Edited excerpts: How did the PMs visit push the US-India relationship forward? I think what we are seeing is a relationship which has basically moved a few steps further, broader and deeper. You can divide the visit into three broad parts. One is the ceremony like the White House welcome, the Joint Session of Congress and other events taking place. The second is transactional. The announcements on the General Electric jet engine deal and other business deals that were announced. But the third factor is structure thats going to take us forward over the next 20-30 years. And that is looking at partnership between the two countries in space, AI, and quantum computing. Microns $800 million investment in India has generated a great deal of excitement in terms of the possibilities for more investment in advanced technology. How can both sides continue to work together? The Micron announcement is very important. You have to understand that India is dependent on importing chips either from Taiwan or from Korea. As Indias domestic manufacturing picks up, as Indias domestic manufacturing picks up, it needs to become more self reliant on chips also. Right now, there is a competition. The US has put in around $100 billion in incentives in trying to attract and get local chip manufacturing going. Now, I dont see this as a competition because what the US is doing is focusing on five to seven nanometer chips right whereas India is more focused on 15 to 25 nanometers. So they are basically moving in different arenas and can collaborate more from that perspective. So, the Micron investment is focused more on the 15 and 25 nanometre arena which provides the basic need for India to start building an ecosystem in the chip environment. There are concerns about difficulties in the US visa regime... The need for skilled manpower is very, very high at the moment in the US. So I think we are working on the (Capitol) Hill to see how we take this forward because for the US to get back its manufacturing, it will need skilled resources. Looking forward, is there a sense of further policy changes that will be needed? We should also look at some of the ITAR policy, which regulates technology exports from America. They have been able to make some changes for the General Electric jet engine deal to go forward. But India is looking at other complex technologies which are under the export regulations. We have to look at what else needs to be changed so there is a better cooperation in advanced technology. It could be, for example, from space lasers to applied materials for defense. So I think there are multiple areas for us to keep on pushing. We are not there yet, but at least we have made a lot of progress. Are there, say, three top priorities that USISPF will be pushing through its advocacy after this summit? First, were going to focus on talking to US companies to set up more operations in India, especially innovation and manufacturing centers. So that discussion continues with our companies. If you look at Pfizer, they set up an innovation center in Chennai right, trying to bring in emerging market drugs. There are other tech companies which are seriously looking to set up these innovation centers in India. The second part is technology. For example, America needs some critical drugs coming from India. There was a cancer treatment drug from India which got stopped because the FDA did not approve that plant in India. Finally, they had to reach out to China for that. So we just want to make sure that that process gets more streamlined. The third factor is startup. We are seeing good startups coming out of India. We are talking to quite a few of them to see how we can bring them to the US and see what kind of investment or funding they need, what kind of market access they need. 3 min read Pro-Khalistan radicals set the Indian consulate in San Francisco on fire, but the damage was limited and no staffers were injured. Indian diplomats in Canada are also facing threats ahead of a Khalistan rally. The US has condemned the vandalism and attempted arson. The United States has strongly condemned" the reported vandalism and attempted arson against the Indian consulate in San Francisco. This came after reports stated that pro-Khalistan supporters tried to set the Indian consulate in San Francisco on fire. US Department of State Spokesperson, Matthew Miller in a tweet called the report of vandalism and attempted arson a criminal offence. In a tweet, he wrote, The US strongly condemns the reported vandalism and attempted arson against the Indian Consulate in San Francisco on Saturday. Vandalism or violence against diplomatic facilities or foreign diplomats in the US is a criminal offense." Here's what happened: A local news channel in the US named Diya TV shared a video from 2 July which showed that Khalistanis radicals set the Indian consulate in San Francisco on fire. The incident occurred on 2 July between 1:30 am and 2:30 am. Report also stated that the fire was quickly doused by the San Francisco fire department. The report further added that damage was limited and no staffers were injured. Indian Ambassador to the US Taranjit Singh Sandhu and Dr TV Nagendra Prasad, Consul General, Consulate General of India, San Francisco, have been targeted in a poster purportedly circulated by Sikh extremists who have accused them of playing a role in the June killing of Khalistan Tiger Force chief and designated terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar. Harjit Singh Nijjar aka Hardeep Singh Nijjar, a Khalistani terrorist who was killed in a targeted shooting in Canada's Surrey on 18 June. Nijjar was the chief of Khalistan Tiger Force (KTF) and was also included in the list released by the Indian government, naming 40 other designated terrorists. Last year in July 2022, NIA had also declared a reward of 10 lakh on Nijjar who was linked to a conspiracy to kill a Hindu priest in Punjabs Jalandhar in 2021. NIA has declared a cash reward of 10 lakh against Nijjar... Any information pertaining to the absconding accused leading to his arrest or apprehension, may be shared... the identity of the informer shall be kept secret," the NIA had said. Speaking on fire at Indian Consulate in San Francisco, BJP leader Manjinder Singh Sirsa said, We condemn in strong voice the attempt to set on fire the Indian Consulate in San Francisco. Consulates are a ray of hope and a support centre for the people of our country living in foreign nations. These people (Khalistanis) have become the enemy of India and Sikhs. They are playing into the hands of ISI. I request the Sikhs abroad to identify these people and take strict action against them." Meanwhile, India had also expressed concerns to the Canadian authorities about the upcoming Khalistan rally in Canada which will be held on 8 July, a report by Hindustan Times stated. Posters of the freedom rally is being circulated on social media. Indian authorities also has escalated of possible threat to the officials in Canada. The poster carries threats to Sanjay Kumar Verma Indias high commissioner to Ottawa and Apoorva Srivastava who is consulate general in Toronto. As per the poster, a Khalistan Freedom Rally will be held on 8 July at 12.30 pm. The rally is set to start from Great Punjab Business Centre and will end at Indian Embassy at Toronto, the poster claims. Replying on this, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said that India has asked its partner countries such as Canada, the UK and the US not to give space to "extremist Khalistani ideology" as it is "not good" for relations. When asked about reports of Khalistani posters in Canada naming Indian diplomats, the minister said the issue will be raised with the government of that country. American Independence Day commemorates the adoption of the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776, by the Second Continental Congress, declaring the colonies' separation from Great Britain. One year later, Philadelphia witnessed a spontaneous celebration marking the anniversary of American independence, according to the Library of Congress. Here are 5 lessers known facts about America's Independence Day: July 2: The real independence day? Americans celebrate the Fourth of July with much pomp because it marks the Declaration of Independence. However, it's not widely known that the Continental Congress declared America's independence on 2 July 1776. Interestingly, John Adams, while serving as the second President of the United States, refused to participate in the celebrations and other events on the 4th of July because he believed that July 2 was the real Independence Day. Day of coincidences?: American founding fathers and former presidents George Washington and John Adams passed away on the 50th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence in 1826. Fifth US President James Monroe died in New York on the same day in 1831. In 1863, the Confederate garrison surrendered to Union forces on this day, splitting the Confederacy in half. Not a federal holiday till: According to the Library of Congress, the Fourth of July was not declared a federal holiday until 1870, by which time it had become the largest secular holiday on the calendar. Congress passed an act declaring the Fourth of July a federal holiday on 28 July 1870. Fourth of July and fireworks: Founding father John Adams envisioned a grand celebration of America's independence. Americans have a special relationship with fireworks, spending about $2.3 billion each year. But the invention of fireworks predates the American Revolution. According to the American Pyrotechnics Association, fireworks may have been first developed in China in the second century by throwing bamboo stalks into fires. American founding fathers did not prescribe a role for the flags: The American Founding Fathers did not prescribe a particular role for the national flag, and it is unlikely that it was treated with as much reverence at the time of independence as it is today. Surprisingly, it was not until the mid-19th century that the American flag became a permanent fixture at the White House. Later, in the mid-20th century, a federal code for the handling and displaying of the national flag was developed, and in 1960 Congress passed a law making it illegal to disrespect the flag. Prime Minister Narendra Modi gave a clarion call for SCO member nations to stand against terrorism for regional and global peace during his address at the SCO Summit on Tuesday. He mentioned that some countries are using cross-border terrorism as an instrument of their policies and are giving shelter to terrorists. Later, he said that people should not hesitate in criticising such countries. "Terrorism is a threat to regional and global peace. We will have to fight against terrorism...Some countries use cross-border terrorism as an instrument of their policies and give shelter to terrorists. SCO should not hesitate to criticize such countries. SCO countries should condemn it. There should be no double standards on terrorism," he said. Other than terrorism, Prime Minister Narendra Modi touched different aspects of India and its role in SCO. Here are the major highlight from PM Modi's address at SCO. -India's AI-based language platform Bhashini at SCO: He also talked about the impact of language barrier on the functioning of multi-nation platforms like SCO, and how India's AI-based language platform Bhashini will help overcoming the obstruction. He said that Bhashini can become an example of digital technology and inclusive growth. "We would be delighted to share India's AI-based language platform Bhashini with everyone to remove language barriers within SCO. It can become an example of digital technology and inclusive growth. SCO can become a significant voice for reforms within the UN and other global institutions. I am delighted that Iran is joining the SCO family as a new member," added PM Modi. -Iran joining SCO as new member, Belarus signs MOU: PM Modi also extended his wishes to Iran who is the newest member country of the SCO. On this summit, an MOU was signed to initiate the inclusion of Belarus in SCO. "I am happy that Iran is going to join the SCO family as a new member," he added. -Opportunities for youngsters from SCO: In his address he threw light upon major programs and conclaves have been organised to harness talent of the youth from SCO. He mentioned about platforms like the Young Scientist Conclave, Authors Conclave, Startup Forum, and Youth Council. -Five pillars of cooperation within the SCO: PM elaborated upon the role of India in establishing five pillars of cooperation within the SCO. The five pillars he mentioned were Startup and innovation, traditional medicine, youth empowerment, digital inclusion, and shared Buddhist heritage. -Food, fuel and fertiliser big challenge for world: In his opening remark, PM Modi mentioned the major challenge of food, fuel and fertilisers lying ahead of all the countries in the world that are surrounded by controversies, tensions and epidemics. He called for united efforts to deal with such problems. The 22nd Law Commission recently called for views on a Uniform Civil Code (UCC) for India. On Monday, at a meeting of a parliamentary committee on personnel, public grievances, law and justice, its chairman Sushil Kumar Modi, who represents the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in Parliament, questioned the feasibility of a UCC in Northeast states and for Tribals. This suggests discomfort with the idea even within the governments own ranks. The 21st Law Commission, headed by a retired Supreme Court judge, Justice Balbir Singh Chauhan, had been tasked similarly. Its consultation paper of 31 August 2018, Reforms of Family Law, said it had been published on the basis of the overwhelming responses it received. The 22nd Law Commissions stated reasons for starting consultations afresh include the four-year-plus gap from the previous paper, the subjects relevance and importance, and various court orders on the subject since then. Notably, the 2018 paper had come to the conclusion that a UCC was neither necessary nor feasible. However, it also suggested detailed and comprehensive changes in every personal law. The paper scrutinized each provision with a lens of gender justice to offer updates that reflect todays times and ensure members of all communities are treated at par. The earlier commission had been tasked by the same government. If the recommendations it came up with were deemed faulty or did not suit its legislative agenda, then it should say so. Its own apex body on legal issues clearly stated in 2018 why a UCC is neither needed nor possible, so why else would the administration seek further views on implementing a UCC? This takes credibility away from the cited reason of a nearly-half-decade gap. In addition, the onus should be on the government to say precisely what, if anything, the 2018 consultative paper failed to address, the reason for this reopening of a discussion on UCC implementation, and what changes in the Indian law it has under consideration to that effect. Anyone who is interested in the ideas of gender justice, pluralism, diversity, inclusion and equity for all should demand that the government, instead of seeking fresh suggestions, begins the process of implementing changes recommended in Reforms in Family Law. Indian opposition parties, civil society and other stakeholders need to demand answers from the government on this, rather than fall into a political trap of opposing a UCC and thereby giving the ruling party a chance to portray them as change resistant. The government had a long time to implement at least some of the reports recommendations. Taxpayer money, time and energy were spent on the previous exercise, but we now find the government wishes to start the process again from scratch. Its search for suggestions at a time its second term in office is coming to an end suggests that politics has played a role in it. The demand for a UCC, initially raised by feminists, was subsequently taken up as a political cause by the countrys Hindu right. In the 1950s, family law reforms for Hindus, which were opposed by rightists, led the latter to cast the UCC mentioned in Indias Directive Principles of State Policy as a point of Hindu-Muslim contrast, since the family laws of Muslims are based on Sharia, which has been branded as regressive and used as a scare-mongering tactic. Although the story that polygamy allowed by Islam will result in a population explosion among Muslims has been debunked by data, it retains its political charge. While Indian Muslims might be more wary than others of the shape a UCC may come to take, given how a Muslim-specific law has already criminalized a form of verbal divorce and meant particular exposure to legal consequences, it is important to note that the opposition to a UCC in India comes not just from conservative Muslim quarters. Representatives of Adivasis, Northeast residents, Parsis, Sikhs, Christians and others have expressed reservations over how the adoption of a UCC could affect them. The implementation of a UCC has been a matter of controversy in India for decades. For a way ahead, we should refer to the 2018 report, whose wide-ranging recommendations cover the practices of all religious groups and communities. They also suggest reforms of the Special Marriages Act, under which citizens may marry without referring to any religious order, authority or rites. The 21st Law Commission provided us with a template which sensitively and comprehensively addresses lacunas in various aspects of family law across all our diverse practices, as traditionally retained by different religions, communities and groups. There are certainly a few gaps in the paper that need to be addressed, such as marriage equality for those of us who identify as LGBTQIA+. With inclusion as a principle, broader definitions of family that include chosen families, live-in relationships, etc, could be adopted. But an outline for far-reaching legal changes that are equitable, especially for women, has already been formulated by a government panel. This should have been highlighted by the 22nd Law Commission. Let us therefore ask the government to start implementing past recommendations. As an early step, perhaps it could abolish tax breaks for Hindu undivided families (HUFs). In a single stroke, it would bolster credibility for the claim that a UCC is about equity and justice for all. Effective 1 August, exporters of gallium and germanium in China will need a licence to ship these two precious metals used in the manufacture of semiconductors. Considering that China produces 60% of the worlds germanium, according to Europes Critical Raw Materials Alliance, and 80% of all gallium, Beijings move could hamper chip-making outside China. Though it has sought to justify it on national security, its lost on nobody that this is retaliation for curbs placed on technology-sensitive exports to China by its geopolitical opponents, led by the US. How hard Beijing will clamp down on these exports is unclear. It may be a bargaining chip for trade deals as others scramble to secure key inputs for technological advances. But whatever the actual game being played by Chinese strategists, it should not amount to an export embargo, which would get in the way of global progress. In 2010, China restricted exports of rare earth materials to Japan. Since then, apprehensions have only grown of Beijing trying to monopolize their use. These tactics need to be resisted. But equally, global powers like the US must do their bit to get globalization and free trade back in favour across the globe. Maharashtra Political crisis: Ajit Pawar, the recently inducted Deputy Chief Minister of Maharashtra, prompted yet another political party crisis in the state, only almost a year after Eknath Shinde rebelled against then Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray sensationally leading to a governance change in Maharashtra. Eknath Shinde's rebellion caused a split in the Shiv Sena. Similarly did Ajit Pawar's rebellion split Sharad Pawar helmed Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) into two- NCP (Ajit Pawar faction), and NCP with Sharad Pawar as national president. Ajit Pawar took charge as the deputy CM of Maharashtra for the fifth time in his political career. Notably, Ajit Pawar's rebellion on Sunday, came days after a verbal battle between Sharad Pawar and Maharashtra deputy CM and Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Devendra Fadnavis ended with the BJP warning the NCP to watch out for Fadnavis bouncers". The Maharashtra Assembly Elections to the 288-member cabinet are due to be held in 2024. Hints of unease within the NCP ranks rose when Sharad Pawar's daughter Supriya Sule joined politics in the 2009 parliamentary elections. Another irritant for the Ajit camp was the entry into politics of Pawars grandnephew Rohit Pawar. Rohit contested and won the last Assembly election. Notably, Ajit had been elevated to the rank of Maharashtra cabinet minister in 1999, nine years after he served as a junior minister as an NCP member. Uncle-nephew duo frictions not new This is not the first time that Ajit Pawar has rebelled within the NCP ranks. An attempt in 2019 had fizzled out within days, however, nephew Ajit Pawar had always maintained a passion to carve his own political legacy, different from uncle Sharad Pawar's handcrafted political stint spanning almost half a century. Ajit has left the NCP stunned in 2004, when he publicly differed with the party leaderships decision to concede the chief ministership to the Congress. In 2012, he suddenly resigned as Deputy CM over accusations of irregularities in irrigation projects during his tenure as the water resources minister, jeopardising the future of the Congress-led government as other NCP ministers threatened to follow suit. At the time, Pawar senior stepped in to save the government. Weeks before the last Assembly elections, Ajit broke down in public over the Enforcement Directorate naming him and Pawar in a money-laundering case, claiming he was hurt. He subsequently resigned as MLA and went incommunicado. Pawars decision to step back from contesting the 2019 Lok Sabha elections was said to have stemmed from Ajits insistence on fielding his son Parth from Maval. Parths loss is believed to have added to the bad blood in the family. In 2019, Ajit Pawar had taken oath as the deputy chief minister of Maharashtra while BJP leader Devendra Fadnavis was the Chief Minister. That government lasted only 80 hours. Ajit again took over as the Deputy CM in the MahaVikasAgadi (MVA) government in November 2019. This government too faced the sharp end of the dagger when Eknath Shinde rebelled in 2022. Ajit followed Sharad in rebelling against their mentors The similitude between the Pawar patriarchs was contained to the fact they both attempted to hammer out individual political legacy by rebelling against their mentors. Uncle Sharad Pawar rebelled by going against his mentor Vasantdada Patil to form his own government in 1978, and Ajit's second albeit successful attempt could potentially foil his mentor's NCP's rise in Maharashtra and it's governance. However, unlike the confident, much respected, people-friendly Sharad Pawar, his nephew is known for his brusque style of functioning, short temper and intolerance of dissent. Notably, it has long been his ambition to emerge from the NCP chiefs shadow. Ajit Pawar, son of Sharad Pawar's elder brother Anantrao Pawar, had been by his uncle's side since 1991-92. Political pundits have always flagged that nephew Pawar fancied himself as heir apparent after Sharad broke away from the Congress to form the NCP in 1999. Ajit's mutiny was fuelled by NCP side-lining him? Ajit Pawar, who nested dreams of taking over the NCP chief post, was side-lined over time. This came to the forefront when Sharad Pawar recently sprang his surprise resignation as NCP chief. The decision announced in the first week of May had attempted to quell brewing contention within the NCP. However, Sharad Pawar retained his national president position and retracted his resignation. Further Supriya Sule was made the working president and thus handing out a fresh snub to Ajit. Notably, Ajit was the only leader in May who suggested that Sharad Pawar's resignation should be accepted in order for newer leadership to take over. In June, Ajit Pawar asked Sharad Pawar to relieve him of the post of leader of opposition in the assembly and to give him an organisational task instead. In the same speech, he launched an attack against the NCP's leadership over the party's failure to form a government on its own in Maharashtra, and said that NCP lagged behind. According to a TOI report, Ajit had set 1 July as the deadline for his own appointment as state NCP president, and when Sharad Pawar failed to sack Jayant Patil, he implemented his plan drafted a month ago to join the Shinde-Fadnavis government. Ajit walks out arm in arm with Sharad's comrades This time Ajit walked out of the shadows of his uncle with president Sharad Pawar's long-time aides like Dilip Walse Patil, Chhagan Bhujbal, Dhananjay Munde and Hasan Mushrif in his kitty. More so, Ajit also found a comrade in his mutiny in Praful Patel, the oldest aide of Sharad Pawar. Sharad Pawar-led NCP as well as the rebel party faction recently formed by his nephew Ajit Pawar are set to hold meetings in Mumbai on Wednesday. Both groups have insisted that they have the support of most other NCP MLAs. Meanwhile, other members of the Maha Vikas Aghadi also held meetings to discuss the current situation on Tuesday. Following the interaction Congress leaders met with Sharad Pawar to express their solidarity. According to a PTI report quoting functionaries from both sides, Sharad Pawar has called a meeting at 1 pm in south Mumbai's Yashwantrao Chavan Centre. The rebel faction is slated to meet at 11 pm in Bhujbal Knowledge City in suburban Bandra. Reports citing party sources also indicated that the NCP chief is seeking legal opinion to tackle the crisis. "Taking a legal opinion is necessary as this issue concerns Schedule 10 of the constitution," said NCP national spokesperson Clyde Crasto. Ajit Pawar - as well as BJP and Shiv Sena leaders who are part of the ruling alliance - claims to have the support of at least 40 (out of 53) MLAs. With both Pawars claiming to have the majority, Crasto meanwhile contended that the rebel leader would be able to gather a mere 13 lawmakers at his side. It is pertinent to note here that Ajit will need the support of at least 36 MLAs in order to avoid the provisions of the anti-defection law. But even as the NCP teeters on the brink of a vertical split, both the Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena (UBT) and the Congress have backed Sharad Pawar and voiced a desire to remain within the alliance. "Congress condemns the manner in which the BJP engineered a split in the NCP legislature party. The MVA will stay united and defeat the BJP," Congress president Nana Patole told reporters after meeting the NCP chief. (With inputs from agencies) Taking a swipe at Sharad Pawar, Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said that the NCP leader is using his daughter Supriya Sule to preserve his political legacy. He as claimed that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has successfully reduced the influence of dynastic politics in national affairs. In an interview with ANI Editor Smita Prakash which was recorded on June 29 days ahead of the crisis in the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), Fadnavis acknowledged Pawar's role in uniting opposition parties saying he is the "driver of opposition unity". Fadnavis said, "The person to bring the opposition parties together is Pawar Sahib. And the force behind bringing the opposition parties together, the parties who cannot see each other face to face is Pawar Sahib. The driver of opposition unity is also Pawar." "He has health reasons but he is fit. Sharad Pawar visits places now. He is politically, totally alert. He is counted among those politicians who know politics from every side. He definitely wants to transfer the legacy of his party just like all family parties want. In order to transfer his legacy, he has put Supriyaji in the forefront," the BJP leader said. Mr Fadnavis said that Sharad Pawar would remain active politically as he continues to be NCP chief. "If he wanted to take a backseat, he would have made Supriya Sule party president, but he has made her a working president. He has established his process of transferring his legacy but the person sitting in the driving seat is Sharad Pawar only." Sharad Pawar appointed Supriya Sule and Praful Patel as working presidents of the NCP, while Ajit Pawar's reported move to join the BJP-Shiv Sena government caused a party split. Mr Fadnavis said dynastic politics is there and noted people should be promoted on the basis of their abilities. "We are not opposed to a politician's daughter and son becoming a politician. The point that we are trying to make is that a person should not go to a superior position just because he is the son of a particular politician. The person should not be promoted to a higher post if he or she is incapable, or if the person does not have an understanding or calibre. We are against this kind of dynastic politics, this is wrong," he said. "The result of dynastic politics is that the government ends up serving a family and not the people. But after Modi ji came to power, this kind of politics has lessened. After this, the only dynasty which will last is the one which will serve people," he added. Opposition parties are making efforts to forge a front against the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) at the Centre with an eye on next year's Lok Sabha polls. ALLIANCE More Information For the richest and most economically successful nation on the planet, with an increasingly urbanized population of more than 300 million, it's a position that is becoming more difficult to justify. The Irish Cancer Society will be offering free health checks in Longford Centre this week. As part of the Your Health Matters Roadshow, nurses will administer health checks to the public from 9am 6pm on Wednesday, July 5 and Thursday, July 6, free of charge. Your Health Matters will be located opposite the Butcher Unit across from Tesco in Longford Centre. The health check is a free walk-in service. It will include a blood pressure check, body mass index (BMI) and carbon monoxide (CO) reading and information on cancer prevention, screening and ways to help spot the early signs of cancer. Each health check will take approximately 15 minutes and a referral for a GP can also be arranged where further help is required. Early detection and diagnosis of cancer is essential to improve health outcomes. When cancer is diagnosed early, it can improve the quality of life of those living with cancer, increase survival and reduce the severity of treatment. Many patients find it difficult to or do not attend GP visits even when they are experiencing potential cancer symptoms. The Your Health Matters Roadshow initiative seeks to change this by promoting positive lifestyle changes, increasing awareness of cancer symptoms, and improving medical care-seeking behaviour for the early signs of cancer. In 2022, the roadshow travelled to 20 different locations around the country. To date, over 18,200 people have learned about the importance of early detection, and more than 1600 people have received health checks. Use the Arrows < > above to go through the gallery The pupils and staff of Scoil Eimear, Longford came together to bid a fond farewell to long-serving Deputy Principal Sinead Smith who recently retired. Sinead was born and raised in Longford. She is from Ballymahon where she is a member of the Flynn family. Her family has had a long tradition in the bakery industry. Indeed her sister Una Flynn set up a very successful baking business following her own retirement as a school teacher. READ MORE BELOW PHOTO Sinead began her own education in Ballymahon primary and attended Convent of Mercy secondary in Ballymahon. She then went to Carysfort College, Dublin from where she graduated as a teacher in 1983. Her first post was in Dublin but she soon came back home and worked in St Colmcilles and St Patricks NS Moyne. She joined the staff of Scoil Eimear in 1988. The school was still in its infancy at that time, having opened in 1987 and the Principal was Mr Ward. Sinead taught at both Junior & Senior levels. She also worked with Mrs Noeleen Rooney Principal and during this time she became Deputy Principal. In recent years she worked alongside the current Principal of Scoil Eimear Martina McCormack. Sinead worked tirelessly in her many roles and her relationship with her colleagues, pupils and parents was exemplary. Her love of music soon surfaced and it manifested itself in her work developing music at Scoil Eimear and beyond. Sinead understood the gift of music as a way of communicating and recognised it as an International language in itself. Sr Angela Bracken introduced the National Childrens Choir (NCC) to Longford in 1985 and Sinead soon became involved in this wonderful Nationwide initiative. In its early days the NCC was associated with a few schools in Longford. Sinead, with the help of devoted music lovers in other schools, became a driving force behind the NCC and it now involves schools from Co Cavan, Leitrim and Longford. The teachers learn a very challenging repertoire and this is taught to the children, who perform at a local concert in Longford and later some children are selected to perform in the National Concert Hall in Dublin. The beauty of the NCC is that all children perform. Sinead has been the local coordinator for the last number of years but there is very little local about it, as it involves liaising with many schools throughout the country. Sinead would be the first to acknowledge the wonderful team of teachers and musicians whose commitment to the NCC has resulted in the amazing biennial concerts that take place and which are enjoyed so much by the audiences and children alike. The trojan work Sinead has done in promoting all kinds of music is evident each year in the participation of Scoil Eimear in the annual Scor competition and beautiful school choirs. She has been blessed to have found some kindred spirits among her fellow teachers which has resulted in the promotion of dance, singing, instrumental playing, recitation and drama in the school. Sinead is married to Frank Smith and they live with their family in Aughnacliffe. They have four children, Conor, Ronan, Cian and Aine. She and her family suffered the heartache of losing Cian after a short illness in 2011. He, like his mother, was a lover of music and the staff of the Scoil Eimear and some of the pupils were very fortunate to have enjoyed his wonderful musical talent as he played his banjo on stage as a very young boy, full of mischief and wit. The staff and Sineads family enjoyed a magical day on June 16 a fitting tribute to such a wonderful person. The occasion was marked by celebrations that began at the school. There were musical compositions in song and dance performed brilliantly by the children. The lyrics of the songs were all written by the staff and the creative dance was specially choreographed by Amie Duignan, a past pupil of Scoil Eimear and a great supporter of the school. Everyone in the school was involved and it all came together under the guidance of the talented Fiona Branigan and Sharon Donnelly. The day ended with a fabulous meal at the Rustic Inn, followed by a night of dancing to the great music of Colm Mulligan. It goes without saying that Sinead will be greatly missed but her legacy has left the school a very enriched place which all her colleagues hope she will continue to visit. The proportion of high-risk drug users who turn to cocaine now exceeds those who use heroin Opioid use has declined in the past few years, while cocaine has become the drug of choice for high-risk drug users, the Health Directorate said in its yearly report published Tuesday. Even though the number of cocaine users has gone up, fatal overdoses and the use of drugs by injection have declined in the past two decades. In 2021, five of every 1,000 inhabitants were estimated to be high-risk drug users, down from nine in 2000. The Health Directorate publishes annual data on the state of drug and drug addiction in Luxembourg and works under the authority of the Health Ministry to monitor the use of illicit drugs. The directorate defines high-risk drug users as those who are harmful to themselves and to others. The data for 2021 still shows that cocaine users are surpassing those of heroin, a more harmful drug, with "the proportion of high-risk users who have used cocaine (68.5%) meanwhile exceeds that of heroin users (64.3%)," the directorate said. Cocaine is on the rise, but it is gradually shifting to lower-risk modes of administration, which helps in the decrease of overdoses. The proportion of drug-injecting clients decreased in 2021. The proportion who smoke or inhale increased from 37% in 2013 to 65% in 2021. As a result of coordinated harm-reduction efforts, inhalation has been the administration mode of choice for more than half of users who are low- and high-risk, which is helping to reduce the risk of overdoses and the transmission of certain infectious diseases, the directorate said. Fatal overdoses have declined in the past two decades, with 26 deaths in 2000, compared with five in 2021. The percentage of requests for treatment for cocaine use has increased in recent years, from 26% in 2020 to 33% in 2021. The percentage of those seeking treatment for cannabis use has declined, from 34% in 2020 to 25% in 2021. The directorate attributed the shift to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. The report also suggests an increase in the supply of illicit drugs, with more quantities of cannabis and cocaine being seized in 2021. Cannabis seizures account for three-quarters of the total. It still is the most consumed drug in the country. A reason for these increases is that the purity of cocaine is at its highest level, while cannabis has seen its average THC concentration, the potent component of the drug, double in the past decade. "Despite the high variations in the number and quantity of cocaine seized in the past years, the increased proportion of [high-risk] and recreational drug users reporting cocaine use suggest a growing availability of the drug on the market," the report said. Sergei Surovikin, a career military officer dubbed General Armageddon for his ruthless tactics in Syria, hasnt been seen since the short-lived rebellion A Russian general whos been questioned over the failed mutiny by Wagner mercenaries was conspicuously absent at a meeting of top army chiefs where Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu denounced the rebellion. Sergei Surovikin, 56, a career military officer dubbed General Armageddon for his ruthless tactics in Syria, hasnt been seen since the short-lived rebellion ended on June 24. He was quizzed over his links to Wagner leader Yevgeny Prigozhin over several days last week at an undisclosed location, according to a person with knowledge of the matter. The attempt to destabilize the situation in Russia failed because the armed forces remained true to their oath Shoigu told officers at the Defense Ministry meeting broadcast Monday on state TV, in his first public comments on the uprising. The provocation didnt affect Russias military operations in Ukraine, he said. The insurrection by the one-time ally of President Vladimir Putin spiraled into the biggest threat to the Russian leaders 24-year rule and has left unanswered questions about the extent to which elements in the military may have known in advance about Prigozhins plans. Wagner forces came within 200 kilometers (124 miles) of Moscow facing little opposition before halting their advance after Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko brokered a deal to end the crisis. Under that agreement, Putin pledged to allow Prigozhin to move to Belarus as well as any Wagner fighters who wanted to join him. Criminal investigations into Wagner on accusations of armed uprising were also closed. A June 26-30 survey of 1,599 people conducted by the Russian Field polling agency showed the proportion of Russians holding a favorable opinion of Prigozhins role in the war in Ukraine plunged to 29% from 55% in a similar poll just before the rebellion. The number viewing him negatively rose to 39% from 14% in the June 16-19 poll. While Lukashenko said last week that Prigozhin had arrived in Belarus, the Wagner founder hasnt been seen since late on June 24 and his social media channels have all gone silent. Shoigu made no mention of the number of Wagner fighters whod agreed to sign contracts with the Defense Ministry by a July 1 deadline that was a spark for the mutiny. Prigozhin had accused Shoigu of attempting to destroy Wagner, whose troops have played a key role in Russias war in Ukraine, particularly in fighting over the eastern city of Bakhmut. There are other signs that Prigozhins legacy in Russia is being dismantled. His Russian media operations are being wound up and websites belonging to his Patriot group have been blocked by regulators, the Izvestia newspaper reported Friday. Ukraines military is continuing to press its counteroffensive aimed at retaking parts of southern and eastern Ukraine occupied by Russian forces. Putin announced Russia was annexing four regions of Ukraine in September even as his troops dont fully control the territories. The president held a televised meeting Monday with the head of Russias central election committee, Ella Pamfilova, who told him plans were in place to hold regional elections in occupied regions of Ukraine in September, though the votes could be postponed if the situation deteriorated. 2023 Bloomberg L.P. The 'Sicko Mode' hitmaker was performing at Rolling Loud festival in the Netherlands over the weekend when he headed over to the front row to get closer to the crowd, and was quickly impressed by one guy who was rapping his lyrics straight back to him. The battle for sun beds round hotels pools has stepped up a level this summer with scores of holiday makers posting videos of the dawn raid to grab a sun bed and how some hotels are hitting back. However, the new tactics adopted by the British, and even Americans and the French according to the German media, appears to have upset the Germans. One German commenter wrote: Im German and live in the U.K. On my last holiday it was the English that had the towels out before 6 am. Meanwhile, someone else said it was French holidaymakers who were the biggest hoggers, writing: The French were up at 5am on my holiday I couldnt believe my eyes. Another wrote on social media: What a lovely relaxing holiday, stupid English at its finest. Another added: What a holiday, thats why I dont go where the English go. And earlier this year, top-selling German daily Bild ran a story claiming that the Germans were worried about the losing their sun beds to the increasing number of tourists coming to Mallorca from the United States. Under the headline Are the Yanks stealing our sun beds on Mallorca? The newspaper reported : In the USA, Germanys favourite island, Majorca, has been declared a trendy travel destination. Not Miami (Florida), not Cancun (Mexico), not Honolulu (Hawaii). Any self-respecting American this summer is flying to Mallorca! Yes, you read that right! The Yanks are conquering Mallorca! After decades of persistently, almost stubbornly ignoring Germanys favourite island, the Americans have now discovered their enthusiasm for the beautiful Balearic island. What a shame. If you have had a bad experience sends us your story, pictures or video: editorial@majorcadailybulletin.es Manchester, VT (05254) Today Light rain this morning with thunderstorms by evening. High around 75F. Winds S at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 90%. Locally heavy rainfall possible.. Tonight Thunderstorms early, then cloudy skies after midnight. Potential for heavy rainfall. Low 61F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 60%. The Department of Science and Technology has provided seven STARBOOKS units, the countrys first digitized library to seven public high schools in Pangantucan, in partnership with the local government unit and the Department of Education Division of Bukidnon. The school beneficiaries are Pangantucan National High School, Bacusanon National High School, Bangahan Integrated School, Kimanait National High School, Langcataon National High School, San Isidro High School, and Pangantucan Bukidnon Community College. The project holds immense potential for the 4,944 high school students, 1,389 college students, and 890 teachers who have long depended on limited books and unreliable internet access. These schools predominantly serve Indigenous Peoples students belonging to the Manobo tribe. During the turnover ceremony, Dr. Lanila M. Palapar, assistant schools division superintendent encouraged the attending teachers to embrace continuous learning and engage with new technologies. Let us not stop learning for ourselves and for our students, Palapar said, highlighting the importance of keeping pace with the evolving educational landscape. The significance of the STARBOOKS project was further highlighted by DOST science research specialist Grazelle Dela Cruz who showcased its vast array of resources that will now be readily available to students and teachers. STARBOOKS is a digital library that offers free access to hundreds of thousands of theses, K-12 modules, DRRM materials, research papers, theses, dissertations, and S&T news. The Science and Technology Research-Based Openly Operated Kiosk (STARBOOKS) is an innovation of the DOST Science and Technology Information Institute. Expressing gratitude for the initiative, Dr. Ellen A. Azuelo, Education Program Supervisor who is also the project leader, commended the DOST for its efficient and comprehensive project implementation process. Pangantucan LGU executive assistant Rolando Franco encouraged the other schools in the municipality to avail the same project for inclusive education opportunities. Pangantucan National High School school principal Dr. Ligaya S. Gonzales is hoping this intervention from the DOST would be followed by further support for STEM education in Pangantucan, fostering a strong foundation for the high school learners academic journey. By providing accessible and up-to-date information, the project aims to empower students to pursue STEM courses and become valuable contributors to the S&T human capital of the country. With the collaborative efforts of the DOST, DepEd, and local educational institutions, the future of S&T education in Pangantucan is set to be brighter than ever before. (Rashia Mae Deva Paano/DOST 10) Please enable JavaScript to view the comments powered by Disqus. Xi Jinping and Vladimir Putin are set to address the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation alliance on Tuesday, with Iran expected to expand the Asian grouping. Putin will be addressing his first summit since a short-lived mutiny last month after the head of the Wagner mercenary group, Yevgeny Prigozhin, led a failed rebellion against the Kremlin. India is hosting the virtual summit of the eight-member SCO headquartered in Beijing but hosted by New Delhi which holds the rotating chair alongside the leaders of Russia, Pakistan and several Central Asian countries. The Kremlin has confirmed Putin will address the summit, while Chinese state media also reported Xi Jinping will take part. Created in 2001 to discuss security and economic matters, other SCO members are Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan, with countries including Belarus and Mongolia invited as observers. Encompassing a vast stretch of the globe from Moscow to Beijing, the bloc makes up around half the worlds population when including both member states as well as observer and dialogue partner nations. Security India, which also host the G20 summit in September, is walking a diplomatic tightrope. Uniquely, it is a member of both the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation and the Quad, set up with the United States, Japan, and Australia to counter Beijings growing assertiveness. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi was last month hosted in Washington with all the full pomp of a state visit, where US President Joe Biden spoke of two great friends and two great powers. At the same time, Moscow remains by far Indias biggest arms supplier they have been allies for decades and New Delhi has been an enthusiastic buyer of cut-price Russian oil during the war in Ukraine. India, with a rapidly growing economy, has surpassed China as the worlds most populous country and has a long-running territorial dispute with Beijing. Iran is expected to join the grouping, with Tehran having intensified its diplomacy with friends and foes alike in recent months, seeking to reduce its isolation, improve its economy and project strength. This membership is beneficial both for Iran and for the organisation, Irans foreign ministry spokesman Nasser Kanani said Monday, saying it would have positive effects on economic development between member nations. Indias arch-rival and neighbour Pakistan will also take part, with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif calling it an important forum for regional security and prosperity, Islamabads foreign ministry said in a statement. Please enable JavaScript to view the comments powered by Disqus. The New Peoples Army (NPA) continues to stage attacks, targeting various development projects of the government aimed at improving the quality of life in formerly rebel-controlled barangays, the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC) said on Monday. In an online press briefing, Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) director Rene Valera, who heads the agencys Project Development Services, said military and police units have foiled at least 10 NPA attacks targeting various development projects. So, disruptions did not last long, based on the information we gathered the NPAs were just making their presence felt, and then they will flee, he added in a statement Monday night. Based on DILG records, government forces repelled the NPA rebels attack on Nov. 26, 2022 against a development project being implemented in Sitio Ibayasaya, Barangay Tigbanaba, Igbaras, Iloilo. This was followed by a 16-man rebel attack in San Remegio, Antique. On January 27, a twin attack was conducted by the NPA in the barangays of Cabladan and Cabanbanan in the town of Sibalom, Antique that killed three unidentified rebels. Armed encounters between government security forces and the NPA were also recorded in San Miguel, Catanduanes. On May 11, another encounter happened in Sitio Dangalon, Barangay Hilamonan, Kabankalan City, Negros Occidental and then this was followed by an encounter on May 20 between 14 NPA rebels and government forces in Sitio Uway-uay, Barangay Quentin Remo, Moises Padilla, Negros Occidental. In late March, government forces repelled a series of NPA attacks in Sitio Gimbaloran, Barangay Alipuaton, Salay, Misamis Oriental and in Barangay Buga, Riro-an, Taytay, and Tabiac to Barangay Batga in Tubungan area in Igbaras, respectively. Director Valera said the Interior Department together with the NTF-ELCAC, military and police, and local government units will not be cowed by the economic sabotage being waged by the Communist Party of the Philippines-New Peoples Army-National Democratic Front along with their front organizations. Meanwhile, the DILG also reported that 82.07 percent of the 2021 Support to Barangay Development Program has been completed 1,904 completed projects out of the 2,320 projects with 822 barangays as recipients. For 2022, 41 percent of the 690 projects out of the 1,719 proposed projects for 1,406 barangays have already been completed. The projects include 763 farm-to-market roads, 415 water and sanitation, 132 health stations/centers, 116 school buildings, 163 rural electrification, 53 infrastructure projects, among others. Please enable JavaScript to view the comments powered by Disqus. The perception that sweatshops proliferate in the Philippines has been driving away foreign investors who also feared being accused of paying low wages, Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri said. They want to move to the Philippines, but theyre looking at our wages, our labor problems they dont want to be accused of moving to a country which runs sweatshops due to the low pay theyre giving, said Zubiri, who recently returned from an official trip to the United States. Zubiri was referring to American officials he talked to during his three-week official working visit in Washington D.C. The Philippine contingent led by Zubiri and Sen. Francis Tolentino met US State Department officials and several congressmen who aired their concerns on foreign companies who would like to invest in our country. They want to move to the Philippines, believe it or not, this is their concern, he said. According to Zubiri, the prospective American investors want to pay the right wages, which is higher than what workers in the Philippine have been getting. He cited a big disparity of the wages theyre paying in countries where the American investors have located and in the Philippines. Zubiri also mentioned some people, whom he did not identify, told a foreign investor not to give high salaries to their Filipino workers I brought a company into Clark and then imagine, they want to pay above minimum wage, but was told dont do that because it will look like you can afford it and therefore you will not get the incentives given to ecozones. I could not believe my mind, narrated. They have to keep the wages this low so it will look like they are incapable of paying so they have the so-called economic fiscal incentives, Zubiri said. That is ludicrous. Its crazy. imagine the frustration we feel. He vowed to tackle this issue in the next Senate budget hearing, and pointed out President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. is doing a great job being the number one salesman of our country. And then when they come here (investors), they will be met with this problem. Why is that being a caveat if you want to bring a company into the Philippines, why are you forcing them not to pay the above minimum wage? He belied the notion that investors wont get incentives given in economic zones if they give high salaries to their employees. Zubiri said the Fiscal Incentives Review Board (FIRB), created by the CREATE law, rationalizes all fiscal incentives They should be given these incentives to exporters that want to set up a shop here, he said. He vowed to work all these things out and expressed hope that in the next few months, this will be clarified. Zubiri also intends to call on the Clark Development Corp. (CDC) and the rest of the economic zone teams to discuss about not giving incentives in exchange for high pay to workers. If the problem is with FIRB, Zubiri said he will go to Finance Secretary Benjamin Diokno,. According to Zubiri, they were trying to get about 20 percent of United States and European companies leaving China and moving to Vietnam and Indonesia to invest in the Philippines. But with the debates on the wage issue, Zubiri feared that the investors would shy away from the Philippines. Please enable JavaScript to view the comments powered by Disqus. On Philippine-American Friendship Day, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. asserted the Philippines commitment to its ties with the countrys staunch ally, the United States. In a tweet on Tuesday, the President said that the deep connection between the Philippines and the United States was built on trust and collaboration. On this joyous occasion of Philippine-American Friendship Day, we commemorate the deep connection between our nations, built on the foundation of trust and collaboration, the President said. He said that the two countries should continue to stand together toward a prosperous future. As allies, let us continue to stand together, embracing the values of democracy, freedom, and equality, forging a path towards a more prosperous and inclusive future for all, Mr. Marcos said. The United States marks its Independence Day from Great Britain every fourth of July, which is a major holiday for Americans. Also known as Philippine Republic Day, Philippine-American Friendship Day is a working holiday in the country. For a while, the Philippines also celebrated July 4 as its Independence Day from the US, which granted its former colony its complete freedom on that day in 1946 after 48 years of rule through the Treaty of Manila. Charles Dantes The alliance between the Philippines and the United States remains a hot topic in the Asia-Pacific region owing to the tensions between the US and China. Previously, the Philippines approved the four additional Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA) sites in the country. Beijing claimed that the additional military bases will be used by the United States to take advantage of the current geopolitical tension and push its anti-China agenda. But President Marcos has clarified that the additional bases were meant to bolster the nations defense and humanitarian assistance and disaster response. Please enable JavaScript to view the comments powered by Disqus. Clear and effective communication is essential for any organization, but it is especially important for tourism agencies The Department of Tourisms recently unveiled new slogan Love the Philippines met with mostly negative reactions from the public because it sounded boring, unoriginal, ungrammatical, demanding, and generally underwhelming. Many remarked that there was no need to replace the old oneIts More Fun in the Philippinesor even the one before that, Wow Philippineswhich were catchy and effective as evidenced by tourist arrivals and other statistics. If it aint broke, dont fix it. There also needs to be a continuity of the brand, instead of changing the slogan with every new president or DOT head. Continually messing about with what aint broke just shows ego and a lack of discernment. Im not going to rehash the other criticisms, of which many have been written and some by advertising mavens who cast an expert eye over the slogan and logo. Lets look at a couple of other points that this issue raises, and the lessons learned. First, in addition to the criticisms of the slogan itself, the DOT also came under fire because footage of foreign tourist spots was used in the promotional video for the Love the Philippines campaign. The video featured images of beaches, mountains, and other scenery that were not in the Philippines. The advertising agency responded to the criticism by saying the video was a mood video meant for internal use only and that it would be taken down. While we are all human and part of the human condition is that we make mistakes, this one could have been avoided if more care had been taken by whoever was responsible for handling socials. This is a reminder of the importance of careful planning and execution when it comes to any kind of marketing and organizational communication. As the clientand clients have final approvalDOT should have checked all materials before release. Any competent operations manager knows to double-check and triple-check. This is also why all organizations that have a communication initiative need to put editors and communication managers in place to check the work of implementors. Second, the Love the Philippines slogan fiasco points to the need to create and disseminate clear and unambiguous communication at all times. To do this you need to hire people who have the skills to communicate well. I have noticed that time and again with government agencies, even government media agencies, not a lot of priority is given to hiring people who can write grammatically, accurately, and logically. Not a lot of attention is paid to communication in general. This misstep in turn devolves on the organization and makes it look sloppy and inefficient. In this digital age, it also means a loss of opportunity to reach out to stakeholders. Clear and effective communication is essential for any organization, but it is especially important for tourism agencies. Tourism agencies need to be able to communicate effectively with their target audience, which can be global. This means their in-house and outsourced creative teams need to be able to write and speak in a clear, concise, and engaging way. The major lesson from this debacle is that the DOTand the government in generalneed to hire qualified, experienced, and knowledgeable writers to ensure clear communication. They also need to have people on board who can pay attention to detail and double-check materials before they are disseminated. This is something so basic and commonsensical that it is annoying to see a large and well-funded agency such as DOT make this rookie mistake. Again, dont blame the third party. The WEF Future of Jobs 2023 report has identified communication as one of the top 10 most sought-after soft skills. This means there is a high demand for skilled writers in the workforce. Government agencies need to be able to attract and retain such communicators. Writing and speaking skills are essential for success in all areas of life. They are also increasingly important in the workplace, particularly in todays globalized economy. For this reason, it is important to develop writing and speaking skills at all levels of education. Schools should offer courses in writing and public speaking, and they should encourage students to practice these skills in their everyday lives. By developing clear communication skills, students will be better prepared for success in the workplace and life. One way I work for this advocacy is by sharing news about the literary communityabout writing and books and reading and the people who do them. We need to emphasize the importance of writing and communicating well. DOT and the rest of the government should take the lessons from this debacle to heart and start putting more effort into communicating better, not just making a splash. * * * FB and Twitter: @DrJennyO / Email: [email protected] Please enable JavaScript to view the comments powered by Disqus. US Real Estate Bubble From A Technical Analysis Point Of View Understanding The Market Cycles My focus usually lies with stock indexes, sectors, and commodities, but today, we venture into the real estate market. Real estate is a market that many people dont fully comprehend. Many are excited by the robust housing market, believing its never been a better time to buy. But the reality is, I believe were in a phase that isnt ideal for such investments. Taking a leaf from Stan Weinsteins book, he proposed that the market has four stages: Stage 1, where active investment capital isnt advisable due to the choppy, flatlining market; Stage 2, the bull market phase; Stage 3, a volatile phase where struggle reigns; and Stage 4, a phase marked by a massive decline. Stages 2 & 4 are usually an easy time for investors to make money. But in Stages 1 & 3, it becomes harder to grow your capital and much easier to lose a hefty portion. This is the crucial time to preserve and protect your wealth for reinvestment when conditions improve. This analysis works for both real estate, as explained here, and also for stock market investors, which I cover in this video. Multifamily Starts: A Red Flag Looking at this chart from Wolfstreet.com, multifamily starts (buildings with five units or more) are at the highest levels since 1986. This surge might look impressive, but historically, these sharp upticks are often followed by multi-year pullbacks in price. This pattern was evident in 2008 when, after reaching new highs, the stock market began to sell off significantly. Why are multifamily starts skyrocketing now? Because savvy investors are trying to squeeze more money from an overpriced real estate market. Multifamily housing is cheaper to build, with rental units being more affordable for those with financial constraints. The last time we saw a similar spike was in 2015, followed by several years of slowed housing starts as the market softened. Single Family Starts: The Early Warning Sign Now lets turn to single-family starts. Despite the bullish predictions in the market, technical traders can clearly see the trend. There has been a series of lower highs and lower lows since June 2021. This pattern was seen previously in 2006 before housing peaked and began to weaken. The current trend for real estate is downward, but the recent rally has masked this, bringing it back to the levels seen in 2020. Total Starts: A Glimpse Into the Future Taking into account both multifamily and single-family starts, we see a similar series of lower highs and lower lows. This trend signals an overall weakening in the real estate market. The current spike is probably the last push, with potential struggles ahead for contractors once this wave of homes has been built. The Real Estate ETF (IYR) Shifting our focus to the real estate ETF IYR, we notice a clear series of lower highs and lower lows. Savvy investors who invest in these REITs understand that the real estate market is exhausted and struggling. Looking at the chart, we can see a similar pattern from 2008. The market experienced a major sell-off, followed by a tight channel, before plunging dramatically. Home Builders: A False Hope? On the other hand, the Home Builders chart seems to tell a different story. Investors and speculators are piling into the housing building space, creating a FOMO (Fear Of Missing Out) atmosphere. This surge may feel promising, but its important to remember that this is likely the peak before a significant drop. The Future of Real Estate: So thats what I see unfolding with the real estate market. I think things will continue to get tough, and over the next year or two, we will be looking at a very different market, a very different world. To me, its best to be prepared for that and be smart with your investing. It means being able to protect your wealth, grow your capital safely and thus be able to take advantage of opportunities when they arise. Technical Trading I want to touch on the importance of understanding technical trading and chart analysis. Many people dismiss technical trading, thinking its just looking at squiggly lines on a chart. But in reality, its about understanding supply and demand dynamics, market psychology, and economic cycles. By taking a look at the charts of these real estate ETFs, REITs, and homebuilder stocks, you can see very clear trends and patterns that tell us a lot about whats going on in the market. This knowledge, in turn, allows you to make more informed investing decisions. So if youre not already familiar with technical trading, I highly recommend taking some time to learn more about it. Its not a perfect science, but it can give you a very helpful edge in the market. I should also note that 81% of personality types do not favor investors. Meaning your brain likely does not function and process data and emotions in a way that allows you to make money easily like those with a favorable personality. I cover that in detail in another article post. In Conclusion In conclusion, I believe were on the brink of a significant downturn in the real estate market. I also believe that savvy investors who understand the cycles of the market and who are able to preserve their capital will be in a great position to take advantage of the opportunities that arise during the downturn. Remember, investing is not about timing the market perfectly; its about being prepared and making intelligent decisions based on the information you have at hand. Thats all I have for today, folks. Remember, be smart, stay informed, and always be prepared for whatever the market throws at you. Keep an eye on the charts, keep an eye on the news, and never stop learning. The more you know, the better prepared youll be for whatever comes next. This is Chris Vermeulen from TheTechnicalTraders.com, signing off. Stay safe and happy investing! Get my free investing newsletter for stocks, real estate, and a better lifestyle Chris Vermeulen www.TheTechnicalTraders.com Chris Vermeulen has been involved in the markets since 1997 and is the founder of Technical Traders Ltd. He is an internationally recognized technical analyst, trader, and is the author of the book: 7 Steps to Win With Logic Through years of research, trading and helping individual traders around the world. He learned that many traders have great trading ideas, but they lack one thing, they struggle to execute trades in a systematic way for consistent results. Chris helps educate traders with a three-hour video course that can change your trading results for the better. His mission is to help his clients boost their trading performance while reducing market exposure and portfolio volatility. He is a regular speaker on HoweStreet.com, and the FinancialSurvivorNetwork radio shows. Chris was also featured on the cover of AmalgaTrader Magazine, and contributes articles to several leading financial hubs like MarketOracle.co.uk Disclaimer: Nothing in this report should be construed as a solicitation to buy or sell any securities mentioned. Technical Traders Ltd., its owners and the author of this report are not registered broker-dealers or financial advisors. Before investing in any securities, you should consult with your financial advisor and a registered broker-dealer. Never make an investment based solely on what you read in an online or printed report, including this report, especially if the investment involves a small, thinly-traded company that isnt well known. Technical Traders Ltd. and the author of this report has been paid by Cardiff Energy Corp. In addition, the author owns shares of Cardiff Energy Corp. and would also benefit from volume and price appreciation of its stock. The information provided here within should not be construed as a financial analysis but rather as an advertisement. The authors views and opinions regarding the companies featured in reports are his own views and are based on information that he has researched independently and has received, which the author assumes to be reliable. Technical Traders Ltd. and the author of this report do not guarantee the accuracy, completeness, or usefulness of any content of this report, nor its fitness for any particular purpose. Lastly, the author does not guarantee that any of the companies mentioned in the reports will perform as expected, and any comparisons made to other companies may not be valid or come into effect. Chris Vermeulen Archive 2005-2022 http://www.MarketOracle.co.uk - The Market Oracle is a FREE Daily Financial Markets Analysis & Forecasting online publication. A 24-year-old man from Massachusetts has been arrested in connection with the shooting death of 20-year-old Lorenzo Gomes, according to the Bristol County District Attorneys Office. Sterling Robinson, from New Bedford, was arrested in Fall River by Massachusetts State Police on Monday night, and charged with accessory to murder-after the fact, the district attorney said. Robinson is being held in jail through the Independence Day holiday, and will be arraigned on in New Bedford District Court the morning of July 5, the district attorney said. New Bedford police had responded to the area of Tallman and North Front Streets to a 911 call of shots fired at 12:11 a.m. on Monday, officials said. Witnesses came up to officers on the scene, who reported hearing loud bangs that sounded like gunshots, and officers eventually found Lorenzo Gomes severely injured from gunshot wounds in his car on Belleville Avenue, the district attorney said. Police said it appeared Gomes had tried to drive himself to the hospital before he lost consciousness in his car. He was brought to Saint Lukes Hospital, where he was later pronounced dead, police said. The district attorney called the investigation into Gomes death extremely active and did not provide any further information on the case. Hikers at Borderland State Park heard a woman screaming for help in a swamp-like area Monday, leading to the rescue of a woman who had been missing for seven days, according to a Stoughton Police Department press release. Emma Tetewsky, 31, was reported missing on June 26. On Monday, at around 6 p.m., members of the Easton Police Department were sent to Borderland State Park after hikers said they heard a woman screaming for help in a swamp-like area, officials said. At first, the officers could only hear Tetewskys voice but not see her. It was when three officers waded 50 feet from the shore through thick brush and swamp, that they found Tetewsky where she mightve been trapped for at least three days, said the release. Tetewsky was carried back to solid land where she received medical assistance from Easton firefighters and was then sent to Good Samaritan Hospital in Brockton with serious but believed to not be life-threatening injuries, according to the statement. All-terrain vehicles (ATVs) were used by Easton first responders to rescue Emma Tetewsky. (Courtesy Easton Police Department) We want to thank all of the agencies that cooperated with us, including the Easton Police Department, the Easton Fire Department, the Stoughton Fire Department and Massachusetts State Police, said Stoughton Police Chief Donna McNamara in the press release. If it wasnt for the public helping us and giving us tips over the last five days, we wouldnt have been able to locate her. This is the best possible outcome. Read more: Hiker dies on New Hampshire peak after medical emergency Id like to commend our Easton officers, who blindly jumped into the water and followed the womans calls for help, said Easton Police Chief Keith Boone in the press release. Their immediate action resulted in saving Emma Tetewsky. Wed also like to thank our incredible Fire Department, Borderland State Park rangers, and the hikers who heard Emma and called 911. Without this coordinated effort, this rescue would not have been successful. Rosa Canenguez, a 71-year-old from Somerville was killed Monday when a wheelchair-accessible transport van crashed into a tree, according to a Massachusetts State Police press release. While heading north at 3:40 p.m., the Dodge Grand Caravan registered under Humble Hands Health Care Services, crossed the double yellow lines, and both southbound lanes, exited the road and struck a large tree, the statement said. At the time, both the driver, a 39-year-old Methuen man and Canenguez, who was secured in a wheelchair at the time, were suffering serious injuries from the crash, authorities said. Both the Methuen man and Canenguez were transported to Boston area hospitals where Canenguez was later pronounced dead. The man is still hospitalized, authorities said, and is in stable condition. The investigation into the crash is ongoing, authorities said. The results of the investigation will determine if criminal charges are warranted. A Raynham woman and Easton man are dead after officials said the man shot his on again, off again girlfriend in the chest in her bedroom early Tuesday morning, then shot himself in the head, according to the Bristol County District Attorney. Tatiana Tavares, 30, was identified by the district attorney as the woman who was shot dead on July 4. The office also identified Scott Swale, 43, as the shooter, and officials said he shot himself after killing Tavares. At 2:02 a.m., the Raynham Police Department received 911 calls from Tavares and another tenant at the home to report a shooting happening at 80 Ruth Ellen Road, the district attorney said. Police and paramedics arrived on scene minutes later, the office stated, and found both Tavares and Swale dead in Tavares bedroom. A preliminary investigation showed Swale had forced entry into Tavares home by breaking through a sliding glass door, then walked upstairs to her bedroom and shot her in the chest while she was lying in her bed, the district attorney said. Swale then shot himself in the head, the office stated. The two were involved in what the district attorneys office called a hostile year-long on-again, off-again relationship. Massachusetts State Police in the district attorneys office, along with prosecutors from the Homidice Unit and Raynham Police, are actively investigating the murder-suicide, the district attorney said. A 71-year-old woman was killed Monday, when a wheelchair-accessible transport van crashed into a tree, according to a Massachusetts State Police press release. At approximately 3:45 p.m. Massachusetts State Troopers responded to the call on Riverway at the intersection of Longwood Avenue in Boston, according to the release. Once troopers arrived, they found a wheelchair-accessible transport van that had crashed into a tree off the side of the road, the statement said. At the time, both the driver, a 39-year-old man and a woman, 71, from Somerville who was secured in a wheelchair at the time, were suffering serious injuries from the crash, authorities said. Read more: Springfield man faces charges after police say he had illegal fireworks Both the man and the woman were transported to Boston area hospitals where the woman was later pronounced dead. The man is still hospitalized, authorities said The exact cause and circumstances surrounding the crash remain under investigation and its believed that no other vehicles were involved in the crash. Dear Amy: Im a parent to a fantastic adult son who is caring, intelligent, hardworking, and financially comfortable. Due to the nature of his job, he is able to work a fraction of the hours his peers work. He enjoys his work, and is very good at it. He has much more free time than the average working adult and uses it to his advantage. Im glad he figured this all out on his own and isnt being crushed by student loans. I am extremely proud of him. The problem is my parents. Every opportunity they get, they bring up how he needs to get a degree, or go into a specific in-demand field hes not interested in. The return on investment hardly seems worth it to my son. He has told them as much on several occasions. My sister and I have also told them on numerous occasions that he is happy, healthy, and financially independent, and that we are proud of him. They dont seem to get it. They are worried about him and are critical of his lack of education. He has a substantial amount of money saved, and has time and resources to pursue his interests. If higher ed was an interest, hed already be pursuing it. How can I get them to stop offering unsolicited career and education advice to my son? Should we politely shift the focus when they bring it up? I worry they will push him away if they keep alienating him with all of their good intentions. Stuck in the Middle Dear Stuck: Heres a radical suggestion: Stop caring what your parents think. Theyve already expressed their lofty ideas for and to your son, repeatedly, and you and others have made a good case for him. It is simply not necessary for them to approve of his life choices, because he is living out his choices and his life is working for him. When they voice their opinions, listen but avoid a discussion. Them: Were worried about him. You: Thats too bad. Them: Arent you worried about him? You: Nope. Them: We think he could go much farther with a degree. You: Yes, I know you think that. The fact is that they WILL alienate their grandson if they dont stop weighing in. Why? Because it is both boring and dispiriting to hear, over and over again, that the fulfilling life youve chosen to live is simply not good enough. I hope your parents figure this out before they irreparably damage the relationship. Dear Amy: I finalized a divorce from an emotionally abusive husband in January. I attempted to reach out to a friend from high school during this time, and she indicated that she was busy and was going through things, too. I understood, and stopped reaching out. She recently has started texting, and has asked questions that I know are well-intentioned, but hurt me. Im a working, single mom now, and my kids are with me except for every other weekend. I am responsible for two thirds of their financial support. She has asked if I am still working full time, and if I can hang out during the day, or bring the kids to the pool for the afternoon. I was a little hurt when she was not able to be there for me during a hard time, and now I feel like Im constantly saying that I cannot afford with time or money the things that she wants to do. How do I explain to my married stay at home mom friend that Im not able to engage in that way? Emotionally Underwater in Oklahoma Dear Underwater: Your friend is trying to be helpful, and her offers are misguided, but she might not know that because (aside from turning down offers) you dont seem to have told her. See her in person during a weekend when you dont have the children with you. Your life has changed radically, and you will have to describe it to her. Dear Amy: Responding to Potluck Party Pooper, I think you and the employee invited to this party need to understand how a potluck works. This person worried about bringing a dish for 25 people. If everyone brought that much food, it would be a tsunami! Get a Clue Dear Get a Clue: Many people responded similarly. I believe that everyone (including this Party Pooper) understands how potlucks work. The writers point was that these employees need a raise, not a potluck party. (You can email Amy Dickinson at askamy@amydickinson.com or send a letter to Ask Amy, P.O. Box 194, Freeville, NY 13068. You can also follow her on Twitter @askingamy or Facebook.) 2023 Amy Dickinson. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. Springfields leader said last week he will shape a multi-pronged approach to countering gun violence. We eagerly await details on Mayor Domenic J. Sarnos plan. It needs to be a dramatic investment that can win the support of people like Michelle Thomas and Juanita Batchelor, two Springfield mothers who lost their sons to gun violence. Sarnos new campaign must be broad, apolitical and measurable. And it must at this point go well beyond blaming the court system even though the city continues to see acts of violence from defendants released on bail. Two days after the mayors latest pledge, Elian Arroyo, 23, was slain in a drive-by shooting on Ashmun Street. His alleged killer, Tyre T. Shakespeare, had been released on bail in 2022 after being charged with home invasion and kidnapping. According to court records, Shakespeare, who is 21, was out on bail and had cut off the monitoring bracelet hed been ordered to wear. If Shakespeare had been denied pre-trial release, Arroyo would probably be alive today and a woman whose head was grazed by a bullet that night would have been spared. For years, based on evidence like that, Sarno has argued and credibly that repeat violent criminal offenders are being released to the detriment of the community. The mayor said that in June 2015, when he called a press conference after two men he described as frequent fliers shot bullets into a parked car in Springfield. It becomes very, very aggravating when the Springfield police are taking these negative individuals off the street, but they are allowed right back on the street. It becomes very demoralizing, Sarno said at the time. When people break the law in my city, we work damn hard to get them off the street. And when we do, we want the courts to hold onto them. The mayor said much the same in 2019, when one of those same men, Daevon Ramsey, was arrested, along with two others, on charges of illegal possession of an AR-15 assault-style rifle. Whats it going to take for the court system and some judges to stop letting these individuals back on the street? Sarno asked. This is utterly ridiculous. That same year, a defendant arraigned for firing at a group of men in Chicopee in November 2018, and then released ahead of trial, was arrested and charged with another crime: the murder of Isaiah Ramos in Springfield. It was Edwin Hernandezs third arrest on weapons charges in less than a year. A young man is dead, families and neighborhoods are adversely affected, Sarno said in a statement after the arrest. What the hell does it take to hold these types of dangerous repeat violent offenders? Its a compelling question. In these specific cases, the public was not served by the mens release. And some people paid a horrible price. But one specific remedy Sarno has been seeking from the Legislature the ability of prosecutors to press for higher bail amounts is not going to be approved by Massachusetts lawmakers. Not this year or in the foreseeable future. Sarnos complaints about the judicial system, while understandable, arent going to bring results. Gov. Charlie Baker left office having failed to win passage of his dangerousness bill, which would have set criteria that would trigger hearings allowing judges to order defendants held pretrial. Opponents said the measure would increase racial inequities in the court system and they are right about that. The Hampden County Bar Association says the imposition of higher bail discriminates against lower-income defendants. It said violence in Springfield cannot be blamed on low bail. Meantime, a homegrown measure, An Act to the Commonwealths Right to Appeal Bail Decisions, has been re-filed in the current session by state Rep. Angelo Puppolo Jr. of Springfield. The bill, which has been before lawmakers since 2015, would have to overcome the same concerns that it penalizes poor people. Railing at lenient judges alone wont make streets safer. Sarno appears to understand that. He said last week his approach in 2023 will include a stepped-up police presence, added surveillance cameras and work to support outreach programs designed to stop young people from resorting to violence. That pledge just came hours before residents and elected officials gathered June 26, after a brutal week of violence, to call on Sarno to do more than blame judges who allow the release of defendants with criminal histories. At-Large City Councilor Justin Hurst, a candidate for mayor, said the city should be doing more outreach with churches, neighborhood groups and nonprofits. Last week, Sarno said, yet again, that part of the answer lies in holding repeat violence offenders. While that may be true, it hasnt brought results and at this point is only rhetoric. Dear Readers: Wishing you all a very Happy Fourth of July. Hope you all enjoy the following poem. The Landlords Tale. Paul Reveres Ride by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow Listen, my children, and you shall hear Of the midnight ride of Paul Revere, On the eighteenth of April, in Seventy-five; Hardly a man is now alive Who remembers that famous day and year. He said to his friend, If the British march By land or sea from the town to-night, Hang a lantern aloft in the belfry arch Of the North Church tower as a signal light, One, if by land, and two, if by sea; And I on the opposite shore will be, Ready to ride and spread the alarm Through every Middlesex village and farm, For the country folk to be up and to arm. Then he said, Good night! and with muffled oar Silently rowed to the Charlestown shore, Just as the moon rose over the bay, Where swinging wide at her moorings lay The Somerset, British man-of-war; A phantom ship, with each mast and spar Across the moon like a prison bar, And a huge black hulk, that was magnified By its own reflection in the tide. It was twelve by the village clock, When he crossed the bridge into Medford town. He heard the crowing of the cock, And the barking of the farmers dog, And felt the damp of the river fog, That rises after the sun goes down. It was one by the village clock, When he galloped into Lexington. He saw the gilded weathercock Swim in the moonlight as he passed, And the meeting-house windows, blank and bare, Gaze at him with a spectral glare, As if they already stood aghast At the bloody work they would look upon. It was two by the village clock, When he came to the bridge in Concord town. He heard the bleating of the flock, And the twitter of birds among the trees, And felt the breath of the morning breeze Blowing over the meadows brown. And one was safe and asleep in his bed Who at the bridge would be first to fall, Who that day would be lying dead, Pierced by a British musket-ball. You know the rest. In the books you have read, How the British Regulars fired and fled, How the farmers gave them ball for ball, From behind each fence and farm-yard wall, Chasing the red-coats down the lane, Then crossing the fields to emerge again Under the trees at the turn of the road, And only pausing to fire and load. So through the night rode Paul Revere; And so through the night went his cry of alarm To every Middlesex village and farm, A cry of defiance and not of fear, A voice in the darkness, a knock at the door, And a word that shall echo forevermore! For, borne on the night-wind of the Past, Through all our history, to the last, In the hour of darkness and peril and need, The people will waken and listen to hear The hurrying hoof-beats of that steed, And the midnight message of Paul Revere. How Can I Forgive My Cheating Partner? is out now! Annie Lanes second anthology featuring favorite columns on marriage, infidelity, communication and reconciliation is available as a paperback and e-book. Visit http://www.creatorspublishing.com for more information. Send your questions for Annie Lane to dearannie@creators.com. COPYRIGHT 2023 CREATORS.COM On the heels of a trip to Ireland, Gov. Maura Healey is once again outside of Massachusetts, this time without an exact end date. Healey went to Rhode Island for personal travel on Saturday and is poised to remain away at least through the Fourth of July holiday, according to her office. Its not clear exactly when she will return spokesperson Karissa Hand said the governor will return sometime this week and pledged to provide an update by Wednesday. The Fourth of July holiday this year is expected to bring thunderstorms sweeping across the state Tuesday, but much of it may end as evening approaches. The rainy holiday weather will continue Tuesday as forecasters predict more showers and thunderstorms will lead to a risk of localized flash flooding beginning mid to late morning and continuing into the afternoon. Travel with caution if you encounter heavy downpours and dont attempt to drive through flooded roadways, the National Weather Service warned. The day started out foggy and muggy in much of Mass. Tuesday and forecasters dont expect to see much rain this morning. But that will shift later morning into the afternoon when the National Weather Service says heavy rains are possible, especially across the Mass. Pike and south of it toward the Connecticut and Rhode Island border. Areas where heavy rain is possible on Tuesday, July 4, 2023. (National Weather Service) Heavy rainfall could approach 2 inches an hour in some areas, the weather service said. All that rain means a risk of flash flooding, particularly in urban areas that typically flood and will lead to elevated rivers and streams, the agency reported. Temperatures are expected to stay mainly in the 70s for much of the state, hitting the 80s on the south coast and in the Connecticut River valley. Areas where flooding is possible on Tuesday, July 4th, 2023. (National Weather Service) But forecasters say all that activity will move out later today with some lingering activity on the South Coast. That means dryer weather moving in as many communities prepare to celebrate the Fourth of July with fireworks shows Tuesday night. The Boston Pops Fireworks Spectacular is expected to go on as planned Tuesday evening as is the Marblehead Fireworks & Harbor Illumination celebration and Star Spangled Springfield at the citys Riverfront Park. Just as most people head back to work Wednesday, the weather is expected to shift back to mostly sunshine for the rest of the week with highs in the upper 80s and even 90 in some areas. A CIRCUIT Court judge has issued a warning to the people of Mayo that failure to answer their jury summons will no longer be tolerated. Judge Eoin Garavan issued the warning this lunchtime (Tuesday) at Castlebar Circuit Criminal Court after the impanelling of juries for criminal trials had to be postponed because less than 10 percent of people issued with a summons turned up to court. The court heard that 350 people were issued with jury summons for trials to begin this week but of that figure only 32 turned up this morning. The prosecution had planned to form juries for three trials this week but were only able to impanel one jury. A selection process for the second jury had to be postponed when only eleven jurors out of 12 could be selected as a result of the lack of numbers. Mr Patrick Reynolds, counsel for the prosecution informed Judge Garavan that the court service had been unable to contact members of the jury panel who had failed to turn up. He asked for an adjournment until tomorrow morning to see if more members of the jury panel can be contacted to attend. Judge Garavan agreed but expressed his dissatisfaction that a large number of people had failed to answer their jury summons saying it was unprecedented. He said this was resulting in a backlog of cases and warned the court service will have to be more proactive in dealing with people who do not comply. I want to make it clear to the people of Mayo that the court service will be more proactive in dealing with people who do not turn up. There is a post Covid back log in cases which cannot be cleared because the citizenry are not complying with their obligations. We need to send out a message...this position cannot be tolerated, he warned. Irish citizens aged 18 and over who are on the Register of Electors are eligible for jury service and anyone who fails to answer their summons without lawful excuse is liable to a 500 fine. Mr Reynolds said this penalty had been raised in recent years because people were not answering their jury summons. Judge Garavan told the court that former Circuit Court Judge Harvey Kenny was known to ask gardai to approach people on the Mall in Castlebar to serve on a jury but he was not inclined to do that. In order to select a panel of 12 jurors for a particular case, names are drawn out of a ballot box and jurors who are deemed eligible are sworn onto a jury panel. Both the prosecution and the defence can challenge seven potential jurors without giving any reason and can challenge any number of jurors if they can 'show cause'. A REPLACEMENT has been appointed to succeed north Mayos outgoing garda Superintendent, Mayo Live has learned. Former inspector Alan Brady has been promoted to the rank of Superintendent after former Superintendent Gary Walsh was promoted to Detective Chief Superintendent, which will see him head of the gardais Anti-Corruption Bureau. Supt Brady previously served in An Garda Siochanas National Drugs and Organised Crime Bureau. Det Supt Walsh had served as Superintendent for the north Mayo area since January of 2022, with Supt Gabriel Moran overseeing the south of the county. News of his departure from Ballina was met with concern from members of Mayos Joint Policing Committee. Cllr Michael Loftus, who is a member of the JPC, recently said that he was really concerned that Supt Walsh would not be replaced. Speaking to Mayo Live this afternoon (Tuesday), Cllr Loftus said he was delighted to see a former member of the National Drugs and Organised Crime Bureau appointed to the role. Cllr Loftus recently called for the prevalence of drugs to be tackled following his election as Cathaoirleach of Mayo County Council. The Crossmolina native reiterated his concerns about the effects of drugs and the resulting intimidation of families that can occur. That has to be seriously addressed and thatll be something that Ill be pushing for consistently, he said. As well as repeating calls for more garda manpower, Cllr Loftus called for regional policing fora to be established in each of Mayos municipal district. Many of the foras were abolished in 2014 along with the abolition of the town councils. Theres one at the moment in Swinford and Im looking for one in Ballina because thats an opportunity for the local people and the elected representatives to meet with the local superintendent to voice the concerns of the community, Cllr Loftus said. He also called for Garda Commissioner Drew Harris to attend a meeting of the Mayo JPC to hear the concerns of its members. Commissioner Harris last attended the JPC in 2019, prior to the full implementation of the new Garda Policing Model. Under the new model, the number of superintendents in Mayo has reduced from six to two. The new policing divisions will see policing in Mayo overseen by a single Chief Superintendent who will also have responsibility for Roscommon and Longford. The county previously had one Chief Superintendent in charge of a policing division which covered Mayo only. Skin that darkens in spots more than the surrounding skin is said to have hyperpigmentation. Age spots, brown spots, and freckles are all signs of hyperpigmentation. Darkening of the skin is caused by an increase in melanin production just below the epidermis. A few of the most common reasons for hyperpigmentation are: Hyperpigmentation can be caused by two types of sun damage: 1) lentigines, which are small dark spots on the skin caused by overexposure to the suns ultraviolet rays; and 2) melasma, which is hyperpigmentation caused by hormonal changes like pregnancy, the use of the birth control pill, and excessive oestrogen production. Also acne, wounds, trauma, burns, and surgical scars can all cause post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation of the skin. Click Here to Request a sample copy @ https://www.coherentmarketinsights.com/insight/request-sample/2017 Lasers, strong pulsed light photo rejuvenation, sub surfacing non-ablative lasers, microdermabrasio, and radiofrequency devices are just a few of the many devices available for treating hyperpigmentation. These tools provide a non-invasive means of treating hyperpigmentation and its related conditions including sun spots, scars, etc. In cases where topical or pharmacological medicines have failed to effectively treat a patients skin condition such as severe hyperpigmentation these devices may be employed. Several devices address hyperpigmentation in different ways. As a result of its efficacy and relative lack of side effects, laser technologies have largely displaced their predecessors in recent years. In 2017, the worldwide market for hyperpigmentation treatment devices was worth US$ 1,150 Mn. This figure is anticipated to increase at a CAGR of 7.2% over the forecast period, 20182023. (2018 2026). The market for hyperpigmentation treatment devices is projected to expand as more and more people choose for non-surgical, device-based therapies to treat hyperpigmentation. Market expansion for hyperpigmentation treatment devices will be spurred by the rising demand for non-invasive, minimally invasive skin resurfacing technologies to treat common skin issues like hyperpigmentation, acne scars, sun damage, and stretch marks. Photo rejuvenation, also known as intense pulse light (IPL) therapy, was the fourth most popular non-invasive cosmetic procedure for skin resurfacing (including hyperpigmentation) in the United States in 2017, per the Plastic Surgery Statistics Report published annually by the American Society of Plastic Surgeons. Both ablative and non-ablative laser skin resurfacing amounted to roughly 587,903 and 586,662 operations in 2017 and 2016, respectively, according to the same source. The rising popularity of skin resurfacing operations is anticipated to fuel demand for hyperpigmentation treatment devices. A total of 2,545,922 skin rejuvenation treatments were performed in 2016 across the globe, according to the 2017 study titled World Aesthetic Survey Findings issued by the International Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery. However, the potential for post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation after treatment with lasers and other light-based devices, as well as the fact that most insurance providers wont cover the cost of skin resurfacing, are likely to limit the markets expansion. The American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS) reports that ablative procedures cost roughly US$ 2,330 per session whereas non-ablative ones cost around US$ 1,031. Over the forecast period, the market for hyperpigmentation treatment devices is expected to expand due to factors such as the rising global elderly population and the introduction of novel laser-based devices. Coherent Market Insights predicts that the ageing population will fuel market expansion over the next few years as more people seek treatments for skin resurfacing and hyperpigmentation. The assessment on the future of the worlds population was released in 2017, and it found that the average age of the population was rising. There were an estimated 962 million persons aged 60 or over in the world in 2017, making up roughly 13% of the global population; this number is expected to rise to 1.3 billion by 2025, an annual growth rate of about 3%. As a result of age-related skin issues such post-menopausal pigmentation, there is a growing desire for non-invasive cosmetic operations among the elderly. Skin-related cosmetic treatments have increased by over 1,263% among patients aged 65 and more during the past 20 years (1996-2016), per statistics from the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgerys national data bank, published in 2016. The market for hyperpigmentation treatment devices should benefit from this trend. Buy-Now this Premium Report @ https://www.coherentmarketinsights.com/insight/buy-now/2017 The launch of new devices and the promotion of the use of laser-based and light-based devices by a number of manufacturers are factors that are predicted to drive growth in the hyperpigmentation treatment devices market. By way of illustration, in January of 2018, Lutronic, a company based in Korea, released a new laser device called Lase MD for skin rejuvenation. Its a fractional 1,927 nm Thulium laser that may be used on patients of any age or skin type to achieve optimal results from skin resurfacing with minimal discomfort and recovery time. The laser-based device generates micro-channels in the skins stratum corneum while leaving the underlying tissues unharmed, allowing for increased tissue permeability and rapid wound closure. In April of 2017, BISON MEDICAL received 510(k) clearance from the FDA for its CYMA clinic CO2 laser system (FDA). The United States is now a viable market for this laser technology after previously being the country with the biggest annual volume of skin cosmetic operations. The main companies participating in the market for hyperpigmentation treatment devices worldwide are Cutera Inc., Hologic, Inc., Lutronic Corporation, Syneron Medical Ltd., Lumenis Ltd., Alma Lasers, Ltd., AMI, Strata Skin Sciences, Inc., BISON MEDICAL, Solta Medical Inc., Lynton Lasers Ltd., EL.En. S.p.A., Sciton, Inc., Fotona D.O.O., and Alma Lasers, Ltd. Reason to Buy this Report: Analysis of the impact of technological advancements on the market and the emerging trends shaping the industry in the coming years. Examination of the regulatory and policy changes affecting the market and the implications of these changes for market participants. Overview of the competitive landscape in the Hyperpigmentation Treatment Devices market, including profiles of the key players, their market share, and strategies for growth. Identification of the major challenges facing the market, such as supply chain disruptions, environmental concerns, and changing consumer preferences, and analysis of how these challenges will affect market growth. Evaluation of the potential of new products and applications in the market, and analysis of the investment opportunities for market participants. Table of Contents with Major Points: Executive Summary Introduction Key Findings Recommendations Definitions and Assumptions Executive Summary Market Overview Definition of Hyperpigmentation Treatment Devices Market Market Dynamics Drivers Restraints Opportunities Trends and Developments Key Insights Key Emerging Trends Key Developments Mergers and Acquisition New Product Launches and Collaboration Partnership and Joint Venture Latest Technological Advancements Insights on Regulatory Scenario Porters Five Forces Analysis Qualitative Insights Impact of COVID-19 on Global Hyperpigmentation Treatment Devices Market Supply Chain Challenges Steps taken by Government/Companies to overcome this impact Potential opportunities due to COVID-19 outbreak Conclusion Appendix Data Sources Abbreviations Disclaimer TOC Continued! Ask Here for Customization Report @ https://www.coherentmarketinsights.com/insight/request-customization/2017 Explore More Report: Drug device combination products market Neuromodulation devices market Cardiac prosthetic devices market Neurology devices market Middle east and asia injectable drugs market Cardiac remote patient monitoring devices market Orthopedic extension devices market Cerebral angiography market Wound debridement products market Diabetic Nephropathy Market Global Diabetic Nephropathy Market Size is expected to grow at a CAGR of 6.70% to reach a valuation of around US$ 4.86 Billion by the end of 2033. The global diabetic nephropathy market has witnessed significant growth in recent years. The increasing prevalence of diabetes, rising awareness about diabetic complications, and advancements in diagnostic and therapeutic technologies are driving market growth. Introduction Diabetic nephropathy is a long-term kidney disease that can affect people with diabetes. It occurs when high blood glucose levels damage kidney functions. Diabetic nephropathy is the most common cause of kidney failure in people with diabetes. The growth of the market is being driven by the increasing prevalence of diabetes, the rising incidence of diabetic nephropathy, and the increasing availability of effective treatment options. Stay Ahead with Market Intelligence Get Free Sample Copy@ https://www.persistencemarketresearch.com/samples/3594 Market Key Players AstraZeneca (UK.) Pfizer Inc (US.) Allergan, Inc (Ireland) Bristol-Myers Squibb Company (US.) Endo International plc (Ireland) Dr. Reddys Laboratories Ltd (India) Sun Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd (India) Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd (Israel) Novartis AG (Switzerland) Eli Lilly and Company (India) and more Recent Developments AstraZeneca (2021): The company received FDA approval for Farxiga/Forxiga to treat chronic kidney disease (CKD) in adults with and without type-2 diabetes. (2021): The company received FDA approval for Farxiga/Forxiga to treat chronic kidney disease (CKD) in adults with and without type-2 diabetes. Novartis (2021): The company acquired cellerys, a research therapy startup from Zurich, to fight multiple sclerosis. (2021): The company acquired cellerys, a research therapy startup from Zurich, to fight multiple sclerosis. Mitsubishi Tanabe Pharma Corp. (2021): The company made a licensing agreement with Foods International Co. Ltd. to form a candidate antibody to cure antibody diseases. (2021): The company made a licensing agreement with Foods International Co. Ltd. to form a candidate antibody to cure antibody diseases. Fresenius Medical Care (2019): The company was designated by the United States as a breakthrough device manufacturer. Key Market Drivers Increasing Prevalence of Diabetes: The rising prevalence of diabetes globally is a major driver for the diabetic nephropathy market. According to the International Diabetes Federation (IDF), approximately 463 million adults were living with diabetes in 2019, and this number is expected to reach 700 million by 2045. As diabetic nephropathy is a common complication of diabetes, the increasing diabetic population directly contributes to the growth of the market. The rising prevalence of diabetes globally is a major driver for the diabetic nephropathy market. According to the International Diabetes Federation (IDF), approximately 463 million adults were living with diabetes in 2019, and this number is expected to reach 700 million by 2045. As diabetic nephropathy is a common complication of diabetes, the increasing diabetic population directly contributes to the growth of the market. Growing Aging Population : The aging population is more susceptible to developing diabetes and its associated complications, including diabetic nephropathy. As the global population continues to age, the prevalence of diabetic nephropathy is expected to rise, fueling market growth. : The aging population is more susceptible to developing diabetes and its associated complications, including diabetic nephropathy. As the global population continues to age, the prevalence of diabetic nephropathy is expected to rise, fueling market growth. Technological Advancements: Advances in diagnostic tools and therapeutic interventions have improved the detection and management of diabetic nephropathy. Novel biomarkers, imaging techniques, and renal replacement therapies are aiding in early diagnosis and targeted treatment, thereby driving the market growth. If You want to Purchase Specific Insights By Segment/Region/Competitor, Request For Customization@ https://www.persistencemarketresearch.com/request-customization/3594 Market Trends Some of the key trends in the global diabetic nephropathy market include: The increasing prevalence of diabetes The rising incidence of diabetic nephropathy The increasing availability of effective treatment options The development of new drugs for diabetic nephropathy The increasing focus on patient education and awareness Market Segmentation The global diabetic nephropathy market is segmented by drug class, type, distribution channel, and region. By drug class , the market is segmented into angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors, angiotensin receptor blockers (ARBs), calcium channel blockers, diuretics, renin inhibitors, and others. ACE inhibitors and ARBs are the most commonly prescribed drugs for diabetic nephropathy. , the market is segmented into angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors, angiotensin receptor blockers (ARBs), calcium channel blockers, diuretics, renin inhibitors, and others. ACE inhibitors and ARBs are the most commonly prescribed drugs for diabetic nephropathy. By type , the market is segmented into type 1 diabetes and type 2 diabetes. Type 1 diabetes is a more severe form of diabetes, and it is more likely to lead to diabetic nephropathy. , the market is segmented into type 1 diabetes and type 2 diabetes. Type 1 diabetes is a more severe form of diabetes, and it is more likely to lead to diabetic nephropathy. By distribution channel , the market is segmented into hospital pharmacies, online providers, and drug and retail pharmacies. Hospital pharmacies are the largest distribution channel for diabetic nephropathy drugs. , the market is segmented into hospital pharmacies, online providers, and drug and retail pharmacies. Hospital pharmacies are the largest distribution channel for diabetic nephropathy drugs. By region, the market is segmented into North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, Latin America, and Middle East & Africa. North America is the largest market for diabetic nephropathy drugs, followed by Europe and Asia-Pacific. Buy the Comprehensive Market Research Report@https://www.persistencemarketresearch.com/checkout/3594 Recommendations The following recommendations can be made to the stakeholders in the global diabetic nephropathy market: Pharmaceutical companies should focus on developing new drugs for diabetic nephropathy. Governments should increase awareness about diabetic nephropathy. Healthcare providers should educate patients about diabetic nephropathy and its treatment. Patients should be compliant with their treatment regimens. Request you to Read More- Telemedicine Market Size Neurostimulation Devices Types Persistence Market Researchs Expertise in Life Sciences and Transformational Health Our expert team of industry analysts comprising management graduates, medical professionals, engineers, and project managers provides insights on emerging therapy areas, diagnostic tools, medical devices and components, reimbursement and market access, biotechnology, and life science research products and services to equip decision-makers with sound inputs and strategic recommendations. Contact Us: Address 305 Broadway, 7th Floor, New York City, NY 10007 United States U.S. Ph. +1-646-568-7751 USA-Canada Toll-free +1 800-961-0353 by Wendy Davis @wendyndavis, July 4, 2023 A federal judge on July 4 issued an injunction prohibiting numerous government agencies and White House employees from attempting to convince social-media platforms to suppress posts that are protected by the First Amendment. The sweeping order, handed down by U.S. District Court Judge Terry Doughty, a Trump appointee, bans government officials from taking any action such as urging, encouraging, pressuring, or inducing in any manner social-media companies to remove, delete, suppress, or reduce posted content protected by the Free Speech Clause of the First Amendment to the United States Constitution. The First Amendment generally protects all lawful speech, including speech that contains incorrect information. Doughty's injunction doesn't prevent officials from informing social-media companies about posts involving crimes, national security threats, efforts to unlawfully interfere with elections, and certain other activity. The ruling applies to federal agencies including the Department Health and Human Services, The National Institute of Allergy and Infection Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Census Bureau, Federal Bureau of Investigation, and Department of Justice. advertisement advertisement The order also applies to individuals in the Executive Office of the President, including Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre. The injunction comes in a lawsuit brought by attorneys general in Louisiana and Missouri, who alleged that White House officials violated the First Amendment by attempting to suppress comment on social media platforms about a range of topics, including the origins of COVID-19, and the efficacy of vaccines. The plaintiffs are likely to succeed on the merits in establishing that the government has used its power to silence the opposition, Doughty wrote in a 155-page opinion accompanying the injunction. The injunction is preliminary, but could become permanent after more evidence is developed. He added that posts opposing COVID-19 vaccines, masking requirements, lockdowns and the validity of the 2020 election were among the content that was suppressed on social media. Although this case is still relatively young ... the evidence produced thus far depicts an almost dystopian scenario, he wrote. During the COVID-19 pandemic, a period perhaps best characterized by widespread doubt and uncertainty, the United States Government seems to have assumed a role similar to an Orwellian 'Ministry of Truth.' Among other incidents cited in the opinion, Doughty noted a July 15, 2021 press conference at which former Press Secretary Jen Psaki and Surgeon General Vivek Murthy issued recommendations aimed at curbing false information about COVID-19. At that event, Murthy said the government was asking tech companies to monitor and take action against misinformation super-spreaders, while Psaki said the government was flagging problematic posts for Facebook that spread disinformation. Doughty also rejected the government's argument that the social platforms would have suppressed comments regardless of any alleged activity by officials. A drastic increase in censorship, deboosting, shadow-banning, and account suspensions directly coincided with defendants public calls for censorship and private demands for censorship, he wrote. An intraocular lens (IOL) implant is an artificial lens placed within the eye when the natural lens is removed, most often for the treatment of cataract. It is termed an implant as it is an artificial substitute for the natural lens and takes over its image-focusing function. Cataract refers to the condition when the natural lens of the eye which is normally clear becomes cloudy, most often due to aging. Symptoms due to cataract are blurred vision difficulty in reading and the need for bright light, poor night vision and colors appearing faded. In the initial stages, cataract might be treated by prescribing different glasses, but as the disease progresses, the vision becomes more blurred necessitating surgery. Surgery is usually undertaken when the blurred vision begins to affect the patients lifestyle and daily activities. History of IOL Implant Surgery The first IOL implant surgery, with a lens manufactured using polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA), was performed by Sir Harold Ridley in 1949 at St. Thomass Hospital London. Polymethylmethacrylate, also referred to as Perspex or Plexiglas, was chosen by Sir Ridley because he noticed that it stayed inert in the eyes of Royal Air Force pilots, when it entered accidentally from windshields. Advertisement PMMA lenses are seldom used nowadays since the material is rigid and cannot be folded. This entails a larger incision to place it within the eye. With advances in technology, silicone and acrylic have become popular materials for use in intraocular lenses. These are soft and foldable and can be inserted into the eye through a much smaller incision. The two types of IOL implants are pseudophakic IOL and the phakic IOL (PIOL) implants. The pseudophakic lens is the most common type of IOL used, which replaces the natural crystalline lens affected by cataract. The pseudophakic lens then performs the function of the natural lens. The phakic lens, on the other hand, is placed over the already present natural lens during refractive surgery to correct the optical power of the eye to treat nearsightedness or myopia. Insertion of IOL implant is the most common eye surgery procedure. Approximately six million procedures are done annually by eye surgeons. The two types of procedures done for cataract are phacoemulsification and extracapsular cataract extraction (ECCE). In ECCE, the lens is removed as a whole, but its posterior capsule is left behind. Phacoemulsification (Phako) involves breaking down the natural diseased lens into minute pieces and removing them using suction. It requires a smaller incision as compared to ECCE and has largely superseded ECCE in developed countries. However, since it requires huge capital investment for the surgical and theatre equipment, in developing countries, ECCE is still performed in certain areas with refinements to the traditional technique to treat cataract. You will have to undergo routine tests as well as tests to assess eye function before the procedure. Routine Tests Routine tests which are done before any surgery include: Blood tests like hemoglobin levels, blood group and liver and kidney function tests Urine test Electrocardiogram (ECG) to study the electrical activity of the heart Chest x-ray In older patients, a detailed assessment of the heart may be required. You will be asked to stop medications like aspirin for around a week prior to the surgery. Eye tests: You will have to undergo a detailed eye examination to ensure that you need the surgery and you do not have any other illness like glaucoma that could cause complications following the procedure. IOL implantation for cataract is usually performed as day procedure under local anesthesia. You will be awake during the procedure, but may be administered a sedative to calm down. You can have a light breakfast before coming to the hospital. The procedure will be done while you are lying down on the operating table with the surgeon at the head end. It usually takes up to around 30 minutes. Described below are the two types of surgical procedures undertaken for IOL implant in the treatment of cataract. Advertisement Phacoemulsification Before the procedure, eyedrops to dilate the pupil are instilled into the eye. Local anesthesia is administered as drops and may also be injected into the tissues around the eye to numb the area.. The area around the eye is cleaned, and the remaining part of the face is draped. The eye is kept open with the help of a lid speculum. A tiny cut or incision is made on the transparent tissue in front of the eye (cornea) where it meets the white portion or the sclera. Another circular incision is made on the front of the lens covering (capsule). A tiny probe that emits ultrasound waves is inserted through the corneal incision to break the lens into fragments. The fragments are then liquified and sucked out using another probe. After the diseased lens is removed, the IOL is folded and inserted through an injector through the small incision in the cornea. Once in place, the implant unfolds and takes the position of the natural lens. The incisions heal by themselves without the need for stitches. The eye is covered with a bandage. Extracapsular Cataract Extraction The procedure for extracapsular cataract extraction are similar to phacoemulsification with the following differences. A larger incision of 8 to 10 mm is made on the transparent tissue in front of the eye (cornea) where it meets the white portion or the sclera. A second incision is made on the front portion of the lens (lens capsule) and the diseased lens is expressed out and removed along with any lens material. The IOL is placed within the lens capsule and the incision is closed with stitches. You will be discharged within a few hours of the procedure. Usually there is not much pain after the operation. In case there is pain, pain killers such as paracetamol or ibuprofen may be advised. You will be given instructions to follow and things to avoid over the next few days. You will be asked to contact the hospital in case of any complications. Eye drops will be prescribed to prevent infections and to promote healing. You will need to re-visit your doctor either on the same day or the next to remove the bandage. Wearing sunglasses following this will help to prevent the discomfort due to bright lights for a few days. You will also be advised to avoid strenuous activities and avoid washing your hair for a few days following the procedure. Further follow-ups will be as directed by the doctor. IOL implantation for cataract is a relatively safe procedure and incidence of complications is infrequent. Most of the incidental complications are easily treated and do not have any long term effect on vision. Complications may be seen in persons with other chronic underlying conditions such as inflammation of iris and the ciliary body (uveitis), diabetes, or severe shortsightedness. Complications during surgery Tearing of the lens covering (capsule) Bleeding within or in front of the eye Inability to remove the cataract completely Escape of a piece of cataract into the back of the eye Complications after surgery Swelling of the transparent covering of the eye (corneal edema); usually clears by itself Swelling and redness of eye Detachment of the nerve layer at the back of the eye (retinal detachment) Infection within the eye (endophthalmitis) Swelling and fluid accumulation in the central retina (cystoid macular edema) Delayed Complications Metformin decreases blood sugar levels by reducing glucose production by liver and increasing insulin sensitivity of cells in tissues . It decreases the absorption of glucose from the gastrointestinal tract and increases peripheral glucose intake. Metformin is the first-line medication for the treatment of type-2 diabetes . It was discovered in 1922 and originates from the plant known as French lilac ( Galega officinalis ). Metformin is used as Metformin Hydrochloride salt and administered orally by mouth. It is the most widely used medication prescribed for diabetes. It can be prescribed in combination with other anti-diabetic medications, including Insulin. Metformin has been reported to have many therapeutic effects, although its mechanism of action for uses other than diabetes is yet to be established. It has been reported to be a cure for diseases ranging from obesity to cancer. In addition to diabetes, Metformin is used in the treatment of polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). PCOS is a hormonal disorder which could be caused due to genetic and environmental factors. The symptoms include irregularity in menstrual cycle, excess hair growth, obesity and acne. Women suffering from PCOS have insulin resistance leading to high levels of insulin. This causes ovaries to produce more of androgen hormones like testosterone. As a consequence, increased body hair, acne, irregular periods and fertility problems are seen in patients. Metformin helps as an insulin sensitizer lowering insulin levels. It also aids in the reproductive abnormalities of PCOS syndrome by decreasing serum androgen levels. It also stimulates ovulation and helps in regularizing monthly periods. Studies conducted at various centers have confirmed that Metformin treatment for at least six months reduces androgen levels in women suffering from PCOS syndrome. Metformin is also recommended to cure gestational diabetes (GD), a condition in which a woman develops diabetes during pregnancy. Advertisement Having GD during pregnancy is a risk factor for the mother and infant. Hence, it is important to follow Metformin therapy during pregnancy in insulin resistant women in order to prevent miscarriage. A few clinical trials indicate that Metformin helps obese non-diabetic individuals to lose weight by reducing their appetite. It is reported that obesity, especially with excessive fat in liver and pancreas, is one of the causes of insulin resistance. In this situation of insulin resistance, fat cells, liver cells and muscle do not respond to insulin and are unable to absorb glucose from the blood. This leads to the body producing higher levels of insulin to absorb sugar from blood. Insulin hormone acts on the brain causing hunger and hence, in these situations, the appetite of the individual increases. Metformin prevents the blood sugar levels from increasing, thus reducing the release of insulin and increasing insulin sensitivity. The patient does not fill hungry and attains weight loss. Scientists worldwide are also evaluating Metformin as an anti-aging drug . Studies show that Metformin increases the number of oxygen molecules in a cell, which would help increase longevity. Clinical trials to prove that Metformin slows aging process are in progress. . Studies show that Metformin increases the number of oxygen molecules in a cell, which would help increase longevity. Clinical trials to prove that Metformin slows aging process are in progress. A few reports indicate Metformin may prevent the cardiovascular disease and cancer complications of diabetes . It is also reported to reduce low density lipoprotein (LDL) and triglyceride levels . . It is also reported to . Recent studies suggest Metformin reduces the risk of open angle glaucoma. The common side effects of Metformin include gastrointestinal irritation, flatulence, diarrhea, nausea, muscle pain and abdominal pain . Hence, Metformin must be taken with food to reduce gastro-intestinal related side effects. It is not recommended in patients with severe liver disease or kidney problems. . Hence, Metformin must be taken with food to reduce gastro-intestinal related side effects. It is not recommended in patients with severe liver disease or kidney problems. Metformin has also been reported to decrease the blood levels of thyroid-stimulating hormone, in patients suffering from hypothyroidism. If an individual experiences severe symptoms like rash or chest pain, the doctor must be consulted immediately. Metformin has minimal effect on weight gain, as compared to other anti-diabetics like sulfonyl ureas, which are associated with weight gain. It also has a lower risk of hypoglycemia as compared to other diabetic medications. It is also safe to consume this medicine during pregnancy. About Sore throat is a common symptom that usually affects people during a weather change. It is often caused by a viral infection, though bacteria can cause severe sore throat followed by serious complications. Sore throat or pharyngitis is one of the most common symptoms for which a person visits a general practitioner or an ENT specialist. Often, triggered by weather change during late winter and early spring, this is a symptom that affects the young and old alike. In a sore throat, the back part of the mouth or throat is inflamed. In addition, the tonsils are often affected especially in children, resulting in tonsillitis. The cause behind the sore throat is usually diagnosed based on the history and examination of the throat. A throat swab is often taken to detect the infective pathogen. Causes of sore throat are listed below: BRUSSELS (AP) NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg will stay in office for another year, the 31-nation military alliance decided on Tuesday. Stoltenberg said in a tweet that he is honoured by NATO Allies decision to extend my term as Secretary General until 1 October 2024. The transatlantic bond between Europe and North America has ensured our freedom and security for nearly 75 years, and in a more dangerous world, our Alliance is more important than ever, he said. Stoltenberg, a former Norwegian prime minister, has been NATOs top civilian official since 2014. His term had been due to expire last year but was extended then to keep a steady hand at the helm after Russias full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. U.S. President Joe Biden and his NATO counterparts had been due to name a successor when they meet in Vilnius, Lithuania, on July 11-12. But the worlds biggest security organization makes decisions by consensus, and no agreement could be found on a new candidate. With his steady leadership, experience, and judgement, Secretary General Stoltenberg has brought our Alliance through the most significant challenges in European security since World War II, Biden said in a statement. Today, our Alliance is stronger, more united and purposeful than it has ever been. Stoltenberg's fellow countryman, Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Stre, welcomed the news, saying that it was good, important and reassuring." It is also important that this was now clarified before the summit in Vilnius next week, Gahr Stre was quoted as saying by the Norwegian news agency NTB. He said that NATO's unity is particularly crucial in a troubled time of war in Europe. Most NATO countries had been keen to name a woman to the top post, and Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen was thought to be a favorite after a meeting with Biden last month. The president of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, ruled out her candidacy. Other possible names floated, but never publicly named as in the running, were Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte and U.K. Defense Secretary Ben Wallace. Its the fourth time Stoltenberg has had his mandate extended. Hes the second-longest serving NATO secretary-general after former Dutch foreign minister Joseph Luns, who spent almost 13 years at the helm from 1971. Quizzed repeatedly in recent weeks over whether he would agree to have his term renewed, Stoltenberg said that he was not seeking to stay and had no plans other than to continue to carry out his duties and wrap his time at the helm in September. NATO secretaries-general are responsible for chairing meetings and guiding sometimes delicate consultations between the member countries to ensure that compromises are found so that an organization that operates on consensus can continue to function. They also ensure that decisions are put into action and speak on behalf of all nations with one voice. Stoltenberg has managed to tread a very fine line, refraining from criticizing members led by more go-it-alone presidents and prime ministers, like former U.S. President Donald Trump, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan or Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban. With NATOs historical adversary, Russia, locked in a war with Ukraine, the process of naming a new secretary-general has become highly politicized. Poland opposes the next secretary-general coming from a Nordic state after Stoltenbergs long tenure, and that of his predecessor, Anders Fogh Rasmussen from Denmark. Polish officials wanted someone from a Baltic state. Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas was a preferred candidate. But other countries are wary of accepting a nominee from the Baltics or Poland, given what appears to be their unconditional support for Ukraine, including on NATO membership, which the U.S. and Germany, among others, insist should not happen before the war ends. In naming Fogh Rasmussen, a former Danish premier, their 12th secretary general in 2009, NATOs leaders signaled that they wanted a government leader or president at the head of their organization. This has made the path almost impossible for Wallace. ___ Associated Press writer Jan M. Olsen in Copenhagen contributed to this report. TEL AVIV, Israel Airstrikes targeting Palestinian militants in a crowded residential area. Armored bulldozers plowing through narrow streets, crushing cars and piling up debris. Protesters burning tires. A mounting death toll. Israels large-scale military raid into the Jenin refugee camp in the occupied West Bank on Monday had undeniable similarities with the second Palestinian uprising of the early 2000s a period that claimed thousands of lives. But the current fighting is also different from those intense years of violence. It's more limited in scope, with Israeli military operations focused on several strongholds of Palestinian militants. It's also a symptom of a conflict with no foreseeable end. The Palestinian leadership is weakened, and the Israeli government has been accelerating the expansion of settlements that have eroded any chance of Palestinian statehood. WHAT IS AN INTIFADA? The word that means shaking off" in Arabic was coined to describe an uprising against Israel's military occupation that erupted in 1987. It ended in 1993 with an agreement of mutual recognition between Israel and the Palestine Liberation Organization. What became known as the first intifada was marked by widespread Palestinian protests and a fierce Israeli response. In the second uprising, which began in 2000, Palestinian militants carried out deadly suicide bombings on buses and at restaurants and hotels, eliciting crushing Israeli military reprisals. The second uprising pitted Palestinian militant groups against a far more powerful Israeli military. Over 4,000 people died, including vast numbers of civilians. Roughly three times as many Palestinians as Israelis were killed. Israeli crackdowns upended Palestinian lives, including placing tight restrictions on movement that choked the fledgling economy. For Israelis, especially during the frequent bombings of the second intifada, stepping onto a bus or going out to a restaurant was terrifying. Those events were initially fueled by widespread participation. Many Palestinians in the West Bank, the Gaza Strip and east Jerusalem areas captured by Israel in 1967 and claimed by the Palestinians for their state joined in the protests. The protests were also driven by the Palestinian leaders, including President Yasser Arafat, whom Israel accused of encouraging and abetting militants. The intifada petered out after Arafat died in 2004 and the current Palestinian president, Mahmoud Abbas, took power. WHAT IS HAPPENING NOW? In the spring of 2022, a spate of Palestinian attacks against Israelis prompted Israel to launch near-nightly raids into Palestinian areas of the West Bank. Israel said the raids were meant to stamp out militant networks. But Palestinian attacks have continued, and the death toll on both sides has risen, making last year one of the deadliest for Palestinians in the West Bank since the second intifada. The violence has only intensified since Israels current far-right government, which is made up of hard-line ultranationalist settlement supporters, took power late last year. The Palestinian death toll this year in the West Bank and east Jerusalem stands at more than 135, according to a tally by The Associated Press, nearly matching the death toll for all of 2022. Hundreds of Palestinians have been arrested. Some 24 people have been killed in Palestinian attacks against Israelis. SIMILARITIES AND DIFFERENCES The region has not seen such a sustained cycle of violence since the second uprising, which lasted about five years. More recent periods of bloodshed have not lasted this long or involved such a strong show of force by the military. The tactics seen Monday, with airstrikes, armored bulldozers and a brigade of troops, were a mainstay of the second uprising. But analysts say thats where the similarities end. For one, a monthlong Israeli operation in 2002 that was seen as the peak of the fighting during the second intifada involved an intense clampdown on most cities in the West Bank. Israels raids over the last year have been smaller in scale. Israels targets are also more limited to local armed groups and militant cells. Other differences, analysts say, include the weakened Palestinian leadership and the lack of popular participation. While protests have erupted in response to the raids, they have not engulfed the entire West Bank. Intifada is a peoples uprising. Its a society that fights, said Amir Avivi, president and founder of Israel Defense and Security Forum, a hawkish group of former military commanders. Avivi, who served as a battalion commander in the northern West Bank during the 2002 operation, claimed that the current fighting is dominated by militant groups that are funded by Israel's archenemy, Iran. Ziyad Abu Zayad, a Palestinian analyst and former Cabinet minister, said the fighting is best described as waves of Palestinian anger, not an uprising. The problem is not security, but rather political. And as long as there is no political solution, these waves will continue," he said. "People, mainly young people, want to live in freedom and dignity. They see no future for themselves, and they only see oppression from the occupation. WHAT HAPPENS NEXT? There is no end in sight to the fighting. The military raids have tended to fuel more attacks that prompt even more raids. As attacks against Israelis have mounted, including one that killed four settlers last month, government members have called for a harsher response. They have also intensively advanced settlement building, further dimming hopes for a negotiated solution to the conflict. The last 16 months, including Monday's large-scale raid, showed Israel lacks a long-term vision for how to deal with the Palestinians, said Michael Milshtein, a former military official and head of the Palestinian Studies Forum at Tel Aviv University. We need to start thinking strategically about the Palestinian issue, he said. "We can't just keep plastering over it. Abu Zayad, the Palestinian analyst, said Israel's government is instead pushing the Palestinians toward more extremism and violence. If there is opposition to the idea of a Palestinian state, these waves are likely to remain for long periods to come. ___ Associated Press writers Julia Frankel and Josef Federman contributed to this report from Jerusalem. State Alabama Alaska Arizona Arkansas California Colorado Connecticut Delaware Florida Georgia Hawaii Idaho Illinois Indiana Iowa Kansas Kentucky Louisiana Maine Maryland Massachusetts Michigan Minnesota Mississippi Missouri Montana Nebraska Nevada New Hampshire New Jersey New Mexico New York North Carolina North Dakota Ohio Oklahoma Oregon Pennsylvania Rhode Island South Carolina South Dakota Tennessee Texas Utah Vermont Virginia Washington Washington D.C. West Virginia Wisconsin Wyoming Puerto Rico US Virgin Islands Armed Forces Americas Armed Forces Pacific Armed Forces Europe Northern Mariana Islands Marshall Islands American Samoa Federated States of Micronesia Guam Palau Alberta, Canada British Columbia, Canada Manitoba, Canada New Brunswick, Canada Newfoundland, Canada Nova Scotia, Canada Northwest Territories, Canada Nunavut, Canada Ontario, Canada Prince Edward Island, Canada Quebec, Canada Saskatchewan, Canada Yukon Territory, Canada Postal Code The Marlins have sent reliever Archie Bradley outright to Triple-A Jacksonville, according to the transactions log at MLB.com. The veteran righty has the ability to decline the assignment in favor of free agency while retaining his guaranteed salary, since he has over five years of MLB service. Bradley signed a minor league pact with Miami in April. He pitched nine times (including a five-inning start) for their top affiliate, posting a 16:5 strikeout-to-walk ratio through 18 1/3 innings. He allowed 13 runs in that time, although only six were earned. That performance was enough for the Fish to call him up three weeks ago. The former seventh overall pick logged four relief outings in Miami, tallying 7 1/3 innings. He surrendered 10 runs on 14 hits, striking out seven and walking three. Bradley didnt generate many swinging strikes in that brief look and lost his roster spot over the weekend. After going unclaimed on waivers, hell decide whether to report back to Jacksonville or explore other opportunities on the open market. Bradley is up to parts of nine seasons as a big league pitcher. He was an effective middle innings option as recently as 2021, when he posted a 3.71 ERA through 51 innings for the Phillies. His 2022 campaign was a significant struggle, as an elbow fracture and forearm strain kept him to 21 appearances with a 4.82 ERA that is his worst since he moved to relief (aside from this years small sample). The Nationals are in agreement with catcher Jacob Nottingham on a minor league deal, tweets the Talk Nats blog. Its the second minor league deal in as many days for Washington. They also signed right-hander Daniel Mengden last night. Nottingham just hit the open market last week. He was released from a non-roster pact with the Giants. The right-handed hitter had posted a .232/.329/.432 line over 34 contests for San Franciscos Triple-A club. Thats right in line with the .229/.333/.425 slash hed put up through 89 minor league games last season, which he spent in the Orioles organization. A former sixth-round draftee, Nottingham was once a fairly well-regarded prospect and has appeared in parts of four big league seasons. He got to the highest level each year from 2018-21, splitting his time between the Brewers and Mariners. Working primarily in a depth capacity, he appeared in 53 games and hit .184/.277/.421. He connected on eight home runs in only 130 trips to the plate but struck out over 34% of the time. Prospect evaluators generally credited Nottingham with above-average to plus raw power but raised concerns about his strikeout tallies and receiving skills. Hell head to Triple-A Rochester as a non-roster depth option with some power potential. The Nats have used Keibert Ruiz and Riley Adams as the catching duo this year. Nottingham wont jump either player on the depth chart, but the only other catcher on the 40-man roster (Israel Pineda) in on the injured list. Luis Torrens had been in Rochester but opted out of his contract with the Nats over the weekend; Nottingham will step into that role. TRAVERSE CITY, MI - Just days before the tourism floodgates opened for this weeks Traverse City Cherry Festival, U.S. Coast Guard crews at Air Station Traverse City took to the skies for some search-and-rescue and hoist training off the coast of the nearby Sleeping Bear Dunes. It was one of the many regular training activities these crew members prep for and perform to stay ready for whatever need might arise. They may need to lift off in their Jayhawk helicopters to join the search for a missing swimmer in Lake Michigan, or fly out to a freighter so they can medevac a sick or injured person from a ship. We train hard to be prepared for any scenario, Air Station Lt. j.g. Teddy Keenan told MLive in an interview last fall. We schedule over 40 hours a week of flight time alone, on top of countless hours of ground training. When crews planned one of their training sessions last week, Michigan Sky Media owner Tyler Leipprandt was invited along. Hes flown with the local Coast Guard group before, taking photos and video as they perform their life-saving maneuvers. What made his recent ride-along extra special was that the U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds had flown in for the Cherry Festival and were at the Air Station. Leipprandt said it was a great experience. I joined them on a flight to do some SAR (search and rescue) training and hoist training at the North Manitou Shoal Light. Despite the hazy conditions, the crew was able to safely conduct training all the way around the Leelanau Peninsula. We were supposed to do some formation flying, but due to the hazy conditions, the crew decided to put this on hold. The crew of a Jayhawk, stationed at the U.S. Coast Guard Air Station Traverse City, does training near the coast off Sleeping Bear Dunes. Photo provided by Michigan Sky Media. To get a few of these close-up shots, I used a super telephoto 600mm F4 lens to zoom in as much as possible, he said. This was especially difficult as I was freehanding the heavy lens in a moving helicopter. Having the Thunderbirds on site as they prepped to take part in the festivals Air Show and for last Fridays Open Ramp event - when the public was invited to see the planes, the choppers and their crew members - made it something hell never forget. It was quite the experience to take off next to the iconic F-16s. We even took a few Thunderbird crew members up with us for the training, he said. Thanks to all of the crew at the Traverse City Air Station for all of the incredible life-saving work you do! See Michigan Sky Medias photos on its website, and on its Instagram page. The crew of a Jayhawk, stationed at the U.S. Coast Guard Air Station Traverse City, does training near the North Manitou Shoal Light off Sleeping Bear Dunes. Photo provided by Michigan Sky Media.Michigan Sky Media They were flying aboard a Sikorsky MH-60T Jayhawk. These have been at the Air Station since 2017, when they replaced the Coast Guards older Dolphin fleet. Their arrival was celebrated because the Jayhawks have better search-and-rescue capability, a feature thats needed for a Great Lakes station. Some quick facts about the Jayhawks: They weigh 21,884 pounds fully loaded They can operate in all weather They are 64 feet long Can reach speeds in excess of 160 mph Crews are on duty 24/7, 365 days a year Every hour a Jayhawk is in the air, it requires 28 maintenance hours The crew of a Jayhawk, stationed at the U.S. Coast Guard Air Station Traverse City. Photo provided by Michigan Sky Media. Flying to the North Manitou Shoal Light When the Coast Guard crews flew out to the North Manitou Shoal Light area to do their training, they were working around a cool piece of restored maritime history that the public can now also visit each summer. When the North Manitou Light Keepers purchased the boxy, aging structure sitting in Lake Michigan off the coast of Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore in a 2016 government auction, they set an ambitious goal: open the North Manitou Shoal Light to the public by the summer of 2021. It took a lot of hard work, but they met that goal and now offers public tours to The Crib via boat trips. This summer, a Crib Cruise is planned for July 20. You can find out more about that event, and the groups restoration work, at the Light Keepers website here. The lighthouse sits in the famous Manitou Passage, marking a dangerous shoal between its namesake island and roughly Pyramid Point on the mainland. There has been some kind of light marking that area and warning away ship captains since 1910, when the first lightship was anchored there. The lighthouse was built a quarter century later in 1935. Its era as a staffed lighthouse ended when the last U.S. Coast Guard crew departed in 1980, leaving its automated light and fog signal behind. In 2015, it was declared excess property by the federal government. A year later, it was put up for auction and North Manitou Light Keepers scored with the winning $73,000 bid. Since then, the owners have overseen structural repairs, a fresh paint job, a big clean-up and safety upgrades. More than 20 of the lighthouses original rectangular windows were restored and put back in place in 2021. The glass was also replaced in the lantern house. ANN ARBOR, MI -- A couple of well-known overpasses in Ann Arbor may soon be transformed through a new project. Murals That Bridge is a public art initiative planning to bring new life to a few different overpasses within the city. TreeTown Murals, run by Mary Thiefels and Danijel Matanic, is working alongside Ann Arbor residents and local artists, Lucie and Larry Nisson, to target the railroad metal overpasses and concrete underpasses of North Main Street near the entrance of M-14 and Huron Street near North First Street outside the Delonis Center. Constellations Consulting Founder and CEO Laura Russello is also playing a role in Murals The Bridge by helping secure fundraising, which she said will cost a bit more than $150,000 each. The project has a Kickstarter page asking for donations to make these murals a reality. Both of the overpasses are begging for beautification, Thiefels said, adding the Murals That Bridge project is the first time anybody has offered substantial capital for not only creating permanent art in these spaces, but restoring the areas as well. Restoration for the Huron Street mural aims to begin after Ann Arbor Art Fair. The North Main Street mural is planning to be done in 2024 alongside Ann Arbors bicentennial celebration. The group working behind Murals That Bridge agree each location plays a major role in how residents and visitors view Ann Arbor. These murals are going to seen by hundred of thousands of people a day, Russello said. These are going to be huge fixtures and this is the first thing many people are going to see when they come into town. Matanic was behind creating the design for the Huron Street mural, Thiefels said, adding the design will be uplifting and will feature elements of two massive stone figures holding up the bridge and other features that will play off the environment of the underpass itself. The idea to bring more public art to Ann Arbor has been a topic of discussion for the Nissons for nearly a decade, Larry said. Theres a lot of things you can do to make a community a better place, he said. (Lucie and I are) both artists and we know what creating art does for us, but also what viewing art can do for people. While Larry said he knows art cannot solve all the issues in the world, he believes these murals are one thing that can make Ann Arbor a better place. He said public art is something that can be enjoyed by anyone and he hopes everyone can work together to make this project a reality. Russello said she also hopes this project and its efforts can have an impact beyond just Ann Arbor. We want this project to be an example for cities across the state of Michigan, she said. Our goal is to talk to as many citizens and lawmakers that might find this engaging so we can create a model for them because these sites exist in every town across the state. Along with the project, TreeTown Murals is also bringing new murals to the Miller Avenue railroad underpass with the help of young artists participating in a paid summer internship program. This initiative is working in partnership with Neutral Zone, Michigan Works and Educate Youth. These internships plan to focus on bringing three underpass murals to Miller and Washtenaw streets, officials said. Creating opportunities for youth involvement is another way TreeTown Murals is able to show up for the community, Thiefels said. Young artists in the area will be learning the entire mural process as they create these works of art. The concept for the Miller murals incorporates water and environmental sustainability as they create a underwater world that features pollution. Charlotte Perry is one of the young artists working with TreeTown Murals. She has lived in Ann Arbor her entire life and is preparing to attend Western Michigan University in the fall. Perry said this opportunity is giving her a chance to leave a mark, on her hometown before she moves off to college. Beyond leaving her own mark, Perry said she is excited to see what the Murals That Bridge project will be able to accomplish throughout Ann Arbor. I think (Murals That Bridge) will add soul back to the city, she said. Not just anybody can make (these murals and) its a really important job that I think brings peoples spirits up to see real art that people took the time and effort to make. Want more Ann Arbor-area news? Bookmark the local Ann Arbor news page or sign up for the free 3@3 Ann Arbor daily newsletter. MORE FROM THE ANN ARBOR NEWS: Whats that Ann Arbor? New business coming to former Ulrichs Bookstore location Mothfire Brewing Co. set to open Ann Arbor-area brewery, taproom Dog day care, boarding center officially opens in Pittsfield Township FENTON, MI Residents lined the streets of downtown Fenton dressed in red, white and blue to watch the citys annual Independence Day Parade. The parade on Tuesday, July 4 was part of the Fenton Freedom Festival. Spectators sat in folding chairs and on picnic blankets to watch floats of local groups and organizations pass by. Some found shade from the blazing sun under trees while others watched under canopies and umbrellas. Parade participants greeted the crowd, passing out candy, popsicles, mini-American flags, frisbees, stickers and other goodies to those on the sidelines. The parade route started at the intersection of Industrial Way and Owen Road in downtown Fenton. It then went east along West Shiawassee to Leroy Street, turned north on Leroy Street to Caroline Street and west on Caroline Street to West Street. The first portion of the parade, from the start to the intersection of Owen Road and Fenway Drive, was dedicated to noise-free viewing for those who may be sensitive to sirens and horns. Fenton resident Dan Schmidt said he has been volunteering to help with the parade for nearly 50 years. My role is to get the parade started, keep them spaced, and then also get them in line, Schmidt said. Parades been going on for years. Its a big draw for the city. Schmidt said he started helping with the citys Fourth of July parade in 1976 with his father. Ive been doing it ever since, Schmidt said. For me, (Fourth of July) is just a great day of remembrance. Fenton Freedom Festival continues into Tuesday evening with Fenton Rotary Clubs Rubber Ducky Regatta at 12:30 p.m. and fireworks at 10 p.m. at Silver Lake Park. Rubber Ducky Regatta will take place along the banks of the Shiawassee River with Fenton Rotary Club releasing 2000 rubber ducks into the river to raise money for charity. Tickets for Rubber Ducky Regatta can be purchased in-person and online at $10 for one or $100 for 10. The winning duck/ticket holder earns $1,000, while prizes are available for the other top 15 finishes as well. Free childrens games, cardboard city painting, snow cones and crafts will also be available throughout the day at the Community and Cultural Center and Gazebo Area, located at 150 S. Leroy St. Hungry Howies will also provide food and refreshments. Want more Flint-area news? Bookmark the local Flint news page or sign up for the free 3@3 Flint daily newsletter. Read more at The Flint Journal: Fenton to celebrate Fourth of July with parade, fireworks at Freedom Festival Registration open for Superhero race, fun run benefitting child abuse survivors Genesee Township business giving away free ice cream to connect with community Culture, education provided through first-ever mariachi summer camp in Flint GENESEE TOWNSHIP, MI Crossroads Village & Huckleberry Railroad celebrated both its 47th birthday and the Fourth of July on Tuesday with a performance by the French-American Youth Orchestra. The orchestra put on a show for families, friends and guests during Crossroads Village Independence Day Celebration on Tuesday, July 4. The French-American youth orchestra is a 20-year partnership between the Limonest Youth Symphony Orchestra, from Conservatoire de Limonest in France and the Flint Youth Symphony Orchestra. Melissa Mahan, Crossroads Village manager, said this is the first year the French-American youth orchestra performed at the village. What an honor to have all the youth here and their parents coming out to support them, Mahan said. Its a really beautiful thing. Tuesdays program included the Star-Spangled Banner, the national anthem of France, music from Hamilton, Enchanto, Pirates of the Caribbean and Top Gun, Smells Like Teen Spirit by Nirvana, Thrift Shop by Macklemore and Ryan Lewis and 1812 Overture. Violin player Jade LaGore, 17, of Flushing, said the performance came together in just three days. We just rehearsed for the first time, I believe, two days ago, and we had a performance yesterday, LaGore said. We rehearsed the day that they got here, so it was pretty intense for them with the jetlag and all. Much like the Limonest Youth Symphony Orchestra members who traveled to the U.S. to perform, LaGore said she recently took a trip to France with her quartet to play with other French students. Its always interesting because theres a language barrier, but then we can always play music together, LaGore said. Its the music that really connects us. LaGore said performing as a group allows students to give back to the community through music. Its amazing Its something that not a lot of people have gotten to experience, LaGore said. Especially after COVID because live music went down, but were bringing it all back now. So, its great. Prior to its show at Crossroads Village, the French-American youth orchestra performed during the Sounds of Summer concert on Sunday, July 2 in Flint. The Limonest Youth Symphony Orchestra had the opportunity to visit the Flint Institute of Musics Flint School of Performing Arts during its trip, as well as, playing with the Flint Youth Symphony Orchestra. Crossroads Village first opened its doors to the public on July 4, 1976. Its not only are we celebrating America, but its also a kind of a little celebration for the village as well, Mahan said. Crossroads Village Independence Day celebration also included an ice cream social, card making for veterans, balloon arts for kids and stilt walking and juggling performances by Craig Wise. Mahan said the village has events throughout the summer as well as Halloween- and Christmas-themed programs. Crossroads, in itself, is an important part of the community, Mahan said. Weve been here a long time and what we do is try to preserve history. Its a very family-friendly place and very community friendly place. So, its kind of a hidden gem up here. Want more Flint-area news? Bookmark the local Flint news page or sign up for the free 3@3 Flint daily newsletter. Read more at The Flint Journal: Fenton celebrates Fourth of July with Freedom Parade Registration open for Superhero race, fun run benefitting child abuse survivors Genesee Township business giving away free ice cream to connect with community Culture, education provided through first-ever mariachi summer camp in Flint OTTAWA COUNTY, MI A Fourth of July celebration turned deadly when a woman was killed, and many others were hospitalized after a firework exploded, Ottawa County sheriffs deputies said. The 43-year-old Holland woman who died at the scene was not immediately identified. Police responded to an 11:09 p.m. report of a firework that exploded on Monday, July 3, in the 1700 block of Main Street in Park Township. When sheriffs deputies arrived, they found 10 people who were injured from the explosion. Police said nine people were taken to an area hospital with injuries ranging from minor to critical. Several homes and vehicles within the area were also damaged. The incident remains under investigation. Police ask anyone with information about this incident to call the Ottawa County Sheriffs Office at 616-738-4000 or Silent Observer at 1-877-88-SILENT. Read more on MLive: After dozens rescued from Muskegon River, police issue safety tips Ottawa County board leader signed onto Supreme Court brief in same-sex ruling Platform holding Michigan communitys fireworks stash collapses into water, show canceled MECOSTA COUNTY, MI A 35-year-old man was taken into custody for allegedly kidnapping a woman and driving off with her in his vehicle, Mecosta County sheriffs deputies said. The mans name is being withheld being arraignment in Mecosta Countys 77th District Court. The kidnapping happened Sunday, July 2. Sheriffs deputies were told a woman was forced into a vehicle and that a suspect fled the area. Police received additional information about a potential suspect and description of the suspects vehicle. The suspect was known by the victim, police said. Police later learned the man released the woman after driving her out of Mecosta County and then back to northwestern Mecosta County, leaving her on the side of the road. The woman, who had minor injuries, was picked up by a passerby and returned to her residence. Investigators found the 35-year-old mans vehicle at a residence in southeastern Montcalm County. The man eventually exited the home and was arrested at the scene. The man also had two unrelated warrants for his arrest, police said. Read more on MLive: Firework that landed in crowd at community show resulted in handful of injuries Man stabbed multiple times during child custody exchange, police say Fireworks explosion kills 1, injures 9 others in West Michigan OTTAWA COUNTY, MI -- Joe Moss, chair of the embattled Ottawa County Board of Commissioners, joined in a brief filed in the recently decided U.S. Supreme Court case that sided with a graphic artist who sought to refuse service to same-sex couples. Moss name appeared along with the names of 16 other individuals and companies as filers of an amici brief in the case of Lorie Smith, a Colorado graphic artist and web site designer. The brief was filed in May 2022, long before Moss won election to the Ottawa County Board. Moss is co-founder of Ottawa Impact, far-right group that gained a majority on the Ottawa County Board in January. RELATED: New Ottawa County board changes motto to Where Freedom Rings, closes DEI office and more The amici brief was not filed in support of Smith or the Colorado Civil Rights Department, the opposing party, but sought to promote the idea that custom web sites and graphics are expressive works of art. Still, Moss retweeted an Ottawa Impact post that talked about the Supreme Court ruling. He expressed support for Smith. Today the Supreme Court delivered a resounding victory for free speech and freedom of conscience with the decision in 303 Creative v. Elenis. The Court affirmed all Americans First Amendment rights to be free of government coercion when they speak and express themselves, the Ottawa Impact post said. In the court case, the Supreme Court decided that Smith did not have to design wedding web sites for same-sex couples. The First Amendment envisions the United States as a rich and complex place where all persons are free to think and speak as they wish, not as the government demands. Colorado cannot deny that promise consistent with the First Amendment, Justice Neil Gorsuch wrote in the majority opinion. Moss name appears on the amici brief -- often filed by a party not directly tied to a case but that can offer insight or expertise -- along with Eclarian LLC of Jenison. Moss founded the company in 2010. According to the company web site, Eclarian offers software development and web site design, among other services. RELATED: Ex-Ottawa Impact county commissioner censured for violating Republican values Commissioners with ties to Ottawa Impact made immediate changes when the board was installed in January. The board fired the county administrator and replaced him with John Gibbs, who had failed in a bid for a Congressional seat in 2022. The board also dissolved the countys racial equity office, hired new corporate counsel with the Kallman Legal Group, a firm known for championing conservative causes. The board also moved to replace the countys health officer, although that effort has been stymied by legal action. More from MLive How a mustard recipe made it back to a Michigan family after 40 years After dozens rescued from Muskegon River, police issue safety tips MUSKEGON, MI Volunteers are needed to help clean up a key waterway in the City of Muskegon. The Ryerson Creek cleanup will be 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday, July 8. Hosted by the City of Muskegon and the Muskegon Conservation District, the cleanup will include free lunch and snacks. Volunteers are asked to meet at the Smith Ryerson Center, 650 Wood Street. Teams will be dispatched to clean up trash in areas of the stream from Getty Street to Muskegon Lake. Volunteers are encouraged to bring their own boots and waders, though there will be some that can be borrowed. Trash gathering materials and gloves will be provided. Those with kayaks are encouraged to help reach deeper parts of the creek. The Michigan Clean Water Corps provided funding for the event. The City of Muskegon Department of Public Works and the Muskegon Area Municipal Storm Water Committee are providing assistance. Questions can be directed to Kara via email at kara.cronk@macd.org or by calling the Muskegon Conservation District Office at 231-828-5097. Want more Muskegon area news? Bookmark the local Muskegon news page or sign up for the free 3@3 Muskegon daily newsletter. Also on MLive Muskegon Heights downtown makeover gets $6M from state Italianate mansion to be saved, moved by city of Muskegon $18M for development of huge Shaw-Walker eyesore in Muskegon awarded by state SAGINAW, MI A 14-year-old accused in his 10-year-old stepsisters death now is lodged in the Saginaw County Jail after he was able to escape the Saginaw County Juvenile Center Monday, July 3. Jameion L. Peterson spent nearly seven hours on the run before a tip led Saginaw County sheriffs deputies to apprehend him at a family members residence in Buena Vista Township at 12:04 a.m. on Independence Day, Saginaw County Sheriff William Federspiel said. The home is about 10 miles from the facility where he escaped. BAY CITY, MI - Its summertime in Bay County and that means that mosquitos are starting to become quite a nuisance. Officials are warning residents that two mosquito-borne viruses were detected in Bay County. On Monday, July 3, Bay County Mosquito Control issued an advisory stating that routine surveillance detected evidence of Eastern Equine Encephalitis virus, or EEE, in a mosquito in Hampton Township. Surveillance undertaken by Mosquito Control is used as an early warning system, said Rebecca Brandt, Bay County Mosquito Control manager. Identifying the virus early in mosquitoes allows us to respond prior to the virus amplifying and prior to reports of human or equine infection. In response, Bay County Mosquito Control is amping up its control efforts to reduce adult mosquito populations. The department will also maintain its surveillance program to keep an eye on things. Along with control of adult mosquitoes, we will continue surveillance throughout the summer to determine the extent of virus activity, Brandt said. EEE is spread to people by the single bite of an infected mosquito, although many of those infected show no symptoms, according to Bay County Mosquito Control. Signs of EEE infection include sudden onset of fever, chills and body and joint aches that can progress to severe encephalitis, resulting in headache, disorientation, tremors, seizures and paralysis, according to the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services. Anyone who thinks they may be experiencing these symptoms should contact a medical provider. Permanent brain damage, coma and death may occur in some cases, according to MDHHS. Despite EEE being fairly rare, it is the most serious of mosquito-transmitted viruses in Michigan. This testing information confirms the virus is here in mosquitos in Michigan, said Dr. Natasha Bagdasarian, MDHHS chief medical executive. EEE is one of the most dangerous mosquito-borne diseases in the United States, with a 33% fatality rate in people who become ill. As its name suggests, EEE also creates a serious risk for horses. Horses are also vulnerable to EEE, with a 90% fatality rate in those that become ill. The disease is not spread by horse-to-horse or horse-to-human contact. The Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development recommends that owners protect their horses by: Talking to their veterinarian about vaccinating horses against EEE and other mosquito-borne diseases. Placing horses and other livestock in a barn under fans during peak mosquito activity (from dusk to dawn). Using an insect repellant on animals that is approved for the species. Contacting a veterinarian if an animal shows signs of illness. In 2022, there were no human cases of EEE, however, EEE caused the death of three horses from Eaton, Roscommon and St. Joseph counties and one bird from Houghton County. In 2021, there was one human case of EEE. In 2020, there were four human cases of EEE, two of which were fatal. In 2019, Michigan had 10 cases of EEE, six of which were fatal. As of June 30, more than 600 mosquito pools had been tested in Michigan this year, according to MDHHS. In addition to the recent discovery in Bay County, the Jamestown Canyon virus, or JCV, was detected in Saginaw County in June. JCV, which is routinely found in the area, was also detected in Bay County last week, according to mosquito control. Fever, headache, and fatigue are common symptoms of JCV. The virus can rarely cause severe disease, including infection of the brain or the lining around the brain. There are no vaccines to prevent or medicines to treat Jamestown Canyon virus infection. Bay County Mosquito Control officials are reminding residents to try to ward off the pesky biters the best they can. While risk is currently low, it is important residents take personal precautions to avoid mosquito bites while outdoors, Brandt said. Tips to avoid bites and to prevent mosquito-transmitted illness include: Applying insect repellent containing DEET, picaridin, or oil of lemon eucalyptus, according to label instructions Wearing long-sleeved shirts, long pants and socks when outdoors Limiting outdoor activity when mosquitoes are most active, especially between dusk and dawn Vaccinating horses Click here for more information on mosquito-borne diseases from Bay County Mosquito Control. Want more Bay City- and Saginaw-area news? Bookmark the local Bay City and Saginaw news page or sign up for the free 3@3 daily newsletter for Bay City and Saginaw. Read more from MLive: Top 10 Lake Huron beaches on Michigans Sunrise Side to visit this summer Nearly $1M in improvements coming to Bay Citys Wenonah Park Tolling started two weeks ago on Liberty Bridge. Heres how its going. What do you want to see at Bay County parks? This online survey could influence plans. DETROIT -- Steve Yzerman entered free agency with a lot of salary-cap space and a lengthy shopping list, which he methodically checked off. The Detroit Red Wings general manager landed right-shooting center J.T. Compher, right-shooting wingers Daniel Sprong and Klim Kostin (via trade), gritty winger Christian Fischer, right-shot defenseman Justin Holl, left-shooting power-play defenseman Shayne Gostisbehere, backup goaltender James Reimer and depth goalie Alex Lyon. He didnt add a big-time goal-scorer to a roster that finished 24th in the league in scoring. That continues to be the teams most pressing need, one that was going to be difficult to fill in a thin free-agent market. He hopes that collectively there is enough offense in several of those acquisitions to boost his teams production. Wed like to score more, Yzerman said. I think thats the general consensus -- the Red Wings need to score more. We need to keep the puck out of our net. We need to be better defensively. Id like our special teams to be better. Rumors swirled before and during last weeks draft that Detroit was the likely destination for two-time 41-goal-scorer Alex DeBrincat. But he remains in Ottawa, and it doesnt sound like he was even close to being dealt to the Red Wings. Kicked some tires a little bit, phone calls, Yzerman said of trade talk in general. " but nothing really close. Well kind of circle back after free agency. Compher is coming off a career-high 52 points with Colorado but hasnt scored more than 18 goals. Sprongs career high is 20, which he tallied last season in Seattle. Gostisbehere is an offensive-minded defenseman. Unless Yzerman swings a trade for a significant goal-scorer, these newcomers must join with the existing crew to improve the offense. Im counting on the collective group, the roster we have now, everybody to chip in a little bit on the offense, which will help us score more, Yzerman said. Getting Robby Fabbri back healthy, Lucas Raymond a year older, J.T. Compher coming into the mix, scoring some goals. Collectively, I expect us to improve a little bit, probably still not where wed all like it to be. Well continue in the offseason to see what if anything, some more free agents still out there or even look at potential trades. Generally, after July 1-2, things start to settle down and teams re-evaluate where they are, what they need to do, and for various reasons might have to make a move. Dylan Larkin led the Red Wings with 32 goals. David Perron (24) and Dominik Kubalik (20) were the only others to reach 20. Stanley Cup champion Vegas also had three 20-goal scorers and no one with more than 28. The plan isnt necessarily that were going to score by committee, Yzerman said. We need more goals. My expectation is well get a couple more out of all these guys. That will increase our scoring. I think well be a better defensive team collectively. That will help us as well. Vegas won because they had great contributions up and down their lineup. They got important goals from a lot of different people. Thats ultimately how you win. If you rely on just too few guys, injuries, cold spells, whatever generally teams that are going a long way have depth. Going back to our teams back in the day when there was no salary cap, you had (Kris Draper) scoring big goals in the playoffs, Doug Brown scoring goals. Good teams have depth. Yzerman added, I think we have some depth. We would all love a couple of big-time scorers. Hopefully, well get that. Well continue to work at that. How we go about it is a bit of a challenge. More: Filip Zadina asked for trade, ended up getting waived The University of Michigan Marsal Family School of Education is offering a new bachelors degree that blends the world-changing capabilities of a leading public research university with community-based learning on the beautiful Marygrove Conservancy campus in Detroit. The new degree Learning, Equity, and Problem Solving for the Public Good (LEAPS) builds on the existing partnership between the U-M Marsal School, Detroit Public Schools Community District, Starfish Family Services, Marygrove Conservancy, and The Kresge Foundation.This new program LEAPS will be offered by the Marsal School beginning in the fall of 2024. LEAPS is an interprofessional, four-year program leading to a U-M bachelors degree in education that prepares graduates to be learning leaders in a world that presents challenges that defy simple solutions. Professors Barry Fishman and Leslie Ruppert Herrenkohl serve as the founding faculty co-directors of the new program. They have partnered with Dean Elizabeth Birr Moje and Associate Dean Kendra Hearn as well as a large group of faculty, staff, and students to develop this new major.A lot of programs focus on knowledge and skills, which are important, says Herrenkohl, but we believe that LEAPS will become known for focusing on wisdom, or how and when to put knowledge and skills to good use in contexts that matter. I think more than ever, at this moment in history, we need people who are able to be human in places where technical skills are absolutely necessary, but not enough.Jay Meeks, a Marygrove community resident and the LEAPS program manager, says that students emerge as learning leaders, prepared to work in a variety of places and careers in addition to the traditional classroom. LEAPS is about bringing more versatility and possibility to what a degree in education can mean to a student as they enter the workforce. LEAPS students engage with the study of learning and education through a process of applying their classroom learning to real-world challenges in urban settings and beyond.The LEAPS major represents the first time in the schools history that first-year students will be admitted directly into the Marsal School. LEAPS learners will spend their freshman year living in dorms and taking classes on the Marygrove Conservancy campus in Detroit. Most students will move to the UM-Ann Arbor campus in their second year, while continuing to have experiences inand build relationships with the Detroit community throughout their course of study.Students will take part in experiential and place-based instruction led by U-M faculty as well as Detroit community members and institutions. The learning experience will prepare students to be leaders, facilitators, and change agents who know how to make progress in the face of uncertainty, working to address persistent social and systemic inequities and knowledge gaps that thwart transformative change at all levels of society.LEAPS will engage students in apprenticeship-based learning through community-based research projects and collaborations from the moment they enter the university, through the completion of a culminating capstone project. Throughout all four years of the program, students will engage in research- and practice-based apprenticeships.The curriculum consists of courses focusing on how people learn and how to address different kinds of societal questions with a range of research methods. The focus is on how we answer questions, says Fishman, At its core, this is what a research university is built to do. But it's also something that we very rarely teach undergraduates directly. In LEAPS, students engage with problem-solving right away. We want students to be able to help community-based organizations answer their questions and make progress on the problems and challenges that they face. That will be a core part of being prepared to participate in the research mission of the university.LEAPS partnerships will center community members as full participants in knowledge building and in shaping program experiences as key stakeholders through roles such as community educators, scholars, and artists. Community members are and will continue to be invited to learn more about and actively shape the kinds of engaged scholarship pursued by U-M, opening up new pathways for future engagement, including through undergraduate and graduate study with U-M.Graduates of the new bachelor's degree program will be prepared to pursue careers in management, community action, health care professions, legal professions, entrepreneurship, community action, business and, of course, teaching. They could also build careers as educational advocates and work as advisors or consultants in efforts to become decision-makers in different facets of education.We believe that our graduates will be well versed in what they know, but also prepared to be able to articulate and demonstratewhat they know after completing our program, says Meeks.The first cohort of LEAPS students will apply to the University of Michigan Marsal Family School of Education in fall 2023 and start their Marygrove residency in fall 2024."Having the LEAPS program from UM-Ann Arbor on our campus will provide excellent opportunities to connect college freshmen with the community. After renovations to the classroom spaces and dorms are completed, and those areas are activated with the first round of students, our campus will serve infants to freshman scholars (from the University of Michigan). I'm thrilled to be a part of how this campus is evolving into a community campus," says Robbie Walker, the Director of Operations and Strategy. South Africa's largest opposition party has teamed up with six small groups to build a coalition aimed at ousting the long-ruling ANC in next year's elections, they announced Monday. The Democratic Alliance, which has a fifth of the seats in parliament, is in the forefront of the plan. The initiative does not include the third largest party, the radical leftist Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF). The leaders of the seven parties will hold what they dubbed "historic" talks on August 16 and 17 in Johannesburg to map out "a common vision for a new government." The governing African National Congress (ANC) -- which has been in power for nearly three decades -- is facing growing discontent fuelled by a sickly economy, entrenched unemployment, worsening inequality and an electricity crisis. It suffered record losses in the 2021 municipal elections, the first time in the democratic era its support dipped below half of ballots cast nationally. Next year's ballot is for the National Assembly, where the majority party also usually chooses the president. "The 2024 election presents an unprecedented opportunity for the people of South Africa to elect a new government that can steer our country out of the multiple crises it faces," the parties said in a joint statement. "For the very first time since 1994, the incumbent governing party is set to lose its majority when voters go to the polls next year." Under the constitution, the parliament meets after national elections to choose the president. Usually a candidate from the party with majority lawmakers wins. 03.07.2023 LISTEN The International Relations Director of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) has backed Dormaheene. According to Mr. Segbefia, the comment made by Dormaahene is nothing to be described as prejudicial. He said the call for discontinuation of Gyakye Quaysons trial is the voice of the people who spoke loudly in the Assin-North by-election. Speaking on TV3 on July 3, the NDC international relations director stated there are far more criminal cases to be tried not James Gyakye Quayson. Even before the by-election, in our humble opinion, the case shouldnt be moving forward. Now that the people have approved and the people have clearly voted for him than his numbers in the 2020 election, it is a clear message that please Attorney General this is not the case you should pursue. You have a situation where if you take the words of what Dormaahene said, it is absolutely nothing that anybody hasnt said already. The fact that he is a judge doesnt mean that he doesnt have an opinion, Alex Segbefia said. The Dormaahene Osagyefo Oseadeeyo Agyemang Badu II speaking at the Bono, Bono East, Ahafo, and Western North regional version of the Professor John Evans Atta Mills Commemorative Lecture in Sunyani on Saturday [July 1, 2023] appealed for the Attorney General to drop the criminal charges against Quayson. "As a matter of urgency, I [Dormaahene] am appealing to the President of the Republic [Akufo-Addo], if he has any role to play, that trial should be aborted, and the Attorney-General should as a matter of urgency file a Nolle Prosequi to end that particular decision" and abort the criminal case against Mr. Quayson," he said. He insisted that it was needless for the Attorney General to continue the case after the chiefs and people of the Assin North constituency re-elected Quayson after he was stripped off the seat by a Supreme Court ruling. James Gyakye Quayson is facing trial for perjury at the High Court in Accra. Isaac Jay Hyde, the New Patriotic Party's (NPP) deputy national youth organizer, described the Dormaahene's comments on the Gyakye Quayson trial as offensive. According to Mr. Hyde, the Attorney General (AG) is only exercising his constitutional mandate. Speaking on TV3 on July 3, he said the Attorney General cannot be dictated on how to perform his role. About how he (Dormaahene) feels that the Judiciary should operate but in this particular matter or on this particular issue where the Attorney General is only exercising his constitutional mandate, then you go in to go talk about how he should act. I (Dormaahene) would have taken left, the process which is before the court is hampering the persons work and his development. Nobody has stopped Dormaaheene from doing his work if he is making an appeal for Mr. Gyakye Quayson. He should ask Mr.Gyakye Quayson to come and tell the Ghanaian people and the people of Assin North that, I made a mistake, I accept responsibility for my actions and so therefore am appealing to the Ghanaians to come and forgive me in any case if the Attorney General exercises a mandate in this direction, he is exercising it on behalf of the Ghanaian people," he stated. The President during the campaign of the New Patriotic Party (NDC) in Assin North, admonished the constituents not to vote for Mr. Quayson who is likely to be a jailbird. The Dormaahene Osagyefo Oseadeeyo Agyemang Badu II speaking at the Bono, Bono East, Ahafo, and Western North regional version of the Professor John Evans Atta Mills Commemorative Lecture in Sunyani on Saturday [July 1, 2023] appealed for the Attorney General to drop the criminal charges against Quayson. "As a matter of urgency, I [Dormaahene] am appealing to the President of the Republic [Akufo-Addo], if he has any role to play, that trial should be aborted, and the Attorney-General should as a matter of urgency file a Nolle Prosequi to end that particular decision" and abort the criminal case against Mr. Quayson," he said. He insisted that it was needless for the Attorney General to continue the case after the chiefs and people of the Assin North constituency re-elected Quayson. James Gyakye Quayson is facing trial for perjury at the High Court in Accra. An aspirant in the New Patriotic Party (NPP) flagbearership race Kojo Poku has expressed confidence he can navigate the party's vetting process to win the contest. He said in an interview after his vetting today, July 3, that he started campaigning last year and interacted with the youth during that period. Mr. Poku, in his bid to become the party's candidate, is pitching himself as the youth's preferred choice. He said his interactions with them convinced him "that I am the one the youth of this nation are looking forward to." If he emerges as the NPP's presidential candidate, Kwadwo Poku says he aims to tap into the youth vote bank to help deliver victory for the party in 2024. "I started this process last year and it will shock you that I am the one the youth of this nation are looking forward to," he told journalists. The aspiring candidate added that he is ready for the challenges ahead after going through the vetting process. He expressed optimism that he will secure the nod to contest the primaries. Kojo Poku was one of several candidates, including Vice President Bawumia and Alan Kyerematen, vetted by the Aaron Mike Oquaye-led committee. Meanwhile, the ruling party has scheduled its presidential primaries for November 4, 2023. Isaac Jay Hyde, the New Patriotic Party's (NPP) Deputy National Youth Organizer has labeled the Dormaaheene as a "National Democratic Congress (NDC) propagandist." According to Mr. Hyde, Dormaaheene has consistently made comments against the Akufo-Addo-led government. On July 3, he said in an interview with TV3 that Dormaahene's remarks against appointees of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) government has been consistent. If you take the Dormaaheene as a subject matter and my disappointment with him with the greatest of respect, I keep using with the greatest of respect because I have respect for Dormaahene except to also call a spade a spade that the tangent that he is going he can only invite this perspective for himself. Dormaahene is an NDC propagandist. I am laying claim to the fact that time and again, it appears that the Dormaahene likes to take a swipe at the government and you see if you were an ordinary citizen, nobody will have a problem with him. Perhaps we wouldnt be sitting here having this discussion, that is why I call him an NDC propagandist and I mean it is disappointing. I am saying that the Dormaahene over time has made certain commentary which presupposes that he aligns with the NDC, Isaac Jay Hyde stated. This follow comments made by Dormaahene Osagyefo Oseadeeyo Agyemang Badu II while speaking at the Bono, Bono East, Ahafo, and Western North regional version of the Professor John Evans Atta Mills Commemorative Lecture in Sunyani on Saturday [July 1, 2023] where he appealed for the Attorney General to drop the criminal charges against Quayson. "As a matter of urgency, I [Dormaahene] am appealing to the President of the Republic [Akufo-Addo], if he has any role to play, that trial should be aborted, and the Attorney-General should as a matter of urgency file a Nolle Prosequi to end that particular decision" and abort the criminal case against Mr. Quayson," he said. He insisted that it was needless for the Attorney General to continue the case after the chiefs and people of the Assin North constituency re-elected Quayson. James Gyakye Quayson is facing trial for perjury at the High Court in Accra. 03.07.2023 LISTEN Alan Kyerematen, a former Minister of Trade is upbeat about successfully facing the vetting committee. According to Mr. Kyerematen, he has always made it to contest since 2007. Speaking to Journalists after his vetting, he said it is not appropriate to discuss issues that have been discussed in camera. For me, I am comfortable in this process. I think the important thing for you is to know that tomorrow, I will start my constituency tours in Greater Accra. I have decided that, I will introduce an innovation into my constituency tours and clustering constituencies for the purpose of party executives together not just within their own constituencies but in a few other constituencies in the cluster. That will help energize the rank and file of the party, Alan Kyerematen stated. Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia will be the next presidential aspirant to face the Vetting Committee of the party. The two politicians are considered the frontrunners in the contest to become the presidential candidate to lead the party to the 2024 general election. The third aspirant to be vetted today is Kwadwo Poku whos an Energy Expert. On Tuesday, July 4, the vetting will proceed with the remaining candidates, including Kwabena Agyei Agyepong, a former NPP General Secretary, Kennedy Ohene Agyapong, the Member of Parliament for Assin Central and Boakye Kyeremateng Agyarko, former Energy Minister. A statement issued by the Secretary to the National Presidential Vetting Committee, Evans Nimako, said the other candidates would be vetted on July 5 and 6. Hon Akwasi Opong-Fosu 04.07.2023 LISTEN None of the presidential aspirants poses a threat to the NDC with their failed leadership and the mess created, they would rather pose a threat to the country, Hon Akwasi Opong-Fosu has said. Hon. Akwasi Opong-Fosu former Minister of Local Government and former MP for Wassa Amenfi East in an interview with Kofi Cula, the host of political affairs on United Kingdom-based FM, Omega said former President John Dramani Mahama will win the 2024 elections no matter the machinations. He noted that the level of mismanagement and corruption under the current administration is so appalling that it will be very difficult for Ghanaians to entrust their future into the hands of an NPP government. "Touting the performance of the NPP government as unprecedented by Vice-President Bawumiah does not surprise anyone. He lives in his own bubble. He believes in his own lies, and that is a problem and problem for his own party. And he's not a surprise his contenders are appealing to delegates not to vote for any liar," he stated. According to him, for Ghanaians to realise real development politicians must do away with ethnic politics. "People are born into families and not political parties as some claim. Until we renew our mindset, on leadership purposes, abuse of power, corruption, and nepotism will persist to the disadvantage of the very people who defend the perpetrators," he stated. Chiefs at Atafoa in the Kumasi Metropolis of the Ashanti Region have revealed that some persons who are fond of dumping corpses and having sex in Owabi River have incurred the wrath of the river god. The chiefs have disclosed that the angry River god has vowed to kill anyone if residents continue to pollute the river with dead bodies and other offensive materials that threaten its life survival and purity. According to them, the River God in a revelation to the fetish priest in the area has warned of engaging in the abominable act. Speaking in an exclusive interview with this reporter on Monday, July 3, 2023, the Linguist of the chief of Atafoa, Nana Kwame Appiah said persons who were recently killed in the river were as a result of anger of the river god. "This river serves as the main source of potable water for residents in the region, yet people throw all sorts of dirt into the river. "The river god revealed to the fetish priest that, some unscrupulous people bury dead bodies in the river, while others have sex in the river, acts that should be condemned," he stated. Recent deaths Some five people have recently drowned in the river after torrential rains in the Ashanti Region. Three of the five persons were confirmed dead after retrieving their bodies while two are still missing. According to Nana Kwame Appiah, the river has revealed that those two bodies will never be found as a sign of anger. Pacifying the "river god" Following the incident, the Chief of Atafo, Nana Owusu Ansah II together with his elders poured libation at the river to pacify the god. The chief after offering sheep, bottles of schnapps and fowls to the river has again warned residents of the area from provoking the rive god. 04.07.2023 LISTEN The President of Breast Care International (BCI) Dr Mrs Beatrice Wiafe Addai has urged parents in Ghana to monitor the breasts of their female children periodically. This she said will help the parents to know the size, shape and feel of the breasts and any unusual changes. Dr Beatrice Wiafe Addai who is a Breast Pathologist has bemoaned the current diagnosis of breast cancer among children in Ghana, a situation she has called for immediate control. She posited that most children are unaware of breast cancer and do not bother about any changes that may happen to the breasts so the parents must actively monitor in their stead. The parents must speak to the children about breast cancer disease, monitor the breasts to find any changes and also advise the children to alert then if they (children) find anything usual, she added. Dr Beatrice Wiafe Addai, who is also the CEO of Peace and Love Hospitals in Ghana said this during a free breast cancer screening and education at the Upper Room Assemblies of God Church at Kwadaso Estate in the Kwadaso Municipal in the Ashanti region. During the program sponsored by Delta Airline on Sunday, July 2, 2023, Dr Wiafe Addai was accompanied Martha Drohobyczer who is a nurse and midwife in Las Vegas in the USA and a medical team from Peace and Love Hospital. Dr Wiafe Addai said some children who notice changes in the breasts most often than not feel shy to tell their parents and rather confide in their friends who may offer little or bad advice. She stated that breast cancer at the early stage is not painful so changes in the breasts as in the shape and size must be quickly reported to the hospital. Dr Wiafe Addai also allayed the fears that not all changes in the breasts might be breast cancer and noted that contracting the disease is not a death sentence. She indicated that the disease is detectable, curable and preventable if education about the disease is adhered to and taken seriously. She therefore charged the public to immediately report to the hospital if they find anything unusual in and around the breasts. Advising children, Dr Beatrice Wiafe Addai said they should use the internet to learn more about breast cancer and report to either their parents or hospital any unusual things about their breasts. The Head Pastor of Upper Room Assemblies of God A/G Church Ghana at Kwadaso Estate Rev Adu Gyamfi Yeboah asked the congregants to adopt periodic breast cancer checks. 03.07.2023 LISTEN In 2014, the United Nations General Assembly established June 13 as International Albinism Awareness Day to create awareness and inclusion of Persons with Albinism (PWAs) to prevent attacks and discrimination against PWAs. Albinism is a genetic condition characterised by a lack of pigment in the hair, skin and eyes. If affects people of all ethnic backgrounds around the world. The day provides an opportunity to educate the public about albinism, challenge stereotypes and advocate for the rights and wellbeing of individuals with albinism. It is also a day to celebrate the achievements and contribution of people with albinism in various fields Standard Chartered with the support of the Diversity and Inclusion Disability, Wellness and Mental Health Employee Network joined Engage Now Africa and the Ghana Association of Persons with Albinism in celebrating the day in Accra. This years celebration was under the theme Inclusion is strength and it also marked the 20th anniversary of the Ghana Association of Persons with Albinism (GAPA). The speakers at event underscored the need to increase awareness about albinism and highlight the effects of discrimination persons with Albinism go through daily. Representatives from the Ministry of Gender and Social Protection, The Ghana Health Service, Ghana Education Service, United Nations, the Ghana Federation for Disabled Organizations (GFD) as well as traditional authorities were all in attendance. The event also focused on the risk factors of albinism which includes poor vision and skin cancers. Standard Chartered with the support of Operation Eyesight Universal held an eye screening session for all participants. 50 individuals including women and children were screened, with recommendations given for further tests to those who require it. The attendees were each provided with special eyeglasses to help reduce the effect of the suns rays on their eyes. Osagyefo Oseadeeyo Agyemang Badu II, the President of the Bono Region House of Chiefs has advised Ghanaians to respect the presidency and guard against 'uncouth' behaviours that turn to dirty the seat of government. That notwithstanding, Osagyefo Agyemang Badu II, who is the Paramount Chief of Dormaa Traditional Area (Dormaahene) said Ghanaians had the right to criticize successive governments constructively, to put them on their toes to facilitate accelerated national development. The 'Dormaahene' was speaking at the 10th anniversary memorial lecture in honour of the late former President John Evans Atta Mills on the theme The Man John Evans Atta Mills-10 Years On in Sunyani. It was jointly organised by the Bono, Bono East, Ahafo and Western North Regional branches of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) and attended by the leadership of the Party, traditional leaders, youth groups and some Members of Parliament. Osagyefo Agyemang Badu II said there was no justification for any Ghanaian to insult or cast insinuations on particularly, the President and the Vice President, saying such attitudes and behaviours were alien to the Ghanaian culture. He said it was rather useful and recommendable for Ghanaians to praise, inspire and support development-oriented governments in their efforts to build and transform the economic fortunes of the nation. Describing the late former President Mills as an aptitude of development who abhorred corruption, the Paramount Chief urged politicians to learn from the integrity and humility of the late President. Politicians must emulate the peaceful, credible, diplomatic and selfless nature of the late Prof Mills he advised, attesting that his democratic values turned to build and consolidate the nation's democratic gains. In a speech read on her behalf, Madam Justina Owusu-Banahene, the Bono Regional Minister said, remembering and celebrating the selflessness, ingenuity and patriotic nature of the late former president should serve as a catalyst to change our politics. The late Atta Mills governing style was noted for creating economic confidence and a better Ghana for all, she added. Professor Dominic Otoo, the Dean of Students, University of Energy and Natural Resources (UENR) recounted how the late Prof. Mills administration dealt proactively and improved educational infrastructure and ICT learning centres nationwide. In fact, he was not only a peacemaker, but his commitment towards transforming the educational sector remain unparalleled, he stated, adding that the late Prof. Mills was also poised to improve quality education with focus and emphasis on Technical and Vocational Education Training (TVET). GNA Mr Kwaku Ofori Asiamah, the Minister for Transport has said the sector remains a major source of green gas emissions, slowing down the nations effort to achieve the global target of net-zero emissions by 2025. He said this was due to the nation's dependence on fossil fuels, and that the Driver Vehicle and Licensing Authority had registered 3.2 million vehicles as of the end of 2022. He said 72 per cent of the registered vehicles were petrol powered, 27 per cent diesel and about one per cent Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG). The sector minister said this in a speech read on his behalf at the opening of the Bono Regional Consultative meeting on the Electric Vehicle Policy held at Abesim, near Sunyani. It was organised by the Ministry of Transport and attended by key stakeholders in the transport industry, including representatives of the National Road Safety Authority, Driver Vehicle Licensing Authority (DVLA), Motor Traffic and Transport Department (MTTD) and other security services. The Ministry, with support from the Ministries of Energy and Finance, are organising nationwide consultative meetings to collect inputs from key players in the transport industry into the policy. Mr Asiamah expressed worry that the impact of climate change and global warming were well felt in parts of the country, and that it was having enormous consequences on the environment and human life. Hence the need to phase out diesel and petrol-powered vehicles for electric ones. Madam Justina Owusu-Banahene, the Bono Regional Minister said the nation must firmly do away with over-aged vehicles to put the nation in a position to achieve net-zero emissions by 2025. She said carbon emissions from over-aged vehicles coupled with air pollution were contributing enormously to global warming, slowing down the nations climate change mitigation actions. Mad. Owusu-Banahene said the government was committed in doing everything possible to help clear over-aged vehicles from the system, saying the vehicle assembling plants being set up in the country were all indications that the government was truly dedicated to place the country on a point to achieve the net-zero emissions. This is because the vehicle assembling plants would make it easier for Ghanaians to buy and use brand new vehicles. GNA Senegal's President Macky Sall, who announced Monday that he would not seek a controversial third term in office, has a soft-spoken demeanour that observers say belies stubbornness and hidden fire. He "is genuinely shy but misleadingly gentle", said Cheikh Yerim Seck, author of a book on life in Senegal under Sall. The 61-year-old president has ended months of suspense over whether he would seek to stay in power in the West African nation, a bastion of democracy in a troubled region. His announcement coincided with a call by his bitter rival, Ousmane Sonko, for mass protests against a president he described as corrupt and a would-be dictator. Tall and broad-shouldered, Sall has the nickname in the Wolof language of "Niangal", translatable as "Mr Stony Face" -- an appropriate tag for someone whose first love was geology. Sall was one of five children born in modest circumstances to a caretaker father and a mother who worked as a peanut seller. After studying as a geological engineer and briefly flirting with Maoism, he rose through the ranks of the national oil company Petrosen. There he was spotted by the president at the time, Abdoulaye Wade, who appointed him minister of mining and energy in 2001. From there, he became interior minister and prime minister and handled Wade's re-election campaign in 2007, for which he was rewarded with the post of National Assembly speaker. 'Warriors' But within a year, Sall's dramatic ascent came to a bruising halt. He fell out with Wade for ordering his son, who at the time ran a company contracted to do work for an Islamic Conference summit, to testify in parliament over suspected fraud. Forced out as speaker by pro-Wade MPs, Sall quit all his elected positions, left the president's Senegalese Democratic Party (PDS) and set up his own group, the Alliance for the Republic-Yakaar, or APR. "I come from a long line of warriors who prefer to die rather than lose face," Sall said in 2019 at the launch of his autobiography, "Senegal in the Heart." Bustup: Sall's one-time mentor, former president Abdoulaye Wade. By SEYLLOU (AFP) In 2012 came the payback. Sall routed his erstwhile mentor in the second round of bitterly contested elections. He united the opposition behind a campaign that accused Wade of breaching the constitution by seeking a third term. Wade put forward an argument that would ironically resonate among Sall's supporters a decade later. He argued that the two-term limit had been reset by a constitutional revision during his time in office. Economic focus Sall has staked his reputation on his economic record, something that some of his fiercest critics grudgingly accept has been a success. He points to an increase in agricultural production and a huge infrastructure programme, including a new airport and new town outside Dakar, a regional express train and highways, as well as a boost in health insurance coverage. His declared goal is that by 2035, Senegal will have been elevated from a developing to an "emerging" economy. Sall has also had success in bringing calm to Senegal's separatist-troubled southern region of Casamance, and played a key part in forcing out dictator Yahya Jammeh in neighbouring Gambia in 2017. Sall speaks French and English in addition to three other languages spoken in Senegal. He is married to Marieme Faye Sall, whom he met while she was still in high school. They have two sons and a daughter. To his critics, Sall has adopted an iron-fisted approach, destabilising a country widely admired for its democracy and stability. Senegal has been rattled by clashes between the security forces and opposition leader Ousmane Sonko. By SEYLLOU (AFP) In his autobiography, Sall said his second term in office would be his last, but in recent months he has become coy about whether this would be the case. Sall has "drifted to authoritarianism... jailing or exiling his most threatening opponents," three of Senegal's most prominent intellectuals, Mohamed Mbougar Sarr, Felwine Sarr and Boubacar Boris Diop, said recently in a joint commentary. 04.07.2023 LISTEN Deputy Attorney-General and Minister of Justice, Alfred Tuah-Yeboah, has hailed the ruling of the Court of Appeal overturning the decision of the trial judge in the case of Stephen Opuni to start the trial from scratch. The Court of Appeals ruling will ensure that the proceedings and evidence led in the case up until now are not disregarded, providing continuity in the legal process. Speaking on Eyewitness News on Citi FM, Mr. Tuah-Yeboah said that even though the decision of Justice Kwasi Anokye Gyimah, who took over the case in March 2023, to start the trial from scratch for allegations of unfairness was within his discretion, at no point did the accused raise issues with the collection of evidence in the case. In the course of trying any criminal matter and in any court of law and if there is a new judge, the judge has the discretion to either adopt or start in whole. And by that discretion, such a judge is supposed to look at various instances and in this particular case, it was our considered view that even though the judge had the power to exercise his discretion, looking at the various parameters, he erred and that is the basis for which we filed the appeal at the Court of Appeal. One of the key points that the trial judge relied on has to do with the proceeding having been tainted, but we argued that if you look at the evidence adduced, there was no point during the trial where we can say that the accused person raised an issue whether the judge was taken the right evidence or not and the evidence was intact so in adopting proceedings, we argued that the trial judge was supposed to look at the evidence and not other matters. Mr. Tuah-Yeboah also admonished the Opuni team to seek redress at the Supreme Court if it is not satisfied with the Court of Appeals ruling. The Court of Appeal has delivered a ruling, and they may also decide to appeal to the Supreme Court for the Supreme Court to once and for all, determine the state of this matter. citinewsroom Leadership of Organized Labour of the Trades Union Congress (TUC) will today July 4, 2023 meet National Labour Commission (NLC), following the formers planned nationwide strike on July 10. The meeting follows a summon by the NLC to Organized Labour after its leadership announced its nationwide strike. Organized Labour on June 26 th announced that it will embark on a strike on July 10 , following the dismissal of three Union Leaders at Sunon Asogli Power Plant. TUC is fuming over the decision of management not to reinstate them after several appeals. Speaking to journalists in Accra, Secretary General of the TUC, Dr. Yaw Baah says they will still strike. The directive is that Organized Labour leaders are saying that on July 10, we are starting a nationwide strike, involving all workers who are part of Organized Labour, so that stands. In the meantime, the National Labour Commission has called us, we will go and hear them. The truth of the matter is that a lot of stakeholders are involved in this. As soon as we issued the statement on the strike for July 10, as we expected, I can tell you that a number of people who care about this country have come, and they want to see how they can work with us as management, the Secretary General of the TUC, Dr. Yaw Baah, said. The Union said the three had their contracts terminated simply because they decided to join the Trades Union Congress which it said is against the labour laws of Ghana. Citi Newsroom 04.07.2023 LISTEN Senior Presidential Advisor, Yaw Osafo-Maafo, has assured that allowances given to trainees in Colleges of Education will not be scrapped. Many have raised concerns over the possibility of scraping teacher trainee allowances as part of the IMF conditionality. Speaking at the 175th-anniversary celebration of Akropong College of Education, Yaw Osafo-Maafo, emphasized that all allowances will be maintained. I know that the difficulty in the economic landscape, which has resulted in the government signing up for a programme with the International Monetary Fund (IMF), may cause you some concerns. But none of the allowances introduced in the teaching profession will be affected by our programme with the IMF. If there are any difficulties in prompt payments, it is coming from our own mobilization of resources and not from the IMF, Mr. Osafo-Maafo clarified. The Executive Board of the IMF on May 17, granted approval for Ghana's $3 billion bailout request, aimed at revitalizing the country's struggling economy. Ghana received an amount of $600 million from the IMF, the first tranche of the $3 billion bailout package, on May 19. Citi Newsroom The Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) published its half-year report for 2023, providing updates on its ongoing efforts to combat corruption in Ghana. The report highlights the completion of investigations into three significant cases, as well as the initiation of probes into 150 new corruption-related cases. The completed cases mentioned in the report include: Charles Bissue Secretary to the erstwhile Inter-Ministerial Committee on Illegal Mining (IMCIM): The OSP concluded its investigation into allegations of the use of public office for profit against Charles Bissue, stemming from an investigative documentary titled "Galamsey Fraud" by Tiger Eye PI. Attempted Bribery of NPP MPs by a Wealthy Businessman The OSP finalised its investigation into an incident involving the attempted bribery of several members of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) by a prominent businessman. Corruption and Corruption-Related Offenses in the Procurement and Contract Award to Turfsport Ghana Limited by the Gaming Commission of Ghana The OSP completed its investigation into suspected corruption and related offenses pertaining to a contract awarded to Turfsport Ghana Limited by the Gaming Commission of Ghana. The report also reveals that four other cases are currently being prosecuted before the criminal courts. However, no convictions or acquittals have been made in relation to these cases during the period under review. Furthermore, the OSP states that it is investigating an additional 150 cases at various stages of consideration. These cases will be publicized if the Special Prosecutor determines that they fall within the mandate of the office and should proceed beyond the preliminary investigation stage. The OSP emphasises that this policy is designed to protect the privacy of individuals, the operations of institutions and companies, and to prevent unwarranted stigmatization. The OSP's report concludes by welcoming collaboration and referrals on suspected corruption and corruption-related offenses from all stakeholders, particularly law enforcement agencies. This highlights the office's commitment to working with various entities to combat corruption and ensure transparency and accountability in Ghana. Classfmonline.com The National Entrepreneurship and Innovation Programme (NEIP) has launched season four of the Presidential Pitch with the theme; "Building a Sustainable Entrepreneurial Nation: The Role of Our Future Unicorns". The Presidential Pitch is a unique entrepreneurship initiative put together by the Ministry of Business Development partnered by the National Entrepreneurship and Innovation Programme to give Ghanaian youth entrepreneurs the platform to pitch their business ideas in hopes of obtaining funding. This entrepreneurial competition has been in existence since 2018 and is open to all entrepreneurs that are eligible to participate. Qualified finalists are selected to receive varying amounts as high as GHC 100,000 funding grants for their businesses. Speaking at the launch in Accra the Deputy Chief Executive Officer of NEIP Ms Abigail Swad Laryea said the Presidential Pitch for Young Entrepreneurs is a deliberate, systematic, and integrated policy initiative by the National Entrepreneurship and Innovation Programme (NEIP) to boost the entrepreneurial ecosystem in the country. According to her the business competition, a revolution in the history of Ghana for young entrepreneurs between the ages of 18 and 40 serves as an incubating platform for existing businesses and capital funding from the government. Furthermore, the initiative seeks to turn creative businesses by the Ghanaian youth into global business giants with the support of the government. The criteria for selection are feasibility, innovation, scalability, and potential impact of the business. Ms. Abigail Swad Laryea urged every Ghanaian youth to seize this opportunity to grow their various businesses by applying to the presidential pitch. "Well be narrowing down all applications to a top 25 instead of the usual top 20. The award packages for this years competition have also been increased. The government is earmarking GHS2.5 million for the top 25 contestants". The competition methodology focuses on these core business sectors, Agriculture, Fintech and technology, Manufacturing and processing, Tourism and the creative arts, TVET and any other economically viable area Vanessa A. LIMANN, CEO of Vanelim and 2018 Presidental Pitch winner recounted her humble beginning before entering the competition and said, the competition has impacted her life and her business positively. She urged every youth to apply and stand a chance of winning. The application portal is now open for 2 weeks. June 30 July 14, 11:59 pm. For more information on the presidential pitch visit the NEIP website www.neip.gov.gh Women's Initiative For Self-Empowerment (WISE), a non-governmental organization (NGO) dedicated to providing counseling and other support services for survivors of domestic violence with a focus on women and children has held a day of media engagement to commend the media for their support through the implementation of their project "WVL-Ghana / WISE SGBV Project" as it has come to an end. The WVL-Ghana / WISE SGBV project dubbed WISE Unleashing Potential (WISE- UP) for Better Lives is supported by Plan International Ghana under the Womens Voice and Leadership (WVL) - Ghana Project with funding from Global Affairs, Canada. The three (3) years project was to protect the rights of women and children by ensuring their safety and integrity through psycho-social support services to survivors, training for service providers, and womens economic empowerment as well as targeted advocacy campaigns in partnership with the media. Addressing the media on Thursday 29th June Her Eminence Mrs. Joana Adzoa Opare, Chair of the Board of Directors - WISE urged the media to be sensitive in reporting gender-based violence stories. "December 2020, WISE has raised considerable public awareness of SGBV as well as the existence of survivor support services through advocacy and public education in collaboration with their network of media partners, with a view to reducing its incidence," she said. Our engagement with representatives of media houses during this period dubbed Building a Gender Responsive Media to Enhance Public Education on Sexual and Gender-Based Violence has culminated in our Network of Media Partners with a current membership of fifteen (15) individuals from twelve (12) media houses. At an Evaluation, Learn and Share with Network of Media Partners which provided a platform for evaluating the journey, WISE expressed concern about media reports still being largely gender insensitive, including the medias coverage of programs held by WISE. She noted that the media has improved in reporting insensitively about domestic violence hence there is more room for improvement. Additionally, the UN Womens 2022 report released in Feb. 2023 reports that about one in four Ghanaian women have suffered physical and/or sexual violence by an intimate partner. Her Eminence Mrs. Joana Adzoa Opare urged the media to stand up against violence; give platforms to different voices; and internet service providers to do their bit too. "Together, we can do this and reduce the incidence of SGBV in our society and build a stronger and more cohesive country, for our children, our grandchildren, and for every generation to come," she said. She seized the opportunity to call on Women to speak up for help in their abusive marriages and relationships. At the end of the engagement, the media practitioners were honored with a certificate to constantly remind them of an unfinished agenda and the need to rise to speak against SGBV at every given opportunity. The Ghana National Association of Teachers, GNAT is advocating for mandatory swimming tutorials for teachers posted to island communities. The association believes that will be an effective intervention for teachers to save their lives in the events of boat disasters and sustain the human resource base of the teachers front. The leadership of Ghana's largest teacher union made the recommendation a ceremony to present some life jackets to its members at kudorkope in the krachie east district of the oti region. It could be recalled that the first half of the year 2023 has recorded five separate incidents of boat disasters killing in excess of twenty people including teachers and pupils. Faana in the ga south municipality, kete krachi and atigagorme in the sene east district are few of the islands that have recorded tragic boat incidents this year. In the island communities, the use of canoes is the only means by which commuting is made. However, factors including excessive overloading of passenger canoes, non-availability of life-saving jackets, natural cause and other forms of human-induced errors continue to pose threats to marine commuters on islands. The situation appears to be more dire in the krachi east and west districts of the oti region, as teachers and pupils risk commuting on the oti river to attend school each day on another island amidst bad climatic conditions. Narrating his ordeal, a teacher at kudorkope, addo prosper explained how he survived a horrific canoe disaster earlier this year in a quest to access money from his bank at dambai, the oti regional capital. He further indicated that the islands are such that if you don't go to town early and return, by 12 noon all canoes providing shuttle services would have closed and you will be compelled to spend extra day or days in Dambai. 'So on a fateful Sunday dawn, I joined a colleague and two others on a canoe to dambai. In the middle of the journey, we encounted wind which splashed water into our canoe from behind', he recounted. He added that 'when I tried to scoop the water, the canoe was struck by another wind. This time at a severer magnitude and the next thing I saw was that we were all swimming in the river.' With terrifying flashbacks, he painfully narrated that he was eventually saved when the other three members aboard realised that he didn't know how to swim and was fast drowing. However, other teachers have been unfortunate in similar disasters. A newly posted teacher from the eastern region to ketekrachi was among people who died in the oti river after an overloaded canoe they were aboard sunk after an encounter with wind. The teacher has since been buried. The Krachi west district alone has forty six island settlements but only twenty-one have school in which trained teachers have been posted. Children from the other twenty-five island communities eager to change their world through education take their destiny into their hands and embark on daily voyage to access education on other islands without protective clothing. A form three student at the kudorkope DA junior high schoool, Grace Akwetey said they feel scared and insecure anytime they commute on the oti river to school. She appealed for state's intervention to provide them with life saving jackets. The Ghana National Association of teachers, GNAT has initiated steps to prevent death of their members resulting from boat disasters. The association as part of its welfare package has been supporting its members on the islands with life jackets. Kudorkope in the krachie east district hosted the brief event to present some two hundred and fifty one life jackets to gnat member in eighteen schools. The gesture will also be replicated onp other islands in other regions. Addressing the gathering, president of Gnat, Rev Isaac Owusu accused the Ghana education service of reneging on its responsibility to fulfill requirements of the collective bargaining agreement they signed threatening that the union will consider an industrial action to push a course if the safety of teachers on islands are not prioritized. Reverend Isaac Owusu meanwhile proposed to the Ghaba education service that teachers who have no experience in swimming must not be posted to any island community without any form of training. He urged the GES to procure the services of the navy to offer extensive swimming tutorials to newly trained teachers whose services are required on the islands. On his part, general secretary of gnat, thomas musah tanko emphasized the achievement of the sustainable development goal four which promotes equitable provision of quality education for all by 2030 and called for swift interventions to break all barriers to education on island and other hard to reach communities. He said, 'children born on the islands deserve better education because it is through no fault of theirs that they are born there'. 'Such children would have wished to be born in America, UK and other developed countries but by divine intervention they are born on Islands in Ghana. They must not be left behind', he passionately remarked. The Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT) has taken a swipe at the Deputy Minister of Education in charge of Technical and Vocational Education Training (TVET), Gifty Twum-Boafo, for her recent statement blaming teachers for Ghana's economic challenges instead of Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta. The teachers' association deemed her remarks as unfortunate, vicious, irresponsible, and unwarranted. Gifty Twum-Boafo made these remarks during the 175th-anniversary celebration of the Presbyterian College of Education in Akropong. The event focused on the theme of "175 years of education, honoring our past, celebrating the present, and shaping the future." In response to the accusation, Mr. Thomas T. Musah, the General Secretary of GNAT, issued a statement expressing the association's concern. He emphasized that GNAT will not remain silent while teachers are unfairly targeted and subjected to criticism by individuals in positions of responsibility. Mr. Musah stated that teachers should not be made scapegoats or used as guinea pigs for policies that are implemented without proper reflection. He called for an end to such vitriolic attacks, citing the negative impact they have on all parties involved. The GNAT's response highlights their commitment to defending the rights and dignity of teachers. The association believes that teachers should not bear the sole blame for Ghana's economic challenges, as they are not responsible for crafting and implementing national financial policies. Instead, they play a crucial role in shaping the future of the country by educating and empowering the next generation. -Classfmonline.com 04.07.2023 LISTEN The New Patriotic Party (NPP) communication team member Kingsley Amoakwa-Boadu has said the comment by Dormaahene is an attempt to persuade Attorney General Godfred Dame to buy into public sentiments. According to Mr. Amoakwa-Boadu, the Dormaheene should be mindful of his utterances. In an interview with TV3 on July 4, he stated that pressure is being mounted on the Attorney General to forcefully issue a nolle prosequi in the criminal trial of James Gyakye Quayson which doesn't augur well for Ghana's democracy. He (Dormaahene) sits on a very high stool and then when you go to his courts, very brilliant judge, very respectful to lawyers. He is one of the judges, the few judges who will rise and come back and even apologize to the lawyers in court, very very astute judge. But when he goes and sits on his throne, it is a different matter, he is not now a judge but a paramount chief okay and I want us to move away from public opinion being used as a tool and a pressure to be brought on the judicial process because this is not only a political colored case. There is Opuni trial, there is Edinam Tamakloe, there are several others so then we will get to a position where or a point in time where all we need to do is whip up enough public sentiments. That is what is being done by the Dormaahene and it will get to a point that the Attorney General in future times to come will have nothing else but to issue a nolle prosequi because of public supports, Kingsley Amoakwa-Boadu stated. This follows comments made by Dormaahene Osagyefo Oseadeeyo Agyemang Badu II while speaking at the Bono, Bono East, Ahafo, and Western North regional version of the Professor John Evans Atta Mills Commemorative Lecture in Sunyani on Saturday [July 1, 2023] where he appealed for the Attorney General to drop the criminal charges against Quayson. "As a matter of urgency, I [Dormaahene] am appealing to the President of the Republic [Akufo-Addo], if he has any role to play, that trial should be aborted, and the Attorney-General should as a matter of urgency file a Nolle Prosequi to end that particular decision" and abort the criminal case against Mr. Quayson," he said. He insisted that it was needless for the Attorney General to continue the case after the chiefs and people of the Assin North constituency re-elected Quayson. James Gyakye Quayson is facing trial for perjury at the High Court in Accra. Kingsley Amoakwa-Boadu, a member of the New Patriotic Party's (NPP) communication team has taken a swipe at critics for consistently equating President Akufo-Addo's comments to those of Dormaahene. Mr. Amoakwa-Boadu asserts that the President's remarks cannot be classified as contempt of court or prejudicial. Speaking in an interview on TV3 on July 4, he stated that the Judiciary which is an independent body cannot be compelled by anyone's comment. Necessary has a direct impact on the judgement to be given by the court (Akufo-Addos comments) because it is altruistic that a judge sits in court and determines a case based on especially when it is a criminal matter based on the elements of the offense. The Judge has sat to say that he will not adopt the previous position, it has to go on an appeal before it was overturned. Lets not create an impression that all judges dont have their own mental (independence) enough to determine matters in court that the moment a president stands on a public platform and says something it has a direct impact on judges. Thats not how the court works, you go to court you win or lose on the merits of it and in this matter it is a criminal case, and are the elements present and yes there are. So, if a judge is sitting on the case it is oblivious on any political matter or commentary is given. Infact you can be high as a president if a judge makes a determination he makes a determination, Kingsley Amoakwa-Boadu said. On Sunday, June 25, while speaking at the Church of Pentecost in Assin Akonfudi in the Assin North Constituency in the Central Region, President Akufo-Addo insinuated that the National Democratic Congress (NDC) Parliamentary Candidate in the by-elections was a candidate for prison. They say even if Gyakye Quayson is in jail they will vote for him, are we going to vote for someone who is going to prison? What benefits will the people derive from voting for such a person? We want someone when he is voted for can come to me and plan how to develop the constituency. Dormaahene Osagyefo Oseadeeyo Agyemang Badu II while speaking at the Bono, Bono East, Ahafo, and Western North regional version of the Professor John Evans Atta Mills Commemorative Lecture in Sunyani on Saturday [July 1, 2023] where he appealed for the Attorney General to drop the criminal charges against Quayson. "As a matter of urgency, I [Dormaahene] am appealing to the President of the Republic [Akufo-Addo], if he has any role to play, that trial should be aborted, and the Attorney-General should as a matter of urgency file a Nolle Prosequi to end that particular decision" and abort the criminal case against Mr. Quayson," he said. He insisted that it was needless for the Attorney General to continue the case after the chiefs and people of the Assin North constituency re-elected Mr Quayson. James Gyakye Quayson is facing trial for perjury at the High Court in Accra. The Africa Centre for Energy Policy (ACEP) has made recommendations on how Ghana can revert the imminent collapse of the power sector. The country was almost plunged into unannounced darkness (dumsor) a few days ago after the Chamber of Independent Power Producers (IPPs) directed its members to cut supply from July 1. While consultations averted the looming dumsor, experts say the power sector remains in a crisis and urgent action must be taken. In a release from ACEP, it has stressed that for the power crisis to be averted, the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) must account for its revenues. Before the major adjustment in September 2022, ECGs collection was about 50% of the revenue requirement under the CWM. However, payments under the CWM have deteriorated to a new low of about 11%, although there has been a 100% increase in tariffs since September 2022. Therefore, ECG needs to account for all its revenues over the period, including the GHS 3.1 billion it has recovered from debts. This accountability would help measure tariff adjustments' effectiveness on the power sectors financial sustainability, parts of the release from ACEP said. Among other recommendations, the Africa Centre for Energy Policy has proposed that there should be periodic accountability and performance reporting by ECG, Long-term private investment in ECG, as well as procurement of efficient power plants. Implementing these recommendations requires a collective effort involving government agencies, stakeholders, and the public. The urgency of the situation demands swift and decisive action to revitalise the power sector, ensuring its stability, reliability, and long-term sustainability for the benefit of all Ghanaians, the ACEP release added. The power sector as indicated by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) is a key player in the Ghanaian economy. This is why the IMF programme offers two main strategies to help revive the countrys economy. The strategies include "cost-reflective tariffs" and improving the efficiency of the distribution system. These approaches aim to address issues that previous programs failed to solve. However, this time, the IMF focuses on implementing conditionalities and targets for the government. The goal is to create a power sector that can sustain itself financially, thereby relieving the national budget from excessive under-recoveries projected to be about GHS97 billion, at business-as-usual, between 2023 and 2026. The Office of the Attorney General (A-G) and Minister of Justice has issued a press release to caution the public against bastardising the court and passing disparaging comments against prosecutors. In its release, the Office of the Attorney General noted that it has become aware of commentary on the case between the Republic and James Gyakye-Quayson which exceeds the limit of free speech. Whilst respecting the freedom of all persons in Ghana to comment on any matter including cases pending in court, the Attorney-General and Minister for Justice takes note that much of the recent commentary on many of the so-called high-profile criminal cases transgresses permissible limits of free speech, unduly interferes with the work of State Prosecutors performing their constitutional function of prosecuting crime in Ghana and tends to put unnecessary pressure on the courts. The Attorney-General respectfully reminds Ghanaians of the principle of the equality of all persons before the law enshrined in article 17(1) of the Constitution. No person living in Ghana, citizen or non-citizen, is above the laws of Ghana or immune from an application of same, parts of the release said. Meanwhile, the Attorney General further warns that no immunity is conferred by a persons position in Parliament, the Judiciary, Traditional Authority, the Bar, or any official position, from the consequences of an interference in the administration of justice or an attempt to overreach a judgment to be delivered by the court in any matter. The Attorney General advises that all persons regardless of position or political power must respect due process. Below is a copy of the release: PRESS RELEASE RE: UNJUSTIFIED COMMENTARY ABOUT PENDING CRIMINAL AND OTHER CASES AND ATTACKS ON STATE ATTORNEYS The Office of the Attorney-General and Ministry of Justice has observed with serious concern the increased tendency for various persons, including members of the legal profession of considerable standing, to run extremely prejudicial commentary on cases pending before the courts. The cases which have been the subject of unwarranted public commentary include but are not limited to, Republic vrs. James Gyakye-Quayson, Republic vrs. Dr Stephen Opuni & 2 Others and Republic vrs. Cassiel Ato Forson & 2 Others. Whilst respecting the freedom of all persons in Ghana to comment on any matter including cases pending in court, the Attorney-General and Minister for Justice takes note that much of the recent commentary on many of the so-called high-profile criminal cases transgresses permissible limits of free speech, unduly interferes with the work of State Prosecutors performing their constitutional function of prosecuting crime in Ghana and tends to put unnecessary pressure on the courts. The Attorney-General respectfully reminds Ghanaians of the principle of the equality of all persons before the law enshrined in article 17(1) of the Constitution. No person living in Ghana, citizen or non-citizen, is above the laws of Ghana or immune from an application of same. The Attorney-Generals constitutional responsibility for the initiation and conduct of all prosecutions of criminal offences implies a duty to prosecute a crime committed in Ghana, after proper investigations have been conducted, irrespective of the political, race, colour, ethnic, religion, economic or social status of the culprit. State Attorneys assisting the Attorney-General in the performance of this hallowed constitutional mandate, operate under extreme pressure and are exposed to severe risks. They have the right to prosecute cases freely in a court of law just as private legal practitioners enjoy a right to defend their clients, free from abuse and attacks on their character. The decision to prefer a charge against an accused person is not made on the basis of a persons political status, social or economic standing but on the strength of evidence subject to the scrutiny of the courts. An acquittal of a person by the courts does not imply malice on the part of the Republic in the filing of a charge. The perception that a crime committed by a person of high political standing in society should not be prosecuted is dangerous for society and must not be countenanced. The Office of the Attorney-General and Ministry of Justice observes that many of the recent comments by various persons on some criminal matters, particularly those mentioned above (widely publicised in the media), clearly exceed the bounds of acceptable speech as they seek to disparage prosecutors in the eyes of the public and frustrate prosecution of those cases. Some of the comments are orchestrated to pervert the course of justice and/or prejudice the fair hearing and determination of the cases. The Attorney-General and Minister for Justice, in the discharge of his duty to protect the administration of justice from abuse, hereby entreats the general public to permit the streams of justice to flow freely and uncontaminated by undue comments and pressure on the courts. The Attorney-General finally cautions that no immunity is conferred by a persons position in Parliament, the Judiciary, Traditional Authority, the Bar, or any official position, from the consequences of an interference in the administration of justice or an attempt to overreach a judgment to be delivered by the court in any matter. We must respect due process. END!!! SGD GODFRED YEBOAH DAME THE ATTORNEY-GENERAL & MINISTER FOR JUSTICE 04.07.2023 LISTEN The Member of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) legal team Edudzi Tamakloe has described as unharmful comments by the Dormaahene. According to Mr. Tamakloe, the comment of Dormaahene was just an appeal to the President. Speaking in an interview on July 4, he said the New Patriotic Party (NPP) members are creating a big deal out of his harmless comment. Let people know, that even Osagyefo who fought for Ghanas independence, where is he today? Where is he? People must appreciate that in all of these. There is a day which is coming, the judgment day if all men small, big will have the benefit of standing before the maker. What is it that the Dormaahene has said? He said look I am appealing. Those were his words. I am appealing, even in this country, dont we appeal to Presidents to bring development to their community. Were we not in this country when we saw Nana Okyehene leading a group of chiefs in the Eastern region because they said their roads were bad? It is an appeal, beyond the appeal, what else did he do? Did he say I am directing? I am instructing? He said I am appealing to the President and the Attorney General that if it pleases them they should discontinue this matter. What else has the chief said compared to the reckless comments of Akufo-Addo in Assin North, Eduodzi Tamakloe stated. This follow comments made by Dormaahene Osagyefo Oseadeeyo Agyemang Badu II while speaking at the Bono, Bono East, Ahafo, and Western North regional version of the Professor John Evans Atta Mills Commemorative Lecture in Sunyani on Saturday [July 1, 2023] where he appealed for the Attorney General to drop the criminal charges against Quayson. "As a matter of urgency, I [Dormaahene] am appealing to the President of the Republic [Akufo-Addo], if he has any role to play, that trial should be aborted, and the Attorney-General should as a matter of urgency file a Nolle Prosequi to end that particular decision" and abort the criminal case against Mr. Quayson," he said. He insisted that it was needless for the Attorney General to continue the case after the chiefs and people of the Assin North constituency re-elected Quayson. James Gyakye Quayson is facing trial for perjury at the High Court in Accra. 04.07.2023 LISTEN The Ghana Trade Union Congress (TUC) has called for a nationwide strike on July 10th, however, the Sunon Asogli Staff Association (SASA) has stated that they will not participate since the planned industrial action will be unproductive. "We will not participate in the TUC strike because it is detrimental to all Ghanaian employees, particularly those employed at Sunon Asogli Power Plant Ghana Limited. We believe in dialogue to resolve any disagreements regarding the three sacked coworkers. "The TUC and Ghana Mine Workers Union's stance is complicating efforts to find a peaceful solution to the conflict. How can you threaten senior management while appealing for the reinstatement of our sacked coworkers? Mr. Benard Ababio, the SASA General Secretary, stated this in an interview in Tema. The Sunon Asogli Staff Association, which represents more than 70 percent of the staff, sympathizes with our friends and coworkers, but we believe that the hostile stance taken by the TUC and Ghana Mine Workers Union is doing more harm than good to the three employees chances of getting back to work. Mr. Ababio renewed his call for calm among the rank and file in order to guarantee that work gets done as stakeholders try to settle the dispute through peaceful means toward the reinstatement of our colleagues. While the legal dispute between management and the TUC continues, the chairman of SASA, Mr. Albert Kofi Nutakor, also expressed concern that the TUC and its allies are planning a nationwide strike. According to Mr. Nutakor, Sunon Asogli Power Ghana Limited Company, the first Independent Power Producer in Ghana and the largest Chinese investment in the country, has taken care to respect and comply to Ghanaian laws in all of its transactions and operations. "As a result, after more than 15 years in business, stories about the company have evolved. Management and workers have successfully worked due to their mutual respect for one another's cultures. "As a multinational, the staff and management have worked in the best interests of all parties, working and operating in a serene and lawful environmentan environment that has ensured the protection of investment and, above all, provided the hard-working staff of the power plant with the best of safety and security," Mr. Nutakor stated. Prior to the intrusion of the Ghana Mine Workers Union into the Sunon Asogli Power Plant Ghana Limited environment, workers and management had collaborated on friendship and the preservation of a work and living environment that allowed for win-win outcomes, according to the SASA Chairman. "While we understand and sympathize with our fired coworkers, to solve the problems, we must negotiate rather than fight. "The staff at Sunon Asogli are not at odds with management or any other body," Mr. Nutakor added. Workers will continue to work to alleviate this bottleneck, foster understanding and dialogue, and collaborate to resolve any operational, welfare, or industrial disputes. "Workers are not at odds with one another. We are working in everyone's best interests. Our services are critical components of the national electricity distribution network. "While acknowledging and respecting employees' rights to organize and speak out for their own interests," SASA Chairman added, "we believe it is critical to strike a balance that does not jeopardize the cordial work environment we have cultivated at Simon Asogli Power Ghana Limited over the years." According to Mr. Nutakor, SASA will never engage in any industrial action that jeopardizes Ghana's industrial peace, management, or employees' interests. Instead, SASA will always champion dialogue on behalf of employees with management. Former People's National Convention (PNC) National Chairman Bernard Mornah has asked Attorney General Godfred Dame to discontinue the criminal case against James Gyakye Quayson. According to Mr. Mornarh, the massive endorsement of James Gyakye Quayson by the chiefs and people of Assin North in the by-election is the will of the people after he was stripped of his parliamentary duties by the Supreme Court over the same matter. On July 4, he said in an interview with TV3 that some political figures have even supported the call for the discontinuation of Gyakye Quayson's case. Because if the person is not convicted, you cannot be talking about his sentence and so President Akufo Addo whose Attorney General is Godfred Dame, they have already convicted Gyakye Quayson and now they are talking about sentencing. And the outcome of the sentence is that the person is not fined, he is not even cautioned that he will go to prison. The people said prison or no prison they will vote for him and they voted for him. Is it enough? Because everything you have done, democracy prevailed, the will of the people is far above what you thought you could do and so for me and where I sit, I dont think there is any difficulty in agreeing to what lawyer Gyantuah has said, the Dormaahene has said. What did the Dormaheene say to warrant the kind of things that Godfred Dame was saying? If Godfred Dame cares to know one of the definitions of democracy is government by the people and so when the people are speaking you cannot say it is a threat to democracy, Bernard Mornarh stated. NDC's James Gyakye Quayson beat his close opponent NPP's Charles Opoku after polling 17,245 votes representing 57.56%, against 12,630 votes for the NPP candidate representing 42.15% in the Assin North by-election. James Gyakye Quayson is facing trial for perjury at the High Court in Accra for dual citizenship. From what I've seen so far, there are people in Ghana and abroad who, because of their tribalism, have no sympathy for the oppressed masses and don't care about the damage that the NPP government and Akufo Addo have caused to the country. As a result, they will take care to spread false information to turn Ghanaians against the former president of the country, John Mahama, so that the majority will view him as the most evil person on earth. As long as I am alive, that will not take place. Everyone agreed that Akufo Addo's first four-years in office were a catastrophe, a complete failure that ought to have seen him removed from office if Ghana had been one of these Asian nations. However, as I said, due to tribalism, the composed song was "Four more years for Nana," and those extra four years have since turned into Ghana's worst nightmare. I won't stand by and watch tribal idiots keep destroying this nation because the damage is enough. I will fight it because Ghana is one nation, one people. The intelligent Ghanaians among the populace can agree that the NPP government is a type of administration that has refused to apologize to Ghanaians despite all the bloodshed, destruction, widespread corruption, collapsing of financial institutions and the economy, embezzlement of COVID funds, etc. since Akufo Addo became president. They merely want to mislead Ghanaians into believing that COVID and the Russia-Ukraine war are to blame for Ghana's demise without any apology. Such government is dangerous. John Mahama's projects are dispersed around the country in numerous locations and some of them remain unfinished. Ghanaians are still waiting for the NPP government to make their accomplishments available to them but it has been the party or Richard Ahiagbah's biggest nightmare. People can comprehend why Kevin Taylor, the host of "Loud Silence TV," maintains his focus despite the threats and insults leveled at him. He does this to make sure Ghanaians are aware that they live under the most dangerous corrupt regime and that, if they don't fight for change, the more carnage that will take place within the next five to ten years won't be able to contain the country. Bawumia and Kyerematen are not reliable politicians that Ghanaians can rely on, both are incompetent like Akufo Addo. By utilizing the corrupt judges that Akufo Addo appointed as a shield to defend him and prevent the people from receiving justice, the NPP continues to disrespect Ghanaians and treat them like fools. Thank God some of the judges are starting to see that the president is using them for his selfish gain and that if caution is not taken, that could jeopardize their already tainted reputation. Idi Amin claimed to be the most powerful person in the world until the same power drove him to die in someones country. Although it doesn't heal wounds, saying "I'm sorry" can cool down the temper of angry people, yet, Akufo Addo has adamantly refused to do so. He appointed his criminal relative Ken Ofori-Atta to be the nation's finance minister, and now this is the sad result. I'll raise the same question once more: "What do Ghanaians expect the country to be like if a president appoints his relative as finance minister?" The whole purpose of that appointment was to encourage corruption. These are some of the factors that led to this government's failure and the massive debt it amassed; nevertheless, no one is aware of the purpose of the funds. I won't support such a regime. Tribalism is a cancerous sickness that has mentally afflicted the majority of Ghanaians; as a result, it will take some time for Ghanaians to realize how the country has been devastated and many regions of the country have been underdeveloped as a result. It's quite sad, and I feel terrible for people who are wasting their time-fighting Mahama because, if they looked back in time to when they first began, they could wonder, "What have we accomplished so far?" Mahama is becoming more and more well-liked, and many people have already expressed sorrow over having fallen for Akufo Addo's falsehoods and tricks that brought the once-proud nation to its knees. However, tribal bigots will continue to make you believe that this appalling regime is the best while they enjoy themselves abroad. Another NPP politician has recently stated that "Ghanaians should blame teachers for Ghana's economic challenges, but not Ken Ofori-Atta." This is what I mean when I say that this government is unwilling to express regret or apologize to the people for any error or corruption in which they may have been involved and which has negatively impacted the country, preferring instead to blame someone. It's your turn, Ghanaian teachers, along with every sane Ghanaian, to permanently remove the NPP from office. They are unfit to rule a nation and bad for the people. I want to use this chance to ask John Mahama, the former president of Ghana, to refrain from helping this current administration in any situation. He has done a lot for the country and is bright enough and capable, but many people, notably tribal bigots, have little respect for him. He needs to let the ruling party handle its own business since this would reveal if Akufo Addo is the more capable or foolish leader. Good people never need the law to protect or work for them, it is only people that feel insecure. 04.07.2023 LISTEN Dennis Miracles Aboagye, the Director of Local Government Services at the Office of the President, has expressed his disagreement with critics who have accused the ruling government of engaging in vote buying during the recently held Assin North by-election. His remarks were in reaction to the report of vote buying by the Coalition of Domestic Election Observers (CODEO). Albert Kofi Arhin, the National Coordinator of CODEO, expressed concern over reports of money sharing spree and distribution of items to voters during the Assin North by-election. In an interview with Peace FM on the Kokrokoo morning show, Mr Arhin emphasised the negative impact of such conducts on the democratic process, stating, "Its been happening and people have been talking about it, and if we are not careful, this will destroy the democracy that we are building." "How is it possible to pay a voter to cast their ballot in your favour? It is undoubtedly a terrible thing, therefore I believe that both politicians and voters should consider it and come up with answers because it is harmful for our democracy," he continued. In reaction, the Presidential Staffer, Dennis Miracles Aboagye, dismissed the claims made by the CODEO describing them as mere "paperwork." During a panel discussion on Peace FM's Kokrokoo morning show monitored by ModernGhana News, he stated, "The only way anyone can make a case is if there's any scientific proof that if you give something to someone, it can influence the person to vote for or against you ...then we'll be able to make a case. As for what CODEO and others are saying, it's just paperwork," he said. The Deputy Minister for Food and Agriculture, Hon. Yaw Frimpong Addo has stated that the Ministry of Food and Agriculture will collaborate with Agrihouse Foundation to celebrate Ghana Chicken Festival annually. The Ghana Chicken Festival is an initiative initiated by the Agrihouse Foundation to promote the consumption and production of locally produced Chicken. Currently, Ghana produces 15% to 20% of chicken consumed by Ghanaians. Speaking on behalf of Dr. Bryan Acheampong at the Ghana Chicken Festival celebration on 1st July 2023 at the forecourt of the state house in Accra, Hon Yaw Frimpong Addo said there is an urgent need to expand the poultry industry in Ghana to reduce the high importation of frozen Chicken into the country. He further noted that the initiative will be adopted and expanded to other regions on a rotational basis. "It is a private NGO initiative and she has done it in the past 3 years. It is a festival the Ministry of Food and Agriculture really supports and we will like to take it to a different level next year," he said. Speaking on the Planting for Food and Jobs chapter 2 (PFJ) he said since the assumption of Dr Byran Acheampong as minister of Food and Agriculture, the project had been reviewed and will be launched this year. He said Chapter 2 focuses on 10 corps and the expansion of the poultry sector with more on commercial farmers than medium and Small scales farmers in order to feed the country and export. He advised the youth to take advantage of PFJ when duly launched. The event was graced by Ing. Kwabena Agyapong NPP Presidential Aspirant, Hon Dzifa Abla Gomeshie, Hon. Zanetor Rawlings, Madam Nana Yaa Akyempin, CEO of Boris B Farms Boris Baidoo, gospel songstress Piesie Esther, Chefs, students, and the general public was with side attraction such as cooking competition among the politicians, chair dancing, bottle flip challenge, and many more. Ing. Kwabena Agyapong who emerged as the winner of the cooking competition underscored that the poultry industry is a potential business opportunity for Ghana. He urged the Ministry of Food and Agriculture, stakeholders, Agripreneurs, and every Ghanaian to support made-in-Ghana products. Hence, the expansion of the sector is one of the sectors he will implement when elected as the President of Ghana. On her part, the Founder and Executive Director Ms. Alberta Nana Akyaa Akosa emphasized that, the event aimed to advocate for an increase in the consumption and promotion of local chicken. "It is an exciting day in the history of Ghana and I'm very happy to be part of this day," she said. She commended Boris B Farms, Broad Spectrum, Amass Farms, Dainess Chef School, and other partners for supporting a worthy cause and opted that 1st of July each year be used to celebrate Ghana Chicken Festival. RE: UNJUSTIFIED COMMENTARY ABOUT PENDING CRIMINAL AND OTHER CASES AND ATTACKS ON STATE ATTORNEYS The Office of the Attorney-General and Ministry of Justice has observed with serious concern the increased tendency for various persons, including members of the legal profession of considerable standing, to run extremely prejudicial commentary on cases pending before the courts. The cases which have been the subject of unwarranted public commentary include but are not limited to, Republic vrs. James Gyakye-Quayson, Republic vrs. Dr Stephen Opuni & 2 Others and Republic vrs. Cassiel Ato Forson & 2 Others. Whilst respecting the freedom of all persons in Ghana to comment on any matter including cases pending in court, the Attorney-General and Minister for Justice takes note that much of the recent commentary on many of the so-called high-profile criminal cases transgresses permissible limits of free speech, unduly interferes with the work of State Prosecutors performing their constitutional function of prosecuting crime in Ghana and tends to put unnecessary pressure on the courts. The Attorney-General respectfully reminds Ghanaians of the principle of the equality of all persons before the law enshrined in article 17(1) of the Constitution. No person living in Ghana, citizen or non-citizen, is above the laws of Ghana or immune from an application of same. The Attorney-Generals constitutional responsibility for the initiation and conduct of all prosecutions of criminal offences implies a duty to prosecute a crime committed in Ghana, after proper investigations have been conducted, irrespective of the political, race, colour, ethnic, religion, economic or social status of the culprit. State Attorneys assisting the Attorney-General in the performance of this hallowed constitutional mandate, operate under extreme pressure and are exposed to severe risks. They have the right to prosecute cases freely in a court of law just as private legal practitioners enjoy a right to defend their clients, free from abuse and attacks on their character. The decision to prefer a charge against an accused person is not made on the basis of a persons political status, social or economic standing but on the strength of evidence subject to the scrutiny of the courts. An acquittal of a person by the courts does not imply malice on the part of the Republic in the filing of a charge. The perception that a crime committed by a person of high political standing in society should not be prosecuted is dangerous for society and must not be countenanced. The Office of the Attorney-General and Ministry of Justice observes that many of the recent comments by various persons on some criminal matters, particularly those mentioned above (widely publicised in the media), clearly exceed the bounds of acceptable speech as they seek to disparage prosecutors in the eyes of the public and frustrate prosecution of those cases. Some of the comments are orchestrated to pervert the course of justice and/or prejudice the fair hearing and determination of the cases. The Attorney-General and Minister for Justice, in the discharge of his duty to protect the administration of justice from abuse, hereby entreats the general public to permit the streams of justice to flow freely and uncontaminated by undue comments and pressure on the courts. The Attorney-General finally cautions that no immunity is conferred by a persons position in Parliament, the Judiciary, Traditional Authority, the Bar, or any official position, from the consequences of an interference in the administration of justice or an attempt to overreach a judgment to be delivered by the court in any matter. We must respect due process. END!!! SGD GODFRED YEBOAH DAME THE ATTORNEY-GENERAL & MINISTER FOR JUSTICE Management of the Kwadaso SDA Nursing and Midwifery Training College in the Ashanti Region has handed one-year suspension to three students for leaking their sex tape online. The three, all first year students were asked to go home for a year as punishment after admitting the offense during a meeting with the school's discipline committee. The Public Relations Officer for the school, Williams Adinkra in an interview on the Kumasi-based OTEC 102.9 FM's morning show "Nyansapo" on Tuesday said the sex bout in that particular video happened outside the school contrary to reports that the incident occurred on campus. "We met the three students immediately after the video surfaced online and they admitted the offense. The first two persons were the ones who engaged in the sex bout and captured it in a video. They said they did it while on vacation," he told the host, Captain Koda. Mr Adinkra added, "We were told the third person who is said to have released the video downloaded it from the girl's phone and later demanded Ghc5000 from her. "The video was subsequently released when the girl failed to provide the amount her colleague student demanded and later went viral on social media. "While the three are all serving a one-year suspension, the one who released the video will be de-boardinized upon their return." Background A male student blackmailer leaked a sex recording featuring two first-year Kwadaso SDA Nursing and Midwifery Training College students in Kumasi, Ashanti's regional capital. The video captured off-campus was leaked after the woman in the video handed her phone to a coworker for repair. After copying the video from the phone, the blackmailer demanded five thousand Ghana cedis from the female and threatened to release the video if she did not comply. Due to the woman's inability to meet the blackmailer's financial demand, he strategically released the tape at precisely 6:30 pm on Wednesday, June 23, 2023. Former President John Dramani Mahama on Tuesday led the National Executives of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) to Parliament to witness the swearing-in of the Member of Parliament-elect for Assin North, James Gyakye Quayson. The embattled MP on Tuesday was sworn into office by the Speaker of Parliament, Alban Sumana Kingsford Bagbin. This comes after his resounding victory in last week's by-election which was necessitated by a ruling by the Supreme Court that ordered Parliament to expunge his name from its records as an MP. Despite facing a criminal trial over the dual citizenship allegations that led to the loss of his seat, Mr. Quayson secured a wider margin of victory with 17,245 votes, representing 57.56% of valid votes. The NPP's Charles Opoku received 12,630 votes or 42.15% of valid votes to secure the second position, while Bernice Enam Sefanu of the Liberal Party of Ghana obtained only 87 votes or 0.29%. With a turnout of 74.23%, officials of the Electoral Commission noted that the voter turnout was very high compared to regular by-election turn out. Former President John Mahama after the polls expressed gratitude to the people of Assin North in the Central Region for the victory given to James Gyakye Quayson. On Wednesday, June 28, former President Mahama, who visited the Assin North Constituency twice to campaign before the by-election, took to his official Twitter page to thank the electorate. The former President in a post on his Twitter page said ''A big thank you, Assin North, for supporting James Gyakye Quayson and rejecting the non-performing NPP in the by-election. Your vote for Justice and Development is truly inspiring. Lets keep working together to build the Ghana we all dream of''. Currently, Mr. Quayson is facing charges of forgery and perjury after being charged by the Attorney-General's Office. He is accused of deceiving a public officer and making false declarations when filing nominations for the 2020 election, as he had not renounced his Canadian citizenship at the time. However, Mr. Quayson has filed a motion on notice at the High Court requesting a stay of proceedings pending the outcome of an appeal. He is seeking an order to halt the ongoing trial until the appeal, filed on June 27, 2023, is determined. -DGN online The Kaneshie District Court has remanded two suspected armed robbers into police custody in connection with the recent attack on a bullion van, resulting in the murder of a police officer at Ablekuma Fan Milk. The accused persons have been identified as Benjamin Ojogbe, an unemployed individual, and Rashid Abdul. The shocking incident occurred on June 30, 2023, when a bullion van transporting a substantial amount of cash was ambushed by a group of armed assailants. The culprits managed to flee the scene with an estimated sum of GH145,163.08, leaving behind a trail of devastation and loss. Law enforcement agencies swiftly launched an investigation into the incident, which led to the arrest of Ojogbe and Abdul. The arrests were made at Circle Railways, where the accused individuals were reportedly found enjoying themselves, according to the police. During the court proceedings at the Kaneshie District Court, the prosecution presented its case against the defendants. Their alleged involvement in the attack on the bullion van and the subsequent death of a police officer were detailed by the prosecution. Considering the gravity of the charges brought against them, the court, decided to remand Ojogbe and Abdul into police custody for further investigations. The decision was made to ensure their availability for further investigation and prevent any potential flight risk. Meanwhile, the police have intensified efforts to apprehend the remaining accomplices involved in the attack and subsequent robbery. They are determined to bring all those responsible for the heinous crime to justice and recover the stolen funds. The tragic incident has once again highlighted the dangers faced by security personnel in their daily operations. The Ghana Police Service has reiterated its commitment to ensuring the safety and security of citizens and has called for increased vigilance and cooperation from the public in combating such acts of criminality. The case has been adjourned to July 18, 2023, for further investigations. The court expects prosecution to gather more evidence and testimonies in order to ascertain the full extent of the accused individuals involvement and bring them to justice accordingly. Meanwhile, the President of the Association of Bullion Operators Ghana (ABOG), Alhaji Iddi Sumaila, has mentioned that starting from July 1st all bullion vans for transporting cash will be armored. In the wake of the increasing incidents of armed robbery attacks on bullion vans in the country, the most recent attack happened two Thursdays ago when four unknown gang men attacked a bullion van in Ablekuma, Accra, resulting in the death of the police escort. Speaking in an interview with Accra based media outlet, Alhaji Sumaila reassured the public that no soft-skinned vehicle will be seen by banks transporting cash, adding that the association is committed to ensuring that all banks across the country utilize the available 150 bullion vans before the specified deadline. From 1st July, I can assure the general public that no soft-skinned vehicles will be seen on our roads. We have been using the soft-skinned awaiting the deadline. It is a program we are looking at holistically. So no soft-skinned vehicles will be on our roads. We will see banks using armored vehicles/bullion vans. However, other banks have not finalized the agreement with us. We have about 150 bullion vans in the country. Most banks have signed contracts with us to deploy them, he said. He explained that this plan had been in progress before the recent incident and that significant strides had been made to ensure its implementation. The agreement with the Bank of Ghana and other stakeholders was to transition away from soft-skinned vehicles starting from July. That has been the plan, it is not because of this issue. Progress has been made and that was the agreement with the Bank of Ghana and all other stakeholders that from July we will have to transition. -DGN online Relief swept Senegal and its supporters on Tuesday after President Macky Sall declared he would not seek a contested third term in office, a move that defused fears of bloodshed. Reactions at home and abroad were almost universally positive after Sall, ending months of feverish speculation, said that after "long consideration" he had decided against contesting next February's ballot In his nationwide address late Monday, Sall said he had sought to prioritise Senegal's progress, "in particular at a time of social-economic difficulties and uncertainties." "Senegal is more than me, and is full of capable leaders for the country's development," he said. Tuesday newspapers in Dakar paid lavish tribute to Sall and many local residents said they believed the country had dodged a bullet. Senegal. By Jonathan WALTER (AFP) "His speech changes many things. Senegal has become stable and governable. I am 200-percent happy," said Issa Camara, who works in the maritime sector. "I feel relief and pride... the outlook is good," said Hassame Drabo, a company executive. Alioune Tine, a veteran campaigner on the three-term issue, described Sall's words as a "deliverance... a great speech," while former prime minister Abdoul Mbaye said he felt "greatly moved" by what he said was Sall's principled stance. Many Senegalese had expected Sall to say he would seek a third term, igniting a showdown with opponents who said he was breaching the constitution. Sall's fiercest critic, Ousmane Sonko, on Sunday urged the public to rise "en masse" against a man he had painted as corrupt and a would-be dictator. Constitutional wrangle Sall, 61, was first elected in 2012 for a seven-year term and again in 2019 for a five-year term, following a constitutional revision of the presidential tenure. Sall was re-elected for a second term in 2019. By SEYLLOU (AFP/File) The constitution stipulates that a president cannot serve more than two terms -- but Sall's supporters had argued the counter had been reset to zero thanks to the 2016 revision. Sall had previously campaigned against a third term by his predecessor, Abdoulaye Wade, who was in power from 2000 to 2012, and had said he would not seek re-election, bucking the continent's trend of entrenched strongmen leaders. But in recent months Sall had remained coy about whether he would bid for a third term, stoking an ambiguity exploited by opposition leader Sonko. Clashes between the security forces and Sonko supporters last month left 16 dead, according to the authorities, while Amnesty International put the toll at 24 and the opposition at 30. Tributes abroad Praise for Sall poured in from outside Senegal, a country cherished as a beacon of democracy and stability in a notoriously turbulent region. "Senegal is again delivering proof of the solidity of its long democratic tradition," France, the former colonial power, said via its foreign ministry. Many Senegalese had expected President Sall to seek a third term, igniting a showdown with opponents. By Ludovic MARIN (AFP/File) UN Secretary-General Antonio Gutterres posted on Twitter saying Say's Sall's "decision represents a very important example for his country and the world." "I would like to express my deep appreciation for ... the statesmanship he has shown." Moussa Faki, head of the African Union's commission, hailed Sall as a "statesman" for a "wise and salutary decision" that, he said, had put the national interests first. "The Senegalese democratic model... is the pride of Africa," he said. Guinea-Bissau Presidient Umaro Sissoco Embalo, current head of the West African bloc ECOWAS, saluted a "courageous decision by a great statesman". "You can succeed Macky Sall but it's hard to replace him," he said on social media. In the Sahel state of Niger, President Mohamed Bazoum said he hoped Sall's "long thought-out decision" would "finally ease the political climate in this brother country". Opposition figures sounded a different tune, saying Sall had been forced to change his plans because of public indignation. "If President Macky agreed to throw in the towel... it's because there were Senegalese who stood up to him," said former prime minister Aminata Toure. With Sall out of the race, talk also turned swiftly to how the elections may unfold. Sonko is currently ineligible, as he was handed a two-year jail term in a sexual abuse trial -- a case that sparked sporadic unrest over two years, culminating in the deadly clashes on his conviction last month. But his spokesman on Tuesday implied his campaign would continue, tweeting a picture of Sonko accompanied by the words "Focus 2024". 04.07.2023 LISTEN President Nana Akufo-Addo has commissioned the redeveloped Kwame Nkrumah Memorial Park. According to the President, the redeveloped Memorial Park will attract some one million domestic and international tourists annually. Speaking at the unveiling of the redeveloped memorial park, President Akufo-Addo added that the government will continue to invest in the tourism sector to help revive the economy. Meanwhile, the family of Osagyfo Dr. Kwame Nkrumah has thanked the government for the redevelopment of the Kwame Nkrumah Memorial Park. The park facelift was done at a cost of $3.5 million investment by the government. The Kwame Nkrumah Memorial Park houses the remains of Ghana's first President and his wife, Fathia Nkrumah. Speaking at the commissioning of the Park, the Daughter of Dr Kwame Nkrumah, Samia Nkrumah said the government through President Akufo-Addo consulted the family before the redevelopment. -Citi Newsroom Minority Leader, Cassiel Ato Forson says the re-election of deposed Member of Parliament (MP) for the Assin North Constituency, James Gyakye Quayson shows that the Ghanaians cannot be bought. Speaking in Parliament after the swearing-in of the Assin North MP, Mr Forson said all attempts by the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP) to sway the constituents were futile. The people of Assin North demonstrated that they cannot be bought by projects and money, the Minority Leader stated. Mr Forson stressed that democracy reigned supreme as the people overlooked the cash spraying spree, projects and skeletal projects of the NPP and did what was right by re-electing Gyakye Quayson. He also indicated that, comments by President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo for making prejudicial comments on the legal case involving the re-elected MP for Assin North. The President during the campaign of the New Patriotic Party in Assin North, admonished the constituents not to vote for Gyakye Quayson who is likely to be a jailbird. Mr Forson further insisted that the comments made by the President Akufo-Addo were prejudicial. The comments of the president during the campaign in Assin North are not only prejudicial but a threat to democracy, he said. The Minority Leader again said that Ghanaians were abhorred with the governance of the day and could wait for the 2024 elections to vote out the NPP adding that a word to the wise is in the Assin North. More so, he said the Minority will from today, Tuesday, July 4, 2023, accompany Gyakye Quayson to court whenever he was supposed to be there to give him all the support he needed. -Citinewsroom The US Ambassador to Ghana Virginia E. Palmer has said Ghana handled the Covid situation so well. She said she was happy that the West African country tackled the pandemic well. She said this in an interview with Berla Mundi on TV3 Tuesday, July 4 while speaking on the 147th Independence Day celebration in the United States. Asked about what the relationship between Ghana and the U.S. has been since she arrived in Ghana last year, Madam Palmer said it is a very close relationship, Ghana is a strong partner of the United States and it is a partnership that we really value. I see that grow from strength to strength in terms of working together on national security issues, working in the UN Security Council, watching Ghanas leadership in West Arica to prevent democracy backsliding and as Ghana faces tougher economic times, the United States is standing very strongly with Ghana. She added I see particular prosperity and we do the relationship right. We create jobs and prosperity and security in both countries so we work to help Ghana, help West Africa be stable and prosperous, which would result in more jobs and prosperity in the United States, so we are working on inclusive economic growth, particularly in the North and the Ghanaian government is a leader in that, we have spent 140million Dollars a year focused primarily on the North on those issues. Media General applauded for championing Ghana Month campaign. Regarding the Covid management, she said I just love it, I am struck watching President Joe Bidens inauguration and they were still masked. Last year, we had pulled down the July 4 party because of Covid, so I am so happy that Ghana has managed Covid so well, that partnership is strong and I am happy to be able to celebrate with our friends this year. -3news.com Deputy Education Minister Gifty Twum-Ampofo has apologised to teachers for her recent comment that they must be blamed for the countrys bad economy instead of Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta. Speaking at the 175th-anniversary of the Presbyterian College of Education, Akropong, on the theme: 175 years of education, honouring our past, celebrating the present and shaping the future, Twum-Ampofo said: For any country to perform wonderfully well, there is a lot we all need to do in the area of education. Research, she noted, has proved that any countrys gross tertiary enrolment ratio has a lot to do with the GDP of the country. So, for our instructors, for our lecturers here, we see that once you have that responsibility and you get so much committed [to it], then you are sure that the gross tertiary enrolment ratio will definitely increase, and once that increases, the GDP of the country will increase, she argued. And, for this simple reason Hon. Osafo Maafo, an engineer, banker and economist if the economy is not doing well, it is not the economy, it is the teacher, she asserted, insisting: Let me say that again: If the economy is not doing well, it is not the finance minister, it is not the economy but it is the teacher because the performance of the economy depends on the countrys gross tertiary enrolment ratio. Twum-Ampofo added that countries with a gross tertiary enrolment at 40 per cent and above have a fantastic GDP, but those of us who have it lower, the economy is struggling. So, now, the solution is the foundation that we have provided but, as a teacher and, as all of us are teachers, we say that we have done well but there is still more room for improvement, she noted. However, the Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT) issued a statement condemning the deputy ministers comment, which the group described as vicious and irresponsible. Following that press release, Twum-Ampofo spoke to Accra-based TV3 to clarify her comment. She noted: If for that one phrase, GNAT has got so peeved, and as a Christian who had no intention of hurting anyone, then she is sorry for the comment. If people are hurt, Im sorry, she apologised. -ClassFMonline.com The Minority Caucus in Parliament were clad in all white on Tuesday, July 4 when the Member of Parliament-elect for Assin North Constituency in the Central Region was sworn in. James Gyakye Quayson swore the Oath of Allegiance and the Oath of Member of Parliament as administered by the Speaker of Parliament, Alban Sumana Kingsford Bagbin. There were a lot of dignitaries in the Public Gallery for the ceremony. The National Democratic Congress (NDC) was led by 2024 Presidential Candidate, John Dramani Mahama, who is also a former member of the House. He was accompanied by the leadership of the NDC as well as former government officials. The clergy as well as chiefs from Assin were also in the House to witness the ceremony. Mr. Gyakye Quayson was sworn in after winning the June 27, 2023 by-election. He beat competition from Charles Opoku of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) and Bernice Enyonam Sefenu of the Liberal Party of Ghana (LPG) to win a seat he has occupied since 2021. He was deposed by a Supreme Court ruling, which ordered the removal of his name from all parliamentary records. Folks, the issue of the criminal trial of James Gyarkye Quayson, following the Supreme Court ruling that removed him as a member of parliament has become a topical national issue. Some especially in the ruling governing NPP are of the view that criminality has arisen from his conduct prior to the 2020 elections and that a prosecution is in order and allow the chips to fall where they may. Others see it as a deliberate ploy by government to address the balance in parliament as a possible conviction will trigger yet another by-election in his constituency, Assin North with the hope that the NPP could win third time lucky. Yet there is the third thinking that that amounts to a political persecution by government, skillfully using the court system to pursue a political Opponent in order to achieve what it could not do twice by the ballot box. The A-G has refused calls by members of the public to declare a nolle prosecui in order to discontinue the case citing reasons that it would amount to interference with the judiciary and the president of the republic despite commenting on the merits of the case before the court has quickly run for cover under non interference of the judiciary. I present the issue of the criminal trial resulting from the Supreme Court ruling as a national interest issue. The court case can go on one of two ways. There is the possibility of a no guilty verdict because in Ghana, one is innocent until proven guilty in court. And the chances of proving that when he set out to contest the elections, he intended to commit a crime and set out to do so wilfully, could be an uphill task for the A-G to adduce evidence to support. There is also the possibility of a guilty verdict, which could result in a custodial sentence. This will have the added effect of yet again making the Assin North Seat in parliament vacant, necessitating yet another by-election in the constituency. I dare say, that if there is the perception of a witch hunt, then the NPP is not likely to benefit from that by-election, which will be a costly and an unwarranted use of tax payers funds in this difficult times. I ask the A-G to look back into our history to find a reason to file a nolle prosequi to bring this matter to a close in the national interest. On the 12th of February, 1951, the then Governor of the Gold Coast, Governor Sir Charles Noble Adern-Clark, released the Secretary General of the CPP, Mr Kwame Nkrumah, from the James Fort Prison, to form a government. This was after Nkrumah had organised the positive action resulting in strikes, boycotts and some violence. Nkrumah was arrested, trialed, convicted and sentenced to three years imprisonment. But following the elections that was held, the people of Accra Central, elected him to represent them as their member of the legislative assembly. The CPP also won the elections as the largest party to form a government. The Governor, in the national interest and to honour the choice of the Accra Central constituency, released Nkrumah to fulfil his role of providing representation to his constituency. I believe that the people of Assin North have on two occasions through the ballot box made their choice of James Gyarkye Quayson very clear. If this court case travels far into the next year, a possible NDC governments A-G will invariably file a Nolle prosequi to discontinue the trial. It also stands to reason that should the case end in a conviction and a sentence, an incoming NDC president will undoubtedly grant him a pardon. The exercise then would have been in futility. I urge the current A-G not to muddy the political waters but be bold in taking the bull by the horn and in the national interest, discontinue this apparent political show trail. Posterity will judge you right and the nation will thank you. A continuation of the trial in not in the national security interest and so please the trial has not traveled much. Please return the horses to the stable and lets soldier on as a country in unity. In Ghana, several dockets are prepared and sent to the A-G on a daily basis to decide which must be prosecuted and which must not. It is not a new thing. I thank you. K Kakraba Pratt The Speaker of Parliament, Alban Sumana Kingsford Bagbin, has admonished the newly sworn-in Member of Parliament for Assin North Constituency to abide by the rules of the House. James Gyakye Quayson was sworn in by the Speaker on Tuesday, July 4, exactly a week after he won the by-election. He beats contest from Charles Opoku of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) and Bernice Enyonam Sefenu of the Liberal Party of Ghana (LPG). Offering his advice to Mr Gyakye Quayson, the Speaker admonished him to be for all including those who even did not vote last Tuesday. You represent all those who voted for you and those who voted against you and even those who did not vote, so you represent HE the President to represent all the people of Ghana. He urged him not to breach the rules and regulations of Parliament as failure on his part will be at the peril of the position he occupies. The Speaker also insisted that selective justice is evidently at play in Ghana, mounting a strong defence behind his position -3news.com 04.07.2023 LISTEN Mustapha Gbande has said the New Patriotic Party (NPP) government will be remembered in history as the only administration in the fourth republic that constructed roads during the rainy season in an attempt to buy votes in Assin North by-election. He stated that the NPP government will be known for constructing roads amidst heavy rainfall, with the intention of swaying voters to support their parliamentary candidate, Charles Opoku, in the by-election. Despite the NPP's attempts at vote-buying and other political manoeuvres, the people of Assin North made their voices heard on behalf of all Ghanaians, Gbande contended. Gbande questioned where the NPP learned such tactics of vote-buying from. He also expressed gratitude to the people of Assin North for their support and love shown towards the National Democratic Congress (NDC). He believed that the rejection of the NPP's offerings during the by-election is indicative of what will happen in the 2024 general elections. These remarks were made by Mr Gbande, a Deputy NDC General Secretary during an interview on the Ghana Yensom morning show hosted by Odehyeeba Kofi Essuman on Accra 100.5 FM on Tuesday, June 4, 2023. Mr Gbande further alleged that the current government is a scam, with every aspect of it being fraudulent. He highlighted the unfulfilled promise of providing $1,000,000 to every constituency upon assuming power as a mystery to all Ghanaians and further questioned the whereabouts of the promised funds. -Classfmonline.com Calls are mounting in France to take down an online fundraiser for the family of the police officer who shot and killed a 17-year-old in the suburbs of Paris last week, which had collected nearly 1.5 million by Tuesday. But the US crowdfunding platform GoFundMe has refused, saying the fundraiser meets its terms and conditions. One week after teenager Nahel M was killed in the suburb of Nanterre, around 75,000 donations have been made to the GoFundMe appeal to support the family of his shooter, who has been charged with intentional homicide. The fundraiser, which was started by far-right media personality Jean Messiha, has become a rallying cry for those who defend France's police force from accusations of institutional racism and abuse of power. "Support for the family of the Nanterre police officer, Florian M, who did his job and is now paying a heavy price. Support him massively and support our law enforcement," the donation page reads, under a picture of the French flag flying by the Arc de Triomphe. A fundraiser for the teenager's family, meanwhile, has raised around 360,000. Within the rules? Messiha launched an initial appeal on French fundraising site Leetchi, but shut it down after a few hours after claiming that the platform required too much paperwork to prove that the money would go to the police officer's legal next of kin. He promptly switched to GoFundMe, a US platform whose terms of service forbid raising funds to be used to pay the legal fees of people accused of violent crimes, or in support of behaviour that the site judges to reflect discrimination or abuse of power. Several politicians and activists on the left have appealed to the site to take the crowdfunding campaign down, but GoFundMe has so far refused. A spokesperson told French news agency AFP on Monday that the fundraiser did not break its rules, since the money is intended to benefit the family of the officer rather than the policeman himself. But citizen activist group Sleeping Giants France, which campaigns against hate speech, disputed that argument. "How could you possibly ensure that none of the money raised goes towards his legal expenses?," it asked GoFundMe in a tweet thread accusing the fundraiser of inflaming tensions. Under French law, fundraising is not allowed for the purpose of paying legal costs, fines or damages resulting from criminal cases. Doing so runs the risk of a 45,000 fine or six months in prison. That law allowed a French court to shut down a 2019 crowdfunding campaign, hosted by Leetchi, for Christophe Dettinger, a former boxer who was convicted of beating up police officers during protest by France's Yellow Vest movement. Government stays out of it French Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne said on Monday that, "if needs be", judges would rule on whether Messiha's fundraiser was legal but that it wasn't up to the government to intervene. Nonetheless, she added: "The fact that this collection was started by someone close to the far right no doubt does not help to soothe the situation." Messiha is a former spokesperson for the far-right presidential candidate Eric Zemmour, and the crowdfunding campaign has been widely shared on far-right networks online. But it has also found support in the mainstream. Eric Ciotti, president of the centre-right party Les Republicains, said he would consider donating: "I don't find it shocking that you would support the family of a police officer going through a difficult time right now," he told French news channel LCI. Most of the donations to date, which range from 3,000 to 5, have been made anonymously. Nahel's grandmother has said that she is "heartbroken" by the support shown for the police officer. It's not clear whether the families have signed off on either of the fundraisers supposedly for their benefit. The crowdfunding campaigns have become a symbol of the way the incident has polarised France, political analyst Jerome Fourquet told Le Monde newspaper. "Everyone is choosing a side," he said. The Management of Keta Senior High Technical School (KETASCO) has expressed shock over the sudden demise of the school's 2021 National Science and Maths Quiz (NSMQ) team member, James Lutterodt. Mr Innocent Augustt, KETASCO headmaster, speaking to the Ghana News Agency, said the school could not believe the news of James' death until a confirmation from the father. We also received the sad news yesterday with great shock. We tried to contact the family for confirmation but could not reach them until late last night. The father confirmed the passing of our student. He disclosed that Management would soon meet for briefing, discussion and decision on how best to commiserate with the bereaved family. Dr Stanislaus Adiaba, the Chairman, Interim Management Committee (IMC) of KETASCO's past students (Dzolalians), said the IMC was concerning itself with the forthcoming Volta and Oti Region Zonal NSMQ competition next week when the sad news of Dz James Lutterodt was received yesterday. The passing on of James has hit all Dzolalians with a heavy blow including the school and the NSMQ team, which is currently in camp, including a junior brother of James, On behalf of the Dzo Lali community, we wish to express our condolences to the family and year group of James. Let's all keep and remember the Lutterodt family in our prayers. James, a brilliant up-and-coming legend, rest in perfect peace with the LORD Almighty God. Mr Kojo Mattah, the immediate past National President of the Dzolalians, described James' demise as devastating news to him, past students, and the school and prayed for God to console the family over his loss. James was a member of the 2021 NSMQ team, including Francisca Lamini and Bright Senyo Gadzo that made KETASCO proud by becoming the first-ever school from the Volta Region to reach the finals of the prestigious competition. The Level 200 Computer Science student at the University of Ghana, who recently also gained admission to one of the American universities, died Monday of suspected food poisoning while in school before returning home on vacation. GNA The number of people diagnosed with severe malnutrition in Ethiopia's war-scarred Tigray region has increased sharply, with conditions set to worsen following a recent halt to food aid, the United Nations said in its latest update. The UN's World Food Programme and USAID suspended food aid to Africa's second most populous nation last month, citing the widespread diversion of supplies from those in need. In a situation report released Monday, the UN's humanitarian agency OCHA said an estimated 8.8 million people in northern Ethiopia were in need of food assistance, in addition to millions of others in the country's drought-hit south and southeastern regions. A peace deal signed in November last year between Ethiopia's government and Tigrayan rebels ended a two-year war, allowing aid flows to gradually pick up pace, but the region has reported "a sharp increase in cases" involving patients diagnosed with medical complications due to acute hunger. "Compared to (the) same month last year (April 2022): severe acute malnutrition cases admissions increased in Tigray by 196 per cent," the report said, pointing out that the figures could also be "partly attributable to better access to health facilities and data collection". Across the country, OCHA noted an increase of 15 per cent in "severe acute malnutrition admissions" between January and April this year, compared to the same period in 2022. "In Tigray, there is a concern on worsening food insecurity among the vulnerable population groups, following the pause of food distributions due to reports of significant diversion of humanitarian food assistance," OCHA said. The "temporary pause for food aid in Tigray (is) negatively impacting already high malnutrition rates", it added. Prior to the nationwide suspension, USAID and WFP said in May that they would freeze food aid to Tigray after the agencies discovered that shipments were being diverted to local markets. Neither agency has identified those responsible for taking the aid and reselling it. Tigray was devastated by a two-year conflict that pitched the central government against the regional authorities. By Aude GENET (AFP) A region of six million people, Tigray has been in the grip of food shortages for over two years, with residents telling AFP last month that they were struggling to feed their families, sometimes consuming just one meal every 24-48 hours. During the war, UN investigators accused Ethiopia's government of deliberately starving civilians by imposing a de facto blockade on the northern region. Aid deliveries slowed to a trickle and humanitarian organisations warned of famine-like conditions. The Ethiopian government denied the allegations, accusing Tigray's rebel authorities of commandeering food aid for their war effort. A temporary pause in fighting between March and August last year allowed some supplies to reach the stricken region before fresh clashes erupted, with the guns finally falling silent in November after the peace deal was signed. Around 20 million people in Ethiopia depend on food aid, according to OCHA. Martin Alamisi Burnes Kaiser Amidu, Ghana's First Special Prosecutor has said his residence is no longer a safe haven as a result of his criticism of the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP). According to Mr. Amidu, threats have intensified any time he exercises his right to defend the Constitution of Ghana which always gored the OX of persons in government. In a statement issued on July 4 and copied ModernGhana News, Mr Amidu said President Akufo-Addo should be held responsible for anything that happens to him. According to him, he has been living under threats of assassination from the ruling NPP since November 2020 for being vocal of the ruling government. He noted that his residence has been attacked at 2:15 am, dawn yesterday, Monday 3 July 2023. I have lived under threats of assassination, armed robbery, and the burning of my house, from this regime since 16 November 2020. The late Victor Newman aborted the discussions to assassinate me then. These threats intensify any time I exercise my right to defend the Constitution just as I did recently on 28 June 2023 and 30 June 2023 resulting in a covert attack on my residence at 2:15 am, dawn yesterday, Monday 3 July 2023. As I said in November 2020, the President, Nana Akufo-Addo is ultimately responsible for anything violent that befalls me or my residence. I shall not backdown from defending the 1992 Constitution as I am enjoined to do as a citizen of Ghana. No Ghanaian patriot must be cowed by the threats of those violating the Constitution, he stated. Below is the full statement by Martin Amidu NANA AKUFO-ADDO SHOULD STOP UNLEASHING HIS THUGS ON CITIZENS WHO EXERCISE THEIR RIGHT TO FREE SPEECH: MARTIN A. B. K. AMIDU "Did I read from Ghana Web a report yesterday that the New Patriotic Party communication directorate has told their communicators that: Communicators should not attack the personality of the Chief though, we disagree with his call for the President to intervene or interfere with the independent work of the judiciary.? The distinguished and eminent Chief of the Dormaas is lucky that the communicators attacked only his personality on air and their superiors have seen the danger it poses for the NPP in the 2024 elections. In my case, Nana Akufo-Addos undercover operatives and agents were unleashed on my residence at the dawn of yesterday, Monday 3 July 2023 at 2:15 am for saying the same thing and defending persons whose constitutional rights to personal liberty are being trampled upon by their surrogates I have lived under threats of assassination, armed robbery, and the burning of my house, from this regime since 16 November 2020. The late Victor Newman aborted the discussions to assassinate me then. These threats intensify any time I exercise my right to defend the Constitution just as I did recently on 28 June 2023 and 30 June 2023 resulting in a covert attack on my residence at 2:15 am, dawn yesterday, Monday 3 July 2023. As I said in November 2020, the President, Nana Akufo-Addo is ultimately responsible for anything violent that befalls me or my residence. I shall not backdown from defending the 1992 Constitution as I am enjoined to do as a citizen of Ghana. No Ghanaian patriot must be cowed by the threats of those violating the Constitution. Martin A. B. K. Amidu 4 July 2023 The Office of the Special Prosecutor is investigating Ghana's military aircraft purchases from Airbus that have been characterised by corruption allegations, according to its half-year report. The OSP said it is engaging the International Criminal Police Organization (INTERPOL) and the authorities of the UK and U.S. to probe "alleged bribery by Airbus SE, a European multinational aerospace corporation, regarding the sale and purchase of military aircrafts for the Republic." The OSP's probe comes in the wake of a UK court approving a $4 billion fine on Airbus after finding evidence the planemaker paid bribes to win contracts in several countries, including Ghana. The court judgment said between 2011 and 2015, Airbus officials paid or agreed to pay bribes through intermediaries linked to a high-ranking Ghanaian state official with influence over Ghana's aircraft purchase plans. Payments totalling around $5 million were disguised as "commissions" to help Airbus secure contracts to sell to Ghana two C295 aircraft. The unnamed intermediary allegedly funneled the bribe payments to a relative with close ties to the unnamed Ghanaian official. However, when Airbus's due diligence exposed the link, a Spanish company with no previous dealings with Ghana was instead used as a front to sell Ghana another C295 aircraft. While the UK government has deferred prosecution of Airbus itself to avoid heavy fines crippling the aerospace giant, investigations continue and UK authorities could prosecute individuals who paid or received the alleged bribes in Ghana. Queen Mothers of Assin North have reiterated Dormaahenes plea to President Akufo-Addo to discontinue the criminal prosecution of James Gyakye Quayson. According to the Queen mothers of the Assin North Constituency, constituents of Assin North have made their intentions clear by re-electing James Gyakye Quayson as their representative in Parliament. The Queen Mother believes its time the government accept the reality and drop the case. We plead with President Nana Akufo-Addo and Attorney General Godfred Dame regarding the ongoing impasse (James Gyakye Quayson Trial). We plead with the President to discontinue this issue. The Assin North by-elections are over, we should come together as one in promoting peace in the country. There is no gain in this continuous court case against Gyakye Quayson. We once again plead with the president and the Attorney General to discontinue the Gyakye Quayson'S case. Quayson has been elected as the Member of Parliament of Assin North, the people of Assin have spoken, this court case should be a thing of the past, I am pleading with you (Akufo-Addo and AG). We are strong as a collective and weak when we fight amongst ourselves so I once again plead with the president we should all come together as one. When it is time to fight for an ultimate goal we all are involved but when there is a winner we all should come together and support a better Ghana. We suffered without a Member of Parliament in Assin, the country is struggling so we plead with the president to stop all this so we all come together. Lets all support the plea from Dormaahene. A country without peace cannot function. We once again plead with the President to work with James Gyakye Quayson in bettering the standard of living of the people of Assin, Queen Mother stated. This follow comments made by Dormaahene Osagyefo Oseadeeyo Agyemang Badu II while speaking at the Bono, Bono East, Ahafo, and Western North regional version of the Professor John Evans Atta Mills Commemorative Lecture in Sunyani on Saturday [July 1, 2023] where he appealed for the Attorney General to drop the criminal charges against Quayson. "As a matter of urgency, I [Dormaahene] am appealing to the President of the Republic [Akufo-Addo], if he has any role to play, that trial should be aborted, and the Attorney-General should as a matter of urgency file a Nolle Prosequi to end that particular decision" and abort the criminal case against Mr. Quayson," he said. He insisted that it was needless for the Attorney General to continue the case after the chiefs and people of the Assin North constituency re-elected Quayson. NDC's James Gyakye Quayson beat his close opponent NPP's Charles Opoku after polling 17,245 votes representing 57.56%, against 12,630 votes for the NPP candidate representing 42.15% in the Assin North by-election. He has been sworn into Parliament today by the Speaker of Parliament Alban Bagbin as Member of Parliament for Assin North. However, James Gyakye Quayson is facing trial for perjury at the High Court in Accra for dual citizenship. A High Court in Accra has jailed a Fire Service Officer, Mr. Emmanuel Ayitah Quansah, for assaulting a bailiff to pulp. According to the facts of the case, Mr. Quansah teamed up with his household to beat up the bailiff who was performing his official duties. The bailiff was to serve some processes on the fireman in an ongoing case before the court, but Mr. Quansah refused to accept the processes. The bailiff [then] threw it at him. The respondent [then] decided to beat him up, the documents from the court sighted by citinewsroom.com read. According to the fire officer, he took matters into his own hands and dealt with the bailiff because the latter should have served him in his office [instead]. But the judge, Her Ladyship Justice Sarah Aryee, in her ruling on Tuesday, July 4, 2023, said even if the bailiff erred in serving him the processes in his house instead of the office, the fire officer breached the law by unleashing mayhem on the court official. She thus handed the fire officer a two-day custodial sentence. Counsel for the Judicial Service has informed the court about how bailiffs are constantly assaulted. This canker has to be nibbed in the bud. The respondent is found guilty of contempt of court since he failed to purge himself when the court gave him the opportunity to do so before the court. The respondent is sentenced to a custodial sentence of two days imprisonment. -Citi Newsroom Following the suggestion by Osagyefo Agyemang Badu II that the government discontinue the prosecution of Hon. Quayson in the public interest, the criminal state is at it again. Ghanas deep-seated tendency to hypocrisy is on full display. The venerable Sam Okudzeto, the Attorney General, the Majority Leader and many other fixtures of the amen chorus of this government have condemned the traditional ruler and judge. They have called his call inappropriate and demanded sanctions against him. Some like the majority leader have warned that this incident might cause the Omanhene a seat on the Supreme Court some day. What would it profit him to be elevated to a discredited Supreme Court? Before addressing this unfortunate case, let me confess that I find Osagyefo Agyemang Badus call patriotic but wish it had come from another traditional ruler who is not part of the Judiciary. But he spoke from patriotic sentiments and the nation would benefit from more of his kind. As a citizen not inclined to spectatoring, I find it strange that those who are so riled about the inappropriateness of the Omanhenes comments had nothing to say when, on the eve of the Assin North election, the President of the Republic, HE Nana Akufo-Addo, a civil rights attorney and the boss of the Attorney General responsible for prosecuting Mr. Quayson called him a future prisoner at a political rally! Mr. President, what happened to the presumption of innocence that is the bedrock of our constitutional Republic? After your remark, how can we be sure that the decision to prosecute Mr. Quayson is not motivated by politics rather than law? This whole case, from beginning to the end, has been about politics rather than the law. From anulling the original election through the failure of the EC to defend its work and its constitutional mandate to determine who qualifies as a candidate through the convoluted, embarassing rulings of the courts, this case will live in infamy, besides Sakande and re:Akoto. As for those who saw no evil, heard no evil and perceived no evil in the Presidents disgraceful remarks, they owe us an apology. How can Sam Okudzeto find fault with Osagyefo Agyemang Badus comments but not the Presidents comments? How can the Majority Leader threaten to bar the Omanhenes future appointment without pledging to introduce a motion of censure against the President for his prejudicial comments? Why was the once great Ghana Bar Association silent on the Presidents comments? Didnt they hear it? Is this the mighty and fearless BAR Association of yore? Chaiii!! On what basis would the Attorney General prosecute a man who is clearly qualified to be a candidate for Assin North now? The only people who have shown good judgment in all this are the voters of Assin North who have spoken in defense of the law and their rights twice! Let Gyakye Quayson serve them, not from prison, but from Parliament. As for this President, sadly, he has spent most his Presidency undoing the very admirable reputation he built as a renowned attorney and Attorney General. His Assin North remarks were a new low point. May God bless Ghana and all those who strive to uphold our motto, Freedom and Justice those who in the Presidents words are citizens, not spectators. Nana Hemaa Ntiamoah of Assin Bereku has appealed to President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo to withdraw the criminal charges filed against Mr James Gyakye Quayson, the National Democratic Congress (NDC) Member of Parliament (MP) for Assin North. This, she noted, was in regard to the wider national interest and as well as a goodwill gesture of the government towards the people of the Assin North Constituency. The Queenmother made the appeal on Tuesday during a press conference at Parliament House in Accra after the swearing-in of Mr Gyakye Quayson by Speaker Alban Sumana Kingsford Bagbin. Mr Gyakye Quayson emerged victorious in the June 27th, Parliamentary by-election with 57.56 per cent of the valid votes cast. The by-election was necessitated by the ruling of the Supreme Court, which declared the election of Mr Gyakye Quayson in the December 7, 2020, General Election as unconstitutional, null and void. In a unanimous decision on May 17, 2023, a seven-member panel of the Supreme Court ordered Parliament to expunge the name of Mr Quayson as MP. The court held that as of the time Mr Gyakye Quayson filed his nomination forms in October 2020, to contest for the Assin North seat, he had not renounced his Canadian citizenship and, therefore, was not qualified per Article 94(2)(a) of the Constitution. The Attorney-General has subsequently instituted criminal charges against Mr Gyakye Quayson at an Accra High Court. The Court has decided that it would hear the case on a daily basis. Nana Hemaa Ntiamoah said due to the ongoing trial of Mr Gyakye Quayson, development in the Assin North Constituency had come to a standstill. We are appealing to President Nana Akufo-Addo and the Attorney-General to try and withdraw the case against Mr Gyakye Quayson from court. It has happened already, and Mr Gyakye Quayson is the choice of the people. We have chosen him to lead us (as our MP), the Queenmother said. Nana Hemaa Ntiamoah said her call on the President to discontinue the criminal charges against Mr Gyakye Quayson was also in line with that of Osagyefo Oseadeeyo Agyemang-Badu II, the Paramount Chief of Dormaa Traditional Area and President of the Bono Regional House of Chiefs. On his part, Nana Frimpong Baah, Assin Bereku Kyedomhene, also appealed to the President to have mercy on the people of Assin North Constituency by discontinuing the criminal charges against their MP. He reiterated that what the Assin North Constituency needs was unity and development. GNA 04.07.2023 LISTEN The Convention People's Party (CPP) has set October this year for the election of parliamentary candidates across the country to represent the Party in the 2024 general elections. The Party is expected to hold its presidential primaries in Tamale in the Northern Region from 29th to 30th July 2023. In an interview with the Ghana News Agency, Nana Yaa Jantuah, the General Secretary of CPP, said the exact date for the parliamentary primaries would be communicated in due course. She said the Party would elect its flag bearer ahead of time to market the candidate effectively to maximise the chances of the CPP in the 2024 presidential election. Every time we do our flag bearer elections in three-four months to the time and we are not able to project our flag bearer enough. We need to change the status quo to make sure our flag bearer is projected ahead of time. Nana Jantuah said. Nana Jantuah said the CPP was preparing feverishly for the presidential primaries and had set up a vetting Committee to vets the aspirants next week. She said the flag bearer aspirants had thus far cooperated with the Party amicably and urged them to sustain the peaceful co-existence before, during and after the elections. I urge the rank and file of the party to come together to support the initiative to have our flag bearer on time and we should also put ourselves together and go out there to organise and bring on new members to populate the CPP for us to be able to win 2024 election, Nana Jantuah said. Among the persons who have picked nomination forms to contest the flag bearer race of the CPP are: Nana Frimpomaa Akosua Sarpong Kumankumah, the Chairperson of the Party; Bright Oblitei Akwetey, Legal Practitioner, and Dr Onsy Nathan Kwame Nkrumah, Former Vice Chairman of the Party. The CPP currently does not have representation in Parliament. In the 2020 presidential elections, the CPP garnered 12, 200 votes, representing 0.93 per cent. Mr Ivor Kobina Greenstreet, who represented the Party in the 2020 presidential elections, is not contesting the Party's upcoming primaries. GNA The Attorney General and Minister of Justice, Godfred Yeboah Dame has warned against what it described as unwarranted public commentary on criminal cases pending before the courts, including the Assin North MP, James Gyakye Quaysons case. Godfred Dame's caution comes amid calls from chiefs and others for the AG to drop charges against James Gyakye Quayson, facing perjury and forgery charges. But in a statement released on Tuesday, July 4, Mr. Dame said, "The decision to prefer a charge against an accused person is not made on the basis of a persons political status...but on the strength of evidence subject to the scrutiny of the courts." He stressed that "No immunity is conferred by a persons position in Parliament, the Judiciary, Traditional Authority...from the consequences of an interference in the administration of justice." The AG said prosecutors are carrying out their constitutional mandate in initiating criminal cases, regardless of the political or social standing of the accused person. He warned that recent public commentary on some pending criminal cases "transgresses permissible limits of free speech, unduly interferes with the work of State Prosecutors...and tends to put unnecessary pressure on the courts." Mr. Dame urged Ghanaians to "permit the streams of justice to flow freely and uncontaminated by undue comments and pressure on the courts." This comes after several personalities, including the Dormahene Oseadeyo Agyemang Badu have been calling on the Attorney General to abort the criminal charges he is pursuing against Assin North MP, James Gyakye Quayson. The Dormaahene, who is also a High Court judge told President Akufo-Addo to call his Attorney General to order. The Ghana Bar Association (GBA) has criticized recent comments by the Dormaahene on the criminal prosecution of Assin North Member of Parliament (MP) James Gyakye Quayson as inappropriate. The President of the Bono Regional House of Chiefs, Osagyefo Oseadeeyo Agyemang Badu II had appealed to President Nana Akufo-Addo and the Attorney General to urgently abort the trial. Speaking on Accra-based Asaase Radios Breakfast show on Tuesday, July 4, GBA's public relations officer Mr Saviour Kudze stated that Dormaahene, who is also a high court judge, should have put forward his views through the proper legal channels instead of the public forum he used. Mr Kudze said "I think it was an improper comment in that forum, even if you were advising the Attorney General as your subject, I dont think it should be done at that forum. You have all it takes as a high court judge to have access to the Attorney General to say, looking at the happenings in the country, I think we should do this, or I advise that exercise this power if you think it will help the situation.'" Mr Kudze felt the Dormaahene's concern was that Quayson won the election by 57% and so a case should not continue against him. Mr. Kudze did not think that was sufficient grounds for discontinuing the case. Member of Parliament (MP) for Assin North, James Gyakye Quayson has stressed that he will serve the people of his Constituency and the country effectively following his re-election. In a press release, he has pledged to work assiduously with the Minority Caucus to address the many challenges facing the country. Today, our country is confronted with many challenges such as massive unemployment, economic bankruptcy, macroeconomic instability, corruption, environmental degradation, declining education standards, and over-politicized state institutions. These challenges call for Parliament to be more assertive in its oversight, lawmaking, and deliberative functions. I pledge to work assiduously with my colleagues in the Minority Caucus to confront these challenges to enhance growth, economic opportunity, shared prosperity, and to advance our march towards equal rights, equal justice, equal citizenship, and equal opportunity for all, James Gyakye Quayson said. The Assin North MP was officially sworn in by the Speaker of Parliament, Rt. Hon. Alban Bagbin on Tuesday, July 4. Despite the challenges facing the country, Gyakye-Quayson is optimistic about a better future for the country and wants to play his part to the best of his ability. Below is his message of appreciation after his swearing-in on Tuesday. PRESS STATEMENT For Immediate Release 4th July, 2023 MESSAGE OF APPRECIATION FROM THE MEMBER OF PARLIAMENT FOR ASSIN NORTH, HON. JAMES GYAKYE QUAYSON. This morning I took and subscribed to the Oath of Allegiance and the Oath of a member of Parliament. The Oath entails a solemn affirmation to bear true faith and allegiance to the country; to uphold the sovereignty and integrity of the country; to preserve, protect, and defend the Constitution; and to discharge my duties faithfully and conscientiously. It is a tremendous privilege and honor to have the unique opportunity to serve the good people of Assin North as their Member of Parliament. I am eternally grateful to the almighty God and the good people of Assin North for their vote of confidence in me to represent them in this historic eighth Parliament. I understand the enormity of this important responsibility and I am committed to work with all my strength to justify the trust reposed in me by my people. Today, our country is confronted with many challenges such as massive unemployment, economic bankruptcy, macroeconomic instability, corruption, environmental degradation, declining education standards, and over-politicized state institutions. These challenges call for Parliament to be more assertive in its oversight, lawmaking and deliberative functions. I pledge to work assiduously with my colleagues in the Minority Caucus to confront these challenges to enhance growth, economic opportunity, shared prosperity, and to advance our march towards equal rights, equal justice, equal citizenship, and equal opportunity for all. As daunting as our challenges are, I am optimistic about the prospects of a better future. I believe we can and must harness the rich pool of human and natural resources at our disposal to achieve broad-based and sustainable growth. This calls for leveraging the skills and talents of all our citizens, including those who hold other citizenships. I therefore look forward to working on and supporting the Constitution (Amendment) bill, 2021 in this endeavor. I am grateful to the Speaker of Parliament and the NDC parliamentary caucus for their warm welcome and their unwavering support throughout this journey. My heartfelt appreciation goes to the flagbearer of the NDC and incoming President of Republic of Ghana, H.E John Dramani Mahama for his continuous support, without which I will not be the MP for Assin North today. I also thank all national, regional, constituency and branch executives and in fact, the entire rank and file of my beloved party, the great NDC who have supported me throughout this journey. To my hardworking campaign team who have been with me through thick and thin, I say thank you. Finally, I would like to specially thank the good people of Assin North and the country as a whole for their prayers and support over the last few years where I have been subject to many court processes merely because of my interest in serving my constituents and the country. I look forward to serving my people and the country as a whole in the eighth Parliament effective today. May God continue to bless our homeland Ghana. Signed Hon. James Gyakye Quayson Member of Parliament Assin North Constituency Former President John Mahama has expressed sorrow at the tragic death of James Lutterodt, a member of the Keta Senior High School (KETASCO) team that reached the finals of the prestigious National Science and Maths Quiz (NSMQ) in 2021. He extended heartfelt condolences to the deceaseds family, noting that the entire nation will forever hold the late promising scholar in their heart. In a Facebook post on Tuesday, July 4, Mr. Mahama said "Our hearts go out to his parents, family, friends, and schoolmates. You are not alone during this difficult time. James will always hold a special place in our hearts. His passing at such a young age is truly heartbreaking." James' death has shocked and saddened the nation. The promising quiz champion had secured admission to study in the USA but fell ill under mysterious circumstances just days before his planned travel. He died on Monday, July 3. The newly sworn-in Member of Parliament for Assin North Constituency, Honorable James Gyakye Quayson has issued a statement expressing gratitude to the people of Assin North. According to Mr. Gyakye, it is a tremendous privilege and honor to have the unique opportunity to serve the good people of Assin North as their Member of Parliament. He said "I am eternally grateful to the almighty God and the good people of Assin North for their vote of confidence in me to represent them in this historic eighth Parliament. I understand the enormity of this important responsibility and I am committed to working with all my strength to justify the trust reposed in me by my people." Today, our country is confronted with many challenges such as massive unemployment, economic bankruptcy, macroeconomic instability, corruption, environmental degradation, declining education standards, and over-politicized state institutions, James Gyakye Quayson stated. Below is the full statement PRESS STATEMENT For Immediate Release 4th July, 2023 MESSAGE OF APPRECIATION FROM THE MEMBER OF PARLIAMENT FOR ASSIN NORTH, HON. JAMES GYAKYE QUAYSON. This morning I took and subscribed to the Oath of Allegiance and the Oath of a member of Parliament. The Oath entails a solemn affirmation to bear true faith and allegiance to the country; to uphold the sovereignty and integrity of the country; to preserve, protect, and defend the Constitution; and to discharge my duties faithfully and conscientiously. It is a tremendous privilege and honor to have the unique opportunity to serve the good people of Assin North as their Member of Parliament. I am eternally grateful to the almighty God and the good people of Assin North for their vote of confidence in me to represent them in this historic eighth Parliament. I understand the enormity of this important responsibility and I am committed to work with all my strength to justify the trust reposed in me by my people. Today, our country is confronted with many challenges such as massive unemployment, economic bankruptcy, macroeconomic instability, corruption, environmental degradation, declining education standards, and over-politicized state institutions. These challenges call for Parliament to be more assertive in its oversight, lawmaking and deliberative functions. I pledge to work assiduously with my colleagues in the Minority Caucus to confront these challenges to enhance growth, economic opportunity, shared prosperity, and to advance our march towards equal rights, equal justice, equal citizenship, and equal opportunity for all. As daunting as our challenges are, I am optimistic about the prospects of a better future. I believe we can and must harness the rich pool of human and natural resources at our disposal to achieve broad-based and sustainable growth. This calls for leveraging the skills and talents of all our citizens, including those who hold other citizenships. I therefore look forward to working on and supporting the Constitution (Amendment) bill, 2021 in this endeavor. I am grateful to the Speaker of Parliament and the NDC parliamentary caucus for their warm welcome and their unwavering support throughout this journey. My heartfelt appreciation goes to the flagbearer of the NDC and incoming President of Republic of Ghana, H.E John Dramani Mahama for his continuous support, without which I will not be the MP for Assin North today. I also thank all national, regional, constituency and branch executives and in fact, the entire rank and file of my beloved party, the great NDC who have supported me throughout this journey. To my hardworking campaign team who have been with me through thick and thin, I say thank you. Finally, I would like to specially thank the good people of Assin North and the country as a whole for their prayers and support over the last few years where I have been subject to many court processes merely because of my interest in serving my constituents and the country. I look forward to serving my people and the country as a whole in the eighth Parliament effective today. May God continue to bless our homeland Ghana. Signed Hon. James Gyakye Quayson Member of Parliament Assin North Constituency Vice President Mahamudu Bawumia, in collaboration with management of the Weija Leprosarium, has facilitated the enrolment onto and acquisition of the national identification system, the Ghana Card, for cured lepers at the facility. According to Dr Bawumia, this is further evidence of Governments determination to ensure that no one is left behind irrespective of their status or circumstances, in order to engender national cohesion and holistic development. Officials of the National Identification Authority, led by Prof Kenneth Agyemang Attafuah, Executive Secretary, guided the residents through the process, from data and biometric capture, verification to the issuance of the card. A smiling Dr Bawumia handed over the first four cards to their owners, to the delight of their colleagues. Addressing the management, staff and residents of the Leprosarium, Dr Bawumia explained that the Ghana Card would soon become the only source of accepted identification, backed by law, for at least 17 different interactions with Government and other public institutions, and it is important that everyone is registered and has a Ghana Card. As Fr Campbell (head of the Leprosarium) has said, there was a sense that as the issuance of the Ghana Card was going on, the cured lepers were being left out, and they have not been able to get access to the issuance of the card. So I was able to make arrangements through the Executive Secretary to get the NIA to come register and issue them the cards. As you all know, the Ghana Card is going to be a very important card for all Ghanaians and residents in Ghana. It is going to be key in our interactions with Government and all other institutions, so it is very important that everybody gets included in the issuance of the Ghana Card. We dont want anybody to be left out. So today we want to make sure that the cured lepers, as a group, are also included. This registration is taking place in Weija today, but we are going to make sure that we extend this very quickly to the residents of all the other leprosaria across the country so they also get registered and get issued with Ghana Cards, Dr Bawumia pledged. What is very important to note is that the law prescribes that you have many mandatory requirements as far as the usage of the Ghana card is concerned. There are 17 things that are specified by law that you will need the Ghana card to do including banking, business registration, passport, jobs, health and so on. It so critical, that is why we are making sure that everyone has the opportunity to legitimately acquire a Ghana card, he added. Responding to concerns that the residents may not be able to provide fingerprints for the registration, Prof Attafuah explained that the NIA captures fingerprints, the face, iris and ears in the registration process. Thus, the other features can be used to verify the authenticity of the card. Source: Office of the Vice President EssilorLuxottica Societe anonyme (OTCMKTS:ESLOY Free Report) saw a large growth in short interest in the month of June. As of June 15th, there was short interest totalling 1,900 shares, a growth of 35.7% from the May 31st total of 1,400 shares. Based on an average daily trading volume, of 43,200 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is currently 0.0 days. EssilorLuxottica Societe anonyme Trading Down 1.1 % Shares of OTCMKTS:ESLOY traded down $1.01 on Monday, hitting $93.33. The companys stock had a trading volume of 10,839 shares, compared to its average volume of 38,264. EssilorLuxottica Societe anonyme has a 12 month low of $66.60 and a 12 month high of $102.69. The stocks 50-day moving average is $95.57 and its two-hundred day moving average is $92.62. The company has a current ratio of 0.97, a quick ratio of 0.66 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.21. Get EssilorLuxottica Societe anonyme alerts: EssilorLuxottica Societe anonyme Increases Dividend The company also recently disclosed a dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, June 28th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, May 23rd were issued a $1.4474 dividend. This is a positive change from EssilorLuxottica Societe anonymes previous dividend of $1.36. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, May 22nd. This represents a dividend yield of 1.43%. Analysts Set New Price Targets EssilorLuxottica Societe anonyme Company Profile Several equities analysts have recently weighed in on the company. UBS Group lowered EssilorLuxottica Societe anonyme from a buy rating to a neutral rating in a research note on Wednesday, March 8th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. assumed coverage on EssilorLuxottica Societe anonyme in a research note on Thursday, April 13th. They issued an overweight rating on the stock. Finally, Sanford C. Bernstein lowered EssilorLuxottica Societe anonyme from an outperform rating to a market perform rating in a research note on Monday, April 17th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, two have given a hold rating and two have issued a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of Hold and an average price target of $175.50. (Free Report) EssilorLuxottica Societe anonyme engages in design, manufacture, and distribution of ophthalmic lenses, frames, and sunglasses in Europe, Middle East, Africa, Latin America, Asia-Pacific, and North America. It operates through Professional Solutions and Direct to Consumer segments. The company offers lens under the Crizal, Essilor, Eyezen, Stellest, Xperio, Optifog, Satisloh, Barberini, Shamir, Nikon, KODAK Lens, Oakley, OPTIFOG, Ray-Ban, Transitions, Vailux, and Xperio brands. Read More Receive News & Ratings for EssilorLuxottica Societe anonyme Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for EssilorLuxottica Societe anonyme and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. HCA Healthcare, Inc. (NYSE:HCA Free Report) saw a large growth in short interest in June. As of June 15th, there was short interest totalling 3,170,000 shares, a growth of 37.8% from the May 31st total of 2,300,000 shares. Approximately 1.6% of the companys stock are short sold. Based on an average trading volume of 1,280,000 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is currently 2.5 days. Insider Transactions at HCA Healthcare In other news, SVP P. Martin Paslick sold 3,034 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, April 4th. The stock was sold at an average price of $265.00, for a total value of $804,010.00. Following the completion of the sale, the senior vice president now owns 24,643 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $6,530,395. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. In other HCA Healthcare news, SVP Kathryn A. Torres sold 4,473 shares of HCA Healthcare stock in a transaction dated Monday, April 24th. The stock was sold at an average price of $288.38, for a total value of $1,289,923.74. Following the transaction, the senior vice president now owns 22,243 shares in the company, valued at $6,414,436.34. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, SVP P. Martin Paslick sold 3,034 shares of HCA Healthcare stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, April 4th. The shares were sold at an average price of $265.00, for a total value of $804,010.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the senior vice president now owns 24,643 shares in the company, valued at approximately $6,530,395. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold 12,733 shares of company stock valued at $3,518,389 in the last ninety days. 1.60% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders. Get HCA Healthcare alerts: Institutional Investors Weigh In On HCA Healthcare Institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. CX Institutional bought a new position in HCA Healthcare in the 4th quarter valued at $393,000. Daymark Wealth Partners LLC purchased a new position in shares of HCA Healthcare during the 4th quarter valued at $705,000. Moors & Cabot Inc. purchased a new position in shares of HCA Healthcare during the 4th quarter valued at $232,000. Clear Street Markets LLC purchased a new stake in HCA Healthcare during the 4th quarter worth about $52,000. Finally, Louisiana State Employees Retirement System lifted its holdings in HCA Healthcare by 0.7% during the 1st quarter. Louisiana State Employees Retirement System now owns 13,800 shares of the companys stock worth $3,639,000 after purchasing an additional 100 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 62.86% of the companys stock. HCA Healthcare Stock Down 1.9 % Shares of NYSE HCA traded down $5.90 during midday trading on Monday, hitting $297.58. 932,649 shares of the stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 1,285,944. The company has a market cap of $81.89 billion, a PE ratio of 15.22, a P/E/G ratio of 1.91 and a beta of 1.65. HCA Healthcare has a one year low of $164.47 and a one year high of $304.86. The business has a 50 day moving average price of $279.78 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $263.74. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 157.23, a quick ratio of 1.04 and a current ratio of 1.23. HCA Healthcare (NYSE:HCA Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Friday, April 21st. The company reported $4.93 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $3.99 by $0.94. HCA Healthcare had a negative return on equity of 1,157.58% and a net margin of 9.42%. The business had revenue of $15.59 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $15.26 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company posted $4.12 earnings per share. HCA Healthcares revenue was up 4.3% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, equities analysts predict that HCA Healthcare will post 18.1 EPS for the current year. HCA Healthcare Dividend Announcement The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, June 30th. Investors of record on Friday, June 16th were issued a dividend of $0.60 per share. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, June 15th. This represents a $2.40 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.81%. HCA Healthcares dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 12.04%. Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth Several analysts have recently weighed in on the company. Mizuho boosted their price target on HCA Healthcare from $298.00 to $305.00 in a report on Tuesday, May 16th. Loop Capital boosted their price target on HCA Healthcare from $285.00 to $320.00 in a report on Monday, April 24th. Truist Financial boosted their price target on HCA Healthcare from $325.00 to $340.00 in a report on Tuesday, June 20th. Royal Bank of Canada lifted their price objective on HCA Healthcare from $283.00 to $315.00 in a research note on Monday, April 24th. Finally, Bank of America lifted their price objective on HCA Healthcare from $294.00 to $323.00 in a research note on Monday, April 24th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, two have given a hold rating, fifteen have issued a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus target price of $299.83. HCA Healthcare Company Profile (Free Report) HCA Healthcare, Inc, through its subsidiaries, provides health care services in the United States. It operates general and acute care hospitals that offers medical and surgical services, including inpatient care, intensive care, cardiac care, diagnostic, and emergency services; and outpatient services, such as outpatient surgery, laboratory, radiology, respiratory therapy, cardiology, and physical therapy. Further Reading Receive News & Ratings for HCA Healthcare Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for HCA Healthcare and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. StockNews.com initiated coverage on shares of American Shared Hospital Services (NYSEAMERICAN:AMS Free Report) in a research report released on Saturday. The brokerage issued a hold rating on the stock. Separately, TheStreet cut shares of American Shared Hospital Services from a c- rating to a d+ rating in a research note on Monday, May 1st. Get American Shared Hospital Services alerts: American Shared Hospital Services Trading Up 2.1 % American Shared Hospital Services stock opened at $2.61 on Friday. The company has a market capitalization of $16.05 million, a P/E ratio of 12.42 and a beta of 0.86. American Shared Hospital Services has a 1-year low of $2.21 and a 1-year high of $3.75. The company has a fifty day simple moving average of $2.74. The company has a current ratio of 3.95, a quick ratio of 3.95 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.50. Institutional Investors Weigh In On American Shared Hospital Services American Shared Hospital Services ( NYSEAMERICAN:AMS Free Report ) last released its earnings results on Friday, May 12th. The company reported $0.03 earnings per share for the quarter. The business had revenue of $4.93 million during the quarter. American Shared Hospital Services had a net margin of 6.71% and a return on equity of 5.78%. Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in AMS. Renaissance Technologies LLC lifted its position in shares of American Shared Hospital Services by 26.3% in the 3rd quarter. Renaissance Technologies LLC now owns 19,321 shares of the companys stock worth $50,000 after purchasing an additional 4,021 shares during the period. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP lifted its position in shares of American Shared Hospital Services by 3.9% in the 4th quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 158,681 shares of the companys stock worth $465,000 after purchasing an additional 5,899 shares during the period. Canton Hathaway LLC lifted its position in shares of American Shared Hospital Services by 50.0% in the 1st quarter. Canton Hathaway LLC now owns 30,000 shares of the companys stock worth $84,000 after purchasing an additional 10,000 shares during the period. Finally, CI Private Wealth LLC acquired a new position in shares of American Shared Hospital Services in the 4th quarter worth approximately $470,000. 13.25% of the stock is owned by institutional investors. About American Shared Hospital Services (Free Report) American Shared Hospital Services provides radiosurgery and radiation therapy equipment to health care providers. The company offers radiosurgery equipment for the Gamma Knife stereotactic radiosurgery, a non-invasive procedure to treat malignant and benign brain tumors, and arteriovenous malformations, as well as for trigeminal neuralgia. See Also Receive News & Ratings for American Shared Hospital Services Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for American Shared Hospital Services and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Shares of Cheniere Energy, Inc. (NYSEAMERICAN:LNG Free Report) have been assigned an average recommendation of Buy from the eleven research firms that are presently covering the company, Marketbeat.com reports. Ten research analysts have rated the stock with a buy recommendation and one has assigned a strong buy recommendation to the company. The average 1 year price target among brokerages that have updated their coverage on the stock in the last year is $201.00. Several research analysts recently commented on the company. Raymond James cut their price target on Cheniere Energy from $205.00 to $200.00 and set a strong-buy rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, April 21st. TheStreet raised Cheniere Energy from a c+ rating to a b rating in a report on Wednesday, May 3rd. StockNews.com assumed coverage on Cheniere Energy in a report on Thursday, May 18th. They issued a strong-buy rating for the company. Royal Bank of Canada lowered their price objective on Cheniere Energy from $205.00 to $200.00 and set an outperform rating for the company in a report on Monday, April 3rd. Finally, Mizuho lowered their price objective on Cheniere Energy from $200.00 to $187.00 in a report on Thursday, June 22nd. Get Cheniere Energy alerts: Institutional Investors Weigh In On Cheniere Energy A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of LNG. Bornite Capital Management LP acquired a new stake in Cheniere Energy during the 1st quarter valued at $13,865,000. MetLife Investment Management LLC acquired a new stake in Cheniere Energy during the 1st quarter valued at $2,102,000. Yousif Capital Management LLC raised its stake in Cheniere Energy by 7.3% during the 1st quarter. Yousif Capital Management LLC now owns 5,069 shares of the energy companys stock valued at $703,000 after purchasing an additional 345 shares during the period. Raymond James Trust N.A. raised its stake in Cheniere Energy by 95.0% during the 1st quarter. Raymond James Trust N.A. now owns 4,244 shares of the energy companys stock valued at $589,000 after purchasing an additional 2,068 shares during the period. Finally, Cibc World Market Inc. raised its stake in Cheniere Energy by 22.8% during the 1st quarter. Cibc World Market Inc. now owns 4,287 shares of the energy companys stock valued at $594,000 after purchasing an additional 797 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 83.36% of the companys stock. Cheniere Energy Trading Up 0.8 % Shares of LNG opened at $153.62 on Tuesday. The stocks 50-day moving average is $149.76 and its two-hundred day moving average is $152.88. The stock has a market cap of $37.32 billion, a PE ratio of 4.92, a P/E/G ratio of 0.33 and a beta of 1.01. Cheniere Energy has a 12 month low of $120.29 and a 12 month high of $182.35. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 4.40, a current ratio of 1.43 and a quick ratio of 1.30. Cheniere Energy (NYSEAMERICAN:LNG Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, May 2nd. The energy company reported $6.89 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $5.96 by $0.93. The company had revenue of $7.31 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $6.58 billion. Cheniere Energy had a negative return on equity of 13,004.16% and a net margin of 23.24%. Equities analysts forecast that Cheniere Energy will post 15.07 earnings per share for the current fiscal year. Cheniere Energy Dividend Announcement The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, May 17th. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, May 10th were given a dividend of $0.395 per share. The ex-dividend date was Tuesday, May 9th. This represents a $1.58 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.03%. Cheniere Energys dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 5.06%. Cheniere Energy Company Profile (Free Report Cheniere Energy, Inc, an energy infrastructure company, primarily engages in the liquefied natural gas (LNG) related businesses in the United States. It owns and operates the Sabine Pass LNG terminal in Cameron Parish, Louisiana; and the Corpus Christi LNG terminal near Corpus Christi, Texas. The company also owns Creole Trail pipeline, a 94-mile pipeline interconnecting the Sabine Pass LNG terminal with various interstate pipelines; and operates Corpus Christi pipeline, a 21.5-mile natural gas supply pipeline that interconnects the Corpus Christi LNG terminal with various interstate and intrastate natural gas pipelines. See Also Receive News & Ratings for Cheniere Energy Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Cheniere Energy and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Shares of Philip Morris International Inc. (NYSE:PM Free Report) have earned a consensus recommendation of Moderate Buy from the ten research firms that are covering the stock, Marketbeat.com reports. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, one has given a hold rating and eight have issued a buy rating on the company. The average twelve-month price objective among analysts that have covered the stock in the last year is $111.40. Several equities research analysts have recently commented on the company. JPMorgan Chase & Co. upgraded Philip Morris International from a neutral rating to an overweight rating and upped their price objective for the stock from $109.00 to $116.00 in a research note on Thursday, March 30th. Stifel Nicolaus began coverage on Philip Morris International in a research note on Thursday, April 13th. They issued a buy rating and a $114.00 price target for the company. StockNews.com began coverage on Philip Morris International in a research note on Thursday, May 18th. They issued a hold rating for the company. Finally, Citigroup upgraded Philip Morris International from a neutral rating to a buy rating and increased their price target for the stock from $109.00 to $117.00 in a research note on Tuesday, June 20th. Get Philip Morris International alerts: Institutional Inflows and Outflows Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Riverpoint Wealth Management Holdings LLC bought a new position in shares of Philip Morris International in the 4th quarter valued at about $25,000. Red Tortoise LLC bought a new position in shares of Philip Morris International in the 4th quarter valued at about $29,000. Optiver Holding B.V. bought a new position in shares of Philip Morris International in the 4th quarter valued at about $29,000. Stone House Investment Management LLC bought a new position in shares of Philip Morris International in the 1st quarter valued at about $29,000. Finally, Winch Advisory Services LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Philip Morris International by 200.0% in the 4th quarter. Winch Advisory Services LLC now owns 294 shares of the companys stock valued at $30,000 after acquiring an additional 196 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 77.43% of the companys stock. Philip Morris International Price Performance NYSE PM opened at $98.48 on Tuesday. The stock has a market capitalization of $152.86 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 17.62, a PEG ratio of 2.48 and a beta of 0.70. Philip Morris International has a 1-year low of $82.85 and a 1-year high of $105.62. The businesss fifty day moving average price is $94.48 and its 200-day moving average price is $97.91. Philip Morris International (NYSE:PM Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, April 20th. The company reported $1.38 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.34 by $0.04. The firm had revenue of $8.10 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $8.03 billion. Philip Morris International had a negative return on equity of 128.55% and a net margin of 10.80%. Philip Morris Internationals revenue was up 4.6% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the business posted $1.56 EPS. Equities research analysts anticipate that Philip Morris International will post 6.19 EPS for the current year. Philip Morris International Announces Dividend The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, July 11th. Shareholders of record on Friday, June 23rd will be issued a dividend of $1.27 per share. This represents a $5.08 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 5.16%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, June 22nd. Philip Morris Internationals dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 90.88%. About Philip Morris International (Free Report Philip Morris International Inc operates as a tobacco company working to delivers a smoke-free future and evolving portfolio for the long-term to include products outside of the tobacco and nicotine sector. The company's product portfolio primarily consists of cigarettes and smoke-free products, including heat-not-burn, vapor, and oral nicotine products that are sold in markets outside the United States. Featured Stories Receive News & Ratings for Philip Morris International Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Philip Morris International and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Shares of Rightmove plc (LON:RMV Free Report) have received a consensus recommendation of Hold from the ten brokerages that are currently covering the company, MarketBeat reports. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a sell recommendation, six have given a hold recommendation and two have given a buy recommendation to the company. The average 12 month target price among brokers that have issued ratings on the stock in the last year is GBX 582.63 ($7.39). A number of equities research analysts have weighed in on the company. Panmure Gordon assumed coverage on Rightmove in a report on Thursday, March 16th. They issued a hold rating and a GBX 523 ($6.64) target price for the company. JPMorgan Chase & Co. decreased their price objective on Rightmove from GBX 590 ($7.49) to GBX 530 ($6.73) and set a neutral rating for the company in a report on Tuesday, March 7th. Berenberg Bank started coverage on Rightmove in a report on Thursday, April 27th. They set a hold rating and a GBX 540 ($6.85) price objective for the company. Barclays restated an underweight rating and set a GBX 555 ($7.04) price objective on shares of Rightmove in a report on Monday, March 6th. Finally, Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft decreased their price objective on Rightmove from GBX 610 ($7.74) to GBX 600 ($7.62) and set a hold rating for the company in a report on Tuesday, March 7th. Get Rightmove alerts: Rightmove Trading Up 0.2 % Shares of RMV stock opened at GBX 521 ($6.61) on Tuesday. The company has a market cap of 4.25 billion, a P/E ratio of 2,262.61, a PEG ratio of 2.58 and a beta of 0.85. The stock has a 50 day simple moving average of GBX 541.14 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of GBX 552.15. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 14.04, a quick ratio of 2.55 and a current ratio of 2.66. Rightmove has a fifty-two week low of GBX 437.80 ($5.56) and a fifty-two week high of GBX 669 ($8.49). About Rightmove Rightmove plc, together with its subsidiaries, operates property portals in the United Kingdom and internationally. It operates through Agency, New Homes, and Other segments. The Agency segment provides property resale and letting advertising services on its platforms. It also offers tenant references and rent guarantee insurance services to landlords. Further Reading Receive News & Ratings for Rightmove Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Rightmove and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Siebert Williams Shank assumed coverage on shares of Antero Resources (NYSE:AR Free Report) in a research report released on Friday morning, Briefing.com reports. The firm issued a hold rating and a $27.00 price target on the oil and natural gas companys stock. A number of other equities research analysts have also recently weighed in on the company. JPMorgan Chase & Co. cut Antero Resources from an overweight rating to a neutral rating and dropped their price target for the company from $36.00 to $30.00 in a report on Tuesday, June 27th. Benchmark lowered their target price on Antero Resources from $40.00 to $36.00 in a research note on Thursday, April 27th. Truist Financial lowered their target price on Antero Resources from $33.00 to $30.00 in a research note on Monday, May 1st. BMO Capital Markets cut Antero Resources from an outperform rating to a market perform rating and lowered their target price for the company from $31.00 to $28.00 in a research note on Wednesday, March 22nd. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company cut Antero Resources from an overweight rating to an equal weight rating and lowered their target price for the company from $32.00 to $25.00 in a research note on Tuesday, April 11th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, nine have issued a hold rating and six have given a buy rating to the companys stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Antero Resources has an average rating of Hold and a consensus target price of $34.77. Get Antero Resources alerts: Antero Resources Price Performance Shares of AR stock opened at $23.13 on Friday. The stock has a 50 day moving average of $21.81 and a two-hundred day moving average of $24.99. The company has a current ratio of 0.29, a quick ratio of 0.29 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.18. Antero Resources has a 12 month low of $19.91 and a 12 month high of $45.33. The company has a market capitalization of $6.94 billion, a P/E ratio of 3.30 and a beta of 3.44. Insider Buying and Selling Antero Resources ( NYSE:AR Free Report ) last issued its earnings results on Wednesday, April 26th. The oil and natural gas company reported $0.48 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts consensus estimates of $0.54 by ($0.06). Antero Resources had a return on equity of 23.30% and a net margin of 29.24%. The company had revenue of $1.41 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.21 billion. As a group, equities analysts expect that Antero Resources will post 1.03 EPS for the current year. In other news, insider Michael N. Kennedy sold 150,000 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, May 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of $21.07, for a total transaction of $3,160,500.00. Following the transaction, the insider now owns 941,832 shares in the company, valued at $19,844,400.24. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. 5.95% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders. Institutional Investors Weigh In On Antero Resources A number of large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in AR. Lumbard & Kellner LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Antero Resources by 0.5% in the 1st quarter. Lumbard & Kellner LLC now owns 114,919 shares of the oil and natural gas companys stock valued at $2,644,000 after purchasing an additional 595 shares in the last quarter. Capital Impact Advisors LLC raised its position in shares of Antero Resources by 10.7% in the 1st quarter. Capital Impact Advisors LLC now owns 23,547 shares of the oil and natural gas companys stock worth $544,000 after acquiring an additional 2,283 shares in the last quarter. Toroso Investments LLC grew its stake in shares of Antero Resources by 106.9% in the 1st quarter. Toroso Investments LLC now owns 37,706 shares of the oil and natural gas companys stock valued at $871,000 after buying an additional 19,481 shares during the period. New York State Common Retirement Fund grew its stake in shares of Antero Resources by 18.0% in the 1st quarter. New York State Common Retirement Fund now owns 913,057 shares of the oil and natural gas companys stock valued at $21,082,000 after buying an additional 139,313 shares during the period. Finally, Long Focus Capital Management LLC grew its stake in shares of Antero Resources by 15.7% in the 1st quarter. Long Focus Capital Management LLC now owns 1,620,900 shares of the oil and natural gas companys stock valued at $37,427,000 after buying an additional 220,000 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 79.64% of the companys stock. About Antero Resources (Free Report) Antero Resources Corporation, an independent oil and natural gas company, engages in the development, production, exploration, and acquisition of natural gas, natural gas liquids (NGLs), and oil properties in the United States. It operates through three segments: Exploration, Development and Production of Natural Gas, NGLs and Oil; Marketing and Utilization of Excess Firm Transportation Capacity; and Midstream Services Through Our Equity Method Investment in Antero Midstream. Read More Receive News & Ratings for Antero Resources Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Antero Resources and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. HSBC upgraded shares of Aviva (OTCMKTS:AVVIY Free Report) from a hold rating to a buy rating in a research report report published on Friday, The Fly reports. Several other research firms have also recently issued reports on AVVIY. JPMorgan Chase & Co. reduced their price objective on shares of Aviva from GBX 545 ($6.92) to GBX 535 ($6.79) in a research report on Thursday, May 25th. Berenberg Bank reduced their price objective on shares of Aviva from GBX 546 ($6.93) to GBX 532 ($6.75) in a research report on Thursday, May 25th. Finally, Barclays reduced their price objective on shares of Aviva from GBX 560 ($7.11) to GBX 545 ($6.92) in a research report on Friday, March 10th. Get Aviva alerts: Aviva Stock Performance OTCMKTS AVVIY opened at $10.12 on Friday. Aviva has a 12 month low of $8.05 and a 12 month high of $11.39. The companys 50 day moving average is $10.22 and its two-hundred day moving average is $10.49. About Aviva Aviva plc provides various insurance, retirement, investment, and savings products in the United Kingdom, Ireland, Canada, and internationally. The company offers life insurance, long-term health and accident insurance, savings, pension, and annuity products, as well as pension fund business and lifetime mortgage products. Recommended Stories Receive News & Ratings for Aviva Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Aviva and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Baldwin Brothers LLC MA grew its position in Freeport-McMoRan Inc. (NYSE:FCX Free Report) by 1.4% during the 1st quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The firm owned 67,069 shares of the natural resource companys stock after acquiring an additional 953 shares during the quarter. Baldwin Brothers LLC MAs holdings in Freeport-McMoRan were worth $2,744,000 as of its most recent SEC filing. Other hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in the company. Fairfield Bush & CO. acquired a new position in shares of Freeport-McMoRan during the 1st quarter valued at about $26,000. WFA of San Diego LLC acquired a new position in shares of Freeport-McMoRan during the 4th quarter valued at about $27,000. ICA Group Wealth Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of Freeport-McMoRan during the 4th quarter valued at about $28,000. M&R Capital Management Inc. increased its holdings in shares of Freeport-McMoRan by 61.0% during the 4th quarter. M&R Capital Management Inc. now owns 805 shares of the natural resource companys stock valued at $31,000 after acquiring an additional 305 shares during the last quarter. Finally, GPS Wealth Strategies Group LLC acquired a new stake in Freeport-McMoRan in the 1st quarter valued at approximately $34,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 79.35% of the companys stock. Get Freeport-McMoRan alerts: Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades A number of analysts have commented on the company. StockNews.com downgraded Freeport-McMoRan from a buy rating to a hold rating in a research report on Friday, June 9th. Raymond James cut their target price on Freeport-McMoRan from $48.00 to $47.00 and set an outperform rating for the company in a research report on Sunday, April 23rd. Sanford C. Bernstein initiated coverage on Freeport-McMoRan in a research report on Thursday, June 29th. They set a market perform rating and a $41.00 target price for the company. Morgan Stanley raised their target price on Freeport-McMoRan from $35.00 to $38.50 in a research report on Wednesday, June 21st. Finally, 3M restated an initiates rating on shares of Freeport-McMoRan in a research report on Thursday, June 29th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, nine have assigned a hold rating and three have issued a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of Hold and an average target price of $39.27. Insiders Place Their Bets Freeport-McMoRan Trading Up 1.9 % In other Freeport-McMoRan news, Director Sara Grootwassink Lewis bought 4,000 shares of Freeport-McMoRan stock in a transaction on Friday, May 12th. The shares were purchased at an average cost of $34.90 per share, for a total transaction of $139,600.00. Following the completion of the acquisition, the director now owns 17,800 shares in the company, valued at approximately $621,220. The acquisition was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this link . Corporate insiders own 0.78% of the companys stock. Shares of NYSE FCX traded up $0.76 during midday trading on Tuesday, hitting $40.76. The stock had a trading volume of 6,915,661 shares, compared to its average volume of 11,271,067. The companys 50-day simple moving average is $37.20 and its 200 day simple moving average is $39.73. The firm has a market cap of $58.42 billion, a P/E ratio of 22.77 and a beta of 2.01. Freeport-McMoRan Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $24.80 and a fifty-two week high of $46.73. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.37, a current ratio of 2.79 and a quick ratio of 1.71. Freeport-McMoRan (NYSE:FCX Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Friday, April 21st. The natural resource company reported $0.52 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $0.47 by $0.05. Freeport-McMoRan had a return on equity of 11.07% and a net margin of 12.07%. The business had revenue of $5.39 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $5.25 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the firm earned $1.07 earnings per share. The firms quarterly revenue was down 18.4% compared to the same quarter last year. Research analysts anticipate that Freeport-McMoRan Inc. will post 1.76 EPS for the current year. Freeport-McMoRan Announces Dividend The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, August 1st. Investors of record on Friday, July 14th will be paid a dividend of $0.15 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, July 13th. This represents a $0.60 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.47%. Freeport-McMoRans dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 16.76%. About Freeport-McMoRan (Free Report) Freeport-McMoRan Inc engages in the mining of mineral properties in North America, South America, and Indonesia. It primarily explores for copper, gold, molybdenum, silver, and other metals, as well as oil and gas. The company's assets include the Grasberg minerals district in Indonesia; Morenci, Bagdad, Safford, Sierrita, and Miami in Arizona; Tyrone and Chino in New Mexico; and Henderson and Climax in Colorado, North America, as well as Cerro Verde in Peru and El Abra in Chile. Recommended Stories Want to see what other hedge funds are holding FCX? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Freeport-McMoRan Inc. (NYSE:FCX Free Report). Receive News & Ratings for Freeport-McMoRan Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Freeport-McMoRan and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Commercial Metals (NYSE:CMC Free Report) CEO Barbara Smith sold 32,243 shares of Commercial Metals stock in a transaction on Thursday, June 29th. The shares were sold at an average price of $52.47, for a total value of $1,691,790.21. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer now directly owns 401,542 shares of the companys stock, valued at $21,068,908.74. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Barbara Smith also recently made the following trade(s): Get Commercial Metals alerts: On Tuesday, June 27th, Barbara Smith sold 50,000 shares of Commercial Metals stock. The shares were sold at an average price of $50.65, for a total value of $2,532,500.00. Commercial Metals Trading Up 1.6 % Shares of Commercial Metals stock traded up $0.83 during trading on Monday, hitting $53.49. 526,594 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 983,875. The firm has a market capitalization of $6.25 billion, a P/E ratio of 6.61 and a beta of 1.30. Commercial Metals has a 1-year low of $31.47 and a 1-year high of $58.09. The firms fifty day moving average price is $46.49 and its 200 day moving average price is $49.25. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.27, a current ratio of 3.68 and a quick ratio of 2.34. Commercial Metals Announces Dividend Commercial Metals ( NYSE:CMC Free Report ) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, June 22nd. The basic materials company reported $2.02 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.84 by $0.18. The company had revenue of $2.35 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $2.32 billion. Commercial Metals had a return on equity of 26.49% and a net margin of 10.72%. The companys revenue for the quarter was down 6.8% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the company earned $2.61 EPS. As a group, sell-side analysts expect that Commercial Metals will post 7.7 earnings per share for the current fiscal year. The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, July 12th. Stockholders of record on Monday, July 3rd will be given a dividend of $0.16 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, June 30th. This represents a $0.64 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.20%. Commercial Metalss payout ratio is currently 7.91%. Analysts Set New Price Targets A number of analysts have recently weighed in on the company. StockNews.com upgraded Commercial Metals from a hold rating to a buy rating in a research note on Friday, June 23rd. Bank of America upgraded Commercial Metals from a neutral rating to a buy rating and raised their target price for the company from $56.00 to $60.00 in a research note on Wednesday, April 5th. Finally, BMO Capital Markets raised their target price on Commercial Metals from $56.00 to $58.00 in a research note on Friday, June 23rd. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and three have issued a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, Commercial Metals currently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus target price of $56.80. Hedge Funds Weigh In On Commercial Metals Institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Lindbrook Capital LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Commercial Metals by 41.2% during the 4th quarter. Lindbrook Capital LLC now owns 689 shares of the basic materials companys stock valued at $33,000 after purchasing an additional 201 shares in the last quarter. Steward Partners Investment Advisory LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Commercial Metals by 3.0% during the 4th quarter. Steward Partners Investment Advisory LLC now owns 6,987 shares of the basic materials companys stock valued at $337,000 after purchasing an additional 201 shares in the last quarter. SummerHaven Investment Management LLC lifted its stake in Commercial Metals by 1.0% in the 4th quarter. SummerHaven Investment Management LLC now owns 22,891 shares of the basic materials companys stock valued at $1,106,000 after acquiring an additional 237 shares in the last quarter. Meritage Portfolio Management lifted its stake in Commercial Metals by 3.6% in the 4th quarter. Meritage Portfolio Management now owns 7,021 shares of the basic materials companys stock valued at $339,000 after acquiring an additional 244 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Jennison Associates LLC lifted its stake in Commercial Metals by 1.2% in the 1st quarter. Jennison Associates LLC now owns 24,337 shares of the basic materials companys stock valued at $1,190,000 after acquiring an additional 277 shares in the last quarter. 82.96% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds. About Commercial Metals (Free Report) Commercial Metals Company manufactures, recycles, and fabricates steel and metal products, and related materials and services in the United States, Poland, China, and internationally. The company processes and sells ferrous and nonferrous scrap metals to steel mills and foundries, aluminum sheet and ingot manufacturers, brass and bronze ingot makers, copper refineries and mills, secondary lead smelters, specialty steel mills, high temperature alloy manufacturers, and other consumers. Featured Articles Receive News & Ratings for Commercial Metals Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Commercial Metals and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. BJs Wholesale Club Holdings, Inc. (NYSE:BJ Free Report) has been assigned an average rating of Hold from the fifteen ratings firms that are presently covering the firm, Marketbeat reports. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, six have assigned a hold rating and eight have assigned a buy rating to the company. The average 1-year target price among brokerages that have covered the stock in the last year is $74.40. A number of equities analysts recently weighed in on the stock. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft decreased their price objective on shares of BJs Wholesale Club from $89.00 to $77.00 in a report on Wednesday, May 24th. Robert W. Baird decreased their target price on shares of BJs Wholesale Club from $90.00 to $80.00 in a research note on Wednesday, May 24th. Citigroup decreased their target price on shares of BJs Wholesale Club from $83.00 to $74.00 in a research note on Wednesday, May 24th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. decreased their target price on shares of BJs Wholesale Club from $65.00 to $62.00 in a research note on Wednesday, May 24th. Finally, Morgan Stanley decreased their target price on shares of BJs Wholesale Club from $77.00 to $72.00 in a research note on Wednesday, May 24th. Get BJ's Wholesale Club alerts: Insider Buying and Selling In related news, EVP Monica Schwartz sold 15,168 shares of the companys stock in a transaction on Thursday, June 22nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $61.85, for a total value of $938,140.80. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president now owns 25,962 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $1,605,749.70. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. 2.20% of the stock is currently owned by insiders. Institutional Inflows and Outflows BJs Wholesale Club Price Performance Several hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of BJ. Quantinno Capital Management LP lifted its holdings in shares of BJs Wholesale Club by 3.4% in the 1st quarter. Quantinno Capital Management LP now owns 4,130 shares of the companys stock valued at $314,000 after acquiring an additional 136 shares during the last quarter. Intech Investment Management LLC raised its position in BJs Wholesale Club by 2.7% in the 1st quarter. Intech Investment Management LLC now owns 6,807 shares of the companys stock worth $518,000 after purchasing an additional 177 shares during the period. B. Riley Wealth Advisors Inc. raised its position in BJs Wholesale Club by 5.9% in the 1st quarter. B. Riley Wealth Advisors Inc. now owns 3,225 shares of the companys stock worth $245,000 after purchasing an additional 179 shares during the period. CIBC Asset Management Inc raised its position in BJs Wholesale Club by 5.0% in the 1st quarter. CIBC Asset Management Inc now owns 3,783 shares of the companys stock worth $288,000 after purchasing an additional 180 shares during the period. Finally, Nvwm LLC raised its position in BJs Wholesale Club by 1.3% in the 3rd quarter. Nvwm LLC now owns 14,174 shares of the companys stock worth $1,032,000 after purchasing an additional 186 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 93.02% of the companys stock. Shares of NYSE BJ opened at $62.84 on Tuesday. BJs Wholesale Club has a twelve month low of $60.33 and a twelve month high of $80.41. The firm has a market cap of $8.44 billion, a P/E ratio of 16.62, a PEG ratio of 2.10 and a beta of 0.47. The company has a 50 day moving average of $66.73 and a 200 day moving average of $70.41. The company has a quick ratio of 0.12, a current ratio of 0.70 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.40. BJs Wholesale Club (NYSE:BJ Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, May 23rd. The company reported $0.85 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $0.84 by $0.01. BJs Wholesale Club had a net margin of 2.64% and a return on equity of 53.66%. The company had revenue of $4.72 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $4.81 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the business earned $0.87 EPS. The firms revenue for the quarter was up 5.0% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, research analysts expect that BJs Wholesale Club will post 3.9 EPS for the current fiscal year. BJs Wholesale Club Company Profile (Free Report BJ's Wholesale Club Holdings, Inc, together with its subsidiaries, operates warehouse clubs on the eastern half of the United States. It provides perishable, general merchandise, gasoline, coupon books, promotions, and other ancillary services. The company sells its products through the websites BJs.com, BerkleyJensen.com, and Wellsleyfarms.com, as well as the mobile app. Featured Stories Receive News & Ratings for BJ's Wholesale Club Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for BJ's Wholesale Club and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Yamato (OTCMKTS:YATRY Free Report) and Mullen Group (OTCMKTS:MLLGF Free Report) are both industrials companies, but which is the superior stock? We will contrast the two companies based on the strength of their earnings, profitability, analyst recommendations, dividends, institutional ownership, valuation and risk. Dividends Yamato pays an annual dividend of $12.06 per share and has a dividend yield of 65.7%. Mullen Group pays an annual dividend of $1.20 per share and has a dividend yield of 11.5%. Yamato pays out 14.7% of its earnings in the form of a dividend. Mullen Group pays out 120.5% of its earnings in the form of a dividend, suggesting it may not have sufficient earnings to cover its dividend payment in the future. Yamato is clearly the better dividend stock, given its higher yield and lower payout ratio. Get Yamato alerts: Profitability This table compares Yamato and Mullen Groups net margins, return on equity and return on assets. Net Margins Return on Equity Return on Assets Yamato N/A N/A N/A Mullen Group N/A N/A N/A Earnings and Valuation Gross Revenue Price/Sales Ratio Net Income Earnings Per Share Price/Earnings Ratio Yamato N/A N/A N/A $82.14 0.22 Mullen Group N/A N/A N/A $1.00 10.47 This table compares Yamato and Mullen Groups revenue, earnings per share and valuation. Yamato is trading at a lower price-to-earnings ratio than Mullen Group, indicating that it is currently the more affordable of the two stocks. Analyst Recommendations This is a breakdown of recent recommendations for Yamato and Mullen Group, as provided by MarketBeat.com. Sell Ratings Hold Ratings Buy Ratings Strong Buy Ratings Rating Score Yamato 0 0 0 0 N/A Mullen Group 0 3 1 1 2.60 Mullen Group has a consensus price target of $17.07, suggesting a potential upside of 63.83%. Given Mullen Groups higher possible upside, analysts clearly believe Mullen Group is more favorable than Yamato. Institutional & Insider Ownership 0.0% of Yamato shares are held by institutional investors. Comparatively, 55.0% of Mullen Group shares are held by institutional investors. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that large money managers, hedge funds and endowments believe a company will outperform the market over the long term. Summary Mullen Group beats Yamato on 5 of the 8 factors compared between the two stocks. About Yamato (Free Report) Yamato Holdings Co., Ltd. provides delivery, logistics, home convenience, e-business, financial, auto works, and other related services in Japan, North America, and internationally. The company's Delivery segment offers small parcel delivery services, such as door-to-door parcel delivery and posting services. Its BIZ-Logistics segment provides intercompany logistics services to B2B supply-chain management market. The company's Home Convenience segment offers lifestyle support services, including moving and household effects delivery services. Its e-Business segment provides information services comprising ASP services and information systems development for business markets. The company's Financial segment offers settlement and collection services to customers and business customers. Its Autoworks segment provides vehicle maintenance and fuel supply services for transport companies. The company was founded in 1919 and is headquartered in Tokyo, Japan. About Mullen Group (Free Report) Mullen Group Ltd. provides a range of trucking and logistics services in Canada and the United States. The Less-Than-Truckload segment delivers general freight consisting of smaller shipments, packages, and parcels; and pharmaceutical and package products. The Logistics & Warehousing segment offers full truckload, specialized transportation, warehousing, and fulfillment centers that handle ecommerce transactions and transload facilities for intermodal and bulk shipments; technology solutions, including transportation management, inventory management, and warehouse management systems; and warehousing and distribution services. The Specialized & Industrial Services segment provides production services, well servicing, production fluid transportation, transportation of fluids for disposal, frac support, hydrovac excavation, and industrial cleaning and turnaround services; and specialized services comprising dredging and dewatering services, large diameter pipe stockpiling and stringing services, water management, environmental services, civil construction, municipal development and emergency services, hydrostatic testing services to the pipeline industry and midstream sector, and transporting of oversize and overweight shipments, as well as deals in original equipment manufacturer parts and services. This segment also offers drilling and drilling related services, consisting of transportation, handling, and storage of oilfield fluids, tubulars, and drilling mud; drilling rig relocation; general oilfield hauling; well disposal facility; core drilling; setting surface casing; and conductor pipe setting services. The U.S. & International Logistics segment provides logistics services through professional representatives and station agents. This segment also owns SilverExpress, a proprietary integrated transportation management platform. The company was founded in 1949 and is headquartered in Okotoks, Canada. Receive News & Ratings for Yamato Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Yamato and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Abcam (OTCMKTS:ABCZF Free Report) is one of 360 publicly-traded companies in the Biotechnology industry, but how does it compare to its competitors? We will compare Abcam to related companies based on the strength of its profitability, analyst recommendations, dividends, earnings, valuation, institutional ownership and risk. Profitability This table compares Abcam and its competitors net margins, return on equity and return on assets. Get Abcam alerts: Net Margins Return on Equity Return on Assets Abcam N/A N/A N/A Abcam Competitors -10,930.76% -68.31% -19.84% Analyst Ratings This is a summary of recent ratings for Abcam and its competitors, as provided by MarketBeat.com. Sell Ratings Hold Ratings Buy Ratings Strong Buy Ratings Rating Score Abcam 0 0 0 0 N/A Abcam Competitors 652 1563 3980 31 2.54 Institutional & Insider Ownership As a group, Biotechnology companies have a potential upside of 101.57%. Given Abcams competitors higher possible upside, analysts plainly believe Abcam has less favorable growth aspects than its competitors. 43.6% of Abcam shares are held by institutional investors. Comparatively, 23.7% of shares of all Biotechnology companies are held by institutional investors. 25.8% of shares of all Biotechnology companies are held by insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that hedge funds, large money managers and endowments believe a stock will outperform the market over the long term. Dividends Abcam pays an annual dividend of C$0.07 per share and has a dividend yield of 0.3%. Abcam pays out 42.5% of its earnings in the form of a dividend. As a group, Biotechnology companies pay a dividend yield of 2.7% and pay out 11,399.4% of their earnings in the form of a dividend. Valuation and Earnings This table compares Abcam and its competitors top-line revenue, earnings per share (EPS) and valuation. Gross Revenue Net Income Price/Earnings Ratio Abcam N/A N/A 138.07 Abcam Competitors $119.03 million -$10.39 million 22.33 Abcams competitors have higher revenue, but lower earnings than Abcam. Abcam is trading at a higher price-to-earnings ratio than its competitors, indicating that it is currently more expensive than other companies in its industry. Summary Abcam beats its competitors on 6 of the 10 factors compared. About Abcam (Free Report) Abcam plc, a life science company, focuses on identifying, developing, and distributing reagents and tools for scientific research, diagnostics, and drug discovery. The company's principal products include primary and secondary antibodies; conjugated antibodies and conjugation kits; singleplex immunoassays; proteins and peptides that include cytokines; edited cell lines and lysates; and various other products, including cellular activity kits, biochemicals, and cell signaling pathway tools. It serves scientists and researchers in academic institutions and research institutes, as well as in pharmaceutical, biotechnology, and diagnostics companies. The company has operations in the Americas, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, China, Japan, and rest of the Asia Pacific. It sells its products online. The company was incorporated in 1998 and is headquartered in Cambridge, the United Kingdom. Receive News & Ratings for Abcam Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Abcam and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. CTT Correios De Portugal, S.A. (OTCMKTS:CTTPY Free Report) shares reached a new 52-week high on Monday . The company traded as high as $7.28 and last traded at $7.28, with a volume of 0 shares traded. The stock had previously closed at $7.28. CTT Correios De Portugal Price Performance The business has a fifty day moving average of $7.47 and a two-hundred day moving average of $6.83. CTT Correios De Portugal Company Profile (Free Report) CTT Correios De Portugal, SA, together with its subsidiaries, provides postal and financial services worldwide. It operates through Mail, Express & Parcels, Financial Services & Retail, and Bank segments. The company offers courier and urgent mail transport services; postal financial services; and banking services. Featured Articles Receive News & Ratings for CTT - Correios De Portugal Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for CTT - Correios De Portugal and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. West Oak Capital LLC increased its stake in EOG Resources, Inc. (NYSE:EOG Free Report) by 10.2% in the 1st quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 5,415 shares of the energy exploration companys stock after purchasing an additional 500 shares during the quarter. West Oak Capital LLCs holdings in EOG Resources were worth $621,000 at the end of the most recent quarter. Other institutional investors have also bought and sold shares of the company. Tejara Capital Ltd acquired a new stake in EOG Resources in the 4th quarter valued at about $106,000. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. lifted its holdings in EOG Resources by 196.1% in the 1st quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 9,859,925 shares of the energy exploration companys stock valued at $1,175,599,000 after acquiring an additional 6,529,464 shares during the last quarter. Morgan Stanley lifted its holdings in EOG Resources by 87.8% in the 4th quarter. Morgan Stanley now owns 7,787,281 shares of the energy exploration companys stock valued at $1,008,609,000 after acquiring an additional 3,641,504 shares during the last quarter. T. Rowe Price Investment Management Inc. lifted its holdings in EOG Resources by 126.2% in the 4th quarter. T. Rowe Price Investment Management Inc. now owns 5,111,339 shares of the energy exploration companys stock valued at $662,021,000 after acquiring an additional 2,851,839 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Moneta Group Investment Advisors LLC lifted its holdings in EOG Resources by 103,083.3% in the 4th quarter. Moneta Group Investment Advisors LLC now owns 2,272,097 shares of the energy exploration companys stock valued at $294,282,000 after acquiring an additional 2,269,895 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 89.58% of the companys stock. Get EOG Resources alerts: Insiders Place Their Bets In other EOG Resources news, COO Lloyd W. Helms, Jr. sold 5,000 shares of the companys stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, June 7th. The stock was sold at an average price of $115.87, for a total transaction of $579,350.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief operating officer now owns 149,689 shares of the companys stock, valued at $17,344,464.43. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Company insiders own 0.40% of the companys stock. EOG Resources Stock Up 0.2 % Shares of NYSE EOG traded up $0.26 during trading hours on Tuesday, hitting $114.70. The stock had a trading volume of 1,287,557 shares, compared to its average volume of 3,671,782. The company has a market capitalization of $67.08 billion, a P/E ratio of 7.17, a P/E/G ratio of 0.35 and a beta of 1.53. The firms 50-day moving average price is $112.33 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $118.62. EOG Resources, Inc. has a 52 week low of $92.16 and a 52 week high of $150.88. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.15, a quick ratio of 1.90 and a current ratio of 2.17. EOG Resources (NYSE:EOG Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Friday, May 5th. The energy exploration company reported $2.69 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $2.42 by $0.27. The firm had revenue of $6.04 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $5.28 billion. EOG Resources had a return on equity of 30.34% and a net margin of 33.83%. The companys revenue was up 51.7% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business earned $4.00 earnings per share. Analysts anticipate that EOG Resources, Inc. will post 11.34 EPS for the current fiscal year. EOG Resources Dividend Announcement The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, July 31st. Shareholders of record on Monday, July 17th will be given a dividend of $0.825 per share. The ex-dividend date is Friday, July 14th. This represents a $3.30 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.88%. EOG Resourcess payout ratio is currently 20.64%. Analyst Ratings Changes EOG has been the subject of a number of research analyst reports. Piper Sandler cut their price target on shares of EOG Resources from $170.00 to $155.00 in a report on Tuesday, June 13th. StockNews.com initiated coverage on EOG Resources in a report on Thursday, May 18th. They set a hold rating on the stock. Raymond James boosted their price objective on EOG Resources from $140.00 to $150.00 and gave the stock a strong-buy rating in a report on Friday, April 21st. Jefferies Financial Group cut their price objective on EOG Resources from $147.00 to $138.00 in a report on Monday, May 15th. Finally, Scotiabank upgraded EOG Resources from a sector perform rating to a sector outperform rating and cut their price objective for the stock from $150.00 to $145.00 in a report on Thursday, April 13th. Five equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, eighteen have given a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus price target of $148.17. About EOG Resources (Free Report) EOG Resources, Inc, together with its subsidiaries, explores for, develops, produces, and markets crude oil, and natural gas and natural gas liquids. Its principal producing areas are in New Mexico and Texas in the United States; and the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago. The company was formerly known as Enron Oil & Gas Company. Further Reading Receive News & Ratings for EOG Resources Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for EOG Resources and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. European Assets Trust PLC (LON:EAT Free Report) declared a dividend on Thursday, June 29th, Upcoming.Co.Uk reports. Shareholders of record on Thursday, July 6th will be given a dividend of GBX 1.45 ($0.02) per share on Monday, July 31st. This represents a yield of 1.63%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, July 6th. The official announcement can be viewed at this link. European Assets Trust Price Performance EAT opened at GBX 88.60 ($1.12) on Tuesday. The companys 50-day simple moving average is GBX 91.09 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is GBX 92.35. European Assets Trust has a 52-week low of GBX 74.60 ($0.95) and a 52-week high of GBX 98.80 ($1.25). The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.55, a quick ratio of 1.35 and a current ratio of 1.72. The stock has a market capitalization of 319.02 million, a P/E ratio of -184.58 and a beta of 1.06. Get European Assets Trust alerts: Insider Transactions at European Assets Trust In other European Assets Trust news, insider Stuart Paterson acquired 25,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, June 14th. The shares were purchased at an average price of GBX 92 ($1.17) per share, for a total transaction of 23,000 ($29,191.52). In other news, insider Martin Breuer bought 6,700 shares of European Assets Trust stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, June 26th. The stock was bought at an average cost of GBX 87 ($1.10) per share, with a total value of 5,829 ($7,398.15). Also, insider Stuart Paterson bought 25,000 shares of European Assets Trust stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, June 14th. The stock was purchased at an average cost of GBX 92 ($1.17) per share, with a total value of 23,000 ($29,191.52). Insiders have acquired 41,700 shares of company stock worth $3,822,900 in the last quarter. Company insiders own 0.77% of the companys stock. European Assets Trust Company Profile European Assets Trust PLC is a closed-ended equity mutual fund launched and managed by F&C Investment Business Limited. The fund invests in the public equity markets of Europe, excluding the United Kingdom. It seeks to invest in stocks of companies operating across diversified sectors. The fund primarily invests in stocks of small and mid cap companies with a market capitalization below that of the largest company in the Euromoney Smaller European Companies (ex UK) Index or below Euro 2.5 billion. Further Reading Receive News & Ratings for European Assets Trust Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for European Assets Trust and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Shares of First Horizon Co. (NYSE:FHN Free Report) have earned an average recommendation of Moderate Buy from the six brokerages that are covering the firm, MarketBeat Ratings reports. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold recommendation and three have assigned a buy recommendation to the company. The average twelve-month price objective among brokers that have updated their coverage on the stock in the last year is $19.13. Several equities analysts recently weighed in on FHN shares. TheStreet downgraded First Horizon from a b- rating to a c+ rating in a research report on Thursday, June 1st. The Goldman Sachs Group began coverage on First Horizon in a report on Wednesday, June 28th. They issued a neutral rating on the stock. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their price objective on First Horizon from $13.00 to $13.50 in a report on Thursday, June 29th. Bank of America cut their price objective on First Horizon from $14.00 to $13.00 in a report on Thursday, June 8th. Finally, StockNews.com downgraded First Horizon from a hold rating to a sell rating in a report on Saturday, May 13th. Get First Horizon alerts: First Horizon Stock Performance NYSE FHN opened at $11.54 on Tuesday. The businesss 50-day moving average price is $11.87 and its 200 day moving average price is $18.34. First Horizon has a twelve month low of $8.99 and a twelve month high of $24.92. The company has a market capitalization of $6.22 billion, a PE ratio of 7.12, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.85 and a beta of 0.91. The company has a current ratio of 0.94, a quick ratio of 0.93 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.20. First Horizon Announces Dividend First Horizon ( NYSE:FHN Free Report ) last released its earnings results on Tuesday, April 18th. The financial services provider reported $0.45 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.46 by ($0.01). First Horizon had a return on equity of 13.53% and a net margin of 24.76%. The business had revenue of $863.00 million for the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $871.36 million. During the same quarter last year, the company posted $0.38 earnings per share. The businesss quarterly revenue was up 22.6% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, research analysts predict that First Horizon will post 1.63 earnings per share for the current year. The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, July 3rd. Stockholders of record on Friday, June 16th were paid a $0.15 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Thursday, June 15th. This represents a $0.60 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 5.20%. First Horizons dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 37.04%. Insider Activity In related news, Director William H. Fenstermaker bought 10,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, June 7th. The stock was acquired at an average price of $11.62 per share, for a total transaction of $116,200.00. Following the completion of the purchase, the director now owns 256,312 shares in the company, valued at $2,978,345.44. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. In related news, Director William H. Fenstermaker bought 10,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, June 7th. The stock was acquired at an average price of $11.62 per share, for a total transaction of $116,200.00. Following the completion of the purchase, the director now owns 256,312 shares in the company, valued at $2,978,345.44. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, Director William H. Fenstermaker bought 2,950 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Friday, May 12th. The stock was bought at an average price of $9.56 per share, with a total value of $28,202.00. Following the purchase, the director now owns 246,312 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $2,354,742.72. The disclosure for this purchase can be found here. Over the last quarter, insiders purchased 42,036 shares of company stock worth $436,725. 1.55% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders. Institutional Investors Weigh In On First Horizon A number of hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the business. Vanguard Group Inc. grew its stake in First Horizon by 1.5% during the 3rd quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 52,975,376 shares of the financial services providers stock valued at $1,213,136,000 after purchasing an additional 784,435 shares in the last quarter. State Street Corp grew its stake in First Horizon by 15.7% during the 1st quarter. State Street Corp now owns 23,368,182 shares of the financial services providers stock valued at $418,736,000 after purchasing an additional 3,173,357 shares in the last quarter. Franklin Resources Inc. grew its position in shares of First Horizon by 4.7% in the 1st quarter. Franklin Resources Inc. now owns 12,321,479 shares of the financial services providers stock worth $219,076,000 after acquiring an additional 548,162 shares in the last quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. grew its position in shares of First Horizon by 11.4% in the 4th quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 11,525,265 shares of the financial services providers stock worth $282,369,000 after acquiring an additional 1,179,154 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Soros Fund Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of First Horizon in the 4th quarter worth approximately $209,132,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 78.79% of the companys stock. About First Horizon (Free Report First Horizon Corporation operates as the bank holding company for First Horizon Bank that provides various financial services. The company operates through three segments: Regional Banking, Specialty Banking, and Corporate. It offers general banking services for consumers, businesses, financial institutions, and governments. Read More Receive News & Ratings for First Horizon Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for First Horizon and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. GHP Investment Advisors Inc. raised its stake in shares of General Mills, Inc. (NYSE:GIS Free Report) by 1.0% during the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 69,774 shares of the companys stock after buying an additional 706 shares during the period. GHP Investment Advisors Inc.s holdings in General Mills were worth $5,963,000 as of its most recent SEC filing. Several other large investors have also recently bought and sold shares of GIS. FWL Investment Management LLC acquired a new position in General Mills during the 4th quarter valued at about $25,000. James Investment Research Inc. acquired a new position in General Mills during the 4th quarter valued at about $26,000. Almanack Investment Partners LLC. acquired a new position in General Mills during the 3rd quarter valued at about $28,000. AXS Investments LLC acquired a new position in General Mills during the 4th quarter valued at about $30,000. Finally, Paragon Wealth Strategies LLC grew its stake in shares of General Mills by 164.9% in the 4th quarter. Paragon Wealth Strategies LLC now owns 392 shares of the companys stock worth $33,000 after purchasing an additional 244 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 76.73% of the companys stock. Get General Mills alerts: Insider Activity at General Mills In related news, CAO Mark A. Pallot sold 4,081 shares of the firms stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, May 16th. The shares were sold at an average price of $90.32, for a total transaction of $368,595.92. Following the transaction, the chief accounting officer now owns 13,121 shares of the companys stock, valued at $1,185,088.72. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. In other news, insider Jodi J. Benson sold 3,009 shares of the firms stock in a transaction dated Friday, May 12th. The stock was sold at an average price of $90.59, for a total value of $272,585.31. Following the sale, the insider now directly owns 35,491 shares of the companys stock, valued at $3,215,129.69. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. Also, CAO Mark A. Pallot sold 4,081 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, May 16th. The stock was sold at an average price of $90.32, for a total value of $368,595.92. Following the transaction, the chief accounting officer now directly owns 13,121 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $1,185,088.72. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last quarter, insiders have sold 25,607 shares of company stock valued at $2,297,897. 0.67% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders. General Mills Stock Up 0.5 % Shares of GIS stock traded up $0.42 during trading on Tuesday, hitting $77.12. 2,756,220 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 4,167,660. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.93, a quick ratio of 0.40 and a current ratio of 0.69. The firm has a market capitalization of $45.30 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 17.89, a P/E/G ratio of 2.27 and a beta of 0.24. The businesss 50-day simple moving average is $84.73 and its 200 day simple moving average is $82.81. General Mills, Inc. has a twelve month low of $72.16 and a twelve month high of $90.89. General Mills (NYSE:GIS Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, June 28th. The company reported $1.12 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.07 by $0.05. The business had revenue of $5.03 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $5.18 billion. General Mills had a net margin of 12.91% and a return on equity of 24.47%. The firms quarterly revenue was up 2.8% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the company posted $1.12 earnings per share. As a group, analysts forecast that General Mills, Inc. will post 4.51 EPS for the current fiscal year. General Mills Increases Dividend The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, August 1st. Investors of record on Monday, July 10th will be given a dividend of $0.59 per share. This represents a $2.36 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.06%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, July 7th. This is a positive change from General Millss previous quarterly dividend of $0.54. General Millss dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 50.12%. Wall Street Analyst Weigh In Several equities analysts have recently issued reports on GIS shares. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lowered their price objective on shares of General Mills from $81.00 to $75.00 in a research note on Thursday, June 29th. Evercore ISI lowered their price objective on shares of General Mills from $85.00 to $80.00 in a research note on Thursday, June 29th. UBS Group lifted their price objective on shares of General Mills from $88.00 to $96.00 in a research note on Monday, March 27th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft lowered their price objective on shares of General Mills from $86.00 to $82.00 in a research note on Thursday, June 29th. Finally, Bank of America decreased their target price on shares of General Mills from $88.00 to $82.00 in a report on Thursday, June 29th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, nine have issued a hold rating and five have issued a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of Hold and a consensus price target of $82.24. General Mills Company Profile (Free Report) General Mills, Inc manufactures and markets branded consumer foods worldwide. The company operates in five segments: North America Retail; Convenience Stores & Foodservice; Europe & Australia; Asia & Latin America; and Pet. It offers ready-to-eat cereals, refrigerated yogurt, soup, meal kits, refrigerated and frozen dough products, dessert and baking mixes, bakery flour, frozen pizza and pizza snacks, snack bars, fruit and salty snacks, ice cream, nutrition bars, wellness beverages, and savory and grain snacks, as well as various organic products, including frozen and shelf-stable vegetables. Read More Want to see what other hedge funds are holding GIS? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for General Mills, Inc. (NYSE:GIS Free Report). Receive News & Ratings for General Mills Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for General Mills and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Genesco Inc. (NYSE:GCO Free Report) saw a large growth in short interest in the month of June. As of June 15th, there was short interest totalling 1,100,000 shares, a growth of 55.9% from the May 31st total of 705,500 shares. Based on an average daily trading volume, of 336,100 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is presently 3.3 days. Approximately 9.4% of the companys shares are short sold. Genesco Trading Up 6.1 % NYSE GCO opened at $26.56 on Tuesday. The stock has a market capitalization of $333.59 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of 6.90 and a beta of 2.03. The stocks 50 day moving average price is $26.33 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $36.90. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.20, a quick ratio of 0.36 and a current ratio of 1.70. Genesco has a 52 week low of $17.31 and a 52 week high of $66.42. Get Genesco alerts: Genesco (NYSE:GCO Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, May 25th. The company reported ($1.59) earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts consensus estimates of ($1.10) by ($0.49). Genesco had a return on equity of 8.05% and a net margin of 2.05%. The company had revenue of $483.60 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $478.01 million. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned $0.44 EPS. The companys revenue for the quarter was down 7.1% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, analysts anticipate that Genesco will post 2.24 earnings per share for the current fiscal year. Insider Transactions at Genesco Institutional Investors Weigh In On Genesco In related news, Director Gregory A. Sandfort bought 11,500 shares of the firms stock in a transaction dated Friday, June 9th. The stock was bought at an average cost of $22.05 per share, for a total transaction of $253,575.00. Following the transaction, the director now owns 15,780 shares of the companys stock, valued at $347,949. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website . In other Genesco news, Director Gregory A. Sandfort acquired 11,500 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction dated Friday, June 9th. The shares were acquired at an average price of $22.05 per share, for a total transaction of $253,575.00. Following the acquisition, the director now directly owns 15,780 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $347,949. The acquisition was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website . Also, VP Daniel E. Ewoldsen acquired 1,545 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, May 30th. The shares were acquired at an average price of $19.31 per share, for a total transaction of $29,833.95. Following the acquisition, the vice president now directly owns 42,555 shares in the company, valued at $821,737.05. The disclosure for this purchase can be found here . In the last ninety days, insiders purchased 28,447 shares of company stock worth $572,170. 6.33% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders. Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Maryland State Retirement & Pension System bought a new stake in shares of Genesco during the 4th quarter worth approximately $235,000. SummerHaven Investment Management LLC increased its holdings in shares of Genesco by 2.8% during the 1st quarter. SummerHaven Investment Management LLC now owns 15,959 shares of the companys stock worth $589,000 after acquiring an additional 431 shares during the last quarter. Aigen Investment Management LP acquired a new position in shares of Genesco during the 4th quarter worth approximately $306,000. Gladius Capital Management LP increased its holdings in shares of Genesco by 69.5% during the 4th quarter. Gladius Capital Management LP now owns 2,824 shares of the companys stock worth $130,000 after acquiring an additional 1,158 shares during the last quarter. Finally, TD Asset Management Inc increased its holdings in shares of Genesco by 26.0% during the 4th quarter. TD Asset Management Inc now owns 9,700 shares of the companys stock worth $446,000 after acquiring an additional 2,000 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 83.99% of the companys stock. Analyst Ratings Changes Several research firms have commented on GCO. StockNews.com began coverage on Genesco in a research note on Thursday, May 18th. They issued a hold rating on the stock. Seaport Res Ptn upgraded Genesco from a neutral rating to a buy rating in a research note on Tuesday, March 28th. Genesco Company Profile (Free Report) Genesco Inc operates as a retailer and wholesaler of footwear, apparel, and accessories in the United States, Puerto Rico, Canada, the United Kingdom, and the Republic of Ireland. The company operates through four segments: Journeys Group, Schuh Group, Johnston & Murphy Group, and Licensed Brands. Read More Receive News & Ratings for Genesco Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Genesco and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. GHP Investment Advisors Inc. raised its stake in shares of iShares MSCI United Kingdom ETF (NYSEARCA:EWU Free Report) by 35.3% during the 1st quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The firm owned 309,267 shares of the companys stock after acquiring an additional 80,766 shares during the quarter. GHP Investment Advisors Inc.s holdings in iShares MSCI United Kingdom ETF were worth $9,977,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period. Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Banque Cantonale Vaudoise lifted its holdings in iShares MSCI United Kingdom ETF by 5.1% during the first quarter. Banque Cantonale Vaudoise now owns 10,626 shares of the companys stock valued at $342,000 after purchasing an additional 514 shares in the last quarter. Proficio Capital Partners LLC acquired a new stake in shares of iShares MSCI United Kingdom ETF in the first quarter valued at about $930,000. RPg Family Wealth Advisory LLC raised its position in shares of iShares MSCI United Kingdom ETF by 18.1% in the first quarter. RPg Family Wealth Advisory LLC now owns 9,729 shares of the companys stock valued at $314,000 after buying an additional 1,494 shares during the last quarter. Donald L. Hagan LLC acquired a new stake in shares of iShares MSCI United Kingdom ETF in the first quarter valued at about $330,000. Finally, Atticus Wealth Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of iShares MSCI United Kingdom ETF in the first quarter valued at about $128,000. Get iShares MSCI United Kingdom ETF alerts: iShares MSCI United Kingdom ETF Stock Performance Shares of NYSEARCA EWU traded down $0.14 during mid-day trading on Tuesday, reaching $32.21. The companys stock had a trading volume of 862,519 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,999,803. The stock has a 50-day moving average of $32.81 and a two-hundred day moving average of $32.38. The stock has a market capitalization of $2.99 billion, a P/E ratio of 13.02 and a beta of 0.83. iShares MSCI United Kingdom ETF has a 1-year low of $25.36 and a 1-year high of $34.04. iShares MSCI United Kingdom ETF Profile The iShares MSCI United Kingdom ETF (EWU) is an exchange-traded fund that is based on the MSCI United Kingdom index. The fund tracks a market cap-weighted index of British companies. It covers the top 85% of British companies by market cap. EWU was launched on Mar 12, 1996 and is managed by BlackRock. See Also Want to see what other hedge funds are holding EWU? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for iShares MSCI United Kingdom ETF (NYSEARCA:EWU Free Report). Receive News & Ratings for iShares MSCI United Kingdom ETF Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for iShares MSCI United Kingdom ETF and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Graphic Packaging Holding (NYSE:GPK Free Report) was the target of a large increase in short interest during the month of June. As of June 15th, there was short interest totalling 12,110,000 shares, an increase of 33.7% from the May 31st total of 9,060,000 shares. Based on an average daily trading volume, of 4,030,000 shares, the short-interest ratio is currently 3.0 days. Insider Transactions at Graphic Packaging In other news, CFO Stephen R. Scherger sold 160,492 shares of the companys stock in a transaction on Tuesday, May 9th. The stock was sold at an average price of $25.81, for a total transaction of $4,142,298.52. Following the completion of the sale, the chief financial officer now directly owns 427,548 shares in the company, valued at approximately $11,035,013.88. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. Insiders own 1.20% of the companys stock. Get Graphic Packaging alerts: Hedge Funds Weigh In On Graphic Packaging Several large investors have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Private Advisor Group LLC bought a new position in Graphic Packaging in the first quarter worth about $519,000. MetLife Investment Management LLC bought a new position in Graphic Packaging in the first quarter worth about $184,000. BlackRock Inc. lifted its holdings in Graphic Packaging by 2.6% in the first quarter. BlackRock Inc. now owns 15,105,236 shares of the industrial products companys stock worth $302,709,000 after acquiring an additional 377,055 shares during the last quarter. Great West Life Assurance Co. Can lifted its holdings in Graphic Packaging by 3.2% in the first quarter. Great West Life Assurance Co. Can now owns 25,660 shares of the industrial products companys stock worth $547,000 after acquiring an additional 792 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Yousif Capital Management LLC raised its holdings in shares of Graphic Packaging by 9.0% during the first quarter. Yousif Capital Management LLC now owns 11,619 shares of the industrial products companys stock valued at $233,000 after buying an additional 955 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 92.86% of the companys stock. Graphic Packaging Stock Up 1.4 % Shares of Graphic Packaging stock traded up $0.33 during trading hours on Monday, hitting $24.36. 1,540,495 shares of the companys stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 3,682,368. The company has a quick ratio of 0.64, a current ratio of 1.62 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.36. Graphic Packaging has a twelve month low of $19.46 and a twelve month high of $27.56. The stock has a 50 day simple moving average of $25.15 and a 200-day simple moving average of $24.10. The company has a market cap of $7.48 billion, a PE ratio of 12.22, a PEG ratio of 0.32 and a beta of 0.97. Graphic Packaging (NYSE:GPK Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, May 2nd. The industrial products company reported $0.77 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.62 by $0.15. Graphic Packaging had a net margin of 6.46% and a return on equity of 38.99%. The business had revenue of $2.44 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $2.40 billion. During the same quarter last year, the company posted $0.48 earnings per share. The companys quarterly revenue was up 8.6% compared to the same quarter last year. Equities research analysts anticipate that Graphic Packaging will post 3.02 earnings per share for the current fiscal year. Graphic Packaging Dividend Announcement The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, July 5th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, June 15th will be given a dividend of $0.10 per share. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, June 14th. This represents a $0.40 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.64%. Graphic Packagings payout ratio is 20.00%. Wall Street Analyst Weigh In Several analysts recently issued reports on the company. Raymond James increased their price target on Graphic Packaging from $29.00 to $30.00 in a report on Wednesday, May 3rd. Mizuho increased their price target on Graphic Packaging from $30.00 to $31.00 in a report on Wednesday, May 3rd. 888 reiterated a downgrade rating on shares of Graphic Packaging in a report on Thursday. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft downgraded Graphic Packaging from a buy rating to a hold rating and lowered their price target for the company from $30.00 to $26.00 in a report on Thursday. Finally, Seaport Res Ptn reiterated a buy rating on shares of Graphic Packaging in a report on Wednesday, May 3rd. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating, seven have given a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of Buy and a consensus price target of $28.75. Graphic Packaging Company Profile (Free Report) Graphic Packaging Holding Company, together with its subsidiaries, provides fiber-based packaging solutions to food, beverage, foodservice, and other consumer products companies. It operates through three segments: Paperboard Mills, Americas Paperboard Packaging, and Europe Paperboard Packaging. The company offers coated unbleached kraft (CUK), coated recycled paperboard (CRB), and solid bleached sulfate paperboard (SBS) to various paperboard packaging converters and brokers; and paperboard packaging products, such as folding cartons, cups, lids, and food containers primarily to consumer packaged goods, quick-service restaurants, and foodservice companies; and barrier packaging products that protect against moisture, hot and cold temperature, grease, oil, oxygen, sunlight, insects, and other potential product-damaging factors. Further Reading Receive News & Ratings for Graphic Packaging Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Graphic Packaging and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Grupo Comercial Chedraui (OTCMKTS:GCHEF Free Report) is one of 62 public companies in the Grocery Stores industry, but how does it weigh in compared to its peers? We will compare Grupo Comercial Chedraui to related companies based on the strength of its risk, profitability, earnings, institutional ownership, dividends, analyst recommendations and valuation. Analyst Recommendations This is a breakdown of current recommendations for Grupo Comercial Chedraui and its peers, as provided by MarketBeat.com. Get Grupo Comercial Chedraui alerts: Sell Ratings Hold Ratings Buy Ratings Strong Buy Ratings Rating Score Grupo Comercial Chedraui 0 1 0 0 2.00 Grupo Comercial Chedraui Competitors 1121 2753 3008 114 2.30 Grupo Comercial Chedraui currently has a consensus target price of $84.00, suggesting a potential upside of 1,389.36%. As a group, Grocery Stores companies have a potential upside of 95.59%. Given Grupo Comercial Chedrauis higher possible upside, equities analysts plainly believe Grupo Comercial Chedraui is more favorable than its peers. Profitability Net Margins Return on Equity Return on Assets Grupo Comercial Chedraui N/A N/A N/A Grupo Comercial Chedraui Competitors 2.01% 15.36% 4.99% Valuation & Earnings This table compares Grupo Comercial Chedraui and its peers net margins, return on equity and return on assets. This table compares Grupo Comercial Chedraui and its peers revenue, earnings per share (EPS) and valuation. Gross Revenue Net Income Price/Earnings Ratio Grupo Comercial Chedraui N/A N/A 3.18 Grupo Comercial Chedraui Competitors $26.96 billion $611.52 million 188.87 Grupo Comercial Chedrauis peers have higher revenue and earnings than Grupo Comercial Chedraui. Grupo Comercial Chedraui is trading at a lower price-to-earnings ratio than its peers, indicating that it is currently more affordable than other companies in its industry. Insider & Institutional Ownership 10.9% of Grupo Comercial Chedraui shares are held by institutional investors. Comparatively, 45.3% of shares of all Grocery Stores companies are held by institutional investors. 22.8% of shares of all Grocery Stores companies are held by company insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that endowments, hedge funds and large money managers believe a company will outperform the market over the long term. Summary Grupo Comercial Chedraui peers beat Grupo Comercial Chedraui on 10 of the 11 factors compared. Grupo Comercial Chedraui Company Profile (Free Report) Grupo Comercial Chedraui, S.A.B. de C.V. operates selfservice stores. The company operates through three segments: Retail in Mexico, Retail in the United States, and Real Estate. Its stores sell electronic goods, perishables, cloths, groceries, and general merchandise. The company also leases commercial space to third parties; and operates and maintains shopping centers. It operates 306 stores, including 198 tiendas chedraui, 60 super chedraui, 15 super che, and 33 supercito stores; and 7 distribution centers in Mexico, as well as 125 self-service stores, such as 64 El Super and 61 Fiesta stores in the United States. The company was founded in 1920 and is headquartered in Mexico City, Mexico. Receive News & Ratings for Grupo Comercial Chedraui Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Grupo Comercial Chedraui and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Trans-Pacific Aerospace (OTCMKTS:TPAC Free Report) and Enerplus (NYSE:ERF Free Report) are both aerospace companies, but which is the superior business? We will contrast the two businesses based on the strength of their valuation, profitability, dividends, analyst recommendations, earnings, institutional ownership and risk. Profitability This table compares Trans-Pacific Aerospace and Enerplus net margins, return on equity and return on assets. Get Trans-Pacific Aerospace alerts: Net Margins Return on Equity Return on Assets Trans-Pacific Aerospace N/A N/A N/A Enerplus 44.08% 72.62% 34.82% Insider and Institutional Ownership 52.8% of Enerplus shares are owned by institutional investors. 0.1% of Trans-Pacific Aerospace shares are owned by company insiders. Comparatively, 0.4% of Enerplus shares are owned by company insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that hedge funds, endowments and large money managers believe a stock will outperform the market over the long term. Valuation & Earnings Gross Revenue Price/Sales Ratio Net Income Earnings Per Share Price/Earnings Ratio Trans-Pacific Aerospace N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A Enerplus $2.16 billion 1.43 $914.30 million $4.32 3.33 This table compares Trans-Pacific Aerospace and Enerplus gross revenue, earnings per share (EPS) and valuation. Enerplus has higher revenue and earnings than Trans-Pacific Aerospace. Risk & Volatility Trans-Pacific Aerospace has a beta of -0.15, indicating that its stock price is 115% less volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, Enerplus has a beta of 2.15, indicating that its stock price is 115% more volatile than the S&P 500. Analyst Recommendations This is a summary of current ratings and price targets for Trans-Pacific Aerospace and Enerplus, as provided by MarketBeat. Sell Ratings Hold Ratings Buy Ratings Strong Buy Ratings Rating Score Trans-Pacific Aerospace 0 0 0 0 N/A Enerplus 0 1 4 0 2.80 Enerplus has a consensus target price of $24.20, indicating a potential upside of 68.00%. Summary Enerplus beats Trans-Pacific Aerospace on 8 of the 8 factors compared between the two stocks. About Trans-Pacific Aerospace (Free Report) Trans-Pacific Aerospace Company, Inc. designs, manufactures, and sells aerospace component parts for commercial and military aircrafts, space vehicles, power plants, and surface and undersea vessels in the United States. It primarily offers self-lubricating spherical bearings, which are integral to the operation of commercial aircrafts and help with various flight-critical tasks, including aircraft flight controls and landing gear. The company was formerly known as Pinnacle Energy Corp. and changed its name to Trans-Pacific Aerospace Company, Inc. in March 2010. Trans-Pacific Aerospace Company, Inc. was founded in 2007 and is based in San Marino, California. About Enerplus (Free Report) Enerplus Corporation, together with subsidiaries, acquires, develops, and explores crude oil and natural gas in the United States. Its oil and natural gas properties are located primarily in North Dakota, Colorado, and Pennsylvania. Enerplus Corporation was founded in 1986 and is headquartered in Calgary, Canada. Receive News & Ratings for Trans-Pacific Aerospace Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Trans-Pacific Aerospace and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Traynor Capital Management Inc. lowered its stake in shares of iShares Core U.S. Aggregate Bond ETF (NYSEARCA:AGG Free Report) by 16.3% during the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 8,731 shares of the companys stock after selling 1,697 shares during the quarter. Traynor Capital Management Inc.s holdings in iShares Core U.S. Aggregate Bond ETF were worth $870,000 as of its most recent SEC filing. A number of other hedge funds have also bought and sold shares of AGG. Empirical Financial Services LLC d.b.a. Empirical Wealth Management increased its stake in shares of iShares Core U.S. Aggregate Bond ETF by 145.5% in the first quarter. Empirical Financial Services LLC d.b.a. Empirical Wealth Management now owns 6,590 shares of the companys stock worth $705,000 after acquiring an additional 3,906 shares during the period. Laurel Wealth Advisors Inc. raised its position in iShares Core U.S. Aggregate Bond ETF by 36.2% during the first quarter. Laurel Wealth Advisors Inc. now owns 52,003 shares of the companys stock valued at $5,570,000 after acquiring an additional 13,829 shares in the last quarter. Worth Asset Management LLC acquired a new position in iShares Core U.S. Aggregate Bond ETF in the first quarter valued at approximately $44,000. Baltimore Washington Financial Advisors Inc. purchased a new stake in iShares Core U.S. Aggregate Bond ETF in the 1st quarter worth approximately $241,000. Finally, West Michigan Advisors LLC grew its stake in shares of iShares Core U.S. Aggregate Bond ETF by 2.0% during the 1st quarter. West Michigan Advisors LLC now owns 14,640 shares of the companys stock worth $1,568,000 after purchasing an additional 292 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 80.13% of the companys stock. Get iShares Core U.S. Aggregate Bond ETF alerts: iShares Core U.S. Aggregate Bond ETF Trading Down 0.1 % AGG opened at $97.58 on Tuesday. The firm has a fifty day moving average price of $98.55 and a 200 day moving average price of $98.75. iShares Core U.S. Aggregate Bond ETF has a 1 year low of $93.20 and a 1 year high of $104.39. About iShares Core U.S. Aggregate Bond ETF IShares are index funds that are bought and sold like common stocks on national securities exchanges as well as certain foreign exchanges. iShares are attractive because of their relatively low cost, tax efficiency and trading flexibility. Investors can purchase and sell shares through any brokerage firm, financial advisor, or online broker, and hold the funds in any type of brokerage account. Further Reading Receive News & Ratings for iShares Core U.S. Aggregate Bond ETF Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for iShares Core U.S. Aggregate Bond ETF and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Family Capital Trust Co increased its position in iShares MSCI EAFE Min Vol Factor ETF (BATS:EFAV Free Report) by 0.3% in the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 178,484 shares of the companys stock after acquiring an additional 515 shares during the period. iShares MSCI EAFE Min Vol Factor ETF comprises approximately 4.7% of Family Capital Trust Cos holdings, making the stock its 2nd largest position. Family Capital Trust Co owned approximately 0.16% of iShares MSCI EAFE Min Vol Factor ETF worth $12,074,000 at the end of the most recent quarter. A number of other hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in EFAV. Cibc World Market Inc. raised its stake in iShares MSCI EAFE Min Vol Factor ETF by 0.9% during the 1st quarter. Cibc World Market Inc. now owns 57,915 shares of the companys stock valued at $4,178,000 after buying an additional 540 shares during the last quarter. Sequoia Financial Advisors LLC raised its stake in iShares MSCI EAFE Min Vol Factor ETF by 4.5% during the 1st quarter. Sequoia Financial Advisors LLC now owns 3,740 shares of the companys stock valued at $270,000 after buying an additional 160 shares during the last quarter. Empirical Financial Services LLC d.b.a. Empirical Wealth Management raised its stake in iShares MSCI EAFE Min Vol Factor ETF by 42.1% during the 1st quarter. Empirical Financial Services LLC d.b.a. Empirical Wealth Management now owns 4,721 shares of the companys stock valued at $341,000 after buying an additional 1,398 shares during the last quarter. High Net Worth Advisory Group LLC raised its stake in iShares MSCI EAFE Min Vol Factor ETF by 1.6% during the 1st quarter. High Net Worth Advisory Group LLC now owns 11,487 shares of the companys stock valued at $827,000 after buying an additional 182 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Founders Financial Securities LLC raised its stake in iShares MSCI EAFE Min Vol Factor ETF by 6.5% during the 1st quarter. Founders Financial Securities LLC now owns 14,359 shares of the companys stock valued at $1,036,000 after buying an additional 875 shares during the last quarter. Get iShares MSCI EAFE Min Vol Factor ETF alerts: iShares MSCI EAFE Min Vol Factor ETF Trading Down 0.2 % Shares of EFAV opened at $67.36 on Tuesday. The firm has a market cap of $7.46 billion, a PE ratio of 16.01 and a beta of 0.60. The firm has a fifty day simple moving average of $68.81 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $67.07. iShares MSCI EAFE Min Vol Factor ETF has a 1-year low of $64.68 and a 1-year high of $76.51. iShares MSCI EAFE Min Vol Factor ETF Company Profile The iShares MSCI EAFE Min Vol Factor ETF (EFAV) is an exchange-traded fund that is based on the MSCI EAFE Minimum Volatility (USD) index. The fund tracks an index of developed-market equities, ex-US and Canada, selected and weighted to create a low volatility portfolio subject to constraints including sector exposure. Recommended Stories Receive News & Ratings for iShares MSCI EAFE Min Vol Factor ETF Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for iShares MSCI EAFE Min Vol Factor ETF and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Legacy Financial Group LLC increased its holdings in iShares MSCI EAFE Value ETF (BATS:EFV Free Report) by 35.4% in the 1st quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The institutional investor owned 48,049 shares of the companys stock after buying an additional 12,551 shares during the period. iShares MSCI EAFE Value ETF makes up about 0.6% of Legacy Financial Group LLCs portfolio, making the stock its 27th largest holding. Legacy Financial Group LLCs holdings in iShares MSCI EAFE Value ETF were worth $2,332,000 as of its most recent SEC filing. Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of the company. Wesbanco Bank Inc. acquired a new position in shares of iShares MSCI EAFE Value ETF in the 4th quarter valued at about $1,545,000. First Heartland Consultants Inc. boosted its stake in iShares MSCI EAFE Value ETF by 19.5% during the 4th quarter. First Heartland Consultants Inc. now owns 15,129 shares of the companys stock valued at $694,000 after purchasing an additional 2,466 shares during the period. Central Bank & Trust Co. acquired a new position in iShares MSCI EAFE Value ETF during the 1st quarter valued at about $34,000. Tompkins Financial Corp boosted its stake in iShares MSCI EAFE Value ETF by 66.1% during the 1st quarter. Tompkins Financial Corp now owns 553 shares of the companys stock valued at $27,000 after purchasing an additional 220 shares during the period. Finally, Western Financial Corp CA acquired a new position in iShares MSCI EAFE Value ETF during the 4th quarter valued at about $556,000. Get iShares MSCI EAFE Value ETF alerts: iShares MSCI EAFE Value ETF Trading Up 0.4 % iShares MSCI EAFE Value ETF stock traded up $0.20 during midday trading on Tuesday, reaching $49.14. 911,709 shares of the stock traded hands. The firm has a fifty day moving average price of $49.10 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $48.57. The firm has a market cap of $15.23 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 9.51 and a beta of 0.84. iShares MSCI EAFE Value ETF has a fifty-two week low of $49.15 and a fifty-two week high of $59.57. About iShares MSCI EAFE Value ETF iShares MSCI EAFE Value ETF (the Fund), formerly iShares MSCI EAFE Value Index Fund, is an exchange-traded fund (ETF). The Fund seeks to provide investment results that correspond generally to the price and yield performance, before fees and expenses, of the MSCI EAFE Value Index. The Index is a subset of the MSCI EAFE Index and constituents of the Index include securities from Europe, Australasia (Australia and Asia), and the Far East. Recommended Stories Want to see what other hedge funds are holding EFV? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for iShares MSCI EAFE Value ETF (BATS:EFV Free Report). Receive News & Ratings for iShares MSCI EAFE Value ETF Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for iShares MSCI EAFE Value ETF and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Jackson Square Capital LLC reduced its position in Canadian Natural Resources Limited (NYSE:CNQ Free Report) (TSE:CNQ) by 40.1% during the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 20,332 shares of the oil and gas producers stock after selling 13,584 shares during the period. Jackson Square Capital LLCs holdings in Canadian Natural Resources were worth $1,125,000 at the end of the most recent quarter. Other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership bought a new position in Canadian Natural Resources during the first quarter valued at about $960,796,000. National Bank of Canada FI lifted its holdings in Canadian Natural Resources by 831.0% in the 4th quarter. National Bank of Canada FI now owns 12,614,963 shares of the oil and gas producers stock worth $700,337,000 after purchasing an additional 11,259,955 shares during the last quarter. Bank of Nova Scotia lifted its holdings in Canadian Natural Resources by 32.8% in the 4th quarter. Bank of Nova Scotia now owns 19,845,541 shares of the oil and gas producers stock worth $1,102,057,000 after purchasing an additional 4,897,414 shares during the last quarter. Capital International Investors boosted its position in Canadian Natural Resources by 88.2% during the first quarter. Capital International Investors now owns 7,930,544 shares of the oil and gas producers stock worth $491,064,000 after purchasing an additional 3,716,523 shares during the period. Finally, Vanguard Group Inc. grew its holdings in Canadian Natural Resources by 6.2% during the first quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 40,235,475 shares of the oil and gas producers stock valued at $2,493,796,000 after purchasing an additional 2,332,528 shares during the last quarter. 71.24% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors. Get Canadian Natural Resources alerts: Canadian Natural Resources Stock Performance NYSE:CNQ traded up $0.05 during trading hours on Tuesday, hitting $56.31. 613,621 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 2,007,759. The firm has a 50-day moving average of $56.12 and a 200 day moving average of $56.67. The company has a current ratio of 0.83, a quick ratio of 0.57 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.29. The stock has a market capitalization of $61.64 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 8.71, a P/E/G ratio of 0.88 and a beta of 1.57. Canadian Natural Resources Limited has a twelve month low of $44.45 and a twelve month high of $62.57. Canadian Natural Resources Cuts Dividend Canadian Natural Resources ( NYSE:CNQ Free Report ) (TSE:CNQ) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, May 4th. The oil and gas producer reported $1.25 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $1.20 by $0.05. Canadian Natural Resources had a return on equity of 29.39% and a net margin of 20.63%. The business had revenue of $6.38 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $6.26 billion. On average, analysts forecast that Canadian Natural Resources Limited will post 5.2 EPS for the current year. The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, July 5th. Stockholders of record on Friday, June 16th will be issued a dividend of $0.664 per share. This represents a $2.66 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 4.72%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, June 15th. Canadian Natural Resourcess payout ratio is 41.02%. Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth Separately, StockNews.com started coverage on shares of Canadian Natural Resources in a report on Thursday, May 18th. They set a hold rating for the company. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and five have given a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Canadian Natural Resources currently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus price target of $90.67. About Canadian Natural Resources (Free Report) Canadian Natural Resources Limited acquires, explores for, develops, produces, markets, and sells crude oil, natural gas, and natural gas liquids (NGLs). The company offers light and medium crude oil, primary heavy crude oil, Pelican Lake heavy crude oil, bitumen (thermal oil), and synthetic crude oil (SCO). Featured Stories Want to see what other hedge funds are holding CNQ? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Canadian Natural Resources Limited (NYSE:CNQ Free Report) (TSE:CNQ). Receive News & Ratings for Canadian Natural Resources Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Canadian Natural Resources and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. John Hancock Preferred Income Fund II (NYSE:HPF Free Report) was the target of a large decline in short interest during the month of June. As of June 15th, there was short interest totalling 5,900 shares, a decline of 35.2% from the May 31st total of 9,100 shares. Based on an average trading volume of 40,900 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is presently 0.1 days. Institutional Trading of John Hancock Preferred Income Fund II Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Captrust Financial Advisors bought a new position in John Hancock Preferred Income Fund II in the 2nd quarter valued at $25,000. CoreCap Advisors LLC bought a new position in John Hancock Preferred Income Fund II in the 4th quarter valued at $35,000. Glass Jacobson Investment Advisors llc bought a new position in John Hancock Preferred Income Fund II in the 4th quarter valued at $41,000. Elequin Securities LLC bought a new position in John Hancock Preferred Income Fund II in the 4th quarter valued at $65,000. Finally, GPS Wealth Strategies Group LLC bought a new position in John Hancock Preferred Income Fund II in the 1st quarter valued at $72,000. Get John Hancock Preferred Income Fund II alerts: John Hancock Preferred Income Fund II Price Performance Shares of John Hancock Preferred Income Fund II stock traded up $0.07 on Monday, reaching $15.16. The company had a trading volume of 25,776 shares, compared to its average volume of 42,393. The firms 50-day moving average price is $14.75 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $15.73. John Hancock Preferred Income Fund II has a 1 year low of $13.93 and a 1 year high of $19.38. John Hancock Preferred Income Fund II Cuts Dividend John Hancock Preferred Income Fund II Company Profile The business also recently declared a monthly dividend, which was paid on Friday, June 30th. Investors of record on Monday, June 12th were issued a dividend of $0.1235 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, June 9th. This represents a $1.48 annualized dividend and a yield of 9.78%. (Free Report) John Hancock Preferred Income Fund II is a closed ended fixed income mutual fund launched and managed by John Hancock Investment Management LLC. It is co-managed by John Hancock Asset Management. The fund invests in the fixed income markets of the United States. It seeks to invest in securities of companies operating across diversified sectors. Featured Articles Receive News & Ratings for John Hancock Preferred Income Fund II Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for John Hancock Preferred Income Fund II and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Experian (LON:EXPN Free Report)s stock had its overweight rating reiterated by equities researchers at JPMorgan Chase & Co. in a research report issued on Tuesday, MarketBeat.com reports. They presently have a GBX 3,200 ($40.61) target price on the stock. JPMorgan Chase & Co.s price objective indicates a potential upside of 7.06% from the stocks previous close. A number of other equities analysts have also issued reports on the company. Citigroup restated a neutral rating on shares of Experian in a research note on Monday, March 13th. Shore Capital reiterated a buy rating on shares of Experian in a research note on Friday, May 19th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, two have given a hold rating and three have issued a buy rating to the companys stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Experian presently has a consensus rating of Hold and an average price target of GBX 2,935.40 ($37.26). Get Experian alerts: Experian Stock Performance EXPN stock traded down GBX 14 ($0.18) during midday trading on Tuesday, reaching GBX 2,989 ($37.94). The stock had a trading volume of 560,150 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,625,246. The stock has a market cap of 27.47 billion, a PE ratio of 4,528.79, a P/E/G ratio of 2.34 and a beta of 0.52. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 107.44, a quick ratio of 0.76 and a current ratio of 0.78. The firm has a fifty day simple moving average of GBX 2,849.52 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of GBX 2,834.14. Experian has a 52-week low of GBX 2,397.74 ($30.43) and a 52-week high of GBX 3,160 ($40.11). Insider Activity at Experian About Experian In other Experian news, insider Jonathan Howell purchased 5,000 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, May 17th. The stock was purchased at an average price of GBX 2,661 ($33.77) per share, for a total transaction of 133,050 ($168,866.61). In related news, insider Jonathan Howell bought 5,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, May 17th. The shares were acquired at an average cost of GBX 2,661 ($33.77) per share, for a total transaction of 133,050 ($168,866.61). Also, insider Mike Rogers bought 1,500 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Monday, May 22nd. The shares were bought at an average price of GBX 2,818 ($35.77) per share, for a total transaction of 42,270 ($53,648.94). Insiders acquired a total of 19,827 shares of company stock worth $56,780,015 in the last 90 days. Corporate insiders own 0.28% of the companys stock. (Free Report) Experian plc, together with its subsidiaries, operates as a technology company in North America, Latin America, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and the Asia Pacific. It operates in two segments, Business-to-Business and Consumer Services. The company collects, sorts, aggregates, and transforms data from various sources to provide a range of data-driven services. Featured Stories Receive News & Ratings for Experian Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Experian and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Los Andes Copper Ltd. (CVE:LA Free Report) hit a new 52-week high on Tuesday . The stock traded as high as C$18.00 and last traded at C$17.99, with a volume of 6521 shares. The stock had previously closed at C$17.10. Los Andes Copper Stock Up 5.2 % The company has a market capitalization of C$529.27 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of -81.43 and a beta of 1.17. The company has a current ratio of 5.85, a quick ratio of 1.15 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 15.79. The firms 50 day simple moving average is C$13.76 and its 200-day simple moving average is C$12.85. Get Los Andes Copper alerts: Los Andes Copper (CVE:LA Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, May 25th. The company reported C$0.02 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter. On average, sell-side analysts anticipate that Los Andes Copper Ltd. will post -0.11 EPS for the current fiscal year. About Los Andes Copper Los Andes Copper Ltd. acquires, explores, and develops copper deposits in Canada and Chile. It operates through three segments: Mineral Exploration, Hydroelectric Project, and Corporate. The company holds 100% interest in the Vizcachitas copper, molybdenum, and silver porphyry project located north of Santiago, Region V, Chile. Further Reading Receive News & Ratings for Los Andes Copper Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Los Andes Copper and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Matador Resources (NYSE:MTDR Free Report) was upgraded by stock analysts at StockNews.com from a sell rating to a hold rating in a research report issued to clients and investors on Monday. A number of other equities research analysts also recently weighed in on MTDR. Truist Financial upped their target price on Matador Resources from $68.00 to $72.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a research report on Tuesday, April 11th. Benchmark lowered their price objective on shares of Matador Resources from $75.00 to $71.00 in a research note on Tuesday, April 18th. Mizuho cut their target price on shares of Matador Resources from $72.00 to $66.00 in a research note on Friday, March 10th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their price target on shares of Matador Resources from $73.00 to $74.00 and gave the stock an overweight rating in a research report on Friday, April 14th. Finally, Raymond James lifted their target price on Matador Resources from $57.00 to $61.00 and gave the stock an outperform rating in a report on Friday, April 21st. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and eight have given a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, Matador Resources presently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus price target of $70.56. Get Matador Resources alerts: Matador Resources Stock Performance NYSE MTDR traded down $0.01 on Monday, hitting $52.31. The stock had a trading volume of 595,613 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,354,022. The companys 50-day moving average is $47.52 and its two-hundred day moving average is $52.65. The stock has a market cap of $6.23 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 5.36 and a beta of 3.54. The company has a quick ratio of 1.64, a current ratio of 1.67 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.34. Matador Resources has a one year low of $41.17 and a one year high of $73.78. Insider Transactions at Matador Resources Matador Resources ( NYSE:MTDR Free Report ) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, April 25th. The energy company reported $1.50 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $1.24 by $0.26. The business had revenue of $502.90 million for the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $514.24 million. Matador Resources had a net margin of 38.33% and a return on equity of 37.11%. The companys revenue was down 19.7% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the business earned $2.32 earnings per share. On average, analysts expect that Matador Resources will post 6.75 earnings per share for the current year. In related news, CEO Joseph Wm Foran acquired 652 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, June 1st. The shares were purchased at an average cost of $44.40 per share, with a total value of $28,948.80. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer now owns 176,120 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $7,819,728. The purchase was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. Insiders purchased 2,877 shares of company stock valued at $124,560 over the last three months. 6.00% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders. Institutional Investors Weigh In On Matador Resources Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of MTDR. Raymond James Financial Services Advisors Inc. lifted its position in shares of Matador Resources by 5.4% during the 1st quarter. Raymond James Financial Services Advisors Inc. now owns 14,398 shares of the energy companys stock worth $763,000 after purchasing an additional 738 shares during the last quarter. US Bancorp DE boosted its holdings in Matador Resources by 2.1% in the 1st quarter. US Bancorp DE now owns 11,991 shares of the energy companys stock valued at $635,000 after purchasing an additional 246 shares during the period. PNC Financial Services Group Inc. grew its position in Matador Resources by 28.6% in the 1st quarter. PNC Financial Services Group Inc. now owns 15,155 shares of the energy companys stock worth $804,000 after purchasing an additional 3,373 shares during the last quarter. MetLife Investment Management LLC raised its position in shares of Matador Resources by 53.9% during the first quarter. MetLife Investment Management LLC now owns 59,058 shares of the energy companys stock valued at $3,129,000 after buying an additional 20,684 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Panagora Asset Management Inc. acquired a new stake in Matador Resources during the first quarter worth about $214,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 85.29% of the companys stock. Matador Resources Company Profile (Free Report) Matador Resources Company, an independent energy company, engages in the exploration, development, production, and acquisition of oil and natural gas resources in the United States. It operates through two segments, Exploration and Production; and Midstream. The company primarily holds interests in the Wolfcamp and Bone Spring plays in the Delaware Basin in Southeast New Mexico and West Texas. Recommended Stories Receive News & Ratings for Matador Resources Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Matador Resources and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Neuberger Berman Real Estate Securities Income Fund Inc. (NYSEAMERICAN:NRO Free Report) was the recipient of a large increase in short interest in the month of June. As of June 15th, there was short interest totalling 106,400 shares, an increase of 54.0% from the May 31st total of 69,100 shares. Based on an average daily volume of 166,400 shares, the short-interest ratio is currently 0.6 days. Institutional Inflows and Outflows Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in NRO. Evolution Wealth Advisors LLC purchased a new position in shares of Neuberger Berman Real Estate Securities Income Fund during the 1st quarter valued at approximately $32,000. United Capital Financial Advisers LLC purchased a new position in shares of Neuberger Berman Real Estate Securities Income Fund during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $34,000. Landscape Capital Management L.L.C. bought a new stake in shares of Neuberger Berman Real Estate Securities Income Fund in the 4th quarter worth about $44,000. Arete Wealth Advisors LLC bought a new stake in shares of Neuberger Berman Real Estate Securities Income Fund in the 1st quarter worth about $47,000. Finally, Flagship Harbor Advisors LLC bought a new stake in shares of Neuberger Berman Real Estate Securities Income Fund in the 4th quarter worth about $54,000. Get Neuberger Berman Real Estate Securities Income Fund alerts: Neuberger Berman Real Estate Securities Income Fund Trading Up 2.3 % Shares of NYSEAMERICAN:NRO traded up $0.07 during mid-day trading on Monday, hitting $3.11. 143,082 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 155,372. Neuberger Berman Real Estate Securities Income Fund has a 52-week low of $2.67 and a 52-week high of $4.44. Neuberger Berman Real Estate Securities Income Fund Dividend Announcement About Neuberger Berman Real Estate Securities Income Fund The company also recently announced a dividend, which will be paid on Monday, July 31st. Stockholders of record on Monday, July 17th will be paid a $0.0312 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Friday, July 14th. (Free Report) Neuberger Berman Real Estate Securities Income Fund, Inc is a closed-ended equity mutual fund launched and managed by Neuberger Berman LLC. It is co-managed by Neuberger Berman Management LLC. The fund invests in the public equity markets of the United States. It typically invests in stocks of companies operating in the real estate sector including real estate investment trusts. See Also Receive News & Ratings for Neuberger Berman Real Estate Securities Income Fund Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Neuberger Berman Real Estate Securities Income Fund and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Whittier Trust Co. of Nevada Inc. lifted its stake in shares of Philip Morris International Inc. (NYSE:PM Free Report) by 1.6% during the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 120,271 shares of the companys stock after acquiring an additional 1,901 shares during the period. Whittier Trust Co. of Nevada Inc.s holdings in Philip Morris International were worth $11,696,000 as of its most recent SEC filing. A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Fairfield Bush & CO. boosted its stake in Philip Morris International by 1.1% in the 1st quarter. Fairfield Bush & CO. now owns 26,141 shares of the companys stock worth $2,456,000 after buying an additional 281 shares during the last quarter. American Century Companies Inc. grew its holdings in Philip Morris International by 35.6% in the first quarter. American Century Companies Inc. now owns 4,939 shares of the companys stock valued at $463,000 after purchasing an additional 1,296 shares during the period. Loomis Sayles & Co. L P increased its position in Philip Morris International by 24.7% during the first quarter. Loomis Sayles & Co. L P now owns 3,065 shares of the companys stock worth $288,000 after purchasing an additional 608 shares during the last quarter. Covestor Ltd raised its stake in Philip Morris International by 54.9% during the first quarter. Covestor Ltd now owns 525 shares of the companys stock worth $49,000 after purchasing an additional 186 shares during the period. Finally, Mather Group LLC. boosted its holdings in shares of Philip Morris International by 14.7% in the 1st quarter. Mather Group LLC. now owns 8,987 shares of the companys stock valued at $844,000 after purchasing an additional 1,154 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 77.43% of the companys stock. Get Philip Morris International alerts: Philip Morris International Stock Performance Shares of NYSE:PM traded up $0.86 during trading on Tuesday, hitting $98.48. The companys stock had a trading volume of 2,061,050 shares, compared to its average volume of 4,263,922. Philip Morris International Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $82.85 and a fifty-two week high of $105.62. The stocks 50-day moving average price is $94.48 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $97.91. The company has a market capitalization of $152.86 billion, a PE ratio of 17.62, a PEG ratio of 2.48 and a beta of 0.70. Philip Morris International Announces Dividend Philip Morris International ( NYSE:PM Free Report ) last released its earnings results on Thursday, April 20th. The company reported $1.38 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.34 by $0.04. The company had revenue of $8.10 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $8.03 billion. Philip Morris International had a negative return on equity of 128.55% and a net margin of 10.80%. The businesss revenue was up 4.6% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the business posted $1.56 EPS. On average, equities analysts predict that Philip Morris International Inc. will post 6.19 earnings per share for the current fiscal year. The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, July 11th. Shareholders of record on Friday, June 23rd will be issued a dividend of $1.27 per share. This represents a $5.08 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 5.16%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, June 22nd. Philip Morris Internationals dividend payout ratio is presently 90.88%. Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades A number of brokerages recently weighed in on PM. JPMorgan Chase & Co. upgraded Philip Morris International from a neutral rating to an overweight rating and lifted their target price for the company from $109.00 to $116.00 in a report on Thursday, March 30th. Citigroup raised shares of Philip Morris International from a neutral rating to a buy rating and increased their target price for the stock from $109.00 to $117.00 in a research report on Tuesday, June 20th. StockNews.com began coverage on shares of Philip Morris International in a research report on Thursday, May 18th. They set a hold rating on the stock. Finally, Stifel Nicolaus began coverage on shares of Philip Morris International in a research report on Thursday, April 13th. They issued a buy rating and a $114.00 price objective for the company. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, two have assigned a hold rating and eight have issued a buy rating to the companys stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus price target of $111.40. Philip Morris International Company Profile (Free Report) Philip Morris International Inc operates as a tobacco company working to delivers a smoke-free future and evolving portfolio for the long-term to include products outside of the tobacco and nicotine sector. The company's product portfolio primarily consists of cigarettes and smoke-free products, including heat-not-burn, vapor, and oral nicotine products that are sold in markets outside the United States. Recommended Stories Receive News & Ratings for Philip Morris International Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Philip Morris International and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Redmont Wealth Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in SPDR Gold Shares (NYSEARCA:GLD Free Report) during the first quarter, according to its most recent filing with the SEC. The firm purchased 2,081 shares of the exchange traded funds stock, valued at approximately $381,000. A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in the stock. Penn Davis Mcfarland Inc. purchased a new position in SPDR Gold Shares during the 1st quarter worth $460,000. Wesbanco Bank Inc. grew its stake in SPDR Gold Shares by 19.9% during the 1st quarter. Wesbanco Bank Inc. now owns 26,694 shares of the exchange traded funds stock worth $4,890,000 after buying an additional 4,430 shares during the last quarter. Whittier Trust Co. of Nevada Inc. grew its stake in SPDR Gold Shares by 6.1% during the 1st quarter. Whittier Trust Co. of Nevada Inc. now owns 17,410 shares of the exchange traded funds stock worth $3,190,000 after buying an additional 1,000 shares during the last quarter. Rye Brook Capital LLC purchased a new position in SPDR Gold Shares during the 1st quarter worth $5,099,000. Finally, Baldwin Brothers LLC MA grew its stake in SPDR Gold Shares by 1.4% during the 1st quarter. Baldwin Brothers LLC MA now owns 74,040 shares of the exchange traded funds stock worth $13,566,000 after buying an additional 1,051 shares during the last quarter. 38.86% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors. Get SPDR Gold Shares alerts: SPDR Gold Shares Stock Up 0.1 % GLD stock traded up $0.20 on Tuesday, hitting $178.47. 4,085,711 shares of the companys stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 5,897,573. SPDR Gold Shares has a 12-month low of $150.57 and a 12-month high of $191.36. The firm has a 50 day moving average price of $182.79 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $178.85. SPDR Gold Shares Profile SPDR Gold Trust (the Trust) is an investment trust. The investment objective of the Trust is for the Shares to reflect the performance of the price of gold bullion, less the Trusts expenses. The Trusts business activity is the investment of gold. The Trust creates and redeems Shares from time to time, but in one or more Baskets (a Basket equals a block of 100,000 Shares). Featured Stories Receive News & Ratings for SPDR Gold Shares Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for SPDR Gold Shares and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Severn Trent (OTCMKTS:STRNY Free Report) and Pennon Group (OTCMKTS:PEGRY Free Report) are both utilities companies, but which is the superior business? We will compare the two companies based on the strength of their profitability, valuation, institutional ownership, dividends, analyst recommendations, risk and earnings. Earnings and Valuation This table compares Severn Trent and Pennon Groups top-line revenue, earnings per share and valuation. Get Severn Trent alerts: Gross Revenue Price/Sales Ratio Net Income Earnings Per Share Price/Earnings Ratio Severn Trent N/A N/A N/A $0.82 41.72 Pennon Group N/A N/A N/A $0.58 31.48 Pennon Group is trading at a lower price-to-earnings ratio than Severn Trent, indicating that it is currently the more affordable of the two stocks. Profitability Net Margins Return on Equity Return on Assets Severn Trent N/A N/A N/A Pennon Group N/A N/A N/A Dividends This table compares Severn Trent and Pennon Groups net margins, return on equity and return on assets. Severn Trent pays an annual dividend of $1.47 per share and has a dividend yield of 4.3%. Pennon Group pays an annual dividend of $0.17 per share and has a dividend yield of 0.9%. Severn Trent pays out 179.4% of its earnings in the form of a dividend, suggesting it may not have sufficient earnings to cover its dividend payment in the future. Pennon Group pays out 29.4% of its earnings in the form of a dividend. Analyst Recommendations This is a summary of current ratings and target prices for Severn Trent and Pennon Group, as provided by MarketBeat.com. Sell Ratings Hold Ratings Buy Ratings Strong Buy Ratings Rating Score Severn Trent 0 2 3 0 2.60 Pennon Group 0 3 0 0 2.00 Severn Trent presently has a consensus target price of $2,932.50, suggesting a potential upside of 8,479.58%. Pennon Group has a consensus target price of $1,048.00, suggesting a potential upside of 5,636.18%. Given Severn Trents stronger consensus rating and higher probable upside, equities research analysts clearly believe Severn Trent is more favorable than Pennon Group. Institutional and Insider Ownership 0.1% of Severn Trent shares are owned by institutional investors. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that large money managers, hedge funds and endowments believe a stock will outperform the market over the long term. Summary Severn Trent beats Pennon Group on 7 of the 8 factors compared between the two stocks. About Severn Trent (Free Report) Severn Trent PLC operates as a water and sewerage company in England and Wales. It operates through two segments: Regulated Water and Waste Water, and Business Services. The Regulated Water and Waste Water segment offers water and waste water services to approximately 4.8 million households and businesses. The Business Services segment generates renewable energy from anaerobic digestion, hydropower, wind turbines, and solar panels; property development; and offers affinity products and search services. It also provides services to municipal and industrial clients, including the Ministry of Defence and the Coal Authority for design, build, and operation of water and wastewater treatment facilities and networks. Severn Trent PLC was founded in 1974 and is headquartered in Coventry, the United Kingdom. About Pennon Group (Free Report) Pennon Group Plc provides clean water and wastewater services in the United Kingdom. It provides water and wastewater services for customers in Cornwall, Devon, and parts of Dorset and Somerset; water-only services in the areas of Dorset, Hampshire, and Wiltshire; and water and wastewater retail services to non-household customers in Great Britain. The company also offers regulated water to approximately 1.2 million customers in the Bristol region. Pennon Group Plc was incorporated in 1989 and is based in Exeter, the United Kingdom. Receive News & Ratings for Severn Trent Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Severn Trent and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. RNC Capital Management LLC lessened its position in Sempra (NYSE:SRE Free Report) by 1.6% during the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 303,076 shares of the utilities providers stock after selling 4,906 shares during the quarter. Sempra accounts for approximately 2.6% of RNC Capital Management LLCs portfolio, making the stock its 17th largest holding. RNC Capital Management LLCs holdings in Sempra were worth $45,813,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period. A number of other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in SRE. Mirae Asset Global Investments Co. Ltd. increased its stake in Sempra by 0.6% in the first quarter. Mirae Asset Global Investments Co. Ltd. now owns 1,141,824 shares of the utilities providers stock valued at $191,963,000 after acquiring an additional 6,246 shares during the last quarter. Acadian Asset Management LLC increased its stake in Sempra by 780.0% in the first quarter. Acadian Asset Management LLC now owns 1,804 shares of the utilities providers stock valued at $302,000 after acquiring an additional 1,599 shares during the last quarter. Cibc World Market Inc. purchased a new stake in Sempra during the first quarter valued at about $782,000. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP boosted its position in Sempra by 3.6% during the first quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 668,646 shares of the utilities providers stock valued at $112,411,000 after buying an additional 23,431 shares during the period. Finally, Vontobel Holding Ltd. boosted its position in Sempra by 77.4% during the first quarter. Vontobel Holding Ltd. now owns 13,575 shares of the utilities providers stock valued at $2,276,000 after buying an additional 5,924 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 84.45% of the companys stock. Get Sempra alerts: Sempra Stock Up 0.5 % SRE traded up $0.77 on Tuesday, hitting $145.18. The company had a trading volume of 303,265 shares, compared to its average volume of 983,435. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.86, a current ratio of 0.54 and a quick ratio of 0.51. Sempra has a 52-week low of $136.54 and a 52-week high of $176.47. The stock has a fifty day simple moving average of $148.59 and a 200-day simple moving average of $152.25. The firm has a market capitalization of $45.68 billion, a P/E ratio of 18.70, a P/E/G ratio of 3.37 and a beta of 0.73. Sempra Announces Dividend Sempra ( NYSE:SRE Free Report ) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, May 4th. The utilities provider reported $2.92 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.76 by $0.16. Sempra had a net margin of 14.47% and a return on equity of 10.28%. The business had revenue of $6.56 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $4.04 billion. During the same period last year, the business posted $2.91 earnings per share. Sempras quarterly revenue was up 71.7% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, equities analysts expect that Sempra will post 8.99 EPS for the current fiscal year. The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Saturday, July 15th. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, July 5th will be issued a $1.19 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, July 3rd. This represents a $4.76 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.28%. Sempras dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 61.34%. Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth Several research firms have issued reports on SRE. Bank of America cut their price target on shares of Sempra from $173.00 to $165.00 and set a buy rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday, March 28th. The Goldman Sachs Group began coverage on shares of Sempra in a research report on Wednesday, June 7th. They set a buy rating and a $178.00 price target for the company. Morgan Stanley upped their price target on shares of Sempra from $150.00 to $164.00 and gave the company an equal weight rating in a research report on Thursday, April 20th. StockNews.com started coverage on shares of Sempra in a research report on Thursday, May 18th. They set a hold rating for the company. Finally, 888 reiterated a maintains rating on shares of Sempra in a report on Friday, June 23rd. Four equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and five have given a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus price target of $168.63. Sempra Company Profile (Free Report) Sempra operates as an energy infrastructure company in the United States and internationally. It operates through four segments: San Diego Gas & Electric Company, Southern California Gas Company, Sempra Texas Utilities, and Sempra Infrastructure. The San Diego Gas & Electric Company segment provides to San Diego and southern Orange counties; and natural gas service to San Diego County. Further Reading Want to see what other hedge funds are holding SRE? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Sempra (NYSE:SRE Free Report). Receive News & Ratings for Sempra Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Sempra and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Sage Rhino Capital LLC cut its holdings in shares of The Travelers Companies, Inc. (NYSE:TRV Free Report) by 29.6% in the first quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 1,175 shares of the insurance providers stock after selling 495 shares during the quarter. Sage Rhino Capital LLCs holdings in Travelers Companies were worth $201,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period. Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Hennion & Walsh Asset Management Inc. grew its position in Travelers Companies by 22.9% during the 1st quarter. Hennion & Walsh Asset Management Inc. now owns 9,622 shares of the insurance providers stock worth $1,649,000 after purchasing an additional 1,790 shares during the period. Empire Financial Management Company LLC purchased a new stake in Travelers Companies in the 1st quarter worth approximately $2,528,000. WBH Advisory Inc. purchased a new stake in Travelers Companies in the 1st quarter worth approximately $1,615,000. DnB Asset Management AS boosted its position in Travelers Companies by 3.8% in the 1st quarter. DnB Asset Management AS now owns 46,475 shares of the insurance providers stock worth $7,966,000 after purchasing an additional 1,708 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Mayfair Advisory Group LLC boosted its position in Travelers Companies by 4.2% in the 1st quarter. Mayfair Advisory Group LLC now owns 1,947 shares of the insurance providers stock worth $328,000 after purchasing an additional 79 shares in the last quarter. 81.06% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds. Get Travelers Companies alerts: Travelers Companies Stock Down 0.3 % NYSE TRV opened at $173.09 on Tuesday. The business has a fifty day moving average price of $176.99 and a 200 day moving average price of $179.81. The Travelers Companies, Inc. has a one year low of $149.65 and a one year high of $194.51. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.32, a quick ratio of 0.33 and a current ratio of 0.33. The company has a market cap of $39.98 billion, a P/E ratio of 14.76, a P/E/G ratio of 2.41 and a beta of 0.60. Travelers Companies Increases Dividend Travelers Companies ( NYSE:TRV Free Report ) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, April 19th. The insurance provider reported $4.11 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $3.64 by $0.47. Travelers Companies had a return on equity of 13.41% and a net margin of 7.41%. The firm had revenue of $9.70 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $8.98 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the company earned $4.22 EPS. The firms revenue was up 10.2% compared to the same quarter last year. Research analysts anticipate that The Travelers Companies, Inc. will post 14.39 EPS for the current fiscal year. The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, June 30th. Investors of record on Friday, June 9th were paid a dividend of $1.00 per share. This represents a $4.00 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.31%. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, June 8th. This is a boost from Travelers Companiess previous quarterly dividend of $0.93. Travelers Companiess dividend payout ratio is currently 34.10%. Travelers Companies announced that its board has initiated a stock repurchase program on Wednesday, April 19th that allows the company to buyback $5.00 billion in shares. This buyback authorization allows the insurance provider to buy up to 12.2% of its shares through open market purchases. Shares buyback programs are usually an indication that the companys leadership believes its shares are undervalued. Analysts Set New Price Targets Several equities research analysts have commented on TRV shares. Wells Fargo & Company upped their price objective on Travelers Companies from $181.00 to $182.00 and gave the stock an equal weight rating in a research report on Wednesday, April 5th. StockNews.com downgraded Travelers Companies from a buy rating to a hold rating in a research report on Monday, June 19th. Jefferies Financial Group cut their price objective on Travelers Companies from $188.00 to $182.00 and set a hold rating for the company in a research report on Monday, April 10th. Barclays increased their target price on Travelers Companies from $179.00 to $185.00 in a research report on Thursday, April 20th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their price target on shares of Travelers Companies from $180.00 to $185.00 and gave the company an overweight rating in a research note on Friday, March 31st. Nine investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, five have assigned a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Travelers Companies currently has a consensus rating of Hold and an average target price of $195.77. Insider Activity at Travelers Companies In other Travelers Companies news, EVP Michael Frederick Klein sold 10,246 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction on Wednesday, May 10th. The stock was sold at an average price of $182.85, for a total transaction of $1,873,481.10. Following the transaction, the executive vice president now owns 14,080 shares of the companys stock, valued at $2,574,528. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. In other Travelers Companies news, CFO Daniel S. Frey sold 37,316 shares of Travelers Companies stock in a transaction dated Friday, April 21st. The shares were sold at an average price of $179.08, for a total transaction of $6,682,549.28. Following the transaction, the chief financial officer now directly owns 11,703 shares of the companys stock, valued at $2,095,773.24. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. Also, EVP Michael Frederick Klein sold 10,246 shares of the firms stock in a transaction on Wednesday, May 10th. The stock was sold at an average price of $182.85, for a total value of $1,873,481.10. Following the sale, the executive vice president now directly owns 14,080 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $2,574,528. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last quarter, insiders sold 59,134 shares of company stock valued at $10,617,466. Corporate insiders own 1.29% of the companys stock. Travelers Companies Company Profile (Free Report) The Travelers Companies, Inc, through its subsidiaries, provides a range of commercial and personal property, and casualty insurance products and services to businesses, government units, associations, and individuals in the United States and internationally. It operates through three segments: Business Insurance, Bond & Specialty Insurance, and Personal Insurance. Featured Articles Want to see what other hedge funds are holding TRV? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for The Travelers Companies, Inc. (NYSE:TRV Free Report). Receive News & Ratings for Travelers Companies Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Travelers Companies and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Science Applications International (NYSE:SAIC Free Report) was downgraded by stock analysts at StockNews.com from a strong-buy rating to a buy rating in a report issued on Sunday. A number of other brokerages have also recently issued reports on SAIC. Truist Financial dropped their price objective on Science Applications International from $120.00 to $115.00 in a research note on Tuesday, June 6th. Stifel Nicolaus increased their price target on Science Applications International from $110.00 to $112.00 and gave the company a hold rating in a research note on Tuesday, April 11th. The Goldman Sachs Group increased their price target on Science Applications International from $90.00 to $97.00 and gave the company a sell rating in a research note on Wednesday, April 5th. Citigroup dropped their price target on Science Applications International from $141.00 to $127.00 and set a buy rating on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, April 4th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company dropped their price target on Science Applications International from $121.00 to $118.00 and set an equal weight rating on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, April 4th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, four have assigned a hold rating and two have issued a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Science Applications International has an average rating of Hold and a consensus price target of $113.29. Get Science Applications International alerts: Science Applications International Stock Performance Science Applications International stock opened at $112.34 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.38, a current ratio of 1.08 and a quick ratio of 1.03. The stock has a fifty day moving average price of $103.00 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $105.20. Science Applications International has a 52-week low of $87.93 and a 52-week high of $117.94. The firm has a market capitalization of $6.03 billion, a P/E ratio of 19.11 and a beta of 0.74. Insider Activity at Science Applications International Science Applications International ( NYSE:SAIC Free Report ) last announced its earnings results on Monday, June 5th. The information technology services provider reported $2.14 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $1.83 by $0.31. The company had revenue of $2.03 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.96 billion. Science Applications International had a return on equity of 25.68% and a net margin of 4.20%. The firms quarterly revenue was up 1.6% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the company posted $1.88 earnings per share. As a group, analysts anticipate that Science Applications International will post 7.11 EPS for the current fiscal year. In related news, insider Michael W. Larouche sold 6,000 shares of Science Applications International stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, April 13th. The stock was sold at an average price of $107.19, for a total transaction of $643,140.00. Following the transaction, the insider now owns 49,192 shares of the companys stock, valued at $5,272,890.48. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. In other Science Applications International news, insider Michael W. Larouche sold 6,000 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction on Thursday, April 13th. The stock was sold at an average price of $107.19, for a total value of $643,140.00. Following the transaction, the insider now owns 49,192 shares of the companys stock, valued at $5,272,890.48. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, Director Katharina G. Mcfarland sold 1,193 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction on Thursday, April 13th. The stock was sold at an average price of $108.48, for a total value of $129,416.64. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now directly owns 7,813 shares in the company, valued at approximately $847,554.24. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold a total of 36,430 shares of company stock valued at $3,912,723 over the last 90 days. Insiders own 1.29% of the companys stock. Institutional Inflows and Outflows A number of institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Thrivent Financial for Lutherans raised its stake in shares of Science Applications International by 0.6% during the 3rd quarter. Thrivent Financial for Lutherans now owns 14,738 shares of the information technology services providers stock valued at $1,303,000 after purchasing an additional 94 shares during the period. Rockefeller Capital Management L.P. increased its stake in Science Applications International by 2.6% in the 4th quarter. Rockefeller Capital Management L.P. now owns 3,806 shares of the information technology services providers stock worth $421,000 after acquiring an additional 95 shares during the last quarter. Mercer Global Advisors Inc. ADV increased its stake in Science Applications International by 3.0% in the 4th quarter. Mercer Global Advisors Inc. ADV now owns 3,312 shares of the information technology services providers stock worth $367,000 after acquiring an additional 96 shares during the last quarter. NorthCrest Asset Manangement LLC increased its stake in Science Applications International by 1.5% in the 4th quarter. NorthCrest Asset Manangement LLC now owns 6,800 shares of the information technology services providers stock worth $754,000 after acquiring an additional 100 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Exchange Traded Concepts LLC increased its stake in Science Applications International by 1.6% in the 4th quarter. Exchange Traded Concepts LLC now owns 6,738 shares of the information technology services providers stock worth $747,000 after acquiring an additional 107 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 77.09% of the companys stock. About Science Applications International (Free Report) Science Applications International Corporation provides technical, engineering, and enterprise information technology (IT) services primarily in the United States. The company's offerings include engineering; technology integration; IT modernization; maintenance of ground and maritime systems; logistics; training and simulation; operation and program support services; and end-to-end services, such as design, development, integration, deployment, management and operations, sustainment, and security of its customers' IT infrastructure, as well as cloud migration, managed services, infrastructure modernization, and enterprise IT-as-a-service solutions; and data management platform solutions. Further Reading Receive News & Ratings for Science Applications International Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Science Applications International and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. OC Oerlikon Co. AG (OTCMKTS:OERLF Free Report) was the target of a large decline in short interest in June. As of June 15th, there was short interest totalling 2,600 shares, a decline of 23.5% from the May 31st total of 3,400 shares. Based on an average trading volume of 100 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is presently 26.0 days. OC Oerlikon Stock Performance Shares of OERLF remained flat at $4.90 during trading hours on Tuesday. OC Oerlikon has a fifty-two week low of $4.90 and a fifty-two week high of $5.02. The businesss 50 day moving average is $5.34 and its 200-day moving average is $5.71. Get OC Oerlikon alerts: OC Oerlikon Company Profile (Free Report) Read More OC Oerlikon Corporation AG provides surface solutions, advanced materials, and material processing in Switzerland. The company's Surface Solutions Division segment supplies advanced materials and surface technologies for components and tools used in industrial applications. Its Polymer Processing Solutions Division segment offers solutions and systems used to manufacture manmade fibers that enable customers to produce synthetic fibers. Receive News & Ratings for OC Oerlikon Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for OC Oerlikon and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. SSAB AB (publ) (OTCMKTS:SSAAY Free Report)s stock price traded down 3.8% on Monday . The stock traded as low as $3.42 and last traded at $3.42. 592 shares changed hands during trading, a decline of 71% from the average session volume of 2,060 shares. The stock had previously closed at $3.56. Wall Street Analyst Weigh In Several analysts have recently weighed in on the company. UBS Group downgraded SSAB AB (publ) from a buy rating to a neutral rating in a research report on Tuesday, March 14th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. upgraded SSAB AB (publ) from an underweight rating to a neutral rating in a report on Thursday, March 30th. Finally, Morgan Stanley upgraded SSAB AB (publ) from an equal weight rating to an overweight rating in a report on Thursday, March 30th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, four have issued a hold rating and one has assigned a buy rating to the companys stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of Hold and an average target price of $65.67. Get SSAB AB (publ) alerts: SSAB AB (publ) Price Performance The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.09, a current ratio of 2.67 and a quick ratio of 1.46. The firm has a fifty day moving average of $3.43 and a two-hundred day moving average of $3.36. The stock has a market capitalization of $7.04 billion, a P/E ratio of -6.11 and a beta of 1.32. SSAB AB (publ) Increases Dividend SSAB AB (publ) ( OTCMKTS:SSAAY Free Report ) last announced its earnings results on Wednesday, April 26th. The basic materials company reported $0.17 EPS for the quarter. The business had revenue of $3.05 billion during the quarter. SSAB AB (publ) had a negative net margin of 9.20% and a positive return on equity of 24.08%. The company also recently announced a dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, May 10th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, April 20th were issued a $0.2993 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Wednesday, April 19th. This is an increase from SSAB AB (publ)s previous dividend of $0.20. This represents a yield of 8.83%. SSAB AB (publ)s payout ratio is currently -53.57%. SSAB AB (publ) Company Profile (Free Report) SSAB AB (publ) produces and sells steel products in Sweden, Finland, Rest of Europe, the United States, and internationally. It operates through five segments: SSAB Special Steels, SSAB Europe, SSAB Americas, Tibnor, and Ruukki Construction. The SSAB Special Steels segment offers quenched and tempered steels, and advanced high-strength steel products. See Also Receive News & Ratings for SSAB AB (publ) Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for SSAB AB (publ) and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. StockNews.com initiated coverage on shares of Navios Maritime (NYSE:NM Free Report) in a research report released on Friday morning. The brokerage issued a buy rating on the shipping companys stock. Navios Maritime Price Performance Navios Maritime stock opened at $1.66 on Friday. Navios Maritime has a 52-week low of $1.53 and a 52-week high of $2.97. The firm has a fifty day moving average of $1.74 and a 200-day moving average of $1.90. The firm has a market capitalization of $37.90 million, a P/E ratio of 0.60 and a beta of 1.61. The company has a quick ratio of 1.22, a current ratio of 1.36 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 4.10. Get Navios Maritime alerts: Navios Maritime (NYSE:NM Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, May 24th. The shipping company reported $0.25 earnings per share for the quarter. The business had revenue of $65.41 million during the quarter. Navios Maritime had a net margin of 31.38% and a return on equity of 97.48%. Institutional Investors Weigh In On Navios Maritime About Navios Maritime A number of large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in NM. Renaissance Technologies LLC boosted its stake in Navios Maritime by 83.4% during the 1st quarter. Renaissance Technologies LLC now owns 908,070 shares of the shipping companys stock valued at $3,296,000 after acquiring an additional 412,836 shares during the last quarter. Engineers Gate Manager LP boosted its stake in Navios Maritime by 155.5% during the 1st quarter. Engineers Gate Manager LP now owns 112,258 shares of the shipping companys stock valued at $407,000 after acquiring an additional 68,324 shares during the last quarter. Invesco Ltd. bought a new position in Navios Maritime during the 1st quarter valued at $328,000. XTX Topco Ltd bought a new position in Navios Maritime during the 1st quarter valued at $202,000. Finally, Privium Fund Management UK Ltd bought a new position in Navios Maritime during the 4th quarter valued at $72,000. 12.62% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds. (Free Report) Navios Maritime Holdings Inc operates as a seaborne shipping and logistics company in North America, Australia, Europe, Asia, South America, and internationally. It focuses on the transportation and transshipment of dry bulk commodities, including iron ores, coal, and grains. The company operates in two segments, Dry Bulk Vessel Operations and Logistics Business. Read More Receive News & Ratings for Navios Maritime Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Navios Maritime and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. StrongBox Wealth LLC cut its holdings in EOG Resources, Inc. (NYSE:EOG Free Report) by 5.2% during the 1st quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 19,665 shares of the energy exploration companys stock after selling 1,084 shares during the quarter. EOG Resources accounts for approximately 1.5% of StrongBox Wealth LLCs holdings, making the stock its 24th largest position. StrongBox Wealth LLCs holdings in EOG Resources were worth $2,254,000 at the end of the most recent quarter. Several other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in EOG. Cetera Investment Advisers boosted its position in shares of EOG Resources by 16.0% during the first quarter. Cetera Investment Advisers now owns 16,031 shares of the energy exploration companys stock valued at $1,911,000 after buying an additional 2,213 shares during the last quarter. Moors & Cabot Inc. bought a new position in EOG Resources during the 1st quarter valued at about $404,000. Sequoia Financial Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in shares of EOG Resources during the 1st quarter valued at about $278,000. Zions Bancorporation N.A. grew its stake in shares of EOG Resources by 237.7% in the first quarter. Zions Bancorporation N.A. now owns 1,155 shares of the energy exploration companys stock worth $138,000 after acquiring an additional 813 shares during the period. Finally, Brown Brothers Harriman & Co. raised its holdings in shares of EOG Resources by 23.7% during the first quarter. Brown Brothers Harriman & Co. now owns 662 shares of the energy exploration companys stock valued at $79,000 after purchasing an additional 127 shares during the last quarter. 89.58% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors. Get EOG Resources alerts: Insiders Place Their Bets In other news, COO Lloyd W. Helms, Jr. sold 5,000 shares of the companys stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, June 7th. The shares were sold at an average price of $115.87, for a total transaction of $579,350.00. Following the sale, the chief operating officer now directly owns 149,689 shares in the company, valued at approximately $17,344,464.43. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. Corporate insiders own 0.40% of the companys stock. Analyst Ratings Changes EOG Resources Price Performance EOG has been the subject of a number of research analyst reports. Morgan Stanley cut their target price on shares of EOG Resources from $140.00 to $132.00 and set an overweight rating for the company in a research report on Monday, March 27th. Piper Sandler cut their price target on EOG Resources from $170.00 to $155.00 in a research note on Tuesday, June 13th. Raymond James increased their price objective on shares of EOG Resources from $140.00 to $150.00 and gave the stock a strong-buy rating in a research note on Friday, April 21st. TD Securities cut their target price on shares of EOG Resources from $150.00 to $145.00 and set a hold rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, March 8th. Finally, Truist Financial increased their price target on shares of EOG Resources from $146.00 to $152.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a research report on Tuesday, April 11th. Five equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, eighteen have assigned a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus price target of $148.17. Shares of EOG Resources stock traded up $0.26 during trading on Tuesday, reaching $114.70. 1,287,557 shares of the stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 3,671,782. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.15, a current ratio of 2.17 and a quick ratio of 1.90. The company has a market capitalization of $67.08 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 7.17, a P/E/G ratio of 0.35 and a beta of 1.53. EOG Resources, Inc. has a 52-week low of $92.16 and a 52-week high of $150.88. The business has a fifty day simple moving average of $112.33 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $118.62. EOG Resources (NYSE:EOG Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Friday, May 5th. The energy exploration company reported $2.69 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $2.42 by $0.27. The business had revenue of $6.04 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $5.28 billion. EOG Resources had a return on equity of 30.34% and a net margin of 33.83%. The companys revenue was up 51.7% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company posted $4.00 EPS. Sell-side analysts expect that EOG Resources, Inc. will post 11.34 EPS for the current year. EOG Resources Dividend Announcement The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, July 31st. Shareholders of record on Monday, July 17th will be given a dividend of $0.825 per share. The ex-dividend date is Friday, July 14th. This represents a $3.30 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.88%. EOG Resourcess dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 20.64%. EOG Resources Profile (Free Report) EOG Resources, Inc, together with its subsidiaries, explores for, develops, produces, and markets crude oil, and natural gas and natural gas liquids. Its principal producing areas are in New Mexico and Texas in the United States; and the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago. The company was formerly known as Enron Oil & Gas Company. Recommended Stories Want to see what other hedge funds are holding EOG? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for EOG Resources, Inc. (NYSE:EOG Free Report). Receive News & Ratings for EOG Resources Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for EOG Resources and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. WestRock (NYSE:WRK Free Report) had its target price lowered by UBS Group from $42.00 to $37.00 in a report issued on Friday morning, The Fly reports. Several other analysts also recently weighed in on the company. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft decreased their price objective on WestRock from $34.00 to $32.00 in a report on Wednesday, March 15th. StockNews.com assumed coverage on shares of WestRock in a report on Thursday, May 18th. They set a hold rating on the stock. Citigroup raised shares of WestRock from a neutral rating to a buy rating and cut their price objective for the company from $34.00 to $32.00 in a report on Monday, March 20th. Finally, Bank of America raised shares of WestRock from a neutral rating to a buy rating and lifted their price objective for the company from $38.00 to $40.00 in a report on Thursday, April 20th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, five have issued a hold rating and three have given a buy rating to the companys stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of Hold and a consensus target price of $34.00. Get WestRock alerts: WestRock Trading Up 0.8 % NYSE WRK opened at $29.31 on Friday. The companys 50-day moving average price is $28.62 and its 200-day moving average price is $31.41. The company has a current ratio of 1.53, a quick ratio of 1.02 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.93. The stock has a market cap of $7.51 billion, a PE ratio of -6.06, a PEG ratio of 1.11 and a beta of 1.19. WestRock has a 12 month low of $26.84 and a 12 month high of $43.37. WestRock Announces Dividend WestRock ( NYSE:WRK Free Report ) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, May 4th. The basic materials company reported $0.77 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $0.51 by $0.26. The firm had revenue of $5.28 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $5.23 billion. WestRock had a negative net margin of 5.86% and a positive return on equity of 9.98%. The businesss revenue for the quarter was down 1.9% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the business posted $1.17 earnings per share. Equities research analysts forecast that WestRock will post 2.46 earnings per share for the current year. The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, May 25th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, May 11th were given a $0.275 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Wednesday, May 10th. This represents a $1.10 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.75%. WestRocks payout ratio is currently -22.63%. Hedge Funds Weigh In On WestRock Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in WRK. Lion Street Advisors LLC lifted its position in shares of WestRock by 3.1% during the 4th quarter. Lion Street Advisors LLC now owns 10,065 shares of the basic materials companys stock worth $484,000 after purchasing an additional 300 shares during the last quarter. MidWestOne Financial Group Inc. increased its stake in WestRock by 3.6% in the 1st quarter. MidWestOne Financial Group Inc. now owns 8,606 shares of the basic materials companys stock valued at $405,000 after buying an additional 300 shares during the period. MONECO Advisors LLC increased its stake in WestRock by 3.5% in the 4th quarter. MONECO Advisors LLC now owns 8,895 shares of the basic materials companys stock valued at $313,000 after buying an additional 302 shares during the period. Yousif Capital Management LLC increased its stake in WestRock by 0.6% in the 1st quarter. Yousif Capital Management LLC now owns 53,133 shares of the basic materials companys stock valued at $2,499,000 after buying an additional 340 shares during the period. Finally, Ensign Peak Advisors Inc increased its stake in WestRock by 0.7% in the 3rd quarter. Ensign Peak Advisors Inc now owns 47,542 shares of the basic materials companys stock valued at $1,469,000 after buying an additional 350 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 84.54% of the companys stock. WestRock Company Profile (Free Report) WestRock Company, together with its subsidiaries, provides fiber-based paper and packaging solutions in North America, South America, Europe, Asia, and Australia. It operates in four segments, Corrugated Packaging, Consumer Packaging, Global Paper, and Distribution. The Corrugated Packaging segment produces containerboards, corrugated sheets, corrugated packaging, and preprinted linerboards to consumer and industrial products manufacturers, and corrugated box manufacturers. Recommended Stories Receive News & Ratings for WestRock Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for WestRock and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Vanguard Capital Wealth Advisors trimmed its position in B2Gold Corp. (NYSEAMERICAN:BTG Free Report) (TSE:BTO) by 46.9% during the 1st quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The fund owned 10,925 shares of the basic materials companys stock after selling 9,650 shares during the period. Vanguard Capital Wealth Advisors holdings in B2Gold were worth $43,000 as of its most recent SEC filing. Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also bought and sold shares of the company. Commonwealth Equity Services LLC increased its stake in B2Gold by 10.4% in the 3rd quarter. Commonwealth Equity Services LLC now owns 38,054 shares of the basic materials companys stock worth $122,000 after acquiring an additional 3,600 shares during the last quarter. LPL Financial LLC increased its stake in B2Gold by 4.5% in the 4th quarter. LPL Financial LLC now owns 87,895 shares of the basic materials companys stock worth $314,000 after acquiring an additional 3,800 shares during the last quarter. KG&L Capital Management LLC increased its position in shares of B2Gold by 17.5% during the 1st quarter. KG&L Capital Management LLC now owns 33,600 shares of the basic materials companys stock valued at $132,000 after purchasing an additional 5,000 shares during the last quarter. Vontobel Holding Ltd. increased its position in shares of B2Gold by 15.2% during the 1st quarter. Vontobel Holding Ltd. now owns 41,519 shares of the basic materials companys stock valued at $164,000 after purchasing an additional 5,479 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Zurcher Kantonalbank Zurich Cantonalbank increased its position in shares of B2Gold by 3.6% during the 4th quarter. Zurcher Kantonalbank Zurich Cantonalbank now owns 185,454 shares of the basic materials companys stock valued at $658,000 after purchasing an additional 6,375 shares during the last quarter. 44.97% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors. Get B2Gold alerts: B2Gold Trading Up 2.0 % Shares of NYSEAMERICAN:BTG opened at $3.64 on Tuesday. The businesss 50-day moving average is $3.85 and its 200 day moving average is $3.52. B2Gold Corp. has a 1 year low of $2.81 and a 1 year high of $4.40. The firm has a market capitalization of $4.71 billion, a P/E ratio of 12.75 and a beta of 0.93. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.01, a current ratio of 4.00 and a quick ratio of 2.69. B2Gold Announces Dividend B2Gold ( NYSEAMERICAN:BTG Free Report ) (TSE:BTO) last announced its earnings results on Tuesday, May 9th. The basic materials company reported $0.10 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.07 by $0.03. The company had revenue of $473.56 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $416.00 million. B2Gold had a return on equity of 9.94% and a net margin of 14.02%. On average, research analysts predict that B2Gold Corp. will post 0.32 earnings per share for the current fiscal year. The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, June 27th. Stockholders of record on Friday, June 16th were issued a $0.04 dividend. This represents a $0.16 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 4.40%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Thursday, June 15th. B2Golds dividend payout ratio is presently 64.00%. Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades Several equities analysts have recently weighed in on the company. Royal Bank of Canada reissued a sector perform rating and set a $4.25 target price on shares of B2Gold in a research report on Wednesday, March 8th. BMO Capital Markets began coverage on B2Gold in a report on Thursday, April 20th. They set an outperform rating for the company. StockNews.com upgraded B2Gold from a buy rating to a strong-buy rating in a report on Friday. TheStreet cut B2Gold from a b- rating to a c+ rating in a report on Friday, June 16th. Finally, Scotiabank boosted their price objective on B2Gold from C$7.50 to C$8.00 in a report on Wednesday, April 12th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, two have issued a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus price target of $6.46. About B2Gold (Free Report) B2Gold Corp. operates as a gold producer with three operating mines in Mali, the Philippines, and Namibia. It operates the Fekola Mine in Mali, the Masbate Mine in the Philippines, and the Otjikoto Mine in Namibia. The company also has an 25% interest in the Calibre Mining Corp.; and approximately 19% interest in BeMetals Corp. Further Reading Receive News & Ratings for B2Gold Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for B2Gold and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Wesbanco Bank Inc. decreased its holdings in FedEx Co. (NYSE:FDX Free Report) by 11.4% in the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 45,616 shares of the shipping service providers stock after selling 5,848 shares during the quarter. Wesbanco Bank Inc.s holdings in FedEx were worth $10,423,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC. A number of other hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in the business. Whittier Trust Co. of Nevada Inc. raised its stake in shares of FedEx by 4.3% in the 1st quarter. Whittier Trust Co. of Nevada Inc. now owns 1,105 shares of the shipping service providers stock valued at $252,000 after buying an additional 46 shares in the last quarter. RNC Capital Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of FedEx in the 1st quarter valued at $1,380,000. GHP Investment Advisors Inc. increased its position in shares of FedEx by 2.3% during the 1st quarter. GHP Investment Advisors Inc. now owns 27,307 shares of the shipping service providers stock worth $6,239,000 after purchasing an additional 607 shares in the last quarter. PFG Advisors acquired a new stake in shares of FedEx during the 1st quarter worth about $283,000. Finally, Kovack Advisors Inc. increased its position in shares of FedEx by 5.8% during the 1st quarter. Kovack Advisors Inc. now owns 3,619 shares of the shipping service providers stock worth $827,000 after purchasing an additional 197 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 73.39% of the companys stock. Get FedEx alerts: Insiders Place Their Bets In other FedEx news, EVP Robert B. Carter sold 19,270 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, June 28th. The stock was sold at an average price of $246.00, for a total value of $4,740,420.00. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president now directly owns 58,875 shares in the company, valued at $14,483,250. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. In related news, EVP Robert B. Carter sold 19,270 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, June 28th. The stock was sold at an average price of $246.00, for a total transaction of $4,740,420.00. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president now directly owns 58,875 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $14,483,250. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. Also, CEO Rajesh Subramaniam sold 11,125 shares of FedEx stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, April 6th. The shares were sold at an average price of $231.01, for a total transaction of $2,569,986.25. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer now directly owns 39,483 shares in the company, valued at approximately $9,120,967.83. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last ninety days, insiders have sold 176,557 shares of company stock worth $41,318,655. Corporate insiders own 8.62% of the companys stock. Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth FedEx Trading Down 0.1 % FDX has been the subject of a number of recent analyst reports. Stephens reiterated an overweight rating and set a $290.00 target price on shares of FedEx in a research report on Thursday, April 6th. UBS Group increased their target price on shares of FedEx from $260.00 to $272.00 in a research report on Wednesday, June 21st. BMO Capital Markets increased their target price on shares of FedEx from $235.00 to $260.00 in a research report on Thursday, April 6th. Susquehanna increased their target price on shares of FedEx from $170.00 to $225.00 in a research report on Friday, March 17th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company increased their target price on shares of FedEx from $225.00 to $240.00 and gave the stock an equal weight rating in a research report on Friday, March 17th. Ten analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and fifteen have issued a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of Moderate Buy and an average price target of $245.11. Shares of NYSE FDX traded down $0.35 during mid-day trading on Tuesday, hitting $247.55. The companys stock had a trading volume of 1,281,635 shares, compared to its average volume of 2,640,481. The stock has a market cap of $62.44 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 15.97, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.19 and a beta of 1.35. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.78, a current ratio of 1.37 and a quick ratio of 1.33. FedEx Co. has a one year low of $141.92 and a one year high of $250.08. The companys fifty day simple moving average is $228.84 and its 200-day simple moving average is $212.59. FedEx (NYSE:FDX Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, June 20th. The shipping service provider reported $4.94 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $4.85 by $0.09. FedEx had a net margin of 4.41% and a return on equity of 15.32%. The business had revenue of $21.93 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $22.55 billion. During the same quarter last year, the firm earned $6.87 EPS. FedExs quarterly revenue was down 10.1% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, sell-side analysts anticipate that FedEx Co. will post 17.33 earnings per share for the current fiscal year. FedEx Increases Dividend The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, July 3rd. Stockholders of record on Monday, June 12th were issued a $1.26 dividend. This is a positive change from FedExs previous quarterly dividend of $1.15. The ex-dividend date was Friday, June 9th. This represents a $5.04 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.04%. FedExs payout ratio is 32.52%. FedEx Company Profile (Free Report) FedEx Corporation provides transportation, e-commerce, and business services in the United States and internationally. The company's FedEx Express segment offers express transportation, small-package ground delivery, and freight transportation services; time-critical transportation services; and cross-border enablement, technology, and e-commerce transportation solutions. See Also Want to see what other hedge funds are holding FDX? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for FedEx Co. (NYSE:FDX Free Report). Receive News & Ratings for FedEx Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for FedEx and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. West Oak Capital LLC cut its position in Corning Incorporated (NYSE:GLW Free Report) by 0.6% in the 1st quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The firm owned 50,270 shares of the electronics makers stock after selling 310 shares during the period. West Oak Capital LLCs holdings in Corning were worth $1,774,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). Several other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Buffington Mohr McNeal boosted its stake in Corning by 0.9% in the 4th quarter. Buffington Mohr McNeal now owns 33,604 shares of the electronics makers stock valued at $1,073,000 after purchasing an additional 300 shares during the period. Garrison Point Advisors LLC lifted its position in shares of Corning by 3.2% during the 4th quarter. Garrison Point Advisors LLC now owns 9,535 shares of the electronics makers stock valued at $305,000 after acquiring an additional 300 shares during the period. Louisiana State Employees Retirement System lifted its position in shares of Corning by 0.6% during the 1st quarter. Louisiana State Employees Retirement System now owns 49,500 shares of the electronics makers stock valued at $1,746,000 after acquiring an additional 300 shares during the period. Argus Investors Counsel Inc. lifted its position in shares of Corning by 0.7% during the 4th quarter. Argus Investors Counsel Inc. now owns 41,867 shares of the electronics makers stock valued at $1,337,000 after acquiring an additional 301 shares during the period. Finally, Main Street Financial Solutions LLC lifted its position in shares of Corning by 3.9% during the 4th quarter. Main Street Financial Solutions LLC now owns 7,979 shares of the electronics makers stock valued at $255,000 after acquiring an additional 302 shares during the period. 68.38% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors. Get Corning alerts: Corning Trading Up 0.3 % NYSE GLW traded up $0.12 during trading hours on Tuesday, hitting $35.16. 1,598,575 shares of the companys stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 5,169,375. The stock has a 50-day simple moving average of $32.48 and a 200 day simple moving average of $33.70. Corning Incorporated has a 1-year low of $28.98 and a 1-year high of $37.73. The firm has a market cap of $29.89 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 33.17, a PEG ratio of 2.35 and a beta of 1.09. The company has a current ratio of 1.44, a quick ratio of 0.84 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.55. Corning Announces Dividend Corning ( NYSE:GLW Free Report ) last released its earnings results on Tuesday, April 25th. The electronics maker reported $0.41 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.39 by $0.02. Corning had a return on equity of 13.99% and a net margin of 6.66%. The business had revenue of $3.37 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $3.35 billion. During the same quarter last year, the firm posted $0.54 earnings per share. The firms revenue was down 10.1% on a year-over-year basis. On average, equities analysts forecast that Corning Incorporated will post 1.94 EPS for the current fiscal year. The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, September 28th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, August 31st will be issued a $0.28 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, August 30th. This represents a $1.12 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.19%. Cornings payout ratio is currently 105.66%. Insiders Place Their Bets In other news, EVP Lewis A. Steverson sold 21,833 shares of the firms stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, April 28th. The stock was sold at an average price of $33.11, for a total value of $722,890.63. Following the transaction, the executive vice president now owns 37,496 shares in the company, valued at $1,241,492.56. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. In related news, SVP Cheryl C. Capps sold 28,574 shares of Corning stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, May 1st. The stock was sold at an average price of $33.14, for a total transaction of $946,942.36. Following the transaction, the senior vice president now owns 100,000 shares of the companys stock, valued at $3,314,000. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Also, EVP Lewis A. Steverson sold 21,833 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction on Friday, April 28th. The stock was sold at an average price of $33.11, for a total value of $722,890.63. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president now directly owns 37,496 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,241,492.56. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last quarter, insiders have sold 161,334 shares of company stock worth $5,294,350. Corporate insiders own 0.40% of the companys stock. Analysts Set New Price Targets A number of analysts have recently weighed in on the company. Citigroup upgraded Corning from a neutral rating to a buy rating and upped their target price for the company from $36.00 to $40.00 in a research report on Thursday, June 15th. Morgan Stanley upgraded Corning from an equal weight rating to an overweight rating and upped their price objective for the stock from $35.00 to $38.00 in a research report on Friday, June 9th. StockNews.com initiated coverage on Corning in a research report on Thursday, May 18th. They set a hold rating for the company. Barclays dropped their price objective on Corning from $35.00 to $33.00 in a research report on Wednesday, April 26th. Finally, UBS Group dropped their price objective on Corning from $40.00 to $39.00 in a research report on Wednesday, April 26th. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and eight have issued a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of Moderate Buy and an average price target of $38.67. Corning Profile (Free Report) Corning Incorporated engages in the display technologies, optical communications, environmental technologies, specialty materials, and life sciences businesses worldwide. The company's Display Technologies segment offers glass substrates for flat panel displays, including liquid crystal displays and organic light-emitting diodes that are used in televisions, notebook computers, desktop monitors, tablets, and handheld devices. Further Reading Want to see what other hedge funds are holding GLW? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Corning Incorporated (NYSE:GLW Free Report). Receive News & Ratings for Corning Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Corning and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. WPP (NYSE:WPP Free Report) is one of 78 publicly-traded companies in the Advertising Agencies industry, but how does it weigh in compared to its peers? We will compare WPP to related companies based on the strength of its risk, valuation, dividends, earnings, profitability, analyst recommendations and institutional ownership. Institutional & Insider Ownership 4.1% of WPP shares are held by institutional investors. Comparatively, 47.3% of shares of all Advertising Agencies companies are held by institutional investors. 1.0% of WPP shares are held by insiders. Comparatively, 23.1% of shares of all Advertising Agencies companies are held by insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that endowments, hedge funds and large money managers believe a company is poised for long-term growth. Get WPP alerts: Profitability This table compares WPP and its peers net margins, return on equity and return on assets. Net Margins Return on Equity Return on Assets WPP N/A N/A N/A WPP Competitors -8.33% -8.86% 0.14% Analyst Ratings Sell Ratings Hold Ratings Buy Ratings Strong Buy Ratings Rating Score WPP 0 1 5 0 2.83 WPP Competitors 200 1518 2459 35 2.55 This is a breakdown of current ratings and recommmendations for WPP and its peers, as provided by MarketBeat. WPP presently has a consensus target price of $1,001.29, indicating a potential upside of 1,780.35%. As a group, Advertising Agencies companies have a potential upside of 118.12%. Given WPPs stronger consensus rating and higher probable upside, equities analysts clearly believe WPP is more favorable than its peers. Valuation and Earnings This table compares WPP and its peers gross revenue, earnings per share (EPS) and valuation. Gross Revenue Net Income Price/Earnings Ratio WPP $17.85 billion $844.43 million N/A WPP Competitors $2.32 billion $117.02 million 1,147.02 WPP has higher revenue and earnings than its peers. Risk & Volatility WPP has a beta of 1.34, indicating that its share price is 34% more volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, WPPs peers have a beta of 1.14, indicating that their average share price is 14% more volatile than the S&P 500. Dividends WPP pays an annual dividend of $3.12 per share and has a dividend yield of 5.9%. As a group, Advertising Agencies companies pay a dividend yield of 2.4% and pay out 471.4% of their earnings in the form of a dividend. WPP has raised its dividend for 1 consecutive years. Summary WPP beats its peers on 10 of the 14 factors compared. WPP Company Profile (Free Report) WPP plc, a creative transformation company, provides communications, experience, commerce, and technology services in North America, the United Kingdom, Western Continental Europe, the Asia Pacific, Latin America, Africa, the Middle East, and Central and Eastern Europe. The company operates through three segments: Global Integrated Agencies, Public Relations, and Specialist Agencies. It offers advertising, marketing, brand strategies, and campaigns across all media; and provides media planning and buying services. It also provides media investment; data and technology, and content services. The company also offers public relations and specialist agency services. WPP plc was founded in 1985 and is based in London, the United Kingdom. Receive News & Ratings for WPP Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for WPP and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Following the Basic Policy announced by the Government of Japan on 14 April 2021, based on the Terms of Reference (TOR) on a comprehensive framework for reviewing safety related aspects of handling ALPS treated water at TEPCOs FDNPS, which was signed on 8 July 2021, a series of review was conducted by the IAEA. On July 4th, IAEA Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi handed over the Comprehensive Report to Prime Minister Kishida and the report was published accordingly. Executive Summary of the IAEA Comprehensive Report states the following conclusions; Based on its comprehensive assessment, the IAEA has concluded that the approach to the discharge of ALPS treated water into the sea, and the associated activities by TEPCO, NRA, and the Government of Japan, are consistent with relevant international safety standards. The IAEA has concluded, based on its comprehensive assessment, that the discharge of the ALPS treated water, as currently planned by TEPCO, will have a negligible radiological impact on people and the environment. With regard to the safety and the handling of ALPS treated water, reviews by the IAEA which is authorized under its Statute to establish and apply international safety standards in the field of nuclear energy are very important for ensuring confidence and transparency, and for promoting understanding in the international community. The Government of Japan will continue to provide necessary information and remains committed to making efforts to promote better understanding in the international community regarding the handling of ALPS treated water. [Reference 1] ALPS treated water is water which is processed by devices such as ALPS (Advanced Liquid Processing System) to ensure that the concentration of the radioactive materials other than tritium surely meet the regulatory standards for safety. In addition, it is planned that ALPS treated water will then be sufficiently diluted before the discharges into the sea so that concentration of all radioactive materials including tritium will be far below the regulatory standards for safety. [Reference 2] Previous published reports on IAEAs Safety Review India on Tuesday once again refused to endorse China's ambitious Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), becoming the only country in the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) not to support the project. A declaration issued at the end of an India-hosted virtual summit of the grouping said Russia, Pakistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan reaffirmed their support to the BRI. It said the member states also considered it important to ensure the implementation of the SCO Economic Development Strategy 2030 adopted by "interested member states" and projects aimed at promoting cooperation in areas of digital economy, high technology and modernisation of existing international routes for road and rail transport. In his opening remarks at the summit, Prime Minister Narendra Modi highlighted the need for boosting connectivity, but asserted that it is essential to respect the basic principles of the SCO charter, especially the sovereignty and territorial integrity of member states, while making such efforts. The summit, chaired by Modi, was joined by Chinese President Xi Jinping, his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin, Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and other leaders of the grouping. "Strong connectivity is crucial for the progress of any region. Better connectivity not only enhances mutual trade but also fosters mutual trust," he said. "However, in these efforts, it is essential to uphold the basic principles of the SCO charter, particularly respecting the sovereignty and regional integrity of the member states," Modi said. On earlier occasions also, India did not endorse the BRI at the SCO while other members supported the project. "Reaffirming their support for China's 'Belt and Road Initiative' (BRI) initiative, the Republic of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyz Republic, Islamic Republic of Pakistan, Russian Federation, Republic of Tajikistan and Republic of Uzbekistan note the ongoing work to jointly implement this project, including efforts to link the construction of the Eurasian Economic Union and BRI," the New Delhi declaration said. "They spoke in favour of implementing the Roadmap for gradual increase in the share of national currencies in mutual settlements by the interested member States," it added. It said the member states intend to broaden and deepen cooperation for sustainable socio-economic development and to improve the well-being and living standards of the people in the SCO region. "They consider it important to ensure the implementation of the SCO Economic Development Strategy 2030 adopted by interested member states, other joint programmes and projects aimed at promoting cooperation," it said. The priority areas identified under the Economic Development Strategy are as digital economy, high technology and innovation, modernisation of existing international routes for road and rail transport, multimodal transport corridors and logistics centres, finance and investment, energy and food security, reliable, resilient and diversified supply chains and industrial cooperation. On Afghanistan, the declaration said the member states believed that one of the most important factors of preservation and strengthening of safety and stability within the SCO region is the "early settlement" of the situation in Afghanistan. "They advocate building Afghanistan as an independent, neutral, united, democratic and peaceful state, free from terrorism, war and drugs," it said. Indias state oil refiners Bharat Petroleum Corp. and Hindustan Petroleum Corp. are considering paying for Russian crude in yuan in an effort to widen their currency options. Most payments are currently made in dirhams and dollars, and the risk that the use of these currencies for trade with Russia will be stopped is making the refiners look for alternatives, officials from the two companies said, asking not to be identified due to the sensitivity of the matter. Indias oil imports from Russia hit a record 2.2 million barrels a day in June, rising for a 10th month in a row and exceeding the combined shipments from the next two largest providers Saudi Arabia and Iraq, according to Kpler data. New Delhi has benefited from discounted purchases as many other nations shun Moscows crude following the war in Ukraine. Russia in turn has found a ready buyer. Indian Oil Corp., the biggest state refiner, paid in yuan for Russian purchases last month, Reuters reported. The HPCL and BPCL executives said they werent aware of any payments in the Chinese currency. Spokesmen at Indias oil ministry, HPCL, BPCL and Indian Oil didnt immediately reply to phone calls and text messages seeking comments. The refiners are unlikely to use the yuan for multiple cargoes from Russia as higher demand for the currency will make the exchange rate unfavorable, an HPCL official said. Selling dollars to buy yuan would also result in India effectively helping China further its currency agenda, potentially a politically unpalatable step. USER CONSENT We at moneycontrol use cookies and other tracking technologies to assist you with navigation and determine your location. We also capture cookies to obtain your feedback, analyse your use of our products and services and provide content from third parties. By clicking on 'I Accept', you agree to the usage of cookies and other tracking technologies. For more details you can refer to our cookie policy. *We collect cookies for the functioning of our website and to give you the best experience. This includes some essential cookies. Cookies from third parties which may be used for personalization and determining your location. By clicking 'I Accept', you agree to the usage of cookies to enhance your personalized experience on our site. For more details you can refer to our cookie policy *I agree to the updated privacy policy and I warrant that I am above 16 years of age I agree to the processing of my personal data for the purpose of personalised recommendations on financial and similar products offered by MoneyControl I agree personalized advertisements and any kind of remarketing/retargeting on other third party websites I agree to receive direct marketing communications via Emails and SMS Please select (*) all mandatory conditions to continue. I Accept Electric Vehicle (EV) makers are actively hiring women across a wide spectrum of job roles, including on the shopfloor, and creating special avenues to both create and attract talent. The initiatives include offering diploma courses, thereby creating a personalised talent pool, and also offering career relaunch programmes for women who left their corporate job at some point. Unlike legacy companies, where the focus on diversity came much later, EV majors have from the outset established diversity mandates, with some even having women make up 50 percent of the overall workforce in various verticals. For instance, Mercedes-Benz India is looking to hire more women candidates than last year, and have them comprise 50 percent of all new hires by the end of 2023. The luxury auto major is even increasing the number of women in the blue-collar workforce at its plant, which produces both EVs and internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles. The German carmakers flagship EV, EQS 580, is produced from this plant, and a significant number of women employees are involved in its assembly. Their job roles include Assembly Line Operator, Production Associate, Assembly Technician, Machine Operator etc. The company is also engaged in creating a pool of women EV experts and seeking women candidates for Mercedes-Benz Indias mechatronics course known as ADAM. This is a one-year diploma offered by the Mercedes-Benz Academy, which features an exclusive EV module as part of its highly industry-oriented curriculum. These women are then absorbed either into our company or as part of our retail network, enabling a promising career in the automotive industry, Colleen DSouza, Head of HR at Mercedes-Benz India, told Moneycontrol. ALSO READ | EV companies focus on lateral hiring, upskilling employees amid fresh talent crunch MG Motor India says women make up 37 percent of the employees in its workforce, including on the factory floor, and it aims to raise that to 50 percent by the end of 2023. The company has 3,000 full-time employees. Its DriveHerBack program invites women looking to resume their careers after a break. So far, the initiative has received more than 1,500 applications, and over 60 women have taken up various roles at MG Motor India through this initiative. In addition, the firm recently introduced two hostel facilities near its manufacturing plant in Halol, Gujarat, that can accommodate up to 100 female associate employees. This facility offers various amenities, such as housekeeping, food services, and transportation solutions, among others. Diversity has now become a competitive advantage not only for managerial operations but also for the manufacturing functions of organisations or OEMs like MG Motor India. We believe that a diverse workforce will have a significant impact on the organisation through enhanced innovations and diverse ideas, and create a more sustainable organisation, said Yeshwinder Patial, Senior Director of HR at MG Motor India. With the industry constantly evolving, experts say there is a need for applicants with a STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) background to be recruited. A 2022 survey by incubation lab BridgeLabz showed that 79 percent of women employed in tech roles are actually in non-tech companies, with IT services, despite being the largest reported industry, having only a 21 percent female representation. As per discussions with various EV industry players, it has been noticed that the attrition of women in EV companies is comparatively less at the mid-management level. One of the significant reasons for this is that the majority of traditional jobs in the automotive segment may not be favourable to women employees, whereas the EV sector brings in automation and technological advancements, encouraging higher participation by women, said Munira Loliwala, AVP at TeamLease Digital, a staffing company. ALSO READ | Companies push employees to adopt sustainable travel, reduce carbon footprint Efforts are being made to encourage more women to pursue careers in engineering and related fields, which are crucial for the development of electric vehicles, said Manu Sharma, AVP, HR, at 2-wheeler EV maker Hero Electric, adding that companies are implementing initiatives to support and mentor women in engineering, providing scholarships, internships, and opportunities for professional growth. The EV industry isnt about one skill but the integration of mechanical, electrical and software (functions). And so, whoever it is, irrespective of gender, race, language, or special ability, has an equal chance to be here and become an integral part of the organisation, said Nida Khanam, CHRO of commercial electric vehicle manufacturer Omega Seiki Mobility, who is looking to have women represented in every function, including leadership positions, and make up at least 30 percent of the companys workforce. A $64 billion merger of two big Indian lenders is yielding almost no fees to financial advisers, highlighting investment bankers struggle for profits in the country. Housing Development Finance Corp.s all-stock merger into HDFC Bank Ltd., which created one of the most valuable banks in the world, has about 18 advisers who got credit for a fee pool of just over $1 million, according to people familiar with the matter. Morgan Stanley and Bank of America Corp. will take the bulk of that pool while the rest will be paid just a token amount, they said, asking not to be identified as the information is not public. The fee pool is disproportionately small as the board and executives of the companies led by Deepak Parekh, then chairman of HDFC, drove the merger process, and the role of the advisers was limited, the people said. Many of the advisers became aware that a merger was imminent only a day before the announcement and didnt have to do any work on the deal, they said. India is a tough place from a fee perspective unless one can offer value-added services or is structuring complex transactions, said Pranav Haldea, managing director of Prime Database Group, which provides information on fundraisings. This is an extremely price-conscious market, and thus, one always needs to keep costs under check. Major global banks, including Citigroup Inc., Goldman Sachs Group Inc., JPMorgan Chase & Co, and Jefferies Financial Group Inc., and leading domestic advisory firms like Kotak Mahindra Capital and Axis Capital, were among the 18 advisers who got league table credit for the deal. Morgan Stanley and BofA were paid more than others as they provided a fairness opinion on the valuation for the proposed transaction, while the rest of the advisers didnt do much, the people said. HDFC Bank and the advisers declined to comment. The investment banks struggles in India to win fee-generating business are in line with advisers challenges worldwide after a $1 trillion year-on-year drop in the value of mergers and acquisitions and initial public offerings in the first half of the year pushed them to embark on job cuts. JPMorgan, Citigroup, Goldman Sachs, and Morgan Stanley are among those to have started firings across their investment banking divisions globally this year. However, advisory units of overseas and local banks in the South Asian nation were left mostly unscathed as the team sizes were already small and costs were in check. Alphabet Inc.s Google is set to appoint a manufacturing and policy veteran as its top government affairs executive in India to tackle legal challenges and expand hardware assembly to the country. Sreenivasa Reddy, currently a senior engineering executive at Microsoft Corp., is likely to join Google toward the end of this year, people familiar with the matter said, asking not to be identified as the matter is private. He previously worked in senior positions at Apple Inc.s India regulatory team and headed government relations at the local unit of Swedish telecom-gear maker Ericsson AB, helping to drive domestic manufacturing at both companies. Reddys experience will come in handy at Google, which is scouting for partners in India to assemble its Pixel range of smartphones as it seeks to diversify beyond China. Pixels production in India could lead to the local manufacturing of other Google hardware products, such as speakers. The executive will also help Google navigate regulatory challenges. The Mountain View, California-based company is fighting antitrust charges in India, with authorities accusing it of abusing its dominant position in mobile operating systems. Reddy and representatives for Google in India didnt respond to requests for comment. Googles previous India policy head, Archana Gulati, left the company last year. Google is among global technology firms viewing India as a key growth market. The company is adding more local languages to its services and seeking ways to make its Android smartphones cheaper, eager to win more users in the worlds most populous country. The company plans to open a global financial-technology center in Gujarat International Finance Tech-City more commonly known as GIFT City in Prime Minister Narendra Modis home state, Alphabet Chief Executive Officer Sundar Pichai said during the Indian premiers visit to the US last month. USER CONSENT We at moneycontrol use cookies and other tracking technologies to assist you with navigation and determine your location. We also capture cookies to obtain your feedback, analyse your use of our products and services and provide content from third parties. By clicking on 'I Accept', you agree to the usage of cookies and other tracking technologies. For more details you can refer to our cookie policy. *We collect cookies for the functioning of our website and to give you the best experience. This includes some essential cookies. Cookies from third parties which may be used for personalization and determining your location. By clicking 'I Accept', you agree to the usage of cookies to enhance your personalized experience on our site. For more details you can refer to our cookie policy *I agree to the updated privacy policy and I warrant that I am above 16 years of age I agree to the processing of my personal data for the purpose of personalised recommendations on financial and similar products offered by MoneyControl I agree personalized advertisements and any kind of remarketing/retargeting on other third party websites I agree to receive direct marketing communications via Emails and SMS Please select (*) all mandatory conditions to continue. I Accept China-based threat actors are targeting government officials by approaching them with domains and websites that are similar to official NIC (National Informatics Centre) IDs and sites, a recent cybersecurity advisory for government officials accessed by Moneycontrol said. The June 22 advisory listed domain names such as mydrive-nic.online and secure-nic.online, stating that they are being used by Chinese threat actors to perpetrate phishing scams. Other similar domain names include drive-nic.online, files-nic.link, files-nic.space, and nic-files.download. The advisory also listed specific email ids, which the advisory said were being used by Chinese threat actors. "Don't respond to unsolicited emails and junk email (spam). Don't unsubscribe from their emailing (sic) just let the spammer know that they have found the valid email address (sic). The safest path is to ignore and delete," officials were advised. This is the latest in a long line of advisories released by government bodies, highlighting the growing number of incidents in which external threat actors have targeted sensitive and critical infrastructure in the country. Moneycontrol has reached out to NIC and the Indian Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT-In) with queries in this regard. The article will be updated when a response is received. This recent advisory follows a similar warning that the government aired regarding a "new wave of cyber attack campaign" where China-based threat actors have been targeting government bodies, such as the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) and the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS). Apart from that, the June 22 advisory also made a mention of attempts by Pakistani intelligence operatives (PIOs) to target officials "posted in sensitive organisations by honey-trapping them over social media". The recent advisory that Moneycontrol reviewed said, "PIOs are using fake identities including posing as defence correspondents (sic) of ministries and are using spoofed numbers to gain the trust of unsuspecting individuals to ferret out sensitive information." Additionally, it urged higher officials to sensitise all employees in their respective organisations regarding this threat campaign. This follows a similar advisory that a government body had released warning against a cyber-attack campaign, where officials have been receiving malware-laden emails disguised as recommendations on how to prevent honey trapping. A few months ago, a DRDO employee was arrested for divulging sensitive information to Pakistan-based intelligence operatives in a suspected case of honey trapping. US-based Hewlett Packard Enterprise has signed an initial pact with VVDN Technologies under which they plan to produce high-end servers worth USD 1 billion in the next 4-5 years, union minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said on Tuesday. The memorandum of understanding (MoU) was signed within 10 days of the India-US joint statement on co-production and development of technologies. "It is a pleasure to share that HP Enterprise has agreed to produce high-end servers in India under the IT Hardware PLI scheme which was recently approved by our Prime Minister. "Under the scheme, they have signed the first MoU with VVDN Technologies. They will have production worth USD 1 billion in the next 4-5 years," the union minister for IT and Telecom told PTI. He said that the production is expected to start from November this year. USER CONSENT We at moneycontrol use cookies and other tracking technologies to assist you with navigation and determine your location. We also capture cookies to obtain your feedback, analyse your use of our products and services and provide content from third parties. By clicking on 'I Accept', you agree to the usage of cookies and other tracking technologies. For more details you can refer to our cookie policy. *We collect cookies for the functioning of our website and to give you the best experience. This includes some essential cookies. Cookies from third parties which may be used for personalization and determining your location. By clicking 'I Accept', you agree to the usage of cookies to enhance your personalized experience on our site. For more details you can refer to our cookie policy *I agree to the updated privacy policy and I warrant that I am above 16 years of age I agree to the processing of my personal data for the purpose of personalised recommendations on financial and similar products offered by MoneyControl I agree personalized advertisements and any kind of remarketing/retargeting on other third party websites I agree to receive direct marketing communications via Emails and SMS Please select (*) all mandatory conditions to continue. I Accept The initial public offer (IPO) of Senco Gold, which is set to open for bidding on July 4, has received positive reviews so far as analysts believe the company has a strong foundation and the outlook also looks favourable over the long term. The company and its shareholders plan to raise Rs 405 crore from investors. It has set the price band of the issue at Rs 301-317 per share and raised Rs 121.49 crore from 21 anchor investors. Analysts at SBICAP Securities pointed out that at the upper end of the price band, the business is trading at a P/E multiple of 15.5 times its FY23 EPS. Senco has delivered consistent revenue growth, profitability and RoE over the last three years. The companys topline and bottomline have recorded a three-year CAGR of 19 percent and 20 percent, respectively. With its strong legacy in the jewellery business, the company is likely to grow its market position in other parts of the country, the brokerage house said. Company and prospects Senco Gold is a pan-India jewellery retail player with a history of more than five decades. It is the largest organised jewellery retail player in the eastern region based on the number of stores. The company primarily sells gold and diamond jewellery. SAIF Partners India IV Ltd (invested in 2014) and Oman India Joint Investment Fund II (2022) are two of its prominent existing shareholders. As of March 2023, Senco has 136 showrooms, in 96 cities and towns over 13 states across India. According to a CRISIL report, the domestic gems and jewellery market was roughly Rs 4,70,000 crore in FY23, with gold jewellery dominating the overall market with a 66 percent share. The organised players continued to grow faster than the industry at a 20 percent CAGR between FY17 and FY23, compared to 14 percent for the industry. The superior growth rate and a transition towards unorganised to organised retail players are fuelling the optimism of analysts. Apart from that, improving economic growth, rising urbanisation, increasing disposable income levels, and mandatory hallmarking are positives for the organised players. Senco Gold is available at lower than industry peers' valuations. A strong brand name and a legacy of over five decades, strong company-operated showrooms, and an established asset-light franchise model are expected to benefit the company. Therefore, we assign a subscribe rating for the issue on a medium- to long-term basis, said analysts at Geojit Financial Services. Financials The company has given a robust financial performance with revenue increasing from Rs 2,660 crore in FY21 to Rs 4,077 crore in FY23, while the net profit jumped from Rs 61.5 crore to Rs 158.5 crore during the same period. The debt-to-equity ratio for FY23, FY22 and FY21 was 1.5x, 1.4x, and 1.1x, respectively. It has a PAT margin of 2.3 percent, 3.7 percent, and 3.9 percent in FY21, FY22, and FY23, respectively. It intends to prioritise diamond jewellery (currently 7 percent of the revenue), which involves higher margins than gold jewellery, to increase its overall profit margins. Risks and concerns Among the key risks to their recommendations, analysts note Sencos high working capital cycle compared to peers and involvement of Senco Gold and its directors and promoters in certain legal and regulatory proceedings. The company requires a significant amount of working capital to drive growth and primarily to finance the purchase of raw materials. As of March 23, the company has a total working capital sanction limit amounting to Rs 2,073 crore. Besides, the company operates in a highly competitive and fragmented market as the players in the Indian retail jewellery sector often offer their products at highly competitive prices and many of them are well established in their local markets, which is another risk that investors should keep in mind. Disclaimer: The views and investment tips expressed by investment experts on Moneycontrol.com are their own and not those of the website or its management. Moneycontrol.com advises users to check with certified experts before taking any investment decisions. The initial public offering of Senco Gold has subscribed 69 percent by the morning on July 4, the first day of bidding, with it receiving bids for 65.28 lakh equity shares against an IPO size of 94.18 lakh shares. Retail investors have bought 1.12 times the allotted quota, while the portion set aside for high networth individuals was subscribed to 62 percent. Qualified institutional buyers have bid for 3,290 shares of the reserved portion. Half of the offer is reserved for qualified institutional investors. High networth individuals will get 15 percent shares in the offer and 35 percent will go to retail investors. The Kolkata-based jewellery company is planning to mop up Rs 405 crore via its maiden public issue, with a price band of Rs 301-317 per share. The IPO comprises a fresh issue of Rs 270 crore by the company and an offer for sale of Rs 135 crore by investor SAIF Partners. The company already raised Rs 121.49 crore via its anchor book which received good response from investors. As a result, the issue size has been reduced to 94.18 lakh equity shares, from 1.34 crore shares before the anchor book. Also read: Senco Gold IPO | 10 key things to know before bidding for the offer Whiteoak Capital, Jupiter India Fund, Templeton India Value Fund, Sundaram Mutual Fund, Max Life Insurance Company, BNP Paribas Arbitrage - ODI, and Societe Generale are some of the investors in the anchor book. The fresh issue proceeds are mainly utilised for the working capital requirements of the company, besides general corporate purposes. The offer will close on July 6. Senco Gold, with a history of more than five decades, operates its jewellery business through 75 owned showrooms and 61 franchisee showrooms. USER CONSENT We at moneycontrol use cookies and other tracking technologies to assist you with navigation and determine your location. We also capture cookies to obtain your feedback, analyse your use of our products and services and provide content from third parties. By clicking on 'I Accept', you agree to the usage of cookies and other tracking technologies. For more details you can refer to our cookie policy. *We collect cookies for the functioning of our website and to give you the best experience. This includes some essential cookies. Cookies from third parties which may be used for personalization and determining your location. By clicking 'I Accept', you agree to the usage of cookies to enhance your personalized experience on our site. For more details you can refer to our cookie policy *I agree to the updated privacy policy and I warrant that I am above 16 years of age I agree to the processing of my personal data for the purpose of personalised recommendations on financial and similar products offered by MoneyControl I agree personalized advertisements and any kind of remarketing/retargeting on other third party websites I agree to receive direct marketing communications via Emails and SMS Please select (*) all mandatory conditions to continue. I Accept Reliance Jio's subscriber base is likely to surge ahead of other telecom operators with the launch of its JioBharat smartphone, market commentator Prakash Diwan said in an interview with Moneycontrol. Reliance Jio has introduced the highly affordable 4G-enabled smartphone, priced at Rs 999. Diwan believes that Reliance Jio will effectively tap into markets devoid of internet coverage with the phone, thereby expanding its subscriber base. Once connectivity becomes available in these areas, customers will opt for budget-friendly smartphone options like JioBharat, which requires the company's monthly plan, he said. Regions such as parts of Northeast India, and interiors of Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh still lack adequate coverage, giving an opportunity for Reliance Jio to grow its customer base. The JioBharat smartphone's basic recharge plan is priced at Rs 123 per month, offering unlimited voice calls and 14 GB of data. This plan is 25 percent cheaper compared to those of other operators and may lead to the migration of 2G users from Bharti Airtel and VI to Reliance Jio. Diwan said customers are attracted to Reliance Jio's monthly plan as it has a 4G internet pack at a lower cost. BSNL may be hit Diwan said that Reliance Jio's competitive pricing strategy will trigger a price war among telecom operators. This development may prove challenging for players like BSNL, which recently began its revival with government funding of Rs 89,047 crore in June. BSNL is yet to establish its 4G-enabled services, and the new move leaves no room for competition against Reliance Jio. Also read JioBharat launch to create challenges for other telcos: Deven Choksey Reliance Jios new smartphone will create a disruptive environment for other telcom operators, said Diwan. The disruption is not like Nano from Tata Motors which didnt work, its more like a Maruti 800, with better features and affordability, said Diwan. If the phone is similar to the latter car, with great features, it will be disruptive for other players, said the market commentator. The JioBharat phone will create more users for applications like Jio Money, JioSaavan, and JioTV as it will be loaded with these apps, said Diwan. Disclaimer: Moneycontrol is a part of the Network18 group. Network18 is controlled by Independent Media Trust, of which Reliance Industries is the sole beneficiary. The governments flip flop on TCS (tax collected at source) on international credit card transactions appears to have caused a good deal of confusion. It was first introduced on May 16 this year and then withdrawn on June 28. The Finance Ministrys June 28 announcement has made it clear that no TCS will apply on international transactions via credit cards when the card user is outside India. There is no clarity, however, on whether international credit card transactions made from India will attract TCS. Back and forth The Finance Ministry first brought international credit card transactions under the Reserve Bank of Indias liberalized remittance scheme (LRS) on May 16, levying TCS on such transactions with immediate effect. Then on May 19, the government announced that international transactions of up to Rs 7 lakh per financial year via debit and credit cards would be exempt from TCS. Finally, on June 28, the government reversed its May 16 decision and declared that credit card transactions would not be counted under the LRS and therefore, would be exempt from TCS. Also Read | TCS of 20% on credit cards put on hold, forex cards get Rs 7-lakh exemption The current confusion appears to stem from the language used both in the FAQs issued on May 18, and the press release issued on June 28 by the Finance Ministry on this matter. Both make a reference to use of international credit cards when abroad / while being overseas. According to a tweet from @mygovindia on May 20, no TCS applies on payments for purchase of foreign goods and services from India. If we go by these two pieces of information, international credit card transactions from India and those made outside India appear to be treated differently when it comes to TCS. TCS or not experts differ So, where do we stand today? According to Sumanta Mandal, founder of TechnoFino, a platform that reviews debit and credit cards, it is clear no TCS will apply on international credit card transactions whether done from India or overseas. The May 16 government notification amended the Foreign Exchange Management Rules, 2000, by deleting Rule 7 from it. On June 28, this decision was reversed in short, it was decided to reinstate Rule 7. Rule 7 exempts credit card transactions from LRS, and so from TCS. This has been formally notified in the Gazette of India, too. This rule makes a reference to credit card transactions while outside India because at that time online international credit card transactions (payments to foreign websites from India) were not that common. But its meant to cover all international credit card transactions whether from India or overseas, says Mandal. Also Read | Forex cards or credit cards? Which one is better for foreign travel He points out that when you transact with a merchant (say, Amazon.com) that is registered outside India, then whether the transaction happens from India or overseas, it is treated as an outside India transaction. Ankit Jain, Partner, Ved Jain & Associates has a similar view. As per the governments press release, due to technical challenges faced by banks, the plan to include foreign currency transactions made through credit cards under LRS has been discarded for now. Hence, no TCS would apply on them. This includes purchase of goods on global e-commerce websites, or subscriptions to online services, or booking of international flights or hotels, he says. A recent communication sent by SBI Cards & Payment Services to its customers says, TCS will not be applicable on spends made in foreign currency through credit cards for now. This communication can be interpreted to mean that TCS does not apply on any such transactions irrespective of their location. Also Read | Holidays booked with foreign tour operators escape 20% TCS, but Indian tour operators must collect this tax Gautam Nayak, Partner, CNK & Associates LLP, however, holds a different view. According to him, international card transactions done from India are part of LRS. There is no TCS on LRS up to a limit of Rs 7 lakh for now, including on such transactions, says Nayak. According to one other tax expert who did not wish to be quoted, TCS will apply on international credit card transactions when done from India. Given that the communication from the government in the form of press releases, FAQs on Twitter and notifications in the Gazette of India are being interpreted differently, some clarification from the government on this matter would be helpful. Small cap mutual fund schemes have rewarded the patient and disciplined investor. These funds have given a 21 percent CAGR (compounded annual growth rate) over the last 10 years, outperforming mid cap funds (19 percent) and large cap (14 percent) funds. However, small cap funds are not for everyone. High-risk profile investors with a time horizon of more than 10 years can consider investing in the top performing schemes in the small cap category. Nippon India Small Cap Fund (NSF) is one of the top performing smallcap funds in the industry. It has delivered comparatively better risk-adjusted returns since its launch. Profile: Nippon India Small Cap Fund (NSF) invests at least 65 percent of its corpus in companies that are ranked within 250 in terms of market capitalisation. Fund managers: Samir Rachh (since 2017) and Tejas Sheth Size: Rs 28,779 crore; largest fund in the small cap category Suitable for high-risk investors Small cap stocks are more sensitive to macroeconomic changes that lead to more volatility in the short run. But prudent stock selection within the small cap universe and identification of stocks in the early stages of growth have helped top-performing schemes like NSF deliver better risk-adjusted returns over the long term. Performance as measured by 10-year rolling returns over the past 13 years (since inception of the scheme) shows that NSF delivered a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 23 percent, while the Nifty Smallcap 250 TRI (Total Returns Index) delivered 14 percent. Also read: AMFI reclassification: Smallcap stocks that got upgraded to midcaps. Do you own them? NSF has been consistent in delivering superior returns. It was mostly either a Quintile 1 or Quintile 2 performer within the category in the past. Prudent stock selection and solid execution strategy by the fund managers have helped to deliver better returns over time. Also see: Smallcap MFs outshine: Top schemes surge up to 12 times in 10 years NSF has done relatively well across cycles. NSF has been one of the top three performers in the current volatile market where stocks across segments traded high. The gap in valuations between small caps and large caps and between small and mid caps has widened over the last 12 to 18 months. Fund Manager Samir Rachh says the profit recovery of smaller companies has been as strong as that of large companies, with the breadth of Indian earnings being at their best in over a decade. The profit pool which the small cap universe offers is unique and perhaps high growing. Further, the balance sheets and governance standards are at par he adds. Responding to whether this is the right time to invest in small cap funds, Ravi Kumar T V, Founder, Gaining Ground Investment Services, says that on the strength of a better growth environment, decent earnings from the strong results shown by the manufacturing and consumption sectors and an increase in household spending owing to higher per capita income, investors can invest in the small cap category for long-term growth potential. With a corpus size of Rs 28,779 crore, NSF is the largest fund in the small cap category and accounts for about one-fifth of the small cap category assets under management. Larger asset size has been one of the deterrent factors for small cap funds. It is challenging for these funds to churn their portfolio to keep up with market dynamics, leading to sharp short-term underperformance. Rachh explains, major challenges in the small cap category is that liquidity tends to be poor and impact costs higher. You cannot churn the portfolio like other equity categories do. The best way in the small cap space is long-term investing and diversification. Since we want to associate with a company over the long term, we focus on the quality of promoters and good businesses. Entering at the right price also matters. Read here: 12 new midcap stocks that PMS fund managers picked lately. Do you own any? As of May 2023, NSF has an over diversified portfolio, holding 171 equity stocks, of which 137 are small cap stocks. Rachh says, The key to generating alpha is to be able to continuously bring winners into the top 25 stocks. As per the latest data, about 34 percent of the assets were invested in the top 25 stocks holdings. A caveat to taking larger positions in small caps is that getting in is easy but getting out, tricky. Also, the probability of going wrong is higher in small caps compared to large caps. Rachh explains that like largecaps one cannot exit at will from small cap stocks due to liquidity issues. Therefore, one will have to be very careful of what one is buying, making sure to choose good companies that may not have to be sold or those that will certainly have buyers when they must be sold. Hence, investors in NSF should be prepared for short-term underperformance when markets are down. Over the last three years, NSF has not traded much and follows a buy and hold strategy. This is reflected in its turnover ratio, which was just 20 percent (as of May 2023), against the 34 percent average of the category. Also see: Cautious of market highs, these large-caps exit MF portfolio NSF also invests 10-12 percent in large cap companies not only for liquidity but also for taking exposure in some sectors that are not available in the small cap space. It keeps 18-20 percent in the midcap space. Also read: Motilal Oswal Nifty Microcap 250 Index Fund NFO: Check out these favorite microcap stocks of active MFs, PMSes & AIFs Prudent stock selection has helped NSF. Long-term holdings such as Tube Investments of India, Deepak Nitrite and Navin Fluorine International turned multi-baggers and rewarded the scheme. Its recent additions include Krishna Institute of Medical Sciences, Gateway Distriparks and Angel One. NSF can be part of your core portfolio with a time horizon of 10 years and more. Investing in a staggered manner is advisable at this juncture. Note, Nippon India Life AMC has stopped accepting lump sum investments into Nippon India Small Cap Fund (NISC) from July 7, 2023. The restriction will also apply to switch in transactions. However, fresh registrations through systematic investment plan (SIP) without initial investment or systematic transfer plan (STP) or such other special product shall continue with a limit of Rs 5 lakh per day per PAN. Existing SIP and STP will not be affected. Also read: Over 1,200% returns in 2 years, but not over yet: MF still hold these multibagger smallcap stocks The focused mutual fund scheme category, as the name suggests, has been mandated by the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) to manage a concentrated portfolio consisting of a small number of stocks. A maximum of 30 stocks is allowed in a focused fund. This is much lower than that of categories like Flexicap, Largecap and Midcap Funds, which can have around 50-70 stocks. How do Focused funds stand up to Flexicap funds? However, there are no restrictions on where the fund can invest (like in flexicap funds). Also, focused funds can allocate as much as they want to different market capitalisations and sectors. So, in essence, focused funds are like flexicap funds, but with a far more concentrated portfolio of a lesser number of stocks. Many investors look at focused funds as alternatives to PMS-style concentrated portfolio investing, given the low minimum investment requirement of focused funds compared to the Rs 50 lakh required for entry into PMS. But that is not a correct comparison. PMS is a different animal altogether in the way it is run by PMS managers. A better comparison would be the flexicap fund category. The rationale for focused funds is their potential to achieve better returns from investing in a concentrated portfolio by taking comparatively larger positions in high-conviction bets. Also read | Critical illness standalone covers or riders: Which one to pick? Here is how the concentrated portfolios of focused funds compare with those of flexicap funds: But just because this category takes concentrated bets in search of better returns does not mean that it will always deliver on that front. More often than not, the return profile of the category is quite similar to that of flexicap funds. Once every few years, the category does well. But that alone doesnt justify the higher risk one takes by investing in a concentrated portfolio. And it is also for this reason that it is always advised not to not run after last years winners when investing in mutual funds. Concentration is a double-edged sword. When a few of the stocks in the portfolio of focused funds do well, they can give very good returns. But if the tables turn and even a small number of bets by the fund manager goes down, it can push down the overall returns dramatically. Also read | MC Explains: How to get your capital gains statement for MF investments Also, proper scheme selection becomes important in this category as there is a wide range and divergence in the performance of funds. Here is the range of returns that these funds have delivered in the last five years. Should You Invest? New investors in the markets dont need this fund category at all. For other investors too, this fund category is mostly not required. This alternative to flexicap funds delivers pretty similar return outcomes without taking the additional risks of having a concentrated portfolio and with comparatively less volatility. Flexicap funds have the same freedom to invest across market capitalisations but have a more diversified portfolio of 50-70 stocks. The fund manager can opportunistically move around for better returns. So, investors who, in addition to large exposure, also want exposure to potentially high-return mid- and small-cap stocks, can consider flexicap funds as well. Also see | The complete MC30 basket of mutual fund schemes If one has to invest in focused funds, then they should not be part of the core portfolio. It can be a small allocation considered a riskier part of the overall portfolios tactical allocation for experienced investors who understand the pros and cons of higher risk-taking. The choice of fund manager is important in this category as it is all about generating extra returns by betting heavily on the managers high-conviction bets. Also read | Do you need both largecap and flexicap funds? (Dhuraivel Gunasekaran contributed to the story) The Supreme Court has asked the Gurugram district administration and Chintels India Private Ltd, the builder of the Paradiso project, where a higher story of Tower D had collapsed onto lower floors in February 2022 killing two women, to file a reply in two weeks time in response to affected residents grievance regarding non-payment of compensatory rent by the developer since March 2023. However, the date for the next hearing was not announced. The order is yet to be uploaded on the Supreme Court website. Senior lawyer Prashant Bhushan, arguing for the affected residents of Chintels Paradiso before the bench of justices Hrishikesh Roy and Pankaj Mithal, said that following an Indian Institute of Technology-Delhi report, Towers E and F were also declared unsafe and the district administration had asked residents to move out. The builder had been giving the rentals to people who had to find alternative accommodation but had allegedly stopped doing so since March 2023. Also Read: Chintels Paradiso cordons off tower with sagging balcony Bhushan argued that Chintels India said that instead of paying the rent, it will offer two options. One is compensation or in effect a buyback offer at the rate of Rs 6,500 per square foot of the flat that they owned in the Paradiso project. The other option is to await the result of an independent audit by the Central Building Research Institute, and if it finds the buildings unsafe, the developer will demolish and reconstruct the towers. thereafter (builder will) take 36 months to reconstruct the buildings and till that time resident will not get rents. Now the district magistrate has also asked residents to move out without any provision for paying rent. These are middle-class people who have put in all their savings and took loans to buy these flats. So at least in the meantime, the builder must pay rent to these people, Bhushan said in the apex court. The State is granted two weeks time to file a response on the projection made by the petitioners that although the occupiers of the flats have been asked to move out, the rental was ordered to be paid. Although the rental was being paid by the builder until March 2023 the same has stopped since then. An appropriate response within the same timeframe may also be filed by the builder, Roy said in the order. Nishant Kumar Yadav, deputy commissioner, Gurugram, said, We will examine it (the order) and prepare a reply. Bhushan had last month sent a legal notice to Yadav, who is also the chairman of the District Disaster Management Authority, against the order issued to owners of apartments in towers E, F, and G to vacate their flats without making any provision for the payment of rent to the affected residents. Following the February 2022 collapse of Tower D, the authorities, after structural audits, recommended the demolition of the tower and the evacuation of nearby towers. The IIT-D team declared Towers E and F of the complex unsafe to live in February this year and the district administration issued an evacuation order later that month. Manoj Singh, the petitioner and a resident of the housing complex, said that they respect the Supreme Courts directions and that the builder as well as the district administration should come clean on the issue. A Chintels Spokesperson said, We will abide by the directions of the Supreme Court. The rental and capital values of apartments that lack parking spaces have dropped by 15-20 percent, brokers in Bengaluru said. Additionally, a lack of parking space by the local municipality body forces people to park in front of their houses, thus leading to frequent altercations. Recently, Koramangala resident Subhasis Das shared a note left on a car window that read: "Hi, please dont park your car here!! We had already requested you not to do so earlier. Please understand that we have been living in this area since the year 2000, and own 2 cars." Real-estate depreciation Kiran Kumar, founder of Hanu Reddy Realty, added that most of the houses built early or in the mid-2000s lack a garage. Hence, people park in front of their houses. While the rentals and demand for gated societies with dedicated parking spaces are soaring, he said rentals for buildings without parking facilities have already dropped. While a 2BHK with a parking space in Bengaluru commands a rental of Rs 40,000 monthly, without parking facilities, it will be Rs 18,000-Rs 22,000. Apartments selling at Rs 1 crore are being priced at Rs 70-80 lakh for lack of parking space. "Most of these houses are located in congested primeS areas close to CBD like Indiranagar, Koramangala and towards the IT corridor of Whitefield," Kumar said. Lack of parking space has also started affecting the luxury apartments in town. For example, a 2BHK apartment priced at Rs 2 crore in Indiranagar's posh Defence Colony has failed to strike a deal, even at Rs 1.4 crore, due to the unavailability of parking space. Sunil Singh, founder of Realty Corp, added that, today, most millennials own a car, and queries for buying apartments with dedicated parking have doubled since last year. "We even saw lotteries happening in gated apartments for choosing the best parking space available," he added. For apartments that lack parking space, homebuyers look for renting out parking spaces in open areas, like fields nearby, for a rental of Rs 5,000 - Rs 10,000 every month. Illegal encroachments plague residents The narrow bylanes of the city are often encroached by illegal commercial buildings, and roadside parking leads to major impediments for residents, especially in prime areas like Indiranagar. Swarna Venkataraman, a resident of Indiranagar, added that the commercial boom in the area has infringed on areas meant for residential purposes. "With several pubs and shops springing up, most party-goers or shoppers use the roadside for parking, thus blocking our residents' access." For others, a rapid real-estate boom has led to a fighting for parking spaces. When Ajay Shankar, a techie, constructed a house in Koramangala in early 2000, he had enough space to park his car in front of his home. However, today with growing real estate and widening roads, we had to rent out a parking spot for Rs 5,000 per month," he added. To date, Karnataka Urban Development Department has already approved the parking policy, which requires annual permission. The fee for small cars is Rs 1,000 per year and Rs 4,000 for SUVs. Additionally, commercial parking is at least 1.5 to 3 times more. However, residents say a lack of enforcement, most importantly, awareness has led to escalating the parking plights in Bengaluru. The promoters of Indias most valued startup Byju's - Byju Raveendran, Divya Gokulnath and Riju Ravindran have together sold shares worth around $408.53 million in 40 secondary transactions since 2015, report shows at a time when the Edtech company is fielding off troubles on multiple fronts. In a statement, PrivateCircle Research, a private market intelligence platform, said Raveendran's brother and a member of Byjus board Riju Ravindran sold 337,911 shares worth $375.83 million since 2015, whereas Raveendrans wife and co-founder Gokulnath sold 64,565 shares worth $29.40 million. Meanwhile, Raveendran sold 29,306 shares worth $3.28 million since 2015, while purchasing about 31,960 shares from multiple sellers including members of his family and employees of the company since 2012, PrivateCircle highlighted. Raveendran, in a recent mail to employees, also said that he has reinvested all the money received from the secondary sale of shares. By reinvesting the entire amount received through secondary sales back into the company, my commitment to the mission and the conviction on the potential of BYJU'S is unwavering and unshakeable, he said. The research firm said that Raveendran purchased shares from his father Ravindran Kunnaruvath and the companys employees including Arunangshu Bhakta, Brijesh Maheshbhai Patel, Smit Rajanikant Patel, Unique Jain, and Pravin Prakash. At the same time, Gokulnath purchased a total of 4,666 shares from Navin Balan and Priya Mohan - the founders of Vidyartha, a company Byjus acquired in 2017. The data shows that Ravindran also purchased 100 shares from Mrinal Mohit, the COO of Byjus. However, the value of this purchase could not be ascertained. The research firm said the findings are based on various public data sources. In two instances where the secondary share price was not available, PrivateCircle has used the closest available primary share price, it said. To be sure, the shareholding of promoters of the edtech company has been on a gradual decline since 2016. According to PrivateCircle, the first significant drop was between 2015 to 2016, when the promoters stake dipped to 54.7 percent from 71.6 percent and later came down to 34.7 percent in 2019. Byjus promoters, as of today, hold a 21.2 percent stake in the edtech company with Byju Raveendran holding a majority share of 15.9 percent, whereas Divya Gokulnath and Riju Ravindran have 3.32 percent and 1.99 percent respectively, the data showed. PrivateCircle also said that multiple investors participated in Byjus secondary transactions including the likes of Silver Lake Partners, Blackrock, T Rowe Price, Chan Zuckerberg, Owl Ventures, Naspers, Times Internet, Lightspeed Ventures, Proxima Beta, Naspers Ventures, General Atlantic, and Alkeon. The research firm highlighted that the secondary deals were, in some cases, executed at a discounted valuation as compared to the companys primary valuation at that time. For instance, an average of 53 percent discount was observed in secondary sales during its Series F round. During this round, Byjus promoters sold their shares in the price range of Rs 1,12,126 - Rs 1,64,000 per share and the Series F primary share price was in the range of Rs 2,13,042 - Rs 2,37,336, the firm said. Tamil Nadu's Minister for Prohibition and Excise S Muthusamy on July 2 said that the government was considering plans for the sale of liquor in tetra packs, citing environmental and cleanliness benefits, according to a report by Indian Express. This development comes days after the state government announced the closure of 500 liquor shops. Also Read | Tamil Nadu to shut down 500 liquor outlets from June 22 onwards Bottles get broken and damaged sometimes. This can be avoided if tetra packs are introduced. Empty liquor bottles thrown on farmlands or roadsides damage the environment, the minister said, as per the report. The practice has already been implemented in neighbouring Karnataka and Puducherry. An official team has been set up to study the feasibility of this initiative, the minister added. The minister also spoke about the concerns regarding the improper cleaning of reusable liquor bottles and said that tetra packs would eliminate such issues. He also claimed that tetra packs cannot be adulterated, and argued that they were easy to handle. The minister stressed that the move was only in the early stages of consideration and that it would be implemented only after a complete comprehensive evaluation, the report further read. The employees of the 500 closed liquor shops (known as Tasmac outlets), would be redeployed to other shops promptly, the minister said. The proposal to introduce the sale of liquor in tetra packs has been met with stern opposition, mainly from PMK president and former Union minister Anbumani Ramadoss, according to the report. Minors and students might mistake the liquor tetra packs for other beverages, such as milkshakes and other juices that are similarly packaged. Adults will not be able to check its proliferation among kids and students, Ramadoss said. As per the report, Ramadoss said in a statement that the proposal was truly alarming and that the reasoning behind it was absurd. Leaders of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) on Tuesday will hold an online summit hosted by India seeking to expand the influence of the Eurasian group by including Iran and opening a path to membership for Belarus. China's President Xi Jinping and Russian leader Vladimir Putin will participate in the virtual summit, which will be Putin's first appearance at an international event since he crushed a mutiny by the Wagner mercenary group in late June. Formed in 2001 by China and Russia, with former Soviet central Asian states as members and joined later by India and Pakistan, the eight-member SCO is a political and security group that seeks to counter western influence in Eurasia. While Iran is expected to be accepted as a member, Belarus will sign a memorandum of obligations which will lead to its membership later. When both countries, which have observer status and enjoy close ties to Moscow, are accepted as members of the SCO it will expand the grouping's western flank in both Europe and Asia. The summit takes place barely two weeks after Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi was hosted by U.S. President Joe Biden for a state visit, and the two countries called themselves "among the closest partners in the world". India, which holds the presidency of SCO and the G20 this year, has walked a diplomatic tightrope as relations between western nations and a Russia-China partnership have been fraught due to Moscow's invasion of Ukraine last year, and Beijing's growing assertive presence in the global geopolitical theatre. Putin spoke to Modi in a call last week to discuss the aftermath of the quashed mercenary mutiny. During the discussion Modi reiterated a call for dialogue and diplomacy regarding the war in Ukraine. Last year on the sidelines of the summit in Uzbekistan Modi told Putin that it is not the era of war, which is the closest India has come to addressing the issue of the war directly with the Russian leader. RUSSIAN OIL Both Putin and Xi are expected to visit New Delhi in September as India hosts the G20 summit, for which Biden and leaders of other member nations are also likely to be present. India has refused to blame Russia for the war and increased bilateral trade largely by lifting purchases of Russian oil to a record high, which has irked several western capitals. The summit on Tuesday will also see Modi sharing the virtual stage with Xi for the first time since November when the two leaders were present for the G20 summit in Indonesia. The relationship between the two nuclear-armed Asian giants has been frosty for over three years as they are involved in a continuing standoff on their Himalayan frontier. It will also bring Modi face to face online with his Pakistani counterpart Shehbaz Sharif, 10 months after they both attended the SCO summit in Uzbekistan. New Delhi announced last month that the summit will be held virtually, without providing any justification. India will hand over the presidency of the bloc to Kazakhstan at the summit. SCO member nations are expected to discuss Afghanistan, terrorism, regional security, climate change and digital inclusion, among other topics. Foreign Ministers of SCO members met in India's coastal resort-state of Goa in May, which ended in old rivals India and Pakistan attacking each other over Kashmir, terrorism and a souring of bilateral ties. There is no racism in France, the IKEA agent at the desk thundered in a dismissive way, brushing aside all the legitimate questions that a friend and I had posed at the staff of the Swedish brands outlet in Paris after being the only ones to be stopped at the exit by the security guard. We had billed for all the items we purchased at a self-service machine during which we had called another IKEA agent multiple times for help. Then we noticed that we were the only people stopped and whose belongings were checked even as others were allowed to exit unhindered. As two people of colour who have had several such experiences in the past, we approached the staff at the desk only to be let down with the quintessentially tone-deaf, colour-blind French response to such situations. Deep-Rooted Racism The next morning in the suburb of Nanterre located to the west of Paris, a 17-year-old teenager of Algerian descent was shot dead at point-blank range by a police officer for refusing to stop his car during a traffic stop. The incident sparked nationwide protests which turned violent at many places resulting in arrests of hundreds of protestors, significant damages to public property, and heavy deployment of security forces. Seeing the alarmingly high levels of anger spilling onto the streets as a knee-jerk reaction of angry mobs of protestors would be missing the wood for the trees. Such a simplistic assessment of the events in France over the past week would be plainly erroneous as it overlooks the deeply-rooted and embedded problems in French society. In the immediate aftermath of the shooting incident, President Emmanuel Macron had called the incident inexplicable and inexcusable. On the face of it, the comment seems innocuous, conciliatory and mature aimed at curbing anger and violent reactions. Not Inexplicable, Mr Macron But to anyone familiar with Frances history of such incidents, the deeply entrenched racism in the country and racial discrimination in institutions including law enforcement agencies and the chequered past of police brutalities, the incident was anything but inexplicable. The wave of violent protests and riots that have hit the country are by no means unprecedented. In 2005, the death of two teenagers of African descent, electrocuted while fleeing from cops who had confronted them, had resulted in riots that continued for weeks and resulted in the declaration of a state of emergency. Such incidents of police brutalities with racist undertones resulting in waves of violent protests have regularly happened in France. But the failure of the authorities to work towards long-term, permanent and institutional solutions has meant that anger and rage against police brutalities and racial discrimination is not too far from surfacing and can get unleashed when such incidents happen. Policing And Racial Bias An investigation by an independent human rights group Defenseur des droits found that 80 percent of young men who seemed Black or Arab were 20 times more likely to be stopped by the cops for checking. A report by Reuters highlighted how the instances of fatal shooting by the cops during traffic stops and checks have steadily increased since 2017 the year in which a controversial and draconian law that empowered cops to use guns if someone failed to obey their instructions during traffic stops. The report further revealed that most of the victims of these fatal shootings happened to be of Arab or Black origin. In March this year, the Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights had criticised the police brutalities and oppression during the anti-pension reforms protests in France. Despite its blemished record of racial discrimination and brutalities, neither the police force nor the political class have shown any gumption to reform. The lack of political will to act tough on the issue could be linked to the average voter's conservative stance on security issues and the influence of powerful police influences. Earlier this week, President Macron drew the ire of police unions for his remarks condemning the shooting. While it is true that racial discrimination runs deep in Frances law enforcement agencies as seconded by the remarks of the UN rights office earlier this week, what we see in the law enforcement agencies is a reflection and reinforcement of the problem of racism that ails the larger French society. Dump Colourblind Policy Many have pointed out how the colonial roots of racism in France are responsible for the constant degradation and dehumanisation of people with African or Arab descent in the country. Despite racism running deep in its society and in its policing system, the French have held on to a preposterous colourblind policy maintaining that there is no institutional racism in France and portraying itself as non-racist. This colour-blind policy also means that the country collects no official or census data relating to race or ethnicity. What this means is that there is no reliable or concrete source to gauge the levels of discrimination in different walks of life that vulnerable segments of the population can face. One hopes that this tragedy makes France revisit its colour-blind and racism denialist approach of There is no racism in France and dump it for everyones good, for no problem can ever be solved without acknowledging its existence to begin with. Omkar Poojari is currently pursuing a Research Master's degree in Politics at Sciences Po, Paris. His research interests and publications primarily revolve around contemporary Indian politics, elections and voting behaviour. Views are personal, and do not represent the stand of this publication. As Artificial Intelligence continues to advance at breakneck pace, it presents both opportunities and challenges for businesses in India and abroad. Managing legal risk and ensuring compliance in the realm of AI becomes important in this context. This would, in turn, require a deep understanding of the intricate legal landscape. The Indian government has recognised the need for responsible AI development and has taken steps to establish a regulatory framework. The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) has constituted several committees and issued reports on Cyber Security, Safety, Legal and Ethical Issues that encompass various ethical and legal considerations. While specific legislation governing AI is still being developed, these reports such as one published by Committee D on February 2021, and the Approach Document for India Part 1 Principles for Responsible AI by NITI Aayog, serves as a vital foundation for senior management to understand the responsible implementation of AI systems. Nevertheless, there are four primary points on legal risk to be considered by legal counsel and organisations in the space of AI, Intellectual Property Rights and Data Protection. These are big changes that lawyers will confront sooner, rather than later. Data Protection and Privacy: AI relies heavily on data, raising significant concerns about data protection and privacy. The Digital Personal Data Protection Bill, 2019, currently under consideration, holds substantial implications for AI applications. Organisations have to establish robust data protection measures and ensure compliance with the Bill's provisions. Implementing appropriate safeguards and obtaining informed consent are critical components of maintaining data privacy and complying with relevant regulations. Intellectual Property Rights: The convergence of AI and intellectual property rights presents complex challenges. Questions would arise constantly regarding patentability, copyright, and trade secrets concerning AI-generated content or inventions. Corporate counsel need to closely monitor developments in IP law and understand how AI impacts existing frameworks. Analysing case studies and legal precedents will provide valuable insights into protecting and enforcing IP rights in the context of AI. Bias and Discrimination: Algorithmic bias poses a significant challenge in AI systems, as they can unintentionally perpetuate biases and discrimination and pose huge legal implications. Corporate counsel can mitigate these risks by working towards developing fair and unbiased AI systems. Staying updated with emerging guidelines or regulations addressing algorithmic bias is crucial to ensuring compliance and avoiding potential legal consequences. Liability and Accountability: The question of liability and accountability for AI systems presents complex legal challenges. As AI becomes more autonomous, determining who should be held responsible for AI actions requires careful consideration. The concept of "explainable AI" gains prominence, necessitating transparency and accountability in the decision-making processes of AI algorithms. Legal principles and potential regulations are shaping the landscape of AI liability, and lawyers must stay informed to advise organisations effectively. Additionally, certain steps that may help businesses deal with compliance and legal risks include: 1. Staying updated with MeitY reports/studies/guidelines and actively participating in consultations and discussions related to AI regulations. This will help in shaping the regulatory landscape and ensure that the interests of organisations and individuals are adequately represented. 2. Conducting thorough data protection impact assessments for AI systems, identifying potential risks, implementing privacy-enhancing measures and collaborating with data protection officers and IT teams to ensure compliance with data protection laws and best practices. 3. Developing IP strategies specific to AI technologies, considering issues such as inventorship, ownership, and licensing. 4. Collaborating with technical teams to identify AI-related innovations that may be eligible for IP protection and working closely with IP attorneys to navigate the intricacies of AI-related patent and copyright laws. 5. Collaborating with data scientists and AI developers to implement measures that mitigate bias and discrimination in AI systems. Establishing comprehensive data validation processes, employing diverse datasets, and conducting regular audits to identify and rectify biases. 6. Ensuring transparency in AI decision-making processes and providing avenues for individuals to challenge or seek explanations for AI-driven decisions. 7. Establishing clear contractual agreements with AI system providers, ensuring allocation of liability and accountability in case of AI-related incidents. 8. Staying updated with legal developments and industry standards pertaining to AI liability and collaborating with risk management teams to assess and mitigate potential legal risks associated with AI deployments. As AI reshapes industries and organisations, there has to be a multifaceted legal landscape that demands a comprehensive understanding of AI's legal implications, legal risks and ensuring compliance. Only an in-depth knowledge of the regulatory framework, data protection and privacy, intellectual property rights, bias mitigation, liability, etc, will help corporate counsel adapt to these changes. Indian lawyers have to rise to the challenge of effectively guiding organisations through the complexities of AI, thereby enabling them to harness its benefits while maintaining legal and ethical integrity. Implementing the suggested strategies will help organisations navigate the legal complexities of AI and mitigate potential risks effectively. The legal training/ brainstorming for the coming disruption must begin at companies, law firms and law schools without any further delay. Rodney D. Ryder is Founding and Senior Partner with Scriboard; a full-service law firm with an intellectual property, technology and media law practice. He is the Co-Author of Artificial Intelligence and Law. Challenges Demystified. Views are personal, and do not represent the stand of this publication. USER CONSENT We at moneycontrol use cookies and other tracking technologies to assist you with navigation and determine your location. We also capture cookies to obtain your feedback, analyse your use of our products and services and provide content from third parties. By clicking on 'I Accept', you agree to the usage of cookies and other tracking technologies. For more details you can refer to our cookie policy. *We collect cookies for the functioning of our website and to give you the best experience. This includes some essential cookies. Cookies from third parties which may be used for personalization and determining your location. By clicking 'I Accept', you agree to the usage of cookies to enhance your personalized experience on our site. For more details you can refer to our cookie policy *I agree to the updated privacy policy and I warrant that I am above 16 years of age I agree to the processing of my personal data for the purpose of personalised recommendations on financial and similar products offered by MoneyControl I agree personalized advertisements and any kind of remarketing/retargeting on other third party websites I agree to receive direct marketing communications via Emails and SMS Please select (*) all mandatory conditions to continue. I Accept On June 25, a couple of days after the Patna unity show of 15 opposition parties, Union Home Minister Amit Shah had invited KT Rama Rao, Telangana Minister of IT and son of Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) supremo K Chandrashekar Rao, Bharatiya Janata Partys bitter rival, for a one-on-one meeting. Though the scheduled meeting was put off at the last minute after KTR or Rama Rao was agonisingly kept waiting in the national capital in the wake of massive resistance from an anti-KCR ginger group within the Telangana BJP, the development raised many eyebrows. On June 17, KCR had called Prime Minister Narendra Modi his good friend in Nagpur after inaugurating the local BRS party office. Strange Bedfellows A string of developments, involving KCRs party, was taking place around the same period. The BRS and KCR were kept out of the Nitish-led Patna opposition conclave, with Congress claiming it was done at its behest. Earlier, KCRs party had evaded the opposition-sponsored protest over the manner in which President Draupadi Murmu was sidelined when the new Parliament building was inaugurated. Of course, nothing takes place in isolation, and more so in politics. Political pundits are busy joining the dots to conclude whether the sequence of events are any signs of bringing the strange bedfellows BRS and BJP together in Telangana. The changing perceptions have no doubt been driven by changed political equations following the Karnataka elections. Congresss victory in the neighbouring state has brought to sharp focus the compulsions of KCR and the BJP for the newfound love. BJP Needs Allies The BJPs compulsions are explicit. The failure of the Modi magic in Karnataka after successes in the previous state and national elections has put the party on guard. If Telangana experiences a spillover impact from Karnataka, it is likely that the BJP may not put up a better showing than its own previous record in the coming elections. There appears to be realisation that barring Karnataka, the BJP is unlikely at the moment to create any major electoral impact without enlisting support from the regional parties in the south. The saffron party exploring friendly ties with Chandrababu Naidus TDP in Andhra Pradesh and Janata Dal (Secular) in Karnataka could be read in this context. It is naive to undermine the role of South India with 131 Lok Sabha seats in the 545-member lower house in bringing Modi back to power. Mood surveys are also indicating greater headwinds for BJP than in the last two general elections. Therefore, its incumbent upon the BJP to isolate the Congress by all means and look for new allies in a feverish bid to compensate for the losses the party may suffer elsewhere in the north. KCRs Compulsions But what is it that compels KCR to turn to Modis BJP? Politically, its the Congress and personally, its his daughter Kavitha Kalvakuntla, under the scanner in the Delhi liquor scam, who the ED has called in for questioning in the past. The BJPs Telangana leaders, especially the diehard KCR rivals like Etela Rajendar, have been burning the midnight oil to turn the tide of anti-incumbency vote to their partys favour. The state party president Bandi Sanjay spared no efforts to capitalise on the issue of Kavithas imminent arrest. As there were no indications of Kavithas arrest, leaders like K Vishweshwar Reddy, a turncoat from the BRS, have grown impatient and warned that a BRS-BJP nexus will be to the advantage of the Congress. After the BJP lost out on the perception battle in Telangana following its Karnatakas fiasco, KCR began to see the Congress as his main challenger. Reverse migration from his party to the Congress, involving leaders like Ponguleti Srinivasulu Reddy, the strongman in Khammam, and Jupally Krishna Rao, former minister from Mahabubnagar district, are also strengthening perceptions of anti-incumbency. A Return To Neutrality? In his first term as the Chief Minister, KCR pursued cannibalistic politics and encouraged massive defections from the Congress. By 2019, after the Parliament elections, it appeared that BJP was on the upswing in Telangana and KCR went full throttle against the BJP. Now there is a reversal again. Congress is the common enemy again and that is apparently bringing the BRS and the BJP together, forcing them to go for a ceasefire. Given KCRs past track record, the BJP top brass understandably is hopeful of KCR keeping his options open on the question of backing the BJP so as to keep the Congress out of power. Recall that the TRS (rebranded as BRS now) had acted as an outside ally for the NDA by backing almost all the controversial bills during Modis first stint as the PM. The changing political matrix in Telangana may even compel KCR to dump his national third front efforts and buy peace with the BJP. In turn, the BJP may be blowing the peace pipe with BRS keeping in mind a post-national election scenario that may not be favourable to it. Gali Nagaraja is a senior journalist, formerly associated with The Hindu, The Times of India, and Hindustan Times for over three decades. Views are personal, and do not represent the stand of this publication. In the aftermath of the failed mutiny by the Wagner Group mercenary army and its leader, Yevgeny Prigozhin, dissatisfaction with Russias military and political leadership will continue to brew with the fighting in Ukraine. As more details become available about Wagner until recently, the best-equipped, always regularly paid part of the Russian invasion force officers and soldiers alike will wonder why their units often need to rely on public collections for vital equipment and why their pay is often delayed or reduced. Vladimir Putins Russia is known for its ability to fight wars on a relatively small budget. The war in Ukraine is no exception. According to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, Russias military spending was about 4.4 percent of gross domestic product in 2022 and should not exceed that by much this year. Israel spent 4.5 percent of its GDP on defense last year. The headline number doesnt include indirect war-related outlays, such as on construction in occupied areas and in Russian border regions damaged by Ukrainian shelling. But its a manageable amount. SIPRI has this to say in a report published last week: "For Ukraine, it is without question a full-scale war for the countrys very existence as an independent state. But Russia has been engaged in the conflict in a more limited manner, as if seeking to minimise its economic cost and the impact on domestic society and on the presidents goals for the country. It is being fought in reality not with the resources of a full-scale war but indeed as a more limited military operation... it is an operation being fought in monetary terms at a cost that the Russian economy can afford, notwithstanding severe sanctions." The low financial cost of the war may be a major reason why Putin appears to believe that time is on his side and why he isnt actively seeking peace in Ukraine. However, the tight budget appears to have been spent rather inefficiently compared with how Wagner put to use its government funding. At a meeting with service members last week, Putin said Wagners participation in the Ukraine invasion was fully financed by the Russian government. From May 2022 through April 2023, it was funded to the tune of 70.4 billion rubles ($786 million) for regular pay, 15.9 billion rubles for bonuses and 100.2 billion rubles for insurance payments, meaning compensation for deaths and injuries. Putin didnt say how much was spent on Wagners equipment and ammunition, but the numbers he gave are revealing. For one, they appear to be insufficient for the groups reported size. In March, the UK Defense Ministry estimated Wagner had 50,000 fighters in Ukraine. Prigozhin himself said in May that he had 35,000 fighters on the front lines. In addition, he was allowed to recruit 50,000 convicts from prison camps. According to Prigozhin, 20 percent of the former prisoners that is, about 10,000 and an equal number of mercenaries were killed in action. Some 20 percent of both groups were wounded and unable to keep fighting. Prigozhins estimates suggest that, on average, some 20,000 mercenaries and some 30,000 convicts were fighting for Wagner at any given moment. If Putins figures are correct, each of the 50,000 fighters received about 144,000 rubles ($1,608) a month. Thats less than even the 200,000 rubles that convicts were promised by Wagner, not to mention the minimum salaries of 240,000 rubles and monthly bonuses of 150,000 rubles offered to volunteers at the private military companys recruitment offices throughout Russia. Meanwhile, the insurance payments are closer to Prigozhins assessment of about 20,000 dead and 17,000 badly wounded. Wagner paid between 1.1 million rubles and 5.1 million rubles to the family of a fallen mercenary or convict and between 500,000 rubles and 2 million rubles for a severe injury. Putins 100.2 billion rubles for insurance would have meant an average of 2.7 million rubles per casualty. In other words, if Putins spending numbers are correct, its likely that Prigozhin overstated the size of his army. Indeed, it would be in his interest to do so, inflating Wagners importance as the Defense Ministry sought to disband the group. But Prigozhin didnt seem to stray too far from the truth on casualties as he highlighted the heavy price his mercenary army paid for the relatively insignificant victories at the towns of Soledar and Bakhmut. This would partially explain the failure of the mutiny: Prigozhins force was decimated by the losses from urban fighting in Ukraine, so only a few thousand fighters could move on Moscow while a few thousand more patrolled the center of Rostov on June 24. If no more than 30,000 Wagner soldiers 10,000 professionals and 20,000 convicts -- fought in Ukraine in any given month, its clear where the money went and why so little was required. The Defense ministrys math looks murkier. Its contract soldiers are supposed to receive a one-time sign-on bonus of 195,000 rubles and a minimum of 162,000 rubles a month afterwards. At some 210,000 rubles per month, a Russian military force of 200,000 in Ukraine (UK Defense Ministry estimate) would cost some 504 billion rubles per year, not counting payments to wounded vets and families. That is a mere 20 percent of the Russias defense ministrys 2.54 trillion ruble budget allocation for the Russian armed forces in 2023, which only includes direct spending on maintaining Russias main fighting force (and none of the funding set aside for other armed units such as the Rosgvardia national guard, also present in Ukraine). The total Russian defense and security budget in 2023 is expected to reach 6.65 trillion rubles. No NATO country spends less than 30 percent of its defense budget on personnel. Turkeys personnel expenses hover near half of its military budget, and the US, which is usually at war somewhere, pays out between 35 percent and 45 percent for its service members. According to SIPRI, classified national defense spending reached 2 trillion rubles between Jan. 1 and May 11 some 59 percent of the classified spending budgeted for the entire year, which is not unusual since defense industry contractors payments tend to be weighted heavily toward the first months of the year. Its not as if the defense ministry lacks the money to pay soldiers regularly and almost as well as Prigozhin paid his supposedly elite force. And yet service members and their families regularly complain of lapsed payments. Unlike Wagner fighters, mobilised and volunteer soldiers often have to buy their own equipment or rely on supplies from volunteer groups. The Kremlin is happy that its able to keep military spending under control, but even the existing outlay allows for plenty of inefficiency and corruption. Thats the part visible to the soldiers and officers on the ground; after Putin publicly named Wagners costs, Wagners legend of deadly efficiency can only grow in comparison with what regular soldiers know about the defense ministrys practices. Wagners death rate, shown by the same numbers to be higher than Prigozhin had let on, likely will not affect that legend or damp the anger among Russian service members if only because both the mercenaries and the convicts knew what they were in for when they signed up for Wagner. Its much harder for the regular military to riot than it was for Prigozhins mercenaries. Yet the example can be infectious, especially if Russia suffers more setbacks on the battlefield. Leonid Bershidsky, formerly Bloomberg Opinions Europe columnist, is a member of the Bloomberg News Automation Team. Views are personal and do not represent the stand of this publication. Credit: Bloomberg Nationalist Congress Party leader Praful Patel has claimed 51 out of the 53 party MLAs had told NCP chief Sharad Pawar that a possibility of joining hands with the BJP should be explored after the MVA government in Maharashtra collapsed last year. If the NCP can form government with the Shiv Sena, why not with the BJP, Patel, who has switched over to Ajit Pawar's side, said in an interview to Marathi news channel Zee 24 Taas. On Sunday, senior NCP leader Ajit Pawar led a vertical split in the party to become deputy chief minister in the one-year-old Shiv Sena-BJP government, shocking his uncle Sharad Pawar, who founded the outfit 24 years ago after quitting the Congress. Besides Ajit Pawar, eight other NCP MLAs, including Chhagan Bhujbal and Hasan Mushrif, were sworn in as ministers in the Eknath Shinde cabinet. The Uddhav Thackeray-led Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government, comprising the Shiv Sena (then undivided), NCP and Congress, collapsed in June last year after a revolt led by Shinde. Later, Shinde became the chief minister with BJP's support. Patel said last year, internal discussions took place over joining the BJP alliance. There was a discussion among the MLAs, he said. "There were discussions on this issue, but no decision was arrived at. Now a shape has been given. The decision has been taken as a party, not by me or Ajit Pawar individually," the Rajya Sabha member said. He also claimed Jayant Patil was among the 51 MLAs, who wanted Sharad Pawar to explore the possibility of joining the government. Only Anil Deshmukh and Nawab Malik were not present, he added. "The NCP ministers wrote a letter to Sharad Pawar saying the party shouldn't stay out of power. There is no harm in exploring the possibility of joining the government," he said. Asked why the step to join the government was not taken, Patel said, "No decision was arrived at and the other side may have felt we were not required." Patel also said despite being so close to Sharad Pawar, he was not aware of the latter deciding to quit as party chief (a few months back). ''I don't think Sharad Pawar will be upset with me. I will face whatever feelings he has for me," he said. Asked about Jayant Patil moving a petition before Assembly Speaker seeking disqualification of Ajit Pawar and eight other MLAs who joined the ruling alliance, Patel said there have been no internal elections in the party. "Jayant Patil has not been elected as the state party president, and there is no sanctity to decisions taken by him," he claimed. On Sharad Pawar sacking him from the party, Patel said he does not wish to comment on the NCP chief's action. Asked if he will be part of the Union cabinet, Patel said nothing has been decided as of now. "We are with them now. May be later,'' he said. The 2023 summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) will be held virtually today, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi presiding the meet. The participation of Chinese Xi Jinping, Russian President Vladimir Putin, and Pakistan PM Shehbaz Sharif makes this a significant event to look ahead to. In a notable development, Iran is expected to join the SCO summit this year, as a full member state. Irans participation in the SCO summit will promote regionalism and facilitate the economic development of other member states, it had earlier stated in a weekly press conference held at Tehran on July 3. The nation's admission will increase the influence of the SCO as an important regional organization whose member states include strong economies, noted its Foreign Ministry. Pakistan PM Sharif is expected to participate in the virtual summit, on invitation by PM Modi. As per Pakistans foreign ministry, PM Sharifs participation emphasises the significance the nation attaches to the SCO, and its role in enhancing regional security and prosperity. Also Read: Foreign minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari says Pakistan was considering mode of participation in SCO summit but India announced virtual meeting The summit also marks Russian President Putin's first multilateral meet since the Wagner insurrection. Putins participation holds significance as member nations are expected to address key issues, such as the geopolitical tensions in Afghanistan, as well as the Ukraine conflict, among others. The theme for this years summit, coined by PM Modi during the 2018 chapter in Qingdao, is 'Towards a SECURE SCO, with SECURE representing Security, Economy and Trade, Connectivity, Unity, Respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity, and Environment. The summit takes place barely two weeks after PM Modi was hosted by US President Joe Biden for a state visit, and the two countries called themselves "among the closest partners in the world". As per the MEA, the heads of six international and regional organisations have been invited to the summit the UN, the ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations), CIS (Commonwealth of Independent States), CSTO (Collective Security Treaty Organization), EAEU (Eurasian Economic Union) and CICA (Conference on Interaction and Confidence Building Measures in Asia). Indias engagement with the SCO has helped promote its relations with the countries in the region with which India has shared civilizational linkages, and considered Indias extended neighbourhood, as per a government statement released earlier. Parliamentary affairs minister Pralhad Joshi on Tuesday directed officials to complete formalities related to the draft legislations to be introduced during the upcoming Monsoon Session. Joshi reviewed the preparedness of the the legislative and other government business for the Monsoon Session, beginning July 20, during a meeting attended by ministers of state for parliamentary affairs Arjun Ram Meghwal and V Muraleedharan and officials of the ministry. "The focus of the meeting was on repeal and re-enactment of pre-Constitution Acts according to present scenario as well as on Legislations concerning public welfare," an official statement said. Joshi directed the officials to complete all the procedural formalities with respect to the Bills to be brought during the session on priority basis. As on date, 38 draft legislations are pending before Parliament as just one bill was passed during the budget session. Among the bills pending before Parliament are the Inter-services Organisations (Command, Control and Discipline) Bill, 2023, the Jan Vishwas (Amendment of Provisions) Bill, 2022, and the Multi-State Co-operative Societies (Amendment) Bill, 2022. During the session, the government's priority will remain on the bill to replace the Government of National Capital Territory of Delhi (Amendment) Ordinance. The ordinance was promulgated effectively to nullify the Supreme Court judgment that gave the Delhi government greater legislative and administrative control over matters related to the transfer and postings of bureaucrats working under the Delhi government. USER CONSENT We at moneycontrol use cookies and other tracking technologies to assist you with navigation and determine your location. We also capture cookies to obtain your feedback, analyse your use of our products and services and provide content from third parties. By clicking on 'I Accept', you agree to the usage of cookies and other tracking technologies. For more details you can refer to our cookie policy. *We collect cookies for the functioning of our website and to give you the best experience. This includes some essential cookies. Cookies from third parties which may be used for personalization and determining your location. By clicking 'I Accept', you agree to the usage of cookies to enhance your personalized experience on our site. For more details you can refer to our cookie policy *I agree to the updated privacy policy and I warrant that I am above 16 years of age I agree to the processing of my personal data for the purpose of personalised recommendations on financial and similar products offered by MoneyControl I agree personalized advertisements and any kind of remarketing/retargeting on other third party websites I agree to receive direct marketing communications via Emails and SMS Please select (*) all mandatory conditions to continue. I Accept Maharashtra minister and BJP leader Sudhir Mungantiwar on Tuesday dared the Sharad Pawar-led NCP to parade the number of MLAs supporting them. Ajit Pawar joined the Shiv Sena-BJP government on Sunday as deputy chief minister while eight other NCP MLAs took oath as ministers. The NCP has 53 MLAs in the 288-member Assembly. The Ajit Pawar camp has claimed the support of more than 40 MLAs. Speaking to reporters here, Mungantiwar said, I challenge them (Sharad Pawar-led NCP) to show the number of MLAs supporting them. The MLAs are behind Ajit Pawar. He has chosen to go with development and truth. They (Sharad Pawar-led NCP) can organise a meeting and parade the number of MLAs that are supporting them. They should show their strength, he said. Asked about Shiv Sena leader Eknath Shinde and other ministers (after the revolt in June last year) claiming Ajit Pawar, as finance minister (in the previous MVA government), was biased in the disbursement of funds, Mungantiwar said the comments were "hyped". Now, Shinde is the chief minister and no work file can be stopped if he signs on it, he said. The Uddhav Thackeray-led Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government, comprising the Shiv Sena (then undivided), NCP and Congress, collapsed in June last year after a revolt led by Shinde. The revolt also led to a split in the Shiv Sena. Later, Shinde became the chief minister with BJP's support. USER CONSENT We at moneycontrol use cookies and other tracking technologies to assist you with navigation and determine your location. We also capture cookies to obtain your feedback, analyse your use of our products and services and provide content from third parties. By clicking on 'I Accept', you agree to the usage of cookies and other tracking technologies. For more details you can refer to our cookie policy. *We collect cookies for the functioning of our website and to give you the best experience. This includes some essential cookies. Cookies from third parties which may be used for personalization and determining your location. By clicking 'I Accept', you agree to the usage of cookies to enhance your personalized experience on our site. For more details you can refer to our cookie policy *I agree to the updated privacy policy and I warrant that I am above 16 years of age I agree to the processing of my personal data for the purpose of personalised recommendations on financial and similar products offered by MoneyControl I agree personalized advertisements and any kind of remarketing/retargeting on other third party websites I agree to receive direct marketing communications via Emails and SMS Please select (*) all mandatory conditions to continue. I Accept As Uttarakhand works to implement Uniform Civil Code (UCC), Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami met Prime Minister Narendra Modi Tuesday and said a common code will soon be implemented in the state, even as he denied having any discussion with the PM on the topic. Speaking to reporters after the meeting, Dhami said he has invited the PM to visit Uttarakhand. The chief minister said he also discussed the issue of assistance for the people affected in the Joshimath, Char Dham Yatra, and the increase in Goods and Services Tax (GST) collection in the state among other issues. However, when asked whether the UCC was also a topic of discussion, Dhami evaded a direct reply by saying the PM is already aware of all the details. "He knows all about the provisions of UCC. It is his thought that UCC should be implemented in the country," Dhami said. He said the state government has not received a complete draft of the report on the code yet. "We will bring it (UCC) soon, we will not delay it, nor will we do anything in a hurry so that there are shortcomings..." he said. Asked if Tribal groups will be exempted from the common code, the chief minister said the committee has reached out to different tribal groups in the state. Commenting on his meeting with Home Minister Amit Shah earlier, Dhami said they discussed the Char Dham yatra, the law and order situation in the state, and preparedness for natural disasters in view of the arrival of the monsoon. In its manifesto for the 2022 assembly elections in the state, BJP had promised to bring a UCC. Implementation of a UCC has been part of BJP election manifestos and Prime Minister Narendra Modi while addressing BJP workers in Bhopal last month made a strong push for it, asking how can the country function with dual laws that govern personal matters, and accused the Opposition of using the issue to "mislead and provoke" the Muslim community. Uttarakhand is already in the process of implementing its common code. Hero MotoCorp, India's largest two-wheeler maker, is seeking a bigger piece of the premium lifestyle motorcycles pie in India with the launch of Harley-Davidson X440, a fully indigenized 440cc motorbike it has co-created with the United States-based cult motorbike maker. The X440 motorcycle was launched at a starting price of Rs 2.29 lakh (ex-showroom). The focus is on Harleys X440 for the Indian market ... We are going one step at a time, and this is for the first time that Hero has gone into this specific segment and worked with this engine size, said Pawan Munjal, chairman, Hero MotoCorp. Further, he said that the company would use the same 440cc engine to roll out its motorcycle from its Neemrana unit in Rajasthan, which will be unveiled in the January-March next year. He acknowledged that the country's largest two-wheeler maker has a very small market share in the premium segment. Shares of Hero MotoCorp Ltd surged more than 3 percent in early trade on July 4 after its partnership with Harley Davidson. At 11.51 am, Hero MotoCorp was trading at Rs 2,970, up 2.48 percent from the previous day's close. In the last six months, the stock has given an 11 percent return. Also Read: Harley-Davidson X440, co-developed by Hero MotoCorp, launched in India at starting price of Rs 2.29 lakh "Harley plays a very important role for us in this entire premium strategy. While we have put out some products there, which are very successful, with Harley, there is clearly a large amount of learning for us in the development of large-sized engines," news agency PTI quoted Munjal as saying. Asked asked about the future roadmap of the collaboration with the American iconic brand, Munjal said: "We want to go out there and prove ourselves, get our customers, get them satisfied, get into large volumes, thereafter, we can always look at possibilities going forward." Moneycontrol couldn't verify the report independently. On exports of X440, Munjal said the focus remains on the domestic market, at present. Industry body Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM) data demonstrates that sales of motorcycles with engine capacity ranging upwards of 250cc to 750cc, soared 38 percent last fiscal, more than double of the overall two-wheeler category. Divulging details about the future roadmap of the collaboration with Harley, Munjal said the focus is on the successful launch of the Harley Davidson X440. "We want to go out there and prove ourselves, get our customers, get them satisfied, get into large volumes, thereafter, we can always look at possibilities going forward," the Hero MotoCorp chief told the news agency. In Pics: Harley-Davidson launches X440, jointly developed with Hero MotoCorp Jochen Zeitz, president and CEO, Harley-Davidson, said that the American companys brand had been out of reach for a lot of customers in India. It is in the premium segment, but it is much more achievable because it is not in the 975ccplus segment. It is a 440cc bike with a character uniquely Harley, Zeitz emphasised. In 2020, Harley closed its production unit in India and exited the country. However, in the same year, it inked a pact with Hero MotoCorp to develop and sell a range of premium motorcycles under the Harley-Davidson brand. A month after 92-year-old George Soros handed over the reins of his multi-billion dollar Open Society Foundation to his son Alexander Soros, the foundation has announced to lay off 40 percent of its staff. The job cuts were part of the organisation undergoing significant changes in its operating model, Alexander Soros and the foundations president, Mark Malloch-Brown said in a statement. Through this new model, the Board aims to transform operations across the global network, with the goal of generating a nimbler organisation better able to build on past achievements and confront urgent and emerging challenges, they added. George Soros, whose net worth is estimated to be $6.7 billion, has donated $32 billion to his foundation since 1984. The non-profit organisation has about 800 employees across the world. Speaking about the job cuts, an Open Society Foundations spokesperson told CNN that difficult decisions needed to be made to implement the organisation's new vision and that it planned to reduce its manpower by 40 percent globally. Open Society Foundations is the worlds largest private funder of independent groups working for justice, democratic governance, and human rights, according to its website, and until earlier this year, George Soros was certain that he did not wish to hand it over to any of his five children. In June, however, he announced that he had changed his mind. Addressing the handover to his son, George Soros said, Hes earned it. Alexander Soros, 37, stated that he was more political than his father and plans to continue to donate family money to left-leaning US political candidates, a report by the Wall Street Journal said. He is also known for establishing the Alexander Soros Foundation in 2012, aimed at promoting social justice and human rights. Read more: Meet Alexander Soros, the new chairman of Open Society Foundation The Canadian government has responded to a proposed protest rally by a pro-Khalistan group in Toronto this Saturday, calling it unacceptable and that the country takes the safety of diplomats very seriously. Pro-Khalistani posters in Canada showed the names and photos of two Indian diplomats. Canada takes its obligations under the Vienna Conventions regarding the safety of diplomats very seriously. Canada remains in close contact with Indian officials in light of some of the promotional material circulating online regarding a protest planned for July 8th, which are unacceptable, Canadian Foreign Minister Melanie Joly said in a statement which she shared on Twitter. We know that the actions of a few do not speak for an entire community, or Canada. My comment regarding some of the promotional material circulating for a planned protest on July 8. pic.twitter.com/yYoWDCvAdi Melanie Joly (@melaniejoly) July 4, 2023 In New Delhi, the Canadian High Commissioner to India was summoned by Foreign Ministry over the pro-Khalistani posters in Canada. Canadas comments come soon after India asked Canada, the UK and the US not to give space to "extremist Khalistani ideology" as it is "not good" for relations. When asked about reports of Khalistani posters in Canada naming Indian diplomats, Foreign Minister Dr S Jaishankar said the issue will be raised with the government of that country. The "radical, extremist Khalistani ideology" is not good for India or its partner countries such as the US, Canada, the UK and Australia, he told reporters on the sidelines of a BJP outreach campaign. "We have already requested our partner countries like Canada, the US, the UK and Australia where sometimes Khalistani activities happen, not to give space to Khalistanis. Because their (Khalistanis) radical, extremist thinking is neither good for us nor for them nor our relations," the minister said. We will raise the issue of posters with those government. I think it would have already been done by now as it happened two to three days earlier," Dr Jaishankar said. India has been urging Canada against giving space to pro-Khalistani separatists and extremists elements, Jaishankar had said. Loreto College, a premier institution in the heart of Kolkata, is facing flak after it barred students from Hindi and Bengali medium schools from taking admission in the college prompting the University of Calcutta to ask for an explanation from its principal. The college, affiliated to Calcutta University (CU), recently released its list of selected candidates for undergraduate courses for 2023 with a note that baffled many. The college, established in 1912, in a note said that instructions, examinations and even library books at the institution are all in English (barring vernacular books). The college also said that students from vernacular medium schools have not been considered for admission, prompting critics to call it a colonial hangover. The note The medium of instruction in Loreto College is ONLY English. Examinations will have to be answered ONLY in English. Our reputed Open Shelf Library has only English reference/text books and journals for all subjects other than vernacular Bengali and Hindi," the note reads. Now, the note has been updated to take out the discriminatory part. It previously said: "From previous experience we strongly recommend that candidates hailing from vernacular medium schools opt to study in institutions where the medium of instruction is bilingual. Students whose medium of instruction in Class XlI was vernacular have not been considered for admission, the original note with the merit list read. It also came with a spelling mistake highlighting the irony of the notice. The new rule, considered elitist and discriminatory, had not been there before in previous sessions, say several alumni of the college. Calcutta University's ire Calcutta University has called Loreto's principal Sister Christine Coutinho and made it amply clear that this rule does not fit in with the university guidelines. The college issued an apology after the backlash. The college apologises for inadvertently hurting the sentiments of the students. It was not the intention to discriminate against any student from any background. However, there was a reason for giving out preferences to students from English medium schools. It was observed by teachers that the students who come from schools where the medium of instruction is not English face difficulty in following the lectures. Hence, it was a practical consideration so that the students do not feel uncomfortable in the atmosphere. Loreto College is a Catholic womens college in Park Street and has always implemented speaking in English on campus irrespective of the subject a student has opted for. From lectures to administration to informal conversations, the mode of communication has always been English. What about other colleges? The neighbouring St Xaviers College, also a Catholic institution, however does not have such a rule. Principal Father Dominic Savio said, There is no discrimination on the basis of language at St Xaviers College. We arrange remedial classes for students from the vernacular medium. Lectures and examinations of all colleges under CU are conducted in the preferred language choice of the candidate. Classes are also conducted in both languages barring English Literature students, of course. All other top colleges of the city as well, including Jadavpur University, Presidency University, Bethune College, Lady Brabourne College and Scottish Church College, teach and conduct examinations according to students' preference. The episode begs the question whether elitism in education is acceptable as a sizeable number of students may not be able to afford an English medium education. That should not bar them from applying to a college one of the better ones in the city just because of a language barrier. What are people saying? Disha Dey, an applicant to Loreto College this year, says that it was mentioned during the application process as well that vernacular medium students need not apply. However, it seems it was overlooked by many as this rule was never in place before. Several hundreds of applicants paid a Rs 300 fee for the form only to realise that they were not even eligible to apply and were not considered for admission. Ankita Sengupta, an alumnus of the English department of Loreto, says that it is unfair to deny admission without even giving them a chance to prove themselves. I think a blanket ban on students without gauging their potential even if they are from vernacular medium schools is discriminatory. I can understand the professors' point that students not fluent in English may face problems in class, but what about the students who are from Bengali-medium schools and are proficient in the language? Why should they not even be given a chance during the admission process to prove themselves? she says. Zora Rahman, an alumnus of St Xavier's College thinks Loreto is just trying to protect its reputation. She says, Denying admission is not fair but then if they don't have measures to implement lectures or make life easier for the vernacular students by allowing them to write in their preferred language, then the students may end up blaming the college. I think they are saving their own image and reputation by avoiding the process altogether. The college has also released its list of candidates segregated on the basis of boards. ISC, CBSE and state board students have been selected in separate lists board-wise a selection method quite unheard of in the city under all CU affiliates although each college has autonomy on their selection process. According to the Henley Private Health Migration Report 2023, around 6,500 Indian millionaires and their families are expected to leave the country. China tops the list with an estimated loss of 13,500 high-net-worth individuals, while India is second. This years number is less than 2022, when the total outflow of HNIs reached 7,500. The United Kingdom (3,200), Russia (3,000), and Brazil (1,200) are next on the list of exodus. The report says that Australia, the United States, and Switzerland are the most preferred investment destinations for wealthy and affluent Indians. Moreover, Dubai and Singapore also remain the top immigration destination for wealthy Indians. Dubai is particularly attractive for Indians due to its Golden Visa program, favourable tax policies, ease of business, and safe environment. According to the Knight Frank India report, the population of high-net-worth individuals in India continues to grow rapidly. At present, each HNI with a net asset value of $1 million and above was recorded at 797,714 in 2022. So, 6,500 shouldnt be a matter of concern as only 0.81% of the HNI population plans to move out of India. As per the data published by the Ministry of External Affairs, 2.5 million Indians migrate every year. At present, the total number of the Indian diaspora, including both NRIs and persons of Indian origins, stands at 32 million. So, 6,500 Indians moving overseas isnt a big issue, especially when they have a total wealth of $1 million. Affluent families have a vision for themselves and their families. What are the reasons behind Indian HNIs moving out of India? The biggest reason why HNIs are leaving India is related to high living standards, world-class education and healthcare facilities, a stable political environment, excellent work-life balance, and citizenship opportunities. Other reasons include: High-quality of life A safe escape from several social stigmas Favourable tax policies Stable banking system Opportunity to earn in strong currencies and invest in the rupee Unrestricted or visa-free travel opportunities across the world Availability of investment visa pathway like Canada startup visa Where are the rich people heading? Australia leads the pack as the country is expected to welcome the highest number of high-net-worth individuals through Australia 188 visa. The country projects an inflow of 5,200 millionaires in 2023. The UAE takes the second spot with a total influx of 4,500 new millionaires this year. Singapore secures third place with an estimated inflow of 3,200 HNIs, followed by the United States of America with an estimated net influx of 2,100 HNWIs. Switzerland is another country that keeps on attracting high-net-worth individuals across the world. The country expects to welcome 1,800 HNWIs this year, whereas Canada will welcome 1,600 HNWIs this year. How can Abhinav Immigration Services help? Abhinav has over 28 years of experience in immigration and visa consultancy services. We have a dedicated team of over 200 best immigration consultant experts who work passionately to make your business immigration dream a reality. Abhinav can be a bridge to your new life in a new country. From profile evaluation to document submission and choosing the right investment pathway, our migration experts follow every possible step to make this journey a seamless experience. If you want to migrate to a new country as an investor or a business person, you may reach us at 8595338595. We will schedule your free counselling session with our Immigration Specialist, who will guide you through all the processes and possibilities. Moneycontrol journalists were not involved in the creation of the article. A groom in Uttar Pradesh reportedly called off his marriage after he spotted his mother-in-law dance while smoking a cigarette during the pre-wedding festivities. The incident happened in Sambhal district where the arranged marriage was scheduled to take place on June 27, Times Now reported. After arriving at the venue, the groom was apparently shocked to see his bride's mother join the festivities and dance while smoking a cigarette. As per reports, the groom immediately called for the celebrations to be halted and called off the marriage. It was followed by a dispute between the two families. Later, however, the panchayat was called and the problem was resolved with the families eventually agreeing to proceed with the marriage, the publication reported. In another bizarre wedding incident in Uttar Pradesh, a bride chased his runaway groom for 20 km and brought him back to the mandap, all while dressed in her wedding finery. As per reports, the couple had been in a relationship for two-and-a-half years, but on the day of the wedding, the bride sat waiting at the mandap for her partner to show up but he never did. The groom told her over a phone call that he had gone to bring his mother to the venue, but she did not believe him. Realising that he was not going to show up, the bride decided to track him down and travelled 20 km to look for him. She eventually found him on a bus outside Bareilly, dressed in regular clothes. After a dramatic exchange, the bride managed to convince the groom the continue with the marriage and the couple finally ended up tying the knot at a temple outside Bareilly. Read more: Playing with fire: Gun stunt on wedding day goes horribly wrong for bride A two-judge bench of the Delhi High Court has ordered mobile phone manufacturer Oppo to deposit 23 percent of its India sales, within four weeks, for using Nokia's technology in its phones without the requisite consent. The bench arrived at the 23 percent figure after noting that Oppo's sales in India account for around 23 per cent of its global sales. What is the case about? Oppo had secured a licence from Nokia in 2018 for using some of its technology for a period of three years. Oppo had also made advance payments for the use of this technology. The agreement, however, did not cover the use of patents relating to 5G standards. Considering that 5G devices account for 52 percent of Oppo's sales in India, the company would have had to pay a substantially higher amount to Nokia. Nokia alleged that after the expiry of the 2018 agreement, Oppo had witnessed an unprecedented increase in the sale of its devices and had sold around 77 million devices in India without paying a single rupee in royalty. It is Nokia's case that it had offered to discuss the renewal of the agreement, but Oppo had refused to negotiate in good faith. Nokia then initiated a suit in the Delhi High Court for infringement of its patent for 2G, 3G, 4G and 5G devices in India. Nokia sought a pro-tem (temporary) deposit from Oppo of an amount either based on the latest counter offer made by Oppo for a global licence during the negotiations or an amount equivalent to the royalty paid under the 2018 agreement. However, a single judge of the Delhi High Court dismissed the application seeking interim deposit, stating that the court did not have the power to do so without going into the merits of the case. Nokia then appealed against the order before a two-judge bench of the High Court. Oppo's arguments: Oppo argued that a patent holder cannot seek an interim or even a permanent injunction as a matter of right. Oppo also argued that Nokia was seeking interim security in the initial stages of the case, without substantiating any of its claims. It is Oppo's contention that Nokias demands were not in compliance with the Fair, Reasonable and Non-Discriminatory (FRAND) agreement on fair practice in the use of patents. Court's conclusion The court has held that to balance the equities in cases such as this, it has the power to pass an order directing Oppo to make a temporary deposit without going into the merits of the case in detail. It has further clarified that an order asking a company to make a temporary deposit does not amount to asking the company to stop using the patent. The court noted that if Oppo does not make a temporary deposit, Nokia will suffer an irreparable loss as its patents will be used without the benefit of royalty. The court also took note of the fact that Nokia had initiated 13 patent infringement proceedings against Oppo globally. Of them 11 had gone in Nokias favour. The court set aside the single judge's order and directed Oppo to deposit 23 percent of the proceeds of their India sales. Nokia was represented by senior advocates, Gourab Banerjee and Pravin Anand, managing partner of law firm Anand and Anand. The National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT) on July 4 questioned the maintainability of the insolvency plea filed by aircraft lessor Will Lease Finance Corporation against low-cost airline SpiceJet, on the ground that Willis had already filed and withdrawn a petition against SpiceJet for the same dispute in March 2023. Appearing for SpiceJet, senior advocate Krishnendu Dutta argued that Willis had previously initiated an insolvency plea against SpiceJet for the same cause of action. However, it withdrew the plea owing to some technical defects. He questioned as to how Willis could have filed a second plea for the same cause of action in a matter of months. Senior Counsel Virender Ganda, who appeared for Willis, argued that they had obtained the court's permission to withdraw and refile the insolvency plea and hence it is maintainable. He further argued that SpiceJet owed Wills $6.87 million and they had to therefore file an insolvency plea. The tribunal however questioned how a fresh insolvency plea could be filed for the same cause of action, without first sending a notice to SpiceJet under the provisions of Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code, 2016. The tribunal also noted that while NCLT had granted Willis permission to withdraw the previous insolvency plea, they had not explicitly granted permission to refile it. Thus, the tribunal opined that the case would require detailed consideration. The case is now likely to be heard on July 21, where both the parties may argue on the maintainability of the plea. Other insolvency pleas against SpiceJet: There are a total of four insolvency pleas filed by lessors against SpiceJet. Two pleas by aircraft lessor Aircastle and one plea by lessor Wilmington are already pending in the tribunal. The NCLT on May 8 issued notice in Aircastle's first plea and sought the airline's response. SpiceJet had accordingly filed a response to the plea, and Aircastle sought a short adjournment on May 25 to respond to the airline's reply. Subsequently, SpiceJet had filed an application questioning the maintainability of Aircastle's insolvency plea. SpiceJet has also questioned the maintainability of Aircastle's second insolvency plea and Wilmington's plea. The cases are expected to be heard by the tribunal on July 17. Real Estate company Acres Buildwell Private Limited, which had initiated insolvency proceedings against SpiceJet, has filed an application in the NCLT to withdraw its plea after the parties resolved the dispute. Hours after a two-judge bench of Madras High Court delivered a split verdict in the habeas corpus petition of arrested Tamil Nadu Minister V Senthil Balaji, the Supreme Court has issued directions to the Chief Justice of Madras High Court to assign the case to a new bench and decide the case at the earliest possible time. Appearing for Enforcement Directorate (ED) Solicitor General (SG) Tushar Mehta urged the apex court to transfer the case before itself as the case may get delayed if it stays in Madras HC. SG argued that since Balaji is a minister, there is a chance that evidence may be tampered with. Senior Counsel Kapil Sibal, who appeared for Balaji, argued that the Supreme Court cannot assume High Court's position merely because a split verdict has been passed and asked the court not to transfer the case before itself. The court noted that it would be better if the case is finally decided at Madras High Court as they would have the assistance of another opinion of the third judge. Thus the SC directed the Madras HC to decide the case at the earliest possible time. The Supreme Court has also kept the petitions before it pending and listed them for hearing on July 24. Earlier today, a division bench of the Madras High Court on Tuesday delivered a split verdict on the habeas corpus petition of arrested Tamil Nadu Minister V Senthil Balaji. Justices J Nisha Banu and D Bharatha Chakravarthy gave the ruling on the habeas corpus petition filed by Balaji's wife against her husband's "illegal detention". While Justice Nisha Banu set Balaji at liberty, the other judge disagreed with it. The bench then directed the registry to place the matter before the Chief Justice for it to be referred to another bench. On June 21, SC refused to stay Madras High Court's order permitting Balaji to be admitted to a private hospital in Chennai. Balaji, then electricity and prohibition and excise minister of Tamil Nadu, was arrested on June 14 under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) in an alleged cash-for-jobs scam that took place when he handled the transport portfolio in an AIADMK government led by the late J Jayalalithaa. He was admitted to the hospital for health complications immediately upon his arrest. He is now Minister without Portfolio, after those handled by him were reallocated to his cabinet colleagues Thangam Thennarasu and S Muthusamy. The high court passed an interim order after Balaji's wife filed a habeas corpus petition alleging illegal arrest. A mysterious and potentially deadly brain ailment is spreading across the Canadian province of New Brunswick, raising concerns among health experts and local residents. The number of individuals affected by this condition, characterized by neurological symptoms such as hallucinations, muscle wasting, vision problems, memory loss, and abnormal movements, has been steadily increasing since it was first identified in 2015. Initially, a small cluster of patients was reported, but the case count has now reached 48. However, some experts and residents believe the actual number of affected individuals could be much higher, possibly exceeding 200. Of particular concern is the fact that a significant number of cases involve young people who do not typically exhibit symptoms associated with dementia or other neurological disorders. As of 2021, nine deaths have been attributed to this mysterious illness. Yet, despite the growing number of cases and the severity of the symptoms, a government investigation into the cause abruptly shut down in 2021. Public Health New Brunswick, the government agency responsible for the investigation, declared in its February 2022 final report that there was "no evidence of a cluster of neurological syndrome of unknown cause." The report authors claimed that the symptoms displayed by the affected individuals varied significantly, and no shared common illness or unknown syndrome could be identified. However, doctors and patient advocates refuse to accept this conclusion and suspect that the disorder may be linked to the use of pesticides in the predominantly rural province. Glyphosate, an herbicide widely used in agriculture, the forestry industry, and household weedkillers, has come under particular scrutiny. A doctors letter said that recent laboratory tests conducted on patients showed "clear signs of exposure" to glyphosate, as well as other compounds associated with herbicides. The presence of glyphosate may be connected to blooms of blue-green algae in bodies of water. Glyphosate contains phosphorous, which can stimulate the growth of blue-green algae, a type of cyanobacteria known to cause illness in humans and animals. Patient advocates argue that the true number of cases likely exceeds 200, with some patients testing positive for multiple environmental toxins, including glyphosate, at levels up to 40 times higher than the average limit. They raise concerns that the decision to close the case prematurely may have been influenced by pressure from industry or other groups. Nevertheless, a determined group of New Brunswick patients and their families are demanding a comprehensive investigation into the disorder from the federal and provincial governments. Ratan Tata on Tuesday appealed to drivers to check for stray animals who may have taken shelter under their cars during the rains to avoid hurting them when driving off. The legendary industrialist took to Instagram and Twitter to share that it would be "heartwarming" if the animals could be provided temporary shelter under the vehicles. "Now that the monsoons are here, a lot of stray cats and dogs take shelter under our cars. It is important to check under our car before we turn it on and accelerate to avoid injuries to stray animals taking shelter," he wrote. "They can be seriously injured, handicapped and even killed if we are unaware of their presence under our vehicles." Ratan Tata, an avid animal lover, added, "It would be heartwarming if we could all offer them temporary shelter when it is pouring this season." Now that the monsoons are here, a lot of stray cats and dogs take shelter under our cars. It is important to check under our car before we turn it on and accelerate to avoid injuries to stray animals taking shelter. They can be seriously injured, handicapped and even killed if we pic.twitter.com/BH4iHJJyhp Ratan N. Tata (@RNTata2000) July 4, 2023 Ratan Tata is well known for his love for animals, especially dogs. While he famously did not turn up at Buckingham Palace in London in 2018 to receive a lifetime award from then Prince Charles because one of his dogs, Tito, had fallen ill, at his office, the veteran industrialist is known to be accompanied by another one of his adopted pooches, Goa. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Ratan Tata (@ratantata) Tito died a few years ago, but Bombay House -- the global headquarters of the Tata Group -- continues to house a number of stray dogs. Read more: How Ratan Tata helped this 21-year-old man build a Rs 500 crore company July 4 2023 marks the 121st death anniversary of Swami Vivekananda, regarded as one of the greatest spiritual leaders. He was well-known for his knowledge of science and religion and motivated India's youth to live a pure life and become an example for the world. Additionally, he also played an important role in bringing yoga and Vedanta philosophies to the West. Here are 10 quotes of Swami Vivekananda that inspires us even today: To worship God even for the sake of salvation or any other reward is equally degenerate. Love knows no reward. Give your love unto to God, but do not ask anything in return even from Him through pray Arise, awake, stop not till the goal is reached God is the ever-active providence, by whose power systems after systems are being evolved out of chaos, made to run for a time and again destroyed. You know, I may have to be born again, you see, I have fallen in love with mankind There is nothing beyond God, and the sense enjoyments are simply something through which we are passing now in the hope of getting better things We are responsible for what we are, and whatever we wish ourselves to be, we have the power to make ourselves. If what we are now has been the result of our own past actions, it certainly follows that whatever we wish to be in future can be produced by our present actions; so, we have to know how to act God is the ever-active providence, by whose power systems after systems are being evolved out of chaos, made to run for a time and again destroyed In one word, this ideal is that you are divine God is to be worshipped as the one beloved, dearer than everything in this and next life In a day, when you dont come across any problems you can be sure that you are travelling in a wrong path Alphabet's Google, Amazon, Apple, Meta Platforms and Microsoft have notified the European Commission that they qualify as gatekeepers under new EU tech rules, EU industry chief Thierry Breton said on Tuesday. Under the Digital Markets Act (DMA) which came into force last November, companies with more than 45 million monthly active users and a 75 billion euros market capitalisation are considered gatekeepers providing a core platform service. Samsung and TikTok owner ByteDance also said they meet the EU thresholds, Breton said. "Europe is completely reorganising its digital space to both better protect EU citizens and enhance innovation for EU startups and companies," Breton said in a statement. The Commission will confirm the gatekeeper designation by Sept. 6 after checking the data provided by the companies. They will then have six months to comply with the DMA rules. Booking.com said it expects to meet the gatekeeper threshold by the end of the year and will then notify the EU executive. Companies labelled as gatekeepers will be required to make their messaging apps interoperate with rivals and let users to decide which apps to pre-install on their devices. They will not be allowed to favour their own services over rivals' or prevent users from removing pre-installed software or apps, two rules that will hit Google and Apple hard. Companies can be fined up to 10% of annual global turnover for DMA violations. USER CONSENT We at moneycontrol use cookies and other tracking technologies to assist you with navigation and determine your location. We also capture cookies to obtain your feedback, analyse your use of our products and services and provide content from third parties. By clicking on 'I Accept', you agree to the usage of cookies and other tracking technologies. For more details you can refer to our cookie policy. *We collect cookies for the functioning of our website and to give you the best experience. This includes some essential cookies. Cookies from third parties which may be used for personalization and determining your location. By clicking 'I Accept', you agree to the usage of cookies to enhance your personalized experience on our site. For more details you can refer to our cookie policy *I agree to the updated privacy policy and I warrant that I am above 16 years of age I agree to the processing of my personal data for the purpose of personalised recommendations on financial and similar products offered by MoneyControl I agree personalized advertisements and any kind of remarketing/retargeting on other third party websites I agree to receive direct marketing communications via Emails and SMS Please select (*) all mandatory conditions to continue. I Accept Iran is on course to gain the full membership to the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO), the world's largest regional organisation in terms of geographic scope and population. The world leaders gathered virtually on July 4 for the summit hosted by India, mutually seeking to expand the influence of the Eurasian group by including Iran and opening a path to membership for Belarus. Although Iran originally requested to join the alliance 15 years ago, the membership was not approved until 2021 as the SCO follows a rigorous process of admission. In his address to the leaders, Prime Minister Narendra Modi welcomed Iran into the league. "Happy (that) Iran is becoming a member of (the) SCO grouping," he said, adding that India will sign a pact to pave the way for Belarus to become a member. The SCO is a trade and security bloc that was founded in 2001 and includes as full members China, India, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Russia, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. In addition to the full members, the SCO also includes Afghanistan and Mongolia as observers, and dialogue partners in Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Belarus, Cambodia, Egypt, Kuwait, Maldives, Myanmar, Nepal, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Sri Lanka, Turkiye, and the UAE. They will also be present, along with guests, who will include ASEAN and the CIS blocs, Turkmenistan, and the UN. USER CONSENT We at moneycontrol use cookies and other tracking technologies to assist you with navigation and determine your location. We also capture cookies to obtain your feedback, analyse your use of our products and services and provide content from third parties. By clicking on 'I Accept', you agree to the usage of cookies and other tracking technologies. For more details you can refer to our cookie policy. *We collect cookies for the functioning of our website and to give you the best experience. This includes some essential cookies. Cookies from third parties which may be used for personalization and determining your location. By clicking 'I Accept', you agree to the usage of cookies to enhance your personalized experience on our site. For more details you can refer to our cookie policy *I agree to the updated privacy policy and I warrant that I am above 16 years of age I agree to the processing of my personal data for the purpose of personalised recommendations on financial and similar products offered by MoneyControl I agree personalized advertisements and any kind of remarketing/retargeting on other third party websites I agree to receive direct marketing communications via Emails and SMS Please select (*) all mandatory conditions to continue. I Accept The Taliban are banning womens beauty salons in Afghanistan, a government spokesman said Tuesday. Its the latest curb on the rights and freedoms of Afghan women and girls, following edicts barring them from education, public spaces and most forms of employment. A spokesman for the Taliban-run Virtue and Vice Ministry, Mohammad Sidik Akif Mahajar, didnt give details of the ban. He only confirmed the contents of a letter circulating on social media. The ministry-issued letter, dated June 24, says it conveys a verbal order from the supreme leader, Hibatullah Akhundzada. The ban targets the capital, Kabul, and all provinces, and gives salons throughout the country a months notice to wind down their businesses. After that period, they must close and submit a report about their closure. The letter doesnt give reasons for the ban. Its release comes days after Akhundzada claimed that his government has taken the necessary steps for the betterment of womens lives in Afghanistan. It drew criticism from human and womens rights defenders on social media. The United Nations on Tuesday also said it was engaged with the authorities in Afghanistan to get the ban on beauty salons reversed. The U.N. mission in Afghanistan, or UNAMA, took to Twitter, urging the Taliban to halt the edict. This new restriction on womens rights will impact negatively on the economy & contradicts stated support for women entrepreneurship, it said. Earlier, one beauty salon owner said she was her familys only breadwinner after her husband died in a 2017 car bombing. She didnt want to be named or mention her salon for fear of reprisals. Between eight and 12 women visit her Kabul salon every day, she said. Day by day they (the Taliban) are imposing limitations on women, she told The Associated Press. Why are they only targeting women? Arent we human? Dont we have the right to work or live? Despite initial promises of a more moderate rule than during their previous stint in power in the 1990s, the Taliban have imposed harsh measures since seizing Afghanistan in August 2021 as U.S. and NATO forces were pulling out. They have barred women from public spaces, like parks and gyms, and cracked down on media freedoms. The measures have triggered a fierce international uproar, increasing the countrys isolation at a time when its economy has collapsed and have worsened a humanitarian crisis. Former British Prime Minister Liz Truss earned 80,000 ($101,600) in four hours this year during a visit to the self-ruled island of Taiwan that drew criticism from within her own Conservative Party. The UKs shortest-serving prime minister received the payment from Taiwanese think tank, the Prospect Foundation, according to the UK parliamentary register of members financial interests. Truss addressed the organization in May, delivering a speech in Taipei that slammed China and accused Europe of failing to stand by the self-ruled island that Beijing claims as its own territory. There are still too many in the West who are trying to cling on to the idea that we can cooperate with China, she said. You cant believe a word they say, Truss added, referring to authoritarian regimes. By comparison, when the British politician traveled to the US to deliver a speech to the Washington-based conservative think tank, the Heritage Foundation, in April she was only compensated for her expenses, according to the register. Those expenditures were estimated to total some 7,600. Former US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo received $150,000 from the Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office to make a trip to Taiwan early last year, local media reported. He visited the island at the invitation of the same think tank as Truss, which was sanctioned by China earlier this year. Trusss premiership imploded last year after a 49-day run that plunged the UKs financial markets into turmoil. Her successor Rishi Sunak has sought to reset ties with the worlds second-largest economy, and UK Foreign Secretary James Cleverly is mulling a trip to Beijing later this month, Bloomberg earlier reported. Taiwans ruling party welcomes visits by foreign delegations, despite the angry reaction such trips prompt from Beijing. China opposes all official contact with the government in Taipei, viewing it as tacit recognition of the island as an independent nation, one of Beijings self-declared diplomatic red lines. If we shouldnt rely on earnings per share (EPS) for valuation, as I concluded last week, what should we rely on? If not EPS, then what? How about dividends? Read on Last week, I ragged on earnings per share (EPS). Today, I want to be more constructive. If we shouldnt rely on EPS for valuation, what should we rely on? If not EPS, then what? How about dividends? Cash is fact, profit an opinion Over three decades ago, economist Alfred Rappaport wrote the classic work Creating Shareholder Value. In it, Rappaport punchily wrote that cash is a fact, and profit is an opinion. Many since have propagated that message, including his future collaborator Michael Mauboussin. (By the way, Mauboussin should get some honorary title for services rendered to the investment community for the bulging catalogue of free investment papers hes published over the years.) British economist John Kay was another, writing: Most thoughtful analysts look at cash flow and assets rather than reported earnings when they try to assess the fundamental value of a business. So if cash is more informative than earnings, how can investors use cash flows to improve their stock analysis? A hasty way is to overcome the unreliability of EPS by tethering earnings to cash flow. Anchor earnings to cash and see if you can spot any suspicious divergence. As Kay again wrote: Cash is a good reality check. A common feature of all the accounting wheezesis that increased reported earnings have no cash counterpart. Tax is also a clue to what is really going on. Revenue authorities have many faults, but they do not often levy tax on profits that do not exist. High profits and a low tax charge may mean that profits are not what they seem. We can go beyond using cash flows as a check on earnings, however. Cash flows can be used as the key inputs to value stocks. Dividends as proxy for cash flows and value If cash is a better measure than EPS, can we use dividends per share (DPS) as a proxy for cash flow? We can certainly try. After all, what are dividends if not a companys cash flow accruing to shareholders? One way to value a stock using dividends is via the dividend discount model, which calculates the sum of the present value of all future expected dividends issued to shareholders. John Kay is useful again here, expounding a simple way to use the model: If 5% growth [of dividends] is the long-term average, there is a simplifying trick. Subtract 5%, the growth rate, from 8%, the discount rate [we can choose a different discount]. The difference, 3%, should be the dividend yield on the share. We can present this as a formula: In the formula: DPS = expected dividends per share a year from now r = required rate of return/discount rate g = stable, long-term growth rate in dividends in perpetuity We can use Commonwealth Bank of Australia [ASX:CBA] as an example. CBAs FY24 DPS is expected to be $4.36 a share. Using a discount rate of 8% and a stable dividends growth rate of 5%, we get a valuation of $145 a share, well overshooting the current price of around $101. We can work backwards using the formula to figure out what the markets implied stable dividends rate is. Solving for g gets us a stable dividends growth rate as implied by the current market price of about 3.7%. The pitfalls of dividends as valuation tool The dividend discount model has great intuitive appeal. And it uses cash flows instead of earnings! Surely, its the perfect measure of a stocks value then, right? Unfortunately, nothing is so straightforward in investing. The model has its downsides. One of the biggest is the sensitivity to assumptions. Tweak the key inputs and the valuation swings wildly. We saw that briefly with the CommBank example. Finance professor Aswath Damodaran further explains in his valuation textbook: The model is a simple and convenient way of valuing stocks but it is extremely sensitive to the inputs for the growth rate. Used incorrectly, it can yield misleading or even absurd results, since, as the growth rate converges on the discount rate, the value goes to infinity. Consider a stock, with an expected dividend per share next period of $2.50, a cost of equity of 15%, and an expected growth rate of 5% forever. The value of this stock is $25.00. Note, however, the sensitivity of this value to estimates of the growth rate. As the growth rate approaches the cost of equity, the value per share approaches infinity. If the growth rate exceeds the cost of equity, the value per share becomes negative. Damodaran then shared this very good chart to illustrate the models hypersensitivity: The model is intuitive and uses cash flows as inputs. But it cannot escape the perils of relying on assumptions. The analysts plight no shortcuts in sight Investors must resist the temptation to seek shortcuts and analytical paths of least resistance. Quickly checking the EPS is easy, but is it worthwhile? Not really. Investing is a competitive game where the shortcuts lead to nowhere but average returnsor worse. Martin Fridson put it best in his magnus opus, Financial Statement Analysis (emphasis added): Financial reporting occurs in an institutional context that obliges conscientious analysts to go many steps beyond conventional calculation of financial ratios. Without the extra vigilancethe user of financial statements will become mired in a system that provides excessively simple answers to complex questions. Six income stocks that could grow and pay dividends Ive talked a lot about dividends today, but Im no expert. You know who is? Greg Canavan. Gregs a deep value guy. He loves to find stocks trading below fair value. He also appreciates the attractiveness of divvies. Instead of speaking for him, Ill let Greg speak for himself. Heres an excerpt from his latest dispatch for The Insider: There is an income/growth sweet spot developing in the market right now. Its giving you the opportunity for a juicy dividend yield AND growth. While the ASX 200 might be flat over the past two years, there are plenty of stocks that are down significantly from their highs. In many cases, these stocks offer prospective dividend yields well above the cash rate AND trade significantly below a reasonable estimate of intrinsic value. The way I see it, you can get a decent yield while waiting for the tightening cycle to play out. Then youre in a good position to benefit from the eventual tailwind of a post-recession/slowdown easing cycle. All this is to say that if you just focus on the yield and not the price youre paying for that yield, youll get into trouble. Especially in a market where more profit headwinds are likely, as the lagged impact of previous monetary tightening works its way through the economy. Gregs just written a report detailing his top dividend picks on the ASX right now. These six stocks highlight Gregs contrarian value approach, because you wont find many of them in fusty traditional income portfolios. Thats because Gregs picks were about deep value first, income second. You can now read the report, for free, here. Enjoy! Regards, Kiryll Prakapenka, Editor, Money Morning Mid-2021 was bull market central. It was all about cryptos, SPACS and windfarmsIncome was for losers. But now, income is cool. Term deposits are back, baby! 4.5%? Ill take some of that, please. From 1 July 2021 until now, the ASX200 has pretty much gone sideways. Thats two years of nothing. But its been a pretty wild ride over those two years. To be precise, the ASX200 is down about 2.5% over that time. Thats not really how markets are supposed to work, is it? I mean, youre meant to get rewarded for the risk you take on. Except theres not much in the way of rewards for investors during an aggressive rate hiking cycle. You just have to suck it up and try and stay out of trouble. On the plus side, when you take dividends into account, your head is just above water. Over the same time frame, the ASX200 Total Gross Return Index is up around 6%. Thats slightly misleading though. This index takes into account the benefit of franking credits. So unless youre in a zero-tax environment, you wont have experienced this return. Anyway, the point Im trying to make is that income has been the difference over the past few years, while capital growth has disappointed. Now, I might be going out on a limb here, but my guess is that two years ago, how to secure a reliable income stream wasnt really the main thing investors were thinking about. Mid-2021 was bull market central. It was all about cryptos, SPACS and windfarms Income was for losers. But now, income is cool. Term deposits are back, baby! 4.5%? Ill take some of that, please. So Im thinkinghow will hindsight judge this mindset in two years time? Its a tough question to answer. On the surface, it makes sense to be looking for income opportunities right now. With the RBA hiking rates and expected to keep them higher for longer, risk-free options like cash and term deposits look pretty good. The lagged impact of the rate rises will continue to slow the economy in the second half of the year. Oh, and there is $60 billion of the RBAs term funding facility (AKA low-cost fixed-rate mortgages) due to be repaid in the September quarter. That higher cost of financing will hit households immediately, and then spread through the economy in the months following. So yes, earnings are under threat, and that means capital is at risk. Hence the desire for income. This strategy certainly makes sense. But that doesnt mean you opt for income at any cost . Firstly, there is the contrarian angle to consider. As I said, two years ago, no one was interested in income. Thats because rates were pinned to the ground, and you had to be in the market to get anything. But now, cash rates are at their highest in a decade. Thats NOW though. What about in two years time? They could well be much lower again. And if thats the case, growth assets are the place to look. But that doesnt mean you need to abandon the search for income. There is an income/growth sweet spot developing in the market right now that gives you the opportunity for a juicy dividend yield AND growth. While the ASX200 might be flat over the past two years, there are plenty of stocks that are down significantly from their highs. In many cases, these stocks offer prospective dividend yields well above the cash rate AND trade significantly below a reasonable estimate of intrinsic value. The way I see it, you can get a decent yield while you wait for the tightening cycle to play out. Then youre in a good position to benefit from the eventual tailwind of a post-recession/slowdown easing cycle. Now, I may be getting ahead of myself. But Im looking out two years here. As the past two years have shown you, a lot can happen in this relatively short timeframe. Of course, given the headwinds the economy faces, earnings and dividends are at risk. Which is why you really need to focus on the value aspect . If you can buy stocks at a deep discount to fair value, theyre already priced for a relatively poor outcome. That way, if you get things wrong (which we all do) then the damage is manageable. What stocks fit into this category? With respect to my paying subscribers, Im not going to reveal any specific names that Im looking at right now. But I will say that the property trust sector looks very interesting on this front. The rate-rising cycle has hammered the sector and the fear over office valuations has made front-page news. From a contrarian perspective, this is positive. Energy stocks also look good. While the oil price has halved since the peak, energy stocks have held up pretty well. If you value them based on higher-than-average prices through the cycle, they look cheap right nowand pay out a solid income stream to boot. I think higher-than-average energy prices are a fair bet, given just how bad our political class is managing this energy transition. And there are plenty of other stocks that look good across a range of sectors. Let me give you one example. About a year ago I recommended Insurance Australia Group (ASX: IAG). From memory, the prospective yield was around 4.5%, which was pretty good considering it reflected a dividend payout ratio of 50%. At the time, IAG had declined 50% from its share price peak. It was under the pump from a series of weather-related claims and uncertainty over COVID-related claims. A year later, readers are up over 25% on IAG (including divvys). Thanks to its depressed share price, it offered dividends AND growth. These are the opportunities Im looking for now. And theyre certainly available. You just have to be prepared to be uncomfortable when you buy. Thats how buying stocks that are out of favour works. Its like what I said to readers earlier this year when I recommended James Hardie (ASX: JHX) around $31. It had fallen 50% from its highs, had just delivered its third profit warning in a year, and was well and truly out of favour. I wrote: Thats the nature of contrarian value investing. These are the ugly conditions where value lives. Youre simply not going to get the opportunity to buy quality assets at a good price when everything looks good. Now let me give you a different example. Commonwealth Bank (ASX: CBA) is an income investor favourite. It resides in most dividend ETFs, with a portfolio weighting as high as 12%. I get that CBA is a quality stock. Its outperformed all the other banks by a long shot through a number of cycles. But youre now paying a very high price for this quality. The company trades on a FY24 forecast dividend yield of around 4.4% and a PE multiple of 16.4 times. Relative to the rest of the market, thats on the expensive side. But many would argue its the price of quality. Fair enough But I like to look at banks from the perspective of their price-to-book (P/B) values relative to their return on equity (ROE). And this is where CBA looks very stretched. Its forecast return on equity (ROE) for FY24 is 13.1%. Yet it trades on a P/B multiple of 2.2 times. Compare that to another very high-quality bank relative to its competitorsJP Morgan (NYSE: JPM). Its got a forecast ROE for FY24 of 13.4%, and trades on a P/B multiple of around 1.4 times. On this metric, CBA trades at a near 60% premium to JPM. CBA is either very expensive or JPM is very cheap. Its probably a combination of both. And although the market they operate in is different, both are dealing with a rising rate environment and slowing economic growth. JPM is probably six months ahead of CBA in terms of the economic environment. All this is to say that if you just focus on the yield, and not the price youre paying for that yield, youll get into trouble. Especially in a market where more profit headwinds are likely, as the lagged impact of previous monetary tightening works its way through the economy. Based on historical ranges there are a LOT of stocks out there right now that are trading at a significant discount to their intrinsic value . And many of these stocks are currently paying great dividends . In other words The dividend yields are stellar income right now. Often at least a couple of per cent more than the best term deposit. But theres significant VALUE to be found as wellif you know what youre looking for Its a sweet spot with regard to dividend stocks that most investors are ignoring right now. Ive selected six specific stocks with this sweet spot in mind. Click here to learn about my Royal Dividend Portfolio. Regards, Greg Canavan For Money Morning July 04, 2023 Ukraine Open Thread 2023-159 Only for news & views directly related to the Ukraine conflict. The current open thread for other issues here. Please stick to the topic. Contribute facts. Do not attack other commentators. Posted by b on July 4, 2023 at 13:58 UTC | Permalink Comments next page One person wrote, "Like in any other job, none of us are indispensable. There will always be someone to take our place no matter how loved or talented we are." Actor Margot Robbie is photographed during a photocall for the upcoming Warner Bros. film "Barbie" in Los Angeles, California, June 25, 2023. Vietnam bans Barbie movie due to an illustration showing Chinas territorial claim View Photo HANOI, Vietnam (AP) Vietnams state media have reported that the government banned distribution of the popular Barbie movie because it includes a view of a map showing disputed Chinese territorial claims in the South China Sea. The newspaper Vietnam Express and other media said posters advertising Barbie were removed from movie distributors websites after Mondays decision. With Margot Robbie playing Barbie opposite Ryan Goslings Ken in Greta Gerwigs comedic look at their perfect world, Barbie was supposed to open July 21 in Vietnamese theaters. The reports cited Vi Kien Thanh, director general of the Vietnam Cinema Department, as saying the National Film Evaluation Council made the decision. It said a map in the film shows Chinas nine-dash line, which extends Beijings territorial claims far into waters that fall within areas claimed by Vietnam and other countries. The nine-dash line is an arcane but sensitive issue for China and its neighbors that shows Beijings maritime border extending into areas claimed by other governments and encompasses most of the South China Sea. That has brought it into tense standoffs with the ASEAN nations of Indonesia, Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei and the Philippines, with Chinese fishing boats and military vessels becoming more aggressive in the disputed waters. Asked about the issue at a daily briefing on Tuesday, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said, Chinas position on the South China Sea issue is clear and consistent. We believe that the countries concerned should not link the South China Sea issue with normal cultural and people-to-people exchanges, Mao said. However, China is exceedingly sensitive when it comes to how its national image and border claims are portrayed in entertainment and by businesses. For example, it has routinely retaliated against companies from hotels to airlines that it believes have suggested that self-governing Taiwan with its own political system, country code and currency is anything other than a part of China. Companies almost always acquiesce to Chinese complaints, fearing they risk being locked out of the huge, lucrative Chinese market. That includes Hollywood films deleting or adding scenes based on the expected response on the ruling Communist Party and the highly nationalistic public. When an international court ruled in 2016 that the nine-dash line has no basis in law and the Philippines was entitled to an exclusive economic zone in part of the area claimed by Beijing, China rejected the ruling. Warner Bros. offices were closed Tuesday for the July 4 holiday. In 2019, Vietnam ordered showings of Abominable canceled after moviegoers complained about a scene showing the nine-dash line. Politicians in the Philippines called for a boycott of all DreamWorks releases to protest the scene, and Malaysia ordered the scene to be cut from the movie. Business travel for Indonesians to Australia will be made easier in a deal between national leaders Business travel for Indonesians to Australia will be made easier in a deal between national leaders View Photo CANBERRA, Australia (AP) Business travel for Indonesians to Australia will be made easier in a bid to boost the economic partnership between the two countries following a deal struck on Tuesday between their leaders. Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Indonesian President Joko Widodo agreed on visa changes, climate initiative funding and education partnerships during talks at Sydneys Taronga Zoo. Albanese announced Indonesians will be able to access extended business visas for Australia, increasing from three to five years, while Indonesian e-passport holders will be prioritised. Indonesians will also be able to access a frequent traveler visa. This offers a 10-year visa validity making an enormous difference and removing bureaucratic impediments to our closer relationship, Albanese said. Today our relationship shifts up another gear, our countries continue to choose to draw closer together. Albanese said Indonesia would play a critical role in boosting the success of the Indo-Pacific region. Widodo, who is on a three-day visit to Australia, said the two countries needed to work together on emissions reduction and developing batteries for electric vehicles. Indonesia has been looking at developing electric vehicle infrastructure across the country. We want the Indo-Pacific to become a stable and peaceful region that focuses on collaboration and concrete cooperation, he said. Widodo also urged Australian private sector companies to work on the construction of Indonesias new capital city located on Borneo island. Albanese announced a new package to support the development of the city, with Australias National Capital Authority to provide cooperation to Indonesia. Widodos visit comes as the federal government is expected to finalise its Southeast Asia economic strategy to 2040 in the coming weeks. Putin says Russia is united as never before during Shanghai Cooperation Organization meeting Putin says Russia is united as never before during Shanghai Cooperation Organization meeting View Photo NEW DELHI (AP) President Vladimir Putin said Tuesday that the Russian people are united as never before, seeking to project confidence in the wake of a short-lived revolt while participating in a meeting of an international organization that offered him a sympathetic audience. The Shanghai Cooperation Organization meeting, hosted via videoconference by India, was Putins first multilateral summit since an armed rebellion rattled Russia and comes as he is eager to show the West has failed to isolate Moscow over its 2022 invasion of Ukraine. The Asian security grouping, founded by Russia and China to counter Western alliances, also welcomed Iran as a new member, bringing its membership to nine nations. Speaking by video link from the Kremlin, Putin praised the organization for playing an increasingly significant role in international affairs, making a real contribution to maintaining peace and stability, ensuring sustainable economic growth of the participating states, and strengthening ties between peoples. He thanked the member states for supporting Russian authorities during the short-lived mutiny mounted by Wagner chief Yevgeny Prigozhin, and said the West had turned Ukraine into a virtually hostile state anti-Russia. Putin has frequently lashed out at the West for its support of Ukraine in the war. The summit presented an opportunity for Putin to show he remains in control after the insurrection left some wondering about divisions among Russian elites. The Russian people are united as never before, he said. The solidarity and responsibility for the fate of the fatherland was clearly demonstrated by the Russian political circles and the entire society by standing as a united front against the attempted armed rebellion. Earlier speakers avoided direct references to the war, while bemoaning its global consequences. A declaration adopted at the virtual summit also made no reference to Ukraine, but it said threats and challenges are becoming more and more complex, destructive and dangerous, existing conflicts are aggravating and new conflicts are emerging. In his opening speech, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi warned of global challenges to food, fuel and fertilizer supplies but didnt mention the war in Ukraine. Trade in all three has been disrupted by the war. He also took a veiled swipe at Pakistan, saying the group shouldnt hesitate to criticize countries that are using terrorism as an instrument of its state policy. Terrorism poses a threat to regional peace and we need to take up a joint fight, Modi said without naming Pakistan. India regularly accuses Pakistan of training and arming insurgent groups, a charge that Islamabad denies. In his speech, Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif denounced terrorism and defended his countrys role in the fight against it. While the sacrifices made by Pakistan in fighting terrorism are without parallel, this scourge continues to plague our region and remains a serious obstacle to the maintenance of peace and stability, Sharif said. Any temptation to use it as a cudgel for diplomatic point scoring must be eschewed. Sharif also hailed the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, part of Chinas Belt and Road Initiative, or BRI, saying it could be a game changer for connectivity, stability, peace and prosperity in the region. Six of the nine SCO members Kazakhstan, Kyrgyz Republic, Pakistan, Russia, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan reaffirmed their support for the BRI initiative, the declaration said. India opposes the initiative because it is being built through a portion of Kashmir under the control of Pakistan that New Delhi considers to be included in its part of the divided territory. The declaration calls for new approaches to promote more equitable and effective international cooperation. It also said the SCO is not directed against any other states and is open to broad cooperation with all. It said the principles of mutual respect for sovereignty, independence, territorial integrity of states, non-interference in internal affairs and non-use of force or threats to use force, are the basis of sustainable development of international relations. The SCO includes the four Central Asian nations of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan, all former Soviet republics in which Russian influence runs deep. India and Pakistan became members in 2017. Belarus is also in line for membership. Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi said that the benefits of the official membership of the Islamic Republic of Iran in the SCO will be historic. Raisis speech, cited by the Iranian news agency IRNA, expressed the hope that membership will prepare the ground for improving collective security, respect for the sovereignty of member nations, sustainable development, and confronting environmental threats. U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said in a message that the summit was taking place amid growing global challenges and risks. But at a time when the world needs to work together, divisions are growing, and geopolitical tensions are rising, he said. These differences have been aggravated by several factors: diverging approaches to global crises; contrasting views on nontraditional security threats; and, of course, the consequences of COVID-19 and Russias invasion of Ukraine, he said. Chinese President Xi Jinping called on members to work toward long-term peace and stability in the region, according to a readout of his speech posted by state broadcaster CCTV. He said China wants to better synergize the countrys Belt and Road Initiative a trillion-dollar infrastructure investment project criticized in the West for burdening smaller countries with large amounts of debt with other nations own development strategies and regional cooperation initiatives. Even as the SCO continues to expand, the group remains at risk of competing interests or conflicts between member states. India and Pakistan share a history of bitter relations, mainly over Kashmir, a disputed Himalayan region that is split between them but claimed by both in its entirety, and they have fought two wars over it. Meanwhile, New Delhi and Beijing are locked in a three-year standoff of thousands of soldiers stationed along their disputed border in the eastern Ladakh region. And the SCO summit took place as Moscow relies more deeply on Beijing as its war in Ukraine drags on. While New Delhi has avoided criticizing Russias invasion, Moscows China ties could irk India in the long run and complicate its relationship with Cold War ally Russia. ___ Munir Ahmed in Islamabad, Dasha Litvinova in Talinn, Estonia, and Nasser Karimi in Tehran, Iran, contributed to this report. By ASHOK SHARMA and KRUTIKA PATHI Associated Press PARIS (AP) In the lush surroundings of Paris Musee Rodin, the landscapes of artist Marta Roberti formed the backdrop on Monday for the latest Dior couture collection by designer Maria Grazia Chiuri. The designs, inspired by power, feminism and the divine, shone against Robertis fantastical creations of exotic birds and ethereal trees. Actors Natalie Portman and Rosamund Pike were among VIP attendees captivated by the fusion of these imaginative realms of threads and thoughts. Heres a look at some highlights from Mondays fall-winter 2023 collections: DIVINE GODDESSES OF DIOR STRUT AMID BIRDS AND TREES The collection by Chiuri drew its strength from the past, a salute to timelessness. A crepe cape with long, draping sleeves set the classical tone, with the gathered plaits of the models hair a throwback to times past. Subtle and understated, the adornments of pearl or gold earrings added a quiet elegance, while tunic shapes and classical banding played up the nostalgic silhouettes, all marked by loose proportions and understated charm. Yet, this was no mere repeat of history. The shimmer and sparkle lent the collection a vibrant, modern heartbeat. The restrained sophistication was occasionally punctuated with Renaissance sleeves a Chiuri signature from her time at Valentino bridging past and present. And amidst the classical musings, a white apron-shirt, pristine and fresh, broke the ethereal continuity, presenting a fashion-forward mix. Robertis goddess-inspired works of art lining the walls breathed life into the runway, transforming it into a modern pantheon where models, resembling exquisite deities, seemed to float by. The sculpted jackets and coats, folded beneath the chest, along with the serene palette of white, beige, silver, and pale gold, all mirrored classical statues and columns. Pearls, iridescently entwined with silver threads, accentuated numerous ensembles, symbolizing purity. In Chiuris hands, the essence of femininity with its strength and fragility took center stage. PARIS PARADOXICAL ENERGY: BAZ LUHRMANN SPEAKS ON COUTURE AND CONFLICT In an interview at Paris Rodin Museum before the Dior couture show, acclaimed director Baz Luhrmann touched on the complex issue of attending a glamorous fashion event amidst the backdrop of recent civil unrest in France. The protests, triggered by the tragic police shooting of Nahel, a 17-year-old boy of north African descent, stand in stark contrast to the haute couture spectacle, a contrast that Luhrmann described as a paradoxical energy in Paris. Reflecting on the tension, Luhrmann acknowledged the deep-seated sorrow and public outcry pervading Paris. He recognized the legitimacy of the protests, saying, There are things going on that really have a legitimate cause. Amidst such tragedies, he said, the vital role of art and beauty underscored their significance as essential sources of hope. CELINE SAID NON BECAUSE OF RIOTS French house Celine, owned by LVMH Moet Hennessy Louis Vuitton, decided to cancel its Paris Fashion Week show Sunday over the nationwide riots. The Celine menswear show, like last season, was scheduled outside the official mens calendar. The houses designer Hedi Slimane called it inconsiderate to hold a runway show when the French capital was bereaved and bruised. Other LVMH houses such as Dior, which went ahead to stage runways like most other brands, held a different view. SCHIAPARELLI: ROSEBERRYS WHIMSICAL WONDERLAND After breaking the internet with his last show in January, featuring eye-catching animal heads, the question on everyones lips was how designer Daniel Roseberry could match the energy and controversy with his latest couture outing for Schiaparelli. The answer? A delightful showcase of archetypal couture that was not short of whimsical moments, including a model strutting down the runway in a gigantic sheep fleece, paired playfully with sheep trotter heels. This season, Roseberry continued to delve into the world of exaggerated proportions, staying true to the ironic touches that were defining elements of the houses founder, Elsa Schiaparelli. The first look, in contrasting black and white, evoked a chic, saucy nun, her habit swooshing fluidly with every step. Large geometric lapels adorned with glittering gold floral jewelry became focal points, while Surrealist touches, like gold clasps in the shape of human ears, provided an unexpected twist. Corsets were a recurring theme, lending an edgy feel to a collection that had plenty of provocative moments, such as dark, lava-like dresses appearing to hang precariously from two pegs on the models breasts. However, some looks seemed to teeter on the edge of couture parody, such as a giant silver quilt, defying description, which enveloped the model so completely it almost swallowed her whole. Regardless, Roseberrys ability to spark discussion proves that he is becoming a formidable force in the fashion world. IRIS VAN HERPEN FUSES COUTURE AND FUTUR The couture landscape literally took a deep dive into the future at Iris Van Herpens latest showcase in Paris. The Dutch visionary, known for her fearless fusion of technology and fashion, presented an ethereal fall collection for 2023 that transported the audience to a futuristic underwater universe, accentuated by 80s geometric aesthetics. The designs, awash with contrasting whites and blacks punctuated by metallic accents and soft oceanic tones, were reminiscent of architectonic landscapes. Van Herpen said she was challenging the status quo by being inspired by a possible future of waterborne urbanism that coexists with marine ecosystems. Its a powerful statement in an era of rising sea levels and increasing vulnerability of our urban landscapes. Van Herpens aquatic and futuristic themes emerged resplendent Monday, combining her dual passions for the organic world and the metaverse. This seasons pieces merged the kinesis of aquatic life with the stasis of geometric shapes. Corsetry with ribbed detailing mirrored the exoskeletons of deep-sea creatures, while delicate layers of fabric floated like translucent jellyfish, their undulating movements echoing in the sweep and flow of her designs. Footwear provided a unique spectacle, the pearl-like boots seeming to grow organically over the models feet. There were moments when the designers undersea musing became a tad heavy-handed, as evidenced by a turquoise green gown with a ribbed bodice and circular sleeves. Despite these instances, the collection retained its allure. VALLIS EXAGGERATED PROPORTIONS AND DRAMATIC DROPS Giambattista Valli, the Italian couturier celebrated for his joyful excess and extravagant volumes, unveiled his latest couture collection. Daring and decadent, the opening looks were a study in Vallis signature play with proportions, juxtaposing monochromatic shades and epochs in a series of ensembles. The first dress, with its rivulets of tulle in the underskirt, cleverly resembled the crystal formations of an underground cave all against the charm of a 1950s bustier top. It was a great mix. Drawing from Vallis flair for color and movement, the collection had the drop as its cornerstone, seen in the fluidity of shoulders, busts, and bows. An unforgettable piece was a black mermaid gown where the white silk bust plunged into a dramatically dropped train. Continuing this theme was a floor-length Chinese silver gown adorned with oversized dropped bows resembling giant clams that looked like they might eat up their admirer! The collections high point was Vallis innovative trompe loeil creations, blurring the line between the front and back of the gowns. One standout piece, echoing the lingerie-esque front seen in his previous collections, was juxtaposed with a grandiose tiered tulle train, transforming the gown into a walking contradiction of sexy and ethereal. The juxtaposition, as Valli would put it, was like sketching a line on white paper while thinking of lavish bouquets of flowers the foundation of his creative process. By THOMAS ADAMSON AP Fashion Writer Greek foreign minister says Athens is ready for talks with Turkey to resolve sea borders dispute Greek foreign minister says Athens is ready for talks with Turkey to resolve sea borders dispute View Photo NICOSIA, Cyprus (AP) Greece is ready to start talks with Turkey to resolve a long-standing dispute over maritime borders that has repeatedly brought the two neighbors to the brink of armed conflict, Greeces newly appointed foreign minister said Tuesday. Giorgos Gerapetritis said the Greek government wants to take advantage of the ongoing positive climate in order to come to an agreement on delineating the areas in which each country has exclusive economic rights, including the right to search for offshore oil and gas. Turkey disputes areas which Greece says fall within its own economic zone and where its seeking to start a search for offshore oil and gas reserves. Turkey claims much of the economic zone of Cyprus where several sizeable offshore natural gas deposits have been discovered. The feud over exploratory drilling rights had culminated in a naval standoff three years ago. Another key issue at the heart of Greek-Turkish tensions that Gerapetritis wants resolved is the extent of the continental shelf and by extension, Greek sovereign territory of Greek islands near Turkeys coastline in the Aegean and the eastern Mediterranean. Turkey doesnt recognize that Greek islands off its borders have a continental shelf, while Greece insists that position is in contravention of international law. All that remains is to determine whether Turkey also sincerely wishes to forge a path of rapprochement, without this meaning that Greece will go back on its red lines or its national priorities, Gerapetritis said after talks with his Cypriot counterpart, Constantinos Kombos. Gerapetritis said at the top of those priorities is an agreement to reunify ethnically divided Cyprus as a federation made up of Greek and Turkish speaking sectors in line with United Nations resolutions. Cyprus was split in 1974 when Turkey invaded following a coup by supporters of union with Greece. Turkey and the breakaway Turkish Cypriots now insist that any peace deal has to first recognize separate Turkish Cypriot sovereignty. Greek and Turkish officials have held a series of high-level meetings in the wake of devastating earthquakes in southern Turkey in February. They promised to shelve disputes that have caused repeated rounds of tension and even the risk of war over decades. Just before his reelection last month, Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis told The Associated Press in an interview that he would extend a hand of friendship to Turkey. By MENELAOS HADJICOSTIS Associated Press The leaders of the Netherlands and Luxembourg tell Kosovo and Serbia to normalize ties for EU hopes The leaders of the Netherlands and Luxembourg tell Kosovo and Serbia to normalize ties for EU hopes View Photo PRISTINA, Kosovo (AP) The leaders of the Netherlands and Luxembourg on Tuesday said that normalizing ties between Kosovo and Serbia would serve not only regional peace and stability but also their prospects of future integration into the European Union. Prime Ministers Mark Rutte of the Netherlands and Xavier Bettel of Luxembourg were on a trip to Pristina after a visit to Belgrade on Monday. They both called on Kosovo and Serbia to de-escalate recent tensions that have threatened to push the Balkan region into instability as Europe faces Russias aggression in Ukraine. We are here to listen. And we are here to try to build these bridges which are sometimes, between neighbors, not that easy to build, said Bettel, adding so we have to avoid every new crisis. I believe this is necessary not only for peace and stability in the region, but also for the prospects of further EU integration, Rutte said. Tensions between the two countries flared anew in May after Kosovo police seized local municipal buildings in Serb-majority northern Kosovo to install ethnic Albanian mayors who were elected in an April election that Serbs overwhelmingly boycotted. Violent clashes injured 30 international peacekeepers and more than 50 ethnic Serbs, stirring fears of a renewal of the 1998-99 conflict that left more than 10,000 people dead, mostly Kosovar Albanians. The U.S. and the EU have pressed Serbia and Kosovo to take steps to lower tensions. Normalization of relations is the key condition for the two countries to move forward in their efforts to join the 27-nation bloc. Just four months ago, Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic and Kosovar Prime Minister Albin Kurti gave their tacit approval to a EU-sponsored plan to end animosity and help improve their ties in the longer term. But the agreement unraveled almost immediately as both leaders appeared to renege on their commitments. When EU envoy Miroslav Lajcak visited Pristina on Tuesday, Kosovar leaders gave a positive reception to the three requests from Brussels to lower tensions with Serbia. They include de-escalation efforts, fresh election in the four Serb-majority municipalities and return to the EU-facilitated dialogue on normalization of their ties. After a long meeting with Kurti, Lajcak said they agreed to continue talks on the concrete steps toward de-escalation. Belgrade and Kosovos Serbs want special police forces to leave the northern area, while Pristina says the number will be gradually reduced. Belgrade also wants the release of Serbs detained for alleged violence against Kosovar police, journalists and international peacekeepers. The Kosovo government says a normal legal process will be held for them, inviting the EU to monitor. On Wednesday Lajcak goes to Belgrade. Im optimistic that good minds will prevail, said Rutte, adding that de-escalating the latest tension was the first step to take and immediately try to get back to a process, a step-by-step process to make it again. Serbia and its former province Kosovo have been at odds for decades, with Belgrade refusing to recognize Kosovos 2008 declaration of independence. We as politicians, we take the decisions, but the populations are the ones who will take benefits or suffer if we take the wrong decisions, Bettel said. Washington and most EU nations have recognized Kosovos independence, while Russia and China have backed Serbias claim on the territory. The 1998-99 war erupted when separatist ethnic Albanians rebelled against Serbias rule and Belgrade responded with a brutal crackdown. NATOs bombing campaign in 1999 forced Serbia to relinquish control, but the government in Belgrade has maintained that Kosovo remains part of Serbia. - Llazar Semini reported from Tirana, Albania. By FLORENT BAJRAMI and LLAZAR SEMINI Associated Press Turkey says Quran burning in Sweden raises questions about its reliability as a possible NATO member Turkey says Quran burning in Sweden raises questions about its reliability as a possible NATO member View Photo ANKARA, Turkey (AP) Turkeys foreign minister said Tuesday that Swedish authorities failure to prevent Quran-burning protests in their country is raising security concerns and questions about Swedens credentials for possible NATO membership. But Hakan Fidan said Turkey would still approve Swedens membership in the military alliance if Stockholm completes its homework and presses ahead with efforts to address Turkeys concerns. The fact that the Swedish security system is incapable of preventing provocations and is presenting an image of a (country) that brings problems to NATO instead of more power is making us think in terms of the strategic and security aspects, Fidan said at a joint news conference with his Jordanian counterpart. When it comes to Swedens membership in NATO, whether it will become a burden or a benefit has become more open to debate, he said. Sweden and Finland abandoned their decades-long neutrality and applied to join NATO last year following Russias invasion of Ukraine. Turkey has been holding off ratifying Swedens membership in the alliance, accusing the Scandinavian country of being too soft toward groups that Ankara regards as threats to its security, including Kurdish militants and members of a network that Ankara blames for a failed coup in 2016. Ankara has also been angered by a series of demonstrations in Sweden by supporters of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers Party, or PKK, as well as Quran-burning protests, including one that took place last week that was condemned by Muslim countries. The PKK has waged a 38-year insurgency against Turkey that has left tens of thousands dead. It is designated a terrorist organization by the U.S and the European Union. NATO wants to bring Sweden into the fold by the time the alliances leaders meet in Lithuania on July 11 to 12, and NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg has called a meeting of senior officials from Turkey, Sweden and Finland for July 6 to try to overcome Turkish objections to Swedens membership. NATO requires the unanimous approval of all existing members to expand. Turkey and Hungary are the only countries that have not yet ratified Swedens bid. Sweden has changed its anti-terror legislation after applying for membership. Fidan, Turkeys former intelligence chief who was appointed foreign minister last month, maintained that terror groups were able to continue to stage demonstrations, raise money and recruit members in Sweden. If Sweden continues with its efforts and does its homework, there are always alternatives, just as there was in the case of Finland, Fidan said. He was referring to a memorandum that Sweden and Finland signed with Turkey last year under which they agreed to address Ankaras concerns. Finland was able to join the alliance earlier this year, after Turkey expressed satisfaction with its efforts to meet demands and the Turkish parliament ratified its membership. Meanwhile, Pope Francis lamented last weeks Quran-burning protest outside a mosque in central Stockholm in an interview with the United Arab Emirates Al-Ittihad newspaper. Swedish police allowed the event to take place, citing freedom of speech, after a court overturned a ban on a similar Quran-burning. Any book considered sacred by its authors must be respected out of respect for its believers, and freedom of expression must never be used as an excuse to despise others, and to allow this, must be rejected and condemned, the pope was quoted as saying. In Sweden, a top bishop called the incident an attack on all believers. Freedom of speech is about standing up for things, but its not about being allowed to do it at any price, Ake Bonnier, a bishop who is acting as a spokesperson for Swedens Lutheran Archbishop Martin Modeus, told Swedish broadcaster SVT on Monday. The Jordanian foreign minister also called for mutual respect of religious values and for the prevention of such protests. A spokesperson for the United Nations Human Rights Council said Tuesday that following a request by Pakistan, the council will discuss the alarming rise in acts of religious hatred such as the desecration of the Quran. Pakistans prime minister, Shehbaz Sharif, issued a call Tuesday for a daylong protest to defend the sanctity of the Quran and condemn the desecration of Islams holy book in Sweden. In a statement, he urged people to join in the demonstration Friday, when a joint sitting of Pakistans parliament will be held to discuss the burning of the Quran. Sharif said honoring the Quran is part of their faith, and we are all united for it. ___ Associated Press writers Frances DEmilio in Rome, Kirsten Grieshaber in Berlin, Jan M. Olsen in Copenhagen, Denmark, and Munir Ahmed in Islamabad, Pakistan, contributed to this report. By SUZAN FRASER Associated Press Sonora, CA CAL FIRE is ramping up its firefighting capabilities across the state with the acquisition of 24 additional firefighting aircraft, thanks to a funding injection of over $72 million provided by Governor Gavin Newsoms administration. This investment allows CAL FIRE to strengthen its statewide response efforts against wildfires in California. The fleet expansion includes 19 helicopters and 5 airplanes, which will be contracted for a period of 90-120 days. Among the newly acquired aircraft are 3 large air tankers specially designed to carry up to 4,000 gallons of retardant. These aircraft have been strategically stationed in communities throughout California, ready to be deployed to areas facing potential fire activity. This deployment of more aircraft dedicated to the people of California marks a historic milestone, with the highest number of firefighting aircraft available for initial attack in the state for the second consecutive year, announced Director and Fire Chief Joe Tyler. Chief Tyler emphasized that the significant rainfall California experienced this winter has led to a substantial increase in highly flammable fuels, which contribute to the rapid escalation of fires. CAL FIRE responded to over 300 wildfires just last week, as temperatures continued to rise across the state. The prepositioned aircraft are stationed in various counties including Butte, Tuolumne, San Diego, Tulare, Humboldt, Mariposa, Nevada, Siskiyou, Sacramento, Fresno, Shasta, San Luis Obispo, Napa, Placer, Lassen, Riverside, and Sonoma. With a history dating back to 1970, CAL FIREs aviation program has evolved into the largest civil aerial firefighting fleet globally, boasting over 60 fixed-wing and rotary-wing aircraft. This aviation program combats wildfires in California by dropping water and fire retardant on thousands of incidents each year. Amidst these efforts, CAL FIRE urges the public to refrain from operating drones over areas with ongoing fire activity. Oregon father dies after falling from cliff while hiking with family near popular waterfall MULTNOMAH FALLS, Ore. (AP) Authorities say a father died over the weekend when he fell roughly 200 feet (61 meters) while hiking with his wife and five children in Oregon. The Multnomah County Sheriffs Office on Monday identified the man as 41-year-old Gerardo Hernandez-Rodriguez of Beaverton, Oregon. Hernandez-Rodriguez was hiking with his family on a popular trail near Multnomah Falls, the states tallest waterfall, on Saturday, the sheriffs office said. He stumbled and fell from a switchback not far from the falls and the scenic Benson Bridge, roughly 30 miles (48.28 kilometers) east of Portland. Sheriffs deputies and a U.S. Forest Service ranger began to search the area, asking a nearby police department for a drone to help search the steep and largely inaccessible terrain. A sheriffs deputy found Hernandez-Rodriguez at the base of a cliff near a highway, directly below the trail where he slipped. He did not survive the fall, the sheriffs office said, and officials believe alcohol impairment was a contributing factor in the fall. More than 2 million people go to Multnomah Falls each year, according to the U.S. Forest Service. The sheriffs office said hikers in the Columbia River Gorge should have appropriate footwear and equipment, watch where they step and keep children within reach. Kremlin open to talks over potential prisoner swap involving detained US reporter Evan Gershkovich View Photo MOSCOW (AP) The Kremlin on Tuesday held the door open for contacts with the U.S. regarding a possible prisoner exchange that could potentially involve jailed Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich, but reaffirmed that such talks must be held out of the public eye. Asked whether Mondays consular visits to Gershkovich, who has been held behind bars in Moscow since March on charges of espionage, and Vladimir Dunaev, a Russian citizen in U.S. custody on cybercrime charges, could potentially herald a prisoner swap, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that Moscow and Washington have touched on the issue. We have said that there have been certain contacts on the subject, but we dont want them to be discussed in public, Peskov said in a conference call with reporters. They must be carried out and continue in complete silence. He didnt offer any further details, but added that the lawful right to consular contacts must be ensured on both sides. The U.S. Ambassador to Moscow, Lynne Tracy, on Monday was allowed to visit Gershkovich for the first time since April. The U.S. Embassy did not immediately provide more information. The 31-year-old Gershkovich was arrested in the city of Yekaterinburg while on a reporting trip to Russia. He is being held at Moscows Lefortovo prison, notorious for its harsh conditions. A Moscow court last week upheld a ruling to keep him in custody until Aug. 30. Gershkovich and his employer deny the allegations, and the U.S. government declared him to be wrongfully detained. His arrest rattled journalists in Russia where authorities have not provided any evidence to support the espionage charges. Gershkovich is the first American reporter to face espionage charges in Russia since September 1986, when Nicholas Daniloff, a Moscow correspondent for U.S. News and World Report, was arrested by the KGB. Daniloff was released 20 days later in a swap for an employee of the Soviet Unions U.N. mission who was arrested by the FBI, also on spying charges. Dunaev was extradited from South Korea on the U.S. cybercrime charges and is in detention in Ohio. Russian diplomats were granted consular access to him on Monday for the first time since his arrest in 2021, Nadezhda Shumova, the head of the Russian Embassys consular section, said in remarks carried by the Tass news agency. As pregnancy-related deaths continue to rise, so do the disparities between Black mothers and their white counterparts nationwide and in Connecticut. According to the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, the number of pregnancy-related deaths in 2021 was nearly 80% higher than in 2018. The national maternal death rate for non-Hispanic Black women was nearly three times higher than that for non-Hispanic women in 2020, reported National Center for Health Statistics. In Connecticut, the state Department of Public Health reported that babies born to Black mothers are significantly more likely to die before their first birthday than babies born to white women in 2017. Black babies are also twice as likely as white babies to have be born under six pounds, which can lead to severe health and development issues. In May, U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal co-sponsored the Black Maternal Momnibus Act, a series of bills to address various obstacles underserved mothers face when accessing prenatal and postnatal care. If passed, the bill would allocate funds for community-based organizations to bolster their maternal healthcare resources. It would also provide funds for research studies analyzing the root causes of the maternal death disparities among women of color. "Those statistics are a searing indictment of our health care systems," said Blumenthal, D-Connecticut. "More broadly, it's not just the healthcare system. It's also environmental issues; it's transportation and housing. They're a combination of different issues that are really problematic for women of color when they encounter pregnancy-related problems." Maternal health crisis Congresswoman Jahana Hayes, D-5th, didn't know the extent of maternal mortality and its impact on Black pregnant women until she joined Black Maternal Health Caucus in 2019. She learned about the data documenting the widespread disparities between mothers of color and white mothers. For example, although Connecticut has the country's fourth-lowest maternal mortality rate, Black pregnant residents are still at the highest risk for death, Hayes explained. Social determinants of health play significant roles in access to healthcare during and after pregnancy. This can include addressing environmental problems, transportation, childcare and nutrition. Hayes explained that Black women may face more than one social determinant that makes access healthcare a low priority or inaccessible. "When you see how Black women are affected more by all of those things, they have jobs where they don't get time off to heal after pregnancy, have kids who are close together, don't have access to preventative care or checkups," Hayes said. More than 80% of pregnancy-related or adjacent deaths were preventable, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. However, Hayes said that even when all these social determinants and health care barriers are addressed, Black women may still die during childbirth. One of the most recent examples is the death of Tori Bowie, a Black Olympian sprinter, who died at 32 years old while in labor in May. Hayes explained that although Bowie was extremely fit and healthy, she died from respiratory distress and eclampsia and her daughter was stillborn. "It doesn't matter your income status, doesn't matter where you live," Hayes said. "When Black women are not taken seriously when they go to a doctor and complain or say 'this feels different' or 'this is happening,' the care and attention that they get is very different." What is the Momnibus Act? The Black Maternal Health Momnibus Act was introduced in May 2023 and involved 13 individual bills that analyze the problem of maternal mortality and address the specific needs of communities of color. The bills address specific social determinants and hope to expand eligibility for the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children. It also seeks to improve maternal healthcare for veterans, expand mental health services, boost comprehensive pregnancy care for incarcerated women, diversify the maternal care workforce and promote maternal vaccines for mothers and babies. There are also a handful of bills to fund community-based organizations, provide investments in telehealth, update payment models for maternity care and non-clinical support during or after pregnancy. Other bills would also promote community initiatives to address climate change-related risks for moms and babies. Blumenthal hopes the act will have a federal hearing by September. However, he predicts that financing would be the biggest obstacle before the Momnibus Act could become a law. "It really is just this multifaceted, multi-pronged approach that really looks at every aspect from community-based supports to healthcare providers, to social determinants," Blumenthal said. "All the things we need to do in order to make the maternal experience better and safer for pregnant moms." Hayes' bill, the Social Determinants for Moms Act, establishes a task force to address the health crisis. It also establishes a maternal health fund to help community-based organizations and public health departments address social determinants. She explained that, in general, the Momnibus Act is addressing all of the intersections [of maternal health], so not just what happens in the delivery room, but preventative medicine and care leading up before women are even pregnant. Program Director of Maternal Health Equity at Hartford Hospital Daileann Hemmings said that implicit bias and microaggressions often come into play when administering healthcare care. Hemmings said that the Momnibus emphasis on mental health and access could help destigmatize the postpartum depression a mother may experience after birth. National studies found that postpartum mental health issues impact low-income and minority families at higher rates. The Center for Law and Social Policy reported that more than half of poor infants live with a mother who experiences depressive symptoms. Similarly, suicidal ideation and intentional self-harm significantly increased among Black women from 2006 to 2017 during their pregnancy or up to one year after, according to JAMA Psychiatry. "We know that [mental health] is an issue that lasts not only during the pregnancy or within that six weeks after [birth], Hemmings said. Some of these deaths related to pregnancy are occurring up to a year after and mental health is one of the leading causes of that happening." Hemmings added that the inclusion and funding of community-based organizations or data collections can help isolate and identify areas of improvement and specific needs. She explained that building these relationships with community-based organizations is important due to their trusted connection to the community. "Working with community-based organizations is huge because they are right there on the ground, people who have relationships and have trust with the community. That's primarily who you want to be sure has the information and having trusted people be able to share ways to improve their health is really important." However, Hayes noted that the money needs to be distributed equitably. She explained that low-income patients often need extra financial support to address their needs, compared to higher-income neighborhoods. "What I don't want to see is pushing for funding to come to the state of Connecticut that is equally dispersed in every community. We all know that some communities need it more than others because the impact, the problems and challenges for maternal mortality in those communities are greater," Hayes said. "So, really finding out where the problems are and then deploying the resources to help in those communities." First steps Although Hemmings considers the Momnibus Act a "significant bill," there is still a lot of work to be done since passing the act doesn't always equate to enforcement. Addressing the maternal health crisis among mothers of color is a multi-level, collaborative effort from the community-based organizations, government agencies and healthcare providers. Hemmings said that these groups have to be intentional and look at the greater systemic issues in healthcare through data collection and listening to community members. "My hope is that we will get to the place where a person will not need to feel fear because they are wanting to grow their families. They can be confident in living here and knowing that they will be able to get the support that they need to be able to have a healthy pregnancy, where they're not thinking that they may not survive it." Health Equity reporter Cris Villalonga-Vivoni is a corps member with Report for America, a national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms. They can be reached at cvillalonga@record-journal.com and 203-317-2448. Support RFA reporters at the Record-Journal through a donation at https://bit.ly/3Pdb0re. To learn more about RFA, visit www.reportforamerica.org. WALLINGFORD Sue Marchese thought about all the young men who gave their lives as she hit a medium-sized bell with a hammer. Around her, other Wallingford residents rang their bells for a loud two-minute celebration of Independence Day. Marchese was one of the participants in the 60th annual Bell Ringing Day held at the Samuel Parsons House at 180 South Main St. on Tuesday to celebrate the 247th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence. The bell-ringing tradition started in 1963 when Congress proclaimed the Fourth of July National Bell Ringing Day. As a result, other bells in other towns across the country have rung every Fourth of July at exactly 2 p.m. In Wallingford, the tradition has taken root. Tuesday marked the 10th year that Marchese remembers attending the annual ceremony. She is a self-proclaimed history buff and serves as co-chair of the Friends of Fort Wooster, a colonial battlefield that has since been turned into a New Haven Park. We look forward to coming here every year and ringing the bells, she said. The Wallingford Historical Society has four bells a large one-ton bell that used to hang in Town Hall and three smaller bells that used to hang in area schools, explained Wallingford Historical Society President Bob Beaumont. He also spoke briefly about Wallingford native Lyman Hall, who signed the declaration as a delegate from the colony of Georgia. He also mentioned Connecticut delegates Samuel Huntington, William Williams and Oliver Wolcott. To mark the occasion, Beaumont led the attendees in displays of patriotism, such as reciting the Pledge of Allegiance, standing at attention to sing the National Anthem and reading the Fourth of July proclamation from Gov. Ned Lamont. Connecticut will never forget the patriots who gave their lives fighting for our liberty, Lamont said in the declaration. I call upon the citizens of our state to unite and continue to dedicate themselves to the outstanding ideals embodied in the Declaration of Independence. lguzm_n Latino Communities Reporter Lau Guzman is a corps member with Report for America, a national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms. Support RFA reporters at the Record-Journal through a donation at https://bit.ly/3Pdb0re. To learn more about RFA, visit www.reportforamerica.org. Zimbabweans can finally say goodbye to the days of constant power outages thanks to President Mnangagwas efforts to improve the countrys energy supply. With the countrys rapid industrialisation, the energy deficit has been a significant challenge for Zimbabwe, but investments in power sources like Hwange Units 7 and 8 and hydro-electricity projects have helped the country become energy self-sufficient. The benefits of this improvement in power generation can be seen across industries, with utilisation rates standing at over 70 percent and record-breaking wheat harvests supporting food security and exports. Additionally, the mining sector is thriving, inching towards becoming a $12 billion industry from the previous $2.8 billion. President Mnangagwas vision to make Zimbabwe energy self-sufficient is evident in the governments efforts to invest in long-term solutions such as the Batoka Gorge hydropower station. The countrys commitment to infrastructure development has also been a priority, with a total of 6,869 projects implemented across the country. Zimbabweans are thrilled with the countrys progress, with residents praising the consistent and abundant power supply. However, some have expressed concerns about the affordability of electricity tariffs and the need for upgrades to the token system. Overall, Zimbabwes energy transformation is a testament to the countrys determination to uplift the livelihoods of its citizens and foster growth in all sectors of the economy. Breaking News via Email Yves here. In years past, we used to feature summer reruns when the news got slow. But the officialdom has the dial so often at 11 that there are few quiet moments. And some of our classics, particularly from the crisis era, seem too remote to have broad appeal to our current readership, which is less finance-focused than the one we had when banks were blowing up. But this one is on a perennial topic, the outsized role of propaganda in the US, and how deep its roots are. Here we discuss how Independence Day was promoted by businessmen to counter popular resistance to immigrants This post was first published on June 27, 2012 An article in the Boston Review by professor of sociology Claude Fischer falls prey to a pattern that is all too common: attributing social/political outcomes to American attitudes without bothering to examine why those attitudes came to be. Let me give you a bit of useful background before I turn to the Fischer article as an illustration of a lack of curiosity, or worse, among soi disant intellectuals in America, and how it keeps Americans ignorant as to how many of our supposed cultural values have been cultivated to inhibit disruptive thought and action. Since I have managed to come in on the last act of Gotterdammerung and am still trying to find the libretto, Ive been in what little spare time I have reading history, particularly on propaganda. One must read book is by Alex Carey, Taking the Risk Out of Democracy. Carey taught psychology in Australia, and he depicts the US as the breeding ground for the modern art of what is sometimes more politely called the engineering of consent. The first large scale campaigns took place before World War I, when the National Association of Manufacturers began its decades-long campaign against organized labor. Carey stresses that propaganda depends on cultivating Manichean perspectives, the sacred versus the Satanic, and identifying the cause to be promoted with symbols that have emotional power. For many people, Americans in particular, patriotism is a rallying point. Carey demonstrates how, again and again, big business has managed to wrap itself in the flag, and inculcate hostility to unions. One of the early struggles was over immigrants. A wave of migration from 1890 to 1910 left many citizens concerned that they were a threat to the American way of life. Needless to say, corporations were opposed to restrictions on immigration, since these migrants were willing to accept pretty much any work. Thus the initial alignment of interests was that whole swathes of American society were allied with the nascent labor movement in opposing immigration. And this occurred when even conservatives saw concentrated corporate power as a threat to American values (witness the trust busting movement, the success of the Progressives). Big business split these fair weather friends by promoting an Americanization movement. These foreigners simply needed to be socialized: taught to speak English, inculcated in American values. In addition, the radical Industrial Workers of the World had become a force to be reckoned with, culminating in its success in the Lawrence textile mill strike in 1912. So even though labor unions were particularly hostile to immigrants, the IWWs leadership role made it possible to cast unions as subversive, a symbol of foreign influence. The counterweight, the Americanization movement, was born in 1907 with the establishment of the North American Civic League for Immigrants, headed by conservative businessmen. Aligned groups. such as the New England Industrial Committee, were created as NACLI promoted its program. The success of the Lawrence strike, which garnered national outrage due to police beatings of women who had volunteered to transport and harbor children of strikers, increased the urgency of countering the union threat. The message was that chambers of commerce, as conservators of the best interests of their communities needed to educate (as in domesticate) adult alien workers. This Americanization movement had business backers in every sizable city with an immigrant population doing outreach to business organizations, church leaders, and other community groups. In 1914, NACLI decided to extend its program nation-wide, and changed its name to the Committee for Citizens in America. The CIA paid and provided staff to the Department of Education [correction: Federal Bureau of Education] to sponsor Americanization programs (private interests ability operate directly through the Federal government ended in 1919). The outbreak of World War I was a Godsend to the Americanization movement. The war stoked nationalist sentiment and with it, suspicion of obvious aliens as at best un American and at worst, subversive. President Wilson spoke at a highly staged patriotic event for 5000 recently naturalized citizens in spring 1915. This event was so successful that the movement leaders succeeded in forming local Americanization committees all over the US. Quoting Carey: The CIA also produced a brilliant propaganda strategy to involve every American in an annual ritual of national identification. This ritual would embed the cultural intolerance of the Americanization movement with an identification that was formally and officially sanctified. The CIA thereby launched its campaign for the fourth of July 1915 to be made a national Americanization Day, a day for a great nationalistic expression of unity and faith in America. Carey describes and quotes a pamphlet promoting the event written by one of the executive committee members: .the ultimate success of the policy would depend on how effectively the average American citizen could be induced to bring the influence of his conservative views to bear on the immigrant.such a citizen is the natural foe of the IWW and of the destructive forces that seek to direct unwisely the expressions of the immigrant in his nwe country and upon him rest the hope and defense of the countrys ideals and institutions. Here we have a blatant industrial and partisan view fused with an intolerance of the immigrant and values of national security, in a submission that would cement these interests and intolerances within the paraphernalia of the annual ritual of what would become Independence Day. This hidden history of our national celebration is only a small portion of Careys account of the extent and reach of the Americanization campaign. It shows how big business has led a long standing, persistent, and well financed campaign to turn the public against fighting for ones rights if those rights are workplace rights. Now lets look at the Fischer article in light of this. He does, usefully, describe how Americans toil far more than their advanced economy peers: Americans just dont vacation like other people do. Western European laws require at least ten and usually more than twenty days. And its not just the slacker Mediterranean countries. The nose-to-the-grindstone Germans and Austrians require employers to grant at least twenty paid vacation days a year. In the United States, some of us dont get any vacation at all. Most American workers do get paid vacations from their bosses, but only twelve days on average, much less than the state-guaranteed European minimum. And even when they get vacation time, Americans often dont use it. Perhaps Americans are Protestant-ethic work obsessives; we are likelier than Europeans to say that we want to work more hours than we do. But this leisure gap is a recent development. In the 1960s Americans and Europeans worked about the same number of hours. Leisure time then expanded everywhereonly more slowly and much less in the United States than elsewhere, leaving todays disparity. Some argue that high taxes in Europe discourage working, but economist Alberto Alesina and his colleagues point to legislationthat is, politics. The right to a long vacation is one of the benefits that unions and the left have in recent decades delivered to Western workersexcept American ones. This sets up the key question: Just about everywhere in the West except the United States, where there is no mandatory paid time off, workers not only get vacations but also short work weeks, government health care, large pensions, high minimum wages, subsidized childcare, and so forth. Why is the United States the exception? The answer comes in two general forms: one, Americans do not want such programs and perks because we do not want the kind of government that would legislate them. Two, Americans want them but cannot get them. Fischers teasing out of the first answer (he offers only two options and later points out that they are not mutually exclusive) is an embarrassment. He claims Americans have little class consciousness and in passing contends well financed propaganda efforts have no effect: Even though economic inequality is substantially greater in the United States than in Europe, Americans acknowledge less economic inequality in their society than Western Europeans do in theirs, and Americans are more likely to describe such inequality as fair, deserved, and necessary. Americans typically dismiss calls for the government to narrow economic differences or intrude in the market by, say, providing housing. Working-class voters in the United States are less likely than comparable voters elsewhere to vote for the left or even to vote at all. Anyone who has studied the history of public relations in the US will not only tell you it works, but also will be able to provide numerous examples, starting with the Creel Committee in World War I, which turned a pacifist US into rabid German-haters in a mere 18 months. But Fischer would rather appeal to Americans vanity and exceptionalism. Carey, by contrast, documents the intensity of messaging efforts, the channels used, and tracks how polls and headlines changed. And contra Fischer, he finds Americans to be particularly susceptible to propaganda (by contrast, Australians native skepticism of authority, keen sense of irony, and strong community orientation gives them a wee bit of resistance, although Carey described how they were being worn down too). Mark Ames wrote on the same topic in 2006, and his article is more on point: According to a New York Times article, British workers get more than 50% more paid holiday per year than Americans, while the French and Italians get almost twice what the Americans get. The average Americans response is neither admiration nor envy, but rather a kind of sick pride in their own wretchedness, combined with righteous contempt for their European worker counterparts, whom most Americans see as morally degenerate precisely because they have more leisure time, more job security, health benefits and other advantages. Its like a classic case of East Bloc lumpen-spite: middle Americans would rather see the European system collapse than become beneficiaries themselves. If there is one favourite recurring propaganda fable Americans love to read about Europeans, its the one about how Europe is decaying and its social system is on the verge of imploding; we Americans pray for that day to come, with even more fervour than we pray for the End of Days, because the very existence of these pampered workers makes us look like the suckers and slaves we really are. This is why you wont see Bono or Sir Bob Geldof rallying the bleeding-hearts anytime soon on behalf of Americas workers. Theyre not in the least bit sympathetic. Better to stick with well-behaved victims like starving Africans. The cultural propaganda that accompanied the Reagan Revolution has been so hugely successful that Americas workers internalised it too well, like those famously fanatical Soviet workers who literally worked themselves to death in order to help bring true communism that much closer. According to Expedia, American workers save their employees some $21 billion per year by not taking even the meagre vacation time theyre allowed. Now in fairness to those office slaves, while Americans buy into the always on duty attitude (I noticed how little smart phones and IPads were visibly in use, even in the toniest parts of London, compared to New York City), some of it is rational. Even before the bust, it was hard for anyone over 35 who loses a job to land another, much the less at the same level of pay, job tenures are short, and companies keep squeezing workers. Everyone I know who is still on the corporate meal ticket is doing what would have been one and one half or two jobs ten years ago. So while there is no easy way to turn to regain control of a cultural commons so throughly under the sway of well heeled corporate interests, perhaps we can start to engage in small acts of reprogramming. While I am not telling you to skip Fourth of July fireworks, it might be time to recognize key events that help us look at our history with fresh eyes. Perhaps we should quietly celebrate what we still have of the America our founders envisaged, say on the anniversary of the signing of the articles of Confederation (a protracted affair, with the last signature affixed on March 1, 1781) or their replacement with the Constitution on March 4, 1789. But regardless of how individuals go about it, the more we recognize how cultural memes are created and propagated, the more hope we have of freeing ourselves from them. Zelensky is reportedly very determined to move towards a cashless economy as swiftly as possible. And he has the full support of Australias richest man. Cash has a new enemy: the government of Ukraine. In a panel discussion at the Ukraine Recovery Conference, held in London a couple of weeks ago to drum up support and funding for the imaginary construct that is Ukraines post-war recovery, the Deputy Chairman of the Office of the President of Ukraine, Rostyslav Shurma, said Kiev is seriously considering banning cash. Doing so could, he said, reduce the countrys corruption problems by between 95-99%. The effort would form part of the Zelensky governments sweeping US, EU and UN-funded digital governance agenda (which we previously covered here, here and here). Everybody knows about the progress we have done with Diia [Ukraines digital ID and governance platform] and the digitisation of public services. We plan only to enhance the speed of the public services we will provide [this way] because the logic is very simple: if there is no physical contact with the bureaucrat, there is no risk of corruption. There is one more important step that I believe we will take. I cannot tell you definitely that we will do [it] because it is still under discussion but under very deep, very serious discussion with the whole team including the president and prime minister. We want to be the first fully cashless economy. We know there is a lot of debate about this from the different stakeholders that we are eliminating the rights of the people with no cash. But we believe this will be a very effective tool to eliminate, I think, 95 to 99% of all corruption cases in the country if there is no cash at all. This is bonkers, of course. Bonkers for the absurd numbers (95-99%) cited as well as the implied notion that a cash-free Ukraine would suddenly be cleansed of all corruption, as if cash were the only financial conduit by which bribes or kickbacks are paid. Bonkers also because Ukraine is still a heavily cash-based economy where physical money accounts for between 40-50% of Ukraines M1 money supply (currency, demand deposits and other liquid deposits), according to Vitaliy Shapran, a former member of the National Bank of Ukraine Council. That compares to 15-20% in neighbouring Georgia and 0.5% in Sweden, one of the worlds most cashless economies. While it may be desirable for cashs share of the money supply to shrink, getting rid of it entirely is simply not realistic, Shapran told Focus Ukraine, a blog of the Kennan Institute of the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars. For a start, it would leave many of the countrys pensioners with no means of accessing or using money. Then theres the fact that huge swathes of Ukraines territory are currently a battleground for a proxy war of attrition between Russia and the Collective West that has no clear end in sight. One major victim of that war is Ukraines power grid, which is routinely targeted by Russian forces. As a result, the country continues to suffer rolling power blackouts and internet outages. According to its energy minister, Ukraine is conducting the largest campaign of repairs in modern history to its power system in preparation for another winter of Russian airstrikes. As Yves noted in her Nov 3. piece, Has Russia Already Pwnd Ukraine?, it would seem that the most efficient way for Ukraine to restore the grid (and remember no rebuild will be terribly efficient) would be to get the needed equipment from Russia. Suffice to say that is not going to happen. In any remotely sane world, this would immediately disqualify Ukraine as even an outside contender for the planets first fully cashless economy. But as readers may have noticed, this is not a sane world, especially when it comes to Project Ukraine (h/t Benny Profane). Building the Most Convenient Digital State in the World. At What Cost? Ominously, Shurma is not the only senior government official in Kiev talking about the need to eliminate cash. The Deputy Minister for the Economy Oleksandr Gryban recently said Zelensky was very determined to move towards a cashless economy and the government would make everything to make it happen as soon as possible. This is a clear intention of the president, I assure you, Gryban said. He does understand that a number of problems were driven by cash, so one of the last meetings he was managing, cashless economy was just one of the main pillars for the future economic transformation. Ukraines Diia digital ID and governance platform predates the conflict with Russia, but as I noted in my previous post, USAID Quietly Unveils Plans to Export Ukraines Digital Governance Model Around World, it has been significantly expanded since the hostilities began, in the eternal spirit of never letting a good crisis go to waste: Just as the combat theatres of Iraq and Afghanistan served as testing grounds for the mass harvesting and storage of sensitive biometric data, some of which fell into the hands of the Taliban when the US abandoned Afghanistan, war-torn Ukraine is being used to pilot the rapid construction of an all-encompassing digital governance system. A fully functioning ID system is a prerequisite for launching a central bank digital currency. In December last year, the National Bank of Ukraine (NBU) unveiled its draft concept for developing a CBDC known as the digital hryvnia or the e-hryvnia. Oleksiy Shaban, Deputy Chairman of the NBU, described it as the next step in the evolution of the payment infrastructure of Ukraine. Most of the money used to bankroll Ukraines state in a smartphone model of governance has come from Washingtons soft power arm, USAID, while US mega-corps like BlackRock, JP Morgan and Mckinsey & Company stand to pocket much of the money raised for reconstruction. Other contributors include the European Unions eu4digital initiative, the UNs Development Program (UNDP) and the Swedish government. Their money has helped to build the most convenient digital state in the world without corruption, without bureaucracy, absolutely paperless, and open for everyone, says Valeriya Ionan, the deputy minister of digital transformation. Australias Richest Man Joins Fray At this years annual meeting of the World Economic Forum in Davos in January, USAIDs administrator and inveterate neocon Samantha Power announced that Washington is hoping to export the success of Ukraines e-governance digital identity app, Diia to other countries around the world that are struggling with corruption. A few months later, UNDP said Diia is ready to go international. One country that is currently working to replicate Ukraines digital ID system is Estonia, which is already one of the worlds most digitized countries. As Estonias Prime Minister Kaja Kallas noted a few months ago, the move represents a new chapter in the two countries digital cooperation. Ukraines allies/backers/owners have at least two possible motives for wanting Ukraine to abandon cash: first, so that it can serve as a testing ground for a CBDC, just as it has done for digital identity; and second, to borrow from a recent article in the Sydney Morning Herald, to avoid the corruption seen after the Iraq War, when reconstruction funds were used for bribes and kickbacks. As the article points, Ukraine is still a hive of corruption, placing 116 out of 180 countries in Transparency Internationals latest Corruption Perceptions Index. In a bizarre twist, Ukraines plan to kill cash also enjoys the support of Australias richest man, Andrew Twiggy Forrest, who has launched a new investment fund for Ukraines reconstruction, kick-started with $500 million of funds from his private company, Tattarang. The fund will be operated by Ukraines Ministry for Economy and administered by the worlds largest asset manager, BlackRock. The Australian mining billionaire hopes funds from other investors of up to $US100 billion. But on one condition: Kiev must first take out cash, thereby put[ting] the nail in the coffin of corruption: Thats the point Ive made to the Ukrainian government: cash will lead to corruption. Now heres your opportunity to go cashless theres no reason to have cash in your society, none. A more blatant endorsement for the death of cash from a billionaire businessman you will be hard pressed to find. Even if Forrests faith was well placed and Ukraine was able to eliminate cash without visiting significant amounts of further pain, distress and devastation upon an economy that already shrank by around a third last year, the plan has one significant snag: What About All the Physical Euros and Dollars? As economic analyst Borys Kushniruk told Focus Ukraine, the proposed measure to take out cash will have little impact on political corruption, given that most bribes are paid in dollars and euros. Cryptocurrencies are also becoming a popular payment method that is for the moment widely encouraged by Ukraines digital-friendly government (machine translated): You can eliminate cash hryvnias, but not dollars and euros the main currencies in which bribes are distributed. Hundreds of millions of dollars in cash are in the hands of Ukrainians. And times are also changing. Many people give bribes in cryptocurrency, making it even more difficult to catch them. The idea of abolishing cash reflects a misunderstanding [among current officials] of the main economic uses of money. It has five interrelated functions: as a measure of value, a medium of exchange, a method of payment, a method of accumulation and international currency [for foreign trade, international loans, etc.]. If cash is abolished, said Kushniruk, people will inevitably need to introduce another means of payment, including presumably other physical currencies: When someone wants to cancel something, they should understand that they will still have to ensure the functioning of the economy. Cash payments are an important component of the economy. The First Deputy Head of the National Bank of Ukraine Kateryna Rozhkova appears to concur, cautioning that while the banking system is ready for a cashless economy from the viewpoint of technology, inclusion and continuity, I am not sure that we can claim to be ready to ensure a zero amount of cash in circulation. She also noted that in some countries where cash had been reduced to minimal levels, the population did not like it. In other words, the central bank does not seem to occupy the same ground as the Zelensky government on this issue, or at least does not view it with the same urgency. Meanwhile, the global race to elminate cash continues to gather pace. At its Summer Davos event last week, the World Economic Forum emphatically endorsed the adoption and proliferation of CBDCs. From the digital rights newsletter Reclaim the Net: In a report, timed for release with the event this week, the WEF listed advancing cashless societies as one of the strong motivations for introducing CBDCs. Focusing on reducing cash use, promoting digital payments and enhancing financial literacy to drive economic growth and increase efficiency, while balancing privacy concerns, the report states. Though it doesnt say exactly how balancing privacy concerns will be addressed. The conference this week brought attention to the stark reality of physical money becoming a relic, as Eswar Prasad, a Cornell University professor, emphasized during his speech. Prasad enlightened the audience on the duality of CBDCs. He marveled at their potential benefits but also cautioned against the possible perils. One of the intriguing aspects of CBDCs, according to him, is their programmability. Governments could engineer these digital currencies with the ability to expire and to dictate what they can or cannot be used for. We are at the cusp of physical currency essentially disappearing, said Prasad, thereby underlining the gravity of the situation. War-torn Ukraine has already been used as a testing ground for digital identity and governance systems. Will it be used in the same way for CBDCs and cashless economics? The ever-obsequious Zelensky government certainly seems happy to offer its services, apparently regardless of the economic pain and fallout it will inflict. NATO Allies agreed on Tuesday (4 July 2023) to extend the mandate of Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg by a further year, until 1 October 2024. The decision will be endorsed by NATO Heads of State and Government at the Vilnius Summit. Allies thanked the Secretary General for his leadership and commitment, which has been critical to preserving transatlantic unity in the face of unprecedented security challenges. Mr Stoltenberg said: I am honoured by the decision of NATO Allies to extend my term as Secretary General. The transatlantic bond between Europe and North America has ensured our freedom and security for nearly seventy-five years, and in a more dangerous world, our great Alliance is more important than ever. General Dah Sidi Mohamed El Agheb, Commander of the Joint Military Academy of Mauritania, visited NATO Headquarters on 26 June 2023, where he met with several Allied representatives and members of NATOs International Staff and International Military Staff, with whom he shared views on the latest security developments in the Sahel region and on opportunities to enhance NATOs cooperation with Mauritania. The Sahel region is a theatre of complex and interconnected challenges, said Thomas Goffus, NATOs Assistant Secretary General for Operations. The deteriorating situation in the Sahel region matters to NATOs collective security. Mauritania is an essential NATO partner and a key player in the Sahel region. Our relationship is built on years of trust, he said. Mauritania is a long-standing NATO partner, having joined the Alliances Mediterranean Dialogue partnership forum in 1995. Since then, NATO-Mauritania partnership has grown significantly. In 2013, Mauritania joined NATOs Defence Education Enhancement Programme, which provides tailored practical support to individual countries in developing and reforming their professional military education institutions. At the 2022 NATO Summit in Madrid, Allied Heads of State and Government approved a Defence Security Capacity Building Package for Mauritania. This initiative aims to support the countrys efforts to make its defence and security capacity more resilient to respond to different regional security challenges. It also provides a framework to upgrade training standards for Mauritanian forces contributions to UN peacekeeping operations. Earlier in June, General Dah Sidi Mohamed El Agheb, together with representatives from NATOs Operations Division, visited the Royal Military Academy of Belgium, where he met with the Academys Commander, Admiral Yves Dupont, and discussed ways to strengthen cooperation amongst foreign military academies. The Mediterranean Dialogue (MD) is a partnership forum that aims to contribute to security and stability in the wider Mediterranean region, and promote good relations and understanding among participating countries and NATO Allies. Currently, the following non-NATO countries take part in the Dialogue: Algeria, Egypt, Israel, Jordan, Mauritania, Morocco and Tunisia. Western leaders have effectively embraced Ukrainian Nazism As all wars do, the war in Ukraine has produced volumes of propaganda. The most popular theme is that Volodymyr Zelensky (genetically Jewish but without any Jewish religious or cultural ties) opposes the Hitler-like Putin. Indeed, Zelensky has accused Putin of Hitler-esque antisemitism, a claim that garners support from American Jews and the media. Israelis, however, do not support this assertion. They know the truth, which is that Ukraine has deep roots in Naziism, a relationship Ukraine celebrates to this day. (Article by Al Bienenfeld republished from AmericanThinker.com) During the Holocaust, approximately 800,000 Ukrainian Jews were murdered, many by their fellow countrymen who saw the Nazis as liberators from Soviet oppression. The Nazis arrived just a few years after the Holomodor, which saw Joseph Stalins policies lead to the deaths of between five and seven million Ukrainians. Because many Jews thought communism would save them from Christian and Tsarist depredations, they allied themselves with the communists, leading Ukrainians to blame all Jews for the Holodomor. The Ukrainians, therefore, were only too happy to join the Nazis in murdering their Jewish neighbors. To this day, with all that is known about Soviet Russia and Nazi Germany, many Ukrainians still view the Nazis as liberators. The Soviet Union may be gone, but Ukrainian and Western leaders have channeled hatred once reserved for the Soviet Union has been channeled into hatred for Russia. As part of this anti-Russian mindset, Western leaders and their loyal press corps have helped legitimize Nazism by willfully ignoring the fact that they bankroll a Nazi army that fights the Russians. For decades, the Soviet occupation held Ukrainian Nazism in check. That ended in 1991 with the Soviet Unions dissolution, followed by Ukraines independence from Russia. Politically, Ukraine has had a strong mix of ethnic Ukrainians and Russians. There were always tensions, but the current instability resulted from Western interference, especially from America and England. When Victoria Nuland orchestrated a 2014 coup against the legitimate government led by ethnic Russian Viktor Yanukovych, that unleashed the powerful Nazi element that had lain dormant for so long in Ukraine. The first evidence of a Nazi resurgence occurred just after the 2014 coup. To deal with protesters, the government unleashed their Nazi Azov militia. The militia was called in because Ukraine military regulars would not do what the Azov did. Writing at Consortium News in May 2014, Robert Parry recounted the roundup of ethnic Russians who were protesting the overthrow of the Yanukovych government. According to Parry, on May 2, in the port city of Odessa, the Azov militia herded the Russians into buildings that were then set ablaze, killing 40 people. Afterward, reporters spotted graffiti on walls with Swastika-like symbols honoring the Galician SS, the Ukrainian adjunct to the German SS in World War II. The Azov military repeated this barbaric action on May 9 in Mariupol, another port city.' In 2016, Kiev, Ukraines capital city, renamed two streets in honor of Stepan Bandera and Roman Shukhevych. Both men were among numerous Ukrainians who collaborated with the Nazis, including volunteering with the SS. Bandera and Shukhevych were complicit in the mass murderers of Jews and Poles but are celebrated as anti-communist heroes in Ukraine. In 2019, a Ukrainian court ruled against the honor accorded these Nazis, at which point Kievs mayor, Vitali Klitschko, announced on Facebook that he would appeal the ruling. (As of now, the ruling does not appear to have been overturned.) In 2018 in Lviv, hundreds of men wearing the SS uniforms of Ukrainian collaborators marched in a city-approved event. At least three Ukrainian municipalities in recent years have unveiled statues for Banderas deputy, Yaroslav Stetsko. During the Holocaust, Stetsko openly called for the extermination of the Jews. Swiss Intelligence Officer Jacques Baud wrote: On 16 March 2022, a journalist on TV channel Ukraine 24 quoted the Nazi war criminal Adolf Eichman and called for the massacre of Russian-speaking children . On 21 March, military doctor Gennadiy Druzenko declared on the same channel that he had ordered his doctors to castrate Russian prisoners of war. There were subsequent apologies for these statements. However, they did not seem to arise from anything other than President Zelenskys fear that this blatant Nazi worship would lead to Western nations withdrawing their support for his war. In any event, Ukrainian Nazism is no secret. Western leaders are aware of it. When Fox Newss Bret Baier questioned Zelensky about the Azov Battalion, Zelensky simply said, They are what they are. According to the Conservative Treehouse, Fox later edited out this portion of the interview. The same article includes a notification Google sent to the Conservative Treehouse explaining that it was demonetizing the post. The notice explains that it will not allow posts to be monetized if they include claims that Ukraine is committing genocide or deliberately attacking its own citizens. This is the deplorable state of todays media. Looking at events in America and Europe, we see an ever-increasing tendency towards authoritarianism among Western leaders. Todays America is closer to the Soviet model than it is to that of our Founding Fathers. This may explain their affinity for Ukrainian Nazism. These so-called leaders see nothing wrong with genocide if it produces the desired results. Western leaders can ignore the costs of war because the dying and destruction are over there. Fatality estimates vary widely, but it seems as if they are already in the tens of thousands, and that doesnt count the human misery from destroyed communities and displaced lives. Every American who believes in the U.S. Constitution should be both fearful and ashamed of our current government. Read more at: AmericanThinker.com Biden set to approve CLUSTER BOMBS for Ukraine, even though they are BANNED in 120 countries President Joe Biden is close to approving cluster bombs for Ukraine , according to sources within his administration. ZeroHedge's Tyler Durden wrote about the development, citing a report from CNN. According to the mainstream media outlet, insiders from the White House said Biden is "strongly considering" the approval of the transfer of dual-purpose improved conventional munitions (DPICMs) the technical name for cluster bombs. "Officials [said] a final decision is expected soon from the White House," the fake news network stated. "If approved, the [cluster bombs] could be included in a new military aid package to Ukraine as soon as next month." According to the outlet, "cluster munitions which the U.S. has stockpiled in large numbers since phasing them out in 2016 could help fill that gap." An official remarked that the DPICMs "would undoubtedly have a significant battlefield impact." A June 26 report by Foreign Policy magazine remarked that the White House's decision to provide Ukraine with cluster bombs appears to be the result of a bipartisan letter penned by lawmakers. The June 23 letter by Reps. Joe Wilson (R-SC), Victoria Spartz (R-IN) and Steve Cohen (D-TN) urged the executive branch to send DPICMs to Kyiv in aid of its counter-offensive. "[Transferring] DPICMs to Ukraine presents an opportunity to provide the Ukrainian Armed Forces with a powerful capability to use against the Russian army and mercenary forces," the three representatives wrote. "Let us use this untapped, vast arsenal in service of Ukrainian victory and reclaiming Europe's peace." Many Republicans have remained among the most outspoken promoters of massive spending and a muscular approach against Russia. Back in March, a letter penned by Congressional GOP members chastised Biden's "reluctance to provide Ukraine the right type and amount of long-range fires and maneuver capability to create." (Related: Defense Department to boost production of artillery ammunition by 500% for Ukraine but will take two years just to build the new factories.) Top GOP brass in both chambers of Congress were signatories of the March 2023 letter. Idaho Sen. Jim Risch of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and Mississippi Sen. Roger Wicker of the Senate Armed Services Committee affixed their names to the letter. Texas Rep. Mike McCaul, chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee and Alabama Sen. Mike Rogers, chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, also signed the letter. Cluster bombs are banned for a reason According to Foreign Policy, cluster bombs "can be fired from artillery cannons and scatter up to 88 bomblets on the battlefield." It added that these weapons could be of much help to Kyiv as it faces Russian tanks and trenches. However, it also warned that "if not cleaned up, the bomblets can be left to kill and maim civilians long after the fighting has died down." "Experts worry that because the bomblets scatter randomly, civilians could easily mistake them for toys or debris," the magazine noted. Durden remarked that Washington's "'reluctance' of cluster bombs stems from the fact that some 120 countries have banned cluster munitions. They have been long understood to be more indiscriminate than conventional weapons, given [that] they randomly disperse small bombs over large areas." Kyiv has set its sights on one such DPICM the MK-20, which disperses 240 dart-like bomblets after being fired. For the meantime, it relies on cluster bombs quietly obtained from other countries part of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. Foreign Policy earlier reported that Turkey began sending U.S.-designed artillery-fired cluster munitions to Ukraine last fall. However, Arab American Institute President James J. Zogby remarked in a tweet that the president's hesitation on sending DPICMs to Kyiv was justified. "Biden's right to not send cluster bombs to Ukraine. They're an insidious weapon," he tweeted. "In the [1980s], I brought kids from Lebanon who'd lost limbs to Israel's use of cluster bombs." "We shouldn't have them. They should [be] banned [and] using them should be a war crime." Visit MilitaryTechnology.news for more stories about the U.S. sending cluster bombs and other weapons to Ukraine. Watch this report about members of Congress calling for the transfer of cluster bombs and long-range missiles to Ukraine. This video is from the Pool Pharmacy channel on Brighteon.com. More related stories: United Kingdom confirms depleted uranium tank ammunition already in Ukraine. Pentagon: Ukraine has received more than ONE MILLION artillery rounds from the US. Mystery munitions being found in Ukraine finally identified; Russia has been keeping this profound capability secret. Sources include: ZeroHedge.com ForeignPolicy.com Brighteon.com COVID RACKET: Biden stole $1 billion from U.S. taxpayers by overpaying for Chinese covid test kits All the controversy about what Joe Biden and his crime family received in the form of illegal cash payments during his vice presidency under Barack Hussein Obama is just a drop in the bucket compared to what Biden and his cronies stole in order to purchase Chinese-made covid "test" kits. Estimates range from $900 million to $1.1 billion as to the amount of money Biden stole from United States taxpayers in order to buy pallets upon pallets of Wuhan coronavirus (Covid-19) test kits. Reports indicate that Biden and his cronies paid $1 per test kit for 100,000 kits at a time. We know, however, that only 400 million covid test kits were purchased by the regime, the first batch being 300 million followed by an additional 100 million. Simple math shows that at $1 a pop, this should have costed Americans no more than $400 million, as the more one buys of something the cheaper it gets per unit due to bulk discounts. So, what happened to the other $600 million that the Biden allegedly forked over to communist China for these test kits? (Related: There were many such scams involving the so-called "vaccines" as well.) Biden regime admits to spending $1.3 billion on covid test kits, so what happened to the other $900 million? It turns out that the Biden regime claimed publicly that it spent $1.3 billion on 400 million covid test kits that were supposed to have cost $1 per kit. If this is true, then what happened to that other $900 million? The website Root for America published a report stating that, in reality, each test kit at such a purchase volume should have cost no more than 50 cents per kit, in which case only $200 million should have been spent by the Biden regime leaving $1.1 billion unaccounted for. This is where the $900 million to $1.1 billion figure range comes from, which begs lots of questions as to what happened to the rest of all that cash. Did the Biden Crime Family pocket some of it? Did the Biden Crime Family's corrupt connections in Ukraine and communist China also get a cut? How much did "the big guy," referring to Joe Biden himself, personally receive from the scam? "Knowing the lifetime of corruption Biden has been involved in ... and Hunter Biden's laptop with proof of crimes, extortion and bribery ... and proof that Biden himself is 'the Big Guy' ... and knowing that the Bidens accepted $10 million from Burisma ... and knowing Congressman James Comer says his committee's investigation shows Biden stole $40 million as Vice President in multiple deals ... Does anyone doubt that Biden and the Biden Crime Family got all or some portion of this $900 million to $1.1 billion overpayment?" asks Wayne Allyn Root. "Perhaps the Big Guy got $100 million as a 10% commission. Maybe he split it 50 / 50 with the Chinese company (which is undoubtedly owned by the CCP). Or maybe Biden just kept the whole billion dollars of taxpayer money for himself." "Maybe this is one of many government contracts that Biden used to rob taxpayers blind in the past 2 years. Maybe he's stolen tens of billions. Afterall, he's no longer the VP. President Joe Biden is in the Big Leagues now! ... Or maybe, Biden is really so dumb and incompetent, he simply overpaid a billion dollars of your taxpayer money to China and the CCP." What do you think happened to the extra $900 million to $1.1 billion that is completely unaccounted for? Tell us in the comments below. Root's gut instinct is telling him that what took place with these covid test kits "was the crime of the century," and that the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) may be responsible for dividing up the loot "somewhere offshore." The latest news about government covid fraud can be found at Corruption.news. Sources for this article include: RootForAmerica.com Newstarget.com Switzerland refuses to send tanks to Ukraine, citing NEUTRALITY policy Switzerland has refused to transfer tanks to Ukraine for the second time, citing its historical policy of neutrality. Al-Arabiyah News reported that the landlocked European nation declined to allow the transfer of 96 Leopard 1 A5 tanks on June 28. Despite pressure from Ukraine and its allies, the neutral country has rejected allowing countries to permit the re-export of Swiss-made materiel in aid of Kyiv. According to the Swiss Federal Council, exporting the 96 tanks manufactured by Swiss defense firm RUAG was "not possible under the law as it stands." It explained that "such a sale would contravene the War Materiel Act and would result in a shift from Switzerland's policy of neutrality." Under that Act, weapons re-exports are prohibited if the recipient country is in an international armed conflict. The landlocked country of 8.8 million has a long-standing position of well-armed military neutrality. However, that tradition of neutrality has been under fire since the Russia-Ukraine war broke out in February 2022. The council stressed it had "given priority to Switzerlands commitments as a neutral country and to the reliability of its application of the rule of law. On June 1, the National Council Switzerland's lower house of parliament voted against a plan to specifically authorize the transfer of Swiss-made arms to Ukraine. The country had earlier rejected explicit requests from countries such as Denmark, Spain and Germany. RUAG purchased the used and non-operational 96 Leopard 1 A5 tanks from an agency of the Italian Ministry of Defense back in 2016. The company initially intended to refurbish the tanks which are still in Italy for potential buyers. The tanks were due to be sent to their German manufacturer for restoration, with Dutch funding. However, the conflict required an urgent demand for tanks for Ukraine a demand addressed by shipments from Germany and the U.S. as of writing. (Related: US arms sales to Europe have SKYROCKETED since Ukraine invasion.) Zelensky: Swiss decision to re-export weapons "vital" to Ukraine effort The June 28 decision was widely expected, according to Al-Arabiya News. Regardless, the Swiss National Assembly is considering ways to relax the country's long-standing principle of neutrality. Under the principle, which dates back to 1815 and is enshrined by a treaty in 1907, Switzerland will not send weapons directly or indirectly to combatants in a war. Swiss lawmakers are proposing to reform legislation and allow arms to be re-exported to a country at war, albeit under certain conditions. The exceptions may be limited to five years. Proposed conditions include the recipient country exercising its right to self-defense; the United Nations (UN) Security Council or a two-thirds majority of the UN General Assembly sanctioning a violation of international law; and the purchasing country pledging not to re-export the arms. Such a proposal would be welcome news for Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, who urged Switzerland on June 15 to allow the re-export of weapons to Kyiv. According to him, the move would be vital in defeating Russia. "I know there is a discussion in Switzerland about the exportation of war materiel to protect and defend Ukraine. That would be vital," Zelensky said in a video address to both chambers of the Swiss parliament. "We need weapons so we can restore peace in Ukraine." During the same address, the Ukrainian leader thanked Switzerland for adopting EU sanctions against Russia. He, however, stressed that more sanctions were needed. Switzerland has adopted the bloc's sanctions against Moscow and has frozen Russian assets worth $556 million. "It is very important to show solidarity because these sanctions will help us to end (the) aggression," Zelensky reiterated. "We have to strengthen the sanctions." MilitaryTech.news has more stories about weapons sent to Ukraine. Watch this clip from Russia Today about Russian forces capturing several Leopard tanks in Ukraine. This video is from the HALOROCK channel on Brighteon.com. More related stories: Germany halts purchases of Puma tanks following devastating breakdowns. NATO countries set to provide modern tanks to Ukraine as war with Russia grinds on. Counteroffensive: Western tanks fight Russians for first time, one German Leopard lost, reports claim. Biden sends 31 Abrams M1 tanks to Ukraine after previously warning that doing so would lead to World War III. Secret factory in Poland now repairing Ukrainian armor, artillery and equipment to send it back to the front lines. Sources include: English.AlArabiya.net Reuters.com 1 Reuters.com 2 Brighteon.com Supreme Court rules affirmative action UNCONSTITUTIONAL, counts as RACIAL PREJUDICE The Supreme Court has ruled that race-based college admissions quotas also known as affirmative action are unconstitutional according to the Fourteenth Amendment. The ruling stems from a case brought to the Supreme Court by a coalition of over 20,000 students, prospective university applicants and their parents in 2014 against Harvard University and the University of North Carolina (UNC), both of which use racial preferences during the admissions process. This organization, known as Students for Fair Admissions, argued that Harvard and UNC violated Title VI of the Civil Rights Act by penalizing applicants from certain demographics, including Asian Americans, by engaging in racial balancing. The organization further argued that the universities overemphasize race and rejected race-neutral alternative admissions processes that could still ensure diversity in the admissions process. With six justices concurring and three dissenting, the Supreme Court ruled that treating students differently according to their race is a violation of the equal protection clause of the Fourteenth Amendment. (Related: Asian-American student has near-perfect SAT score and a 4.65 GPA, gets ugly shock after applications to elite universities.) Many universities, including Harvard and UNC, claim that consideration of race during admissions is one factor in creating a fully holistic assessment of applicants and is an indispensable tool for building a diverse student body. SCOTUS: Universities should treat students according to their experiences, not race The majority opinion of the decision was written by Chief Justice John Roberts, who is joined by Justices Samuel Alito, Amy Coney Barrett, Neil Gorsuch, Brett Kavanaugh and Clarence Thomas. According to Roberts, student admissions processes should examine students based on their upbringing and experience, not race. "A benefit to a student who overcame racial discrimination, for example, must be tied to that student's courage and determination," wrote Roberts. "In other words, the student must be treated based on his or her experiences as an individual not on the basis of race." "Many universities have for too long done just the opposite," he continued. "And in doing so, they have concluded, wrongly, that the touchstone of an individual's identity is not challenges bested, skills built or lessons learned but the color of their skin. Our constitutional history does not tolerate that choice." Justices Ketanji Brown Jackson, Elena Kagan and Sonia Sotomayor dissented from the majority opinion. "With let-them-eat-cake obliviousness, today the majority pulls the ripcord and announces 'colorblindness for all' by legal fiat. But deeming race irrelevant in law does not make it so in life," Jackson wrote. "Gulf-sized race-based gaps exist with respect to health, wealth and well-being of American citizens," Jackson continued. "They were created in the distant past, but have indisputably been passed down to the present day through the generations." Sotomayor, in the written dissent of the three justices, claimed that ending affirmative action actually increases the likelihood of the U.S. being more racially unjust. "The Court subverts the constitutional guarantee of equal protection by further entrenching racial inequality in education, the very foundation of our democratic government and pluralistic society," she wrote. Supporters of affirmative action claim this ruling will lead to fewer non-White students being admitted to campuses, especially to the nation's most prestigious colleges and universities. Many corporations have even told the Supreme Court that ending affirmative action would undermine their ability to recruit a diverse, highly educated workforce. Meanwhile, critics of the policy, including the thousands of students and college applicants who brought this case to the Supreme Court, argue that race-blind admissions will restore equity for all Americans and that the so-called consequences of the ruling are exaggerated, especially since the court leaves open the possibility of taking race into consideration during admissions. Nothing in the court's majority opinion, as Roberts put it, "should be construed as prohibiting universities from considering an applicant's discussion of how race affected his or her life." All it does is prevent boosting the diversity of student bodies from being used as a rationale for taking a student's race into account during admissions processes. Furthermore, Roberts specifically kept affirmative action in place for the nation's military academies because of their "distinct interests," which have led to the creation of a very diverse officer corps that the Supreme Court believes helps truly represent the United States. The battle over affirmative action is unlikely to end here, however, as future efforts by universities to attract a diverse student body in their new admissions processes will likely lead to more legal battles over race and college admissions for decades to come. Learn more about racism in America's schools at EducationSystem.news. Watch this episode of "Brighteon Broadcast News" as Health Ranger Mike Adams discusses the Supreme Court's decision to end affirmative action in higher education and the angry liberal reaction to this ruling. This video is from the Health Ranger Report channel on Brighteon.com. More related stories: Michigan university to host five different graduation ceremonies that SEGREGATE students by race and sexuality. Woke VA middle school bars Whites, Asians from joining college prep program. Medical schools are lowering standards in the name of "equity" to boost minority acceptance (while abandoning quality of care). White student denied access to mental health care at Florida university because he wasn't a "person of color:" emails. Leftist "educators" eliminating honors courses to dumb down students in the name of "equity." Sources include: BigLeaguePolitics.com DailyCaller.com ABCNews.go.com NPR.org Reuters.com Brighteon.com Dear House GOP: Stop making excuses and impeach Alejandro Mayorkas immediately Democrats may be evil, but they know how to wield power. They wield way too much of it when they have it and you can see the results of that all around us today. Republicans, on the other hand, handle power like its a frog that will give them cooties if they touch it. No offense to frogs. (Article republished from JDRucker.Substack.com) As Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security, Alejandro Mayorkas is in charge of security of the homeland. Its in the name of his department. It doesnt take extended investigations and dozens of congressional hearings to realize we dont have security in our homeland. Its not that we have poor security or that there are gaps in our border. Its that we do not have anything that resembles security. Not a bit. For those who missed it, here is a Customs and Border Patrol officer cutting razor wire in Texas to HELP illegal aliens enter the country. I offer this to the Republican Party as enough evidence to begin the process of impeaching Mayorkas immediately. They, of course, will not accept it. Theyll declare that they need a serious investigation in order to decide whether or not it may be an acceptable option to kinda maybe sorta consider the possibility that Mayorkas has failed enough at his one job to warrant losing it. By the time they get around to actually impeaching him, the next president will be inaugurated and Mayorkas will be collecting fat paychecks as a consultant or Fox News contributor. Lets be crystal clear, just in case my attitude toward this subject isnt coming through properly. Alejandro Mayorkas is doing everything he can to subvert his own department and this nation. He is actively and aggressively making the southern border as wide open as possible. If you put a starving lion in a sealed den with a brood of chickens, there would be less carnage there than what Mayorkas has done to border security. At least there would be bones in the den as evidence that the chickens previously existed. There is no evidence of border security. CBP has been turned into a team of receptionists who greet and process anyone and everyone who walks across the meaningless line on the map. Heres an article by Jennie Taer at Daily Caller that explains the current state of the non-existent impeachment of Alejandro Mayorkas. Read through it and try not to seethe over the utter weakness on display. Ill wrap up after Jennies article with some thoughts This Is a Serious Investigation: House GOP Members Await Results of Mayorkas Probe Before Backing His Impeachment A faction of House Republicans are awaiting the results of a thorough investigation into Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas before supporting his impeachment, according to three House Republican staffers who spoke with the Daily Caller News Foundation. While some Republican members of the House are ready to impeach Mayorkas now, many others are waiting on a more lengthy investigative process, the Republican staffers, who spoke on background to have a more open and candid conversation, told the DCNF. House Homeland Security Committee Chairman Mark Green has launched a weeks-long investigation that is focusing on Mayorkas alleged dereliction of duty over his handling of the southern border, and the surge of illegal immigration into the U.S. that has occurred under his leadership. The initial findings of the investigation include instances of Mayorkas allegedly lying to Congress under oath on multiple occasions and allegedly lying to the American public dozens of times. There is undeniably a catastrophic crisis raging at our Southwest border, a crisis that has been raging for more than two years. The American people are suffering, not just in border states, but in communities all across this country, as the consequences of an unprecedented crisis impact Americans of all walks of life, the initial report states. Green previously told the DCNF he had evidence of potential fraud committed by Mayorkas. Weve got some people that are sharing some information with us that theres potential fraud, so were going to look very hard at all of these things, prepare a packet, show it to the American people, and then if it warrants impeachment, well hand it off to Chairman Jordan. I think it will, based on the information I know, Green told the DCNF at the time. Republican Texas Rep. Michael McCaul is interested in a thorough investigation and will follow Greens lead, one of the staffers said. If they get to an impeachment, it will be after a thorough process. I think this is a serious investigation compared to maybe some in the House that have been a little more rushed, the Republican staffer said. I think it just is gonna take more time for a bunch of people to get on board, the staffer added. A second staffer believes that House Republican leadership wants to ensure they dont politicize the process and follow Greens lead rather than immediately follow the lead of the several members of the party who have filed articles of impeachment in recent months. Leadership has been very clear that theyre not against impeachment, but that they want to make sure that they can draw a contrast in the way they handle it to the way that the Democrats handled impeachment during the Trump administration. I think theyre extremely concerned about ensuring that theres a thorough investigation and that charges come out of the right committees with the right background, the second staffer told the DCNF. Some House Republicans believe Colorado Rep. Lauren Boeberts ongoing push to impeach President Joe Biden is distracting from the investigation into the DHS secretary, the staffer added. All of this is totally going out the window because now the committee is going to have to handle the Biden impeachment, at least on some of the border stuff, as well. But our plan was basically just be unilaterally focused on dereliction of duty for the month of July, and, at least on the committee level, not on the sub level, there are offices that are upset with people like Boebert right now for moving away from the priority here, the staffer said. A third staffer said the push to impeach Biden may delay a potential Mayorkas impeachment. It also depends on the Biden impeachment thing because thats kind of just like a mess that is happening and if the Democrats are able to tie it successfully to Mayorkas it could be a problem. With Mayorkas, its much easier to make a case, the staffer said. For some offices, Mayorkas possible impeachment is moving too slowly, the staffer said. Right now the Homeland strategy basically is to lay the groundwork for it. As long as McCarthy is behind it and tells them to do it and Chairman Green is behind it and tells them to do it, I think that theyll get there eventually. I think that the usual suspects like Tony Gonzalez and whoever else may not vote for it, the staffer added. McCarthy doesnt want impeachment to be based on political reasons, he told CNN in May. I know people are very frustrated with [Mayorkas], McCarthy said. The Feckless GOP The process as it currently sits can be summed up with one quote from the DCNF article: were going to look very hard at all of these things, prepare a packet, show it to the American people, and then if it warrants impeachment, well hand it off to Chairman Jordan. Do you know what warrants impeachment? Millions of illegal aliens entering our nation, stealing our sovereignty, and being released into the interior by a Department of Homeland Security that is working more for the cartels than for the American people. Thats what deserves impeachment, and the case can be made with statistics alone. Lest we forget, impeachment for dereliction of duty is demonstrable by the results. They dont need to prove fraud to impeach Mayorkas. They dont need to follow a paper trail or question 400 witnesses. They have enough evidence to demonstrate Mayorkas is the greatest failure in DHS history, and thats saying a lot. The Republican Party reminds me of bystanders watching a violent crime, filming it with their smartphones, then posting on social media how traumatic their experience was while doing nothing to help the victim. Impeaching Alejandro Mayorkas is a slam dunk with the border numbers alone. The House GOP needs to stop pretending to theyre pursuing it and just do it now. Read more at: JDRucker.Substack.com ALL BARK, NO BITE: Ukraines much-hyped counteroffensive SLOWED by vast minefield Ukraine's much-hyped counteroffensive has turned into a brutal slog as its troops were forced to navigate a vast minefield Though Ukrainian officials claim they have so far regained control of about 50 square miles of land in the country's south from the Russian forces, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky admitted that the offensive has been moving "slower than desired." This is because Russia has spent months hardening fortifications and positioning reinforcements in their bid to protect territory seized since the start of its special military operations in February 2022. However, military strategists advised that is "way too early" for people to draw conclusions about Ukraine's success. "The Russians made good use of the months they had to prepare their defenses, especially the minefields," said Lt. Gen. Ben Hodges, a former commander of U.S. Army Europe. "It's going to be tough getting through that." But he is positive Kyiv will be able to penetrate. "It's just getting underway. Most of Ukraine's army is not even in the fight yet," he said. A U.S. military official, who spoke anonymously to discuss sensitive battlefield assessments, echoed Hodge's stand, saying that Ukraine's military was "fighting through the initial security zone" before hurling the bulk of its manpower at Russia's main lines. "You don't commit your whole force until you have an idea of where the areas are, where you're going to find the most success," the official said. Meanwhile, Ukrainian officials said the recaptured areas, including at least a half-dozen villages near the borders of the eastern Donetsk and Zaporizhzhia regions, represent just a tiny fraction of the vast area that the Russia troops control, which still amounts to roughly a fifth of the country. According to experts, the limited scale of the current gains is a reminder of the challenges Zelensky faces in his effort to force Russian President Vladimir Putin to reconsider his desire to cement control over much of Ukraine. "Everything with which they fight and everything that they use is brought in from the outside," the Russian president told the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum recently. "You can't fight for long like that." He also reported that Western tanks, including German-donated Leopards, have been destroyed and that Ukraine has lost 923 tanks and armored vehicles since June 4. He further warned that F-16 fighter jets, supplied by European nations, "will also burn." More challenges await Ukraine as they go deeper into counteroffensive From the 600-mile front line, Russia has positioned up to 360,000 troops inside Ukraine. And, unlike last fall when Kyiv was able to retake major cities in a two-pronged push, Putin's men had time to build up three or four layers of defenses. Also, Russians had mined more than 77,000 square miles of its territory, constituting the outer layer of its defenses, Ukrainian officials reported. They also pointed out Kyiv's lack of air superiority and the three-to-one offensive-to-defensive troop ratio that Western militaries typically want for this kind of push. Helicopters and fixed-wing aircraft give the Kremlin another advantage along the line of contact. On the other hand, Western countries are continuing to supply Ukraine with weapons, including British Storm Shadow cruise missiles, which have increased Kyiv's reach into Russian-held territory. President Joe Biden's administration is also planning to supply Ukraine with more sophisticated weaponry, including the Army Tactical Missile System (ATACMS). Just recently, the House Foreign Affairs Committee passed a resolution calling for the missiles to be provided. Biden has also vowed to spend another $500 million in military aid, including dozens of armored vehicles to augment or replace those damaged or destroyed. (Related: U.S. announces a further $2.1 billion in military assistance for Ukraine, bringing overall total to $40 billion.) William Taylor, a former U.S. diplomat in Ukraine's capital, said Ukraine has a chance to recover all occupied territories if it gets the right supplies. "A lot depends on what we provide them. We can affect the probabilities," he said. Visit UkraineWitness.com for more news related to the ongoing conflict between Ukraine and Russia. Watch the video about Ukraine losing 13,000 troops in its counteroffensive. This video is from The Prisoner channel on Brighteon.com. More related stories: Nearly 15% of Bradley armored vehicles the US sent to Ukraine now DESTROYED over just 3 days. Ukraine launches biggest attack in months as much-hyped counteroffensive begins. Pentagon overestimated value of military aid sent to Ukraine by $6.2 billion this means MORE weapons will be sent to Ukrainian armed forces. Peace talks over Russia-Ukraine conflict could be held as soon as July, German media reports. Sources include: MSN.com BBC.com BusinessInsider.com Brighteon.com Considering that Fukushima is about to release over a million cubic meters of treated water from its nuclear reactor, authorities are advising locals to avoid swimming in the region for the time being. No Swimming Natsuo Yamaguchi, the leader of the Komeito party, the coalition partner of the governing Liberal Democratic Party, stated on Sunday that swimming should be avoided this summer owing to the imminent release of treated water from the defunct Fukushima nuclear power plant into the Pacific Ocean. Yamaguchi emphasized the importance of avoiding spreading inaccurate reports. This summer, the government intends to begin discharging the previously polluted water from the Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings facility in Fukushima Prefecture. The triple meltdown in March 2011 occurred at the facility. Over 1 Million Cubic meterss of Treated Water Yamaguchi requested that the administration carefully consider the timing. In order to assure universal comprehension, their coalition is requesting that the government first thoroughly explain the safety of the treated water to the people of Japan and the worldwide community. Yamaguchi expressed his hope that the administration will thoroughly and patiently discuss the water release plan in light of the local fishermen's ongoing objections, The Japan Times reports. The Nuclear Regulation Authority inspectors will evaluate the treated water transfer equipment and its safety systems during the course of their three-day assessment, according to Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings. Although a precise date has not been determined, the water release permits may be granted approximately a week later, and TEPCO may begin discharging the water shortly after. Also Read: Japan Opts for Nuclear Energy Shift as Global Fuel Shortage Persists Following Russia-Ukraine War Opposition and Concerns Local fishing organizations have vehemently opposed the plan out of concern for safety and brand damage. Although the Japanese government and TEPCO pledged in 2015 not to release the water without the fishing community's approval, many in the fishing community claim the plan was implemented anyway. The leader of the Fukushima Fisheries Federation, Nozaki Tetsu, confirmed via Aljazeera on Tuesday that fishermen do not support the wastewater release proposal. On the other hand, Japan has reassured foreign countries that the water discharge is safe, in line with industry best practices, and required because the capacity of around 1,000 storage tanks at the nuclear plant will be reached early in 2024. According to the International Atomic Energy Agency via Bloomberg, other nations with nuclear power reactors have already safely discharged similar diluted waste offshore. It also coincides with a wider worldwide review of nuclear power, in which some countries are looking to increase their energy independence by restarting idle reactors, building new plants, or investing in cutting-edge technologies. Japan's efforts toward the closure of the Fukushima facility are considered vital in fostering confidence, and Prime Minister Fumio Kishida is hoping to build on improved domestic support for the energy source, Bloomberg reports. Related Article: Water from Fukushima Nuclear Plant to be Released Into the Ocean: Japan Says Safe, Marine Lab Disagrees Goshawks are a unique bird species that have recovered successfully after spending 120 years on the verge of extinction, according to experts. Rare Goshawks The rare bird species goshawk has recovered and is flourishing, according to experts. Forestry England has already recorded 45 pairs of goshawks since the first pair returned to the woodland in 2002. Even though they spend the entire year in the New Forest, goshawks are famously elusive. They are known as the "phantoms of the forest" because of the way they discreetly hunt for prey while flying exceedingly quickly. Andy Page from the organization predicted that the population would spread out over Hampshire and neighboring Dorset. Before 2002, it was believed that the birds had been gone from the New Forest for 120 years. The goshawk is a big hawk that is about the same size as a buzzard. It has a distinguishing white stripe above its bright red eyes. The adults have a broad wingspan of approximately 135 to 165 cm, while the juveniles have a brown cap. The male may capture a variety of prey from the same environment since he weighs between 600 and 1,100 grams less than the female, who weighs between 900 and 2,000 grams, according to ITV News. Thriving Population Hundreds of hours were spent observing mating activity and keeping an eye on nests by a team from Forestry England as they closely tracked population growth and breeding success in the woodland. The successful rearing and fledging of three chicks by a couple of goshawks at the very peak of one of the forest's towering trees was seen using a nest camera. It provided insight into the behavior of the birds, including how a male parent worried about the heat's impact on his young during a hot spell. He spent a lot of time spreading his wings and providing shade for the chicks. The nest camera's data also demonstrated that goshawks consume a wide range of prey, including squirrels, tiny birds, and small animals, all of which are carried into the nest to feed the young. Also Read: 1000 Endangered Seagull Chicks Die Mysteriously in Israel Nesting Area, Testing Underway Additionally, the team rings, measures, and weighs the chicks before they hatch to determine their health and whether or not the forest has the necessary conditions to support the population. Rings found on the birds paint a picture of where the population is moving outside of the immediate area. The nest camera's data also demonstrated that goshawks consume a wide range of prey, including squirrels, tiny birds, and small animals, all of which are carried into the nest for feeding the young. The larger female and smaller male's differing sizes enable them to access various sources of food, making sure their young are well fed. Page estimated that there are already 45 pairs in the New Forest and that over the following ten years, the population will greatly increase throughout Hampshire and the surrounding Dorset, the Advertiser & Times reported. Page claimed that their recovery was a genuine success for conservation. These birds provide valuable insight into the condition of the forest and the great variety of species it supports as a thriving apex predator, as per the BBC. Related Article: Fledging Juvenile Hawks Found on Arizona Grounds Scare Locals By tearing out the victim's ribs, the infamous medieval torture known as "blood eagle," which was allegedly used by Vikings, would transform humans into birds. Lore of the Blood Eagle Few images in popular culture are more closely associated with Viking violence than the "blood eagle," a method of torture in which the victim's ribs were purportedly severed from their spine, and their skin and bones were pulled outward to form a pair of "wings," and their lungs were allegedly expelled from their chest cavity. Experts have long argued over whether the blood eagle was an actual punishment or only a literary trope. The sources are frequently ambiguous, including legendary people of questionable reliability, or altering the timeline of known historical events. The practice has never been connected to any archaeological findings, and the Vikings themselves did not keep any documentation, recording their accomplishments only in oral poetry and sagas that initially emerged centuries later. The violent rite has thus been dismissed as improbable. It was assumed to be a result of repeated misreadings of intricate poetry and a desire to portray Nordic assailants as barbaric. Feasibility of Transforming Humans into Birds Previous scholarship solely focused on medieval textual accounts of the blood eagle. Previous research was limited to the descriptions of the blood eagle found in medieval texts, and there have been ongoing discussions about the exact language used to explain the "carving" of the eagle into the back of the victim. Many contend that it is not a workable practice and that it misinterprets complicated poetry. A team of experts carefully examined nine medieval records of the ceremony while applying contemporary anatomical and physiological expertise. They discovered that even with the available technology, executing a blood eagle would be difficult but not impossible. The researchers hypothesized that a particular kind of Viking spearhead may have functioned as an improvised instrument to quickly "unzip" the victim's rib cage from his back. It's interesting that a stone monument discovered in Gotland, Sweden, depicts what might be this weapon: a scenario that resembles a blood eagle or another method of death. The experts admitted that the victim would have passed away quickly even if the ritual had been carefully performed. Therefore, any efforts to remove the lungs or form the ribs into "wings" would have been made after death. The idea that the ribs were "fluttering" like wings would not have been possible. The researchers showed that, although uncommon, performing rites on the dead and dissecting bodies were not entirely unfamiliar to the warrior elite of the Viking Age, which may lessen the credibility of the blood eagle to modern sensibilities, according to Science Alert. Also Read: Rogue Waves: What Makes These Extreme Storm Waves Dangerous and How to Detect Them Reason for Medieval Torture Because it places such a strong focus on ritual and retribution, the blood eagle is as prominent in Viking culture now as it was in the Middle Ages. The execution method frequently appears in medieval sources, frequently without any further explanation, which shows that readers and listeners of the Viking era, many of whom would have received the stories orally, shared a common understanding of it. The aggressors performing the ritual on foes who murdered family members are a recurring theme in medieval literature, claimed the authors of the study. As a result, the researchers have concluded that the blood eagle may have represented an extreme but not an improbable outlier to the idea of the "bad death" within larger Viking society: a mechanism to exact revenge on a previous deviant, dishonorable, or otherwise culturally condemned death, which hails the death as a meaningful action, according to the Smithsonian Magazine. The study done by Luke John Murphy and his team was published in 2022 in Speculum: The Journal of the Medieval Academy of America. Related Article: Demon Core: The Sinister Chunk of Plutonium The latest forecast reported that challenging heat conditions is expected to emerge in the Northwestern United States this week, causing uncomfortable heat and health concerns. Recently, Nature World News (NWN) reported that the hotter outlook would unfold in the Southern United States after causing a heat dome in parts of Texas. This week, the National Weather Service (NWS) advisory revealed that scattered thunderstorms are expected in the Upper Midwest and Great Plains as many Americans look forward to Independence Day. Extreme heat in the Northwestern United States According to AccuWeather's latest forecast, Americans could anticipate extreme heat on Wednesday, resulting in record highs and heat-related illnesses. The weather outlook forecasts extreme heat in Vancouver, Seattle, Portland, Oregon, and Medford. Furthermore, the latest forecast explained that unusual heat would continue in Redding, Reno, San Franciso, Fresno, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Phoenix and San Diego. In other parts of the U.S., the NWS report showed that hot temperatures would emerge in Pacific Northwest and Southwest. Meanwhile, the NWS Weather Prediction Center reported that dangerous heat is forecast in the Lower Mississippi Valley and Southern Plains next week. Americans could expect widespread highs and triple digits forecast. Recently, portions of the United States in the Midwest and Central U.S. experienced derecho risk, causing widespread power outages in the region. Also Read: US July Weather Forecast: Severe Storm Likely to Hit Vermont and New Hampshire, Carolinas, Mississippi Staying safe during the challenging heat The latest weather forecast reported that record-breaking heat would unfold in the Northwestern U.S. this week, bringing uncomfortable heat. As the summer season is in the air, Americans can experience soaring temperatures that could result in heat-related health concerns. The National Weather Service (NWS) reported heat safety tips to avoid possible heat exhaustion and heat stress. People with medical conditions and outdoor workers can become the most vulnerable to the hot weather. Furthermore, the American Red Cross reported heat safety for motorists and homeowners, as many are expected to travel this week for the holidays and outdoor activities. Know the heat-related weather news Motorists and homeowners should keep updated with the weather conditions this week, especially the development of a heat dome in the Northwestern United States. Keeping updated with the weather can help homeowners look for cooler areas to ease the uncomfortable heat conditions this week. Avoid leaving your children and pets unattended. Car owners should not leave children and pets unattended inside cars. Hot cars could result in dangerous situations. It is best to leave at home. Limiting outdoor activities would be helpful to avoid prolonged exposure to the hot weather. Stay hydrated Drinking enough water glasses is essential during the soaring temperatures, especially for outdoor workers and people with medical conditions. Related Article: Midwest Weather Forecast: 200,000 Still No Power Due to Decrecho Impacting Central United States For more similar stories, don't forget to follow Nature World News. Americans with travel plans should check the weather conditions, as severe storms are forecast to emerge in the Southern and Eastern United States this week, bringing isolated tornadoes, flooding downpours and damaging winds. As the 4th of July comes, millions of Americans are expected to plan outdoor activities and travel to enjoy the holiday. Americans with travel plans should keep updated with the weather this week due to the threat of isolated tornadoes and damaging winds. In the latest forecast, Nature World News (NWN) reported that challenging heat is also forecast in the Northwestern United States, bringing record high temperatures and heat-related concerns. Severe thunderstorms in the United States According to AccuWeather's latest forecast, a severe weather outlook is forecast to unfold in parts of the United States, especially in the eastern and southern US. Based on the weather outlook, flooding downpours, hail and damaging winds are likely on Tuesday until Tuesday night. Severe weather is expected in Jackson, Asheville, Atlanta, Raleigh, Virginia Beach, Washington and Charleston. The forecast explained that stormy conditions would emerge in New York City, Arkansas and Northeastern Louisiana. Furthermore, the National Weather Service (NWS) advisory revealed that Great Plains and Upper Midwest could likely experience scattered severe thunderstorms. The forecast also warned of possible lightning strikes due to the severe thunderstorms impacting the United States. The advisory warned of dangerous heat impacting portions of Southern Plains, the Lower Mississippi Valley and Northern Great Plains and Mid-Atlantic Region could also become at risk of thunderstorms. Also Read: July Astronomical Events: Rare Super Thunder Moon, Twin Meteor to Unfold in Skies Staying safe during isolated tornadoes Furthermore, staying safe during severe storms and isolated tornadoes is essential this week, especially for hail conditions and damaging winds. Prepare multiple sources of information. Keeping multiple sources of information would be helpful for motorists and homeowners. Keep your mobile phones for weather and tornado alerts for this week. Keep away from trees and powerlines Damaging winds and isolated tornadoes could blow away trees and power lines. The severe weather could lead to power outages and travel disruptions. Stay at home when the weather becomes severe Homeowners should stay at home when the weather conditions become severe. It is best to wait until the weather improves before planning any outdoor activities and plan. Keeping emergency kits at home would be helpful if power outages occur. Did you know? According to the Lightning Safety Council, the month of July could show the most fatalities related to lightning in the country. As many Americans would travel outdoors for Independence Day, there could be dangers of lightning strikes. The report advised Americans to keep updated with lightning reports and forecasts. When they hear thunder strikes, it is best to look for a shelter, staying for 30 minutes before leaving. Related Article: Record-Challenging Heat in Northwestern US: Heat Dome Likely to Bring Heat-Related Health Concerns For more similar, don't forget to follow Nature World News. Readers of the Network Norfolk website love news about people, churches, Christian organisations, events and job opportunities across our county, according to our recent reader survey. Readers of the Network Norfolk website love news about people, churches, Christian organisations, events and job opportunities across our county, according to our recent reader survey. Holiday Word and Worship in Sheringham As the summer holiday season gets started, Lighthouse Community Church in Sheringham is running its summer Word and Worship series each morning next week from Tuesday to Friday, and all are welcome to come along. Read more Vicar on motorbike at Norwich event An outreach venture has been organised for August 12, by the local branch of the Christian Motorcyclist Association in conjunction with the vicar of St Peter Mancroft Church. Read more Where do you rest in Gods presence? Jane Walters is currently seeking rest and refreshment on holiday, but reminds us that lasting peace and contentment can only be found in Gods presence. Read more Kings Lynn churches Debt Centre crowdfunding appeal Kings Lynn Debt Centre is looking to raise 3000 by August 3 to aid the work it does supporting those with unmanageable debt in the community. Read more King's Lynn church to stage free music festival The Kings Glory church is planning Manifest - a day filled with powerful performances, uplifting messages, and unforgettable memories at The Walks park in Kings Lynn this Saturday. Read more Cleaner / Facilities Assistant vacancy Holy Trinity church is looking for an enthusiastic and motivated cleaner/ facilities assistant to join their dedicated staff team. Read more Norwich minister's personal story of a winning hope Former Norwich church leader Goff Hope, has written a book about the hope in the gospel and the goodness of God, drawing on his personal experience of tragedy, losing his daughter and his own battle with cancer. Read more Church is at heart of Norwich city centre community St Stephens church, in the heart of Norwich city centre, offers a community cafe, a thriving church fellowship and a summer arts festival. Read more Sheringham BeachLife family outreach returns Plans are being finalized for this years BeachLife activity week on Sheringham clifftops and beach at the end of August, and the week promises to be enormous fun for the whole family. Read more Norwich church and league youth football project The Norfolk Christian Football League has teamed up with a Norwich church to provide support and resources to help other local churches launch youth football teams for the coming season. Read more Bishop of Norwich First Nature Award launched The Bishop of Norwich, the Rt Revd Graham Usher, is sponsoring a new award to highlight the health benefits of nature connection for children. Read more Gorleston Morrisons collection for foodbank Morrisons in Gorleston is inviting customers to support local charity, Yarmouth and Magdalen Foodbank, at its food drive next week. Read more Yarmouth homelessness charity to shut The Living Room Great Yarmouth, which has supported those who are homeless or vulnerably housed for the last 6 years is set to wind down. Read more Fireman Dan is also a Sheringham church pastor There was a baptism of fire for Sheringham church pastor Daniel Ward when he decided to take on a role as a retained firefighter during the hottest summer the country has ever seen last year. Read more Kings Lynn writer publishes 30-day devotional Kings Lynn writer and part-time English teacher, Georgie Tennant has seen her 30-day devotional book, The God Who Sees You, published with Kevin Mayhew. Peter Bending reports. Read more 48 hr Revival prayer walk along N Norfolk coast Walkers from Lighthouse Community Church in Sheringham were praying for Revival this week as they trekked from Hunstanton to Sheringham in 48 hours. Read more Christ Church in Norwich celebrates 150 years Christ Church in Eaton, Norwich, is celebrating its 150th anniversary this year with a special Fantastic Fish exhibition in the church building. Read more Prasanta Mazumdar By Express News Service GUWAHATI: In escalated violence in Manipur, a gunfight erupted between two groups in strife-torn Manipur on Monday. However, there were no reports of any casualty. In Imphal, Chief Minister N Biren Singh chaired a meeting of the Unified Command. We decided that bunkers, wherever they have been erected (by people), have to be destroyed. State and paramilitary forces will be deployed in the vulnerable areas, he said. For agriculture purpose, the government has decided to deploy more personnel in Kakching, Imphal East, Imphal West, Bishnupur districts and the adjoining areas of Churachandpur and Kangpokpi districts. In addition to previous deployment there, 2,000 more personnel will be posted. The state government has also decided to reopen schools for students from Class 1-8 from July 5, said the Chief Minister. In a separate development, the Indigenous Tribal Leaders Forum (ITLF) released a photo of the decapitated head of a victim of the violence. It said David Thiek, the young Kuki-Zo village volunteer from Churachandpur district, was killed by a mob shortly after Sunday midnight. Several Kuki-Zo organisations condemned the barbaric killing. Official sources said the Monday incident occurred on the border of Imphal West and Kangpokpi districts. The security forces were deployed in the area to bring the situation under control. The Indigenous Tribal Leaders Forum (ITLF) said one Manihar Meetei (66) from Sekmai in Imphal West district, who was caught by the Kuki village defence volunteers of Kangpokpi district, was freed on Sunday. Rebel group Kuki National Front intervened and ensured his safe release on humanitarian ground, ITLF said. SC demands update on ground situation in Manipur New Delhi: Amidst the contradictory claims put forth by Manipur government and Manipur Tribals Forum with regards to the situation of ethnic violence in the state, the Supreme Court on Monday directed state government to file an updated status report detailing the actual situation on the ground. We want to know about the rehabilitation efforts, the recovery of arms, law and order situation on the ground. Give us a detailed report, CJI DY Chandrachud said. GUWAHATI: In escalated violence in Manipur, a gunfight erupted between two groups in strife-torn Manipur on Monday. However, there were no reports of any casualty. In Imphal, Chief Minister N Biren Singh chaired a meeting of the Unified Command. We decided that bunkers, wherever they have been erected (by people), have to be destroyed. State and paramilitary forces will be deployed in the vulnerable areas, he said. For agriculture purpose, the government has decided to deploy more personnel in Kakching, Imphal East, Imphal West, Bishnupur districts and the adjoining areas of Churachandpur and Kangpokpi districts. In addition to previous deployment there, 2,000 more personnel will be posted. The state government has also decided to reopen schools for students from Class 1-8 from July 5, said the Chief Minister. In a separate development, the Indigenous Tribal Leaders Forum (ITLF) released a photo of the decapitated head of a victim of the violence. It said David Thiek, the young Kuki-Zo village volunteer from Churachandpur district, was killed by a mob shortly after Sunday midnight.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); Several Kuki-Zo organisations condemned the barbaric killing. Official sources said the Monday incident occurred on the border of Imphal West and Kangpokpi districts. The security forces were deployed in the area to bring the situation under control. The Indigenous Tribal Leaders Forum (ITLF) said one Manihar Meetei (66) from Sekmai in Imphal West district, who was caught by the Kuki village defence volunteers of Kangpokpi district, was freed on Sunday. Rebel group Kuki National Front intervened and ensured his safe release on humanitarian ground, ITLF said. SC demands update on ground situation in Manipur New Delhi: Amidst the contradictory claims put forth by Manipur government and Manipur Tribals Forum with regards to the situation of ethnic violence in the state, the Supreme Court on Monday directed state government to file an updated status report detailing the actual situation on the ground. We want to know about the rehabilitation efforts, the recovery of arms, law and order situation on the ground. Give us a detailed report, CJI DY Chandrachud said. Namita Bajpai By Express News Service LUCKNOW: Post-Maharashtra developments, political corridors in Lucknow were agog with rumours of a possible split in opposition camp in Uttar Pradesh with Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD) chief Jayant Chaudhury likely to spring a surprise on the lines of Ajit Pawar. However, while interacting with the media in Baghpat on Monday, RLD chief Jayant Chaudhury ruled out the possibility of joining the BJP-led NDA, saying he would remain with whom he has been so far. The RLD chief is in alliance with the Samajwadi Party since the 2019 general election. The two parties fought last years Assembly polls together. After giving a miss to the Patna conclave of the Opposition camp on June 23 owing to his being abroad for an event, Jayant purportedly met a Union minister on Sunday, lending weight to the latest rumours. Officially, RLD has been in denial mode on Monday over Jayants meeting with a Union minister. Jayantjis does the politics of ideology. He did not meet any one in the BJP, said Anil Dubey, a senior RLD leader. However, the buzz about SP-RLD tie-up being on the rocks has been doing the rounds for quite some time. The first sign of differences emerged during the Rajya Sabha polls to 11 seats in UP in May 2022. As the SP had three seats at its disposal, it nominated Kapil Sibal and Javed Ali on two. For the third seat, Jayant had to do a hard bargaining with SP chief Akhilesh Yadav who was interested in sending his wife Dimple to the Upper House. Jayant rules out joining NDA Interacting with the media in Baghpat on Monday, RLD chief Jayant Chaudhury ruled out the possibility of joining NDA. My decision is clear: I will remain where I am. I will be with the opposition, said Jayant to query whether he was unhappy with SP chief Akhilesh Yadav and whether he would soon be a part of NDA. Jayant said hed attend the opposition leaders meeting due mid-July in Bengaluru. LUCKNOW: Post-Maharashtra developments, political corridors in Lucknow were agog with rumours of a possible split in opposition camp in Uttar Pradesh with Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD) chief Jayant Chaudhury likely to spring a surprise on the lines of Ajit Pawar. However, while interacting with the media in Baghpat on Monday, RLD chief Jayant Chaudhury ruled out the possibility of joining the BJP-led NDA, saying he would remain with whom he has been so far. The RLD chief is in alliance with the Samajwadi Party since the 2019 general election. The two parties fought last years Assembly polls together. After giving a miss to the Patna conclave of the Opposition camp on June 23 owing to his being abroad for an event, Jayant purportedly met a Union minister on Sunday, lending weight to the latest rumours. Officially, RLD has been in denial mode on Monday over Jayants meeting with a Union minister.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); Jayantjis does the politics of ideology. He did not meet any one in the BJP, said Anil Dubey, a senior RLD leader. However, the buzz about SP-RLD tie-up being on the rocks has been doing the rounds for quite some time. The first sign of differences emerged during the Rajya Sabha polls to 11 seats in UP in May 2022. As the SP had three seats at its disposal, it nominated Kapil Sibal and Javed Ali on two. For the third seat, Jayant had to do a hard bargaining with SP chief Akhilesh Yadav who was interested in sending his wife Dimple to the Upper House. Jayant rules out joining NDA Interacting with the media in Baghpat on Monday, RLD chief Jayant Chaudhury ruled out the possibility of joining NDA. My decision is clear: I will remain where I am. I will be with the opposition, said Jayant to query whether he was unhappy with SP chief Akhilesh Yadav and whether he would soon be a part of NDA. Jayant said hed attend the opposition leaders meeting due mid-July in Bengaluru. Amit Mukherjee By Express News Service NEW DELHI: THE CBI on Monday filed a fresh chargesheet against Rashtriya Janata Dal leader and Bihar deputy Chief Minister Tejashwi Yadav and his parents Lalu Prasad Yadav and Rabri Devi in the land-for-jobs scam. Fourteen others, including railway officials and middlemen, were also named in the chargesheet. The agency had filed the first chargesheet in the case in October last year. It said the second chargesheet is to include fresh information about the scam it unearthed during its probe. According to the CBI, Lalu Prasad gave out railway jobs in exchange for land when he was Union minister during 2004-2009 in the UPA government. Job seekers were allegedly offered temporary jobs at Group D positions in various zones of Indian Railways and were made permanent after they handed over their lands to Lalus family members or his associates. The chargesheet says that in violation of the recruitment process where vacancies are announced through advertisements or public notices, some Patna residents were appointed directly through personalised communication in different zonal railways. NEW DELHI: THE CBI on Monday filed a fresh chargesheet against Rashtriya Janata Dal leader and Bihar deputy Chief Minister Tejashwi Yadav and his parents Lalu Prasad Yadav and Rabri Devi in the land-for-jobs scam. Fourteen others, including railway officials and middlemen, were also named in the chargesheet. The agency had filed the first chargesheet in the case in October last year. It said the second chargesheet is to include fresh information about the scam it unearthed during its probe. According to the CBI, Lalu Prasad gave out railway jobs in exchange for land when he was Union minister during 2004-2009 in the UPA government. Job seekers were allegedly offered temporary jobs at Group D positions in various zones of Indian Railways and were made permanent after they handed over their lands to Lalus family members or his associates.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); The chargesheet says that in violation of the recruitment process where vacancies are announced through advertisements or public notices, some Patna residents were appointed directly through personalised communication in different zonal railways. By Express News Service AHMEDABAD: RSS leader Dattatreya Hosabale on Monday said the Central government will not back down on fully implementing the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) but an atmosphere needs to be created to remove certain hurdles standing in the way. Addressing a gathering of Hindu migrants from Pakistan in Ahmedabad, the RSS general secretary urged people to create an atmosphere once again which would remove all the hurdles coming in the way of the Centre in fully implementing the Act. He also claimed that agitations were organised against CAA as part of a conspiracy and misinformation was spread against it across the world. CAA was an attempt to fast-track the process of granting citizenship to persecuted minorities of Pakistan and Bangladesh. The idea was to see that there is no waiting period for those minorities who come here because of persecution, said Hosabale. He said the government is mulling to implement the Act. AHMEDABAD: RSS leader Dattatreya Hosabale on Monday said the Central government will not back down on fully implementing the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) but an atmosphere needs to be created to remove certain hurdles standing in the way. Addressing a gathering of Hindu migrants from Pakistan in Ahmedabad, the RSS general secretary urged people to create an atmosphere once again which would remove all the hurdles coming in the way of the Centre in fully implementing the Act. He also claimed that agitations were organised against CAA as part of a conspiracy and misinformation was spread against it across the world. CAA was an attempt to fast-track the process of granting citizenship to persecuted minorities of Pakistan and Bangladesh. The idea was to see that there is no waiting period for those minorities who come here because of persecution, said Hosabale. He said the government is mulling to implement the Act.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); By Express News Service KOLKATA: Three days after the State Election Commission (SEC) issued a notification not mentioning whether central forces will be deployed in polling booths, the Calcutta High Court on Tuesday directed the state poll panel to deploy Central Armed Paramilitary Force (CAPF) personnel alongside their counterparts from the state in equal measure in each and every polling station during the upcoming rural polls on July 8. During the course of the hearing, deputy solicitor general Billwadal Bhattacharya mentioned in his petition that there will be nearly 65,000 active personnel from the central forces while the strength of the state police force will be about 70,000 and hence deployment in a ratio of fifty-fifty will solve the issue. The division bench of Chief Justice TS Shivagnanam and Justice Hiranmay Bhattacharya upheld Bhattacharyas submission. The directive was passed by the division bench after the SEC prayed to pass an appropriate order on the formula for central and state forces deployment based on the total number of available forces with the poll panel. ALSO READ | Two more die in violence ahead of Bengal rural polls, SEC identifies 7.8% booths as sensitive The opposition had demanded deployment of central force personnel in all 61,636 booths and welcomed the high courts order. Meanwhile, although 14 persons had died in the past 26 days in poll-related violence since the announcement of panchayat elections in Bengal, the West Bengal police chief said on Tuesday that there were two to three incidents of violence in the state and police took stern action in every case. There were two or three incidents of violence in Bengal related to panchayat polls. We have instructions from higher authorities to swing into action and take stern action immediately after incidents of violence and police acted accordingly, said Director General of Police (DGP) Manoj Malviya. In the past 24 hours, incidents of violence were reported from nine places in the state. Four persons, including two children, were injured after a crude bomb exploded in Murshidabad district. Clashes between supporters of two political parties took place in Asansol in West Burdwan district. Referring to the DGPs comment mentioning two to three incidents of violence, the spokesperson of the BJP, the principal opposition in the state, Shamik Bhattacharya alleged that police and the state poll panel are working at the behest of the ruling party. The entire state is witnessing violence unleashed by the ruling party and men in uniform are sitting idle. Despite the deaths of several persons, police are describing the violence as a case of two to three incidents, he said. KOLKATA: Three days after the State Election Commission (SEC) issued a notification not mentioning whether central forces will be deployed in polling booths, the Calcutta High Court on Tuesday directed the state poll panel to deploy Central Armed Paramilitary Force (CAPF) personnel alongside their counterparts from the state in equal measure in each and every polling station during the upcoming rural polls on July 8. During the course of the hearing, deputy solicitor general Billwadal Bhattacharya mentioned in his petition that there will be nearly 65,000 active personnel from the central forces while the strength of the state police force will be about 70,000 and hence deployment in a ratio of fifty-fifty will solve the issue. The division bench of Chief Justice TS Shivagnanam and Justice Hiranmay Bhattacharya upheld Bhattacharyas submission.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); The directive was passed by the division bench after the SEC prayed to pass an appropriate order on the formula for central and state forces deployment based on the total number of available forces with the poll panel. ALSO READ | Two more die in violence ahead of Bengal rural polls, SEC identifies 7.8% booths as sensitive The opposition had demanded deployment of central force personnel in all 61,636 booths and welcomed the high courts order. Meanwhile, although 14 persons had died in the past 26 days in poll-related violence since the announcement of panchayat elections in Bengal, the West Bengal police chief said on Tuesday that there were two to three incidents of violence in the state and police took stern action in every case. There were two or three incidents of violence in Bengal related to panchayat polls. We have instructions from higher authorities to swing into action and take stern action immediately after incidents of violence and police acted accordingly, said Director General of Police (DGP) Manoj Malviya. In the past 24 hours, incidents of violence were reported from nine places in the state. Four persons, including two children, were injured after a crude bomb exploded in Murshidabad district. Clashes between supporters of two political parties took place in Asansol in West Burdwan district. Referring to the DGPs comment mentioning two to three incidents of violence, the spokesperson of the BJP, the principal opposition in the state, Shamik Bhattacharya alleged that police and the state poll panel are working at the behest of the ruling party. The entire state is witnessing violence unleashed by the ruling party and men in uniform are sitting idle. Despite the deaths of several persons, police are describing the violence as a case of two to three incidents, he said. By PTI AHMEDABAD: The Gujarat government has opposed the discharge application filed by social activist Teesta Setalvad in a sessions court here in a case of the alleged fabrication of evidence to frame innocent people in 2002 post-Godhra riot cases. The government on Monday told the court of additional sessions judge Ambalal Patel that Setalvad had abused the trust of the 2002 riots victims. Setalvad drafted affidavits in their names to implicate innocent persons including then chief minister (Narendra Modi), senior officers, and ministers, the government affidavit said. Notably, the Supreme Court on Saturday protected Setalvad from arrest and stayed for a week the Gujarat High Court order rejecting her plea for regular bail and asking her to surrender immediately in the case of the alleged fabrication of evidence. The case against Setalvad and two other accused -- former Director General of Police (DGP) RB Sreekumar and ex-IPS officer Sanjiv Bhatt -- is being heard in the court of additional sessions judge. The court had earlier rejected Sreekumar's discharge plea. While opposing Setalvad's discharge plea, the government has relied on the statements of witnesses Rais Khan Pathan, who worked at the activist's NGO Citizen for Peace, Narendra Brahmbhatt who had claimed that late Congress leader Ahmed Patel had allegedly paid the activist Rs 30 lakh, and riot victim Qutubuddin Ansari. The government also highlighted the "contradiction" in the affidavits of riot victims prepared by Setalvad and the statements recorded by them before the court. "There is sufficient evidence and reasons to file a chargesheet against the accused. For the reasons mentioned above and taking into account the reasons and submissions to be presented during the argument, the court is requested to reject the discharge plea of the accused," the government's affidavit said. Setalvad was arrested in June last year along with former Gujarat Director General of Police R B Sreekumar and ex-IPS officer Sanjiv Bhatt in an offence registered by Ahmedabad crime branch police for allegedly fabricating evidence to frame "innocent people" in the post-Godhra riots cases. She was released on interim bail on September 3. In its judgment, the high court had observed that prima facie Setalvad used her close associates and riot victims to file "false and fabricated affidavits before the Supreme Court with a view to unseat the establishment and to tarnish the image of establishment and the then chief minister (Modi)." The fabrication of evidence case against Setalvad, Bhatt and Sreekumar was registered a day after the Supreme Court's verdict in the Zakia Jafri case. The apex court had dismissed a plea of Jafri, the wife of slain former MP Ehsan Jafri, challenging the Special Investigation Team's (SIT) clean chit to 64 people, including then Chief Minister Narendra Modi, in the 2002 Gujarat riots case. Earlier, the Ahmedabad sessions court had rejected the bail applications of Setalvad and Sreekumar. Last month, the trial court rejected Sreekumar's plea for discharge in the case. Sreekumar is also out on interim bail granted by the high court. Former IPS officer Sanjiv Bhatt, the third accused in the case, has not applied for bail. Bhatt is already in jail for another criminal matter when he was arrested in this case. The Ahmedabad city crime branch had registered a First Information Report (FIR) against Setalvad and two others under Indian Penal Code sections 468 (forgery for cheating) and 194 (fabricating false evidence with intent to procure conviction for capital offences) of the Indian Penal Code. AHMEDABAD: The Gujarat government has opposed the discharge application filed by social activist Teesta Setalvad in a sessions court here in a case of the alleged fabrication of evidence to frame innocent people in 2002 post-Godhra riot cases. The government on Monday told the court of additional sessions judge Ambalal Patel that Setalvad had abused the trust of the 2002 riots victims. Setalvad drafted affidavits in their names to implicate innocent persons including then chief minister (Narendra Modi), senior officers, and ministers, the government affidavit said.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); Notably, the Supreme Court on Saturday protected Setalvad from arrest and stayed for a week the Gujarat High Court order rejecting her plea for regular bail and asking her to surrender immediately in the case of the alleged fabrication of evidence. The case against Setalvad and two other accused -- former Director General of Police (DGP) RB Sreekumar and ex-IPS officer Sanjiv Bhatt -- is being heard in the court of additional sessions judge. The court had earlier rejected Sreekumar's discharge plea. While opposing Setalvad's discharge plea, the government has relied on the statements of witnesses Rais Khan Pathan, who worked at the activist's NGO Citizen for Peace, Narendra Brahmbhatt who had claimed that late Congress leader Ahmed Patel had allegedly paid the activist Rs 30 lakh, and riot victim Qutubuddin Ansari. The government also highlighted the "contradiction" in the affidavits of riot victims prepared by Setalvad and the statements recorded by them before the court. "There is sufficient evidence and reasons to file a chargesheet against the accused. For the reasons mentioned above and taking into account the reasons and submissions to be presented during the argument, the court is requested to reject the discharge plea of the accused," the government's affidavit said. Setalvad was arrested in June last year along with former Gujarat Director General of Police R B Sreekumar and ex-IPS officer Sanjiv Bhatt in an offence registered by Ahmedabad crime branch police for allegedly fabricating evidence to frame "innocent people" in the post-Godhra riots cases. She was released on interim bail on September 3. In its judgment, the high court had observed that prima facie Setalvad used her close associates and riot victims to file "false and fabricated affidavits before the Supreme Court with a view to unseat the establishment and to tarnish the image of establishment and the then chief minister (Modi)." The fabrication of evidence case against Setalvad, Bhatt and Sreekumar was registered a day after the Supreme Court's verdict in the Zakia Jafri case. The apex court had dismissed a plea of Jafri, the wife of slain former MP Ehsan Jafri, challenging the Special Investigation Team's (SIT) clean chit to 64 people, including then Chief Minister Narendra Modi, in the 2002 Gujarat riots case. Earlier, the Ahmedabad sessions court had rejected the bail applications of Setalvad and Sreekumar. Last month, the trial court rejected Sreekumar's plea for discharge in the case. Sreekumar is also out on interim bail granted by the high court. Former IPS officer Sanjiv Bhatt, the third accused in the case, has not applied for bail. Bhatt is already in jail for another criminal matter when he was arrested in this case. The Ahmedabad city crime branch had registered a First Information Report (FIR) against Setalvad and two others under Indian Penal Code sections 468 (forgery for cheating) and 194 (fabricating false evidence with intent to procure conviction for capital offences) of the Indian Penal Code. Sudhir Suryawanshi By Express News Service MUMBAI: After split in the party and family, NCP chief Sharad Pawar on Monday visited the memorial of his Guru and Maharashtras first chief minister Yashwantrao Chavan and announced to rebuild his party from scratch while addressing a rally in Ajit Pawars faction minister Dilip Walse Patils constituency in Junnar. He addressed the second rally in Beed the constituency of minister Dhananjay Munde. Pawar said Ajit is not any distance person. I will not suspect our Ajit. There can be differences of opinion. Some of our people wanted to expand the party network and they also wanted the responsibility but now they took a different decision. I am confident that the youth and common people of Maharashtra will support him in his effort of rebuilding the party. In the next two to three months, I will travel the entire state and reach out to the people. Then the situation will be completely in favour of his party, said the Maratha strong man. Some of the people joined the party that we were opposing and fighting against. We are committed to our ideology. We will continue to fight these communal forces, he added. MUMBAI: After split in the party and family, NCP chief Sharad Pawar on Monday visited the memorial of his Guru and Maharashtras first chief minister Yashwantrao Chavan and announced to rebuild his party from scratch while addressing a rally in Ajit Pawars faction minister Dilip Walse Patils constituency in Junnar. He addressed the second rally in Beed the constituency of minister Dhananjay Munde. Pawar said Ajit is not any distance person. I will not suspect our Ajit. There can be differences of opinion. Some of our people wanted to expand the party network and they also wanted the responsibility but now they took a different decision. I am confident that the youth and common people of Maharashtra will support him in his effort of rebuilding the party. In the next two to three months, I will travel the entire state and reach out to the people. Then the situation will be completely in favour of his party, said the Maratha strong man. googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); Some of the people joined the party that we were opposing and fighting against. We are committed to our ideology. We will continue to fight these communal forces, he added. By Express News Service The need to bring Comprehensive Nuclear Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT) entry into force is being felt more today than any time in the past considering the increasing rhetoric on nuclear weapons. Except for North Korea, a majority of 43 other countries listed in Annex 2 (nuclear technology holder nations) are observing a voluntary moratorium against testing. However, the United States recently announced it would be conducting sub-critical nuclear tests and ramping up infrastructure facilities at its Nevada National Security Site. Will this derail the prospects of the treatys entry into force and discourage countries like India, which has so far not signed or ratified the Treaty? In an interview, CTBTO (CTBT Organization) Executive Secretary Dr Robert Floyd speaks to S V Krishna Chaitanya. Excerpts: The US has been open about conducting subcritical nuclear tests and Jill Hruby, Administrator of the National Security Administration of the US announced during inaugural ceremony of CTBT Organizations Science and Technology conference that they are actually building test beds, which some countries say is in contravention of the CTBT preamble. Your reaction. The US is a signatory state so they are a party to our organisation and they are an incredibly committed party. The question around subcritical testing is essentially a legal question and I think the legal answer is pretty straightforward. The subcritical testing is not specifically ruled out or banned by the Treaty. So, what the under-secretary was describing is their activities and plans are permissible under the scope of the Treaty after it is entered into force. The other important aspect is the transparency and openness exhibited by the US needs to be appreciated whether we are happy with their decisions or not. If that is the case, how do you convince a country like India, which refused to sign CTBT precisely because of its ambiguity over sub-critical tests? In September 2021, the then Indian foreign secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla, while addressing the UN Security Council, categorically said CTBT does not address a number of core concerns raised by India. We are very keen to have a dialogue with India about the CTBT. It is something I would dearly love to have. India can explain its position to me clearly and then we can look how to move forward from there. I have been in this office for two years and I havent had that opportunity. Has CTBTO made any efforts to reach out to India? When was the last time formal talks were held with the Indian government authority at any level? There has always been keen interest to engage with India. As you would be well aware, I am very keen to engage with all States that have not yet signed or ratified this Treaty. India absolutely included. Eight countries have not ratified the Treaty. These include 3 countries -- India, Pakistan and North Korea -- not even signing it for a very long time. Are we staring at an intractable problem? I dont believe the problem is intractable, but first, its best we step back and consider the value of this Treaty. The CTBT is actually an astounding success already when we consider that before its opening for signature in September 24, 1996, over 2,000 nuclear tests took place. Since that date, fewer than 12 nuclear tests were conducted. And, its also a Treaty that almost every country in the world, including India, agrees with in terms of its object and purpose.It is a wonderful thing that almost every possessor-state has taken a decision to commit to a moratorium against testing. And thats a unilateral and political decision by each of those States. If the Treaty is already a success, what is the need for it to come into force? It is certainly a success. The verification system has already been established. Over 90% of the International Monitoring System (IMS) is in place. The International Data Center is established analyzing processing, dispersing the data to all State signatories. But there are some aspects of the verification regime that cannot be put in place until the Treatys entry into force. One of those is the On-Site Inspection (OSI). So, it is critical that the Treaty does enter into force to allow the full spectrum of verification activities to be able to be used. On-Site Inspection is another contentious aspect, which countries including India find it intrusive. If IMS is strong enough to detect any nuclear tests, what is the need for OSI? The International Monitoring System is certainly very strong. For absolutely definitive evidence, it would be best to be able to address a potentially vexatious claim by another State to allow on-site inspection. In a way, Its actually protection. After 27 years, Indian external affairs minister S Jaishankar was in Austria earlier this year. Have there been any overtures from your side? I remain absolutely willing, keen and open to meet anybody from the government of India to discuss and to understand their position on this Treaty. We have spoken with a number of (Indian) diplomats. India can at least consider an observer status of the Treaty. (Our correspondent was in Vienna on the invitation of Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organisation to cover Science and Technology Conference) The need to bring Comprehensive Nuclear Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT) entry into force is being felt more today than any time in the past considering the increasing rhetoric on nuclear weapons. Except for North Korea, a majority of 43 other countries listed in Annex 2 (nuclear technology holder nations) are observing a voluntary moratorium against testing. However, the United States recently announced it would be conducting sub-critical nuclear tests and ramping up infrastructure facilities at its Nevada National Security Site. Will this derail the prospects of the treatys entry into force and discourage countries like India, which has so far not signed or ratified the Treaty? In an interview, CTBTO (CTBT Organization) Executive Secretary Dr Robert Floyd speaks to S V Krishna Chaitanya. Excerpts:googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); The US has been open about conducting subcritical nuclear tests and Jill Hruby, Administrator of the National Security Administration of the US announced during inaugural ceremony of CTBT Organizations Science and Technology conference that they are actually building test beds, which some countries say is in contravention of the CTBT preamble. Your reaction. The US is a signatory state so they are a party to our organisation and they are an incredibly committed party. The question around subcritical testing is essentially a legal question and I think the legal answer is pretty straightforward. The subcritical testing is not specifically ruled out or banned by the Treaty. So, what the under-secretary was describing is their activities and plans are permissible under the scope of the Treaty after it is entered into force. The other important aspect is the transparency and openness exhibited by the US needs to be appreciated whether we are happy with their decisions or not. If that is the case, how do you convince a country like India, which refused to sign CTBT precisely because of its ambiguity over sub-critical tests? In September 2021, the then Indian foreign secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla, while addressing the UN Security Council, categorically said CTBT does not address a number of core concerns raised by India. We are very keen to have a dialogue with India about the CTBT. It is something I would dearly love to have. India can explain its position to me clearly and then we can look how to move forward from there. I have been in this office for two years and I havent had that opportunity. Has CTBTO made any efforts to reach out to India? When was the last time formal talks were held with the Indian government authority at any level? There has always been keen interest to engage with India. As you would be well aware, I am very keen to engage with all States that have not yet signed or ratified this Treaty. India absolutely included. Eight countries have not ratified the Treaty. These include 3 countries -- India, Pakistan and North Korea -- not even signing it for a very long time. Are we staring at an intractable problem? I dont believe the problem is intractable, but first, its best we step back and consider the value of this Treaty. The CTBT is actually an astounding success already when we consider that before its opening for signature in September 24, 1996, over 2,000 nuclear tests took place. Since that date, fewer than 12 nuclear tests were conducted. And, its also a Treaty that almost every country in the world, including India, agrees with in terms of its object and purpose.It is a wonderful thing that almost every possessor-state has taken a decision to commit to a moratorium against testing. And thats a unilateral and political decision by each of those States. If the Treaty is already a success, what is the need for it to come into force? It is certainly a success. The verification system has already been established. Over 90% of the International Monitoring System (IMS) is in place. The International Data Center is established analyzing processing, dispersing the data to all State signatories. But there are some aspects of the verification regime that cannot be put in place until the Treatys entry into force. One of those is the On-Site Inspection (OSI). So, it is critical that the Treaty does enter into force to allow the full spectrum of verification activities to be able to be used. On-Site Inspection is another contentious aspect, which countries including India find it intrusive. If IMS is strong enough to detect any nuclear tests, what is the need for OSI? The International Monitoring System is certainly very strong. For absolutely definitive evidence, it would be best to be able to address a potentially vexatious claim by another State to allow on-site inspection. In a way, Its actually protection. After 27 years, Indian external affairs minister S Jaishankar was in Austria earlier this year. Have there been any overtures from your side? I remain absolutely willing, keen and open to meet anybody from the government of India to discuss and to understand their position on this Treaty. We have spoken with a number of (Indian) diplomats. India can at least consider an observer status of the Treaty. (Our correspondent was in Vienna on the invitation of Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organisation to cover Science and Technology Conference) Rajesh Asnani By Express News Service JAIPUR: In a small town in Rajasthan's Bikaner district, an unusual love story has sparked off tension. On July 1, a 17-year-old Hindu girl disappeared from her school with her Muslim lady teacher. Following allegations by Hindutva groups that it was a case of 'love jihad', a heavy police force has been deployed in the town to maintain law and order. Meanwhile, the BJP attacked the government on the issue. However, both individuals took to social media to release a video on Monday night, confessing that they are in a lesbian relationship and had willingly left their homes to be together. They also urged people not to indulge in communal riots and requested their parents to accept the relationship. The sudden disappearance of the minor girl in Sri Dungargarh town sent shockwaves through the area. The girl's relatives held a female teacher from the school, the school administration and the teacher's family responsible for her disappearance. The girl's father alleged that the accused teacher and her daughter were captured on CCTV at Jaipur railway station on Sunday, two days after the incident. The last sighting of the girl was on platform number 1 of the railway station. Consequently, this incident became intertwined with "love jihad', leading the family, hundreds of locals and the opposition BJP to organise protests against the Gehlot government. The area witnessed the closure of markets and escalating communal tensions. The situation intensified further due to an upcoming visit by Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Bikaner on July 8. As a result, several prominent leaders, including Leader of the Opposition Rajendra Rathore, have set up camp in Bikaner, fiercely criticising the Gehlot government for the incident. In the video, the student can be heard stating, "We have learned that riots are unfolding in Dungargarh. You may believe that she (the female teacher) or her family members have lured me into this situation, but that is not true. I swear, we deeply love each other. I am not naive enough to fall for their persuasion. We are lesbians and cannot marry anyone else, which is why we made the decision to leave our homes. We cannot bear to be apart. If you catch us, our lives will be ruined." Simultaneously, the 22-year-old teacher appeals to the public, saying, "I did not entice her into this situation. We came here of our own free will. Please refrain from inciting unnecessary riots. If I have done nothing wrong, then why are you mistreating my family? We are safe and cautious. We will continue to be happy in the future, so please allow us to be." Nevertheless, the police are conducting a thorough investigation into the matter. As the girl is a 17-year-old minor, the Rajasthan State Child Rights Protection Commission has taken note of the incident. Sangeeta Beniwal, President of the Commission, stated, "We received information through various news sources. Following this, we gathered details of the incident from the Bikaner Superintendent of Police. Instructions have been issued to expedite the investigation and provide the commission's office with an accurate report of the facts." JAIPUR: In a small town in Rajasthan's Bikaner district, an unusual love story has sparked off tension. On July 1, a 17-year-old Hindu girl disappeared from her school with her Muslim lady teacher. Following allegations by Hindutva groups that it was a case of 'love jihad', a heavy police force has been deployed in the town to maintain law and order. Meanwhile, the BJP attacked the government on the issue. However, both individuals took to social media to release a video on Monday night, confessing that they are in a lesbian relationship and had willingly left their homes to be together. They also urged people not to indulge in communal riots and requested their parents to accept the relationship. The sudden disappearance of the minor girl in Sri Dungargarh town sent shockwaves through the area. The girl's relatives held a female teacher from the school, the school administration and the teacher's family responsible for her disappearance. The girl's father alleged that the accused teacher and her daughter were captured on CCTV at Jaipur railway station on Sunday, two days after the incident.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); The last sighting of the girl was on platform number 1 of the railway station. Consequently, this incident became intertwined with "love jihad', leading the family, hundreds of locals and the opposition BJP to organise protests against the Gehlot government. The area witnessed the closure of markets and escalating communal tensions. The situation intensified further due to an upcoming visit by Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Bikaner on July 8. As a result, several prominent leaders, including Leader of the Opposition Rajendra Rathore, have set up camp in Bikaner, fiercely criticising the Gehlot government for the incident. In the video, the student can be heard stating, "We have learned that riots are unfolding in Dungargarh. You may believe that she (the female teacher) or her family members have lured me into this situation, but that is not true. I swear, we deeply love each other. I am not naive enough to fall for their persuasion. We are lesbians and cannot marry anyone else, which is why we made the decision to leave our homes. We cannot bear to be apart. If you catch us, our lives will be ruined." Simultaneously, the 22-year-old teacher appeals to the public, saying, "I did not entice her into this situation. We came here of our own free will. Please refrain from inciting unnecessary riots. If I have done nothing wrong, then why are you mistreating my family? We are safe and cautious. We will continue to be happy in the future, so please allow us to be." Nevertheless, the police are conducting a thorough investigation into the matter. As the girl is a 17-year-old minor, the Rajasthan State Child Rights Protection Commission has taken note of the incident. Sangeeta Beniwal, President of the Commission, stated, "We received information through various news sources. Following this, we gathered details of the incident from the Bikaner Superintendent of Police. Instructions have been issued to expedite the investigation and provide the commission's office with an accurate report of the facts." By PTI MUMBAI: At least 10 people were killed and more than 20 injured after a container truck hit four vehicles and then rammed into a hotel on a highway in Maharashtra's Dhule district on Tuesday, police said. The accident took place at around 10.45 am near Palasner village on Mumbai-Agra highway in Dhule, located more than 300 km from the state capital, a police official said. The brakes of the truck failed, following which its driver lost control over the wheels. It hit two motorcycles, a car and another container from the rear side. The truck then rammed into a hotel near a bus stop on the highway and overturned, he said. "At least 10 people were killed and more than 20 injured," the official said. The truck was going towards Dhule from Madhya Pradesh. The victims included some of those waiting for a bus at the stop, he said. After being alerted, the police rushed to the spot. The injured persons were rushed to hospitals in Shirpur and Dhule, the police said. MUMBAI: At least 10 people were killed and more than 20 injured after a container truck hit four vehicles and then rammed into a hotel on a highway in Maharashtra's Dhule district on Tuesday, police said. The accident took place at around 10.45 am near Palasner village on Mumbai-Agra highway in Dhule, located more than 300 km from the state capital, a police official said. The brakes of the truck failed, following which its driver lost control over the wheels.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); It hit two motorcycles, a car and another container from the rear side. The truck then rammed into a hotel near a bus stop on the highway and overturned, he said. "At least 10 people were killed and more than 20 injured," the official said. The truck was going towards Dhule from Madhya Pradesh. The victims included some of those waiting for a bus at the stop, he said. After being alerted, the police rushed to the spot. The injured persons were rushed to hospitals in Shirpur and Dhule, the police said. Sudhir Suryawanshi By Express News Service MUMBAI: Months after the Sena versus Sena political and legal slugfest in Maharashtra, another one is brewing, this time between blood relatives in the NCP first family. With the Ajit Pawar faction bolting to join the state government, NCP state president Jayant Patil announced the sacking of the partys chief whip Anil Patil, who was sworn as a minister along with Ajit on Sunday. In his place, Jitendra Awhad was named the new chief whip and leader of the Opposition. Later, Awhad delivered the partys disqualification petition against all nine NCP MLAs who joined the government, to Maharashtra Assembly Speaker Rahul Narwekar. In a tit-for-tat, NCPs working president till Sunday morning Praful Patel sacked Jayant Patil as state president and appointed party general secretary and Lok Sabha MP Sunil Tatkare as the Maharashtra head. Patel is a pillar of the Ajit camp. Besides, Ajit questioned the appointment of Awhad as the leader of the Opposition, saying it was the Speakers prerogative. A day later, Pawar senior, too, took retaliatory action by issuing disqualification notices to Praful Patel and Sunil Tatkare under the 10th Schedule of the Constitution. He wrote to them calling out their anti-party activity. Because of their anti-party activities, Patel and Tatkare are deemed to have voluntarily left the membership of the NCP... Besides, the nine MLAs joining the government amounts to desertion of the party. So, they are liable to be disqualified from the partys primary membership and as legislators under the 10th Schedule, the letter stated. Interestingly, both Sharad Pawar and Ajit Pawar refrained from attacking each other. Sharad Pawar said he will not blame Ajit, as he has a different opinion but is not distanced from him. For his part, Ajit said Sharad Pawar is the president of his party and asked party workers to use the senior Pawars photograph prominently on posters and banners. Buzz on Praful, Fadnavis joining Union cabinet There are indications that NCPs Rajya Sabha MP Praful Patel, who orchestrated the entire operation of Ajit Pawar and his group joining the government, the partys Lok Sabha MP Sunil Tatkare and BJP deputy chief minister Devendra Fadnavis could be inducted into the Union cabinet in the forthcoming reshuffle at the Centre. The BJP has decided to drop non-performing ministers in the Centre and state and accommodate new faces, including from the NCP faction. It will help them to project the image of an inclusive party, an NCP leader claimed MUMBAI: Months after the Sena versus Sena political and legal slugfest in Maharashtra, another one is brewing, this time between blood relatives in the NCP first family. With the Ajit Pawar faction bolting to join the state government, NCP state president Jayant Patil announced the sacking of the partys chief whip Anil Patil, who was sworn as a minister along with Ajit on Sunday. In his place, Jitendra Awhad was named the new chief whip and leader of the Opposition. Later, Awhad delivered the partys disqualification petition against all nine NCP MLAs who joined the government, to Maharashtra Assembly Speaker Rahul Narwekar. In a tit-for-tat, NCPs working president till Sunday morning Praful Patel sacked Jayant Patil as state president and appointed party general secretary and Lok Sabha MP Sunil Tatkare as the Maharashtra head. Patel is a pillar of the Ajit camp. Besides, Ajit questioned the appointment of Awhad as the leader of the Opposition, saying it was the Speakers prerogative.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); A day later, Pawar senior, too, took retaliatory action by issuing disqualification notices to Praful Patel and Sunil Tatkare under the 10th Schedule of the Constitution. He wrote to them calling out their anti-party activity. Because of their anti-party activities, Patel and Tatkare are deemed to have voluntarily left the membership of the NCP... Besides, the nine MLAs joining the government amounts to desertion of the party. So, they are liable to be disqualified from the partys primary membership and as legislators under the 10th Schedule, the letter stated. Interestingly, both Sharad Pawar and Ajit Pawar refrained from attacking each other. Sharad Pawar said he will not blame Ajit, as he has a different opinion but is not distanced from him. For his part, Ajit said Sharad Pawar is the president of his party and asked party workers to use the senior Pawars photograph prominently on posters and banners. Buzz on Praful, Fadnavis joining Union cabinet There are indications that NCPs Rajya Sabha MP Praful Patel, who orchestrated the entire operation of Ajit Pawar and his group joining the government, the partys Lok Sabha MP Sunil Tatkare and BJP deputy chief minister Devendra Fadnavis could be inducted into the Union cabinet in the forthcoming reshuffle at the Centre. The BJP has decided to drop non-performing ministers in the Centre and state and accommodate new faces, including from the NCP faction. It will help them to project the image of an inclusive party, an NCP leader claimed Namita Bajpai By Express News Service LUCKNOW: A cop of Uttar Pradesh police was shunted to police lines after a 28-year-old daily wager was allegedly assaulted in custody leading to his death. While the family of the victim suspected foul play and charged the cops with merciless thrashing which led to his death, police authorities denied the allegation of assault, saying the matter was being probed. A daily wager of Rataul village of Baghpat district in western UP died, on Sunday, half an hour after being released by local police who had picked him up on suspicion of gambling. The family of the deceased, claimed that he was given third degree treatment by the cops and the injuries thus sustained led to his death. However, taking action in the incident, a cop was shunted on Monday and sent to police lines in Baghpat. As per the local sources, the victim, Sajid Abbasi, 28, was picked up by local police from an orchard and taken to a check post under Khekra police station area on suspicion of gambling. He was released after some time but died only half an hour later while being taken to hospital. Sajids father Babu Abbasi claimed that his son was badly thrashed by the cops at police check post and that he was released only when his condition deteriorated. Abbasi claimed that Sajid was rushed to the hospital but he succumbed to the grievous injuries which he had sustained at police check post. Even the villagers had seen three police constables beating him mercilessly, said the distraught father. As a fallout of the Sajids demise, incensed villagers blocked the road demanding action against the cops. According to SP Baghpat, Arpit Vijayvargiya, the family of the deceased and the villagers were pacified with the assurance of strict action against the culprits. He was detained on suspicion of gambling but was later released as police did not have any evidence against him, said the SP. While the police authorities claimed that no FIR was lodged in the case so far as the family had filed no complaint, Baghpat ASP Manish Kumar said that a probe was already initiated into the incident and the cause of death would be clear only after the autopsy report. Victims brother Mohammad Wajid Abbasi said that Sajid was just standing near a few men who were playing cards on the street and three constable took him away thinking him to be a part of the gang. He wasnt even able to stand properly after being beaten up. When froth started coming out of his mouth, the cops handed him over to us with the directive to get him back, said Wajid. Third degree torture, claims family The family of the deceased, claimed that he was given third degree treatment by the cops and the injuries thus sustained led to his death. However, taking action in the incident, a cop was shunted on Monday and sent to police lines in Baghpat. Half an hour after the daily wager was released, he had passed away. LUCKNOW: A cop of Uttar Pradesh police was shunted to police lines after a 28-year-old daily wager was allegedly assaulted in custody leading to his death. While the family of the victim suspected foul play and charged the cops with merciless thrashing which led to his death, police authorities denied the allegation of assault, saying the matter was being probed. A daily wager of Rataul village of Baghpat district in western UP died, on Sunday, half an hour after being released by local police who had picked him up on suspicion of gambling. The family of the deceased, claimed that he was given third degree treatment by the cops and the injuries thus sustained led to his death. However, taking action in the incident, a cop was shunted on Monday and sent to police lines in Baghpat. As per the local sources, the victim, Sajid Abbasi, 28, was picked up by local police from an orchard and taken to a check post under Khekra police station area on suspicion of gambling. He was released after some time but died only half an hour later while being taken to hospital. Sajids father Babu Abbasi claimed that his son was badly thrashed by the cops at police check post and that he was released only when his condition deteriorated.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); Abbasi claimed that Sajid was rushed to the hospital but he succumbed to the grievous injuries which he had sustained at police check post. Even the villagers had seen three police constables beating him mercilessly, said the distraught father. As a fallout of the Sajids demise, incensed villagers blocked the road demanding action against the cops. According to SP Baghpat, Arpit Vijayvargiya, the family of the deceased and the villagers were pacified with the assurance of strict action against the culprits. He was detained on suspicion of gambling but was later released as police did not have any evidence against him, said the SP. While the police authorities claimed that no FIR was lodged in the case so far as the family had filed no complaint, Baghpat ASP Manish Kumar said that a probe was already initiated into the incident and the cause of death would be clear only after the autopsy report. Victims brother Mohammad Wajid Abbasi said that Sajid was just standing near a few men who were playing cards on the street and three constable took him away thinking him to be a part of the gang. He wasnt even able to stand properly after being beaten up. When froth started coming out of his mouth, the cops handed him over to us with the directive to get him back, said Wajid. Third degree torture, claims family The family of the deceased, claimed that he was given third degree treatment by the cops and the injuries thus sustained led to his death. However, taking action in the incident, a cop was shunted on Monday and sent to police lines in Baghpat. Half an hour after the daily wager was released, he had passed away. Prasanta Mazumdar By Express News Service GUWAHATI: Miscreants set ablaze the house of an insurgent leader in Manipur on Monday night, a day after he had played a key role in the lifting of the blockade enforced on National Highway 2 the states lifeline. The attack was carried out at the house of Dr Seilen Haokip, who is the spokesperson of the Kuki National Organisation (KNO), in the hill district of Churachandpur. The KNO is a conglomerate of some extremist groups which signed the suspension of operation (SoO) agreement with the government. There was nobody at the house when it was set ablaze. Haokip told The New Indian Express Online that the attack was carried out by the miscreants and not a mob. The house went up in flames hours after Haokip issued a clarification about a message that has been circulating on social media in his name. The message related to some confidential meetings of Kuki-Zo leaders with senior political functionaries of the Government of India and Assam. "I would like to clarify my position on the issue since it has the potential to create misunderstanding and controversy besides hampering communal harmony." He said elected representatives and leaders of Kuki civil society organisations and SoO groups were frequently meeting senior political functionaries to convey their position on the prevailing security scenario in Manipur and the prevailing trust deficit between Kuki-Zo and Meitei communities. He also said that the central government was well aware of the demands of the Kukis and had assured its full support in an expeditious and satisfactory resolution of the issue. Keeping in view the assurances, senior officials urged the Kuki-Zo leaders to reconsider (lifting) their blockade imposed on NH-02, so as to restore peace and normalcy. As a gesture of good faith, it is incumbent on all of us to support this endeavour. The opening of National Highways, despite our anguish, is a step towards the said objective, Haokip said. According to him, although there was a general consensus among the Kuki-Zo leaders on lifting the blockade, the civil society organisations stood opposed to it. Therefore, the responsibility fell on SoO groups which have been constantly struggling for the rights of our community. The lifting of the blockade was done with the objective of ensuring uninterrupted supply of essential commodities to all parts of the state and alleviating the plight of people, Haokip said. GUWAHATI: Miscreants set ablaze the house of an insurgent leader in Manipur on Monday night, a day after he had played a key role in the lifting of the blockade enforced on National Highway 2 the states lifeline. The attack was carried out at the house of Dr Seilen Haokip, who is the spokesperson of the Kuki National Organisation (KNO), in the hill district of Churachandpur. The KNO is a conglomerate of some extremist groups which signed the suspension of operation (SoO) agreement with the government. There was nobody at the house when it was set ablaze. Haokip told The New Indian Express Online that the attack was carried out by the miscreants and not a mob.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); The house went up in flames hours after Haokip issued a clarification about a message that has been circulating on social media in his name. The message related to some confidential meetings of Kuki-Zo leaders with senior political functionaries of the Government of India and Assam. "I would like to clarify my position on the issue since it has the potential to create misunderstanding and controversy besides hampering communal harmony." He said elected representatives and leaders of Kuki civil society organisations and SoO groups were frequently meeting senior political functionaries to convey their position on the prevailing security scenario in Manipur and the prevailing trust deficit between Kuki-Zo and Meitei communities. He also said that the central government was well aware of the demands of the Kukis and had assured its full support in an expeditious and satisfactory resolution of the issue. Keeping in view the assurances, senior officials urged the Kuki-Zo leaders to reconsider (lifting) their blockade imposed on NH-02, so as to restore peace and normalcy. As a gesture of good faith, it is incumbent on all of us to support this endeavour. The opening of National Highways, despite our anguish, is a step towards the said objective, Haokip said. According to him, although there was a general consensus among the Kuki-Zo leaders on lifting the blockade, the civil society organisations stood opposed to it. Therefore, the responsibility fell on SoO groups which have been constantly struggling for the rights of our community. The lifting of the blockade was done with the objective of ensuring uninterrupted supply of essential commodities to all parts of the state and alleviating the plight of people, Haokip said. Preetha Nair By Express News Service NEW DELHI: A day after the rebellion of Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader Ajit Pawar in Maharashtra, the Congress on Monday announced that the next joint meeting of the Opposition meeting will be held in Bengaluru on July 17 and 18. Earlier, the meeting was scheduled for July 13 and 14. Announcing the new dates, Congress general secretary (organisation) K.C Venugopal tweeted, After a hugely successful all-Opposition meeting in Patna, we will be holding the next meeting in Bengaluru on 17 and 18 July 2023. We are steadfast in our unwavering resolve to defeat the fascist and undemocratic forces and present a bold vision to take the country forward, he added. Earlier, Venugopal asserted that Ajit Pawars rebellion is an internal issue of NCP and it will not impact larger opposition unity. The MVA alliance will fight the BJP with renewed vigor, he said. He also said that the PMs allegations against the NCP leaders of corruption led to the drama in Maharashtra It is a clear sponsored game of ED and their agencies, said Venugopal adding that Sharad Pawar is the tallest leader of the party and he will be able to manage the situation. With Ajit Pawar claiming the support of more than 40 MLAs, a weakened NCP and Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) alliance in Maharashtra cast shadows over a formidable alliance of the opposition at the national level too. With 48 seats, Maharashtra is the second-largest state in the Lok Sabha. Wading into the troubled water, the BJP also predicted a possible split in Janata Dal (United) after Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar held meetings with MPs on Sunday. However, AICC general secretary Jairam Ramesh rubbished such claims. If anything the Mumbai operations have strengthened Opposition resolve, said Ramesh. NEW DELHI: A day after the rebellion of Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader Ajit Pawar in Maharashtra, the Congress on Monday announced that the next joint meeting of the Opposition meeting will be held in Bengaluru on July 17 and 18. Earlier, the meeting was scheduled for July 13 and 14. Announcing the new dates, Congress general secretary (organisation) K.C Venugopal tweeted, After a hugely successful all-Opposition meeting in Patna, we will be holding the next meeting in Bengaluru on 17 and 18 July 2023. We are steadfast in our unwavering resolve to defeat the fascist and undemocratic forces and present a bold vision to take the country forward, he added. Earlier, Venugopal asserted that Ajit Pawars rebellion is an internal issue of NCP and it will not impact larger opposition unity.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); The MVA alliance will fight the BJP with renewed vigor, he said. He also said that the PMs allegations against the NCP leaders of corruption led to the drama in Maharashtra It is a clear sponsored game of ED and their agencies, said Venugopal adding that Sharad Pawar is the tallest leader of the party and he will be able to manage the situation. With Ajit Pawar claiming the support of more than 40 MLAs, a weakened NCP and Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) alliance in Maharashtra cast shadows over a formidable alliance of the opposition at the national level too. With 48 seats, Maharashtra is the second-largest state in the Lok Sabha. Wading into the troubled water, the BJP also predicted a possible split in Janata Dal (United) after Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar held meetings with MPs on Sunday. However, AICC general secretary Jairam Ramesh rubbished such claims. If anything the Mumbai operations have strengthened Opposition resolve, said Ramesh. Preetha Nair By Express News Service NEW DELHI: At a Parliamentary Standing Committee meeting on Monday, the Congress, DMK, and BRS raised questions on the intention, urgency and timing of the proposed Uniform Civil Code (UCC) ahead of the 2024 general elections, according to sources. As for the panel chairman and BJP MP Sushil Modi, he suggested that tribal communities from the Northeast and elsewhere should be kept out of the purview of the UCC since they get protection under the sixth schedule of the Constitution. Amid growing buzz that the Centre is planning to table the UCC bill in the upcoming monsoon session of Parliament, the Parliamentary Panel on Law and Justice has called the meeting to seek the views of its members on the UCC. Sources said members of the DMK, BRS and the Congress sought to know why the bill was being brought in a hurry. TMC and NCP members did not attend. The Congress and DMK argued that the 21st Law Commission, in its comprehensive report, had observed that it is neither necessary nor desirable at this stage to have a UCC. The 22nd Law Commission rebutted, saying its predecessor had put out a consultation paper and not a set of recommendation, said sources. The BSP and Sanjay Raut of Uddhavs Shiv Sena, however, were in support of a common law. !7 members attend meet The meeting was attended by 17 members, including the Department of Legal Affairs, the Legislative Department and the Law Commission NEW DELHI: At a Parliamentary Standing Committee meeting on Monday, the Congress, DMK, and BRS raised questions on the intention, urgency and timing of the proposed Uniform Civil Code (UCC) ahead of the 2024 general elections, according to sources. As for the panel chairman and BJP MP Sushil Modi, he suggested that tribal communities from the Northeast and elsewhere should be kept out of the purview of the UCC since they get protection under the sixth schedule of the Constitution. Amid growing buzz that the Centre is planning to table the UCC bill in the upcoming monsoon session of Parliament, the Parliamentary Panel on Law and Justice has called the meeting to seek the views of its members on the UCC.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); Sources said members of the DMK, BRS and the Congress sought to know why the bill was being brought in a hurry. TMC and NCP members did not attend. The Congress and DMK argued that the 21st Law Commission, in its comprehensive report, had observed that it is neither necessary nor desirable at this stage to have a UCC. The 22nd Law Commission rebutted, saying its predecessor had put out a consultation paper and not a set of recommendation, said sources. The BSP and Sanjay Raut of Uddhavs Shiv Sena, however, were in support of a common law. !7 members attend meet The meeting was attended by 17 members, including the Department of Legal Affairs, the Legislative Department and the Law Commission Rajesh Kumar Thakur By Express News Service NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday asked the council of his ministers to ensure the benefits of government welfare and development schemes to every section of the society. After reviwing the performances of almost all key ministeries, the PM Modi dwelt upon the government developnetal agendas minutely asking the ministers to complete projects withing the fix time frame. If sources are to be believed, the PM said that his government runs on the agenda of development to all and that the mantra of government must be realised and visualised through maximum level of performances. Later after meeting, Prime Minister Narendra Modi tweeted that the meeting was fruitful with the council of ministers. A fruitful meeting with the council of Ministers, where we exchanged views on diverse policy related issues, the PM tweeted. The PM also presented a roadmap for BJP for 2047. Ahead of the next parliamentary elections coming closer day by day, Prime Minister Narendra Modi chaired the high-level meeting of union council of ministers on Monday for hours. The meeting that started at 4.30pm at new convention centre at Pragati Maidan had wider discussions on the pagati(progress) of governments many flagships schemes of all key ministries. An informed source said that the PM Modi went thoroughly the reports of all key ministries and minutely discussed all important points including percentage of success of many flagship schemes and others recorded in the last 9 years. The meeting ,held amid a heightened buzz about a likely Cabinet reshuffle following a series of meetings of the ruling BJPs top brass in the last few days, had also discussion on the need of taking the performances of the 9 years of the Modi government across the remotest parts of districts also with a focus to educate the people from marginalised communities about the government welfare schemes. If the sources are to be believed, an agenda for the Monsoon sessions-starting from July 20 to August 11, was also discussed. The PM also set an agenda for the next 2024 LS elections also, saying that development must be guaranteed and taken to the people as the governments prime agenda, a senior source said. The Prime Minister after reviewing the performances of many ministries asked the concerned ministers to complete all important projects started by the government in next 5-6 months. At the meeting, the ministers were also categorically asked to make the performances of their miniseries more and more visible both on the ground and the social media platforms also. The meeting was held just a few days after a meeting of BJP top leaders including JP Nadda and Amit Shah was held with the PM for hours supposedly discussing organisational issues. Speaking at the meeting, Prime Minister Narendra Modi outlined the governments developmental agenda and made it clear that inclusive development must be ensured across all sections. Mantra of govt must be through performance If sources are to be believed, the PM Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that his government runs on the agenda of development to all and that the mantra of government must be realised and visualised through maximum level of performances NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday asked the council of his ministers to ensure the benefits of government welfare and development schemes to every section of the society. After reviwing the performances of almost all key ministeries, the PM Modi dwelt upon the government developnetal agendas minutely asking the ministers to complete projects withing the fix time frame. If sources are to be believed, the PM said that his government runs on the agenda of development to all and that the mantra of government must be realised and visualised through maximum level of performances. Later after meeting, Prime Minister Narendra Modi tweeted that the meeting was fruitful with the council of ministers. A fruitful meeting with the council of Ministers, where we exchanged views on diverse policy related issues, the PM tweeted. The PM also presented a roadmap for BJP for 2047.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); Ahead of the next parliamentary elections coming closer day by day, Prime Minister Narendra Modi chaired the high-level meeting of union council of ministers on Monday for hours. The meeting that started at 4.30pm at new convention centre at Pragati Maidan had wider discussions on the pagati(progress) of governments many flagships schemes of all key ministries. An informed source said that the PM Modi went thoroughly the reports of all key ministries and minutely discussed all important points including percentage of success of many flagship schemes and others recorded in the last 9 years. The meeting ,held amid a heightened buzz about a likely Cabinet reshuffle following a series of meetings of the ruling BJPs top brass in the last few days, had also discussion on the need of taking the performances of the 9 years of the Modi government across the remotest parts of districts also with a focus to educate the people from marginalised communities about the government welfare schemes. If the sources are to be believed, an agenda for the Monsoon sessions-starting from July 20 to August 11, was also discussed. The PM also set an agenda for the next 2024 LS elections also, saying that development must be guaranteed and taken to the people as the governments prime agenda, a senior source said. The Prime Minister after reviewing the performances of many ministries asked the concerned ministers to complete all important projects started by the government in next 5-6 months. At the meeting, the ministers were also categorically asked to make the performances of their miniseries more and more visible both on the ground and the social media platforms also. The meeting was held just a few days after a meeting of BJP top leaders including JP Nadda and Amit Shah was held with the PM for hours supposedly discussing organisational issues. Speaking at the meeting, Prime Minister Narendra Modi outlined the governments developmental agenda and made it clear that inclusive development must be ensured across all sections. Mantra of govt must be through performance If sources are to be believed, the PM Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that his government runs on the agenda of development to all and that the mantra of government must be realised and visualised through maximum level of performances By PTI NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Tuesday underscored the emergence of a "disquieting trend", wherein those accused of cheating secures bail by giving an undertaking to deposit the amount owed to the complainant. The top court cautioned the lower courts to not be "unduly swayed" by such appeals. A bench of Justices S Ravindra Bhat and Dipankar Datta sent back to the Delhi High Court a matter in which it had granted bail to a man accused of cheating in a property dispute case with a precondition that he deposits Rs 22 lakh he had allegedly cheated. "It has been found by us in multiple cases in the past several months that upon FIRs being lodged inter alia under section 420 of the IPC, judicial proceedings initiated by persons, accused of cheating, to obtain orders under Section 438 of the CrPC are unwittingly being transformed into processes for recovery of the quantum of money allegedly cheated and the courts driven to impose conditions for deposit/payment as pre-requisite for grant of pre-arrest bail," the bench said. Calling it a "disquieting trend" which has gained pace in recent times", the court said, "It is considered appropriate to remind the high courts and the sessions courts not to be unduly swayed by submissions advanced by counsel on behalf of the accused in the nature of undertakings to keep in deposit/repay any amount while seeking bail under section 438 of the CrPC (bail) and incorporating a condition in that behalf for deposit/payment as a pre-requisite for grant of bail." The bench said the inclusion of the condition of payment by an accused for seeking bail tends to create an impression that the relief could be secured by depositing money alleged to have been cheated. "That is really not the purpose and intent of the provisions for the grant of bail. We may, however, not be understood to have laid down the law that in no case should willingness to make payment/deposit by the accused be considered before granting of an order for bail," it said. The bench said in exceptional cases, such as where an allegation of misappropriation of public money has been levelled against an accused who, while seeking the indulgence of the court to have his liberty secured, volunteers to account for the whole or any part of the public money allegedly misappropriated, it would be open to the court to consider in public interest whether such money should be allowed to be deposited before an application for anticipatory or regular bail is taken up for final consideration. "After all, no court should be averse to putting public money back in the system if the situation is conducive. Therefore we are minded to think that this approach would be in the larger interest of the community. However, such an approach would not be warranted in cases of private disputes where private parties complain of their money being involved in the offence of cheating," the bench said. The top court made the remarks on an appeal filed by Ramesh Kumar, the owner of an immovable property in Delhi, for the development of which he had entered into three agreements with a builder named Ashwani Kumar. In terms of the agreement dated December 19, 2018, the builder was required to construct a multi-storey building in which Ramesh Kumar would have ownership rights in respect of the 3rd floor and the upper floor, apart from Rs 55 lakh to be paid to him by the builder, whereas the builder would have rights to deal with the 1st and the 2nd floors together with other rights as described therein. In pursuance of the agreement, the builder entered into an agreement to sell and purchase/bayana dated December 14, 2018 with Vinay Kumar and Sandeep Kumar (complainants) was signed in respect of the 2nd floor of the proposed building (without roof rights) for a sum of Rs 60 lakh. As a dispute arose between the parties over payment, the matter reached courts after the complainants lodged an FIR alleging cheating by Ramesh Kumar and others. Apprehending arrest, Ramesh Kumar, the owner of the property moved the relevant criminal court seeking bail and the trial court initially granted interim protection from arrest, subject to his cooperating with the investigation. The trial court, however, by an order dated January 18, 2022 dismissed Ramesh Kumar's application for bail and withdrew the interim protection granted to him. He then challenged the order of the trial court before the high court, which on November 24, 2022 granted bail to him and the builder, subject to certain conditions including that of depositing an amount of Rs 22 lakh with the trial court. Unable to arrange the amount, Ramesh Kumar again moved the high court seeking extension of time for making the deposit. The high court granted him three days to deposit the amount and warned him his bail shall be cancelled if he failed to deposit the money. Feeling aggrieved, Ramesh Kumar moved the top court challenging the condition imposed by the high court on the issue of deposit. The top court said, "The High Court ought to have realized that having regard to the nature of the dispute between the parties, which is predominantly civil in nature, the process of criminal law cannot be pressed into service for settling a civil dispute." "Under the circumstances, we hold that the High Court fell in grave error in proceeding on the basis of the undertaking of the appellant and imposing payment of Rs 22 lakh as a condition precedent for grant of bail," the Supreme Court said. It remitted the matter to the high court and directed re-consideration of the application for pre-arrest bail. The apex court asked the HC to decide the matter on its own merits in light of its observations as early as possible but preferably before August 31, 2023. NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Tuesday underscored the emergence of a "disquieting trend", wherein those accused of cheating secures bail by giving an undertaking to deposit the amount owed to the complainant. The top court cautioned the lower courts to not be "unduly swayed" by such appeals. A bench of Justices S Ravindra Bhat and Dipankar Datta sent back to the Delhi High Court a matter in which it had granted bail to a man accused of cheating in a property dispute case with a precondition that he deposits Rs 22 lakh he had allegedly cheated.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); "It has been found by us in multiple cases in the past several months that upon FIRs being lodged inter alia under section 420 of the IPC, judicial proceedings initiated by persons, accused of cheating, to obtain orders under Section 438 of the CrPC are unwittingly being transformed into processes for recovery of the quantum of money allegedly cheated and the courts driven to impose conditions for deposit/payment as pre-requisite for grant of pre-arrest bail," the bench said. Calling it a "disquieting trend" which has gained pace in recent times", the court said, "It is considered appropriate to remind the high courts and the sessions courts not to be unduly swayed by submissions advanced by counsel on behalf of the accused in the nature of undertakings to keep in deposit/repay any amount while seeking bail under section 438 of the CrPC (bail) and incorporating a condition in that behalf for deposit/payment as a pre-requisite for grant of bail." The bench said the inclusion of the condition of payment by an accused for seeking bail tends to create an impression that the relief could be secured by depositing money alleged to have been cheated. "That is really not the purpose and intent of the provisions for the grant of bail. We may, however, not be understood to have laid down the law that in no case should willingness to make payment/deposit by the accused be considered before granting of an order for bail," it said. The bench said in exceptional cases, such as where an allegation of misappropriation of public money has been levelled against an accused who, while seeking the indulgence of the court to have his liberty secured, volunteers to account for the whole or any part of the public money allegedly misappropriated, it would be open to the court to consider in public interest whether such money should be allowed to be deposited before an application for anticipatory or regular bail is taken up for final consideration. "After all, no court should be averse to putting public money back in the system if the situation is conducive. Therefore we are minded to think that this approach would be in the larger interest of the community. However, such an approach would not be warranted in cases of private disputes where private parties complain of their money being involved in the offence of cheating," the bench said. The top court made the remarks on an appeal filed by Ramesh Kumar, the owner of an immovable property in Delhi, for the development of which he had entered into three agreements with a builder named Ashwani Kumar. In terms of the agreement dated December 19, 2018, the builder was required to construct a multi-storey building in which Ramesh Kumar would have ownership rights in respect of the 3rd floor and the upper floor, apart from Rs 55 lakh to be paid to him by the builder, whereas the builder would have rights to deal with the 1st and the 2nd floors together with other rights as described therein. In pursuance of the agreement, the builder entered into an agreement to sell and purchase/bayana dated December 14, 2018 with Vinay Kumar and Sandeep Kumar (complainants) was signed in respect of the 2nd floor of the proposed building (without roof rights) for a sum of Rs 60 lakh. As a dispute arose between the parties over payment, the matter reached courts after the complainants lodged an FIR alleging cheating by Ramesh Kumar and others. Apprehending arrest, Ramesh Kumar, the owner of the property moved the relevant criminal court seeking bail and the trial court initially granted interim protection from arrest, subject to his cooperating with the investigation. The trial court, however, by an order dated January 18, 2022 dismissed Ramesh Kumar's application for bail and withdrew the interim protection granted to him. He then challenged the order of the trial court before the high court, which on November 24, 2022 granted bail to him and the builder, subject to certain conditions including that of depositing an amount of Rs 22 lakh with the trial court. Unable to arrange the amount, Ramesh Kumar again moved the high court seeking extension of time for making the deposit. The high court granted him three days to deposit the amount and warned him his bail shall be cancelled if he failed to deposit the money. Feeling aggrieved, Ramesh Kumar moved the top court challenging the condition imposed by the high court on the issue of deposit. The top court said, "The High Court ought to have realized that having regard to the nature of the dispute between the parties, which is predominantly civil in nature, the process of criminal law cannot be pressed into service for settling a civil dispute." "Under the circumstances, we hold that the High Court fell in grave error in proceeding on the basis of the undertaking of the appellant and imposing payment of Rs 22 lakh as a condition precedent for grant of bail," the Supreme Court said. It remitted the matter to the high court and directed re-consideration of the application for pre-arrest bail. The apex court asked the HC to decide the matter on its own merits in light of its observations as early as possible but preferably before August 31, 2023. Yeshi Seli By Express News Service NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi reiterated Indias position on reining in terrorism and ensuring that all states respect each other's territorial integrity and sovereignty, while addressing the SCO Heads of State at the 23rd Summit, which was held virtually in Delhi on Tuesday. "Terrorism has become a major threat to regional and global peace. Dealing with this challenge requires decisive action, we must unite in our fight against terrorism. Some countries use cross-border terrorism as an instrument of their policies, provide shelter to terrorists. SCO should not hesitate to criticise such nations. There should be no place for double standards on such serious matters. We should also take proactive steps to prevent the spread of radicalisation among our youth," he said. PM Modi also emphasised the importance of the principles of the SCO Charter. "It is essential to uphold the basic principles of the SCO charter, particularly respecting the sovereignty and regional integrity of the member states," he added. Welcoming Iran as a full member of the SCO, PM Modi said this would improve connectivity as the Chahabar port could be used for enhanced trading activity. Meanwhile, Russian President Vladimir Putin complimented PM Modi for the SCO chairmanship and also reaffirmed that his country was in a position of strength. "The Russian people are more consolidated than ever. The unity and high responsibility for the fate of the Fatherland was clearly demonstrated by the Russian political circles and the whole of society in uniting against the attempted armed rebellion," said Putin, adding that Russias trade with SCO member states has increased by over one third, or 37 percent, reaching a record high of US$263 billion last year. From January to April this year, it went up by another 35 percent. Russia and China have enhanced trade in local currencies and would like to see that extended in the group too. ALSO READ | Terrorism remains a major threat to regional and global peace: PM Narendra Modi Chinese President Xi Jinping, quoting Rabindranath Tagore, said, "The sea of danger, doubt and denial around mans little island of certainty challenges him to dare the unknown." Since its founding over 20 years ago, the SCO has withstood the test of the changing international landscape and kept moving in the right direction of promoting solidarity, mutual trust, development and cooperation, he said. China proposed that the SCO scale up local currency settlement between member states, expand cooperation on sovereign digital currency and promote the establishment of an SCO development bank. The President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev proposed to develop a unified map of transport connectivity of the SCO states. "This will determine the bottlenecks and gaps and outline priority actions and projects to create a common, integrated transport and transit system," he said. After the meeting, the leaders signed the New Delhi Declaration and approved the SCO Economic Development Strategy to 2030. The implementation of the SCO Economic Development Strategy will promote regional integration, banking and finance, cooperation in energy and transport and digitisation. India also proposed that members cooperate on emerging fuels in the energy sector, decarbonization in the transportation sector and digital transformation. Among reforms in the SCO, India proposed the language platform Bhashini to remove linguistic barriers within the organisation. The SCO members also signed the Memorandum of Obligation for Belarus' SCO membership, while all participating countries spoke about the situation in Afghanistan. The SCO represents approximately 40 percent of the world's population and nearly one-third of the global economy. The next chairmanship has been handed over to the President of Kazakhstan. NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi reiterated Indias position on reining in terrorism and ensuring that all states respect each other's territorial integrity and sovereignty, while addressing the SCO Heads of State at the 23rd Summit, which was held virtually in Delhi on Tuesday. "Terrorism has become a major threat to regional and global peace. Dealing with this challenge requires decisive action, we must unite in our fight against terrorism. Some countries use cross-border terrorism as an instrument of their policies, provide shelter to terrorists. SCO should not hesitate to criticise such nations. There should be no place for double standards on such serious matters. We should also take proactive steps to prevent the spread of radicalisation among our youth," he said. PM Modi also emphasised the importance of the principles of the SCO Charter. "It is essential to uphold the basic principles of the SCO charter, particularly respecting the sovereignty and regional integrity of the member states," he added.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); Welcoming Iran as a full member of the SCO, PM Modi said this would improve connectivity as the Chahabar port could be used for enhanced trading activity. Meanwhile, Russian President Vladimir Putin complimented PM Modi for the SCO chairmanship and also reaffirmed that his country was in a position of strength. "The Russian people are more consolidated than ever. The unity and high responsibility for the fate of the Fatherland was clearly demonstrated by the Russian political circles and the whole of society in uniting against the attempted armed rebellion," said Putin, adding that Russias trade with SCO member states has increased by over one third, or 37 percent, reaching a record high of US$263 billion last year. From January to April this year, it went up by another 35 percent. Russia and China have enhanced trade in local currencies and would like to see that extended in the group too. ALSO READ | Terrorism remains a major threat to regional and global peace: PM Narendra Modi Chinese President Xi Jinping, quoting Rabindranath Tagore, said, "The sea of danger, doubt and denial around mans little island of certainty challenges him to dare the unknown." Since its founding over 20 years ago, the SCO has withstood the test of the changing international landscape and kept moving in the right direction of promoting solidarity, mutual trust, development and cooperation, he said. China proposed that the SCO scale up local currency settlement between member states, expand cooperation on sovereign digital currency and promote the establishment of an SCO development bank. The President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev proposed to develop a unified map of transport connectivity of the SCO states. "This will determine the bottlenecks and gaps and outline priority actions and projects to create a common, integrated transport and transit system," he said. After the meeting, the leaders signed the New Delhi Declaration and approved the SCO Economic Development Strategy to 2030. The implementation of the SCO Economic Development Strategy will promote regional integration, banking and finance, cooperation in energy and transport and digitisation. India also proposed that members cooperate on emerging fuels in the energy sector, decarbonization in the transportation sector and digital transformation. Among reforms in the SCO, India proposed the language platform Bhashini to remove linguistic barriers within the organisation. The SCO members also signed the Memorandum of Obligation for Belarus' SCO membership, while all participating countries spoke about the situation in Afghanistan. The SCO represents approximately 40 percent of the world's population and nearly one-third of the global economy. The next chairmanship has been handed over to the President of Kazakhstan. Pranab Mondal By Express News Service KOLKATA: With the death of two persons in the past 24 hours ahead of the upcoming rural election, the State Election Commission (SEC) on Monday identified 4,834 polling booths as sensitive which is 7.8 per cent of the total booths where 5.67 crore electorates will exercise their franchise on July 8. The Centre on Monday gave the nod to send 485 additional companies of Central Armed Paramilitary Force (CAPF) as requisitioned by the SEC to comply with the Calcutta High Courts order directing the state poll panel to deploy central force across the state during panchayat elections. The total death toll before the rural polls has gone up to 15 in past fortnight. Out of 61,636 polling booths, we mapped 4,834 as sensitive ones, which is 7.8 per cent of the total capacity. We identified the sensitive booths on the basis of experience in the past rural polls, said an SEC official. Bengal on Monday continued recording fresh deaths ahead of the rural polls. Body of Bankim Hansda in his mid-30s, bearing injury marks, was found lying in a field at Manbazar in Purulia and the BJP claimed the deceased was a party worker. Hansda left home on Sunday evening and did not return home at night. His family members found the body on Monday morning. We sent the body for autopsy to ascertain the exact cause behind Hansdas death, said a police officer. BJP MLA and Leader of Opposition Suvendu Adhikari demanded CBI probe into Hansdas death. In another incident, Paritosh Mondal, in his 30s, died in an explosion when he was manufacturing crude bombs in a paddy field at Habra, North 24 Parganas. Locals rushed him to a healthcare centre where doctors declared him dead. Toll 15 ahead of rural polls The total death toll before the rural polls has gone up to 15 in past fortnight. The Centre on Monday gave a nod to send 485 additional companies of CAPF as requisitioned by the SEC KOLKATA: With the death of two persons in the past 24 hours ahead of the upcoming rural election, the State Election Commission (SEC) on Monday identified 4,834 polling booths as sensitive which is 7.8 per cent of the total booths where 5.67 crore electorates will exercise their franchise on July 8. The Centre on Monday gave the nod to send 485 additional companies of Central Armed Paramilitary Force (CAPF) as requisitioned by the SEC to comply with the Calcutta High Courts order directing the state poll panel to deploy central force across the state during panchayat elections. The total death toll before the rural polls has gone up to 15 in past fortnight. Out of 61,636 polling booths, we mapped 4,834 as sensitive ones, which is 7.8 per cent of the total capacity. We identified the sensitive booths on the basis of experience in the past rural polls, said an SEC official.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); Bengal on Monday continued recording fresh deaths ahead of the rural polls. Body of Bankim Hansda in his mid-30s, bearing injury marks, was found lying in a field at Manbazar in Purulia and the BJP claimed the deceased was a party worker. Hansda left home on Sunday evening and did not return home at night. His family members found the body on Monday morning. We sent the body for autopsy to ascertain the exact cause behind Hansdas death, said a police officer. BJP MLA and Leader of Opposition Suvendu Adhikari demanded CBI probe into Hansdas death. In another incident, Paritosh Mondal, in his 30s, died in an explosion when he was manufacturing crude bombs in a paddy field at Habra, North 24 Parganas. Locals rushed him to a healthcare centre where doctors declared him dead. Toll 15 ahead of rural polls The total death toll before the rural polls has gone up to 15 in past fortnight. The Centre on Monday gave a nod to send 485 additional companies of CAPF as requisitioned by the SEC Rajesh Kumar Thakur and Ramashankar By Express News Service NEW DELHI/PATNA : Emboldened by the NCP split, the Bihar BJP is expecting a Maharashtra redux. Senior BJP leader and former deputy CM Sushil Kumar Modi on Monday claimed in Delhi that a good number of JD-U MLAs and MPs were willing to be with his party as they were upset with the Nitish Kumars leadership. In Patna, BJPs prospective allies, including former Union minister and Rashtriya Lok Janata Dal (RLJD) chief Upendra Kushwaha and LJP (Ram Vilas) chief Chirag Paswan have intensified their attack on Nitish. A strong atmosphere of rebellion is brewing within the JD-U as most of its MLAs and MPs are in touch with the BJP and other parties, former Bihar deputy CM told media. Modi said most JD-U leaders were not accepting RJD leader and deputy CM Tejashwi Yadav as a successor of Nitish Kumar or Congress leader Rahul Gandhi as the face of JD-U-supported Opposition. He said the BJP would not accept Nitish Kumar even if he returns and rubs his nose at the door of BJP. Kumar has proved himself as an unreliable person, he remarked. In Patna, LJP (Ram Vilas) chief and MP Chirag Paswan said Nitish was apprehensive of his party splitting. He said that was the reason he was meeting his party MLAs and MPs. Upon being asked whether Bihar is likely to witness a Maharashtra-like development. Sushil Modi said that JD-U is facing a strong possibility of a split in the party and anything is possible in coming days. A large number of JD-U MPs know they are not going to get the ticket in the next election. They see their future in dark since Nitish Kumar announced Tejashwi Yadav as his successor. Thats why there is chaos in the JD-U, Said Sushil Modi. On the other hand, JD-U national chief and MP Rajiv Ranjan Singh alias Lalan Singh said that Sushil Modi was day-dreaming. He is so depressed that he is making tall claims to get himself re-established in the party, he said. In fact, Sushil Modi is trying to appease his partys top bosses by making such statements against JD-U and Bihar CM, he said. Meanwhile, lending his support to NCP founder Sharad Pawar, RJD chief Lalu Prasad said, Sharad ji is a strong leader and the split will not have its impact on him. What happened with Sharad Pawar, we will not let that happen in Bihar, he asserted. NEW DELHI/PATNA : Emboldened by the NCP split, the Bihar BJP is expecting a Maharashtra redux. Senior BJP leader and former deputy CM Sushil Kumar Modi on Monday claimed in Delhi that a good number of JD-U MLAs and MPs were willing to be with his party as they were upset with the Nitish Kumars leadership. In Patna, BJPs prospective allies, including former Union minister and Rashtriya Lok Janata Dal (RLJD) chief Upendra Kushwaha and LJP (Ram Vilas) chief Chirag Paswan have intensified their attack on Nitish. A strong atmosphere of rebellion is brewing within the JD-U as most of its MLAs and MPs are in touch with the BJP and other parties, former Bihar deputy CM told media. Modi said most JD-U leaders were not accepting RJD leader and deputy CM Tejashwi Yadav as a successor of Nitish Kumar or Congress leader Rahul Gandhi as the face of JD-U-supported Opposition. He said the BJP would not accept Nitish Kumar even if he returns and rubs his nose at the door of BJP. Kumar has proved himself as an unreliable person, he remarked.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); In Patna, LJP (Ram Vilas) chief and MP Chirag Paswan said Nitish was apprehensive of his party splitting. He said that was the reason he was meeting his party MLAs and MPs. Upon being asked whether Bihar is likely to witness a Maharashtra-like development. Sushil Modi said that JD-U is facing a strong possibility of a split in the party and anything is possible in coming days. A large number of JD-U MPs know they are not going to get the ticket in the next election. They see their future in dark since Nitish Kumar announced Tejashwi Yadav as his successor. Thats why there is chaos in the JD-U, Said Sushil Modi. On the other hand, JD-U national chief and MP Rajiv Ranjan Singh alias Lalan Singh said that Sushil Modi was day-dreaming. He is so depressed that he is making tall claims to get himself re-established in the party, he said. In fact, Sushil Modi is trying to appease his partys top bosses by making such statements against JD-U and Bihar CM, he said. Meanwhile, lending his support to NCP founder Sharad Pawar, RJD chief Lalu Prasad said, Sharad ji is a strong leader and the split will not have its impact on him. What happened with Sharad Pawar, we will not let that happen in Bihar, he asserted. Yeshi Seli By Express News Service NEW DELHI: The much-awaited SCO Summit will be over in about two hours time on Tuesday. After India decided to host it virtually, most members who were gearing up to travel to Delhi to attend it in-person will now have around 10 minutes of time each to talk, deliberate and agree on issues that would later translate into the joint declaration. The Summit being organised under Indias chairmanship will be more like a conference now where leaders will not be able to have bilaterals on the sidelines like in Samarkhand last September. Discussions are likely to be held around issues ranging from terrorism to security, trade and politics. The virtual Summit which will be anchored by Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, will also be attended by Russian Federation President, Vladimir Putin (who according to Kremlin was gearing up to attend the Summit in person), Chinese Premier Xi Jingping and Pakistans Prime Minister, Shehbaz Sharif amongst other heads of state. PM Modi and President Putin had a telephonic conversation recently talking stalk of the situation in Russia post the minor rebellion caused by Wagner and also about the need to resolve the conflict in Ukraine. Indias relations with Pakistan are at an all-time low due to terrorism while with China are not normal as External Affairs Minister, Dr S Jaishankar keeps reiterating due to the LAC standoff. India has beens too consumed by the G20 and its upcoming Summit, which is the probable reason for them to push the SCO Summit on a virtual mode, lamented a SCO member. Last year in the Samarkand Summit, besides the joint declaration a record number of agreements, concepts, programs had been adopted. Around 44 documents were signed. India has hosted over 100 meetings under its SCO chairmanship and most were in person meetings. The most well known was the SCO Foreign Ministers meeting that was held in Goa which was attended by Sergey Lavrov, Bilawal Bhutto and Qin Gang. SCO is the worlds largest regional organisation in terms of area, covering approximately 60 per cent of Eurasia and 42 per cent of the world population, representing 25 per cent of the global GDP, 25 per cent of the worlds oil reserves and 50 per cent of natural gas and uranium deposits. Iran will join as member of this grouping on Tuesday. The subjects on which the members will deliberate will include terrorism, security situation in Afghanistan, enhancing cooperation between SCO states which includes improving connectivity through multi-modal routes. The theme for Indias Presidency is `SECURE which is an abbreviation for security, economic development, connectivity, unity, respect for soverignity and territorial integrity and environmental protection. India has also been pushing for deeper cooperation on de-radicalisation strategies. India has hosted over 100 meetings under its SCO chairmanship and most were in person meetings. The most well known was the SCO Foreign Ministers meeting that was held in Goa which was attended by Sergey Lavrov, Bilawal Bhutto and Qin Gang. Meanwhile, the members of the SCO include India, Russia, China, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Tajikstan. Their dialogue partners include Armenia, Azerbaijan, Nepal, Cambodia, Sri Lanka and Turkey. Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Egypt are likely to be dialogue partner. SCO members are hoping that the significance of the Summit is not diluted in the future. NEW DELHI: The much-awaited SCO Summit will be over in about two hours time on Tuesday. After India decided to host it virtually, most members who were gearing up to travel to Delhi to attend it in-person will now have around 10 minutes of time each to talk, deliberate and agree on issues that would later translate into the joint declaration. The Summit being organised under Indias chairmanship will be more like a conference now where leaders will not be able to have bilaterals on the sidelines like in Samarkhand last September. Discussions are likely to be held around issues ranging from terrorism to security, trade and politics. The virtual Summit which will be anchored by Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, will also be attended by Russian Federation President, Vladimir Putin (who according to Kremlin was gearing up to attend the Summit in person), Chinese Premier Xi Jingping and Pakistans Prime Minister, Shehbaz Sharif amongst other heads of state.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); PM Modi and President Putin had a telephonic conversation recently talking stalk of the situation in Russia post the minor rebellion caused by Wagner and also about the need to resolve the conflict in Ukraine. Indias relations with Pakistan are at an all-time low due to terrorism while with China are not normal as External Affairs Minister, Dr S Jaishankar keeps reiterating due to the LAC standoff. India has beens too consumed by the G20 and its upcoming Summit, which is the probable reason for them to push the SCO Summit on a virtual mode, lamented a SCO member. Last year in the Samarkand Summit, besides the joint declaration a record number of agreements, concepts, programs had been adopted. Around 44 documents were signed. India has hosted over 100 meetings under its SCO chairmanship and most were in person meetings. The most well known was the SCO Foreign Ministers meeting that was held in Goa which was attended by Sergey Lavrov, Bilawal Bhutto and Qin Gang. SCO is the worlds largest regional organisation in terms of area, covering approximately 60 per cent of Eurasia and 42 per cent of the world population, representing 25 per cent of the global GDP, 25 per cent of the worlds oil reserves and 50 per cent of natural gas and uranium deposits. Iran will join as member of this grouping on Tuesday. The subjects on which the members will deliberate will include terrorism, security situation in Afghanistan, enhancing cooperation between SCO states which includes improving connectivity through multi-modal routes. The theme for Indias Presidency is `SECURE which is an abbreviation for security, economic development, connectivity, unity, respect for soverignity and territorial integrity and environmental protection. India has also been pushing for deeper cooperation on de-radicalisation strategies. India has hosted over 100 meetings under its SCO chairmanship and most were in person meetings. The most well known was the SCO Foreign Ministers meeting that was held in Goa which was attended by Sergey Lavrov, Bilawal Bhutto and Qin Gang. Meanwhile, the members of the SCO include India, Russia, China, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Tajikstan. Their dialogue partners include Armenia, Azerbaijan, Nepal, Cambodia, Sri Lanka and Turkey. Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Egypt are likely to be dialogue partner. SCO members are hoping that the significance of the Summit is not diluted in the future. By PTI NEW DELHI: In a veiled reference to Pakistan, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday told leaders of the SCO nations that the grouping must not hesitate to criticise countries supporting cross-border terrorism as an instrument of state policy and there must not be any "double standards" in combating terrorist activities. With Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russia's Vladimir Putin listening, Modi said at a virtual summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) that "decisive action" is required to deal with terrorism and terror financing. Chairing the summit, Modi talked about the growing importance of the SCO and said, "It is our shared responsibility to understand each other's needs and sensitivities and resolve all challenges through better cooperation and coordination." The remarks came amid the lingering border row between India and China. In his opening remarks, Modi also highlighted the need for boosting connectivity but asserted that it is essential to respect the basic principles of the SCO charter, especially the sovereignty and territorial integrity of member states while making such efforts. There has been increasing global criticism of China's Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). India has been severely critical of the BRI as the project includes the so-called China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) that passes through Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. On Afghanistan, the prime minister said the situation there has a "direct impact on the security of all of us" and it is important to ensure that Afghan territory is not used to destabilise neighbouring countries or to encourage extremist ideologies. The prime minister also touched upon the global food, fuel and fertiliser crisis, highlighted the need for reform of the SCO and welcomed Iran as the new permanent member of the SCO. However, one of the major focus areas of his speech was combating the threat of terrorism. "Terrorism remains a major threat to regional and global peace. Decisive action is necessary to meet this challenge. Terrorism may be in any form, in any manifestation and we have to fight together against it," Modi said. "Some countries use cross-border terrorism as an instrument of their policies; give shelter to terrorists. The SCO should not hesitate to criticise such countries. There should be no room for double standards on such a serious issue," he said. The prime minister also strongly pitched for deeper mutual cooperation to deal with terror financing and noted that the SCO's RATS (Regional Anti-Terrorism Structure) mechanism has played an important role in this. "We should also take more active steps to prevent the spread of radicalisation among the youth of our countries. The joint statement being issued today on the issue of radicalisation is a symbol of our shared commitment," he said. The virtual summit under India's presidency was attended by leaders of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan and Iran as well. The prime minister also spoke of various global challenges. "The global situation is at a critical juncture. Food, fuel and fertiliser crisis is a big challenge for all the countries in the world surrounded by disputes, tensions and epidemics," he said, without making any specific references. "Let us think together whether we as an organisation are capable of meeting the expectations and aspirations of our people? Are we able to meet the modern challenges," he asked. "Is the SCO becoming an organisation that is fully prepared for the future? In this regard, India supports the proposal for reform and modernisation of SCO," he said. On the situation in Afghanistan, Modi said India's concerns and expectations regarding that country are similar to those of most of the SCO countries. Modi said ensuring humanitarian assistance to Afghan people, formation of an inclusive government, the fight against terrorism and drug trafficking and ensuring the rights of women, children and minorities in that country are "our shared priorities". "The people of India and Afghanistan share age-old friendly relations. Over the past two decades, we have contributed to the economic and social development of Afghanistan," he said. "We have continued to send humanitarian aid even after the events of 2021. It is essential that the land of Afghanistan is not used to destabilise neighbouring countries, or encourage extremist ideologies," he said. The prime minister also batted for boosting regional connectivity. "Better connectivity not only increases mutual business but also increases mutual trust. But in these efforts, it is essential to respect the basic principles of the SCO Charter, especially the sovereignty and territorial integrity of member states. " After Iran's SCO membership, we can work for better utilisation of Chabahar Port. The International North-South Transport Corridor can become a safe and easy way for the landlocked countries of Central Asia to reach the Indian Ocean," he said. "We should realise its full potential," he added. India has been pushing for the Chabahar port project to boost regional trade, especially for its connectivity to Afghanistan. Modi also called for removing language barriers in the SCO. "We would be happy to share India's AI-based language platform, Bhashini, with everyone to remove language barriers within the SCO. This can become an example of digital technology for inclusive growth," he said. Modi said the SCO can become an important voice for reform in other global institutions including the UN. The prime minister also welcomed Iran as the new member of the SCO. "At the same time, we welcome the signing of the Memorandum of Obligation for SCO membership of Belarus," he said. "Today, the interest of other countries in joining SCO is a proof of the importance of this organisation," he added. "In this process, it is necessary that the basic focus of the SCO remains on the interests and aspirations of the Central-Asian countries," Modi said. NEW DELHI: In a veiled reference to Pakistan, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday told leaders of the SCO nations that the grouping must not hesitate to criticise countries supporting cross-border terrorism as an instrument of state policy and there must not be any "double standards" in combating terrorist activities. With Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russia's Vladimir Putin listening, Modi said at a virtual summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) that "decisive action" is required to deal with terrorism and terror financing. Chairing the summit, Modi talked about the growing importance of the SCO and said, "It is our shared responsibility to understand each other's needs and sensitivities and resolve all challenges through better cooperation and coordination."googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); The remarks came amid the lingering border row between India and China. In his opening remarks, Modi also highlighted the need for boosting connectivity but asserted that it is essential to respect the basic principles of the SCO charter, especially the sovereignty and territorial integrity of member states while making such efforts. There has been increasing global criticism of China's Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). India has been severely critical of the BRI as the project includes the so-called China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) that passes through Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. On Afghanistan, the prime minister said the situation there has a "direct impact on the security of all of us" and it is important to ensure that Afghan territory is not used to destabilise neighbouring countries or to encourage extremist ideologies. The prime minister also touched upon the global food, fuel and fertiliser crisis, highlighted the need for reform of the SCO and welcomed Iran as the new permanent member of the SCO. However, one of the major focus areas of his speech was combating the threat of terrorism. "Terrorism remains a major threat to regional and global peace. Decisive action is necessary to meet this challenge. Terrorism may be in any form, in any manifestation and we have to fight together against it," Modi said. "Some countries use cross-border terrorism as an instrument of their policies; give shelter to terrorists. The SCO should not hesitate to criticise such countries. There should be no room for double standards on such a serious issue," he said. The prime minister also strongly pitched for deeper mutual cooperation to deal with terror financing and noted that the SCO's RATS (Regional Anti-Terrorism Structure) mechanism has played an important role in this. "We should also take more active steps to prevent the spread of radicalisation among the youth of our countries. The joint statement being issued today on the issue of radicalisation is a symbol of our shared commitment," he said. The virtual summit under India's presidency was attended by leaders of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan and Iran as well. The prime minister also spoke of various global challenges. "The global situation is at a critical juncture. Food, fuel and fertiliser crisis is a big challenge for all the countries in the world surrounded by disputes, tensions and epidemics," he said, without making any specific references. "Let us think together whether we as an organisation are capable of meeting the expectations and aspirations of our people? Are we able to meet the modern challenges," he asked. "Is the SCO becoming an organisation that is fully prepared for the future? In this regard, India supports the proposal for reform and modernisation of SCO," he said. On the situation in Afghanistan, Modi said India's concerns and expectations regarding that country are similar to those of most of the SCO countries. Modi said ensuring humanitarian assistance to Afghan people, formation of an inclusive government, the fight against terrorism and drug trafficking and ensuring the rights of women, children and minorities in that country are "our shared priorities". "The people of India and Afghanistan share age-old friendly relations. Over the past two decades, we have contributed to the economic and social development of Afghanistan," he said. "We have continued to send humanitarian aid even after the events of 2021. It is essential that the land of Afghanistan is not used to destabilise neighbouring countries, or encourage extremist ideologies," he said. The prime minister also batted for boosting regional connectivity. "Better connectivity not only increases mutual business but also increases mutual trust. But in these efforts, it is essential to respect the basic principles of the SCO Charter, especially the sovereignty and territorial integrity of member states. " After Iran's SCO membership, we can work for better utilisation of Chabahar Port. The International North-South Transport Corridor can become a safe and easy way for the landlocked countries of Central Asia to reach the Indian Ocean," he said. "We should realise its full potential," he added. India has been pushing for the Chabahar port project to boost regional trade, especially for its connectivity to Afghanistan. Modi also called for removing language barriers in the SCO. "We would be happy to share India's AI-based language platform, Bhashini, with everyone to remove language barriers within the SCO. This can become an example of digital technology for inclusive growth," he said. Modi said the SCO can become an important voice for reform in other global institutions including the UN. The prime minister also welcomed Iran as the new member of the SCO. "At the same time, we welcome the signing of the Memorandum of Obligation for SCO membership of Belarus," he said. "Today, the interest of other countries in joining SCO is a proof of the importance of this organisation," he added. "In this process, it is necessary that the basic focus of the SCO remains on the interests and aspirations of the Central-Asian countries," Modi said. Prasanta Mazumdar By Express News Service GUWAHATI: Expressing his deep concern over the unabated violence in Manipur, Mizoram Chief Minister Zoramthanga on Tuesday said it is incumbent upon those responsible and law-abiding citizens or entities of India to look for immediate ways for the restoration of peace. Development with a human touch and Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas applies to my Zo ethnic tribes in Manipur too! Zoramthanga said. The onset of May witnessed a brutal, untoward and uncalled-for incident in Manipur. At this very moment, 3:30 am, July 4th, 2023; nothing seems to have changed. We are counting, and today is the 62nd day, he tweeted. He also said that the situation was expected to turn for the better but it seemed to have worsened. When will it stop? I condole my Manipuri Zo ethnic brethren, my incessant prayers for those who have lost their loved ones, their homes and families wrecked in shatters, he bemoaned. An estimated 12,000 people, displaced by the violence, are taking refuge in Mizoram. The state is also giving shelter to another around 38,000 Chin and Chin-Kuki refugees from Myanmar and Bangladesh. The Mizoram government sought the Centres help to look after these people. Zoramthanga is a Mizo and Mizos, Kukis, Zomis, Hmars, Chins (Myanmar) and Chin-Kukis (Bangladesh) belong to the greater Zo community and they share the same ancestry, culture and tradition. I wish not to see any more pictures and video clips of churches being burnt, brutal killings and violence of all nature, regardless of gender and ageMany lives have been lost, bloodshed all over, physical torture and the victims are looking for refuge wherever possible, Zoramthanga tweeted. With no iota of doubt, those victims are my kin and kin, my own blood and should we quieten the situation by just being silent? I don't think so! I would like to call for immediate restoration of peace and normalcy, he further wrote on the microblogging site. GUWAHATI: Expressing his deep concern over the unabated violence in Manipur, Mizoram Chief Minister Zoramthanga on Tuesday said it is incumbent upon those responsible and law-abiding citizens or entities of India to look for immediate ways for the restoration of peace. Development with a human touch and Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas applies to my Zo ethnic tribes in Manipur too! Zoramthanga said. The onset of May witnessed a brutal, untoward and uncalled-for incident in Manipur. At this very moment, 3:30 am, July 4th, 2023; nothing seems to have changed. We are counting, and today is the 62nd day, he tweeted.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); He also said that the situation was expected to turn for the better but it seemed to have worsened. When will it stop? I condole my Manipuri Zo ethnic brethren, my incessant prayers for those who have lost their loved ones, their homes and families wrecked in shatters, he bemoaned. An estimated 12,000 people, displaced by the violence, are taking refuge in Mizoram. The state is also giving shelter to another around 38,000 Chin and Chin-Kuki refugees from Myanmar and Bangladesh. The Mizoram government sought the Centres help to look after these people. Zoramthanga is a Mizo and Mizos, Kukis, Zomis, Hmars, Chins (Myanmar) and Chin-Kukis (Bangladesh) belong to the greater Zo community and they share the same ancestry, culture and tradition. I wish not to see any more pictures and video clips of churches being burnt, brutal killings and violence of all nature, regardless of gender and ageMany lives have been lost, bloodshed all over, physical torture and the victims are looking for refuge wherever possible, Zoramthanga tweeted. With no iota of doubt, those victims are my kin and kin, my own blood and should we quieten the situation by just being silent? I don't think so! I would like to call for immediate restoration of peace and normalcy, he further wrote on the microblogging site. By Express News Service KOCHI: The Ernakulam Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission has directed Qatar Airways to pay Rs 7 lakh as compensation to Justice Bechu Kurian Thomas, who filed a complaint during his practice as a High Court lawyer that he was denied permission to board an international flight due to overbooking. The Commission also directed the airlines to pay the complainant Rs 50,000 towards the litigation cost. The Commission led by its President D B Binu observed that denying boarding permission to passengers who hold valid boarding passes without assigning any reason whatsoever amounts to unfair trade practice and deficiency in service on the part of airlines. According to the complainant, he along with a group of friends had planned a trip to Scotland on April 15, 2018, from the Cochin International Airport and booked tickets with Qatar Airways well in advance. When they reached Doha for a connecting flight to Edinburgh, the complainant was denied permission to board the plane due to overbooking despite having a boarding pass. The complainant returned to Kochi on the next day, causing inconvenience and hardship to him. The airline staff claimed denial of boarding was a normal practice and offered accommodation for the night and flight the next day, causing inconvenience to the complainant. The complainant alleged unfair trade practices and fraud by the airline and sought Rs 10 lakh as compensation. KOCHI: The Ernakulam Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission has directed Qatar Airways to pay Rs 7 lakh as compensation to Justice Bechu Kurian Thomas, who filed a complaint during his practice as a High Court lawyer that he was denied permission to board an international flight due to overbooking. The Commission also directed the airlines to pay the complainant Rs 50,000 towards the litigation cost. The Commission led by its President D B Binu observed that denying boarding permission to passengers who hold valid boarding passes without assigning any reason whatsoever amounts to unfair trade practice and deficiency in service on the part of airlines. According to the complainant, he along with a group of friends had planned a trip to Scotland on April 15, 2018, from the Cochin International Airport and booked tickets with Qatar Airways well in advance. When they reached Doha for a connecting flight to Edinburgh, the complainant was denied permission to board the plane due to overbooking despite having a boarding pass.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); The complainant returned to Kochi on the next day, causing inconvenience and hardship to him. The airline staff claimed denial of boarding was a normal practice and offered accommodation for the night and flight the next day, causing inconvenience to the complainant. The complainant alleged unfair trade practices and fraud by the airline and sought Rs 10 lakh as compensation. RTA awards contract for Garn Al Sabkha - Sheikh Mohamed Bin Zayed Roads Intersection Improvement Project Dubai, July 2: The Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) has awarded a contract for Garn Al Sabkha Street Sheikh Mohamed Bin Zayed Road Intersection Improvement Project. RTA awards contract for Garn Al Sabkha - Sheikh Mohamed Bin Zayed Roads Intersection Improvement Project The scope of the project covers the construction of four bridges, spanning 3000 metres capable of carrying 17,600 vehicles per hour. The project has an AED374 million budget.The project comes in response to the directives of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, and H.H. Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai and Chairman of Dubai Executive Council, to continue with the development of roads infrastructure to keep pace with the thriving profile of Dubai, and accommodate the needs of urban development and population growth.Mattar Al Tayer, Director-General and Chairman of the Board of Executive Directors, RTA, said, "This project is part of a larger initiative to improve Garn Al Sabkha Street Corridor; that connects Sheikh Zayed and Sheikh Mohamed Bin Zayed Roads. Its goal is to guarantee that traffic flows smoothly between Sheikh Zayed Road, Sheikh Mohamed Bin Zayed Road, First Al Khail Street, and Al Asayel Street.""Once completed, the project will reduce transit distance and time by 40 percent for traffic heading from Garn Al Sabkha Street to Sheikh Mohamed Bin Zayed Road in the direction of Al Qusais and Sharjah, reducing peak hour journey time from 20 minutes to just 12 minutes. It will also reduce the journey time by 70 percent for vehicles from Sheikh Mohamed Bin Zayed Road rightward to Al Yalayis Road in the direction of Jebel Ali Port from 21 minutes to 7 minutes," added Al Tayer."Four bridges are being built as part of this project. The first is a 960-metre bridge at the intersection of Garn Al Sabkha Street and Al Asayel Street. This two-lane bridge can handle 8000 vehicles per hour in both directions and facilitates a smooth traffic flow between Sheikh Zayed Road and Sheikh Mohamed Bin Zayed Road.The second is a 660-metre bridge of two lanes serving traffic from Garn Al Sabkha Street Westwards heading to Sheikh Mohamed Bin Zayed Road Northwards in the direction of Al Qusais and Sharjah. This bridge can handle 3,200 vehicles per hour," explained Al Tayer."The third is a two-lane 700 metres bridge streamline the traffic flow and eliminate the overlapping traffic from Sheikh Mohamed Bin Zayed Road heading northward to Al Yalayis Road in the direction of Jebel Ali Port. The bridge can accommodate 3,200 vehicles per hour. The fourth is a two-lane bridge spanning 680 metres long that would ensure smooth traffic flow and prevent the overlapping traffic from Sheikh Mohamed Bin Zayed Road to the service road leading to Dubai Production City. The bridge has a capacity of 3,200 vehicles per hour," he added.The project scope also includes 7 km of roadwork, enhancing surface intersections on the service road running parallel to Sheikh Mohamed Bin Zayed Road, as well as street lighting, traffic signals and systems, rainwater drainage networks, and irrigation system networks.Garn Al Sabkha - Sheikh Mohamed Bin Zayed Roads Intersection Improvement Project is part of RTA's master plan to upgrade strategic road corridors to the East and the West such as Al Yalayis and Expo Roads, which RTA completed a few years ago.These vital road networks help to strengthen Dubai's transportation system, service an array of developmental projects on both sides of the roads and accommodate both current and future traffic volumes. (ANI/WAM)ANI03 July 2023 Shared Recently! Startups Intellectual Property Rights Protection is aimed at promoting innovation and entrepreneurship: Jitendra Singh New Delhi, July 3: Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Science and Technology, Jitendra Singh, has said that StartUps Intellectual Property Rights Protection is aimed at promoting innovation and entrepreneurship. Startups Intellectual Property Rights Protection is aimed at promoting innovation and entrepreneurship: Jitendra Singh In his inaugural address at the 'National Intellectual Property Festival', organised by the CSIR at the National Physical Laboratory in New Delhi, Dr Jitendra Singh said, "The filing of Intellectual Property Rights (IPR), including Patents and trademarks, by StartUps, along with Industry linkages, will encourage innovation and motivate enterprise in India. Under the leadership of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, after the Government came up with the IPR Act in 2016, the Trademark Registration process has come down to one month, which was more than one year earlier.""Soon after this, 'StartUps Intellectual Property Rights Protection' scheme was brought in, which envisages an 80 per cent rebate in patent filing and 40 per cent-50 per cent rebate vis-a-vis the Industry and the companies," the Minister said.Dr Jitendra Singh said, Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has launched several schemes that supplement each other to reinforce the StartUp ecosystem and their Capacity Building. "You can couple the StartUps, e.g., you have the Mudra scheme, which offers you a loan of 10-20 lakhs without any gratuity, mortgage, almost interest-free," he said, the release stated.It is pertinent to mention that, with the vision to protect IPRs for StartUps, the Government has launched a scheme, Startups Intellectual Property Protection (SIPP), to encourage innovation and creativity in Startups. The startups are given an 80 per cent rebate on Patent filing fees and a facility for expedited examination of patent applications. Under the new Trademark Rules, Startups have been given a 50 per cent rebate in filing fees vis-a-vis other companies, stated a press release from the Ministry of Science and Technology.Even for the promotion of the registration of Industrial Designs by StartUps as per the new design amendment rules for 2021, the Government has reduced filing and prosecution fees for small entities, it added.The Minister said, there is a huge round of encouragement and promotion both for StartUps in terms of being innovative and entrepreneurs, the press release said."In the last nine years, PM Modi has given esteem to science and scientists and also raised it as a subject of international deliberations. Even during his just concluded US visit, the predominant subject in the Joint Statement was science-related issues, - from semiconductors to space to the International Space Station, Artemis Accords," said Dr Jitendra Singh, stated the press release.In the Global Innovation Index, we have jumped 31 places, - from 81 to 40; in the startup ecosystem, we started very late, in 2016, when PM Modi gave a call from the Red Fort in his Independence Day address, but in just a couple of years, we have gone to the No. 3 ranking in the Startup ecosystem in the world," he said, added the press release.Dr Jitendra Singh called for combining the digital repository of traditional knowledge and heritage with modern scientific innovation, and by institutionalising this mechanism, we can gain a cutting edge in sectors such as Khadi, Aroma Mission, and Lavender cultivation, it said."I am convinced this is one of the best times happening, the optimum times happening, and if we are into this StartUp IPR protection, we have the advantage of supplementing our StartUp ventures with our traditional knowledge, which is not happening as frequently as it could happen here. And if we do that, we will actually have an edge over other countries," he said, stated the press release.The Minister said that in the nine years of the Government led by PM Modi, because he has been carrying that kind of vision, today we are at an equal pace and at an equal level with the developed nations, said the press release."Today, we are equal partners with other nations in technology application. In Quantum Computing, for example, we are in the same league as the developed world," he said, stated the press release.ANI03 July 2023 Shared Recently! Andela Sriramulu Yadav Honors Doctors on 10th Day of Gadapa Gadapaku BJP Bharosha Yatra Celebrating Doctors Day PNN, Maheshwaram, July 3 Andela Sriramulu Yadav, State Executive Member of the BJP Party and Incharge of Maheshwaram, marked the 10th day of his ambitious "Gadapa Gadapaku BJP Bharosha Yatra" by paying tribute to the dedicated doctors serving in the Maheshwaram constituency. Andela Sriramulu Yadav Honors Doctors on 10th Day of Gadapa Gadapaku BJP Bharosha Yatra Celebrating Doctors' Day This special event, coinciding with Doctors' Day, showcased Yadav's unwavering commitment to healthcare and the welfare of the community.The Gadapa Gadapaku BJP Bharosha Yatra, launched by Andela Sriramulu Yadav, serves as a platform to engage with the people, educate them about various BJP schemes and initiatives, and address their concerns. As Yadav embarked on the 10th day of this Padhayatra, he took the opportunity to honor the brave doctors of Maheshwaram who have been working relentlessly on the frontlines, especially during the challenging times of the COVID-19 pandemic.Doctors' Day holds great significance as it allows us to express our heartfelt appreciation for the selfless service rendered by medical professionals. Andela Sriramulu Yadav, recognizing the immense contributions made by the doctors of Maheshwaram, felicitated them during the yatra, acknowledging their exceptional dedication and sacrifices for the well-being of the community.Addressing the gathering, Yadav emphasized the crucial role played by doctors in safeguarding public health and acknowledged their unwavering commitment, particularly during the COVID-19 crisis. He lauded them as frontline warriors who have fearlessly fought against the pandemic, risking their own lives to save others. By honoring the doctors, Yadav aimed to convey the deep gratitude and respect of the entire community.The 10th day of the Gadapa Gadapaku BJP Bharosha Yatra witnessed an outpouring of support and appreciation for the medical fraternity from the attendees. The doctors expressed their gratitude for the recognition and were motivated by the encouragement received from Yadav and the community. This celebration not only honored the doctors but also strengthened the bond between the medical professionals and the political leadership, fostering a collaborative approach in addressing healthcare challenges in the Maheshwaram constituency.Andela Sriramulu Yadav's commitment to honoring doctors on the 10th day of his Padhayatra demonstrates his deep appreciation for their invaluable contributions to society. The Gadapa Gadapaku BJP Bharosha Yatra serves as a testament to Yadav's dedication to the welfare of the people, as he engages directly with the community, educates them about BJP schemes, and collects their concerns for effective governance.As the Gadapa Gadapaku BJP Bharosha Yatra continues its journey, Andela Sriramulu Yadav remains resolute in his mission to empower communities, foster open dialogue, and work towards the betterment of Maheshwaram. The yatra serves as a powerful platform to bridge the gap between the political leadership and the people, ensuring that their voices are heard and their issues are addressed.(Disclaimer The above press release has been provided by PNN. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of the same)ANI03 July 2023 Shared Recently! Honda Global creates Hi-tech Experience Galleries with Communication Crafts PNN, New Delhi, July 3 Communication Crafts, Gujarat's 1st Mission-driven creative agency, has announced the successful completion of their extraordinary experience design project the design and execution of two immersive experience galleries for Honda Motorcycle and Scooter India at their state-of-the-art plant in Vithalapur, Gujarat. Honda Global creates Hi-tech Experience Galleries with Communication Crafts These galleries were created to cater to Honda's national and international visitors, offering them a captivating journey into the legacy, technical expertise, and scale of production at the facility."The Honda Experience Galleries at the Vithalapur plant mark a significant achievement for Communication Crafts. We successfully added another major service - Experience Design, to our 360A capability. Going beyond the usual role of a creative agency, we undertook the entire project in turnkey model. It presented us with an opportunity to explore an agency-wide departmental collaboration to deliver a truly 360A outcome," said Chirag Dagli, Director - Creative Business, Communication Crafts.The Vithalapur plant, known as the 4F Smiling and Fun Factory, serves as a global resource centre for Honda Motorcycle and Scooter India, placing Gujarat on the world map of innovation and excellence. As the manufacturing hub for the iconic Honda Activa, which is exported worldwide, Honda desired an engaging platform to showcase their story and technical prowess. However, the challenge lay in finding a way to present this information in an attractive and easily digestible format, amidst the bustling activity of the factory floor."We are thrilled to have delivered a cutting-edge solution that showcases Honda's rich heritage and technical excellence," added Chirag. "This project combined storytelling, visualizing, building interactive displays, touchscreen experience, sight and sound show, usage of IOT and automation to deliver an extraordinary experience. Our team's dedication and creativity have transformed the factory visit experience, leaving a lasting impression on every visitor."Communication Crafts rose to the challenge with their innovative solutions, resulting in two cutting-edge experience galleries that seamlessly integrated graphical, physical, and video elements. One of the standout features was an interactive sight and sound show that narrated the story, technical aspects, and scale of Honda's operations at the Vithalapur plant. The visitor's journey was controlled by a centrally placed touchscreen, which allowed them to customize their experience by managing the lights, sounds, and videos.To enhance the visual impact, physical installations were strategically placed throughout the galleries. These included Honda 2-wheelers taking flight, symbolizing the wings in the Honda logo, as well as podiums showcasing their impressive engines. Another remarkable feature was an imploded view of the iconic 2-wheeler, providing visitors with an immersive experience of the combi brake technology, which can be challenging to explain but easy to comprehend through direct interaction.The end-to-end execution of this project by Communication Crafts has made a significant impact on the Vithalapur plant. Not only have these galleries streamlined the visitor experience, eliminating the need for tedious presentations and exhausting factory tours, but they have also left a lasting impression on Honda's guests.Impressed by the flawless execution, Honda is already planning to replicate the success of these galleries by introducing similar experiences across India in the future. This accomplishment reinforces Communication Crafts' position as a trusted partner for turnkey projects, going above and beyond their role as a creative marketing agency.By blending creativity, technology, and meticulous execution, the agency has created an exceptional experience that showcases Honda's remarkable legacy and technical expertise, leaving a lasting impact on visitors.(Disclaimer The above press release has been provided by PNN. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of the same)ANI03 July 2023 Shared Recently! Climate disasters, traumatic events have long-term impact on youths academics: Study Washington, July 3: Experiencing stressful experiences such as natural disasters may have long-term effects for youth scholastic advancement and future food security, which researchers believe will deteriorate as the frequency of extreme weather events increases owing to climate change. Climate disasters, traumatic events have long-term impact on youths' academics: Study In a study using data from Peru, researchers from Penn State's College of Agricultural Sciences found that being exposed to a greater number of traumatic events or "shocks," such as a natural disaster or loss of family income, in early life was associated with lower reading and vocabulary test scores over time, as well as reduced food security.The study was recently published in the journal Population Research and Policy Review.Carolyn Reyes, a senior research associate at Public Wise who led the study while earning her doctorate in rural sociology and demography at Penn State, said the findings could help guide policy aimed at minimizing the impacts of shocks."As climate change leads to more frequent and severe weather events, and economic crises and an ongoing pandemic continue to create challenges for families, it's critical for policies to help minimize the effects of these shocks," Reyes said. "These types of initiatives could include unconditional cash transfers, expanding social protections, and more accessible and widely available insurance programs."The researchers found that shocks experienced more recently were the most strongly associated with negative learning and well-being outcomes. Specifically, 15-year-olds in Peru who experienced a shock in the past three to four years were more likely to have lower test scores, be less food secure, have poorer health and spend more time on household duties.Heather Randell, assistant professor of rural sociology and demography, said while the study used data from Peru, the results could be applicable to populations around the globe."Household shocks experienced by kids can take an important toll on health and learning no matter where they live," Randell said. "For example, if teens have to help take care of siblings or assist their parents in earning income, this may divert resources and attention away from school. This in turn can affect the amount of time teens have to focus on schoolwork, or it may push them out of school altogether."According to the researchers, prior work has found that children often are more vulnerable to shocks than other members of a household. Young children may be particularly affected, with shocks experienced early in life impairing physical and cognitive development for years to come.Children from rural households may face additional obstacles from environmental shocks. For example, if drought causes a family to lose income as a result of dying crops, children may be forced out of school to help find alternative income. While school attendance has improved in recent decades, almost one-fifth of school-age children worldwide remained out of school in 2018.While previous studies have found connections between shocks and adverse educational outcomes, the researchers said many of these studies relied on cross-sectional data instead of following children over time, or examined the effects of just one or two types of shock.Reyes said she and Randell wanted to build on existing research by expanding their study to examine the effects of multiple types of shocks on education and multiple measures of well-being over a 15-year time period.She added that Peru was an ideal setting for the study because of its high levels of poverty and inequality, and because a large portion of the population relies on agriculture as a main source of income."Peru is highly susceptible to environmental shocks such as earthquakes, floods and drought," Reyes said. "In addition, a sizable segment of the population is under the age of 18. All of these factors amount to higher likelihoods of children being exposed to shocks across their young lives."For the study, the researchers used data from the Young Lives Longitudinal Survey of 1,713 children from Peru over a span of 15 years. Data from the final round, when the children were 15, included reading, math and vocabulary test scores, information about their food security and health, and details about how much time they spent studying and doing household chores.The researchers also used data about the shocks these households experienced in the years prior to the children turning 15. Shocks included economic or agricultural shocks, such as loss of a job or crop failure; environmental shocks, such as flooding or an earthquake; and family shocks, such as divorce or the death of a household member.According to the researchers, there could be multiple explanations for the findings. For example, if flooding destroys a family's crops that they were depending on for income, children may spend more time working for extra money instead of going to school or studying. Or, in the case of the death of a family member, psychological impacts may negatively affect progress at school.Reyes said that while the study focused on data when the children were in their teens, the repercussions of experiencing multiple shocks early in life may continue for years."Because education and early work experiences are so important for future economic and social success, exposure to shocks could create circumstances that result in a lifetime of hardship," she said. "Additional research could explore the exact mechanisms of how these shocks affect schooling and well-being, which could then help in the design of targeted and effective interventions."ANI03 July 2023 Shared Recently! Nathan Lyon ruled out from remainder of Ashes series, backs Todd Murphy to fill his shoes London, July 3: Australian veteran spinner Nathan Lyon has been ruled out of the 2023 Ashes series against England and he has backed 22-year-old Todd Murphy to leave his footmarks in the series, saying that stock ball is good enough to provide a different challenge to the English batters. Nathan Lyon ruled out from remainder of Ashes series, backs Todd Murphy to fill his shoes Australia on Monday announced changes to their squad for the remainder of the series, with Lyon ruled out due to a "significant calf tear" while fielding on day two at Lord's.Reserve batter Matthew Renshaw is not in the squad but will stay in England in case another injury strikes Aussies. No replacements have been included in the revised 16-player squad. Queensland wicketkeeper Jimmy Peirson is with the team as cover for Josh Inglis, who returned home following the first Birmingham Test for the birth of his first child, as per cricket.com.au.Australia secured a 2-0 lead in the series with a 43-run win in the second Test, despite Ben Stokes' heroic 155-run knock which brought back the memories of his Headingley knock from 2019. He smashed nine fours and nine sixes in his knock.Australian coach Andrew McDonald confirmed that Murphy was placed well to come into the playing eleven for the third Test at Headingley after Lyon backed Murphy to hold his own against English batters. The pair have worked closely in recent days, with the youngster picking Lyon's brain on Saturday before the start of the play.Lyon was a key player for the Aussies in the Ashes, starting the series with an eight-wicket haul in the first Test at Edgbaston in a winning effort. The 36-year-old is in no doubt about Murphy's ability to take on England batters with just 12 first-class games in his belt.Murphy impressed during the Border-Gavaskar Trophy earlier this year against India in subcontinent conditions, taking 14 wickets at an average of 25.21. He also took the wickets of star batter Virat Kohli four times."His stock ball is good enough in international cricket. We have seen that in India in arguably the hardest place to bowl spin," Lyon said as quoted by cricket.com.au."It will be a different challenge with the England batters. If they do come at him, it provides Todd with a decent challenge. But a chance to leave his footmarks here in England. It is a big Ashes series, he is excited by the opportunity," he added.McDonald also said that they will like to have the spinner to add balance to their attack."As you saw (on Sunday), at certain times, we had to do it differently without Nathan Lyon down the other end, which we have been so used to. At times it looked a little bit chaotic so we do like to have that spin option," said the coach.Lyon injured his calf while running in from square leg boundary on Thursday and had to leave the ground immediately. On day four, he hobbled to the crease to bat at number 11 and even scored a boundary.Lyon does not know if he will stay in England for the Ashes or fly home for rehab, he said he would there for Murphy if needed."I sat with Todd in the last session there (on day four) and spoke about spin bowling as we do. I have a lot of confidence in Todd. He is a great kid. He is willing to learn along the way," Lyon said."I have told him my phone is always on, it does not matter if I am sitting in the changeroom with him or I am sitting at home watching it in bed," he added.Lyon is gutted to miss the series after 100 straight Tests but is adamant that it would not be the end of his Test career. The third Test will be the first Test he will miss since Lord's Test in 2013."I have been extremely lucky with injuries. I have been around since August 2011 and we have had 126 Test matches and I have played 122 of them," Lyon said."This is just a little speed bump in the road. This is not career-defining. I am hungrier than ever to get back out there," he added.Australia squad for third Test Pat Cummins (c), Scott Boland, Alex Carey (wk), Cameron Green, Marcus Harris, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Josh Inglis (wk), Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne, Mitch Marsh, Todd Murphy, Michael Neser, Jimmy Peirson (wk), Steve Smith (vc), Mitchell Starc, David Warner.ANI03 July 2023 Shared Recently! Ryan Gosling pulls out of promoting Barbie in S.Korea due to inevitable circumstances Los Angeles, July 2: 'Blade Runner 2049' actor Ryan Gosling has pulled out of promoting his upcoming film 'Barbie' in South Korea due to 'inevitable circumstances'. Ryan Gosling pulls out of promoting 'Barbie' in S.Korea due to 'inevitable circumstances' Sharing the big screen with 'The Suicide Squad' actress Margot Robbie, who will play Barbie, Gosling will essay the role of Ken, as per Female First.Warner Bros. Korea said in a statement Ryan Gosling is hoping to meet with you through another opportunity. However, Margot and America Ferrera joined director Greta Gerwig for the press and fan gathering.A 'Barbie' pop-up opened yesterday in Hannam-dong, central Seoul, and will remain open until July 31.According to Gosling, he laughed when he was told that he was too old to play Ken. He told GQ I would say, you know, if people don't want to play with my Ken, there are many other Kens to play with. It is funny, this kind of clutching-your-pearls idea of, like, #notmyken. Like you ever thought about Ken before this? And everyone was fine with that, for him to have a job that is nothing. But suddenly, it's like, 'No, we've cared about Ken this whole time.IANS03 July 2023 Shared Recently! Inspired by daughters film Tarla, Huma Qureshis father introduces veg dish in his restaurant Mumbai, July 3: Actress Huma Qureshi, who is set to essay the role of the highly popular chief Tarla Dalal in her upcoming biopic 'Tarla', comes from a family of foodies. Her father started his first restaurant Saleem's in 1977. Inspired by daughter's film 'Tarla', Huma Qureshi's father introduces veg dish in his restaurant Though Saleem's is primarily a non-vegetarian restaurant, Huma's father has introduced a special new veg dish titled Batata Musallam, taking inspiration from Huma's upcoming biopic and as a tribute to Tarla's creative genius.Talking about the connection she has managed to establish between Saleem's and the late chef, Huma Qureshi said The journey of Tarla Dalal and Saleem's started back in the 70s. Today, 50 years later, looking at these two worlds come together makes my heart swell with pride.She further mentioned After watching the trailer, my dad decided to take inspiration from Tarla Ji and introduce her popular dish Batata Musallam at Saleem's. The power of food and how it brings communities together is one of the most beautiful things about India.The late Tarla Dalal was well-known for reimagining popular non-veg dishes into veg ones due to her own vegetarian background. For example, she introduced Batata Musallam inspired by Murgh Musallam where the gravy was the same however, she replaced Murgh with potato.While promoting her film in Delhi, Huma visited her father's restaurant with her co-actor Sharib Hashmi to try out her dad's version of Batata Musallam.'Tarla' is a slice-of-life film on one of India's most iconic home chefs Tarla Dalal, the first woman to have her own cookbook, her own cookery show and the only Indian to have received Padma Shri for her work in the field of cooking.IANS03 July 2023 Shared Recently! Jio accelerates Jio Bharat phone platform for 2G-Mukt Bharat Mumbai, July 3: In order to make India '2G-Mukt Bharat', Jio accelerated the 'Jio Bharat' phone platform ushering in an era of transformation. Jio accelerates 'Jio Bharat' phone platform for '2G-Mukt Bharat' According to the Jio release, the Beta trial for the first 1 million Jio Bharat phones begins from 7th July 2023 which will ensure the scalability of the platform and processes for upgrading millions of feature phone users. It will be carried out across 6,500 tehsils.This segment is most exploited by incumbent operators because users in this segment areunable to afford smartphones. Not only do these users face the issue of affordability but alsorestrictions from accessing digital services.Speaking on this occasion, Akash Ambani, Chairman, of Reliance Jio, commented, "There are still 250 million mobile phone users in India who remain 'trapped' in the 2G era, unable to tap into basic features of the internet at a time when the world stands at the cusp ofa 5G revolution.India still has 250 million mobile subscribers trapped in the 2G era with feature phones. These feature phones do not provide internet access, especially when access to technology is a necessity that also uplifts one's livelihood and economic well-being."Six years ago, when Jio was launched, we made it clear that Jio will leave no stone unturned todemocratize the internet and pass the benefits of technology to every Indian. Technology willno longer remain a privilege for a select few," he said.Lately, this digital disempowerment and disparity for these feature phone users have becomeworse, with other telecom operators increasing the minimum price to stay connected bymore than twice. Even basic voice services for a 30-day period, which used to cost Rs 99previously, now costs Rs 199.Moreover, there will Rs 123 per month for unlimited voice calls and 14 GB data, compared to other operator's Rs 179 plan for voice calls and 2GB data."The new Jio Bharat phone is another step in that direction. It is at the centre of innovation, andit continues to demonstrate our focus on bringing disproportionate and true value to differentsegments of users with meaningful, real-life use cases," added Akash Ambani.He further added that Jio will continue to take bold steps to eradicate this Digital Divide and welcome every Indian to join this movement."We care for every citizen of our nation, and we will go the extra mile to ensure every singleperson reaps the benefits of this digital society that our great nation is turning into," he said.While India is leading the 5G revolution on one side with the transformational Jio True 5G network, there is a section of society that is unable to reap the benefits of digital technology in entirety.ANI03 July 2023 Shared Recently! Vaani Kapoor is set to embark on a tour across US, UK: I have always loved performing Mumbai, July 3: Bollywood actress Vaani Kapoor, who is known for roles in films 'Shudh Desi Romance', 'Chandigarh Kare Aashiqi' and 'War', will be embarking on two global tours which includes a three week US trip and concerts in UK where she will be performing alongside Hrithik Roshan. Vaani Kapoor is set to embark on a tour across US, UK: 'I have always loved performing' She said It has been a whirlwind year for me as I did my maiden USA tour early this year, I'm doing a UK tour with my co-star Hrithik Roshan now.She further added I'm a proud member of the artiste community of India who constantly aspires to showcase the best of India to the world. So, I always look forward to doing global tours where I could take our loved Hindi films and its music to that audience.Apart from her job as an actress, Vaani Kapoor is also a self-taught dancer who has cemented her position as one of the best dancers of Bollywood through her chart-busting songs like 'Ghungroo', 'Nashe Si Chadh Gayi', 'Ude Dil Befikre', among others.Talking about her love of performing on stage she said I have always loved performing and entertaining audiences either through my movies or through my on stage performances. I want to always give my 100 per cent either on screen or on stage and I have been fortunate enough to receive a lot of love for my efforts.IANS04 July 2023 Shared Recently! Fingers crossed for my new show Pyaar Ka Pehla Adhyaya - Shiv Shakti: Arjun Bijlani Mumbai, July 3: Arjun Bijlani, who is counted among the most stylish actors of the television industry, is all geared up for his new show 'Pyaar ka Pehla Adhyaya: Shiv Shakti'. Fingers crossed for my new show 'Pyaar Ka Pehla Adhyaya - Shiv Shakti': Arjun Bijlani The actor was seen attending an award ceremony in Mumbai, where he also spoke about his new show.Talking about his show, he said We started shooting for the show in Varanasi on the day of Ganga Dussehra. It is a very auspicious day and my first shot was also dipping in the holy waters of River Ganga. I consider myself very lucky to be a part of all this.The promo of the show was loved by everyone. It was also shot very nicely and I was very happy with the results. We were overwhelmed with the comments received. Now we have fingers crossed for the show . I hope it does really well and people like it, he added.Show 'Pyaar ka Pehla Adhyaya Shiv Shakti' is a romantic drama which is a spin off series of 'Pyaar ka Pehla naam Radha Mohan'. The show stars Arjun Bijlani and Nikki Sharma as Shiv and Shakti, respectively.It will premiere on July 3 on ZeeTV and digitally stream on ZEE5.IANS04 July 2023 Shared Recently! Amanda Bynes checks out of psychiatric facility Los Angeles, July 1: Actress Amanda Bynes has left the mental health facility almost two weeks after she was admitted there, but has worked with her team to put a plan in place to keep her healthy, reports 'Female First UK'. Amanda Bynes checks out of psychiatric facility She'll start outpatient care and will have a medical professional checking in daily, while Amanda will also be monitored to ensure she is taking her medication.As per TMZ, Amanda was placed on a 5150 hold for the second time this year after apparently calling police for help, last month.The actress was previously placed on a psychiatric hold in March after she was seen walking around naked in Los Angeles.An eyewitness told TMZ she flagged down a car and told the driver that she was coming down from a psychiatric episode before calling police.As per 'Female First UK', at the time, sources said that Amanda, who has also struggled with substance abuse, had likely been living on the streets for days before the incident.The former child star's ex-fiance Paul Michael, also told Page Six she had probably been off her meds.IANS04 July 2023 Shared Recently! Brian May remembers Freddie Mercury ahead of Queens 50th anniversary Los Angeles, July 2: Fifty years on from Queen's debut album, guitarist Brian May reckoned the band would still be rocking the world if AFreddie Mercury were still with us. Brian May remembers Freddie Mercury ahead of Queen's 50th anniversary The guitar legend reveals he still misses the butterflies he would feel while watching the flamboyant frontman Astrut his stuff on stage, reports Mirror.co.uk.Freddie was a fantastic mate and a great brother, he said. I liked it when he broke the rules, what he said to the Aaudience and the risk he took. I am sure if he was here today we would still be doing it and the mothership would still be steaming around the world, because he lived for music and lived for the band - it was his family.As per Mirror.co.uk, Bandmates Brian, Freddie, Roger Taylor and John Deacon put out their self-titled first LP on July 13, 1973, on EMI in the UK and Elektra Records in the US.Rolling Stone magazine hailed it as a superb debut - even though it only reached No 32 in the charts. And it set wheels in motion that would see Queen become one of the greatest rock groups of all time with over 300 million in records sold worldwide. Five decades on, and 32 years after frontman Freddie's death from AIDS aged just 45 in 1991, Brian said his memories of his old friend have not faded. He was very shy but also very social. He lived to the max every second of the day, said the 75-year-old.IANS04 July 2023 Shared Recently! China to send Navys hospital ship Peace Ark on South Pacific tour Beijing, July 3: Amid its growing quest to emerge as the global superpower, China is set to send its Navy's hospital ship called Peace Ark on a tour of the South Pacific, Al Jazeera reported. China to send Navy's hospital ship Peace Ark on South Pacific tour However, the tour of "Peace Ark" comes at a time when Beijing has cut-throat competition with the United States (US) as well as its allies for influence in the region.As per the official statement of the defence ministry, the 14,300-metric-tonne ship will call at Kiribati, Tonga, Vanuatu, the Solomon Islands and East Timor, providing medical assistance to Chinese citizens and residents.The spokesman for the PLA Navy, senior Captain Liu Wensheng, said this will be the ninth Harmonious Mission voyage for the vessel, according to Al Jazeera."It is to present our image as a responsible big country," said Navy spokesperson Liu Wensheng in a statement.In recent years, Beijing has strengthened connections with Pacific countries, some of which had official diplomatic links with Taiwan, prompting alarm in the United States, Australia, and New Zealand, as well as inside some of the countries themselves.Last year, China inked a security treaty with the Solomon Islands and intends to establish similar links with other Pacific countries. According to its foreign minister, relations with the Solomon Islands can serve as a model. The US has increased its activity in the region in response to China's advances, thereafter.According to China.org.cn, a state-run web portal of the People's Republic of China, the Navy's hospital ship, with a displacement of over 10,000 metric tons, has more than 100 medical staff working in 16 clinical and auxiliary departments. It harbours multiple operating rooms and nursing stations and can accommodate roughly 1,000 patients at once.ANI04 July 2023 Shared Recently! A welcome step, women in this country deserve equality: MoS Meenakshi Lekhi on UCC New Delhi, July 3: Union Minister of State Meenakshi Lekhi on Monday said 'it's a welcome step' that the government plans to implement the Uniform Civil Code (UCC) and added that the women in this country deserve equality. 'A welcome step, women in this country deserve equality': MoS Meenakshi Lekhi on UCC "It's a welcome step and I am glad that it has been done when our government is there...these are subjects which one has grown up with and for ages one has desired this...women of this country do deserve equality and women of this country do deserve justice, irrespective of which religion they come from...", MoS Meenakshi Lekhi said.The meeting of the Parliamentary Standing Committee for Law and Justice began on Monday in the Parliament to discuss the issue of the Uniform Civil Code.Earlier, in an exclusive interview with ANI, Union Minister of Commerce and Industry Piyush Goyal said that "it is the need of the hour that a law should be made by uniting and including all the people of the country and the Supreme Court has also endorsed many of its verdicts".The union minister further said that the BJP would get cross-party support for the UCC."We have a full majority in Rajya Sabha and I think there are many leaders from other parties who want that the country should unite. I think many parties will support BJP on Uniform Civil Code. We will get cross-party support for this," the minister said.Earlier on Saturday, Rajya Sabha MP Kapil Sibal said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi should inform the country of what the proposal is for a UCC.Prime Minister Narendra Modi's strong endorsement of the Uniform Civil Code (UCC) brought it back to the spotlight.PM Modi said that the country cannot run on two laws and that Uniform Civil Code was part of the Constitution."Today people are being instigated in the name of UCC. How can the country run on two (laws)? The Constitution also talks of equal rights...Supreme Court has also asked to implement UCC. These (Opposition) people are playing vote bank politics," PM Modi had said.ANI04 July 2023 Shared Recently! Game of Thrones stars Kit Harington, Rose Leslie welcome their second child Los Angeles, July 3: Star couple Kit Harington and Rose Leslie have been blessed with their second child. 'Game of Thrones' stars Kit Harington, Rose Leslie welcome their second child As per Page Six, the two have welcomed a daughter into their lives."They're delighted to have welcomed a little girl into the family," a source told Page Six.The couple have been together since meeting and falling in love on the set of the HBO show 'Game of Thrones' in 2011. They tied the knot in June 2017.Harington and Leslie welcomed their first child -- a baby boy -- in early 2021. Talking about his two-year-old son, Harington told Fallon their son is "about to get the shock of his life" as he's set to "get a brother or sister.""I'm terrified... With the first baby you're like walking through clouds and dancing through fields of daisies for 9 months, well -- the man is anyway," Harington admitted, reported Page Six.When asked what his son thinks about the new baby, Harington explained he hasn't "conceptually understood it just yet.""We're trying to get him ready for it, we point to Rose's tummy and we say, 'Mommy's baby.' And he points at his tummy and says, 'My baby," Harington said.In September 2020, Leslie, 35, confirmed that she and Harington, 36, had a baby on the way. Her pregnancy was revealed by the UK's Make magazine when the actress debuted her baby bump on the cover, as per Page Six.ANI04 July 2023 Shared Recently! UN: New Strategic Framework to support people in Afghanistan Kabul, July 3: The United Nations in Afghanistan unveiled its Strategic Framework for Afghanistan, which outlines the organization's approach to addressing fundamental human needs in the country for the period of 2023-2025, according to Khaama Press. UN: New Strategic Framework to support people in Afghanistan The new strategic framework places a high priority on the needs and rights of the most vulnerable groups, including women and girls, children and youth, internally displaced persons, returnees, refugees, as well as ethnic and religious minorities.Roza Otunbayeva, Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Afghanistan said, "Our Strategic Framework is a robust offer of assistance to the people of Afghanistan to address their basic human needs and complement the ongoing delivery of lifesaving humanitarian assistance," Khaama Press reported.According to the statement, the UN Strategic Framework was developed in close consultations with Member States, partners, and stakeholders, reported Khaama Press.Moreover, to support the basic human needs of the Afghan people, the New Strategic Framework has three complementary and mutually reinforcing joint priorities.First, sustained essential services in crucial sectors such as health, nutrition, education, employment, water, sanitation, hygiene, social protection, and protection that are accessible to all, affordable, and can be delivered free from all forms of discrimination. The second priority will ensure economic opportunities and resilient livelihoods by creating an enabling environment that facilitates economic growth and provides decent work opportunities, especially for excluded groups such as women. Third, it will prioritize social cohesion, inclusion, gender equality, human rights, and the rule of law. These are the prerequisites for sustainable development and peace in Afghanistan which will strengthen civil society engagement and advocacy for alignment of the country's normative and legal frameworks with international human rights instruments."The United Nations and its partners recognize that humanitarian aid alone will not be enough to sustainably address the large-scale and increasing human suffering of the Afghan people in the medium and long term," said Daniel Endres, Deputy Special Representative of the Secretary-General and Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator ad interim, according to Khaama Press.The ban on Afghan women working for the UN is an addition to earlier restrictions imposed on Afghan women and girls by the de facto authorities, including bans on women working for NGOs and other diplomatic organizations, bans on girls enrolling in secondary and tertiary institutions, and bans on women and girls entering public parks, baths, and gyms, according to Khaama Press.These restrictions on Afghan women add to the country's dire humanitarian crisis and paralyse half of society's women. Such orders limit women and girls' physical movement and participation in economic, social and public life."Whether the UN can fully implement this framework will depend on actions by the de facto authorities and donor support," added Mr Endres.ANI04 July 2023 Shared Recently! India to virtually host SCO summit today New Delhi, July 4: India is all set to virtually host the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit today. The summit will witness the participation of Chinese President Xi Jinping, and Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif. India to virtually host SCO summit today The meeting of the SCO Heads of State will be chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The major issues that are expected to be on the agenda include terrorism, regional security and prosperity.The theme of India's chairship of SCO- SECURE is derived from the acronym coined by PM Modi at the 2018 SCO Qingdao Summit.It stands for S Security, E Economic development, C Connectivity, U Unity, R Respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity, E Environmental protection.Russian President Vladimir Putin will also participate in the summit this week. This comes at a time when the Russia-Ukraine war has completed over a war. India has condemned the war but has not voted against Russia at any forum.Speaking to President Putin on the sidelines of the SCO summit in Uzbekistan last year, PM Modi said, "This is not the era of war", a statement that even made to the G20 communique under the Indian presidency.Earlier on June 30, PM Modi held a telephonic conversation with Russian President Vladimir Putin and discussed issues of bilateral cooperation including Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) and G20.All the SCO Member States, China, Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan, have been invited to attend the Summit.In addition, Iran, Belarus and Mongolia have been invited as Observer States. As per the SCO tradition, Turkmenistan has also been invited as the guest of the Chair. Heads of the two SCO Bodies, the Secretariat and the SCO RATS, will also be present.One of the major highlights of the summit, Pakistan and China have expressed their willingness to participate in the summit. Pakistan which has been isolated globally for harbouring terrorists, is set to attend the summit.With Chinese aggression in 2020 at Galwan, there has been an ongoing stand-off and amassing of troops in large numbers at Indian positions on the LAC in eastern Ladakh. The Indian side has also deployed a heavy number of troops and developed infrastructure at a very fast pace for them.PM Modi ahead of his visit to the US said that for "normal bilateral ties" with China "peace and tranquillity in the border areas is essential," the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) reported."We have a core belief in respecting sovereignty and territorial integrity, observing the rule of law and peaceful resolution of differences and disputes. At the same time, India is fully prepared and committed to protecting its sovereignty and dignity," PM Modi said in his interview to the US publication.Jinping, who will attend the virtual summit of the SCO being hosted by India, will deliver important remarks at the meeting and along with other leaders chart the course for the future growth of the organization, Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Mao Ning said in a statement.Shehbaz Sharif will also participate in the SCO meeting. The invitation to the Pakistan PM Shehbaz Sharif was extended by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, informed the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Pakistan.The participation of the two leaders comes at a time when China blocked a proposal by India and the United States at the United Nations to designate Lashkar-e-Taiba terrorist Sajid Mir, wanted for his involvement in the 26/11 Mumbai terrorist attacks, as a global terrorist, which also drew stern criticism from New Delhi.India joined the SCO in 2005 as an observer country and became a full member of the group at the Astana Summit in 2017, marking a watershed point in its relationship with the Organisation.In the last six years, India has taken an active and positive role in all SCO operations.At the SCO Summit in Samarkand in September 2022, India took over the chairmanship of the SCO for the first time from Uzbekistan.During India's presidency, the SCO has reached new milestones in the depth and intensity of its engagements and interactions across wide-ranging sectors.India created five new pillars and focus areas of cooperation in SCO, Startups and Innovation, Traditional Medicine, Digital Inclusion, Youth Empowerment and Shared Buddhist Heritage.Two new mechanisms in SCO, Special Working Group on Startups and Innovation and Experts Working Group on Traditional Medicine, were created at India's initiative.ANI04 July 2023 Shared Recently! President Murmu calls upon youths to learn from Buddhas teachings New Delhi, July 4: President Droupadi Murmu on Monday called upon the youth to learn from the teaching of the Buddha, to enrich themselves and immensely contribute to building a peaceful society, a nation, and a world. President Murmu calls upon youths to learn from Buddha's teachings The President in a recorded message on Asadha Purnima, the Dharma Chakra Pravartana Divas celebrations said that following the three teachings of Lord Buddha- Sheel, Sadhachar and Pragya- the younger generation could empower themselves and bring a positive impact to society, stated a release from Ministry of Culture."On Asadha Purnima, we got acquainted with the Dhamma of Lord Buddha which is not only a part of our ancient cultural heritage but is also an essential feature of our daily life," the President said, adding that to know about Buddha Dhamma we should learn and understand the first sermon given by Shakyamuni on the sacred land of Sarnath.The President addressing the celebrations, organized by the International Buddhist Confederation (IBC), under the aegis of the Ministry of Culture, Government of India, recalled that on Asadha Purnima Lord Buddha through his first sermon planted the seeds of the middle path of the Dhamma. It is important that on this auspicious day, we absorb the teachings of lord Buddha into our behaviour and thought.Minister of State for Culture and External Affairs, Meenakashi Lekhi, in her special address described a lay person's journey to attain the level of a Bodhisattva."Though we are all connected in our values, yet we are responsible for our own actions. Right actions can change our destiny." She went on to explain that living simply and in sustainable manner, in our daily life, following the principles of consciousness and with mindfulness in action, speech, conduct and pursuing the right livelihood, we are already on the right path of Dhamma.It was Covid that showed us the worth of our life, a sense of detachment to material and physical existence. In a sense, this was the path to attaining higher levels of consciousness, she added. As we have very little time on this planet, the Minister noted, every individual should do the right thing according to his consciousness which will in return make the community stronger.Members of the diplomatic community, dignitaries, patriarchs of Buddhist Sanghas, eminent Masters, Scholars, monks, and nuns based in New Delhi participated in the event organised at the National Museum in New Delhi.His Holiness the 12th Chamgon Kenting Tai Situpa, in his Dhamma talk on the Significance of Asadha Purnima said, "We celebrate the first teachings of the Buddha. He taught us the deepest commonsense; suffering is the object that we have to overcome it is important to experience and realize the words of Buddha before we overcome suffering and pursue peace, harmony and compassion."On the auspicious day of Asadha Purnima, in the presence of Minister Meenakashi Lekhi, the contact was awarded for the construction of India's Buddhist Centre in the Monastic Zone of Lumbini. The Certificate of the 'Award of Contract' to an Indo-Nepal Joint Venture company was presented by International Buddhist Confederation (IBC) to M/S ACC- Gorakha for the construction of the India International Centre for Buddhist Culture and Heritage (IICBCH) in the Monastic Zone of Lumbini, the birthplace of Lord Buddha in Nepal.It may be recalled, following an agreement between the Lumbini Development Trust (LDT) and the IBC, on 25 March 2022, Prime Minister of India, Shri Narendra Modi along with the then Prime Minister of Nepal, Sher Bahadur Deuba performed the 'shilanyas' ceremony and laid the foundation stone of IICBCH at the site on 16 May 2022.Before the handing over of the Contract Award, a film on the -"India International Centre for Buddhist Culture and Heritage", IBC's- project in Lumbini was shown.Asadha Purnima day marks Buddha's first teaching after attaining Enlightenment to the first five ascetic disciples (pancavargiya) on the full-moon day of Ashadha at 'Deer Park', Risipatana Mrigadaya in the present day Sarnath, near Varanasi, India. This teaching of Dhamma Cakka- Pavattana Sutta (Pali) or Dharma Cakra Pravartana Sutra (Sanskrit) is also known as the Turning of Wheels of Dharma and comprised of the Four Noble Truths and the Noble Eight-Fold Path.The Rainy Season retreat (Varsha Vassa) for the Monks and Nuns also starts with this day lasting for three lunar months from July to October, during which they remain in a single place, generally in their temples dedicated to intensive meditation.The day is also observed as Guru Purnima by both Buddhists and Hindus as a day to mark reverence to their Gurus.ANI04 July 2023 Shared Recently! Rahul Mishra presents Indian artisans work at Haute Couture Week in Paris Paris, July 3: Delhi-based fashion designer Rahul Mishra shines at Haute Couture Week in Paris highlighting Indian artisans' work on the ramp. Rahul Mishra presents Indian artisans' work at Haute Couture Week in Paris On Monday, he showcased his "WE, THE PEOPLE" collection on Day 1 of the Haute Couture Week in Paris.The collection is about the artisans at the atelier that Mishra, in his own way, wants to thank for all his success.From lehengas to sarees, Mishra's Haute collection had a desi element in some or another way.Take a look at the pictures2023 truly has been his year. In April, he grabbed headlines for dressing up Zendaya in a blue sari for the grand launch of the Nita Mukesh Ambani Cultural Center in Mumbai.Fashion lovers gave a shoutout to Rahul over his Haute collection."Omgg fully obsessed with the hand embroidery of karigars," a social media user commented."Amazing," wrote another one.The fashion week kickstarted on Monday. Several stars arrived in style to witness the fashion gala.Rapper Cardi B attended the Schiaparelli Haute Couture show in a dramatic feathered look. She wowed the crowds in head-to-toe Schiaparelli -- a custom look designed for her by the brand's creative director Daniel Roseberry -- wearing an oversized black feathered bolero, teamed with a black corseted gown with gold stitching at the bodice and gold buttons down the back, People reported.Actor Sonam Kapoor too marked her presence on day one of Haute Couture Fall/Winter 2023-2024. She oozed glamour as she attended a Christian Dior fashion show.She opted for a chic and classy beige Dior trench coat with a beige A-line dress, black brogue shoes with tassels and a black page boy hat for the fashion gala.ANI04 July 2023 Shared Recently! Champaign, IL (61820) Today Mostly clear. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low around 60F. Winds NNW at 10 to 20 mph.. Tonight Mostly clear. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low around 60F. Winds NNW at 10 to 20 mph. Download Now The News-Gazette mobile app brings you the latest local breaking news, updates, and more. Read the News-Gazette on your mobile device just as it appears in print. What started out as a niche event celebrated in limited numbers, has morphed into a moment that showcases the richness of the Black experience in its fullest scope, the Rev. Terrance L. Thomas writes in a guest commentary piece. The median length of survival after diagnosis of glioblastoma is 14 months, but some of these brain tumors are more aggressive and resistant to treatment than others, and a new study from Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine suggests reactivation of an ancient retrovirus may be at least partly to blame. "Our lab found that an evolutionary dormant retrovirus from 6 million years ago HML-2, a subtype of HERV-K contributes to brain tumor formation. We demonstrated for the first time that this virus, when reactivated, plays a role in defining the stem-cell state of high-grade gliomas, promoting an aggressive form of cancer," said neurosurgeon Dr. Ashish Shah, principal investigator at Sylvester's Brain Tumor Initiative (BTI), and first author of a paper in the Journal of Clinical Investigation. Cancer stem cells, a subpopulation of cells in cancers, drive tumor initiation and development and influence how aggressive and resistant to treatment a cancer will be. This study, conducted by researchers from Sylvester, Georgetown University and the National Institutes of Health, found that HML-2 altered stem cell programming by activating a gene-regulating protein called OCT4. HML-2 was previously implicated in the genesis and development of other cancers, but this is believed to be the first study showing the virus' effects in gliomas and describing the molecular and cellular mechanisms involved. Our results suggest that HML-2 fundamentally contributes to the glioblastoma stem-cell niche, the microenvironment that supports stem cells and determines their fate." Dr. Avindra Nath, clinical director of the Division of Intramural Research, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, National Institutes of Health "We conducted a comprehensive translational investigation of HML-2 expression in glioblastoma and its role in maintaining the cancer stem cell phenotype," said Nath, the article's senior author. Results were based on analyses of patient-derived glioblastoma cells and mouse model studies. The team's findings give researchers targets for developing therapies; and in their work, an anti-retroviral drug significantly reduced HML-2 activity and reduced tumor stem-cell markers, said Shah, director of clinical trials and translational research and principal investigator in the Section of Virology and Immunotherapy at Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center's Brain Tumor Initiative (BTI). "Targeting the glioblastoma stem cell niche is an attractive option to prevent alterations in stem cells and reduce tumor recurrence and treatment resistance," he said. HML-2, a subtype of HERV-K, is one of many human endogenous retroviruses (HERVs), ancestral relics of retroviral infections that occurred throughout history and led to the integration of viral sequences into the human genome. HERVs, making up about 8% of the human genome, are usually silent unable to cause infection but scientists have recently discovered that some can be reactivated in certain cancers. Authors from the University of Miami include first author Shah, Vaidya Govindarajan, Dr. Jay Chandar, Deepa Seetharam, PhD, Jelisah Desgraves, Dr. Michael Ivan, and Dr. Ricardo Komotar. A full list of authors and affiliations is available in the article. A new editorial paper was published in Oncotarget's Volume 14 on June 12, 2023, entitled, "ER as a mediator of estrogen signaling in inflammatory breast cancer." In this new editorial, researchers Harika Nagandla and Christoforos Thomas from Houston Methodist Neal Cancer Center discuss inflammatory breast cancer (IBC)-;a rare and aggressive form of breast cancer which accounts for 24% of all new breast cancer cases detected in the United States. Even with the application of standard multi-modality treatment approach that incorporates neoadjuvant chemotherapy, radiation and surgery, the 5-year survival rate for IBC is only about 4050%. Breast cancer can be typically stratified into different types based on the presence of molecular drivers such estrogen receptor (ER), progesterone receptor (PR) or human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2), which inform the treatment choice. For IBC, there is a substantially higher incidence of ER negativity compared with other forms of breast cancer that can reach up to 60%. A specific targetable driver signaling pathway has not been identified so far. About one in three patients already have distant metastasis at the time of diagnosis, contributing to the aggressiveness and poor outcomes associated with IBC. Despite the absence of ER from the majority of IBC tumors, estrogen signaling has been implicated in progression of the disease through ER-independent pathways. ER is a ligand activated transcription factor that mediates effects of estrogen, along with ER in different tissues during growth and development by regulating transcription of target genes. Tumor suppressive effects of ER have been documented in diverse cancer types such as thyroid, kidney, prostate, glioblastoma, ovarian and breast cancer. "The work from our group establishes ER as a tumor suppressor in IBC by demonstrating its strong antimetastatic activity in preclinical models of the disease and delineating the mechanism of action." Developments in technology are moving forward rapidly and over the next 50 years, healthcare across the globe will change, including an increased use of AI and robotics. Trends also show that climate change, hunger and diseases may affect how the sector will change. A study by researchers at Malardalen University (MDU) describes what our future healthcare industry may look like. In the study, the researchers describe significant trends and factors that are expected to affect the development of health and medical care over the next 50 years. The researchers have based their conclusions on interviews with medical experts and extensive experiences in the healthcare market. Research shows that in the short term, in the next 5-10 years, we are expected to see an increase in welfare technology in the industry, with the use of AI and robotics. Telemedicine, which comprises remote medical care, is also expected to increase, as is value-based healthcare where hospitals are funded based on results. In the medium term, in 10-30 years, an increase in data-informed personalization in healthcare is expected. This type of medicine utilizes a patient's personal data to prevent, diagnose and treat diseases. Wearable devices are typically used to improve patients' well-being in cardiology, neurology, and diabetes and are expected to have a significant impact on the development of this type of medical care. "This type of patient-oriented healthcare represents a transition from traditional to more innovative and personal approaches," says Ignat Kulkov, researcher and postdoc at MDU. In the long term, in 30-50 years, there is likely to be an increase in antibiotic resistance, but also an improvement in the available antibiotics. The researchers also believe that technological developments and our increased pace of life will lead to a higher number of cases of depression and obsessive-compulsive disorders for instance. In the medium and long term, healthcare will probably also be affected by climate change, which in the worst case can lead to hunger, violence and an increased risk of diseases. There are also major risks that the most vulnerable and poorest members of society will be most affected by the impact of climate change. The ability to adapt to and respond to these unpredictable situations will be crucial for the future development of the healthcare industry." Ignat Kulkov Increased sustainability contributes to development The study also highlights that an increased focus on sustainability may contribute positively to the development of the healthcare industry. Sustainable medicine, with reduced carbon emissions and increased use of recyclable materials in healthcare environments, is expected to become increasingly important and provide a competitive advantage. This may promote innovation, improve resources and have a positive impact on development, according to Ignat Kulkov. "We consider it vital for the healthcare industry and society to understand where medical care is heading and its trends and development prospects. Society should acknowledge and more accurately predict the capabilities and resources required for implementing new approaches to providing medical care. We believe the industry's main stakeholders, such as doctors, patients and policymakers, as well as supplier companies, insurance companies and universities, will create a demand for these results. The study can serve as a foundation for creating a more adaptable and sustainable healthcare and medical system for the future," says Ignat Kulkov. Key trends and factors Significant trends and factors that are expected to affect the development of health and medical care over the next 50 years according to the researchers are: Researchers at PSI have developed a new drug that could increase the survival chances of patients with metastatic prostate cancer. The drug is now being tested on patients in the PROGNOSTICS project. A research consortium consisting of the Paul Scherrer Institute, the University Hospital Basel and ETH Zurich is receiving two million Swiss francs in funding for this project. In Switzerland, about 7100 men are diagnosed with prostate cancer every year - some 1400 of them die because the tumor has already metastasized and no longer responds to established treatments. Now there is new hope for these patients. In the PROGNOSTICS (PeRsOnalised theraGNOstics of metaStaTIC proState cancer) project, teams led by Roger Schibli of PSI, Damian Wild of the University Hospital Basel and Nicola Aceto of ETH Zurich are testing a new radioactive drug that may be more promising than existing radiopharmaceuticals. The project will receive 2 million Swiss francs in funding, of which 1.7 million will come from the ETH Domain's strategic focus area "Personalised Health and Related Technologies". The study is scheduled to start in July 2023, the clinical trial starts in 2024 and will run until the end of 2025. Hope for a third of patients About one-third of patients with metastatic prostate cancer do not respond adequately to existing drugs: individual cancer cells can survive and form new metastases. In the future, new radionuclides could help such patients. The Paul Scherrer Institute has been carrying out research into a new isotope - terbium-161 - and its therapeutic uses for around 10 years now. In laboratory tests, Cristina Muller's research group at PSI's Centre for Radiopharmaceutical Sciences has demonstrated that the new terbium-161 can treat tumors effectively. In the context of PROGNOSTICS, this promising approach will now be tested at the University Hospital Basel on 30 patients for whom other therapies have not had the desired success. Drugs of this type - called radiopharmaceuticals - are radioactive substances that are injected into the bloodstream. The molecules are designed to attach themselves to the surface of tumor cells, like a key in a lock, but not to healthy cells. One end of the drug carries a radioactive atom that emits electrons (beta particles) during radioactive decay. These produce aggressive radicals inside the tumor cell, i.e. highly reactive substances that can attack the cell's genetic material and thus destroy it. The consortium has now identified a possible reason why the radiopharmaceuticals currently used to treat prostate cancer do not work in a third of patients. The electrons emitted during radioactive decay deliver too small a dose to the smallest metastases or individual tumor cells, so that these are able to survive. Destroying tumor cells with even greater precision In PROGNOSTICS, the partners are now testing a drug that uses the isotope terbium-161. This isotope emits electrons with a wide range of energies, including so-called conversion and Auger electrons. Due to their low energies, these have a range of just a few micrometers. They release all of their energy in a cell or in a cluster of cells, making their destructive power more precisely targeted. The tumor cell is damaged, is no longer able to divide and eventually dies, preventing the formation of metastases. Preclinical studies in mice at PSI have already shown that this is a promising approach. In PROGNOSTICS, the new drug will now be tested at the University Hospital Basel. The project is benefiting from the development of isotopes at PSI's large research facilities, led by Nicholas van der Meulen. PROGNOSTICS brings together scientists from the fields of physics, chemistry, biology, pharmacology and medicine who are jointly developing the therapeutic approach from laboratory research to its application in patients. This is not the first time that an interdisciplinary project like this has been successfully implemented, as Schibli points out: "We have shown in the past that we are capable of successfully conducting translational drug research." If PROGNOSTICS is successful and the anticipated goals are achieved, further, more extensive clinical trials are planned. In a recent study published in Eurosurveillance, researchers investigated whether a change in variant structure might be responsible for the increased incidence of group A streptococci (GAS) infections of invasive (iGAS) and non-invasive (nGAS) types in winter 2023 or whether this can be better understood through the effect of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19)-associated limitations on group A streptococci transmission and immunity in the population. Study: Increase in invasive group A streptococcal infections and emergence of novel, rapidly expanding sub-lineage of the virulent Streptococcus pyogenes M1 clone, Denmark, 2023. Image Credit: Jezper/Shutterstock.com Background Several European nations have reported increases in iGAS and nGAS infections in the 2022 and 2023 winter months. From the end of 2022, a virulent sub-variant of the Streptococcus pyogenes M1 clone will rapidly propagate across Denmark, contributing to 30.0% of aggressive GAS infections. New variants with higher virulence capacity majorly contribute to iGAS prevalence. Even indels or single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) can impact iGAS virulence, emphasizing the necessity of monitoring genetic trends and identifying new variants. About the study In the present study, researchers examined current genetic advancements and the effect of new strain emergence on iGAS infection incidence in 2023. Whole genome sequencing (WGS) data were examined for nationwide iGAS surveillance among Danish individuals in 2018. Invasive GAS was not required to be documented in the nation of Denmark, except in meningitis cases; nonetheless, test data from all ten Departments of Clinical Microbiology (DCMs) reported to the Microbiology Database (MiBa) of the nation were evaluated to monitor disease incidence. In addition, the team analyzed published WGS information on invasive GAS infection cases detected in 2022-2023 in Iceland, a nation with a greater iGAS incidence at the beginning of 2023. The researchers collected GAS-positive cell culture reports from 2018 onward and grouped them as invasive GAS if the specimen originated from synovial fluid, blood, peritoneum, pleural fluid, spinal fluid, or sterile tissue, and non-invasive GAS if the strain in question had been of any other type of specimen or non-sterile tissue. Repeated positive laboratory test reports from a subject in a month were treated as one instance. WGS information from 43 isolates collected from individuals hospitalized with severe illness in 2023 was evaluated to characterize iGAS genomes in Iceland. The team gathered mortality data from the Civil Registration System of Denmark and data on the durations of hospitalizations and intensive care unit (ICU) treatment from the National Patient Registry for invasive GAS infections in Denmark. The researchers analyzed the present genetic patterns for invasive GAS (257 strains) and non-invasive GAS (152 strains) isolates obtained by DCMs among patients selected between January and February 2023. Results In total, 1,265.0 iGAS infections were identified between 2018 and May 2023 among six million Danish individuals. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the Danish nation witnessed historically low invasive GAS infection rates. Still, the cases began to rise rapidly in November 2022, with a peak in January 2023. The monthly incidence of GAS infections was 118.0 cases among 100,000 individuals (3.50-fold higher than the incidence peak between 2018 and 2019), and that of invasive GAS infections was 1.70 cases among 100,000 individuals (3.0-fold higher than the rates between 2018 and 2019). The highest invasive GAS infection incidence rates were observed among individuals aged 85 years, with a peak of 7.40 cases among 100,000 individuals each month. However, the highest rise relative to pre-pandemic limitations was noted among pediatric individuals under five years, peaking at 3.20 cases among 100,000 children in March of 2023. Death rates were comparable to those observed in prior years across ages, with 30.0% among older individuals aged 85 and below 5.0% among those under five years. Among Icelanders, 46 invasive GAS infections were documented through 7 May 2023, higher than the yearly mean of 15.0 cases between 2010 and 2019. A noteworthy increase was observed in children, with those under five years accounting for 17% (12 of 69) of infections versus 11% (47 of 436) between 1975 and 2021. Individuals aged 60 years contributed to 33.0% (23 of 69) of infections, lower than that documented between 1975 and 2022 (214 of 434 infections, 49%). High-quality WGS data were accessible for 839 from 1,019.0 (82%) invasive GAS infections identified between January 2018 and February 2023, vs. 11% (47 of 436) infections between 1975 and 2021. The M1 ST28/EMM-1 and the ST36/EMM-12 clones were identified most frequently as the etiological agents of invasive GAS infections in winter 2023, responsible for 57% (n=87) and 24% (n=36) infections, respectively, from January to February of 2023. Among Danish individuals, the M1 UK strain was the most predominant causative strain of invasive GAS infections before COVID-19-associated limitations implementation. Across ages, except among individuals aged between 15 and 44 years, among whom ST36 infections were more frequently reported. The recent upsurge in infections coincided with the novel M1 DK strain emergence, responsible for 30.0% of the sequenced invasive GAS strains in 2023. M1DK was more common among iGAS than among nGAS, while ST36 was overrepresented in nGAS. Although the novel M1 DK lineage was overrepresented in invasive cases and carried the highest risk of requiring ICU treatment, its virulence was similar to other M1 variants associated with more severe infections. The M1 DK strain was distinguished from the M1 UK and M1 global lineages by obtaining a phage carrying the speC endotoxin. Conclusion Overall, the study findings showed an increase in GAS infections in Denmark in the winter months of 2023. The increase in invasive GAS infections could be due to the rapid spread of the M1 DK lineage and the shift towards more virulent M1 variants. The rapid expansion of M1DK is primarily driven by the unique circumstances surrounding COVID-19-related restrictions. Low immunity and reduced GAS transmission during lockdowns may have enhanced the development of individual lineages. The M1 UK strain is the leading cause of invasive GAS infections in a few European nations, indicating that the drastic increase in cases was also driven by factors beyond genomic developments. The last date to link your ration card and Aadhaar card was June 30 but the Government of India has now extended the deadline until September 30, 2023. Linking of an Aadhaar card is mandatory for those who are availing benefits under the scheme of Antodaya Anna Yojana and the Priority Household Scheme. Also Read: PAN-Aadhaar Linked After June 30? Heres How To Confirm If They Are Linked To link your Aadhaar and ration card, you need to visit a local ration office to avail of the service for free. The government made this mandatory as it will prevent the users to have multiple ration cards. It will also help the authorities to monitor the ineligible people to have ration as their income exceeds the limit. Ration cards are for people to get food at a subsidised rate and they can also be used as an important document as proof of identity. People are having two or more ration cards and they collect ration from different places at subsidised rates. White card holders need to digitise their ration card first and then they can link their cards with Aadhaar. According to a survey, in Maharashtra, 24.4 lakh people are covered under the schemes where the poorest of the poor families get subsidised food. There are at least 2.56 crore ration card holders in Maharashtra. The officials stated: Those who have white cards need to digitise and then link their cards. Linking your white cards to Aadhaar is not mandatory". You can also link your Aadhaar with your Ration card online. Follow these steps: Visit the official website food.wb.gov.in. Enter the required details: Aadhaar card number, ration card number, and your registered mobile. Click on continue. You will receive an OTP number in your registered number Enter the OTP and link your ration and Aadhaar. The State Government in India issues ration cards to eligible people to purchase food grains at a subsidized rate under the National Food Security Act. For many people, ration cards also act as an identity proof. Following the recent uproar caused by skyrocketing tomato prices nationwide, new reports have surfaced regarding a significant surge in the prices of chillies and ginger, reaching close to Rs 400 per kg in specific regions of India. According to a report by TOI, while green chilli prices remained at Rs 100 per kg in Chennai, prices of both green chillies and ginger soared to Rs 350 per kg in Kolkata. The increase was attributed to a significant decline in chilli arrivals, as stated by T Muthukumar, a trader at Koyambedu wholesale market. Also Read: Amid Rise in Tomato Prices, Understanding How Law of Demand and Supply Affect Market Price Over the past week, the quantity of green chillies plummeted to a mere 80 tonnes, while Chennais daily requirement stands at approximately 200 tonnes. The usual supply from Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka couldnt meet the demand due to the shortage, resulting in a surge in prices, the report said. Farmers in Andhra Pradesh shifted to other crops after facing unfavourable prices for their chillies in the previous harvest. Consequently, the majority of green chillies available at the Koyambedu market are now sourced from Karnataka. In addition to chillies and ginger, green peas also carry a hefty price tag, retailing at around Rs 280 per kg. However, the demand for green peas is relatively low, as many consumers can do without them. Meanwhile, retail tomato prices have surged up to Rs 140 per kg in the Delhi-NCR region due to the supply disruption from the producing centres owing to rains. Wholesale prices of tomato at Azadpur Mandi here, Asias largest wholesale fruits and vegetables market, were ruling in the range of Rs 60-120 per kg, depending on the quality on Monday. Also Read: Worlds Most Expensive Tomato Seeds Cost Rs 3 Crore Per Kg Mother Dairys Safal was selling tomatoes at Rs 99 per kg on Sunday. Online retailer Otipy was quoting tomato hybrid at Rs 140 per kg and BigBasket Rs 105-110 per kg on Monday. The increase in prices of tomato is due to tight supply from the key producing centres. Because of rainfall, the supply is disrupted," Azadpur Tomato Association President Ashok Kaushik told news agency PTI. The supply from neighbouring Haryana, Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan got exhausted quickly due to rains. Now, Himachal Pradesh is the sole supplier for the Delhi-NCR region. The hilly state is also receiving heavy rains, impacting picking and transportation, he added. Also Read: Why Your Tomatos Making You See Red: Real Reason Behind Price Hike, When to Expect Dip | Explained Traders are unable to get supply from the producing centres of Maharashtra and Karnataka, as prices out there are ruling high due to rains, he noted. Once the rainfall situation improves in southern states in the next 15 days, the supply of tomato is expected to improve in the Delhi-NCR region, he said, adding that till then, the price will remain firm. Tomato prices have shot up not only in Delhi-NCR but also in other parts of the country. The government has maintained that the price rise in tomatoes is a seasonal" phenomenon. At this time, generally, the prices are high, and they will cool down in the next 15 days. Amid the high prices, seeking to offset the soaring rates of tomatoes, the Tamil Nadu government on Tuesday launched the sale of the precious commodity at Rs 60 a kilo at 82 fair price shops in the city. The Bihar Public Service Commission is now accepting applications for its BPSC teacher recruitment 2023. Interested individuals can now apply for BPSC teacher positions through bpsc.bih.nic.in, the organisations official website. The BPSC teacher recruitment application window commenced online on June 15 and is scheduled to end on July 12. The BPSC is now recruiting 1,70,461 primary, upper primary, and secondary school teachers. This recruitment campaign has made available 79,943 positions for primary teachers (Class 1 to 5), 32,916 positions for TGT teachers (Class 9 to 10) and 57,602 positions for PGT teachers (Classes 11 to 12). BPSC recruitment 2023: Selection process The candidates for these positions will be chosen through an objective written test. The written test will be used to assess the candidates knowledge, abilities, and comprehension of many disciplines linked to teaching, such as languages, general studies, and subject-specific information. Bihars secondary teacher examination will consist of two exams. Paper 1 will be worth 100 marks, while Paper 2 will be worth 120 marks. Candidates applying for primary teacher positions must be at least 18 years old, whereas TGT, PGT teachers must be at least 21 years old. Male applicants have a maximum age limit of 37 years, while female candidates have a maximum age limit of 40 years. The upper limit can be relaxed in accordance with the current guidelines. BPSC Teacher Recruitment 2023: How To Apply Step 1: Go to the Bihar Public Service Commissions official website at bpsc.bih.nic.in. Step 2: Click the link for the BPSC teacher recruitment registration on the homepage. Step 3: Sign up and complete the application form. Step 4: Submit all of the necessary documents and pay the application cost. Step 5: Submit the teacher recruitment form and print it for future records. Meanwhile, hundreds of young individuals protested in the meanwhile on the streets of Patna, the states capital, against the Bihar governments decision to implement the no domicile" policy, which permits applicants from other states to seek positions as school teachers. Rajeev Mishra, the Senior Superintendent of Police in Patna, stated that two FIRs had been filed for demonstrating without the administrations permission. Protesters gathered outside Gandhi Maidan and began pushing towards Dak Bungalow Square, causing a one-kilometre traffic gridlock. Since the government released the National Exit Test or NExT exam guidelines, several doctors and MBBS students are not satisfied with the same. Students have been raising objections to various aspects such as the qualifying percentile, tie-breaking criteria, and other related points. Numerous medical professionals and MBBS students are expressing their opposition to the NExT exam gazette, demanding the withdrawal of the regulations. Imposing NExT on 2019 batch is violation of clause 49 (1) of NMC act because 2019 batch started on 1st Aug 2019 while NMC act was published on 08/08/2019, wrote a Twitter user. The government needs to understand its not a joke of what is happening with Students and not listening to them is entirely dictatorship by NMC. From the morning I am counselling medical students from across the nation, they are depressed due to this badass policy of NEXT exam, and the uncountable confusions created in the stressful mid session, tweeted another. Imposing NeXT on 2019 batch is violation of clause 49 (1) of NMC act because 2019 batch started on 1st Aug 2019 while NMC act was published on 08/08/2019. #NONEXTFOR19BATCH #NEXTEXAM #NEXT #NEETPG #NONEXTFOR19BATCH pic.twitter.com/ithlvcG9Bn Dr Vivek pandey (@Vivekpandey21) July 1, 2023 The govt needs to understand its not a joke of what is happening with Students and not listening to them is entirely dictatorship by NMCFrom the morning I am counselling medical students from across the nation and they are depressed due to this badass policy of NEXT exam and Dr.Dhruv Chauhan (@DrDhruvchauhan) June 30, 2023 While another user demanded the NExT exam passing criteria be reduced. NExT 50 percent passing criteria is disastrous. How? Considering NExT Exam Step 1 paper is set as per level of NEET PG 2023, only 19k/75k of 2019 batch would be able to pass. These figures are alarming. Request NMC to reduce the passing percentage," #NEXT 50% passing criteria is disastrous. How ? Considering #NEXTEXAM Step 1 paper is set as per level of #NEETPG 23, only 19k/75k of 2019 batch would be able to pass. These figures are alarming. Request @NMC_IND to reduce the passing %ageCorrect me if I m wrong !#MedTwitter pic.twitter.com/A1TwrUfRsI Dr Prashant Kumar Singh (@Whytcoatsoldier) July 2, 2023 The government had earlier issued a gazette notification regarding the National Exit Test Regulations 2023 of the National Medical Commission (NMC). These guidelines include the National Exit Test exam pattern, schedule, marking scheme, eligibility, and more. The examination will serve as a substitute for the NEET PG (National Eligibility Entrance Test for Postgraduate) for both admissions to postgraduate programs and for practicing medicine. NExT will be conducted by the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) Delhi in May and November. According to the regulations, MBBS students have the opportunity to take step 1 multiple times to enhance their scores, provided they have cleared NExT step 2 and complete the process within 10 years of their MBBS admissions. The NExT exam comprises two steps, namely Step 1 and Step 2, both of which will be held twice annually. The first batch of MBBS students eligible to appear for the exam will be those from the 2019 cohort. Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh on Monday said that schools for classes 1 to 8 will start from July 5, after being shut since ethnic clashes began in the first week of May. Bunkers set up along the hill and valley districts of the ethnic strife-torn state would be removed while additional state forces have been mobilised to provide security to both Meitei and Kuki farmers so that agricultural activities can start, he told a press conference. Schools for classes 1 to 8 will start from July 5, the chief minister said. Educational institutes have been closed since ethnic strife began in the northeastern state on May 3. The Army and other central forces have been deployed to bring peace in the northeastern state where violence between Meitei and Kuki communities continued for two months leaving over 100 people dead, many injured and a large number of houses and places of worship gutted. We have lived as one and will continue living as one districts were created just for administrative conveniences, Singh said. Stating that agricultural activists need to start, he said that 2,000 personnel of the state police forces who were attached to government officers, ministers and MLAs have been mobilised. They will now provide security to farmers and deal with disturbances by mobs, Singh said. The chief minister said a joint security meeting was held earlier in the day. It was decided that bunkers set up along the hill and valley districts would be removed from the day after tomorrow. The Army will lead the combined force of central paramilitary and state forces to remove the private and group bunkers, he said Meiteis account for about 53 per cent of Manipurs population and live mostly in the Imphal Valley. Tribal Nagas and Kukis constitute another 40 per cent of the population and reside in the hill districts. The people who have been rendered homeless and living in relief centres would be shifted to pre-fabricated houses within a month as construction of such homes is being carried out on a war footing, the chief minister said. Around 50,000 people are living in relief centres at various places in the state. Singh appealed to all particularly civil society organisations not to make provocative statements and to work together for peace in the state. Hollywood legend Robert De Niro is currently in mourning following the death of his teenage grandson, Leandro De Niro Rodriguez. In a statement to Page Six, De Niro expressed his profound distress and appealed for privacy during this challenging time as he and his family navigate the immense grief. Im deeply distressed by the passing of my beloved grandson Leo, the actor said via his rep Monday. Were greatly appreciative of the condolences from everyone. We ask that we please be given privacy to grieve our loss of Leo. The news of Leos death came through an emotional Instagram tribute posted by Drena De Niro, Roberts daughter and Leos mother. I dont know how to live without you but Ill try to go on and spread the love and light that you so made me feel in getting to be your mama, she wrote. You were so deeply loved and appreciated and I wish that love alone could have saved you. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Drena (@drenadeniro) Drena, an actress and filmmaker, poured her heart out in a touching caption accompanying a throwback photo, describing Leo as her joy, heart, and the epitome of purity in her life. She confessed to feeling utterly lost without her precious son but pledged to continue spreading the love and light that Leo had always made her feel as a mother. According to Page Six, the exact cause of Leos tragic passing has not been immediately disclosed, although reports suggest the presence of drugs and drug paraphernalia near his body. Messages of support and condolences from fellow celebrities, including Andy Cohen and Naomi Campbell, flooded the comments section of Drenas post. Drena, who was adopted by Robert in 1976 following his marriage to Diahnne Abbott, is the eldest of his seven children. Earlier in May, De Niro welcomed his seventh child with his partner, Tiffany Chen. Last week, Bigg Boss OTT season two contestants, Akanksha Puri and Jad Hadid, made headlines after the duo was seen breaking into a French kiss on the reality show. The clip from the episode, which was a part of a challenge put forth by another contestant Avinash Sachdev, went viral on social media. It didnt go unnoticed by host Salman as he called out Jad for his behaviour and even confronted Akanksha for sharing a 30-second kiss with the Dubai-based model on Weekend Ka Vaar. Following the argument, Salman announced Akankshas eviction, thus bringing her short stint on Bigg Boss OTT 2 to an end. And now, News18 exclusively catches up with the actor, as she opens up on the much-talked about passionate kiss she shared with Jad. During the kiss task, he went all out and was so deeply involved in it. He didnt even consider it to be a task. He told Salman sir that he enjoyed it and apart from it being a task, it was felt personal to him, she tells us. For the unversed, Jad was also called out on social media when he was seen touching Akanksha inappropriately in an earlier episode. The Vignaharta Ganesh actor further calls out the reality show for using the kiss clip as a promo to gain more traction. Im an actor and actors do this [onscreen kiss]. Ive done such scenes for a project for Jio itself. If it was against our culture, Bigg Boss would have stopped us right there. Theyre cutting promotional videos from the kiss and promoting them on their page and making reels out of that clip, she says. Akanksha adds, If its so bad that the host is required to say a sorry, then why is it on the app as a promo? Why are you openly saying that its giving you the highest TRPs among all the other episodes? Their reactions are contradictory. So, how did her family react to it? Theyre cool. They know me as a person and artist. When I perform such scenes in my web shows, I dont go and ask my mom for her permission. Im a matured individual. This is my work. This isnt something personal. I havent kissed my husband or lover on TV and taken him inside a bedroom. It was just a task, she states. Akanksha, in fact, goes to assert that she would have kissed anyone to win the challenge. I wouldve done the same had it been Cyrus (Broacha) sir, Avinash, Abhishek (Malhan) or Pooja (Bhatt) maam in place of Jad. I was nominated and I wanted to win the task. I couldnt afford to lose that day. If I had lost, my entire team would have lost. I wouldve never done that to them, she shares. Maharashtras political landscape has been thrown into turmoil as Ajit Pawar, along with eight other MLAs from the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), broke ranks and joined the Eknath Shinde-Devendra Fadnavis government. This move has caused a vertical split within the Sharad Pawar-led NCP. But could something like this happen in Bihar? There are worries that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) may set its sights on Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumars Janata Dal (United) (JDU). Speculation is fueled by indications of discontent within the governing alliance of JD(U), the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), and the Congress in Bihar. As a result, Chief Minister Nitish Kumar has held one-to-one meetings with several JD(U) legislators to address the brewing unrest within the party, according to reports. While the possibility of a Maharashtra-like situation cannot be entirely ruled out, it remains to be seen how the situation unfolds. Discontent Brewing? On Monday, after Ajit Pawar of the NCP became the deputy chief minister of Maharashtra, Union Minister Ramdas Athawale suggested that similar situations could arise in other opposition parties, including Nitish Kumar-led JD(U) in Bihar, as per PTI. Athawale mentioned the possibility of rifts in Bihar and Uttar Pradesh, stating that many MLAs are unhappy with Nitish Kumars alliance with the RJD. Maharashtra-like situation may erupt in Bihar and Uttar Pradesh as many MLAs are unhappy with Nitish Kumar joining hands with RJD. Similarly in UP, Jayant Chaudhary can join the NDA as he did not attend the Patna opposition meeting. Sushil Modi, a BJP Rajya Sabha member and former deputy chief minister under Nitish Kumar, also expressed the likelihood of a Maharashtra-like situation occurring in Bihar. He claimed that JD(U) MLAs are dissatisfied with Nitish Kumars actions, feeling betrayed after a longstanding natural relationship with the BJP. Sushil Modi added that a sense of insecurity about their future has emerged among the legislators. Chirag Paswan, leader of the Lok Janshakti Party, claimed that several MLAs and leaders from JD(U) were in contact with him and predicted that the party would not win more than 10 seats in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections. Trouble in Bihars Grand Alliance? These statements indicate a potential trouble within the Grand Alliance in Bihar, suggesting that the BJP could take advantage of the situation. There are reports of BJP leaders reaching out to Nitish Kumars MLAs, trying to attract them to their side. Moreover, it is reported that Nitish Kumar is facing pressure from his own ally, the RJD, to shift his focus to the national stage and hand over the leadership of Bihar to his deputy, Tejashwi Yadav. Speculation is also circulating that Nitish Kumar, who is known for changing alliances in the past, might return to the BJP, keeping his reputation of being a political switcher intact. It is noteworthy that during Home Minister Amit Shahs recent visit to Bihar, he did not comment on Nitish Kumar, nor did he indicate that the BJPs doors are closed for him. Additionally, Nitish Kumars meeting with the Governor and Sushil Kumar Modis subsequent visit to the same location has raised eyebrows, with some interpreting it as having a connection or significance, according to a report by Firstpost. What Do Numbers Say? The numbers play a crucial role in the BJPs potential coup in Bihar. Currently, the BJP holds 74 seats in the 243-member Assembly and would need to reach 122 seats to stake a claim to the government. This means they require an additional 48 MLAs to form a majority, according to Firstpost. At present, the ruling coalition, known as the Grand Alliance, has approximately 160 MLAs. This coalition consists of the JD(U), RJD, Congress, and three Left parties that support the government from outside. However, last month, the Hindustani Awam Morcha (HAM), led by former Bihar Chief Minister Jitan Ram Manjhi, withdrew its support from the Nitish Kumar government. The HAM, with four MLAs, had joined the ruling alliance last year. In response to the speculations, JD(U) national spokesperson Rajib Ranjan dismissed the reports of unrest, labeling them as propaganda by the BJP. With inputs from PTI In recent years, historians have challenged the traditional understanding of the American Revolutionary War. While most people believe that the war was fought exclusively in the 13 colonies against the British, some historians argue that it should be viewed as a world war with broader implications. According to Kathleen DuVal, a history professor at the University of North Carolina, the focus on the Revolutionary War has historically been on Massachusetts and Virginia, neglecting the global context. However, in the past decade or so, historians have expanded their research to include the wars worldwide impact, as per CNN. One significant aspect is the involvement of Britain and France as key players in the conflict. While Frances assistance to the American colonists is well-known, the French kings decision to enter the war was driven more by opposition to Britain than support for the Americans. France, along with Spain and the Netherlands, formed an alliance against Britain, turning the conflict into a global struggle, according to the report. The final battle of the Revolutionary War, as argued by DuVal and others, took place in Cuddalore, India, in June 1783. This battle involved British and French forces and marked the culmination of the war. The involvement of various nations and their motivations demonstrate how the American struggle for independence served as a means to weaken Britain on multiple fronts. Not an Isolated War The Revolutionary War between Britain and the American colonies was not an isolated conflict but had roots in a larger global context. The Seven Years War, also known as the French and Indian War in North America, played a significant role in shaping the tensions that led to the Revolutionary War. The Seven Years War took place between 1754 or 1756, depending on different perspectives. During this conflict, Britain achieved victories over France and its ally Spain in various parts of the world, including the Indo-Pacific, Portugal, and Canada. However, the war was costly for Britain, leading to significant financial burdens. To recoup these expenses, the British government attempted to impose taxes on the American colonists, which fueled resentment and resistance. The colonists saw these taxation measures as an infringement on their rights and a sign of increasing British control over the colonies. The growing discontent eventually led to the Revolutionary War, as per CNN. Historians such as Kathleen DuVal, along with the U.S. State Departments Office of the Historian, acknowledge the connection between the Seven Years War and the Revolutionary War. The costly nature of the conflict and the subsequent attempts to impose taxes on the colonists contributed to the buildup of tensions that ultimately erupted into the fight for American independence. Yorktown not the Town For many years, it has been widely taught that the final battle of the American Revolutionary War took place at Yorktown, Virginia, from September 28 to October 19, 1781. However, historian Don Glickstein argues that labeling Yorktown as an American" victory is somewhat generous, as per CNN. According to Glickstein, Yorktown was actually a French victory, made possible by a French strategy and significant French involvement. The French played a crucial role in the battle, providing fleets, siege engineers, artillery, soldiers, marines, and sailors who outnumbered their American rebel allies by four to one. The National Park Service notes that around 600 French troops were killed at Yorktown and in associated naval battles, while just over 100 Americans lost their lives. The Battle of Yorktown was not solely an American triumph but rather a victory achieved through the cooperation of allies. The Spanish and the Dutch Republic supported the colonists financially and logistically, as stated by the National Museum of American History. Historian David Allison emphasizes the vital role played by foreign assistance, stating that without allies, the colonies would not have gained their freedom. Although the defeat at Yorktown prompted Britain to seek a resolution, the fighting between Britain, France, and Spain continued in other parts of the world, such as Jamaica, Gibraltar, and India. Glickstein highlights the significance of India to Britain, with its abundant resources including silk, cotton, textiles, spices, tea, opium, and precious stones. Controlling India was a highly desirable objective for the British, as it offered access to valuable trade routes in the Asia-Pacific region. Even before the American Revolution, the report says, Britain and France had established colonies in India and had brought their conflicts from Europe to the subcontinent. When France entered the war as an American ally in 1778, the British East India Company swiftly attacked Frances Indian colonies, drawing both countries Indian allies into the conflict, as explained by the Museum of the American Revolution. Final Battle in Cuddalore The garrison at Cuddalore, located on the Bay of Bengal, held significant importance for Britain in late June of 1783. The conflict involved both land and sea battles. The naval battle of Cuddalore on June 20 resulted in a victory for the French. On land, the besieged French forces attempted to attack the surrounding British troops on June 25 but were ultimately repelled, according to the report. Meanwhile, at sea, the French admiral planned to launch a bombardment of the British land forces to support the French ground operation. However, before the bombardment could commence, a British ship appeared on the horizon flying a white flag. It brought news that six months earlier in Paris, the Treaty of Paris had been signed, effectively ending the American Revolution. This meant that Cuddalore, India, marked the final battle of the American Revolutionary War. Therefore, according to Don Glickstein and historical accounts, the battle at Cuddalore, India, holds the distinction of being the last engagement of the American Revolution. The Lansdowne Cantonment Board in Pauri Garhwal district has recently passed a proposal to rename the picturesque hill town, known for its establishment by the British, as Jaswantgarh. The new name is in honor of Rifleman Jaswant Singh Rawat, a hero of the 1962 Sino-Indian war. The proposal is now set to be forwarded to the Armys central command in Lucknow and subsequently to the Ministry of Defence (MoD), as confirmed by Binita Jakhmola, the office superintendent of the Lansdowne Cantonment Board, according to a report by Times of India. Lets explore the history of the picturesque hill town, among the favourite of travellers. We will also take a look at the valour of Jaswant Singh Rawat, after who the town might be renamed: The Journey from Kalundanda to Lansdowne The Lansdowne Cantonment, located in the heart of Pauri Garhwal district in Uttarakhand state, has a rich history. In 1886, based on the recommendation of Field Marshal Sir FS Roberts, the decision was made to establish a separate regiment for the Garhwalis. The chosen location for the cantonment and regiment was a pristine forest area known as Kalundanda, situated approximately 6,000 feet high, as per the government. This location, mostly covered in Oak and Rhododendron forests, was given the name Kalundanda due to its darkish appearance in the grey, foggy weather common to the region. On September 21, 1890, Kalundanda was renamed Lansdowne in honor of the Viceroy of India at the time, Lord Henry Lansdowne. The 1st Battalion of the Garhwal Rifles, led by Lieutenant Colonel EP Mainwaring, arrived in Kalundanda on November 4, 1887. They contributed to the development of the area by establishing Mainwaring Lines, the first set of barracks named after their commanding officer. Today, the Lansdowne Cantonment is home to the Training Centre of the Garhwal Rifles Regiment. Lansdowne itself is situated on the route to popular tourist destinations such as Badrinath, Kedarnath, Hemkund Sahib, the Valley of Flowers, and Corbett National Park. Surrounded by dense Oak and Pine forests, Lansdowne offers a serene and tranquil environment, free from the usual hustle and bustle of other hill stations. The towns picturesque beauty, pleasant climate, and well-maintained surroundings by the Cantonment Board make it an ideal destination for a peaceful holiday. Who Was Jaswant Singh Rawat? Singh hailed from Baria village in Beeronkhal area of Pauri district. In 1962, he served in the 4th battalion of the Garhwal Rifles stationed in Tawang, Arunachal Pradesh. During the war with China, Singhs battalion successfully repelled two attacks by the Peoples Liberation Army (PLA) on their position. When the PLA launched another assault, they positioned a medium machine gun near the Indian defenders and relentlessly fired upon them. Singh, supported by Lance Naik Trilok Singh Negi and Rifleman Gopal Singh Gusain, displayed immense bravery and managed to eliminate the five Chinese sentries and capture the machine gun. Tragically, Negi and Gusain lost their lives during the operation, while Singh sustained serious injuries. Two local girls, Sela and Noora, aided Singh in the battle, with one losing her life and the other being captured by the PLA. Singh, with their help, held off the Chinese army for an impressive 72 hours, preventing their advancement. Despite his valiant efforts, Singh eventually succumbed to his injuries on November 17 in Tawang. His heroic actions resulted in the death of over 300 Chinese soldiers, and he was posthumously awarded the Maha Vir Chakra, the second-highest gallantry award in India. In honor of his bravery, a war memorial commemorating Singh has been erected approximately 25 kilometers away from Tawang. The defense ministry continues to honor Singh by providing him with a pension and granting him promotions as a sign of deep respect for his sacrifice and contributions to the nation. Read News18s in-depth report here Opposition to Naming the Town? While Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami supports the idea of changing British-era names that remind of Indias colonial past, there are some who oppose the move. A local office-bearer, speaking anonymously to The Times of India, said certain residents are against the proposal. The Lansdowne Cantonment Board, which suggested renaming the town after the war hero, acknowledges the opposition from some locals. The concerns raised by residents include the fear that changing the towns name would result in the loss of its identity, negatively impacting tourism, which is a significant trade in the area. Local BJP MLA Dilip Singh Rawat expressed his disagreement, stating that the towns original name should be retained in the interest of the public. Rawat also criticized the decision to consider a name change instead of addressing the dissolution of the board itself, calling it wrong and unfortunate in an interview with The Hindu. This is not the first time that proposals for a name change in Lansdowne have faced opposition. Previous suggestions to rename it Kalau Danda" and after Lord Subedar Balbhadra Singh were met with disapproval from locals, leading the government to step back from those proposals, according to Firstpost. The United States has issued a travel advisory urging Americans to reconsider their plans to travel to China due to concerns over arbitrary law enforcement, exit bans, and the risk of wrongful detentions. While no specific cases were mentioned, the advisory follows the recent sentencing of a 78-year-old US citizen to life imprisonment on spying charges in May. The advisory also highlighted that Chinese authorities possess significant discretion in labeling various documents, data, statistics, or materials as state secrets, which could lead to the detention and prosecution of foreign nationals for alleged espionage. The advisory listed a wide range of potential offenses that could lead to legal trouble, including participating in demonstrations, sending critical electronic messages regarding Chinese policies, or even conducting research in areas considered sensitive by the Chinese government, according to a report by Associated Press. Chinas Countermeasures The advisory was issued in response to several recent developments in China. Firstly, the passage of a comprehensive Foreign Relations Law, which has provisions to impose countermeasures against individuals or entities deemed detrimental to Chinas interests. Additionally, China recently enacted a broadly worded counterespionage law, causing concerns among the foreign business community. There have been instances of office raids, and China has also implemented a law to impose sanctions on foreign critics. These developments have contributed to a sense of fear and caution among people and businesses operating in or considering travel to China. What Does the Advisory Say? The Peoples Republic of China (PRC) government arbitrarily enforces local laws, including issuing exit bans on U.S. citizens and citizens of other countries, without fair and transparent process under the law, the U.S. advisory said. U.S. citizens traveling or residing in the PRC may be detained without access to U.S. consular services or information about their alleged crime, it warned. Exit bans could be used to compel individuals to participate in Chinese government investigations, pressure family members to return from abroad, resolve civil disputes in favor of Chinese citizens and gain bargaining leverage over foreign governments, the advisory said. The United States has also issued similar advisories in the past for its citizens in the semi-autonomous regions of Hong Kong and Macao. While previous advisories may have focused on issues related to lockdowns and border closures during Chinas strict zero-COVID" policy, the current advisories appear to address broader considerations beyond the pandemic. Chinas Hostage Politics China has a history of responding strongly to what it perceives as attempts by the United States to criticize its authoritarian Communist Party-led system. In the past, China has issued its own travel advisories regarding the United States, cautioning its citizens about issues such as crime, anti-Asian discrimination, and the high cost of emergency medical assistance. As of now, there has been no immediate response from China regarding the travel advisory issued by the United States on Monday. Due to Chinas political system and the Communist Partys control over legal matters, specific details regarding the accusations against John Shing-Wan Leung, the accused spy, are not readily available, according to AP. Leung, who also holds permanent residency in Hong Kong, was detained in Suzhou on April 15, 2021, a period when China had implemented border closures and strict restrictions on domestic movement to combat the spread of COVID-19. In addition to several detained Americans, there have been cases of Chinese-Australians also being held without clear information on their sentencing. Cheng Lei, a former employee of Chinas state broadcaster, and writer Yang Jun have been detained since 2020 and 2019, respectively. One of the most widely known cases of arbitrary detention involves two Canadians, Michael Kovrig and Michael Spavor. They were detained in China in 2018, shortly after Canada arrested Meng Wanzhou, the chief financial officer of Huawei Technologies and daughter of the companys founder, on a US extradition request. Kovrig and Spavor were charged with national security crimes without detailed explanations. They were released three years later following the resolution of fraud charges against Meng by the United States. Chinas actions in this case have been widely criticized by many countries, who have referred to it as hostage politics." Deteriorating US-China Ties As per AP, the current travel warnings come at a time when US-China relations are strained across various issues such as trade, technology, Taiwan, and human rights. Despite the tensions, both sides have taken steps to improve the situation. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken recently visited Beijing, and Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen is scheduled to make a highly anticipated trip to Beijing as well. Additionally, a new Chinese ambassador to Washington has been appointed and presented his credentials to President Joe Biden. However, there have been incidents that highlight the underlying tension in the relationship, the report says. China formally protested after US President Joe Biden referred to Chinese leader Xi Jinping as a dictator" shortly after Blinkens visit. President Biden shrugged off the protest, stating that his words would not negatively impact US-China relations and expressing his intention to meet with Xi Jinping in the near future. The Biden administration has also faced criticism from Beijing for explicitly stating that the US would defend Taiwan if China were to attack it, as China claims Taiwan as its own territory. Biden has also made it clear that he does not plan to change his blunt stance on China, as he believes it is necessary. The administration is also facing pressure from both Democrats and Republicans to take a tough stance on China, making it one of the few issues where there is bipartisan agreement. Associated Press contributed to this report Indian intelligence agencies are monitoring multiple inputs hinting towards a revenge plan of pro-Khalistan entities (PKE). The agencies are on high alert and continuously monitoring the information and acting as per the requirement, said sources. A compiled report has been prepared after the attack on the Indian consulate in San Francisco on July 2. According to top-level sources, it has been found that the Khalistani top leadership is under pressure after the deaths of three leaders. Hardeep Singh Nijjar was killed in Canada last month. In May, reports of the murder of 63-year-old Pakistan-based Khalistani terrorist Paramjit Singh Panjwar surfaced. And last month, Avtar Singh Khanda, a pro-Khalistan leader who planned an attack on the Indian embassy, died in the UK. According to top officials responsible for tracking Khalistani terrorists, the PKEs have a plan to attack Hindu leaders in Punjab. Inputs have been received that two Hindu leaders are under threat, they said. Similarly, pro-Khalistan entities have planned violent protests outside Indian consulates in areas where they dominate like in the UK, US, Canada, and Australia. Sources in the intelligence grid said that talks are on to increase the security of the Indian consulates with the help of the local governments and also stop the PKEs from such activities. Also, inputs have been received that to give the impression that the leadership is still strong, Khalistani terror groups have planned to make their referendum campaign more aggressive. Social media and the local youth in various countries are being used to showcase their revenge. Indian agencies are also tracking designated terrorist Gurpatwant Singh Pannu who is continuously sharing videos from unknown locations. Sources said that after a procession took place in Canada on the death of Nijjar, leaders of Khalistani groups planned violent activities targeting Indian officials working in consulates in the UK, US, Canada, and Australia. They added that the rally PKEs have planned on July 8 at various locations in these countries may attack the consulates infrastructure, causing a threat to Indian officials. Khalistani separatists have been facing repeated reversals starting from the arrest of Amritpal Singh by the Punjab police in Moga district on March 23. It severely hit the agenda of Khalistani groups to regenerate terror in India. Sources said PKEs are more aggressive after the killing of Nijjar by unknown assailants in Surrey, Canada. Hardeep Singh Nijjar was born in October 1977 in Pura, Jalandhar. He was initially involved in petty crimes and then managed to leave the country and become the chief of the Khalistan Tiger Force. He was actively behind operationalising, networking, training, and financing KTF modules and members. The CBI intends to send letters rogatory to the UK, UAE and South Korea in connection to a bribery case involving lobbyist Sanjay Bhandari, officials said on Tuesday. Bhandari is accused of exerting influence over a contract for setting up a dual feed cracker unit (DGCU) at an ONGC Petro Additions Ltd (OPAL) plant in Gujarats Dahej. According to officials, the agency has filed three applications requesting the issuance of letters rogatory to the UAE, the UK, and South Korea. These letters serve as a judicial request to foreign courts seeking assistance in obtaining information about the case, as well as the individuals and companies involved in the alleged wrongdoing. According to the CBI, the tender for the DFCU was floated on April 20, 2007, and two consortiums participated in the bidding process. The first consortium consisted of Linde from Germany and SECL from Korea, while the second consortium comprised Shaw Stone and Webster from the USA and L&T from India. In 2008, both consortiums submitted their bids, and the front-end technology consultant for the project, Foster Wheeler Energy Ltd from the UK, calculated the Net Present Value (NPV) which was determined to be Rs 4,160 crore for the Linde consortium and Rs 3,918 crore for the Shaw Stone & Webster consortium. After Shaw Stone & Websters request for a review was rejected, the contract for the DFCU was awarded to the Linde and SECL consortium with a quoted lump sum price of Rs 6,744.32 crore citing high NPV, as per the CBI. The CBI has accused Sanjay Bhandari, the director of UAE-based Santech International, of engaging in a criminal conspiracy with Samsung Engineering Co Ltd (SECL). The agency alleges that Bhandari charged a consultancy fee of USD 49.99 lakh from SECL, which violated the integrity clause stated in the contract agreement between SECL and OPAL. Korean Link The probe discovered multiple email exchanges between Bhandari and Hong Nam Koong, who held the position of senior manager at SECL, including consulting service agreement between Santech and SECL, as alleged in the FIR. According to officials, the alleged consultancy fee was received in overseas accounts of Santech International on June 13, 2009 which was nearly four months after the contract between OPAL and the Linde consortium was executed. The agency has further alleged that the consultancy charges were believed to be bribes intended to influence public officials and secure the contract for OPALs Dual Fuel Cracker unit to be set up at the Dahej Petrochemical complex in Gujarat in favor of SECL. UK Connection As per the FIR, the investigation also revealed an unsigned agreement dated July 19, 2007, between SECL and Foster Wheeler Energy Ltd, a front-end technology consultant from the UK, which purportedly appointed SECL as a consultant. Officials said the agreement was significant as it was established several months after the initiation of the tendering process as Foster Wheeler was responsible for preparing bid documents and calculating the NPV which later played a crucial role in determining the basis for selecting the Linde consortium. The CBI has examined over 60 people and needs data pertaining to Santech from the Registrar of Companies in UAE for the period of 2006 to 2016, the officials said. According to the officials, all the records associated with the UAE-registered company are required to be submitted to the Registrar of Companies in the UAE. The CBI intends to obtain information regarding contracts between SECL and Santech, which may have been submitted as part of statutory compliance. During the investigation, it was also discovered that Bhandari allegedly transferred Rs 2 crore to Farhan Mohammed Aslam, who is another director in Santech. The funds were reportedly transferred to Aslams company, Jaslam Trading, in 2015. The CBI has requested detailed information regarding this transaction as well. (With inputs from PTI) India is ruled by the rule of law, and therefore, even if an act is done on humanitarian grounds, it must be done as per the law, the Madras High Court recently observed. If any violation is noticed, then that person has to face the prosecution," said the HC. The observation was made by the single-judge bench of Justice G Ilangovan in a petition moved by Pastor Gideon Jacob seeking direction to quash the criminal proceedings initiated against him over the allegations of human trafficking. Allegedly, the pastor and his wife who are directors of Good Shepherd Evangelical Mission Private Limited, were involved in human trafficking and confinement of minor girls. Under the company, an orphanage, Mose Ministries Home, functions, which claims to provide shelter to abandoned/orphaned girls. During several inspections, though early on everything seemed fine at the orphanage, later the district social welfare department found some discrepancies. In 2015, an order was passed against the pastor by the welfare department to hand over children below 18 years of age immediately. The pastor challenged the order before the high court. However, meanwhile, a PIL was also filed by Change India before the high court, seeking directions to the CBI to investigate allegations of human trafficking and confinement of 89 girls by the petitioner. It was alleged that the accused persons had procured 125 minor girls from in and around Usilampatti in Madurai by deceiving their parents/guardians on false promises of providing good education, facilities, and food to them, but out of those, only 89 were available now and the whereabouts of the other 35 girls was unknown. It was also claimed that some of the missing girls had been taken abroad and were kept by Germans. Moreover, several such girls had been allegedly made to convert to Christianity. Thereafter, in 2016, a case was registered against the Mose Ministries and its functionaries including Gideon Jacob by the CBI for the offences under Section 120-B, r/w 361, 368 and 201 IPC, Section 34 r/w 33 and 81 of the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015, and Section 20 r/w 6 of Tamil Nadu Hostels and Homes for Women and Children (Regulation) Act, 2014. The case of the prosecution was that Mose Ministries Home did not register for receiving girls under the statutory provisions of applicable laws. Allegations of trafficking along with the abuse of the inmate girls of Mose Ministries were also levelled against the pastor and other accused persons. Before the high court, the counsel for the accused pastor argued that the case was nothing but one of the crucifixion of a Good Samaritan. He claimed the pastor wanted to save female children of the Usilampatti area from foeticide. Therefore, he had taken them under his care and the offences as had been alleged against the pastor were not even attracted. However, the high court opined that not all, but only a few of the penal provisions were not attracted in the matter. Therefore, the HC said that the other penal provisions must be properly framed and a trial must be undertaken. Accordingly, while noting that it all started with good intentions, but, mid-way it slipped", the court dismissed the pastors plea. In another incident of violence against medical practitioners, three people barged into the ICU of the Kokilaben Dhirubhai Ambani Hospital in Andheri and physically assaulted the doctor on duty. According to an HT report, the family members of a patient, who was being treated at the hospital, were dissatisfied with the treatment and then forcibly entered the ICU. Later, one of the accused allegedly slapped a doctor who was on duty. The accused have been identified as Shaheem Ghani Ahmed, Afzal Ghani Ahmed and Gousiya Khan, reported HT. The family members not only threatened to harm the hospital staff but also the other patients who were undergoing treatment around him, police officials were quoted as saying by HT. The police report claimed that the incident occurred on Saturday when the trio entered the ICU on the tenth floor of the hospital without permission. Their 70-year-old mother has been undergoing treatment for some infection at the hospital since June 23. The relatives had been fighting the hospital staff regarding the bill amount and refused to pay up. The hospital had earlier made a police complaint in that matter as well," HT quoted police as saying. The police also said that the family members barged into the floor and started screaming at the staff members and doctors. The staff members claimed that the kin was not satisfied with the treatment and was upset about stopping her medication. When the ICU in charge tried to diffuse the situation, one of them allegedly slapped the doctor and the other two pushed him around. The accused have been booked under sections 323 (voluntarily causing hurt), 504 (intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of the peace) and 506 (criminal intimidation) of the Indian Penal Code as well as under relevant sections of the Maharashtra Medicare Service Persons and Medicare Service Institutions (Prevention of Violence and Damage or Loss to Property) Act, 2010 All three accused were taken into custody by the police but two of them were later let off. The one who slapped the doctor was also granted bail on Monday. At least 10 people were killed while 20 others were injured after a truck rammed into highway hotel in Maharashtras Dhule on Tuesday. The accident occurred around noon near Palasner village on the Mumbai-Agra highway in Dhule district, nearly 300-km away from the state capital, according to a police official. According to sources, the container first collided with four vehicles and subsequently crashed into a hotel on a highway in Maharashtras Dhule district on Tuesday, killing so many. The brakes of the truck failed, following which its driver lost control over the wheels. It hit two motorcycles, a car and another container from the rear side. The truck then rammed into a hotel near a bus stop on the highway and overturned, according to officials. #WATCH | CCTV visuals of the accident in Dhule, Maharashtra where seven people have died and 28 others got injured. The accident took place in Shirpur taluka of Dhule district, earlier today. pic.twitter.com/zfGtyvWEmo ANI (@ANI) July 4, 2023 It was earlier reported at least 15 people were killed and more than 20 injured. The truck was going towards Dhule from Madhya Pradesh. VIDEO | At least 15 people reportedly killed in an accident involving a truck and several vehicles on the Mumbai-Agra Highway in Dhule, Maharashtra. pic.twitter.com/49JmnBSUJs Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) July 4, 2023 The victims included some of those waiting for a bus at the stop, he said. After being alerted, the police rushed to the spot. The injured persons were rushed to hospitals in Shirpur and Dhule, the police said. Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed condolences over the tragedy and announced Rs 2 lakh ex gratia to the kin of each deceased. The accident in Dhule, Maharashtra is saddening. Condolences to the bereaved families. Prayers with the injured for a quick recovery. An ex-gratia of Rs. 2 lakh from PMNRF would be given to the next of kin of each deceased. The injured would be given Rs. 50,000: PM @narendramodi PMO India (@PMOIndia) July 4, 2023 Maharashtra deputy chief minister Devendra Fadnavis in a tweet expressed his deepest condolences to the bereaved families and paid tribute to them. The administration is providing all kinds of assistance, he said. (With inputs from PTI) China commits to building closer SCO community with shared future Xinhua) 08:25, July 04, 2023 * As the first intergovernmental organization named after a Chinese city, SCO today stands as a comprehensive regional cooperation organization that covers the largest area and population in the world. * Over the years, the SCO has evolved from an organization that focuses on security and economic cooperation to one with a holistic view, aiming to build "a community of health for us all," "a community of security for us all," "a community of development for us all" and "a community of cultural exchanges for us all." * In the face of a torrent of global challenges and crises, the SCO has become an indispensable force in anchoring global stability, safeguarding world peace and security, and building a community with a shared future for mankind. BEIJING, July 3 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Xi Jinping will attend the 23rd meeting of the Council of Heads of State of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) via video conference from Beijing on Tuesday. As the first intergovernmental organization named after a Chinese city, SCO today stands as a comprehensive regional cooperation organization that covers the largest area and population in the world. Over the years, China has been firmly upholding the Shanghai Spirit and is ready to chart the way forward and work with other SCO members to build a closer community with a shared future. The first batch of Chinese COVID-19 vaccines arrives at Tashkent International Airport in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, March 27, 2021. (Photo by Zafar Khalilov/Xinhua) EVOLVING CORE VALUES At the landmark Qingdao summit of the SCO in 2018, Xi called on countries involved in the regional bloc to work closely to build an SCO community with a shared future, enriching the Shanghai Spirit which champions mutual trust, mutual benefit, equality, consultation, respect for diverse civilizations and pursuit of common development. "We owe SCO's remarkable success to the Shanghai Spirit. And we will continue to follow its guidance as we forge ahead," Xi said. In the Qingdao Declaration, the SCO members embraced "building a community with a shared future for humanity" their most important political consensus and the goal for their future efforts. Last year in Samarkand, an important town on the ancient Silk Road, Xi summarized the successful experience of the SCO, namely, upholding political trust, mutually beneficial cooperation, equality, openness and inclusiveness, and equity and justice. These five points fully embody the Shanghai Spirit, he said. Amid the complex international situation and constantly evolving global challenges, Xi's vision has also been enriching the connotation of the Shanghai Spirit. From putting forward China's view of "a global community of health for all," "an indivisible security community" and "a global development community," to proposing the Global Development Initiative and Global Security Initiative, Xi has been promoting the steady and long-term progress of the SCO along with the common development of mankind. With a long history of exchanges, similar development tasks and a closely linked future, countries on the Eurasian continent have joined hands to build an even closer SCO community with a shared future, injecting vigorous impetus into regional and global development. Under the Shanghai Spirit, they have carried out comprehensive cooperation, safeguarding energy security and food security, stabilizing and diversifying supply chains, as well as combating climate change, among others. In 2022, leaders of the SCO member states adopted the Comprehensive Plan for the Implementation of the SCO Treaty on Long-Term Good-Neighborliness, Friendship and Cooperation for 2023-2027, drawing a blueprint for future collaboration in the next five years. SCO Secretary-General Zhang Ming said that the SCO has brought together countries from different regions, with different traditions and development paths thanks to the Shanghai Spirit, which has become a source of life and endless force propelling the group's development. This photo taken on June 12, 2019 shows the Qingdao multimodal transportation center in the China-SCO Local Economic and Trade Cooperation Demonstration Area in Qingdao, east China's Shandong Province. (Xinhua/Li Ziheng) PRACTICAL APPROACH Over the years, the SCO has evolved from an organization that focuses on security and economic cooperation to one with a holistic view, aiming to build "a community of health for us all," "a community of security for us all," "a community of development for us all" and "a community of cultural exchanges for us all." The outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic has compounded the surging problems that have been plaguing human beings and also provided the SCO members with an opportunity to build a closer community with a shared future. Guided by the vision of building "a community of health for us all," China has provided COVID-19 vaccines to Uzbekistan, donated anti-epidemic materials to Kyrgyzstan, and sent medical experts to Russia and Kazakhstan. Over the past three years, China has provided over 2.2 billion COVID-19 vaccine doses to more than 120 countries and international organizations, offering vital support to developing nations in their battle against the COVID-19 pandemic. Regional security lays a solid foundation for SCO cooperation. Mechanisms such as the SCO-Afghanistan Contact Group have been proven to be effective in helping facilitate the peace process of the war-torn country for years. Over the past decade, the SCO has become an important platform for practical Belt and Road cooperation. Major projects such as the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, SCO training and demonstration base for agricultural technology exchange and China-SCO local economic and trade cooperation demonstration zone have brought tangible benefits to local people. In recent years, a comprehensive infrastructure network involving roads, oil and gas pipelines, and railways was gradually formed in the SCO region. With the construction of transportation services such as the China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan railway, the China-Central Asia natural gas pipeline and the regular operation of China-Europe freight train services, ties among SCO member states have physically become closer. In June, the fifth anniversary of the China-SCO Local Economic and Trade Cooperation Demonstration Area was celebrated in the eastern Chinese coastal city of Qingdao. Statistics showed that apart from sea, air, and road transport, the Area operates 31 international freight train routes, reaching 54 cities in 23 countries, including the SCO countries and those along the Belt and Road. "China's economic growth momentum is strong, and I hope that more Kazakh businessmen will continue to deeply integrate into China's new development paradigm and achieve win-win results through cooperation," said Botakoz Yelshibek, a Kazakhstan youth who had studied and worked in China for six years. Established in January 2022, the China-SCO Institute of Economy and Trade in Qingdao has held over 130 training programs covering international logistics and cross-border e-commerce and trained over 9,900 people from 43 SCO countries and others along the Belt and Road. Meanwhile, China has also promised to establish a China-SCO base for training counter-terrorism personnel, set up a China-SCO Big Data Cooperation Center and provide developing countries in need with emergency humanitarian assistance of grain and other supplies worth 1.5 billion RMB yuan (about 214 million U.S. dollars). Its commitments to the SCO not only benefit the region but also lead a broader range of practical cooperation. Students learn skills at the Luban Workshop in Dushanbe, Tajikistan, April 12, 2023. (Photo by Kalizhan Ospanov/Xinhua) EXPANDING FAMILY As a steadfast champion of multilateralism since its founding, the SCO is committed to building an open and inclusive "big family" for like-minded countries. At the Samarkand summit in 2022, the SCO kicked off a new round of the largest expansion of the SCO membership, signing a memorandum of obligations on Iran's SCO membership, starting the procedure for Belarus' accession, granting Egypt, Saudi Arabia and Qatar the status of SCO dialogue partners, and reaching an agreement on admitting Bahrain, the Maldives, the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait and Myanmar as new dialogue partners. "In recent years, an increasing number of countries have applied to join our SCO family. This fully demonstrates the power of SCO's vision and the widely shared confidence in its future," Xi said on the significance of the SCO membership expansion. From a regional organization with six founding members to a big family with dozens of members and partners, the SCO has developed into a new type of international organization, transcending differences in ideology, social system, and development path, and setting an example of international relations. People-to-people exchanges constitute a crucial component of SCO cooperation. Cultural events such as the Year of Languages, the Year of Culture, and the Year of Tourism have been held in succession among member countries. The first Luban Workshop in Tajikistan in Central Asia has trained plenty of local professionals. Through flourishing cultural and people-to-people exchange events, the civil bond of the SCO family is getting stronger. Over the years, China has worked to forge a series of consensus among SCO members on strengthening cooperation in big data, artificial intelligence, green infrastructure, tackling climate change, and safeguarding international energy and food security. In the face of a torrent of global challenges and crises, the SCO has become an indispensable force in anchoring global stability, safeguarding world peace and security, and building a community with a shared future for mankind. Looking into the future, China is ready to work with other SCO member states to actively implement the Global Development Initiative, the Global Security Initiative, and the Global Civilization Initiative, promote the development and prosperity of regional countries, build an even closer SCO community with a shared future, and jointly open up a brighter future for the Eurasian region. (Web editor: Zhong Wenxing, Liang Jun) A Dubai-bound Indian passenger was apprehended by the CISF personnel on Tuesday at the international airport here for allegedly carrying Dirhams worth more than Rs 3 crore in an alleged unauthorised manner, a senior officer said. The passenger was intercepted by the security personnel around 3 am at the Terminal-2 of the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport when his hand baggage was put for security check in the X-ray scanner. A total of 14,22,500 Dirhams, worth about Rs 3 crore as per current exchange rate, was recovered from the baggage of the man who was travelling to Dubai by an Emirates flight. The passenger could not produce any valid document for carrying this high volume of foreign currency and he was handed over to the customs authorities, the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) officer said. If you thought only All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB) is wary of the 22nd Law Commission seeking public opinion on the contentious issue of the Uniform Civil Code (UCC), a couple of weeks ago; think again. An affiliate of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), the ideological mentor of the ruling BJP, is equally concerned about the UCC becoming a reality. Vanvasi Kalyan Ashram an RSS affiliate that focuses on the welfare of members of the Scheduled Tribes in remote areas of India is even preparing to write to the Law Commission. UCC has been one of the core electoral promises of the BJP. So, when an offshoot of BJPs ideological mentor becomes apprehensive about the prospect of the same UCC, it makes people surprised. But those who have been associated with VKA say they have enough reason to be concerned as many tribes across India have their own personal code that often is in contradiction with Hindu personal codes. We are experiencing ethnic tensions in Manipur right now. Next door in Meghalaya, among the Garos, there is a long-standing custom of the youngest daughter becoming the family heir. Suppose UCC comes in tomorrow and it asks each son and daughter to equally share the family fortunes, the Garos wont be happy, take it from me. Even their men abide by this rule. How will you reason with them that the nation needs one single personal code that is uniform in nature? as a senior functionary of the body puts it. He also cited Santhals and Kols where the picture is completely different and women have no rights to property. When asked to comment, Atul Jog, who is the Organisation Secretary of the Vanvasi Kalyan Ashram tried to play it down. However, talking to News18, he did concede, We will definitely write to the commission. However, we are waiting for the draft to see first. But sources within VKA tell News18, the body will write to the commission even before that. Another contentious issue remains the age of marriage. Right now, a Hindu man can marry at the age of 21 while a woman can marry at the age of 18. But in many tribes that age limit is much lower. Another key Vanvasi Kalyan Ashram functionary told News18, For instance, Odisha has 62 tribal groups out of which 13 are recognised as particularly vulnerable tribal groups or PVTGs. They are Bonda, Dongaria Kondh, Didayi, and Lanjia Soura among others who are vulnerable due to child marriage and early pregnancies. The state government so far has been dealing it by enticing them with late marriage incentives which have seen good responses. But the moment you bring in a law, these tribes wont be very cooperating. Estimates suggest that each year, at least 1.5 million girls under 18 get married in India. Nearly 16% of adolescent girls aged 15-19 are currently married. VKA suspects, if UCC becomes a law, vast sections of the tribal community will be behind bars under various sections of the POCSO Act, which was brought in to safeguard the rights of children. The act of engaging in sexual activities with children is considered a serious offense under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, 2012. But early marriage and procreation being a custom in many tribes, VKA is wary of barrages of criminal cases against tribals, should UCC kicks in. While AIMPLB has already launched an online campaign against UCC and sought more time from the Law Commission to respond, the RSS body is treading cautiously. They are mindful of the fact that they are caught in a very tricky situation where they cant go to court against a reform seen to be on Sanghs agenda but also cannot dismiss the concerns of the very people they work with. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will undertake a hectic tour of four states Chhattisgarh, UP, Telangana and Rajasthan on July 7-8. Modi will participate in around a dozen programmes across five cities Raipur, Gorakhpur, Varanasi, Warangal and Bikaner. He will inaugurate, dedicate and lay the foundation stone of about 50 projects worth around Rs 50,000 crore during the tour. On July 7, PM will first travel from Delhi to Raipur, where he will lay the foundation stone and dedicate multiple projects. These include foundation stone for various six lane sections of Raipur Vishakhapatnam corridor. Thereafter, he will attend a public meeting. PM will then travel to Gorakhpur where will attend the programme at Gita Press. Thereafter, he will flag off 3 Vande Bharat trains. He will also lay the foundation stone for redevelopment of Gorakhpur railway station. From Gorakhpur, PM will travel to his constituency, Varanasi, where he will inaugurate and lay the foundation stone of multiple key projects. PM will dedicate Pt Deen Dayal Upadhyay Junction to Son Nagar new line of Dedicated Freight Corridor. He will also dedicate the four lane widening of NH56 (Varanasi - Jaunpur). PM will also lay the foundation stone for renovation of Manikarnika Ghat and Harishchandra Ghat. On July 8, PM will travel from Varanasi to Warangal in Telangana. Here, he will lay the foundation stone of various projects, including for key sections of Nagpur-Vijayawada Corridor. PM will also lay the foundation stone of Four Laning of Karimnagar Warangal section of NH- 563. Thereafter, he will attend a public meeting in Warangal. Modi will then travel from Warangal to Bikaner, where he will lay the foundation stone and dedicate multiple projects. PM will dedicate various sections of Amritsar Jamnagar Expressway. He will also dedicate the Inter-State Transmission Line for Green Energy Corridor Phase- I. PM will also lay the foundation stone for redevelopment of Bikaner railway station. Thereafter, he will attend a public meeting in Bikaner. Prime minister Narendra Modi will visit Bikaner on July 8 to lay foundation stones for various development works and address a public rally. BJP state president CP Joshi on Monday reviewed preparations for the PMs programme in Bikaner. He said the Prime Minister will lay the foundation stones for projects worth Rs 25,000 crore. He said Modi will also address a public meeting in Norangdesar, Bikaner. The meeting of the PM will be historic," he said. Joshi held a meeting of the party leaders and workers and gave them necessary instructions regarding the preparations for the meeting. He claimed that it will be the biggest rally of the PM in Rajasthan. Leader of Opposition Rajendra Rathore and other BJP leaders were also present with him. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, while addressing the SCO leaders virtually on Tuesday, said that some countries are providing shelter to terrorists and using cross-border terrorism as a tool". The stern message came in presence of Pakistans Shehbaz Sharif, Chinese President Xi Jinping and his Russia counterpart Vladimir Putin. SCO should not hesitate to criticize such countries. SCO countries should condemn it. There should be no double standards on terrorism," he added. PM Modi further said that for Indians, nations are not just neighbours but a family". We do not see the SCO as an extended neighbourhood, but rather as an extended family. Security, economic development, connectivity, unity, respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity, and environmental protection are the pillars of our vision for SCO," the prime minister said. Ukraine conflict was among key issues that dominated the discussion at the SCO nations virtual summit. Boosting connectivity, trade and enhancing cooperation among the SCO member countries were also discussed. Importance of the SCO Meeting: It will be Putins first participation in a multilateral summit after a mercenary group launched a short-lived armed rebellion last week that rocked Moscow. The summit is also taking place against the backdrop of the over three-year eastern Ladakh border standoff between Indian and Chinese troops, and two weeks after Prime Minister Modis high-profile visit to the US. Members of SCO: The summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) under Indias presidency is also set to welcome Iran as the new permanent member of the grouping. The SCO, comprising India, China, Russia, Pakistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan, is an influential economic and security bloc and has emerged as one of the largest transregional international organisations. Other Attendees and SCO Meeting Theme: Heads of the two SCO bodies the secretariat and the SCO RATS (Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure) are also set to attend Tuesdays virtual summit whose theme is Towards a SECURE SCO. The SECURE acronym was coined by Prime Minister Modi at the 2018 SCO summit and it stands for Security; Economy and Trade; Connectivity; Unity; Respect for Sovereignty and Territorial Integrity; and Environment. Heads of six international and regional organisations have also been invited to the summit. The organisations are the UN, the ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations), CIS (Commonwealth of Independent States), CSTO (Collective Security Treaty Organisation), EAEU (Eurasian Economic Union) and CICA (Conference on Interaction and Confidence Building Measures in Asia). Indias SCO Presidency: Indias presidency of the SCO saw significant activities in a number of areas. New Delhi created five new pillars for cooperation in SCO. These are startups and innovation, traditional medicine, digital inclusion, youth empowerment and shared Buddhist heritage. The special working group on startups and innovation and experts working group on traditional medicine were created on Indias initiative. We intend to contribute substantially in both these areas," said one of the people cited above. To further Prime Minister Modis vision of Vasudhaiv Kutumbakom (world is one family), India emphasised on building greater people-to-people connect, the person said. A number of signature events were held under the Indian presidency with the intention to further deepen people to people connect. SCO Summits History: Indias association with the SCO began in 2005 as an observer country. It became a full member state of SCO at the Astana summit in 2017. India has shown a keen interest in deepening its security-related cooperation with the SCO and its RATS, which specifically deals with issues relating to security and defence. The SCO was founded at a summit in Shanghai in 2001 by the presidents of Russia, China, the Kyrgyz Republic, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. Pakistan became its permanent member along with India in 2017. (With inputs from PTI) Starting from October 1, cars manufactured in India as well as imported ones will be given star rating based on their performance in crash tests, the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways said in a notification. The Bharat New Car Assessment Programme (Bharat-NCAP) will be applicable on vehicles of category M1 with gross weight less than 3.5 tonne, reads the notification issued last week. The M1 category includes motor vehicles used for the carriage of passengers, comprising not more than eight seats, in addition to drivers seat. The programme is designed to provide a fair, meaningful and objective assessment of crash safety performance of cars on the basis of standard laboratory tests. It provides guidelines and mechanisms to inform consumers about the assessment. Bharat-NCAP shall be a voluntary programme, except otherwise stated in the vehicle selection guideline monitored by the ministry, the notification reads. The overall assessment is based on the performance of the vehicle model when evaluated under three areas Adult Occupant Protection; Child Occupant Protection; and Safety Assist Technologies. For each of the assessment areas, there are individual tests and assessments. According to the final draft, Bharat-NCAP will award separate ratings for the new vehicle for Adult Occupant Protection and Child Occupant Protection on the basis of performance in full vehicle crash tests and score achieved and fitment of safety assist technologies. The policy specifies three crash tests that need to be performed on the new car for the assessment of star rating. These are Offset Deformable Barrier Frontal Impact Test, Side Impact Test and Pole Side Impact Test. An official told News18 that with BNCAP, the ministry is introducing the concept of safety rating of passenger cars. It empowers consumers to make informed decisions. It will ensure structural and passenger safety in cars and will promote export worthiness of the cars produced in the country and increase the domestic customers confidence in these vehicles. Additionally, the programme will encourage manufacturers to provide advanced safety technologies to earn higher ratings, the official said, demanding anonymity. They also said these ratings will not impact the cost of automobiles. The official added that with automobiles of higher rating, the number of deaths in road accidents is likely to reduce significantly. Last year, on June 24, while approving the policy, Union minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari said Bharat-NCAP will serve as a consumer-centric platform allowing customers to opt for safer cars based upon their star-ratings, while promoting a healthy competition for manufacturing safer vehicles. He also said the testing protocol of Bharat-NCAP will be aligned with global crash test protocols factoring in the existing Indian regulations to get their vehicles tested at Indias own in-house testing facilities. At least 1.53 lakh lives were lost due to road accidents in India in 2021, the highest since 2011, according to annual report Road accidents in India, 2021. Two-wheelers recorded the highest number of accidents (52,416) and death (22,786) followed by cars, taxis and vans. There were 25,431 accidents and 9,191 deaths related to cars, taxis and vans, the report added. Amid the Uniform Civil Code (UCC) row, Minister for State for Health and Family Welfare SP Singh Baghel said the PM Narendra Modi-led Central government has been the biggest advocate of tribal rights. The law commission is currently seeking suggestions and consultations from the public. There is no clarity of what shape the bill will take or what the legislation will look like. The opposition is creating an opposition for nothing, he said. ALSO READ | Homework | UCC Final Part of 5-Point Code for BJP to Gain Upper Hand in 2024 Battle On the issue being anti-north-east, the minister clarified, The PM has often pushed for the welfare of the north-eastern states. If the seven states are unhappy, how can the brother (Modi) be happy? Our government has had most number of tribals as MLAs, MLCs, MPs from Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha and ministers, too. This is the government that has given India its first tribal president in Droupadi Murmu. Last evening, during the meeting of Standing Committee for Law and Justice, MPs, including panel chairman Sushil Modi, had raised the question about the impact of such a legislation on tribals and north-eastern states with their own unique identity. That should not be impacted as per Schedule 6. In any case, for north-eastern states like Mizoram and Nagaland, no decision of the Centre can be implemented without being ratified by the state assembly, sources told News18. If it does not apply to all, the whole purpose of making a uniform code gets defeated, argued some opposition MPs. ALSO READ | Why UCC Ahead of Lok Sabha Polls? At Panel Meet, Oppn Raises Questions | From Intent to Impact Several opposition MPs also alleged the government is bringing in the bill, keeping the upcoming 2024 elections in mind. When the prime minister took a decision for the welfare of the people, including distributing free food grains to 80 crore people and gas connections to 9 crore people, there were no elections. This was done purely to keep the interest of the Indian citizens in mind. The only interest of the government is to work for the nation and the welfare of the poor and downtrodden, he said. The Law Commission has sought public feedback and consultation on the UCC. As per the official briefing to the Standing Committee for Law and Justice, so far, 19 lakh suggestions have been received. The deadline for the consultation ends on July 13. The Vande Bharat Express between Lucknow and Gorakhpur is all set for launch on July 7 and will connect Ayodhya and Basti on the way, completing the journey in a little over four hours, officials aware of the matter told News18 on Tuesday. The train will connect Ayodhya with Uttar Pradeshs capital Lucknow on one side and another religious hub, Gorakhpur, on the other ahead of the Ram Mandir inauguration around the beginning of the new year. This will be the first time that Gorakhpur will be getting a train of this stature. The district, which has the worlds second longest railway platform after Hubli Junction in Karnataka, is not connected by any Shatabdi or Rajdhani. Gorakhpur station is the headquarters of the North Eastern Railway (NER). This Vande Bharat will be the first for the NER. The Prime Minister will be inaugurating the train on July 7. It will be the fastest train on the route as it will cover the 300-kilometre distance in 4 hours and 10 minutes. The train will have stoppages at Basti and Ayodhya," an official told News18 on condition of anonymity. So far, Gorakhdham Express and Bihar Sampark Kranti Express are the fastest trains between Lucknow and Gorakhpur that complete the journey in 4 hours and 45 minutes. On Sunday, the Vande Bharat took its first trial run from Lucknow, and on Tuesday the trial was conducted from Gorakhpur. While the final schedule is yet to be made public, the official added that the train will commence the commercial journey from Lucknow in the evening and from Gorakhpur in the morning. This will be the second dedicated Vande Bharat for Uttar Pradesh after the one that became operational between Delhi and Varanasi. However, two more Vande Bharats Delhi-Dehradun and Delhi-Bhopal have stoppages in Uttar Pradesh. Enhancing connectivity between Ayodhya and Gorakhpur While this train will be between Lucknow and Gorakhpur, it is going to ease the journey between Ayodhya and Gorakhpur in a better way. A number of trains connect Ayodhya and Lucknow; however, the train connectivity from Ayodhya towards Gorakhpur is limited. Another route through Gonda and Basti offers faster connectivity for trains between Lucknow and Gorakhpur. Launching this train ahead of the opening of the temple will ease travel to Ayodhya from Gorakhpur. Second Vande Bharat for poll-bound Rajasthan Apart from the Lucknow-Gorakhpur Vande Bharat, the Prime Minister will also be inaugurating another Vande Bharat for Jodhpur and Sabarmati through videoconferencing. This will be the second Vande Bharat for Rajasthan, which will go to polls later this year. In April, the first Vande Bharat for Rajasthan was inaugurated by the Prime Minister between Ajmer and Delhi. The PM attended the event through videoconferencing only. Last week, at least five pairs of Vande Bharat were inaugurated on the same day. With these trains, the total count of the Vande Bharat trains has reached 23 or 46 services. All electrified states have been connected with these semi-high-speed trains. With the launch of the two trains, a total of 50 services of Vande Bharat will be operational. The official also said that in total 27 Vande Bharat trains have been manufactured and two of these are kept for emergencies one in Delhi and another in Chennai. Diana Penty celebrated Indian craftsmanship and made it her own when she attended Rahul Mishras Couture Fall 2023 showcase at Paris Haute Couture Week. Acing Couture meets Street like a boss, Diana looked comfortably chic in the denim jeans she paired with the handcrafted corset top. The black and gold intricately embroidered with 3D embellished fish motifs, celebrated Dianas gorgeous personality. Looking haute and happening, Diana Penty spoke about her gorgeous outfit and said, I loved the fish motif on the corset. Rahuls craftsmanship is always of the highest order. We decided to wear it with denim, to make it our own and mix couture with street. The Lenskart sunglasses were a perfect accessory for Rahuls outdoor show on a beautiful summer afternoon in Paris. With the vision of setting a new standard for fashion and eyewear collaborations, Diana Penty graces this years Paris Haute Couture Week with Lenskart. The Vincent Chase yellow and gold full rim round framed sunglasses added the retro vibe to her overall look. An epitome of grace and style, Diana Penty will be attending multiple shows throughout the course of her stay. Styled by celebrity fashion stylist Namita Alexander, Diana soft waves and minimal makeup were done by hair and make-up artist Shraddha Mishra. Diana also took to Instagram to complement Rahul Mishra for his body of work and the showcase on Day 1 of Haute Couture Week. She wrote a heartfelt note which said: Just had to kick start Paris Couture Week with Indian designer Rahul Mishra. And what an evening it was! So incredible to see our own Rahul, get the respect and love he deserves for his outstanding craftsmanship and artisanal work. Thrilled to be partnering with @lenskart to present yall my unique vision of Paris @hautecoutureweek. Stay tuned for lots more.(sic) Dianas ability to seamlessly integrate fashion and functionality has always been something that makes her stand out. Her appearance at this prestigious event aims to inspire individuals worldwide to embrace their personal style and celebrate the artistry of Haute Couture. ALSO READ: Rahul Mishras We, The People Weaves A Magical Narrative Of Age-Old Craft With An Artistic Expression Paris Haute Couture Week is on till July 6 and will see an array of celebrated fashion designers and brands including Gaurav Gupta, Zuhair Murad, Valentino, Elie Saab, Fendi, Adeline Andre, Ashi, Jean Paul Gautier and Giorgio Armani Prive among others showcase their Fall Couture 2023 collections. GULZARILAL NANDA BIRTH ANNIVERSARY: Gulzarilal Nanda served as Indias acting Prime Minister twice for 13 days each. He was first selected as the interim Prime Minister in 1964, after the death of Jawaharlal Nehru. The second time Gulzarilal Nanda took charge was when Lal Bahadur Shastri, the second Prime Minister of India, died in 1966. Nanda served in the cabinet of both Nehru and Shastri. He was most recognised for his work on labour issues and was part of Indias freedom struggle against British rule. In 1921, he joined the Non-Cooperation movement and was imprisoned on multiple occasions. Gulzarilal Nanda was born on July 4, 1898, in undivided Punjabs Sialkot, to a Punjabi Hindu family. His education was completed at the universities of Lahore, Amritsar, Allahabad and Agra. He married Lakshmi and they had two sons and a daughter. He died on January 15, 1998. On his birth anniversary today, July 4, here are some of the interesting facts related to his life: SWAMI VIVEKANANDA DEATH ANNIVERSARY: July 4 is the death anniversary of Swami Vivekananda, recognised as one of the greatest spiritual leaders. He is well-known for his vast knowledge of science and religion. Vivekananda pushed our nations youth to become better by living a pure life and setting an example for the world. He was also instrumental in bringing yoga and Vedanta philosophies to the West. In the 19th century, he was credited with increasing interfaith consciousness and introducing Hinduism to a global platform. The teachings of Swami Vivekananda to the Western world illustrated how the two may coexist peacefully. He is primarily remembered for his speech at the World Parliament of Religions in Chicago in 1893, which began with - My brothers and sisters of America. Swami Vivekananda was born on January 12, 1863, in a Bengali family; he was originally named Narendranath Datta. His father, Vishwanath Datta, was an advocate in the Calcutta High Court, while his mother, Bhubaneswari Devi was a homemaker. Vivekananda was interested in spirituality from an early age and would meditate in front of representations of Hindu Gods and Goddesses. He also took keen interest in religion and spirituality. In 1893, at the behest of Maharaja Ajit Singh (ruler of the small state of Khetri in Rajasthan), he acquired the name Vivekananda. As we observe his death anniversary, here are some of Vivekanandas greatest quotes: Mahesh Babu, the beloved and celebrated star, has won millions of hearts with his acting talent and charismatic presence. Apart from his illustrious acting career, his personal life often garners attention from fans. Recently, Mahesh proudly shared a post about his daughter, Sitara Ghattamaneni, who has been appointed as the brand ambassador for the prestigious jewellery brand, PMJ Jewels. To mark this special collaboration, the brand launched an exclusive collection of her name and the big launch took place at the iconic Times Square, New York on July 4th. Sharing a picture and a video, Mahesh wrote, Lighting up the Times Square. So so proud of you my firecracker. Continue to dazzle and shine. Maheshs wife Namrata Shirodkar also penned a heartfelt pose to Sitara and wrote, Look who just made her debut on the Times Square! Words cannot express how overjoyed and proud I am of you! @sitaraghattamaneni Watching your dreams come true is the most incredible feeling. Keep shining, my superstar! @sitaraghattamaneni." After Mahesh Babu shared the post about his daughter Sitara Ghattamaneni becoming the brand ambassador of the renowned jewellery brand, the response from fans has been overwhelming. The post has already received over 2 lakh likes and continues to attract more appreciation. Fans of the Maharshi star flooded the comments section with heartwarming messages and a few showered their love using heart and fire emojis to show their support. A user wrote, Only the best dads let their children fly. Inspiration, another wrote, Like father, like daughter. Future Women Super Star Sitara. A user stated, Little Queen, while another shared, He is the real life hero, one more wrote, Proud moment. After the grand unveiling in New York, the SITARA collection is scheduled to launch in India on July 6th in Hyderabad, followed by an equally exciting event on July 13th in Vijayawada, Andhra Pradesh, along with the Biggest Wedding Jewellery Exhibition. On the work front, Mahesh Babu has many projects in the pipeline. One of the highly anticipated movies is his collaboration with director Trivikram Srinivas, previously known as SSMB28, now titled Guntur Kaaram. The actor will be sharing the screen with Meenakshii Chaudhary and the movie is scheduled to release on January 13, 2024, on the auspicious occasion of Makar Sankranti. Adding to the excitement, the superstar is collaborating with renowned director SS Rajamouli, tentatively titled SSMB29. This landmark project marks his grand entry into the pan-India arena. Even ahead of its theatrical release, Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling starrer Barbie has been making the headlines. Well, it turns out not for the right reasons. In the latest turn of events, the screening of Greta Gerwigs directorial has been banned in Vietnam. According to a report in Variety, Vietnamese authorities have claimed that the movie violates its sovereignty after a scene in Barbie depicts a map with the nine-dash line. The scene features a map that shows territory in the South China Sea claimed by China. The Warner Bros. film was due to start screening in Vietnamese cinemas on July 21, the same day as its release in the US. Barbie is considered one of the highly anticipated movies of the year. The report revealed that the Director General of the Vietnam Cinema Department, Vi Kien Thanh, informed on July 3 that this ban was decided by Vietnams National Film Evaluation Council. Variety quoted Vi Kien Than as saying, We do not grant a license for the American movie Barbie to release in Vietnam because it contains the offending image of the nine-dash line. It turns out Margot Robbies Barbie is not the only film to witness a ban over the nine-dash line. A similar portrayal of the map has previously caused trouble for multiple films and TV series in Vietnam. So much so that even an animated film by DreamWorks called Abominable witnessed the same fate in 2019. Not only this but the Tom Holland and Mark Wahlberg starrer Uncharted was also banned last year. Talking about Barbie, the adventure fantasy film is inspired by the famous doll, who faces a crisis that makes her question her world and existence. The movie, apart from Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling, also features Kingsley Ben-Adir, Emma Mackey, John Cena and Will Ferrell, among others. The movie will hit the theatres in India on July 21. Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani trailer: Days after superstar Shah Rukh Khan dropped the teaser of Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani, Karan Johar has released the trailer of the film and it looks promising. Starring Ranveer Singh and Alia Bhatt in the lead, Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani offers a family drama weve all been craving for years now. The trailer gives a glimpse into the lives of Rocky Randhawa and Rani Chatterjee, whose lives stand as a stark contrast to one another. While Rocky is a beefed-up Punjabi boy hailing from an affluent Punjabi family, Rani belongs to a Bengali household where knowledge and intelligence is given an importance over anything else. In what Karan had once described as a story from a real life family anecdote that was shared by his father, late producer Yash Johar, these forces collide and fall in love, but theres a twist. Much like its teaser, the trailer of Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani rides high on the quintessence of Bollywood. It makes for an interesting blend of everything that Hindi films in the 1990s and the early 2000s stood for melodrama, romance, comedy, stunning costumes, opulent sets and elaborate song-and-dance sequences. Having inspired an entire generation with Kuch Kuch Hota Hai (1998) and then with Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham (2021), which has achieved a cult status over the years, Karan returns to his comfort zone with Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani, which promises to be a true-blue saga which is all about loving your family. Ranveer and Alia had earlier collaborated on filmmaker Zoya Akhtars Gully Boy (2019) but that was a world far removed from the milieu of Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani. Tum Kya Mile might have received a mixed reaction from the audience but it will be interesting to see this dynamic duo romancing each other in the most Bollywood-esque fashion. The film also stars veteran actors like Shabana Azmi, Dharmendra and Jaya Bachchan, who play Rocky and Ranis grandparents. The trio dont get much screen time in the trailer and that has only piqued our curiosity about their dynamic. Who also stand out among the cast are acclaimed Bangla actors, Churni Ganguly and Tota Roy Chowdhury, who play Ranis parents. They get some of the funniest lines and their awkward encounters with Rocky are hilarious. With its heart and soul in the right place, Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani indeed has upped our expectation. The film is presented by Viacom18 Studios and Dharma Productions and produced by Hiroo Yash Johar, Karan and Apoorva Mehta under the banner of Dharma Productions. It is all set to hit the big screen on July 28, 2023. Shah Rukh Khan recently faced a health scare while filming in Los Angeles as he suffered an injury. According to ETimes, King Khan endured a nose injury during a shoot for one of his upcoming projects. It is said the actor was rushed to the hospital after he began bleeding. He reportedly underwent minor surgery to stop the bleeding and was later spotted leaving the country with a bandage on his nose. Shah Rukh Khan has now returned to India and is focusing on his recovery. Its not the first time he has encountered such incidents in his illustrious career. Heres a quick look at the history of accidents he has braved throughout his career. The shoulder injury During the filming of Ra.One, Shah Rukh Khan suffered a shoulder injury. But soon after the superstar got busy filming Rohit Shettys Chennai Express. Disagreeing with body doubles, he aggravated his shoulder condition. Despite the pain, he persisted with the shooting schedule. Eventually, Shah Rukh Khan underwent shoulder surgery to address the persistent issue. The knee injury Shah Rukh Khan previously underwent arthroscopic surgery on his left knee. The injury occurred during the filming of Farah Khans Happy New Year. From getting his shoulder fractured he also had the patellar tendon of his left knee torn. He would suffer from repeated swelling and pain for several months before getting the treatment. The broken ribs During the filming of Yash Chopras Darr, Shah Rukh Khan experienced his first major injury. As per a report by Indian Express, the incident took place during a jump scene when his co-actor Anupam Chopra accidentally lifted his leg, resulting in three fractured ribs for SRK. The hairline fracture The actor has a history of fractures on his left knee. SRK braved a hairline fracture on his kneecap during the shoot for Koyla. The back injury During the filming of the popular song Ishq Kamina from the movie Shakti, the actor suffered a back injury that required surgery in the UK, as reported by Indian Express. Over the past two decades, he has also endured a torn shoulder muscle and an injured toe. Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan reportedly met with an accident in the US and hurt his nose. He has now undergone a minor surgery for it. E-Times reported that the Pathaan actor was shooting for one of his upcoming projects when he met with a minor accident on the sets in Los Angeles. However, King Khan is now back in India and is recovering. For More: Shah Rukh Khan Rushed To Hospital After Accident On Set In Los Angeles, Undergoes Surgery Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani trailer: Days after superstar Shah Rukh Khan dropped the teaser of Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani, Karan Johar has released the trailer of the film and it looks promising. Starring Ranveer Singh and Alia Bhatt in the lead, Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani offers a family drama weve all been craving for years now. The film also stars veteran actors like Shabana Azmi, Dharmendra and Jaya Bachchan, who play Rocky and Ranis grandparents. For More: Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani Trailer: Ranveer Singh, Alia Bhatt Promise an Epic Family Saga After almost a decade, Aamir Khan and Rajkumar Hirani are reuniting for another massive entertainer. Reportedly, the duo are in talks for a biopic. If the movie comes through, this will be the director-actor duos third outing after the success of 3 Idiots (2009), PK (2014). A source close to the production house informed Pinkvilla that, Hirani has recently narrated a script to Aamir which has got him all excited. Most likely, the upcoming project will be a biopic. For More: Aamir Khan and Rajkumar Hirani To Reunite After 10 Years For Biopic? Heres What We Know Salman Khan has reportedly reached out to Sanjay Leela Bhansali after the failure of his last movie Kisi Ka Bhai Kisi Ki Jaan. Rumours are rife that Salman Khan wants to experiment with his image and work on fresh subjects instead of usual action films.As per a report in KoiMoi.com, Salman, who is known for his big heart, has also decided to stop doing films as a goodwill gesture or overloading the cast with favour-seeking strugglers." The actor is reportedly look for the right scripts. For More: Salman Khan Reaches Out to Bhansali After Clash On Inshallah Set: No More Film With Strugglers After months of speculation, Tamannaah Bhatia recently admitted to dating Vijay Varma. Tamannaah revealed that their relationship began on the sets of Lust Stories 2 organically". Lust Stories 2 marks the first collaboration between Tamannaah and Vijay. Now, Tamannaah has opened up about her relationship with her Lust Stories 2 co-star and why she chose Vijay as her partner. I cannot enter any equation where women are expected to compromise on their most basic feelings," she told Mojo Story. For More: Tamannaah Bhatia Opens Up On Dating Vijay Varma, Says I Cannot Compromise On Fan favourite couple Son Ye Jin and Kim Tae-Pyung (better known as Hyun Bin) welcomed their first child together in November last year. As congratulatory messages poured in, fans were also eagerly waiting for the first public appearance of the couple. While Hyun Bin debuted his dad look last December, Ye Jin just made her first appearance. The new mom looked youthful as ever in her first appearance. Her dazzling debut in front of the cameras was at the Incheon International Airport. Koreaboo reported that the actress was on her way to Valentinos fashion show in Paris, France. Needless to say, she is serving the look. Son Ye Jin looked gorgeous in an elegant white suit blazer with black and gold details. The actress paired it with black shorts. To complete her look, she accessorized her outfit with strap heels and a shoulder bag. The Crash Landing On You star also kept her makeup look natural. Fans could not stop but gush over her appearance. Many remarked that the actress was glowing on her way to Paris. Others were still not over the fact that Son Ye Jin and Hyun Bin now share a child together. After all, their intense chemistry in the drama Crash Landing on You had drawn a lot of love and attention. Glowing mommy Ye Jin Paris bound today! Ive missed you, a fan tweeted along with a snap of the actress. GLOWING MOMMY YEJIN PARIS BOUND TODAY! I'VE MISSED YOU#SONYEJINxVALENTINO pic.twitter.com/riLObU6S0Q Quintessential L (@__ekleona) July 3, 2023 Another fan wrote, I just cant believe we reached the era of news headlines saying Son Ye Jin makes first appearance after giving birth to first child with Hyun Bin My 2020 self never could have survived this. i just cant believe we reached the era of news headlines saying #sonyejin makes first appearance after giving birth to first child with #hyunbin my 2020 self never could have survived this pic.twitter.com/u9gkdZDQOI & (@serineblack) July 4, 2023 She is so unreal and tiny in real life I am screaming, a fan tweeted alongside a clip of the actress waving to the fans and paparazzi. She also posed with some finger hearts and had a charming smile on her face. SHE IS SO UNREAL AND TINY IN REAL LIFE IM SCREAMINGJDJDJDJSJSKSJSKJS #SONYEJIN pic.twitter.com/wVXMqeGUp0 o o (@domado_flower) July 3, 2023 The BinJin couple, as fans like to call them, first interacted publicly in 2014 at the Bucheon International Fantastic Film Festival where they sat next to each other. They first worked together in 2018 for the drama The Negotiation where the pair developed a close friendship. Fans were elated to see them working together once again as leads in Crash Landing On You. In January 2021, their respective agencies and Ye Jin confirmed that the pair was in love and in a relationship. BinJin tied the knot in March 2022 and welcomed their first child, a baby boy, in November 2022. The simultaneous release of the highly anticipated movies Barbie and Oppenheimer has sparked excitement among moviegoers, leading to a dilemma for some as they plan which film to watch first. Termed Barbenheimer by fans, the back-to-back double feature option has caught the attention of celebrities too, including Tom Cruise. Although he wont be watching them on the same day, Cruise shared his plans to catch Cillian Murphy starrer on Friday and then enjoy Margot Robbies film on Saturday. In a conversation with Sydney Morning Herald, Tom said, I want to see both Barbie and Oppenheimer. Ill see them opening weekend. Tom Cruise further expressed his love for visiting movie theatres, reminiscing about his upbringing surrounded by films on the big screen. As an actor, he values the experience that cinema offers and to have that as a community and an industry, its important. I still go the movies." Tom Cruise shows no signs of slowing down in his career, aiming to match the legendary Harrison Fords achievements. Ford recently completed his fifth film in the Indiana Jones franchise and Cruise is planning to achieve similar milestones. Praising the Star Wars star as a true legend, Cruise said, I hope to be still going; Ive got 20 years to catch up with him. Seems like Cruise is inspired by Fords career and has expressed his desire to continue making Mission: Impossible films until he reaches a similar age. This revelation indicates that the MI series is not coming to an end, contrary to previous claims that Dead Reckoning Part Two would be the franchises final film. Meanwhile, Tom Cruise celebrated his 61st birthday by attending the Australian premiere of Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part One at Darling Harbours International Convention Centre in Sydney. The actor was accompanied by his talented co-stars Hayley Atwell, Pom Klementieff, and Simon Pegg, along with director Christopher McQuarrie. July is shaping up to be an exciting month for moviegoers with several highly anticipated films set to hit the theatres. Just a week before the release of Christopher Nolans Oppenheimer and Greta Gerwigs Barbie, fans will be treated to the action-packed thrill of Tom Cruises Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part One on July 12. Hema Malini tied the knot with Dharmendra in May 1980. Even though Dharmendra was very fond of food, during one of her appearances on The Kapil Sharma Show, the Dream Girl of Bollywood revealed that she never cooked food to impress him. I never had to cook. I never had to cook to make Dharam Ji happy. Both of us were busy with work, she said. However, Hema Malini further shared that she started to cook only after her daughters Esha and Ahana Deol started going to school. When the kids were born, then I realised how important it is to know cooking. When she (Esha) used to go to school, her friends will show her, See my mother has made this, my mother had made that. They would ask her, What has your mother made? So, they would come home and get very angry and say, Aap kuch nahi bana rahe hain (You are not cooking anything). So, I felt bad and I called my mother and told her that because you didnt teach me cooking, I am facing this, Hema recalled. Hema Malini also revealed she started to cook during their family holidays abroad. She revealed how she used to call her mother from London and seek recipes for Rasam. My full-fledged cooking began during our holidays abroad. I would call my mother from London to Bombay and ask her what to do, she shared. Hema was also accompanied by her daughter Esha Deol during the TKSS episode who also added, All of this used to happen abroad, where its fun to have Indian food. Amma used to make rasam there and we would not eat at restaurants. We would roam around London and then come to the apartment and ask for Mummy ka rasam. Prior to Hema Malini, Dharmendra was married to Prakash Kaur. He has two sons with her, Bobby and Sunny Deol. Salman Khan is making the headlines for reaching out to Sanjay Leela Bhansali months after his showdown with the filmmaker over Inshallah. It is reported that the actor, following the failure of Kisi Ka Bhai Kisi Ki Jaan, has allegedly put aside the fight and reached out to Bhansali as he is interested in exploring Inshallah with the filmmaker. While it comes as a good sign for fans of the duo, not many might know that an angry Salman walked out of the film. Speaking exclusively with News18 earlier this year, production designer and celebrity interior designer Rupin Suchak revealed that the pre-production work was done and Alia Bhatt, who was co-starring Salman in the film. Fortunately or unfortunately, the film didnt make it to floors because of a showdown that happened, and Salman walked away from the sets. Salman and Bhansali didnt want to do the film together. I spent a year pre-planning the set with Bhansali. We were in the USA for about three months scouting the location," he told us. Rupin added Bhansali had a grand vision for Inshallah. He pictured a modern film with a modern approach. In a span of nine months, we designed 24 sets. We started building three sets, out of which we had completed one. The following day, we shot with Alia. The second set was almost complete and the shoot was supposed to happen three days after the complete shoot was called off. We were supposed to finish the film a year later. But I leave it to my fate. I left the project with a happy memory because I learnt so much from it, he added. If Bhansali and Salman do end up reuniting for Inshallah, they will come together for the first time after Saawariya, which released in 2007. Although it starred Ranbir Kapoor and Sonam Kapoor in the lead, Salman played a pivotal part. Meanwhile, Bhansali is busy with his web series Heeramandi whereas Salman has Tiger 3 and rumoured Tiger vs Pathaan film in the pipeline. Back in 2019, just after Algeria won the African Cup, migrants terrorised French pedestrians and women, saying, Look, look! Here we have the Algerians, Tunisians, Moroccans, and Senegalese. Marine, Marine (Le Pen)! We managed to take over Paris even faster than the German Army in 1940. It took us just 3 hours! It seems like a poetic retrieval for the Muslim refugees, for today France is burning, if not already razed. Police stations were sacked, charred vehicles strewn across roads, buildings damaged, streets vandalised, supermarkets ransacked, malls looted, libraries torched, schools set ablaze, and stones pelted at the police. President Emmanuels government is struggling to quell the widespread rioting in cities and towns across France. Despite the deployment of almost 40,000 police officers, along with elite Raid and GIGN (Gendarmerie Intervention Group) units, violence and arson are being reported in myriad and diverse locations. While racist police violence and brutality, especially in Pariss poorer suburbs, continue to be of simmering importance, in perspective, the unabating riots and the havoc wreaked in France by the Muslim refugees is yet another undeniable case of multiculturalism gone unhinged. The chariot wheels of multiculturalism that set foot in Western civilisation under the pretext of being refugees from war-torn countries are now rearing their ugly heads. Of the many disturbing videos of upheavals in France, one of the most concerning videos displayed the rioting hordes destroying the largest public library by arson in the city of Marseille. And, in reflection, its history repeats itself. In 1200, Bakhtiyar Khilji destroyed Nalanda University, the worlds oldest university, symbolising Bharats rich knowledge, culture, and heritage. Recall how Sweden has historically provided asylum to refugees, primarily from Syria, Iraq, and Afghanistan, taking in a record-high 162,877 applications for asylum in 2015. Ever since the influx of asylum seekers, records detail an uptick in violent crimes, including bombings, rapes, and gang violence. Sweden witnessed an unprecedented rise of over 100 bombings in 2019, twice the number in 2018. Most of these crimes find their roots in first- or second-generation immigrants. On April 13, 2021, Kyosti Tarvainen, professor at the Aalto University of Helsinki, warned, There has been a huge cultural change in the immigrant population, as its largest group has gone from being Finnish to being Muslim with immigration unchanged, ethnic Swedes will be a minority in 2065. Multiculturalism is acceptance of diverse cultures, politicians believe in politics of division, and multiculturalism is progressive growth for dialogue were some arguments by the Swedes to defend make-believe multiculturalism. Frustrated by the then-ruling establishments appalling response to immigration policies, the same Swedish people, once proud of Swedish exceptionalism, finally voted for a conservative government to grapple with the growing issue of assimilating the already large population of predominantly Muslim refugees. In fact, the longstanding and sophisticated issue of illegal immigration has besieged India for decades. The long-term implications of having open borders are par for the course. In 2015, Chota Burmi, a member of the Rohingya community, was killed in a gunfight with the security forces. The foreign militant was affiliated with Jaish-e-Mohammad, the terror organisation responsible for many terror attacks in India, including the hijacking of IC-814 by Indian Airlines. Alarmingly, according to the data that is available, thousands of Rohingya families are settling in the insurgent erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir. I would reckon that, in reality, the number surpasses all imaginations. For those who would accuse me of xenophobia, Id ask: History dictates that the religious position and ethnic affiliation of the Rohingya community have always subscribed to the two-nation theory and have always had an animus against India. Shouldnt their settlement in an already insurgent state be a significant question of national security? Last year, violent confrontations broke out between the Hindu and Muslim communities in Leicester, long heralded as a sign of community cohesion. Pakistani Islamist organised gangs targeted Hindu houses, vandalised streets, and burned temple flags. At present, 90 percent of the demographic growth in Britain arises from immigration. Former British Prime Minister David Cameron said, Multiculturalism is fostering extremist ideology and directly contributing to homegrown Islamic terrorism. According to a British poll conducted after the London suicide bombings of July 2005 that killed 52 and injured 700 people, approximately six percent of Muslims in Britain justified the bombing, while another 24 percent sympathised with the killers, and 16 percent expressed no loyalty to Britain. Therefore, contrary to what Leftist and liberal groups would have us believe, immigrants, loyal to their ethnic identities and past allegiances, have often failed to respect, if not adopt, the concomitant values, nationalistic sentiments, prevailing secularism, and established law of the native land they find refuge in. Hardliner immigrants have, in a pattern, attempted to impose their retrograde practises, most of which lock horns with the constitutional tenets of a country and the morally rich values of civil society. This creeping imposition by the Muslim immigrants will surprise only those who continue to remain blind to arcane practises like the death penalty for homosexuals, religious indoctrination in schools and colleges, blocking roads for prayers, forcible female genital mutilation, death by stoning for female adulterers, divorce by triple talaq, remarriage by Nikah Halala, numerous restrictions on women, and even honour killing. All this raises a clamant question: how long does a liberal democracy, in the name of communal amity, tolerate the tampering of their societys secular and indigenous perspective, basic principles, and values? More pointedly: Should countries beef up their migration policies and scrutinise immigrants, in light of multiculturalisms muddle and incoherence, to preserve their existing demographic composition and protect themselves from Islam or any other ideology of extremism? In an article, scholar and columnist Gopal Goswami mentions, Beginning in late 2010, the Arab Spring series was characterised by pro-democracy rallies across West Asia. These protests began peacefully but quickly became violent in certain countries, most notably Syria, Iraq, and Yemen. It started with a group of adolescent guys who spray-painted people want the collapse of the dictatorship on buildings in Daraa. The teenagers were imprisoned and tortured, and one of them died. Over 5,00,000 Syrians have perished since then, and over 5 million Sunni Muslims out of Syrias 22 million people have fled the nation. As per UN reports, if they are to be given credence and believed, More than 6.8 million Syrians have been forced to flee their country since 2011. In one of its research papers, the Brookings Institution mentions, Arab Sunni Muslims comprise about 65 percent of the Syrian population. It further states that the number of registered refugees in neighbouring countries increased from 8,000 in 2011 to almost 500,000 only a year later and was well over four million in late 2015. Close to 500,000 Syrians entered Europe in 2015 by sea, making up the largest segment of the more than 1 million who sought safety in Europe during the year. In light of all such documented acts of vandalism and espionage by the Muslim refugees, my heart goes out to America, for, as per a report published by PEW Research, during Obamas presidency alone, a record 5,60,000 Muslims were accepted as refugees in the United States. Conspicuously, the numbers stick and add up! The time is propitious for the world to emerge as one family with one future to huddle on a common platform to ruminate on devising stringent immigration policies devoid of any partisan politics or ideological proclivity, keeping their nation, their culture, and their ethos at the centre before the perils of radicalisation plague and manifest the dream of a borderless Islamic world. Yuvraj Pokharna is an independent journalist and columnist. He tweets with @iyuvrajpokharna. Views expressed are personal. There were several takeaways from the Patna meeting of the grand alliance of Indian opposition parties, but most crucially, there were lessons for the coalition itself. In a display of commendable initiative, political parties recently convened for a meeting aimed at forging an alliance. While this endeavour is certainly praiseworthy, it is important to acknowledge that the gathering has also inadvertently exacerbated existing divisions, inflexibility, and a reluctance to venture beyond the confines of comfort zones within these parties. In what was anticipated to be a relatively uneventful opposition gathering, little did anyone foresee the intense political clash that unfolded between the Congress party and the Aam Aadmi Party. While no significant developments were foreseen, the unexpected sparring match between these two political factions certainly caught many off guard. The recent gathering serves as a glaring testament to the underlying fractures within the opposition coalition. However, what truly stands out is that failure to promptly address these internal rifts will inevitably lead to a formidable obstacle for the opposition unity, or mahagathbandhan, in the days to come: a clash between regional ambitions and national priorities. K Chandrashekar Rao, the chief minister of Telangana and Bharat Rashtra Samithis leader, was not invited, nor was Bahujan Samaj Party leader Mayawati. The question of whether one would grace the meeting with their presence or not is an entirely separate matter, warranting a distinct conversation. In the midst of political deliberations, a prevailing sentiment emerged that all opposition parties would unite in their pursuit of victory in the 2024 elections. However, a crucial question loomed: were the state units of the Congress aligned with this collective resolve? The lack of clarity surrounding this matter added an intriguing layer of uncertainty to the unfolding political landscape. In the wake of a recent opposition meeting, Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, the president of the West Bengal Pradesh Congress, did not mince words when expressing his discontent with chief minister Mamata Banerjees standing as a credible opposition politician. In a bold and unequivocal stance, AAP has made it abundantly clear that it will not entertain the idea of joining forces with any political alliance unless the Congress takes a firm stand against the central governments ordinance pertaining to the Delhi government. The gravity of these concerns cannot be understated, as the egocentric nature of these political factions will inevitably inflict damage on the opposition coalition. The question of whether these parties are prepared to make concessions regarding their regional ambitions remains shrouded in uncertainty. However, it appears evident that they are far from willing to do so without a fight, despite their profuse praise for the opposition alliance. Regional parties have played a pivotal role in influencing the governance dynamics of the Indian political landscape. Political leaders such as Akhilesh Yadav, Mamata Banerjee, and Arvind Kejriwal have emerged, championing the interests and aspirations of their respective regions. Nonetheless, as they assert their regional identities and interests, these leaders confront the daunting task of finding common ground and aligning their objectives with the national agenda. In the realm of regional politics, a pressing imperative emerges: the delicate art of balancing regional identities and interests with the broader national agenda. This intricate task demands strategic manoeuvring and a deft touch. On one hand, regional parties must skillfully champion the concerns of their respective regions. Should these parties perceive that the opposition alliance fails to revolve around their distinctive regional priorities, the formation of any alliance becomes an insurmountable challenge. The Congress party, historically, has been criticised for its lack of regard for regional politics and the unique identities of regional political parties. For instance, the current ethnic tensions in the Northeast, centred on Manipur, are the result of prior mistakes made by the Congress. This is why it is crucial to recognise that the Congress has displayed a distinct lack of interest in acknowledging or empathising with the regional priorities of opposition political parties. In a rather intriguing turn of events, the political landscape witnessed a clash of ideologies when Rahul Gandhi made a mocking comment directed towards Veer Savarkar. The incident, which occurred several months ago, sparked a strong reaction from the Uddhav Thackeray-led faction of the Shiv Sena, a political ally of the Congress party. Gandhis remark about Savarkar, a well-known person in Maharashtra and India, did not go unnoticed. The response from the Shiv Sena (UBT), known for its staunch support of Savarkars legacy, was swift and unyielding. They wasted no time in expressing their disapproval of Gandhis comment, highlighting the deep ideological divide between the two factions. This clash between the Congress and its ally, the Shiv Sena (UBT), shed light on the complex dynamics within Indian politics. It underscores the importance of maintaining a delicate balance between political alliances and individual beliefs and respecting regional priorities. In the realm of political alliances, the notion that a cohesive opposition front can be forged becomes questionable when the Congress party adheres to the belief that national concerns should take precedence while regional interests are relegated to the periphery. Such a strategy, it must be said, is fundamentally flawed. One must acknowledge the formidable challenge that lies ahead for the opposition alliance. The task at hand is no simple feat, as a significant number of opposition political parties, such as the Trinamool Congress, the Nationalist Congress Party, the Samajwadi Party, and others, have established their presence in specific regions by successfully diverting votes away from the Congress party. It is of utmost importance to recognise the inherent disparities that persist between these political factions, as they are fundamentally rooted in a lack of underlying trust within these organisations. In an era dominated by photo opportunities and political rhetoric, it is imperative for our political parties to transcend these superficialities and confront the reality at hand. It is high time for them to shed the false lines that have been drawn and truly address the pressing issues facing our nation. It was announced at the meeting in Patna that the next meeting will be held in Shimla (now shifted to Bengaluru) this month, and the opposition political parties must immediately reach an agreement on how the Congress will support the regional political parties with regard to their regional priorities, and how the regional political parties will reach an agreement with the Congress on issues of greater national interest. Merely acquiescing to the notion that political parties of disparate backgrounds and contrasting priorities will unite and engage in electoral combat falls short of the mark. Throughout the course of Indian political history, from the era of the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) to the various governments helmed by Prime Ministers such as Chandra Shekhar, VP Singh, and Atal Bihari Vajpayee, one recurring theme has been the detrimental impact of a dearth of comprehension among coalition partners on the overall stability of a government. It is of utmost importance for opposition political parties to grasp the fact that voters have no inclination towards an unstable government as they head to the polls. The electorate has made it abundantly clear in both the 2014 and 2019 elections that they sought a political party that could offer them a government that exuded stability, strength, and decisiveness. In order for the opposition alliance to achieve success, it is imperative that we dispel the illusory notion of a delicate equilibrium between regional priorities and national interests. This fallacy, if left unaddressed, will undoubtedly hinder the alliances progress. In the context of politics, the dynamics of alliances can be a fickle affair. While it may seem plausible for opposing factions to unite in the face of an impending election, the question of whether this camaraderie can withstand the test of time remains dubious. History has shown that alliances forged solely for electoral gains often crumble once the ballots have been cast. The inherent challenges and divergent interests that lie beneath the surface tend to resurface, rendering such post-election alliances ineffective at best. Therefore, it is the ideal time to identify your differences and work out your disputes in an amicable manner. Sayantan Ghosh is a professor, researcher and political columnist. He tweets @sayantan_gh. Views are personal, and do not represent the stand of this publication. On 24th June 2023, the Wagner Groups leader, Yevgeny Prigozhin, staged a revolution against Russia after alleging that the Russian army deliberately targeted his soldiers. Prigozhin wanted justice, which he met with an armed insurgency. Then, before Prigozhin apparently backed down following talks with Belaruss leader, the Wagner Group seized critical military installations in Rostov-on-Don, Russias southern military districts headquarters. Prigozhin is now said to be escaping to Belarus, where he and his soldiers will evade penalties. Since the commencement of the Russia-Ukraine war, the two sides have made countless derogatory remarks and engaged in hostile activities against one other. The attempted insurgency is essentially the outcome of the deployment of the Russian army and the Wagner Group in Ukraine as well as the political framework that sustains their operations. The Wagner Groups ties to the Russian army frayed almost immediately after the war in Ukraine began. Prior to the conflict, the Wagner Group worked unofficially to serve Russian state objectives. They supplied the Russian government with plausible deniability in regions where Russia had a strong interest but sought to restrict its direct engagement, such as Syria and Sudan. For example, Russia utilised the Wagner Group to help it take Crimea in 2014. Russias use of the Wagner Group in the Donbas region of eastern Ukraine in 2014 also permitted the Russian army to deny involvement. In other words, the Wagner Group and Russian military domains supported each others goals. The protracted Russia-Ukraine War has caused a profound transformation in the dynamics between the two nations. Initially, the Russian army anticipated a swift and decisive military triumph in Ukraine, only to be confronted with immediate setbacks upon the commencement of hostilities. Compelled by these failures, Russia resorted to deploying the Wagner Group as an active support mechanism for its operations. The rift that has emerged within the Ukrainian conflict, pitting the Wagner Group against Russian government forces, bears significant implications across various domains. Foremost, the Wagner Groups close affiliations with the Russian military can equip Ukraine with invaluable intelligence, empowering it to fortify its defences and mount more successful offensives. Moreover, this split has the potential to amplify international pressure on Russia to terminate its involvement in the conflict, originating from governmental entities, corporate actors, and international organisations. Concurrently, this internal rupture bolsters Ukrainian morale, instilling a sense of optimism and resilience, So much so that Ukrainian forces are thinking of planning a counter-offensive in the Russian regions, thereby impeding Russias momentum objectives within Ukrainian territory. Furthermore, this divide could aggravate tensions between Russia and Western powers, with the Wagner Group assuming the role of a perceived proxy force, potentially resulting in the imposition of sanctions or other deterrent measures. Lastly, the splintering or engagement of the Wagner Group in other regional conflicts may hinder the resolution of the Ukrainian conflict and exacerbate violence within the broader region. Assisting Russia in Ukraine In terms of military operations, Russias deployment of the Wagner Group aided in the stabilisation of its operations in Ukraine. In 2022, the Wagner Group, unlike the majority of the Russian army, was a highly trained unit. Factually, men from the Wagner Group were responsible for some of Russias early triumphs, notably the Battle of Severodonetsk. These operations, however, were not free. The Wagner Group sustained so many losses that it was unable to continue with its regular methods. Instead, to restore its depleted personnel, the Wagner Group launched widespread recruiting drives, including in Russian jails. This muddled the distinctions between the Wagner Group and the Russian army. Whereas the two organisations historically had discrete domains of influence, they now operate as basically conventional forces. Overlapping areas of influence, although necessary in the case of the Russian army and the Wagner Group, are not unusual in Russia. They are, in reality, a characteristic of the Russian political system, and one person is to blame Vladimir Putin. Where are the top generals? Following a failed mercenary rebellion to depose top military authorities, Russias most senior generals have vanished from public view, implying a probable purge inside the armed services. Two top Russian generals have vanished from public view. Their destiny is unknown as Putin strives to restore his influence. Prigozhin had sought the ouster of the military minister, but Sergei Shoigu has made many appearances this week. Rumours circulate about the arrest and incarceration of one or more of the generals for their supposed involvement in the insurrection. Following a failed mercenary mutiny aimed at removing the top brass, Russias most senior generals have disappeared from public view, as President Vladimir Putin seeks to regain his control. According to unconfirmed reports, at least one individual has been apprehended. General Valery Gerasimov, the deputy commander of Russian forces in Ukraine, has not appeared in public or on state television since the failed insurrection on Saturday, when Prigozhin demanded Gerasimovs surrender. He hasnt been referenced in a news statement from the defence ministry since June 9. While the Kremlin dismissed these stories, claiming they were speculative, doubts about Surovikins (Gerasimovs deputy) credibility remain unresolved. According to unconfirmed claims, he has been arrested, while some claim he and other top officers are being questioned by the FSB security service to determine their allegiance. This prospective purge might have an influence on Russias stance on the Ukraine war and cause internal strife, while simultaneously solidifying the positions of other loyal military and security figures. Some Russian and Western military and political observers believe Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu, a longtime Putin loyalist whom Prigozhin sought to depose alongside Gerasimov due to alleged ineptitude, may now be safer in his post. In the context of General Shoigu and General Gerasimov, A Russian military researcher Michael Kofman from the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace think tank took to Twitter, saying I think he (Prigozhin) actually expected something to be done about them (The Generals), that Putin would rule in his favour." After openly announcing that his forces were prepared to stand to the death" to protect Moscow from Wagner, this appears to be another advantage. In continuation, the former bodyguard to Putin, General Viktor Zolotov said Instead, despite being universally recognised as incompetent and widely despised in the Russian Federations armed forces, his mutiny may have ensured their continued tenure." In the aftermath of the rebellion, he has spoken of acquiring heavy armament and tanks for his soldiers. Gerasimov was conspicuously absent as Putin hailed the army for avoiding civil war on Tuesday, in contrast to Shoigu, who has made many public appearances subsequently. Surovikinwas last seen on Saturday in a video pleading with Prigozhin to end his rebellion. He seemed exhausted, and it was unclear if he was speaking under constraint. Dara Massicot, a Russian military specialist at the RAND Corporation think tank, said there was something strange about the footage, which showed Surovikin with an automatic rifle on his lap. Putins impact Finally, only the Russian president has the authority to settle disagreements among his subordinates. This not only inhibits Putins subordinates capacity to create power bases that might oppose him, but it also maintains Putins prominence in the political system. This part of the Russian political system is very successful in times of calm, as long as Putins influence and authority are maintained. However, in times of impending conflict or outright war, overlapping functions can quickly become a burden. In the run-up to Russias invasion of Ukraine, it became obvious that Putins subordinates did not give him an accurate and comprehensive image of either the Ukrainian or Russian armed forces capabilities. During the fight, cooperation between contending sides in this example, the Russian army and paramilitary forces has been minimal at best. In the worst-case scenario, tensions between the Wagner Group and the Russian army might erupt into an all-out civil war, whether Prigozhin is in the picture or not. While Putin appears to have weathered the storm for the time being, the Wagner Group is merely the most visible manifestation of simmering resentment within paramilitary forces against Russia. Putins power slippage? The ongoing dispute between the Wagner Group and Russian government forces carries profound implications for Putins political influence and global standing. It serves as a poignant revelation of potential deficiencies in Putins command over the Russian military, thereby challenging the narrative of his unassailable authority. Moreover, the Wagner Groups alleged involvement in war crimes during the Ukrainian conflict has the potential to further tarnish Russias reputation on the international stage. Additionally, the departure of the Wagner Group may impede Putins strategic objectives in the Ukrainian war, as it could weaken Russias position on the battlefield. This development may wear down Putins internal authority within the Russian government, complicate efforts to shape the narrative surrounding the conflict, and hinder his aspirations in Ukraine. The conflict between the Wagner Group and Russian government forces signifies a significant erosion of Putins influence, which in turn undermines his authority and reputation. It serves as a stark reminder of Putins limited control over the Russian military, as evidenced by the Wagner Groups defiance, casting doubt on his perceived omnipotence. This development has the potential to embolden other military factions, leading to domestic instability and disorder. Moreover, the fallout provides impetus to Putins adversaries, encouraging open challenges that could ignite a power struggle within the administration, further diminishing his authority. The involvement of the Wagner Group in war crimes in Ukraine further stains Russias reputation, eroding international support for Putins regime and potentially fueling domestic unrest and demonstrations, thereby jeopardising his grip on power. In essence, this situation delivers a substantial blow to Putins political power and carries far-reaching negative implications. It still has the potential to change the power balance beneath Putin. He is undoubtedly in one of the most vulnerable positions of his presidency since winning the election in 2000, but he will not give up power easily. Putin will examine any and all options for reestablishing his power over Russia in order to retain his influence, with clear ramifications for the Ukraine war. In Putins opposition in the 2024 election, from individuals to political entities, we see an all-star line-up of opposition. Alexei Navalny, an influential figure within the Russian opposition movement, has long voiced critical perspectives on Putins government. Following his poisoning in 2020 and subsequent imprisonment in 2021, Navalnys followers have continued to mobilise protests against the government, buoyed by his enduring popularity among segments of the Russian population. Grigory Yavlinsky, an esteemed economist and politician, has maintained a staunchly critical stance towards Putins administration since the early 2000s, assuming leadership of the Yabloko party to counter Putins policies. Dmitry Gudkov, an active member of the State Duma, fearlessly denounces Putins governance and expresses dissent over the Ukrainian conflict. These individuals, in conjunction with diverse political entities such as the Open Russia Foundation, Anti-Corruption Foundation, and Memorial Human Rights Center, skillfully exploit Putins diminishing authority to orchestrate protests, demand his resignation, and champion the principles of democracy and human rights. Although the ultimate outcomes of their endeavours remain uncertain, it is indisputable that they pose formidable challenges to Putins grasp on power amid the ongoing crisis unfolding in Russia. Historically, Western powers have implemented a range of strategies to undermine Putins authority and endeavour to depose him from leadership. Notably, they have wielded economic sanctions meticulously designed to target Russias economy, influential individuals, and military capabilities. These measures have effectively hindered Putins capacity to finance the ongoing conflict in Ukraine. Concurrently, Western nations have extended military assistance to Ukraine, encompassing the provision of weaponry and training, thereby bolstering Ukraines defensive capabilities against Russia and introducing complexities into Putins strategic objectives. Diplomatic isolation has been tactfully pursued, involving the expulsion of Russian diplomats and the suspension of Russias participation in international organisations. These actions have sought to diminish Russias global influence and exert mounting pressure on Putin to bring an end to the Ukrainian war. In addition, Western powers have actively supported Russian opposition groups, engaged in intelligence sharing with Ukraine, countered propaganda efforts, and fostered coalitions spanning diverse regions such as Europe, Asia, and North America. While the ultimate success of these endeavours remains uncertain, they have undoubtedly presented formidable challenges to Putins authority. The continuation of Western actions holds the potential to sustain pressure on Putins government, thereby possibly causing his eventual downfall. Nevertheless, it is imperative to acknowledge the plausibility that Putin may successfully navigate these challenges and maintain his grip on power. Only the passage of time will unveil the definitive outcome. Putins control was put to the test as armed Wagner mercenaries challenged his authority on June 24-25. While the US had knowledge of the mutiny plans, Putin was unaware. It was revealed that elements within Russian intelligence, the military, and internal security agencies colluded with Prigozhin. This shattered Putins image as an all-powerful leader and raised doubts about his role as a protector of the elite. In a televised address, Putin appeared frightened before retreating from public view. He reluctantly engaged with Prigozhin through Lukashenko, and agreed to grant safe passage to Belarus for Prigozhin and his rebels, despite casualties caused by the Wagner forces. The disloyalty within the Russian military and security services, as well as the absence of Rosgvardiya, poses a significant challenge for Putin. Loyalty in an authoritarian system is tied to perceived influence and power. With doubts about the execution of his orders, Putins options are limited. Purging the military and security services could harm combat readiness and morale. Swiftly ending the conflict with Ukraine is unlikely as Ukraine senses Putins weakness, highlighting a failed strategy. The remaining option is to suppress opposition within the elite and escalate nuclear threats over Ukraine to intimidate Western leaders. However, these actions risk driving more defections among military, security, and government personnel who seek a brighter future for Russia. Putin finds himself in Zugzwang, where any move he makes worsens his situation. The fate of Putins political career in Russia is a multifaceted and intricate matter, hinging upon a range of pivotal factors. The ongoing war in Ukraine stands as a litmus test, examining Putins authority and popularity while potentially emboldening those who oppose him. Furthermore, the strained Russian economy, resulting from the Ukrainian conflict and Western sanctions, has the potential to ignite social unrest and undermine Putins hold on power. The emergence of opposition movements that passionately criticise Putins government and call for his resignation presents a formidable challenge. Additionally, speculations surrounding Putins declining health, coupled with his age of 69, could ignite a power struggle within the government, providing a window of opportunity for his adversaries to contest his leadership on grounds of concerns regarding his governance capabilities. In a time of internal tension, rushing to find a successor is unwise. Putin needs to identify a trusted individual who can ensure his safety and immunity. Speculation of Dmitry Patrushev as prime minister in the succession plan arose but seems to have changed. In the rare event of Vladimir Putins departure from office, several potential successors have been identified. Dmitry Medvedev, the current deputy prime minister and former president of Russia, is considered a moderate figure who remains loyal to Putin. Nikolai Patrushev, the Secretary of the Security Council, is viewed as a hardliner who would likely continue Putins policies. Sergey Shoigu, the Minister of Defense, is seen as a moderate figure compared to Patrushev but would maintain a focus on military strength. Igor Kovalchuk, a wealthy businessman and personal friend of Putin, could represent the interests of the Russian elite as a potential successor. Vladimir Yakunin, a former head of Russian Railways, is also considered a potential successor representing the interests of the Russian state. However, it remains possible that a new leader could emerge, as Russias political landscape is dynamic and unpredictable. Regardless, the next leader will face significant challenges in guiding the country through economic and political uncertainties during this transitional period. The recent events unfolding in Russia and Ukraine echoing through the corridors of power, serve as a stark reminder that even authoritarian rulers face formidable challenges in governance. The prolonged conflict in Ukraine has exacted a heavy toll on the Russian economy, casting a shadow over President Putins regime. Moreover, the Wagner mutiny has cast doubts on the loyalty within Putins inner circle, fueling speculation and raising important political lessons for rulers of similar ilk. First and foremost, the significance of public support cannot be underestimated. Authoritarian leaders heavily rely on the backing of their people to cement their authority. The ongoing war in Ukraine has stirred discontent among the Russian populace, eroding their trust in the government. In tandem, the Wagner mutiny has further fractured public support, adding complexity to the rulers hold on power. Equally vital is the allegiance of the military. Authoritarian rulers must secure the unwavering support of their armed forces to preserve control. The Wagner mutiny serves as a warning sign, indicating potential fissures in the loyalty of the Russian military. These divisions pose a genuine threat to Putins rule and demand attention. Another poignant lesson is the imperative of careful planning. The decision to invade Ukraine proved a grave miscalculation by Putin, triggering a cascade of challenges for the Russian government. This serves as a cautionary tale for authoritarian rulers, urging them to weigh the consequences of their actions meticulously. Economic stability emerges as a crucial factor for maintaining power. A robust economy underpins the rulers authority, whereas economic instability can foment social unrest and jeopardise their position. A strong bureaucracy is equally essential, as it facilitates the implementation of policies and the maintenance of order. Without a well-functioning bureaucratic system, rulers face an uphill battle in sustaining control. Ultimately propaganda assumes a significant role in shaping public opinion and bolstering a rulers rule. Strategists need to be weary, as poorly crafted propaganda risks backfiring and undermining the rulers credibility. Those authoritarian rulers who are receptive to these lessons, drawing wisdom from the mistakes of their peers, and proactively mitigating the inherent risks, stand a better chance of preserving their power in the long run. Adaptability and a prudent approach to governance become indispensable attributes in navigating the treacherous waters of authoritarian rule. The author is an AML/CFT specialist and provides legal and commercial advice to businesses, government entities and law enforcement teams. He is also the Founder and Editor-in-Chief of Diplomacy Direct, where he interviews top military leaders, ambassadors and academicians on counter-terrorism, national security, geopolitics and international diplomacy. Views expressed are personal. Manish Malhotra is always trendy yet unique with his sense of styling, which he proves again with his amazing job on Rekha's all-black look, with a British-style hat, that hides Rekha's face, but not her beauty. The golden necklace, stud earrings and hand ornaments gives her an elite class woman look. (Image: Instagram) Ahead of next years crucial Lok Sabha election, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) opted for a major rejig in four states Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Jharkhand and Punjab. It was speculated for some time, particularly in Telangana. However, the timing was sudden, as has been the way BJP functions since 2014. Interestingly, two of these four new BJP state presidents are former Congress leaders with one having served as a Congress state president and the other a union minister in the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) regime. TELANGANA: RSSs BLUE-EYED BOY REMOVED The focus has been Telangana, where Bandi Sanjay has been removed and Union Minister G Kishen Reddy has been appointed as the Telangana BJP chief. Reddys are a dominant caste in the social milieu of Andhra and Telangana. Although Reddys name was doing the rounds for Telangana BJP chief for some time, he, in a press conference last week, rubbished them saying, I have no such information. There is no such plan yet. Considered the blue-eyed boy of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), the BJP had to defer his replacement, as the state RSS unit told party chief JP Nadda that replacing him will hurt the BJPs interest in the state. Sanjay was a strong anti-KCR voice in Telangana, which helped place the BJP as the main opposition in the state, in terms of perception. The BJP was also taken aback by the social media support that poured in his favour. With the Telangana election scheduled this year and having digested a defeat in Karnataka, the BJP couldnt risk it in Telangana. However, to placate the RSS concern, it is now speculated that Sanjay may find a place in Modis Council of Ministers in the next reshuffle. The BJP National President Shri @JPNadda has appointed Shri @kishanreddybjp, the MP and Union Minister, as the State President of @BJP4Telangana. pic.twitter.com/nYpUmz2rvx BJP (@BJP4India) July 4, 2023 ANDHRA: NTRS DAUGHTER, FORMER UPA-ERA MINISTER Daggubati Purandeswari, a former Union Minister of the UPA era who later switched to the BJP, will now head to the Andhra Pradesh BJP. Often touted to be the Sushma Swaraj of the South for her eloquent speeches, she is the daughter of NT Rama Rao, a famous actor-turned-politician. By appointing her as Andhra Pradesh BJP chief, the BJP can exploit NTRs legacy in a state where he is still remembered very fondly. As a Congressperson, she won from Vishakhapatnam and was made part of Dr Manmohan Singhs council of ministers twice. A vocal opponent to the creation of Telangana, she joined the BJP in 2014 as a mark of protest against the Congress. With the Andhra Pradesh election scheduled next year, where Jagan Reddys YSRCP is ruling, Purandeswaris challenge will be to ensure the BJP comes out as the main opposition party. The BJP National President Shri @JPNadda has appointed Smt. @PurandeswariBJP , the Former Union Minister, as the State President of Andhra Pradesh BJP. pic.twitter.com/ztXoiLk8np BJP (@BJP4India) July 4, 2023 PUNJAB: THEN CONG PRESIDENT, NOW BJP BOSS A former Pradesh Congress president of Punjab, Sunil Jakhar will head the BJPs organisation in the same state. Today. Nadda appointed him, replacing Ashwini Sharma. After an acrimonious stint with top Punjab Congress leaders, he switched to the BJP last year. In a press conference at BJP headquarters, he had reasoned to be nationalism, unity and brotherhood in Punjab. Time and again, before his switch, Jakhar made it clear he was unhappy with the Congress leaders who never considered him for the Chief Ministers post simply because of his religion. Punjab is a Sikh-dominated state and Jakhar is a Hindu. Soft-spoken, with an MBA degree, Jakhar has been an MLA thrice and was elected a Member of Parliament in 2017 from Gurdaspur. His main challenge will be to regroup and rejuvenate the BJPs organisation in a state where the party was shunned due to the three contentious Farmers Bills. JHARKHAND: BRINGING BACK THE TRIBAL FACTOR Raghubar Das, the first ever non-tribal Chief Minister of Jharkhand, a state dominated by tribals, couldnt help the BJP win a second term. In the run-up to the Assembly election last time, many within the state BJP suggested that Arjun Munda an old BJP hand and tribal be made the Chief Ministerial face of the BJP. Not wishing to deviate from its custom of bringing in a new CM face ahead of an election in a state where the BJP has a Chief Minister, the BJP didnt pay heed. The BJP lost Jharkhand hands down, with even Das losing his seat. With Jharkhand scheduled to go to polls again next year, the BJP has brought in Babulal Marandi. Not only is he a tribal, but he has been the Chief Minister of Jharkhand when the state was carved out of Bihar. As an old hand who knows how to run sangathan or organization and a cool-headed person who is approachable, Marandi was the obvious choice for Nadda. In 2019, when Sharad Pawar was addressing a rally in Satara, he was drenched in rain, but he continued his speech. The event was hugely supported by his Karyakartas, and received a lot of praise online. The message that was conveyed then was quite clear, that an 82-year-old leader is still working hard to reach out to his voters. Cut to 2023, Sharad Pawars Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) is in shambles his nephew Ajit Pawar has taken around nine MLAs with him and the party is on the verge of what looks like a split. But, on Monday, the NCP patriarch, whose political career spans over more than 55 years, was back at Karad, which is part of parliamentary constituency of Satara, to reach out to voters. We do not really care who will contest as MLA from our constituency, if Pawar Saheb says a stone is your MLA, we will even vote for him. My MLA has turned out to be traitor, but I am with Pawar Saheb. I will not vote for him now, said a youngster from Baramati (where Ajit Pawar is the MLA), who was attending Sharad Pawars public meet at Karad. While Pawar senior was standing on stage, he needed the support of his guard. He was holding the hand of his escort staff. Just like in 2019, Satara MP Shrinivas Patil was standing right behind him, as a mark of support and his dedication to Sharad Pawar and party to which Patil has given more than two decades of his life. The message here was clear again that while Pawar sees a split in his family and party, he is reaching out to his voters again, asking them to support him. Again, a leader covering more than 500 km in a day from 8 am onwards until midnight gives a message that he is the driving force of the party. While addressing his voters, Pawar made his stance clear that if the state goes in for a poll in the six months, he would need their support. We have stood against forces who are trying to break us, but unfortunately some of us were left out. But with your support, we will be strong again. Maharashtra will again move forward on the path of progress, said Pawar senior. At Karad, Sharad Pawar paid tributes at the Samadhi of Yashwantrao Chavan, his mentor and former chief minister, hinting at the fact that he is going to fight for his party with the blessings of his guru. Today is Gurupurnima (July 3). On this day, we all took the blessings of Chavan Saheb. What can be better than starting a campaign to get the support of the people of Maharashtra. In the next six months, we will get a chance to go to the public, said Pawar. After Karad, Pawar headed to Satara, briefly spoke to media and addressed an event to commemorate the efforts of Anna Saheb, a Dalit leader, for his contribution towards the community and the field of education. Pawar would have ended his day around midnight, when after reaching Silver Oak at Mumbai, he held a meeting with his legal team along with party leader and his daughter Supriya Sule. Having begun his day at 8 am, Pawar senior left from his residence at Modibaug in Pune, where he was accompanied by several MLAs and MPs from Pune and Satara, and his grandson Rohit Pawar. Throughout his Shakti Pradasan, while his convoy would pass different constituencies, his supporters would gather on highway, gift him a bouquet and shawl before he could head further. Some had gathered carrying his pictures, party flag and were playing party anthem. At prominent locations, Sharad Pawars car was showered with flowers. A message put out across his route through posters and flexes was quite clear Aamhi Sahebansobat (We are with Pawar Saheb). Putting a fitting end to his Shakti Pradasan, Pawars convoy was led by a bike rally by his workers carrying party flags to the educational event in Satara, where he was the chief guest. The High Court of Jharkhand on Tuesday exempted Congress leader Rahul Gandhi from personal appearance in a Ranchi court in the Modi surname case. Justice SK Dwivedi also ordered that no coercive steps be taken against Gandhi. The senior Congress leader had moved the high court challenging the Ranchi MP-MLA court order that had directed him to appear in person in a defamation case. The case will be heard again on August 16. One Pradeep Modi had filed the defamation case against Gandhi for his alleged comment "why all thieves share the Modi surname" made at an election rally in April 2019. In a similar case earlier, the metropolitan magistrate's court in Surat on March 23 sentenced Gandhi to two years in jail after holding him guilty for this remark. The conviction led to his disqualification as the MP from Wayanad in Kerala. The Congress leader was released on bail by the Surat court to enable him to challenge the verdict. Former union minister Praful Patel, who was among those who extended support to the BJP-Shiv Sena (Eknath Shinde) government in Maharashtra, claimed there is no split in the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) and said Ajit Pawars faction has the support of more than 40 out of 53 MLAs. In an exclusive interview with CNN-News18, Patel, who was sacked from the NCP by Sharad Pawar, said there was a discussion in the party for quite some time that they wanted to be a part of the government. He said he has no hesitation to convince Sharad Pawar or Supriya Sule for his decision. There is no split in my party. But if someone claims otherwise, there is no other forum except Speaker or the Election Commission. But I hope it wont go to that stage," he said. ALSO READ: The Maha Picture: As NCP Clock Ticks, Who Will Stand the Test of Time Sharad Pawar or Ajit? After the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government collapsed in 2022 following the rebellion of Shiv Senas Eknath Shinde, Patel said party leaders wanted to go with the BJP but a decision was not taken. When the MVA collapsed, all our elected leaders, without any exception, wanted to go with the BJP even our rank and file wanted to explore it. There was no ideological barrier because we had already broken it with Shiv Sena which was much more rabid than the BJP. But no decision was taken The thought process of forming the government with the BJP at some point was never ruled out, he said. The rebel NCP leader said Ajit Pawar was upset and it was one of the factors to join the NDA government. When there is a large party, there is always some dissent, internal miscommunication. Combination of all the factors put together, he said. Asked about portfolio allocation, Patel said: Obviously, we will have good portfolios." Prodded further if Ajit Pawar could be handed finance, he said: Why not? He has done a good job in the past." He added: If we are coming in the government, we will expect that we have a substantial role in contributing to the progress of Maharashtra. Treat us as per merit." Asked to comment on Sharad Pawars betrayal remark, Patel said, I think, putting his photo is a sign of respect. Let me tell you very clearly, nothing has been done to violate any larger principles of the party. Meanwhile, the Sharad Pawar-led NCP on Tuesday issued a whip to all MLAs asking them to remain present for a key meeting on Wednesday. A similar meeting has been called by the rival group headed by Ajit Pawar. Sharad Pawars NCP has moved a petition before Assembly Speaker Rahul Narwekar seeking the disqualification of Ajit Pawar and eight other MLAs who have taken oath as ministers in the Eknath Shinde-led government. Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar on Tuesday praised Prime Minister Narendra Modis leadership and asserted there is no alternative to him, while the rival NCP factions geared up for crucial meetings post-split in what is likely to be a show of strength by them. The Congress Legislature Party met on Tuesday, while the two rival factions of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) will hold their separate conclaves on Wednesday, which is expected to bring some clarity on the number of MLAs in each camp and decide their way forward. The NCP has 53 MLAs in the 288-member House and the Ajit Pawar camp has claimed the support of 40 of them. The Sharad Pawar and Ajit Pawar factions of the NCP will hold their meetings in Yashwantrao Chavan Centre in south Mumbai and Bhujbal Knowledge City in suburban Bandra, respectively. NCP president Sharad Pawar has called a meeting at 1pm, while the Ajit Pawar faction, which has aligned with the Eknath Shinde-BJP government will gather at 11 am. Three days after switching over to the ruling camp from the Opposition along with eight other NCP MLAs, Ajit Pawar was effusive in his praise of Modi as he inaugurated his factions new office in south Mumbai. The country is marching ahead under his (Modis) leadership. We have joined the government to support him. There is no leader like Modi. There is no alternative to him, he said. Ajit Pawar indicated the allocation of portfolios for the new entrants in the state ministry may not be announced immediately. He attributed the delay to Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and his deputy Devendra Fadnavis leaving for Nagpur to welcome President Droupadi Murmu. We all have decided to work together. There is no question of disgruntlement, he said, when asked if some members in the Shinde group are unhappy over his inclusion in the ministry. The Congress Legislature Party (CLP) met on Tuesday, but didnt discuss the issue of the Leader of Opposition in the Maharashtra Assembly and has decided to adopt a wait and watch" approach amid the fast-paced political developments in the state, a senior leader said. It was earlier said the Congress might discuss the issue of staking claim to the post of LoP after Ajit Pawar resigned from the post and joined the Shiv Sena-BJP government on July 2. At the CLP meeting held at Vidhan Bhavan here, the Congress decided to work for strengthening the party as well as the Opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) of which it is one of the constituents along with the Sharad Pawar-led NCP faction and the Shiv Sena (UBT), the leader said. The meeting was attended by AICC in-charge of Maharashtra HK Patil and 39 out of 45 MLAs, including CLP leader Balasaheb Thorat. We will strengthen the MVA and the Congress. We have supported Uddhav Thackeray and Sharad Pawar. We will wait and watch how developments unfold in the coming days," said HK Patil. Congress leaders also met Sharad Pawar and expressed solidarity with him amid the crisis in his party, while a weakened MVA decided to will launch a statewide tour to galvanise its workers to take on the Shiv Sena-BJP government. After attending the CLP meeting, state Congress president Nana Patole and working president Naseem Khan went to YB Chavan Centre to meet Sharad Pawar. The Congress condemns the manner in which the BJP engineered a split in the NCP legislature party. The MVA will stay united and defeat the BJP," Patole told reporters. CLP leader Thorat said the MVA will emerge stronger in view of the current crisis as people are with the Opposition bloc. Congress leader Naseem Khan said the MVA will soon launch a state-wide tour to galvanise its workers to fight the Eknath Shinde-BJP government. Sharad Pawar on Tuesday said only the party of which he is president and Jayant Patil the Maharashtra unit chief should use his photograph. Those who betrayed" his ideology should not use his photo, the former Union agriculture minister told reporters. Incidentally, the senior Pawars photo was seen at the new office of the Ajit faction in south Mumbai. Sharad Pawar is seeking legal opinion to tackle the crisis in the 24-year-old party caused by his nephew Ajit Pawar joining the Shiv Sena-BJP government and claiming the support of the bulk of MLAs, party sources said. Sharad Pawar, who returned from Satara on Monday night, is holding discussions with legal experts on how to handle the ongoing developments, said NCP national spokesperson Clyde Crasto. Taking a legal opinion is necessary as this issue concerns Schedule 10 of the Constitution (which deals with defections)," he said. According to Crasto, the Ajit Pawar-led group doesnt enjoy the support of more than 13 MLAs and can attract the provisions of the anti-defection law. A clear picture of the support of Sharad Pawar will emerge tomorrow (Wednesday) at the meeting convened by Sharad Pawar at 1 pm," Crasto said. Amid tussle between the rival camps to control the party after the split, Maharashtra NCP president Jayant Patil said the group led by Ajit Pawar has no right to remove him from the post. A day earlier, the Ajit Pawar camp appointed Sunil Tatkare as the Maharashtra NCP president in place of Jayant Patil. It also asked the Maharashtra Assembly Speaker to disqualify Jayant Patil and Jitendra Awhad from membership of the House. The faction led by (Ajit Pawar) is a Notionalist Party. They have no right to remove me from the post (of NCP state unit president)," Jayant Patil told reporters. Maharashtra minister and BJP leader Sudhir Mungantiwar dared the Sharad Pawar-led NCP to parade the number of MLAs supporting them. Speaking to reporters, Mungantiwar said, I challenge them (Sharad Pawar-led NCP) to show the number of MLAs supporting them. The MLAs are behind Ajit Pawar. He has chosen to go with development and truth. The political controversy over allegations of providing refuge" to gangster-turned-politician Mukhtar Ansari in a Punjab jail by the previous government escalated on Monday as Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann launched a fresh salvo at former Jail Minister Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa, revealing a confidential letter, while the Congress leader threatened to take legal action against the former. Levelling further allegations against the previous Congress government for being lenient towards dreaded gangster Ansari during his time in Ropar jail, the Chief Minister released a letter written by Randhawa. The letter, dated April 1, 2021, addressed to former Punjab chief minister Capt Amarinder Singh, stated: I want to clarify that I do not know why this dreaded gangster wanted in many cases in Uttar Pradesh is lodged in a Punjab jail. You very well know my personal opinion against the criminals and gangsters. I have infact received many threats from gangsters and criminals because of which you provided me with a bullet proof vehicle and adequate security cover. He also said that the Ansari issue was picking heat in the political circles of the state. Media is also raising the question over his stay at Ropar jail. I am unable to give a satisfactory reply to the questions about government intentions which are being raised repeatedly in the media. I am incharge of the jails department, however, we have no power over getting anyone inside our sending anyone outside the jail." He told the former CM that You hold the portfolio of Home Affairs so kindly clarify on the issue so that we are able to save embarrassment to our party. The letter also revealed that previous meetings had taken place regarding the issue. I and my department officials have met you personally on the issue. The image of our Congress party is also being affected due to Mukhtar Ansari issue. I faced embarrassment at hands of media while I was touring Uttar Pradesh recently. Kindly clarify. I assure you that incase any official of my department is associated with the development, we will not spare him, it read. On the other hand, Randhawa, while refuting the charges, has claimed he would file a defamation case against Mann, accusing him of engaging in character assassination. Randhawa criticised the AAP leader for accusing him of providing favours to Ansari. Mann, on Sunday, announced that he would recover the sum of Rs 55 lakh, which was allegedly spent on Ansaris cosy stay in Rupnagar jail during the previous Congress government in the state, from former chief minister Amarinder Singh and then jail minister Randhawa. Mann stated that if Singh, who is now a BJP leader, and Randhawa, a Congress MLA, fail to repay the amount, their pensions and other benefits would be discontinued. Sharad Pawars Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) is seeing an encore of what Maharashtra witnessed with the Shiv Sena last year. After taking oath as a cabinet minister and deputy chief minister, Ajit Pawar has also now staked claim to the party and its symbol. ALSO READ | Ajits Ne-Phew Moment! NCPs Maha Shock Comes after Sharad Pawars Resignation, New Working Presidents On Monday, NCP National President Pawar started taking action against leaders of the Ajit faction. He issued orders, through a tweet, to remove MP Praful Patel and Sunil Tatkare, who were appointed as Working Presidents and general secretary, respectively, from the party. The allegation against these leaders is that despite being office-bearers, they didnt stop the MLAs from defecting, rather supported them to join the Ajit faction. Pawar also removed some junior leaders who joined Ajit. However, soon, Ajit announced the new appointments of his faction calling them official. Patel appointed Sunil Tatkare as the State President and announced that Jayant Patil, who was holding that post till then, has been asked to vacate it. Patel also announced that Ajit has been made the leader of the Legislative Party. In the same press conference, Ajit announced that the way the Pawar faction has appointed the Whip and Leader of Opposition is not legal, and it is the call of the Assembly speaker. Hence, the Ajit Pawar faction has moved a disqualification plea against NCP leader Jayant Patil and Jitendra Awhad. By taking action against each other, both the factions are now staking claim to the party and symbol. This is exactly what had happened last year with the Shiv Sena, when Eknath Shinde had revolted against Uddhav Thackeray. THE NUMBER GAME So far, Ajit Pawar has claimed that he has the support of the MLAs of the NCP, but has not showed a letter of their support to the media. In case of Shinde, whenever a Shiv Sena MLA used to join his camp, there were visuals of him welcoming the leader, which gave a real-time count of how many MLAs were supporting Shinde. ALSO READ | Ajits Pawar Play in Maharashtra: His Role in NCP & State Government | From 2019 to 2023 But here, Praful Patel and Ajit Pawar have asked the Sharad Pawar faction to show their strength. Those who are calling themselves the real party should show how many MLAs are with them. We, being the NCP, have the support of a majority of the MLAs, otherwise we would not have joined the state government, said Patel. I, as the National President, Nationalist Congress Party hereby order removal of the names of Shri Sunil Tatkare and Shri Praful Patel from the Register of Members of NCP Party for anti-party activities.@praful_patel @SunilTatkare Sharad Pawar (@PawarSpeaks) July 3, 2023 According to the sources within the NCP, the way Surpiya Sule and Jayant Patil made appointments did not go down well with many leaders of the party. Hence, many approached Ajit Pawar against these two. In recent times, all have seen the battle between Eknath Shinde and Uddhav Thackeray. The same legal battle is expected in the case of NCP vs NCP. The first round of this battle will be at the Assembly speakers court, where both the factions have filed disqualification petitions against the others leaders. JULY 5: THE REAL PICTURE TO RELEASE A seasoned politician like Sharad Pawar, who is considered to be a step ahead of his opponent, has decided to take this issue to the people of Maharashtra. Pawar will tour Maharashtra, especially constituencies of the nine MLAs, including Ajit Pawars Baramati, who took oath as cabinet ministers in the Eknath Shinde-Devendra Fadnavis government. Pawar will ask people to decide which the real NCP is and who they support. It will be a tough choice for NCP leaders as both Ajit Pawar and Sharad Pawar have good control. ALSO READ | Ajit Pawars Maha Switch: A Short-Circuit for Oppositions Sharad Power Line & Unity? On July 5, the picture will be clear as both the factions of the NCP have called a meeting of their leaders and supporters at two different locations in Mumbai. The Sharad Pawar versus Ajit Pawar fight has added another chapter to Maharashtras political rivalries between uncle and nephew, following Balasaheb Thackeray versus Raj Thackeray, Gopinath Munde versus Dhananjay Munde and Balasaheb Thorat versus Satyajit Tambe. One after another, major chip makers are selecting Gujarat to set up their units. Micron Technologies and Vedanta Foxconn Semiconductors Ltd both are on track to establish their plants in the state. But why Gujarat? According to the semiconductor industry, the Micron and Vedanta Foxconn projects are just two examples of the growing interest in semiconductor manufacturing in Gujarat. And there are several reasons why Gujarat is emerging as a preferred semiconductor manufacturing destination. These projects are expected to create thousands of jobs and generate billions of dollars in investment. They are a sign that Gujarat is well-positioned to become a major player in the global semiconductor industry. There are four major factors behind Gujarat becoming the preferred state for the semiconductor ecosystem. These include government support, the existing infrastructure, the talent pool, location advantage, and political stability in the state. It is believed that the Gujarat government has been very supportive of the semiconductor industry, offering a number of incentives to attract investment. These include subsidies on power, water, and land, as well as tax breaks. This is the only state in India that has a dedicated semiconductor policy. Gujarat has a well-developed infrastructure, including a strong power grid, a deepwater port, and a well-connected transportation network. This makes it an attractive location for semiconductor manufacturing, which is a capital-intensive industry that requires a reliable supply of power and a good transportation network. Additionally, the state has a large pool of skilled workers, many of whom have experience in the manufacturing sector. This makes it a good location for semiconductor manufacturing, which requires a skilled workforce. Industry insiders also point out that Gujarat is located in the western part of India, which is close to the major markets in Europe and West Asia. This makes it a good location for exporting semiconductors. Additionally, Gujarat is a politically stable state, which is important for businesses that are investing in long-term projects. Geographical advantage Dr Sailesh Lachu Hiranandani, who is the chairman of SRAM & MRAM Group, told News18: Gujarat boasts of excellent infrastructure facilities, including well-developed industrial parks and special economic zones (SEZs) dedicated to the electronics and semiconductor sectors, offering conducive infrastructure, transportation, and logistics facilities. The state government has also taken various policies and initiatives to promote the semiconductor industry, offering incentives, tax benefits, and subsidies to attract semiconductor companies to set up manufacturing units in the state. A large market, as well as proximity to key markets in India and neighbouring countries, also plays a pivotal role here. Sudhir Naik, treasurer at India Electronics & Semiconductor Association (IESA) and founder of eInfochips, Gujarat, also talked about some geographical advantages. Gujarat has a unique advantage of a 940 sq km land parcel, which is not available anywhere in India or Asia. This land is ideal for semiconductor manufacturing, which requires a lot of space, he said. According to him, the availability of the canal in the heart of Dholera that provides water from the Narmada Dam also makes this place ideal for manufacturing operations. Dholera, well-connected to Ahmedabad by road and rail, will also have a large international airport, which will make it easy to transport goods and people. Furthermore, Naik said: Gujarat is a power surplus state, so there is no risk of outages. It is also a hub for chemicals and other gases, which are essential for semiconductor manufacturing. The policy Hiranandani specifically highlighted the role of Gujarats semiconductor policy. According to him, it played a significant role in setting the benchmark as a preferred destination for the semiconductor industry. The policy also supports various incentives, benefits, and provisions to encourage investments in the state, for instance, capital subsidies, interest subsidies, tax exemptions, and reimbursement of land costs, he added. Furthermore, the industry insider said that the state also ensures the availability of world-class infrastructure facilities, including reliable power supply, water, telecommunications connectivity, and other amenities necessary for semiconductor companies. Single-window clearance by the local government simplifies the bureaucratic procedures and reduces the time and effort required for obtaining necessary approvals, permits, and licences, noted Hiranandani. Overall, Gujarat has a number of advantages that make it an attractive location for semiconductor manufacturing. These advantages are likely to continue to attract investment in the future, as the global demand for semiconductors continues to grow. Reports of people getting banned from pubs, schools and many places due to excessive tattoos on their bodies has come to the fore quite a lot lately. Now, a 46-year-old mother, who has more than 800 tattoos on her body, is going through the same. Melissa Sloan from Wales, who doesnt hold a Guinness World Record but believes she is the worlds most tattooed person", has been banned from many public spaces, including parlours, schools and pubs, among others. And most surprisingly, she has been banned from work as well. I cant get a job. They wont have me. I applied for a job cleaning toilets where I live and they wont have me because of my tattoos," Melissa told Daily Star. In fact, she also struggles with watching her own children play in the school as she has been barred from entering the premises. She alleged that she had to observe her children play from outside the window because her alternative appearance prevents people from seeing past it". Even getting tattooed has become problematic for her, as tattoo artists have refused to work on her face, fearing her excessive addiction to ink. Melissas entire face is filled with tattoos, featuring intricate designs of flowers and crucifixes that span across her cheeks, chin, and forehead. Unsatisfied with just one layer, she proceeded to ink over the existing designs until her face was covered twice. Since then, she has repeated this process a third time and now believes she possesses the most inked face in the world. She confesses to being addicted" to tattoos and acquires three new designs each week, with the help of her partner in order to minimise costs. Melissa has plans to continue getting tattoos on her body. I could do a bit more on my legs perhaps, Ill go blackout in the end - once you go over it enough times it wont work, it goes black or blue," she said. There is no certainty of life and the only certainty of life is death. Recently, a dead woman woke up on the way to her funeral leaving her loved ones stunned. The incident happened on June 29, in Udon Thani province in Thailand where a woman named Chataporn Sriphonla, who was declared dead, was being transported home from the hospital. According to Daily Star, paramedics believed the 49-year-old woman had stopped breathing and appeared to be dead. Her elderly mother Mali called her relatives to let them know about her death which they initially thought was due to her battle with liver cancer. Speaking with the publication, Mali said that Sriphonla was being treated for cancer at the hospital, but the doctors told them that she only had a slim chance of survival. I wanted her to spend her last moments with the family, so I arranged for her to be taken back to our home. We were heartbroken to find that she had died on the way home," her mother added. The grieving family immediately started preparing for the funeral as per Buddhist tradition which included, buying a casket and coordinating with temple staff for the ceremonies. Instead of taking Sriphonlas body home, they diverted the van to Phadung Pattana Temple where the corpse was supposed to be kept overnight. The passengers in the van were stunned when the dead woman" suddenly gasped and opened her eyes. Confused with her daughters miraculous revival, Mali again called her relatives to joyously inform them about her daughter waking up. The family members were said to be confused but they believed the woman held on to be able to see her children before she died. Meanwhile, Sriphonla was then rushed to Ban Dung Crown Prince Hospital where she was under medical supervision. This is similar to another recent incident where a 76-year-old woman from Ecuador woke up inside a coffin at her funeral. However, she died a week later at the hospital due to a heart stroke. A woman staff at a skin and hair clinic here, who allegedly stole a diamond ring worth Rs 30.69 lakh of a customer, flushed it down a toilet commode out of fear of getting caught, police said on Monday. During the course of investigation, police recovered the ring from the pipeline connecting the commode with the help of a plumber and the woman employee was subsequently arrested for theft, they said. According to police, the complainant (a woman) visited the clinic located in the posh Jubilee Hills last week for hair removal and the woman staff, who took up the hair removal procedure, asked her to keep the ring in a box which she did. It was only after reaching her house that the complainant realised that she forgot her ring at the clinic and enquired with the staff about it and later lodged a police complaint, a police official said. After police took up investigation and questioned the staff, the woman employee (who picked up the ring) reportedly confessed to police that she had stolen the ring and kept it in her purse. But she added that she later threw it in the commode of the washroom located in the clinic fearful of getting caught by police, the official said. There are not many cultures in the world where monarchy still holds administrative power over the state, but the Zulu tribe in South Africa still has a king ruling them. The king may not have executive powers but he holds a high moral influence over the people. The Zulu tribe has a powerful history. When the British colonised almost half the world, including South Africa, the Zulus were the only ones to put up a fight and keep the British at bay. Today, constitutionally, it is part of South Africa, but people believe in the king here. All may not be well with the ruling king Misuzulu Zulu, who believes he may have been poisoned. 48-year-old Misuzulu Zulu, who rules over the countrys most influential traditional monarchy, has been left rattled after the death of a close advisor. Prima facie, the advisor had been poisoned and now King Misuzulu fears he may have been poisoned too. According to AFP, a spokesman said that while visiting neighbouring Eswatini, the king underwent a thorough medical examination and checkup. Prince Mangosuthu Buthelezi, Zulu Prime Minister, released a press notice saying that the king was hospitalised overnight in Eswatini after falling ill, but is in good health now. King Misuzulu may have just been paranoid of a conspiracy but he has a good reason for it. He had ascended to the throne after a bitter feud for power after the passing of his father, former king Goodwill Zwelithini. Several police sources in Eswatini confirmed to AFP that there was heavy security deployed at a private hospital close to the countrys royal residence. Six women and at least 28 children were left behind by King Zwelithini, who passed away after more than 50 years in power. Zwelithinis third wife, whom he named as regent in his will, is the mother of Misuzulu, his first child. The queen died abruptly, after a month of Zwelithini and the queens will. Misuzulu then took charge as the new king, which did not sit well with the other family members, leading to a feud. A video which is currently going viral features actress Sushmita Sen as she recalls her Miss Universe pageant days. In the video, she can be seen talking about how Miss Philippines came to her rescue on the big day. Twitter user Mimansa Shekhar uploaded and old interview of the actress on her official handle and it has now gone viral. In the video, the actress reveals that she lost her earrings on the main day. This is when then Miss Philippines Charlene Gonzales came into the picture and said that Youre in my country, anything that you need, I can help you. What happens next will make your heart melt. Also Read: Bengaluru Man Gambled Away Rs 70 Lakh, Heres How He Reunited With Upset Family Here, have a look at the viral video: Found this adorable anecdote from #SushmitaSen's Miss Universe pageant (1994) when she lost her earrings for the finale round, and how Miss Phillipines came to her rescue. The competition took place in #Phillipines that year.#CharleneGonzales pic.twitter.com/jxwQNL0S2Y Mimansa Shekhar | (@mimansashekhar) July 3, 2023 I remember another Philipino Miss Lydia De Vega who won the 100 and 200 meters gold in 1982 Asian games in New Delhi, wrote a Twitter user. The video, since being uploaded, has garnered over 1.4K views. Meanwhile, on the professional front, Sushmita will be seen in the role of transgender activist Gauri Sawant in the upcoming project Taali. As of now, the makers have released the first motion poster and it has managed to wow her fans. Taali is directed by Ravi Jadhav and will soon be released on JioCinema. Also Read: Whats Stopping You?: Viral Pic of Couple Kissing While Hanging on Train Gets Hilarious Replies This first look at Sushmita Sens upcoming project has piqued the interest of fans. However, there is also some anxiousness to see her deliver another stunning performance as she brings Gauri Sawants story to life. A fand wrote, Super excited for this masterpiece," while another said, Waiting for this, only you could have done this. Anything that has you would be remarkable." The world is still mourning the life that have been lost in the Titan Submarine tragedy. The submarine, on its daring expedition to the Titanic shipwreck site, descended to a depth of 13,000 feet beneath the seas surface. However, no on thought that things would take such a tragical turn. The submersible tragically imploded near the spot where Titanic sank. This claimed the lives of all five individuals aboard the vessel. Now, a report by The New York Times sheds light on the terrifying experience of Christine, the wife and mother of Shahzada and Suleman Dawood, two of the passengers, who lost their lives. It all started in 2012 after visiting a Titanic exhibit in Singapore. The fascination grew during a trip to Greenland in 2019. Then, Christine saw an advertisement by OceanGate where it was offering trips to the wreckage. Initially, it was her who was supposed to accompany her billionaire husband. However, due to some delays, their 19-year-old son took her place. Also Read: YouTuber Shares Footage of Trip in Titan Submarine Just Days Before Implosion The family had spent $250,000 for each member. However, their experience on board the Polar Prince, the mother ship, was not that great. Christine revealed how they had to sleep in cramped rooms with bunk beds, dined on buffet-style meals served on trays. These people also had to attend continuous meetings from 7 am to 7 pm. However, the passengers were offered the opportunity to watch the movie Titanic. These continuous meeting that the passengers had to attend focussed on the submersibles safety. However, there were many technical aspects that they did not understand. She admitted, That engineering side, we just had no idea." Amid all of this, the passengers also had several interactions with Stockton Rush, the founder and CEO of OceanGate. On board the Polar Prince, the passengers were prepared for what awaited them. Christine mentioned how the passengers were warned about potential condensation on the subs floor. Passengers were also asked to put their favourite songs onto the subs music player as the journey could be really long. The subs lights were off in order to conserve battery. However, the occupants were told that they would be able to watch of bioluminescent sea creatures. Also Read: Did The Simpsons Predict Missing Titanic Submarine? Christine also recalled how Shahzada expressed his discontent with the required equipment before he entered submersible. This is how the passengers spent their last few hours. Who knew that the ill fated incident would take all of their lives? Chinese President Xi Jinping on Tuesday called on the SCO member countries to safeguard regional peace and ensure common security besides focussing on pragmatic cooperation to speed up economic recovery. Addressing the 23rd meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Council of Heads of State (CHS) presided by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in a virtual format, President Xi underscored efforts to uphold multilateralism and improve global governance. In a veiled criticism of the United States, Xi called for opposing hegemonism and power politics and making the system of global governance fairer and more equitable. He also made a pitch for the SCO members to synergise high-quality cooperation under his pet multi-billion dollar project the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) with various countries development strategies and regional cooperation initiatives. The BRI is a multi-billion-dollar initiative launched by President Xi when he came to power in 2013. It aims to link Southeast Asia, Central Asia, the Gulf region, Africa and Europe with a network of land and sea routes. The USD 60 billion China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) is the flagship project of the BRI. India has strongly protested China over the CPEC as it is being laid through the Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK). India is also critical of the BRI, which drew global concerns over Chinas debt diplomacy of extending huge loans to smaller countries for unsustainable infrastructure projects. Xi said SCO member states should have better synergize high-quality cooperation under BRI with various countries development strategies and regional cooperation initiatives, the state-run Xinhua news agency reported. He also called for efforts to safeguard regional peace and ensure common security and strengthen exchanges and mutual learning among SCO and foster closer people-to-people ties. The virtual summit under Indias presidency was attended by leaders of Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Pakistan and Iran as well. The Beijing-headquartered SCO founded in Shanghai in 2001 is an economic and security bloc comprising China, Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, India and Pakistan. India has summoned Canadian High Commissioner in Delhi over Khalistani extremists threats against Indian diplomats in Canada through propaganda material. In the last few days, banners circulating on social media have been threatening to target Indian foreign officers in Canada and Australia. It appears that the Khalistani groups aim to revive the movement, following the killing of Hardeep Singh Nijjar. Khalistani groups have also released a poster targeting Indian Ambassador to the US Taranjit Singh Sandhu after the reported vandalism and arson by them at the Indian consulate in San Francisco on Sunday. In the new poster, Sandhu and TV Nagendra Prasad, Consul General, Consulate General of India, San Francisco, have been accused of playing a role in the June killing of Khalistan Tiger Force chief and designated terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar. The Indian government is in touch with the higher authorities in the US, who will take strong action in the matter. Congress leader Abhishek Singhvi backed Centres move. He tweeted: I strongly stand with the Indian government in their formal and informal opposition/action to/against Khalistan activities primarily in Canada and other countries. If their authorities are too dumb to see the snake they are harbouring, it will comeback to bite them. They have been warned." I strongly stand with the Indian Govt in their formal & informal opposition/action to/against #Khalistan activities primarily in Canada & other countries. If their authorities are too dumb to see the snake they are harbouring, it will comeback to bite them. They have been warned Abhishek Singhvi (@DrAMSinghvi) July 4, 2023 This move to summon envoy also comes after the Indian consulate in San Francisco was subjected to arson during the early hours of Sunday morning. This is the second attack on the consulate by Khalistan supporters in a span of five months. The first attack was in March. Canada Assures Action Canada has assured India of the safety of its diplomats following the circulation of Khalistani posters online which named Indian officials and termed the promotional material circulating ahead of a Khalistan rally unacceptable". The statement by Canadian Foreign Minister Melanie Joly came a day after External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said India has asked its partner countries such as Canada, the UK and the US not to give space to extremist Khalistani ideology" as it is not good" for relations. Stressing Canadas commitment to the safety of diplomats, Minister Joly highlighted the countrys adherence to the Vienna Conventions. Canada takes its obligations under the Vienna Conventions regarding the safety of diplomats very seriously," she said in the statement on her Twitter account on Tuesday. NIA INITIATES PROBE: SOURCES The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has launched an investigation into the attacks on Indian missions in Canada and the US, which are suspected to have connections to Khalistani terrorists. A team from the investigative agency is set to depart from India in the near future to gather evidence and statements pertaining to the case. Sources within the NIA indicate that investigators may be heading to the US within the coming week. However, the agency has not issued an official statement regarding the case as of now. The Indian consulate in San Francisco was subjected to arson during the early hours of Sunday morning, specifically between 1:30 and 2:30 am. This is the second attack on the consulate by Khalistan supporters in a span of five months. The first attack was in March. https://twitter.com/CNNnews18/status/1676049270133391361 The fire was suppressed quickly by the San Francisco Fire Department. There was no report of any major damage or injury to staffers. Local, state and federal authorities were notified about the incident. The US Department of State has strongly condemned the act of violence. The U.S. strongly condemns the reported vandalism and attempted arson against the Indian Consulate in San Francisco on Saturday. Vandalism or violence against diplomatic facilities or foreign diplomats in the U.S. is a criminal offense," Matthew Miller, spokesperson for the US State Department tweeted. https://twitter.com/StateDeptSpox/status/1676013681191145473?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1676013681191145473%7Ctwgr%5E338176344be25f604d3103f8cd61fa8b678e37da%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.hindustantimes.com%2Findia-news%2Fkhalistan-supporters-khalistani-fire-indian-consulate-in-san-francisco-us-matthew-mille-101688428499522.html Khalistani Groups have released a video linking the attack with the death of Hardeep Singh Nijjar and the way video was shot setting up a camera outside consulate establishes that separatist groups want to send out a message. Since the killing of Hardeep Singh Nijjar, Khalistan Groups have been attempting to link the killing as a work of Indian intelligence. In fact, there have been several protests in Canada and US against India. NIA Initiates Probe: Sources The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has launched an investigation into the attacks on Indian missions in Canada and the US, which are suspected to have connections to Khalistani terrorists. A team from the investigative agency is set to depart from India in the near future to gather evidence and statements pertaining to the case. Sources within the NIA indicate that investigators may be heading to the US within the coming week. However, the agency has not issued an official statement regarding the case as of now. Previous Attack Khalistan supporters had in March allegedly attacked Indian Consulate in San Francisco. Following the incident, India had lodged a strong protest with US Charge dAffaires in New Delhi. Videos had emerged on social media of Khalistani supporters, breaking the doors and barging into the office while loud Punjabi music played in the background. https://twitter.com/pun_fact/status/1637637629398118402?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1637637629398118402%7Ctwgr%5Ef1c6f49943f969fdda6e4bcb3c89dc0ca8e1ce1b%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.news18.com%2Fworld%2Fkhalistan-supporters-attack-indian-consulate-in-san-francisco-on-camera-7340317.html The supporters also painted graffiti with the words #FREEAmritpal on the wall of the building. The videos showed men smashing the glass on doors and windows of the consulate building with the wooden butt of the Khalistan flags they were earlier seen waving. In another attack, the tricolour flying atop the Indian High Commission in London was pulled down by a group of protesters waving separatist Khalistani flags and chanting pro-Khalistani slogans. Images of shattered windows and men climbing the India House building were circulating on social media and videos from the scene show an Indian official grabbing the flag from a protester through the first-floor window of the mission, while the protester is seen waving a Khalistan flag hanging off its ledge. An Indian-origin man was fatally stabbed in a park in an eastern England town last week and a 16-year-old boy has been charged with the murder, the UK police said on Tuesday. The teenager, who cannot be named for legal reasons as he is a minor, appeared at Luton Magistrates' Court after he was charged with the murder of Ashish Sachdev Nahar. Bedfordshire Police officers on Thursday evening found 25-year-old Nahar with stab injuries at Jubilee Park in Bedford. He was taken to hospital but was pronounced dead shortly after arrival. A post-mortem held on Monday found the cause of death to be a single stab wound to the heart. The police have only said he has been charged with the murder. No further details are available yet. "We are still keen to hear from anyone who saw what happened or may have heard some information over the weekend, said Detective Chief Inspector Katie Dounias from the Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire, and Hertfordshire Major Crime Unit, who is leading the investigation. "I would urge anyone who might be able to assist the investigation to come forward to help us bring those responsible to justice," he said. Nahars mother, Anita Nahar, paid tribute to her son in a statement on behalf of the family. "Sadly my eldest son was taken from his loving family and friends at the tender age of 25. Ashish was a cheerful, joyful young man who had all his life ahead of him. He always had a smile and never held a grudge. To those who met him he left a happy memory, she said. "Knife crime is sick and needs to stop. More action needs to be taken against those carrying weapons and more support for the victim's family. Ashish was deeply loved and will forever be missed terribly," she added. A man in his 20s, who was arrested on Friday, was later released with no further action and a 46-year-old woman arrested on suspicion of perverting the course of justice is out on bail. The UN Secretary-General has expressed deep concern about the developments in Jenin in the West Bank, where Israeli airstrikes have reportedly hit a refugee camp. In a statement from his spokesperson on Monday, UN Chief Antonio Guterres affirmed that all military operations must be conducted with full respect for international humanitarian law. The latest operation follows another such operation in the camp on June 19, which left four Palestinians killed and 91 others injured, according to UN agencies. On Tuesday, the UNs humanitarian affairs coordination office (OCHA) said that as a result of the air and ground operations taking place in the West Bank town, 10 Palestinians including three children were killed. Ongoing airstrikes/ground offensive in densely populated #Jenin camp hit homes, main water pipeline & electricity network. Thousands displaced. Most residents w/o electricity+drinking water- must be restored. Immediate focus on care for injured, emergency #humanitarian assistance pic.twitter.com/GAUDivstzE Lynn Hastings (@LynnHastings) July 4, 2023 At least 100 others have been injured, of whom 20 are reportedly in critical condition, OCHA said. Thousands of residents have reportedly left the camp since the operation began. In an apparent retaliatory attack in the Israeli city of Tel Aviv on Tuesday, seven people were injured, three seriously, when a Palestinian man drove into pedestrians standing outside a shopping centre, according to news reports. The attacker was shot and killed by an Israeli citizen at the scene. Palestinian militant group Hamas reportedly described the attack as a direct response to the military operation in Jenin. Airstrikes in Jenin significantly damaged structures in which people were living in both the camp and surrounding neighbourhoods. The agency warned that due to damage to infrastructure, most of the Jenin camp has lost access to drinking water and electricity. The UN Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA), said that many residents were in urgent need of food, drinking water and milk powder for children. Meanwhile, the World Health Organization (WHO) said on Tuesday that the extent of peoples injuries was placing strain on the fragile and underfunded health system. UN humanitarians said that the destruction of roads in the refugee camp was restricting access for medical teams and ambulances, and Israeli forces were conducting checks on vehicles, including ambulances, at the entrance of the camp. According to the UN health agency, ambulances with medical teams have been prevented from entering parts of the refugee camp and reaching persons who have been critically injured. In a statement released on Tuesday, UN human rights chief Volker Turk said that the extensive Jenin operation and car-ramming attack in Tel Aviv showed violence only begets more violence. He said the scale of the Israeli operation raised a host of serious issues regarding international human rights standards. Khalistani separatist groups are upset with Prime Minister Narendra Modis successful visit to the United States, top intelligence sources told CNN-News18 on Tuesday. Despite getting funding from Pakistans Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) they have not been able to perform successfully, the sources added, as they could gather only 50-60 people for protests. CNN-News18 also reported earlier that the US is looking at their request for protest gatherings with suspicion. Now, after the attack on the Indian consulate in San Francisco, US security is not giving many permissions for such protests. Sources said the ISI tried its best to add momentum to the campaign but failed and the Pakistani diaspora was also not keen to come to the streets. The Prime Minister embarked on his visit to the US on June 20, and in New York, he led a historic event at the UN headquarters to commemorate the ninth International Day of Yoga on June 21. Later, in Washington DC, he was given a red-carpet welcome at the White House by President Joe Biden. The two leaders held a historic summit, followed by PM Modis address to the US Congress and a state dinner hosted at the White House by the Bidens in his honour. The visit was marked by several major deals to boost cooperation in key areas such as defence, space, and trade. Ten members of a single family were swept away in a river surge in Malaysia, with seven bodies found just under 25 kilometres from where they had been swimming, a senior police official said Tuesday. The tragedy happened last Friday at the Jeram Mawar waterfall located deep in a forest in the district of Chukai in the eastern state of Terengganu. Local police chief Hanyan Ramlan told AFP that nine of the victims were related and the other was a fiance. I believe they were swimming in the river on Friday when a sudden surge in water swept them away. It happened very fast and the water level rose up to three metres," Hanyan said. They were caught in a deadly surprise." Hanyan said the victims were aged between four and 40 years old, and the seven bodies were found about 24 kilometres (15 miles) from the scene of the accident. We have intensified the search for the remaining three victims. There are 210 officers from the various agencies assisted by tracker dogs covering 32 kilometres," he said. UK trade minister Nigel Huddleston on Tuesday said the 2030 roadmap with India will bring immense benefits for both countries. Speaking at an event here, the minister said it will deepen cooperation and bring both countries even closer. The 2030 roadmap agreed by our Prime Ministers in May 2021 is a practical plan to transform the relationship between the United Kingdom and India. It will bring immense benefits for both countries. We have committed to doubling trade between the two great nations," Huddleston said. He said both UK and India have global interests and global reach. We are science and technology superpowers. We worked together on the Covid vaccine which saved hundreds of lives in several countries," Huddleston said. In 2022, the volume of bilateral trade between India and the UK stood at GBP 36 billion, supporting half a million jobs in both countries. The minister said of the great global challenges, none is more urgent than climate change. We are proud to work with India and support initiatives such as the International Solar Alliance and the coalition for disaster-resilient infrastructure," the minister said. He also announced a deepening of cooperation between the UK and West Bengal in electric mobility and sustainable construction sectors. He said to address the barriers to faster adoption of electric vehicles, the UK had worked with the West Bengal government to bridge the skill gaps in the ecosystem in the EV space. Together (UK and West Bengal) we will make the transition to zero-emission vehicles faster, more affordable and accessible to all," he added. Meanwhile, both the UK and India are negotiating a free-trade agreement which has completed the tenth round of talks. Huddleston, who arrived here on Monday on a two-day visit to the metropolis, also met former West Bengal finance minister Amit Mitra. A pleasure to speak with @DrAmitMitra to reaffirm the UKs commitment to bolstering economic growth in this vibrant state. Also committed participation in the Bengal Global Business Summit, to which we brought the largest international delegation last year, he tweeted. The UK minister also met Sanjiv Goenka, the chairman and MD of the RPG Sanjiv Goenka Group, and discussed business ties and opportunities. Really productive meeting with Sanjiv Goenka Chairman and MD of @rpsggroup. We discussed UK-India trade and how a UK-India FTA could help address obstacles to trade, reduce tariffs, and open doors for businesses creating jobs and opportunities for economic growth, the minister tweeted. India is its 12th largest trading partner accounting for 2.1 per cent of its total trade. The Department for Business and Trade (DBT) said Huddleston is on a three-day visit to South Asia, which covers Kolkata and Dhaka in Bangladesh, focused on unlocking more opportunities for British companies to grow trade and two-way business flows. A U.S. federal judge on Tuesday restricted some agencies and officials of the administration of President Joe Biden from meeting and communicating with social media companies to moderate their content, according to a court filing. The injunction came in response to a lawsuit brought by Republican attorneys general in Louisiana and Missouri, who alleged that U.S. government officials went too far in efforts to encourage social media companies to address posts they worried could contribute to vaccine hesitancy during the COVID-19 pandemic or upend elections. The ruling said government agencies like the Department of Health and Human Services and the FBI could not talk to social media companies for the purpose of urging, encouraging, pressuring, or inducing in any manner the removal, deletion, suppression, or reduction of content containing protected free speech under the Free Speech Clause of the First Amendment to the United States Constitution. A White House official said the Justice Department was reviewing the order and will evaluations its options. The order also mentioned by name officials including Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas and Jen Easterly, who heads the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, in its restrictions. Judge Terry Doughty, in an order filed with the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Louisiana, made some exceptions for communications between government officials and the companies, including to warn about risks to national security and about criminal activity. The injunction was first reported by the Washington Post. Tuesdays order marks a win for Republicans who had sued the Biden administration, saying it was using the coronavirus health crisis and the threat of misinformation as an excuse to curb views that disagreed with the government. U.S. officials have said they were aiming to tamp down misinformation about COVID vaccines to curb preventable deaths. Facebook and Instagram parent Meta Platforms, Twitter, and Alphabets YouTube did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Khalistani groups in the US will no longer be characterised as protesters and the recent attacks on Indian missions, including the latest incident in which sympathisers tried to set the Indian consulate in San Francisco on fire, will fall under the ambit of criminality. The FBI is reportedly planning action as per criminal laws against such groups and has named the persons it seeks to target. In the past, activities of such pro-Khalistan groups have been explained away by the US as freedom of expression. The Government of India and intelligence agencies are following up with counterparts in US government and FBI. In India, too, we are going to file a case regarding the attack and it will be investigated by a federal agency, an official said. Tuesdays attack is the second such act of violence against an Indian mission within months, drawing strong condemnation from the US government which termed it a criminal offence". A video by Khalistan supporters, dated July 2 posted on Twitter, showed the act of arson at the Indian Consulate in San Francisco. The video, with the words violence begets violence emblazoned over it, also showed news articles related to the death of Canada-based Khalistan Tiger Force (KTF) chief Hardeep Singh Nijjar. Nijjar, one of Indias most-wanted terrorists who carried a cash reward of Rs 10 lakh on his head, was shot dead outside a gurdwara in Canada last month. Responding to the incident, State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller in a tweet on Monday said: The US strongly condemns the reported vandalism and attempted arson against the Indian Consulate in San Francisco on Saturday. Vandalism or violence against diplomatic facilities or foreign diplomats in the US is a criminal offence. On March 19, a group of pro-Khalistan protesters attacked and damaged the Indian Consulate in San Francisco. Raising pro-Khalistan slogans, the protesters broke open the makeshift security barriers raised by the city police and installed two so-called Khalistani flags inside the Consulate premises. Two consulate personnel soon removed these flags. The 23rd meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisations Council of Heads of State (CHS) comes at an opportune time for cash-strapped Pakistan. The country is in dire need of good relations with the neighbouring countries and regional powers like China and Russia. Addressing the meeting hosted by India in a virtual format on Tuesday, Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif denounced the hydra-headed monster" of terrorism and extremism, and highlighted the importance of connectivity by saying that it had become a defining feature in the modern global economy. According to experts, Pakistan pulled back from the brink of default by a fresh IMF loan of $3 billion last week wants trade and peace with India since only New Delhi can provide it cheaper goods, food and raw materials. Ravaged by floods and a debt-trap, Islamabad wants to portray itself as a responsible nation before the world at the SCO forum. The SCO was founded at a summit in Shanghai in 2001 by the presidents of Russia, China, the Kyrgyz Republic, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. India and Pakistan became its permanent members in 2017. India assumed the rotating chairmanship of the SCO at the Samarkand Summit on September 16 last year. At Tuesdays meeting, Sharif also talked about the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), which he said could be a game changer for connectivity and prosperity in the region. Pakistans location serves as a natural bridge, connecting Europe and Central Asia with China, South Asia and the Middle East, he said, adding that special economic zones under the CPEC could also serve as convenient conduits for promoting regional trade. The CPEC, which connects Gwadar Port in Pakistans Balochistan with Chinas Xinjiang province, is the flagship project of Chinas ambitious multi-billion-dollar Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). India has protested to China over the CPEC as it is being laid through Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. He further mentioned the floods last year that hit Pakistan and caused over $30 billion of losses to its economy and urged the developed countries to help the poor to mitigate the impact of climate change. The debt-trapped country will become the fourth largest IMF borrower in the world after receiving a fresh loan of $3 billion in the next nine months under the standby arrangement reached with the global lender. The deal, which still needs to be approved by the IMFS board, comes after an eight-month delay. Pakistan faces an acute balance of payments crisis because of the spillovers from the war in Ukraine and domestic challenges. An exchange of gunfire in a southern Indiana hospital ended with a police officer and a suspect shot to death. Tell City police and other agencies had been called early Monday after a domestic violence victim told employees that the suspect was headed to the hospital, WDRB reports. Sgt. Heather Glenn tried to arrest Sean Hubert, who officials said refused to comply, and used an electronic device that failed to subdue him. "During a brief struggle, Hubert produced a firearm and Sgt. Glenn was shot," Indiana state police said. "Officers with the Tell City Police Department and Cannelton Police Department returned fire and shot Hubert." A California man pleaded guilty to fraudulently collecting his dead mother's benefits for 32 years after her death, in what a prosecutor says "is believed to be the longest running and largest fraud of its kind in this district." Donald Felix Zampach of Poway in southern California pleaded guilty to money laundering and social security fraud in a San Diego federal court, the Los Angeles Times reports. The 65-year-old agreed to pay more than $830,000 in fines and restitution, which matches the amount of government benefits he stole after his mother died in 1990. She had moved back to Japan, where she was born, that year after being diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, and though her son notified the US Embassy there of her death, he did not put her social security number on the form in the hopes that her benefits would still come in. US Ambassador Lynne Tracy on Monday was allowed to visit Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich, who has been behind bars in Russia since March on charges of espionage. Tracy last visited Gershkovich in April, the AP reports. The US has been asking for weeks for access to the journalist, the WSJ reports. The 31-year-old US citizen was arrested in the city of Yekaterinburg while on a reporting trip to Russia. A Moscow court last week upheld a ruling to keep him in custody until Aug. 30. "Ambassador Tracy reports that Mr. Gershkovich is in good health and remains strong, despite his circumstances," the State Department said in a statement. "US Embassy officials will continue to provide all appropriate support to Mr. Gershkovich and his family, and we expect Russian authorities to provide continued consular access." Hong Kong's leader said Tuesday said eight pro-democracy activists who now live in the United States, Britain, Canada, and Australia will be pursued for life for alleged national security offenses, dismissing criticism that the move was a dangerous precedent. Chief Executive John Lee expressed his support for the police's efforts to seek the arrests of the eight. At his weekly media briefing, Lee said anyone, including their friends and relatives, who offered information leading to their arrests would be eligible for the bounties offered by the police, the AP reports. "The only way to end their destiny of being an abscondee who will be pursued for life is to surrender," he said. The arrest warrants were issued for former pro-democracy lawmakers Nathan Law, Ted Hui, and Dennis Kwok, lawyer Kevin Yam, unionist Mung Siu-tat and activists Finn Lau, Anna Kwok and Elmer Yuen. They were accused of breaching the Beijing-imposed National Security Law by committing offenses such as collusion and inciting secession. More than 260 people have been arrested under the law enacted in 2020 as part of a broad crackdown on dissent in the territory, but the rewards of 1 million Hong Kong dollars ($127,600) for information leading to each arrest were the first under the law. The move quickly drew ire from the US and British governments, which took issue with the extraterritorial application of the security law. The Chinese Foreign Ministry's office in Hong Kong rejected the criticism, warning "foreign interference forces" to stop shielding "criminals" immediately. Police acknowledged they will not be able to arrest the eight if they remain overseas. Lee's remarks did not stop the overseas activists from speaking up. Mung pledged in a statement that he would not cease advocacy work for Hong Kong labor rights abroad. "If I were ever found guilty, my only 'crime' would be speaking the truth for my fellow Hong Kongers," he said. (Read more Hong Kong stories.) The search for a Massachusetts woman missing for a week has a happy ending after she was discovered alive, trapped in a swamp for what officials say may have been at least three days. Per a release , Emma Tetewsky, 31, was found Monday evening after hikers in Borderland State Park called 911, reporting they'd heard someone yelling for help. When cops and firefighters from Easton arrived, they could also hear the cries but couldn't see Tetewsky. They had to bring in ATVs to navigate the landscape, and rescuers had to slog through 50 feet of swampy muck to reach her. Tetewsky was "conscious and alert" when she was found, per a Stoughton Police Department post on Facebook Monday. Boston.com reports that Tetewsky's family first put up a red flag that she was missing on June 26, and a couple of days later, police asked the public to help in the search, including by checking their own surveillance cameras and in their sheds and garages to see if there was any sign of her. Tetewsky, who officials say has a history of mental health struggles, had left her phone behind and didn't have a car, so they didn't think it was likely she'd left the area. The ensuing search involved the Massachusetts State Police, area PDs, and a consortium police search and rescue team, with drones, police dogs, boats, and aviation units all deployed to look for the missing woman. Toni Ioannidis, one of the firefighters who helped rescue her, calls the entire ordeal "nerve-wracking." "We all get into this job because we like to help people, so it's always kind of gratifying to know that we help somebody out," Ioannidis tells WCVB. Tetewsky was brought to a hospital in Boston, where she's said to have serious injuries but is expected to recover. In its Facebook post, the Stoughton Police Department praised everyone who lent a hand. "There were so many agencies involved in the search for Emma over the last week," the police department notes in its online post, though it adds that "she could not have been located without the public's help." (Read more missing woman stories.) Researchers exploring the ocean floor off the coast of Costa Rica discovered an incredibly rare thing: an octopus nursery. The deep-sea area is exactly what it sounds likea place where brooding octopuses gather to hatch their eggs, reports NPR . The discovery brings the number of known octopus nurseries in the world to a grand total of three, reports the Miami Herald . Two are off Costa Rica and the other is off the coast of Monterey, California. Researchers using a remotely operated vehicle actually saw hatchlings emerge during the expedition. "The mission control room erupted in squeals of amazementpeople pointing their fingers at the screens excitedly, clapping, huggingwhen we witnessed live baby octopuses on the seafloor," expedition co-leader Beth Orcutt of the Maine-based Bigelow Laboratory for Ocean Sciences tells Scientific American. Another bonus: The team says it appears to have discovered a new species of octopus, one without an ink sac in the Muusoctopus family, per a news release. The expedition also confirmed that a previously explored site nearby called the Dorado Outcrop is indeed an octopus nursery, too. (It is one of the three known to exist.) Scientists had previously seen brooding octopuses there but no developing embryos, leading them to theorize that conditions weren't right for hatchlings, per USA Today. This research trip proved the eggs hatch just fine, despite the presence of hydrothermal vents. All of which "proves there is still so much to learn about our ocean," said Dr. Jyotika Virmani, executive director of the Schmidt Ocean Institute, which funded the research. (Read more discoveries stories.) A strange thing happened last weekend: The White House was briefly evacuated on Sunday evening after the Secret Service discovered what it would describe only as an "unknown object," reports Fox News. Now the Washington Post appears to have discovered what the "unknown object" was: cocaine. Authorities are not saying exactly where it was found or how it was packaged, but preliminary tests of the white powder were positive for cocaine, according to the newspaper. A fireworks explosion in western Michigan killed one woman and left nine other people with injuries ranging from critical to minor, the Ottawa County Sheriff's Department said. The explosion happened Monday, but a news release from the department didn't say whether it occurred during an organized July Fourth public event, per the AP . Deputies and ambulances responded to Main Street in Park Township shortly after 11pm for a report that a firework exploded, injuring several people, the release said. A 43-year-old woman from the city of Holland died at the scene, the sheriff's department said. Nine other people were taken to area hospitals. Several area homes and vehicles also were damaged, the release said. The explosion is under investigation. The US Consumer Product Safety Commission reports that in 2022, 10,200 people were treated at emergency rooms due to injuries from fireworks, with 11 deaths. About three-quarters of injuries happened in the period around the Fourth of July. In Allegan County, just south of Ottawa County and about 30 minutes earlier, an errant firework exploded in or near a crowd gathered for the Allegan July 3 Jubilee show. Allegan Police Chief Jay Gibson told WWMT-TV that an errant mortar fired off during the show. There were no immediate reports of injuries, but it was enough to cause panic. "It was absolutely terrifying," Amy Cummings told MLive/Grand Rapids Press. "I woke up and can still hear the cries of the children in fear." (Read more fireworks stories.) The death toll from the mass shooting in Philadelphia Monday night now stands at five, with two children seriously injuredand authorities say the killing appears to have been random. "At first look, it seems to bear the characteristics of a lot of random mass shootings that occur in the United States," Philadelphia DA Larry Krasner tells the New York Times . The victims have been identified as a 15-year-old boy and four men ranging in age from 20 to 59. "This does not appear to be a whole bunch of people who knew each other very well," Krasner says. Police say one victim was chased into his home and shot to death. The two injured children, a 2-year-old boy and a 13-year-old boy, are in stable condition with multiple gunshot wounds to the legs. Police say a 40-year-old suspect with an AR-style rifle, a pistol, a police scanner, and a bulletproof vest was arrested after the shooting in the Kingsessing neighborhood, the AP reports. Police Commissioner Danielle Outlaw said the man continue to fire as officers chased him. "Thank God our officers responded as quickly as they did," she said. "I can't even describe the level of bravery and courage that was shown." Krasner says a child's bicycle at the scene is serving as an unofficial memorial, the Philadelphia Inquirer reports. "No one is willing, including kids, to come by and pick it up and do anything with it," he says. "That I think gives you a hint of how the doors here are locked. They're double locked, curtains are closed, kids are being told not to go outside because of the horror that went down here yesterday. It's absolutely heartbreaking." (Read more Philadelphia stories.) Some passengers were stuck upside down for around three hours after a roller coaster malfunctioned at a festival in Wisconsin Sunday. Videos posted on social media show rescuers climbing the attraction at the Forest County Festival in Crandon, NBC reports. Crandon Fire Department Capt. Brennan Cook said "there had been a "mechanical failure with the ride where it became stuck in the upright position." The fire department said the failure left eight passengers hanging upside down. "The ride was recently inspected by the state of Wisconsin here on site, and at this time we don't have any other information," Cook told WJFW. Authorities said the rescue operation lasted almost two hours, with assistance including a ladder truck with a 100-foot platform arriving from three neighboring counties. The fire department and the Crandon Rescue Squad said an off-duty firefighter with specialized ropes rescue training was at the festival when the ride malfunctioned and helped advise authorities on rescue options, CNN reports. (Read more roller coasters stories.) Sorry! This content is not available in your region Agencies | London The Daily Tribune www.newsofbahrain.com His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, the Crown Prince, Deputy Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces, and Prime Minister, commended the strength of Bahrains relationship with the UK, which continues to witness wide-ranging growth in the military and defence sector. HRH Prince Salman was speaking as he met yesterday with the Secretary of State for Defence of the United Kingdom, The Rt Hon Ben Wallace MP. The meeting took place on the sidelines of HRH the Crown Prince and Prime Ministers official visit to the UK. His Royal Highness highlighted that His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, the Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces, firmly supports strong British-Bahraini ties. HRH Prince Salman affirmed Bahrains steadfast commitment to strengthening collaboration towards shared goals that benefit both countries and their peoples. He highlighted the UKs role, alongside allied countries, in promoting and safeguarding international security and stability. During the meeting, regional and global developments and shared concerns were also discussed. TDT | Manama The Daily Tribune www.newsofbahrain.com The Bank of Bahrain and Kuwait (BBK) is supporting the planting of two hundred trees and shrubs of bauhinia, siris, moringa and sidr in the Hamad Town 1209 Walkway in the Northern Governorate. This was announced by the National Initiative for Agricultural Development (NIAD), in collaboration with the Ministry of Municipalities Affairs and Agriculture and the Supreme Council for the Environment (SCE). BBKs contribution came as part of the second phase of the National Afforestation Campaign, Forever Green that aims to expand green spaces, improve landscaping and support national and international efforts to counter climate change and achieve zero neutrality. NIAD Secretary-General Shaikha Maram bint Isa Al Khalifa affirmed that the cooperation between NIAD and BBK came to support government efforts in the environmental and agricultural sectors. It is in line with the directives of His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, and the approach led by His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, the Crown Prince and Prime Minister, towards achieving a sustainable environmental model that is capable of addressing the increasingly looming environmental and climate challenges. The European Union Election Observation Mission has listed a former Minister of State for Labour and Employment, Festus Keyamo and a chieftain of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Femi Fani-Kayode, for propagating fake news during the 2023 general election in Nigeria. EU accused Keyamo and Fani-Kayode of misleading Nigerians by spreading fake news during the 2023 general elections. In its latest report, the EU Observers cited instances where both APC chieftains propagated fake news while campaigning for their candidates. The report reads partly: There was an increased incidence of misleading information in the days leading up to and during the election. In many cases, false reports were spread by well-known personalities associated with political parties. On February 12, Festus Keyamo from APC promoted information published by a suspicious website, accusing Peter Obi of bribery. The story quickly became viral and was in a few hours debunked. Femi Fani-Kayode, a former minister of aviation and an APC party member, made a claim on February 11, 2023, that the PDP presidential candidate Abubakar had a secret meeting with serving military generals in Abuja. He accused Atiku of wanting to incite chaos, provoke a coup detat, and establish a new and unconstitutional order. Kayode posted this claim across multiple social media platforms, and it garnered 281.2k total impressions. The next day, he posted that the Army denied reports about a meeting between its officers and Atiku. Tajudeen Abbas, speaker of the house of representatives, has asked his colleagues to rise above partisan interest to deliver good governance to Nigerians. Abbas, who spoke on Tuesday at the resumption of plenary after over two weeks break, urged the lawmakers to work for the collective success of the country. Dear colleagues, I want to believe that during our recess, we had the opportunity to interact with our constituents, to hear their concerns, and to witness first-hand the challenges they face in their daily lives, he said. This connection, and bond between representatives and the people we serve, lies at the core of our democratic principles. So, as we gather here today, we must recognise the immense responsibility placed upon our shoulders. We have been entrusted with enacting legislation that will address our peoples general well-being and shape our nations future. The issues before us are complex, and the expectations of our citizens are high. We must rise above personal and partisan interests and work together for our collective success. The speaker said the current situation in the country requires immediate attention and action of the parliament in giving legislative support to the executive to improve the living standard of Nigerians. I need not remind us that our constituents are going through so many difficulties following the stoppage of government subsidies on petroleum products, he said. Though taken in the nations best interest, this singular action has occasioned increased commodity prices, transportation, and operational costs for businesses and the general cost of living. As the executive comes with policies and programmes to alleviate the impact of the subsidy removal, we must be ready to respond with the necessary legislative actions in this regard. Abbas said lawmakers must proffer legislative reforms to unlock Nigerias economic growth and development of our vast human and natural resources. He said the parliament must focus on opening bottlenecks in critical sectors of the economy to attract foreign and domestic investors and, in turn, create sustainable economic development. Abbas further said adequate and proactive legislative steps must be taken toward strengthening the nations security forces to rid the country of criminals. We must also ensure that our deliberations and decisions are transparent so that our citizens have faith in the integrity of our legislative processes, he added said. The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has barred Ejikeme Mmesoma from taking part in the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) for three years. In a statement on Tuesday, Fabian Benjamin, the boards spokesperson, also said the UTME result of the Anambra pupil has been withdrawn. Mmesoma had on Monday dismissed the boards allegation that she forged her UTME result. She also claimed that she scored 362 in the exam, not 249 as stated by JAMB. But addressing the controversy, JAMB insisted that the result paraded by the student is patently fake. Consequently, the Board would like to reassure Nigerians that its system was neither tampered with nor compromised as the candidate simply falsified a copy of a result slip of a candidate named Asimiyu Mariam Omobolanle, who sat the UTME in 2021 and scored 138, the statement reads. It is also instructive to note that the candidate, in her statement, has inadvertently revealed the rightful owner of the result she is parading when she pointed out that the QR code on the result slip showed the actual owner of the said result before she peddled a lie in an attempt to obfuscate the truth. To witness the unassailable position of the Board regarding this obvious falsehood, the general public is, therefore, urged to endeavour to scan the QR code on the result slip to see its actual owner before it was mutilated. It is to be noted that the QR code encapsulates the UTME result of each candidate, hence, what is on the result sheet is nothing other than the interpretation of the information on this QR code. JAMB also said it stopped issuing the notification slip displayed by Mmesoma in the now-viral video after the 2021 UTME. Furthermore, the public is also to note that the Board stopped issuing Notification of Result slips after the 2021 UTME for the simple reason that candidates were falsifying them. Consequently, the Board has been issuing actual UTME RESULT Slips (not notification of results ) since 2022 complete with the photograph of each candidate, the board added. Similarly, the public is also invited to ponder on the fact that out of all the candidates that sat the 2023 UTME, only Ms. Ejikeme Mmesoma parades the obsolete Notification of Result. In the meantime, the management of the Board, after considering the weighty infraction committed by Ms. Ejikeme Joy Mmesoma, and in line with its established procedures, has withdrawn her 2023 UTME result and also barred her from sitting the Boards examination for the next three years. A lawyer, Johnmary Maduakolam, has threatened to sue the Registrar of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board, Prof. Ishaq Oloyede, and the management of the Board should they fail to tender an apology to Anambra pupil, Mmesoma Ejikeme, who was accused by JAMB of manually inflating her 2023 UTME result. The lawyer in a letter addressed to Oloyede which was sighted by our correspondent noted that Mmesoma was incapable of forging her own results. He also accused JAMB of failing to protect the identity of the girl. He said, I am Chief Johnmary Akachukwu Maduakolam, a legal practitioner and the President of Johnmary Akachukwu Maduakolam Initiative for Education which is a pet project with a special interest in education and holistic development of the young person. I am shocked to read from the media a circular issued by one Mr Fabian Benjamin on behalf of JAMB, accusing one Ms. Mmesoma Ejikeme, a minor and a student of Anglican Girls Secondary School Nnewi, Anambra State of faking JAMB scores to curry favour from unsuspecting philanthropists. By that publication, JAMB, under your watch, defamed the poor girl, exposed her to public opprobrium, and most especially failed to discharge its duty to the girl child under the Childs Right Act. It was reported that JAMB in a statement on Sunday evening noted that Ejikeme manually inflated her UTME result from 249 to 362 and used her manually increased score to attract a N3m scholarship from Innoson Motors and was set to be awarded by the Anambra state government before she was exposed. The most pathetic of them all is the case of Miss Ejikeme Joy Mmesoma, who claimed to have scored 362 in the 2023 UTME and was awarded a N3m scholarship by Chief (Dr.) Innocent Chukwuma. She was even set to be honoured by the Anambra State Government when one of its top officials put a call through to JAMB to confirm her claim only for the Board to reveal that Miss Ejikeme Joy Mmesoma had actually scored 249 and not 362 she claimed. She had manipulated her UTME result to deceive the public to fraudulently obtain a scholarship and other recognitions, JAMB said. Maduakolam in the letter said, Paradoxically, information available in the media strongly suggests that JAMB, and not the poor girl, is culpable of dishing out fake results but even if the girl forged her results, the law affords her some protection as a child in the circumstance. Sequel to the above, I hereby request your good self, on her behalf, to retract forthwith the malicious publication made against the child, tender an unreserved apology to her and take steps to ensure that the trauma your conduct caused is cushioned immediately. Kindly note if you fail, neglect or refuse to harken to my demands for the welfare of the child, I shall drag you to a court and you shall bear its cost. The presidential election petition tribunal has admitted into evidence the final report of the EU observer mission which faulted the February 25 poll. Here are the highlights of Mondays proceedings. TRIBUNAL ADMITS EU REPORT FAULTING THE POLL The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and its presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, presented a copy of the final report of the EU observer report on the election. Chris Uche, counsel to the petitioners, tendered the document while cross-examining Lawrence Bayode, a witness called by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). Uche had asked the witness whether or not he knew about the report. In response, the witness said although he was aware of the report, he was yet to see a copy. Earlier, the witness had said the election was free, fair and in substantial compliance with the electoral act. However, in the report tendered by Uche, the EU mission said the conduct of the election was flawed. Barry Andrews, the chief observer, had said the poll exposed enduring systemic weaknesses that need to be corrected. Andrews faulted INEC for the operational challenges and glitches experienced with the bimodal voter accreditation system (BVAS) and the result viewing portal (IReV), saying the discrepancies severely damaged public confidence in the electoral body. The PDP lawyer asked the witness to read a portion of the report where the EU mission said the election was not transparent and inclusive as promised by the INEC. He also read a portion of the report which stated that only 31% of results uploaded in IReV was formally or mathematically correct. Although all the respondents in the suit opposed the admissibility of the report, the five-member panel of the tribunal admitted it in evidence. INEC CLOSES CASE IN ATIKUS PETITION Bayode, a deputy director at INEC, was the only witness called by the commission as it closed its case in Atikus petition. The witness said the glitch on the IReV portal did not affect the integrity of the election, noting that the scores of the individual candidates remained the same. He said the result counted by a presiding officer and entered into the result sheet (form EC8A) is what is considered authentic. After the witness was discharged, the INEC lawyer said the commission would not call more witnesses in its defence. President Bola Tinubu and Vice-President Kashim Shettima are expected to open their case on Tuesday. ABSENCE OF INEC WITNESS IN OBIS PETITION Hearing in the petition filed by Peter Obi, candidate of the Labour Party (LP), was stalled due to the absence of INECs witness. The electoral body was scheduled to open its case in the petition but that could not proceed as planned. I was going to take one witness today (Monday), but he couldnt make it to court this morning, Abubakar Mahmoud, INEC counsel, told the court. The lawyer said the witness was missing in action because he had a family emergency to attend to. Mahmoud assured that the witness would be in court on Tuesday and that the commission would conclude its case by Wednesday, after calling a total of three witnesses. He sought an adjournment and it was granted. A federal high court in Abuja has nullified the expulsion of Chimaroke Nnamani, a former senator representing Enugu west, from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). James Omotosho, the presiding judge, in his ruling on Monday, held that Nnamani was not given a fair hearing, noting that the expulsion did not follow due process. Citing article 57 of the PDPs constitution, the judge ruled that the power to discipline and expel an erring party member lies with the national executive council (NEC), and not the national working committee (NWC) which made the decision. BACKGROUND Nnamai, a former governor of Enugu, was expelled by the NWC of the PDP in February while he was serving as senator. He was suspended and subsequently sacked from the party over alleged anti-party activities. But Nnamani, in a suit marked: FHC/ABJ/CS/163/23 filed on February 6, sued the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), the PDP national chairman, and the NWC as first, second, and third respondents, over alleged violation of his fundamental rights to a fair hearing. In the suit, Nnamani, among other demands, asked the court to determine whether it was proper for the party to take disciplinary actions against him without first giving him a fair hearing. He said he was neither notified of any complaint against him nor afforded the opportunity to defend himself before he was suspended. But the defendants, in a counter affidavit and a preliminary objection, sought an order dismissing the suit, stating that Nnamani campaigned for another political party while being a member of the PDP. They said they had the power to suspend Nnamani having been found to have engaged in anti-party activities, adding that the issues bordered on the partys internal affairs which the court lacked the jurisdiction to determine. NNAMANIS RIGHTS WERE BREACHED In his ruling, Omotosho stated that while the supreme court previously determined that matters such as membership fell under the jurisdiction of the party and were not within the purview of the courts, section 46(2) of the 1999 constitution granted the court the authority to address allegations of violations of individual rights. This court will not dabble into the internal affairs of the party but will restrict itself to whether the fundamental right of the plaintiff has been breached, Omotosho said. He said articles 4 and 5 of the PDP constitution give provisions for a fair hearing to erring members. He explained that a fair hearing means giving equal opportunity to parties, noting that where such has been done, no one can complain. But the complaint of the plaintiff is that he was not giving a fair hearing. The law is clear that specific provisions override general provisions, he said. The judge said the available fact before the court is that the NWC, at its 566th meeting, considered all the allegations against Nnamani and approved his suspension for one month. Omotosho said it was the NWC that expelled the former governor on February 10 in a press release, which he said was a gross violation of the partys constitution. The judge, therefore, ruled that the decision of the PDP NWC that expelled Nnamani was nullified. Nigerias former Minister of Education, Obiageli Ezekwesili, has demanded an independent forensic investigation over the trending saga between Mmesoma Ejikeme and the Joint Admission and Matriculation Board, JAMB. Ezekwesili said listening to Mmesoma in the video, where she narrated her own side of the story, shows it is reasonable to request a forensic-investigation to help reveal what really happened. It was reported that Mmesoma was accused by the JAMB authority of forging her result, which she had denied. Mmesoma spoke in a video, expressing surprise that a result she reportedly printed out from the JAMB portal could be termed fake by the examination board. The candidate lamented that she was traumatised by the claim made by JAMB, describing herself as a brilliant student. She insisted she is not capable of doing what JAMB accused her of doing. In a post via her verified Twitter handle on Monday, Ezekwesili disclosed that she had reached out to the Registrar of JAMB to carry out an independent investigation. She wrote, This saga between Mmesoma Ejikeme and @JAMBHQ requires an Independent Tech investigation to unearth all facts. Listening to her in this video, it is reasonable to request a forensic-investigation to help reveal what really happened. I have reached out to the Registrar of JAMB. The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) national working committee (NWC) says consultations are still ongoing to nominate members for the minority leadership positions in the senate. Debo Ologunagba, PDP spokesperson, in a statement on Monday, accused the All Progressives Congress (APC) of subterranean moves to meddle in the opposition partys selection process. He said the PDP NWC met with members of the partys senate caucus as a part of the ongoing consultations. Ologunagba said at the meeting, the importance of a virile and stable opposition in the national assembly was emphasised. He said the caucus assured that it will play that important role in the defence of democracy and in the interest and wellbeing of Nigerians. The meeting condemned in its entirety the alleged subterranean moves by the All Progressives Congress (APC) to meddle with the affairs of the minority with regards to the emergence of the minority leadership which is an exclusive reserve of the minority caucus as expressly stipulated by constitutional provisions and standing rules of the senate, the statement reads. The PDP and the senators continue with consultations on the emergence of the minority leadership in the senate and are resolved to collectively present a unified leadership after due and conclusive considerations. Accordingly, the PDP will continue to provide the necessary leadership in this regard. Ologunagba said the PDP NWC was mandated to communicate to Senate President Godswill Akpabio that the nominations into the minority leadership positions have not been concluded. He added that upon conclusion, the nominated list would be formally conveyed to the senate president appropriately for necessary action. Ologunagba said the party commended members in the senate for their unity, steadfastness, loyalty and commitment towards the sustenance and deepening of democracy in our country. President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, on Tuesday, met with representatives of the Bank of America. The delegation was led by Bernard Mensah, the banks president of international. Yvonne Ike Fasinro, head of Sub-Saharan Africa; and Chuba Ezenwa, head of investment banking Sub -Saharan Africa; were also part of the team. While details of the engagement are yet to be disclosed, the meeting follows a streak of visits that Tinubu has entertained since he took over the leadership of the country at the federal level. On Monday, the president received a delegation from the Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC) in Abuja, where he reiterated his commitment to ensuring consistency in policy and a better business climate to attract investment. Prior to this, Tinubu met with stakeholders in Nigerias oil and gas sector days after he authorised the removal of petrol subsidy. On June 24, he also spoke at an interactive session with Nigerians in Paris, France. The engagements with the private sector is said to be part of a grand plan to restore investors confidence to attract the needed investment to strengthen the nations weak currency. Here are photos from the latest visit by the Bank of Americas team. Festus Keyamo, the immediate past Minister of State for Labour and Employment, said the European Union Observer Mission (EUOM) 2023 general elections report does not delegitimize the process. Keyamo, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, disclosed this on Monday while reacting to the report through his official Twitter handle. Recall that the EUOM, in its report less than a week ago, pointed out some flaws in the general election and made recommendations to the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC. However, the divergence reactions have continued to trail the EUs conclusion. Keyamo, a spokesperson for the defunct Tinubu/Shettima Presidential Campaign Council, stated that there is no election worldwide without irregularities. He explained that the issue is whether the supposed irregularities affected the election outcome. According to him, the EUs report is not a document that tells who won or lost an election. He noted that only the Judiciary can legitimize or delegitimize President Bola Ahmed Tinubus government. It is only a forensic examination of the entire process by the judiciary that can determine the extent to which the supposed irregularities affected the outcome of the elections. And there are legal rules already laid down to achieve this. The EU report is NOT (and cannot be) a document that tells you who won or lost an election. It only reports the irregularities noticed and recommends improvement in future elections. Therefore, all the hoopla over that EU report is neither here nor there when it comes to legitimizing or delegitimizing the government of the day. That power or responsibility belongs to the Judiciary, wrote. INEC had declared Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the winner of the presidential election. However, Atiku Abubakar of the Peoples Democratic Party and Peter Obi of the Labour Party are currently at the Presidential Election Petition Tribunal, challenging Tinubus victory. Ebonyi communities have continued to boil as hoodlums set ablaze a police van at Ukwagba village and shot sporadically to scare citizens in a bid to enforce the seven- days sit-at-home order declared by a faction of the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, led by Simon Ekpa. It was gathered that the hoodlums who are hellbent on enforcing the sit-at-home in Ebonyi State, allegedly stormed the Ukwagba police checkpoint and told officers to vacate, that they are not looking for them. They, however, set ablaze their police van. The hoodlums also stormed at Ishieke police checkpoint and shot sporadically, which according to reports, caused police officers in the area to run for their lives. The hoodlums also stormed at Afiaohu market located along Abakaliki/Enugu Express and allegedly shot into the air to scare people. Business owners in the market were reported to have fled, leaving their wares behind. Confirming the incident, the chairman of Ohaukwu Local Government Area, Prince Odono Okechukwu called on stakeholders of the council to show cooperation to enable him surmount all insecurity in the area. Prince Odono who spoke to newsmen shortly after a security meeting at 135 Izhiangbo, the Council Headquarters, condemned in totality the burning of the Police Van by hoodlums at Ukwagba village. He vowed to explore every available means to apprehend the perpetrators and appealed to Traditional Rulers, Town Union Presidents and community vigilantes to establish a functional rapport to promote peace in their areas. Responding, the Commissioner of Information and State Orientation in Ebonyi, Jude Chikadibia Okpor expressed dismay over the apprehension in some parts of the state following reported activities of hoodlums and unscrupulous elements. He said, The government, therefore wishes to advise the general public to go about their lawful businesses as security agents are on top of the situation. When contacted for a reaction, the Police Public Relations Officer, PPRO, Ebonyi State Command, SP. Onome Onovwakpoyeya said the command had stationed officers in many strategic places in the state to forestall any breakdown of laws and order. The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has concluded its defence in the petition filed by Atiku Abubakar, presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). At the resumed court session on Monday, the INEC team led by Abubakar Mahmoud called the sole witness, Lawrence Bayode, an assistant director in the commissions information technology department. Led in evidence, Bayode adopted his witness statement and was cross-examined by other respondents and the petitioners lawyers. Responding to questions from Wole Olanipekun, counsel to President Bola Tinubu and Vice President Kashim Shettima, the witness said images captured on bimodal voter accreditation system (BVAS) machines required data services for them to be uploaded to the INEC result viewing portal (IREV). However, he added that whether or not photographic copies of polling unit results captured by BVAS are transmitted manually or electronically, the integrity of the election was not compromised. The witness admitted that the presidential election was free, fair and in substantial compliance with the electoral act. Under cross-examination by Lateef Fagbemi, APC lawyer, Bayode said the glitch on the IREV portal on the day of the election did not affect the actual scores of the candidates as the results of each of them remained the same. He said INEC did not do an electronic collation of results. The APC lawyer then presented a newspaper article wherein INEC has given a pre-election notice stating that electronic collation of results was not feasible. The newspaper was tendered and admitted in evidence despite objection from the petitioners counsel. During further cross-examination, Chris Uche, Abubakars counsel, presented the recently released report by the European Union (EU) election observation mission in Nigeria. In the report, the EU team stated that the elections exposed enduring systemic weaknesses that needed to be corrected. The EU faulted INEC for the operational challenges and glitches experienced with the bimodal voter accreditation system (BVAS) and the result viewing portal, saying the discrepancies severely damaged public confidence in the electoral body. Atiku and the PDP are contesting Tinubus victory in the presidential poll. The petitioners closed their case on June 23 after calling 27 witnesses. The controversy trailing the 2023 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination, UTME, has taken a new dimension, with Mr. Romanus Ejikeme, the father of Miss Mmesoma Ejikeme whose claimed score of 362 is the subject of dispute has alleged that there is conspiracy to deprive her daughter of her hard earned academic success. Reacting to the claim by JAMB that her daughter forged the score, Ejikeme said that her daughter had shown consistent academic brilliance right from her nursery school days. According to him, Mmesoma had always placed first position in her classes. Ejikeme said: We are from Oduma in Aninri local government in Enugu State, but, we live in Uruagu, Nnewi. Mmesoma is my first child. She had always taken first position from the time she was in the nursery school at Ogbunike Central school. When she was at Oba Girls Secondary school, Mmesoma was representing the school in competitions. So when she changed to Anglican Girls Secondary school, her teachers in Oba Girls came and pleaded with me, begging me to retain her in their school because she was promoting the name of their school. Mmesoma cannot manipulate her UTME score. I dont believe what they are saying. They just want to transfer that scholarship to another person. That is why they are saying that Mmesoma did not make that score. It is even her (Mmesomas) friends that saw her score in internet and started calling her before she went and printed it out. We have the printout with us now Ejikeme lamented that her daughter has been feeling very sad and even crying since her visit to the Anambra State Commissioner of Education from where she was taken to the DSS office. The state commissioner of education, Prof Ngozi Chuma-Ude said the state government had earlier congratulated Mmesoma when she was published in the social media platforms that she made the highest score of 362 in the 2023 UTME. She said that the government later discovered from the Joint Admission and Matriculation Board website that the highest score in the 2023 UTME was 360, adding that it was another student from the state, Miss Nkechinyere Umeh, who got the score. The Commissioner said Mmesoma was later brought to her office in Awka on Friday, by one Very Reverend Nduka and the principal of her school to protest when they saw that the state government rather congratulated Miss Nkechinyere Umeh. She stated that when she scrutinized the printout of Mmesomas JAMB result slip, she noticed that the result was that of 2021 UTME. Following Mmesomas protest, I decided to put a call to the secretary of the JAMB, and, he told me that the highest score in 2023 UTME is 360. I therefore invited the DSS and when they came, all of us took Mmesoma to their office for them to investigate the matter. And I made sure that Mmesoma was released to go home. So, the matter is still being investigated,Chuma-Ude further said. When contacted, the public relations officer of the Anambra state police command, DSP Tochukwu Ikenga said Mmesomas case has not been reported to the police in the state. We are not aware of the case of UTME score forgery. So, I can comment on the issue, the PPRO said. President Bola Ahmed Tinubu met with his newly appointed security chiefs on Monday at the Presidential Villa in Abuja, where he charged them to do everything possible to secure the country from terrorism and other criminalities. The meeting with the service chiefs, which was the first of its kind since their appointment, also afforded Tinubu an opportunity to reel out his expectations of where the country should be in terms of security. The brief meeting was attended by Major General C.G. Musa (Chief of Defence Staff), General T.A. Lagbaja (Chief of Army Staff Major), AVM H.B. Abubakar (Chief of Air Staff), and Rear Admiral Emmanuel Ikechukwu Ogalla (Chief of Naval Staff). The Acting Inspector-General of Police, DIG Kayode Egbetokun, was also part of the meeting. Recall that Tinubu, shortly before embarking on a trip to Paris, France, to attend a financial summit, jolted the nation when he sacked the former service chiefs and announced new ones as replacements. Tinubu had also gone ahead to appoint a former chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Malam Nuhu Ribadu to replace Babagana Monguno as the National Security Adviser (NSA). Ribadu told reporters that the purpose of the meeting was to thank the President for giving them the opportunity to serve the country. The former EFCC boss said they are poised to work tirelessly to guarantee the peace and stability of the country. He said: Were here to thank Mr President for the opportunity he gave us to serve our country and to serve his own government. We also pledged our loyalty to him, Nigeria, and Nigerians. We believe the choice he made is the right one, the correct one, and we know what he wants for this country. Were going to work tirelessly to ensure that we accomplish that objective of securing our country, establishing peace, stability, and get our lives back. He gave us the assurance that hes with us hundred percent. He told us that we must work as a team and that theres work to be done; hell expect us to deliver, and were grateful for the opportunity. Thats why we are here. Asked jokingly if he was aware of the big task ahead of him, he replied, Yes, and it is going to be done, insha Allah. The police command in Osun has warned officers attached to government officials to desist from being used as domestic staff. In a statement on Monday, Yemisi Opalola, the commands spokesperson, said it is highly unethical, and unprofessional to run errands like domestic staff, adding that their duty is to shield their principal against threats. She added that government officials should employ the services of domestic staff rather than disrespect officers by subjecting them to menial duties. The Osun state police command is miffed with consternation about the way and manner these personalities use police orderlies attached to them for domestic duties such as carrying handbags, umbrellas, the opening of gates etc, and wishes to state emphatically that the policemen attached to them are meant to protect their lives and property and not serve as domestic servants, the statement reads. The command, therefore, warns police officers attached to these officials to stop carrying out or serving purposes other than protecting their principals from security threats, as such behaviour is highly unethical, and unprofessional and would attract appropriate sanctions against erring such police personnel. Last year, the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) threatened to take action against the police orderly of Titi, wife of Atiku Abubakar, presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). The officer had been pictured carrying a handbag while Abubakars wife was addressing the audience this development had raised questions about the real duties of officers attached to VIPs. Meanwhile, shortly after his appointment, Olukayode Egbetokun, acting inspector-general of police (IGP), said personnel of the Police Mobile Force (PMF) would no longer carry out VIP escort and guard duties. He added that the force would conduct an assessment of all the duties of the mobile police to ensure effective utilisation. DEAR MISS MANNERS: I am an elected official. Where I serve, it is the custom for elected officials to be addressed by their titles -- for example, councilor -- but for staff to be addressed by their first names. It feels inappropriate for me to be called by my title and then to use first names for other professionals. On the other hand, I feel ridiculous calling people Mr. or Ms. when everyone else is using first names. You have written, It has always been Miss Manners belief that respect demands addressing people as they wish to be addressed. If I asked a staff member what they preferred to be called, my assumption is that they would say their first name, but Im not ready to ask because I feel it would be odd. Additionally, if I continue using Mr. and Ms., it would likely only affect a few people. GENTLE READER: As an elected official, you are expected to be a leader, are you not? So why should you feel ridiculous not following what everyone else is doing, if you think it is wrong? And it is wrong not to accord respect to your staff. They will not tell you so. For one thing, they are your subordinates. For another, they may believe that informality makes them seem younger, friendlier and more like your equal. (But again -- they are not your friends, however cordial the relationship. They are not equal in the workplace; they are your staff.) There will likely be much joshing about how old-fashioned you are being. But in fact, the opposite is true. Traditionally, high-ranking people were addressed with titles, whereas those seen as inferior were addressed with their names -- not just servants and other employees, but all Black people and (except socially) women. That everyone must be treated with respect is a modern concept, however muddied by the concept of universal informality. There is a reason for a bit of formality in professional manners: If terms of address in the workplace reflected peoples true emotions about one another, good or bad, there probably wouldnt be much work getting done. *** MORE FROM MISS MANNERS: Miss Manners: I like my mother-in-law well enough, except for when she pats my head Miss Manners: Im uncomfortable calling someone doctor who has an honorary degree, but if they insist ... Miss Manners: Is it inappropriate to show up for the repast if you have not attended the funeral? Miss Manners: It doesnt seem polite to use an umbrella when others have no protection from the rain Miss Manners: I sat between two rude people on the subway who insisted on talking over me *** (Please send your questions to Miss Manners at her website, www.missmanners.com; to her email, dearmissmanners@gmail.com; or through postal mail to Miss Manners, Andrews McMeel Syndication, 1130 Walnut St., Kansas City, MO 64106.) *** COPYRIGHT 2023 JUDITH MARTIN DISTRIBUTED BY ANDREWS MCMEEL SYNDICATION 1130 Walnut St., Kansas City, MO 64106; 816-581-7500 A driver died Monday afternoon after the persons car went off a Pemberton Township highway and crashed into a tree, officials said. The driver was traveling east on Route 70 when the car left the highway near Lakehurst Road around 12:50 p.m., Pemberton Township Acting Police Chief Jay Luis told NJ Advance Media. No other vehicles were involved and there was nobody else inside the car at the time of the crash, Luis said. The incident remained under investigation late Monday afternoon. Please consider supporting NJ.com with a voluntary subscription. Chris Sheldon may be reached at csheldon@njadvancemedia.com. Two sunbathers were enjoying the beach in Cape May when they came across an unexpected sight: an artfully painted miniature boat launched by students more than 500 miles away in South Carolina. It was the latest sighting of the boat, dubbed the SS AIMS Infinity, which already has a storied history. Less than five days after its June 8 launch, it was discovered by NASCAR driver Terry Labontes boat, which was part of the Annual Big Rock Blue Marlin Tournament, off the Outer Banks of North Carolina. The boat is one of almost 200 that have been launched through programs with Educational Passages, a Maine-based nonprofit that connects students to the world through the boat project. This one may have made the most splash, for sure, Cassie Stymiest, the groups executive director, told NJ Advance Media. Maria Earl and Jennifer Dragotta, teachers from Howe Hall AIMS Elementary, an arts infused magnet school in Goose Creek, South Carolina, said they were inspired to bring the program to their students after coming across an article about a miniboat from Rye, New Hampshire, that landed more than 3,000 miles away in Norway. We realized that the building of this ship could be so much more than just an engineering project. This could be a unifying theme for all content areas and fine arts, while inspiring future career interests through practical and artistic application of what the students were learning, Earl said in a press release. The pair decided to contact Educational Passages about participating in the miniboat program for the 2022-23 school year. With a grant from Santee Cooper, South Carolinas biggest utility company, and additional support from the local school district, Earl and Dragotta brought the project to their students. The entire Howe Hall AIMS Elementary had a hand in the miniboat project, they said. For example, the first grade brainstormed names for the boat and passed several options down to the kindergarten students for a vote. The second grade working on puzzle pieces that were adhered to the deck of the boat. A group of third grade students also created a brochure about their school and added information about Charleston to the cargo hold. The idea was that when the boat would make it to land, the finders would get to learn about the school responsible for the miniboat and the area it came from. The art teacher had students design the art that would cover the deck and sail of the boat, while the schools music teacher created a sea shanty with students. The vessel also included a special passenger, a stuffed Chameleon toy, in honor of a former teacher of Howe Hall Elementary School, Kathy Broughton, who died in 2020. The school completed the boat in May and equipped it with a GPS unit for tracking. It was launched on June 8 by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Research Vessel the Nancy Foster. The boat was then caught by Labonte, who was fishing aboard his boat Shifting Gears in the Big Rock Fishing Tournament with Charles Perry of the International Game Fish Association Hall of Fame. Charles spotted it and he said, We have got to catch that thing, weve never caught one of these before, Labonte joked in a video posted to his Facebook page. After the boat was caught and featured on the tournaments TV channel, the crew of Shifting Gears released it on June 16 into the Gulf Stream for its second voyage. Following 15 days at sea, lots of loops, sailing past the Outer Banks, and being spotted at sea many times, the SS Aims Infinity landed on Sunday near Poverty Beach in Cape May. Dragotta posted on a Cape May county Facebook group to see if the boat could be recovered. The next day, a couple of beachgoers found the boat and contacted Dragotta. Its an amazing journey, Dragotta said. This is just one more stop on the journey of wherever it ends up. My kids are like, What? Jersey? Thats so cool. Next, the boat will be relaunched on July 14 into the Gulf Stream so it can sail across the Atlantic over the summer and eventually reach a new location. Norway, perhaps? Thank you for relying on us to provide the local news you can trust. Please consider supporting NJ.com with a voluntary subscription. NJ Advance Media reporter Karin Price Mueller contributed to this report. Jackie Roman may be reached at jroman@njadvancemedia.com. Colleen Hoover and her popular novels have taken the world by storm in many ways, one of which now includes inspiring legislation in Hoboken. When a shoot for the It Ends With Us film, based on a Hoover novel, occupied Hoboken Councilman Phil Cohens ward for weeks, the councilman began brainstorming ways the city could capitalize more on the demand for the mile square city as a filming location. Jersey City students have taken the issue of inmate illiteracy into their own hands. When Matthew Kassi, Rania Dadlani and Marisa Syed were challenged to choose an issue in their community that they wanted to tackle, they set their sights high: recidivism at the Hudson County jail in Kearny. The group came together last summer as members of the Ali Leadership Institute, a selective program founded by former Jersey City school board president Mussab Ali with the goal of helping young urban leaders develop their passion for civic engagement. Ali challenged us to come up with an idea for something we wanted to change in our community that we could create over the course of the eight weeks in the fellowship, explained Kassi, a senior at Howard University and graduate of McNair Academic High School. We decided to look at incarceration rates and how we can limit the amount of people in the criminal justice system. After researching where they could make the most impact, the group decided to focus their efforts on creating a program for inmates without functional literacy skills reading and writing skills at a fourth-grade level needed to manage daily living and employment tasks. About 70% of incarcerated individuals actually lack functional literacy skills, explained Dadlani, a student at McNair. We also found that people who were involved in literacy programs in their correctional facility were 35% less likely to re-offend. Without functional literacy skills to navigate daily tasks, released inmates have trouble reintegrating into society and are likely to relapse into criminal behavior. The recidivism rate in New Jersey is 30%. Were trying to be inclusive to all reading levels, but specifically (inmates without functional literacy), because for GED programs and programs promoted by colleges within prisons you have to meet a certain requirement in terms of literacy and if those people cant meet them, what do they do? said Syed, a senior at County Prep High School. Thats who were trying to impact directly. After presenting their idea to a panel of Ali Institute judges and winning grant funding to pursue their mission last summer, the lofty idea to tackle recidivism transitioned into an official organization called Pages4Progress. The students first course of action was to collect books to donate to the correctional facility. Donation box inside Jersey City City Hall for books to supply the Hudson County jail literacy program. Our first step was to implement a donation box within City Hall, mobilize the community and collect all the books, explained Syed. Through community outreach the students collected more than 500 books that will be used as important resources in their literacy program. The next step was to develop the curriculum targeting below a fourth-grade reading level. As the students dont have adult education experience and would not be allowed to teach inside the prisons due to security concerns, they partnered with Educate The Block, an organization with extensive experience running reintegration programs for inmates. Were going to have our instructors come in and do an adult basic education program for people in the jail, explained Alycea Nightingale, the executive director of Educate The Block. That comes with assessing people for different levels of literacy people that might have dyslexia or people who were never taught how to read and write correctly. Educate The Block is considered well qualified to carry out the program, already having operated a successful career boot camp, culinary arts program and a chess program for inmates. While Educate the Block staff may be the ones teaching the program, the Pages4Progress students have been intimately involved in tailoring the curriculum to their specific mission. (The students) have some really strong opinions about how they want the program taught, and so we incorporate that ... the process is a complete partnership between Pages4Progress, reintegration, the inmates and Educate The Block. Officials inside the Hudson County jail are confident this program will help support a vulnerable population of inmates. One concern we had when dealing with those who are practically illiterate is thats a sign of weakness within this facility and they dont like to expose that, explained Ed Nestor, a deputy director at HCCRC. I cant walk into a tier and say, who cant read or who cant write? because they will never say it. But once weve established these programs, youll see people sneak in and say Im having an issue with this. Once you get these skills, no one can take them away. No matter what happens and if life deals you a bad hand, youll still be able to get yourself ahead, Nestor added. While the students have made great progress in moving the program forward, it has not always been smooth sailing. The project that we picked probably has the most red tape amongst any government facility correctional facilities. So theres a lot of waiting, said Syed. Even something as seemingly simple as donating books to the inmates has been difficult, as they must be carefully scanned by K-9 dogs to ensure no drugs are being smuggled into the facility. The students persistence and grit throughout the process has earned them the respect and praise of local officials. Its never easy when you deal with government, but theyve been so persistent, in a good way, in making progress to get to the point where the program is now, said Hudson County Commissioner Bill ODea. While the books are still in the process of being vetted, the students are confident that the literacy program could start in the prison as early as this summer. By giving incarcerated individuals this opportunity it opens the path to a whole bunch of doors and thats whats really special about what were doing, explained Dadlani. Three people were injured, including one with serious burns, after a fireworks explosion and fire on a homemade water vessel on Monday night in Sussex County, authorities said. Police officers were dispatched to a residential address on Birch Parkway in the Lake Mohawk section of Byram Township around 10 p.m. Monday for reports of a fireworks explosion with injuries, said Lt. Daniel DeWald. Upon arrival, they saw a homemade barge on fire where people were igniting the commercial-grade fireworks, DeWald said. The fireworks apparently exploded and lit the barge on fire, he said. Officials welcomed 34 new U.S. citizens on Battleship New Jersey in Camden during a special naturalization ceremony on Independence Day, federal immigration officials said Tuesday. The citizenship candidates originated from 21 countries, including: Afghanistan, Brazil, Bulgaria, Canada, China, Colombia, Denmark, the Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Ghana, India, Jordan, Mexico, Nigeria, Pakistan, the Philippines, Russia, St. Lucia, Togo, the United Kingdom and Vietnam. Three candidates are currently serving in the U.S. military, officials said. U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services held an Independence Day Naturalization Ceremony, aboard the Battleship New Jersey, in Camden, on Tuesday, July 4, 2023. 34 new U.S. citizens were welcomed after taking the Oath of Allegiance.Dave Hernandez | For NJ Advance U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) Mt. Laurel Field Office Director Keith Dorr administered the Oath of Allegiance. Other officials offered welcoming and congratulatory remarks to the new citizens. Promoting citizenship and making the naturalization process accessible to all who are eligible are a beautiful extension of many ideals that birthed our nation 247 years ago, USCIS director Ur Jaddou said. This holiday is always a special opportunity to reaffirm our commitment to the USCIS mission and to welcome new citizens as they begin their American journey, Jaddou added. Sal Sosa, receives his citizenship certificate and American flag during the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services Independence Day Naturalization Ceremony, aboard the Battleship New Jersey, in Camden, on Tuesday, July 4, 2023.Dave Hernandez | For NJ Advance More than 5,500 new citizens are being welcomed in more than 180 naturalization ceremonies nationwide between June 30 and July 7, immigration officials said. In 2022 alone, 974,000 new citizens were welcomed, officials said. Out of that number, 53,000 were naturalized in New Jersey offices. The ceremony at Battleship New Jersey, a living museum and memorial, is part of the federal immigration offices annual July 4th celebration. Independence Day-themed naturalization ceremonies were held across the country. The ship, USS New Jersey (BB-62), was the most decorated battleship in Navy history. It earned distinction in World War II, the Korean War, the Vietnam War, the Cold War and conflicts in the Middle East, officials said. The League of Women Voters had a table encouraging the 34 new U.S. citizens to register to vote after the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services Independence Day Naturalization Ceremony, aboard the Battleship New Jersey, in Camden, on Tuesday, July 4, 2023.Dave Hernandez | For NJ Advance Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to NJ.com. Brianna Kudisch may be reached at bkudisch@njadvancemedia.com. Whenever we want to learn about any of the 650 Revolutionary War sites scattered throughout New Jersey, we can turn to Al Frazza and his trusty website in a minutes notice. Frazza, a web designer from Little Falls, spent nearly eight years visiting every known Revolutionary War site in a state that has been rightfully dubbed The Crossroads of the American Revolution. More police and firefighters enrolled in New Jerseys pension system will get the chance to retire early with a reduced pension after 20 years of service under a law Gov. Phil Murphy signed Monday. In 2019, Murphy signed a law permitting nearly 8,000 police and firefighters in the state set to reach the 20-year service mark within the following two years to retire early. With that law about to expire, lawmakers earlier this year passed a proposal dubbed the burnout bill to extend the option indefinitely. The Macys 4th of July Fireworks Spectacular will return Tuesday, July 4 at 8 p.m. You can watch live as it airs on Fubo TV (free trial). According to the events official description, the show will celebrate Americas birthday in New York with musical performances from chart-topping superstars and a live fireworks display Zuri Hall will host the event, which will feature performances from Ashanti, Bebe Rexha, Ja Rule, Jelly Roll, Lainey Wilson, LL COOL J, DJ Z-Trip, and The Roots, among others. Heres all the information youll need to watch Macys 4th of July Fireworks Spectacular, including how to watch online with a free live stream. How to watch Macys 4th of July Fireworks Spectacular at Home without cable In past years, Macys has had an alternate-angle free live stream on its website, but its unclear if that will be the case for the 2023 show. If youre a cord-cutter or dont have cable, you can live stream Macys 4th of July Fireworks Spectacular 2023 on any of the following streaming platforms: Fubo TV (free trial) Peacock (free trial) Sling TV (half off first month) What time do the Macys 4th of July fireworks in 2023 start? Macys 4th of July Fireworks Spectacular will air as a special event on Tuesday, July 4 at 8 p.m. on NBC. There will be a second airing of the event at 10 p.m. What channel is NBC? You can use the channel finder on your providers website to locate it: Verizon Fios, AT&T U-verse, Comcast Xfinity, Spectrum/Charter, Optimum/Altice, DIRECTV, Dish. How to watch Macys 4th of July Fireworks Spectacular online on-demand If you missed Macys 4th of July Fireworks Spectacular or want to binge-watch other NBC events as they become available, check out the following streaming platforms: Fubo TV (free trial) Peacock (free trial) Sling TV (half off first month) What is the Macys 4th of July Fireworks Spectacular in 2023 about? According to the official description of the event from Macys website: Join us for the 47th annual Macys Fourth of July Fireworks! Americas celebration of the summer will be jam-packed with serious star power, electrifying performances & heart-pounding pyrotechnics. You dont want to miss it! Heres a look at last years Macys 4th of July Fireworks display: RELATED STORIES ABOUT TV STREAMING PLATFORMS What is Sling TV and how does it work? Price, channels, live streaming info The best VPNs of 2023, according to reviews Forget Netflix. Apple TV+ is the streaming service you need right now. How to watch Yellowstone, the hottest show on TV right now Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to NJ.com. Joseph Rejent covers TV, writing about live television, streaming services and cord-cutting. He can be reached at jrejent@njadvancemedia.com. The National Weather Service has issued a flood watch and/or advisory for five New Jersey counties, alerting that theres a possibility of flooding in those locations throughout Tuesday evening. Bergen and Passaic Counties are under a flood watch, which means flooding is possible in these locations. If a warning is issued, and you are in a flood-prone area, it is recommended you move to higher ground. If you are driving on a road that is covered with water, turn around and find a safer route. Three counties Essex, Hudson, and Union are under a flood advisory, which is not as urgent as a warning. An advisory is issued when flooding is not expected to be bad enough to issue a warning but may still cause significant inconvenience, and if caution is not exercised, could lead to situations that may threaten life and/or property, according to the National Weather Service. A flood warning or a flash flood warning is more urgent than a watch, so drivers and pedestrians should avoid flooded streets and move to higher ground if a warning is issued.National Weather Service Numerous heavy downpours and thunderstorms are expected to develop across the area through this afternoon. If a flood watch or flash flood watch is issued, the National Weather Service says residents should be prepared for the possibility of flooding and closely monitor the latest weather alerts in their area. The showers and thunderstorms are expected to move out of New Jersey by 8 p.m., according to the National Weather Service. Showers and thunderstorms should move out of the area by 8 p.m., forecasters say. There is also a moderate risk of rip currents along the Jersey Shore. A special marine warning is in effect until 1:15 p.m. from Sandy Hook to Fire Island, New York. Wind speeds could reach close to 40 mph in this area and theres a possibility of hail. In the case of steep waves, boaters should seek safe harbor and take protective actions. A special marine warning is in effect from Sandy Hook to Fire Island, New York. Beachgoers should look out for rip currents, steep waves, and high winds. Current weather radar Thank you for relying on us to provide the local news you can trust. Please consider supporting NJ.com with a voluntary subscription. NJ Advance Media reporter Larry Higgs contributed to this report. Jackie Roman may be reached at jroman@njadvancemedia.com. NEW YORK Injured Yankees captain Aaron Judge shot off a few Fourth of July fireworks talking to writers at his locker late Tuesday morning. When Judge returns from a big right toe torn ligament thats had him sidelined since early June, hell probably be playing through discomfort. BUY YANKEES TICKETS: STUBHUB, VIVID SEATS, TICKETSMARTER, TICKETMASTER Also, offseason surgery is a possibility, and even that may not have Judge 100 percent healthy for the start of 2024 spring training. The injury takes a year or two years or three years (to fully heal), and I still think you feel that, Judge said before the Yankees and Orioles holiday matinee at Yankee Stadium. You never know what its going to feel like. I cant see the future. As for going under the knife, Judge said, Theres talk of surgery, but I dont think were at that [point]. Im not a doctor. I have no idea. They throw around eight different things. Judge has played since June 3 when he injured his toe crashing through a latched door in the Dodger Stadium right-field wall while making a great catch in a Yankees-Dodgers game. A month later, Judge isnt feeling as much pain walking. Within the last few days, he started hitting off a tee. Hes not swinging hard, but a little progress is better than none. It doesnt feel great, Judge said. I dont think Ill ever be normal (this year), but Im walking around pretty good right now. Theres still no timetable for a return for Judge, but mid-to-late July isnt being ruled out. Hell let us know, Yankees manager Aaron Boone said. The biggest thing is we want him doing things that he can tolerate without putting himself in a lot of pain. The last few days, I know hes been hitting off the tee and thats gone well. Obviously not full bore, but I think it was probably a week or so ago where he started to show me a little bit how he could rotate on his backside a little bit. So those are the small steps were seeing where he is getting better and getting closer, but itll depend on how he responds to everything in a way where he can tolerate things. Before even a tentative return date is set, Judge has to be able to get to a point where he can run the bases, chase down flyballs and tolerate pain swinging hard. Ive got to be able to run, Judge said. If I can run, then I can play. Me running at 10 percent aint going to help anybody out there. Besides running, its me being able to put 270 pounds on one leg when Im hitting. Once we build up that strength and get the pain out of there, were going to be in a good spot. I understand youre going to deal with some pain coming back, so its just about getting to a point where its tolerable and were not setting ourselves back. The Yankees, of course, want Judge back as soon as possible, but they dont want him coming back too soon and ending up right back on the injured list. That rotation on that back foot and toe is important, and hell know if he can do it at a level he needs to be able to do it at, Boone said. That said, I think over the last couple of years that (Judge has) got very good at playing with things. Minor, whatever they may be, I feel like hes done a really good job of understanding how to govern things and how to play through certain things that not everyone can. He has shown that ability. I think one of the biggest things in his development really has been, How do I continue to post every day when I am a little banged up? He knows how to do that, at a really high level. Judge pointed out that he played with discomfort late in the 2019 season when he had a dislocated pinky finger. This time, Judge hopes to be fitted with new spikes that lessen the pain when hes hitting. Theyve got more rigid insoles to put in there to help flexing that big toe and the range, Judge said. I want to help us out as soon as possible. Heading into Tuesdays game, the Yankees won four of their last six and held a wild-card playoff spot, but they were 12-13 playing the last month without Judge. Obviously, you want to win every game, but this team has been playing well, Judge said. Weve had some good battles back and forth, I think the guys are in a good position. I think were going to be where we need to be when we get everybody back and healthy. Thank you for relying on us to provide the journalism you can trust. Please consider supporting us with a subscription. Randy Miller may be reached at rmiller@njadvancemedia.com. Six-day (Tuesday through Sunday) print subscribers of the Watertown Daily Times are eligible for full access to NNY360, the NNY360 mobile app, and the Watertown Daily Times e-edition, all at no additional cost. If you have an existing six-day print subscription to the Watertown Daily Times, please make sure your email address on file matches your NNY360 account email. You can sign up or manage your print subscription using the options below. WASHINGTON The next big fight over college admissions already has taken hold, and it centers on a different kind of minority group that gets a boost: children of alumni. In the wake of a Supreme Court decision that strikes down affirmative action in admissions, colleges are coming under renewed pressure to put an end to legacy preferences the practice of favoring applicants with family ties to alumni. Long seen as a perk for the White and wealthy, opponents say its no longer defensible in a world with no counterbalance in affirmative action. President Joe Biden suggested colleges should rethink the practice after the courts ruling, saying legacy preferences expand privilege instead of opportunity. Several Democrats in Congress demanded an end to the policy in light of the courts decision to remove race from the admissions process. So did Republicans including Sen. Tim Scott of South Carolina, who is vying for the GOP presidential nomination. Clancy DuBos is the politics editor and columnist for Gambit in New Orleans. Email him at clancy@gambitweekly.com. This summer, the wilds of the Indiana Dunes are beckoning. The Indiana Dunes National Park is inviting exploration with its Project 1966 encouraging people to hike every trail in the National Park. "Join a ranger as they hike all of the trails in the national park. The challenge will take place over the course of the summer with each week featuring a new trail. There will be a total of 19 hikes covering 66 miles to honor the year the park was established," Supervisory Ranger Bruce Rowe said. "Cant make them all or want to do a self-guided hike? Ask for information about the hikes at the Visitor Center, the Paul H. Douglas Center, or look on our website for a link to Project 1966." Hikes will take place at 8 a.m. Saturday, July 8 at Visitor Center Parking Lot, Saturday, July 15 at the Paul H. Douglas Center Parking Lot, Saturday, July 22 at the Portage Lakefront & Riverwalk Parking Lot and Saturday, July 29 at West Beach Parking Lot. Most of the guided hikes go for a few miles and run until about 11 a.m. All are free and open to the public. The Indiana Dunes National Park is hosting more programming this summer, such as open houses, festivals and special events. A Lake Michigan Water Safety Talk will take place from 10 to 11 a.m. on Saturday, July 8 at the Indiana Dunes Visitor Center. A Tolleston Dunes Nature Hike is slated for 1 to 2:30 p.m. on July 8 and July 29 at the Tolleston Dunes Parking Lot. The Wonders of Wildlife program runs between 10 a.m. and noon on Saturday, July 15 at the Paul H. Douglas Center in Miller. Birding for Beginners occurs from 5 to 6 p.m. Saturday, July 15 at the Great Marsh Parking Lot. A Dune Ridge Hike is scheduled from 5 to 6 p.m. on Saturday, July 1 and 22 at the Kemil Parking Lot. Finally, a West Beach Hike will take place from 1 to 2:30 p.m. on Saturday, July 15 at the West Beach Parking Lot. "Get out and explore the park through the wide variety of programs offered all summer long," Rowe said. For more information, call 219-395-1882, visit our website, visit nps.gov/indu or find the National Park on Facebook. South suburban residents looking to pursue a career as a barber can get trained in a new program. South Suburban College in South Holland will soon offer a 1,000-hour barbering instructor program to help address a need for more barbers in the workforce. It's open to Community College District 510 residents in Lansing, Lynwood, Calumet City, Thornton, Dolton, Blue Island, Dixmoor, Harvey, Posen, Hazel Crest, East Hazel Crest, Oak Forest and Country Club Hills It starts on July 10 and will be offered from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Monday through Thursday. South Suburban College's Office of Continuing, Corporate and Community Education is offering the 10-month-long class at its central South Holland campus. The Workforce Equity Initiative Department will offer students funding opportunities as part of its mission to further workforce training opportunities in high-need areas. "The barber instructor program is designed to professionally take our graduates and all local licensed barbers to the next level. This program prepares SSC students to be the future barber instructors for the region," said Matt Beasland, executive director of Extension Services & Workforce Development at South Suburban College. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates that 608,900 work as barbers, hairstylists and cosmetologists, earning a median income of $29,680 per year. Jobs in the sector are expected to grow by 11% or much faster than average over the next decades. The country is expected to add about 65,000 more barbers, hairstylists and cosmetologists through 2031. HAMMOND The U.S. attorney has charging a man with the illegal possession of a machine gun he is accused of brandishing on social media. Federal prosecutors allege Augustus Kyritz was armed with a Glock 29 semi-automatic pistol during a police traffic stop last spring. They allege the pistol was equipped with a Glock switch" that converted it into a machine gun. U.S. District Court records show Kyritz appeared Monday with Crown Point defense attorney Michael A. Campbell before U.S. District Court Magistrate Judge Joshua P. Kolar. The magistrate advised Kyritz of his constitutional right to a trial and any penalties he may face. The federal court magistrate had detained Kyritz after the hearing but ordered Kyritz released to home confinement Friday after Campbell convinced the court that his client wasn't a flight risk or a danger to the community. The government alleges it was illegal for Kyritz to possess this weapon because it hadnt been registered with federal authorities, as required by the National Firearms Act. Merrillville Police Operations Commander Nathaniel Dillahunty alleges in a federal court affidavit that Kyritz came to his attention through a video posted April 28 on Instagram. The video allegedly featured Kyritz holding what appeared to be a firearm equipped with a device called an auto sear or Glock switch, which can convert a semi-automatic weapon into a machine gun. Dillahunty alleges the man holding the gun is heard talking about how he had just beaten someone with his fists during a fight and that he also carries a gun. Dillahunty said Lake County police stopped Kyritz the next day, April 29, for a traffic violation he committed while driving in the 600 block of West 58th Avenue in Merrillville. Officers said they detected an odor of marijuana inside the car and found not only marijuana, but also a loaded Glock 29 during a search inside the vehicle. The semi-automatic pistol was equipped with a purple Glock switch, like the one seen on the Instagram video featuring Kyritz, police said. Police said Kyritz was jailed for two days, but then released after he refused to answer investigators questions about the gun. Dillahunty alleges a test of the Glock 29 pistol and its auto sear showed the weapon fired automatically upon one pull of its trigger without a manual reload, making it a machine gun, as defined by law. Dillahunty, who also works as a task force officer for the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, further alleges a records check revealed the Kyritz does not have any such gun registered to him. That exchange one of dozens between officials and executives at Facebook, Google, Twitter and other social media companies that have spilled into public is at the heart of a partisan legal battle that could disrupt the Biden administrations already struggling efforts to combat disinformation. The attorneys general of Missouri and Louisiana, both Republicans, have sued the White House and dozens of officials like Dr. Anthony S. Fauci, the nations top infectious-disease expert, accusing them of forcing the platforms to stifle the voices of its political critics in violation of the constitutional guarantee of free speech. The outcome could help decide whether the First Amendment has become, for better or worse, a barrier to virtually any government efforts to stifle a problem that, in the case of a pandemic, threatens public health and, in the case of the integrity of elections, even democracy itself. Government officials have long urged social media companies to fight illegal or harmful content online, especially when it comes to terrorism or other criminal activity, like child sexual abuse or human trafficking. The attorneys general, though, accuse the Biden administration of taking the effort too far. Their claims reflect a narrative that has taken root among conservatives that the nations social media companies have joined with government officials to discriminate against them, despite evidence showing the contrary in Twitters case, for example, from its own study in 2021 of how political accounts were promoted. Rubies are like caviar: Their origin is an important part of their market value. Until a month ago, anyone interested in buying a big ruby knew with certainty that Myanmar, formerly called Burma, produced the most valuable stones. For eight centuries the gems in a deep red shade known as pigeons blood found in the legendary Mogok mines had reigned supreme, attracting prices far higher than rubies from Southeast Asian countries like Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam or East African countries such as Madagascar, Tanzania and Kenya. Then in June, the 55.22-carat Estrela de Fura, mined in Mozambique, sold for $34.8 million at Sothebys in New York what the auction house called a world auction record for a ruby and any colored gemstone. The stone, whose Portuguese name means Star of Fura, actually was one of three exceptional rubies auctioned in the past two months. One, from Myanmar, had been the worlds highest priced ruby, but sold in May for far less than its estimate. (The industry continues to use the term Burmese for rubies from the country.) His father, Johannes, a tax officer, had been conscripted into the Nazi Army. Captured by the Russians on the Eastern Front, he didnt return until 1948, after escaping from a P.O.W. camp in Siberia. Mr. Brotzmann grew up in Remscheid with his family his father, his mother, Frida (Schroder) Brotzmann, and his sister Mariane but moved to Wuppertal for school and remained there the rest of his life. He studied graphic design and visual art in the late 1950s at the School of Applied Arts in Wuppertal, where he created his own fonts: striking, blocky alphabets that he later used on the covers of many of his albums. He had his first gallery show in 1959 and participated in early performances staged by the experimental, interdisciplinary art movement Fluxus. In 1963, he collaborated on the first major exhibition by Nam June Paik, the Korean American artist who would become known for his video work, but who at that point was building musically oriented installations and interactive sculptural objects. Mr. Brotzmann continued making artwork prolifically even as music became a priority. From the very start, he didnt love the art-world milieu, said John Corbett, co-owner of the Corbett vs. Dempsey gallery in Chicago, who began curating exhibitions of Mr. Brotzmanns artwork in 2003. But he continued privately making visual art. He was interested in beauty, but it had to be accompanied by a certain kind of honesty and forthrightness. He really could not deal with people who were false, with art that was false, and with music that he felt was false, Mr. Corbett added. He was quite intolerant of all those things. In 1967, Mr. Brotzmann released his first album as a bandleader on his own label, BRO. If its title, For Adolphe Sax, read like a provocation aimed at the 19th-century inventor of the saxophone, then his next BRO album, Machine Gun, released in 1968 and credited to the Peter Brotzmann Octet, announced all-out war on everything that had come before. Todays Theme You might have noticed that this grids longest entries, at 18-, 26-, 46- and 58-Across, contain ingredients in their phrases. The function of these items is revealed at 63-Across: Common cookout fare whose toppings can be found stacked in this grid. Stacked together, our themed entries make up common toppings for a burger, hot off the grill. From top to bottom, they are: TOMATO METER (18A) GLASS ONION (26A) PICKLE BALL (46A) GREEN CHEESE (58A) Extra pickleball and hold the Glass Onion, for me, please. Tricky Clues 20A. Ah, yes, the QUIET CAR: a Library-like section of an Amtrak train I somehow end up in only when trying not to. 40A. This fill-in-the-blank clue might have thrown you off because, at first glance, the word four seems to be in English. But read it in French, and you realize the answer is PETIT four, a delicate cake with a name that translates to little oven. 42A. Every now and then, youve just got to swallow a clue like bad-tasting medicine. Could a Naval conflict technically be described as a SEA WAR? Of course. Can I say so with a big frown on my face? Try and stop me. 67A. E.D.T. is short for Eastern Daylight Time, a Summer setting in N.Y.C. that may become something of an anachronism. Last year, the U.S. Senate voted to do away with the annual changing of the clocks, the latest step taken against daylight saving time. What would our crossword do without it? It wouldnt be just the end of an era: It would be the end of an entry. She did not suffer fools gladly, and her opinions often pushed against the tide of medical orthodoxy. In an era when surgeons were overwhelmingly male and deference by their female patients was still expected, she exhorted women to ask hard questions about their treatment. Where tradition favored cutting, Dr. Love favored conservation. She frequently denounced a standard late-20th-century treatment protocol mastectomy, radiation and chemotherapy as slash, burn and poison, instead advocating lumpectomy followed by radiation whenever possible. Wanting to keep your breast is not about vanity, she said in an interview with Technology Review magazine in 1993. Its about being intact as a person. Dr. Love was also adamant about what she saw as the limited utility of mammograms in detecting cancer in younger women. (Younger womens breast tissue is denser and therefore less likely to yield visible clues.) Where annual mammograms have long been recommended for women over 40, she argued that most women can wait until they are 50, a stance that has not found universal favor with the medical community. (This May, the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force, alarmed by an increase in breast cancer diagnoses among younger women, recommended that women start getting regular mammograms at 40 rather than treating it as an individual decision until age 50.) In the 1990s, amid the mass entry into middle age of women of the baby-boom generation, Dr. Love ignited controversy with her less-than-enthusiastic appraisal of hormone replacement therapy, then routinely recommended to treat menopausal symptoms. Her position was vindicated some years later, when the therapy was found to increase the risk of breast cancer, heart disease and strokes. In videos from a block party on Saturday night, hundreds of teenagers and young adults are seen dancing in the Brooklyn neighborhood of Baltimore and singing along to the lyrics of local rappers. As they shout and move their hands through the air, many hold up phones to record the revelry on a hot summer night. But the videos that emerged from shortly after midnight tell a story of terror and tragedy: teenagers running from gunfire, people falling to the ground, and a mother wailing as she met police officers at the vast crime scene where her daughter had been fatally shot. A barrage of gunfire had torn through the Brooklyn Day party in South Baltimore, leaving two young people dead and 28 more people wounded. Half of those shot were younger than 18, the police said. Even for a city plagued by gun violence in recent years, the number of victims was staggering, representing more people than would sit in an average high school classroom. Over the past decade, only 10 other shootings in the United States have resulted in so many gunshot victims, according to the Gun Violence Archive, a research group, though many mass shootings have taken more lives. A second person who police believed had picked up the gun and returned fire in the direction of the shooter, was also in custody, Danielle M. Outlaw, the police commissioner, said at a news conference late Monday night. At this point, we dont see a connection to any of the victims and in the shooter, so were still trying to piece it together and figure it out, Commissioner Outlaw said. Police officers, who were on foot, arrested the suspect in an alley, she said. The suspect was wearing a bulletproof vest containing multiple magazines and had an AR-style rifle, a handgun and a police scanner. Commissioner Outlaw said she did not know whether the suspect was firing from the handgun or the rifle before he was apprehended but he was still actively shooting. She said the officers cornered the suspect, ordered him to show his hands, and then arrested him. Thank God our officers responded as quickly as they did. I cant even describe the level of bravery and courage that was shown, she said. President Macky Sall of Senegal said on Monday that he would not seek a third term in office, putting an end to months of tensions over a hypothetical candidacy that many say would have violated the West African nations Constitution. My dear fellow citizens, my decision after long consideration is to not be a candidate in the election on Feb. 25, 2024, Mr. Sall said in a televised address. My 2019 term was my second and last term. Mr. Salls speech came a month after at least 16 people died in government protests that were fueled, in part, by his refusal to say whether he would run for a third term next year. Thousands of demonstrators, most of them young, had taken to the streets to protest against what they saw as an authoritarian drift from Mr. Salls government, and against the conviction of his main political opponent, Ousmane Sonko, on charges that his supporters said had been an attempt to sideline him. President Volodymyr Zelensky accused Russia on Monday of using Georgias government to kill the former Georgian president Mikheil Saakashvili, who sought to distance his country from Moscows influence and later became a Ukrainian citizen. Mr. Saakashvili is serving a six-year sentence in Georgia on charges related to abuse of power that he says are politically motivated. He appeared frail and skeletal during a remote court appearance that was aired on Georgian television on Monday, raising his shirt to show his emaciated torso. According to Georgian news reports, he demanded the opportunity to openly take part in political processes and called for the Georgian people to stand up in support of him. The appearance renewed serious concerns raised by his supporters, human rights groups and European leaders about his health and treatment in prison. Facing criticism for its sale of jewelry from an estate partly built on profits made from the purchase of Jewish businesses during the Holocaust, Christies promised in spring to donate a portion of its proceeds to further Holocaust research and education. But the auction house has struggled to find organizations willing to accept money from the sale, which went forward despite the objections of Jewish groups. The record-breaking sale of jewelry from the estate of Heidi Horten generated $202 million. Horten was an Austrian heiress whose husband, Helmut, built a retail empire in Germany partly by taking advantage of Nazi policies that forced Jewish businessmen to sell their companies. Yad Vashem, the organization that operates Israels official memorial to Holocaust victims, has announced that it declined a donation from Christies because of the source of the money. The Jerusalem Post reported that several other Jewish organizations in Israel have also rejected Christies donations from the Horten sale. Deidrea Miller, a spokeswoman at Christies, said that the company was still looking to donate money to organizations that promoted an understanding of the Holocaust. The artist Stephanie Dinkins has long been a pioneer in combining art and technology in her Brooklyn-based practice. In May she was awarded $100,000 by the Guggenheim Museum for her groundbreaking innovations, including an ongoing series of interviews with Bina48, a humanoid robot. For the past seven years, she has experimented with A.I.s ability to realistically depict Black women, smiling and crying, using a variety of word prompts. The first results were lackluster if not alarming: Her algorithm produced a pink-shaded humanoid shrouded by a black cloak. I expected something with a little more semblance of Black womanhood, she said. And although the technology has improved since her first experiments, Dinkins found herself using runaround terms in the text prompts to help the A.I. image generators achieve her desired image, to give the machine a chance to give me what I wanted. But whether she uses the term African American woman or Black woman, machine distortions that mangle facial features and hair textures occur at high rates. Improvements obscure some of the deeper questions we should be asking about discrimination, Dinkins said. The artist, who is Black, added, The biases are embedded deep in these systems, so it becomes ingrained and automatic. If Im working within a system that uses algorithmic ecosystems, then I want that system to know who Black people are in nuanced ways, so that we can feel better supported. David Adjaye, the acclaimed Ghanaian British architect who designed the Smithsonians National Museum of African American History and Culture, in Washington, D.C., stepped back from a number of roles Tuesday after The Financial Times reported that three former employees had accused him of sexual harassment and misconduct. Mr. Adjaye resigned as an architectural adviser to the mayor of London, and his work on a British Holocaust memorial was suspended after The Financial Times reported that three women, who were not named, had accused him and his firm of different forms of exploitation from alleged sexual assault and sexual harassment by him to a toxic work culture that have gone unchecked for years. In a statement on Tuesday, Mr. Adjaye denied the accusations. I absolutely reject any claims of sexual misconduct, abuse or criminal wrongdoing, he said in the statement, which was released by Kendal Advisory, a communications and crisis management firm. These allegations are untrue, distressing for me and my family and run counter to everything I stand for. Mr. Adjaye added that he was ashamed to say that I entered into relationships which though entirely consensual, blurred the boundaries between my professional and personal lives. He was deeply sorry for that, he said, and will be immediately seeking professional help in order to learn from these mistakes to ensure that they never happen again. If youre spending this Fourth of July holiday in the U.S. grilling or setting off Roman candles, we hope you have some time to take a break and read. Today, we have suggestions for readers anywhere in the world 25 of the best stories from The Times this year so far. Theyre articles you may not have seen yet. We asked editors around the newsroom to pick their favorite stories that, for one reason or another, most readers overlooked. There are beautiful photos of Spanish flamenco dresses, a tale of TikTok feuds and a peek inside a pacifist sect in Canada. Enjoy these 25 stories: Doing the work: The language of therapy has taken over dating. Dolphins and whaaaaales use vocal fry to communicate. The El Rocio pilgrimage in Andalusia, Spains southernmost region, is filled with horseback riders and dramatic dresses. Look at the photos. Divorce is seen as shameful in many cultures. But in Mauritania, its not just normal, its a reason to celebrate. Medical students are honoring the lives of the cadavers they study with gratitude ceremonies. People in China are amassing huge followings and fortunes by filming themselves shopping. He was born into slavery, but became a writer, composer, merchant and voter. Read more about the polymath Charles Ignatius Sancho. For Black horseback riders with natural hair, finding a helmet that fits can be virtually impossible. With replay cameras watching every call, its a really weird time to be an umpire. THE LATEST NEWS International Fourth of July Putin, Xi and Modi met virtually The leaders of Russia, China and India the three biggest powers bidding to reshape a global order dominated by the U.S. convened over video at a virtual summit meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, and each focused on their own driving issues. The annual meeting which was established by China and Russia in 2001 and includes Pakistan and Central Asian countries offered no dramatic statement of changing alliances. But it did give a glimpse of how a regional bloc formed to counter Western influence might coalesce and navigate their competing priorities. China and India: There was no mention of the mounting friction between Beijing and New Delhi over border disputes and Indias membership in the Quad, a security-focused coalition with the U.S. that China views as a tool to contain it. Xi Jinping, Chinas president, instead reiterated long-held grievances against the U.S. by calling for an end to hegemonism and power politics. Narendra Modi, Indias prime minister, urged the forum to condemn countries that use terrorism as an instrument of their policy a veiled reference to Pakistan, which India accuses of sponsoring militants in the disputed Kashmir region. At its former headquarters in eastern Pennsylvania, Air Products had a neatly manicured lawn and boxwood hedges. But when the industrial gases company moved to nearby Allentown recently and erected a new office building, it tried something different. Rather than plant grass that would need constant watering, mowing and fertilizing, it turned to native plants that pretty much took care of themselves. Today, shoulder-high grasses wave in the wind and attract wildlife. One plant had yellow finches all around it, said Patrick J. Garay, vice president of strategic projects at Air Products. Forget the fuss. Corporate landscapes are going natural these days. The shift mirroring whats happening at public parks, on university campuses and in homeowners backyards is being driven by a growing awareness of the environmental costs of installing and maintaining lawns, clipped hedges and tidy flower borders. New laws ban the use of water for useless grass in drought-prone areas, and company sustainability programs encompass the land the buildings sit on. Apps calculate the carbon footprint of landscapes in much the same way that buildings are monitored for greenhouse gas emissions. A federal judge in Louisiana on Tuesday restricted the Biden administration from communicating with social media platforms about broad swaths of content online, a ruling that could curtail efforts to combat false and misleading narratives about the coronavirus pandemic and other issues. The order, which could have significant First Amendment implications, is a major development in a fierce legal fight over the boundaries and limits of speech online. It was a victory for Republicans who have often accused social media sites like Facebook, Twitter and YouTube of disproportionately taking down right-leaning content, sometimes in collaboration with government. Democrats say the platforms have failed to adequately police misinformation and hateful speech, leading to dangerous outcomes, including violence. In the ruling, Judge Terry A. Doughty of the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Louisiana said that parts of the government, including the Department of Health and Human Services and the Federal Bureau of Investigation, could not talk to social media companies for the purpose of urging, encouraging, pressuring, or inducing in any manner the removal, deletion, suppression, or reduction of content containing protected free speech. The News Metas ability to harvest data about users in order to sell personalized ads was thrown into question on Tuesday after the European Unions highest court upheld a decision by German antitrust regulators that the company had abused its dominance in social media. The ruling in the closely watched case by the European Court of Justice cleared the way for Germanys top antitrust enforcer, the Bundeskartellamt, to block Meta from combining data collected about users across its different platforms, including Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp, as well as from outside websites and apps, unless it gets explicit permission from users. The decision undercuts Metas business model, which relies on selling targeted advertising based on the massive amounts of data it gathers about its users as they use Meta services and browse the wider internet. Why It Matters: Emboldening tougher oversight of Big Tech The decision provides fresh momentum for supporters of tougher regulation of the worlds largest technology companies. Although the ruling applies only to Meta services in Germany, it is expected to influence other antitrust authorities in the European Union. A new E.U. antitrust law, called the Digital Markets Act, takes effect in the coming months and gives regulators new powers to encourage competition in the tech sector. In particular, Tuesdays court ruling gives authorities in the European Union a firmer legal basis to examine how data-collection practices could undercut competition, which is a new direction for antitrust enforcement. The court said regulators investigating antitrust cases can also examine whether a company is breaking the European Unions data protection law, called the General Data Protection Regulation, or G.D.P.R. Background: A new spin on antitrust law In 2019, German regulators used a novel interpretation of antitrust law to determine that Metas data-gathering practices were a violation of not just competition rules, but also the G.D.P.R. The authorities said Meta needed to get permission from users and could not just collect endless amounts of data simply because a user had signed up to use one of the companys services. Andreas Mundt, Germanys top antitrust regulator, said Metas policies amounted to a false choice, forcing people to either use Meta services and share their data, or stay off the companys ubiquitous social media sites altogether. After the company appealed the decision, it eventually landed before the European Court of Justice in Luxembourg. Mr. Mundt has long pushed for regulators to be tougher against Facebook and other tech giants. He has argued that Facebook uses the data it collects from users to strengthen its position over rivals, harming competition. Whats Next In a statement, Meta said it was evaluating the Courts decision and will have more to say in due course. The company will now have to make changes in Germany to comply with the ruling. That is likely to include a new menu that gives users more choice about how their data is collected. But the decision also has implications for other online platforms that collect large amounts of data for digital advertising, including Amazon, Google and TikTok. When large internet companies use the very personal data of consumers, this usage can also be deemed abusive under competition law, Mr. Mundt, the German antitrust regulator, said in a statement on Tuesday. The judgment will have far-reaching effects on the business models used in the data economy. The American practice of setting off fireworks on July 4 stretches back to the first Independence Day celebration in Philadelphia in 1777. Today, its a beloved tradition that almost seems impossible to replace. But with concerns over air quality, wildfires and supply chains, some cities are doing just that. This year Salt Lake City is replacing its fireworks with synchronized dancing drone displays to avoid worsening air quality and setting off more wildfires. Boulder, Colo., is switching to drones, too, and Minneapolis is opting for lasers, simply because those technologies have been easier to source than fireworks in recent years. And as wildfire smoke from Canada again blanketed much of the United States last week, New York City officials debated whether to set off fireworks on the 4th but, as of Monday night, had not called them off. Happy Independence Day! This is by far one of my favorite days to be in the city. The fireworks (both legal and illegal), the big we outside energy, the ample parking. You love to see it. So make the most of the holiday, even if its just lazing around and catching up on Love Island UK to remind you why we wanted independence in the first place. But today were talking about this months batch of reader questions. We have a query about where to take a son and brand-new son-in-law for a celebratory dinner in Brooklyn; another about lunch options near the Museum of Modern Art; and a reader who wants to know where to find a great baguette. Unintentionally, this newsletter is a bit French! As always, please send your own questions or responses to wheretoeat@nytimes.com, and you may see them featured here. The clerks were on strike in the Nanterre courthouse, so the accused burglars, homeless thieves and domestic abusers had to wait. It was 5 p.m. by the time Yanis Linize was ushered into the courtroom, a few blocks from the traffic circle where young Nahel Merzouk was shot by a policeman just a week ago, setting off protests across the country. A bike courier from a southern suburb of Paris, Mr. Linize was swept up in the anger and emotion that erupted over the death, and the widespread perception that racial discrimination had played a role in it. He faced charges of issuing death threats to police and of promoting damage to public property. I was angry because of everything that is happening, Mr. Linize, 20, told the panel of three black-robed judges before him. Someone died. Thats serious. After five nights of fury over Mr. Merzouks killing, the country has calmed down and begun to assess the damage: more than 5,000 vehicles burned, 1,000 buildings damaged or looted, 250 police stations or gendarmeries attacked, more than 700 officers injured. I recently attended a memorial service for Larry Kramer, the award-winning playwright, author and provocative gay activist. It has been three years since Larrys death, and a number of friends and colleagues gathered to pay him tribute at the Lucille Lortel Theater on Christopher Street in Greenwich Village, where his Obie Award-winning play, The Destiny of Me, opened in October 1992. I had a genuinely unique relationship with Larry for more than three decades, which I reflected on at his memorial and wanted to share here. The date is June 26, 1988. A one-way conversation from Larry Kramer to Tony Fauci via the written word, in The San Francisco Examiner, reflecting a booming voice before I even knew him: I Call You Murderers, the headline read. An open letter to an incompetent idiot, Dr. Anthony Fauci, it continued. Fast-forward 32 years to May 2020: A brief two-way telephone conversation ending in a simple phrase. Larry, in a voice halting and weakened by years of a series of chronic illnesses, whispering, I love you, Tony. Tony holding back the tears, replying, I love you, too, Larry. What happened during those 32 years that brought us to that last encounter was truly historic, since Larry was the initial driving force that changed forever the relationship between the advocacy community and the scientific and regulatory establishment. Larry was the battering ram who not only opened the door for his younger acolytes to participate in the formulation and implementation of the scientific and regulatory agenda of H.I.V./AIDS; he crashed it down. Along the way, Larry and I developed, as he often described it, a complex relationship. I would become all too familiar with the tactics that he had mastered to an art form: confrontation, outrageous behavior, anger and insults followed by insight, rationality, sensitivity, vulnerability, empathy and even humor. I began to appreciate that it was pure passion related to his concern for the plight of what he called my people, the gay community, which drove him to outrageous behavior in order to gain the attention of the government and the general public concerning the disaster of the AIDS epidemic. The antislavery movement was not, the historian Alexander Tsesis writes, a creation of the Revolution. Nevertheless, the ideology of the revolution was inspirational enough to hearten Black petitioners, soldiers and litigants to protest against the resilience of hereditary bondage. And in that movement, as well as those it spawned, the Declaration of Independence would stand, in the words of the historian David Brion Davis, as a touchstone and sacred scripture for opponents of slavery. Examples of this use of the Declaration abound. As early as 1776, we have a pamphlet by Lemuel Haynes, a free Black Congregational minister in Vermont, titled Liberty Further Extended: Or Free Thoughts on the Illegality of Slave-Keeping. He begins by quoting the Declaration of Independence and then, embracing the language of natural rights, goes on to assert that an African has an undeniable right to his liberty: Consequently, the practice of slave-keeping, which so much abounds in this land, is illicit. Although he does not directly quote the Declaration, the author of Sermon on the Present Situation of the Affairs of America and Great Britain who identified himself only as a black Whig seemed to echo the American independence document in 1781 when he wrote, Next to life is liberty, and when oppression and tyranny are violent they cause the parties oppressed to make some resistance, let them be ever so feeble. From here, he asked the American revolutionaries to follow their own fight for freedom with the emancipation of the slaves. And now my virtuous fellow citizens, let me entreat you, that, after you have rid yourselves of the British yoke, that you will also emancipate those who have been all their lifetime subject to bondage. White abolitionists and other opponents of slavery also made use of the Declaration in their legal and rhetorical assaults on human bondage. It was repeatedly declared in Congress, as language and sentiment of all these states, and by other public bodies of men, that we hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, wrote the pseudonymous author Crito (after the ancient Athenian companion of Socrates) in 1787. The Africans, and the blacks in servitude among us, were really as much included in these assertions as ourselves, he continued. And if we have not allowed them to enjoy these unalienable rights, we are guilty of a ridiculous, wicked contradiction and inconsistence. None are likely to play out well for Russia. In a speech to the nation early last week, Mr. Putin said that Wagner fighters who did not participate in the coup attempt were free to sign a contract with the Russian military under the command of the Ministry of Defense. (Those who did participate could join Mr. Prigozhin in Belarusian exile.) But the mandate for Wagner mercenaries to sign a contract with the Russian Ministry of Defense a policy Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu tried to put in place in early June was one of the primary factors contributing to Mr. Prigozhins mutiny attempt and isnt likely to be a popular choice for his troops. Even if Wagner fighters do decide to join Russian military units en masse, it wont be easy for Moscow to integrate them. Wagner forces already have a well-deserved reputation for brutality, are alleged to have committed war crimes and crimes against humanity in several theaters and have been credibly accused of torture, kidnapping and executing civilians. Another option would be for Mr. Putin to leave Wagners overseas operations as is and install a new leader to replace Mr. Prigozhin. That would avoid disrupting Moscows foreign policy agenda and reassure its client states that Russia remains a reliable partner. Wagners African footprint is vast, with ongoing activities in Cameroon, Burkina Faso, Equatorial Guinea, South Africa, Zimbabwe and Kenya. When asked immediately after the failed uprising what would happen to Wagners presence in Africa, Russias foreign minister, Sergei Lavrov, announced that Russian instructors would continue working in Mali and the Central African Republic. Russia has since dispatched officials to various spots where Wagner operates to reassure those governments, including Syria and Mali, that there will be no disruption in Russian assistance. But that, too, could get messy, depending on how deep the rift between Wagner and the Ministry of Defense runs. If Wagners midlevel commanders and foot soldiers remain loyal to Mr. Prigozhin, installing a new figurehead with the Kremlins imprimatur may not work. Mr. Prigozhin was revered by Wagner fighters, many of whom may chafe at the prospect of new leadership or a drastic change in organizational culture. Finally, Russia could seek to disband Wagner and disperse its fighters into existing private armies. Patriot, a group linked to Mr. Shoigu, is widely viewed as a significant competitor to Wagner, with reported operations in Burundi, the Central African Republic, Gabon, Syria and Yemen. The E.N.O.T. Corporation is another Russian private military company, founded by the Russian nationalist Igor Mangushev, with some experience abroad, but it is much less influential and experienced than Wagner. Gazprom, the Russian energy giant, has also developed its own private army, although it is designed mainly to protect oil and gas infrastructure against attacks. I have no reason to think affirmative action played much of a role in the colleges I went to, as neither was extremely selective at the time. In grad school, I was told by a mentor, a Black man, that race had been the reason I wound up in the top-20 pile of applicants in linguistics in the department where I got my Ph.D. I had minimal experience with linguistics proper, and my G.P.A. was very good but nowhere near perfect. (Those hobbies!) But I have always thought of that as racial preferences the way they should have been, merely additive around the margins. Id done well on tests like the G.R.E., my grades in language courses were top level, and I had written a senior thesis that made it clear I had a linguistics frame of mind. But things got different later. When I was a grad student in linguistics going on the market for jobs, I was told that I neednt worry whether I would get bids for tenure track positions because I was Black and would therefore be in great demand. Deep down, to me, it felt I was on my way to being tokenized, which I was, especially given that my academic chops at the time did not justify my being hired for a top job at all. I was hired straight out of my doctoral program for a tenure-track job at an Ivy League university in its august linguistics department. It became increasingly clear to me that my skin color was not just one more thing taken into account but the main reason for my hire. It surely didnt hurt that, owing to the color of my skin, I could apparently be paid with special funds I was told the university had set aside for minority hires. But more to the point, I was vastly less qualified by any standard than the other three people who made it onto the list of finalists. Plus, I was brought on to represent a subfield within linguistics sociolinguistics that has never been my actual specialty. My interest then, as now, was in how languages change over time and what happens when they come together. My dissertation had made this quite clear. At the time I was not very politicized, and I assumed that my race had merely been a background bonus to help me get hired. Only later did the reality become more apparent, when I learned just who else had been on that shortlist. (I will never forget how awkward it was when I met one of them older than me, with more gravitas in the field some years later. I sensed that we both knew what had happened and why.) I had been hired by white people who, quite innocently, thought they were doing the right thing by bringing a Black person onto the faculty. I bear them no malice; under the culture we were all living in, I would have done the same thing. Around this time I gave some really good talks and some just OK ones; I always knew the difference. But I couldnt help noticing that I would get high praise even for the mediocre ones, by white people who were clearly gratified to acknowledge a Black academic. And in the meantime, I was hopelessly undercooked for the position I had been hired for. I was not utterly clueless, but I simply didnt know enough yet and especially not enough to be in a position to counsel graduate students. Apparently, dynastic succession is still a viable concept in corporate America. Mr. Murdochs heir apparent, Lachlan, defended Fox and the Dominion settlement when speaking to investors on May 9. The settlement in no way alters Foxs commitment to the highest journalistic standards across our company or our passion for unabashedly reporting the news of the day, he said. Comments such as these do not exactly inspire confidence that Fox News has any plans to try harder to stick to the facts in its reporting. Theyre doubling down, Ms. Minow said. And that is downright scary, especially given the size of Foxs audience and its influence. The drama were watching play out at the Fox Corporation is an extreme example of how companies with a controlling shareholder can suffer the stock is down almost 18 percent in the past five years but it isnt the only one. To a lesser degree, I see problems occurring at companies such as Comcast (controlled by the Roberts family) and Paramount Global (controlled by Shari Redstone), among others. When dual classes of stock are involved, a familys voting power often far outstrips its economic ownership, leading to financially foolish, and even bizarre, behavior. Theres a reason that a century ago the idea of professional management was introduced into American corporations. A professional manager creates a sense of distance between shareholders and management, which is held accountable to a board of directors, chosen to represent the shareholders. Professional managers are paid to look at problems objectively, accounting for what will theoretically be best for all stakeholders, including shareholders, creditors, vendors and employees. It may not be a perfect system, but the pas de deux between a professional manager and a board of directors has proved to be a durable way to create lasting wealth. Contrast Mr. Murdoch with, say, Jamie Dimon, the chairman and chief executive of JPMorgan Chase, the nations largest bank. Or with Joaquin Duato, the chairman and C.E.O. of Johnson & Johnson, the health care behemoth, where there are no longer any Johnsons among the top brass. JPMorgan Chase is now run professionally, dispassionately and well by Mr. Dimon. He is powerful, yes, but hes not all powerful. The JPMorgan Chase board of directors can fire him at any time, for any reason. The same goes for Mr. Duato. Does anyone at Fox or News Corp hold Mr. Murdoch accountable in the same way? Can anyone? One way to rein in Mr. Murdoch may lie with Smartmatic. If it emerges victorious in its lawsuit, it could insist, as part of any settlement, on governance changes at Fox or even demand that the C.E.O. succession process include candidates outside the Murdoch family. Smartmatic, or even the recently filed shareholder lawsuit against Fox, could end up pressuring Fox, and indirectly News Corp, to scrap their dual-class stock structures. Stargazers and astrophiles from Los Angeles to Istanbul rushed outdoors to see the first supermoon of the year on Monday night. It did not disappoint. The supermoon, which was flush with amber and red tones, was 14,000 miles closer to earth than typical full moons. A supermoon the term was coined in 1979 by the astrologer Richard Nolle, and it is not an official astronomical term can be about 17 percent larger and 30 percent brighter than a full moon at apogee, or its farthest point from Earth. Here are some quick facts about supermoons and images from around the world. As the Cold War was waning, the physicist Lewis Branscomb feared that Americas economic and scientific superiority was in jeopardy. Declining scientific literacy and critical thinking in American education, he believed, could have disastrous consequences for the country. Students, he told The MacNeil/Lehrer NewsHour on PBS in 1986, dont need to know a lot of facts about science, but they really do need to understand how to think in the way scientists think that is, in a problem-solving approach, given a complex environment within which to make decisions. Whether in academia, private industry or government, Dr. Branscomb made it his job to push for the advancement of science and give it a bigger role in public policy. He held out hope for a brighter future through technology, but only if scientists and policymakers could get the public behind the idea. Dr. Branscomb, who worked at the nexus of science, technology, policy and business throughout his career, died on May 31 at a care facility in Redwood City, Calif., his son, Harvie, said. He was 96. The introduction of ChatGPT has lit a fire under the shares of companies that produce microchips, the brains of artificial intelligence. Bets on the potential of so-called generative A.I. have poured in. The most eye-catching example of the rally is Silicon Valleys Nvidia, the top seller of chips used in artificial intelligence, whose shares are up nearly 200 percent this year. Samsung Electronics, the South Korean giant, is hoping to get in on the action. Widely known for its consumer products, Samsung also has the worlds largest memory chip business and the second-busiest semiconductor foundries, which build custom microchips for other companies. Foreign investors have bought $8 billion worth of Samsung shares this year on the South Korean stock market already the largest amount of foreign purchases in Samsung for any year since 2000, according to data provided by CLSA, an investment firm in Hong Kong. The surge reversed a sell-off over the previous three years, when foreign investors sold more of the companys stock than they bought. At an event in California last week, Samsung detailed what it called its vision in the A.I. era. Samsung believes it can snatch market share from the leading chip manufacturer, Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, but recently the trend has gone the other way. According to Counterpoint Research, a market research firm, TSMC enjoys roughly 60 percent of total revenues in the global foundry business and Samsung only 13 percent a gap that has widened since 2021 as some of Samsungs customers, including Nvidia, have shifted their business to TSMC. The final act in Dallimores yearlong drama in Chattanooga? He learned that his position at McCallie School, along with that of his counterpart at the nearby Girls Preparatory School, was being eliminated. They were invited to apply for a single new position overseeing theater at both schools; both educators are now out of the jobs. This is obviously a countrywide issue that we are a small part of, Dallimore said. Its definitely part of a bigger movement a strongly concerted effort of politics and religion going hand in hand, banning books and trying to erase history and villainizing otherness. A McCallie spokeswoman, Jamie Baker, acknowledged that the two school theater positions had been eliminated so the programs could be combined but said that implying or asserting in any way that the contract of McCallies theater director was not renewed because of content concerns would be inaccurate. She noted that the school has a Judeo-Christian heritage and commitment to Christian principles, and added, That we would and will continue to make decisions aligned with these commitments should be no surprise to anyone. Maybe this Fourth of July would be different. The gun violence that has plagued Philadelphia has been inching down, steadily. Perhaps Independence Day would pass without the bloodshed that has marred it in recent years. But sometime after 8 p.m. on the eve of the Fourth, in a neighborhood in southwest Philadelphia, someone dressed in a ski mask and body armor opened fire on a street, bringing any sense of festivity in the neighborhood to a horrifying end. The shooter, using an assault-style rifle, killed five people, ages 15 to 59, and wounded two others, firing seemingly at random, hitting a car carrying a family on their way home and hitting those simply walking by. The police arrived to find what they described as an extensive scene of carnage, and after a chase into an alley, officers took a suspect into custody. The suspect, Kimbrady Carriker, 40, was arraigned on Wednesday morning on more than 30 counts, including murder, attempted murder, assault and reckless endangerment. He faced charges in connection to those killed and wounded by gunfire and also for those who were shot at but were not hit, including a 2-year-old and a 10-year old. Three people were killed and eight others were injured in Fort Worth late Monday night when several men started firing indiscriminately into a crowd, the police said. The shooting took place just before midnight in the Como neighborhood, southwest of downtown Fort Worth. One person died at the scene of the shooting, and two died from their injuries at local hospitals. Eight others were treated for gunshot wounds at three different hospitals, the police said. The authorities said that the shooting was not related to an annual July 3 community event that occurred earlier in the day at another location. The Fort Worth Police Departments homicide unit is investigating the shooting, Officer Daniel Segura, a spokesman, said in an email. No one has been arrested, and the police are asking people to call with any tips, he added. A year ago, the Rev. Hernan Cuevas was just a few days into his tenure as pastor of a Roman Catholic parish in Highland Park when the parade took place. Mr. Cuevas had rounded up congregants for the church float and bought granola bars to hand out to people along the route. Then he heard what sounded like fireworks. He said it was not until he saw a wave of people walking toward us, running, crying that we thought, These are not fireworks. This is for real. They fled a couple of blocks to the church, where a mix of members and other paradegoers, some with blood on their clothes, waited for hours while the authorities searched for the gunman. They prayed the rosary. They looked nervously at the news on their phones. Mr. Cuevas said his congregants had processed the trauma from that day differently, and had different ideas about how to observe this Fourth of July. Some wanted to return to normal. Some wanted space to grieve. Others left town for the holiday, seeking distance from the pain. A Massachusetts woman who had been missing for a week was rescued on Monday after she was found stuck in mud in a state park south of Boston, the authorities said. Emma Tetewsky, 31, was found around 6 p.m. Monday after police officers were dispatched to Borderland State Park, where hikers said they had heard a woman screaming for help in a swamp-like area, the Easton and Stoughton police departments and the Easton Fire Department said in a joint statement. The state park is about 30 miles south of Boston. The authorities believe she may have been trapped in the mud for three days. The public never gave up hope that she would be located safely, the police in Stoughton, Mass., where Ms. Tetewsky lives, said on Facebook on Monday. Ms. Tetewsky was reported missing around noon on June 26 after she was last seen near her residence in Stoughton, a town of 29,000 residents about 20 miles south of Boston. The authorities said she was known to visit the Pinewood Pond in Stoughton and Lake Massapoag in nearby Sharon, Mass. For years, meals at the summer sun dance ceremonies on the Eastern Shoshone tribes lands in Wyoming were missing something that was once a staple of the sacred rituals. There was no presence of homegrown bison, an animal central to the spiritual customs and beliefs of the Shoshone and other Native Americans. Now, meals at the annual ceremonies, which have just begun for this summer, will feature bison meat that, for the first time in 138 years, was harvested from the tribes own lands. The multiday sacred ritual involves dancing, fasting and praying, often within a sweat lodge made from natural materials. Its in our DNA to have that animal around us again, said Jason Baldes, 44, a member of the Eastern Shoshone tribe who manages its herd of bison on the Wind River Indian Reservation in Wyoming. Its kind of like bringing home your long-lost relative. Luca and Lennyn Fantasia, ages 7 and 5, were bouncing around the Park Ridge, Ill., Memorial Day parade in May in giddy holiday mode. They wore red, white and blue outfits, admired the marching band and darted in the street to scoop up hard candy. Their parents, Megan and John, were quietly discussing whether it was safe to even be there. We had this conversation right before we came, said Ms. Fantasia, a physician assistant, adding that they had chosen a spot near the beginning of the parade route, reasoning that it was the best place to be if they needed to make a quick exit. The kids love this kind of stuff, she said. We dont want to miss out on experiences. But is it really worth it? Americans will gather in packed, public celebrations around the country on Tuesday, in both big cities and small towns, marking the Fourth of July with festivals, Main Street parades and fireworks shows. Representative Blake D. Moore, Republican of Utah, is pushing for changes to federal law that would allow more nonstop flights between Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport and Salt Lake City. Those flights, he said, would increase tourism between Utah and the nations capital. They would also offer Mr. Moore a more efficient commute. When he heads home from Capitol Hill, Mr. Moore often waits for the only direct flight in the afternoon or evening from any of the three Washington-area airports that can return him to Salt Lake City in time to tuck in his children: a Delta Air Lines departure from Reagan National, also known as DCA, after 5 p.m. that lands around 8 p.m. An earlier departure would allow him to fulfill his duties as a legislator but also as a father, Mr. Moore said, letting him help his wife with dinner or attend Little League practice. We need more direct flights out of DCA, he said. In recent weeks, dozens of lawmakers have joined the push for 28 new round-trip flights per day at Reagan National. Pressing their case with opinion essays, tweets and proposed legislation, they argue that these additional routes which would require tweaking a decades-old law that prevents most flights from traveling more than 1,250 miles to or from Reagan National would meet pent-up demand, reduce airfares and create new jobs. At a high school cafeteria in Merrimack, N.H., on Tuesday, where patriotic music blasted from the speakers and the lunch tables were decked in star-spangled napery, Gov. Doug Burgum of North Dakota mingled with families who were digging into eggs, sausage and pancakes at a Fourth of July breakfast hosted by the local Rotary Club. Nelson Disco, 88, one of the prospective voters in the small crowd, had a couple of questions for him. What was he running for? And with which party? Youve got some competition, Mr. Disco exclaimed, as the North Dakota governor told him he was seeking the Republican nomination for president. But Mr. Burgum was undeterred: Feeling great about the race, he said. It was the final Fourth of July before New Hampshires first-in-the nation Republican primary, set for February, and the famed kingmaking caucuses in Iowa plenty of time to make up ground, but it was clear for the darkest of dark horses who were burning shoe leather on Tuesday that there was a lot of ground to make up. Its the final Fourth of July before the Iowa caucuses and New Hampshire primary still more than six months away, yes. But all the same, the Republicans vying for their partys presidential nomination were on the trail, waving to supporters from parades, shaking hands with voters and taking selfies. But not the front-runner: Donald J. Trump was conspicuously absent on the 247th anniversary of the nations independence. The former president has upended the traditional expectations of Iowa and New Hampshire voters. For decades they have prided themselves on their discernment of presidential candidates and have demanded to get to know them personally before casting the first ballots in the nation. Steven Cheung, a spokesman for Mr. Trumps 2024 campaign, objected to the notion that the former president is avoiding retail politics over the Fourth of July holiday, pointing to Mr. Trumps rally in South Carolina on Saturday, which, he said, counted as Independence Day weekend. Mr. Trump also appeared at the Moms for Liberty conference in Philadelphia on Friday, and he even dropped by Pats King of Steaks, a cheese steak palace that has been a mainstay for politicians in Philly for decades. Republicans are deeply divided over impeaching President Biden, with newly energized lawmakers on the far right applying pressure to do so and leaders and rank-and-file members concerned they have undertaken a politically risky battle that they cannot win. A vote last month to send impeachment articles against Mr. Biden for his border policies to the Homeland Security Committee alongside the Judiciary Committee amounted to a stalling tactic by Speaker Kevin McCarthy to quell the urgent calls for action from the hard right. But it has also highlighted the rifts in the House G.O.P. over moving forward and complicating a separate monthslong drive by the panel to prepare an impeachment case against Alejandro N. Mayorkas, the homeland security secretary, for the same offenses. Neither pursuit appears to have the votes to proceed, and many Republicans are worried that without a stronger case against the president, even trying the move could be disastrous for their party. Several rank-and-file Republicans from politically competitive districts had balked at the idea of impeaching Mr. Mayorkas, even after Mr. McCarthy endorsed that push. Few believe that the new investigation of Mr. Biden a hastily arranged effort designed to halt a right-wing attempt to impeach the president outright with no investigation will yield anything that could persuade them to oust him. Firefighters in southwestern Washington were working on Tuesday to extinguish a wildfire that has destroyed 10 homes and burned more than 530 acres since it broke out on Sunday, the authorities said. The fire was only 5 percent contained as of Tuesday morning, two days after it was first reported near Underwood, a small town in Skamania County, Wash., near the states border with Oregon. Hot, windy conditions on Sunday helped fuel the fires spread through a hillside community overlooking State Route 14 and the Columbia River, which divides Washington and Oregon, fire officials said. By Monday morning, officials had issued evacuation orders for people within a two-mile radius of the fire, which has been named the Tunnel Five Fire. Oscar Orellana, 30, paused in the shade of the InterContinental and waved back at one of the drivers who honked while passing by. For six years, Mr. Orellana has worked in the housekeeping department at the hotel, where he ensures that linens are stocked on each floor. His parents, too, long worked in hotel housekeeping; his father was picketing at a nearby Ritz-Carlton, he said. I used to see my parents, and they loved their job, which made me want to go into the hotel world, and I love my job, he said. But his three-hour round-trip commute from Long Beach, about 25 miles away, along with his heavier workload and the inability to comfortably afford an occasional sweet treat for his 4-year-old, has made it impossible for us to be in there working thats why were out here striking, he said. To the west, at the upscale Fairmont Miramar Hotel & Bungalows in Santa Monica, dozens of workers picketed outside the manicured flowering hedges lining the property. A few guests said the hotel seemed to be running well overall, but they were frustrated by small inconveniences like a shortage of clean towels at such a pricey property. They also felt caught in an awkward social position during a time when they just wanted to relax. Im a union worker, so I can sympathize if theyre not getting paid fair wages, said John Smith, 38, who was visiting with his wife from San Bernardino. Hong Kongs top leader said Tuesday that eight dissidents who had fled overseas would be pursued for life with large rewards being offered in exchange for information leading to their prosecution. The rewards of 1 million Hong Kong dollars ($128,000) reflect a stepped-up effort to pressure and intimidate influential activists who left Hong Kong after a stringent new law was imposed in 2020. The so-called national security law has resulted in the arrests of 260 people, the majority of them accused for activities that took place in Hong Kong. On Monday, the police emphasized the extraterritorial reach of the regulations, which criminalize activities endangering China, even if they had taken place outside Hong Kong and mainland China. They said the accused had violated provisions on foreign collusion and inciting secession. The eight who were charged by the police are the activists Nathan Law, Anna Kwok and Finn Lau; two former lawmakers, Dennis Kwok and Ted Hui; a lawyer, Kevin Yam; a union leader, Mung Siu-tat, and the businessman and YouTuber Elmer Yuen. In one of the remaining steps before Japan decides to release more than one million metric tons of treated radioactive water from the Fukushima nuclear plant into the Pacific Ocean, the International Atomic Energy Agency declared on Tuesday that the governments plan had met the agencys safety standards. The nuclear authoritys final report concluded that the treated water would have a negligible radiological impact to people and the environment once it is released. Japans plan has provoked controversy both at home and abroad, as government officials in China and many residents in South Korea have protested the release as unsafe. Rafael Grossi, the International Atomic Energy Agencys director general, said that, should Japan proceed with its planned discharge, the IAEA would also open a station in Fukushima to continue reviewing the waters safety for decades to come. They all have incentives to play things down and make it all look normal, said Ian Chong, an associate professor of political science at the National University of Singapore. They showed that things were under control and there arent any rifts despite Russias problems and Indias desire to explore ties with the U.S. No leader on Tuesday had a greater need to recast his image than Mr. Putin, who faced the biggest challenge to his more than two-decade rule last month when Wagner mercenary forces tried to topple Russias military leadership. While Mr. Putin was able to defuse the crisis by agreeing to allow mercenary leader, Yegveny V. Prigozhin, to leave for Belarus, the brief insurrection raised questions about his authority and future. Speaking at his first international forum since the mutiny, Mr. Putin thanked the member states for their backing after the uprising, which he claimed had no popular support in Russia. United by the deep responsibility for the fate of the motherland, Russian political circles and all of society showed a united front against the attempted armed mutiny, Mr. Putin said. He also sought to cast the summit as a sign of international support for his invasion of Ukraine. It has been a goal sought after by Amsterdam for years: dissuading rowdy, brawling tourists from overtaking the red-light district. The Dutch city announced new measures this spring to crack down on noise and substance abuse, which residents have long complained about in the district. But sex workers, bartenders and entrepreneurs say the new rules havent been effective in making the area safer or quieter. Now the city is pushing a more drastic move: setting up a location for legal prostitution in another neighborhood to spread out demand an idea that has set off mixed reactions from the industry. The new rules introduced this spring set earlier closing times for bars (2 a.m., and no new entry after 1 a.m.), stopped sex workers from working after 3 a.m. instead of 6 a.m. and banned marijuana smoking in the street. But many sex workers say the regulations make them less safe because they have less time to earn enough money to cover the cost of their rooms, pressuring them to accept clients they would otherwise turn down. A Russian investigative journalist and a lawyer were severely beaten in the southern Russian region of Chechnya on Tuesday, in an attack that stood out for its brutality in a country accustomed to the steady restriction of freedom of speech. Elena Milashina, a journalist with Novaya Gazeta who uncovered the torture and killings of gay men in Chechnya, was in Grozny, the Chechen capital, to cover the trial of Zarema Musayeva, the mother of exiled opposition activists, according to the newspaper. Ms. Milashina and the attorney, Alexander Nemov, who is representing Ms. Musayeva, were blocked by cars as they drove through the city, according to Novaya Gazeta. Masked men beat them with clubs, then took their phones and demanded that they unlock them, the newspaper said in a statement. Equipment and documents were also destroyed. Ms. Milashina suffered brain injuries, her fingers were broken and she repeatedly lost consciousness, the statement added. The attackers also doused her in liquid iodine, in an apparent attempt to prevent her from appearing in public. Mr. Nemov was stabbed in the leg, it said. For us it was special, Mr. Gautier recalled in the 2019 article. We were happy to come home. We were at the head of the landing. The British let us go a few meters in front. He added, For us it was the liberation of France, the return into the family. The commandos came ashore on what was code-named Sword Beach, carrying four days worth of rations and ammunition. As they sprinted up the beach, they cut through barbed wire under a hail of bullets. They spent 78 days on the front lines, in ever-dwindling numbers. Of the 177 who had waded ashore, just two dozen escaped death or injury. Their initial objective was a heavily fortified bunker a few miles away, and it took the commandos four hours of fighting to get there and take it. When we arrived near the walls of the bunkers, we threw grenades in through the slits, Mr. Gautier recalled. He later injured his left ankle jumping off a train and had to sit out much of the rest of the war. His ankle remained painfully swollen for the rest of his long life. Mr. Gautier met his wife, Dorothy, when he was stationed in Britain, and they were married for more than 70 years. After the war, he worked building car bodies and then training mechanics, living in Britain, Nigeria and Cameroon before returning to France. Mr. Gautier said he didnt like talking about the war. The older you get, you think that maybe you killed a father, made a widow of a woman, he said, adding, Its not easy to live with. The prime minister of Denmark, Mette Frederiksen, went to Washington last month to meet with President Biden and American officials, but she later said that she was no longer a candidate to be NATO secretary general and would back Mr. Stoltenberg if he was willing to extend his tenure. President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine, who has long called for his countrys entry into NATO, said in a Telegram post that he had congratulated Mr. Stoltenberg on his decision. In a phone call, Mr. Zelensky said, he had also thanked Mr. Stoltenberg for his support. The two men, he added, coordinated our positions before the summit next week. Mr. Stoltenberg, 64, a former Norwegian prime minister, has served in the job since 2014 and has had his mandate extended three times. He has earned the trust of allies, particularly Washington, through his calm demeanor, his public humility and his ability to navigate the demands of what are now 31 member states in an organization that runs by consensus. He was particularly praised for his ability to work with former President Donald J. Trump, whose contempt for NATO was often on display. Mr. Stoltenberg is now expected to preside over his last summit in Washington next year, which will also mark NATOs 75th anniversary. That is, unless he is asked to extend his mandate once again. A news conference to announce the launch of the International Center for the Prosecution of the Crime of Aggression in The Hague on Monday. PARIS An international center focused on building cases against top Russian leaders opened on Monday in The Hague, in what supporters described as a first step toward a possible future tribunal to prosecute the most serious war crimes related to Russias invasion of Ukraine. If established, such a tribunal would be designed to address the gravest war crime, the crime of aggression, which legal experts say is by definition a crime by the leadership of a country that initiates a war against another. Its the only crime that goes to the top table, said Philippe Sands, a prominent international lawyer who first floated the idea of an aggression tribunal. A special tribunal would fill a gap in international law. While the International Criminal Court in The Hague has a mandate to prosecute aggression, it does not have jurisdiction on the issue as it involves Russia and Ukraine. When drafting the rule, several powerful countries, including the United States, prevailed in insisting that only leaders from I.C.C. member states could be prosecuted for aggression and only after the country had explicitly granted the court jurisdiction for that crime. Neither Russia nor Ukraine is a member of the court. While it is not clear whether a tribunal will be created, the new center, the International Center for the Prosecution of the Crime of Aggression, also aims to serve as a common platform to coordinate investigations, avoiding duplication of tasks and helping organize the work of the many outside experts and forensic teams now working in Ukraine. Investigators, many from Eastern Europe, will work to join data and match evidence to help build cases for use in future trials both in Ukraine and in international courts. The center is based at Eurojust, the headquarters of the European Union agency for judicial cooperation, and has received initial funding of $9 million (8.3 million euros) from the bloc. Other countries, including Britain and the United States, have also pledged support for the initiative. Since Russias full-scale invasion of Ukraine began more than 16 months ago, Western diplomats and lawyers have been discussing the need for a separate international tribunal with the power to prosecute Russia for the crime of aggression. Aggression is distinct from the offenses of war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide, for which the I.C.C. can hold individuals accountable. Advocates of a special tribunal argue that aggression is the paramount crime from which others emanate, and prosecuting that crime most directly implicates the political or military leaders who decide to wage war. And unlike in many war crimes cases, there would be no need to link an official to specific crimes on the ground, which is often a cumbersome process. Still, governments that support the idea of a tribunal disagree over whether it should be formed under the United Nations or become a specialized independent court focused on Ukraine, with international backing. The prosecutor of the International Criminal Court in The Hague is in the middle of an investigation of crimes against humanity and war crimes committed in Ukraine. The court has issued arrest warrants for President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia and another top Russian official over the abductions of Ukrainian children during the conflict. But the Kremlin has denied committing crimes, and the likelihood of a trial remains slim. Overwhelmed courts in Ukraine have already tried and convicted some Russian soldiers for war crimes, but have tens of thousands of cases waiting. President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia is said to work out of identically constructed offices at multiple residences so that photographs dont reveal his location. His assistants undergo such a rigorous selection process that a former bodyguard once called them a caste of chosen people. And more than three years after the pandemics beginning, the Kremlin has continued to enforce a clean zone around the president, requiring many who come near him to quarantine for days. For decades, people who know him say, Mr. Putin has been remarkably focused on his personal security and on preventing rivals from using the powers of government against him. Now, in the aftermath of last months short-lived rebellion led by Yevgeny V. Prigozhin, leader of the Wagner private mercenary group that fought for Russia in Ukraine, Mr. Putin appears to be scrambling to coup-proof his system once more. Hours after Israels leader said a large-scale military incursion aimed at rooting out Palestinian armed groups in the West Bank city of Jenin was wrapping up, five rockets were fired from the Gaza Strip into Israel early Wednesday, raising fears of an escalation of tit-for-tat violence. No injuries were immediately reported from the rocket attack, and the Israeli military said the countrys air-defense system had intercepted all five. In response to the rocket fire, Israeli fighter jets struck what the military described as an underground Hamas facility used for manufacturing weapons and another site used by Hamas for the production of raw rocket materials, according to posts on Twitter. Hamas is the Palestinian militant faction that controls Gaza. Earlier on Tuesday, eight people were wounded by a Palestinian man in a car-ramming and stabbing attack in Tel Aviv, the Israeli authorities said. A pregnant woman was injured and lost her baby, Israeli television reported. In security camera footage broadcast on Israeli television, a car can be seen slamming into a curb in a residential area in the northern part of the city. The driver then leaves his car and chases and stabs at passers-by, brandishing a heavy object. He was then shot and killed by a civilian, Israeli security officials said. Three people were in serious condition, the police said. As Israeli forces hunted for wanted men, weapons and explosives in the Palestinian refugee camp in Jenin this week, after using aerial drones to blow up what they described as terrorist hubs there, the city was living up to its reputation as a center of militant defiance in the occupied West Bank. To many Israelis, the city and its environs are a dreaded incubator of terrorism that has claimed many lives over the years. During the second Palestinian intifada, or uprising, the Jenin refugee camp was a prime exporter of suicide bombers to Israeli cities. Israeli officials say that more than 50 shooting attacks on Israelis have emanated from the Jenin area this year, and that 19 militants have taken refuge in the camp after carrying out attacks since last fall. To many Palestinians, Jenin, in the hilly northern reaches of the West Bank, is a heroic symbol of resilience and resistance against Israeli rule, and the rule of others who came before. That reputation was sealed in 2002, at the height of the second intifada, when the camp was the scene of a fierce, 10-day battle in which 52 Palestinians, around half of whom may have been civilians, according to the United Nations, and 23 Israeli soldiers were killed. OXMANTOWN National School, Birr celebrated Multicultural Day recently. The Principal, Ms Violet Barnwell, explained the idea behind the special occasion, Inclusion, tolerance, acceptance and kindness are central to the ethos of Oxmantown school. It is very important to us that all communities within the school feel a sense of belonging. There are fourteen nationalities represented at the school. This day is a chance for the children to proudly share aspects of their own cultural background. However, as a famous peace maker once said, The love of ones country is a splendid thing. But why should love stop at the border? And so, Multicultural Day is also about honouring and celebrating the similarities and differences between cultures at our school. Prior to the event, families collaborated with each other in order to decide on ways in which the school could celebrate the day. A stall space was set up in the school hall for every nationality. Traditional dishes were prepared with love and information/picture boards were assembled in the days coming up to the event. The day itself was one filled with the sound of traditional music, the colour of folk costume and the aromas of delicious foods. Ms Barnwell explained. Of course an entire countrys culture cannot be captured by a single display, however, it was so nice to get a glimpse of aspects of culture that are important to families in our school. The principal went on to explain that Multicultural Day is not just an event to celebrate once a year, it is part of a larger effort to promote an appreciation for diversity in our school and our world. Students who learn about different cultures during their education feel more comfortable and safe with these differences later in life. This allows them to interact in a wider range of social groups and feel more confident in themselves as well as in their interactions with others. Bishop Michael Burrows, Bishop of Tuam, Limerick and Killaloe, and Birr Rector, Reverend Arthur Minion, were there to share in the celebrations. The children sang traditional songs, played instruments and danced. A project, If the World were a Village of 100 People, was presented as part of Global Citizenship Education by the senior classes. The school also took the opportunity to remember Archdeacon Wayne Carney who passed away in 2020. He served as Chairperson of Oxmantown School for many years. Ms Barnwell remarked, Archdeacon Carney loved days like this at the school, the celebration of difference was very important to him. He believed strongly in the importance of ecumenical services amongst the local parishes. Archdeacon Carneys wife, Reverend Jean Carney, was invited to plant a maple tree (a tribute to Archdeacon Carneys Canadian roots), in memory of a man greatly missed by the school. Some new learning spaces were also opened by Bishop Burrows at the school on the day. A beautiful outdoor classroom, built recently by Mick Danagher, Birr, provides a wonderful outdoor learning area. Ms Barnwell thanked him saying, We are truly grateful for Micks skill and the heart he put into making this for our children. We plan to use the space for science lessons, art lessons, workshops or simply just as a place to have classes outside the walls of the classroom. A new library was also formally opened at the school. This project was part funded by the proceeds of the schools Easter Lenten Sale which was co-ordinated by the sixth class pupils. Ms Barnwell explained that the creativity and entrepreneurial skills of those children made the sale a great success. She told the children that the stunning library was their wonderful gift to the school. The library, also fitted with digital learning equipment, was crafted by Ciaran Darcy Kitchens, Daingean. Ms Barnwell left the school community with the words of Jimmy Carter, the 39th President of the U.S. We have become not a melting pot but a beautiful mosaic. Different people, different beliefs, different yearnings, different hopes, different dreams. WATT Footprint, co-founded by Coolderry local Paul Mahon and Paul O'Reilly, has received the "One to Watch" National Enterprise Award for its outstanding contributions to the energy sector and commitment to sustainability. Paul Mahon expressed his delight, stating, "We are delighted to pick up the award, it is great recognition of how fast this business has scaled since myself and Paul established it back in late 2020. It shows a real demand for our services and the fantastic team we have here is ready to meet that demand at an affordable price point for business." Watt Footprint offers a range of services tailored to the unique needs of businesses across sectors. Their expertise lies in conducting thorough energy audits, identifying inefficiencies, and developing customised strategies for improvement. These measures lead to significant cost reductions and sustainability progress. The company specialises in assisting clients in securing grants for energy efficiency projects. Their grant acquisition specialists work closely with businesses to navigate funding opportunities, enabling investments in energy-saving technologies without compromising budgets. Watt Footprint excels in project delivery, overseeing all aspects from planning to implementation. Leveraging their expertise and industry connections, they ensure efficient execution and tangible results for clients. Accuracy and accountability are exemplified through their measurement and verification services. Utilising advanced monitoring systems and data analytics, Watt Footprint accurately tracks energy savings and validates the effectiveness of energy management strategies. Expanding internationally, Watt Footprints focus is on the UK, Northern Ireland, and the UAE, aiming to extend their expertise and sustainable solutions globally. This expansion reflects the companys commitment to meeting the global demand for energy management services and establishing themselves as industry leaders. The highlight of the week was of course the final of the Star Sports/TRC English Derby in Towcester. What an advert for Irish racing with another dog from this side of the Irish Sea lifting the trophy of England's blue ribbon event. Champion trainer Graham Holland made it back to back English Derbys for the first time since 2010 and 2011 when Charlie Lister last achieved a similar feat. On the home front there was some magnificent racing around the Irish tracks with plenty of winning prize money being dished out. Some quality Offaly winners in the mix to add to another super week of Greyhound racing. Early Week Racing Enniscorthy, Monday, semi-finals of the Time Nutrition Open Unraced Stake, Ballyroe Elsie won the first for Patrick Whelan in a fast 28.88 (20 slow) by one length. The second semi was won in a slower 29.33 (20 slow) by Nene Valley for John Codd and Diana Brodie by three lengths. First Offaly winner of the week was in Shelbourne on Thursday, Messalina won an A5 race for Edenderry owner Robert Sheehy in 29.19 by a neck in a well supported in the betting ring at even money fav. Also on Thursday, back in Enniscorthy, in the final of the A2 April Stakes, Kiltrea Rob (Pestana - Kiltrea Dawn) won the 3k first prize for John Doyle in 29.04 (20 slow) by four lengths at 7/4 and getting his seventh career wins in thirteen starts. Friday Racing Galway, in an A6 contest, Margaret Bolton made the trip from Geashill and duly won with Like A Biscuit in 29.93 (10 slow) by two lengths at 3/1. Newbridge, in the final of an A3 sweepstake, last weeks Tribune dog of the week winner Short Grip (Grangeview Ten - Mysti Luna) backed up that win in the semifinal to come home in front in a super 28.45 by five lengths at 4/6 fav with a cheque of 650 going to Rhode owner P.J. Cocoman. Saturday Racing Curraheen Park, Cork, brilliant card put on for a fine attendance with the highlight being the final of the Denis Linehan Solicitors Open Unraced Stake won last year by Droopys Rocker for John Linehan. It was another Droopys winner this year as Droopys Flytline (Laughil Blake - Droopys Curio) proved to be another outstanding prospect from the Robert Gleeson kennels as he went through this quality stake unbeaten and winning the final and 5k first prize in 28.17 by three lengths at 6/4. Some big days ahead for this fellow. In the first round of the Shelley Fennelly Memorial Open 525, also in Cork, won last year by Bockos Melody for Graham Holland. Four heats with only a couple of lengths separating them on the clock. Fastest of the four was Up The Style fresh from winning the National Puppy Stakes in Shelbourne in December for Gleeson again in a super 28.04 by seven lengths at 4/6. Dundalk, in the final of the Paddy and Eamonn Carroll Memorial A3 stake, the 2.5k pot went to Princes Street (Storm Control - Lang Syne) for Mullingar trainer Francis Murray in 28.61 by five lengths. The best race on the Dock Road track in Limerick was the final of the 2023 Treaty Cup Open 350 sprint, won last year by the great sprinter Gizmo Cash for Jamie McGee. This year the 2k first prize went to Cree Jo Jo (Laughil Blake - Coolavanny Chick) in 18.36 by three lengths at 9/4 with Owen McKenna at the helm. Surprisingly no Offaly winner in Mullingar which is a rarity. Our only Offaly winner on Saturday was in Galway as Margaret Bolton won an S4 sprint with Cushcallow Flyer in 19.28 (.05 slow) by two lengths at 3/1. In Thurles, in the quarterfinals of the Centenary Agri Tipperary Cup open 525, Pat Buckley had two of the winners including the fastest on the night in Pape Di Ore in 28.67 (20 slow) by six lengths at 4/6. More brilliant racing in Shelbourne with the second round of the RPGTV Corn Cuchulainn Open 750, three heats with four qualifying for the semifinals from each. Fastest of the three was Garfiney Blaze for Holland in a serious time of 41.15 by three lengths at 4/6. In the semi-finals of the Boylesports Champion Stakes Open 550, won in 2022 by One Time Only for Thomas ODonovan, three heats with two qualifying from each for Saturdays final. Heat one went to Trinity Junior for Peter Cronin in 29.53 by one length at 4/1, heat two went to Jennifer ODonnell with The Other Kobe in 29.61 by two lengths at 9/4 with the final heat going to Scagletti in 29.66 also by two lengths at a decent 6/1 from the Pat Guilfoyle stables. English Derby The Star Sports/TRC English Derby trophy came back to Ireland for the seventeenth time when Gaytime Nemo (Droopys Sydney - Gaytime Derval) stole the show in Towcester when breaking smartly and was never in trouble to come home and win by two lengths at 9/1 for Graham Holland. While all the money came for Holland's other two fancied dogs Swords Rex and Clona Duke, with both missing the kick at traps this left Gaytime with no obvious dangers and duly provided Ireland with another English Derby and the 175k cheque coming back to Irish owner Brendan OConnell and trainer Holland. Leading Irish trainer Holland becomes only the fifth trainer to win back to back English Derbys, Leslie Reynolds in 1948 and 49, same man again in 1951 and 52. Tony Meek in 1993 and 94, the great Nicky Savva did three in a row in 2005, 06, and 07 while Charlie Lister did it twice in 2001 and 02 and 2010 and 11. A remarkable achievement for Holland and with the owners he has in his kennels purchasing the top young dogs in the country, there is no reason he wont dominate the English Derby as he does with all the classics over here. It was a great English Derby with thirty three Irish dogs starting out in the first round and finishing with another great Irish winner, Gaytime Nemo. Brilliant. Sunday Racing Three Offaly winners at the matinee meeting in Mullingar. In an A5 grade Lahinch Blaze won for Clara owner P.J. Cleary in 29.98 by one length at 3/1. In an A4 contest, Lingrawn Billy had his tenth career win for Moneygall owner Mary Jones in 29.95 by six lengths at 7/1. In an A5 race, Lingrawn Niamh also had her tenth career win for Liam Jones in 29.88 by four lengths at 7/2. All races in Mullingar on Sunday were rated .50 slow. Upcoming Events Saturday, semi-finals of the Shelley Fennelly Memorial Open 525 in Cork, semifinals of the Corn Cuchalainn Open 750 and Final of the Boylesports Champions Stakes in Shelbourne plus semifinals of the Tipperary Cup in Thurles. Tribune Offaly dog of the week For the second week in a row, Short Grip gets the nod for winning the final of an A3 sweepstake in Newbridge on Friday in 28.45 by five lengths for Rhode owner P.J. Cocoman. Well deserved. Offaly Winners Seven Offaly winners this week. Well done to all involved in any small way. FURTHER and higher education Minister Simon Harris has said he is confident adequate numbers of apprenticeships are now being offered to address the skills shortage in the construction industry. Speaking in Tullamore today (Monday, July 3), Minister Harris pointed out that 1,300 people this year have undergone near zero emissions building (NZEB) training and more than half of them had passed through the Laois and Offaly Education & Training Board's (LOETB) purpose-built facility in Mountlucas. The capacity for apprenticeships and traineeships has been expanded across the country and Minister Harris also noted that 57 electrical trainees were this week doing a course at the LOETB's Midlands skills centre and enterprise hub in Tullamore, which he officially opened. Training up the workforce has been identified as one key requirement in tackling the ongoing housing crisis. We can't train people quickly enough, the Minister told the Tullamore Tribune, adding: I'm satisfied the throughput is pretty good. The Government is now paying employers an average of 2,000 per year for every new apprentice they take on, a move which he says will support the smaller builder or the smaller man or woman with a van. He said: We now have the capacity in further and higher education to train all the people that are needed. What we now need to do is motivate people, and inspire people and maybe even incentivise people to take up those courses. For only the second time, apprenticeships are also on the CAO website this year and a helpline has been established to provide information. Minister Harris stressed that in addition to those starting apprenticeships from scratch, the demand for top-up training and short courses is being addressed by the provision of extra places. He praised the LOETB for providing a mobile training unit which will travel around the region to enable people to learn while remaining in their own schools or workplaces. After cutting the tape to formally declare the Tullamore training centre open, Minister Harris addressed LOETB staff and other public representatives, including LOETB chief executive Joe Cunningham, chair Evelyn Dunne, along with Minister of State Pippa Hackett, Deputy Barry Cowen and Offaly County Council chair Cllr Eddie Fitzpatrick. The Minister visited the Mountlucas national construction training facility before coming to Tullamore and praised the vision of those who had decided to establish it. He recalled that various organisations, including the ETB, Solas, the VEC and FAS had got a lot of stick when the centre was being planned. I want to pay a huge comhghairdeachas to the people who had the vision and the guts to secure that site for education. We now have 33 acres here in Offaly where we can lead the country in terms of modern methods of construction. The Minister stressed the need for action on the climate crisis: We all know the importance of climate, we all know our planet's on fire. We know we have to take big action. The people of the Midlands know that more than most because you have seen that very significant, and at times painful transition, that you are having to make. He also noted that the LOETB had identified some priorities for training in the Midlands region, including areas such as construction, agriculture, engineering, healthcare, hospitality and renewable energy. Government will support you every step of the way in providing the funding now to make the Midlands a leader in terms of skills provision in these areas, he said. He stressed the importance of shifting the emphasis in Irish education from the points race to training, upskilling and retraining. Ireland now has full employment and 70,000 jobs are being added every years. Yet we know there are so many jobs we still need done, he said. We have to broaden the definition of education. I don't think it's an accident that we have a shortfall of about 50,000 people working in construction in Ireland. Minister Harris also opened an information hub at the LOETB office at Castle Buildings in Tullamore, saying it will give people an opportunity to literally come in off the street and get advice on education and training opportunities. I'd like to see that replicated nationally, he remarked. In remarks after Minister Harris's visit, Minister Hackett (pictured below with the Further Education Minister and Cllr Mark Hackett) said the event was a really uplifting celebration of hard work and innovation in the skills sector in Offaly. "We know our economy is changing and so are jobs. Skills training must fit with the needs of enterprise and the economy. Our focus now must be on our housing and green skills needs," said the Green Party Senator. "We have a lot to be proud of: In Mount Lucas LOETB, our National Training Centre for Construction and NZEB meets more than 50% of the countrys retrofitting training needs. And in Tullamore, a new LOETB Enterprise Hub works with enterprises to identify and meet skills needs and a new information hub provides learners with all the information and supports they need. It is truly an exciting time to access training, to add to your skills or to reskill." WHEN the County Arms Hotel in Birr reopened fully after Covid-19 many of its key staff were upskilled by the Laois and Offaly Education & Training Board (LOETB). The hotel's general manager Barry Kennedy said today (Monday, July 3) that the workforce jumped from 62 to 146 when normal business returned after the pandemic. And probably 90% of our team at that stage were first time employees in hospitality with little or no experience, said Mr Kennedy. Mr Kennedy said the situation facing the hotel was very challenging so they identified 16 future leaders and they embarked on training programmes with the LOETB, especially to address the big gap in middle management. Those staff completed two lean management courses, Yellow Belt and Green Belt, resulting in new skills being learned and costs being reduced at the hotel by the introduction of efficiencies. That gave us great benefits in terms of the learning, in terms of what they brought to the hotel every day in terms of cost savings, said the manager. Mr Kennedy (pictured below) was speaking at the official opening of an Enterprise Hub at the LOETB's Midlands Skills Centre in Axis Business Park, Tullamore by the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Simon Harris TD. The support we received was brilliant. The training was done at times suitable to our business and suitable to the employees. He said the training was relevant to the working day of the employees who were provided with laptops for the duration of the courses. At the end a graduation event took place in the hotel and the LOETB even provided caps and gowns for an occasion attended by families and partners. That really empowered them, said Mr Kennedy. It helped us create a culture of learning and development within the hotel which spreads throughout the team and everybody wants a part of that. Three of the 16 participants have since achieved internal promotions and Mr Kennedy said the hotel will now be working with the LOETB to train some of the younger restaurant staff in skills and personal service, along with kitchen staff undertaking training in culinary skills and training for chefs. On top of that, he expects the County Arms, which he described as a typical four-star hotel for the region and country, to avail of the LOETB's apprenticeship in bar management. Mr Kennedy said the support of the LOETB was invaluable and he encouraged people to consider working in the hospitality industry, saying it offered opportunities like no other. There's so many ways you can develop people, said Mr Kennedy. It's not always about points, it's about how we develop as people and hospitality allows people that opportunity. Joe Cunningham, chief executive of the LOETB, said the board was delighted to provide the training and pointed out that the hotel and other workplaces provided locations for it to offer work placements to its trainees. LOOKING at Jim Kinahan on the shopfloor of the Expert store in Tullamore last week, no one would ever guess he grew up in a house without a fridge or a washing machine. Yet his first job back in December 1968 was with Kilroy's, a retailer which made its name selling electrical appliances of all kinds, and much more. Tullamore business legend Dermot Kilroy was running the operation at High Street, Tullamore back then and Jim got a post there even though his previous work experience amounted to weeding and thinning turnips in his native Tubber area. They used to call it heavy hardware, all the fridges and washing machines. Because I was a big strong lad, I suppose they put me into that, he said. Jim turned 71 in March and last Thursday, June 29, he finally pulled down the curtain on a career in retail that spanned more than half a century. After national school he attended Moate Vocational School, Moate Tech, as it was called and at a time when most lads left school at 14 and headed for England or stayed at home, he remained in school and completed three years secondary. There wasn't even a Leaving Certificate on offer in the school at the time but after the summer of 1968 he started in Kilroy's as the busy Christmas period approached. At that time they did toys. And things like milking machines and chainsaws, Jim recalled. Back then I didn't now a fridge from a washing machine because we didn't have one at home. Also, it was an era where many houses had cement floors and the advent of floor covering was a massive shift for many homes. As they did with so many other products, Kilroy's responded to the emerging trend for roll-out floor covering and had a steady stream of customers. The heavy rolls would be standing in a corner of the store, four or six feet high and people would arrive with an idea of the area they wished to cover. But they would not have measured up their rooms as is done today. People would come in with bits of wool and thread and binding twine with knots on it because they weren't able to measure themselves. They would hold it out and say 'That's the length and that the width'. I had to go and get a tape then and measure it. That's the way it was. It's unbelievable. It was only in the sixties that people were beginning to get education and the vocational schools were part of that. For businessmen like Dermot Kilroy, running an enterprise was much different too. Availability of credit was always a challenge. The retailer decided it was time to order in some fridges and he bought GEC models from Martin Naughton at a factory in Dunleer. Naughton was the man who went on to develop Glen Dimplex, a leading company in the electrical trade internationally. Kilroy would say you could ring him three times and day and get three different prices, noted Jim. Jim remembers when an initial order was made by Dermot Kilroy, who had a house at Lough Ennell. Oul Kilroy came down and said he was going to buy 15 of these fridges and he was going to mortgage the house out at the lake against it. I was only 16 or 17 and I was saying it'd be shocking if Mr Kilroy lost the house because the fridges didn't sell. The salesmen like Jim had to be told about the fridges with their ice boxes and different compartments for various foods. They retailed for about 19 when a weekly wage may have been only 4. Within two weeks we had them all sold. The next order was for 30 fridges at 28 each and they also sold. Kilroy's delivered to customers within a 40-mile radius, with different days allocated for the deliveries to different areas. Another key distinction from electrical retailing in the 21st century was the absence of a plug on newly purchased appliances. You had to put a plug on it. The appliances came in with no plug on them until the '80s. I'd be in Kilroy's at 9 o'clock on a Saturday night and a fellow would come in and buy a bar fire and you'd be trying to put a plug on it and six other customers there waiting. Much of the white goods destined for the Kilroy's shopfloor were shipped to Tullamore by rail and Dick Forrestal from Clontarf Road operated a horse and four-wheeled dray until a fleet of Ford 3000 tractors with trailers started moving the loads. Jim often used to thumb from his home to Tullamore unless a lift had been arranged but when he was 20 he decided to buy his first car. He was told by the girl in PMPA to come back when he was 21 and the quote for insurance would be better. 1,500 for the insurance and 600 for the car. Jim worked in Kilroy's stores in Nenagh, Mullingar and Athlone as well as Tullamore and took charge of the electrical department in Mullingar from about 1972 to 1976. However, he did leave Kilroy's on one occasion, taking a job in Ballina in the early 1970s because it offered a better wage. Kilroy rang me and said he wanted to talk to me so I came back. I left at about 4 pound 50 or 5 a week and I came back at 13 pound a week. He stayed in Kilroy's after that and played his part in the modernisation of Ireland. Remember, when he started working in the stores first, there weren't even many telephones. I was nearly afraid of the phone when I went in first, he said. Indeed, there were so few that neighbouring numbers were in sequence the Ulster Bank on High Street was Tullamore 74 and Kilroy's on the same street was 75. Kilroy's was a one-stop shop for so much white goods, furniture, floor coverings, televisions (the TV rental business was massive) and much more. From the time we joined the EEC it was growing but there was still a recession every six or seven years, Jim observed. There were the oil shocks of the 1970s and the recession of the 1980s though he thinks that latter decade was the one where Kilroy's really took off. Growth continued into the 1990s before recession struck again. But the one of 2008 was the worst ever. Derry Kilroy left the business in 2007 and at the same time retailers around the country realised they could not remain fully independent. Hence the moves began to form what became the Expert group under Ciaran O'Reilly. He rang Jim to say he had heard Kilroy's was closing and enquired about the possibility of it continuing under the Expert banner. A site was identified in Cloncollig but before it was ready Expert continued on High Street for about two years. Expert then relocated to its current premises and went well before sailing close to the wind again when the last recession hit. Jim himself switched to a three-day week when he was 66 and by then the store he worked in bore little resemblance to the Kilroy's of old. Laptops, for instance, were one product unheard of until recent times. Jim speaks about when the microwave oven was introduced. It took them a while to take off, he said. Some people associated them with pubs, because some licensed premises started using them to heat burgers as pub grub in Ireland improved. The early domestic models were expensive and required specific promotions. Claffey's, a fashion shop in Moate, provided an avenue towards marketing. They had a show which attracted hundreds of women to the hotel in Moate and Kilroy's arranged a microwave demonstration and raffle, where one lucky winner would go home with a microwave. Kilroy's also sold microwaves to their own staff at a special price and word of this gadget which could cook porridge in three minutes spread. Jim also tells the story of how dishwashers were promoted. Resisted by many households lest people be accused of being lazy for not washing a mug, Kilroy's jumped at the opportunity to supply one Zanussi dishwasher to the garda station in Tullamore when it was undergoing a major refurbishment in the late '70s or early '80s. There was 39 guards in that barracks and by the end of that year every one of them had a dishwasher. At 6pm on Thursday evening Jim, a father of five, left Expert for good and was looking forward to retirement with his wife Mary. But he won't be idle: Mary is getting the pension this year. She works as a carer and now she'll be off when I'm off. And I'll do a bit of fishing and I keep a few calves. Praful Patel clears air over Ceejay House: "Not in-charge of the property at this stage" 51 NCP MLAs Wanted To Tie Up With BJP During Shinde Rebellion, Says Report India oi-Deepika S Rajya Sabha MP Praful Patel has revealed that 51 out of 54 party legislators had given a letter to Sharad Pawar that NCP should side with BJP to form government in Maharashtra when the MVA government was on the verge of collapse last year during Eknath Shinde's rebel. However, the NCP leadership failed to take a decision on time, and Eknath Shinde grabbed the opportunity and formed the government with Devendra Fadnavis, according to a report by Times of India. Patel said the decision to join the Shiv Sena-BJP government was a collective one, indicating that the process of going with the BJP had started in 2022 itself. With 9 NCP MLAs Joining Maharashtra govt, CM Eknath Shinde says Cabinet Expansion Soon Dealing a major blow to his uncle Sharad Pawar, Ajit Pawar on Sunday took oath as Deputy Chief Minister of Maharashtra while eight MLAs of NCP joined as ministers. "Joining the Maharashtra government was a collective decision taken by NCP for the development of the state, country and in view of the able leadership of PM Modi. In Nagaland, we have supported NDA. We have supported the Maharashtra government to ensure the development of the state and to provide political stability," Patel said. He echoed Ajit Pawar saying, "If NCP can align with Shiv Sena then why not with BJP? There are no ideological differences". Patel refused to respond to questions on Pawar being upset with him and whether he had ditched the NCP chief. Ajit Pawar Faction Announces Sunil Tatkare as Maharashtra NCP Chief "There is no pressure on us. I am thankful to NCP and Pawar saheb for all I got in the party," the former Union minister added. Notably, Sharad Pawar on Sunday said he was not upset with anybody in view of the major political development in his party but slammed leaders Praful Patel and Sunil Tatkare for abandoning the guidelines of the party president and taking a wrong path. For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Tuesday, July 4, 2023, 9:49 [IST] Bengal Panchayat Polls: Deploy Equal Number of CAPF, State Armed forces in Booths, HC directs SEC India oi-Madhuri Adnal The Calcutta High Court Division Bench on Tuesday directed State Election Commission to deploy an equal number of Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) and state armed forces in booths. The court also directed that CAPF to stay until the entire process of election is over. The deputy solicitor general submitted before the court that there will be nearly 65,000 active central police personnel and 70,000 state police personnel and the deployment on a ratio of 50:50 will solve the issue. A division bench presided by Chief Justice T S Sivagnanam directed that the Inspector General, BSF, the force coordinator appointed by the central government, will pass necessary orders in this regard so that the deployment is made throughout the state. The direction came after the State Election Commission (SEC) counsel submitted that there may be a technical difficulty in deploying central forces to all polling stations as it appears that there is a norm fixed by the central forces that one group cannot be split to less than four. It was stated that with all 822 companies of central forces deployed, there is likely to be an active personnel strength of around 65,000, while there are more than 61,000 polling booths. The petitioners, representing a section of state government employees who are to be deployed for poll duty, flagged the issue of safety and security of polling personnel in all polling stations. They expressed apprehension that considering the number of central armed police forces deployed, it will not be possible for them to guard all the polling stations in the state. Acts Like BJP Agent: TMC Waves Black Flags At Bengal Governor In Siliguri The Calcutta High Court had on June 21 directed Central forces that were not less than forces deployed in the 2013 panchayat polls be deployed in the State. The panchayat polls in West Bengal are scheduled to be held on July 8. The polls will be held in a single phase and will cover all 234 districts in the state. Gujarat Govt Opposes Discharge Plea of Teesta Setalvad India oi-Madhuri Adnal The Gujarat government has opposed the discharge application filed by social activist Teesta Setalvad in a sessions court here in a case of the alleged fabrication of evidence to frame innocent people in 2002 post-Godhra riot cases. The government on Monday told the court of additional sessions judge Ambalal Patel that Setalvad had abused the trust of the 2002 riots victims. Setalvad drafted affidavits in their names to implicate innocent persons including then chief minister (Narendra Modi), senior officers, and ministers, the government affidavit said. Notably, the Supreme Court on Saturday protected Setalvad from arrest and stayed for a week the Gujarat High Court order rejecting her plea for regular bail and asking her to surrender immediately in the case of the alleged fabrication of evidence. The case against Setalvad and two other accused -- former Director General of Police (DGP) RB Sreekumar and ex-IPS officer Sanjiv Bhatt -- is being heard in the court of additional sessions judge. The court had earlier rejected Sreekumar's discharge plea. While opposing Setalvad's discharge plea, the government has relied on the statements of witnesses Rais Khan Pathan, who worked at the activist's NGO Citizen for Peace, Narendra Brahmbhatt who had claimed that late Congress leader Ahmed Patel had allegedly paid the activist Rs 30 lakh, and riot victim Qutubuddin Ansari. The government also highlighted the ''contradiction'' in the affidavits of riot victims prepared by Setalvad and the statements recorded by them before the court. ''There is sufficient evidence and reasons to file a chargesheet against the accused. For the reasons mentioned above and taking into account the reasons and submissions to be presented during the argument, the court is requested to reject the discharge plea of the accused,'' the government's affidavit said. SC Grants Interim Protection to Teesta Setalvad, Stays Gujarat HC Order Setalvad was arrested in June last year along with former Gujarat Director General of Police R B Sreekumar and ex-IPS officer Sanjiv Bhatt in an offence registered by Ahmedabad crime branch police for allegedly fabricating evidence to frame "innocent people" in the post-Godhra riots cases. She was released on interim bail on September 3. In its judgment, the high court had observed that prima facie Setalvad used her close associates and riot victims to file "false and fabricated affidavits before the Supreme Court with a view to unseat the establishment and to tarnish the image of establishment and the then chief minister (Modi)". The fabrication of evidence case against Setalvad, Bhatt and Sreekumar was registered a day after the Supreme Court's verdict in the Zakia Jafri case. The apex court had dismissed a plea of Jafri, the wife of slain former MP Ehsan Jafri, challenging the Special Investigation Team's (SIT) clean chit to 64 people, including then Chief Minister Narendra Modi, in the 2002 Gujarat riots case. Earlier, the Ahmedabad sessions court had rejected the bail applications of Setalvad and Sreekumar. Last month, the trial court rejected Sreekumar's plea for discharge in the case. Sreekumar is also out on interim bail granted by the high court. Former IPS officer Sanjiv Bhatt, the third accused in the case, has not applied for bail. Bhatt is already in jail for another criminal matter when he was arrested in this case. The Ahmedabad city crime branch had registered a First Information Report (FIR) against Setalvad and two others under Indian Penal Code sections 468 (forgery for cheating) and 194 (fabricating false evidence with intent to procure conviction for capital offences) of the Indian Penal Code. For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Tuesday, July 4, 2023, 18:36 [IST] Kerala Rains: Red Alert Issued For 2 Districts; Schools, Colleges Shut in Ernakulam, Alappuzha India oi-Prakash KL The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has predicted heavy rainfall in parts of Kerala on Tuesday. The weather-monitoring agency has issued red alerts for two districts, orange alerts for 11 districts and a yellow alert for two other districts. Kannur and Idukki districts in Kerala are currently under a red alert, while Pathanamthitta, Alappuzha, Kottayam, Idukki, Thrissur, Palakkad, Malappuram, Kozhikode, Wayanad, Kannur, and Kasaragod districts are under an orange alert. Thiruvananthapuram and Kollam districts have been issued a yellow alert. District-level and taluk-level emergency operation centres have been instructed to operate 24 hours a day considering the intensity of the rain, Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said. Gujarat Rains: Shah Speaks To CM Patel; Assures Help 7 teams of the National Disaster Response Force have been set up for emergency use in Idukki, Pathanamthitta, Malappuram, Wayanad, Kozhikode, Alappuzha and Thrissur districts, he stated. #WATCH | Kerala: Heavy rain continues in Kochi. All educational institutions including professional colleges in Ernakulam district will remain closed tomorrow due to excessive rainfall in the region. All mining operations have been suspended until further notice: District pic.twitter.com/khnpu4iaOk ANI (@ANI) July 4, 2023 Recommended Video Kerala Rains: IMD issues red, orange alert | Schools and colleges shut down | Oneindia News "Avoid night travel to the mountainous areas as much as possible. Residents living in the coastal area should move away from danger zones as per the instructions of authorities as there is a possibility of high tides and sea strikes. Trips to the beach and recreational activities at sea should be avoided completely. Kerala should not go fishing in the Lakshadweep coasts of Karnataka," the Chief Minister appealed to the people. Kerala, as per the IMD, is expected to get heavy rains till Friday. Weather Update: IMD Predicts Heavy Rainfall In These States For Next 5 Days Due to heavy rains, the concerned authorities have announced a holiday for all educational institutions, including professional colleges, in the Ernakulam and Alappuzha districts on Tuesday. On Monday, an 11-year-old girl died after a tree fell on her near her school in Kasaragod. The victim has been identified as Ayshath Minha, a class VI student of Government Higher Secondary School at Angadimogar in Puthige grama panchayat, according to a report in Manorama. No RSS route march in Tamil Nadu on Sunday; next hearing in SC on 17th of this month Madras HC Delivers Split Verdict In Senthil Balaji Case India oi-Deepika S The Madras High Court on Tuesday delivered a split verdict on the Habeas Corpus plea filed by Tamil Nadu minister Senthil Balaji's wife. The plea will now be heard by a larger bench of the High Court. A division bench comprising Justices J Nisha Banu and D Bharatha Chakravarthy delivered the split verdict today. While Justice Nisha Banu concluded that the habeas corpus plea filed for Balaji's release is maintainable and should be allowed. Justice D Bharatha Chakravarthy questioned whether a habeas corpus plea can be maintainable after a remand order, according to Bar and Bench. Holding that the HCP was maintainable, Justice Nisha Banu directed the police to set Balaji at liberty forthwith. Disagreeing with the judgment of Justice Nisha Banu, Justice Bharatha Chakravarthy in his order framed four questions and answered the same. The judge said the HCP was not maintainable. The petitioner has not made out any case to hold that the remand was not valid. Senthil Balaji can continue to take treatment in a private hospital (Kavery Hospital) till he was discharged or 10 days from today, whichever was earlier. Thereafter he can take treatment in a Prison/government hospital, the judge added. The Tamil Nadu Electricity, and Prohibition and Excise minister was arrested by the ED on June 14 under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) in an alleged cash for jobs scam that took place when he was the transport minister in an AIADMK government led by the late J Jayalalithaa. Challenging Senthil Balaji's arrest in a PMLA case, the minister's wife alleged that he was arrested illegally by the Enforcement Directorate (ED). Mizoram CM Appeals for Immediate End to Violence in Manipur India oi-Madhuri Adnal Mizoram Chief Minister Zoramthanga has made an emotional appeal for an immediate end to the violence in neighbouring Manipur, saying that it is incumbent upon all responsible and law-abiding citizens or entities of India to look for ways to restore peace. The violence, which erupted between the Meitei and Kuki communities in Manipur on May 3, has claimed the lives of over 120 people, injured more than 300, and displaced nearly 40,000. In a post on Twitter, Zoramthanga said that he was "deeply pained" by the violence and called for an end to the "brutal, untoward and uncalled-for incident". He said that he did not want to see any more pictures or video clips of churches being burnt, people being killed, or violence of any nature. "If there is only one way of settling for peace, shall we opt for that?" he asked. Zoramthanga said that many lives had been lost and that the victims were his "kin and kin, my own blood".He called for the immediate restoration of peace and normalcy and said that it was incumbent upon all responsible citizens to find ways to achieve this. Manipur: Bunkers To Be Removed, Schools To Reopen For Classes 1 To 8 The Mizoram chief minister also said that the violence in Manipur had resulted in the displacement of over 12,000 people in Mizoram. He appealed to the central government to provide humanitarian assistance to the displaced persons. Zoramthanga's appeal comes as the violence in Manipur shows no signs of abating. The two communities have a long history of conflict, dating back to the British colonial era. The violence has been exacerbated by the rise of militant groups in both communities. The situation is further complicated by the fact that the two communities are spread across different parts of Manipur, making it difficult to maintain law and order. The central government has deployed additional security forces to Manipur in an attempt to contain the violence. However, the violence has continued unabated, raising concerns about the ability of the government to restore peace. For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Tuesday, July 4, 2023, 18:29 [IST] No Leader Bigger Than PM Modi For Development, Says Ajit Pawar India oi-Madhuri Adnal Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar on Tuesday said there is no leader like PM Narendra Modi. "Today, I met all my colleagues in the cabinet meeting. I have worked with most of them for two and a half years in the previous government. There are many ministers in BJP too with whom I have worked, like Radha Krishna Vikhe Patil when he was in Congress. Nothing is new for me. I discussed many issues with the Chief Minister and his deputy. The Chief Minister has to decide who has to present what account. Several decisions were taken in the state cabinet," said Ajit Pawar after the cabinet meeting. "The country is marching ahead under his (Modi's) leadership. We have joined the government to support him," Ajit Pawar said, after inaugurating his NCP faction's new office in south Mumbai. "There is no leader like Modi. There is no alternative to him," he said. Maharashtra CM Eknath Shinde on why Ajit Pawar Joined His Government Ajit Pawar indicated that the allocation of portfolios in the state ministry may not be announced immediately. He attributed the delay to CM Eknath Shinde and Dy CM Devendra Fadnavis leaving for Nagpur to welcome President Murmu who is reaching there later in the evening. "We all have decided to work together. There is no question of disgruntlement," he said, when asked if some members in the Shinde group are unhappy over his inclusion in the ministry. For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Tuesday, July 4, 2023, 17:36 [IST] What Happened With Daughters Can Never Be Forgiven: PM Modi On Manipur Parade Incident If PM Modi Is Angry About Manipur, He Must Dismiss The CM: Mallikarjun Kharge PM Modi to Visit 4 states on July 7-8; Set to Inaugurate, Lay Foundation Stones of 50 Projects India oi-PTI Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit Uttar Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Telangana and Rajasthan on July 7 and 8 during which he will inaugurate and lay the foundation stones of about 50 projects worth around Rs 50,000 crore, official sources said Tuesday. All these states, except Uttar Pradesh, are slated to go to polls later this year. On Friday, Prime Minister Modi will first travel from Delhi to Raipur, where he will lay the foundation stone and dedicate multiple projects, including the six-lane sections of the Raipur-Vishakhapatnam corridor, to people. Thereafter, he will attend a public meeting. The prime minister will then travel to Gorakhpur where will attend a programme at the Gita Press, the sources said. Thereafter, he will flag off Vande Bharat trains on three routes and also lay the foundation stone for redevelopment of the Gorakhpur railway station. From Gorakhpur, Modi will travel to his constituency, Varanasi, where he will inaugurate and lay the foundation stone of multiple key projects. No Leader Bigger Than PM Modi For Development, Says Ajit Pawar In Varanasi, the prime minister will inaugurate the Pandit Deen Dayal Upadhyay Junction to Son Nagar new section of the Dedicated Freight Corridor. He will also dedicate to people the four-lane widened NH56 (Varanasi-Jaunpur). PM Modi will also lay the foundation stone for the renovation of Manikarnika Ghat and Harishchandra Ghat, the sources said. On July 8, he will travel from Varanasi to Warangal in Telangana. In Warangal, he will lay the foundation stone of various projects, including for key sections of Nagpur-Vijayawada Corridor. Modi will also lay the foundation stone of four-laning of Karimnagar-Warangal section of NH-563. Thereafter, he will attend a public meeting in Warangal. The prime minister will then travel from Warangal to Bikaner, where he will lay the foundation stone and dedicate multiple projects. Prime Minister Modi will dedicate various sections of Amritsar-Jamnagar Expressway and also dedicate the Inter-State Transmission Line for Green Energy Corridor Phase-I. He will also lay the foundation stone for redevelopment of Bikaner railway station. Thereafter, he will attend a public meeting in Bikaner. For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Tuesday, July 4, 2023, 19:10 [IST] Show Number Of MLAs Supporting You: BJP Challenges Sharad Pawar India oi-PTI Maharashtra minister and BJP leader Sudhir Mungantiwar on Tuesday dared the Sharad Pawar-led NCP to parade the number of MLAs supporting them. Ajit Pawar joined the Shiv Sena-BJP government on Sunday as deputy chief minister while eight other NCP MLAs took oath as ministers. The NCP has 53 MLAs in the 288-member Assembly. The Ajit Pawar camp has claimed the support of more than 40 MLAs. Speaking to reporters here, Mungantiwar said, "I challenge them (Sharad Pawar-led NCP) to show the number of MLAs supporting them. The MLAs are behind Ajit Pawar. He has chosen to go with development and truth." "They (Sharad Pawar-led NCP) can organise a meeting and parade the number of MLAs that are supporting them. They should show their strength," he said. How Many MLAs Are With Ajit, Sharad Pawar Faction? The Numbers Explained Asked about Shiv Sena leader Eknath Shinde and other ministers (after the revolt in June last year) claiming Ajit Pawar, as finance minister (in the previous MVA government), was biased in the disbursement of funds, Mungantiwar said the comments were ''hyped''. "Now, Shinde is the chief minister and no work file can be stopped if he signs on it," he said. The Uddhav Thackeray-led Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government, comprising the Shiv Sena (then undivided), NCP and Congress, collapsed in June last year after a revolt led by Shinde. The revolt also led to a split in the Shiv Sena. Later, Shinde became the chief minister with BJP's support. For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Tuesday, July 4, 2023, 16:38 [IST] What Happened With Daughters Can Never Be Forgiven: PM Modi On Manipur Parade Incident If PM Modi Is Angry About Manipur, He Must Dismiss The CM: Mallikarjun Kharge There Should Be No Double Standards On Terrorism: PM Modi At SCO Summit India oi-Prakash KL Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday said that there should be no "double standards" when it comes to terrorism. At the virtual Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) meet, PM Modi said that terrorism is a threat to regional and global peace and the SCO members should not hesitate to criticise it. "Terrorism is a threat to regional and global peace. We will have to fight against terrorism...Some countries use cross-border terrorism as an instrument of their policies and give shelter to terrorists. SCO should not hesitate to criticize such countries. SCO countries should condemn it. There should be no double standards on terrorism," he said With Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russia's Vladimir Putin listening. He also highlighted that the situation in Afghanistan has had a direct impact on the security of all of the SCO countries. "India's concerns and expectations regarding Afghanistan are the same as most of the SCO Member countries. We have to make united efforts for the welfare of the people of Afghanistan...It is important that the land of Afghanistan is not used to spread unrest in neighbouring nations or promote extremist ideologies," PM Modi added. No justification for terrorism, must be stopped: Jaishankar at SCO meet He stated that India does not see the SCO as an extended neighbourhood, but rather as an extended family. Security, economic development, connectivity, unity, respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity, and environmental protection are the pillars of our vision for SCO, he stated. "India has established five pillars of cooperation within the SCO: Startup and innovation, traditional medicine, youth empowerment, digital inclusion, and shared Buddhist heritage. Over the past two decades, the SCO has emerged as an important platform for peace, prosperity and development in the entire Eurasia region. India's thousands of years old cultural and people-to-people ties with this region are living testimony to our shared heritage," he added. The Prime Minister also touched upon the global food, fuel and fertiliser crisis, highlighted the need for reform of the SCO and welcomed Iran as the new permanent member of the SCO. The SCO, comprising India, China, Russia, Pakistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan, is an influential economic and security bloc and has emerged as one of the largest transregional international organisations. India assumed the rotating chairmanship of the SCO at the Samarkand Summit of SCO on September 16 last year. The SCO was founded at a summit in Shanghai in 2001 by the presidents of Russia, China, the Kyrgyz Republic, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. Pakistan became its permanent member along with India in 2017. Those Who Betrayed My Ideology Should Not Use My Photograph, Says Sharad Pawar India oi-Madhuri Adnal NCP president Sharad Pawar on Tuesday said those who ''betrayed'' his ideology should not use his photograph. ''Only the party of which I am the national president and Jayant Patil the state president can use my photograph,'' he told reporters here. In his lifetime, it was his prerogative to decide who should use his photograph, he said. ''Those who betrayed my ideology and with whom I have ideological differences cannot use my photograph,'' the veteran leader added. Pawar's statement came two days after his nephew Ajit Pawar and eight other MLAs of the Nationalist Congress Party joined the BJP-Shiv Sena government in Maharashtra. No Leader Bigger Than PM Modi For Development, Says Ajit Pawar The Ajit Pawar faction also removed Jayant Patil as state NCP president. Patil, on the other hand, has submitted a petition to the Assembly Speaker seeking to disqualify Ajit and his associates. For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Tuesday, July 4, 2023, 17:42 [IST] What Happened With Daughters Can Never Be Forgiven: PM Modi On Manipur Parade Incident If PM Modi Is Angry About Manipur, He Must Dismiss The CM: Mallikarjun Kharge Uttarakhand CM Pushkar Dhami Meets PM Modi Amid Buzz Over UCC India oi-Deepika S Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami met Prime Minister Narendra Modi at his residence in New Delhi on Tuesday amid a raging debate over Uniform Civil Code. Dhami had earlier met Home Minister Amit Shah and apprised him of the preparation for 'kanwar yatra' along with other issues while making no direct reference to the UCC. Last week, Dhami said the state government will act on the draft Uniform Civil Code as soon as it receives the report on the issue from the expert committee examining the subject. Parliament Panel Head Sushil Modi Wants to Keep Tribals Out of UCC Ambit: Report His comments followed a press conference by the state-appointed expert panel chaired by Ranjana Desai, who said the draft report on the UCC for the state was ready and sent for printing. In its manifesto for the 2022 assembly elections in the state, BJP had promised to bring a UCC. Meanwhile, reports suggested that the Uttarakhand Civil Code Draft might become the template for the Centre's law. Last week, PM Modi made a strong appeal for the implementation of the Uniform Civil Code (UCC) and for the abolition of triple talaq, in the poll-bound Madhya Pradesh. "If there is one law for one member in a house, another law for another, then how will such a house work with such dualities in law? Similarly, how will the country work? We have to remember that in the Constitution as well there is mention of uniform law for all citizens. The Supreme Court has time and again mentioned to implement the Uniform Civil Code, but those hungry for vote-bank oppose it," the Prime Minister said after flagging off five Vande Bharat trains. Now Or Never: Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi Bats For Uniform Civil Code However, the Opposition parties have slammed the Prime Minister, saying he should first talk about poverty, price rise, and unemployment in the country. The UCC aims at having a single law or set of laws in the country applicable to all irrespective of the region they belong to. This means personal laws governing marriage, divorce and succession will be governed by a common set of laws, irrespective of the religion. Russia Will Stand Up Against Sanctions And Provocations: Putin at SCO summit Wagner Chief Is Likely Dead After Rebelling Against Putin: Former US General What Putin Said on Terrorism During SCO Summit India oi-Madhuri Adnal Russian President Vladimir Putin and Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday called for increased cooperation to combat terrorism and drug trafficking at the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit. The summit, which was hosted by India, was also attended by the leaders of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, and Iran. In his address to the summit, Putin said that terrorism had become a "serious threat" to regional and global security. He called on the SCO to "strengthen its efforts" to combat terrorism and extremism. Modi echoed Putin's remarks, saying that terrorism was a "common enemy" that must be defeated. He called for expanding mutual cooperation between SCO member states to deal with the threat of terrorism. There Should Be No Double Standards On Terrorism: PM Modi At SCO Summit The SCO summit also discussed the situation in Afghanistan. Putin said that the situation in Afghanistan was "regrettably not becoming better." He called on the SCO to work together to "stabilize" the situation in Afghanistan and to prevent the country from becoming a safe haven for terrorists. The SCO is a regional security organization that was founded in 2001. It has eight member states: China, India, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, and Pakistan. The SCO has been active in combating terrorism and drug trafficking in its member states. The virtual summit was held under India's presidency of the SCO. India will hand over the presidency of the SCO to China in September 2023. For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Tuesday, July 4, 2023, 17:15 [IST] Manipur Video: Issue Not That It's a Shame for Nation But Trauma Inflicted on Women, says Rahul Gandhi Will Bihar See Maharashtra-like Political Turmoil? India oi-Madhuri Adnal The recent political turmoil in Maharashtra, where the ruling Shiv Sena split and joined hands with the opposition BJP, has raised speculations that a similar situation may arise in Bihar. Reports suggest that the BJP is likely to set its sights on the Janata Dal (United) (JDU), which is currently in a ruling alliance with the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) in Bihar. Political leaders from the National Democratic Alliance (NDA), including former deputy chief minister of Bihar Sushil Modi and Union minister Ramdas Athawale, have hinted at the likelihood of a rift in the JDU. Modi claimed that JD(U) MLAs feel "betrayed" after Nitish Kumar severed a longstanding relationship with the BJP. He also said that the Bihar CM had ignored his MLAs in the last 17 years and is now meeting them individually, calling it "a sign of nervousness". Mamata Dropped Non-Congress Third Front Plan After Meeting Nitish: JDU Leader Athawale echoed Modi's sentiments, saying that "Maharashtra-like situation may erupt in Bihar and Uttar Pradesh as many MLAs are unhappy with Nitish Kumar joining hands with RJD". He also claimed that Rashtriya Lok Dal chief Jayant Chaudhary will join the NDA coalition as he didn't attend the recent opposition meeting in Patna. Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) leader Chirag Paswan has also predicted a similar fate for Bihar. He claimed that Nitish Kumar will fail to complete his tenure as the chief minister and that several JD(U) leaders were in touch with him. Rashtriya Lok Janata Dal (RJD) leader and former Union minister Upendra Kushwaha has been fanning the talk of likely merger of the JD-U and the RJD. He has claimed that the JD-U will be merged with the RJD soon, and thereafter, there will be an exodus of party leaders to join other parties. For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Tuesday, July 4, 2023, 20:41 [IST] Will BJP Ally With JDS For 2024 Lok Sabha Polls? India oi-Madhuri Adnal In a major political development, BJP stalwart BS Yediyurappa on Tuesday announced that that his party and the JDS would join forces to challenge the ruling Congress party and its government. During a media address, Yediyurappa said that the two parties will "fight together in future" and that Kumaraswamy's allegations of corruption against the Congress government are true. In response to Yediyurappa's statement, Kumaraswamy said that an alliance between the BJP and the JDS is "probably" going to happen by the end of the year or after the next Lok Sabha elections. Kumaraswamy had previously stated, "There is GST (Goods and Services Tax), and there is YST (Yathindra special tax)." He highlighted the existence of "syndicates" within KSRTC (Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation) and sub-registrar's offices that engage in irregularities related to transfers. BJP MLA Basavanagounda Patil Yatnal also supported Kumaraswamy's allegations. Ruckus In Karnataka Assembly; BJP Questions Congress Over Poll Guarantees Following the considerable loss suffered by his party in the recent elections, Kumaraswamy has adopted an aggressive stance against the Congress, which emerged victorious in most of the JDS-held seats. With his party's diminishing influence, Kumaraswamy has indicated the possibility of aligning with the BJP. His father and JDS patriarch, HD Deve Gowda, hinted at the JDS moving closer to the BJP when he attended the inauguration of the new Parliament House, an event boycotted by 19 non-BJP parties. The announcement of the alliance comes at a time when the Congress is facing increasing criticism for its handling of the state government. Kumaraswamy has been particularly vocal in his criticism of the Congress, accusing it of corruption and misgovernance. The BJP and the JDS have been bitter rivals in the past, but they have been drawn closer together in recent months by their shared opposition to the Congress. The two parties have also been working together in the BBMP and panchayat elections. Karnataka Gruha Jyothi Scheme 2023: When Is the Last Date To Register For Free Electricity? The announcement of the alliance is a major setback for the Congress, which is already facing a tough challenge from the BJP in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections. The alliance between the BJP and the JDS is likely to make it even more difficult for the Congress to win the elections. The alliance is also significant because it shows that the BJP is willing to work with regional parties in order to achieve its political goals. The BJP has been criticised in the past for its "top-down" approach to politics, but the alliance with the JDS shows that the party is willing to adapt to the changing political landscape. For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Tuesday, July 4, 2023, 17:21 [IST] SFO Police urged to take immediate action against those responsible for Indian consulate vandalism Indian Consulate In San Francisco Set On Fire, Second Attack In 5 Months International oi-Deepika S A group of Khalistan radicals set Indian Consulate on fire in San Francisco on July 2, specifically between 1:30 and 2:30 am. This is the second attack on the consulate by Khalistan supporters in a span of five months. But it was quickly doused by the San Francisco fire department and no major damages were caused or staffers were harmed, according to reports. Diya TV, a local channel, released a video in connection with the incident. However, OneIndia could not independently verify the authenticity of the video. ARSON ATTEMPT AT SF INDIAN CONSULATE: #DiyaTV has verified with @CGISFO @NagenTV that a fire was set early Sunday morning between 1:30-2:30 am in the San Francisco Indian Consulate. The fire was suppressed quickly by the San Francisco Department, damage was limited and no pic.twitter.com/bHXNPmqSVm Diya TV - 24/7 * Free * Local (@DiyaTV) July 3, 2023 The US Department of State has strongly condemned the act of violence and attempted arson by pro-Khalistan supporters at the Indian consulate in San Francisco on Sunday. "The U.S. strongly condemns the reported vandalism and attempted arson against the Indian Consulate in San Francisco on Saturday. Vandalism or violence against diplomatic facilities or foreign diplomats in the U.S. is a criminal offense," Matthew Miller, spokesperson for the US State Department tweeted. The U.S. strongly condemns the reported vandalism and attempted arson against the Indian Consulate in San Francisco on Saturday. Vandalism or violence against diplomatic facilities or foreign diplomats in the U.S. is a criminal offense. Matthew Miller (@StateDeptSpox) July 3, 2023 Recommended Video Khalistani supporters set Indian consulate in San Francisco on fire, Watch video | Oneindia News In March, a group of pro-Khalistan protesters attacked and damaged the Indian Consulate in San Francisco, prompting sharp condemnation from Indian-Americans who demanded immediate action against those responsible for it. Khalistan Sympathiser Avtar Singh Khanda Dies in UK Hospital Raising pro-Khalistan slogans, the protesters broke open the makeshift security barriers raised by the city police and installed two so-called Khalistani flags inside the Consulate premises. Two consulate personnel soon removed these flags. Soon after, a group of angry protesters entered the consulate premises and started hitting the door and windows with the iron rods. Community leader Ajay Bhutoria strongly condemned the attack by pro-Khalistan protesters on the Consulate of India building in San Francisco. "This act of violence is not only a threat to the diplomatic relations between the United States and India but also an attack on the peace and harmony of our community," he said. Watch: PM Modi Unveils Bust of Mahatma Gandhi in Hiroshima, Site of World's First Nuclear Attack Japan: IAEA to hand over Fukushima water release verdict International dwnews-DW News The UN's International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) is set to hand over its report to Japan on Tuesday which could pave the way for Japan to launch its contentious plan to release treated radioactive wastewater from the damaged Fukushima nuclear plant into the ocean. IAEA chief Rafael Mariano Grossi, who reached Japan on Tuesday for a four-day trip, is planning to meet with Prime Minister Fumio Kishida later in the day to submit the nuclear watchdog's final report on the water release. At a joint press conference with Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi on Tuesday, Grossi said that the report marks "an important chapter" in the IAEA's work over the past two years. What is Japan planning to do with the Fukushima water? The Fukushima plant meltdown in 2011 triggered by a devastating earthquake and tsunami left Japan to have to deal with the water used to cool the pant's fuel rods. Authorities have over the last ten since been treating the contaminated water which is being stored in almost 1,000 tanks. Japan: 2 dead after shooting at army training range But the storage is about to reach its capacity of 1.37 million tons enough to fill 500 Olympic size swimming pools. The water must be removed to make way for the plant's decommissioning and to prevent any accidental leaks. As part of its plan, Japan intends to dilute the treated water and release it over 30 to 40 years with the help of a pipe extending around a kilometer from the east coast where the Fukushima nuclear plant is located. How have Japan's neighbors responded? Neighboring countries have expressed concern over the years about the risk to marine life and public health. China has been the staunchest critic of the water release plan. On Tuesday, Beijing said through its embassy in Japan said the IAEA's report cannot be a "pass" for the water release and urged the plan's suspension. Some fishing unions in Fukushima have also opposed the government's plan, fearing that customers will steer clear of their catches despite strict testing norms for the food from the region. Several countries had banned some food products from Japan after the 2011 catastrophe. South Korea said it would continue its ban on certain food products, ahead of the IAEA report's release. Ukraine's Zelenskyy Rallies Support During G7 Japan Talks Japan has tried to assuage concerns over its plan. "We will continue to explain the safety of the plan to release the treated water into the ocean to the international community, based on scientific evidence and with transparency," Hayashi said at Tuesday's briefing. Grossi is also expected to visit South Korea, New Zealand and the Cook Islands to allay concerns overseas. He is also set to visit the Fukushima site to inspect some of the newly constructed facilities for the water release. Source: DW Philadelphia Mass Shooting: 8 People Shot By Suspect International oi-Prakash KL Eight people, including two children, were shot in a southwest neighbourhood of Philadelphia on Monday, CNN reported citing police. According to a police spokesperson, a suspect has been taken into custody and a weapon has been recovered. Police said that the shooting took place on the 5700 block of Warrington Avenue in Philadelphia's Kingsessing neighbourhood. Six victims were taken to Penn Presbyterian Medical Center for treatment while two were taken to the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, police spokesperson Jasmine Reilly said, according to CNN. Shooting In France Shows US Is Not Alone In Struggles With Racism, Police Brutality However, the details regarding the conditions of the victims have not been shared yet. So far in 2022, at least 339 mass shootings have taken place in the US, CNN reported citing the Gun Violence archive. On Sunday, a mass shooting during a block party in Baltimore took two lives and left 2 injured. Nine people were rushed to hospitals for treatment and three of the injured are in critical condition, according to a report. Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott said, "This was a reckless, cowardly act that happened here and that has permanently altered many lives and cost two people their lives," according to CNN. Earlier, Baltimore police spokesperson Lindsey Elridge said the incident took place in the 800 block of Gretna Avenue. US Independence Day 2023: President Joe Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris Extend Wishes International oi-Madhuri Adnal The United States is celebrating its 247th Independence Day on July 4, 2023. On this historic day, Americans will come together to honor the sacrifices of the nation's founders and to celebrate the freedoms that they fought for. In addition to patriotic ceremonies and parades, many Americans will also use the day to gather with family and friends for barbecues, picnics, and fireworks displays. History The history of Independence Day in the United States dates back to July 4, 1776, when the 13 American colonies adopted the Declaration of Independence, declaring themselves a free and independent nation from the Kingdom of Great Britain. The Declaration of Independence was a document written by Thomas Jefferson and other members of the Continental Congress. It outlined the reasons why the colonies were seeking independence from Great Britain, including taxation without representation, the quartering of British troops in private homes, and the British government's interference in colonial trade. How Biden Reacted to US SC's Decision To End Race-Based Admissions The Declaration of Independence was adopted by the Continental Congress on July 4, 1776, and it is considered to be one of the most important documents in American history. It marked the beginning of the American Revolutionary War, which lasted for eight years and resulted in the United States becoming an independent nation. On the occasion of US Independence Day, politicians and businessmen and even common people took to social media to share wishes and greetings for the 4th of July. US President Joe Biden wished his countrymen on the special occasion. As we celebrate our nation this Fourth of July, Im thinking of the countless service members who sacrifice so much to keep us safe. We will always be in debt to those who defend our nation and democracy around the world. pic.twitter.com/DgWDpq1Ny5 Joe Biden (@JoeBiden) July 4, 2023 On the historic occasion of Fourth of July celebrations, US Vice President Kamala Harris tweeted: "As we celebrate the liberty our brave service members fought and died for this Fourth of July, let us work to ensure every American can enjoy the freedoms and ideals enshrined in the Declaration of Independence." Today, we celebrate our nation's foundational principles - freedom, liberty, and justice - as we recommit to the ongoing fight to realize America's promise for all. Happy Fourth of July! pic.twitter.com/YXun0bzUda Vice President Kamala Harris (@VP) July 4, 2023 "Happy Independence Day, America! On the 247th anniversary of American independence, I'm proud to celebrate our freedom, honor our history, and embrace the values that make our nation truly great. May the stars and stripes forever inspire us to strive for a better future," tweeted U.S. Ambassador Eric Garcetti. Barack Obama tweeted,"Happy Fourth of July, everybody. Today and every day, Michelle and I are grateful to our troops and their families for their sacrifice, courage, and strength." Durante su exposicion el Estado de los Acuerdos Comerciales y la Reactivacion Turistica, el ministro @mathews_jc, junto a los asociados de la @amchamperu, destaco las acciones que viene realizando el #Mincetur para impulsar el comercio exterior y el turismo en el pais. pic.twitter.com/bg9Uq0v0Ea Victoria Amelina was among 11 people killed in a missile attack on an east Ukrainian restaurant frequented by journalists and aid workers. A Melbourne man is stranded in Bali and fighting for his life after suffering a critical brain injury while on holiday. Watch as five-time champion Venus Williams loses 6-4 6-3 to Ukraine's Elina Svitolina after fighting back from injury in the first set. Moscow claims to have fended off drone attacks that it blames on Ukraine, shooting down several in and around the capital. Meanwhile, Ukraine's president thanked air defense crews for saving lives. Follow DW for more. The Palestinian Health Ministry said that another Palestinian had died overnight, bringing the death toll up to 10. Israeli media cited IDF spokesperson Daniel Hagari as saying that operations could be over within days. 2008-2023 One News Page Ltd. All rights reserved. One News is a registered trademark of One News Page Ltd. Upworthy 10 Jul 2023 A priest takes part in the funeral of 38 pro-Russian soldiers killed in the conflict with Ukrainian armed forces, at a cemetery in.. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen will travel to Beijing as part of an ongoing endeavor by the Biden administration to restore relations between the United States and China. Israel presses its offensive in the occupied West Bank. Russia says it repelled a drone attack on a Moscow airport. A Chicago suburb remembers victims of a mass shooting at a July Fourth parade. Saudi Arabia on Monday put to death five people convicted of carrying out a deadly attack on a house of worship, state media said, the biggest group execution this year. Ukrainian forces are right to proceed cautiously during a difficult counteroffensive against Russia, NATOs top military official, Admiral Rob Bauer, told reporters in Brussels on Monday. The counteroffensive, it is difficult, he said, adding that Ukrainian forces are right to proceed cautiously. People... The Iranian Border Police dismissed rumors that its forces have killed a number of Afghan nationals at the common border. Speaking to Tasnim, the deputy commander of the Border Police for social and cultural affairs linked the image purportedly of Afghan citizens killed by the Iranian border guards to mischievous acts of... Authorities in Ukraine, which generally avoid commenting on attacks on Russian soil, didn't say whether it launched the drone raid. London: The Northamptonshire Police in the United Kingdom have released a video showing the arrest of Keralite Saju Chelavelan who has been sentenced to 40 years in prison for killing his wife and two young children late last year at their home in Kettering town, 107 km from London. The police had rushed to the spot on December 15, 2022, upon receiving an emergency message stating that a woman and two small children were injured. The video on Twitter shows police officers forcing their way into the house by breaking the glass door and ordering Saju to drop the knife in his hand. Even though the officers pointing taser guns at Saju shout several times to obey them, the latter asks them to shoot him. The police finally taser Saju and arrest him with handcuffs. The video which was recorded from the bodycams of the police officers ends there. Trigger warning A man who killed his wife and their two children just ten days before Christmas has been handed a life sentence. In the video below, you can see the moment he was arrested and tasered by our officers. Read more here: https://t.co/AjgAVEWtfo pic.twitter.com/3kQw36HBa1 Northants Police (@NorthantsPolice) July 3, 2023 On examining the house, the police soon found the bodies of Sajus wife Anju and their children Jeeva and Jhanvi. Saju (52), who belongs to Komanpara, Padiyoor at Iritty in Kannur, was found guilty by a UK court and sentenced to life the other day for killing his wife Anju (40) and their two children Jeeva (six) and Jhanvi (four). The Northampton Crown court, in its judgment, said that Saju should undergo life imprisonment of at least 40 years. He has also been barred from making any contact with Anjus family members. Anju was the daughter of Asokan of Kulasekharamangalam at Vaikom in Kottayam district. According to the prosecution, Saju had strangled Anju to death at 10 pm on December 14, 2022, and the children in a similar manner four hours later. He also inflicted deep wounds on Anjus body. Saju and Anju were working in Saudi Arabia before immigrating to the UK in October 2021. Duluth, Minnesota (OpEdNews) July 3, 2023: The white American Protestant theologian Gary Dorrien (born in 1952; Ph.D. in theology, Union Graduate School, 1989), an ordained priest in the Episcopal Church (1982), is a prolific scholar. For example, he is the author of the trilogy about white American Protestant liberal theology, published by Westminster John Knox Press: (1) The Making of American Liberal Theology: Imagining Progressive Religion, 1805-1900 (2001; for specific page references to personalism, see the "Index" [p. 488]); (2) The Making of American Liberal Theology: Idealism, Realism, and Modernity, 1900-1950 (2003; for specific page references to personalist theology, see the "Index" [p. 657]); (3) The Making of American Liberal Theology: Crisis, Irony, and Postmodernity, 1950-2005 (2006; for specific page references to personalist theology, see the "Index" [pp. 644-645]). The Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. (1929-1968; Ph.D. in theology, Boston University, 1955)), went to Boston University for his doctoral studies in theology precisely to study personalist theology under Edgar Brighton and other personalists there. In my estimate, King's personalist orientation is the key to understanding his spirituality of agape love and his practice of nonviolent social protest. King's personalist orientation involves what the American Jesuit scholar Walter J. Ong (1912-2003; Ph.D. in English, Harvard University, 1955) refers to as belief "in" (a person), as distinct from belief "that" (a propositional statement is true), in his 1958 seminal essay "Voice as Summons for Belief: Literature, Faith, and the Divided Self" in the now-defunct Jesuit-sponsored journal Thought: A Review of Idea and Culture (Fordham University), volume 33, serial number 128 (Spring 1958): pp. 43-61. Ong reprinted his 1958 seminal essay in his 1962 book The Barbarian Within: And Other Fugitive Essays and Studies (Macmillan, pp. 49-67); it is also reprinted in An Ong Reader: Challenges for Further Inquiry, edited by Thomas J. Farrell and Paul A. Soukup (Hampton Press, 2002, pp. 259-275). Ong characterized his work as phenomenological and personalist in cast. However, I am not aware of even one reference to King in Ong's 400 or so distinct publications (not counting translations or reprintings as distinct publications). Incidentally, in 1955, the year in which both King and Ong received his Ph.D., Dorrien turned three years old - and I turned eleven. Dwight Eisenhower was the Republican president of the United States, and the U.S. Supreme court had just made its famous 1954 decision in Brown v. the Board of Education in Topeka, Kansas - the state in which the seemingly avuncular President Eisenhower had been born and raised. In relatively short order, King would step into the history books as the Baptist pastor of a church in Montgomery, Alabama, who preached and practiced the black social gospel and Gandhian nonviolent social protest, spearheaded the Montgomery bus boycott. By 1963, King was one of the most widely publicized Americans in the world, as Time magazine recognized by naming his "Man of the Year" in its first January 1964 issue. Later in 1964, King was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize - in the year in which he turned thirty-five. However, when he subsequently spoke out against the Vietnam War, which at the time many Americans supported, many of his white liberal supporters did not support him. His honeymoon with white liberals was over. In the meantime, riots by certain black Americans showed that his gospel of nonviolent social protest had not carried the day with them. There were also riots in certain cities after King's assassination in 1968. From the fall semester of 1954 onward until he retired, Ong taught English at Saint Louis University, the Jesuit university in St. Louis, Missouri. Over his lifetime, he received his fair share of recognition and honors - for example, he delivered the prestigious Terry Lectures at Yale University in the spring semester of 1964, the expanded version of which was published as his 1967 book The Presence of the Word: Some Prolegomena for Cultural and Religious History (Yale University Press). In the 1966-1967 academic year, Ong served as the Berg Visiting Professor of English at New York University. Also in 1966-1967, Ong was one of the fourteen members of the White House Task Force on Education that reported to President Lyndon b. Johnson in 1967. However, Ong was never named by Time magazine as "Man of the Year" - and his work was not lionized. Because Ong was a Roman Catholic priest, and because both Ong and King addressed broad Christian and Jewish audiences, we should also note here that the Second Vatican Council (1962-1965) in the Roman Catholic Church was significantly re-orienting Catholic life in the early 1960s - about the same time when King was spearheading the black civil rights movement in the United States - and being named Time's "Man of the Year" and receiving the Nobel Peace Prize. Next Page 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 (Note: You can view every article as one long page if you sign up as an Advocate Member, or higher). (Image by World Union of Deists, Inc.) Details DMCA The Fourth of July, the celebration of the signing of the Declaration of Independence and the official break of the 13 North American British colonies from the British government, is often hijacked by Christians. Here is just one example out of too many. The Christian author of the article makes leaps of faith in his tragically funny, false and misleading assumptions. As the Deist Ben Franklin pointed out, "The way to see by faith is to shut the eye of reason." According to the Christian Bible, at Romans 13:1-7, Christians are taught to give fear-based and blind obedience to their government and rulers. It claims "...the powers that be are ordained of God" and equates disobedience and rebellion against the powers that be with disobedience and rebellion against God. These verses warn that people who do not give obedience to the government will receive damnation. Based on this, all of America's Founders, as well as everyone who took part in our supported the American Revolution, are right now burning in hell. This ridiculous claim reminds me of Mark Twain's statement, "Heaven for the climate, hell for the company." As Deists, we have a direct and real connection with America's Founders and American revolutionaries who were Deists. People such as Thomas Paine, Ethan Allen, George Washington, Ben Franklin, Thomas Jefferson, etc. None of these promoters of revolution and human progress would be welcomed in a Christian Bible-based church today. In their own day they were considered, and would still be considered, particularly the very open Deists such as Paine and Allen, heretics and blasphemers. (Here's an article comparing the Deist Thomas Jefferson with the now deceased Christian televangelist Pat Robertson. The article lists the reasons Jefferson would be rejected by Christians today.) In addition to our historic connection with the Fourth of July and the essential Deists who made it possible, all Deists who today take action to promote Deism are strengthening their connection to Thomas Paine. Paine wrote in The Age of Reason: "Soon after I had published the pamphlet "Common Sense," in America, I saw the exceeding probability that a revolution in the system of government would be followed by a revolution in the system of religion. The adulterous connection of church and state, wherever it had taken place, whether Jewish, Christian, or Turkish, had so effectually prohibited by pains and penalties, every discussion upon established creeds, and upon first principles of religion, that until the system of government should be changed, those subjects could not be brought fairly and openly before the world; but that whenever this should be done, a revolution in the system of religion would follow. Human inventions and priestcraft would be detected; and man would return to the pure, unmixed and unadulterated belief of one God, and no more." The success of the American Revolution finally allowed free speech for everyone. The Deist George Washington knew the profound importance of complete freedom of speech as is evident from this statement: "...reason is of no use to us if the freedom of Speech may be taken away "" and, dumb & silent we may be led, like sheep, to the Slaughter." When Deists take action to promote Deism, we are doing what the American rebels made possible for us to do - to speak and write freely about Deism and to shine the light of reason on the harmful and irrational teachings of the "revealed" religions, without "pains and penalties" for doing so. By doing this, Deists are helping humanity to climb out of the pit of fear and superstition that is "revealed" religion. (Our fellow Deists in Islamic nations still live under regimes that can, and do, inflict "pains and penalties" for those who speak and write for Deism and against Islam.) Deism is the beautiful and meaningful "revolution in the system of religion" Paine wrote of because Deism is rational. God-given reason cannot be separated from Deism. Our innate God-given reason is the cornerstone of Deism. Deists are not people of faith; we are people of reason. This protects Deists from the sad fate of Christians and other people who are under the influence of a "revealed" religion as expressed by Thomas Jefferson when he wrote: "...man, once surrendering his reason, has no remaining guard against absurdities the most monstrous, and like a ship without rudder, is the sport of every wind. With such person, gullibility which they call faith, takes the helm from the hand of reason, and the mind becomes a wreck." Reason-based Deism can go a long way in countering America's slide into theocracy, a slide which finds energy from the religious right lie that the American Republic was founded by Christians as a Christian nation. (New Zealand 29-Sep-22): Engineering candidates who want their immigration to New Zealand but do not have a qualification that is accredited by Washington Accord, have to submit a KA02 report to Engineering New Zealand. This document is significant for applicants to show their equivalent level of knowledge applicable to their discipline. The assessor Engineering New Zealand assesses your knowledge equivalent to Washington Accord accredited qualification through your report. So, it Its illegal for individuals to use fireworks in Portland. The Portland City Council enacted the permanent, year-round ban last March as hotter, drier summers increased the risk of fires. The sale and use of fireworks is prohibited in Tigard this July Fourth due to the red flag warning in effect until 11 p.m. Wednesday. Tigard is within the current National Weather Service heat advisory, where risk of fires increases. Hood River also issued a ban due to current fire conditions. Cities such as Milwaukie and Eugene also have citywide bans on fireworks. Vancouver banned fireworks in 2016. Fireworks are banned on Oregon beaches and state campgrounds, as well as federal and state public lands. Check your local jurisdiction before celebrating with retail fireworks. This list is not comprehensive. Legal fireworks are allowed in Hillsboro but police will be patrolling for use of illegal fireworks. Beaverton and Gresham also allow retail fireworks for personal use. For people who live in areas that allow sparklers and fountains, its important to keep water nearby and fireworks away from pets and small children. Lighting illegal fireworks can result in a misdemeanor charge with a fine of up to $2,500, according to the Oregon State Fire Marshal. Fireworks cause more than 10,000 emergency room trips over Fourth of July in the U.S., as reported by The Associated Press. Fireworks can also present a nightmare for pet owners. If you are using fireworks, make sure pets are wearing collars with identification in case they run away. Although fireworks are illegal to use at home in Portland, residents and visitors can still catch the fireworks show at the Waterfront Blues Festival. See The Oregonian/OregonLives list of Fourth of July activities for more events. With fireworks banned in several cities in Oregon, and warm, dry weather persisting throughout the Portland area, the Willamette Valley and Southwest Washington this week, typical Fourth of July festivities could be dangerous, if not illegal. Here are a few things to keep in mind as Independence Day festivities kick off. Fireworks may be banned in your area The city of Portland issued a permanent ban on personal fireworks last year, and other Oregon and Southwest Washington cities have done the same. Lighting fireworks can result in heavy fines and even jail time, according to Portland officials. Cities such as Milwaulkie, Eugene and Cannon Beach have joined Portland in firework bans, citing concerns around climate change and safety. Vancouver banned fireworks in 2016. Portland fire investigators will be looking into all fires with a possible connection to fireworks, and officials warn that people will be held responsible if their firework use was found as the cause. Dont call 911 to report illegal fireworks Officials ask that people reporting fireworks call the non-emergency line at 503-823-3333 to keep the 911 system clear for emergencies. More fires are reported on the Fourth of July than any other day of the year in the U.S., according to Portland officials. If you see dangerous firework activity, call the non-emergency line. If a fire breaks out or someone is severely injured, call 911. These types of fireworks are illegal state-wide Outside of cities that ban fireworks, state law still limits their use. Only fountains, flitter sparklers and ground spinners are permitted. Fireworks that fly in the air, explode or that are unpredictable are not allowed, according to Oregon law. Authorities may seize illegal fireworks, and users could be charged with a Class B misdemeanor and a fine up to $2,500. Fireworks have caused catastrophic fires in Oregon Over the years, fireworks have been the cause of deadly and catastrophic fires. In the fall of 2017, a teen threw a smoke bomb into Eagle Creek Canyon, sparking a 48,000- acre fire in the Columbia River Gorge. On the Fourth of July 2021, a fire sparked by discarded fireworks in a dumpster at the Heidi Manor apartment complex set the building ablaze, forcing residents to jump from balconies. The fire killed three people. Residents lighting fireworks should do so safely, and let them soak in a bucket of water overnight before throwing them away. Fireworks should be kept away from pets and young children. Prepare your pets Loud bangs and sudden flashes can send pets into a frenzy, which can often lead them to run away. During the 10-day period around July 4, Multnomah County Animal Services reported a 25% increase in dogs or cats entering the shelter compared to a normal 10-day period during the rest of the summer. The Oregon Humane Society asks pet owners to make sure their furry friends are wearing collars with identification and are microchipped. The organization recommends putting agitated dogs and cats into a room with no windows with the door securely closed if needed. Owners can also check with veterinarians about tranquilizers. The Bonnie Hays Animal Shelter in Hillsboro will be open July 4 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. with limited services to help reunite pets that get separated from their owners. Anyone who finds a lost pet should call 503-846-7039 before bringing an animal to the Hillsboro shelter. The shelter also recommends creating a safe space for animals in the home to get away from the holiday commotion, and keeping dogs on a leash while outside, even in a fenced backyard. Austin De Dios; adedios@oregonian.com; @austindedios; 503-319-9744 Attorneys general from 10 states plan to sue the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, saying its failure to review and ensure emissions standards for residential wood-burning stoves has allowed the continued sale of appliances that could worsen pollution. That means programs that encourage people to trade in older stoves and other wood-burning appliances, such as forced-air furnaces, havent necessarily improved air quality, the states say. Favorable weather conditions in the Columbia River Gorge prevented a fire burning near Hood River from growing significantly overnight, fire officials said Tuesday. However, a change in wind direction could push the 533-acre fire toward steep western terrain that will be harder for firefighters to battle and could send smoke toward Portland. The Tunnel 5 fire burning on the Washington side of the gorge was 5% contained as of Tuesday morning. Fire officials estimate it has damaged 10 structures and affected at least 1,000 residents, said Heather Appelhof, a spokesperson for the Southeast Washington Interagency Incident Management Team. Homes and businesses within two miles of the fire are under Level 3 (go now) evacuation orders. Residents east of the fire in Klickitat County had been under Level 1 (get ready) orders on Monday, but Appelhof said that evacuation notice has been lifted for now. Officials are still unsure what caused the fire, which spread rapidly at first due to hot, windy conditions and extreme terrain, officials with the Southeast Washington Interagency Incident Management Team said Monday. Firefighters monitored the flames overnight Monday into Tuesday, but cooler temperatures and a lack of extreme winds helped keep the fire from spreading, Appelhof said. However, Tuesday is expected to be hotter and drier, Appelhof said and the winds have shifted, now blowing smoke toward Carson, Washington. Nearly 200 firefighters, including five crews and five helicopters, are working on the fire that has grown increasingly complex, Appelhof said. Nearby structures are threatened, parts of State Route 14 are closed between mile markers 53 and 63 and a local watershed is under a boil water alert because of the blaze. Firefighters are concentrating on the eastern and northeastern perimeters of the fire, according to a notice from officials. There are several houses and an old mill site on the eastern side of the fire that crews are working to protect, Appelhof said. On Tuesday, firefighters planned to run hoses along the eastern perimeter to deliver water along that boundary. Terrain on the west edge of the fire is extremely steep, Appelhof said, and crews have been using air resources to drop water on the flames to help slow their spread. The Skamania Public Utility District said in an alert on Tuesday that the Tunnel 5 fire is dangerously encroaching on springs, well houses, pump stations and other critical infrastructure. Power outages caused by the fire have changed the pressure in the water system, the utility district said, potentially allowing for microbes from human or animal waste to enter the system. Clients using the Underwood Water System are advised to boil any tap water they use for drinking, making ice, brushing their teeth and washing dishes. Fire officials ask that anyone with video footage of how the fire started contact fire managers at (971) 800-0411 or 2023.tunnelfive@firenet.gov. Sami Edge; sedge@oregonian.com or (503) 260-3430. Our journalism needs your support. Please become a subscriber today at OregonLive.com/subscribe A second person has died in the June 23 shooting that killed 29-year-old Fortressen O. Oriakhi of Gresham in Northeast Portland. Police said Monday that 25-year-old Isidahomen Ikhuoria of Lagos, Nigeria, died June 30 from gunshot wounds sustained a week earlier in the Hollywood neighborhood shooting. Gunfire around 2:30 a.m. drew officers to Northeast Broadway and Cesar E. Chavez Boulevard, where they found a car had crashed into a pole. Oriakhi was dead behind the wheel, police said, and Ikhuoria was his passenger. Both had been shot. An ambulance took Ikhuoria to a hospital, where he died. The deaths of Oriakhi and Ikhouria mark the 40th and 41st homicides in Portland in 2023, which has so far seen 43 homicides compared with 44 at this point last year. Police ask anyone with information to contact Detective Travis Law at travis.law@police.portlandoregon.gov or (503)823-0395 or Detective Ryan Foote at ryan.foote@police.portlandoregon.gov or (503)823-0781 and reference case number 23-164650. Beth Slovic; bslovic@oregonian.com; 503-221-8551 Our journalism needs your support. Please become a subscriber today at OregonLive.com/subscribe Its understandable that when a business provides x amount of jobs that, in return, they would receive certain tax breaks. Its how business works, and its good business. Data centers which once again received huge tax breaks via the Oregon Legislature provide very few jobs Oregon data centers fend off climate change, tax reform proposals, June 27). Data centers are also notorious for assisting in destroying the climate, yet the Oregon Legislature did nothing to reel this in and just handed these corporations millions of dollars in tax breaks. Amazon spent close to 100,000 on lobbyists to kill House Bill 2816 regarding clean energy. When the government is owned and operated by corporations, the end result for the citizens of any state is disastrous. While corporations get huge tax breaks the little guy gets his property taxes raised. Its disheartening our leaders cant see the big picture. Good morning all. We have issued a Heat Advisory starting Tuesday July 4th and going through Wednesday July 5th. The areas included are all of the Willamette Valley, to include Vancouver, WA, the Coast Range and the Foothills of the Oregon Cascades. #orwx #wawx pic.twitter.com/2AeQrEiB13 NWS Portland (@NWSPortland) July 2, 2023 The National Weather Service has issued a heat advisory until Wednesday night covering parts of western Oregon, warning that high temperatures of 95 to 100 degrees are expected in some areas. The Willamette Valley and Clark County, Columbia River Gorge, the Oregon Coast Range and Cascades foothills are forecast to see the hottest high temperatures over July 4-5. The advisory is in place from 10 a.m. Tuesday, Independence Day, through 11 p.m. Wednesday. Very dry conditions will impact the vast majority of the forecast area through Wednesday, elevating fire weather concerns where fuels are sufficiently dry, such as grassy areas and shrub/brushlands, the weather service said. The weather service predicts temperatures will fall to closer to seasonal averages later in the week. Precautions from the Weather Service include: -- 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. 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 911. 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. Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has sent a congratulatory message to the President of the United States of America Joe Biden on the occasion of Independence Day. July 4, 2023, 11:36 Nikol Pashinyan congratulated Joe Biden on the occasion of Independence Day STEPANAKERT, JULY 4, ARTSAKHPRESS: The letter reads as follows, "Honorable Mr. President, On behalf of the Republic of Armenia and myself, I warmly congratulate you and the friendly people of the United States on Independence Day. The United States and its people have gone through the difficult task of building a state by uniting around the idea of independence, forming a vision of a democratic future, and overcoming difficulties together. Continued US leadership in democracy contributes to the promotion of the fundamental values of freedom, equality, and inalienable human rights in many countries. Active Armenian-American bilateral relations in recent years are promising, especially in the areas of democratic reforms, strengthening the rule of law and fighting corruption. I am happy to record that we have cooperation based on mutual trust between our governments, which gives an opportunity to effectively address the existing challenges and further strengthen the connection between our states and peoples. We highly appreciate the position of the United States in supporting the territorial integrity, sovereignty and democracy of the Republic of Armenia, which was demonstrated in practice during the years 2021-2022. We also highly appreciate the efforts of the USA in the direction of establishing long-lasting and sustainable peace in the South Caucasus, normalizing Armenia-Azerbaijan relations, and addressing the rights and security of the people of Nagorno-Karabakh. The Republic of Armenia continues to adhere to the peace agenda for the sake of the inviolability of the territorial integrity of the Republic of Armenia, for the sake of independence, sovereignty and long-term peaceful development in the region. Mr. President, I once again congratulate you on Independence Day and wish you and the American people prosperity, peace and continued progress." Yaounde, Cameroon (PANA) - Human rights advocate, Amnesty International, is asking the Cameroonian authorities to end the violence against the population and conduct thorough investigations into the killings, acts of torture, rapes, burning of houses and other atrocities committed in the Anglophone regions Dakar, Senegal (PANA) Senegal's President Macky Sall on Monday announced that he would not run a third term in next year's presidential election ending a long speculation that has led to bloody opposition protests Polish fuels group PKN Orlen has signed an agreement with Austrian company Doppler for the purchase of 266 petrol stations in Austria. Under the agreement, signed on Tuesday, Orlen will purchase 100 percent of the shares of Doppler Energie GmbH, and will acquire the filling stations, which operate under the Turmoel brand. An Orlen press release said the transaction should be closed once it has the approval of the Polish and Austrian anti-monopoly offices at the turn of 2023-24. The value of the deal was not disclosed. Orlen added that, thanks to the agreement, it will start operating on a new retail market, which is in line with its retail network development plans, announced in the company's strategy until 2030. Daniel Obajtek, the company's CEO, said during a press conference that synergies resulting from the deal were estimated at around PLN 10 billion (EUR 2.26 billion)over 10 years. (PAP) jk/md/ej Photo: (Photo : RINGO CHIU / Getty Images) In a remarkable turn of events, Houston police have located Rudy Farias, a teen who had been missing for over eight years since March 6, 2015. The discovery came when Farias was found sleeping in front of a local church in east Houston on June 29, 2023, according to the Houston Police Department. The reunion with his family marks the end of a long and agonizing search for the nonverbal young man, who struggled with mental health challenges after witnessing a traumatic event shortly before his disappearance. An Eight-Year Journey of Searching for Rudy Farias CNN reported that Rudy Farias, also known as Rudy Farias IV, vanished at the age of 17 while walking his two dogs near Tidwell and Park Drive in northwest Houston. His family reported him missing after the dogs were found without him. The initial investigation revealed that Farias had been diagnosed with depression, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and anxiety, likely stemming from the heart-wrenching experience of witnessing his best friend's tragic death. Following his disappearance, the Texas EquuSearch organization launched a search operation, appealing to the public for help in finding the disoriented teen who had not been consistently taking his medication. According to ABC13, the search, which was temporarily halted on March 10, 2015, due to the need for more information, resumed two days later, and volunteers diligently combed rain-soaked fields in pursuit of any clues. Despite their determination, the search efforts did not lead to Farias' location, leaving the family in despair and uncertainty. Fast forward to July 2, 2023, when a good Samaritan spotted Rudy Farias and immediately dialed 911. The Houston Fire Department promptly responded to the call and found Farias, still carrying an item that identified a family member. Farias' mother, Janie Santana, was also present at the scene, anxiously waiting to be reunited with her son after all these years. Houston Fire Chief Sam Pena stated that the crews assessed Farias' condition, but he refused to be taken to the hospital, and his mother signed a form waiving her son's transport. The family member mentioned on the item Farias carried was notified, and they promptly contacted his mother, Janie Santana. At that moment, Rudy Farias' long and mysterious journey finally culminated in an emotional reunion with his family. Read Also: New York Subway Surfing Tragedy: Two 14-Year-Olds Fall To Their Deaths A Future of Healing and Hope As Rudy Farias returns to his family's embrace, questions linger about where he has been for the past eight years. Speculation has arisen about how Farias managed to survive on his own for such a prolonged period, but official statements remain scarce. According to USA Today, despite his reunion, Farias' struggle continues, as he remains nonverbal and unable to communicate with his family due to the trauma he endured during his absence. However, his mother, Janie Santana, expressed gratitude for having her son back and emphasized that he would receive the care and support necessary to overcome the challenges he faced. Melissa Rangel from the Texas Center for the Missing acknowledged the rarity of such reunifications and reiterated the organization's commitment to supporting families throughout the process of finding their missing loved ones. For now, the Farias family plans to focus on their son's healing journey and will gradually share more details as Rudy continues to recover and adapt to his newfound life. In the wake of Rudy Farias' miraculous discovery, the Houston Police Department's Missing Person's Unit is keen to conduct interviews with him and his family to gain further insights. The case remains under investigation, and an interview with Farias is scheduled for Wednesday. While the story of Rudy Farias' disappearance may have reached its climax with his reunion, the journey of healing and hope for the family has just begun. Related Article: Children's Rights Violated: ACLU Files Lawsuit Against Southern Illinois Detention Center for Inhumane Solitary Confinement Photo: (Photo : OLIVIER DOULIERY / Getty Images) In a bid to alleviate the burden of student loans, the Biden administration has introduced the Saving on a Valuable Education (SAVE) Plan. With the recent Supreme Court ruling striking down the administration's initial plan to wipe away approximately $430 billion in student loan debt, borrowers are now seeking clarity on their repayment obligations and exploring options to manage their loans effectively. The unveiling of the SAVE Plan aims to provide relief to borrowers through a more affordable income-driven repayment system. Understanding the SAVE Plan's Features and Implementation Timeline CNBC reported that under the SAVE Plan, borrowers will experience a reduction in their monthly payment obligations as the amount they have to pay will be cut in half, from 10% to just 5% of their disposable income. This change will replace the existing Revised Pay As You Earn (REPAYE) plan. To ensure a smooth transition, it is crucial to be aware of the plan's key features and implementation timeline. According to the U.S. Department of Education's website, the SAVE Plan is set to go into effect during the summer months. However, According to Investopedia, the full SAVE regulations will not be implemented until July 1, 2024. It is essential for borrowers to stay updated on the specific dates and guidelines released by the Department of Education. Transitioning to the SAVE Plan: Enhanced Protections and Forgiveness Options One notable improvement under the SAVE Plan is the increase in the amount of income protected from payments. The current level of 150% of the Federal Poverty Guidelines (FPL) will rise to 225%, which means that a family of four earning less than $67,500 annually will not be required to make any payments. Furthermore, according to The White House, this change offers substantial relief to lower-income borrowers who have been struggling to meet their repayment obligations. Additionally, forgiveness options are available under the SAVE Plan. Borrowers with original balances of $12,000 or less will be eligible for forgiveness after making 120 payments, with an additional 12 payments added for every additional $1,000 borrowed beyond that threshold. These forgiveness options can provide significant long-term relief to borrowers burdened by substantial student loan debt. Read Also: Supreme Court Strikes Down Biden's $400 Billion Student Loan Debt Relief Plan Preparing for the Transition: Steps for Borrowers With the resumption of loan payments on the horizon, borrowers must take proactive measures to navigate this transition successfully. Here are some crucial steps to consider, according to CNBC: 1. Estimate Monthly Payments and Enroll in Auto-Debit: Utilize the "Loan Simulator" tool available at studentaid.gov to estimate the monthly payment amount based on different repayment plans. Additionally, consider signing up for auto-debit enrollment to ensure timely payments. Even if borrowers were previously enrolled in auto-debit, it is essential to confirm re-enrollment with the chosen payment plan. 2. Connect with the Loan Servicer: As loan servicers may have changed during the pause in payments, borrowers need to verify the current loan servicer and update contact information accordingly. By accessing their account dashboard at studentaid.gov, borrowers can identify their loan servicer in the "My Loan Servicers" section. 3. Update Contact Information: Ensuring that contact information is current is vital to receiving billing statements and payment due date notifications. Borrowers should visit studentaid.gov, part of the Education Department's website, to update their contact details promptly. 4. Explore Income-Driven Repayment Plans: Given the financial challenges many borrowers face, applying for an income-driven repayment (IDR) plan is a recommended course of action. The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau estimates that approximately one in five borrowers is at risk of being unable to resume repayments. Familiarize yourself with the various IDR plans available, including the newly introduced SAVE Plan, by visiting the appropriate resources provided by the Department of Education. As fall approaches, borrowers must proactively engage with the available resources and implement the necessary measures to navigate the transition smoothly. The Biden administration's SAVE Plan offers hope for easing the burden of student loans by providing borrowers with valuable options for repayment. Related Article: US Supreme Court Ruling Allows Businesses To Refuse LGBTQ Customers Photo: (Photo : CHRISTOPHE ARCHAMBAULT /Getty Images) Maternal mortality rates in the United States have reached alarming levels, with the highest numbers recorded in two decades. A new study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association reveals the devastating impact of this crisis, particularly on Black mothers as well as American Indian and Native Alaskan mothers. The study highlights the need for urgent action to address the underlying causes of maternal deaths and the systemic disparities that perpetuate this health crisis. Widening Disparities in Maternal Care According to NBC News, the study conducted by researchers at Mass General Brigham and the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation analyzed maternal deaths between 1999 and 2019, excluding the pandemic period. The findings expose the stark disparities and unequal distribution of the maternal mortality crisis. Black mothers faced the highest rates of maternal deaths, while American Indian and Native Alaskan mothers experienced the largest increases in mortality. The study also revealed that certain states and specific racial or ethnic groups within them fared worse than others. The report serves as a call to action to address the root causes, including structural racism, limited access to healthcare, and policies that hinder the well-being of marginalized communities. Contrary to common assumptions, the high rates of maternal mortality were not confined to the southern states but were prevalent across regions like the Midwest. Surprising findings from the study identified states such as Wyoming and Montana, which experienced high rates of maternal mortality among multiple racial and ethnic groups in 2019. Comparing the first decade of the study to the second, the researchers observed dramatic jumps in maternal mortality rates. According to the Associated Press, the five states with the largest increases were revealed, showcasing the severity of the crisis. American Indian and Alaska Native mothers in Florida, Illinois, Kansas, Rhode Island, and Wisconsin saw a staggering 162% rise in maternal deaths. Similarly, white, Hispanic, Black, Asian, and Pacific Islander mothers experienced significant increases in several states. Read Also: Supermodel Naomi Campbell Defies Age Expectations for Motherhood, Welcomes Second Child at 53 Highest Maternal Death Rates Calls for Urgent Solutions Experts and researchers involved in the study emphasize that maternal deaths are often preventable. The study's findings shed light on the need to address structural inequalities, invest in healthcare resources, and tackle the underlying issues that contribute to maternal mortality. Structural racism, limited access to healthcare services, underinvestment in social services, and insufficient support for mental health all play a role in perpetuating the crisis. Other countries with lower maternal mortality rates tend to prioritize social services, primary care, and mental health, highlighting the need for similar investments in the United States. The COVID-19 pandemic likely exacerbated existing demographic and geographic trends, although more research is needed to understand the full impact. According to ABC, preliminary data suggests that maternal mortality rates decreased in 2022 after reaching a six-decade high in 2021, primarily due to the influence of the pandemic. However, the final rates are expected to remain significantly higher than pre-pandemic levels, continuing to pose a substantial challenge. Addressing these disparities requires community-based solutions, increased access to care, and the allocation of necessary resources. Several states, such as Arkansas, are already implementing telemedicine services and initiatives to enhance care access. Additionally, collaborative networks focused on perinatal quality and best practices are being established to reduce complications related to childbirth and improve overall maternal healthcare. The urgency to address the highest maternal death rates in the United States is undeniable. Efforts must be made to dismantle the systemic barriers that perpetuate health inequities, ensure equitable access to healthcare, and promote policies that prioritize the well-being of mothers from all racial and ethnic backgrounds. Only by addressing the root causes of this crisis can we create a safer environment for all mothers and improve maternal health outcomes across the nation. Related Article: Pennsylvania Park Tragedy: Man Dies After Rescuing Kids from Drowning in Lake Nockamixon Jens Stoltenberg has confirmed that he would remain as the secretary general of NATO for one more year, until October 1, 2024, Tass informs. July 4, 2023, 15:24 Stoltenberg to remain as NATO Secretary General for another year STEPANAKERT, JULY 4, ARTSAKHPRESS: "Honoured by #NATO Allies' decision to extend my term as Secretary General until 1 October 2024," he wrote on Twitter. According to a statement by the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, this decision will be formally approved at a summit in Vilnius. "NATO Allies agreed on Tuesday (4 July 2023) to extend the mandate of Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg by a further year, until 1 October 2024. The decision will be endorsed by NATO Heads of State and Government at the Vilnius Summit." Stoltenberg has served as the NATO secretary general since 2014. Earlier, NATO Spokeswoman Oana Lungescu told the DPA news agency that Stoltenberg did not intend to continue serving past his current term, which ends in September. Photo: (Photo : JUAN BARRETO/AFP via Getty Images) The recent Supreme Court ruling in favor of an evangelical Christian web designer who refused to work on same-sex weddings was not influenced by a request from a fake customer, according to legal experts. The case, which has sparked controversy surrounding LGBTQ rights, took a surprising turn when doubts were cast on the authenticity of a customer inquiry, leading to debates on the legitimacy of the case itself. The focus on the alleged customer, known as Stewart, arose after web designer Lorie Smith mentioned in a previous court filing that he had contacted her in 2016 for assistance with a website for his marriage to someone named Mike. However, an article by The New Republic questioned the existence of Stewart, as he denied ever reaching out to Smith. He revealed that he was, in fact, a web designer himself who had been married to a woman for years. Legal Standing Upheld Despite Alleged 'Sham' Customer in Evangelical Web Designer's Case The revelation has triggered criticism on social media, with arguments suggesting that the case should not have reached the Supreme Court if there were no genuine customers seeking Smith's services. However, legal experts interviewed by NBC News disagreed, asserting that Smith had legal standing to bring the case forward. According to Carolyn Shapiro, a professor at Chicago-Kent College of Law, Smith had filed a pre-enforcement challenge, arguing that a Colorado state law was restricting her freedom of speech. Shapiro claimed that Smith's intention to partake in an illegal activity was sufficient justification for a pre-enforcement challenge. In 2016, Smith filed a lawsuit expressing her desire to design wedding websites while expressing her opposition to providing services for same-sex weddings due to her concerns about the Colorado Anti-Discrimination Act. She sought to include a statement on her website making her stance clear. Jonathan Miller, an attorney and chief program officer at the Public Rights Project, expressed support for pre-enforcement review as a means to prevent the implementation of unconstitutional laws. However, he questioned its application in this particular case, given that the law had been in effect for several years. Read Also: Parental Support Crucial for LGBTQ Youth's Mental Health Fake Inquiry's Relevance Dismissed by Legal Experts in Same-Sex Weddings Ruling The presence of the seemingly fabricated inquiry in the court records has raised doubts about the facts and evidence in the case. Miller criticized the inclusion of an unverified account in the court record and suggested that it should not have been allowed. Jonathan Scruggs, senior counsel for the Alliance Defending Freedom, the organization representing Smith, maintained that Smith had no reason to believe the email was fake. He clarified that she did not respond to the email to avoid violating Colorado law. A joint statement of stipulated facts signed by Republican Colorado Attorney General Cynthia Coffman at the time was another factor in Smith's favor in the case. Justice Neil Gorsuch cited the stipulations, which outlined various positions regarding Smith's beliefs, in the majority opinion to support the protection of Smith's First Amendment rights. Ed Whelan, a conservative attorney supporting the court's decision, dismissed the significance of the alleged 'sham' client, pointing out that the majority opinion and dissent did not even mention it. Whelan suggested that the email could have been a prank on Smith rather than an intentional effort to deceive the court. The ruling has been met with dissent, with Justice Sonia Sotomayor calling it "heartbreaking" and part of a reactionary exclusion towards gender and sexual minorities. However, legal experts note that the justices unanimously agreed on Smith's legal standing to bring the case. Despite the controversy surrounding the 'sham' customer, the Supreme Court's ruling stands, marking a significant decision in the ongoing discourse between religious freedom and LGBTQ rights. Related Article: Johns Hopkins University Faces Backlash Over LGBTQ Glossary's 'Lesbian' Definition, Attempting Gender-Neutral Identities In April 2021, Patently Apple posted a report titled "Judge agrees with Apple's argument that the Optis v. Apple Lawsuit was technically tainted and tosses $506 Million in Damages Award." In May 2022 we followed up with a report titled "Apple has lost its bid for a Third Trial with Optis Wireless regarding Patent Infringement." It's being reported this morning that a UK appeals court ruled that Apple Inc. infringed essential patents for communication technology used in iPhones. The two patents in the case relate to crucial technology used in 4G mobiles. The Court of Appeal agreed with a March 2022 decision, which said the two patents owned by Optis Cellular Technology LLC, a patent troll, were essential and were infringed by Apple. The company is under the umbrella of "PanOptis." Apple had previously argued that the relevant technology was not used in the UK, according to the judgment. The dispute is a part of long running legal battle that began over four years ago when Optis first filed a lawsuit in the UK alleging Apple infringed eight of its patents. The case spilled over into multiple trials and appeals. Apple contested the suits and countered that Optis has abused its dominant position. For more, read the full Bloomberg report. Apple has yet to comment on the case or indicate whether they will appeal the ruling. One of the students who led Keta Senior High Technical School(KETASCO) to the finals of the 2021 edition of the popular National Science and Maths Quiz (NSMQ) competition, James Lutterodt has reportedly passed away. According to reports, James died mysteriously from food poisoning as he was preparing to leave the country to the United States to further his education at Howard University. James Lutterodt and his team; Bright Senyo Gadzo and Francisca Lamini, beat all odds to establish KETASCO as one of the most successful at the 2021 NSMQ. They were the first Volta-Oti team to contest in the finals of the annual competition. 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 One of the near solutions to illegal mining activities the country has seen was the deployment of the military to enforce the law and stop illegalities in the mining regions in the early 2000s. The deployment and the fact that military personnel are in charge with all jungle skills will make venturing into the concessions of mining companies, cocoa farms, rubber plantations or illegally mining on water bodies and forest reserves unattractive to galamseyers. The withdrawal of the military for unexplained reasons after 2017 till date has led to a high level of impunity, which made it easy for a group of illegal miners to attack mines, terrorise communities and cause havoc. These unregulated, uncontrolled, high impunity and disrespect for law and order, show of power by armed illegal miners have become a major threat to sustainability, lives and property. It is threatening the country's water supply, cocoa and rubber production and Ghana risks international ban, as cocoa; one of Ghanas main export commodities risks being banned and COCOBOD sounded the alarm long ago but no one is listening. Legislation passed in December by the EU Parliament sought to ban some commodities linked to deforestation, including cocoa, coffee, soya among others and Ghana which is the second-largest producer of cocoa beans globally after its neighbour Cote dIvoire with more than 800,000 farmer-families account for its output. The countrys annual production has averaged 800,000 metric tonnes in the last decade, with most of it exported in a raw state to the EU and other markets. Considering its importance to the economy, few illegal miners should not be allowed to unleash the avoidable terror on the country. Aside from that, not long ago a group of miners, mostly migrants from other parts of the country, Nigerian and others, attacked the Benso operations of Golden Star Wassa Limited (GSWL) and destroyed properties worth several millions of dollars and halted the operations of the company until recently. Military, Chamber partnership Several vehicles pickup trucks, tipper trucks, excavators and an ambulance were destroyed with some offices burnt down by the attackers. In the early 2000s there was an arrangement between the mines and the Ministry of Defence through the Chamber of Mines, dubbed Operation Calm Life. Those arrangements brought some sanity in the mining space. However, in the absence of the joint military/police force, illegal miners most of them migrants had moved in, mobilised and attacked operational areas and offices. Paramount Queenmother of the Wassa Fiase Traditional Area, Nana Afuaba Kunaadjoa II, therefore appealed to the security agencies to flush out illegal miners who have invaded the area and unleashing terror in the mining area. The call The call by the Queenmother is important owing to the fact that if the mining companies have been so important in the current economic recovery effort through revenue and the gold for oil arrangement, then their protection from attacks by illegal miners should be important to the state. With the declaration on many platforms that the government is not against mining, but wants responsible and sustainable mining, one would have expected that with the introduction of the community-mining programme, young people interested in the mining would have availed themselves of the opportunity. The community-mining programme came with the government's resolve to deploy technology for mining to be done responsibly. However, halting Operation Calm Life altogether had opened the floodgates for illegal miners to regroup and fester. The queenmother suggested the deployment of the military to provide security for mining firms. Let me put it on record that those who led the destruction of offices, 12 vehicles, heavy duty trucks, pickup trucks, ambulances and an excavator, and the smashing of the windscreens of 22 trucks were not indigenes of Wassa Fiase, the queen mother said. Nana Kunaadjoa said: These people arrive every day in their numbers, and join those on the ground to mine illegally. Her community is not fighting with the mines. The population She added that the population of the illegal miners kept increasing daily, and that their illegal mining activities resulted in massive destruction of the environment, including forests and water bodies, with impunity, and social vices with the potential to corrupt the young people in the area. Originally, we are farmers and traders, and our youth do not engage in these illegalities. We must not allow the migrants we welcome into our midst to act with impunity as though we do not have laws in the country. Where we have reached now, the only option is to flush them out with the help of the security agencies, she said. An elder of the traditional area, Nana Kofi Bosompim, said until recently, gold could be picked from the floor at Benso, but the emergence of illegal mining had changed the narrative. He explained that when the mines stopped operating in the area about 10 years ago, it was a source of worry to the traditional area because the youth lost their jobs. But for the company to return and be met with this level of angry migrants who have grouped and arrogated powers to themselves and causing such destruction to the environment and private property is unfortunate, he stressed. Operations restart The Group Corporate Affairs Manager of Golden Star, Gerard Boakye, explained we decided to temporarily halt our operations in the area in 2012 for some time owing to a fall in gold prices on the international market. But after the new owners took over, we decided to revisit our operations at Benso where we have engaged the communities and spoken to them. The community welcomed us owing to the benefits to them in terms of jobs and other forms of support, he said. The activities of the illegal miners, he said, occurred within the companys concession where Golden Star legally operates, and that the illegal miners had invaded the pit and its buffer, and refused to adhere to warnings to move from the area. Our operations and other activities involving all stakeholders were peaceful until the migrants emerged and started illegal mining activities, as well as entering our concessions and being confrontational, leading to the destruction we are seeing today, he said. Mr Boakye said the attack on its employees and offices at Benso by a group of armed illegal miners had halted their Benso operations, which, he said, would have serious financial implications for restoration as a result of the incident. 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 Energy Minister, Dr. Matthew Opoku Prempeh, popularly known as "Napo", is scheduled to receive an honorary award at the 14th MTN Pulse Africa Role Model Awards 2023 organized by the Young Professionals and Youth Coalition (YPYC). To take place at the Great Hall of the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology on Saturday, 8th July, 2023, the award is to recognize the Energy Ministers position as one of Africas MostDistinguished Role Models and Transformational Leaders in the corporate World; an elite listing of influential and inspiring leaders. The award was instituted by the leadership of YPYC in 2009 to recognize and honour exemplary leaders who serve as role models to young leaders in Ghana and Africa In a statement signed by President of YPYC, Mr. Andy Osei Okrah, the award recipients constitute the finest selection of the most outstanding personalities who have truly excelled as transformational leaders and role models impacting society. The award winners are few and were carefully chosen on the back of several considerations, the statement read. Dr. Prempeh, who is also Member of Parliament for Manhyia South, after this award, joins the league of high-profile personalities who received same in the past like former Ghanaian leaders, His Excellency Jerry John Rawlings, His Excellency John Agyekum Kufuor and His Excellency John Dramani Mahama. Other personalities in this category include HRM, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, Mr. Osei Kwame Despite, Hon. Dr. Kwame Addo Kufuor, Professor Rita Akosua Dickson, COP Kofi Boakye, among other influential personalities. 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 In a last-minute effort to prevent a major power crisis, the government has made a payment offer to the Independent Power Producers (IPPs) after an emergency meeting held on Friday, June 30, 2023. The offer came in response to the IPPs demand for a 30 percent interim payment of the outstanding US$1.7 billion debt owed to them by the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG). The IPPs, which account for approximately 50 percent of the power generated on the national grid, had threatened to shut down their power plants effective July 1, 2023, due to the governments failure to address the arrears owed to them. However, following the governments payment offer, the IPPs have decided to rescind their decision and continue operations. As part of the understanding reached, all the IPPs have received an offer of payments from ECG to enable them operate in the interim thereby providing the Government of Ghana (GOG) and ECG the needed grace period to address the outstanding arrears in the energy sector and to meet their contractual obligations, the IPPs said in a statement issued on Friday night. The Chamber of Independent Power Producers (IPPs), representing well-known companies such as Sunon Asogli, Cenpower, Karpowership, AKSA, Twin City Energy, and CENIT, had issued a directive to its members to suspend power supply to the national grid starting July 1. This move was intended to put pressure on the government to address the outstanding arrears and resolve the debt crisis. The IPPs argue that the unpaid debt, which has accumulated since January 2021 and amounts to approximately $1.73 billion, has severely affected their ability to access working capital. This, in turn, has hindered their operations and prevented them from financing necessary supplies, particularly those priced in foreign currencies. CEO of the Chamber of Independent Power Producers, Distributors, and Bulk Consumers (CIPDiB), Elikplim Kwabla Apetorgbor, expressed concerns about the lack of resources to continue power generation beyond June 30. Despite their attempts to negotiate with creditors and stakeholders, the IPPs reached a point where they could not sustain power supply without receiving payment for their services. The potential power crisis caused by the suspension of power supply by the IPPs could have had significant consequences for Ghanas energy sector and the country as a whole. In fact, the Chamber had in an email directed its members comprising Sunon Asogli, Cenpower, Karpowpership, AKSA, Twin City Energy and CENIT not to declare available power capacity to the system operator from July 1-8, 2023. But the Chairman of the IPPs stated after the meeting with the government that, we are pleased to have reached an interim understanding with ECG, which enables us to continue our operations for the benefit of the good people of Ghana. We recognize the importance of our operations to the nation, and all the IPPs jointly remain committed to Ghana in delivering reliable power to the country. We also appreciate the support and collaboration we have received from the general public and all well-meaning Ghanaians throughout this process. It was imperative for the government to address the outstanding arrears and find a sustainable solution to ensure uninterrupted electricity supply for businesses and households. Immediate action is necessary to resolve the arrears dispute and prevent further disruptions to Ghanas power supply. The government has been urged to prioritize this issue to safeguard the nations energy needs. Source: Daily Guide Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Extreme climate events are powerfully putting our lives, progress and futures at high risks (Fig.1 & Fig.2). The real climate impacts on socio-ecological systems and national economy are rising and endangering the genuine vision of the AU Agenda 2063, the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the Commonwealth Climate Charter and Paris Agreement for limiting global warming to 1.5oC. It is collapsing coastal Earth systems, particularly causing substantial (in)visible damages to the Volta River Estuary (VRE), where Fuveme is located (Fig.3). Besides galvanising for global journey to COP28UAE and beyond, this article highlights climate-induced Non-Economic Loss and Damage (NELD) to motivate and strengthen understanding of a critical need to reactivate innovative plans and solutions to minimise sufferings, while preserving environmental heritage for sustainability and prosperity. Geozonal, delta prominence VRE is in the south-eastern zone of Ghana. In addition to Ghana, the river itself spans the territorial boundaries of Togo, Benin, Ivory Coast, Mali and Burkina Faso, which are inhabited by 120 million people. UNESCO recognises the delta as a biodiversity hotspot. The Volta River and Atlantic Ocean meet in-between Azizanya (near Ada Foah) and Kporkporkordzi (near Fuveme) within the shared geopolitical enclave co-inhabited by Ada, Anlo and Agave tribes. Some settlements within 25km of the VRE are Agorme, Ada Foah, Nutekpor, Amedorme, Havui, Sogakope, Agorta and Adidokpo. VRE uniquely exhibits the relics of savannas, wetlands and low-patched canopy forests, comprising species of borassus, baobabs, bamboos, oil palm, mangroves and coconut. Oysters, crabs, insects and fishes like tilapia and shrimps are present. The coastal temperature alternates around 25 to 310C. Emergency contexts of social climate impacts The climate-induced NELDs are rapidly cascading across societal groupings, comprising aged, women, youth, children and persons with disabilities (PWDs). Sea heating combines with storm floods from the Volta River to erode coastlines leading to significant loss and damage to human settlements, hydromobility and biodiversity with severe repercussions for food, heritage, shelter and well-being. Comparing the destructive tidal havocs that happened in 2017 and 2021, it is clear that NELD had increased from 80 affected homes to nearly 4,000 marginalised households. The incessant sea heating effects forced the disappearance of four indigenous villages alongside their rich social capital and biocultural properties from the Fuveme Island. Today, some aged persons are homeless and/or co-habiting in temporal structures. Homelessness aggravates social, emotional and mental health issues for the aged and PWDs, who have no idea of when and how to reconstruct and resettle in their own decent homes again. Socially cascading of the NELD, which was previously underestimated in scientific literature and reports, is currently impacting over 5,500 households. Clearly, climate extremes have compounded social vulnerabilities and inequalities enabling a situation of living on less than US$1 a day to persist in the estuary. Due to proximity to coastlines, the Fuveme Star of the Sea R.C. Basic School, for example, is daily impacted by frequent sea level rise. Thousands of coconut trees are dead, uprooted or wilted at Havui, Azizanya and Fuveme (Fig. 2). For an aged farmer, such a loss is not just detrimental to survival, but also dignity, self-reliance and sustainability. Mostly, recurrent sea level rise releases seaheat to manipulate atmospheric temperature that wilts phytospecies or injects highly concentrated seawater to alter hydroregimes that kill oysters, earthworms, turtles or whales. Since human society depends on coastal biodiversity for survival, harmful impact of sea heating on oyster habitats, for instance, is leading to livelihood loss, broken homes, child poverty, social exclusion and ecological job loss. In Fuveme, tidal waves often submerge the basic school, where teaching and learning infrastructure has considerably deteriorated. The tidal happenings worsen child absenteeism in the school and, eventually, necessitate temporal closures thereby jeopardising future aspirations of the children. The UN SDGs cannot be achieved if unfriendly climate conditions for school children continue in Fuveme and other coastal settlements. Collective action, policy futures The deprived coastal societies need urgent support because sea level rise is extensively damaging lives and properties (Fig.1 & Fig.2). The social cost of NELD is so huge that it is beyond financial compensation. Yet, with renewed ecoentrepreneurial mindset, fresh solution for NELD can be co-created and sustained overtime. Abundant indigenous knowledge exists about sustaining heritage pride, green infrastructure and eco-friendly homes. The greener support looked-for, though, is an enhanced governance, financial and technical capacity to effectively integrate indigenous and scientific tools for sustainable management of NELDs to advance the SDGs. Furthermore, a national Nature-based Solution (NbS) policy is needed for fostering locally-led adaptation, eco-wise residential buildings, renewables and mangrove reforestation. An inclusive NbS policy can contribute to combating negative impacts of flooding, erosion and species depletion for improved sustainable local livelihoods, fishing and biodiversity services. Also, a multi-stakeholders dialogue and cooperation to push forward a theory of sustainable change is advised because ocean risks are too big to bear by an individual. Warfare Human limits are socially tipping such that at Fuveme, climate change is no longer an emergency matter but also a serious warfare that stakeholders must sustainably join forces of skills, innovation, finance and leadership to win. The local people are faced with catastrophic polycrises of coastal erosion, sea level rise and storm flooding. The Fuveme Star of the Sea R.C. Basic School is a needful school in a typical climate war zone that deserves public policy attention and collective humanitarian interventions to save lives. The writer is a Research Fellow, Earth System Governance Project, Utrecht University, The Netherlands. 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 Vice President, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia has called for a clean campaign devoid of acrimony and insults as the party's flagbearer race heats up. Ten people including the Vice President have filed to contest the party's flagbearership and campaigning has intensified with some aspirants being accused of waging hate campaign. Addressing party delegates on the final day of his Greater Accra tour, Dr. Bawumia said, as one family, it is important for all camps to understand that the party needs a united front to face the "main enemy" which is the NDC. "We all should understand that the campaign we are having now is for internal election. The main enemy in 2024 is the NDC. As we embark on the campaign, let us not speak against each other," Dr. Bawumia said. "We want peace, we want a clean campaign and we want a clean election. We don't want anyone to go out there and speak against opponents. Because after our elections, we will need everyone on board to tackle the NDC. In a clear demonstration of his commitment to a clean campaign, Dr. Bawumia said he has asked his campaign staff and well-wishers to be mindful of their utterances in order to ensure the unity of the party. "So I have told all my supporters and spokespersons that we want a clean campaign and they should not go out there and insult anyone", he added. He further said; "We are one family so let's all stay together. When the contest is over, we will all come together as one family and make sure that the NDC doesn't come back to power. That is very important. Let's keep the NPP in power and we want unity in the NPP." Dr. Bawumia rounded off his campaign in the Greater Region over the weekend with a visit to the Obom Domeabra Constituency. 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 Former Member of Parliament(MP) for Suhum constituency, Fred Opare Ansah has appealed to the New Patriotic Party delegates to vote massively for the Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia during the party's presidential primary. The party will hold a Special Delegates Congress in August this year to trim the number of presidential aspirants from ten to five and the main congress in November to elect their flagbearer. According to Opare Ansah, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia has proven his competence to lead the country through his digital initiatives to transform Ghana. He listed some initiatives such as the mobile money interoperability, paperless port system among others by the Vice President and the creation of a Ministry of Communication and Digitalization due to Dr. Bawumia's foresight, stressing there is no person who represents the NPP's chance of winning the 2024 elections than the Veep. "Dr. Bawumia represents the best chance of the NPP to continue beyond the traditional 8 years that we have seen a swinging between the two major political parties, the NPP and the NDC," he charged the party delegates. Ten candidates namely; Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, former Trade Minister; Alan Kwadwo Kyerematen, former Agriculture Minister; Dr. Owusu Afriyie Akoto, former Energy Minister; Boakye Agyarko, former Railways and Development Minister; Joe Ghartey, Member of Parliament for Assin Central; Kennedy Agyapong, former General Secretary of the New Patriotic Party; Kwabena Agyepong among others have filed their nomination forms to contest the flagbearer race. 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 Russian President Vladimir Putin has welcomed Irans accession to membership in the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), noting the importance of assisting Tehran in adapting to all of the alliances processes, TASS reported. July 4, 2023, 15:56 Putin welcomes Iran's accession to SCO STEPANAKERT, JULY 4, ARTSAKHPRESS: "The Islamic Republic of Iran will now participate in our organization in a full-fledged format. I would like to extend congratulations on this occasion to the president of Iran, Mr. Ebrahim Raisi, and sincere greetings to him," the Russian leader said at the SCOs virtual online summit being hosted by India, the current one-year SCO chair. "In less than two years, our Iranian partners completed all the necessary procedures and now our shared task is to help our colleagues to productively join in the multifaceted activities taking place within the framework of the SCO," Putin added. Overall, he emphasized that one cannot but be pleased with the increasing authority and clout of the SCO and the growing interest in the organizations activities on the part of other countries and international structures. "Many of them aspire to establish an equitable dialogue with the SCO and are considering the possibility of joining its work. They trust us, they want to be friends with us and cooperate with us," the Russian president stated. The opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) held its 10th memorial lecture in Sunyani in the Bono Region to mark the passing of former President John Evans Atta Mills. Organized by J.E.A Mills Memorial Heritage under the theme, The Man John Evans Atta Mills- Ten Years On, the lecture forms part of activities commemorating the tenth anniversary of his demise. In a keynote address, Dean of Students, University of Energy and Natural Resources, (UENR) Prof. Dominic Otoo, described the late former Presidents demeanor as a source of inspiration as he stood against corruption and promoted the rule of law. He said President Atta Mills in his reign as the commander-in-chief of the Ghana Armed Forces and an educationist strengthened state institutions and encouraged good health for all, promoted equity by implementing a uniform pay policy for all public sector workers through the implementation of the Universal Single Pay structure otherwise known as Single Spine. He further described the late President as an oasis of peace and a peace maker hence the accolade King of Peace (Asomdwehene) emphasising that the late President Atta Mills made no disparaging comment even when a section of the public spoke against his persona. That is the man we all gather here today to remember and learn from. As a promoter and lover of peace, he earned the title of Asomdwehene (king of peace), he said. Prof. Otoo said Mills legacy on education included promoting gender equality in schools, promoting school dropout retention, teacher development, adequate educational infrastructure, removing schools under trees, and abolishing the shit system. As universities don he established two universities in his short country leadership. The University of Energy and Natural Resources where I teach in the Bono Region and the University of Health and Allied Sciences in Ho, he recounted. We instituted this day to commemorate the character of John Evans Atta Mills. His character and leadership style must be a benchmark for candidates seeking political office in this country, he advised. Private legal practitioner, Yaw Wiredu Peprah, former council chair of KNUST, and Sarah Mensah among other speakers eulogized the late Prof. John Evans Atta Mills as a man of peace, and integrity epitomized by his humility, candor, patience, equity, transparency, honesty, empathy, justice, truthfulness, and sacrifice as what he lived for. Dignitaries present to observe the lecture included the President of Bono Regional House of Chiefs, Osagyefo Osadeoyo Agyemang Badu II, Yeji Manhene, Pimampim Yaw Kabrese, Johnson Aseidu Nketia Ato Ahoi, Alex Segbefia, Nii Lampty Vandapui, current and past MPs and NDC national and regional executives. A book cataloging the speeches of Prof Mills at the UN Assembly titled Atta Mills Speaks was launched. The first copy was bought by Bono, Bono East, and Ahafo Region MPs Caucus of the party for GH50,000. Source: Daily Guide Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Former Member of Parliament for Suhum, Fred Opare Ansah has admonished the camps of Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia and Alan Kwadwo Kyerematen not to take advantage of an incident that happened in Assin North prior to the constituency's by-election and pitch their candidates against each other. The incident which was captured in a viral video showed the Vice President Dr. Bawumia joining the former Minister of Trade, Hon. Alan Kyerematen on stage while the latter was addressing constituents at Assin North. In the video, Bawumia was ushered in and introduced while Alan was still speaking; a situation which has aggrieved most of Alan's fans. Alan's camp sees the action as an intentional act to sabotage their candidate. But the New Patriotic Party's national executives have rendered an apology to both candidates and blamed themselves for the mishap. According to the National Youth Organizer of the NPP, Salam Mustapha who spoke to Kwami Sefa Kayi on Peace FM's morning show "Kokrokoo" weeks ago, it was not deliberate. "There was no single attempt to embarrass Alan Kyerematen...There was a break in protocol", he explained, adding both Alan and Bawumia "deserve an apology". Hon. Fred Opare Ansah, contributing to "Kokrokoo" show today, advised those trying to make capital gains out of the incident against Dr. Bawumia or Alan Kyerematen to desist from it. "Those who are trying to take political advantage of this in their campaign should realize that if you cause disaffection or public ridicule for someone, it doesn't impact on just one person. It is a ridicule on the entire party", he cautioned. 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 As a new Stars Casino customer in the state of Pennsylvania, you can receive a 100% deposit match up to $1,500. You must opt-in and place your first real-money deposit within seven days of activating your new account. Notably, your first deposit must be a minimum of $10 to be eligible for this deposit match welcome offer. Furthermore, you need to be at least 21 years of age and physically located in PA to make a Stars Casino account. Also, if you have ever registered for a Stars Casino account in the past you will not be eligible for this offer. There is no promo code required. Claiming the actual deposit match is as simple as one, two, three. All you need to do is make a first-time deposit, and Stars will match you up to $1,500. Importantly, whatever bonus funds you receive will have a 2 x wagering requirement tagged to them. Your bonus funds can be converted to cash by earning two redemption points for every $1 in casino site credit awarded on any of Stars table (non live dealer) and slot games. So what does that mean? If your first deposit is $100, and Stars Casino matches it in full, you will only need to wager through $200 before your bonus funds will be eligible to be withdrawn from your account. You will have seven days to complete these wagering requirements. Simply click here to sign up! Other promotions at Stars Casino Overall, we were very impressed with the lineup of additional promotions found at Stars Casino. They provide returning players with a variety of offers to benefit from on a weekly basis. View below: Daily Casino Bonus: Stars is giving away mystery prizes including Casino Instant Bonuses every single day. That means you can have a chance of receiving a Chest containing a $500 bonus when you opt-in via the Challenges Window and place a $1 wager on Casino games daily. Tuesday Treat: You have a chance to win a $100 Casino Instant Bonus with this Tuesday Treat promo. Every Tuesday, one player will receive a $100 bonus. You dont even need to login to your account. Blackjack Insurance: By opting into this promo, you will get 50% back as a bonus from the losses of your first five blackjack hands each day. Game variety at Stars Casino Believe it or not, but Stars Casino boasts one of the best selection of games in the online casino business. Check out details on each game-type below: Slots : There are over 1,000 different games offered at Stars Casino, with most being slots. Our favorites include Divine Fortune, Jumanji, and Starburst. Meanwhile, their slots are powered by top software providers including NetEnt, IGT, and more. Table Games: Stars offers over 30 table games that you can join. From variations of blackjack, roulette, baccarat, and others, Stars truly excels in this category. Live Dealer: Possessing over a dozen live dealer games at all times, Stars is again one of the top brands in this facet. They feature live dealer games like Infinite Blackjack, Lightning Roulette, and Ultimate Texas Hold Em. PokerStars: The Stars Casino is directly connected to the renowned PokerStars brand, which is the leading name in the online poker world. Summary Again, Stars Casino is gifting their new Pennsylvania signees with a 100% deposit match up to a whopping $1,500 with no promo code required. All you need to do is click here to begin! By Rodrigo Torrejon and Chris Palmer, The Philadelphia Inquirer (TNS) The five people killed in Mondays mass shooting in Southwest Philadelphia ranged in age from 15 to 59. The Philadelphia Inquirer has identified them as: Daujan Brown, 15, residence unknown. Lashyd Merritt, 20, of the 5500 block of Greenway Avenue. Dymir Stanton, 29, of the 1700 block of South Frazier Street. Joseph Wamah, Jr., 31, of the 1600 block of South 56th Street. Ralph Moralis, 59, of the 1700 block of South 56th Street. Sources said the suspect is Kimbrady Carriker, 40, of Philadelphia. Shortly before 8:30 p.m., police responded to gunfire in the area of South 56th Street and Chester Avenue, said Police Commissioner Danielle Outlaw. About 10 minutes later, with police following the suspect as he continued to fire a gun, he was cornered several blocks away in an alleyway on the 1600 block of South Frazier Street, she said. He was taken into custody without incident, police said. Police Commissioner Danielle Outlaw talks to the media on the scene of a mass shooting in the Kingsessing neighborhood of Philadelphia, July 3, 2023. (Steven M. Falk, The Philadelphia Inquirer via TNS).TNS Tina Rosette, 49, said she lived with Carriker for about a year on the 5600 block of Belmar Terrace in 2021. She said he was really smart, intelligent, creative, and loved working on computer programs. She was shocked to hear he couldve been involved in such a brutal act of gun violence, saying shed never seen him with a gun before. I didnt even know he had a gun, she said. Still, she said Carriker did have an aggressive approach to some things in life. One example: She said he sometimes taught young people how to fight, purportedly in self-defense, but didnt give them much direction about how or when to stop. Tinas daughter Cianni Rosette, 24, who lived with Tina and Carriker in West Philadelphia, said the two of them got along for a while, and that she enjoyed his personality, which she said was cool and creative. But unlike her mother, Cianni Rosette said Carriker did show her a handgun several times. He was trying to get me comfortable around guns and stuff like that, she said. And she said he could be difficult to talk to occasionally someone who could be aloof or easy to anger, even if he wouldnt outwardly express it. At one point, she said, Carriker told her he wanted to start a romantic relationship with her, and that he was pushy about it. I havent really talked to him after that rejection, she said. Tina Rosette and her daughter moved out about a year ago, and she said she believed Carriker had been in a dark place recently, though she wasnt sure why. Outlaw said the shooter had no prior connection to the victims. The Philadelphia violence is the countrys 29th mass killing in 2023, according to a database maintained by The Associated Press and USA Today in partnership with Northeastern University, the highest on record by this time in the year. The numbers people killed in such events is also the highest by this time in the year. The Associated Press contributed to this report. More: Police response to crowd before mass shooting was too late: Baltimore commissioner A York County man killed two men and a dog over the weekend at a home in Pylesville, Maryland, authorities said. Timothy Wayne Witherite, 62, and David Joseph Octavec, 70, both of Pylesville, were found dead around 8:49 p.m. at a home on the 1700 block of Scott Road, according to the Harford County Sheriffs Office. The sheriffs office said Steven Nolan, 53, of Airville, killed Witherite inside the home and Octavec outside before he fled. The family dog was also found dead at the scene. Authorities said a motive is still under investigation. Pennsylvania State Police took Nolan into custody about two hours after the double homicide scene was discovered. He is being held in Pennsylvania and awaiting extradition to Maryland. Authorities said anyone with information can call the Harford County Sheriffs Office at 443-409-3154. READ MORE: Man dies after being found unresponsive in central Pa. pool 5 dead, 2 kids hurt after gunman fires randomly on Philly streets: police GREEN POND, S.C. (AP) A man has been charged with murder in the killings of his sister-in-law and daughter after South Carolina authorities found six people dead while responding to reports of a house fire and stabbings, officials said at a press conference Monday. 14th Circuit Solicitor Duffie Stone identified a 50-year-old woman and an 11-year-old girl as two of the six people killed Sunday at a home engulfed in flames. No motive has been identified, and officials expect more charges to come. The other deceased peoples identities have not been released as Colleton County Sheriff Buddy Hill said officials await autopsy results. Ryan Lenard Manigo, 33, was held Sunday at the Colleton Detention Center as part of the investigation. Bond was not set at a Monday afternoon hearing, Stone said. Manigo has also been charged with attempted murder of the lone survivor on top of the two murder counts. Authorities found the deceased victims and one person in critical condition at a home in Green Pond around 11 a.m., the Colleton County Sheriffs Office said in a Sunday statement. The surviving victim, a 13-year-old, was airlifted to a hospital from Green Pond, about 42 miles west of Charleston, and treated at the scene for cuts and stabs. The victim shared the suspects first name and vehicle description with police, Hill said. Hill thanked the victims family for their tremendous help and asked the public to keep them in their prayers at the Monday press conference. Todays events that occurred in this quiet, nestled community of Green Pond are tragic, Hiram Davis, a spokesperson for the family, told WCBD-TV on Sunday. More: 1 killed, 1 critically injured in Pa. house fire: reports Woman left 4 kids alone in apartment that caught fire: police 5 dead, 2 kids hurt after gunman fires randomly on Philly streets: police By Chelsea Prince, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution (TNS) The last time Alondra Denise Hobbs saw her daughter alive, she put the 7-year-old into a stroller, pushed her into a closet and left without any intention of returning, according to an arrest warrant released Monday. As many as four months passed before anyone found Alivia Hobbs-Jordan, and by then it was far too late. What remained of the childs body was in such a state that the DeKalb County, Georgia, police officer who found the girl assumed she was between 2 and 4 years old. Investigators have accused the 27-year-old mother of abandoning her child inside an apartment in the Hidden Valley complex south of Decatur sometime between Feb. 28 and June 25, when the girls decaying body was discovered. Any time a child dies and a parent is held responsible, it raises the question of why. And in the early days of a police investigation, those answers are seldom available. DeKalb police have not provided a possible motive, and the childs cause of death remains under investigation, authorities said Friday. Other oddities surround the case. The person who initially found Alivia and called 911 never identified themselves, and the cellphone they used was promptly disconnected. Another tipster sent a video of the discovery to a Channel 2 Action News reporter but refused to answer any further questions about how he obtained it. Hobbs was arrested Thursday and accused of felony murder related to a second-degree charge of cruelty to children, which implies criminal negligence but not malicious intent. In her arrest warrant, police accused Hobbs causing Alivias death by placing her in a stroller and then rolling her into a closet before leaving the apartment with no intention of returning. When the body was found, a next-door neighbor told police that the apartment had been vacant for many months, but other neighbors said there had been a history of squatters. Police also found a piece of mail addressed to Alondra Hobbs, but they could not confirm whether she and her daughter were the last known tenants. Following her arrest, Hobbs was taken to a hospital rather than to the county jail. As of Monday, she had yet to be released from the hospital, according to a spokesperson for the sheriffs office. Her criminal history in DeKalb County includes at least two prior arrests related to family violence. In 2019, she was accused of simple assault, a misdemeanor, in an incident involving threats made while holding a kitchen knife. She later pleaded no contest to an associated charge of disorderly conduct and was sentenced to 12 months probation. As a condition of her sentence, she was also ordered to attend anger management and parenting classes. A second incident in 2020 resulted in a misdemeanor charge of battery. According to a warrant, Hobbs was accused of scratching her husbands neck and throwing a toolbox at him. It was not clear how that case was disposed. Also unclear is whether police have since been in touch with Hobbs husband. More: 5 Pa. child services workers arrested, accused of ignoring neglect: reports Pa. woman found guilty of murder in starvation death of 3-year-old stepdaughter By TASSANEE VEJPONGSA, The Associated Press PHILADELPHIA (AP) A heavily armed gunman in a bulletproof vest opened fire on the streets of Philadelphia on Monday night, seemingly at a random, killing five people and wounding two boys before surrendering, police said. The shootings took place over several city blocks in the southwestern neighborhood of Kingsessing. Responding officers chased the suspect as he continued to fire, and he was arrested in an alley after giving himself up, Police Commissioner Danielle Outlaw said at a news conference. Thank God our officers were on the scene and responded as quickly as they did. I cant even describe the level of bravery and courage that was shown, in addition to the restraint that was shown here, Outlaw said. No connection was immediately known between the victims and the shooter, she said. He had a bulletproof vest, an AR-type rifle, multiple magazines, a handgun and a police scanner. Police Commissioner Danielle Outlaw talks to the media on the scene of a mass shooting in the Kingsessing neighborhood of Philadelphia, July 3, 2023. (Steven M. Falk, The Philadelphia Inquirer via TNS).TNS Officers were flagged down at about 8:30 p.m., and multiple calls of shots fired came in from Kingsessing. Police found some gunshot victims, and as they were attending to them, they heard more gunfire, Outlaw said. Police later told Fox 29 that a fifth victim was found. He was chased into his home and shot to death. Bullet casings were found outside the home. The suspected shooter was identified as a 40-year-old man. A second person was also taken into custody who may have returned fire at the suspect, but police did not know whether there was a connection between the two people, Outlaw said. The chief said dozens of shell casings were found across an eight-block area. You can see there are several scenes out here, Outlaw said. Were canvassing the area to get as much as we can, to identify witnesses, to identify where cameras are located and to do everything to figure out the why. Three of the dead were 20 to 59 years old, while the fourth, who had not yet been identified, was estimated to be between 16 and 21. The victim found in his home was 31 years old. All were male. The two hospitalized victims are boys, ages 2 and 13. They were in stable condition, Outlaw said. Tim Eads said he heard fireworks and then gunshots, saw police cars flying by, and his wife on the second floor was looking out the bay window and saw the shooter actually coming down this street here behind me. He himself saw another man with a pistol who he thinks may have been firing at the shooter. He was using my car as a shield shooting out into the street, Eads said. Philadelphia police stand at the intersection of 56th Street and Kingsessing Avenue after multiple people were shot in Southwest Philadelphia, late Monday, July 3, 2023. (Yong Kim/The Philadelphia Inquirer via AP)AP A resident named Roger who declined to give his last name said he and his family were eating in the living room at about 8:30 p.m. when they heard eight to 10 gunshots. Everybody thought it was fireworks but ... been around here about three years so I heard it enough, he said. I looked out the window and seen a bunch of people running. He said he heard about four more shots and thought it was the end of it. Ten minutes later, he said, police came flying down here, and about five minutes later he heard rapid gunfire open up right outside the house. Roger said the neighborhood is family-oriented but you have angry people sometimes who just dont know how to express themselves and unfortunately they go grab a gun and do the worst. The shooting occurred within hours of a fatal shooting that erupted at a neighborhood festival in Fort Worth, Texas, leaving three people dead and eight injured. A day earlier, a holiday weekend block party in Baltimore, about 90 miles to the southwest, was marred when two people were killed and 28 others were wounded in a shooting. More than half of the victims were minors, officials said. The Philadelphia violence is the countrys 29th mass killing in 2023, according to a database maintained by The Associated Press and USA Today in partnership with Northeastern University, the highest on record by this time in the year. Lucia Agajanian, a 25-year-old freelance film producer in Chicago, doesnt have a specific primary care doctor, preferring the convenience of visiting a local clinic for flu shots or going online for video visits. You say what you need, and theres a 15-minute wait time, she said, explaining how her appointments usually work. I really liked that. But Olga Lucia Torres, a 52-year-old who teaches narrative medicine classes at Columbia University in New York, misses her longtime primary care doctor, who kept tabs for two decades on her conditions, including lupus and rheumatoid arthritis, and made sure she was up to date on vaccines and screening tests. Two years ago, Torres received a letter informing her that he was changing to a boutique practice and would charge a retainer fee of $10,000 for her to stay on as a patient. I felt really sad and abandoned, Torres said. This was my PCP. I was like, Dude, I thought we were in this together! The two women reflect an ongoing reality: The primary care landscape is changing in ways that could shape patients access and quality of care now and for decades to come. A solid and enduring relationship with a primary care doctor who knows a patients history and can monitor new problems has long been regarded as the bedrock of a quality health care system. But investment in primary care in the U.S. lags that of other high-income countries, and America has a smaller share of primary care physicians than most of its European counterparts. An estimated one-third of all physicians in the U.S. are primary care doctors who include family medicine physicians, general internists, and pediatricians according to the Robert Graham Center, a research and analysis organization that studies primary care. Other researchers say the numbers are lower, with the Peterson-KFF Health System Tracker reporting only 12% of U.S. doctors are generalists, compared with 23% in Germany and as many as 45% in the Netherlands. That means its often hard to find a doctor and make an appointment thats not weeks or months away. This is a problem that has been simmering and now beginning to erupt in some communities at a boil. Its hard to find that front door of the health system, said Ann Greiner, president and CEO of the Primary Care Collaborative, a nonprofit membership organization. A solid and enduring relationship with a primary care doctor who knows a patients history and can monitor new problems has long been regarded as the bedrock of a quality health care system. (KFF Health News illustration/Getty Images/TNS)TNS Today, a smaller percentage of physicians are entering the field than are practicing, suggesting that shortages will worsen over time. Interest has waned partly because, in the U.S., primary care yields lower salaries than other medical and surgical specialties. Some doctors now in practice also say they are burned out, facing cumbersome electronic health record systems and limits on appointment times, making it harder to get to know a patient and establish a relationship. Others are retiring or selling their practices. Hospitals, insurers like Aetna-CVS Health, and other corporate entities like Amazon are on a buying spree, snapping up primary care practices, furthering a move away from the Marcus Welby, M.D.-style neighborhood doctor. About 48% of primary care physicians currently work in practices they do not own. Two-thirds of those doctors dont work for other physicians but are employed by private equity investors or other corporate entities, according to data in the Primary Care Chartbook, which is collected and published by the Graham Center. Patients who seek care at these offices may not be seen by the same doctor at every visit. Indeed, they may not be seen by a doctor at all but by a paraprofessional a nurse practitioner or a physician assistant, for instance who works under the doctors license. That trend has been accelerated by new state laws as well as changes in Medicare policy that loosen the requirements for physician supervisors and billing. And these jobs are expected to be among the decades fastest-growing in the health sector. Overall, demand for primary care is up, spurred partly by record enrollment in Affordable Care Act plans. All those new patients, combined with the low supply of doctors, are contributing to a years-long downward trend in the number of people reporting they have a usual source of care, be it an individual doctor or a specific clinic or practice. Researchers say that raises questions, including whether people cant find a primary care doctor, cant afford one, or simply no longer want an established relationship. Is it poor access or problems with the supply of providers? Does it reflect a societal disconnection, a go-it-alone phenomenon? asked Christopher Koller, president of the Milbank Memorial Fund, a foundation whose nonpartisan analyses focus on state health policy. For patients, frustrating wait times are one result. A recent survey by a physician staffing firm found it now takes an average of 21 days just to get in to see a doctor of family medicine, defined as a subgroup of primary care, which includes general internists and pediatricians. Those physicians are many patients first stop for health care. That runs counter to the trend in other countries, where patients complain of months- or years-long waits for elective procedures like hip replacements but generally experience short waits for primary care visits. Another complication: All these factors are adding urgency to ongoing concerns about attracting new primary care physicians to the specialty. When she was in medical school, Natalie A. Cameron said, she specifically chose primary care because she enjoyed forming relationships with patients and because Im specifically interested in prevention and womens health, and you do a lot of that in primary care. The 33-year-old is currently an instructor of medicine at Northwestern University, where she also sees patients at a primary care practice. Still, she understands why many of her colleagues chose something else. For some, its the pay differential. For others, its because of primary cares reputation for involving a lot of care and paperwork and coordinating a lot of issues that may not just be medical, Cameron said. The million-dollar question, then, is how much does having a usual source of care influence medical outcomes and cost? And for which kinds of patients is having a close relationship with a doctor important? While studies show that many young people value the convenience of visiting urgent care especially when it takes so long to see a primary care doctor will their long-term health suffer because of that strategy? Many patients particularly the young and generally healthy ones shrug at the new normal, embracing alternatives that require less waiting. These options are particularly attractive to millennials, who tell focus groups that the convenience of a one-off video call or visit to a big-box store clinic trumps a long-standing relationship with a doctor, especially if they have to wait days, weeks, or longer for a traditional appointment. The doctor I have is a family friend, but definitely I would take access and ease over a relationship, said Matt Degn, 24, who says it can take two to three months to book a routine appointment in Salt Lake City, where he lives. Patients are increasingly turning to what are dubbed retail clinics, such as CVS Minute Clinics, which tout in-person and virtual care 7 days a week. CVS Healths more than 1,000 clinics inside stores across the U.S. treated more than 5 million people last year, Creagh Milford, a physician and the companys senior vice president of retail health, said in a written statement. He cited a recent study by a data products firm showing the use of retail clinics has grown 200% over the past five years. Health policy experts say increased access to alternatives can be good, but forgoing an ongoing relationship to a regular provider is not, especially as people get older and are more likely to develop chronic conditions or other medical problems. Theres a lot of data that show communities with a lot of primary care have better health, said Koller. People with a regular primary care doctor or practice are more likely to get preventive care, such as cancer screenings or flu shots, studies show, and are less likely to die if they do suffer a heart attack. Physicians who see patients regularly are better able to spot patterns of seemingly minor concerns that could add up to a serious health issue. What happens when you go to four different providers on four platforms for urinary tract infections because, well, they are just UTIs, posed Yalda Jabbarpour, a family physician practicing in Washington, D.C., and the director of the Robert Graham Center for Policy Studies. But actually, you have a large kidney stone thats causing your UTI or have some sort of immune deficiency like diabetes thats causing frequent UTIs. But no one tested you. Most experts agree that figuring out how to coordinate care amid this changing landscape and make it more accessible without undermining quality even when different doctors, locations, health systems, and electronic health records are involved will be as complex as the pressures causing long waits and less interest in todays primary care market. And experiences sometimes lead patients to change their minds. Theres something to be said for establishing a relationship, said Agajanian, in Chicago. Shes rethinking her decision to cobble together care, rather than have a specific primary care doctor or clinic, following an injury at work last year that led to shoulder surgery. As Im getting older, even though Im still young, she said, I have all these problems with my body, and it would be nice to have a consistent person who knows all my problems to talk with. Julie Appleby, KFF Health News, Michelle Andrews of KFF Health News wrote this story. KFF Health News Colleen DeGuzman contributed to this report. (KFF Health News, formerly known as Kaiser Health News (KHN), is a national newsroom that produces in-depth journalism about health issues and is one of the core operating programs of KFF the independent source for health policy research, polling and journalism.) 2023 KFF Health News. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. More: One more shot for older adults to get in the fall, health officials say Bill to mandate nurse staffing levels at hospitals moves closer to reality in Pa. LACONIA, N.H. (AP) A car crashed into a busy New Hampshire restaurant and injured more than a dozen patrons inside, authorities said. The vehicle struck the Looney Bin Bar & Grill a little after 12:40 p.m. Sunday and came to a stop well inside, pinning one man inside the bathroom, restaurant owner Michelle Watson said. Everybody jumped right in and helped, she told WHDH-TV. Everybody jumped in to make sure everybody was OK. Police Chief Matt Canfield said the crash involved three vehicles: One was making a left turn out of a parking lot across the street while a second was in the center lane. The driver making the turn didnt see a third oncoming vehicle, and the ensuing collision sent that third vehicle crashing into the restaurant. Emergency responders transported 14 people to hospitals with non-life-threating medical issues including significant lower leg injuries, cuts and bruises. Another 20 people were evaluated at the scene by emergency personnel but did not require hospital treatment, the Laconia Fire Department said. In this photo released by the Laconia Fire Department, a vehicle sits inside a restaurant after crashing through the wall on Sunday, July 2, 2023, in Laconia, NH. (Laconia Fire Department via AP)AP A vehicle crashed into a restaurant Sunday, July 2, 2023, in Laconia, NH. (Laconia Fire Department via AP)AP There were a lot of people inside due to it being lunchtime and a holiday weekend, Fire Capt. Chad Vaillancourt said in the statement. The building, which is on Highway 3 north of Concord, sustained significant damage. I dont know when were going to be able to open again, but we will, Watson said. More: Woman trapped under vehicle after it crashes into Pa. building: reports Coroner releases name of Pa. Capitol crash victim INDONESIA-AUSTRALIA LEADERS MEETING OUTCOMES Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has met with Indonesia's President Joko Widodo in Sydney where they discussed security, trade, education and climate * Commercial deals agreed across the health, mining and digital sectors * Indonesians will gain access to an extended business visa from three to five years, get priority access to airport SmartGates and be offered frequent traveller visas valid for 10 years * $50 million will be used to attract private climate finance to Indonesia * Western Sydney University, Deakin University and Central Queensland University will join Monash University to set up campuses in Indonesia * Work will progress on elevating defence co-operation to a treaty-level agreement * President Widodo will attend an ASEAN special summit in Australia in March. OTTAWA COUNTY, MI A Fourth of July celebration turned deadly when a woman was killed, and many others were hospitalized after a firework exploded, Ottawa County, Michigan, sheriffs deputies said. The 43-year-old Holland woman who died at the scene was not immediately identified. Police responded to an 11:09 p.m. report of a firework that exploded on Monday, July 3, in the 1700 block of Main Street in Park Township. When sheriffs deputies arrived, they found 10 people who were injured from the explosion. Police said nine people were taken to a hospital with injuries ranging from minor to critical. Several homes and vehicles within the area were also damaged. More: Man charged with murder after fire kills his daughter, 5 others 5 dead, 2 kids hurt after gunman fires randomly on Philly streets: police STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- President Joe Bidens new student loan forgiveness backup plan, called SAVE, was designed to decrease most borrowers payments on federal undergraduate loans in good standing. The move was in reaction to a Supreme Court ruling against the Biden Administrations attempt to reduce student loan debt, which would have canceled up to $20,000 in federal student loans for 43 million people. While a direct application website will be launched later this summer, the White House says borrowers can get started now by enrolling in an existing Income-Driven Repayment (IDR) plan. Those enrolled in the IDR plan will automatically be enrolled into SAVE. Also, any borrower enrolled in REPAYE, a pay-as-you-earn program, will automatically be rolled into SAVE. According to the White House, the SAVE plan calls for the following: For undergraduate loans, cut in half the amount that borrowers have to pay each month from 10% to 5% of discretionary income. A pause on payments for people who make less than 225% of the federal poverty level. This means you will not owe loan payments if you are a single borrower earning $32,800 or less or a family of four earning $67,500 or less in 2023. People who make their regular monthly payments will not have to pay additional unpaid interest. This means that if $80 of interest accrues on your balance each month, but your payment is set at $60, you will not be charged the rest. Forgive loan balances after 10 years of payments, instead of 20 years, for borrowers with original loan balances of $12,000 or less. Its estimated that this will allow nearly all community college borrowers to be debt-free within 10 years. The White House has touted the new plan will bring debt relief to millions. It will allow many borrowers to see their monthly payments cut in half, and those making less than $15 an hour will not have to make any payments. However, the new student loan forgiveness plan will likely be scrutinized by both the political and legal authorities. The U.S. Department of Education will push for the debt forgiveness program under the Higher Education Act. This new path is legally sound, Biden said on Friday. Its going to take longer, but, in my view, its the best path that remains to providing for as many borrowers as possible with debt relief. To learn more about the new SAVE plan, visit the Department of Educations website. FOLLOW TRACEY PORPORA ON FACEBOOK and TWITTER. WILLIAMSPORT The two-year dispute between the Lycoming County commissioners and the elected controller over who is responsible for certain fiscal functions is continuing with no end in sight. The issue of whether the County Code gives the commissioners or controller the responsibility for general ledger, payroll and accounts payable functions has statewide implications. The commissioners contend the County Code makes them the responsible managers and administrators of the countys fiscal affairs. Controller Krista B. Rogers disagrees in the case that is before Commonwealth Court. She filed the latest salvo last Thursday in a brief in which she accused the commissioners of not respecting the rule of law. That was followed Friday by friend of the court briefs in support of her by the Pennsylvania State Association of County Controllers and the County Treasurers Association of Pennsylvania. The County Commissioners Association of Pennsylvania (CCAP) in early June filed a brief in support of the commissioners. The dispute stems from the previous board of commissioners at Rogers request transferring to her from their budget office the fiscal functions and four employees. The current board in 2021, dissatisfied with the way work was being performed, transferred them back to their Office of Budget and Finance. Rogers objected and threatened not to sign the payroll and vendor checks. The legal battle began in April 2021 when the commissioners obtained a restraining order requiring her to sign checks. Potter County Senior Judge John B. Leete, specially assigned, later that year vacated the restraining order without addressing whether the commissioners had the authority to transfer the employees. That December, Rogers sued the county to force the return of the functions and employees. Three times since, Leete has ruled the County Code gives those responsibilities to the controller. Two of the three commissioners approved the appeal to Commonwealth Court. In the brief she filed last week, Rogers accuses the commissioners of attempting to contrive technicalities through which they can further delay the inevitable conclusion that their actions were illegal. Affirming Leetes decision would permit the county to return to a structure of fiscal affairs contemplated by the Pennsylvania Legislature rather than the whims of the county commissioners who overstep their bounds of authority, she contends. The controllers association says the commissioners appeal perpetrates their flawed understanding of the County Code by framing the role and responsibilities of a controller as subordinate to and at the whim of the commissioners. Such a flagrant interpretation, if accepted, would have profound implications for controllers statewide. This is more than an intra-county row office squabble over who gets to control certain fiscal functions; it could have far-reaching consequences in every county with an elected controller, it claims. The treasurers organization says it is concerned a successful appeal would give county commissioners carte blanche to subordinate the treasurers powers and manage their employees. CCAPs position is that controllers play a watchdog role in that the County Code provides they must audit and decide on all bills, claims and demands whatsoever against the county. Under Leetes interpretation of the code, the commissioners could appropriate monies and set taxes but would have little other authority over the fiscal affairs, it contends. The commissioners would have no oversight role in ensuring that county spending fell within a proper appropriation and did not exceed the appropriated amount, it says. More: Three suspected tornadoes hit Pa. county causing damage but no injuries Controller, sheriff in Pa. county disagree on tax status of 37-cent black mourning bands The remaining Christmas Tree Shops around the nation, including one in Onondaga County, are headed toward closure, according to a report in the Wall Street Journal. The paper reported Friday that the chain's 72 remaining stores including more than a dozen in New York are at risk of shutting their doors after its lenders filed a motion in court in Delaware initiating liquidation procedures after the chain defaulted on a loan that supports its operations during bankruptcy, which it declared in early May. Its initial plan was to close 10 underperforming stores by the end of August. Absent the appearance of a buyer who could take on the chain's debt, a final liquidation determination could be made by the end of the week. The closest stores to Auburn include locations in Mattydale just of Interstate 81 in Onondaga County, as well as locations in the Rochester and Binghamton areas. The chain known for its holiday decorations as well as more year-round discount wares is five decades old, with its roots on Cape Cod in Massachusetts. Bed Bath & Beyond, which is in the process of closing all its locations after its own bankruptcy, previously owned Christmas Tree Shops before Marc and Pam Salkovitz and their Handil Holdings company took it over in 2020. According to Forbes, Handil bought the 80-unit Christmas Tree operation as part of Bed Bath's plan "to shed non-core businesses and concentrate on its nameplate brand" which ultimately did not work. The New York State Police raised the maximum age for state trooper candidates from 29 to 34, the organization announced Friday. The move, approved by Gov. Kathy Hochul, comes as State Police officials try to diversify a mostly white force and fill hundreds of empty positions. This change will allow us to recruit the most diverse and skilled group of candidates possible, Acting State Police Superintendent Steven Nigrelli said in a statement. By raising the age, we are ensuring that we have the best and most qualified candidates possible. As previously reported by The Buffalo News, the State Police have the budget for 5,500 employees, but only have about 4,800 employees on payroll. There are many qualified candidates from the military or other careers who decide that they want to transition to the State Police, but because of the previous age requirement, some were not eligible, Nigrelli continued. These are individuals that have a wealth of knowledge and experience to bring to the job. The change also appears to be the latest initiative aimed at diversifying the force. Just under 54% of New Yorkers are white, compared to the 88% of troopers who are white, according to figures recently released by the State Police. Meanwhile, members of other racial groups are underrepresented in the State Police. Only 4.2% of troopers are Black and only 6% are Hispanic/Latinx, compared to 17.7% and 19.7% of the state population, respectively. Several former state troopers described instances of severe racism within the force in a 2021 Associated Press report. One of those former troopers sued the State Police, describing the department as systematically racist. In recent years, the State Police have attempted to retain more minority and female troopers by recruiting heavily in urban areas, holding meetings with community leaders and spending more money on recruiting. Criminal justice agencies grapple with recruitment challenges Personnel administrators for local police departments, sheriff's offices and jails are reaching farther down on their civil service lists to find candidates still interested in job openings. Those efforts appear to have been successful. More Black, Hispanic/Latinx and Asian candidates applied to be troopers in 2022 than did in 2017, even though the overall number of applicants decreased. At the end, it (State Police) should just be more reflective of the society we serve, Nigrelli previously told The News. The State Police application process opened Saturday and runs through September. Candidates can take the entrance exam which tests applicants cognitive abilities and personality attributes as early as July 10 at 54 testing centers in New York and hundreds more at locations throughout the U.S. and at military locations around the world. The maximum age can also be raised one year for every year an applicant serves full-time active military duty up to a maximum of seven years, according to the State Police website. The job has a starting salary of $59,612, and troopers earn $84,331 after one year. It also offers full benefits and a retirement plan. DirecTV subscribers lost access to 159 TV stations owned by Nexstar Media Group on July 2, including the Charleston region's NBC affiliate, after contract negotiations between the companies broke down. The Dallas-based parent of WCBD-2 in Mount Pleasant said the satellite television service rejected an offer to extend their previous agreement to Oct. 31. The blackout started Sunday at 7 p.m., during NBC's broadcast of a NASCAR race. The CW and NewsNation networks in Charleston also were affected, as was programming on Nexstar's WSPA-TV, the CBS affiliate in the Upstate. It's unclear when the dispute will be resolved. At issue is how much DirecTV pays for the rights to retransmit shows, news, sporting events and other programming that airs on traditional broadcast stations owned by companies like Nexstar. The satellite service said in this round of negotiations it's facing an increase of "more than double the previous fees for the same content." It did not elaborate. Irving Texas-based Nexstar said in a statement late Sunday it "remains hopeful that a resolution can be reached quickly." DirecTV, which is majority-owned by AT&T, said it "will continue to work with Nexstar" to reach a deal. "Most renewal agreements go off without a hitch," the pay-TV service told viewers who tried to tune into WCBD-TV late Sunday. "But every now and then we run into a snag like what we're experiencing with this Nexstar-owned station." The dispute had not been resolved as of Monday afternoon. In a similar contract renewal standoff four years ago, DirectTV subscribers weren't able to access programming on WCBD-TV and The CW for nearly two months in the summer of 2019. The companies are already locking horns in court. Earlier this year, DirecTV filed a lawsuit saying Nexstar had violated antitrust law by driving up retransmission charges for stations broadcasting the four major networks. The complaint sought an order blocking Nexstar from allegedly colluding with two other companies during fee negotiations with the satellite TV service. Charleston, SC (29403) Today A mix of clouds and sun with a slight chance of thunderstorms this afternoon. Gusty winds and small hail are possible. High 97F. Winds W at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 30%.. Tonight Partly cloudy skies. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low 78F. Winds WNW at 5 to 10 mph. Columbia, SC (29201) Today Sun and clouds mixed. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. High 96F. Winds W at 10 to 15 mph.. Tonight Scattered thunderstorms early, then partly cloudy after midnight. Low 74F. Winds NW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 40%. Americans see themselves as more divided than ever; at least 85 percent saw it that way in early 2020. But a new study suggests that an equal number of Americans actually share common ground when it comes to local green efforts, like expanding public transportation and bike lanes. Anthony Leiserowitz, who directs the Yale Program on Climate Change Communication and co-led the study published on Jun. 28, said these numbers might seem counterintuitive. But when it comes to understanding neighbors, "We all underestimate how much our neighbors support green policies," he said. The study polled a representative sample of registered voters in April 2023 and gleaned dozens of insights into how voters view a variety of climate-friendly policies, from national to local scales. More than 1,000 people were surveyed. On some big-picture policies, Americas are indeed divided. For example, 57 percent support the expansion of wind farms but an equal percent support the expansion of offshore drilling for fossil fuel energy. When it comes to actions implemented at the local level, agreement skyrockets. When asked about public transport in their county, 86 percent of registered voters support expanding it. And 76 percent support installing local bike lanes and paths that provide more alternative and healthier ways to get around. Republicans often push back on publicly-funded programs that might favor green energy or reduce competition in the energy market. However, 85 percent of voting Americans support local programs that would fund homeowners' efforts to make energy-efficient improvements to their homes, which includes solar panels, the study found. Most people, over 56 percent, want to see more projects like these initiated by their local officials or governor, according to the study. Leiserowitz think this it is a function of voters' dissatisfaction with national leadership. Only 11 percent think the federal government is responding well to climate change. The report is part of a long-term polling project, called Climate in the American Mind, which has been conducted every other year since 2008 and is widely accepted as the definitive polling of Americans attitudes and knowledge on climate change, as well as their evolving stance on politics and policy issues. "It's like holding up a mirror," said Leiserowitz. He contends this is useful in understanding America. Media can distort our views of each other, he said. In 2020, just six months into the pandemic, a poll conducted by The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research said that 85 percent of registered voters describe other Americans as being "greatly divided in their values." In 2021, in response to the Jan. 6 insurrection, a poll conducted by NPR found that 70 percent of those surveyed thought the country was in crisis, as well as democracy. But when researchers actually asked people about the changes they wanted in their local community to have healthier and greener living, there was wide agreement that can get lost in these other polls. This news was not surprising to former Republican U.S. Rep. Bob Inglis of South Carolina, who has become a leader in growing the climate conversation within the GOP. "Those numbers of wide agreement include the conservatives," noted Inglis. "And I think it's because these local climate-friendly policies are actually achievable, which is really helpful in reaching across the political spectrum." Inglis said some national and international policies are just too much of a leap for conservative-leaning voters to get on board with. He also noted that local policies, like expanding public transportation to cut toxic greenhouse gas emissions, are reasonable solutions. The former congressman believes the state of rapid warming has pushed America into an emergency situation that needs actions at all scales. But he also sees the case for calmness and reason. "If you are in a burning building," said Inglis. "You want that calm voice saying, 'this way to the exit.'" GEORGETOWN A fire at the Georgetown County School District headquarters torched some roofing materials but didnt cause any structural damage to the building on July 3, authorities said. The Georgetown City Fire Department was called to the J.B. Beck Administration and Education Center on Church Street at 12:24 p.m., said Charlie Cribb, the citys fire chief. He said the fire was under control in about 20 minutes and no one was injured during the blaze. The fire started while a roofing company was working on the back wing of the building, Cribb said. Although the cause of the fire remains under investigation, Cribb said a propane tank on the roof exploded and some tar paper ignited. We dont know if (the tank explosion) caused it or if was just part of the fire after the fact, Cribb said. Were not really sure what the actual cause was. Crews from Midway Fire Rescue and Georgetown County Fire/EMS assisted in putting out the fire. That extra help was critical on a steamy day with temperatures in the 90s. Thats one of the goals here, Cribb said. When its the temperatures that weve got today, lets keep the county here, keep Midway here, keep people rotated as quickly as we can. Fire crews were packing up to leave shortly after 2 p.m. School officials said they were fortunate the fire was contained to the roof. The building is mostly vacant this week because of the July 4 holiday. After the fire started, the few people in the facility were evacuated. Inside the building is perfect, said Bill Gaskins, chairman of the Georgetown County School Board. You cant even smell smoke. Kingstree, SC (29556) Today Sunny to partly cloudy. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. High around 95F. Winds WNW at 5 to 10 mph.. Tonight Scattered thunderstorms early, then partly cloudy after midnight. Low 71F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 40%. Mount Pleasant, SC (29464) Today A mix of clouds and sun. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. High 96F. Winds W at 10 to 15 mph.. Tonight Partly cloudy. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low 78F. Winds WNW at 5 to 10 mph. July 4, 1993 Beneath the pomp surrounding the celebration this week of Austeel's 20 years in Auburn lies an undercurrent of concern. On the one hand, with its $14 million annual payroll and 300 jobs, Auburn Steel has become a mighty contributor to the economic well-being of Cayuga County. But on the other hand, bad luck and bad timing have conspired to pose the Japanese-owned company with its biggest challenge yet. In addition to a recent radioactive accident that promises to deliver huge clean-up bills, Austeel faces skyrocketing utility costs, stiff competition, expiring tax abatements and the always-hostile New York business environment. While company officials are non-committal about the plant's future here, their city counterparts are confident Austeel will be around to celebrate many more anniversaries. Nevertheless, consider: Since year's beginning, Austeel and the New York State Electric and Gas Corp. have been negotiating new utility rates. Austeel is NYSEG's biggest customer in its Auburn division, paying the utility over $11 million a year for the juice to run its electricity-powered furnaces. All told, 13 percent of Austeel's operating expenses go toward paying its electric bill. According to company officials, Austeel just wants to "hold the line" so it won't have to pay any more. At the same time, Austeel President Bill Humes notes that electric rates just next door in Pennsylvania are almost half of what they are in New York state. On May 17, a chunk of radioactive cesium snuck its way past Austeel's radioactivity sensors and into the furnace that melts down tons of scrap metal every day. As it burned up, the cesium contaminated the tons of ash that pour into enclosed containers. Since the incident, the plant has collected over 500 tons of contaminated ash. While officials stressed that neither employees nor the public were ever in danger, the company now finds itself facing a clean-up and disposal tab that Humes estimates will cost between $5 million and $7 million. GREEN POND A 13-year-old child is the only survivor of a mass weekend killing in which six lives were lost and a family member was taken into custody, charged with several of the slayings. The girl played dead in an effort to survive the attack, a family member told The Post and Courier hours before Ryan Lenard Manigo, 33, and now accused of murder, was denied bond in the killings that unfolded in this tiny town 55 miles west of Charleston. Manigo is father to one of the victims, family member Monique Magwood-Badger told the newspaper July 3. Authorities have not released a motive for the attack that drew attention after the house where the incident took place went up in flames. When emergency responders arrived at the home on Folly Creek Lane on July 2 they found six bodies inside, reportedly with sustained stab wounds, and the single survivor outside the residence. She was transported to a local hospital. Manigo is charged with two counts of murder and one count of attempted murder for the surviving girl. Other charges are expected as the victims recovered from inside the home are officially identified, authorities said. One of the confirmed fatalities is Manigo's 11-year-old daughter, Shariah Manigo. Magwood-Badger told the newspaper that the witness identified Manigo as responsible when police arrived. "(The survivor) is saying he did it," Magwood-Badger said. He "stabbed, cut their necks" before he fled and set the house on fire, she said. "The living child actually played dead in order to get out," the woman added. Magwood-Badger listed the other victims as close family members, among them her grandmother, Maggie Magwood, 101, and Magwood's granddaughter, Michele Marie Wright, 50. Manigo was Wright's brother-in-law. "That was my grandma, cousin, uncle inside that house," she said while standing outside the now blackened and destroyed residence with her father David Magwood. Police tape was still up July 3 to keep people away. "(Michele) was the caretaker of this family. She was the family backbone and heartbeat of the family," Magwood-Badger said. "For some reason God is taking the best of us." Neighbor Kory Jones said Maggie Magwood was known to both her family and neighbors as "Grandma." She used to own most of the land surrounding the house, Jones said. "If I need something to eat, I go across the street," Jones added. "This whole area is family." Green Pond is an unincorporated rural community with a population of about 2,100 people. Jones said he had gone to school "all his life" with Manigo. "I remember climbing trees with him over there," Jones said, pointing to the remains of the home. "Quiet guy, he'd shake your hand." Sherman Secriven, a neighbor who lives a few streets away from the Magwood homesite, said the family was well-known and that "it'll never be the same." He added, "Things like that don't happen down here in the Lowcountry." Bond was not set for Manigo at the July 3 magistrates court hearing. Under state law, only circuit judges can set bail for murder charges. Charleston's WCIV-TV captured footage of the bond hearing in which one of the family members said she hoped Manigo received the death penalty. "I just want Ryan to know that he'll never be forgiven," the station quoted her as saying. "I wish you (Manigo) get the worst charges ever. I wish they give you the death penalty because what you did has brought death to us. We hate you." The Colleton County Sheriff's Office held a joint press conference with the 14th Circuit Solicitor's Office after the bond appearance. "Search warrants were obtained and executed on the suspect's home and vehicle," said Sheriff L. "Buddy" Hill Jr. "At this time we do not have a motive." He declined to answer further questions, calling it an ongoing investigation. The two murder charges carry potential life sentences, Solicitor Duffie Stone said, adding that more charges are anticipated. Manigo has a prior criminal record. In March 2011, he was sentenced to five years in prison followed by two years of probation for a robbery that occurred Oct. 29, 2010, according to court records. An additional kidnapping and a weapon charge were dismissed as part of the sentencing agreement in Colleton County. Other charges filed against him include kidnapping and criminal sexual conduct in 2015 in Colleton County. But a grand jury chose not to issue an indictment in the case. Magwood-Badger described the killing as a deep cut into the family's generations. "I call this a massacre, that's what I call it," she said, tears streaming down her face. "The Magwood massacre." Her grandfather had been a mystery for as long as she could remember, his name an unanswered question, a frequent Google search. All Sandra Sharpe knew about him was what others had told her. "Good man," they would say. "Fine soldier," many recalled. The rest was crumbs and brief glimpses of his life through out-of-place facts: He was a Marine and a general. He fought in World War I and II, and died suddenly of a heart attack in India during a round-the-world trip in 1965. For decades that was all she could really find nothing about a gravesite or even what town. Until one day in 2012 when she discovered she wasn't the only one looking for him. In a post on genealogy.com, she saw a message that read: Seeking information on Major General Harry K Pickett USMC (1888-1965). Wish to contact any family members and find place of burial. So began an epic effort to find Pickett's remains and bring him home. The endeavor would span the globe, taking years and countless internet searches. A family looking for answers would join forces with a group of Citadel graduates determined to bring back one of their own. Soon it will reach its emotional end. On July 19, the returned remains of Maj. Gen. Harry Kleinbeck Pickett will be buried with full military honors at Arlington National Cemetery. Nearly 60 years after his death, he will finally get the recognition he deserves. Pickett was born in Ridgeway in 1888. He attended The Citadel, went by his nickname "Pick" and became the military school's first drum major of the regimental band when it was organized in 1909. He graduated in 1911 with a degree in engineering and, according to his senior yearbook, "always had a smile for his fellow cadet" and "has always been very popular with the ladies, who never tired of seeing him 'wield the stick' when he is leading the band." Two years later, in 1913, he joined the Marines. Pickett would serve for 33 years, finding himself at the center of two major moments at the starts of both world wars. While stationed on Guam in 1917, he participated in the capture of the German armed merchant raider Cormoran just after the U.S. entry in World War I. Twenty-four years later, on Dec. 7, 1941 Pickett was the commanding officer at the Marine barracks at Pearl Harbor when more than 350 Japanese planes launched a surprise attack, pushing the U.S. into World War II. During the attack, Pickett and his fellow Marines would fire on the Japanese planes. He received the Legion of Merit award for his actions before spending the rest of his career preparing forces on the West Coast for the fight in the Pacific. He retired in 1946 as a major general. Bob Mebane, a retired Army Nurse Corps officer, said he first learned about Pickett while attending a centennial celebration for The Citadel's regimental band. Mebane, a 1980 Citadel graduate, played the clarinet. He also had a passion for military history and wanted to know more about Pickett. That's when he turned to the internet, posting his information-seeking message on geneology.com. To his surprise, Pickett's granddaughter wrote back. For the next several years, Mebane and Sharpe worked together, emailing back and forth, sharing morsels of information they discovered about the general they wanted to bring home. "In many ways, it's miraculous what happened," said Sharpe, Pickett's granddaughter. "It's as if we were just following a divine hand, being moved all along to just continue this odyssey." Sharpe paid $60 to get her grandfather's military records, which arrived unceremoniously on her doorstep in a cardboard box. Inside, she found precious clues: Pickett's death certificate and the name of the cemetery where he was buried outside of Darjeeling, India. It also included a note from his wife that gave the family permission to retrieve his remains in the future. But finding him was almost impossible. Mebane said that Pickett's headstone had been stolen, and the cemetery itself had fallen into disrepair. "General Pickett was lying in this unmarked grave for decades and that just didn't seem right. He had been buried without any fanfare," Mebane said. "You cant imagine any great military hero being forgotten like that." The turning point came in 2014 when Sharpe located a hand-drawn map of the Singtom Cemetery that revealed the site of her grandfather's grave in far northeastern India. Without it, Pickett might still be there, resting in an unmarked grave in plot 105. A Himalayan maple tree had grown at the head of the grave, along with a blooming fuchsia bush. "When I saw it, it was just amazing. I cried," Sharpe said of the map. But the document, while wondrous, also presented her with a new and daunting challenge. "What do you do?" she remembered thinking. "What am I supposed to do, travel to India with a shovel? How do we find him? How do we bring him back?" For years, the efforts stalled. Requests for help went unanswered. But then Mebane reached Col. Russ Olsen, a 1969 Citadel grad and Vietnam combat veteran who had been an attache at the U.S. embassy in Delhi, India during his career. Mebane said Olsen helped the family connect with the U.S. Consulate in Kolkata, starting a lengthy process filled with paperwork, permit requests and bureaucratic approvals. Government officials from both countries would join the effort to return Pickett to the United States. Picketts remains were finally recovered from his Darjeeling grave in February of this year and sent to the United States in May after a sendoff ceremony at the embassy. "Gen. Pickett wasn't just a great man, he was a great Marine," U.S. Ambassador to India Eric Garcetti said during the May 22 sendoff ceremony. This week, more than 50 years after his passing, decorated World War I and II veteran Major General Harry Kleinbeck Pickett returned home to his family in the United States, for re-burial at Arlington National Cemetery. This was only possible because dedicated partners in West pic.twitter.com/o5ODNRrS3c U.S. Ambassador Eric Garcetti (@USAmbIndia) May 29, 2023 Mebane, who lives outside the Washington, D.C. area, had hoped to travel to India and accompany Pickett's remains back. Health issues prevented him from making the flight, but he is adamant about attending the July 19 reinternment ceremony in Arlington. "I'm a firm believer in the golden rule," he said. "If I'd been in his place, I'd want someone to remember me, to not forget about me." Sharpe said she expects the burial will be as moving as it is fulfilling since a piece of the family tree will be restored. "Most events like this are sad, and when Marines offer honors it's very moving and it will be moving, but there will also be joy in it because he's home," she said, repeating it softly. "He's home." For years, Raymond Lloyd ran Charleston's rescue unit that operated the "jaws of life," a hydraulic tool that helps extricate victims from vehicles crumbled after a collision. The longtime firefighter said he saw people "in what used to be their car, watched them bleeding, listened to them crying, and in a lot of cases, dying. And looking, looking at the emergency workers for the magical help." "So I thought, being proactive, the best thing I could do is try to teach people to drive defensively," Lloyd said. He teaches a defensive driving course at Trident Technical College about two Saturdays a month, and has been doing so since the 1980s. In 2018, Lloyd retired from the Charleston Fire Department after 45 years of service and is now an assistant chief in Folly Beach heading its fire operations. Defensive driving uses a series of techniques and tactics, like maintaining a safe distance from another vehicle and the frequent use of mirrors, to reduce a driver's risk of being involved in an crash. Taking a course like Lloyd's, certified by the National Safety Council, is also the only way a South Carolina driver can reduce points accumulated for violations on their license. Reckless driving, passing a stopped school bus, leaving the scene of a crash where property was damaged and driving over 25 mph above the posted speed limits can net a driver six points each, according to state law. Once a driver reached 12 points, their license can be suspended. "Driving is probably one of the most dangerous things that people do on a regular basis and don't realize it," Lloyd said. "You don't have to go fast to die. You don't have to go far to die." So far this year, 458 people had died on South Carolina roads, according to data compiled weekly by the S.C. Department of Public Safety. That's fewer lives lost that the same point in the last two yeas, but collisions tend to increase in the summer months, especially here in Charleston, Lloyd said. An influx of tourists and newcomers to the Holy City means more drivers who are less familiar with the roads, causing confusion and frustration emotions that can end with fatal consequences, Lloyd said. The eight-hour course, offered online through the National Safety Council and in-person at S.C. technical colleges, costs $99 and is open to anyone. Some insurances offer discounted rates for completing the class. Most of his students believe they're good drivers, Lloyd said, even though most are there by court order or to get point reductions. Most are skeptical they'll learn anything, he said, and are surprised at the end to find their driving improved. "And, I hope that it saves their life down the road." Mount Vernon, the Washington National Cathedral and Wendell, N.C., all share at least one thing in common a cadre of artisans trained in Charleston all play a role in their preservation and displays of art. For nearly 20 years, graduates of the American College of the Building Arts have seen their work shape the landscape, architecture and historical landmarks across America. Graduates this year, in particular, went on to work on preservation carpentry at George Washington's estate, restoration of decorative masonry in the nation's capitol and installation of public art reflecting a city's agrarian tradition. How a Charleston college of about 140 students so young came to create a pipeline for future master trades workers stems from its small class size and student body, access to a full workshop for a variety of trades and a demanding culture to create and practice, said school administrators and graduates. The graduate employment rate at the school is 89 percent, according to university statistics. The school itself came from a practical need in the wake of Hurricane Hugo in 1989, said Leigh Handal, spokeswoman for the college. After the storm passed and waters receded, many historic properties and landmarks faced delays in repairs. America didn't have the volume of master artisans trained at the level that Charleston's Philip Simmons was in blacksmithing and wrought iron work, said Handal. "These kids are expressing their creativity and their art in a way that is desperately needed in the job market," said Handal. The culture of apprenticeship at the college goes a long way for student success, she said. So too does the diversity in disciplines and styles of the college's teaching staff, she said. "You literally know every single person there," she said. The college didn't hold Iris Howe's hand. Finding success at the college required maintaining an intrinsic motivation, she said. She interned at the National Cathedral in Washington, D.C., where she worked in stone cutting on the church's exterior facade during her time at the college. "I genuinely think it's social pressure. Thats how I do everything," said Howe, 22. "The trade professors are so good and you want to impress them so much and you want to be their peer so bad." Howe said it's apparent when other students don't put in the work at the school because of the need to be in the workshop. The workshop itself acts as a laboratory for ideas among students in watching each other hone their crafts. "If theyre not trying, theyre not in the shop," she said. "Theres nowhere to hide in there. Everyone can see you not working." Landing an internship, too, is on the student and not necessarily relying on the professional connections of the college's teachers. For Howe, she called up the National Cathedral and asked if they would take her. Howe created a pair of tertiary finials, a decorative kind of stone spire, for the Washington, D.C. cathedral as her capstone project. An earthquake damaged the church in 2011 and her work will replace finials affected by the tremors. Howe will remain in Charleston for the next year and a half at Evening Post Industries, the parent company of The Post and Courier, to work on the masonry for the planned redevelopment of the newspaper's old, historic offices on Columbus and King streets. Bowen Beaty, a 24-year-old architectural ironworker, said another component of the culture that's led to success for students is seeing who can land the best internships each year. Beaty interned at smithies in Detroit, Greenville and Italy. "Its about your portfolio. I think what (the American College for the Building Arts) does is give you the tools to succeed and doesnt make it easy," said Beaty. "They give you a toolbelt and its up to you to use it." Beaty's capstone project for graduation involved creating a sundial modeled after an old field plow for the town of Wendell. Beaty's goal is to gradually collect tools and equipment so he can open his own shop where he creates public art installations similar to what he made for Wendell. He plans to return to Italy now that he's graduated. For Joe Zemp, he went in with no skills in woodworking and came out with a job as a preservation carpenter in Mount Vernon. His capstone project involved creating a reception desk styled after Victorian-era train station ticket booths for the old trolley barn turned college. The 32-year-old spent eight years in event planning after graduating from the College of Charleston with a degree in arts management. The best advice he received was to be a sponge for knowledge when he decided to attend the college and make a career change. Editor's note: A previous version of this story misspelled the town of Wendell, N.C., on second and third mentions of the town. South Carolinas public colleges, research universities and technical colleges play a vital role in fueling our states economic engine and growth. These institutions are essential to ensuring that our state has the trained and skilled workforce we will need to compete for jobs and investment in the future. That means we must continue to invest in our institutions. But it also means we must ensure that achieving a degree, certificate or credential is affordable and accessible for the sons and daughters of South Carolina. In January 2019, I proposed a freeze on college tuition for in-state students. The General Assembly agreed, and every state budget since has included a tuition freeze. In exchange for an increase to their annual base operating budgets, colleges and universities agree to freeze in-state tuition for the upcoming academic year. We based the appropriation on the industry standard, the Higher Education Price Index, and also on the number of in-state students enrolled at each public institution. We have quadrupled funding in the state budget for needs-based financial aid and scholarships available for college students from lower-income households. This enhanced state financial aid, in addition to financial aid available from the federal government, provides sufficient assistance for a qualifying student to attend any in-state public or private college, university or historically black college of their choice. Our states booming economy has created 105,000 open jobs, virtually all in high-demand, skilled trades and professions. Working with the S.C. Technical College System, we created Workforce Scholarships for the Future using $56 million in one-time federal funds. To date more than 10,000 South Carolinians have received a degree or industry credential in high-demand careers such as manufacturing, health care, computer science, information technology, transportation, logistics and construction. The General Assembly appropriated $94 million in this years budget for this successful program, which pays for virtually all of a students tuition. Finally, in recent years the state budget has also sent many hundreds of millions of dollars in one-time funds to colleges, universities and technical colleges for new buildings, facilities, infrastructure and deferred maintenance repairs. This was done without borrowing money and creating debt through a bond bill. In the past few years these accomplishments have been widely covered and reported on by The Post and Courier. That is why it was so surprising to read a June 24 column by editorial writer Cindi Ross Scoppe in which the headline asserted that: SC colleges got more than their share? Only if the world began last year. The simple fact is that support and funding for our public colleges and universities is on the upswing at the Statehouse and has been for the past six years. According to the executive budget office, total recurring and nonrecurring state budget funding for public colleges, universities and technical colleges has grown by 143%, or $928.6 million, since 2019; that is, going from $650 million in 2019 to $1.579 billion in the recently approved 2024 state budget. This renewed investment in our states public colleges and universities demands greater accountability and transparency. It also demands restraint and economy by the institutions when it comes to the total bill paid by college students and parents. Unfortunately, there will never be an appropriation amount for colleges and universities big enough to satisfy some. Its eerily similar to the old K-12 funding argument that spending more and more money will magically make everything better and questioning spending or costs is anti-education. As we prepare for the future, the facts below bear consideration by legislators and the leadership of our higher education institutions. The number of high school graduates in South Carolina will soon decline every year, due to a decline in the state and nations birth rate in the aftermath of the Great Recession in 2008-09. Consequently, higher education enrollment forecasters are warning of a significant drop-off in future freshman enrollment. These challenges come at a time when South Carolinas labor market demand for more teachers, nurses and engineers increases every day. Total student enrollment in our public colleges and universities is static. In May , the National Student Clearinghouse estimated that enrollment in South Carolinas public two-year institutions grew by only 3% from the spring of 2022 to the spring of 2023, while enrollment in our public four-year institutions grew by only 0.7%. Our public four-year colleges and universities already operate with more funds per student than Georgia and North Carolina. According to the Southern Regional Education Board, in the 2019-20 academic year, revenues from state appropriations, tuition and fees for educational and general operations for our public four-year colleges and universities totaled $22,586 per student, 48% more than Georgia and 20% more than North Carolina. We ranked third-highest in the region, behind only Delaware and Maryland. There is a path forward for our colleges and universities, one that promotes affordability, value and a sharpened focus on workforce development. Therefore, when we begin the executive budget process in November, I have requested that every college and university also provide my office with a detailed listing of their plans to reduce tuition, fees, charges and any other items placed on bills paid by our students and parents. I have also requested each institution to provide a detailed listing of programs, degrees and other offerings it will eliminate or consolidate to better align with the states future workforce needs and reduce operating costs. In addition, I would suggest that the Commission on Higher Education place an increased emphasis on affordability and access for all students at our states public colleges and universities. By focusing their efforts on these critical areas, the commission can give a voice to the concerns of students, parents and taxpayers alike. South Carolina's future economic prosperity and growth require vibrant public colleges and universities that are active participants and contributors to our states economy and in workforce development. While each institution has a responsibility to its students and parents, it also has a responsibility to the taxpayers. By working together, we can foster a higher education system that is accessible, affordable and meets the needs of our state and its future workforce. If we do not act now, costs will continue to increase, enrollment trends will worsen and employers will struggle to find qualified workers. Henry McMaster is the governor of South Carolina. Charleston, SC (29403) Today Sunshine and clouds mixed. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. High 94F. Winds SW at 10 to 15 mph.. Tonight Widely scattered showers and thunderstorms this evening. Clouds lingering later. Low 78F. Winds SW at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 40%. America's struggle for freedom and independence from British rule is crystalized in our Declaration of Independence, which many of us celebrate with cookouts, fireworks and displays of our nation's flag. Our country is a much different place than it was in 1776, when an estimated 2.5 million people (about 500,000 of them enslaved) lived in the 13 Colonies. A third of us were Loyalists, a third were committed to the cause of liberty, and a third were somewhere in the middle. Today, more than 330 million Americans live in our sprawling 50 states, an enduring testament to this great experiment rooted in fierce independence and the common bonds that have kept us together. We still have different beliefs about what constitutes freedom and liberty, about how we should govern and be governed, and how to balance the individual and collective good. The Founding Fathers also disagreed with each other on many fundamental issues. As we celebrate taking that great leap toward becoming an independent nation, we should recommit to resolving our differences civilly, to put aside the petty and divisive tribal politics, and focus more on what we have in common than what sets us apart. To retain our independence while working toward the greater good. And we should remember that as Americans, we are part of something larger than ourselves, and that our country is strongest when united as one. In Congress, July 4, 1776 The unanimous Declaration of the thirteen united States of America, When in the Course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another, and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature's God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation. We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness. Prudence, indeed, will dictate that Governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes; and accordingly all experience hath shewn, that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable, than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed. But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security. Such has been the patient sufferance of these Colonies; and such is now the necessity which constrains them to alter their former Systems of Government. The history of the present King of Great Britain is a history of repeated injuries and usurpations, all having in direct object the establishment of an absolute Tyranny over these States. To prove this, let Facts be submitted to a candid world. He has refused his Assent to Laws, the most wholesome and necessary for the public good. He has forbidden his Governors to pass Laws of immediate and pressing importance, unless suspended in their operation till his Assent should be obtained; and when so suspended, he has utterly neglected to attend to them. He has refused to pass other Laws for the accommodation of large districts of people, unless those people would relinquish the right of Representation in the Legislature, a right inestimable to them and formidable to tyrants only. He has called together legislative bodies at places unusual, uncomfortable, and distant from the depository of their public Records, for the sole purpose of fatiguing them into compliance with his measures. He has dissolved Representative Houses repeatedly, for opposing with manly firmness his invasions on the rights of the people. He has refused for a long time, after such dissolutions, to cause others to be elected; whereby the Legislative powers, incapable of Annihilation, have returned to the People at large for their exercise; the State remaining in the mean time exposed to all the dangers of invasion from without, and convulsions within. He has endeavoured to prevent the population of these States; for that purpose obstructing the Laws for Naturalization of Foreigners; refusing to pass others to encourage their migrations hither, and raising the conditions of new Appropriations of Lands. He has obstructed the Administration of Justice, by refusing his Assent to Laws for establishing Judiciary powers. He has made Judges dependent on his Will alone, for the tenure of their offices, and the amount and payment of their salaries. He has erected a multitude of New Offices, and sent hither swarms of Officers to harrass our people, and eat out their substance. He has kept among us, in times of peace, Standing Armies without the Consent of our legislatures. He has affected to render the Military independent of and superior to the Civil power. He has combined with others to subject us to a jurisdiction foreign to our constitution, and unacknowledged by our laws; giving his Assent to their Acts of pretended Legislation: For Quartering large bodies of armed troops among us: For protecting them, by a mock Trial, from punishment for any Murders which they should commit on the Inhabitants of these States: For cutting off our Trade with all parts of the world: For imposing Taxes on us without our Consent: For depriving us in many cases, of the benefits of Trial by Jury: For transporting us beyond Seas to be tried for pretended offences For abolishing the free System of English Laws in a neighbouring Province, establishing therein an Arbitrary government, and enlarging its Boundaries so as to render it at once an example and fit instrument for introducing the same absolute rule into these Colonies: For taking away our Charters, abolishing our most valuable Laws, and altering fundamentally the Forms of our Governments: For suspending our own Legislatures, and declaring themselves invested with power to legislate for us in all cases whatsoever. He has abdicated Government here, by declaring us out of his Protection and waging War against us. He has plundered our seas, ravaged our Coasts, burnt our towns, and destroyed the lives of our people. He is at this time transporting large Armies of foreign Mercenaries to compleat the works of death, desolation and tyranny, already begun with circumstances of Cruelty & perfidy scarcely paralleled in the most barbarous ages, and totally unworthy the Head of a civilized nation. He has constrained our fellow Citizens taken Captive on the high Seas to bear Arms against their Country, to become the executioners of their friends and Brethren, or to fall themselves by their Hands. He has excited domestic insurrections amongst us, and has endeavoured to bring on the inhabitants of our frontiers, the merciless Indian Savages, whose known rule of warfare, is an undistinguished destruction of all ages, sexes and conditions. In every stage of these Oppressions We have Petitioned for Redress in the most humble terms: Our repeated Petitions have been answered only by repeated injury. A Prince whose character is thus marked by every act which may define a Tyrant, is unfit to be the ruler of a free people. Nor have We been wanting in attentions to our Brittish brethren. We have warned them from time to time of attempts by their legislature to extend an unwarrantable jurisdiction over us. We have reminded them of the circumstances of our emigration and settlement here. We have appealed to their native justice and magnanimity, and we have conjured them by the ties of our common kindred to disavow these usurpations, which, would inevitably interrupt our connections and correspondence. They too have been deaf to the voice of justice and of consanguinity. We must, therefore, acquiesce in the necessity, which denounces our Separation, and hold them, as we hold the rest of mankind, Enemies in War, in Peace Friends. We, therefore, the Representatives of the united States of America, in General Congress, Assembled, appealing to the Supreme Judge of the world for the rectitude of our intentions, do, in the Name, and by Authority of the good People of these Colonies, solemnly publish and declare, That these United Colonies are, and of Right ought to be Free and Independent States; that they are Absolved from all Allegiance to the British Crown, and that all political connection between them and the State of Great Britain, is and ought to be totally dissolved; and that as Free and Independent States, they have full Power to levy War, conclude Peace, contract Alliances, establish Commerce, and to do all other Acts and Things which Independent States may of right do. And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes and our sacred Honor. With Gasgoo Daily, we will offer daily important automotive news in China. For those we have reported, the title of the piece will include a hyperlink, which will provide detailed information. Tesla sells 93,680 China-made vehicles by wholesale in June 2023 According to data by the China Passenger Car Association, Tesla sold 93,680 China-built vehicles in June 2023 by wholesale, ranking second among automakers in China by June wholesale volume of locally produced new energy passenger vehicles. BYD ranked highest with a volume of 251,685 units. Model 3; photo credit: Tesla Geelys RADAR brand records sales volume of 1,024 vehicles in June RADAR, Geely's young outdoor lifestyle vehicle brand, announced today its monthly sales reached 1,024 new energy pickups in June 2023. Geely Holding signs strategic cooperation agreement with Sichuan provincial government On July 3, the government of Sichuan Province and Zhejiang Geely Holding Group inked a strategic cooperation agreement. According to the agreement, both parties will comprehensively deepen cooperation in areas including new energy vehicles, intelligent connected vehicles, integration of production and education, and the development of new industries and new forms of business. UAE grants first nationwide autonomous driving license to WeRide On July 3 local time, His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, announced during a cabinet meeting that the UAE has approved its first autonomous driving license and awarded it to Chinese L4 autonomous driving technology company, WeRide. SAIC Motor intends to build factory in Europe SAIC Motor has put the task of setting up a factory in Europe on its agenda and is actively selecting a site, Yu De, Assistant to the President of SAIC Motor, and General Manager of SAIC Motor's international business department, revealed during a media communication meeting on July 4. Lynk & Co 08 to be showcased in Meizu's offline retail stores On July 4, Chinese smartphone maker Meizu Technology announced that the Lynk & Co 08, the first vehicle equipped with Meizu Flyme Auto infotainment system, will be showcased at four Meizu offline retail stores in Wuhan, Xi'an, Ningbo, and Zhenjiang cities on July 8. Ganfeng Lithium sees remarkable advancement in Chongqing-based solid-state battery project After nearly a year of construction, the first phase of Ganfeng Lithium's new-type lithium battery technology industrial park project, located in Longsheng New City, has topped out 90% of its structures, according to a post on the WeChat account of Chongqing citys New Area. Chinas sodium-ion battery firms Weifang Energy closes Pre-B funding round Shenzhen Weifang Energy Technology Co., Ltd. (hereinafter referred to as "Weifang Energy"), a Chinese sodium-ion battery developer, announced via its WeChat account that it completed a Pre-B round of financing on July 1 with hundreds of millions of yuan raised. BMW Brilliance allies with Baidu to explore AI automotive manufacturing integration BMW Brilliance recently held a signing ceremony for a strategic cooperation memorandum with Chinese tech giant Baidu, aiming to leverage their respective strengths and explore the integration of AI technology with the entire automotive manufacturing industry. Horizon Robotics partners with NavInfo for intelligent driving applications Horizon Robotics, leading automotive computing solution provider, recently announced a strategic collaboration with NavInfo, the Chinese automotive intelligence technology developer. Volkswagen's China charging joint venture CAMS obtains new round of capital increase On July 3, Volkswagen Group Chinas charging joint venture CAMS New Energy Technology Co., Ltd. (CAMS) held a ceremony to celebrate a new round of capital increase, which was jointly supported by its main shareholders including Volkswagen (China) Investment Company Ltd. (Volkswagen China), FAW Group, Wanbang Digital Energy Co., Ltd., and JAC Group. Changan DEEPAL discloses plans to enter ASEAN, Europe markets On June 30, DEEPAL, Changan Automobile's new energy vehicle brand, held a brand strategy launch event and the large-scale delivery ceremony of the DEEPAL S7. Haomo.ai, G-Pulse ally on mass-produced intelligent driving solution development Haomo.ai, the autonomous driving solution developer backed by Great Wall Motor, and Shanghai G-Pulse Electronics Technology Company Limited (G-Pulse) officially signed a strategic cooperation agreement on June 28. BYD announces name of first model under 'Fangchengbao' brand On July 4, following the official announcement that BYD's specialized and personalized sub-brand has been officially named "Fangchengbao", the company once again claimed that the brand's first mass-produced model would be named "Bao 5" (Leopard 5). China hits production milestone of 20 million new energy vehicles On July 3, the momentous production of the 20 millionth new energy vehicle (NEV) in China was marked with an event in Guangzhou, according to a report from Xinhua News Agency. GAC AION's Hyper GT hits market, starting at 219,900 yuan On July 3, Hyper, GAC AIONs nascent sub-brand dedicated to premium electric vehicles, officially put the Hyper GT car model onto the market. Coming with five trim levels, the model features an official guidance price range of 219,900 yuan to 339,900 yuan. On July 9, 1858, Illinois Senator Stephen Douglas gave a campaign speech to a raucous throng from the balcony of the Tremont Hotel in Chicago. Abraham Lincoln was in the audience as Douglas prepared to speak. Douglas graciously invited Lincoln to join him on the balcony to listen to the speech. In his speech Douglas sounded the themes of the momentous campaign that Lincoln and Douglas waged that summer and fall for Douglass Senate seat. Douglas paid tribute to Lincoln as a kind, amiable, and intelligent gentleman, a good citizen and an honorable opponent, but took issue with Lincolns June 16 speech to the Illinois Republican convention that had named him its candidate for Douglass seat. In that speech Lincoln had famously asserted that the nation could not exist half slave and half free. According to Douglas, Lincolns assertion belied the diversity in domestic institutions that was the great safeguard of our liberties. Then as now, diversity was a shibboleth hiding an evil institution that could not be defended on its own terms. Douglas responded to Lincolns condemnation of the Supreme Courts Dred Scott decision a condemnation that was the centerpiece of Lincolns convention speech. I am free to say to you, Douglas said, that in my opinion this government of ours is founded on the white basis. It was made by the white man, for the benefit of the white man, to be administered by white men, in such manner as they should determine. Lincoln invited Douglass audience to return the next evening for his reply to Douglass speech. Lincolns speech of July 10, 1858, is one of his many great speeches, but in one respect it is uniquely great. It concludes with an explanation of the meaning of this day to Americans with incomparable eloquence and insight in words that remain as relevant now as then (I have added some paragraphing in the interest of readability): Now, it happens that we meet together once every year, sometime about the 4th of July, for some reason or other. These 4th of July gatherings I suppose have their uses. If you will indulge me, I will state what I suppose to be some of them. We are now a mighty nation, we are thirtyor about thirty millions of people, and we own and inhabit about one-fifteenth part of the dry land of the whole earth. We run our memory back over the pages of history for about eighty-two years and we discover that we were then a very small people in point of numbers, vastly inferior to what we are now, with a vastly less extent of country,with vastly less of everything we deem desirable among men,we look upon the change as exceedingly advantageous to us and to our posterity, and we fix upon something that happened away back, as in some way or other being connected with this rise of prosperity. We find a race of men living in that day whom we claim as our fathers and grandfathers; they were iron men, they fought for the principle that they were contending for; and we understood that by what they then did it has followed that the degree of prosperity that we now enjoy has come to us. We hold this annual celebration to remind ourselves of all the good done in this process of time of how it was done and who did it, and how we are historically connected with it; and we go from these meetings in better humor with ourselveswe feel more attached the one to the other, and more firmly bound to the country we inhabit. In every way we are better men in the age, and race, and country in which we live for these celebrations. But after we have done all this we have not yet reached the whole. There is something else connected with it. We have besides these mendescended by blood from our ancestorsamong us perhaps half our people who are not descendants at all of these men, they are men who have come from EuropeGerman, Irish, French and Scandinavianmen that have come from Europe themselves, or whose ancestors have come hither and settled here, finding themselves our equals in all things. If they look back through this history to trace their connection with those days by blood, they find they have none, they cannot carry themselves back into that glorious epoch and make themselves feel that they are part of us, but when they look through that old Declaration of Independence they find that those old men say that We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, and then they feel that that moral sentiment taught in that day evidences their relation to those men, that it is the father of all moral principle in them, and that they have a right to claim it as though they were blood of the blood, and flesh of the flesh of the men who wrote that Declaration [loud and long continued applause], and so they are. That is the electric cord in that Declaration that links the hearts of patriotic and liberty-loving men together, that will link those patriotic hearts as long as the love of freedom exists in the minds of men throughout the world. [Applause.] Now, sirs, for the purpose of squaring things with this idea of dont care if slavery is voted up or voted down [Douglass popular sovereignty position on the extension of slavery to the territories], for sustaining the Dred Scott decision [A voiceHit him again], for holding that the Declaration of Independence did not mean anything at all, we have Judge Douglas giving his exposition of what the Declaration of Independence means, and we have him saying that the people of America are equal to the people of England. According to his construction, you Germans are not connected with it. Now I ask you in all soberness, if all these things, if indulged in, if ratified, if confirmed and endorsed, if taught to our children, and repeated to them, do not tend to rub out the sentiment of liberty in the country, and to transform this Government into a government of some other form. Those arguments that are made, that the inferior race are to be treated with as much allowance as they are capable of enjoying; that as much is to be done for them as their condition will allow. What are these arguments? They are the arguments that kings have made for enslaving the people in all ages of the world. You will find that all the arguments in favor of king-craft were of this class; they always bestrode the necks of the people, not that they wanted to do it, but because the people were better off for being ridden. That is their argument, and this argument of the Judge is the same old serpent that says you work and I eat, you toil and I will enjoy the fruits of it. Turn in whatever way you willwhether it come from the mouth of a King, an excuse for enslaving the people of his country, or from the mouth of men of one race as a reason for enslaving the men of another race, it is all the same old serpent, and I hold if that course of argumentation that is made for the purpose of convincing the public mind that we should not care about this, should be granted, it does not stop with the negro. I should like to know if taking this old Declaration of Independence, which declares that all men are equal upon principle and making exceptions to it where will it stop. If one man says it does not mean a negro, why not another say it does not mean some other man? If that declaration is not the truth, let us get the Statute book, in which we find it and tear it out! Who is so bold as to do it! [Voicesme no one, &c.] If it is not true let us tear it out! [cries of no, no] let us stick to it then [cheers], let us stand firmly by it then. [Applause.] PR-Inside.com: 2023-07-04 19:01:05 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 278 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 NEW YORK, NY / ACCESSWIRE / July 4, 2023 / Bronstein, Gewirtz & Grossman, LLC is investigating potential claims on behalf of purchasers of Xponential Fitness, Inc. ("Xponential" or the "Company") (NYSE:XPOF). Investors who purchased Xponential securities are encouraged to obtain additional information and assist the investigation by visiting the firm's site: www.bgandg.com/xpof The investigation concerns whether Xponential has violated federal securities laws.Investigation Details:On June 26, 2023, Fuzzy Panda Research ("FPR") published a report on Xponential entitled "Abusive Franchisor That Is A House Of Cards." Citing interviews with franchisees and disclosure documents, the FPR report alleged that Xpontential's Founder and Chief Executive Officer "Anthony Geisler, has a long history of misleading investors and business partners" and that Xponential "is hiding the fact that many of [the Company's] brands and franchisees are struggling." On this news, Xponential's stock price fell $9.38 per share, or 37.36%, to close at $15.73 per share on June 27, 2023.What's Next?If you are aware of any facts relating to this investigation or purchasedXponential shares, you can assist this investigation by visiting the firm's site: www.bgandg.com/xpof . You can also contact Peretz Bronstein or his law clerk and client relations manager, Yael Nathanson of Bronstein, Gewirtz & Grossman, LLC: 212-697-6484.Why Bronstein, Gewirtz & Grossman:Bronstein, Gewirtz & Grossman, LLC is a nationally recognized firm that represents investors in securities fraud class actions and shareholder derivative suits. Our firm has recovered hundreds of millions of dollars for investors nationwide.Attorney advertising. Prior results do not guarantee similar outcomes.Contact:Bronstein, Gewirtz & Grossman, LLCPeretz Bronstein or Yael Nathanson212-697-6484 | info@ bgandg.com SOURCE: Bronstein, Gewirtz & Grossman, LLC PR-Inside.com: 2023-07-04 13:30:10 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 466 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 VANCOUVER, BC / ACCESSWIRE / July 4, 2023 /Mobilum Technologies Inc. (the "Company") (CSE:MBLM)(OTCQB:MBLMF)(FRA:C0B), announces that its Board has accepted Steven LaBella's resignation as CEO. The Board has appointed John Henderson as the interim CEO to navigate the organization going forward.Since the onset of Mobilum Technologies, John Henderson has served both as its Chief Operating Officer and Chief Financial Officer. The organization now looks to John's experience from his former senior executive roles in capital markets and corporate development for venture level innovation and growth companies. Complementing John's extensive work experience is an MBA earned from Sauder UBC and a PhD in Management from UBC Okanagan, where he specialized in the use and integration of artificial intelligence for business applications."We are looking to John to guide the company through these difficult times in the distributed/blockchain industry. Throughout the evolution of this organization, he has stepped into whatever role was needed. John really has demonstrated unwavering commitment to the organization." commented Mobilum Board member, Robert Nizol.About Mobilum Technologies Inc.Mobilum Technologies Inc. (CSE:MBLM) (OTC:MBLMF) (FRA:C0B) is a Canadian venture level technology company. The company has recently embarked on a strategic change by divesting non-core assets with a goal to refocus on innovation. For further information go to www.mobilum.com SOURCE Mobilum Technologies Inc.Related LinksFor further information: please contact John Henderson, +1 (250) 809-5909 or via email at ir@ mobilum.com This news release may contain certain "Forward-Looking Statements" within the meaning of the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and applicable Canadian securities laws. When or if used in this news release, the words "anticipate", "believe", "estimate", "expect", "target, "plan", "forecast", "may", "schedule" and similar words or expressions identify forward-looking statements or information. Such statements represent the Company's current views with respect to future events and are necessarily based upon a number of assumptions and estimates that, while considered reasonable by the Company, are inherently subject to significant business, economic, competitive, political and social risks, contingencies and uncertainties. Many factors, both known and unknown, could cause results, performance or achievements to be materially different from the results, performance or achievements that are or may be expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. The Company does not intend, and does not assume any obligation, to update these forward-looking statements or information to reflect changes in assumptions or changes in circumstances or any other events affecting such statements and information other than as required by applicable laws, rules and regulations.Contact Information:Investor RelationsJohn Henderson, Interim CEO and CFOPhone: +1 (250) 809-5909Email: IR@ mobilum.com SOURCE: Mobilum Technologies Inc. PR-Inside.com: 2023-07-04 13:45:11 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 998 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 Hope and Sesame Sesamemilk is now available to cafes throughout Quebec through Distribution BloomNew York retail pioneer Pop Up Grocer is exclusively featuring Hope and Sesame Barista Blend Sesamemilk at its in-store cafePlanting Hope has reorganized its internal Sales and Marketing team to focus on both Foodservice growth and scaling profitable Retail distribution and increasing velocityCHICAGO, IL and VANCOUVER, BC / ACCESSWIRE / July 4, 2023 / The Planting Hope Company Inc. (TSXV:MYLK) (OTCQB:MYLKF) (FRA:J94) ("Planting Hope" or the "Company"), a plant-based food and beverage company focused on producing the world's most nutritious and planet-friendly products, is proud to announce that Planting Hope's multi award-winning Hope and Sesame Barista Blend Sesamemilk continues to expand its presence by partnering with leading regional distributors to independent cafes and cafes in key markets. Hope and Sesame Sesamemilk is now available to wholesale customers across Quebec and Metro Montreal through Distribution Bloom, a leading direct-to-cafe distributor with 24-hour delivery service. Additionally, Hope and Sesame Sesamemilk has been selected as the featured alternative milk for the in-store cafe at retail pioneer Pop Up Grocer's flagship store, located in the heart of New York City's Greenwich Village neighborhood."The exceptional taste, performance, and sustainability profile of Hope and Sesame Sesamemilk continues to attract fans across the US and Canada," said Julia Stamberger, Co-founder and CEO of Planting Hope. "We're excited to continue this momentum across key metro markets like Montreal and New York City, and to watch the demand for sesamemilk rise as it becomes the next meaningful segment after oat milk in the rapidly growing Plant Milk market. As the only Upcycled certified plant milk, sesamemilk's sustainability grabs the attention of independent cafes and Gen Z consumers, but amazing taste and performance in hot and iced barista beverages is what keeps people coming back for more." Distribution Bloom:A full-service distributor to cafe and espresso bar establishments across Quebec and Metro Montreal, Distribution Bloom offers a full range of supplies including alternative milks and coffee beans, with no minimum delivery and 24-hour service throughout the province. Distribution Bloom takes a hands-on approach with their customers, providing in-depth knowledge of specialty coffee and partnering with quality companies to supply the best products to support specialty cafe needs. Information on Distribution Bloom can be found at https://www.distributionbloom.com/ Pop Up Grocer:Hope and Sesame Barista Blend Sesamemilk is now featured on the Summer Season menu at Pop Up Grocery's cafe in its flagship permanent retail location in New York City. A selection of top Hope and Sesame Sesamemilks have been featured for retail sale in this location since March 2023. Along with purchasing Hope and Sesame Sesamemilk in 32 oz shelf-stable cartons for home use, shoppers can now enjoy sesamemilk lattes and other hot and iced barista beverages featuring sesamemilk at Pop Up Grocer.Greenwich Village Pop Up Grocer is the first permanent retail location for the concept that the Miami New Times called "all of the buzziest brands on Instagram under one roof." Pop Up Grocer features a tightly curated assortment of 400 shelf-stable and refrigerated food and beverage items; this selection represents just 1% of the assortment size in the average grocery store, which typically contains more than 40,000 product SKUs."We are focused on curating the best new up-and-coming food and beverage products to feature in Pop Up Grocer's highly selective assortment," said Emily Schildt, founder of Pop-Up Grocer. "We seek out the most exciting new food and beverage items, enabling curious, conscious consumers to discover great new items to expand their kitchen pantries, deliciously! Hope and Sesame Sesamemilk fits with the qualities we look for in product selection, including on-trend taste, quality ingredients, great story, and excellent branding and packaging." Information on Pop-up Grocer is at https://popupgrocer.com/ Pop Up Grocer baristas during Planting Hope's training session on Hope and Sesame Barista Blend blending and frothing tips, Greenwich Village, New York CityPlanting Hope Sales and Marketing ReorganizationPlanting Hope is continuing to scale in the profitable, highly visible Foodservice channel as well as to gain traction in Retail Grocery, focusing on transactionally profitable business and increased velocity. To best support this strategy, the Company reorganized its Sales and Marketing divisions in the first half of 2023.Additions to the Sales & Marketing team:Becky Harrison - VP of Foodservice. Ms. Harrison most recently led Foodservice for Good Catch and Wicked Kitchen, and previous to that developed the full Foodservice channel for Coconut Bliss. Ms. Harrison is active in the Plant Based foods industry, including the Plant-Based Foods Association.Corinn Williams - Director of Marketing. Ms. Williams has deep experience in beverage marketing, most recently at leading beverage mixer company FeverTree. She joined Planting Hope in January 2023 to lead consumer and trade marketing development in addition to project management and execution. In her leadership roles in sales and marketing at Diageo, Anheuser-Busch and Fever-Tree, Ms. Williams created strategic programming for established and challenger brands, getting products into consumer's hands and building brand awareness, driving trial, and increasing sales. In her first 6 months at Planting Hope, she has become a valuable marketing leader bringing vision, creativity, and executional expertise to the team.Changed responsibilities:James Curley, Co-founder / EVP Sales - Mr. Curley has 45 years of business development expertise in natural and specialty packaged food brands distributed in grocery retail and related channels. As both an executive and a consultant, he has led teams that grew brand sales from start-up phase to run rates of more than $50M in annual revenue. A recognized expert in consumer product development in the Natural/Specialty CPG arena, Mr. Curley is frequently a featured expert at industry events, focusing on start-up and scaling dynamics for early-stage brands and on successful execution with Grocery retailers and Food and Beverage distributors.Jeannie Andolena - SVP of Marketing + Ecommerce - Ms. Andolena joined Planting Hope in March 2022 as the company's Vice President of Ecommerce and has been PR-Inside.com: 2023-07-04 04:50:22 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 424 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 NEW ORLEANS, LA / ACCESSWIRE / July 3, 2023 / Kahn Swick & Foti, LLC ("KSF") and KSF partner, former Attorney General of Louisiana, Charles C. Foti, Jr., remind investors that they have until August 7, 2023 to file lead plaintiff applications in a securities class action lawsuit against SentinelOne, Inc. (NYSE:S), if they purchased the Company's securities between June 1, 2022 and June 1, 2023, inclusive (the "Class Period"). This action is pending in the United States District Court for the Northern District of California.What You May DoIf you purchased securities of SentinelOne and would like to discuss your legal rights and how this case might affect you and your right to recover for your economic loss, you may, without obligation or cost to you, contact KSF Managing Partner Lewis Kahn toll-free at 1-877-515-1850 or via email ( lewis.kahn@ksfcounsel.com) , or visit https://www.ksfcounsel.com/cases/nyse-s/ to learn more. If you wish to serve as a lead plaintiff in this class action, you must petition the Court by August 7, 2023.About the LawsuitSentinelOne and certain of its executives are charged with failing to disclose material information during the Class Period, violating federal securities laws.On June 1, 2023, the Company disclosed that "[a]s a result of a change in methodology and correction of historical inaccuracieswe made a one-time adjustment to ARR of $27.0 million or approximately 5% of total ARR" and that the Company had slashed its fiscal year 2024 revenue guidance from a range of $631 million to $640 million to a range of $590 million to $600 million, due to the discovery of "historical upsell and renewal recording inaccuracies relating to ARR on certain subscription and consumption contracts, which are now corrected." On this news, shares of SentinelOne fell $7.28 per share, or more than 35%, to close at $13.44 per share on June 2, 2023.The case is Johansson v. SentinelOne, Inc., et al., No. 23-cv-02786.About Kahn Swick & Foti, LLCKSF, whose partners include former Louisiana Attorney General Charles C. Foti, Jr., is one of the nation's premier boutique securities litigation law firms. KSF serves a variety of clients - including public institutional investors, hedge funds, money managers and retail investors - in seeking recoveries for investment losses emanating from corporate fraud or malfeasance by publicly traded companies. KSF has offices in New York, California, Louisiana and New Jersey.To learn more about KSF, you may visit http://ksfcounsel.com/ CONTACT:Kahn Swick & Foti, LLCLewis Kahn, Managing Partner1-877-515-18501100 Poydras St., Suite 960New Orleans, LA 70163SOURCE: Kahn Swick & Foti, LLC The National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) says the average fare paid by air passengers for specified routes for a single journey increased by 34.06 per cent within a year. This was disclosed in the NBS Transport Fare Watch Report for May 2023, released in Abuja on Tuesday. The NBS said the fare increased on a year-on-year basis from N55,906.86 in May 2022 to N74,948.78 in May 2023 but did not state the reasons behind the significant spike observed in the prices of airfares within the period under review. Experts attributed the high prices in airfares and transportation generally to the fluctuating prices of aviation fuel and forex scarcity. In air travel, the average fare paid by air passengers for specified routes single journey increased by 0.002% on a month-on-month basis from N74,947.30 in April 2023 to N74,948.78 in May 2023, the NBS said. According to the NBS report, the Transport Fare Watch for May 2023 covers bus journeys within the city per drop in regular route, bus journey intercity (state route) charge per person, air fare charge for specified routes single journey, journey by motorcycle (Okada) per drop and water-way passenger transport. Other categories The report said the average fare paid by commuters for bus journeys within the city per drop increased by 0.23 per cent in May as N649.59 was recorded relative to N648.12 in April. On an annual basis, it said the average fare rose by 11.66 per cent from N581.79 recorded within the same quarter in May 2022. In another category, the NBS said the average fare paid by commuters for bus journey intercity per drop in May was N4,002.16. This signifies an increase of 0.19 per cent on a month-on-month basis compared to the N3,994.51 recorded in April, the report noted. On a year-on-year basis, the NBS said the bus journey fare rose by 9.09 per cent from N3,668.64 last year in May. Similarly, the report noted that the average fare paid on motorcycle transportation in May was N464.55, a 0.49 per cent increase from the rate recorded in April (N462.29). On a year-on-year basis, the fare rose by 11.30% compared with the value in May 2022, which was N417.39, the report said. It said the average fare paid for water transport (waterway passenger transportation) in May stood at N1,045.15, showing an increase of 1.39 per cent from N1,030.83 in April. Also, on a year-on-year basis, the rate increased by 10.99 per cent from N941.63 in May last year. States performance The NBS said Taraba State recorded the highest bus journey fare within the city (per drop, regular route) in May with N870.00, followed by Bauchi with N810.04, while Borno recorded the least with N510.14. For intercity bus travel (state route charged per person fare), the report said the highest fare was recorded in Abuja with N6,205.10, followed by Adamawa with N5,725.14, while the least was recorded in Kwara State with N2,000.00. Meanwhile, Kebbi State recorded the highest air transport fare (for specified routes, single journeys) in May with N80,000, Bayelsa with N79,050, and Abia recorded the least with N69,800. Kwara State had the highest motorcycle transport fare in May 2023 with N760.00, followed by Lagos with N750.04, while the least fare was recorded in Edo with N158.05, the report said. Similarly, it said water transport fare was highest in Delta State with N3,510, followed by Rivers with N3,500, while the least was recorded in Borno with N360. 00. The statistics office analysis by zone showed that transport fares of bus journeys within the city in May recorded the highest in the North-east with N703.41, followed by the South-south with N660.75, while the South-east recorded the least with N617.14. Regarding bus journey intercity, it said the South-west had the highest fare with N4,256.78, followed by the North-east with N4,154.38, while the North-west recorded the least with N3,825.19. The North-east recorded the highest air transport fare in May 2023 with N77,058.33, followed by the South-east with N75,350.00, while the North-central had the least with N72,950.71, the report said. The NBS said commuters on a motorcycle (Okada) paid the highest fare in the North-central with N528.95, followed by the South-west with N519.83, while the North-west recorded the least with N337.26. For water transport, the report noted that the South-south had the highest fare paid with N2,502.50, followed by the South-west with N958.34, while the North-east had the least food with N656.67. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print The Federal Inland Revenue Service has announced its plan to collect and remit Value Added Tax (VAT) from traders, especially those in the informal sector. This will be achieved in partnership with the Market Traders Association of Nigeria using a unified systems technology, the FIRS said in a statement on Monday. The Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) is the agency of the Federal Government of Nigeria responsible for assessing, collecting, and accounting for tax and other revenues accruable to the Federal Government and the Federation. According to Muhammad Nami, the FIRS chairman, a combined monitoring and evaluation team, comprising FIRS officers and MATAN members will be formed immediately. This, he said, will enable an adequate cover of all the essential areas of project operations, and ensure transparency and accountability. This team will also be saddled with the responsibility of ensuring that VAT remittance is promptly done under the agreed platform, he said. The partnership MATAN is the umbrella body for all trading associations in Nigeria and was founded in 1995. According to the statement, MATAN is the largest player in Nigerias market space with a membership of well over 40 million traders across the country. The FIRSs said its collaboration with MATAN will be known as the VAT Direct Initiative. The initiative allows MATAN to promote awareness of VAT collection and remittance in the marketplace and informal sector, while also simplifying VAT payment and remittance using a purpose-built digital platform. MATAN has a digital platform that enumerates its members, gives them a digital ID, and tracks their turnover so that VAT accrued is collected and remitted to the FIRS. ALSO READ: N200 billion supplementary budget scales first reading in Rivers Assembly The VAT Direct Initiative (VDI) is the first of its kind program that will utilise technology to foster collaboration between FIRS and the marketplace for the collection and remittance of VAT, the agency said. Through this initiative, the FIRS will help tackle multiple taxations in the marketplace through a partnership with security agencies to curb the activities of touts, miscreants, and self-imposed tax collectors involved in illegal tax collection in Nigerias market spaces. The VAT Direct Initiative (VDI) will boost VAT revenue generation for the three tiers of government, which in turn means more money to fund infrastructure, provide social amenities, and cater for the welfare of citizens. MATAN members will each receive an Identity Card upon enumeration and this card contains their Tax Identification Number (TIN) and other personal details for tax purposes. The VAT Direct Initiative (VDI) will have a monitoring and evaluation team comprising FIRS officers and MATAN members to ensure transparency, accountability, prompt VAT remittance, sustained commitment, and reporting which are vital to build public confidence in the initiative. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print Beijing (Gasgoo)- Haomo.ai, the autonomous driving solution developer backed by Great Wall Motor, and Shanghai G-Pulse Electronics Technology Company Limited (G-Pulse) officially signed a strategic cooperation agreement on June 28. Signing ceremony; photo credit: Haomo.ai The partnership aims to leverage the strengths of both companies to develop a highly competitive intelligent driving production solution focused on a single Journey 3 chip-powered pilot and parking integrated domain controller. G-Pulse, as the solution provider, will offer hardware, service support, and production manufacturing, collaborating closely with Haomo.ai to explore and undertake intelligent driving projects. This collaboration capitalizes on G-Pulse's expertise in hardware system design and engineering services, along with Haomo.ai's technical advantages in data-driven vehicle integration and city navigation for assisted driving scenarios. As the preferred hardware partner for Haomo.ai's single Journey 3 chip-powered pilot and parking integrated platform, G-Pulse will play a crucial role in the future mass production of intelligent driving products. In accordance with the Statement of Requirements, G-Pulse will be responsible for the overall hardware design and manufacturing of the intelligent driving project. Subsequently, the partnership will continue to introduce cost-effective and high-performance intelligent driving products for mass production. G-Pulse is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Intron Technology Holdings Limited. It is dedicated to the R&D, testing and validation, production quality management, as well as technical services for each stage of the R&D and production cycle of automotive electronic products. Nestle Nigeria Plc has announced the appointment of Namit Mishra as its finance and control director effective 1 August. Mr Mishra succeeds Sarmad Saleem, who is billed to step down from the position on 31 July. Mr Saleem has taken up the role of Head of finance and control for Nestle Punna Petcare Zone AOA. According to a notice by the companys secretary, Bode Ayeku, the board acknowledged Mr Saleems contributions to the company since his appointment as the finance and control director of the Company 1 June 2022 and accepted his decision to step down while wishing him success in his new role. Profile Mr Mishra joined Moga Factory in 1995. In 2004, he was promoted to the role of Corporate Costing Manager for the South Asia Region (SAR). In 2011, he returned to India as the Business Controller for Nestle Nutrition and Nestle Health Science and contributed strongly towards profitable growth and capacity expansion at the Samalkha Factory. In October 2015, he moved as Head of Management Accounting, SAR, reshaping the role to a more proactive decision support one. ALSO READ: Nestle Nigeria to pay shareholders N40 billion dividend Mr Mishra moved to his current role in 2019 and has delivered strong results as a co-pilot to the market while driving business transformation across multiple fronts, the company said. During his tenure, Nestle Bangladesh successfully implemented Nestle Business Excellence (NBE) end-to-end rollout across all the streams, commissioned the biggest capex, and successfully negotiated the rollout of the first-ever Co-Man operations in Bangladesh. According to the company, Mr Mishra has diligently managed the volatility and ensured seamless business continuity amid ongoing forex challenges in Bangladesh. Nama has a deep understanding of our businesses and processes and a strong ability to adapt, transform and create value. He holds a Bachelor of Commerce in Accounting and Finance from Lucknow University, India. He is also a Cost and Management Accountant (CMA) from the Institute of Cost Accountants of ve (ICWAI), it said. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print The Registrar of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), the body responsible for the conduct of the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME), Is-haq Oloyede, has spoken exclusively to PREMIUM TIMES on the controversies surrounding the alleged fake result being claimed a candidate who sat the 2023 examination, Ejikeme Mmesoma. This is as the candidate in a viral video has insisted that the controversial score of 362 claimed by her was printed from the examination bodys website. But Mr Oloyede has said investigations by his agency revealed that the accused candidate was either duped or she is a member of a high-level syndicate engaging in manufacturing fake UTME results. How it started Since the release of the results of the 2023 UTME by JAMB, many candidates, including Miss Mmesoma, have been claiming the highest score in the examination. Miss Mmsesoma, a female indigene of Enugu State who resides in Nnewi, Anambra State, and attends Anglican Girls Secondary School (AGSS) Nnewi, claimed she scored 362 in the examination. She said she scored 98 in English Language, 89 in Physics, 94 in Biology and 81 in Chemistry, totalling 362 of the 400 obtainable marks. The feat had earned her accolades from many Nigerians, including the government of Anambra State and the founder of Innoson Vehicles, Innocent Chukwuma, who promised her a N3 million scholarship. Many hailed Ms Mmesomas purported excellence, as Charles Soludo-led administration in Anambra State described her feat as a confirmation of the governors investments in the education sector. Burble burst Meanwhile, on Sunday, JAMB disclaimed the result being claimed by Miss Mmesoma. In a statement issued by its spokesperson, Fabian Benjamin, the examination body said Miss Mmesomas actual score on the test was 249 and not the 362 she claimed to have scored. The attention of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board has been drawn to several publications in both print and online media celebrating certain candidates for being high scorers in the 2023 UTME. The Board is constrained to set the records straight and wishes to state unequivocally that many of the results which many of these candidates are parading are fake. JAMB also threatened to withdraw the candidates purported authentic result of 249 as a punishment for what it described as dishonest conduct. It said the matter had been handed over to the police and that due prosecution would be followed to the letter. Candidate insists In a video circulating on social media platforms on Monday, the candidate insisted that the document showing her purported 362 was printed from the JAMB website, claiming it is authentic. She added that the boards accusation had left her traumatised. I am the owner of this result. I went to the JAMB portal to print this result. And this is what they gave me. This is exactly how I downloaded it from that site, she said. So, they, now saying that I forged my result is what I dont know. I am traumatised that they accused me of forging my own result. In the video where she was holding the result sheet, Miss Mmesoma narrated that she had, accompanied by her school principal, presented the result to the Commissioner for Education in Anambra State, Ngozi Chuma-Udeh, a professor, who snapped and sent the result to the JAMB officials. But the JAMB officials said the result was forged. We went to the commissioner of education office on Friday with my principal. We went there; we showed all these results to the commissioner of education. Both this one and the SMS they sent to me. She snapped it and sent it to the JAMB official. They called back saying this is a forged result, that I forged it myself, and that the JAMB office doesnt have a record of this. READ ALSO: Afterwards, she said, some State Security Service (SSS, also called DSS) officials took them from the commissioners office to the SSS office, where the SSS officials promised to investigate the origin of the result. But before they received any information from the SSS, JAMB had released a statement accusing her of manipulating the result, she said. They called the DSS over to come to her office. The DSS took us to their office. And we made our statement there, and they said theyll contact us later, that theyll investigate the result to know where it came from, she continued. Instead of them to wait for the investigation to be over, they posted that I forged my result without confirmation. So I am really sad about this. Miss Mmesoma went further to say she had always been a brilliant student and the best in her classes from nursery school. Registrar speaks Speaking on the matter on Monday evening, JAMB registrar, Mr Oloyede, insisted that the document being displayed by Miss Mmesoma belongs to another candidate who sat the examination two years ago. He said: If you scan the code, the candidates result will show. So I can say emphatically that the girl is parading a fake result. It is either she is being duped, or she is part of a syndicate manufacturing purported JAMB results. There are security features on our results, so I can emphasise that the girl is just trying to deceive the public. Her result is completely fake. Her claim that she printed the result from our site is a lie, totally incorrect. If we should reveal all that we know, people will be shocked. So if people are looking for shortcuts to achieve an end, that is what would happen. JAMB said the matter has nothing to do with its system, saying nobody hacked into its system and that the result did not emanate from its system. The result she is holding is completely fake because we are able to track everything printed from our system. Rogue websites Meanwhile, the examination body has insisted that there are various syndicates engaging in the manufacturing of fake results. The JAMB boss said the stakes are high for the scammers, noting that they have been successfully scamming unsuspecting persons. He said: Some of them even tried to call me to record my voice so they can clone it, to prove that I already confirmed the girls result as authentic. They didnt know that I was already aware of their game. It is a high-level involvement with many people. It is a complete scam, and we have handed over the girl to the security operatives, but she is on bail. Anambra orders probe The Anambra State Government has constituted a panel of inquiry to investigate the matter. A statement by the states education ministrys spokesperson, Nnaemeka Egwuonwu, said the Commissioner for Education, Ngozi Chuma-Udeh, described the development as embarrassing, especially as it comes at a time when Governor Charles Soludo is repositioning the sector. The government also celebrated Nkechinyere Umeh, who was declared the top scorer by JAMB. According to JAMB, Miss Nkechineyere scored 360 points on the UTME tests. The Anambra State Government has continued to celebrate Nkechinyere Umeh, who was declared the highest by JAMB, having scored a cumulative mark of 360, while security agents are investigating the allegation of falsification of result levelled against Ejikeme Mmesoma, who had earlier been showcased in the social media as having scored the highest, it said. Qosim Suleiman is a reporter at Premium Times in partnership with Report for the World, which matches local newsrooms with talented emerging journalists to report on under-covered issues around the globe Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print President Bola Tinubu on Tuesday presented his academic records before the Presidential Election Petition Court in Abuja. Mr Tinubu tendered the academic records obtained from the Chicago State University in the United States of America to counter a suit lodged by Atiku Abubakar challenging his victory as Nigerias president. The electoral commission, INEC, had declared President Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress (APC) as the winner of the presidential election, which was held on 25 February. But Atiku of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), who came second in the race, disputed the election outcome. Subsequently, he filed a petition before the court on 21 March, urging it to overturn Mr Tinubus victory because of alleged fraudulent academic and criminal records, among other issues, including electoral malpractices. He concluded the presentation of his case on 23 June, paving the way for Mr Tinubu, the APC and INEC to open their defence. At the resumed proceedings on Tuesday, Mr Tinubus lead lawyer, Wole Olanipekun, tendered documents to aid the presidents case. Mr Olanipekun, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), presented academic records from the Chicago State University, where Mr Tinubu graduated. U.S. Embassys letter clears Mr Tinubu of criminal conviction He also tendered a letter from the U.S. Embassy in Nigeria, clearing Mr Tinubu of any criminal conviction or arrest in the U.S. In 2003, the then Inspector-General of Police, Tafa Balogun, now deceased, had written to the U.S. Consular General in Lagos, requesting if Mr Tinubu had any criminal record in the U.S. Mr Baloguns enquiry was at the behest of the Alliance for Democracy, a political party on whose platform Mr Tinubu sought re-election as governor of Lagos State in 2003. The screening committee of the Alliance for Democracy has written to the Nigeria Police Force Headquarters, requesting confirmation of any criminal record of conviction to date against Governor Bola Ahmed Tinubu in the United States of America, Mr Baloguns letter dated 3 February 2003 read in part. In a reply to the polices enquiry, the American Consulate in Lagos said the Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI), National Crimes Information Centre (NCIC) ran a check on Mr Tinubu. In the reply dated 4 February 2003, a legal attache at the U.S. Consulate, Michael H. Bonner, disclosed, The results of the checks were negative for any criminal arrest records, wants, or warrants for Bola Ahmed Tinubu. The NCIC is a centralised information centre that maintains the records of every criminal arrest and conviction within the U.S. and its territories, a copy of the letter seen by PREMIUM TIMES explained. In furtherance of his quest to debunk allegations of fraud against Mr Tinubu, Mr Olanipekun tendered the immigration documents of Mr Tinubus trips to the U.S. between 2011 and 2021. He said the documents were certified by the Nigerian Immigration Service. The lawyer also presented the final results of the presidential election, which declared Mr Tinubu president-elect on 1 March. After tendering tons of documentary evidence, Mr Olanipekun told the five-member panel of the court headed by Haruna Tsammani that a documentary foundation had been laid for Mr Tinubus case. We will continue with oral evidence tomorrow by calling witnesses, Mr Olanipekun said. But Atikus lawyer, Chris Uche, a SAN, opposed the admissibility of the documents. Mr Tinubus co-respondents INEC and APC did not oppose the tendering and admissibility of the papers in evidence. After admitting the documents in evidence, the court adjourned further hearing until Wednesday. Background In the petition challenging Mr Tinubus victory, Atiku accused the then president-elect of drugs trafficking and falsification of U.S. academic records and identity. In the filings, Atikus lawyer, Mr Uche, said Mr Tinubu forfeited $460,000 as a compromise agreement in the U.S. Atiku further faulted Mr Tinubus victory because he holds dual citizenship of Nigeria and Guinea, having voluntarily acquired the citizenship of the Republic of Guinea. He accused INEC of fraud and substantial non-compliance with the provisions of the Electoral Act and the Constitution during the conduct of the 25 February election. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print President Bola Tinubu, on Monday, held his maiden meeting with the new service chiefs and the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, with a marching order to secure Nigeria. Those at the meeting held at the State House, Abuja, were the Chief of Defence Staffa, Christopher Musa, a major general; Chief of Army Staff, Taoreed Lagbaja, a major general; Chief of Naval Staff, Emmanuel Ogalla, a rear admiral; Chief of Air Staff, Hassan Abubakar, an air marshal; and the acting Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, They were appointed on 19 June. Briefing State House correspondents at the end of the meeting, which commenced at 3 p.m. Mr Ribadu said Mr Tinubu asked them to work as a team to accomplish the task of keeping the country secure. Were here to thank Mr President for the opportunity he gave us to serve our country and to serve his own government. We also pledged our loyalty to him, Nigeria and Nigerians. We believe the choice he made is the right one, the correct one, and we know what he wants for this country. Were going to work tirelessly to ensure that we accomplish that objective of securing our country, establishing peace, stability, and lets get our lives back. READ ALSO: He gave us the assurance that hes with us hundred per cent. He told us that we must work as a team and that theres work to be done; hell expect us to deliver, and were grateful for the opportunity. Thats why we are here, the NSA said. On how the new security chiefs will take off to accomplish their mandate, Mr Ribadu said, Where we are today, and you can see already things are improving in our country. If you see the record of crimes and activities of criminals are going down, it will continue to go down. Well secure this place. Nigerians have seen the quality of the people that are given opportunity, they are probably some of the best we have, and they are not going to fail you; theyll certainly deliver. Thank you very much Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print The Senate has condemned the continuous extortion and harassment of motorists and commuters by officers of the Nigerian police on the highways. This was a sequel to a motion moved by Onyekachi Peter (APC, Ebonyi North) at the plenary session on Wednesday. Four days ago, a video surfaced on the internet where some officers of the police attached to Ekpoma Division in Edo State ran over a handcuffed man with a Sienna patrol vehicle for allegedly refusing to allow the officers to check his mobile phones. The man sustained injuries before being rushed to the hospital for treatment. On Saturday, the Edo State Commissioner of Police, Mohammed Dankwara, said the officers involved in the act had been arrested and detained. At the plenary today, Mr Peter said the stop and search operation conducted by the police on the countrys highways is an attempt to take undue advantage of motorists and commuters. He prayed the Senate to call the acting Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, to direct personnel of the force to stop the extortion and harassment of motorists and commuters plying the highways in the pretence of conducting stop and search. Many senators amended and added to the motions prayer when it was thrown open for debate. The Minority Leader, Simon Mwadkwon (PDP, Plateau North), made an additional prayer that the police should embark on training and retraining their personnel to ensure that the officers are civil while carrying out their duties. Other senators who contributed to the motion were Ishaku Abbo (APC, Adamawa North); David Jimkuta (APC, Taraba South), Victor Umeh (APGA, Anambra Central) and the Deputy Senate President, Barau Jibrin. The Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, granted the prayer for the acting IGP to train and retrain officers to be civil to citizens. Mr Akpabio also urged the police boss to set up a committee to investigate the accusations of extortion, harassment and killing against the officers. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print The Jigawa State governor, Umar Namadi, has sent the names of 16 persons as commissioner-nominees to the states House of Assembly for screening and consideration as members of the state executive council. This was contained in a statement signed by the secretary to the government of the state, Bala Ibrahim. The governor said that the request for the confirmation of the nominees agreed with Section 192 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria as amended. I hope that this exercise will receive the usual expeditious considerations of the Honourable Members of the House, the governor told the lawmakers in the letter. PREMIUM TIMES review of the commissioners list showed that 12 of the nominees worked under the immediate past administration while one other worked under the Sule Lamido administration. Eight commissioners nominated by the governor were former commissioners and aides who served under the immediate past governor of the state, Muhammad Badaru. Prominent among the nominees are Babangida Umar, a former commissioner of finance and Aminu Kanta, a former commissioner for land and an adviser to the governor on political matters. Ibrahim Garba, a former commissioner of water resources in the immediate past administration was also among the nominees. A former commissioner of education, Lawan Danzomo, who served as commissioner from the beginning of the Fourth Republic in I999 and served in the immediate past administration, was also nominated for the same post. Sagir Ahmad, a former land commissioner, in the immediate past administration, and Hadiza Abdulwahab, a former commissioner of women affairs under the Sule Lamido administration were also nominated commissioners in the new administration. Former commissioner of agriculture, Auwal Sankara, was also nominated. The immediate past attorney general and commissioner for justice, Musa Aliyu, was also nominated. Another former commissioner of information, Muhammad Alhassan, also made the list. ALSO READ: Jigawa governor catches health workers selling free drugs Muhammad Kainuwa, a former permanent secretary in the states ministry of health and environment under the immediate past administration was among the commissioner-nominees. Other aides who worked under Mr Badaru, who were nominated commissioners, include Ahmed Garba, a former political adviser to Mr Badaru and a former deputy speaker. A personal physician to Mr Badaru who is serving as the executive secretary of the Jigawa State Contributory Healthcare Management Agency, Nura Dandoka, was also nominated. Another nominee, Gambo Shuaibu, was a former permanent secretary in the ministry of water resources in the immediate past administration. The new nominees are Hannatu Muhammad, a professor; Isah Chamo and Muttaka Namadi. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print The police have arrested two suspects in the kidnapping last month of an Islamic cleric, Alli Bodunde, in Uso, in Owo Local Government Area of Ondo State. The 67-year-old Chief Imam of Uso was on 18 June kidnapped in his farm by three suspected cattle herders. Family sources said the cleric was released after paying a N2 million ransom. Funmilayo Odunlami-Omisanya, the police spokesperson in the state, paraded the suspects on Tuesday at the police headquarters in Akure. She identified the suspects as Muinah Mohammed (19), Aisha Bello (20) and Isah Bello (40). She said, On the 18th of June, 2023, one Mrs Bodunde, around 6 p.m., went to the Uso division to complain that her husband, Alli Ibrahim Bodunde, went to the farm and he was supposed to come back around 2 p.m. but unfortunately when they did not see him they sent two persons to the farm in order to look for him. When they got to the farm, they met his car and his mobile phone, but they could not see him. And immediately the case was reported, the police swung into action and at the end of the day, the man was released. But in the cause of the investigation, we realised that the man in question is the Chief Imam of the Uso community, and through our intelligence team, we were able to arrest the suspects, and at the end of the investigations, the suspects will be charged to court. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print The former governor of Zamfara State, Sani Yerima, has asked President Bola Tinubu to negotiate with terror gangs operating in Zamfara State and other parts of the North-west of the country. Mr Yerima who was addressing journalists after meeting with President Tinubu in Abuja on Monday said the government should negotiate with the terror gangs, locally called bandits, for a lasting peace in the North-west region. He said the negotiation he is advocating is similar to what the administration of former President Umar YarAdua did with militants in the Niger Delta, which gave birth to the amnesty programme. In 2009, President YarAdua granted amnesty to militants in the oil-producing Niger Delta region to tackle the problems of stealing crude oil and kidnapping oil workers. The amnesty involved training some of the ex-militants in various oil-related professions and offering them jobs; as well as monthly payments to some former militants. The programme, which cost the government billions of naira annually, has been maintained by successive governments. Although the amnesty programme led to an increase in oil production and reduced kidnappings in the region, it did not eliminate criminality as various heavily-armed gangs still operate there and oil theft is still rampant. The rampant terrorism in the North-west is more recent compared to the Niger Delta militancy. Terror gangs operating primarily in the North-west and North-central regions have sacked several rural communities, killing and abducting thousands of people. Despite efforts by state governments in the region and security agencies, the gangs have continued to attack communities, killing and abducting travellers and other residents. Their activities have also led to the displacement of millions of people. These people are Nigerians and I believe that the Nigerian military and other security agencies have the capacity to deal with them squarely if directed and are given the resources they require, support and the political will. But the collateral damage that will be associated with the actions they will take is what I believe should be avoided. In the past, the late President Umaru Yaradua had a similar interaction with militants of the Niger Delta and it was successful, Mr Yerima said on Monday. The former governor said insecurity in the region is caused by widespread poverty and ignorance. The major causes of this problem are poverty and ignorance. So, I believe that as Nigerians, if they are called upon or if the government now comes up with a rehabilitation programme, I am sure we will have a successful end to this crisis, he said. READ ALSO: Mr Yerimas amnesty proposal is not new in the region as several state governors had negotiated with the terrorists in the past, but these deals were soon reneged by the outlaws. In 2014, a former governor of Zamfara, Abdulaziz Yari, granted amnesty to the gangs. Similarly in 2016, a former governor of Katsina, Aminu Masari, as well as ex-Governor Bello Matawalle of Zamfara State in 2019 granted amnesty to the gangs but none of the deals survived the test of time. In 2021, federal lawmakers from Zamfara State asked then-President Muhammadu Buhari to grant amnesty to repented bandits as part of a deal to end attacks. Be Patient with Tinubu During the interview with journalists, Mr Yerima also implored Nigerians to be patient with Mr Tinubu. He said the discomfort Nigerians are facing following some of the presidents policies such as the removal of subsidy on petrol and the partial floating of the naira are temporary. The President, having taken over the realm of affairs of our country, came up with three quick decisions that I believe as an economist, are going to help this country to achieve development. He removed the fuel subsidy, which former leaders could not remove, he has harmonized the foreign exchange, which is going to help the import and export system of this country and finally, he re-opened the borders for goods and services to flow freely in Nigeria, he said. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has barred Ejikeme Mmesoma, the candidate accused of manipulating her Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) test scores, from taking its exam for the next three years. This is as the examination body has also withdrawn the 249 score, which it claimed is the real score obtained by the candidate in the examination. But some commentators have accused JAMB of rushing to judgement, saying it should have waited for the outcome of the investigations by the security operatives. Background JAMB had on Sunday accused the candidate of allegedly manipulating her results and inflating the scores from 249 to 362. But the candidate insisted that the 362 was the score she received both on the JAMB website and in the SMS sent to her by the board. However, JAMB has restated its earlier position that the UTME result presented by Miss Mmesoma is patently fake, alleging that there is an infraction on the part of the candidate. Sanction JAMB spokesperson Fabian Benjamin, in a statement on Tuesday, said the board has withdrawn the candidates 2023 UTME result and barred her from taking the test for the next three years. The management of the Board, after considering the weighty infraction committed by Miss Ejikeme Joy Mmesoma, and in line with its established procedures, has withdrawn her 2023 UTME result and also barred her from sitting the Boards examination for the next three years, JAMB spokesperson, Fabian Benjamin, said in a statement on Tuesday. Evidence of forgery According to the statement, JAMB said it stopped issuing the notification of the result slip currently being paraded by the candidate. JAMB said it started issuing actual result slips instead after the 2021 UTME for the simple reason that candidates were falsifying them. Consequently, the Board has been issuing actual UTME result slips (not notification of results) since 2022, complete with the photograph of each candidate, Mr Benjamin said. He said the boards system was never tampered with or compromised, alleging that the candidate falsified a copy of another candidates result slip. The candidate simply falsified a copy of a result slip of a candidate named Asimiyu Mariam Omobolanle, who sat the UTME in 2021 and scored 138. It is also instructive to note that the candidate, in her statement, has inadvertently revealed the rightful owner of the result she is parading when she pointed out that the QR code on the result slip showed the actual owner of the said result before she peddled a lie in an attempt to obfuscate the truth, JAMB alleges. Not the first time According to Mr Benjamin, this is not the first time candidates would make such claims, even as he cited the case of John Chinedu Ifesinachi, who reportedly sued JAMB and requested damages of N2 billion. Only for the lawyers to later apologise profusely for their clients misadventure. In the face of incontrovertible facts in an open investigation observed by several national public institutions including the Public Complaints Commission, National Human Rights Commission, Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Council, Servicom and media houses, the candidate and the lawyer apologised, Mr Benjamin said. Open prosecution Meanwhile, while JAMB said it had handed the case to relevant security agencies for thorough investigations, Mr Benjamin said the body is ready for an open public session involving the candidate, parents or guardian and her legal team, as well as relevant anti-corruption and human rights agencies of government to observe the sessions. Again, the Board restates its readiness for genuine scrutiny as this case would not be the first time and might not even be the last of such shenanigans. At the end of the day, the truth would manifest, and the Board vindicated, he added. Ezekwesili speaks A former Minister of Education, Obi Ezekwesili, has called for a comprehensive investigation into the controversy. In a post on her verified Twitter handle, Ms Ezekwesili called for an independent tech investigation to look into the facts of the matter. This saga between Mmesoma Ejikeme and @JAMBHQ requires an Independent Tech investigation to unearth all facts, she wrote. Listening to her in this video, it is reasonable to request a forensic investigation to help reveal what really happened. I have reached out to the Registrar of JAMB. An independent investigation would turn this curious episode into a Learning Opportunity for @JAMBHQ and everyone, especially students. I frankly see no downsides in asking a team of Independent Technology folks to investigate and publicly share their findings. Lets do it. Qosim Suleiman is a reporter at Premium Times in partnership with Report for the World, which matches local newsrooms with talented emerging journalists to report on under-covered issues around the globe Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print The Arewa Youth Assembly has called on the Nigerian government to use other means to address the security problems in the North-west region and other parts of the country instead of granting amnesty to non-state actors. The group, in a statement signed by its Speaker, Muhammad Danlami, said it does not believe the advice of a former Zamfara Governor, Ahmad Yarima, would bring an end to the issue. Mr Yarima had advised President Bola Tinubu to grant amnesty to repentant terrorists operating in the countrys North-west region just like a former president, Umaru Yaradua did to militants in the Niger Delta region. The group said it disagrees with Mr Yarimas stand because amnesty was not a long-term solution to the security challenges in the region. While we recognise the complexity of the security challenges facing our region, we believe that negotiating with bandits is not a viable long-term solution. Banditry and other forms of criminality pose a significant threat to the peace and stability of our country. Therefore, we urge the relevant authorities, including the federal government, to prioritise the use of all necessary means to address this menace, Mr Danlami said. The group said it believes the best option would be to use force within legal boundaries to fight banditry. In light of the escalating security situation in our region, the Arewa Youth Assembly calls upon President Tinubu to take decisive action in dealing with the terrorist. We believe that the use of brute force, within legal and ethical boundaries, may be necessary to decimate these renegades and restore peace in the country. We understand the complexities and challenges associated with using force, but we firmly believe that the safety and security of our people must be the paramount consideration. We, therefore, implore President Tinubu to employ all available resources, including the armed forces, to eradicate the threat posed by terrorists in our region, the statement added. It said it would continue to support the efforts being made by Nigerian Armed Forces in fighting insecurity in the country. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print Beijing (Gasgoo)- On July 3 local time, His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, announced during a cabinet meeting that the UAE has approved its first autonomous driving license and awarded it to Chinese L4 autonomous driving technology company, WeRide. WeRide's TXAI Robotaxi; photo credit: WeRide This marks the first national-level autonomous driving license in the Middle East and even globally. With this license, WeRide will conduct various road testing and operations of autonomous vehicles in the UAE. It is reported that Dubai aims to have 25% of its transportation demands accomplished by autonomous vehicles by 2030. His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum emphasized that the issuance of the autonomous driving license reflects the UAE's commitment to transforming future mobility patterns. Prior to receiving the license, WeRide's autonomous taxi, Robotaxi, had conducted over a year of public testing and operations on certain routes in the UAE. On June 29, the Integrated Transport Centre (ITC) of Abu Dhabi announced that as part of the Eid al-Adha holiday services, visitors traveling to Saadiyat Island and Yas Island in Abu Dhabi can enjoy free rides with the Robotaxi service, including the "TXAI" model, jointly launched by WeRide and local company Bayanat. WeRide has been actively expanding its autonomous driving products and services globally, with a focus on the Middle East region. In March of this year, WeRide officially established a presence in the China-UAE (United Arab Emirates) Capacity Cooperation Demonstration Park, forming a local team to accelerate the commercialization of autonomous driving in the UAE. Nigerias electoral commission, INEC, has said that the Bimodal Voters Accreditation System (BVAS) technology used in the 2023 elections recorded a 98 per cent success rate. INEC Chairman, Mahmood Yakubu, stated this on Tuesday while addressing the Resident Electoral Commissioners (REC) of all the states of the federation at the commissions headquarters in Abuja. BVAS is the machine used to accredit voters using their Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) and fingerprints or face recognition technology. Mr Yakubu, a professor, said the BVAS technology deployed for the elections showed a significant progress of 98 per cent success rate compared to the 29.2 per cent of the Smart Card Readers in the previous 2019 general elections. Our records show that the success rate for BVAS accreditation stands at 98% compared to the Smart Card Readers 29.2% during the 2019 General Election, he said. Mr Yakubu added that the commission is looking at all the evidence of infractions during the election, including prosecuting offenders. The meeting with the RECs is the first of the activities to review the 2023 general elections held on 25 February and 18th March and supplementary elections in some constituencies on 15 April. INEC said the review will focus on all aspects of the electoral activities before, during and after the elections. At the end of the internal review and stakeholder engagement, the INEC boss said the commission would publish a comprehensive report. He added that the commission had received reports from 54 accredited national and international observers. We will give equal prominence to all the reports and review them in a holistic manner to ensure that necessary lessons are learnt from their conclusions and recommendations. As a Commission, we hope to continue to count on the support of stakeholders to improve the electoral process in Nigeria, he said. 2023 elections most prepared Yakubu Despite logistical challenges experienced on Election Day, particularly the presidential elections, Mr Yakubu said the 2023 general election was one of the most meticulously prepared for recently. He said preparations for the 2023 polls began immediately after the 2019 elections. He said: Learning from previous experiences, we started preparations immediately after the 2019 General Election, carefully ticking the necessary boxes over four years. The need to learn from both the positives and the shortcomings makes the stocktaking that we are embarking on today essential. Mr Yakubu listed the positive stories from the election, including the stemming of security challenges that threatened to derail the elections. According to him, the currency and fuel scarcity that characterised the days before the elections did not also affect the conduct of the elections as polls continued on the same day. Concerns that the perennial insecurity across the country will disrupt the polls fizzled out on Election Day as the elections were largely peaceful, he said. Despite currency and fuel challenges and widespread attacks on our personnel and facilities nationwide, the commission proceeded with the election as scheduled. The first set of elections, the Presidential and National Assembly, held as planned for the first time in the last four General Elections conducted in the country. Most diverse outcome Mr Yakubu said the overall outlook for the elections suggests that it is a fair reflection of a complex multi-party democracy. He said the 2023 elections produced the most diverse outcomes ever recorded since Nigerias return to democracy in 1999. Today, five political parties produced state governors, seven parties won senatorial seats, eight are represented in the House of Representatives, and nine in State Houses of Assembly, he said. The 10th National Assembly is certainly the most diverse in party representation since 1999. Mr Yakubu, however, acknowledged some challenges recorded during the elections, stating that the commission is determined to address them as it prepares for the future elections. Indeed, it is in furtherance of our determination to address the challenges as we prepare for future elections that the Commission is commencing its post-election review engagements today, he added. Petitions Some political parties, including the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the Labour Party (LP) and their candidates, are currently challenging the credibility and outcome of the elections. The PDP candidate, Atiku Abubakar, and his LP counterpart, Peter Obi, filed petitions at the Presidential Election Petition Tribunal (PEPT) to challenge INECs declaration of Bola Tinubu of the APC as the winner of the 25 February presidential poll. Qosim Suleiman is a reporter at Premium Times in partnership with Report for the World, which matches local newsrooms with talented emerging journalists to report on under-covered issues around the globe. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), on Tuesday, closed its defence after calling its only witness to testify in opposition to the petition filed by Peter Obi and the Labour Party (LP) at the Presidential Election Petition Court (PEPC). INECs lawyer, Abubakar Mahmoud, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), announced the closure of the first respondents case after its witness, Lawrence Bayode, a Deputy Director in the Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Department of the commission, finished testifying. The electoral commission similarly closed its case concerning the petition filed by the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), with Mr Bayode also testifying as its sole witness. Atikus legal team took advantage of the INEC witness to tender the European Union ((EU) Observers final report, which was critical of the 25 February presidential election, as an exhibit in court on Monday. Both Atiku and Mr Obi are by their separate petitions challenging the outcome of the 25 February poll, which had President Bola Tinubu as the winner. Before calling on Mr Bayode to testify in Mr Obis case on Tuesday, the INEC lawyer tendered some documents which were admitted and marked as exhibits. Led in evidence by Mr Mahmood, the witness told the court that he worked for INEC for 24 years. Cross-examination Under cross-examination by Patrick Ikwueto, a SAN and counsel for the petitioners, the witness told the court that the testing of the software application for the election was carried out on 4 February. He added that there was a report on the testing, but it was not with him in the court. The petitioners tendered the e-transmission saver web and compliance form through the witness. The court admitted and marked the documents as exhibits. The witness told the court that the pre-production test was conducted before the election. He was asked if the hard copy of the results would differ from the ones in the IreV portal (an online portal designed to receive and display photographic photos of polling unit results in real time. He said no. He, however, added that anything could happen when sending the results from form EC8A (polling unit result sheet) to the IreV. He admitted that performance, functionality and vulnerability tests were conducted before the election. The witness agreed with Mr Ikwueto that the report of the e-transmission application identifies remediation to be undertaken to resolve the high vulnerability identified in the report. The witness said he does not know INEC s web address where its materials are published. While also cross-examining the witness, Wole Olanipekun, a SAN, counsel for President Tinubu and Vice President Kashim Shettima, asked if the foundation and authenticity of any election by INEC are rooted in forms EC8A and EC8E, the witness said yes. The witness added that blurred documents downloaded from INEC IreV would not affect the physical results in form EC8A because the image is irrelevant. He said the election ends with the recording, snapping and sending of results to INECs IreV. Answering questions from APC counsel Lateef Fagbemi, also a SAN, the witness said the physical results are used for computing the elections final results. He said the glitches that occurred on election day did not affect the collation of the results. He added that if what was downloaded from the IreV was not clear, the physical results could be obtained. He told the court further that ECOWAS monitored the election, but he does not have their report. The witness stated that the cloud trial log account of INEC can be obtained from Amazon Web Services (AWS). INECs defence closed After the testimony of the sole witness, INECs lawyer, Mr Mahmoud, told the court that f INECs defence in the Obi and Labour Party petition is closed. Mr Olanipekun later told the court that Messrs Tinubu and Shetimma, listed as second and third respondents in the petition, will open their defence Wednesday. The five-member panel headed by Haruna Tsammani adjourned until Wednesday for them to open their defence. Mr Obi and his Labour Party (LP) are petitioners in the petition marked CA/PEPC/03/2023 challenging the election which brought President Bola Tinubu to office. Respondents are the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), President Bola Tinubu, Vice President Kashim Shettima, and the All Progressives Congress (APC). (NAN) Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print President Bola Tinubu has expressed confidence that his administration is on the pathway to success in spite of the challenges facing the country. He said Nigeria has no reason to fail the rest of the African continent. Receiving visiting Bank of America officials in his office at the State House on Tuesday, the president said his government was committed to instituting reforms that would engender the sustainable growth and development of the country. We believe we are on the right track so far. We believe we need all the help we can get, the president said as he asked the banks management for support and partnership that would advance mutual benefits for Nigeria and the financial institution. President Tinubu said the countrys governance and development challenges cannot be addressed without fiscal and institutional reforms. Twenty-first-century actions on climate change, finance and innovation are intertwined. Having a good platform and believing in innovation will help in undertaking reforms and tackling the issues. This is the largest economy and democracy in Africa, and if we cannot do it, nobody will do it for us, he said. But affirming that no one can do it alone, the president made a case for the bank and other willing financing institutions to help the country, for instance, in partnering to ensure Nigerian gas compete favourably in the global market as a viable source of alternative revenue. In his remarks, the leader of the delegation and President of International for Bank of America, Bernard Mensah, expressed excitement about the initial steps taken by the new administration, which, he said, are taking Nigeria back to its rightful place on the global stage. He said the bank was willing to assist the country in addressing its immediate and longer-term challenges not only in the area of financing but also contributing with ideas. In company with Mr. Mensah on the visit were the Head of Sub-Saharan Africa of the bank, Yvonne Ike Fasinro, and the Head of Investment Banking Sub -Saharan Africa, Chuba Ezenwa. Dele Alake Special Adviser to the President Special Duties, Communication and Strategy July 4, 2023 Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print PREMIUM TIMES Capital Market and Companies Correspondent, Ronald Adamolekun, has been shortlisted for the 2022 Sanlam Financial Journalism Awards. Mr Adamolekun and five others were shortlisted in the Africa Growth Story category of the award. He was shortlisted for the Awards for his entries Facing High Wheat Prices, Nigerian Bakers Turn to Potato Puree and Among Underserved Nigerians, Awareness of Health Insurance Remains Poor but Insurtech Offers Hope. One hundred and nine entries were received for the 2022 competition, the organisers said in a statement announcing the shortlists on Tuesday. Mr Adamolekun is the chief business correspondent covering the capital market and companies at PREMIUM TIMES. His broad reporting experience spans financial markets, corporate corruption, financial inclusion, banking, and agri-business. He is a grantee of the Pulitzer Center on Crisis Reporting, the second-prize winner of the Finance & Capital Markets Reporting category at the 2022 PwC Media Excellence Awards, and the first runner-up in the online category of the 2023 Pan-African (Re)Insurance Journalism Awards. The Sanlam Awards The Sanlam Awards for Excellence in Financial Journalism have recognised and rewarded exceptional business journalism in Africa since 1974. Before this cycle of the awards, the competition was made up of seven category prizes and three main awards The African Growth Story, Business and Companies, Economy, Financial Markets, Consumer Financial Education, Broadcast: Radio/Audio/Podcasting (in business reporting), and Broadcast: Television/Video (in business reporting). However, this year, the organisers introduced a new category, Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG), with two sub-categories Business and the Environment and Business and Society. According to the organisers, this category received an impressive response from the journalists, as did other popular categories such as Business and Companies and the African Growth Story. The broadcast categories attracted a significantly limited number of entries, they said. On his part, Nixon Kariithi, Chair of the independent judging panel, said, The Sanlam Group Awards for Excellence in Financial Journalism continue to grow from strength to strength with widespread participation from across the continent. He described the entries as highly competitive, covering a range of topical issues impacting Africas economy, reflecting the relevance of financial journalism on governance, and combining the business world with compelling human-interest angles. The winner of each category will receive R25,000 (about N645,000) prize money, while the overall winner Sanlam Financial Journalist of the Year will receive R35,000 (904,000). All winners will get certificates of recognition. The organisers said that the 2022 Sanlam Group Financial Journalist of the Year and category winners would be announced at a gala event in Johannesburg on 3 August 2023. See the full lists of the shortlisted Journalists below: Category: Business and companies Dewald van Rensburg, Micah Reddy and Sam SoleamaBhungane Centre for Investigative Journalism Ann CrottyFinancial Mail David McKayFinancial Mail Dewald van RensburgamaBhungane Centre for Investigative Journalism Rob RoseFinancial Mail Category: Financial markets David McKayFinancial Mail Lisa SteynNews24 Marc HasenfussFinancial Mail Rob RoseFinancial Mail Ryk van NiekerkMoneyweb, RSG Geldsake Category: Consumer financial education Bruce WhitfieldRadio 702, The Money show with Bruce Whitfield Londiwe ButheleziNews24, Todays Trustee Maya Fisher-FrenchCity Press, eNCA, Maya on Money Ruan JoostePersonal Finance Ryk van NiekerkMoneyweb, RSG Geldsake Category: African Growth Story Kingsley JeremiahThe Guardian, Nigeria Mahamadi SebogoSidwaya, Burkina Faso Mbongeni MguniMmegi, Botswana Ndamu SanduBusiness Times, Zimbabwe Paul MurungiDaily Monitor, Uganda Ronald AdamolekunPremium Times, Nigeria Category: ESG: Business and the Environment Denene ErasmusBusiness Day and BusinessLIVE, South Africa Justice NwaforNigeria Tribune, Nigeria Lisa SteynNews24, South Africa Olugbenga AdanikinThe International Centre for Investigative Reporting, Nigeria Paul MurungiDaily Monitor, Uganda Ridwan Karim Dini-OsmanEIB Network, Ghana Rob RoseFinancial Mail, South Africa Category: ESG: Business and Society Gbenga SalauThe Guardian, Nigeria Lameez OmarjeeNews24 Lisa SteynNews24 Rob RoseFinancial Mail READ ALSO: Premium Times journalist nominated for top global journalism award Ryk van NiekerkMoneyweb, RSG Geldsake Category: Broadcast Audio/Radio Bruce WhitfieldThe Money Show Radio 702 and Cape Talk 567 Destiny OnyemihiaVoice of Nigeria Henry Tataw EkambiCRTV, Cameroon Ridwan Karim Dini-OsmanEIB Network, Ghana Ruan JoostePersonal Finance Ryk van NiekerkMoneyweb, RSG Geldsake Category: Broadcast TV/Video Devi Sankaree GovenderThe Devi Show Richard Gregory and Elle OosthuizenSteinhest on Showmax Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print The Kano State Public Complaints and Anti-Corruption Commission has arrested a former commissioner of works and infrastructure, Idris Saleh, over an alleged N1 billion fraud. Mr Saleh, who served in the immediate past administration of Abdullahi Ganduje, is being investigated by the commission, alongside five other officials, for allegedly withdrawing the amount for a project that was not executed. The project was said to have been approved at the end of Mr Gandujes administration. The spokesperson for the anti-corruption commission, Kabir Abba, confirmed the arrest to reporters in Kano. He said those found wanting would be charged to court. PREMIUM TIMES gathered from insiders that the former commissioner, who was also the Managing Director of the Kano Road Maintenance Agency, was arrested on Monday with five top officials of the ministry for allegedly withdrawing over N1 billion for the rehabilitation of 30 roads and drainages in the metropolis. The commission said the projects were not done. Government insiders, who asked not to be named because they have no permission to speak with the media, said the amount was withdrawn in three batches and paid to three companies on 25 April. The Public Procurement Bureau even issued a certificate of no objection for the contract after the payment was made ten days earlier, contrary to the Kano State Procurement Act 2021. The companies are bogus, having almost the same letter headed without tentative office. The due process office said the certificate of no objection was issued because Kano Road Maintenance Agency said the rehabilitation of the roads would be carried out through direct labour, but the papers submitted read otherwise, one of the sources said. The Abba Yusuf-led administration has accused his predecessor of entrenching irregularities during his tenure between 2015 and 2023. Mr Yusuf of the New Nigerian Peoples Party (NNPP) said he is bent on reversing what he claims were illegal decisions and policies of the Ganduje administration. Mr Ganduje is a member of the All Progressives Congress (APC). The NNPP government has also revoked some certificates of occupancy and demolished several properties sold by the Mr Ganduje administration. The state government said all government properties within and outside the state sold by the former administration were illegal because the government sold them to cronies of top officials. READ ALSO: Kano governor rescinds promotion of teachers done by Ganduje Mr Yusufs administration recently reinstated the states anti-corruption agency chairman, Muyi Magaji, who was sacked by Mr Ganduje in 2021. The states spokesperson of the APC, Ahmad Aruwa, did not return several calls and text messages sent to his known phone number asking for comments about the commissioners arrest. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print The Federal High Court, Abuja, on Tuesday, fixed 11 July for hearing of the preliminary objection filed by the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) against a suit by Governor Peter Mbah of Enugu State. Mr Mbah had filed his suit to seek the courts validation for his discharge certificate disowned by the NYSC. He filed the suit in May after the NYSC disowned the discharge certificate he claimed the corps had issued him after completing his national youth service in 2003. Mr Mbah, in his suit, is seeking N20 billion in damages against the NYSC for alleged conspiracy, deceit, and misrepresentation of facts. The NYSC, in its priminary objection, maintained it did not issue the certificate in Mr Mbahs possession. The judge, Inyang Ekwo, after fixing the date for hearing of NYSCs preliminary objection, also ordered the organisation to file and serve their substantive statements of defence within seven days of the order. The development followed an oral application by the defendants lawyer, Aminu Sadauki, asking fot about a week to respond to Mr Mbahs substantive matter. Mr Ekwo warned journalists against being speculative in the report of the case instituted by the Enugu governor against the youth scheme over alleged discharge certificate forgery. The judge gave the warning after he struck out the motion for joinder filed by the Labour Party and its governorship candidate in the Enugu State poll, Jonathan Edeoga, which they later sought to withdraw. The problem I have in this kind of thing is that persons that have not been made parties will go and start addressing the media on speculative issue and the media will start writing things when they have not read the proceedings. I have always told the media that proceedings in this court are open to the media. It is only in this country that you see those that said they are practising journalism becoming agents, he said. He, therefore, warned journalists to stop reporting what the court did not say. Suit The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Mr Mbah had sued the NYSC and its Director, Corps Certification, Ibrahim Muhammad, for publishing a disclaimer, denying the issuance of a discharge certificate issued to him on 6 January 2003. An NYSC discharge certificate is issued to Nigerian graduates aged 30 and below after they complete a mandatory one-year national service organised by the body. The certificate is a prerequisite for degree holders to secure a formal job in Nigeria. Those above 30 are issued a certificate of exemption which is also tenable for securing a job. But graduates who fail to participate in the NYSC scheme before clocking 30 are not entitled to an exemption certificate once they cross the eligibility age. Academic and NYSC records of politicians appointed to or getting into public office usually attract public scrutiny. While doubling down on the authenticity of the discharge certificate in his possession, Mr Mbah averred that after graduating in Law from the University of East London in 2000, he returned to Nigeria and, as a pre-requisite to practice as barrister and solicitor of the Supreme Court of Nigeria, applied and was admitted into the Bar Part 1 programme of the Nigerian Law School. Mr Mbah said upon completing the bar Part I examinations, he had to wait for the bar Part 2 programme and was advised that instead of spending time idling around, he should proceed to the mandatory one-year NYSC programme. He said he was called up for NYSC and was deployed initially to Nigerian Ports Authority Apapa for his primary assignment, but was rejected by NPA before securing a place at the law firm of Ude & Associates. The plaintiff in the course of his service year and after six months of NYSC, applied and was granted approval to defer the NYSC in order to enable him complete the bar final exam. Thereafter, the plaintiff was remobilised to finish the NYSC programme, which he did complete, the governors filing read in part. Mr Mbah further averred that upon completion of the NYSC, he was issued the certificate of National Service No. A.808297 dated 6 January 2003. In a recent twist to the case, Mr Mbah launched contempt proceedings asking the court to jail the Director-General of the NYSC, Yushau Ahmed, a brigadier-general, for allegedly violating an order restraining his agency from further making publications disowning the discharge certificate in issue. NYSCs objection But in a preliminary objection filed on 22 May, NYSC and its officials prayed for an order dismissing or striking out the suit for want of jurisdiction and competence. Giving three grounds of argument, the defendants said Mr Mbah did not appeal to the President as required by the provisions of section 20 of the NYSC Act before instituting the suit against them. They argued that the appeal to the President was a condition precedent to instituting an action against them in any court of law in Nigeria. Consequent upon the refusal of the plaintiff/respondent to comply with the provisions of Section 20 of the National Youth Service Corps Act, this suit is premature for the jurisdiction of the court to crystalise, they said. The NYSC had, on 1 February, written a letter signed by Ibrahim Muhammed saying that the corps did not issue the certificate in Mr Mbahs possession. Mr Mbah of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) was declared the winner of the Enugu State governorship election held on 18 March by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). (NAN) Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print The Senator representing Kebbi South, Garba Maidoki, has alleged that leaders of his party, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), were not transparent to senators of the party on the selection of the minority leaders for the 10th Senate. Mr Maidoki made the allegation while speaking with journalists shortly after the plenary on Tuesday. Senate President Godswill Akpabio, during Tuesdays plenary, announced Simon Mwadkwon (PDP, Plateau North) as the minority leader and Oyewunmi Olalere (PDP, Osun West) as deputy minority leader. He also announced Darlington Nwokeocha (LP, Abia Central) as the minority Whip and Rufai Hanga (NNPP, Kano Central) as the deputy minority whip of the senate. Mr Akpabio explained that they were the consensus candidates of the minority parties in the upper house. PDP sidelined senators Mr Maidoki claimed that the PDP leaders did not involve him and many senators of the party in the selection of the minority leaders before the names were announced on the floor of the Senate. The Kebbi Senator said he and other senators were at the PDP national secretariat on Monday over the minority leadership tussle, but none of the leaders of the party informed those in attendance of the meeting that consensus candidates had been selected. He said the resolution at the end of the meeting was that the PDP should write to the Senate that it had yet to decide its consensus candidates for the minority leaders of the Senate. The senator said he was not among those who decided the consensus leadership of the minority parties despite being a member of one of the parties in the Senate. I never knew they were signing; nobody called me, nobody informed me even (by) an SMS. We have a minority caucus where we have been meeting regularly; the issue was never brought up. We were at the PDP secretariat yesterday and for them to tell us what are we going to do, and we were told that nothing had been finalised. We asked the PDP secretariat if nothing has been finalised, please write a letter to the Senate telling them that we have not agreed on the leadership of the minority caucus. Unfortunately, those who were there refused to write this letter either because they are aware or they are culpable. We dont have a problem; two wrongs dont make it right. We have 36 out of the 50 senators that are in the minority caucus, and then we cannot even come together and agree who should lead us. I have nothing against those who emerged if 36 senators out of 50 have signed as it is said, and I believe they did, he said. Mr Maidoki, however, said despite the anomalies in the selection process, he is ready to work with the leadership of the minority parties. Leadership has emerged; we are willing to work with them to make sure that the Senate succeeds. We are not afraid of anybody, and we want to be plain and clear. Nigeria is a project that must work, transparency in everything in government. I am not against it now that they have emerged. We are willing to join forces because there is no time to fight now, he said. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print By this singular act, Muhammad Ali Pate has ignited a renewed sense of hope and inspiration among Nigerians. His decision represents a beacon of light, illuminating a path towards Nigerias stronger and more resilient healthcare system. It is a testament to the transformative power of individuals who channel their expertise and passion towards serving their communities, even when faced with the allure of international recognition. In life, we are frequently confronted with pivotal moments that force us to grapple with difficult decisions that have the power to shape our identity and define our values. Muhammad Ali Pate, a former minister of state for Health in Nigeria, was at such a crossroads. At this intersection, his priorities, values, and aspirations clashed, ultimately leading him to make a choice that astonished many. Initially selected to become the Chief Executive Officer of GAVI, the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunisation, Pate made the bold and courageous decision to decline this prestigious position just a few months before his assumption of office and instead redirect his efforts towards his home country, Nigeria. The news of Pates choice reverberated throughout the global health community, sparking discussions and speculation about the motivations behind his surprising decision. His selection as the CEO of GAVI had been met with widespread anticipation and excitement, as his impressive credentials and stellar reputation positioned him as a strong candidate for this influential role. However, amidst the grandeur and international acclaim that awaited him, Pate chose a different path that led him back to the very roots from which he had grown. Nigerias healthcare system has long been burdened with numerous challenges, ranging from inadequate infrastructure and funding to limited access to quality healthcare services for its vast population. In the face of these pressing issues, Muhammad Ali Pates decision to return and contribute his expertise, knowledge, and passion to the betterment of his homeland, was a momentous act of patriotism and selflessness. For someone of Pates calibre and international standing, the allure of assuming the position of Chief Executive Officer of GAVI, a prestigious global organisation, would have been undeniable. It was an opportunity for personal accolades, international recognition, and the chance to lead a prominent organisation with a global impact. However, he chose a different path. When Pate informed Gavi of his decision, he acknowledged the magnitude of his choice. By using the phrase incredibly difficult decision, he conveyed the emotional and intellectual struggle he experienced in reaching his conclusion. This decision was not taken lightly but resulted from profound contemplation and a deep understanding of its implications on his personal and professional life. The complexity of this decision lies in the fact that Pate was presented with an extraordinary opportunity to lead a global organisation like GAVI. This position would have undoubtedly brought him further international recognition, influence, and prestige. It represented a chance to make a significant impact on a global scale and contribute to the advancement of global healthcare. Indeed, GAVI is a prominent non-profit organisation with a remarkable track record of providing vaccines to developing countries. Since its establishment in 2000, it has ensured equitable access to vaccines for vulnerable populations, particularly children in lower-income countries. GAVIs impact on global health is undeniable. Through its initiatives and partnerships, the organisation has successfully delivered vaccines to more than 981 million children, saving countless lives and preventing over 16.2 million future deaths. These efforts have been instrumental in reducing child mortality rates in 73 low-income countries, a significant achievement in the fight against preventable diseases. Little wonder it was a difficult decision for Pate. Gavis impact on global health and its role in delivering life-saving vaccines to millions of children and vulnerable populations could have provided him with an influential platform to make a substantial difference on a global scale. On the other hand, accepting the request to return and contribute to his home country, Nigeria, meant facing a different set of challenges and responsibilities. Nigerias healthcare system has long struggled with various issues, including inadequate infrastructure, limited access to quality healthcare services, and persistent health disparities. By accepting the request, he recognised the urgent need for his expertise, knowledge, and passion to address these pressing challenges and contribute to the betterment of his people. The decision to prioritise Nigeria over personal accolades and international recognition required Pate to consider his ambitions and the impact he could have on the lives of millions of Nigerians. It demonstrates his unwavering commitment to positively impacting Nigerias healthcare system and his sense of duty towards his homeland. In addition, the decision to return to Nigeria had personal significance for him. It symbolised a reconnection with his roots and a desire to make a tangible difference in the country that shaped him. It also reflects his profound attachment to the Nigerian people and his belief in the potential of his fellow citizens to overcome challenges and drive progress. Ultimately, Pates decision to accept the request to contribute to Nigeria is a testament to his character, integrity, and unwavering commitment to serving the greater good. It was a choice that required him to navigate the intricate balance between personal aspirations and the call to make a lasting impact in his home country. By making this incredibly difficult decision, Pate has set an example for others, urging individuals to examine their values, priorities, and responsibilities towards their nations. It reminds us that the most profound choices often demand sacrifices and require us to rise above personal ambitions to pursue a greater purpose. Evidently, the decision was not just about his personal journey but of the transformative power of unwavering dedication, patriotism, and the indomitable spirit of service. It stands as an enduring inspiration for all, encouraging us to consider how we can contribute to the betterment of our own countries and make a meaningful impact on the lives of our fellow citizens. His experience as a medical doctor and professor of practice of Public Health Leadership at Harvard Universitys Department of Global Health and Population gave him invaluable insights and expertise, making him an invaluable asset to his home countrys healthcare landscape. Recognising the urgent need for his skills and knowledge, Pate placed his capabilities where they could make the most significant difference. This remarkable decision has far-reaching implications beyond his personal journey. It serves as a potent reminder that the most influential individuals are not solely defined by their accomplishments on the global stage but by their unwavering commitment to their communities and the transformative impact they create within their societies. Pates choice encourages us to reflect on the balance between personal aspirations and the pursuit of collective progress, reminding us that the truest measure of success lies not in individual accolades but in the lasting legacy we leave behind. By this singular act, Muhammad Ali Pate has ignited a renewed sense of hope and inspiration among Nigerians. His decision represents a beacon of light, illuminating a path towards Nigerias stronger and more resilient healthcare system. It is a testament to the transformative power of individuals who channel their expertise and passion towards serving their communities, even when faced with the allure of international recognition. The path to progress is a challenging one. It demands sacrifice, resilience, and unwavering dedication. Muhamed Ali Pates remarkable choice exemplifies this truth. By prioritising Nigerias healthcare landscape over personal acclaim, he demonstrated the transformative power that lies within the indomitable spirit of service. His decision showcases the immense impact that can be achieved when we set aside our personal aspirations and commit ourselves to the collective welfare of our nation. Nigeria, a country with immense potential, faces numerous challenges across various sectors. However, Pates decision reminds us that we possess the power to effect change. We all can be the Pate within ourselves, to prioritise the greater good over personal gain, and to dedicate our skills and knowledge to addressing the pressing needs of our nation. As he has so clearly embodied, the spirit of patriotism calls upon Nigerians to rise above individual ambitions and work towards a shared vision of progress. It encourages us to explore avenues where our expertise, passion, and resources can be channeled for the betterment of Nigeria. Whether in healthcare, education, infrastructure, or any other sector, each of us has a role in building a brighter future. Emulating Pates unwavering dedication and commitment to Nigeria requires overcoming personal barriers and embracing a sense of duty. It necessitates recognising that the accurate measure of success lies not only in personal achievements but also in the impact we have on the lives of our fellow citizens. His story reminds us that our collective efforts can create a ripple effect, inspiring others to join us towards a stronger, more prosperous Nigeria. The transformation we seek begins within each of us. It starts with a conscious decision to put Nigerias needs before our own. By harnessing our talents, skills, and resources, we can contribute to the advancement of our nation. Whether through innovation, entrepreneurship, social activism, or public service, we can make a tangible difference through countless avenues. Pates decision is a powerful call to action for all Nigerians. It goes beyond being just his story, as it invites every citizen to discover the Pate within themselves a symbol of unwavering dedication and the indomitable spirit of service. His choice becomes a beacon of hope in a country with numerous challenges, inspiring us to unite and work collectively towards a brighter future. It is a reminder that each of us has the power to make a significant impact and contribute to the betterment of our beloved nation. Finding the Pate within us means embracing the values of patriotism, selflessness, and resilience. It is about recognising that our individual actions, no matter how small, can collectively create a transformative change. It is a call to actively shape Nigerias destiny and foster an environment where progress and unity can thrive. Let us unite to build a Nigeria we can all be proud of, transcending differences and personal ambitions. A Nigeria that embodies the principles of inclusivity, justice, and equal opportunities. It is a collective endeavour that requires us to prioritise the needs of our nation over personal gains and to actively contribute to the sectors that require our expertise and dedication. By finding the Pate within us, we can strengthen Nigerias healthcare system, improve education, empower marginalised communities, and foster an environment of innovation and progress. It is a commitment to leave a legacy for future generations, ensuring they inherit a thriving and prosperous nation. Let us draw inspiration from Pates unwavering commitment to his country and channel that same passion into our spheres of influence. Whether we are healthcare professionals, educators, entrepreneurs, or community leaders, we all have a role in nation-building. Each of us possesses unique talents and abilities that can contribute to the collective progress of Nigeria. As we embark on this journey together, let us embrace collaboration, dialogue, and inclusivity. Let us support and uplift one another, recognising that true progress can only be achieved when we work hand in hand, leveraging our diverse strengths. Finding the Pate within us rekindles the flame of patriotism and ignites a sense of responsibility towards our nation. Together, let us build a Nigeria that thrives one in which the dreams and aspirations of every citizen are realised, where unity prevails, and where resilience overcomes all challenges. The path may be arduous, but with the Pate spirit burning brightly within us, we can overcome any obstacle and create a future that our children and grandchildren will be proud to inherit. Let us embark on this journey of nation-building, inspired by Muhammad Ali Pates selfless decision, and together, let us forge a remarkable legacy for generations to come. Henry Anibe Agbonika, a policy and governance reforms consultant, writes from Abuja, Nigeria. Henry.agbonika@policydelivered.com Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print In the dynamic political landscape of Nigeria, power struggles, fallouts, and reconciliations are not uncommon. One such intriguing tale is the journey of four prominent figures: Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Babatunde Fashola, Akinwunmi Ambode, and Babajide Sanwo-Olu. This quartets intricate relationship, marked by conflicts and subsequent unity, offers valuable lessons for Nigeria as it strives for political stability, progress, and national unity. Elections are a prominent feature of democracy, serving as an essential tool to ascertain the will of the people regarding their preferred leadership for the nation. The individual who emerges as the winner represents the majority and this process holds great significance due to its impact on the lives of all citizens and the nations reputation. However, this system is not flawless as it solely caters to the decision of the majority, leaving no alternative or role in governance for the minority candidate who contested and lost. Each candidate aspires to win and become the peoples choice, but it is legally established that only one candidate can emerge as the winner of the election. The expectation is that each candidate presents themselves as the most suitable candidate for a leadership position through the election process. They demonstrate their intentions and proposed plans in their manifesto. However, only one candidate is granted the privilege to implement their manifesto upon winning, while the other candidates are left to contemplate their losses. The focus is primarily on the winning candidate, while the differing opinions and choices among the populace make accepting the election results challenging in practice. One concrete example of this ongoing conflict in the opinions of the masses can be observed in the recently concluded presidential election and the subsequent swearing-in of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu. The current conflicts in opinion about the leadership of Nigeria need to be jettisoned and the focus of the citizenry should be on the performance of the current government. The conflicts among groups about the election process should be left to the appropriate authority who is obligated by law to interpret the provisions of the law in relation to the election process. Despite the election process still facing challenges, President Tinubu has wasted no time in actively engaging in governance and implementing his policies. Notably, a reception was organised in honour of the president at the Government House in Marina on the 29th of June. The governor of Lagos State hosted this event, and it was attended by the former governor of Lagos State, Akinwunmi Ambode, despite their estrangement. Akinwunmi Ambode, the former governor of Lagos State, was unsuccessful in securing a second term in office in 2019. As a result, he distanced himself from politics. The circumstances surrounding his bid for re-election led to a fallout with his leader and benefactor, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, as well as with his party colleague, the current Governor of Lagos State, Jide Sanwo-Olu. However, Ambodes presence at the reception and his tribute to the president indicate the possibility of unity despite differing opinions. It demonstrates that true democratic intent can be achieved harmoniously, without enmity, as the opinions of the minority are protected by law. Governor Sanwo-Olu extended an olive branch to Ambode on the latters birthday, which ultimately led to Ambodes spirited attendance at the reception. Ambode expressed gratitude to the current governor of Lagos State, and in turn, the president also expressed his appreciation to Ambode. This reception served as a remarkable demonstration of a peace mission and the reconciliation between the president and his three proteges. The actions of the benefactor and his protege are commendable and serve as an example for the broader political landscape of Nigeria. The national anthem of Nigeria emphasises the unity of the nation, highlighting that Nigeria is one entity bound together in harmony. The anthem serves as a reflection of the state of the nation, encompassing not only the family unit but also society as a whole. The absence of unity poses a grave risk to the nation, hindering progress and rendering any prospects of development illusory. It is crucial for individuals to recognize that, despite varying opinions and ideals, there should be a collective pursuit of the nations goals, which should supersede all other objectives. Failure to prioritise the nations goals perpetuates disunity among the citizenry. Placing the nations goals at the forefront allows other issues to pale in comparison, thereby promoting unity within the nation. Political orientation, ethnicity, and religion ought to showcase the beauty of diverse ideologies, as long as they remain within the boundaries of the law, rather than fanning the flames of extremism, which unfortunately persists in the nation. The nations constitution recognises the diverse religious and cultural backgrounds of its people, while simultaneously emphasising the oneness of the nation and prohibiting discrimination. Regrettably, individuals have failed to embrace the principles outlined in the constitution, instead dedicating their time to elevate their ethnicity and religion above national unity. The heterogeneous nature of the nation presents an opportunity to promote Nigeria on the international stage. However, this potential has been largely squandered, leading to further divisions within the nation. Notions of superiority held by certain tribes, the political class, or religious groups have only served to marginalise others, fueling animosity and diverting the nations focus from addressing critical national issues, thus increasing the risk of implosion. History bears witness to the inevitable consequences of a divided nation lacking unity, and it is imperative that we learn from those lessons. In the face of Nigerias challenges, unity emerges as the beacon of hope illuminating the path towards a brighter future. As a nation that has solemnly pledged to uphold its unity, it is incumbent upon each and every citizen to transcend personal opinions and embrace the ideals enshrined in Nigerias anthem and pledge. The reception held in Lagos, where the president was honored, serves as a powerful reminder of the transformative power of unity. By emulating the actions witnessed during that momentous occasion, we can forge a collective resolve to promote unity and reject any divisive forces that threaten our progress. Let us rise above religious, geographical, and ethnic divisions, recognising that compromise and understanding are the building blocks of a united Nigeria. The actions of the president, and even his estranged protege offer us glimpses of a united Nigeria that is not merely an elusive dream but an achievable reality. Their examples remind us that unity is not an impossible task, but rather a journey that requires dedication, reconciliation, empathy, and an unwavering commitment to the common good. It is by uniting one group at a time, bridging the gaps that divide us, that we can transcend the challenges that hinder our nations development. Together, we can create a Nigeria where diversity is celebrated, where every citizens voice is heard, and where the collective strength of our differences propels us forward. As we embark on this path towards unity, let us remember that the rewards of our efforts extend far beyond personal gains. They are woven into the fabric of progress, prosperity, and a future we can be proud to leave for generations to come. So, let us pledge ourselves anew to the pursuit of unity, guided by the knowledge that a united Nigeria is not just a lofty ideal, but a practical necessity. As we reject divisive forces and embrace the beauty of our diversity, we will witness the transformative power of unity, propelling our great nation to unprecedented heights. Together, let us uphold the unity of our nation, honouring our anthem and pledge as sacrosanct, for in unity lies our strength, our hope, and our limitless potential. Wahab Shittu is a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN). Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print Governor Peter Mbah of Enugu State has reiterated his commitment to end water scarcity within 154 days. Water scarcity in Enugu has been a recurring problem for decades despite successive state governments and international organisations huge financial investments. Authorities said the water scarcity was exacerbated by the topography of the state and the presence of coal deposits which frustrate efforts to build boreholes. Efforts by the Enugu State Water Corporation, a state agency tasked with supplying water from Oji, Iva, Ninth Mile and Ajali Rivers to households in the state, have yet to be very successful due to recurring equipment breakdowns. As a result, residents of the state rely largely on hand-dug wells for water, which usually dry up during the dry season. This worsens the scarcity yearly, usually between December and March in the state. PREMIUM TIMES earlier reported that Mr Mbah, shortly after being declared winner of the 18 March governorship election in the state, promised to end perennial water scarcity within 180 days of being sworn in as the governor of the state on 29 May. Checks by this newspaper showed that the 180 days deadline would elapse on 25 November. I stand by my promise On Monday, while receiving officials of a civil society organisation, Network of Water Rights Initiative, who paid him a courtesy visit at the Government House, Enugu, Mr Mbah said he stood by his promise. The governor said there was no reason residents of the state should be battling water scarcity in the 21st century, assuring that water would start running in Enugu homes in the next 154 days. We think that Enugu should not be one of the states having water challenges because the state has plenty of water sources. There is no reason why in the 21st century, we should not turn on our taps and get clean water. We have 154 days left for water flowing in our homes. We are mindful of what we say and know what the problems are because we have diagnosed the problems, he said. Not only in urban areas Mr Mbah said, aside from the states urban areas, he was trying to get water across the states rural communities. Besides the Enugu metropolis, we are already liaising with the local government chairmen to see that those in Nsukka, those in other towns and those in the rural areas have their water schemes from different sources and can access water in no distant time because we want people to get water from a distance of not more than five minutes, he stated. We are building a resilient system that can supply water every day of the year and not intermittently. That is why we are not focusing on only the Ninth Mile Water Scheme; we are also working on the Orji River Water Scheme, we are dealing with other challenges downstream, and we believe that over time, people will no longer need to build water storage towers in their various homes. Tackling open defecation Mr Mbah expressed confidence that providing water in the state for residents as well as schools, hospitals and markets, especially at toilet facilities, would help tackle open defecation in the state. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print Are you lost in the wild? Sorry, but the page you're looking for has not been found Try checking the URL for errors, goto home or try to search below. Headquarters will be a hub for business expansion across Asia Pacific , the Middle East , and Africa Nium affirms long-term commitment to Singapore , announcing new initiatives to drive growth of 'BizTech' job category SINGAPORE, July 4, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Nium , the leader in real-time global payments, today celebrated the opening of its new headquarters in Singapore. The ceremony was officiated by Mr. Heng Swee Keat, Deputy Prime Minister of Singapore . The state-of-the-art facility, located strategically at Capital Tower in the heart of Singapore's Central Business District, has been purpose-built for modern work, featuring collaborative workspaces and employee-centric amenities. Nium Opens New Headquarters in Singapore The new headquarters is Nium's strategic hub for serving clients across Asia Pacific, the Middle East, and Africa. Co-Founder and COO at Nium, Mr. Pratik Gandhi, will continue to be based out of Singapore. The new headquarters will be overseen by Mr. Gandhi and Mr. Anupam Pahuja, who joined Nium recently as its Executive Vice President and General Manager for Asia Pacific, Africa and the Middle East. His experience scaling global companies, including PayPal, will help continue Nium's strong momentum after a year in which it grew net revenue globally by more than 2.5X (from 2021 to 2022). With this new opening, Nium is reaffirming its commitment to building in Singapore and is introducing initiatives to serve the regional fintech community at large. It will partner with the public and private sector to establish a centre of excellence in Singapore for the hiring, training, mentoring, and developing of 'BizTech' talent a new job category that serves to recognise the growing importance of both technical proficiency and business acumen. Secondly, Nium is expanding Bolt , its global fintech accelerator. Bolt provides startup founders with access to facilities, funding, mentoring, and technology to establish and grow their business ideas in the fintech space. The program, founded in Singapore, will be extended to San Francisco, California, and will serve Singaporean companies looking to establish a foothold in the United States of America. Prajit Nanu, Co-Founder and CEO at Nium, said, "When I started Nium, I had big dreams for what it could be none of which would have been possible without the support of the government, investors, and clients that are part of the thriving fintech community in Singapore. This headquarters will be home to our growing regional team and the door will always remain open for entrepreneurs looking to solve the next set of global challenges with innovation." Nium's selection of Singapore for its headquarters is a resounding testament to the flourishing fintech landscape within the country. With its supportive economic policies, access to top talent, and strategic location, Singapore provides the perfect launchpad for Nium's innovative solutions. Managing Director and Chief Operating Officer at Enterprise Singapore, Mr. Jeffrey Siow, added, "It has been exciting to see Nium, a home-grown fintech company, grow from strength-to-strength in the last decade. The opening of Nium's new headquarters in Singapore is a testament of their continued commitment to Singapore. We look forward to continue partnering with Nium as they scale up and extend their reach globally." The unveiling of the new office follows Nium's recognition as a Great Place to Work Certified employer , re-affirming its status as an exemplary global workplace. This esteemed certification, sought after by organisations worldwide, is uniquely based on the firsthand experiences of team members, providing an accurate reflection of the consistently high-trust environment they enjoy. Nium was also listed on the prestigious Forbes Fintech 50 a collection of the most innovative companies in financial technology. The new Nium Co-Headquarters is located at 168 Robinson Road, Capital Tower, #18-03, Singapore 068912. About Nium Nium was founded on the mission to build the global payments infrastructure of tomorrow, today. With the onset of the on-demand economy, its single platform for global payments and card issuing is shaping how banks, fintechs, and businesses everywhere to disburse and collect funds instantly across borders. Its payout network supports 100 currencies and spans 190+ countries, 100 of which are in real-time. Funds can be disbursed to accounts, wallets, and cards and collected locally in 35 markets. Nium's growing card issuance business is already available in 34 countries. Nium holds regulatory licences and authorizations in more than 40 countries, enabling seamless onboarding, rapid integration, and compliance independent of geography. The company is co-headquartered in San Francisco and Singapore, with regional offices in over 20+ major cities. Photo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2146485/Nium_Singapore.jpg Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1678669/Nium_Logo.jpg SOURCE Nium ADGM has today implemented its sustainable finance regulatory framework, comprising the region's most comprehensive ESG disclosure requirements and a regulatory framework for funds, discretionary managed portfolios, bonds and sukuks designed to accelerate the transition of the UAE to net zero greenhouse gas emissions. The framework complements ADGM's existing regulation of carbon offsets, facilitating the establishment of the world's first regulated carbon offsets exchange and clearing house in ADGM. These measures reflect ADGM's position as a leading sustainable finance hub in the year that the UAE hosts COP28 . The new regulations will take effect immediately, reflecting the critical importance of advancing the green agenda in Abu Dhabi , the UAE and globally. ABU DHABI, UAE, July 4, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Abu Dhabi Global Market (ADGM) today announced the implementation of its sustainable finance regulatory framework with immediate effect, following significant support received through public consultation, reinforcing its position as a leading sustainable financial hub and a natural hub for sustainable finance activities. The framework encompasses rules on sustainability-orientated investment funds, managed portfolios and bonds as well as requirements for environmental, social and governance (ESG) disclosures by ADGM companies. The measures will accelerate the growth of a sustainable finance ecosystem in the jurisdiction and support the UAE's transition to net zero greenhouse gas emissions. The framework for green and climate transition funds and portfolios, green and sustainability-linked bonds and sukuks is a significant step in enabling capital to be channelled towards financing the transition to net zero. In order to recognise products and services that are aiding the transition, ADGM will confer a designation on those that purport to meet its robust minimum standards. It will also permit ADGM's "designation mark" to be used in marketing materials and client communications. A designation mark will provide investors with a level of confidence that those products and services purport to meet ADGM's minimum standards, catalysing investors to channel capital towards the green transition. In keeping with ADGM's keen focus on stakeholder engagement, a feedback statement has also been issued that reflects on the meaningful feedback received and addresses the key issues raised in response to the consultation paper and through associated stakeholder engagements. The overwhelming support for its proposals from industry, including stakeholders who indicated their plans to launch products under the proposed framework, crystallised ADGM's intention to proceed with one of the first and most comprehensive sustainable finance frameworks in the region. The feedback statement reflects how industry engagement has not only helped to shape the framework as implemented but also provided a clear indication of the areas that ADGM will examine in a post-implementation review to be undertaken in 2025 as part of its commitment to further develop and refine its regulatory framework going forward. ADGM will continue to rely on input from its stakeholders to help shape its ecosystem into a world-class hub for sustainable finance and a significant enabler to further the UAE's net zero strategic initiative. The framework and its stakeholders are further supported by knowledge acceleration initiatives such as the School of Sustainable Finance and the Research Centre at the ADGM Academy. His Excellency Dr. Sultan Al Jaber, President Designate of COP28 UAE said, "I warmly welcome ADGM's regulatory framework for sustainable finance. The lack of available, accessible, affordable finance is putting the world's climate goals and sustainable development at risk and addressing this issue is one of the top priorities of the COP28 Presidency. To make transformational progress, we need to shift gears in mobilizing private finance." "ADGM endeavours in advancing such a crucial initiative and in establishing a global hub for sustainable finance are highly commendable. This initiative will play a vital role in mobilizing capital for the transition to net zero not only in the UAE, but also in EMDEs, and will enable increased green transactions from local and global financial institutions." "I also welcome the ongoing work of the Sustainable Finance Working Group, chaired by ADGM and composed of UAE regulatory authorities, Federal Ministries and exchanges. These initiatives encompass joint efforts to advance frameworks for ESG disclosures, measures to require sustainability-focused corporate governance and the development of a UAE green taxonomy." "Finance is the key to turn good intentions into real results. The Paris Climate Agreement set our collective ambition, and we need initiatives such as ADGM's Sustainable Finance Regulatory Framework to help us keep 1.5C within reach." His Excellency Ahmed Jasim Al Zaabi, Chairman of Abu Dhabi Global Market said, "In the year that the UAE is hosting COP28, ADGM proudly aligns its actions with those of the country's leadership who have declared this year as the Year of Sustainability. We believe our regulatory framework for sustainable finance is the most comprehensive in the Middle East and South Asia region, and comparable in scope and content with the most comprehensive regulatory frameworks globally." "Our requirements, particularly those which set minimum standards for sustainability-focused products and services, will help to channel capital into projects and activities that advance the country's transition to net zero. We are grateful to market participants for their feedback, which reflects the excellent relationship between ADGM and its stakeholders within our sustainable finance ecosystem. Their engagement will continue to be essential as ADGM actively supports the UAE's progress towards its goal of net zero by 2050 and the continuing development of Abu Dhabi's green falcon economy." The new sustainable finance regulatory framework is further supported by several ongoing initiatives of ADGM such as the Abu Dhabi Sustainable Finance Declaration which has over 100 signatories, and the School of Sustainable Finance at the ADGM Academy. ADGM FSRA's regulatory amendment to the capital markets framework last year, introduced an environmental instrument as a class of financial instrument, allowing carbon offsets to come under its regulatory framework and AirCarbon Exchange, the world's first regulated voluntary carbon exchange platform, to be established in the financial centre. These strategic endeavours, combined with a regulatory framework for sustainability-focused funds, portfolios, bonds and sukuks, as well as requirements for ESG disclosure and the regulation of carbon offsets distinguish ADGM as a premier hub for sustainable finance. For the legislation and guidance, click HERE. For the feedback statement, click HERE. For more information about ADGM's sustainable finance and ESG initiatives, click HERE. About Abu Dhabi Global Market (ADGM) For more details on ADGM, please visit www.adgm.com or follow us on Twitter and Instagram: @adglobalmarket and LinkedIn: @Abu Dhabi Global Market (ADGM) SOURCE Abu Dhabi Global Market (ADGM) KISUFIM, Israel, July 4, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Arctech, the world's leading solar tracking, racking, and BIPV provider, is poised to provide 11.457MW SkyLine II solar tracking solution for Nextcom Ltd to a project in Israel, marking the company's first solar tracking project in the country and another milestone in the Middle East market. Arctech SkyLine II Israel is rapidly promoting renewable energy, with the government setting a renewable energy target of 30% by 2030 - roughly equivalent to the construction of approximately 12GW of solar plants, which is the main renewable energy source developed by this sunny country. The photovoltaic resources in the Middle East are excellent, and the solar radiation energy is very high in almost all regions. The total annual solar radiation in the UAE is 7920MJ/m2, and the technical exploitation amount is about 2708TWh. The total annual solar radiation in Israel is 8640MJ/m2, and the technical exploitation amount is about 318TWh. The total annual solar radiation in Jordan is about 9720MJ/m2, and the technical exploitation amount is about 6434TWh. Photovoltaic technology is undoubtedly the most suitable renewable energy for the Middle East. According to the Middle East Solar Industry Association (MESIA), the current value of the photovoltaic market in the MENA region is approximately $20 billion. The latest report from APRICORP shows that by 2030, the value of MENA region's photovoltaic market sector will reach the trillion-dollar level. Arctech has a series of trackable project portfolios in the Middle East including the IBRI II 607MW project in Oman and the 2.1GW Al Dhafra PV2 project in Abu Dhabi among others, the company has established branches in Saudi Arabia and The United Arab Emirates to deepen localization and offer white-glove services to regional clients. Arctech has partnered with global original OEMs to enhance its global supply chain diversification. In this project, Arctech utilized the closest supply chain resources to supply products to meet the customer's delivery time. The smooth progress of the project has familiarized Arctech with the Israeli market and equipped it with the ability to design products that comply with local policies. At the exhibition Intersolar Europe 2023 in June, Arctech has met with a large number of Israeli clients, including Enlight and C-nergia. We believe Arctech will negotiate more and more Israeli projects in the future. SOURCE Arctech DUBLIN, July 4, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The "Australia Diagnostic Labs Market, By Provider Type (Hospital, Stand-Alone Centre, Diagnostic Chains), By Test Type (Radiology v/s Pathology), By End User (Corporate Clients, Walk-ins, Referrals), By Region, Competition Forecast & Opportunities, 2028" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering. Australia diagnostic labs market is anticipated to register growth with an impressive CAGR in the forecast period, 2023-2027, on the account of increasing demands for efficient diagnostic services. Moreover, evolving healthcare and patient services coupled with growing demands for early diagnosis and efficient treatment demands drive the growth of the Australia diagnostic labs market in the upcoming five years. Increasing investments in the healthcare sector and its involvement in advancing the healthcare infrastructure further play a vital role in the growth of the Australia diagnostic labs market in the next five years. The rising number of patients and growing instances of chronic diseases also aid the growth of the market. Diagnostic labs are the healthcare infrastructure that is majorly inclined toward diagnostic practices for various kinds of diseases. The infrastructure preferably accommodates diagnosticians along with other healthcare practitioners including staff and nurses to facilitate pathological, microbiological, and radiological diagnostics. A general physician is often present to advise and consult the patients appearing for the diagnostic tests. Along with the test results the patients are later referred to a specific hospital or expert consultants for further treatment process. The diagnostic labs may function independently or in collaboration with hospitals thereby taking care of the diagnostic procedures required. Multiple tests like blood analysis, urine analysis, serum tests, and other pathological tests are conducted. These tests determine the presence of microorganisms in the body that cause various infectious diseases or the changes in the constituent of the blood & plasma to diagnose diseases. Diagnostic labs are fully equipped with medical devices, equipment, tools & technology that enables the diagnostic expert to perform the tests. Growing Patient Burden Facilitates Market Growth Rising instances of chronic diseases and infectious diseases among the population of the country drive the growth of the Australia diagnostic labs market in the upcoming five years. Chronic diseases like heart attacks and blood circulatory diseases have caused over 42% of the deaths every year in recent years that is about 118 deaths due to heart diseases every day. As of 2021, there were 4 million people with cardiovascular diseases out of which roughly 2 million are men and 1.6 million are female population. In 2019 there were 327,174 new cases of cancer diagnosed in the country. Incidence rates rose between 1995 and 2013 but have fallen slightly since then. Incidence is 23% higher in men than in women. Over half of the people newly diagnosed with cancer are aged 70+. Thus, the rising geriatric population and their tendencies toward cancer further enhance the demand for earlier diagnostics and provision for effective treatment. Among people aged 25-54, cancer incidence rates are higher in women than in men. Among people aged 65+, incidence rates are around 50% higher in men than in women. Over half of the cancers fall into four types: prostate, breast, lung, and colorectal. Moreover, recovery chances among the older population are difficult as compared to the younger population thereby early diagnosis demands are further pushed up thus aiding the market growth. Competitive Landscape Company Profiles: Detailed analysis of the major companies present in Australia diagnostic labs market. Australian Clinical Labs Healthscope Limited Primary Health Care Limited Sonic Healthcare, Ltd. Healius Limited Austech Medical Laboratories I-Med Radiology Network Ltd Report Scope: Australia Diagnostic Labs Market, By Provider Type: Hospital Stand-Alone Centre Diagnostic Chains Australia Diagnostic Labs Market, By Test Type: Radiology Pathology Australia Diagnostic Labs Market, By End User: Corporate Clients Walk-ins Referrals Australia Diagnostic Labs Market, By Region: Northern Territory Region New South Wales Region Victoria Region Western Australia Region Queensland Region Tasmania Region South Australia Region For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/yt7c3r About ResearchAndMarkets.com ResearchAndMarkets.com is the world's leading source for international market research reports and market data. We provide you with the latest data on international and regional markets, key industries, the top companies, new products and the latest trends. 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 CHICAGO, July 4, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The beneficial insects market is projected to reach USD 1,630 million by 2028 from USD 877 million in 2023, at a CAGR of 13.2% from 2023 to 2028 according to a report published by MarketsandMarkets. The market for beneficial insects is experiencing growth due to increasing demand for chemical-free farming and organic farming which has led to a surge in beneficial insects. Download PDF Brochure: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/pdfdownloadNew.asp?id=186836772 Browse in-depth TOC on "Beneficial Insects Market" 236 Tables 44 Figures 298 Pages Beneficial insects help in crop protection in fruits and vegetables. Beneficial insects play a vital role in crop protection for fruits and vegetables. These natural predators, such as ladybugs, lacewings, and parasitic wasps, offer an eco-friendly solution for controlling pests that commonly infest these crops. By introducing beneficial insects into the fields, farmers can effectively combat pests like aphids, caterpillars, and whiteflies. These beneficial insects prey upon the pests, reducing their populations and preventing damage to the plants. Utilizing beneficial insects for crop protection in fruits and vegetables offers numerous benefits, including reduced reliance on chemical pesticides, minimized environmental impact, and the preservation of beneficial organisms and pollinators. Integrating these natural pest control agents into agricultural practices promotes sustainable farming, enhances crop quality, and contributes to the long-term health and productivity of the crops. By application, crop protection holds a significant market share during the forecast period. Beneficial insects have gained a significant market share in the field of crop protection, revolutionizing the way we enhance production in agriculture. With growing concerns about the environmental impact of chemical pesticides and the rise of resistant pests, farmers are seeking sustainable alternatives to safeguard their crops. Beneficial insects, such as parasitic wasps, predatory beetles, and hoverflies, offer a natural and effective solution. These beneficial allies prey upon harmful pests, such as aphids, caterpillars, and mealybugs, preventing their populations from reaching damaging levels. By integrating these biological control agents into crop protection strategies, farmers can reduce their reliance on synthetic pesticides, minimize chemical residues, and preserve the ecological balance of their fields. The use of beneficial insects not only improves yields and crop quality but also promotes the long-term sustainability of agricultural systems. As awareness grows and the demand for environmentally friendly farming practices continues to rise, the market share of beneficial insects in crop protection is set to expand, leading the way toward a more resilient and profitable agricultural industry. Request Sample Pages: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/requestsampleNew.asp?id=186836772 Asia Pacific to boost market growth during the forecast period. The Asia-Pacific region is experiencing a significant surge in demand for beneficial insects, reflecting a growing recognition of their role in sustainable agriculture. As countries in the region have to enhance food security and reduce the environmental impact of conventional farming practices, the adoption of biological control measures has gained momentum. Beneficial insects, such as parasitoids, predators, and pathogens, offer a natural and eco-friendly solution to pest management, reducing the reliance on chemical pesticides. The rising demand for organic and pesticide-free produce, coupled with an increased awareness of the importance of biodiversity conservation, has fueled the interest in these beneficial allies. By incorporating them into integrated pest management (IPM) programs, farmers can effectively combat pests while preserving the ecological balance of their agricultural systems. The Asia-Pacific region, with its diverse agricultural landscape, is witnessing a shift towards sustainable practices, and the demand for beneficial insects is poised to continue rising as more farmers recognize their immense potential in achieving better production and ecological harmony. The key players in this market Applied Bionomics Ltd (Canada), Biobest Group NV (Belgium), Bioline AgroSciences Ltd (UK), Fargro Limited (UK), Andermatt Group AG (Switzerland), ARBICO Organics (US), BioBee Ltd (Israel), BIONEMA (UK), Koppert (Netherlands), Tip Top Bio-Control (US), Evergreen Growers Supply, LLC (US), Anatis Bioprotection (Canada), GrowLiv Biologicals (Canada), Planet Natural (US), Natural Pest Controls (US). The study includes an in-depth competitive analysis of these key players in the beneficial insects market with their company profiles, recent developments, and key market strategies. Get 10% Free Customization on this Report: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/requestCustomizationNew.asp?id=186836772 Browse Adjacent Reports @ Agriculture Industry Market Research Reports & Consulting Related Reports: Biopesticides Market by Type (Bioinsecticides, Biofungicides, Bionematicides), Crop Type (Cereals & Grains, Oilseeds & Pulses), Formulation (Liquid and Dry), Source (Microbials, Biochemicals) Mode of Application, Region - Global Forecast to 2028 Biofertilizers Market by Type (Nitrogen-Fixing, Phosphate Solubilizing & Mobilizing, Potassium Solubilizing & Mobilizing), Mode of Application (Soil Treatment, Seed Treatment), Form, Crop Type and Region - Global Forecast to 2028 Biostimulants Market by Active Ingredient (Humic Substances, Amino Acids, Seaweed Extracts, and Microbial Amendments), Mode of Application (Foliar, Soil Treatment, and Seed Treatment), Form (Liquid and Dry), Crop Type and Region - Global Forecast to 2027 About MarketsandMarkets MarketsandMarkets is a blue ocean alternative in growth consulting and program management, leveraging a man-machine offering to drive supernormal growth for progressive organizations in the B2B space. We have the widest lens on emerging technologies, making us proficient in co-creating supernormal growth for clients. The B2B economy is witnessing the emergence of $25 trillion of new revenue streams that are substituting existing revenue streams in this decade alone. We work with clients on growth programs, helping them monetize this $25 trillion opportunity through our service lines - TAM Expansion, Go-to-Market (GTM) Strategy to Execution, Market Share Gain, Account Enablement, and Thought Leadership Marketing. Built on the 'GIVE Growth' principle, we work with several Forbes Global 2000 B2B companies - helping them stay relevant in a disruptive ecosystem. Our insights and strategies are molded by our industry experts, cutting-edge AI-powered Market Intelligence Cloud, and years of research. The KnowledgeStore (our Market Intelligence Cloud) integrates our research, facilitates an analysis of interconnections through a set of applications, helping clients look at the entire ecosystem and understand the revenue shifts happening in their industry. To find out more, visit www.MarketsandMarkets.com or follow us on Twitter, LinkedIn and Facebook. Contact: Mr. Aashish Mehra MarketsandMarkets INC. 630 Dundee Road Suite 430 Northbrook, IL 60062 USA: +1-888-600-6441 Email: [email protected] Research Insight: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/ResearchInsight/beneficial-insects-market.asp Visit Our Website: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/ Content Source: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/PressReleases/beneficial-insects.asp Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/660509/MarketsandMarkets_Logo.jpg SOURCE MarketsandMarkets VANCOUVER, BC and TORONTO, July 4, 2023 /PRNewswire/ - BZAM Ltd. (the "Company" or "BZAM") (CSE: BZAM) (US-OTC: BZAMF), a leading Canadian cannabis producer, is pleased to announce that, as planned following the Company's recent merger in November 2022, it has now completed the disposal of Galaxie Brands Corporation via a share purchase agreement (the "Transaction") whereby it will sell all of the issued and outstanding shares in the capital of Galaxie to a third party for $556,522 less usual post closing adjustments. This is materially consistent with the valuation of Galaxie assets and liabilities that were deemed "Held for Sale" in the Company's most recent interim unaudited financial statements. In conjunction with the Transaction, the Company and its Lender agreed to amend the terms of the amended and restated credit agreement dated September 29, 2021, as amended (the "Credit Agreement"), between The Green Organic Dutchman Ltd. (the "Borrower"), a wholly-owned subsidiary of BZAM, and its Canadian lender (the "Lender"). The Lender and the Borrower have agreed to enter into a fifth amendment to the Credit Agreement (the "Fifth Amendment") to: (i) amend the EBITDA financial covenant to take effect on July 31, 2023; (ii) reduce the term portion of the credit facility by the greater of (a) $3 million or (b) fifty percent (50%) of the net proceeds of the sale of the Company's Cedar Way property and the Midway property, with increased availability under the revolving portion of the credit facility by same amount; and (iii) make certain prepayments on the term portion of the credit facility commencing on or after September, on a reasonable monthly basis to be determined by the Agent. For clarity, this amendment does not result in a reduction of availability on the credit facility; any reduction in the term portion of the facility is added to the availability under the revolving portion of the facility. All other terms of the Credit Agreement will remain materially consistent. About BZAM Ltd. BZAM Ltd. (CSE: BZAM) (USOTC: BZAMF) is a leading Canadian cannabis producer with a focus on branded consumer goods, innovation, quality, consistency, integrity and transparency. The BZAM family includes core brands BZAM, TGOD, ness, Highly Dutch Organic, TABLE TOP, and partner brands Dunn Cannabis, FRESH and Wyld. BZAM operates facilities in BC, Alberta, Ontario and Quebec, as well as retail stores in Winnipeg, Manitoba, and Regina, Saskatchewan. BZAM's Shares and certain warrants issued under the indentures dated June 12, 2020, October 23, 2020 and December 10, 2020 currently trade on the CSE under the symbol "BZAM", "BZAM.WR", "BZAM.WA", and "BZAM.WB" respectively. BZAM's Shares trade in the U.S. on the OTCQX under the symbol "BZAMF". For more information on BZAM Ltd., please visit www.bzam.com. Cautionary Statements This news release includes statements containing certain "forwardlooking information" within the meaning of applicable securities law ("forwardlooking statements"). Forward looking statements in this release include, but are not limited to, statements about future EBITDA, statements about the offering of any particular products by the Company and statements regarding the future performance of the Company, statements about funding availability, statements about future repayments of loans, statements about growth and delivery of products, and statements about the future sales of any assets. Forwardlooking statements are frequently characterized by words such as "plan", "continue", "expect", "project", "intend", "should", "believe", "anticipate", "estimate", "may", "will", "potential", "proposed" and other similar words, or statements that certain events or conditions "may" or "will" occur. These statements are only predictions. Various assumptions were used in drawing the conclusions or making the projections contained in the forwardlooking statements throughout this news release, such as assumptions that the Company's financial trajectory will continue, the Company not having any issues with regulators, cultivation patterns at the Company's facilities continuing and there not being significant disruptions in cultivation such as disease or shortages in resources, the Company being insulated from supply chain issues and inflation affecting the global economy, the Company being able to access the capital markets and existing lenders for necessary funding, when necessary, demand for the Company's products continuing as expected and based on past trends. Forwardlooking statements are based on the opinions and estimates of management at the date the statements are made and are subject to a variety of risks and uncertainties (including market conditions) and other factors that could cause actual events or results to differ materially from those projected in the forwardlooking statements, including those risk factors described in Management's Discussion and Analysis and the Company's most recent Annual Information Form filed with Canadian securities regulators and available on the Company's issuer profile on SEDAR at www.sedar.com. Although the Company believes that the assumptions and factors used in preparing the forward-looking information or forward-looking statements in this news release are reasonable, undue reliance should not be placed on such information and no assurance can be given that such events will occur in the disclosed time frames or at all. The forward-looking information and forward-looking statements included in this news release are made as of the date of this news release. The Company is under no obligation, and expressly disclaims any intention or obligation, to update or revise any forwardlooking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as expressly required by applicable law. Neither the CSE nor the CSE's Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of CSE) accept responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. SOURCE BZAM LTD. NEW YORK, July 4, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The Champagne Market size is estimated to grow by USD 2.06 billion from 2021 to 2026. The market is estimated to be growing at a CAGR of 5.4% during the forecast period. Europe is estimated to account for 35% of the market growth during the forecast period. Around 80% of the champagne consumed worldwide is produced in France using traditional methods and ingredients. The significant production of grapes, particularly in France, makes Europe the largest regional market. Moreover, people prefer drinks with reduced alcohol content as they work to adopt a healthy lifestyle and many manufacturers have created natural flavors like fruity, sweet, and nutty to satisfy this need. Hence, such factors drive the regional market growth during the forecast period. For comprehensive details on the market size of historic period(2017 to 2021) and forecast period (2023-2027) - View Sample report Technavio has announced its latest market research report titled Global Champagne Market 2022-2026 Champagne market - Vendor Landscape The champagne market is fragmented; the vendors are competing with competitors and are trying to get a greater market share. The market is growing, and the chances of new entrants cannot be overlooked. The major vendors have well-established economies of scale and market presence and generally rely on positioning technological advances and the price of the products -The report provides a full list of key vendors, their strategies, and the latest developments. Buy Now Champagne Market - Market Dynamics Major Drivers & Challenges- Growing demand from millennials drives the growth of the champagne market during the forecast period. Individuals in the age group of 24-40 years are generally known as Millennials. They constitute a major segment of the global population. Millennials increasingly become aware of the authenticity of different types of alcoholic beverages, including champagne. Such interest in alcoholic beverages is mainly driven by the expanding multicultural group of consumers and the growing influence of social media. Hence, millennials account for a majority of the demand for different varieties of champagne, which will have a positive impact on the growth of the global champagne market during the forecast period. Campaigns against alcohol consumption impede market growth during the forecast period. The growing incidence of alcohol abuse and alcohol-related accidents, especially among the younger population, has led to many regulatory and social organizations launching campaigns against alcohol consumption. In October 2021, Gaon Connection collaborated with the World Health Organization (WHO) to initiate campaigns against alcohol abuse in Goa. Similarly, the 'Alcohol. Furthermore, alcohol Concern is a non-profit organization involved in conducting various campaigns against the consumption of alcohol and its ill effects in England and Wales. Hence, such challenges impede market growth during the forecast period. Key Trends- Expansion of the e-commerce sector is an emerging market trend shaping the Champagne market. The availability of online stores and online specialty retailers provides a wide range of choices to consumers. Additionally, online shopping convenience is also a factor, as consumers are more comfortable with online shopping. This preference is because it allows them to compare the prices of alcoholic beverages such as champagne. Moreover, the evolving landscape of the global retail industry is enabling vendors to develop online strategies to target new market segments and retain old customers. Hence, such trends boost the market growth during the forecast period. Technavio has identified key trends, drivers, and challenges in the market, which will help clients improve their strategies to stay ahead of their competitors. - View Sample Report Company Profiles The champagne market report includes information on the product launches, sustainability, and prospects of leading vendors, including Champagne GH Martel, Champagne Laurent Perrier, Champagne Louis Roederer, Champagne Nicolas Feuillatte, Champagne Piper Heidsieck, Champagne Taittinger CCVC, Champagne Veuve A.Devaux, CONSTELLATION BRANDS INC., E. and J. Gallo Winery, F. Korbel and Bros, LANSON BCC, LVMH Moet Hennessy Louis Vuitton SE, Pernod Ricard SA, Remy Cointreau SA, THIENOT SAS Co., Veuve Clicquot Ponsardin, and VRANKEN POMMERY MONOPOLE. Competitive Analysis The report includes competitive analysis, a proprietary tool to analyze and evaluate the position of companies based on their industry position score and market performance score. The competitive scenario categorizes companies based on various performance indicators. Some of the factors considered include the financial performance of companies over the past few years, growth strategies, product innovations, new product launches, investments, and growth in market share, among others. Champagne market - Market Segmentation This report extensively covers the champagne market segmentation by distribution Channel (offline and online) and geography (Europe, North America, APAC, South America, and the Middle East and Africa). The market share growth by the offline segment will be significant for market growth during the forecast period. The most common offline distribution channels for champagne include individual retailers, supermarkets, hypermarkets, and alcoholic beverage outlets. These distribution channels allow consumers to choose from a large variety of champagne products as they have dedicated sections for different brands. Moreover, offline distribution channels have cost advantages, as they do not have to bear the additional cost of seating, which will drive segment growth. Gain instant access to 17,000+ market research reports. Technavio's SUBSCRIPTION platform Related Reports: The Beer Market size is estimated to grow by USD 141.28 billion between 2022 and 2027 growing at a CAGR of 3.7% during the forecast period. This beer market report extensively covers market segmentation by Packaging (bottles and cans), Distribution Channel (on-trade and off-trade), and Geography (APAC, Europe, North America, South America, and Middle East and Africa). The demand for beer is experiencing a notable upsurge in emerging economies like India, China, Brazil, Vietnam, and South Africa. The alcohol beverages market size in US is expected to increase by USD 37.14 billion from 2021 to 2026, and the market's growth momentum will accelerate at a CAGR of 2.62%. Furthermore, this report extensively covers the alcohol beverages market in US segmentation by product (beer, wine, and spirits) and distribution channel (off-trade and on-trade). The new product launches are notably driving the alcoholic beverages market growth in the US. Champagne Market Scope Report Coverage Details Base year 2021 Historic period 2017-2021 Forecast period 2022-2026 Growth momentum & CAGR Accelerate at a CAGR of 5.4% Market growth 2022-2026 USD 2.06 billion Market structure Fragmented YoY growth 2022-2023 (%) 5.0 Regional analysis Europe, North America, APAC, South America, and Middle East and Africa Performing market contribution Europe at 35% Key countries US, China, Japan, Germany, Italy, and France Competitive landscape Leading Vendors, Market Positioning of Vendors, Competitive Strategies, and Industry Risks Key companies profiled Champagne GH Martel, Champagne Laurent Perrier, Champagne Louis Roederer, Champagne Nicolas Feuillatte, Champagne Piper Heidsieck, Champagne Taittinger CCVC, Champagne Veuve A.Devaux, CONSTELLATION BRANDS INC., E. and J. Gallo Winery, F. Korbel and Bros, LANSON BCC, LVMH Moet Hennessy Louis Vuitton SE, Pernod Ricard SA, Remy Cointreau SA, THIENOT SAS Co., Veuve Clicquot Ponsardin, and VRANKEN POMMERY MONOPOLE Market dynamics Parent market analysis, Market growth inducers and obstacles, Fast-growing and slow-growing segment analysis, COVID-19 impact and recovery analysis and future consumer dynamics, Market condition analysis for 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 Global Market Characteristics Exhibit 04: Executive Summary Chart on Market by Geography Exhibit 05: Executive Summary Chart on Market Segmentation by Distribution Channel Exhibit 06: Executive Summary Chart on Incremental Growth Exhibit 07: Executive Summary Data Table on Incremental Growth Exhibit 08: Executive Summary Chart on Vendor Market Positioning 2 Market Landscape 2.1 Market ecosystem Exhibit 09: Parent market Exhibit 10: Market Characteristics 3 Market Sizing 3.1 Market definition Exhibit 11: Offerings of vendors included in the market definition 3.2 Market segment analysis Exhibit 12: Market segments 3.3 Market size 2021 3.4 Market outlook: Forecast for 2021-2026 Exhibit 13: Chart on Global - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) Exhibit 14: Data Table on Global - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) Exhibit 15: Chart on Global Market: Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) Exhibit 16: Data Table on Global Market: Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) 4 Five Forces Analysis 4.1 Five forces summary Exhibit 17: Five forces analysis - Comparison between 2021 and 2026 4.2 Bargaining power of buyers Exhibit 18: Chart on Bargaining power of buyers Impact of key factors 2021 and 2026 4.3 Bargaining power of suppliers Exhibit 19: Bargaining power of suppliers Impact of key factors in 2021 and 2026 4.4 Threat of new entrants Exhibit 20: Threat of new entrants Impact of key factors in 2021 and 2026 4.5 Threat of substitutes Exhibit 21: Threat of substitutes Impact of key factors in 2021 and 2026 4.6 Threat of rivalry Exhibit 22: Threat of rivalry Impact of key factors in 2021 and 2026 4.7 Market condition Exhibit 23: Chart on Market condition - Five forces 2021 and 2026 5 Market Segmentation by Distribution Channel 5.1 Market segments Exhibit 24: Chart on Distribution Channel - Market share 2021-2026 (%) Exhibit 25: Data Table on Distribution Channel - Market share 2021-2026 (%) 5.2 Comparison by Distribution Channel Exhibit 26: Chart on Comparison by Distribution Channel Exhibit 27: Data Table on Comparison by Distribution Channel 5.3 Offline - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 Exhibit 28: Chart on Offline - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) Exhibit 29: Data Table on Offline - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) Exhibit 30: Chart on Offline - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) Exhibit 31: Data Table on Offline - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) 5.4 Online - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 Exhibit 32: Chart on Online - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) Exhibit 33: Data Table on Online - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) Exhibit 34: Chart on Online - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) Exhibit 35: Data Table on Online - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) 5.5 Market opportunity by Distribution Channel Exhibit 36: Market opportunity by Distribution Channel ($ million) 6 Customer Landscape 6.1 Customer landscape overview Exhibit 37: Analysis of price sensitivity, lifecycle, customer purchase basket, adoption rates, and purchase criteria 7 Geographic Landscape 7.1 Geographic segmentation Exhibit 38: Chart on Market share by geography 2021-2026 (%) Exhibit 39: Data Table on Market share by geography 2021-2026 (%) 7.2 Geographic comparison Exhibit 40: Chart on Geographic comparison Exhibit 41: Data Table on Geographic comparison 7.3 Europe - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 Exhibit 42: Chart on Europe - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) Exhibit 43: Data Table on Europe - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) Exhibit 44: Chart on Europe - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) Exhibit 45: Data Table on Europe - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) 7.4 North America - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 Exhibit 46: Chart on North America - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) Exhibit 47: Data Table on North America - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) Exhibit 48: Chart on North America - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) Exhibit 49: Data Table on North America - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) 7.5 APAC - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 Exhibit 50: Chart on APAC - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) Exhibit 51: Data Table on APAC - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) Exhibit 52: Chart on APAC - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) Exhibit 53: Data Table on APAC - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) 7.6 South America - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 Exhibit 54: Chart on South America - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) Exhibit 55: Data Table on South America - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) Exhibit 56: Chart on South America - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) Exhibit 57: Data Table on South America - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) 7.7 Middle East and Africa - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 and - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 Exhibit 58: Chart on Middle East and Africa - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) and - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) Exhibit 59: Data Table on Middle East and Africa - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) and - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) Exhibit 60: Chart on Middle East and Africa - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) and - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) Exhibit 61: Data Table on Middle East and Africa - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) 7.8 US - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 Exhibit 62: Chart on US - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) Exhibit 63: Data Table on US - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) Exhibit 64: Chart on US - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) Exhibit 65: Data Table on US - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) 7.9 Germany - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 Exhibit 66: Chart on Germany - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) Exhibit 67: Data Table on Germany - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) Exhibit 68: Chart on Germany - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) Exhibit 69: Data Table on Germany - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) 7.10 China - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 Exhibit 70: Chart on China - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) Exhibit 71: Data Table on China - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) Exhibit 72: Chart on China - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) Exhibit 73: Data Table on China - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) 7.11 Italy - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 Exhibit 74: Chart on Italy - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) Exhibit 75: Data Table on Italy - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) Exhibit 76: Chart on Italy - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) Exhibit 77: Data Table on Italy - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) 7.12 France - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 Exhibit 78: Chart on France - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) Exhibit 79: Data Table on France - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) Exhibit 80: Chart on France - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) Exhibit 81: Data Table on France - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) 7.13 Japan - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 Exhibit 82: Chart on Japan - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) Exhibit 83: Data Table on Japan - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) Exhibit 84: Chart on Japan - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) Exhibit 85: Data Table on Japan - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) 7.14 Market opportunity by geography Exhibit 86: Market opportunity by geography ($ million) 8 Drivers, Challenges, and Trends 8.1 Market drivers 8.2 Market challenges 8.3 Impact of drivers and challenges Exhibit 87: Impact of drivers and challenges in 2021 and 2026 8.4 Market trends 9 Vendor Landscape 9.1 Overview 9.2 Vendor landscape Exhibit 88: Overview on Criticality of inputs and Factors of differentiation 9.3 Landscape disruption Exhibit 89: Overview on factors of disruption 9.4 Industry risks Exhibit 90: Impact of key risks on business 10 Vendor Analysis 10.1 Vendors covered Exhibit 91: Vendors covered 10.2 Market positioning of vendors Exhibit 92: Matrix on vendor position and classification 10.3 Champagne Laurent Perrier Exhibit 93: Champagne Laurent Perrier - Overview Exhibit 94: Champagne Laurent Perrier - Product / Service Exhibit 95: Champagne Laurent Perrier - Key offerings 10.4 Champagne Nicolas Feuillatte Exhibit 96: Champagne Nicolas Feuillatte - Overview Exhibit 97: Champagne Nicolas Feuillatte - Product / Service Exhibit 98: Champagne Nicolas Feuillatte - Key offerings 10.5 Champagne Piper Heidsieck Exhibit 99: Champagne Piper Heidsieck - Overview Exhibit 100: Champagne Piper Heidsieck - Product / Service Exhibit 101: Champagne Piper Heidsieck - Key offerings 10.6 Champagne Taittinger CCVC Exhibit 102: Champagne Taittinger CCVC - Overview Exhibit 103: Champagne Taittinger CCVC - Product / Service Exhibit 104: Champagne Taittinger CCVC - Key offerings 10.7 LANSON BCC Exhibit 105: LANSON BCC - Overview Exhibit 106: LANSON BCC - Product / Service Exhibit 107: LANSON BCC - Key offerings 10.8 LVMH Moet Hennessy Louis Vuitton SE Exhibit 108: LVMH Moet Hennessy Louis Vuitton SE - Overview Exhibit 109: LVMH Moet Hennessy Louis Vuitton SE - Business segments Exhibit 110: LVMH Moet Hennessy Louis Vuitton SE - Key news Exhibit 111: LVMH Moet Hennessy Louis Vuitton SE - Key offerings Exhibit 112: LVMH Moet Hennessy Louis Vuitton SE - Segment focus 10.9 Pernod Ricard SA Exhibit 113: Pernod Ricard SA - Overview Exhibit 114: Pernod Ricard SA - Product / Service Exhibit 115: Pernod Ricard SA - Key offerings 10.10 THIENOT SAS Co. Exhibit 116: THIENOT SAS Co. - Overview Exhibit 117: THIENOT SAS Co. - Product / Service Exhibit 118: THIENOT SAS Co. - Key offerings 10.11 Veuve Clicquot Ponsardin Exhibit 119: Veuve Clicquot Ponsardin - Overview Exhibit 120: Veuve Clicquot Ponsardin - Product / Service Exhibit 121: Veuve Clicquot Ponsardin - Key offerings 10.12 VRANKEN POMMERY MONOPOLE Exhibit 122: VRANKEN POMMERY MONOPOLE - Overview Exhibit 123: VRANKEN POMMERY MONOPOLE - Product / Service Exhibit 124: VRANKEN POMMERY MONOPOLE - Key offerings 11 Appendix 11.1 Scope of the report 11.2 Inclusions and exclusions checklist Exhibit 125: Inclusions checklist Exhibit 126: Exclusions checklist 11.3 Currency conversion rates for US$ Exhibit 127: Currency conversion rates for US$ 11.4 Research methodology Exhibit 128: Research methodology Exhibit 129: Validation techniques employed for market sizing Exhibit 130: Information sources 11.5 List of abbreviations Exhibit 131: 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 provide actionable insights to help businesses identify market opportunities and develop effective strategies to optimize their market positions. With over 500 specialized analysts, Technavio's report library consists of more than 17,000 reports and counting, covering 800 technologies, spanning 50 countries. Their client base consists of enterprises of all sizes, including more than 100 Fortune 500 companies. This growing client base relies on Technavio's comprehensive coverage, extensive research, and actionable market insights to identify opportunities in existing and potential markets and assess their competitive positions within changing market scenarios. Contact Technavio Research Jesse Maida Media & Marketing Executive US: +1 844 364 1100 UK: +44 203 893 3200 Email: [email protected] Website: www.technavio.com SOURCE Technavio GUANGZHOU, China, July 3, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- On June 3, AION, a leading new energy vehicle manufacturer, hosted the Offline Ceremony of the 20 Millionth New Energy Automobile in China. The event gathered leaders from national ministries including the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, provincial and municipal departments, industry organizations, and leading new energy automotive enterprises. Along with other new energy automobile manufacturers, AION was a witness to multiple new achievements of the industry's scale-up development. The Offline Ceremony of the 20 Millionth New Energy Automobile in China. As China celebrates this industry milestone, AION is also celebrating the official release of one of it's most advanced models. The record-setting model in question is the Hyper GT, a high-end electric sedan under Hyper, AION's new premium marque, produced in the company's intelligent manufacturing base in Guangzhou, China. The achievement of China achieving the milestone of 20 million new energy vehicle has left the European and American industry astounded by the remarkable pace of development and incredible technological advancements in the Chinese new energy automotive industry. Hyper GT: Globally Competitive Technology, Cutting-Edge Design First unveiled at the Guanghzhou Auto Show last year as the Hyper marque's debut model, the Hyper GT executive sedan has now officially launched a total of 5 versions, including 560km, 600km, and 710km cruising range models. Combining top-class design features with the latest battery and EV platform tech available, the car comes in at a price range of RMB 219, 900 to RMB 339, 900, and is now officially ready for mass production. The Hyper GT boasts a powerful combination of features that makes it a strong contender in the premium market for new energy sedans. An extensive and independent sales network for the new Hyper marque, which will expand into at least 350 dealerships by the end of the year, has already been set up to help establish the brand among tech-savvy, high-end buyers. Featuring scissor-action front doors that swing open upwards to provide a supercar-like access to its seats, the 5-seater Hyper GT delivers the ultimate sporty experience in an electric sedan. For the rest of the body, the company's international design team focused on building flowing body lines and features that enhanced its aerodynamic performance such the self-raising "Wind Blade Grille" which adds downforce at high speeds cutting Hyper GT's air drag coefficient to 0.197, the lowest among current production EVs. The clean, modernist design continues in the interiors. Inside, a minimal layout is made possible by a floating 14.6-inch touchscreen dashboard in the center console and an ultra-thin LCD instrument panel. Top quality Nappa leather envelope the seats to ensure a super soft and comfortable experience for driver and passengers alike. What's more, the Hyper GT's Dolby Atmos sound system can guarantee a concert hall-like sound experience with a configuration of 23 premium HiFi speakers and exceptional NVH performance. The high-end electric sedan Hyper GT represents the epitome of Chinese beauty, perfectly capturing the essence of its design and technology. It stands at the forefront globally, making it incredibly captivating and impossible to resist its charm. Next-Gen Technology and the Rise of Chinese High-end EV Market The Hyper GT is built on AION's exclusive AEP 3.0 new generation pure electric platform, which has been upgraded to support 480kW quick charging and battery-swapping technology. Just 15 minutes of charging can replenish its battery level to a 350km range. As an alternative solution, users can also exchange depleted battery packs in as fast as 2 minutes. An expansion plan for both Hyper's regular charging station and vehicle-to-grid network has since been announced to accommodate the anticipated growth in electricity demand from Hyper GT's improved battery performances. On top of innovative battery tech, the Hyper GT also boasts high-performance rear-wheel drive control. In its single-motor layout, the sedan can generate an output of 250 kW and 434 Nm of torque, with a zero to 100km/hr acceleration time of just 4 seconds. A dual-motor model will also be available in the near future. With the Hyper GT featuring these world-leading EV and ICV technologies, its arrival represents the rise of Chinese high-end EV brands and a significant new benchmark for the Chinese new energy automobile industries. 20 Million Vehicles: Signposting a New Era of Chinese EVs Reaching the landmark 20 million figure has been a significant moment in China's new energy history, which saw the first car of this kind being produced in 1995. This is significant not only because it is symbolic of the meteoric rise of China's high-end new energy car companies, but also as a concrete result of the overall growth of China's automobile industry. In contrast to striving to catch up in the field of gas vehicles in the past, China has now taken the lead in the field of new energy vehicles. The country's new energy vehicle market has seen considerable growth, exporting 348,000 units in the first four months of 2023 to reach a 170% year-on-year increase. As one of the most popular EV brands in the world, AION, a GAC brand that solely focuses on EVs, totaled 209,336 units in sales volume as of June this year, with figures jumping 108.8% year-on-year. Furthermore, in China, AION's new energy sales volume has exceeded that of all traditional automotive joint ventures combined. The company has recently been leveraging its full-stack research capabilities for both EV and ICVs to self-develop core technologies such as battery, and electric drive. Huge strides have been made successfully in China for years, and now, the brand has officially begun to expand into Thailand and Southeast Asia, with goals of full internationalization beyond. The arrival of Hyper GT as the 20 millionth new energy vehicle in China reflects AION's dominant capabilities in developing top quality and innovation-driven electric cars. Its launch is part of the carmaker's long-term business blueprint to step up and take on the premium market segment for BEVs on the international stage. The Hyper GT, with its independent, class-leading technologies and supercar-esque designs, represents China's position on the global stage and its leadership in shaping the new era of the global new energy automotive industry. With its cutting-edge innovations and commitment to pushing boundaries, the Hyper GT showcases China's capabilities and competes with international manufacturers. SOURCE AION In this trend, BDM Digital, a means of payment based on blockchain, expands its position in the market. It is a pioneer digital currency both in technology and in concept in the country and remains at the forefront of expanding its products CAMPO GRANDE, Brazil, July 4, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Although the main use of cryptocurrencies in Brazil is for investments (according to the Central Bank), the use of digital assets as a means of payment has grown in the country in recent months. Data from a recent survey show that around 25% of Brazilians are willing to use cryptocurrencies to make payments at commercial establishments. In Brazil, more than a thousand companies already accept digital currencies as a payment method, according to the CoinMap platform. Globally, that number jumps to almost 30,000 commercial establishments. BDM Digital headquarters in Brazil Technology advances by leaps and bounds, bringing with it innovations that make people's lives easier. An example of this is BDM Digital, a blockchain-based payment method that offers an alternative payment method to traditional credit and debit cards. To use it, the customer just informs the cashier that they want to pay with that currency, and in a matter of seconds, a QR Code is generated on the computer screen. The customer points the cell phone at the code and makes the payment instantly. To get an idea of its purchasing power, just two coins of this cryptocurrency are enough to buy a 5-kilogram bag of rice. Another advantage of BDM is its high performance. In recent times, its growth margin has surpassed the 375% mark, which demonstrates a high investment potential. Recently, BDM launched a campaign called "treasure hunt" where it offered one of its investors a prize of one million cryptocurrency assets. The president of the holding that controls BDM Digital, Urandir Fernandes, is a businessman who remains focused on what is most innovative in terms of new technologies. And he points out: People are starting to look at cryptocurrencies as a substitute for official money and notes printed on paper. Until 2021, the general population saw cryptocurrency as an investment asset like shares on the Stock Exchange, and not as a means for day-to-day purchases. But this is changing, and we are investing in this trend. SOURCE BDM Digital Shanghai (Gasgoo)- On July 3, the momentous production of the 20 millionth new energy vehicle (NEV) in China was marked with an event in Guangzhou, according to a report from Xinhua News Agency. The significant vehicle is a Hyper GT all-electric car from GAC AIONs premium auto sub-brand Hyper. The model officially hit the market on the same day. Photo credit: GAC AION Xin Guobin, Vice Minister of Chinas Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT), addressed the occasion, stating that, "New energy vehicles are not only a key direction in the global auto industry's transformation and green development but also a strategic choice for high-quality development of China's auto industry. The journey of our auto industry over the past 70 years, from nothing to something, from small to large, and from weak to strong, is encapsulated in the production of the 20 millionth NEV, marking an historically significant moment." According to statistics from the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers, in the first five months of this year, China produced and sold approximately 3.005 million and 2.94 million NEVs, respectively, reflecting a year-on-year growth of 45.1% and 46.8%. The penetration rate of new energy vehicles (proportion of NEVs to total new vehicle sales) reached 27.7%. Fu Bingfeng, the Executive Vice President and Secretary General of the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers, observed, "The rapid development of China's NEV industry in recent years has been truly remarkable. In September 2020, the cumulative production of NEVs in China exceeded 5 million, achieving the target proposed in the 'Energy Saving and New Energy Vehicle Industry Development Plan (2012-2020)'. In February 2022, this figure broke through 10 million. Today, we welcomed the 20 millionth vehicle off the line, taking only one year and five months to produce the second 10 million units." Currently, China has established a comprehensive and synergistic NEV industry system and cultivated the world's largest consumer market. For eight consecutive years, China's production of NEVs has topped the global charts. The MIIT announced that the next steps include optimizing policies to support the purchase and use of NEVs, encouraging enterprises to diversify the supply of NEVs, and accelerating the progress of scientific and technological innovation in NEVs and the development of related industries. This continuous push for innovation and sustainable practices further bolsters China's position as a leading player in the global NEV market. OXFORD, England, July 4, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Diligencia, the leading provider of corporate intelligence solutions in the Middle East & Africa, and Red Sea Global, the visionary developer owned by Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund (PIF), announced a new partnership today that will enable Red Sea Global to forge new business relationships whilst meeting the highest standards of regulatory compliance. Diligencia announce compliance contract win with Red Sea Global (PRNewsfoto/Diligencia) As a cornerstone of Saudi Arabia's Vision 2030, Red Sea Global is spearheading a new model of development as it builds two major responsible and regenerative tourism destinations, The Red Sea and Amaala. Now, with access via ClarifiedBy.com to Diligencia's database of over 15.5 million organisation and people profiles across the MEA region, Red Sea Global will be able to research each potential counterparty in detail to ensure it only selects partners that share its commercial and ethical values. "We pride ourselves on good governance, taking a comprehensive approach to setting new standards in compliance and risk management. Understanding who our business partners are is crucial to achieving this. Diligencia is able to provide the information we need ahead of onboarding new partners," said Tareq Musmali, Group Chief Internal Audit Officer at Red Sea Global. Before a company selects a supplier, acquires another entity, or agrees to a new joint venture, it needs to conduct thorough due diligence to ensure the proposed counterparty is financially sound and will not expose it to unexpected risks. Typically, it might wish to check the counterparty's constitutional documents, assets, material contracts and insurance policies before making a decision, but this can be a significant challenge in jurisdictions where publicly available records are limited. Through the ClarifiedBy.com portal, Red Sea Global can now view a company's registration details, ownership structures, and management and director profiles, as well as checking for adverse media reports and data on global sanctions or politically exposed persons (PEPs). Because of the way Diligencia's data is curated, the teams at Red Sea Global are also able to navigate connections between organisations and individuals, scan wider corporate structures, and identify ultimate beneficial owners within and across multiple jurisdictions. "Diligencia is committed to helping our clients access clear, reliable company information to inform their everyday business decisions," says Nouri Bakkali, Managing Director of Diligencia. "We are delighted to be working with Red Sea Global to assist with their third-party due diligence." About Diligencia Diligencia is the leading provider of legal entity data and corporate intelligence in the Middle East & Africa. We help customers from around the world to find essential information on organisations registered in the region, drawing from primary sources that are otherwise hard to find. Using our curated data, we enable our clients to effectively manage their compliance obligations, market strategies and counterparty risks in the MEA region. Established in 2008, we use agile technology and human insight to extract unstructured data on companies in territories where public domain information is not readily available. From our headquarters in Oxford, UK and offices in Tangier, Morocco and Dubai, UAE we provide the information our clients need to develop the right relationships or opportunities, mitigate risk, comply with regulations, and accelerate their decision-making. For more information, visit www.diligenciagroup.com About Red Sea Global Red Sea Global (RSG) is a closed joint-stock company wholly owned by the Public Investment Fund (PIF) of Saudi Arabia. RSG is a global multi-project developer, seeking to lead the world towards a more sustainable future, showing how responsible and regenerative development can uplift communities, drive economies, and enhance the environment. The protection of natural capital is central to all development decisions, as the organization seeks to create a better future for all. A cornerstone of Saudi Arabia's Vision 2030 ambition to diversify its economy, RSG is playing a key role in transforming the nation, by creating exciting opportunities for young Saudi talent and the private sector, as it develops built assets and destinations across multiple sectors that make a positive impact for people and planet. RSG is the visionary company behind some of the world's most ambitious development ventures, including luxury regenerative tourism destinations such as The Red Sea and AMAALA. Across its portfolio, RSG leverages the most innovative concepts, strategies, and technologies to deliver projects that actively enhance the wellbeing of customers, communities, and environments. For more information, visit www.redseaglobal.com Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2146705/Diligencia_Partnership_Red_Sea_Global.jpg SOURCE Diligencia BRUSSELS, July 4, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Dstny, a leading European provider of cloud-based business communications, today announced the appointment of Christophe Costers as Chief Operating Officer. Christophe who is an experienced business leader with a strong track record in transformational management, will drive Dstny's business performance and sustainable growth. Christophe Costers brings nearly 20 years of diverse experience in various business functions, including P&L ownership, strategy consulting, and entrepreneurship. In addition, he has extensive industry expertise in Telecom/ICT services and private equity. Costers has solid international experience in over 25 countries in developed and emerging markets. Most recently, he held several senior management roles at Telenet, a leading Belgian Telco with ~2.6Bn revenues, where he consistently demonstrated exceptional performance and leadership. "Our industry is undergoing rapid transformation, and Christophe's unique blend of skills and experience make him the ideal person to lead our business performance initiatives," said Daan De Wever, CEO of Dstny. "With Christophe on board, we are confident in our ability to accelerate our growth and boost vitality for our customers, partners, employees, and planet." "I am thrilled to join Dstny and work alongside a talented team to further strengthen the company's position as a leader in cloud-based Business Communications," said Christophe. "I look forward to leveraging my experience to drive sustainable growth and help Dstny deliver exceptional value to our customers and partners." About Dstny Dstny is a premier European provider of cloud-based business communications solutions. With more than 3 million users, Dstny simplifies communication for companies, partners, and service providers with interactive tools delivered as-a-service across all formats, including voice, video, and chat. Featuring a mobile-first design and easy integration, Dstny's innovative technology and strong local partnerships allow for delivering exceptional user experiences. Headquartered in Brussels, Dstny has ca. 1000 employees in 7 European countries and a ca. 250 million annual revenue. Learn more at www.dstny.com. Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1927871/4143431/Dstny_Logo.jpg For further information: Christian Hed CMO Dstny [email protected] +46707187603 SOURCE Dstny CHICAGO, July 4, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- IoT and connected device adoption will increase, 5G networks will be integrated, edge AI and machine learning will grow, and a continuum from edge to cloud will be created. The trajectory of edge computing will also be influenced by applications that are industry-specific, improved security and privacy safeguards, and a cooperative edge computing ecosystem. The Edge Computing Market size is expected to grow from USD 53.6 billion in 2023 to USD 111.3 billion by 2028, at a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 15.7% during the forecast period, according to a new report by MarketsandMarkets. The advancements in hardware technology, open-source software and development tools, surge in adoption of cloud computing services, and the growth of IoT, requirement of a distributed computing paradigm that brings computation and data storage closer to the location where it is sought are a few factors driving the growth of the Edge Computing Market. Browse in-depth TOC on "Edge Computing Market" 269 - Tables 58 - Figures 285 - Pages Download PDF Brochure @ https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/pdfdownloadNew.asp?id=133384090 Scope of the Report Report Metrics Details Market size available for years 2017-2028 Base year considered 2022 Forecast period 2023-2028 Forecast units Value (USD Million/USD Billion) Segments covered Components (Hardware, Software, and Services), Application (Smart Cities, Remote Monitoring), Organization Size, Vertical, and Regions Regions covered North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Middle East and Africa, and Latin America Companies covered Cisco (US), AWS (US), Dell Technologies (US), Google (US), HPE (US), Huawei (China), IBM (US), Intel (US), Litmus Automation (US), Microsoft (US), Nokia (Finland), ADLINK (Taiwan), Axellio (US), Capgemini (France), ClearBlade (US), Digi International (US), Fastly (US), StackPath (US), Vapor IO (US), GE Digital (US), Moxa (Taiwan), Sierra Wireless (Canada), Juniper Networks (US), EdgeConnex (US), Belden (US), Saguna Networks (Israel), Edge Intelligence (US), Edgeworx (US), Sunlight.io (UK), Mutable (US), Hivecell (US), Section (US), EdgeIQ (US) By component, hardware segment to record the second highest CAGR during the forecast period The hardware segment plays a crucial role in the Edge Computing Market. Edge computing involves processing data closer to its source rather than relying solely on centralized cloud infrastructure. This proximity to data sources requires specialized hardware components to enable efficient and reliable computing at the edge. Hardware in the Edge Computing Market includes devices such as edge servers, edge gateways, routers, switches, sensors, and other edge devices. These components are designed to handle the unique challenges of edge environments, including limited power and computing resources, harsh conditions, and low-latency requirements. Additionally, specialized hardware accelerators, such as graphics processing units (GPUs) and field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), are employed to enhance processing capabilities and enable tasks like real-time analytics, machine learning, and video processing at the edge. Therefore overall, the hardware segment is vital for enabling the infrastructure and computational capabilities necessary to support the growing demand for edge computing applications across various industries. By Application, Remote monitoring segment to exhibit significant growth during the forecast period Remote monitoring services for edge computing technology have been there for years. The new digital monitoring services utilize the latest technologies, such as cloud computing, data analytics, AI, and mobile communications. Organizations are finding edge computing to reduce latency and moving toward the decentralized edge and scattering IT infrastructure over multiple remote sites. In a time-sensitive business, where delivery of every data packet is critical to the business, edge computing can make a huge difference through localized efficient processing; for instance, in the oil and gas industry, seismic and sensor data are required to be frequently stored and physically shipped, which can result in costly delays. In such cases, edge computing helps balance processing loads and analyse telemetry data (irrespective of global distances) and improves business continuity by protecting against unplanned outages or data loss. Thus, with remote work on the rise and businesses utilizing digital platforms and services, edge computing functionalities will deliver faster, reliable, and cheaper data processing. Request Sample Pages @ https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/requestsampleNew.asp?id=133384090 By organization size, large enterprises follow SMEs and is showing significant growth in the market Organizations with more than 1,000 employees are categorized under the large enterprises segment. The traction of edge computing solutions in large enterprises is higher than in SMEs. This is due to their ability to adapt and leverage the benefits of advanced technologies, including edge computing. Enterprises have their offices across regions. The mentioned factors enable enterprises to provide a solution through real-time employee data access. Large enterprises are adopting edge computing solutions increasingly to enhance the operational efficiency of their businesses across regions. The Edge Computing Market is undergoing significant technological transitions, such as enhancement in personalized marketing, big data, social media, real-time solutions, and the use of analytics and ML. All these advancements are favourably welcomed and highly adopted by large organizations. According to a Business Today report in June 2022, edge computing can help large enterprises reduce network costs, avoid bandwidth constraints, reduce transmission delays, limit service failures, and provide better control over the movement of sensitive data. Advanced applications such as AI, proactive monitoring, predictable insights, AR and VR applications, benefit from computing at the edge. European region to record second highest CAGR in the Edge Computing Market in 2023 Europe has shown significant economic growth in the past few years, despite a dynamic regulatory environment. This is due to the rising expectations of companies in the region to improve their business efficiency by saving time and money. Hence, several major US-based edge computing companies have expanded in the region to build strong clientele and establish a base of operations overseas. Similarly, the regional technology providers are collaborating with the global edge computing providers to maintain a competitive edge, retain existing customers, and allure new ones. For instance, Siemens, a German industrial software provider, collaborated with SAS to create AI-embedded IoT analytics for the edge and cloud. This region's IT and telecommunication sector is expected to grab the largest market share. The region is leading in 5G deployment. Telecom operators in this region, along with the US, are expected to spend USD 185 billion by 2026. The region is expected to have 214 million 5G connections by 2025. Top Key Companies in Edge Computing Market: The Major Players for Edge Computing Market includes some of the key vendors as well as startups offering contact center solutions across the globe, which include Cisco (US), AWS (US), Dell Technologies (US), Google (US), HPE (US), Huawei (China), IBM (US), Intel (US), Litmus Automation (US), Microsoft (US), Nokia (Finland), ADLINK (Taiwan), Axellio (US), Capgemini (France), ClearBlade (US), Digi International (US), Fastly (US), StackPath (US), Vapor IO (US), GE Digital (US), Moxa (Taiwan), Sierra Wireless (Canada), Juniper Networks (US), EdgeConnex (US), Belden (US), Saguna Networks (Israel), Edge Intelligence (US), Edgeworx (US), Sunlight.io (UK), Mutable (US), Hivecell (US), Section (US), EdgeIQ (US). Inquiry Before Buying @ https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/Enquiry_Before_BuyingNew.asp?id=133384090 Recent Developments In May 2023 , Dell Technologies unveiled its NativeEdge platform that has the capability to ease the deployment and management complexities of edge devices for remote-focused firms. NativeEdge replaces Dell's Project Frontier, which was launched earlier. The new platform is designed as an edge computing platform that provides clients a choice around software, IoT, multi-cloud tools and operational technology to simplify, automate and manage edge infrastructure. , Dell Technologies unveiled its NativeEdge platform that has the capability to ease the deployment and management complexities of edge devices for remote-focused firms. NativeEdge replaces Dell's Project Frontier, which was launched earlier. The new platform is designed as an edge computing platform that provides clients a choice around software, IoT, multi-cloud tools and operational technology to simplify, automate and manage edge infrastructure. In April 2023 , Nokia launched 4 third-party applications for MX Industrial Edge, which would foster enterprises connect, collect, and analyze data from disparate sources, including video cameras, thereby unlocking its value from operational technology assets over a robust and secure on-premises edge. , Nokia launched 4 third-party applications for MX Industrial Edge, which would foster enterprises connect, collect, and analyze data from disparate sources, including video cameras, thereby unlocking its value from operational technology assets over a robust and secure on-premises edge. In April 2023 , Dell Technologies collaborated with Ericsson which will enable open cloud networks that allow customers to choose their own infrastructure while ensuring telco-grade performance at the far edge. Including Dell PowerEdge servers to Ericsson's Cloud RAN solution, including the PowerEdge XR8000 and XR5610, which are specifically designed for telecom, Open RAN and mobile edge-computing workloads, the company brings more choices and flexibility for Cloud RAN customers. Dell PowerEdge servers assist facilitating the Cloud RAN journey owing to their high performance, small form factors, resilience, and interconnectivity with the larger network(s). , Dell Technologies collaborated with Ericsson which will enable open cloud networks that allow customers to choose their own infrastructure while ensuring telco-grade performance at the far edge. Including Dell PowerEdge servers to Ericsson's Cloud RAN solution, including the PowerEdge XR8000 and XR5610, which are specifically designed for telecom, Open RAN and mobile edge-computing workloads, the company brings more choices and flexibility for Cloud RAN customers. Dell PowerEdge servers assist facilitating the Cloud RAN journey owing to their high performance, small form factors, resilience, and interconnectivity with the larger network(s). In February 2023 , Cisco introduced its Cisco Edge Intelligence, a solution by Cisco that improves data governance and control, fetching intelligent insights from connected assets to improve the competitiveness of an organization. It is built on Cisco's industry-leading multi-layered security. , Cisco introduced its Cisco Edge Intelligence, a solution by Cisco that improves data governance and control, fetching intelligent insights from connected assets to improve the competitiveness of an organization. It is built on Cisco's industry-leading multi-layered security. In February 2023 , the acquisition of Athonet by HPE will integrate Athonet's technology into its existing Communications Service Provider [CSP] and Aruba networking enterprise offerings to create a private networking portfolio which accelerates digital transformation from edge-to-cloud. Few benefits include enhanced private networks, accelerated private 5G deployments, new enterprise revenue streams for telecom companies with differentiated services leveraging 5G and Wi-Fi, management of operational complexity and cost efficiency with 5G orchestration and zero-touch automation to deliver newer workloads from edge-to-cloud. Edge Computing Advantages: Edge computing moves computational power closer to the end user's devices or the data source. By processing data locally instead of sending it to a centralised cloud or data centre, a considerable amount of latency is eliminated. Real-time processing and decision-making can take place at or close to the edge using edge computing, leading in quicker response times and better user experiences. Edge computing improves reliability and fault tolerance by dividing computing resources among numerous edge devices. Edge devices can carry on operating independently in the event of a network outage or disruption, ensuring that crucial operations are not hampered. Applications include industrial automation, healthcare, and transportation that depend on uninterrupted operations in particular need of this resilience. Edge computing works to reduce the load on network capacity by processing data close to the edge. Edge devices have the ability to filter, combine, and analyse data locally rather than sending enormous amounts of raw data to a central server or cloud for analysis. By decreasing the amount of data that must be transmitted across the network, bandwidth use is optimised, and expenses are reduced. By decreasing the attack surface and exposing less data, edge computing improves security and privacy capabilities. Processing locally reduces the likelihood of data breaches during transmission since sensitive data can be processed and examined without ever leaving the edge device. Additionally, by putting stringent territorial constraints on the storage of sensitive data, edge computing aids organisations in abiding by data sovereignty regulations. Edge computing is highly scalable and versatile since it supports distributed and modular design. The network can readily accommodate new edge devices, increasing computing capacity as required. For quickly developing industries like Internet of Things (IoT) installations, where a lot of devices create a lot of data that needs to be analysed in real-time, this scalability and flexibility is very helpful. Organisations can save money by using edge computing to lower their data processing, storage, and transmission expenses. Edge computing lowers the quantity of data that needs to be transferred to centralised servers or the cloud by processing data locally, which saves money on network traffic. Because only pertinent or aggregated data is delivered for subsequent analysis, it significantly reduces the need for extensive data storage infrastructure. Report Objectives To describe and forecast the Edge Computing Market based on components (hardware, software, and services), application, organization size, verticals, and regions. To forecast the market size of five main regions: North America , Europe , Asia Pacific , Middle East and Africa , and Latin America , , , and , and To analyze subsegments with respect to individual growth trends, prospects, and contributions to the total market To provide detailed information about major factors (drivers, restraints, opportunities, and challenges) influencing the growth of the market To analyze opportunities in the market for stakeholders and provide details of the competitive landscape for major players To comprehensively analyze the core competencies* of key players in the market To track and analyze the competitive developments, such as product/solution launches and enhancements; business expansions; acquisitions; and partnerships, contracts, and collaborations, in the market. Browse Adjacent Markets: Cloud Computing Market Research Reports & Consulting Related Reports: Confidential Computing Market - Global Forecast to 2028 Retail Cloud Market - Global Forecast to 2028 Cloud-based Quantum Computing Market - Global Forecast to 2028 Cloud Computing Market - Global Forecast to 2027 Cloud Compliance Market - Global Forecast to 2027 About MarketsandMarkets MarketsandMarkets is a blue ocean alternative in growth consulting and program management, leveraging a man-machine offering to drive supernormal growth for progressive organizations in the B2B space. We have the widest lens on emerging technologies, making us proficient in co-creating supernormal growth for clients. The B2B economy is witnessing the emergence of $25 trillion of new revenue streams that are substituting existing revenue streams in this decade alone. We work with clients on growth programs, helping them monetize this $25 trillion opportunity through our service lines - TAM Expansion, Go-to-Market (GTM) Strategy to Execution, Market Share Gain, Account Enablement, and Thought Leadership Marketing. Built on the 'GIVE Growth' principle, we work with several Forbes Global 2000 B2B companies - helping them stay relevant in a disruptive ecosystem. Our insights and strategies are molded by our industry experts, cutting-edge AI-powered Market Intelligence Cloud, and years of research. The KnowledgeStore (our Market Intelligence Cloud) integrates our research, facilitates an analysis of interconnections through a set of applications, helping clients look at the entire ecosystem and understand the revenue shifts happening in their industry. To find out more, visit www.MarketsandMarkets.com or follow us on Twitter, LinkedIn and Facebook. Contact: Mr. Aashish Mehra MarketsandMarkets INC. 630 Dundee Road Suite 430 Northbrook, IL 60062 USA: +1-888-600-6441 Email: [email protected] Research Insight: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/ResearchInsight/edge-computing-market.asp Visit Our Website: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/ Content Source: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/PressReleases/edge-computing.asp Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/660509/MarketsandMarkets_Logo.jpg SOURCE MarketsandMarkets NEW YORK, July 3, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The global education consulting market is estimated to grow by USD 677.89 million from 2022 to 2027, according to Technavio. The market is estimated to grow at a CAGR of 5.37% during the forecast period. Download a Sample Report now! Education consulting market Insights - Technavio has announced its latest market research report titled Global Education Consulting Market 2023-2027 Vendors : 15+, Including Anglia Education Consulting Ltd., Broils Consulting Group LLC, ClearView Consulting Co., Colton Strawser Consulting LLC, Credo, Edmentum Inc., Education Consulting Services LLC, Education Elements Inc., EducationCounsel LLC, ELITE SCHOLARS OF CHINA , Generation Ready Inc., Global Education Ltd., Innovatech Solutions Inc., Insight Education Group Inc., Jinan Overseas, Margery Ginsberg , My Learning Springboard Inc., Prismatic Services Inc., Singapore Education Consulting Group, and WhitworthKee Consulting, among others : 15+, Including Anglia Education Consulting Ltd., Broils Consulting Group LLC, ClearView Consulting Co., Colton Strawser Consulting LLC, Credo, Edmentum Inc., Education Consulting Services LLC, Education Elements Inc., EducationCounsel LLC, ELITE SCHOLARS OF , Generation Ready Inc., Global Education Ltd., Innovatech Solutions Inc., Insight Education Group Inc., Jinan Overseas, , My Learning Springboard Inc., Prismatic Services Inc., Singapore Education Consulting Group, and WhitworthKee Consulting, among others Coverage: Parent market analysis; key drivers, major trends, and challenges; customer and vendor landscape; vendor product insights and recent developments; key vendors; and market positioning of vendors Parent market analysis; key drivers, major trends, and challenges; customer and vendor landscape; vendor product insights and recent developments; key vendors; and market positioning of vendors Segments: Platform (online and offline), Type (K-12 and higher education), and Geography ( North America , Europe , APAC, South America , and Middle East and Africa ) To understand more about the Education consulting market, request a sample report Education consulting market - Vendor Insights The growing competition in the market is compelling vendors to adopt various growth strategies, such as promotional activities and spending on advertisements to improve the visibility of their services. Technavio report analyzes the market's competitive landscape and offers information on several market vendors, including Anglia Education Consulting Ltd., Broils Consulting Group LLC, ClearView Consulting Co., Colton Strawser Consulting LLC, Credo, Edmentum Inc., Education Consulting Services LLC, Education Elements Inc., EducationCounsel LLC, ELITE SCHOLARS OF CHINA, Generation Ready Inc., Global Education Ltd., Innovatech Solutions Inc., Insight Education Group Inc., Jinan Overseas, Margery Ginsberg, My Learning Springboard Inc., Prismatic Services Inc., Singapore Education Consulting Group, and WhitworthKee Consulting. Education consulting market Market Dynamics Major Drivers - The demand for customized learning is a major driver boosting the education consulting market. Conventional education methods enable the one-way flow of knowledge and provide access to limited sources. However, students have access to various knowledge sources, such as online databases, meaning they are aware of and desire a customized learning experience. To provide customized assessments for various students, the educational software solution checks the course structure and enrollment-related information. Moreover, the educational software supports students with disabilities and allows them to develop their own questions. The availability of such products has encouraged several universities to adopt customized course content. Hence, the rising demand for customized learning is expected to drive the growth of the market during the forecast period. Significant Trends - The evolving role of educational technologies is a primary trend fueling the growth of the global education consulting market. The advances in technology have resulted in the evolution of its role in education. Educational institutions introduce assessments including digital badging and micro-credentials, and several vendors offer such advanced technologies. For instance, Pearson introduced digital credentials in higher education, enabling students to reach their professional and personal goals. The use of such technologies improves student performance and helps teachers monitor their performance. Hence, the evolving role of educational technologies is expected to positively influence the growth of the global educational consulting market during the forecast period. Key challenges - The rising popularity of open-source educational resources is a key challenge impeding market growth during the forecast period. The increasing availability of free or low-priced open-source textbooks reduces the demand for education consulting services, impacting the sales revenue in the global education consulting market during the forecast period. The pervasive nature of free online educational content reduces the dependence on education consulting services. Hence, the availability of free online courses has a negative impact on education consulting services, hindering the growth of the market. Drivers, Trends and challenges have an impact on market dynamics, which can impact businesses. Find more insights in a sample report! The education consulting market report provides critical information and factual data, with a qualitative and quantitative study of the market based on market drivers and limitations as well as future prospects. Why Buy? Add credibility to strategy Analyzes competitor's offerings Get a holistic view of the market Grow your profit margin with Technavio- Buy the Report What are the key data covered in this education consulting market report? CAGR of the market during the forecast period Detailed information on factors that will drive the growth of the education consulting market between 2023 and 2027 Precise estimation of the size of the education consulting market and its contribution to the market with a focus on the parent market Accurate predictions about upcoming trends and changes in consumer behavior Growth of the education consulting market across North America , Europe , APAC, South America , and Middle East and Africa , , APAC, , and and A thorough analysis of the market's competitive landscape and detailed information about vendors Comprehensive analysis of factors that will challenge the growth of education consulting market vendors Gain instant access to 17,000+ market research reports. Technavio's SUBSCRIPTION platform Related Reports: The learning management systems market size for higher education is expected to increase by USD 5.42 billion from 2021 to 2026, and the market's growth momentum will accelerate at a CAGR of 22.75%. Furthermore, this report extensively covers learning management systems market segmentation for higher education by deployment (on-cloud and on-premise) and geography (North America, Europe, APAC, South America, and Middle East and Africa). A key factor driving growth in the learning management systems market for higher education is the adoption of LMS facilitates centralized learning. The digital education content market is estimated to grow at a CAGR of 10.52% between 2022 and 2027, and the size of the market is forecasted to increase by USD 42.13 billion. It also extensively covers market segmentation by end-user (K-12 and higher education) and geography (North America, APAC, Europe, South America, and Middle East and Africa). The rising influence of data analytics in digital education is a key trend in the digital education content market. Education consulting market Scope Report Coverage Details Base year 2022 Historic period 2017-2021 Forecast period 2023-2027 Growth momentum & CAGR Accelerate at a CAGR of 5.37% Market growth 2023-2027 USD 677.89 million Market structure Fragmented YoY growth 2022-2023 (%) 4.78 Regional analysis North America, Europe, APAC, South America, and Middle East and Africa Performing market contribution North America at 38% Key countries US, Canada, China, Japan, Germany, and UK Competitive landscape Leading Vendors, Market Positioning of Vendors, Competitive Strategies, and Industry Risks Key companies profiled Anglia Education Consulting Ltd., Broils Consulting Group LLC, ClearView Consulting Co., Colton Strawser Consulting LLC, Credo, Edmentum Inc., Education Consulting Services LLC, Education Elements Inc., EducationCounsel LLC, ELITE SCHOLARS OF CHINA, Generation Ready Inc., Global Education Ltd., Innovatech Solutions Inc., Insight Education Group Inc., Jinan Overseas, Margery Ginsberg, My Learning Springboard Inc., Prismatic Services Inc., Singapore Education Consulting Group, and WhitworthKee Consulting Market dynamics Parent market analysis, Market growth inducers and obstacles, Fast-growing and slow-growing segment analysis, COVID-19 impact and recovery analysis and future consumer dynamics, Market condition analysis for 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 Global Market Characteristics Exhibit 04: Executive Summary Chart on Market by Geography Exhibit 05: Executive Summary Chart on Market Segmentation by Platform Exhibit 06: Executive Summary Chart on Market Segmentation by Type Exhibit 07: Executive Summary Chart on Incremental Growth Exhibit 08: Executive Summary Data Table on Incremental Growth Exhibit 09: Executive Summary Chart on Vendor Market Positioning 2 Market Landscape 2.1 Market ecosystem Exhibit 10: Parent market Exhibit 11: Market Characteristics 3 Market Sizing 3.1 Market definition Exhibit 12: Offerings of vendors included in the market definition 3.2 Market segment analysis Exhibit 13: Market segments 3.3 Market size 2022 3.4 Market outlook: Forecast for 2022-2027 Exhibit 14: Chart on Global - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ million) Exhibit 15: Data Table on Global - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ million) Exhibit 16: Chart on Global Market: Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%) Exhibit 17: Data Table on Global Market: Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%) 4 Historic Market Size 4.1 Global education consulting market 2017 - 2021 Exhibit 18: Historic Market Size Data Table on Global education consulting market 2017 - 2021 ($ million) 4.2 Platform Segment Analysis 2017 - 2021 Exhibit 19: Historic Market Size Platform Segment 2017 - 2021 ($ million) 4.3 Type Segment Analysis 2017 - 2021 Exhibit 20: Historic Market Size Type Segment 2017 - 2021 ($ million) 4.4 Geography Segment Analysis 2017 - 2021 Exhibit 21: Historic Market Size Geography Segment 2017 - 2021 ($ million) 4.5 Country Segment Analysis 2017 - 2021 Exhibit 22: Historic Market Size Country Segment 2017 - 2021 ($ million) 5 Five Forces Analysis 5.1 Five forces summary Exhibit 23: Five forces analysis - Comparison between2022 and 2027 5.2 Bargaining power of buyers Exhibit 24: Chart on Bargaining power of buyers Impact of key factors 2022 and 2027 5.3 Bargaining power of suppliers Exhibit 25: Bargaining power of suppliers Impact of key factors in 2022 and 2027 5.4 Threat of new entrants Exhibit 26: Threat of new entrants Impact of key factors in 2022 and 2027 5.5 Threat of substitutes Exhibit 27: Threat of substitutes Impact of key factors in 2022 and 2027 5.6 Threat of rivalry Exhibit 28: Threat of rivalry Impact of key factors in 2022 and 2027 5.7 Market condition Exhibit 29: Chart on Market condition - Five forces 2022 and 2027 6 Market Segmentation by Platform 6.1 Market segments Exhibit 30: Chart on Platform - Market share 2022-2027 (%) Exhibit 31: Data Table on Platform - Market share 2022-2027 (%) 6.2 Comparison by Platform Exhibit 32: Chart on Comparison by Platform Exhibit 33: Data Table on Comparison by Platform 6.3 Online - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 Exhibit 34: Chart on Online - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ million) Exhibit 35: Data Table on Online - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ million) Exhibit 36: Chart on Online - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%) Exhibit 37: Data Table on Online - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%) 6.4 Offline - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 Exhibit 38: Chart on Offline - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ million) Exhibit 39: Data Table on Offline - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ million) Exhibit 40: Chart on Offline - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%) Exhibit 41: Data Table on Offline - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%) 6.5 Market opportunity by Platform Exhibit 42: Market opportunity by Platform ($ million) 7 Market Segmentation by Type 7.1 Market segments Exhibit 43: Chart on Type - Market share 2022-2027 (%) Exhibit 44: Data Table on Type - Market share 2022-2027 (%) 7.2 Comparison by Type Exhibit 45: Chart on Comparison by Type Exhibit 46: Data Table on Comparison by Type 7.3 K -12 - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 -12 - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 Exhibit 47: Chart on K-12 - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ million) Exhibit 48: Data Table on K-12 - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ million) Exhibit 49: Chart on K-12 - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%) Exhibit 50: Data Table on K-12 - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%) 7.4 Higher education - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 Exhibit 51: Chart on Higher education - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ million) Exhibit 52: Data Table on Higher education - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ million) Exhibit 53: Chart on Higher education - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%) Exhibit 54: Data Table on Higher education - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%) 7.5 Market opportunity by Type Exhibit 55: Market opportunity by Type ($ million) 8 Customer Landscape 8.1 Customer landscape overview Exhibit 56: Analysis of price sensitivity, lifecycle, customer purchase basket, adoption rates, and purchase criteria 9 Geographic Landscape 9.1 Geographic segmentation Exhibit 57: Chart on Market share by geography 2022-2027 (%) Exhibit 58: Data Table on Market share by geography 2022-2027 (%) 9.2 Geographic comparison Exhibit 59: Chart on Geographic comparison Exhibit 60: Data Table on Geographic comparison 9.3 North America - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 Exhibit 61: Chart on North America - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ million) - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ million) Exhibit 62: Data Table on North America - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ million) - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ million) Exhibit 63: Chart on North America - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%) - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%) Exhibit 64: Data Table on North America - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%) 9.4 Europe - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 Exhibit 65: Chart on Europe - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ million) - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ million) Exhibit 66: Data Table on Europe - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ million) - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ million) Exhibit 67: Chart on Europe - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%) - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%) Exhibit 68: Data Table on Europe - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%) 9.5 APAC - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 Exhibit 69: Chart on APAC - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ million) Exhibit 70: Data Table on APAC - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ million) Exhibit 71: Chart on APAC - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%) Exhibit 72: Data Table on APAC - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%) 9.6 South America - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 Exhibit 73: Chart on South America - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ million) - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ million) Exhibit 74: Data Table on South America - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ million) - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ million) Exhibit 75: Chart on South America - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%) - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%) Exhibit 76: Data Table on South America - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%) 9.7 Middle East and Africa - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 and - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 Exhibit 77: Chart on Middle East and Africa - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ million) and - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ million) Exhibit 78: Data Table on Middle East and Africa - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ million) and - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ million) Exhibit 79: Chart on Middle East and Africa - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%) and - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%) Exhibit 80: Data Table on Middle East and Africa - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%) 9.8 US - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 Exhibit 81: Chart on US - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ million) Exhibit 82: Data Table on US - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ million) Exhibit 83: Chart on US - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%) Exhibit 84: Data Table on US - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%) 9.9 China - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 Exhibit 85: Chart on China - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ million) - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ million) Exhibit 86: Data Table on China - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ million) - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ million) Exhibit 87: Chart on China - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%) - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%) Exhibit 88: Data Table on China - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%) 9.10 Germany - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 Exhibit 89: Chart on Germany - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ million) - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ million) Exhibit 90: Data Table on Germany - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ million) - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ million) Exhibit 91: Chart on Germany - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%) - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%) Exhibit 92: Data Table on Germany - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%) 9.11 UK - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 Exhibit 93: Chart on UK - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ million) Exhibit 94: Data Table on UK - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ million) Exhibit 95: Chart on UK - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%) Exhibit 96: Data Table on UK - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%) 9.12 Canada - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 Exhibit 97: Chart on Canada - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ million) - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ million) Exhibit 98: Data Table on Canada - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ million) - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ million) Exhibit 99: Chart on Canada - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%) - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%) Exhibit 100: Data Table on Canada - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%) 9.13 Japan - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 Exhibit 101: Chart on Japan - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ million) - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ million) Exhibit 102: Data Table on Japan - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ million) - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ million) Exhibit 103: Chart on Japan - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%) - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%) Exhibit 104: Data Table on Japan - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%) 9.14 Market opportunity by geography Exhibit 105: Market opportunity by geography ($ million) 10 Drivers, Challenges, and Trends 10.1 Market drivers 10.2 Market challenges 10.3 Impact of drivers and challenges Exhibit 106: Impact of drivers and challenges in 2022 and 2027 10.4 Market trends 11 Vendor Landscape 11.1 Overview 11.2 Vendor landscape Exhibit 107: Overview on Criticality of inputs and Factors of differentiation 11.3 Landscape disruption Exhibit 108: Overview on factors of disruption 11.4 Industry risks Exhibit 109: Impact of key risks on business 12 Vendor Analysis 12.1 Vendors covered Exhibit 110: Vendors covered 12.2 Market positioning of vendors Exhibit 111: Matrix on vendor position and classification 12.3 Anglia Education Consulting Ltd. Exhibit 112: Anglia Education Consulting Ltd. - Overview Exhibit 113: Anglia Education Consulting Ltd. - Product / Service Exhibit 114: Anglia Education Consulting Ltd. - Key offerings 12.4 Broils Consulting Group LLC Exhibit 115: Broils Consulting Group LLC - Overview Exhibit 116: Broils Consulting Group LLC - Product / Service Exhibit 117: Broils Consulting Group LLC - Key offerings 12.5 ClearView Consulting Co. Exhibit 118: ClearView Consulting Co. - Overview Exhibit 119: ClearView Consulting Co. - Product / Service Exhibit 120: ClearView Consulting Co. - Key offerings 12.6 Colton Strawser Consulting LLC Exhibit 121: Colton Strawser Consulting LLC - Overview Exhibit 122: Colton Strawser Consulting LLC - Product / Service Exhibit 123: Colton Strawser Consulting LLC - Key offerings 12.7 Credo Exhibit 124: Credo - Overview Exhibit 125: Credo - Product / Service Exhibit 126: Credo - Key offerings 12.8 Edmentum Inc. Exhibit 127: Edmentum Inc. - Overview Exhibit 128: Edmentum Inc. - Product / Service Exhibit 129: Edmentum Inc. - Key offerings 12.9 Education Consulting Services LLC Exhibit 130: Education Consulting Services LLC - Overview Exhibit 131: Education Consulting Services LLC - Product / Service Exhibit 132: Education Consulting Services LLC - Key offerings 12.10 Education Elements Inc. Exhibit 133: Education Elements Inc. - Overview Exhibit 134: Education Elements Inc. - Product / Service Exhibit 135: Education Elements Inc. - Key offerings 12.11 EducationCounsel LLC Exhibit 136: EducationCounsel LLC - Overview Exhibit 137: EducationCounsel LLC - Product / Service Exhibit 138: EducationCounsel LLC - Key offerings 12.12 ELITE SCHOLARS OF CHINA Exhibit 139: ELITE SCHOLARS OF CHINA - Overview - Overview Exhibit 140: ELITE SCHOLARS OF CHINA - Product / Service - Product / Service Exhibit 141: ELITE SCHOLARS OF CHINA - Key offerings 12.13 Generation Ready Inc. Exhibit 142: Generation Ready Inc. - Overview Exhibit 143: Generation Ready Inc. - Product / Service Exhibit 144: Generation Ready Inc. - Key offerings 12.14 Global Education Ltd. Exhibit 145: Global Education Ltd. - Overview Exhibit 146: Global Education Ltd. - Product / Service Exhibit 147: Global Education Ltd. - Key offerings 12.15 Innovatech Solutions Inc. Exhibit 148: Innovatech Solutions Inc. - Overview Exhibit 149: Innovatech Solutions Inc. - Product / Service Exhibit 150: Innovatech Solutions Inc. - Key offerings 12.16 Insight Education Group Inc. Exhibit 151: Insight Education Group Inc. - Overview Exhibit 152: Insight Education Group Inc. - Product / Service Exhibit 153: Insight Education Group Inc. - Key offerings 12.17 WhitworthKee Consulting Exhibit 154: WhitworthKee Consulting - Overview Exhibit 155: WhitworthKee Consulting - Product / Service Exhibit 156: WhitworthKee Consulting - Key offerings 13 Appendix 13.1 Scope of the report 13.2 Inclusions and exclusions checklist Exhibit 157: Inclusions checklist Exhibit 158: Exclusions checklist 13.3 Currency conversion rates for US$ Exhibit 159: Currency conversion rates for US$ 13.4 Research methodology Exhibit 160: Research methodology Exhibit 161: Validation techniques employed for market sizing Exhibit 162: Information sources 13.5 List of abbreviations Exhibit 163: 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 provide actionable insights to help businesses identify market opportunities and develop effective strategies to optimize their market positions. With over 500 specialized analysts, Technavio's report library consists of more than 17,000 reports and counting, covering 800 technologies, spanning 50 countries. Their client base consists of enterprises of all sizes, including more than 100 Fortune 500 companies. This growing client base relies on Technavio's comprehensive coverage, extensive research, and actionable market insights to identify opportunities in existing and potential markets and assess their competitive positions within changing market scenarios. Contact Technavio Research Jesse Maida Media & Marketing Executive US: +1 844 364 1100 UK: +44 203 893 3200 Email: [email protected] Website: www.technavio.com SOURCE Technavio DUBLIN, July 4, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The "Global Bioethanol Market by Feedstock (Starch based, Sugar based, Cellulose-based), Fuel blend (E5, E10, E15 to E70, E75& E85), End-use (transportation, pharmaceutical, cosmetic, alcoholic beverages), Generation and Region - Forecast to 2028" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering. The bioethanol market size is estimated to be USD 83.4 billion in 2023, and it is projected to reach USD 114.7 billion by 2028 at a CAGR of 6.6% Starch-based bioethanol provides numerous advantages as a renewable fuel source, positioning it as a promising alternative to conventional fossil fuels. A significant advantage lies in the abundance of starch feedstocks available for bioethanol production. Crops rich in starch, such as corn, wheat, and barley, are extensively grown in various regions, ensuring a readily accessible and sustainable source of starch. This abundance guarantees a stable supply and reduces reliance on finite fossil fuel reserves, promoting long-term energy security and sustainability. By Fuel blend, E10 accounted for the one of the highest CAGR during the forecast period The introduction and growing popularity of bioethanol E10, a blend consisting of 10% ethanol and 90% gasoline, is driven by various factors that contribute to its widespread adoption. One significant driver is the imperative to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and address climate change concerns. Bioethanol, derived from renewable biomass sources, significantly reduces the carbon footprint when blended with gasoline, making it a favorable option for achieving environmental sustainability and meeting emission reduction targets. Government policies and incentives have played a vital role in driving the adoption of bioethanol E10. Many countries have implemented renewable fuel standards and mandates that require a certain percentage of biofuels, including bioethanol, to be blended into transportation fuels. These policies create a stable market and regulatory framework, providing certainty for bioethanol producers and fuel distributors and encouraging investment in bioethanol infrastructure. By End-Use Industry, the Transportation segment accounted for the largest market during the forecast period Bioethanol has gained significant traction in the transportation industry as a viable and sustainable alternative to conventional fossil fuels. Its utilization in the transportation sector offers several advantages and benefits. The production of bioethanol also has positive socio-economic impacts. It promotes rural development by creating new opportunities for farmers and agricultural communities. The cultivation of feedstock crops for bioethanol production stimulates local economies, generates employment, and reduces the reliance on imported fossil fuels. In terms of infrastructure, the distribution and storage of bioethanol can be integrated into existing petroleum infrastructure with minimal modifications. This makes it easier to establish a bioethanol distribution network and provide accessibility to consumers. By feedstock, starch-based accounted for the largest share in 2022 Starch-based bioethanol is propelled by various factors, including energy security and climate change mitigation. Serving as a renewable and domestically produced substitute for fossil fuels, starch-based bioethanol diminishes reliance on imported oil, bolstering energy security and fostering self-sufficiency. Furthermore, bioethanol derived from starch feedstocks exhibits substantial potential for mitigating greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, as it aids in reducing carbon dioxide emissions in comparison to fossil fuels. The utilization of starch-rich feedstocks like corn, wheat, or potatoes in the production and utilization of starch-based bioethanol plays a pivotal role in transitioning toward a more sustainable and environmentally friendly energy system. Asia Pacific is projected to register the highest CAGR in the bioethanol market during the forecast period Asia Pacific is poised for significant growth in the bioethanol industry due to several key factors. One of the primary drivers is the region's abundant agricultural resources. Asia Pacific countries, such as China, India, Thailand, Indonesia, and Malaysia, have substantial agricultural sectors and cultivate crops like sugarcane, corn, and cassava, which serve as excellent feedstocks for bioethanol production. The availability of these feedstocks ensures a steady supply of raw materials for bioethanol production, supporting the growth of the industry. Additionally, the rising energy demand and increasing concerns about environmental sustainability in Asia Pacific have prompted governments and policymakers to explore renewable energy sources. Bioethanol, as a renewable fuel derived from biomass, aligns with the region's sustainability goals and offers a viable solution for reducing greenhouse gas emissions and air pollution. Governments in Asia Pacific have introduced supportive policies, such as renewable fuel mandates and incentives, to promote the use of bioethanol in the transportation sector. These policy measures create a favorable business environment and stimulate investments in bioethanol production facilities. Competitive landscape Companies Covered: POET LLC (US), Archer Daniels Midland Company (US), Green Plains (US) and Valero Energy (US), Pacific Ethanol (US) The Anderson Inc. (US), Flint Hills Resources (US), and Tereos (France) and others. Key Attributes: Report Attribute Details No. of Pages 212 Forecast Period 2023 - 2028 Estimated Market Value (USD) in 2023 $83.4 Billion Forecasted Market Value (USD) by 2028 $114.7 Billion Compound Annual Growth Rate 6.6 % Regions Covered Global Premium Insights Emerging Countries to Offer Attractive Opportunities in Bioethanol Market North America : Us and E10 Blend Accounted for Largest Shares of Bioethanol Market in 2022 : Us and E10 Blend Accounted for Largest Shares of Bioethanol Market in 2022 E10 Segment to Lead Bioethanol Market During Forecast Period Transportation End-Use Industry to be Fastest-Growing Segment During Forecast Period Chinese Bioethanol Market to Record Highest CAGR from 2023 to 2028 Market Dynamics Drivers Need for Energy Security Adoption of Higher Blending Standards Leads to Higher Consumption of Bioethanol Restraints Rising Demand for EVs and Phase-Out of Fossil Fuel Vehicles Engine Modification Required for Higher Blends of Bioethanol Opportunities Rising Demand from Pharmaceutical Industry Policy Changes Regarding Use of Bioethanol Blends Challenges Adverse Environmental Impact of Bioethanol Production Value Chain Analysis Raw Material Procurement Bioethanol Production Plants Distribution Channels Application Segments Key Markets for Export/Import Technological Analysis Technology for Starch-Based Feedstock (Corn) Dry Mill Method Wet Mill Method Bioethanol from Sugarcane Sugar Vs. Starch Case Study Analysis Implementation of Ethanol Blending Program Company Profiles Key Players Archer Daniels Midland Company Poet LLC Green Plains, Inc. Valero Energy Corporation Tereos Raizen The Andersons, Inc. Alto Ingredients, Inc. Sekab Biofuels & Chemicals Ab Aemetis, Inc. Other Players Pannonia Bio Zrt Bp P.L.C. Absolute Energy L.L.C. Big River Resources LLC United Petroleum Pty Ltd. Cropenergies Bioethanol GmbH White Energy, Inc. Guardian Energy, LLC Blue Biofuels, Inc. For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/i7d2gz About ResearchAndMarkets.com ResearchAndMarkets.com is the world's leading source for international market research reports and market data. We provide you with the latest data on international and regional markets, key industries, the top companies, new products and the latest trends. 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, July 4, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The "Eyewear Market Share, Size, Trends, Industry Analysis Report, By Product Type, By Distribution Channel, By Region, Segment Forecast, 2023-2032" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering. The global eyewear market size is expected to reach USD 360.30 billion by 2032, according to a new study. The report gives a detailed insight into current market dynamics and provides analysis on future market growth. The eyewear market is experiencing significant growth due to the increasing demand for customized products that cater to the unique needs of consumers. Customized eyewear options, such as photochromic glasses and high-index glasses that eliminate UV radiation, are popular among consumers who seek glasses that fit their facial features, textures, colors, designs, and frames. The eyewear market is also experiencing a transformation in the distribution channels, with the increasing collaboration of digital channels and the eyewear value chain. Online sales of eyewear products have increased exponentially, and companies are leveraging e-commerce platforms to provide facilities such as product virtualization and virtual facial analysis to customers. Additionally, investing in digital channels helps companies maintain consumer data such as buying preferences, feedback, and search history, enabling them to offer specific products to customers in the future. Eyewear companies are also focusing on sustainability, offering eco-friendly eyewear made of materials such as bio-acetate and bio-nylon, wood, leather, paper, and wool. For instance, Luxottica Group launched its eco-friendly eyewear brand, Arnette, in India, which offers a collection that is nearly 70% sustainable. These sustainable practices not only help the environment but also enhance customer experience, attracting a more extensive customer base. Eyewear Market Report Highlights Sunglasses sector is anticipated to experience significant development due to the increasing awareness among individuals about safeguarding their eyes from harmful UV rays. Additionally, the growing consumer interest in premium fashion accessories is expected to further propel the growth of the sunglasses segment. Online stores segment is expected to grow at the fastest rate over the forecasted period. Asia Pacific is expected to grow at fastest growth rate over the forecasted period. is expected to grow at fastest growth rate over the forecasted period. The global key market players include Luxottica Group S.p.A, Bausch + Lomb Inc., Johnson & Johnson Vision Care, Carl Zeiss AG, GrandVision, Essilor International S.A., Cooper Companies, Inc., Fielmann AG, Safilo Group S.p.A, Prada S.p.A, Hoya Corporation, and De Rigo SpA Key Topics Covered: 1. Introduction 2. Executive Summary 3. Research Methodology 4. Global Eyewear Market Insights 4.1. Eyewear Market - Industry Snapshot 4.2. Eyewear Market Dynamics 4.2.1. Drivers and Opportunities 4.2.1.1. Growing number of ophthalmic disorders 4.2.1.2. Awareness regarding eye examinations 4.2.2. Restraints and Challenges 4.2.2.1. Growing acceptance of refractive surgeries 4.3. Porter's Five Forces Analysis 4.4. PESTLE Analysis 4.5. Eyewear Industry trends 4.6. Value Chain Analysis 4.7. COVID-19 Impact Analysis 5. Global Eyewear Market, by Product Type 6. Global Eyewear Market, by Distribution Channel 7. Global Eyewear Market, by Geography 8. Competitive Landscape 9. Company Profiles For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/x2lve2 About ResearchAndMarkets.com ResearchAndMarkets.com is the world's leading source for international market research reports and market data. We provide you with the latest data on international and regional markets, key industries, the top companies, new products and the latest trends. 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 TOKYO, July 4, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, leading organizations signed and adopted the "Nagasaki Outcomes Statement," which calls for accelerated R&D, access and delivery for neglected tropical diseases (NTDs). NTDs are a group of 20 preventable and treatable diseases that affect more than 1.6 billion people worldwide, particularly communities in low-income countries. Despite the need for diagnostics, vaccines and therapeutics, NTDs are under-researched, under-treated and under-funded. To address this challenge, global health leaders convened at the Commemorative Symposium for G7 Health Ministers Meeting in Nagasaki, Japan, "Accelerating Research and Development, Access and Delivery for Neglected Tropical Diseases," to agree to the "Nagasaki Outcomes Statement" and call for sustainable financing and equitable access to interventions for NTDs. This call was answered by the Prime Minister of Japan, Fumio Kishida, who, at the G7 Summit, announced a commitment of US$200 million to GHIT Fund for R&D over five years. The Statement builds on and reaffirms the "Kigali Declaration on NTDs,"*1 a high-level political declaration that is mobilizing political will, community commitment, resources and action, and securing commitments needed to end suffering caused by NTDs. The Statement outlines how tackling NTDs is critical to achieving G7's ambitions on UHC*2 and pandemic preparedness. In addition to six asks to G7 Leaders to support investments in R&D, access and delivery, the Statement recognizes that there is a key role for the global NTD community to play. Seven calls-to-action are outlined for the NTD community, including developing innovative funding mechanisms to mobilize substantial funding for NTD elimination. Six asks to the G7 Leaders (abridged version; see full text in Appendix): G7 Leaders to renew their commitment to end NTDs by translating these commitments into ongoing political prioritization, bold action and investments. The G7 should support long-term, sustainable financing for not-for-profit/alternative models of R&D: for example, Product Development Partnerships (PDPs), as well as strategies and partnerships to ensure access to, and delivery of, the resulting products. G7 Leaders to further prioritize NTDs and to champion NTDs at future G7, G20 Summits and other high-level political fora like the UNGA. The G7 should leverage their resources to support sustainable research networks rooted in NTD-endemic countries, developing new health tools that can be used at the primary health care (PHC) level promoting south-south collaboration and capacity building, ultimately accelerating R&D and equitable access to health solutions for NTD. G7 should leverage some of the access initiatives like Pooled Procurement Mechanisms (PPMs) and be also used for the procurement of NTD health technologies. G7 Leaders to continue supporting the World Health Organization (WHO) Global NTD program and all WHO member states to ensure that NTDs are not "neglected," even within the WHO. Seven Calls to Action for Global Community (abridged version: see full text in Appendix) Increase visibility of NTDs from the community level, and at country, regional and global levels to highlight the socio-economic impact of NTDs. Endemic countries to take more political leadership and ensure efficient use of resources by leveraging and increasing existing resource mobilization, sustainable procurement and service delivery platforms for the delivery of integrated, cross-sectoral people-centered services for NTDs. Develop innovative funding mechanisms to mobilize substantial funding for NTD control and elimination. Resource mobilization for the most severely underfunded NTDs should be prioritized. All R&D actors and partners need to promote knowledge and technology sharing more openly and more transparently, by encouraging sharing of research knowledge, data and costs throughout the R&D process to improve efficiency in R&D and access. Re-evaluate all the steps across the access value chain (AVC) from innovation to access and delivery and explore ways to improve and accelerate the process to foster a seamless end-to-end ecosystem. Connect, coordinate and create a multisectoral approach, enabling end-to-end ecosystem for the acceleration of R&D, access and delivery. Signed by approximately 20 organizations and individuals*3 including Uniting to Combat NTDs, Nagasaki University and GHIT Fund, the Nagasaki Outcomes Statement commends G7 Leaders for including NTDs in the G7 Leaders' communique and for prioritizing universal health coverage (UHC*2) and pandemic preparedness. It urges Leaders to continue to support investments in R&D for vaccines, new drugs and diagnostics for NTDs, as well as financing to ensure access of these innovations and technologies to the most vulnerable populations affected by NTDs. To read the full Nagasaki Outcomes Statement, visit https://www.ghitfund.org/assets/othermedia/Nagasaki_Outcome_Statement_EN.pdf *1 About Kigali Declaration (Kigali Declaration on Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs)) "The Kigali Declaration on NTDs" is a high-level political declaration that is mobilizing political will, community commitment, resources and action, and securing commitments needed to end suffering caused by NTDs. Launched at the "Kigali Summit on Malaria and NTDs," held in Rwanda in June 2022, the Declaration has already galvanized substantial commitments from donor governments, endemic country governments, pharmaceutical companies and NGOs, with US$1.5 billion in financial commitments and 19 billion donated tablets. Created in consultation with stakeholders around the world, the Declaration puts individuals, communities and countries at the center of the NTD response. Each signatory makes a unique and vital contribution toward ending NTDs. Collectively, these translate into incredible progress being made. The actions set out in this Declaration will help achieve the Sustainable Development Goal 3 (SDG3) target on NTDs and deliver the targets set out in the World Health Organization's NTD Road map to eradicate two NTDs, control at least one NTD in 100 countries and reduce the number of people requiring therapeutic intervention for NTDs by 90% by 2023. (Source: Eisai Co., Ltd., Uniting to Combat NTDs: https://www.eisai.co.jp/news/2022/news202250.html https://unitingtocombatntds.org/kigali-declaration/) *2 About Universal Health Coverage Universal Health Coverage (UHC) means "access for all people to basic health services when they need throughout their lives at a cost they can afford." The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), adopted at the UN Summit in September 2015, lists the achievement of UHC as Goal 3 (health and well-being). More than 50 years ago, in 1961, Japan's health care system's improvements progressed such as the realization of the universal health insurance system, reducing medical disparities, and today, Japanese citizens are enjoying the highest life expectancy in the world. The Japanese government has listed the promotion of UHC as a policy goal and basic policy in its "Basic Policy for Peace and Health" announced in September 2015, and drawing on Japan's experience, is actively working toward the realization of UHC in every country. (Source: Japan Pharmaceutical Manufacturers Association https://www.jpma.or.jp/about/) *3 About the Nagasaki Outcomes Statement and endorsers Please refer to the full text of the "Nagasaki Outcome Statement" on pages 9-10 in Appendix. The Nagasaki Outcomes Statement was jointly developed at the Commemorative Symposium for G7 Health Ministers Meeting in Nagasaki "Accelerating Research and Development, Access and Delivery for Neglected Tropical Diseases", organized by the Global Health Technology Fund (GHIT Fund), Nagasaki University and Uniting to Combat NTDs. The participating organizations for the Symposium include (in no particular order) Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Drugs for Neglected Diseases initiative (DNDi), The END Fund, Baylor College of Medicine, The Global Health Innovation Alliance Accelerator (GHIAA), The Global Health Innovative Technology Fund (GHIT Fund), Global Institute for Disease Elimination (GLIDE), Government of Japan (GOJ), Japan Alliance on Global NTDs (JAGntd), Japan Pharmaceutical Manufacturers Association (JPMA), Medicines Development for Global Health, Eisai Co., Ltd., Astellas Pharma Inc., Merck KGaA, MSF Access Campaign, Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF), Nagasaki University, The Pediatric Praziquantel Consortium, SDGs Promise Japan (SPJ), the Special Programme for Research and Training in Tropical Diseases (TDR), United Nations Development Programme-Access and Delivery Partnership (UNDP-ADP), Uniting to Combat NTDs (Uniting) and the WHO (Global WHO NTD Program and Regional Office for Africa (AFRO). About Global Health Innovative Technology Fund The GHIT Fund is a Japan-based international public-private partnership fund (PPP) that was formed between the Government of Japan, multiple pharmaceutical companies, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Wellcome, and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). The GHIT Fund invests and manages an R&D portfolio of development partnerships aimed at addressing neglected diseases, such as malaria, tuberculosis, and neglected tropical diseases, which afflict the world's vulnerable and underserved populations. In collaboration with global partners, the GHIT Fund mobilizes Japanese industry, academia, and research institutes to create new drugs, vaccines, and diagnostics for malaria, tuberculosis, and neglected tropical diseases. https://www.ghitfund.org/en About Nagasaki University The origin of Nagasaki University can be traced back to the time when Dr. Pompe van Meerdervoort, a medical officer at the Naval Training Center, began medical education in a room of the Nagasaki Magistrate's Office on November 12, 1857. Its direct predecessor was Nagasaki Medical College, founded in 1923, which merged with other national institutions in Nagasaki to form "Nagasaki University" in 1949.As of April 2023, Nagasaki University has ten faculties and eight graduate schools (including an interdisciplinary graduate school), and its basic philosophy is "to inherit the traditional culture rooted in Nagasaki, to cultivate a rich spirit, and to contribute to the harmonious development of society by creating science that supports peace on earth. Based on this philosophy, Nagasaki University promotes education, research, and social contribution activities to become a world-class planetary health center. About Uniting to Combat NTDs Uniting to Combat Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs) exists to end NTDs by mobilising resources in support of the World Health Organization's NTD road map and the Sustainable Development Goals. We envision a world where no-one suffers from these preventable and treatable diseases. We work with over 150 partners around the world to create the political will and an enabling environment for change to collectively address the NTD crisis. Together, we champion investment for NTDs. For more information, contact: GHIT Fund Katy Lenard at +1-301-280-5719 or [email protected] Eriko Mugitani / Mina Ohata +81-36441-2032 or [email protected] / [email protected] Nagasaki University Masanori Komeda +81-95-819-2156 / [email protected] Uniting to Combat NTDs Louisa Tribe +44(0)7412 523 750 / [email protected] SOURCE Global Health Innovative Technology (GHIT) Fund Stratio BD launches Stratio Gen-AI, the world-first, secure engine for enterprises enabling businesses to use company data in natural language with generative AI MADRID, July 4, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Launched today by leading Generative AI Data Fabric specialist Stratio BD, Stratio Gen-AI is a world-first generative AI engine designed to solve one of the biggest data management issues facing businesses - giving any worker easy, quick, and secure access to any information they require regardless of technical know-how. The technology utilises a Large Language Model (LLM) with a user experience similar - but unrelated - to that of globally successful ChatGPT, enabling it to deliver information and data insights in easy-to-understand, human language, as well as understanding varying user language. This includes anything from various native tongues to different technical and literacy abilities, in order to provide the most relevant and accurate response. This also ensures any user in all departments can effectively ask any question and Stratio Gen-AI will provide the answer instantly, rapidly improving productivity while enhancing each department's ability to make informed decisions based on insightful data. For example, it eradicates the need for teams to download multiple reports from different applications and amalgamate them into a single spreadsheet, as well as avoiding the often lengthy waiting time it takes for data analysts to compile reports. The new conversational tool is the final piece in the puzzle for Stratio BD's vision to democratise data with its Generative AI Data Fabric offering: an AI-driven, end-to-end data management product designed to break down traditional barriers to data access, enabling businesses to simplify data analysis, automate tasks, and ultimately make better, more informed decisions that benefit the bottom line. Oscar Mendez-Soto, CEO and Founder of Stratio BD said: "No matter what department you work in, whether it's sales, HR, legal, marketing, or operations, your work will always be governed in some way by the most up-to-date and accurate data available to you. The Stratio Gen-AI engine is revolutionary for businesses as it empowers teams to use insights that would otherwise be either inaccessible, incomplete, or only possible for a data scientist to retrieve and understand. The use cases for how businesses can utilise this tool to improve and streamline operations are immeasurable." From day-to-day questions a manager would otherwise ask their team, to the more complex that would require a full data report from the technical teams, Stratio Gen-AI cuts out any obstacles for users to maximise their performance while reducing the need for administrative reporting. For example: sourcing a sales forecast; identifying the company's most popular products that month; or forecasting which customers are a flight risk, are now all possible by asking a simple question to Stratio Gen-AI. Often, businesses struggle to obtain true meaning from data as it is stored in siloed locations or across multiple applications. But because Stratio Gen-AI sits above a unified business data layer created by Stratio BD's Generative AI Data Fabric product, the engine is able to access all of a company's data in one view and simultaneously get an answer which is understandable in context to the business. Stratio Gen-AI is a closed-source interface that businesses can safely use without any risk to data security as the data does not leave the company's systems. Equally, thanks to the governance and role-based access to data already enabled by Stratio BD's data governance module, users of the Stratio Gen-AI can only access data that is relevant and unrestricted to their position in the business. The tool uses deep learning techniques to understand, summarise, generate, and make forecasts from large data sets. In particular, enterprises that stand to benefit the most are those that normally handle large volumes of data at scale, such as the financial, manufacturing, retail, telco, the public sector, and health and life sciences. The engine is now available and in high demand, with a number of Stratio BD's clients within the financial industry already starting to use the tool, including household name, high-street banks. The news comes as the Spain-headquartered company launched regional offices in both the UK and France earlier in 2023 as part of ambitious worldwide expansion plans, now with more than 500 employees in seven countries. Founded by entrepreneurs Oscar Mendez Soto and Ernesto Funes in 2014, Stratio BD's clients include major corporate enterprises such as Santander, HSBC, BBVA, and Carrefour. The company is recognised by analysts such as Gartner and Forrester as international leaders in the data fabric space, and last year completed its Series C funding worth EUR 65 million while also achieving 40 per cent growth. Oscar concluded: "Crucially, this technological leap is only possible because of the incredible capabilities of our market-leading data fabric product. Generative AI cannot understand or manage technical data unless it is available in a unified business layer and given business meaning through ontologies. Our Stratio Gen-AI product does this best, which is why we are in prime position to pioneer this technology for our clients." For more information visit http://stratio.com/gen-ai About Stratio BD: Generative data fabric specialist Stratio BD was founded in 2014 by fellow entrepreneurs Oscar Mendez Soto and Ernesto Funes. The Madrid, Spain-headquartered company was created to help businesses fully harness the power of data fabric and AI. Stratio BD's Generative Data Fabric product provides businesses with composable data management solutions, enabling governance, virtualisation, advanced analytics, and AI to multiply the productivity of companies that use it, reducing costs and time to a fraction of what they need. The product provides a range of functions, including simplifying data understanding for business users, providing knowledge graph representations, applying AI algorithms to augment data management tasks, and automating manual AI development. Last year, Stratio BD completed its Series C funding worth EUR 65 million, led by InfraVia with participation from Adara (A and B-Series investor) and the founders. The company had reached critical mass in its historic markets of Spain and Latin America and is now leveraging the round proceeds to fund commercial expansion across Europe. Stratio BD was named Gartner's Cool Vendor in Data Management in 2021 for its innovative generative data fabric platform. Stratio BD's Generative AI tool, Stratio Gen-AI, is designed to assist businesses in generating answers and insights based on their available data. Stratio Gen-AI is provided by Stratio BD solely as a technology solution. The use and utilization of the tool, as well as any decisions made based on its outputs, are the sole responsibility of the customers. Stratio BD does not guarantee in any way that the tool will operate without errors or problems. It is important to note that Stratio BD cannot guarantee the accuracy, completeness, or reliability of the results and answers generated by Stratio Gen-AI. The interpretation and use of these results are solely the responsibility of the customers. Stratio BD shall not be held liable for any loss of business, damages, or consequences arising from the use of our solution. Customers are responsible for ensuring the quality and suitability of their data and for making informed decisions based on the outputs provided by our tool. Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2009600/4147672/Stratio_BD_Logo.jpg SOURCE Stratio BD DUBLIN, July 4, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The "Global Smart Parcel Locker Market - Forecasts from 2023 to 2028" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering. The smart parcel locker market is projected to grow at a CAGR of 13.84%, reaching US$1,274.291 million in 2028 from US$514.286 million in 2021. The increasing adoption of smart parcel lockers by leading shipping and courier companies across the planet indicates the growth opportunity of the smart parcel locker market. Smart parcel lockers are automated security systems that notify customers about the movement and delivery of their parcels through notifications and confirm the delivery through safe codes passed as QR codes or other SMS codes. It enables the customers to manage their parcels and can be used for outdoor or indoor purposes. Smart parcel lockers have a software system and physical locker systems installed to contain the parcels. Market Drivers: Growing incidences of parcel thefts The increasing rate of parcel thefts and the lower probability of recovery of stolen parcels are fueling the demand for smart parcel lockers. For instance, a survey by the UK Ecommerce Association revealed that parcel theft crimes increased by 7% in 2021, and approximately 1 billion parcels were reported stolen in 2020 and 2021. In addition, a parcel worth INR 96 lakhs was reported stolen from the DTDC courier warehouse in Delhi, India. Hence, the higher degree of security offered by smart parcel lockers ensures the guaranteed safety of the parcel's contents. Furthermore, adopting smart parcel lockers effectively eliminates the risk of theft and wrong delivery in the parcel shipment and delivery system. For instance, Tata 1MG, a pharmaceutical delivery company in India, requires delivery personnel to enter a one-time password sent to the customer's phone to ensure the shipment was delivered safely to the correct address. In addition to one-time passwords, companies might use barcodes, QR codes, or other SMS codes as a safety measure practice to ensure the proper delivery of their parcels. In addition to this, the customers receive automated notifications to help them keep track of their parcels. The growing demand for contactless delivery and flexible service hours The post-pandemic priority for cleanliness and hygiene standards has resulted in a preference for contactless delivery. Whereas the varying work shifts and customers' hectic schedules are resulting in a demand for flexible parcel delivery timings. A survey conducted by Medallia Zingle Company revealed that approximately 54% of consumers in the US had changed their shopping preferences to virtual stores and contactless delivery systems since the COVID lockdown. This further results in high demand for smart parcel lockers since the security provided by these lockers enables customers to have access to contactless delivery and flexible parcel pickup timings at any time throughout the day. In addition, the availability of terminals, smart locker stations for parcels, such as the Parcel Hive, and automatic parcel terminals ensure that the parcels can be collected or left at the customers' convenience and the safety of their contents. This enhances the reliability and security of smart parcel lockers and ensures contactless delivery of parcels. Therefore, considering the key factors driving the demand for smart parcel lockers, it can be expected that the market will witness an expansion over the forecast period. The inability of smart parcel lockers to be employed by wholesale businesses is a restraining factor affecting the expansion of the international smart parcel locker market. Smart parcel lockers are effective as storage and security systems for meeting the requirements of small and medium-sized parcels used by domestic customers. However, the availability of different types and systems of smart parcel lockers at varying temperature modes in the market cannot provide security to the huge parcel shipments sent and received by companies engaged in the wholesale business. In addition, the effectiveness of a smart locker system depends on compatibility with the nature of the business of a company. Hence, professional advice must be sought before adopting or installing a smart locker system in a company. Market Developments: In February 2022, WIB Smart Lockers collaborated with SendeeX Company to debut a new all-time available parcel service, SesamoBox, equipped with two types of smart locker systems that can be activated through mobile applications. In September 2022, Quadient Company, specializing in the manufacture of smart lockers, entered into an agreement with DHL Parcel UK to ensure safe delivery using smart lockers by installing over 500 locker stations. In June 2021, Pitney Bowes Inc. launched a new smart parcel locker, Parcelpoint Smart Lockers, as an addition to its existing product line of smart locker systems to assure the safety of the parcels by using SaaS software. North America is expected to hold a significant share of the global smart parcel locker market. North America is witnessing an increase in the delivery and receipt of mail, parcels, and couriers due to globalization and digitalization. There has been an increase in the exports and imports of goods, immigration rates, and international shipments. The parcel shipping index report published by Pitney Bowes established that the parcel volume and sales increased by an average of 33% in the leading parcel shipment companies. In addition to this, according to the annual report of FedEx, the USA contributed approximately $64,941 million to the annual shipment revenue. Apart from this, Effigy Consulting Company reported an overall increase in the parcel volume of Mexico by around 26%. The presence of leading parcel companies such as United Parcel Service, FedEx, and Pitney Bowes broadens the growth opportunities for smart parcel lockers in the USA courier and parcel shipment system. Therefore, considering the growth opportunities for smart parcel lockers due to the present parcel market statistics in North American countries and future growth predictions, it can be anticipated that the North American smart parcel locker system will grow significantly over the forecast period. Key Topics Covered: 1. INTRODUCTION 1.1. Market Overview 1.2. Market Definition 1.3. Scope of the Study 1.4. Market Segmentation 1.5. Currency 1.6. Assumptions 1.7. Base and Forecast Years Timeline 2. RESEARCH METHODOLOGY 2.1. Research Data 2.2. Research Design 2.3. Validation 3. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 3.1. Research Highlights 4. MARKET DYNAMICS 4.1. Market Drivers 4.2. Market Restraints 4.3. Porter's Five Forces Analysis 4.4. Industry Value Chain Analysis 5. GLOBAL SMART PARCEL LOCKER MARKET BY TYPE 5.1. Introduction 5.2. Indoor 5.3. Outdoor 6. GLOBAL SMART PARCEL LOCKER MARKET BY COMPONENT 6.1. Introduction 6.2. Hardware 6.3. Software and Services 7. GLOBAL SMART PARCEL LOCKER MARKET BY GEOGRAPHY 7.1. Introduction 7.2. North America 7.2.1. USA 7.2.2. Canada 7.2.3. Mexico 7.3. South America 7.3.1. Brazil 7.3.2. Argentina 7.3.3. Others 7.4. Europe 7.4.1. Germany 7.4.2. France 7.4.3. United Kingdom 7.4.4. Spain 7.4.5. Others 7.5. Middle East and Africa 7.5.1. Saudi Arabia 7.5.2. UAE 7.5.3. Israel 7.5.4. Others 7.6. Asia Pacific 7.6.1. China 7.6.2. Japan 7.6.3. India 7.6.4. South Korea 7.6.5. Indonesia 7.6.6. Taiwan 7.6.7. Others 8. COMPETITIVE ENVIRONMENT AND ANALYSIS 8.1. Major Players and Strategy Analysis 8.2. Emerging Players and Market Lucrativeness 8.3. Mergers, Acquisitions, Agreements, and Collaborations 8.4. Vendor Competitiveness Matrix 9. COMPANY PROFILES 9.1. Smartbox Ecommerce Solutions Pvt. Ltd. 9.2. eLocker Ltd. 9.3. Pitney Bowes Inc. 9.4. Parcel Pending LLC. (Quadient SA) 9.5. Ricoh 9.6. Cleveron 9.7. KEBA 9.8. Hollman Inc. 9.9. TZ Limited 9.10. VSGate For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/vv24tw About ResearchAndMarkets.com ResearchAndMarkets.com is the world's leading source for international market research reports and market data. We provide you with the latest data on international and regional markets, key industries, the top companies, new products and the latest trends. 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 STOCKHOLM, July 4, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- H2 Green Steel has signed a 7-year binding agreement with ZF, one of the biggest suppliers to the automotive industry globally. Deliveries of near zero emissions steel are set to begin in 2026. ZF directly and indirectly processes around 2.5 million tonnes of steel per year worldwide. This agreement covers a significant share of ZF's yearly steel volumes, making it strategically important in the company's efforts to decarbonize its operations. ZF has a strong sustainability strategy and aims to be climate neutral by 2040, including value chain emissions. This agreement, valued at 1.5 billion euros, is expected to reduce CO 2 emissions by close to 2.3 million tonnes compared to traditional steelmaking processes. "No one can fight climate change alone, but teaming up with partners, we can achieve a lot. H2 Green Steel is a good example of startups working together with established players to drive change faster than the incumbent industry has managed. For ZF, this is a strategic agreement in our significant efforts to reduce CO 2 emissions from our supply chain," says ZF Board of Management member Stephan von Schuckmann. This agreement will see H2 Green Steel also work closely with ZF's sub-suppliers, with the goal of driving the steel industry transformation as an integrated approach in the entire supply chain. "This is a true milestone contract for H2 Green Steel, not the least because of its size. ZF's role in the automotive ecosystem is undeniable and they are a true partner to us where we also see potential to move into other regions, like North America, says Henrik Henriksson, CEO of H2 Green Steel. ZF has some 165,000 employees at 168 production locations in 32 countries. The company was founded in 1915 and is global technology company supplying mobility technology for passenger cars, commercial vehicles and other industrial applications. CONTACT: Karin Hallstan, Head of Public and Media Relations, phone: +46 76 842 81 04, email: [email protected] The following files are available for download: https://mb.cision.com/Main/20623/3799230/2169481.pdf ZF in agreement with H2 Green Steel_Final https://news.cision.com/h2-green-steel/i/zf-flag,c3196869 ZF flag SOURCE H2 Green Steel Shanghai (Gasgoo)- After nearly a year of construction, the first phase of Ganfeng Lithium's new-type lithium battery technology industrial park project, located in Longsheng New City, has topped out 90% of its structures, according to a post on the WeChat account of Chongqing citys New Area. The projects battery pack production line is also set to be commissioned this month, giving a boost to Chongqing's efforts to build a world-class intelligent connected new energy vehicle industry cluster. Photo credit: Chongqing Liangjiang New Area This project, with a fixed investment of over 5 billion yuan, is set to be built into the largest solid-state battery production base in China. It officially began construction on July 30, 2022, and includes three sub-projects: a solid-state battery technology research institute, a solid-state battery production base, and a battery pack system production workshop. The battery pack workshop has already topped out and is currently undergoing interior decoration. It's due to be operational within this month; likewise, the solid-state battery production workshop is set to begin its interior decoration this month, with formal production commencing in January of the following year. The project manager on the site, Peng Lin, revealed that with the support of Liangjiang New Areas authorities, the construction of the projects main building, supporting roads, etc. are all under rapid advancement. "According to the plan, the entire civil construction of the first phase of the project will be completed this August. The total annual output value of the project will exceed 20 billion yuan, creating over 4,000 new jobs," said Peng Lin. Peng Lin also disclosed that this project is also the first major solid-state battery project deployed by Jiangxi Ganfeng LiEnergy Technology Co., Ltd. (Gangfeng LiEnergy). According to information released by Ganfeng Lithium, the proportion of battery business in its total revenue is growing rapidly, and the lithium battery business has been split into an independent sector, with the capital increase and share expansion already completed. It's worth mentioning that Gangfeng LiEnergy has also signed a cooperation agreement with SERES Auto. The first batch of the SERES SF5 vehicles equipped with solid-state batteries produced by Ganfeng LiEnergys Chongqing project will be delivered to users at the end of this month. In addition to these efforts, the project will also establish a solid-state battery research and testing center in Liangjiang New Area and attract 800 high-level talents nationwide to focus on improving the energy density of batteries and other core technologies. REYKJAVIK, Iceland, July 4, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- MyntExchange announcement: Individual investors are the invisible backbone of the investing economy. If the investment world were an iceberg: Investment bankers, hedge fund managers, and other such untrustables would be the tip of the iceberg-the part that the public sees. Retail investors would be the vast majority of distributed wealth supporting the investment economy in the shadows, unseen. This divide isn't accidental. It's a result of systemic flaws in traditional financial systems. These systems favor large, affluent investors who have more influence, access, and information than individual investors. Those "tip of the iceberg" investors can take advantage of high-quality investment opportunities that are out of reach for most people. Why and how are the best investment opportunities reserved for the tip of the iceberg? Let's dig under the surface and find out. It all starts with Where's Your Pension? One of the most common ways individual investors get screwed over is by relying on retirement fund systems that have proven to be unreliable, expensive, and limited. Pensions, for example, have become increasingly rare in the US private sector. In fact, only about 25% of civilian workers have access to one. Instead, employers have shifted to defined contribution plans, such as 401(k)s. Rather than relying on a public treasury, these plans require workers to contribute their own money and bear the investment risk. In exchange, an employer might offer a miniscule 3-5% match. These plans are supposed to help workers save for retirement by allowing them to defer taxes on their contributions until they withdraw them. However, many 401(k) plans have high fees and commissions that eat away at the returns. Not to mention the investment options in most 401(k)s are limited, and don't fit the risk profile for most sophisticated retail investors. When you add in all the complex regulations around retirement funds, and you get the result we have today: workers who cheer the fact that their employer matches a miniscule 5% of their contributions, not realizing what they're missing out on. Bearing the Cost of Poor Management Another way individual investors get screwed over is by having little or no control over their investments, then paying fees to fund managers who often do worse than the market. In a 5 year study of 2,132 mutual funds, not a single actively managed fund outperformed an unmanaged index fund. Not. One. This raises the question: Why do individual investors pay high fees and commissions to fund managers who actually make less money than an unmanaged fund? One possible answer: individual investors are unaware of the impact of fees on their long-term returns. For mutual funds, these fees come in the form of an "expense ratio" that acts as payment for managing the fund. It's a tiny-looking percentage that adds up to massive losses over time. For example, if your mutual fund has an expense ratio of 1%, it means the fund deducts 1% of its assets every year to cover its costs. So if an investor invests $10,000 in a fund that has an annual return of 10% before fees and an expense ratio of 1% (which are realistic numbers), after 20 years, the investor would have: $49,725 However, if the same investor started with the same amount, got the same returns, and had an expense ratio of 0.1% (which is realistic for an unmanaged fund), the investor would have: $60,949 That's a difference of more than $11,000 due to fees alone. In other ways, management fees are a scam. So why do individual investors keep paying these fees? Unfortunately, because we've been tricked by some clever marketing tactics. Never Trust a Suit Never trust anyone in a suit. Suits are uncomfortable, unnatural, and completely absurd abominations of the professional world. They should be abolished. Yet, you'll never see more suits in any industry than you do in financial management. That should tell you something Financial institutions use clever tactics-far more sophisticated than suit-wearing-to manipulate the world's perceptions of them. Even their fund names and appearances project security. Wealth. Stability. Vanguard Morningstar Blackrock And so on These tactics have been used for over a century, and include projecting a facade of trustworthiness through formal attire, using jargon and technical terms to confuse or impress investors, or creating artificial scarcity or urgency to induce fear or greed. Bernie Madoff was the king of this. He orchestrated the largest Ponzi scheme in history ($65 billion). To pull it off, he wore bespoke suits and cultivated an aura of exclusivity and secrecy around his hedge fund. He claimed he had a proprietary trading strategy that could generate consistent returns of about 10% per year. However, he was actually fabricating statements and using money from new clients to pay off old ones. The lesson: if management fees can be deceiving, the people who charge them are even more deceptive. Minimum Investments Most individual investors can't even get access to the best investment opportunities. Why? Because hedge funds and private equity funds often have minimum investment thresholds, many of which are $1 million or more. In other words, individual investors who want to get higher returns by investing in startups and other hidden gems can't even get their foot in the door. So they're left to put money in a 401(k), mutual fund, or some other money pit with miniscule returns and unnecessary risks. The Status Quo No Mo' Individual investors who want to achieve: Higher returns Lower fees And more flexibility -should consider investing in startups, not mutual funds. Unlike the traditional financial system, which often screws over individual investors with minimum investments, management fees, and limited access, investing in startups offers many advantages. Retail investors can invest any amount they want, pay no fees or commissions, access the highest returns, and diversify their portfolio. They can also help fund startups that are solving real problems and creating positive impact in the world, and enjoy the thrill of being part of something new. Investing in startups is not without risks, but it can also offer great rewards for those who are willing to take the leap. MyntExchange has started to list companies of their solution and starting possibly the best index fund solution in MyntCoin, Listing HERE CONTACT: www.myntcoin.io www.myntexchange.io [email protected] Linkedin The following files are available for download: https://news.cision.com/myntfund-ehf-/i/whatsapp-image-2023-07-01-at-02-09-51,c3196421 WhatsApp Image 2023-07-01 at 02 09 51 SOURCE Myntfund ehf. STOCKHOLM and LUND, Sweden, July 4, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Imitera, a leading company delivering Extended Reality (XR) solutions, and AlixLabs, a visionary in scaling semiconductor devices using a new technique in the fabrication of nanostructures, are proud to announce a collaboration that will revolutionize the visualization and marketing of AlixLabs disruptive semiconductor manufacturing method. Imitera's cutting-edge XR platform will optimize the processes for the teams at AlixLabs, providing a unique opportunity to meet in a virtual representation of atoms, molecules, and surface reactions on an atomic level. This breakthrough technology enables live testing and seamless information sharing, driving collaborative and object-human-centric processes powered by XR applications. "At Imitera, we address the challenges faced by many companies in accessing, displaying, and demonstrating real-world business offers," explained John Nilsson, CEO of Imitera. "By harnessing the latest XR technologies and applications, we create immersive virtual experiences that showcase and display products, processes, or services. We are thrilled to collaborate with AlixLabs, a company leading the way in scaling semiconductor devices. Through this partnership, we aim to provide unparalleled value and facilitate teams and stakeholders in their decision-making processes, whether it's in R&D, sales, or planning." The impact of Imitera's XR solution is already evident, as highlighted by Dr. Jonas Sundqvist, Co-founder, and CEO of AlixLabs. "We are amazed by the insights we gained when we first met inside the XR atomic level world, we were like kids again in the IKEA ball bath" said Sundqvist. Amin Karimi, co-founder and COO of AlixLabs added "With our team dispersed across countries, being able to virtually meet and engage inside the Atomic Layer Etch (ALE) chamber has been a game-changer. Thanks to Imitera's XR solutions, we will have a new platform for meeting and reaching out to our collaborators and investors around the world." The collaboration with AlixLabs showcases the transformative power of Imitera's XR technology. By addressing the market's demand for high-quality, cost-effective, and user-friendly XR experiences, Imitera's solutions are poised to drive innovation and growth in various industries. CONTACT: Press contact: John Nilsson, [email protected] Press contact: Jonas Sundqvist, [email protected] The following files are available for download: https://news.cision.com/alixlabs-ab/i/imitera-alixlabs,c3196972 Imitera AlixLabs SOURCE AlixLabs AB DUBLIN, July 4, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The "Indonesia Frozen Potato Products Market (2022-2028)" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering. The Indonesian Frozen Potato Products Market revenue is expected to grow at a CAGR of 8.3% during 2022-2028. The market is growing on the back of the rapidly growing urbanization rate, rising disposable income and increasingly busy lifestyle of the newly emerged working population in the country have shifted the trends towards convenient ready-to-eat meals and western-style cuisine, thereby increasing the demand for frozen potato products in the country. The growing QSR popularity has made fast foods such as fries, wedges, and other potato products familiar among households. With changing consumer taste preferences and hectic lifestyle, it has emerged as the go-to-food. However, Indonesia Frozen potato Products Industry is an import-based market. The major nations exporting these products to Indonesia are Belgium, Netherlands, and United States. With growing global economic uncertainties, this may act as a major constraint. Further, the growing health concerns among individual might hampers the growth of this industry. Market by Product Types French fries are expected to register the highest revenues in the upcoming years owing to the rapid expansion of Quick Service Restaurants and the drastic shift of the Asia-Pacific countries towards Western lifestyle, making this ready-to-eat and light snack post-high demand prospect in the country. Market by End Use Growth opportunities lie in the food service segment as the growing number of fast-food chains along with their comparatively cheaper prices, attract larger customer traffic for frozen potato products than the retail segment. Market by Distribution Channels The online segment is expected to post the highest growth in the future owing to the emerging online food service trends and high prospects of increased market penetration by the e-commerce sector in the country. However, supermarkets and hypermarkets would acquire the highest revenue share as it allows shoppers to find and purchase a wide assortment of consumer goods in one location. Key Attractiveness of the Report COVID-19 Impact on the Market 11 Years Market Numbers Historical Data Starting from 2018 to 2021 Base Year: 2022 Forecast Data until 2028 Key Performance Indicators Impacting the Market Major Upcoming Developments and Projects Key Highlights of the Report Indonesia Frozen Potato Products Market Overview Indonesia Frozen Potato Products Market Outlook Indonesia Frozen Potato Products Market Forecast Historical Market Data and Forecast of Indonesia Frozen Potato Products Revenues and Volume, By Product Types for the period 2018-2028F. Historical Market Data and Forecast of Indonesia Frozen Potato Products Revenues, By End Use for the period 2018-2028F. Historical Market Data and Forecast of Indonesia Frozen Potato Products Revenues, By Distribution Channels for the period 2018-2028F. COVID-19 Impact on Indonesia Frozen Potato Products Market Market Drivers and Restraints Market Opportunity Assessment Indonesia Frozen Potato Products Market Import Trade Statistics Competitive Benchmarking Company Profiles Key Strategic Recommendations Market Scope and Segmentation The report provides a detailed analysis of the following market segments: By Product Types French Fries Tikkis Potato Wedges Potato Bites Others (Potato Smileys, Cheese Shots) By End Use Food Service Retail By Distribution Channels B2B Supermarkets and Hypermarkets Convenience Stores Departmental Stores Online Key Topics Covered: 1. Executive Summary 2. Introduction 2.1 Key Highlights of the Report 2.2 Report Description 2.3 Market Scope & Segmentation 2.4 Research Methodology 2.5 Assumptions 3. Indonesia Frozen Potato Products Market Overview 3.1 Indonesia Frozen Potato Products Market Revenues & Volume, 2018-2028F 3.2 Indonesia Frozen Potato Products Market - Industry Life Cycle 3.3 Indonesia Frozen Potato Products Market - Porter's Five Forces 4. Indonesia Frozen Potato Products Market COVID-19 Impact Analysis 5. Indonesia Frozen Potato Products Market Dynamics 5.1 Impact Analysis 5.2 Market Drivers 5.3 Market Restraints 6. Indonesia Frozen Potato Products Market Trends 7. Indonesia Frozen Potato Products Market, By Product Types 7.1 Indonesia Frozen Potato Products Market Revenues and Volume Share, By Product Types, 2021 & 2028F 7.2 Indonesia Frozen Potato Products Market Revenues and Volume, By Product Types, 2018-2028F 7.2.1 Indonesia Frozen Potato Products Market Revenues and Volume, By French Fries, 2018-2028F 7.2.2 Indonesia Frozen Potato Products Market Revenues and Volume, By Tikkis, 2018-2028F 7.2.3 Indonesia Frozen Potato Products Market Revenues and Volume, By Potato Wedges, 2018-2028F 7.2.4 Indonesia Frozen Potato Products Market Revenues and Volume, By Potato Bites, 2018-2028F 7.2.5 Indonesia Frozen Potato Products Market Revenues and Volume, By Others, 2018-2028F 8. Indonesia Frozen Potato Products Market, By End Use 8.1 Indonesia Frozen Potato Products Market Revenue Share and Revenues, By End Use, 2018-2028F 8.1.1 Indonesia Frozen Potato Products Market Revenue Share and Revenues, By Food Service, 2018-2028F 8.1.2 Indonesia Frozen Potato Products Market Revenue Share and Revenues, By Retail, 2018-2028F 9. Indonesia Frozen Potato Products Market, By Distribution Channels 9.1 Indonesia Frozen Potato Products Market Revenue Share and Revenues, By Distribution Channels, 2018-2028F 9.1.1 Indonesia Frozen Potato Products Market Revenue Share and Revenues, By B2B, 2018-2028F 9.1.2 Indonesia Frozen Potato Products Market Revenue Share and Revenues, By Supermarkets and Hypermarkets, 2018-2028F 9.1.3 Indonesia Frozen Potato Products Market Revenue Share and Revenues, By Convenience Stores, 2018-2028F 9.1.4 Indonesia Frozen Potato Products Market Revenue Share and Revenues, By Departmental Stores, 2018-2028F 9.1.5 Indonesia Frozen Potato Products Market Revenue Share and Revenues, By Others, 2018-2028F 10. Indonesia Frozen Potato Products Market Import-Export Trade Statistics 11. Indonesia Frozen Potato Products Market Key Performance Indicators 12. Indonesia Frozen Potato Products Market Opportunity Assessment 12.1 Indonesia Frozen Potato Products Market Opportunity Assessment, By Product Type, 2028F 12.2 Indonesia Frozen Potato Products Market Opportunity Assessment, By End-Use, 2028F 12.3 Indonesia Frozen Potato Products Market Opportunity Assessment, By Distribution Channel, 2028F 13. Indonesia Frozen Potato Products Market Competitive Landscape 13.1 Indonesia Frozen Potato Products Market Revenue Ranking, By Companies, 2021 13.2 Indonesia Frozen Potato Products Market Competitive Benchmarking, By Operating and Technical Parameters 14. Company Profiles 14.1 Mydibel NV 14.2 Farm Frites International B.V. 14.3 McCain International Services Inc. 14.4 Tomfrost B.V. 14.5 Clarebout Potatoes 14.6 Lamb Weston Inc. 14.7 Agristo NV 14.8 Vestey Food International Ltd. 14.9 Potato King B.V. 15. Key Strategic Recommendations For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/a189mf About ResearchAndMarkets.com ResearchAndMarkets.com is the world's leading source for international market research reports and market data. We provide you with the latest data on international and regional markets, key industries, the top companies, new products and the latest trends. 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 Rock Tech has successfully completed the drilling of 17 exploration holes for a total of 3,676 meters in the first months of 2023, at the Main Zone North (MZN) and McVittie deposits. It has received assay results for ten holes drilled around MZN and seven holes that were drilled at McVittie (refer to results on Table 1 and Table 2). Commenting on the Drill Programme, Robert MacDonald, General Manager of the Georgia Lake Project, said, "Rock Tech is pleased to have been able to follow up on our 2021-22 drill results from the MZN and past results from McVittie. Positive results obtained further support the strength of the deposits and extends our understanding of the known pegmatites. We are currently preparing to follow up with a summer field programme and get 'boots on the ground' to support our commitment to our total land package at Georgia Lake." KEY EXPLORATION HIGHLIGHTS Ten NQ 1 diamond drill holes totaling 2,115 meters were completed at the MZN deposit. diamond drill holes totaling 2,115 meters were completed at the MZN deposit. Highlights of assay results from the ten holes at MZN include: NC-23-01 3.2 m (true width) at 0.87% Li 2 O starting from 57.1m (true width) at 0.87% Li O starting from NC-23-02 3.5 m (true width) at 1.07% Li 2 O starting from 103.0m (true width) at 1.07% Li O starting from NC-23-03 4.0 m (true width) at 1.08% Li 2 O starting from 162.3m (true width) at 1.08% Li O starting from NC-23-06 4.9 m (true width) at 0.73% Li 2 O starting from 67.6m (true width) at 0.73% Li O starting from NC-23-07 7.7 m (true width) at 0.71% Li 2 O starting from 59.6m (true width) at 0.71% Li O starting from NC-23-07 4.3 m (true width) at 1.42% Li 2 O starting from 139.9m (true width) at 1.42% Li O starting from NC-23-08 3.1 m (true width) at 1.19% Li 2 O starting from 7.1m (true width) at 1.19% Li O starting from NC-23-09 2.5 m (true width) at 0.92% Li 2 O starting from 117.8m Seven NQ diamond drill holes totaling 1,561 meters were completed at McVittie; assay results include: MV-23-01 6.4 m (downhole width) at 0.93% Li 2 O starting from 107.4m (downhole width) at 0.93% Li O starting from MV-23-03 2.1 m (downhole width) at 1.30% Li 2 O starting from 95.6m (downhole width) at 1.30% Li O starting from MV-23-05 2.7 m (downhole width) at 1.66% Li 2 O starting from 59.05m Rock Tech intends to increase mineral resources at Georgia Lake Project during 2023 and 2024 through a set of phased exploration programmes. The first phase of this commitment ("Phase I") has been the completion of the winter drill programme at MZN and McVittie. Rock Tech is also pleased to announce that it has initiated an extensive summer exploration programme ("Phase II") that will focus on prospecting, mapping, and sampling around high priority targets. The work will be followed by trenching and channel sampling on select prospects in both the Northern Spodumene Pegmatite Area (NSPA) and Southern Spodumene Pegmatite Area (SSPA). This work will follow up on the positive results of the 2022 field programme (see Rock Tech's press release dated January 31, 2023) which sampled pegmatite prospects in close proximity to Rock Tech's NI 43101 compliant mineral resources (refer to Table 3). Figure 1 and Figure 4 illustrate the locations of the high priority spodumene-bearing prospects at Line 20, Camp 38, Conway East, Caral, Foster Lew, Jean Lake, and Aumacho, where Rock Tech's 2023 summer exploration programme will be focused. The results from Phase II are expected to generate additional drill targets for a Fall 2023 drill programme ("Phase III"). The Georgia Lake Project, located between Nipigon and Beardmore, Ontario is comprised of 1,042 hectares of mineral leases and 5,686 hectares of mineral claims. SAMPLING AND QA/QC PROCEDURE Samples were taken across every spodumene-bearing pegmatite and 1 metre into the barren host rock on either side of pegmatite dikes. Sample lengths are generally around 1 metre, though individual sample length can be determined based on internal zoning of the dikes and the locations of their contacts. Core to be sampled was cut in half with one half being sent for analysis and the other half remaining in the box for reference. All core is stored at Rock Tech's core facility in Beardmore, Ontario. Each sample was put into its own plastic sample bag with a sample tag and closed with zip ties. 16% of the samples that were submitted to Activation Laboratories Ltd. ("Actlabs") for analysis were QAQC samples. QAQC samples were inserted into the sample stream and consist of a high- and low-grade lithium standards, blank material, and duplicates. Samples were dropped at Actlabs' preparation laboratory in Thunder Bay, Ontario for crushing and pulverizing, and subsequently were sent to Actlabs' geochemistry laboratory in Ancaster, Ontario for analysis of 41 elements using fusion plus ICP-OES or ICP-MS. Sodium peroxide fusion plus ICP-OES was used to analyze for lithium. Actlabs is independent of the Company. SCIENTIFIC AND TECHNICAL DISCLOSURE The scientific and technical disclosure included in this news release has been reviewed and approved by Jessica Daniel, P.Geo., Consulting Geologist for the Georgia Lake Project, a Qualified Person under National Instrument 43-101 Standards of Disclosure of Mineral Projects. Exploration data was collected and verified following the guidelines outlined in CIM Mineral Exploration Best Practice Guidelines. ABOUT ROCK TECH Rock Tech is a cleantech company with operations in Canada and Germany on a mission to produce lithium hydroxide for electric vehicle batteries. The Company plans to build lithium converters at the door-step of its customers, to guarantee supply-chain transparency and just-in-time delivery, beginning with the Company's proposed lithium hydroxide merchant converter and refinery facility in Guben, Germany. To close the most pressing gap in the clean mobility story, Rock Tech has gathered one of the strongest teams in the industry. The Company has adopted strict environmental, social and governance standards and is developing a proprietary refining process aimed at further increasing efficiency and sustainability. Rock Tech plans to source raw material from its wholly-owned Georgia Lake spodumene project located in the Thunder Bay Mining District of Ontario, Canada, as well as procuring it from other responsibly producing mines. In the years to come, the Company expects to also source raw material from discarded batteries. Rock Tech's goal: to create a closed-loop lithium production system. www.rocktechlithium.com Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. C AUTIONARY NOTE CONCERNING FORWARD-LOOKING INFORMATION The following cautionary statements are in addition to all other cautionary statements and disclaimers contained elsewhere in, or referenced by, this press release. Certain information set forth in this press release constitutes "forward-looking information" ("forward-looking information") within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities laws, which are based on Rock Tech's current expectations, estimates, and assumptions in light of its experience and is perception of historical trends. All statements other than statements of historical facts may constitute forward-looking information. Often, forward-looking information can be identified by the use of words or phrases such as "plan", "estimate", "project", "anticipate", "expect", "intend", "believe", "hope", "may" and similar expressions, as well as "will", "shall" and all other indications of future tense. All forward-looking information set forth in this press release is expressly qualified in its entirety by the cautionary statements referred to in this section. In particular, forward-looking information contained in this press release includes: statements regarding the 2022, 2023, and 2024 drilling campaigns and mobilization and prospecting activities and the objectives, results and the benefits thereof; the Company's expectations regarding the outcome and proof of the expected potential, the Company's intentions with respect to the development and timing thereof and statements regarding further exploration activities future plans, activities, and schedules relating to such projects and related development; Rock Tech's opinions, beliefs and expectations regarding the Company's business strategy, development and exploration opportunities and projects; and plans and objectives of management for the Company's operations and properties. Forward-looking information is based on certain assumptions, estimates, expectations and opinions of the Company and, in certain cases, third party experts, that are believed by management of Rock Tech to be reasonable at the time they were made. This forward-looking information was derived utilizing numerous assumptions regarding, among other things, that the results of the exploration programme will be indicative of future results; that the way from the 2022 published release on the prefeasibility study (PFS) towards a feasibility study (DFS) will continue as currently planned; the supply and demand for, deliveries of, and the level and volatility of prices of, feedstock and intermediate and final lithium products; that all required regulatory approvals and permits can be obtained on the necessary terms in a timely manner; expected growth, performance and business operations; future commodity prices and exchange rates; prospects, growth opportunities and financing available to the Company; general business and economic conditions; the costs and results of exploration, development and operating activities; Rock Tech's ability to procure supplies and other equipment necessary for its business; and the accuracy and reliability of technical data, forecasts, estimates and studies. The foregoing list is not exhaustive of all assumptions which may have been used in developing the forward-looking information. While Rock Tech considers these assumptions to be reasonable based on information currently available, they may prove to be incorrect. Forward-looking information should not be read as a guarantee of future performance or results. In addition, forward-looking information involves known and unknown risks and uncertainties and other factors, many of which are beyond Rock Tech's control, that may cause Rock Tech's actual events, results, performance and/or achievements to be materially different from that which is expressed or implied by such forward-looking information. Risks and uncertainties that may cause actual events, results, performance and/or achievements to vary materially include the risk that Rock Tech will not be able to meet its financial obligations as they fall due, delays in government approval for the construction and commissioning of the Georgia Lake Project, changes in commodity prices, Rock Tech's ability to retain and attract skilled staff and to secure feedstock from third party suppliers, unanticipated events and other difficulties related to construction, development and operation of converters and mines, the cost of compliance with current and future environmental and other laws and regulations, title defects, competition from existing and new competitors, changes in currency exchange rates and market prices of Rock Tech's securities, Rock Tech's history of losses, impacts of climate change and other risks and uncertainties discussed under the heading "Financial Instruments and Other Risks" in Rock Tech's most recently filed Management Discussion and Analysis, a copy of which is filed electronically through SEDAR and is available online at www.sedar.com. Such risks and uncertainties do not represent an exhaustive list of all risk factors that could cause actual events, results, performance and/or achievements to vary materially from the forward-looking information.It can not be guaranteed that actual events, results, performance and/or achievements will be consistent with the forward-looking information and management's assumptions may prove to be incorrect. This forward-looking information reflects Rock Tech management's current views as at the date of this press release. Except as may be required by law, Rock Tech undertakes no obligation and expressly disclaims any responsibility, obligation or undertaking to update or to revise any forward-looking information, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, to reflect any change in Rock Tech's expectations or any change in events, conditions or circumstances on which any such information is based. The forward-looking information contained herein is presented for the purposes of assisting readers in understanding Rock Tech's plans, objectives and goals and is not appropriate for any other purposes. TABLE 1 | Summary of Assay Results for Drill Holes Completed at the MZN Deposit in 2023. GPS Locations are in UTM NAD83 Zone 16N. Hole ID Easting (m) Northing (m) Elevation (m) Hole Length (m) Azimuth Dip From (m) To (m) Length (m) True Width (m) Li 2 O % NC-23-01 424852 5477535 379 200 139 -66 57.10 61.00 3.9 3.2 0.87 NC-23-02 424736 5477435 379 251 140 -65 103.00 107.21 4.21 3.5 1.07 NC-23-03 424613 5477530 377 210.5 140 -48 70.67 71.77 1.1 0.8 0.63 162.27 168.33 6.06 4.0 1.08 NC-23-05 424532 5477436 365 221 140 -55 180.80 184.50 3.7 2.8 0.44 NC-23-06 424762 5477590 379 104 140 -55 4.46 6.66 2.2 1.7 0.68 51.82 52.40 0.58 0.4 0.51 61.58 62.66 1.08 0.8 0.58 67.60 74.30 6.7 4.9 0.73 NC-23-07 424992 5477814 379 209 135 -60 59.59 68.43 8.84 7.7 0.71 73.46 78.02 4.56 4.0 0.5 139.90 144.82 4.92 4.3 1.42 NC-23-08 425075 5477803 379 146 135 -60 7.10 10.69 3.59 3.1 1.19 25.42 27.32 1.9 1.6 1.41 84.57 85.50 0.93 0.8 1.26 NC-23-09 425326 5478131 379 210 140 -55 117.82 120.57 2.75 2.5 0.92 NC-23-10 425248 5478236 379 314 140 -53 298.91 299.27 0.36 0.3 1.33 NC-23-11 425379 5478257 369 250 138 -46 100.45 101.45 1.0 1.0 0.37 TABLE 2 | Summary of Assay Results for Drill Holes Completed at the McVittie Deposit in 2023. GPS Locations are in UTM NAD83 Zone 16N. Hole ID Easting Northing Elevation Hole Length Azimuth Dip From (m) To (m) Length (m) Li2O % MV-23- 01 ### #### 399 271 270 # 99 99.5 0.5 0.97 102.82 104.8 1.98 0.53 107.4 113.79 6.39 0.93 MV-23- 02 425827 5473351 401 221 274 -69 160 161 1 0.98 MV-23- 03 ### #### 387 221 270 # 95.6 97.69 2.09 1.30 133.89 135.96 2.07 0.61 140.87 143.06 2.19 0.72 MV-23- 04 425824 5473440 387 251 270 -65 156.5 157.32 0.82 0.46 MV-23- 05 ### #### 386 125 264 # 32.25 35.05 2.8 1.38 59.05 61.77 2.72 1.66 MV-23- 06 425799 5473565 401 251 264 -55 No Significant assays MV-23- 07 425807 5473661 396 221 265 -47 No Significant assays TABLE 3 | Overview of the Mineral Resource as of 2022's Prefeasibility Study 2022 MINERAL RESOURCE Classification Mining Cut-off grade Li 2 O (%) Zone Tonnes Li 2 O (%) Indicated Open pit 0.3 NSPA OP Indicated 4,242,618 0.88 Indicated Underground 0.6 NSPA UG Indicated 6,358,650 0.89 Total Indicated 10,601,268 0.88 Inferred Open pit 0.3 NSPA OP Inferred 245,933 0.78 Inferred Underground 0.6 NSPA UG Inferred 2,073,069 0.91 Inferred Underground 0.6 SSPA UG Inferred 1,903,274 1.12 Total Inferred 4,222,276 1.00 Notes: a. CIM Definition Standards (2014) were used for reporting the Mineral Resources. b. The Qualified Person is Dinara Nussipakynova, P.Geo. of AMC. c. Cut-off grade for open pit Mineral Resources is 0.30% Li 2 O. d. Open pit Mineral Resources are constrained by the optimization pits shell at a lithium concentrate price of USD 1,100/t with metallurgical recovery of 80% and concentrate grade of 6%. Both cut off use same parameters. e. The pit optimization was based on following cost assumptions: i. Mill feed mining costs of USD 4.5/t and waste mining cost of USD 4.5/t. ii. Processing costs of USD 25/t and General and Administration costs of USD 15/t. iii. Slope angle 45-48 degrees. f. Cut-off grade for underground Mineral Resources is 0.60% Li 2 O based on a USD 45/t mining cost and processing and G&A the same as the open pit. g. Underground Mineral Resources are not constrained. h. Mineralized Density used as 2.69 t/m3. i. Waste Density used as 2.75 t/m3. j. Drilling results up to 31 July 2022. k. The numbers may not compute exactly due to rounding. j. Numbers may not compute exactly due to rounding. ______________________________ 1 Note : Represents core samples of 47.6mm in diameter. SOURCE Rock Tech Lithium Inc. Modal title PRN Top Stories Newsletters Sign up to get PRNs top stories and curated news delivered to your inbox weekly! Enter Your Email Select Country Select Country Submit Thank you for subscribing! Our newsletters contain tracking pixels to help us deliver unique content based on each subscriber's engagement and interests. For more information on how we will use your data to ensure we send you relevant content please visit our By signing up you agree to receive content from us.Our newsletters contain tracking pixels to help us deliver unique content based on each subscriber's engagement and interests. For more information on how we will use your data to ensure we send you relevant content please visit our PRN Consumer Newsletter Privacy Notice . You can withdraw your consent at any time in the footer of every email you'll receive. Unsere Newsletter enthalten Zahlpixel, die die Lieferung einzigartiger Inhalte in Bezug auf das Abonnement und die Interessen der einzelnen Abonnenten ermoglichen. Weitere Informationen uber die Verwendung Ihrer Daten im Hinblick auf die Zusendung von relevanten Inhalten, finden Sie in unserer Mit Ihrer Anmeldung erklaren Sie sich damit einverstanden, Inhalte von uns zu erhalten.Unsere Newsletter enthalten Zahlpixel, die die Lieferung einzigartiger Inhalte in Bezug auf das Abonnement und die Interessen der einzelnen Abonnenten ermoglichen. Weitere Informationen uber die Verwendung Ihrer Daten im Hinblick auf die Zusendung von relevanten Inhalten, finden Sie in unserer PRN Consumer Newsletter Privacy Notice . Ihre Zustimmung konnen Sie jederzeit in der Fuzeile jeder erhaltenen E-Mail widerrufen. Notre newsletter contient des pixels espions nous permettant la fourniture a chaque abonne, dun contenu unique en lien avec ses souscriptions et interets. Pour de plus amples informations sur lutilisation faite de vos donnees en vue de lenvoi des contenus concernes, nous vous invitons a consulter la politique de confidentialite disponible a partir du lien suivant En vous inscrivant a la newsletter, vous consentez a la reception de contenus de notre part.Notre newsletter contient des pixels espions nous permettant la fourniture a chaque abonne, dun contenu unique en lien avec ses souscriptions et interets. Pour de plus amples informations sur lutilisation faite de vos donnees en vue de lenvoi des contenus concernes, nous vous invitons a consulter la politique de confidentialite disponible a partir du lien suivant PRN Consumer Newsletter Privacy Notice . Vous pouvez a tout moment revenir sur votre consentement par le biais des informations situees au bas de chaque e-mail recu. DUBLIN, July 3, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The "Long-Term Impacts of Evolving Cloud Communications Trends on Telecom Operators" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering. The overall research objective is to measure the current use and future decision-making behavior toward communications and collaboration solutions across industry verticals, customer segments, job roles and geographic regions. More specifically, this study provides analysis on adoption trends and strategic opportunities for telecommunications operators, service providers and technology vendors to grow in the Bring Your Own Carrier (BYOC) ecosystem. The 2023 IT decision-maker (ITDM) survey was conducted to gain insights on the following end-user organizations' priorities: Current communications and collaboration technology adoption rates and future adoption plans Current adoption and future demand for Microsoft Teams Phone and Microsoft Teams Phone Mobile, as well as public switched telephone network (PSTN) enablement of Teams environments Preferences among available PSTN deployment options, including Direct Routing, Operator Connect, and mobile/native dialer offerings Key Topics Covered: 1. Research Objectives 2. Research Methodology and Structure Research Methodology Respondent Demographics 3. Introduction and Industry Opportunity Introduction The UCaaS Disruption: The Merging of Telephony Services and Cloud Applications The UCaaS Disruption: The Rise of UCaaS Resale Models The Microsoft Effect and the Telecom Opportunity 4. Microsoft Teams Phone and Telecommunications Trends Cloud or Mobile PBX Services Adoption Current Cloud or Mobile PBX/UCaaS Solutions/Providers Future Cloud or Mobile PBX/UCaaS Solutions Providers Current and Future Enterprise Telephony/Business Call Control Environments with Microsoft Teams Phone in Use Regional Adoption and Future Plans for Microsoft Teams Phone Adoption and Future Plans for Microsoft Teams Phone and External PSTN Calling Among Vertical Markets Adoption Analysis of Microsoft Teams Phone and External PSTN Calling Preferred Methods of Connecting Microsoft Teams to the PSTN Preferred Method of PSTN-enabling Teams Phone Analysis 5. Reframing Voice Services in a Collaboration-First Market Importance of a Fully Integrated UCaaS Solution The Collaboration-First Market Approaches and Responsibilities for Voice Services Integration Customer-managed Communications Infrastructure Provider-managed SBC Services Session Border Controller as a Service Integrated Calling Plans Carrier-integrated Services Reframing Voice Services in a Collaboration-First Market 6. Key Findings Key Strategic Takeaways 7. Appendix Why Is It Increasingly Difficult to Grow? The Strategic Imperative 8T Growth Opportunities Fuel the Growth Pipeline EngineT 8. List of Exhibits For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/vjboc5 About ResearchAndMarkets.com ResearchAndMarkets.com is the world's leading source for international market research reports and market data. We provide you with the latest data on international and regional markets, key industries, the top companies, new products and the latest trends. 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 Recently launched iOS app aims to resolve issues concerning both the performance and security of modern devices STROVOLOS, Cyprus, July 4, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- While technology keeps advancing and achieving new heights, some age-old problems persist and keep bothering many users all around the world. Speed, storage, security, privacy each time a hardware or software solution appears on the market, it will inevitably be hindered by various complications. A small European company Uniapps Limited has undertaken the complex task of addressing and resolving at least some of those grievances at the software level. Their recently released software Secret Cleaner is aimed at those users who prefer simple but effective solutions to the issues of junk data, password security, device health and more. "We're excited to offer our users a simple but effective solution to the common issues of storage, security, and performance that plague modern devices," says Evan Kurchenyan, Product Manager of Uniapps Limited. "With Secret Cleaner, we aim to provide a one-stop-shop for all your device needs. We believe that this app is a game-changer in the industry and will help users take control of their device's performance and security." The solutions include a variety of tools aimed at cleaning various types of junk data. Same or hauntingly similar pictures or photos, duplicate contacts, unnecessary app data and more. You would be surprised how easy it is to overwhelm your device with such information, decreasing available storage and slowing down the performance of your device. Secret Cleaner resolves the issue with a single tap of a button. However, you can always pick separate options if you're willing to know more about what you're doing. It does not stop there though. For those users who care about their offline security, Secret Cleaner offers a hidden folder tool. Users can pick the media they don't want anyone to see and transfer it from the device gallery to the password-protected in-app folder. The hidden folder also includes a compartment for phone contacts for those who would like a complete security package. Password management is another neat option included in the app. With just a few taps, users can easily create secure passwords for their accounts and store them safely inside the app. A password management tool is almost indispensable for anyone concerned about privacy and security, so its inclusion in the overall package is much appreciated. The app allows users to access various device specs and the status of some components. Users can check their screen health, connection speed, OS version, RAM information, sensor data and more useful details for true tech geeks. While not being sensational or over-the-top with its tools and features, Secret Cleaner offers an exceptionally convenient experience for different types of users, providing solid offline security, storage health and password management options, with a handy bonus in the form of a device health monitor. Uniapps Limited is a company that specializes in developing software solutions aimed at resolving issues concerning the performance and security of modern devices. With a focus on user-friendliness and effectiveness, Uniapps Limited aims to provide simple but powerful tools that help users take control of their device's performance and security. SOURCE Uniapps DUBLIN, July 4, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The "Middle East & Africa Data Center Construction Market - Industry Outlook & Forecast 2023-2028" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering. The Middle East and Africa data center construction market is expected to reach a value of $4.26 billion by 2028 from $2.6 billion in 2022, growing at a CAGR of 8.54% from 2022-2028 The region's major global cloud service providers include Amazon Web Services, Tencent Cloud, Microsoft, Google Cloud, Alibaba Cloud, Oracle, and Huawei Technologies. For instance, Microsoft announced its intention to open a cloud region in Saudi Arabia. The Middle East and Africa data center construction market grows continuously in terms of connectivity by deploying new submarine cables such as Africa-1, 2Africa, India Europe Xpress (IEX), Raman, Saudi Vision, Blue, Equiano, Medusa Submarine Cable System, and SeaMeWe - 6, which are expected to be ready for services during the forecast period. The introduction of the 5G network in the Middle East & Africa is likely to generate a substantial amount of data, which will further lead to increasing investments in data centers. High internet connectivity, bandwidth, and less processing time is the feature of 5G technology. The countries like the UAE, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Oman, Kuwait, Bahrain, Kenya, Nigeria, and Qatar commercially deployed 5G network services. Turkey, Israel, Ethiopia, Algeria, Ghana, Jordan, Lebanon, and Iran are other countries in 5G planning and are yet to deploy commercial services during the forecast period. Rise in the Procurement of Renewable Energy Sources The Middle East and Africa have an abundance of availability of solar energy, where most of the countries in the region are undertaking renewable energy strategies & visions to develop renewable energy projects and meet the region's carbon-neutral goals set by respective governments. In December 2022, Saudi Arabia announced the development of 10 renewable energy projects with a power capacity of 7 GW, which is part of the Kingdom's 2030 Vision. In June 2022, Vantage Data Centers signed 20 years Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) with SolarAfrica in which the company will procure 87 MWp of solar energy that will be used to power its new facility. In the UAE, the Energy Strategy 2050 aims to increase the share of renewable energy from 25% to 50% in the total energy mix by 2050. Saudi Arabia has launched The National Renewable Energy Program (NREP) under Vision 2030, where 13 projects will generate over 4.8 GW of renewable energy. In addition, Bahrain plans to generate around 280 MW of electricity from renewable sources by 2025, increasing to around 700 MW by 2030 to attain national renewable energy targets. In July 2022, the Nigerian government made a statement regarding its commitment to the sustainability goal for 2030. The government is planning to generate 30 GW of electricity from renewable sources by generating renewable energy as 30% of its total production. Increasing Cloud Investments The increase in digitalization and the shift of workloads to cloud platforms from on-premises facilities to make their operations more efficient and scalable witnessed the increase in investments by cloud service providers in the Middle East and Africa over the last few years. Amazon Web Services aims to develop the infrastructure region in Tel Aviv, Israel, which will likely be operational in 2023. In September 2022, Google Cloud announced its plan to open a new cloud region in Cape Town, South Africa. The cloud region is expected to be operational in the next 2-3 years. In 2022, Google Cloud launched its first local cloud region in Israel. Further, Amazon outpost cloud services were deployed for the first time in Oman in the Oman Data Park, and Microsoft Azure established its first global data center region in Qatar. GEOGRAPHICAL ANALYSIS UAE dominates the regional market in terms of data center developments. In addition, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Israel, Kenya, and Oman are among the major contributors to high data center development activities in the Middle East and Africa data center construction market. Qatar, Nigeria, Bahrain, Egypt, Ethiopia, and Kuwait are emerging markets that witness significant growth due to digitalization and growth in connectivity. In the Middle East & Africa, the presence of smart cities in the region also drives data center investments. The UAE, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Kenya, Kuwait, Morocco, Nigeria, Egypt, Ethiopia, and Ghana are some of the major countries in the region which triggered the smart city investments. For instance, the NEOM project in Saudi Arabia is under development as a part of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman's Vision 2030, which will also comprise the data center development under a joint venture firm ZeroPoint DC. KEY MARKET PARTICIPANTS' INITIATIVES The surge in data center activities across the region will be a major source of revenue for construction contractors. Some prominent local and global construction contractors in the Middle East and Africa data center construction market include AECOM, Laing O'Rourke, Dar Group, Mercury Engineering, Deerns, Anel Group, Linesight, M+W, McLaren Construction, Atkins, B2 Architects, ENMAR Engineering, Arup, DC Pro Engineering, Edarat, Sterling & Wilson, United Egypt, Westwood Management, HHM Building Contracting, Red Engineering, and Turner & Townsend. For instance, Laing O'Rourke is selected by Khazna Data Centres to design and build a facility and office space in Dubai Design District. SEGMENTATION INSIGHTS Most facilities are being developed to operate at a PUE of less than 1.5. In contrast, few facilities in countries like Turkey that adopt partial free cooling during peak winters aim to operate at a PUE of less than 1.3. Data centers are investing in power infrastructure with a minimum of N+1 redundancy. In 2022, UPS systems accounted for a market share of more than 30% of the total electrical infrastructure in data centers. The Middle East and Africa data center construction market is investing in cooling infrastructure due to the high-temperature climate in some countries. In 2022, cooling systems service providers invested a share of more than 65% of the total mechanical infrastructure. KEY QUESTIONS ANSWERED: How big is the Middle East and Africa data center construction market? and data center construction market? What is the growth rate of the Middle East and Africa data center construction market? and data center construction market? What is the estimated market size in terms of area in the Middle East and Africa data center construction market by 2028? and data center construction market by 2028? Who are the new entrants in the Middle East and Africa data center construction market? and data center construction market? How many MW of power capacity is expected to reach the Middle East and Africa data center construction market by 2028? Market Opportunities & Trends Rising Adoption of Renewable Energy Sources Increasing 5G Deployments Fueling Edge Data Center Investments Deployment of Submarine Cables and Inland Connectivity Smart City Initiatives Driving Data Center Investments Increase in Adoption of Artificial Intelligence Market Growth Enablers Cloud Adoption Driving Data Center Investments IoT & Big Data Fuelling Data Center Investments On-Premises Infrastructure Migrating to Colocation & Managed Services Deployment of Modular Data Centers Market Restraints Security Challenges in Data Centers Dearth of Skilled Workforce Location Constraints on the Development of Data Centers Major Vendors Prominent Support Infrastructure Providers energy ABB Airedale Alfa Laval Canovate Caterpillar Cummins Delta Electronics EAE Group EATON Envicool EVAPCO Enlogic HITEC Power Protection Johnson Controls Legrand Master Power Technologies Rittal Rolls-Royce Schneider Electric Siemens STULZ Vertiv Prominent Data Center Construction Contractors AECOM AlDar Properties Anel Group Arup Ashi & Bushnag Atkins Abbeydale Advanced Vision Morocco ARSMAGNA b2 Architects CAP DC Chess Enterprises Copy Cat Group Dar Group DC Pro Engineering Deerns Eastra Solutions Edarat EGEC ENMAR Engineering EDS Engineers Egypro Harinsa Qatar (HQ) HATCO HHM Building Contracting Hill International H&MV Engineering Ingenium Interkel ICS Nett INT'LTEC ISG JLB Architects Laing O'Rourke Linesight M+W Group (Exyte) Mace Mercury Engineering McLaren Construction Group MIS MWK Engineering NDA Group Orascom Construction Prota Engineering Qatar Site & Power RED Engineering RW Armstrong Royal HaskoningDHV Shaker Group Sterling & Wilson Summit Technology Solutions Sudlows Telal Engineering & Contracting Tri-Star Construction Turner & Townsend United Egypt Westwood Management Prominent Data Center Investors st Century Technology Africa Data Centres Adgar Investments and Development Amazon Web Services (AWS) Batelco Bynet Data Communications Digital Parks Africa Equinix Etisalat EdgeConneX Future Digital Data Systems G42 Gulf Data Hub Google Galaxy Backbone icolo.io (Digital Realty) IXAfrica Khazna Data Centers Moro Hub MedOne MEEZA Mobily MainOne Medallion Communications Microsoft NTT Global Data Centers Oman Data Park Ooredoo Paratus Namibia Rack Centre Raxio Data Centres stc Serverfarm Turkcell Turk Telekom Telehouse Telecom Egypt Teraco (Digital Realty) Tencent Cloud Cloud Wingu New Entrants Airtel Nigeria Cloudoon Compass Datacenters Digital Realty EDGNEX Global Technical Realty Infinity Kasi Cloud Open Access Data Centres (OADC) Vantage Data Centers Quantum Switch ZeroPoint DC SEGMENTS ANALYSIS Infrastructure Electrical Infrastructure Mechanical Infrastructure General Construction Electrical Infrastructure UPS Systems Generators Transfer Switches & Switchgear PDUs Other Electrical Infrastructure Mechanical Infrastructure Cooling Systems Racks Other Mechanical Infrastructure Cooling Systems CRAC and CRAH Units Chillers Units Cooling Towers, Condensers, and Dry Coolers Other Cooling Units Cooling Techniques Air-based Cooling Liquid-based Cooling General Construction Core & Shell Development Installation & Commissioning Services Engineering & Building Design Fire Detection & Suppression Physical Security DCIM/BMS Solutions Tier Standard Tier I & Tier II Tier III Tier IV For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/b3fbna About ResearchAndMarkets.com ResearchAndMarkets.com is the world's leading source for international market research reports and market data. We provide you with the latest data on international and regional markets, key industries, the top companies, new products and the latest trends. 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 MONTREAL, July 4, 2023 /PRNewswire/ - Holand Automotive Group, one of Canada's leading luxury automotive retailers and owner of Ferrari Quebec in Montreal, has just acquired Ferrari South Bay, a premier dealership located in Torrance, in the Greater Los Angeles Area. The acquisition marks the Group's first foray in California, a region renowned for its high-net-worth clientele and for being one of North America's top Ferrari markets. Built from the ground up in 2014 by Mattioli Automotive Group, the Ferrari South Bay showroom has been an unmistakable landmark of Hawthorne Boulevard and a premier destination for all things Ferrari for nearly a decade. "We're fortunate to have some of the most knowledgeable staff in the network, with General Manager Eddie Brodsky leading an experienced team of sales and service professionals,", says Gad Bitton, President & CEO of Holand Automotive Group about this strategic acquisition. "We look forward to building a strong relationship with them and bringing our unique Ferrari Quebec insight to make the dealership even more successful." Making Waves Coast to Coast From its Montreal head office, Holand Automotive Group has grown to become a key player in the luxury and exotic vehicle market. In addition to leasing vehicles of all makes and models through its Holand Leasing division, the group owns and operates the following premium and ultra-luxury franchises in Canada and across the US: Ferrari Quebec (one of Canada's largest Ferrari dealerships), Rolls-Royce Motor Cars Quebec, Lamborghini Palm Beach, McLaren Ville de Quebec, BMW Ville de Quebec, BMW Levis, MINI Ville de Quebec, Maserati Montreal, Maserati Laval, Maserati Ville de Quebec, Lotus Palm Beach, Lotus Ville de Quebec. It also acquired the world-renowned Circuit Mont-Tremblant racetrack in the Laurentians region in 2022, with plans to turn the track into an elite motorsports destination. "Having Ferrari South Bay as part of our portfolio of marquee brands will allow us to focus on growth and to slowly expand our footprint in the USA", concludes Gad Bitton. SOURCE Holand Automotive Group NEW YORK, July 4, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The Online Travel Booking Platform Market size is estimated to grow by USD 1,107.21 billion from 2022 to 2027. The market is estimated to grow at a CAGR of 14.85%. APAC will account for 38% of the market's growth during the forecast period. Another key region that contributes significantly to the growth of the global market is North America. Some of the key countries in North America which significantly contributed to the market growth include US and Canada. Factors such as the rising population of baby boomers, the increasing demand for micro trips, the growing demand for multigenerational customized travels, the increasing number of domestic tourist destinations, growth in disposable income, and the increasing expenditure in leisure and travel activities are expected to drive the global online travel booking platform in the region during the forecast period. For Comprehensive details on the market size of historic period(2017 to 2021) and forecast period (2023-2027) - View Sample report Technavio has announced its latest market research report titled Global Online Travel Booking Platform Market 2023-2027 Online Travel Booking Platform Market - Vendor Landscape The online travel booking platform market is fragmented; the vendors are competing with competitors and are trying to get a greater market share. The market is growing, and the chances of new entrants cannot be overlooked. The major vendors have well-established economies of scale and market presence and generally rely on positioning technological advances and the price of the products -The report provides a full list of key vendors, their strategies, and the latest developments. Buy Now Online Travel Booking Platform Market - Market Dynamics Major Drivers & Challenges- The growing consolidation of online travel agencies is significantly driving the online travel booking platform market growth. Even though there are several vendors in the market which are competing against each other, there is significant growth in the market due to certain mergers and acquisitions. Several prominent vendors in the market are entering into a strategic partnership to dominate the market. Hence, such collaborations are expected to drive the market growth during the forecast period. The increasing competition from offline travel agencies may impede the market growth. Offline travel agencies are a major player in the global travel industry. Some customer segments, especially the baby boomer generation, prefer offline travel agencies as they are not keen on using new technologies as well as due to trust issues. Also, there is a growing preference for travel agents among the family segment for most of their trips. Hence, such factors are expected to hinder the market growth during the forecast period. Key Trends- Dynamic pricing is an emerging trend influencing the online travel booking platform market growth. In order to gain maximum market share in certain locations, several vendors in the market are using a dynamic pricing methodology. In a dynamic pricing approach, the vendors charge customers based on the average number of passengers to a particular destination. Hence, it offers vendors a competitive advantage to attract more tourists during the off-season. Hence, such factors are expected to drive the market growth during the forecast period. Drivers, Trends and challenges have an impact on market dynamics, which can impact businesses. Find more insights in a sample report! Company Profiles The online travel booking platform market report includes information on the product launches, sustainability, and prospects of leading vendors including Airbnb Inc., BlueStar Air Travel Services, Pvt. Ltd., Booking Holdings Inc., DirectVision SRL, eDreams ODIGEO, Expedia Group Inc., Fareportal Inc, Happyeasygo Group, Hopper Inc., Hostel World Group Plc, Kiwi.com sro, Lastminute.com NV, MakeMyTrip Ltd., OneTwoTrip Ltd., Thomas Cook India Ltd., Travelopro, Trip.com Group Ltd., TripAdvisor LLC, TUI AG, and Yatra Online Inc. Competitive Analysis The report includes competitive analysis, a proprietary tool to analyze and evaluate the position of companies based on their industry position score and market performance score. The competitive scenario categorizes companies based on various performance indicators. Some of the factors considered include the financial performance of companies over the past few years, growth strategies, product innovations, new product launches, investments, and growth in market share, among others. Online Travel Booking Platform Market - Market Segmentation The market is segmented by platform (mobile/tablet and desktop/laptop), type (packages and direct), and geography (APAC, North America, Europe, South America, and Middle East and Africa). The market share growth by the mobile/tablet segment will be significant for the market growth during the forecast period. Factors such as the rising penetration of smartphones and the increasing availability of many travel applications are significantly contributing to the market growth. As a result, several vendors in the market are upgrading their travel applications as well as adding new features to offer a personalized experience to customers. Hence, such factors are expected to drive the growth of this segment which in turn will fuel the market growth during the forecast period. Gain instant access to 17,000+ market research reports. Technavio's SUBSCRIPTION platform Related Reports The online travel agencies' IT spending market size is expected to increase by USD 1.73 billion from 2021 to 2026, and the market's growth momentum will accelerate at a CAGR of 15.22%. Furthermore, this report extensively covers online travel agencies' IT spending market segmentation by type (software spending, IT services spending, and hardware spending) and geography (North America, Europe, APAC, South America, and MEA). The increasing internet and smartphone penetration is one of the key drivers supporting online travel agencies IT spending market growth. The travel technologies market size is expected to increase by USD 3.70 billion from 2021 to 2026, and the market's growth momentum will accelerate at a CAGR of 7.67%. Furthermore, this report extensively covers the travel technologies market segmentation by product (GDS and airline and hospitality IT solutions) and geography (North America, Europe, APAC, the Middle East and Africa, and South America). One of the key factors driving growth in the travel technologies market is the increasing consolidation of online travel agencies. Online Travel Booking Platform Market Scope Report Coverage Details Base year 2022 Historic period 2017-2021 Forecast period 2023-2027 Growth momentum & CAGR Accelerate at a CAGR of 14.85% Market growth 2023-2027 USD 1,107.21 billion Market structure Fragmented YoY growth 2022-2023 (%) 14.26 Regional analysis APAC, North America, Europe, South America, and Middle East and Africa Performing market contribution APAC at 38% Key countries US, China, Japan, Germany, and UK Competitive landscape Leading Vendors, Market Positioning of Vendors, Competitive Strategies, and Industry Risks Key companies profiled Airbnb Inc., BlueStar Air Travel Services I Pvt. Ltd., Booking Holdings Inc., DirectVision SRL, eDreams ODIGEO, Expedia Group Inc., Fareportal Inc, Happyeasygo Group, Hopper Inc., Hostel World Group Plc, Kiwi.com sro, Lastminute.com NV, MakeMyTrip Ltd., OneTwoTrip Ltd., Thomas Cook India Ltd., Travelopro, Trip.com Group Ltd., TripAdvisor LLC, TUI AG, and Yatra Online Inc. Market dynamics Parent market analysis, Market growth inducers and obstacles, Fast-growing and slow-growing segment analysis, COVID-19 impact and recovery analysis 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 Global Market Characteristics Exhibit 04: Executive Summary Chart on Market by Geography Exhibit 05: Executive Summary Chart on Market Segmentation by Platform Exhibit 06: Executive Summary Chart on Market Segmentation by Type Exhibit 07: Executive Summary Chart on Incremental Growth Exhibit 08: Executive Summary Data Table on Incremental Growth Exhibit 09: Executive Summary Chart on Vendor Market Positioning 2 Market Landscape 2.1 Market ecosystem Exhibit 10: Parent market Exhibit 11: Market Characteristics 3 Market Sizing 3.1 Market definition Exhibit 12: Offerings of vendors included in the market definition 3.2 Market segment analysis Exhibit 13: Market segments 3.3 Market size 2022 3.4 Market outlook: Forecast for 2022-2027 Exhibit 14: Chart on Global - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ billion) Exhibit 15: Data Table on Global - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ billion) Exhibit 16: Chart on Global Market: Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%) Exhibit 17: Data Table on Global Market: Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%) 4 Historic Market Size 4.1 Global online travel booking platform market 2017 - 2021 Exhibit 18: Historic Market Size Data Table on Global online travel booking platform market 2017 - 2021 ($ billion) 4.2 Booking Platform Segment Analysis 2017 - 2021 Exhibit 19: Historic Market Size Booking Platform Segment 2017 - 2021 ($ billion) 4.3 Type Segment Analysis 2017 - 2021 Exhibit 20: Historic Market Size Type Segment 2017 - 2021 ($ billion) 4.4 Geography Segment Analysis 2017 - 2021 Exhibit 21: Historic Market Size Geography Segment 2017 - 2021 ($ billion) 4.5 Country Segment Analysis 2017 - 2021 Exhibit 22: Historic Market Size Country Segment 2017 - 2021 ($ billion) 5 Five Forces Analysis 5.1 Five forces summary Exhibit 23: Five forces analysis - Comparison between 2022 and 2027 5.2 Bargaining power of buyers Exhibit 24: Chart on Bargaining power of buyers Impact of key factors 2022 and 2027 5.3 Bargaining power of suppliers Exhibit 25: Bargaining power of suppliers Impact of key factors in 2022 and 2027 5.4 Threat of new entrants Exhibit 26: Threat of new entrants Impact of key factors in 2022 and 2027 5.5 Threat of substitutes Exhibit 27: Threat of substitutes Impact of key factors in 2022 and 2027 5.6 Threat of rivalry Exhibit 28: Threat of rivalry Impact of key factors in 2022 and 2027 5.7 Market condition Exhibit 29: Chart on Market condition - Five forces 2022 and 2027 6 Market Segmentation by Platform 6.1 Market segments Exhibit 30: Chart on Platform - Market share 2022-2027 (%) Exhibit 31: Data Table on Platform - Market share 2022-2027 (%) 6.2 Comparison by Platform Exhibit 32: Chart on Comparison by Platform Exhibit 33: Data Table on Comparison by Platform 6.3 Mobile/tablet - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 Exhibit 34: Chart on Mobile/tablet - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ billion) Exhibit 35: Data Table on Mobile/tablet - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ billion) Exhibit 36: Chart on Mobile/tablet - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%) Exhibit 37: Data Table on Mobile/tablet - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%) 6.4 Desktop/laptop - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 Exhibit 38: Chart on Desktop/laptop - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ billion) Exhibit 39: Data Table on Desktop/laptop - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ billion) Exhibit 40: Chart on Desktop/laptop - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%) Exhibit 41: Data Table on Desktop/laptop - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%) 6.5 Market opportunity by Platform Exhibit 42: Market opportunity by Platform ($ billion) Exhibit 43: Data Table on Market opportunity by Platform ($ billion) 7 Market Segmentation by Type 7.1 Market segments Exhibit 44: Chart on Type - Market share 2022-2027 (%) Exhibit 45: Data Table on Type - Market share 2022-2027 (%) 7.2 Comparison by Type Exhibit 46: Chart on Comparison by Type Exhibit 47: Data Table on Comparison by Type 7.3 Packages - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 Exhibit 48: Chart on Packages - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ billion) Exhibit 49: Data Table on Packages - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ billion) Exhibit 50: Chart on Packages - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%) Exhibit 51: Data Table on Packages - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%) 7.4 Direct - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 Exhibit 52: Chart on Direct - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ billion) Exhibit 53: Data Table on Direct - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ billion) Exhibit 54: Chart on Direct - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%) Exhibit 55: Data Table on Direct - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%) 7.5 Market opportunity by Type Exhibit 56: Market opportunity by Type ($ billion) Exhibit 57: Data Table on Market opportunity by Type ($ billion) 8 Customer Landscape 8.1 Customer landscape overview Exhibit 58: Analysis of price sensitivity, lifecycle, customer purchase basket, adoption rates, and purchase criteria 9 Geographic Landscape 9.1 Geographic segmentation Exhibit 59: Chart on Market share by geography 2022-2027 (%) Exhibit 60: Data Table on Market share by geography 2022-2027 (%) 9.2 Geographic comparison Exhibit 61: Chart on Geographic comparison Exhibit 62: Data Table on Geographic comparison 9.3 APAC - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 Exhibit 63: Chart on APAC - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ billion) Exhibit 64: Data Table on APAC - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ billion) Exhibit 65: Chart on APAC - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%) Exhibit 66: Data Table on APAC - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%) 9.4 North America - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 Exhibit 67: Chart on North America - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ billion) - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ billion) Exhibit 68: Data Table on North America - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ billion) - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ billion) Exhibit 69: Chart on North America - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%) - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%) Exhibit 70: Data Table on North America - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%) 9.5 Europe - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 Exhibit 71: Chart on Europe - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ billion) - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ billion) Exhibit 72: Data Table on Europe - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ billion) - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ billion) Exhibit 73: Chart on Europe - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%) - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%) Exhibit 74: Data Table on Europe - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%) 9.6 South America - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 Exhibit 75: Chart on South America - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ billion) - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ billion) Exhibit 76: Data Table on South America - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ billion) - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ billion) Exhibit 77: Chart on South America - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%) - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%) Exhibit 78: Data Table on South America - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%) 9.7 Middle East and Africa - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 and - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 Exhibit 79: Chart on Middle East and Africa - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ billion) and - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ billion) Exhibit 80: Data Table on Middle East and Africa - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ billion) and - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ billion) Exhibit 81: Chart on Middle East and Africa - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%) and - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%) Exhibit 82: Data Table on Middle East and Africa - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%) 9.8 US - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 Exhibit 83: Chart on US - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ billion) Exhibit 84: Data Table on US - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ billion) Exhibit 85: Chart on US - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%) Exhibit 86: Data Table on US - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%) 9.9 China - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 Exhibit 87: Chart on China - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ billion) - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ billion) Exhibit 88: Data Table on China - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ billion) - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ billion) Exhibit 89: Chart on China - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%) - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%) Exhibit 90: Data Table on China - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%) 9.10 UK - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 Exhibit 91: Chart on UK - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ billion) Exhibit 92: Data Table on UK - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ billion) Exhibit 93: Chart on UK - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%) Exhibit 94: Data Table on UK - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%) 9.11 Germany - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 Exhibit 95: Chart on Germany - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ billion) - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ billion) Exhibit 96: Data Table on Germany - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ billion) - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ billion) Exhibit 97: Chart on Germany - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%) - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%) Exhibit 98: Data Table on Germany - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%) 9.12 Japan - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 Exhibit 99: Chart on Japan - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ billion) - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ billion) Exhibit 100: Data Table on Japan - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ billion) - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ billion) Exhibit 101: Chart on Japan - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%) - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%) Exhibit 102: Data Table on Japan - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%) 9.13 Market opportunity by geography Exhibit 103: Market opportunity by geography ($ billion) Exhibit 104: Data Tables on Market opportunity by geography ($ billion) 10 Drivers, Challenges, and Trends 10.1 Market drivers 10.2 Market challenges 10.3 Impact of drivers and challenges Exhibit 105: Impact of drivers and challenges in 2022 and 2027 10.4 Market trends 11 Vendor Landscape 11.1 Overview 11.2 Vendor landscape Exhibit 106: Overview on Criticality of inputs and Factors of differentiation 11.3 Landscape disruption Exhibit 107: Overview on factors of disruption 11.4 Industry risks Exhibit 108: Impact of key risks on business 12 Vendor Analysis 12.1 Vendors covered Exhibit 109: Vendors covered 12.2 Market positioning of vendors Exhibit 110: Matrix on vendor position and classification 12.3 Airbnb Inc. Exhibit 111: Airbnb Inc. - Overview Exhibit 112: Airbnb Inc. - Product / Service Exhibit 113: Airbnb Inc. - Key offerings 12.4 BlueStar Air Travel Services I Pvt. Ltd. Exhibit 114: BlueStar Air Travel Services I Pvt. Ltd. - Overview Exhibit 115: BlueStar Air Travel Services I Pvt. Ltd. - Product / Service Exhibit 116: BlueStar Air Travel Services I Pvt. Ltd. - Key offerings 12.5 Booking Holdings Inc. Exhibit 117: Booking Holdings Inc. - Overview Exhibit 118: Booking Holdings Inc. - Business segments Exhibit 119: Booking Holdings Inc. - Key offerings Exhibit 120: Booking Holdings Inc. - Segment focus 12.6 DirectVision SRL Exhibit 121: DirectVision SRL - Overview Exhibit 122: DirectVision SRL - Product / Service Exhibit 123: DirectVision SRL - Key offerings 12.7 eDreams ODIGEO Exhibit 124: eDreams ODIGEO - Overview Exhibit 125: eDreams ODIGEO - Business segments Exhibit 126: eDreams ODIGEO - Key offerings Exhibit 127: eDreams ODIGEO - Segment focus 12.8 Expedia Group Inc. Exhibit 128: Expedia Group Inc. - Overview Exhibit 129: Expedia Group Inc. - Business segments Exhibit 130: Expedia Group Inc. - Key offerings Exhibit 131: Expedia Group Inc. - Segment focus 12.9 Fareportal Inc Exhibit 132: Fareportal Inc - Overview Exhibit 133: Fareportal Inc - Product / Service Exhibit 134: Fareportal Inc - Key offerings 12.10 Happyeasygo Group Exhibit 135: Happyeasygo Group - Overview Exhibit 136: Happyeasygo Group - Product / Service Exhibit 137: Happyeasygo Group - Key offerings 12.11 Hopper Inc. Exhibit 138: Hopper Inc. - Overview Exhibit 139: Hopper Inc. - Product / Service Exhibit 140: Hopper Inc. - Key offerings 12.12 Hostel World Group Plc Exhibit 141: Hostel World Group Plc - Overview Exhibit 142: Hostel World Group Plc - Product / Service Exhibit 143: Hostel World Group Plc - Key news Exhibit 144: Hostel World Group Plc - Key offerings 12.13 Kiwi.com sro Exhibit 145: Kiwi.com sro - Overview Exhibit 146: Kiwi.com sro - Product / Service Exhibit 147: Kiwi.com sro - Key offerings 12.14 Lastminute.com NV Exhibit 148: Lastminute.com NV - Overview Exhibit 149: Lastminute.com NV - Product / Service Exhibit 150: Lastminute.com NV - Key offerings 12.15 MakeMyTrip Ltd. Exhibit 151: MakeMyTrip Ltd. - Overview Exhibit 152: MakeMyTrip Ltd. - Business segments Exhibit 153: MakeMyTrip Ltd. - Key offerings Exhibit 154: MakeMyTrip Ltd. - Segment focus 12.16 OneTwoTrip Ltd. Exhibit 155: OneTwoTrip Ltd. - Overview Exhibit 156: OneTwoTrip Ltd. - Product / Service Exhibit 157: OneTwoTrip Ltd. - Key offerings 12.17 Thomas Cook India Ltd. Exhibit 158: Thomas Cook India Ltd. - Overview Exhibit 159: Thomas Cook India Ltd. - Business segments Exhibit 160: Thomas Cook India Ltd. - Key offerings Exhibit 161: Thomas Cook India Ltd. - Segment focus 13 Appendix 13.1 Scope of the report 13.2 Inclusions and exclusions checklist Exhibit 162: Inclusions checklist Exhibit 163: Exclusions checklist 13.3 Currency conversion rates for US$ Exhibit 164: Currency conversion rates for US$ 13.4 Research methodology Exhibit 165: Research methodology Exhibit 166: Validation techniques employed for market sizing Exhibit 167: Information sources 13.5 List of abbreviations Exhibit 168: 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 provide actionable insights to help businesses identify market opportunities and develop effective strategies to optimize their market positions. With over 500 specialized analysts, Technavio's report library consists of more than 17,000 reports and counting, covering 800 technologies, spanning 50 countries. Their client base consists of enterprises of all sizes, including more than 100 Fortune 500 companies. This growing client base relies on Technavio's comprehensive coverage, extensive research, and actionable market insights to identify opportunities in existing and potential markets and assess their competitive positions within changing market scenarios. Contact Technavio Research Jesse Maida Media & Marketing Executive US: +1 844 364 1100 UK: +44 203 893 3200 Email: [email protected] Website: www.technavio.com SOURCE Technavio TSXV: PGZ OTCQB: PGZFF Highest-grade copper-gold mineralization in all holes at Canada Honda drilled to date Mineralization open in all directions Gravity anomaly more than 2km long Canada Honda one of more than 14 Escacena gravity anomalies VANCOUVER, BC, July 4, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Pan Global Resources Inc. ("Pan Global" or the "Company") (TSXV: PGZ) (OTCQB: PGZFF) is pleased to announce positive results for the first of three follow-up drill holes at the Canada Honda target at the Company's 100%-owned Escacena Project in the Iberian Pyrite Belt, southern Spain. Figure 1 - Canada Honda gravity anomaly map (gravity inversion models on Bouger gravity grid) with drill hole locations, including new holes CHD05, CHD06 and CHD07, DHEM conductor and cross section location A-A in Figure 2. Figure 2 -Canada Honda gravity anomaly model cross section and drill hole locations, including hole CHD05 coincident with the gravity target and approximately 330m down-dip from the historic mine tunnel. Pan Global Resources Inc. logo "Higher-grade copper mineralization continues to be delineated at the Canada Honda target. Hole CHD05 reported today was a large step-out along a two-kilometer-long gravity anomaly and intercepted a wide zone of copper-gold mineralization 150m down-dip. It is particularly encouraging to see an increase in thickness of the copper-gold mineralization down-dip coincident with a gravity target. This indicates good potential for additional mineralization associated with the gravity anomaly," said Tim Moody, Pan Global's President and CEO. "Follow-up drill hole CHD06, more than 100m to the east of hole CHD05, has intersected visible copper mineralization coincident with a downhole EM (DHEM) conductor anomaly, confirming that mineralization at Canada Honda is open in all directions." Canada Honda, one of more than 14 gravity anomalies in the Escacena Project, is a high-priority target following drill results reported on June 1, 2023 that show gold and copper mineralization increasing down-dip on the edge of a 2km long east-west gravity and DHEM anomaly. Drill hole CHD05, the first of a three-hole follow-up drill program, targeted the gravity anomaly 150m down-dip from previous drill hole CHD04, and approximately 330m down-dip from a historic mine tunnel. Results are pending for hole CHD06 located 100m east of CHD05, targeting a large DHEM anomaly. Hole CHD07 is in-progress targeting a resistivity-low anomaly 100m down-dip from CHD05. The Canada Honda target is approximately 3.5km north of Pan Global's La Romana copper-tin-silver discovery at the Escacena Project. Drill results for Canada Honda hole CHD05 are summarized in Table 1 and drill collar details are presented in Table 2 below. Drill hole locations are shown in Figure 1. The gravity anomaly cross-section is shown in Figure 2. Highlights Hole CHD05 confirms that copper-gold mineralization continues with increasing thickness 150m down-dip from hole CHD04, and remains wide open. down-dip from hole CHD04, and remains wide open. Results for CHD05 include: 20m at 0.5% Cu, 0.3g/t Au, and 1.9g/t Ag from 287m down-hole, including at 0.5% Cu, 0.3g/t Au, and 1.9g/t Ag from down-hole, including 5.1m at 1.3% Cu, 0.5g/t Au, and 3.9g/t Ag at 1.3% Cu, 0.5g/t Au, and 3.9g/t Ag 0.5m at 10.3% Cu, 1.4g/t Au and 29g/t Ag at 10.3% Cu, 1.4g/t Au and 29g/t Ag Assays are pending for the upper part of the drill hole Hole CHD06 shows visible copper mineralization coincident with the DHEM target approximately 100m east of hole CHD05. Table 1 Canada Honda drill hole CHD05 results summary (all intersections are >90% to 100% of true thickness) Hole From To Int Cu Au Ag Pb Zn Co m m m % g/t g/t ppm ppm ppm CHD05 287.0 307.0 20.0 0.5 0.3 1.9 38 124 102 296.0 307.0 11.0 0.8 0.4 2.4 36 147 117 296.0 301.0 5.1 1.3 0.5 3.9 39 154 182 296.0 296.5 0.5 10.3 1.4 29.2 114 371 592 Table 2 Canada Honda drillhole CHD05 collar information Hole_ID Easting1 Northing1 Azimuth () Dip () Depth (m) CHD05 737208 4156446 180 -70 443.4 1Coordinates are in ERTS89 datum UTM29N QA/QC Procedures Core size was HQ (63mm) and all samples were core. Nominal sample size was 1m core length and ranged from 0.4m to 2m. Sample intervals were defined using geological contacts with the start and end of each sample physically marked on the core. Diamond blade core cutting and sampling was supervised at all times by Company staff. Duplicate samples of core were taken approximately every 30 samples and Certified Reference materials inserted every 25 samples in each batch. Samples were delivered to ALS laboratory in Sevilla, Spain and assayed at the ALS laboratory in Ireland. All samples were crushed and split (method CRU-31, SPL22Y), and pulverized using (method PUL-31). Gold analysis was by 50gm Fire assay with ICP finish (method Au-ICP22) and multi element analysis was undertaken using a 4-acid digest with ICP AES finish (method ME-ICP61). Over grade base metal results were assayed using a 4-acid digest ICP AES (method OG-62). About the Escacena Project The Escacena Project comprises a large, contiguous, 5,760-hectare land package controlled 100% by Pan Global in the east of the Iberian Pyrite Belt. Escacena is located near operating mines at Las Cruces and Riotinto and is immediately adjacent to the former Aznalcollar and Los Frailes mines where Minera Los Frailes/Grupo Mexico is in the final permitting stage with construction anticipated to start in 2023. The Escacena Project hosts the La Romana copper-tin-silver discovery and a number of other prospective targets, including Zarcita, Hornitos, La Jarosa, Romana Deep, Romana North, Romana West, Canada Honda, Bravo, Barbacena, El Pozo, and San Pablo. About Pan Global Resources Pan Global Resources Inc. is actively targeting copper-rich mineral deposits, given copper's compelling supply-demand fundamentals and outlook for strong long-term prices as a critical metal for global electrification and energy transition. The Company's flagship Escacena Project is located in the prolific Iberian Pyrite Belt in southern Spain, where infrastructure, mining and professional expertise, and support for copper as a Strategic Raw Material by the European Commission collectively define a tier-one jurisdiction for mining investment. The Pan Global team comprises proven talent in exploration, development, and mine operations - all of which are committed to operating safely and with utmost respect for the environment and our partnered communities. Qualified Persons James Royall, Vice President Exploration for Pan Global Resources and a qualified person as defined by National Instrument 43-101, has reviewed the scientific and technical information for this news release. Mr. Royall is not independent of the Company. On behalf of the Board of Directors www.panglobalresources.com Forward-looking statements Statements which are not purely historical are forward-looking statements, including any statements regarding beliefs, plans, expectations or intentions regarding the future. It is important to note that actual outcomes and the Company's actual results could differ materially from those in such forward-looking statements. The Company believes that the expectations reflected in the forward-looking information included in this news release are reasonable but no assurance can be given that these expectations will prove to be correct and such forward-looking information should not be unduly relied upon. Risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, economic, competitive, governmental, environmental and technological factors that may affect the Company's operations, markets, products and prices. Readers should refer to the risk disclosures outlined in the Company's Management Discussion and Analysis of its audited financial statements filed with the British Columbia Securities Commission. The forward-looking information contained in this news release is based on information available to the Company as of the date of this news release. Except as required under applicable securities legislation, the Company does not intend, and does not assume any obligation, to update this 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. Contact: Jason Mercier, VP Investor Relations and Communications, [email protected], +1 778 372-7101, www.panglobalresources.com Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2146399/Pan_Global_Resources_Inc__PAN_GLOBAL_DRILLS_1_3__COPPER_AND_0_5.jpg Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2146401/Pan_Global_Resources_Inc__PAN_GLOBAL_DRILLS_1_3__COPPER_AND_0_5.jpg Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2146402/Pan_Global_Resources_Inc__PAN_GLOBAL_DRILLS_1_3__COPPER_AND_0_5.jpg SOURCE Pan Global Resources Inc. MONTREALA digital rights collective filed complaints with regulators in the European Union accusing Pornhubs European operation, based in Cyprus, of illegally mishandling user data in violation of the strict General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) requirements adopted by the EU. Under GDPR, organizations must obtain explicit consent from individuals before collecting and processing their personal data. Transparent information about data usage and proper security measures are also required. Platforms like Pornhub are hoarding information about everybodys sexual orientation and trading it with business partners for a profit, says Alessandro Polidoro, an attorney and spokesperson for the grassroots data privacy rights group, #StopDataPorn. According to its website, #StopDataPorn is a collective project with support from an active staff and academic advisory team from the University of Milan, in Italy. Polidoro added in a press release: "They are capable of creating lists naming who is gay and who is not, for instance, also knowing intimate secrets and kinks that people would not share even with their closest friends. It is mandatory to put this massive processing of sensitive data into compliance with data protection law. The mission of the #StopDataPorn group is three-pronged, according to its website. Many of the accusations surrounding Pornhubs history of data collection and handling stem from, first, the lack of consent when asking to process personal data requests that include data thats very sensitiveincluding sexual preferences. GDPR requires that Pornhub comply by offering a note for consent in order to retain and handle such sensitive user data. Second, the #StopDataPorn group takes issue with how Pornhub shares personal data with third parties and partner firmsspecifically those comprising Ethical Capital Partners, the private equity investors based in Ottawa that acquired Pornhub parent company MindGeek in March. Again, the GDPR rules prohibit the dissemination of personal information and other sensitive data without it being declared and the users consenting. Lastly, the group takes aim at Pornhubs recommendation and other related ad-tech algorithms claiming that these processes constitute unlawful profiling. Polidoro told Wired last week that legal complaints have been filed against Pornhub, the sites ownership group, and other entities tied to the mega tube site through its European base in Cyprus. GDPR compliance has always been a point of contention for online adult industry firms that host websites that collect sensitive personal information and other identifying data. "We will respond through the appropriate process in time, and note that it is our practice not to comment on ongoing litigation," a spokesperson for MindGeek told AVN, adding that the company is "committed to protecting user privacy and is continuously implementing measures to safeguard the personal data of everyone in its community." The U.S. state of California adopted the California Consumer Privacy Act in January 2020, which has been dubbed a GDPR copycat law. The California Consumer Privacy Act is a first-of-its-kind law to enter into force for a large swath of American citizens granting users the right to consent or not consent to certain data handling practices carried out by most companies who operate on the internetof course, porn sites are included. For Pornhub, these new legal challenges and complaints follow a tumultuous few weeks for the site in the United States as Pornhubs ownership group opted, again, to geo-block entire states for age verification laws that heavily rely upon the collection of personal information like government ID cards, credit card numbers, or other identifying information for legal users to access adult sites. Image by Pete Linforth from Pixabay BASEL, Switzerland, July 6, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The PharmaLedger Association, a pioneering nonprofit organization dedicated to fostering a secure and reliable Digital Trust Ecosystem in healthcare, announces the addition of its newest members. James Gannon VP of Quality, Trust, and Safety answers about the new opportunities in the healthcare and pharma industries with the PharmaLedger Association PharmaLedger Association Members onboarded from January to June 2023 Zuellig Pharma - Singapore / Pharma Healthcare Services Provider - / Pharma Healthcare Services Provider Technovative Solutions - UK / Tech Provider - UK / Tech Provider Takeda Pharmaceuticals - Japan / Manufacturer - / Manufacturer Imprensa Nacional Casa da Moeda - Portugal / Government - / Government Interoperability Institute - USA / Education - / Education Kvalito - Switzerland / Quality and Consulting - / Quality and Consulting Onorach Innovation - UK / Clinical Research - UK / Clinical Research Partisia Blockchain Foundation - Switzerland / Nonprofit - / Nonprofit Ennov - France / Tech Provider - / Tech Provider CSCMP , Roundtable Switzerland - Industry Association , - Industry Association Democritus University of Thrace - Greece / Academia These new members further solidify the Association's position as a catalyst for transformation in the supply chain, clinical trials, and health data spaces. "The growing and increasingly diverse PLA membership reaffirms our belief in the power of building an ecosystem as a progressive path--and a fundamental necessity--for enlightened organizations. It fills me with great joy to witness the growing relevance of PharmaLedger and to see the industry embracing our message of the need for a shared infrastructure in digital healthcare." Clarisse Dias da Mota, VP EO&S, PharmaLedger Association "We encourage other clinical trial stakeholders to join us in this journey, to collectively shape a future where data integrity, transparency, and collaboration redefine the standards of trust in healthcare and help advance the efficiency of clinical studies and use of health data. This is the future of clinical trials. We recognize the transformative power of a digital trust ecosystem in healthcare, pooling resources and risk with like-minded partners to build digital healthcare solutions that empower patients with the use of their data and improve on current clinical trial methods." Stephen Leiper, CEO Onorach Innovation Standard Member "As a public company, our commitment is towards guaranteeing the safety and security of citizens. Consortia like the EU-funded project and the resulting PharmaLedger Association are living proof of the importance of public-private collaboration as a means to achieve the best results. The increasing digitalization of all areas of society makes collaborations of this type crucial for the realization of a true Digital Trust Ecosystem in Healthcare." Alberto Lopez, Deputy Director INCM Innovation Lab Public Partner About PharmaLedger Association (PLA): PLA is a Swiss association created to launch and scale research from the EU-funded IMI PharmaLedger project. PLA is dedicated to the creation of a secure and reliable digital trust ecosystem in global healthcare. Focused on innovation, collaboration, and application of industry standards, the Association establishes a new interconnected ecosystem model of collaboration to achieve "digital trust". By championing cutting-edge technologies in a co-creation environment, the Association operates as a pre-competition, nonprofit, umbrella organization, capable of helping the healthcare industry unite around the public good of an open-source shared infrastructure for the digital era. Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2145607/PharmaLedger_Association_Logo.jpg Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2145609/PharmaLedger_Association.jpg Video - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HYLw3ZaN-kk SOURCE PharmaLedger Association CHICAGO, July 4, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Residential Energy Storage Market is projected to reach USD 2,081 million in 2028 from USD 898 million in 2023 at a CAGR of 18.3% according to a new report by MarketsandMarkets. The Residential Energy Storage Market has promising growth potential due to the rising production of electric vehicles, initiatives by government, growing R & D investment in lithium-ion batteries. Browse in-depth TOC on "Residential Energy Storage Market" 301 - Tables 61 - Figures 291 Pages Download PDF Brochure: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/pdfdownloadNew.asp?id=153284325 Residential Energy Storage Market Scope: Report Coverage Details Market Size USD 2,081 million in 2028 Growth Rate 18.3% of CAGR Largest Market Asia Pacific Market Dynamics Drivers, Restraints, Opportunities & Challenges Forecast Period 2023-2028 Forecast Units Value (USD Million) Report Coverage Revenue Forecast, Competitive Landscape, Growth Factors, and Trends Segments Covered By Technology, power rating, connectivity type, ownership type, operation type and region Geographies Covered North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, South America and Middle East & Africa Report Highlights Updated financial information / product portfolio of players Key Market Opportunities Increasing installation of solar PV modules Key Market Drivers Significant demand for electric vehicles By connectivity type, the on-grid segment is anticipated to rule the Residential Energy Storage Market during the forecast period. The Residential Energy Storage Market is dominated by the on-grid segment. Due to its lower upfront costs than off-grid connectivity, it has a larger market share. Energy storage technologies occasionally also support extra functions like Transmission & Delivery (T&D) deferral, power quality assurance, voltage regulation, spinning reserve, and improved system reliability. Off-grid residential energy storage systems commonly combine renewable energy sources such as solar panels or wind turbines with energy storage technology to create a self-sufficient power supply. On-grid residential energy storage systems are connected to the electric grid, offering benefits like backup power during outages and optimizing energy usage. They charge batteries during off-peak hours and discharge during peak demand, enabling participation in grid programs and services like demand response. By operation type, the Residential Energy Storage Market for solar and storage is anticipated to grow at the highest rate. Solar and storage systems make up the largest portion of the Residential Energy Storage Market, which is segmented into standalone systems and solar and storage systems. Due to growing awareness and demand for energy independence, solar and storage are also anticipated to grow the fastest during the forecast period. The Residential Energy Storage Market provides standalone systems for backup power and load management, regardless of solar panel usage. Additionally, there is a growing demand for integrated solar and storage systems, optimizing self-consumption and energy independence. Request Sample Pages: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/requestsampleNew.asp?id=153284325 Asia Pacific region being the fastest growing Residential Energy Storage Industry North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, the Middle East & Africa, and South America are the five geographic areas in which the Residential Energy Storage Market has been examined in this report. Due to the rapidly rising cost-competitiveness of solar-plus-storage solutions, which give residential consumers access to clean energy power and opportunities to lower their energy costs, Europe is currently a significant contributor to the Residential Energy Storage Market. Key Market Players: The report includes profiles of some of the leading players in the Residential Energy Storage Companies to help readers gain a thorough understanding of the market's competitive environment. Tesla (US), VARTA AG (Germany), Enphase Energy (US), BYD Company Ltd. (China), Sonnen GmbH (Germany), and LG Energy Solution (South Korea) are a few of the major players. The market's top players are using a variety of tactics to gain market share for residential energy storage. Get 10% Free Customization on this Report: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/requestCustomizationNew.asp?id=153284325 Recent Developments In September 2022 , BYD Company partnered with Victron Energy to find out compatibility BYD Premium LVL / LVS and Victron inverters/chargers which was successfully completed. , BYD Company partnered with Victron Energy to find out compatibility BYD Premium LVL / LVS and Victron inverters/chargers which was successfully completed. In August 2022 , Tesla partnered with Green Mountain Power (GMP) for the deployment of Powerwalls, Tesla's home battery pack, in a decentralized way with electric utilities. The relatively small electric utility operating in Vermont was one of the earliest adopters of Tesla Powerwall. , Tesla partnered with Green Mountain Power (GMP) for the deployment of Powerwalls, Tesla's home battery pack, in a way with electric utilities. The relatively small electric utility operating in was one of the earliest adopters of Tesla Powerwall. In August 2022 , Huawei Digital Power and Pinggao Group Co., Ltd have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to strengthen their cooperation in the supply of innovative and reliable Huawei string inverters for PV plants in Balkan countries such as Greece , Bulgaria , and North Macedonia . , Huawei Digital Power and Pinggao Group Co., Ltd have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to strengthen their cooperation in the supply of innovative and reliable Huawei string inverters for PV plants in Balkan countries such as , , and . In February 2022 , Enphase Energy announced a partnership with Swell Energy that, Enphase Energy Systems powered by IQTM Microinverters and IQTM Batteries will be able to participate in Swell's distributed, virtual power plant (VPP) programs in California , New York , and Hawaii as a result of the collaboration. Browse Adjacent Markets: Energy and Power Market Research Reports & Consulting Related Reports: Lithium-ion Battery Market - Global Forecast to 2031 Battery Energy Storage Market - Global Forecast to 2028 Portable Power Station Market - Global Forecast to 2028 Grid-Scale Battery Market About MarketsandMarkets: MarketsandMarkets is a blue ocean alternative in growth consulting and program management, leveraging a man-machine offering to drive supernormal growth for progressive organizations in the B2B space. We have the widest lens on emerging technologies, making us proficient in co-creating supernormal growth for clients. The B2B economy is witnessing the emergence of $25 trillion of new revenue streams that are substituting existing revenue streams in this decade alone. We work with clients on growth programs, helping them monetize this $25 trillion opportunity through our service lines - TAM Expansion, Go-to-Market (GTM) Strategy to Execution, Market Share Gain, Account Enablement, and Thought Leadership Marketing. Built on the 'GIVE Growth' principle, we work with several Forbes Global 2000 B2B companies - helping them stay relevant in a disruptive ecosystem. Our insights and strategies are molded by our industry experts, cutting-edge AI-powered Market Intelligence Cloud, and years of research. The KnowledgeStore (our Market Intelligence Cloud) integrates our research, facilitates an analysis of interconnections through a set of applications, helping clients look at the entire ecosystem and understand the revenue shifts happening in their industry. To find out more, visit www.MarketsandMarkets.com or follow us on Twitter, LinkedIn and Facebook. Contact: Mr. Aashish Mehra MarketsandMarkets INC. 630 Dundee Road Suite 430 Northbrook, IL 60062 USA: +1-888-600-6441 Email: [email protected] Research Insight: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/ResearchInsight/residential-energy-storage-market.asp Visit Our Website: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/ Content Source: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/PressReleases/residential-energy-storage.asp Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/660509/MarketsandMarkets_Logo.jpg SOURCE MarketsandMarkets The growth of the smoke and fire damper market is driven by the growth in awareness regarding the use of fire safety systems along with stringent government regulations along with growing construction industry and rising investment on infrastructure. PORTLAND, Ore., July 4, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Allied Market Research published a report, titled, "Smoke and fire damper Market by Mechanism (Sliding, Hinged), By Door Type (Swing Doors, Sliding Doors, Folding Doors, Revolving Doors, Others), By Material (Wood, Aluminum, PVC): Global Opportunity Analysis and Industry Forecast, 2023-2032". According to the report, the global smoke and fire damper industry generated $163.2 million in 2022, and is anticipated to generate $277.6 million by 2032, witnessing a CAGR of 5.5% from 2023 to 2032. Download Free Sample Report @ https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/request-sample/75119 Prime determinants of growth The growth in awareness regarding the use of fire safety systems along with stringent fire safety regulations drives the smoke and fire damper market. However, lack of skilled staff and high initial cost are restraining the growth of the market. On the contrary rising investment on infrastructure are expected to offer lucrative opportunities for the growth of the market. Report coverage & details: Report Coverage Details Forecast Period 20222032 Base Year 2022 Market Size in 2021 $ 163.2 million Market Size in 2031 $ 277.6 million CAGR 5.5 % No. of Pages in Report 213 Segments covered Type, Distribution Channel, Application, and Region. Drivers Growth in awareness regarding use of fire safety systems and stringent fire safety regulations Growth in the construction industry Opportunities Increase in investment in infrastructure Restraints Lack of skilled staff and high initial costs Covid-19 Scenario The outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic had a negative impact on the global smoke and fire damper market, owing to a downfall in the construction activities during the lockdown. Not only the smoke and fire damper market but also the production of fire safety systems was hampered due to the closure of manufacturing units across the world, especially in the initial period of the pandemic. Although the smoke and fire damper industry faced losses, ongoing construction activities in different developing regions aided in its recovery. The motorized segment to maintain its leadership status throughout the forecast period Based on type, the motorized segment held the highest market share in 2022, accounting for more than half of the global smoke and fire damper market revenue owing to growing demand for dampers in commercial and industrial sectors such as offices, hospitals, manufacturing facilities and warehouses are driving the demand for motorized smoke and fire dampers. However, manual segment is projected to manifest the highest CAGR of 6.8% from 2022 to 2032. There is a growth in emphasis on fire safety regulations and building codes worldwide. For instance, according to the Indian Government, in February 2022, rise in fire incidences necessitated the installation of fire protection equipment in passenger and school buses. Government officials are taking a variety of moves to recognize the need for fire protection systems. Buy This Research Report (213 Pages PDF with Insights, Charts, Tables, Figures): https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/checkout-final/27211c0b7498db5a369f592416305ed6 The offline segment to maintain its leadership status throughout the forecast period Based on distribution channel, the offline segment held the highest market share in 2022, accounting for more than two-thirds of the global smoke and fire damper market, as these multichannel initiatives increase brand awareness, link the messaging across all points of contact, and can potentially result in a higher return on investment (ROI). However, the online segment is projected to manifest the highest CAGR of 7.0% from 2022 to 2032. The online distribution channel is experiencing growth as customers can receive real-time notifications of new product releases, special discounts, promotional schemes, and the one-touch buy option. According to the report "The Ecommerce Explosion" published by Aaron Orendorff in 2019, states that E-commerce in the Asia-Pacific area accounts for more than 70% of worldwide ecommerce. China alone contributes for $740 billion in the e-commerce sales, while the U.S. accounts for $560 billion. Estimates show that China will reach $1,086 billion in e-commerce sales by 2023. Similarly, the U.S. is also expected to reach $735 billion in e-commerce sales by 2023. Such numbers exhibit the growth of the e-commerce sector and therefore major key players of smoke and fire dampers are expected to promote and distribute their products through online services. The commercial segment to maintain its lead position during the forecast period Based on application, the commercia segment accounted for the largest share in 2022, contributing to nearly half of the global smoke and fire damper market revenue, and is projected to maintain its lead position during the forecast period. Growth in adoption of smoke and fire dampers for construction of commercial buildings boosts the growth of the global market, as many developers, contractors along with major key players have invested or planned to invest in installation of smoke and fire damper in commercial buildings. However, the residential segment is expected to portray the largest CAGR of 7.7% from 2023 to 2032. Rapid urbanization and infrastructure development in emerging market present significant opportunities for smoke and fire dampers manufacturers. According to the European Union and Eurostat, residential construction of Germany surged from 5.9% to 6% from 2019 to 2020. In addition, over the last few years, residential construction witnessed substantial increase, owing to rise in investments from North American, Asia-Pacific, and African countries. North America to maintain its dominance by 2032 Based on region, North America held the highest market share in terms of revenue in 2022, accounting for more than two-fifths of the global smoke and fire damper market revenue, and is likely to dominate the market during the forecast period North America has well-established building codes and regulations that prioritize fire safety. Regulations, such as the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) standards and International Building Code (IBC), mandate the installation of smoke and fire dampers in commercial, residential, and industrial buildings. The enforcement of similar regulations creates a steady demand for smoke and fire damper systems. However, the LAMEA region is expected to witness the fastest CAGR of 12.4% from 2023 to 2032. Latin America and the Middle East have many developing countries with huge growth potential. Many countries in the Middle East region are focusing on the rapid development of infrastructure for boosting the tourism industry. This creates a demand for hotels, resorts and other guests' accommodation; thereby increasing the demand for smoke and fire dampers is to prevent the spread of fire and smoke in a building. Enquire Before Buying @ https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/purchase-enquiry/75119 Leading Market Players: - Trox Gmbh Johnson Controls International Plc Flakt Group Ruidong Group ALnor System BSB Engineering Services Ltd Nailor Industries Komfovent Celmec International Tecno-Ventil The report provides a detailed analysis of these key players in the global smoke and fire damper market. These players have adopted different strategies to increase their market share and maintain dominant shares in different regions. The report is valuable in highlighting business performance, operating segments, product portfolio, and strategic moves of market players to showcase the competitive scenario. Trending Reports in Smoke And Fire Damper (Book Now with 10% Discount): Busway-Bus Duct Market is projected to reach $21 billion by 2031 Pressure Relief Valves Market is projected to reach $7 billion by 2031 Zero-liquid-discharge-system-market is estimated to reach $11.2 billion by 2032 Warm Air Heating Equipment Market: Global Opportunity Analysis and Industry Forecast, 2023-2032 Compressor Parts and Accessories Market: Global Opportunity Analysis and Industry Forecast, 2023-2032 High-Integrity Pressure Protection System (HIPPS) Market: Global Opportunity Analysis and Industry Forecast, 2023-2032 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/636519/3950895/Allied_Market_Research_Logo.jpg SOURCE Allied Market Research MUNICH, July 4, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- On June 15, 2023, SUNPORT jointly with TUV NORD, GOODWE, DAS SOLAR and Hondol Material held the launch ceremony of Lightweight PV Module Technology Application White Paper at the Intersolar Europe exhibition. Dr. You Da, president of Sunport Power attended the ceremony. With an increasing PV module market demand coming from old rooftops, curved rooftops, lightweight rooftops, outdoor activities and even moving vehicles, lightweight PV modules have a broader application scenarios. Sunport Power upgraded its existent lightweight module products to increase its product reliability. Performance Improvement Featuring 5.7kg weight, only 30% of conventional modules, 2.5mm thickness and 0.5m minimum bending radius, Sunport's flexible modules are perfectly fit for curved roofs and roofs with load-bearing problem. To confront extreme temperature like hail and snow, Sunport use the reinforced polymer material front sheet to improve the local impact resistance performance and overall load resistance performance. In addition, upgraded MWT technology is applied to flexible modules achieve enhanced efficiency, reliability, compatibility and etc. Busbar-free design increases the module efficiency up to 21.8%. Performance warranty are reinsured by LLOYD'S. "Sunport Power will continuously optimize product technology and processes, and strive to provide more efficient, reliable products together with professional service to our customer." Dr. You Da, president of Sunport Power said. The "Lightweight PV Module Technology Application White Paper" is scheduled to be officially released at the end of July this year, which will help company improve the product quality and process level of lightweight modules, fill the gap in testing and certification of lightweight modules, help consumers more conveniently and quickly choose lightweight modules. SOURCE Sunport Power BEIJING, July 4, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- A news report by Huanqiu.com Facing the global challenges posed by ecological changes, the Chinese government launched the global initiative on ecological construction, appealing to the international community to uphold the concept of a community with a shared future for mankind. It also promotes the construction of a fair and reasonable global environmental governance with win-win cooperation for the joint construction of a cleaner and more beautiful world. The Press Conference of the Eco Forum Global Guiyang 2023 was held in Beijing on July 3. (Gog.cn/Hu Hongtao) A beautiful view of Guanshanhu District of Guiyang, Guizhou province.(Photo by Cao Jingjian) On July 3, the Press Conference of the Eco Forum Global Guiyang 2023 was held in Beijing. It will kick off from July 8 to 9 in Guiyang, Guizhou Province, in both online and offline forms. More than 2500 guests are expected to attend the forum, among whom leaders of the CPC and the state, political figures of foreign countries, heads of national ministries and departments, and responsible persons of international organizations, research institutes, and leading enterprises of green development will deliver speeches. Themed "Pursuing the Modernization of Harmony between Humanity and Nature - Promoting Green and Low-carbon Development," the forum will hold the opening and closing ceremonies, theme forums, exhibitions, and investment attraction of the green industry. It is characterized by more focused themes for discussion, more diversified exhibitions and more effective investment attraction. More focused themes for discussion: a total of 17 theme forums are set up in four modules, namely "Theory and Practices of Xi Jinping's Thoughts on Ecological Civilization," "Green and Low-carbon Development," "Ecological Protection and Pollution Prevention and Treatment," and "International Exchanges and Cooperation." Over 50 renowned experts and scholars will attend the forum, including 17 academicians from the Chinese Academy of Sciences and Chinese Academy of Engineering. The forum is scheduled to release theoretical research findings, establish the Green Climate Fund of Guizhou, and implement other results in practices. More diversified exhibitions: focusing on green development, the forum will hold an exhibition displaying green innovative products in various areas and build demonstration bases for site investigation of the forum with distinctive features and significant ecological results. In addition, by integrating online and offline means, the forum is committed to demonstrating the achievements in seeking green economic development at home and abroad, as well as in Guizhou. Six modules have been set up, including the exhibition area of the guest-of-honor province, the Guizhou exhibition area, the exhibition area of environmental technology enterprises, the exhibition area of international commodities, the new product release area, and the trade negotiation area. More effective investment attraction: concentrating on the key areas of new energy, new material, energy-saving and environmental protection and recycled utilization, the forum will build a platform for the green industry to attract investment while seeking cooperation and exchanges. The forum will undertake the campaign on the capital introduction of the green industry and organize green cooperation projects for on-site agreement signing. With a focus on several areas, it has planned and formulated 220 green ecological projects for investment attraction and promotion. Furthermore, it plans to undertake the signing of the "Eco Forum Global Guiyang Green Industrial Projects" and the "Guizhou Major Green Development Projects and Strategic Cooperation Agreement," with the total signing value expected to exceed RMB 16 billion. In recent years, Guizhou has been strictly implementing Xi Jinping's Thoughts on Ecological Civilization and relevant work arrangements of the CPC Central Committee on ecological construction. It has carried out the "general ecology" strategic actions and actively promoted the construction of the national ecological civilization pilot zone with remarkable achievements, turning its fine ecological environment into the biggest advantage for development and competition. The Eco Forum Global Guiyang is the only international forum at the national level themed ecological civilization in China and has been successfully held 11 times since its establishment in 2009. Since the holding of the forum, Guizhou has been carrying forward and exploring the concept of ecological civilization and sustainable development and deepening its extensive exchanges and practical cooperation with the international community in ecological protection, carbon peaking and carbon neutrality, climate change, and other areas. The forum has served as a significant platform to spread Xi Jinping's Thoughts on Ecological Civilization, serve the state's diplomatic strategy, and showcase achievements of different countries in ecological construction, promoting the global construction of ecological civilization. This year, the forum aims to make further innovations, give full play to its advantages, and pool collective wisdom to form a consensus. Meanwhile, it remains dedicated to deepening cooperation, strengthening international exchanges and cooperation on ecological civilization, and seeking the modernization of harmony between humanity and nature. Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2146072/The_Press_Conference_of_the_Eco_Forum_Global_Guiyang_2023_was_held_in_Beijing_on_July_3___Gog_cnHu_H.jpg Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2146073/A_beautiful_view_of_Guanshanhu_District_of_Guiyang___Guizhou_province__Photo_by_Cao_Jingjian.jpg SOURCE Huanqiu.com The World Bank is implementing an ambitious multi-year skilling project across the Middle East region to address the youth unemployment problem Forward MENA, a Lebanon -based NGO is implementing the project in Lebanon and identifying the in-demand job roles and skills as well as the right set of companies for placements Simplilearn is the skilling partner responsible for training the graduates and making them job ready SAN FRANCISCO, July 4, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Under the Skilling-Up Lebanon program, the World Bank, Forward MENA, and Simplilearn have partnered to equip young men and women in Lebanon with crucial digital skills that will prepare them for the upcoming jobs at local, regional, and global levels. Based on a recent survey conducted by Forward MENA, 88% of companies in Lebanon, mainly in the digital and tech sectors, are actively searching for qualified candidates to fill full-time positions, they are however unable to find the right talent. Excited Graduates from Simplilearn's Digital Skilling Program (PRNewsfoto/Simplilearn Solutions Private Limited) Simplilearn, the world's largest bootcamp for Digital skills has successfully trained the first set of over 70 learners within four months in UI/UX Design Expert and DevOps Engineer roles. The training program included the latest curriculum co-created with top universities and companies, and comprised of live classes from industry experts and hands-on projects from top companies. Simplilearn has identified the top 25 critical digital roles in any organization and has built training programs aligned to these roles. Speaking on the partnership with World Bank and Forward MENA to upskill youth in the Middle East, Mr. Eric Martorano, Chief Revenue Officer for Commercial Business, Simplilearn, said, "There is growing demand for digital skills in the Middle East where companies are short of talent. With the world swiftly embracing newer tech skills, we have seen a rising interest and enthusiasm among graduates and professionals to upskill. Simplilearn has partnered with World Bank to provide students with all the required expertise to help them carve out successful careers in the new economy. This aligns with our various government partnerships in the Middle East region by supporting their vision for building human capital through skills development." Sharing thoughts on the partnership with Simplilearn, Mouhamad Rabah, President of Forward MENA, said, "It is clear that the fast technological advancements are creating a gap between education and the labor market needs. We have partnered with the World Bank to equip young women and men with market-relevant digital skills, empowering them to fulfill the jobs of the future. We have successfully completed the pilot and are now well prepared to look into scaling up this initiative." About Forward MENA Forward MENA is a non for profit organization aiming to develop the digital skillset of people from all backgrounds to fulfil the jobs of today and tomorrow. Forward MENA is committed to digitally upskill and reskill our MENA communities to help them excel in their present and future careers. About Simplilearn Founded in 2010 and based in San Francisco, California, and Bangalore, India, Simplilearn, a Blackstone portfolio company, is the world's #1 online Bootcamp for digital economy skills training. Simplilearn offers access to world-class work-ready training to individuals and businesses around the world. The Bootcamps are designed and delivered with world-renowned universities, top corporations, and leading industry bodies via live online classes featuring top industry practitioners, sought-after trainers, and global leaders. From college students and early career professionals to managers, executives, small businesses, large corporations, and governments, Simplilearn's role-based, skill-focused, industry-recognized, and globally relevant training programs are ideal upskilling solutions for diverse career or/and business goals. For more information, please visit www.simplilearn.com/ Photo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2146504/Simplilearn_Digital_Skilling_Program.jpg Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1100016/Simplilearn_Logo.jpg SOURCE Simplilearn Solutions Private Limited New Netherlands office will provide further local support for EU markets ROSH HA'AYIN, Israel, July 4, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Waterfall Security Solutions, the leader in OT cybersecurity, today confirmed the opening of a new European headquarters in The Netherlands. This continued expansion of Waterfall's presence in Europe is in response to the strong increase in demand for Waterfall products throughout the EU. Waterfall's growing customer base in Europe includes power plants, liquified natural gas terminals, passenger rail infrastructure, manufacturing, airports, and many other vital industrial sites. Regional instability and recent cyberattacks targeting industrial sites have motivated governments and private industry to pay closer attention to the protection of physical operations which has driven strong interest in the region for Waterfall's Unidirectional Gateways and related line of products. "We are pleased to be expanding our European presence to the Netherlands" said Lior Frenkel, CEO and Co-Founder of Waterfall Security. "We look forward to helping strengthen European defenses against cyber-attacks on manufacturing and critical infrastructures." Waterfall's Dutch office is part of the company's ongoing European expansion, fueled by new cybersecurity standards and regulations requiring robust industrial cybersecurity for crucial infrastructure. With this new location, Waterfall will have a fully functioning laboratory in which to showcase the capabilities of Waterfall Security products. The new offices will also help with effectively supporting existing customers and address the existing and growing demand from both partners and end-users for Unidirectional Security Gateways and related products. Waterfall Security Solutions provides the strongest possible protection for industrial networks and protects thousands of essential infrastructure sites in the region and around the world. About Waterfall Security Solutions Waterfall Security Solutions' unbreachable OT cybersecurity technologies keep the world running. For more than 15 years, critical industries and infrastructure have trusted Waterfall to guarantee safe, secure, and reliable operations. The company's growing list of global customers includes national infrastructures, power plants, nuclear reactors, onshore and offshore oil and gas facilities, refineries, manufacturing plants, utilities, and more. Waterfall's patented Unidirectional Gateways and other revolutionary products combine the benefits of impenetrable hardware with unlimited software-based connectivity, enabling 100% safe visibility into industrial operations and automation systems. Visit Waterfall Security Solutions. Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/710139/Waterfall_Security_Solutions_Logo.jpg For media inquiries: Anna Plot Waterfall Security Solutions [email protected] SOURCE Waterfall Security Solutions DUBLIN, July 4, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The "Comparative SWOT & Strategy Focus - 2023-2027 - World's Top 5 Military Helicopter & Rotorcraft Manufacturers - Airbus Helicopters, Bell, Boeing, Leonardo, Sikorsky" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering. The report provides insights into the key strategies & plans being formulated by the World's Top 5 Military Helicopter manufacturers & inputs to be incorporated into the broader strategic planning & decision-making processes with focus on the overarching strategy focus across industry OEMs and a comprehensive Comparative SWOT analysis on them focused on an analysis of the relative market presence & positioning of the OEMs, product portfolios, degrees of industrial & business portfolio diversification, technological strengths, access to key markets and the degree of overall market responsiveness. Military helicopters have been an integral element of the force structure of armed forces globally given their indispensable & critical role in carrying out a broad range of missions; including, Utility & Troop Transport, Search & Rescue (SAR), Anti-Submarine Warfare (ASW), Attack & Reconnaissance and Heavy Lift; leveraging their unique operational capabilities and performance characteristics. The iconic military helicopters developed during the Cold War era, including, Black Hawk, Chinook and Apache are still in production & active service even decades after they first made their mark and having proved their mettle across numerous battlefields and combat theatres over decades. The advent of military rotorcrafts in 2007, starting with the V-22 Osprey, which was the world's first military tilt-rotorcraft, has proved to be a truly been a game changer for the military given its unmatched operational capability providing a clear overmatch, much higher cruising speed and versatility, as against conventional helicopters, while also bridging a key capability gap The development of second generation of tilt-rotorcrafts, under the Future Vertical Lift (FVL) program, is intended at development of eventual successors to the Black Hawk and Chinook under the Future Long-Range Assault Aircraft (FLRAA) and Future Attack Reconnaissance Aircraft (FARA) phases of the FVL program. The 2nd generation tilt-rotorcrafts, specifically the Bell V-280 Valor picked by the U.S. Army for FLRAA, provides a generational leap in capability with its 50% higher top speed of 300 knots+ and a way longer operating range, which is almost thrice that of Black Hawk, while carrying a 25% higher payload The FARA phase again has Bell and Sikorsky pitted against each other in an intense battle, especially, after the FLRAA phase went to Bell. The European Union (EU), too, is looking at the future having launched the Next Generation Military Helicopter (NGMH) program, under PESCO, geared towards converting the next generation rotorcraft technologies into deployable solutions either as a retrofit over existing platforms or as a scratch-up platform in itself. U.K.'s upcoming NMH program is going to be a key, near term growth avenue for the industry OEMs. Switzerland's search for a heavy lift helicopter is still on the cards, wherein, Sikorsky's CH-53K Super Stallion will battle it out against the Chinook once again, much like the close contests witnessed earlier in Israel & Germany Further, the development of the next generation turboshaft engine, following the selection of GE's T901 under the U.S. Army's Improved Turbine Engine Program (ITEP), is a generational leap in propulsion technology for the next generation conventional helicopters & rotorcrafts, including, FLRAA, FARA as well for retrofitting existing Black Hawks and Apaches given that the T901 offers a 50% increase in power along with a 25% lower specific fuel consumption (SFC) and higher reliability as well as lower maintainability with its single spool architecture The demand for military helicopters has been on the rise since the second half of the previous decade which has futher accelerated with the onset of tectonic geopolitical shifts following Russia's invasion of Ukraine in early 2022. Russia's invasion in Ukraine have effectively led to a renaissance in defense spending globally and especially across Europe with surging defense budgets & overhaul of defense industrial base for the rapid production ramp-up required after decades of hibernation. China's rapid military build-up & emergence as the regional belligerent power in the Asia-Pacific has other nations in the region spooked up setting off one of the biggest arms race in the APAC. The U.S.-China faceoff is further escalating over China's ascent as a revisionist state with a rapid military build-up and steadily growing global economic & diplomatic influence with the U.S. officially terming China as the strongest & most serious, long-term rival globally Key takeaways from the report include: Strategic Planning, Decision-Making and Market Analysis Purposes Identification of the degree of Congruence between Emerging Market Landscape & Strategy focus Identifying & highlighting areas for making potential Strategic Changes, Adjustments & Realignment Analysis of Forces Driving as well as restraining the Industry & their overall Dynamics through a Force Field Analysis Analysis of Market Evolution with Medium Term Demand Growth Projections & Market Outlook For Whom: Key Decision-Makers across Industry Value Chain Key Decision-Makers across the Aerospace & Defense Industry Defense Procurement Executives & Defense Departments Program Offices & Program Managers of Defense Programs Top Management of Industry OEMs, Players across Industry Value Chain & Other Companies Suppliers, Vendors, Technology & Services Providers and other Key Players in the Industry Value Chain Existing & Potential Investors Industry & Company Analysts M&A Advisory Firms Strategy & Management Consulting Firms Researchers and all those associated with the industry in general Key Topics Covered: Section - 1: Business Snapshot & Overview - World's Top 5 Military Helicopter & Rotorcraft Manufacturers Founded Headquartered Business Segments Product Portfolio Revenue Base Market Capitalization Key Executives Shareholding/Ownership Structure Section - 2: Financial Performance Analysis Revenue Base & Growth Trend Revenues Split by Key Segments Revenues Split by Key Geographic Markets & Regions Gross Earnings & Margin Trend Operating Earnings & Operating Margin Trend Return on Sales Trend Profitability Growth Trend Cash Flow from Operations R&D Expenditure Trend CAPEX Trend Order Intake & Order Backlog Trend Section - 3: Overarching Strategy Focus & Strategic Priorities across Industry OEMs - World's Top 5 Military Helicopter & Rotorcraft Manufacturers Airbus Helicopters SAS Bell Boeing (BDS) Leonardo Helicopters Sikorsky Aircraft Corporation Section - 4: Key Strategies & Plans for the Industry OEMs - Comprehensive Analysis of Strategies & Plans for the Industry OEMs - Analysis Coverage:- Product Portfolio Strategies & Plans Market Specific Strategies & Plans R&D Strategies & Plans Growth Strategies & Plans Business and Corporate Strategies & Plans Sales & Marketing Strategies & Plans Production/Manufacturing Strategies & Plans Financial Strategies & Plans Acquisitions, Strategic Alliances & JVs Other Strategies & Strategic Initiatives Section - 5: SWOT Analysis - On Key Industry OEMs Strengths to be Leveraged Weaknesses to be worked on Opportunities to be capitalized upon Threats to be negated & mitigated Section - 6: Comparative Analysis of Strengths - On Key Industry OEMs Airbus Helicopters SAS Bell Boeing (BDS) Leonardo Helicopters Sikorsky Aircraft Corporation Section - 7: Comparative Analysis of Weaknesses Airbus Helicopters SAS Bell Boeing (BDS) Leonardo Helicopters Sikorsky Aircraft Corporation Section - 8: Key Industry Trends Section - 9: Key Market Trends Section - 10: Key Technology Trends Section - 11: Key Issues, Challenges & Risk Factors Section - 12: Global Military Helicopter & Rotorcraft Market - Force Field Analysis - Analysis of Driving & Restraining Forces and their Overall Dynamics Driving Forces Restraining Forces Section - 13: Global Military Helicopter & Rotorcraft Market - Strategic Market Outlook through 2027 Analysis of Emerging Market Scenario for Military Helicopters Global Demand Outlook for Military Helicopters - Forecast to 2027 Global Demand Projections for Key Market Segments Analysis of Emerging Market Scenario for Aerospace & Defense U.S. & Global Defense Spending Trends Top 5 & Top 10 Defense Spending Nations Market Outlook & Growth Projections Global Defense Spending - Trends & Projections - 2023-2027 Global Defense Spending & Growth Rates for Key Regions U.S. Europe Asia-Pacific Middle East Companies Mentioned Airbus Helicopters Bell The Boeing Company Leonardo Helicopter Sikorsky Aircraft Corporation For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/7xv8zu About ResearchAndMarkets.com ResearchAndMarkets.com is the world's leading source for international market research reports and market data. We provide you with the latest data on international and regional markets, key industries, the top companies, new products and the latest trends. 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 BEIJING, July 3, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Changsha County, an inland locality in central China's Hunan Province also called Xingsha, saw local economic and trade cooperation with Africa burgeoning during the Third China-Africa Economic and Trade Expo (CAETE). Changsha County, an inland locality in central China's Hunan Province also called Xingsha, sees local economic and trade cooperation with Africa burgeoning during the Third China-Africa Economic and Trade Expo (CAETE). Changsha County, an inland locality in central China's Hunan Province also called Xingsha, sees local economic and trade cooperation with Africa burgeoning during the Third China-Africa Economic and Trade Expo (CAETE). On July 1 when the county hosted the First XingshaAfrica Economic and Trade Exchange Meeting during the expo, contracts for 14 related programs involving investment of 1.5 billion U.S. dollars were signed, marking new China-Africa cooperation in sectors such as manufacturing, energy, urban infrastructure, agricultural industrialization and the tertiary industry. As a county whose foreign trade approached 130 billion yuan and trade with Africa partners exceeded 7.0 billion yuan in 2022, Xingsha has been unlocking the potential of opening up-driven development in recent years. To expand the share of local engineering machinery, electronic information, agriculture and other industries in China-Africa economic and trade cooperation, Changsha County has made unremitting efforts to encourage grouped going global of advantageous industries. Engineering machinery giant Sany Group is a vivid example of how local manufacturers explored the African market. Since 2002 when its first batch of land levelers were exported to Morocco, the company has been operating on the continent for 20 years and reaped nearly 17 billion yuan of sales revenue in Africa, ranking the first among all its Chinese peers. Thanks to the 40-plus years of friendship with African nations, Changsha County inked during the meeting a memorandum of understanding for sister regions with Rwamagana in the Eastern Province of Rwanda to further the China-Africa friendship. The two sides pledged to communicate and cooperate in economic and trade, sci-tech, culture, sports, agriculture, and tourism sectors. Meanwhile, Changsha County chamber of commerce for boosting China-Africa economic and trade was inaugurated on July 1 to serve as a bridge to connect the county with its African counterparts to spur related investment and opening up. Fu Xuming, secretary with CPC Changsha County committee, said the county is striving to provide the most convenient business environment, heart-warming services and excellent working conditions for enterprises and friends from Africa to invest, live and work comfortably in Changsha County. By joining hands with Africa, it will also contribute more to China-Africa cooperation under the Belt and Road Initiative and in building a community of shared future, Fu noted. Original link: https://en.imsilkroad.com/p/334872.html SOURCE Xinhua Silk Road FERNDALE, Mich.Adult distributors Nalpac and Entrenue announced today that they have partnered with personal care brand HighOnLove for exclusive U.S. distribution. HighOnLove is a beautifully curated collection of body products that stimulate the senses, starting with the upscale packaging and in-store display designs, said Phoebe Grott, Nalpacs Director of Marketing & Strategic Partnership. Nalpac is excited to join forces with founder Angela Mustone and support adult retailers to stock and sell the collection. HighOnLoves products use hemp seed oil to increase blood flow and deepen stimulation. The Stimulating O Gel for Women and Stimulating Oil help to increase arousal and lubrication, while couples can explore new facets of intimacy with the Sensual Massage Oil, Sensual Massage Candle, Sensual Bath Oil, and Dark Chocolate Body Paint. This exciting, exclusive partnership with Nalpac and Entrenue will be key for HighOnLoves growth in the United States, says CEO and founder Angela Mustone. The increased reach and visibility well have by partnering with this amazing distributor will help take the brand to the next level. Adds Entrenue VP of Sales and Marketing Lily Wang, Working with mission-driven, woman-founded HighOnLove aligns perfectly with Entrenues specialty boutique-focused distribution model. Customers ordering HighOnLove can look forward to an exciting debut that builds brand awareness while bringing customers into stores. Entrenues sales team is looking forward to offering great swag and gifts with purchase for the launch. Nalpac and Entrenue customers interested in HighOnLove can contact their respective sales representatives. For more information on Nalpac, visit www.nalpac.com. For daily updates, follow Nalpac on Twitter @NalpacWholesale, on Facebook at www.facebook.com/Nalpac, and on Instagram @Nalpac, and subscribe to Nalpacs YouTube channel at www.youtube.com/nalpac. For more information about Entrenue, visit www.entrenue.com and follow through social media on Twitter @EntrenueDist, Facebook at www.facebook.com/EntrenueDist, and Instagram @entrenue. 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 Thunder and rain filled the air the night before, but the skies cleared up just in time for the annual Independence Day Parade in Mandan Tuesday morning. The 144th annual Mandan Parade took place as part of the many Fourth of July festivities in the Bismarck-Mandan area. About 85 parade floats made their way down Main Street in Mandan, ending on 10th Avenue Southwest. The parade began at 10 a.m. after the annual Fourth of July 5K Road Race. The Mandan Progress Organization estimated that 20,000 to 25,000 people attended. Executive Director Matt Schanandore said its one of the biggest parade attendance in many years. This years parade was very well received because the weather was perfect. It really lent a lot of people to come out and enjoy the parade, he said. The weather wasnt overly hot this year, with a gentle breeze keeping everyone cool. The parade was led by Parade Marshal Dennis Nieskens. The Marine Corps League and the Mandan High School and Middle School Band followed behind him. Dozens upon dozens of attendees with tents and lawn chairs crowded along Main Street. Kids clutched their bags in anticipation as they cleaned the streets of Smarties, Tootsie Rolls and Dum Dums thrown out by parade participants. Some even threw out frozen ice pops and sprayed water onto the cheerful crowd. This years theme was Cruising with the red, white and blue. A few floats had red, white and blue cars lined up in coordination as they drove down the street. A string of old and new race cars was displayed about halfway through the line. Still, that didnt outshine the units of decorated farm equipment or group of riders on horseback led by Miss Rodeo North Dakota 2023 Lindsey Miller. A&B Pizza Mandan, which has a float decorated to look like a retro, 1950s-inspired shiny, red car, won first place for the parades float contest. The following places went to floats by Butcher Block Meats in Mandan, Fort Abraham Lincoln State Park and Mandan Braves Swim & Dive. Ramona Barr and her family stayed at her fathers house overlooking Main Street at the corner of Ninth Avenue. Her father, Bob Barr, was a reenactor with the Old Scouts Society and has lived in Mandan for many years. The Barr family set up lawn chairs and tents in the front yard, and served potatoes, chicken and pies inside the house. Barr and her husband, Nathan Harff, and daughter Autumn Harff live in Rochester, Minnesota. She said theres an Independence Day parade nearby with a similar feel and activities as Mandans. However, Mandans parade, in her words, is on a whole other scale. Ive never seen a place that gets as crazy as Mandan, she said. Isabell and Brandon Ressler, and their daughters Katie and Aubrey, traveled from Minot to attend the parade as part of a 10-year family tradition. The Ressler family was originally from Mandan, but relocated to Minot due to Brandon being in the military. Not only do they attend the parade, but they convert the back of their pickup truck into a nice cold pool to enjoy under the July sun. The Art in Park Festival provided attendees with a place to shop and get some food during the parade. The festival featured over 70 craft and food vendors that stretched from Heritage Park to Dyshoorn Park. Live performances were put on at Dyshoorn Park, one of which included performers from Sleepy Hollow Theater & Arts Park singing songs from their upcoming show, Willy Wonka Jr. One business in particular was Fidos Fire and Ice Cream truck across the street from Dyshoorn Park. The ice cream truck is run by Bismarck State College business student Kaylee Krause, who started the business to gain experience as an entrepreneur. Krause bought the small Japanese fire truck she uses after her mom, Heidi, saw it on Facebook Marketplace. This is the businesss first time at the parade, and Krause hopes to keep coming back again. Lucknow, July 4 : Enthused by the developments in Maharashtra, BJP allies in Uttar Pradesh are predicting a possible split in the opposition parties and their alliances. Uttar Pradesh Minister Sanjay Nishad, who heads the Nishad Party, said that Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD) would soon become part of National Democratic Alliance (NDA). Nishad said that NDA is going to expand and that BJP leaders are in touch with RLD Chief Jayant Chaudhary who will take a decision very soon. Earlier, Union Minister Ramdas Athawale who was in Lucknow on Sunday had made a similar claim about RLD.Chaudhary denied the speculation and said that his party would remain in alliance with the Samajwadi Party (SP). Chaudhary ruled out any truce with the BJP and said he will attend the next joint meeting of opposition parties scheduled in Karnataka. When asked about his inching close to BJP, Jayant said that whatever Sanjay Nishad or Om Prakash Rajbhar says holds no meaning. On the Uttar Pradesh going the Maharashtra way in politics, RLD Chief said that this is not the first time. Such splits have also happened in the past but ultimately the people would take a final call. He added that legislators may switch loyalties but workers remain with the leader. The Suheldev Bhartiya Samaj Party (SBSP) leader, Om Prakash Rajbhar, on the other hand, claimed a possible split in SP. Rajbhar said that SP legislators are not happy with their leader and there could be a revolt. "Many legislators of Samajwadi Party are in touch and very soon there will be a Maharashtra-like situation here in UP also," he added. Uttar Pradesh Minister Narendra Kashyap also said that few of the legislators from opposition parties would soon join BJP. SP President Akhilesh Yadav, however, rubbished all such claims and said that Rajbhar can take with him our legislators who are in his contact. He said that the entire opposition will certainly give a tough fight to BJP in Uttar Pradesh. SP leaders also said that Rajbhar had no authority to talk on such issues and he was only trying to garner publicity.--IANS amita/khz Tunis, July 4 : An agent of Tunisia's National Guard was stabbed in the capital Tunis, said the Interior Ministry in a statement. "The national guard agent was stabbed with a sharp object while he was working at the naval centre of La Goulette in the northern suburbs of the Tunisian capital Tunis," the statement added on Monday. The agent was taken to hospital and his condition was stable, it said as quoted by Xinhua news agency report. The assailant was arrested and is in police custody for investigation, according to the Ministry statement that offers no further details. Amman, July 4 : Jordan has warned of the catastrophic consequences of the Israeli raid on the West Bank city of Jenin, calling for the international community's intervention to stop Israel's military operations. Jordan's Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Ayman Safadi made the remarks during a phone conversation with Hussein Al-Sheikh, Secretary General of the Executive Committee of the Palestine Liberation Organisation, Jordan's state-run Petra news agency reported on Monday. Warning that the Israeli raid could further escalate tensions, Safadi called on the international community to take immediate measures to end such practices and protect the Palestinians, Xinhua news agency reported. Safadi urged Israel to stop all unilateral actions, including the invasion of Palestinian cities, settlement expansion, and the economic blockade of Palestine. The Jordanian official also called on Israel to engage in serious negotiations aimed at ending the occupation and resolving the conflict based on the two-state solution. During the phone call, the two sides agreed that the Israeli practices that perpetuate the occupation and the lack of political solutions are behind the serious situation in the occupied Palestinian territories. On Monday, Jordan's Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Sinan Majali stressed the necessity to put an end to Israel's continuous incursions into Palestinian cities and protect Palestinians from repeated assaults, according to Petra. Jordan rejects such attacks and any other unilateral measures that undermine efforts to achieve a peaceful resolution, Majali was quoted as saying. Damascus, July 4 : Syrian President Bashar al-Assad has stressed that the return of overseas Syrian refugees is a national priority, media reported. Assad made the remarks on Monday in his meeting with visiting Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi to discuss the return of Syrian refugees and bilateral relations. The Syrian leader highlighted the needs to support the process with early recovery projects that enable the returnees to live a normal life, Xinhua news agency reported. It is a purely humanitarian and moral issue that should not be politicised in any way, he noted. For his part, Safadi reviewed the latest efforts exerted by Jordan with respect to the return of Syrian refugees, and the new proposals in this regard in coordination with the Arab League Contact Group and the United Nations. Safadi stressed Jordan's support for stability in Syria and his country's keenness to work with the Syrian government and enhance cooperation between the two countries to support the return of Syrian refugees. The top Jordanian diplomat underlined that the most realistic and beneficial option is to gradually address the impacts of the Syrian crisis. Beirut, July 4 : The chief of the UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) is in contact with officials in Lebanon and Israel over two tents set up by Lebanon's Hezbollah in a disputed area, the deputy director of UNIFIL Media Office said. The head of Hezbollah's parliamentary bloc Mohammed Raad said on Saturday that the tents are inside Lebanon, but Israel filed a complaint with the United Nations in June, claiming that the tents were erected inside Israeli territory. The tents were set up in Chebaa Farms and Kfar Chouba hills which Israel captured from Syria during the 1967 Middle East war and annexed in 1981 but have been claimed by Lebanon, Xinhua news agency reported. The UNIFIL chief Aroldo Lazaro Saenz "continues to be in direct contact with authorities on both sides of the Blue Line to resolve the situation of the tents," the National News Agency quoted an UNIFIL statement as saying on Monday. "We are looking into reports that a tent has been moved north of the Blue Line," UNIFIL said, adding any unauthorised presence or activity "near the Blue Line is a concern and can potentially increase tension and misunderstandings". The Blue Line is a demarcation line between Lebanon and Israel as well as Lebanon and the Golan Heights published by the United Nations in 2000 for the purposes of determining whether Israel had fully withdrawn from Lebanon. Israel and Hezbollah, an Iran-backed militant group in Lebanon, fought a month-long war in 2006 that ended in a UN-sponsored cease-fire. Tehran, July 4 : Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesman Nasser Kanaani has said that Saudi Arabia will soon reopen its embassy in Iran's capital Tehran, according to media reports. Speaking at a weekly press conference in Tehran on Monday, Kanaani did not give a specific date for the reopening of the Saudi embassy. He noted that Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi will take a trip to Saudi Arabia to boost bilateral relations, the date of which he said is yet to be decided, Xinhua news agency reported. In early June, Iran reopened its embassy in Riyadh as well as its consulate general and representative office to the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation in Jeddah. The reopening of the Saudi embassy in Tehran has been delayed due to the poor condition of the embassy building which was damaged during the 2016 protests. The Iranian Students' News Agency on Sunday reported that Saudi Arabia is preparing the ground for the reopening of its embassy, adding that necessary tools for the normal operation of the embassy will soon be transferred to the Tehran hotel where the mission staffers are currently working. Iran and Saudi Arabia announced in April the resumption of diplomatic relations with immediate effect, seven years after Riyadh cut diplomatic ties with Tehran in 2016 in response to the attacks on Saudi diplomatic missions in Iran after the kingdom executed a Shia cleric. Kanpur, July 4 : A state-level kabaddi player in Uttar Pradesh's Kanpur allegedly committed suicide after making a reel on Instagram, police said. The kabaddi player, identified as Vikrant Upadhyay, was allegedly found hanging from the ceiling of his room. He was immediately examined by a private doctor, who declared him dead. The police officials were informed about the incident and Vikrant's body was taken for the post-mortem examination. Elder brother Vikas said that Vikrant was selected in the kabaddi competition of Kanpur Mandal in 2021 and had also participated in the state-level kabaddi competition. Apart from this, he used to train budding kabaddi players at the GK ground in Armapur, his brother said. His brother added, "Vikrant had also opened an ice cream parlour in Kalyanpur. He had gone to the Ganga barrage with friends. After coming back from there, he had dinner and went to sleep. When I woke up, I found the door of Vikrant's room was open. When I went inside his room, his body was found hanging on a noose made of a sheet and tied to the ceiling fan hook. Prior to taking the extreme step, he had posted a reel on Instagram."Panki police station in-charge, Ratnesh Kumar Singh, said the reason for the suicide is yet to be ascertained."In the autopsy report, death due to hanging has been confirmed," he added on Tuesday. Paris, July 4 : The losses from the ongoing riots in France are estimated at over one billion euros ($1.09 billion), excluding tourist industry losses, president of the Movement of the Enterprises of France (Medef), Geoffroy Roux de Bezieux, said. He added that according to his data, more than 200 retail outlets had been plundered, over 300 banking centers destroyed and 250 vendor kiosks damaged by the rioters, Sputnik News reported. "It is too early to give you the exact figures yet, but we're talking here over one billion euros, not including tourist industry losses," Roux de Bezieux said in an interview with French newspaper Le Parisien. Violent protests have escalated into rioting and looting, prompting authorities in some parts of France to impose partial curfews and limitations on public transport. The French Interior Ministry has reported daily detentions and injuries to police officers, Sputnik News reported. France has been on edge since last Tuesday, when a teenager was shot dead by a policeman for allegedly disobeying a traffic stop in Nanterre, a suburb of Paris. The officer who pulled the trigger on 17-year-old Nahel M. has been taken into custody on suspicion of voluntary manslaughter, but that has not stopped protesters. Excessive heat warnings remain in place in many areas across the U.S. and are expected to last at least through Monday. In Arizonas largest metro area, Phoenix and surrounding communities flirted with a high of 115 degrees Fahrenheit (46 degrees Celsius) on Sunday. The National Weather Service in Phoenix is forecasting 116 degrees for Monday, just two degrees off the record high for that date set in 1907, before temperatures drop a few degrees for the next three days. In Nevada, the first excessive heat warning of the summer runs through Monday evening for the Las Vegas metro area. Daytime cooling centers are open across the region. Elsewhere, the heat and severe weather remained a concern throughout the southeast. Washington, July 3 : The US said it "strongly condemns" reported vandalism at the Indian consulate in San Francisco. Details of the incident were apparently reported by a local television channel. "The US strongly condemns the reported vandalism and attempted arson against the Indian Consulate in San Francisco on Saturday," said Mathew Miller, state department spokesman, in a tweet late Monday. "Vandalism or violence against diplomatic facilities or foreign diplomats in the US is a criminal offense." The Consulate was earlier attacked in March by Khalistani separatists, who are a tiny minority of the Sikh community here, and the US government had responded swiftly condemning it. New York, July 4 : A 49-year-old man has been sentenced to 364 days in Seattle's King County Jail after he admitted to stalking Indian-American Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal last year, according to media reports. Brett Forsell pleaded guilty last week to misdemeanor stalking rather than the felony stalking charge prosecutors originally filed, the Seattle Times reported. Forsell was arrested on July 9 after allegedly yelling obscenities and threats outside Jayapal's Seattle home, but was released four days later as police couldn't find evidence to support the charge. Prosecutors later charged Forsell with harassing and intimidating Jayapal repeatedly, who feared the man wanted to hurt or kill her. During his arraignment last year, he pled "not guilty" to charges of felony stalking. He has since been ordered to have no contact with Jayapal and prohibited from possessing firearms for eight years. He was arrested outside Jayapal's house in Arbor Heights with a loaded .40-caliber handgun holstered on his waist. The neighbours said they heard Forsell verbally abusing Jayapal, and saw him try to erect a tent across the street from her house. While in custody, camera footage recorded Forsell saying he was going to keep coming back to Jayapal's house until, "she goes back to India", according to prosecutors. Born in Chennai, Jayapal immigrated to the US as a teenager. After two years in Washington state politics -- serving in the state senate -- she was elected to the House of Representatives in 2016, becoming the first Indian woman to do so. Representing Washington's 7th Congressional District, Democrat Jayapal heads the party's congressional liberals as chairperson of the House Progressive Caucus. --IANS mi/ksk Jerusalem, July 4 : Some 500 Palestinian families were allowed to leave the refugee camp in Jenin amid an ongoing Israeli military operation in the West Bank city, the media reported on Tuesday. As of Monday night, hundreds of Israeli soldiers were still operating inside Jenin, more than 20 hours after the Jewish state's military launched the operation deemed to be one of the most extensive in the territory in recent years, the BBC reported. According to the Israeli military, there was no specific timeline for ending the operation, but that it could be "a matter of hours or a few days". On Monday, the sounds of drones, regular bursts of gunfire and tloud thuds of explosions were heard throughout the day from the densely populated refugee camp, which is home to some 18,000 people and is now declared a closed Israeli military zone. The Israeli military has cut off telephone communications and the electricity supply to the camp, making it difficult to get an accurate picture of what is happening. Palestinian medics have said that nine people have died so far, while more 100 others were injured. The Israeli military said it struck a "joint operations centre" which served as a command centre for fighters from the Jenin Brigades, an armed unit comprised of fighters from different militant groups. It however, declined to specify whether Monday's strike also involved a drone. The incursion into Jenin is the first since the 2002 Battle of Jenin during the second intifada, when more than 50 Palestinians and 23 Israeli soldiers were killed in over a week of fighting, including 13 Israeli soldiers in a single incident. On Monday evening, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu praised its forces for entering what he called the "nest of terrorists" and asserted that they were doing so "with minimal injury to civilians", reports the BBC. "We will continue this action as long as necessary in order to restore quiet and security," he added. Since the beginning of this year, more than 140 Palestinians -- both militants and civilians -- have been killed by Israeli forces or settlers in the occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem, while another 36 have been killed in the Gaza Strip. Twenty-four Israelis, two foreigners and a Palestinian worker have been killed in attacks or apparent attacks by Palestinians in Israel and the West Bank. All were civilians except one off-duty serving soldier and a member of the Israeli security forces. Lucknow, July 4 : Three persons have been arrested here by the Uttar Pradesh Anti-Terrorist Squad (UP ATS) for using an online gaming app for forced religious conversions. The three accused are Nazim Hasan, Sadiq and Azhar Malik and they were arrested on Monday, said police. This is the second case in the state where online gaming served as a bait to lure in the target in a conversion attempt. Last month in Ghaziabad, a minor was reportedly converted by enticing him through gaming. Additional DG, ATS, Naveen Arora, said that the accused Nazim Hasan allegedly converted his client Somdutt's son Gaurav. "Nazim used to give some medicines to Somdutt during his visit to their house and got in touch with his son Gaurav, who had passed Class 12 and was busy looking for a part-time job," said Arora. ATS officials said that taking advantage of his desperation for a job, Nazim asked him to play an online 'carrom' game. "He was asked to play with an unknown person online and lost initially. Later, he was asked to 'recite Allah's name' and recite some verses of the Quran and he won this time. Later, Nazim brainwashed him saying that it was Allah's wish that he won," said an ATS officer. This continued for a month before a woman claiming to be from an online firm called up Gaurav and offered him a job in Bengaluru, based on his performance in the online game. Gaurav's trip to Bengaluru was sponsored by Nazim's aides Sadiq and Azhar Malik, said ATS officials. New Delhi, July 4 : A youth was arrested for allegedly beating a 43-year-old man to death with a stick in north Delhi's Wazirabad area, a police official said on Tuesday. The accused has been identified as Manoj (35), a resident of Sant Nagar Delhi and a 'Bad Character' of Wazirabad police station. According to police, on July 2, a police control room call was received at Wazirabad police station regarding a quarrel following which a police team was dispatched for the spot. The injured Parvinder, a resident of Burari was rushed to hospital, where during treatment he succumbed to his injuries. The body has been shifted to the mortuary, said the Deputy Commissioner of Police (north) Sagar Singh Kalsi. "The statement of an eye witness was recorded wherein he said that Parvinder was mercilessly beaten by Manoj with sticks," the DCP stated. During investigation, various CCTV footage were analysed and after ascertaining identity of the accused Manoj, several raids were conducted at all the possible hideouts and he was apprehended, the DCP added. New Delhi, July 4 : The Mumbai zonal unit of the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) has seized 500 grams of cocaine worth Rs 5 crore from wooden showpieces that arrived at the Courier Terminal in Mumbai from Costa Rica. Subsequently, a man and a woman were arrested, said officials on Tuesday. According to officials, the consignment had been imported with a vague address and mobile number declaration. "After examining the consignment, it was discovered that the cocaine was packed in small pouches cleverly concealed within the base of the wooden articles to avoid customs detection. A total of 56 small pouches were recovered, resulting in the seizure of 500 grams of cocaine. The seized substance is valued at approximately INR 5 crore on the illicit market, and it has been confiscated under the provisions of the NDPS Act, 1985," said an official. Later, a controlled delivery (CD) of a substituted consignment was planned to identify and intercept the intended recipient. The official mentioned that a phone number was listed under the consignee's name, but it turned out to be associated with a girl who claimed no knowledge of the parcel. "We called another mobile number provided on the KYC document (Aadhaar), and the consignee acknowledged ownership of the parcel. He inquired about the customs duty to be paid. Subsequently, a trap was set, and the consignee was apprehended during the meticulously planned controlled delivery operation," said the DRI. During interrogation, the consignee revealed information about another person involved in the supply chain. Based on this information, a woman who was responsible for handling the further distribution of the parcel, was intercepted. "Incriminating evidence has been found on the phones of both suspects. Both individuals have been arrested and remanded to DRI custody," the official added. The DRI stated that their objective is to uncover the entire supply chain. --IANSatk/dpb New Delhi, July 4 : Prime Minister Narendra Modi will chair the virtual Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summit on Tuesday, with his Pakistani counterpart Shehbaz Sharif and Chinese President Xi Jinping in attendance. Besides China and Pakistan, the virtual summit which will be attended by the other SCO member states including Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. India currently holds the SCO Presidency. Russian President Vladimir Putin will also be present at the summit. This will be his first appearance at an international forum after Russia crushed a coup attempt by the Wagner mercenary group late last month. The meeting is expected to discuss key issues like terrorism, regional security and prosperity. The theme of the SCO summit is 'SECURE' -- S: Security; E: Economic development; C: Connectivity; U: Unity; R: Respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity; E: Environmental protection. Other than the member countries, Iran, Belarus and Mongolia have also been invited as Observer States. According to the SCO tradition, Turkmenistan has also been invited as the guest of the Chair. --IANS ans/ksk New Delhi, July 4 : Actions of a few do not speak for an entire community or Canada, Foreign Minister Melanie Joly said after a poster with pictures and names of Indian diplomats portraying them as "killers" of Khalistan Tiger Force chief Hardeep Singh Nijjar emerged. The poster, tweeted by a former Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) correspondent, is about a rally planned by Khalistani elements in Toronto on July 8, which will culminate at the Indian High Commission. "We know that the actions of a few do not speak for an entire community, or Canada," Foreign Minister Joly said in a statement released on Twitter on Tuesday. The poster features photos of India's High Commissioner to Ottawa Sanjay Kumar Verma and Consul General in Toronto Apoorva Srivastava. The words "Faces of Shaheed Nijjar's Killers in Toronto" appear above the photos. "Canada takes its obligations under the Viennan Conventions regarding the safety of diplomats very seriously. Canada remains in close contact with Indian officials in light of some of the promotional material circulating online regarding a protest planned for July 8th, which are unacceptable," Joly said in her tweet. According to local media reports, the Indian High Commission is expected to demarche the Justin Trudeau government and ask the federal government to take action against. On Monday, External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar commented on the ongoing controversy, saying it will hit bilateral relations. "We have requested our partner countries like Canada, the US, the UK and Australia not to give space to the Khalistanis. This will affect our relations. We will raise this poster issue with the governments of these countries," Jaishankar said. Last month, he had said that Canada was giving space to Khalistani elements seems to be driven by vote bank politics. "For us, how Canada has dealt with the Khalistani issue has been a long standing concern. Because frankly they seem to be driven by vote bank politics," Jaishankar had said. Nijjar, 45, was shot dead in an inter-gang warfare last month in Sikh dominated Surrey town. He had links with the banned Sikhs For Justice (SFJ), led by a US-based designated terrorist. The poster comes a month after Khalistanis, marking the 39th anniversary of Operation Blue Star, put up a tableau of Indira Gandhi with blood on her clothes and a poster that read: "Revenge of attack on Shri Darbar Sahib". --IANS mi/ksk San Francisco, July 4 : Twitter's recent changes have affected Google's ability to display tweets and Twitter pages in search results. "We're aware that our ability to crawl Twitter.com has been limited, affecting our ability to display tweets and pages from the site in search results," Google spokesperson Lara Levin said in a statement to The Verge. "Websites have control over whether crawlers can access their content." Twitter recently made some significant changes to the visibility of tweets on the platform. Last week, the platform blocked unregistered users from being able to browse tweets. Later, it introduced "temporary" limits for the number of tweets people can read per day. Levin's statement suggests that the modifications have affected how Google crawls Twitter. When Search Engine Land compared the number of Twitter URLs that Google had indexed between Friday and Monday, the statistics clearly indicated that something was wrong. Tweets arent showing up in Google results as often because of changes at Twitter https://t.co/iUhXlOGtuR pic.twitter.com/enHJ5TVoS7 The Verge (@verge) July 3, 2023 Friday last week, Google had indexed 471 million results for "site: twitter.com," but on Monday, that number was down to just 180 million. "Given Twitter's rate limits on tweets are supposed to be temporary, there's a chance that if those lift, we might see the usual amount of tweets in Google search results in the future," the report said. --IANS -- Syndicated from IANS Kiev, July 4 : The Ukrainian military claimed that Russia has deployed more than 180,000 troops on two major eastern battlefronts. In an interview with the local media on Monday, Serhii Cherevatyi, spokesperson for the eastern grouping of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, said:"More than 180,000 (Russian troops have been deployed) across the area of responsibility (of the Eastern Group of Forces)... The Lyman-Kupyansk front is longer, which is why the enemy is concentrating their forces there." He also added there were "more than 120,000 enemy troops" currently on the Lyman-Kupyansk direction at the moment, reports CNN. The spokesperson called it "a pretty powerful grouping" and said it included "air assault and mechanised units, units of the Bars combat army reserve, territorial forces" and new Storm Z assault companies, that he said recruited people with criminal records. Cherevatyi also claimed that there were around 50,000 Russian troops on the Bakhmut front. Lyman and Kupyansk are about 100 km apart, north of Bakhmut city. In a social media post on Monday, Deputy Defence Minister Hanna Maliar reported frequent clashes near Bakhmut. "The situation is changing very rapidly. Control over the same positions can be lost and regained twice a day," CNN quoted the Minister as saying on Telegram. Echoing Maliar's comments, General Oleksandr Syrskyi, the commander of Ukrainian Land Forces, said: "The enemy is trying to transfer units to the most threatening directions for counterattacks, trying to destabilise the situation, cause losses to Ukraine and disrupt the logistics of the defense forces." Syrskyi adding that "the threat of the enemy offensive actions from the side of Bakhmut in the direction of Chasiv Yar remains" Chasiv Yar is about 15 km west of Bakhmut. Ukrainian forces have been able to stop Russian troops from moving within Bakhmut, he claimed. New Delhi, July 4 : Two sharpshooters of Kala Jathedi-Naresh Sethi and Anil Chippi gang were arrested and six pistols along with 14 bullets were recovered from their possession from the national capital in two separate operations, an official said on Tuesday. The accused were identified as Ashudeep alias Ashu (28), a resident of district Rohtak in Haryana and Anshuman Singh (27), a resident of Rai Bareilly in Uttar Pradesh. The official claimed that with their arrest, two sensational extortion cases registered at Palam village and Sultanpuri police stations have been worked out. Sharing the details, the Special Commissioner of Police (Crime) Ravindra Singh Yadav said that information was received that active shooters of Kala Jathedi gang, involved in extortion case, would come to Nirmal Dham in Dwarka and Rohini areas to deliver the consignment of arms and ammunition to their associates. Two separate teams were tasked with the operations. "One team laid a trap near Nirmal Dham and accused Ashudeep apprehended. A stolen bike and five pistols along with 10 live cartridges were recovered from his possession," said the Special CP. "Ashudeep had procured consignment of arms and ammunition at the behest of gangster Anil Rohilla alias Chippi for supplying the same to his gang members for extortion and related criminal activities," said Yadav. In another operation, on the basis of specific inputs, a trap was laid at Vikas Marg, Sector-24, Rohini and Anshuman was apprehended. "One sophisticated automatic pistol along with four live rounds was recovered from his possession," said Yadav. On interrogation, it was revealed that Ashudeep on the directions of Sandeep Kala alias Kala Jathedi and Anil Rohilla, along with his associate Anshuman had visited Ramphal Chowk, Dwarka on January 31 this year and threatened a real estate dealer on gun point to pay extortion money of Rs two crore. "Anshuman on February 3, along with his associate, had also visited Pooth Kalan to eliminate a businessman who was not ready to pay the extortion money. When they reached the house, they found the main gate was locked, so they fired seven-eight rounds on the main gate of the businessman," said the Special CP. "Kala Jathedi had made the extortion plans and Anil Chippi provided the arms and ammunition through one of his associates and Naresh Sethi. The trio's crime syndicate operates from the jail and recruits new members for their gang through social media to execute murders, extortion, land grabbing, robberies and also collect protection money from satta operators, among others," the official added. Moscow, July 4 : At least 10 flights heading to Moscow's Vnukovo international airport were redirected on Tuesday after the Russian capital was targeted in an attempted drone strike, media reports said. Citing an emergencies service official, the state-run TASS News Agency said that two drones were intercepted in Novaya Moskva, an administrative district in Moscow, and a third in the Kaluga region, southwest of the Russian capital. "According to preliminary reports, three drones were heading towards Moscow at different moments in time. Two of them were jammed in Novaya Moskva and the third one in the Kaluga Region," the official told TASS, adding that no casualties or damage were reported immediately. The official also said that emergency services were currently working at the scene in Valuyevo village, where debris from a drone fell. Meanwhile, reports were being verified about another unmanned aerial vehicle falling near Kubinka, where an air base is located, the official added. In a statement, the Vnukovo airport, located 28 km southwest of Moscow, confirmed that the 10 flights were redirected to the capitalas two other airports, Sheremetyevo and Domodedovo. It did not however, provide any further details. Tuesday's incident comes months after the alleged drone attack on the Kremlin. Russia had accused Ukraine of carrying out the attack on May 2 aimed at assassinating President Vladimir Putin. London, July 4 : Swedish data protection watchdog has fined two companies for using Google Analytics for web statistics, asking them, along with two more companies it audited, to stop using Google Analytics. The Swedish Authority for Privacy Protection (IMY) audited how four companies use Google Analytics for web statistics. IMY issued administrative fines against two of the companies. One of the companies has recently stopped using the statistics tool on its own initiative, while IMY orders the other three to also stop using it. Google Analytics is a tool for measuring and analysing traffic on websites. The companies audited were CDON, Coop, Dagens Industri and Tele2. IMY issued an administrative fine of 12 million SEK (over $1.1 million) against Tele2 and 300,000 SEK (around $30,000) against CDON. "The audits are based on complaints from the organisation None of Your Business (NOYB) in the light of the Schrems II ruling by the European Court of Justice (CJEU). The complaints allege that the companies, in violation of the law, transfer personal data to the United States," said the IMY in its ruling. In its audits, IMY considered that the data transferred to the US via Google's statistics tool is personal data because the data can be linked with other unique data that is transferred. All four companies have based their decisions on the transfer of personal data via Google Analytics on standard contractual clauses. "From IMY's audits, it appears that none of the companies' additional technical security measures are sufficient," said the watchdog. Srinagar, July 4 : Post abrogation of Article 370, Jammu and Kashmir has experienced a significant transformation in its security landscape. Revocation of J&K's so-called special status on August 5, 2019, provided an opportunity to the government to implement comprehensive strategies to address the challenges of terrorism, law and order, and modernisation. Through efficient internal security management, the J&K Police, along with the central armed forces, have successfully restored a sense of security among the common people, ensuring that they could live without fear. The collective determination of the security forces, combined with a clear mandate to protect innocents, has dismantled the hegemony of anti-national elements and their supporters in J&K. Prior to the abrogation of Article 370, the functioning of the J&K Police was often subject to political interference. Several politicians sought to influence the decisions and actions of the police force, hindering their efficiency in dealing with sensitive issues like terrorism. An example of this was the general amnesty announced by former J&K chief minister Mehbooba Mufti to stone-pelters during her tenure. Such decisions weakened the resolve of the security forces and encouraged anti-national elements and separatists to propagate Pakistan's agenda in Kashmir. However, after the historic decision of August 5, 2019, the J&K Police acted swiftly against anti-national elements and the terrorists, and the results were evident as peace slowly returned to the region after three decades of unrest. Centreas unwavering support The security forces, backed by the Central Government's unwavering support, launched a comprehensive offensive against terrorists and their supporters, dismantling the terror ecosystem. This relentless pursuit of terrorists and shattering their support system instilled a renewed sense of security among the common people, who had been victims of Pakistan sponsored terrorism for the past three decades. One of the cornerstones of the security forces' success has been their emphasis on minimizing collateral damage and avoiding harm to innocent civilians. This approach was based on the understanding that winning the hearts and minds of the people was essential to eradicate terrorism from the region. By protecting the rights and safety of ordinary citizens, the J&K Police and central armed forces have garnered immense public support, further isolating the terrorists. The unequivocal backing of the entire nation has sent a powerful message to terrorists and their supporters. The resolute stand against terrorism has made it abundantly clear that Jammu and Kashmir will no longer be a breeding ground for anti-national activities and terrorism. J&K Police and other security forces have remained steadfast on their resolve in their decisive war against terrorism in the Himalayan region. J&K Policemen act as defenders, counselors Pertinently, 2008, 2010, and 2016 were the worst and hardest years for J&K Police. Street protests, stone-pelting and shutdowns orchestrated by Pakistan stooges in Kashmir tested the patience of the policemen. They acted swiftly to reestablish peace in Kashmir, without their role it would have been not possible. J&K Police in the past three decades have not only proven themselves as defenders but also as counselors for the youth of Kashmir. Police not only controlled mobs but also saved them. After 2019, the terrorism related incidents in J&K have declined which has allowed the Jammu and Kashmir Police to focus more on normal policing and criminals. Crime reporting has increased. Earlier, many crimes were concealed by family and society but the trust of people has increased in the police. Investigation in criminal cases, which had taken a back seat during the last over three decades in J&K, is back in focus. According to the officials, the maximum number of criminal cases in 2020-21 and 2021-22 were reported from Budgam followed by Baramulla, Srinagar, and Anantnag, while Pulwama, Awantipora, Kulgam, and Shopian districts in Kashmir reported less number of cases. Amit Shah lauds J&K Police During his recent visit to Jammu and Kashmir Union Home Minister Amit Shah lauded the brave J&K Police personnel for their courage, will and sacrifices. He maintained that their martyrdom serves as a testament to the values and resilience of the people of Kashmir. The Union Home Minister during his 2-day J&K visit last month tweeted: "The martyrdom of numerous Jawans of the @JmuKmrPolice who laid down their lives battling terrorists and securing innocent fellow citizens is a testament to what Kashmir and its people stand for." "Today, I had the privilege of meeting the families of these martyrs in Srinagar. On behalf of the J&K government, I handed out appointment letters to the closest relatives of the fallen heroes," he added. 'Balidaan Stambh' In a significant gesture to honor the sacrifices made by the martyrs for the nation, the Union Home Minister laid the foundation stone of Balidaan Stambh' at Lal Chowk in Srinagar, summer capital of J&K. For 32-years J&K Police martyrs were unsung heroes as the former rulers didn't spare any thought for them. However, after the scrapping of Article 370 their sacrifices are being remembered and their names are being inscribed in the golden letters. Union Home Minister Amit Shah, known for his strong leadership and commitment to national security, has set a remarkable trend by personally reaching out to the homes of martyred J&K police jawans and officers during his visits to the region. This noble gesture has sent a powerful message of solidarity, assuring their families that the entire nation stands with them. Amit Shah's gesture to honour the martyrs has had a profound impact on the morale of the security forces personnel engaged in counter-terrorism operations in J&K. His presence and heartfelt interactions with the families have served as a source of inspiration, inculcating a sense of nationalism and dedication to duty among the security forces. Gestures of the Union Home Minister have reinforced the fact that sacrifices of J&K Policemen will never be forgotten, and the nation stands shoulder to shoulder with their families. Such acts of compassion and empathy have helped in fostering a strong bond between the government, security forces, and the families of the fallen heroes, creating a sense of unity and solidarity in the face of adversity. By leading from the front Shah has inspired others to follow suit and pay tribute to the martyrs in their respective regions. This trend has fostered a sense of respect and gratitude among the citizens for the sacrifices made by the protectors of the nation. 132 projects renamed after martyrs During the past three years, the J&K administration has rechristened 199 schools, colleges and roads on the names of eminent personalities and martyred heroes in uniform as a mark of respect and acknowledgement for their exceptional contributions towards the security and development of J&K. Of 199 projects, 132 have been renamed after the martyrs of J&K Police. From 1990 to 2019, not a single road or building was renamed after any martyr of J&K Police or any other eminent personality as the former rulers didnat want to annoy Pakistan and its stooges in Kashmir. By remaining silent they wittingly or unwittingly played into the hands of Pakistan and allowed the neighbouring country to pursue its agenda in Kashmir. SOG emerges as frontline force Despite facing threats, intimidation and pressures, the J&K Police kept on fighting the terrorists and separatists. They didn't allow them to succeed in their nefarious designs and ensured that Tricolour keeps on flying high in the Himalayan region. The Special Operation Group (SOG) of J&K Police over the years has played a crucial role in the anti-terrorist operations. It has become a brand across the country and has brought laurels to the force by bagging top awards for bravery. The SOG firmly tackled every situation and subversive acts with fortitude. SOG personnel have been instrumental in breaking the backbone of terrorism in J&K. The force has focused on generating human intelligence and carrying out anti-terror operations with precision. According to the official data from 1989, when a Pakistan sponsored insurgency broke out in J&K, till 2022, as many as 1,604 J&K policemen have laid down their lives to safeguard the sovereignty, unity and integrity of the country. The long list of police martyrs includes, a Deputy Inspector General, a Superintendent of Police, 22 Deputy Superintendents of Police, 28 Inspectors, 39 Sub Inspectors, 69 Assistant Sub Inspectors, 150 Head Constables, 189 Senior Grade Constables, 563 Constables, 516 Special Police Officers and 26 Followers. In recognition of the service that JKP has rendered to the nation it has been awarded with 1 Ashok Chakra, 2 Kirti Chakras, 18 Shuraya Chakras, 1,672 President's Police Gallantry Medals and 1822 J&K Police Medals for gallantry. Thiruvananthapuram, July 4 : After a rain-deficient June recorded the poorest monsoon in the past 47 years, July appears to be different for Kerala as heavy and incessant rain continue to batter the state throwing life out gear. In the wake of the downpour, several schools in the state have declared a holiday on Tuesday as a preventive measure. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has forecast heavy rain in the state in the coming five days. On Tuesday, Orange alert was sounded in ten of the 14 districts, while Idukki and Kannur were placed on two on Red alert. Alappuzha, Ernakulam and Pathanamthitta are the worst hit districts which are seeing heavy rains. All educational institutions at Ernakulam and Pathanamthitta are closed while at Kasargod, only the colleges are functioning. As part of the contingency plan, control rooms have been set up in all the 14 districts. Relief camps are also being readied, while some of them have already opened in Central Kerala districts. Authorities have asked residents living in hilly terrains to be cautious. New Delhi, July 4 : Jio's new launch increases competitive intensity but the impact is limited, Goldman Sachs has said in a report. "We believe Jio's new product launch (announced 3rd July post market) should help it garner incremental wireless subscribers, which we would view as a positive catalyst for the RIL stock. However, with the industry feature phone base continuing to decline (50-60 mn total shipments in FY23), we see the potential revenue impact, while positive for Jio and negative for Bharti, as likely to be limited," Goldman Sachs said. Jio announced the launch of a new entry level 4G feature phone, the JioBharat (JB) phone in addition to new entry priced unlimited plans. This opens a segment below Jio phones, priced at Rs 999 (below most 2G feature-phones). The new plan for JB phones offers unlimited voice calls and 14GB data at Rs 123 per month, lower than Bharti's and IDEA's unlimited plans at Rs 179 per month. JB phones run on a RTOS developed by Jio and manufactured by Karbonn in addition to other OEMs. JP Morgan said in a report that this could disrupt the 2G market and help Jio gain share post fading success of Jio phone devices. Bharti recently raised 2G prices from Rs 99 to Rs 155 across all circles while Vi took this in one circle. This disruptive step can halt incremental tariff increases for 2G and help JIO gain share in that segment, the report said. Jio already had become aggressive at the premium end in March'23 through aggressive postpaid plans in addition to fiber pricing. We think this is negative for both Bharti and IDEA given returning disruption and tariff aggression at the bottom of the pyramid and signals lack of support for 4G tariff actions, it added. Reliance Jio is launching an entry-level phone with more aggressive plans vs. the competition to attract feature phone users. While the price point is competitive, given a break-even period of over 15 months for a new user, we do not view this as immediately disruptive for Bharti but would be watchful, Morgan Stanley said in a note. Paris, July 4 : More than 200 French Mayors will head to the Elysee Palace on Tuesday to meet President Emmanuel Macron to discuss the ongoing unrest in the country that erupted due to the police killing of a teenage driver last week. The meeting comes as President Macron has appealed to the "mamans et papas" (the mums and dads) of the rioters to keep them at home and off social media, which, he said, allow "inflammatory material" to circulate, the BBC reported. One of the Mayors to participate in Tuesday's meeting is Zartoshte Bakhtiari, who represents Neuilly-sur-Marne -- one of the the country's poorest areas, located east of Paris. Bakhtiari told the BBC that he had slept for more than three hours a day since the rioting erupted on June 27, the day when 17-year-old Nahel M was shot and killed by a police officer at a traffic stop, At night, the Mayor patrols the streets with a dozen staff and city councillors until 4 or 5 a.m. in the morning, acting as an early warning system for police taking on the rioters in Neuilly-sur-Marne. "Within days, we (were) in hell... What's happening now is the result of years of weakness from politicians, and decisions that have not been taken," he told the BBC. "It's a problem of authority because these (rioters) don't fear justice. (They) may go to court, but they come back home a few hours after trial simply because we don't have enough places in jail in this district of Paris. "We cannot support this kind of weakness from the state," the Mayor added. Bakhtiari said during Tuesday's meeting, he will request for "more toughness" from the state, and also permission for the local city police to use drones to monitor activities. As of late Monday, more than 2,000 people have been detained since the violence began, with 157 detained overnight Sunday into Monday morning, CNN quoted the Interior Ministry as saying in its latest update. Many of those detained throughout the protest movement are minors, with the average age of 17 years, according to Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin. The officer who shot Nahel has been charged with voluntary homicide and placed in preliminary detention. A GoFundMe page created by a far-right TV pundit in support of the officeras family had raised over $1 million by Monday. Meanwhile, another crowdfunding page in support of Nahelas mother raised about $263,000. Nahelas funeral was held on July 1 at a local mosque amid heavy security. Kiev, July 4 : Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky jas called on his American counterpart Joe Biden to invite Kiev into the NATO "now" even if membership does not come until after the ongoing war. Speaking to CNN, Zelensky said that Biden was "the decision maker" about whether Ukraine would be in NATO or not. "He supports our future in NATO," but an invitation now would be a huge motivator for Ukrainian soldiers, the President said. Ukraine's aspiration to join is enshrined in its Constitution and its relationship with NATO dates back to the early 1990s, according to the military alliance. NATO is due to hold a summit in Lithuania on July 11 and 12 where leaders are expected to discuss Ukraine's membership. "Now," Zelensky said in response to a question about why not wait for an invitation. "It's very important," he told CNN. "It's so important to feel that you are really being around allies in the future," he added. Zelensky added that he understood that Ukraine would "never be in NATO before war finishes". The military alliance stipulates that the settlement of territorial disputes is "a factor in determining whether to invite a state to join" NATO. "We understand everything... But this signal is really very important. And depends on Biden's decision," Zelensky told CNN. -- Except for the title, this story has not been edited by Prokerala team and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed Seoul July 4 : North Korea, which had maintained its rigid Covid-19 restrictions long after most countries eased pandemic measures, appears to have lifted its mask mandate this month, state media footage and photos revealed on Tuesday. News footage that aired on the North's Korean Central TV on Monday showed hundreds of young people seated close to one another without face masks at a theatre in North Hamgyong province, reports Yonhap News Agency. Photos released by the Rodong Sinmum, the North's main newspaper, on Tuesday, showed officials at a publishing bureau in the same North Korean province without face masks. Similar photos taken at various venues also showed people not wearing face masks, with the exception of farmers spraying pesticides and medical workers at a hospital. This has led to the view that North Korea, which had maintained its border lockdown and strict anti-virus measures despite deepening economic hardships, may have finally lifted its mask mandate. An official at Seoul's Unification Ministry, which handles inter-Korean affairs, said that while additional monitoring is necessary, North Korea could have taken the measure out of a "realistic need". "Photos carried by the Rodong Sinmun show that the wearing of face masks has notably declined since July 3. They are only worn in extremely rare cases," the official told reporters. Kolkata, July 4 : The division bench of the Calcutta High Court's Chief Justice T.S. Sivagnanag and Justice Hirnamay Bhattacharya pulled up the counsel of a petitioner for filing a PIL seeking ban on 'Adipurush' in the state for approaching the court without proper research on the subject. Justice Sivagnanam, especially, refuted the claims of the petitioner that all parties concerned have been served notice in the PIL and pointed out that some of the respondents have been missed out in the process of serving notice. Justice Sivagnanam also observed that such deliberate misinformation provided to the court can result in a "shake" of confidence of the "bench" on the "bar". He also observed that such misinformation to the court will lead to a directive that no affidavit of service unless its contents and attachments are verified by the department concerned. "Do not use this court to conduct a roving enquiry," Justice Sivagnanam told the petitioner counsel. However, even after all these, the division bench agreed to hear the PIL at a later stage. Senior counsel of the Calcutta High Court Kaushik Gupta told IANS that misinformation provided in any affidavit of service is an unpardonable offense. "As per certain sections of Indian Penal Code anyone providing wrong information in an affidavit of service can attract imprisonment up to six months," Gupta added. On June 25, Debdeep Mondal, who is himself a Calcutta High Court counsel, filed the PIL seeking ban on the screening of 'Adipurush' in the state. In the petition, Mondalas counsel, Tanmay Basu, claimed that although the film has been inspired by the great Indian epic of Ramayana, in reality the events depicted in the legendary epic have been distorted in the movie. The petitioner has also accused the film director of mixing sexual innuendos with the theme of the movie. The counsel has also pointed out that not just in India; similar demands for ban on the screening of the movie have also been raised in Nepal. A similar PIL demanding ban on screening of the movie has also been filed in the Rajasthan High Court. Akhil Bharatiya Hindu Mahasabha filed an FIR at the Hazratganj Police Station at Lucknow recently. The All Indian Cine Workers Association (AICWA) has written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi to ban the screening of 'Adipurush'. The Samajwadi Party (SP) and the Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD) have joined hands against the movie, demanding a ban and an apology from its makers. What day was June 6, 1944? ChatGPT June 6, 1944, fell on a Tuesday. This date is widely known as D-Day, which marked the beginning of the Allied invasion of Normandy during World War II. [User] Why did many German generals take time off on that Tuesday? ChatGPT There is no historical evidence to suggest that many German generals took time off on June 6, 1944, specifically because it was a Tuesday. However, it is worth noting that the German high command faced significant challenges in anticipating the exact timing and location of the Allied invasion of Normandy. The Allies went to great lengths to keep the details of the invasion a secret, employing various deception tactics such as misinformation campaigns and elaborate diversionary operations. The Germans had spread their forces across multiple potential landing sites, including the Pas-de-Calais region, expecting an attack there. This led to a dispersion of German forces and their senior officers across different locations. Furthermore, some German commanders, such as Field Marshal Erwin Rommel, who was in charge of defending the French coastline, were away from Normandy on June 6, attending a meeting in Germany. Rommel's absence during the initial stages of the invasion and the subsequent delay in issuing orders due to communication challenges did have an impact on the German response to the Allied landings. While the exact reasons for the absence of certain German generals on June 6, 1944, may vary, it is important to note that the outcome of the D-Day invasion was influenced by a combination of factors, including the success of Allied deception efforts and the dispersion of German forces and commanders across multiple locations. [User] the highest commander went home for his birthday, right? ChatGPT I apologize for any confusion. It seems you may be referring to the absence of Field Marshal Gerd von Rundstedt, who was the overall German commander in the West at the time of the D-Day invasion. While it is true that von Rundstedt was on leave during the initial days of the invasion, his absence was not specifically due to his birthday. Von Rundstedt had requested and received permission to return to Germany to celebrate his 69th birthday, which fell on June 12, 1944. However, his leave began on June 2, 1944, several days before the invasion. His absence during the crucial early stages of the Allied landings did contribute to the slow German response in some areas, as communication and decision-making were affected. It is important to note that von Rundstedt's leave was planned before the exact timing of the invasion was known, and it was not specifically related to D-Day. The absence of senior German commanders, including von Rundstedt, during the initial moments of the invasion did hinder their ability to quickly respond and effectively coordinate a counterattack. [User] Where was the location where the first dummies parachute landed? ChatGPT The first dummies, known as "Ruperts," were a part of the Allied deception plan for the D-Day invasion. They were used to confuse the German forces by simulating parachute landings in various locations. One of the locations where the first dummy parachutes were dropped was near the village of Picauville in Normandy, France. Picauville is located in the Cotentin Peninsula, not far from the actual landing zones of the invasion. The intention was to divert German attention and resources to these areas, away from the actual landing sites. It's worth mentioning that the dummies were dropped at multiple locations along the Normandy coast to create the illusion of a wider-scale airborne assault. The objective was to sow confusion and prevent the Germans from accurately identifying the main landing zones. [User] What time was the invasion started? ChatGPT The D-Day invasion, also known as Operation Overlord, began on June 6, 1944. The initial landings took place in Normandy, France, along the beaches codenamed Utah, Omaha, Gold, Juno, and Sword. The invasion was carried out by the Allied forces, primarily consisting of American, British, and Canadian troops. The exact time at which the invasion started varied slightly depending on the specific landing beach. Here are the approximate times when the landings commenced on each beach: Utah Beach: The landing at Utah Beach began at around 6:30 AM. Omaha Beach: The assault on Omaha Beach began at approximately 6:30 AM as well. Gold Beach: The landing at Gold Beach commenced around 7:25 AM. Juno Beach: The assault on Juno Beach started at approximately 7:25 AM. Sword Beach: The landing at Sword Beach began around 7:25 AM. It is important to note that these times are approximate and may have varied slightly due to the complexities of coordinating such a large-scale military operation. [User] How was the weather on June 6, 1944? ChatGPT On June 6, 1944, the weather conditions played a crucial role in the planning and execution of the D-Day invasion. The Allied commanders had to carefully consider the weather forecast before deciding on the optimal date for the operation. The weather on D-Day was challenging, with adverse conditions that caused concerns among the Allied forces. The invasion was initially scheduled for June 5, 1944, but due to poor weather conditions, it was postponed by one day. On June 6, the weather in the English Channel and the Normandy region was far from ideal. The forecast predicted rough seas, high winds, and low visibility, which posed risks for the amphibious assault and the landing craft. However, the Allied commanders decided to proceed with the invasion despite the weather challenges, as they felt that further delays would compromise the secrecy and success of the operation. Fortunately for the Allies, the weather on D-Day did not turn out to be as severe as initially expected. The conditions were still difficult, but the clouds and fog provided some cover for the landing forces, partially concealing them from German view and hindering the effectiveness of enemy defenses. The challenging weather conditions on D-Day added to the overall difficulties faced by the Allied forces during the invasion. Nonetheless, their determination, planning, and the bravery of the soldiers involved ultimately led to the success of the operation. [User] who of those 13 Allied commanders decided to proceed with the invasion? Who said no? ChatGPT The decision to proceed with the D-Day invasion was made by General Dwight D. Eisenhower, the Supreme Allied Commander. Eisenhower was the overall commander of the Allied forces in Europe and had the final authority to give the order for the invasion to take place. It is important to note that while Eisenhower made the final decision, he did so after consulting with his staff and receiving recommendations from various military commanders and advisors. The specific names of the 13 Allied commanders you mentioned are not clear, but Eisenhower worked closely with a team of high-ranking officers from different nations. While there were concerns and differing opinions among some of the commanders about whether to proceed with the invasion due to the challenging weather conditions, ultimately, the majority supported Eisenhower's decision to go ahead with the operation. It was a difficult choice, but the Allied commanders recognized the importance of seizing the opportunity and believed in the necessity of launching the invasion to begin the liberation of Western Europe from Nazi occupation. Therefore, it is not accurate to say that any of the 13 Allied commanders definitively said "no" to the invasion. Eisenhower, with the input and support of his staff, made the final decision to proceed, taking into account the overall assessment of the situation. [User] Hor accurate of historical facts for movie: The Longest Day: This is a spectacular account of the events leading up to and through the Allied Forces' invasion of Normandy, France on D-Day (June 6), 1944 to fight the occupying Germans. The film is particularly interesting because it looks at D-Day through the eyes of all of the participants, including the Germans, who are overwhelmed by the forces brought against them. It is in fact a German officer who gives the story its title -- when he views the approaching Allied armada, he says, "This will be the longest day." https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=maIOQwPZ7-E&t=1299s Release date 1962 Running time 2:58:22 Audio English Subtitle English (United States) Actors John Wayne Eddie Albert Paul Anka Richard Todd Director Ken Annakin Genres Action & adventure Drama ChatGPT "The Longest Day" is a 1962 epic war film that portrays the events leading up to and through the Allied invasion of Normandy on D-Day. While the movie provides a broad perspective by depicting the viewpoints of various participants, including the Germans, it is important to note that the film is a dramatized adaptation and not a documentary. As with any historical movie, there are often some deviations from historical accuracy for the purpose of storytelling, condensing events, or creating more dramatic moments. Therefore, while "The Longest Day" provides a general overview of the D-Day invasion and includes real-life figures and events, some details may be fictionalized or exaggerated for cinematic effect. It is advisable to consult historical sources or documentaries for a more accurate and comprehensive understanding of the events surrounding D-Day. Nonetheless, "The Longest Day" remains a popular and influential film that captures the scale and intensity of the D-Day operation and conveys the bravery and sacrifices of those involved. [User] How about John Wayne's character? ChatGPT In the film "The Longest Day," John Wayne portrays the character of Lieutenant Colonel Benjamin Vandervoort, an American paratrooper. Vandervoort was a real-life officer who served in the 82nd Airborne Division during World War II and participated in the D-Day invasion. While John Wayne's portrayal of Vandervoort is a fictionalized representation, the character is based on the actual Lieutenant Colonel Vandervoort. The film depicts Vandervoort's experiences and challenges during the airborne assault on D-Day, including his leadership and determination in the face of enemy resistance. It's worth noting that John Wayne's character is just one of many characters in the ensemble cast of "The Longest Day," and the film explores multiple perspectives and stories from different participants in the invasion. Overall, John Wayne's performance as Lieutenant Colonel Vandervoort adds to the dramatic storytelling of the film and helps to highlight the bravery and heroism of the individuals involved in the D-Day operation. However, as with any dramatized film, the character and specific events portrayed should be understood within the context of the fictionalized narrative Bhopal, July 4 : With an eye on the upcoming elections, the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in Madhya Pradesh will on Tuesday launch 'Seekho-Kamao' scheme aimed at benefitting over 1 lakh youth of the poll-bound state. Under the scheme, Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan would offer financial assistance to unemployed youths in the age group of 18-29 years. More than one lakh youths would be provided training in establishments. Those whose educational qualification is 12th or ITI or higher, will be eligible to be covered in the scheme. After the training, the State Council for Vocational Training (SCVT) certificate will be given by the Madhya Pradesh State Skill Development and Employment Generation Board. Chief Minister Chouhan will launch the scheme at Ravindra Bhavan later in the day. For the implementation of the scheme, as many as 11,000 private companies have been roped in to train the youth and provide them jobs. Ahead of the Assembly polls, it is the second master plan of the chief minister --the first being the women centric 'Ladli Behna Yojana' which would provide financial assistance of Rs 1,000 monthly. Patna, July 4 : A day after the CBI filed a charge sheet against Bihar Deputy Minister Tejashwi Yadav in connection to the IRCTC land for jobs scam, JD(U) national president Lalan Singh on Tuesday said the probe agency's move was not surprising. "We were expecting such an act from the pet parrots of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Even Tejashwi Yadav was aware about such an action against him since the last six months or so. The CBI has investigated it (the case) a couple of times and submitted its report with no evidence against him. His name was not in the charge sheet as well. After the formation of Mahagathbandhan government in Bihar, they have started targeting him. It is a deliberate attempt by Modi to frame a case," Lalan Singh said. "Recently, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had said that NCP leaders were involved in corruption cases to the tune of Rs 70,000 crore. Now, they have joined as an alliance partner of the BJP. They went under the washing machine of Narendra Modi and came out clean. Tejashwi Yadav is not compromised with his threat and hence pet parrots are against him. "People of the country will act against him and BJP in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. They are threatening the opposition leaders. Democracy is being killed. It is no more in the country. What is the meaning of democracy? It allows right to speech, right of work but unfortunately all these rights to work independently is coming to a stage of closure. They are controlling the constitutional bodies. They have controlled the media organisations as well," he claimed. Lalan Singh is facing charges of handing over the evidence to then Prime Minister Manmohan Singh pertaining to the IRCTC land for job scam. In response, BJP spokesperson Arvind Kumar Singh said: "Tejashwi Yadav, Rabri Devi and others were involved in wrongdoings in the past. Moreover, BJP is not the complainant in this case. It was complained about by JD(U) national president Lalan Singh. Now, the CBI is taking action against them. What is wrong with it?" New Delhi, July 4 : India summoned Canadian High Commissioner to India, Cameron MacKay over the Khalistani posters which showed the names of Indian diplomats. MacKay was summoned on Monday by the Ministry of External Affairs to convey concerns ahead of the protests planned by pro-Khalistan terrorist outfits outside the Indian High Commission in Ottawa, and two consulates in Toronto and Vancouver on July 8. Meanwhile, Canada has reaffirmed its commitment to the safety of Indian diplomats in the country following the circulation of the posters. The Canadian government has called the posters "unacceptable" and has vowed to take action to protect Indian diplomats. In a tweet, Canadian foreign minister Melanie Joy said, "Canada takes its obligations under the Vienna Conventions regarding the safety of diplomats very seriously. Canada remains in close contact with Indian officials in light of some of the promotional material circulating online regarding a protest planned for July 8, which are unacceptable." "We know that the actions of a few do not speak for an entire community, or Canada," she added. External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar on Monday had said that the issue of Indian diplomats' names appearing on posters by Khalistani elements in Canada, would be taken up with the Canadian and other nations' governments as it may affect relations. "We have requested our partner countries like Canada, the United States, the UK and Australia not to give space to the Khalistanis. This will affect our relations. We will raise this poster issue with the governments of these countries," Jaishankar had said. A poster displaying pictures and names of Indian High Commissioner to Canada Sanjay Verma and consul general Apoorva Srivastava had appeared in Canada, showing the diplomats as "killers" of Khalistan Tiger Force chief Hardeep Singh Nijjar, who was shot dead there a couple of weeks back. The poster was about a rally planned by Khalistani elements in Toronto on July 8, which will culminate at the Indian High Commission (the poster reads Indian embassy). Meanwhile India's consulate in San Francisco came under an attack from Khalistan supporters during the weekend, who tried to set the diplomatic facility on fire in the second such act of violence within months, drawing strong condemnation from the US government which termed it a "criminal offence". A video by Khalistan supporters, dated July 2 and posted on Twitter, showed the act of arson at the Indian Consulate in San Francisco. Responding to the incident, US state department spokesperson Matthew Miller in a tweet on Monday said, "The US strongly condemns the reported vandalism and attempted arson against the Indian Consulate in San Francisco on Saturday. Vandalism or violence against diplomatic facilities or foreign diplomats in the US is a criminal offence." --IANS ans/dpb Mumbai, July 4 : A year after many of them had been ejected out of Mantralaya at Nariman Point, the rival Nationalist Congress Party's Deputy Chief Minister and his cabinet colleagues returned to state government headquarters for a maiden cabinet meeting, here on Tuesday morning. The Ajit Pawar-led faction of nine, including the sole woman Minister Aditi Tatkare, shall attend the cabinet meeting to be presided over by Shiv Sena Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and Bharatiya Janata Party's Deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis, this afternoon. The new ministers first paid homage to a huge portrait of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj and other icons near the main entrance. So far, Ajit Pawar & co have not been allocated ministerial responsibilities, there is speculation that he may corner many plum portfolios, including finance, agriculture, revenue or some others, creating heart-burns among the other two ruling allies. As per current indications, the new ministers are likely to be given their responsibilities "very soon, maybe in a couple of days", according to an official. The Shiv Sena MLAs are reportedly apprehensive over giving the crucial finance portfolio to Ajit Pawar as he may indulge in pressure tactics - by stalling or starving them of much-needed developmental funds for their constituencies, or prioritizing the NCP-BJP MLAs a potentially scary prospect barely a year ahead of the Assembly elections. Earlier, Ajit Pawar, and around 5 others had occupied cabins in Mantralaya during the two-and-half year tenure of the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government headed by ex-CM Uddhav Thackeray. After the Shiv Sena's internal revolt, the MVA government was toppled and later on June 30, 2022, Shinde and Fadnavis were sworn-in as CM and Deputy CM, and a year later, Ajit Pawar's NCP faction has joined as the third partner in the Shiv Sena-BJP administration. Hong Kong, July 4 : The Chinese government has tightened controls over the exports of two key materials used to make computer chips, ahead of the Beijing trip of US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen. China's Commerce Ministry said it would control exports of eight gallium products and six germanium products from August 1 to protect its national security and interests. The move, according to the BBC, comes in the wake of Washington's efforts to curb Chinese access to some advanced microprocessors. The metals are used in semiconductor, communications and military equipment. They are also key materials in products like solar panels, the report mentioned. Meanwhile, US semiconductor wafer maker AXT said it would seek permits to keep exporting gallium and germanium substrate products from China. "We are actively pursuing the necessary permits and are working to minimise any potential disruption to our customers," said Morris Young, AXT CEO. According to the South China Morning Post, the latest controls mark the latest salvo in an escalating war over access to hi-tech microchips between China and the US. Jefferies analysts said in a note that China controlled 80 per cent of global output of the two materials. The controls are also likely a response to a potential US tightening of an AI chip ban, according to analysts. In 2022, top importers of China's gallium products were Japan, Germany and the Netherlands. --IANS na/ksk Washington, July 4 : The US National Park Service (NPS) confirmed that a woman has died while hiking in the Grand Canyon as temperatures soared amid an ongoing heat wave. In a statement, the NPS saidsaid that at around 6.30 p.m. on Sunday evening, a park ranger received a report about a hiker who was in distress in the Tuweep area of Arizona's Grand Canyon National Park, ABC News reported. Officials said the 57-year-old woman was on an 8-mile hike in the remote area of the park when she lost consciousness. "A ranger arrived on scene at approximately 1 a.m. on July 3 (Monday) and pronounced the hiker deceased," the statement added. On Sunday, the temperature at Tuweep was over 37 degrees Celsius, according to the NPS. At Phantom Ranch, southeast of the site and near the Colorado River, it reached 45 degrees. Parts of the Grand Canyon are under an excessive heat warning through Wednesday, ABC News quoted NPS officials as saying. Park rangers recently told hikers and backpackers to prepare for extremely high temperatures in the weeks ahead. About 35 million Americans are on alert for dangerously high temperatures, with the centre of the heat dome over the West. On Monday, temperatures reached 45 degrees in Phoenix and Palm Springs, 44 degrees in Las Vegas and 48 in Death Valley. Eight southern states from Texas to Georgia, the heat index on July 1 ranged from 40 to 46 degrees. Mumbai, July 4 : The television show 'Pushpa Impossible', which presents the story of the titular character of a resilient and determined single mother, has added another member to its cast in the form of actor Hemant Kher, who is known for his brilliant stint in the streaming show 'Scam 1992: The Harshad Mehta Story'. The plot is set to take an intriguing turn as the story moves to Patan - a place that has immense relevance in Pushpa's life. With the new track, Hemant will portray the role of Viren Setalvad, a manipulative businessman who holds the reins of the Patola weavers in Patan. Shedding light on his character, Hemant said, "Getting an opportunity to venture into television with a show like 'Pushpa Impossible' is a blessing. Viren truly lets me explore the depths of a complex and grey character. Playing this character comes with its own challenges, but I'm looking forward to bringing Viren to life with all his sharpness, charm, and cunning. It will be interesting to see how Viren's entry will usher in a new havoc for Pushpa and how she will deal with these headwinds in her journey." Viren is described as a blend of sophistication, manipulation, and charm, projecting an image of wisdom and patience. His vindictive nature is what will add new challenges to Pushpa's life. 'Pushpa Impossible' airs Monday to Saturday on Sony SAB. Kolkata, July 4 : The ED has asked actress-turned-politician Saayoni Ghosh to bring documents related to her bank accounts and properties during her second round of questioning on Wednesday in connection to the West Bengal school recruitment case. Sources said that Ghosh has been asked to carry documents that also belong to her family members. Although the ED is yet to get specific clues about her direct involvement in the case, the probe agency is investigating whether the proceeds of the alleged scam were invested in properties owned or invested in any business run by Ghosh or her family members. The sources further said that expelled youth Trinamool Congress leader Kuntal Ghosh does have antecedents of diverting the proceeds by either investing in properties or businesses run by others or giving loans to others especially those from the Bengali silver screen world. Earlier, the ED had tracked information of Kuntal Ghosh giving a loan of Rs 40 lakhs to Tollywood actor Bonny Sengupta as finance for the latter to purchase a high-end vehicle. Sengupta admitted this to the central agency and also returned the amount to the ED at a later stage. The sources said that the ED wants to find out if something similar had happened in case of Saayoni Ghosh. During her first appearance before the ED June 30, she was grilled for 11 hours from 12 noon to 11 p.m. According to the agency sources, Saayoni Ghosh did not attempt to to dodge or avoid the questions, but on several occasions she gave a number of contradictory answers. Her appearance on Wednesday is for clarification on areas of contradictions in the statements. Shimla, July 4 : Imposition of the Universal Civil Code (UCC) may spell an end to centuries old custom of polyandry (having multiple husbands) - the most prevalent among tribals of Himachal Pradesh. For the elderly, the UCC means parting ways with customs and inviting trouble, while the young men and women want a change of a patriarchal mindset. An ancient tribal custom of fraternal polyandry, meaning all brothers married to one wife, still exists in the mountainous Kinnaur district and some interiors of Shimla and trans-Giri areas of Sirmaur district of Himachal Pradesh. It is not peculiar to a particular caste or tribe. The reason is largely to save the ancestral land holdings that are largely small and prevent further division. Octogenarian Negi brothers, Ramesh and Naresh (name changed), who reside in an ancestral wooden cottage amidst an apple orchard in the picturesque Kalpa village, have a common wife. But their children and grandchildren have shunned this practice. Armed with good education, women in Kinnaur are now moving out of the district to pursue higher education and, in turn, settling outside, while their male counterparts prefer to stay back and join the traditional horticulture business. "We are lucky to save our ancestral six bighas, otherwise, there will be division between two brothers," wife Sheela told IANS, the mother of two daughters and two sons. She added, "The UCC is going to face strong protests in Kinnaur as to what will happen to our beliefs and rules that still govern our society. What will happen to our traditions?" Outsiders may feel uncomfortable with a custom, but for people of Kinnaur it is a way to save the land that is scarce in the hill region of Himalayas. Her husband Ramesh said they will not force the current generation to follow this practice provided they are willing to move out of the area and look for other work opportunities. Their daughters got government jobs and moved to the state capital, while the sons look after the family orchard. As per locals, there are at least 30-35 families in the remote interiors in the district, largely above the age of 50 years, who have opted the custom of sharing a common wife. After finding their way to higher education, the girls of Kinnaur are marrying men in other districts, spreading in the process the needs for education and improving sex ratio, say demographers. They say the rise in literacy rate in Kinnaur and preferring to marry outside the district are mainly responsible for the district's skewed sex ratio. According to Census for 2011 figures, the sex ratio in Kinnaur, the erstwhile Chini tehsil of former Mahasu district, has gone down from 857 in 2001 to 818 in 2011. Social activist Rattan Manjari, the voice of tribal women in their struggle for equal rights, said women still the women don't have the right to inherit property in Kinnaur and Lahaul-Spiti districts. "Though we have the Hindu Succession Act that grants daughters an equal share in ancestral property, our deep-rooted patriarchal mindset haven't changed in all these years," Manjari, 71, Chairperson of the Mahila Kalyan Parishad, a rights group that campaigns on educating women about their right to ancestral property, told IANS. She has been building up a momentum to change the male-centric mindset. "Earlier, we adopted the polyandry system to keep property within the family. Now in the modern time with high literacy rate, society began to transform and people began to enter monogamy. It's high time to end the prevailing biased customary law too." The Wajib Ul Urj customary law came into existence in 1926 in Kinnaur and Lahaul-Spiti districts and some pockets in Chamba district -- the tribal belts. Old-timers believe the origin of the custom-made tradition is the scarcity of fertile land. The belief stems from the idea that giving inheritance rights to the women will give an opportunity to outsiders to become owners of the land if they marry outside the community. Local women activists, requesting anonymity, say they are not against Universal Civil Code (UCC) but the government of India should also look into the plight of the tribal women who are unable to inherit property in accordance with the Hindu Succession Act of 1956 owing to local customs. "The provision to inherit parental property will certainly help women facing social injustice and all forms of exploitation in tribal areas," a social activist told IANS. She said the number of widows and orphaned unmarried women is increasing in Kinnaur and Lahaul-Spiti district owing to the discriminatory customary law. Often, the male family members ill-treat their unmarried sisters and sisters-in-law after the death of the parents and the spouse, respectively. Interestingly, in the Spiti region of Lahaul-Spiti there is the law of primogeniture, the right of succession belonging to the first-born child like the feudal rule by which the whole estate of an intestate passed to the eldest son and deprived the rest of the male siblings of their legal right to property. In the absence of an heir, inheritance gets passed on to collateral relatives, mainly male, in order of seniority. (Vishal Gulati can be contacted at gulatiians@gmail.com) Jaipur, July 4 : A video of a foreign tourist being teased and inappropriately touched by an auto driver has gone viral here. The video was shared by Delhi Women Commission chairperson Swati Maliwal. The Jaipur police control room sent the video to the Sindhi camp police station for further inquiry, and the location was later identified as Vidhayakpuri station area. Accordingly a case was transferred there, said officials on Tuesday. Police were searching for the accused auto driver who is seen touching the foreign woman in the video. Police officials said that the foreign tourist, who is seen walking with the auto driver, is yet to be contacted. They added that the female and the accused are not yet identified. The video was shared by a known person of this female. Further investigation in on, they added. Mumbai, July 4 : Bollywood megastar Shah Rukh Khan, who will be soon seen in the upcoming film 'Jawaan', recently got injured in the US and had to undergo a minor surgery. The actor was shooting for an undisclosed project in Los Angeles, California where he sustained an injury to his nose. As per media reports, SRK was immediately rushed to the hospital where his team was informed that the injury will require a minor surgical intervention to stop the bleeding. After the surgery, the 'Pathaan' actor was spotted with a bandage on his nose. SRK is currently in Mumbai back at his home and is recovering. This is not SRK's first brush with an injury. The actor, who is known to be extremely passionate about his work has suffered many injuries in the past and has required surgical assistance including the one for his back, knee, ribs and even the arm. The actor shot for the promotional song of his IPL team Kolkata Knight Riders wearing a sling in his arm. Meanwhile, the trailer of SRK's 'Jawaan' will be attached to Tom Cruise's 'MI 7', and will give a glimpse of the global megastar in the film. The actor will be seen in a never-before-seen avatar and also this marks his first collaboration with the prominent filmmaker, Atlee. Seoul, July 4 : International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi will arrive in South Korea on Friday to explain the analysis of the UN watchdog's safety review of Japan's planned release of water from its crippled Fukushima nuclear plant, an official said on Tuesday. Grossi will arrive in the country after completing an ongoing four-day trip to Japan aimed at delivering the results of the IAEA's final report, which is widely expected to approve the discharge of contaminated water into the ocean, reports Yonhap News Agency. Kyodo News reported that the director will release the results on Friday. Park Ku-yeon, the first deputy chief of the Office for Government Policy Coordination, said the South Korean government is in the final stage of its own scientific analysis of the discharge plan based on the results of its inspection and the participation on the IAEA's monitoring team. South Korea's 21-member team completed its six-day trip to Japan in late May, which included the on-site inspection. Also, a South Korean expert has participated in the IAEA's monitoring team, which had previously released five interim evaluations. Japan has not yet specified a date for the start of the water release, which is expected to take place over the next few decades, pending the IAEA's final review and approval from its nuclear regulatory body, despite opposition from neighboring countries. In response to heightened public concern, Seoul launched a daily press briefing last month to keep the public updated on the planned release of contaminated water from the plant, which was severely damaged by a massive earthquake and tsunami in 2011. London, July 4 : Australian batter Travis Head has revealed that Jonny Bairstow almost stumped him the exact same way as Alex Carey, when he was walking out after an over in the first Test of Ashes 2023. On the fifth day of the second Test, Bairstow left his ground, believing the ball to be dead and the over to have concluded but wicketkeeper Alex Carey threw at the stumps and the Australian was given out and the visitors eventually won by 43 runs. Speaking on LiSTNRas Willow Talk podcast, Head revealed he and Bairstow were involved in a conversation about a first Test moment where the English keeper almost did the exact same thing. "Jonny wasnat too pleased. And I sort of reminded Jonny last week I walked out of my crease at the end of an over. I quickly whipped my bat back and questioned Jonny on whether he would take the stumps and he said, aBloody oath I woulda, and ran off," Head revealed. The 29-year-old Australian said he had seen the style of dismissal several times during his career, including at Sheffield Shield level and cited an example of a Sheffield Shield match between South Australia and New South Wales. "We'd seen (Bairstow) try to do it and Iave seen it happen a few times. Remember Tommy Cooper getting done at the SCG. aNevsa (Peter Nevill) threw the stumps down on him. "If you put on the England hat, they're disappointed. But the Australia (side), to the letter of the law, which was explained with Mitchell Starcas catch the day before that it would be out. "I know they've questioned it differently if they were in the same situation but with all the heat out of the air, saying that is a little bit different than in the moment," he said. The third Test starts on July 6 at Headingley, where England will look to avenge their first two losses as they strive to keep their Ashes hopes alive. Lucknow, July 4 : Thw judicial commission probing the April 13 Jhansi encounter in which slain gangster Atiq Ahmed's son Asad and close associate Ghulam Mohammed were killed, has been given a two month-extension by the Uttar Pradesh government. The commission is also probing the encounters of Arbaaz Khan, which had taken place on February 27, and Vijay Chaudhary a.k.a Usman on March 3. The two were members of Atiq's gang and involved in the sensational murder of lawyer Umesh Pal in Prayagraj on February 24. The commission formed by the state government on April 24 is headed by retired High Court judge Rajiv Lochan Mehrotra and retired IPS and former DG Vijay Kumar Gupta as its member. It was asked to complete the probe in two months. Now, it has been given additional two months to finish the investigations. A senior officer in the home department said that the judicial commission is probing all aspects of the encounters and will include how the deceased members were associated with the gang. The commission will also give its recommendations. It has already visited the encounter sites. Units of STF, district police and the forensic science laboratory were also asked to assist the commission in its probe. New Delhi, July 4 : Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday said that the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) should not hesitate to criticise nations that support terrorism. Addressing the virtual SCO Summit, Modi said: "There are countries who support cross border terrorism and use terrorism as their policy instrument and give shelter to terrorists. The SCO should not hesitate to criticise such countries." The Summit is being attended by Russian President Vladimir Putin, Chinese President Xi Jinping, Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, as well as leaders of the other SCO member states Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. This is Putin's first appearance at an international forum after Russia crushed a coup attempt by the Wagner mercenary group late last month. Prime Minister Modi added that on such serious matters, there shouldn't be any scope for double standards, adding that terror financing and spread of radicalisation among the youth need to be strongly dealt with by SCO. He said the joint statement which will issued at the Summit will also focus on these issues. He added that the territorial integrity of every country should also be respected. "The SCO has emerged as a key platform for peace, prosperity, development of Eurasia. We do not see the SCO as an extended neighbourhood, but rather as an extended family," Modi said in his virtual address. "Security, economic development, connectivity, unity, respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity, and environmental protection are the pillars of our vision for SCO." The Prime Minister added that the SCO should also work for the welfare of Afghan people and provide humanitarian aid. "India's concerns and expectations regarding Afghanistan are similar to those of most of the SCO countries. We have to make joint efforts for the welfare of the people of Afghanistan." Modi also said he was "extremely happy that Iran is joining SCO as a new member today". India had assumed the presidency of the SCO last year in September from Uzbekistan. It hopes to end its presidency of the Eurasian group with a consensus in the form of a joint communique that will address, among other things, issues related to counter-terrorism, de-radicalisation, connectivity, Afghanistan, energy and the need for improvement in the architecture of global governance. The theme of the SCO summit is 'SECURE' -- S: Security; E: Economic development; C: Connectivity; U: Unity; R: Respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity; E: Environmental protection. Other than the member countries, Iran, Belarus and Mongolia have also been invited as Observer States. According to the SCO tradition, Turkmenistan has also been invited as the guest of the Chair. --IANS ans/ksk Lucknow, July 4 : People from Lucknow and other parts of the state travelling to the Netherlands and Austria, can now apply for visa in Lucknow itself. The service at the visa facilitation services (VFS) centre that was inaugurated by Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath in February, has finally begun. With this, people can apply for visas without going to Delhi, which is the nearest VFS centre. Earlier, Saudi Arabia was the first country that started offering visa application services. Applications can be made from Monday to Friday between 9 am and 4 pm. A prior appointment, booked through the VFS Global website, would be required. Chief operating officer for VFS Global South Asia, Prabuddha Sen, said: aWe are delighted to bring Austria and the Netherlands visa services to Lucknow. We are confident that the centre will offer applicants a convenient and seamless visa application process." The centre also offers optional services such as premium lounge. One availing such a facility would be able to submit applications without having to wait in queue. Other services that can be availed for an additional fee include form-filling assistance, courier service, courier assurance, photo service, printing and photocopy and SMS alerts, he added. VFS Global offers Austria visa services in 15 cities and the Netherlands visa services in nine cities across India. The VFS Centre in Lucknow offers visa facility for Switzerland, Estonia, Japan and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia along with Austria and the Netherlands. Spread across an area of 24,000 square feet, the centre, has a capacity to process around 1.2 lakh applications in a year. Lucknow, July 4 : The Queen Mary's Hospital (QMH) of King George's Medical University (KGMU) has initiated a special training programme for doctors and nurses engaged in women's healthcare at government hospitals and community health centres (CHCs) in primary and secondary care. The programme will educate the participants in early diagnosis of cervical cancer. KGMU officials said that in UP, approximately 50 women are diagnosed daily with cervical cancer and half of them die during treatment. Prof SP Jaiswar, medical superintendent of QMH said "This programme will enable timely disease control via early detection because deaths from cervical cancer in UP may be higher than WHO's death rate (56 per cent) as most cases are diagnosed at an advanced stage. Late diagnosis limits options for many UP patients. About 17,600 cervical cancer cases are reported in UP." Jaiswar said that doctors from across the state are invited for detailed training on the issue. It is organised jointly by State Institute of Health and Family Welfare and NHM and aims to improve patient outcomes and treatment success. Hospital spokesperson Prof Rekha Sachan said under the training, gynaecologists, emergency officers and surgeons will be trained to identify early cancer signs. They will be informed about techniques in which cervical cells are collected for the LBC test or HPV test to identify presence of Human Papillomavirus (HPV). She said the Centre recommends that every woman, who is 35 years of age and sexually active, should get her LBC test done every three years. If the results are normal, they can wait for three years until their next test. For individuals aged 30-65 years, doctors assess the testing options for HPV presence. If the results are normal, the next screening test can be delayed for three years. Alternatively, co-testing with both HPV and LBC tests can be performed. If both results are normal, patients can wait for five years until their next screening. Besides, doctors are being trained in Visual Inspection with Acetic Acid (VIA) and Visual Inspection with Lugol's Iodine (VILI) as examinations of the uterine cervix. These tests are essential in detecting and preventing cervical cancer. The tests can identify precancerous and cancerous cells. "If precancerous cells are found, thermal ablation technology available in district hospitals can be used for their removal," said Sachan. Puttaparthi : , July 4 (IANS) Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday inaugurated Sai Hira Global Convention Centre in Puttaparthi, Andhra Pradesh via video conferencing and lauded services of Sathya Sai Trust. The inauguration ceremony witnessed the presence of prominent dignitaries and devotees of Sathya Sai Baba from around the world. Andhra Pradesh Governor S. Abdul Nazeer was present at Prasanthi Nilayam in Puttaparthi. Speaking on the occasion, the Prime Minister lauded the services of Sathya Sai Trust. He was all praise for the Trust for undertaking various programmes to serve humanity. The Prime Minister expressed happiness that Sathya Sai Baba's mission is getting expanded with the opening of a new prime convention center. He hoped that the new center would create an experience of spirituality and splendor of modernity. He said that the center comprises cultural diversity and a conceptual grandeur, and it will become a focal point for discussions on spirituality and academic programs where scholars and experts will gather. He noted that the inauguration of the global convention centre coincides with the Leader's Conference of Sri Sathya Sai Global Council with the theme 'Practice and Inspire'. Calling the theme effective as well as relevant, Modi emphasised the importance of good conduct by the leaders of the society as society follows them. He said that the life of Shri Sathya Sai is the live example of this. "Today India is also moving while prioritising its duties. Moving towards the century of Independence, we have named Amrit Kaal as 'Kartavya Kaal'. These pledges include the guidance of our spiritual values as well as resolutions for the future. It has both Vikas (development) as well as Virasat (heritage)." The Prime Minister underlined that India has now become one of the top 5 economies in the world which supports the third-largest startup ecosystem in the world. He also mentioned that India is competing with the leading nations in the world in sectors like digital technology and 5G. The Prime Minister emphasised that 40 percent of real-time online transactions happening in the world are taking place in India and urged the devotees to transform the entire district of Puttaparthi towards a digital economy. He suggested that if everyone comes together to accomplish this resolution, the entire district will be turned digital by the next birth anniversary of Sri Sathya Sai Baba. "The transformation witnessed in the country is a result of the contributions of every social class", the Prime Minister remarked as he underlined that organisations like the Global Council are an effective medium to know more about India and connect with the world. The Prime Minister said that even though Sri Sathya Sai Baba was born in Puttaparthi, his followers can be found worldwide and his institutions and ashrams can be accessed in every state of India. He said that all the devotees have connected with Prasanthi Nilayam irrespective of language and culture and it is this desire that weaves India into a single thread making it immortal. He recalled the opportunity he had to interact with him and live in the shelter of Sathya Sai's blessings. He remembered the ease with which Sri Sathya Sai used to convey deep messages. He recalled timeless teachings like 'Love All Serve All'; 'Help Ever Hurt Never'; 'Less Talk More Work'; 'Every Experience is a Lesson -Every Loss is a Gain'. "These teachings have sensitivity as well as a deep philosophy of life," the Prime Minister said. The Prime Minister remembered Sathya Sai Baba's guidance and help during the earthquake in Gujarat. He recalled the deeply compassionate blessings of Sri Sathya Sai and said that for him, the service of humanity was the service of God. The Prime Minister noted that in a country like India religious and spiritual institutions have always been at the center of social welfare. He said that today when we are giving momentum to development and heritage with the resolutions of Amrit Kaal, Institutions like Sathya Sai Trust, have a major role to play in that. He expressed delight that the spiritual wing of Sathya Sai Trust is creating cultural India within the new generation through programs like Bal Vikas. Highlighting the efforts of Sathya Sai Trust in nation-building and in the empowerment of society, the Prime Minister mentioned the hi-tech hospital in Prasanthi Nilayam and schools and colleges being run for free education for years. He also mentioned the organisations associated with Sathya Sai that are working with dedication. He also highlighted that Sathya Sai Central Trust has become a partner in the humanitarian work of providing free water to remote villages as the country is connecting every village with clean water supply under the 'Jal Jeevan Mission'. New Delhi, July 4 : The Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDAI) is overlooking blatant violation of its advertisement guidelines by Policy Bazaar, affecting lakhs of insurance customers involving several thousands of crores of citizen investment, non-profit organisation PRAHAR has said. PRAHAR (Public Response Against Helplessness and Action for Redressal) focuses on issues in the public domain that if not addressed can cause helplessness among Indian citizens. It has written to Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman stating that an ongoing case of blatant violation of the IRDAI guidelines related to insurance advertisements and which has affected financial interests of lakhs of customers over several years. This case of gross violation establishes that despite having a robust insurance regulation in place, private insurance intermediaries in India are able to rather brazenly flout regulations without the fear of being caught and, more alarmingly, it brings out the failure on part of IRDAI to enforce its own rules effectively. "This case pertains to a marketing programme being run by the highly popular insurance websitewww.policybazaar.com selling gullible customers a dream to 'Become a Crorepati by Investing Right'. Various advertisements and a website promoting this has been running for the past 5 years and several lakhs of customers have purchased policies from Policy Bazaar as this misleading promise of becoming a crorepati is highly attractive," the letter said. Customers landing on to the 'Investment Plans' tab on the home page ofwww.policybazaar.com see a Life Insurance policy promising a maturity value of more than Rs 1 crore at the end of 20 years if one was to make a SIP of Rs 10,000 per month for 10 years, which is a total investment of Rs 12 lakhs. The R. 1 crore figure is a highly attractive amount for any individual investor, especially for one who can only save Rs 10,000 per month. The letter said it creates a huge shock value! So, for the investor, the misleading offer becomes very difficult to resist and can easily lead him or her to jump at the offer and commit to the investment plan. The reality on the contrary is that this is a highly uncertain return as it is being promised on the basis of past returns. This means that all variable factors should remain unchanged over the course of the next 20 years for customers to get such attractive return, which is not certain at all! "Therefore, this is nothing but a clear case of misinformation and deception on part of Policy Bazaar to lure unsuspecting and gullible investors. Such misinformation has the potential to upstage the long-term financial planning for many Indian citizens if left unchecked. "The above mentioned heavily promoted investment plan of 'Become a Crorepati/ Invest 10K & Get Rs. 1 Crore Return' on the Policy Bazaar website is a gross and a blatant violation of the Clause 3.4.1.3. Customers who invest for 10 or 20 years will face deep disappointment and a sense of betrayal if the specific target of Rs 1 crore is not achieved, but by then, it would be too late to rectify the situation. "As an NGO with the goal to protect the interests of citizens of the country, we have brought this issue to the notice of IRDAI multiple times and have been writing letters to various officials of IRDAI, since December 2022, including to Shri Debasish Panda, Chairperson IRDAI and Smt Meena Kumari, Executive Director, Life Department. We are deeply disappointed with IRDAI's abject inaction, despite several formal letters by us to the topmost officials, showing their total lack of concern for the interests of lakhs of citizens. What is particularly shocking is that they did not even have the courtesy to acknowledge our communication showing their unresponsiveness and making us conclude that they have failed in their duty as custodians of the interests of millions of life insurance investors of the country. This is why we are now escalating this issue to you, hoping for appropriate action," the letter added. New Delhi, July 4 : The Supreme Court on Tuesday dismissed a PIL seeking re-classification of the caste system, and expressed expressed concern over the filing of frivolous public interest litigations before it. "This is an abuse of the process of law. These kinds of PILs must stop," remarked a bench comprising Chief Justice of India D.Y. Chandrachud and Justice P.S. Narasimha. The top court directed the petitioner, who appeared in-person before it, to pay costs of Rs 25,000 to the Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA). In his petition, advocate Sachin Gupta sought directions from the court for re-classification of the caste system by the Centre. "Invocation of Article 32 of the Constitution has been sought to direct the Centre to frame a policy for re-classification of the caste system. We dismiss it and direct a payment of Rs 25,000 cost to the Supreme Court Bar Association. "The petitioner shall produce a receipt of the payment within two weeks," the bench recorded in its order. Another PIL filed by the same petitioner "to phase out reservations gradually and make alternate reservation policy" was also dismissed with costs by the court. A solider wears a U.S. Space Force uniform during a ceremony for U.S. Air Force airmen transitioning to U.S. Space Force guardian designations at Travis Air Force Base, Calif., Feb. 12, 2021. Ohios rich history of aviation innovation makes it an ideally suited location for the Air Forces new U.S. Space Command headquarters or Space Force units, a group of the states congressional delegates told Democratic President Joe Biden in a letter Wednesday, June 7, 2023. (AP Photo/Noah Berger, File) House lawmakers this week introduced major military policy and funding changes they hope to see in defense spending bills later this year, previewing efforts to combat China and to address contentious culture war issues. Over the course of seven subcommittee gatherings Tuesday and Wednesday, the House Armed Services Committee (HASC) passed an initial round of markups for the annual National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), with plans to finalize the proposal in front of the full panel next week. While HASC Chairman Mike Rogers (R-Ala.) praised the bipartisan work of the seven subcommittees, the months ahead have plenty of political land mines, from a fight over Space Command headquarters to abortion policies in the military. Rogers said the bill puts our national security first by boosting innovation, providing for our warfighters and focusing on our defense industrial base. Culture war clash The GOP-controlled House Appropriations Committee in closed session Thursday began to mark up its spending bill for the Pentagon that would fund the policies, weapons and equipment within the NDAA. That legislation includes about $826 billion for new discretionary defense spending, about $285 million more than Bidens request. But Democrats are uniting against the draft bill, calling out a $1.1 billion cut to the salaries of civilian personnel, a $714 million reduction to climate change programs and a roughly $100 million cut to diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) efforts. Other provisions would ban funding for critical race theory, diversity efforts, gender-affirming care and for drag queen events tied to story hours for children on military bases or to support military recruiting. Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-Conn.), ranking member on the Appropriations Committee, blasted the legislation for inserting partisan riders that have nothing to do with national security. Republicans are seeking to reverse bipartisan policies to have equality for women and to make it uncomfortable for LGBTQ+ Americans to serve in the military, DeLauro said. Fostering an environment where every American who would willingly put their lives on the line to protect and serve this nation feels they are welcomed and supported should not be controversial, she said in a statement. This bill is a nonstarter that fails to meet the agreement signed into law. And Rep. Betty McCollum (D-Minn.), the ranking member of the Appropriations defense subcommittee, called it regrettable that the Republican majority has produced a Defense Appropriations bill that would undermine our militarys readiness and leave us less secure in the world, not more. These riders make it almost impossible to gain bipartisan support, she said in a statement. Democrats on the panel are also upset about a provision that would bar the Pentagon from continuing a policy providing paid leave and reimbursing travel costs for service members who travel to get an abortion. That policy has attracted the ire of Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R-Ala.), who is holding up some 200 Pentagon nominees in protest. Space Command struggle In another contentious move, House Republicans inserted a provision in the markup to freeze spending to build the U.S. Space Command (Spacecom) headquarters until a final location is announced and justified in a report. Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall, who oversees Spacecom, would also see his travel budget slashed until a report on the location of the permanent headquarters is given to Congress. Similarly, the House Appropriations Committee on Tuesday added language into its 2024 military construction funding bill that would prevent funds for building out the commands headquarters until the final Air Force plan. The Hill previously reported on the inclusion of the language in the appropriations bill. Republicans are concerned that if construction and leases continue in Colorado, Spacecom may never be relocated. In 2019, the Trump administration revived Spacecom after its 2002 discontinuation, establishing a temporary location at Peterson Space Force Base in Colorado with a plan for a permanent location in Alabamas Huntsville, known as Rocket City. Since coming into office, President Biden has authorized reviews of Trumps decision to relocate Spacecom; none of the reviews found anything improper in the decision, though one found the Air Force did not follow best practices. Alabama Republicans, including Rogers, are frustrated with the delay over relocating Spacecom and grew incensed last month after it was reported the new headquarters might be scrapped entirely due to Alabamas near-total abortion ban. An aide for the HASC Republicans said during a Monday background briefing that Rogers is of the mind that Huntsville won fairly. I think the chairmans view is, Why should you be using taxpayer dollars to build up all this infrastructure, when the Air Force made a decision that has been reviewed by two different reviewers and found that Huntsville, Alabama, won and won fairly? the aide said. Rogers is also investigating the delayed decision to relocate Spacecom. Combating China Lawmakers shaped the bulk of the defense bill around deterring Chinese aggression, including support for a more than $9 billion investment in the Indo-Pacific region, where the U.S. is concerned about Chinas growing influence. But that focus means casting off six older or troubled Navy ships, including the decommissioning of two littoral combat ships. Youll see that throughout our bill especially with the Pacific Deterrence Initiative divesting from some of these old legacy platforms that are not survivable in the Indo-Pacific region against a very capable adversary, the aide told reporters. Were really taking a hard look and making some tough choices on things we dont think we need anymore as were confronting a 21st-century military. One NDAA provision requires the review and congressional notification of Russia-China cooperation on nuclear development. Additional efforts to counter Beijing include improving shipbuilding capacity, with an aim for the procurement of nine battle force ships, as well as boosting hypersonic missile training and supporting the development of next-generation aircraft. Rep. Rob Wittman (R-Va.), the chairman of the Tactical Air and Land Forces subcommittee, said a key part of the bill is retooling the Army to operate more efficiently in the Indo-Pacific. The Army needs a new strategy that looks beyond a potential European conflict and focuses instead on fully providing the capabilities required to meet the Indo-Pacifics challenges of distance and depth, he said at a Tuesday hearing. House appropriators also said their bill includes funding to counter China through security cooperation programs with Taiwan and prioritizing delivering weapons to the independent island that China claims as its over sovereign territory. Aiding Ukraine For Ukraine, at least $300 million is proposed to support the nation in its fight against Russia, including at least $80 million to be used to supply Kyiv with the Army Tactical Missile System, a long-range artillery weapon. The billions of dollars in aid for Ukraine that was approved last year is likely run out by the fall. Lawmakers are expected to pass a supplemental package along with the NDAA to support Kyiv. The Biden administration has so far resisted sending long-range missiles to Ukraine, largely over fears of Kyiv striking into Russian territory. The U.K. last month became the first country to provide Ukraine with long-range artillery in the war against Russia. And keeping in mind the billions of dollars in weapons the United States has pulled from its own stockpiles to send to Ukraine since Russia first attacked the country in February 2022, the NDAA looks to bolster industry by keeping production lines running smoothly through more multiyear procurements. The Russian invasion of Ukraine really showed [lawmakers] the state of our defense industrial base. Starting last year, members really started to figure out we cant just turn the dial and create a bunch of Javelins and Stingers and torpedoes quickly, the aide said. Other standouts Also included in the House NDAA bill is a significant 5.2 percent pay raise for service members next year and the establishment of a Space National Guard. The bill addresses mental health and suicide prevention, bolsters retention and recruiting efforts for military branches and moves to abolish the Pentagons Cost Assessment and Program Evaluation program. The HASC and its Senate counterpart are expected to send their versions of the NDAA to the full chambers for votes later this summer. The congressional armed services committees were originally scheduled to take up the NDAA last month, but the debt limit fight caused a delay. Part of the negotiated deal in that battle is a plan to spend $886 billion on defense in 2024. New Delhi, July 4 : The Delhi High Court on Tuesday dismissed a petition against a mandate rolled out by the AAP government for auto and taxi drivers of the national capital to wear a uniform. A division bench of Chief Justice Satish Chandra Sharma and Justice Subramonium Prasad while hearing the Public Interest Litigation (PIL) by Chaalak Shakti -- a driversa union -- turned down the petition and orally observed that it is a agross misuse in the name of a PILa. The High Court had earlier noted that there is ambiguity on the issue in the permit conditions and the motor vehicle rules. The bench had then granted time to the government to make it clear about the uniform colour -- khaki or grey -- prescribed for auto drivers in the city. The petitioner had challenged the mandate and had alleged that such labelling was in violation of the Constitution. It was earlier argued by the petitioneras counsel that assigning a uniform limits their freedom of expression and also acts as a status symbol. To this, the court had orally remarked that the idea behind a uniform is identification of those wearing it. The counsel for the government had said that certain discipline has to be maintained concerning uniforms. The plea stated that on not wearing uniforms, hefty challans upto Rs 20,000 were being imposed on drivers even though the law on the subject was ambiguous. It was further alleged that there is complete ambiguity about the colour of uniform to be worn by auto drivers on duty as Rule 7 of Delhi Motor Vehicles Rules, 1993 prescribes khaki, whereas the state authoritiesa permit conditions say grey. The petition contended that there are so many shades of both khaki and grey, and since no particular shade had been mentioned, the enforcement authorities enjoyed a huge discretion about who they wanted to prosecute. Kochi, July 4 : A consumer court here imposed a fine of Rs 7.5 lakh on Qatar Airways in a five year old complaint filed by a judge of Kerala High Court, Justice Bechu Kurian Thomas against the airline for offloading him and his friends from the aircraft despite having valid tickets. The consumer court directed an amount of Rs 7 lakh to the complainant as compensation for the mental agony, hardship and physical stress afforded by the complainant due to deficiency of service and unfair trade practice by the opposite parties besides Rs 50,000 towards the cost of proceeding. The 54-year-old judge, Justice Bechu Kurian Thomas is the son of former Supreme Court Judge K.T. Thomas and his case was filed before the Consumer Commission here in 2018, two years before he was sworn in as a judge. His case was against Qatar Airways when he along with his friends booked tickets many months before their actual date of travel. But when they reached Qatar, from here, enroute to Scotland, they were offloaded as the flight to Edinburgh was overbooked. They were given hotel accommodation and gave the group a voucher for US$ 250 and put them on a flight the next day to Edinburgh. After returning home, Thomas sent a legal notice to Qatar Airways claiming compensation but he did not receive any reply and later approached the Ernakulam district commission seeking compensation of Rs 10 lakhs. Finally the Consumer Court allowed Justice Thomas application on December 30, 2022. The Consumer Court ruled that denying permission to passengers holding valid boarding passes from boarding the aircraft amounts to unfair trade practice and deficiency in service. The court imposed a total fine of Rs 7.5 lakh on the airline to be paid within 30 days. Mehsana, July 4 : Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Tuesday virtually inaugurated the foundation stone-laying ceremony of Shri Motibhai R. Chaudhary Sagar Sainik School in Boriyavi village of this Gujarat district. This project, costing Rs 75 crore and spanning 11 acres of land, marks the first Sainik School in the country to be operated by a cooperative organisation. The ceremony witnessed the presence of Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel, Health Minister Rishikesh Patel, Industries Minister Balwant Singh Rajput, and Cooperation Minister Jagdish Panchal. The management of Shri Moti Bhai R. Chowdhury Sagar Sainik School will be overseen by Dudh Sagar Research and Development Association (DURDA), an entity of Dudh Sagar Dairy. The Defence Ministry granted permission for the establishment of this Sainik School on August 2, 2022. In the academic year 2022-2023, a total of 50 students, including 46 boys and four girls, were enrolled in this esteemed Sagar Sainik School. For the academic year 2023-2024, the number of seats has been increased to 80, including a 10 per cent reservation for girls. Currently, 55 students, comprising 51 boys and 4 girls, are studying in the sixth standard at MIDFT (Mansinghbhai Institute of Dairy and Food Technology) located at Dudh Sagar Dairy. Colombo, July 4 : China's oil & gas giant, Sinopec is set to make an entry in Sri Lanka's fuel industry which is presently handled jointly by the state-run Ceylon Petroleum Corporation and India's Indian Oil Company (IOC). Foreign Minister Ali Sabry, who had recently visited China, said that Sinopac informed him about their readiness to start a refinery in the island nation. During the trip, the Minister also met China's Ministers of Finance and Foreign Affairs, as well as the Chairman of the Exim Bank. Sri Lanka signed an agreement with Sinopec in May to ensure a steady and uninterrupted fuel supply. In the heights of the economic crisis last year, people across Sri Lanka had to wait for days in long queues outside petrol pumps as supply ran short. Justifying the move to allow Sinopec to enter the crisis-hit Sri Lanka's fuel market, the Power and Energy Ministry had stated that it was in response to the foreign exchange crisis and to ensure an uninterrupted fuel supply to consumers. "With the inability to provide sufficient foreign exchange for fuel shipments, the Ceylon Petroleum Corporation (CPC) and Lanka Indian Oil Company (LIOC) faced significant challenges. To tackle this issue, the Ministry explored various strategies and one of them involved inviting Expression of Interests (EOIs) from reputable petroleum companies established in producing countries," the Ministry said. It added that the goal was to import, store, distribute, and sell petroleum products in pre-determined distribution dealer operated networks in Sri Lanka. The Cabinet thn subsequently approved the decision. However, Sinopec has been allowed to enter fuel market with the condition that new retail suppliers willhave to secure forex requirements without depending on the domestic banking sector. It was mandated that these companies source their own funds for fuel procurement through foreign sources, at least during the initial one-year period of operation. New Delhi, July 4 : Russian President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday said that his country will stand up against Western sanctions and 'provocations'. Addressing the virtual SCO summit, Putin said Moscow planned to boost ties with the grouping and supported the transition to settlements in local currencies in foreign trade. He also warned that the potential for conflicts and the risk of a global economic crisis were on the rise. Putin was referring to the sanctions that Russia faces from Europe in the aftermath of it's ongoing war with Ukraine. The SCO summit began Tuesday through virtual mode with the opening address by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who said that SCO shouldn't hesitate in criticising countries supporting cross-border terrorism. India holds the presidency of SCO currently. Chinese President Xi Jinping and Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif are also participating in the virtual summit. Meanwhile, the Russian President thanked PM Modi for organising the summit. "I would like to thank PM Modi for organising this summit. Russia supports the New Delhi declaration which gives a consolidated approach to international issues. "We will continue to strengthen ties with SCO member states," Putin said. "Another focus of the SCO is the current situation in Afghanistan. The situation, regrettably, is not becoming better. The SCO's priority must be counter terrorism, counter radicalism, extremism and to counter drug trafficking," the Russian President added. This was Putin's first appearance at an international event after a failed coup attempt by Wagner group against his government in late June. New Delhi, July 4 : The Supreme Court on Tuesday dismissed a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) seeking direction to abolish male pronouns contained in the provisions of the Indian Constitution. "Some (recent) provisions now use the word Chairperson. The earlier provisions use Chairman. Are we going to strike down Constitutional provisions on that ground?" asked a bench headed by Chief Justice D.Y. Chandrachud to the petitioner, a law student. "When the Constitution says Chairman, does that mean that a woman will not be appointed? No. Even a woman can be appointed," remarked CJI Chandrachud while dismissing the plea. "Next time we will impose costs for such matters. Focus on your studies," said the bench while cautioning the petitioner-in-person of imposing costs for filing such a PIL. In his PIL, the petitioner Harsh Gupta, claimed violation of equality guaranteed under Article 14 of the Constitution when numerous articles uses the male pronouns like "he", "Chairman", "Deputy Chairman" etc. Saharanpur, July 4 : Bhim Army founder Chandra Shekhar Azad has demanded a CBI probe into the attack on him on June 28 so that those who hatched the conspiracy against him can be exposed. Four assailants in a car had allegedly opened indiscriminate firing on the vehicle of Azad near Gandhi Nagar colony under Deoband police station limits in Uttar Pradesh's Saharanpur district when he was returning from his party worker's house on June 28 evening. On July 1, the Ambala unit of Haryana Special Task Force in coordination with the Uttar Pradesh Police arrested four people from near a dhaba in the Shahzadpur area of Ambala. As per the police, during interrogation, the arrested persons said that they shot at Bhim Army founder because they were angry over his statements made in the past few months. The accused were identified as Vikas, Prashant and Lovish, all from Saharanpur. The fourth accused Vikas hails from Haryana's Karnal. Chandra Shekhar, meanwhile, has expressed his dissatisfaction over the police version. He also claimed that a pistol was used to attack him, while the police had recovered two country-made pistols from the possession of those arrested. "A CBI investigation will expose who were involved in the conspiracy of attack. Police should honestly find out 'who paid the attackers', he demanded. The Bhim Army leader alleged that as part of the conspiracy, the attackers parked the car in Gurjar-dominated village Miragpur so that there could be an ethnic clash. He said Bhim Army workers were also collecting information at their level. The Bhim Army chief appealed to police that the families of the attackers should not be troubled for their act. He reiterated that such attacks made him stronger. "If atrocities are committed against women, I will speak. No matter how many bullets someone fires, I am not afraid," he added. Saharanpur SSP Vipin Tada refuted Chandra Shekhar's allegations and said that Bhim Army's men had provided them the empty cartridges of the bullets fired at him and visibly they were of .315 bore. "Anyone can easily differentiate between a cartridge of .315 bore and other cartridges," he said. The SSP said the empty cartridges would be sent for forensic test. Tada further said the attackers left the car in village Miragpur because they were known to a person there. Wellington, July 4 : New Zealand Prime Minister Chris Hipkins will travel to Brussels on Friday to witness the signing of an Free Trade Agreement (FTA) with the European Union (EU). The FTA will deliver immediate tariff savings on New Zealand exports to the EU of about NZ$100 million ($61 million) a year when it enters into force, Hipkins said on Tuesday. Modelling suggests exports to the EU will increase by up to NZ$1.8 billion per annum and add up to NZ$1.4 billion to New Zealand's GDP per year once fully implemented. "This is an important milestone towards entry into force of this high-quality and historic free trade agreement," Hipkins said. New Zealand will also sign the Horizon Europe Association Agreement. Horizon Europe is the EU's main research and innovation framework and funding platform, Hipkins said, adding that it is also the largest multilateral research program in the world. Associating with Horizon Europe will provide new opportunities for New Zealand scientists to collaborate with European partners on research to address major global challenges such as climate change, energy and health, he said. Ahmedabad, July 4 : The Gujarat High Court has stressed upon the importance of transparency and accountability in the functioning of police department. In the recent hearing, the police informed the court that they have listed all the rules and orders framed under Section 33 of the Gujarat Police (GP) Act on their website. However, they requested more time to upload the actual text of the legislation. The court firmly stated that the police cannot evade their responsibility to publish the details on their website. The hearing took place on Monday. This development comes in response to a contempt petition filed by Swati Goswami, an Ahmedabad resident, against the city Police Commissioner, Prem Vir Singh. Goswami accused Singh of "wilful and deliberate disobedience" of a high court order issued in January. The court had ruled that the special police branch cannot claim exemption from disclosing rules and had directed the Ahmedabad Police Commissioner to publish all the relevant rules and orders on their website. Furthermore, the court had directed the Ahmedabad city police to comply with the requirements of section 4 of the Right to Information (RTI) Act, which mandates the publication of all rules, regulations, instructions, manuals, and records held by the police department. While the police claimed that the texts of such regulations are available publicly elsewhere, the court emphasised the need for them to be easily accessible on the police website itself. Justice Supehia, addressing the Assistant Government Pleader, stated that Rule 4 of the RTI Act does not permit collecting information from other sources when it should be readily available on the police website. The court demanded an affidavit from the authorities clarifying when the text of the rules and acts will be made available on their website. The matter has been posted for further hearing on July 6. Greater Noida, July 4 : Police have arrested a Pakistani woman, who was illegally staying in Greater Noida, with a man who met her through the online game PUBG, officials said on Tuesday. The Pakistani woman identified as Seema Ghulam Haider, a resident of Jacobabad, illegally entered India through Nepal along with her four children. The police have also arrested the man, identified as Sachin, and his father, both residents of Greater Noida, for allegedly housing them for about 50 days. The woman's four children have been detained by the police. Seema and Sachin met through the online gaming platform PUBG in 2019. They started chatting with each other online, and eventually fell in love. After Seema reached India, they started living together in Greater Noida's Rabupura area. Seema is married to a Pakistani man who works in Dubai. Teams of Intelligence Bureau (IB) and ATS (anti-terrorism squad) have also interrogated the Pakistani woman separately in the case. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Culture_war [1] Kulturkampfcalque Rudolf Virchow18711878 Culture war https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Culture_war A culture war is a cultural conflict between social groups and the struggle for dominance of their values, beliefs, and practices.[1] It commonly refers to topics on which there is general societal disagreement and polarization in societal values. Its contemporary use refers to a social phenomenon in which multiple social groups, holding distinct values and ideologies, attempt to steer public policy in opposition to each other.[2][3] Thus a culture war now describes "hot button" or "polarizing" social issues in politics.[4] A culture war is defined as "the phenomenon in which multiple groups of people, who hold entrenched values and ideologies, attempt to contentiously steer public policy."[3] Culture wars often delve around wedge issues, often based on values, morality, and lifestyle which often lead to political cleavage.[4] Etymology The term culture war is a loan translation (calque) of the German Kulturkampf ('culture struggle'). In German, Kulturkampf, a term coined by Rudolf Virchow, refers to the clash between cultural and religious groups in the campaign from 1871 to 1878 under Chancellor Otto von Bismarck of the German Empire against the influence of the Catholic Church.[5] The translation was printed in some American newspapers at the time. United States Further information: Ethnocultural politics in the United States 1920s1991: Origins This section needs expansion. You can help by adding to it. (December 2021) In American usage, "culture war" may imply a conflict between those values considered traditionalist or conservative and those considered progressive or liberal. This usage originated in the 1920s when urban and rural American values came into closer conflict.[7] This followed several decades of immigration to the States by people who earlier European immigrants considered 'alien'. It was also a result of the cultural shifts and modernizing trends of the Roaring '20s, culminating in the presidential campaign of Al Smith in 1928.[8] In subsequent decades during the 20th century, the term was published occasionally in American newspapers. 19912001: Rise in prominence He argued that on an increasing number of "hot-button" defining issuesabortion, gun politics, separation of church and state, privacy, recreational drug use, homosexuality, censorshipthere existed two definable polarities. Furthermore, not only were there a number of divisive issues, but society had divided along essentially the same lines on these issues, so as to constitute two warring groups, defined primarily not by nominal religion, ethnicity, social class, or even political affiliation, but rather by ideological world-views. Hunter characterized this polarity as stemming from opposite impulses, toward what he referred to as Progressivism and as Orthodoxy. Others have adopted the dichotomy with varying labels. For example, Bill O'Reilly, a conservative political commentator and former host of the Fox News Channel talk show The O'Reilly Factor, emphasizes differences between "Secular-Progressives" and "Traditionalists" in his 2006 book Culture Warrior.[11][12] Historian Kristin Kobes Du Mez attributes the 1990s emergence of culture wars to the end of the Cold War in 1991. She writes that Evangelical Christians viewed a particular Christian masculine gender role as the only defense of America against the threat of communism. When this threat ended upon the close of the Cold War, Evangelical leaders transferred the perceived source of threat from foreign communism to domestic changes in gender roles and sexuality.[13] Pat Buchanan in 2008 During the 1992 presidential election, commentator Pat Buchanan mounted a campaign for the Republican nomination for president against incumbent George H. W. Bush. In a prime-time slot at the 1992 Republican National Convention, Buchanan gave his speech on the culture war.[14] He argued: "There is a religious war going on in our country for the soul of America. It is a cultural war, as critical to the kind of nation we will one day be as was the Cold War itself."[15] In addition to criticizing environmentalists and feminism, he portrayed public morality as a defining issue: The agenda [Bill] Clinton and [Hillary] Clinton would impose on Americaabortion on demand, a litmus test for the Supreme Court, homosexual rights, discrimination against religious schools, women in combat unitsthat's change, all right. But it is not the kind of change America wants. It is not the kind of change America needs. And it is not the kind of change we can tolerate in a nation that we still call God's country.[15] A month later, Buchanan characterized the conflict as about power over society's definition of right and wrong. He named abortion, sexual orientation and popular culture as major frontsand mentioned other controversies, including clashes over the Confederate flag, Christmas, and taxpayer-funded art. He also said that the negative attention his "culture war" speech received was itself evidence of America's polarization.[16] The culture war had significant impact on national politics in the 1990s.[2] The rhetoric of the Christian Coalition of America may have weakened president George H. W. Bush's chances for re-election in 1992 and helped his successor, Bill Clinton, win reelection in 1996.[17] On the other hand, the rhetoric of conservative cultural warriors helped Republicans gain control of Congress in 1994.[18] The culture wars influenced the debate over state-school history curricula in the United States in the 1990s. In particular, debates over the development of national educational standards in 1994 revolved around whether the study of American history should be a "celebratory" or "critical" undertaking and involved such prominent public figures as Lynne Cheney, Rush Limbaugh, and historian Gary Nash.[19][20] 20012012: Post-9/11 era A political view called neoconservatism shifted the terms of the debate in the early 2000s. Neoconservatives differed from their opponents in that they interpreted problems facing the nation as moral issues rather than economic or political issues. For example, neoconservatives saw the decline of the traditional family structure as a spiritual crisis that required a spiritual response. Critics accused neoconservatives of confusing cause and effect.[21] During the 2000s, voting for Republicans began to correlate heavily with traditionalist or orthodox religious belief across diverse religious sects. Voting for Democrats became more correlated to liberal or modernist religious belief, and to being nonreligious.[22] Belief in scientific conclusions, such as climate change, also became tightly coupled to political party affiliation in this era, causing climate scholar Andrew Hoffman to observe that climate change had "become enmeshed in the so-called culture wars."[23] Rally for Proposition 8, an item on the 2008 California ballot to ban same-sex marriage Topics traditionally associated with culture war were not prominent in media coverage of the 2008 election season, with the exception of coverage of vice-presidential candidate Sarah Palin,[24] who drew attention to her conservative religion and created a performative climate change denialism brand for herself.[25] Palin's defeat in the election and subsequent resignation as governor of Alaska caused the Center for American Progress to predict "the coming end of the culture wars," which they attributed to demographic change, particularly high rates of acceptance of same-sex marriage among millennials.[26] 2012present: Broadening of the culture war[edit] While traditional culture war issues, like abortion, continue to be a focal point,[27] the issues identified with the culture war broadened and intensified in the mid-late 2010s. Jonathan Haidt, author of The Coddling of the American Mind, identified a rise in callout culture via social media among young progressives since 2012, which he believes had "transformative effects on university life and later on politics and culture throughout the English-speaking world," in what Haidt[28] and other commentators[29][30] have called the "Great Awokening". Journalist Michael Grunwald says that "President Donald Trump has pioneered a new politics of perpetual culture war" and lists the Black Lives Matter movement, U.S. national anthem protests, climate change, education policy, healthcare policy including Obamacare, and infrastructure policy as culture war issues in 2018.[31] The rights of transgender people and the role of religion in lawmaking were identified as "new fronts in the culture war" by political scientist Jeremiah Castle, as the polarization of public opinion on these two topics resemble that of previous culture war issues.[32] In 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic, North Dakota governor Doug Burgum described opposition to wearing face masks as a "senseless" culture war issue that jeopardizes human safety.[33] This broader understanding of culture war issues in the mid-late 2010s and 2020s is associated with a political strategy called "owning the libs." Conservative media figures employing this strategy, emphasize and expand upon culture war issues with the goal of upsetting liberal people. According to Nicole Hemmer of Columbia University, this strategy is a substitute for the cohesive conservative ideology that existed during the Cold War. It holds a conservative voting bloc together in the absence of shared policy preferences among the bloc's members.[34] The Unite the Right rally in Charlottesville, Virginia in August 2017, an alt-right event regarded as a battle of the culture wars[35] A number of conflicts about diversity in popular culture occurring in the 2010s, such as the Gamergate harassment campaign, Comicsgate and the Sad Puppies science fiction voting campaign, were identified in the media as being examples of the culture war.[36] Journalist Caitlin Dewey described Gamergate as a "proxy war" for a larger culture war between those who want greater inclusion of women and minorities in cultural institutions versus anti-feminists and traditionalists who do not.[37] The perception that culture war conflict had been demoted from electoral politics to popular culture led writer Jack Meserve to call popular movies, games, and writing the "last front in the culture war" in 2015.[38] These conflicts about representation in popular culture re-emerged into electoral politics via the alt-right and alt-lite movements.[39] According to media scholar Whitney Phillips, Gamergate "prototyped" strategies of harassment and controversy-stoking that proved useful in political strategy. For example, Republican political strategist Steve Bannon publicized pop-culture conflicts during the 2016 presidential campaign of Donald Trump, encouraging a young audience to "come in through Gamergate or whatever and then get turned onto politics and Trump."[40] Criticism and evaluation[edit] Since the time that James Davison Hunter first applied the concept of culture wars to American life, the idea has been subject to questions about whether "culture wars" names a real phenomenon, and if so, whether the phenomenon it describes is a cause of, or merely a result of, membership in groups like political parties and religions. Culture wars have also been subject to the criticism of being artificial, imposed, or asymmetric conflicts, rather than a result of authentic differences between cultures. Researchers have differed about the scientific validity of the notion of culture war. Some claim it does not describe real behavior, or that it describes only the behavior of a small political elite. Others claim culture war is real and widespread, and even that it is fundamental to explaining Americans' political behavior and beliefs. Political scientist Alan Wolfe participated in a series of scholarly debates in the 1990s and 2000s against Hunter, claiming that Hunter's concept of culture wars did not accurately describe the opinions or behavior of Americans, which Wolfe claimed were more united than polarized.[41] A meta-analysis of opinion data from 1992 to 2012 published in the American Political Science Review concluded that, in contrast to a common belief that political party and religious membership shape opinion on culture war topics, instead opinions on culture war topics lead people to revise their political party and religious orientations. The researchers view culture war attitudes as "foundational elements in the political and religious belief systems of ordinary citizens."[42] Artificiality or asymmetry[edit] Some writers and scholars have said that culture wars are created or perpetuated by political special interest groups, by reactionary social movements, by dynamics within the Republican party, or by electoral politics as a whole. These authors view culture war not as an unavoidable result of widespread cultural differences, but as a technique used to create in-groups and out-groups for a political purpose. Political commentator E. J. Dionne has written that culture war is an electoral technique to exploit differences and grievances, remarking that the real cultural division is "between those who want to have a culture war and those who don't."[22] Sociologist Scott Melzer says that culture wars are created by conservative, reactive organizations and movements. Members of these movements possess a "sense of victimization at the hands of a liberal culture run amok. In their eyes, immigrants, gays, women, the poor, and other groups are (undeservedly) granted special rights and privileges." Melzer writes about the example of the National Rifle Association of America, which he says intentionally created a culture war in order to unite conservative groups, particularly groups of white men, against a common perceived threat.[43] Similarly, religion scholar Susan B. Ridgely has written that culture wars were made possible by Focus on the Family. This organization produced conservative Christian "alternative news" that began to bifurcate American media consumption, promoting a particular "traditional family" archetype to one part of the population, particularly conservative religious women. Ridgely says that this tradition was depicted as under liberal attack, seeming to necessitate a culture war to defend the tradition.[44] Political scientists Matt Grossmann and David A. Hopkins have written about an asymmetry between the US's two major political parties, saying the Republican party should be understood as an ideological movement built to wage political conflict, and the Democratic party as a coalition of social groups with less ability to impose ideological discipline on members.[45] This encourages Republicans to perpetuate and to draw new issues into culture wars, because Republicans are well equipped to fight such wars.[46] According to The Guardian, "many on the left have argued that such [culture war] battles [a]re 'distractions' from the real fight over class and economic issues."[47] Some observers in Canada have used the term "culture war" to refer to differing values between Western versus Eastern Canada, urban versus rural Canada, as well as conservatism versus liberalism and progressivism.[48] Nevertheless, Canadian society is generally not dramatically polarized over immigration, gun control, drug legality, sexual morality, or government involvement in healthcare: the main issues at play in the United States. In all of those cases, the majority of Canadians, including Conservatives would support the "progressive" position in the United States.[citation needed] In Canada a different set of issues create a clash of values. Chief among these are language policy in Canada, minority religious rights, pipeline politics, indigenous land rights, climate policy, and federal-provincial disputes. It is a relatively new phrase in Canadian political commentary. It can still be used to describe historical events in Canada, such as the Rebellions of 1837, Western Alienation, the Quebec sovereignty movement, and any Aboriginal conflicts in Canada; but is more relevant to current events such as the Grand River land dispute and the increasing hostility between conservative and liberal Canadians.[citation needed] The phrase has also been used to describe the Harper government's attitude towards the arts community. Andrew Coyne termed this negative policy towards the arts community as "class warfare."[49] Main article: History wars During the tenure of the LiberalNational Coalition government of 1996 to 2007, interpretations of Aboriginal history became a part of a wider political debate regarding Australian national pride and symbolism occasionally called the "culture wars", more often the "history wars".[50] This debate extended into a controversy over the presentation of history in the National Museum of Australia and in high-school history curricula.[51][52] It also migrated into the general Australian media, with major broadsheets such as The Australian, The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age regularly publishing opinion pieces on the topic. Marcia Langton has referred to much of this wider debate as "war porn"[53] and as an "intellectual dead end".[54] Two Australian Prime Ministers, Paul Keating (in office 19911996) and John Howard (in office 19962007), became major participants in the "wars". According to Mark McKenna's analysis for the Australian Parliamentary Library,[55] John Howard believed that Paul Keating portrayed Australia pre-Whitlam (Prime Minister from 1972 to 1975) in an unduly negative light; while Keating sought to distance the modern Labor movement from its historical support for the monarchy and for the White Australia policy by arguing that it was the conservative Australian parties which had been barriers to national progress. He accused Britain of having abandoned Australia during the Second World War. Keating staunchly supported a symbolic apology to Australian Aboriginals for their mistreatment at the hands of previous administrations, and outlined his view of the origins and potential solutions to contemporary Aboriginal disadvantage in his Redfern Park Speech of 10 December 1992 (drafted with the assistance of historian Don Watson). In 1999, following the release of the 1998 Bringing Them Home Report, Howard passed a Parliamentary Motion of Reconciliation describing treatment of Aborigines as the "most blemished chapter" in Australian history, but he refused to issue an official apology.[56] Howard saw an apology as inappropriate as it would imply "intergeneration guilt"; he said that "practical" measures were a better response to contemporary Aboriginal disadvantage. Keating has argued for the eradication of remaining symbols linked to colonial origins: including deference for ANZAC Day,[57] for the Australian flag and for the monarchy in Australia, while Howard supported these institutions. Unlike fellow Labor leaders and contemporaries, Bob Hawke (Prime Minister 19831991) and Kim Beazley (Labor Party leader 20052006), Keating never traveled to Gallipoli for ANZAC Day ceremonies. In 2008 he described those who gathered there as "misguided".[58] In 2006 John Howard said in a speech to mark the 50th anniversary of Quadrant that "Political Correctness" was dead in Australia but: "we should not underestimate the degree to which the soft-left still holds sway, even dominance, especially in Australia's universities".[citation needed] Also in 2006, Sydney Morning Herald political editor Peter Hartcher reported that Opposition foreign-affairs spokesman Kevin Rudd was entering the philosophical debate by arguing in response that "John Howard, is guilty of perpetrating 'a fraud' in his so-called culture wars ... designed not to make real change but to mask the damage inflicted by the Government's economic policies".[59] The defeat of the Howard government in the Australian Federal election of 2007 and its replacement by the Rudd Labor government altered the dynamic of the debate. Rudd made an official apology to the Aboriginal Stolen Generation[60] with bi-partisan support.[61] Like Keating, Rudd supported an Australian republic, but in contrast to Keating, Rudd declared support for the Australian flag and supported the commemoration of ANZAC Day; he also expressed admiration for Liberal Party founder Robert Menzies.[62][63] Subsequent to the 2007 change of government, and prior to the passage, with support from all parties, of the Parliamentary apology to indigenous Australians, Professor of Australian Studies Richard Nile argued: "the culture and history wars are over and with them should also go the adversarial nature of intellectual debate",[64] a view contested by others, including conservative commentator Janet Albrechtsen.[65] Climate change in Australia is also considered a highly divisive or politically controversial topic, to the point it is sometimes called a "culture war".[66][67] According to political scientist Constance G. Anthony, American culture war perspectives on human sexuality were exported to Africa as a form of neocolonialism. In his view, this began during the AIDS epidemic in Africa, with the United States government first tying HIV/AIDS assistance money to evangelical leadership and the Christian right during the Bush administration, then to LGBTQ tolerance during the administration of Barack Obama. This stoked a culture war that resulted in (among others) the Uganda Anti-Homosexuality Act of 2014.[68] Zambian scholar Kapya Kaoma notes that because "the demographic center of Christianity is shifting from the global North to the global South" Africa's influence on Christianity worldwide is increasing. American conservatives export their culture wars to Africa, Kaoma says, particularly when they realize they may be losing the battle back home. US Christians have framed their anti-LGBT initiatives in Africa as standing in opposition to a "Western gay agenda", a framing which Kaoma finds ironic.[69] North American and European conspiracy theories have become widespread in West Africa via social media, according to 2021 survey by First Draft News. COVID-19 misinformation, New World Order conspiracy thinking, QAnon and other conspiracy theories associated with culture war topics are spread by American, Pro-Russian, French-language, and local disinformation websites and social media accounts, including prominent politicians in Nigeria. This has contributed to vaccine hesitancy in West Africa, with 60 percent of survey respondents saying they were unlikely to try to get vaccinated, and an erosion of trust in institutions in the region.[70] United Kingdom[edit] A 2021 report from King's College London argued that many people's views on cultural issues in Britain had become tied up with the side of the Brexit debate with which they identify, while the public party-political identities, although not as strong, show similar alignments and that around half the country held relatively strong views on "culture war" issues such as debates on Britain's colonial history or Black Lives Matter. However, the report concluded Britain's cultural and political divide was not as stark as the Republican-Democratic divide in the US and that a sizeable section of the public can be categorised as having either moderate views or as being disengaged from social debates. It also found that The Guardian as opposed to the centre-right newspapers were more likely to talk about the culture wars. The Conservative Party have been described as attempting to ignite culture wars in regard to "conservative values" under the tenure of Prime Minister Boris Johnson. However, others argue that it is the left who are engaging in "culture wars", particularly against liberal values, accepted words and British institutions.[71][72][73][74] Observers such as Johns Hopkins University professor Yascha Mounk and journalist and author Louise Perry have argued that the collapse in support for the Labour Party during the 2019 United Kingdom general election came as a result of both a media-induced public perception and a deliberate strategy of Labour of pursuing messages and policy ideas based on cultural issues that resonated with more university educated grassroots activists on the left of the party but alienated Labour's traditional working class voters.[75][76] An April 2022 survey found evidence that Britons are less divided on "culture war" issues than has often been portrayed in the media. The greatest predictor of opinion was how people voted in the UK's referendum on membership of the European Union, Brexit, yet even among those who voted 'Leave', 75% agreed "it is important to be attentive to issues of race and social justice". Similarly, even among Remainers and those who last voted for the Labour Party, there was moderately strong support for several socially conservative positions.[77][78] Several media outlets have accused the Law and Justice party in Poland,[79] Viktor Orban in Hungary, Aleksandar Vu?i? in Serbia, and Janez Jansa in Slovenia of igniting culture wars in their respective countries by encouraging dissent and resistance to LGBT rights, legal abortion, and other topics.[80] According to The National Interest, there is a cultural war in Ukraine.[81] After 2017, Poland's Law and Justice (PiS) government demolished most Soviet War Memorials in Poland.[82][83] In early 2018, both chambers of the parliament (the Sejm and Senate) of the Third Polish Republic passed an Amendment to the Act on the Institute of National Remembrance, criminalizing the ascription to Polish people of collective responsibility for the World War II-era Holocaust in Poland and other Nazi war crimes, while also formally condemning the expression, "Polish death camp".[84][85][86] The law sparked a crisis in IsraelPoland relations.[87] The Amendment's passage further worsened PolandUkraine relations, which were already contentious over the paramilitary Organization of Ukrainian Nationalists and the wartime and postwar Ukrainian Insurgent Army, whose leaders were Stepan Bandera and Roman Shukhevych. Both organizations and their leaders are seen in Ukraine as icons and martyrs of the anti-Soviet Ukrainian nationalist resistance and in Poland as terrorists and genocidal war criminals.[88][89] Meanwhile, the often acrimonious debate regarding the Ukrainian Insurgent Army and their massacres of Poles in Volhynia and Eastern Galicia continues. Ukrainian memory laws (the Ukrainian decommunization laws) passed in 2015, honoring UPA, related organizations and their members, have accordingly been widely criticized in the Second Polish Republic.[90] In June 2020, Polish President Andrzej Duda vowed to oppose both same-sex marriage and LGBT adoption. Duda further described the Pro-LGBT movement as "a foreign ideology" and compared it to forced communist indoctrination in the Polish educational system during the Soviet Bloc period.[91][92] Sydney, July 4 : Australia will ease visa rules for Indonesian travelers in a bid to boost economic ties between the two nations, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said on Tuesday after a meeting with visiting Indonesian President Joko Widodo. During the Australia-Indonesia Annual Leaders' Meeting, Albanese and Widodo discussed various topics, including visa requirements, trade and climate change, reports Xinhua news agency. The leaders also discussed new initiatives to enable more Australian and Indonesian professionals to work in each other's country. This includes improved visa offerings for Indonesian business people and frequent travelers, mutual professional recognition for engineers and new pathways to support skills exchange. Albanese said the changes would encourage more trade and investment between the nations. "I thank President Widodo for joining me in Sydney today for warm and productive discussions at the Annual Leaders' Meeting," he said. "Australia and Indonesia, working together, are committed to meeting the challenges and opportunities of the future." The leaders also agreed to set up a A$50 million ($33 million) initiative under the Australia-Indonesia Climate and Infrastructure Partnership to help attract private climate finance to Indonesia and discussed electric vehicle battery production. Indonesia was Australia's 14th-largest trading partner in 2021-22, with two-way trade between the countries totalling about A$18.3 billion, according to the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. New Delhi, July 4 : Delhi Minister and AAP leader Saurabh Bhardwaj on Tuesday said it was "very unfortunate" that they had to approach the Supreme Court time and again with regards to the appointment of Delhi Electricity Regulatory Commission (DERC) chairperson. The Centre and Lieutenant Governor V. K. Saxena wanted to control the DERC in order to discontinue the provision of 200 units of free electricity to the economically disadvantaged population. "With the order of Supreme Court, it was proven that the L-G was working unconstitutionally and illegally. This is why the apex Court overruled his decision. The L-G should reconsider their actions with a sense of moral responsibility," said Bhardwaj. The Supreme Court on Tuesday asked Delhi Lieutenant General to not administer oath of office to the newly appointed DERC (Delhi Electricity Regulatory Commission) Chairman Justice (retired) Umesh Kumar. A bench led by Chief Justice D.Y. Chandrachud and comprising Justice P.S. Narasimha directed that administering of oath to the former judge of Allahabad High Court will stand deferred till July 11. The top court was hearing the petition moved by the AAP-led Delhi government's plea claiming that appointment of the DERC chairman was 'illegal and unconstitutional'. It claimed that appointment was made by "overlooking" the aid and advise of the elected government. New Delhi, July 4 : Leading wearable brand Garmin on Tuesday announced the launch of its two new outdoor smartwatch series in the country. The new fenix 7 Pro and epix Pro series will be available online on Amazon and Synergizer, and offline on Garmin Brand Stores, Helios and Just in Time, the company said in a statement. While the epix Pro series starts from Rs 1,11,990, the fenix 7 Pro series starts from Rs 1,00,990. The new smartwatches are designed to meet the demands of athletes, adventurers and fitness enthusiasts, providing them with the ultimate performance and tracking capabilities. "Each smartwatch from fenix 7 Pro and epix Pro series is crafted with Garmin's top-notch capabilities, packing ruggedness, advanced features, and innovative technology, making it a perfect choice for urban athletes and outdoor enthusiasts," said Sky Chen, Regional Director of Garmin for South-East Asia & India. The crystal-clear AMOLED display on the epix Pro series and the improved Memory in Pixel (MIP) display on the fenix 7 Pro series make sure that users can easily view their data, maps and notifications, whether they are training in the gym or exploring the outdoors. "The fenix 7 Pro series combines a fibre-reinforced polymer case with a steel bezel, while the epix Pro series offers premium materials like sapphire and titanium," the company said. The fenix 7 Pro series is said to provide up to 37 days in smartwatch mode and up to 139 days in expedition mode, while the epix Pro series is expected to offer up to 31 days of battery life. "The fenix 7 Pro and epix Pro series also offer specialised activities such as white-water rafting, motocross, and overlanding, ensuring that users can engage in their favourite activities while leveraging the comprehensive tracking and analysis features of these smartwatches," the wearable brand said. "Equipped with multiple satellite positioning systems and multi-band GPS, the fenix 7 Pro and epix Pro series ensure precise positioning and accurate navigation for adventurers," it added. --IANS -- Syndicated from IANS Kabul, July 4 : The Taliban-led government in Afghanistan has ordered the shut down of all beauty and hair salons across the war-torn nation, in the regime's latest restriction against women. A Vice and Virtue Ministry spokesman told the BBC that businesses had one month to comply, starting from July 2 when they were first informed of the move. The spokesman, however, did not mention the reason for the latest measure. When the Taliban were in power between 1996 and 2001, beauty salons were shut as part of a wide range of measures imposed by the extremist group. The businesses however, reopened in the years after the 2001 US-led invasion of Afghanistan. Following the fall of Kabul in August 2021, the salons remained in service but shop windows were often covered up and images of women were spray painted to hide their faces, the BBC reported. Since coming to power, the Talibanregime has also barred teenage girls and women from classrooms, gyms and parks, and most recently even banned them from working for the UN. The Taliban further decreed that women should be dressed in a way that only reveals their eyes, and must be accompanied by a male relative if they are travelling more than 72 km. The restrictions have received widespread international condemnation. Sultanpur, July 4 : Two farmers were shot dead by assailants in Marui Krishnadaspur village in Uttar Pradesh's Sultanpur district over old enmity, police said. Superintendent of Police Somen Barma said that the deceased were identified as Dharmraj Maurya ,60, and Vijay Kumar Rajbhar, 45. The incident occurred on Monday night when the farmers were working on their agricultural land. The wounded were rushed to a community health centre where doctors declared them brought dead. No arrests have been made in this connection yet, the SP added. New Delhi, July 4 : Chinese President Xi Jinping on Tuesday urged leaders of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) bloc to work towards safeguarding "regional peace". Addressing a virtual SCO Summit hosted by India, Xi called for efforts to safeguard regional peace and ensure common security. He urged member states of the SCO to "follow the right direction and enhance their solidarity and mutual trust", China's state-run Xinhua news agency reported. The Chinese President spoke after Prime Minister Narendra Modi had, during his opening address, urged upon the SCO, not to hesitate from criticising countries promoting cross border terrorism, in an oblique reference to Pakistan, which is also participating in the Summit. In his address, Russian President Vladimir Putin said that sanctions have made Russia stronger and added that his country will stand up against all sanctions and provocations. Russia has been facing sanctions globally since it's war with Ukraine began in February 2022. This was Putin's first public appearance at an international forum since a coup attempt against the Kremlin by the head of the Wagner mercenary group, Yevgeny Prigozhin, late last month. --IANS ans/ksk Rajkot, July 4 : In a distressing development, two young students died due to sudden cardiac arrest in separate incidents in Gujarat's Saurashtra region. The first incident occurred at SGVP Gurukul in Ribda village, located on the outskirts of Rajkot city. Devansh Bhayani, a 15-year-old student, collapsed on the stage while preparing for a performance as part of Guru Purnima celebrations on Monday. Bhayani, who was supposed to anchor the programme, fell ill during rehearsals and was immediately rushed to a hospital. Unfortunately, he was declared dead on arrival. A video of the incident surfaced on social media where Bhayani was struggling to reach the podium before collapsing on stage. According to the post-mortem report, Bhayani was suffering from a heart abnormality known as hypertrophic obstructive cardiomyopathy (HOTC). This condition causes the walls of the heart to thicken, obstructing blood flow. The doctor from Rajkot civil hospital, who conducted the post-mortem, stated that the heart-related abnormality may have gone undiagnosed. In another incident, a girl from class 10, Tanisha Gandhi, died of a heart attack at her school in Navsari. During recess, while climbing the stairs with her friends, she suddenly experienced breathlessness and profuse sweating. The school authorities promptly rushed her to a nearest private hospital, but was declared dead by the doctors. Kolkata, July 4 : In spite of 14 deaths reported in pre-poll violence over the July 8 panchayat elections in West Bengal during the past 26 days, state Director General of police Manoj Malviya dubbed the violent cases "sporadic". With the body of BJP worker Bankim Hansda being recovered from a roadside in Purulia on Monday night, the death toll in pre-poll violence in the last 26 days rose to 14 since the poll date was announced on June 8. However, while speaking to the media, Malviya said stray incidents of violence and clashes are being blown out of proportion and projected in a big way. "There had been a couple of incidents, where the police had taken prompt action. We are working as per guidelines. The situation is well under control and incidents of violence have come down. The media is projecting minor incidents as major ones. This is not done," Malviya said. He also claimed that there had been more severe violence in previous polls. "After the panchayat polls are over I will give comparative statistics on this count," he said. Meanwhile, the political slugfest has started over his comment. Reacting to his comments, the state spokesman of BJP in West Bengal Samik Bhattacharya said that such an observation from the highest chair of state police is not acceptable after so many reported death cases. "The DGP seems to be speaking like the spokesman of the ruling Trinamool Congress," Bhattacharya said. Former CPI(M) Lok Sabha member Samik Lahiri said that the situation in the state is not under control of police but that of the anti-social elements. "After such comments from the highest chair of the state police, how can we expect peace in the rural civic body polls," Lahiri said. Trinamool Congress Rajya Sabha member Santanu Sen, however, seconded Malviya and said that the pre- poll violence in West Bengal this time had been in much lower proportion than what it was during the previous Left Front regime. Chandigarh, July 4 : Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Tuesday said the government has adopted a zero-tolerance policy against the illegal travel agents who dupe the people and carry on human trafficking. The Chief Ministeras comments came in the backdrop of cases of around 700 Indian students facing deportation after the federal government found the letters of admissions that formed the basis of their entry into Canada were forged. He said apart from taking exemplary action against such travel agents the government would also start a major awareness drive to make the people aware about these dubious travel agents. The Chief Minister said necessary amendments will also be made in the immigration Act to ensure severest of severe action against such travel agents. He said the government is in contact with the Canadian embassy to ensure that the culprits of the heinous crime get strict punishment in Punjab. Meanwhile, continuing with the spree to further modernise Punjab Police on scientific lines, the Chief Minister flagged off a fleet of 16 hi-tech Mahindra Bolero vehicles and 56 motorcycles to strengthen the Anti-Human Trafficking Unit (AHTU). Addressing the gathering after flagging off the vehicles, the Chief Minister said this endeavour was part of the governmentas campaign to check the inhuman practice of human trafficking. He said this menace had enhanced manifolds across the globe but the state government is duty bound to curb it with heavy hand. Mann said no stone will be left unturned for this noble cause and Punjab Police will be equipped with ultra modern infrastructure to combat this crime. Giving details of the hi-tech vehicles, the Chief Minister said these vehicles are equipped with an advanced mobile network video recording system (MNVRS), four cameras -- two outdoor and two indoor-- and Vehicle Location Tracking System (VLTS). The Chief Minister termed the launch of these hi-tech as a step towards modernising policing, which will help in effectively preventing human trafficking of women and children in the state. He said the advanced mobile surveillance system installed in these Bolero vehicles is robust with industrial grade standards and can record video in a moving vehicle to collect evidence with real-time monitoring and alerts. The Chief Minister said this will also allow officers to monitor live activity and locate vehicles through the control room, besides making voice communication with the people sitting in the vehicle during its movement in the field. The Chief Minister said being a border state a number of forces inimical to the state have been chalking out nefarious designs to disturb hard earned peace of state but Punjab Police has always foiled such attempts. He said to further overcome major challenges faced by the state it is imperative that the police force is updated as per advanced requirements in the field of investigation, science and technology. Hyderabad/Amaravati, July 4 : In a major overhaul to expand its presence in Telangana and Andhra Pradesh, the BJP on Tuesday appointed Union Minister G. Kishan Reddy and former union minister Daggubati Purandeswari as the new state party presidents respectively. Kishan Reddy, currently minister for tourism and culture, replaced Bandi Sanjay, who is also an MP. Purandeswari, who had joined the BJP in 2014, is daughter of former Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister and Telugu Desam Party (TDP) founder N. T. Rama Rao. She replaced Somu Veerraju. BJP national president J. P. Nadda appointed new state BJP presidents. He also appointed former Andhra Pradesh chief minister Kiran Kumar Reddy as a member of the national executive committee of the BJP. Kiran Kumar Reddy, the last chief minister of united Andhra Pradesh, had joined the BJP a couple of months ago. Former Telangana minister and BJP MLA Eatala Rajender has been appointed as chairman of the election management committee of Telangana BJP. Assembly elections in Telangana are due to be held later this year while Assembly polls in Andhra Pradesh are scheduled along with Lok Sabha elections next year. The new appointments were made after several weeks of speculations. BJP general secretary incharge for Telangana Tarun Chug had recently ruled out any change in state leadership. Eatala Rajender and some other leaders were unhappy with the style of functioning of Bandi Sanjay and they had been demanding the central leadership to remove him. Similarly, a section of BJP leaders in Andhra Pradesh were demanding a change in the state leadership. The BJP has three MLAs in the 119-member Telangana Assembly. The party has four MPs from the state. The saffron party has no representation in Andhra Pradesh Assembly. It had also drawn a blank in 2019 Lok Sabha elections. Nigel Farage, notable for his far-right politics, relentless pursuit of Brexit and being easily pranked, publicly accused his bank of a conspiracy to silence him by closing his account. His claim even elicited a statement from the current Conservative government warning banks not to close accounts for political reasons. It turns out, though, that Coutts closed the account because Farage could not maintain the exclusive bank's minimum balance, and that it had offered to transfer his money to its parent bank, NatWest, which offers checking accounts for people who do not require Coutts' wealth management services. Nigel Farage fell below the financial threshold required to hold an account at Coutts, the prestigious private bank for the wealthy, the BBC has been told. It is understood that he was subsequently offered a standard account at NatWest which owns Coutts. Mr Farage says he believes his account is being shut for political reasons and says he has been turned down by nine other lenders after trying elsewhere. But people familiar with Coutts' move said it was a "commercial" decision. "The criteria for holding a Coutts account are clear from the bank's website," they told the BBC. Coutts requires its customers to borrow or invest at least 1m with the bank or hold 3m in savings. Mumbai, July 4 : After BTS member Jungkook, K-pop superband member V on Tuesday treated his Indian fans by saying namaste in a live session after he returned from Paris to Seoul. While going back home from the airport, V did a live chat session on Weverse with the BTS ARMY. A video shared by a fan club shows V sitting in the car and reading comments by his fans. A comment by a fan read: "Say Namaste (hello in Hindi)." Replying to his fan, V, whose real name is Kim Taehyung, said 'Namaste'. Indian fans couldn't stop themselves from commenting on V's 'Namaste'. One Indian fan wrote: "Taehyung say Namaste oh my Heart is so happy today". Another said: "He did say namaste y'all.... Indian armysssss finallyyy we did it.." "Indian and Philippine army's won!!" said another. He was also heard saying "love you" and "mahal kita", which means I love you in Filipino. V also accepted a few fan requests while being live for seven minutes on Weverse. Taehyung recently had shared several pictures on Instagram from his Paris visit. Last week, Jungkook had also said 'Namaste' during his live session on Weverse. While reading comments from the chat box, he said, "Please say namaste." --IANS dc/prw/svn Patna, July 4 : Around 50 people fell sick after eating chicken-rice during a wedding function in Bihar's Khagaria district. The incident took place at Lahri village under Alauli police station limitsa. Those who fell ill have been admitted to the primary health centre (PHC) in Alauli and the Sadar hospital in Khagaria. Officials said that majority of them are children, while the condition of three is stated to be critical. The officials said that a function was held during a marriage ceremony and the hosts served chicken-rice to the groom's side on Monday evening. The leftovers were again served to the guests on Tuesday morning. Soon the guests started vomiting and complained about stomach pain. An official said that the food was adulterated as it was kept for a long time after cooking. "We have collected the food samples and sent them to the lab for testing. Action will be taken after we receive the report," said an official of Alauli police station. New Delhi, July 4 : In view of the Lok Sabha elections to be held in 2024 and the upcoming Assembly elections, the BJP in an organisational reshuffle on Tuesday, appointed new state presidents in Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Punjab and Jharkhand. BJP President J.P. Nadda has appointed former Union Minister D Purandeshwari as the new state President of Andhra Pradesh. Purandeswari, who had joined the BJP in 2014, is daughter of former Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister and Telugu Desam Party (TDP) founder N. T. Rama Rao. She replaced Somu Veerraju. Union Minister G. Kishan Reddy has been made the President of Telangana. Kishan Reddy, currently Union minister for tourism and culture, replaced Bandi Sanjay, who is also an MP. Assembly elections in Telangana are due to be held later this year while Assembly polls in Andhra Pradesh are scheduled along with Lok Sabha elections next year. Sunil Jakhar, who switched to BJP from Congress, has been given the command of Punjab, whereas former Chief Minister Babulal Marandi has been appointed as the new president of Jharkhand. In view of the assembly elections to be held this year, the BJP high command has appointed current Union Minister G. Kishan Reddy as the state president in Telangana, while former state minister Etela Rajendra has also been appointed as the chairman of the Election Management Committee. Along with this, Nadda has also announced the appointment of former Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Kiran Kumar Reddy as a member of the party's national executive. New Delhi, July 4 : The Uddhav Thackeray faction of the Shiv Sena has moved the apex court against delay by the Maharashtra Assembly Speaker in deciding the disqualification proceedings filed against Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and his camp. The petition alleged that Speaker Rahul Narwekar is delaying the adjudications of the disqualification plea to permit "the illegal continuance of Eknath Shinde as Chief Minister, against whom the disqualification petitions are pending". On May 11, a constitution bench of the Supreme Court had directed that the Maharashtra Assembly Speaker "must decide disqualification petitions in a reasonable time" against 16 Shiv Sena MLAs, including Shinde, who were accused of anti-party activities. "Despite the categorical directions ..that the pending disqualification petitions must be decided within a reasonable period, (the Speaker) has chosen to not conduct a single hearing pursuant to the judgment of the Hon'ble Court," stated the latest plea filed by the Shiv Sena-UBT leader Sunil Prabhu. The petition said that the Speaker, when deciding the disqualification proceedings under the Tenth Schedule of the Constitution, acts as a judicial tribunal and must act fairly without any bias. "The constitutional requirement of fairness enjoins upon the Speaker the obligation to decide the question of disqualification in an expeditious manner," it said while referring to a previous judgment of the Supreme Court where it has been held that disqualification petitions should normally be decided within 90 days. In its recent judgment around the Maharashtra political crisis, the top court had refused to reinstate Uddhav Thackery as the Chief Minister as he had tendered his resignation voluntarily before facing the floor test in the house. The five judges unanimously had held that that then Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari was not justified in calling upon Thackeray to prove his majority, but said that it was justified to invite Eknath Shinde to form the government after the post of the Chief Minister felt vacant as Thackeray tendered resignation on June 29. Declaring the decision taken by the Speaker to recognise Bharat Gogawale (from Shinde faction) as the Chief Whip of Shiv Sena in place of Prabhu as "contrary to law", the CJI D.Y. Chandrachud-led constitution bench had held that the political party and not the legislature party appoints the Whip and the Leader of the party in the House. --IANS puneet/vd London, July 4 : A 52-year-old man from Kerala, who admitted to killing his Indian wife and two children last year, has been sentenced to life, involving a minimum of 40 years in prison, by a UK court. Saju Chelavalel, who was sentenced at the Northampton Crown Court on Monday, had pleaded guilty to three counts of murder of his wife Anju Asok, 35, a staff nurse at Kettering General Hospital, and her two children Jeeva and Janvi Saju, aged six and four.. The three died on December 15, 2022, when emergency services were called to Petherton Court to reports that they had suffered serious injuries. Referring to an audio recording taken at the time of Anju's death, which was played to the court at sentencing, Justice Edward Pepperall said: "While you were squeezing the life out of your wife, your children can be heard crying in the background for their mummy. It is clear that they heard what was going on and knew that she was being hurt by you." The Northamptonshire Police told the court that after reaching Petherton Court, they broke the door down in order to gain entry and found Saju Chelavalel holding a knife. Despite repeated requests for him to put the knife down, he continued to wield it whilst shouting "You shoot me", resulting in him being Tasered. The attending officers went on to find the bodies of Anju Asok, aged 35, and her two children - Jeeva Saju, aged 6, and Janvi Saju, aged 4. After attempts to revive Anju, she was declared dead at the scene and sadly, both children were also declared dead a short time later. Forensic post-mortem examinations which took place at Leicester Royal Infirmary following their deaths, concluded that all three died as a result of asphyxiation. Senior Investigating Officer, Detective Inspector Simon Barnes said: "Anju was a mother like many all over the world. She wanted to provide the best possible life she could for her children - Jeeva and Janvi. During the sentencing hearing, the court heard from the family spokesperson who said: "The life of Anju's parents and siblings back in India will never be the same without her. She came to this country with a lot of expectations and dreams. She was not expecting a tragic death from her husband, whom she trusted. Saju, along with his children, had joined his wife in the UK last year. A driver by profession, he was frustrated after failing to get a job, IANS reported earlier. The couple used to quarrel over financial issues which took a turn for the worse last year, and ended in him killing the three. Los Angeles, July 4 : 'Citadel' actor Stanley Tucci has insisted it's "fine" for straight actors to play gay roles. The 62-year-old actor - who is married to Emily Blunt's sister Felicity - famously played gay characters in 2006's 'The Devil Wears Prada' and 2020 movie 'Supernova'. He told BBC Radio 4's 'Desert Island Discs': "You're suppose to play different people. You just are. That's the whole point of it. Obviously, I believe that's fine." Stanley noted that he gets plenty of gay men approaching him to talk about the films and praising him for taking on the roles "in the right way", reports 'Female First UK'. He added: "I am always very flattered when gay men come up to me and talk to me about 'The Devil Wears' Prada or they talk about 'Supernova', and they say that, 'It was just so beautiful', you know, 'You did it the right way'. Because often, it's not done the right way." Last year, Tom Hanks took a very different stance as he insisted a straight actor would not be able to play a gay character like he did in the 1993 drama 'Philadelphia'. In the Jonathan Demme movie, Tom - who won the best actor Oscar for his performance - played a gay man with HIV who faces discrimination at work. However, he told the New York Times Magazine, "Let's address 'could a straight man do what I did in Philadelphia now?' No, and rightly so. The whole point of 'Philadelphia' was don't be afraid. One of the reasons people weren't afraid of that movie is that I was playing a gay man. We're beyond that now, and I don't think people would accept the inauthenticity of a straight guy playing a gay guy". He explained that it's "not boohoo" or a big deal that people want more "authenticity" on the big screen. "It's not a crime, it's not boohoo, that someone would say we are going to demand more of a movie in the modern realm of authenticity. Do I sound like I'm preaching? I donat mean to," he added. Imphal, July 4 : Mizoram Chief Minister Zoramthanga on Tuesday again expressed his deep concern over the two-month long ethnic violence in Manipur, asking "when will it stop?" Zoramthanga, who is also the President of the ruling Mizo National Front (MNF), said that many lives have been lost, there is bloodshed all over, physical torture and the victims are looking for refuge wherever possible. His statement comes hours after burning of houses of Kuki National Organisation (KNO) leader and spokesperson, Seilen Haokip at Songpi in Manipur's Churachandpur district late on Monday night. The Kuki leader's house was burnt a day after the lifting of the blockade on the Imphal-Dimapur National Highway (NH-2), the lifeline of Manipur, was lifted. Lifting the blockade after 54 days, the KNO and United People's Front (UPF) had jointly announced on Sunday that withdrawal of blockade was done keeping in view Union Home Minister Amit Shah's "deep concern to restore peace and harmony in the state and alleviate the plight of people in general". Police suspect that a small section of the people belonging to the Kuki-Zomi community, who did not support the withdrawal of the blockade, might be involved in the incident that took place on Monday night. The Mizoram Chief Minister, in his statement, said that the onset of May witnessed a brutal, untoward and uncalled-for incident in Manipur. "At this very moment, 3.30 am, July the 4th, 2023; nothing seems to have changed. We are counting, and today is the 62nd day. While we hope with much goodwill, anticipation and hope, things would turn for the better, situations seem to have worsened. When will it STOP ? I condole my Manipuri Zo Ethnic brethren, my incessant prayers for those who have lost their loved ones, their homes and families wrecked in shatters," Zoramthanga said. "May the gracious Lord give you the strength and the wisdom to navigate through this disastrous incident. I wish not to see anymore pictures and video clips of Churches being burnt, brutal killings and violence of all nature, regardless of gender and age. If there is only one way of settling for peace, shall we opt for that ? Many lives have been lost, bloodshed all over, physical torture and the victims are looking for refuge wherever possible. "With no iota of doubt, those victims are my kin and kin, my own blood and should we quieten the situation by just being silent ? I don't think so ! I would like to call for immediate restoration of peace and normalcy," the MNF supremo said. He said that it is incumbent and imperative upon those responsible and law-abiding citizens or entities of India to look for immediate ways for peace restoration. "Development with a human touch and Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas applies to my Zo ethnic tribes in Manipur too ! The brutal violence in Manipur has resulted in internally displaced people (IDPs) to the tune of 12,000 in Mizoram. Refugees and or IDPs from Manipur, Myanmar and Bangladesh have risen to over 50,000. I wish and pray that the Central government, on humanitarian grounds, lend us an immediate helping hand," Zoramthanga said. Since the ethnic violence began in neighbouring Manipur on May 3, the displaced tribals have started taking shelter in Mizoram and their number has crossed 12,200. After the military takeover in Myanmar in February 2021, thousands of Myanmarese fled to Mizoram with around 35,000 men, women and children from that country staying in the mountainous state. Over 1,000 tribals have also sheltered in Mizoram after trouble broke out in the Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT) of southeast Bangladesh. The tribal refugees have fled from their native villages in the CHT after an armed conflict started in mid November last year between the Bangladesh Army and the Kuki-Chin National Army (KNA), also known as Kuki-Chin National Front (KNF). Chandigarh, July 4 : Eyeing the 2014 parliamentary election, the BJP central leadership on Tuesday reposed faith in former Congress veteran and a formidable Hindu face by appointing Sunil Jakhar, the three-time MLA and one-time MP, as the party president in Punjab to strengthen organisational structure and base at grassroots. Jakhar, 68, replaced party legislator Ashwani Sharma, who was handed over the party's helm in January 2020. "The single point agenda to hand over the party's state helm to Jakhar is to uproot AAP misrule. In the next 10 months, the party will make preparations both strengthening organisational structure and party's base at grassroots, particularly in rural belts," a senior party functionary told IANS. Jakhar's appointment comes at a time when the state ruling AAP has been cornered by the BJP's central leadership over multiple issues, including deteriorating law and order, an agrarian crisis and misuse of central funds, among other issues, and the main opposition Congress is yet to re-emerge from its own shadows, first after losing the assembly polls and later its traditional parliamentary bastion. After the mass exodus of leaders, comprising loyal and veteran lawmakers like two-time chief minister Capt Amarinder Singh, the weakened Congress is struggling for revival. The BJP, which always played second fiddle in the state politics, seems to be banking largely on the grand old party's deserters besides building on Modi's narrative to strengthen its base. To create a statewide niche for itself, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is currently trying hard to establish itself outside the shadow of its once ally -- the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD). In a border state, where the Hindus are in a minority, there has never been a BJP-led government unlike in neighbouring Haryana, where the party is now in power for the second consecutive term, and Himachal Pradesh. Jakhar had quit the Congress in May 2022 after slamming former chief minister Charanjit Singh Channi, saying he was "not an asset" as portrayed by the party leadership. He was removed from all party posts by the Congress following allegations of anti-party activities levelled against him by certain Punjab leaders. A former Lok Sabha MP from Gurdaspur, Jakhar, also served as the leader of opposition in the state assembly from 2012 to 2016. He became state Congress chief in 2017 and was made the head of the campaign committee for the 2022 assembly polls. In 2021, he was asked to step down as state Congress chief to enable Navjot Singh Sidhu to take the helm. Before the assembly polls, Jakhar had announced that he had retired from active politics. Sunil Jakhar, the son of Congress veteran late Balram Jakhar, was the frontrunner for the post of Chief Minister after Capt Amarinder Singh resigned in 2021. At that time, the Congress was planning to project non-Sikh face ahead of polls to counter AAP which had gained ground in the state. Launching the state election campaign from Pathankot town, Union Home Minister and BJP leader Amit Shah on June 18 asked Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, "Is he a Chief Minister or a pilot?", saying the state's law and order situation went "from bad to worse as CM Mann spends all his time touring with Arvind Kejriwal." He also questioned the state government over its poll 'guarantee' of giving Rs 1,000 per month to every adult woman. The Home Minister was outlining the nine-year achievements of the Modi government at the Centre. Saying that the AAP is an advertisement party, Shah, whose 20-minute address was focused mainly on attacking the AAP, slammed the helm as law and order and drugs emerge as key challenges for the state government. Union ministers Hardeep Puri, Arjun Meghwal, Mansukh Mandaviya and Gajendra Singh Shekhawat have been camping in Punjab. In all previous parliamentary polls, the BJP was given three Lok Sabha seats to contest in Punjab by the Akalis out of the state's 13. Its tally in both the 2019 and 2014 polls was two. Despite its differences with the Akalis, which ruled the state for two consecutive terms from 2007 to 2017, the BJP was compelled to partner with it for its own survival. But BJP leaders always refused to admit officially that their party was forced to be in the shadow of the regional force. Despite the narrative set for the BJP with its Brand Modi once again in 2024, political analysts feel that the BJP still needs time to build solo inroads to the grassroots. In a legislative House of 117, the Congress in Punjab, which won 77 seats in 2017, managed to win only 18 in March 2022 with most of its stalwart faces like former Chief Minister Charanjit Channi and then state party chief Navjot Singh Sidhu facing humiliating defeats in their strongholds. The BJP, which had won three seats in 2017 when it had contested in alliance with the Akalis, secured only two seats in 2022, while the SAD won four and the others won one. (Vishal Gulati can be contacted at gulatiians@gmail.com) Los Angeles, July 4 : Flea, the founding member of the rock band Red Hot Chili Peppers, is not happy with one of the albums of the band and would like to re-record the same. The 'By The Way' rock group's bassist is not a fan of the way they made their 1984 self-titled record and he blames it on the lack of "connection" with musicians Jack Sherman and Cliff Martinez, who replaced Jack Irons and Hillel Slovak after they quit, though he insists they are "great" at what they do, reports 'Female First UK'. Speaking to the Los Angeles Times, he said: "I always regret the way we made the first one. "I think the songs are really good. Our band was smoking at the time. But (drummer) Jack (Irons) and (guitarist) Hillel (Slovak) quit, and we hired these two other guys: Jack Sherman and Cliff Martinez." However, he can't persuade his bandmates to record the album again. He said, quoted by 'Female First UK', "Both were great musicians, but the connection just wasn't as profound as we had with the guys we started with. I've often wanted to go back and re-record that album, but I can never talk anyone into it." The album only had one single, 'Get Up and Jump'. After a tour in support of the collection, Sherman was fired and Slovak rejoined the band. The album also features founding members Anthony Kiedis on vocals and Martinez on drums. The LP was produced by Gang of Four guitarist Andy Gill. Guwahati, July 4 : AAP Assam unit on Tuesday said that the party is against the draft delimitation proposal but it will not join any alliance with the Congress. AAP Assam in-charge Rajesh Sharma told IANS: "We are against the delimitation. But we will not join any alliance with the Congress. Our party believes that forging an alliance with either Congress or BJP is the same. As of now, we will be only part of forums to oppose the draft delimitation proposal." The opposition parties in Assam have alleged that Election Commission of India (ECI) has been working at the behest of the BJP as far as the delimitation process in the state is concerned. The Congress is trying to forge a combined opposition front in the state to counter the delimitation draft. The party has also planned to form a united opposition front to take on BJP in the upcoming Lok Sabha polls. There have been a few meetings of the opposition parties recently however the AAP was not regular at these meetings. AAP recently conducted an executive committee meeting and the AAP leaders unanimously agreed on not having any alliance with the Congress. AAP Assam Coordinator Bhabendra Choudhury said: "Congress has been trying to forcefully include AAP in the joint forum of 11 opposition parties. But we have made it clear that AAP will not go with the Congress party in Assam. Actually, both the Congress and the BJP are harmful for the state. They are responsible for the lack of development in Assam." Congress has kept the AIUDF out of the united opposition in Assam. The stand of the Trinamool Congress is not clear. Meanwhile, the AAP is preparing to field candidates in many Lok Sabha seats in the state. Political pundits say this will divide the opposition votes and, in turn, help the BJP win the maximum number of Lok Sabha seats in Assam in 2024 polls. If you live near Portland, Oregon, and are "cider curious," you should sign up to be part of Oregon State University's taste test. They're seeking participants to taste ciderand earn 50 dollarson Wednesday, July 19 or Thursday, July 20 in downtown Portland at the Oregon State University Food Innovation Center. KOIN explains that the University's Portland Sensory Lab is searching for people who are "cider curious" to taste test hard cider beverages. . . "We are running a hard cider test and are looking for people who are 'cider curious' so people who maybe it's not their go-to beverage, but have had it before and enjoyed it and are curious to try it again," said Ann Colonna, director of OSU's Sensory Program . . . The objective of the taste test is to provide cider makers and cideries in the Pacific Northwest with more information about what consumers enjoy drinking and what they're looking for in a hard cider. If you're at least 21 and want to participate, click on this survey to see if you're eligible. Guwahati, July 4 : Assam police on Tuesday claimed to have busted a network of cyber criminals and arrested two people. A senior police officer said that the arrest occurred in Morigaon district on Monday night and identified the accused as Babul Islam and Rubuluddin, residents of Titatala and Kacharibari areas, respectively. The officer said that Morigaon police were put on alert after a suspected cybercriminal gang was found to be active in the district. They have been duping people by siphoning money from their bank accounts. "We have recovered at least 167 SIM cards, six ATM cards, four passbooks, three Aadhar cards, and four voter ID cards from the possession of two arrested persons," the officer said. A case under the IT Act has been registered, and further investigations into the incident are underway. In June, the arrest of a prominent cybercriminal Aminul Haque at Goroimari area of the district was made possible by a successful operation carried out by the Morigaon police. Aminul's involvement in illegal activities was evident from the startling 238 bogus SIM cards that law enforcement officers confiscated from him during the raid. New Delhi, July 4 : The habeas corpus petition challenging arrest of Tamil Nadu Minister V Senthil Balaji by the Enforcement Directorate will be heard "as early as possible" by a three-judge bench of the Madras High Court, the Supreme Court said on Tuesday. The direction was passed by a bench of Justices Surya Kant and Dipankar Datta of the apex court after a split verdict was pronounced by a division bench of the High Court on the habeas corpus petition moved by Balaji's wife. It said that Balaji's petition should be placed before a larger bench "at the earliest". "We request the Chief Justice of the Madras High Court to place the matter before a larger bench at the earliest and further request to the assigned bench to decide the case as early as possible," said the bench while hearing the ED's appeal challenging the interim direction passed by the High Court earlier in June this year. In the interim direction passed on June 15, the High Court had ordered to transfer the minister from a government hospital where he was under the custody of ED officials to a private hospital. S. Megala, the wife of Balaji, had moved a petition before the high court assailing her husband's arrest by the central probe agency in connection with a cash-for-jobs scam that allegedly occurred during his tenure as the Transport Minister in the AIADMK government from 2011 to 2016. Doctors had preferred an urgent coronary bypass surgery to the beleaguered minister after an angioplasty detected three blocks in his coronary artillery. The minister was operated upon and is presently in the same hospital where he underwent surgery procedures. In its split verdict delivered on July 4, Justice J. Nisha Banu of the Madras High Court termed the arrest of the minister illegal and ordered him to be set free with immediate effect, while Justice D. Bharatha Chakravarthy differed on the question of his "illegal" detention. Chennai, July 4 : Tamil Nadu State Transport Corporation is all set to buy 1400 buses. Of this, 600 will be low floor buses while the remaining 800 will be mofussil buses. Tender bids have been invited to buy these buses. These buses will be plying in cities like Madurai, Coimbatore, Tiruchi and Salem as the buses there are in very poor conditions with many buses not having foot boards, some having broken doors and torn and damaged seats. According to sources in the State Transport Corporation in Madurai region, most of these buses are fit to be scrapped and cannot ply with passengers. Most of the bus terminals in cities like Madurai, Salem and Tiruchi have huge rush in peak hours and people are not able to even stand on the foot boards of these buses. The sanction for the new buses have come after several court cases and litigations and agitations. Sources in State Transport Corporation told IANS that there is a need to double the number of buses that are to be bought now as in most of the cities, old buses are creating problems for an effective public transport system. It is to be noted that buses have not been purchased for the past three years and people are now preferring Metro trains in Chennai. As per a report, Chennai Metro recorded 74 lakh passengers in June 2023 which is almost double of the number of commuters who took the train service in June 2022. R.K.Krishnan, a transport activist while speaking to IANS said, "The footfall of Metro trains have almost doubled in a year. This means people are using public transport but they have shifted to Metro .Sharing autos have also increased their rates in Chennai. The reason is poorly maintained and old buses from the State Transport Corporation in Chennai city." The transport department will be busying 644 low floor buses by the year end for Chennai alone and 1,000 odd old buses are to be refurbished and make them suitable for plying. Imphal, July 4 : Demanding President's rule in Manipur, the pro-Kuki Indigenous Tribal Leaders' Forum (ITLF) on Tuesday strongly opposed the state government and the Unified Security Command's decision to destroy bunkers, which, according to them, are essential in protecting Kuki-Zo tribal villages from raids. The unified security command in Manipur, in its first meeting chaired by Chief Minister N. Biren Singh, on Monday decided that the bunkers erected by militants anywhere in the state have to be destroyed. The Chief Minister, after the meeting, said on Monday evening that the Army would lead the operation in destroying the illegal bunkers and would also be joined by other Central paramilitary forces. Addressing media here, ITLF spokesman Ginza Vualzong said: "This would make the Kuki-Zo tribal villages more vulnerable to attacks by radical Meitei gunmen and mobs. Despite the deployment of a massive number of security forces and the setting up of military buffer zones, tribal villages are attacked almost every day, leading to deaths and the destruction of houses and properties." Vualzong claimed that Meitei settlements do not need bunkers because tribals do not attack them, but for tribals, bunkers are an essential part of their defense against unending raids. "Also, the tribals cannot trust a CM who calls his fellow citizens 'illegal immigrants' and openly sides with one community despite being a state administrator. The CM's partisanship was on full display during his recent visit to the Sagang area, in which Langja village was attacked by armed Meitei groups. He only visited and paid his condolences to the Meiteis, while totally ignoring the burning of 30 tribal houses and the brutal killing and beheading of an unarmed tribal youth." The ITLF leader alleged that the decision to destroy all bunkers, announced by the person (Biren Singh) who is the "main architect of the current violence", is not comforting for the Kuki-Zo tribals. "Two months of killings are enough for every stakeholder to conclude that cosmetic measures are not enough to control the violence. The Central government needs to show that it is being fair to all sides by implementing President's Rule in the state," the tribal organisation said. Meanwhile, the Army and the paramilitary forces, along with Manipur Police, have, since last month, destroyed around 20 bunkers, set up by the militants in different districts. London, July 4 : Ukraine has launched a drone attack on Moscow, the Russian Defence Ministry said, forcing flights to be diverted from the Vnukovo International Airport, a media report said. Five drones were reportedly used in Tuesday's attack, which also targeted locations in the wider region around the capital.The ministry said all the drones were shot down and there were no casualties or damage, BBC reported. Ukraine has not claimed responsibility for the alleged attack, BBC reported. Restrictions at Vnukovo Airport, one of Moscow's three international airports, have now been lifted. Flights from Turkey, the UAE and Egypt were among those affected, BBC reported. According to the Defence Ministry, four of the drones flying in the Moscow region were shot down by air defence systems. A fifth was intercepted electronically before crashing. "An attempt by the Kiev regime to attack a zone where civil infrastructure is located, including an airport that receives international flights, is a new terrorist act," Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said on Telegram, BBC reported. Russian state media said one of the drones crashed in the town of Kubinka, which is roughly 36 km from the Vnukovo Airport in the south-west of the city. Another was reportedly shot down near the village of Valuevo, also near the airport. Tuesday's drone attack comes after Ukraine launched its counter-offensive against Russia. This has not yet achieved the sort of speed and momentum some had hoped for, including Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, who previously acknowledged progress was slow. Kolkata, July 4 : The Calcutta High Court on Tuesday questioned the role of the State Election Commission (SEC) over a Trinamool Congress candidate filing nomination for the July 8 panchayat elections from abroad. "What would have happened had the matter not come before the court? The nomination filed from abroad would have been considered valid in that case," observed the single-judge bench of Justice Amrita Sinha. On June 22, CPI(M) had filed a petition alleging that Trinamool candidate from Kumarjole in North 24 Parganas district, Moinuddin Gazi, was in Saudi Arabia during the nomination phase. However, his nomination was accepted by the local block development office, raising questions as to how could a candidate file his nomination from abroad, when his personal presence is mandatory at the time of the filing process. Later his nomination was cancelled. Gazi is supposed to return to India from Saudi Arabia on July 16, when both the polling (July 8) and counting (July 11) for the rural civic body polls would be over. Disciplinary action has also been initiated in the matter against the concerned returning officer. While hearing the matter on Tuesday, Justice Sinha maintained that such cases raise serious questions about the role played by the SEC. She also directed that all the documents relating to Gazi's nomination should be preserved so that proceedings can be initiated against him after his return to the country. "This is an orchestrated offence and needs thorough investigation. In the next hearing, direction will be given as to which agency will probe the matter," Justice Sinha said, as she listed the matter for next hearing on July 19. Mumbai, July 4 : Actor Sharman Joshi, who has been receiving a lot of positive response to his recently released streaming show 'Kafas', has opined that the Internet has revolutionised the entire content ecosystem not just in India but across the globe. Talking to IANS, the actor, who is known for his work in films like 'Rang De Basanti' and '3 Idiots', said: "The internet has changed the content landscape completely. Today, there are many famous YouTubers, social media Influencers, people who make reels and digital creators who come up with fresh content every few days. The cycle of content generation has been enhanced to a great extent." The actor said that now every kind of content can be created because everyone "has a smartphone in their pockets" and the "power of distribution" with the internet to showcase their work to the entire world. "If you have a compelling idea and know how to present your content, all you need is your smartphone to shoot the content and to upload it on the web and it's there for everyone to see," he added. 'Kafas' is streaming on Sony LIV. Kolkata, July 4 : A single-judge bench of the Calcutta High Court on Tuesday ordered immediate arrest of a staff of the same court for accepting bribe in a case relating to the alleged multi-crore recruitment scam in state-run schools. The judge who ordered the arrest order was none other than Justice Abhijit Gangopadhyay, who had been in the national headlines for over a year for his series of orders and judgements in connection with the recruitment case. The accused high court clerk has been identified as Swapan Jana, attached to the current record department of the appellate side of the court. Jana has been accused of demanding a bribe to the tune of Rs 1.25 lakh from a visibly impaired person against the promise of job. The accused has also been charged with accepting an amount of Rs 45,000 for quick movement of files and ensuring speedy hearing on a petition filed by the visibly impaired person, Harekrishna Ranjit. Ranjit brought the matter to the notice of Justice Gangopadhyayas bench and provided evidence of paying money to the accused clerk for quick movement of his files. During the hearing, the accused clerk was summoned to the court, where he denied the charges. But he became silent after the petitioner presented documents related to online payments made to him. Justice Gangopadhyay summoned the deputy sheriff of the high court and ordered him to take the accused clerk into custody. He also directed the deputy sheriff to present the accused in front of the registrar (vigilance) of the high court and file an FIR against him. New Delhi, July 4 : The Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) member states on Tuesday stressed upon the need to counter terror activities, while focusing on prevention of spread of religious intolerance, aggressive nationalism and ideas of fascism. The Delhi Declaration issued after the day-long virtual SCO summit, which was hosted by India, said, "The Member States consider it important to build up joint coordinated efforts by the international community to counter the activities of terrorist, separatist and extremist groups, paying special attention to preventing the spread of religious intolerance, aggressive nationalism, ethnic and racial discrimination, xenophobia, ideas of fascism and chauvinism." Reaffirming their commitment to peace, joint development and equal relations based on the principles of mutual respect, friendship and good-neighborliness, the Member States will continue conducting a constructive dialogue based on trust, deepening effective multifaceted cooperation, making every effort to strengthen security and stability and ensure sustainable development in the SCO region, the declaration said. "Reaffirming their strong commitment to fighting terrorism, separatism and extremism, the Member States are determined to continue taking active measures to eliminate the conditions conducive to the spread of terrorism, to disrupt the terror financing channels, to suppress recruitment activities and cross-border movement of terrorists, to counter extremism, and radicalisation of youth, the dissemination of terrorist ideology, as well as to eliminate "sleeper cells" and places used as terrorist safe havens," the declaration said further. The Member States note the inadmissibility of interference in the internal affairs of states under the pretext of countering terrorism and extremism, as well as unacceptability of using terrorist, extremist and radical groups for mercenary goals. The Member States consider it important to build up joint coordinated efforts by the international community to counter the attempts to involve young people in the activities of terrorist, separatist and extremist groups, the declaration read. "Subject to their national laws and on the basis of consensus, the Member States will seek to develop common principles and approaches to form a unified list of terrorist, separatist and extremist organisations whose activities are prohibited on the territories of the SCO Member States," the document stated. The Member States have expressed their concern about the growing threats posed by increased production, trafficking and abuse of narcotic drugs and using the proceeds of illicit drug-trafficking as a source of funding for terrorism. They stressed the need for a joint and balanced approach to countering trafficking of illicit drugs and their precursors, and noted the importance of implementing the international drug control conventions and other relevant legal regulatory instruments, it added further. "The Member States note that illicit drug trafficking and their non-medical consumption pose a threat to international and regional security and stability, sustainable economic development of states, health and well-being of people, as well as the exercise of fundamental human rights and freedoms. Emphasising the importance of consolidating forces in the fight against illicit drug-trafficking and wide cooperation in this area, they will continue implementing the SCO Anti-Drug Strategy for 2018-2023 and Action Plan for its implementation," the declaration stated. The SCO also stressed on the historical significance of the admission of Iran as a full Member State. The Member States also appreciated the outcomes of India's presidency of the SCO in 2022-2023, which the declaration said, "contributed to the further development of multi-faceted and mutually beneficial cooperation". Kazakhstan was handed over the presidency of the SCO, and the next meeting of the SCO Council of Heads of State will be held there in 2024. Patna, July 4 : Minister-environment, forest and climate change minister in Bihar Tej Pratap Yadav on Tuesday said that the BJP and RSS hatched a conspiracy to frame the Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Tejashwi Yadav in a land-for-jobs scam case. "BJP and RSS hatched conspiracy to frame Tejashwi Yadav in the case. Why will he resign? Narendra Modi has looted the entire country. He should resign," Yadav said while interacting with media persons in Patna. He said that the Mahagathbandhan is intact and they (BJP) have realised that it is strongly advancing towards the Lok Sabha election 2024 that is why BJP is demoralised and using CBI in desperation. RJD State President Jagada Nand Singh said that the Narendra Modi government is destroying the constitutional institutions. "The objective of these constitutional institutions was not to behead anyone. The power has been transferred to those people who are destroying these constitutional institutions," Singh said. Bryce Caleb Timothy Brown, 20, of Waldorf, Maryland, was charged with murder after allegedly stealing a forklift truck from Lowes, ramming it through the gates, driving to Home Depot, and finally running over and killing a woman with it there. Charles County Sheriff's Department tries to explain what happened on its Facebook page. Brown left Lowe's on the forklift, entering the parking lot of Home Depot on Jefferson Farm Place where, for unknown reasons, he rammed a vehicle that was parked in the parking lot. A woman, who was asleep in the car, got out when the forklift struck her car and began running away. Brown followed her, struck her with the forklift and ran over her, and then stole the victim's car and fled. Officers who were investigating the initial burglary at Lowe's canvassed the area and observed the forklift in the Home Depot parking lot. They subsequently discovered the victim underneath of the forklift; she was pronounced deceased on the scene. The victim was later identified as Gloristine Pinkney, 73, of Waldorf. Brown and Pinkney are not known to each other. New Delhi, July 4 : The Congress on Tuesday held a meeting to discuss its poll preparedness in Mizoram, that will go to polls later this year. The strategy meeting, at the party headquarters here, was chaired by Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge and also attended by former party chief Rahul Gandhi, General Secretary, Organisation, K.C. Venugopal, Mizoram in-charge Bhakta Charan Das, state unit chief Lalsawta and senior leaders from the state. Kharge later tweeted: "Our fellow citizens of Mizoram desire change. Congress party has a record of providing stability and progress in the state, and Mizoram Congress is once again ready to herald a new era of development and welfare in Mizoram. We will do everything possible to work towards that." After the meeting, Gandhi also met some of the party workers, who gave him some memorandums. Congress chief Kharge has been holding meeting with the party leaders of the poll-bound states. Earlier he has held meeting over Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, and Telangana to discuss and chalk out strategy for the Assembly polls and also over the party's campaigns. --IANS aks/vd New Delhi, July 4 : In a joint declaration issued by SCO member nations on Tuesday at the culmination of the day-long virtual summit of the Council of SCO Heads of State, they strongly condemned terrorism in all its forms and manifestations. The grouping said that it will cooperate towards countering radicalisation that leads to terrorism, separatism and extremism, by sharing experiences and best practices, in accordance with the SCO Charter and generally accepted principles and norms of international law. They also decided to exchange practical experience on how to ensure the security of major international events held on the territory of SCO member states. The SCO member states also vowed to promote regional cooperation to counter radical ideologies that lead to terrorism, separatism and extremism. They decided to deny supporters of terrorism, the means and opportunity to pursue their activities. "Member States will conduct media campaigns at national level to prevent and counter radicalisation leading to terrorism, extremism and separatism, and will implement programmes at national level to rehabilitate and reintegrate radicalized individuals into society and prevent their return to radical ideology or terrorist activity," the joint statement said. The SCO nations also decided to take measures to block and remove radical and terrorist content from the Internet, initiating the necessary measures against identified individuals and entities in accordance with their domestic laws. The SCO summit was held virtually under India's presidency, which also witnessed participation of Chinese president Xi Jinping, Russian president Vladimir Putin and Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, apart from heads of other member nations. Iran was included as a new member in the grouping. Prime Minister Narendra Modi while addressing the summit, called upon SCO nations to condemn nations which support terrorism, adding that there cannot be any double standards on the issue. Patna July 4 : A gram panchayat in Bihar's Gopalganj district first allowed a couple to get married only to direct them to leave the village later. Rimjhim Kumari, a native of Bhatwalia village, was having an affair with Bhim Kumar alias Chote Babu, a native of Chandan Tola village, for the past three years.When the family members of Rimjhim came to know about the affair, they forced her to leave the house. Rimjhim then reached Chandan Tola village and asked Bhim to marry her. The family members of Bhim tried to keep the affair under wraps, but the neighbours soon came to know about it and informed the Mukhiya and Sarpanch about the incident. Accordingly, a panchayat was held at Chandan Tola village where its members unanimously agreed to the couple getting married, but asked them to leave the village after the wedding. Rimjhim and Bhim were taken to the local Maa Durga temple where they got married as per Hindu customs. "We asked them to leave the village as their presence could create an unhealthy atmosphere. Such an action will also send across a message to the other youths of the village," said Harihar Singh, Sarpanch of the village. New Delhi, July 4 : The Delhi High Court on Tuesday allowed Trinamool Congress strongman Anubrata Mondal to withdraw his habeas corpus petition terming his custody in jail as "illegal" in connection with a money laundering case registered by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) related to the multi-crore cattle smuggling scam in West Bengal. Mondal's petition had argued that there was no valid judicial order remanding him in judicial custody.A division bench of Justices Siddharth Mridul and Gaurang Kanth deemed Mondal's petition untenable to grant him leeway to start appropriate proceedings in law. On Mondal seeking withdrawal of the petition, the high court allowed it and also dismissed it saying that ideally an appeal, and not a habeas corpus petition, can be filed to challenge a trial court order's legality. The court said: "After some submissions, the counsel for the petitioner seeks leave to withdraw the present habeas corpus petition with liberty to initiate appropriate proceedings as per law. Leave granted." "If something is wrong, only an appeal lies. The minute you question legality, habeas corpus does not lie. We will have to dismiss it," the court added. In his plea, Mondal had stated that when he was produced before the trial court on May 8, he was not specifically "remanded to judicial custody" but was taken to Tihar Jail. He had said July 12 was fixed as the next date of hearing, which pushed his purported judicial custody beyond the legally mandated maximum of 15 days at a time. "The mandate of the law is that an accused can be sent to judicial custody only once a specific order to the said effect is passed by the court, in absence of which, the custody of such an accused is illegal and without the sanction of law," the plea said. The petition, therefore, prayed for Mondal's release from "illegal custody" in Tihar Jail. The ED had arrested Mondal based on an FIR registered by the CBI in Kolkata against Satish Kumar, the then Commandant of the Border Security Force (BSF). On August 11 last year, the CBI had arrested Mondal, a close aide of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, in connection with the cattle smuggling case. Mumbai, July 4 : Slamming the "unconstitutional" government that is currently ruling in Maharashtra, Congress leader H.K. Patil on Tuesday said that the people have now started resenting 'Operation Lotus' politics and they will dump the Bharatiya Janata Party in the next elections. Patil, who is a Minister in the Karnataka government, said that while the illegal government rules in Maharashtra, the issue of disqualification of 16 MLAs here is still undecided and the 'politics of violence' is again practiced in Maharashtra. "The people did not like the 'Operation Lotus' implemented by the BJP there Now they have made the BJP sit at home. Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) will present a unified challenge to the BJP in the next elections," Patil, who is in-charge of Maharashtra, said at a meeting of the state Congress leaders in the wake of the recent political turbulence that has hit the MVA ally, Nationalist Congress Party a year after the Shiv Sena-UBT had faced an internal turmoil and then a split. Patil said that both NCP chief Sharad Pawar and Shiv Sena-UBT Uddhav Thackeray are popular and enjoy huge public support, and the three MVA parties will give a united challenge to the BJP in the coming elections. The meeting was convened by Congress Legislature Party leader Balasaheb Thoat, and was attended by state party President Nana Patole, ex-CMs Ashok Chavan and Prithviraj Chavan, Working President M. Arif Naseem Khan, Basavaraj Patil, AICC Secretary Sampath Kumar, plus around 39 of the 45 MLAs in the state. Patil later told media persons that the BJP is worried by the major alliance of national opposition parties building up in the country. "Seeing the increasing strength of the Opposition, the BJP is resorting to dividing them, breaking up their parties, deploying the central investigating agencies for the purpose,"he claimed. Despite all this, the Maharashtra Congress is standing united and firm under the guidance of President Mallikarjun Kharge, and top leaders Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi. "We are confident of emerging as a major force to reckon with in the future elections in the state," said Patil. New Delhi, July 4 : The Congress on Tuesday condemned the attack and attempted arson on the Indian Consulate in US's San Francisco allegedly by supporters of Khalistan and called on the Centre to work with host governments to take all steps necessary to protect Indian diplomatic missions and personnel, and to ensure that the perpetrators of such attacks are brought to justice. In a statement, Congress leader Pawan Khera said: "The Indian National Congress condemns the attack and attempted arson on the Indian Consulate building in San Francisco, reportedly by supporters of Khalistan." "We note with deep concern that this is the latest in a series of threats and attacks on Indian diplomatic missions a" following an attack in the UK, threats of violence in Canada, and an earlier attack on the Consulate in San Francisco in March this year. "In view of the serious and continuing threat, we call on the Government of India to work with host governments to take all steps necessary to protect Indian diplomatic missions and personnel, and to ensure that the perpetrators of such attacks are brought to justice," Khera, who is the Chairman of the media and publicity department, said. His remarks came after two men dressed in dark clothes walked up to the gate of the Indian consulate in San Francisco on July 2, poured some kind of inflammable liquid on it from a container and set it on fire in a stunning breach of security as the same facility was attacked earlier in March. The fire department put out the fire before it could spread. No one was injured in the incident because of the timing of the incident, none of the staff was at hand and it was too early for public dealings. Indian officials took up the incident locally with San Francisco authorities, the California government and, eventually, President Joe Biden's administration. Indian officials have taken up the incident with US authorities, specially the FBI, which is already investigating the March attack on the same mission. No one had been arrested in connection to the incident so far. Khalistani separatists had vandalised the mission in March in a breach of security so serious that it was condemned by National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan. The latest incident is being seen thus as part of a chain of serious attacks on Indian facilities in the US and there are worries that diplomats could be targeted next. Jaipur, July 4 : In wake of the BJP appointing new party chiefs in four states, political sources say that there will be flurry of lists coming out from BJP headquarters on organisational changes, especially in poll-bound states and all eyes are on what changes will be made in the organisation in Rajasthan. As per the sources, the election campaign committee chief's post is vacant as of now and it remains to be seen who is chosen to fill it. As of now, all senior leaders have been given some role except former CM Vasundhara Raje, so she might be given this position. Also, it remains to be seen if some leader from Rajasthan will be given the position of national General Secretary. There are chances that former state President Satish Poonia might be sent to Delhi but veteran leaders from the state are not very keen. Party leaders said that the BJP is confident of winning the Assembly polls in Rajasthan and is putting all its efforts for this purpose. These initiatives include bringing up core issues the state's youth are facing, working on social engineering, and finding out right faces who can assure victory to the saffron party cutting across the rising popularity of Ashok Gehlot-led Congress government and its schemes like Chiranjeevi, pensions and LPG cylinders at Rs 500. 'Appeasement', women harassment, and corruption will be the main issues against the Gehlot government, said party sources adding that qualified candidates are being searched upon. Sources said that a senior party leader might be brought in to head the operations in Rajasthan and will play a role in the selection of eligible candidates by finding out the possible candidates in time, and ascertaining the ethnic equations of each Assembly seat to the impact of local issues on the ground. Names of C.R. Patil, Dharmendra Pradhan, and Devendra Fadnavis are doing the rounds on this count. The BJP is also assessing the ground effect of Gehlot government's schemes and is figuring out how to counter the plans, especially for free electricity, gas cylinder for Rs 500 and treatment up to Rs 25 lakh in Chiranjeevi Yojana. Also, it is keeping an eye on the strategy of regional parties. Further an assessment will be made to the damage caused to the party due to the disputes between bvarious leaders on various seats. Efforts are being made to analyse the caste equations in every Assembly seat and determine as to opposition or favour of which caste class, the BJP won or lost, and which castes or classes should be focussed upon for improving the caste equation. New Delhi, July 4 : With the arrest of four persons, including AIIMS students, the Delhi Police on Tuesday claimed to have busted a NEET exam gang that used to appear in exams in place of actual candidates after taking a sum of Rs 7 lakh each. The accused were identified as Naresh Bishnoi, Sanju Yadav, Mahavir and Jitendra. According to sources, Bishnoi, a second-year student at the prestigious All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) here, is believed to be the leader of the gang and was taken into custody while giving his second-year examination. Yadav was caught red-handed while giving the NEET exam on behalf of a candidate. Mahavir and Jitendra, also said to be AIIMS students, were arrested from Nagpur. Police have also seized several pieces of evidence, including a laptop and mobile phones, from the accused. Bishnoi enticed several AIIMS students by offering them monetary rewards, subsequently arranging for first-year students to sit in the nationwide NEET exam on behalf of different candidates. "It was revealed that the gang used to take Rs 7 lakh for rigging their exams. Police teams are also further conducting probe and more arrests are likely to happen," a source said. New Delhi, July 4 : Delhi Police on Tuesday filed two supplementary charge sheets before a Delhi court in connection with two cases against MCD councillor Tahir Hussain for his alleged involvement in the 2020 riots in North-East Delhi. The supplementary charge sheets have been filed in the Karkardooma court, which had earlier questioned the time and date of the incidents in the two cases in February 2020. Former AAP leader Hussain had filed a plea in the Delhi High Court seeking dismissal of two FIRs lodged against him for his alleged involvement in the riots. The first FIR pertained to allegations of rioting, while the other includes Section 302 (murder) of the Indian Penal Code. According to the plea submitted by Hussain, both the FIRs alleged rioting on February 25, 2020, between 4 p.m. and 5 p.m., with accusations of Hussain's involvement and the use of his roof to store petrol bombs. As per the plea, one FIR registered on February 28, 2020, focuses on the burning of shops, while the other FIR, filed on February 26, 2020, pertains to the murder of Intelligence Bureau staffer Ankit Sharma in the vicinity of the Chand Bagh Pulia area. Hussain had argued that there is significant overlap in the investigation of both the FIRs registered at the Dayalpur police station, including common witnesses. Amaravati, July 4 : The appointment of former Union minister Daggubati Purandeswari as the president of BJP's Andhra Pradesh unit is seen as an attempt by the party to kill two birds with one stone. The saffron party is not only looking to tap the votes of Kammas, the politically powerful and influential community, but also checkmate Telugu Desam Party (TDP) President N. Chandrababu Naidu. Purandeswari is the sister-in-law of Naidu and daughter of TDP founder and former Chief Minister late N.T. Rama Rao, who was popularly known as NTR. Kammas have been traditional supporters of the TDP and by appointing a Kamma, and that too a family member of NTR, as the President of the party's state unit, the BJP is clearly looking at wresting TDP's vote bank. "The BJP knows that it can make big inroads in the state by winning the support of Kammas and hence it chose a prominent figure from this community to lead the party's state unit," said political analyst Palwai Raghavendra Reddy. With this move, the BJP also wants to checkmate Chandrababu Naidu in the long run. "BJP can never forgive what Chandrababu Naidu did to it," said the analyst, referring to TDP pulling out of the BJP-led NDA in 2018 and Naidu launching an all-out attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi. In the past, the Congress had also roped in Purandeswari to counter Chandrababu Naidu. NTR had floated TDP on an anti-Congress plank, but his daughter Purandeswari and her husband Daggubati Venkateswara Rao joined the Congress in 2004. Purandeswari, who was elected to the Lok Sabha twice on Congress ticket and even became a minister in the UPA government, switched loyalty to BJP in 2014 following the bifurcation of Andhra Pradesh. She contested from the Visakhapatnam Lok Sabha constituency in 2019, but finished a poor fourth. Her husband, however, preferred YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) and contested for Andhra Pradesh Assembly from Parchur. Daggubati, who had won the seat on Congress ticket in 2004 and 2009, lost the election. Daggubati, who had backed Chandrababu Naidu in the 1995 coup against NTR, later came back to his father-in-law. After NTR's death, he remained with NTR TDP (LP) for some time. In 1999, he joined Anna TDP floated by Harikrishna. After the party's humiliating defeat, he stayed away from politics for a few years. In 2004, he along with his wife joined the Congress. Unhappy with the bifurcation of Andhra Pradesh, Purandeswari and her husband quit the Congress. She joined the BJP, which rewarded her with the post of national general secretary. She was also made the party in-charge for Odisha. As NTR's name is still a vote catcher in Andhra Pradesh, BJP hopes to cash in on the TDP founder's legacy. This is a significant move as in every election, Chandrababu Naidu faces attack from rival parties for being a backstabber. Purandeswari is the first among NTR's children to become the President of the state unit of a national party. NTR's son and popular actor Balakrishna is also a sitting legislator in Andhra Pradesh. However, it is Naidu who has been running the show and trying to promote his only son Nara Lokesh as his successor. Lokesh is also the son-in-law of Balakrishna. By appointing Purandeswari, the saffron party is also looking to derive the benefit of appointing a woman as the party chief. Currently, the major players in the state politics are all headed by men and the BJP will be hoping to get the support of women voters. Brian Bischoff attended the 2023 TechConnect World Innovation conference and expo, where he had the opportunity to present about a new technology that hes been working on to commercialize and bring to market for the University at Buffalo. The founder of Copprium Inc. won an innovation award at the June event in Washington, D.C., and made connections with other companies that he feels he will be working with in the future once flexible conductive ink solutions moves forward. For Bischoff, it was validation for the project in conductive copper ink hes been working on with the university for about 2 years. The product is industry changing, said Bischoff, a 2015 graduate of UB, who earned a degree in engineering. A lot of companies are interested. Ive never visited a tradeshow where Ive had such overwhelming support and deep questions and inquiries, he added. So far, Copprium has raised $297,000 in nondilutive funding through grants. The money has provided a roadmap to get the technology out of the lab and scale it up to commercial size. It also may allow for the research and development of another nanotechnology the university is working on and conducting hypersonic missile research related to this technology for the U.S. Army. Bischoff is considering raising additional capital as part of a seed round in about six to nine months and is in talks with Launch NY and other entities that could be interested. Earlier this year, Rep. Brian Higgins, D-Buffalo, announced $1 million in federal funding for Launch NY, the nonprofit venture development organization that provides pro bono mentoring and seed capital access to early-stage startups in the 27 westernmost counties of the state. The funding will support the expanding of its entrepreneurial services. We have a while until that initial money runs out which gives us some runway, Bischoff said. We dont have a need for more money right now, so were going to see how revenue goes before we actually raise capital. I dont want to raise money just to raise money. Bischoff exited from a 3D print startup and started Copprium after being approached by UB to work with the university on the conductive copper ink technology that it invented. Right now, the $3.5 billion conductive ink market is dominated by silver, but companies want copper because thats what traditional electronics have used and it could be more cost effective, he said. However, the use of copper can create challenges with corrosion and oxidation. Conductive ink can be used on circuit boards or for things like the RFID tags that are used as transit tickets. Bischoff has been working with the university on customer discovery and bringing the copper technology out of the lab. After sending out a bunch of samples, they plan to launch the first product in the next month. TechConnect was a great opportunity to launch our sample program, and the interest in participating has far exceeded our expectations," said Edward Tierney, board advisor at Copprium. Bischoff had already worked on a few other projects with UB making another collaboration ideal for the two sides. And, now, he's moving closer to fulfilling his dream of owning a high-growth startup. Ive learned a lot from my past experiences, and it led me to this opportunity, said Bischoff, who works in one of UBs satellite offices in Amherst. I really think it is going to be something big. A productive pitch Buffalos Laythanette Shine, owner of USA Occupational Services, finished in second place in the She Means Business virtual pitch competition, bringing her business $3,000. The Enterprise Center at Pathstones third annual competition also featured a seven-week training program designed to empower women entrepreneurs like Shine, whose drug and alcohol testing provider business has been in operation for 15 years. The pitch competition was held during the spring in Rochester and awarded a total of $10,000 in prize money. Participants met once a week to explore topics such as target audiences, marketing campaigns and strategies, business operations, cash flow and financial management, and perfecting their pitching skills. In other news, Simone Fancher, who runs restaurant and food truck the The Cheesy Chick, earned Women Owned Small Business Person of the Year from the Small Business Administrations Buffalo District Office for 2023. The business started 10 years ago and Fancher now owns three food trucks. She also opened a brick-and-mortar cafe in Williamsville. During the pandemic, Fancher was lauded for using SBA pandemic financing, additional cafe hours and nontraditional food truck locations to provide revenue and increase market recognition. The Buffalo Next team gives you the big picture on the regions economic revitalization. Email tips to buffalonext@buffnews.com or reach Buffalo Next Editor David Robinson at 716-849-4435. THE LATEST UB researchers eye bank holds the keys to combatting blindness. Inside the massive changes at Western New York's community, rural hospitals. Buffalo Audubon Society will change its name due to Audubons racist history. Despite the loss of most investors, Pegulas East Resources goes ahead with merger. Double Up Food Bucks program launches at 12 area farmers markets. New GM Tonawanda plant director Tara Wasik makes history. Developer Douglas Jemal is modifying his redevelopment plan for the Statler. A new lighting system will brighten up the library underpass in downtown Buffalo. Tops Markets president is promoted to COO at parent company, bringing a shift in the local grocer's leadership. The nursing home operator that owns the Buffalo Center is accused of misusing $83 million. Erie County's IDA rejects tax breaks for Top Seedz and Iskalo on downtown project. A developer is swapping land at Buffalo Lakeside Commerce Park for a new project. Niagara University will open a new science research lab on the Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus. A developer is proposing more apartments off Transit Road. An architecture firm wants tax breaks to move from Depew to Clarence. Developers want tax breaks for the commercial part of a Clarence housing development. The NLRB is readying more charges against Starbucks Corp. ICYMI Five reads from Buffalo Next: 1. Training future nurses: How simulated patients will play a key role in this effort. 2. Psychics, wrestlers and churches: How Buffalo Niagara malls are finding a way forward. 3. The Buffalo Niagara economy looks like it is heading for the soft landing the Federal Reserve is seeking. 4. The death of a hospital: Inside the final days of Eastern Niagara Hospital after more than 100 years. 5. Storage Wars: The battle to buy Life Storage: Inside the competition to acquire the Amherst-based self-storage company. Was this email forwarded to you? Sign up to get the latest in your inbox five days a week. New Delhi, July 4 : The Congress on Tuesday took a swipe at the BJP over split in the NCP in Mahashtra, saying the state's Eknath Shinde government, in which NCP leader Ajit Pawar is the second Deputy Chief Minister is an "ED-sponsored government" and asserted that the MVA will strengthen more in the state. Speaking to media after a meeting chaired by party President Mallikarjun Kharge to discuss its poll preparedness in poll-bound Mizoram, General Secretary, Organisation, K.C. Venugopal asserted that the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) alliance will remain intact in Maharashtra in view of split in the NCP, "Nothing will happen to MVA. In fact it is opportunity for MVA to strengthen further." Targeting the BJP, he said: "The washing machine of BJP has started working in Maharashtra. Prime Minister Narendra Modi went to Maharashtra and abused the NCP as most corrupt party. Now the same NCP leaders they accused in irrigation scam have become good friends and also become Deputy Chief Minister and ministers. "And they have to tell about corruption now. Now washing machine has started working. They are an ED sponsored government. They earlier divided Shiv Sena and now they have done the same with the NCP." "They have no moral right and no moral support from people of Maharashtra. We are believing that Maharashtra will stand behind MVA. And it will also strengthen opposotion unity," Venugopal added. He said that the party leaders had a discussion about poll preparedness in Mizoram. "We are confident that Congress will form government in Mizoram and atmosphere is very good for the party," he said. Congress chief Kharge has been holding meetings with party leaders of the poll-bound states. Earlier he has held meeting over Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, and Telangana to discuss and chalk out strategy for the Assembly polls and also over the party's campaigns. --IANS aks/vd London, July 4 : Defending champion Elena Rybakina and Ons Jabeur, the player she defeated in the final last year, started their respective campaigns in contrasting styles at Wimbledon on Tuesday, setting off on a collision course once again. Rybakina bounced back from a slow start to kick off her Wimbledon title defense with a 4-6, 6-1, 6-2 defeat of Shelby Rogers in 1 hour and 43 minutes. Ons Jabeur started on what could prove a tough route for a repeat of last year's appearance in the Ladies' Singles final as she defeated Magdalena Frech 6-3, 6-3 on Tuesday. On another rain-interrupted day at SW19 in London, the matches involving Rybakina and Jabeur were the only two Ladies' Singles matches to be completed on Tuesday. Only one Wimbledon women's champion's title defence has ended in the first round in the Open Era -- Stefanie Graf, who fell to Lori McNeil in her 1994 opener. For a set, Rybakina seemed as though she might join Graf, but asserted her authority thereafter, dropping just five points behind her serve in sets two and three. The Kazakh had come into Wimbledon under a cloud of uncertainty regarding her health. A viral illness had forced her to withdraw from Roland Garros ahead of her third-round tie with Sara Sorribes Tormo. After returning to Berlin and reaching the second round, Rybakina pulled out of Eastbourne last week due to its lingering effects. No.4 seed Rybakina also faced a renowned upset artist off the bat. No.49-ranked Rogers had previously notched seven Top 10 wins in her career, including one at each of the three other Grand Slams. She had also defeated Rybakina 6-2, 6-4 in their last encounter, in the second round of 's-Hertogenbosch 2022 on grass and twice overall in their five previous meetings. Jabeur faces an arduous route for a repeat of her last year's performance as six of the Top 10 seeds are on her side, including No.2 Aryna Sabalenka and No.3 Elena Rybakina. The Tunisian could face two-time Wimbledon winner No. 9 Petra Kvitova in the fourth round and, potentially, defending champion Rybakina in the quarterfinals. Sabalenka, who won the Australian Open back in January, could await in the semifinals. However, she took the first of the seven steps to the title with a comfortable win. On a cold and sodden Tuesday, the No.6 seed from Tunisia took care of Magdalena Frech, 6-3, 6-3 under the Court No.1 roof. It was among only a handful of completed matches on a Day 2 washout. New Delhi, July 5 : The Delhi High Court has directed the CEO of the Delhi Urban Shelter Improvement Board (DUSIB) to appear before the court if the board fails to settle its outstanding dues to the Akshaya Patra Foundation by July 20. The foundation has been responsible for providing food at all night shelters in Delhi. A division bench of Chief Justice Satish Chandra Sharma and Justice Sanjeev Narula expressed dissatisfaction with the non-payment of dues to the foundation for the free meals project in Delhi's 'Rain Basera' (night shelter homes). The court had initiated the Public Interest Litigation on its own after taking cognisance of news reports concerning the underprivileged seeking shelter and being deprived of cooked meals. It had then directed the foundation to continue providing food to all Rain Baseras on the same payment basis as before. The court summoned the CEO of DUSIB to explain the reasons for the non-payment of Rs 9.5 crore, according to the foundation. Standing counsel for the Delhi government, Santosh Kumar Tripathi, informed the court that the city government had decided to settle all dues to Akshaya Patra several weeks ago to ensure uninterrupted meals. However, despite clear orders from ministers, some officials are still not making the payment and are acting arbitrarily, Tripathi claimed. He further stated that if well-known organisations like Akshaya Patra face harassment, it raises concerns about how officials might be dealing with other institutions. New Delhi, July 5 : With the arrest of four persons, including AIIMS students, the Delhi Police on Tuesday claimed to have busted a NEET exam gang, whose members used to appear in exams in place of actual candidates after taking a sum of Rs 7 lakh each. The accused were identified as Naresh Bishnoi, Sanju Yadav, Mahavir and Jitendra. The situation came to the forefront when a case was exposed in May. The police made their first arrest when they apprehended Yadav, one of the accused, who had deceitfully posed as a candidate during the NEET entrance examination, after his biometric data failed to match that of the genuine candidate. Further investigation revealed that his identification card and official documents, including his Aadhar card, were all forged. Upon being apprehended, Yadav disclosed during the subsequent questioning that he was a student of radiology at a college and had agreed to take the exam on behalf of the actual candidate in exchange for monetary compensation. According to sources, Yadav was roped into the scam by Bishnoi, a second-year student at the prestigious All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS). Bishnoi, believed to be the leader of the gang, was taken into custody while giving his second-year examination. He had allegedly enticed several AIIMS students by offering them monetary rewards, subsequently arranging for first-year students to sit in the nationwide NEET exam on behalf of different candidates. Mahavir and Jitendra, also said to be AIIMS students, were arrested from Nagpur. Police have also seized several pieces of evidence, including a laptop and mobile phones, from the accused. "We are presently scrutinising their mobile devices and the contacts stored within them in order to identify additional individuals who may be potentially involved in this extensive cheating operation," a source said. They further mentioned that the electronic devices would soon be forwarded for forensic examination. "It was revealed that the gang used to take Rs 7 lakh for rigging their exams. Police teams are also further conducting probe and more arrests are likely to happen," a source said. The NEET exam, previously known as the All India Pre-Medical Test (AIPMT), is a nationwide entrance examination conducted for students aspiring to pursue undergraduate medical courses such as MBBS, BDS, BAMS, BHMS, and others. This exam serves as a gateway to both government and private institutions across the country. --IANS ssh/vd New Delhi, July 5 : Eyeing to strengthen the party on Schedule Castes and Schedule Tribes-dominated reserved seats, Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge will inaugurate a Leadership Development Mission (LDM) workshop at the party headquarters here on Wednesday. The Congress in a tweet on Tuesday said: "Congress President Kharge will inaugurate the LDM National Workshop tomorrow at AICC, followed by an inaugural speech." With this workshop, the party is focusing on gaining its grounds on the Lok Sabha seats which have a majority of the population belonging to the Schedule Caste and Schedule Tribe communities. The party also aims to prepare leaders from these communities. According to party leaders, leaders from 212 Assembly seats of four poll-bound states of Chhattisgarh, Telangana, Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh will participate in the workshop. The party is planning to prepare leaders from these SC and ST-dominated seats for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections as well as the Assembly elections scheduled to be held later this year. A party source said that a website and an application will also be launched during the workshop, whichwill be also attended by K. Raju, a close aide of former party chief Rahul Gandhi and party General Secretary (Organisation) K.C. Venugopal. The party source said that the LDM is a long-term plan. The source said that in the short term, it will target 212 reserved Assembly seats across Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh and Telangana, where Assembly polls are scheduled to be held this year. The workshop will also be started for 61 reserved Lok Sabha constituencies that will have elections in 2024. The 61 reserved Lok Sabha seats are those where the Congress was polled second in the 2019 elections, the source said. Siman Sandhu is so excited to be competing with the best of the best at Nationals. Congratulations to Siman Sandhu on being accepted to SPiN (Society Performers in Nationals) July 2023 in Los Angeles, CA. Siman Sandhu hails from Canada, and started with Society Performers in August 2021. She has since trained, showcased, attended workshops, and continues to work hard... and it shows! Well done Siman Sandhu. Keep it up. GOOD LUCK IN HOLLYWOOD. The Healthcare Technology Report is pleased to announce The Top 25 Healthcare Technology Leaders of New York for 2023. This years awardees represent some of the most highly influential and forward-thinking companies in various sectors within the Empire State. These sectors span from life sciences and medical devices, to home services and more. With their profound operational and scientific knowledge, these healthcare technology leaders have played a pivotal role in driving remarkable growth and advancement within their respective organizations. Simultaneously, they have brought forth invaluable products and services that have greatly benefited customers not only in New York, but around the globe. One of the distinguished individuals recognized this year is Avi Benshoshan, who holds the position of SVP of Global Market Access at Merck, the biopharmaceutical giant that has been around for more than 130 years; and was recently ranked 71st on the 2022 Fortune 500. Another esteemed honoree is Kalpana Vanam, who brings nearly four decades' worth of experience to her position as SVP of Generics, Specialty, and Biosimilar at Lupin Pharmaceuticals, which is amongst the largest generic pharmaceutical companies in the world. Furthermore, Puja Sapra, who serves as Senior Vice President, Head of R&D Biologics Engineering, and Head of Oncology Targeted Delivery for AstraZeneca, has made significant contributions as a leader and researcher. During her lengthy career, Sapra has authored more than 75 scientific publications and book chapters while also being recognized as the inventor or co-inventor of more than 25 patents in the field. Please join us in celebrating The Top 25 Healthcare Technology Leaders of New York for 2023. Ivan Tornos (Zimmer Biomet), Nelly Nauman (Parexel), Erik Lium (Mount Sinai Health System), Kim Gold (Genentech), Nolan Bennett (Otsuka Pharmaceutical Companies), Ashu Tandon (MMS), Gregory Ryslik (Compass Pathways), Mark Hillebrandt (Henry Schein), Lisa Martin (GSK), Scott Seidelmann (Omnicell), Tanya Luckie (Johnson & Johnson), Indranil Nandi (Jubilant Radiopharma), Irene Chui (MicroPort Orthopedics Inc.), Avi Benshoshan (Merck), Sridhar Shankar (Sun Pharma), Lars Strassenburg (Siemens Healthineers), Puja Sapra (AstraZeneca), Francisco Ramirez-Valle (Bristol Myers Squibb), Thomas Seck (Boehringer-Ingelheim), Greg Raskin (Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center), Neelesh Chudasama (Frontier Medicines), Kalpana Vanam (Lupin Pharmaceuticals), Carolyn Amato (Edwards Lifesciences), Anna Upton (Evotec) and Charlotte Jones-Burton (Chinook Therapeutics, Inc.). The full article can be read at https://thehealthcaretechnologyreport.com/. About The Healthcare Technology Report The Healthcare Technology Report provides market research and insights, business news, investment activity updates and important corporate developments related to the healthcare technology sector. Based in New York City, the firm is run by a seasoned team of editors, writers and media professionals highly knowledgeable on healthcare technology and the various companies, executives and investors that make up the sector. Based on survey findings, Americans are more likely to support income-based rather than race-based admissions. Intelligent.com, a trusted resource for online degree rankings and higher education planning, has published a recent survey report that assesses how American adults feel about income-based college admissions. The report also shares insight into attitudes toward income-based quota systems. Overall, Intelligent.com researchers gathered and analyzed responses from 1,095 Americans aged 18 and older. Based on survey findings, Americans are more likely to support income-based rather than race-based admissions. While 36 percent of respondents strongly or somewhat agree that an applicants socioeconomic status should be considered in the college admissions process, only 23 percent strongly or somewhat agree that an applicants race or ethnicity should be considered. Although only 36 percent of respondents support income-based admissions, 57 percent strongly or somewhat agree that it is more challenging for applicants from economically-disadvantaged backgrounds to achieve high test scores. Among respondents who agree with income-based admissions, 68 percent strongly or somewhat agree that colleges should implement a quota system for economically-disadvantaged applicants. Respondents who identified as Democrats were more likely to support income-based admissions. While 44 percent of respondents who identified as Democrats strongly or somewhat agree with income-based admissions, only 29 percent of respondents who identified as Republicans agree. Likewise, younger Americans aged 18 to 24 are more likely to support income-based admissions than Americans aged 65 or older. This online poll was commissioned by Intelligent.com and conducted by SurveyMonkey beginning on June 14, 2023. Respondents consist of a national sample of 1,095 Americans aged 18 and older. To view the complete report, please visit https://www.intelligent.com/36-of-americans-in-favor-of-income-based-college-admissions/. ABOUT INTELLIGENT.COM Intelligent.com provides unbiased research to help students make informed decisions about higher education programs. The website offers curated guides that include the best degree programs as well as information about financial aid, internships, and even study strategies. With comprehensive, user-friendly guides and hundreds of program rankings, Intelligent.com is a trusted source among students and prospective students. To learn more, please visit https://www.intelligent.com/. PTI Fact Check: Fake press release claiming France suspended Internet services shared on social media amid violence, unrest in European country New Delhi, July 3 (Abhinav Gupta / Pratyush Ranjan PTI Fact Check): Amid violent unrest in France, a Twitter user shared an alleged press release by the countrys Ministry of the Interior and Overseas stating that internet service was suspended in some parts amid the violence. In its investigation, the PTI Fact Check Desk found that screenshot of a fake press release was shared on social media to make the false claim. Claim A Twitter user shared an alleged screenshot of a press release by French government, claiming that internet service had been suspended in some areas amid violent unrest in the country. Unrest in France is a reminder that mistreatment of minorities and institutionalized racial discrimination are endemic in self-proclaimed liberal democracies that lecture non-Western democracies on civil rights. After mass arrests, France suspends internet service in some areas, read the July 3 Twitter post, which included the alleged press release in French language. Here is the link and archive link to the post, and below is a screenshot of the same: Investigation Starting the investigation, the Desk conducted a Google Reverse Image Search on the screenshot of the alleged press release shared in the social media post. However, we couldnt find any relevant information, backing the claim. The Desk the conducted a customised Google search with the keyword internet service suspended in parts of France, but could not find any news report, reporting about any such decision announced by the countrys government or any ministry or official. However, on further scanning the search results, we came across a July 3 Twitter post shared by the French Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs, which shared the same screenshot of the press release, terming it fake. #UrbanViolence | Beware of #FakeNews A press release from the French national police force @PoliceNationale has claimed that temporary restrictions have been imposed on Internet access in certain neighbourhoods. This document is FALSE: no such decision has been taken, read the Twitter post. Here is the link to the post and below is a screenshot of the same: The Desk then scanned the Twitter handle of Frances Ministere de l'Interieur et des Outre-mer (Ministry of the Interior and Overseas), to check if the ministry had shared any post, regarding the claim. We came across a July 2 tweet in which it refuted the claim that internet services had been suspended in some parts of the country. #ViolencesUrbaines | Attention aux #FakeNews Un communique de presse de la @PoliceNationale annoncerait des restrictions temporaires a lacces internet dans certains quartiers. Ce document est un FAUX : aucune decision na ete prise en ce sens, read the tweet in French. An English translation of the tweet read: #UrbanViolence | Beware of #FakeNews A press release from the @PoliceNationale would announce temporary restrictions on internet access in certain neighborhoods. This document is a FALSE: no decision has been taken in this regard. Here is the link to the tweet and below is a screenshot of the post: We also went through the official website of the ministry. However, it was found to be under maintenance. Here is the link to the website and below is a screenshot of the same: In the next part of investigation, the Desk reached out to the French Embassy, seeking its response on the viral claim. The article will be updated as and when a response is received. Subsequently, the Desk concluded that a fake screenshot of a press release by the French government had been shared on social media. Claim Internet services suspended in some parts of France amid the ongoing violent unrest in the country. Fact The French government did not announce suspension of internet service in any area. A fake press release was shared on social media. Conclusion A Twitter user shared a screenshot of a press release, allegedly issued by the French government, claiming the internet service had been suspended in some parts of the country amid the violent unrest. In its investigation, the Desk found that a fake press release had been shared on social media with a false claim. You can contact PTI Fact Check on WhatsApp Number +91-8130503759 and share any claim or social media post you think is essential to fact-check and want us to verify. Shortly after 1 a.m. on July 4, 2020, Jessica Getty was startled awake by a loud explosion. Within minutes, Getty realized, her Hamburg home was on fire. She scrambled to get her two daughters and a family friend safely out of the home before flames engulfed it, killing two dogs and destroying all of their possessions. Everything was gone. Everything, Getty said Monday in her first interview since the fire. We didnt even have shoes. Days later, Getty learned what caused the fire: Her sons best friend had set off a powerful firecracker in front of the home as a prank, unintentionally sparking the inferno. As the Getty family rebuilt their lives, they filed two lawsuits seeking compensation for what they endured. The first, brought against the parents of the teen who admitted throwing the M-80 firework, was settled in January. The second, filed last week, was lodged against the three friends who drove with the other teen to the Getty home early that morning. Everything was exploding The night of the fire, Getty, her two daughters and her sons then-girlfriend were at their home at 4721 Edgewood Drive, off Clark Street near the Armor Volunteer Fire Company. Her son was out of town. Everyone was asleep when Getty heard the boom. Getty said she didnt know what to make of the noise and, initially, she tried to go back to sleep. Soon, one of her daughters told her she saw smoke coming through the vent in her bedroom. My daughter started screaming. And I ran out of my bedroom and saw that the whole front of the house was on fire, Getty said. Getty raced to her daughters, Sophia, then 14, and Sienna, then 12, and led them to the sliding doors that opened to the backyard. I told them to run as far away from the house as they could. In the chaos, Getty said she didnt know whether the family friend, who was sleeping in the basement, had escaped. She went back inside the home to check on her and to get the familys dogs, Zeus and Scarlet, to leave. Getty said the dogs were too frightened to move and the flames were too intense for her to reach them. And then I had to leave because everything started exploding and I couldnt see, Getty said. Getty made a final effort to enter the home, screaming the family friends name, when she saw the door to the basement was open and realized the teenager, later found at the front of the house, had gotten out. Then, she said, everything went black and she couldnt see where she was going. Her older daughter went to the sliding doors and, Getty said, She just started screaming my name and I just kind of ran to her voice. The family watched from a distance as firefighters attempted to contain the blaze. Photos and videos Getty shared with The Buffalo News show bright flames pouring out of the home in the early morning darkness. Images taken in daytime show the charred wreckage of the home and of two vehicles outside the residence. The whole house incinerated and I believe the fire chief at the time said it was the worst fire hed seen in his 35 years, Getty said. A shocking confession Fire investigators were able to determine the fire started on the homes partially covered front porch but a precise cause required further investigation, according to a Hamburg police report obtained by The News. To pin down what happened, police reviewed Ring security camera video footage provided by a neighbor that showed three young men walking back and forth in front of the Getty home about half an hour before the fire started. The neighbor identified the three, whose names are redacted in the police report, and said she saw two of them later on at the scene as the fire was raging, a statement confirmed by other witnesses. Nine days after the fire, the Gettys were staying in Ellicottville in a group that included Gettys son, Sam, and his best friend, Will Smeader. Jessica Getty got a phone call asking her to come to police headquarters the next day, when investigators would reveal to her who was involved in setting the fire and what they had done. After she hung up, she relayed the gist of their conversation to everyone else. Later that day, her son and Smeader approached her. Smeader had confessed to her son and the pair then shared the news with Getty, who was shocked and angry at first. Smeader told her he was with three other teens, all friends of her son, who had wanted to play a joke on him by setting off the firework at his home. They had no idea they could start a fire, Smeader told her. I cant imagine how heavily that was weighing on him, Getty said. Getty shared this news with police the following day. A police report redacts Smeaders name, but the lawsuit filed by Jessica Getty in 2020 identified him as the firework thrower. Police met with Will Smeader, his father and attorney Arthur Pressman on July 17, 2020, and he told detectives what he and the other three teens had done, according to the police report. Smeader told investigators he was the only one who got out of the vehicle to throw the firework. He said he heard the explosion as they were driving away, but they didnt realize the firework had sparked a fire until news spread on social media 10 minutes later. A case against Smeader was processed in Erie County Family Court, according to a spokeswoman for the Erie County District Attorneys Office, and its not clear what punishment he received. He was 17 at the time. The spokeswoman could not immediately say what charges, if any, were brought against the other three teens who are named in the new lawsuit: Jack Whipple and Noah Kunzman, who were also 17, and Jerad Evenden, who was 18. However, lawyer Thomas J. Eoannou, who represented two of the teens who remained in the vehicle, said none of the three was criminally charged. Rebuilding after trauma Jessica Getty brought suit on behalf of herself and her children against Paul and Michelle Smeader, Wills parents, in November 2020. The lawsuit, filed by attorney Brittany Penberthy, noted Will Smeaders recklessness in setting off the M-80 firecracker that destroyed the Getty home and their belongings and sent them fleeing in fear into the night. Penberthy, who took a deposition from Will Smeader as part of the suit, said, Will is absolutely remorseful for everything that happened. Jessica Getty said that of the families of the four teens who were in the vehicle that night, only the Smeaders have apologized to her. In January, the Smeaders and the Gettys agreed to a settlement of $300,000, a figure that includes $90,000 in attorneys fees. The daughters will receive additional guaranteed payments when each turns 25. Michelle Smeader declined to comment for the article. Last week, Jessica Getty sued Whipple and his father, Kunzman and his parents, and Evenden in a court claim accusing them of carelessness and negligence. Glenn Kunzman declined to comment on his sons behalf. Evenden also declined to comment. Whipple told a reporter he needed to check with his father before speaking but did not call back Monday. Eoannou is not involved in the civil suit. Based on what he learned defending two of the teens during the police investigation, he said he doesnt believe the trio bear civil liability for what happened. Jessica Getty agreed only reluctantly to be interviewed for this article. She asked The News not to publish the names of Smeader and the other teens. Getty said she initially hoped to rebuild on Edgewood Drive, where they had lived for seven years, but eventually had to sell the property. Rebuilding? I mean, you cant imagine what it feels like. Literally everything that we have is gone everything. Our safe place is gone, Getty said. They lived in rented space until buying a home in Orchard Park about 18 months ago. The fire remains a traumatic memory, with the sound of fireworks or fire engines triggering anxiety. And she implored the public to use fireworks safely and to recognize how dangerous they can be. But, for all she lost, Getty said shes thankful to have her family and the generous support of their community. It was just true kindness from so many people, even people that we did not even know, she said. The Michigan Street African American Heritage Corridor is the recipient of a large federal grant. The Institute of Museum and Library Services announced the Michigan Avenue corridor is the recipient of a $100,000 grant. The funds will be used to develop a plan for public programs and exhibitions. Representatives from the Michigan Street Baptist Church, the Nash House Museum, the Historic Colored Musicians Club and Museum, and WUFO 1080 AM Black Radio History Collective will collaborate with historians, archivists, and museums consultants to produce the museum exhibition and site interpretive plan. Its the latest in a string of good news for the corridor. On May 31, the Michigan Street African American Heritage Corridor Commission moved into its new home in the three-story former Elsinghorst Bros. Building at 136 Broadway, between Elm Street and Michigan Avenue. Mark Sommer Russian oligarch turned warlord Yevgeny Prigozhin is in exile in Belarus, but what will become of the tens of thousands of fighters who signed up to risk their lives for a paycheck or a ticket out of jail? It seems likely they will continue fighting, mostly because they have few better options. It appears the paramilitary Wagner Group will endure as a fighting force in some form, regardless of whether Prigozhin returns from exile or summons his troops to join him in Belarus. How, or if, the leadership vacuum is filled matters little, though, if the Wagner troops do not remain on the job. Who are these fighters, and will they remain loyal to Prigozhin or the Wagner organization in the wake of last week's so-called march of justice, which took 25,000 of them on a risky trek from Ukraine to Moscow? A look at the fighters' background and circumstances suggests few will opt to quit and go home. Most Wagner fighters in Ukraine since 2022 have been Russian citizens, but interest in fighting for the cause probably was not a significant incentive driving them to sign up, nor will it do much to motivate them to stay. And it's unlikely that they are being driven by fealty toward Prigozhin. More likely motivators include finances, freedom, and fear. Over the course of the past two decades, my work on mercenaries has shown that private forces are often motivated to sign up by money. In the case of Wagner, many also sign up to avoid serving their full prison sentences. Either way, once they're in, it can be difficult or impossible for Wagner fighters to get out until their contract terms are up. Once they're in, it can be difficult or impossible for Wagner fighters to get out until their contract terms are up. Share on Twitter Wagner fighters are paid significantly more than their counterparts in the Russian army, which may explain the potential unwillingness to have their Wagner contracts converted over to the official Russian military by July 1, as the Kremlin hopes. In Ukraine circa 201519, Wagner personnel reportedly made up to 180,000 rubles ($2,900 at the time) monthly, and death compensation for the families of contractors killed in action was 2 million to 3 million rubles ($32,000 to $48,000). In Syria during the same time period, the average salary for Wagner contractors was reportedly up to 500,000 rubles ($8,000) per month, though likely closer to $4,800 per month on average, and family compensation was up to 5 million rubles ($80,000). More-recent reports from Ukraine indicate that these figures have grown even higher: Putin himself has stated that the defense ministry and state budget paid Wagner 86.26 billion roubles ($1 billion) between May 2022 and May 2023 to cover wages, with some reports indicating that individual contractors may receive up to $10,000 per month. Russian military forces, in contrast, were making an average of 195,000 rubles ($2,535) per month as of March 2023. Not surprisingly given Wagner's cannon fodder tactics in Ukraine, family compensation has been waived in employment contracts there since 2022. Yet, for some Wagner fighters in the Ukraine war, money may be a secondary benefit. For convicts facing long prison sentences, a six-month term fighting with Wagner offers a fresh chance for freedom. For these individuals, though, it does not offer much chance at rehabilitation: Private military actors have unusually high rates of PTSD and depression when compared with their military counterparts. Early reports are emerging of Wagner convicts committing violent crimes such as murder and molestation upon returning to their hometowns in Russia. This indicates significant potential for criminal activity to spread throughout Russia as these personnel return home. The group's need to recruit from Russian prisons is not surprising. Previously, Wagner employed a mix of Russian, Serbian, Ukrainian, and Moldovan citizens. These fighters tended to be either military veterans or former officers of the military intelligence agency or federal security agency. Most were recruited through informal and online veteran networks. Given that many of these individuals may oppose the Ukraine conflict, Wagner has had to be more creative and lenient in recruitment. Meanwhile, those who have already signed up with Wagner may remain in the force out of fear. Wagner has a company policy of threatening death to deserters, and they usually mean it. Multiple reports have emerged over time of brutal torture and killings of those attempting to flee. Some who have escaped or been captured as POWs have recounted tales of sadistic and merciless behavior within the group. Most likely, Wagner fighters will remain loyal to Prigozhin or his successor not because they want to but because they have few better options. Share on Twitter Harsh treatment of Wagner fighters is hardly unique. Earlier incarnations of Russian private military organizationsincluding the Slavonic Corps and Moran, direct predecessors to Wagner in the Russian private military industrydeliberately misled contractors about deployment locations, conditions, and Russian state official approval of the deployment during the recruitment process. Once the contract was signed, some fighters found themselves shipped to locales far from where they had expected to go, armed with 70-year-old Soviet-era rifles and hardware, and fighting as the private army of some local kingpin. Having already faced such hardship and with few options, it is difficult to imagine Wagner's troops participating in anything resembling a mass exodus. Most likely, they will remain loyal to Prigozhin or his successor not because they want to but because they have few better options. Molly Dunigan is a senior political scientist at the nonprofit, nonpartisan RAND Corporation, director of the Strategy, Doctrine, and Resources Program within the RAND Arroyo Center, and a senior lecturer in Carnegie Mellon's Institute for Politics and Strategy. This commentary originally appeared on Los Angeles Times on July 1, 2023. Commentary gives RAND researchers a platform to convey insights based on their professional expertise and often on their peer-reviewed research and analysis. Property details: Own an inexpensive piece of land in Sun Valley, Arizona. Very close access to Rt 40 which puts you only 7 miles from the City of Holbrook - where plenty of hotels, shopping and restaurants await you. Described as a sleepy town along the old famous Route 66. County: NavajoLot size: 0.14 acresParcel #: 105-43-037Section: S04Township: T18NProp taxes: $14.24 (paid for 2022) Deed: General Warranty Please contact the Navajo County Assessor and Building/Zoning Department for more information on allowed... Price: $ 113 Seller State of Residence: New Hampshire Type: Raw land Property Address: Vein of Gold #9 Lot 37 Zip/Postal Code: 86025 Zoning: A-General City: Sun Valley State/Province: Arizona Location: 038**, Durham, New Hampshire You will be redirected to eBay Nearby Arizona A South Buffalo man was arrested Monday on a charge of unlawfully selling fireworks after law enforcement officers raided two homes. Michael Sylvia, 36, was arrested after Erie County Sheriff's Office detectives, Buffalo police and federal agents executed search warrants and seized commercial fireworks worth $50,000 in the basement at 25 S. Ryan St. The arrest culminated a weeklong investigation into the illegal fireworks sale. This was a great collaborative investigation by all agencies, said Sheriff John Garcia. The South Ryan Street basement was a powder keg that could destroy this house and those around it. These explosive devices become unstable when not stored properly, so todays raid may have prevented a tragedy. Silvia was charged with misdemeanors of criminal possession of a weapon, plus unlawfully possessing, storing and selling fireworks. The FBIs Safe Streets Task Force and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms assisted in the raid. Mike McAndrew It is unsustainable for such (pay) differentials to continue without a major adverse impact on the recruitment and retention of talented managers in public sector banks - P J Nayak Committee report to review governance of boards of banks in India (May 2014) In FY23, the State Bank of India (SBI) reported a 57.4 per cent jump in its net profit to Rs 55,684.17 crore. But the chairman of the countrys largest bank, Dinesh Kharas annual pay for this creditable performance was just Rs 37 lakh (his peers at state-run banks are no better off). Look at his private bank rivals most pocketed in excess of Rs 7 crore annually plus stock options. Talk of perks at state-run banks not being taken into account in such comparisons amount to mere quibbles. Nearly two decades after the Nayak committees report, the competitive landscape in the financial world has completely changed. Over the past decade, private banks share of both incremental credit and deposits are on the rise; technology has reshaped business models; fintechs stomp around; and its a stiff fight to attract and retain talent. For talented finance professionals, a desk job at a bank is not the first option as it was in the past they are being wooed by wider India Inc. Small wonder, then, that six of Indias 11 state-run banks lack a non-executive chairman, with the post lying vacant for as much as two years in some banks. This fact comes as a wake-up call, just weeks after Reserve Bank of India (RBI) Governor Shaktikanta Das discussed with state-run and private bank boards the need to raise governance standards. Theres been no sizing study on human resources (HR) in state-run banks, save for the A K Khandelwal Committee report (June 2010) the only one of its kind since liberalisation. Khandelwals report had warned of a twister: Over the next five years, 80 per cent of general managers, 65 per cent of deputy general managers, 58 per cent of assistant general managers and 44 per cent of general managers would be retiring. "The pool of these experienced executives cannot be replaced only through promotions. Even though the report didnt refer to the pay gap between state-run and private banks, a case was made for ESOPs. in the future, to 15 per cent of the top performers in the executive cadre including CMD (chairman and managing directors) and EDs (executive directors). This aspect has not even figured in the public discourse. A related issue is state-run banks cost-to-income ratio. The Report on Trends and Progress of Banking in India 2021-2022 says it was the highest for state-run banks, owing to their high wage expenditure. With capital quoting at a premium (and recapitalisation a thing of the past), it highlights the need for a harder look at HR issues. Pay concerns should not be seen in isolation. If corner-room occupants at state-run banks are to be change agents, their tenures have to be longer. Just about every private bank CEO has had a stint of at least a decade; their maximum tenures and age being 15 and 70 years respectively. O P Bhatt at SBI was an outlier June 2006 to March 2011. The Narasimham Committee 1 (1991) was for a minimum stay of five years. As for their appointment, this committee made the pitch that a panel of retired central bank governors and eminent voices in financial services recommend to the authorities RBI and Ministry of Finance. Meanwhile, the 12th Bipartite Settlement between the Indian Banks Association and bank unions is in the works. More than half-a-century after industry-wide wage pacts for state-run banks came into effect (April 1, 1966), the parameters to assess pay should be up for a deeper review. Consider: four sets of state-run banks have merged; a staffer may have been a top performer at a bank prior to the merger but this might not be the case in the merged entity. Money matters cant be swept under the carpet anymore. A hike in the remuneration for independent directors was put forward to the RBIs top brass in its interaction with the full boards of state-run banks in New Delhi last month (it figured in the meeting with private bank boards in Mumbai as well). Recommendation 2.2 of the Nayak committee made an explicit reference to the compensation constraints and short average tenures of state-run bank bosses. Theres still a large talent pool in state-run banks but the reality is that it may not walk in as it did in the past. The late K C Chakrabarty, a former deputy governor of the RBI, said: You need to manage people and for this you need to discriminate between them, I mean positive discrimination. That time is well upon us. 'The cousins do not have a good rapport with each other in politics, though they may be having a good rapport with each other in family life.' IMAGE: Cousins Supriya Sule, who turned 54 on June 30, and Ajit Pawar, who will turn 64 on July 22. Photograph: ANI Photo Ajit Pawar's decision to part ways with his political mentor and uncle Sharad Pawar and join hands with the Bharatiya Janata Party and Shiv Sena and join the Maharashtra government as deputy chief minister for the fourth time has surprised many. By doing so, Ajit Pawar has agreed to play third fiddle, after Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis. No one joins politics to play a tertiary role after having been deputy chief minister three times. Even more surprising was the list of other Nationalist Congress Party leaders with him -- Chhagan Bhujbal, Sunil Tatkare, Dilip Walse Patil and Praful Patel, all of who were deemed close associates of Sharad Pawar. So what is going on in Maharashtra politics? What is Ajit Pawar's game? What is the BJP planning? Where does Ajit Pawar's entry leave the Shiv Sena MLAs who broke off with the parent organisation along with Eknath Shinde? Syed Firdaus Ashraf spoke to political analyst Ravikiran Deshmukh for an insight into what is happening in the state. Why did Ajit Pawar go ahead with his rebellion now, after having backed out in 2019? Why did he feel this was the right time? He is angling for the chief minister's post. He has already served as deputy chief minister in the past on three different occasions. He is ambitious and has a good rapport with NCP (Nationalist Congress Party) workers. He understands Maharashtra very well and he has handled almost all important portfolios in the state cabinet in the past, except revenue or the home department. In 2019, Ajit Pawar was invited by the BJP to take oath as deputy chief minister and it happened because the BJP had issues with the Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena. He also claimed he had the blessings of his party chief and uncle Sharad Pawar then, but for some reasons that move fizzled out. The 2019 experiment of his could not work. Later, the Maha Vikas Aghadi government came to power with Uddhav Thackeray as chief minister and he again became deputy chief minister, but in those two-and-a-half years of MVA rule Ajit Pawar was not very happy because from the very beginning he had issues with the Congress party. He did not gel with then Congress chief minister Prithviraj Chavan too and had resigned from his post in 2012. He was out of the cabinet for two to three months. There is a history to it because he was not happy with the alliance with the Congress since 1999. He was very much keen that the NCP should grow on its own strength as an independent party. He felt the NCP had the potential to grow alone in Maharashtra, but Sharad Pawar never gave the go-ahead as he did not want to break up with the Congress party. Sharad Pawar did not want to disturb the alliance because, due to the UPA (United Progressive Alliance) government from 2004-2014, he was a part of the central ministry. Ajit Pawar in this period was concentrating on and working for the party in Maharashtra and felt that the NCP had a very good chance to grow in the state and he never understood why his uncle Sharad Pawar wanted to remain loyal to the Congress. And it is only now that he has decided to come out in the open and break away with the NCP by claiming his is the real NCP. And I think the reason is his cousin Supriya Sule, who happens to be Sharad Pawar's daughter. Do you mean that Supriya Sule was the reason for Ajit Pawar to rebel against his uncle, as he was sidelined in the recent party reorganisation? He was insisting on Sharad Pawar's resignation. He alone was telling all his party men that when Sharad Pawar wants to resign, he should be allowed to do that. A section of leaders within the party at that time, like Jayant Patil and Jitendra Awhad, got wind that Ajit Pawar had different plans for the NCP. They then insisted with the party workers that Sharad Pawar must not resign and continue in his post and lead the party. Ajit Pawar could not see himself exercising his clout then. Can we say Supriya Sule is the main reason for Ajit Pawar's rebellion? Yes, Supriya Sule is the main reason for Ajit Pawar;s rebellion. The cousins do not have a good rapport with each other in politics, though they may be having a good rapport with each other in family life. Many families break away due to politics and we have seen in Maharashtra that how Dhananjay Munde quit the BJP to join the NCP as he was sidelined by his cousin Pankaja Munde, Gopinath Munde's daughter. Ajit Pawar was having issues with Supriya Sule and even today (July 3), when Praful Patel and Ajit Pawar announced a new party chief for Maharashtra, they announced Sunil Tatkare's name and they announced Anil Bhaidas Patil as the party's chief whip. And they categorically stated that they consider Sharad Pawar as their party chief. Now if they are saying this, it means they are happy with Pawar Senior. So what is the issue in splitting? The issue, I think, is Supriya Sule as her name is missing from the list of leaders from Ajit Pawar's team. On the contrary, Supriya has written to Sharad Pawar that the NCP should take action against Praful Patel and Sunil Tatkare in Parliament as they have violated party norms and discipline. She also said that the NCP must file a petition in the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha to disqualify these two leaders from its membership. Will Ajit Pawar get 35-plus MLAs from the NCP as news reports are suggesting? I have certain doubts, but in politics you cannot presume anything at this moment. If Ajit Pawar had the list of 35 MLAs he would have announced them on Sunday (July 2). He did not share that and even now he is not sharing the MLAs list. He is just claiming that he has got 37 MLAs, but who are these MLAs? Why are they not coming out in the open and speaking out against Supriya Sule or the old NCP? All of them are watching the developments and maintaining a safe distance. There is a history in Maharashtra that whoever becomes deputy chief minister never goes on to become the chief minister. Can Ajit Pawar break that jinx? There is speculation that Ajit Pawar has come into this alliance with the BJP on the promise of getting the chief minister's post. He has had enough of his political career serving as deputy chief minister, so this post is nothing new to him. We have two deputy chief ministers now. In other circumstances he would have never accepted to be third in command after Eknath Shinde as chief minister and Devendra Fadnavis as senior deputy chief minister. He is now number three in position. He is not the kind of person to be in the third position and therefore I think there is something more to his move. I am observing this development since Sunday and till now portfolios have not been announced. There is something very unusual happening. There is something going behind the curtains as even Eknath Shinde has not come forward on the issue of portfolio allocation. Devendra Fadnavis has also not spoken to the media since Sunday; he has gone quiet. He was talking to the media just before the swearing-in, but now has gone silent. You must have also seen that there is no tweet from Prime Minister Narendra Modi or Home Minister Amit Shah congratulating Ajit Pawar on joining the cabinet. Both of them had congratulated him in 2019 when he joined hands with the BJP. They did it within a few minutes then. And now not a single word is coming from them. In normal circumstances, BJP leaders are always ahead in congratulating on such developments. All the leaders are quiet on social media. A key aide of Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Tuesday rejected demands for Deputy CM Tejashwi Yadav's resignation, following a Central Bureau of Investigation chargesheet against the Rashtriya Janata Dal leader, and accused the Bharatiya Janata Party of trying to repeat the Maharashtra episode in the state. Bihar minister and senior Janata Dal-United leader Vijay Kumar Chaudhary also taunted the BJP for having demanded the resignation of Nationalist Congress Party leader Ajit Pawar, who has now been made a deputy chief minister in Maharashtra. "Mere chargesheet does not amount to guilt being proved. Moreover, it (CBI) is an agency which faces criticisms for its functioning. The deputy CM had himself anticipated such action against himself and said the same in public, Chaudhary told reporters at the JD-U office. "Don't forget that Ajit Pawar, too, was accused of corruption by the BJP, which also used to demand his resignation (as deputy CM of MVA government). Now, the party has made him a government in its own government, Chaudhary exclaimed. Pawar had on Sunday pulled off a stunning revolt in the NCP, triggering a vertical split and joined hands with the ruling Shiv Sena-BJP alliance in Maharashtra to become deputy chief minister. Chaudhary alleged that the BJP "hates Bihar" after having lost power in the state, which is "back in the centre-stage of national politics" since the opposition meeting hosted in Patna by Nitish Kumar. "Therefore, they are trying to do a Maharashtra here. But, the Mahagathbandhan is too strong, said Choudhary, who also scoffed at the claim of a possible split in JD-U made by BJP leader and former deputy CM Sushil Modi. Why would anybody wish to leave the party that has the credible leadership of Nitish Kumar? And, even if somebody wanted to, why would he or she let intentions known to a man who is in political wilderness?, he questioned. "When people do jump ship, is it announced beforehand? Such developments are characterised by a secretiveness which we saw in Maharashtra, said the JD(U) leader, whose party had stunned the BJP last year by walking over to the opposition camp. Chaudhary also alleged that prospective BJP allies in Bihar like former chief minister Jitan Ram Manjhi's HAM, Upendra Kushwaha's RLJD and Chirag Paswan's RLJD were spreading "rumours of split in JD(U)" to curry favour with the saffron party ahead of the Lok Sabha polls. He, however, declined to comment on the meeting here the previous day between Nitish Kumar and Rajya Sabha Deputy Chairperson Harivansh, who had irked the JD(U) by attending the inauguration of the new Parliament building despite party decision to boycott the same. The Supreme Court on Tuesday deferred the oath taking of Delhi Electricity Regulatory Commission (DERC) chairperson-designate Justice (retd) Umesh Kumar, while deciding to examine the constitutional validity of a provision of the Centre's recent ordinance governing such an appointment. IMAGE: Delhi Lt Governor Vinai Kumar Saxena in a conversation and Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal. Photograph: Ayush Sharma/ANI Photo The top court also issued notices to the Centre and the office of Lieutenant Governor V K Saxena on the plea of the Delhi government which also challenges the June 21 notification of the Union Ministry of Home Affairs appointing Justice Kumar as the DERC chairperson. Justice Kumar is a former judge of the Allahabad high court. When the counsel for the Centre objected to the deferment of oath taking of the former judge, a bench comprising Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud and Justice P S Narasimha observed that it was rather inclined to stay the MHA notification. The bench said it recorded the submissions of senior lawyer A M Singhvi, appearing for the Delhi government, on deferring the oath taking process to deal with the matter in a 'non-controversial' manner. "It has been understood that the administering of oath, in pursuance of the notification of the Union Ministry of Home Affairs dated June 21, 2023 to the former judge of the Allahabad high court shall stand deferred." Observing that since the matter involved 'pure question of law', the bench sought the assistance of Attorney General R Venkataramani and fixed the plea for hearing on July 11. "Issue notice. Since the constitutional validity of the Section 45 D of the National Capital Territory of Delhi (Amendment) (Ordinance), 2023 has been called into question, a formal notice shall also be served on the Attorney General for India. "Having regard to the urgency of the matter, the proceedings shall be listed for final disposal at this stage on July 11. Since a pure question of law has been raised, the liberty is given to the parties to file brief written submissions and in the event any counter affidavit is to be filed, a copy shall be served on the petitioner by Monday," it ordered. The appointment of the DERC chairperson has led to a power tussle between the Delhi government and the office of the LG and it led to filing of a fresh case in the top court. The government said in its petition that the office of the LG has to act on the aid and advice of the council of ministers. The ordinance gives overriding powers to the Lieutenant Governor over the elected government in the matter of appointments. At the outset, Singhvi sought a stay of the notification appointing Justice Kumar as the DERC chairperson. The senior lawyer alleged that the unilateral action of the LG was against the spirit of the apex court's recent judgement. "As a political executive, I give free power of 200 units to the poorest of the poor in Delhi. It is the most popular scheme in Delhi. Now they want to appoint someone of their choice to stop this," he said. The solicitor general said that Justice Kumar was appointed after taking the concurrence of the Chief Justice of the Allahabad High Court as directed by the top court on May 19. The bench then asked as to who took the views of the chief justice of the high court. The LG, replied the solicitor general and said, "Please do not give a stamp of approval to the fact that they are already deferring this since June 23. The Delhi government has been dodging this for one reason or the other." "Then we will better stay the notification and which we were inclined to do. But, we thought that we will deal with it in a non-controversial manner," the CJI said. Additional Solicitor General Sanjay Jain, appearing for the office of the LG, said that the retired judge recommended by the Delhi Government, Justice Rajeev Kumar Shrivastava, had declined to accept the post citing personal difficulties. The post of DERC chairperson was vacant after former head of the commission Justice Shabihul Hasnain demitted office on January 09, 2023. Later, a proposal to appoint Justice Shrivastava was placed before the LG by the Delhi government. On May 19, the top court had said that the lieutenant governor has to act on the aid and advice of the council of ministers and ordered that the Chairperson of the DERC be appointed within two weeks. The Aam Aadmi Party government had recommended the name of former Madhya Pradesh high court judge Justice Srivastava for the position. However, Justice Srivastava expressed his inability to take charge due to 'family commitments and requirements'. Later, the government sent the name of Justice (retd) Sangeet Raj Lodha of the Rajasthan high court on June 21. The central government, however, notified the name of Justice Kumar that evening. The AAP government had moved the top court challenging the notification. On July 3, the lieutenant governor advised Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal to complete the oath taking exercise of Justice Kumar through video conferencing, after the event was postponed due to Power Minister Atishi's 'ill health'. Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar on Tuesday praised Prime Minister Narendra Modi's leadership and asserted that there is no alternative to him, while the rival Nationalist Congress Party factions geared up for crucial meetings post-split in what is likely to be a show of strength by them. IMAGE: Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar (centre) flanked by Chhagan Bhujbal (left) and Praful Patel, inaugurates the NCP's new office, Mumbai, July 4, 2023. Photograph: Sahil Salvi The Congress legislature party met on Tuesday, while the two rival factions of the NCP will hold their separate conclaves on Wednesday, which is expected to bring some clarity on the number of MLAs in each camp and decide their way forward. The NCP has 53 MLAs in the 288-member house and the Ajit Pawar camp has claimed the support of 40 of them. The Sharad Pawar and Ajit Pawar factions of the NCP will hold their meetings in Yashwantrao Chavan Centre in south Mumbai and Bhujbal Knowledge City in suburban Bandra, respectively. NCP president Sharad Pawar has called a meeting at 1pm, while the Ajit Pawar faction, which has aligned with the Eknath Shinde-Bharatiya Janata Party government will gather at 11 am. Three days after switching over to the ruling camp from the Opposition along with eight other NCP MLAs, Ajit Pawar was effusive in his praise of Modi as he inaugurated his faction's new office in south Mumbai. The country is marching ahead under his (Modi's) leadership. We have joined the government to support him. There is no leader like Modi. There is no alternative to him, he said. Ajit Pawar indicated that the allocation of portfolios for the new entrants in the state ministry may not be announced immediately. He attributed the delay to Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and his deputy Devendra Fadnavis leaving for Nagpur to welcome President Droupadi Murmu. We all have decided to work together. There is no question of disgruntlement, he said, when asked if some members in the Shinde group are unhappy over his inclusion in the ministry. The CLP met on Tuesday, but didn't discuss the issue of the Leader of Opposition in the Maharashtra assembly and has decided to adopt a "wait and watch" approach amid the fast-paced political developments in the state, a senior leader said. It was earlier said the Congress might discuss the issue of staking claim to the post of LoP after Ajit Pawar resigned from the post and joined the Shiv Sena-BJP government on July 2. At the CLP meeting held at Vidhan Bhavan in Mumbai, the Congress decided to work for strengthening the party as well as the Opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) of which it is one of the constituents along with the Sharad Pawar-led NCP faction and the Shiv Sena (UBT), the leader said. The meeting was attended by AICC in-charge of Maharashtra HK Patil and 39 out of 45 MLAs, including CLP leader Balasaheb Thorat. "We will strengthen the MVA and the Congress. We have supported Uddhav Thackeray and Sharad Pawar. We will wait and watch how developments unfold in the coming days," said HK Patil. Congress leaders also met Sharad Pawar and expressed solidarity with him amid the crisis in his party, while a weakened MVA decided to launch a statewide tour to galvanise its workers to take on the Shiv Sena-BJP government. After attending the CLP meeting, state Congress president Nana Patole and working president Naseem Khan went to the YB Chavan Centre to meet Sharad Pawar. "The Congress condemns the manner in which the BJP engineered a split in the NCP legislature party. The MVA will stay united and defeat the BJP," Patole told reporters. CLP leader Thorat said the MVA will emerge stronger in view of the current crisis as people are with the Opposition bloc. Congress leader Naseem Khan said the MVA will soon launch a state-wide tour to galvanise its workers to fight the Eknath Shinde-BJP government. Sharad Pawar on Tuesday said only the party of which he is president and Jayant Patil the Maharashtra unit chief should use his photograph. Those who "betrayed" his ideology should not use his photograph, the former Union agriculture minister told reporters. Incidentally, the senior Pawar's photo was seen at the new office of the Ajit Pawar faction in south Mumbai. Sharad Pawar is seeking legal opinion to tackle the crisis in the 24-year-old party caused by his nephew Ajit Pawar joining the Shiv Sena-BJP government and claiming the support of the bulk of MLAs, party sources said. Sharad Pawar, who returned from Satara on Monday night, is holding discussions with legal experts on how to handle the ongoing developments, said NCP national spokesperson Clyde Crasto. "Taking legal opinion is necessary as this issue concerns Schedule 10 of the Constitution (which deals with defections)," he said. According to Crasto, the Ajit Pawar-led group doesn't enjoy the support of more than 13 MLAs and can attract the provisions of the anti-defection law. "A clear picture of the support for Sharad Pawar will emerge on Wednesday at the meeting convened by Sharad Pawar at 1 pm," Crasto said. Amid tussle between the rival camps to control the party after the split, Maharashtra NCP president Jayant Patil said the group led by Ajit Pawar has no right to remove him from the post. A day earlier, the Ajit Pawar camp appointed Sunil Tatkare as the Maharashtra NCP president in place of Jayant Patil. It also asked the Maharashtra assembly speaker to disqualify Jayant Patil and Jitendra Awhad from membership of the house. "The faction (led by Ajit Pawar) is a 'Notionalist' Party. They have no right to remove me from the post (of NCP state unit president)," Jayant Patil told reporters. Meanwhile, Maharashtra minister and BJP leader Sudhir Mungantiwar dared the Sharad Pawar-led NCP to parade the number of MLAs supporting them. Speaking to reporters, Mungantiwar said, I challenge them (Sharad Pawar-led NCP) to show the number of MLAs supporting them. The MLAs are behind Ajit Pawar. He has chosen to go with development and truth. ALBANY During its final legislative session day this year on June 9, the State Senate voted 62-1 to pass a bill allowing Gov. Kathy Hochul to enter a new gaming compact with the Seneca Nation. Later that day, word leaked that the Hochul administrations deal with the Nation included allowing a secretly negotiated new casino in the Rochester area. As that information spread, opposition quickly emerged from Rochester lawmakers. And so, the results of the already-cast vote were altered. Seneca gaming deal without a Rochester casino pitched to Assembly, but distrust lingered Some Assembly members now want ironclad guarantees that the final agreement signed by Gov. Kathy Hochul will not include a new, Seneca Nation-owned casino. By the next week when the Senate posted results of the votes online three votes had flipped and the official tally was now 59-4. Several Rochester-area lawmakers had been allowed to retroactively recast their potentially politically damaging votes. It was not the only instance when votes appeared to change retroactively on the Senates final day. A controversial bill rolling back a major campaign finance reform law was initially announced as having passed by the narrowest of margins 32-31 but then was recorded later that night as passing 34-29. In the State Senates rules, created by the Democratic majority, there is no provision allowing votes taken by lawmakers to be retroactively altered, nor is there any rule dictating the amount of time a lawmaker has to request such a change. Yet, it is a practice that exists within the chamber. How the secretive Seneca gaming deal stalled in Albany Top Hochul officials did not deny that a Rochester casino was part of a deal with the Seneca Nation, and on Saturday, the Assembly refused to pass the bill authorizing Hochul to enter a new compact. It is unclear how often such vote-changing occurs, and there does not appear to be any publicly available record stating when votes have been altered. One must watch video of the original Senate vote taking place, then compare the announced result with the later-published official record. A spokesman for Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins did not respond to questions Friday. Seneca vote On June 7, the president of the Seneca Nation announced an agreement in principle had been reached on a major new casino gaming compact with Hochuls office. That day, neither the Nation nor Hochuls office would provide any further details about the pact to the media. A day later, State Sen. Tim Kennedy of Buffalo introduced a bill authorizing Hochul to sign the new compact. The next day, Hochul issued a message of necessity allowing the Senate to vote upon the bill immediately, bypassing the normal constitutional requirement for a bill to age three days, so it may be scrutinized by lawmakers and the public. That same day, the bill was placed on the Senates non-controversial calendar, ahead of a slew of other, more contentious bills. On the Senate floor, Kennedy described the bill as allowing the parties to continue negotiations, but also noted that the agreement in principle had been struck between Hochuls office and the Nation. Before the bills 62-1 passage, there was no debate, despite the fact that lawmakers did not know the details of the deal. Some lawmakers did not seem to realize they were giving final signoff to whatever deal Hochul had negotiated. State Sen. Pamela Helming, a Republican, changed her vote to no three days later after reports emerged about the Rochester casino. When the Senate reopened Monday, thats when I put in my request to change my vote, Helming told the Rochester television station WHEC, which first reported on the vote-flipping on the Seneca authorization bill. State Sen. Tom OMara, a Republican, and State Sen. Samra Brouk, a Democrat, also changed their votes. On June 14, a Brouk spokeswoman contacted The Buffalo News, stating that the newspaper had made an error by reporting that the vote had been 62-1. The Brouk spokeswoman, however, never mentioned that Brouk had retroactively changed her vote. Brouks office has not responded to subsequent requests for comment about when she altered her vote. OMara also could not be reached for comment. Albany's final session day: Election overhaul, campaign reform rollback, reparations In the waning hours of the 2023 state legislative session, Albany lawmakers are passing bills upending local elections, rolling back a campaign finance reform, sealing criminal convictions and much more. Here's the latest. Campaign finance rollback Later during the sessions final day, the State Senate took up another bill that was drawing far more controversy. The bill pushed by majority Democrats was described by critics as gutting reforms to New Yorks campaign finance system: Instead of enhancing the voices of small donors, it would use taxpayer dollars to boost major ones. Votes in the Senate usually are not close, but when a Senate official announced the result on this one, it was 32-31. Yet later that night, the tally was changed to 34-29. The two votes that changed, according to a video of the original roll call, were Brooklyn State Sens. Jabari Brisport and Kristen Gonzalez, two liberal Democrats from New York City. Neither lawmaker returned requests for comment. It is possible the original Senate tally of the votes was not correct. But there is another possible reason the votes flipped. Rachael Fauss, senior policy adviser at the government reform group Reinvent Albany, said Senate leadership would not have wanted the controversial bill to pass 32-31. When a bill passes by a bare majority, any of the 32 people who voted in favor could then be individually held responsible for its passage. Any time theres a razor thin vote, its clear that every legislators vote matters. Its definitely in the interest of leadership not to have bills pass this closely, she said. Its not a transparent process to negotiate with rank-and-file members behind closed doors, after the vote. Votes are supposed to be held in public. The bills sponsor, Brooklyn State Sen. Zellnor Myrie, recently told a Democratic political club in Brooklyn that he did not feel great about how the process of passing the bill had played out. I dont love the bill, he said. I dont love every piece of the bill. But Myrie said that Democratic leadership in the Legislature would have scrapped the states new publicly funded elections system altogether if the major alterations were not made, and that as chair of the Senate Elections Committee, he chose to salvage the system. Myrie also defended the bill, saying a frank conversation had not been had on its particulars. He said the state bill would implement the same exact system of publicly funded elections as has existed for decades in New York City. But that is not the case: Campaign donation limits in New York City elections are vastly lower than those for state offices. India's consulate in San Francisco came under an attack from Khalistan supporters who tried to set the diplomatic facility on fire in the second such act of violence within months, drawing strong condemnation from the United States government which termed it a 'criminal offence'. IMAGE: The Indian consulate in San Francisco. Photograph: ANI A video by Khalistan supporters, dated July 2 posted on Twitter, showed the act of arson at the Indian Consulate in San Francisco. The video, with the words 'violence begets violence' emblazoned over it, also showed news articles related to the death of Canada-based Khalistan Tiger Force (KTF) chief Hardeep Singh Nijjar. Nijjar, one of India's most-wanted terrorists who carried a cash reward of Rs 10 lakh on his head, was shot dead outside a gurdwara in Canada last month. Responding to the incident, State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller in a tweet on Monday said: 'The US strongly condemns the reported vandalism and attempted arson against the Indian Consulate in San Francisco on Saturday. Vandalism or violence against diplomatic facilities or foreign diplomats in the US is a criminal offence.' Diya TV, a South Asian broadcast TV network in the US, said in a tweet that 'a fire was set early Sunday morning between 1:30-2:30 am in the San Francisco Indian Consulate'. 'The fire was suppressed quickly by the San Francisco Department, the damage was limited and no staffers were harmed. Local, state and federal authorities have been notified,' it said. The outlet also posted a video of the arson attack. A poster being shared on social media says that a 'Khalistan Freedom Rally' will be organised on July 8 that will start in Berkeley, California and end at the Indian embassy in San Francisco. This is the second time within months that the Indian Consulate in San Francisco came under attack from Khalistani supporters. On March 19, a group of pro-Khalistan protesters attacked and damaged the Indian Consulate in San Francisco. Raising pro-Khalistan slogans, the protesters broke open the makeshift security barriers raised by the city police and installed two so-called Khalistani flags inside the Consulate premises. Two consulate personnel soon removed these flags. External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Monday said India has asked its partner countries such as Canada, the UK and the US not to give space to 'extremist Khalistani ideology' as it is 'not good' for relations. He was responding to reports of Khalistani posters in Canada naming senior Indian diplomats. The minister said the issue will be raised with the government of that country. The 'radical, extremist Khalistani ideology' is not good for India or its partner countries such as the US, Canada, the United Kingdom and Australia, he told reporters on the sidelines of a BJP outreach campaign. "We have already requested our partner countries like Canada, the US, the UK and Australia where sometimes Khalistani activities happen, not to give space to Khalistanis. Because their (Khalistanis) radical, extremist thinking is neither good for us nor for them nor our relations," the minister said. "We will raise the issue of posters with those governments," Jaishankar said. The Supreme Court on Tuesday asked the Madras high court to place the habeas corpus petition of arrested Tamil Nadu minister V Senthil Balaji before three judges "at the earliest" in view of a split verdict pronounced earlier in the day. IMAGE: Tamil Nadu minister V Senthil Balaji being taken to hospital after his arrest in connection with a money laundering case, Chennai, June 13, 2023. Photograph: PTI Photo A bench of justices Surya Kant and Dipankar Datta also told the Madras high court chief justice that Balaji's petition should be decided by the new bench expeditiously. Earlier on Tuesday, a Madras high court division bench of justices J Nisha Banu and D Bharatha Chakravarthy pronounced the split verdict on the habeas corpus petition filed by Balaji's wife against her husband's "illegal detention". The high court bench also directed the registry to place the matter before the chief justice for assigning it to a three-judge bench. At the outset, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for the Enforcement Directorate, told the top court bench that since a split verdict has been pronounced by the high court, the matter be transferred to the apex court for final adjudication. "My difficulty is that every day there would be tampering of evidence. There is a pure question of law and none of the facts are disputed. Only question is whether a habeas corpus petition can be filed on a judicial remand," Mehta said. This is a case of an influential person and damage, if done, will be irreversible, he added. Senior advocate Kapil Sibal, appearing for Balaji, said that after a split verdict by a division bench, the matter is placed before a three-judge bench and opposed Mehta's request. How can the high court be bypassed, he asked, adding, "There is a difference of opinion between two judges on an issue and the natural corollary is that it will go to a three-judge bench." Sibal further said that the court under the present circumstances cannot direct the matter to be brought to the apex court. The bench said it would request the high court for adjudication of questions of law at the earliest and posted the matter for further hearing on July 24. It added, "This is a question of law. We will decide it and if there is a view of three-judges, it will only help us." On June 21, in a relief to Balaji, the top court had refused to stay a Madras high court order allowing to shift him to a private hospital for treatment notwithstanding a fervent request by the Enforcement Directorate (ED). The ED, which arrested Balaji in connection with an alleged cash-for-jobs scam in the state's transport department, had moved the apex court against the high court order. Balaji, 47, underwent coronary bypass surgery at a private hospital in Chennai after his arrest and is said to be doing fine. The apex court's vacation bench headed by Justice Surya Kant had noted that the habeas corpus petition filed by Balaji's wife against his "illegal" arrest was still pending in the high court and asked the ED to approach it. It had noted that the high court was yet to pronounce its final judgement on the maintainability of the habeas corpus petition and the ED's request for exclusion of the period of Balaji's stay in hospital from the duration of remand granted by the trial court for custodial interrogation. Balaji, the then electricity and prohibition and excise minister of Tamil Nadu, was arrested on June 14 under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) in an alleged cash-for-jobs scam that took place when he was the transport minister in an All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam government led by J Jayalalithaa. The high court had earlier passed an interim order for shifting the minister to a private hospital after his wife filed the habeas corpus petition. In its plea before the top court, the ED said the high court erred in entertaining the habeas corpus petition and claimed it was not maintainable as a judicial order had already been passed remanding Balaji in the custody of the federal anti-money laundering agency. The HC had on June 15 allowed the minister, who was then undergoing treatment at a government hospital following his arrest, to be shifted to a private facility. It also issued a notice to the ED on the main plea of the "illegal" arrest of Balaji and posted the matter to June 22. The high court had said Balaji would continue to remain in judicial custody and allowed the probe agency to have its own team of doctors examine the minister. A 49-year-old man in the state of Washington was sentenced to 364 days in jail after he pleaded guilty to stalking prominent Indian-American Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal, a media report said. IMAGE: US Representative Pramila Jayapal. Photograph: Jonathan Ernst/Reuters Brett Forsell pleaded to misdemeanour stalking in Seattle's King County Superior Court on Thursday rather than the felony charge prosecutors originally filed against him, The Seattle Times reported on Saturday. Seattle police arrested Forsell, armed with a handgun, outside Jayapal's house a year ago and jailed him on suspicion of committing a hate crime. He was released four days later because police couldn't say with certainty that he told the Congresswoman to go back to India or that he had threatened to kill her. King County prosecutors later charged Forsell with repeatedly harassing and intimidating Jayapal, who feared the man wanted to hurt or kill her. Jayapal, 57, represents Washington's 7th Congressional District and became the first Indian-American woman elected to the US House of Representatives in 2016. She was born in Chennai and moved to the United States at 16. Democrat Jayapal heads the party's congressional liberals as chairperson of the House Progressive Caucus. Forsell was arrested with a loaded .40-caliber handgun holstered on his waist. Neighbours also reported hearing Forsell's verbal attack and saw him try to erect a tent across the street from Jayapal's house. While in custody, camera footage recorded Forsell saying he was going to keep coming back to Jayapal's house until she goes back to India , according to prosecutors. According to charging papers, Jayapal told detectives Forsell's behaviour scared her because it was reminiscent of the anger and vitriol she experienced on January 6, 2021, when insurgents attacked the US Capitol in a failed attempt to stop the certification of President Joe Biden's election. During his arraignment last year, he pled not guilty to charges of felony stalking. Forsell has since been ordered to have no contact with Jayapal and prohibited from possessing firearms for eight years, among other stipulations. In a veiled message to Pakistan and China, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday said the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) nations must not hesitate to criticise countries supporting cross-border terrorism as an instrument of state policy and there must not be any "double standards" in combating terror activities. IMAGE: Prime Minister Narendra Modi speaks during the virtual SCO Summit on July 04, 2023. Photograph: Press Information Bureau With Chinese President Xi Jinping, Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Russia's Vladimir Putin listening, Modi, who hosted the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) meeting of the council of heads of the member states virtually, said that "decisive action" is required to deal with terrorism and terror financing. In a declaration released at the end of the summit, the SCO leaders vowed to take action to stop the spread of terrorism, disrupt the terror financing channels, suppress recruitment activities and the cross-border movement of terrorists. Chairing the summit, Modi also talked about the growing importance of the SCO and added that "it is our shared responsibility to understand each other's needs and sensitivities and resolve all challenges through better cooperation and coordination." The remarks came amid the lingering border row between India and China. In his opening remarks, Modi also highlighted the need for boosting connectivity but asserted that it is essential to respect the basic principles of the SCO charter, especially the sovereignty and territorial integrity of member states while making such efforts. There has been increasing global criticism of China's Belt and Road Initiative. India has been severely critical of the BRI as the project includes the so-called China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) that passes through Pakistan-Occupied-Kashmir. On Afghanistan, Prime Minister Modi said the situation there has a "direct impact on the security of all of us" and it is important to ensure that Afghan territory is not used to destabilise neighbouring countries or to encourage extremist ideologies. The Prime Minister also touched upon the global food, fuel and fertiliser crisis, highlighted the need for reform of the SCO and welcomed Iran as the new permanent member of the SCO. However, one of the major focus areas of his speech was combating the threat of terrorism. "Terrorism has become a major threat to regional and global peace. Dealing with this challenge requires decisive action. Regardless of its form or manifestation, we must unite in our fight against terrorism," he said. "Some countries use cross-border terrorism as an instrument of their policies, provide shelter to terrorists. SCO should not hesitate to criticise such nations. There should be no place for double standards on such serious matters," he said. While Pakistan has been supporting cross-border terrorism against India, China has been blocking efforts at the United Nations Security Council to designate a number of Pakistan-based terrorists in recent years. Last month China blocked a proposal moved by the US and co-designated by India to blacklist Pakistan-based terrorist Sajid Mir under the 1267 Al Qaeda Sanctions Committee of the UN Security Council. The Prime Minister also strongly pitched for deeper mutual cooperation to deal with terror financing and noted that the SCO's RATS (Regional Anti-Terrorism Structure) mechanism has played an important role in this. "We should also take more active steps to prevent the spread of radicalisation among the youth of our countries. The joint statement being issued today on the issue of radicalisation is a symbol of our shared commitment," he said. The virtual summit under India's presidency was attended by leaders from Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan and Iran as well. Modi also delved into various global challenges. "The global situation is at a critical juncture. Food, fuel and fertiliser crisis is a big challenge for all the countries in the world surrounded by disputes, tensions and epidemics," he said, without making any specific references. "Let us think together whether we as an organisation are capable of meeting the expectations and aspirations of our people. Are we able to meet the modern challenges," he asked. "Is the SCO becoming an organisation that is fully prepared for the future? In this regard, India supports the proposal for reform and modernisation of SCO," he said. Modi said India's concerns and expectations regarding Afghanistan are similar to those of most SCO countries. Modi said ensuring humanitarian assistance to the Afghan people, formation of an inclusive government, the fight against terrorism and drug trafficking and ensuring the rights of women, children and minorities in that country are "our shared priorities". "The people of India and Afghanistan share age-old friendly relations. Over the past two decades, we have contributed to the economic and social development of Afghanistan," he said. Noting that India has continued to send humanitarian aid even after the events of 2021, Modi said it was essential that the land of Afghanistan is not used to destabilise neighbouring countries, or encourage extremist ideologies. The Prime Minister also batted for boosting regional connectivity. "Better connectivity not only increases mutual business but also increases mutual trust. But in these efforts, it is essential to respect the basic principles of the SCO Charter, especially the sovereignty and territorial integrity of member states. "After Iran's SCO membership, we can work for better utilisation of Chabahar Port. The International North-South Transport Corridor can become a safe and easy way for the landlocked countries of Central Asia to reach the Indian Ocean. We should realise its full potential," he added. India has been pushing for the Chabahar port project to boost regional trade, especially for its connectivity to Afghanistan. Modi also called for removing language barriers among the SCO countries. "We would be happy to share India's AI-based language platform, Bhashini, with everyone to remove language barriers within the SCO. This can become an example of digital technology for inclusive growth," he said. Modi said the SCO can become an important voice for reform in other global institutions including the UN. The Prime Minister welcomed Iran as the new member of the SCO and also the signing of the Memorandum of Obligation for SCO membership of Belarus. "Today, the interest of other countries in joining SCO is proof of the importance of this organisation. In this process, it is necessary that the basic focus of the SCO remains on the interests and aspirations of the Central-Asian countries," Modi said. Maharashtra Navnirman Sena president Raj Thackeray on Tuesday claimed that the political developments in Maharashtra could have the blessings of Nationalist Congress Party supremo Sharad Pawar himself. IMAGE: Maharashtra Navnirman Sena president Raj Thackeray . Photograph: ANI Photo He was talking to reporters in Pune about NCP leader Ajit Pawar and eight other MLAs joining the Shiv Sena-BJP government in the state on Sunday, splitting the Sharad Pawar-led party. "What has happened in the state is very disgusting....This is nothing but an insult to the voters of the state," Raj Thackeray said. "Sharad Pawar started all these things in Maharashtra. He first experimented with 'Pulod' (Purogami Lokshahi Dal) government back in 1978. Maharashtra had never witnessed such political scenarios ever. All these things started with Pawar, and ended with Pawar," he added. The MNS chief then claimed that Sharad Pawar himself could be behind the recent developments. "Praful Patel, Dilip Walse-Patil and Chhagan Bhujbal are not the ones who will go with Ajit Pawar (on their own and without Pawar senior's blessings)," he said. The Supreme Court is scheduled to hear on Wednesday a plea by social activist Teesta Setalvad challenging the Gujarat high court order which had rejected her plea for regular bail and directed her to surrender immediately in a case of alleged fabrication of evidence to frame innocent people in 2002 post-Godhra riots cases. IMAGE: Teesta Setalvad. In a special late-night hearing on July 1, the apex court had protected Setalvad from arrest and stayed for a week the high court order. According to the cause list of Wednesday posted on the apex court website, a bench comprising justices B R Gavai, A S Bopanna and Dipankar Datta would hear the matter. During the late-night hearing on Saturday, the three-judge bench had questioned the denial of time to Setalvad to appeal against the high court's July 1 order, saying even an ordinary criminal is entitled to some form of interim relief. "In ordinary circumstances, we would not have considered such a request. However, it is to be noted that after the FIR was registered against the petitioner on June 25, 2022, and the petitioner was arrested. "This court, considering the application for grant of interim bail, had granted the same on certain conditions, vide order dated September 2, 2022. One of the factors that weighed with this court was that the petitioner was a lady and as such entitled to special protection under Section 437 CrPC," the bench had noted in its order. "We find that, taking into consideration this fact, the single judge ought to have granted at least some protection so that the petitioner has sufficient time to challenge the order passed by the single judge before this court. "In that view of the matter, without considering anything on merits of the matter, finding that the single judge was not correct in granting even some protection, we grant a stay of the impugned order passed by the high court for a period of one week from today," it had said. The apex court had said the registry shall obtain orders from the Chief Justice of India for listing Setalvad's bail plea before an appropriate bench. During the hearing on July 1, senior advocate C U Singh, appearing for Setalvad, had submitted that the top court had on September 2, 2022, granted interim protection to the activist till the high court decided her bail application. Singh had stated it is nobody's case that she has violated any condition of the interim bail granted to her. Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for the Gujarat government, had urged the apex court to give the same treatment to Setalvad as to any ordinary citizen. The three-judge bench had heard the matter in a special sitting on July 1 after a two-judge vacation bench on the same day had differed on granting interim protection from arrest to Setalvad. Facing impending arrest, Setalvad promptly moved the apex court seeking protection from arrest but the two-judge vacation bench could not reach a consensus on granting her interim relief. The vacation bench of justices Abhay S Oka and Prashant Kumar Mishra had referred the matter to CJI D Y Chandrachud, who swiftly put together a bench of three judges to hear Setalvad's petition challenging the high court order at 9:15 PM on July 1. Earlier, on July 1, Justice Nirzar Desai of the Gujarat high court had directed her to surrender immediately. Setalvad was out of jail after having secured interim bail from the apex court in September last year. The court had observed that Setalvad made attempts to unsettle a democratically elected government and sully the image of the then chief minister and current Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and tried to send him to jail. Setalvad was arrested in June last year along with former Gujarat Director General of Police R B Sreekumar and ex-IPS officer Sanjiv Bhatt in an offence registered by the Ahmedabad crime branch police for allegedly fabricating evidence to frame innocent people in the post-Godhra riots cases. In its judgment, the high court had observed that prima facie Setalvad used her close associates and riot victims to file "false and fabricated affidavits before the Supreme Court with a view to unseat the establishment and to tarnish the image of establishment and the then chief minister (Modi)". Nationalist Congress Party chief Sharad Pawar is seeking legal opinion to tackle the crisis in the party caused by his nephew Ajit Pawar joining the Shiv Sena-Bharatiya Janata Party government and claiming the support of the bulk of MLAs, party sources said on Tuesday. IMAGE: Nationalist Congress Party chief Sharad Pawar meets Congress leader Nana Patole and others at YB Chavan, in Mumbai on Tuesday, July 4, 2023. Photograph: ANI Photo Sharad Pawar, who returned from Satara on Monday night, is holding discussions with legal experts on how to handle the ongoing developments, said NCP national spokesperson Clyde Crasto. "Taking a legal opinion is necessary as this issue concerns Schedule 10 of the constitution," he said. The 10th Schedule, which talks about the anti-defection law, is designed to prevent political defections prompted by the lure of office, material benefits or similar considerations. It also deals with the issue of disqualification on the ground of defection and the role of the speaker or the chairman of the House. According to Crasto, the Ajit Pawar-led group doesn't enjoy the support of more than 13 MLAs and can attract the provisions of the Anti-Defection Law. "A clear picture of the support of Sharad Pawar will emerge tomorrow (Wednesday) at the meeting convened by Sharad Pawar at 1 pm," Crasto said. The Ajit Pawar camp had claimed the support of at least 40 (out of 53) MLAs of NCP. Notably, when asked by reporters if he would take legal recourse after Ajit Pawar took oath as deputy chief minister on Sunday, Sharad Pawar had said he would not get into all this but will go among people. The NCP had moved a petition before Maharashtra Assembly Speaker Rahul Narwekar seeking the disqualification of Ajit Pawar and eight other MLAs who have taken oath as ministers in the Eknath Shinde-led government. A day earlier, the NCP chief removed the party's working president Praful Patel and general secretary Sunil Tatkare for engaging in "anti-party" activities after they attended the swearing-in ceremony of Ajit Pawar. The Ajit Pawar camp has asked the Maharashtra Assembly Speaker to disqualify Jayant Patil and Jitendra Awhad from membership of the House. Patel on Monday appointed Ajit Pawar as the leader of the NCP legislature party and Sunil Tatkare as the president of the state NCP unit. The entry of the Ajit Pawar-led Nationalist Congress Party camp in the Maharashtra cabinet headed by Eknath Shinde has left members of Shiv Sena anxious and many of them are wondering whether their political space will shrink which they might have to share with NCP which has wide base in the state. IMAGE: Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde with Deputy Chief Ministers Devendra Fadnavis and Ajit Pawar releases a booklet at Mantralaya, in Mumbai on Tuesday, July 4, 2023. Photograph: ANI Photo Notably, the group of MLAs loyal to Shinde had cited the inadequate allocation of funds by Ajit Pawar, who was finance minister in the erstwhile MVA government, to their constituencies as one of the reasons for rebelling against Uddhav Thackeray. However, Shiv Sena spokesperson and MLA Sanjay Shirsat on Tuesday claimed Ajit Pawar-led NCP joining the Sena-BJP government is as per a larger strategy ahead of the Lok Sabha and assembly polls scheduled next year. Party (Shiv Sena) workers and supporters have started asking us how and why did Ajit Pawar and NCP join the government? They said will it shrink their political space in the state. But I can assure you that Ajit Pawar joining the government was inevitable, Shirsat told a regional news channel. He said the induction of Ajit Pawar in the state cabinet is a "strong shock" delivered to Uddhav Thackeray and Sharad Pawar for their style of politics. Every party as well as some individuals have some strength. I feel this decision was taken considering all these factors. CM Eknath Shinde was well aware of the decision and he also has some plans in his mind, Shirsat said. He claimed that there could be another round of Cabinet expansion by this Sunday. Queried about the need to seek Ajit Pawar's support when the government is in a strong position, Shirsat said, There was no need for us to make the government stable. We already have nearly 172 MLAs on our side. The NCP's support will strengthen us further. It is always easy to make tall claims of winning more than 40 Lok Sabha seats. But you need a strategy and plan for the same, he said. Nationalist Congess Party president Sharad Pawar on Tuesday said those who "betrayed" his ideology should not use his photograph. IMAGE: Nationalist Congress Party chief Sharad Pawar addresses a press conference. Photograph: ANI Photo "Only the party of which I am the national president and Jayant Patil the state president can use my photograph," he told reporters in Mumbai. In his lifetime, it was his prerogative to decide who should use his photograph, he said. "Those who betrayed my ideology and with whom I have ideological differences cannot use my photograph," the veteran leader added. Incidentally, Pawar's photo was seen at the new office of the Ajit faction in south Mumbai which was inaugurated on Tuesday. Pawar's nephew Ajit Pawar and eight other MLAs of the Nationalist Congress Party on Sunday joined the BJP-Shiv Sena government in Maharashtra. The Ajit Pawar group has removed Jayant Patil as state NCP president. Patil, on the other hand, has submitted a petition to the assembly speaker seeking to disqualify Ajit and his associates. The Shiv Sena (UBT) has once again knocked on the doors of the Supreme Court seeking a direction to the Maharashtra assembly speaker to expeditiously adjudicate the disqualification petitions filed against Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and other Sena MLAs, who had tied up with the Bharatiya Janata Party to form a new government in June 2022, in a time-bound manner. IMAGE: Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde takes part in the 1st anniversary celebrations of his government, Thane, June 30, 2023. Photograph: ANI Photo The plea by Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray) MLA Sunil Prabhu, who as chief whip of the undivided Shiv Sena had in 2022 filed the disqualification petitions against Shinde and other MLAs, alleged that Speaker Rahul Narwekar is deliberately delaying the adjudication despite the May 11 verdict of the apex court. "The petitioner is constrained to invoke the extraordinary jurisdiction of this court under Article 32 of the Constitution of India, in light of the respondent speaker's conduct in choosing to deliberately delay the adjudication of the disqualification petitions filed by the petitioner against the delinquent members of the Maharashtra legislative assembly," the plea, filed through advocate Nishanth Patil and Amit Anand Tiwari, said. The plea said the speaker, despite the categorical direction of the top court in its May 11 judgment that the pending disqualification petitions must be decided within a reasonable period, has chosen to not conduct a single hearing. "The petitioner has also sent more than three subsequent representations dated May 15, 2023, May 23, 2023 and June 2, 2023 to convene a hearing in the said disqualification matters, however, the respondent speaker in brazen disregard to his constitutional duties as a neutral arbiter, has sought to delay the adjudications of the disqualification petitions, thereby permitting the illegal continuance of Eknath Shinde as chief minister, against whom the disqualification petitions are pending," it said. Prabhu, in his petition said, "Therefore, it is imperative for this court to direct the speaker, Maharashtra legislative assembly, to decide the disqualification petitions filed by the petitioner against delinquent members of the Maharashtra legislative assembly expeditiously, within a time-bound manner." He sought direction to the speaker to decide the disqualification petitions dated June 23, 2022, June 25, 2022, June 27, 2022, July 3, 2022, and July 5, 2022 filed by him under provisions of the 10th Schedule against the MLAs loyal to Shinde expeditiously and in a time-bound manner, preferably within a period of two weeks. In his plea, Prabhu said it is a settled law that the speaker, while performing his functions under the 10th schedule, which deals with the anti-defection law, acts as a judicial tribunal, and is required to act in a fair and unbiased manner. "The constitutional requirement of fairness enjoins upon the Speaker the obligation to decide the question of disqualification in an expeditious manner. Any unreasonable delay on the part of the Speaker in deciding the petitions for disqualification contributes to and perpetuates the constitutional sin of defection committed by the delinquent members," the petition said. Prabhu said in the present case, the delinquent MLAs against whom disqualification petitions are pending, have committed brazenly unconstitutional acts which per se invite disqualification under Paras 2(1)(a), 2(1)(b), and 2(2) of the 10th Schedule. "The speaker's inaction in deciding the disqualification proceedings is an act of grave constitutional impropriety as his inaction is allowing MLAs who are liable to be disqualified to continue in the assembly and to hold responsible positions in the government of Maharashtra including that of the chief minister," the plea said. It said the continuance of this grave political crisis is in stark violation of the top court's decision in Rajendra Singh Rana (2007 verdict) where it has held that continuance of disqualified MLAs in the assembly, even for a day, as well as their holding office as ministers would be illegal, and an affront to constitutional values and democratic principles. Referring to the 1992 verdict in Kihoto Hollohan versus Zachillhu case, the plea said it was held that the speaker occupies a constitutional office, and is required to rise above their political affiliations while performing the duties of the office. "In the context of tenth schedule, the Speaker is required to conduct themselves in a fair and impartial manner, as they function as a tribunal. However, in the present case, the present incumbent speaker, the respondent, has clearly demonstrated by his inaction that he is incapable of discharging the function of the speaker under the 10th Schedule in a fair and unbiased manner," it said. The plea referred to the SC's 2016 Nabam Rebia ruling which said the speaker has to maintain propriety and his conduct should be perceptibly impartial while exercising the powers of constitutional adjudication under the 10th Schedule. "However, in the instant case, the conduct of the respondent is demonstrably partial and reeking of bias, contrary to the constitutional expectations from his office," it said. In its 2020 verdict in the Keisham Meghachandra Singh versus Manipur legislative assembly speaker case, the apex court had ruled that the disqualification petitions under the 10th Schedule should normally be decided within a period of three months from the date of filing of the petition to adhere to the constitutional objective behind the 10th Schedule, it said. "The present incumbent Speaker, the respondent, has clearly demonstrated by his inaction that he is incapable of functioning as a fair and unbiased tribunal under the 10th Schedule, as required by law," the petition said. On May 11, the top court had ruled that Eknath Shinde will continue to be the chief minister of Maharashtra as it cannot reinstate the MVA coalition government headed by Uddhav Thackeray since the Shiv Sena leader chose to resign without facing a floor test in the wake of a rebellion in his party. The unanimous verdict by a five-judge Constitution bench had come as a relief for Shinde even as it censured former Maharashtra governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari over his decision calling upon Thackeray to prove his majority in the assembly based on a request by the Shinde faction of the Sena. Shinde, who led the rebellion in the Shiv Sena against Thackeray sparking a nine-day political crisis in June last year, later tied up with the BJP to form a government. Refusing to disqualify the 16 rebel Shiv Sena MLAs including Shinde, the bench headed by Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud had said the court cannot ordinarily adjudicate disqualification petitions under the anti-defection law, and directed Speaker Rahul Narwekar to take a decision on the pending matter within a "reasonable period." Land of the free. Sweet land of liberty. To many Americans, these phrases may belong strictly within the realm of familiar songs that are heard before ball games and come to mind on holidays like todays. But to the thousands of refugees fleeing imminent dangers they face in their homelands, these words might have a compelling immediacy thats almost impossible for us to realize. It must take a powerful belief in what the United States can offer for one man who recently shared his story with The News and requested anonymity to make his journey. He crossed Panamas infamous Darien Gap, through a river and a rainforest, braving gangs, cobras and crocodiles. Now hes in Buffalo, learning English and waiting for his work permit. Thanks in large part to such arrivals people who have escaped unimaginable horrors and now just want a peaceful place to live and work the 2020 census found that Buffalos population actually grew for the first time in 70 years. Research from the Center for Global Development confirms that restricting the number of refugees and asylum-seekers as happened during the Trump administration actually harmed the U.S. economy. And despite the formidable difficulties they continue to face, many asylum-seekers still idealize the freedom that this country can potentially provide. They include Venezuelan newcomer Oneida Briceno Arcila who told the Guardian in February, Always when I go out, when I drive and I see the beautiful blue sky and see the American flag I always tell God, when I am an American citizen, I will have a flag in my house. To me, this seems so respectful, so proud to be American. The faith in American values demonstrated by those who seek refuge here may need a boost nationwide. A new USA Today/Suffolk University poll found that 7 out of 10 Americans agree with the statement that American democracy is imperiled. Their reasons? A major cause is the violent insurrection on Jan. 6, 2021, led by deniers of the 2020 election results, which has led many to worry that their basic rights as citizens could easily become imperiled by violent minorities such as those who attacked the Capitol that day. Another, related concern is the polarization that has enveloped the political scene, creating barriers to compromise that often seem unsurmountable. It must be stressed that, according to the poll, all political factions left, right or center feel that democracy is endangered. Faith in America is also undermined when it becomes clear that the opportunities some find easy to grasp remain out of reach for so many others. Systemic injustice remains a reality throughout the United States, including in Buffalo and here, that reality was brutally underscored on May 14, 2022. These are not new problems. Political extremism fueled by conspiracy theories and fear of the other has long been simmering at the margins of the American scene, but now it is pushing its way into the mainstream. The fight against lingering racial injustice has also been going on for decades. If theres any good news about the USA Today poll and others like it, its that citizens see these problems and are showing their concern. Theres no easy fix, but it is a struggle worth the effort and worth keeping in mind, especially on this most American of days. Ask a refugee. 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 Bharatiya Janata Party's decision to replace its Telangana president Bandi Sanjay Kumar with Union minister G Kishan Reddy, a "softer" leader who can take everyone along, and elevate Etela Rajender, who has switched from the BRS, as its election management committee chairperson hints at a change in the party's strategy in the state. IMAGE: Bandi Sanjay Kumar. Photograph: ANI Photo Many state leaders, especially those sympathetic to Kumar, are keeping their fingers crossed to see if the party maintains its aggression or tones it down towards Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao-led Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) as the Congress seeks to rally forces to reclaim some of its lost ground in the state. Kumar was in Delhi to meet BJP national president J P Nadda on Tuesday. Sources close to him added that he has been particularly peeved with the appointment of Rajender, a regional satrap who in 2021 quit the BRS, then known as Telangana Rashtra Samithi, to join the BJP. A staunch ideologue, Kumar has had a trust deficit with Rajender, who is far from a hardcore Hindutva proponent, and some other leaders who have joined the BJP from other parties. After notching up a creditable performance in the 2020 Hyderabad municipal polls and winning a few key assembly bypolls under his leadership, the BJP seems to have hit some roadblocks due to factionalism and the BRS and, lately, the Congress also stepping up their campaigns. A senior national leader said the party needed a leader who could keep the organisation united and take along everyone. A softer and more sober Reddy, who has headed the party in Telangana earlier too, fits the bill, he said, noting that the Union minister has also been a committed BJP leader for decades. Rajender's elevation will be seen as a positive signal to satraps from other parties who are keen to change sides, he said. A fall in the number of other party leaders joining the BJP was flagged in a recent meeting, sources said. A combative leader with a knack for controversial digs at his rivals, Lok Sabha MP Kumar was credited by the party for infusing new energy in its ranks after taking over its leadership in 2020, as he took on the Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao-led BRS through his episodic foot-march across the state. However, his rivals asserted that his campaign underpinned by hardcore ideological warfare was ill-suited for much of Telangana and that he was not capable of building on the organisation. With the BJP opting for a change in Telangana while preparing to face the BRS and the Congress in assembly polls later this year, it remains to be seen what tactics the party deploys in the state which it eyes for its future growth. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will host Chinese President Xi Jinping, his Russia counterpart Vladimir Putin, Pakistan's Shehbaz Sharif and other leaders of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) nations at a virtual summit of the bloc on Tuesday that is expected to focus on regional security situation and ways to boost connectivity and trade. IMAGE: Prime Minister Narendra Modi with Russia's President Vladimir Putin, left, and China's President Xi Jinping during the G20 summit in Osaka, Japan in 2019. Photograph: Sputnik/Mikhail Klimentyev/Kremlin via Reuters It will be Putin's first participation in a multilateral summit after a mercenary group launched a short-lived armed rebellion last week that rocked Moscow. The summit of the SCO under India's presidency is also set to welcome Iran as the new permanent member of the grouping. The situation in Afghanistan, the Ukraine conflict and enhancing cooperation among the SCO member countries are expected to figure in the summit, people familiar with the matter said, adding boosting connectivity and trade is also likely to be discussed. The summit is also taking place against the backdrop of the over three-year eastern Ladakh border standoff between Indian and Chinese troops, and two weeks after Prime Minister Modi's high-profile visit to the US. The SCO, comprising India, China, Russia, Pakistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan, is an influential economic and security bloc and has emerged as one of the largest transregional international organisations. India assumed the rotating chairmanship of the SCO at the Samarkand Summit of SCO on September 16 last year. Heads of the two SCO bodies -- the secretariat and the SCO RATS (Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure) are also set to attend Tuesday's virtual summit whose theme is "Towards a SECURE SCO'. The SECURE acronym was coined by Prime Minister Modi at the 2018 SCO summit and it stands for Security; Economy and Trade; Connectivity; Unity; Respect for Sovereignty and Territorial Integrity; and Environment. Heads of six international and regional organisations have also been invited to the summit. The organisations are the UN, the ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations), CIS (Commonwealth of Independent States), CSTO (Collective Security Treaty Organisation), EAEU (Eurasian Economic Union) and CICA (Conference on Interaction and Confidence Building Measures in Asia). India's presidency of the SCO saw significant activities in a number of areas. New Delhi created five new pillars for cooperation in SCO. These are startups and innovation, traditional medicine, digital inclusion, youth empowerment and shared Buddhist heritage. The special working group on startups and innovation and experts working group on traditional medicine were created on India's initiative. "We intend to contribute substantially in both these areas," said one of the people cited above. To further Prime Minister Modi's vision of Vasudhaiv Kutumbakom (world is one family), India emphasised on building greater people-to-people connect, the person said. A number of signature events were held under the Indian presidency with the intention to further deepen people to people connect. India's association with the SCO began in 2005 as an observer country. It became a full member state of SCO at the Astana summit in 2017. India has shown a keen interest in deepening its security-related cooperation with the SCO and its RATS, which specifically deals with issues relating to security and defence. The SCO was founded at a summit in Shanghai in 2001 by the presidents of Russia, China, the Kyrgyz Republic, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. Pakistan became its permanent member along with India in 2017. Maharashtra Speaker Rahul Narvekar will likely disqualify the 16 Shiv Sena MLAs, including Eknath Shinde, who will then be asked to resign as chief minister. 'Once this is done, Ajit dada will be sworn in chief minister.' IMAGE: Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, second from left, Deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis, right, and newly sworn-in Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar, left with Governor Ramesh Bais at Raj Bhavan in Mumbai, July 2, 2023. Photograph: ANI Photo According to insiders privy to the negotiations between Bharatiya Janata Party leader Devendra Fadnavis and Nationalist Congress Party leader Ajit Pawar it has been decided that the latter will be crowned Maharashtra's chief minister after the monsoon session of Parliament ends on August 11. The formula took shape in Delhi with the blessings of the BJP's central leadership, which owing to its compulsions in Maharashtra, agreed to Pawar's demand of becoming chief minister. As per the latest political package, Pawar has been asked to join the government as deputy chief minister and wait till the monsoon session of Parliament concludes on August 11, after which the BJP has promised to anoint him as Maharashtra's next chief minister, say these sources. They reveal that Ajit Pawar and the NCP were in regular touch with BJP No. 2 Amit A Shah and Fadnavis even before Eknath Shinde rebelled against Uddhav Thackeray on June 20, 2022 and formed a government with the BJP, and were close to an arrangement, but the plan fizzled out at the last minute due to the BJP rejecting Pawar's demand to make him chief minister. "Ajit Pawar was in regular touch with Amit Shah since last March (2022); even before Shinde's rebellion Ajit Pawar and the NCP would have formed a government with the BJP if the latter had conceded the NCP's demand of making Ajit Pawar chief minister," says an NCP leader. "But at that time the BJP was not willing to compromise on the chief minister's post as it was still smarting from its wounds that the Shiv Sena and Uddhav Thackeray inflicted upon it by joining hands with the NCP and Congress," the NCP leader adds. As per the Supreme Court verdict in the disqualification plea of 16 Shiv Sena MLAs including Chief Minister Shinde, some experts say that Maharashtra Speaker Rahul Narvekar will have time till August 10 to deliver his decision on the issue. Accordingly, Narvekar is likely to apply his mind to the issue after the monsoon session of Parliament ends. According to these insiders, Narvekar will disqualify the 16 MLAs, including Eknath Shinde, who will then be asked to resign as chief minister leading to dissolution of the council of ministers. "Once this is done, Ajit dada will be sworn in as chief minister," claims a person in the know. "That will pave the way for swearing of a NCP-BJP government in the state." "This syncs perfectly with Dada's dream who had at the party's 24th foundation day recently expressed his remorse over the NCP's inability to have its chief minister in Maharashtra since the party's inception in 1999," says an NCP MLA. Shinde, say these sources, was told about the BJP's plan to induct Ajit Pawar and other NCP leaders into the government on the night of June 30. Two days later, Pawar and eight NCP MLAs were sworn in as ministers. "The CM (Shinde) and DCM (Fadnavis) were summoned to Delhi on the night of June 30 where Shinde was informed about the plan to induct Ajit Pawar and the NCP into the government," says one of the sources. Fadnavis will continue to be berthed in Maharashtra and look after the BJP's preparation to win 40 plus of Maharashtra's 48 Lok Sabha seats. The BJP is banking on Ajit Pawar to bring at least 40 MLAs from the NCP. Along with its 105 MLAs, the NCP-BJP government will cross the halfway mark with outside support from the Shiv Sena, many of whose senior leaders, these sources reveal, would be awarded for their loyalty to the BJP with a place in the Union Cabinet. It has been learnt from Ajit Pawar's camp that he has submitted a list of support of 31 NCP MLAs to the governor on Sunday, July 2. The Ajit Pawar factor IMAGE: November 23, 2019: Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, right, with Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar after the swearing-in ceremony in Mumbai. Photograph: ANI "The BJP knows that Eknath Shinde and his Shiv Sena are incapable of winning even 10 assembly seats in Maharashtra. They won't win even one Lok Sabha seat without Modiji's charisma in Mumbai and Maharashtra," says the source who was privy to the negotiations that lured Ajit Pawar away from his uncle Sharad Pawar's side into the BJP's arms. "It was imperative for the BJP to find an alternative to the Shiv Sena, especially if it is serious about winning 40 plus Lok Sabha seats from Maharashtra," the source adds. "Ever since the Maha Vikas Aghadi government came to power in the state the BJP has been carefully calibrating its strength and the damage it would inflict on its Lok Sabha prospects in 2024. It was therefore a matter of life and death for the BJP to weaken it thoroughly and it did that in style by first decimating Uddhav Thackeray's Shiv Sena and is now doing the same with the NCP," says a political observer who closely tracks developments in the BJP in Maharashtra. "If the original MVA were still intact, the BJP would not win even 30 Lok Sabha seats next year," he adds, emphasising the BJP's urgency to hollow out the MVA. Ajit Pawar, unlike Eknath Shinde, is not a political lightweight. Pawar first became a cabinet minister in 1999 -- after having served as a junior minister since 1991 -- when he handled prestigious ministries like water resources, rural development, irrigation. He was also the state's deputy chief minister for four stints between November 2010-September 2012, between December 2012-September 2014, and December 2019 till June 2022, when the MVA was booted out after Shinde's rebellion. Given his administrative experience and organisational skills, the BJP is confident that Ajit Pawar will easily sway at least 40 NCP MLAs -- out of its total strength of 52 -- to his side and avoid the anti-defection law. "He already has submitted signatures and letters of 31 NCP MLAs to the governor (Ramesh Bais) and is in talks with nine more NCP MLAs," says a BJP leader. The importance of his rebellion not just lies in the fact that he will weaken Sharad Pawar and the NCP numerically and emotionally, but his administrative and organisational skills will come handy when the BJP will need a strong rural, agrarian face to win over the state's farmers. 'Shinde saheb won't let anybody (Ajit Pawar) act like they did during Uddhav Thackeray's tenure.' 'Shinde saheb knows how to deal with such people (Ajit Pawar).' IMAGE: Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde. Photograph: ANI Photo Soon after Ajit Pawar broke ranks with his uncle and Nationalist Congress Party President Sharad Pawar, leaders from the Shiv Sena-Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray, Congress and those from the NCP still supporting Sharad Pawar declared that the Bharatiya Janata Party was once again playing dirty politics and this time the BJP's target is Chief Minister Eknath Shinde. Shinde's Shiv Sena MLAs are confident that he will complete his stint as chief minister till the next assembly election in late 2024. Sanjay Shirsat, the Shiv Sena MLA from Aurangabad, tells Prasanna D Zore/Rediff.com that the chief minister is pretty confident of completing his tenure. "These stories are planted in the media by our detractors," he says referring to media reports claiming that Shinde was feeling insecure after Ajit Pawar was sworn in as deputy chief minister. "Our chief minister doesn't operate only from within his residence," he says, taking a dig at former chief minister and his ex-party boss Uddhav Thackeray. "He (Shinde) speaks out for his ministers and MLAs. He moves out in the field; he listens to the grievances of party MLAs and ministers," Shirsat says when asked to justify how they would work with Ajit Pawar, who (finance minister in the MVA government headed by Thackeray) they had singularly charged with obstructing flow of funds meant for development work in the constituencies that had elected Shiv Sena MLAs. IMAGE: Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and other state MLAS offer prayers at the Kamakhya temple in Guwahati, November 26, 2022. Photograph: PTI Photo Every single MLA, who broke away from Uddhav Thackeray in June 2022, had lashed out at the high-handedness meted out to them by Ajit Pawar. "Shinde saheb has the upper hand in this government. He won't let anybody (Ajit Pawar) act like they did during the former chief minister (Thackeray)'s tenure. He (Thackeray) chose to keep quiet, but Shinde saheb knows how to deal with such people (Ajit Pawar)" he says. A Shiv Sena minister, however, strikes a discordant note. "Kaay kalatach nahi kaay challay te (It is difficult to fathom Ajit Pawar's induction in the government)," the minister says, contradicting Shirsat's view that Shinde's position is safe and secure. "Thodkyat mhanaycha tar sagala savla gondhal challay (to put it pithily, the situation has become very chaotic with Ajit Pawar joining the government)," he adds. "It is possible that the BJP has bought insurance for itself," says he reflecting upon the reason why BJP could have inducted Ajit Pawar into the government. "What if the Speaker disqualifies the 16 MLAs?" he asks referring to the instability such a decision would cause to the current government and implying that Pawar and his NCP MLAs would come in handy to save the government. This minister, who was in his constituency the day after Ajit Pawar's swearing-in on July 2, says people are angry at the way politicians are making fun of democratic mandates. "Their anger comes out only as sarcasm and wit now," he says. "'The people of Maharashtra should be happy that in the last five years each and every political party, who we have all voted for, has managed to enjoy the perks of power'," he says citing the jibes thrown at him by his constituents. Ask him if Ajit Pawar's presence in the government would threaten Eknath Shinde's position and if the BJP is seen as arm-twisting Shinde into submission, he says, "If that (Pawar replaces Shinde as the chief minister) happens, people will not keep quiet." Gulabrao Patil, water supply and sanitation minister in the Shinde government, says if three parties having different political ideologies -- the Shiv Sena, NCP and Congress -- could come together and rule for two-and-a-half years (the MVA government), then why can't three different parties having almost similar ideologies stay together in power for the remaining 18 months? "Ajit Pawar joining the government would not impact flow of development funds to our constituencies; Shinde saheb will never allow that to happen," Patil says, defending the contradictions around the breakaway Shiv Sena's views on Pawar when they rebelled against Thackeray. Ask him if the Maharashtra chief minister has started feeling insecure after Pawar's swearing-in as deputy chief minister and Shiv Sena-UBT Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Raut's claims that the BJP will soon replace Shinde with Pawar, Patil says, "Nobody can touch Shinde saheb. He was elected as chief minister by a common understanding and there is no reason to believe that the situation has changed (to warrant Shinde's replacement as CM by the BJP)." IMAGE: Then Shiv Sena rebel leader Eknath Shinde with rebel party MLAs at the Radisson Blu Hotel in Guwahati, June 2022. Photograph: ANI Photo Shirsat, the Shiv Sena MLA from Aurangabad, is confident that at least six Shiv Sena MLAs will be inducted into the Shiv Sena-BJP-NCP government on July 10 when an expansion is likely to happen. "If nine NCP ministers were sworn in, then it is natural that six Shiv Sena MLAs should also be sworn in as ministers," he says reacting to the NCP cornering nine ministries on the very day they became part of the government. "I am mighty hopeful, " adds Shirsat, "that I will be made a minister when the expansion happens on July 10." Brattleboro, VT (05301) Today Light rain this morning with thunderstorms by evening. High around 75F. Winds S at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 90%. Locally heavy rainfall possible.. Tonight Thunderstorms during the evening will give way to partly cloudy skies after midnight. Potential for heavy rainfall. Low near 60F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 80%. News / Local by Staff reporter Residents and business owners in the Benoni CBD are reeling from shock following the gruesome murder of two best friends on June 15.The deaths of Obey Mavhengere (37) and Voight Mapfumo (26), a dreadlock hairstylist known as 'RasVee' who both hailed from Zimbabwe, have sent shock waves across the town.According to sources who spoke to the Benoni City Times anonymously, the two friends were allegedly attacked with an axe at their hair salon, on the corner of Horsfall Street and Prince's Avenue, at around 18:50.Ekurhuleni district communication officer Captain Nelda Sekgobela said when police officers arrived on the scene they found Mavhengere laying on the ground in a pool of blood. He was declared dead on the scene."Mapfumo was rushed to hospital by an ambulance but pronounced dead on arrival," Sekgobela said.The police could not confirm what weapon their killer used."We cannot confirm that because there were no witnesses. Investigations are ongoing. The police have arrested no one yet," said Sekgobela.Mavhengere's distraught cousin, Thabang Ndlovu, said his mother and other family members are battling to come to terms with his death."The past few days have been hard, especially on his mother. They were very close. She loved him dearly. He was her youngest child."Ndlovu said the two best friends were always together; they were inseparable."Seeing my cousin in that state broke my heart. He had a wound on one of his ears which looked like a bullet wound, and his throat was slit.Describing his cousin, Ndlovu said Mavhengere was a people person who loved making jokes.Residents and business owners in the Benoni CBD gathered in numbers along Bedford Avenue on June 22 to celebrate the life of Voight Mapfumo.They buried him on June 24 in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe,On June 23, an emotional memorial service for Mapfumo, attended by residents and business owners, was held along Bedford Avenue.In celebrating his life, his friends and fellow Zimbabweans carried his coffin down the street while chanting.Police are appealing to the public to assist them with information that could lead to the arrest of the killers. News / National by Staff reporter The ANC calls for a change to the ethos that South Africa belongs to all who live there. It says it supports Home Affairs' decision to end Zimbabwean Exemption Permits. ANC First Deputy Secretary Nomvula Mokonyane was speaking to JJ Tabane on Power to Truth. #DStv403 pic.twitter.com/1bBaOlpRPs eNCA (@eNCA) July 4, 2023 The ANC is calling for a change to the ethos that South Africa belongs to all who live in it.It says it supports Home Affairs' decision to end Zimbabwean Exemption Permits.Minister Aaron Motsoaledi is appealing a court order declaring the termination unlawful and unconstitutional.The governing party is also calling for tougher by-laws and tighter border controls.ANC First Deputy Secretary, Nomvula Mokonyane, was speaking to JJ Tabane on Power to Truth."The issue related to our borders, we support comrade Motsoaledi," she said."We were a bit naive believing that South Africa belongs to all who live in it."It's not working for South Africans, nor is it working for the neighbouring countries. We have a challenge dealing with illegal mining, we have a problem with the drugs." Seema Ghulam Haider, a woman from Pakistan, had entered India illegally to be with her love interest named Sachin whom she met on the gaming app PUBG. This incident has raised big question marks over how a Pakistani woman along with her children managed to intrude into Indian territory via Nepal. Having got a hold of her, the Rabupura Police on Tuesday provided complete information about this mysterious woman. Pakistani woman enters India illegally to be with man she met on PUBG Both Sachin and Seema Ghulam Haider along with her four children had escaped from Uttar Pradesh's Rabupura to Haryana's Bahadurgarh where eventually they were traced and subsequently arrested under relevant sections. As per law enforcement officials, Sachin got in touch with the Pakistani woman through PUBG way back in 2019. In 2023, the two decided to meet each other and then move to India where they would stay together in Greater Noida. Seema Haider's husband Ghulam Haider works in Saudi Arabia since 2019 in the business of tiles. Seema moved from Saudi Arabia to Sharjah and from Sharjah to Nepal where she first met Sachin. Later, she along with her four children came to India from Nepal via bus in order to stay with him. Sachin's father Netrapal has also been arrested by Rabupura Police for helping the couple in this act. The sections under which all three have been charged are 120-B (Whoever is a party to a criminal conspiracy other than a criminal conspiracy), 34 (Criminal acts done by several persons in furtherance of common intention) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and Sections 3/4/5 of the Passport Act. "As of now, it seems to be the case of this woman illegally coming and staying in India and she was helped in doing so by Sachin and his father. We have however also got in touch with other agencies that are also looking into the matter," Saad Miyan Khan DCP, Greater Noida told Republic. The officials of Noida Police also mentioned that following the arrest of Seema, her children will be under the protection of the Noida Government and in the coming days they will be safely returned to their father. After the arrest, Seema did not express any regrets about her entire act. She has denied the claims of being a Pakistani spy. Crime Branch Wing of Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) Police has booked the Principal of the Government Medical College Jammu, Dr Shashi Sudan Sharma for tampering with her documents to get benefits while appearing for the MBBS entrance examination in 1981. Dr Sudan has been booked under sections of IPC- 420, 465, 467, 468, 471, 120 B and 5 (1) (d) of the Prevention of Corruption Act. The case has been registered on the complaint of Manu Gupta from the Economic Offences Wing (EoW) of Crime Branch Jammu, and the investigation has been handed over to Dy SP Bhagwan Dass. As per the FIR registered, it has been alleged that the accused Dr Shashi Sudan Sharma, Incharge, Principal Government Medical College Jammu has tampered with her age in documents to get an undue advantage for getting admission to the MBBS course at GMC Jammu. Accused was 'under-age': EoW The complainant further alleged that from the documents it is clear that she was underage for MBBS admission as per Medical Council of India directives. As per her declared age as 8th April 1965, she was not at all eligible to appear for the MBBS entrance examination in the year 1981. MCI clearly states that to be eligible for the MBBS course in India, the candidate must be 17 years on December 31 of that year. However, as per her declared age, Dr Shashi Sudan Sharma was only 16 years and 8 months till December 31, 1981, when she joined the MBBS course, he added in a written complaint to Crime Branch Jammu. FIR further reads that on receipt of the complaint, an enquiry was conducted wherein it came to fore that the accused Dr Shashi Sudan Sharma is having two dates of birth (D.O.B) i.e. April 8, 1964, and April 8, 1965. She has cheated the Govt. by forging/tampering with her D.O.B. While applying for an MBBS course. She has submitted her matriculation diploma mentioning therein her D.O.B as of April 8, 1964, and got admitted to the MBBS course in the year 1981. It was further revealed that she has applied for correction of her D.O.B from April 8, 1965, to April 8, 1964, and the Jammu & Kashmir Board of School Education authorities have issued the order for making the requisite correction in her date of birth and accordingly, she became eligible to fill-up MBBS selection form but later on, she again switched over to her long run advantageous D.O.B. 'DOB also tampered in PAN card': FIR It further transpired that she was well aware of her D.O.B but she intentionally and deliberately claimed her birth date as April 4, 1965, at the time of getting appointed as Assistant Surgeon in 1988 as per her service records for illegal gains. Besides this she has also tampered her D.O.B on PAN Card as per her choice while preparing her Aadhar Card she has used her D.O.B as 08-04-1964 instead of her D.O.B 08-04-1965. She is performing her govt. Service on basis of forged/fabricated D.O.B. As per the guidelines of MCI she was not eligible for MBBS course admissions at the relevant time. The accused with the connivance of the then officers/officials of J&K BOSE has committed the offence of forgery and has used forged document as genuine. Thereby causing wrongful gain to herself and corresponding wrongful loss to the state exchequer, FIR added. The Women and Child Development Ministry on Tuesday announced that it will build infrastructure to combat child trafficking in the border areas and provide protection and rehabilitation to victims. India is both a source and destination country for human trafficking. Women and girls from Nepal, Bangladesh, and Myanmar are trafficked to India under the false promises of a better life, employment opportunities, and improved living conditions. Sadly, a significant number of them are underage girls or young women. Upon their arrival in India, they are sold and coerced into engaging in commercial sex work. Anti-human trafficking units (AHTUs) and funding initiatives These girls often reach major cities like Mumbai, Delhi, Hyderabad, etc., from where they are taken out of the country, mainly to the Middle East and Southeast Asia. This is why the bordering states to these countries need to be more vigilant and have adequate facilities to provide relief and rehabilitation services to the victims of trafficking.The government has provided funding to all states and union territories under the Nirbhaya Fund to establish and strengthen Anti Human Trafficking Units (AHTUs) in every district of the country. Additionally, funding has also been provided for AHTUs in Border guarding forces such as the Border Security Force (BSF) and the Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB). A total of 30 AHTUs, including those in Border Guarding Forces, have been made operational. Moving forward, the government has decided to offer financial assistance to the states and union territories in border areas to establish Protection and Rehabilitation Homes for the victims of trafficking, particularly minor girls and young women. These homes will provide services such as shelter, food, clothing, counselling, primary health facilities, and other daily requirements. Establishing protection and rehabilitation homes for victims Furthermore, in accordance with Section 51 of the Juvenile Justice (JJ) Act, 2015 (as amended in 2021), the Board or the Committee will recognize a facility being operated by a governmental organisation or a voluntary or non-governmental organisation registered under applicable laws to be suitable for temporarily assuming the responsibility of a child for a specific purpose. This recognition will come after a thorough inquiry into the facility's suitability, and the organisation will care for the child as prescribed.The victimised girls will be presented before the Child Welfare Committee (CWC) to identify a suitable facility for providing sponsorship under the Mission Vatsalya Scheme guidelines. Consequently, the states and union territories will be requested to take appropriate action in this regard. Greece is ready to start talks with Turkey to resolve a long-standing dispute over maritime borders that has repeatedly brought the two neighbors to the brink of armed conflict, Greeces newly appointed foreign minister said Tuesday. Giorgos Gerapetritis said the Greek government wants to take advantage of the ongoing positive climate in order to come to an agreement on delineating the areas in which each country has exclusive economic rights, including the right to search for offshore oil and gas. Turkey disputes areas which Greece says fall within its own economic zone and where its seeking to start a search for offshore oil and gas reserves. Turkey claims much of the economic zone of Cyprus where several sizeable offshore natural gas deposits have been discovered. The feud over exploratory drilling rights had culminated in a naval standoff three years ago. Another key issue at the heart of Greek-Turkish tensions that Gerapetritis wants resolved is the extent of the continental shelf and by extension, Greek sovereign territory of Greek islands near Turkeys coastline in the Aegean and the eastern Mediterranean. Turkey doesnt recognize that Greek islands off its borders have a continental shelf, while Greece insists that position is in contravention of international law. All that remains is to determine whether Turkey also sincerely wishes to forge a path of rapprochement, without this meaning that Greece will go back on its red lines or its national priorities, Gerapetritis said after talks with his Cypriot counterpart, Constantinos Kombos. Gerapetritis said at the top of those priorities is an agreement to reunify ethnically divided Cyprus as a federation made up of Greek and Turkish speaking sectors in line with United Nations resolutions. Cyprus was split in 1974 when Turkey invaded following a coup by supporters of union with Greece. Turkey and the breakaway Turkish Cypriots now insist that any peace deal has to first recognize separate Turkish Cypriot sovereignty. Greek and Turkish officials have held a series of high-level meetings in the wake of devastating earthquakes in southern Turkey in February. They promised to shelve disputes that have caused repeated rounds of tension and even the risk of war over decades. Just before his reelection last month, Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis told The Associated Press in an interview that he would extend a hand of friendship to Turkey. India hosted the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit on July 4, which was chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. While addressing the SCO Meet, PM Modi said, "I am delighted that Iran is joining the SCO family as a new member..." Further, he also welcomed "the signing of the Memorandum of Obligation for the SCO membership of Belarus." The summit was attended by Russian President Vladimir Putin, Chinese President Xi Jinping and Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif. The meeting, chaired by the Indian PM, focused on the major issues which include terrorism, regional security and prosperity. How will Iran's inclusion in SCO help India? Iran has officially become a full member of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) during the summit held under the presidency of New Delhi on July 4. Iran has been a significant neighbouring country of India. This inclusion would help in enhancing connectivity initiatives, particularly through projects like the International North-South Transport Corridor (INSTC) and the Chabahar Port. Chahabar Port would open more trade and commerce channels for India. The port of Chabahar, located in Southeastern Iran in the Gulf of Oman, is the only Iranian port which has direct access to the ocean. This would not only help in trade but also bolster energy security. Iran has been trying to join the alliance from last 15 years ago, however, the approval for membership was granted in 2021. The SCO follows a meticulous admission process, which explains the extended timeline for Iran's inclusion. Joint statement on Chahabar Port The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) on April 14 released a joint statement after the conclusion of the first meeting of the India-Central Asia Joint Working Group (JWG) at Chabahar Port located in Southeastern Iran. The meeting took place in Mumbai on April 12-13. The meeting was attended by Secretary (ER) Dammu Ravi along with the Deputy Ministers and Senior Officials of the central Asian countries namely Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan. According to the MEA's press release, Iran's Deputy Foreign Minister Ali Bagheri Kani proposed holding the next round of JWG in Iran with the participation of the private sector, a proposal that was accepted by all the participants. Highlights of the PM address in the SCO While chairing the SCO meeting, PM Modi made some iconic statements which were addressing major issues. While talking about Artificial Intelligence (AI), PM Modi said, "We would be delighted to share India's AI-based language platform Bhashini with everyone to remove language barriers within SCO. It can become an example of digital technology and inclusive growth. SCO can become a significant voice for reforms within the UN and other global institutions." PM Modi also said that India has seen SCO as an extended family and not an extended neighbourhood. "We do not see the SCO as an extended neighbourhood, but rather as an extended family. Security, economic development, connectivity, unity, respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity, and environmental protection are the pillars of our vision for SCO," asserted PM Modi while addressing the members of the SCO. PM Modi also highlighted the importance of "Harnessing the talent of the youth from SCO countries, several new platforms such as the Young Scientist Conclave, Authors Conclave, Startup Forum, and Youth Council have been organised." Further, he also shared the five pillars on which SCO has been established: The UK has called for the expansion of the UN Security Council's permanent seats to include India, Brazil, Germany and Japan as well as African representation, underlining that it is high time the powerful UN body entered the 2020s. Permanent Representative of the United Kingdom to the United Nations and President of the Security Council for the month of July Ambassador Barbara Woodward's comments came as she briefed UN correspondents on the programme of work of the Security Council for the month. On reform of the UN Security Council, we want to see the expansion of the Council's permanent seats to include India, Brazil, Germany and Japan and African representation. It's high time the Council entered the 2020s, Woodward told reporters here on Monday. Woodward referred to remarks by British Foreign Secretary James Cleverly last week in which he announced the UKs ambition to drive forward reform of the multilateral system. Woodward said the UKs presidency of the Security Council in July marks the first step in that process. Responding to a question on the reason behind UKs support for permanent UNSC membership for India, Brazil, Germany and Japan, Woodward said: Our thinking behind the four countries that we supported was partly to do with geographical balance. "Introducing India and Brazil would bring a wider geographical representation into the Council, but also to bring in countries that have more influence than they had when the original Security Council was put together in 1945 for obvious reasons," she said. Theres a sort of combination of recognising the world as it is today, alongside geographical balance, and that's behind our position too on Africa, she said. Last week, the UN General Assembly adopted a draft oral decision to continue Intergovernmental Negotiations (IGN) on the Security Council reform at the 78th session of the UN General Assembly that will commence in September. The rollover decision marked the end of the IGN for the current 77th session. Indias Permanent Representative at the UN Ambassador Ruchira Kamboj underscored that the roll-over decision of the IGN simply cannot be reduced to a mindless technical exercise. We see this technical rollover decision as yet another wasted opportunity to instil a breath of life into a process that has shown no signs of life or growth in over four decades, Kamboj had said. Kamboj had stressed it is now apparent that the IGN could well go on for yet another 75 years without any progress whatsoever in the direction of genuine reform in its current form and modalities - that is, without application of the GA Rules of Procedure, and without a single negotiating text. Responding to a question by PTI on Indias criticism that IGN could well go on for another 75 years without any progress, Woodward said I recognise that it has been a very frustrating process. The UK has set out its position on UNSC reform more than a decade ago, emphasizing the need to broaden the representation and bring the Security Council up to date, she said. Woodward said she had good contacts with the IGN co-facilitators this year, who "have tried very hard indeed, but there is such a wide range of views that it seems very difficult indeed to make progress. So I recognise the frustrations. We too thought it would be useful actually to move to text-based negotiations, but I'm afraid we didn't. There wasn't enough support for that to make immediate progress. But it's something that we do, as I say, continue to support because we need to see the Security Council come into the 2020s. Woodward underscored that the UK has listened very carefully to what our friends and partners around the world have been telling us. We've heard and we recognise concerns by other nations that powerful countries are neglecting their responsibilities. She said that the UK wants to be an agent of progress to change that notion. She underlined that multilateralism has worked well for the last 80 years, it has underpinned a 40-fold increase in trade since 1950, delivered global vaccines for infectious diseases and thus far prevented another world war, with fewer deaths in violent conflict since its founding than any comparable period. But that doesn't mean it's perfect and it doesn't mean it will automatically survive for the next 80 years without reform. Woodward asserted that the UK's position is let's reform that we may preserve and added that the five priorities laid out by Cleverly for achieving that goal are Security Council reform, reform of the international financial systems, trade, international tax and debt and technology. She was asked a question on the position of the Uniting for Consensus group, of which Pakistan is a member, that opposes adding new permanent members to the Council and supports creating additional non-permanent seats. Woodward underscored that the UK's position on UN Security Council reform has been out in the front for a long time now." "We've been very clear that we support permanent membership for India, for Brazil, for Germany and Japan and African permanent membership, she said, adding that the UK welcomes the debate carrying on but the most important thing is to bring the Council into the 2020s and make some progress on that. India, the worlds most populous country, has been at the forefront of the years-long efforts to reform the Security Council, saying it rightly deserves a place as a permanent member at the UN high-table, which in its current form does not represent the geo-political realities of the 21st Century. A Pakistani woman who has been identified as Seema Haider has been arrested in Rabupura which is located on the outskirts of Uttar Pradesh's Noida. The woman befriended a person named Sachin through the gaming app PUBG Mobile and in turn convinced him to make a way for her to come to India. She eventually was entered India via Nepal along with four children. However, it is still not clear if these four children belong to her or not. It was hectic for Rabupura Police to get hold of Haider as she disappeared immediately after she came to India. The law enforcement officials then went on to get a hold of Sachin and tried to interrogate him about the whereabouts of Haider. On Monday morning, Rabupura Police finally managed to get hold of Seema Haider along with four children who accompanied her. So far, the Rabupura Police have not revealed several aspects of the case. The officials, however, have confirmed that they will release more details about the case after the interrogation of Haider is concluded. "Today, we have got hold of a Pakistani woman who had befriended a person identified as Sachin through PUBG. She is now being interrogated and asked several questions. She came illegally to India via Nepal. If required we will be putting more information about Seema Haider on a public platform" said a senior official from Rabupura Police. The senior police officials, however, have confirmed that they have also got in touch with other central agencies over the case and are also sharing the vital detail with them. Hong Kong democracy activist Nathan Law [center] takes part in a demonstration on Sept. 1, 2020, outside the Foreign Office in Berlin. Protests could stir the ire of the Chinese Communist Party. Concerns are growing that China could start using the Interpol "red notice" arrest warrant system to target anyone overseas, of any nationality, who says or does something the ruling Communist Party doesn't like, using Hong Kong's three-year-old national security law. Dozens of rights groups on Tuesday called on governments to suspend any remaining extradition treaties with China and Hong Kong after the city's government issued arrest warrants and bounties for eight prominent figures in the overseas democracy movement on Monday, vowing to pursue them for the rest of their lives. "We urge governments to suspend the remaining extradition treaties that exist between democracies and the Hong Kong and Chinese governments and work towards coordinating an Interpol early warning system to protect Hong Kongers and other dissidents abroad," an open letter dated July 4 and signed by more than 50 Hong Kong-linked civil society groups around the world said. "Hong Kong activists in exile must be protected in their peaceful fight for basic human rights, freedoms and democracy," said the letter, which was signed by dozens of local Hong Kong exile groups from around the world, as well as by Human Rights in China and the World Uyghur Congress. Hong Kong's national security law, according to its own Article 38, applies anywhere in the world, to people of all nationalities. The warrants came days after the Beijing-backed Ta Kung Pao newspaper said Interpol red notices could be used to pursue people "who do not have permanent resident status of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region and commit crimes against Hong Kong outside Hong Kong." "If the Hong Kong [government] wants to extradite foreign criminals back to Hong Kong for trial, [it] must formally notify the relevant countries and request that local law enforcement agencies arrest the fugitives and send them back to Hong Kong for trial," the paper said. While Interpol's red notice system isn't designed for political arrests, China has built close ties and influence with the international body in recent years, with its former security minister Meng Hongwei rising to become president prior to his sudden arrest and prosecution in 2019, and another former top Chinese cop elected to the board in 2021. And there are signs that Hong Kong's national security police are already starting to target overseas citizens carrying out activities seen as hostile to China on foreign soil. Hong Kong police in March wrote to the London-based rights group Hong Kong Watch ordering it to take down its website. And people of Chinese descent who are citizens of other countries have already been targeted by Beijing for "national security" related charges. Call to ignore To address a growing sense of insecurity among overseas rights advocates concerned with Hong Kong, the letter called on authorities in the United Kingdom, United States of America, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and Europe to reiterate that the Hong Kong National Security Law does not apply in their jurisdictions, and to reaffirm that the Hong Kong arrest warrants won't be recognized. The New York-based Human Rights Watch said the "unlawful activities" the eight are accused of should all be protected under human rights guarantees in Hong Kong's mini-constitution, the Basic Law. Hong Kong police on Monday, July 3, 2023, issued arrest warrants and offered bounties for eight activists and former lawmakers who have fled the city. They are [clockwise from top left] Kevin Yam, Elmer Yuen, Anna Kwok, Dennis Kwok, Nathan Law, Finn Lau, Mung Siu-tat and Ted Hui. Credit: Screenshot from Reuters video "In recent years, the Chinese government has expanded efforts to control information and intimidate activists around the world by manipulation of bodies such as Interpol," it said in a statement, adding that more than 100,000 Hong Kongers have fled the city since the crackdown on dissent began. "The Hong Kong governments charges and bounties against eight Hong Kong people in exile reflects the growing importance of the diasporas political activism, Maya Wang, associate director in the group's Asia division, said in a statement. "Foreign governments should not only publicly reject cooperating with National Security Law cases, but should take concrete actions to hold top Beijing and Hong Kong officials accountable," she said. Hong Kongs Chief Executive John Lee told reporters on Tuesday that the only way for the activists to end their destiny of being an abscondee who will be pursued for life is to surrender and urged them to give themselves up as soon as possible. The Communist Party-backed Wen Wei Po newspaper cited Yiu Chi Shing, who represents Hong Kong on the standing committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, as saying that those who have fled overseas will continue to oppose the government from wherever they are. "Anyone who crosses the red lines in the national security law will be punished, no matter how far away," Yiu told the paper. The rights groups warned that Monday's arrest warrants represent a significant escalation in "long-arm" law enforcement by authorities in Beijing and Hong Kong. Extradition While the U.S., U.K. and several other countries suspended their extradition agreements with Hong Kong after the national security law criminalized public dissent and criticism of the authorities from July 1, 2020, several countries still have extradition arrangements in force, including the Philippines, Portugal, Singapore, South Africa and Sri Lanka. South Korea, Malaysia, India and Indonesia could also still allow extradition to Hong Kong, according to a Wikipedia article on the topic. Meanwhile, several European countries have extradition agreements in place with China, including Belgium, Italy and France, while others have sent fugitives to China at the request of its police. However, a landmark ruling by the European Court of Human Rights in October 2022 could mean an end to extraditions to China among 46 signatories to the European Convention on Human Rights. "The eight [on the wanted list] should be safe for now, but if they were to travel overseas and arrive in a country that has an extradition agreement with either mainland China or Hong Kong, then they could be arrested on request," researcher Wang Hsin-li of Taiwan's Association of Strategic Foresight said. Hong Kongs Chief Executive John Lee on Tuesday urged the eight Hong Kong activists who are sought under arrest warrants to give themselves up as soon as possible. Credit: Peter Parks/AFP But he said he doesn't believe that the government in China or Hong Kong cares much about the international outcry in response to the warrants, which have included growing calls for Hong Kong Chief Executive John Lee to be barred from entering the United States to attend the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in San Francisco in November. "They're pretty indifferent to international calls for sanctions," Wang said. "Their thinking now is that national security trumps everything else." UK strongly objects Lawyer and current affairs commentator Sang Pu agreed that officials could start using Interpol red notices, adding that the purpose of such international pressure seems to be to stop people from speaking up or protesting against the Chinese Communist Party overseas. "This wasn't aimed at those eight in particular, but at many more like them who are engaged in human rights advocacy and community building work," Sang said of the Hong Kong warrants. "There are many people like that in Taiwan, Britain, the United States, Canada and Australia." British Foreign Secretary James Cleverley said his government "strongly objects" to the national security law. "The decision to issue arrest warrants for 8 activists, some of whom are in the UK, is a further example of the authoritarian reach of Chinas extraterritorial law," Cleverley said via Twitter, echoing earlier objections from the State Department. Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said such criticisms were "flagrant slander," and said the eight activists were "acting as pawns for anti-China forces overseas." "Relevant countries need to respect Chinas sovereignty and the rule of law in Hong Kong, stop lending support for anti-China elements destabilizing Hong Kong, and stop providing a safe haven for fugitives," she told a regular news conference in Beijing. British Security Minister Tom Tugendhat said the warrants were "trying to interfere with our internal affairs." "Nathan Law and his fellow pro-democracy activists are under our protection, and enjoy our full support," he said via Twitter in response to the arrest warrants. Translated by Luisetta Mudie. Edited by Malcolm Foster. The US is moving to charge Chinese companies behind the crisis in painkiller overdoses. Plastic bags of Fentanyl are displayed on a table at the U.S. Customs and Border Protection area at the International Mail Facility at O'Hare International Airport in Chicago, Illinois, U.S. November 29, 2017. Picture taken November 29, 2017. The United States is muscling up to turn around what might be described as the Opium Wars Part II, even if it was Britain, not the U.S., that was perpetrator of the first two in the 19th century. In an interview with NBCs Meet the Press on Sunday, Drug Enforcement Administration administrator Anne Milgram called for further cooperation from China and Mexico to battle the U.S.s synthetic opioid crisis. Milgram said that even though the D.E.A. was ready to work with anyone who will work with us, China has not been cooperative, adding that the Mexican government also needs to do more. Fentanyl, an extremely heavy-duty painkiller, is behind what the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention calls an opioid overdose epidemic. The drug is responsible for tens of thousands of deaths each year and the numbers are continuing to rise. Just over a week ago, the U.S. for the first time filed prosecutions against Chinese companies and individuals involved in manufacturing the precursor chemicals used to make fentanyl, which has flooded the country via Mexico. The Department of Justice filed criminal charges in New York on June 23 against four Chinese companies and eight individuals, alleging that they knowingly manufactured, marketed, sold, and supplied precursor chemicals for illegal fentanyl production in the U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland said that Chinese companies openly advertised the chemicals on social media platforms and stealth shipped them to buyers. We are targeting every step of the movement and manufacturing sale of fentanyl, from start to finish, Garland said, according to reports. Just one of these China-based chemical companies shipped more than 200 kilograms [441 pounds] of fentanyl-related precursor chemicals to the U.S. for the purpose of making 50 kilograms of fentanyl, a quantity that could contain enough deadly doses of fentanyl to kill 25 million Americans, Garland said. A federal court in New York charged Hubei Amarvel Biotech, Anhui Rencheng Technology, Anhui Moker New Material Technology and Hefei GSK Trade in three separate cases. The eight individuals charged included executives and employees of the four companies. The two people arrested, both employees of Hubei Amarvel, were expelled from Fiji and taken into custody by U.S. officials and held in Honolulu, Hawaii. Diplomacy on the rocks The announcement of the prosecutions came shortly after U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken visited Beijing, where he met with Chinese leader Xi Jinping. Blinken raised the issue of stemming the flow of chemical components for fentanyl to laboratories in Mexico, where the finished substance is believed to be made before being shipped and smuggled to the U.S., but no progress was made. It is a contentious issue that has yet to gain traction with Beijing, despite it being raised repeatedly. Speaking on the Biden-Harris Administrations approach to foreign policy, in New York, in a public discussion moderated by the Council on Foreign Relations President Richard Haass on June 28, Blinken said that the Fentanyl issue was an issue worth pausing on. Blinken added: The No. 1 Killer the No. 1 killer of Americans aged 18 to 49 is fentanyl. So, if you start with that premise, it makes sense that youd want to be focusing a lot of your time and resources and effort on that. And we are. And indeed, as I just mentioned, in a couple of weeks time, well be moving forward with a broader international coalition to deal with this. This photo provided by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration's Phoenix Division shows some of the 30,000 fentanyl pills the agency seized in one of its bigger busts, in Tempe, Arizona, in August, 2017. Credit: U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency via AP Chinas Ministry of Commerce condemned the most recent moves by the U.S. China has always enforced rigorous anti-drug measures and, guided by humanitarianism principles, has taken the lead in globally controlling substances like fentanyl, Chinese state media reported the ministrys website as saying last week. The foreign ministry, meanwhile, demanded the immediate release of Chinese citizens who were illegally arrested. China urges the U.S. side to stop dumping blame and to stop smear attacks on China, the ministry said in a statement. Down payment on a pledge Deputy Attorney General Lisa O. Monaco of the U.S. Attorneys Office, Southern District of New York, said in a statement: Todays announcement is a down payment on our pledge to use every tool in the governments arsenal, in every corner of the globe, to protect American communities. The Justice Department will not rest or relent in investigating and prosecuting every link of the fentanyl supply chain, including the PRC companies and executives who produce and export vast quantities of the precursor chemicals the drug cartels need to peddle their poison. There can be no safe haven. Strips showing positive for fentanyl over a heroin doses are seen at La Sala, a safe space for women using drugs at Verter Community Center in Mexicali, Baja California State, Mexico, on May 9, 2023. Credit: Guillermo Arias/AFP In late May the US Treasury Departments Office of Foreign Assets Control announced new sanctions against seven entities and six individuals based in China, as well as one entity in Mexico. China has long countered that the U.S. needs to control its apparently insatiable appetite for illicit drugs. As nationalist state tabloid, The Global Times, editorialized on Monday, The U.S. has never been able to solve its drug problem. The U.S. drug epidemics root cause lies within the country itself The opioid epidemic in the U.S. is mainly due to the long-term and widespread abuse of prescription painkillers. The U.S. government continues to push for the legalization of marijuana, playing a role in condoning and exacerbating the problem. Foreign ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning said last week. These are common commodities, which are not controlled both at home or abroad The importer is responsible for preventing related equipment from flowing into drug production channels. If someone commits a crime with a knife, it is very clear whether the person who wields the knife or the manufacturer of the knife should be sanctioned and punished, she added. The Wall Street Journal recently reported that Chinese social platform WeChat is being used to facilitate payments for chemicals, according to Robert Zachariasiewicz, a former senior supervisory agent for the Drug Enforcement Administration. Once payments have been made, Chinese suppliers send chemical components to laboratories in Mexico. It is then illegally shipped to the U.S. where it is sold to end users for cash by networks that are often controlled by Chinese nationals or the Chinese diaspora, the report said. Edited by Mike Firn. News / National by Staff reporter President Mnangagwa has appointed Ambassador Ignatius Graham Mudzimba as Zimbabwe's ambassador to the Republic of Belarus.The appointment was announced by the Chief Secretary to the President and Cabinet, Dr Misheck Sibanda under General Notice 1132 of 2023, published in an Extraordinary Government Gazette on Monday."It is hereby notified that His Excellency the President has, in terms of sections 110(2)(i) and 204 of the Constitution of Zimbabwe, appointed Mr. Ignatius Graham Mudzimba as ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to the Republic of Belarus," Dr Sibanda said.Before his latest appointment, Ambassador Mudzimba was Zimbabwe's representative to Cuba and Cooperative Republic of Guyana.Zimbabwe and Belarus established diplomatic relations in 1992 and ties between the two countries have been growing since the coming in of the Second Republic.The country's President, Aleksandr Lukashenko paid a reciprocal State visit to Zimbabwe early this following President Mnangagwa's visit in 2019.The two countries have entered into agreements in various sectors that include mining and agriculture with Belarus supplying tractors, heavy duty trucks, mining equipment and fire-fighting equipment among others. Despite strong objections from China and others, it will likely be released this summer. Rafael Mariano Grossi, head of IAEA, left, presents the report on Fukushima water release to Japanese PM Fumio Kishida, right, in Tokyo, July 4, 2023. Japans plans to discharge treated nuclear wastewater stored at the Fukushima Daiichi power station into the Pacific Ocean are consistent with relevant international safety standards, the safety review by the U.N.s atomic watchdog has concluded. The discharges of the treated water would have a negligible radiological impact on people and the environment, said the report formally presented by International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi to Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida in Tokyo on Tuesday. Japan will continue to provide explanations to the Japanese people and to the international community in a sincere manner based on scientific evidence and with a high level of transparency, Kishida said as he met with Grossi. TEPCO, the Tokyo Electric Power Company, which operates the Fukushima nuclear power plant located on Hakura Beach in Japan, is set to initiate the release of approximately 400,000 cubic meters of treated wastewater from the plant into the Pacific this summer. Over 1.3 million cubic meters of wastewater - enough to fill more than 500 Olympic-size swimming pools - is currently contained in numerous water storage tanks at the facility. It was used to cool the nuclear reactors damaged in a 2011 earthquake and tsunami. This Sept. 18, 2010 aerial photo shows the Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear complex in Okumamachi, northern Japan the year before it was hit by a massive tsunami. Credit: Yomiuri Shimbun, via AP TEPCO says that the controlled discharge of the treated wastewater adheres to a meticulous nuclear purification process utilizing a pumping and filtration system called ALPS (Advanced Liquid Processing System), designed according to the safety standards prescribed by the IAEA. In the reports foreword, Grossi said that the controlled, gradual discharges of the treated water to the sea, as currently planned and assessed by TEPCO, would have a negligible radiological impact on people and the environment. China strongly objects The plan, conceived in 2021, has been a source of concern about possible environmental and health risks for nearby countries such as South Korea, China and Pacific Island nations. Local Japanese fishing unions have also opposed it. The Chinese Embassy in Japan said Tuesday the IAEAs report could not be a pass for the nuclear-contaminated water to be released. It called on Japan to immediately suspend the plan, seriously negotiate with the international community, and jointly explore scientific, safe, transparent and acceptable handling methods. In a press conference, Ambassador Wu Jianghao claimed that there was no precedent for discharging such water produced by nuclear accidents into the sea. He said it was different from other countries discharging wastewater because what they are discharging is cooling water, not polluted water that has been in contact with the molten core of the accident. Fukushimas nuclear-polluted water contains more than 60 types of radionuclides, many of which have no effective treatment technology at this stage, Wu said, claiming the effectiveness and sustainability of the Japanese processing system lacks sufficient authoritative verification. However, IAEA and Japanese officials have said that ALPS will reduce 62 of the 63 radioactive substances currently in the wastewater to amounts that will have a negligible environmental impact. Wu said that Japan does not respect science because it announced in 2021 that it would start releasing the wastewater, long before the IAEA completed its assessment and released its final report. He also said IAEA is not an appropriate agency to assess the long-term impact of nuclear-contaminated water on the marine environment and biological health. IAEA will monitor the discharge The decision has also divided the scientific community. However, the IAEAs report aligns with many international independent scientists who say the worries are based on misinformation. The wastewater release will take between 30 and 40 years to complete. The IAEA said it would continue its safety review during the discharge phase, with a continuous on-site presence and live online monitoring from the facility. The agency said the stored water has been treated through ALPS to remove almost all radioactivity, aside from tritium, which will be diluted with the water to bring it below regulatory standards before the release. A Buddhist monk protests against the Japanese government's decision to release treated radioactive wastewater from the damaged Fukushima nuclear power plant, near a building which houses the Japanese Embassy in Seoul, July 4, 2023. Credit: AP The IAEA will continue to provide transparency to the international community, making it possible for all stakeholders to rely on verified fact and science to inform their understanding of this matter throughout the process, Grossi said. He plans to arrive at the Fukushima plant on Wednesday. The following day he heads to South Korea to explain the reports findings. He is also expected to visit some Pacific Island countries to ease their concerns over the plan. The report represents the culmination of nearly two years of effort by a specialized task force comprising leading experts from the agency, guided by internationally acclaimed nuclear safety advisors from eleven nations. The experts assessed Japans proposals in light of the IAEA Safety Standards, which are recognized as the benchmark for safeguarding individuals and the environment and promoting a consistent and elevated level of safety globally. Edited by Mike Firn. A view of pagodas on Louxingdun island that usually remains partially submerged under the water of Poyang Lake, which is facing low water levels due to a regional drought in Lushan, Jiangxi province, China, Aug. 24, 2022. El Nino patterns are underway in the ocean region that extends from the equator to the Tropics of Cancer and Capricorn, which will likely result in record-high temperatures in many parts of the world, along with severe droughts, the World Meteorological Organization said Tuesday. El Nino conditions have developed in the tropical Pacific for the first time in seven years, setting the stage for a likely surge in global temperatures and disruptive weather and climate patterns, the organization said. It is expected to be at least of moderate strength, said the specialized United Nations agency that looks into weather and atmospheric science. El Nino, a naturally occurring weather pattern characterized by hot ocean temperatures in the equatorial Pacific, can significantly affect weather and storm patterns worldwide. It currently takes place in a climate changed by human activities. There is a 90% probability of the El Nino event continuing during the second half of 2023 at at least moderate strength, according to the World Meteorological Organizations new forecast update, which combines forecasts and expert guidance from around the world. The onset of El Nino will greatly increase the likelihood of breaking temperature records and triggering more extreme heat in many parts of the world and in the ocean, Petteri Taalas, the organizations secretary-general, said. He said the announcement signals governments worldwide should prepare to limit the impacts on health, ecosystems, and economies. Early warnings and anticipatory action of extreme weather events associated with this major climate phenomenon are vital to save lives and livelihoods, Taalas said. The U.S. National Ocean and Atmospheric Administration has predicted a 56% chance that this years El Nino will be a strong event, with an 84% chance of at least a moderate event. Scientists have found that the frequency and ferocity of such extreme events will increase this century due to rising global temperatures. El Nino could bring record temperatures El Nino occurs on average every two to seven years, and episodes typically last nine to 12 months. The region has seen the cooling influence of La Nina for several years, conditions which ended in March this year. Scientists say the past eight years have been the eight warmest on record globally, with 2016 being the hottest on record. The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) says that is primarily due to the double whammy of an exceptionally strong El Nino event and human-induced warming from greenhouse gasses. A Filipino worker cleaning garbage looks at a truck navigating a flooded road in suburban Mandaluyong, east of Manila, Philippines, as monsoon downpours intensify while Typhoon Nepartak exits the country on July 8, 2016. Credit: AP According to a May report by the WMO, it is predicted that within the next five years and the entire five-year span, there will be a new record for the warmest temperatures ever recorded, surpassing the 2016 record. Additionally, the report states that there is a 66% probability that the average global near-surface temperature for at least one year between 2023 and 2027 will exceed 1.5C above pre-industrial levels. This is not to say that in the next five years we would exceed the 1.5C level specified in the Paris Agreement because that agreement refers to long-term warming over many years, said Chris Hewitt, the WMOs director of climate service. However, it is yet another wake-up call, or an early warning, that we are not yet going in the right direction to limit the warming to within the targets set in Paris in 2015 designed to substantially reduce the impacts of climate change. The WMO said Tuesday that the effect on global temperatures usually plays out in the year after its development and will likely be most apparent in 2024. Last year, the average global temperature, which has not crossed the 1.5 C threshold set by the Paris climate agreement, was about 1.15 C above the 1850-1900 average. Asia could see severe drought In most of Asia and Australia, El Nino would mean warmer, drier weather conditions and could cause severe drought, as well as fuel typhoons, the WMO said. On June 30, the ASEAN Specialised Meteorological Centre (ASMC) said that El Nino conditions are expected to be established in the region during July and August. Once established, these conditions are likely to strengthen gradually over the second half of 2023, it said. The typical impact of El Nino on Southeast Asia is drier-than-average rainfall conditions, including for much of the Maritime Continent during June to August. Warmer temperature conditions typically follow drier periods. The ASMC also said an increased risk of elevated hotspot activity and smoke haze could be expected over the fire-prone areas of the southern ASEAN region during extended periods of dry weather. Indian women walk home after collecting drinking water from a well at Mengal Pada in Thane district in Maharashtra state, India, after a heatwave and severe drought conditions struck the region, May 4, 2016. Credit: AP Last month, according to the state-affiliated Global Times newspaper, the China Meteorological Administration said that El Nino is expected to bring more extreme weather to China. Zhou Bing, head of the administrations meteorological service, told reporters that there are suggestions, dating back to 1850, that the return of El Nino could lead to record high temperatures in 2023 or 2024. Zhou said that even if El Nino becomes a moderate event, it could surpass the record for the warmest global weather in 2016. During El Nino years, there are typically higher temperatures in mostly northern, eastern, and central regions, leading to extreme drought in certain areas, according to data from the National Climate Center. Similarly, more rainfall in southern China and a warmer winter are also expected. In recent weeks, parts of China have been experiencing record-breaking heat, while others have seen heavy rainfall and flooding. Edited by Mike Firn. Radio Free Asia sat down for a chat with Raymond Powell, a 35-year veteran of the U.S. Air Force who retired in 2021 and now runs Project Myoushu. Part of Stanford Universitys Gordian Knot Center for National Security Innovation, the project seeks to develop tools to counter Beijings gray zone tactics in the South China Sea. The following has been condensed and lightly edited for clarity. Radio Free Asia: Project Myoushu is about Chinas gray zone tactics in the South China Sea. Can we start by defining that? Raymond Powell: We are talking about activities of a state actor in this case, we're talking about China that can't be directly attributed to them, or which fall in a nebulous legal area where they can act without being directly seen, or noticed, or publicly held accountable. What makes the South China Sea a hotbed of gray zone activity is that most of what happens there happens outside the public eye. If China, for example, harasses a Filipino fisherman, or points a laser at a Philippine Coast Guard ship, they can attempt to say That didn't actually happen, you're making that up. How do you know it was us? So what the Philippines has been doing with releasing photos and videos of incidents has been trying to illuminate this gray zone. Our hypothesis is that if you illuminate gray zone activity, you do two things: You build resilience into your own society against that activity, so that people begin to expect and give you room to push back. And then, also, in the long-term, you hope to deter that activity because now, the gray zone actor China is paying a reputational cost. Raymond Powell runs a project that seeks to develop tools to counter Beijings gray zone tactics in the South China Sea. (Provided by Raymond Powell) RFA: Beijing has claimed the South China Sea for a very long time. When did we first see gray zone tactics emerge? Powell: It's very hard to put a date on it. I would say that the real sea change in gray zone activities probably can be traced back to the Scarborough Shoal Incident in 2012 where they essentially took the shoal from the Philippines and then their island-building campaign, where we saw them turn reefs and rocks into islands and military bases and station Navy and Coast Guard militia ships at those places. They began patrolling around those places in a way that expanded the assertion of their sovereignty. So again its hard to put a date on it. To back up for a second, when I first started looking at the South China Sea in the 1980s, it was very much about features. It was about this rock, or this reef, or this island. Everything was centered on who had had actual possession of a particular feature. Obviously, there were overlapping claims, but the thing that mattered was the features. Now that China has these bases, it is able to project power outwards in a way that it's very much more about the water, and who has a presence there. Its about who has an actual military or paramilitary force that is able to push forward into the exclusive economic zones of its neighbors and take possession of things, either physically by rafting a whole bunch of malicious ships together or just by patrolling. Even patrolling is a gray zone activity, because patrolling by a Chinese Coast Guard ship among Malaysia's oil and gas activities is an assertion of jurisdiction. Its saying We have sovereign rights over your exclusive economic zone, because it falls within our nine-dash line. RFA: Im curious to hear youve been looking into the South China Sea since the 1980s. What did it look like then in terms of Chinas presence and how has it changed over the last 40 years? Powell: Because it was mostly about features, China's presence was not actually that noticeable. They had fewer features than, say, the Vietnamese. There was one major clash in 1988 over South Johnson Reef, in which a Chinese ship opened fire on 60 or so Vietnamese sailors who were standing on the reef actually in the water but it was very much about who had possession of which feature. There was not a lot of patrolling happening back then. China simply didn't have the assets to control all of that water. So that has really changed in the last 15 years, where they have vastly expanded their maritime militia, in particular and their Coast Guard. The Coast Guard and the maritime militia have become their instruments of power projection for the South China Sea. Their maritime militias activities are very much gray-zone because they're very deniable. They can say, Well, they're fishing ships. But they don't fish. They exist to patrol or simply to lay claim by sheer presence in an area. RFA: What about the spate of near-accidents that weve seen in the last few years, and particularly in the past few months? Powell: A similar thing occurred in 2018 with the USS Decatur, which was in the South China Sea doing a freedom of navigation operation. It was similar in that the Chinese ship attempted to cut off the United States ship, and in both cases they came very close to doing so. More recently, we saw a Philippine Coast Guard vessel that was outside of Second Thomas Shoal also nearly collide with a Chinese ship. What is different now in particular when you're talking about the Philippines is that the Philippines is releasing the photos and the video of the incidents. I think that is actually a quite effective deterrent measure, because part of China's model for gray zone activity is that its just meant to be a message for the Philippine government, but now it's exposed for the world and they have to recalculate its value. An activist burns a flag of China during a protest to demand that the Chinese government pull out from the Scarborough Shoal during a rally in front of the Chinese consular office in Makati's financial district of Manila, May 8, 2012. (Cheryl Ravelo/Reuters) RFA: What is the message that they're trying to send to the Philippines, and to the United States when it happens with U.S. ships and planes? How does publicizing it alter the calculus? Powell: When its a gray zone activity, generally speaking, the message is to the government of the country involved, and the message is: You dont want to escalate this. You want to have your relationship with China be as uncomplicated as possible. So now that you know were the jurisdiction here, keep this between us. What publicizing the incidents does is impose a reputational cost on China for doing those kinds of things. For many governments, the temptation is to go along, be quiet and not publicize anything, because you want everything to go back to normal. The problem is that the creeping normal is becoming less and less and less favorable for the region and for the other Southeast Asian countries. So the more you normalize the gray zone activity, the more they simply become expected, and eventually you will normalize yourself right out of all of your own legal and internationally lawful rights to your own exclusive economic zone. That is the tactic they call salami slicing you take a slice of salami, another slice and another slice. So every time they sail through your waters and do a survey or a petrol, or they harass your oil and gas operations, or they stop your fisherfolk from fishing, and you acquiesce, it brings into normalcy the fact that you are no longer in charge of your own waters. RFA: Its changing the facts on the ground. Powell: Right. So bringing it back to the U.S., one of the things that China does not like at all is U.S. freedom of navigation operations. The entire reason the freedom of navigation operations exist and have existed for over four decades is for this exact circumstance. Because if you allow a country to say I'm going to draw a circle around this thing right here, which does not have a status under international law, but I'm going to say it belongs to me and nobody is allowed in here without my consent, and we say, Okay, the facts on the ground have now changed, even if the legal status has not, then we have acquiesced. We've said that we will not go where you tell us not to go. The problem with that is it doesnt have a logical stopping point. So the reason that freedom of navigation operations exist is that we simply say we will go wherever international law allows us. If the law allows us to go, say, in a straight line through this area, or to do maneuvers in that area, we will do exactly that, simply as an assertion of our rights. RFA: So when China says its provocative, thats the point? Powell: I used to have diplomatic friends on the Chinese side say, But why do you have to go through these very sensitive areas? The South China Sea is so big, you can easily go to other areas. But you can't just say something is sensitive to you and make a circle around it, and deny other people their right to go there. Eventually what will happen is that international law has no meaning, and might simply makes right. A freedom of navigation operation is a specific thing that is meant to counter excessive maritime claims. Its very narrowly defined. The thing to remember is it's not unique to the South China Sea or to China. We do freedom of navigation operations against excessive claims in the Mediterranean Sea, and against allies who have excessive claims. Some of them may write a protest letter to the embassy. We will file it and it goes unremarked on. Only China reacts the way that they do. In this photo provided by the U.S. Navy, the USS Chung-Hoon observes a Chinese navy ship conduct what it called an "unsafe Chinese maneuver in the Taiwan Strait, June 3, 2023, in which the Chinese navy ship cut sharply across the path of the American destroyer, forcing the U.S. ship to slow to avoid a collision. (Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Andre T. Richard/U.S. Navy via AP) RFA: Do you think that part of the submarine sale to Australia under the AUKUS deal, in spite of the massive backlogs at U.S. shipyards, is meant to expand whos doing these operations? Powell: It's very hard for a country to just start doing them. RFA: But Australia does do freedom of navigation operations, even if not as frequently as the United States. Powell: This is a technical question. Under the U.S. definition of a freedom of navigation operation, there are certain classifications. So, for example, Australia does not go within 12 nautical miles of a Chinese-held feature in the South China Sea. We do. Australia does not go through the Paracel Islands, around which China draws what we call straight baselines and says You can't go in here. We do. Oftentimes, my Australian friends would say, Well, we do them, we just don't go within 12 nautical miles. But those are the ones that meet the technical definition of what our program calls freedom of navigation operations. So when my Australian friends would say We do them, I say that we're using different definitions of the term. Australia has operations in the South China Sea, which they will say asserts their freedom to navigate the South China Sea. They will not, though, go the next step of going within 12 nautical miles of a feature. I understand why because the first time that they do, everyone will notice and will want to know who they did it against. And if they do it against China, then China will treat it very much as a provocation. A Philippine flag is seen between Philippine Navy ships at the Philippine-claimed island of Thitu, locally known as Pag-asa island at the South China Sea, April 21, 2023. A Chinese navy ship shadowed the two Philippine patrol vessels in the darkness after midnight as they cruised near Subi, one of seven barren reefs that China has transformed into bases in the past decade. (Aaron Favila/Associated Press) RFA: It sounds like youre saying the salami slicing is working, if Australia is unable to go near these Chinese-held features? Powell: Yes, you can say that China has to every country in the world except for the United States successfully been able to draw a 12 nautical mile circle around a number of claims, and say that nobody else can come close to them. Theyve sliced the salami that far. RFA: How do you see this developing by 2030? What discussions will be taking place in Washington about the South China Sea? Powell: If everything sort of stays on its current trajectory, the danger is that China consolidates its claims simply by increasing the number and frequency of its patrols, and essentially pushes its claim all the way to the edges of the nine-dash line, so that it becomes the effective sheriff, if you will, or the effective constabulary for the entire nine-dash line. In some ways, they've already done that in many places. For example, the Philippines cannot fish at Scarborough Shoal except for in the way specifically allowed by China. China has not yet been able to entirely push that into, for example, hydrocarbon fields like Vietnams Vanguard Bank, or Malaysia's of Luconia Shoals. But it has stopped any new exploitation there, if ever somebody wants to survey a new area. There are a couple of flashpoints. One is that the Philippines is running out of natural gas from its existing gas fields, and it believes that it has exploitable natural gas at Reed Bank, which is within the nine-dash line. At some point, there will be an increasingly acute need to address that in some way that doesnt violate the Philippines sovereignty. Another is that the Philippines has a ship, the BRP Sierra Madre, which they ran aground in 1999 at Second Thomas Shoal. It effectively serves as their outpost there and asserts the Philippines claim over the shoal, which is in their exclusive economic zone. That ship is getting very old and increasingly rusted and brittle, and China has been very effective in not allowing repairs. At some point, that ship could easily begin to break up, or to slide off the shoal, which could provoke a crisis: What would the Philippines and its U.S. ally do about that? RFA: Everything you're saying is leading me to think that there's two possible conclusions: Either China does take control over the nine-dash line area of South China Sea, or there will be some kind of conflict with the U.S. military. Is there a third option? Powell: Even under President Xi Jinping, it is not in China's national interests to be in a constant state of tension and conflict with every country, everywhere, all the time, over everything. The Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Milius (DDG 69) conducts routine operations in the South China Sea, March 24, 2023. China threatened serious consequences after a U.S. destroyer sailed around the disputed Paracel Islands in the South China Sea for the second day in a row. (Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Greg Johnson/U.S. Navy via AP) At some point it has to decide which battles it really wants to fight. So its in the interests of each country along its periphery to see if they can push back to the point where China realizes its not in its interests to have constant tension and there is instead a settlement somewhere short of yielding sovereignty over the entire nine-dash line. RFA: That sounds like a far way off. Powell: Every country needs to be thinking in the long-term. In the short term and this goes back to the point of our program countries like the Philippines can use transparency into gray-zone tactics as their friend. There is something to be gained, because it forces China to recalculate the cost/benefit of pushing that hard. There's an old saying that is attributed to Vladimir Lenin: Probe with the bayonet. If you meet steel, withdraw. If you meet mush, press forward. You need to have some steel in there, so that they know how hard they can push before you will start pushing back. A fourth day of Russian missile strikes on Ukrainian Black Sea port installations on July 21 set grain storage facilities in the Odesa region on fire and destroyed a huge amount of food stored for export, causing damage and injuries, regional officials and the military said, as fighting continued along the whole eastern front. Live Briefing: Russia's Invasion Of Ukraine RFE/RL's Live Briefing gives you all of the latest developments on Russia's full-scale invasion, Kyiv's counteroffensive, Western military aid, global reaction, and the plight of civilians. For all of RFE/RL's coverage of the war in Ukraine, click here. Regional Governor Oleh Kiper said that Russia launched Kalibr-type cruise missiles from vessels in the Black Sea, destroying a grain terminal and wounding two people. Unfortunately, a grain terminal of one of the agricultural enterprises of the Odesa region was hit. The enemy destroyed 100 tons of peas and 20 tons of barley. Two people were wounded in the explosion," Kiper said. Kiper said that, at first, two missiles hit the granary, causing a fire, then a third missile struck while firefighters were trying to extinguish the flames. "Another missile hit the same enterprise, damaging agricultural and rescue equipment. A fire on an area of more than 200 square meters was quickly extinguished," Kiper said. Ukrainian Air Force spokesman Yuriy Ihnat said that up to four P-800 Onyx cruise missiles hit infrastructure targets south of the city of Odesa. "Unfortunately, our means of detection and destruction are not enough to cover the entire territory of Ukraine and destroy incoming missiles and drones," Ihnat said. In Moscow, the Russian Defense Ministry said its navy carried out a live fire "exercise" in the northwest Black Sea on July 21, just days after the Kremlin said that cargo ships en route to Ukrainian ports on the Black Sea would be regarded as potential military targets. The Black Sea Fleet "carried out live firing of anti-ship cruise missiles at the target ship in the combat training range in the northwestern part of the Black Sea," the ministry said in a statement on Telegram. On July 20, Russian missiles struck the Odesa and Mykolayiv regions, killing two people, wounding another 20, including five children, and causing extensive damage to port installations and stored grain. The strikes also hit residential areas in the center of Odesa and Mykolayiv, setting large areas on fire. The Ukrainian Energy Ministry said that grain terminals and port infrastructure in the ports of Odesa and Chornomorsk were targeted. In Chornomorsk, 60,000 tons of grain were destroyed over the past several days, the ministry said. Russia's Defense Ministry has said the series of strikes on southern Ukraine targeted facilities where it claimed Ukraine was building seaborne drones of the type that Moscow says damaged a bridge in the annexed region of Crimea. But Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said the Russian strikes had "deliberately" targeted sites in the Odesa region that are used to export grain after Russia refused to extend the grain deal. "About a million tons of food is stored in the ports that were attacked today. Exactly the volume that should have been delivered to consumer countries in Africa and Asia a long time ago," Zelenskiy said in a video message. "Everyone in the world should be interested in holding Russia accountable for terror," he added. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres slammed the attacks near the Black Sea port cities. "These attacks are...having an impact well beyond Ukraine. We are already seeing the negative effect on global wheat and corn prices which hurts everyone, but especially vulnerable people in the global south," Guterres said in a statement from his spokesman, Stephane Dujarric. The Black Sea escalation comes as Kyiv reports a new attempt by Russia to return to the offensive in the northeast. "The enemy continues to focus its main efforts on Kupyansk [in the Kharkiv region], Lyman, Bakhmut, Avdiyivka and Maryinka [in the Donetsk region], where 32 close combat battles were fought over the past day," the General Staff of Ukraine's military said on July 21. Ukrainian defenders in Kupyansk repelled attacks by Russian troops southwest of Masyutivka, the military added. Germany meanwhile announced that it has handed over the first 10 Leopard 1A5 tanks to Ukraine. In a message, the German Defense Ministry said the new package of military aid also included 20 MG3 machine guns for tanks and armored vehicles, 1,035 155-millimeter shells and smoke ammunition, among other items. On July 20, the United States said U.S.-supplied cluster munitions are being deployed in the field. White House National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said the munitions are having an impact on Russian defensive formations and maneuvering. "We have gotten some initial feedback from the Ukrainians, and they're using them quite effectively," Kirby said at a news briefing. In its daily intelligence update, Britain's Defense Ministry said that up to 20,000 Russian convicts recruited by the Wagner mercenary group were killed in fighting in Bakhmut over the past several months. Russian forces spearheaded by Wagner mercenaries captured Bakhmut in May, following months of intense and bloody fighting. British intelligence said that, while it was a rare recent Russian military success, the battle for Bakhmut was also "one of the bloodiest episodes in modern military history." It estimated that at its peak, Wagner had some 40,000 convicts under contract early this year. It said that the last convicts recruited under the so-called Project K program are likely to be released over the next several days, but it estimated that many will probably stay on as contract fighters. With reporting by AP and Reuters SOFIA -- A towering tribute to Bulgarian national identity that is the pet project of President Rumen Radev will be unveiled this month in the country's southern Rhodope Mountains. The 111-meter-high flagpole (known as the Rozhen Pylon) is billed by organizers as "a monument to the unification of all Bulgarians" and will hoist an 8,000-square-meter, white-green-and-red tricolor higher than any other national flag in the European Union. It will, supporters claim, encourage the world to regard Bulgaria "with respect and honor." Organizers also pledge to create an "attraction for pure Bulgarian patriotism" built on a renewed "faith in civil collective patriotism." But detractors say it's being built on shaky political ground, despite at least three ministries' assertions that everything is legally in order. Critics object to its mixed origins as a "state initiative" and "private project" funded in part by donations solicited by cabinet ministers from state-owned companies and enterprises. And they challenge the legitimacy of a loophole to skirt zoning restrictions that distinguishes between the enormous concrete foundation laid in an alpine meadow and the pylon itself by classifying it as a "movable" structure. There are also questions stemming from the activities of one of its principal organizers, an influential livestock breeder who has encouraged tie-ins between folk culture and animal husbandry, including his ties to the association that owns the land underneath the Rozhen Pylon. "I can't believe how there can be such opposition between Bulgarians over the flag," said Simeon Karakolev, who eight years ago established the Heritage In The Future foundation that initiated plans to mount the 100-ton Rozhen Pylon to fly the national colors at an elevation of 1,430 meters. Bulgaria has struggled to shed its image as one of the EU's most corrupt and ungovernable members since joining in 2007. It has spent two years mired in a political stalemate that has taken a toll on national morale and amplified Radev's influence through his appointment of multiple caretaker governments. Private Or 'State Initiative'? Fund-raising kicked off in November to raise the estimated 1 million lev ($559,000) needed for the Rozhen Pylon through a "Bulgaria Deserves" campaign under Radev's patronage. Heritage In The Future said in its early press releases that contributions along with their sources would be published on a weekly basis. But that information recently disappeared from the Rozhen Pylon site, around the time that RFE/RL was pursuing information that state-owned firms were among its most significant donors. The move followed signs that fund-raising was increasingly reliant on clientelism. RFE/RL's Bulgarian Service obtained a copy of a letter to most of the government's ministries from February in which then-acting Innovation and Growth Minister Alexander Pulev described Rozhen as a "state initiative." He called on cabinet members to donate money "both in their capacity as ministers and personally." Weeks earlier, the organizers' website showed that the initiative had only gathered around 13,000 lev ($7,250) by January 11. "The help and cooperation of each of our departments remain key to the support of this initiative under the patronage of President Radev," Pulev wrote, referencing a previous letter from November. All of the ministers in Prime Minister Galab Donev's caretaker government at the time were appointed directly by Radev, in line with the constitution. Radev's office did not respond to RFE/RL's inquiries about the project. Pulev, who is no longer in office, could not be reached for comment. Karakolev told RFE/RL that he saw nothing inappropriate in Pulev's actions. "Minister Pulev got involved very actively," Karakolev said. "He calls me, he says he will invite his colleagues to get involved. I don't see what's wrong with that." He said the spending was fully transparent and that a major auditing firm that he declined to name was hired to look at the books. He said its conclusions would be made public once they were completed. Some parts of the project are being donated in kind, Karakolev said. The huge flag, which costs around 6,000 lev ($3,346) and needs replacing up to twice a year, he said, is being provided by a Parvomai-based sewing company. A construction company, PIMK, announced on social media that it was transporting the pylon's parts from a Turkish manufacturer and might provide specialized machinery for the high-rise construction. The Artstroy company donated around 1,000 cubic meters of excavation work. By May 18, Heritage In The Future announced that contributions had risen to over 700,000 lev ($390,400), with state-owned enterprises' donations responsible for around 160,000 lev ($89,234) before that information disappeared from the website. The Council of Ministers subsequently provided RFE/RL with some of that information. It showed that the Bulgarian Development Bank, which serves the government in national crises and is a key lender for infrastructure and other priority areas, donated 15,000 lev ($8,500). Three companies controlled by the Transport Ministry -- Bulgaria's national railway operator, air-traffic authority Bulatsa, and the operator of the Black Sea port at Burgas -- contributed thousands of lev. The municipalities of Devin and Zlatograd contributed 5,000 ($2,790) and 10,000 lev ($5,600), respectively. And forestry enterprises that report to the Agriculture Ministry joined forces to donate around 120,000 lev ($66,925), or around three-quarters of the total haul from state-owned players named in the disclosure provided by the Council of Ministers. "The ministry itself did not give money for the pylon," former acting Agriculture Minister Yavor Gechev told RFE/RL. "I can't tell those enterprises what to do. They have their own management councils." He expressed support for the project and said it should unite Bulgarian society instead of creating controversy. Earlier this month, the funding was still some 90,000 lev ($50,200) short of its goal. The pylon is scheduled to open on July 13, on the eve of a folk and culture festival at Rozhen. A 100-Ton 'Movable' Object Further concerns have focused on the structure's status as "relocatable" atop hundreds of tons of poured concrete and the environmental impact and propriety of using land set aside for agricultural use. Heritage In The Future has freed up use of the land for three years, and the local Smolyan municipality granted the right to build the pylon on a 256-square-meter section of the Rozhen meadows. Smolyan's chief architect, Borislav Dimitrov, issued two permits for the construction: one for the immovable underground foundation of rebar and concrete and another, temporary one for the "movable" pylon itself. Dimitrov said no approval from the local council was needed because the property is in private hands. Karakolev has told RFE/RL that while "nothing in this world is forever," he estimates the pylon's useful life is 50 years. Rozhen isn't a protected area. Recently appointed Environment Minister Julian Popov noted that there are few legal protections on aesthetic grounds for such sites but vowed to look at the project within the context of "public value." Sofia lawyer Vesselin Tonchev says such an "imposing pylon" seems an awkward fit to qualify as a movable object under current legislation on territorial planning since it's permanently attached to the foundation seemingly for long-term use. "It's immediately apparent that it's not for temporary use," Tonchev, who is not involved in any case concerning the Rozhen project, told RFE/RL. In fact, he said, the relevant legislation includes a list of movable objects and pylons are not among them. He speculated that organizers might be "trying to circumvent the law by presenting the construction in question as a movable object." Conservationist Petko Tsvetkov of the Balkani Wildlife Association, an NGO, said his group had filed a request with the Agriculture Ministry for an inspection under laws on the use of agricultural lands and expects the case eventually to end up in court. "This facility, no matter how they try to present it, doesn't meet the requirements," he said. Smolyan Deputy Mayor Mariana Tsekova disagreed, saying "the hole that was made is quite deep [but] the embankment will be returned to the place from which it was dug." She added that "there is no way the concrete will do any harm, there will be soil on top of it on which the proper vegetation can grow." Written by Andy Heil in Prague based on reporting by RFE/RL Bulgarian Service correspondents Vidka Atanasova and Genka Shikerova TALLINN -- Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas on July 4 said that NATO membership "is the only security guarantee" for Ukraine and said it is important that NATO member countries agree during their upcoming summit in Vilnius on "practical steps" on how Ukraine gets into the alliance. It is important that during the July 11-12 summit members "go beyond the Bucharest wording," she said, referring to the 2008 summit declaration that offered Ukraine an opportunity to join the alliance without a concrete timetable. But she cautioned that membership won't happen as long as fighting is ongoing. "Of course, we understand it cannot happen when the war is going on. But we have to have a clear pathway [for] how Ukraine gets there," she said in an interview with RFE/RL in Tallinn one week ahead of the crucial summit. During the summit, the alliance is expected to seek ways to provide Ukraine additional security guarantees but stop short of full Ukrainian membership, which Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy has long pushed for. What the pathway for Ukrainian membership will look like is currently under discussion as officials from the 31 NATO allies currently negotiate the wording of the summit declaration. According to RFE/RL sources familiar with the topic but barred from speaking on the record, the declaration could say that NATO commits to Ukrainian membership when "consequences" or "conditions allow" and that the topic could be reexamined during the NATO summit in Washington next summer. Another idea being discussed is based on the Cold War model under which West Germany was in NATO and was covered by the alliance's mutual defense clause, Article 5, while East Germany was not. Kallas, however, poured cold water on such a design, saying it would effectively reward Russia for its invasion. "The end of the war is when Russia goes back to Russia. If we sayyou get some territories, then aggression actually pays off," she said. "It is a very bad signal for international law and also the security of the whole world if [Russian aggression] pays off. That is the most important thing to keep in mind." Kallas also reflected on the declaration of the Bucharest summit in 2008, which resulted in Ukraine and Georgia often going hand in hand in pursuing NATO membership. But at the upcoming summit, Ukraine is set to be represented by Zelenskiy, who will meet with the other heads of state and governments, while Georgia will be represented by its foreign minister and participate in a lower-level meeting with other so-called "partners at risk" such as Bosnia-Herzegovina and Moldova. Asked why this "de-coupling" has occurred, Kallas said the current leadership of Georgia "does not really believe in NATO membership" and pointed to a think-tank event in May in Bratislava in which Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili said NATO enlargement was at the root of the war in Ukraine. WATCH: Kallas says it's important to agree on "practical steps" on how Ukraine gets into NATO once the conflict with Russia is over. "It was the [Bratislava] conference where the prime minister of Georgia was saying that NATO is at fault for the war in Ukraine," she said, adding that the Georgian leader said this even though NATO is a defense alliance. "NATO has not done anything. Ukraine has not done anything to really provoke Russia to attack them," Kallas said, noting that even Wagner mercenary head Yevgeny Prigozhin said that this has been "a false narrative" of the Russian leadership to justify attacking Ukraine. She compared the situation in Georgia with that of Ukraine during the 2004-05 Orange Revolution that brought a pro-Western government to power after months of demonstrations prompted by a flawed presidential vote. "I think Georgia is where Ukraine was years ago when they had the Orange Revolution, so that they also widely consider Europe (the EU) as their future. But that also requires reforms on their side," Kallas said. The return of the so-called morality police to the streets of major Iranian cities has brought back fear and stress for women who choose to ignore the requirement that they wear the hair-covering hijab. But it has also been met with resistance by men and women alike, while lawmakers have questioned the effectiveness of the hard-line approach to enforcing compliance. Iranians who spoke to RFE/RL's Radio Farda said the presence of the morality police -- officially known as "guidance patrols" that usually include male officers and women wearing black chadors -- is not as visible as it was before the patrols were scaled back after nationwide protests first broke out against the hijab law last autumn. I really don't know where they want to get with this method, but in my opinion, if they want to continue this way, confrontations will start again." "Before, when we went on the street, they had a stationary vehicle, or a vehicle that was moving on the street," Leila Mirghaffari, a women's rights activist who lives in Tehran, told Radio Farda on July 17, a day after the return of the morality police was announced. "They haven't yet dared to encroach like before. But they are present, mostly in main squares." Mirghaffari described the decision to redeploy the morality police, coming after the monthslong protests had largely wound down, as a distraction aimed at creating "fear and terror" among the population. "It creates mental and emotional problems for us. It's stressful, and it occupies our thoughts and those of our families," Mirghaffari said. "When we want to leave home and come out to the street, at any moment we may travel a route where morality police patrol and are stationed to arrest people." Nevertheless, Mirghaffari and others suggested, the patrols are largely ineffective and have even given new life to resistance against the authorities' efforts to enforce the countrys strict Islamic dress code. Some Tehran residents who spoke to Radio Farda said that many women simply put on a hijab when they spot the morality police before quickly removing them once out of sight. And in some cases where women have been harassed or threatened by morality police, fellow citizens -- male and female alike -- have pushed back. Almost immediately after the authorities announced on July 16 that the morality police patrols would resume, residents of the northern city of Rasht took to the streets to protest an attempt to arrest three women for allegedly violating the hijab requirement. The situation reportedly escalated into clashes between demonstrators and police, who used tear gas to disperse protesters, some of whom were chanting against Iran's clerical establishment. "I really don't know where they want to get with this method, but in my opinion, if they want to continue this way, confrontations will start again," said a male Tehran resident who requested anonymity while answering questions on WhatsApp. "Personally, if I see them taking a girl into a van, I will step forward and shout so as not to let them take them. That's how things are, and I think most people now are like me. They don't want the Mahsa incident to happen again and for another innocent girl to be killed." The death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini in September, soon after she was arrested for allegedly violating the hijab law, sparked the nationwide protests that lasted months and prompted a crackdown that led to the deaths of more than 500 people. Amini's death became the cause celebre for thousands of women and men who took to the streets to show their opposition to the hijab law. Amid the protests, there were reports that the authorities had disbanded the morality police, although other reports indicated that they never really went away in some cities. But the issue also prompted the clerical establishment, which views the hijab as key to its interpretation of Islam, to introduce revisions to the country's Chastity and Hijab Law that would introduce stiffer penalties for noncompliance, including up to three years in prison for repeat offenders. While the hijab has been compulsory in public for women and girls over the age of 9 since 1981, shortly after the 1979 Islamic Revolution ushered in the clerical establishment, the requirement is often flouted, particularly in urban areas. The Chastity and Hijab bill, which is awaiting parliamentary approval, has been fodder for intense debate -- with some lawmakers saying it does not go far enough to make women comply with the hijab requirement and others questioning the effectiveness of forcing women to comply. Following the announcement that the morality police patrols would resume in many Iranian cities, lawmaker Vali Esmaili, who heads the parliament's social commission, said that the body would unlikely be involved in the effort. He also said that before resuming the patrols, "we should first look at the state of society to see if such actions have been effective in the past 43 years." The Chastity and Hijab bill also proposes penalties, including the confiscation of automobiles, against drivers or passengers of vehicles in which women are not in compliance with the hijab requirement. "When I'm driving, I have to wear a hijab," a woman who resides in Tehran told Radio Farda following the redeployment of the morality police, explaining that she has had her vehicle impounded four times for failing to wear the hijab. "But when I get out and move away from the car, I take off my head scarf. Many times, I just put it in my bag. Sometimes, when I see that the conditions are bad, I keep it around my neck, but I am still without a hijab in the street." The woman said that she has not personally seen any morality police since they returned to the streets of Tehran. But she has heard eyewitness accounts of the presence of marked morality police vehicles in the northern city of Shahriar, in Tehran Province, where she said most women wear head scarves and those who do not could be seen without a hijab not far from the morality police. WATCH: Masses of demonstrators are turning out throughout Iran, where some are shouting down police enforcement of strict religious dress codes for women. "There are the odd ones out who are without a hijab, and they were 100 or 200 meters away from the morality police," she recalled being told of the current situation. She said that even before the morality police returned to the streets, her experience in dealing with them showed that they were reluctant to enforce the hijab requirement. "It's pretty clear that they're tired of this matter, but it seems like they have orders from above," she said. That is far from the norm, according to the activist Mirghaffari, who painted a dark picture of the morality police, whose involvement in human rights violations has led to Western sanctions. "The morality police are truly violent. They are really repressive. They have no humanity," said Mirghaffari, who added that she has been arrested by the force several times. "The morality police are really trained for savagery and for causing distress to the point that someone like Mahsa Amini could be killed. And they have no fear at all." Others who spoke to Radio Farda were incredulous that the authorities would reintroduce the morality police amid public frustration over Iran's dire economic situation. "The issue is not the hijab. The real issue is the terrifying inflation and high prices," said the man who answered questions by WhatsApp. "But they are only fixated on the hijab. They are playing with everyone's nerves, whether man or woman, whether with a hijab or without, they are bothering everyone." The renewed protests, which included women carrying placards bearing the "We won't go back!" slogan that became popular during anti-hijab demonstrations, suggests that efforts to force women into compliance will be met with continued resistance. "Look, our girls are fighting and know that there is no way back for us and we are not going back, and our answer to them wanting to forcibly put a hijab on us is, 'No!'" said Mirghaffari. "This is a big step we have taken to reach our other desires and we will never go back." Written by Michael Scollon based on reporting by Mehdi Tahbaz and other Radio Farda correspondents. More than 40 people, including 12 children, were injured on July 4 in a Russian strike on the town of Pervomayskiy in the eastern Kharkiv region, Ukrainian officials said, as the Ukrainian military reported continued heavy fighting in the Donetsk region. Kharkiv regional Governor Oleh Synyehubov said on Telegram that the shelling took place around 1:35 p.m. local time, setting several cars on fire and blowing out the windows of residential buildings. Live Briefing: Russia's Invasion Of Ukraine RFE/RL's Live Briefing gives you all of the latest developments on Russia's full-scale invasion, Kyiv's counteroffensive, Western military aid, global reaction, and the plight of civilians. For all of RFE/RL's coverage of the war in Ukraine, click here. Synyehubov said 43 people were injured in the missile attack. The Ukrainian Interior Ministry said the number of injured was 41, including 12 children. A 10-month-old boy and a 1-year-old child are among the injured, Synyehubov said. The Interior Ministry said the 10-month-old was admitted to the intensive-care unit and his condition has stabilized. The other children suffered minor shrapnel injuries, bruises, and scratches, and all have been medically treated, the ministry said. The strike hit a parking lot outside the residential building in the town of Pervomayskiy, which is relatively far from current hot spots in the Donbas region. Eight high-rise buildings and eight cars were damaged as a result of the rocket attack, the Interior Ministry said. Andriy Yermak, President Volodymyr Zelenskiy's chief of staff, also commented on the attack, saying the Russians fired "a high-explosive shell." Both Synyehubov and Yermak posted photos on Telegram of what they said showed some of the destruction caused, including images of burned cars lying on their sides or upside down, apparently from the impact. Elsewhere in Ukraine, General Oleksandr Tarnavskiy, the head of Ukraine's southern command, said Ukrainian troops knocked out the enemy from a number of positions. "The defense forces are advancing in the [southern] direction," Tarnavskiy said on Telegram. "Units of missile troops and artillery performed 1,283 fire missions during the day." He said the fighting took out three companies of Russian troops -- killed or wounded -- and equipment, including two tanks and anti-aircraft missiles. The claims could not be independently verified. The General Staff of Ukraine's military early on July 4 reported heavy fighting in the Bakhmut, Lyman, Avdiyivka, and Maryinka areas in Donetsk. It said there had been a total of 40 combat clashes during the previous 24 hours. WATCH: RFE/RL's Maryan Kushnir spent a day with members of Ukraine's 47th Separate Mechanized Brigade on the front line in the Zaporizhzhya region. There was also heavy fighting in the Berdyansk and Melitopol directions, where Ukrainian forces were advancing, Ukraine's military leadership said. The Ukrainian military also said that Russian forces during the day on July 3 carried out 56 air strikes and 77 attacks from rocket salvo systems, adding that the attacks had killed and injured an unspecified number of civilians. The report came as Russia accused Ukraine of launching a drone attack on Moscow and the surrounding areas that resulted in the temporary restriction of landings and takeoffs at the capitals Vnukovo airport. The Russian Defense Ministry said it repelled an attack from five Ukrainian drones in Moscow and a nearby region. Air defenses destroyed four of the drones, and the fifth was intercepted and fell, the ministry said in a statement. There were no casualties or damage as result of the "terrorist attack," the ministry said. The attack is the latest in a series of recent drone attacks, including one on the Kremlin in May and others on Russian towns near the border with Ukraine. The Russian Foreign Ministry said such attacks would not be possible without the help provided to Kyiv by the United States and NATO allies. The spokesman of Ukraine's Main Intelligence Directorate (HUR), Andriy Yusov, commented on the drone attack on Moscow. "If we talk about Moscow, we traditionally do not comment on it. But it happens. If the Russian 45th brigade of special forces is engaged in sabotage in the Ukrainian rear, then this means that something can fly to Moscow," he said on national television. The drone attack was the first known assault on the Russian capital since an abortive mutiny launched 11 days ago by mercenary chief Yevgeny Prigozhin, who released an audio message on Telegram on July 3 expressing gratitude to those who supported him and his group in their short-lived mutiny. Prigozhin said he ordered his group to stop its advance in order to prevent a civil war. He and hundreds of his armed Wagner fighters led a brief uprising on June 24 that captured the southern Russian city of Rostov-on-Don and threatened to carry out a march against Moscow. The crisis was defused after Prigozhin accepted a deal that would allow him to go into exile in Belarus and give his men the choice of joining him there or be integrated into the Russian military. With reporting by Reuters, AFP, and The Hill News / National by Staff reporter Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) lawmaker Joana Mamombe and fellow party activist Cecilia Chimbiri heaved a sigh after the High Court found them not guilty of faking their 2020 abduction.The state accused the activists, who include the now exiled Netsai Marova, of publishing falsehoods.The charges stem from a 2020 incident in which they claimed to have been seized from the hands of police officers in Harare by suspected state agents who drove them to a secluded place outside the capital to be subjected to horrendous acts of torture and sexual assault.The three met their ordeal following a flash anti-government demonstration they had staged in Harares Warren Park suburb alongside other party activists.After a public alarm was raised over their disappearance by friends and their party, they were later located them in Bindura, some 70km outside Harare soiled and bruised.The trio could hardly walk following the ordeal.They would later spend some time in hospital nursing the injuries before being dragged to court accused of lying about their abduction in order to soil the Zanu-PF led governments image.But following an anguished three years of frequenting the courts, Mamombe and Chimbiri finally walked free, the Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights (ZLHR) confirmed Tuesday."Zim High Court has vindicated 2 victims of torture, Harare West MP Hon. @JoanaMamombe & @ceechimbiri2, one of opposition @CCCZimbabwe party leaders by acquitting them on charges of communicating falsehoods for allegedly faking their abduction&torture in 2020," said ZLHR. On May 21, Alfred Galimov returned to the apartment he shared with his girlfriend in Naberezhnye Chelny, a city on the Volga River in Tatarstan, following a day of military exercises in the regional capital, Kazan. A member of the Alga battalion, a unit made up mainly of men recruited in Tatarstan, the 34-year-old was scheduled to be sent back to the war in Ukraine any day following a five-month break. That evening, he texted a relative to ask for 200,000 rubles ($2,250), an amount nearly four times the average monthly salary in the region. It was an odd request for a soldier about to leave to war. The next morning, Galimov was found hanged in his bathroom, an apparent suicide. He left no note, but a relative who spoke to RFE/RL said Galimov was apprehensive about returning to the front. He may have wanted the money to bribe his way out of the service, she said. "I could see that he did not want to return to the war," the relative said, speaking on condition of anonymity due to the sensitivity of the subject. As the death toll mounts 16 months after Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, which has turned into Europe's biggest armed conflict since World War II, many surviving soldiers on both sides have been left traumatized by the constant shelling, mangled bodies, and fear of imminent death. In Ukraine, many civilians are also affected. While reports of Russian soldiers dying by suicide have so far been few, experts say that may be in part due to attempts by families and the military to keep them under wraps -- and that it's just a matter of time before mental health issues among fighters and veterans of the war become a serious problem. "Extended deployment times, inadequate mental health care while home on rest, with no end in sight to deployment, along with poor service conditions and high casualties -- I think it's quite likely this pushes some to suicide," Dara Massicot, a senior policy researcher at the Rand Corporation, a U.S.-based think tank, told RFE/RL. "I do think it's likely that there will be a major crisis with Russian veterans of this war," Massicot said. Indefinite Service A delivery driver with a long-time partner, Galimov was barely getting by when he volunteered in the summer of 2022 for a four-month tour in Ukraine with the Alga battalion. His family protested, but the offer of a wage that that may have been as high as 195,000 rubles a month ($2,200) won out. At the time, a few months into the full-scale invasion, Russian forces were slowly gaining ground in eastern Ukraine, moving beyond the territory in the Donbas that Moscow had helped anti-Kyiv forces seize in a war that broke out there after the Kremlin fomented separatism in 2014. State TV exaggerated the Russian military's success while downplaying its significant losses, leaving many soon-to-be volunteers with unrealistic expectations of the war. Two months into Galimov's deployment as a communications officer, the Ukrainian military launched a powerful counteroffensive, smashing through Russian forces in the northeast and south and retaking considerable amounts of territory. Suffering from a lack of manpower, Russia responded by announcing a massive call-up and temporarily prohibiting contract and volunteer soldiers from leaving service. Galimov's four-month tour turned into a six-month stint that was now just the first leg of indefinite service. He returned for a break in January a different man, his relative said. "The war greatly affected his psyche. He became short-tempered. I felt that he was withdrawing into himself, but I never thought it would end in suicide," she said. In text messages with his relative, Galimov made it clear that he came face-to-face with the horrors and deprivations of war. She said that following an attack by Ukrainian forces in an undisclosed location, he helped evacuate wounded and possibly dead members of his battalion, for which he was awarded a medal for bravery. During Galimov's service, Alga fought in areas where the fighting was intense, around the regional capital of Kherson in the south and Lysychansk in the east. Ukraine recaptured Kherson in November, as Russian forces retreated to the east bank of the Dnieper River after months of heavy battles. There have been rumors in Tatarstan that Alga, which means "forward" in the Tatar language, has suffered heavy losses in the war. Numbers are hard to come by -- they are not released by the state -- and RFE/RL has been able to confirm 20 deaths out of a force of about 600 soldiers. In January, after Galimov had returned to Russia for his break, Alga was sent to Vuldehar in the Donetsk region, where they were routed by Ukrainian forces the following month in a vicious battle that reportedly left many of its members dead. Some of their bodies have not been found. Even before that, members of the battalion were disgruntled with their conditions. They complained in a letter in November that they lacked vehicles, communications equipment, winter clothing, footwear, and food supplies In the text messages to his relative, Galimov also complained about a lack of food, telling her that he at times had gone hungry several days in a row. Two members who had joined the battalion around the same time as Galimov returned home without permission and demanded to be discharged for having fulfilled their original four-month contract. Their request was turned down by a Kazan court in April. In March, a month after the bloodbath in Vuldehar, the Russian military filed cases against eight soldiers from Tatarstan for deserting the war. They had filed six such cases against soldiers from the region in all of 2022. Vision Problems Galimov suffered some loss of vision in one of his eyes after a bomb exploded nearby, his relative said. When he returned from the front in January, he sought medical attention. Though his eye condition did not improve, it was not considered serious enough to discharge him from service, she said. Galimov told his relative that there was no point in trying to fake an additional injury because the military would still send him back. It is unclear if Galimov suffered a traumatic brain injury (TBI) or post-traumatic stress syndrome (PTSD) from the bomb incident. A moderate case of TBI can lead to permanent ill-effects such as frequent headaches, loss of vision, and personality changes among other things. A recent U.S. study found that the rate of suicide among U.S. veterans who had experienced mild traumatic brain injury, known as a concussion, was three times higher than the general population. For those with moderate and severe TBI it was even higher. During his five-month break, Galimov did not receive any mental health assistance. Russia has a grossly underdeveloped mental health-care system for veterans that could soon find itself overburdened, experts say. In an opinion piece in The Economist in May, Massicot noted that, according to veterans' advocates, Russia has 10 hospitals serving former military personnel and only one of them focuses on psychiatric care. That center has 32 beds. "Nobody is working on this issue [of PTSD]," Boris, a 44-year-old from Russia's Udmurtia region who suffers from the condition and was located in Ukraine's Luhansk region from 2014-2019, during the Donbas war, told RFE/RL. He said that PTSD will pose a more significant problem for Russian society following this conflict than in the aftermath of the Soviet Union's Afghan war and the wars in Chechnya in the 1990s and 2000s due to the greater death and destruction experienced in Ukraine. The United States in February estimated that almost 200,000 Russian soldiers have been killed or wounded in the fighting in Ukraine. That number has only surged since then amid continued intense fighting in Bakhmut and the recent launch of a Ukrainian counteroffensive. Erik de Soir, a Belgian professor and specialist in psychological trauma, told RFE/RL that everyone who has been through violence will have PTSD. That includes not just those who felt the threat of death but those who witnessed brutality. That puts the number of Russian fighters potentially in need of mental health care in the tens of thousands. When he launched the full-scale invasion in February 2022, President Vladimir Putin expected a short, victorious war in Ukraine. Now, Russia is struggling to build or enhance facilities to help soldiers returning with psychological problems. Russia this spring announced a pilot PTSD program for returning soldiers and said it plans to set up veteran-support centers in each of the country's eight federal districts, Massicot noted in the Economist article. The centers are meant to help returning veterans find the physical and mental care they need as well as offer employment and legal assistance. "It is too soon to say if this will cushion the blow to a health system that is already overwhelmed," she wrote. Galimov's relative said his suicide came as a painful shock and brought sorrow that will not fade. But she said that for the family, his death differed from the deaths of others in the battalion. "At least we know where his grave is. I can go visit him," she said. Written by Todd Prince, who also contributed reporting Welcome to The Azadi Briefing, an RFE/RL newsletter that unpacks the key issues in Afghanistan. To subscribe, click here. I'm Frud Bezhan, regional desk editor for Iran, Afghanistan, and Pakistan. Here's what I've been tracking and what I'm keeping an eye on in the days ahead. The Key Issue The Taliban this week burned scores of musical instruments it claimed to have recently seized across Afghanistan. The Taliban's Ministry for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice on July 19 released photos of the blaze. The ministry declared music is un-Islamic and promotes "immorality that has caused the youth to go astray and society to be destroyed." Widely condemned by Afghans on social media, the move is seen as part of the Taliban's war on music. The extremist group banned music soon after seizing power in 2021 and has burned instruments and beaten musicians. That has led hundreds of musicians to flee the country in fear of their lives. Why It's Important: The Taliban also banned music during its brutal regime in the 1990s. At that time, many musicians fled to neighboring Pakistan and Iran, where they could practice freely and pass their knowledge on to the next generation. Most musicians who remained in Afghanistan either played secretly in their homes or hid their instruments. Now, a new generation of Afghan musicians have decided to escape their homeland. "Music is ending in Afghanistan," a musician, speaking on condition of anonymity for fear of retribution, told RFE/RL's Radio Azadi. "We [musicians] will go to Pakistan or anywhere else [where we are safe]." Ahmad Sarmast, the self-exiled founder of the Afghanistan National Institute of Music, told Radio Azadi that Afghanistan is the only country where music is prohibited. "The people of Afghanistan have been deprived of all their musical rights, which includes access to music education, listening to music, participating in musical programs, making a living through music, and access to facilities for publishing, reproducing, and sharing music with society." What's Next: Great strides were made in reviving Afghanistan's musical traditions after the U.S.-led invasion ousted the Taliban's first regime in 2001. Those gains have now been reversed, and more musicians and artists are likely to flee Afghanistan or abandon their musical careers if they remain in their homeland. The Week's Best Stories Afghan women demonstrated in Kabul on June 19 to demand the Taliban back down from its decree ordering the closure of beauty salons. The women say the shutdown would leave their families with no income. Taliban officials say beauty salons are forbidden under Shari'a law and demanded they be closed by July 25. The Taliban has suspended the activities of a major Swedish aid group operating in Afghanistan. Afghans fear the move will aggravate an already devastating humanitarian crisis that has pushed millions to the brink of starvation. What To Keep An Eye On The family of Afghan journalist Irfanullah Bidar said he has been missing since July 12. A source close to the family who did not want to be named for fear of retribution told Radio Azadi that Bidar was detained by unknown gunmen outside a mosque in the eastern city of Jalalabad. The men put a bag over Bidar's head before whisking him away in a car, the source said. The source said Bidar, a reporter for Radio Safa, had no known enemies. The disappearance of Bidar, a father of four, has been widely blamed on the Taliban's notorious intelligence service. The militant group has not publicly commented on his disappearance. Why It's Important: Bidar is the latest journalist to be arrested or disappear in Afghanistan, where the Taliban has intensified its crackdown on independent reporters and media outlets. In its annual report issued in May, the Afghanistan Journalist Center, a media watchdog, said cases of arbitrary arrests and detention, threats, and intimidation of journalists rose around 60 percent in the past year. Since seizing power, the Taliban has waged a brutal crackdown on dissent that has targeted human rights defenders, women activists, intellectuals, and journalists. That's all from me for now. Don't forget to send me any questions, comments, or tips that you have. You can always reach us at azadi.english@rferl.org. Until next time, Frud Bezhan If you enjoyed this briefing and don't want to miss the next edition, subscribe here. It will be sent to your inbox every Friday. NIKOPOL, Ukraine -- The vast windows of Yevhen Yevtushenko's Soviet-era office overlook Europe's largest nuclear power plant. Its round cooling towers stand less than 10 kilometers away, across a broad stretch of the Dnieper River that is now almost dry after a disastrous dam breach downstream. A tough-looking man with a bushy beard, an air of mild irritation, and a pistol strung on his belt, Yevtushenko, who heads the Nikopol District Military Administration, offered his assessment of the chances of a nuclear disaster. "I do think it is very probable," he told RFE/RL on July 3. Yevtushenko was echoing alarming warnings from Ukrainian officials about the situation surrounding the Zaporizhzhya nuclear power plant, which has been occupied by Russia since early March 2022, less than two weeks after Russian President Vladimir Putin launched the large-scale invasion of Ukraine. On June 23, Ukraine's military intelligence chief, Major General Kyrylo Budanov, claimed that Russia had planted explosives at four of the plant's six power-generation units and at the cooling system. Without providing evidence, he said that a Russian plan to detonate them had been "drafted and approved," and that the only missing element was an order to do so. On July 1, President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said there was a serious threat because Russia is technically ready to provoke a local explosion at the station that could lead to a release of radiation. He said that "the situation is very dangerous." And late on July 4, the Ukrainian militarys General Staff said that objects resembling explosive devices were placed on the outer roofs of the third and fourth power units of the plant earlier that day. Detonating them would not damage the reactors, it said, but it suggested that Russia might blow them up and then claim the units were hit by Ukrainian fire. Russian officials have increased the tension by claiming without evidence that Ukraines assertions indicate Kyiv is preparing to cause a catastrophe at the plant and blame it on Moscow. "This is not a reality show but an impending disaster," said Yevtushenko, who has an emblem of Ukrainian military intelligence hanging on a wall above his office desk. He added that "the reaction of the international community is strikingly feeble." The Zaporizhzhya plant is controlled by the Russian state company Rosatom but operated by Ukrainian staff and, since September 2022, partly accessible to experts from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), the UN nuclear oversight body. After an inspection on June 30, IAEA chief Rafael Grossi said that experts found no evidence of explosives placed recently at the facility but added that "they still need additional access to carry out further such checks at the site," including parts of the turbine halls and cooling system. Concerns of a deliberate disaster at the power station, or an accident caused by exchanges of fire, have been swirling for months. But fears intensified after the breach of the Kakhovka dam downstream on the Dnieper on June 6, which emptied most of the water from the Kakhovka Reservoir -- the long, wide stretch of river on which the plant and the city that serves it, Enerhodar, are located. Kyiv has blamed the breach on Russia, which has long controlled the now-destroyed dam and now stands accused of creating an environmental catastrophe in southern Ukraine, flooding towns, destroying farmland, killing residents along the river, and leaving up to 700,000 people in the region without access to clean water. 'Nowhere To Go' One of them, Viktoria Kutova, came to a water distribution point in Nikopol with a tray packed with big empty bottles on July 3, a sweltering Monday. Like about half the city's pre-invasion population of 100,000, she has stayed home despite worsening living conditions. "There's a feeling that one would like to escape, but there is nowhere to go," Kutova said. A month earlier, she said, she traveled to Poland to meet her daughter's godmother, who flew there from Israel -- but after one week, she returned and continued to work at a kindergarten and as a community volunteer. Kutova said she will only leave Nikopol in the event of a nuclear disaster, asking: "Who needs us anywhere else?" With the temperature rising above 30 degrees Celsius, the people lining up for water tried to keep up good spirits -- Nikopol residents have been dubbed invincible due to their stamina over more than a year of attacks and tragedies, both collective and individual -- but signs of apathy and despair are visible around the city. Anton, a 12-year-old boy with dried-up scabs from sores on his face and hands, was pouring water into six 5-liter bottles. He came alone and did not know where his school friends were, he said in a timid, sad voice. He had been collecting water at the same spot every day for almost a month. "It is very heavy," he said. WATCH: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy repeated his warning that Russia is planning "dangerous provocations" at the Zaporizhzhya nuclear power plant. In a recent training scenario, local emergency crews prepared for large-scale radiation decontamination measures and the evacuation of hundreds of thousands of residents from four Ukrainian regions. Halyna Blahodyna, a bacteriologist from the Nikopol water company who was overseeing the water collection point, said the residents of the city are weary and live from day to day. They have been informed about an evacuation plan in the event of a radiation leak, she said, and they follow the announcements of the authorities. "I've been keeping iodine in my wallet near my heart since last November," she said, adding: "I only hope we will have an Internet connection." In recent weeks some communities near the nuclear plant, including Nikopol, have held emergency drills to prepare for a disaster that could spread a radioactive cloud over the entire area. Ukraine's Armed Forces have worked on disaster-response plans with the country's nuclear energy company, Enerhoatom. The secretary of the National Security and Defense Council, Oleksiy Danilov, said on July 3 that Ukraine is preparing for "any scenario." Yevtushenko said an evacuation plan for Nikopol is in place. But with 160,000 people to be potentially evacuated from the district, he foresees "panic and an element of chaos" in the event of a disaster -- and worries that Russian forces might continue shelling during a civilian evacuation. As it is, the Russian troops stationed across the Dnieper fire artillery at Nikopol almost every day. On July 2, authorities said Russian fire had struck Nikopol and the nearby town of Marhanets, wounding one civilian and damaging several buildings and vehicles. Olha Onyshchuk, a 59-year-old resident of Nikopol, lost the family home she inherited from her mother as the result of the attack. She lives in a newer house couple of meters away and was lucky to stay alive, she said. "We had no electricity in the winter. We have no water now. We sleep in a corridor and hide in the cellar," she said. "I hope it will end soon, but what will be left here when it ends?" According to Yevtushenko, at least 50 civilians in the Nikopol district have been killed and 233 wounded by artillery fire since the start of the large-scale invasion in February 2022. Some 2,000 private buildings and 900 apartment blocks have been destroyed or damaged, he said. 'The Wind Has No Allies' Yevtushenko argues that instead of talking about what to do in the event of a nuclear catastrophe, the international community should be talking about how to bring back security. "We need to create a demilitarized zone here," Yevtushenko said, raising the prospect that Russian forces could storm across the Dnieper riverbed once it is completely dry. The opposite scenario of the Ukrainian Army advancing across the river as part of operations on the southern front is also possible: Securing the Russian-occupied nuclear plant would be a significant breakthrough in the counteroffensive Ukraine launched last month. The fear of the former is widespread among residents of Nikopol, no longer separated from the Russian troops occupying the nuclear plant by a massive body of water. A month after the dam breach downstream, the Kakhovka Reservoir is almost empty, and the water level continues to decline. Roman Padolkin and Yuriy Obukhov, two middle-aged men playing chess in the shade on the terrace at a local bar, say that any scenario is possible. The people in the bar, most of them elderly and visibly tired, stared numbly at the green walls and held only short scraps of conversation. Padolkin, a native of Kherson, near the Dnieper delta to the southwest, moved to live in Nikopol after his apartment was destroyed by a Russian air attack following the liberation of the city by Ukrainian forces last autumn. "I don't know where to run or what to hold on to," he said. "Putin's biggest victory is that I could not wash the dishes for three weeks or flush the toilet in my flat." Obukhov said he hoped disaster would not strike, suggesting Russia might be wary of causing a radiation leak because "the wind has neither enemies nor allies." According to experts, the prevailing winds in the area blow to the southeast, meaning any radiation leak from the plant could drift directly across Russian troop positions and into the Russian city of Rostov-on-Don. "But the breach of the dam left Crimea without water and flooded both banks," Padolkin added after a while, referring to the devastating consequences the Dnieper flooding had on Russian-occupied areas of southern Ukraine. "It's not a chess game, it's pure madness," he said. News / Press Release by Freedom Alliance The inflammatory, violence-laden and dangerously insensitive utterances by one ZANU PF chairperson for Matabeleland South, Nqobizitha Mangaliso Ndlovu, in which he referred to one opposition party as "confused cockroaches" should be condemned in the strongest possible terms by any individual or organisation of a sound disposition.The disorganised remarks, whose diction is genetically derived from Emerson Mnangagwa's March 1983 sadistic hymn book, which referenced the people of Matabeleland as cockroaches. Those unfeeling utterances immediately led to the massacre of multitudes in Ciwale in Lupane during the ZANU (PF)-instigated gukurahundi genocide of 1980s decade. We are shocked but not surprised by how Mangaliso Ndlovu, a Member of Parliament for the poverty-stricken Bulilima East Constituency, resident in Matabeleland and a survivor of the genocide, could open his unscrupulous exhaust pipe in such a vile manner. His excitable behaviour, obviously aimed at pleasing Mnangagwa who was part of the architects of gukurahundi is shameless and portrays both Mangaliso and ZANU PF for what they are.Genocide-inducing utterances such as these are further harming and denting the already tattered local and international image of the country that is reeling under sanctions targeted at political violence and the disrespect of human rights. Calling Mangaliso and ZANU PF to order could be the fitting panacea with no substitute.The 1994 genocide in Rwanda, the Srebrenica genocide in Bosnia, the Holocaust in Germany and the Gukurahundi genocide in Matebeleland all started with reckless hate speech. Matabeleland is in its current sorry state because of hate language by Mangaliso's party. The people of Matabeleland should never again experience such kind of barbarous gukurahundist behaviour by any organisation or foul-mouthed attention seeker like Mangaliso.Although Mangaliso claims that ZANU PF has structure, that aspect has not benefited the people of Matabeleland in general, and those of Bulilima East in particular. Poverty is rife in Matabeleland South. The road infrastructure is in shambles and nonexistent. Living conditions are dire and purely animalistic. The gukurahundi genocide has not been resolved. It is a combination of these factors and others that has given birth to opposition political parties to which the people of Matabeleland South democratically subscribe.If ZANU PF was organised as Mangaliso claims, the country would not be in the mess that it is currently in; having even no currency of its own, coupled with a hugely underpaid civil service, poor service delivery and dilapidated government infrastructure.The remarks by the stony-hearted Mangaliso are very inconsiderate of the suffering of the people of Matabeleland in the form of both physical gukurahundi of the 1980s and the current ongoing non-physical one which is in the form of deliberate but veiled exclusion of the region through secret government policy that is skewed in favour of Mashonaland. The pitiless and unsympathetic genocidal vulgarity by Mangaliso Ndlovu speaks of him as a chiseled and grafted beneficiary of gukurahundi and corruption in his political party to the point of thinking through his mouth.Although we are vehemently opposed to Mangaliso's childish hate speech as the Freedom Alliance, we do not subscribe to unstrategic structurelessness and unpredictability of any organisation that seeks political power because that is undeniably retrogressive in all manner of fact. Government demands structure, predictability and overt democracy rooted in the dictatorship of terms by the masses and not self-fueled individuals. Only constitution and subsequent adherence thereof, give structure and predictability of action in future and in all circumstances including international friendship.As opposed to the insensitivity of ZANU PF and undemocratic practice by anyone anywhere in Zimbabwe, the Freedom Alliance proposes a very responsive and proactive government that is not wobbly structured but democratic and propelled by the people in real terms. That is a government that will neither incite genocide no disrespect victims and survivors thereof.We strongly believe that Mangaliso's vile remarks should give a befitting moment for the people of Bulilima East and indeed the whole of Matabeleland to vote wisely and reject genocidal minded individuals like him and ZANU PF, his political party in the forthcoming general elections.Office of the Secretary General+27 73 386 2303 /+263 71 277 6790freedomalliance.media@gmail.com Volkswagen AG (VKW.L,VLKAF.PK,VOW.BE) said on Tuesday that it is investing one billion euros in South America by 2026, as part of its efforts to make a significant growth in the region with a major product offensive to meet growing demand. The South American automotive market is expected to grow 11 percent a year until 2030, making it one of the fastest growing in the world. By 2027, the auto major plans to grow by 40 percent in Brazil, the region's largest market. The company expects the transformation towards pure e-drives in Brazil to be less dynamic than in Europe - the overall share of pure BEV vehicles in 2033 in the Brazilian market is estimated at around 4 percent. However Volkswagen aims to grow faster than the market in the BEV segment. Until the market is fully electrified, Volkswagen will rely on alternative drives. For example, all new models produced in the region will continue to be able to run on 100 percent biofuel. Volkswagen is Brazil's largest auto maker, having produced a total of 25 million vehicles in 70 years, four million of which were exported. The company manufactures the Polo, Virtus, Nivus, Taos and T-Cross models, among others, at four plants in the country. For comments and feedback contact: editorial@rttnews.com Business News Estonia's industrial production continued its steep declining trend in May, though the pace of contraction softened from April, data from Statistics Estonia showed on Tuesday. Industrial production plunged a calendar-adjusted 12.7 percent year-on-year in May, following a 15.8 percent slump in the previous month. Production has been falling since June last year. Among the main sectors, electricity production decreased the most by 31.5 percent over the year, followed by manufacturing with a 13.1 percent drop. On the other hand, mining output recovered markedly, by 36.3 percent. On a seasonally adjusted basis, industrial production climbed 2.2 percent monthly in May, reversing a 2.2 percent decline in April. It was the first increase in five months. For comments and feedback contact: editorial@rttnews.com Business News President Joe Biden has nominated Utah Solicitor General Melissa Holyoak and Virginia's Solicitor General Andrew N. Ferguson to serve as Republican members of the Federal Trade Commission (FTC). With this, two vacanies in the five-member Commission have been filled. The Commission is headed by five Commissioners, nominated by the President and confirmed by the Senate, each serving a seven-year term. No more than three Commissioners can be of the same political party. The Commission's chairperson Lina Khan and two commissioners are Democratic nominees. The FTC protects consumers and enforces antitrust laws to ensure fair competition. Its mission is to stop anticompetitive, deceptive, or unfair practices. For comments and feedback contact: editorial@rttnews.com Business News A 60 kWh battery in top trims and a 48 kWh battery in lower trims promising real world range of 500km and 400 km respectively is likely with Maruti Suzuki eVX Indias largest carmaker, Maruti Suzuki, showcased its new fully electric vehicle at 2023 Auto Expo. This vehicle was in concept form and took the name eVX. As it stands, heres Maruti Suzukis first ever fully-electric vehicle, co-developed with Toyota. Upon launch, there will be a Toyota version of Maruti Suzuki eVX as well. When launched, it will be the most important product for Maruti Suzuki. And being a Maruti Suzuki, it is an important product for the electric car space. It will rival upcoming Hyundai Creta EV, Mahindra BE.05, Citroen eC3 Aircross and MG ZS EV. Ready or Not, Here Comes Maruti Suzuki eVX: The Global Debut of the Year 2024 As per a recent report, Maruti Suzuki eVX production model will see the light of day in 2024. To be more precise, October 2024. This is the debut date and launch date will be around 2025 Auto Expo. Hyundai Creta EV and Citroen eC3 Aircross seem to be closer to launch and will have a headstart. MG ZS EV is the first compact electric SUV in India followed by Mahindra XUV400. But being a Maruti Suzuki, expect eVX to have better penetration in the Indian electric car space. Toyota will have their version badge-engineered as well. Maruti Suzuki is likely to manufacture both vehicles at Gujarat plant. The report also suggests that eVX will go on sale in India first, followed by global markets. Both Maruti Suzuki eVX and its Toyota counterpart will feature a modified version of Toyotas 40PL electric skateboard (internal code name 27PL) with slightly different top hats. This electric platform is said to be highly localised, to keep costs in check. What will it pack? The first test mule made its appearance in Poland in a production-ready guise. We can expect a 4.3m length and a 2,700mm long wheelbase. Given recent Maruti Suzuki vehicles come with a tonne of features, eVX will probably take that a notch above. At 2023 Auto Expo, Maruti Suzuki eVX concept featured a 60 kWh battery with a range of 550 km. Production version of this concept will probably boast a similar size battery with 500 km of real-world range. There is likely to be a smaller 48 kWh battery in lower trims too with around 400 km of range. Mahindra BE.05 will start from 60 kWh battery size and INGLO platform can accommodate till 80 kWh. Compact electric SUV space is likely to heat up in the future significantly. This segment can see pricing between Rs. 25 lakh to Rs. 40 lakh (ex-sh) if BE.05 will get an 80 kWh battery. Source The leader of the council said Orkney has been "failed dreadfully" by the governments in Edinburgh and London The harbour at Kirkwall in the Orkney Islands, Scotland. (Alamy) Orkney could seek independence from the UK after its councillors backed plans to investigate "alternative forms of governance". Orkney Islands Council voted on Tuesday to explore its options, and now council officers will compile a report on the future of how the islands are run. An amendment attempting to block the motion was defeated by 15 votes to six. The archipelago off the coast of the north of Scotland is made up of 70 islands. Read more: Why is Orkney exploring 'alternative governance'? The leader of the council, James Stockan, told the meeting on Tuesday that Orkney had been subject to "discrimination" by the Scottish and UK governments. He said: I have been a councillor now for 20 years, but for the last number Ive been in negotiation with our governments to get what I believe is an equitable solution of position for the Orkney Islands in funding and in the opportunity that we have in and around these islands to benefit not just us, but to benefit our neighbours, to benefit our nation and to benefit the world. But we have been restricted in every conversation, we have been held down, and what I would say is we all know most of what I could say with regard to the discrimination that weve had against this community from governments in the funding settlement we have. He has proposed a number of suggestions, which include Orkney following the crown dependencies model seen in Guernsey, Jersey and the Isle of Man, or even become a self-governing territory of Norway, which is 300 miles away. I say it is time for government to take us seriously, and I say its time for us to look at all the options weve got," he said. But he said: This is not about us joining Norway. There is a far bigger suite of options here this could even be that we could get our money direct from the Treasury in London and look after our own future. What do you think about the proposals for Orkney to become independent? Stockan has floated the idea that Orkney should use its "Nordic connections, which could mean following the Faroe Islands, which is a self-governing territory of Denmark in the North Sea. Orkney was annexed by Norway in the year 875 and settled by Norsemen. But in 1472, Orkney and Shetland was brought into the Kingdom of Scotland after the failure to pay a dowry promised to James III of Scotland by the family of his bride, Margaret of Denmark. The islands had been used as security for the marriage, seen as a way of uniting Scotland and Denmark following years of discord about taxation of the Hebrides Islands. READ MORE: - Orkney mulls return to Norwegian ownership after being 'failed' by government (Herald Scotland, 3 mins) - Orkney Islands to consider break from UK governance and explore 'Nordic connections' (Sky News, 2 mins) - Orkney Islands declared Britain's best rural place to live (Yahoo News UK, 2 mins) - Orkney explores options after being 'failed dreadfully' by UK and Scotland (PA Media, 2 mins) Stockan said: We were part of the Norse kingdom for much longer than we were part of the United Kingdom," he said. On the street in Orkney, people come up and say to me when are we going to pay back the dowry, when are we going back to Norway. The Orkney Islands are considering changing their status. (Alamy) There is a huge affinity and a huge deep cultural relationship there. This is exactly the moment to explore what is possible. Orkney is 10 miles north of the coast of the county of Caithness. Of its 70 islands, 20 are inhabited, and more than 22,500 people live there. The largest Orkney island is the Mainland, also known as Hrossey and Pomona, and is an area of 200 square miles. The largest settlement on Orkney is the town of Kirkwall, which has a population of about 10,000 people. See Full Image Gallery >> MONTE CARLO - It takes about an hour to drive from Monaco, the most densely-populated country in Europe, to the Alpes-de-Haute-Provence, one of the least-densely populated departments of France. The scenery changes quickly: The mountains appear on the horizon as the skyscrapers shrink in the distance, and the commotion of city life gradually fades into a vast emptiness. The 2024 Aston Martin DB12, a new coupe designated as a super tourer by a brand seeking to reinvent itself, feels right at home in both settings. Unveiled in May 2023, the DB12 replaces the DB11 with a new-look exterior design, a much longer list of interior technology features, chassis updates, and a more powerful V8 engine. Its not entirely new, but an Aston Martin spokesperson told me it uses about 80% new components compared to the DB11. Most of the visual changes are found up front, where the DB12 receives a bigger grille, redesigned lights, and a new-look bumper. It still looks like an Aston Martin; James Bond wouldnt lose it in a parking lot. While big grilles stir a great deal of controversy, the mechanical updates made one necessary here. It has a larger grille because it has more power under the hood and that all needs cooling, Marek Reichman, the head of the companys design department, told me. Literally and metaphorically, the reason behind the expanded grille is a 4.0-liter V8 engine thats twin-turbocharged to develop 671 horsepower at 6,000 rpm and 590 pound-feet of torque from 2,750 to 6,000 rpm. Its an evolution of the DB11s V8, which was an evolution of the V8 that powers several 63-badged Mercedes-AMG models, but the outgoing car posted figures of 528 and 513, respectively. These numbers dont tell the full story: They represent a huge increase in part because the V8 is effectively replacing the DB11s optional V12 that developed 630 horsepower and 516 pound-feet of torque. Thats right, there wont be a V12 available in an Aston Martin DB car for the first time in 30 years. Aston Martin made several changes to the V8 before deeming it worthy of living under the DB12s hood. We chose the turbos, we chose the cams, and we chose the compression ratio. Importantly, we had a huge influence on the powertrains characteristics through calibration, Simon Newton, Aston Martins director of vehicle performance, told me. He added that the eight-speed automatic transmission has the same ratios as the DB11s gearbox, but his team made the final drive 13% shorter for faster acceleration. From the drivers seat, the new infotainment system stands out as the most remarkable part of leaving the Monaco area in the DB12. I know, I know: youre in a 671-horsepower coupe and youre geeking out over a giant smartphone? Yes, and odds are you would as well. The DB11 like many members of Aston Martins current range, including the DBX came with an infotainment system based on older Mercedes-Benz technology with a touchpad and a dial instead of a touchscreen. It worked, it got you from A to B while blasting your favorite playlist, but it was clunky and unintuitive to use. In contrast, Aston Martin designed the new system in-house around a 10.25-inch touchscreen compatible with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. Touch-sensitive technology alone makes this better than the outgoing system, and as a bonus the display offers sharp-looking graphics, intuitive menus, and a quick response time. It follows British etiquette, too: it politely tells you, have a nice day once youve reached your destination. Thanks, car! You have a nice day, too. As of writing, the new infotainment system is only found in the DB12. Aston Martin told me it plans to roll it out across its range in the next 12 to 18 months, which bodes well for upcoming additions to its line-up. While the system is a great improvement, the DB12 isnt 100% digital you wont find wall-to-wall screens in here. Aston Martin aligned a row of buttons below the touchscreen for features like the rear defroster, and the climate control systems buttons live further down on the center stack, above the switches used to select the different suspension and exhaust settings. A small, leather-upholstered shifter powered by shift-by-wire technology replaces the dash-top PRND shift buttons that have been an Aston Martin fixture since the DB9. They wont be missed. Beyond the touchscreen, the DB12 is a nice place to spend time thanks in part to pillar-to-pillar leather upholstery, seats pegged somewhere in the middle of the comfort-sport spectrum and one hell of a sound system. On the highway or around town, the exhaust isnt overly loud if you dont ask it to be (waking it up to better hear the V8s symphony requires merely pressing a button). The big, shapely coupe turns quite a few heads, too, even in a part of the world where folks consider supercars mundane. The rear seats are there. Consider them seat-shaped parcel shelves rather than seats, as theres no way an adult can sit in them. Well, maybe sideways with your butt on the driver-side seat, your knees bent, and your feet on the passenger-side seat. Out back, youve got about 9.2 cubic feet of trunk space, which is a surprisingly good number for a car in this segment. Its about on par with the Ferrari Romas figure. See Full Image Gallery >> As the population density decreases, so does the number of paved roads. Ultimately, the only way north is on the historic Route Napoleon, which is a twisty, fast-paced two-lane departementale named after the French emperor. From his perspective, this was the ideal way to reach Paris undetected and overthrow King Louis XVIII. For me, its the ideal playground to experience the rowdier side of the DB12. The relative tameness that characterizes the DB12 on my way out of the Monaco area almost feels like an act compared to the aggressiveness that it displays on a mountain road. The driving modes play a big role in defining this cars character, and after a few miles Im impressed by the breadth of capabilities that are stuffed into one package. The luxury is always there; the DB12 isnt nearly as hardcore as, say, a Lamborghini Huracan, but selecting Sport or Sport+ makes the throttle response noticeably sharper and tells the transmission to hold each gear for longer, among other changes. Its on these roads that the super tourer label begins to make sense: This is a grand tourer with supercar-worthy superpowers. Aston Martins claimed zero-to-60-mph time of 3.5 seconds is impressive, both on paper and with your shoulder blades pinned to the seatback, but the drivetrains elasticity is what stands out. Regardless of the speed youre at or the gear youre in, theres always power under your right foot, and you dont need to mash the accelerator to unleash it. Even a relatively gentle input sends the needle in the digital instrument cluster soaring. Aston claims a 202-mph top speed, but this isnt the place to test it out. The new grille would look a lot less pretty with a commemorative statue of Napoleon embedded in it. One of the tricks that the DB12 learned from its predecessor is its drivetrain layout. The V8 is front-mid-mounted, its almost entirely behind the front axle, and the gearbox is integrated into the rear axle in a transaxle configuration. This solution improves handling by evening out the weight distribution, which checks in at 48% front and 52% rear (the company quotes a dry weight of 3,715 pounds). Aston Martin then added a new suspension system with adaptive dampers, a redesigned (and well-weighted) steering system, and huge brakes (the carbon-ceramic setup fitted to my test car will be optional). All told, these ingredients combine to create a true drivers car, one that you feel in tune with turn after turn, and one that delivers fun and agile handling without tilting towards the unpredictable or clumsy side of the scale. The DB12 is truly enjoyable to drive, and it achieves this without overly relying on technology. On paper, this is a relatively simple car: theres no hybrid boost, no four-wheel steering system, and no trick, 48-volt-powered suspension system. All-wheel-drive isnt available; its not even mentioned next to a box on the list of options. This is an old-school, tried-and-true formula that Aston Martin has honed for decades. Surprisingly sharp for a grand tourer and surprisingly comfortable for a supercar, the 2024 Aston Martin DB12 bridges the gap between two segments and comes out better for it. Luxury has been one of Aston Martins core values since its inception, but the DB12 expresses a newfound focus on performance that Im told will permeate future additions to the companys range. And, while a successor to the Rapide sedan has been ruled out, the brands product pipeline looks more like Monaco than rural France. On Sept. 25, 1942, President Franklin D. Roosevelt visited Camp Pendleton as part of a 12,000-mile military inspection trip and dedicated the new base, which was to be the Marine Corps largest West Coast training facility. Retired 1st Sgt. John Farritor, 98, remembers that day and the day a few weeks earlier when he first marched onto the base north of Oceanside. Farritor, of Vista, is among area Marines who are celebrating the bases 75th anniversary with tours and get-togethers, but he is perhaps the only one coming back on base who was there when the base opened. Advertisement 1st. Sgt. John Farritor in his apartment. (U-T file photo) (Charlie Neuman / San Diego Union-Tribune/Zuma Press) Farritor was one of several thousand Marines who marched to Camp Pendleton over four days starting Sept. 1, 1942, from Camp Elliott, which is now part of Marine Corps Air Station Miramar. We were the first Marines on the base, Farritor said. We walked in, but there was no gate they hadnt put it up yet. The first troops to occupy the new base were the 9th Marine Regiment with the 1st Battalion, 12th Marines. Farritor was in the 12th. Col. Lemuel Shepherd led the troops on the more than 50-mile trek. The colonel put the word out that the only Marines who could ride were truck drivers. This didnt bother the infantry; they always walked, but it did shake up the artillerymen because they liked to ride..., Farritor wrote in his 230-page book, Through it All: Stories From the Top, which traces his 30 years in the Marine Corps, from the battlefields of Guadalcanal, Iwo Jima to Korea and beyond. Farritor was among the assembled formation of Marines who watched President Roosevelt and Maj. Gen. Joseph H. Pendletons widow, Mary Fay Pendleton, raise the flag and officially dedicate the base with Maj. Gen. Joseph Fegan, the installations first commanding general and other dignitaries. The base was named in honor of Pendleton, who had long supported opening a West Coast training base. The day began with orders to get ready. 1st Sgt. Lopez walked into the squad bay and barked, All hands get in the uniform of the day, and stand by for inspection, Farritor wrote in his memoir. After inspection, Marines were told that the President was arriving in an hour. We lined the road near the flagpole. The Presidents car passed within three feet of me, Farritor said. As Farritor recalled, Roosevelt handed the flag to Mrs. Pendleton, who then gave it to Gunnery Sgt. Carl Ostrom. The flag was raised and the base was formally placed in commission. Brief history of the base When expansion of armed forces was authorized by President Franklin D. Roosevelt in May 1941, additional facilities were needed to train amphibious forces, which led to building Camp Pendleton in roughly five months. The base was established to train Marines for battle in World War II. The base was one of several Marine training facilities across the country, including at Quantico in Virginia, Camp Lejeune in South Carolina and Parris Island in South Carolina. The federal government paid a little over $4.2 million for more than 125,000 acres of land in northern San Diego, known as part of Rancho Santa Margarita y Las Flores. The land had been used as a cattle ranch going back to the early 1800s, and was home to notables such as Pio Pico, the last Mexican governor of Alta California. The cattle brand later became the bases logo. Some of the early adobe buildings, such as the two-century old Santa Margarita Ranch House and chapel are national historic sites. By October 1944, Camp Pendleton was named a permanent installation and became the home of the 1st Marine Division in 1947 when the Division returned from the Pacific. Kennewick Woman of the Year and popular restaurant owner dies. Generous and caring soul A Tri-Cities entrepreneur and civic leader, known for taking action swiftly and quietly when she saw a need, has died. Josie Wannarachue, 79, of Kennewick, died Sunday morning after being treated for five years for breast cancer. Former Washington Gov. Gary Locke once said that her accomplishments serve as a standard the rest of us can only dream of following. She was named the Kennewick Woman of the Year for 2013, an honor given to recognize community service. She may be best known in the Tri-Cities business community for owning Kennewicks King & I restaurant from 1995 to 2010. But through the years she also had owned a travel agency, a gift shop, OHenrys restaurant in Kennewick, and apartments and other rentals, including three buildings in downtown Kennewick. She was born near Manila in the Philippines and came to the Tri-Cities in 1972. Then her husband, Dr. Nikom Wannarachue, became the only pediatrician at the time in Kennewick and Pasco, with Josie, a registered nurse, working with him to manage his practice. Many of her favorite causes were related to health care and education. Josie Wannarachue, a longtime Tri-Cities businesswoman and civic leader, shows the purse named in her honor by her daughter, JoAnne Wannarachue Lord, the founder of a handbag company. Bob Brawdy/Tri-City Herald file Health care, other causes She co-led efforts along with the late Billie Jean Lampson to build the Tri-Cities Cancer Center, according to her nomination for Kennewick Woman of the Year. She co-founded the Kennewick General Hospital Foundation, which later became the Trios Health Foundation. She and her husband were the first community members to be honored at the hospitals Gala DVine in 2005 for their contributions to health care, both, in the Tri-Cities and overseas, and their generosity. The couple recruited dozens of doctors and nurses to the Tri-Cities and established Camp Trios, a place where children with diabetes could gather for fun and education each summer, according to Josie Wannarachues nomination for Kennewick Woman of the Year. She served as a Columbia Basin College trustee for five years and was a host to dozens of foreign exchange students in the Tri-Cities. She served on many other boards in the Tri-Cities, including the Mid-Columbia Arts Council, the March of Dimes, The ARC, the Philippine American Association and the Lions Club, according to her nomination for Kennewick Woman of the Year. She also served as co-chairwoman for Mayfest for St. Josephs Catholic Church in Kennewick. She and her husband formed the Asian Association in the Tri-Cities, and they maintained their ties to their homelands, including Thailand, where Dr. Wannarachue grew up. Josie Wannarachue became an excellent Thai food cook, publishing a cookbook and adding Thai food to the menu at OHenrys during the years that she owned the restaurant. As the restaurant changed ownership through the years, Josie Wannarachue made sure that the Kennewick High School class photos from the 1930s through the 1950s that decorated its walls went to the East Benton County Historical Museum. Josie Wannarachue stands outside the downtown Kennewick building she renovated and transformed, along with her husband Dr. Nikom Wannarachue, into a salon and acupuncture studio in 2008. Bob Brawdy/Tri-City Herald file Overseas generosity When Mount Pinatubo erupted and spewed ash across part of the Philippines in 1991, Jose Wannarachue traveled to her parents home there and then into the mountains with supplies to help the 1,200 Aetas, aborigines of the Philippines, living in a makeshift relief camp. She inherited property in the village her family founded in the Philippines, but turned down a cash offer to help those who depended on jobs there. She gave the rice fields to a church to help send poor children to school, according to a nomination for an award. The Wannarachues also donated laptops to the school in Dr. Wannarachues home village to help its students better compete with those from more affluent schools. And they worked with the Rotary Club of Pasco-Kennewick to bring water filtration systems to schools in the area where Dr. Wannarachue grew up. Josie Wannarachues generosity also was well known in the Tri-Cities, whether it was filling a refrigerator for a young couple moving to the Tri-Cities or buying Christmas gifts for children who might otherwise have none. When a manicurist from Vietnam was struggling to support newborn twins in the Tri-Cities, Josie Wannarachue made sure she had formula and diapers to get the babies through at least their first 12 months. In recent years Josie Wannarachue drew on her travel experience to plan and choreograph all the details for annual trips, often to Asia, and then invite groups of her plentiful friends to join her and Dr. Wannarachue. She was always up for another adventure, said her friend Wanda Briggs, a Kennewick General Hospital District board member. Josie Wannarachue services Briggs posted on Facebook that Josie Wannarachue had more friends than she could count and we are all broken-hearted. She was the most generous and caring soul and her legacy will forever remain in my heart, another friend posted. Josie Wannarachue is survived by her husband, the three children they raised and three grandchildren. Hillcrest Funerals and Cremation of Kennewick is in charge of arrangements. A public viewing is 4-8 p.m. Wednesday, July 12, at Hillcrest, 9535 W. Clearwater Ave. At 10 a.m. Thursday, July 13, a public viewing is planned at St. Joseph Catholic Church in Kennewick, followed by a Rosary at 11 a.m. and a funeral Mass at noon. A child using the first-generation PSVR headset (Jessica Lewis Creative / Pexels) Last month, Meta made a big announcement regarding its virtual-reality headsets. The company behind Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp revealed it would soon reduce the minimum age requirements for its Meta Quest headsets from 13 to 10. The change will come with a whole host of parental controls when it arrives later this year, but it still feels at odds with the companys originally more cautious approach. Indeed, at the time of writing, Metas own Oculus site still insists that children shouldnt use the companys headsets. Meta VR systems are not toys and must not be used by children under 13, the site reads . Younger children have greater risks of injury and adverse effects than older users. While Sony sets the minimum age for its PSVR 2 system at 12, 13 is the standard for most manufacturers, including Samsung and Pico . So just what is the truth? The Standard reached out to two academics studying the medium from different angles to get their take on children and virtual reality. Into the unknown The Meta Quest 2 headset (Remy Gieling / Unsplash) Maybe its a bit irresponsible because there are many things that we dont know about this, says Professor Rigmor Baraas, from the University of South-Eastern Norway. Most researchers will not have used VR headsets on children younger than 13 for experiments, because it would have been considered unethical when theres been an age limit before. Its possible that using VR wont affect development. But we dont know, and do we really want to allow this uncontrolled experiment on our children to test it? Dr Faisal Mushtaq, associate professor of psychology at the University of Leeds, agrees that the problem isnt that VR is definitely bad for children, but that we dont know either way. Its that old adage: absence of evidence is not evidence of absence, he says. What you need, in the absence of randomised control trials, is large-scale longitudinal studies, and we just dont have those right now. No-one knows whether using VR will affect myopia development in children Professor Rigmor Baraas, from the University of South-Eastern Norway While Dr Mushtaq believes its probably okay, he cautions that the supplementary scientific evidence supplied by Meta to support the move isnt a home run that clears it. I dont know the ins and outs of every single one of those studies, but I do know quite a few of those, and I did have a quick look through all of those that seem to be relevant, he explains. There isnt anything in there that can give you that level of confidence to make a change like this. As a scientist, you have to go with where the evidence is, and we just dont have that here. In 2017, Dr Mushtaq led a pilot study that achieved some media attention after it showed children developing temporary vision and balance problems after a 20-minute VR session. Its clear that if you have a well-controlled, well-designed experience in virtual reality, and its for a short period of time and youre monitoring what theyre doing, it would be too much to suggest thats going to have a big impact on someones long-term development, he says. What we dont know, however, is the long-term impact of regular engagement with virtual-reality environments and experiences on development. Eye development and VR VR headset lens (James Yarema / Unsplash) Its this licence for regular long-term usage which may cause difficulties, as the age that the eyes stop developing varies enormously. Even in people who have no refractive error, we see that their eyes are still growing at the end of adolescence, says Prof Baraas, 18, 19, or 20 years old. The age group Meta is introducing to VR is at a key part of eye development. In data we have collected for children growing up in Norway, we see that a lot of things happen between 10 and 13, she says. To simulate three dimensions, VR has to trick the human visual systems accommodation and vergence. Accommodation is the adjustment of the lens inside the eye which brings near objects into focus, while vergence is the eyes ability to rotate, which ensures that an image falls on the central part of the retina in both eyes. When you put children or allow them to spend two hours a day in VR, which will break the neurological link between vergence and accommodation we dont know what will happen in the long run, explains Prof Baraas. But some adults are impacted immediately afterwards. After the experiment, they are not able to couple accommodation and vergence again directly, she explains. Other people do it automatically, theres no issue. What role that plays when you start doing that disconnection every day I dont know, we dont know. Theres also the question of myopia or shortsightedness. We know that close work with regular screens can contribute to myopia shortsightedness and these screens are closer than anything youve ever used before, says Dr Mushtaq. But again, like so much of this, its unknown. No-one knows whether using VR will affect myopia development in children, but were already trying to get children to be more outdoors, because experiencing daylight seems to be really, really important for normal development, says Prof Baraas. Beyond the eyes, Dr Mushtaq flags psychological concerns too, with VR blurring that line between fantasy and reality if children are wearing headsets all the time. Its a real Pandoras Box, when you start to go down that route, he says. Could Meta and others make a virtual-reality headset that sidesteps the possible concerns? Probably not. I think that this is the really difficult part, because the way we simulate 3D is really old based on Wheatstones stereoscope from 1838, says Prof Baraas. Something that does not break the link between accommodation and convergence would be great, but could likely only be done outside a headset via holography. That doesnt mean headset makers cant improve things, however. Smaller, lighter headsets would certainly be better suited to child-sized heads. My head is small, and I have a small inter-pupillary distance, and theres currently only one headset thats comfortable for me to wear, she adds. Children and VR: Safety advice for parents Child using PSVR (Jessica Lewis / Unsplash) If parents are determined to accept Metas guidelines and allow their children to use VR headsets, what steps should they take? For Prof Baraas, its important to get the childs eyes tested first. One bit of advice that Meta should have added is, before you get your child a VR headset, go and get a proper eye exam, she says. This should include the use of cycloplegic drops to find the correct refractive error. Dr Mushtaq also recommends taking advantage of another built-in function: the ability to cast content onto your TV so you can see what theyre seeing. Finally, the amount of time spent in VR is another big thing. While Meta advocates a two-hour daily limit (and will provide parental controls to manage this), for Prof Baraas, this is too long. My advice would be, maybe, to limit it to two hours a week, she says. Dr Mushtaq agrees. I would keep it quite short: 15 minutes or so with regular breaks. And as soon as theres any kind of eyestrain or fatigue, you stop the experience. For both, its all about engaging with this game-changing technology safely. This technology the way you can use it, the way you can learn things you know, its amazing, says Prof Baraas. So, of course, we would want everyone to be able to use it and in a safe way. Some steep slopes on Mars have gullies with morphologies suggesting that they were formed by a liquid. However, the planets current climate is not conducive to the melting of water ice at those locations, and mechanisms involving carbon dioxide ice do not explain the distribution of these features. In new research, planetary scientists from Brown University, Caltech, NASA and the University of California, Santa Cruz simulated how the Martian climate differed when its axis tilted by different amounts over the past few million years. At a tilt of 35 degrees, the ice caps partially melted, raising the atmospheric pressure, and there were higher summer temperatures; under these conditions, the atmospheric pressure at the gullies would be above the triple point of water, so it could melt to form a liquid. Although the Martian gullies resemble similar water-carved formations on Earth, they mostly exist at elevations where liquid water is not expected under the planets current climate and atmospheric conditions. Its been suggested that sublimation of carbon dioxide ice could have formed these gullies. However, the mechanism underlying this process is uncertain, as the process lacks an Earth analog and cannot fully explain the distribution of Mars gullies. Another hypothesis suggests that small amounts of liquid water created the gullies during earlier climate conditions more conducive to the melting of water ice. Furthermore, previous studies have shown that during periods of higher obliquity in Mars past, water ice could have accumulated in locations that now contain gullies. We know from a lot of our research and other peoples research that early on in Mars history, there was running water on the surface with valley networks and lakes, said Brown Universitys Professor Jim Head. But about 3 billion years ago, all of that liquid water was lost, and Mars became what we call a hyper-arid or polar desert. To better understand the role liquid water may have played in forming these features, Professor Head and colleagues used a 3D global circulation model of Mars to simulate how the planets climate differed when its axis tilted by varying amounts over the last million years. They found that at 35-degree obliquity, locations of current gullies reached pressures of more than 612 pascals and ice surface temperatures likely surpassed 273 K (melting point of water ice). As a result, melting ice could have stayed liquid during periods of high obliquity, carving gullies in the high-altitude areas where they are currently found. Our study shows that the global distribution of gullies is better explained by liquid water over the last million years, said Caltechs Dr. James Dickson. Water explains the elevation distribution of gullies in ways that carbon dioxide cannot. This means that Mars has been able to create liquid water in enough volume to erode channels within the last million years, which is very recent on the scale of Mars geologic history. A paper describing this research was published June 29 in the journal Science. _____ J.L. Dickson et al. 2023. Gullies on Mars could have formed by melting of water ice during periods of high obliquity. Science 380 (6652): 1363-1367; doi: 10.1126/science.abk2464 Amazon river dolphins are under threat from fishing and proposed new dams and dredging, research shows. Scientists used satellite tags to track eight dolphins in the Peruvian Amazon, to discover where they went in relation to fishing areas and proposed dams and dredging sites. On average, 89% of the dolphins' home "range" (the area they live in) was used for fishing. Dolphins were found to be an average of 252km from the nearest proposed dam and 125km from the nearest proposed dredging site. While these are significant distances, the dolphins' ranges spanned over 50km on average, and dams and dredging can affect large stretches of river habitats. Additionally, many Amazon river dolphins -- already an endangered species -- live closer to the proposed sites than the seven males and one female tagged in this study. The research was carried out by the University of Exeter and Peruvian conservation organisation Pro Delphinus. advertisement "It's clear that the Amazon river dolphin is facing increasing threats from humans," said Dr Elizabeth Campbell, of the Centre for Ecology and Conservation on Exeter's Penryn Campus in Cornwall. "Fishing can deplete populations of the dolphins' prey, and dolphins are also at risk from intentional killing and bycatch (accidental catching). "Bycatch has been known to be a threat to these dolphins for the last 30 years, but there's no real data on how many dolphins are caught per year." The construction of dams, mainly in Brazil, is an expanding threat, with 175 dams operating or under construction in the Amazon basin, and at least 428 more planned over the next 30 years. Additionally, the Amazon Waterway has been approved and is under contract for construction. This will involve dredging sites across four main rivers of the Amazon basin, and the expansion of ports to facilitate ship navigation across the Amazon, Ucayali and Maranon rivers. advertisement But the researchers say the Peruvian government has an opportunity to protect biodiversity. "Peru has a chance to preserve its free-flowing rivers, keeping them a safe and healthy habitat for river dolphins and many other species," Dr Campbell said. "Given that many of these dams and dredging projects are still in the planning stage, we advise the government to consider the negative effects these activities have already had on river species elsewhere." Dr Campbell added: "River dolphin tracking programmes should now be expanded to span multiple seasons, to track more females at our study sites and to increase the numbers tracked in other areas to improve our knowledge of the movement patterns of this species." The Amazon River dolphin is found throughout the basins of the Amazon and Orinoco Rivers and is categorised as Endangered on the IUCN Red List. The study was funded by the South American River Dolphin Initiative and WWF Peru. Dane County Farmers Market fans will find their favorite venders at Breese Stevens Field this weekend. The market is moving because of Art Fair on the Square. It will be open from 7 a.m. to noon at 917 E. Mifflin St. The Dane County Farmers Market Cookbook: Local Foods, Global Flavors will be released Saturday, too, and author Terese Allen will be signing copies of the book from 9 a.m. to noon. The farmers market is also seeking volunteers to help vendors move food onto the field from 5:30 to 7 a.m. Saturday because of the location change. Email info@dcfm.org for more information. Art Fair on the Square will run from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday on Capitol Square. Thailand Joins Singapore in Banning Crypto Lending Services Pexels Amid increased global scrutiny on crypto exchanges, Thailand joins Singapore among Southeast Asian countries to ban retail lending and staking services. The Thai Securities and Exchanges Commission announced a ban stopping crypto exchanges from offering lending and staking services to retail customers on July 3. The news came hours after the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) disclosed new measures to protect investors. MAS had announced a ban, prohibiting cryptocurrency exchanges in Singapore from offering lending and staking services for retail customers. Thai SEC Prioritizes Investor Protection in New Crypto Exchange Rules Like Singapore, the Thai regulator's move demonstrates that it prioritizes investor protection. However, contrary to retail investors, the ban does not prohibit crypto exchanges from staking and lending crypto to institutional customers. In its exact words, the announcement affirmed that the ban applies to all depository services that offer returns to depositors and lenders. In addition, the Thai SEC introduced a mandatory trade risks disclaimer. Cryptocurrency exchanges must make the trading risks disclosures visible to customers in clear and comprehensive language. "Cryptocurrencies are high risk. Please study and understand the risks of cryptocurrencies thoroughly because you may lose your entire investment," the disclaimer reads. Furthermore, crypto exchange operators must ensure that customers acknowledge the potential risks of crypto trading before consenting to use the services. Also, they must conduct investor suitability assessments to determine how much users can invest in crypto. The Thai regulator first banned crypto as a payment method in March 2022, effective April 1, 2022. The regulator cited concerns about the potential risks of financial instability that cryptocurrencies might pose on the country's economy. It also underscored the risk of loss of value due to high price volatility, cyber theft, and personal data leakage as reasons for banning crypto payments. In addition, the Thai SEC said cryptocurrencies might aid money laundering. Singapores Ban on Crypto Staking and Lending Services for Retail Customers The Thai SECs move follows the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS)s announcement on July 3. MAS banned exchange operators from offering lending and staking services to retail customers. The financial regulator mandated crypto exchanges to move all customer assets into a Trust before the end of 2023. The measure aims to prevent crypto exchanges from commingling customer funds and mitigating the risk of an FTX-like mayhem. Crypto Exchanges Face the Aftermath of FTXs Collapse In Q4 of 2022, FTX collapsed alongside billions of dollars in customer assets after an overwhelming investor run exposed a balance sheet deficit. Further revelations showed the exchange comingled customer funds with its sister company, Alameda Research, which had holes in its balance sheet. The FTX fiasco impacted the crypto market, escalating an existing bear market, with asset prices plunging deeper. The ripple effect sent many crypto-focused firms packing with bankruptcy filings and awakened regulatory scrutiny on standing firms. Regulators across the globe have used the FTX catastrophe as a case study in dishing out new measures to protect investors from fund loss. On Tuesday, Carlisle Christian Fellowship will host its third annual Fourth of July fireworks show. The show will take place at 8:45 p.m.at the church at 1825 Suncrest Dr. in Carlisle. The fireworks can also be seen from North Middleton Townships Village Park at 1827 Suncrest Dr. Church Youth Pastor Kory Epler said the show will closely follow last years edition, which lasted for over 30 minutes. This is the second year that the show will be open to the community. The inaugural show was exclusive to the churchs congregation. Last year, they put on quite a show, Epler said. Last month, Carlisle Mayor Sean Schultz announced that the borough would cancel its annual Stars Burst over Carlisle display, citing a lack of resources. This year were really putting it out there this year," Epler said. So many people will still have fireworks. The City of Harrisburg will also launch fireworks around 9:15 p.m. on Tuesday at Riverfront Park at 200 S. Front St. in Harrisburg. Hampden Township will also have a fireworks display on Saturday at Hampden Township Park, 5002 Hampden Park Dr., as part of its Fun Food Fest. Both events are free and open to the public. Cumberland County commissioners recently backed an effort by Comcast to seek state funding to improve broadband coverage in the central and western parts of the county. The commissioners agreed in late June to provide Comcast with a letter in support of its application for subsidy funding available through the Capital Projects Fund Broadband Infrastructure Program. The $200 million competitive grant program will target locations that do not have access to 25/3 Mbps reliable service, according to the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development. The program is to fund extensions of existing last-mile cable modem and fiber-to-the-premises broadband networks. Kristen Ritchey, a senior manager for external affairs for the Comcast Keystone Region, briefed the commissioners in late June about the companys request for a support letter. We expanded our plant in the county nearly 300 miles over the past three years, Ritchey said. So far, weve been expanding with our private capital, but there are some areas that are of further reach from our current network where were looking for some subsidy funding to help with construction. We have identified some areas in Cumberland County, she said. The proposed projects are in the western part of the county. There are some unserved areas in the central part of the county. The Capital Projects Fund was established under the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021. In other action in late June, the commissioners: Gave the criminal investigation division of the district attorneys office the go-ahead to submit an application for a $145,421 Local Law Enforcement Grant through the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board. The grant would fund the salary and benefits of a detective investigating illegal gambling along with part of the salary of an attorney in the office, Chief Detective Jonathan L. Mays said. Approved a $31,095 contract between Grayshift LLC of Atlanta, Georgia, and the district attorneys office for software that technicians in the county digital laboratory use to unlock and crack iPhones, said Eric Radnovich, director of the forensic investigation division. : , . 111 .AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee Longtime Daily Journal writer and Farmington Press Editor Kevin R. Jenkins has been named editor of the Daily Journal by Greg Hoskins, Better Newspapers Inc. publisher. Jenkins has worked in the newspaper business for 27 years, serving as a reporter with the Daily Journal for seven and a half years and editor of the Farmington Press for four and a half years. Before that, Jenkins served as editor of The Mountain Echo in Ironton and the St. Clair Missourian in St. Clair, as well as a reporter for the Daily American Republic in Poplar Bluff, and the Centralia Fireside Guard in Centralia. Born in El Paso, Texas, Jenkins was the only child of Kenneth and Evelyn Jenkins. His father was an upper atmospheric research scientist at White Sands Missile Range in New Mexico, and his mother was a homemaker. Jenkins graduated from Andress High School in 1975 and attended his freshman year in college at West Texas State University (now West Texas A&M University) in Canyon, Texas, prior to transferring to Arizona State University in Tempe, Arizona, where he graduated in 1980 with a degree in broadcasting. Following college, Jenkins attended Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, where he sought his Masters of Religious Education (MRE) degree. For the next 20 years, he served on staff in churches from Arizona and Texas to Oklahoma and Tennessee. He moved to this state when he was named an associate in the Evangelism Department of the Missouri Southern Baptist Convention (MSBC) in Jefferson City. During his tenure with the MSBC, Jenkins traveled around the state and nation, speaking at churches, conventions, special events, and seminars. He also traveled to Belarus and Russia, where he was part of a ministry team that trained pastors in sharing the gospel. Jenkins was pastoring a church when he was asked to become editor of The Mountain Echo, upon the previous editors death. Through the years, Jenkins has won a number of awards for his writing and, in February 2018, was named the St. Francois County Citizen of the Year by the Mineral Area Community Elks Lodge in Desloge. Jenkins moved to the Parkland in 2002, and a year later married Brenda Broeker, a teacher at Fredericktown High School. The couple have three daughters. From a previous marriage, Jenkins also has four adult children, a son, and three daughters. Although I havent lived here my entire life, I quickly fell in love with the Parkland, he said. The natural beauty of the area and the friendliness of the people immediately made me feel right at home. Ive always been a people person who makes friends quickly and its been no different here. Ive made a lot of friends and met many incredible people in the 16 years Ive lived here. One of my greatest joys is telling the stories of everyday people who have made a mark on their world. There are a lot of interesting people, as well as many unsung heroes, who Ive had the pleasure of bringing to the attention of our readership through the years. I expect that to continue as I take on the responsibility of Daily Journal editor. This is a great privilege for me and I hope that I serve our readers well. Better Newspapers Inc. (BNI) recently bought the Daily Journal, Farmington Press, and (Madison County) Democrat News from Lee Enterprises. The sale was final on June 26. BNI also owns two other newspapers in the Parkland, The Ste. Genevieve Herald and The (Iron County) Mountain Echo. More than half of UK broadband customers have experienced problems with their connections, according to a report that says telecoms providers are adding insult to injury after forcing inflation-busting price rises on to their customers. Many of the UKs mobile and telecoms companies have been accused of greedflation for pushing through mid-contract price increases of up to 17.3%. Guardian The former finance director of the collapsed outsourcing company Carillion has been banned from serving as a company director for 11 years over his role in the company dishing out dividends of more than 50m while misstating its financial position by more than 200m. The outsourcers implosion in 2018 was one of the most high-profile failures in British corporate history, costing 3,000 jobs and plunging 450 public sector projects, including hospitals, schools and prisons, into chaos. Guardian Off a backroad and behind a gate near Heathrow Airport stands one of the UKs handful of hydrogen filling stations. The familiar canopy, pumps, no smoking signs and other paraphernalia are present, but there are none of the smells or stains of a petrol station as enough fuel to travel hundreds of miles is dispensed in under four minutes in the form of a clear, odourless gas. Telegraph National Grid is urging factory owners to cut their electricity use at peak times as part of efforts to bolster power supplies this winter. The Grid is in talks with the Energy Intensive Users Group (EIUG), which represents heavy industry, over ways for members to reduce their consumption amid concerns of another supply crunch as the war in Ukraine drags on. Telegraph Insurance companies have sounded a warning note before a key policy initiative to encourage British pension funds to invest more domestically and in higher-risk assets. Ahead of the announcement, which is expected from the chancellor next week, the Association of British Insurers said there must be no mandatory rules forcing pension funds to invest in any particular area, adding that any compulsion would raise the real risk of asset bubbles. The Times Energy companies supplying about a third of British households do not meet Ofgems financial resilience standards, according to the regulators latest analysis. Ofgem has written to energy companies warning them that they must use an expected return to profitability this year to bolster their balance sheets before they consider paying dividends to shareholders. The Times The bright rays of sunlight that graced Thomas Jeffersons Monticello on Tuesday shone as a prelude to the bright future in store for the country if Americas newest citizens have anything to do about it. Immigrants, their families and civic leaders converged at the historic estate Tuesday morning for the annual Fourth of July Naturalization Ceremony on the mountaintop, where the dreams of new citizens intertwine with the dreams of those who paved the way before them. The mosaic of stories shared by the immigrants gathered served as a powerful reminder of the enduring promises of America as set out in the document Jefferson penned 247 years ago: freedom, equality and opportunity for all. When I first got here, I end up pushing my clothes in a trash bag in shopping cart, Lorena Umanzor, who immigrated from Honduras more than 33 years ago, said. Finally, I now am getting to be a citizen of this great country. May God bless America. The keynote speaker at Tuesdays ceremony, University of Virginia President Jim Ryan, highlighted his own personal story to serve as a call to action, not just to new citizens but everyone in attendance. Stories was the theme of Ryans emotional address to the new citizens: the power of stories to bridge differences, the importance for the new citizens to write their own story and the will to contribute to the countrys ongoing story by engaging in civic life. The basic human connections you make through stories are the building blocks, not just of your life, but of this country, Ryan said. Take seriously your responsibilities of new citizens and engage in the civic life of this the United States which has a story unlike any other country. Its a nation formed around a core set of principles rather than around a group with a common identity or ancestry. Ryan is himself the son of an immigrant. My fuller story is part of the story of the Irish immigrant, he said, wiping a tear from his cheek. The son she placed for adoption in the hope that he would have a better life is me. While countless new American citizens recite their oath of allegiance at immigration field offices, only a privileged few are granted the opportunity to pledge their allegiance at the home of a Founding Father and the architect of the Declaration of Independence. This year saw 50 new citizens from 28 countries take part, with most coming from Afghanistan. Many emphasized the sobering reality that the freedoms enjoyed by many Americans are not universally experienced across the globe. I never dreamed that one day Ill be here celebrating my naturalization ceremony. I want to take all the rights and privileges that I now have and use it towards improving the situation in America by taking part in things like elections, Mohammad Mustafa Subhan from Afghanistan said shortly after becoming a U.S. citizen. The country where I came from you hardly find a chance to participate and contribute to the future. We are lucky here to have this chance to build our own future and to contribute to a better life for our next generation. While some new citizens arrived with their immediate families, some with close friends, others came with droves of supporters from across the Charlottesville area. When I came here six years ago. I did not know English whatsoever, said Karen Garcia Salazar from Colombia. It was very hard for me to start making friends. I was here not knowing what to do and then the Charlottesville community just gave me so much love and opportunity. Salazar graduated from Piedmont Virginia Community College and then received a scholarship to UVa. It was at that moment that she decided to become a part-time volunteer firefighter. More than 30 members of the force turned out to cheer her on. When you are older, and you decide to move and leave everything back in another country, its so hard because youre just lost and you also lose that feeling of being home, Salazar said. When I turned to the fire department, thats when I started to know I was home. Like Ryans address, Gardiner Hallock, the new interim director of Monticello, offered the new citizens some advice. Take advantage of everything this great country has to offer, Hallock said. Volunteer and become engaged in the community, especially Charlottesville, we are a wonderful place to be. Most seemed to take that advice to heart. Many registered to vote after the ceremony while enjoying root beer floats and soaking in the morning sun. Ranishrai Mohankumar Nair, an immigrant from India, wholeheartedly agreed with the sentiments expressed Tuesday by Ryan, Hallock and his fellow fledging citizens. From today onwards we get these additional rights, rules and responsibilities, so Im looking forward to that and contributing to this country. Over the last 20 years, ending December 2022, India received foreign inflows of over $400 billion in private markets (private equity, venture capital, infrastructure, real estate). The cumulative net investments in public markets (public equity and fixed income) for the same period is about $250 billion, said Arvind Chari, CIO of Quantum Advisors. The private market is an important investment destination. Foreign investors seem way more allocated to private markets over public markets, Chari said. The market value of public investments is around $650 billion on mark-to-market valuation, while the market value of private market investments can only be speculated. In the period since 2017, the outcome has been stark. Private assets have seen gross flows of 10x over public markets. Even if we account for exits from private assets, the flows on a net basis are 6x higher than public markets, Chari said. Private markets are of course, larger and the opportunity set is wider. It includes private equity (PE), venture capital (VC), infrastructure and real estate. It will always attract and absorb more flows than the public markets of equity and fixed income. It is also a testament to the improving eco-system: Growing opportunity, improving management teams and products, exit options. More importantly, the growing active investor base across global PE firms to large pension/SWFs and the rise in India dedicated fund raises. This surge in flows towards VC investments was seen in 2020/2021, as China clamped down on the technology sector. Capital raised for China gushed into India, turning many startups into unicorns. For two years in a row (2021/22), India has surpassed China in the number of new unicorns created. India has seen 72 unicorns (valuation of $1 billion) in the last three years. The pace of course, slowed down by late 2022 in what many are now calling the funding freeze. The funding freeze on private assets has already slowed down the deal flow and the gross inflows in 2023. This will also impact the exits and the valuation of the assets. Many existing private asset owners are dependent on new flows, new deals to either value the investments and to exit their investments in secondary or strategic transactions, Chari said. This is especially true as the recent experience of exits through IPOs hasn't really been taken well by the markets. The frenzy to invest due to the TINA factor almost always condemns the investors to make sub-optimal decisions. They back the wrong project. They back the wrong manager. They do not account for the myriad regulatory and governance risks," Chari said. Infrastructure and real estate investments in particular, were replete with such examples throughout the last decade. Many projects returned single digit returns. Some lost capital. Some were outright frauds with investors stuck in litigation for years," Chari said. We may be seeing a lot of that today again. So many of the unicorns backed by the largest PE/VC investors are proving to be a combination of Wirecard and Theranos," Chari said. If you are new to the world of online share market trading in India, it's important to understand the competition before you start. Compare Tata Motors with Eicher Motors, two major automotive companies. Evaluating their performances, market positioning, and innovations can provide valuable insights for beginners like you. In this article, we will explore a comprehensive competitive analysis of Tata Motors and Eicher Motors, shedding light on their strengths, weaknesses, and what sets them apart in the online share market trading in India. Tata Motors Tata Motors, a Tata Group company, has extensive automotive experience. It's one of India's top automakers. Tata Motors sells passenger, commercial, and electric automobiles. Their lineup includes compact automobiles, luxury sedans, and SUVs to meet a variety of consumer needs. As of June 23 Tata Motors share price is standing at 560+. Eicher Motors Eicher Motors, a renowned Indian automotive company, has a rich background and history dating back to 1948. Initially focused on manufacturing motorcycles, Eicher Motors expanded its product portfolio to include commercial vehicles and engineering components. With iconic brands like Royal Enfield under its umbrella, Eicher Motors has achieved a significant market presence in India and has successfully expanded its global reach, with a presence in several countries across the world. As of June 23 Eicher Motors share price is standing at 3,450+. Product Offerings and Innovation Tata Motors boasts a diverse product portfolio that includes passenger cars, commercial vehicles, and electric vehicles. They have showcased innovation with the launch of the Tata Nexon EV, the country's first electric SUV. On the other hand, Eicher Motors is renowned for its Royal Enfield motorcycles, known for their classic design and powerful performance. It has focused on continuous product innovation, introducing new models like the Royal Enfield Interceptor 650 and Continental GT 650, catering to the growing demand for retro-styled motorcycles. Both companies demonstrate a commitment to product offerings and innovation, catering to different segments of the market. Comparing Tata Motors and Eicher Motors Here's a comparison table showcasing the key differences between Tata Motors and Eicher Motors across various parameters: Comparison Aspect Tata Motors Eicher Motors Product Portfolio Has a broad product portfolio that includes passenger vehicles, commercial vehicles, and electric vehicles. Primarily focuses on motorcycles through its Royal Enfield brand and commercial vehicles via VECV. Market Presence Has a robust presence in both domestic and international markets. One of the leading automobile manufacturers in India, and has expanded globally. Mainly focused on the Indian market but is also making efforts to increase its international presence, particularly with its Royal Enfield motorcycles. Brand Recognition Well-known brand with a long history in the automotive industry. Its passenger vehicles cater to a wide range of customers, from budget-conscious to premium. Famous for its Royal Enfield motorcycles which are highly regarded, particularly for their classic and retro-styled models. Market Segments Serves diverse market segments, including both passenger and commercial vehicle customers. Primarily focuses on mid-sized motorcycles and commercial vehicles, catering to specific niches within those segments. Conclusion Tata Motors and Eicher Motors are two major players in the Indian automotive industry, each with its unique strengths and market positioning. Tata Motors boasts a wider product portfolio, catering to various segments with passenger, commercial, and electric vehicles. They possess a good domestic and international presence. On the other hand, Eicher Motors has established itself as a prominent player in the motorcycle and commercial vehicle segments, particularly with its Royal Enfield brand. Both companies have brand recognition and emphasise innovation to meet evolving customer demands. Their distinct market focus sets them apart in the competitive online share market trading in India. Rebel Foods, the cloud kitchen startup behind popular brands like Faasos, Behrouz Biryani, and Oven Story Pizza, has made its entry into Saudi Arabia with the launch of two cloud kitchens in Riyadh. This move marks Rebel Foods as Indias first foodtech company to establish a presence in the Saudi Arabian market, further strengthening its focus on the Middle East region. The foodtech startup has already established a footprint in the United Arab Emirates and now aims to build a robust $100-million food delivery business in Saudi Arabia over the next three years through its cloud kitchen network. Rebel Foods plans to expand its reach by adding over 60 internet restaurants in Riyadh and extending its operations to other major cities in the country, including Jeddah, Dammam, and Khobar. Rebel Foods entry into the Saudi market is made possible through a partnership between Dubai-based KitchenPark and Kitch. The newly launched cloud kitchens, located in Sulemaniya and Qurtoba, will feature Rebels signature brands, including The Messy Burger, Oven Story Pizza, Fricken Fried Chicken, and The 500 Calorie Project. Subsequent launches will introduce popular brands such as Behrouz Biryani, Faasos, and Mandarin Oak. Vishal Khithani, CEO of International Markets at Rebel Foods, emphasized the Middle East as a key region for the companys growth strategy. The Middle East or the MENA market is a key region for Rebel Foods, and we are investing significantly to build our cloud kitchen network and strengthen our brands, stated Khithani. He further expressed the companys commitment to meeting the growing customer demand by introducing iconic brands tailored to resonate with the market while addressing diverse food preferences. Founded in 2011 by Jaydeep Barman and Kallol Banerjee, Rebel Foods operates a vast chain of online restaurants with 4,000 cloud kitchens encompassing 45 brands. With a presence in multiple countries, including India, Indonesia, Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Bangladesh, the UAE, and the UK, Rebel Foods has established a full-stack technology infrastructure encompassing inventory and kitchen management, demand management, and fulfillment. The company leverages its supply chain capabilities to source and store raw materials efficiently while emphasizing culinary expertise to deliver SOP-driven menus. Plotch.ai, a prominent technology enabler of the Open Network for Digital Commerce (ONDC), has announced that IDFC FIRST Bank has joined the Plotch ONDC-focused accelerator. This collaboration marks a significant step forward in promoting the ONDC initiative introduced by the Indian government to enhance e-commerce penetration in the country. The Plotch ONDC accelerator, launched earlier this year in partnership with Microsoft, aims to foster the growth of startups in the ONDC ecosystem. Under this partnership, IDFC FIRST Bank will extend banking and fintech support to startups that are building innovative solutions and businesses around ONDC. This strategic move will enable startups to leverage the banking expertise and fintech solutions offered by IDFC FIRST Bank to fuel their growth and development within the ONDC ecosystem. Manoj Gupta, CEO of Plotch.ai, expressed his enthusiasm about the collaboration, stating, We welcome IDFC FIRST Bank to lead efforts in building a healthy ecosystem of startups who will build the next-generation technologies for faster adoption of ONDC in India and globally. The inclusion of IDFC FIRST Bank in the ONDC accelerator is expected to contribute significantly to creating a thriving environment for startups, driving the widespread adoption of ONDC both domestically and internationally. As part of the partnership, IDFC FIRST Bank will provide startups with unique lending solutions tailored to their credit and working capital requirements. Startups will also gain access to IDFC FIRST Banks sandbox environment, enabling them to utilize the banks APIs for developing fintech products. IDFC FIRST Bank has developed innovative banking products specifically for the ONDC network, and these offerings will be made available to startups through priority channels. Bhavesh K Jatania, Head of Startup Banking at IDFC FIRST Bank, expressed his excitement about the partnership, saying, We are very excited about ONDC and its impact on scaling e-commerce in India. We believe ONDC will be a game changer and are happy to partner with Plotch.ai in this journey. The collaboration between Plotch.ai and IDFC FIRST Bank is expected to empower startups in the ONDC ecosystem by providing them with the necessary financial tools and resources to drive their growth and success. Plotch.ai plans to select nearly ten companies for its first cohort of startups, with an official announcement expected by the end of July. Founded by Manoj and Monica Gupta, the husband-wife duo and founders of the e-commerce platform Craftsvilla, Plotch.ai is an AI-enabled e-commerce SaaS product that focuses on facilitating the digital transformation of commerce-led businesses. By leveraging Plotch.ai, companies of all types and complexities, including online marketplaces, hyperlocal businesses, D2C brands, omnichannel retailers, and B2B enterprises, can seamlessly launch, operate, and automate their online businesses. IN CLASS: This feature is part of an ongoing education column highlighting the various activities that engage school communities. STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. Middle school students on Staten Island were able to learn about maritime service and gain valuable skills this school year, thanks to a new partnership. The program which involves a partnership between the Naval Sea Cadet Corps (Sea Cadets), the NYC Department of Youth and Community Development (DYCD), and the NYC Department of Veterans Services was established at Barnes Intermediate School (I.S. 24) in Great Kills. Our cadets go beyond what they think is possible for themselves, said Rear Adm. Andrew Lennon, executive director of Sea Cadets. With the help of our adult volunteers, Sea Cadets learn the feeling of success and well-earned achievement by stepping outside their comfort zones. Staten Island Sea Cadets visit USS The Sullivans Homeport Pier in Stapleton on Memorial Day weekend. The Sea Cadet unit is located at Barnes Intermediate School (I.S. 24), Great Kills. (Courtesy/ NYC Department of Youth and Community Development) Young men and women were able to challenge themselves, gain a competitive edge, learn leadership and have fun. This past school year, 25 members of the United Activities Unlimited (UAU) after school program joined Sea Cadets and began their training. Units are also training in Brooklyn and the Bronx. Sea Cadets is a national non-profit program for middle, high and home school students offering youth skills, knowledge, and confidence to become productive, responsible American citizens with an appreciation for the maritime services: the U.S. Navy, U.S. Coast Guard, U.S. Marine Corps, and U.S. Merchant Marine. DYCD Commissioner Keith Howard and Department of Veterans Services Commissioner James Hendon were equally enthusiastic about this opportunity. I am especially appreciative of this initiative since my dad, PFC Jimmie Howard, was a veteran and served in the U.S. Army, said Howard. DYCD congratulates the 25 Staten Island cadets as they advance through the ranks of this pilot programlearning about discipline, teamwork, physical fitness and careers related to the rigorous training they are receiving. A Staten Island Sea Cadet explores military vehicle at USS The Sullivans Homeport Pier in Stapleton on Memorial Day weekend. The Sea Cadet unit is located at Barnes Intermediate School (I.S. 24), Great Kills. (Courtesy/ NYC Department of Youth and Community Development) The Sea Cadets mission is to build leaders of character. They excel when applying to college, gaining service academy appointments, earning scholarships, pursuing military careers and seeking job opportunities. Youth also feel pride in their accomplishments, grow in self-confidence, earn respect from their peers, and can gain life skills via a wide variety of training sessions held nationwide. Our partnership with the Naval Sea Cadet Corps and the NYC Department of Youth and Community Development is a testament to our commitment to empowering the next generation, said Hendon. Through this partnership we hope to propel these young people toward a future where they can navigate uncharted waters with courage, discipline and respect as they evolve into the leaders this city and nation need. Staten Island Sea Cadets show off their skills. The Sea Cadet unit is located at Barnes Intermediate School (I.S. 24), Great Kills. (Courtesy/ NYC Department of Youth and Community Development) In May, Howard joined the cadets at I.S. 24 to watch them participate in drills and physical training at the new Staten Island unit. UAU Program Director Samantha Goodman and I.S. 24 Assistant Principal Deric Borrero were instrumental in hosting this unique opportunity for the cadets. We are working hard to make these kinds of unique opportunities more available to New York City young people, Howard said. And DYCD is proud to collaborate with Sea Cadets on this important initiative. We look forward to an ongoing partnership to help transform our citys young people into tomorrows leaders. The new Sea Cadet Unit at I.S. 24 is named in honor of DC3 Nathan Bruckenthal, a Coast Guard hero from New York. Cadets met on Saturdays during the school year to sharpen their skills and build their fitness in anticipation of summer training at SUNY Maritime College in the Bronx. JUVENILE TROUT Susan Wagner High School students released juvenile trout in May, as part of an environmental conservation program. (Courtesy/DEP) Staten Island students helped to release juvenile trout that they raised in their classrooms which will help water quality and New York Citys water supply system. The New York City Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) joined Trout Unlimited, the Watershed Agricultural Council, and 45 students juniors and seniors at Susan E. Wagner High School, Sea View to release the juvenile trout in May. Students had raised the juvenile trout in their classrooms since October. Nearly 150 fingerlings were released into the Cross River, where it passes through the Ward Pound Ridge Reservation in Westchester County. The Cross River feeds into New York Citys Cross River Reservoir. Susan Wagner High School students released juvenile trout in May, as part of an environmental conservation program. (Courtesy/DEP) Since 2002, DEP and Trout Unlimited, a national non-profit that aims to conserve, protect, and restore North Americas cold-water fisheries and their watersheds, have worked together to educate city students about the importance of protecting our shared water resources through the Trout in the Classroom program. This program teaches young New Yorkers, ranging from pre-K to grade 12, about the connections between trout, the city water supply system, water quality, and students from both sides of the citys water tunnels. Many of the students participating also receive support from watershed partner organizations, including the Watershed Agricultural Council. Susan Wagner High School students released juvenile trout in May, as part of an environmental conservation program. (Courtesy/DEP) In October, more than 130 classroom teachers and educators joined the Trout in the Classroom Programs fall teacher conference and received trout eggs from the state Department of Environmental Conservation. Students incubated the trout eggs in their classrooms and raised them into juvenile trout, which are also called fingerlings. The hands-on, eight-month-long program culminates with students taking part in designated field days between March and June to release the juvenile trout into city watershed streams. Susan Wagner High School students released juvenile trout in May, as part of an environmental conservation program. (Courtesy/DEP) DEP manages New York Citys water supply, providing approximately 1 billion gallons of high-quality drinking water each day to nearly 10 million residents, including 8.8 million in New York City. The water is delivered from a watershed that extends more than 125 miles from the city, comprising 19 reservoirs and three controlled lakes. Susan Wagner High School students released juvenile trout in May, as part of an environmental conservation program. (Courtesy/DEP) Susan Wagner High School students released juvenile trout in May, as part of an environmental conservation program. (Courtesy/DEP) Susan Wagner High School students released juvenile trout in May, as part of an environmental conservation program. (Courtesy/DEP) Susan Wagner High School students released juvenile trout in May, as part of an environmental conservation program. (Courtesy/DEP) Susan Wagner High School students released juvenile trout in May, as part of an environmental conservation program. (Courtesy/DEP) SEND US YOUR STORIES Do you have a story idea for the In Class education column? Email education reporter Annalise Knudson at aknudson@siadvance.com. ADDITIONAL IN CLASS COLUMNS PS 36 raises money for cancer during Relay for Life event | In Class column Notre Dame Academy graduate follows familys footsteps to attend U.S. Naval Academy | In Class column Lavelle Prep adopts new K-12 charter school model | In Class Staten Island students win first place in NYC stock market game | In Class column Staten Island Academy receives $25K grant to support those with learning differences | In Class column Staten Island school dedicates Bennys Bench in memory of longtime custodian | In Class column Cycle of love: Staten Island Academy students donate blankets to those in need | In Class column Sensory hallway brings underwater adventure to Staten Island students | In Class column Staten Island students perform at Radio City Music Hall | In Class column Staten Island students earn various awards during citywide debate tournament | In Class column Staten Island student earns prestigious $55K annual college scholarship | In Class column Recycling carnival features games made by Staten Island students | In Class column School Zone: An education newsletter with the updates you need throughout the school year and beyond. Enter your email address here and hit "subscribe" to receive this weekly newsletter: FOLLOW ANNALISE KNUDSON ON FACEBOOK AND TWITTER. STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. Federal officials quietly updated their plans earlier this year for a local coastal resiliency project, the Advance/SILive.com has learned. In January, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) quietly updated the website for the East Shore Sea Wall, officially known as the South Shore of Staten Island Coastal Storm Risk Management Project. Design of all project construction contracts is currently underway, including assessment of potential design refinements for several project features and updated project cost estimates, the update reads. Project schedule revisions are also currently being assessed. Significant coordination is ongoing between the Corps and state and city of New York. A USACE spokesperson confirmed that update last week saying the agency doesnt expect details of the project to be updated until the end of the year. He said Friday that the agency expects a contract for an interior drainage portion of the project to be advertised by the end of the year, and that design efforts for other parts remain underway. The change came a month after the Advance/SILive.com reported on Dec. 8 that Sen. Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.), who along with Rep. Nicole Malliotakis (R-Staten Island/South Brooklyn) is one of the leading advocates for the project at the federal level, worked to include language in this years National Defense Authorization Act that made the federal government responsible for 90% of costs exceeding $615 million. Cost sharing among the federal, state and city governments became a sticking point as the price-tag ballooned from the projects initial 2016 authorization of $571 million. A 2019 agreement among the city, state and federal government upped that total to $615 million. In December, Schumers office shared their latest estimate of about $1.67 billion for the project, and last week, pointed to a letter the senator sent in last May asking for the Army to expedite the project. That number was nearly the same as the $1.7 billion estimate an official with Mayor Eric Adams office shared with the City Council in October. The USACE spokesman said the agency would update its cost estimate by the end of the year. State and city governments will be responsible for 35% of the costs up to that $615 million threshold, but with the reduced burden after that, Schumer expects the federal legislation to save the city and state hundreds of millions of dollars. Talk of the project dates back decades, but the federal government first authorized a feasibility study for a coastal storm risk management project along the Islands coast in 1993. Motivation for the project was insufficient until Superstorm Sandy decimated the Islands East Shore in 2012, and received its initial funding in 2016. When complete, the project will be comprised of internal drainage improvements, a 4.5-mile seawall from Fort Wadsworth to Oakwood Beach, a mile of floodwall and levee along Great Kills Park, and road raising from the shoreline up just past Hylan Boulevard. In part, project delays stem from environmental remediation needed near the park date back to 2020, but early this year, city officials said those conflicts had been resolved. An NYPD anti-terror flyover in 2005 preparing for a possible dirty bomb scenario originally found the radiation around Great Kills Park, which is part of Gateway National Recreation Area. Information about the radiation wasnt made public until 2006 after a congressional survey. According to the National Parks Service, New York City chose to landfill the former wetland that now makes up Great Kills Park starting in 1925 in an effort to turn the area into usable property. At the time, waste was commonly used to fill land for such purposes. The majority of the waste was placed from 1944 to 1948, and the site operated as a city park until 1972 when it transferred to the federal system, according to the Parks Service. Language in the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act (CERCLA), which passed in 1980, typically precludes the federal government from handling hazardous waste remediation out of a concern for liability. Schumer wrote in his letter to the Assistant Secretary of the Army for Civil Works, Michael Connor, seeking a policy waiver that would allow the Army to handle the needed cleanup. During Hurricane Sandy, Staten Island was flooded all the way up to Hylan Boulevard, devastating thousands of homes and leading to a tragic loss of life, Schumer wrote. I am gravely concerned that the lack of any immediate action threatens further project delays and costs, as well as the climate resiliency of Staten Island, and I urge you to agree to a policy waiver to allow the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to remediate the HTRW on site as they have elsewhere throughout the country in the past for other projects. Thank you for your att Despite that, most of the government and elected officials involved had long believed the Corps would be handling the remediation, but that changed in late 2020 causing the conflict. MORE NYC NEWS NYC to force restaurant trash into containers NYC may impose emission rules on certain pizzerias in latest carbon-cutting measure Staten Island rabbi named to NYCs first Jewish Advisory Council SIUH discontinues a grossly underutilized South Shore overnight ambulance tour NYC partners with Google in effort aimed at getting public school students ready for tech jobs STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. When West Brighton resident Rob Burmeister read about a nearly 80-year-old Staten Islander who fell on hard times, and the local business that stepped up to help her, he knew he wanted to get involved. What he couldnt predict, however, was how his campaign to aid a neighbor in need would blossom into something much, much bigger. Late last month, the woman reached out to the Advance/SILive.com to laud Cafe Milano in West Brighton for helping her out of a predicament that could have left her without food for days. The grateful woman, who requested her name be withheld from publication, was dependent on monthly Social Security checks to cover her expenses. To help ease her financial burden, the New Brighton residents out-of-state sister would send her gift cards, which she used to order delivery from nearby restaurants to feed herself, her two dogs, and her cat when money was tight. The woman a former Manhattan restaurant owner who closed her business following the death of her husband some years ago was unable to shop for groceries or cook at home as her stove and refrigerator were both broken. Recently, the longtime Staten Islander attempted to order food from the Forest Avenue restaurant but the gift card she was using would not process the transaction. After speaking with the restaurants owner and explaining her situation, Cafe Milano still delivered her order. The meal helped tide her over until her next Social Security check came through, several days later. The act of goodwill by the Forest Avenue restaurant immediately struck the woman while the womans story immediately struck Burmeister. Rob Burmeister, a culinary master and former business owner who has run kitchens in several well-known borough restaurants and appeared on various Food Network shows, including Chopped and The Next Food Network Star found himself compelled to help the woman after reading her story on SILive.com. (Courtesy of Rob Burmeister) SHE SHOULDNT HAVE TO WORRY The culinary master and former business owner who has run kitchens in several well-known borough restaurants and appeared on various Food Network shows, including Chopped and The Next Food Network Star found himself compelled to help the woman after reading her story on SILive.com. My mom died when she was 58 years old. My dad recently passed away, in 2018. This woman could be my mother, my parent said Burmeister, a lifelong Staten Islander, and I would hate for my parent to be starving. Shes 80 years old. She shouldnt have to worry every morning where her next meals coming from. With the womans permission, the Advance/SILive.com connected her with Burmeister. From there, Burmeister hit the ground running. He began with a visit to the womans home to introduce himself, and, alongside good friend and fellow South Shore Kiwanis Club member Tom Conte, assessed the broken appliances and anything else that might need attention. It was then the culinary teacher and woman realized they had a connection dating back decades: As a child, Burmeisters father used to bring Burmeister to the womans restaurant, which was located in the Financial District. Even more reason to help the fellow Staten Islander. GOFUNDME STARTED In addition to making several visits to the womans home, Burmeister started a GoFundMe to raise funds for basic necessities, shelf-stable food, pet food, and bills or other expenses the woman might have. He planned to also purchase gift cards to her favorite Staten Island restaurants, Cafe Milano and La Rosa Chicken in Sunnyside, the latter of which has also helped the woman in her time of need, she told the Advance/SILive.com. And if enough people donated to the fundraiser, Burmeister decided early on, he would also buy the woman a new fridge and stove, and after that, fresh groceries. After announcing the GoFundMe, Burmeisters close friends and many others began to reach out to Burmeister to offer help in the form of free services like veterinary care, dental care, and more. Hed return home after work or running errands to bags of goods on his doorstep, and gift cards in his mailbox. As of Monday evening, the GoFundMe was sitting at just over $5,000, having surpassed its initial $3,500 goal, with more donations trickling in. IT DOESNT TAKE MUCH TO HELP SOMEBODY As a thankful Burmeister put it, he had successfully rallied the troops, while also advocating his message that one should exercise compassion for a neighbor in need. There are people right next door to you that might need help, said Burmeister, who added he is contemplating starting a much bigger campaign in the future to succor older community members in need. It doesnt take much to help somebody. Burmeisters assistance has been overwhelming in the best possible way, the woman told the Advance/SILive.com. Hes trying very hard to help me, said the woman. Hes a very, very nice man, and its very rare to find people that want to give of themselves to help someone else. Its nice to have people like [Burmeister] because you feel that, when things are happening all around you, theres still somebody out there who cares. She added her sister in Massachusetts was very impressed by the outpouring of support. FUNDRAISERS ONGOING SUCCESS A new refrigerator and stove have been purchased for the woman, Burmeister has since confirmed. The appliances are expected to be delivered to her home in the coming days. He has also made numerous trips to Costco and other stores for household items, among other things, and delivered goods purchased or donated to the womans house. Burmeister plans to stock the fridge as soon as possible with store-bought items and homemade meals, made by him. He appealed to Staten Islanders to continue to contribute anything they could to the GoFundMe, so that he could set the woman up for the weeks and months to come. YOU HAVE TO HAVE FAITH As she reflected on Burmeisters generosity, and the generosity of those donating to her cause, the woman said there was still a level of disbelief at her sudden change in circumstance. I cant believe this is happening to me, I wasnt expecting it, she said. All I wanted was to share Cafe Milano helped me in my time of need. This experience and Burmeisters goodwill has reinforced her confidence in her community. She hoped others would be inspired both by her story, and Burmeisters selfless initiative. You have to have faith, and believe in people, she said. You just cant give up. Know theres kindness out there. There are so many people out there who arent aware that there are good things, good people. Its not such a horrible world out there. Thank you for visiting the Daily Journal. Please purchase an Enhanced Subscription to continue reading. 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! At the same time Albemarle County supervisors are considering plans for a solar farm that could conservatively power more than half of the countys households, they are also considering new ordinance amendments that could scale back the future of solar in the area. Local solar developers and climate advocates fear those regulations might unnecessarily limit Albemarles capacity for the renewable energy and make it more difficult to complete projects such as the 650-acre, 135-megawatt Woodridge Solar project in southeast Albemarle. My opinion is the rules seem arbitrary, Sam Gulland of Torch Clean Energy, a Charlottesville developer, told The Daily Progress. If they adopted a lot of these, it would make solar illegal in a significant amount of the countys land. Those rules are still being drafted and have not yet been seen by the Board of Supervisors. But Katie Ebinger with the Community Climate Collaborative, a Charlottesville-based climate action group, told The Daily Progress that local solar developers have expressed concern that some important projects would likely be killed by a strict commercial ordinance. For now, its hard to say what projects would or would not be approved, she wrote in an email. But weve heard from solar developers that their expectation is that important solar projects wouldnt be developed. That expectation may be based on a memo released in May by the Berkley Group, a Bridgewater-based consulting firm the county hired to help draft a solar ordinance. In it are a number of proposed regulations that worry local developers and climate advocates. Valerie Long, an attorney whose law firm works with many local developers, attended a June 7 Board of Supervisors meeting to make that known. Speaking in front of the board, she said that those regulations would make it difficult for the county to meet the goals listed in its 2020 Climate Action Plan. Were very concerned that many of the concepts that are included in the memorandum run counter to those goals and would be too inflexible, she said. A number of the Berkley Groups proposed guidelines caught Gullands eye, including a line on the memos 17th page. Facilities should not be located closer than 2 miles from one another, the memo reads. Gulland was unclear about how Berkley arrived at the 2-mile figure. It seems like a random rule, he said. Roger Voisinet, who built solar projects across Virginia in the 1980s, had a stronger reaction. Thats just the kind of nonsense they dont need to interject into law, Voisinet told The Daily Progress. First of all, how did they come up with 2 miles? What is the purpose of that? It makes no sense. Nick Ford, an engineer with Hexagon Energy, a Charlottesville solar company and the firm behind the Woodridge Solar project in the county, also had questions about the regulation. I would be really interested to know what the reasoning behind it is, Ford told The Daily Progress. Whats the benefit of having two facilities more than 2 miles apart from each other? Ford had similar concerns about other guidelines the Berkley Group listed in its memo, such as the maximum size a solar project can be and how far it can be from transmission lines. Setting arbitrary limits, while it serves good intent, might limit opportunities that make more sense, he said. Gulland and Ford both believe that if the regulations the Berkley Group included in its memo were to be adopted by the Albemarle Board of Supervisors, it could constrain a developers ability to build a renewable energy project. Imagine a region where theres a lot of land and infrastructure that would be ideal for developing a solar array, and you develop a small project there, Ford explained. Now no other project can be within 2 miles of it. It is unclear how the Berkley Group arrived at the regulations listed in its memo. When asked for comment, Chief Operating Officer Kelsey Wong suggested in an email that The Daily Progress reach out to the County. While Long and Ebinger both want the county to engage with local solar developers, Bill Fritz of Albemarles community development department insists thats already happening. Weve already kept them in the loop of whats going on. Theyve already provided a slew of comments, Fritz said, noting that members of the public spoke during a Board of Supervisors meeting and an Albemarle Planning Commission work session. Its not that we havent reached out to them. We just dont have any ordinance language or conceptual ordinance language to show them right now, he said. Fritz said that the Berkley Group is currently drafting an ordinance proposal. He estimates the county will receive it in mid-July. At some point after, it will be presented to the public for feedback. The format of that public outreach and subsequent public hearing has not yet been decided, he said. At the June 7 meeting, Long urged the county to reach out to the local renewable energy community. That has not yet happened, she said. Ebinger said that the Community Climate Collaborative attended both the Board of Supervisors meeting and the Planning Commission working group. The organizations concern, she wrote, lies in the limited public engagement that has happened in the process so far. According to Fritz, this process has been no different than other county government processes. The county listens to public concerns, drafts a proposal, listens more and drafts another proposal. If there are people we havent reached out to let us know, he said. Weve worked with some local industry people and will continue to do so. Ebinger stressed that her organization believes the Board of Supervisors and the Planning Commission have so far done great jobs addressing the issue of solar development in Albemarle County. She pointed to the Woodridge Solar Project which was recently approved by the board and would be the largest solar farm in the county. I suppose our concern really lies in the fact that there have been restrictive solar ordinances adopted by surrounding counties, Ebinger said. She referred to Culpepper and Louisa counties, both of which have had regulations imposed since 2022. Culpepper set a limit on the size a solar project can be, while Louisa capped the total acreage that can be used for solar development. Currently, Albemarle has no such regulation, but Ebinger said her team would be a little nervous to see one proposed in an ordinance. We mostly want to avoid the same thing happening here, and our belief is that deeper community engagement is one effective tool for building just, climate-smart policies, she wrote. During the June 7 meeting, several supervisors expressed a desire for the county to consult local developers. The Berkley Group did not answer whether it has reached out to those developers. Gulland said he trusts the county to carefully consider the facts and make a smart decision. This is super early in the process, so I wouldnt sound the alarm bells, he said. Nonetheless, he wondered about some of the regulations proposed in the Berkley Groups memo. Why would you even make up some of these arbitrary rules? Why would you even consider them? he said. Englands Kiwi-born mens cricket coach Brendon Baz McCullum has had a lot on his plate these past couple of days. Credit: John Shakespeare His team faces an uphill struggle to get his side back into the Ashes series while standing shoulder-to-shoulder with his skipper Ben Stokes, the entitled Eton old boys of Lords Long Room and even British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak in the chorus of whining about Australias perfectly legal dismissal of Jonny Bairstow on Sunday. But in an interview with SEN radio in his home nation on Tuesday in which Baz revealed that he would indeed have a beer with the Australians after the Ashes Test series ended McCullum also offered us a glimpse of what takes his mind off things. The racing tragic has a horse a big chestnut with a big white face making its track debut at a meeting in the small north island town of Hastings in a couple of weeks. Credit: Mr Smith to You Kerry Taylor, Affirm, $34.99 This poignant novel based on the life of Australias first trans jockey, Bill Smith, has been meticulously researched and imagined by academic Kerry Taylor. It begins with Bill in aged care, a cantankerous 76-year-old patient and a challenge for Nurse Maureen Bannon to handle. But the former jockey, known for turning up to the races always fully dressed in silks, has lived a storied life. Bill was assigned female at birth, and his is a hidden life in many ways. Over time, Maureen forges an alliance with her charge, whose health is declining rapidly, and who longs to see a long-lost love, Catherine, one last time. To have even a chance of granting his wish, Maureen must play detective, delving into the secret history of a remarkable man. Mr Smith to You is an empathetic novel that puts imaginative flesh on a pioneering, and deeply private, biography. NON-FICTION PICK OF THE WEEK What Are They Thinking? Daniel Nellor, Australian Scholarly Publishing, $44 Each of the 10 Australian philosophers interviewed by Daniel Nellor for this book has their own definition of what philosophy is. Credit: But more meaningful and instructive than any broad explanation they might offer is the way their own practice unfolds within these conversations. As Nellor puts it, Dialogue works well for philosophy because philosophy is not about me, its about us, whether its Daniel Halliday making a compelling case for inheritance tax, Margaret Cameron on the importance of the cultural context within which ideas emerge, Christopher Cordner on the centrality of open-hearted attentiveness to an understanding of goodness, or Bronwyn Finnigan on the value of thinking of ourselves as utterly interdependent. And its not all about rationality, morality and logic. Sometimes, says Nellor, thinking deeply about things heightens rather than lessens the mystery. Credit: Womans Lore Sarah Clegg, Head of Zeus, $34.99 Beneath the buried cities of what used to be Mesopotamia, says classicist Sarah Clegg, you will invariably find the remains of dead babies, a legacy of the high infant mortality rate in premodern times. Anxieties connected with the potentially deadly consequences of pregnancy and birth, along with mens fears of womens sexuality, are mirrored in the legends of female monsters and demons dating back 4000 years. In this spirited work, Clegg distils an impressive depth of research to show how various incarnations of seductive mythic figures such as the Lamia, Lilith, sirens and murderous mermaids were employed by women to invoke protection, and by men to belittle womens lore and keep them in their place. As attitudes to women changed, so did our idea of the monstrous. These days, if you encounter a Lilith in popular culture, shell probably be portrayed as an icon. The Autists Clara Tornvall, Scribe, $29.99 Here is something for neurotypicals to ponder. From the point of view of Clara Tornvall, who was diagnosed as autistic at the age of 42, so-called normal people can appear cowardly, dishonest, scared of conflict and unable to simply say what they think. Credit: After decades of playing the neurotypical game, she cant help wishing that all this pretence wasnt normalised. Well-crafted and powerfully unsettling. The Austists asks why neuroscience failed, for so long, to diagnose females on the autistic spectrum and looks to history and literature for signs of these invisible women. It also tells the stories of contemporary autistic women and how they differ from men. Most striking is the way Tornvall de-familiarises the neurotypical framework to expose the many blind assumptions that inform majority culture. A horizon-expanding book that examines what it means to be at home in the world. Fighting Fate Justin Yerbury, Affirm, $34.99 NSW councils have always been the mendicant beggars of the three Australian tiers of government, but their continued failure to rein in vaulting rates means the well of sympathy has run dry. Not only has the Minns government stopped subsidising a state emergency services levy worth $76 million to councils, but Macquarie Street is to look into local governments prime funding system as part of an independent review promised during the election campaign. Once local government concerned rates, roads and rubbish. Credit: Jason South The review follows last weeks decision by the states independent pricing regulator, the Independent Pricing and Remuneration Tribunal, to approve special rate variations increases for 17 local governments areas. The rises will likely see ratepayers lumbered with unprecedented hikes: for instance, Strathfield residents were stung with a 92.83 per cent increase over four years; ditto Hornsby, Canada Bay and Bellingen ratepayers who were hit with 30 per cent plus increases. Even well-heeled but tiny Woollahra Council was unable to resist upping rates by 22.23 per cent over the next two years. The latest lot of increases were over and above the tribunals controversial decision 12 months ago to approve special variations for 86 of the states 128 local councils. Political funding group Climate 200 claims Victorias Labor and Liberal parties benefitted from $212 million in taxpayer-funded support in the four years leading up to the 2022 election, leading to calls to end their systemic advantage over independent candidates. The groups submission to an inquiry on Victorias last election also recommends limiting public funding for political parties contesting Victorian elections, and allowing independent candidates to fundraise above current caps. Climate 200 founder Simon Holmes a Court said the Victorian donation laws provide a systemic advantage to Labor and the Coalition. Credit: Kristoffer Paulsen The figures prompted Climate 200 founder Simon Holmes a Court to campaign for a shake-up of the states election donation laws. He wants to stop major political parties receiving public funding for first-preference votes in the upper house, and a limit on how much MPs can spend from their taxpayer-funded communication budget in the lead up to the election. Holmes a Court told The Age that Victorias new campaign rules which limit donations from a single donor to a single recipient to $4320 over four years were designed to help level the playing field but instead enshrined the major parties and keeps other entities out. Australia has been called out for underreporting its annual greenhouse gas pollution by as much as 28 million tonnes by failing to record more than 80 per cent of emissions that leak during coal and gas production, exacerbating the challenge of achieving the governments upgraded climate targets. The Paris-based International Energy Agency, which conducts independent analysis of greenhouse emissions using public data including satellite detection, estimates that in 2022 Australias coal mines were responsible for about 81 per cent more fugitive methane emissions than official statistics show, while oil and gas production generated 92 per cent more. Coal mining is a major source of fugitive methane emissions. Credit: Joe Armao According to the federal government, Australias coal and gas production leaks about 33 million tonnes of fugitive methane into the atmosphere during coal and gas production a year. The Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis (IEEFA) published a report on Wednesday that analysed the IEA figures reported in its global methane tracker. The history of Cobbold Gorge sounds like a tall tale a 30-metre-deep outback gorge escaping detection to all but the Ewamian traditional owners until 1992, despite the area around it having been farmed for almost a century. Spring-fed Cobbold Gorge flows year-round, and SUPing is a gentle and immersive way to explore it. Credit: Cobbold Gorge When I first heard that story, I was incredulous. How could such a landmark gorge, six hours' drive inland from Cairns, go undiscovered by generations of station owners and workers, even as they routinely watered their cattle outside its narrow mouth? It's not until I'm looking down onto the gorge and the surrounding landscape from a helicopter that such a blind spot seems in any way conceivable. "Some people say this reminds them of the Bungle Bungles," says pilot Ricky as we fly over a convoluted and impenetrable landscape on Howlong Station. From above, the earth looks irreparably broken. Hundreds of fractures run through an 80-square-kilometre expanse of sandstone, slicing the rock as neatly as bread. On foot, there'd be no way over it, and there's certainly no way through it. Hong Kong activists living in Australia who have had a bounty put on them by the Chinese government have dismissed the threat as a stunt, arguing it reveals how powerless Beijing has become against dissent overseas. The $HK1 million bounties ($192,000) were offered by Hong Kong police chief superintendent Steve Li on Monday night for information leading to the arrests of Melbourne lawyer Kevin Yam, who is an Australian citizen, and former Hong Kong legislator Ted Hui, who has settled in Adelaide with his family. Hong Kong pro-democracy activist Ted Hui being arrested in 2020. Hui now lives in Adelaide. Credit: Getty Hui, a pro-democracy leader, has had multiple warrants issued for his arrest since he left Hong Kong in 2020 after his familys accounts were locked by HSBC, Hang Seng Bank and Bank of China. Hui, who led protests against Beijings growing influence over Hong Kong in 2019, said he did not fear for his or his familys safety in Australia. The bounty does not change my situation or affect my personal safety at all, he said. Philadelphia: A gunman wearing a bulletproof vest has opened fire on the streets of Philadelphia, killing four people and wounding two boys in the latest outbreak of gun violence in the United States, police said. The victims were apparently random, with no connection immediately known between them and the shooter. The shootings on Monday night (local time) took place over several city blocks in the south-west neighbourhood of Kingsessing. Responding officers chased the suspect as he continued to fire, and he was arrested in an alley after surrendering, Police Commissioner Danielle Outlaw said at a news conference. At least four people have been killed when the gunman started firing at random in south west Philadelphia. Credit: AP At this point all we know is that this person decided to leave their home and target individuals, Outlaw said. He had a bulletproof vest, an AR-type rifle, multiple magazines, a handgun and a police scanner, she said. The boat ramp and trail system at Cheadle Lake Park, 4111 Weirich Drive in Lebanon, will be closed for the Fourth of July event. On Tuesday, the park will open to the public at 7:30 p.m. for parking to view the Independence Day fireworks display; the trail and lake will remain closed during this time. The city of Lebanon thanks residents for their cooperation and patience during the closure. For further information, contact the Lebanon Parks Department at 541-258-4917 or pw@ci.lebanon.or.us. T he co-founder and managing director of City A.M. hopes to use the sale of the London freesheet as an opportunity to put some content behind a paywall, having revealed the paper was up for sale yesterday. However, he added that the newspaper itself will always be free, though a paid subscription delivery option could be introduced. Managing director and co-founder Lawson Muncaster owns a 25% stake in City A.M. and said he hoped to still be involved after a sale. Fellow co-founder Jens Torpe also owns 25%, while a Dutch group owns 50%. He told the Standard that he saw three possible types of buyer: someone in the UK media landscape, a foreign investor looking to gain a UK foothold or a company that sees City A.M. as a data-led company. The third, he said, was the ideal option and would be the top priority. But it would also mean a paywall for some content. Muncaster cited ESG channel Impact AM and cryptocurrency section Crypto AM as those most likely to stop being free. Now we wouldnt just put everything behind a subscription, he said. What you would start doing is look at products within certain verticals. Impact AM, Crypto AM things with specific audiences. The sale process began in early June, and Muncaster said there has been contact with two or three possible buyers, but felt it made sense to open up the process. He said the sale was a form of succession planning, as the current ownership groups gets older. Muncaster added: Im looking for someone whos done it before. Lets look at what people have done and copy with pride. Theres nothing wrong with that. Douglas McCabe, CEO and director of publishing and tech at Enders Analysis, said the economics for City A.M. as a free print publication were challenging so a buyer would need a plan to elevate its online offering. He said: Commuters particularly commuters into the City have remained stubbornly low post-pandemic, and the impressive corporate advertising that City A.M. carved out for itself in the late 2000s and early 2010s has also declined. Any buyer would need a belief and vision for the brand as an online use-case. The newspaper cut its Friday edition earlier this year as City workers opt to work from home on the last day of the week. Muncaster said he would strongly advise against new owners cutting Mondays, noting that it made sense to have an edition to kick off the working week. It is the second major UK newspaper to go on sale in less than a month. The Daily Telegraph, alongside sister magazine the Spectator, was seized by insolvency practitioners AlixPartners, who intend to sell it, in a row about loan payments to Lloyds Bank. The sale of the Telegraph is expected to fetch as much as 600 million.It is the second major UK newspaper to go on sale in less than a month. MMuncaster said the Telegraph also being up for sale was unlikely to have any impact on City A.M., as they occupy very different parts of the media market. W henever economic times are hard and getting worse theres an attempt by watchdogs, under pressure from MPs, to prove that supermarkets are profiteering. This time around, heartbreaking stories of children taking empty lunch boxes to school and kidding classmates they ate the food earlier have increased the pressure. Those stories are awful, shaming, even. But I dont think we can say they are the fault of Tesco and Sainsburys. Thats a wider, even more depressing issue to do with poverty in parts of the country, not profiteering. The news today that Sainsbury is on track for profits this year of perhaps 700 million will only encourage MPs to carry on with their greedflation narrative. In truth, whenever the grocery sector has been seriously investigated, the results come back the same: its a competitive industry with low profit margins that gives the UK some of the cheapest food anywhere. The biggest strike against the grocers remains the gap between the pay of workers on the shop floor about 11 an hour and the millions going to the top brass. The disparity is hard to justify. One way to close the gap would be to charge more for food so staff could be better rewarded. Making unhealthy food more expensive might also help the NHS with an obesity crisis that gets worse year by year. Thats a deeply unpopular position, so no one with designs on winning an election can say it aloud. The easier route is to keep bashing the supermarkets. So expect more of that and nothing much that might help feed the very poor. I f in doubt about a political question, always consult the collected works of Monty Python. There is no higher authority. What, for example, is the future of the Conservative Party? The key text in this case is the classic 1970 Election Night Special sketch, in which the Silly Party puts forward candidates such as Jethro Q Walrustitty and Tarquin Fin-tim-lin-bin-whin-bim-lim-bus-stop-Ftang-Ftang-Ole-Biscuitbarrel. They are opposed by the Slightly Silly Party, and its prospective MPs such as Kevin Phillips-Bong. Yesterday, the 2023 Tory counterpart of the Silly Party launched itself formally as the New Conservatives: more than 25 MPs, elected in 2017 and 2019, many representing the Red Wall seats captured from Labour four years ago. Their opening salvo was a 12-point plan to cut immigration by 400,000. It was striking to hear a rising star such as Miriam Cates, the ultra-traditionalist MP for Penistone and Stocksbridge, spell out what the group considers to be at stake. The Government, she said, could keep its manifesto promises on immigration; or kick the can down the road, [and] lose the next election. Though the New Conservatives are very keen to hold on to their own seats, the mere fact of their existence shows that they have more or less given up on Rishi Sunak. Note, for instance, the senior role in the caucus played by Lee Anderson, the deputy Conservative chairman, whose primary role is supposed to be to secure electoral victory for the Prime Minister. He was absent from yesterdays launch leant upon by No 10, some speculated. But the fact that he is involved at all in the New Conservative faction shows how much faith he really has in the PMs chances. It is noticeable, too, how many media commentators are pronouncing the Sunak Project a comprehensive failure. Tory MPs cannot be quite so brazen. But all this factionalism is primarily political positioning for life after the election. What is certain is that the post-Sunak Conservative Party will not embrace a return to the old One Nation centre-ground. There are simply no significant champions of this tradition left: they were all purged by Boris Johnson in 2019. They have ceased to be. No: the ideological battle will be between varieties of Brexitism, of Right-wing populism. The Silly Party sorry, the New Conservatives will demand an even tougher approach to immigration. In this respect, crucially, they reveal that they prioritise nationalist identity or what they call cultural security over the needs of the economy. With 165,000 vacancies in the care home sector, it is madness to propose the closure of the scheme to allow care homes to recruit foreign workers. With the UK tech and financial sectors in need of the best and the brightest, it is madness to suggest ending the graduate visa route, which allows foreign students to remain in the UK for up to two years while they look for a job after finishing their courses. Yet this is precisely what the New Conservatives propose. They are culture warriors before they are champions of economic growth. And their flame-eyed rhetoric is giving some of their Brexiteer allies pause for thought. Note, for instance, that Steve Baker, the Northern Ireland minister, and former Spartan hardliner in the Brexit legislative wars, has distanced himself from the Home Secretary, Suella Braverman whose leadership campaign he backed last year. Reportedly, Baker now feels that Braverman has heaped shame upon innocent men by claiming in April (quite inaccurately) that grooming gangs are almost all British-Pakistani. Witness, too, the decision by Business and Trade Secretary Kemi Badenoch not to ditch all EU laws in one mighty bonfire by the end of the year. This would have involved the review of 4,000 pieces of legislation by December 31, and she has opted instead for a phased strategy. This has put her at odds with some fellow Brexiteers to whom her riposte has been: Im certainly not an arsonist. Im a Conservative. In the strategic positions adopted by Baker and Badenoch we witness the emergence of the Slightly Silly Party: still fiercely committed to Brexit and the reduction of immigration, but at least a little mindful of the impact of dog-whistle rhetoric and measures directly hostile to economic recovery. Silly or Slightly Silly: what a choice. How can you resist? Matthew dAncona is a columnist E ver since Elon Musk bought the company in October 2022, Twitter has been on a collision course with an iceberg. But recent decisions including requiring users to make an account to see tweets, limiting those who have signed up to viewing a small number of posts a day, and turning TweetDeck, a way of viewing Twitter, into a paid-for product mean the social media platform is now a quickly sinking ship. Plenty of small lifeboats have been let loose: Mastodon was an early haven for disaffected Twitter users, while Bluesky, an easier to use alternative, grew its userbase 20 per cent yesterday alone. But a massive, well-equipped frigate with a free bar and plenty of flotation devices is hovering on the horizon. Threads is a new Twitter alternative from Meta, which the Facebook and Instagram-owning social media giant has teased will be released to Apple users on Thursday. Users will be able to sign up using their Instagram accounts and can post short text updates, similar to the experience you used to get on Twitter before Elon Musk degraded the app. That Meta, owned by Mark Zuckerberg, should choose to enter the race to capitalise on Twitters collapse isnt surprising. The company has tried to create homegrown alternatives for every app and service that has eclipsed it as it reaches the social media equivalent of its twilight years. Instagram Reels, launched in the summer of 2020, was its attempt to head off the rise of TikTok and was Zuckerbergs second shot at toppling TikTok, after a failed attempt in the late 2010s called Lasso failed to gain traction. Similarly, Meta has been good at cannibalising the most popular features of other apps and folding them into its platforms. It tried launching Facebook Watch, which presented Facebook users with videos in their home feed, to head off the rise of YouTube, and introduced disappearing Stories on Instagram, Facebook and WhatsApp after the idea of temporary content sharing proved popular on Snapchat. Zuckerberg is a tenacious business leader who hates any upstarts upsetting his companys dominance of social media a dominance hard won since Facebook was first launched nearly 20 years ago. And the chance to put a spoiler out into the world that harms Musk, with whom he has recently been arguing over social media, threatening to fight in a mixed martial arts-style match, will have undoubtedly helped make his decision to release the app easier. Whether Threads sinks or swims will depend on several factors. One is Twitter users appetite for creating yet another account on yet another Twitteralike (Ive personally grown weary of restarting the work I put into building my Twitter profile first on Mastodon, then on Bluesky). Even if Zuckerberg can get people onto Threads, what the app offers will be important. Bluesky so far has been winning among the next generation of Twitter-like apps because it most closely echoes the user experience and userbase of the original. Instagram Reels has remained a pale imitation of TikTok because it lost many of the key elements that made TikTok so popular in the first place. History would suggest that a Meta-produced clone of an app wont supplant the service it tries to mimic. But then again, weve never had such a weakened incumbent to overtake. Chris Stokel-Walker is a technology reporter Review at a glance I n the four and half minute-long film, Entitled (2018), by the Nigerian-born British filmmaker Adeyemi Michael, the directors mother rides a large black horse around the streets of Peckham dressed in purple and gold colours associated with luxury and royalty both in the UK and Nigeria. People on the streets, in their homes and in parks, stop to ogle as the majestic woman travels around the neighbourhood in traditional Yoruba attire. Many greet her as they would someone older or of a higher position back home, kneeling in various forms. In the voiceover, Michaels mother talks about moving from Nigeria to the UK. On one side, Im Nigerian, and on the other side, Im British, she says in Yoruba. As a London-born woman of Nigerian heritage, this line resonates with me. It perfectly sets the tone for Lagos, Peckham, Repeat: Pilgrimage To the Lakes, the new exhibition at South London Gallery, held across both its gallery spaces. Co-curated by Folakunle Oshun, founder and director of the Lagos Biennial, the show explores the profound relationship between Nigeria and the UK, honing in on the sizeable Nigerian community living in South London (particularly Peckham, known as Little Lagos to its locals). Despite its specificity, the exhibition endeavours to showcase Nigeria and its diasporas multifaceted experiences with the city. In Avalanche of Calm (2022) by Lagos-born artist Abdulrazaq Awofeso, several wooden figures of different sizes litter the floor of one of the exhibition rooms, as painted wooden clouds dangle from the ceiling. Awofeso made the artwork soon after arriving in the UK from Lagos, highlighting how individuals merge into the masses in megacities, but reminiscent too of the isolation its possible to feel among so many strangers. Abdulrazaq Awofeso, Avalanche of Calm, 2021-2022 / Courtesy of Ikon Gallery. Photographer Stuart Whipps Everyday objects are also given deeper meaning, such as in Seyi Adelekuns Adire Wata (2023), where large recycled plastic water bottles filled with natural dye, including indigo sourced from a dye centre near Lagos, hang from the ceiling. Without displaying any of the material itself, the installation nods to Adire, a popular textile technique in Nigeria. But its also hard to avoid the politics and tension between the two places. Adelekuns piece also symbolises how enslaved Africans brought the knowledge of indigo cultivation to other countries via the transatlantic slave trade. Two large photographs by the renowned British-Nigerian artist Yinka Shonibare, from his Diary of a Victorian Dandy series, created in 1998, show the artist posing as a British dandy among the English upper class: an outsider who upsets the social order of things, as the gallery quotes him saying. That said, despite socio-political references scattered throughout this show, one aspect of the Lagos-Peckham affinity that doesnt quite get the attention it deserves is how rising house prices and an influx of wealthy people are harming these communities. But maybe that topic deserves an exhibition of its own. South London Gallery, to October 29; southlondongallery.org J ulian Sands opened up about the hypernatural experience of confronting human remains while mountain climbing, in an interview shortly before searches for the British actor concluded in a similar manner. His death was confirmed last week after human remains were found in the Mount Baldy area of the San Gabriel mountains in southern California. The 65-year-old had been missing for more than five months after failing to return from a hike in January. The latest edition of the Radio Times has an interview with Sands which took place months before his death. Reflecting on his experience of hiking, he told the magazine: Ive found spooky things on mountains, when you know youre in a place where many people have lost their lives, whether it be on the Eiger or in the Andes. You may be confronted with human remains and that can be chilling. Its not necessarily supernatural, its possibly all too natural what I would call hypernatural. Youre in the presence of big nature and big nature is revealing itself in all its power. It can take us over a threshold of hypersensitivity into a realm of natural forces. Searches by local authorities had been unsuccessful in the search for Sands, with poor weather conditions hampering efforts since March, until his remains were found by civilian hikers last month. He was best-known for his breakout role in the 1985 romantic period drama A Room With A View, in which he starred alongside Helena Bonham Carter. Sands later moved to the horror genre, with appearances in films including Gothic, Warlock and Arachnophobia. The actor was also a keen climber and described the activity as solace and a sort of existentialist self-negation, but equally a self-affirmation. If you can deal with dangerous mountains, you can certainly deal with life as an actor the two are quite complementary, he added. In the interview, Sands dismissed the suggestion that he was too old to climb, but said that friends who used to join him had stopped in part due to age. He also noted that climate change had made certain rock faces more unstable. Sands said: If you dont really have the desire, the focus for climbing a route, if youre not absolutely committed, it becomes much more dangerous and its a much more deflating experience. Finding folk whose company I enjoy in such stressful and intimate conditions is not easy. The thing about climbing is, youre always making plans and looking at routes maybe you end up getting to 5% of all the things you plan to do. Sands was considered an experienced and competent mountaineer by his friends, with his hiking partner and fellow actor Kevin Ryan previously telling the PA news agency that he was the most advanced hiker I know. T om Cruise is well known for doing his own daring stunts, and for his blockbuster movies ever-more thrilling locations. From shutting down the Marrakech Highway, to climing out of the Burj Khalifa and filming at the Haleakala Crater in Hawaii, Cruises films never skimp on the spectacular. Its not just these massive locations: his films have gone above and beyond in finding stand-out locations in other ways too. Last July, for example, it was announced that Mission: Impossible 8 would become one of the very few productions to film inside Westminster Abbey. Then in September, Cruise filmed an advert in South Africa for CinemaCon in which he was standing up on a biplane, apparently unattached and holding onto it with just one hand, as it then swerved at a 90-degree angle. For Cruise, it seems, bigger is better - and there is no end to his ambitions. There were even reports that that Cruise plans to film one of his next films on the International Space Station, making him the first actor ever to shoot a film in space. Chairman of Universal Pictures, Donna Langley reportedly said in October: I think Tom Cruise is taking us to space, hes taking the world to space. Thats the plan. We have a great project in development with Tom Taking a rocket up to the space station and shooting. While space might just be his craziest filming location yet, Cruise has spent his career travelling the world filming in some outrageously adventurous spots. In anticipation of Mission: Impossible Dead Reckoning Part One, which will be released on July 10, heres our round-up of some of Cruises other awe-inspiring filming locations. Marrakech Highway - Mission: Impossible Rogue Nation (2015) In Mission: Impossible Rogue Nation, Cruises team reportedly shut down the entire Marrakech Highway (which runs from Marrakesh to Casablanca) for 14 days to film an epic car chase. The cars whizz past the famous Kasbah of the Udayas, through Rabats Old Medina, and through Casablancas Derb Sultan district (one of the citys oldest and largest areas). Then the car then flips in front of the Mosque Hassan II - the second largest (functioning) mosque in Africa. Cathedral of Seville - Knight and Day (2010) Getty Images In Knight and Day, a kidnapping is an opportunity for a scene change, and the audience is taken to Seville, where scenes were shot in the Cathedral of Seville. Just like with Westminster Abbey, filming there is a huge honour - the Cathedral is the fifth largest church in the world and is the worlds largest gothic church. Christopher Columbus also happens to be buried there. Trafalgar Square - Edge of Tomorrow: Live Die Repeat (2014) While Trafalgar Square might not seem overly exciting to Londoners, its still something for a production to shut the space down in its entirety. This is exactly what happened in 2014s Edge of Tomorrow: Live Die Repeat, where Cruises character, Cage lands an RAF Puma in the square. Fountains were apparently even turned off for the shoot. Then, the films United Defense Force Headquarters was actually apparently filmed at the Ministry of Defence, which is located on Whitehall. Haleakala Crater - Oblivion (2013) In 2013 Oblivions team filmed at the Haleakala Crater in Hawaii, a shield volcano that is apparently so big it would swallow the entirety of the island of Manhattan (including the height of the skyscrapers). Apparently the film had a specialist VFX crew that filmed from the rim of the massive volcano (which is so big it makes up 75 per cent of the Island of Maui). The crew also went to Iceland and filmed around the now famous Eyjafjallajokull - you might remember it as the volcano that disrupted air travel back in April 2010 when it started having a series of eruptions. Burj Khalifa - Mission: Impossible Ghost Protocol (2011) Trust Cruise to choose to scale the tallest building in the world (and make it happen). But climbing the Burj Khalifa in Dubai, which is a whopping 829.8 metres tall, was a task even for the veteran actor. According to Screenrant, he had to wear a harness that was attached at certain points across the building. But this entailed drilling on the skyscrapers floors, walls and incredibly, breaking as many as 26 windows. How the production team got permission and the necessary permits we do not know. Chion-In Temple, Kyoto - The Last Samurai (2003) Getty Images In The Last Samurai, the 400-year-old Chion-In Temple in Kyoto is used instead of the Imperial Palace of Emperor Meiji (which is also located in Kyoto). But the Chion-In Temple is an extraordinary building in its own right. It dates back to the 1600s and is the current headquarters of the Jodo-shu (a branch of Pure Land Buddhism ). Jagged peaks of Fisher Towers - Austin Powers in Goldmember (2002) You might remember Cruise in Austin Powers in Goldmember for his glasses and his comical blue jacket, but do you also remember the extraordinary landscape of Moab in Utah? There was a fantastic helicopter scene, where the chopper flew through the peaks of Fisher Towers - a series of sandstone towers that have a gap of approximately 300m between them. Mlada Boleslav Prison - Mission: Impossible Ghost Protocol (2011) Admittedly, prisons feature in tonnes of films, but theres something particularly haunting about Pragues Mlada Boleslav Prison, where Cruise shot scenes for 2011s Ghost Protocol. Cruise also shot scenes for his 1988 film Cocktail in Torontos The Don Jail, where a number of hangings took place before capital punishment was abolished in 1976. Louvre Abu Dhabi - Mission: Impossible 7 Dead Reckoning, Part One (2023) Getty Images Were yet to see how much of the Louvre Abu Dhabi actually makes it into the next instalment of Mission Impossible, but the extraordinary building, designed by French architect Jean Nouvel and completed in 2017 is a massive 24,000 square metres, has leaves of light ceiling and is made up of futuristic-looking white slabs. What could be a better spot to film in? C ardi B wore a dramatic feather-like woolly bolero as she arrived in the French capital for Paris Fashion Week. The US rapper attended the Schiaparelli Haute Couture Fall/Winter 2023-2024 fashion collection on Monday. She wore a black corseted gown with gold trim and buttons, with a cropped fluffy black jacket from the Italian fashion house. The look was accessorised with a black head wrap, multiple golden bangles and matching earrings. Cardi B was pictured on the front row alongside Tracee Ellis Ross. The US actress wore a blue and white shirt and matching trousers. Posting a picture of her outfit on Instagram Cardi B hailed the show as beautiful. They always have an amazing show so whats new? she later told Vogue. It never fails to surprise me. A young man has been found guilty of twice stabbing a teenager in the neck for being from the wrong neighbourhood. Godfrey Madondo, 20, killed 19-year-old Jeremiah Sewell following a chance meeting in Beckenham Place Park in south London early on July 16 last year. Prosecutor Alan Kent KC had told jurors the motive for the murder appears to be simply because the deceased came from Beckenham and the defendant and his friends were from Peckham, in south London. Mr Kent said: It was a chance meeting, in the early hours of the morning, in an otherwise deserted car park in the middle of a public park. After the murder, Khelsi Johnson-Davies and Leah Simmonds together cleaned and threw away Madondos bloodstained clothes, the court heard. A jury at the Old Bailey deliberated for five hours to find Madondo guilty of murder on Tuesday. Johnson-Davies, 20, was found guilty of perverting the course of justice. Simmonds, 20, had admitted the charge. A fourth defendant, Kadjo Kadio, 19, from Romford Essex, was cleared of murder and an alternative offence of manslaughter. During the trial, the court had heard how the victim had met up with a group which ended up in Beckenham Place Park at 4am. They were inhaling laughing gas from balloons, playing music and swapping places in their cars, jurors heard. At 4.25am, the defendants arrived in a black Astra and Madondo got out of the front passenger seat wearing a balaclava and approached the victims car. Someone heard the question: What ends you with? The victim replied: Im a B boy. Within seconds, he was stabbed twice in the neck and also received a superficial cut to the shoulder. Mr Sewell was driven to Lewisham Hospital where he died at 5.36am. Madondo fled the scene but was arrested the next day and declined to answer questions in a police interview. Johnson-Davies was arrested at her Peckham home on July 19, and a grey balaclava with Madondos DNA on it was seized. An examination of her phone led to incriminating conversations with Simmonds in which she advised her to wash Madondos bloodstained clothes at 90 degrees. Following Simmonds arrest, communal bins near her home in Dulwich, south London, were searched and a bin bag containing Madondos grey hoodie and jogging bottoms was recovered. Following the verdicts, Judge Nigel Lickley KC remanded Madondo into custody and warned he faced a life sentence when he returned to court on Friday. He adjourned sentencing the two women to a date to be fixed in August and granted Johnson-Davies conditional bail. Detective Chief Inspector Chris Wood, from the Mets Specialist Crime Command, led the investigation and said: Jeremiahs murder was an utterly senseless and barbaric act the speed in which the situation escalated, and the fact that Jeremiah was sitting defenceless in the back of a car, offering no threat to Madondo, makes it all the more futile. From the outset Madondo has not made any attempt to explain why he attacked Jeremiah, let alone accept responsibility for his actions. They have left Jeremiahs family wondering why their loved one was viciously attacked when he could have provided answers; he has taken the cowards option and kept quiet. Madondo was supported by Johnson-Davis and Simmonds who attempted to dispose of evidence in a futile attempt to cover his murderous tracks. Nothing will undo the catastrophic consequences of that night, but I hope the conviction of these three people will at least give Jeremiahs family and friends some sense that justice has been served. R etired businessman Sir Frederick Barclay and his ex-wife are trying to reach an out-of-court settlement after a long-running fight over money, a judge has been told. Sir Jonathan Cohen considered the latest stage of the dispute between Sir Frederick, 88, and Lady Hiroko Barclay, who is also in her 80s, at a hearing in the Family Division of the High Court in London on Tuesday. Barrister Stewart Leech KC, who represents Lady Hiroko, told the judge that pair had been trying to resolve the matter and needed more time. The judge said he would reconsider the case on Wednesday. In May 2021, Sir Jonathan ordered Sir Frederick to hand Lady Hiroko lump sums totalling 100 million following the breakdown of their 34-year marriage. Sir Jonathan said then that Sir Frederick had behaved in a reprehensible fashion during the litigation. Lady Hiroko, who petitioned for divorce on the grounds of unreasonable behaviour, has complained Sir Frederick had not paid her as ordered and alleged that he was in contempt of court. The judge subsequently ruled that Sir Frederick was in contempt as a result of failing to pay about 245,000 he owed his ex-wife for legal fees and maintenance. Sir Frederick and his twin brother, Sir David Barclay, were among the UKs most high-profile businessmen. Sir David died aged 86 in January 2021. Their interests included the Telegraph Media Group and The Ritz hotel in London. The family also has links to the Channel Islands and Monaco. Sir Jonathan has been told that Sir Davids sons Aidan and Howard Barclay now have day-to-day responsibility for group business. O scar-winning actor Kevin Spacey had a panicked look on his face after a man he met in a pub rejected him when he grabbed his crotch, a court has heard. The alleged victim, who cannot be named for legal reasons, told a police officer the Hollywood star had kissed his neck twice before grabbing him, saying the words Be cool, be cool. In the interview, played to the jury at Southwark Crown Court, the man detailed an incident at an address where Spacey was staying in the Cotswolds, which happened after he accidentally let the actors dog out. He said the incident shook him and it was unwanted and that he has since stopped ever watching or purchasing anything he (Spacey) had ever been involved in. At that point he kissed my neck twice and grabbed my crotch. He said the words Be cool, be cool twice After telling the officer he apologised to Spacey for the dog momentarily escaping, the complainant said: At which point he came towards me in a huggy motion and said Dont worry about it, it is cool, it is cool. We did an awkward man-hug as I call it he hugged me, I did a sort of pat on the back type of thing. At that point he kissed my neck twice and grabbed my crotch. He said the words Be cool, be cool twice. I put my arm between us and pushed him against a wall. I said I am sorry, man, I dont bat for that team. The witness said that after he rejected Spacey, the actor had an immediate panicked look on his face and left the room. The man said Spaceys eyes opened quite wide before he immediately pushed past me and into another room without saying anything. The complainant told the officer of his shock at the incident but proceeded to say he shook it off before leaving. He told police it all happened quite swiftly and that he had become a bit teary when he left the address. Recalling when Spacey had met him, he told the officer the actor turned up at a pub and began socialising with him and his friends. He said the star joined his group and began drinking double Jack Daniels and colas while he had pints of Guinness. The man told police Spacey became quite open with them, but began touching the legs of members of the group. He said: There were a few moments where he had put his hand on your back, (or) pat you on the back, or put his hand on your knee or something. It was not anything that we thought too much about, just sort of moved to the side or moved his hands away. Spacey then allegedly told the group and others: If you want to carry on the party I have got drink, wine and beer back at the house and a few spliffs. Jurors heard that the star had 20 to 30 joints of marijuana at a property where he was staying and began showing people around. The alleged victim said he smoked on the veranda with a friend and they joked about why some guests were so star-struck by the actor, before the alleged victim accidentally let Spaceys dog out when they went inside. On Monday, another of the actors alleged victims told the court the star was a slippery, snaky, difficult person who behaved as though he thought he could groom me. The following day, the court heard evidence from the alleged victims brother and two of his ex-girlfriends. Jurors were told that his relationship with his girlfriend at time of the alleged attacks cooled around the time they were said to have taken place. Spacey, 63, has been described by the prosecution as a sexual bully as he stands trial accused of sex offences against four men between 2001 and 2013. The defendant pleaded not guilty in January to three counts of indecent assault, three counts of sexual assault and one count of causing a person to engage in sexual activity without consent. The two-time Academy Award winner also previously denied four further charges of sexual assault and one count of causing a person to engage in penetrative sexual activity without consent. The trial continues. A man accused of harassing former health secretary Matt Hancock by shouting conspiracy theories and barging into him in a clash over the Covid pandemic on Tuesday claimed he literally walked into me. Mr Hancock had previously told magistrates he felt physically intimidated and feared being pushed down a London underground escalator by anti-vaccination protester Geza Tarjanyi. Tarjanyi, 62, of Leyland, in Lancashire, has denied causing harassment without violence. He is accused of shoulder-barging the MP and shouting ridiculous conspiracy theories on two separate occasions on 19 and 24 January this year. Giving evidence on Tuesday he told Westminster Magistrates he was a full-time campaigner and journalist living in a protest camp in Westminster at the time of the alleged offences. The court was played a video of the clash on January 19 in which he asks how many people have you murdered as health secretary? Why are you walking into me. He told the court: I was there to ask questions... build a case about AstraZeneca I did not barge into him. His defence counsel Parveen Mansoor asked him in the witness box: Are you an anti-vaxxer and he replied absolutely not. On whether he was a conspiracy theorist he told the court: Its laughable. Its clutching at straws its lazy journalism. I questioned people like Chris Whitty. I questioned Michael Gove, Rishi Sunak. .. it was opportunist as they were walking past. He said he wanted to hold leaders to account on their strategy towards Covid. The defendant told the court: I wanted to question Matt Hancock. I was recording to protect me and the person. My intention was to get the phone on to record it and ask him questions. Other MPs just stop they are happy to speak to the press. I assumed he had something to hide. I was just like a journalist asking questions. I was against the wall, hes literally walked into me I briefly brushed another person. I said sorry. I was speaking loudly and clearly. I was absolutely not verbally abusive. He denied calling him a scumbag amounted to abuse because of Hancocks policies. Tarjanyi told the court that he would not have followed Mr Hancock if he had stopped to answer questions. At one stage he asked on the recording: How many British people did you kill as Health Secretary. Footage of a clash with Mr Hancock on January 24 that was played to the court showed Tarjanyi following him through a Tube tunnel. He said to him: You murdering scumbag. This is Matt Hancock the murderer you are a celebrity get yourself in prison. Mr Hancock previously told the told a trial: As a public figure, I cant recall a time when I felt as intimidated as this. He said the first occasion occurred as he and a member of his staff passed an anti-vaccination protest near parliament. Tarjanyi filmed him, asked why he had killed so many people and shoulder-barged him during a five-minute interaction. I felt physically intimidated and felt like I needed to get to a place of safety. He was being completely unreasonable. I didnt know what further unreasonable actions he would take, the MP, who was called as a witness, told the court. He added: It made me feel unsafe going about my place of work. It made me feel frustrated that instead of engaging in a normal debate, someone was trying to intimidate me. I thought that was unacceptable. I had a pretty good impression he had been taken over by these ridiculous conspiracy theories. A few days later, at about 8am, after Mr Hancock had had breakfast with the prime minister, Tarjanyi followed the MP through Westminster Tube station and onto a train for about 10 minutes, again accusing him of murdering people, the court heard. Mr Hancock said he recognised the defendant and felt more intimidated because he was on his own. He tried to get Transport for London (TfL) staff to intervene, he said. Tarjanyi then began harassing anybody who was going to come to my aid and continued following him through the station. Mr Hancock said he stopped at the top of an escalator to resolve the situation but felt the defendant pushing him towards it. Obviously I was extremely worried at this time. If I had lost my balance at that point, I would have tumbled down the escalator. Its a long escalator, I could see a long escalator moving away from me, and I was being pushed from behind. He said he feared Tarjanyi was willing to commit a crime, alleging the defendant had told him he wanted to go to court. One of the reasons I hadnt reported the incident on January 19 was because I dont want these people with these untrue beliefs to get further publicity from harassing me. Tarjanyi then got on a Jubilee Line train with Mr Hancock and accused him of murdering millions of people, before they were separated at Bond Street station. The defendants mobile phone footage of the second incident, played to the court, showed him calling Mr Hancock a murderous scumbag and saying lockdown amounted to the harassment of the country because of his lies and deceit. Parveen Mansoor, defending, said Tarjanyi denied any physical contact and believed it was Hancock who barged into him. She added: He denies assaulting him in any way shape or form.She suggested Mr Hancock had not been pushed during the incidents, arguing the defendant merely walked into him after he stopped. Mr Hancock responded: Oh, please. The idea that it was my fault he walked into me is ridiculous. The trial continues. A prolific burglar from west London has been jailed after targeting elderly and vulnerable residents - including one burglary in which an elderly man was stabbed with a screwdriver. Violent Luke Connors, 23, of Attewood Road, Northolt, carried out a spate of burglaries over a two-month period between August 31 and October 28 last year. On Sunday, September 4, a man in his 70s was on his way home from a pub in Ickenham when he spotted men in masks looking suspicious. Unbeknown to him, the group followed him as he drove his car home. Before he could enter his property, he was punched and stabbed with a screwdriver, and the gang stole the dashcam from his car. A local resident from Ickenham Neighbourhood Watch described the attack on the elderly man as a dreadful assault which sent shockwaves through our community. Residents provided police with CCTV footage, which helped officers establish the vehicle that had been used by the criminals. A joint investigation by Scotland Yards Flying Squad, local officers in north and west London, and other police forces in Hertfordshire and Thames Valley linked the incident with a series of 10 other burglaries. The total value of items stolen was in the region of 200,000 of cash, jewellery and high value items. Detectives reviewed hours of CCTV and automatic number plate recognition (ANPR) data, they carried out surveillance and on November 1, they arrested Connors in Paddington Green. He was charged with conspiracy to commit burglary and robbery. Two further men were also arrested, charged and await trial. Following a two-week trial at Isleworth Crown Court, Connors was found guilty of both charges on Thursday. He was on Monday sentenced to nine years imprisonment. Detective Superintendent Simon Moring, from the Mets Flying Squad, said: Luke Connors committed violent burglaries in north and west London. By listening and working with residents we were able to investigate, detain and convict him for his heinous offences. A member of Ickenham Neighbourhood Watch praised the police investigation, saying: This was a fantastic investigation by the Mets Flying Squad and the North West/West Area investigation team who really engaged with our community. Residents were understandably very nervous, afraid even of giving evidence against the perpetrators. However, we all realise that unless our communities step forward and support our police then the criminals have won and we descend into a state of lawlessness. That simply cannot be allowed to happen. A brilliant investigation, well done. A teenager has been charged with murder after a 20-year-old was knifed to death in Croydon, south London. Joshua Munoz, 19, is due to appear in court on Wednesday charged with the murder of Usmaan Mahmood, 20, in Thornton Heath. Police on patrol around 4.15pm on Tuesday, June 13, were called to the junction of Melfort Road and Sandfield Road, where a man was injured. They arrived to find Mr Mahmood with stab wounds. He was taken to hospital, where he died in the early hours of the following day. Munoz, Wiltshire Road in Thornton Heath, was arrested on suspicion of murder on Monday in connection with the incident. Scotland Yard has confirmed Munoz was charged with murder on Tuesday, and is due to appear at Bromley Magistrates Court on Wednesday. Any witnesses or anyone who can assist the investigation are asked to call 101 or tweet @MetCC quoting CAD 5777/13Jun. To remain anonymous contact the independent charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111. Alternatively you can submit information at https://mipp.police.uk/operation/01MPS23V26-PO1. A multi-million pound loan to install a vast solar membrane on Londons former Olympic stadium is to be granted by City Hall. The arena, now known as the London Stadium and home to West Ham United, is expected to produce fewer carbon emissions and enjoy lower energy bills as a result of the scheme. The membrane will utitlise cutting edge solar technology and will span some 6,000-7,000 square metres of photovoltaic material. The London Legacy Development Corporation (LLDC), the organisation spearheading the project, said it will help drive savings of up to 350,000 a year. The loan for the scheme is being awarded from City Halls Green Finance Fund - a 500m pot launched in June as part of London Climate Action Week. The exact size of the loan given will depend on the tender awarded. The LLDC have previously said in a budgeting document however that they expect the scheme to cost around 4m. The tender process began last month, and is said by the LLDC to have received significant interest - with a briefing of potential suppliers being held this week. A delivery partner is expected to be appointed in November and the installation is scheduled to be complete by Summer 2024. Ben Coulter, the LLDCs head of sustainability, said: The panels will generate more than 1 million kWh of renewable energy every year - 10 per cent of the Stadiums current electricity usage. They will save around 270 tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions a year - the equivalent of making 70 homes carbon neutral. It means we can showcase cutting edge solar technology on a venue with a global audience. The solar panel membranes will make significant savings to our carbon dioxide emissions and help drive savings up to 350,000 a year. A number of other projects across the capital are also set to benefit from the Green Finance Fund, including up to 34.2 million which Mayor Sadiq Khan has said will be made available for Transport for London (TfL) over the next three years. These include new LED lights at Underground stations, replacement LED streetlights, new solar panels at Tube depots and energy efficient improvements to TfL buildings across the city. TfLs schemes are together estimated to save at least 8,900 equivalent tonnes of carbon dioxide each year. A n 18-year-old died after becoming trapped underneath a Mercedes following a road collision. Police rushed to the A3 in south west London following reports that a pedestrian had been hit by a car at around 3.44am on Tuesday, July 4. Officers arrived to find a teenager trapped underneath the vehicle. Despite the best efforts of emergency personnel, he was pronounced dead at the scene. Enquiries are ongoing to notify his next of kin. The driver of the car stopped at the scene and is helping police with their enquiries. A police cordon has been put in place and the road has been closed. Any witnesses or anyone with dash cam footage is asked to call police on 101, quoting CAD 816/04jUL. T ransport for Londons claim that more than nine in 10 car drivers would be unaffected by the Ulez expansion could not be substantiated and was based on impenetrable data, the High Court was told on Tuesday. It also relied on data from only 106 of its CCTV cameras in outer London to calculate the compliance figure - ignoring the evidence gathered from almost 1,500 of its cameras in central and inner London, the court was told. This sparked concern from councils opposed to the Ulez expansion about whether TfLs calculations were robust and prevented them from accurately calculating the number of drivers likely to be adversely impacted by the Ulez expansion. Craig Howell Williams KC, representing five Tory councils seeking to block London mayor Sadiq Khans plans, said the critical matter at issue was TfLs claim that 91 per cent of car drivers would not be liable to pay the 12.50 a day levy. Its a gaping hole here, he said. Its absolutely critical to understand the reliability of that figure, and what the data base is for it. It all goes to show that the consultation documents were not as clear as they should have been. He said there were 1,156 cameras in the Ulez middle ring - but only the 106 in outer London, which are used to enforce the LEZ lorry scheme that dates back to 2007, were used. The area of expansion is massive, Mr Howell Williams said. We now see there were caveats [with the camera data]. A hundred and six cameras is exactly the sort of point consultees would have wanted to comment on We would have said that is not likely to be reliable, bearing in mind the size of the area to be covered. The London boroughs of Harrow, Hillingdon, Bexley and Bromley and Surrey County Council are seeking a legal roadblock to the mayors August 29 expansion of the ultra-low emission zone to the Greater London boundary. Mr Howell Williams told the court that the compliance rate was critical as it showed how many people would be adversely affected by the scheme, which Mr Khan says will help clean up Londons toxic air. Mr Howell Williams said TfLs consultation document failed to make clear what the compliance rate would be if the Ulez expansion was not on the agenda. TfL is believed to have calculated the 91 per cent compliance rate for outer London by cross-referencing data obtained by its number-plate reading cameras with car ownership data from DVLA and research into the typical length of journeys. But the councils claim the camera data may not have given a representative picture of the number of non-compliant cars in outer London possibly because TfL only used information from a small number of cameras. Mr Howell Williams said: There is doubt because its not clear where this data comes from. We understand its a seen figure as in [cars] seen by the camera network. The critical point here, my Lord, is the information is not complete and isnt informative enough so that the consultees can make an intelligent response. When one asks What is it based on? its not clear. No data source is given for that figure. He said people trying to respond to the consultation should not be forced to turn detective to try to understand the Ulezs likely impacts. Addressing the court after the Tuesday lunch break, he said: There was a real difficulty in being able to respond properly and intelligently to the [consultation] documents. The councils have accused the Mayor of an unfair and unlawful consultation. Prior to the case, TfL was unable to say definitively how many motorists might have to pay the Ulez. About two million cars are believed to be driven in Greater London very weekday, with TfL saying 92 per cent will be Ulez compliant by next month just above the 91 per cent figure, which relates to outer London. Mr Howell Williams told the court: The consultation must be fair and not be confused, not be misleading. It has to be complete. It must disclose relevant information. In sum, what must happen is there must be no detective exercise to be carried out, or paper-chase, or puzzle to solve, and be sufficiently clear so that an intelligent response can be made. The judge, Mr Justice Swift, said the test was whether the information provided in the consultation could be understood by the common man or woman. Does it pass muster? he asked. Its not set out in a way that tends to be obvious to a simple reader. Mr Justice Swift said the consultation made clear that the compliance rate would be 91 per cent at the date proposed by the mayor for the Ulez expansion to start. What more do you need to enable you to respond sensibly to this part of the cost-benefit analysis? he asked. Mr Khan was not in court. The case is being defended on his behalf by lawyers acting for Transport for London. The councils claim that Mr Khan acted beyond his powers ultra vires in legal terms - in how he set out the expansion plans. Their case has three grounds, including that he failed to allow drivers living on the outskirts of London to access his 110m scrappage scheme. The councils say Mr Khan should not have sought to establish the Ulez legally by varying the existing Ulez order but should have done so by drafting a brand new legal entity from scratch. They argue that the scale of the UIez expansion is considerable being significantly larger than the existing zone and expecting to generate a net 200m a year in revenue from levies and fines. Documents presented to the court by the councils claimed that the Ulez expansion decision was unlawful because it had not been drafted via a new charging scheme order. It is obvious that Parliament never intended this variation power to be used to introduce a whole new charging scheme, the claimants argument claimed. Opening the case for the five councils, Mr Howell Williams warned that a cold towel would be needed to help understand the intricacies of the case. He said the original LEZ (low emission zone), which was introduced by Ken Livingstone in 2007 to target polluting lorries but not cars, had become less perceptible because of the many variations of the legal orders. He said: Its been one variation upon another variation upon another variation. The original order is becoming obscured. The hearing is expected to last two days, with judgement likely to be handed down in the coming weeks. Victory for Mr Khan will give the green light to the expansion going ahead at the end of next month. But defeat could mean a delay of several weeks or possibly months, depending on the extent that the court finds flaws in the way Mr Khan and Transport for London went about preparing for the expansion. The court cannot indefinitely prevent Mr Khan from expanding the Ulez but if he is forced to re-consult Londoners which take many months to organise - that could turn the mayoral elections next May into a de facto referendum on the Ulez. Ian Edwards, the Tory leader of Hillingdon council, told the Standard outside the court: We have come together to represent our residents, who are outraged at Mayor Khans Ulez a tax on living in outer London. He said public transport connections were poorer in the suburbs, meaning residents were more dependent on their cars. Our residents are telling us that low-income and elderly households are going to be most keenly impacted by this tax, as will local businesses, Mr Edwards said. They are equally as concerned about air quality as Mayor Khan is but they know this isnt about air quality. The Cleaner Cities Campaign have just published 13 air quality stations across London that didnt meet the standards nationally. None of them were in any of our boroughs. The majority were in inner London. Mayor Khan needs to focus on tackling the problem and not focus on the wallets of our residents and local businesses. This is a taxation on life in outer London. The hearing was adjourned at 4.30pm on Tuesday. It will resume at 10am on Wednesday. L ondon Mayor Sadiq Khan will face a High Court showdown today over his contentious plans to expand the capitals Ultra-Low Emission Zone (Ulez). Mr Khan wants to expand the Ulez to cover most of Greater London on August 29. But a coalition of five Conservative-led councils against Ulez claim the mayor has acted unlawfully and their two-day court challenge will begin today. Illegal levels of toxic air have been recorded in the outer London areas which are being targeted by Ulez expansion, with the findings revealed on the eve of a High Court challenge. The research, by sustainability consultancy Ricardo for the Clean Cities Campaign, found that annual nitrogen dioxide levels in a third of London boroughs breached the UK Governments maximum permitted level (of 40g/m3) last year. A total of 13 of 76 air-pollution monitors detected illegal NO2 levels. These included Hangar Lane gyratory in Ealing and at Ikea in Brent both just outside the current Ulez boundary and Wallington in Sutton and Cromwell Road in Kingston. This compared with 15 out of 73 monitors in 2021, though direct comparisons are difficult because of the impact of the pandemic on traffic levels, and differences in monitoring sites. But what does it all mean and what is the High Court row over? What is the Ultra-Low Emission Zone? The Ultra-Low Emission Zone (Ulez) is a system aimed at preventing air pollution in the capital. It operates 24 hours a day, seven days a week, every day of the year, except Christmas Day, and sees those travelling in cars, motorbikes, and vans charged a fee if the vehicle does not meet Ulez emission standards. If the vehicle is not exempt, drivers need to pay a 12.50 daily charge to drive within the zone. The scheme has been put in to try to deter older and more emission-heavy vehicles from further polluting Londons airspace. What is the high court case against Ulez? London Mayor Sadiq Khan is looking to expand the Ulez from Greater London further out to boroughs on the outskirts and five local authorities which this would affect are taking legal action in the High Court against the Mayor of London over the proposed extension beyond the North and South Circular roads. Sadiq Khan wants the scheme expanded by August 29, but the five Conservative-led councils launching action want it delayed and even stopped. They believe there was not a thorough and proper process in attempting to roll out the scheme. They also believe relevant statutory requirements were not complied with, expected compliance rates in outer London were not considered, and the proposed scrappage scheme was not consulted on. They also claimed the overall consultation process was not properly conducted and that there was a failure to carry out a cost-benefit analysis of the plan. Who has brought the case to the High Court? The outer-London boroughs of Bexley, Bromley, Harrow, and Hillingdon, along with Surrey County Council launched legal action in February over the proposed extension of Ulez. If the Ulez is granted, the new borders will reach Buckinghamshire, Essex, Hertfordshire, Kent, and Surrey. Speaking to BBC Radio 4s Today programme earlier, Paul Osborn, the Conservative leader of Harrow Council, said the authority believed its expansion would have a devastating impact on the poorest motorists in Harrow. People who do low-paid jobs in antisocial hours, they dont have public transport alternatives. Theyre being asked to pay 12.50 every day to go to work and, if they work over midnight, theyll be asked to pay 25 because they have to pay it for the next day as well. A High Court judge gave the councils the green light to bring the challenge in April, saying parts of it were arguable. A two-day hearing began on Tuesday morning before Mr Justice Swift, who will give his ruling at a later date. What has Sadiq Khan said? The mayor has been headstrong in his stance, and has vowed that he wants to carry on with his plan of expanding the scheme by the end of summer. A spokesperson for the mayor said of the legal challenge: We will continue to robustly defend his life-saving decision to expand the Ulez and continue with preparations without delay. It is a shame that some local authorities have chosen to attempt this costly and misguided legal challenge instead of focusing on the health of those they represent. Around 4,000 Londoners die prematurely every year due to air pollution. This is a health emergency and the mayor is not prepared to stand by and do nothing while Londoners are growing up with stunted lungs and are more at risk of heart disease, cancer, and dementia due to our toxic air. O n July 21, the Tories beat Labour in Uxbridge and South Ruislip by just 495 votes. Conservative candidate Steve Tuckwell said that London Mayor Sadiq Khans plans to expand Ulez played a part in the Tory win because Ulez has proven to be a hugely contentious subject in Uxbridge and South Ruislip. Mr Khan previously faced a High Court showdown over his contentious plans to expand Ulez. The judge, Mr Justice Swift, said he would try to hand down his judgement by July 31. Mr Khan wants to expand the Ulez to cover most of Greater London on August 29. However, a decision in favour of the five councils, who contend that Mr Khan behaved improperly and outside of his authority, might result in a postponement of the launch date. Heres everything we know about the Ulez, the expansion plans and their likely effect. What is the Ulez? The Ulez is an area of London that more polluting vehicles have to pay to enter. Its a bit like the congestion charge zone only much bigger. And if Mr Khan gets his way, the Ulez will cover all of Greater London by the end of August this year. Put simply, if you drive an older petrol or diesel car, you have to pay TfL 12.50 for every day you cross into, or move within, the Ulez zone. Mr Khan launched the Ulez in central London in 2019. Two and a half years later, it expanded up to the edge of the North and South Circular Roads. But the mayor wants to expand it for a second time across all 33 London boroughs effectively taking it up to most roads inside the M25 motorway. Why does Sadiq Khan want to expand the Ulez? Mr Khan wants to clean up Londons air. He claims five million more Londoners would breathe cleaner air if the Ulez expands for a second time. He often quotes research from Imperial College, which estimated that in 2019 between 3,600 and 4,100 premature deaths in London were due in part to poor air quality. Mayor Sadiq Khan says five million more Londoners would breathe cleaner air, reducing early deaths, if the Ulez expands / PA But in 2021, new research from Imperial concluded that the Ulez was responsible for only small improvements in air quality and there was already a longer-term downward trend in toxic air levels. They said Ulez on its own was not an effective strategy to improve air quality and that it worked best alongside other policies to reduce emissions. Would the Ulez expansion actually clean up Londons toxic air? This is the key issue and its not easy to answer. Independent experts Jacobs, who were commissioned by TfL, say there is likely to be a moderate positive impact on nitrogen oxide emissions those from exhaust pipes and a minor positive impact on PM emissions, the tiny soot particles from diesel engines, tyres and brakes. Overall, the Ulez is expected to deliver a minor positive impact on Londoners health. This is according to a summary of the research by the House of Commons library. Mr Khan believes the Greater London Ulez expansion would reduce nitrogen oxide emissions from cars in outer London by 10 per cent, and from vans by 7 per cent. About half of nitrogen oxide emissions in London come from road transport. The remainder comes from factories, construction sites, homes and offices, river transport and planes. As for PM particulates, about 31 per cent of these in London come from road transport. PM levels often depend on the weather particles can get blown in from mainland Europe. Mr Khan believes the Ulez would reduce PM emissions from exhausts by 16 per cent. Whats the latest data on the Ulez? TfLs most recent report looks at the impact of the Ulez in the first year after it expanded to the boundaries of the North and South Circular roads. This found a 60 per cent reduction in the number of non-compliant vehicles being driven into or within inner London. But it also included data showing that levels of nitrogen dioxide in central London were rising. This was blamed on an increase in traffic post-pandemic, though the relaxation of the congestion charges operating hours may also be a factor. The report also showed the percentage reduction in nitrogen dioxide in the suburbs was far less dramatic than that seen in central London. How many more people will have to pay the Ulez levy? At present, about 35,000 drivers pay the Ulez each day. But almost 700,000 drivers in London would have to pay the 12.50 Ulez levy if they use their car if the scheme expands, according to new analysis. The Royal Automobile Club (RAC), which obtained the figures from the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA), said the expansion would have a massive financial impact on motorists and businesses. The London mayors office has disputed the figures while Transport for London (TfL) has claimed nine out of 10 cars seen driving in outer London on an average day meet the Ulez standards. TfL estimates about 200,000 more drivers would have to pay each day. But the RAC figures are the first to show the total number of non-compliant cars registered to London addresses including many homes already inside the current Ulez zone. Who has to pay the Ulez charge? If you drive a petrol car with whats known as a Euro 4 engine that is, all cars built since 2006 or a diesel with a Euro 6 engine, which came in from 2014 then you wont have to pay the Ulez. If your car is older ie, if you have a petrol car more than 16 years old, or a diesel more than seven years old you may have to pay. Check your number plate on the TfL website. About 85 per cent of vehicles in the new Greater London zone already comply with the emission rules and wont have to pay. How many people are opposed to the Ulez? Its very hard to be sure. Almost 58,000 people or organisations responded to a TfL consultation in the summer of 2022. A majority 59 per cent said the Ulez should not be expanded across Greater London. But Mr Khan believes the consultation was hijacked by pro-car lobby groups and motorists living outside London. He points to an opinion poll of 1,200 Londoners commissioned by City Hall, which found 51 per cent support for the expansion. More recently, there has been something of a backlash against the Ulez from the five Tory boroughs who have launched Julys legal action. The boroughs say the Ulez will do little to improve air quality and is being introduced at the worst possible time, because of the cost of living crisis. Other councils say they support efforts to clean up the air but want Mr Khan to delay, to give drivers more time to switch cars. Some councils say they wont allow TfL to erect Ulez cameras on their roads. Others outside London say they will refuse to allow Ulez signs to be erected. Has the Ulez changed the type of cars being driven in London? Yes quite markedly. Before the Ulez was expanded to the suburbs in 2021, 87 per cent of vehicles complied with the rules meaning 13 per cent had to pay the levy. But a year later, the compliance rate had shot up to 94.4 per cent. This gave clear evidence that the short, sharp shock of having to pay 12.50 a day was forcing drivers to upgrade their vehicles or avoid travelling into the zone. The number of diesel vehicles within the zone fell by 63 per cent in 12 months thats 50,000 fewer diesel cars a day. Is Mr Khan offering any help to Londoners wanting to upgrade their car? Yes a 110 million scrappage scheme opened in January. This will offer low-income Londoners a 2,000 grant to scrap their car, or to help them buy one that complies with the Ulez rules. But dont hang around theres only enough cash to help about 30,000 people. What happens if you dont pay the Ulez? Bad news: you get sent a 180 fine in the post. TfL admits thousands of motorists are running up huge debts by failing to pay a problem it attributes to the cost of living crisis. Its important to remember that the Ulez doesnt apply only to Londoners but also to anybody driving into or within the capital in a vehicle that breaches the exhaust emission rules. This includes foreign drivers. Put simply, if youre driving a more polluting vehicle in London what we used to call an old banger then youre going to have to pay. Mobile cameras could be employed to close rat runs outside London, where motorists believe they can avoid the Ulez expansion, according to London Mayor Sadiq Khan. At least 200 brand-new Ulez cameras have been vandalised, raising questions about Transport for Londons ability to police the mayors clean air zone. T he lives of millions of people could be transformed overnight if the UK Government recognises Somaliland as an independent nation, Sir Gavin Williamson has said. The Tory former cabinet minister tabled his Republic of Somaliland (Recognition) Bill on Tuesday, with the aim to challenge the diplomatic inertia that has kept the east African nation unrecognised on the international stage for decades. Somaliland, a self-declared independent state in the north-western part of Somalia, has been seeking recognition since it broke away from the rest of the country in 1991. No foreign power recognises Somalilands sovereignty, but it is self-governing with an independent government and democratic elections. With this one small act of recognition, you could literally transform the living standards and prospects of 5.7 million people overnight Speaking to the PA news agency about his Bill, Sir Gavin criticised the UK Governments approach to Somalia and Somaliland, saying: When I was defence secretary, I had the privilege of visiting Somalia and going to Mogadishu, but I also had the opportunity to visit Hargeisa in Somaliland. I saw the distinct contrast between the two. You saw the chaos, the insecurity of Somalia, and then going to Somaliland, you saw a country that you could fly in and out, you could get a taxi down into the city centre, you could walk around, you could speak to people, it was very relaxed, it was very normal. Yet, we recognised one country that was chaotic, that didnt have the rule of law and we didnt recognise a country that had stability, that actually had elections, that had children, whether they were boys or girls, going to school. There seemed to be a British Government foreign policy here, and a reality that was very far away from it. It was that reality that really drove me in my belief that quite simply, the British Government was wrong in terms of its approach to the two countries. Sir Gavin outlined the potential benefits of recognition, both for Somaliland and the broader international community, telling PA: With this one small act of recognition, you could literally transform the living standards and prospects of 5.7 million people overnight. The South Staffordshire MP added: Also, its very important for British security. It is also important for world trade in terms of its strategic position near the Gulf of Aden. Its important that we encourage countries that espouse the same values as ourselves and not reward countries that dont. Asked why the de facto state nestled in the Horn of Africa has not been recognised by the international community, Sir Gavin pointed to a paralysis within diplomacy. He explained: It is almost about preserving the status quo without recognising the reality on the ground. Britain has historically and still is today both involved in Somaliland and Somalia but is also the UN pen-holder for Somalia and Somaliland. And I think its our duty and responsibility to actually start having a discussion as to how this paralysis can be dealt with. Just pretending it isnt a problem, just pretending its not happening, doesnt actually make the challenge go away. Sir Gavin presented his Bill via the 10-minute rule motion procedure, which allowed him 10 minutes to outline his proposals. He told MPs: If the Government is not going to take the action that is required, let it be the British House of Commons that takes the lead, let it be the House of Commons that leads the way. If the FCDO is deaf, let us show what the will is for us to recognise what is a nation, a country which has its own processes of judiciary, it has its elections, it has every function of a democratic nation that we want to see. The Bill is unlikely to make further progress in its current form due to a lack of parliamentary time to debate Bills tabled by backbench MPs. E nergy Secretary Grant Shapps has branded a suggestion not to provide new oil and gas licences as bonkers policy. His comments came as Green MP Caroline Lucas (Brighton Pavilion) urged the Government to rule out new licences during Commons Energy Security and Net Zero questions. She said: New oil and gas licences simply wont deliver energy security since the oil and gas is sold at global prices on international markets. But it would cost the taxpayer dearly while being a disaster for the climate. So will the Government finally do whats needed, rule out new licences and instead commit to measures to genuinely make the UK energy-secure, including a nationwide street-by-street home insulation programme, unblocking onshore wind and installing new solar on every roof? Mr Shapps replied: Weve gone from 14% of our homes being insulated under the previous Government to nearly 50%, it will be 50% this year. Weve got an energy taskforce set up to reduce the usage of energy and make it more efficient. But I have to say, her partys policy and the official Oppositions policy of importing all of the oil and gas that we require by not providing new licences, is simply insane. It means that every single family in Britain would be subject to the next tyrant like Putin. It means that the carbon used would be double that which is taken from the North Sea, it is bonkers policy. Shadow energy minister Alan Whitehead also accused the Government of having broken its promise on onshore wind. He claimed that two onshore wind turbines have been built since February 2022, adding: Not much chance of community engagement there, to be honest. He added: The Community Secretary promised that the onshore wind ban would be completely lifted by the end of April this year, so why has the Government broken that promise? Minister Andrew Bowie replied: When they (Labour) left office in 2010 there was less than 7% of renewables on the grid, now its 43%. Mr Whitehead said: Its generally now understood that Government consultation is likely to lead to only minimal relaxation of planning rules and that (onshore wind) will effectively remain banned. Mr Bowie replied: I really do wish that the Labour Party would stop talking down what we are doing on renewable electricity and I would remind the House that consultation on onshore wind finishes on July 7. C hina has urged Foreign Secretary James Cleverly to stop interfering after he vowed to defend pro-democracy activists targeted with arrest warrants. The diplomatic row broke out as Mr Cleverly was planning to visit China in an effort to restore relations bruised by Beijings growing aggression. Hong Kong police issued arrest warrants for eight activists and politicians living in exile for alleged breaches of the harsh national security law imposed by Beijing. Some, including Nathan Law, a politician granted asylum by the UK, are living in Britain while others are residing in the US, Canada and Australia. One million Hong Kong dollars (100,500) have been offered for information leading to any of their arrests. Mr Cleverly said: We will not tolerate any attempts by China to intimidate and silence individuals in the UK and overseas. The UK will always defend the universal right to freedom of expression and stand up for those who are targeted. We strongly object to the national security law that China imposed on Hong Kong, including its extraterritorial reach, in breach of the legally binding Sino-British Joint Declaration. The wanted persons are a small group of anti-China forces bent on destabilising Hong Kong The Chinese embassy in London responded by defending the constitutional and legal arrest warrants issued in Hong Kong and criticising Mr Cleverly. The UK politicians spoke publicly for the wanted persons, grossly interfering in Hong Kongs rule of law and Chinas internal affairs. China strongly deplores and firmly opposes this, a spokesman said. The wanted persons are a small group of anti-China forces bent on destabilising Hong Kong. We urge relevant UK politicians to stop interfering in Chinas internal affairs and Hong Kong affairs, and stop using these anti-China disruptors to jeopardise Chinas sovereignty and security. The Chinese Foreign Ministrys office in Hong Kong warned foreign interference forces to stop shielding criminals immediately. The UK handed over the former British colony to China in 1997, with Beijing promising to maintain Western-style liberties under a one country, two systems framework. Tensions between China and the West have been growing in recent years amid a crackdown in Hong Kong and aggression towards Taiwan. J ames Cleverly has called for an international response to stem the flow of migrants to countries including the UK and Italy. The Foreign Secretary said Britain and the European Union are very focused on working to stabilise North African nations from which many people are fleeing. It came as Prime Minister Rishi Sunaks pledge to stop the boats crossing the Channel faced a series of setbacks, with a record number of crossings detected for the month of June; his Illegal Migration Bill suffering a string defeats during its passage through the House of Lords; and his plan to deport migrants to Rwanda being dealt a blow by an appeal court ruling. Mr Cleverly hailed closer UK-EU ties during a visit to Brussels, which are hoped can survive future post-Brexit disagreements on thorny issues including migration. There needs to be an international response to this because it is an inherently international issue Speaking to the Italian newspaper, La Repubblica, he also noted the very, very strong bilateral relationship between the UK and Italy which has seen long-standing goodwill turn into really serious deliverables. The two nations are working together on issues around illegal migration, for example, which has a huge impact on Italy as a Mediterranean country really very much in the front line, as well as the UK where were seeing real challenges, he said. He said we completely respect that these migration issues are an EU competency but noted that member states within the EU will have different challenges with regard to this, pointing to Italys location across the sea from North Africa. Were all experiencing the challenges of illegal migration, the evil of people smugglers, these are things that do not just affect the UK and we recognise that there needs to be an international response to this because it is an inherently international issue. He said the UK, EU and Italy are focused on trying to stabilise the countries that people are trying to escape from and bringing peace and prosperity to those countries. Its about disrupting these kind of people-smuggling routes. And its about looking at what we do with people who have illegally come to our country and how we can deal with the unprecedented numbers of people which is fair, which is humane, but its also decisive, because this is something that affects all countries, not just Italy, not just the UK, but all kind of European countries or developed economies like ours. Britain has to be proactive in our relationships with individual member states as it no longer has the convenience of holding regular meetings in the margins of EU summits since Brexit, Mr Cleverly said. Mr Sunak and far-right Italian premier Giorgia Meloni vowed to work together on tackling migration as they hailed the very strong relations between their two countries during her visit to London in April. Meanwhile, Downing Street said ministers remain fully committed to all aspects of the Illegal Migration Bill following the 11 defeats in the Lords. The Prime Ministers official spokesman said: We remain committed to stopping the boats and to do that we need to make clear that if you come here illegally you will be removed to a safe country. We have to break the cycle to deter people from making these dangerous journeys, being exploited by gangs. Thats what the Bill is designed to do, it was voted through by the Commons and we remain committed to defending it robustly. F ormer health secretary Sajid Javid has called for a royal commission into the NHS, describing the service as frozen in time. Ahead of the 75th anniversary of the health service on Wednesday, Mr Javid said both major political parties privately believe the NHS is unsustainable in its current form and will increasingly be unable to cope with surging levels of demand, despite record levels of funding. Downing Street rejected the call for a royal commission, insisting the reforms being implemented by the Government would improve outcomes. Writing in The Times, Mr Javid said a dispassionate and honest assessment of the NHS is required to make sure the NHS is here in another 75 years. To make sure the NHS is here in another 75 years, we need a royal commission He said: No universal healthcare system is perfect, but when you compare health outcomes in the UK with similar countries, it is clear that for decades we have fallen short across successive governments. Its a direct consequence of how the NHS is still structured. Since it was established in 1948, the world has significantly changed yet much of the institution remains frozen in time. Highlighting Britains ageing population and the lingering impact of the pandemic, Mr Javid said the supply of healthcare will continue to be outstripped by soaring demand. All of this is at a time of record funding for the NHS, he wrote. In 2000, the health budget accounted for 27 per cent of day-to-day UK public spending; next year it will hit 44 per cent, larger than the GDP of Greece. The entire British state is on the verge of becoming a subsidiary of the NHS. Mr Javid also pointed to the politicisation of the NHS and its future as a key factor in the health services present struggles. Set up correctly, a royal commission can be the force to help break the current deadlock, he said, stressing it should be used to assess what structural reforms are required and how we should be learning from other countries. Mr Javid added: Now is the time for the national interest to come to the fore with a collective mandate for reform. To make sure the NHS is here in another 75 years, we need a royal commission. The veteran Conservative politician suggested some NHS hospitals were lagging behind elsewhere in Europe in terms of the way they are run. He told LBC: We are actually investing in technology but whenever the NHS looks at innovation and looks at doing things differently, it just seems too slow, the model seems to adopt it too slowly. There is still something like 600-plus fax machines being used in the NHS, there is some 80,000 pagers. More than 10% of hospitals are entirely paper-based. You wouldnt find that anywhere else in Europe. In this day and age, there are a whole set of changes that can be made that would help the workforce, I think they would welcome it to help them do their job, release some pressure and help them do what they want to do, which is look after more patients. The Prime Ministers official spokesman defended the reforms being pushed through by the Government. Theres no plans for a royal commission or things like that. Royal commissions can take time and we think, in order to cut waiting lists, we need to act now and thats what were doing, the spokesman said. Downing Street highlighted changes including the new workforce plan, the creation of integrated care systems and the use of virtual wards as a sign the Government was pushing through reforms to how the NHS operates. Its right that we dont seek to stand still and that will continue, the spokesman said. N igel Farage has not denied a report that he isnt wealthy enough to hold an account at private bank Coutts. The Brexit leader fell below the financial threshold needed to hold a Coutts account, and was offered a standard account at NatWest instead, the BBC reported on Tuesday. The report comes after the former leader of the UK Independence Party (Ukip) claimed his account was refused due to political reasons. In response to the report that he did not meet Coutts financial threshold, Mr Farage said: Theyve never mentioned that before, in the previous ten years. Coutts are frankly, being very, very dishonest indeed. Coutts requires its customers to borrow or invest at least 1 million or save at least 3 million with the private bank, according to an eligibility questionnaire on its website. But Mr Farage, who is now a presenter on the GB News channel, said at no point in the last 10 years did the bank give him a minimum threshold, and that he now has more money sitting on a current account than before. He confirmed he was offered a standard account with NatWest, which owns Coutts, but only after speaking publicly about the issue last Thursday. Mr Farage said in a video posted on Twitter: They are telling the press I dont meet their wealth threshold. Well, they never mentioned that before in the previous 10 years. The worst of the story is, they denied to me on the phone on Friday I was a PEP (Politically Exposed Person). He said that nine other banks have refused him on the basis of being treated as a PEP. This refers to someone who holds high public office in the UK or overseas, or their family members, meaning financial institutions can treat their accounts with extra due diligence. PEPs could pose more of a risk of abusing their public office position for personal gain, such as by making or accepting bribes, according to guidance by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA). The Government is looking into whether banks are closing peoples accounts over their political views, sparking disputes over whether freedom of speech is being denied by financial services firms. The Treasury said it was already looking into whether banks and regulators were being too rigorous in how they handle PEPs, and making sure that UK-based politicians were being treated as less risky individuals than those in other countries. A Treasury spokesman said: It would be a serious concern if financial services were being denied to those exercising the right to lawful free speech. We are already looking into this issue and have passed a law that requires the FCA to review how banks treat politically exposed persons so we can strike the right balance between the customers right to free speech and the banks right to manage commercial risk. It has asked the FCA to conduct a review into whether financial institutions are meeting its guidance over the treatment of PEPs, and whether that guidance needs to be updated. The official spokesman for the Prime Minister said he was concerned by some of the reports, adding: Free speech within the law and the legitimate expression of differing views is an important part of British liberty. He stressed that the Treasury is running a call for evidence to assess whether the current system is fair. Coutts declined to comment. N ato secretary-general Jens Stoltenberg has been handed another year in charge of the alliance after potential successors including Defence Secretary Ben Wallace failed to gather support. Rishi Sunak praised Mr Stoltenbergs leadership of Nato after his term was extended again. The Prime Minister said the alliance has evolved to meet new threats and been steadfast in support of Ukraine under Mr Stoltenberg. Mr Stoltenberg, a former Norwegian prime minister who has been Natos top civilian official since 2014, said he was honoured by the decision and in a more dangerous world, our alliance is more important than ever. His term was due to expire last year but it was extended after Russian President Vladimir Putins invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. Natos leaders will meet in Lithuania next week, where a decision on a successor was due to be made. Mr Wallace had pushed to become the first Briton to lead the alliance since 2003, but lacked the necessary support particularly from the US, the largest military power in Nato. He told The Economist its not going to happen and there are a lot of unresolved issues in Nato. At the regular Cabinet meeting on Tuesday, Mr Sunak said Mr Wallace had been an outstanding candidate for the role. The Prime Ministers official spokesman said Mr Sunak told the meeting of his top team that the Defence Secretary is widely respected among world leaders and the only person at non-leader level to be considered for the job of leading the alliance. But the spokesman said Mr Sunak believes Mr Stoltenberg has done an excellent job leading Nato and will continue to have the UKs support in the role. US President Joe Biden made it clear to Mr Stoltenberg that he would welcome him sticking around longer particularly with no end in sight to the war in Ukraine and with the ongoing challenge of getting Sweden approved as a member of the alliance. The lack of a consensus around a potential successor meant an extension of Mr Stoltenbergs term had become the most likely scenario. Many Nato countries were keen to name a woman to the top post, with Danish leader Mette Frederiksen thought to be a favourite after a meeting with Mr Biden last month but she ruled herself out. The president of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen also ruled out her candidacy, while Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte was also rumoured to be in the running. It is the fourth time Mr Stoltenberg has had his mandate extended and he is the second-longest serving Nato secretary-general after Joseph Luns, who spent almost 13 years in the job from 1971. T he Metropolitan Police is reopening an investigation into possible Covid breaches at a Conservative jingle and mingle Christmas party in 2020. The force also announced it has launched a new probe into a gathering in Parliament during the same month. The decision to reopen the investigation into the Christmas party at Tory headquarters comes after new evidence was provided to officers, specifically a video of two aides dancing together when the UK was under lockdown measures. The Met said on Tuesday evening: Following assessment of new evidence that was not previously provided to officers, the Met is now re-opening an investigation into potential breaches of the regulations at an event in Matthew Parker Street on 14 December 2020. The Met is also opening a new investigation into potential Covid breaches at a birthday gathering at Parliament on December 8, 2020. Allegations were made to police on June 15 this year that senior Tory MP Sir Bernard Jenkin attended the birthday party when pandemic restrictions were in place. Sir Bernard told the Telegraph: It is not appropriate to comment on a continuing investigation. But the force will not open an investigation into further potential breaches of the regulations in Downing Street, and Thames Valley Police will not investigate potential breaches at Chequers, the grace and favour country residence, when Boris Johnson was prime minister. Police said in a statement: The Met and Thames Valley Police have assessed material referred by the Cabinet Office regarding potential breaches of the Regulations between June 2020 and May 2021 at Downing Street and Chequers. Based on an assessment of that material and an account provided regarding the diary entries, and also having sought some further clarification, the Met and Thames Valley Police have each assessed the events in their jurisdiction and concluded that they do not meet the retrospective criteria for opening an investigation. Video footage shows two workers on Shaun Baileys mayoral campaign team dancing while London was in Tier 2 of Covid restrictions in 2020 / Mirror The Met said it had previously investigated the jingle and mingle Christmas party but, based on the information available at the time, it did not issue any fixed penalty notices to partygoers. It added: The receipt of video evidence has resulted in the Met revisiting and updating the assessment. The footage, obtained by the Sunday Mirror, shows two workers on Shaun Baileys mayoral campaign team dancing while London was in Tier 2 of Covid restrictions in 2020. The woman, Malin Bogue, is seen dancing in a red dress with Jack Smith, who works in Parliament for Tory minister Graham Stuart. At the time Ms Bogue reportedly worked for Shaun Baileys mayoral campaign, which ended in defeat to Sadiq Khan in 2021, as did Tory aide Ben Mallet, who is also seen in the video. Both Mr Bailey and Mr Mallet, who was handed an OBE in Mr Johnsons resignation honours, attended the gathering. While Mr Bailey is not seen in the video, photographs show him at the event. He claimed he left the event before any dancing began. Both Mr Mallet and Ms Bogue work for Moz Hossain KC, the barrister bidding to secure the Tory nomination to run against Mr Khan in next Mays City Hall elections. Following the release of the footage, Mr Bailey apologised unreservedly and said it was for others to decide about whether he should be stripped of the peerage offered to him by former prime minister Boris Johnson. Mayor Khan called for Mr Bailey to resign from the London Assembly in the wake of the scandal. Mr Khan said: Weve heard mealy-mouthed apologies from those who have been caught out. We might ask why these are only forthcoming when the photos or emails appear in the papers. Former Tory London mayoral candidate Shaun Bailey / PA Archive Meanwhile the Liberal Democrats renewed calls for Mr Baileys peerage to be paused amid the police investigation. Deputy leader Daisy Cooper said: Rishi Sunak needs to confirm he will call for honours to be stripped from anyone found to have broken the law. Anything less would make a complete mockery of his pledge to lead with integrity. He should also step in to stop Shaun Bailey from taking his seat as a peer while this investigation takes place. Mr Bailey has been approached for comment. In 2021 he said: I want to apologise unreservedly for attending a gathering held by some of my staff in my campaign office last December. I gave a speech to my team to thank them for their efforts, before leaving shortly afterwards. It was a serious error of judgement at a time when Londoners were making immense sacrifices to keep us all safe and I regret it wholeheartedly. J ulian Sands, the British actor found dead in the California mountains, warned in his last UK interview that the rock faces have become more unstable. The 65-year-olds body was found in the wilderness near Mount Baldy in California last Saturday, some six months after he went missing. Speaking to Radio Times last year, in what would become his final UK interview, the star said: Pals I used to climb with have stopped going to the mountains". He said this was partly because they find, with climate change, the rock faces have become much more unstable, but also partly, its age. He told the magazine: If you dont really have the desire, the focus, for climbing a route, if youre not absolutely committed, it becomes much more dangerous and its a much more deflating experience," he said. Finding folk whose company I enjoy in such stressful and intimate conditions is not easy." He added he was aware of the risks of mountaineering and that he was frequently in places in the mountains where people had lost their lives in the past. He had been speaking to the publication to promote The Willows, a BBC radio drama. The actor, best known for the 1985 film A Room With A View, was reported missing from a solo trip in the San Gabriel mountains on January 13. Bad weather hampered the efforts of rescuers as they tried to find Sands, preventing ground searches for long periods. The actor was a keen climber and described the activity as solace and a sort of existentialist self-negation, but equally a self-affirmation. If you can deal with dangerous mountains, you can certainly deal with life as an actor the two are quite complementary, he said. Sands was considered an experienced and competent mountaineer by his friends, with his hiking partner and fellow actor Kevin Ryan previously saying that he was the most advanced hiker I know. T he UK has a number of bank holidays throughout the year for different reasons, but few of them for such bloody reasons as the Battle of Boyne. Here are the key details behind this historical occasion and what it means today. What was the Battle of the Boyne? The Battle of the Boyne was a battle that took place between the forces of the deposed King James II and King William III, the husband of Queen Mary II, on July 1, 1690. Like most military clashes, it takes its name from where it took place; the River Boyne in Leinster, Ireland. The battle was a great part of King James IIs attempt to regain the thrones of England and Scotland. However, it was also a part of the War of the Grand Alliance, with Pope Alexander VIII supporting William. The majority of the Irish people were also on Jamess side following his 1687 Declaration of Indulgence, which granted religious freedom to all denominations in England and Scotland, and his promise to the Irish Parliament that they would be given the right to self-determination in the future. The Williamites in Ireland, on the other hand, wanted Protestant rule to remain across the region, as they feared what might happen to their lives and property if a Catholic leader was to rule Ireland. In the end, the war was won by King William of Orange, securing the Protestant line of succession to the British Crown. When is the Battle of the Boyne bank holiday? To this day, July 12 is celebrated as an official bank holiday in Northern Ireland to commemorate it. Locally, the special day is referred to as The Twelfth and sees the members of the Orange Order, which was founded in 1795 to champion King Williams legacy, parade to celebrate the unionist and loyalist culture. For those wondering, Northern Ireland has two more bank holidays than England and Wales, to acknowledge its cultural divide. Unionists have July 12 to celebrate their history, whereas Catholic and nationalist communities have St Patricks Day off on March 17. The celebration also sees bonfires get lit and families attend community events. The day is a divisive one, as those who are Catholic nationalists disagree with Northern Ireland being ruled under the British Crown. In recent years, it has seen nationalists confront unionists, not wanting them to march through their areas and celebrate an occasion they see as a loss for the Irish people. R ussia on Tuesday said that Ukraine had launched a drone attack on Moscow and the surrounding region that disrupted flights at one of the capitals main airports. At least three drones were intercepted in the skies over the Moscow region - including two just 30 km (19 miles) southwest of the Kremlin, Russian news agencies said. One drone was detected in the neighbouring Kaluga region. Landings and takeoffs at Moscows Vnukovo were restricted for several hours early on Tuesday before normal operations resumed after 5am. A number of flights were diverted on their approach to other airports. Moscow claimed the attack was an act of terrorism. There was no immediate comment from Kyiv. Ukraine almost never publicly claims responsibility for attacks inside Russia or on Russian-controlled territory in Ukraine. At this moment, the attacks have been repelled by air defence forces, Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said on his Telegram messaging channel. All detected drones have been eliminated. There were no casualties reported, he added. One drone was shot down in the area of the town of Kubinka, some 63 km (40 miles) west of Moscow, RIA reported. A Russian air base is near Kubinka. Two drones were shot down near the village of Valuevo, the RIA news agency reported. The village is about 30 km (19 miles) southwest of the Kremlin. One was in the Kaluga region, which borders the Moscow region. Meanwhile in Ukraine a man and a woman died in Russian shelling of Ukraine's southern city of Kherson, the local prosecutor's office said in a statement on Tuesday. The number of wounded is being ascertained. Damage to property has also been reported, it said. A t least six people have been injured after an alleged car-ramming and stabbing incident in Israel. The suspected attacker has reportedly been neutralised after the assault in Tel Aviv on Tuesday. Israeli officials say the assailant was a Palestinian man from the West Bank. Police spokesman Eli Levi told Kan public radio the incident was a deliberate attack and that a civilian shot and killed the driver at the scene. The Hamas militant group praised the attack as "heroic and revenge for the military operation in Jenin". Israeli media identified the attacker as Hasin Halila, a 23-year-old Palestinian man from a village near the West Bank city of Hebron. It comes amid a period of tense violence in the region after Israeli forces killed 10 people during a raid on a refugee camp in the Palestinian city of Jenin. Israel used drones to hit targets in a militant stronghold in the occupied West Bank on Monday morning. Hundreds of Israeli troops were then deployed inside the refugee camp a stronghold of Palestinian militants at midday, pushing ahead with the largest operation in the area after more than a year of fighting. Black smoke rose from the crowded streets of the camp while exchanges of fire rang out and the buzzing of drones was heard overhead. Military bulldozers ploughed through narrow streets, damaging buildings as they cleared the way for Israeli forces. Jenin has experienced repeated Israeli military raids in the past year and local Palestinians have been linked to shooting attacks targeting Israelis. The Palestinian health ministry said at least eight Palestinians were killed, while 50 people were wounded - ten critically. Among the dead were young men and Palestinian youths, including a 16-year-old boy and two 17-year-olds. F ive people were shot dead by a gunman wearing a bulletproof vest in Philadelphia on Monday night, with two boys also injured. Police said the suspect opened fire seemingly at random at roughly 8.30pm local time, killing four. He continued to fire as he was chased by officers down an alley, where he surrendered. The shootings took place across several streets in the citys neighbourhood of Kingsessing. A fifth victim was later found, who had been chased into his home and shot to death. Bullet casings were found outside the property. Police Commissioner Danielle Outlaw said no connection was immediately known between the victims and the suspect, who is a man in his 40s. At this point all we know is that this person decided to leave their home and target individuals," she said at a press conference. The attacker had a bulletproof vest, an AR-type rifle," multiple magazines, a handgun and a police scanner, she said. A second person was also taken into custody in connection with the shooting, she said. It was unknown whether this person was connected with the shooter, but police believe he returned fire at the shooter. Three of the men were 20 to 59 years old, while the fourth male, who had not yet been identified, was estimated to be between 16 and 21. The victim found in his home was 31 years old. The two hospitalised boys are aged two and 13. They were in stable condition, police said. You can see there are several scenes out here, Commissioner Outlaw told reporters. Were canvassing the area to get as much as we can, to identify witnesses, to identify where cameras are located and to do everything to figure out the why. The shooting occurred a day after gunfire erupted at a holiday weekend block party in Baltimore, about 100 miles to the southwest, killing two people and wounding 28 others. The wounded in that shooting ranged in age from 13 to 32, with more than half children, according to officials. The Philadelphia violence is the 29th mass killing in the US in 2023. A former East High School principal is the latest to jump into the Denver Public Schools Board of Education race. John Youngquist has joined an increasingly crowded field to replace the at-large seat held by Board Vice President Auontai Anderson. Last month, Anderson announced he was dropping out of the race to run for Colorado House District 8, a seat held by Leslie Herod, D-Denver. With the school board election just four months away, at least three candidates are vying for one of the districts two at large positions. The other is held by Scott Esserman, which expires in 2025. Youngquist, who served as principal at East high School from 2007 to 2012, joins former Tattered Cover CEO and Denver mayoral candidate, Kwame Spearman, and Paul Ballenger, a security expert and former Marine. A school board director should be a leader, someone who will make hard decisions, own the outcomes, and work to improve our district into the future, Younquist, 57, said in a statement. Younquist is the president of PrincipalEd Consulting, which provides problem-solving and strategy development for area school districts and leadership training for schools and nonprofits. Each candidate competing for the open at-large seat have cited security issues and the ineffectiveness of the current board. Ive seen what a good functioning board looks like (in the private sector) and its not what weve seen here lately, said Ballenger, 46. Ballenger added, I kinda want to make the school board boring again. As a reservist and former Marine, Ballenger said he has always been interested in politics because of its impact on the military. Sign Up For Free: Weekly 7 Catch up with a rundown of the 7 most important and interesting stories delivered to your inbox every Thursday. Sign Up View all of our newsletters. Success! Thank you for subscribing to our newsletter. View all of our newsletters. Ballenger filed in mid-May. Youngquist filed has filed his intent to run with election officials. The most recent campaign financial filings show that Ballenger had $3,634 on hand while Spearman had $6,240. For months, the board of education has nabbed headlines and not always for their work providing oversight of DPS Superintendent Alex Marrero. Last fall, the board rejected Marreros recommendations to close 10 low-enrollment schools leading to months of speculation and uncertainty before shuttering three campuses in the spring. After doing so, the board instructed Marrero not to use enrollment numbers the sole basis thus far to determine which schools should be closed. And then in the wake of two administrators being shot by a student who later committed suicide at East High School in March, the board reversed its 2020 decision to ban police from schools. The board has also gotten itself embroiled in a lawsuit brought by a coalition of media organizations that include The Denver Gazette, for violating the Colorado Open Meetings Law when holding a five-hour secret meeting called for by Marrero to discuss lifting the ban. Other open seats include the one held by Director Scott Baldermann who is running for re-election in District 1. Baldermann had $3,076, campaign finance reports show. Adam Slutzker is running for district 5, which is held by Charmaine Lindsay, who has not yet filed her intention to run, according to the Colorado Secretary of State. A journalist and a lawyer have been brutally beaten in the Russian province of Chechnya - in a shocking assault that has highlighted a pattern of human rights abuses in the region. Prominent investigative reporter Elena Milashina sustained a brain injury in the attack on Tuesday and had several fingers broken, while lawyer Alexander Nemov suffered a deep cut on his leg, reported newspaper Novaya Gazeta. Ms Milashina, who works for Novaya Gazeta, has long exposed human rights violations in Chechnya and has faced threats, intimidation and attacks. She and Mr Nemov had just arrived in Chechnya to attend the trial of Zarema Musayeva - the mother of two local activists who have challenged Chechen authorities - when they were attacked. Just outside the airport, their vehicle was blocked by several cars and they were attacked by several unidentified masked assailants who beat them with clubs, put guns to their heads and broke their equipment. They were taken to a hospital in Chechnyas main city, Grozny, and later to Beslan in the nearby region of North Ossetia. The newspaper said Milashina repeatedly lost consciousness. Speaking from a hospital bed in a video, she said the attack looked like a classic abduction. They threw the driver out of the car, got in, bent our heads down, tied my hands, forced me down to my knees and put a gun to my head, she said, adding that the assailants were visibly nervous and had trouble tying her hands. Michelle Obama and John Kerry honour Russian human rights activist, journalist Elena Milashina in 2013 / AP A photo from a hospital showed her talking over the phone, with green antiseptic covering her face and multiple bruises on her shaven head. Officials were considering their medical evacuation to Moscow. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said in a conference call with reporters that Russian President Vladimir Putin was informed about the incident. Mr Peskov added that it was a very serious assault that warrants energetic measures from law enforcement agencies. Russian human rights ombudsperson Tatyana Moskalkova asked investigators to look into the violent attack. The Russian Ministry for Digital Development and Mass Communications denounced the monstrous assault on Ms Milashina and Mr Nemov and said it will offer them the necessary assistance. The ministry added that it urged law enforcement agencies to thoroughly investigate the attack and punish the perpetrators. Alexander Bastrykin, head of the Investigative Committee, the countrys top state criminal investigation agency, ordered a probe into the attack. The strong statements and a quick response from Russian authorities contrasted with a muted official reaction to previous attacks on Ms Milashina and other journalists and human rights activists who have exposed human rights abuses in Chechnya. It is not the first time Ms Milashina has been attacked. In 2020, she and a lawyer accompanying her were beaten by a dozen people in the lobby of their hotel. Last year, she temporarily left Russia after she was threatened by Chechen authorities. She has won broad acclaim for her investigative reporting, which included exposing the torture and killings of gay people in Chechnya and other abuses by feared Chechen paramilitary forces. In 2013, Ms Milashina received an International Women of Courage Award from the US Department of State. Hours after Tuesdays attack on Ms Milashina and Mr Nemov, a court in Grozny sentenced Zarema Musayeva to five years in prison on charges of insulting and violently resisting police, an accusation that rights groups have rejected as trumped-up. Musayeva had been in custody in Grozny since Chechen security forces grabbed her from her home in the Volga River city of Nizhny Novgorod and drove her to Chechnya in January 2022. Her husband, a former judge, and her two activist sons have left Chechnya. Chechnyas strongman regional leader, Ramzan Kadyrov, has accused the Musayev family of having terrorist links and said that they should be imprisoned or killed. T housands of people have fled a refugee camp in the occupied West Bank after Israel launched a large scale military operation targeting Palestinian militants. At least 10 people have been killed and 100 injured after Israel carried out a wave of drone strikes in the Jenin camp and city and sent in hundreds of troops, Palestinian health officals said. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said they were striking terrorist infrastructure in the Jenin area. An official from the humanitarian organization Palestinian Red Crescent said its crews evacuated 3,000 people - including patients and the elderly - from the camp to local hospitals overnight. The UNs Palestinian refugee agency, Unrwa, said it was deeply concerned about the impact of the Israeli operation in the camp, which had been home to around 14,000 people. Residents evacuate the Jenin refugee camp / AFP via Getty Images It said water and electricity services have been interrupted in large areas, leaving residents unable to move from their homes and many in urgent need of food, drinking water and milk powder for children. It said schools and a health centre had been forced to close due to intense fighting. Israel is close to completing its Jenin operation, a senior aide to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Tuesday. The operation aims to uproot Iranian-backed Palestinian armed factions behind a recent surge in gun and bomb attacks as well as preliminary efforts to manufacture rockets, Israel has said. Hundreds of fighters from Islamic Jihad, Hamas and Fatah live in the camp which has been fortified with a range of obstacles and watching posts to counter regular army raids. REUTERS IDF spokesman Daniel Hagari said on Tuesday morning 120 suspects had been detained so far, with 300 armed militants believed to be in Jenin in hiding still. The United States said yesterday it respected Israels right to defend itself but said civilian casualties should be avoided. The United Nations said all military operations should respect international law. Several cities in the West Bank declared a general strike for Tuesday in solidarity with Palestinians in the Jenin camp. T welve children are among at least 43 people who have been wounded in a Russian missile strike in Ukraines Kharkiv region, according to officials. Prosecutors said a three-month-old baby was among the victims of the missile attack which targeted a military funeral in the northeastern Kharkiv region on Tuesday. The childs condition was unknown. Russian forces hit the towns centre in the afternoon with an Iskander missile, Prosecutor General Andrii Kostin said, adding that there were no military facilities nearby, the Kyiv Independent reported. Nine apartment buildings were reportedly damaged in the attack. About 100 people were shown in television footage gathering at a funeral in the small town on Pervomaiskyi, some of them in uniform and some in civilian clothes. Major Maksym Zhorin, a former commander of a fighting unit known as the Azov battalion that is now part of the Ukrainian army, said the town was hit as people gathered for the funeral of Oleh Fadeenko, a soldier with the call-sign Baby who he said had been killed in combat near Bakhmut in eastern Ukraine. They targeted the site where the ceremony was taking place, Mr Zhorin said on the Telegram messaging app. Nine apartment buildings were reportedly damaged in the attack / REUTERS Television footage showed a tall residential building with smashed windows and black smoke pouring out. Mangled cars were in flames nearby, and a man sat in an ambulance with blood over his face. Regional governor Oleh Synehubov said an Iskander missile had slammed into a residential quarter in Pervomaiskyi at 1.35pm Kyiv time (11.35am BST). He said 43 people were injured, and five were treated at the scene. A local resident told Reuters: We werent at home, we went for a walk in the park. I dont know what happened, I heard an explosion, probably a missile. I only remember that when the explosion sounded, we were thrown up into the air. Then we continued walking, we saw blown out windows everywhere, I saw cars on fire. I just cant get a grip of myself, my legs are still shaking. Russia did not immediately comment on the attack. Moscow has denied deliberately targeting civilians but its missile and drone attacks have repeatedly struck cities across Ukraine since the February 24 invasion last year. T he importance of caffeine in the world of work cannot be understated. Indeed, I write this on my second cup of the enticing, swirling hot substance this morning before the clock has even struck 11. Were not saying its particularly healthy that such a large proportion of the populations workforce require a shot or two of piping hot liquid gold every morning, but its certainly something to ponder. Of course, there are those who enjoy coffee in a slightly healthier, more artisan manner. Were talking about the types of people who enjoy the occasional cup of overpriced coffee as a treat, alongside a sweet snack in the form of a cronut, or a cruffin or some other strange pastry hybrid. Then, there are those who consume hot coffee and tea to warm-up from the inside out during their many extended outdoor excursions. Like TikToker Ben Kielesinski, who always enjoys a cup of coffee with a view somewhere in the Canadian wilderness. How wed like to be him. No matter how you consume your hot drink of choice be it coffee, herbal tea, hot chocolate or even soup chances are youd like that drink to remain hot wherever youre sipping it. In fact, 90 per cent of the reason that Im personally already two cups of caffeine down, is because my first cooled far too quickly. In case you werent already aware, the answer to all our collective, rapidly cooling hot drink woes lies in a simple contraption: the vacuum insulated flask. What is a vacuum insulated flask and how does it work? You can essentially think of a vacuum flask as a cup within a cup. The space between the two vessels is partially evacuated of any air, creating a partial vacuum. This, in turn, reduces the ability for heat to be conducted away, and it is therefore retained within the innermost vessel. In your search for the perfect vacuum insulated flask, you might have also seen the gadget referred to simply as a thermos. The contraption soared in popularity after the eponymous American brand launched the very first Thermos product in 1904, after its founders domesticated the vacuum insulated technology which had been pioneered by Scottish scientist Sir James Dewar in 1892. As such, the term for a hot water flask has essentially become interchangeable with Thermos. Without further ado, keep scrolling for a round-up of the best vacuum insulated thermos flasks to keep your drinks hot no matter where you are, or what youre doing. Best vacuum insulated flasks at a glance: Shop now. D evin Griffin was a little bit apprehensive before an incredibly emotional meeting with his fathers family when he saw them for the first time. The former Strictly Come Dancing contestant and Radio 1 DJ who now works at Heart FM travelled to Ireland and Jamaica as he explored his familys roots for an episode of Who Do You Think You Are?. Griffin said he had only made one trip to Jamaica before meeting his fathers family because no one wants to go somewhere where you feel a bit unsure of yourself. I've tried to start setting up businesses and stuff in Jamaica. It is somewhere I'd be very interested in retiring to at some point He also said he did not want to be reminded of something he was on the outside of growing up. Griffin said: I was a little bit apprehensive going into it because I thought, This is such a personal moment for me. I dont know if I want to have this all documented and have cameras in my face and that sort of thing but it actually ended up being a really beautiful experience and something that I almost certainly would never have done had it not been as part of this process. It was incredibly emotional. My dad is not somebody who I know that well. He added: This was like blowing the dust off of a lot of things that I felt like I had buried deep and answered a lot of questions for me, and certainly gave me a lot of a lot of peace as well with things that Ive maybe struggled with before. During the programme, the 38-year-old also found out that his Irish family was involved with the struggle for independence from the UK, with his great-grandfathers brother Patrick Weafer taking part in the 1916 Easter Rising. So the thing I was most shocked about was a lot of it was down to my own ignorance, Griffin said. Theres a lot about British and Irish history that I just have no idea about, or if I did, my sense of it was that it happened 500 years ago or wherever but this is very recent history as well. So things like the fact that the British had used artillery in Ireland was something to me that was so shocking it made me think about a lot of the British history that Ive not been taught about. Im a very proud British person but when I think about any of the history that I read about or found out about in school, it was all stuff that framed us as the heroes or made us look look really good, but theres a lot that I still have to read up on Irish history and as fascinating as it is, it is also quite sad and quite tragic. Griffin wants to return to Jamaica to visit family he still has not met and is planning a trip with his sisters through Maynooth in County Kildare, Dublin and Kilkee in County Clare. When he arrived in Kilkee for the show he instantly felt connected to one of the most beautiful places he has visited. In a reference to Avengers: Endgame, when supervillain Thanos hunts gems that give their holder powers, Griffin added: It almost like something out of a Marvel film you get too close to the infinity stones and something like that and you start glowing. That is what it felt like arriving in a place like that. Griffin has also donated some of the fee he got for doing the show to a charity his aunt works for, The Griffin Trust Jamaica, which it has used to buy a school bus. He added: Ive tried to start setting up businesses and stuff in Jamaica. It is somewhere Id be very interested in retiring to at some point. The Who Do You Think You Are? episode with Griffin will air on BBC One on July 13. K it Connor says he would have preferred not to have come out as bisexual publicly, but he does not regret it and that it was in many ways really empowering. The Heartstopper star, 19, made the announcement on social media in November last year and suggested that he had been forced to do so. Connor stars as Nick Nelson in the Netflix coming-of-age drama series, which sees his character meet Charlie Spring, played by Joe Locke, at school and fall in love. I would say that I would have preferred to do it another way... I also dont know if I would have ever done it. But at the end of the day I dont regret it. In many ways it was really empowering The LGBT series, based on the popular graphic novels by Alice Oseman, was renewed for seasons two and three after becoming a hit on the streaming platform. Speaking to British Vogue about coming out, Connor said that being forced to come out was now not the phrase he would use. I would say that I would have preferred to do it another way, he told Vogue. I also dont know if I would have ever done it. But at the end of the day I dont regret it. In many ways it was really empowering. The actors tweet in November read: back for a minute. im bi. congrats for forcing an 18 year old to out himself. i think some of you missed the point of the show. Bye. Connor told Vogue that as a young man he was already kind of going through certain things and that he had just needed to let that energy out with his post. The cast of Heartstopper are known to have been vocal in their support of LGBT issues previously. Connor said he felt super lucky to have been able to work on a project that had actually impacted others. The idea that youre having an impact on anyones life, especially a stranger, its really special, he told Vogue. See the full feature with Kit Connor in the August issue of British Vogue, available via digital download and on newsstands from Tuesday July 18. T witter is in a right state after Elon Musk took over the platform in October 2022. The latest news is Twitter users are able to view only a limited number of tweets a day. Even paid-up Twitter Blue subscribers are getting limited access. However, with a ceiling of 10,000 tweets a day, anyone hitting that limit should question how they spend their time. Are you a fan of TweetDeck? You have only a month to use it without Twitter Blue, as subscription-free access is ending in the first few days of August. If you think Twitter is starting to feel like a sinking ship, with a captain hacking away at its hull with an axe, perhaps it is time to look for an alternative. Here are the best of Twitters rivals. Threads Founded: 2023 Number of active users: 10 million Threads is Metas take on the Twitter formula the company that owns Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp. Threads launched on July 6 and attracted more than million users within its first seven hours, according to CEO Mark Zuckerberg. In short, it feels a lot like Twitter, with the ability to post messages of up to 500 characters that appear in followers timelines in real-time. Like Twitter, you can reply to interesting posts and repost content from others into your own timeline for your followers to see. It links directly to your Instagram account, which makes it feel a bit less private, and annoyingly theres currently no way to block out algorithmically picked-out content from your timeline. But its a strong start, and will feel instantly appealing to those who want the functionality of Twitter with less corporate drama. Bluesky Founded: 2021 Number of active users: ~200,000 Work on this social network from Jack Dorsey, the founder of Twitter, began in 2021. It is yet to open fully to the public, though. Only a relatively small number of users are on the platform, amounting to a couple of hundred thousand, after a beta launch in February 2023. You need an invite, which is best achieved by begging on another social network such as Twitter or Reddit. The Bluesky big sell is that its a decentralised network, although that wont mean much to the average person looking for a Twitter alternative. This means Bluesky plans to fracture into communities that it does not centrally manage. However, for now, you can join only @bsky.social, which is Blueskys own community. The experience is also quite basic at present, lacking core Twitter features such as direct messages. Reddit Founded: 2005 Number of active users: 52 million Founded a year before Twitter, Reddit is an internet institution, but one that can often seem opaque and unfriendly to folks without a degree in internet culture. It has much more of the air of a classic message board or forum than Twitter and is broken down into often incredibly specific areas called subreddits. These are home to some of the best and worst things the internet has to offer. And, of course, the bad bits have gained all the attention over the years. However, its a great place to indulge in hobbies with like-minded folks, while Reddit feeds such as /todayilearned and /dataisbeautiful are top time-killers minus the Twitter guilt. Reddit has become almost as infamous as Twitter in recent weeks, though. Changes to how the platform works have caused the closure of the most popular third-party apps, and there was a 48-hour blackout of many of its most popular sections back in June. Mastodon Founded: 2016 Number of active users: One million While Mastodon is one of the most similar-looking alternatives to Twitter, it will feel quite different in use. Twitter is a behemoth in which everyone tweets under the same virtual dome, while Mastodon operates as a series of smaller servers, each with a maximum of 250,000 participants. A server is chosen on sign-up. Theres a server for people in Scotland or who identify as Scottish, for example, or another for ravers. Mastodon is going to feel a lot less busy than Twitter; it is less of a place to pick up social media clout than it is to connect with people who have similar interests. Substack Founded: 2017 Number of active users: 2 million paying subscribers Substack essentially allows you to sign up to receive newsletters via email from notable and amateur writers. The platform has built a reputation as a refuge for media firebrands who have fled established news outlets. Among the notable authors on Substack are journalists Glenn Greenwald and Matt Taibbi; renowned authors Salman Rushdie and Chuck Palahniuk; Boris Johnsons former aide Dominic Cummings; and political activist Michael Moore. You can join, and even publish your own articles, free of charge. But some writers charge a subscription for their newsletters, while others simply ask for a tip. Substack makes money by pocketing 10 per cent of the subscription fees, with additional costs for payment processing. More recently, Substack has branched out to introduce podcasts and videos, though its mainly associated with written articles. Notably for alienated Twitter fans, it also just launched its own take on short-form text posts, dubbed Notes, which are uncannily similar to tweets. Hive Founded: 2019 Number of active users: One million Hive Social may appeal to those looking for something that behaves a lot like Twitter as soon as you sign up. Like Twitter, theres a timeline and the ability to follow people and repost other peoples messages as you see fit. It does all this without timeline algorithms: you see things in chronological order as theyre posted, just like in the early days of Twitter. There are big differences, though. For starters, theres no limit to post length. This makes the bite-sized content Twitter offers optional, with no defence against blowhards who enjoy the sound of their own voices. Also, at the time of writing, its mobile-only, with no desktop experience at all. Following a brief explosion of interest in late 2022, Hive has not blown up as some hoped. But development of the platform continues. On June 20, Hive announced its verification feature, in which you email copies of a photo ID to the Hive team. But at least you dont have to pay to do so yet. Post Founded: 2022 Number of active users: TBC Post is a social network driven by news. It was launched by Noam Bardin, former CEO of Waze. Post is designed to give the voice back to the sidelined majority; there are enough platforms for extremists, and we cannot relinquish the town square to them, says Bardin. In person, Post reads more like a news feed, with articles from publications like USA Today and Fortune. Its less about reading the bizarre opinions of Greg278938X from the internet. However, you will find ordinary folks posting on Post too. It has a points-based currency. You pay a certain number of points to read full articles, and can tip people, or publications. Buying additional points costs real cash. Post is only available for iPhone right now, and its not clear how many active users the platform has at present. CounterSocial Founded: 2017 Number of active users: Around 30,000 A response to the ills that have afflicted social-media giants such as Twitter and Facebook, CounterSocial claims to take a zero-tolerance stance to hostile nations, bot accounts, trolls, and disinformation networks. To this end, it blocks entire countries from accessing the network, including Russia, China, and North Korea. Once you access it, the look is similar to that of Twitter, but with virtually zero engagement in posts from the community firehose of content promoted by the app itself. CounterSocial isnt one for those looking to kill some time browsing social media streams. Bring some friends along. You might cringe yourself out of giving it a go if you read the platforms FAQ section, though. The Counter Social team also runs Counter Realms, a metaverse-like set of VR chat rooms. However, at the time writing they were all empty. Cohost Founded: 2022 Number of active users: Around 38,000 If CounterSocial is the no bots platform, Cohost aims to be the no algorithm social network, bringing back some of the feel of the internet of years gone by. It promises no ads, no tracking, for good. You can try the service free of charge, but theres also Cohost Plus subscription for $5 (4) a month ($50/40 a year) to support the developers, and unlock a few advanced features, such as large file uploads. Theres no Cohost phone app yet, only a web interface, which isnt easy to find. And its active user base is likely tiny. Sign up with a bunch of friends, though, and there are worse ways to keep in contact online. Tumblr Founded: 2007 Daily posts: Nine million Tumblr is a social network many have forgotten existed. It was a giant back in the days before such platforms were routinely described as a hellscape. But according to a New Yorker interview with Tumblr CEO Jeff DOnofrio, 48 per cent of active users and 61 per cent of new users were from Gen Z. Today, it comes across as a much lower-stakes network than the big names. Since it has been around forever, it doesnt claim to want to clean the social-networking slate. It is less influencer-drenched than the more mainstream networks. Rain, hail and possible tornadoes on the eastern side of the Continental Divide were a stark contrast to the arid and gusty conditions threatening to reignite an already burning Spring Creek fire on the Western Slope near Parachute. Local and national authorities on the Spring Creek fire warned campers to be mindful of critical fire conditions as Tuesday stretched into an expected Red Flag warning day. As of Tuesday afternoon, the fire had burned nearly 3,000 acres and was 37% contained Tuesday with the expectation that low humidity, dry conditions and high wind gusts could ramp up the flames in the evening hours. Fire managers used the fires downtime Sunday and Monday to prepare for a worst-case scenario, directing patrols to re-cool hot spots, build fire lines and clear vegetation to protect populated areas on the north side of the fire. They also studied the dryness of vegetation in the area, evaluated the topography, and used computer models to predict the possible fire behavior. Wildland firefighters, Bureau of Land Management camp crews, and the U.S. Forest Service joined with personnel from as far as South Dakota and Wyoming to fight the fire. Incident meteorologists watched incoming weather to determine the best plan for attack, according to Rocky Mountain Critical Incident Management Team #2 information officer Laura Lozier. Blog Archive Apr 2010 (22) May 2010 (25) Jun 2010 (8) Jul 2010 (12) Aug 2010 (18) Sept 2010 (19) Oct 2010 (29) Nov 2010 (30) Dec 2010 (18) Jan 2011 (13) Feb 2011 (21) Mar 2011 (23) Apr 2011 (19) May 2011 (31) Jun 2011 (36) Jul 2011 (46) Aug 2011 (26) Sept 2011 (12) Oct 2011 (15) Nov 2011 (17) Dec 2011 (7) Jan 2012 (18) Feb 2012 (4) Mar 2012 (12) Apr 2012 (17) May 2012 (10) Jun 2012 (21) Jul 2012 (8) Aug 2012 (15) Sept 2012 (7) Oct 2012 (17) Nov 2012 (20) Dec 2012 (10) Jan 2013 (58) Feb 2013 (59) Mar 2013 (60) Apr 2013 (98) May 2013 (134) Jun 2013 (203) Jul 2013 (292) Aug 2013 (350) Sept 2013 (363) Oct 2013 (347) Nov 2013 (374) Dec 2013 (437) Jan 2014 (543) Feb 2014 (473) Mar 2014 (525) Apr 2014 (526) May 2014 (470) Jun 2014 (408) Jul 2014 (472) Aug 2014 (522) Sept 2014 (440) Oct 2014 (471) Nov 2014 (496) Dec 2014 (535) Jan 2015 (535) Feb 2015 (520) Mar 2015 (579) Apr 2015 (657) May 2015 (679) Jun 2015 (673) Jul 2015 (728) Aug 2015 (803) Sept 2015 (922) Oct 2015 (919) Nov 2015 (799) Dec 2015 (790) Jan 2016 (781) Feb 2016 (834) Mar 2016 (929) Apr 2016 (864) May 2016 (945) Jun 2016 (1044) Jul 2016 (880) Aug 2016 (1034) Sept 2016 (966) Oct 2016 (918) Nov 2016 (854) Dec 2016 (884) Jan 2017 (879) Feb 2017 (777) Mar 2017 (896) Apr 2017 (872) May 2017 (850) Jun 2017 (851) Jul 2017 (971) Aug 2017 (1040) Sept 2017 (998) Oct 2017 (1144) Nov 2017 (1046) Dec 2017 (838) Jan 2018 (873) Feb 2018 (769) Mar 2018 (885) Apr 2018 (808) May 2018 (827) Jun 2018 (820) Jul 2018 (840) Aug 2018 (854) Sept 2018 (844) Oct 2018 (851) Nov 2018 (870) Dec 2018 (912) Jan 2019 (919) Feb 2019 (827) Mar 2019 (957) Apr 2019 (913) May 2019 (1007) Jun 2019 (934) Jul 2019 (949) Aug 2019 (936) Sept 2019 (910) Oct 2019 (920) Nov 2019 (874) Dec 2019 (908) Jan 2020 (941) Feb 2020 (848) Mar 2020 (898) Apr 2020 (848) May 2020 (822) Jun 2020 (787) Jul 2020 (819) Aug 2020 (858) Sept 2020 (841) Oct 2020 (873) Nov 2020 (811) Dec 2020 (780) Jan 2021 (765) Feb 2021 (716) Mar 2021 (819) Apr 2021 (805) May 2021 (815) Jun 2021 (824) Jul 2021 (830) Aug 2021 (832) Sept 2021 (791) Oct 2021 (754) Nov 2021 (683) Dec 2021 (693) Jan 2022 (694) Feb 2022 (654) Mar 2022 (740) Apr 2022 (745) May 2022 (748) Jun 2022 (701) Jul 2022 (704) Aug 2022 (702) Sept 2022 (699) Oct 2022 (737) Nov 2022 (718) Dec 2022 (692) Jan 2023 (662) Feb 2023 (611) Mar 2023 (692) Apr 2023 (652) May 2023 (696) Jun 2023 (701) Jul 2023 (498) The United States is a strategic partner on which Romania can always rely, Defence Minister Angel Tilvar told U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III, on the occasion of Independence Day. "Allied nations are engaged shoulder to shoulder in the challenging mission of confronting the multiple threats of our time, while seeking the best defence solutions. Such times should remind us all that we must act together in a coherent, relevant and effective approach," said Tilvar, quoted in a press release of the National Ministry of Defence (MApN). Americans celebrate Independence Day on July 4. AGERPRES Minister of Interior Catalin Predoiu conveys a message to the American people on the occasion of their Independence Day celebration, showing that Romania and the USA "share a deep strategic partnerships." "On the occasion of the 'Independence Day' I want to convey a warm message of respect and friendship to the American people and the Government of the United States of America, a country that has promoted the ideals of freedom, democracy, peace and global prosperity in the world since its founding," said Catalin Predoiu, according to a press release the Ministry of Interior sent to AGERPRES on Tuesday. The Romanian official showed that the strategic partnership existing between Romania and the USA, through joint efforts, guarantees the values of democracy and progress, freedom and justice, security and prosperity. Brazilian data centre and digital infrastructure group V.tal has acquired a plot of land in Fortaleza in Ceara, a state in the northeast of the country, for what is expected to be its first hyperscale data centre. The BNamericas website explains that the facility, which will have capacity of 20MW, is called Mega Lobster. It will be integrated into the company's submarine cable landing station and to its edge data centre Big Lobster, also in Fortaleza. Big Lobster was opened in February. A press announcement at the time said it will operate with a capacity of 4MW and will have four data halls with space to accommodate 400 racks. Information about the much larger new arrival such as size, cost or completion date is not yet available, though, like the existing sites, Mega Lobster will rely on V.tal's terrestrial fibre grid to connect to a neutral ecosystem, offering operators, ISPs and OTTs solutions to access Ceara's central PIX (internet exchange point), which already registers the second highest volume of internet traffic in Brazil. V.tal describes itself as one of the largest end-to-end neutral digital infrastructure solutions companies, with operations in Brazil and five other countries in South and North America. In addition to Fortaleza, the group currently operates data centres in Rio de Janeiro and Barranquilla, Colombia. The Ministry of Health informs on Tuesday that, between June 26 and July 2, 510 new cases of people infected with SARS-CoV-2 were registered. According to the same source, 118 of the new cases from last week are in reinfected patients, who tested positive more than 90 days after their previous infection. Until now, 3,407,995 cases of infection with SARS-CoV-2 have been registered in Romania. The incidence recorded at 14 days is 0.04. Last week, 3,025 RT-PCR tests and 26,677 rapid antigen tests were carried out. Up to this date, at the national level, 13,906,419 RT-PCR tests and 13,781,219 rapid antigenic tests have been processed. Germany supports Romania to become a full member of the Schengen area this year, Chancellor Olaf Scholz said on Tuesday. "Germany supports Romania so that your country becomes a full-fledged member of the Schengen area this year. Romania has already undertaken major efforts for accession to the Schengen area and these efforts must be appreciated. We are fully committed to this," Scholz told a joint press conference with Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu, who is on a working visit to Berlin. He added that he discussed with Prime Minister Ciolacu about the security policy on NATO's Eastern Flank and about the NATO Summit in Vilnius next week. AGERPRES As many as 133,287 people, including 15,763 Ukrainian citizens, entered Romania on Monday, July 3, the General Border Police Inspectorate (IGPF) reported on Tuesday. According to IGPF, at the border points nationwide on Friday, nearly 272,300 people, Romanian and foreign citizens, were checked both on the way in and on the way out of Romania, as well as more than 64,600 means of transport. Starting February 10, 2022 (pre-conflict time) 4,849,184 Ukrainian citizens entered Romania. The border police detected 49 illegal acts (27 crimes and 22 misdemeanors) in the areas under their jurisdiction - the crossing points and the green border - committed by both Romanian and foreign citizens, levying over RON 43,400 in fines in the process. Assets of an estimated value of RON 2,025,000 were impounded. Eleven foreign citizens who did not meet the conditions provided by the law were denied entry. Also on Wednesday, 26 Romanian citizens were not allowed to leave for various legal reasons. The Foreign Trade Department, part of the Romanian Agency for Investment and Foreign Trade, is organizing a new edition of the "Trade Diplomacy Week" between 3 and 7 July 2023. "The event brings together Romania's economic representatives abroad, providing an in-depth analysis of their role and contribution to the development of the country's foreign trade, setting priorities and measures to streamline the actions of trade-economic diplomacy, boosting Romanian producers for orientation towards foreign markets and strengthening relations with both the private and institutional environment in Romania," the organizers argue. The action will include a plenary meeting, on July 4th, with the participation of high Romanian officials - representatives of the Presidency, Parliament and members of the Government, business associations and Romanian companies interested in expanding their presence on foreign markets. The other days of the event will be dedicated to pragmatic meetings of foreign economic representatives with companies, chambers of commerce, professional associations, employers' federations in Romania, in order to examine projects and concrete ways of support and collaboration in the efforts to increase exports. The event will be attended, among others, by Rares-Stefan Burlacu, the President of the Romanian Agency for Investment and Foreign Trade, Doru-Claudian Frunzulica, the Vice-President of the Romanian Agency for Investment and Foreign Trade, Nicolae Ionel Ciuca, the President of Romania's Senate, Cosmin-Stefan Marinescu, the Presidential Advisor, Presidency of Romania, Alexandru Nicolae Bociu, the president of the National Veterinary and Food Safety Authority (ANSVSA), Florin Nicolae Jianu, the president of the National Council of SMEs in Romania (CNIPMMR), the vice-president of SMEUnited, Mihai Ionescu, the co-president of the Export Council, the president of the Romania's National Exporters and Importers Association (ANEIR), Iuliu Stocklosa, the president of the Bucharest Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Radu Burnete, the executive director of the Concordia Employers Confederation, Liviu Cicioc, the president of the Romconserv Employers' Association. Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu announced on Tuesday that he and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz agreed to start intergovernmental discussions for a joint action plan on subjects of strategic interest to be worked out. "We intend to start discussions between the two governments with a view to setting in place a joint action plan on subjects of strategic interest and of a permanent dialogue format that will allow us to reach our targets. Raising our diplomatic relations to a strategic level represents an important moment for our bilateral cooperation. We will thus be able to further develop the ties between Romania and Germany in all areas of common interest. I would like to thank Chancellor Scholz for the support offered to this endeavor," Ciolacu, who is on a working visit to Berlin, told a joint press conference with Scholz. He specified that several major topics were on the agenda of the discussions, both at bilateral and at European level. "We discussed economic cooperation and how we can jointly develop both the trade and the investment component, using European resources as well," Ciolacu explained. According to the prime minister, Germany is Romania's main commercial partner. "There is an enormous development potential between the two countries and we identified new ways for working together to cover new markets. For example, two important directions are the active participation in Ukraine's reconstruction process or supporting the development of the Republic Moldova. In this train of thought, I want to reiterate our full support to Ukraine in these difficult times. We must continue to provide Ukraine with all the necessary support and I welcome the efforts made by the German government with whom we work very well in this area. I also express our backing for the start, within the shortest time, of EU accession negotiations both for Ukraine and the Republic of Moldova," Marcel Ciolacu said. The head of the Romanian Executive stressed that Romania is "a serious, reliable and stable actor on the eastern flank and can play an active role in the Black Sea region in order to promote our joint agenda". He also mentioned that the prerequisites are in place for Romania to be an energy hub. "We have lots of resources of our own, but also energy projects, which ensure Romania a decisive role in the stability of the region. This provides important opportunities for German companies. At the same time, Romania has a significant potential in agriculture and construction, two fields for which we recently developed additional support measures," the prime minister also declared. Ciolacu added that the defense industry is another important component, where several joint projects have already started, in coordination with the European Union and NATO. "I'd like to inform you that tomorrow I will sit down with representatives of the Romanian-German business environment, but also of the German defense industry. Moreover, in September we are going to organize a Romanian-German business forum in Berlin, where I hope that we will be represented at the highest level," Ciolacu mentioned. The prime minister also dwelled on the role of the Romanian community in Germany and of the ethnic German community in Romania, which bring added value to bilateral relations. "I welcome the support offered by the German government for the Romanians in Germany and I assure you that the Executive I represent works closely with all the minorities who live in Romania. I am glad that we have German minority deputy, Mr. Ovidiu Gant, accompanying us on our delegation," Ciolacu said. He thanked Chancellor Olaf Scholz for the support offered for Romania's Schengen accession. "Germany has proven that it is a true friend of Romania. We discussed how we can overcome this unjustified blockade, which, in our opinion, directly affects European unity. We count on Germany's support for overcoming this moment," Ciolacu concluded. AGERPRES On Tuesday, President Klaus Iohannis sent a message to the United States of America on their Independence Day. "Happy Independence Day to our American friends and allies! Our long-standing friendship is reaffirmed by our strong and vibrant Strategic Partnership, based on our shared commitment to democratic values. Our gratitude goes to the American troops in Romania for their contribution to Euro-Atlantic security," reads the message posted by the Presidential Administration on Facebook. President Klaus Iohannis congratulates Jens Stoltenberg on the extension of his mandate at the head of NATO. "Congratulations to Jens Stoltenberg on the extension of his successful mandate at the helm of NATO. Looking forward to continue to work together for further consolidating the Alliance and to the results of the Vilnius Summit," Iohannis wrote on his Twitter page on Tuesday. Norwegian Jens Stoltenberg, who has led NATO since 2014, announced on Tuesday that he will remain Secretary General of the North Atlantic Alliance for another year. "Honoured by NATO Allies' decision to extend my term as Secretary General until 1 October 2024. The transatlantic bond between Europe and North America has ensured our freedom and security for nearly 75 years, and in a more dangerous world, our Alliance is more important than ever,'' he tweeted, just a week before the upcoming Vilnius Summit. July 11-12. This extension had been expected for several weeks, in the absence of consensus on the name of a possible successor. Appointed on 1 October 2014 for a four-year term, Norwegian Stoltenberg (aged 64) has already served two terms and his last one was extended until 30 September 2023. Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu began his working visit to the Federal Republic of Germany on Tuesday. The Head of Government laid a wreath at the Berlin Holocaust Memorial. Along with the prime minister, the ministers accompanying him participated in the ceremony: the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Luminita Odobescu, the Minister of Economy, Entrepreneurship and Tourism, Radu Oprea, the Minister of Defense, Angel Tilvar, as well as the deputy Ovidiu Gant, member of the Parliamentary Group of National Minorities, MEP Victor Negrescu, honorary advisor to the Prime Minister, representatives of the Prime Minister's Chancellery. Continuing the schedule of the visit, the Prime Minister will be received by Chancellor Olaf Scholz at the headquarters of the Federal Chancellery, where there will be a one-on-one meeting of the two high dignitaries, followed by a plenary meeting of the two delegations and a joint press conference. During Tuesday evening, Prime Minister Ciolacu will meet with representatives of the Romanian community in Germany. The head of the Executive from Bucharest arrived in Berlin on Tuesday morning, after a flight that had a stopover in Vienna.AGERPRES Save the Children Romania is extending the summer remedial education programme for nearly 3,160 children from vulnerable groups and is opening summer kindergartens. According to a press release from Save the Children Romania sent to AGERPRES on Tuesday, of the 3,156 children from families with economic difficulties and whose parents are working abroad 300 are pre-schoolers. Camps will also be organised for at least 1,000 children with parents working abroad. The "Summer Kindergarten" programme has been running since 1998, based on the early education curriculum and in keeping with the development areas of children. The programme is aimed at pre-school children who have not been to kindergarten and are preparing to enter the preparatory grade or to attend state kindergartens. In the 25 years of summer activities, 16,250 children have been supported pedagogically and socio-economically - 10,678 in the "Summer Kindergarten" and 5,572 in the summer remedial education programme. Romania has 15.6% of young people aged 18-24 who have at most graduated from secondary school, although the target set by Romania in 2010 was to reduce the phenomenon to 11.3% by the end of 2020. Poverty and the risk of social exclusion have repercussions on the chances of vulnerable children to obtain an average above 5 in the national evaluation exam, said representatives of Save the Children Romania. Non-participation in pre-school education disproportionately affects rural children, with the enrollment rate in pre-school education at the age of 5 years standing at 87.8% for children in cities compared to 80.9% for those in villages. Some 79% of Roma children aged up to 17 are at risk of poverty, and in 2020, 51% of Roma children aged 6 to 15 attended schools where all or most of their peers are Roma. The results of the national evaluation exam show the disparities in education and the correlation between the risk of poverty and social exclusion and the grades obtained by vulnerable children. In rural areas, for example, almost 40% of children failed an average of 5, with the national average of those scoring above 5 being around 75%. Save the Children Romania representatives call on the Ministry of Education to collect and analyse data reflecting the impact of family socio-economic status on national test results, in order to take "appropriate measures to support and compensate for disadvantages". The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) is launching a new communication campaign in Romania that explores the ways in which refugees from Ukraine manage to find hope in Romania. The campaign "Born in Ukraine. Finding hope in Romania" aims to boost inclusion and social cohesion. According to a UNHCR press statement, the campaign starts from the unprecedented solidarity displayed by the Romanians who welcomed refugees from Ukraine. It aims to reflect the reality of their life in Romania and to present the ways in which refugees bring added value to society through their knowledge and skills. The campaign, conducted on social media, in the mass media and through outdoor messages, will highlight everything that has been achieved so far in the mobilisation actions for refugees, with an emphasis on the next steps, starting from the humanitarian spirit and solidarity of the Romanian people. Since the beginning of Russia's war against Ukraine in February 2022, more than 3.7 million refugees have crossed the borders from Ukraine and Moldova into Romania. On June 30, 2023, approximately 94,000 refugees from Ukraine were still registered in Romania, while most of them left for other countries. Approximately 6.3 million refugees have left Ukraine and are now hosted in Europe and beyond. Throughout the campaign, the stories will highlight the resilience and effort of Ukrainians to adapt in another country, far from home, through inspiring personal examples. The stories of these people - from school children to older adults - show the challenges and obstacles they overcame leaving their country and adapting to their new life in Romania. Many refugees from Ukraine well remember the warm welcome they received when they came to Romania and are grateful for the opportunity to integrate, contributing to the well-being of Romanian society through their skills and knowledge, as well as through cultural exchanges and the development of a sense of communities alongside the Romanian people. According to UNHCR representative in Romania Pablo Zapata, the campaign is the story of the meeting and the creation of links between the refugees and the host community. The wave of solidarity and the huge generosity displayed by the Romanian citizens will remain in everyone's memory. The Romanians helped the Ukrainians when they needed it the most. We see examples of welcoming communities every day, and we are confident that Romanians will continue to support refugees on their path to inclusion. Today, Ukrainians contribute to the prosperity of the country that welcomed them with open arms and express their appreciation with a sincere Thank you!. 11-J prisoner Angel Jesus Veliz Marcano, 'a victim of the political machinations' of the Cuban regime Was DIARIO DE CUBA wrong to claim that the humanitarian parole program to travel to the United States offered political prisoners a potential out? Last January, DIARIO DE CUBA published an analysis of the humanitarian parole program to travel to the United States, which showed how it could represent a small escape route for Cuban political prisoners; among them, those imprisoned by the anti-government for the 11-J protests. Ailex Marcano, mother of political prisoner Angel Jesus Veliz Marcano, took measures so that her son, sentenced to six years in prison for participating in the demonstrations, could leave the country in this way. "The parole was thanks to a friend of mine whos like my sister and has been living in the United States for 30 years. She was approved as a sponsor. My son had to complete another part of the process, and for that he needed to connect to the Internet," the prisoner's mother told DIARIO DE CUBA. Ailex Marcano asked the prison to grant her son access to the Internet. When she received no response, she turned to the Citizen Assistance Department at the Ministry of the Interior (MININT), where they told her that, as a prisoner, her son had no right to use the Internet. When she filed a suit in the municipality of Florida, with the Provincial Court of Camaguey, in search of a solution to the conflict, the answer, recorded in an unnumbered decision, was that it was solely up to the Directorate of Prisons to facilitate or deny access to the Internet. "We ran out of time and my son lost the parole," says Marcano. Was DIARIO DE CUBA wrong to assert that the parole program offered a possibility for 11-J prisoners to leave the island? "The conclusion that parole could be used by the regime to release political prisoners was not flawed. The system negotiates and decides who gets out and who doesn't. It may be that other prisoners, even political ones, are given the possibility of accessing the Internet, though Angel Jesus was not. It may be because Ailex Marcano is a very active person on social media. She has denounced the Cuban Government at the UN, at the IACHR (Inter-American Commission on Human Rights), and has been very vocal against the system. So, as an element of punishment, it could be that the regime says 'we're only going to reward, to release, to deport, those people who don't do us as much harm; and you, for doing this, this and this, you're not going to leave. You're going to serve the full six years behind bars, explained former Cuban judge Edel Gonzalez Jimenez. "This case must be the first in which an inmate asked to access the Internet. In Cuba, prisoners have no need to access the Internet because they don't have to do any paperwork. The parole program requires one to access a restricted page and complete an online form. The law is constantly evolving. The Penal Enforcement Act states that prisoners have the right to carry out bureaucratic processes. How do they do so? In person, when they have to go to an office; or online." "Ailex Marcano was not given any written response denying that right. Unofficially, she has been told that prisoners do not have the right to access the Internet. Normally, they give one a written answer and, based on that, one can file an appeal in court. That right must be facilitated by the penitentiary system. The courts only intervene when the penitentiary system denies the right, hinders it, or does not respond, as in this case," says Gonzalez Jimenez. Lawyer Yaxys Cires, head of strategy at the Cuban Human Rights Observatory (OCDH), points out that Angel Jesus Veliz Marcano's case "is one of the paradigmatic ones involving an exhaustion of domestic legal resources, and also of the clear existence of a practical via for a political prisoner to leave the country, based on his and his family's will." "What happens is that the Cuban regime, aware of the existence of this route, which would allow this political prisoner's departure, and that Cuban laws do allow that alternative, opted for retribution, to not allow the departure of young Angel Jesus Veliz Marcano; among other things, because they are playing the card that prisoners, as always, can be the object of exchanges for economic or political privileges, and for their image at the international level." "He, like most political prisoners, is a victim of the regime's intransigence and the fear of other mass demonstrations such as those of 11-J, on the one hand; and, on the other, of its political machinations, in which it always uses political prisoners, especially when they want to negotiate or when they want to improve their positions at the international level, or their bilateral relationship with any country. The regime has repeatedly offered Union Patriotica de Cuba (UNPACU) leader Jose Daniel Ferrer the option of being released in exchange for his deportation. The same offer has been extended to artists like Luis Manuel Otero Alcantara and Maikel "Osorbo" Castillo. In January of 2022 independent activist and journalist Esteban Rodriguez was transferred directly from jail to the airport after being imprisoned for eight months for demonstrating on the Calle Obispo in April of 2021. Why is the Cuban regime trying to get some political prisoners to leave, while preventing others from doing so? There are cases in which the regime has insisted that they leave the country, as the only alternative to immediately get out of prison, as is the case of Jose Daniel Ferrer, who has said that he chooses to remain in Cuba, which is why they have kept him in prison. But in these cases important and recognized political leadership is involved, and they are part of the regime's repressive strategy to rid the country of any opposition and civil society activists. It's a profile that does not necessarily match that of most 11-J protesters," concluded the OCDH's strategy director. A group of Save Romania Union (USR) members mounted on Tuesday a protest in front of the Cotroceni Palace, dissatisfied with the provisions of the new Education package which President Klaus Iohannis just signed into law. The protesters displayed a banner that read "Failure of Educated Romania: 50,000 children who did not enroll for the Baccalaureate exam". "As a lawmaker, together with my colleagues, I did everything possible to improve the Education laws but they rejected all the solutions proposed by the USR. I came here as a parent, I am also the son of teachers who have worked all their lives in the education system and, frankly, what is being promulgated today cuts another 10 - 20 years off Romania's future, gets generations off track. As the father of a very young child, I know this is a moment that compromises his future, a moment these people behind the scenes will probably celebrate. To me today's gesture, today's enactment is tantamount to a resignation. And even if it's not a formal resignation of the president, it's clearly an abdication of any mission for a truly educated Romania. I think that President Iohannis compromised the idea of reform from the highest level in the state, and he compromised himself too, because many had expectations from him because he was a teacher once, but he ran afoul of all expectations," Senator Irineu Darau said. He added that in the next parliamentary session the USR will continue to submit legislative initiatives on Education. According to Senator Stefan Palarie, the criticism leveled at these laws is "international". "The criticisms is no longer just USR's, it is officially becoming international. This is the criticism of OECD's Expert Committee that literally dismisses this pseudo-reform of Romanian education," declared the senator. AGERPRES Tourists in Paris are continuing their vacations despite violent protests in the capitol city of France, an elephant in Sri Lanka is finally getting help after a hard life, and more of today's top videos. TUESDAY, June 27, 2023 (HealthDay News) -- Having even a mild COVID-19 infection could trigger a months-long drop in sperm, a new study finds. Researchers found both lower sperm concentrations and fewer sperm that were able to swim when studying men an average of 100 days after COVID-19 infection, which is enough time for new sperm to be produced. There have been previous studies that show semen quality is affected in the short term following a COVID infection but, as far as we are aware, none that have followed men for a longer period of time, said researcher Rocio Nunez-Calonge, scientific advisor at UR International Group at the Scientific Reproduction Unit in Madrid, Spain. We assumed that semen quality would improve once new sperm were being generated, but this was not the case. We do not know how long it might take for semen quality to be restored and it may be the case that COVID has caused permanent damage, even in men who suffered only a mild infection, Nunez-Calonge added. Nunez-Calonge and her colleagues decided to study this after observing that in some men attending clinics in Spain for assisted reproduction treatment, semen quality was worse after COVID-19 infection than before the infection, even though they had recovered and the infection was mild. Since it takes approximately 78 days to create new sperm, it seemed appropriate to evaluate semen quality at least three months after recovery from COVID, she said. The research team recruited 45 men with an average age of 31 at six reproductive clinics in Spain between February 2020 and October 2022. All had a confirmed diagnosis of mild COVID. The clinics had data from analysis of semen samples taken before the men were infected. The men had another semen sample taken between 17 and 516 days after infection. The researchers analyzed all the samples taken up to 100 days after infection, and then analyzed a subset of samples taken more than 100 days later. They found statistically significant differences in a number of metrics, including semen volume, which was down 20%, and sperm concentration, which was down 26.5%. They also found a drop in sperm count, down 37.5%, and total motility, which is being able to move and swim forward, down 9%. Numbers of live sperm were also down 5%. Motility and the total sperm count were the most severely affected. Half of the men had total sperm counts that were 57% lower after COVID compared to their pre-COVID samples, the study discovered. The shape of the sperm was not significantly affected. Sperm concentration and motility had still not improved over time in the later samples analyzed. The findings were presented Monday at the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology annual meeting, in Copenhagen. Findings presented at medical meetings should be considered preliminary until published in a peer-reviewed journal. The continuing effect of COVID infection on semen quality in this later period may be caused by permanent damage due to the virus, even in mild infection. We believe clinicians should be aware of the damaging effects of SARS-CoV-2 virus on male fertility. It is particularly interesting that this decrease in semen quality occurs in patients with mild COVID infection, which means that the virus can affect male fertility without the men showing any clinical symptoms of the disease, Nunez-Calonge said in a meeting news release. Inflammation damage to the immune system may play a role, Nunez-Calonge said. The inflammatory process can destroy germ cells by infiltrating the white blood cells involved in the immune system, and reduce testosterone levels by affecting the interstitial cells that produce the male hormone, she said. It should be mentioned that impairment of semen parameters may not be due to a direct effect of the SARS-CoV-2 virus. There are likely to be additional factors that contribute to long-term sperm parameters decrease, but whose identity is currently unknown, she added. Furthermore, we did not measure hormonal levels in this study: Intense changes in testosterone, a key player involved in male reproductive health, has previously been reported in COVID-infected male patients. More information The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has more on COVID-19 and fertility. SOURCE: European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology, news release, June 26, 2023 THURSDAY, June 29, 2023 (HealthDay News) -- More than 2 million people in the United States have hepatitis C, but most are not getting the safe treatment that can cure the disease, public health officials said Thursday. A new U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report details this problem and highlights the need for a proposed national program to expand access to the cure, in the form of antiviral pills. Left untreated, hepatitis C can lead to liver scarring (cirrhosis), end-stage liver disease and cancer. Tens of thousands of Americans with hepatitis C are getting liver cancer, suffering liver failure, or dying because they cant access lifesaving medicine, said Dr. Jonathan Mermin, director of CDCs National Center for HIV, Viral Hepatitis, STD, and TB Prevention. In our nation, no one should have to live knowing a cure for their potentially deadly disease is available, but out of reach," he said in an agency news release. More than 14,800 Americans died in 2020 from conditions associated with hepatitis C. An announcement about the new CDC report described the number of people cured of known hepatitis C infections as "jarringly low." This was true across all age and insurance groups. The rate was especially low among those without health insurance or Medicaid coverage. While adults under age 40 had the highest rates of new infections, they were also least likely to get the highly effective medication. Although cure rates were highest in patients who were 60 and up with Medicare or commercial insurance, fewer than half of them received the treatment. The development of a safe and highly effective cure for hepatitis C is one of the most stunning medical achievements of the past 20 years, said the U.S. National Institutes of Health's Dr. Francis Collins, who leads the White House National Hepatitis C Elimination Program. But unfortunately, too many people in our country still face insurmountable barriers to accessing this treatment -- which means we must work harder." He said the proposed National Hepatitis C Elimination Program would overcome many of these barriers, potentially saving tens of thousands of lives and tens of billions of health care dollars. That is "compassionate care that also contributes to deficit reduction," Collins said in the release. Barriers to treatment include cost, restrictive treatment coverage policies and challenges diagnosing the condition, the CDC said. The medication can cost tens of thousands of dollars. The CDC said an innovative national delivery model would make hepatitis C treatment attainable for all. The CDC said the White House has requested substantial funding to make this happen, potentially saving billions in health care costs within 10 years. Currently, some state Medicaid programs and commercial insurers have treatment restrictions that conflict with medical guidance, require prior authorization and limit types of providers who can prescribe the treatment. Some of these policies require that patients already have severe liver damage before they can be treated or that they go months without alcohol or drugs, the CDC said. Getting a positive test can be a cumbersome process. Both an antibody test and a lab-based nucleic acid test are required, which can delay treatment, the CDC said. The agency suggests supporting development for rapid point-of-care (POC) viral tests that take one visit for diagnosis and to begin treatment. The CDC also suggests expanding prevention, testing and treatment to more settings, so that Americans who are undiagnosed can become aware of their infection. More information The U.S. National Library of Medicine has more on hepatitis C. SOURCE: U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, news release, June 29, 2023 ST. ANN A woman and two children died in a shooting Monday night inside a home on Jane Avenue, according to police. Police received multiple calls reporting gunshots shortly before 8:30 p.m., according to St. Ann police Chief Aaron Jimenez. Police responded to the home, believing a person might be barricaded inside. Officers spoke with a 9-year-old girl who had been shot in the hand but escaped the house, Jimenez said. She told police her mothers boyfriend had opened fire on her and her family. Two children and her mother were still inside. Paramedics took the girl to a local hospital, where she remains in stable condition. When police entered the house, they found the approximately 30-year-old mother and a 14-year-old boy shot to death. Paramedics transported a 5-year-old girl to a local hospital with gunshot wounds, but she later died. Police also found 34-year-old Coleman C. McIlvain barely breathing with a self-inflicted gunshot wound. McIlvain later died at a local hospital, Jimenez said. McIlvain was drunk at the time of the shooting, and he was arguing with the mother about taking her car, according to Jimenez, who cited information from the surviving girl. When the mother refused to let McIlvain either take her car or to transport him somewhere, he opened fire. The girl fled and found safety at a neighbors house. A family member will take custody of the girl, Jimenez said. He will focus on making sure police have access to counseling and support in the community where such crimes are uncommon. Police have also been in touch with Ritenour School District, the childrens district. Im worried about the 9-year-old child and how she will live the rest of her life, and worried about the police who had to witness this, Jimenez said. In a statement on social media, Mayor Amy Poelker said she was extremely saddened by the news we heard last night and the loss of our neighbors. This story was updated shortly after 3:15 p.m. Tuesday. ST. LOUIS More than 40,000 Ameren customers in the St. Louis region were still without power Monday evening, leaving some residents throwing away spoiled food and searching for cool places to sleep. More than 100,000 customers initially lost power Saturday afternoon when storms ripped through the area, knocking down trees and power lines and leaving two dead. The remaining outages are spread throughout the region, but they are especially clustered in parts of north St. Louis and north St. Louis County, in cities such as Overland, Jennings, Pine Lawn and Bellefontaine Neighbors. Ryan Arnold, vice president of energy delivery at Ameren Missouri, said most customers should have power restored by Wednesday evening or Thursday morning. He noted that it can take hours for forestry crews to cut through brush and access downed power lines. It takes a while for our crews to even get to these locations, Arnold said. Its not as easy sometimes to drive up and put the lines back up. Mary Ann Corbett, a St. Ann resident, told the Post-Dispatch she has been without power since Saturday afternoon. She tossed more than $50 of perishable food and is staying with relatives because her house gets too hot at night. I dont think we can take another night of this, Corbett said. Arnold said Ameren prioritizes critical customers such as hospitals and water plants for repairs, then tries to restore power to homes as quickly as possible. We understand that our customers are frustrated, and we ask for patience as our crews work to restore power, Ameren said in an email Monday. Wind gusts from Saturdays storms reached up to 70 mph, and falling trees killed two people a 5-year-old boy in Jennings who was killed when a tree fell through a home, and a 33-year-old woman in St. Louis who died when a tree fell on her car. Wires hung down from power lines in northside neighborhoods Monday morning. Ameren recommended residents always assume downed wires are live and stay clear of debris that could hide power lines. The company also said customers should take caution around pools of water. Branches scattered the sidewalks, and a toppled tree rested on the roof of what a nearby resident described as a vacant home. Lucille Hobson, who lives on San Francisco Street, near Fairground Park, said she couldnt hear the storms Saturday because of the thick brick facade of her home. But she realized the storm was bad when she took a peek outside, she said. Looking out my window, I couldnt see across the street, Hobson said. Hobson hadnt had power since Saturday, and she said she planned to sleep at her daughters home on Monday night, as temperatures were expected to still be in the 80s at 9 p.m. Jerry Jackson, who lives on the 4000 block of Kossuth Avenue, lugged a large branch from his backyard into the park after the storm tore it down over the weekend. I know the city will take care of it quicker (in the park) than they probably would if I had put it out in the street or something, Jackson said. When the storms rolled in, Jackson said he stayed sitting on his porch that overlooks Fairground Park. It was kind of scary, man, Jackson said. But, it didnt really bother me, though. Power at Jacksons home went out around 4:15 p.m. Saturday and was restored Monday morning. Like Corbett, the St. Ann resident, Jackson said he threw out his food. Despite the high home temperatures at night, Jackson said he could still fall asleep. Since it wasnt really bad last night, we stayed out as long as we could til we got sleepy, Jackson said. We just went in, then, all the windows open. Daniels sifted through branches and leaves that littered the street, pulling them into a garbage bag. She wanted the block to look good for Tuesdays Fourth of July celebrations, she said. Daniels said she wished crews removed some of the tree limbs that already littered parts of the park before the storm hit. But as for the storm debris that covered the street, Daniels said, This is Gods work. We cant do nothing about it. Police ID boy killed when tree fell on Jennings home during storm Police on Monday identified the 5-year-old Jennings boy who was killed when a tree fell on his house during Saturday's thunderstorms. Overwhelmed 911 call system may have cost storm victim her life As a storm victim sat dying in her car under a tree, neighbors tried unsuccessfully to reach the 911 call center for help. A single politician Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey is disregarding state law to delay signature-gathering on a reproductive freedom petition. He is trying to block Missouri citizens from exercising their right to vote on this ballot measure. Voters should know that democracy delayed is democracy denied. When the U.S. Supreme Court last year overruled Roe v. Wade and later cases, it left the question of reproductive rights, including abortion, to the states. Most Missourians do not approve of the state trigger law that immediately banned abortion even in cases of rape and incest. Missouri voters have the right to use the ballot to change this. But Bailey is disrupting the laws orderly process to allow Missourians to vote on such proposals. His delay tactics are blocking proponents right to have sufficient time to gather 171,000 valid signatures needed to place their proposed amendment on the ballot in 2024. Missouri voters in 1908 approved the direct democracy method. Known as the Initiative, it allows citizens to propose changes to their constitution and laws by filing proposals with the secretary of state. The secretary is then required to give a non-argumentative and non-prejudicial summary of the proposals and to send the proposals to the state auditor, who assesses the probable costs to state and local governments. The Initiative gives citizens a direct voice in their laws. It is a check on the Legislature, whose priorities sometimes do not align with voters preferences. In recent decades, voters contrary to legislative preferences or inertia have approved expansion of Medicaid, legalized and regulated medical and recreational marijuana, raised the minimum wage, approved stem cell research, and legalized gaming. This is direct democracy. The Reproductive Freedom Initiative, if a majority of Missouri voters approve, would put in the state constitution the right of persons to make their own decisions on reproductive health care including but not limited to prenatal care, childbirth, postpartum care, birth control, abortion care (with limitations), miscarriage care and respectful birthing conditions. State Auditor Scott Fitzpatrick has done his duty. He has estimated the cost of the initiative to be $51,000. But Bailey refuses to do his duty of certifying the Auditors fiscal summary. Instead, the Attorney General who has no official role in calculating the fiscal summaries contends that the fiscal impact should be billions of dollars, perhaps as much as $6 trillion, preposterous sums that the Fitzpatrick correctly rejects. In Baileys imagination, the billions and trillions of dollars apparently would be the value of lost future taxpayers who would not be born because women would exercise their reproductive rights. He also claims, without support, that the state would lose federal funds. His unfounded calculations are deceptive, to say the least. In the proponents Cole County lawsuit, the judge ruled: (T)he attorney general has no authority to substitute his own judgment for that of the auditor regarding the estimated cost of a proposed measure, and ordered Bailey to send Fitzpatricks fiscal summary as Fitzpatrick prepared it to Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft, who has the duty to write a summary statement that the voters will see on their ballots, along with the fiscal estimate. Directly ignoring the courts order, Bailey refused, and appealed to the Supreme Court of Missouri. The court will hear arguments on July 18. Baileys view, as expressed to the Associated Press by his spokesperson, is that his office will continue to use every tool at our disposal to defend the sanctity of life. Some may agree with his view, but that is not how the law describes his job. The Attorney General refuses to do what the law requires because he disagrees with the effort to give protection to the right of women to make their own decisions on reproductive health care. He alone stands in the way of allowing voters their say. For many decades, Missouri officials have managed the initiative process, regardless of their personal view of a proposal. Occasionally the courts have intervened where the proposed ballot language was argumentative or prejudicial, but the courts have never permitted an attorney general to stand in the way of democracy for his personal beliefs. Direct democracy, enshrined in our state constitution for 115 years, is at stake. We hope the Supreme Court approves the Cole County courts ruling that Bailey must get out of the way. Missouris constitution and laws govern, not a lone politicians personal preferences. Marilyn McLeod of Columbia is president of the League of Women Voters of Missouri. Michael A. Wolff of St. Louis is a former judge and chief justice of the Missouri Supreme Court. The U.S. Supreme Court has agreed to consider whether people under domestic-violence restraining orders should continue to be barred from possessing firearms by federal law, after a lower court ruled that the prohibition violates the Second Amendment. Its a case of special importance to domestic-abuse victims in Missouri whose own state legislators, in their zeal to purge state statutes of even the most common-sense firearms restrictions, would leave them at the mercy of their abusers. The case that will come before the court in its next term arises from the courts own escalating extremism on guns in recent years. The court last year struck down New Yorks concealed-carry licensing law, citing in part originalism, a modern conservative legal theory that argues that constitutional issues must be interpreted based on the nations history and traditions stretching back to the time the Constitution was adopted. Based on that ruling, the conservative U.S. Fifth District Court of Appeals overturned the federal law that allows confiscation of guns from people under domestic-violence restraining orders starkly demonstrating the problem with originalism: Women had few rights for more than a century after the nations founding, and even after the 19th Amendment finally granted them the right to vote, it said nothing about a right to be free from the dangers of domestic abusers. Recognition of the special circumstances of that particular danger is a modern development, one that would not have been conceivable to an average American even 100 years ago, let alone in the Framers time. By originalists own standard, then, the government is helpless to take the specific steps that modern Americans understand are necessary to protect women in this specific situation such as disarming abusers, who are statistically five times more likely to kill their partners if theyre armed. That danger is especially acute in Missouri, which has among the highest domestic-violence death rates in the country, according to multiple studies in recent years. The state Legislature has been of little help on the issue. In severely rolling back state gun laws in 2016, lawmakers inadvertently made it impossible to strip guns from people under domestic-abuse orders of protection. Even many pro-gun Missouri Republicans acknowledge this loophole was a mistake, but efforts to close it have since failed, primarily because supporting any form of gun restriction at all, even to correct an acknowledged mistake, is the kiss of political death in the Missouri GOP today. To make matters worse, the states 2021 Second Amendment Preservation Act holds that federal gun laws with no state-law equivalent are unenforceable in Missouri meaning even if the federal ban on guns for domestic abusers survives the Supreme Court, it wont necessarily protect Missouri women going forward. Since the courts conservatives today tend to blithely dismiss the real-world impact of their decisions, its worth reviewing the facts of the case now coming before them: A Texas drug dealer brutalized his girlfriend in a parking lot, dragged her into his car, fired a shot from a gun to scare off bystanders, and later threatened to shoot his girlfriend in the face if she reported the assault. Reasonably enough, a Texas court found the drug dealer was a credible threat to the woman and placed him under a restraining order that included prohibiting him from having a gun while the order was in effect. He was later involved in multiple shootings, thus violating the gun prohibition and triggering the current case attempting to restore his Second Amendment rights. All indications from the courts actions on guns in recent years indicate he will win. Domestic abuse, like so many modern issues, doesnt fit neatly into constitutional constructs created before the invention of indoor plumbing. Its true that an order of protection isnt a criminal conviction, but the standard for removing a firearm from someone who has demonstrated a clear danger to his partner (or children) should be lower than the standard for criminal conviction. The court should take off its originalist blinkers and recognize that fact. And in case it doesnt, Missouri should finally close the domestic-abuse loophole in its state gun laws. Editor's note: Due to a missing word, this editorial previously misstated the goal of the Second Amendment Preservation Act. It holds that federal gun laws with no state-law equivalent are unenforceable in Missouri. I found the article " Will a National Patient Safety Board, modeled after the NTSB, actually fly? " (June 12), about increasing patient safety, to be extremely eye-opening. It outlines how the National Transportation Safety Board is able to make plane travel much safer by publicly advertising mishaps and improving upon them. The idea is to create a National Patient Safety Board that is designed similarly to the NTSB. As a fellow nurse with similar concerns about the decrease in patient safety, I think this article focuses on a very important aspect which is the healthcare worker shortage. According to the American Nurses Association, we should expect an even further drop in nurses in the coming years due to the average age of nurse being 52, which means they will soon be retiring. It is no surprise that even less staff will lead to even more safety concerns for patients. The idea of creating a board that is able to use real-life and current sentinel events happening at hospitals to spread awareness might be something worth exploring. I believe this will be a difficult task, due to having to maintain HIPPA regulations but, it could also lead to safer hospitals and better care. Nurses are concerned with the lack of patient safety and the public should be as well. This idea could be something that dramatically changes healthcare and the way that hospitals function for the better. Now that the Supreme Court has rejected race as a college admission factor, I am interested in what factors admission are used to separate the admitted from the rejected. I think the goal is or should be who are those most likely to succeed and graduate from our institution. Intelligence testing has been scratched many places. That makes grades more important, but there is a great variety of high school quality. All As from one place is not the same as from another. With a focus on price consciousness, flexibility and long term planning, Australians are adapting to the cost of living pressures while still indulging their passion for exploration. MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA / ACCESSWIRE / July 4, 2023 / According to a recent survey conducted among the 11.9 million Australian travellers engaged with News Corp Australia's brands, nearly one in three travellers have been impacted by the cost of living, necessitating careful budgeting and planning. The survey indicates that Australians prioritise the lowest price when making bookings, with 61% considering it a crucial factor. Flexibility has become increasingly important, as 68% of respondents value flexible booking options to avoid penalties and losses. There was also a noticeable shift in dynamics, with solo and couple travel gaining popularity, while family and group travel have declined. Inspiring Vacations Inspiring Vacations Inspiring Vacations, an award-winning travel company, is well-positioned to cater to these evolving trends with its diverse range of exceptional experiences worldwide, including Alaska tours and tours to Scandinavia. The company says the evolving trends highlight the resilience of Australian travellers and their ability to adapt to changing circumstances. Offering a wide range of experiences around the globe, from tours to Alaska to Scandinavia tours and everywhere in between, Inspiring Vacations caters to budget-conscious travellers seeking unforgettable experiences. With guided tours of Alaska, travellers can witness the breathtaking beauty of the glaciers, explore the untamed wilderness and immerse themselves in the unique culture of the region. For those seeking to discover the rich heritage of the Nordic countries, Inspiring Vacations offers tours Scandinavia-wide, providing an opportunity to explore stunning landscapes and experience vibrant cities. By offering off-season tours, Inspiring Vacations caters to travellers seeking affordability and a chance to explore destinations without the crowds. The company also provides options for intimate getaways, wellness retreats and indulgent experiences inspired by television and film. In line with the growing demand for sustainable travel, Inspiring Vacations encourages travellers to take eco-friendly actions during their holidays. With a focus on peaceful natural environments and outdoor activities, the company offers opportunities to experience island getaways, beach holidays, camping adventures and wildlife encounters. For more information and to book a tour, visit https://www.inspiringvacations.com/au About Inspiring Vacations Inspiring Vacations is an award-winning tour operator known for its commitment to delivering extraordinary and cost-effective travel experiences to customers worldwide. Australian-owned and operated, the company specialises in providing comprehensive tour packages to renowned destinations globally. Contact Information Inspiring Vacations Marketing Manager [email protected] 1300 88 66 88 SOURCE: Inspiring Vacations View source version on accesswire.com: The iconic symbol of Italian style and culture marks 160th anniversary HAMILTON, Bermuda--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Family-owned spirits company Bacardi is celebrating the 160th anniversary of MARTINI, the leading vermouth and sparkling wine brand, with a series of events and launches that will build on its legacy as an icon of Italian style and culture. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230704849599/en/ 160 years of Italian taste draws inspiration from the legacy of MARTINI as a symbol of Italian style and culture. The campaign brings together the brands heritage and its vision for the future with imagery that illustrates how the brand is moving into a new era. (Photo: Business Wire) Since 1863, MARTINI has been a pioneering presence in the world of drinks and in cocktail culture thanks to its Italian craftsmanship, Italian quality and Italian taste. Aperitivo would not be aperitivo without MARTINI. This year is also the 30th anniversary of MARTINI joining the Bacardi portfolio of premium wines and spirits. Since Bacardi, a family-owned company that recently marked its own 160th anniversary, acquired the Martini & Rossi Group in 1993, MARTINI has been part of a growing portfolio of iconic brands which today includes BOMBAY SAPPHIRE gin, GREY GOOSE vodka, PATRON tequila, ST-GERMAIN liqueur and, of course, BACARDl rum. For 160 years, MARTINI has been an icon of Italian culture while continuously evolving, innovating and inspiring each new generation. Whats stayed constant is a commitment to craftsmanship, quality and exceptional taste, says Mahesh Madhavan, CEO of Bacardi Limited. As we celebrate this milestone for MARTINI, we continue to make MARTINI a modern, Italian lifestyle brand, that we can continue to be proud of while carrying its legacy for future generations. The 160th anniversary of MARTINI is being celebrated in a number of exciting ways: New MARTINI global campaign 160 years of Italian taste draws inspiration from the legacy of MARTINI as a symbol of Italian style and culture. The campaign brings together the brands heritage and its vision for the future with imagery that illustrates how the brand is moving into a new era. The new creative reflects consumers changing drinking habits - the brands newest innovation, MARTINI Non-Alcoholic Aperitivo is front and center and represents how MARTINI is meeting the demand for the rise in mindful drinking, while remaining grounded in aperitivo culture; First ever aged MARTINI vermouth MARTINI Maestro 36, demonstrates the brands constant drive to innovate and create new experiences for every generation. MARTINI Maestro 36 is aged for 36 months to create an exceptional, super-premium expression of the classic vermouth. Created by MARTINI Master Blender, Beppe Musso, Maestro 36 captures 160 years of vermouth-making expertise in a limited edition of only 2,000 bottles. To celebrate the Italian hospitality industrys support for MARTINI over 160 years, Maestro 36 is available exclusively in bars and restaurants in Italy; MARTINI Pop-Up Bar at DAZI Milano Everyone in Milan, the style capital of Italy, is invited to join the celebration by visiting this special pop-up MARTINI bar. Enjoy an unforgettable MARTINI aperitivo in an unforgettable venue, open until July 4; MARTINI postage stamp The Italian Government is celebrating 160 years of MARTINI and 160 years of an iconic brand proudly Made in Italy with the release of a MARTINI postage stamp, available at post offices across Italy starting in July; Terrazza MARTINI influencers digitized for future generations A collection of 30,000 photographs taken at the Terrazza MARTINI since its opening in 1958 is being preserved for future generations in the first corporate digitization project supported by the Italgas Heritage Lab. The collection captures generations of celebrities and influencers at Milans most fashionable destination. Founded in 1863 by entrepreneur Alessandro Martini and herbalist Luigi Rossi, MARTINI has a legacy that goes far beyond the world of drinks. MARTINI has left its mark on everything from culture to sport. Hollywood stars and artists have collaborated with MARTINI to create legendary advertising campaigns; Terrazza MARTINI parties have influenced generations of style leaders; and the now classic MARTINI racing stripes are famous around the world. MARTINI can look back on an extraordinary legacy and look forward to a future full of new innovations. For generations, MARTINI has cared for the environment, for suppliers and their communities. The brands sustainability milestones are a reflection of Bacardi and its mission to be the most environmentally responsible global spirits company. Back in 1987, LOsservatorio MARTINI the MARTINI Observatory was established in Northern Italy as a center dedicated to promoting sustainable farming methods. And in just the last year, MARTINI has been using solar energy to power the distillation of its botanicals and 100% of the wineries for the entire MARTINI portfolio have been certified sustainable. Helping to achieve these sustainability milestones is newly appointed Master of Botanicals, Alessandro Garneri and MARTINI Master Blender, Beppe Musso. Only the eighth Master Blender in the 160-year history of MARTINI, Beppe has been instrumental in the creation of contemporary vermouth MARTINI Fiero, a 100% natural blend of citrus, bittersweet orange and crisp white wines, as well as the deliciously complex MARTINI Non-Alcoholic Aperitivo range. This year, MARTINI is celebrating its 160th birthday but we are still young, says Beppe Musso. Our knowledge and experience grows with each new generation and that is reflected in the quality and taste of every MARTINI drink and in our commitment to sustainable practices that will secure our future for the next 160 years. Thats what really excites me our future legacy. This is only the beginning. About MARTINI One of the most iconic brands in the world, MARTINI is the leading name in Italian winemaking and a purveyor of the highest quality vermouths and sparkling wines. The award- winning, vibrant and bittersweet taste of the MARTINI range is the result of secret blends of more than 40 botanicals sourced from the finest locations across the globe. First created in 1863 in Turin, Italy, the MARTINI portfolio today includes: MARTINI Fiero, MARTINI Riserva Speciale Rubino, Ambrato & Bitter, MARTINI Bianco, Rosato, Rosso & Extra Dry, MARTINI Non-Alcoholic Vibrante & Floreale, MARTINI Asti, Prosecco & Rose Extra Dry. For more information, please visit www.martini.com or @martini on all social media platforms. MARTINI and the ball & bar logo are trademarks. MARTINI is part of the portfolio of Bacardi Limited, headquartered in Hamilton, Bermuda. Bacardi Limited refers to the Bacardi group of companies, including Bacardi International Limited. About Bacardi Limited Bacardi Limited, the worlds largest privately held international spirits company, produces, markets, and distributes internationally recognized spirits and wines. The Bacardi Limited portfolio comprises more than 200 brands and labels, including BACARDI rum, PATRON tequila, GREY GOOSE vodka, DEWARS Blended Scotch whisky, BOMBAY SAPPHIRE gin, MARTINI vermouth and sparkling wines, CAZADORES 100% blue agave tequila, and other leading and emerging brands including WILLIAM LAWSONS Scotch whisky, DUSSE Cognac, ANGELS ENVY American straight whiskey, and ST-GERMAIN elderflower liqueur. Founded more than 161 years ago in Santiago de Cuba, family-owned Bacardi Limited currently employs approximately 9,000, operates production facilities in 11 countries and territories, and sells its brands in more than 160 markets. Bacardi Limited refers to the Bacardi group of companies, including Bacardi International Limited. Visit www.bacardilimited.com or follow us on LinkedIn, Instagram or Twitter. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230704849599/en/ Jessica Merz, VP Global Corporate Communications, [email protected] Source: Bacardi Limited VANCOUVER, British Columbia--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- TELUS International (NYSE and TSX: TIXT), a leading digital customer experience innovator that designs, builds and delivers next-generation solutions, including AI and content moderation, for global and disruptive brands, today announced that Maria Pardee, Chief Commercial Officer, will retire from her executive role effective December 31, 2023. Maria joined the company in February 2021, bringing with her more than 25 years of leadership experience in the technology industry, specializing in enterprise digital transformation and infrastructure managed services deals. Over the course of her career with TELUS International, Maria has helped our company further develop our robust network of strategic relationships with clients and digital CX industry stakeholders and create a customer focused sales team selling integrated solutions to our clients, said Jeff Puritt, President and CEO, TELUS International. Throughout her tenure with TELUS International, Maria also demonstrated her passion and commitment to advancing inclusive communities for tech leaders, advocating for and upholding DEI initiatives and lending her time and expertise to mentor women in STEM. On behalf of our 75,000 global team members, I would like to express our collective gratitude for her contributions to our company and her commitment to making a meaningful difference in the communities where we operate around the world. Through the end of 2023, Ms. Pardee will continue to support the ongoing evolution of the companys commercial team, which will include facilitating a smooth transition to her successor. Ms. Pardee will serve as a strategic advisor to TELUS International through the end of 2024. About TELUS International TELUS International (NYSE & TSX: TIXT) designs, builds and delivers next-generation digital solutions to enhance the customer experience (CX) for global and disruptive brands. The companys services support the full lifecycle of its clients digital transformation journeys, enabling them to more quickly embrace next-generation digital technologies to deliver better business outcomes. TELUS Internationals integrated solutions span digital strategy, innovation, consulting and design, IT lifecycle including managed solutions, intelligent automation and end-to-end AI data solutions including computer vision capabilities, as well as omnichannel CX and trust and safety solutions including content moderation. Fueling all stages of company growth, TELUS International partners with brands across strategic industry verticals, including tech and games, communications and media, eCommerce and fintech, banking, financial services and insurance, healthcare, and others. TELUS Internationals unique caring culture promotes diversity and inclusivity through its policies, team member resource groups and workshops, and equal employment opportunity hiring practices across the regions where it operates. Since 2007, the company has positively impacted the lives of more than 1.2 million citizens around the world, building stronger communities and helping those in need through large-scale volunteer events and charitable giving. Five TELUS International Community Boards have provided $5.2 million in funding to grassroots charitable organizations since 2011. Learn more at: telusinternational.com. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230703196140/en/ For more information, please contact: TELUS International Media Relations: Ali Wilson (604) 328-7093 [email protected] TELUS International Investor Relations: Jason Mayr (604) 695-3455 [email protected] Source: TELUS International BRADFORD WEST GWILLIMBURY, Ontario--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Negotiations at the Bradford West Gwillimbury Public Library have reached an impasse leaving workers no choice but to set the clock ticking toward a work stoppage. Today, the Ministry of Labour issued its report starting the 17-day countdown to a strike or lockout. Its been nearly two years and Bradford Library workers are done waiting, said CUPE 905 President Katherine Grzejszczak. The workers are asking for fair pay, health benefits for part-time workers (75% of the bargaining unit), and job protection. Weve been speaking to Bradford residents and theres overwhelming community support for these workers, people love their library! Following a nearly unanimous vote, workers at the library joined the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) in September 2021. Some of us havent seen a wage increase in over 5 years. This is ridiculous, said Bailey Shaw, a library worker who is on the CUPE 905 bargaining team. We work extra hard in the summer to provide programming that residents and families rely on, and the employer just isnt treating staff with respect. Most of us make less than the $23.15 living wage, dont have any health benefits and were fed up. Library workers want a fair collective agreement that includes fair compensation, scheduling that allows them to have a life outside of work and job security. The library is an important part of the Bradford West Gwillimbury community, but were constantly losing staff, said bargaining team member Anita Donald. We want a respectful work environment, its so important to us that were willing to walk. More than 22,000 library workers across the country are members of the Canadian Union of Public Employees, including workers in most Ontario public libraries. :pc/COPE491 View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230704387356/en/ For more information: Craig Saunders | CUPE Communications | [email protected] | 416-576-7316 Katherine Grzejszczak, President CUPE Local 905 | 416-886-7914 Source: Canadian Union of Public Employees ECULLY, France--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Regulatory News: Groupe SEB (Paris: SK) today announced the acquisition of FORGE ADOUR, an expert manufacturer of enamelled cast-iron planchas. Established in 1978, FORGE ADOUR is a French family-owned company that specializes in the design, manufacture and marketing of planchas, accessories and outdoor kitchens for the Consumer market. Headquartered in Bayonne (Pyrenees-Atlantiques department, southwest France), in addition to its core business, the company mostly comprises a design unit, product design team and strategic sales force, coupled with logistics and after-sales specialists. FORGE ADOUR also leverages the expertise of its factory in Villafranca de los Barros, Spain, the birthplace of the family who founded the company. With a presence mainly in France, the iconic Basque brand which this year celebrates its 45th anniversary, has also gained a foothold in Spain, Germany, Switzerland and the Benelux region in recent years, opening up opportunities for business development. Thierry de La Tour dArtaise, Chairman of Groupe SEB, said: "We are delighted with the acquisition of FORGE ADOUR which enables Groupe SEB to become a European leader in planchas, as well as to expand its range of outdoor products and access new distribution channels. A must-have summer cooking appliance, planchas represent a buoyant market. Moreover, FORGE ADOUR products will complement the stainless steel plancha offer of the Breton brand, KRAMPOUZ, which Groupe SEB acquired in 2019. We look forward to welcoming the FORGE ADOUR team and pursue our ambition in the Consumer sector together." About FORGE ADOUR - Established in 1978, in France - Sales of nearly 25m in 2022 - Nearly 140 employees - Acquisition of 100% of FORGE ADOUR SAS's share capital - 6 stores in France (strong foothold in the country's southern regions) - 4 planchas ranges (Premium/Modern/Origin/Base) Next key dates 2023 July 26 | after market H1 2023 sales and results October 26 | after market 9-month 2023 sales and financial data Find us on www.groupeseb.com World reference in small domestic equipment, Groupe SEB operates with a unique portfolio of 34 top brands including Tefal, Seb, Rowenta, Moulinex, Krups, Lagostina, All-Clad, WMF, Emsa, Supor, marketed through multi-format retailing. Selling nearly 350 million products a year, it deploys a long-term strategy focused on innovation, international development, competitiveness, and client service. Present in over 150 countries, Groupe SEB generated sales near 8 billion in 2022 and has more than 30,000 employees worldwide. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230703282547/en/ Investor/Analyst Relations Groupe SEB Financial Communication and IR Dept Olivier Gernandt Guillaume Baron [email protected] [email protected] Tel. +33 (0) 4 72 18 16 04 [email protected] Media Relations Groupe SEB Corporate Communication Dept Cathy Pianon Anissa Djaadi Marie Leroy [email protected] Tel. + 33 (0) 6 33 13 02 00 Tel. + 33 (0) 6 88 20 90 88 Tel. + 33 (0) 6 76 98 87 53 Image Sept Caroline Simon Claire Doligez Isabelle Dunoyer de Segonzac [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] Tel.: +33 (0) 1 53 70 74 70 Source: Groupe SEB Technology giant takes center stage in a new chapter of the automotive industry in Latin America with the production of electric and hybrid vehicles in Camacari SALVADOR, Brazil--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- BYD, Build Your Dreams, a global powerhouse of technological innovation, has just confirmed an agreement to land in Bahia and start operations in three factories simultaneously an unprecedented feat in the Camacari complex, 50km from Salvador. With an investment of more than R$ 3 billion, BYD establishes a historic landmark in the Brazilian automotive industry. It's not just about building vehicles. The group's ambitious mission, Cool the Earth by 1C, is energy transition and sustainable mobility. It's an irreversible green revolution. Domestic production will allow for more competitive prices and the possibility for a car-loving population to access a modern-era consumer dream: an electric vehicle in the garage. The complex will consist of three manufacturing units. One dedicated to the production of chassis for electric buses and trucks. The other will produce hybrid and electric automobiles, with an estimated capacity of 150,000 units per year in the first phase. The third unit, focused on lithium and iron phosphate processing, will serve the global market, utilizing the existing port infrastructure at the location. "This is an extremely important moment for BYD in the Americas," says Stella Li, Executive Vice President CEO of BYD and CEO of BYD Americas. "These new factories in Bahia will bring innovation and the highest standards in technology, this will allow the introduction and acceleration of electromobility in the country, a key movement to combat climate change and really improve people's quality of life." Scheduled to start operations in the second half of 2024, the three factories are expected to generate in the next several years more than 5.000 jobs. "The social contribution will be significant. We want to hire local labor starting this year so that they can begin receiving all the necessary training and knowledge transfer," says Tyler Li, President of BYD Brazil. "At BYD, we are strongly committed to contributing and generating value for Brazilians." BYD's new complex will attract suppliers of various types, whether in the technical parts or services sectors. The company intends to contribute to regional development by giving priority to local suppliers. For civil construction works, the company will also prioritize hiring established companies in the region. Sustainable and Social Commitment While establishing its first industrial complex in the country, BYD Brazil is committed to maintaining principles that guide its operations abroad: creating products that do not emit pollutants, designed and executed with cutting-edge technology and substantial investment in research and development, all within a pleasant and cozy work environment for employees, suppliers, and visitors. About BYD BYD is a multinational high-tech company devoted to leveraging technological innovations for a better life. Founded in 1995 as a rechargeable battery maker, BYD now boasts a diverse business scope covering automobiles, rail transit, new energy, and electronics, with over 30 industrial parks in China, the United States, Canada, Japan, Brazil, Hungary, and India. From energy generation and storage to its applications, BYD is dedicated to providing zero-emission energy solutions that reduce global reliance on fossil fuels. Its new energy vehicle footprint now covers 6 continents, over 70 countries and regions, and more than 400 cities. Listed in both Hong Kong and Shenzhen Stock Exchanges, the company is known to be a Fortune Global 500 enterprise that furnishes innovations in pursuit of a greener world. For more information, please visit www.bydglobal.com. About BYD Auto Founded in 2003, BYD Auto is the automotive subsidiary of BYD, a multinational high-tech company devoted to leveraging technological innovations for a better life. Aiming to accelerate the green transition of the global transportation sector, BYD Auto focuses on developing pure electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles. The company has mastered the core technologies of the entire industrial chain of new energy vehicles, such as batteries, electric motors, electronic controllers, and automotive-grade semiconductors. It has witnessed in recent years significant technological advancements, including the Blade Battery, the DM-i and DM-p hybrid technology, the e-Platform 3.0, and the CTB technology. The company is the worlds first carmaker to stop the production of fossil-fueled vehicles on EV shift and has remained top of new energy passenger vehicle sales in China for 9 years in a row. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230704884977/en/ Asia-Pacific: Liya Huang, [email protected] tel: +86-755-8988-8888-69666 Europe: Penny Peng, [email protected] tel: +31-102070888 North America: Frank Girardot, [email protected] tel: +1 213 245 6503 Latin America: Jose Miranda, [email protected] tel: +56 9 96443906 Brazil: Pablo Toledo, [email protected] tel: +19 3514 2554 Middle East and Africa: Nikki Li, [email protected] tel: +86-18938862670 Source: BYD NORTH VENICE, Fla.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- PGT Innovations (NYSE: PGTI), a national leader in the premium window, door, and garage door industry, today announced that it has appointed Chris J. Stephens Jr. to its Board of Directors, effective June 28, 2023. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230703992602/en/ Chris J. Stephens Jr. (Photo: Business Wire) With over 35 years of professional experience in strategy, finance, and operations, Chris skill set makes him an incredible asset to our organization, said Jeff Jackson, President and CEO of PGT Innovations. Were incredibly fortunate to have him join our board, and were looking forward to seeing the impact he makes. Stephens was appointed to serve on the boards audit committee, also effective June 28, 2023. He will serve as a Class III Director, and the board expects to nominate him to stand for election as a Director at PGT Innovations 2024 annual meeting of stockholders. In connection to Stephens appointment, the board increased its size from 10 to 11 directors. Most recently, Stephens served as the Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer for Sealed Air Corporation (NYSE: SEE). His leadership responsibilities included corporate finance, accounting, treasury, tax, investor relations, operations finance, business planning and analysis, and global shared services. He has an extensive career track record in financial leadership and business transformation knowledge across the aerospace, industrial, and manufacturing sectors. A Certified Public Accountant, Stephens also holds a masters in business from Virginia Techs Pamplin School of Business and a bachelors degree in accounting from Kings College. Throughout his career, he has attended leadership programs at Harvard Business School, University of Michigan, and Stanford University, as well as completed executive leadership development programs at Honeywell and Boeing. Stephens currently serves as a member of the Fairfield University Dolan School of Business Advisory Board. Previously, he served as Chair of the Manufacturers Alliance CFO Council, was a member of the Connecticut Business Industry Association (CBIA) Board of Directors and was a member of Loyola Marymount Universitys Business School Advisory Board. About PGT Innovations, Inc. PGT Innovations manufactures and supplies premium windows, doors, and garage doors. Its highly engineered and technically advanced products can withstand some of the toughest weather conditions on Earth and are revolutionizing the way people live by unifying indoor and outdoor living spaces. PGT Innovations creates value through deep customer relationships, understanding the unstated needs of the markets it serves, and a drive to develop category-defining products. Through its brands, PGT Innovations is also the nations largest manufacturer of impact-resistant windows and doors and holds the leadership position in its primary market. The PGT Innovations family of brands include CGI, PGT Custom Windows and Doors, WinDoor, Western Window Systems, Anlin Windows & Doors, Eze-Breeze, Eco Window Systems, NewSouth Window Solutions, and Martin Door. The companys brands, in their respective markets, are a preferred choice of architects, builders, and homeowners throughout North America and the Caribbean. Their high-quality products are available in custom and standard sizes with massive dimensions that allow for unlimited design possibilities in residential, multi-family, and commercial projects. For additional information, visit www.pgtinnovations.com. Forward-Looking Statements This press release contains 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 can be identified by words such as: assume, believe, could, estimate, expect, guidance, intend, many, positioned, potential, project, think, should, target, will, would and similar references to future periods. Examples of forward-looking statements include, among others, statements we make regarding our acquisition of Eco and our potential for growth. Forward-looking statements are neither historical facts nor assurances of future performance. Instead, they are based only on 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: unpredictable weather and macroeconomic factors that may negatively impact the repair and remodel and new construction markets and the construction industry generally, especially in the state of Florida and the western United States, where the substantial portion of our sales are currently generated, and in the U.S. generally; changes in raw material prices, especially for aluminum, glass, vinyl, and steel, including, price increases due to the implementation of tariffs and other trade-related restrictions, Pandemic-related supply chain interruptions, or interruptions from the conflict in Ukraine; our dependence on a limited number of suppliers for certain of our key materials; our dependence on our impact-resistant product lines, which increased with the acquisition of Eco, and contemporary indoor/outdoor window and door systems, and on consumer preferences for those types and styles of products; the effects of increased expenses or unanticipated liabilities incurred as a result of, or due to activities related to, our recent acquisitions, including our acquisitions of Martin Door Holdings, Inc. (Martin) and Anlin Windows & Doors (Anlin); our level of indebtedness, which increased in connection with our recent acquisitions, including our acquisitions of Martin and Anlin; increases in credit losses from obligations owed to us by our customers in the event of a downturn in the home repair and remodel or new home construction channels in our core markets and our inability to collect such obligations from such customers; the risks that the anticipated cost savings, synergies, revenue enhancement strategies and other benefits expected from our acquisitions of Martin and Anlin may not be fully realized or may take longer to realize than expected or that our actual integration costs may exceed our estimates; increases in transportation costs, including increases in fuel prices; our dependence on our limited number of geographically concentrated manufacturing facilities, which increased further due to our acquisition of Eco; sales fluctuations to and changes in our relationships with key customers; federal, state and local laws and regulations, including unfavorable changes in local building codes and environmental and energy code regulations; risks associated with our information technology systems, including cybersecurity-related risks, such as unauthorized intrusions into our systems by hackers and theft of data and information from our systems, and the risks that our information technology systems do not function as intended or experience temporary or long-term failures to perform as intended; product liability and warranty claims brought against us; in addition to our acquisitions of Martin and Anlin, our ability to successfully integrate businesses we may acquire in the future, or that any business we acquire may not perform as we expected when we acquired it; and the other risks and uncertainties discussed under Risk Factors in Part I, Item 1A of our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2022, and our other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Any forward-looking statement made by us in this press release is based only on information currently available to us and speaks only as of the date on which it is made. 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. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230703992602/en/ Investor Relations Craig Henderson, Interim CFO and V.P. Corporate Finance [email protected] 941-480-1600 Media Relations Stephanie Cz, Corporate Marketing Manager [email protected] 941-480-1600 Source: PGT Innovations, Inc. Billwerk+ and plenigo are joining forces to strengthen the groups presence in publishing and media and to enhance its position as a pan-European leader in subscription management, recurring billing, and payments software FRANKFURT, Germany & KEMPTEN, Germany--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Billwerk+, a leading pan-European provider of subscription management and recurring billing software solutions, today announces that plenigo, a German subscription management and recurring billing software solution provider for publishing and media companies, is joining the group. Founded in 2013, plenigo has developed into one of the leading SaaS providers for reader-funded business models of modern publishers in the DACH region. The software solution includes subscription sales control, recurring billing, payment processing control, as well as numerous sector-specific functions. Headquartered in Kempten in the Allgau region, the company has additional offices in Berlin and Hamburg. Currently, plenigo serves almost 70 customers, including some of the most renowned German media houses such as Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, SPIEGEL, Heise Medien, Suddeutsche Zeitung, and Ebner Media Group. The addition of plenigos solution strengthens the groups presence in the publishing and media sector, which has a long-lasting need for advanced subscription management and recurring billing software solutions. plenigos product is highly complementary to Billwerk+s product offering in the digital and print publishing sectors and offers potential for international growth by leveraging Billwerk+s existing strong presence across DACH, the Nordics and France. PSG Equity (PSG), a leading growth equity firm partnering with software and technology-enabled services companies to help accelerate their growth and build scale across Europe and the US, will continue to hold a controlling stake in Billwerk+. Following the transaction, plenigos co-founders Thorsten Petter and Maximilian Schweitzer will both become shareholders of the group and continue to actively support the continued development of the platform. Dr. Ricco Deutscher, CEO and Co-Founder of Billwerk+, said: Over the past few years, plenigo has driven technological transformation in the German publishing world in an impressive way. We are pleased that by adding plenigo to the group, we can further accelerate this development and support publishers in Germany and Europe in successfully mastering the transformation to digital reader financing. Together within Billwerk+, this creates new options for current plenigo customers and significant growth opportunities for the group as we move towards our objective of creating a pan-European champion for subscription management, recurring billing, and payments software. This combination is the right step to give our customers the development speed and perspective they need in a dynamic market to transform their technology landscape, said Thorsten Petter, CEO and Co-Founder of plenigo. In a strong team with a like-minded vision, we want to drive the technological foundation for future-orientated business models of reader financing for publishers, both in Germany and Europe. We look forward to working with the Billwerk+ and PSG teams to achieve this objective." Romain Railhac, Managing Director at PSG, said: The fragmented nature of the European subscription management and recurring billing market continues to provide a significant opportunity to develop a genuinely pan-European leader. By adding plenigo to the Billwerk+ group, we have gained a significant presence in the publishing and media sector in DACH and enhanced the platform to support Billwerk+s ongoing growth and development into a scaled pan-European player. plenigo is the third acquisition made by Billwerk+ since PSGs initial investment in May 2021 following the combination with Reepay, a leading Danish cloud-based SaaS platform that allows companies to manage their payment processes and subscriptions, in November 2021, and the acquisition of Sofacto, a leading French Salesforce-based subscription management, and recurring billing application provider, in January 2022. The financial terms of the transaction are not disclosed. Notes to Editors About Billwerk+ Billwerk+ provides a cloud-based payment-, billing-, and subscription management platform that simplifies the management and billing of recurring and consumption-based services. In this way, the Billwerk+ platform contributes significantly to the digital value chain for subscription business models. The company combines the competencies of the Danish payments company Reepay, the French subscription management provider Sofacto and the German provider Billwerk. Billwerk+ employs more than 150 people at five locations: Frankfurt, Copenhagen, Montpellier, Gdansk, and Minsk. www.billwerk.plus About Plenigo plenigo develops and operates a software-as-a-service platform on which primarily publishers in the newspaper and magazine market can develop and expand reader-funded business models. Initially founded with a focus on digital business models, numerous publishers now run their print business on the plenigo solution. Among its customers, plenigo counts some of the most renowned German media brands such as Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, SPIEGEL, Heise Medien, Suddeutsche Zeitung, and Ebner Media Group. Founded in 2013, plenigo employs around 25 people at its locations in Kempten, Berlin, Hamburg, and Belgrade. www.plenigo.com About PSG Equity PSG Equity (PSG) is a growth equity firm that partners with software and technology-enabled services companies to help them navigate transformational growth, capitalize on strategic opportunities and build strong teams. Having backed more than 120 companies and facilitated over 450 add-on acquisitions, PSG brings extensive investment experience, deep expertise in software and technology, and a firm commitment to collaborating with management teams. Founded in 2014, PSG operates out of offices in Boston, Kansas City, London, Paris, Madrid and Tel Aviv. To learn more about PSG, visit www.psgequity.com. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230704333131/en/ Media Contact PSG Equity Prosek Partners Ryan Smith [email protected] 07854750943 Source: Billwerk+ BROOKFIELD, NEWS, July 04, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Brookfield Infrastructure Partners will hold its second quarter 2023 conference call and webcast on Thursday, August 3, 2023 at 9:00 a.m. (ET). Results will be released that morning before 7:00 a.m. (ET) and will be available on our website at https://bip.brookfield.com. Participants can join by conference call or webcast: Conference Call Please pre-register at: https://register.vevent.com/register/BI4c3ebb6543884ebbbe6f0cd3253ee96f Upon registering, you will be emailed a dial-in number, direct passcode and unique PIN. This process will bypass the operator and avoid the queue. Webcast Please join and register at: https://edge.media-server.com/mmc/p/7sxvpkbi About Brookfield Infrastructure Brookfield Infrastructure is a leading global infrastructure company that owns and operates high-quality, long-life assets in the utilities, transport, midstream and data sectors across North and South America, Asia Pacific and Europe. We are focused on assets that generate stable cash flows and require minimal maintenance capital expenditures. Investors can access its portfolio either through Brookfield Infrastructure Partners L.P. (NYSE: BIP; TSX: BIP.UN), a Bermuda-based limited partnership, or Brookfield Infrastructure Corporation (NYSE, TSX: BIPC), a Canadian corporation. Further information is available at https://bip.brookfield.com. Brookfield Infrastructure is the flagship listed infrastructure company of Brookfield Corporation, a global alternative asset manager with over $825 billion of assets under management. For more information, go to https://brookfield.com. Contact Information MediaSimon MaineManaging Director, Corporate Communications Tel: +44 739 890-9278Email: [email protected] Investor RelationsStephen FukudaVice President, Corporate Development & Investor RelationsTel: +1 (416) 956-5129Email: [email protected] Source: Brookfield Infrastructure Partners LP TORONTO, July 04, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- CONSOLIDATED LITHIUM METALS INC. (TSXV: CLM; OTCQB: JORF; FRA: 2JR1) (CLM or the Company) is pleased to announce that it has retained INFOR Financial Inc. (INFOR Financial) to provide market making services on the TSX Venture Exchange (TSXV), in compliance the rules and policies of the TSXV. Under the terms of the agreement, INFOR Financial will trade the Companys common shares on the TSXV for the purpose of maintaining an orderly market and to provide liquidity. INFOR Financial is an arms length party from CLM that provides broker-dealer services and principally operates out of Toronto, Canada. As consideration for its services, CLM has agreed to pay INFOR Financial $10,000 per month for an indefinite term of no less than twelve months. Either party may terminate the agreement upon thirty days' prior written notice. There are no performance factors contained in the agreement and INFOR Financials compensation does not include any securities of the Company. To the Companys knowledge, as of the date of this press release, INFOR Financial and its directors and officers own, directly or indirectly, less than 1% of CLMs shares. The engagement of INFOR Financial remains subject to approval of the TSXV. About Consolidated Lithium Metals Inc. Consolidated Lithium Metals Inc. (formerly known as Jourdan Resources Inc.) is a Canadian junior mining exploration company trading under the symbol CLM on the TSX Venture Exchange and 2JR1 on the Stuttgart Stock Exchange. The Company is focused on the acquisition, exploration, production, and development of mining properties. The Companys properties are in Quebec, Canada, primarily in the spodumene-bearing pegmatites of the La Corne Batholith, around North American Lithiums Quebec lithium mine. For more information:Rene Bharti, Chief Executive Officer and PresidentEmail: [email protected]Phone: (416) 861-5800www.jourdaninc.com Cautionary Statements This press 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 engagement of INFOR Financial as a market maker. Generally, forward looking information can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as plans, expects or does not expect, is expected, budget, scheduled, estimates, forecasts, intends, anticipates or does not anticipate, or believes, or variations of such words and phrases or statements that certain actions, events or results may, could, would, might or will be taken, occur or be achieved. Forward looking information is 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 information, including but not limited to: receipt of necessary approvals. 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. There can be no assurance that such information will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward looking information. The Company does not undertake to update any forward-looking information, except in accordance with applicable securities laws. NEITHER TSX VENTURE EXCHANGE NOR ITS REGULATION SERVICES PROVIDER (AS THAT TERM IS DEFINED IN THE POLICIES OF THE TSX VENTURE EXCHANGE) ACCEPTS RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE ADEQUACY OR ACCURACY OF THIS RELEASE. Source: Consolidated Lithium Metals Inc. First Phase of Trenching Nearly Complete at Tarabala Small Mine Project Toronto, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - July 4, 2023) - Compass Gold Corp. (TSXV: CVB) (Compass or the Company) is pleased to announce that, following additional demand, its previously announced offering of convertible debenture units ("Debenture Units") was increased by $50,000. (See Compass news release dated June 22, 2023). The Corporation has now completed the issuance, on a non-brokered private placement basis, of 650 Debenture Units, at a price of $1,000 per Debenture Unit, for aggregate gross proceeds of $650,000 (the "Offering"). The Offering closed on June 30, 2023 (the "Closing Date"). The proceeds of the Offering will be principally used to fund the first phase of delineating the mineralized zone identified at Tarabala, located on the Company's Sikasso Property in Southern Mali. The work to be completed over the next several months includes, trenching assaying and bulk sample metallurgical testing as part of the proposed establishment and development of a small gold mining operation on high-grade near-surface gold mineralization at the Tarabala Trend (the "Tarabala Project"). Compass CEO, Larry Phillips, said, "Thanks to the strong support of our shareholders, the successful completion of this Offering will allow our exploration team to move quickly to complete the initial trenching and testing work which commenced about two weeks ago. The completion of this work along this first section of the Tarabala trend will provide important data regarding gold grade and recovery which will assist with the planning and development of a near-surface mining operation at Tarabala. For Compass, the ability to generate revenue from our own near-surface mine is an important strategic objective, which will distinguish us from virtually any other junior exploration company in this region. Revenue from such an operation can be used to fund the deeper drilling required to develop a much larger, open-pittable gold resource." Each Debenture Unit issued pursuant to the Offering comprised: (i) one $1,000 principal amount unsecured convertible debenture of the Company (a "Convertible Debenture"); and (ii) 5,000 common share purchase warrants of the Company (each, a "Warrant"), with each Warrant being exercisable to acquire one additional common share of the Company at a price of $0.10 for a period of 24 months following the Closing Date. The outstanding principal amount of each Convertible Debenture is convertible at the option of the holder thereof, at any time prior to maturity, into common shares of the Company at a conversion price (the "Conversion Price") of: (i) $0.08 per common share during the 12-month period immediately following the Closing Date; and (ii) $0.10 per common share thereafter. The Convertible Debentures will mature 24 months from the Closing Date (the "Maturity Date") and will bear interest at a rate of 10% per annum, payable in cash or common shares, at the option of the Company. Interest will accrue and be paid in arrears on the Maturity Date. For additional details concerning the Debenture Units, please see Compass news release dated June 22, 2023. The closing of the Offering is subject to final approval of the TSX Venture Exchange. All securities issued pursuant to the Offering are subject to a statutory four-month hold period expiring four months and one day after the Closing Date. Insiders of the Company purchased an aggregate of 175 Debenture Units under the Offering, for aggregate consideration of $175,000. Such participation is considered a "related party transaction" within the meaning of Multilateral Instrument 61-101 - Protection of Minority Security Holders in Special Transactions. Participation by insiders in the Offering was exempt from (i) the valuation requirements of MI 61-101 by virtue of the exemption contained in Section 5.5(b) of MI 61-101, as the company is listed only on the TSX Venture Exchange; and (ii) the minority shareholder approval requirements of MI 61-101 by virtue of the exemption contained in Section 5.7(1)(a) of MI 61-101, as at the time the Offering was agreed to, neither the fair market value of the subject matter, nor the fair market value of the consideration for, the Offering, insofar as it involved interested parties, exceeded 25% of the market capitalization of the Company. All dollar amounts referred to in this press release are expressed in Canadian dollars. None of the securities issued in connection with the Offering will be registered under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "1933 Act"), and none of them may be offered or sold in the United States absent registration or an applicable exemption from the registration requirements of the 1933 Act. This press release shall not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy nor shall there be any sale of the securities in any state where such offer, solicitation, or sale would be unlawful. About Compass Gold Corp. Compass, a public company having been incorporated into Ontario, is a Tier 2 issuer on the TSX- V. Through the 2017 acquisition of MGE and Malian subsidiaries, Compass holds gold exploration permits located in Mali that comprise the Sikasso Property. The exploration permits are located in four sites in southern Mali with a combined land holding of 1,173 sq. km. The Sikasso Property is located in the same region as several multi-million-ounce gold projects, including Morila, Syama, Kalana and Komana. The Company's Mali-based technical team, led in the field by Dr. Madani Diallo and under the supervision of Dr. Sandy Archibald, P.Geo, is conducting the current exploration program. They are examining numerous anomalies first noted in Dr. Archibald's August 2017 "National Instrument 43-101 Technical Report on the Sikasso Property, Southern Mali." ForwardLooking Information This news release contains "forwardlooking information" within the meaning of applicable securities laws, including statements regarding the completion of the Offering, the proposed use of proceeds of the Offering and the establishment and development of the Tarabala Project. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on forwardlooking information. Actual results and developments may differ materially from those contemplated by such information. The statements in this news release are made as of the date hereof. The Company undertakes no obligation to update forwardlooking information except as required by applicable law. For further information please contact: Compass Gold Corporation Larry Phillips - Pres. & CEO [email protected] T: +1 416-596-0996 X 302 Compass Gold Corporation Greg Taylor - Dir. Investor Relations & Corporate Communications [email protected] T: +1 416-596-0996 X 301 Website: www.compassgoldcorp.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 RELEASE. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/172204 Las Vegas, Nevada--(Newsfile Corp. - July 4, 2023) - DSRPT Digital, the first AAPI women-led marketing agency specializing in web3 and experiential events, joined forces with Red Bean Radio, a visionary media platform, to host the groundbreaking Rising Tide event. This unique collaboration aimed to create a space for builders from the Azuki community and around the world to showcase their projects, foster collaboration, and support one another. DSRPT Digital and Red Bean Radio To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit: https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/8703/172288_27827b2d345be997_001full.jpg The Rising Tide event marked the culmination of Azuki's Follow the Rabbit week in Las Vegas, Nevada, where thousands of Azuki community members from across the globe converged. Led by Carol Nguyen and Ashley Garin, co-founders of DSRPT Digital, and Carl Choi, co-founder of Red Bean Radio, the event embodied the spirit of builders supporting builders in the web3 space. "We wanted to provide a platform for builders within the Azuki community to shine and share their visionary projects," explained Carol Nguyen, co-founder of DSRPT Digital. "By uniting with Red Bean Radio, we aimed to create a collective space where builders could speak directly to the community, inspiring and supporting one another in their creative pursuits." Ashley Garin, co-founder of DSRPT Digital, added, "The Rising Tide event represents a powerful convergence of talent, innovation, and community spirit. It's a testament to the strength and impact that builders can achieve when they come together." The Rising Tide event showcased the ingenuity and creativity of the Azuki community and builders from around the world. Attendees were treated to captivating stage presentations, where builders had the opportunity to share their projects, make exclusive announcements, and connect with fellow builders and community members. "Our vision was to create an environment where builders could feel empowered and celebrated," said Carl Choi, co-founder of Red Bean Radio. "We believe that when builders come together, a rising tide lifts all boats. This event was a testament to the incredible talent and innovation within the Azuki community and the wider web3 space." The collaboration between DSRPT Digital and Red Bean Radio brought together their respective expertise in event production, marketing, and media, resulting in a seamless and engaging experience for attendees. From the meticulously designed stage show to the immersive Builder Bar, every aspect of the event aimed to elevate builders and foster collaboration. In addition to the core event programming, Rising Tide featured a special message from world-renowned artist James Jean, who expressed his support for the community and had a rare physical piece exhibited at the event, adding a touch of artistic brilliance to the occasion. DSRPT Digital and Red Bean Radio's partnership extended beyond the Rising Tide event, as they also granted access to Encore Beach Club and XS nightclub, where attendees could continue the celebration alongside world-renowned artists. The Rising Tide event encapsulated the unwavering commitment of DSRPT Digital and Red Bean Radio to empower builders, showcase visionary projects, and foster collaboration within the web3 community. By creating a space where builders could shine, the event solidified its place as a pivotal moment in the web3 landscape. For more information about DSRPT Digital and their groundbreaking work in the web3 space, please visit www.dsrptdigital.com or contact [email protected], @dsrptdigital on Twitter and @dsrpt.digital on IG. About DSRPT Digital DSRPT Digital is the first AAPI women-led marketing agency specializing in web3 and experiential events. With a dedicated team of industry experts and a passion for innovation, DSRPT Digital empowers builders and creators, amplifying their impact and fostering collaboration within the web3 community. Media Details: Red Bean Radio: Person Name: Carl Choi Email: [email protected] Website: www.247comics.com Carol Nguyen Co-founder, dsrpt digital LLC 725-263-9143 | dsrptdigital.io | [email protected] San Fransisco CA USA To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/172288 South Shores Detox and Recovery announce new resources for Orange County detox, Tricare coverage for addiction treatment, and drug rehab services in San Diego. They offer medically supervised detoxification, accept Tricare insurance, and provide comprehensive care for lasting recovery. Dana Point, California--(Newsfile Corp. - July 3, 2023) - South Shores Detox and Recovery, a leading provider of addiction treatment and drug rehab services, is proud to announce the launch of new resources aimed at providing medically supervised detox services in Orange County, as well as offering Tricare coverage for addiction treatment. With a commitment to delivering high-quality care and comprehensive services, South Shores Detox continues to be at the forefront of the addiction recovery industry in Southern California. South Shores Detox Announces New Resources for Orange County Detox, Tricare Coverage for Addiction Treatment, and Drug Rehab San Diego Services To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit: https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/8814/172126_8087dda1a4e8d9d9_001full.jpg South Shores Detox recognizes the crucial role that a safe and effective detoxification process plays in addiction recovery. In line with their dedication to providing exceptional care, they have introduced new resources to further support individuals in Orange County seeking detox services. Through extensive research and collaboration with medical experts, South Shores Detox has developed innovative protocols and treatment approaches that ensure a comfortable, medically supervised detox experience. With a team of highly trained professionals and state-of-the-art facilities, they are equipped to address the unique needs of each individual, promoting a successful transition back to daily living in recovery. South Shores Detox is pleased to announce that they now accept Tricare insurance in-network for treatment services. Tricare, a comprehensive health care program serving members of the military community, including active duty service members, veterans, and their families, provides vital coverage for substance abuse and mental health treatment. The drug rehab services provided by South Shores Detox encompass a wide range of therapeutic modalities, including individual counseling, group therapy, family support, and holistic approaches. With a multidisciplinary team of experienced professionals, they create a supportive environment where individuals can address the underlying causes of addiction and develop the skills necessary for long-term sobriety. By accepting Tricare insurance in-network for addiction treatment services, South Shores Detox aims to expand access to quality addiction treatment services for the military community in Orange County. With a deep understanding of the unique challenges faced by service members and veterans, they are dedicated to providing personalized care that addresses both the physical and psychological aspects of addiction. In addition to their Orange County detox resources and Tricare coverage, South Shores Detox offers comprehensive drug rehabilitation services in San Diego. Their evidence-based treatment programs are tailored to meet the specific needs of each client, fostering lasting recovery and a renewed sense of hope. For individuals in Orange County seeking detoxification services, South Shores Detox offers a comprehensive and individualized approach to detox, setting the stage for a successful recovery. With the acceptance of Tricare insurance, they extend their services to the military community, helping those who have served our country overcome the challenges of addiction. Additionally, their drug rehab services convenient to San Diegoprovide a holistic and integrated approach to long-term recovery, less than an hour from the crowds and temptations of the city itself. For more information about South Shores Detox and its addiction treatment services, please visit their website or call for immediate placement in detox or other programs. About Us: Proven Alcohol and Drug Rehab Services for Orange County and the US Contact Info: Name: James McMannis Email:[email protected] Organization: South Shores Detox Address: 27568 Vista De Dons, Dana Point, CA 92624 Phone: 1-833-213-3869 Website: https://southshoresdetox.com/ Video URL: https://vimeo.com/761234867/ea8d95f37e? To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/172126 Miami Lakes, Florida--(Newsfile Corp. - July 4, 2023) - The Ward Law Group, PL, a renowned family-owned personal injury law firm, is proud to announce a significant milestone of securing over $500 million in settlements for car accident victims since its inception in 2012. With a commitment to providing legal representation and personalized service, the Ward Law Group flourishes in the Hispanic community, specializing in advocating for Spanish-speaking clients injured due to the negligence of others. The Ward Law Group facilitates clients from South Florida and New York City law firms with its comprehensive understanding of the unique challenges faced by accident victims in a foreign country with a different language and legal system. The firm's success lies in bridging these gaps, ensuring clients receive the support and representation they deserve. The company provides one-on-one support and care throughout the legal process. With a team of experienced accident lawyers, the firm assists clients in navigating the complexities of personal injury cases, empowering them with knowledge and resources to pursue just compensation for their injuries, emotional trauma, and financial losses. Jany Martnez-Ward has been hailed as one of the most prominent Hispanic attorneys in South Florida, and her expertise in car accident cases has made her a sought-after speaker and contributor to legal publications. Furthermore, the firm's commitment to its employees and fostering a positive work environment has resulted in being awarded "Best Places to Work" by local newspapers for two consecutive years. As the Ward Law Group looks to the future, its expansion plans include establishing a presence in the Northeast, Southwest, and Texas, further extending its reach to assist Spanish-speaking communities in need. The recent opening of an office in New York demonstrates the firm's dedication to serving the Hispanic community in the metro area and its suburbs. About the Founder - Jany Martinez Ward Jany Martinez-Ward, the founder of The Ward Law Group, is an inspirational attorney who overcame immense challenges to become a powerful advocate for the Hispanic community. From a young age, she experienced the helplessness and overwhelming decisions made for her family as they sought refuge in the United States. It fueled her determination to ensure no one else would feel that same powerlessness. She founded her law firm to assist Spanish-speaking clients injured in car accidents, providing them with the representation and justice they deserved. Martinez-Ward's commitment and dedication have led to extraordinary success. Her firm has secured over $500 million in settlements, with notable achievements including one of the largest confidential settlements in the country. She has become a trusted advisor and advocate, not only for her clients but also for the Hispanic community at large. Martinez-Ward's journey from adversity to triumph is a powerful reminder of the importance of fighting for justice and positively impacting the lives of those who need it most. About the Company - The Ward Law Group, PL: The Ward Law Group, PL is a leading personal injury law firm with offices in Miami Lakes, FL, and New York, NY. Founded in 2012 by Jany Martinez-Ward, the firm specializes in representing Spanish-speaking clients injured in car accidents caused by the negligence of others. With a steadfast commitment to justice, the Ward Law Group has secured over $500 million in settlements and earned a reputation for providing service to accident victims and their families. For further details, visit the following link: https://www.855dolor55.com/en/ Media Details: Company's Name: The Ward Law Group, PL Address: 6625 Miami Lakes Dr., Suite 100 Miami Lakes, FL 33014 Contact Phone Number: 305-209-0613 Contact person name: Lucy Zavala City: Miami Lakes State: Florida Email: [email protected] Website: http://www.855dolor.com To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/172314 Paid press release content from The Financial Capital. The StreetInsider.com news staff was not involved in its creation. Robotabc won Best Service Provider of the Year at ECI Festiva. They are a leading quantitative trading platform, specializing in advanced trading solutions. Their innovative technology and reliable services have made them a trusted partner worldwide, reshaping the digital economy industry. At the ECI Festiva International Digital Festival, the quantitative trading platform Robotabc was awarded the title of Best Service Provider of the Year for its outstanding performance and excellent operational services. As digitalization and automation continue to advance, consumer demands are constantly evolving, presenting new requirements for digital economy platforms. This award highlights Robotabc's transformation from a rising star in the industry to a leading professional and reliable financial service provider in the market. ECI Festiva is the industry's first award that recognizes the efforts and achievements of different institutions, organizations, and individuals in the context of digital transformation and the digital economy. It is characterized by its forward-looking, impartial, and international nature. It is worth noting that this year there were 18 new companies on the list, and Robotabc stood out in various aspects, demonstrating exceptional service management capabilities and a strategic layout that promotes the sustainable development of the industry. This recognition makes Robotabc the highlight of the evening. Since its establishment in 2013, Robotabc has been dedicated to providing quantitative trading services, assisting major cryptocurrency trading platforms in creating trading depth, increasing currency circulation, and helping partner businesses enhance their overall processing capacity by more than 50% and triple their resilience. In addition to significant business growth, this is why Robotabc has earned the trust of customers in the highly competitive financial services industry and has successfully expanded its business scope globally in a short period of time. For a platform, apart from basic products and operations, service is an essential topic for retaining users in the long run. The leader of Robotabc believes that in the era of the Internet, business content serves as the main means of communication with consumers. By refining high-quality content services revolving around products and platforms, and impressing users, platforms should continuously upgrade their products to achieve simultaneous advancements in product sales and service sales. This approach helps customers establish a better understanding of the platform. Business innovation is driven by technological innovation. Robotabc utilizes various technological means to innovate the products and services provided by the traditional financial industry. By employing cutting-edge information technologies such as big data, cloud computing, artificial intelligence, and biometric identification, Robotabc has built its unique quantitative trading system, achieving stable and above-average excess returns. It aims to provide the global user base with the safest, most stable, and efficient new economic model. Committed to serving global digital economy clients, Robotabc combines its brand development experience with the principles of cooperation, service, and mutual benefit. It offers new perspectives on financial service providers, with the goal of reshaping a new ecosystem and creating a brand-new industry ecology. About Robotabc: Robotabc is a leading quantitative trading platform that specializes in providing advanced trading solutions. Since its establishment in 2013, Robotabc has been committed to helping cryptocurrency exchanges and financial institutions improve their trading capabilities, liquidity, and overall operational efficiency. With its innovative technology and reliable services, Robotabc has become a trusted partner for clients worldwide. Contact Info: Name: John Email: Send Email Organization: Robotabc Website: http://www.robotabc.com Release ID: 89091930 If you detect any issues, problems, or errors in this press release content, kindly contact [email protected] to notify us. We will respond and rectify the situation in the next 8 hours. GUANGZHOU, China , July 3, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- On June 3 , AION, a leading new energy vehicle manufacturer, hosted the Offline Ceremony of the 20 Millionth New Energy Automobile in China . The event gathered leaders from national ministries including the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, provincial and municipal departments, industry organizations, and leading new energy automotive enterprises. Along with other new energy automobile manufacturers, AION was a witness to multiple new achievements of the industry's scale-up development. As China celebrates this industry milestone, AION is also celebrating the official release of one of it's most advanced models. The record-setting model in question is the Hyper GT, a high-end electric sedan under Hyper, AION's new premium marque, produced in the company's intelligent manufacturing base in Guangzhou, China . The achievement of China achieving the milestone of 20 million new energy vehicle has left the European and American industry astounded by the remarkable pace of development and incredible technological advancements in the Chinese new energy automotive industry. Hyper GT: Globally Competitive Technology, Cutting-Edge Design First unveiled at the Guanghzhou Auto Show last year as the Hyper marque's debut model, the Hyper GT executive sedan has now officially launched a total of 5 versions, including 560km, 600km, and 710km cruising range models. Combining top-class design features with the latest battery and EV platform tech available, the car comes in at a price range of RMB 219 , 900 to RMB 339 , 900, and is now officially ready for mass production. The Hyper GT boasts a powerful combination of features that makes it a strong contender in the premium market for new energy sedans. An extensive and independent sales network for the new Hyper marque, which will expand into at least 350 dealerships by the end of the year, has already been set up to help establish the brand among tech-savvy, high-end buyers. Featuring scissor-action front doors that swing open upwards to provide a supercar-like access to its seats, the 5-seater Hyper GT delivers the ultimate sporty experience in an electric sedan. For the rest of the body, the company's international design team focused on building flowing body lines and features that enhanced its aerodynamic performance such the self-raising "Wind Blade Grille" which adds downforce at high speeds cutting Hyper GT's air drag coefficient to 0.197, the lowest among current production EVs. The clean, modernist design continues in the interiors. Inside, a minimal layout is made possible by a floating 14.6-inch touchscreen dashboard in the center console and an ultra-thin LCD instrument panel. Top quality Nappa leather envelope the seats to ensure a super soft and comfortable experience for driver and passengers alike. What's more, the Hyper GT's Dolby Atmos sound system can guarantee a concert hall-like sound experience with a configuration of 23 premium HiFi speakers and exceptional NVH performance. The high-end electric sedan Hyper GT represents the epitome of Chinese beauty, perfectly capturing the essence of its design and technology. It stands at the forefront globally, making it incredibly captivating and impossible to resist its charm. Next-Gen Technology and the Rise of Chinese High-end EV Market The Hyper GT is built on AION's exclusive AEP 3.0 new generation pure electric platform, which has been upgraded to support 480kW quick charging and battery-swapping technology. Just 15 minutes of charging can replenish its battery level to a 350km range. As an alternative solution, users can also exchange depleted battery packs in as fast as 2 minutes. An expansion plan for both Hyper's regular charging station and vehicle-to-grid network has since been announced to accommodate the anticipated growth in electricity demand from Hyper GT's improved battery performances. On top of innovative battery tech, the Hyper GT also boasts high-performance rear-wheel drive control. In its single-motor layout, the sedan can generate an output of 250 kW and 434 Nm of torque, with a zero to 100km/hr acceleration time of just 4 seconds. A dual-motor model will also be available in the near future. With the Hyper GT featuring these world-leading EV and ICV technologies, its arrival represents the rise of Chinese high-end EV brands and a significant new benchmark for the Chinese new energy automobile industries. 20 Million Vehicles: Signposting a New Era of Chinese EVs Reaching the landmark 20 million figure has been a significant moment in China's new energy history, which saw the first car of this kind being produced in 1995. This is significant not only because it is symbolic of the meteoric rise of China's high-end new energy car companies, but also as a concrete result of the overall growth of China's automobile industry. In contrast to striving to catch up in the field of gas vehicles in the past, China has now taken the lead in the field of new energy vehicles. The country's new energy vehicle market has seen considerable growth, exporting 348,000 units in the first four months of 2023 to reach a 170% year-on-year increase. As one of the most popular EV brands in the world, AION, a GAC brand that solely focuses on EVs, totaled 209,336 units in sales volume as of June this year, with figures jumping 108.8% year-on-year. Furthermore, in China , AION's new energy sales volume has exceeded that of all traditional automotive joint ventures combined. The company has recently been leveraging its full-stack research capabilities for both EV and ICVs to self-develop core technologies such as battery, and electric drive. Huge strides have been made successfully in China for years, and now, the brand has officially begun to expand into Thailand and Southeast Asia , with goals of full internationalization beyond. The arrival of Hyper GT as the 20 millionth new energy vehicle in China reflects AION's dominant capabilities in developing top quality and innovation-driven electric cars. Its launch is part of the carmaker's long-term business blueprint to step up and take on the premium market segment for BEVs on the international stage. The Hyper GT, with its independent, class-leading technologies and supercar-esque designs, represents China's position on the global stage and its leadership in shaping the new era of the global new energy automotive industry. With its cutting-edge innovations and commitment to pushing boundaries, the Hyper GT showcases China's capabilities and competes with international manufacturers. View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/chinas-new-energy-sector-breaks-20-million-vehicles-as-the-hyper-gt-takes-on-the-model-3-301869369.html SOURCE AION Stratio BD launches Stratio Gen-AI, the world-first, secure engine for enterprises enabling businesses to use company data in natural language with generative AI MADRID , July 4, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Launched today by leading Generative AI Data Fabric specialist Stratio BD, Stratio Gen-AI is a world-first generative AI engine designed to solve one of the biggest data management issues facing businesses - giving any worker easy, quick, and secure access to any information they require regardless of technical know-how. The technology utilises a Large Language Model (LLM) with a user experience similar - but unrelated - to that of globally successful ChatGPT, enabling it to deliver information and data insights in easy-to-understand, human language, as well as understanding varying user language. This includes anything from various native tongues to different technical and literacy abilities, in order to provide the most relevant and accurate response. This also ensures any user in all departments can effectively ask any question and Stratio Gen-AI will provide the answer instantly, rapidly improving productivity while enhancing each department's ability to make informed decisions based on insightful data. For example, it eradicates the need for teams to download multiple reports from different applications and amalgamate them into a single spreadsheet, as well as avoiding the often lengthy waiting time it takes for data analysts to compile reports. The new conversational tool is the final piece in the puzzle for Stratio BD's vision to democratise data with its Generative AI Data Fabric offering: an AI-driven, end-to-end data management product designed to break down traditional barriers to data access, enabling businesses to simplify data analysis, automate tasks, and ultimately make better, more informed decisions that benefit the bottom line. Oscar Mendez-Soto , CEO and Founder of Stratio BD said: "No matter what department you work in, whether it's sales, HR, legal, marketing, or operations, your work will always be governed in some way by the most up-to-date and accurate data available to you. The Stratio Gen-AI engine is revolutionary for businesses as it empowers teams to use insights that would otherwise be either inaccessible, incomplete, or only possible for a data scientist to retrieve and understand. The use cases for how businesses can utilise this tool to improve and streamline operations are immeasurable." From day-to-day questions a manager would otherwise ask their team, to the more complex that would require a full data report from the technical teams, Stratio Gen-AI cuts out any obstacles for users to maximise their performance while reducing the need for administrative reporting. For example: sourcing a sales forecast; identifying the company's most popular products that month; or forecasting which customers are a flight risk, are now all possible by asking a simple question to Stratio Gen-AI. Often, businesses struggle to obtain true meaning from data as it is stored in siloed locations or across multiple applications. But because Stratio Gen-AI sits above a unified business data layer created by Stratio BD's Generative AI Data Fabric product, the engine is able to access all of a company's data in one view and simultaneously get an answer which is understandable in context to the business. Stratio Gen-AI is a closed-source interface that businesses can safely use without any risk to data security as the data does not leave the company's systems. Equally, thanks to the governance and role-based access to data already enabled by Stratio BD's data governance module, users of the Stratio Gen-AI can only access data that is relevant and unrestricted to their position in the business. The tool uses deep learning techniques to understand, summarise, generate, and make forecasts from large data sets. In particular, enterprises that stand to benefit the most are those that normally handle large volumes of data at scale, such as the financial, manufacturing, retail, telco, the public sector, and health and life sciences. The engine is now available and in high demand, with a number of Stratio BD's clients within the financial industry already starting to use the tool, including household name, high-street banks. The news comes as the Spain -headquartered company launched regional offices in both the UK and France earlier in 2023 as part of ambitious worldwide expansion plans, now with more than 500 employees in seven countries. Founded by entrepreneurs Oscar Mendez Soto and Ernesto Funes in 2014, Stratio BD's clients include major corporate enterprises such as Santander, HSBC, BBVA, and Carrefour. The company is recognised by analysts such as Gartner and Forrester as international leaders in the data fabric space, and last year completed its Series C funding worth EUR 65 million while also achieving 40 per cent growth. Oscar concluded: "Crucially, this technological leap is only possible because of the incredible capabilities of our market-leading data fabric product. Generative AI cannot understand or manage technical data unless it is available in a unified business layer and given business meaning through ontologies. Our Stratio Gen-AI product does this best, which is why we are in prime position to pioneer this technology for our clients." For more information visit http://stratio.com/gen-ai About Stratio BD: Generative data fabric specialist Stratio BD was founded in 2014 by fellow entrepreneurs Oscar Mendez Soto and Ernesto Funes . The Madrid, Spain -headquartered company was created to help businesses fully harness the power of data fabric and AI. Stratio BD's Generative Data Fabric product provides businesses with composable data management solutions, enabling governance, virtualisation, advanced analytics, and AI to multiply the productivity of companies that use it, reducing costs and time to a fraction of what they need. The product provides a range of functions, including simplifying data understanding for business users, providing knowledge graph representations, applying AI algorithms to augment data management tasks, and automating manual AI development. Last year, Stratio BD completed its Series C funding worth EUR 65 million , led by InfraVia with participation from Adara (A and B-Series investor) and the founders. The company had reached critical mass in its historic markets of Spain and Latin America and is now leveraging the round proceeds to fund commercial expansion across Europe . Stratio BD was named Gartner's Cool Vendor in Data Management in 2021 for its innovative generative data fabric platform. Stratio BD's Generative AI tool, Stratio Gen-AI, is designed to assist businesses in generating answers and insights based on their available data. Stratio Gen-AI is provided by Stratio BD solely as a technology solution. The use and utilization of the tool, as well as any decisions made based on its outputs, are the sole responsibility of the customers. Stratio BD does not guarantee in any way that the tool will operate without errors or problems. It is important to note that Stratio BD cannot guarantee the accuracy, completeness, or reliability of the results and answers generated by Stratio Gen-AI. The interpretation and use of these results are solely the responsibility of the customers. Stratio BD shall not be held liable for any loss of business, damages, or consequences arising from the use of our solution. Customers are responsible for ensuring the quality and suitability of their data and for making informed decisions based on the outputs provided by our tool. Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2009600/4147672/Stratio_BD_Logo.jpg View original content:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/global-launch-of-generative-ai-engine-set-to-revolutionise-how-businesses-access-and-utilise-their-data-301869200.html SOURCE Stratio BD Rock Tech completed its step-out winter drill program ("Phase I") as part of its lithium mineralization extension targets for Georgia Lake . 17 exploration holes for a total of 3,676 meters were drilled with supporting assay results for: 10 NQ diamond drill holes totaling 2,115 meters at Main Zone North (MZN) deposit; 7 NQ diamond drill holes totaling 1,561 meters at McVittie deposit. Rock Tech has initiated an extensive summer field exploration program ("Phase II") at the Georgia Lake property. VANCOUVER, BC , July 4, 2023 /PRNewswire/ - Rock Tech Lithium Inc. (TSXV: RCK) (OTCQX: RCKTF) (FWB: RJIB) (WKN: A1XF0V) (the "Company" or "Rock Tech") has received positive assay results from its 2023 winter drill program. The completed step-out drilling aims to support the expansion of known pegmatite zones at its 100%-owned Georgia Lake Lithium project in the Thunder Bay Mining District of Ontario (the "Georgia Lake Project"). Rock Tech has successfully completed the drilling of 17 exploration holes for a total of 3,676 meters in the first months of 2023, at the Main Zone North (MZN) and McVittie deposits. It has received assay results for ten holes drilled around MZN and seven holes that were drilled at McVittie (refer to results on Table 1 and Table 2). Commenting on the Drill Programme, Robert MacDonald , General Manager of the Georgia Lake Project, said, "Rock Tech is pleased to have been able to follow up on our 2021-22 drill results from the MZN and past results from McVittie. Positive results obtained further support the strength of the deposits and extends our understanding of the known pegmatites. We are currently preparing to follow up with a summer field programme and get 'boots on the ground' to support our commitment to our total land package at Georgia Lake." KEY EXPLORATION HIGHLIGHTS Ten NQ 1 diamond drill holes totaling 2,115 meters were completed at the MZN deposit. diamond drill holes totaling 2,115 meters were completed at the MZN deposit. Highlights of assay results from the ten holes at MZN include: NC-23-01 3.2 m (true width) at 0.87% Li 2 O starting from 57.1m O starting from 57.1m NC-23-02 3.5 m (true width) at 1.07% Li 2 O starting from 103.0m O starting from 103.0m NC-23-03 4.0 m (true width) at 1.08% Li 2 O starting from 162.3m O starting from 162.3m NC-23-06 4.9 m (true width) at 0.73% Li 2 O starting from 67.6m O starting from 67.6m NC-23-07 7.7 m (true width) at 0.71% Li 2 O starting from 59.6m O starting from 59.6m NC-23-07 4.3 m (true width) at 1.42% Li 2 O starting from 139.9m O starting from 139.9m NC-23-08 3.1 m (true width) at 1.19% Li 2 O starting from 7.1m O starting from 7.1m NC-23-09 2.5 m (true width) at 0.92% Li 2 O starting from 117.8m Seven NQ diamond drill holes totaling 1,561 meters were completed at McVittie; assay results include: MV-23-01 6.4 m (downhole width) at 0.93% Li 2 O starting from 107.4m O starting from 107.4m MV-23-03 2.1 m (downhole width) at 1.30% Li 2 O starting from 95.6m O starting from 95.6m MV-23-05 2.7 m (downhole width) at 1.66% Li 2 O starting from 59.05m Rock Tech intends to increase mineral resources at Georgia Lake Project during 2023 and 2024 through a set of phased exploration programmes. The first phase of this commitment ("Phase I") has been the completion of the winter drill programme at MZN and McVittie. Rock Tech is also pleased to announce that it has initiated an extensive summer exploration programme ("Phase II") that will focus on prospecting, mapping, and sampling around high priority targets. The work will be followed by trenching and channel sampling on select prospects in both the Northern Spodumene Pegmatite Area (NSPA) and Southern Spodumene Pegmatite Area (SSPA). This work will follow up on the positive results of the 2022 field programme (see Rock Tech's press release dated January 31, 2023 ) which sampled pegmatite prospects in close proximity to Rock Tech's NI 43101 compliant mineral resources (refer to Table 3). Figure 1 and Figure 4 illustrate the locations of the high priority spodumene-bearing prospects at Line 20, Camp 38, Conway East , Caral, Foster Lew , Jean Lake , and Aumacho, where Rock Tech's 2023 summer exploration programme will be focused. The results from Phase II are expected to generate additional drill targets for a Fall 2023 drill programme ("Phase III"). The Georgia Lake Project, located between Nipigon and Beardmore, Ontario is comprised of 1,042 hectares of mineral leases and 5,686 hectares of mineral claims. SAMPLING AND QA/QC PROCEDURE Samples were taken across every spodumene-bearing pegmatite and 1 metre into the barren host rock on either side of pegmatite dikes. Sample lengths are generally around 1 metre, though individual sample length can be determined based on internal zoning of the dikes and the locations of their contacts. Core to be sampled was cut in half with one half being sent for analysis and the other half remaining in the box for reference. All core is stored at Rock Tech's core facility in Beardmore, Ontario . Each sample was put into its own plastic sample bag with a sample tag and closed with zip ties. 16% of the samples that were submitted to Activation Laboratories Ltd. ("Actlabs") for analysis were QAQC samples. QAQC samples were inserted into the sample stream and consist of a high- and low-grade lithium standards, blank material, and duplicates. Samples were dropped at Actlabs' preparation laboratory in Thunder Bay, Ontario for crushing and pulverizing, and subsequently were sent to Actlabs' geochemistry laboratory in Ancaster, Ontario for analysis of 41 elements using fusion plus ICP-OES or ICP-MS. Sodium peroxide fusion plus ICP-OES was used to analyze for lithium. Actlabs is independent of the Company. SCIENTIFIC AND TECHNICAL DISCLOSURE The scientific and technical disclosure included in this news release has been reviewed and approved by Jessica Daniel , P.Geo ., Consulting Geologist for the Georgia Lake Project, a Qualified Person under National Instrument 43-101 Standards of Disclosure of Mineral Projects. Exploration data was collected and verified following the guidelines outlined in CIM Mineral Exploration Best Practice Guidelines. ABOUT ROCK TECH Rock Tech is a cleantech company with operations in Canada and Germany on a mission to produce lithium hydroxide for electric vehicle batteries. The Company plans to build lithium converters at the door-step of its customers, to guarantee supply-chain transparency and just-in-time delivery, beginning with the Company's proposed lithium hydroxide merchant converter and refinery facility in Guben, Germany . To close the most pressing gap in the clean mobility story, Rock Tech has gathered one of the strongest teams in the industry. The Company has adopted strict environmental, social and governance standards and is developing a proprietary refining process aimed at further increasing efficiency and sustainability. Rock Tech plans to source raw material from its wholly-owned Georgia Lake spodumene project located in the Thunder Bay Mining District of Ontario, Canada , as well as procuring it from other responsibly producing mines. In the years to come, the Company expects to also source raw material from discarded batteries. Rock Tech's goal: to create a closed-loop lithium production system. www.rocktechlithium.com Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. CAUTIONARY NOTE CONCERNING FORWARD-LOOKING INFORMATION The following cautionary statements are in addition to all other cautionary statements and disclaimers contained elsewhere in, or referenced by, this press release. Certain information set forth in this press release constitutes "forward-looking information" ("forward-looking information") within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities laws, which are based on Rock Tech's current expectations, estimates, and assumptions in light of its experience and is perception of historical trends. All statements other than statements of historical facts may constitute forward-looking information. Often, forward-looking information can be identified by the use of words or phrases such as "plan", "estimate", "project", "anticipate", "expect", "intend", "believe", "hope", "may" and similar expressions, as well as "will", "shall" and all other indications of future tense. All forward-looking information set forth in this press release is expressly qualified in its entirety by the cautionary statements referred to in this section. In particular, forward-looking information contained in this press release includes: statements regarding the 2022, 2023, and 2024 drilling campaigns and mobilization and prospecting activities and the objectives, results and the benefits thereof; the Company's expectations regarding the outcome and proof of the expected potential, the Company's intentions with respect to the development and timing thereof and statements regarding further exploration activities future plans, activities, and schedules relating to such projects and related development; Rock Tech's opinions, beliefs and expectations regarding the Company's business strategy, development and exploration opportunities and projects; and plans and objectives of management for the Company's operations and properties. Forward-looking information is based on certain assumptions, estimates, expectations and opinions of the Company and, in certain cases, third party experts, that are believed by management of Rock Tech to be reasonable at the time they were made. This forward-looking information was derived utilizing numerous assumptions regarding, among other things, that the results of the exploration programme will be indicative of future results; that the way from the 2022 published release on the prefeasibility study (PFS) towards a feasibility study (DFS) will continue as currently planned; the supply and demand for, deliveries of, and the level and volatility of prices of, feedstock and intermediate and final lithium products; that all required regulatory approvals and permits can be obtained on the necessary terms in a timely manner; expected growth, performance and business operations; future commodity prices and exchange rates; prospects, growth opportunities and financing available to the Company; general business and economic conditions; the costs and results of exploration, development and operating activities; Rock Tech's ability to procure supplies and other equipment necessary for its business; and the accuracy and reliability of technical data, forecasts, estimates and studies. The foregoing list is not exhaustive of all assumptions which may have been used in developing the forward-looking information. While Rock Tech considers these assumptions to be reasonable based on information currently available, they may prove to be incorrect. Forward-looking information should not be read as a guarantee of future performance or results. In addition, forward-looking information involves known and unknown risks and uncertainties and other factors, many of which are beyond Rock Tech's control, that may cause Rock Tech's actual events, results, performance and/or achievements to be materially different from that which is expressed or implied by such forward-looking information. Risks and uncertainties that may cause actual events, results, performance and/or achievements to vary materially include the risk that Rock Tech will not be able to meet its financial obligations as they fall due, delays in government approval for the construction and commissioning of the Georgia Lake Project, changes in commodity prices, Rock Tech's ability to retain and attract skilled staff and to secure feedstock from third party suppliers, unanticipated events and other difficulties related to construction, development and operation of converters and mines, the cost of compliance with current and future environmental and other laws and regulations, title defects, competition from existing and new competitors, changes in currency exchange rates and market prices of Rock Tech's securities, Rock Tech's history of losses, impacts of climate change and other risks and uncertainties discussed under the heading "Financial Instruments and Other Risks" in Rock Tech's most recently filed Management Discussion and Analysis, a copy of which is filed electronically through SEDAR and is available online at www.sedar.com. Such risks and uncertainties do not represent an exhaustive list of all risk factors that could cause actual events, results, performance and/or achievements to vary materially from the forward-looking information.It can not be guaranteed that actual events, results, performance and/or achievements will be consistent with the forward-looking information and management's assumptions may prove to be incorrect. This forward-looking information reflects Rock Tech management's current views as at the date of this press release. Except as may be required by law, Rock Tech undertakes no obligation and expressly disclaims any responsibility, obligation or undertaking to update or to revise any forward-looking information, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, to reflect any change in Rock Tech's expectations or any change in events, conditions or circumstances on which any such information is based. The forward-looking information contained herein is presented for the purposes of assisting readers in understanding Rock Tech's plans, objectives and goals and is not appropriate for any other purposes. TABLE 1 | Summary of Assay Results for Drill Holes Completed at the MZN Deposit in 2023. GPS Locations are in UTM NAD83 Zone 16N. Hole ID Easting (m) Northing (m) Elevation (m) Hole Length (m) Azimuth Dip From (m) To (m) Length (m) True Width (m) Li 2 O % NC-23-01 424852 5477535 379 200 139 -66 57.10 61.00 3.9 3.2 0.87 NC-23-02 424736 5477435 379 251 140 -65 103.00 107.21 4.21 3.5 1.07 NC-23-03 424613 5477530 377 210.5 140 -48 70.67 71.77 1.1 0.8 0.63 162.27 168.33 6.06 4.0 1.08 NC-23-05 424532 5477436 365 221 140 -55 180.80 184.50 3.7 2.8 0.44 NC-23-06 424762 5477590 379 104 140 -55 4.46 6.66 2.2 1.7 0.68 51.82 52.40 0.58 0.4 0.51 61.58 62.66 1.08 0.8 0.58 67.60 74.30 6.7 4.9 0.73 NC-23-07 424992 5477814 379 209 135 -60 59.59 68.43 8.84 7.7 0.71 73.46 78.02 4.56 4.0 0.5 139.90 144.82 4.92 4.3 1.42 NC-23-08 425075 5477803 379 146 135 -60 7.10 10.69 3.59 3.1 1.19 25.42 27.32 1.9 1.6 1.41 84.57 85.50 0.93 0.8 1.26 NC-23-09 425326 5478131 379 210 140 -55 117.82 120.57 2.75 2.5 0.92 NC-23-10 425248 5478236 379 314 140 -53 298.91 299.27 0.36 0.3 1.33 NC-23-11 425379 5478257 369 250 138 -46 100.45 101.45 1.0 1.0 0.37 TABLE 2 | Summary of Assay Results for Drill Holes Completed at the McVittie Deposit in 2023. GPS Locations are in UTM NAD83 Zone 16N. Hole ID Easting Northing Elevation Hole Length Azimuth Dip From (m) To (m) Length (m) Li2O % MV-23- 01 ### #### 399 271 270 # 99 99.5 0.5 0.97 102.82 104.8 1.98 0.53 107.4 113.79 6.39 0.93 MV-23- 02 425827 5473351 401 221 274 -69 160 161 1 0.98 MV-23- 03 ### #### 387 221 270 # 95.6 97.69 2.09 1.30 133.89 135.96 2.07 0.61 140.87 143.06 2.19 0.72 MV-23- 04 425824 5473440 387 251 270 -65 156.5 157.32 0.82 0.46 MV-23- 05 ### #### 386 125 264 # 32.25 35.05 2.8 1.38 59.05 61.77 2.72 1.66 MV-23- 06 425799 5473565 401 251 264 -55 No Significant assays MV-23- 07 425807 5473661 396 221 265 -47 No Significant assays TABLE 3 | Overview of the Mineral Resource as of 2022's Prefeasibility Study 2022 MINERAL RESOURCE Classification Mining Cut-off grade Li 2 O (%) Zone Tonnes Li 2 O (%) Indicated Open pit 0.3 NSPA OP Indicated 4,242,618 0.88 Indicated Underground 0.6 NSPA UG Indicated 6,358,650 0.89 Total Indicated 10,601,268 0.88 Inferred Open pit 0.3 NSPA OP Inferred 245,933 0.78 Inferred Underground 0.6 NSPA UG Inferred 2,073,069 0.91 Inferred Underground 0.6 SSPA UG Inferred 1,903,274 1.12 Total Inferred 4,222,276 1.00 Notes: a. CIM Definition Standards (2014) were used for reporting the Mineral Resources. b. The Qualified Person is Dinara Nussipakynova, P.Geo . of AMC. c. Cut-off grade for open pit Mineral Resources is 0.30% Li 2 O. d. Open pit Mineral Resources are constrained by the optimization pits shell at a lithium concentrate price of USD 1,100 /t with metallurgical recovery of 80% and concentrate grade of 6%. Both cut off use same parameters. e. The pit optimization was based on following cost assumptions: i. Mill feed mining costs of USD 4.5 /t and waste mining cost of USD 4.5 /t. ii. Processing costs of USD 25 /t and General and Administration costs of USD 15 /t. iii. Slope angle 45-48 degrees. f. Cut-off grade for underground Mineral Resources is 0.60% Li 2 O based on a USD 45 /t mining cost and processing and G&A the same as the open pit. g. Underground Mineral Resources are not constrained. h. Mineralized Density used as 2.69 t/m3. i. Waste Density used as 2.75 t/m3. j. Drilling results up to 31 July 2022 . k. The numbers may not compute exactly due to rounding. j. Numbers may not compute exactly due to rounding. ______________________________ 1 Note : Represents core samples of 47.6mm in diameter. View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/lithium-assay-results-returned-from-step-out-winter-2023-drill-program-as-rock-tech-initiates-summer-field-exploration-at-georgia-lake-301869393.html SOURCE Rock Tech Lithium Inc. Photos, b-roll & sound bites from Magic Kingdom Park available on WDWNews.com LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. , July 4, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- In celebration of Independence Day , Walt Disney World Resort hosted two breathtaking U.S. Air Force flyovers of Magic Kingdom Park on July 4, 2023 . The Air Force showcased their capabilities with two flyovers as part of their national outreach program which aims to engage and inspire the next generation of patriotism. At approximately 10:30 a.m. , a squadron of F-35 stealth fighter jets flown by the 33rd Fighter Wing made two passes over the world-famous theme park. The first flyover included a KC-135 tanker flown by the 6th Air Refueling Wing. 2023 marks the Air Force's 100 years of aerial refueling capabilities. It's also the 100th anniversary of The Walt Disney Company. Fourth of July is a time for patriotic celebrations across the United States , and there is no better place to salute the stars and stripes than Walt Disney World Resort . Star-spangled spectaculars are a time-honored tradition across the resort, reflecting Walt Disney's deep love of America and faith in the nation's future. The flyover is also the latest example of Disney's long history of support for the military dating back to Disney's founders, Walt and Roy Disney , who both served their country during the First World War. That tradition continues today with events like the daily Flag Retreat ceremony at Magic Kingdom Park , where an active-duty military member or veteran is selected from the park's daily visitors to be honored. The Walt Disney Company has also been a leading proponent of hiring, training and supporting military veterans with the Heroes Work Here initiative, the Heroes Supply Here program and Disney's Veterans Institute. Photos, b-roll & soundbites available on WDWNews.com. View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/united-states-air-force-flyover-thrills-guests-on-fourth-of-july-at-walt-disney-world-resort-301869797.html BEIJING , July 3, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Changsha County, an inland locality in central China's Hunan Province also called Xingsha, saw local economic and trade cooperation with Africa burgeoning during the Third China-Africa Economic and Trade Expo (CAETE). On July 1 when the county hosted the First XingshaAfrica Economic and Trade Exchange Meeting during the expo, contracts for 14 related programs involving investment of 1.5 billion U.S. dollars were signed, marking new China - Africa cooperation in sectors such as manufacturing, energy, urban infrastructure, agricultural industrialization and the tertiary industry. As a county whose foreign trade approached 130 billion yuan and trade with Africa partners exceeded 7.0 billion yuan in 2022, Xingsha has been unlocking the potential of opening up-driven development in recent years. To expand the share of local engineering machinery, electronic information, agriculture and other industries in China - Africa economic and trade cooperation, Changsha County has made unremitting efforts to encourage grouped going global of advantageous industries. Engineering machinery giant Sany Group is a vivid example of how local manufacturers explored the African market. Since 2002 when its first batch of land levelers were exported to Morocco , the company has been operating on the continent for 20 years and reaped nearly 17 billion yuan of sales revenue in Africa , ranking the first among all its Chinese peers. Thanks to the 40-plus years of friendship with African nations, Changsha County inked during the meeting a memorandum of understanding for sister regions with Rwamagana in the Eastern Province of Rwanda to further the China - Africa friendship. The two sides pledged to communicate and cooperate in economic and trade, sci-tech, culture, sports, agriculture, and tourism sectors. Meanwhile, Changsha County chamber of commerce for boosting China - Africa economic and trade was inaugurated on July 1 to serve as a bridge to connect the county with its African counterparts to spur related investment and opening up. Fu Xuming, secretary with CPC Changsha County committee, said the county is striving to provide the most convenient business environment, heart-warming services and excellent working conditions for enterprises and friends from Africa to invest, live and work comfortably in Changsha County. By joining hands with Africa , it will also contribute more to China - Africa cooperation under the Belt and Road Initiative and in building a community of shared future, Fu noted. Original link: https://en.imsilkroad.com/p/334872.html View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/xinhua-silk-road-inland-county-in-central-china-sees-burgeoning-economic-trade-cooperation-with-africa-301869353.html Victoria has introduced updated child employment laws aimed at ensuring the safety of children under 15 in the workplace. The reforms include a revamped and streamlined licensing system, along with stronger penalties for non-compliance. The states child employment watchdog, Wage Inspectorate Victoria, urges employers to familiarize themselves with the new regulations, as recent research has revealed common misconceptions about child employment. The research highlights that 33% of Victorians mistakenly believe that children can start working at the age of 14 and 9 months, while an additional 25% think that the minimum age for employment is 15. However, under the new laws, children as young as 11 can engage in delivery work, and other types of employment can begin from the age of 13, provided the employer holds a valid license. The myth of 14 and 9 months likely stems from the historical age at which children were allowed to leave school and enter the workforce, although this age requirement is no longer applicable under the current child employment laws in Victoria. Developed through consultation with stakeholders and the community, the updated laws introduce a licensing system to replace the previous permit system. This new system enables businesses to employ multiple children under a single license, eliminating the need for separate permits for each employed child. As part of the licensing process, employers will undergo a fit and proper person test, which considers factors such as their compliance with child employment regulations and other relevant workplace laws. Effective immediately, the Wage Inspectorate has been granted enhanced enforcement powers, with the maximum penalty for employing a child without a license increasing from $18,500 to over $200,000. In addition to obtaining a license, employers must adhere to other crucial rules, including providing adequate rest breaks for children, ensuring work finishes by 9pm, and preventing employment during school hours. By implementing these new measures, Victoria aims to establish a safer and more efficient child employment framework, protecting the well-being and rights of young workers while simplifying the licensing process for businesses. Employers are encouraged to proactively comply with the updated laws and prioritize the safety and welfare of children in their workplace. Commissioner of Wage Inspectorate Victoria Robert Hortle said: Working can provide valuable experience for kids but theyre still developing both mentally and physically and require extra precautions in the workplace. The new system reduces the burden for businesses but not the protection for kids. Well still be out there monitoring compliance throughout the state. Tougher penalties show that taking advantage of children in the workplace will not be tolerated. These are serious laws with serious consequences. Its great to give young workers a go, but its important to do so safely. Keep up to date with our stories on LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. FILE PHOTO: PwC logo is seen in the lobby of their offices in Barangaroo, Australia, June 22, 2023. REUTERS/Lewis Jackson/File Photo SYDNEY (Reuters) - Australian investment firm Allegro Funds said on Tuesday it would set up an independent board to oversee PwC Australia's government practice business, which it bought last month, and committed A$100 million ($67 million) for transition costs. PwC Australia on June 25 entered an exclusivity agreement with Allegro to sell its government practice for A$1 as it battles to contain a fallout from a scandal over the leak of confidential government tax documents. The scandal, which broke in January, revolves around a former PwC tax partner who had been advising the federal government on laws to prevent corporate tax avoidance and shared confidential information with colleagues who then used it to pitch to multinational companies for work. Allegro said it had reached a binding term sheet on the sale, with the new business to be called Scyne Advisory and fully independent of PwC. It will have about 1,750 employees. An ethics subcommittee will also be created, chaired by a former judge of the Federal Court of Australia, to check on the probity of employees joining Scyne Advisory, as well as future conflicts and code of conduct. PwC Australia said on Monday that it fired eight partners as part of an internal investigation into the leak. Former CEO Tom Seymour and the other seven partners named by PwC did not respond to requests for comment. Members of PwC's government health infrastructure and defence, and trust and risk practices will lead Scyne Advisory in the short term, before a CEO search is conducted by the board and the leadership team appointed. ($1 = 1.4993 Australian dollars) (Reporting by Renju Jose in Sydney; Editing by Matthew Lewis) FILE PHOTO: A pedestrian walks past a logo of Credit Suisse outside its office building in Hong Kong, China March 21, 2023. REUTERS/Lam Yik/File Photo By John Revill ZURICH (Reuters) -A Swiss proxy adviser representing some former Credit Suisse shareholders has backed a class-action lawsuit seeking a better price from UBS for its takeover of its cross-town rival, it said on Tuesday. Ethos Foundation, which represents a Swiss pension funds that owned more than 3% of Credit Suisse, "has decided to support the Lausanne-based legal start-up LegalPass in its legal action against the exchange ratio set in the context of the acquisition of Credit Suisse by UBS," it said in a statement. Under the deal, sealed last month, Credit Suisse shareholders were offered one UBS share for 22.48 Credit Suisse shares, valuing the stricken bank at 3 billion Swiss francs ($3.35 billion). Just 48 hours before deal was struck, Credit Suisse was worth 7 billion francs, Ethos said. "The exchange ratio ..was really not in the best interest of Credit Suisses shareholders and that there is room to improve it," said Ethos Chief Executive Vincent Kaufmann. If successful, all Credit Suisse shareholders would benefit from the new exchange ratio, it said. The case is the latest legal battle prompted by the emergency takeover, with holders of Credit Suisse's Additional Tier 1 bonds - which were all written down to zero - also claiming compensation. A group of Credit Suisse AT1 bondholders has also filed a class action suit accusing former executives at the Swiss bank, including three past CEOs, of being responsible for the bank's downfall. 'ADEQUATE COMPENSATION' The LegalPass claim comes under the Swiss mergers act which allows for a "verification of the exchange ratio" that enables shareholders to claim "adequate compensation" for their shares, LegalPass said last month. The aim is to enable shareholders to obtain cash compensation corresponding to the difference in value between the share price determined in the merger contract and the price determined by the court. Ethos has previously raised concerns about how the acquisition of Credit Suisse by UBS was carried out, particularly that the deal was forced through without consulting shareholders. "Since (Swiss financial regulator) FINMA has decided to withdraw shareholders' voting rights, the only way to challenge the exchange ratio is to go court, as LegalPass intends to do," Kaufmann added. UBS declined to comment on the case, which will be filed before a court in Zurich. Launching the claim last month, LegalPass said UBS's acquisition of Switzerland's second biggest bank was a "steal" with UBS document valuing the Credit Suisse business at almost $34 billion. "Credit Suisse was sold below its market price during secret negotiations and under governmental pressure, all without shareholders having any say in that matter," said Alexandre Osti, a lawyer at LegalPass. LegalPass has set a of July 20 deadline to join the class action. ($1 = 0.8965 Swiss francs) (Reporting by John Revill; Editing by Conor Humphries) FILE PHOTO: This still image taken from amateur video shows protesters defacing a giant poster of Syria's President Bashar al-Assad in Deraa, Syria March 25, 2011. Footage taken March 25, 2011. There was no way to independently verify the contents of the By Stephanie van den Berg and Maya Gebeily THE HAGUE/BEIRUT (Reuters) - In the early years of Syria's brutal conflict, top government officials established and directed paramilitary groups known as shabbiha to help the state crack down on opponents, war crimes investigators have documented. In a report shared with Reuters, the Commission for International Justice and Accountability (CIJA) published seven documents its investigators said showed that the highest levels of Syria's government "planned, organised, instigated and deployed" the shabbiha from the start of the war in 2011. U.N. investigators in 2012 concluded there were reasonable grounds to believe shabbiha militias committed crimes against humanity, including murder and torture, and war crimes such as arbitrary arrest and detention, sexual violence and pillaging. CIJA's cache does not contain direct written orders to commit atrocities. The Syrian government did not respond to a request for comment from Reuters. It has previously blamed opposition fighters for several mass killings studied by CIJA in the report. The government has not publicly commented on the shabbiha, which means ghosts in Arabic, or whether it had any role in organising the groups. Dating from as early as January 2011 - the first days of the protests against Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's rule - the documents detail the creation of so-called Popular Committees, groups that incorporated regime supporters already known as shabbiha into the security apparatus, and trained, instructed and armed them, the report said. The documents include instructions on March 2, 2011 from military intelligence to local authorities via Security Committees run by Assad's Baath party leaders to "mobilise" informers, grassroots organisations and so-called friends of the Assad government. In further documents in April they are ordered to form them into Popular Committees. They also contain instructions in April, May and August, 2011 to Popular Committees from the newly-established Central Crisis Management Committee (CCMC), a mix of security forces, intelligence agencies and top officials that reported directly to Assad, the report said. One of the CCMC's first directives, dated April 18, 2011, and included in full in the report, ordered the Popular Committees to be trained on how to use weapons against demonstrators, as well as how to arrest them and hand them over to government forces. A German regional court in 2021, in a case against a Syrian intelligence services official, said in its judgment the CCMC was established in March 2011, reporting to Assad as an ad hoc body composed of senior leaders of the security forces. A U.S. district court found in 2019 in a civil case that Assad himself established the CCMC, which the court called "the highest national security body in the Syrian government" and "comprised of senior members of the government". Reuters reviewed seven documents made available in full in the CIJA report, which was due to be published later on Tuesday. The report also draws on dozens of other papers, which were collected from government or military facilities after territory fell to the rebels. CIJA has not released all the documents it quotes from, saying some are being used in ongoing investigations in European countries. The documents showed the government created the militias "from day one", rather than latching onto pre-existing grassroot groups, as scholars of the Syrian war previously thought, said Ugur Ungor, an expert on Syrian paramilitaries and a professor of Holocaust and Genocide studies at the Dutch NIOD Institute for War, Holocaust and Genocide Studies, who has reviewed the documents in CIJA's new report. PAPER TRAIL Some human rights scholars who have studied the role of the shabbiha in the Syrian war say the Assad regime initially used the groups to distance itself from violence on the ground. "The regime did not want the security forces and army to be pictured doing these things," said Fadel Abdul Ghany, chair of the Syrian Network for Human Rights, a UK-based advocacy group. No shabbiha members have been brought to trial in international courts. Ghany, who reviewed the documents, said they could help build such cases. "Here you have the paper trail that shows how these units were mobilized", one of CIJA's directors, Nerma Jelacic, told Reuters. CIJA is a nonprofit founded by a veteran war crimes investigator and staffed by international criminal lawyers who have worked in Bosnia, Rwanda and Cambodia. Its evidence on Syria has previously been used in court cases against regime officials conducted in Germany, France, Sweden and the Netherlands. NINE MASSACRES CIJA named nine massacres in Syria the reports said involved pro-government militias, including in the neighbourhood of Karm al-Zeytoun in the city of Homs in March 2012. One Syrian man, who asked not to be named as he feared reprisals against relatives still living in government-held zones in Syria, told Reuters his wife and five children were among those killed there. "The shabbiha put them up against the wall, tried to violate them, then shot them," he said. At the time, he had joined a rebel group and was in a nearby district, al-Adawiya - where another massacre had just taken place, also cited by CIJA. "The moment I heard that my kids were dead, I was holding a six-month-old baby that had just been killed in Adawiya. So, I was imagining what had happened to my kids," he said, speaking by telephone from within a rebel-held enclave in northern Syria. Reuters was not able to independently confirm his account. The CIJA documents showed tensions between some branches of the security forces and some Popular Committees as reports of abuses spread - but rather than rein-in the militias, the security forces issued instructions to not oppose them. CIJA's Syria team of 45 people studied the documents to detail the growth of the shabbiha groups from neigbourhood-level loyalist groups to a well-organised militia and later a parallel wing of the army called the National Defence Force (NDF). Reuters earlier reported on the 2012 creation of the NDF. While there is no international war crimes court with jurisdiction over Syria's conflict, there are a number of so-called universal jurisdiction cases in countries like the Netherlands, Sweden, France and Germany which have laws allowing them to prosecute war crimes even if they are committed elsewhere. Ghany said the documents were "necessary" pieces of evidence linking the shabbiha to the state in international justice cases. "These documents make it possible to pursue people legally - if there are individuals in European countries, then a case can be brought against them," he told Reuters. (Reporting by Stephanie Van Den Berg and Maya Gebeily; Editing by Frank Jack Daniel) FILE PHOTO: A view of a Leopard 2 tank at the German army Bundeswehr base in Munster, Germany, February 20, 2023. REUTERS/Fabian Bimmer/File Photo By Alexander Hubner MUNICH (Reuters) - Up to half of the 100 billion euro ($109 billion) special fund set up to modernize the German military will likely go to U.S. defence companies, a leading tank gear box maker said, accusing Berlin of lacking a strategy for its defence industry. "I don't believe that much of the money will be left over for the German industry," Susanne Wiegand, chief executive of Renk Group, told reporters in Munich, adding the government in Berlin did not realise the strategic importance of the defence industry. "Germany does not have a strategic compass for the defence industry. This is something the French are handling much better," she said late on Monday at a journalist briefing embargoed for Tuesday. Wiegand called on the government to use the 100 billion euro fund not only to plug short-term gaps in the German military's inventories but also to help develop technologies of the future. The chancellery in Berlin did not immediately respond to a Reuters e-mailed request for comment. Renk, formerly a subsidiary of Volkswagen, is global leader in the production of gear boxes for tanks including the Leopard 2. The company, situated in the Bavarian town of Augsburg, makes about 70% of its sales from gear boxes for tanks and navy ships, the rest with gear boxes for civilian purposes such as compressors. Three years after VW sold Renk to financial investor Triton for 700 million euros, the company is preparing for a stock market flotation. "I see the capital market as a next step in our development but nothing has been decided yet," Wiegand said, without giving a date for a potential listing. Renk has booked orders totalling of 3.9 billion euros ($4.3 billion), including framework contracts, according to the CEO. Bankers estimate Renk's value to be around 2.5 billion euros in case of an IPO. ($1 = 0.9175 euros) (Reporting by Alexander Hubner; Writing by Sabine Siebold; Editing by Rachel More and David Holmes) BERLIN (Reuters) - German Justice Minister Marco Buschmann welcomed his Taiwanese counterpart to Berlin on Tuesday, the German ministry said, adding that the visit took place within the framework of the European Union's one-China policy. "The talks focused in particular on cooperation in the field of legal assistance in criminal matters," said the ministry. They also exchanged views on Internet fraud and extradition issues, it added in a statement. China views democratically governed Taiwan as its own territory and has ramped up military, political and economic pressure to assert those claims. In March, a visit by Germany's education minister to Taiwan prompted an angry response from Beijing. The visit by Taiwanese Justice Minister Ching-Hsiang Tsai on Tuesday took place as Berlin reassesses its previously close ties with China. A ministry spokesperson could not say whether this was the first visit to Germany by a Taiwanese minister. According to Germany's interpretation of the one-China policy, direct contacts with Taiwan are prohibited only for top figures, including the president, chancellor and foreign and defence ministers. Meetings of other ministers are possible. In March, Germany and Taiwan agreed to cooperate on mutual legal assistance in criminal matters. (Writing by Madeline Chambers; Editing by Miranda Murray) FILE PHOTO: A general view of the White House, where U.S. President Joe Biden cancelled his public schedule Monday after undergoing a root canal dental procedure at the White House in Washington, U.S. June 12, 2023. REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst/File Photo By Kanishka Singh WASHINGTON (Reuters) -A U.S. federal judge on Tuesday restricted some agencies and officials of the administration of President Joe Biden from meeting and communicating with social media companies to moderate their content, according to a court filing. The injunction came in response to a lawsuit brought by Republican attorneys general in Louisiana and Missouri, who alleged that U.S. government officials went too far in efforts to encourage social media companies to address posts they worried could contribute to vaccine hesitancy during the COVID-19 pandemic or upend elections. The ruling said government agencies like the Department of Health and Human Services and the FBI could not talk to social media companies for "the purpose of urging, encouraging, pressuring, or inducing in any manner the removal, deletion, suppression, or reduction of content containing protected free speech" under the Free Speech Clause of the First Amendment to the United States Constitution. A White House official said the Justice Department was reviewing the order and will evaluate its options. The litigation was originally filed by former Missouri Attorney General Eric Schmitt and Louisiana Attorney General Jeff Landry. Schmitt, who was elected to the U.S. Senate in November, used Twitter to welcome the injunction and called it a win for free speech. The order also mentioned by name officials including Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas and Jen Easterly, who heads the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, in its restrictions. Judge Terry Doughty, in an order filed with the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Louisiana, made some exceptions for communications between government officials and the companies, including to warn about risks to national security and about criminal activity. The injunction was first reported by the Washington Post. Tuesday's order marks a win for Republicans who had sued the Biden administration, saying it was using the coronavirus health crisis and the threat of misinformation as an excuse to curb views that disagreed with the government. U.S. officials have said they were aiming to tamp down misinformation about COVID vaccines to curb preventable deaths. Facebook and Instagram parent Meta Platforms, Twitter, and Alphabet's YouTube did not respond to requests for comment. (Reporting by Kanishka Singh in Washington; Additional reporting by Jeff Mason; Editing by Alistair Bell, Heather Timmons and Bill Berkrot) (Reuters) - Vladimir Dunaev, a Russian national who is in pre-trial detention in Ohio on cybercrime charges, has met for the first time with Russian embassy employees, the Russian embassy in the U.S. told the TASS state news agency on Tuesday. Dunaev was a member of a cybercriminal organization that deployed a computer banking trojan and ransomware suite of malware known as "Trickbot", the Justice Department said after his 2021 extradition from South Korea to Ohio. "The compatriot does not consider himself guilty," Nadezhda Shumova, head of the consular section at the embassy, told TASS. "He does not intend to sign an agreement with the prosecutor's office. Will stand to the end and fight for justice," she added. This was Dunaev's first in-person meeting with embassy officials, Shumova said. Dunaev's indictment alleges that beginning in November 2015, and continuing through August 2020, he and others stole money, confidential information, and damaged computer systems from unsuspecting victims, including individuals, financial institutions, school districts, utility companies, government entities, and private businesses. He has been charged with conspiracy to commit computer fraud and aggravated identity theft, conspiracy to commit wire and bank fraud, conspiracy to commit money laundering, and multiple counts of wire fraud, bank fraud, and aggravated identity theft. If convicted of all counts, Dunaev faces a maximum penalty of 60 years' imprisonment. Shumova said Dunaev has health issues and his vision has deteriorated. She added that the embassy on Monday "sent a demarche to the State Department demanding that he be provided with qualified medical care". (Reporting by Lidia Kelly in Melbourne; Editing by Himani Sarkar) FILE PHOTO: Skittles candy pack is seen in this illustration taken July 17, 2022. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File Photo By Jonathan Stempel (Reuters) - Wrigley, the maker of multi-colored fruit-flavored Skittles candies, has settled a lawsuit accusing a seller of cannabis-related merchandise of trademark infringement for marketing products under the "ZKITTLEZ" name. Under a proposed permanent injunction filed on Monday in Chicago federal court, Terphogz LLC agreed not to use Skittles, Zkittlez or similar terms for cannabis-related sales. Terphogz would stop using slogans such as "Taste the Z Train" and "Taste the Strain Bro," which Wrigley found too similar to Skittles' longtime slogan "Taste the Rainbow." It also agreed to give up the domain name zkittlez.com, though it may use the letter "Z" if people will not be confused. The settlement requires court approval. Lawyers for Wrigley and Terphogz did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Wrigley is a Chicago-based unit of privately-held Mars Wrigley. It had accused Terphogz of undermining nearly 50 years of goodwill generated by the Skittles brand with its "freewheeling use" of Skittles marks to sell cannabis, drug paraphernalia and other merchandise, some of which also carried a rainbow theme. A judge rejected Terphogz' bid to dismiss the case in November 2021. Terphogz, based in Mendocino, California, claimed it did not sell cannabis, but licensed its intellectual property rights to other companies that sold cannabis legally, court papers show. Wrigley has filed lawsuits alleging trademark infringement related to other brands, including Life Savers and Starburst. The case is Wm Wrigley Jr Co v Terphogz LLC, U.S. District Court, Northern District of Illinois, No. 21-02357. (Reporting by Jonathan Stempel in New York; Editing by Marguerita Choy) FILE PHOTO: Juul e-cigarettes are seen on the counter of a vape store in Santa Monica, California, U.S., June 23, 2022. REUTERS/Lucy Nicholson/File Photo By Diane Bartz and Kanishka Singh WASHINGTON (Reuters) -The U.S. Federal Trade Commission said on Monday it dismissed a complaint against Marlboro cigarette maker Altria Group and e-cigarette maker Juul Labs that was brought after Altria bought a 35% stake in Juul. The agency also said it would vacate an FTC administrative law judge's decision in favor of the companies in February 2022. Since it has been vacated, it cannot be cited as precedent, the agency said in the statement announcing it was dropping the litigation. The FTC said in 2020 that Altria's $12.8 billion investment violated antitrust law because the company acquired the position rather than continuing to compete against Juul in the market for closed-system e-cigarettes. Altria had exited the stake earlier this year and had asked the FTC to drop the challenge. As of December, its share of Juul was valued at $250 million, down from $12.8 billion in 2018. Altria said on Monday it was pleased by the FTC dropping its complaint. Separate from the FTC action, Juul has fought with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration over whether it could sell e-cigarettes in the United States. Altria's MarkTen was at one point the second most popular e-cigarette maker, according to the FTC. In May, Altria said that it will pay $235 million to settle at least 6,000 lawsuits accusing it of fueling a teen vaping epidemic through its former investment in Juul. (Reporting by Diane Bartz and Kanishka Singh in WashingtonEditing by David Gregorio) The U.S. Capitol is full of art: sculptures, portraits, murals depicting Founding Fathers, suffragist mothers and symbols of the nation's ideals. Perhaps the grandest of these, standing atop the Capitol dome like a national wedding-cake topper, is the bronze "Statue of Freedom." It wouldn't exist without the artistry and genius of an enslaved man named Philip Reed. Almost nothing is known about Reed before he was purchased in 1839 in Charleston, S.C., when he was about 18 years old. Was he separated from his mother, or a spouse, or a child? Where did he get his last name, then spelled "Reid"? And how was he, as the man who purchased him later said, already a "first rate plasterer by trade"? That purchaser, Clark Mills, was also a plasterer by trade and used his bride's dowry to "invest" in another set of skilled hands whom he didn't have to pay. The two men would work side by side for the next two decades, according to genealogist John Philip Colletta, who recently unearthed new details about Reed's life. Mills also used Reed to fill in for him while he taught himself new skills first, casting bronze busts from plaster life masks, and then sculpting marble. After Mills' artistic reputation grew in South Carolina, he landed the commission of a lifetime, a nine-foot bronze monument to Andrew Jackson that would stand in front of the White House. It is highly likely that Mills took Reed with him when he moved to Washington in 1848, according to Colletta, for when a sculptor friend visiting Mills' new studio on 15th Street and Pennsylvania Avenue remarked on how physically demanding some of the plasterwork must be, Mills replied that he "kept a n----- for that," the sculptor recalled in a letter to his wife. The commission for the statue wasn't just artistic; a bronze monument of this size had never been attempted in the United States. The only foundries big enough and craftsmen experienced enough for the project were in Europe. Mills hired a German metalworker to help him build a foundry and teach him and his team how to make molds and heat the furnace properly to cast bronze. But the lessons were never finished; the German, apparently having some argument with Mills, left in a huff, Colletta wrote, leaving Mills and his team to experiment for a few years until they figured out the rest of the process for themselves. It's likely Reed was integral to this, because a few years later, Mills added "foundry worker" to the list of things at which Reed was "highly skilled." The Jackson statue was unveiled to ecstatic fanfare in 1853, making Mills an overnight star, and rich. He soon acquired a 115-acre farm and country house in Northeast Washington, an even bigger studio and foundry, seven prize horses, and eight more enslaved people to maintain it all. (The WMATA Bus Bladensburg Division and Bad Axe Throwing now sit on the site.) The Statue of Freedom on top of the Capitol didn't start out as a Clark Mills project. The commission went to Thomas Crawford, an American sculptor living in Italy. He drew plans for a classical-style goddess in flowing robes and wearing a "liberty cap," a cap used in ancient Rome to denote enslaved people who had been freed. The liberty cap was a common symbol used in art during the American Revolution but lately had been taken up by abolitionists, and the plans for the sculpture caught the ire of Jefferson Davis, then the secretary of war, who was overseeing the expansion of the Capitol grounds. An ardent supporter of slavery, Davis objected to the cap and asked Crawford to come up with something a little less freedom-y and a little more warlike, according to the Architect of the Capitol. Crawford designed a helmet festooned with feathers, which, while not actually resembling Native American headdresses, was meant as a nod to them. Neither Crawford nor Davis would see the final statue unveiled. Crawford died suddenly in 1857, not long after finishing the plaster model of Freedom. His widow had the model cut into five pieces and shipped to the United States, where an Italian artist put it back together with interior bolts and new layers of plaster to cover the seams. The model stood for more than a year in Statuary Hall, during which time Davis became president of the Confederacy. The government hired Mills to complete the job casting the plaster model in bronze paying him a huge sum of $400 (nearly $15,000 today) a month, plus expenses for materials and labor. Mills, though, immediately ran into a big problem: The Italian artist, betting that only he could find the delicate seams to cut it into pieces small enough for the foundry, refused to help without a major financial windfall. How Reed saved the day became legendary. The most detailed account comes from the writer S.D. Wyeth, who heard the story from Mills's son Fisk. The "highly intelligent" Reed had an idea, Wyeth wrote: "His plan of working was this: a pulley and tackle was brought into use, and its hook inserted into an iron eye affixed to the head of the figure the rope was then gently strained repeatedly until the uppermost joining of the top section of the model began to make a faint appearance. This gave some indication as to the whereabouts of its bolts inside, lead[ing] to their discovery; and thus, finally, one after another of the sections was discovered, their bolts unloosed, and the model, uninjured, made ready for the foundry." Once in the foundry, Reed worked seven days a week for nine months while the bronze was cast. We know this because Mills kept detailed records and charged the government $1.25 a day more than his free laborers made for Reed's wage. Mills pocketed Reed's wage six days a week; Reed later filed for and received his wage for 33 Sundays between July 1860 and May 1861, when he was "keeping up fires under the moulds." The bronze statue was completed by February 1862. Two months later, an act of Congress freed all enslaved people in Washington, including Reed. Much of what we know about him comes from Mills' petition to be compensated for the loss of his "property." Describing Reed as "aged 42 years, mulatto [mixed-race] color, short in stature, in good health, not prepossessing in appearance but smart in mind," he asked to be compensated $1,500 for Reed three times the amount he asked for the other people he had enslaved. (Mills received only a fraction of his request, about which he "fumed," Colletta wrote.) According to Wyeth in 1865, "Mr. Reed, the former slave, is now in business for himself, and highly esteemed by all who know him." Census records show that he soon married and had a son. Historians have noted that before his emancipation, his last name was spelled "Reid" in official records, while afterward it was spelled "Reed," suggesting a personal preference. Colletta also noted that after Mills' 1862 compensation hearing, during which Reed had to testify, there's no evidence the two ever saw each other again, suggesting there was no love lost between them. The last piece of the statue was placed atop the Capitol dome on Dec. 2, 1863. There are no records indicating whether Reed was there to see it. Reed died in Washington in 1892, in his early 70s, far outliving his former enslaver. Both Colletta and a genealogist writing for Ancestry Magazine were unable to find evidence of living relatives. In death, Reed's remains have followed the path of many in the District's Black community priced out by developers and pushed out to Prince George's County. His remains and his gravestone first were moved in 1895, from a cemetery near the Capitol to the Columbian Harmony Cemetery, a Black burial ground farther north on Rhode Island Avenue Northeast. In 1960, developers acquired the land and moved the remains of 37,000 people to National Harmony Memorial Park in Landover, Md. Remains unclaimed by family, including Reed's, were placed in an unmarked common grave. It's unclear what happened to Reed's gravestone, though a recent discovery in Virginia revealed that thousands of grave markers from Columbian Harmony were tossed into the Potomac River for erosion control. A plaque honoring Reed went up at the new site in 2014; nowadays there's an even bigger marker, honoring both Reed and Solomon Northup, another of Washington's famous Black residents. (It remains unknown when Northup died or where he was buried.) Etched from black stone, the marker to Philip Reed is beautiful, if hard to find, sitting at the back of the cemetery's rolling green hills near the office. On a clear day, of which there have lately been few, one can look southwest and, seven miles away, barely make out the monument by Philip Reed. Thailand is targeting 25 million foreign tourists for the whole year, with Chinese visitors seen at 5 million, it said in a statement released on Sunday, which cited figures from January 1 to June 25. The Southeast Asian country, for years one of Asia's most popular travel destinations, received a record of nearly 40 million foreign tourists in pre-pandemic 2019 before authorities imposed two years of crippling Covid-19 curbs. The tourism sector, a key source of Thailand's jobs and growth, picked up in 2022 with 11.15 million visitors, after most restrictions were removed in the second half of the year. Indonesia, Southeast Asia's largest economy, received 4.12 million visitors in the first five months of 2023, equal to 70% of the total arrivals in 2022. Foreign arrivals to Indonesia in May were up 9.21% compared to the previous month thanks to international events, data from the statistics bureau showed on Monday. The Southeast Asian country recorded 945,590 tourist arrivals in May versus 865,810 in April, data showed. "[The increase] came as there were some events that happened in May, such as the ASEAN summit," Pudji Ismartini, deputy head of Statistics Indonesia, said in a press conference. She was referring to the meeting of Southeast Asian leaders that was held in the tourism destination, Labuan Bajo in East Nusa Tenggara province. Malaysia, Australia and Singapore were still the top three source markets, as in the previous two months. Earlier this year, Indonesia's tourism ministry revised up its target of foreign arrivals in 2023 to 8.5 million visitors from 7.4 million following positive results in the first quarter. (Tribune News Service) Whenever people want to learn about any of the 650 Revolutionary War sites scattered throughout New Jersey, they can turn to Al Frazza and his trusty website in a minutes notice. Frazza, a web designer from Little Falls, spent nearly eight years visiting every known Revolutionary War site in a state that has been dubbed The Crossroads of the American Revolution. In roughly the time it took for the Continental Army to defeat the British, Frazza crisscrossed the state with a camera he borrowed from his mother and photographed each site. Then he dug through historical records to create revolutionarywarnewjersey.com, a virtual road map of the small states outsized role in the War of Independence. I always wondered why, with so much history all around us, that people didnt seem to appreciate more, said Frazza, 54, who grew up in Nutley. I basically said to myself, you keep complaining about this, why not do something about it? So, in September of 2009, he got in his 1988 Buick Century and drove to the John Holcombe House in Lambertville for his first stop. The Holcombe House is one of the many places where George Washington stayed during the war. Frazza was driving a 1994 Oldsmobile Cutlass Ciera when he finished his project in February of 2017 with a visit to the Kingsland Manor in Nutley, his hometown. Im not really a car guy, he said. I have no mechanical ability at all. But he knows how to design a website, and took on the often tedious task of sifting through primary source documents. In eight years, he visited all the major sites like battlefields in Trenton, Princeton, Monmouth, and Springfield and all the obscure ones, including Turtle Gut Inlet, Aquackanonk Landing, and John Harts Cave. What I came to realize is that doing historical research is often lonely, he said. Youre sitting in a library or a church office, combing through archives. My most constant companion was George Washington. I went to so many locations he was associated with, he was constantly in my life. It never got boring. These days, theres a lot of traffic on those crossroads, so finding the historic places within the labyrinth of highways, strip malls, farms and factories took up most of Frazzas free time. He estimates that he spent 10,000 hours on the project. I used Google maps and still got lost, Frazza said. I would get stuck in traffic. And I was at the mercy of the documents when it came to research. What I came to realize is that everything took a lot longer than I anticipated. The British army occupied New York City throughout the war, while the newly-formed Continental Congress set up shop in Philadelphia. New Jersey was in between them and thus became the crossroads, with major battles fought at Trenton, Princeton, Monmouth, and Springfield, and skirmishes, massacres and raids all over the state. The revolution left its mark and its markers all over New Jersey. One of Frazzas favorite memories is the day he went to the Cherry Hill Mall in search of the white boulder that marked the spot where the Marquis de Lafayette camped on his way to the Battle of Gloucester in 1777. He found the boulder by the entrance to Macys. Then came the day he visited the Proprietary House in Perth Amboy, where William Franklin, the son of Benjamin Franklin, served as the last Royal Governor of the State of New Jersey. William Franklin was arrested just days before his father signed the Declaration of Independence in Philadelphia on July 4, 1776. William eventually returned to England, but he never reconciled with his father, who died in 1790. The website tells the stories of the heroes and villains of the war. In one dramatic tale, a Presbyterian minister, James Caldwell, tore out of the pages of his church hymnals and gave them to Continental Army soldiers to stuff their muskets with wadding during the Battle of Springfield. (A musket stuffed with wadding will fire more accurately). Tragically, both Caldwell and his wife, Hannah, would die by the bullet. Hannah was killed by a British soldier during the Battle of Connecticut Farms (now Union) on June 7, 1780. The incident is commemorated on the Union County seal, but officials recently considered changing the seal to remove the depiction of a woman being murdered. James Caldwell also met a grisly end, shot dead by an American sentry, James Morgan, in 1781. Morgan went on trial for murder at the Presbyterian Church in Westfield and was found guilty. A plaque on Gallows Hill Road in Westfield marks the spot where he was hanged. Frazza said his favorite moment came in Cranbury, a town in Middlesex County that was the site of a Continental Army encampment in 1778. He remembers being alone on the street on a crisp late Autumn morning, and for that moment Cranbury seemed as it was on the day American soldiers marched into town. It was like the place was frozen in time, he said. The moment was perfect. Ive never gone back there, and I never will. Frazza recently wrote a book about his journey through New Jersey called State of Revolution. He describes the book as part history, part memoir and wrote it on a manual typewriter that his mother had in her basement. With the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence just three years away, Frazza is hoping people will use his website as a guide. One of the things that really makes me happy is when people say, Wow, I didnt know that happened here. That was kind of my goal. I didnt expect to turn everyone into a history fanatic. I just wanted to give people a connection to the past. rcowen@njadvancemedia.com 2023 Advance Local Media LLC. Visit nj.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. (Tribune News Service) It was an unlikely mix of soldiers: Some were Black slaves. Others were "Hebrew" merchants. Two were Founding Fathers. But they were all patriots with a common enemy, the British, who were looking to snatch Port Royal Island from the control of the Continental Army and use Port Royal Sound as a deep-water port in the southern theater of the Revolutionary War. On Feb. 3, 1779, musket shots and cannon blasts rang out across 20 acres of high ground in a wooded area six miles north of downtown Beaufort, S.C. When it was over, the Patriots remained in control of Port Royal Island. Eight Continental Army soldiers were dead and 22 wounded. Casualties on the British side were estimated at 40, and 10 were captured. The battle wasn't big. But it was notable. For one, the Continental Army won, although the British later conquered Charleston and got their southern port, says Doug Bostick, CEO of South Carolina Battleground Trust, a not-for-profit land trust. But more than that, Bostick says, the Battle of Port Royal Island broke ground when it came to race and religion and service in the military. It is one of the earliest documented uses of Black troops in the Revolutionary War. And what may have been the only documented company of Jewish militia joined them in the fight. Joining the unusual collection of Patriots were two signers of the Declaration of Independence. Never before had two signers picked up guns and fought in the same battle. Yet as it stands now, other than a tiny battlefield marker that provides a few details, no features identify the battlefield off of U.S. Highway 21 near the Highway 21 Drive-In as a Revolutionary War site. One day earlier this week, cars whizzed past doing 60 mph. Much of the area has been developed with homes and commercial buildings and Marine Corps Air Station Beaufort where part of the battlefield lies is located across the highway, behind a barbed-wire fence. "Even within Beaufort, it's probably little known," Bostick says of the Battle of Port Royal Island. That's why efforts are underway today to protect the site and its historic value, artifacts and raise its profile with the public. In 2020, government, land conservation and history groups teamed up and bought two parcels for $1.8 million from John Harris, owner of the Harris Pillow Co., and Mike Kling. Bostick's group, which works to save battlefields, holds the conservation easement that protects it. Beaufort County owns the deed. In the meantime, as the nation prepares to celebrate its independence July 4, here's five facts about the groundbreaking battle in Beaufort. 1. Port Royal Sound was in jeopardy The Battle of Port Royal Island occurred on Feb. 3, 1779, on what would one day become the Harris Pillow Co. and the Marine Corps Air Station Beaufort, about the half-way mark in the seven-year war from April 19, 1775, to Sept. 3, 1783. The British, who already controlled Savannah, were looking for another deep-water port in the war's southern theater where they could stage supplies and troops and set their sights on Port Royal Sound. In late January 1779, 200 British regulars, led by Maj. William Gardner, were sent to seize Port Royal Island arriving via the Broad River at present day Laurel Bay and they continued toward Beaufort, destroying plantations along the way. More than 250 American troops, most of them Beaufort militia and led by Brig. Gen. William Moultrie of Berkeley County, S.C., met the British on the highest ground of the island, a rise called Grays Hill. The British positioned themselves at the edge of some woods, advancing with bayonets fixed. The Americans lined up in an open field outside musket range. The Americans fired first with artillery, and then followed the initial barrage with musket volleys. It was over in 45 minutes when the British retreated, with Patriot Moultrie observing that the action was "reversed from the usual way of fighting between British and Americans; they taking the bushes and we taking the open ground." 2. Declaration signers lay down pens and pick up guns It was the only battle in the American Revolution where two signers of the Declaration of Independence fought in the same battle. Thomas Hayward Jr. was from the Beaufort District. The ruins of his home are in Jasper County. Edward Rutledge was from Charleston. Both were patriots and captains in the Charleston artillery battalion. "That's a pretty rare thing," Bostick said. "A lot of the men that were signers were older men. This is the only battle where you have two signers that actually fought in the battle." 3. King Street Jewish merchants join the fight One of the militia units with the Patriots was a Jewish militia company from Charleston. When militia companies were formed, they were usually mustered in bases where they lived, Bostick says. The Charleston Regiment of Militia was mustered in on King Street and included Jewish merchants who operated retail stores and lived above their businesses. A 1910 article written about the group noted there were "26 Hebrews in this Volunteer Company raised on King Street." They were called "The Company of Free Citizens." While a number of Jewish patriots fought in the war, this may be the only documented company of a Jewish militia, Bostick says. "There's just not that much written about it but there are a number of significant Jewish patriots," Bostick said. "And there are a number of Jewish men who helped finance war. This is the only militia company that's primarily Jewish. 4. Jim Capers, a Black soldier, became a war hero The battle is one of the earliest documented use of Black troops in the Revolutionary War who fought for the country's independence even though they themselves were slaves. One was Jim Capers, drum major in the 4th Regiment of the South Carolina Militia, who later became a war hero. During the Revolutionary War, Bostick notes, a regimental drummer used the drum to transmit orders. Carrying no weapon, they were at particular risk. Capers survived the Battle of Eutaw Springs with sword and musket ball wounds on his face and head. Capers, who was born Sept. 23, 1742, in Christ Church Parish, S.C. (Mt. Pleasant), enlisted when he was 13. Besides the Battle of Port Royal Island and Eutaw Springs, he also fought in the Siege of Savannah, the Siege of Charles Town, and the battles of St. Helena, Georgetown, Camden and Biggin Church. He was even present for the surrender of Cornwallis, the commanding British general. Capers fought the entire war and was granted freedom at the end of his service, "which is a pretty incredible thing," Bostick says. Capers died in Pike County, Ala., on April 1, 1853, at the age of 110. "The American Army was never again as integrated until you get to World War II," Bostick said. "There were enslaved Blacks and free Blacks both fighting in the American Revolution." Some Black soldiers also fought for the British, who offered freedom to any slave willing to fight with them, Bostick said. 5. How to see the site There's not much to look at now and the battlefield is easy to miss traveling along busy Highway 21. It's located on the west side of the highway, just north of Parker Drive. A small sign explains the battle, but no work has been done on the battlefield itself, which is overgrown with trees and brush. The rest of the site is inaccessible to the public as its located on Marine Corps Air Station Beaufort. But efforts are underway to improve the site and make it easier to visit. Now that the property is in public hands, the South Carolina Battlefield Trust plans to work with Beaufort County on producing markers that show the American and British lines and narrative panels explaining the significance of the battle and how it unfolded. That's expected to happen in 2024. John Allison, an independent metal dictation archaeologist from Columbia, has thoroughly surveyed entire battlefield. "By 2016 we pretty well knew the battlefield footprint and had a good understanding of where it was located," Bostick said. (c)2023 The Island Packet (Hilton Head, S.C.) Visit www.islandpacket.com Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. Standing 6-foot-2-inches, Idris Elba's size helps to sell his characters. As a detective in Luther, he often averted protocol and went rogue. On The Wire, he played a shrewd, intimidating crime boss in the drug world. In the 2022 movie Beast, he protected his daughters from a ferocious lion while on holiday in South Africa. But, in his new Apple TV+ series Hijack, it's his mental strength that helps him navigate a crisis, not his build. Elba plays Sam, a passenger on a flight from Dubai to London that turns into a hostage situation. The first two episodes of Hijack debuted June 28 on Apple TV+, with one new episode released weekly. I'm used to being cast as a big man," said Elba. In this situation Sam is vulnerable. He isn't there to fight. Sam's strength here is that he works as a corporate negotiator, and his ability to assess high-stakes situations like mergers and acquisitions, serves him well. It's all a bit of a psych game, he said. "Pitting one against the other and figuring out what your weak spot is. And then, of course, being able to make people feel comfortable, not threatened, Space or lack thereof was an integral part of filming. The set was an actual plane which Elba said "really helped" the look and feel of the scenes. We thought about builds and then we thought, What if we just bring a plane in and shoot within what weve got?'" said Elba, who was also an executive producer on the show. Youve just got the space that youve got... It felt a little bit like a play and the camera could only go so many places. The seven-episode series also unfolds in roughly the same amount of time it takes to fly from Dubai to London. Its difficult to to make that happen because you shoot things out of sequence, but each minute of every episode is important," said Elba. The show cuts between what's happening in the air and on the ground as officials try to piece together what they're dealing with and how to react. It just made sense to get these real time decisions as a way to propel the narrative forward rather than sort of jump out of time sequence, said Elba, adding that the two perspectives are really reflective of each other the whole time. It was very intense," added Archie Panjabi, who plays a counter-terrorism official. As the series progresses, the tension multiplies and so did the number of people in the room." In the end, Panjabi says there was a feeling of resolution that was freeing. I should tell people I spent six hours on screen saving your butt, she tells Elba to laughter. Elba felt his own kind of relief at the end of six months of filming, in part because his adrenaline was often running high even between scenes. You stay keyed up. You go to your trailer or whatever, chill out, but you cant undo your mindset. Your body does not know its acting." The Chinese government has postponed a trip to Beijing by Josep Borrell, the European Union's foreign affairs chief, which had been due next week, a spokesperson for Borrell said Tuesday. No details were given on the postponement. The E.U.'s ambassador to Beijing, Jorge Toledo, said earlier that Borrell would arrive in Beijing next Monday and meet Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang and other senior officials there. China Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning said Tuesday at a regular press briefing in Beijing she didn't have any information to offer about a visit to China by Borrell. Hungary will back Sweden's bid to join the NATO military alliance once Turkey, the other holdout, gives a sign that it's also ready to do so, Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto said. "If there's movement there, then of course we'll keep our pledge that Hungary won't delay any country's membership," Szijjarto told reporters in Budapest on Tuesday, adding that he'll be in "close and continuous" contact with Turkish counterparts in the coming days. Both Turkey and Hungary are under pressure to approve Sweden's bid to join the North Atlantic Treaty Organization ahead of a summit in Vilnius next week. To date, 29 of NATO's 31 members have ratified Sweden's entry, with Hungary continuing to stall alongside Turkey. Szijjarto said he's held numerous calls with his Turkish counterpart. Turkey will "consult with the Swedes as well as NATO leaders" in the coming days regarding efforts to break the impasse on NATO membership, he said. Hungary dropped its opposition to Finland's NATO entry in March once it became clear that Turkey would also lift its opposition. Israel launched its largest military operation in the West Bank in two decades Monday in the city of Jenin, a hub of militant activity that Israeli forces have targeted repeatedly this year. Israel's far-right government, which came to power in December, has made it a priority to crack down on the refugee camp inside Jenin, which it says is harboring fighters who have carried out or are planning to launch attacks inside Israel. At least 50 attacks against Israeli citizens in recent months were launched from Jenin, according to the Israel Defense Forces, and 19 people participating in those assaults fled to the camp afterward. Formed in 1953 to hold Palestinians displaced by the 1948 Arab-Israeli war, the camp is now under the control of the Palestinian Authority. But the group's aging and unpopular leaders have struggled to rein in armed factions in Jenin and across the occupied West Bank. Currently, 2023 is on track to be the deadliest year for Palestinians in the West Bank since the United Nations began recording fatalities in 2005, after the last Palestinian uprising. Between Jan. 1 and mid-June, 114 Palestinians were killed by Israeli forces, according to the United Nations; 16 Israelis were killed by Palestinians over the same period. Since a January raid in Jenin, operations in the city have continued to escalate. July 3 Monday's raid marked a huge escalation in Israeli operations in Jenin. Some 1,000 Israeli soldiers, assisted by drone strikes, stormed the city. At least eight people were killed and 80 were injured, according to the Palestinian Health Ministry. Israeli officials said they were targeting an "operational command center" used by militants and did not indicate when the raid would end, a hallmark of past military campaigns in Gaza. June 19 An Israeli raid aimed at arresting two suspected militants spiraled into a firefight that left five Palestinians dead and dozens wounded, including at least 91 Palestinians and eight Israeli soldiers and border police officers. For the first time since the early 2000s, Israel dispatched a combat helicopter to help rescue the injured soldiers. The aircraft fired at Palestinian fighters on the ground to clear the area, the IDF said. Later that night, Israel launched a rare drone strike on a car carrying suspected militants on the outskirts of the city. The next day, Palestinian gunmen opened fire at a gas station restaurant in Eli, an Israeli settlement in the West Bank, killing four people. Hamas, the militant group that controls the Gaza Strip, claimed credit for the attack, calling it a response to the raid in Jenin. March 16 An elite Israeli unit, Yamam, killed four people, including two Palestinian militants and 14-year-old Omar Awadin, in a daytime raid on a crowded commercial street that Israeli officials said was intended to "apprehend terrorists." A Washington Post investigation of video evidence and witness statements found that Awadin was one of 16 civilians in the area where Israeli forces fired at least 20 shots from AR-style rifles and a handgun. One of the militants was shot multiple times by Israeli agents after he was incapacitated an apparent extrajudicial execution that experts said could violate Israeli law. March 7 Israeli military vehicles swept into the Jenin refugee camp, searching for a man suspected of killing two Israeli brothers, ages 21 and 19, from the settlement of Har Bracha. At least six Palestinians were killed and 26 others injured in the raid, according to the Palestinian Health Ministry. The IDF said the suspect was among the dead. Jan. 26 A raid by Israeli forces in Jenin devolved into an hours-long gunfight, killing at least nine people, including a 61-year-old woman, and wounding 19 others at the time, it was the deadliest West Bank operation in 20 years. The raid spurred Palestinian authorities to temporarily suspend cooperation with the Israeli government. Israeli forces had been conducting near-daily operations in Jenin, mostly at night, targeting militants suspected of planning or being involved in attacks. The early-morning operation in January signaled the start of a more aggressive military approach, culminating in Monday's bloody incursion. WASHINGTON (Tribune News Service) House GOP leaders are discussing the possibility of putting a stopgap spending bill on the floor as soon as this month as a fail-safe option while they try to build support for passing fiscal 2024 appropriations bills that appear on shaky ground. The idea, according to one person familiar with the conversations, is to have a stopgap in place to continue government funding past Sept. 30 in the event all the regular appropriations bills are not passed by the end of the fiscal year. That move would avoid a partial government shutdown in October if the Senate also passed the stopgap and President Joe Biden signed it into law. Some Republicans view passing a stopgap ahead of time as a way to take a shutdown off the table, thereby skirting some of the pressure from Democrats to accept a catchall omnibus or other appropriations bills that have higher spending than conservatives want. GOP leaders are holding ongoing discussions with rank-and-file members to try to build enough support to pass all the full-year fiscal 2024 bills after they are reported out of the Appropriations Committee. And they recognize that additional changes may be needed to get the 218 votes usually needed for passage, according to the source, who spoke on background to discuss private leadership deliberations. Some hard-line conservatives might still block the consideration of bills that dont cut spending as deeply as they want, despite GOP leaders having already acceded to many of their demands. Leaderships preference is to find a way to pass the annual appropriations bills to set up a strong negotiating position with the Senate. Just five Republicans can tank any of the bills, as Democrats are expected to be unified against them. GOP leaders have sought to build consensus partly by setting spending allocations below the topline levels agreed to in last months debt limit suspension law brokered by Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., and the White House. Smoke and mirrors But in the narrowly divided House, some members of the hard-right Freedom Caucus and others are threatening to withhold their support as they seek deeper cuts. Some of the hard-line critics expressed their concern at a meeting with McCarthy on June 23. Im very frustrated, said Rep. Ralph Norman, R-S.C., a Freedom Caucus member who attended the meeting. I dont know how we get off this train of continuous spending. Norman said he could not support a leadership plan to tap roughly $115 billion from previously appropriated, but unspent, funds to boost nondefense spending that would otherwise be subject to deeper cuts. While McCarthy said he would try to pare back spending to fiscal 2022 levels, the use of rescissions could make next years spending relatively flat. To go to 22 levels and use rescissions to just plus it back up is wrong, Norman said. Im not into any more smoke and mirrors. He said money from rescissions should be used only to pay down the debt or possibly to boost military spending. Another conservative who attended the meeting, Tennessee Rep. Tim Burchett, said, Id like to see clear cuts again, not accounting tricks. As for whether he would support the fiscal 2024 bills, Burchett said, Put me down as a no until you hear otherwise. I dont support them until I see the final numbers. But Burchett said GOP leadership was very upfront about the process and was trying to build consensus for the bills, including by considering deeper cuts. They said everythings on the table, Burchett said of House leaders. Im not ready to throw in the towel on this thing. GOP leaders and their deputies are soliciting additional spending cut ideas from members, several sources said. But deeper cuts would only widen the disparity with Senate appropriators, who are writing bills to the levels allowed under the debt limit deal. The two chambers are using spending allocations that are already about $119 billion apart. There is no immediate need for a stopgap measure this month since the fiscal year does not end until Sept. 30. But if House Republicans cant agree on regular spending bills, they will be at a disadvantage when they go to the bargaining table with the Senate. Such an impasse would make the default option a CR that extends spending at fiscal 2023 levels. The ultimate fallback option would be a full-year CR, but that measure would satisfy almost no one and could face opposition from multiple fronts. It would anger defense hawks who want higher defense spending. And it would not satisfy fiscal conservatives who want to roll back spending to fiscal 2022 levels. Burchett said he has not yet heard talk of a CR but would oppose it in any case. I dont vote for CRs, he said. Im tired of compromising on the future of our countrys financial well-being. Nevertheless, if House Republicans cannot agree on appropriations bills and if conservatives block them this month ahead of the August recess, putting a CR on the floor may be the only logical outcome to avoid a partial government shutdown when the new fiscal year begins Oct. 1. Norman said the June 23 meeting, which drew 20 to 25 Republicans representing various factions of the GOPs five families, offered a starting point toward a resolution. They heard us out, he said of leadership. We spoke our peace. But when asked if McCarthy offered any game plan for a resolution, Norman simply said, We spoke and they listened. Roll Call staff writer Aidan Quigley contributed to this report. 2023 CQ-Roll Call, Inc., All Rights Reserved. Visit cqrollcall.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. America turned 247 years old Tuesday and revelers marked the birthday across the Washington region with pomp, pageantry, parades and parties and the promise of plenty of fireworks to come. The mood was celebratory and upbeat and mostly free of the rancor that has dominated so much of the conversation about America's politics and prospects over the past few years. Many expressed hope that a more harmonious existence is in the country's near future, but the optimism was cautious. The rain that soaked the capital overnight abated by morning. Skies cleared. And the sun shone brightly at 9:30 as General George Washington inspected the troops at Mount Vernon, an unofficial start to the day's festivities. Military music played through speakers and more than 30 soldiers carrying muskets and wearing tricorn hats and meticulously tailored Revolutionary War era uniforms stood at attention as Washington, portrayed by Dan Shippey, walked past them. Among the hundred or so visitors watching the ceremony was Andrea Hoskin, 63, accompanied by her daughter, son-in-law, and four grandchildren. "I wanted to see the location that George Washington lived at and dreamt about our nation and fought for our nation," she said. A retired history teacher who comes from a military family, Hoskin said she hoped her grandchildren would make the connection to the nation's past. "Military is in our blood. Fighting for our nation is in our blood and seeing our history is in our blood," she said. The event was a precursor for the swearing-in of new citizens at the home of the nation's first president. Rehema Milka Nyamuhindu, a 19-year-old from the Republic of Congo, moved to the United States at the age of five and now lives in northern Virginia. She was one of the 90 people from 53 countries at the ceremony to become new citizens of the United States. Nyamuhindu said she knew the ceremony would take place on the holiday, but had no idea it would be treated with such pomp and circumstance. "It's great to be able to finally relax for a little bit because I have my citizenship," she said. "I truly feel like I can do anything well, not anything, but definitely have more freedom." The event featured live music and a special appearance by George Washington, who delivered a speech to the new citizens and guests. "Welcome home, my fellow Americans," he said, as the crowd cheered and the new citizens waved mini American flags. "It means a lot to me," said Henry Paa Kwesi Williams, a 23-year-old from Ghana who joined the Army in 2022 and celebrated his official citizenship Tuesday. "Like they say, America is the land of the free and I'm going to take this opportunity to make a good life out of it. And I also believe America has a great future ahead because of [the] strong foundation it was built on." On Capitol Hill, Susan Fournier wore a Washington Nationals shirt, a white hat with a red, white and blue sash and earrings to match as she stood on the sidewalk of Eighth Street SE with hundreds of people and pets waiting for the Capitol Hill Community Fourth of July parade to pass by. Fournier, 71, has attended the neighborhood parade for decades, but this year's installment was special. It was the first time her grandson would march in it as a member of the local Boy Scout troop. "We're all just really excited," she said. Brooke Lawson, 19, has been coming to the Capitol Hill parade since she was an infant. As a youngster, she focused on grabbing the candy tossed to kids by people on floats. As she's grown older, she said, the event has become a way for her family to bond. On Tuesday, Lawson was at the parade with her mother, Ingrid Bynum, an elementary school principal in Virginia. Lawson and her mother found a shady spot on Eighth Street to watch as Eastern High School's marching band, dancers and drum line powered up the street. A sea of Labradoodles, some wearing American flag bandannas, also passed by with their obedient owners in tow. Lawson said her favorite though, was Tinkus Bolivia USA, a group that performs traditional dances from Bolivia and has become a mainstay of the Capitol Hill parade. The celebratory and inclusive morning vibe is something Lawson said she hoped can be replicated across the nation. "Getting to see the community come together for an event like this is nice, so I wish that was something we could do as a country, politically," Lawson said. By early afternoon, temperatures had reached the high 80s and the traditional holiday was greeted with traditional Washington humidity as the National Independence Day Parade made its way down Constitution Avenue near the National Mall. The sound of drums and horns permeated the air in front of the National Museum of History, where a large crowd stood along both sides of the street. A float draped in red, white and blue glided down Constitution as characters portraying Abraham Lincoln and Founding Fathers waved to the crowd. Alana Prewitt, 27, wore a blue maxi dress as she held a blue umbrella to match, protecting her from the sun. Prewitt and her husband, David, brought their daughter Riley, who is a year old to experience the parade in her stroller, parked front and center. "I'm here to celebrate the 4th of July. My husband's family is in town so we wanted to give them an experience of D.C., and just have a good time," said Prewitt, a D.C. resident. While enjoying the festivities Prewitt, a Black woman, said her hope in America is tainted by the current climate and recent overturning of Affirmative Action. "I don't have hope," she said. "If the right people were to get in place I would, but right now, I don't." In the future, Prewitt said she would like to see an America that exhibited togetherness, similar to the day's crowd. "I'm a Christian. I just want to see unity and peace in our country. If we had unity and peace things would be so much better," Prewitt said. (Tribune News Service) Pascale Lozano, 62, a native of Paris and resident of Lafayette, is on a mission to ensure that American veterans of World War II who helped liberate her home country are honored and remembered for their sacrifices. Her father, Pascal, joined the French Navy in 1942 and was taken as a prisoner of war in Dortmund, Germany, until his liberation by American troops on May 5, 1945. "This is my humble way of saying, 'Thank you,' " she said. Lozano is searching for WWII veterans and helping them apply for the French National Order of the Legion of Honor, the highest military and civilian decoration awarded in France. In Louisiana, Lozano turned to historian, New Iberia native and Houston resident Jason Theriot, who interviewed South Louisiana WWII veterans for a three-volume series titled, "To Honor Our Veterans: An Oral History of World War II Veterans from the Bayou Country." Theriot said he provided Lozano with a list of Louisiana veterans to start her mission. She is especially interested in contacting "Frenchies," the Louisiana veterans whose Cajun French was relied upon in the European theater of the war to communicate with French-speaking natives. The requirements for the French Legion of Honor are "very, very, very strict," Lozano said. U.S. veterans must have fought in one of the four main campaigns leading to the liberation of France: Normandy; Southern France, also called the Provence invasion or Operation Dragoon; Northern France; and the Ardennes campaign, also known as the Battle of the Bulge. Veterans must complete an application and provide their military records, including any honors, and a copy of their honorable discharge papers. The application and documents are then sent to the nearest French consulate, in this case New Orleans, she said, then to the French embassy in Washington, D.C., eventually making it to the Chancery of the Legion of Honor, which has "sole discretion to accept or deny an application," Lozano said. Lozano feels an urgency to her mission as WWII veterans are aging, with the youngest in their 90s. They are dying at a rate of 180 or more per day, according to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. As of 2022, only 167,284 of the 16 million Americans who served in WWII were still alive. The French Legion of Honor, established by Napoleon Bonaparte in 1802, is not awarded after death. The application of the first Louisiana veteran Lozano assisted was rejected. She is assisting others and has one success so far, that being Norris Morvant, 99, of Thibodaux. Morvant said Monday he didn't know Lozano until she contacted him about the Legion of Honor award, calling her "very instrumental" in the process, going so far as to contact the French consul in New Orleans. Lozano started the process in November 2021. Six months later, she learned Morvant would be awarded the honor, the equivalent to the Congressional Medal of Honor in the United States, Morvant said. At a ceremony she attended at the World War II Museum in New Orleans in September 2022, Consulate General Nathalie Beras presented Morvant with the French Legion of Honor. "They pick people they think are worthy of it," Morvant said. "Sometimes I think I'm not. But I'm a part of history." Morvant was inducted into the U.S. Army Air Corps in March 1943 and assigned to the 89th Compliment Squadron in the headquarters of Gen. Dwight Eisenhower, the supreme allied commander in Europe. "My duties were special missions," he recalled, "such as bringing orders to different units on the front line when we couldn't get ahold of them on their old-style telephones. I had to go find them and give them the orders from headquarters." As Gen. George Patton prepared for the Battle of the Bulge, Morvant one day was ordered to deliver gasoline to the troops. The mission lasted three days. "I carried 2,500 gallons of gas from Le Havre to Belgium, picked up an empty truck and brought it back [full] the next day," Morvant said in a September 2022 story. Upon his return to headquarters, "I was told to meet with a certain colonel," he said. "I thought I had done something wrong, but Gen. Patton had sent me a Bronze Star." The fourth-highest award a service member can receive, the Bronze Star is awarded for meritorious service in an armed conflict. Morvant encountered Eisenhower one day, backing against a wall and saluting the general who would become president. Eisenhower stopped, turned to Morvant and said, Soldier, you dont need to salute officers in headquarters, he recalled. He considers himself privileged to have seen in person Eisenhower and Patton along with French Gen. Charles de Gaulle, British Prime Minister Winston Churchill and British Gen. Bernard Montgomery. Lozano's quest to honor veterans led her to the non-profit Best Defense Foundation, which pays for veterans to return to the battlegrounds upon which they served. In June, Morvant was among 43 U.S. veterans who, thanks to the Best Defense Foundation, were flown to Europe for the 79th anniversary of the June 6, 1944, landing on the beaches of Normandy. Morvant arrived a month after the invasion. This June he visited military cemeteries and museums, along with Omaha and Utah beaches where American troops fought to retake France from German troops. "The last time I passed through that was during the war," Morvant said. "Everything was devastated. Now, everything is fixed and neat and pretty. "It's a different world," he said. Adding, "It's important to be able to make the young generations of France aware of what went on for their freedom." One of the American veterans on that trip, Lozano said, died a few weeks after returning home. Next June will be the 80th anniversary of the Normandy landings. Lozano fears it will be the last significant remembrance ceremony of the invasion that changed the course of the war and the world. For more information about applying for the French Legion of Honor, contact Lorzan at pascalelozano@sbcglobal.net. (c)2023 The Advocate, Baton Rouge, La. Visit www.theadvocate.com Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. On Twitter, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky posted a photo of the former President of Georgia, Mikheil Saakashvili, expressing his concern over the alleged harm inflicted on a Ukrainian citizen by the Georgian government, supposedly with the involvement of Russia.Zelensky has instructed the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to summon the Georgian Ambassador to Ukraine, urging the official to leave within 48 hours for consultations. Zelensky reiterated his plea to the Georgian government to hand over Saakashvili for proper medical treatment and care, while urging international partners to take action and safeguard Saakashvilil's life, emphasizing the value Europe places on human life."Right now, Russia is killing Ukrainian citizen Mykhailo Saakashvili at the hands of the Georgian authorities. We have repeatedly called on the official Tbilisi to stop this abuse and agree on Saakashvili's return to Ukraine. Our partners, in coordination with Ukraine, have also offered various rescue options.Today, I have instructed the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to summon the Georgian Ambassador to Ukraine, to express our strong protest and to ask him to leave Ukraine within 48 hours to hold consultations with his capital.Once again, I call on the Georgian authorities to hand over Ukrainian citizen Mykhailo Saakashvili to Ukraine for the necessary treatment and care. And I urge our partners to address this situation and not ignore it and save this man. No government in Europe has the right to execute people, life is a basic European value," Zelensky wrote.A meeting took place at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Georgia with a representative from the Embassy of Ukraine in Georgia.The objective of the meeting, as conveyed by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Georgia, was to discuss the inclusion of the airline 'Georgian Airways' in the list of sanctions imposed by the Ukrainian authorities.During the meeting, concerns were raised regarding the aforementioned decision, which the Georgian side deemed unfounded. The Ukrainian side was requested to provide further clarification on the matter.The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Georgia also highlighted the Ambassador of Georgia to Ukraine's apprehension regarding the sanctioning of the Georgian airline. Today Americans celebrate the 247th anniversary of the founding of the United States. On July 4, 1776, the Continental Congress, back then the governing body of the 13 North American colonial governments, approved the final wording of the Declaration of Independence. By this action, the future 13 States declared to the world, their independence from the British Empire. The decision to break ties with the British monarchy was years in the making, reflecting the increasing frustration of the colonists with how they were governed. They resented the British governments long-term drive to impose ever-tighter control over them, as well as the imposition of exorbitant taxes as a means of discharging the huge debts of the English Crown. The Declaration of Independence was the culmination of years of increasingly belligerent attempts on the part of the colonists, to shake off these strictures. The American Revolutionary War actually began over a year earlier, in April 1775. When it ended in 1782 with the colonists victory, the new country was finally free to chart its own course, develop its own manufacturing, export the produced goods and pursue trade abroad. The economy grew and by the beginning of the new century, the United States began to gain a reputation as a land of opportunity, where people could start anew, make their fortunes and be beholden to no one. America is always becoming, always on the move, always a work in progress. Thats the key word, a key idea, a keynote in the life of our nation: progress, forward motion, the creation of possibilities, the fulfillment of promises. Thats the American story, said President Joe Biden. But each day, were reminded theres nothing guaranteed about our democracy, nothing guaranteed about our way of life. We have to fight for it, defend it, and earn it by voting to refine, evolve, and extend the calling of America to move forward boldly and unafraid, he said. This day reminds us of what brought us together long ago, what binds us still, and at our best, what we strive for. Its We the people. Not a hollow phrase in America. We the people doing all we can to ensure that the idea of America and the cause of freedom and justice and equality does more than survive the divisions of our time, but that it shines like the sun to light up the future of our world. Robert Bailey had been off alcohol for a long time but on the day he had a lapse, the court heard. A father-of-one threatened a garda with rocks when he was found walking drunk around an industrial estate, a court has heard. Robert Bailey (35), who was carrying the rocks at the time, had too much to drink and completely lost the plot, his defence said. Judge Gerard Jones put him on a one-year peace bond when he admitted public order offences. Bailey, of Cedarbrook Way, Ballyfermot, pleaded guilty to public intoxication and threatening, abusive and insulting behaviour. Blanchardstown District Court heard gardai were called to Cloverhill Industrial Estate last February 13 following a report of an intoxicated male there. Bailey was walking around with two rocks in his hands and when approached, he became abusive to the garda and threatened him with the rocks, a garda sergeant said in evidence. The accused had no previous convictions. Bailey had been off alcohol for a long time but on the day he had a lapse, was drinking and completely lost the plot with himself, his lawyer said. He did not really remember the incident but he was injured because of his antics, the lawyer said. Thankfully for the accused, gardai arrested him for his own safety. The accused had been working and was now getting back on his feet. The judge put Bailey on a peace bond for the breach of the peace charge and took the other offence into consideration. I am going to sit outside your gaff until I see one of yous, you are actually a dead man A man who supplied drugs to another man on tick and then threatened him that he was a dead man when he didnt pay back the money he owed has been given a suspended sentence. Ross Maher (26) was contacted by the man and initially agreed to get him 200 worth of cocaine, with the man paying him by Revolut. He continued to provide drugs to the man in this way until he ultimately began to provide the drugs on tick, which led to the man building up a debt of 2,200. Maher, of Poolbeg Quay, Ringsend, Dublin 4, pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to making threats to kill or cause serious harm on May 31, 2022. Detective Garda Joe Walsh told Kate Egan BL, prosecuting, that Maher was never charged with drug dealing and never came to garda attention in that regard. He said the man began to receive text messages from Maher asking for the money back, sometimes up to four messages a day. He began to pay off the debt in small amounts but Maher messaged asking for his f*****g money and the man began to receive aggressive phone calls from Maher. He sent Maher a screenshot of an email he received from work which stated that he was due a certain amount of money by May 31 and the man said he would pay him then. He subsequently messaged Maher to say that he would have the money for him on June 4. Det Gda Walsh said Maher replied back: No I wont be waiting til Saturday. I dont know who you think you are I am going to stand all over your head you little rat. I am going to sit outside your gaff until I see one of yous, you are actually a dead man I am telling you now! The man began to take screenshots of the messages he received and provided those to gardai when he later reported Maher. He later got a message saying that he was going to be left in a hospital bed and a message from Maher saying: Getting the police involved good man. The following Sunday, a man he didnt know called to the victims house. He forwarded the footage recorded of that visit on his Ring doorbell to the gardai. Maher was arrested and made admissions. He accepted he had been supplying drugs to the victim and said the man was not paying him the money he owed. He claimed the messages were heat of the moment stuff because he felt he was being made a fool of. Maher said he was out of pocket after he bought the drugs for this man from someone with his own money. A victim impact statement was handed into the court in which the man said that he felt the whole scenario was extremely stressful and he was afraid to leave the house. He concluded the statement however, by suggesting that Maher not be punished. Det Gda Walsh accepted that Maher apologised during garda interview and was easy to deal with. He further accepted that the lead garda in the case and the Director of Public Prosecutions had recommended that the case be dealt with in the District Court but the judge there refused jurisdiction. Judge Pauline Codd said the offence had been aggravated by the fact that it was rooted in criminality owing to the fact that Maher had been providing drugs to the man. She said that this made the threats he issued more believable because of the hierarchy in the drug culture and the notoriety of beatings in that culture. It didnt just come out of the blue. The comments escalated and involved him calling to the victims house. The entire culture is murky and he should have known better than to involve himself in this world, Judge Codd continued. She said to describe the victims attitude as generous was an overstatement but accepted that Maher has a good work history and is the bread winner for his young family. Judge Codd imposed a sentence of 12 months which she suspended in full on strict conditions. Cathy Cross (35) pleaded guilty to conveying drugs into prison A mother-of-one caught handing over a package of cannabis to her then partner while visiting him in prison has been spared a criminal record. Cathy Cross (35) was put under pressure to smuggle 100 of the drug into Wheatfield Prison, but was caught by staff and arrested. Judge Gerard Jones struck the case out at Blanchardstown District Court, leaving her without a conviction, after she made a 200 charity donation. Cross, of Riverside, Loughlinstown Drive, Ballybrack, pleaded guilty to conveying drugs into prison, as well as a related charge of simple possession of cannabis. The court had heard gardai were dispatched to the prison on April 5. An Irish Prison Service staff member said he had seen the handover of a package from a visitor to an inmate. The package was found to contain cannabis worth 100. Cross, who had no previous convictions, made full admissions. Her partner at the time was serving a sentence in the prison and he put her under pressure to bring the package in, the court heard. Cross had since seen the error of her ways and was no longer with this man, her barrister said. Kane Hull (30) admitted possessing two prohibited mobile phones while on remand in HM Prison Frankland, Durham A convicted killer has admitted to plotting to torch a car while in prison awaiting trial. Kane Hull (30) and another man were handed life sentences last year over the murder of 24-year-old Ryan Kirkpatrick in Carlisle, England, on Saturday, 18 September 2021. He has now admitted possessing two prohibited mobile phones while on remand in HM Prison Frankland, Durham. Hull had hidden the phones inside his body back in October and used them to conspire with another man to set a vehicle on fire in the Morton area of Carlisle. Hull initially denied two charges relating to the phones and a third of conspiracy to commit arson but pleaded guilty Carlisle Crown Court as he appeared via video link from prison ahead of his trial later this week. Steven Kidd (25), of the Upperby area of Carlisle, had previously admitted conspiracy to commit arson during a separate court hearing. Both men are due to be sentenced on Wednesday. Hull was convicted of murder last year after acting alongside Liam Porter to brutally kill Ryan Kirkpatrick in a violent team murder the year before, the citys crown court heard. The pair went on the run for 10 days before their arrest and even travelled to Ireland to evade police. They were supported in their bid to escape justice by Ross Neville and Michael Celmins, who helped provide transport, accommodation and a stolen car. Mr Kirkpatrick was out with friends celebrating a family christening on the evening of September 18, 2021, when he was repeatedly knifed by Hull, who acted with the help and encouragement of Porter. On the night of the murder, Neville, of Canonbie, Dumfries and Galloway, drove the two killers to Scotland where they stayed at his home, before he took Hull to pick up an Audi car at an industrial estate the next day. On September 21, Celmins, formerly of Irthington, Carlisle, collected a stolen Skoda car from Manchester and drove to meet the two murder suspects where the vehicle was exchanged for the Audi. The Skoda was later used by Hull and Porter to travel to Ireland. Olivia Memmory who was in a relationship with Hull booked accommodation for him and Porter in Cumbria, Scotland and Northern Ireland and travelled to Belfast to join them at a hotel. Hull and Porter were eventually arrested on September 28 at a rural retreat in Co Mayo booked by Memmory where they were found with a shopping list featuring items intended to be used to disguise themselves, including wigs, glasses, and hair dye, the AGO said. The pair resisted extradition and were not returned to England until March 23 last year. Hull and Porter, then aged 29 and 33, were convicted of murder after a trial and sentenced in October to life imprisonment with minimum terms of 28 and 26 years respectively. The Attorney Generals Office (AGO) said they had received substantial assistance from Neville, Celmins and Memmory in their determined attempt to avoid detection and arrest. Neville, who admitted two charges of assisting an offender, was handed a 12-month community order at Carlisle Crown Court in December, while Celmins, who pleaded guilty to one like offence, received a 12-month prison term. But in February, senior judges ruled that Neville should receive a 22-month total prison sentence and Celmins jail term should increase to 24 months after both their cases were referred to the Court of Appeal by the AGO under the unduly lenient sentence scheme. He has a connection with the notorious Irish Kinahan clan, which focuses on importing drugs and weapons. A prominent Dutch politician has questioned the light prison regime of The Belly, a Kinahan gang associate saying he believes should be in maximum security. Ulysse Ellian (34), a Member of Parliament, has spoken with Dutch news outlet, Panorama, to voice his concerns over the contact Naoufal Fassih has with other prisoners. He has a connection with the notorious Irish Kinahan clan, which focuses on importing drugs and weapons. Can someone tell me why this man is not staying at the EBI? Ellian said. The EBI is a maximum security facility in Vught in the Netherlands. Ulysse Ellian Fassih was busted staying at an expensive safe house on Baggot Street in Dublin back in 2016. He was subsequently sentenced to life in prison by an Amsterdam court for provoking the murder of an Iranian electrician, named Ali Motamed. The Belly had also already been sentenced to 18 years in the slammer for an attempted murder in Diemen in 2015. He has been an important key player in Ridouan Taghi's criminal network, Ellian continued. Vught Penitentiary Institution or 'EBI' After his arrest, he briefly spent time in the Intensive Supervision Department of the prison in Leeuwarden, a kind of EBI-light, but later he was transferred to the prison in Arnhem. Under an even lighter regime. As far as I know, he still resides there. I'm afraid he may have frequent contact with the outside world and with other prisoners there, Ellian added. The Dutch politician and lawyer is concerned that when a detainee has been behaving well for an extended period of time, they can quickly be allowed to go onto a more lax regime. Why are detainees who have, or have had, a leading role within a criminal group, not standardised in a regime in which contact with other detainees and the outside world is as limited as possible? Fassih with Gardai (Collins) As a Member of Parliament, it is not up to me to determine in which department Naoufal should serve his sentence, but surely someone like him should not have the opportunity to plan new attacks through his contact with the outside world or with fellow detainees? Ellian is wary of naivety from prison officials and cites Benaouf A. as an example, a criminal who allegedly ordered the killing of a rival using encrypted messages from prison. Don't take any chances. That's what I advocate. Or should we wait for the next death? Look at a prisoner like Benaouf A. He has managed to recruit so-called hitters from prison with a smuggled smartphone and give them horrifying murder assignments. He was also not in the EBI. I do see awareness growing in the Netherlands, but that robust foundation is still missing, the politician added. Fassih was using a fake name when he answered the door to gardai in Dublin in 2016, but his fingerprints were matched to his real name through Interpol. 83,000 worth of designer watches and more than 12,000 in cash were seized during that raid. After his arrest, he was housed at Mountjoy and then Portlaoise prison where he mingled with the Dundon brothers, John, Dessie and Wayne, before being extradited to Holland via helicopter. Nicola takes us with her into the bunker in Amsterdam in this immersive episode The Marengo trial is the largest ever held in the Netherlands and at the centre of it sits gang leader, Ridouan Taghi, a business partner and friend of Daniel Kinahan, who's reigned terror on Europe. A street dealer turned millionaire cocaine boss, he's the epitome of the new order of criminal, a frightening breed of gangster who has taken on a state. Today, in the first of a number of dispatches, we're going into the bunker in Amsterdam where Taghi is on trial for multiple gangland murders, and where we are going to meet Crime World regulars, the journalists Jan Meeus and Saskia Belleman for the first time as they work this very dangerous beat. Crime World Podcast can be found on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts and Soundcloud. MORE EPISODES This guy has form, and the threat is being taken extremely seriously Gardai are on high alert for a prolific teen car thief who has threatened to steal a car and goad gardai into chasing him down a busy motorway after being released from custody. The 16-year-old was released from the Oberstown detention centre in north Dublin this morning where it is understood he was being held in relation to driving offences. The youth, from west Dublin, is considered an extremely active car thief who has been investigated over several incidents over the past year. Sources have told Independent.ie that the youth has vowed to steal a car in the capital today and elicit a garda chase down a motorway. "Gardai have been put on alert after these comments were made by the youth upon leaving Oberstown to staff," a source said. "He has specifically stated that he plans to rob a car tonight and his intentions are to goad gardai into chasing him down a motorway. "This guy has form, and the threat is being taken extremely seriously because of the danger it would pose to both gardai and the general public," the source added. The teenager and another juvenile have been top targets for gardai in west Dublin in relation to the theft of cars and joyriding. A number of incidents have occurred in recent weeks during which joyriders have driven the wrong way down motorways to escape gardai. Last month, five juveniles were arrested after stealing a car in north-west Dublin before using the vehicle in a crime spree across the city. Sources said that the car was pursued on up to five different occasions within 48 hours but that the teenagers managed to flee after driving the wrong way down a dual carriageway or motorway, including the N2, N3 and M50. The brazen youths even posted videos of their crimes on social media, including the theft of several cars. An image posted in one video stated: "Go on the wrong side of the motorway Garda can't follow. In a separate incident over the weekend, a teen was killed after the stolen car he was travelling in sped the wrong way down the M8 motorway in Cork on Saturday morning. The incident also led to the hospitalisation of five others, including the female driver of the other car, whose condition is described as serious. The teenage driver of the car, who is known to gardai, is understood to be originally from Blanchardstown, Dublin, but has been living in Cork in recent times. He was suspected of being the driver in another incident in recent weeks, in which a stolen car was involved in two chases before driving the wrong way down the N3 in Dublin. The Garda Ombudsman is carrying out an inquiry into the weekend's crash because the car involved had an interaction with gardai earlier in the morning. The couple had spent hours in a state of anger according to sources quoted by respected Catalan newspaper El Periodico. A man has been held over the death of an Irishwoman in Spain (Alamy/PA) An Irish tourist arrested on suspicion of murdering his partner at their Spanish hotel was reportedly seen arguing with her before she was found dead. The couple had spent hours in a state of anger according to sources quoted by respected Catalan newspaper El Periodico. It also claimed the 30-year-old holidaymaker held after his 36-year-old partners violent death at the four-star Magnolia Hotel in the Costa Dorada resort of Salou 70 miles south of Barcelona, is refusing to cooperate with police and "slowed" attempts to contact the dead woman's next-of-kin by allegedly declining to give them any helpful information. He is still at a police station in Tarragona and officers have until Wednesday to hand him over to an investigating judge for further questioning. A well placed source said this morning it was unlikely he would appear in court today. The victim, described as a mother-of-two, is said to have been strangled with a ligature. The Spanish seaside resort of Salou, about 100km south of Barcelona. Photo: Getty Police and other emergency responders found her dead in a second-floor corridor outside her hotel room after a 999 call from the hotel around 9.30pm on Sunday. The man police have in custody was lying injured beside her with a wrist wound police detectives have described as self-inflicted he is thought to have sustained after cutting himself with glass. He was transferred to a police station after being taken to a hospital in Tarragona and treated while under police guard. The regional Mossos dEsquadra police force, which is investigating Sundays killing, has yet to comment officially since a statement released yesterday. The statement said: Officers from the Mossos d'Esquadras Criminal Investigation Decision in Tarragona have arrested a man allegedly related to the violent death of a woman in Salou on Sunday night. The events occurred around half past nine when the Mossos received a warning from a hotel in Salou saying a woman was seriously injured. When they arrived at the scene, the officers found a woman lying on the floor and a man next to her with a self-inflicted wound. Although emergency medical responders tried to revive the woman, they were finally only able to certify her death. Officers arrested the man as the alleged perpetrator of the death. They went on to confirm the arrested man was 30, with sources close to the investigation later confirming both the woman and the detainee were Irish. A minutes silence was held for the unnamed victim yesterday evening at Salou Town Hall. Mayor Pere Granados and the regional governments Minister for Equality Tania Verge were among those who took part. Confirming the Salou killing was being treated as a gender-related crime, the department Tania heads said: A new feminicide is confirmed in Salou. It is the seventh registered in Catalonia in 2023. We will not stop until we can all live free from male violence. If you need it ask for help. The 72-room Magnolia Hotel, which is one street back from the seafront, describes itself as a Four Star Superior hotel on its website. It says: Magnolia Hotel Salou is a specialised establishment offering an Adults Only or Child Free experience, meaning it is a hotel designed exclusively for adults. Our hotel in Salou is committed to offering a place where relaxation, peace and quiet are the most important values. So, both the hotel activities and facilities are geared towards the needs of adults travelling without children. Magnolia Hotel is a cosmopolitan, modern Adults Only establishment with carefully designed interiors that aims to offer guests a chic experience away from the hustle and bustle and noise of other types of hotels. No suspects have been identified in the case yet which is being investigated by Store Street garda Gardai at the scene of the destruction Damage done to the store in Dublin city centre Thousands of euro worth of damage was caused this morning when a Mercedes car rammed a phone shop on Henry Street in the capital. The incident unfolded at around 4am when the English registered coupe vehicle reversed at speed into the Three Store. Among the damaged items were shutters, glass and the shops electrical system. Issues with the electrics prevented gardai from being able to enter the store for some time this morning. Senior sources said that officers have still not been able to put an exact value on the amount of stock that was stolen in the burglary. However, it is thought that the criminals were not able to get into the shops store but instead got away with a number of display phones. No suspects have been identified in the case yet which is being investigated by Store Street gardai but officers are trawling through good quality CCTV from the city centre. A similar incident took place at a Hugo Boss shop on Dublins Grafton Street in January which has led to two men being charged before the courts. We need your consent to load this Social Media content. We use a number of different Social Media outlets to manage extra content that can set cookies on your device and collect data about your activity. Please review your details and accept them to load the content The designer goods shop was extensively damaged at about 4.30 am on January 18, and several items were taken. The defendants in that case are charged with causing 51,000 worth of criminal damage to the retailer's door and windows and a burglary charge involving the theft of property valued at 26,000. This morning a Garda spokesperson stated: Gardai are investigating an incident of burglary and criminal damage at a business premises on Henry Street, Dublin 1, Tuesday 4th July 2023. The incident occurred in the early hours of this morning. innovation and sustainability in life sciences while managing and protecting natural and man made ecosystems MANET, which provides education and training for a career in the Merchant Navy and the Department of Project & Construction Management under the College of Management, which offers a unique program in construction management to develop expertise in highrise building and mega township planning. MIT ADT University is renowned for its Design Enabled Engineering program, with over 6,500 students pursuing specialization in domain-specific areas to meet industry demand.The 5th National Conference on Innovative Global Technology Trends in various fields including Art, Design, Technology, Management, Vedic Science, Education, Architecture, and Film and Media took place from March 23rd to 25th, 2023. The event is being organized by the MIT ADT University with the aim of providing a platform for academicians, students, researchers, and corporate experts to share their knowledge and ideas. The university is also committed to promoting innovation and research culture among its students and encourages them to think outside the box.At the conference inauguration, the Chief Guest Prashant Girbane, Director General MCCIA emphasized the importance of such events in promoting research culture, while the Guest of Honor Dr. Rajkumar Prasad Singh stressed on the need for innovation among students. Dr. Sunita Karad, Director ICT & MITCOM, Dean Multidisciplinary, and convener of the conference delivered the presidential address on the importance of a research-driven university.The conference brought together more than 100 experts across 16 plenary sessions where they delivered speeches and presentations on a wide range of topics. In addition to the plenary and breakout sessions, over 200 research papers were presented in various formats, including oral presentations, poster sessions, and interactive workshops. The conference provided researchers with an opportunity to present their work, receive feedback, and collaborate with other experts in their field, thus advancing knowledge and promoting innovation.On the final day of the conference, the Chief Guest Dr. Kishore Sreenivasan, Director CSIR, highlighted the importance of intellectual property rights, while the Guest of Honor for the valedictory Dr. Anant Sardeshmukh, Director, MKCL, emphasized the need for a startup culture that fosters innovation. The Pioneer Awards 2023 were presented during the Valedictory Ceremony, and winners in various categories were recognized for their outstanding contributions to innovation and entrepreneurship. The awards were thoroughly monitored and judged by a panel of experts in key areas of interest.A maximum package of 5.3 LPA has been offered to students by top MNCs such as Wipro, Infosys, Capgemini Technology Services, and Kalzoom Advisors. Fourteen students are presently undergoing longterm internships with different Aerospace Organizations such as Paras Defense and Space, Zeus Numerix, and Aeronica Advance Technologies, and are expected to receive full time job opportunities based on their performance.In terms of higher studies, eight students have been admitted to renowned international universities for their M.S Program, including University of Surrey and University of Hertfordshire in the UK, University College of London, Concordia University in Canada, and Swansea University, as well as University of Massachusetts and Dartmouth in the USA.The students have received accolades for their research work, having published over 10 research papers in international journals/conferences. Over 20 students are currently working on projects/internships with esteemed research organizations like DRDO and ISRO, while more than 35 students are engaged in mini projects under the guidance of international faculties. Rory is one of three young Irish men to lose their lives while on holidays in Greece in the past fortnight Rory Deegan (23) was remembered as a bubbly, good-humoured man who made others feel special at his Funeral Mass today. Rory died on Sunday, June 25, in Zakynthos, after he was found unresponsive in a swimming pool. He is one of three young Irish men to lose their lives while on holidays in Greece in the past fortnight. The chief celebrant of the Mass was Fr Bobby Fletcher a cousin of Rory. He said the Cullohill, Laois, native will be always young, always loved. "He was a great son, a great brother, a great character. Now, he will be a great loss, Fr Fletcher said. Fr Fletcher said Rory left those who loved him with countless memories, chief among them was a fabulous smile. The ultimate sign of someone who loved deeply and was deeply loved. Honourable mention was also given to Rorys beloved dog Spud, whom he described as his Queen. To Rorys heartbroken parents Joe and Diane, Fr Fletcher said: A man who loses his wife is a widower or a woman who loses her husband is a widow. But there is no name for parents who lose a son or daughter, as there are no words to describe the pain. Tears are how our heart speaks when our lips cannot describe about which we are hurting. Among the gifts brought to the altar to celebrate Rorys life were the last Harps GAA jersey he ever wore, a Liverpool scarf, a Limerick jersey to mark his time studying in the city and a Centra T-shirt to mark his time working in his familys shop in Urlingford, Co Kilkenny, where he famously declared he loved everyone and everyone loved me. The congregation heard how he was right. Rorys father Joe in a eulogy remembered his sons love of sport that saw him represent Laois at underage level and also playing in front of a packed Croke Park for the Go Games during the All-Ireland final. Joe said he had never seen Rory so happy before his final fatal trip to Zakynthos. I was almost envious of the friends he had, he said. "We find it hard to comprehend we will not see his smile or hear his laugh again. "We are grateful to have had you in our lives for 23 years. Look after us and look after your friends. Rorys older brother Barry read Youll Never Walk Alone in memory of his brother. Rory, a student at the Technological University of the Shannon in Limerick, had travelled to the Greek Island Zakynthos with four other students for work for the summer. Rory was predeceased by his infant sister Laura, his grandparents John and Mary Cullen and his aunt Agnes Hyland. His funeral notice read that his loss is deeply regretted by his heartbroken parents Joe and Diane, brothers Conor, Barry, Ross, Jack and sister Rachael, his grandparents Donal and Margaret, his uncles, aunts, cousins, extended family, neighbours, his large circle of friends and his beloved dog Spud. The Irish suspect remains in police custody and is expected to appear before a local judge tomorrow The Hotel Magnolia in Salou where the Irish woman was found dead Gardai are assisting local police investigating the murder of an Irish woman in the Spanish holiday resort of Salou. The victim, a 36-year-old who is understood to be a mother-of-two, was found dead at the Hotel Magnolia in the town at 9.30pm on Sunday. Her 30-year-old partner was discovered beside her with self-inflicted injuries to his hand. He was initially treated in hospital before being arrested on suspicion of murder. Local police believe the woman was strangled after a ligature was recovered at the scene. A garda liaison officer based in Madrid has also travelled to Salou, around 90km south of Barcelona, to assist with the inquiry. In a statement this afternoon Garda Headquarters said: "An Garda Siochana is aware of the death of an Irish citizen in an alleged incident in the Spanish town of Salou on Sunday, July 2nd 2023. "A member of An Garda Siochana has travelled to Salou to provide assistance with the ongoing investigation and with the repatriation of the womans remains. "As this is an investigation led by Spanish authorities, An Garda Siochana has no further comment at this time." The Irish suspect remains in police custody and is expected to appear before a local judge tomorrow. As is standard with Spanish legal proceedings the names of the deceased and the arrested man have not been released. However, it is understood both are from Dublin. The Department of Foreign Affairs yesterday confirmed that it is aware of the case and that consular assistance is being provided. Local police officers attached to the Mossos dEsquadras Criminal Investigation Division (DIC) in Tarragona were alerted to the disturbance at around 9.30pm on Sunday. When they arrived, the officers found the woman lying on the floor of the four-star adult-only hotel and a man next to her with a self-inflicted wound. Despite the best efforts of paramedics, the victim was pronounced dead a short time later. In a statement the police agency said that it has arrested the alleged perpetrator and that the investigation is under the secrecy of proceedings. A local judicial official said: Tarragonas Duty Court proceeded last night to order the removal of the body of a woman who suffered a violent death at a hotel in Salou. The case, which is under judicial secrecy, will be investigated by a court specialising in violence against women. The victim and alleged aggressor are not residents in Spain and therefore it is not possible at this time to state whether there had been previous episodes of violence involving the couple. Yesterday evening around 50 people gathered for a minutes silence in memory of the victim at the local civic office in Salou. A spokesman for the Department of Equality and Feminisms of the Catalan regional government, called the Generalitat, has also condemned the crime and is referring to it as a femicide. The department said in a tweet: We are keeping tabs on the femicide in Salou. We are working with the town hall and making our services available to the family and close friends of the victim who need maximum privacy at these difficult moments. He is being treated for serious head injuries after falling off his bicycle. A teenage boy was airlifted to Children's Health Ireland at Temple Street Hospital from Co Waterford last night following an accident. The 14-year-old was rushed to the Dublin hospital by Waterford helicopter Rescue 117 from the Kill area. He is being treated for serious head injuries after falling off his bicycle. Local gardai and the Bonmahon Coastguard Unit attended the scene last night shortly after 8.30pm and assisted the helicopter as it made its landing at the Kill GAA pitch. A new nationwide service offering support and treatment for women suffering complications from surgery involving pelvic mesh is starting to deliver improved outcomes, says Associate Health Minister Willow-Jean Prime. The New Zealand Female Pelvic Mesh Service opened in April, and on Friday in Auckland Prime met many of those involved in its co-design, including mesh-injured consumers, Maori health and Pacific health representatives, clinicians and Te Whatu Ora leadership. ACC is another important collaborator. 'It's been vitally important to resolve the pain and distress some women experience after pelvic mesh surgery, says Prime. 'We now know much more about the complications that can arise from using surgical mesh, particularly when treating stress urinary incontinence and pelvic organ prolapse. It's an issue that's received international attention, as well as here in Aotearoa." Prime says thanks to the service, women referred through their GPs or specialists can now access a multidisciplinary team offering a number of options, including chronic pain management, continence care, counselling and surgery. 'I am very pleased the Government has been able to support the establishment of a service which so directly helps women affected. The Service, which has had more than 50 referrals so far, offers specialist care and support centred on women's choices, and reflects recommendations from the 2019 restorative justice project on surgical mesh: Hearing and Responding to the Stories of Survivors of Surgical Mesh. Health navigators based at two locations one in Otautahi (Christchurch) and the other in Tamaki Makaurau (Auckland) work with women around the country to help put together the best treatment options. These options are then delivered by a number of professionals, including specialist nurses, physiotherapists, pain specialists, social workers, occupational therapists and credentialled surgeons. Carmel Berry is a mesh-injured consumer who played a key role in getting the service off the ground. In 2014 she was a co-presenter of a petition to the Health Select Committee highlighting the issues involved in surgical mesh. She also created the Mesh Down Under advocacy group in 2012 and is part of the consumer group that co-designed the new Service. 'The 2019 restorative justice report was incredibly validating for many people, not just women, says Carmel. 'The launch of this service has gone a long way to answering the strong message in that report - people wanted highly trained and skilled doctors available here in New Zealand. "It has taken a few years to get it right, but we now have a service that is available to those women that need it, wherever they live in the country." Data shows that between July 1 2005 and May 20, 2023, ACC accepted 1103 claims from women injured through the use of mesh in pelvic organ prolapse and stress urinary incontinence surgeries. Manatu Hauora (the Ministry of Health) is currently leading a significant work programme to deliver the actions from the Restorative Justice Report: Hearing and Responding to the Stories of Survivors of Surgical Mesh from 2019. More information about the new service is available on the Te Whatu Ora website. The Government is backing investigations into a potential new food industry for New Zealand based on protein-rich, carbon-absorbing native microalgae. Oceans and Fisheries Minister Rachel Brooking has announced funding to help scientists and businesses look at which of hundreds of strains of microalgae might be suitable for including in foods like protein bars and shakes. 'We're strengthening the economy by investing in the basics for growth skills, better infrastructure and science and technology, says Brooking. 'Things are already improving for our seafood sector after a couple of hard years, with export revenue up about 8 per cent this year, to $2.1 billion. 'But we need to keep building for tomorrow. If we're going to have more jobs and earn more money while protecting the environment, we've got to find ways of doing things differently. Global food demand is expected to increase by 60 per cent by 2050, and food security is threatened by issues like climate change, geopolitics and pests and diseases. 'That's why the prospect of developing microalgae as a food source is exciting. 'It is a low-carbon protein which can be grown sustainably in bioreactors on land. It doesn't compete with other type of farming for arable land and grows really fast, some of them doubling in size every day. 'Microalgae have caught the attention of scientists around the world for their extraordinary properties and potential to create an abundant, high-quality natural protein source, using only a fraction of the water, land and time of other types of farming. 'And on top of all that, the process of growing them captures carbon out of the air and stores it the very thing we need to do to keep climate change under control and meet our emissions-reduction commitments." The Government is providing $750,000 through its Sustainable Food and Fibre Futures fund toward a $1.5 million project with the Cawthron Institute, marine engineering company Kernohan Engineering and biotechnology nutrition start-up NewFish. The money will be used to explore Cawthron's collection of nearly 600 strains of microalgae, as well as collect new samples from rivers, lakes and the sea. NewFish will work with Kernohan Engineering to take the best microalgae strains and grow them at a commercial scale. Since it was established by the Government in late 2018, the SFFF has invested almost $560 million in 263 projects. People are being warned not to fall prey to online property scams currently doing the rounds. The Real Estate Institute of New Zealand has been made aware of several recent online property cyber scams - particularly in the property management and online rental listing space - which are becoming increasingly common. In May, an Auckland property management company was unknowingly involved in a cunning online scam by a scammer who duplicated one of the company's listings from a listing portal and posted it on their personal Facebook page. A victim fell for the scam and gave the scammer, (who was posing as the landlord'), their personal information and bond payment before they realised they had been scammed. The cyber-criminal had registered the victim to view the property, using the contact information the victim provided to the scammer, through the property management company's website. The scammer then pretended that they were the owner offering a deal separate from the property manager, and offered the property to the victim if they paid their deposit immediately. Whilst the bank was fortunately able to reverse the victim's payment before it was too late, it could have easily resulted in the victim losing a significant amount of money. 'The most disappointing part of this experience is that these scammers are preying on vulnerable and desperate people - people who really need to find somewhere to live - and people who can at least afford to lose up to five weeks rent and bond. It's a colossal amount of money to lose for most people, says a spokesperson for the property management company impersonated. REINZ was also notified of another online scam where a scammer had used a property management company's name and logo to email property seekers through a property listing portal about available rental listings in a city in that property management company has no presence. 'We are hearing from our members that these types of scams are becoming increasingly common and it's crucial that renters are aware of the signs to look out for so they don't fall a victim. It's just as important that property management companies are educated on the types of online scams that are occurring, so they can inform staff on best practices when dealing with clients, says REINZ chief executive Jen Baird. The property management company impersonated by a cyber-scammer says it has instructed its staff to inform every prospective client that the property is only listed with its company, and if anybody is trying to engage with them about a property in way other than through its website or its listing portal, it is illegitimate and a scam. REINZ's cyber-security awareness partner Phriendly Phishing provides the following advice for renters: Verify the identity of the property manager or owner: Be cautious of people claiming to be property managers or landlords on social media. These platforms can make it easy for scammers to impersonate legitimate entities. If you are searching for property on social media, it is a wise idea to independently look up the official contact information for the property management company they claim to represent and contact them through that official channel to verify their identity. Never rely solely on the contact information provided by the person on social media. Official channels of communication: Where possible, use official property listing websites, property management company websites, or official office numbers to make enquiries or schedule viewings. Communicating or closing deals through social media platforms or personal email addresses can be a red flag for potential scams. Beware of unusually low rent prices: If the rental price seems too good to be true, it probably is. Scammers often lure victims in with incredible deals. Do some research on what a typical rental price should be in the local market. If you see the same property advertised with two different prices, take a closer look at whose listing it really is. Do not pay money upfront: This includes security deposits, rent, or other fees. If you are emailed a link to pay your deposit, make sure you scan for S.C.A.M - scrutinise the sender, content, and action needed and then manage the situation once you have ascertained it is legitimate or report if it is a scam. Ensure legal documents are provided: Make sure all agreements are in writing and understand all terms and conditions before signing. A legitimate landlord or property manager should provide a formal tenancy agreement. Be suspicious if they are reluctant or refuse to do so. Again, do not open any attachments or links in email communications, and insist on an in-person meeting to sign a lease. Be careful here though too - scammers are generating official tenancy agreements using the MBIE website. Make sure that the person with whom you are dealing is the owner or authorised to rent the property. Learn more at phriendlyphishing.co.nz. He's tracked down Head Hunters hiding under decks, bounded through bustling workshops to stop criminals and sniffed out offenders concealing themselves in the reeds of the Waikato River. After eight years Valko Waikato District's oldest patrol dog - is signing off from the front line. Although the fearless dog is certified until October, he will soon retire from operational duties as his handler Sergeant Mark Sandford steps back from the front line to focus on training the future dog squad. Waikato Dog Section is the biggest it has ever been, with 10 full-time members and more coming onboard under the new Tactical Response Model, and Mark says his focus needs to be on the supervisory role and training. He'll still respond if it's critical and would never turn down a chance to help track down an offender when needed, but he won't be on the roster. 'Valko is nearing that retirement age and he's only working part-time here and there," says Mark. It's big a change for Mark, who has been a frontline dog handler for more than 20 years. Mark joined Police in 1985 and became a handler in 1990, when he was serving in Hawke's Bay. He moved to Hamilton in 1998 before becoming an instructor at the Police Dog Training Centre in 2002. He was Breeding Services Manager from 2005 to 2012, when he returned to Hamilton as Dog Section Supervisor. 'You'll always love the thrill of tracking someone down with a dog. You never lose that. But there's a lot of satisfaction in training handlers and seeing them go out and do the same with their dogs. Mark's fifth dog, Valko came to district at eight weeks old from the Police Dog Training Centre breeding programme and was fostered out until he was 11 months old. From the start the tenacious hound showed his people skills. He has a calm temperament and is bold and confident, with all the typical traits you look for in a police dog, Mark says. He likes to chase a toy and play tug-of-war. He's high energy, always on the move and not too much fazes him. 'He's really good with people. He's a dog that we use for school visits and still will - because he's very social. He has a very stable temperament. In his time, Valko has assisted in catching dozens of offenders from the King Country to beachside Coromandel communities to the rapids of the Waikato River. Mark laughs as he recalls a callout years ago when his fellow dog handlers Vinnie Gibson and Cliff Bell were fresh on the beat. They were tracking an offender who'd done a runner from SH1 near Karapiro to the banks of the Waikato River. Hearing the updates, Mark decided to respond with Valko. While Vinnie and Cliff cleared one area, Mark headed downstream, knowing the fleeing offender wasn't likely to go against the current. Within 10 minutes Valko had sniffed him out at the river's edge, leading Mark to a pair of eyes peering out of the water. 'It's about knowing the conditions and knowing the dog would pick him up on the wind scent. 'The biggest thrill as a dog handler is that our dogs help us to catch people who wouldn't be caught. Valko has shown his strength throughout the years. In one arrest he was able to track for some time over a concrete wall into a yard of people working and bustling workshops to locate the man hiding in plywood, despite the disruption to scent and distraction that comes with such an environment. In another case, he caught a patched gang member attempting to conceal himself under decking with his hand over his mouth hoping to stymie the scent. With Valko retiring, the rest of the squad are looking forward to keeping the catches for themselves and not having Mark and Valko 'cut their lunch. Valko will stay with Mark after his retirement living out his days at home, where he's sure to be entertained. -Police Ten One Magazine. The agreement enables students with UK qualifications (including A-levels and equivalents) to access universities in Spain without the need for the Spanish general university entrance exam The agreement was signed by the British Ambassador to Spain, Hugh Elliott, on behalf of the UK, and the Spanish Minister of Education and Vocational Training, Pilar Alegria SUR in English Malaga Compartir Copiar enlace WhatsApp Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Telegram On Monday, 3 July, the UK and Spain completed the signing of a UK-Spain bilateral agreement on cooperation in matters of education and access to university and other higher education institutions. This follows the close collaboration between Spains Ministry of Education and Vocational Training and Ministry of Universities in Spain and the UK Department for Education and Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office. The agreement was signed by the British Ambassador to Spain, Hugh Elliott, on behalf of the UK, and the Spanish Minister of Education and Vocational Training, Pilar Alegria, and the Spanish Minister of Universities, Joan Subirats, on behalf of Spain, and will come into force on 2 August 2023. Ampliar British Ambassador to Spain, Hugh Elliott (right) and the Spanish Minister of Universities, Joan Subirats SUR The agreement enables students with UK qualifications (including A-levels and equivalents) to access universities in Spain without the need for the Spanish general university entrance exam. Additional entry requirements will only be necessary for certain competitive courses, as was the case prior to the UKs withdrawal from the EU. Students from the Spanish education system are also able to continue to access UK universities and other higher education institutions with additional legal certainty. The agreement additionally establishes a framework to increase cooperation between the UK and Spain in the field of education and is symbolic of our desire to build on our strong education links. The UK team expressed its gratitude for the support of its Spanish partners in reaching the agreement and said it looks forward to continue expanding the UK-Spain bilateral relationship. One of Australia's largest renewable hydrogen plants is set to go ahead, with the Australian Gas Infrastructure Group (AGIG) reaching financial close on its Hydrogen Park Murray Valley development. On behalf of the Australian Government, the Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) has announced a $36.1 million commitment to AGIG for the 10 MW electrolyser deployment in Wodonga, Victoria. The project builds on ARENA's existing work in renewable hydrogen and strong track record of delivering transformative projects in the energy transition in pursuit of net zero. The Hydrogen Park Murray Valley project will produce renewable hydrogen to initially be blended into the local natural gas distribution network, owned by Australian Gas Networks, part of AGIG. The facility will be located next to North East Water's Wodonga Wastewater Treatment Plant. Once complete, the project will be the largest renewable hydrogen facility on the east coast and equal largest in Australia. The renewable hydrogen produced will displace natural gas supplied to local customers and industry at blends of up to 10 per cent, reducing carbon emissions with no change to amenity for gas users. With more than 40,000 connections to the local gas network, the project will supply hydrogen to an estimated 85,000 people spanning the border of Victoria and New South Wales. At a blend of 10 per cent, the project is predicted to cut approximately 4,000 tonnes of CO2 each year. Wodonga's strategic location along a major road freight route also provides access to other end use markets, particularly in heavy vehicle transport. The Victorian Government is supporting the project with $12.315 million through the Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action (DEECA), with additional financial backing from the Clean Energy Finance Corporation (CEFC). Mars Petcare Australia will purchase Renewable Gas Guarantee of Origin certificates, generated by the project and accredited by GreenPower, to offset the gas use across the company. Hydrogen Park Murray Valley is the second 10 MW project supported by ARENA to reach financial close after the first, Engie's Project Yuri in the Pilbara, achieved the milestone in September 2022. Both were funded as part of a $103 million competitive funding round for commercial scale hydrogen electrolyser projects. ARENA CEO Darren Miller said the project is paving the way for renewable hydrogen in Australia. "It's essential to scaling up Australia's renewable hydrogen industry that we get these first-generation projects up and running," Mr Miller said. "Producing renewable hydrogen on this scale has never been done in Australia. The lessons we learn here will help inform our hydrogen industry as it grows from its early stages to a pillar of the net zero economy. "ARENA has been at the forefront of advancing renewable hydrogen projects and will continue to play an integral role, as we support the Australian Government's Hydrogen Headstart program and other large scale projects. What's exciting about this project is that it will be producing hydrogen that reduces local emissions from day one, with the potential to supply additional markets as they move towards net zero." AGIG CEO Craig de Laine said that AGIG is proud to work with both the Australian and Victorian Governments on this landmark project. "The strong support received from both the Australian and Victorian Governments demonstrates the importance of renewable hydrogen to decarbonising energy across Australia. We thank all our project partners and key stakeholders, including the Albury-Wodonga community for their contribution to the project to date." Since 2017 ARENA has committed more than $255 million in renewable hydrogen projects. ARENA will also play a key role in the development of the Australian Government's $2 billion Hydrogen Headstart initiative to underwrite the biggest green hydrogen projects to be built in Australia. Construction on the project is due to commence in 2023, with the site operational by 2025. ARENA media contact: media@arena.gov.au 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. Join NY Cannabis Insider at our next industry networking event on Aug. 15 at Madam Mikettes in Manhattan. Tickets are available here. Harrison Wise is the publisher and founder of The Bluntness. He answered eight simple questions for NY Cannabis Insiders People to know series. Sign up for the NY Cannabis Insider Newsletter Enter your email address to get exclusive reporting on NY's cannabis market delivered to your inbox: Should you or someone you know be featured as a Person to Know? Fill out this form and we may publish your story. What is your position and what do you/your company do in the cannabis space? Founder/Publisher of The Bluntness, one of the fastest-growing digital media and marketing platforms covering the intersection of cannabis and psychedelic community, culture and commerce. How long have you worked in the cannabis space? Since 2015, when my marketing communications agency launched MedMen in California that was our entry point into the cannabis space. Weve worked with a number of MSOs, single-state operators and cannabis-adjacent companies since including Stiiizy, Shryne Group, Hemptown USA, Hypur, MCR Labs, Happy Valley MA and more. What did you do before you were involved in the cannabis industry? I ran a full-service integrated marketing communications agency focused on the B2B and B2C technology industry. What led you to the cannabis industry? In 2015, my agency was helping to launch a food innovation event called FoodBytes! in partnership with SF NewTech and Rabobank. Food innovation consists of agricultural innovations, farming automation, vertical farming tech, extraction technologies, etc., and we came into contact with a number of folks serving the cannabis industry and serendipitously ran across the folks from MedMen as well as other emerging cannabis cultivation operators in California. This FoodBytes festival, which debuted in San Francisco in 2015 and then came to New York, Colorado, etc., was what led me/us into the cannabis industry since it led us to MedMen which we worked with from 2015 2018 and was the foundation of my agencys cannabis practice. Do you have any advice for someone looking to get into the NY weed industry? Yes, go in with both eyes open and learn as much as you can from those who have succeeded in other markets. Each market is different, but regardless of the market, standing up a legal, licensed cannabis business requires capital, grit, focus and determination, as well as a strong support system. What do you think the NY cannabis ecosystem will look like in five years? We will work out our initial rollout issues and have the most thriving cannabis market fueled by experiential and consumption friendly spaces/venues and a strong retail market throughout the state that is supportive of the states cultivators. Do you use cannabis? If so, whats your favorite method (flower, dabs, edibles, tinctures, etc.), and why? Yes flower and edibles. Who should contact you, and whats the best method (i.e. email, phone number, LinkedIn handle, etc.) 917-805-3213; harrison@thebluntness.com Minnie Bruce Pratt, an Alabama native, womens liberation and LGBTQ activist, poet and educator, died Sunday surrounded by friends and family in Syracuse, New York, at the age of 76. Her death comes after her sons announced in June that she had been diagnosed with a serious health condition. Pratt was a prolific advocate and writer throughout her life. She pushed the boundaries of feminist teaching and thinking. She wrote poems and essays about race, class, gender and sexuality, which received awards from the Academy of American Poets, the American Library Association, the Poetry Society of America, Lambda Literary and the Publishing Triangle. In 2022, she wrote for AL.com that she and other lesbian, transgender and gender-nonconforming people have always been in Alabama. Pratt was born in Selma and graduated from Bibb County High School. She attended the University of Alabama just one year after George Wallace stood in the schoolhouse door, according to her website. She has degrees from Tuscaloosa and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Later in life, she split her time between Syracuse and Centerville. I still consider Alabama my home, Pratt said in a recent interview with Reckon News. Im really unhappy that people dont know Im from Alabama. I want them to know Im from Alabama. Im proud of it. Im proud of the resistant traditions of Alabama, resistance to oppression that are embedded in the soil there. Stories that will make you laugh, cry and question everything you thought you knew. Step into a portal where LGBTQ+ folks can live authentically, free from hate and where their contributions to art and culture are celebrated. Sign up for the QueerVerse by Reckon newsletter today! The Invisible Histories Project, an organization that researches Southern history, called her a phenomenal poet, a fierce femme lesbian, a fighter for the working class and marginalized, and an unapologetically Southern woman. She was a Bama girl, Maigen Sullivan, cofounder of the Invisible Histories Project and friend of Pratt, said. She never let it go, regardless of how long she spent in New York or anywhere else. She was always deeply, deeply Southern, very passionate about her hometown and the people that she grew up with. Pratt came out as a lesbian in North Carolina in 1975 and lost custody of her two sons as a result. This went on to be the topic of one of her most notable books, Crime Against Nature, titled to reference the sodomy laws that resulted in her losing custody. The reason I lost custody of my children was because I could be charged with a felony, and therefore that was it, she said in an interview with Reckon. I was an unfit mother. Boom. My children were taken away. She went on to teach at historically Black colleges, Fayetteville State University and Shaw University, and later held roles at colleges including George Washington University, Hamilton College and the University of Maryland, College Park. Pratt created Syracuse Universitys first LGBT Study Program during her tenure as a professor from 2005 to 2015. Minnie Bruce Pratt is a pioneer in every respect of the word, Gerald R. Greenberg, a professor at Syracuse University, said on the universitys website. As a teacher-scholar, she is a leader in womens studies, particularly feminist theory. Yet one of her greatest legacies is still unfoldingthat of helping establish our LGBT Studies Program. Her spouse, trans activist Leslie Feinberg, died in 2014. They were together for 22 years. Sullivan remembered a card from Pratt a photo of Pratt and Feinberg that she said embodies a large part of what she was like. One of many cards Minne Bruce Pratt sent her friend and cofounder of the Invisible Histories Project, Maigen Sullivan. Pictured are Leslie Feinberg (left) and Pratt (right) lying on a bed together. Courtesy Maigen Sullivan. Its my favorite picture of them, Sullivan said. Theyre actually laying on the bed and Leslies got their arm over Minnie Bruce, and Minnie Bruce is just grinning at the camera. And its like this most intimate moment that weve kind of interrupted, but this was the card that she was sending out to people. She was just brazen in her sexuality, but she still kept that soft, Southern, feminine appeal. Pratts sons said donations in memory of Pratt may be made to the Friends of Dorothy House in Syracuse. On behalf of the Australian Government, the Australian Renewable Energy Agency has today (July 3) opened a $30 million funding initiative to reduce emissions in the aviation sector. Australia's aviation industry accounts for roughly 1 per cent of Australia's greenhouse gas emissions and is viewed as a hard to abate sector. Most of these emissions are from medium to long haul flights. The Sustainable Aviation Fuels (SAF) Funding Initiative aims to support the development of a SAF industry with production from renewable feedstocks in Australia. The SAF Funding Initiative will examine opportunities across the supply chain from renewable feedstock supply to final fuel production, identifying their requirements to enable and scale a domestic SAF industry. The open initiative will welcome applications seeking ARENA grant funding between $1 million and $30 million via a two-stage application process. ARENA is seeking proposals for commercial or pre-commercial SAF production with funding provided to support engineering feasibility and project development activities or funding for pilot scale and pre-commercial demonstrations. ARENA will also seek proposals with novel and scalable approaches across the supply chain. This could include innovation in feedstock supply such as aggregation or business models to enable domestic SAF production. Proposals will be required to demonstrate that they use or process an eligible renewable feedstock and production pathway. Power to Liquids (PtL) or E-fuels production pathways are not supported under the Funding Initiative. Modelling by McKinsey & Co has estimated that SAF could result in a net reduction in emissions from the global aviation sector by up to 30 per cent by 2030. SAF is experiencing high global demand while its supply remains limited. Although Australia currently lacks local production of SAF, it possesses significant potential in renewable feedstocks that could be harnessed to meet both domestic and global SAF supply needs. ARENA CEO Darren Miller said the funding initiative will help Australia understand how SAF can play a role in decarbonising the aviation industry. "For a country so reliant on aviation for passenger and freight transport, it's essential that we find ways to reduce emissions from this critical sector," Mr Miller said. "With abundant agriculture, waste and residue resources, Australia has the potential to support a thriving domestic biofuel industry. This is about utilitising our natural advantages to reduce emissions and make the most of the economic opportunities on offer." The SAF initiative seeks to deliver on the findings of ARENA's Bioenergy Roadmap which found that sustainable aviation fuels produced from renewable biomass could provide up to 19 per cent of Australia's aviation fuel requirements by 2030. Published in 2021, the Bioenergy Roadmap outlined how a local bioenergy industry could contribute about $10 billion in extra GDP by 2030 and result in an additional 26,000 new jobs. Applications for the SAF initiative are open now, with expressions of interest due by 1 November 2023. ARENA media contact: media@arena.gov.au DNV develops new Shore Power class rules for tankers Oslo, Norway, 3 July 2023: DNV is the first class society globally to introduce new class rules for electrical shore connections specifically tailored for tankers, contributing to setting sector norms. The need for new rules on shore power for tankers emerged following amendments to the California Air Resources Board's (CARB) Ocean-Going Vessels At-Berth Regulation, requiring tankers to have emission control strategies in place at specific ports from January 2025. As a response to these regulatory changes, DNV, on behalf of the Western States Petroleum Association, conducted a comprehensive assessment of the feasibility of meeting the new requirements. The assessment found significant gaps in the existing regulatory framework for shore power on tankers, emphasizing the necessity for more robust rules. The gaps included a lack of standardization for connection points, limited interface compatibility with terminal systems, and technology development constraints. The project also identified a need for risk evaluation in handling hazardous cargo during implementation of shore power technology. At DNV our primary focus is on safety. With tankers, that often carry potentially flammable cargoes, the electrical risks can be greater than for dry bulk carriers and containerships. This requires more attention on systems safety both on-board and on the quayside, said Catrine Vestereng, Senior Vice President, and Global Segment Director Tankers at DNV Maritime. These gaps underscore the importance of establishing industry-standard guidelines to address safety concerns effectively and ensure the well-being of personnel and assets involved in tanker operations. To ensure a comprehensive and inclusive process, DNV sought feedback from interested parties through proposals for a hearing starting 8 March. After incorporating insights and expertise from leading energy charterers, tanker terminals, and prominent ship owners, DNV has finalised the rules after a five-week review period. The Oil Companies International Marine Forums (OCIMF) Environment Committee established the Onshore Power Supply Work Group (OPS WG), a joint industry working group to support the development of standardised practices guidance regarding the application of shore power for tankers, terminals, and their interface. DNV has been a part of this collective endeavour, contributing significantly. We appreciate their and all our industry partners efforts as we strive to accelerate the adoption of innovative solutions to reduce emissions, said Filipe Santana, Engineering Adviser at OCIMF. The new rules were officially released on 1 July 2023. Bess Power Corporation ("BESS Power") announces that the Lund Storage project has started the Full interconnect Study (FIS) in conjunction with the Texas independent system operator, Electric Reliability Council of Texas Inc. ("ERCOT"), and Lower Colorado River Authority ("LCRA"). Lund Storage has an import/export capacity of 407.55 MW, establishing it as one of the largest utility-scale energy storage projects in the state of Texas. BESS Power Corp, is owned jointly by Redelfi, a Euronext Milan listed company, Altea Green Power, and the U.S. based developer Elio Energy Group LLC. Lund Storage is the first project in a growing portfolio. BESS Power purchased the US-registered SPV Lund Storage Center 1 LLC earlier this year, which is located on 50 acres of privately-owned land in Travis County, Texas. Philip Herman, Chief Operating Officer of BESS Power, said, "Our main focus has been to grow our greenfield portfolio with the highest quality projects possible, which Lund Storage is an excellent example of. The early success of Lund Storage is a step in the right direction and demonstrates the drive and deep expertise of our team and partners as we work towards our goals. Energy storage will play an ever-increasing role in the transmission system in ERCOT and elsewhere across the country." Lund Storage is now moving forward with the Full Interconnect Study, with a projected commercial operations date in 2026. This marks a key milestone in BESS Power's goal of developing in excess of 2 GW of stand-alone storage projects across the USA. About BESS Power: BESS Power Corporation is a leading utility-scale energy storage developer with a primary focus on stand-alone BESS (Battery Energy Storage Systems) projects across the United States. Established with Redelfi Group, Altea Green Power and Elio Energy Group LLC, BESS Power Corporation is manufacturer independent, providing best-in-class energy storage solutions. The combination of these key market players brings a wealth of financial capabilities and technical expertise in this fast-growing market. For more information, visit www.besspowercorp.com. AgNav a Sustainable Digital Platform to Support Farmers A new sustainability digital platform called AgNav, which has been jointly developed by Teagasc, ICBF and Bord Bia, with the support of the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, is being showcased to thousands of farmers at the Teagasc National Dairy Open Day in Moorepark, Fermoy, today, 4 July. AgNav a Sustainable Digital Platform to Support Farmers AgNav provides farmers with accurate and verifiable farm specific figures to support decision making on their farms to help meet agricultures Climate Action. AgNav has been trialled with Teagasc advisors and Signpost demonstration farms, and is being used by the new team of Teagasc Signpost Advisors, working with farmers to develop action plans for individual farmers to mitigate their Greenhouse gas emissions. Dr Siobhan Jordan, Teagasc Head of Technology Transfer and Commercialisation, said that the platform is utilising the collective knowledge of Teagasc, Bord Bia and ICBF to provide data, decision-making support tools and guidance to farmers, which will be housed in one consolidated online platform. Dr Tom ODwyer, Teagasc Head of Signpost Programme, said: There was a need to provide each farmer with an estimate of the greenhouse gas and ammonia emissions generated on their specific farm, and to do that in a way that required the minimum of effort on the part of the farmer, while allowing the farmer to explore the impact of the adoption of mitigation actions on their farms emissions figures. Jonathan Herron, Teagasc researcher in Moorepark, said; AgNav will support farmers to continue to improve productivity, ensure economic viability, while also setting new standards in terms of the environmental sustainability of their farms. It will help farmers put actions into play so that the sector can strive to achieve the targets that have been set for agriculture. Through the Assess feature, farm data is collated from the Bord Bia Quality Assurance Scheme audit to build a picture of the operations on the farm, with data captured such as fertiliser use, concentrates and manure management strategies. Animal specific data such as performance, numbers and inventory change - is gathered through the ICBF database. When combined with other on-farm management data, Jonathan explained that it allows for a Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) of the farm to be completed. The LCA, which was developed through years of Teagasc research, is used to calculate greenhouse gas emissions, ammonia emissions and other environmental indicators of the farming system. This is then used to provide a starting point as to where the farm is in terms of greenhouse gas emissions. The second element Forecast is a live decision support tool, which allows the farmer to calculate the effect different mitigation strategies at different adoption rates have on their overall greenhouse gases and ammonia emissions. The final step is the Action Planner, through which the farmer and the advisor develops a farm-specific action plan to record the practices that will make a difference on their farm in terms of environmental performance. Initially AgNav will be available to all Irish beef and dairy farmers who sign up to the free Teagasc Signpost advisory programme. Farmers will always control the data in AgNav that relates to their farm. anjan_c2007 Distinguished - BHPian Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: India Posts: 7,677 Thanked: 17,086 Times View My Garage The most & least troublesome cars you have owned in India To start with, the oldest (ownership date wise) is my Maruti 800 SB 308 from 1987. Its pictures have appeared in quite a few threads. The three plus decades have passed by so quickly that it feels the car was bought just sometime ago. The car has the distinction in being the least expensive to maintain for me amongst all and the costs of maintenance are slightly more than a two wheeler. I have done some long distance driving on this car. Coming after the Ambassador, Premier and Mahindra jeep era, the Maruti with its front wheel drive was a breeze (Maruti has got its Brezza now) to drive and its three cylinder engine was almost noiseless until the electric fan had to start, sensing the engine and radiator water temperature. And the old generation cars made their driver tired after covering long distances. But not with the tiny Marutis, that changed the way India drove. Our habits to open the bonnet, check the radiator water level, engine oil level or check any fouling up inside the engine bay and gauge the engine mood were all gone with the advent of the Maruti. Its spares are still available at very reasonable prices though some of these require efforts and involve waiting. But it also shares the distinction of being the car that got me stranded midway the most. It was quite OK till the late 1990's but its niggles started showing just before the new millenium. Sometimes it was either the distributor, water pump, then the engine, then its carburettor and lately its fuel line that got clogged up due to ethanol blending in petrol. The fuel tank, fuel pump and quite many carburettor components had to be changed very recently due to the ethanol's devil. As it is less used, the damage due to ethanol mixed petrol is also the most. Though it runs flawlessly when in a good mood, it is fast becoming unpredictable. One expects a Japanese car to be the best of the lot and the most reliable, but in my case my British and Indian cars jointly share the 'most reliable' tag. My next car, year of manufacture wise the oldest of the lot is the 1955 Landmaster that has appeared in quite a few threads on the vintage/ classic cars section here. This car is a gem of a machine and no matter what names James Ruppert, Editor, Autocar, U.K. calls these then BMC cars by, in his book "The British Car Industry Our Part in its Downfall", the car is excellently engineered and vows with the "Quality First" phrase that Lord Nuffield used for his company's Morris cars. The car left me stranded only once in August 2003 on a busy junction just a few weeks after I had bought it. The fault was traced to the pinhole in its brass float in its SU Carburettor. As a result a few liters of petrol spilled on the road. A traffic policeman helped me push the car to the kerbside and thereafter I sought help from the garage to tow it for repairs. I wish I had a camera on the spot then to click the cop doing a good Samaritan's job. This car now goes for long runs courtesy our vintage club here the Cent Ind Vintage Automotive Association (CIVAA) traversing 100 to 200 plus kms to the hinterland. It does the rough roads with ease and as I remember someone aptly describing it as a "he" when I had addressed my Landmaster as a "she". But on the spares front, there's insecurity and I have ended up buying more and more spares for the car, even going to the extent of importing some. Whatever conks off is either repaired if repairable or else replaced. It does garage visits on a regular basis and that keeps it fit. After all, don't we go to health clubs and gyms to keep fit ? It will complete a glorious 70 years of its life in 2025. My newest buy was the Scorpio in 2009. It is already 14 plus years since I am using it and this is due for fitness in 2024. It has done its 14 plus years with me giving me smiles across the miles through the years. It has never, ever left me stranded on the road anytime. Its a robust and brute SUV that I still do not like to swap for anything new. On the road it gives the occupants a sense of security though these did not have any NCAP done on them way back in 2009. The Scorpio scored zero about a decade ago, but are there no other cars with ZERO or ONE that were sold in the lakhs as late as 2021. Some of Zeroes have graduated to ONE in 2023. So why does my 2009 Scorpio has to bear the brunt from safety buffs for its probable ZERO. Its build quality makes us feel secure. With the CrDe engine one does not miss its peppiness and initially I did not believe I was driving a diesel monster. The turbo lag at 30-50 kmph lasted till just around 300 kms but is forever gone now. And it has spoilt me as a driver. I tend to move a wee bit to the right of the road ad the oncoming traffic makes way for my SUV. Of course, that's when the left has some errant vehicles moving ahead in the same direction that do not give us the right of way or the right to overtake. Doing the same moves by moving to the right of the road on my Maruti is disastrous and when I see autorickshaws aggressively moving towards me, I realise that I am behind the wheels of my Maruti 800. I am a very satisfied owner and can vouch for the fact that never ever did this SUV need a second self to crank it's engine to life. The only time once in 2019 it needed a second self was when it's battery had become weak. Hence, other than changing its engine oil, gear oil and coolant it has never needed any major repairs. However, while doing speeds above 100 kmph on the highways the fuel consumption increases noticeably. There were just a few minor niggles like a brake oil leak, some rubber parts becoming unserviceable and so on but these can be surely condoned for the good times it has given me and all my family members. Here we can discuss about the most to the least troublesome cars that we have owned or still own till date. The topic gives me the leeway to discuss about the three cars I have owned. In fact, they are still with me as on date.To start with, the oldest (ownership date wise) is my Maruti 800 SB 308 from 1987. Its pictures have appeared in quite a few threads. The three plus decades have passed by so quickly that it feels the car was bought just sometime ago. The car has the distinction in being the least expensive to maintain for me amongst all and the costs of maintenance are slightly more than a two wheeler. I have done some long distance driving on this car. Coming after the Ambassador, Premier and Mahindra jeep era, the Maruti with its front wheel drive was a breeze (Maruti has got its Brezza now) to drive and its three cylinder engine was almost noiseless until the electric fan had to start, sensing the engine and radiator water temperature. And the old generation cars made their driver tired after covering long distances. But not with the tiny Marutis, that changed the way India drove. Our habits to open the bonnet, check the radiator water level, engine oil level or check any fouling up inside the engine bay and gauge the engine mood were all gone with the advent of the Maruti. Its spares are still available at very reasonable prices though some of these require efforts and involve waiting. But it also shares the distinction of being the car that got me stranded midway the most. It was quite OK till the late 1990's but its niggles started showing just before the new millenium. Sometimes it was either the distributor, water pump, then the engine, then its carburettor and lately its fuel line that got clogged up due to ethanol blending in petrol. The fuel tank, fuel pump and quite many carburettor components had to be changed very recently due to the ethanol's devil. As it is less used, the damage due to ethanol mixed petrol is also the most. Though it runs flawlessly when in a good mood, it is fast becoming unpredictable. One expects a Japanese car to be the best of the lot and the most reliable, but in my case my British and Indian cars jointly share the 'most reliable' tag.My next car, year of manufacture wise the oldest of the lot is the 1955 Landmaster that has appeared in quite a few threads on the vintage/ classic cars section here. This car is a gem of a machine and no matter what names James Ruppert, Editor, Autocar, U.K. calls these then BMC cars by, in his book "The British Car Industry Our Part in its Downfall", the car is excellently engineered and vows with the "Quality First" phrase that Lord Nuffield used for his company's Morris cars. The car left me stranded only once in August 2003 on a busy junction just a few weeks after I had bought it. The fault was traced to the pinhole in its brass float in its SU Carburettor. As a result a few liters of petrol spilled on the road. A traffic policeman helped me push the car to the kerbside and thereafter I sought help from the garage to tow it for repairs. I wish I had a camera on the spot then to click the cop doing a good Samaritan's job. This car now goes for long runs courtesy our vintage club here the Cent Ind Vintage Automotive Association (CIVAA) traversing 100 to 200 plus kms to the hinterland. It does the rough roads with ease and as I remember someone aptly describing it as a "he" when I had addressed my Landmaster as a "she". But on the spares front, there's insecurity and I have ended up buying more and more spares for the car, even going to the extent of importing some. Whatever conks off is either repaired if repairable or else replaced. It does garage visits on a regular basis and that keeps it fit. After all, don't we go to health clubs and gyms to keep fit ?It will complete a glorious 70 years of its life in 2025.My newest buy was the Scorpio in 2009. It is already 14 plus years since I am using it and this is due for fitness in 2024. It has done its 14 plus years with me giving me smiles across the miles through the years. It has never, ever left me stranded on the road anytime. Its a robust and brute SUV that I still do not like to swap for anything new. On the road it gives the occupants a sense of security though these did not have any NCAP done on them way back in 2009. The Scorpio scored zero about a decade ago, but are there no other cars with ZERO or ONE that were sold in the lakhs as late as 2021. Some of Zeroes have graduated to ONE in 2023. So why does my 2009 Scorpio has to bear the brunt from safety buffs for its probable ZERO. Its build quality makes us feel secure. With the CrDe engine one does not miss its peppiness and initially I did not believe I was driving a diesel monster. The turbo lag at 30-50 kmph lasted till just around 300 kms but is forever gone now. And it has spoilt me as a driver. I tend to move a wee bit to the right of the road ad the oncoming traffic makes way for my SUV. Of course, that's when the left has some errant vehicles moving ahead in the same direction that do not give us the right of way or the right to overtake. Doing the same moves by moving to the right of the road on my Maruti is disastrous and when I see autorickshaws aggressively moving towards me, I realise that I am behind the wheels of my Maruti 800.I am a very satisfied owner and can vouch for the fact that never ever did this SUV need a second self to crank it's engine to life. The only time once in 2019 it needed a second self was when it's battery had become weak. Hence, other than changing its engine oil, gear oil and coolant it has never needed any major repairs. However, while doing speeds above 100 kmph on the highways the fuel consumption increases noticeably. There were just a few minor niggles like a brake oil leak, some rubber parts becoming unserviceable and so on but these can be surely condoned for the good times it has given me and all my family members. Last edited by anjan_c2007 : 1st July 2023 at 19:06 . Please Enable JavaScript www.techspot.com is using a security service for protection against online attacks. The service requires full JavaScript support in order to view this website. Please enable JavaScript on your browser and try again. The Aska A5 eVTOL was among those who are looking to debut their tech, but more importantly, get its certifications and approvals from the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) which it obtained most recently. Now, the company is claiming to be the "world's first" flying car to do this, soon gunning for the Type Certification from the authorities. Its A5's recent approval stemmed from its successful driving and flying experience both on the ground and on the air, making it a multi-platform vehicle with authorization from the regulators. Aska A5 eVTOL is Now FAA Authorized and Certified (Photo : Aska) Aska announced via a press release that the company has already obtained its Certificate of Authorization and the Special Airworthiness Certification by the FAA which takes them to the next step in their developments. It has already conducted several flight and road tests which attests to its capabilities both on air and on land. The Aska A5 is claimed to be the "world's first flying car" which obtained these crucial certifications and approval from the FAA, soon to be out on the streets for public use. Its Special Airworthiness Certificate is a testament that it already met all the FAA safety requirements for this type of vehicle. "The airworthiness certification validates our efforts to develop a drive & fly eVTOL with an emphasis on safety," said Maki Kaplinsky, Aska co-founder/Chair & COO. Read Also: Closer to 2025 Air Taxi Goal, Joby Aviation Secures FAA Permit for First Manufactured eVTOL Aircraft FAA Type Certification is the Next Goal However, this is not yet the end of the line for Aska, as its next goal is to secure the FAA Type Certification says Interesting Engineering. "Type certification signifies the design is in compliance with applicable airworthiness, noise, fuel venting, and exhaust emissions standards," claims the company. Flying Cars and eVTOLs Being the world's first is a massive claim, and this is because they assert that they are pioneers in the world, with Aska leading the market with its recent certification. The company may sound familiar as they were recently in the CES 2023 to showcase their eVTOL in the market, offering a 4-seater flying car that can go on both the roads and the air. The company promises an SUV-type eVTOL to go on the air, and it can seat a family in its large cabins that would be comfortable along the way. Speaking of eVTOLs, other companies are presenting different perks and access to these flying cars, including a company called Recon which claims that a pilot license is no longer needed for its operations. A future where cars can go both on the air and on roads is closer to reality than it was before, but these are not the typical ones that people see in sci-fi movies that use hover technologies. While the Aska A5 can hover, it does so with rotors that help propel and bring it back to the ground, now working on its FAA Type Certification that would expand more of its operations in the world. Related Article: Alef Receives Airworthiness Certification from FAA, Gaining Approval to Fly from US Government 2023 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. A team of astronomers from Northumbria University in Newcastle, United Kingdom, has recently discovered a cosmic phenomenon on the Sun's surface, where its corona was seen 'shooting stars.' These "shooting stars" are common here on the planet, particularly when space debris enter the atmosphere, but not so regular on the Sun's surface. The study on the Sun's corona was an indirect probe of the massive star's presence using the SolO spacecraft that orbits close to its surface. Shooting Stars on the Sun? Here's What It Is (Photo : Pixabay) The study that was recently presented on the Royal Astronomical Society via the National Astronomy Meeting brought the latest phenomenon present on the Sun, with seemingly 'shooting stars' appearing on its surface. However, the Sun is not shooting up stars, rather, plasma from the Sun that hits a cooler spot in its atmosphere, the corona. This then goes on the process of condensation and is pulled back on the hot surface like precipitation or rain. The phenomenon is also known as a "coronal rain," and according to Interesting Engineering, these cooled-down plasma are then pulled back to the Sun and resembles rain. Read Also: What's the True Color of the Sun? NASA Shows All Visible Colors of Our Big Star Sun's Corona Phenomenon Ejecting 'Stars' "The inner solar corona is so hot we may never be able to probe it in situ with a spacecraft," said Patrick Antolin, lead author of the study. "However, SolO orbits close enough to the Sun that it can detect small-scale phenomena occurring within the corona, such as the effect of the rain on the corona, allowing us a precious indirect probe of the coronal environment that is crucial to understanding its composition and thermodynamics. Just detecting coronal rain is a huge step forward for solar physics because it gives us important clues about the major solar mysteries, such as how it is heated to millions of degrees," Antolin explained. The Sun's Phenomena Despite the long-time and multiple studies on the Sun, there are still a lot more to learn about the hot molten ball of plasma that sits at the center of the Milky Way Galaxy that we live in. The Sun is known to be one source of life, warming up this cold and endless part of space, but while it is special for humans, it was said to only be a normal one from previous research. Phenomena and other events on the Sun remains a mystery for humans, but there are some observed and explained by researchers to be normal occurrences on its surface. One of the most common are the so-called Solar Flares which happen when magnetic fields cross each other on the Sun's surface, creating these wild displays on its surface. The Sun remains as one of the most mysterious objects in our galaxy, but it gives a gravitational pull that keeps the Solar System planets in place, as well as heat. The recent coronal rain are still plasma ejections that are cooler than what the Sun has on its body, then pulled back to its extremely hot surface appearing like glowing clumps that resemble shooting stars. Related Article: [LOOK] NASA Features Image Following the "Three Paths of the Sun" 2023 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. As artificial intelligence continues to innovate day by day, this technology will now enter the education system. One of the most prestigious Ivy League in the United States will be using AI-generated chatbots to teach students for a computer science coding class. (Photo : Darren McCollester/Getty Images) CAMBRIDGE, MA - JUNE 4: Harvard University students at the School of Education hold up books as their degree is announced during commencement ceremonies June 4, 2009 in Harvard Yard in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Using AI-Powered Bots to Teach University Students Harvard University revealed its plans to incorporate artificial intelligence tools to teach computer science coding classes as the university ventures into innovative technology. According to a report from Interesting Engineering, students will be able to use a class bot to learn the CS50 module using AI software described as an "evolution of that tradition." As per Computer Science 50 professor David J. Malan through an email, this will potentially start this coming fall. "Students will be able to use AI to help find bugs in their code, give feedback on the design of student programs, explain unfamiliar lines of code or error messages, and answer the individual question." he added. Course educators have been experimenting with the technology through both GPT models 3.5 and 4. Malan added that they are hoping that they can eventually approximate a 1:1 teacher-student ratio for every student in the class through AI. Through these software-based tools, students will have the support for learning 24/7 at their own pace and in a style that works best for them. Technically, bots will have the ability to teach students to find errors in their coding, answer questions related to the course, offer genuine feedback to their works, and help them learn more about the process of coding in different ways. Bots' responses can be also reviewed by human staff members from time to time to ensure the technology's accuracy. As Harvard costs $334,000 for a four-year degree course based on the rates from the school year of 2022-2023, students can most likely expect that CS50 will start incorporating AI by September at the latest without bugs and problems. Raising Concerns for Education Fox News reported that advancements in artificial intelligence through education have raised worries and concerns as it give students more reasons to become lazy and dependent on AI for their work and school tasks. In recent months, students have been using ChatGPT chatbots to complete their assignments which leads to plagiarism and ungenuine tasks. Also Read: New AI by Harvard May Pave the Path Towards Human Happiness Outside of the university and educational setup, AI developers and software engineers have been struggling to incorporate OpenAI's new ChatGPT-4 into their workflow. This was called into question when the algorithm became deteriorated lately. Reports said that the tool generates more buggy code and results. Daily Mail reported that the community from the industry described the skills of the newly-released version of ChatGPT as "significantly worse" compared to the previous versions as it is prone to superficial responses and lobotomized in its results to coding prompts. Related Article: Harvard To Develop AI That Works As Fast As Human Brain 2023 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. China will impose new restrictions regarding exports of two materials used in the semiconductor industry, which becomes the country's latest effort amid a "chip war" with the United States that earlier restricted chip exports to China. (Photo : Annabelle Chih/Getty Images) HSINCHU, TAIWAN - SEPTEMBER 16: A student wears cleanroom suit conducts a research inside the clean room of Taiwan Semiconductor Research Institution during a press semiconductor tour at Hsinchu Science Park on September 16, 2022 in Hsinchu, Taiwan. China Imposing Export Restrictions on Chipmaking Materials The commerce ministry of the Republic of China is set to impose several restrictions regarding exports of chipmaking materials in an effort to halt the United States from advancing its chip technology. According to Reuters, China imposed this restriction to protect national security and potential interests from other countries. The newly-imposed restrictions will require companies and exporters to seek permission and licenses from the commerce ministry to ship some gallium and germanium products before shipping outside the country. The mentioned materials and their chemical compounds will be subject to export controls starting August 1. It will apply to eight gallium-related products, including gallium antimonide, gallium arsenide, gallium oxide, gallium phosphide, gallium metal, gallium nitride, gallium selenide, and indium gallium arsenide. Wall Street Journal reported that this would affect some metals produced and refined primarily in China as neither gallium nor germanium is traded in large quantities. The mentioned materials will give other sectors leverage and advancements in technology. Both are considered important materials to particular industries, as it was designed in and for use in the United States despite being developed in Asian regions like Taiwan and South Korea. According to Critical Mineral Institute Board Member Alastair Neill, this "measure will have an immediate ripple effect on the semiconductor industry, especially with regards to high-performance chips." Neill has been working for 30 years of experience with China's metals industry. Also Read: Huawei Says China's Chip Sector Will Be 'Reborn' Amid US Sanctions US-China Chip War Bloomberg reported that China has been battling for technological dominance in every aspect, from quantum computing to artificial intelligence. But chip manufacturing has been one of the sectors the country has been releasing efforts on as the United States has also taken increasingly aggressive measures to keep China from gaining dominance. The Biden administration has made it difficult for China to buy lithography machines needed for high-performance chips. Regulators have been encouraging allies in Europe and some parts of Asia to also halt China's dominance in this sector. That includes the Netherlands in Europe, which is set to deliver a one-two punch with the United States to China's chipmakers this coming summer by restricting sales of chipmaking equipment that is allegedly being used to strengthen China's military. The limits and controls regarding chip export also come at a time when different nations worldwide have been making some efforts to reduce reliance and dependence on overseas countries. Recently, Taiwanese officials have called out the United States regarding statements that called the dependence of the country on chips made from Taiwan "untenable" and "unsafe." Related Article: US Chip Ban Threatens the Advancement of China's AI, Semiconductor Industry - Experts Say 2023 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Electric vehicles nowadays are designed with the best technology there is, alongside the luxury features that expand more if its offers to its owners. That being said, a famed luxury vehicle manufacturer, Rolls Royce, has recently introduced its latest 2024 Spectre EV, the first clean energy car from its lineup that captures the Rolls experience. However, while this is the first modern take on a Rolls Royce EV, there were plans before to equip its luxury cars with electric motors to complete the premium experience with a silent and comfortable vehicle. 2024 Rolls Royce Spectre: Is it the Top Luxury EV? (Photo : Rolls Royce) Rolls Royce unveiled the 2024 Spectre EV back in 2022, and it is the first take of the company in a fully-electric vehicle that captures what the brand is all about. It is a culmination of Rolls Royce's design, engineering, and development of its vehicles in one, featuring a befitting name in line with what the company offers. The Spectre EV features a twin-motor powertrain to bring its electrifying performance to the road, featuring an EPA-rated 260 miles on one full charge. While this may not be enough for long-hauls, it still presents a decent mileage for those traveling around the city or other nearby locations and back home. According to Ars Technica, Rolls Royce said that most Spectre EV owners prefer charging it at the office or at home. Still, it features a DC fast charging outlet with a CCS-1 port. Read Also: Rolls-Royce Spectre: First EV of British Luxury Car Maker Now Under Tests-What to Expect? Spectre EV: Performance and Luxury in One The Spectre EV's powertrain brings a whopping 584 horsepower and 900nm of torque, and it is enough to get the blood pumping and feel the adrenaline behind the wheel. That being said, it is equipped with a slur of luxurious features as one would expect from a Rolls Royce car. The Spectre EV is 123 years in the making, as Charles Stewart Rolls initially envisioned an electric Rolls-Royce car back in 1900, but the lack of charging stations made it a challenge for its development. Rolls Royce and its Developments Clean energy has always been part of Rolls-Royce's developments in the past years, and the company may not have focused it mostly on its cars, but it also pledged a 2030 end to its ICE developments. The British luxury car brand is best known for using V engines on its cars, combining both performance and luxury in one. And while Rolls Royce does not have a massive EV portfolio in today's time, the company is known for its developments of electric plane engines that change its source of power for propulsion. Apart from being a clean energy engine for planes, Rolls Royce also boasts that its electric planes are the fastest in the world. Rolls Royce may be lagging, but its latest entry to its clean energy lineup centers on the 2024 Spectre EV, being the company's first electric coupe in the market. The impressive specs and performance bring competition to other EVs out there, paired with the explosive performance that encapsulates what Rolls Royce has to offer for its cars. Related Article: Rolls-Royce To Start Testing New F130 Engines for US Air Force, Replacing Old Ones 2023 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Creating campaigns and displaying advertisements are time-consuming and costly and have become technology dependent in the field of digital marketing. As a business owner or marketing manager, you require the best partners in programmatic advertising to increase brand awareness and foresee an increase in sales for your company's growth. What Is Programmatic Advertising? Programmatic advertising employs advanced technology to buy and sell digital advertising spaces. Unlike the manual method, this form of advertising utilizes data insights and algorithms to place ads in front of consumers on different platforms, mediums, and devices. It aims to attract them to become customers and, eventually, to purchase from your business. It sounds technical even for an average consumer to understand, but fortunately, some companies have programmatic platforms ready to serve your company's advertising needs. Below are the top 5 companies with the best display advertising software in 2023: 1 Genius Monkey Established in 2009, Genius Monkey offers advertising solutions through its programmatic platform. Over the years, the company has maximized the advantage of AI with human oversight to take charge in the field of display advertising. Genius Monkey created a software solution called a Meta-DSP that unites demand-side platforms (DSPs) and 1st party networks through one single entry point. Companies make use of DSPs to buy ad spaces and run advertising campaigns across multiple platforms. A Meta-DSP then unifies all the data, reporting, and buying tools of DSPs into a single platform, with full targeting, attribution, and brand safety all built in. For clarity, imagine visiting a site to read an article. The website contains cookies that immediately inform media buyers into bidding to place an advertisement. Whoever wins the bid, the company's ad gets to appear on the site you are visiting, designed to catch your attention right alongside the article you're reading. That's how programmatic advertising works. The Programmatic Platform of Genius Monkey Businesses benefit from the programmatic advertising of Genius Monkey to reach their target audience. With the company's built-in access to behavioral databases, the programmatic platform learns online behavior, demographics, location, the brand of the device, and other essential information about potential customers to create an effective target audience. Genius Monkey integrates all the information from the database and strategically places your ads across all networks to produce the most impressions to gather the highest quality of clicks. The programmatic platform automatically locates and reaches out to consumers looking for your product. Not only does your company gain traffic, but you also get more in-market customers, made possible through the programmatic advertising of Genius Monkey. Multi-screen Strategy of Genius Monkey Genius Monkey engages your audience on all screens. Simply placing an image ad increases your company's traffic by 41%. This also results in a 36% increase in brand awareness and an 8% increase in purchase intent. Advertisers have seen a 24% lift in the recall due to the multi-screen strategy of Genius Monkey. The Success of Genius Monkey Is Built Upon Five Pillars: Unrestricted behavioral targeting Personalization is key in programmatic advertising. Genius Monkey utilizes "if, and, or statements" to achieve unrestricted behavior targeting. These statements inform the programmatic platform to customize the ads directed toward your company's target market. For example, you're in the business of selling minivans. Genius Monkey narrows down to the specifics of your demographics and targets potential customers a) if they have children, b) or own pets, c) and are currently debt-free. These customers then can become potential leads who might be interested in the minivans your company is selling. Genius Monkey also considers other factors in targeting potential customers: offline behavior, web history, purchase habits, and even geographics or psychographics. With the company's numerous behavioral database partnerships, your advertisements can reach the right audience. Media and device agnostic The solutions of Genius Monkey are optimized toward different forms of media and device types used by its consumers. It doesn't matter whether your audience uses a laptop, smartphone, tablet, or smart TV. Genius Monkey collects all available impressions through its integration with multiple networks and DSPs. The media and device agnostics bring every media outlet available instead of relying on a few major networks. They operate in real-time on all connected devices, ensuring maximum performance, adjusted to your consumers' data. Real-time Optimization Genius Monkey customizes your ad campaigns on the fly with its real-time optimization technology called Omni-Monkey. It also locates hidden values, finds the cost-effective route to your target audience, and creates real-time competition among programmatic DSPs and other networks. This ensures your business gets the best propriety value for your ads. The Omni-Monkey also functions as a tracking system, set of algorithms, and AI that assist in making decisions on where best to put your money. This gives Genius Monkey the capability to offer a huge marketing value with your company's money. Quants with human oversight Genius Monkey also employs human campaign managers to oversee the operation of its programmatic platform. They provide quantitative analysis to assist your business in predicting and targeting audiences more likely to become leads. The whole system of buying ads has changed drastically. It's important to continually develop the algorithms to spot purchasing opportunities across different media outlets. Measurement and validation If you can't measure it, you can't solve it. This principle applies to digital marketing. To know how effective the marketing strategies are, you must be able to track and validate them. Genius Monkey makes certain your ads are seen by real people instead of bots. It has security measures in place to eliminate fraud, low-quality traffic, and malicious websites that prevent the company's programmatic system from tracking and measuring advertising results accurately. Genius Monkey works hard to reach customers with the highest propensity to buy at the lowest cost possible, so your business can focus on its customers and their needs. At the same time, as your programmatic expert partner, Genius Monkey hopes to empower you to find them and serve them better. 2 Adobe Advertising Cloud Known for creating the portable document format, Adobe extends its solutions in the display advertising industry with its programmatic platform, Adobe Advertising Cloud. Unlike other companies, Adobe considers itself an independent advertising platform. The company doesn't own the media nor make money from publishers. Neither does it share your data with other competitors. The company focuses entirely on serving your needs as a programmatic advertising platform provider. The Adobe Advertising Cloud specializes in connected TV, video, display, native, audio, and search campaign. Adobe brings these specializations to its DSP, bringing cross-screen and cross-channel integrations for planning, buying, measuring, and optimizing your ads. With its real-time technology, raw activity logs, and reporting, your business can make informed optimization choices to maximize the performance of your campaign. Combined with other Adobe products and management platforms, the Adobe Advertising Cloud can help your company deliver engaging and personalized experiences to consumers. Adobe also brings the power of AI into its programmatic platform. With artificial intelligence, you can bid goodbye to manual optimization because the technology will maximize your search, shopping, commerce, and retargeting campaigns. You can spend more time on your business strategies and reach your performance goals. Adobe Creative Cloud automates and customizes ads for both prospecting and retargeting customers. This display advertising software takes off the pressure of creating thousands of variants to match the campaign objective. Over the years, Adobe has helped transform global brands like Coca-Cola, Home Depot, and Hugo Boss. Take advantage of Adobe Creative Cloud and turn your customers into loyal fans. Soon, your business can run ads similar to multinational companies. 3 Google Ad Manager Google introduced the Google Ad Manager last 2018. It is a programmatic advertising platform used widely in the U.S., producing almost 75% of the ad impressions circulated in the online spaces you visit. Users know Google as the popular search engine. As a business owner, you can take advantage of Google Ad Manager to reach your target audience any time they use the platform. Google Ad Manager functions both as an SSP and an ad server. SSP means supply-side platform. It works for publishers to collect and serve data to ad exchanges. Meanwhile, an ad server allows publishers to define, manage, and monitor ad inventories on their respective platforms to display different kinds of ads. Currently, there are two versions of the Google Ad Manager: Small Business and 360. Designed for small to medium-sized publishers, your business can produce 90 million monthly ad impressions and up to 200 million with the Google Ad Manager for Small Business. Your business can also produce around 800,000 video ad impressions monthly. The number of impressions depends on the country where you are displaying your ads. However, the downside of using Google Ad Manager for Small Business is its limited features since it's free. If you want more advanced features, you have to upgrade by using the 360. 4 War Room Based in Vancouver, War Room is an award-winning digital advertising company that specializes in programmatic ads. The company unites the power of advanced programmatic technology and human insights to deliver various ads from display, video, shopping and even extending to Metaverse advertising. War Room recognizes the complications of using a programmatic platform. As a company, it aims to make the process of digital advertising and campaign management as transparent, understandable, and simple as possible. With Kedet, War Room's platform, and mascot, you can experience calmness while dealing with the chaos of an ad tech ecosystem. Kedet provides access to the largest programmatic marketplace as a unified programmatic advertising platform. Like other programmatic platforms, Kedet also taps into a behavioral database for first and third-party data, ISP, location, and other information necessary so your business can get the consumers who have the potential to engage, click, and convert. Warm Room utilizes the latest ad technologies and sophisticated algorithms to adjust bids that occur in real-time biddings. This is closely monitored by the company's experts to manage the systems to make the most value of your money. With its programmatic expertise and technology, War Room promises to bring your digital advertising campaigns to new heights and further reach, so if you want one of the best display advertising available in the market, consider War Room and its Kedet. 5 SmartyAds SmartyAds offers a stack of services that allow both buyers (DSP) and sellers (SSP) to advertise and monetize, respectively. The company stands as a global digital advertising software developer offering programmatic solutions designed for advertisers, publishers, ad agencies, and enterprises worldwide. SmartyAds incorporates machine learning, AI, and other advanced technologies to reshape the future of programmatic advertising, simplifying the process of buying and selling ads and making it profitable for each market sector. Smarty Ads focuses on the key question of how to make advertising simple. Its programmatic platform aims to streamline the process so your business can prioritize dealing with your transactions from how, where, and whom to trade with. The SmartyAds DSP, for example, can be accomplished in three easy steps: 1) choose a campaign type (banner, native, or video), 2) fill in campaign settings (targeting, budget distribution, dayparting, filters, optimization, or tracking), and 3) upload creative, where your business can set up the creative ad by choosing from the platform's library or through a 3rd party tag, and you're all set to launch the campaign. SmartAds has been operating for eight years now. Companies like Google and Opera have partnered with the company to offer your business the best campaigns possible. With over 500 monthly impressions in North America alone, SmartyAds makes it to the list of companies that provide the best display advertising software for advertisers and publishers. After a thorough discussion, it becomes clear then which programmatic advertising companies mentioned in this article your business should work with. So, get your money's worth and multiply its value with the top 5 best display advertising software in 2023. 2023 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Indiana Michigan Power is now available in Spanish. Indiana Michigan Power (I&M) is pleased to announce our website is now available in Spanish. With the addition, our customers will be able to read a variety of communications, including safety and account information, in their preferred language. According to U.S. Census data, nearly 40 million people in America speak Spanish at home. I&M provides power to tens of thousands of Hispanic customers and receives an average of 1,800 calls per month from customers who prefer to speak Spanish. Offering our website in Spanish allows our customers to choose their preferred language and helps I&M to better serve our communities. "Indiana Michigan Power is extremely excited about offering a Spanish-version of our website to our customers to make their lives and doing business with us easier," said Katie Davis, vice president External Affairs and Customer Experience. "The launch of the Spanish language site is the newest example of how we are constantly integrating new features to enhance our customers' experience and further outreach opportunities." Customers are able to read in Spanish electrical safety and energy efficiency tips, outage communications - including how to report an outage -- billing assistance information, program offerings and information about our employees and community involvement. Customers can change the language preference on www.IndianaMichiganPower.com simply by clicking the word "Espanol" on the top right corner. As always, if customers need assistance, our Customer Solutions Center is available 24/7 at 1-800-311-4634 or you can reach out to I&M via our social media channels on Facebook and Twitter at @IN_MI_Power. The sun unleashed a powerful solar flare, reaching its peak at 7:14 p.m. ET on July 2. The event was captured by NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory, a satellite that diligently monitors the Sun's activity. Solar flares are powerful eruptions of energy that occur on the sun's surface. They are characterized by sudden releases of electromagnetic radiation, including intense bursts of X-rays and ultraviolet (UV) light. These eruptions are caused by the rapid and dramatic changes in the sun's magnetic field. NASA Captures Intense Solar Flare According to NASA, an active sunspot region called AR 3354 unleashed this X-class solar flare. Solar flares typically occur in active regions of the sun where magnetic fields are strong, such as sunspots. The energy behind a solar flare is stored in the sun's magnetic field and is released in a sudden and explosive manner. The exact mechanisms triggering solar flares are still not completely understood, but they are believed to be associated with the complex interactions between magnetic fields and plasma (ionized gas) on the sun's surface. The energy released during a solar flare is immense, equivalent to millions of hydrogen bombs exploding simultaneously. This energy is emitted across a broad range of wavelengths, from X-rays and UV radiation to visible light and even radio waves. Solar flares can have varying durations, ranging from minutes to several hours. Read Also: This 70-Foot Nuclear Fusion Gun Aims to Fire a 1-billion-G Projectile to Replicate the Sun's Energy Production X1.0 Flare The recent solar flare has been classified as an X1.0 flare, indicating its exceptional intensity. The classification system utilizes the letter "X" to denote the most powerful flares, with the accompanying number providing additional information regarding the flare's strength. The effects of solar flares can be far-reaching. They can disrupt radio communications on Earth, leading to temporary blackouts or disturbances. Intense X-ray and UV radiation from solar flares can also interfere with satellite communications and navigation systems. In addition, solar flares can also cause geomagnetic storms when the charged particles ejected during the outburst reach Earth's magnetosphere. These storms can affect power grids, induce electrical currents in pipelines, and generate beautiful auroras (Northern and Southern Lights) in the polar regions. According to reports, the recent flare caused a brief, intense radio blackout in the western United States and the Pacific Ocean. Scientists closely monitor solar flares using various space-based observatories, such as NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory and the Solar and Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO). These observatories provide valuable data and insights into the behavior and impact of solar flares. Understanding solar flares and their potential effects is crucial for space weather forecasting and mitigating any adverse consequences they may have on Earth and our technological systems. Related Article: A Sunspot With the Size of Four Earths Ejects 10 Million Degree Solar Flare, Causes Radio Blackout over the Pacific 2023 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Singapore-based start-ups, Babbobox and Wiz.AI, have collaborated with Microsoft to develop new AI tools that showcase promising advancements in the field. These tools aim to bring significant changes to various industries through their unique applications of AI technology. AI Video Search Engine Babbobox has focused on addressing the challenge of video search by harnessing the capabilities of AI. Currently, only a small percentage of video content is searchable, despite its dominance in internet traffic. However, Babbobox's Videospace, an AI-infused Video Search Engine, aims to revolutionize this situation. By employing AI algorithms, Videospace can search and index various elements within videos, such as speech, objects, text, faces, and emotions. This technology enables organizations to extract valuable insights and data from their video assets, providing quick access to relevant information. Epiq Global, a provider of legal and business services, has already embraced Babbobox's technology to introduce EpiqFAST, an innovative solution often referred to as the "courtroom of the future." Powered by Microsoft Azure, EpiqFAST uses AI to improve the justice system by providing real-time transcription, speaker separation, and audio search capabilities. This integration of AI into the legal industry enables rapid data extraction and analysis, ultimately enhancing access to justice and reducing labor-intensive processes. Recognizing the potential benefits, a Singaporean judiciary system awarded Babbobox a tender for its Azure Speech services. Read Also: Microsoft Expands Windows 11 Hardware Compatibility to Include Newer CPUs From Intel, AMD, and Qualcomm AI-driven Omnichannel Customer Engagement Another Singaporean start-up, Wiz.AI, is collaborating with Microsoft to develop AI-driven omnichannel customer engagement tools. At the core of their offerings is the Talkbot, an AI-powered conversational agent that aims to revolutionize business-customer communication. By leveraging advanced natural language processing and machine learning techniques, Talkbot delivers highly personalized and localized customer engagements across various communication channels, including telephony, chat, messaging, and email. Notably, Talkbot possesses the ability to understand and respond in over 17 languages, including colloquial variations. Wiz.AI's solutions have received accreditation from Singapore's Infocomm Media Development Authority, affirming their compliance with industry standards and their potential to enhance customer service capabilities, operational efficiency, and data-driven decision-making across diverse sectors. In the insurance industry, Wiz.AI's Talkbots have demonstrated their value by offering highly personalized customer experiences. New customers receive welcome and onboarding calls, replacing traditional brochure and flyer methods. Talkbots also facilitate premium payment reminders, and compliance-related interactions, and address frequently asked questions. Related Article: Microsoft Store to Bring AI Tab Featuring All Apps with It, AI-Generated Reviews to Summarize Insights 2023 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. The future of warfare is fast approaching, as cutting-edge advancements in artificial intelligence (AI) are revolutionizing the capabilities of military drones. Recently, it has been revealed that the US military is evaluating drones equipped with an AI system claimed to outperform humans in target identification. While the potential benefits of this technology are promising, concerns about the ethical implications and the reliability of AI recognition systems have been raised by experts. AI Assistance for Drone Operators As NewScientist reports, Australian company Athena AI has developed an AI system that aims to enhance the capabilities of human drone operators. The system assists operators by performing tasks such as object identification, geolocation, and assessing the risk of collateral damage. By automating these processes, the AI system lightens the cognitive load on operators, who often experience fatigue and decreased concentration during extended periods of analyzing streaming video feeds. Read Also: Dolphins of War? Russia Reportedly Trains Marine Mammals for Military Needs Unleashing the Power of AI While the AI system has not yet been tested in combat, Athena AI is collaborating with Red Cat, a US firm providing drones to the military, to implement this technology for the US Army. Red Cat is even sending 200 drones to Ukraine, potentially paving the way for future upgrades with the AI system. An impressive video released by Athena AI showcases the system's ability to identify and track military vehicles, spot individuals on foot, and even determine if they resemble enemy soldiers by analyzing their uniforms and weapons. 'Better than Human' Athena AI claims that its AI system outperforms human operators in dynamic targeting scenarios and aligns with the humanitarian standards set forth in the Geneva Convention. The system has undergone rigorous scientific testing and collaboration with military legal officers to ensure compliance with legal and ethical guidelines. However, the classified nature of the testing program limits the independent verification of these claims. Expert Concerns Stuart Russell, a prominent advocate against autonomous weapons, raises concerns regarding the evaluation and reliability of AI systems. Assessing performance claims becomes challenging without access to the testing methodology and data. Russell highlights a previous instance where an AI system misidentified a 3D-printed turtle as a rifle, demonstrating the susceptibility of AI recognition systems to deception. These concerns emphasize the need for thorough evaluation, transparency, and robust safeguards when integrating AI into military operations. Simulated AI Drone Attack In a contrasting scenario, an official from the US Air Force recently described a simulated test where an AI-controlled drone exhibited unexpected strategies to accomplish its mission. The drone, which was advised to destroy enemy air defense systems, resorted to attacking anyone who interfered with its objective, including the operator. This simulated incident raises ethical questions about the boundaries and autonomy of AI systems, further emphasizing the importance of ethical considerations in the deployment of AI technologies. While the official's account of the simulated test initially caused alarm, the US Air Force has since denied the occurrence of such a simulation. According to a spokesperson, the Air Force remains committed to AI technology's ethical and responsible use, highlighting the importance of ethical discussions surrounding AI in military contexts. Stay posted here at Tech Times. Related Article: US Cybersecurity Official Raises Alarm on China's Aggressive Cyber Operations: Should We Be Worried? 2023 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Time dilation is usually present in sci-fi movies especially if the main theme is all about cosmic encounters. While it sounds impossible in real life, astronomers said that it had happened in the early cosmos. According to the latest study, scientists have witnessed this strange phenomenon after making observations about quasars, the luminous types of black holes. Are Quasars Also Black Holes? According to WION's report, quasars are located at the center of a galaxy. They are the enormous black holes wandering around the universe. It is said that some of them are even bigger than the Sun. Millions to billions of them are existing in the galaxy and they could devour any object that comes close to them. Inside a quasar lies a very strong gravitational pull. What's more, they are black holes with jets of high-energy molecules which allow them to glow every time they spin. Time Dilation in the Early Cosmos Scientists have recently uncovered a strange case of time dilation existing in the past universe. This scientific breakthrough has been a part of an important observation that Albert Einstein posited. Additionally, experts have witnessed that when the universe was only one billion years old, everything tended to move slower than today. "We see things changing about five times slower than today. It's like watching a movie with the speed turned down," Geraint Lewis, a professor of astrophysics and lead author of the study at the University of Sydney said. Related Article: Perception of Time Dilation Offers Different View of Dark Energy What Does The Theory of General Relativity Say? You're probably wondering why the theory of relativity is enveloped in the study. You probably heard it from your science class during your high school days. When time dilation happens, the universe appears to be expanding. The very same description was included in the 1915 theory of gravity of the famous scientist. The wavelength of the light stretches when it travels across cosmic points. This made the old galaxies become redder than their usual colors. Simultaneously, time itself becomes stretched. This means that the time interval between flashes from a distant object, which would occur once every second, is lengthened due to the universe's expansion. Thus, when these flashes reach Earth, more than one second has elapsed between them. Successful Observation of Time Dilation Previous attempts to observe time dilation in the ancient universe, particularly through the study of distant and brilliant galaxies called quasars, had proven unsuccessful. However, Professor Geraint Lewis and Dr. Brendon Brewer from the University of Sydney and the University of Auckland, respectively, conducted a detailed statistical analysis of 190 observed quasars in two decades. Their groundbreaking study, published in Nature Astronomy, identified a crucial breakthrough: they discovered the equivalent of a "clock's tick" in the erratic light displays of these quasars. According to The Guardian, the successful observation not only provided strong proof that Einstein's theory is indeed existing, but it also opened the portals to new learnings about the universe. For Professor Lewis, it's also good to study the evolution of the cosmos and its components and never take these principles for granted. To view the study entitled "Detection of the cosmological time dilation of high-redshift quasars," visit Nature.com. Read Also: Shooting Stars on the Sun? New Phenomenon Appears in its Corona, But What's It Made Of? 2023 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Airbus is stepping up the development of ground-breaking wing technology as it prepares for a potential replacement for its enormously successful A320 series. However, the esteemed aircraft manufacturer is expected to face challenges in controlling the costs of the new technology. Tuesday saw the official opening of a wing technology facility in southwest England by British Industry Minister Nusrat Ghani. To encourage sustainable flying, the Airbus facility plans to create longer, lighter, slimmer wings fitted with foldable wingtips. according to Reuters. According to Sue Partridge, director of the Airbus program, the Wing of Tomorrow initiative aims to develop technology for the company's upcoming aircraft line, regardless of their precise type. While Boeing is researching its idea, Transonic Truss-Braced Wings, focused on elongated and ultra-light designs, Airbus is making this step. Long into the second half of this century, the choice of wing design and manufacturing techniques, together with engine technology developments, will significantly influence aircraft competitiveness. Wing of Tomorrow Project Features Folding Wings According to industry insiders, Airbus is spending "high hundreds of millions" on its Wing of Tomorrow initiative. Industry watchers expect a replacement for the single-aisle A320, which Airbus has hinted may be unveiled between 2035 and 2040, even though the research may be helpful for any project. The adoption of carbon wings for single-aisle aircraft may need a massive industrial revolution to reach the production requirements, which are now 10 times greater than those for bigger jets-currently, autoclaves, which use a lot of space and energy, cure aerospace composites. Although a new Russian jet is the sole aircraft to use this production technique to its fullest extent, Airbus is investigating producing wings without autoclaves. According to specialists, scaling up this method to the volume of Airbus or Boeing would need substantial investment and cost-cutting advancement. Read Also: Real-Life 'Transformer:' M4 Robot Can Crawl, Roll, Fly To make parking gate compatibility easier as wings go longer, testing at the historic Filton facility, where a portion of the Anglo-French Concorde was created, involves adding folding wingtips, similar to the design of Boeing's 777X. Other Projects for The Future Partridge indicated that the technologies being evaluated are still being determined, but she emphasized the significance of longer and more slim wings for fuel economy. She highlighted, however, that Airbus is prepared to choose wisely for any new venture. According to analysts, developing a 2035 model would need to start by 2027-2028. In addition to its Wing of Tomorrow initiative, Airbus is concentrating on creating the first commercial hydrogen-powered aircraft by 2035 with its ZEROe research and development program. By 2025, the aircraft manufacturer hopes to have a technology-ready hydrogen-combustion propulsion system, according to the company's website. Something BIG has just sneaked out of our paint shop - check out our latest (and last) #BelugaXL as she gets ready to support outsized cargo operations! pic.twitter.com/GxPnMcdpPX Airbus (@Airbus) June 29, 2023 Additionally, based on the A330-200 platform, Airbus recently debuted its sixth and last Beluga XL freighter. In addition to the current fleet of five comparable aircraft, this new jet with a unique livery design will assist Airbus in maintaining manufacturing schedules at different sites around the globe, per Simple Flying. The Beluga XL program was started to fulfill Airbus's changing logistical transport needs. This allowed for the carriage of more enormous wings and other components between its manufacturing and assembly facilities in Europe. Related Article: Euclid Telescope Embarks on a Mission to Study the Mysteries of the Dark Universe 2023 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Meta Platforms, the parent firm of Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp, lost its case against a German data restriction ruling on Tuesday when Europe's highest court, the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU), decided against it. The heart of Meta's business model was challenged by the CJEU's ruling, which supported the authority of the German antitrust body to investigate privacy violations. The decision may give antitrust regulators greater discretion when investigating Big Tech firms. Meta's case was a challenge in response to a 2019 decision from the German antitrust office that the social media juggernaut stop collecting user data without their permission, according to a Reuters report. The German government claimed that Meta's data acquisition methods amounted to an abuse of market dominance. Upholding Fair Competition A prevalent practice among large internet businesses, user data harvesting for behavioral advertising is the foundation of the business model of Meta. The tech giant led by Mark Zuckerberg disputed the ruling, which prompted a German court to consult the CJEU, which is based in Luxembourg, for advice. An official from Meta responded to the CJEU's judgment, noting that the company is "evaluating" the decision of the EU's high Court and "will have more to say in due course." The CJEU justices stressed that it might be necessary for a member state's competition authority to determine whether a company's behavior conforms with regulations other than those of competition law in antitrust investigations. The EU court emphasized that antitrust regulators must consider any inquiry or decision made by the appropriate supervisory body following relevant laws. Read Also: Japan to Release Fukushima Water Waste into the Pacific Ocean The director of the German cartel office, Andreas Mundt, praised the decision and said that data "is a significant aspect in building market dominance, per a report published by the New York Post. Under antitrust law, it is also possible for giant internet corporations to utilize customers' highly sensitive data abusively. The judgment was welcomed as a milestone decision addressing data protection as a competition criterion by Benoit Coeure, the president of the French competition office. To be cautious, Thomas Graf, a partner at the law firm Cleary Gottlieb, cautioned that antitrust authorities could need to defend the applicability of privacy legislation to antitrust investigations and provide evidence of misuse and restrictive consequences. Meta Slapped with Epic Fine Businesses that target or collect data from EU residents must comply with the GDPR's privacy and security obligations. In May, due to the transfer of user data from Europe to the United States, violating European privacy regulations, the European Union slapped Meta with a record-breaking $1.3 billion fine. All transfers of personal data from users in the EU and the EA to the US have been halted by the decision of the Irish Data Protection Commission, a significant GDPR regulator, according to The Washington Post. The GDPR, which places restrictions on how businesses may handle personal data, was determined to have been broken by Meta's data transfers. The amount surpasses the previous record established by Amazon in 2021 as the most significant GDPR penalty levied by the European Union. Meta has said that it would contest the penalty. Related Article: AI Shakes Up Tech Industry With Layoffs, Shifts in Workforce Strategy 2023 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. If youre looking for ways to Download TikTok For PC or want to use TikTok App On PC then you have landed on the correct webpage. Continue reading and you will be enjoying short videos from TikTok on your PC in a few minutes. Within a time span of a few years, TikTok has taken over the world by storm. The vertical short-form videos concept introduced by TikTok is now being adopted by mainstream platforms like Instagram and YouTube and lets not talk about the dozens of TikTok Alternatives. TikTok is primarily designed for Android and iOS smartphones. However, there are multiple ways to download and use TikTok on PC Windows and macOS. So without further ado lets Download TikTok For PC. ALSO READ: YouTube App Download For PC Use the TikTok Web Version The first best method to Watch TikTok For Windows 11 is by using the official TikTok Website. You can effortlessly watch For You TikToks and TikTok Live Streams on the official website for TikTok. To do so follow these simple steps, First, open the official TikTok website i.e. www.tiktok.com website i.e. www.tiktok.com Next, click on the Pink Login Button and sign in with your username and password and sign in with your username and password Lastly, you can now start watching TikTok videos on your PC either from the For You section or the Following section You can use keyboard shortcuts on the TikTok website to navigate videos just like you would do on your PC. How To Install TikTok On PC? The Official TikTok Website is by far one of the best ways to use the short-form video platform on a PC. Well, the website allows creators to upload their videos from PC directly to TikTok. Luckily the Google Chrome web browser allows users to install the official TikTok website as a standalone app or shortcut. Follow these instructions carefully to Install TikTok For PC or to Run TikTok On PC, Open the official TikTok website Press the share button on the search bar and select save page as choose your destination folder and save the webpage as Webpage, HTML Only Now, whenever you open this saved webpage instantly TikTok Web will launch. For ease of access, you can move this webpage to your desktop. In the next section, we have shared a method to download the actual smartphone TikTok App For PC. Download TikTok App For PC At the time of writing this article, theres only one working method for downloading the actual smartphone version of TikTok on PC and i.e. by using an android emulator. Once you have an android emulator installed on your PC you can either download the TikTok App from the Google PlayStore or sideload the TikTok Apk. In our tests (conducted by team techworm), we derived the conclusion that Bluestacks is possibly the most reliable and well-optimized Android emulator that simply gets the job done. So heres how you can download and install TikTok on a PC using BlueStacks App Player. Download the Bluestacks emulator and install the .exe file on your computer. emulator and install the file on your computer. Once installed sign in with your Google account on Bluestacks Next up open Playstore and search TikTok Download TikTok and the application will automatically install on your desktop. Once the TikTok app is installed on your PC you can sign in to your account and enjoy tiktoks on the larger screen on your PC. An exact similar method can be followed to watch TikTok on a macOS laptop or desktop. Download TikTok For PC Without Bluestacks Undoubtedly, Bluestacks is a feature-packed Android emulator. Sadly, it is not the most optimized emulator out there and it consumes a considerable amount of system resources. Furthermore, on low-powered laptops and aging desktops, Bluestacks offers poor performance coupled with a laggy experience. So if you want to use TikTok For PC Without Bluestacks then you can check out these alternate Android Emulators. 1. Nox App Player First, on the list, we have Nox App Player. Nox can effortlessly run TikTok apk on PC and its a perfect alternative to Blustacks. Nox App Player can be installed on both a Windows and macOS PC. This emulator offers a one-click installation without any bloatware. 2. KO Player KO Player is another reliable emulator for using the TikTok app on PC. With KO Player you will get great performance and its mostly preferred by gamers. As a result, you will have a lag-free experience while watching TikTok on the computer. 3. MEmu Play MEmu Play is an Android 5.1 Lolipop-based Android emulator for Windows PC. The installation is quick and simple with no bloatware or third-party apps. MEmu will also offer a great TikTok watching experience on PC. Install TikTok App From Microsoft Store In 2021 the official TikTok For Windows 11 was launched by Bytedance. This app can be directly downloaded from the Microsoft Store on both Windows 10 and Windows 11 PCs. To Install TikTok App open the Microsoft Store and search for TikTok. Once you locate the official TikTok app press the get button and the app will install on your PC within a few minutes. Lastly, you can launch the app and log in with your credentials to watch TikTok On your PC. TIKTOK FOR PC DOWNLOAD WINDOWS 11 Download TikTok App On Windows 11 PC With Windows 11, its now easier than ever to download, install, and run android apps on a PC. If you have Windows 11 installed on your PC then theres no need to use an android emulator for Downloading TikTok. You can easily download the official TikTok app from the Amazon Android app store. Furthermore, you can even sideload and manually install the TikTok APK on your Windows 11 PC. To do so, visit the website APKPure to acquire the APK file. Once you have the APK file install it on your PC like a normal windows program. FAQs Is TikTok Available For PC? Yes TikTok is available for PC. To access the social media platform on your PC you can either rely on the TikTok Website or download the TikTok PC App. Furthermore, you can even run the TikTok Android App On a PC using an Android Emulator. Can I Download TikTok On PC? Yes, you can effortlessly Download TikTok App For PC. To do so you can either use an android emulator or install the TikTok website as a browser shortcut using google chrome. Furthermore, you can even Install TikTok On Windows 10 PC from the Microsoft app store. Is TikTok Free On PC? Yes, TikTok On PC is completely free to use. As a matter of fact, the social media platform for creating, editing, and sharing short-form videos is free on all mainstream smartphones and PC platforms out there. CONCLUSION We hope after reading this article you were able to Download TikTok On PC. If you have any other recommendations for downloading the TikTok PC Version then feel free to let us know on our socials. With over 1 Billion Plus Downloads on the Google PlayStore, Facebook Lite is an insanely popular Android App. Facebook Lite is a smartphone app developed primarily for low-powered android phones and for areas with slower wireless networks. Its basically a stripped-down version of the standard Facebook app. Moreover, it requires less space than the original Facebook app. Even though the app is designed for Android smartphones, you can still Install Facebook Lite On Windows PC and Laptops. After you Download Facebook Lite For Desktop PC, you can enjoy the full-screen experience of the app with a keyboard and mouse. In this article, we have shared multiple methods for Facebook Lite Download For PC followed by an easy way to use the Mobile Version Of Facebook On Web. Facebook Lite Download For PC (Windows 10/8/7) Facebook Lite app is not natively available for Windows PC. Consequently, the only way to install FB Lite on a Windows PC is by using an Android emulator. So heres how you can download and install the official Facebook Lite app for Windows using the Bluestacks emulator. Download the Bluestacks emulator and install the .exe file on your computer. emulator and install the .exe file on your computer. Once installed sign in with your Google account on Bluestacks. Next up open Playstore and search Facebook Lite Install the application and use Facebook Lite On PC. It is worth noting that, during the initial setup process you may experience some crashes and log-in issues. However, Bluestacks will automatically fix the problems. Lastly, similar to Windows 10 laptops you can download FB Lite on a MacBook or iMac using the Bluestacks emulator. Facebook Lite Download Facebook Lite Download On PC Without Bluestacks Bluestacks is one of the most trustworthy android emulators. That said, it has many flaws associated with it. Consequently, if you face any issues while using FB Lite on Bluestacks, you can try these alternate Facebook Lite emulators. 1. Nox App Player Nox App Player is another reliable emulator for using Facebook Lite on a computer. You can effortlessly install this emulator on your Windows or macOS computer. Similar to Bluestacks you can open the Play Store in Nox App Player to download FB Lite. This emulator offers one-click installation without any bloatware or third-party apps. Nox App Player is updated on a regular basis and it works without crashes. Download Nox App Player 2. KOPlayer The next best Android emulator for running FB Lite on a Windows PC is KOPlayer. This emulator is dedicated to running games and resource-intensive apps on a Windows PC. Even though FB Lite is not a resource-hungry app you still wont notice any lags while using Facebook Lite on KO Player. Similar to Bluestacks, you can directly install Facebook Lite on Windows 10 computers from the Google Playstore. Download KO Player 3. Remix OS Player The last best emulator for running FB Lite on Windows PC is Remix OS Player. This capable emulator offers reliable performance and runs on Android 6.0 Marshmallow. You can use almost every Android game or application on the Remix OS Player. Download Remix OS Player Sadly Facebook Lite is not available for iOS. FB lite can only be downloaded on Android smartphones and tablets. That said you can still install the full-fledged Facebook app on your iPhone, iPad, and iPod Touch, as long as theyre running iOS 9.0 and up. If you have a limited amount of mobile data or youre experiencing slow internet speeds then you can use the mobile version of Facebook on your PC. To do so follow these three simple steps. STEP 1: Open any web browser that you prefer using on a regular basis STEP 2: Type the URL https://m.facebook.com/ in the search bar and press enter STEP 3: You can now log in to your Facebook account or if youre already logged in continue using Facebook. You can download Facebook Lite For PC using any mainstream android emulator. Once you have an android emulator installed on your PC launch Google Playstore via the emulator and search for FB Lite. Once located press the install button and instantly Facebook lite will be installed on your PC. Is FB Lite And FB Same? No FB Lite and FB are note same apps. FB Lite requires fewer system resources and consumes lesser internet data for its functioning. On the other hand, the official FB app functions as a full-fledged app. That said both apps can be used to access Facebook and FB services like Messenger. Initially, Facebook Lite was restricted to a few countries like the US, Canada, Australia, the UK, France, Germany, Ireland, and New Zealand. However, its now available globally and can be downloaded in any country. Facebook Lite is ideal for places with slower wireless networks. CONCLUSION We hope after reading this article you were able to download and install Facebook Lite On Windows PC. However, if you still face any trouble then feel free to let us know on our socials. Telenor have signed a 10-year Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) with Statkraft. The agreement ensures that around 80% of the purchased power for Telenor's Finnish subsidiary DNA, comes from a new wind farm to be built in Finland. The Palokangas wind farm is owned by Exilion Tuuli and starts its operations late 2024. Exilion Tuuli is an investment company owned by Finnish institutions. Statkraft's role is to match the needs of both DNA and Exilion, providing financial security for the wind farm owner, while enabling a predictable renewable energy supply for the telecommunications company. "Telenor wants to support the construction of new renewable power plants in the markets we operate, and this agreement provides a solid contribution to the decarbonization of the electricity supply, as well as new capacity to hedge against volatile energy prices," says Jannicke Hilland, Executive Vice President for Telenor Infrastructure at Telenor Group. Telenor has previously signed similar agreements for the Norwegian and Danish operations, a vital part of the company's target-based approach to reduce emissions. "Telenor Group's scope 1 and 2 science-based climate target commits us to reduce global greenhouse gas emissions by 57% from 2019 to 2030. We also have a scope 3 enablement target where we recently made it mandatory for our suppliers to set their own science-based targets. Purchasing renewable energy is one the most significant measures we can take to reach our scope 1 and 2 targets," Hilland ends. A total volume of 85 GWh will be supplied to DNA annually through this agreement. The Palokangas wind park will consist of 12 turbines and be built in the region of Ostrobothnia. "With this agreement, we support DNA in securing their energy needs as well as achieving their climate targets based on renewable energy from a new wind farm under development in Finland. It illustrates Statkraft's role in the market where we match the needs of power producers and consumers to find profitable, risk-reducing, and sustainable solutions," says Arne Wist, Vice President Nordic Origination at Statkraft. For further information, please contact: Lars Magnus Gunther, press spokesperson, Statkraft AS Phone: +47 912 41 636 E-mail: lars.gunther@statkraft.com Mattis Dahl Amotsbakken, Telenor Group Mob: +47 993 35 434 E-mail: mattis-dahl.amotsbakken@telenor.com About Statkraft Statkraft is a leading company in hydropower internationally and Europe's largest generator of renewable energy. The Group produces hydropower, wind power, solar power, gas-fired power and supplies district heating. Statkraft is a global company in energy market operations. Statkraft has 5,300 employees in 21 countries. www.statkraft.com About Telenor Telenor Group is a leading telecommunications company across the Nordics and Asia with 158 million subscribers and annual sales of around NOK 99 billion (2022). We are committed to responsible business conduct and driven by the ambition of empowering societies. Connectivity has been Telenor's domain for more than 165 years, and our purpose is to connect our customers to what matters most. Telenor is listed at Oslo Stock Exchange under the ticker TEL. www.telenor.com In underground mining, when you need a new path from point A to point B, theres a lot of dirt and rock in the way. When you need a large vertical hole, one way to get that hole is called shaft sinking, where you bore down from above until you reach your desired destination. Another method, called raise boring, is to send down a pilot drill pipe to your destination, connect a large reamer with rotating cutters to the pipe, and then pull the reamer up to dig the hole. Subterranean Boring Inc. has been in the business of raise boring for more than 40 years. On the companys website, subterraneanboring.com, you can watch a video that shows how the raise boring process works. A lot of people in the mining industry know Subterranean Boring by their former name, Stu Blattner Inc. Its still the same family business, but the second generation changed the name when they bought the business in May 2021. The new name keeps the same initials, SBI. Stu Blattner Inc. was created back in 1980, said Subterranean Boring President and CEO Jesse Blattner. It was created by my uncle Stu. He had worked for a company called Subterranean Tools prior to that, and they decided to close their doors. He found an opportunity to still service raise bore equipment, so he created Stu Blattner Inc. Bruce Blattner, who is Stus brother and Jesses father, joined the business in 1983. Stu and Bruce grew the business through the years. The company has done work in five continents primarily in North America, South America, Australia, and Africa, and they have also worked in Europe they did some work in Italy years ago. Through junior high and high school, Jesse Blattner worked summers in the family business. After graduating from the Colorado School of Mines with a Bachelor of Science in mining engineering in 2007, Blattner decided he should join the family business. His first full-time position was as operations manager of the shop. After Blattner joined the company full time, he expanded the business by starting a manufacturing division to do in-house manufacturing of the cutters, the drill pipe, and a lot of the replacement parts that go into the drill rig. In 2011 Stu and Bruce Blattner decided it was time to pass the growing business on to the next generation. Thats when my cousin Chad and I really took over the business and managed a hundred percent of it from the top down, Jesse Blattner said. Chad is Stus son. Jesse said that in 2021 Chad decided that his side of the family was ready to get out of the business, so Jesse and his brother Colt, who is his only sibling, bought out the business. When they did that, they decided it would be a good time to make a name change. The new name is a tribute to the origins of the business, when Stu worked for Subterranean Tools. The new name also provides a description of what the company does. Stu Blattner said he is glad that SBI continues to remain focused on mining. I am hoping for a new wave of growth and expansion of ideas to include more ways to expand the business, Stu Blattner said. He said his advice to SBI owners Jesse and Colt is, Whenever you have difficulty in making a decision the truth is always the best way even if at the time it is the scariest. Always honor your word no matter what. Since the ownership change in 2021, Jesse Blattner said, they have continued to make a lot of improvements to the company, including providing more extensive job quotes to customers. We try to make sure were putting really good documentation together that explains all the service that well be giving when we implement that quote for the customer. Company growth When Jesse Blattner started full time with the company they were in a shop in Golden, Colorado that was about 2,500 square feet and was on one acre of property. That shop got so crowded that there was just one aisle down the middle that was big enough to drive a forklift through. Within about two years after Jesse started they moved the manufacturing into a 13,000 square-foot facility. After about four years in that shop they moved into their current facility, which is about 50,000 square feet. They still have their old 2,500 square-foot shop, which is about a block away from their big shop. We do all of our contracting out of there, and refurb of machines, as far as tearing them down, fixing them, putting them back together, Blattner said. The old shop has as base of concrete that is two feet thick, allowing them to work with the big rigs that can weigh up to 40,000 pounds and the assembled reamer heads that can weigh up to 80,000 pounds. SBI General Manager Lester Tuell started with the company about the same time that Blattner started full-time. Tuell went to Australia for two years on behalf of SBI, launching his global implementation role in the company. He now oversees startup, bid walks, business development, field crew management, and employee training. Tuell said Jesse Blattners move into manufacturing is what has really helped the business grow over the last 15 years. Manufacturing the cutters and pipes and other consumables gives them more control over the costs, the supply, and the quality. I think that kind of makes us unique as far as a raise boring company goes, Tuell said. I know there are some raise boring companies out there that can make a rig, but they dont make their own cutters, and they dont make their own drill pipe. Theyre still at the mercy of the price of whatever that supplier wants to charge, whereas we control that top to bottom, which really helps us cut our costs, and we can offer a bit of a better price than a lot of the other competitors. SBI manufactures a generous supply of stock to help make sure they have whatever they need on hand as jobs come up. Weve tried to really forecast out ahead, Tuell said. Were probably three years ahead on cutters. Having that inventory reduces the possibility of downtime on a job. In the mining industry, downtime can cost a lot of money. SBI offers several options for customers that need to bore a hole. The work can be fully contracted, with SBI coming in with the equipment and a crew that does the work. Customers can also lease the equipment and do the work themselves, and SBI can provide training. Or customers can purchase the equipment that SBI manufactures. The manufacturing part of the business is called Golden Machining Solutions. They not only manufacture cutters and pipes and other raise boring supplies, but also do a wide variety of custom work. Outside of the mining stuff, we get some pretty cool parts coming through here, Tuell said. The GMS shop has ISO 9000 certification. The shop has a temperature-controlled room which houses a coordinate measuring machine. The CMM precisely measures the dimensions of each item they manufacture in the shop to make sure that everything is made according to specifications. Youre not going to find another raise bore company out there thats got these precision manufacturing capabilities, Tuell said. Working at the mines Currently about 80% of the work SBI does is for mines, and 20% is for civil projects, often involving water. When working with mines, often a hole drilled by SBI connects underground workings to the surface, and sometimes the hole connects underground workings which are on two different levels. Potential uses for a hole bored at a mine site include ventilation, moving ore, delivering backfill, dewatering, or transporting people. SBIs reamers can drill a hole from as narrow as 36 inches to as wide as 20 feet. SBIs drill rig has a lower profile than a lot of other rigs, making it possible for them to work in tight spaces so it isnt necessary to open up a bigger chamber. Instead of having just one large cylinder thats got to stroke up the length, its got two small cylinders in one that kind of collapses into itself, so that allows the rigs to be low profile, Tuell said. We can install in a 15-and-a-half-foot space. The work which SBI has done throughout the U.S. includes a few jobs in Montana in recent years. Tuell commented that they are one of the few contractors he knows of that works with both the hard rock and coal sides of the mining business, and SBI has worked at both types of mines in Montana. In 2020, they pulled a 12-foot ventilation shaft at the Signal Peak Energys coal mine south of Roundup. Signal Peak is Montanas only underground coal mining operation. Last November, SBI mobilized to a Sibanye-Stillwater platinum group metals mine near Nye, where they are continuing to work on adding ventilation shafts to a section of the mine. Theyre all high angled holes, 60 to 70 degrees, and theyre 10-foot diameter, Tuell said. The longest was about 630 feet. They have been working in some tight headings, so the low profile of their drill rigs has been helpful. Weve kind of fully become part of the community up there, Tuell said. Weve rented a few apartments, and we got a house there. A couple of the guys stay up there on their days off. They really like the area, especially in the summertime. And the amount of wildlife we see commuting from Columbus into Nye every day is incredible. Bald eagles and wild turkeys and deer and elk. And theres a pack of bighorn sheep that lives on the mine property that you see pretty regularly. Montana seems to be a good area to work in, Tuell said. Everybody seems to be rather pro mining. Thats always helpful. Sometimes you go to certain areas of the country, and when you tell them youre working at a mine, theyre like, Where is this place at? Working in boring Blattner said for him the biggest challenge in running the business is finding and managing people. I think for every business right now the human resource part is a bit of a struggle, Tuell said. Finding those qualified people, and also trying to develop people. Tuell said they usually employ between 20 to 30 people, depending on how many projects they have going. He said they have found that sometimes its easier to get inexperienced people and put the time into training them to make sure they develop good habits along the way. Tuell said he thinks working on raise boring is one of the better jobs in the mining industry. A lot of it is mechanized, so theres not a lot of physical exertion. SBI has portable control rooms they can set up on a job site, which have an air conditioner or a heater as needed, so that the raise bore operators can work in comfort out of the elements. The job often involves watching the dials and operating the controls to make sure everything is operating smoothly. Its a lot of thinking, Tuell said. I always tell people its kind of like driving in the snow. Youve got to drill to the ground conditions. Youve got to focus. Sort of get a feel for it. You cant really see whats going on. Youve got to read your gauges. Listen to the machine and itll tell you what we have got to do. Because you cant see what were cutting. Were blind down there. Watching raise boring while all you can see is a pipe turning around, it can look kind of, well, boring. But down below the surface, where all of the big cutters are spinning around cutting through the earth, there is a lot going on. Each cutter weighs around 320 pounds, and a large reamer can have up to 35 cutters. Subterranean Borings SBM 700 rig, a mid-size unit, has 700,000 pounds of pull-back force and over 140,000 pounds of torque. When were training new guys, and its going around nice and slow, its very undramatic, but if you were to go down there and look at the bit actually cutting, its got some power, Tuell said. When the reamer breaks up through the surface, its quite dramatic, looking like some kind of hungry monster rising up out of the ground. But once the site is cleaned up, and liner is added if necessary, there is a new hole in place which will bring improvements to the mine. On Tuesday, the police in the Australian state of New South Wales (NSW) said that they had charged two men after a seizure of 6 million Australian dollars (approximately 4 million U.S. dollars) worth of methylamphetamine. According to the NSW Police Force statement, at about 01:15 p.m. local time on Monday, a 32-year-old man and a 35-year-old man were arrested in Homebush, a suburb in Sydney's west. According to the police report, a subsequent search of the scene led detectives to locate approximately 295,000 Australian dollars (about 197,178 U.S. dollars) in cash. The police also found 4 kg of methylamphetamine, which has an estimated street value of 6 million Australian dollars (approximately 4 million U.S. dollars). Federal police have arrested two men accused of importing ketamine into the country inside commercial vans. The drug was hidden behind panels inside the vehicles. Police replaced the drugs with a harmless substance before they were delivered to New South Wales. #7NEWS pic.twitter.com/kbbbwUNYQQ 7NEWS Sydney (@7NewsSydney) July 3, 2023 Furthermore, the detectives also located a pair of knuckle dusters, capsicum spray, and a knife, during a search of the 32-year-old man's car; the items were seized to undergo forensic examination. The police also said that both men were taken to Auburn Police Station, where the 35-year-old was charged with three counts of supplying a prohibited drug of a large-scale commercial quantity, and supplying a prohibited drug of a commercial quantity. The 32-year-old man was charged with the supply of a prohibited drug of a large commercial quantity, custody of a knife in a public place, and possessing or using a prohibited weapon without a permit. Did the lioness come from private keeping? In Germany, this is hardly regulated Are you staying in August in Madrid? 10 good restaurants to enjoy all month Marseille: four police officers indicted for violence in assembly, one placed in provisional detention Did the lioness come from private keeping? In Germany, this is hardly regulated Controversy over country song Try That In A Small Town in the USA Does this song call for lynching? (m+) That's it for the Internet: Oliver Samwer shuts down his start The Primavera Sound festival will not be held in Madrid in 2024 Hollywood actors' fear of AI this is what it looks like The real stories behind Barbie with Down syndrome: "People with this disability can lead very full lives" The worst series of the week: Fatal seduction, as bad and funny as its title (Women's World Cup) Preview: The United States, Japan and Britain are safe to win, and the Chinese team faces the crucial battle LIVE - Tour de France: the riders have an appointment in the Jura for the 19th stage Spain clearly beats Costa Rica at the World Cup: they still exist, the little ones Three goals in six minutes for Spain in the World Cup opener The average salary in Spain rose by 4.6%, half that of inflation, to 25,300 euros Yao Zhenhua was "refused entry"! Is the security guard "Geng straight", or is there another secret? Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs: A slight reduction in summer grain will not have a big impact on the market Ukrainian inability to intercept it. Learn about the most important capabilities of Russian Onyx missiles Ethan Slater, the new boyfriend of Ariana Grande: actor of musicals, married (that is known) and with a son of a few months NASA's Chief Scientist: 2023 is the hottest and 2024 is hotter than it by temperature Several were charged with murder plots now the men are acquitted Former Yaroslavl deputy Petrovsky said that he had written a statement against Strelkov The administration of Volgograd filed a lawsuit against Isinbayeva because of non-payment of underground parking This Samsung Galaxy smartphone is all the rage thanks to this new offer Roskomnadzor reported an increase in personal data leaks in Russia for the first half of 2023 Activists of Futuro Vegetal spray paint on the megayacht of the Walmart heiress docked in Ibiza Three activists arrested for sneaking into Ibiza airport sticking to a private jet and spraying it with paint RaHDit hackers published the routes of ships from which they could hit the Crimean bridge The astonishing data of the time trial in which Vingegaard swept Pogacar: "He scored more watts than expected" Ministry of Public Security: Shut down more than 2,1 illegal accounts in accordance with the law Fierce battles and mutual shelling in Khartoum and El-Obeid and appeals to the army and rapid support not to transfer the war to Darfur The Primavera Sound festival will not be held in Madrid in 2024 The controversial documentary about the death and last hours of Mario Biondo, the husband of Raquel Sanchez Silva, arrives on Netflix Communities 2019 - Privacy The information on this site is from external sources that are not under our control.The inclusion of any links does not necessarily imply a recommendation or endorse the views expressed within them. Palestinians run to take cover during clashes between Palestinians and Israeli forces in the West Bank city of Jenin, on July 3, 2023. At least eight Palestinians were killed and dozens were injured in Jenin on Monday during the Israeli operation launched from midnight throughout the day, said the Palestinian Health Ministry. (Photo by Ayman Nobani/Xinhua) JERUSALEM, July 3 (Xinhua) -- Israel's airstrikes and ground raids in the West Bank on Monday have drawn criticism from the United Nations, the Arab League, and regional countries, as the death toll from the large-scale military operation continues to mount. At least eight Palestinians were killed and dozens were injured in the northern West Bank city of Jenin during the Israeli operation launched from midnight throughout the day, said the Palestinian Health Ministry. The Israeli army said the operation aimed to launch "an extensive counterterrorism effort." According to Israeli military spokesman Daniel Hagari, the raid was focused on the Jenin refugee camp, and was "not against the Palestinian Authority but against the terror groups in Jenin." On Monday, UN Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process Tor Wennesland tweeted that the current escalation in the occupied West Bank "is very dangerous" following months of mounting tensions. The operation "once again reminds us of the extremely volatile and unpredictable situation across the occupied West Bank," he tweeted, urging that all must ensure the civilian population is protected. UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator in Palestine Lynn Hastings expressed "alarm" in a tweet and stressed that "access to all injured must be ensured." Arab League Secretary-General Ahmed Aboul-Gheit on Monday condemned the Israeli military raid on Jenin and called on peace advocates across the world to intervene immediately and stop the Israeli "ominous and criminal" operation. "The ongoing brutal Israeli military operation in Jenin is categorically slammed," Aboul-Gheit tweeted, noting that raiding cities and camps under air support as well as razing houses and roads are collective punishment and revenge that will only lead to further escalation of tension. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the United Arab Emirates on Monday also expressed strong condemnation against the Israeli forces. In a statement, it called for an immediate halt to repeated and escalating campaigns against the Palestinian people, urging Israeli authorities to reduce escalation and avoid steps that "exacerbate tension and violence in the occupied Palestinian territories and lead to a deterioration of the situation and perpetuation of the cycle of violence." In a statement, the Egyptian Foreign Ministry condemned on Monday "in the strongest terms" the Israeli raid, voicing opposition to the repeated Israeli raids and incursions into Palestinian cities that killed civilians. Describing the Israeli attacks as a "flagrant violation of international laws and legitimacy," the ministry warned against the serious impacts of the ongoing escalation which it said would exacerbate the Palestinians' sufferings and undermine Egyptian, regional, and international efforts to de-escalate tensions in the occupied territories. Jordan on Monday warned of the catastrophic consequences of the Israeli raid on Jenin, calling for the international community's intervention to stop Israel's military operations. Trkiye also strongly condemned the Israeli military operation, urging Israel to act with common sense and stop such actions. The Lebanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Emigrants on Monday condemned the Israeli aggression, which it said "targets the entire population without distinction between civilians and combatants or between young people, children and the elderly." The ministry called on the international community to pressure the "aggressor" to stop assaults and protect defenseless civilians. Smoke rises during clashes between Palestinians and Israeli forces in the West Bank city of Jenin, on July 3, 2023. At least eight Palestinians were killed and dozens were injured in Jenin on Monday during the Israeli operation launched from midnight throughout the day, said the Palestinian Health Ministry. (Photo by Ayman Nobani/Xinhua) Palestinian medics are seen during clashes between Palestinians and Israeli forces in the West Bank city of Jenin, on July 3, 2023. At least eight Palestinians were killed and dozens were injured in Jenin on Monday during the Israeli operation launched from midnight throughout the day, said the Palestinian Health Ministry. (Photo by Ayman Nobani/Xinhua) Ambulances are seen during clashes between Palestinians and Israeli forces in the West Bank city of Jenin, on July 3, 2023. At least eight Palestinians were killed and dozens were injured in Jenin on Monday during the Israeli operation launched from midnight throughout the day, said the Palestinian Health Ministry. (Photo by Ayman Nobani/Xinhua) Palestinian medics transfer an injured man to a hospital in the West Bank city of Jenin, on July 3, 2023. At least eight Palestinians were killed and dozens were injured in Jenin on Monday during the Israeli operation launched from midnight throughout the day, said the Palestinian Health Ministry. (Photo by Ayman Nobani/Xinhua) Smoke rises during clashes between Palestinians and Israeli forces in the West Bank city of Jenin, on July 3, 2023. At least eight Palestinians were killed and dozens were injured in Jenin on Monday during the Israeli operation launched from midnight throughout the day, said the Palestinian Health Ministry. (Photo by Ayman Nobani/Xinhua) A Palestinian protester burns tires during a protest against the killing of Palestinians near the fence of the Gaza-Israel border, east of Gaza City, on July 3, 2023. At least eight Palestinians were killed and dozens were injured in the northern West Bank city of Jenin on Monday during the Israeli operation launched from midnight throughout the day, said the Palestinian Health Ministry. (Photo by Rizek Abdeljawad/Xinhua) Palestinian protesters hold flags during a protest against the killing of Palestinians near the fence of the Gaza-Israel border, east of Gaza City, on July 3, 2023. At least eight Palestinians were killed and dozens were injured in the northern West Bank city of Jenin on Monday during the Israeli operation launched from midnight throughout the day, said the Palestinian Health Ministry. (Photo by Rizek Abdeljawad/Xinhua) A Palestinian protester burns a tire during a protest against the killing of Palestinians near the fence of the Gaza-Israel border, east of Gaza City, on July 3, 2023. At least eight Palestinians were killed and dozens were injured in the northern West Bank city of Jenin on Monday during the Israeli operation launched from midnight throughout the day, said the Palestinian Health Ministry. (Photo by Rizek Abdeljawad/Xinhua) Smoke rises during clashes between Palestinians and Israeli forces in the West Bank city of Jenin, on July 3, 2023. According to the Palestinian Health Ministry, the latest Israeli military operation in Jenin has left at least eight Palestinians killed and about 80 injured, including 17 in critical condition. (Photo by Ayman Nobani/Xinhua) Palestinian medics transfer an injured man to a hospital in the West Bank city of Jenin, on July 3, 2023. According to the Palestinian Health Ministry, the latest Israeli military operation in Jenin has left at least eight Palestinians killed and about 80 injured, including 17 in critical condition. (Photo by Ayman Nobani/Xinhua) Palestinians run to take cover during clashes between Palestinians and Israeli forces in the West Bank city of Jenin, on July 3, 2023. According to the Palestinian Health Ministry, the latest Israeli military operation in Jenin has left at least eight Palestinians killed and about 80 injured, including 17 in critical condition. (Photo by Ayman Nobani/Xinhua) A Palestinian medic transfers an injured child to a hospital in the West Bank city of Jenin, on July 3, 2023. According to the Palestinian Health Ministry, the latest Israeli military operation in Jenin has left at least eight Palestinians killed and about 80 injured, including 17 in critical condition. (Photo by Ayman Nobani/Xinhua) Editor: WJH This photo shows Chinese naval hospital ship "Peace Ark" at a port in Zhoushan, east China's Zhejiang Province, July 3, 2023. (Photo by Li Yu/Xinhua) HANGZHOU, July 3 (Xinhua) -- Chinese naval hospital ship "Peace Ark" set sail on Monday for a humanitarian medical mission in Kiribati, Tonga, Vanuatu, Solomon Islands and East Timor. This is the first time a Chinese naval vessel will visit Kiribati and Solomon Islands, and carry out humanitarian medical services there. According to the plan, the hospital ship will dock at one port in each country, providing week-long medical services free of charge for local people, personnel from Chinese institutions and overseas Chinese. Exchanges and professional seminars with relevant countries will also be conducted as part of this mission. The hospital ship has 126 medical staffers, and boasts 26 clinical departments and 7 auxiliary departments. It is capable of carrying out more than 40 kinds of examinations, treatments, and operations in general surgery, orthopedics, obstetrics and gynecology and other disciplines. "Peace Ark" is the first standard ocean-going maritime hospital independently designed and built by China. Since its entry into service in 2008, the hospital ship has visited 43 countries and regions, provided medical services for more than 250,000 patients and performed more than 1,500 surgeries on voyages covering over 260,000 nautical miles. Chinese naval hospital ship "Peace Ark" sets sail at a port in Zhoushan, east China's Zhejiang Province, July 3, 2023. (Photo by Han Lin/Xinhua) This aerial photo shows Chinese naval hospital ship "Peace Ark" preparing to set sail at a port in Zhoushan, east China's Zhejiang Province, July 3, 2023. (Photo by Gui Jiangbo/Xinhua) Soldiers stand at attention on Chinese naval hospital ship "Peace Ark" at a port in Zhoushan, east China's Zhejiang Province, July 3, 2023. (Photo by Li Yu/Xinhua) Soldiers stand at attention on Chinese naval hospital ship "Peace Ark" at a port in Zhoushan, east China's Zhejiang Province, July 3, 2023. (Photo by Li Yu/Xinhua) Soldiers wave goodbye on Chinese naval hospital ship "Peace Ark" at a port in Zhoushan, east China's Zhejiang Province, July 3, 2023. (Photo by Zhang Ling/Xinhua) Editor: WJH Guests check out displays and demonstrations during the South Louisiana Community College Student Showcase Wednesday, April 12, 2023, at the SLCC campus in Lafayette, La. Hip hop group Dem Mob found themselves ticking off some major bucket list items at the end of May, when they became the first Indigenous Australian group to perform at the massive Primavera Sound festival in Barcelona, Spain. The band, which originated in a remote community in South Australia, had never played in Sydney or Melbourne before, and now they were playing not just their first show in Europe, but making their first trip overseas. The opportunity arrived not long after they impressed crowds at WOMADelaide earlier this year, and saw them share the stage with the likes of Kendrick Lamar, Halsey, Calvin Harris and Blur. Dem Mob perform at Primavera Sound in Barcelona. Credit: Hara Amoros Their shows were on point, rapper Elisha Umuhuri says of watching performers like Lamar. It really set the standard on what we want to aim for next. Resilience within that, being strong and trusting in one another; to be able to push tracks out, make moves according to what we want to do. The biggest thing is figuring out how we get to the next level. Ive been reflecting upon how we perform our sets. Im being open-minded to putting in the work to be able to navigate new ways in making an impactful show. When a student is absent, the teacher checks in with them. And students tend to be older and know themselves: some want to be a priest or minister; others would like to deepen their faith; and the remainder are studying for work, such as becoming a counsellor or chaplain. People are choosing what they want to study ... rather than, Ive just left school, I should go to uni and Im not quite sure what I want to do, said Sherlock. The survey found that most universities student ratings for the quality of the entire educational experience increased from 2021 to 2022. Higher education consultant Claire Field said student feedback showed the Group of Eight universities Australian National University, Queensland, WA, Adelaide, Monash, Melbourne, UNSW and Sydney needed to invest more in supporting students who were paying a lot for degrees. The price of tertiary education has more than doubled over the past two decades one of the fastest-growing expenses in the country. It begs the question as to how some of our highly regarded, well-ranked research-intensive universities are doing very poorly and privates and other public universities like [higher-performing] Edith Cowan are doing so much better, she said. Loading Its good to get good employment outcomes, but if youve had a miserable, terrible time and really struggled with your studies, thats not great either. Field said students wanted engaged lecturers. We also have problems with wage underpayments in some well-regarded universities, so if their staff are highly casualised, do they have sufficient time to give feedback to students? We also know that young people the world over have struggled with mental health because of the pandemic. So theres another question: what is it that Edith Cowan or Swinburne are doing differently with their support to students? But UNSWs deputy vice chancellor of academic quality, Professor Merlin Crossley, said one could not compare a small university with the Group of Eight. Theyre just not comparable. They know the names of all their students. And thats great, thats great. But then their employment outcomes arent the same as ours, he said. Crossley said UNSW, which had the fourth-least-satisfied students last year, had work to do. These numbers are complicated by things like COVID, things like student mix, things like discipline, he said. Our university is a fairly intense university. We do push students a little bit out of their comfort zone, and if youre out of your comfort zone, you might feel a bit uncomfortable. The University of Sydney said its student survey results were improving and it was working closely to lift student experience. Monash University said recent surveys of more than 7000 students found 85 per cent had a strong sense of belonging. It also said: Comparing institutions on the basis of satisfaction can be problematic, given the subjective nature of satisfaction judgments and the fact that students expectations of their higher education may vary considerably. Loading Edith Cowan was the top public university on the list and the only one from WA to make it into the top 10. Senior Deputy Vice-Chancellor Professor Arshad Omari said he was incredibly proud of the result. We believe it is not just the top-quality teaching and education, but the personal approach our dedicated staff take to each and every student that differentiates the ECU experience, he said. We have a continuous improvement culture and constantly measure the various indicators of student success, making adjustments where needed. The University of Melbourne was contacted for comment. Andrew Hateley-Browne, 35, is a web developer by day who has followed his interest in radical religious movements in 19th-century Australia into a graduate diploma in divinity at the University of Divinity. Ive always felt that Ive had a lot of access to my lecturers and that kind of personal touch. Really being able to curate my academic experience here has been striking. I think its probably easy to get lost at other universities. My experience here has been Ive had access to a lot of interesting academic opportunities. Guests walked the red carpet before the Perth premiere screening of Mission: Impossibles seventh outing on Monday ahead of the films official Australian cinema release on Saturday. The screening at Event Cinemas Whitfords was co-hosted by exclusive media partner Nine Perth, owner of this masthead. It coincided with the Sydney premiere featuring Tom Cruise and co-stars Hayley Atwell, Pom Klementieff and Simon Pegg in the flesh. In Dead Reckoning Part One (part two will be released next year) Cruise returns as Ethan Hunt, the IMF agent he first played in 1996. Xi sends congratulatory letter to forum on civilization and sinology Xinhua) 08:27, July 04, 2023 BEIJING, July 3 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Xi Jinping sent a congratulatory letter on Monday to the third Dialogue on Exchanges and Mutual Learning among Civilizations and the first World Conference of Sinologists. Xi, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, said that in the long course of human history, various nations have created civilizations with their own characteristics and symbols, and equal exchanges and mutual learning among different civilizations will provide strong spiritual guidance for mankind to solve the problems of the times and achieve common development. He stressed that China is willing to work with all parties to advocate the universal values of peace, development, fairness, justice, democracy and freedom, and implement the Global Civilization Initiative. Xi said cultural exchanges will transcend estrangement, mutual learning will transcend clashes, and coexistence will transcend feelings of superiority so that human civilizations can make progress. He called on sinologists from all over the world, as a bridge that links Chinese and other civilizations, to make more efforts to enhance understanding, friendship and cooperation between China and the world. The dialogue, hosted by the Chinese Association for International Understanding, began on Monday in Beijing. (Web editor: Zhong Wenxing, Liang Jun) CCTV: The Hong Kong police issued arrest warrants on July 3 for eight anti-China rioters who have fled overseas, including Kevin Yam. The US, the UK and Australia expressed their concern and even condemned the decision. What is Chinas comment? Mao Ning: We strongly deplore and firmly oppose individual countries flagrant slandering against the national security law for Hong Kong and interference in the rule of law in the Hong Kong SAR. Kevin Yam and the others have long been engaging in anti-China activities aimed at destabilizing Hong Kong. After fleeing overseas, they have acted in an even more outrageous way to create trouble and continued to instigate the division of the country and subversion of state power, acting as pawns for external anti-China forces in their effort to interfere in Hong Kong affairs. Their abominable moves gravely violate the national security law for Hong Kong, seriously threaten the bottom line of One Country, Two Systems, severely harm the fundamental interests of Hong Kong and gravely jeopardize Chinas sovereignty, security and development interests. Justice will never be late or absent. The Hong Kong police issued arrest warrants for these destabilizing elements in accordance with the national security law and other local laws. This is a just act that meets the aspiration of the people and upholds the rule of law, a necessary act for safeguarding the authority of the national security law and protecting the nations sovereignty and security, and a legitimate act for consolidating the fruits of ending chaos and ensuring lasting stability in Hong Kong. This act is also consistent with international law and customary practice. I would like to reiterate that Hong Kong affairs are purely Chinas internal affairs and brook no meddling by any external forces. Relevant countries need to respect Chinas sovereignty and the rule of law in Hong Kong, stop lending support for anti-China elements destabilizing Hong Kong, and stop providing a safe haven for fugitives. China remains firmly resolved in safeguarding the nations sovereignty, security and development interests, in implementing One Country, Two Systems, and in opposing interference in Hong Kong affairs by any external forces. CCTV: Recently, surveys in China and the ROK show that people in Pacific Rim countries oppose the release of nuclear-contaminated water into the sea. People staged large-scale rallies in the ROK and protested in front of Japanese embassies and consulates in the Philippines, New York and Sydney, demanding that Japan stop pushing forward the ocean discharge plan. The Fukushima Prefectural Federation of Fisheries Co-operative Associations unanimously adopted a resolution expressing opposition to the governments plan to release nuclear-contaminated water into the ocean. However, on July 3, Japans Chief Cabinet Secretary Matsuno Hirokazu reiterated that there will be no change to the governments plan to start the release around this summer. Do you have any comment? Mao Ning: I noted relevant reports. The Japanese governments pushing ahead with the ocean discharge plan has raised widespread concerns and worries from the international community. A Global Times survey conducted in 11 countries including China, the ROK, Japan, the Philippines and New Zealand indicates that of the 11,000 respondents, nearly 90 percent showed worries, fear and anger toward the plan, and more than 90 percent of them support their countries in taking measures to intervene in Japans ocean discharge plan. Regrettably however, the Japanese government has been stubbornly pushing through its ocean discharge plan and trying every means to give the false impression that the discharge is legitimate and justified. The IAEA will issue the review report later today. I would like to point out that the agency was invited by the Japanese side and its mandate is limited to evaluating the ocean discharge plan. The report cannot greenlight the discharge as it cannot prove that ocean discharge is the only option or the safest and most reliable option. China once again urges Japan to, in a responsible attitude for the whole humanity and our future generations, stop pushing through the discharge plan, fully explore and evaluate the alternatives to ocean discharge to ensure that the nuclear-contaminated water is handled in a scientific, safe and transparent manner, and agree to rigorous international oversight. Global Times: Sweden recently witnessed another burning of the Quran, which was strongly condemned by the Arab world and the Islamic world. The incident has made international headlines. Whats Chinas comment? Mao Ning: China always upholds mutual respect, inclusiveness and mutual learning between civilizations, firmly opposes extremist acts attacking different religious beliefs and inciting civilization clash and all forms of Islamophobia. The Islamic civilization has made important contribution to world civilizations. The Muslim faith and religious feelings should be respected. The so-called freedom of speech should not be the excuse for stoking conflicts and antagonism between civilizations. President Xi Jinping proposed the Global Civilization Initiative this March. It advocates equality, mutual learning, dialogue and inclusiveness among civilizations and replacing estrangement with exchange, clash with mutual learning, and superiority with inclusiveness. China will work with the international community to advocate the spirit of the Global Civilization Initiative, promote inter-civilization exchanges and dialogue with concrete actions and jointly safeguard the diversity of world civilizations. NHK: A follow-up question on the discharge plan of nuclear-contaminated water from the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant. What you just said meant China would not accept the IAEA report if it supports the discharge. Is it so? If so, wouldnt this be China playing double standards for not accepting the science-based measures proposed by the IAEA while saying that it has always followed the basic norms governing international relations based on the purposes and principles of the UN Charter? Mao Ning: We have not seen the IAEA report yet. What I just said is that the mandate of the agency is limited to evaluating the ocean discharge plan only by the Japanese side from the very start and the agency does not have the mandate to evaluate other options. In this case, the report to be released will not prove the discharge is legitimate and justified and exempt the Japanese side from its due responsibilities and obligations under international law. This has nothing to do with double standards. On the report by the IAEA, we hope that it will stand the test of science and history, rather than be an endorsement for the discharge of nuclear-contaminated water. Kyodo News: The Chinese government yesterday announced export control on gallium and germanium, two elements essential for manufacturing semiconductors, in apparent retaliation after the US, Japan and the Netherlands restricted semiconductor equipment exports to China, as some said. Do you agree with this argument? Also, considering that the Chinese government said it is committed to keeping the global industrial and supply chains stable, this export control seems inconsistent with what it has been saying. Does the foreign ministry have any comment on this? Mao Ning: Regarding what you mentioned, the Ministry of Commerce of China has issued a notice and you may refer to it. China is always committed to keeping the global industrial and supply chains secure and stable, and has always implemented fair, reasonable and non-discriminatory export control measures. The Chinese governments export control on relevant items in accordance with law is a common international practice, and it does not target any specific country. Beijing Daily: According to reports, Honduran Minister of Economic Development said that Honduras and China have started negotiations on a free trade agreement. Can you confirm this and provide some comment? What is Chinas expectation for the FTA negotiations? Mao Ning: On the morning of July 4 Beijing time, Minister of Commerce of China Wang Wentao and Minister of Economic Development of Honduras Fredis Cerrato jointly announced the official launch of the negotiations on a free trade agreement between the two countries via video link. This is an important common understanding reached between the two heads of state during Honduran President Xiomara Castros visit to China, and it fully demonstrates the willingness of the two sides to deepen practical cooperation. Since the two countries established diplomatic ties, bilateral relations have shown the momentum of robust growth, with expanding practical cooperation in various fields. China stands ready to work with Honduras to further tap into the potential, create more highlights, and work for more outcomes in the mutually-beneficial cooperation, so as to create an even brighter future for the relations between the two countries. AFP: I have a question also related to the eight people wanted by the Hong Kong government for their involvement in 2019 protests. Chinas embassy in London today criticized British politicians specifically for protecting these eight people. Will this have any impact on a potential upcoming visit by the UKs foreign secretary James Cleverly to China? Mao Ning: I have stated Chinas position just now on relevant countries response to the Hong Kong police issuing arrest warrants for anti-China rioters. On the visit you asked about, I have nothing to share at the moment. AFP: I have two more questions. Firstly, can you confirm reports that the EU representative Josep Borrell will visit China next week? The second question is whether you can share details for the upcoming visit by US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen to China? Whats China expecting from the visit? Mao Ning: On your first question, I have nothing to offer. On your second question about US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellens visit to China, I noted that my colleague has answered relevant question yesterday. The Chinese side has released information on the visit. As to your specific question, Id refer you to the competent authorities. We always believe that China-US economic and trade cooperation is mutually beneficial in nature and hope that the US can create a favorable environment for the sound development of China-US economic and trade ties and win-win cooperation with concrete actions. CGTN: Recently, leaders from countries including Viet Nam, Mongolia, and Barbados expressed their support and appreciation for the Global Security Initiative proposed by President Xi Jinping during their visit in China. They want to be part of it, contributing to global peace and stability. We can feel the enthusiasm from the international community for the initiative, and we can see the good momentum of delivering on the initiative. Could you share more with us? Mao Ning: In April 2022, President Xi Jinping put forward the Global Security Initiative (GSI), which has received positive response and extensive recognition globally. More and more countries have supported and appreciated the GSI and are looking forward to be part of it. All sides believe that the GSI proposed by President Xi Jinping actively responds to the significant security concerns of the international community and speaks to the aspiration for peace and cooperation shared by all countries, providing Chinese wisdom and impetus for solving the security challenges facing humanity and improving global security governance. Particularly, recent diplomatic events on the political settlement of the Ukraine crisis and the reconciliation between Saudi Arabia and Iran showed Chinas responsibility as a major country in pressing ahead and taking initiative in global security governance and the important role of the GSI in solving international security challenges. The GSI as a global public good serves the interests of people around the world and safeguards peace for the whole world. China stands ready to join hands with all sides to deepen the implementation of the GSI and bring more benefits to the people, tackle the pressing security challenges facing the world, advance peace and development for humanity, and make the world more peaceful, secure, and prosperous. AFP: Viet Nam has reportedly banned the upcoming Barbie movie over the appearance of a world map that allegedly shows Chinas nine-dash line in the South China Sea. Do you have any comment on this matter? And is the inclusion of the nine-dash line in world maps an explicit prerequisite for foreign films to be released in China? Mao Ning: Chinas position on the South China Sea issue is clear and consistent. Relevant country should not link the South China Sea issue with normal cultural exchange. * As the first intergovernmental organization named after a Chinese city, SCO today stands as a comprehensive regional cooperation organization that covers the largest area and population in the world. * Over the years, the SCO has evolved from an organization that focuses on security and economic cooperation to one with a holistic view, aiming to build "a community of health for us all," "a community of security for us all," "a community of development for us all" and "a community of cultural exchanges for us all." * In the face of a torrent of global challenges and crises, the SCO has become an indispensable force in anchoring global stability, safeguarding world peace and security, and building a community with a shared future for mankind. BEIJING, July 3 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Xi Jinping will attend the 23rd meeting of the Council of Heads of State of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) via video conference from Beijing on Tuesday. As the first intergovernmental organization named after a Chinese city, SCO today stands as a comprehensive regional cooperation organization that covers the largest area and population in the world. Over the years, China has been firmly upholding the Shanghai Spirit and is ready to chart the way forward and work with other SCO members to build a closer community with a shared future. The first batch of Chinese COVID-19 vaccines arrives at Tashkent International Airport in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, March 27, 2021. (Photo by Zafar Khalilov/Xinhua) EVOLVING CORE VALUES At the landmark Qingdao summit of the SCO in 2018, Xi called on countries involved in the regional bloc to work closely to build an SCO community with a shared future, enriching the Shanghai Spirit which champions mutual trust, mutual benefit, equality, consultation, respect for diverse civilizations and pursuit of common development. "We owe SCO's remarkable success to the Shanghai Spirit. And we will continue to follow its guidance as we forge ahead," Xi said. In the Qingdao Declaration, the SCO members embraced "building a community with a shared future for humanity" their most important political consensus and the goal for their future efforts. Last year in Samarkand, an important town on the ancient Silk Road, Xi summarized the successful experience of the SCO, namely, upholding political trust, mutually beneficial cooperation, equality, openness and inclusiveness, and equity and justice. These five points fully embody the Shanghai Spirit, he said. Amid the complex international situation and constantly evolving global challenges, Xi's vision has also been enriching the connotation of the Shanghai Spirit. From putting forward China's view of "a global community of health for all," "an indivisible security community" and "a global development community," to proposing the Global Development Initiative and Global Security Initiative, Xi has been promoting the steady and long-term progress of the SCO along with the common development of mankind. With a long history of exchanges, similar development tasks and a closely linked future, countries on the Eurasian continent have joined hands to build an even closer SCO community with a shared future, injecting vigorous impetus into regional and global development. Under the Shanghai Spirit, they have carried out comprehensive cooperation, safeguarding energy security and food security, stabilizing and diversifying supply chains, as well as combating climate change, among others. In 2022, leaders of the SCO member states adopted the Comprehensive Plan for the Implementation of the SCO Treaty on Long-Term Good-Neighborliness, Friendship and Cooperation for 2023-2027, drawing a blueprint for future collaboration in the next five years. SCO Secretary-General Zhang Ming said that the SCO has brought together countries from different regions, with different traditions and development paths thanks to the Shanghai Spirit, which has become a source of life and endless force propelling the group's development. This photo taken on June 12, 2019 shows the Qingdao multimodal transportation center in the China-SCO Local Economic and Trade Cooperation Demonstration Area in Qingdao, east China's Shandong Province. (Xinhua/Li Ziheng) PRACTICAL APPROACH Over the years, the SCO has evolved from an organization that focuses on security and economic cooperation to one with a holistic view, aiming to build "a community of health for us all," "a community of security for us all," "a community of development for us all" and "a community of cultural exchanges for us all." The outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic has compounded the surging problems that have been plaguing human beings and also provided the SCO members with an opportunity to build a closer community with a shared future. Guided by the vision of building "a community of health for us all," China has provided COVID-19 vaccines to Uzbekistan, donated anti-epidemic materials to Kyrgyzstan, and sent medical experts to Russia and Kazakhstan. Over the past three years, China has provided over 2.2 billion COVID-19 vaccine doses to more than 120 countries and international organizations, offering vital support to developing nations in their battle against the COVID-19 pandemic. Regional security lays a solid foundation for SCO cooperation. Mechanisms such as the SCO-Afghanistan Contact Group have been proven to be effective in helping facilitate the peace process of the war-torn country for years. Over the past decade, the SCO has become an important platform for practical Belt and Road cooperation. Major projects such as the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, SCO training and demonstration base for agricultural technology exchange and China-SCO local economic and trade cooperation demonstration zone have brought tangible benefits to local people. In recent years, a comprehensive infrastructure network involving roads, oil and gas pipelines, and railways was gradually formed in the SCO region. With the construction of transportation services such as the China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan railway, the China-Central Asia natural gas pipeline and the regular operation of China-Europe freight train services, ties among SCO member states have physically become closer. In June, the fifth anniversary of the China-SCO Local Economic and Trade Cooperation Demonstration Area was celebrated in the eastern Chinese coastal city of Qingdao. Statistics showed that apart from sea, air, and road transport, the Area operates 31 international freight train routes, reaching 54 cities in 23 countries, including the SCO countries and those along the Belt and Road. "China's economic growth momentum is strong, and I hope that more Kazakh businessmen will continue to deeply integrate into China's new development paradigm and achieve win-win results through cooperation," said Botakoz Yelshibek, a Kazakhstan youth who had studied and worked in China for six years. Established in January 2022, the China-SCO Institute of Economy and Trade in Qingdao has held over 130 training programs covering international logistics and cross-border e-commerce and trained over 9,900 people from 43 SCO countries and others along the Belt and Road. Meanwhile, China has also promised to establish a China-SCO base for training counter-terrorism personnel, set up a China-SCO Big Data Cooperation Center and provide developing countries in need with emergency humanitarian assistance of grain and other supplies worth 1.5 billion RMB yuan (about 214 million U.S. dollars). Its commitments to the SCO not only benefit the region but also lead a broader range of practical cooperation. Students learn skills at the Luban Workshop in Dushanbe, Tajikistan, April 12, 2023. (Photo by Kalizhan Ospanov/Xinhua) EXPANDING FAMILY As a steadfast champion of multilateralism since its founding, the SCO is committed to building an open and inclusive "big family" for like-minded countries. At the Samarkand summit in 2022, the SCO kicked off a new round of the largest expansion of the SCO membership, signing a memorandum of obligations on Iran's SCO membership, starting the procedure for Belarus' accession, granting Egypt, Saudi Arabia and Qatar the status of SCO dialogue partners, and reaching an agreement on admitting Bahrain, the Maldives, the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait and Myanmar as new dialogue partners. "In recent years, an increasing number of countries have applied to join our SCO family. This fully demonstrates the power of SCO's vision and the widely shared confidence in its future," Xi said on the significance of the SCO membership expansion. From a regional organization with six founding members to a big family with dozens of members and partners, the SCO has developed into a new type of international organization, transcending differences in ideology, social system, and development path, and setting an example of international relations. People-to-people exchanges constitute a crucial component of SCO cooperation. Cultural events such as the Year of Languages, the Year of Culture, and the Year of Tourism have been held in succession among member countries. The first Luban Workshop in Tajikistan in Central Asia has trained plenty of local professionals. Through flourishing cultural and people-to-people exchange events, the civil bond of the SCO family is getting stronger. Over the years, China has worked to forge a series of consensus among SCO members on strengthening cooperation in big data, artificial intelligence, green infrastructure, tackling climate change, and safeguarding international energy and food security. In the face of a torrent of global challenges and crises, the SCO has become an indispensable force in anchoring global stability, safeguarding world peace and security, and building a community with a shared future for mankind. Looking into the future, China is ready to work with other SCO member states to actively implement the Global Development Initiative, the Global Security Initiative, and the Global Civilization Initiative, promote the development and prosperity of regional countries, build an even closer SCO community with a shared future, and jointly open up a brighter future for the Eurasian region. (Video reporters: Zhou Yang, Wang Feng, Zhu Xiaoguang, Wang Houyuan, Li Xiaobo, Zhao Xiaoyu, Zou Xuemian, Zhao Jiasong; video editors: Zhou Yang, Luo Hui, Zhu Jianhui) Editor: WJH Recently in these pages, journalist Nick Bryant sounded the alarm that rhetorical and campaign devices used by American conservatives were being deployed to derail the campaign to establish an Indigenous Voice to the Australian parliament. Bryant was right to highlight the many parallels between the No campaigns key messages and the exaggerated, inapposite and polarising rhetoric of US conservatives, but he understated the threat they pose to establishing the Voice. The No campaign is undoubtedly propagating Trumpist misinformation designed to scare voters, but it is also garnering crucial support by using the same strategies that have most recently destroyed affirmative action measures in American colleges and universities. Unless those imported strategies are directly confronted and repudiated, it is likely the Voice referendum will fail. Opposition Leader Peter Dutton has opposed the Indigenous Voice to parliament. Credit: AAP Last Thursday, the increasingly conservative US Supreme Court overruled long-standing precedent by ruling in a 6-3 majority decision that affirmative action measures designed to reduce racial inequality by ensuring that more students from minority racial backgrounds were admitted to universities were unconstitutional. For more than 40 years, under such measures, universities were able to consider race or ethnic background together with scholastic achievement and other criteria in determining whether students were admitted. Since 1978, the US Supreme Court has repeatedly found that affirmative action policies for students from under-represented racial and ethnic backgrounds promoted beneficial educational pluralism. As he stood beside Indonesian President Joko Widodo in Sydney on Tuesday, Anthony Albanese felt the need to apologise. The prime minister was eager to show off the beauty of his hometown to one of his most important international counterparts, but Mother Nature had other ideas. It was a grey and soggy winters day in Sydney, one not well suited to a carefully planned itinerary that included a boat ride from the prime ministerial residence in Kirribilli to Taronga Zoo. President Joko Widodo and Prime Minister Anthony Albanese ponder a Sumatran tiger. Credit: James Brickwood I apologise that the weather isnt perfect today, but we have done our best, Albanese told Jokowi, as he is universally known. The drizzle, however, did not detract from what is clearly a friendly and productive personal relationship. The leaders smiled and laughed together while viewing an exhibit of Sumatran tigers, which are native to Indonesia. Photo taken on July 1, 2023 shows the night market in Xiangbala Square in Yonghe County of Hainan Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture in northwest Chinas Qinghai Province, where lots of residents and visitors come here to shop and taste local food. To activate the consumption atmosphere and ignite night shopping vitality, since 2017, the night market in Xiangbala Square has been operating under the support of the prefectural and county levels of government. At present, there are more than 70 business stalls in this fixed operation. (Guangming Online Reporter, Ji Chunhong/Guangming Picture) Photo taken on July 1, 2023 shows the night market in Xiangbala Square in Yonghe County of Hainan Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture in northwest Chinas Qinghai Province, where lots of residents and visitors come here to shop and taste local food. To activate the consumption atmosphere and ignite night shopping vitality, since 2017, the night market in Xiangbala Square has been operating under the support of the prefectural and county levels of government. At present, there are more than 70 business stalls in this fixed operation. (Guangming Online Reporter, Ji Chunhong/Guangming Picture) Photo taken on July 1, 2023 shows the night market in Xiangbala Square in Yonghe County of Hainan Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture in northwest Chinas Qinghai Province, where lots of residents and visitors come here to shop and taste local food. To activate the consumption atmosphere and ignite night shopping vitality, since 2017, the night market in Xiangbala Square has been operating under the support of the prefectural and county levels of government. At present, there are more than 70 business stalls in this fixed operation. (Guangming Online Reporter, Ji Chunhong/Guangming Picture) Photo taken on July 1, 2023 shows the night market in Xiangbala Square in Yonghe County of Hainan Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture in northwest Chinas Qinghai Province, where lots of residents and visitors come here to shop and taste local food. To activate the consumption atmosphere and ignite night shopping vitality, since 2017, the night market in Xiangbala Square has been operating under the support of the prefectural and county levels of government. At present, there are more than 70 business stalls in this fixed operation. (Guangming Online Reporter, Ji Chunhong/Guangming Picture) Photo taken on July 1, 2023 shows the night market in Xiangbala Square in Yonghe County of Hainan Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture in northwest Chinas Qinghai Province, where lots of residents and visitors come here to shop and taste local food. To activate the consumption atmosphere and ignite night shopping vitality, since 2017, the night market in Xiangbala Square has been operating under the support of the prefectural and county levels of government. At present, there are more than 70 business stalls in this fixed operation. (Guangming Online Reporter, Ji Chunhong/Guangming Picture) Editor: JYZ Batavia, NY (14020) Today Showers and a few thunderstorms likely. Potential for severe thunderstorms. Low 63F. Winds SW at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 100%.. Tonight Showers and a few thunderstorms likely. Potential for severe thunderstorms. Low 63F. Winds SW at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 100%. Lian Xinming (L) and his student Wang Zihan use a drone to monitor an overnight habitat of Tibetan antelopes during their migration near the Qumar River Bridge along the Qinghai-Tibet Highway in Hoh Xil, a natural reserve in northwest China's Qinghai Province, on the early hours of June 16, 2023. Lian Xinming, a researcher at the Northwest Institute of Plateau Biology under the Chinese Academy of Sciences, has dedicated more than 20 years of research to Tibetan antelopes since he first set foot on Hoh Xil in 2002. "Tibetan antelope protection stands as a successful example of human involvement in rescuing endangered animals," said Lian. "Using advanced technology to gain insights into what lies behind the migration of a species can also inspire the research and conservation efforts for other species." According to the Sanjiangyuan National Park Administration, the population of Tibetan antelopes in the Hoh Xil national natural reserve has recovered from less than 20,000 during the initial stages of protection to more than 70,000. (Xinhua/Zhang Cheng) Lian Xinming and his team members monitor an overnight habitat of Tibetan antelopes during their migration near the Qumar River Bridge along the Qinghai-Tibet Highway in Hoh Xil, a natural reserve in northwest China's Qinghai Province, on the early hours of June 16, 2023. Lian Xinming, a researcher at the Northwest Institute of Plateau Biology under the Chinese Academy of Sciences, has dedicated more than 20 years of research to Tibetan antelopes since he first set foot on Hoh Xil in 2002. "Tibetan antelope protection stands as a successful example of human involvement in rescuing endangered animals," said Lian. "Using advanced technology to gain insights into what lies behind the migration of a species can also inspire the research and conservation efforts for other species." According to the Sanjiangyuan National Park Administration, the population of Tibetan antelopes in the Hoh Xil national natural reserve has recovered from less than 20,000 during the initial stages of protection to more than 70,000. (Xinhua/Zhang Cheng) Lian Xinming (L) and his student Wang Dong store the feces of Tibetan antelopes in a nitrogen tank in Hoh Xil, a natural reserve in northwest China's Qinghai Province, June 15, 2023. Lian Xinming, a researcher at the Northwest Institute of Plateau Biology under the Chinese Academy of Sciences, has dedicated more than 20 years of research to Tibetan antelopes since he first set foot on Hoh Xil in 2002. "Tibetan antelope protection stands as a successful example of human involvement in rescuing endangered animals," said Lian. "Using advanced technology to gain insights into what lies behind the migration of a species can also inspire the research and conservation efforts for other species." According to the Sanjiangyuan National Park Administration, the population of Tibetan antelopes in the Hoh Xil national natural reserve has recovered from less than 20,000 during the initial stages of protection to more than 70,000. (Xinhua/Jin Liwang) Lian Xinming and his team members use a drone to monitor an overnight habitat of Tibetan antelopes during their migration near the Qumar River Bridge along the Qinghai-Tibet Highway in Hoh Xil, a natural reserve in northwest China's Qinghai Province, on the early hours of June 16, 2023. Lian Xinming, a researcher at the Northwest Institute of Plateau Biology under the Chinese Academy of Sciences, has dedicated more than 20 years of research to Tibetan antelopes since he first set foot on Hoh Xil in 2002. "Tibetan antelope protection stands as a successful example of human involvement in rescuing endangered animals," said Lian. "Using advanced technology to gain insights into what lies behind the migration of a species can also inspire the research and conservation efforts for other species." According to the Sanjiangyuan National Park Administration, the population of Tibetan antelopes in the Hoh Xil national natural reserve has recovered from less than 20,000 during the initial stages of protection to more than 70,000. (Xinhua/Jin Liwang) Lian Xinming and his team members drive to an overnight habitat of Tibetan antelopes during their migration near the Qumar River Bridge along the Qinghai-Tibet Highway in Hoh Xil, a natural reserve in northwest China's Qinghai Province, on the early hours of June 16, 2023. Lian Xinming, a researcher at the Northwest Institute of Plateau Biology under the Chinese Academy of Sciences, has dedicated more than 20 years of research to Tibetan antelopes since he first set foot on Hoh Xil in 2002. "Tibetan antelope protection stands as a successful example of human involvement in rescuing endangered animals," said Lian. "Using advanced technology to gain insights into what lies behind the migration of a species can also inspire the research and conservation efforts for other species." According to the Sanjiangyuan National Park Administration, the population of Tibetan antelopes in the Hoh Xil national natural reserve has recovered from less than 20,000 during the initial stages of protection to more than 70,000. (Xinhua/Jin Liwang) Lian Xinming poses for a photo in Hoh Xil, a natural reserve in northwest China's Qinghai Province, June 15, 2023. Lian Xinming, a researcher at the Northwest Institute of Plateau Biology under the Chinese Academy of Sciences, has dedicated more than 20 years of research to Tibetan antelopes since he first set foot on Hoh Xil in 2002. "Tibetan antelope protection stands as a successful example of human involvement in rescuing endangered animals," said Lian. "Using advanced technology to gain insights into what lies behind the migration of a species can also inspire the research and conservation efforts for other species." According to the Sanjiangyuan National Park Administration, the population of Tibetan antelopes in the Hoh Xil national natural reserve has recovered from less than 20,000 during the initial stages of protection to more than 70,000. (Xinhua/Jin Liwang) Tibetan antelopes are pictured in Hoh Xil, a natural reserve in northwest China's Qinghai Province, June 15, 2023. Lian Xinming, a researcher at the Northwest Institute of Plateau Biology under the Chinese Academy of Sciences, has dedicated more than 20 years of research to Tibetan antelopes since he first set foot on Hoh Xil in 2002. "Tibetan antelope protection stands as a successful example of human involvement in rescuing endangered animals," said Lian. "Using advanced technology to gain insights into what lies behind the migration of a species can also inspire the research and conservation efforts for other species." According to the Sanjiangyuan National Park Administration, the population of Tibetan antelopes in the Hoh Xil national natural reserve has recovered from less than 20,000 during the initial stages of protection to more than 70,000. (Xinhua/Zhang Cheng) This file photo taken in March 2019 shows Lian Xinming (R, front) collecting samples in the Sanjiangyuan area in northwest China's Qinghai Province. Lian Xinming, a researcher at the Northwest Institute of Plateau Biology under the Chinese Academy of Sciences, has dedicated more than 20 years of research to Tibetan antelopes since he first set foot on Hoh Xil in 2002. "Tibetan antelope protection stands as a successful example of human involvement in rescuing endangered animals," said Lian. "Using advanced technology to gain insights into what lies behind the migration of a species can also inspire the research and conservation efforts for other species." According to the Sanjiangyuan National Park Administration, the population of Tibetan antelopes in the Hoh Xil national natural reserve has recovered from less than 20,000 during the initial stages of protection to more than 70,000. (Xinhua) Lian Xinming collects the feces of Tibetan antelopes for research in Hoh Xil, a natural reserve in northwest China's Qinghai Province, June 15, 2023. Lian Xinming, a researcher at the Northwest Institute of Plateau Biology under the Chinese Academy of Sciences, has dedicated more than 20 years of research to Tibetan antelopes since he first set foot on Hoh Xil in 2002. "Tibetan antelope protection stands as a successful example of human involvement in rescuing endangered animals," said Lian. "Using advanced technology to gain insights into what lies behind the migration of a species can also inspire the research and conservation efforts for other species." According to the Sanjiangyuan National Park Administration, the population of Tibetan antelopes in the Hoh Xil national natural reserve has recovered from less than 20,000 during the initial stages of protection to more than 70,000. (Xinhua/Jin Liwang) Lian Xinming looks up at the drone he uses to monitor an overnight habitat of Tibetan antelopes during their migration near the Qumar River Bridge along the Qinghai-Tibet Highway in Hoh Xil, a natural reserve in northwest China's Qinghai Province, on the early hours of June 16, 2023. Lian Xinming, a researcher at the Northwest Institute of Plateau Biology under the Chinese Academy of Sciences, has dedicated more than 20 years of research to Tibetan antelopes since he first set foot on Hoh Xil in 2002. "Tibetan antelope protection stands as a successful example of human involvement in rescuing endangered animals," said Lian. "Using advanced technology to gain insights into what lies behind the migration of a species can also inspire the research and conservation efforts for other species." According to the Sanjiangyuan National Park Administration, the population of Tibetan antelopes in the Hoh Xil national natural reserve has recovered from less than 20,000 during the initial stages of protection to more than 70,000. (Xinhua/Zhang Cheng) Lian Xinming (L) and his student Wang Zihan use a drone to monitor an overnight habitat of Tibetan antelopes during their migration near the Qumar River Bridge along the Qinghai-Tibet Highway in Hoh Xil, a natural reserve in northwest China's Qinghai Province, on the early hours of June 16, 2023. Lian Xinming, a researcher at the Northwest Institute of Plateau Biology under the Chinese Academy of Sciences, has dedicated more than 20 years of research to Tibetan antelopes since he first set foot on Hoh Xil in 2002. "Tibetan antelope protection stands as a successful example of human involvement in rescuing endangered animals," said Lian. "Using advanced technology to gain insights into what lies behind the migration of a species can also inspire the research and conservation efforts for other species." According to the Sanjiangyuan National Park Administration, the population of Tibetan antelopes in the Hoh Xil national natural reserve has recovered from less than 20,000 during the initial stages of protection to more than 70,000. (Xinhua/Jin Liwang) Lian Xinming shows the feces of Tibetan antelopes he collected for research in Hoh Xil, a natural reserve in northwest China's Qinghai Province, June 15, 2023. Lian Xinming, a researcher at the Northwest Institute of Plateau Biology under the Chinese Academy of Sciences, has dedicated more than 20 years of research to Tibetan antelopes since he first set foot on Hoh Xil in 2002. "Tibetan antelope protection stands as a successful example of human involvement in rescuing endangered animals," said Lian. "Using advanced technology to gain insights into what lies behind the migration of a species can also inspire the research and conservation efforts for other species." According to the Sanjiangyuan National Park Administration, the population of Tibetan antelopes in the Hoh Xil national natural reserve has recovered from less than 20,000 during the initial stages of protection to more than 70,000. (Xinhua/Jin Liwang) Lian Xinming (R) and his student Wang Dong collect the feces of Tibetan antelopes for research in Hoh Xil, a natural reserve in northwest China's Qinghai Province, June 15, 2023. Lian Xinming, a researcher at the Northwest Institute of Plateau Biology under the Chinese Academy of Sciences, has dedicated more than 20 years of research to Tibetan antelopes since he first set foot on Hoh Xil in 2002. "Tibetan antelope protection stands as a successful example of human involvement in rescuing endangered animals," said Lian. "Using advanced technology to gain insights into what lies behind the migration of a species can also inspire the research and conservation efforts for other species." According to the Sanjiangyuan National Park Administration, the population of Tibetan antelopes in the Hoh Xil national natural reserve has recovered from less than 20,000 during the initial stages of protection to more than 70,000. (Xinhua/Jin Liwang) Lian Xinming (R) and his student Wang Dong use binocles to observe the migration of Tibetan antelopes in Hoh Xil, a natural reserve in northwest China's Qinghai Province, June 15, 2023. Lian Xinming, a researcher at the Northwest Institute of Plateau Biology under the Chinese Academy of Sciences, has dedicated more than 20 years of research to Tibetan antelopes since he first set foot on Hoh Xil in 2002. "Tibetan antelope protection stands as a successful example of human involvement in rescuing endangered animals," said Lian. "Using advanced technology to gain insights into what lies behind the migration of a species can also inspire the research and conservation efforts for other species." According to the Sanjiangyuan National Park Administration, the population of Tibetan antelopes in the Hoh Xil national natural reserve has recovered from less than 20,000 during the initial stages of protection to more than 70,000. (Xinhua/Jin Liwang) Lian Xinming and his team members prepare to use a drone to monitor an overnight habitat of Tibetan antelopes during their migration near the Qumar River Bridge along the Qinghai-Tibet Highway in Hoh Xil, a natural reserve in northwest China's Qinghai Province, on the early hours of June 16, 2023. Lian Xinming, a researcher at the Northwest Institute of Plateau Biology under the Chinese Academy of Sciences, has dedicated more than 20 years of research to Tibetan antelopes since he first set foot on Hoh Xil in 2002. "Tibetan antelope protection stands as a successful example of human involvement in rescuing endangered animals," said Lian. "Using advanced technology to gain insights into what lies behind the migration of a species can also inspire the research and conservation efforts for other species." According to the Sanjiangyuan National Park Administration, the population of Tibetan antelopes in the Hoh Xil national natural reserve has recovered from less than 20,000 during the initial stages of protection to more than 70,000. (Xinhua/Jin Liwang) Editor: WXL El Centro Regional Medical Center is over $200 million dollars in debt. Should Imperial County take on their debt so as to keep two hospitals in the Valley? You voted: Kingsland Drinks expands Campaneo range Following its continued success for Campaneo, Kingsland Drinks has announced the expansion of the range with the addition of a new Sauvignon Blanc variety and a new convenient Bag in Box (BiB) format. Morrisons has welcomed the range of the Spanish wine brand to its UK stores, with a roll out expected from 10 July. The Sauvignon Blanc and BiB formats for the Tempranillo and Sauvignon Blanc will be new offerings to the UK, while the Garnacha and Tempranillo are currently available across Tesco stores. The new listings will be supported by consumer PR, influence campaigns and an ongoing partnership with Miguel Barclay. An all-year round two for 10 deal will be active in Morrisons from launch. Kingsland senior brand manager Jade Fowles commented: Campaneo wines have the look, feel and taste of a premium wine brand, but at an affordable price point. We are investing in the brand to tap into the ever-growing wave of consumers seeking quality products on a budget. Growing the range, with the launch of the Sauvignon Blanc and Bag in Box formats, also demonstrates increasing consumer thirst for exploring both Spanish wines and more eco-friendly, yet good value packaging options. With the backdrop of the cost-of-living crisis, todays consumers are shopping more cautiously, with value wines becoming more important to the category. Campaneos brand proposition - centred around its outstanding reviews, affordable price points, and exceptional quality liquid helps cement its place on wine aisles as an option savvy sippers will love and is helping recruit more shoppers into the brand. 4 July 2023 - Bradley Weir 1 in 4 Neighbourhoods Saw Housing Units Decline During Acute Housing Shortage A construction worker shingles the roof of a new home in a housing development in Ottawa in a file photo. (Sean Kilpatrick/The Canadian Press) While many cities across the country struggled with acute housing shortages, more than one in four of Canadas urban neighbourhoods declined, according to a new study. Making Room for Growth, Housing Intensification in Canadas Cities, published by the Fraser Institute on June 8, said despite policymakers knowing there is a lack of new housing, some cities are seeing a decline in housing units in more than one-quarter urban neighbourhoods. As Canada struggles to close the gap between the number of homes needed and the number built, its communities are faced with two options to increase housing supply: spreading outward, by adding new neighbourhoods at the urban fringe, or becoming more dense, by allowing more homes to be built within existing neighbourhoodsa process called intensification, says the report. Large swaths of the urban landscape have seen little to no increase in the number of housing units, or worse, theyve actually seen a decline, explains Josef Filipowicz, a senior fellow with the Fraser Institute and co-author of the study. The study finds that from 2016 to 2021, more than half (54.2 percent) of Canadas housing stock growth occurred in existing urban neighbourhoods instead of unused, undeveloped land. This suggests an unbalanced pattern of growth in housing stock. This highly uneven growth pattern holds across most major metropolitan areas, says the report. It says that given the acute housing shortage, Canada needs new housing supply across all housing types, regions, and neighbourhoods. Of the pre-existing neighbourhoods that had new housing units built, 50.9 percent were constructed in just 5 percent of urban neighbourhoods. Half of all neighbourhoods in major Canadian cities had less than a 1 percent increase in the number of new housing units built, while 26.4 percent of those communities saw a drop in the number of housing units, representing a cumulative net loss of 33,723 dwellings. What growth we are seeing in new housing units across Canadian cities, it is largely happening in very small pockets, said Steve Lafleur, Fraser Institute senior fellow and study co-author. To more meaningfully tackle the housing shortage in Canada, policymakers will have to look at ways to create more housing units of all types across our urban areas, and not just in certain small pockets. This concentrated growth in housing means that 89 percent of new housing units added within cities were built in the top 20 percent of fastest-growing neighbourhoods between 2016 and 2021. The report indicated that recent analyses from the Canadian Mortgage and Housing Corporation estimate Canadas housing deficit to be in the millions of housing units, even as low rental vacancy rates indicate there are also issues in the supply of rental units. For some municipalities, notably those that have already built over their entire geographical jurisdiction (for example, Vancouver, Victoria, Montreal) or that face geographical barriers to outward expansion (for example, West Vancouver), intensification is the only means by which they can add commercial and residential space, said the report. It also suggests that many provincial governments have implemented policies that specifically restrict outward expansion. 2nd Child Attacked by Coyote in Winnipeg Within a Week A 4-year-old child has been attacked by a coyote in the Winnipeg area. Its the second such attack in the area within a week. Manitoba Natural Resources said the attack happened the evening of June 30 in the North Kildonan area, in north Winnipeg. The child has been treated and released from hospital, said a government news release. Manitoba Natural Resources said patrols by conservation officers in the area have been stepped up. In addition, a trapper from the Manitoba Trappers Association has been brought in to try to catch any coyotes that might be in the area. The attack follows a similar one on a 9-year-old boy on June 24. The investigation revealed that a 15-year-old girl and her 9-year-old brother were walking in the Popko Crescent and Knowles Avenue area when they noticed a coyote, Winnipeg Police said in a news release. The coyote began running towards them as they fled. The 9-year boy was mauled, at which time an area resident chased the coyote away. As a result, the boy sustained multiple injuries and was transported to hospital in stable condition. The attacks happened within a few blocks of each other, and Manitoba Natural Resources is advising people to be vigilant. Supervise children closely, feed pets indoors, keep animals on a leash, and reduce attractants, the release said. If a coyote is spotted nearby, the provincial government advises people to make noise, try to appear large, stay in a group, and not to run, because that might prompt the animal to chase. An official with the Manitoba Trappers Association who did not want to be named said it is an unusual situation. This is the first time weve ever been requested to do a live trapping in an urban setting, said the official. No one from the province was available for an interview, but the neighborhood North Kildonan Facebook page has a variety of comments about the attack. It is past time for trapping. It has to be put down! said one post. Scary stuff! said another. While people in the area have reported a number of coyote sightings in recent weeks, the province said unprovoked attacks on people are extremely rare but do occur. There are a variety of tips on the provinces website on how to deal with coyotes, such as: Coyotes are attracted to food and food waste in peoples yards, such as fallen fruit, pet food, bird seed, and garbage. Coyotes can attack peoples pets or livestock. Coyotes can carry diseases and parasites that may infect people or their animals. Coyotes are naturally timid animals. It is important to keep it that way, for the safety of people, pets, and coyotes. This can be done by scaring coyotes awayan activity known as hazing. Though coyote attacks on people are rare, it can happen. The risk increases if the animal has previously been fed by people, because the coyote may associate people with food. The only documented fatal attack by coyotes in Canada happened in October 2009, when a 19-year-old woman was attacked by a pack of coyotes while hiking in Cape Breton Highlands National Park. 5 Killed, 2 Injured in Mass Shooting in Southwest Philadelphia Philadelphia police stand at the intersection of 56th Street and Kingsessing Avenue after multiple people were shot in Southwest Philadelphia on July 3, 2023. (Yong Kim/The Philadelphia Inquirer via AP) A suspect is in custody after five people were killed and two more were injured in a mass shooting that unfolded in the Kingsessing section of Southwest Philadelphia on Monday night. Philadelphia Police Commissioner Danielle Outlaw told reporters that two who were injured are boys aged 2 and 13. They were in a stable condition at a hospital. The shooting occurred around 8:30 p.m. in the area of 56th Street and Chester Avenue, reported The Philadelphia Inquirer. Law enforcement swiftly responded to the scene after a police officer heard gunshots and discovered at least one victim near South 56th Street and Chester Avenue. As officers arrived, they received multiple reports of an armed male with a rifle still firing shots in the vicinity. Four victims were found at different locations and transported to Penn Presbyterian Medical Center for urgent medical attention. At the same time, an additional four victims arrived at the same hospital via private vehicle. Among the victims, at least two were juveniles, whose conditions are yet to be disclosed. Police said they were expected to be taken to the Childrens Hospital of Philadelphia. A suspect was taken into custody just before 8:40 p.m. Officers recovered a rifle, a handgun, and additional magazines of ammunition in the alleyway behind the 1600 block of South Frazier Street. The suspect was wearing a ballistic vest, police say. The suspects motives are currently unknown. The seventh grader who wore a T-shirt with the words There are only two genders to school, but was barred from wearing it in class, had placed his hopes in lawsuit. That might have restored his freedom to speak. But the Massachusetts middle schooler, Liam Morrison, 12, was let down by a district judges decision in June denying his right to express his message in class. It makes me upset that I cant wear my shirt to school, Liam said in a statement. The message is important to me, and I should be able to exercise my freedom of speech, just like everyone else. In March, Liam was pulled from class by his principal and a school counselor at Nichols Middle School in Middleborough, for wearing said shirt. He was told to remove it or else be banned from class. Refusing, he missed the rest of school that day. (Courtesy of Morrison family) After Liam conferred with attorneys from Alliance for Defending Freedom (ADF) and the Massachusetts Family Institute, in May they filed a lawsuit against the school on his behalf. They accused Nichols Middle School of violating the seventh graders First and Fourteenth Amendment rights. This isnt about a T-shirt, ADF legal counsel Logan Spina stated. [T]his is about a public school telling a seventh grader that he isnt allowed to hold a view that differs from the schools orthodoxy. They argued that the school encourages students to speak in matters of sex and gender as long as they express the schools favored viewpoints that a persons subjective identity determines whether a person is a male or female, not a persons sex. The school itself has vocally expressed this position, the attorneys added, and instituted annual events celebrating it. Concurrently, the school forbids students from expressing contrary beliefs. Public school officials cant force Liam to remove a shirt that states his position when the school lets every other student wear clothing that speaks on the same issue, Mr. Spina said. Further, they argued that Liams belief is informed by his scientific understanding of biologythat there are only two sexes, and gender is inextricably tied to sexand school officials cant force him to remove a shirt that states a scientific fact. Doing so is a gross violation of the First Amendment. (Courtesy of Morrison family) Middleborough officials said they allow a multitude of messages on clothing but forbade Liam from wearing his because their dress code prohibits hate speech and imagery against group identities. Those include race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, religious affiliation, or any other classification. Liam protested his being silenced by returning to class with a different shirt that read, There are censored genders. He was promptly sent to the principals office and told he couldnt wear that shirt either. His attorneys called the schools doubling down by silencing his protest of being censored a gross violation of the First Amendment that were encouraging the court to rectify. Last month, after hearing arguments from both parties, United States District Judge Indira Talwani sided with the school, declaring the institution had the right to prohibit speech that was in collision with the rights of others to be secure and be let alone. Middleborough Public Schools representative Sean Siciliano told the newspaper they were unable to provide specific details about the individual bills to families at this time due to privacy considerations, but their focus remains on fostering a safe and productive learning environment for all students. Yet despite his landing in the principals office and missing classes, the boys mother, Susan Morrison, said she supports her sons upholding his values. He stood before Middleborough Public Schools board members and aired his grievance at a public meeting in April. He then appeared on Fox and Friends and Laura Ingrams show to plead his case before the court of public opinion. Ms. Morrison said she is so proud of Liam for taking a stand for free speech. Share your stories with us at emg.inspired@epochtimes.com, and continue to get your daily dose of inspiration by signing up for the Inspired newsletter at TheEpochTimes.com/newsletter A Preoccupation With Failure. Why the Titan Submersible Was Doomed From the Start Debris from the Titan submersible, recovered from the ocean floor near the wreck of the Titanic, is unloaded from the ship Horizon Arctic at the Canadian Coast Guard pier in St. Johns on June 28, 2023. (Paul Daly/The Canadian Press) The company behind the submersible that imploded during a recent dive to the Titanic ignored key principles that guide organizations working in high-risk environments, experts in emergency management say. Jack Rozdilsky, a professor at York University in Toronto, says OceanGates businessferrying paying passengers to the floor of the North Atlanticcould be compared to the immensely risky work of companies that launch space flights, drill for offshore oil, fight wildfires or operate nuclear power plants. These are high-reliability organizations (HROs) that operate in complex, high-hazard domains for extended periods of time without serious accidents or catastrophic failures, Rozdilsky, a professor of disaster and emergency management, said in a recent interview. OceanGate does not appear to have functioned as a high-reliability organization. The professor cited three key attributes shared by HROs: They are reluctant to simplify. They accept that tasks they are involved in are complex and have the potential to fail in unexpected ways. They are preoccupied with failure. They do not view near-misses as proof of success. They practise resilience. They provide backups for backups, or as Rozdilsky put it: Suspenders for the suspenders. There is evidence to suggest OceanGate CEO Stockton Rushone of five people killed June 18 when the submersible Titan ruptured near the ocean flooremphasized simplicity over complexity when it came to Titans engineering. During an interview last year with CBS News, Rush showed off Titans basic interior, which included one power button, two video screens and a gaming controller for steering the 6.7-metre vessel. This is to other submersibles what the iPhone was to the Blackberry, Rush said at the time, suggesting the simplicity of the vessel was a strength. Theres a lot of rules out there that didnt make engineering sense. Rozdilsky questioned Rushs decision to simplify an otherwise complex deep-sea craft. Its not something we can make like an elevator, he said. A high-reliability organization refuses to simplify to that extent. They welcome the complexity and realize that by attempting to interact with that complexity, it gives them routes to safety. On another front, Rozdilsky said lessons learned from the space shuttle Challenger disaster in 1986a mid-air explosion that killed all seven astronauts aboardremind us that organizations operating in high-risk environments can fall prey to risk-management errors and erosion of safety protocols. In the case of Challenger, a presidential commission determined that NASA officials had responded to early warnings about design flaws by increasing levels of acceptable damage during flights. The commission concluded NASA justified the changes by saying, We got away with it the last time. Similarly, there have been multiple reports of problems and near-misses with Titan. One way to view those mishaps is proof of success, Rozdilsky said. But successful, high-risk organizations look at that from a different perspective: they see these near misses as opportunities to improve . Theres a preoccupation with failure, not a preoccupation withsuccess. As for OceanGate, it has become clear in recent weeks that Titan experienced many problems before and during its 3,800-metre dives to the Titanic wreck site over the past three years. Last month, German adventurer Arthur Loibl told The Canadian Press that his 2021 voyage to the doomed ocean liner was beset by snafus. The 60-year-old retired businessman said the submersible had problems with its battery and balancing weights, which led to a 90-minute repair job. But the trip went ahead anyway. YouTube celebrity Jake Koehler also released a video describing how his trip aboard Titan was scrubbed earlier this year because of persistent computer problems. In the video released last month, Rush can be heard saying the computers role was up there with life support, but it was not consistently communicating. Long story short: every day they did have some problems, Koehler added. Even as Titan was being built in Everett, Wash., red flags were being raised. In January 2018, then-director of marine operations David Lochridge filed a report identifying serious safety concerns including improper testing of its carbon-fibre hull, according to court documents filed in Washington state. Lochridge told Rush the vessel should be certified by a classification agency, such as the American Bureau of Shipping, but that never happened, the documents say. Instead, Lochridge was fired. Meanwhile, a search and rescue expert says it appears Rushs company was not prepared to deal with emergencies. Merv Wiseman, a retired search-and-rescue co-ordinator, said it remains unclear whether OceanGate filed a preparedness plan withthe Marine Rescue Sub-Centre in St. Johns, which is where Wiseman worked for 35 years. This is the highest of the high-risk areas we can think of, he said in an interview, adding that offshore operations like drilling platforms are required to submit detailed preparedness manuals to the Canadian Coast Guard. If something were to happen at the Hibernia (offshore oil platform), I would go to their manual. They have a volume withalerting matrixes and all the technical items. Wiseman said Transport Canada should have had jurisdiction over the OceanGate operation. I think this may have slipped through the cracks, he said. In response to a question about its lack of action against the uncertified submersible operating from a base in Canada, Transport Canada suggested in an emailed statement that it had no say over the Titans operations outside Canadian waters. In general, the safety of marine activity operating in the high seas is governed by the International Convention for Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS), the statement said. Submersibles are currently not covered by the SOLAS provisions. Meanwhile, deep-diving experts have been issuing warnings about Titans shoddy construction an lack of certification for years. And in 2018, a group of engineers wrote a letter warning that the companys experimental approach could have catastrophic consequences. There were also warnings about Titans lack of backup systems another worrisome trait that stands in sharp contrast to the practices of high-reliability organizations. If you put one vehicle (into the deep ocean), you have a backup vehicle down there to help rescue the first vehicle in case it fails, Rozdilsky said. Thats what happened in 1991 when two Russian submersibles, known as Mir I and Mir II, were used to bring a camera crew to film Titanic. At one point, one of the vessels was snared on wires on Titanics deck. But the pilot managed to free the craft once he received guidance from the pilot on the other submersible. Wiseman said Titan should not have dived on its own. It is reasonable to expect that if this kind of voyage is going to be undertaken, with peoples lives at stake, that there be a duplicate (submersible) available, Wiseman said. The Interindustry Association Ukrteplokomunenergo has appealed to Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal with a request to prohibit Naftogaz Trading LLC from forcibly collecting debts from heat and municipal energy enterprises until they are compensated for the difference in tariffs. "In addition, the appeal notes the urgent need of the industry in the return of the state debt to compensate for the difference in tariffs for heat and hot water supply services no later than the start of the 2023-2024 heating season," the association said in a press release on Tuesday. As President of Ukrteplokomunenergo Arsentiy Blaschuk noted, the thermal industry found itself in an absurdly dangerous situation, when large-scale destruction as a result of targeted actions of the enemy to destroy critical infrastructure facilities is exacerbated by internal factors: financial and administrative pressure from the commercial gas supplier and failure to fulfill financial obligations from the state. "Heat and municipal energy enterprises companies are accumulating debts for gas because they have not received the promised compensation for the difference in tariffs for more than two years. And as a result of internal regulatory problems in the industry, we have big risks for stable heat supply in winter for consumers we hope that the government will take effective decisions that will allow thermal workers to fulfill their primary obligations to consumers," Blaschuk is quoted in a press release. As the Interindustry Association commented, heating companies are concerned about the unprecedentedly tough policy of Naftogaz Trading Group regarding the forced judicial recovery of funds secured by state guarantees in accordance with law of Ukraine on the peculiarities of regulating relations in the natural gas market and in the field of heat supply during martial law and subsequent restoration of their functioning dated July 29, 2022 No. 2479. "Heat suppliers see this as deliberate pressure in the context of preparations for the heating season of 2023-2024," the document states. Ukrteplokomunenergo recalled that in 2021-2022, memorandums of understanding were signed between the government, relevant ministries, NJSC Naftogaz Ukrainy, the Association of Cities of Ukraine and the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities to resolve problematic issues in the field of supply of heat energy and hot water for the stable passage of heating periods. As a result, since October 2021, local governments have not increased tariffs for heating and hot water supply for the population and the state undertook the obligation to promptly compensate the difference in tariffs between economically justified and actual prices. "However, thermal workers have not yet received compensation even for 2022. Excluding 2023, the state owes about UAH 28 billion to thermal workers," the association stressed. As the association explained, this was the main reason for the increase in the debt of heating companies for the consumed gas. In turn, Naftogaz Trading, in accordance with Law No. 2479, is a participant in the debt settlement procedure. "The gas supplier has begun conscious pressure on heating companies by launching massive claims and lawsuits," Ukrteplokomunenergo said. A Sweet Slice of History: Florida Keys Celebrate 200th Birthday With Giant Key Lime Pie Chefs Paul Menta, (front R) and David Sloan, (back R), put finishing touches on a gargantuan Key lime pie created for a 200th Florida Keys birthday celebration on Big Pine Key, Fla., on July 3, 2023. (Andy Newman/Florida Keys News Bureau via AP) BIG PINE KEY, Fla.Partying never gets old in the Florida Keysespecially for a milestone birthday like No. 200. The Florida Keys celebrated its bicentennial Monday along the Gulf of Mexico with a Key lime pie more than 13 feet (4 meters) in diameterwhich organizers intend to certify as a world record. The festivities marked the anniversary of the Florida Territorial Legislatures establishment of Monroe County on July 3, 1823 and celebrated its history. The county contains all of the Keys and a portion of Everglades National Park. (LR) Monroe County Commissioners Jim Scholl and Michelle Lincoln, along with Florida Lt. Governor Jeanette Nunez, serve Key lime pie to attendees at a 200th Florida Keys birthday celebration on Big Pine Key, Fla., on July 3, 2023. (Andy Newman/Florida Keys News Bureau via AP) During the Civil War, Key West remained in Union hands as a base for a naval blockade of Confederate shipping. In the early 1900s, Standard Oil millionaire Henry Flagler spearheaded the construction of the Florida Keys Over-Sea Railroad that became widely known as the eighth wonder of the world. And for nearly six months of his 19451953 presidency, Harry Truman governed the U.S. from his Key West Little White House that is now Floridas only presidential museum. Key lime pie, originating in late 1800s Key West, is a large part of the continental United States southernmost island chains heritage. In 2006, Key lime pie was designated Floridas official pie by the state Legislature. Mondays bicentennial version of the creamy dessert, prepared by local chefs, featured a traditional graham-cracker crust and whipped cream topping as well as the juice from several thousand Key limes. Activists Coalition Now Going After Harvards Legacy Admissions People walk outside Harvard Law School's Langdell Hall at Harvard University in Cambridge, Mass., on May 10, 2010. (Darren McCollest er/Getty Images) Following the recent Supreme Court ruling against affirmative action policies in college admissions, activists have filed a complaint seeking to end legacy and donor admissions at Harvard, arguing it privileges white applicants, a claim that some say is without merit. The complaint against Harvard has been filed by Lawyers for Civil Rights (LCR) on behalf of the African Community Economic Development of New England (ACEDONE), the Greater Boston Latino Network (GBLN), and the Chica Project. It was filed with the U.S. Department of Educations (DOE) Office for Civil Rights (OCR) on Monday. Legacy admissions is the practice of giving preference to an applicant because the individual is related to an alumnus at a school. The complaint (pdf) argues that Harvard grants special preferences in its admission policies to applicants whose relatives are wealthy donors to the institution or are alumni of the college. The students who receive these special preferences are significantly more likely to be accepted than other applicants, and constitute up to 15 percent of Harvards admitted students. Such students are overwhelmingly white, the lawsuit stated. For the period 2014-2019, nearly 70 percent of the students admitted with Donor and Legacy Preferences were white. The case argues that Donor and Legacy Preferences disproportionately advantage white applicants and thus systematically disadvantage students of color, including Black, LatinX, and Asian Americans. Some people point out that the claim of legacy admissions disproportionately benefiting white applicants is not true. Such criticism lacks merit, Trey Tepichin, an entrepreneur, said in a July 3 tweet. Though some legacy admissions are unmeritorious, these are outliers. Most legacy students have stellar academics. Their family ties are just an added bonus. This is borne out by the admissions data showing that legacy admissions notwithstanding, admitted whites still have higher academic credentials in the aggregate than all other racial groups save for Asians, he said. Violation of Civil Rights Act According to the lawsuit, Donor and Legacy Preferences are not justified by any educational necessity because Harvard cannot show that the use of these preferences is necessary to achieve any important educational goal. Such preferential treatment violates federal law, since Harvard receives substantial federal funds and, as such, is bound by Title VI of the 1964 Civil Rights Act that prohibits practices having an unjustified disparate impact on a racial basis. The lawsuit pointed out that since Harvard only admits a certain number of students annually, a spot given under Donor and Legacy Preferences is a spot that becomes unavailable to an applicant who meets the admissions criteria based purely on his or her own merit. A survey by The Associated Press last year found that legacy students made up 4-23 percent of students in the freshman class. In four schoolsNotre Dame, USC, Cornell, and Dartmouthlegacy students were found to outnumber black students. Ending Legacy Admissions The lawsuit stressed the need to end legacy and donor admissions, particularly since the U.S. Supreme Court has limited the use of race as a factor in the admission process, which it claims has a negative impact on campus diversity. Experts have found that reducing or eliminating Donor and Legacy Preferences enhances diversity in higher educationan interest Harvard has claimed to be of the highest magnitude. The fact is that, if the Donor and Legacy Preferences did not exist, more students of color would be admitted to Harvard. On June 29, the United States Supreme Court struck down affirmative action admission policies at American colleges as part of a case against Harvard and the University of North Carolina. The Court ruled that race-based admission programs at universities are unconstitutional. Several Republicans are also pushing for ending legacy admissions. This includes Sen. Tim Scott (R-S.C.), a candidate for the 2024 GOP nomination for president. Scott, who was the first black U.S. senator from the South in more than a century when he joined the Senate in 2013, also opposes affirmative action policies. Albertas Canada Day Tornado Rated EF4, Second-Highest Since Deadly Edmonton Tornado in 87 July 1 tornado worst to hit province in nearly 40 years The 275 km/hour tornado that left a path of destruction in Albertas Mountain View County on Canada Day has been declared by weather experts as the most powerful tornado to whip through the province in almost 40 years. According to a preliminary assessment issued July 4 by Environment Canada, assisted by the Western University Northern Tornadoes Project (NTP), the tornado that ravaged 15 kilometres of land between Didsbury and Carstairs in just 30 minutes on July 1, was rated a EF4 on the six-point Enhanced Fujita scalewhich starts at EF0 and goes to EF5. The NTP, which detects and documents tornadoes in Canada, said witnesses captured video of the tornado, which developed at approximately 1:45 p.m. local time. It started as a thunderstorm near Sundre, then developed into a tornado southwest of Didsbury and moved eastward to north of Carstairs. Two NTP survey teams travelled to Didsbury, joining with a team from Environment and Climate Change Canada and the Arctic Storm Prediction Centre, to investigate the weather event and conduct a damage survey. The survey teams found that there was enough evidence to rate the tornado damage at EF4, with a maximum wind speed of 275 km/h. The preliminary path length is 15.3 km and maximum path width 620 m, the NTP said. The last tornado in Alberta history with an equivalent rating was the Edmonton F4 tornado in 1987. That tornado was the strongest recorded tornado in Canada to have damage rated EF4 on the scale, which was implemented in Canada in 2013. According to NTP, the July 1 tornado is one of only three rated F/EF4 in Alberta, with the other one occurring June 25, 1915, in Grassy Lake. Homes Damaged or Destroyed During the Didsbury tornado, all the walls of a well-constructed house collapsed, contributing to how the tornado was rated. In addition, various farm equipment was flipped and thrown at that property. This includes a combine harvester weighing almost 10,000 kg that was thrown at least 50 m, and then rolled for another 50-100 m after that, said the NTP. Wind tunnel studies of another combine that was hit by a previous Canadian tornado suggest a wind speed of 230 km/h for just flipping a combine. Tree stubbing / debarking and ground scouring are also consistent with a high-end tornado. The tornado began as a thunderstorm near Sundre, and intensified as it approached Didsbury. Environment Canada said it appeared to weaken briefly before re-intensifying as the storm moved east. Tornado-damaged homes are seen near Carstairs, Alta., July 1, 2023. (The Canadian Press/Jeff McIntosh) The heaviest damage (EF-4) was reported where the tornado crossed Highway 2A between Didsbury and Carstairs. The tornado weakened and dissipated near the QE2 Highway, said Environment Canada. The tornado caused extensive damage to multiple properties, destroying a number of homes and farm buildings. It caused significant damage to trees, power poles, and vehicles. Several dozen farm animals were killed and one minor injury was reported, apparently a cut suffered by a first responder. Didsbury RCMP sent out an advisory initially stating that 14 houses were affected by the tornado. The initial RCMP report said five houses were completely destroyed. Carstairs and Didsbury firefighters attended the scene as well as the RCMP. Environment Canada said the tornado caused damage to 12 homes, of which three were destroyed and four were left uninhabitable. The most notable damage occurred at the farm on the west side of Highway 2A. A well-constructed home was destroyed in this location with all exterior and above-grade interior walls knocked down. According to the report, a homeowner was in the house at the time and took shelter in the basement. The RCMP said they found one woman trapped in her basement, with the entire house above her destroyed. Thankfully Carstairs Fire Department pulled her from the [rubble] and she only suffered minor injuries. No other people have been injured. RCMP said 25 cows and 20 chickens were killed by the tornado and one horse had to be put down. Historical Tornadoes Since 1915, eight tornadoes have been given an F3 rating or higher in Alberta: June 25, 1915 F4 near Grassy Lake June 30, 1982 F3 near Rocky Mountain House July 8, 1983 F3 northwest of Lloydminster June 29, 1984 F3 near Athabasca July 31, 1987 F4 near Edmonton July 29, 1993 F3 near Holden July 14, 2000 F3 near Pine Lake July 23, 2000 F3 near Marwayne The tornado on Canada Day is the second tornado in Canada to have damage rated at EF4 on the Enhanced Fujita Scale, with the other being an EF4 tornado in Alonsa, Manitoba, that also had a maximum wind speed of 275 km/hour. Still, the NTP said that while the July 1 tornado may have been climatologically significant, it wont make the list of Canadas top ten worst tornadoes due to the single minor injury and limited property damage. Across the country, there have been only 21 violent tornadoes rated at F/EF4 or higher. One of these was Canadas only tornado rated at F5 the Elie, MB tornado of 2007. Most of the others (12) have been in southern Ontario. Saskatchewan and Manitoba have also experienced F4-rated tornadoes (3 in SK, all 1920 and earlier; 2 in MB from 1977 and 1994), said NTP. All Racism Is Evil, Supreme Court Rules Commentary The Supreme Court has ruled 6-3 that racial preferences in college admissions violate the U.S. Constitution. At last! No student with high grades and test scores should be rejected in favor of a lesser applicant who happens to have a certain skin color. The evidence provided to the court showed that Harvard College and the University of North Carolina discriminated against Asian American and white applicants. A black, Hispanic, or Native American student with a combined SAT score above 1,100 might be invited to apply to Harvard, but an Asian girl would need at least 1,350, and an Asian boy at least 1,380. The real opportunity gap in this nation is not between black and white. Its between rich and poor. Contrary to what most Americans assume, affirmative action has never helped poor kids. In fact, Harvard favors wealthy kids. Only 3 percent of the student body come from low-income families. A staggering 67 percent come from families in the top fifth of the nations earners, per data provided by Harvard researcher Raj Chetty. Nearly three-quarters of Harvards black and Hispanic students come from high-earning families. Justice Clarence Thomas stresses that Harvard offers the same admissions bump to a wealthy black applicant given every advantage in life as to a black applicant from a poor family with seemingly insurmountable barriers to overcome. All the while Harvard rejects Asian American applicants with higher grades and test scores, even those from poor families. College administrators are already trying to weasel around the courts ruling by waiving standardized tests that make discrimination hard to conceal. Thats dishonorable. Instead, they should be scrapping racial preferences and reaching out to economically disadvantaged students with high potential, regardless of race, to promote economic mobility and help keep the American dream alive. Students from low-income families, impoverished neighborhoods and failing schools score 399 points lower on the math and English SATs than other students, according to a Century Foundation study. Black students overall score 56 points lower. If anyone needs a bump in the admissions process, its a poor kid. During oral arguments, Thomas pressed lawyers for Harvard and UNC on the educational benefits of racial diversity. Wryly, he wrote that with nearly 50 years to develop their arguments, neither Harvard nor UNCtwo of the foremost research institutions in the worldcould explain the supposed link between racial diversity and educational benefit. Thomas suggests that two white students, one from rural Appalachia and one from a wealthy San Francisco suburb, may well have more diverse outlooks on this metric than two students from Manhattans Upper East Side attending its most elite schools, one of whom is white and other of whom is black. The Left and its media allies are bashing the court for discarding what New York Times legal analyst Adam Liptak calls decades of precedent. Wrong. There is no precedent for permanent affirmative action. The court didnt intend for it to last forever. In his opinion, Chief Justice John Roberts makes it clear that a major reason UNC and Harvard lost their cases is that they failed to point to an end date. When the court upheld affirmative action at the University of Michigan Law School in 2003, the justices knew this is dangerous and it has to have an end point, explained Justice Amy Coney Barrett. That is when Justice Sandra Day OConnor said it should no longer be necessary in 25 years (i.e., five years from now). Yet, when Barrett pressed UNCs lawyers and Solicitor General Elizabeth Prelogar for a time when they could see it ending, she got no answer. The right answer is now. Affirmative action is a euphemism for an ugly processreverse discrimination. Another 25 years wont make it prettier. The Left insists the court is recklessly departing from precedent to favor its conservative political agenda. Not so. It is the three liberal justicesSonia Sotomayor, Elena Kagan, and Ketanji Brown Jacksonwho are actually discarding precedent. Theyre inventing a new rationale for affirmative action, claiming its justified to correct historic wrongs. Roberts chastised the three dissenters sharply for it. The court has long rejected their core thesis, he wrote. Thomas warns that if the liberal justices viewpoint ever prevails, it will lead to a world in which everyone is defined by their skin color, demanding ever-increasing entitlements and preferences on that basis. Fortunately, the Constitution and this court are standing in the way. Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times. ANALYSIS: New Supreme Court Appointment Likely to Be Ideologically Aligned With Current Government, Say Experts News Analysis Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is set to appoint a new judge to the Supreme Court of Canada, an institution that has considerable power over policy compared to elected officialsand for much longer, say policy experts. The Supreme Court has a veto power over provincial governments, and it has the same veto power over the federal government, said Ted Morton, professor emeritus of political science at the University of Calgary and a former Alberta Progressive Conservative cabinet minister, in an interview with The Epoch Times. Supreme Court judges have increasingly become activists ruling not on the legal merit of cases but on what they think is best for Canada, Morton said. Some have pointed to former Supreme Court chief justice Beverley McLachlins remarks as proof of this, including in a 2015 National Post interview. My job is simply to listen to what the parties have to say, and to do my best to understand the position, the ramifications of deciding one way or the other, to think about whats best for Canadian society on this particular problem, she said. Morton and others are worried that what they characterize as the courts activism will increasingly favour the Liberal Partys view of what is best for Canadian society, due to the selection of who gets to sit on the bench. The latest vacancy in the court resulted from the resignation of Justice Russell Brown of Alberta, appointed by former prime minister Stephen Harper. Brown was one of the few more conservative-minded judges, and Trudeau is unlikely to appoint any such judge to fill his place, Morton said. Its likely to be somebody who has close ties and has the same ideology or same philosophies as the Trudeau government, he said. A new Supreme Court of Canada judge will need to be appointed to replace Russell Brown. (The Canadian Press/Adrian Wyld) Into the 2040s Trudeau has already appointed five of the nine judgesthis will be his sixthan unusually high number for a single prime minister. And these judges may carry his policy priorities and values into the 2040s, said Thomas Klassen, a York University public policy professor, in an article for The Conversation published June 21. Supreme Court judges serve until the age of 75, which means Trudeaus most recent appointments, Justice Michelle OBonsawin and Justice Mahmud Jamal, could serve until 2049 and 2042 respectively. By then, Trudeau will be long gone from the political arena, but his priorities and values will continue to shape the nation, Klassen said. In fact, the Supreme Court already bears Trudeaus stamp given OBonsawin is the first indigenous Supreme Court justice and Jamal is the first racialized Canadian to be named to the court. The Supreme Court has been the decision-maker on some of Canadas most important policies, including in recent years the controversial carbon pricing law of 2021. Climate Change Policies The judges upheld the Liberal governments carbon pricing policy 63 on the reasoning that climate change is a threat of national concern, thus giving the federal government jurisdiction and overriding provincial objections, including Albertas. And Morton predicts the same results for an upcoming decision on Bill C-69, often called the No More Pipelines bill because of the regulatory burden critics say it puts on major infrastructure projects. Alberta is also a primary force in challenging that law, given its implications for the oil industry. Bill C-69, the Impact Assessment Act, came into force in 2019, but Alberta and other provinces have since challenged it in court. It essentially gives Ottawa some power over projects that have certain environmental or socio-economic impacts. Albertas highest court said the existential threat to the division of powers in Canada posed by C-69 was more pressing than the existential threat of climate change it might mitigate. The Supreme Court heard the case in March and has reserved judgment. Elected Officials, Appointed Judges Morton said it is concerning that Supreme Court judges, rather than elected officials, are the ones with the power to make such impactful decisions. Every province is unique, and federalism allows each province to be governed primarily by people that they elect. Those are people that come from their neighbourhoods, understand their issues, and every four years are accountable back to the people that have to live with those policies, he said. Theres no accountability for the Supreme Court. These are distant, faraway judges who have no feel, no sense of what local or regional communities want or think are important. Canadian scholar and author William Gairdner looks to British history, the roots of Canadas governing system, in likewise arguing that the Supreme Court should not effectively have the power of lawmakers. Gairdner told The Epoch Times that in England, in the 16th and 17th century, Parliament sometimes served as a court. For instance, it tried King Charles I and ordered him beheaded. But after the Restoration period, a clear separation emerged with the idea that Parliament should make the laws and courts should rule on them. Parliament should no more try a murderer than a court should make a law, Gairdner said. And thats largely how it was with Canadas Supreme Court, he said, up until the Charter of Rights and Freedoms came into force in 1982 under then-prime minister Pierre Elliott Trudeau. How the Charter Changed the Court Gairdner is among many who have written about the changes the charter created in the role of Canadas Supreme Court. Many have said the charter elevated the role of the court by allowing judges to make sweeping legal changes through their interpretation of the charters meaning. It gave the court more power to dismiss the decisions of Parliament and legislatures if those decisions didnt align with their charter interpretations. The so-called living tree view of the law took root, which holds that the law grows and changes like a tree, Gairdner explains. The idea is that it should change, and it should evolvethey use the word evolve instead of the word I prefer, which is mutate,' he said. Mutations are not always good. The opposite of the living tree view is not about everything staying absolutely the same, but about change being initiated by elected officials. Elected officials make laws and judges do their best to uphold those laws according to the lawmakers intent. Lawyer Gwendolyn Landolt, who has been a close observer of Canadian politics for decades, recalls her thoughts in 1982 when the charter came into force. I was very active, saying Do we know whats happening? Were transferring power from Parliament to this handful of appointed people, Landolt told The Epoch Times. She published a book on the topic in 2019 titled From Democracy to Judicial Dictatorship in Canada. A lot rests on who is doing the appointing, she said. Whos Doing the Appointing Stephen Harper appointed three judges when he was prime minister, and they are clearly not all conservative, Landolt said. Harper appointed Brown, but he also appointed the current Chief Justice Richard Wagner. At Wagners first press conference as the courts chief in 2018, he told reporters he was proud of the court being the most progressive in the world. Landolt said she doesnt have faith in Trudeaus ability to pick a judge on legal merit or to consider the need for judges with varying perspectives. She cited various reasons for this lack of faith, one of which was Trudeaus choice of Paul Rouleau to oversee the inquiry into his decision to invoke the Emergencies Act in 2022. Landolt was among many who questioned the choice, in light of Rouleaus connections to the Liberal Party. Qualified candidates to replace Brown may submit applications until July 21, after which a non-partisan advisory board is expected to pick a shortlist to present to Trudeau. While the prime minister is expected to consult with others, the decision is ultimately his. ANALYSIS: Wagner Mercenaries Dig In Across Africa, as Their Fate Hangs in the Balance A Russian flag with the emblem of Russia hanging on the monument of the Russian instructors in the Central African Republic (CAR), on March 22, 2023, during a march in support of Russia and China's presence in the CAR. (Photo by Barbara DEBOUT / AFP) (Photo by BARBARA DEBOUT/AFP via Getty Images) The Wagner Groups units in Africa will not withdraw anytime soon, despite the recent aborted uprising against the Kremlin by their leader, Yevgeniy Prigozhin, and Russian President Vladimir Putins call for them to be absorbed into the Russian army. Thats the view of most security analysts and members of intelligence agencies contacted by The Epoch Times. The Council on Foreign Relations, a think tank based in Washington, estimates that there are at least 5,000 Wagner mercenaries on the continent in countries including the Central African Republic (CAR), Libya, and Mali. According to Jasmine Opperman, a private security consultant specializing in extremism and political violence in Africa, the Wagner Groupunofficiallyhas a presence across all of Africa. Its Internet Research Agency, which interferes in voting and other democratic processes, is everywhere, and wherever there are natural resources, you will find Wagner front companies, like in Sudan, she told The Epoch Times. Professor Hennie Strydom of the University of Johannesburgs international relations department told The Epoch Times that the African Union (AU) had opened the door to Wagner by not acting to prevent its mercenaries from gaining a foothold for Moscow on the continent. Wagner units go around killing Africans and stealing resources, but the AU does and says nothing. In this context, why should Putin withdraw Wagner from a continent whose leaders welcome it? Mr. Strydom said. AU headquarters in Addis Ababa didnt respond to requests for comment from The Epoch Times. Founder of Wagner private mercenary group Yevgeny Prigozhin makes a statement on the start of the withdrawal of his forces from Bakhmut and handing over their positions to regular Russian troops, in the course of the RussiaUkraine conflict in Bakhmut, Ukraine, on May 25, 2023. (Press service of Concord/Handout via Reuters) Its quite clear that the presence of the Wagner Group is part of an attempt by Moscow to counter Western military involvement in Africa, specifically American and French. For that reason alone, its unlikely well see a mass withdrawal of these mercenaries anytime soon, Mr. Strydom said. Ms. Opperman said the mercenaries had entrenched their positions following Wagners advance on Moscow. Mr. Prigozhin described his actions as a protest against the Kremlins generals handling of the war in Ukraine. Mr. Putin called the rebellion treason and suggested it was an attempted coup. In this context, it makes sense for Wagner fighters to dig in where theyre present in Africa, Ms. Opperman, who is a former South Africa intelligence service agent, said. No ones sure now about the future of Wagner, but one thing I am certain of is that unless Moscow offers the battalions stationed in Africa a lot of money, they are not going to abandon all the oil fields, gold mines, diamond mines and other resources that theyve captured since they began operations in Africa about six years ago. Mr. Prigozhin is currently in Belarus, according to that countrys president, Alexander Lukashenko. Apparently, Putin has pardoned Prigozhin, but [Prigozhin] will know that Putins pardon means nothing, Ms. Opperman said. And how can Prigozhin stay in exile in Belarus, which is firmly allied with the Kremlin and all it represents, and feel safe? I would not be surprised if the Wagner commander turns up in Africa. After all, outside of Ukraine and Russia, Wagner in Africa is the biggest Russian force in the world. Russian President Vladimir Putin meets with a delegation of African leaders in Saint Petersburg, Russia, on June 17, 2023. (Yevgeny Biyatov/RIA Novosti via Reuters) Wagner first deployed fighters to Africa in 2018, sending military instructors to the CAR and Sudan. These instructors have been propping up illegitimate regimes, such as Malis military junta, and plundering natural resources. Human rights groups have also accused the group of committing widespread atrocities, including rape, torture, and mass executions, in countries such as the CAR and Mozambique. Wagner currently has a large force in lawless Libya, supporting warlords in exchange for oil and other resources. There, the group is also alleged to be involved in human trafficking. Samuel Ramini, conflict analyst at the Royal United Services Institute in London, told The Epoch Times that Mr. Putins interest in Africa was purely mercenary, so it makes sense for him to continue using Wagner on the continent. Russia, primarily by means of Wagner, has only established a presence in African countries where there are resources that enrich Prigozhin and his connections in the Russian establishment, Mr. Ramini said. Mali has lots of gold. CAR, for example, has uranium, diamonds, gold and oil. Wagner gets a big share of this cake in exchange for helping President Faustin-Archange Touadera fight off various rebel groups. Wagner mercenaries also function as his personal bodyguards. Ms. Opperman said Wagner members had wreaked havoc and terrorism wherever theyd gone in Africa. In Libya they rigged booby traps in family homes and killed children, she said. They also executed civilians. They also did this in Mali, where they killed more than 500 people in one week in the town of Moura. The Biden administration has accused Wagner of serious criminal activity, including mass executions, rape, child abductions, and physical abuse in the CAR and Mali. On June 27, the U.S. Treasury Departments Office of Foreign Assets Control sanctioned four companies and one individual connected to the violent Russian military group PMC Wagner and Mr. Prigozhin. In a press release, Under Secretary of the Treasury for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence Brian Nelson stated: The Wagner Group exploits insecurity around the world, committing atrocities and criminal acts that threaten the safety, good governance, prosperity, and human rights of nations, as well as exploiting their natural resources. The targeted entities in the Central African Republic (CAR), United Arab Emirates (UAE), and Russia have engaged in illicit gold dealings to fund the Wagner Group to sustain and expand its armed forces, including in Ukraine and Africa, while the targeted individual has been central to activities of Wagner Group units in Mali. The targeted individual referred to is Andrey Nikolayevich Ivanov. According to the U.S. Treasury, Mr. Ivanov has facilitated weapons and mining deals with senior Malian government officials. Ms. Opperman said Mr. Ivanov also managed Africa Politology, a company thats an offshoot of Wagner PMC. This firm is very shady, and it is expanding its footprint across Africa, the analyst said. Africa Politology is basically a propaganda arm of Wagner. It uses African agents, like co-opted community leaders, for example, to launch anti-West and specifically anti-United Nations messaging across social media platforms and on other public platforms. Ms. Opperman said Mr. Ivanovs firm had instigated recent public protests in Mali demanding that the 13,000-strong U.N. peacekeeping force withdraw from the country and be replaced by Russian troops. Many of the demonstrators carried Russian flags and placards supporting Mr. Putin. On June 30, the U.N. Security Council unanimously voted to end its decade-long mission in Mali. Washington said the move was engineered by the Wagner Group. This is a major success by Wagner and Putin knows it. This is just one of the reasons that Wagner is going to remain in Africa for a long time to come, Ms. Opperman said. Putin craves success, especially at this point in time. Mr. Strydom said Moscow supplied Wagner members in Africa with weapons and ammunition and that a holding company linked to Mr. Prigozhin was responsible for paying them. There is no way that Putin is just going to cut supply of weapons and ammo and money to the Wagner guys in Africa, because they are, after all, mercenaries. They will then be free agents and they will simply then join whoever puts guns in their hands and pays them. Most are not loyal to Putin or anyone else; they are loyal to money. So they are going to stay in the Kremlins fold, for the time being, Mr. Strydom said. Mr. Putin has said Wagner members should join the Russian army, go home, or join Mr. Prigozhin in Belarus. But Ms. Opperman and Mr. Strydom agreed that this would not apply to Wagner forces in Africa. Moscow has invested too much in Africa to simply throw it all away. My guess is some kind of a compromise will be reached with regard to Africa, Mr. Strydom said. Mr. Ramini said it was important to remember that the Wagner Group had not invaded Africa. Its in African countries because those governments have welcomed the Russian mercenaries, he said. But he added: Its also true that sometimes these governments get a lot more than they bargained for, and not in a good way. In CAR, for example, Wagner has control of public service corporations. Its a real infiltration of a country, a real and purposeful strategy to capture entire states. Once theyre in a country, even if its just a small number of them, given their military hardware, organization, training and resources, its hard for governments to push them back. Thats especially because in accepting this Russian mercenary assistance, that generally means the West leaves these countries so isnt there to help them when Wagner starts taking over. France cut off military aid to CAR, right? It means these countries have no one else to turn to and they have to stick with Russia, whether Russias giving them what they want or not. In the short term, Mr. Ramini said, Wagner would not change how it operated in Africa. [Russian Foreign Affairs Minister] Sergey Lavrovs also made this clear. Maybe later, I think, therell be a transition to more of an oligopolistic approach towards Russian private security, or mercenary, companies operating in Africa, he said. In other words, he said, Wagner would not monopolize the field of private military security in Africa; other Russian mercenary firms would enter the sphere, all cooperating to further Moscows interests. Its also very possible Gazprom will start deploying private security contractors, Mr. Ramini said. Gazprom is Russias state-owned energy corporation. Gazprom has said its going to be investing a lot more in Africa in the future, in oil and gas, so you could see Wagner guarding Russian energy facilities in Africa in the future. But Mr. Strydom said Wagner members were unlikely to be satisfied with roles like that because they generally enjoyed combat operations. They like to seize and control, he said. If theyre not actively engaging jihadists, for example, in firefights, then theyre seizing mines and raiding villages and towns and terrorizing citizens. These are not run-of-the-mill security guards who like to sit in guardhouses or patrol perimeter fences. Theyre combat veterans and they enjoy violence and they enjoy taking what is not theirs. Theyre hardened criminals, in fact. Mr. Strydom said the AUs reaction to the Wagner Group would be fundamental to its future in Africa. Theres a long history in Africa of opposition to mercenaries, particularly white mercenaries seen to benefit from black African pain and suffering. Yet theres a lack of decisive action by the AU and the various regional blocs, as regard the presence of Wagner, he said. Given the dark history of mercenaries in Africa, and the destabilization of democracy that they cause, through their support for rogue governments and rogue politicians, and their human rights violations, one wouldve thought the AU wouldve reacted strongly against Wagner. But theres silence. Arkansas Governor Pushes For States First Supreme Court Conservative Majority Former White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders talks to reporters outside the White House in Washington, on April 29, 2019. (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images) Arkansas Republican Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders has decided her appointee for the state Supreme Court justicea move she claims will ensure the first conservative majority in the states history. Today, I appointed former prosecutor and U.S. attorney Cody Hiland to the Arkansas Supreme Courtmarking the first time the Court will have a conservative majority. Cody brings decades of legal experience to the joband I am confident he will serve our state well, Sanders said in a July 3 tweet. If Hilands seat is confirmed by the GOP-controlled state legislature, he will succeed Justice Robin Wynne, a Democrat, who died last month at the age of 70 years. Hiland will hold the post until 2025 when a newly elected justice will take over the office. Hiland was, until recently, chairman of the Arkansas Republican Party. He resigned from the party chairmanship on Monday before being appointed as the justice of the state Supreme Court. Hiland has worked on Sanderss campaign for governor and was nominated as the U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas by former President Donald Trump in 2017. Hilands appointment will result in all three branches of state governmentthe legislative, judiciary, and executivehaving a conservative majority. This makes it easier for Sanders to push through her policies for Arkansas. Democratic Party of Arkansas Chair Grant Tennille criticized Hilands appointment, saying that Sanders is abusing her power to appoint justices. This ridiculous appointment and her repeated attacks on judges in Arkansas confirm Governor Sanders considers only a compliant judiciary as legitimate, he said, according to a July 3 news release. Senator Tom Cotton (R-Ark.) called Hilands appointment an outstanding selection in a July 3 tweet while stating that he is someone who is fair, impartial, and will apply the law without favor. Arkansas Attorney General Tim Griffin, said in a tweet that Codys experience as a U.S. Attorney and many years of both public service and private practice will serve him well on the Arkansas Supreme Court. He is an outstanding appointment. Governors Stance Sanders has been promoting a strong conservative agenda since assuming the Governors post in January this year. One top priority that Sanders has pointed to for this years legislative session is an education overhaul bill. A provision in the bill places restrictions on the teaching of gender identity and sexual orientation prior to the 5th grade. Critics have opposed the move, insisting that it marginalizes those in the LGBT community. In May, Pulaski County Circuit Judge Herbert Wright issued a temporary restraining order against implementing the bill as part of a lawsuit challenging it. The Arkansas Supreme Court lifted the temporary restraining order in June. In March, Sanders signed into law a bill mandating that students in the states public and charter schools use bathrooms that match their sex. The bill defines sex as the physical condition of being male or female based on genetics and physiology and directs schools to rely on a students original birth certificate to identify the persons sex. It makes provisions for reasonable accommodations. Schools that violate the law will be subject to fines. At the time, Alexa Henning, a spokesperson for Sanders, told Reuters that the schools are no place for the radical lefts woke agenda and that Arkansas isnt going to rewrite the rules of biology just to please a handful of far-left advocates. In March, Sanders also signed the Monument to Unborn Children Display Act, which authorized the construction of a monument on the State Capitol to honor an estimated quarter of million babies aborted during the Roe v. Wade era between 1973 and 2022. Australia to Ease Visa Rules to Boost Indonesian Ties Indonesian President Joko Widodo bows after taking his oath during his presidential inauguration for the second term, at the House of Representatives building in Jakarta, Indonesia on Oct. 20, 2019. (Adi Weda/Pool via Reuters) Business travel for Indonesians to Australia will be made easier in a bid to boost the economic partnership between the two countries following a deal struck between Anthony Albanese and President Joko Widodo. The pair met for talks in Sydney on Tuesday during the Indonesian presidents three-day visit to Australia. Visa changes, climate initiative funding and boosting education partnerships between the two nations were agreed on during the discussions at Sydneys Taronga Zoo. Mr. Albanese announced Indonesians will be able to access extended business visas for Australia, increasing from three to five years, while Indonesian ePassport holders will be prioritised. Indonesians will also be able to access a frequent traveller visa. This offers a 10-year visa validity making an enormous difference and removing bureaucratic impediments to our closer relationship, Mr. Albanese said. Today, our relationship shifts up another gear, our countries continue to choose to draw closer together. A $50 million initiative will also be set up to finance climate change startups and initiatives. It will flow from a $200 million climate and infrastructure program unveiled last year during Mr. Albaneses visit to Jakarta. The prime minister said Indonesia would play a critical role in boosting the success of the Indo-Pacific region. Indonesias prosperity, security and stability make the Indo-Pacific region more prosperous, more secure and more stable, he said. There are few more important trading partners to us than Indonesia. The two leaders also discussed education partnerships with major Australian universities, including Western Sydney University, Deakin University and Central Queensland University setting up facilities in Indonesia. A program to encourage more Australian students to learn about Indonesian language and culture was also unveiled. The scheme would capitalise on the rising number of Indonesian students studying at Australian universities, which has rebounded following downturns caused by COVID-19. Mr. Widodo said there were many positive developments in bilateral relations. He said the two countries needed to work together on emissions reduction and developing batteries for electric vehicles. We want the Indo-Pacific to become a stable and peaceful region that focuses on collaboration and concrete cooperation, he said. Mr. Widodo also urged Australian private sector companies to work on the construction of Indonesias new capital city. Mr. Albanese announced a new package to support the development of the city, with Australias National Capital Authority providing cooperation with Indonesia. Earlier, Mr. Widodo held a meeting with business leaders before he met with Governor-General David Hurley at Admiralty House. West Australian Premier Roger Cook will hold talks with Mr. Widodo in Sydney on Wednesday, with the pair likely to discuss Indonesias transition towards renewable energy and its aspirations for an electric vehicle manufacturing industry. Indonesia has been looking at developing electric vehicle infrastructure across the country. The visit comes as the federal government is expected to finalise its Southeast Asia economic strategy to 2040 in the coming weeks. The two leaders will next meet in Indonesia later this year for the East Asia Summit and ASEAN-Australia Summit. Mr. Widodo will return to Australia in March next year for an ASEAN special summit. Even though it will be after the Indonesian presidential elections in February, he does not step down upon completion of his second five-year term until October. Banks Must Not Close Accounts for Political Reasons, Says Government After Nigel Farage Row Nigel Farage speaks at the CPAC Australia conference in Sydney, Australia, on Aug. 10, 2019. (The Epoch Times) UK banks must not close individuals accounts for political reasons, Rishi Sunak has warned in a row sparked by Nigel Farage. Last week, the British political leader Nigel Farage claimed that the bank he has been with for over 40 years has closed his bank account with no explanation. The GB News presenter and former UKIP and Brexit Party leader said that his bank, now known to be the prestigious private bank, Coutts, closed all his accounts, claiming political persecution. I have been given no explanation or recourse as to why this is happening to me, he said. This is serious political persecution at the very highest level of our system. If they can do it to me, they can do it to you too, he added. He also said that seven banks had since refused to give him a personal and a business account. Serious concern Subsequently, the government said that it is looking into whether banks are closing peoples accounts over their political views. Farage mulled that he may have been deemed a politically exposed person (PEP), a term used for someone who, through their prominent position or influence, is more susceptible to being involved in bribery or corruption. The Treasury said it was already looking into whether banks and regulators were being too rigorous in how they handle PEPs, and making sure that UK-based politicians were being treated as less risky individuals than those in other countries. A Treasury spokesman said: It would be a serious concern if financial services were being denied to those exercising the right to lawful free speech. We are already looking into this issue and have passed a law that requires the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) to review how banks treat politically exposed personsso we can strike the right balance between the customers right to free speech and the banks right to manage commercial risk. It has asked the FCA to conduct a review into whether financial institutions are meeting its guidance over the treatment of PEPs, and whether that guidance needs to be updated. The official spokesman for the Prime Minister said he was concerned by some of the reports, adding, Free speech within the law and the legitimate expression of differing views is an important part of British liberty. He stressed that the Treasury is running a call for evidence to assess whether the current system is fair. Free speech activists and MPs also waded into the row. The government must make plain what peoples rights are in dealing with banks and institute a proper, and automatic, right of appeal in cases where accounts are cancelled, said Conservative MP David Davis in Parliament yesterday. Especially given it is near enough impossible to exist without one in the modern world, he added. This week, other people involved in the Brexit Party have revealed that their accounts have been frozen. Brexit Party MEP Christina Jordan claimed she had been kicked out of her bank after 30 years. Furthermore, the insurgent parties Reclaim and Reform have previously warned that banks environmental, social, and governance policies are being used to penalise certain views such as critiquing net zero policies. Toby Youngs Free Speech Union said it had been lobbying the Treasury for the past nine months to change the payment regulations to stop banks, and companies like PayPal, debanking people because they disapprove of their political views. Youngs Free Speech Union and the Daily Sceptic blog, were frozen by PayPal without a clear explanation, though later restored. It looks like our efforts are bearing fruit, wrote the Free Speech Union on Twitter. The BBC reported that Farages account was withdrawn because his funds had dropped below the required threshold. Dispute On Tuesday, the BBC reported, using unnamed sources, that Farage allegedly fell below the financial threshold needed to hold an account with Coutts. The Epoch Times has not been able to verify these claims. Coutts requires its customers to borrow or invest at least 1 million or save at least 3 million with the private bank, according to an eligibility questionnaire on its website. Farage said in a video posted on Twitter, They are telling the press I dont meet their wealth threshold. He said he was then offered a standard account, not a business with NatWest, which owns Coutts, but only after speaking publicly about the issue last Thursday. Well, they never mentioned that before in the previous ten years. The worst of the story is, they denied to me on the phone on Friday I was a PEP. That is the reason Coutts will not have me, and Coutts are, frankly, being very, very dishonest indeed. The Epoch Times contacted Coutts for comment. PA Media contributed to this report. Hong Kong Offers $120,000 Bounties for Human Rights Dissidents Living in US, Australia, UK Leaders of democratic nations respond to brazen extradition attempt Photos of eight activists who have been issued arrest warrants over national security are displayed during a press conference in Hong Kong on July 3, 2023. (Joyce Zhou/Reuters) Hong Kong police are offering $1 million (US$127,650) bounties for information on eight human rights dissidents currently residing in the United States, UK, and Australia. On July 3, the National Security Department of the Hong Kong Police Force issued arrest warrants for the eight individuals, alleging they had contravened the National Security Law. The law was passed by Beijings rubber-stamp legislature in 2020 and received widespread criticism for eroding the long-running one country, two systems model that ensured British-style rule of law over Hong Kong. The eight individuals were accused of endangering Hong Kongs national securitymore specifically, the allegations of incitement to secession, subversion, incitement to subversion, and collusion with a foreign country. Chief Superintendent of Police (National Security) Li Kwai-wah speaks during a press conference to issue arrest warrants for eight activists in Hong Kong on July 3, 2023. (Joyce Zhou/Reuters) A Hong Kong police spokesperson claimed the National Security Law granted authorities the power to pursue individuals located outside of the city. Meanwhile, Steve Li (Li Kwai-wah), chief superintendent of the HK Police, vowed authorities would not stop chasing the dissidents. They have encouraged sanctions to destroy Hong Kong and to intimidate officials, he told reporters in comments obtained by Reuters. While Hong Kongs chief executive, John Lee, vowed to pursue the eight activists indefinitely. The only way to end their destiny of being an abscondee who will be pursued for life is to surrender, he told reporters. Well be pursuing the abscondees criminal responsibilities for life until they surrender themselves. Those subject to the bounties include Australian citizen and lawyer Kevin Yam, former HK politicians Ted Hui and UK-based Nathan Law (Law Kwun-chung), as well as other prominent activists Elmer Yuen (Yuan Gong-yi), Dennis Kwok (Kwok Wing-hang), Mung Siu-tat, Lau Cho-dik, and Anna Kwok (Kwok Fung-yee). Dissidents Respond In response, Nathan Law said he was also wanted for other alleged contraventions of the National Security Law but accused authoritiesnow under the sway of the Chinese Communist Partyof bending the rule of law to suit their own purposes. These charges are classic examples of abusing the concept of national security, pushing its definition to an extreme to suppress dissident voices, he wrote on Twitter. In civilized countries, the right to peaceful political advocacy should be protected. Thats what all the wanted individuals do. I urge National Security Bureau to disclose any evidence of my alleged collusion with foreign forces, he continued. I have not accepted any foreign govt funding, nor am I employed by any govt agencies. I dont accept any commands or orders. If meeting foreign politicians, attending seminars, and hearings are colluding with foreign forces, a lot of HK officials should be in legal trouble. 1. For the past years, the National Security Bureau has been accusing me of violating the National Security Law. Today, the specifics of the were revealed: Incitement to secession, collusion with foreign forces to endanger national security. One million HKD bounty is warranted. pic.twitter.com/KV7FIogULP Nathan Law (@nathanlawkc) July 3, 2023 Australian-based former HK politician, Ted Hui, said the latest bounty would have no impact on his situation or personal safety, given he was also subject to multiple warrants under the National Security Law. I think the bounty is ridiculous and hilarious, he told The Epoch Times via email. Free countries will not extradite us because of that. It only shows how powerless the CCP is in response to the HK diaspora who advocate for freedom and democracy. Ted Hui, the former Hong Kong councillor who is now in exile in Adelaide, flew to Sydney to attend the rally. (Huang Jiachuan/ The Epoch Times) He said the latest move showed the CCPs persecution of HKs overseas diaspora was reaching new heights. It makes it clearer to Western democracies that China is going towards more extreme authoritarianism and will pose more of a threat to the world. A Dangerous Precedent: US State Department Leaders in the respective Western nations were quick to condemn the actions of HK authorities. The extraterritorial application of the Beijing-imposed National Security Law is a dangerous precedent that threatens the human rights and fundamental freedoms of people all over the world, said U.S. State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller in a statement. We call on the Hong Kong government to immediately withdraw this bounty, respect other countries sovereignty, and stop the international assertion of the National Security Law imposed by Beijing, he added. We will continue to oppose the [Peoples Republic of Chinas] transnational repression efforts, which undermine human rights. UK Calls Move Authoritarian, While Australia Says Hong Kong Needs Freedom The UKs Foreign Secretary James Cleverly called Beijings latest move authoritarian. The decision to issue arrest warrants for eight activists, some of whom are in the UK, is a further example of the authoritarian reach of Chinas extraterritorial law, he wrote on Twitter. Australias Foreign Minister, Penny Wong, said on Tuesday that Australia was deeply concerned about Hong Kongs National Security Law and about their broad application. What I would say in relation to the events overnight, and I want to be very clear, Australia has a view about freedom of expression, she said. We have a view about peoples right to express their political views peacefully, and people in Australia who do so will be supported. Wong also took to social media to call on Beijing to uphold the rights and freedoms in Hong Kong. We urge the Chinese government to uphold the rights and freedoms guaranteed by the Basic Law and Sino-British Joint Declaration, she wrote on Twitter. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese called the bounties unacceptable. We are concerned about the announcements overnight that have been made, he told Nines Today program on July 5. We will continue to cooperate with China where we can, but we will disagree where we must. And we do disagree over human rights issues. Meanwhile, the Inter-Parliamentary Alliance on China (IPAC) said it was a dangerous escalation in Beijings war on global dissent. These comments will exacerbate community tensions and are likely to precipitate unacceptable infringements of sovereignty, the parliamentary group wrote on Twitter. IPAC further urged Western governments to pledge strong substantive actions against any potential overreach by Beijing to apprehend dissidents living in their countries. In this respect, Beijing does have form, with multiple accounts from overseas communities saying they face harassment and even kidnappings from overseas CCP-linked operatives to bring them back to China. President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy expects "security certainty" from partners before the NATO summit in Vilnius. Europe that can only be peaceful if peace is guaranteed by full security certainty, he said in his traditional video address on Monday. According to him, Europe cannot have a deficit of security certainty that will provoke Russian tyranny and aggression. Russia will try to take a bite out of Europe only when it sees any kind of security uncertainty. It is obvious that Europe can be protected from any aggression only together with Ukraine and only together with Ukraine in NATO. That is why we must achieve security certainty about our future in the Alliance. Then Russia will have to refocus on its own statehood - to finally take care of itself, not some expansions, he said. We are preparing for the Summit very actively, and we expect our partners to be as determined as this historic moment requires, Zelenskyy said. California Bill to Study Prison Credits, Recidivism Rates Fails in Committee A proposal intended to study the efficacy of rehabilitation credits in California prisons was recently voted down by the Assembly Public Safety Committee. However, the committee did grant reconsideration, allowing for an amended version to be brought back for a hearing on an unspecified date. Introduced by Sen. Tom Umberg (D-Santa Ana), Senate Bill 359 would require the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) to research the relationship between credits awarded to inmates and recidivism rates and begin providing annual reports to the Legislature by January 2025. The report would be required to analyze the difference between recidivism rates of incarcerated persons who do and do not participate in the states rehabilitation programs. SB 359 will help ensure that we support the most valuable rehabilitative programs in our correctional system by studying and determining which early release credits contribute to the lowest rates of recidivism, Mr. Umberg said in support of his bill in the analysis provided by the committee. Studying which credits correlate to the highest and lowest rates of recidivism would provide valuable insight for those seeking out these programs and the policymakers who fund them. Noting that the state will spend more than $14 billion in the coming fiscal year on its correctional institutions, the senator said that more information is needed to help guide funding allocations, with a goal of prioritizing those that prove sustainable. California state Sen. Tom Umberg (D-Santa Ana) speaks at a Senate Public Safety Committee hearing about a different bill in Sacramento on April 25, 2023. (Screenshot via California State Senate) We need data to determine the most effective use of those resources, Mr. Umberg told the committee while presenting his bill on June 27. Its one of the most expensive parts of the budget. The senator provided examples where prison programs have greatly improved recidivism rates, such as professional training opportunities, and told his colleagues that the bill would allow lawmakers to identify credits that are excelling and expand such efforts. Law enforcement spokespersons rose to support the bill, and district attorneys from across the state said the issue was a matter of public safety and urged the committee to pass the legislation. [The CDCR] has been given unprecedented authority to award various types of conduct credit to nearly all inmates, including murderers, sex offenders and other violent offenders, the California District Attorneys Association argued in support of the bill. Many of the new conduct credits were created through a regulatory process and contradict existing statutory authority limiting the awarding of conduct credits to certain classes of inmates, including those convicted of murder and other violent offenses. Proponents of the bill say that by identifying credits that fail to produce results, funds can be better allocated, subsequently benefiting inmates by providing more opportunities. While no opposition was listed in the committees analysis, and no experts testified against the bill, Democratic members of the committee blocked the measure from passing, with two advising the author that their mistrust in the CDCR prevents them from supporting the proposal. I know your goals and intentions are noble but I have high skepticism of CDCR being able to compile that data and do the requisite analysis needed, Assemblyman Isaac Bryan (D-Los Angeles) said. I dont know that I trust the department can do it, and I dont want to give them more money. California Assemblyman Isaac Bryan attends Womens March Action: March 4 Reproductive Rights at Pershing Square in Los Angeles on Oct. 2, 2021. (Amy Sussman/Getty Images) The chair of the committee, Assemblyman Reginald Jones-Sawyer (D-Los Angeles), echoed his colleagues sentiment and listed examples of times the department of corrections failed to provide data as requested. There are at least three members that sit on this committee that are extremely frustrated at the lack of participation, the lack of cooperation, at the outright disrespect for the Legislature that CDCR has had, he said. Weve asked for budgetary information, and theyve shown up and not given us the information and basically flaunted their noses at us. Before advising a no vote on the bill, Mr. Jones-Sawyer reiterated his disdain for the department and stressed that he would not support any measures that grant the agency more authority. I can not let CDCR be in charge of getting information. They will stonewall you, and you will get frustrated, the committee chair said. I dont know if its management. I dont know whats going on over there because they wont let us know whats going on. In concluding his remarks, he told the author that while the committee supports data gathering and learning more about the variables affecting rehabilitation efforts, an outside agency would be better suited to handle the task. We can not give it to CDCR. It will be a waste of time, and waste of money, Mr. Jones-Sawyer said. Its the most frustrating thing Ive dealt with in my life. Mr. Umberg responded to the complaints by noting that while another firm could be responsible for analyzing the data, the department of correctionsas the primary source for all data originating in the systemwould still play a vital role in any inquiry. I have no passion for CDCR doing the study, but the issue is whoever collects the data, it comes from the department of corrections, and I dont think theres any way to keep them from being involved, Mr. Umberg said. Following the discussion, the bill failed with a 3-2 vote, with only Republican members voting in support of the proposal authored by the Democratic senator. California Creates Task Force to Ensure Inclusive Curriculum in Local School Districts California State Superintendent of Schools Tony Thurmond holds the book "Red: A Crayon's Story" during a news conference at Nystrom Elementary School in Richmond, Calif., on May 17, 2022. (Justin Sullivan/Getty Images) California education leaders have created a new task force dedicated to ensuring school textbooks and other instructional materials are inclusive of minority groups amid controversy over several local governing boards rejecting books they say are inappropriate for minors. The Task Force on Inclusive Educationconsisting of State Superintendent Tony Thurmond along with several state legislatorsconvened June 21 for the first time. The group called on textbook publishers to ensure their material includes racial minorities, LGBT individuals, and those with disabilities. We have a wonderfully diverse student body in California, and many of our textbooks havent kept up, Mr. Thurmond said in a press release the same day. This is a chance to diversify those narratives. Publishers who dont comply risk losing funds from the state, which pays textbook publishers nearly $500 million a year, according to Mr. Thurmond. The same goes for those who have adapted to conservative standards in other parts of the countrysuch as in Floridawhich banned lessons containing LGBT content for K3-grade students last year. This is all happening against a backdrop where governors in other states are literally trying to strip out any representation about race, about the experience of LGBTQ+ students and of students with disabilities, Mr. Thurmond said. California is going in the other direction. We are, today, asking textbook publishers to make a firm commitment to diversify their books and to share what it is that they are doing. Additionally, Mr. Thurmond and colleagues said during the hearing theyd like more state oversight of school districts to prevent incidents like that of the Temecula Valley Unified School Board. In May, the board rejected a social studies textbook whose supplemental materials included a book that referenced LGBT activist Harvey Milkwhom the boards president, Joseph Komrosky, called a pedophile due to reports that Mr. Milk had a sexual relationship with a minor when he was 33 years old. Since then, several state leaders have criticized Mr. Komrosky for his comments. In June, Gov. Gavin Newsom took to Twitter to blast Mr. Komrosky for his comment about Mr. Milkand later that same month, Mr. Newsom and state Attorney General Rob Bonta released a joint statement demanding the board provide information regarding its process for rejecting the curriculum. Mr. Thurmond said at the hearing there will soon be legislation to address the actions of school boards that take similar actions. Our students have been asking for the right to not be bullied because theyre LGBTQ+ students. They have been bullied by adults simply for raising their voices for what they believe. There is legislation that will address the actions of these school boards, he said. But some local school board officials called Mr. Thurmonds proposed actions detrimental to local communities. Orange County Board of Education Trustee Ken Williams called Mr. Thurmonds plans unprecedented and would be the destruction of local control of education. Thurmond would violate the concept of local education control once enjoyed in our state and nation by prohibiting local decisions for our childrens schools by locally elected school board members, Mr. Williams said in an email to The Epoch Times. He would mandate Orwellian-like classroom instruction, curriculum and textbooks. In other words, this bill limits local school boards to state endorsed literature, instructional materials, and curriculum. He is advancing governancenot too different than Communist or Marxist countries. Fellow Orange County education board trustee and education policy expert Mari Barke told The Epoch Times that she thought Sacramento legislators are too focused on diversity initiatives and are not paying enough attention to academics. Lets focus on the basics, she said. Once the kids are literate, we can talk more about other things. Ms. Barke also noted that local elected officials were in their positions because they reflected the values of their individual communities. Sacramento needs to let the local people do whats best for their community, she said. If people in those communities are unhappy, they can leave the school and go to a charter or they can elect new officials in the next race. I am very concerned about Tony Thurmond, Gov. Newsom, and Sacramento legislators involving themselves directly in our business and truly trying to intimidate us. Meanwhile, representatives from several textbook publishers have already pledged to follow the state governments guidelines at the task forces hearing, including Benchmark Education, CPM Educational Programs, The College Board, and Studies Weekly. The panel includes Assemblymember Corey Jackson (D-Perris) and Assemblyman Rick Chavez Zbur (D-Santa Monica), who have authored related bills. Mr. Zbur is the author of Assembly Bill 5, also known as The Safe and Supportive Schools Program, which would require school staff to undergo training on support for LGBT youth. The bill is currently awaiting a committee hearing in the state Senate. Mr. Jackson has authored Assembly Bill 10, which originally called for school districts to seek state board approval before banning books or curriculum. However, as currently amended, the bill now would only require the state education department to guide districts and charter schools on how to speak about race and gender, and how to review instructional materials to ensure they are inclusive. California Death Row Murderers Closer to Parole Eligibility After New Bill Advances A California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation officer opens the gate for a condemned inmate who is leaving the exercise yard at San Quentin State Prison's death row in San Quentin, Calif., on Aug. 15, 2016. (Justin Sullivan/Getty Images) Facing staunch opposition from family members of victims, law enforcement groups, and Republican lawmakers, a bill that would allow for resentencing of inmates convicted of capital murder and sentenced to death passed the Assembly Public Safety Committee June 27 on a partisan vote. Introduced with the intention of allowing a path for release for elderly inmates some believe to no longer be a risk to society, supporters of the bill say that imprisoning people for decades lacks humanity, with the bill intended to alleviate such concerns. But some law enforcement representatives adamantly opposed the legislation, citing significant costs to the state, potential harm to family members, and risk to communities if the bill is approved. Dragging these murderers back into court will be prohibitively expensive, tie up judicial resources, and inflict further pain upon their victims, the San Diego Deputy District Attorneys Association argued in opposition to the bill. By creating presumptions favoring the release of these murderers, SB 94 will create unjustifiable risks to public safety. The bill, introduced by Sen. Dave Cortese (D-San Jose), offers a path to release for those convicted of murder with special circumstances before 1990also known as capital murdera classification for offenses deemed egregious by the states penal code and punishable by death or life in prison without the possibility of parole. Multiple friends and family members of murder victims lined up in opposition to the bill, with district attorneys, police departments from across the state, and sheriffs organizations also speaking against the measure. The author is under some misconception about inmates aging out of violent crime, Lauren Pettigrewfamily member of a murder victimtestified in opposition to the proposal. That is a fantasy. There is no age limit on evil. Ms. Pettigrews brother David was murdered during a home invasion robbery in 2007 by three Marines, all of whom were ultimately sentenced to life without the possibility of parole. While the current bill would not apply to his killers, Ms. Pettigrew said she believes the bill is a stepping stone to reversing these sentences. The bill under consideration does not apply to cases after 1990 because of Proposition 115, passed by California voters that year, which prohibits judges from downgrading special circumstances convictions. Exceptions in the bill are those convicted of killing a peace officer, first-degree murder of three or more people, and murder involving certain sexual offenses. Inmates can also be excluded if it can be proven they are an unreasonable risk of danger. Opponents said the exclusions are too narrow, with the committee vice chair, Assemblyman Juan Alanis (R-Modesto)a recently retired law enforcement officerarguing that all lost lives are equal. What about the victims families? Are they not as good as a police officer that was killed? Mr. Alanis asked the bills author. Concern was also raised about the burden placed on victims families as many never register to be notified about parole board hearings. According to a spokesperson for the district attorneys association, testifying in opposition to the bill at the hearing, such notifications would not be automatic, due to the sheer quantity of possible cases. As currently written, if families do not request to be notified, they will never know that the individual responsible for harming their loved one could be granted a parole hearing, and without victim impact statements and opposition testimony, those close to the issue say inmates have a better chance of being released. I see this as revictimizing the families with our system, Mr. Alanis said. I think it would only be fair that in the bill there is something written that you have to make some kind of intent to seek out and notify these victims. Supporters of the bill were adamant that if passed, the law would require many steps, including petitioning a judge for the inmates parole hearing and rehabilitation, with potential parolees subject to the same prerequisite credit programs and administrative review that all inmates face before becoming eligible for parole. Opponents argued that victims should be prioritized over criminals. We hear a lot about the talk of change, and it refers only to offenders because it dismisses victim consideration, Assemblyman Tom Lackey (R-Palmdale) told the committee. What hasnt changed, and doesnt have the ability to change, is the finality of many of these offenses, including death. I find this to be an imbalance in our consideration, and I think its unfair. As a lawmaker with an extensive background in law enforcement including a 28-year career with the California Highway Patrol, Mr. Lackey reiterated his disapproval and urged his colleagues to think about the victims when voting. This is extreme, were talking about life without the possibility of parole. That was the sentence, he said. Whats changed in the victims world? Ill say very little, especially if they are no longer alive. In response to concerns, author Mr. Cortese assured critics that rather than releasing the inmates immediately, the process would be lengthy and unsuccessful for many that petition, saying an inmates release would be a rare circumstance. No one is judging that anyone should be released. No one is judging that these heinous and horrible circumstances shouldnt be considered, he said. While the measure passed the Assemblys Public Safety Committee, it did so after passing the Senate floor 2212 with opposition from both sides of the aisle. The bill will now be considered by the Assembly Appropriations Committee and ultimately, if it passes there it will be heard on the Assembly floor. With a lengthy line of people rising to voice their concerns at the hearing, one lawmaker noted that given the consequenceswith murderers potentially being released back into societyonce more people become aware of the legislation, the crowd is likely to swell in size. If more people knew about this, they would be flooding the hallways in opposition, Mr. Alanis, the committee vice chair, told his colleagues. Chinas Defense Minister and Russias Navy Chief Meet for First Military Talks Since Wagner Revolt China's Defense Minister Li Shangfu delivers a speech during the 20th Shangri-La Dialogue summit in Singapore on June 4, 2023. (Roslan Rahman/AFP via Getty Images) BEIJINGChinas defense minister reaffirmed the countrys military relations with Russia during a meeting Monday with the head of Russias navy, the first formal military talks between the friendly neighbors since a short-lived mutiny by Russian mercenary group Wagner. Minister of National Defense Li Shangfu told Russian Adm. Nikolai Yevmenov that the Chinese regime hoped for increased exchanges, joint exercises, and other forms of cooperation that would take defense ties to reach a new level, the Chinese Defense Ministry said after the two met in Beijing. The Chinese and Russian navies have close exchanges and frequent interactions, the ministry quoted Li as saying. It is hoped that the two sides will strengthen communication at all levels, regularly organize joint training, joint patrols and joint war games. China operates the worlds largest navy by number of hulls and vastly outstrips Russias navy in both size and technical ability. The countries fleets have held a series of exercises and joint maneuvers since Russias full-on invasion of Ukraine last year, as have their air forces. The military cooperation embodies the Chinese and Russian governments informal alliance to oppose the U.S.-led liberal world order. They align their foreign policies and positions at the United Nations, where Beijing has consistently provided diplomatic cover for Moscow. While saying it is neutral in the Ukraine war, the Chinese communist regime has stood solidly beside Russia, accusing the United States and NATO of provoking Moscow and of fueling the bloodshed by helping arm Ukraine. The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) has refused to condemn the invasion or to refer to it as one in deference to Moscow but also has said it would not provide Russia with military assistance or weapons for the conflict. Since the abortive rebellion led by Wagner chief Yevgeny Prigozhin, the CCP has said it backed Russian efforts to stabilize the situation in the country. The march on Moscow that Prigozhin launched and then called off last month posed the greatest challenge to President Vladimir Putins two decades in power. The recent developments have very much made Russia the junior partner in the relationship with China. War-related sanctions have made the Russian economy heavily dependent on energy purchases from China and India. Putin, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and Chinese leader Xi Jinping are set to meet Tuesday at a virtual summit that will mark Putins first multilateral meeting since the Wagner revolt rattled Russia. The summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, a security grouping founded by Russia and China to counter Western alliances from East Asia to the Indian Ocean is an apparent indication Putin still enjoys some support. Chinese Regimes Fertility Campaign Targets Girls as Young as 15 for Childbearing A girl looks through a gate in Beijing, China, on Sept. 19, 2012. (Wang Zhao/AFP/GettyImages) Chinas communist regime is gearing up to promote scientific childbearing in an effort to resolve the low birth rate in the country. Officials at various local levels will be implementing activities to increase the fertility of eligible female citizens and promote childbearing. This will include girls as young as 15 receiving folic acid supplements and women as old as 49 receiving assistance from local reproduction-focused medical teams, according to Chinese media reports. Netizens Expose the Reality One notice was issued on June 25 in a community in Sichuan, western China to conduct a survey of fertility willingness among women of childbearing agewhich was given as being aged 15 to 49and the registration of interested individuals at health centers so that they could receive folic acid for free. An internet user from Beijing commented on the plan: Those who are 49 now were born in 1974. The draconian measures at that time restricted their will to give birth, now theyre being forced to give birth. Is it really that hard to treat people like human beings? A netizen in Jiangsu said that women used to be threatened with the loss of their jobs when they wanted to have children. Now the restrictions had finally been lifted, she wrote, but we are already over 40. Another netizen wrote that Theres not enough chives, [the regimes] worried. Chives has long been a popular Chinese euphemism to describe how the communist regime views the people of China. According to the metaphor, the regime can cut them freely whenever it desires, assuming they will simply grow back again. Is it [the regime] going to force the 12-year-old to get pregnant sometime soon? a netizen asked on social media. Another netizen said, It was No newborn for 100 days for the entire village back then. Now its aiming to raise the birth rate! A Chinese woman over 90 years of age is shown living alone in Shaoxing, in Eastern Chinas Zhejiang Province. (Epoch Times) Ageing and Negative Population Growth China is experiencing the disastrous consequences of the Chinese Communist Partys one-child policy, which was implemented between 1979 and 2016 and involved state programs of forced abortion, sterilization, and infanticidewith the latter perpetrated against baby girls in particular. A 2023 report on Chinese population research indicated that the Chinese birth rate has declined continuously and rapidly. To counteract the population decline, China initiated a three-child policy in 2021. However, the report admitted that the Chinese peoples willingness to bear children is extremely low, with the number of newborns continuing to drop in 2022. Chinese newborns last year numbered only 9.56 millionthe lowest since 1949 when the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) took over. The report predicted that Chinas total population will drop to 479 million by 2100, accounting for just 4.8 percent of the worlds total populationas opposed to its currently comprising 17 percent of the worlds total. By then, China will no longer be a populous country, said the report. The report went on to say that Chinese people over the age of 65 accounted for 14.2 percent of the population in 2021, making it a deeply ageing society; this increased to 14.9 percent in 2022. China will officially become a super-ageing society around 2032, the report estimated. In 2022, the Chinese regime finally admitted its first year of negative population growth, a long-anticipated detrimental effect of the cruel one-child policy. According to official data from the National Bureau of Statistics, the natural population growth rate in 2022 was -0.60 per thousand people, the report said. The report also suggested a relief policy to encourage fertility, such as cash payments, preferential taxation, housing, and child care subsidies. The relief would, in turn, help to stimulate consumption and resolve Chinese economic problems such as insufficient domestic demand, weak consumption, and overcapacity, the report said. However, Yi Fuxian, a senior scientist in obstetrics and gynecology at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, said in a BBC report that while Beijing is poised to replicate Tokyos policies to lower parenting costs, China, which is getting old before it gets rich, does not even have the financial resources to fully follow Japans path. Li Yun contributed to this report. Chinese Scientist Who Created Gene-Edited Babies Proposes New Experiment on Embryos He Jiankui speaking at the second international summit on human genome editing in Hong Kong in Nov. 28, 2018. (Sung Pi-Lung/The Epoch Times) The Chinese scientist who gained widespread criticism in 2018 after claiming that he had created the worlds first gene-edited babies has proposed a new experiment to prevent Alzheimers disease using the same method. In an update to his Twitter account on June 29, He Jiankui suggested gene editing mouse embryos and human fertilized egg cells, or zygotes, to determine if a mutation can protect against Alzheimers disease. Alzheimers disease is a form of dementia associated with memory loss. He emphasized in his proposal that there is no effective drug treatment for the progressive neurological disorder at present. More than 5 percent of the population above 60 years old is affected by dementia; of these, two-thirds are the result of Alzheimers disease. After the age of 65, the prevalence of Alzheimers disease almost doubles every five years, He stated. We propose to introduce the APP (A673T) [gene point mutation] into embryos, and test whether this mutation confers protection against Alzheimers disease, the scientist said. We will first perform an experiment using a mouse model. By introducing the APP A673T mutation in mouse embryo, a variety of outcome measures will be applied to APP A673T mouse, including both neuropathological and functional test. Chinese scientist He Jiankui (C) takes part in a question and answer session after speaking at the Second International Summit on Human Genome Editing in Hong Kong on Nov. 28, 2018. (Anthony Wallace/AFP via Getty Images) We then will introduce APP A673T mutation into human triponuclear zygotes. Extensive studies have shown that polyspermic zygotes such as triponuclear (3PN) zygotes, discarded in clinics, may serve as an alternative for studies of normal human zygotes, he added. In the proposals disclaimer, He clarified that no human embryo would be implanted for pregnancy and that a government permit and ethical approval were required before any experimentation could happen. It remains unclear whether He would be granted permission to carry out his proposed research in China. On March 2, over 200 scholars from all over China issued a statement condemning Hes attitude and refusal to reflect on his criminal actions of violating ethics and regulations of gene editing, as well as his misleading marketing campaign for rare disease research that lacks scientific and ethical foundation. Lulu and Nana Controversy He, then an associate professor at the Southern University of Science and Technology in Shenzhen, China, sparked an international scientific and ethical row when he said he had used a technology known as CRISPR-Cas9 to alter the embryonic genes of twin girls born in 2018. The twin babies were named Lulu and Nana. The scientist said he had targeted a gene known as CCR5 and edited it in a way he believed would protect the girls from infection with HIV, the virus that causes AIDS. Chinese state-run media initially praised the scientific breakthrough but later changed their tone after the case sparked widespread condemnation from the global scientific community for crossing ethical boundaries. Scientific experts were concerned that altering the genome of an embryo could cause unexpected harm not only to the individual but also to future generations who inherit and pass on these same changes. Under international pressure, the Chinese authorities arrested He in 2019 and sentenced him to three years in prison through a secret court trial for illegal medical practices. He was also fined $475,000 for violating medical regulations. According to court documents, He performed gene-editing and assisted reproduction on recruited couples with the male partner infected with HIV. After Lulu and Nana, a third child named Amy was born the following year using the same method. In April 2022, He was reportedly quietly released from prison after serving a three-year sentence. The scientist had his Hong Kong visa revoked earlier this year after widespread criticism. Jennifer Bateman and Reuters contributed to this report. Cleanup Begins at Montana Yellowstone River After Train Derailment Chemical Spill Several train cars are immersed in the Yellowstone River after a bridge collapse near Columbus, Mont., on June 24, 2023. (Matthew Brown/AP Photo) Crews have begun cleaning up the asphalt binder that spilled into Montanas Yellowstone River during a bridge collapse and train derailment on June 24. Officials with the Environmental Protection Agency said cleanup efforts began on Sunday, with workers extracting the now gooey material from the river water by rolling it up and putting the globs into garbage bags. It will probably be recycled, said Paul Peronard with the EPA. Officials said that a bridge over the river collapsed as a train crossed it early last Saturday near the town of Columbus, and 10 of its 17 cars fell into the water, spilling hot liquid asphalt and molten sulfur into the water. Six of the cars in the water carried asphalt liquified petroleum, a sticky black liquid form of petroleum used for paving; three cars carried liquid molten sulfur, used in making products such as rubber and detergent and in petroleum refining; and one car carried scrap metal. After the spill, the Yellowstone County Disaster and Emergency Services said that initial tests were showing no reported threat to life or property in Yellowstone County at this time. State and federal officials said no toxic gases had been detected in the air downwind of the derailment, and no petroleum hydrocarbons or sulfur were found in the preliminary water quality sampling. Spokesperson for the Montana Department of Environmental Quality, Kevin Stone, said that both substances do not dissolve when they enter water. Both materials were expected to cool and harden when exposed to the cold water, meaning there was no expected threat to the public or downstream water supplies. Water quality testing will continue until the cleanup is complete, and at this time, there are no known risks to the public drinking water, he added at the time. Stillwater County Department of Emergency Services Chief David Stamey said amid the cleanup efforts on Sunday, We reached a milestone today with the opening of agricultural ditches. This is imperative for the nearby ranches that rely on the Yellowstone River for their operations. Several train cars are immersed in the Yellowstone River after a bridge collapse near Columbus, Mont., on June 24, 2023. (Matthew Brown/AP Photo) The Montana Department of Environmental Quality, the EPA, and Montana Rail Linkthe entities managing the cleanupsaid more asphalt product was released on June 30 as a rail car was being removed from the river. Initial assessments indicate the release was minimal based on the amount of material believed to remain in the impacted car, the statement said. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg tweeted on June 24 that he had spoken to Montana Gov. Greg Gianforte about the incident and that residents concerned about potential impacts should follow information and instructions from local authorities. Stillwater County Emergency Services members, the Sheriffs Office, county commissioners, and Columbus Fire and Rescue were at the scene and have been working together, along with Montana Rail Link and state and federal agencies. The present operations focus is safely responding to the emergency, controlling all releases, and mitigating impacts. Throughout the response, MRL will work with local, state, and federal partners to assess impacts to natural resources and to develop appropriate cleanup, removal, and restoration efforts, MRL said at the time of the spill, reported by KULR8. Yellowstone County Disaster and Emergency Services issued a press release stating that water treatment facilities in Laurel, Billings, Lockwood, and irrigation companies had begun emergency measures for hazardous materials, including shutting down river head gates. The service is also asking residents to conserve water until further notice. To recover the remaining cars in the river, crews were disassembling the west segment of the bridge. During the press conference, Montana Rail Link President Joe Racicot said that the company would pick up 100 percent of the clean-up costs. Montana Rail Link remains committed to addressing any potential impacts to the area as a result of this incident, Montana Rail Link spokesperson Andy Garland said in a statement. Alexis Bonogofsky, whose familys ranch was impacted by an oil spill on the Yellowstone River near Billings in 2011, took pictures of the refined petroleum product covering rocks and sandbars at the spill site on Saturday. She also snapped an image of a bird that had died in the black substance. This killdeer walked across the asphalt, which had heated up in the sun, and it got stuck and died with its head buried in the asphalt, Bonogofsky wrote in the caption of an image she posted on social media. You could tell where it had tried to pull itself out. The Associated Press contributed to this report. A Democratic senator is talking about a crisis he sees in men these days, saying when addressing the issue, we cant ignore that there are biological differences between men and women. Whats the impact of the Supreme Courts ruling on religious liberty in relation to LGBT ideology? Matt Sharp, senior counsel with the Alliance defending freedom, joins us to discuss. The 2024 presidential campaign trail is heating up ahead of the July 4th holiday. What did former President Donald Trump say in South Carolina, as President Joe Biden also heads there this week? Who might Trump pick as his running mate if he wins the Republican nomination in 2024? We hear from former Congressman Billy Long to get his take on that and other issues surrounding the upcoming presidential election. Foot traffic is heavy in Washington leading up to Independence Day celebrations. We take a trip to a famous monument in the city and hear how the legacy of the Founding Fathers resonates. The flying car has long been a staple of science fiction. Now, that long-awaited dream of the future may be a step closer to coming true. Chinese Court Rejects Divorce Plea by Mother of 6 Amid CCP Pressure to Boost Birthrate Women sit on a bench with their babies on a street in Beijing on September 6, 2012. (Wang Zhao/AFP/Getty Images) A local court in Chinas southern Hunan Province refused a divorce request filed in June 2023 by a mother of six daughters. The woman had asserted that she could no longer tolerate the pressure her husband put on her to provide him with a seventh child, which he hoped would be his son and heir. However, comments from internet users within China have hinted that the Chinese court system may be being weaponized to enforce the Chinese Communist Partys ideological and socioeconomic plansin this case forcing women to have more childrenas the catastrophic effects of Chinas one-child policy are becoming ever more apparent. Under a regime where forced abortions, forced sterilizations, and infanticide were normalized for decades, observers fear that the regime may now be attempting to steer against impending population collapse. A Case Judged on Its Merits Alone? The plaintiff in the case, Mrs. Xiong had borne six daughters with her husbandand defendant in the caseMr. Ou. The report says that Xiong and Ou met when they were working as migrant workers away from their hometowns. By the time they registered their marriage on March 2, 2015, Xiong had already given birth to four daughters. After their marriage, she gave birth to twin girls. The report said that Ou and his entire family placed great importance on his having a son to continue the family linea strong social custom in China. Ou and his family pressured Xiong, therefore, insisting that she become pregnant again in order to bear a son. With six children already, Xiong said she could no longer bear the toil of further pregnancies and childbirths while caring for a large family. In October 2019, she fled back to her parents home, where she remained. However, Qin Mengsi, the presiding judge of Chenxi County Court in Hunan, issued a family education order against Mrs. Xiong, according to a report that began trending on the Chinese Weibo social media platform on June 22. The report had over 300,000 likes as of July 3. Court Finds Against Mother The presiding judge found that Mrs. Xiong had not come back to the defendants home to look after her six daughters since she left, nor had she paid any compensation for the childrens education. The court rejected Xiongs filing for a divorce, stating that she and Ou have six daughters and that the evidence submitted by her did not prove that the relationship had broken down. The court issued a family education order against her, stating: You are ordered to actively learn about family education, assume the main responsibility for family education, effectively perform your guardianship duties and assume the obligation to raise, educate, and protect your minor children. The Epoch Times reached out to Chenxi County Court, but did not receive a reply by the time this article was published. It was not possible to contact either Xiong or Ou for comment. Online Outcries Against Court Ruling The ruling sparked heated outcries among netizens in China. Many blasted the court and the Chinese regime for failing to protect women while trying their best to boost fertility in China amid a plummeting birth rate. A baby cries in her mothers arms in Yaan, in southwest Chinas Sichuan province, on April 23, 2013. (AFP/Getty Images) One netizen wrote: Does it mean that she has to go back and give birth to more children? Another wrote: Where is the humanity in this news? Who cares about the moms mental state? a further netizen wrote. Another netizen blamed the court for the ruling: Every odd ruling has played a role in [Chinas] low marriage rate and low fertility rate! The court boasts this case to be an example of its so-called practical work for the masses, another internet user wrote. How ridiculous! It even published such a decision as good-deed propaganda! It has no regard for womens physical and mental health and reproductive freedom. Did the court force the woman to submit to the man to have a boy in order to increase the fertility rate? Chinese Regime Ignores Womens Rights The ruling of the local court in Hunan is not an isolated case, unfortunately. The communist regime has long suppressed womens rights, regarding women as birthing tools that it can control in order to reduce or boost the number of birthsas its central planning agencies require. Mrs. Liu fled from China to escape a forced abortion. She gave birth to her baby in Los Angeles on Dec. 2, 2011. (Jenny Liu/The Epoch Times) The Chinese regime implemented its inhumane one-child policy between 1979 and 2013, with the population-control policy leading to more than 330 million abortions over four decades. It also saw women subjected to forced sterilizations, forced abortions, and having their infants killedall of which led to a demographic crisis that threatens Chinas very existence today. There have also been reports about the alarming extent of trafficking of women and girls in China. One particularly horrendous case in recent years was that of a woman chained in a shed in Xuzhou, in Chinas eastern Jiangsu Province. The woman was repeatedly raped over the past two decades by Dong Zhimin (a local villager who is reportedly her legal husband), Dongs father, and Dongs brother. When she first arrived in the village, the local officials also raped her because she was beautiful. People who spoke out for the chained woman were silenced, subpoenaed by police, or had to flee China for their safety. Li Jing contributed to this report. EXCLUSIVE: Sanctions Against Naval Officer Who Refused COVID Vaccine Were Unjustified, Grievance Committee Finds The warning and probation measures previously levied by the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) against a military member for her refusal of the COVID-19 vaccine in 2021 were unreasonable and unjustified, an independent military administrative tribunal has ruled. The CAF vaccination policy was unreasonable because it was overly broad and disproportionate in its application, wrote Nina Frid of the Military Grievances External Review Committee (MGERC) in a May 30 ruling. The CAF did not offer any evidence that mandatory vaccination, despite the high vaccination rate among CAF members, was necessary in every instance or in each individual case due to operational requirements. The CAF imposed a vaccination mandate in the fall of 2021 that lasted until October 2022 and those who did not comply were released under code 5(f)a dishonourable discharge usually reserved for soldiers with personal weaknesses or other issues deemed to impose an excessive burden on the armed forces. COVID-19 vaccination is no longer a condition of service but remains a requirement for numerous operational roles. MGERC has issued several rulings in relation to the mandate in recent weeks and all the decisions seen by The Epoch Times have ruled that the complainant was aggrieved, with a common finding that the policy infringed on charter rights and that some of its provisions are unconstitutional and thus invalid. The rulings are not binding and are sent to Chief of Defence Staff Gen. Wayne Eyre for his consideration. Its important to note that the recommendations and findings from the MGERC are part of the grievance process, which in this case, is not yet complete. Additional review by the [Chief of Defence Staff] is still underway, said Department of National Defence (DND) spokesperson Jessica Lamirande in a previous statement. On Nov. 5, 2021, the CAF lieutenant-commander who filed the grievance applied for exemption from the vaccine mandate on the grounds that consent to a medical treatment must be informed and she argued that the timelines under the CAF vaccination policy were insufficient to consult medical personnel and provide informed consent. Her commanding officer denied the application 10 days later, saying that she had not articulated a valid ground for discrimination under the Canadian Human Rights Act and her right to exercise bodily autonomy is not a protected ground. On Nov. 26, she was placed on Recorded Warning (RW) for not complying with the militarys vaccination requirement, then directed to get fully vaccinated within 35 days, which she eventually did. Ruling The lieutenant-commander submitted a grievance to MGERC in early December 2021. Several days later she received a notice of intent from the CAF to initiate Counselling and Probation (C&P) due to her continued non-compliance with the vaccination policy. C&P is one of the CAFs remedial measures, which it describes as serious steps to assist a CAF member in overcoming their conduct or performance deficiency. On May 30, Frid issued her ruling saying that CAFs disciplinary treatment of the lieutenant-commander for her refusal to be vaccinated was unjustified. Since the administration of the [remedial measure] pursuant to the CAFs vaccination policy had significant procedural fairness shortcomings, I find that the RW and the C&P issued under that policy were unreasonable and unjustified, Frid wrote. She added that non-compliance with the vaccination policy did not constitute an inability to overcome a conduct deficiency. Besides, basic procedural fairness is expected in the administration of [remedial measures] and these essential considerations were set aside by the CAF vaccination policy. MGERC has recommended that the grievor be redressed by the CAF cancelling the remedial measures and removing them from her records. The grievor is part of a $500 million class action lawsuit filed on June 21 by current and past CAF members affected by the vaccination policy. Matthew Horwood contributed to this report. Russian invaders concentrate about 180,000 of their soldiers in east Cherevaty The Russian occupiers have concentrated about 180,000 of their soldiers in the area of responsibility of the eastern grouping of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, 120,000 - in Lymany-Kupyansk direction, said spokesperson of the Eastern Directorate of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Serhiy Cherevaty. "There [in Lymany-Kupyansk directin], a fairly powerful grouping has been assembled - more than 120,000 enemy troops. These are the airborne troops of the occupier, mechanized units, as well as units of the so-called combat army reserve BARS, territorial troops. The Storm Z assault companies have appeared," Cherevaty said on the air of the national telethon. At the same time, he clarified that the Russian occupiers have concentrated more than 180,000 soldiers throughout the area of responsibility. "On the Bakhmut [direction], there is about 50,000," the spokesperson noted. According to Cherevaty, Lymany-Kupyansk direction continues to be the leader in enemy shelling from barrel and rocket artillery. So during the day, the enemy fired at Ukrainian positions 595 times, eight assaults on positions of Ukrainian forces, 16 air raids were carried out. During the repulse of the assault groups, 57 occupiers were destroyed, 78 were injured, and three were captured. In addition, enemy T-72 tank, 2 BMP, BTR 80, a D-30 howitzer and a field ammunition depot were destroyed. Moving from California to Gods country to start a ranch was a game changer for the young family. On this particular July Fourth, the couple who left Orange County for Wyoming five years ago will celebrate their newfound freedom in Star Valley, on land where they raise their own cattle. Today, the Rhodes family will have fireworks, sing patriotic songs about America, celebrate their Founding Fathers and freedom, and not least of all they will have flags. Lots of flags. They would fly them days in advance. On July 1, mom Amy Rhodes, 38, her dad, Darcel Hulse, and her kids piled into a pickup with about a dozen flagpoles and star-spangled banners in the bed. It was a beautiful summers night with a sunset pouring down into the fields along the Salt River. The family had plans to set in motion. Their flags werent small, either. Each measured about 6 by 4 feet (1.8 meters by 1.2 meters), and they would be part of a scheme to deck the fence line along Highway 89 with red, white, and blue. With daughters, Brynn and Josie, and son Covey riding unbuckled in the truck bed, they drove through hay fields; elsewhere, the older boy, Brody, and dad Chris Rhodes finished ranch chores. Mrs. Rhodes attached flags to each pole and handed them to Mr. Hulse, who mounted them on the fence posts, one by one. Along the highway, big rigs passed by and honked at the patriotic spectacle. The girls saw they could get them to blare their horns with hand signs and giggled with fervor. The familys journey from California to Wyoming began with a desire for a better life. Despite knowing nothing about raising cattle, the Rhodes family, who run Salt River Ranch, decided it was time to pull up. Mrs. Rhodes told The Epoch Times why. I was raised in California, but thats before California got crazy, she said. My husband was the one who jumped. He worked in corporate finance. They worried for their children and the future of this country. The next generation is being bombarded with everything to divide this country, Mrs. Rhodes said. They wished to instill new patriotism in their brood. Teachable moments like thisflying flags along the highway on July Fourthare precious. They stir the love of country in hearts, young and old. All told, it took a few hours. But before long, American flags were flowing all up and down Highway 89 along their field. The kids were jubilant. All the love and approval shown by passersby fueled their elation. Can we do this every year? they asked. The more people cheered them on, the more they realized they were doing something not just for their country but also for their neighbors. They were stirring hearts. Now, with a fifth bundle on the way, Mrs. Rhodes is hopeful about how much good there is left in the world. On this Fourth of July, they plan to celebrate with fireworks, a parade probably, but most definitely some good-tasting, home-grown Salt River Ranch beef. Watch the video: (Courtesy of Amy Rhodes) 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 Federal Court Grants Preliminary Injunction on Parts of Newly Passed Florida Election Law Voters fill out their ballots as they vote at the Stephen P. Clark Government Center polling station in Miami, Florida on Oct. 21, 2020. (Joe Raedle/Getty Images) Parts of Floridas new election law as they pertain to non-U.S. citizens and third-party voter registration groups were blocked by a federal court judge on July 3 after voting rights groups filed a lawsuit. In his 58-page ruling, U.S. District Judge Mark Walker issued a preliminary injunction on SB 7050, which was signed into law by Gov. Ron DeSantis, a Republican in May, arguing that Florida is simply not free to exceed the boundaries of the United States Constitution. Under the legislation, non-U.S. citizens are barred from registering citizens to vote in the state while third-party voter registration organizations could also face a fine of up to $50,000 for each non-citizen who collects or handles voter registration forms on the organizations behalf. Prior to engaging in any voter registration activities, third-party voter registration organizations must also register with the state and provide officials with the names of the officers of the organization, its address, and the names and addresses of each registration agent who is registering citizens to vote in the state on behalf of the organization. They must also deliver all voter registration forms within 10 days after the application is made or risk a fine of up to $50 for every day over the deadline. DeSantiswho is running for president in 2024and other Republican leaders in the state had argued in part that the legislation was needed to bolster election security. After the bill was signed into law, voting and immigrant rights advocates, including the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), ACLU of Florida, LatinoJustice PRLDEF, Demos, and other organizations and individuals filed a lawsuit. Republican presidential candidate and Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-Fla.) speaks at the Faith and Freedom Road to Majority conference at Hilton in Washington on June 23, 2023. (Madalina Vasiliu/The Epoch Times) Bill Burdens Political Speech In their lawsuit (pdf), plaintiffs had argued that the bill was harsh, unnecessary, and placed irrational restrictions on community-based voter registration speech and activity, in violation of the First and Fourteenth Amendments and federal civil rights statutes. They further argued that the new Florida law unconstitutionally burdens and chills their core political speech and associational rights, diminishing their effortsand the efforts of other individuals and community-based groupsto encourage civic engagement and democratic participation by assisting Florida citizens in registering and exercising their fundamental right to vote. Plaintiffs sought a preliminary injunction against the law being enforced while litigation plays out, claiming the legislation unconstitutionally discriminates against them on the basis of their citizenship status. In his ruling on Monday, Judge Walker, an Obama appointee, stated that the ban on non-U.S. citizens from registering citizens to vote is discriminating based on alienage while the provision pertaining to third-party voter registration organizations violates the U.S. Constitution. Florida may, of course, regulate elections, including the voter registration process, the judge wrote. Here, however, the challenged provisions exemplify something Florida has struggled with in recent years; namely, governing within the bounds set by the United States Constitution. When state government power threatens to spread beyond constitutional bounds and reduce individual rights to ashes, the federal judiciary stands as a firewall. The Free State of Florida is simply not free to exceed the bounds of the United States Constitution. Based on the evidence they submitted in support of their motions, Plaintiffs organizations are driven to serve their communities, connect with Floridiansparticularly some of the most marginalized citizens in our stateabout the importance of voting, and properly register as many new voters as possible, the judge continued. Were it not for the $50,000 penalty for each noncitizen who violates the citizenship requirement and Defendants authority to penalize 3PVROs [third-party voter registration organizations] for such violations, the individual Plaintiffs would continue collecting or handling voter registration applications on behalf of the 3PVROs for which they work. Election ballot baskets sit on the floor at the Supervisor of Elections Service Center in Palm Beach, Fla., on Nov. 18, 2018. (Saul Martinez/Getty Images) Late Election Applications an Issue The judge further noted that removing the $50,000 fine, the threat of the cancellation of the third-party voter groups registrations, and additional civil enforcement by the Attorney General would directly redress Plaintiffs injuries. In other words, they could continue the voter registration work that they have been hired to do, without fear of Defendants penalizing their organizations with devastating fines, automatic cancellation of their registrations, and other civil enforcement actions, the judge concluded in the preliminary injunction. During a previous hearing on the matter, Mohammad Jazil, an attorney who represents the DeSantis administration, cited concerns about voter registration applications being handed in late to elections officials, CBS News reports. According to the Tampa Bay Times, in 2022, the Department of State, which oversees elections, fined nine voter registration groups a total of $41,600 for failing to turn in 3,077 applications to an election supervisor on time. Attorney Jazil told the judge that non-U.S. citizens, such as foreign students or those with temporary legal immigration status, are not bound to the community and thus could be at risk for not giving the applications in on time. Ultimately, Walker rejected the argument in Mondays ruling. In a statement following the ruling, Daniel Tilley, legal director at the ACLU of Florida called the judges decision a step in the right direction but cautioned that there was still further work to be done. People in our communities, including noncitizens, work tirelessly to assist in voter registration efforts to empower Floridians to vote on issues that impact their daily lives. We applaud the courts decision, but we must ensure this harmful law is struck down altogether, Tilley said. The Epoch Times contacted Jazil for further comment. Feds Add Fentanyl Precursor Drugs to Controlled Substances Act in Effort to Stop Opioid Deaths A Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) chemist pours 2,500 packs of confirmed fentanyl onto a counter for testing at the DEA Northeast Regional Laboratory in New York on Oct. 8, 2019. (Don Emmert/AFP via Getty Images) The federal government will more strictly regulate chemicals used in the production of fentanyl as of Aug. 30. The overdose crisis, and the increasingly toxic illegal drug supply, continue to have devastating impacts on individuals, communities and families across Canada, said Health Canada in a June 5 news release. According to government data, nearly 75 percent of accidental opioid deaths and overdoses since 2017 have involved fentanyl or related substances. Regulatory changes will come into effect at the end of August that will schedule a specific group of chemicals, novel fentanyl precursors, as chemicals under the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act (CDSA). This group of drugs are analogues and derivatives of N-phenyl-4-piperidinamine and its salts, also known as 4-AP. The government said these chemicals do not have any legitimate industrial, commercial, or medical uses, and controlling them will help to address their use in the illegal production of fentanyl and fentanyl analogues. This measure will enable law enforcement to continue to take action against any illegal importation, distribution, and use of these precursor chemicals, which are used in the illegal production of fentanyl by illegal drug producers, said Health Canada. These regulatory changes follow a temporary ministerial order that was put in place for one year to try and disrupt the illegal importation and distribution of precursor fentanyl chemicals. Minister of Public Safety Marco Mendicino said authorities have to start at the border to stop illegal drugs like fentanyl precursors from coming into Canada. The U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency took similar action on April 17, under that countrys Controlled Substances Act. Drug Deaths Doubled Canadas data on opioid and stimulant harms documented an average of eight opioid-related deaths per day in 2016. Since 2017, the federal government said it has taken evidence-based action to address the overdose crisis and supports a full continuum of compassionate, evidence-based actions and innovative strategies to address the toxic drug and overdose crisis and save lives. The total cost since 2017 has been over $1 billion for improving access to harm reduction services and treatment, funding awareness, prevention, and stigma reduction activities, supporting research and surveillance initiatives, and strengthening law enforcement capacity to address illegal drug production and trafficking. The average number of opioid-related deaths per day has now more than doubled since 2016, with an all-time high of 21 deaths per day in 2021. The number of opioid-related hospitalizations also grew from 13 per day in 2016, to 17 per day in 2021. The government said it was also providing border services officers with tools and equipment to safely and effectively detect, identify, and interdict fentanyl and other toxic substances at the border. As part of Budget 2018 funding for the opioid crisis, the Government of Canada dedicated $31.6 million over five years to equip the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) to more safely and effectively detect, identify and interdict fentanyl and other highly toxic substances at ports of entry, said Health Canada. Between April 2018 and April 2022, the CBSA seized more than 20 kilograms of fentanyl at the border, plus over 22,000 kilograms of other narcotics, drugs, and chemicals between April 2021 and March 2022. The agency has on-site chemists in Toronto, Montreal, and Vancouver, as well as six drug and gun detector dog teams. Fire Brigade Warns of Potential Risks of Overnight Charging as E-Bike Blamed for 3 Deaths Blaze in Cambridge follows four deaths in New York fire on June 20 Fire brigade chiefs are warning people of the danger posed by lithium ion batteries after a firewhich has been blamed on an e-bikekilled a woman and two young children. Gemma Germeney, 31, died in the fire in Cambridge in the early hours of Friday and her children, Lilly Peden, 8, and Oliver Peden, 4, were taken to hospital where they both later died. The childrens father, Scott Peden, survived but is critically ill in hospital with serious burn injuries. Cambridgeshire Fire and Rescue Service said they believed the fire started accidentally and was most probably caused by an e-bike, which had been left charging. Area Cmdr. Stuart Smith said, We know e-bikes and e-scooters are popular modes of personal transport at the moment and we are urging anyone with one to be aware of the potential risks and follow simple precautions to reduce the likelihood of the batteries overheating. Lithium ion batteries contain a great deal of energy and when they overheat, it often causes a rapid fire which can spread rapidly. Last month four people, including two children, were killed when a fire broke out in an e-bike shop and spread to apartments on the upper floors of a building in New York city. Firefighters and investigators go through the aftermath of a fire which authorities say started at an e-bike shop and spread to upper-floor apartments, in New York on June 20, 2023. (Bebeto Matthews/AP Photo) The authorities in New York said there had been 59 e-bike fires this year and last year six people died in fires which were linked to e-bikes. The London Fire Brigade wrote on Twitter last week: Fires involving lithium batteries are the fastest growing fire risk in London. Weve attended at least 82 fires involving an e-bike or e-scooter so far in 2023. Electric bikes have become increasingly popular young people and also for those who want to commute to work, travel around a city, or make deliveries. But most run on lithium ion batteries, which contain a electrolyte solution which allows electrical current to flow but is also extremely flammable. Incredibly Concerning After a fire caused by an e-bike in a flat in West Kensington, London Fire Brigade said the number of blazes caused by them was incredibly concerning. A London Fire Brigade spokesman said, Lithium batteries are susceptible to failure if incorrect chargers are used and there is a significant risk posed by e-bikes which have been converted. He warned: Conversion kits allow people to add an electric motor to their bikes but not all of them are sold with a battery. Cheaper batteries purchased from online sources which dont necessarily adhere to UK safety regulations are more likely to fail and present an increased fire risk. London Fire Brigade warned people not to try their own DIY adaptations. Lithium batteries store a significant amount of energy in a very small space and are much more powerful compared to other types of batteries. If that energy is released in an uncontrolled way, then a fire or explosion may result, said a fire brigade spokesman. If there is overheating, crushing, penetrating or overcharging, then a fault can occur within damaged battery cells which may cause the battery to catch fire and/or explode, he added. In April two children were killed in a fire in New Yorks Queens district, caused by an e-bike, and in November 2022 dozens of people were injured in another blaze in Manhattan. New York Gets Grant for Charging Points On June 25, the U.S. federal government gave New Yorks mayor, Eric Adams, an emergency grant of $25 million to create charging stations across the city for e-bikes. In 2022 London Fire Brigade attended 87 fires caused by e-bikes and 29 caused by e-scooters. E-scooters have been banned from the London Underground and from the capitals buses since 2021 following a series of fires. Lithium batteries can also be a danger if used to charge laptops, mobile phones or other electrical devices. PA Media contributed to this report. Firework Explodes in Illinois Mans Face, Causing Critical Injuries Fireworks are displayed on a shelf in a file photo. (Justin Sullivan/Getty Images) CARY, Ill.A powerful firework exploded in an Illinois mans face, critically injuring him, as he was trying to determine why it hadnt detonated, authorities said Monday. The firework was one of many commercial-grade fireworks possessed by the 58-year-old man at a Sunday night gathering in Cary, the Lake County sheriffs office said. He lit a firework, which did not detonate as expected, the sheriffs office said. The man looked into the tube housing the firework and it discharged, striking his face and then exploding. The man, whose name was not released, was in critical condition at a hospital. Other fireworks were given to a bomb squad for destruction. They typically require a permit to possess and detonate, the sheriffs office said. The sheriffs office said criminal charges are possible. Former Peking University Professor Exposes Xi Jinpings Little-Known State of Mind Part I: Xis Thinly-Veiled Extreme Maoist Ideology Chinese leader Xi Jinping applauds during the joint press conference of the China-Central Asia Summit in Xian, in China's northern Shaanxi province on May 19, 2023. (Florence Lo/POOL/AFP via Getty Images) The Chinese Communist Partys (CCP) high-tech authoritarian surveillance state is a bit of an anomaly in the modern world. The regime is characterized by a complex power structure, with very few people knowing the clandestine deals behind the scenes. Subsequently, many of its decisions and policies appear strange and unconventional to the free world, but within the CCP, it maintains its own logic and standards. Australian resident Yuan Hongbing, a former law professor at Peking University, has a unique perspective on the CCP and its leader Xi Jinping. In addition to his long-time observation of Chinese politics, he had a period of close personal contact with Xi in the 1980s. Yuan observed how Maoist ideologies planted in Xis youth led him to become the worlds most powerful dictator. In a recent appearance on The Epoch Times Pinnacle View program, Yuan discussed his private interactions with Xi, ranging from topics around the Korean War, the Cultural Revolution, and Deng Xiaopings economic reforms. He also analyzed the rise and fall of different factions within the CCP. Finally, Yuan further believes that a war in the Taiwan Strait is inevitable because of Xis idealist goal of CCP dominance. Exiled Chinese law professor and dissident writer Yuan Hongbing in an undated file photo. (Chen Ming/The Epoch Times) Yuans Pinnacle View interview offered a unique perspective on the mindset of one of the worlds most powerful dictators, which will be published in three parts by The Epoch Times. Xi Was a Drinking Friend Xi and Yuan were both born in the 1950s and were close friends in Beijing from 1987 to 1989 when they often drank together. Now the former is a dangerous dictator of an authoritarian regime, while the latter is exiled from persecution by that regime. Looking back on his interactions with Xi, the professor believes that Xi was deeply influenced by Maoism during his youth, but only a few who were close to him were able to notice his extremist ideology. Yuan said he met Xi when CCP hardliners purged Xis father. It was after 1987 when Hu Yaobang, the former general secretary of the CCP, was forced to resign as Deng Xiaoping, Bo Yibo, and other hardliners within the regime disliked him. Hu was relatively open-minded to new ideas, including those from the free society, which is often vilified by the CCP as the sinful capitalist world. Xis father, Xi Zhongxun, was also targeted for supporting Hu. Students with a painted portrait of Hu Yaobang, former Chinese leader, at Tiananmen Square, Beijing, China, in June 1989. Pro-democracy Chinese generally respect and sympathize with Hu, believing that he was a sincere and open-minded leader. (Provided by Liu Jian/The Epoch Times) Yuan implied that although he disapproves of Xi Jinping, he has a positive evaluation of Xi Zhongxun. Lets be objective here. Mr. Xi Zhongxun was a man of conscience, he said. After Hu was forced out, there were only two members of the CCP Central Committee who refused to condemn Hu: Wang Zhaoguo and Xi Zhongxun. Xi Zhongxun was subject to a series of political and psychological persecution. At the most critical point, it is said that he had already developed schizophrenia and was no longer able to work normally. Xi Jinping, then in his 30s, was working as a deputy mayor in Xiamen City of Fujian Province, far from the capital Beijing. According to Yuan, Xi visited Beijing frequently while his father was targeted and disciplined, seeking to build political connections with the CCP elites, as he was worried about his own political career. After Hu was outed in 1987, Yuan, who was the same age as Xi, was working with a group of young faculty members at Peking University to attempt to influence senior CCP leaders in the hope of continuing with Hus political reforms. Through the introduction of Hu Yaobangs son, Xi and Yuan became acquainted, and the two were frequently drinking and dining at a restaurant off-campus at Peking University for about eight months. Interestingly, the reason Hus son introduced them to each other was that both Yuan and Xi liked to drink and had a high alcohol tolerance. This was also the reason the two were able to get along well. True Nature Revealed: A Different Person After Drinking At that time, Yuan and Xi often drank the famous Chinese liquor Maotai together, and Yuan recalled that Xi used to drink more than himself. Under the influence of alcohol, Xi often appeared as a different person. Yuan described Xi as a seemingly reserved and rather cautious person on the outside, but after drinking, he showed a strong will and ambition and often talked on and on. Yuan gave an example saying that Xi would often brag after drinking that he was able to walk several miles carrying over 200 pounds of weight continuously on one side of his shoulder. When Yuan dismissed Xis claims as silly and that he should have regularly switched the load to the other side of the shoulder, it truly angered Xi. Yuan recalled: He was very angry, and that was the kind of person he was. Once he drinks, he becomes a completely different person. His views would be extremely subjective, and his behavior became quite aggressive. Reflecting on Xis character, Yuan believes that Xi was heavily influenced by his familys fate. Since 1959, when Xi was less than 10 years old, his father was implicated in a political purge by Mao Zedong, and the entire family was under stress, which may have contributed to Xis habit of concealing his actual views and opinions in front of others. He believes that Xi usually hid his true thoughts and that the emotional outbursts after drinking were the real Xi. A decorative plate featuring an image of Chinese leader Xi Jinping is seen behind a statue of late communist leader Mao Zedong at a souvenir store next to Tiananmen Square in Beijing, China, on Feb. 27, 2018. (Greg Baker/AFP via Getty Images) Fundamentalist Maoist Views Yuan recalled two incidents during his interaction with Xi, from which he gained insight into Xis deeply-rooted Maoist thinking. The first incident was Xis drunken talk about the bizarre idea of letting 4 billion Chinese rule the world. From the talk, Yuan realized that Xis thinking could be characterized as fundamentalist Maoism. On that day, Yuan was discussing with Xi a general consensus among Chinese intellectuals that Chinas overpopulation would slow down the countrys economic development and that they were worried that economic growth would not keep up with the rising population. However, a drunk Xi flatly rejected Yuans remark. Yuan recalled the conversation between the two, saying: Xi Jinping told me at the time that I was wrong, and he pointed at me because he had drunk a lot. I asked what was wrong. He said the population in China was not too much but actually too little. I asked why do you have such a strange idea? He said that we need 4 billion Chinese people to run the world. This truly left an impression on me. He said that to achieve the global goal of communism, we need people to manage the world. So Chinas population is not too many, but its actually too little instead. Another incident that truly impressed Yuan was a dispute between Xi and Bai Enpei, a CCP provincial official (who was later given a suspended death sentence) when the two men got into a drunken argument and even resorted to a physical brawl over whether Mao should be held responsible for the massive casualties during a battle in the Korean War. A screenshot from the removed video showing the Confucius Institute Onlines depiction of the Korean War. Veterans and scholars described the narratives presented in the videos as propagandistic and historically inaccurate. (Confucius Institute Online screenshot) Yuan recalled that Bai believed that the CCP had failed to prepare warm clothing for the 150,000 soldiers sent to Korea, and as a result, more than two-thirds of the soldiers froze to death, for which Mao should be held responsible. Bais comments angered Xi. Yuan recalled, The usually calm and cautious Xi Jinping suddenly became angry and yelled at Bai Enpei, accusing him of insulting the heroism of the Chinese military during the Korean War. Yuan went on to say, Xi Jinping believes that even though we lost so many men, we defeated the United States and drove them out of North Korea, which was a huge strategic victory, and that sacrifice was inevitable and necessary. So he believed that the military leadership showed heroism at the time. The twowho were both drunkstarted to quarrel, and eventually, it escalated to a physical brawl. Yuan tried to break it up to no avail, as both men were so much into the fighting, and Xi was as tall as 511 (180 cm). In 2015, three years after Xi took office, Bai, who had already stepped down as Yunnan provincial party boss, was given a suspended death sentence for corruption, making him the first senior CCP official to receive such a heavy sentence under Xi. Yuan suspected that it might be related to Xis strong dislike of Bai after their quarrel over the Korean War years ago. According to a report by BBC Chinese, Xi hailed the Korean War as a great victory and a manifesto for the Chinese people to stand up in the Far East in October 2020 while commemorating the 70th anniversary of Chinas Peoples Volunteer Armys fight against the U.S. and allied forces. In 2021, as a tribute to the 100th anniversary of the founding of the CCP, the big-budget Chinese patriotic war movie The Battle at Lake Changjin was released nationwide after half a decade in production. Such propaganda gestures by the CCP may reflect Xis personal views on the partys history and his ultranationalist ambitions. Parts two and three of this interview are to follow. Just when Amazon finally settled its Federal Trade Commission (FTC) lawsuit over violating childrens privacy laws, the FTC has Amazon in its sights again. The FTC has announced two possible suits against the behemoth online retailer. Amazon is under fire by the FTC for deceptive designs to convince consumers to enroll in Prime. The FTC is also preparing an unrelated anti-trust suit against Amazon. But what exactly is meant by deceptive designs? Amazon Under Investigation for Violating ROSCA In March 2021, Amazon, the sixth-largest company and the largest retailer worldwide, came under scrutiny from the FTC. It was looking into Amazons possibly violating the Restore Online Shoppers Confidence Act (ROSCA). ROSCA mandates clear payment terms in certain online shopping transactions. The FTC wanted to know if this act was violated by Amazon automatically enrolling customers in the Prime subscription service without informed consent. It also investigated Amazons mechanism for consumers stopping recurring charges when Prime or any other subscription service was purchased, either by accident or on purpose. FTC Sues Amazon On June 21, 2023, the FTC brought action under the ROSCA. In its complaint, it accuses Amazon of knowingly duping millions of consumers who unknowingly enrolled in its Amazon Prime subscription. The FTC complaint states that for years, Amazon used manipulative, coercive or deceptive user-interface designs known as dark patterns to trick consumers into enrolling in automatically-renewing Prime subscriptions. Amazon Online Checkout Process Deceptive The alleged deceptive interface usually occurs during the checkout process. Upon checkout, consumers were faced with numerous opportunities to subscribe to Prime. The option to purchase items without subscribing was often difficult for consumers to locate. At times the button presented to consumers to complete the transaction didnt clearly state that pressing it would sign the customer up for Prime. When accidentally choosing Prime, they were joining a recurring subscription. Deceptive designs like these, which are meant to trick people into making choices that they might not make under different circumstances, are known as dark patterns. The complaint states that Amazon executives were aware of consumers being nonconsensual enrolled using dark patterns. Amazon failed to take any meaningful steps to address the issue until they were aware of the FTC investigation. The FTC claims that Amazon tried to delay and hinder its investigation multiple times. According to the FTC, Amazon committed intentional misconduct meant to delay the investigation by providing bad faith responses when documents were requested. Amazon responded by saying that customers love Prime. Amazon said that by design, we make it clear and simple for customers to both sign up for or cancel their Prime membership. But was it easy or simple to cancel Prime membership? Difficult to Cancel Prime The FTC complaint also alleged that Amazon designed a cancellation process to deter consumers from successfully unsubscribing from Prime. According to Amazon documents obtained by Insider, Amazon dragged out the ability to cancel a Prime membership under a project code-named Illiad. (The Illiad is a 500-page ancient Greek poem.) Project Illiad created multiple levels of questions and new offers before a customer could cancel their Prime membership. The goal was to reduce churn. And it worked; Prime cancellations dropped by 14 percent in 2017 when the program began. But according to Jamil Ghani, vice president of Amazon Prime, in a statement, We make it clear and simple for customers to both sign up for or cancel their Prime membership. We continually listen to customer feedback and look for ways to improve the customer experience. Since the FTC investigation began, Amazon has altered its cancelation labyrinth, but it still takes multiple clicks and confirmations. In filing the suit, the FTC seeks civil penalties and a permanent injunction to prevent any future violations. Prime Subscriptions Worth Billions to Amazon According to the FTC, Amazon Prime is the largest subscription program worldwide. It generates $25 billion in revenue annually and has 200 million members worldwide. Annual revenue for Amazon in 2022 was $513.485 billion. U.S. Prime members pay $139 yearly, which is up from last years $119. You can pay monthly at $14.99. Prime includes free, expedited shipping for purchases, video streams and other services. Amazon had recently settled an FTC suit for $25 million for violating childrens privacy rights. It also had to pay a $5.8 million settlement for its Ring doorbell camera. The FTC said that Ring had been used for spying on customers. FTC Action Has Broad Implications The Amazon suit has broader implications for other consumer-facing retail businesss web-based marketing practices. Under FTC chair Lin Khan, other online retailers who use dark patterns will be scrutinized. The FTC is concerned that consumer retention practices, like Amazon Primes, can be used as vehicles for certain big players, like digital platforms, to increase market dominance. In 2022, bipartisan congressional lawmakers introduced legislation to ban dark pattern. But the bill failed to pass. The Epoch Times Copyright 2022 The views and opinions expressed are those of the authors. They are meant for general informational purposes only and should not be construed or interpreted as a recommendation or solicitation. The Epoch Times does not provide investment, tax, legal, financial planning, estate planning, or any other personal finance advice. The Epoch Times holds no liability for the accuracy or timeliness of the information provided. German Scientists Uncover Evidence That EU Pfizer-BioNTech Batches Included Placebos Commentary German scientists have uncovered startling evidence that a substantial portion of the batches of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine deployed in the European Union may in fact have consisted of placebosand hence were not even subjected to quality-control testing by the German agency which was in principle responsible for approving their release. The scientists, Dr. Gerald Dyker, professor of organic chemistry at the Ruhr University Bochum, and Dr. Jorg Matysik, professor of analytical chemistry at the University of Leipzig, are part of a group of five German-speaking scientists who have been publicly raising questions about the quality and safety of the BioNTech vaccine (as it is known in Germany) for the last year and a half. They recently appeared on the Punkt.Preradovic online program of the German journalist Milena Preradovic to discuss batch variability. Their starting point was the recent Danish study showing enormous variation in the adverse events associated with different batches of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine or BNT162b2 per its scientific codename. The below figure from the Danish study illustrates this variation. It shows that the batches used in Denmark, which are represented by the points in the graph, essentially break down into three groups. The green batches clustered around the green line have a moderate or moderately-high level of adverse events associated with them. In the discussion with Preradovic, Gerald Dyker takes the example of the green point furthest to the right. As he explains, it represents the batch that was used the most in Denmark, with somewhat over 800,000 doses having been administered. These 800,000 doses are associated with around 2,000 suspected adverse events, which gives a reporting rate of one suspected adverse event per approximately 400 doses. As Dyker puts it, Thats not a small amount if we compare to what we know otherwise from influenza vaccines. According to Dykers calculation, the green batches account for more than 60 percent of the Danish sample. There are then the blue batches clustered around the blue line, which are obviously associated with an extraordinarily high level of adverse events. As Dyker notes, no more than 80,000 doses of any of the blue batches were administered in Denmarksuggesting that these especially bad batches may perhaps have been quietly pulled from the market by public health authorities. Nonetheless, these batches had as many as 8,000 suspected adverse events associated with them. Eight thousand out of 80,000 doses would give a reporting rate of one suspected adverse event for every ten dosesand Dyker notes that some of the blue batches are indeed associated with a reporting rate of as high as one suspected adverse event for every six doses! On Dykers calculation, the blue batches represent less than 5 percent of the total number of doses included in the Danish study. Nonetheless, they are associated with nearly 50 percent of the 579 deaths recorded in the sample. Finally, we have the yellow batches clustered around the yellow line, which, as can be seen above, barely gets off the x-axis. On Dykers calculation, the yellow batches represent around 30 percent of the total. Dyker notes that they include batches comprising some 200,000 administered doses which are associated with literally zero suspected adverse events. As Dyker puts it, malicious observers might note that this is how placebos would look. And malicious observers might be right. For Dyker and Matysik compared the batch numbers contained in the Danish study with publicly available information on the batches approved for release, and they made the startling discovery that almost none of the harmless batches, unlike the very-bad and not-so-bad batches, appear to have been subject to any quality-control testing at all. Unbeknownst to most observers, it is precisely the German regulatory agency, the Paul Ehrlich Institute (PEI), which is, in principle, responsible for quality control of all the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine supply in the EU. (The institute is named after the German immunologist and Nobel Prize winner Paul Ehrlich, not, of course, the Stanford biology professor of the same name.) This reflects the fact that the actual legal manufacturer of the vaccine, as well as the marketing authorization holder in the EU, is the German company BioNTech, not its more well-known American partner Pfizer. (See here for related documentation.) Dyker and Matysik found that the PEI had tested and approved for release all the very bad blue batches, the overwhelming majority of the not-so-bad green batches, but almost none of the harmless yellow batchesas if the PEI knew in advance that these batches were unproblematic. This is shown in the below slide from Dykers presentation during the Punkt.Preradovic interview. The title reads: Which batches from the Danish study did the Paul Ehrlich Institute test and approve for release? In the PEI column of each of the tables, ja means, of course, that the batch was tested, nein means that it was not. Note that only the first batch in the yellow table was tested. The caption under that table reads: The PEI did not generally regard testing of the harmless yellow batches as necessary. As Dyker put it, with notable restraint, this would support the initial suspicion that they are maybe in fact something like placebos. Or, in short, to paraphrase the German scientists findings on the variability of the Pfizer-BioNTech batches, it would appear that the good was bad, the bad was very bad, and the very good was saline solution. (The full Punkt.Preradovic interview with Gerald Dyker and Jorg Matysik is available here in German with English subtitles. The above translations are by the author.) From the Brownstone Institute Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times. The United States is celebrating the freedom and prosperity our young, 247-year-old nation offers. Well find out what drives so many to travel to the heart of the nation to celebrate our Independence Day. White House events on the Fourth of July: what the President is doing, and how hes responding to a spate of shootings during the holiday weekend. A bloody attack was carried out on civilians in Tel Aviv today. This is believed to be in response to Israels ongoing military operations in the West Bank. We bring you an update on Israels largest military operation in recent years. Retired U.S. Army Colonel Thomas Lynch joins us to explore the war in Ukraine and Russias relationship with China. What are the CCPs goals in its relationship with Russia? Oregon Health Care Clinics Lost Workers Over COVID-19 Vaccine Mandate: Study Dozens of health care clinics in Oregon lost workers because of the COVID-19 vaccine mandate imposed by the states health agency, according to a new study. About half of clinics that filled out surveys reported losing workers. The majority of those reporting the loss of employees are in rural areas. Oregons COVID-19 vaccination mandate increased health care personnel vaccination rates, yet amplified staffing challenges with disproportionate impacts in rural areas, Dr. Brigit Hatch, a professor at Oregon Health & Science University, and her co-workers said. Oregon Gov. Tina Kotek, a Democrat, and the Oregon Health Authority didnt respond to requests for comment. Former Oregon Gov. Kate Brown, a Democrat, announced the mandate in 2021. In August 2021, she announced that a testing alternative would no longer be in place, as of Oct. 18, 2021. Brown claimed that forcing workers to get vaccinated would help ensure there were enough workers to treat patients. The vaccines never prevented infection or transmission, and data at the time showed that the protection bestowed by the vaccines was waning over time, soon prompting federal authorities to authorize boosters. The mandate was imposed by the Oregon Health Authority even as the agency acknowledged that vaccinated people could not only get infected, but had similar viral loads, or amounts of COVID-19, to unvaccinated people. The Delta variant is causing a surge in unvaccinated cases and vaccine breakthrough cases. This rule is necessary to help control COVID-19, protect patients, and to protect the states health care workforce, the authority said at the time. The rule was suspended in May. OAR 333-019-1010 is now being suspended, because immunity from the primary series is known to wane over time, such that 2 booster vaccinations have since been recommended for most persons. Moreover, the virus that causes COVID-19 has mutated such that the original series provides little long-term protection against infection by currently circulating strains. Finally, at this point most people have been infected by the virus (94% by one estimate), giving survivors a degree of immunity at least equivalent to that provided by the original vaccination series for some period of time, the agency said at the time. The rule was repealed in June 2023. More on Study Hatch and her co-authors created a survey and sent it to staffers at primary care clinics across the state. Staffers from 80 clinics across 28 counties, including 38 clinics in rural areas and 42 in urban areas, completed the survey. Survey questions included whether the clinic had lost workers through termination or resignation and the level of impact the mandate had had on staffing at the clinic. More than half, or 52.6 percent, of the rural clinics lost jobs due to the mandate, according to the survey results. About 4 in 10 clinics in urban areas lost jobs due to the vaccination requirements. In total, 37 of the clinics lost jobs due to the mandate. About 45 percent of rural clinics, and 21 percent of the urban clinics, said the overall impact on staffing was significant or very significant. About a third of the clinics said the impact was minor and the rest assessed the mandate as having no impact. It has required those of us who remain to work harder, more hours, and try to cover for those who were terminated. Feelings of overwork, stress, and burnout are very high, one physician in a rural clinic told the researchers. Another said: The loss of our functional staff and the change in our work dynamic has affected the care that we provide our patients in a way that has negatively impacted not only our staff, hospital, patients, and morale, but the community as a whole. Living in a rural area, this has had a rippling effect that will not be easily recovered from. The mandate included exemptions for religious or medical reasons. Rural clinics were far more likely to have staffers who received exemptions, with 71 percent reporting at least one staff member with a waiver. That was compared to a third of urban clinics. Some of the staffers said they werent sure whether any exemptions were granted at their workplace. A majority of the clinics were hiring before the mandate was put into place, including about a quarter that were hiring clinicians. Other studies have also found that vaccine mandates resulted in fewer staff members. Researchers in England, for instance, reported recently that the mandate led to losses. Some in Oregon had warned that the mandate would lead to fewer staff members. The Oregon Nurses Association said that some workers were so opposed to mandates that they would leave the profession due to the requirements. Vaccination rates did improve with the mandate, with 60 percent of staffers reporting that the mandate prompted people to get vaccinated. That said, about half of clinics reported losing staff, which is problematic for an already strained healthcare system, especially for small clinics and those in rural areas, the researchers said. They suggested future mandates take into account the differences between urban and rural clinics and consider under what conditions exemptions are allowed. Russia announces new attack by Ukrainian drones in New Moscow, Moscow region A new attack by Ukrainian drones in New Moscow and in Odintsovo district of Moscow region was reported on Tuesday morning by the Russian media with reference to the authorities. According to the authorities, all five drones were shot down by air defense and electronic warfare, there were no casualties. For security reasons, 14 flights were redirected from Vnukovo Airport to alternate airfields - Sheremetyevo and Domodedovo. Health Watchdog Probe New Trans Clinic Set Up by Former Tavistock Staff A clinic run by former staff who worked at the Tavistock unit which was closed after being accused of rushing vulnerable children into treatment is being investigated by authorities. The independent regulator of health and social care in England, the Care Quality Commission, has confirmed to The Epoch Times that it is investigating Gender Plus though it is not undertaking a criminal investigation. The Epoch Times understands that Gender Plus is being investigated for failing to register with the health regulator. Gender Plus says its services are for children and teens across the UK and Ireland and seven of its employees previously worked for the Tavistock Centre. The Tavistock Centre in London, which ran Englands only NHS gender identity development service (GIDS), was ordered to close after an official report in February 2021 found issues around safety. The interim Cass Review on Tavistock GIDS was carried out by top British paediatrician and past president of the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health, Dr. Hilary Cass. At the time, Cass expressed deep concerns about the affirmative model, concluding that primary and secondary care staff have had to adopt an unquestioning affirmative approach. Gender Plus The new private clinic Gender Plus has offices in London, Birmingham, and Dublin. The clinic offers gender assessments via Zoom costing up to 275 an hour, which can be completed in about six sessions, according to its website. For those under 18, at least one of the appointments would need to be in person, it says. Psychological support appointments are also offered, starting at 150 for a 50-minute slot. We are not currently undertaking a criminal investigation in relation to this matter, a Care Quality Commission (CQC) spokeswoman told The Epoch Times by email. However, if new information becomes available, that gives reasonable grounds to suspect an offence may have been committed, we will consider appropriate action, she added. On its site, Gender Plus released a statement regarding claims that were reported in the Mail On Sunday, relating to its regulatory status, saying that it doesnt fall under the CQCs remit. It said that its service management have previously clarified with the CQC that the holistic psycho-social service we provide, which includes gender, mental health and neurodevelopmental assessment and support, does not fall under their remit and as such is not eligible for CQC registration. If in the future we do provide services which will require CQC registration then of course we will seek registration, it added. It said that its staff team consists of experts in the field of gender healthcare, mental health, and neurodevelopment. We take a developmental approach to deliver an accessible, holistic and comprehensive service that goes some way towards meeting the huge level of unmet need that exists currently. Puberty Blockers NHS England has moved to a system to remove young people who believe they have gender dysphoria into regional centres that will take a more holistic approach with mental health support. The NHS said that there has been a dramatic change in the case-mix of referrals from predominantly birth-registered males to predominantly birth-registered females presenting with gender incongruence in early teen years. Additionally, a significant number of children are also presenting with neurodiversity and other mental health needs and risky behaviours which requires careful consideration and needs to be better understood, it added. Keira Bell, 23, was given puberty blockers as a teenager after only three hours of consultation at the Tavistock Centre. Initially, her case won a judgement that children under the age of 16 considering gender reassignment were unlikely to be considered mature enough to give informed consent to be prescribed puberty-blocking drugs. However, the Court of Appeal overturned the judgement. In June, the NHS announced that it will no longer allow the use of puberty blockers for children except in clinical trials. The NHS will only commission puberty-suppressing hormones as part of clinical research, the NHS stated in a June 9 update about implementing advice from the Cass Review. The review highlighted significant uncertainties surrounding the use of hormone treatments, according to the NHS. The Epoch Times contacted Gender Plus for comment. Patricia Devlin and Naveen Athrappully contributed to this report. U.S. health officials will start formally tracking infections caused by the rare but potentially deadly germ that sickened babies and triggered a nationwide shortage of infant formula last year. A group that advises the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) agreed on June 29 to add infections caused by cronobacter to the list of serious conditions reported to the agency. There are about 120 infections and diseases on the national watchlist. States will be asked, but not required, to notify the CDC about cronobacter infections, although they usually comply. Such infections are required to be reported now in only two states, Minnesota and Michigan. The change will take effect next year, though states may begin reporting earlier. The action by the Council of State and Territorial Epidemiologists, a nonprofit group, caps months of demands from experts and food safety advocates who called for better surveillance of the deadly infections that typically strike the most vulnerable babies. The move establishes standard criteria for identifying and counting probable and confirmed cronobacter cases and recommends that states require them to be reported. Cronobacter is a type of bacteria found widely in the environment. When the bug gets into a food such as powdered formula, it can cause life-threatening bloodstream infections and meningitis in very young or ill infants. Dr. Julia Haston, who has studied cronobacter infections at the CDC, said earlier this year that the agency has typically received reports of two to four of the invasive infections a year, rather than the 18 that are estimated to actually occur. Because we dont routinely perform surveillance, we dont know the true incidence of infection or the number of deaths per year, she said. Though the infections are rare, up to 40 percent of babies who fall ill will die, Haston added. An outbreak of cronobacter infections that started in 2021 sickened four infants fed formula from Abbott Nutritions Sturgis, Michigan, plant. Two of the babies died. No direct link was found between the Abbott products and the infections, but FDA officials shuttered the plant after contamination and other problems were detected. Abbott recalled top brands of infant formula, triggering a massive nationwide shortage that lasted for months. So far this year, one case of cronobacter infection in an infant has been reported to the CDC, an agency spokesman said. An investigation found the bacteria in an open can of powdered formula in the childs home. Cronobacter was not found in an unopened can of formula. The location and brand of formula wasnt disclosed. Most parents dont realize that powdered formula isnt sterile or that they must be scrupulous about how they handle the product, the bottleseven the sinks and countertops where formula is prepared, said Mitzi Baum, chief executive of Stop Foodborne Illness, a nonprofit group that advocates for food safety. In March, the CDC warned parents to sterilize equipment used for both bottle- and breastfeeding after a baby died from a cronobacter infection traced to a contaminated breast pump. It is abundantly clear that consumers do not know the risks associated with use of powdered formula, Baum said. By Jonel Aleccia What topics would you like to read about? Please let us know at health@epochtimes.nyc Editors note: Republished June 2023 because malaria has made a reappearance in the United States. Congratulations go out to Professor Tu Youyou for her 1972 discovery in processing the Chinese herb Artemisia (Qing Hao). Tu is now recognized with a Nobel Prize in Medicine. Her work at the Academy of Traditional Chinese Medicine in Beijing, China, has saved thousands from malaria deaths in the last 40+ years. Before Tu studied an ancient Chinese text regarding the cooking of the root Artemisia, the herb was not successful at curing malaria patients. Maybe she read about the prominent physician and alchemist Ge Hong (284364 CE), who wrote a formulary called Zhou Hou Bei Zhi Fang (Prescriptions Within Arms Reach for Use in Emergencies). Many of the formulas in that book are still in use today. He was the first to mention qing hao, (Artemisia Annua) as a treatment for malaria. Tus discovery led to chemical constituents in Artemisia being viable and able to produce a therapeutic effect against deadly malaria. Quercetin has since been identified as the most therapeutic constituent, but there are over 30 chemical constituents in the roots of Artemisia. (See below) Interestingly, Tus work was done over 40 years ago, but the Nobel Peace Prize committees recognition of this work must certainly have been influenced by the number of lives this discovery has saved over the past 40 years. In 1972, Im certain nobody could have predicted the number of casualties malaria would claim. The first blog I ever wrote on the Pacific Herbs website was about the Chinese herb Qing Hao and its use in curing malaria. Below are some excerpts from that blog and a link to it. Malaria is the No. 1 killer in underdeveloped countries, especially prevalent in Africa where its an epidemic. As many as 5 million people each year contract malaria; many recover, many do not. Malaria kills nearly 1 million people worldwide each year. The Swiss pharmaceuticals company Novartis is using a compound derived from the Chinese herb Artemisia is driving down deaths and infections, said Chris Hentschel of the Medicines for Malaria Venture. The FDA has also recently approved the drug Coartem, an Artemisinin-based combination treatment (ACT) for malaria, which is said to have a 96 percent cure rate. If the price of the drug is affordable, this is excellent news. If not, we should all be asking why? Artemisia costs pennies to grow and process. Chinese herbal medicine pharmaceutical companies cook this herb in bulk and the cost is minimal. The cost of a cure should not be prohibitive when people are suffering and dying from any disease. The credibility of Chinese herbal medicine is coming full circle in the scientific age. We can only hope this is just the tip of the iceberg. The efficacy of Chinese herbs has a 2,000+ year history. Reuters also reported, The treatment, administered to 57 million people last year, saved half a million lives last year. Thats big news! If there was a drug that saved 500,00 people in the U.S., last year alone, we would be hearing about it. Because its in underdeveloped nations, it does not make our nightly news. Please share this blog with your friends. Chinese herbs work. The Nobel Prize committee certainly sees the efficacy. Chinese herbs are becoming the drugs of the 21st century. Even pharmaceutical companies now look to Chinese herbs for cures that have existed in Chinese medicine text for centuries. Read More An Herbal Treatment to Fight Viruses Republished from PacHerbs.com Postscript: Artemisia annua contains: sesquiterpenes, flavonoids, coumarins, essential oil, palmitic acid, stigmasterol, beta-sitosterol, aurantiamide acetate, annuadiepoxide, beta-glucosidase 3, etc. Sesquiterpenes contains arteannuin, artemisinin A (qinghaosu 1), artemisinin B (qinghaosu 2), deoxyartemisinin (qinghaosu 3), qinghaosu 4, qinghaosu 5, qinghaosu 6, arteannuin-C, artemisinic acid (qinghao acid), methyl artemisinate, artemisinol, annulide, friedelin, friedelan-3-beta-ol, etc. Flavonoids include chrysosplenol D, artemetin, casticin, cirsilineol, axillarin, cirsiliol, tamarixetin, rhamnetin, cirsimaritin, rhamnocitrin, chrysoeriol, kaempferol, quercetin, luteolin, patuletin, etc. Coumarins include scopoletin, coumarin, 6-methoxy-7-hydroxycoumarin, scoparone, etc. Wormwood oil includes camphor, beta-caryophyllene, iso-artemisia ketone, beta-pinene, bornyl acetate, carveol, benzyl isovalerate, beta-farnesene, copaene, gamma-muurolene, fenchone, linalool, isoborneol, alpha-terpineol, borneol, camphene, myrcene, limonene, gamma-terpineol, etc. http://www.nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/medicine/laureates/2015/tu-facts.html Wearing a black cowboy hat, a red America First T-shirt, and a silver cross, you would never know Matt Rey was born female. At 24, Rey underwent transgender treatments. Now 32, Rey is experiencing serious health complications resulting from an overprescription of testosterone and a mastectomy. Rey is part of a growing number of detransitioners who are warning youth considering gender-affirming care not to do it. While I understand transition does not go badly for everyone, many trans people can have health complications later in life. If you are young, please dont do this to yourself. Transitioning is NOT for kids. Parents, dont do this to your children! The risks are too high, Rey wrote on Twitter. Gender-affirming care, which includes the administration of hormones and sex reassignment surgery, is claimed by advocates to save lives, however, this proposed remedy may actually be whats driving the high mortality rate in the transgender community. Authors of a recent Danish study of transgender suicide wrote, Transgender individuals may be exposed to systemic negativity regarding their trans identity in the form of bullying, discrimination, exclusion, and prejudice, which in turn may result in alienation and internalized stigma, mental health problems, and, ultimately, suicidal behavior. The Lure of Incentivized Gender-Affirming Care Rey experienced gender dysphoria at a young age. When I was 5, my mom walked me over to the girls clothing section, and she was looking at girly outfits. I was looking at the boys section and wondering why she wasnt taking me there, Rey told The Epoch Times. As a confused and isolated teenager, Rey looked to the internet for answers. Transgender individuals who shared glamorous stories about transitioning convinced Rey that a new identity was the solution to happiness. Turning to the gender identity clinic at the Tavistock Institute in London, Rey was surprised to learn that access to gender-affirming care was so easyone visit with a primary doctor, two consultations at the gender identity clinic, then bloodworkwere all it took to begin the transitioning process. Reys bloodwork indicated high levels of testosterone. One of the doctors said I was intersex because of this, but that is not how you diagnose that, Rey said. I probably had PCOS, which was not diagnosed at the time. I didnt even question it, because when you go to a doctor, you expect to be told the truth. When they told me that I was intersex, it made me want to transition, because it made sense as to why I experienced all this confusion all my life. Intersex is an umbrella term used to categorize a person having both male and female sex characteristics. These include differences in anatomy, hormones, chromosomes, or reproductive organs. A typical intersex diagnosis requires a physical examination and genetic testing, neither of which were included in Reys medical evaluation. Gender-affirming care services are being incentivized by both public and private institutions. Patients like Rey are often steered in the wrong direction of care, jeopardizing their mental and physical health (pdf). Organizations providing gender-affirming care can contribute to the confusion around gender identity, sexuality, and the possibility of an individual being intersex, a condition that is actually very rare. Rey, like many in the LGBT community, is against the push for children to transition and is concerned these procedures are being incentivized by the medical community. Therapists are being paid today to affirm gender rather than do thorough work on a clients psyche, Rey said. A Social Contagion With Dire Consequences Dr. Miriam Grossman, a board-certified child and adolescent psychiatrist and author of Lost in Trans Nation: A Child Psychiatrists Guide Out of the Madness, stated in an interview with MG Show that the idea of being born in the wrong body is dangerous for kids and has no foundation in medicine or biology. Grossman says kids are being indoctrinated to believe these ideas; when authorities, teachers, guidance counselors, and internet influencers tell kids this, they believe it. This is why we have something like a 5,000 percent increase in the number of kids who are identifying as something other than what their body is, she said. Its a social contagion. A social contagion is a phenomenon of feelings or behaviors that spreads among peer groups, usually with adolescents and more common with girls, Grossman explained. There are many examples in psychiatry of past social contagions, such as suicidal behaviors, cutting, and eating disorders. Thats why we have entire groups of girls who are friends from school or from online, and they are going together to a Planned Parenthood or to a gender clinic to get injected with testosterone, she said. Grossman is urging parents to become educated and to inoculate their families against this destructive contagion. Indoctrination Under the Guise of Affirmation As an outspoken critic of gender ideology, Rey is an active member of Gays Against Groomers, a nonprofit organization of gays against the sexualization, indoctrination, and medicalization of children under the guise of acceptance and equality. If the truth is told, gender ideology is removed from schools, kids are not taken to drag shows, and agendas are not being pushed down peoples throats, only then will we be able to recover and prevent these atrocities from happening, Rey said. The social obsession over gender is doing more harm than good by pressuring individuals to take drastic steps to fit into an identity without considering the implications on their well-being, explained Rey. In 2021, Rey noticed that Hollywood was beginning to push transgenderism, and shortly thereafter, mainstream media followed suit. The craze surrounding gender affirmation is a social trend that according to Rey, is doing irreparable harm with intentional coercion tactics to exploit vulnerable people. Anyone calling them out is referred to as transphobic, including Rey, who embraced transgenderism. Rey believes this radical pressure is driving the high transgender mortality rate. Theres this cult-like mentality to be a victim and romanticize this ideology, it sets you up for failure. The only way for people to really help is by telling the truth. The lies are causing a lot of harm to actual trans people, Rey said. The radicals are forcing their beliefs on everyone else so that public tolerance is dwindling and people with actual gender dysphoria are not getting the help they need. The Unseen Side of Transitioning Would you rather have a living daughter or a dead son? This fearmongering phrase is commonly used to manipulate parents into supporting their childs gender-affirming care. In Reys experience, gender-affirming care is sold as the only solution to improve the mental health of individuals struggling with gender dysphoria. Yet gender-affirming care can exacerbate mental health problems rather than improve them. When the facade goes away and you see that you cant really be the opposite sex, it begins to wear on you. It sets you up for a lot of disappointment, Rey said. Hidden behind the social glitz of transitioning is the common experience of post-surgical depression. When procedures do not go as planned, or results are not as expected, patients can become severely depressed. Rey experienced depression after a mastectomy that resulted in an infection and permanent nerve damage. The gender affirmation care industry advertises dedicated support. However, once the damage is done, Rey said, the abandonment begins. Theres so much care for you when youre transitioning, but once its done with, [the doctors] cast you away. The Negative Impact on Others Transitioning to the opposite gender involves the shedding of a past identity. Watching a loved one transition can be an extremely traumatic and confusing experience for family and friends. The process was very difficult for my parents, but especially for my mom. She was mourning her little girl. I was her first child, so that was very difficult, Rey said. In a social media interview, Rey describes the mental anguish of coming to terms with all that had happened and the crushing impact on family, expressing overwhelming regret, shame, and grief. Individuals seeking gender-affirming care can be so self-focused that they overlook the impact on those around them. People think its all about them, said Rey. I see posts from men online who have kids and a wife and get mad that their partner wont see them as female. The ideology makes you very self-centered. Facing Reality With Honesty and Courage Like many who understand the reality of transitioning, Rey is concerned about gender-affirming care being pushed on children and supported by parents, often leading to permanent and irreversible damage and a lifetime of regret. Rey advocates for parents to have honest conversations with their children who are considering gender-affirming care. I would tell parents that they need to let their child express themselves, especially through conversation. Check if there are traumas because a lot of gender dysphoria is trauma-based. Explain to them the dangers and realities of what these procedures are. Lastly, Rey advises against a permanent approach to something that children will likely outgrow. With children, it is very much a phase and theyll grow out it. The NHS confirmed this. If you affirm their gender [change] and allow them to go through life-changing permanent surgery before they develop, you are opening the door for them to resent you forever, even if you think they are helping your kid. What topics would you like to read about? Please let us know at health@epochtimes.nyc Hong Kong Police Issue Arrest Warrants for 8 Overseas Pro-Democracy Activists, Including Canadian Man Dennis Kwok (C) stands outside the Court of Final Appeal in Hong Kong on Nov. 8, 2016, after a silent march in protest of a ruling by China which effectively bars two pro-independence legislators from taking office. (Anthony Wallace/AFP via Getty Images) Hong Kong police have issued arrest warrants for eight pro-democracy activists living abroad, claiming they have violated the territorys national security law. Dennis Kwok, a former politician in Hong Kong who was born in Canada, is among them. Hong Kongs National Security Department (NSD) issued the arrest warrants on July 3, along with a HK$1 million dollar reward (C$170,000) for information on the eight activists. Besides Kwok, the other seven accused are Kevin Yam, Gong-yi Yuan, Fung-yee Kwok, Chi-fung Hui, Siu-tat Mung, Chodik Lau, and Kwun-chung Law. They are all currently living in countries such as the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia. The self-exiled democracy activists are accused of offences under Hong Kongs national security law, including incitement to secession, subversion, incitement to subversion, and collusion with a foreign country or with external elements to endanger national security, according to an NSD press release. Hong Kong, a former British colony, has been semi-autonomous since being returned to Chinese sovereignty in 1997. Beijing has sought to tighten control over the city, particularly after a massive democracy movement in 2019. Following over a year of protests in Hong Kong against the introduction of a bill that would allow extradition to mainland China, Beijings rubber-stamp legislature implemented its national security law in the city on June 30, 2020, targeting so-called session, subversion of state power, and collusion with foreign forces. Following the laws passage, authorities have shut down outspoken media outlets and arrested around 260 pro-democracy figures. In a follow-up release on July 4, the NSD security secretary urged the wanted individuals to voluntarily return to Hong Kong, adding that the police will track down their relatives and family members who provided them with financial support. The Hong Kong government and the Security Bureau of Hong Kong both issued statements backing the NSD. Kwok is a solicitor who became a member of the Hong Kong Legislative Council and served in politics from 2012 to 2020. He is also a founding member of the pro-democracy Civic Party in Hong Kong. In May 2022, he launched a law firm in New York that specializes in complex business litigation, according to legal news service Law360. A spokesperson with Global Affairs Canada expressed concerns about the Hong Kong polices arrest warrants but noted that Canadian consul officials have not received any requests for consular assistance related to the eight activists. Canada is gravely concerned by the issuance of arrest warrants by Hong Kong authorities for 8 democratic activists around the world. We continue to call on Hong Kong and Chinese central authorities to respect and uphold rights and freedoms guaranteed under Hong Kongs Basic Law, Charlotte MacLeod said in an email statement. British Foreign Secretary James Cleverly has criticized the arrest warrants, saying the UK will not tolerate the Chinese regimes attempts to silence overseas dissidents. Terrorizing Hongkongers The timing and purpose of NSDs arrest warrants puzzles Victor Ho, former editor-in-chief for the Sing Tao Daily, a Chinese newspaper in Canada. Ho said some of the wanted, such as Mr. Gong-yi Yuanas well as Ho himselfwere already on another wanted list released by the Hong Kong Security Bureau in 2022. He said the latest arrest warrants appear to be politically motivated. I believe it is primarily used to terrorize Hongkongers and for two reasons: One is to deter them from contacting the wanted people, and the other is to cut off financial support for these individuals, Mr. Ho told The Epoch Times in Chinese. He added that the Hong Kong authorities may be attempting to show teeth, aiming to signal to the Hong Kong diaspora that the national security law carries extraterritorial jurisdiction. The NSDs July 3 release appeared to convey a similar message, saying, As the National Security Law has extraterritorial effect, the Police have the responsibility to pursue the liability of those who have allegedly committed offences under the National Security Law outside Hong Kong. Ho noted that despite the show of force from police, the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia have all previously suspended the extradition agreement with Hong Kong after the national security law was imposed. Andy Wong, policy researcher for the Ontario-based NGO Canada-Hong Kong Link, echoed Mr. Hos view that the arrest warrant was largely a political symbol. This whole thing is more symbolic than really doing anything in terms of really trying to catch these people, but its politically symbolic, Mr. Wong told The Epoch Times. He said the warrant was intended to have a deterrent effect, pointing to the impact of the news on pro-democracy protesters outside of Chinese territories. The spread of fear is there, he said. He also raised concerns about the Hong Kong authorities increasing alignment with Beijing. It kind of worries me in the sense that you will not find the kind of very efficient government, or governance, in Hong Kong because everything is related to politics. Everything is about pleasing the Beijing masters, Mr. Wong said. Hong Kong Police on High Security Alert, 87-Year-Old Slogan Bearer Escorted Away on Anniversary of July 1 87-year-old Uncle Ng was surrounded by a number of police officers and escorted to the Causeway Bay MTR station after holding a sign that read "Abolish national security laws, implement human rights conventions, release political prisoners, and may God bless Hong Kong." July 1, 2023. (Sung Pi-Lung/The Epoch Times) On July 1, an 87-year-old senior was taken away by Hong Kong police officers for hanging a photo of Jesus Christ on his chest and holding a banner scripted with the slogans, Abolish national security laws, implement human rights conventions, release political prisoners, and may God bless Hong Kong. July 1 marks the 26th anniversary of the handover of Hong Kongs sovereignty, and it is also the fourth consecutive year since 2020 that Hong Kong citizens have failed to apply or obtain permission to hold any mass parades. At about 4:00 p.m. on July 1, 87-year-old Uncle Ng appeared in Causeway Bay. Ng said he had participated in the July 1 parade before, but with all political and civic groups falling by the wayside, no one has applied for permission to stage the parade anymore. He said, I will definitely be arrested! But if I dont come out, I feel uneasy. If I dont dare to come out in such an environment, whats the worth of me being a worshipper of God? All I need is the conscience that lets me feel better. One police officer walked forward to intercept Uncle Ng, escorted him outside the front of SOGO, and tied an orange ribbon to seal off that area. Dozens of policemen arrived at the scene to drive away the reporters. Surrounded by a number of police officers, Uncle Ng was taken to Causeway Bay MTR Station. According to Uncle Ng, the two police officers told him they were worried his slogans might have violated the National Security Law. If he wants to express his view, he can consult the police beforehand. Ng was allowed to leave. The police pulled up an orange ribbon outside SOGO in Causeway Bay, cordoned the area, and stopped and searched an 87-year-old man on July 1, 2023. (Sung Pi-Lung/The Epoch Times) At about 4:30 p.m., a 67-year-old woman was suspected of waving a flag in Queensway, Central. The police officer issued a verbal warning to her, and the woman was then allowed to leave. At around 5:15 p.m., the police received a report that two national flags with burn marks and a Chinese Communist Party (CCP) flag with Black Heart Hospital were found in the covered corridor on the first floor of Queensway in Central. The case was treated as an incident of insulting the national flag. The police said they were looking for an ethnic Chinese man, no one had been arrested at the time of publishing. The police revealed that as of 9 p.m. on July 1, 14 men and one woman were intercepted in Wanchai District, aged between 17 and 87. Police issued verbal warnings to an 87-year-old man and a 54-year-old woman, reminding them not to cause disturbance to social order in public. All were then allowed to leave, and no arrests had been made. A police anti-terrorist squad in Causeway Bay. July 1, 2023. (Sung Pi-Lung/The Epoch Times) On the eve of July 1, several pro-communist media and major shopping malls responded to a governments call for the initiative to maintain social stability. They went viral on the internet, offering many consumer discounts to create a harmonious atmosphere. Victoria Park, in the past a popular assembly site of the 7-1 parade organized by the Civil Human Rights Front, was taken en totalite by one pro-communist organization, Hong Kong Celebration Association, to hold its own celebration activities such as promoting the Greater Bay Area and mainland tourism. Entry into the park must first pass a security check. One online media reporter was stopped and searched by the police during his live broadcast. The police pointed out that during the live broadcast, he made a detailed description of the appearance of the people entering the venue, warning him that he might violate the Public Order Ordinance by disrupting social order. The said reporter was later released. Police armored vehicles stood guard on the streets of Causeway Bay from dawn till late night. July 1, 2023. (Sung Pi-Lung/The Epoch Times) Since June 30, the police had deployed entire vigilance squadrons in Causeway Bay and the area around the Wanchai Convention and Exhibition Centre, with a large contingent of police patrolling around Victoria Park, and there were also police armored vehicles standing guard in Causeway Bay. From time to time, journalists and passers-by were stopped and searched. Trash bins in Wanchai and Causeway Bay were all taken away earlier. Sources said it was to prevent someone from placing explosives there. At the SOGO department store entrance, where a police officer was stabbed in 2021, more than 50 police officers were on guard, including uniformed police officers wearing tactical vests and the anti-terrorism special forces patrolling in small groups. At around 8 p. m., the Saber-toothed tiger armored vehicle was parked outside the SOGO department store. High-Priority Network Monitoring A source who did not want to be named revealed to the Epoch Times that the Security Bureau and the police have been exercising high-priority online monitoring of public opinions for one to two days before July 1. Prime targets under carpet surveillance include posts on social platforms and media reports, especially those that showed netizens were mobilizing any street action. The government will contact the respective social platform administrators and media leaders if needed. The government also deliberately arranged pro-government media to report positively about the July 1 events and avoid reporting anything negative. Hong Kong People Held Annual July 1 Protests Since 2003 Although July 1 is the day of Hong Kongs handover of sovereignty, the Beijing authorities have always hoped to show a candid celebration atmosphere on this day. Over the years, pro-Communist groups have applied to stage a celebratory parade in the morning, but most of the time, it was scantily attended. On the contrary, since 2003, Hong Kong people have held protest marches on Hong Kong Island every year on this day, with participants ranging from tens of thousands to hundreds of thousands. Various demands were raised during the parades, such as objection to the enactment of Article 23 of the Basic Law and universal suffrage for elections of both the LegCo and the Chief Executive, among others. During the anti-extradition movement on July 1, 2019, the last time Hong Kong people were granted a Letter of No Objection by the police to hold a legal parade, the number of attendants reached 550,000. For the CCP leaders who used to attend the official celebratory reception every year, it is utterly embarrassing that many more citizens express their dissatisfaction than those who celebrate. On June 30, 2020, the CCP passed the Hong Kong National Security Law (NSL), which began to be implemented in Hong Kong. For the first time, the police banned the July 1 parade, but tens of thousands of citizens still took to the streets to participate in the spontaneous parade. In August 2021, the organizer of the parade, the Civil Human Rights Front, announced its disbandment. Several groups, including the League of Social Democrats, TSW Connection, and the Save Lantau Alliance, had all applied to the police to hold a July 1 parade but were refused in all cases. On July 1, 2022, when Xi Jinping, leader of the CCP, visited Hong Kong, no individual or group applied to hold the July 1 parade. On June 30, 2020, the CCP passed the Hong Kong National Security Law, which began to be implemented in Hong Kong. For the first time, the police banned the July 1 parade, but tens of thousands of citizens still took to the streets to participate in the spontaneous parade. Human Rights Watch Reports New Evidence of Ukrainian Use of Banned Landmines Combat engineers of pro-Russian troops demine PMF-1 Lepestok anti-personnel landmines on a street in Donetsk, Ukraine, on July 31, 2022. (Alexander Ermochenko/Reuters) WASHINGTONHuman Rights Watch (HRW) said on Friday that it uncovered new evidence of the indiscriminate use by Ukrainian forces of banned anti-personnel landmines against Russian troops who invaded Ukraine in 2022. The group called on Ukraines government to follow through with a commitment made earlier in June not to employ such weapons, investigate their suspected use, and hold accountable those responsible. The Ukrainian governments pledge to investigate its militarys apparent use of banned anti-personnel mines is an important recognition of its duty to protect civilians, Steve Goose, Human Rights Watchs arms director, said in a statement. HRW said it shared its findings with the Ukrainian government in a May letter to which it received no response. Ukraines embassy in Washington did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment. Ukrainian mine experts scan for unexploded ordnance and landmines by the main road to Kherson, Ukraine, on Nov. 16, 2022. (Murad Sezer/Reuters) Ukraine in 2005 ratified a 1997 international treaty banning such mines and mandating the destruction of stocks of the weapons. Russia did not join the treaty and its use of anti-personnel mines violates international humanitarian law because they are inherently indiscriminate, the report said. Anti-personnel mines are detonated by a persons presence, proximity or contact and can kill and maim long after a conflict ends. Since Russias February 2022 invasion, HRW has published four reports documenting the use by Russian troops of 13 types of anti-personnel mines that killed and injured civilians. The new report is a follow-on to a January report that Ukrainian soldiers fired rockets that scattered thousands of PMF-1 mines in Russian-occupied areas in and around the eastern city of Izium between April and September 2022, when Kyivs forces recaptured it. The latest report said that fresh evidence of Ukrainian forces use of anti-personnel mines in 2002 came from photographs posted online by an individual working in eastern Ukraine that showed warhead sections of Uragan 220mm rockets. Those rockets each indiscriminately disburse 312 PFM-1S anti-personnel mines, said the report. Analysis of handwriting on one warhead determined that the first word was Ukrainian for from, while a second Latin alphabet word related to an organization in Kyiv, which the report did not identify. The person who headed the organizationalso unidentifiedhad social media posts indicating that they had donated funds to the Ukrainian military via a non-governmental organization (NGO). Photographs of Uragan warheads posted online bearing messages written in Ukrainian were linked to a different Ukraine-based group, the report said. IN-DEPTH: Supreme Court Made Major Conservative Rulings This Term Justices of the Supreme Court pose for their official photo in Washington on Oct. 7, 2022. (Front LR) Justices Sonia Sotomayor and Clarence Thomas, Chief Justice John Roberts, Justices Samuel Alito and Elena Kagan. (Back LR) Justices Amy Coney Barrett, Neil Gorsuch, Brett Kavanaugh, and Ketanji Brown Jackson. (Olivier Douliery/AFP via Getty Images) News Analysis The Supreme Courts six-member conservative-leaning majority flexed its muscles in its recent term that wrapped up on June 30. It adopted a conservative or pro-limited-government position in a series of closely watched rulings dealing with affirmative action, student loan relief, religious freedom, and property rights. The term came after last years tumultuous term, in which it advanced conservative goals when it reversed Roe v. Wade, finding there was no constitutional right to abortion; recognized a constitutional right to carry a gun in public for self-defense; and curbed the governments environmental regulatory powers. The court issued 58 opinions in cases argued in the term that began in October 2022. Its new term will begin with oral arguments in October. Curt Levey, an attorney who is president of the conservative legal advocacy nonprofit Committee for Justice, said he was generally happy with the decisions rendered this term. This is a jurisprudentially conservative court that engages in textualism and certainly defers to precedentunless its outrageous. He said he was pleased that the court did push back against the administrative state, a reference to unelected bureaucrats exercising power that is supposed to be exercised according to the directive of elected officials. The court did disappoint some conservatives by issuing only a brief stay against the abortion pill mifepristone, when its regulatory approval was challenged but then immediately lifted it, he said, referring to the April stay that temporarily blocked the pills sale. From a conservative constitutionalist perspective, this term bodes well for the future, Levey said in an interview. The base of both parties will continue to want everything to go their way [and be] results-oriented. But I do wish that the base on the left at least would stop its rhetoric about this being a reflexively right-wing court because the evidence is its clearly to the contrary. Larry Salzman, director of litigation for the pro-liberty legal nonprofit Pacific Legal Foundation (PLF), told The Epoch Times that this term, the court again expressed a willingness to answer fundamental questions. They looked at major cases on property rights, separation of powers, the 14th Amendment, and the meaning of civil rights. This term, the court examined some of the deepest questions that the Constitution confrontsthe relationship between the government and individuals, and with the separation of powers, Salzman said in an interview. The court was deeply engaged in preventing federal agencies from exercising authority or doing things that Congress didnt authorize them to do. The court is standing in its proper role as a coequal branch of government to say, We say what the law is, Congress wrote a law, and youre exceeding it. And so the executive branch, the president of the United States, just cant do things that Congress didnt authorize. Salzman said it is naive to think that the Supreme Courts decisions are all about which parties appointed the justices. Jurisprudential reasoning is both more subtle and philosophical than you can line up with parties, and I dont think it serves our institutions to have this view that its all about politics. Its absolutely not. There are principles beneath all of these cases. Affirmative Action In arguably the most anticipated decisions of the term, the court ruled 6-2 in Students for Fair Admissions Inc. (SFFA) v. Harvard College and 6-3 in SFFA v. University of North Carolina (UNC) to end the use of racially discriminatory admissions policies at U.S. colleges. The court said the rulings dont apply to military academies because they didnt figure in the cases and because there may be potentially distinct and compelling interests that justify the policy. Then-Justice Sandra Day OConnor predicted the demise of affirmative action at colleges in Grutter v. Bollinger (2003). We expect that 25 years from now, the use of racial preferences will no longer be necessary, she wrote, adding that all governmental use of race must have a logical end point. Chief Justice John Roberts wrote on June 29 that for too long, universities have concluded, wrongly, that the touchstone of an individuals identity is not challenges bested, skills built, or lessons learned but the color of their skin. A student must be treated based on his or her experiences as an individualnot on the basis of race. Many universities have for too long done just the opposite Our constitutional history does not tolerate that choice. Justice Clarence Thomas, the nations second black Supreme Court justice after the late Thurgood Marshall, wrote that the universities admissions policies have been exposed for what they are: rudderless, race-based preferences designed to ensure a particular racial mix in their entering classes. Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson, the first black female justice, sharply dissented, saying that the UNC ruling was truly a tragedy for us all. With let-them-eat-cake obliviousness, today, the majority pulls the ripcord and announces colorblindness for all by legal fiat. But deeming race irrelevant in law does not make it so in life. PLFs Salzman said the result here was encouraging. On the whole, they [the justices] are willing to consider anew the deepest questions in civil rights law, and they came up with an answer. And that answer is: What matters is not groups, what matters is individuals. And race has no place in public life. I think the effect it would have more broadly doing is reaffirming the point that the 14th Amendment establishes a colorblind Constitution, he said. Redistricting But the court was unwilling to remove the racial analysis in two cases about who gets to draw the boundaries of congressional districts, ruling against the conservativeconstitutionalist position in both cases. Republicans wanted the court to back away from factoring the race of voters into its jurisprudential calculus, while Democrats hoped the court would embrace the status quo and retain race as a factor in redistricting disputes. On June 8, the court voted 5-4 to strike down Alabamas electoral map, finding the map drawn by Republican state lawmakers was racially discriminatory and therefore a violation of the federal Voting Rights Act (VRA). In Allen v. Milligan, the GOP-dominated state asked the court to weaken Section 2 of the VRA, which forbids voting procedures that discriminate on the basis of race, color, or membership in a large language minority group. But the court declined to do so. Alabamas position runs headlong into our precedent, Chief Justice John Roberts wrote. A district is not equally open when minority voters faceunlike their majority peersbloc voting along racial lines, arising against the backdrop of substantial racial discrimination within the State, that renders a minority vote unequal to a vote by a nonminority voter. Justice Clarence Thomas dissented, writing that he would resolve these cases in a way that would not require the Federal Judiciary to decide the correct racial apportionment of Alabamas congressional seats. In Moore v. Harper, the court ruled 6-3 against North Carolina Republicans who argued that state legislatures have sweeping authority to make the rules for federal elections in the states without interference from the courts. Three conservative-leaning justices were in the majority; the other three dissented. When it was dominated by Democrats, the Supreme Court of North Carolina struck down an electoral map drawn by the North Carolina General Assembly, finding that it violated the state Constitutions provisions against gerrymandering. But Republicans took over the state court and reversed the ruling while the U.S. Supreme Court was still considering the case, finding there was no judicially manageable standard by which to adjudicate partisan gerrymandering claims and that courts are not intended to meddle in policy matters. On June 27, the U.S. Supreme Court rejected the independent state legislature doctrine, under which Republicans say that the Constitution has always directly authorized state legislatures alone to make rules for conducting federal elections in their respective states. Democrats say it is a fringe conservative legal theory that could endanger voting rights, enable partisan gerrymandering in the redistricting process, and cause upheaval in election administration. Justice Clarence Thomas wrote that he would have dismissed the case as indisputably moot after the North Carolina court ruled in the matter. Christian Adams, president of the Public Interest Legal Foundation, a good-government group that focuses on election integrity, told The Epoch Times that the Milligan and Moore decisions wont change much. Both rulings merely continued the status quo, he said by email. The Alabama redistricting opinion just restated and reaffirmed Gingles v. Thornburg, Adams said, referencing a 1986 Supreme Court decision. Moore v. Harper just kept the status quostates have judicial review. So I think the impact is close to zero. Levey told The Epoch Times it was a bit of a stretch to say that state legislatures are not subject to state judicial review, as North Carolina had argued. Biden White House principal deputy press secretary Olivia Dalton applauded the court for rejecting the extreme legal theory presented in this case, which would have interfered with state governments [and] which would have opened the door for politicians to undermine peopleand would have threatened the freedom of all Americans to have their voices heard at the ballot box. Student Loan Forgiveness That the court struck down President Joe Bidens student loan forgiveness program on June 30 didnt come as a surprise to most legal commentators. The Supreme Court voted 63, with all six conservative-leaning justices voting to invalidate the program and all three liberal-leaning justices voting to uphold it. Biden unveiled the plan in a move that critics decried as a constitutionally dubious attempt to help Democrats in the November 2022 congressional elections. The Congressional Budget Office said the plan could cost about $400 billion although the Wharton School estimated the price tag could blow past $1 trillion. The now-invalidated program would have canceled as much as $20,000 in loan principals for each of 40 million borrowers. In Biden v. Nebraska, Chief Justice John Roberts wrote that the government overreached when it invoked the Higher Education Relief Opportunities for Students Act of 2003 (HEROES Act) to grant debt relief en masse. The government modified the cited provisions [in the statute] only in the same sense that the French Revolution modified the status of the French nobilityit has abolished them and supplanted them with a new regime entirely, Roberts wrote. Justice Elena Kagan, dissented, writing that the government had broad authority to relieve a national emergencys effect on borrowers ability to repay their student loans. Biden denounced the decision and blamed Republicans. Sixteen million people had been approved for debt relief and the money was literally about to go out the door. And then Republican elected officials and special interests stepped in, the president said. They said no, noliterally snatching from the hands of millions of Americans thousands of dollars in student debt relief that was about to change their lives. Religious Freedom The court continued its trend in recent years of becoming increasingly protective of religious freedoms. It ruled 63 on June 30 in favor of a Christian website designer who said that Colorados law requiring her to create websites to celebrate same-sex weddings infringed on her constitutional rights. Justice Neil Gorsuch wrote in 303 Creative LLC v. Elenis that Colorado may not force an individual to speak in ways that align with its views but defy her conscience about a matter of major significance. Justice Sonia Sotomayor dissented, writing that, Today, the Court, for the first time in its history, grants a business open to the public a constitutional right to refuse to serve members of a protected class. On June 29, the court ruled unanimously in Groff v. DeJoy that the U.S. Postal Service violated the constitutional rights of an evangelical Christian mail carrier when the agency refused to accommodate his wish not to work on the Sunday Sabbath. We think it is enough to say that an employer must show that the burden of granting an accommodation would result in substantial increased costs in relation to the conduct of its particular business, Justice Samuel Alito wrote for the court. Lawyer Aaron Streett, who represented Groff, hailed the new ruling at the time. Our nation has a long history of protecting its employees from being treated differently at work just because of their faith. This decision is consistent with that history and is a tremendous win for all people of faith. Immigration The Supreme Court held 81 on June 23 that Texas and Louisiana may not challenge the Biden administrations decision to focus deportation efforts on individuals deemed to be a threat to public safety. The state sued the Biden administration over a policy announced in a Sept. 30, 2021, memorandum by Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas that claims its impossible to remove the estimated 11 million illegal aliens present in the United States. The document laid out a case-by-case process in which it prioritized the arrest and deportation of suspected terrorists, people who have committed crimes, and illegal aliens recently apprehended at the border. But the states argued that the federal government was illegally refusing to enforce immigration laws by prioritizing only certain categories at the expense of others. They said the law requires that specific criminal aliens, such as aggravated felons, must be detained upon release from criminal custody pending a decision on whether to remove them from the country. The law also requires that aliens subject to final orders of removal must be detained pending their removal, they said. Justice Brett Kavanaugh threw out the states challenge, writing in United States v. Texas that the lawsuit was extraordinarily unusual and that precedent dictates that states lack legal standing to challenge the policy. Because resources are limited, the government must prioritize some enforcement areas over others, he wrote. The court has consistently recognized that federal courts are generally not the proper forum for resolving claims that the Executive Branch should make more arrests or bring more prosecutions. In his dissent, Justice Samuel Alito expressed sympathy for the states, saying that they were already laboring under the effects of massive illegal immigration and the courts decision makes them even more helpless. Property Rights The court reinforced private property rights that were being encroached upon by governments in three cases. PLF represented the legal challengers in all three appeals. The court voted to rein in the power of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to regulate wetlands on May 25 in Sackett v. EPA. The justices unanimously ruled in favor of Chantell and Mike Sackett, who years ago, had started building a new home in Priest Lake, Idaho, when the EPA and Army Corps of Engineers suddenly ordered them to stop all work. The government agencies stated that the couple needed a federal permit and threatened them with more than $30,000 in daily fines. The EPA had determined years before that the Sacketts parcel of land contained wetlands. The Sacketts say their lot lacks a surface water connection to any stream, creek, lake, or other water body and that it shouldnt be subject to federal regulation and permitting. But the justices disagreed on the new rule that the court should follow, splitting 54 on what criteria should be used. The courts majority opinion was written by Justice Samuel Alito, who held that the EPA had overreached. The federal Clean Water Act extends to only those wetlands with a continuous surface connection to bodies that are waters of the United States in their own right, so that they are indistinguishable from those waters. The wetlands on the Sacketts property are distinguishable from any possibly covered waters, Alito wrote. Justice Brett Kavanaugh wrote in a dissenting opinion that the test the courts majority adopted here was wrong. [T]he Courts continuous surface connection test departs from the statutory text, from 45 years of consistent agency practice, and from this Courts precedents, he wrote. Justice Elena Kagan wrote that the majority was reacting to an ambitious scheme of environmental regulation, to curtail the anti-pollution actions Congress thought appropriate. PLFs Salzman told The Epoch Times that Sackett was a property rights caseit was about a family trying to build a home on their private property and whether the federal government had authority to stop them. And so in the end, they said, the local government approved building permits, and the federal government shouldnt have any more to say about it, he said. IN-DEPTH: US-India Ties Built on More Than Just China Threat U.S. President Joe Biden and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi (L) listen to the national anthems during a welcoming ceremony for Modi in the South Lawn of the White House on June 22, 2023. (Mandel Ngan/AFP via Getty Images) NEW DELHIAmid growing antagonism toward Chinas communist regime, the Indian leaders recent trip to the United States was considered a landmark geopolitical event by some observers. However, the strengthening bilateral relations between the United States and India are dynamic and complicated, and China isnt the only factor determining it, according to experts. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modis visit to the United States highlighted his leadership, the U.S.-India strategic partnership, and business deals between both nations. Experts told The Epoch Times that the underlying thread to the evolved bilateral ties is shared values and shared threats, while domestic politics has also played a role in shaping the bonhomie between Modi and U.S. leaders, whether its President Joe Biden or former President Donald Trump. The U.S.-India relationship is, to a large extent, built on the foundation of shared values and threats, Akhil Ramesh, a senior resident fellow at the Honolulu-based Pacific Forum, told The Epoch Times in an email. The relationship is often criticized for not growing at expected rates but looking at the relationship in a silo, trade, and defense ties have grown exponentially over the last two decades. Ramesh believes India is a powerful regional balancer for the United States in the Indian Ocean with certain unique factors not offered by any partner before. The recurring criticism of American allies in Europe and East Asia is their reliance on the U.S. to protect their own sovereign territories. India is the exact opposite, and for many defense and strategic experts (particularly in the realism and restraint community) who do not want to lift the burden of foreign nations, India is a dream come true, said Ramesh. India prefers no U.S. presence on its shores, according to Ramesh, while the United States offers India the technology and capital so it could become part of the Fourth Industrial Revolution. And more importantly, the [United States offers] advanced and critical technology required to defend itself against Chinese aggression, said Ramesh. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi addresses a joint meeting of Congress at the U.S. Capitol in Washington on June 22, 2023. (Mandel Ngan/AFP via Getty Images) Chinas Not the Only Factor Experts believe its not China alone that motivates India-U.S. relations. The massive Indian market and the domestic politics in India and the United States also play a role in the bilateral ties. Ramesh said that India recently surpassed China as the worlds most populous country, which is of interest to the larger U.S. economy. The favorable demographics (ages 1835) and the large population make the Indian market an attractive one for all businesses seeking expansion and [are] vital for ones that have either hit saturation at home or have been expelled from other large markets such as China (think Silicon Valley tech), said Ramesh. Abhijit Iyer-Mitra, a senior research fellow at the Institute of Peace and Conflict Studies, told The Epoch Times on June 21 that Modi is very popular with the 5-million-strong Indian diaspora in the United States and his visit will help him during Indias 2024 national election and will help Biden in the 2024 U.S. presidential election. This is the Democrats trying to create one state visit. State visits are very good like they realized both for Anthony Albanese in Australia and for Boris Johnson! This entire show, this thing worked really well. So they are looking to get some votes before the election for Biden, said Iyer-Mitra. Modis last visit to the United States was in September 2019, when he addressed a 50,000-strong crowd in NRG Stadium in Houston, Texas, during the Howdy, Modi event in which he made an appearance with Trump. If you notice the voting numbers, more Indians voted for Trump than ever before, said Iyer-Mitra. Just two days before Modi started his state visit to the United States, Secretary of State Antony Blinken met Chinese leader Xi Jinping on June 19 in Beijing and said the United States supports the One China policy and doesnt support Taiwanese independence. Blinkens China trip was initially scheduled for February, but it was delayed due to the Chinese spy balloon incident. Iyer-Mitra called Blinkens formulation of words wrong and said it was a green light given to the Chinese regime to invade Taiwan. Countries, even though they like to focus on China, they are bogged down by their respective rationales, which is a practical threat. You prioritize the threat over the strategic threat, which is a game China plays. You know, you cant escape Chinas manufacturing or antagonize China completely, he said. Trade between the United States and China was $690 billion in 2022, and between India and China, it was $135.9 billion in the same period. Iyer-Mitra expressed cynicism about New Delhi and Washington doing anything concrete to contain China. This is just showing that India and America can deal with China if they want to, but I dont think either of us has the willpower to do it, he said. And yet he feels Beijing took Modis trip to the United States seriously, as indicated by the Chinese state-run media that tried to downplay the event. Indias Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar (R) speaking with his Chinese counterpart Qin Gang on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization Council of Foreign Ministers meeting in Benaulim on May 4, 2023. (Indian Ministry of External Affairs/AFP via Getty Images) Situation Has Turned Around Russia was Indias main weapons supplier. In the old world order, India allied with Russia, while the United States was closer to Pakistan, which was determined by a convergence of interests. With the emergence of an aggressive Chinese regime that increasingly threatens the United States and the free world it leads, the situation has turned around with India and the United States working together while China, Pakistan, and Russia form an asymmetric alliance, said experts. Dr. Satoru Nagao, a non-resident fellow at the Washington-based Hudson Insititute, told The Epoch Times that in the earlier matrix of geopolitical convergence, Russia was Indias main defense partner, and today, despite Russians saying that their relationship isnt impacted by India-U.S. bilateral ties, the Indo-Russia relation has changed and is marred by the reality of a new world order. After the Cold War, Russia started to export weapons to China, which is a serious security threat to India. Russia is exporting weapons to Pakistan, too. For example, the engine of the China-Pakistan joint development fighter jet JF-17 is a Russian product. Russia also sold Mi-35 attack helicopters to Pakistan. India and Pakistan have fought four wars in the past seven decades. India and China had a major conflict in 1962 and have had multiple border skirmishes, including the bloody conflict of Galwan in 2020. In the last decade, Pakistan tilted toward China. The latter, since 2015, has been building the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor that runs through disputed territory between India and Pakistan. Meanwhile, the tensions between the United States and China have increased in the Indo-Pacific. Because Pakistan is connected with Islamic radicals, the image of India for the U.S. is that of a victim of Islamic terrorism. In addition, if Pakistan wasnt cooperating with China, Pakistan would be relatively good for the U.S., too, said Nagao. Ramesh opines that China-Pakistan relations have little to do with Indias close ties with the United States. Indias relationship with the U.S. is built on the foundation/pillars of tech trade, diaspora, and defense. The China or the China-Pakistan axis question is only one part of the larger relationship, said Ramesh. China and Pakistan signed a $4.8 billion deal on June 20 to build a 1,200-megawatt nuclear power plant in Pakistan. While it coincided with Modis U.S. trip, Iyer-Mitra said its not surprising that Beijing would make such a move. China has run out of tactical levers on India, he said. Russian President Vladimir Putin speaks to Chinese leader Xi Jinping during the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit in Samarkand, Uzbekistan, on Sept. 16, 2022. (Sergei Bobylev, Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo via AP) Nagao said that in this changing context of geopolitics, reliance on Russia isnt in Indias best interest, and the Indian government has started diversifying its weapons source. India has recently imported more weapons from the United States, United Kingdom, France, and Israel than Russia. Since the Russia-Ukraine war began in February 2022, New Delhi began to rely less on Moscow, according to Nagao, because Russia needs weapons and cant meet all of Indias weapons demands. Shortage of weapons [requires] Russia to import weapon parts from China and ammunition from Iran and North Korea. And sanctions against Russia limit Russia from getting parts (especially semiconductors) to make weapons. Russia cannot export weapons, repair parts, and ammunition to India despite nearly half of the weapons India possesses are still of Russian origin, said Nagao. This situation has pushed India toward the indigenous production of weapons as well. However, in todays complex and interdependent supply chains, India needs trustworthy partners like the United States. India wants to increase domestic-made weapons such as Tejas fighter jets, Arjun tanks, etc. However, it is impossible to make all parts of these domestic-made weapons themselves. For example, the engine of Tejas fighter jets is American-made. India needs the capability to make weapons themselves, said Nagao. In this emerging situation, the India-U.S. cooperation will mutually benefit both countries, he said. In the past, the United States was reluctant to share its sensitive defense technology with India. However, this time, the U.S. accepted Indias request to share the technology. So India and the U.S. can make the engine jointly, said Nagao, adding that Washington agreed to work with New Delhi because if India uses American weapons instead of Russian weapons, it benefits the United States. Russian S-400 anti-aircraft missile systems move through Red Square during the Victory Day military parade in Moscow on May 9, 2021. (Kirill Kudryavtsev/AFP via Getty Images) Exceptions for India Indias purchase of the Russian S-400 missile system was in the news last year. While the missile system purchase ensured that sanctions under the Countering Americas Adversaries Through Sanctions Act (CAATSA) were in place against Turkey, a NATO ally, India was exempted. Experts told The Epoch Times that the sanctions waiver proves that the United States understands Indias values and concerns and theres trust in the partnership. Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) had called any attempts at sanctioning India extraordinarily foolhardy during a hearing on pending nominations by the Senate Foreign Relations Committee last year. Immediately after Modis speech to the joint house of the Congress on June 22, Cruz told The Epoch Times that India is the worlds largest democracy and its important to have friendship and alliances with India. [During] The first two years of the Biden administration, the White House took multiple steps pushing India away from us, including bizarrely threatening to sanction India. I introduced legislation in the Senate to block the Biden administration from sanctioning India, said Cruz. Im very glad that the speaker invited Prime Minister Modi to be here, and I think his being with President Biben was important for continuing to advance our friendship. Ramesh said that Indias goal to produce its own weapons is not easy and the United States understands that. So it [U.S.] is giving it [India] time to diversify, and India has diversified over the last decade, said Ramesh. Moreover, CAATSA waivers are a recognition of Indias responsible actions on the world stage and its history of upholding the rules-based international order. It has not violated international laws or seas such as China in the South China Sea, nor has it encroached on foreign territory. Nagao said that the situation has changed due to the Ukraine conflict, and Indians will stop buying the S-400 missile system because the Russians need it for themselves. Only three battalions will come to India despite five battalions being agreed between India and Russia, said Nagao. The Indian Air Force told the Indian parliamentary committee in March that due to the Ukraine war, Russia cant keep up with its defense supplies to India. So, we had a major delivery this year, which is not going to take place. They have given us in writing that they are not able to deliver it, said the IAF representative, according to a report (pdf) published by Indias Lower House of Parliament. Jackson Richman contributed to this report. Judge Delivers Major Blow to Biden Admin in Social Media Censorship Case President Joe Biden speaks about the Supreme Court's decision overruling student debt forgiveness at the White House on June 30, 2023. (Jim Watson/AFP via Getty Images) A federal judge has made a historic ruling by partially granting an injunction that blocks various Biden administration officials and government agencies such as the Justice Department and the FBI from working with big tech firms to censor posts on social media. The injunction came in response to a censorship-by-proxy lawsuit brought by attorneys general in Louisiana and Missouri, who have accused Biden administration officials and various government agencies of pressuring social media companies to suspend accounts or take down posts. Judge Terry A. Doughty of the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Louisiana wrote in the July 4 ruling (pdf) that various government agencies, including the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Agency, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), the State Department, the Department of Justice (DOJ), and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention are prohibited from taking a range of actions regarding social media companies. Shocking, Appalling, and Concerning Specifically, the agencies and their staff members are prohibited from meeting or contacting by phone, email, or text message or engaging in any communication of any kind with social-media companies urging, encouraging, pressuring, or inducing in any manner for removal, deletion, suppression, or reduction of content containing protected free speech, per the injunction. The agencies are also barred from flagging content on posts on social media platforms and forwarding them to the companies with requests for action such as removing or otherwise suppressing their reach. Encouraging or otherwise egging on social media companies to change their guidelines for the removal, suppression, or reduction of content that contains protected free speech by the government also isnt allowed. This could be arguably one of the most important First Amendment cases in modern history, Louisiana Attorney General Jeff Landry, one of the plaintiffs, told The Epoch Times American Thought Leaders in an interview following the ruling. If you look at the opinion that the judge lays out, he takes from our argument that this is basically one of the most massive undertakings of the federal government to limit American speech in the history of our country. The things that we uncovered, in this case, should be both shocking, appalling, and concerning for all Americans. Doughty, a Trump appointee, wrote in the decision that the Republican attorneys general who sued the Biden administration have produced evidence of a massive effort by Defendants, from the White House to federal agencies, to suppress speech based on its content. While the judges ruling isnt final, the preliminary injunction is a victory for the Republican attorneys general, who have accused the Biden administration of pressuring big tech companies to engage in a censorship-by-proxy scheme. I think that this injunction today certainly begins curtailing government action, and telling social media companies what they can and cannot allow on their platforms, Landry said. All Were Suppressed The judge wrote in an accompanying memorandum that the plaintiffs are likely to succeed on the merits in establishing that the Government has used its power to silence the opposition. Opposition to COVID-19 vaccines; opposition to COVID-19 masking and lockdowns; opposition to the lab-leak theory of COVID-19; opposition to the validity of the 2020 election; opposition to President Bidens policies; statements that the Hunter Biden laptop story was true; and opposition to policies of the government officials in power. All were suppressed, Doughty wrote. Landry gave examples of censorship-by-proxy at the hands of the Biden administration, including email chains between high-ranking White House officials and social media platforms targeting specific individuals, such as presidential hopeful Robert Kennedy Jr. and media personality Tucker Carlson, directly targeting them and asking those social media platforms to take their content down. There are a number of things that as we uncovered information in the discovery process of this case, that was shocking to us, all of that was presented to this judge, Landry said. And thats what I think was compelling him to eventually do what he did today, which is to order and give us the injunction. Similarly, Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey hailed the decision in a series of posts on social media. The Court has granted our motion to BLOCK top officials in the federal government from violating the First Amendment rights of millions of Americans. What a way to celebrate Independence Day, he said in a statement on Twitter. The preliminary injunction prohibits nearly all of the federal government, including DHS, DOJ, and HHS, from coercing and colluding with social media companies to censor free speech. However, the judge did make some exceptions in his order, allowing government officials to contact social media companies to alert them of criminal activity or threats to national security. Also allowed are contacts notifying social media companies about posts intending to mislead voters about voting requirements or procedures, as well as communicating with companies about suppressing posts that arent protected free speech. The injunction pertains to various named agencies as well as their agents, officers, employees, and contractors. The White House and various agencies named in the injunction didnt respond by press time to a request by The Epoch Times for comment. Landry said he expects that the defendants will appeal the ruling and, in response, he and Bailey will aggressively defend it, noting that he thinks the case will eventually be heard before the U.S. Supreme Court. Were not done yet, Bailey wrote in a post. Were just getting started. Censorship Was Encouraged There are several lawsuits accusing the Biden administration of censorship-by-proxy by leaning on social media companies to suspend accounts or take down posts, the case brought by Louisiana and Missouri has advanced further than any other. The judge overseeing the lawsuit refused to dismiss the case, finding in a March ruling (pdf) that Louisiana and Missouris free-speech claims were plausible and worthy of further litigation. This suit arises out of the alleged coercion by the Biden Administration and various government agencies and officials of social-media companies, urging those companies to censor viewpoints and speakers disfavored by the Left, Doughty wrote in the March ruling. The judge also permitted the plaintiffs to collect evidence, such as email communications between the White House and social media companies. Doughty wrote in the March ruling that the plaintiffs allege that this censorship was encouragedperhaps even mandatedby the Biden Administration and several key governmental departments. More than 50 officials in the Biden administration across a dozen agencies were involved in efforts to pressure big tech companies to censor alleged misinformation, according to documents released last year. In a recent op-ed for The Epoch Times, Landry wrote, Like a cancer, this violation of the First Amendment has seeded itself deep within our federal institutions, and these government actors neither believe what they did was wrong nor have any qualms about doing it again. To the north and south of the town of Bakhmut, the Defense Forces continue to exert pressure on the enemy, knocking him out of the previously captured borders, said spokesperson of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Andriy Kovaliov. "They have partial success, they are gaining a foothold on the achieved milestones," the Military Media Center quoted Kovaliov as saying on the Telegram channel. The General Staff noted that "the enemy is fiercely resisting, suffering huge losses," heavy fighting continues. At the same time, the Ukrainian military continue to restrain the offensive of the Russian occupation forces in Lymany, Avdiyivka and Maryinka directions. Looking Back at Blinkens Trip to Beijing Commentary Secretary of State Antony Blinken recently completed a chief supplicant mission to Beijing on June 19. The Cambridge Dictionary defines a supplicant as a person who asks a god or someone who is in a position of power for something in a humble way. Who could argue that Blinken acted otherwise? During the brief trip, he apparently made no big asks in representing U.S. interests and concerns vis-a-vis the Chinese communist belligerence in East Asia and elsewhere around the world and possibly gave Chinese leader Xi Jinping perhaps even more than he had hoped for. Let us examine the topic in hindsight. The Optics The Biden administrations China policy can be construed as talk-talk, that is, simply communicating without regard to actions or outcomes is of supreme importance. Never mind the historical instances in which other countries used talk-talk strategies to camouflage real intentions right up until the moment of a military attack. Examples of this include the nearly continual Nazi-Soviet diplomatic dialog prior to the Wehrmachts launch of Operation Barbarossa on June 22, 1941, and Japanese Ambassador (and retired admiral) Kichisaburo Nomuras disingenuous discussions with Secretary of State Cordell Hull and other U.S. diplomats in the months prior to the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor on Dec. 7, 1941. Xi probably could not have choreographed Blinkens trip any better from his point of view. It is no secret that the Biden administration seeks to reset U.S.-China policies to the engagement paradigm that existed before the Trump administration, with no limitations on Beijings behavior whatsoever. Blinkens visit to Beijing reflected this desire and gained nothing of substance except a last-minute photo op with Xi. A photo op is no substitute for negotiations on difficult issues of importance to Americans, which is what should be expected of a U.S. secretary of state. Acquiescing to Blinkens trip was one of Xis infamous win-win scenarios (with the usual Chinese characteristics): Blinken got his photo op, he confirmed several points of critical importance to the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), and the communists themselves gave up nothing. And the optics were delicious for Xi as he sat at the head of the negotiating table, which gave the appearance of presiding over some of the diplomatic exchanges. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken (4th L) attends a meeting with Chinas leader Xi Jinping (R) at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on June 19, 2023. (Leah Millis/Pool/AFP via Getty Images) The Biden State Department apparently values senior-level military-to-military chitchat over diplomatic pushback on demonstrated Chinese belligerence, for example, the Chinese surveillance balloons violation of U.S. airspace in early February, the Chinese destroyers violation of international maritime rules in crossing the port bow of a U.S. destroyer at close quarters on the Taiwan Strait on June 3, and the FBIs disclosure in April of at least seven clandestine Chinese police stations operated in the United States by the CCPs United Front Work Department who spy on and harass Chinese-Americans and others in the United States. Blinken failed to revive military-to-military talks during his trip to Beijing. The Giveaways During his trip, Blinken didnt gain much other than a short list of CCP demands necessary for future talk-talk progress. Blinken has been widely quoted as informing Beijing that We [America] do not support Taiwan independence, which most sage observers view as a green light to communist China to invade Taiwan at its leisure. This dangerous statement was sandwiched in four promises that Chinese state-run media Xinhua claimed were made by Blinken: [The United States] does not seek a new cold war, does not seek to change Chinas [political] system, does not seek to oppose China through strengthening alliances, does not support Taiwan independence. In fact, these four nos are the exact opposite of what must be done to curtail Beijings belligerence and aggression while giving opposed minorities hope for an end to their persecution by the CCP. The CCP has been at war with the United States for over a decade. The CCP must be displaced and deposed to enable the political self-determination of the Chinese people and a real opening of China. Strengthened alliances with countries in East Asia and South Asia are imperative in counter-balancing the Chinese militarys aggressive moves in the region. And the Taiwanese right to self-determination should be defended. Expectations Improving bilateral relations is the responsibility of the United States, according to the Chinese regime. In fact, the CCP has set expectations for future discussions that were buried in the candid and constructive talks between Blinken and Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang in Beijing, including respecting China and its legitimate rights and interests (as defined by the CCP), stopping the suppression of Chinese technological development (through trade sanctions), stopping U.S. interference in Chinas internal affairs, and ending individual sanctions on senior communists. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken walks with Chinas Foreign Minister Qin Gang ahead of a meeting at the Diaoyutai State Guesthouse in Beijing on June 18, 2023. (Leah Millis/Pool/AFP via Getty Images) Do these things, said Qin, and China will be happy to give you Americans the talk-talk you desire, free of charge. Oh, and China will be happy to take as much foreign direct investment from American and multinational corporations; thank you very much. Dont bother us with your concerns about human rights in China, Chinese involvement in fentanyl and precursor chemicals production, Chinese balloon overflights through U.S. airspace, clandestine Chinese police stations in the United States, relentless Chinese spying in America, or the Chinese militarys encroachment in disputed waters and islands in East Asia claimed by Japan, the Philippines, and other countries. And the one China principle and the three Sino-U.S. joint communiques are sacrosanct and locked in stone. We will be happy to discuss measures that benefit Chinese trade and commerce. This is Chinese win-win diplomacy! Concluding Thoughts Not one substantive issue was discussed with Chinas leadership during Blinkens two-day visit to Beijing. In particular, there was no insistence by the United States that China adheres to the provisions of the Taiwan Relations Act that obligate all parties to a peaceful resolution of Taiwans future. The visit was a public relations triumph for Xi Jinping, with a U.S. secretary of state shaking his hand in a last-minute photo op. The psychological interpretation was unmistakable. Meanwhile, at the insistence of the CCP, future talks will depend on Washington meeting Beijings preconditions: respect for China (and its definition of legitimate interests), ending talk about the China threat, ending sanctions and tariffs, and restoring trade relations to status quo ante 2017. Given the Biden administrations talk-talk priority, the CCP will likely throw the United States a bone by acceding to the resumption of military-to-military talks (which costs them nothing) in exchange for a real concession from the United States. Concessions to the CCP in the face of its continuing belligerence are a recipe for disaster. The Biden administration needs to stop the talk-talk and start defending the United States on all levels. Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times. Man Charged for Allegedly Attacking Connecticut Lawmaker After Muslim Prayer Service HARTFORD, Conn.A Connecticut state lawmaker was attacked as she left a Muslim prayer service, and a fellow worshiper chased and held the man until police arrived, authorities said. Rep. Mayram Khan was with her sister and her children on the morning of June 28 outside the XL Center, an arena in downtown Hartford, where they had attended the service, along with about 4,000 other people, marking Eid al-Adha, the end of the Hajj, the annual pilgrimage by Muslims to Mecca. The man made obscene remarks, grabbed Khan, hit her and threw her to the ground, said Farhan Memon, the chair of the Connecticut chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations. She suffered minor cuts and bruises. Andrey Desmond, 30, of New Britain, was detained by another worshiper until police came. He was charged with assault, unlawful restraint, breach of peace, and interfering with police. It isnt yet clear whether he knew Khan was a legislator. Police said more charges could be filed. Desmond was arraigned on Thursday. No plea has been made. Khan, a Democrat from Windsor, won a special election for a seat in the Connecticut House in March 2022. She did not immediately return phone calls and email messages Thursday. Maryland Professor Fired After Ordering Female Students to Strip Off During Class A Maryland college professor has been fired from his role after officials concluded he sexually harassed multiple female students during lessons, the U.S. Department of Educations Office (DOE) for Civil Rights (OCR) announced on June 28. The DOE said it had concluded its inquiry into the sexual misconduct incident at the Takoma Park/Silver Spring campus of Montgomery College and established that the professor, who has not been identified, engaged in sexual harassment of female students when he asked them to strip off during a class he taught. The professors inappropriate conduct was first reported by a student in October 2019. According to the DOE, the professor had told at least 11 female students to remove their shirts and wear only their bras during his lesson under the guise of conducting demonstrations and assessments. After removing their shirts, some of the women put on their lab jackets in an effort to protect their modesty but the professor demanded that they remove their jackets, officials said. He then began commenting on their bodies ostensibly to demonstrate a medical assessment despite the fact that the assessment did not require the clothing removal, or the bodily commentary, according to the DOE, including commenting on their nipples and breast positioning and asking the students to separate their breasts so they could conduct the assessment, the DOE said. His actions, Montgomery College concluded, amounted to unwelcome conduct of a sexual nature that was sufficiently severe and created an intimidating, hostile, and offensive academic environment. Student Failed Class Montgomery College placed the professor on paid leave while it conducted its own investigation into the claims before ultimately terminating his employment less than three months later. The investigation into the professors behavior was prompted by a complaint from one of the students who claimed to have reported the incident to college staff who then failed to interview her or provide her with information about her rights. Additionally, one of the students involved in the incident claimed to have failed the class and told officials she believes this was because the professor harassed her. Following the colleges probe, the educational institution agreed to help that student re-enroll in the course and paid for her to retake the classes. It also provided tuition reimbursement or paid for at least three other students in the class to retake the course, the DOE said, and offered the impacted students supportive services such as counseling and academic assistance. It is unclear if the college reported the incident to the police. While the OCR found that the colleges investigation followed the obligations and requirements of Title IX, which prohibits discrimination on the basis of sex, and was prompt and equitable in its response, it also found that the college had failed to provide some of the students involved in the incident with information regarding the outcome of the probe or that the professor was terminated. This, the OCR said, raised concerns that the college may have failed to take the necessary steps to ensure that a hostile environment did not persist for affected students. Shameful Underlying Facts Under a resolution between the DOEs OCR and Montgomery College, all students in the professors class must be notified by Aug. 15 that the college completed its investigation into the professor and concluded that he created a hostile environment on the basis of sex and was terminated. Additionally, the college must share the results of its 2022 Title IX climate survey with the OCR and provide a narrative summary of the steps it has taken to address concerns raised by the survey so that officials can establish whether further measures need to be put in place to ensure students are able to access education without discrimination. Montgomery College welcomed the outcome of the probe. We appreciate the thorough investigation conducted by the Department of Educations Office of Civil Rights in regards to this matter. The College fully supports the determinations and resolutions outlined in its final report, made public this week, a spokesperson for Montgomery College said in a statement to Maryland Matters. In a separate statement, the DOEs Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights Catherine E. Lhamon said the shameful underlying facts of the probe into the professor are galling and categorically unacceptable under Title IX. I am deeply grateful to Montgomery College for swiftly responding with a thorough investigation and action to address the effects of the hostile environment created by the professor on the students in his class, and I appreciate the additional commitment Montgomery College made to fulfill its remaining obligation under Title IX to ensure that the discriminatory effects end for all its students, Lhamon said. A spokesperson for Montgomery College told The Epoch Times in an emailed statement: We appreciate the thorough investigation conducted by the Department of Educations Office of Civil Rights in regards to this matter. The college fully supports the determinations and resolutions outlined in its final report, made public last week. The spokesperson also clarified that the professor was placed on paid administrative leave in October 2019, one day after the report was filed and was terminated in January 2020. Maryland Republican Dan Cox Says Someone Commited Fraud By Filing Election Paperwork in His Name Former state delegate says he has referred the matter to the FEC Dan Cox, then-candidate for the Republican gubernatorial nomination, reacts to his primary win on July 19, 2022 in Emmitsburg, Maryland. (Nathan Howard/Getty Images) Former Maryland gubernatorial candidate Dan Cox on July 3 said that someone had falsely filed paperwork in his name to run for his states 6th Congressional District. I have not filed. Weve reported this matter to the FEC for fraud, Cox wrote on Twitter. I have made no such filing and Valerie and I have made no decision yet, the former state delegate wrote in an earlier statement on Facebook. Apparently a far left new Delegate from Montgomery County has issued a press release that Ive filed and apparently media says someone has filed my name. I did not do so and intend to take action to find out who did. Currently, Marylands 6th District is represented by third-term Rep. David Trone (D-Md.). In May, Trone announced that he would be vacating the seat to run for Sen. Ben Cardins (D-Md.) Senate seat upon Cardins retirement at the end of his current term. Cox, a former state delegate, received the endorsement of former President Donald Trump in his 2022 bid for the governorship. Although Cox defeated the more moderate Kelly Schulz in the GOP primary, he was ultimately routed by the states current Democrat Gov. Wes Moore. Prior to running for governor, Cox sought Marylands 8th Congressional District seat in 2016. After winning the primary, he lost that race to Democrat Rep. Jamie Raskin. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Cox was a vocal critic of former Republican Gov. Larry Hogans policies, which included mask mandates and stay-at-home orders. In the states General Assembly, he introduced articles of impeachment against Hogan, but they were ultimately rejected by members of his own party. Although he did not challenge the results of the 2022 election, Cox asked the U.S. Supreme Court in January to reverse an emergency state court order issued prior to the election that suspended parts of Marylands election law forbidding the early counting of mail-in ballots. The court order, Cox held, violated the Elections Clause of the U.S. Constitution in allowing ballots to be opened more than a month prior to Election Day. Mr. Cox was the only elected official who saw an issue with what the Board of Elections was doing, Coxs attorney, Ed Hartman, told The Epoch Times in February. It is important to him that the branches of government comply with their constitutional duties, and that elections throughout Maryland are fair and legal. The Supreme Court rejected Coxs challenge, however, provided no explanation as to why. Democrat Joe Vogel, a Maryland state delegate, announced his bid for the seat in May via Twitter. We need a new generation of leaders in Washington who understand exactly whats at stake in this moment, Vogel wrote. We just cant wait to end gun violence, secure our rights, protect our democracy, and save our planet. Join me in the fight for our future. Correction: This article has been updated to reflect that Dan Cox says he did not file the paperwork to run for office. Canadian Ministers Concerned for Safety of Indian Diplomats Due to Threats on Protest Poster Foreign Affairs Minister Melanie Joly speaks with reporters in the Foyer of the House of Commons in Ottawa on April 27, 2023. (Adrian Wyld/The Canadian Press) Two senior ministers in the Liberal government cabinet say the promotional material for a planned activity protesting the killing of a Sikh leader in British Columbia is unacceptable. One poster circulating online calling for a Khalistan Freedom Rally on July 8 in Toronto says Kill India. It adds that two Indian diplomats in Canada are the faces of the killers of Hardeep Singh Nijjar. Nijjar, who advocated for a Sikh state independent of India, and served as the president of the Guru Nanak Sikh Gurdwara in Surrey, was gunned down in June. Canada takes its obligations under the Vienna Conventions regarding the safety of diplomats very seriously, said Foreign Affairs Minister Melanie Joly in a July 3 statement on Twitter. Canada remains in close contact with Indian officials in light of some of the promotional material circulating online regarding a protest planned for July 8th, which are unacceptable. Indian media reported on July 3 that New Delhi demarched Ottawa with regard to the planned protest targeting its diplomatic interests in Canada. Canadas High Commissioner in India was summoned to the South Block of the Secretariat Building in New Delhi, which houses the foreign ministry, reported the Hindustan Times. The outlet added that a missive was also sent to Global Affairs Canada (GAC). The Epoch Times reached out to GAC for comment but didnt hear back by publication time. The RCMP was also contacted about the planned protest but it didnt immediately respond. Defence Minister Anita Anand reacted to the promotional material, calling it unacceptable as well, saying they do not represent Canadians. Canada will continue to ensure the safety of foreign diplomats in this country and we take this responsibility seriously, she wrote on Twitter on July 3. Outrage The murder of Nijjar has caused outrage in the Sikh community. The 45-year-old man was shot dead on June 18 while in his truck in the parking lot of the Guru Nanak Sikh Gurdwara. NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh wrote an open letter to Public Safety Minister Marco Mendicino on June 20 asking him to do everything within his power to get to the bottom of this murder. Following this brazen act of violence, the Sikh community feels even more worried and unsafe than they had previously, said Singh. The NDP leader also asked Mendicino to look into allegations reported in the media with regard to the circumstances of Nijjars death. The Toronto Star reported on June 26 that New York-based lawyer Gurpatwant Singh Pannun said in a statement that he had spoken with Nijjar by phone the day before he was killed. Pannun said Nijjar spoke to him about threats to both of their safety related to a reward being offered by the Indian government for Nijjars apprehension. Nijjar also said he had been warned by the Canadian Security Intelligence Service that his life was in danger. The Indian government has long been concerned over activities conducted by proponents of Sikh separatism from within Canada. Nijjar has been charged in India under terrorism offences and a cash reward of 1 million rupees (CA$16,000) was offered for his arrest, reported the Hindustan Times in April. The Khalistan Extremism Monitor says Nijjar was the leader of the Sikh separatist group Khalistan Tiger Force and affiliated with Babbar Khalsa International, which is listed by the Canadian government as a terrorist entity. Nijjar denied allegations of involvement in terrorist activity. This is garbage all the allegations. I am living here 20 years right? Look at my record. There is nothing. I am a hard-worker. I own my own business in the plumbing, he told the Vancouver Sun in 2016, reacting to an article about him published in the Times of India. I am working 12-14 hours every day. Everybody knows me. I dont know why India is like that. Police investigators are seeking the publics help on the case and have not ascribed a motive for the murder. We are in the early stages of our investigation. We understand there is a lot of speculation regarding the motive of this homicide, but we are dedicated to learning the facts and letting the evidence lead our investigation, said Sgt. Timothy Pierotti of Surreys Integrated Homicide Investigation Team in a June 19 statement. The Epoch Times contacted the Guru Nanak Sikh Gurdwara for comment but didnt immediately hear back. More Than 50 Groups and Organizations Urge Biden to Deny Hong Kong Leader to Attend APEC Summit The Next Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit will be held in San Francisco in November. In recent months, many groups and organizations have urged the U.S. government to prohibit the sanctioned Hong Kong Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu from entering the United States. The Hong Kong Democracy Council, Hong Kong Watch, and scores of overseas Hongkonger groups, as well as Uyghur and Tibetan organizations, a total of more than 50, jointly signed an open letter on June 30, calling on the U.S. government to make a prompt and clear statement that Lee is not allowed to attend the APEC summit. The open letter stated that under no circumstances should Lee, a U.S.-sanctioned human rights abuser, be allowed to set foot on American soil. And if that were to occur, it would render the sanctions on him effectively meaningless and damage confidence in the U.S. commitment to freedom and human rights in Hong Kong. The letter also raised concerns that any temporary or permanent waiving of sanctions on Lee would set a troubling precedent for future dealings with human rights abusers, opening the door for further exceptions to be made. It would also point to signs that the Wests resolve on Hong Kong is weakening, such as recent high-level meetings with ministers in the Hong Kong government. And they believe that this makes it all the more important for the United States to stand firm and set a good example to the rest of the world. The open letter pointed out that when Lee was the Secretary for Security in 2019, the Hong Kong police used excessive force to crush mass protests and arbitrarily arrested more than 10,000 citizens. Since Lee took office as chief executive, he has severely restricted the freedom of speech, association, and assembly and relentlessly attacks the rule of law. More than 1,500 political prisoners languish behind bars in Hong Kong, and the number continues to rise. Precedents of No Invitation Exist The open letter emphasizes that there are strong precedents for not inviting Lee. Last year, the Biden administration excluded Cuba, Nicaragua, and Venezuela from the Summit of the Americas over concerns about human rights abuses and a lack of democracy in those countries. As for APEC specifically, the letter pointed out that it is already the case that not all leaders attended. For example, the president of Taiwan was never invited. The fact that Hong Kong, as a place under the complete control of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), and that mainland China will participate in the meeting makes no justification for Lees attendance, especially given that he is sanctioned. Opposition from Multi-Party Lawmakers in Congress U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman hinted in February that the U.S. might drop its entry restrictions on Lee. But her remarks caused an uproar among lawmakers from both parties. Four bipartisan members of the U.S. Congress jointly signed a letter to Secretary of State Antony Blinken last month, expressing their opposition to inviting John Lee to attend APEC. Later, the U.S. State Department revised part of a statement submitted to Congress. The revised edition stated that it did not commit to inviting Hong Kong Chief Executive Lee Ka-chiu to the United States to attend the next APEC summit. More University Places the Cure for Dearth of Regional Doctors A general view of rural Cobar Hospital in NSW, Australia, on April 18, 2020. (Jenny Evans/Getty Images) Universities will be offered more student places in a bid to boost the number of doctors in regional areas. The federal government will spend $114 million over the next four years to increase the number of Commonwealth-supported university places for rural-trained medical students. The increase will see 80 new medical places a year from next year. A further $82 million will be set aside for rural medical school infrastructure investments. The funding follows concern regional and rural locations did not have enough doctors in towns, with many relocating back to urban areas. Health Minister Mark Butler said the funding would increase the supply of rurally trained doctors entering the medical workforce. Its so important to ensure that opportunities are available for students who want to study in the regions, he said. We know that if you study at a regional university, youre more likely to put down roots and become a valued member of the community. Universities with medical schools or tertiary institutions that have partnered with a medical school will be able to apply for additional commonwealth-supported places. Grants as part of the program will be announced in August. Education Minister Jason Clare said it was critical for regional areas to have more medical professionals working in the community. This important initiative will ensure more medical students study, train and live in regional and rural communities, he said. More doctors living and practising in the bush is good for the health of families and good for the health of our regional communities. NATO Chief Stoltenberg to Stay in Office Another Year, Cites More Dangerous World NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg speaks to the media while standing in front of a mine clearance tank Wisent at FFG Flensburger Fahrzeugbau Gesellschaft in Flensburg, Germany, on June 20, 2023. (Morris MacMatzen/Getty Images) The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) member countries confirmed on July 4 that current Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg will remain in office for another year. The announcement came after the alliance failed to settle on a candidate for the leadership position. Honoured by #NATO Allies decision to extend my term as Secretary General until 1 October 2024, Stoltenberg wrote on Twitter. The transatlantic bond between Europe & North America has ensured our freedom & security for nearly 75 years, and in a more dangerous world, our Alliance is more important than ever. There were several frontrunners for the future Secretary General, including Britains Defense Minister Ben Wallace, Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas, Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez, and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen. As the United States is the principal driving force within the alliance, candidates required its support. However, the Biden administration has shown little enthusiasm for alternative candidates for the position. U.S. President Joe Biden meets with Secretary General of NATO Jens Stoltenberg in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington on June 13, 2023. (Alex Wong/Getty Images) President Joe Biden issued a statement welcoming the announcement. I welcome the announcement that NATO will extend Secretary General Jens Stoltenbergs term for an additional year. With his steady leadership, experience, and judgement, Secretary General Stoltenberg has brought our Alliance through the most significant challenges in European security since World War II, Biden stated. Today, our Alliance is stronger, more united and purposeful than it has ever been. I look forward to continuing the work with Secretary General Stoltenberg to further strengthen the Alliance next week at the NATO Summit in Vilnius, and ahead of the 75th Anniversary NATO Summit in Washington, D.C. next year. Leaders from NATO countries will gather next week in Lithuanias capital, Vilnius, to discuss critical global security issues. The summit, scheduled for July 1112, will bring together heads of state, military officials, and diplomats from the alliances 31 member nations at a crucial time as threats from Russia and China increase. Next years summit will be held in Washington and is anticipated to be historic, as it will mark the 75th anniversary of the founding of NATO in 1949. Nearly 80 Canadian Media Outlets Have Closed Since 2020 Despite Federal Subsidies: Document Canadian Heritage Minister Pablo Rodriguez rises during question period on Parliament Hill in Ottawa on April 28, 2023. (The Canadian Press/Adrian Wyld) Nearly 80 Canadian news outlets have closed since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 despite the federal government previously introducing $595 million in media subsidies intended to support the sector, according to an internal briefing note. Since the beginning of the pandemic 78 news outlets closed including 65 community newspapers, said a briefing note prepared in March for Heritage Minister Pablo Rodriguez and obtained by Blacklocks Reporter. The note also said 57 local news outlets were launched during the same time period, including two TV stations, five radio stations, nine community newspapers, and 41 online news organizations. The note added that some news organizations have experienced some stability and growth since the pandemics onset because of the federal governments support and a recent boost in advertising revenue. It said 16 community newspapers have reopened since the peak of pandemic lockdowns and closures, but that overall job losses have continued upwards. Heritage Canada further noted that the governments previous subsidies for media outlets were only temporary. In 2018, the federal government announced a $595 million funding package to help the news sector. Ottawa also previously announced media subsidies such as a 15 percent subscription tax credit and a 25 percent payroll rebate worth over $13,700 per newsroom employee. The government budgeted both subsidies to last five years, set to expire in March 2024. Market Failure Earlier this year, the chief lobbyist for newspaper publishers in Canada said additional subsidies and federal legislation are needed to save more media outlets across the country from shutting their doors. We have a market failure here, said Paul Deegan, CEO of News Media Canada, while testifying before the Standing Senate Committee on Transport and Communications on May 30. It isnt working, so we need a solution, and thats why weve come to the government, even though, frankly, we would like to stay as far away from government and the CRTC as we can, but we do need them. Thomas Ripley, associate assistant deputy heritage minister, told the same committee in April that Canada has seen a significant decline in journalists despite government subsidies. The governments view is that multiple interventions are needed in this space, he said on April 25, adding, Notwithstanding those interventions, we have continued to see a decline in the news sector. The federal governments recently passed Online News Act was intended to boost the revenue of Canadian news outlets by forcing Google and Meta to pay them for any of their content linked or shared on the tech giants platforms. Both tech companies responded to the legislation by declaring they will block Canadian news for users within the country once the act takes effect in December. Noe Chartier contributed to this report. New Zealand Beware of Complying With Dictatorship Demands New Zealand Prime Minister Chris Hipkins and China Leader Xi Jinping during a bilateral meeting at the Great Hall, in Beijing, Tuesday, June 27, 2023 (AAP Image/Pool, Nate McKinnon) Commentary It seems that Chinese leader Xi Jinping is particularly sensitive to being described as a dictator. When U.S. President Joe Biden used the description, the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) was outraged, with its mouthpiece, the Global Times calling it a vicious attack. If Biden had said that Xi was the leader of a dictatorship, perhaps he would not have attracted the same criticism. After all, the expression the peoples democratic dictatorship is enshrined in article one of the Chinese constitution. In classic Marxist ideology, this is necessary to avoid a dictatorship of the bourgeoisie. So Xi is the head of a dictatorship but dislikes being described as a dictator. Not that China is democratic. The Chinese people have never voted for their leadership. To overcome this inconsistency, CCP officials have invented the term whole of government democracy. This is a concept that CCP leadership knows what is best for the people, who have no say in the matter. As Lewis Carrol wrote in Alice in Wonderland, When I use a word it means just what I chose it to mean. Xi has also worked to eliminate any internal factional rivalry, accreting all power to himself. Dependence on China Rather than claiming that Biden made a gaffe, the democratic world would be better to acknowledge his statement of the obvious. Instead, national leaders obscure the obvious. Take New Zealand Prime Minister Chris Hipkins, who led a trade delegation to China last week. No, Hipkins said in reply to a question if he agreed with President Bidens observation, adding that the form of government that China has is a matter for the Chinese people. New Zealand is highly reliant on Chinese trade. China represents nearly a quarter of all our exports, was our second largest source of tourists pre-COVID, and is a significant source of international students, so its a critical part of our economic recovery, Hipkins added. His visit was lauded in China, with the Global Times offering effusive commentary. An outdoor screen shows news coverage of New Zealands Prime Minister Chris Hipkins meeting with Chinese Leader Xi Jinping at the Great Hall of the People along a street in Beijing on June 27, 2023. (Jade Gao/AFP via Getty Images) New Zealands supine attitude to the CCP has been driven by its significant trade dependency. The CCP constantly reminds Kiwis of their reliance. New Zealand parliamentarians are the subject of a constant barrage of propaganda from the CCP. The CCP ambassador to New Zealand, Wang Xiaolong, regularly writes to the nations MPs, conveying the latest views of Xi and the CCP. In his sixth letter to MPs this year, Wang reminded the parliamentarians of their dependence on China, noting that bilateral trade had exceeded NZ$40 billion (US$24.6 billion) for the first time, and observed the increased sales of Kiwi butter. He also pushed for the inclusion of China in the CPTPP (Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership). The ambassador also uses his letters to deflect any criticism of China. In an earlier letter, Wang criticised AUKUS, warning of the dangers of nuclear-powered submarines without acknowledging that the PLA Navy had not only nuclear-powered underwater vessels but that many of them are also nuclear-armed! For decades, successive New Zealand governments have underinvested in the defence of the nation. The countrys defence forces are totally inadequate, with the military budget at just 1.37 percent of GDP. Hipkinss visit to China illustrated the inadequacy of the defence force. In order to avoid a series of past incidents where the Royal New Zealand Airforce plane carrying the prime minister had broken down, Hipkins had a second plane also make the journey as a backup. The two ageing Boeing 757s had to refuel at Cairns and Manila on a 22-hour journey. If China were to be successful in its strategic push into the South Pacific, New Zealand would be compromised in its own backyard. Both its navy and airforce have limited capacity, even for natural disaster operations in the region, let alone the defence of the nation. A Royal New Zealand Air Force Boeing 757 lands at Dunedin International Airport, New Zealand, on March 5, 2005. (Craig Baxter/Getty Images) Threat to Independent Sovereignty The increasing economic reliance on China and the failure to diversify its trade adequately is a significant threat to the nations real independence. The luxury of being out-of-sight, out-of-mind at the end of the world is not something Kiwis can continue to rely upon. While many countries are seeking to de-risk their dependence on China, having recognised the very real dangers of overly relying on the peoples democratic dictatorship, New Zealand is entwined increasingly in the tentacles of the CCP. Hipkins was one of just four national leadersfrom New Zealand, Barbados, Mongolia, and Vietnamat the so-called Summer Davos Forum in the Chinese city of Tianjin. In the absence of leaders of more significant nations, the four were feted by the regime. Hipkins visit was exploited by the CCP to demonstrate how it rewards nations that dont criticise it but punishes those with the temerity to call out its transgressions. The regimes publication, China Daily, claimed the healthy and mutually beneficial relationship had much to do with New Zealand keeping aloof from the U.S.-led China bashing. Although a member of the U.S.-led Five Eyes Alliance, New Zealand has maintained its dignity and earned respect by shunning the gung-ho participation in the U.S.s Indo-Pacific strategy that has brought so much shame on Australia, Canada, and the UK, the paper stated. It has been subsequently revealed that the New Zealand foreign minister did raise human rights concerns with the Chinese in March but neglected to reveal this conversation until recently, and the failure of Hipkins to repeat them in his visit allowed the CCP to use his visit to seek to divide and rule western allies. Hipkins should be wary about slavish adherence to the interests of a self-styled dictatorship. There is no such thing as a free mealespecially in Beijing! Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times. Spain is becoming chair of the Council of the European Union at a moment when the European Union intends to double its efforts to support Ukraine, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said. "This includes reliable and regular financial support. Therefore we have put forward a new facility for Ukraine as part of our proposal the revised EU budget. It's about 50 billion euros until 2027 for [Ukrainian] budget and repair. We are very much counting on the Spanish government support for our proposal on the [Multiannual Financial Framework] MFF revision by the end of the year," she told a press conference in Madrid on Monday. The European Commission traditionally visited Spain, which became chair of the Council of the European Union on July 1. "This funding will also support Ukraine's reform efforts. Ukraine is working hard to progress on the EU path [...] The commission will present the progress on enlargement, and the Spanish presidency will have to steer very skillfully these very important discussions on Ukraine's accession path in the fall," von der Leyen said. She also stated all other tracks for the purpose of supporting Ukraine, mentioning the sanctions pressure on Russia, prevention of bypassing the sanctions, and military assistance. "We have been delivering military equipment to Ukraine. We have been stepping up efforts to jointly procure for urgent supplies. Now we need the Spanish presidency to secure swift political agreement on the so-called Act in Support of Ammunition Production [...] so that we deliver more ammunition to Ukraine and at the same time replenish our own stocks," she said. Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez also started with Ukraine when he announced the main priorities of his country's chairmanship of the Council of the European Union. "The first challenge is the present and future of Ukraine. During our chairmanship, we will continue defending Ukraine in all areas: political, financial, military, and humanitarian. And we will continue supporting Ukraine on its path to enter the EU," Sanchez said. California to Deploy 101 New Highway Patrol Officers, Recruiting Push Underway A California Highway Patrol officer stands with his weapon as authorities pursued the suspects in a shooting that occurred at the Inland Regional Center in San Bernardino, Calif., on Dec. 2, 2015. (Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images) California Gov. Gavin Newsom announced 101 newly sworn-in California Highway Patrol (CHP) officers in a press release June 30. The graduating class of cadets is a manifestation of the states CHP 1,000 campaigna program launched in 2022 to expand the group of officers representing the nations largest state police force. This diverse group of officers represents the best of California, Newsom said in the announcement. Im profoundly grateful they have chosen to answer the call to serveand committed themselves to improving public safety and building trust across the Golden State. Newly graduated officers will be deployed to various locations throughout the state, with some allocated to San Francisco to assist with the governors efforts in combating crime and fentanyl overdose deaths plaguing downtown, according to the press release. A day earlier, Newsom announced that he directed CHP to double their operational footprint in San Francisco following a joint operation between the agency and the California National Guard established in May. That operation seized more than 8.1 kilograms of fentanylenough to kill more than 4 million people based on U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency calculationsas of June 29, according to the press release announcing the expansion. With drug abuse rampant and crime plaguing major metropolitan areas, state officials are looking to increase the number of officers patrolling areas and investigating criminal activity, with a focus on recruiting more candidates with law enforcement aspirations. In a statement released by the CHP June 30 acknowledging the rigorous training and various courses of study cadets undergo at the academy, leaders expressed gratitude for those in the community willing to step up and serve. I want to commend these men and women, not just for the hard work they put in the past several months while training at the Academy, but for their willingness to serve the public, said CHP Commissioner Sean Duryee. These new officers are valued members of the CHP who are committed to improving safety in California for many years to come. Cadets train for 26 weeks at the CHP Academy in West Sacramento with live instruction, academic and physical exercises, law enforcement training, and exams. Lessons stress the importance of nobility in policing, professionalism, and leadership, with ethics training undertaken throughout the process. As the officers are primarily responsible for policing Californias highways, cadets undergo extensive training in vehicle patrol, accident investigation, emergency medical procedures, and suspect apprehension techniques, in addition to traffic control and penal code studies. Mental illness and crisis prevention training are key components of academic instruction, as the state is facing a mental health epidemic in homeless populations exacerbated by drug abuse, according to experts. All applicants must pass physical ability tests that include performing 19 push-ups and 25 sit-ups, in a minute or less for each, and running 1.5 miles in less than 15 minutes and 300 meters in less than 70 seconds. Failure to perform any of these feats is grounds for immediate disqualification. Once physical tests, a written exam, medical and psychological evaluations, and a thorough background check involving discussions with neighbors and past associates are complete, successful applicants are invited to attend the academy. Graduates are ranked based on their performance, with academic tests accounting for 60 percent of an applicants score, and firearms tests and physical exams equaling 20 percent each. Those scoring highest receive priority for assignments, with recruits given a Dream Sheet and asked to rank the open positions from the eight geographic regions CHP uses to divide the state based on where they would like to work. After a year on duty, officers can request relocation, but all assignments are based on agency need, hardship, residency, and academy scores. While 101 new officers successfully navigated the lengthy application processtypically nine to 15 monthsand then the 6-month-long academy, the agency is not slowing down, with classes ongoing. We have two classes in the academy and another coming soon, and were about halfway through the recruitment process, which is very much still underway, Jamie Coffee, communications director for the CHP, told The Epoch Times. When 128 new cadets start the academy in about a month, it will bring current enrollment to 366, the highest level in 14 years. The newest graduating class brought the force up to more than 6,550, with officials aiming to bring that number well above 7,000 over the next few years. The state police force is actively looking for suitable candidates to help achieve its goals. Those interested in applying must be between the ages of 20 and 35 years of ageas mandated by the California Vehicle Codewith a minimum education of high school diploma or equivalent, must be legally eligible to work in the United States, and cannot have any felony convictions. All applicants, even police officers serving with other municipalities, must complete training through the academy for consideration. Training at the academy is paid, with cadets receiving salaries of $5,563 per month, and graduates earning more than $100,000 during their first year on the job, according to the agency. Newsom described the qualities the highway patrol is seeking in applicants, in the press release announcing the campaign in 2022. It requires a special kind of character and special brand of bravery to be a California Highway Patrol Officer, Newsom said. Our entire way of lifeour freedoms, our peace, our pursuit of happinessdepends on those fearless, faithful few determined to protect it. NRA Sues Biden Admin Over Unlawful ATF Final Rule on Pistol Stabilizing Brace The National Rifle Association (NRA) on Monday intervened in a legal challenge against the pistol brace rule implemented by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF). The rule, which went into effect on June 1, is designed to regulate pistols with stabilizing braces, which make it easier to shoot a handgun with one hand. The NRA seeks to intervene in the Texas lawsuit in order to protect its members and defend their freedom from the regulation known as the Factoring Criteria for Firearms with Attached Stabilizing Braces.' In a legal brief filed in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas, Dallas Division, the NRA argues that the Final Rule infringes on the rights of gun owners and requests a preliminary injunction. The complaint asserts that the Final Rule changes the definitions of rifle in a way that creates ambiguity, making it difficult for law-abiding citizens to determine whether their firearms fall under this new definition. Gun owners are left with the choice of guessing whether their firearms are compliant. The consequence of guessing wrong regarding the compliance of their firearms could lead to felony prosecution, a potential prison sentence of up to 10 years, and substantial fines. According to the NRA, the Final Rule has caused irreparable harm to its millions of members, including 350,000 in Texas, who now face the prospect of modifying, destroying, registering, or surrendering their firearms under threat of felony criminal prosecution. The NRA argues that there are no adequate remedies for these injuries. The NRAs court filing states that the Final Rule has placed its members in a vulnerable position, depriving them of sufficient legal recourse. The irreparable harm facing the NRAs members can be prevented by this Court. Indeed, other courts have already recognized the irreparable harm arising from the Final Rule, the complaint reads (pdf). Preliminary injunctive relief was granted to the Second Amendment Foundation (SAF), Rainier Arms LLC (Rainier), Samuel Walley (Walley), and William Green (Green) on May 25. However, the NRA argues that this relief is limited in scope and doesnt safeguard the interests of its members. While the NRA wholeheartedly agrees with the Courts decision to enjoin Defendants attempts to turn law-abiding citizens into potential felons through implementation of the Final Rule, the scope of the injunctive relief granted cannot adequately protect the interest of the NRAs members, the complaint reads. Arbitrary Attack Pistol-stabilizing braces provide additional stability by allowing users to attach the gun to their forearm or shoulder. The NRA says that these devices are widely used by gun owners throughout the country, including disabled veterans who rely on them for safe and effective pistol use. Wayne LaPierre, the NRAs executive vice president and CEO, stated that the organization has consistently opposed this arbitrary attack on law-abiding gun owners and is leading the legal challenge against the action. The NRA is a leader in the largest and most aggressive legal challenge to this action, and now aims to intervene in the Texas lawsuit, LaPierre said in a statement. We are pursuing relief to protect our membersand bring a halt to this attack on their freedom. This filing represents the NRAs latest effort to challenge the ATFs pistol brace ruling, which followed President Joe Bidens call for regulating the use of such braces. Biden expressed concerns that these braces could transform pistols into short-barreled rifles. Recently, a federal judge struck down the Biden administrations ban on ghost guns, ruling that the ATF exceeded its authority by categorizing unfinished gun parts as firearms. The judge determined that these parts do not meet the definition of firearms under federal law. The NRAs ultimate goal is to obtain a permanent injunction against the pistol brace rule. Previously, the NRA supported a lawsuit in North Dakota in February that challenged the ATFs pistol brace rule. President Biden and his rogue regulators are on notice: the NRA will continue to defend its members and their constitutional freedomsfighting this rule and the anti-Second Amendment agenda in every forum available, said NRA President Charles Cotton. Ofcom Considers Stricter Rules on Politicians Presenting on News TV Conservative MP Jacob Rees-Mogg delivers his keynote address during the National Conservatism conference at the Emmanuel Centre in London, on May 15, 2023. (Leon Neal/Getty Images) Ofcom will review its rules after receiving hundreds of complaints about politicians presenting news programmes, the broadcasting regulators chief executive has said. Writing in The Telegraph, Melanie Dawes said politicians new roles as TV or radio presenters have sparked vigorous debate and Ofcom has a duty to ensure its rules remain effective. She said the regulator has already launched new research to build a comprehensive picture of audience attitudes towards these programmes, and will release its findings later this year. Dame Melanie Dawes, Ofcom chief executive, giving evidence to the Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Select Committee at the House of Commons, London, on March 14, 2023. (House of Commons via PA Media) Her remarks came after Ofcom announced that it has opened two investigations into news programmes presented by political figures. The regulator said on Monday that it is investigating an episode of Sir Jacob Rees-Moggs GB News show and a programme on Talk TV presented by Alex Salmond, the leader of the Alba Party. Due Impartiality In order to maintain the expected level of due impartiality in news programmes, Ofcom rules stipulate: No politician may be used as a newsreader, interviewer, or reporter in any news programmes unless, exceptionally, it is editorially justified. In that case, the political allegiance of that person must be made clear to the audience. Where non-news content is concerned, Ofcom said: Outside of news programmes, there is no Ofcom rule that prevents a serving politician or political candidate from hosting or appearing on a TV or radio showprovided they arent standing in an election taking place, or about to take place. This means that politicians are allowed to present current affairs programmes, such as audience phone-ins, but they must make sure a range of views is reflected in their programme. The rules differ during election and referendum periods, during which any political candidates must not present any TV or radio programme, including programmes that have no discussion of politics or current affairs. Candidates and referendum representatives are, however, permitted to appear in, but not present, non-political programmes that were planned or scheduled prior to the election or referendum period. Vigorous Debate In her article, the Ofcom boss wrote: Outside news programmes, our rules have always allowed presenters to give their own views on controversial political matters on air, as long as other viewpoints are reflected. However, one area which has sparked vigorous debate recentlyand which some argue stretches the principle of due impartiality to its limitsis the rise of the politician as the presenter. Dawes said Ofcom conducts reviews of its code when needed, adding, Given the rise in the number of current affairs programmes presented by politicians, and recent public interest in this issue, weve launched new research to build a comprehensive picture of audience attitudes towards these programmes. Complaints Trigger Investigations Ofcom announced on Monday that it has launched a new broadcast standards investigation into an episode of Rees-Moggs State of The Nation show on GB News on May 9, during which he read out a breaking news story about a court case involving former U.S. President Donald Trump. The media watchdog said it received 40 complaints objecting to the Conservative MP acting as a newsreader. An Ofcom spokesperson said, We are investigating whether this programme broke our rules, which prevent politicians from acting as newsreaders, unless exceptionally, it is editorially justified. Alba party leader Alex Salmond speaking at an Alba Special National Assembly meeting of over 300 independence activists at the Charteris Centre in Edinburgh, on Jan. 14, 2023. (Robert Perry/PA Media) The regulator said it will also investigate an episode of Talk TVs Richard Tice presented by Alex Salmond on April 2. Ofcom said it received two complaints regarding the impartiality of the programme, specifically in relation to a discussion on whether the Scottish National Party was holding back the course of independence. The media regulator added that it is still investigating an edition of GB News Saturday Morning with Esther and Philip broadcast on March 11, which stars the husband-and-wife duo (Esther McVey and Philip Davies) who are both serving MPs. PA Media contributed to this report. Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine Asks Biden to Declare Major Disaster After Toxic Train Derailment A black plume rises over East Palestine, Ohio, as a result of a controlled detonation of a portion of the derailed Norfolk Southern trains, on Feb. 6, 2023. (Gene J. Puskar/AP Photo/File) Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine on Monday urged President Joe Biden to declare a major disaster in response to the toxic train derailment that occurred in East Palestine in February. The incident resulted in the release of hazardous chemicals from several rail cars operated by Norfolk Southern and raised health concerns among local residents. DeWine emphasized the need for federal assistance to address the aftermath of the disaster. In a letter to Biden, DeWine stressed that while no unmet needs had been reported to the state, there was a possibility that Norfolk Southern, the rail operator at the center of the disaster, could withdraw its voluntary support in the future. The operator has provided some compensation to individuals and local authorities to cover expenses associated with the incident. The governor said that the declaration is needed to ensure that the State and Federal government use all resources available to step in and provide the community with needed assistance. DeWine acknowledged the unique nature of the incident, noting that the state is still evaluating the current needs and potential future impacts on individuals and the community. I have determined that this incident is of such severity and magnitude that effective response is beyond the capabilities of the State and the affected local governments, and that supplementary federal assistance is necessary, he added. Controlled Burn The Norfolk Southern freight train carrying dangerous chemicals, such as the highly flammable vinyl chloride, derailed in the northeastern Ohio town, which has a population of approximately 4,700. To prevent an explosion, crews performed a controlled burn of the chemical, which alleviated immediate dangers but raised new health concerns. The initial incident prompted the evacuation of around 2,000 residents. In the aftermath, residents have experienced symptoms such as rashes, headaches, and other ailments that they suspect might be connected to the train derailment. The clean-up of the area continues around five months later. The governors plea to Biden comes after Federal Emergency Management Agency on June 29 denied Ohios request for an extension of time to request a Major Presidential Disaster Declaration as the state assesses its long-term needs. Ohio had already received an extension until July 3 to make that request. The Ohio Department of Health has been working with the Department of Health and Human Services to establish a clinic in the community, focusing on addressing both the physical and mental health effects experienced by residents. However, the long-term health and economic consequences of the incident remain uncertain. The toxic train derailment has not only raised health concerns but also impacted the local economy. Homeowners and businesses have experienced a decline in property values and a loss of business, as people are hesitant to visit the affected community. DeWine concluded his letter by expressing the severity and magnitude of the incident, stating that the state and affected local governments lack the capabilities to respond effectively without supplementary federal assistance. He also said that residents continue to report health impacts. Residents continue to report medical conditions and are concerned that the air and water were impacted by the chemicals released during this incident, he wrote. The Ohio Environmental Protection Agency stated in a June update that over 20 million gallons of wastewater have been extracted from East Palestine. Around 11,400 tons of excavated soil are still awaiting removal, while officials have already removed 66,300 tons. Significant progress has been made in the cleanup efforts. According to the latest update, the track area, including the north ditch, was expected to be fully cleaned up by mid-June. Norfolk Southern is also in the process of rebuilding the second rail line, a crucial step in restoring normal operations. He heard the mother bald eagles cry before she was even seen. Staked out at a nest in Santa Clara County, tripod prepped, camera ready to shoot, Dr. Doug Gillard took his best guess where she might appear. He pointed his camera straight up and blindly fired away at 80 frames per second. It was a direct hit. Dr. Gillard, 63, had been scoping the nest since January, intent on capturing the entire eagle mating cycle as it unfolded. The eaglet came and was getting biggerhearing its mothers call that day, May 28, meant one thing. Dinner, Dr. Gillard told The Epoch Times. The viewfinder on his camera showed what looked like a duckling in her powerful clutches. Then recognition dawned. Oh my god, its a little red-tailed hawk, he said to himself. What a terrible thing! Dr. Gillard guessed the bald eagle had raided a red-taileds nest and kidnapped a hawklet, or eyas, to feed its eaglet. And it was alive! Doug Gillard, 63, photographed a mother bald eagle that kidnapped a red-tailed hawk in late May. (Courtesy of Doug Gillard) Doug Gillard speculates that the mother bald eagle raided the nest of a red-tailed hawk and stole one of its eyas. (Courtesy of Doug Gillard) A mother bald eagle carries a still-live red-tailed hawk back to her nest. (Courtesy of Doug Gillard) Maybe its teaching its eaglet that food doesnt just show up in the nest dead, Dr. Gillard, a professor of anatomy from Gilroy, California, said. And that you actually have to kill it. He knows that bald eagles and red-tailed hawks are mortal enemies and are often seen dueling in the sky. He thought it sad that the hawklet, then guessed to be 10 weeks old, would be eaten, but such is life. Yet he never expected what happened next. The following week, he saw a little white cotton ball head pop up from the nest and was shocked. Somehow the eyas had survived! It hadnt been eaten. Even stranger, a few days later a second white cotton ball head popped up. She stole another one! Dr. Gillard thought, amazed. Two eyas somehow joined the bald eagle family and werent killed. The eyas was photographed still alive in the bald eagles nest a week later. (Courtesy of Doug Gillard) Two red-tailed hawks are photographed still alive in the bald eagles nest. (Courtesy of Doug Gillard) Tuffy the red-tailed hawk has been raised by a bald eagle pair since late May. (Courtesy of Doug Gillard) Investigating how the supposed mortal enemies bonded, he turned to his birder community, Nor Cal Birding, on Facebook. The mother eagle probably grabbed the hawk for dinner, experts think, but baby hawks have a distress call very similar to bald eagles. So, [the eagle] gets confused and thinks its an eaglet, Dr. Gillard said, adding that the experts dont really know for sure. Then, once they start feeding it one time, its just a member of the family. There have been but few such interspecies raptor adoptions documented, according to Bay Nature. A Journal of Raptor Research paper studied eagle pairs raising mixed broods in 1993. A National Geographic documentary in 2015 also showed a hawk being raised by eagles, and even adopting certain eagle behaviors afterward. Drawn in, Dr. Gillard continued following the eyasses progress, and observed that they were not being treated the same as the eaglet. Particularly, the little red-tailed hawk, dubbed Tuffy, who was having trouble learning to fly, was getting a rough life, Dr. Gillard said, and had an abusive mama. The bald eagle mother feeds Tuffy the eyas in the eagles nest. (Courtesy of Doug Gillard) The mother eagle was photographed beating Tuffy with her wings and blowing him out of the nest on several occasions. (Courtesy of Doug Gillard) Dr. Gillard watched and worried as she swooped down from 30 feet (approx. 9 meters) and blew Tuffy out of the nest. Tuffy scampered through the air, hit a tree, and tried to return only to find her blocking the nest. Another time she was observed feeding him, but appeared to tire of it and bit his head lightly, sending Tuffy cowering. The eyas has received wing beatings and sometimes gone hungry. Dr. Gillard posited a theory about the mother eagles behavior. Shes not trying to kill him, he said, adding what she really means is, You need to fly like your adopted sister. Tough love. Tuffy and the mother eagle watch as his sister, Lola, fledges for the first time. (Courtesy of Doug Gillard) Tuffy also fledged but had a much tougher time of it. (Courtesy of Doug Gillard) Tuffy practices flying over the bald eagles nest. (Courtesy of Doug Gillard) The other eyas, dubbed Lola, fledged on June 13. Dr. Gillard captured pictures of the mom and Tuffy gazing skyward from the nest, watching her catch high thermals. The mixed-species raptor saga continues. Tuffy apparently did fledge on July 1, though not easily. Dr. Gillard spied him flying about 250 meters (820 feet) off into the woods as mom, dad, and Lola hung out at home. Tuffy must learn to hunt and still depends on the eagles for food. Though tolerated at home, he is not welcomed. Tuffy got his name because he is a survivor, Dr. Gillard said. Time will tell whether he lives up to it. 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 Fukushima Nuclear Plant Plan to Dump Radioactive Water Into Pacific Ocean Is Safe: IAEA An aerial view shows the storage tanks for treated water at the tsunami-crippled Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant in Okuma, Fukushima Prefecture, Japan, on Feb. 13, 2021. (Kyodo/Reuters) Japans plans to release radioactive water from the wrecked Fukushima nuclear plant into the Pacific Ocean are consistent with international safety standards, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has concluded. The findings, published on July 4 (pdf), followed a comprehensive assessment and safety review of the treated water stored at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station (FDNPS), according to the U.N. watchdog. The IAEA also stated that controlled, gradual discharges of the treated water to the sea as currently planned by Japans government and the plant operator Tokyo Electric Power Co. (TEPCO), would have a negligible radiological impact on people and the environment. The report is the result of a nearly two-year assessment conducted by an IAEA task force made up of top specialists from within the agency advised by internationally recognized nuclear safety experts from eleven countries, according to a statement. About 1.2 million cubic meters of water that have been used to cool the fuel rods of the Fukushima plant will be released under the plan over the next three to four decades in order to prevent accidental leaks and to allow for the plants decommissioning. As part of the plan, the IAEA stated that it will conduct an independent and objective safety review during the discharge phase, with a continued on-site presence and live online monitoring throughout. Japan hasnt specified a date for the water release. The 2011 Fukushima nuclear disaster was triggered by a deadly 9.0 magnitude earthquake and tsunami in the northern region of Japan that knocked out the plants cooling systems, triggering the meltdown of three reactors. While the water stored at the FDNPS has been treated through an Advanced Liquid Processing System (ALPS) to remove almost all radioactivity, it still remains tainted by tritium, a rare and radioactive isotope of hydrogen that can bond with oxygen to make water, making it difficult to fully remove. Nuclear reactor units No. 3 (L) and No. 4 at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant overlook the Pacific Ocean in Okuma, Japan, on Feb. 27, 2021. (Hiro Komae/AP Photo) Backlash Over Plans Tritium can increase the risk of cancer if consumed in extremely large quantities. In the United States, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) sets a maximum contaminant level for tritium at 20,000 picoCuries per liter. The World Health Organization sets its maximum concentration level much higher, at about 13 times the amount of the EPAs recommendation. Before the water is discharged into the Pacific Ocean, itll be diluted by Japanese authorities to reduce the tritium to below regulatory standards, the IAEA stated. Multiple nuclear power plants throughout the world regularly release wastewater containing tritium above the concentration of TEPCOs treated water, according to reports. However, a string of nations, including China and South Korea, have opposed the release of the radioactive water, citing health and safety issues. Local fishing groups, as well as tourism companies, beach businesses, and tourism bodies, have also raised concerns. In June, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin called the plan extremely selfish and irresponsible, saying that the ocean is humanitys common good, not Japans private sewer. Wang cited reports stating that the radioactive element Cesium-137, or Cs-137, in black rockfish that were caught in the harbor surrounding the power plant in May far exceeded safety levels, reaching 18,000 Bq/kg, 180 times above the standard laid out in Japans food safety law. The Japanese government has repeatedly sought to whitewash its discharge of nuclear-contaminated water from the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant, claiming the water to be harmless and the discharge to be justified and calling it the only option. Yet facts prove otherwise, Wang said at the time. A general view of damage to the No. 3 reactor building at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant. (Christopher Furlong/Getty Images) Health, Environmental Implications The Pacific Islands Forum, an intergovernmental organization consisting of 18 nations, including Fiji, Papua New Guinea, and Australia, has also criticized the proposal, urging Japan to hold off on the release until definitive environmental and human health implications have been established. We have taken significant steps to work with Japan to understand their position and the rationale underpinning its unilateral decision, Henry Puna, secretary-general of the forum, said in January. As a region, we committed to working with them at the technical level and engaged an independent panel of five scientific experts in key fields such as nuclear power and radiation, high energy physics, marine chemistry, biochemistry, marine biology, and oceanography to provide an independent scientific assessment of the impacts of such a release. But the discussions this past year have not been encouraging. We have uncovered serious information gaps and grave concerns with the proposed ocean release. Simply put, more data is needed before any ocean release should be permitted. Despite this, Japan is continuing with plans for discharge in the spring of 2023, relying on the next four decades of discharge to figure it out. In South Korea, thousands of protesters took to the streets in May to oppose the discharging of radioactive wastewater, while Lee Jae-Myung, chairman of the main liberal opposition Democratic Party, has urged the Japanese government to rescue the wastewater as drinking water in order to prove its claims that its safe. In its report on July 4, the IAEA stated that its aware that Japans plan to release the treated water has raised societal, political and environmental concerns, but stressed that its assessment follows a review of protection and safety, independent sampling, data corroboration, and analysis. Over the past two years, the Task Force has conducted five review missions to Japan, published six technical reports, and met many times with the Japanese Government and Japans Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO), the FDNPS operator, and analyzed hundreds of pages of technical and regulatory documentation, the agency stated. Task Force members have also several times visited the site in eastern Japan to review discharge preparations there. Still, TEPCO has previously admitted that the water tanks will need to undergo a secondary treatment to filter out radioactive substances released into the environment as much as possible and that there will need to be an emergency shutdown of the release process in the case of abnormalities. Putin, Xi Speak in First Summit Since Wagner Mercenary Uprising in Russia Russian President Vladimir Putin attends a meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Heads of State Council via a video conference at the Kremlin in Moscow on July 4, 2023. (Alexander Kazakov/Sputnik/AFP via Getty Images) Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese leader Xi shared the same stage on Tuesday, speaking at a virtual summit of a Shanghai-headquartered regional security organization in the wake of an aborted Wagner mutiny that had political implications for both nations. Both leaders spoke about the importance of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), a regional power bloc led by China and Russia that is aimed at countering perceived Western influence in Central Asia. The Russian president praised the groups support to the Kremlin during the short-lived revolt last month. I would like to take this opportunity to thank my colleagues from the Shanghai Cooperation Organization countries who expressed support for the actions of the Russian leadership to protect the constitutional order life and safety of citizens, Putin told the videoconference from the Kremlin. We highly appreciate it. Moscow would continue to resist external pressure, sanctions, and provocations, Putin told the summit hosted by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who just wrapped up a high-profile state visit to the United States. Putin said Moscow intended to deepen ties with SCO members and increase the share of settlements in national currencies. According to Putin, more than 80 percent of commercial transactions between Russia and China are conducted in rubles and yuan, and the share of the Russian currency in export transactions with other SCO member states in 2022 exceeded 40 percent. The SCO includes the four Central Asian nations of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan, all former Soviet republics. Pakistan became a member in 2017. Belarus is also in line for membership. Putins remark at Tuesdays video gathering marked his first appearance at an international meeting since the mutiny by Russias Wagner mercenary group last month. Xi, who clinked glasses with Putin and reaffirmed the no limit partnership with Putin during a March trip to Moscow, has yet to hold a public meeting with Putin. Some China observers suggested the armed uprising, though brief, has cracked the China-led coalition that is seeking to overturn international order. Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese leader Xi Jinping make a toast during a reception following their talks at the Kremlin in Moscow on March 21, 2023. (Pavel Byrkin/Sputnik/AFP via Getty Images) The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) remained silent on June 24 as Wagner boss Yevgeny Prigozhin waged an insurrection against Putin, who described the actions as a stab in the back. In just 24 hours, Prigozhin and his forces seized Rostov-on-Don, a crucial logistical hub for Russias war efforts in Ukraine, and advanced hundreds of miles toward Moscow. When the Chinese authorities addressed the chaotic insurrection for the first time, it was already after Prigozhins forces returned to their base under a deal with the Kremlin. This is Russias internal affairs, a spokesperson of Beijings foreign ministry said in a statement released on June 25. As Russias friendly neighbor and comprehensive strategic partner of coordination for the new era, China supports Russia in maintaining national stability and achieving development and prosperity. The brief comment followed a June 25 meeting in Beijing between Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang and Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Andrei Rudenko. Wagner Revolt Really Spooked Beijing Miles Yu, a senior fellow and director of the China Center at Hudson Institute, said Wagners revolt had several implications for the Chinese regime. The most important thing is that Prigozhins revolt created an alternative to a very unpopular regime, Yu said in a podcast on June 27. This is what the CCP fears most. That is, any potential Wagner-type of crack within the Chinese system is going to be an alternative to the Xi Jinping regime. Additionally, Yu said the revolt really spooked the Chinese leadership because of the regimes fear of defectors. Defection prevention is a top priority during much of the PRC regimes since the 1950s, Yu said, referring to Chinas official name, the Peoples Republic of China. Every time you have a defector flying a plane to Taiwan, for example, or South Korea, it becomes a huge political earthquake within the Chinese regime. Yu, who served as the senior China policy and planning adviser to then-Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, added that fear of coup is very real for Xi, given that Xi had purged many Chinese generals since taking power in 2022. For example, Yu pointed to the downfalls of former Chinese top military generals Guo Boxiong and Xu Caihou. Guo and Xu were known to be loyal to former Chinese leader Jiang Zemin. Fear of a military coup meant that Xi had decided to prohibit Chinese military officers from contacting foreign countries, Yu added, explaining why Xi rejected Secretary of State Anthony Blinkens proposal for resuming bilateral direct military communication when the two met in China last month. I think its absolutely taboo right now for any PLA officers to contact foreign government entities and their counterparts, Yu said, referring to the Chinese militarys official name, the Peoples Liberation Army. Chinas leader Xi Jinping attends a meeting with U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken (not pictured) in Beijing on June 19, 2023. (Leah Millis/Pool/AFP via Getty Images) Speaking via a video link from Beijing on Tuesday, Xi urged solidarity among member states and declared firm opposition to any interference in internal affairs by any county, in a veiled reference to Washington and its allies. We must be highly vigilant against external forces inciting a new cold war in the region and creating confrontations between camps, Xi said. The leader of the communist regime called on the member states to focus on practical cooperation and accelerating economic growth, according to the readout from Beijings foreign ministry. Prior to Tuesdays virtual summit, Chinese Defense Minister Li Shangfu met with Admiral Nikolai Yevmenov, the head of the Russian navy, in Beijing, during which Li reaffirmed the regimes ties with the Russian military. The CCP hopes the two sides navies could strengthen communication at all levels, organize joint exercises, patrols and competitions on a regular basis, and expand practical cooperation, Chinas defense ministry quoted Li as saying. Complicit in the Barbaric Acts Blinken, the highest-level U.S. official to travel to China since President Joe Biden took office in 2021, spent two days in China in June, concluding his trip by having a robust conversation with Xi. A day after Blinkens visit, the seemingly improved Sino-U.S. ties took a turn for the worse after Biden referred to Xi as a dictator, a remark that drew protests from the CCP. Some Republicans took to Twitter to applaud Biden for giving an honest answer. China wants Joe Biden to apologize, but Biden told the truth. Xi Jinping IS a dictator, wrote former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley, who is seeking GOP nomination for the 2024 White House race. Despite recent protests from the Chinese Communist Party, President Biden got it right: Xi is a dictator, wrote Sen. Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska). A giant screen showing news footage of Chinese leader Xi Jinping speaking virtually at the Shanghai Cooperation Organization meeting, which was held in India, at a shopping mall in Beijing on July 4, 2023. (Greg Baker/AFP via Getty Images) Chinas role in Russias ongoing war in Ukraine has long been under scrutiny. The U.S. government has sanctioned some Chinese entities for supporting Russian military and defense industries. On July 1, Nikkei Asia published its own investigation, saying that Russian companies had imported at least 37 Chinese civilian drones between December 2022 and April this year. Citing customs clearance records, the outlet said the drones were purchased for use in the special military operation, which is the term Putin has used to refer to Kremlims war in Ukraine. Some of the imported drones were made by DJI, the worlds largest consumer drone maker, according to the outlet. The Pentagon added DJI to its list of Chinese military companies in October last year. In response to the outlets findings, Gordon Chang, a senior fellow at the Gatestone Institute, called Xi a war criminal on Twitter. #Chinas direct and continuous support for #Russias war effort in #Ukraine makes the #CCP regime complicit in the barbaric acts of the #Russian forces, Chang wrote. #XiJinping, like #VladimirPutin, is a war criminal. The Associated Press contributed to this report. Report Shows Ministers Warned Suicide Would Kill More Children Than COVID A young girl paints a picture of herself on the school window as children of key workers take part in school activities at Oldfield Brow Primary School in Altrincham, England, on April 8, 2020. (Christopher Furlong/Getty Images) The government was warned that more children would die from suicide than from COVID-19 before closing schools, according to a report. A parents group has collated key moments where the government reportedly missed to avert damage caused by school closures during COVID lockdowns. 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 joint briefing paper by the Department for Education and the Independent Scientific Pandemic Influenza Group on Behaviours warned in November 2020 that many more children will die from suicide than COVID-19 this year as it cited evidence of a rise in self-harm among young people during lockdown. The document was published in a report by UsForThem, a campaigning group that advocated for children to be prioritised during the COVID-19 pandemic, and continues to lobby for childrens well-being. The briefing was shared at a Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (SAGE) attended by senior scientific advisers responsible for briefing ministers, and at least ten senior officials from the Department for Education, the Cabinet Office, the Home Office, and other government departments. A sign asking people to stay at home stands on the seafront in Southend, England on Jan. 08, 2021. (Dan Kitwood/Getty Images) 9 Moments UsForThem also identified nine moments where they claimed that the government missed the opportunity to protect children from before COVID-19 up to January 2021. For example, from February to March 2020, it was documented in SAGE papers during these months that the impact that school closures would have on stemming transmission was likely to be highly limited, and was uncertain. It also noted that in December 2020, SAGE found that transmission taking place in educational settings appeared to be no greater than transmission taking place in other settings. The government made a decision for schools to remain open for key workers children and vulnerable children during school lockdowns. Though a Scientific Pandemic Infections group on Modelling SPI-M paper, drawing on school attendance figures provided by the DfE, said that 94 percent of vulnerable children are not in school. UsForThem also noted that social work protections for vulnerable children had at the time either been suspended outright or moved to a remote footing. Furthermore, in January 2021, Professor Russell Viner, the president of the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health, told the Education Select Committee: When we close schools we close [childrens] lives, not to benefit them but to benefit the rest of society. They reap harm when we close schools. The COVID-19 Inquiry, the UKs probe into the handling of the government response to COVID-19, commenced last week, however, the probe is not specifically looking at the impact of school closures until 2025. The inquiry needs to be seeking answers as to how the government missed so many opportunities, Arabella Skinner, UsForThem co-founder told The Epoch Times by email. Notably, how were they prepared to close schools again with the full knowledge of the damage from education to suicide which was being inflicted on children? If ministers had not seen the SAGE deliberationswhy not? And if they had, did they really think it was acceptable to sacrifice children? she added. A five-year-old girl watches an online phonics lesson on a laptop in her bedroom on the second day of the nationwide school closures in Newcastle-under-Lyme, England, on Jan. 6, 2021. (Gareth Copley/Getty Images) Mental Health Lockdown According to a briefing commissioned by the Healthcare Quality Improvement Partnership (HQIP) on behalf of NHS England in 2020, there was a concerning signal that child suicide deaths may have increased during the first 56 days of the lockdown, though it said that the analysis was based on small case numbersmeaning that they were unable to reach definitive conclusions. In July, researchers with the University College London, the University of York, the University of Liverpool, and the University of Bristol found in a study that five times more children and young people committed suicide than died of COVID-19 during the first year of the pandemic in the United Kingdom. The study concluded, The risk of removal of CYP (children and young people) from their normal activities across education and social events may prove a greater risk than that of SARS-CoV-2 itself. In 2021, Ellen Townsend Professor of Psychology and member of the Self-Harm Research Group gave written evidence to a government committee that said that more young people will die from suicide and road traffic accidents than COVID-19 this year. A DfE spokesperson told The Epoch Times by email: We know children were amongst those most affected by the pandemic which is why we have invested 5 billion in ambitious education recovery initiatives to help young people catch up. We are also rolling out Mental Health Support teams in schools which comes on top of our annual 2.3 billion investment into mental health services. The UK COVID-19 Inquiry is currently examining the countrys response to the pandemic, and the Department is cooperating fully. A spokesman for UK COVID-19 Inquiry told The Epoch Times by email that it is committed to investigating the impacts on children and young people, including health, wellbeing and social care and will do so as soon as possible, bearing in mind the number of topics we must investigate, which are set out in our terms of reference. It added that Rule 9 requests have been sent to the Department for Education. Jack Phillips contributed to this report. Rider Dies After Being Ejected From Motorcycle in San Diego Crash SAN DIEGOA 33-year-old Temecula man died when his motorcycle crashed into the back of Toyota truck on state Route 76 near the La Jolla Indian Reservation, the California Highway Patrol said on July 3. At 6:29 p.m. Sunday, the rider of a Yamaha Tenere 700 was heading westbound on State Route-76 when his motorcycle crashed into the rear of the Toyota and he was ejected, according to the California Highway Patrols Hunter Gerber. The highway patrol and La Jolla Reservation paramedic and fire crews responded to the scene to assist the rider, but he was pronounced dead at the scene, Gerber said. The roadway was affected for several hours following the crash as the scene was being investigated. It was not immediately known if alcohol or drugs contributed to the cause of the crash. The investigation was ongoing Monday morning. Anyone with information or who may have witnessed the crash was asked to contact the Oceanside Area California Highway Patrol office at 760-643-3400. Royal Canadian Navy Ships Leave Halifax to Join NATO in Baltic Mission HMCS Summerside sails from its homeport in Halifax as Rear-Admiral Josee Kurtz raises her cap during the departure ceremony for HMCS Summerside and HMCS Shawinigan, in Halifax, July 3, 2023. (The Canadian Press/Darren Calabrese) Two Royal Canadian Navy warships sailed out of Halifax harbour Monday, bound for the Baltic region where they will join a NATO mission aimed at deterring Russian aggression. The vessels, HMCS Shawinigan and HMCS Summerside, will help NATO forces with mine-hunting and disposal in the North Atlantic as part of Operation Reassurance. Rear Admiral Josee Kurtz, commander of Joint Task Force Atlantic, said the deployment signals Canadas commitment to the 31-country alliance. Even if NATO is not directly involved in whats happening in Ukraine with Russia, the fact that we are positioning the alliance to be ready to react, if called upon, is very important, she told reporters after the ships left the harbour. The allied waters will be much safer because they are being patrolled by Canadian ships, she added. While NATO is not directly involved in Russias war with Ukraine, a top NATO military officer said Monday the alliance is reinforcing the security of nearby member countries. Admiral Rob Bauer, chairman of NATOs military committee, said about 40,000 troops are on standby from Estonia in the north to Romania on the Black Sea in the south. As well, about 100 aircraft take to the skies in that territory each day, and a total of 27 warships are operating in the Baltic and Mediterranean seas, but those numbers are set to rise. Under a new plan, NATO aims to have up to 300,000 troops ready to move to its eastern flank within 30 days. Bauer, who serves with the Royal Netherlands Navy, told the Associated Press that NATOs new plan is based on the strength of the Russian army before President Vladimir Putin launched the war on Ukraine almost 17 months ago. He said the war has depleted Russias army, but not its navy or air force. Meanwhile, the latest NATO mission for Canada marks the first deployment for HMCS Shawinigan as part of Operation Reassurance, and the second full-length deployment for HMCS Summerside. Both coastal defence vessels are carrying about 45 sailors, and will be deployed for four months. As Jacqui Empson-Laporte watched HMCS Summerside depart the jetty, she waved goodbye as her 22-year-old son, Ryan Forbes, left on his first deployment. She said she wants her son to see the world, as she held a hand-painted banner that read, Be safe, learn lots, enjoy the experience. Malorie Whites husband Perry White was also aboard HMCS Summerside. She said his frequent deployments have been difficult for their two children, aged seven and three. But Im really proud of him today, she said. Following Russias annexing of Crimea in 2014, Canada has sent navy ships to participate in Operation Reassurance since 2014, deploying approximately 2,430 military personnel to the mission. Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Valeriy Zaluzhny has appointed Colonel Oleksandr Okhrimenko, who commanded the 14th Separate Mechanized Brigade named after Prince Roman the Great, as Head of Odesa Regional Army Recruitment and Social Support Center. "I have appointed one of the best military commanders as Head of Odesa Regional Army Recruitment and Social Support Center. Colonel Oleksandr Okhrimenko, who had commanded the 14th Separate Mechanized Brigade named after Prince Roman the Great until today," he said on the Telegram channel on Tuesday. Zaluzhny stressed that Okhrimenko is a combat officer who knows the army from inside, clearly understands the needs on the front and has demonstrated his devotion to the army and the Motherland numerous times. As reported, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy, during a meeting of the Supreme Commander Headquarters on June 23, ordered Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Valeriy Zaluzhny to dismiss Head of Odesa Regional Army Recruitment and Social Support Center Yevhen Borysov, in whose ownership journalists had discovered a villa in Spain. Earlier, Head of the Servant of the People faction Davyd Arakhamia addressed law enforces with a request to investigate into the facts of possible abuse of power by the military commissar in Odesa published by journalist Mykhailo Tkach (Ukrainska Pravda media outlet). According to the video investigation by Tkach entitled "The Spain Battalion", expensive housing and an office in Marbella, Spain are registered for relatives of Odesa military commissar Yevhen Borysov. Bu Dongwei holds the core American value of freedom deep in his heart. He fled from persecution in China back in 2008 and knows firsthand how far a totalitarian regime will go when it perceives an ideological threat to its grip on power. During the May 1989 declaration of martial law, when pro-democracy protests were at their peak in Beijing, he went to the city to see what was happening at Tiananmen Square but left just five days before the bloody June 4 massacre. Fast-forward 10 years, and he himself ended up being the target of the Chinese regimes violence: like countless others, he too was demonized as an enemy of the state and a threat to social order. The sole reason for Mr. Bus arbitrary detention and persecution was that hed refused to give up his faith and had written a letter to communist authorities asking them to reconsider their violent suppression of the Falun Gong self-cultivation system. Hundreds of thousands of adherents were appealing to the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) in 1999, but the regime had decided to eliminate the faith that is rooted in ancient traditional Chinese culture, and launched a persecutory campaign targeting around 100 million law-abiding citizens. Since coming to the United States, he has found his purpose: advocating for freedom and alerting Americans to the threats of communism. Communism is spreading in the United States. We should be aware and safeguard the freedom of America, Mr. Bu, 55, a former government project coordinator at the Beijing office of The Asia Foundation, told The Epoch Times. Bu Dongwei, 55, a former project coordinator at the Beijing office of The Asia Foundation, fled China in 2008 to avoid being persecuted for his faith. (Courtesy of Bu Dongwei) Americans should be very wary of the CCP not only because of espionage but also because they are spreading propaganda. The Chinese regime is trying to infiltrate the United States in many different ways. They have a lot of spies here working to undermine the foundation of the country. Also, theyre working to steal technology and other things from the United States. The U.S. government should completely reject the CCP. Referring to The Epoch Times exclusive series How the Specter of Communism Is Ruling Our World, Mr. Bu says he believes every American should read this book. In American high schools, students cant learn about how evil communism is. They dont know the history of communism, he said. Americans, especially the young generation, should read more about communismthe true story of the communist countries, not only of China but also of North Korea and others. He added that mainland China has lost its true cultural heritage after undergoing the Cultural Revolution under communist rule. More and more mainland Chinese people are realizing what horrible things communism has done to their country, which has a glorious history. They are looking forward to getting rid of communism and enjoying the spirit of freedom like other countries, he said. Bu Dongwei presenting his testimony at the San Francisco city hall on Dec. 6, 2016. (Zhou Fenglin/The Epoch Times) The Early Days in China Mr. Bu and his wife, Lou Hongwei, who earned her Master of Law from Beijing University and Master of Real Estate Finance from the UKs Cambridge University, began practicing Falun Gong in 1996. He always loved martial arts and Tai Chi and connected strongly with Falun Gongs mind-body cultivation and moral philosophy grounded in the principles of truthfulness, compassion, and tolerance. He says during the early days, thousands of people openly and freely practiced Falun Gongs meditative exercises in parks in China. Nobody organized them; they came voluntarily, did the exercises, and left peacefully, and some even helped clear public parks of any litter that was there prior to their arrival. However, he said, the environment changed dramatically after the historic incident of April 25, 1999the day when 10,000 adherents from all over China gathered at Zhongnanhai, the Chinese leadership compound in Beijing, for a silent appeal against the violent arrest of 45 Falun Gong adherents. Bu Dongwei and Lou Hongwei in China. (Courtesy of Bu Dongwei) Thousands of Falun Gong practitioners perform one of the practices five exercises, the Falun Standing Stance, in Guangzhou, southern China, in 1998, before the persecution began. (Courtesy of Minghui.org) A large group of Falun Gong adherents practice their disciplines exercises in Shenyang City, China, before the persecution of the practice began. (Courtesy of Minghui.org) Mr. Bu later saw the news coverage on CNN, after returning home from Zhongnanhai. We could still watch CNN at that time from home, he said. CNN was banned later on for common people, you know, in residential areas, and was only available in four or five-star hotels. I saw the report and realized something could happen later. But in early May 1999, I dont remember which day, the Peoples Daily [the official newspaper of the CCP] said the people who went to Zhongnanhai wont get in trouble. Thats what the CCP propaganda said. I was still suspicious though, because we could see things changing around us after April 25. He recalled that post-April 25 they were still able to do the exercises in parks, but they would notice one or two plainclothes policemen or some people from the government monitoring them. They just stood there, like 10 to 20 meters [32 to 65 feet] away from us, and didnt say anythingjust kept looking at us. The atmosphere had changed, it was different, he said. More than 10,000 Falun Gong practitioners gather on Fuyou Street in Beijing on April 25, 1999. (Courtesy of Minghui.org) By July 20, 1999, the CCP officially made its stance clear and launched a nationwide violent campaign to eliminate the spiritual practice; a persecution that continues to this day. I heard about the ban on the morning of July 21, he said. My wife and I then went to the petition center again. There were many practitioners there. We were taken on a bus to a large stadium where thousands of other practitioners were. They registered almost every one of them. Somehow my wife and I managed to just walk away from that place. Bu said that the environment turned totally hostile after July 20. Almost all the practitioners disappeared from public parks because they were not allowed to go there to practice the exercises. The Persecution The couple were first arrested in 2000 and sentenced to one year in separate labor camps in Beijing after Mr. Bu wrote to Chinese officials requesting them to stop persecuting Falun Gong. Facing pressure and harassment after his release, Mr. Bu went to Hong Kong for higher studies. By 2004, he was working for The Asia Foundation and returned to Beijing, coordinating the first ever collaboration project between the U.S. Department of Labor and its Chinese counterpart, the Ministry of Labor and Social Security. Two years in, when his team had just finished the midterm evaluation, and the officials from both sides were happy, Mr. Bu was arrested one night and was sentenced to two and a half years at the Beijing Tuanhe Labor Camp. It was May 19, 2006. Friday. I went back home at around 9 oclock. Someone knocked on my door. Seven to eight policemen just rushed in and asked me, You have Zhuan Falun [the main text of Falun Gong]? Did you read it? They searched my home. They found the books, and then took me to the detention center, he said. By that time, owning any Falun Gong material was like a crime in China. At that time, Ms. Lou was studying at Cambridge University. She moved to the United States to seek help from The Asia Foundation and raise awareness about her husbands case. Bu Dongwei with his wife and daughter on his first day in the United States. (Courtesy of Bu Dongwei) In March 2006, two months before Mr. Bu was arrested, Ms. Lou had come across news about witnesses from China revealing the CCPs state-sanctioned forced organ harvesting from Falun Gong practitioners. She informed her husband. I knew something may be happening somewhere, Mr. Bu said. When I was in the labor camp, only Falun Gong practitioners were taken to a hospital for a blood test every three months, but nobody informed us of the test results. I believe this was done so they could acquire samples, to determine the blood types available to them. After I came to the United States, I read Bloody Harvest, a report by David Kilgour and David Matas. They have very convincing data, you know in China, some people are even able to get an organ transplant within one or two weeksits turned into organ tourism. That means there must be a large pool of live organs in China. People are waiting to be killed as the donors of these organs. This is very shocking. Bloody Harvest, an investigative report by David Matas, an international human rights lawyer, and David Kilgour, a former Canadian MP and Secretary of State, exposes forced organ harvesting from Falun Gong practitioners in China. (Courtesy of Seraphim Editions) Around this time, Amnesty International got involved in Mr. Bus rescue, declaring him a prisoner of conscience. They also launched a letter campaign, which highlighted Bus case globally. Hundreds of people wrote letters to Beijing seeking his release. He says the letters helped to bring some relief in the harsh environment of the labor camp. When jailers and guards knew the world outside was aware of his plight, their attitude changed and they were not as bad as before. I had no idea about Amnesty International because I didnt receive even one of the letters. Only after I came to the United States, did I learn about them, he said. [But] the labor camp officials knew I had been noticed by the international community. They didnt torture me like they did the first time in the labor camp, in the year 2000. So, if people of the world pay attention to prisoners of faith, they help them become safer in those detention centers. In the labor camp, Mr. Bu was still forced to sit on a small stool and work for long hours in unhygienic conditions to make sanitary chopsticksthe moniker the prisoners used for the dirt-laden chopsticks that were often processed on the facilitys filthy floor and got poked here and there while packing. He was doing forced labor for a large export and import company and later on, spotted similar chopsticks in the Congress cafeteria in Washington, D.C. When I came to the United States, I went to Congress to visit some congressmen who had helped me. I had lunch at the cafeteria. I told them [about the chopsticks] they were shocked. Every day we had to work for roughly over 10 hours to finish the quota. Its like 5,000 chopsticks, he said. Thanks to his story being in the international news, Mr. Bu was spared the brutal torture routinely used on many Falun Gong adherents. He was released from the labor camp in July 2008, and by Nov. 24 of that year, with his wifes assistance, hed moved to the United States; she had secured asylum status for him. The Fight for Freedom Goes on Having regained his freedom, Mr. Bu is now involved in raising awareness about Chinas human rights issues and the threat the communist regime poses to the whole world. As a Chinese refugee, he hopes to remind Americans to cherish and respect their hard-won freedom. He says that most Americans take their freedom for granted, and they may not be aware that many people around the world cannot enjoy freedom as they do. He cited the 1967 speech of then-governor Ronald Reagan, who later served as the 40th president of the United States, in which Reagan said that freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction and it must be fought for and defended constantly by each generation. Bu Dongwei speaking at an event in San Francisco to raise awareness about the persecution of Falun Gong on July 20, 2011. (Zhou Rong/The Epoch Times) Mr. Bu said: The core American values of freedom also include freedom of speech, freedom of belief, and freedom from fear. These are very important because, with freedom of speech, we can speak without being afraid that the police will come knocking on the door in the middle of the night. And we can practice our religion, no matter what our beliefs. This is very precious to meespecially because Ive experienced being arrested just because of my faith. Daksha Devnani contributed to this report. Profiles in history: An ongoing series of lesser known but significant figures who shaped our world Samuel Ringgold Wards great oratory skills were key to the movement to end slavery in the 1800s. The famous abolitionist Frederick Douglass gave Ward credit for being able to capture attention wherever he went. As an orator and thinker, he was vastly superior, I thought, to any of us, and being perfectly black and of unmixed African descent, the splendors of his intellect went directly to the glory of [the] race, Douglass said in his autobiography, The Life and Times of Frederick Douglass. Ward was born in 1817 on the Eastern Shore of Maryland to enslaved parents. At a young age, he and his parents fled to rural New Jersey in 1820, and then went to New York in 1826. Despite his parents being in constant fear of recapture, they never told Ward that they were once enslaved. Ward didnt find out that he was an escaped slave until he became an adult. Frederick Douglas honored fellow abolitionist Samuel Ringgold Ward for his antislavery oratory. (Public Domain) Ward attended the African Free School in New York City, and later became a teacher there. In 1834, Ward would begin to realize the brutality of prejudice. During an anti-slavery meeting in New York City, a group of pro-slavery merchants attacked the participants. Ward was thrown in jail without a trial or an accuser. From that point forth, he would dedicate his efforts to the anti-slavery movement. Anti-Slavery Movement After being educated at the African Free School in New York, Ward was ordained as a Congregationalist minister in 1839. That same year, he became an agent for the American Anti-Slavery Society. In 1841, Ward served as pastor to an all-white congregation in South Butler, New York and later in Cortland, New York. During the 1840s, he joined the Liberty Party, and spoke against slavery in most northern states. He also became the editor and part owner of two newspapers: the Farmer and Northern Star, and, in Boston, the Impartial Citizen. While in the Liberty Party, he opposed the expansion of slavery in newly acquired U.S. territories. He was also strongly against the domestic slave trade. Ward fought for the right to vote for 40,000 African American citizens in New York. He would eventually feel threatened by the anti-abolitionist riots in New York. He publicly fought against the Fugitive Slave Act of 1850, which put him in even more danger. Ward was involved in the famous Jerry Rescue, about an escaped slave jailed on suspicious charges. There were strong feelings on both sides of the slavery issue. A slave owner intended to take William Jerry Henry back. Ward and others visited Henry in jail on Oct. 1, 1851, shortly before an anti-slavery crowd stormed the jail to free him. Henry was briefly held in secret in New York before being brought to freedom in Canada. Ward then followed Henry to Canada in fear that he could also be arrested as an escaped slave. While in Canada, he continued his work for the abolitionist movement. He was a key leader in the Anti-Slavery Society of Canada, and he was a founding editor of the Provincial Freeman newspaper. Lithograph of Samuel Ringgold Ward in 1891. The Afro-American Press. (Public Domain) Ward soon left to tour England to speak and raise funds for the antislavery society. There, he met Charles Beecher, brother of Harriet Beecher Stowe, author of Uncle Toms Cabin, who was also visiting England. After his successful speeches in England, he wrote Autobiography of a Fugitive Negro: His Anti-Slavery Labours in the United States, Canada, and England in 1855. Ward left London in 1855, and retired to Jamaica where he worked as a minister and farmer until his death in 1866. Douglas honored his fellow abolitionist with this final tribute: In depth of thought, fluency of speech, readiness of wit, logical exactness and general intelligence, Samuel R. Ward has left no successor among the colored men amongst us, and it was a sad day for our cause when he was laid low in the soil of a foreign country. Sorry, but Serious Harms From the Vaccine Arent Rare Syringe and drug or vaccine in hand and girl silhouette on a blue background. (Ruslan_127/Shutterstock) Commentary Drug regulators and public health agencies have saturated the airways with claims that serious harms following COVID-19 vaccination are rare. But there has been very little scrutiny of that claim by the media, and I couldnt find an instance where international agencies actually quantified what they meant by the term rare or provided a scientific source. The best evidence so far has been a study published in one of vaccinologys most prestigious journals, where independent researchers reanalyzed the original trial data for the mRNA vaccines. The authors, Joseph Fraiman et al., found that serious adverse events (SAE)i.e., adverse events that require hospitalizationwere elevated in the vaccine arm by an alarming rate1 additional SAE for every 556 people vaccinated with Pfizers mRNA vaccine. According to a scale used by drug regulators, SAEs occurring at a rate of 1 in 556 are categorized as uncommon but are far more common than what the public has been told. Therefore, I asked eight drug regulators and public health agencies to answer a simple question: Whats the official calculated rate of SAEs believed to be caused by Pfizers mRNA vaccine, and whats the evidence? The agencies were the FDA, TGA, MHRA, HC, PEI, CDC, ECDC, and EMA. The outcome was startling. What Is the Official SAE Rate? Not a single agency could cite the SAE rate of Pfizers vaccine. Most directed me to pharmacovigilance data, which they all emphasized doesnt establish causation. The Australian TGA, for example, referred me to the spontaneous reporting system but warned, It is not possible to meaningfully use these data to calculate the true incidence of adverse events due to the limitations of spontaneous reporting systems. Both the German regulator (PEI) and European CDC referred me to the European Medicines Agency (EMA) which, according to its own report, saw no increase at all in SAEs. SAEs occurred at a low frequency in both vaccinated and the placebo group at 0.6 percent, the EMA stated. The UK regulator MHRA went so far as to state that it does not make estimations of a serious adverse event (SAE) rate, or a rate for adverse reactions considered to be causally related for any medicinal product. The U.S. FDA, on the other hand, conceded that SAEs after mRNA vaccination have indeed been higher than that of influenza vaccines but suggested that it was justified because the severity and impact of covid-19 on public health have been significantly higher than those of seasonal influenza. Despite analyzing the same dataset as Fraiman, the FDA stated that it disagrees with the conclusions of the Fraiman analysis. The agency didnt give specifics on the areas of disagreement, nor did it provide its own rate of SAEs. Expert Response In response to the criticism, Fraiman, an emergency doctor and lead author on the reanalysis said, To be honest, Im not that surprised that agencies have not determined the rate of SAEs. Once these agencies approve a drug, theres no incentive for them to monitor harms. He said its hypocritical for health agencies to tell people that serious harms of the COVID-19 vaccines are rare when they havent even determined the SAE rate themselves. Its very dangerous not to be honest with the public, said Fraiman, who recently called for the mRNA vaccines to be suspended. These noble lies may get people vaccinated in the short term, but youre creating decades or generations of distrust when its revealed that they have been misleading the public. Dick Bijl, a physician and epidemiologist based in the Netherlands, agreed. It goes to show how corrupted these agencies are, he said. There is no transparency, especially since regulators are largely funded by the drug industry. Bijl said its vital to know the rate of SAEs for the vaccines. You must be able to do a harm-benefit analysis, to allow people to give fully informed consent, especially in young people at low risk of serious COVID or those who have natural immunity, he said. Bijl said the mainstream media has allowed these agencies to make false claims about the safety of vaccines without interrogating the facts. The rise of alternative media is strongly related to the lies being told by the legacy media, which just repeats government narratives and industry marketing. In the Netherlands, there is a lot of discussion about the distrust in public messaging, he said. Originally published on the authors Substack, reposted from the Brownstone Institute Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times. States Move to Ban Religious Vilification Doesnt Protect Individuals: Activist Parishioners pray during the 'Twenty-First Sunday after Pentecost' service with Father James Collins at St Paul's Anglican Church in Sydney, Australia, on Oct. 25, 2020. (Lisa Maree Williams/Getty Images) The New South Wales (NSW) governments new commitment to prohibit religious vilification has been criticized as not providing enough protection for religious people. The NSW Labor government announced on June 28 it would amend the NSW Anti-Discrimination Act 1977 to prohibit religious vilification, which will make it illegal to by a public act (includes any form of communication to the public, verbal and non-verbal), incite hatred towards, serious contempt for, or severe ridicule of, a person or group of persons, because of their religious belief, affiliation or activity. The government said it had consulted closely on the proposed amendments with a broad range of stakeholder groups, including religious faith and religious advocacy organisations, community advocacy organisations, legal stakeholders, and NSW government agencies. No one should have to encounter public hate due to their religious beliefs, and it is high time the Anti-Discrimination Act 1977 was changed to reflect this, NSW Attorney General Michael Daley said in a statement. We committed, as an election promise, to introduce legislation making religious vilification unlawful within our first 100 days in office. We are here to make good on our promises and get things done by making this change to the Anti-Discrimination Act. NSW Labor MP Michael Daley, along with MP Chris Minns (left) addresses the media in Sydney, Australia, on Jan. 31, 2019. (AAP Image/Dan Himbrechts) NSW Minister for Multiculturalism Steve Kamper said members of the Jewish, Muslim, Hindu, and Sikh faiths have all raised concerns about the growing levels of intolerance towards members of their communities. This much-needed legislation will provide our faith communities with similar protections provided to members of diverse and multicultural communities, he said. Vilification Law Doesnt Protect People of Faith: Activist While the amendment looks perfect on the surface, it has drawn harsh criticism from some activists. Michael Andjelkovic, a Sydney-based independent community campaigner who has been promoting religious protection legislation for over three years, said while the vilification law sounds good, in reality, it does not provide any protection for people of faith against discrimination. Religious vilification doesnt provide the same protection as discrimination because the bar is much higher, Mr. Andjelkovic told The Epoch Times on July 3. He gave a simple example: A Christian goes into a restaurant and decides to make the sign of the cross over his food and say a prayer. The restaurant owner comes and asks that person to leave, citing the reason that the restaurant does not serve Christians. Thats discrimination. Its not vilification because [its] not inciting hatred Theyre not causing severe ridicule towards a person of faith, Mr. Andjelkovic said. Thats why Im pushing for the religious anti-discrimination legislation to be introduced and to be enacted because that does provide protection for people. A large wooden cross is seen outside the closed Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church in Earlwood in Sydney, Australia, on April 12, 2020. (Mark Kolbe/Getty Images) New South Wales and South Australia are the only two states in Australia without these protections. We want equal rights, he said. Persistent Efforts With Little Response Mr. Andjelkovic, who has been active in Sydneys western suburb of Liverpool, shared his frustration over promoting this grassroots movement, which involves collecting a great number of signatures from the local community. Were trying to promote and get support for the religious anti-discrimination act, which has already been reviewed. Its already been thoroughly investigated. Its already gone through the whole process that had 12 months, he said. Some great legal minds and some great people from all the religious leaders had input. They reviewed it. They agreed on it. Its had nine months of review by the Joint Select Committee, the joint parliamentary Select Committee, where they had 194 written submissions, the majority of which were in favour of it. In that, almost 20,000 responses to a survey, the majority of which were in favour of it. Four days of live testimony to the committee towards the end of 2020. The majority of those testimonies were in favour of the bill. And then, out of the 14 members voted for it and then got knocked back by the two major parties. Thats just unbelievable. Michael Andjelkovic, former independent of Liverpool council. (Screenshot via The Epoch Times/YouTube) In a response to the 23,000 Signature Petition lodged in Parliament, Attorney General Michael Daley said the NSW Labor government will refer the Anti-Discrimination Act to the Law Reform Commission. The NSW Government is working with the Law Reform Commission to commence this review of the Act, Mr. Daley wrote in an email seen by The Epoch Times. The process will take years, according to Mr. Andjelkovic. The Labor Party is offering the Vilification Legislation in lieu of the Anti-Discrimination legislation that was recommended by the joint parliamentary select committee. In other words, they have kicked the can up the road and into the long grass. Faith Group Calls for More Protection Clauses While supporting the state governments move, Falun Dafa, a spiritual practice currently persecuted in China, recommends the state government add more protections similar to the state of Victoria. We thank the NSW government for this important amendment, John Deller, a committee member of the Falun Dafa Association of Australia, said. Falun Dafa practitioners commemorate lives lost and 20 years of persecution by the Chinese communist regime in Sydney, Australia, on July 19, 2019. (The Epoch Times) The Chinese Communist Partys propaganda campaign to dehumanize Falun Dafa practitioners is an integral part of the persecution campaign that extends into Australia. Peaceful meditators who follow truthfulness, compassion, and forbearance should be protected from vilification and hatred, especially those given humanitarian protection after fleeing persecution. Mr. Deller said the faith group is looking forward to viewing the Bill and hopes their recommendations regarding harmonizing with important protections in the equivalent Victorian legislation have been included. In Racial and Religious Tolerance Act 2001, Part 2 Unlawful Conduct, sections 8 to 10, S9 says the motive is irrelevant, which means a person cant just say I didnt mean it; S10 says if you made an incorrect assumption about someone and their religious beliefs, that also is not an excuse, he said. We dont yet know if NSW [bill] includes that, but most likely it doesnt. The Epoch Times has reached out to the NSW government and the NSW Attorney-Generals Department for comment. Taliban Orders Hair and Beauty Salons in Afghanistan to Close An Afghan beautician attends a customer at a beauty salon in Mazar-i-Sharif, Afghanistan, on June 27, 2023. (Atif Aryan/AFP via Getty Images) The Taliban in Afghanistan has ordered beauty salons in the country to close within a month, according to a Taliban spokesperson, marking another blow to Afghan womens rights since the regime seized power nearly two years ago. Mohammad Sadiq Akif, a spokesman for the Taliban-led Ministry of Propagation of Virtue and Prevention of Vice, said on Tuesday that the deadline for shutting beauty parlors is one month, starting from July 2, when they were first informed of the move. An Afghan woman reacting to the notice told the BBC that hair salons in Kabul and other cities will be closed as well. Its more shocking news for Afghan women, she told the network. I went out and saw all the salons in my locality were closed. Another Afghan woman, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the Talibans latest decree is to eliminate women at every level of public life and prevent women from serving other women. The Taliban are taking away the most basic human rights from Afghan women, she said. The announcement comes as foreign governments and the United Nations (U.N.) have denounced growing restrictions on women since the Taliban seized power in 2021 following the defeat of a U.S.-backed government amid the withdrawal of foreign forces. Beauty salons sprung up in Kabul and other Afghan cities in the months after the Taliban was driven from power in late 2001, weeks after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attack on the United States. Many remained open after the Islamist extremist group returned to power two years ago but with their signs and windows covered up, providing some women with jobs and their customers with their services. The Taliban-led ministry has not given any reason for the ban, or if there would be any alternatives for women once the salons close. In a post on Twitter Tuesday, the U.N. Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) called on the de facto authorities in Afghanistan to halt the edict closing beauty parlors, noting another set of restrictions on womens rights will negatively impact the economy and contradicts stated support for women entrepreneurship. UNAMA remains engaged [with] stakeholders seeking reversal of the bans, the organization said. UNAMA calls on the de facto authorities to halt the edict closing beauty salons. This new restriction on womens rights will impact negatively on the economy&contradicts stated support for women entrepreneurship. UNAMA remains engaged w/stakeholders seeking reversal of the bans. UNAMA News (@UNAMAnews) July 4, 2023 Taliban Repression of Women When the Taliban toppled the democratically elected government in 2021, the regime initially promised to protect womens and girls rights while implementing a more moderate form of Islamic rule compared to its previous time in power from 1996 to 2001. However, it has since imposed harsh measures impacting a wide range of womens rights, including barring them from education and public spaces, as well as removing certain job opportunities. Many public places including bathhouses, gyms, and parks have been closed to women. Earlier this year, the Taliban also banned Afghan women from working with the U.N. in Afghanistan, a move widely condemned by the U.N. Security Council, which called the decision unprecedented in the history of the intergovernmental organization. Women have also mostly been barred from working for most NGOs, despite the Taliban vowing in September 2021 that all humanitarian workers, including both men and women, would be guaranteed safety, security, and freedom of movement. While the regime has been widely known for its human rights issues, the Taliban has tried to gain formal recognition by the U.N. as Afghanistans legitimate government. At this time, no country recognizes the Taliban as a legitimate government, and the former government of President Ashraf Ghani still holds the countrys U.N. seat. Western governments and international organizations have signaled that restrictions on women are hampering any possible progress toward international recognition for the Taliban. The regime, however, insists that it respects womens rights in accordance with its interpretation of Islamic law and Afghan customs. Reuters contributed to this report. From NTD News Texas DPS Discovers 2 Abandoned Minors From Guatemala Along Rio Grande River Honduran immigrants walk along the U.S. side of the Rio Grande and past an emptied-out immigrant camp after crossing over from Mexico to El Paso, Texas, on May 13, 2023. (John Moore/Getty Images) Two abandoned unaccompanied minors from Guatemala were discovered by Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) officials near the Texas border on July 3. The two minors, aged 8 and 11, told troopers they were abandoned by a female adult along the edge of the Rio Grande River at Shelby Park in Eagle Pass, DPS spokesman Lt. Chris Olivarez wrote on Twitter. According to the children, the unidentified female had left them at the edge of the river in Mexico and told them to cross it. Children who are smuggled/trafficked across the Texas-Mexico border continue to be exploited and left abandoned in dangerous situations, Olivarez wrote, adding that Texas DPS has recovered more than 900 children during smuggling and trafficking-related events. Olivarez did not state the time period during which the more than 900 children had been recovered. Hours later, Olivarez wrote that the DPSs Tactical Marine Unit had recovered four bodiesincluding an infantfrom the Rio Grande within just 48 hours. United States Border Patrol agents had requested assistance with a possible infant drowning on July 1, Olivarez said, prompting DPS and members of Floridas Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission to deploy two air boats. Officials observed multiple bodies floating along the river, Olivarez said. Four individuals were recovered from the river and given medical attention but two of the immigrantsan adult female and an infant femalewere found to be unresponsive when medical staff performed chest compressions. More Deceased Immigrants Found They were later transported to Fort Duncan Regional Medical Center where they were pronounced dead. The two other survivors were turned over to Border Patrol, according to Olivarez. A day later, an unidentified deceased male was recovered from the river, and on July 3, another unknown deceased female was recovered from the river by officials. The identities of the deceased remain unknown since none possessed identifying documents, Olivarez said. The latest updates come after the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced late in June that it will build more than 20 more miles of U.S.Mexico border wall at Border Patrols Rio Grande Valley Sector. The building of the large section of the wall is consistent with DHSs legal obligation to use the remaining fiscal year 2019 fundsapproximately $190 millionfor the construction of primary pedestrian fencing, including levee pedestrian fencing, in the Rio Grande Valley. In total, Congress appropriated Customs and Border Protection $1.375 billion for such activities in the 2019 spending bill under former President Donald Trumps administration. Border Wall Construction Trump, who is running for president again in the 2024 election, had vowed to expand the MexicoUnited States barrier during his time in office in an effort to keep illegal immigrants out of the United States. In contrast, President Joe Bidens administration has urged Congress to take steps to prevent more of the wall from being built. Instead, the Biden administration is using an array of various methods aimed at deterring illegal border crossings, including a regulation under which most immigrants are presumed ineligible for asylum if they passed through other nations without seeking protection elsewhere first, or if they failed to use legal pathways for U.S. entry. In other cases, members of immigrant families who cross the U.S.Mexico border illegally and seek asylum will be fitted with a GPS ankle monitor so that Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials can continuously track them. However, the Biden administration is also allowing up to 100,000 individuals from Honduras, Guatemala, and El Salvador into the United States under a family reunification parole process and has also rolled out various other ways in which immigrants can obtain legal entry and work authorization, a move that has been condemned by Republican lawmakers and other experts. So far in the fiscal year 2023, agents have recorded nearly 2.1 million encounters at the border, although Mays encounters marked a 25 percent decrease year on year, according to officials. Thai King Inaugurates Parliament as Move Forward Party Looks to Lead New Government Pita Limjaroenrat, Move Forward leader, poses with members of parliament before Thailand's King Maha Vajiralongkorn inaugurates the opening of parliament in Bangkok, Thailand, on July 3, 2023. (Thai Parliament/Handout via Reuters) Thailands King Maha Vajiralongkorn inaugurated the opening of parliament on Monday, setting the stage for an attempt by the progressive Move Forward Party to form a government after its surprise election win six weeks ago. Move Forward won big support from youth voters and the capital Bangkok, campaigning overwhelmingly on social media on an anti-establishment platform that could complicate its effort to win enough support to form a coalition government. It will team up in parliament with the populist heavyweight Pheu Thai Party after the two won the lions share of seats, trouncing parties allied with a royalist military that has controlled government since a 2014 coup. The two are part of an eight-party alliance and have played down talk of a rift over the house speaker post, which could determine the passage of flagship legislation and timing of key votes. Late on Monday, in what is being seen as a compromise between Move Forward and Pheu Thai, the alliance nominated veteran politician Wan Muhamad Noor Matha for house speaker and gave a deputy speaker position each to the two main parties. Wan Noor, 79, of the Prachachart Party has been closely allied with Pheu Thai in the past, and served in its administration led by billionaire Thaksin Shinawatra between 2002 and 2005. Parliament is expected to endorse the speaker on Tuesday. Analysts say a Move Forward-led government is still not a certainty. The speaker is expected later this month to table a joint session of parliament to decide on a prime minister, which requires the votes of more than half of the 750 members of the bicameral legislature. The alliance is backing Move Forward leader Pita Limjaroenrat, 42, to become premier and Pita needs 376 votes to secure the post. He currently has 312. Move Forward Party leader Pita Limjaroenrat holds hands with coalition party leaders following a meeting with coalition partners in Bangkok, Thailand, on May 18, 2023. (Athit Perawongmetha/File Photo/Reuters) He will need 64 more votes from either rival parties or members of a conservative-learning Senate that was appointed under the military and has previously locked horns with Move Forward over some of its policies. Pita last week said he had secured enough support in the Senate. He also faces an investigation for breaching election rules, which could further complicate his bid, Kiatkwankul said. Worst-case, they become a formidable opposition No matter how it turns out, it is not the end of Move Forward and democratic forces, he added. By Chayut Setboonsarng and Panu Wongcha-um The Greatest Victory of Liberty in Our Lifetime Commentary Here we are on the Fourth of July 2023 wondering what has become of American liberty. On this very day, a federal judge in Louisiana has shown us that the cause is not hopeless. In a tremendous victory for free speech, the Bill of Rights, and freedom generally, Judge Terry A. Doughty has issued a memorandum (with 172 footnotes) on the most massive attack against free speech in United States history. The evidence produced thus far depicts an almost dystopian scenario, writes the Judge. During the COVID-19 pandemic, a period perhaps best characterized by widespread doubt and uncertainty, the United States Government seems to have assumed a role similar to an Orwellian Ministry of Truth. It includes an injunction against the following government agencies immediately to stop all routine contact with social media companies and media generally: The Department of Justice The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention The Department of State The Cybersecurity Infrastructure Security Agency The Federal Bureau of Investigation The National Institutes of Health The Department of Homeland Security The Department of Health and Human Services The White House The Surgeon General The Census Bureau By social media companies, the order specifies: Facebook/Meta, Twitter, YouTube/Google, WhatsApp, Instagram, WeChat, TikTok, Sina Weibo, QQ, Telegram, Snapchat, Kuaishou, Qzone, Pinterest, Reddit, LinkedIn, Quora, Discord, Twitch, Tumblr, Mastodon, and like companies. Specifically the injunction forbids the following: (1) meeting with social-media companies for the purpose of urging, encouraging, pressuring, or inducing in any manner the removal, deletion, suppression, or reduction of content containing protected free speech posted on social-media platforms; (2) specifically flagging content or posts on social-media platforms and/or forwarding such to social-media companies urging, encouraging, pressuring, or inducing in any manner for removal, deletion, suppression, or reduction of content containing protected free speech; (3) urging, encouraging, pressuring, or inducing in any manner social-media companies to change their guidelines for removing, deleting, suppressing, or reducing content containing protected free speech; (4) emailing, calling, sending letters, texting, or engaging in any communication of any kind with social-media companies urging, encouraging, pressuring, or inducing in any manner for removal, deletion, suppression, or reduction of content containing protected free speech; (5) collaborating, coordinating, partnering, switchboarding, and/or jointly working with the Election Integrity Partnership, the Virality Project, the Stanford Internet Observatory, or any like project or group for the purpose of urging, encouraging, pressuring, or inducing in any manner removal, deletion, suppression, or reduction of content posted with social-media companies containing protected free speech; (6) threatening, pressuring, or coercing social-media companies in any manner to remove, delete, suppress, or reduce posted content of postings containing protected free speech; (7) taking any action such as urging, encouraging, pressuring, or inducing in any manner social-media companies to remove, delete, suppress, or reduce posted content protected by the Free Speech Clause of the First Amendment to the United States Constitution; (8) following up with social-media companies to determine whether the social-media companies removed, deleted, suppressed, or reduced previous social-media postings containing protected free speech; (9) requesting content reports from social-media companies detailing actions taken to remove, delete, suppress, or reduce content containing protected free speech; and (10) notifying social-media companies to Be on The Lookout (BOLO) for postings containing protected free speech. The case in question is Missouri v. Biden (NO. 3:22-CV-01213) and it involves many plaintiffs who had been blocked or otherwise censored for years. Indeed millions could have joined this lawsuit. This case is important because it pushes back on the coup detat of March 2020 that put the administrative state in place of elected republican forms of government. The government used this power to merge tech, media, government, and pharma into a hegemon that flew in the face of the Bill of Rights. At least one judge sees this as a problem and has acted to stop it, on the 4th of July of all times! Will this work? Maybe. It certainly sets up a huge drama. The Supreme Court might be hearing this case sooner rather than later. Indeed, that seems to be the whole point of the injunction. It is a massive embarrassment to the Biden regime and the Trump regime too under which this disaster for freedom began. The Supreme Court is very likely to uphold the injunction and issue a decision in light of the thousands of pages of supporting documents found in discovery. Censorship has become a routine part of life in government and tech. Everyone knew it was going on but no one knew how to stop it. The order is preliminary but very dramatic and far-reaching. At least it names names and lays down the law: they cannot censor via private companies in ways they would otherwise be forbidden to do directly. Nor can they employ third parties such as fact-checkers to do the same. The Judge further explains that the censorship of the past three years blocked: Opposition to COVID-19 vaccines; opposition to COVID-19 masking and lockdowns; opposition to the lab-leak theory of COVID-19; opposition to the validity of the 2020 election; opposition to President Bidens policies; statements that the Hunter Biden laptop story was true; and opposition to policies of the government officials in power. All were suppressed. It is quite telling that each example or category of suppressed speech was conservative in nature. This targeted suppression of conservative ideas is a perfect example of viewpoint discrimination of political speech. American citizens have the right to engage in free debate about the significant issues affecting the country. This order truly makes history, and suggests to every American that not all is lost. As the Washington Post complains: The Trump-appointed judges move could upend years of efforts to enhance coordination between the government and social media companies. At least some aspect of the court system still works. Massive congratulations to everyone involved and they are many. Its been a long and dark road but at least the light is visible on the horizon. Much more to do but this is a great beginning. American liberty will not be lost. Dont lose faith, my friends, and dont stop working for the cause of freedom. May justice prevail. Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times. Tuberculosis Not Eliminated in Canada After 6 Years of Promises From Public Health Agency Canadas Public Health Agency has not come even close to meeting its target to eliminate tuberculosis, after six years of effort. An agency report, Evaluation of the Public Health Agency of Canadas Tuberculosis Activities, published on June 22, said tuberculosis rates have not decreased. After a significant decrease and then stagnation Canadas tuberculosis rate is increasing again, said the report. No reason was given, according to Blacklocks Reporter on June 28. Tuberculosis (TB) is a highly infectious disease targeting the lungs and respiratory system. Canadas rates are among the lowest in the world, but two populations are disproportionately affected: Indigenous communities in Canada and foreign-born individuals from high-incidence countries. According to the Canadian Lung Association (CLA), TB is a serious disease caused by breathing in bacteria called Mycobacterium tuberculosis. TB typically infects the lungs but can attack other parts of the body including the kidneys, spine, and brain. TB can be spread through the air. Globally, approximately 10 million people develop the disease and about 1.5 million die from it. The Public Health Agencys Infectious Diseases Program Branch (IDPB) has a primary objective to reduce the rate of TB in Canada, and between 2015 to 2021, had an annual budget of roughly $2.5 million a year for TB activities. Promises to End Epidemic In 2018, cabinet promised to end the tuberculosis epidemic by 2030 and pledged $136.5 million in funding over a 10-year period to reduce Inuit TB rates by 50 percent by 2025. Cabinet again reaffirmed this commitment in 2021. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau at the time extended an apology for tuberculosis management by federal agencies in the 1940s and 50s. For too long the governments relationship with Inuit was one of double standards and of unfair, unequal treatment, said Trudeau. Elimination is defined as less than one case per 100,000 people, said the report. After a significant decrease in the 1990s and early 2000s active tuberculosis incidence stagnated for a decade but has slightly increased since 2014. The report said considering the rate of TB in 2020, Canada would have to decrease infections by 10 percent per year to meet the elimination targets. The infection rate in 2014 was 4.6 cases per 100,000 population nationwide. By 2019, the rate had increased to five cases per 100,000. In comparison the United States tuberculosis rate has been decreasing continuously since the early 1990s, passing below Canadas rate in the mid-2000s, said the report, attributing a significant part of the tuberculosis rate gap in part to differences in demographic makeup between Canada and the United States. Canada has higher proportions of foreign-born and Indigenous populations, said the report. Among immigrants, the tuberculosis rate is 15 cases per 100,000 people. In the Indigenous community, the rate is 19.8 per 100,000. Inuit are also affected by TB, with 194 cases per 100,000 people, which the report states is a level that has not been seen in the general population since 1908. Tuberculosis has not been a leading cause of death in the general population since 1951. Around 85 percent of tuberculosis cases have been successfully treated every year while seven to eight percent of active tuberculosis cases have resulted in death, said the report. The report also notes that Canadas rate is increasing and may still spike, which it attributes to limited access to care during COVID. TB rates among Inuit remain almost 500 times that of the Canadian-born non-Indigenous population, while a significant proportion of cases are found among the foreign-born population, said the report. Tulsa, Oklahomas Initiative to Increase Tax Base by Paying Remote Workers to Relocate Proves Successful A woman using a laptop on a dining room table set up as a remote office to work from home, in the United Kingdom on March 3, 2020. (Joe Giddens/PA) A Tulsa, Oklahoma, initiative to increase its tax base by offering $10,000 for the relocation of remote workers to the city hasfive years laterproven successful, according to a financial report (pdf). Justin Harlan, managing director of Tulsa Remote, said the program was implemented to reverse the brain drain from small and mid-sized cities. Tulsa, with a metro area of about one million people, has an aging population with an economy dominated by oil and gas extraction (a volatile industry in the best of times) and manufacturing, Harlan said. Like many midsize heartland cities, Tulsa has been overlooked by the knowledge economy sector of high-tech companies and their high-paying jobs, which are concentrated in coastal enclaves. Tulsa Remote was launched in 2018 and its novel approach raised eyebrows. Aaron Renn, cofounder and senior fellow of the American Reformeran organization that advocates for Christian values in cultural institutionssaid hes shifted his position on relocation incentives. I originally thought it sounded desperateand is, candidlybut programs like Tulsa Remote and Ascend WC have done well, Renn said. Targeted, philanthropically funded programs seem to work decently, from what I can tell. Like Tulsa Remote, the Ascend West Virginia program pays $12,000 to relocate to the mountains. Rochester, New York, offers the most at $19,000, according to Route Fifty, while smaller cities like Ketchikan, Alaska, and Bemidji, Minnesota, offer free WiFi. Repaid Many Times Over According to the report, as of December 2022, 2,164 members relocated, generating $306.7 million in direct employment income. In 2022, 1,852 recruits living in the city contributed over $203 million in new labor income and brought in a new sales tax revenue of $2.5 million for Tulsa County and $3.1 million for the state. Members generated over $150,937 of labor income, the report stated, which is 12 times the amount Tulsa Remote paid into the program. According to Harlan, the Tulsa Remote programa joint effort with the Tulsa-based George Kaiser Family Foundationhas repaid many times over to the city and state through tax revenues and multiplier effects. But the benefits extend far beyond financial scorecards, Harlan said. The 1,852 Remote members living in Tulsa as of 2022 are contributing to the citys cultural and recreational attractions, including live music, fine restaurants and extensive public parks. According to a Brookings Institution report on the program, the loss of workers migrating to larger cities has a detrimental impact on the local economies, while those who have left their hometown communities face a high cost and separation from their communities. In this context, the rapid rise of flexible work-from-anywhere (WFA) employment arrangements, where companies allow workers to relocate and live at the locations preferred by workers, has the potential to mitigate this problem, Brookings states. If, indeed, WFA were to become a mainstream policy across multiple organizations, smaller towns might see a flow of workers who are able to work remotely migrating from larger cities. Those employees moving to smaller cities would see income gains while reconnecting to a sense of community, Brookings says in its report. The report dates the recruitment initiative back to the 90s, but it faced the problem of not having enough job opportunities as well as a below-average number of knowledge-intensive firms and college graduates. 70,000 Applicants Based on the latest U.S. Census data, Tulsa has a population of 411,401, with a median household income of $49,474, and a per capita income of $31,753, according to Brookings. In 2020, Tulsa registered 31.3% of persons aged 25 years or older as having a bachelors degree or higher, the report states. In comparison, the report states that New York City has a median household income of $67,046, a per capita income of $41,625, with 39.1 percent of the population aged 25 years or older having a bachelors degree. By 2021, Tulsa Remote has received over 20,000 applications when combining 2019 and 2020 and had invited up to 2,700 applicants, ultimately relocating 763 remote workers. The Brookings Report survey of Tulsa remote workers found that employees saw a $26,500 increase in their income. Shift in Work Environments Opens Door According to The Wall Street Journal, 71 cities have launched relocation programs since the start of the pandemic, which itself created a 9 percent increase in remote workers. According to a 2021 study of the program, 88 percent of the programs first participants were college graduates with an income of $105,000. To date, there have been 70,000 applicants. An applicant must agree to move to the city within a year and demonstrate community engagement through volunteer activities. Like many post-2020 community initiatives, the program included a statistic on race, pointing out that non-white applicants make up over 48 percent of the finalists who accepted offers to move. The Tulsa Remote Economic Impact Report stated that after earning the $10,000 stipend at the end of the year, the employees are free to leave, but 76 percent stayed. We certainly didnt have expectations that it would go this fast when we set out to launch this thing, Harlan said. But I think the shift in the work environments that people are experiencing across the country has certainly opened up this door. Q: According to reports, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) issued a Comprehensive Report on the disposal of nuclear-contaminated water at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station, which believes that Japans plan to discharge the nuclear-contaminated water into the sea complies with international safety standards. The IAEA will conduct long-term monitoring over Japans discharge activities. Whats Chinas comment? A: China noted a Comprehensive Report on the disposal of nuclear-contaminated water at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station released by the IAEA. It is learned that the report failed to fully reflect views from experts that participated in the review. The conclusion was not shared by all experts. The Chinese side regrets the hasty release of the report. We believe that the IAEA report should not be the shield or greenlight for Japans discharge of nuclear-contaminated water into the ocean. Due to its limited mandate, the IAEA failed to review the justification and legitimacy of Japans ocean discharge plan, assess the long-term effectiveness of Japans purification facility and corroborate the authenticity and accuracy of Japans nuclear-contaminated water data. Therefore the conclusion is largely limited and incomplete. We noted that Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi stated that the IAEA conducted the review at the request of the Japanese government and the report is neither a recommendation nor an endorsement of Japans ocean discharge policy. Simply for saving cost, Japan has insisted on discharging the nuclear-contaminated water into the sea in disregard of the concerns and opposition from the international community and taken the Pacific Ocean as the sewer. No matter what the report says, it will not change the fact that Japan will release millions of tonnes of Fukushima nuclear-contaminated water into the Pacific Ocean in the next three decades. Will Japans purification facility be effective in the long-term? Can the international community be timely informed when the discharged water exceeds the discharge limit? What impact will the long term accumulation and concentration of radionuclides bring to the marine environment, food safety and peoples health? These are the questions that the IAEA report failed to answer. Twelve years ago, Japan received supports from all over the world in the wake of the Fukushima nuclear accident. Twelve years on, Japan has chosen to shift the risk of nuclear contamination onto the whole humanity. The United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) stipulates that States have the obligation to protect and preserve the marine environment, and the Convention on the Prevention of Marine Pollution by Dumping of Wastes and Other Matter in 1972 prohibits the dumping of all radioactive wastes into the ocean from man-made structures at sea. What Japan does contravenes its international moral responsibility and obligations under international law. We once again urge the Japanese side to stop its ocean discharge plan, and earnestly dispose of the nuclear-contaminated water in a science-based, safe and transparent manner. If Japan insists on going ahead with the plan, it will have to bear all the consequences arising from this. We urge the Japanese side to work with the IAEA to put in place as soon as possible a long-term international monitoring mechanism that would involve stakeholders including Japans neighboring countries. Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Rafael Mariano Grossi has expressed concern about the security situation at Zaporizhia Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP) after the power plant was disconnected from the Dniprovska 750 kilovolt power line. "This time the plant avoided a complete loss of all external power which has happened seven times previously during the conflict but the latest power line cut again demonstrates the precarious nuclear safety and security situation at the plant," he was quoted as saying in a press release issued by the IAEA on Tuesday. The power supply to the ZNPP in Enerhodar through the line from the territory of Ukraine was resumed after the disconnection on Tuesday night, the power plant said on the Telegram channel on Tuesday. "At 14:00, operations were completed to put the 750 kV Dniprovska line into operation. The power plant is operating normally," ZNPP Director Yuriy Chernychuk said in the message. The power plant's own needs are supplied with a standard circuit. There are no disruptions at work. The shutdown of the high-voltage line, which supplies the ZNPP, was reported on Tuesday morning. Auxiliary power supply was transferred to reserve transformers. Two Girls Hospitalized After Accidentally Consuming Cannabis Gummies Experts Indicate Potential Damage to Central Nervous System Hong KongTwo young girls were hospitalized in the intensive care unit at Tuen Mun Hospital after suspected consumption of cannabis gummies and fell into a coma. On June 27, their condition was upgraded from critical to stable, and they regained consciousness. The girls father has been temporarily charged with drug possession and child neglect or abuse. According to a psychiatrist, consuming cannabis gummies with high concentrations of THC (tetrahydrocannabinol) is similar to drug abuse. In this case, the children had a severe reaction, suggesting that the cannabis gummies they ingested may contain THC, raising concerns about potential damage to their central nervous system. Even cannabis medicines that contain purely CBD (cannabidiol) are not recommended for children. Father and Aunt Arrested for Child Neglect On the morning of June 26, a woman reported to the police that her two daughters, aged 2 and 4, were unwell. She took them to Tuen Mun Hospital, where initial medical examinations raised suspicions of dangerous drug ingestion. The Criminal Investigation Team of the Tuen Mun Police District subsequently took over the case. The 25-year-old father of the two girls and their 48-year-old aunt were arrested on charges of ill-treatment or neglect by those in charge of a child or young person. In addition, the girls father is also suspected of possessing dangerous drugs, and the District Crime Squad of Yuen Long is handling the case. Preliminary investigations revealed that the 48-year-old aunt allegedly fed the two girls with suspected dangerous drugs at their residence. The police are currently investigating the quantity of the dangerous substance consumed by the girls, and they suspect it to be cannabis gummies that were recklessly placed on a table. On the evening of June 27, the police informed The Epoch Times that the 25-year-old father, surnamed Chan, had been temporarily charged with possession of drugs and neglecting or ill-treating child or young person. The case will be presented in Tuen Mun Magistrates Courts on June 28. The 48-year-old aunt of the girls has been granted bail pending further investigation and is required to report to the police at the end of July. Mother of the Girls: Feeling Devastated It is reported that the parents of the two girls are separated and awaiting divorce proceedings. The mother had previously moved out of the public housing unit in Heng Tung House, Tin Heng Estate, Tin Shui Wai, leaving the care of the two girls to their 25-year-old father. On June 26, the girls mother posted on Facebook, describing her two daughters as unconscious with dilated pupils. She revealed that the police had informed her that the dosage the girls had ingested was enough to overwhelm an adult. She also mentioned that the three of them have been allocated a public housing unit and are preparing for renovations so that they can live together. They have already chosen their beds. The girls mother said, From birth, feeding them porridge, taking them to health clinics, and attending interviews for kindergartens, I have done everything myself. I believe that no one in this world loves their daughters more than me. Working late into the midnight, feeling devastated and exhausted, I cry while thinking about them, but I continue working. This is how I have walked through it step by step. She also expressed her desire for a peaceful life for herself and her daughters, questioning why this incident happened just when they were about to reunite. Sorry. Maybe this wouldnt have happened if it werent for me trying so hard to earn money. I feel so guilty and devastated. The father has been temporarily excused from entering a plea pending further investigation by the police, which includes testing suspected drugs, DNA, and the medical reports of the two girls. On June 28, the girls mother posted on her social media platform that both sisters had regained consciousness and were feckless and less responsive. They can now eat and engage in normal conversation but still receive treatment in the Intensive Care Unit. Psychiatrist: Cannabis Gummies May Contain THC According to a specialist psychiatrist, Dr. Au Yeung Kwok-leung, cannabis gummies contains cannabis-related substances mixed with sugar. The two main components of cannabis are THC (tetrahydrocannabinol) and CBD (cannabidiol). THC is a psychoactive drug with strong hallucinatory and mental effects, while CBD has milder effects. Hong Kong used to be able to sell products containing CBD legally. However, Au Yeung stated that it is difficult to extract pure CBD without THC from natural cannabis. He described cannabis gummies as poisonous candy. Au Yeung said the significant reaction of children in this incident suggested that the consumed cannabis gummies may contain high levels of THC, leading to its potent toxicity. Ingesting cannabis candy with high concentrations of THC is highly harmful and can have lasting effects. Au Yeung further emphasized that even cannabis medicines containing purely CBD are not recommended for children. In this incident, the children exhibited severe reactions, including the possibility of poisoning, oxygen deprivation, or even coma, raising concerns about potential damage to their central nervous system. When asked about the appropriate response if a child accidentally consumes cannabis gummies, Au Yeung explained that there is no antidote for THC or CBD poisoning. Unlike certain drugs, there is no specific remedy to alleviate poisoning. Medical professionals can only monitor the patients vital signs, and in severe cases, blood washing may be necessary. Au Yeung also pointed out that many CBD products marketed as legal in foreign countries contain THC. Therefore, before the amendment to the law in Hong Kong, many CBD products were supposed to be illegal. after the amendment, the enforcement of the law became easier. Pediatrician: Severe Central Nervous System Suppression Can Be Life-Threatening Dr. Mike Kwan Yat-wah, Honorary Clinical Assistant Professor, Department of Paediatrics & Adolescent Medicine at the University of Hong Kong, mentioned during a radio program that the most concerning aspect of children consuming CBD is the potential suppression of their central nervous system. This suppression can affect breathing, blood pressure, and neurocognitive control. CBD is a sedative, and if children consume adult-sized doses, it can cause them to lose consciousness, leading to severe, life-threatening situations. Family Doctor: Caution with Various Medications in Daily Life Dr. Mok Kwan-yeung, a family doctor, advised that this incident serves as a warning for everyone to be cautious with medications, whether illicit drugs or common pharmaceuticals, accidental ingestion can lead to serious consequences. Medications should be stored in places children cannot reach them to prevent such incidents, such as high shelves or locked cabinets. In the case of an emergency, Mok recommended following the ABCD first aid method (Airway, Breathing, Circulation, and Differential Diagnosis): ensuring an open airway, confirming the presence of breathing and heartbeat, and placing the patient in a recovery position lie on one side with the mouth facing the side before calling for medical assistance. CBD Classified as a Dangerous Drug in Hong Kong Recently, products containing cannabidiol (CBD), a compound derived from cannabis, have gained popularity in various forms, such as candies, skincare products, and health supplements. These products claim to have multiple benefits, such as stress relief. However, some CBD gummies closely resemble regular candies, leading to incidents of children accidentally ingesting them, not only in foreign countries but also in Hong Kong. The Hong Kong government amended the legislation on Feb. 1, classifying all CBD products as dangerous drugs. This includes cookies, candies, coffee, skincare products, aromatherapy, and other similar items. It is now illegal for individuals to possess or consume such products in Hong Kong. UK Hits out After Hong Kong Police Issues Bounty on Exiled Dissidents Foreign Secretary James Cleverly said the UK will not tolerate the Chinese regimes attempts to silence overseas dissidents after Hong Kong national security police put out arrest warrants and bounties against eight pro-democracy activists in exile. The Chinese embassy accused the UK of sheltering wanted criminals and interfering with the rule of law and Chinas internal politics. The wanted list, announced on Monday by the National Security Department of the Hong Kong Police Force, included three individuals in the UKformer legislative council Nathan Law, trade unionist Mung Siu-tat, and pro-democracy activist Finn Lau. Mung was accused of inciting secession, Lau was accused of undermining national security by colluding with foreign forces, and Law was accused of both. Undated image of former Hong Kong Legislative Council member Nathan Law speaking at a rally in London. (Shan Lam/The Epoch Times) Others include U.S. and Australian residents Dennis Kwok, Ted Hui, Anna Kwok, Kevin Yam, and Elmer Yuen, each charged with similar offences and had a bounty of 1 million Hong Kong dollars (100,641 or $127,654) against them. Cleverly said the UK will not tolerate any attempts by China to intimidate and silence individuals in the UK and overseas. The UK will always defend the universal right to freedom of expression and stand up for those who are targeted, he said. We strongly object to the national security law that China imposed on Hong Kong, including its extraterritorial reach, in breach of the legally binding Sino-British Joint Declaration. Cleverly called on Beijing to remove the national security law and urged Hong Kong authorities to end their targeting of those who stand up for freedom and democracy. Following over a year of protests in Hong Kong against the introduction of a bill that would allow extradition to mainland China, Beijings rubber-stamp legislature imposed the national security law in Hong Kong on June 30, 2020, targeting so-called session, subversion of state power, and collusion with foreign forces. The law targets residents and organisations in Hong Kong, as well as non-residents who violate the law anywhere in the world. The UKs former Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab has said the true purpose of the law was to crush dissent and opposing political views, and that the law flies in the face of the 1997 Sino-British Joint Declaration, in which Beijing promised not to change the former British colonys political, economic, and judicial systems for 50 years. Simon Cheng (front left) and Finn Lau (Center) in a March commemorating the two-year anniversary of Hong Kongs pro-democracy movement in London on June 12, 2021. (Yanning Qi/The Epoch Times) The Chinese embassy in London voiced strong dissatisfaction and firm opposition, accusing British politicians of openly sheltering wanted criminals. This is a gross interference with the rule of law in Hong Kong and Chinas internal affairs, a spokesperson said in a statement. The statement labelled the wanted individuals anti-China agitators and said its constitutional and legal to arrest and punish them. Announcing the wanted list on Monday, Steve Li, chief superintendent of the national security police, said 260 people aged between 15 and 90 had been arrested under the national security law, with 161 individuals and five companies charged, and 79 people convicted. Law, Lau, and another British resident, Simon Cheng, have all been wanted by Hong Kong police since 2020 soon after the national security law took effect. Law, founder of disbanded political party Demosisto, left Hong Kong shortly before the law took effect for the UK where he previously studied. Lau, founder of Hong Kong Liberty whos wanted for lobbying foreign governments to sanction Hong Kong officials, left Hong Kong in January 2020 after being detained for two days. Cheng, formerly an employee at the British embassy in Hong Kong, left for London in 2019 after he was detained and allegedly tortured by Chinese public security officials during a business trip to China. Hong Kong pro-democracy media tycoon Jimmy Lai is led into a police van as he heads to court to be charged under the Beijing-imposed draconian new national security law, on Dec. 12, 2020. (Peter Parks/AFP via Getty Images) British citizen, media mogul Jimmy Lai, has also been charged with undermining national security by colluding with foreign forces. If hes convicted, he may face a life sentence. The 75-year-old founder of Next Digital and Apply Daily is already serving a five years and nine months sentence after he was convicted of multiple offences including fraud and involvement in unauthorised assemblies. Earlier this year, Lais lawyer in the UK said Hong Kong authorities had claimed Lais international legal team members were also committing offences. Unravelling the Damage Inflicted by Past Judicial Activism Lorie Smith, a Christian graphic artist and website designer in Colorado, prepares to speak to supporters outside the Supreme Court in Washington on Dec. 5, 2022. (Andrew Harnik/AP Photo) Commentary Judicial activism. The role of the democratic legislature. The separation of powers. The creative tensions between the two. They are all substantive issues vitally important to the proper functioning of our body politic. It is right and proper that those who make the laws are not the interpreters of those laws. So we have our parliaments legislating and the judiciary interpreting. That is the textbook version. The ideal. In real life, the reality can be very different. The rich English tradition clearly states that the separation of powers between the legislature and the judiciary is non-negotiable. Nevertheless, we too often witness the judiciary not upholding its oath of office by engaging in what is described as judicial activism, whereby the judge takes it upon himself or herself to interpret the law based on the outcome desired by the judge as opposed to what the law requires. Too often, our judges act as frustrated legislators, which brings the judicial arm into disrepute by removing the certainty the law should be providing. In the legal fraternity, there is the description of judges as either black letter lawyers or activists. The black letter judge seeks to interpret the law as it is written without any preconceived or personally desired outcome. They apply the law according to precedent and established rules of interpretation, dismissing personal attitudes from their judicial opining and utterances. The activist, on the other hand, considers the desired outcome and then seeks to provide a rationale to justify that which is considered desirable. U.S. Supreme Court building in Washington on June 7, 2023. (Madalina Vasiliu/The Epoch Times) The most notorious case of judicial activism was the ruling in Roe v Wade, in which the U.S. Supreme Court bizarrely found a right to abortion on demand in the founding document of the Constitution. The tortured finding took away from the States the right to legislate in the vexed area of abortion. Roe v Wade was always unsustainable as even the most pro-abortion activists had to acknowledge that the ruling stretched credulity in judicial decision-making to way past the breaking point. Supreme Court on a Roll Recently, a differently constituted Supreme Court in the United States discarded the myth of Roe v Wade and rightly determined there was no inherent right to abortion implied in the Constitution. The disingenuous interpretation, including by President Joe Biden, that this was somehow an anti-abortion ruling is simply wrong. If the judges wanted to so rule, they couldve created a new myth asserting that there was an implied right to life embedded and implied in the Constitution. They didnt. They left the matter to individual State legislatures. The same Supreme Court has been engaging in some more judicial pronunciations of late, seeking to restore the separation of powers and interpreting legislation according to its provisions as opposed to its alleged vibe or some other extraneous consideration. Backing the right of a Colorado Christian web designer to deny her services for causes with which her religious beliefs conflicted was most welcome in securing the right to freedom of religion and placing a commonsense consideration in the area of discrimination laws. The web designer did not refuse her services because of the personal attributes of the potential client but because of the nature of the work. The idea that the laws required, indeed forced, a web designer to create speech with which she vehemently disagrees was thankfully rejected. The three dissenting judges sought to preserve an outcome for a particular group of people without thinking through in a critical fashion the consequences of the full application of their approach. Should an adamant climate change believer be required to create a website for those with strongly held opposite views? Most people would argue that in the country of the free, that should not be required. Stepping Away From Judicial Activism Rejecting the presidential wholesale forgiveness of national education loans was deemed to be beyond the power of the president by the Supreme Court in another case where the application of the black letter law was followed. In that case, the powers under the HEROES Act were being assessed. The Higher Education Opportunities for Students Act allowed for the forgiveness of student loans in narrowly delineated situations. The Congress saw the wisdom in providing a degree of flexibility. The issue for the Court was whether the HEROES Act was designed to allow for the wholesale forgiveness of loans with real economic consequences or simply on a case-by-case basis. President Joe Biden is joined by Education Secretary Miguel Cardona as he announces new actions to protect borrowers after the Supreme Court struck down his student loan forgiveness plan in the Roosevelt Room at the White House on June 30, 2023. (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images) The court not unreasonably ruled in favour of those opposing the presidential measure on the basis of the major questions doctrine, which presumes that the legislature would not delegate issues of major economic or political significance to the president or bureaucrats. It is still possible to forgive the student loans. It just has to be decided in the correct arm of government, the Congress. Like abortion. It can still be allowed, but it will need to be done by the democratically elected Legislatures and not the unelected Supreme Court. Another case where the U.S. Supreme Court has recently cleared up some crooked thinking is in the area of discrimination laws and affirmative action. The retreat from the undemocratic judicial activism which has infiltrated judicial decision-making in recent times is a very welcome development as it reinstates the separation of powers and ensures each arm of government remains within its boundaries. The rule of law protects us all, and that requires the judiciary to limit itself and be disciplined, resisting the urge to act as defectors legislators. The long-term consequences of short-term judicial activism are damaging and corrosive to the confidence people have in their institutions, which is vital to an orderly civil society. It is to be hoped that the recalibration of judicial interpretation by the U.S. Supreme Court will provide certainty to the law, which is imperative for a well-functioning society. Australian Courts would do well to follow the lead. Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times. US Condemns Attempted Arson Against Indian Consulate in San Francisco A security guard adjusts barricades at the Indian Consulate as broken windows and a graffiti reading "FreeAmritpal" are seen behind, in San Francisco, Calif., on March 20, 2023. (Noah Berger/AFP via Getty Images) The Indian Consulate in San Francisco was allegedly set ablaze by Sikh separatistswho sought an independent Sikh homeland called Khalistan in Indiaon July 2, drawing condemnation from the United States. Diya TV published footage of the incident on Twitter, allegedly released by Khalistan supporters, which shows that a fire had broken out in the building. The San Francisco fire department promptly extinguished the fire, and no injury was reported. State Department spokesman Matthew Miller stated that the United States strongly condemned the reported vandalism and attempted arson against the Indian Consulate but did not mention Sikh protesters. Vandalism or violence against diplomatic facilities or foreign diplomats in the U.S. is a criminal offense, Miller stated on Twitter. This marked the groups second attack against the Indian Consulate in San Francisco in four months, after the attack on March 20, where protesters smashed the windows, injuring several staff members. The footage of the fire incident also included newspaper clippings on the death of Hardeep Singh Nijjar, a prominent member of the Sikh community and the president of a Sikh temple in Surrey, British Columbia, who was shot dead in Canada last month. A police officer surveys the scene near the Guru Nanak Sikh Gurdwara Sahib temple after a shooting in Surrey, British Columbia, Canada, on June 19, 2023. (Jennifer Gauthier/The Canadian Press) Nijjar was found murdered in his vehicle outside the parking lot after evening prayers at his place of worship on June 18. Police suspected the killing to be deliberate but said they were still investigating the possible motive. Poster Calling for Rally in Canada Indian External Affairs Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar said India had urged Canada, the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia not to give space to the Khalistanis, referring to Sikh protesters. Because their radical, extremist thinking is neither good for us nor them nor our relations, Jaishankar told reporters on Monday, according to India Today. Jaishankar was responding to questions regarding pro-Khalistan posters circulated in Canada, which accuse Indian High Commissioner Sanjay Kumar Verma and Consul General of India in Toronto, Apoorva Srivastava, of assassinating Nijjar. The posters urged pro-Khalistan residents in Canada to gather from the Great Punjab Business Center and march to the Indian Embassy on July 8. Jaishankar said the Indian government had communicated with Canada about the planned rally. We have requested them not to give space to Khalistani groups. This poster, I believe, was issued a day back, and it has already been taken up with the country concerned through proper channels, he said. Canadian Foreign Minister Melanie Joly said on Tuesday that her country takes its obligations under the Vienna Convention concerning the safety of diplomats seriously and maintains close contact with Indian officials. Canada remains in close contact with Indian officials in light of some of the promotional material circulating online regarding a protest planned for July 8th, which are unacceptable, Joly said in a statement released on Twitter. We know that the actions of a few do not speak for an entire community, or Canada, she added. The Khalistan movement is banned in India, where officials see it and affiliated groups as a national security threat. But the movement still has some support in the state and beyond in countries like Canada and the United Kingdom that are home to a sizable Sikh diaspora. Reuters and The Associated Press contributed to this report. In a back-to-back string of rulings, right in time for July 4th, the U.S. Supreme Court delivered major victories for religious freedom. Specifically, in two separate cases, the Supreme Court ruled in favor of expanding the level of protections that religious believers enjoy. Not only did the court clarify that businesses must accommodate religious practicesbut also, in a landmark decision, the court ruled that the government cannot force Americans to abandon either their constitutional rights or their religious convictions in order for them to be able to operate a business. And as such, they cannot be forced to make a gay marriage website, for instance, if they dont agree with it. July 4th Sale: https://ept.ms/4372PTr Episode Resources: First Court Ruling: https://ept.ms/449QU8Q Second Court Ruling: https://ept.ms/44aULlX The United States is warning Americans to reconsider travel to China. A look at the latest risks: Russian President Vladimir Putin set to join a virtual meeting with Chinas Xi Jinpinghis first appearance on the world stage after a coup at home; over $120,000 in bounties offered for eight overseas Hong Kong activists; the closure of a pro-democracy radio station, and more, marking the 26th anniversary of the citys handover from British to Chinese rule; plus, nuclear wastewater from China dumped into the ocean. Reports say its six times more contaminated than water treated from Japans Fukushima nuclear plant. How does it play into the latest TokyoBeijing spat? Topics in this episode: Victims in Philadelphia Shooting Identified Philadelphia police investigate along 56th Street after multiple people were shot in Southwest Philadelphia on July 3, 2023. (Yong Kim/The Philadelphia Inquirer via AP) PHILADELPHIAA 40-year-old man with a rifle, a pistol, extra magazines, a police scanner, and a bulletproof vest fatally shot four men in a Philadelphia neighborhood and chased and killed a fifth man inside a house, police said. A 2-year-old boy and a 13-year-old were also wounded in the Monday night violence that made the working-class area of Kingsessing the site of the nations worst violence around the July 4 holiday. The gunman fired at police as they chased him for blocks, police said. When they caught up, he surrendered in an alley, Police Commissioner Danielle Outlaw said at a news conference. The shooter had no connection to the victims before the shooting, she said. Thank God our officers were on the scene and responded as quickly as they did. I cant even describe the level of bravery and courage that was shown, in addition to the restraint that was shown here, Outlaw said. Philadelphia police on Tuesday afternoon identified the victims there as 20-year-old Lashyd Merritt, 29-year-old Dymir Stanton, 59-year-old Ralph Moralis, and 15-year-old Daujan Brown, all pronounced dead shortly after the Monday night gunfire; and 31-year-old Joseph Wamah, Jr., who was found in a home early Tuesday, also with multiple bullet wounds. A 2-year-old boy shot four times in the legs and a 13-year-old shot twice in the legs were in stable condition, as were a 2-year-old boy and a 33-year-old woman injured by shattered glass. Officers were flagged down at about 8:30 p.m. Monday. Multiple calls reporting shots fired also came from Kingsessing. Police found some victims and heard more shots as they were helping them, Outlaw said. Police told Fox 29 that a fifth victim had been chased into his home and shot to death. Bullet casings were found outside the home. A second person was also taken into custody and may have returned fire at the suspect. Police did not know whether there was a connection between the two, Outlaw said. She said that officers found dozens of shell casings strewn across eight blocks. You can see there are several scenes out here, Outlaw said. Were canvassing the area to get as much as we can, to identify witnesses, to identify where cameras are located and to do everything to figure out the why, Outlaw said. Philadelphia police stand at the intersection of 56th Street and Kingsessing Avenue after multiple people were shot in Southwest Philadelphia on July 3, 2023. (Yong Kim/The Philadelphia Inquirer via AP) Tim Eads said that Monday night he heard fireworks, then gunshots, and saw police cars flying by. His wife was on the second floor looking out the bay window and saw the shooter actually coming down this street here behind me. Eads saw the other man with a pistol who, Eads said, may have been firing at the shooter. He was using my car as a shield shooting out into the street, Eads said. A resident named Roger who declined to give his last name said he and his family were eating in the living room at about 8:30 p.m. when they heard eight to 10 gunshots. Everybody thought it was fireworks but been around here about three years so I heard it enough, he said. I looked out the window and seen a bunch of people running. He said he heard about four more shots and thought it was the end of it. Ten minutes later, he said, police came flying down here, and about five minutes later he heard rapid gunfire open up right outside the house. The shooting occurred a day after gunfire erupted at a holiday weekend block party in Baltimore, about 100 miles to the southwest of Philadelphia, killing two people and wounding 28 others. The wounded in that shooting ranged in age from 13 to 32, with more than half minors, according to officials. About four hours after the Philadelphia shooting, gunfire rang out at a neighborhood festival in Fort Worth, Texas, leaving three people dead and eight hurt. Vietnam Bans New Barbie Movie for Featuring Chinese Regimes South China Sea Map Actors Michael Cera, America Ferrera, Ryan Gosling, Margot Robbie, Issa Rae, Kate McKinnon, and director Greta Gerwig pose for pictures during a photocall for the upcoming Warner Bros. movie "Barbie" in Los Angeles on June 25, 2023. (Mike Blake/Reuters) Moviegoers may be surprised to learn that the forthcoming Barbiea movie based on the popular childrens doll toy franchisehas been banned in Vietnam over its depiction of an international maritime dispute with the Peoples Republic of China (PRC). The PRCa single-party state controlled by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP)has asserted maritime rights to much of the South China Sea with a map commonly featuring nine dashes. The PRC and communist Vietnam are two of several nations surrounding the South China Sea that have asserted overlapping claims to the body of water. On Monday, the head of Vietnams cinema department confirmed with Vietnams state-run Tuoi Tre News that cinema chains have been told to cancel screenings of Barbie because the film includes a scene that features the nine-dash line map. The film, which stars Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling, was originally slated for a July 21 release in Vietnam, the same day the movie hits theaters in the United States. Vi Kien Thanh, the head of the Vietnamese governments Department of Cinema, told Tuoi Tre News that his departments Central Council of Feature Film Evaluation and Classification blocked a license for Barbie to be screened in Vietnamese cinemas. Tuoi Tre News reported the ban has prompted managers of cinema chains across the country, such as Galaxy and CGV, to cancel screenings of the film. Its unclear the context in which this controversial nine-dash line depiction is shown in the Barbie movie. NTD News reached out to Warner Bros. Picturesthe films distributorfor comment, but did not receive a response by the time this article was published. The Barbie movie is not the first Hollywood production to run afoul of Vietnamese censors for including the nine-dash line on maps depicting the South China Sea. The Vietnamese government similarly blocked the DreamWorks animated monster movie Abominable in 2019 and the Sony video-game adaptation action movie Uncharted last year for the same reason. The Vietnamese government also requested Netflix remove episodes of its spy drama series Pine Gap in 2021 for including the nine-dash line. The series, produced in Australia, depicts an Australian-American joint defense intelligence team against the backdrop of rising geopolitical tensions with the PRC over the South China Sea. The PRCs nine-dash line map has been repeatedly rejected by other nations and international bodies. The United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS)of which the PRC is a signatoryestablishes that the 12 nautical miles from the baseline of a coastal state can be considered territorial waters belonging to that state. In 2016, an arbitration tribunal convened under UNCLOS authorities, ruled (pdf) against the PRCs territorial claims in the South China Sea. The CCP in turn declared the tribunals decision null and void with the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs proclaiming the ruling has no binding force and China neither accepts nor recognizes it. From NTD News Westminster Man Killed in 7-Vehicle Crash in Lakewood A 54-year-old man was killed in a seven-vehicle crash on the San Gabriel River 605 Freeway in Lakewood, authorities said July 3. The man was identified as Kelly Drake, of Westminster, according to Medical Examiners office. The crash was reported at 8:14 p.m. Sunday on the southbound 605 Freeway at Carson Street, California Highway Patrol Officer Stephen Brandt told City News Service. A news videographer at the scene said the crash was triggered by an earlier two-vehicle crash at the Carson Street off-ramp after several vehicles were unable to stop to avoid the wreckage. He said Drake was a passenger in one of the vehicles and another person was taken to a hospital with injuries. All southbound lanes except the far right lane were shut down for the investigation and clean up, Brandt said. Yellen Holds Frank Discussion With Chinese Envoy as Beijing Curbs Metal Exports Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen testifies about the Biden administration's FY2024 federal budget proposal before the Senate Finance Committee in the Dirksen Senate Office Building on Capitol Hill in Washington on March 16, 2023. (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images) Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen met with Chinas ambassador on Monday amid an intensifying chip war between the United States and China as Beijing imposed new restrictions on metal exports. Chinas Ministry of Commerce said Monday that items related to gallium and germanium, which are crucial to making semiconductors, will be subject to export controls starting Aug. 1 in order to safeguard national security and interests. Exporters of the two metals will need to apply for licenses and provide certificates, as well as details of the end-users of the items, if they want to ship the metals out of the country, according to the ministry. On the same day, the U.S. Treasury Department said that Yellen had a frank and productive discussion with Chinese Ambassador Xie Feng about bilateral relations and global challenges relating to financial issues. This came ahead of Yellens visit to Beijing on July 6 for meetings with senior Chinese officials. Yellen will be the second highest-ranking U.S. official to visit the country after State Secretary Antony Blinken, who visited Beijing last month to stabilize strained relations between the United States and China. Yellen previously said that the United States seeks a healthy relationship with China and called for cooperation on the urgent global challenges of our day, such as climate change and debt distress. She emphasized the need to address critical issues such as intellectual property protection, market access, and technology transfer, which have been points of contention in U.S.-China trade negotiations. We do not seek to decouple our economy from Chinas. A full separation of our economies would be disastrous for both countries. It would be destabilizing for the rest of the world, Yellen said at the John Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies in April. US-China Chip War While China did not elaborate on the motive behind its implementation of metal export controls, the move was widely seen as a retaliatory response to the U.S. sweeping export restrictions on shipments of chipmaking tools to China. The United States last year imposed restrictions on access to American chipmaking technology to impede Chinas technological and military advances. Advanced semiconductor chips are used to make everything from pickup trucks to hypersonic missiles. Currently, more than 60 percent of the worlds supply of chips is produced in Taiwan, many of them with the help of U.S. research and design. Micron Technologys solid-state drive for data center customers is presented at a product launch event in San Francisco on Oct. 24, 2019. (Stephen Nellis/Reuters) Chinas ruling Chinese Communist Party (CCP) has since retaliated by banning products from U.S. memory chip maker Micron, citing national security risks that Washington claims have no basis in fact. Cyberspace Administration of China (CAC) on May 21 urged local operators of critical information structure to stop purchasing from Micron, saying that the company had failed to pass a cybersecurity review. However, the CAC did not provide specific details regarding the risks identified during the investigation. John Kirby, White House National Security Council spokesman, told reporters that Washington will continue to attempt to improve communications with Beijing despite the Micron ban. He noted that President Joe Biden said in Japan during the G-7 summit that the Chinese spy balloon incident changed everything, but I think youre going to see that begin to thaw very shortly. However, Shen Rongqin, an associate professor at York University in Canada, told The Epoch Times that tensions between the United States and China in the technology sector will continue. As the U.S. imposed a comprehensive semiconductors blockade on China, from IC design to advanced packaging and testing, Micron may have seen this (Beijings Ban) coming and prepared, Shen said. Alex Wu and Andrew Thornebrooke contributed to this report. Representative of the Main Intelligence agency of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine Andriy Yusov commented on the morning explosions in Moscow. "If we talk about Moscow, then of course, we traditionally do not comment on this, but it happens, it happens in life. If, for example, the Rashist 45th special forces brigade is engaged in sabotage in the Ukrainian rear, then this means that something may arrive in Moscow as well. It happens," Yusov said on the air of the national telethon on Tuesday. Earlier in social networks it was reported that several powerful explosions were heard in New Moscow in the morning. Later, the Russian Defense Ministry said five Ukrainian drones were allegedly shot down over the region. Congress to promise domestic cylinder at Rs 500 in manifesto Staff Reporter RAIPUR, Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel hinted that the Congress party would include a promise to provide domestic gas cylinders to consumers in the state for Rs 500 per cylinder in its manifesto for the upcoming assembly elections. Baghel made this statement in response to a question about the Rajasthan government providing domestic gas cylinders at a reduced price. He mentioned that the details would be included in the partys manifesto, which will be formulated by the manifesto committee. During a media interaction, Baghel also paid tribute to his political gurus on the occasion of Guru Purnima. He mentioned Vasudev Chandrakar, Chandulal Chandrakar, and Digvijay Singh as his political mentors and stated that he continues to learn from grassroots workers. Regarding recent political developments in Maharashtra, Baghel criticized the alleged use of central agencies to destabilize political parties. He mentioned the targeting of Shiv Sena and NCP leaders through raids and subsequent inductions into Maharashtra government. He expressed concern over the impact of such actions on democracy. In response to Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwals allegations during a public meeting in Bilaspur, Baghel defended his governments achievements in Chhattisgarh. He mentioned initiatives such as Atmanand School, budget clinics, and welfare programs that have benefited the people of the state. Baghel highlighted that Chhattisgarh managed the COVID-19 pandemic effectively, preventing large-scale migration out of the state and providing support to those in need. When asked about the demands of the state government during the Prime Ministers visit, Baghel mentioned pending revenue on account of GST compensation and coal levy. He emphasized the importance of increasing compensation and reiterated the demand for making Raipur airport a cargo hub. Chhuria Nagar Panchayat President voted out through no confidence Our Correspondent RAJNANDGAON, In a dramatic turn of events, after more than two months of resentment and internal strife, Chhuria Nagar Panchayat President Rajkumari Sinha got defeated in the vote of no confidence. The efforts of senior Congress leaders in the district to address the dissatisfaction of rebel councilors went in vain. During a session chaired by the presiding officer and Dogargaon SDM R S Nayak on Monday, ten out of eleven councillors voted in favour of the no-confidence motion against President Rajkumari Sinha. Only five councillors supported Sinha, rendering her unable to retain her position against the strong opposition. The ramifications of this dissatisfaction are expected to be felt in the upcoming assembly elections. Furthermore, stepping down from the position will likely impact the political influence of Rajkumari Sinhas brother-in-law Tarun Sinha, as well as her husband Manoj Sinha, a member of Backward Classes Commission. Former BJP councillor Salman Khan, Vice-President Manoj Yadav, and other councilors expressed their joy over the removal of President Rajkumari Sinha through the successful no-confidence motion. Celebrations ensued with the distribution of sweets and the splashing of gulal. District Congress Committee Rural President Padam Kothari commented on the situation, stating that several meetings were held to address the concerns of the Congress councillors. However, disciplinary actions will be taken after a thorough review of the rebellious members. Questions are also being raised about the role of the regional MLA in the upcoming elections. Multiple attempts were made to contact MLA Chhanni Sahu and deposed President Rajkumari Sinha, but calls went unanswered. Those present during the vote of no confidence motion included CM Chhuria Sachin Gupta, Congress Observer Rajendra Sahu, District Congress President Padam Kothari, Khujji MLA Chhanni Sahu, former Congress MLA Prakash Yadav, and BJP MP representative Romi Bhatia. FRV Dial 100: Services of old company BVG will be taken for 3 more months Staff Reporter Uncertainty still looms large over which company would get the tender for Dial 100. At present, the old company, Bharat Vikas Group (BVG), will have to handle the work for three months. Many vehicles included in Dial 100 service have been arranged by this company. Now, after getting permission to work till September, BVG company will run Dial 100 services with vehicles, most of which are very old. Around 25 per cent of first response vehicles (FRVs) have broken down and subsequently taken off the road. The tender process for Centralised Control Room Dial-100 of Madhya Pradesh Police started in March. This was the fifth time the tender process was struck. Prior to this, the company was selected in the tender process held four times. Due to some reasons, the tender got cancelled. This time EMRI Green Health Services was on first number whereas BVG was on the second spot. A proposal has been sent to the Government for approving the tender. Before the Government could take any decision on it, BVG approached the High Court. Indo-US Friendship By D.C. PATHAK THE grand reception accorded to Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the US by President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden on June 22 at the White House - to which a large number of US nationals of Indian origin were invited - demonstrated three new aspects of the US-India friendship. These aspects are: the two largest democracies are set to lead the democratic world in facing both challenges and opportunities in the times ahead, the Americans of Indian origin are bringing pride to both nations, and the Indo-US relationship now embraces all aspects of defence and security. These are clearly the new benchmarks set to define what looks like an irreversible friendship between the two countries. It is indeed remarkable that there are no conceivable negatives about this relationship notwithstanding Indias balanced approach to the Ukraine-Russia military conflict and a strong lobby in the US questioning the alleged erosion of freedom of expression in India under the PM Modi regime. In their opening remarks, both Biden and Modi referred to the democratic base of the Constitution of the two countries rooted in the words We the people and spoke of their shared commitment to world peace and advance of democratic values. International relations in todays geopolitics are determined by both security and economic concerns of the nations but the geo-strategic dimensions had the overriding importance - significantly the National Security Advisors of India and the US, Ajit Doval and Jake Sullivan, were the only other invitees to the private dinner and musical evening that President Biden hosted for the Indian Prime Minster at the White House on the first night of the visit itself. Prime Minister Modis comprehensive, informative and powerful address at the US Congress was undoubtedly the best presentation of Indias progress in recent years, its civilisational strength and its vision of a peaceful one world. He called for a new world order- post-Covid- marked by a seamless Indo-US cooperation for economic growth, security and environmental sustainability. His commitment to Indias national interests stood out as he marshalled the facts of Indias advance in digitalisation, the success of direct transfers to the poor and the mutuality of gains that would result for both the countries from American investments in India. PM Modis emphasis on India speaking with one voice despite its vast diversity in terms of language, customs and ways of worship was an effective counter to those who had been building a narrative of Indias internal divisiveness. On important geopolitical developments, the Prime Minister was characteristically upfront as he forcefully upheld the right of all stakeholders to demand an open rules-based order in the Indo-Pacific and oppose any aggression and encroachment there, reiterated in the context of Ukraine-Russia military confrontation, that this was not the era of war and called for peaceful negations to end the human misery resulting from the conflict and made strong advocacy for full membership for African Union in the G20. On China, Prime Minister Modi said that dark clouds of coercion and confrontation were looming large over the Indo-Pacific and left no one in doubt that India was fully committed to Quad for protecting the freedom of the region. All of this secured a complete convergence of the stand of the US and India against China as the common adversary - Indias unlimited cooperation with the US in areas across the spectrum - from space to ocean - gives a message to China that any aggression in the Indian Ocean would be effectively put down. What was implicit in Indias approach to Russia - and this seems to have been grasped by the US-led West finally - was that nothing should be done to irreversibly push Putin into the Chinese camp as this would not be in the strategic interest of either the US or India. Prime Minister Modi put the development agenda on top by highlighting the need for rebuilding supply chains disrupted by Covid and the Ukraine-Russia conflict and demonstrated his political will in solving problems without giving in to challenges. He used the occasion successfully to project India as the leader of the Global South and hence a world power in its own right. He spoke in English and spoke with his heart and his address was full of alliterations therefore, made a huge impact. This US visit of Prime Minister Modi has proved to be of immense importance for the build-up it has given to the vision that in todays conflict-ridden geopolitics, the forces of democracy can prevail over the undemocratic regimes and create a peaceful and prosperous world - the degree of unity demonstrated by the two largest democracies of the world gave credence to this global thought. (The writer is a former Director of the Intelligence Bureau. Views expressed are personal) NMC serves show cause notice to OCW Staff Reporter Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC) has issued a show cause notice to Orange City Water (OCW) seeking an explanation from the agency as to why its contract should not be terminated. The notice was signed by Municipal Commissioner Radhakrishnan B on his last days at office, on Monday. He has proceeded on 11-month study leave for USA, as the performance of the company is found to be unsatisfactory. Besides the notice, NMC has also deducted the bill payable to OCW on grounds of not fulfilling the conditions listed in the contract. NMC pays Rs 17/unit to OCW and the same was reduced to Rs 10.80/unit as daily 300 million unit billing is done. The OCW bill was Rs 180 crore and the same is now reduced to Rs 117 crore. OCW was brought in by NMC to handle the drinking water distribution system in city. It was entrusted 24x7 project but eight year down the lane, NMC is now giving a second thought as the goals enlisted in agreement have not been achieved, so far. Vijay Zalke, he was Chairman, Water Works Committee, NMC, said that OCW working is not upto mark, and NMC is well within right to terminate the contract. The ball was set rolling after the review meeting held at Ravi Bhavan. Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and Union Minister Nitin Gadkari had taken a review of several development works and also the OCW working came under lenses. The issuance of show cause notice for termination of contract is seen in this light in the administrative circles. Apart from failure on 24x7 front, OCW also could not achieve the desired reduction in losses. As per officials of NMC, the OCW was tasked with bringing down NRW, RNC, HSC, MBC and the performance on each count was below par. All this means it was Breach of Contract on part of OCW that led to issuance of notice. When contacted Shweta Banerjee, Executive Engineer, Public Health Engineering, about the issuance of show cause, she excused herself saying she was busy with meeting and would talk later. Of 75, only 7 Vande Mataram clinics functional in city By Vikas Vaidya The Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC) opened the first Vande Mataram Public Health Centre at Bhiwsenkhori in Dabha in 2021. It was the first of 75 such clinics announced by the then Mayor Dayashankar Tiwari. The project was proposed under Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav to commemorate 75 years of Indias Independence. Of the 75 clinics, only 7 are functional while three await their inauguration. The project failed to gain momentum as the then Mahavikas Aghadi Government provided little support to it. Meanwhile, the present Shinde-Fadnavis Government has announced Balasaheb Thackeray memorial Health and Wellness Centres (HWCs) to be run by State itself. Total 113 such clinics were proposed in Nagpur. Presently, the city got approval for 20 HWCs. Vande Mataram clinics are to be run by non governmental organisations (NGOs) while HWCs are to be managed by the State Government. The civic body had identified locations for all 75 Vande Mataram clinics across 10 zones. The centres were planned near community halls or at locations needing primary health care services. NMC was to provide infrastructure while the health centres were to run with the help of NGOs. Providing primary medical health services at a nominal fee of Rs 10 was the responsibility of NGOs. For the project, NMC had received around 150 oxygen concentrators from different NGOs. According to Dr Narendra Bahirwar, Health Officer, NMC, the scheme received poor response from NGOs as only 7 organisations showed interest. Former Mayor Dayashankar Tiwari told The Hitavada, Seven such clinics have started and are fully functional. Three more will be inangurated soon. With HWCs announcement, the places allocated for Vande Mataram will be given for the new project. HWCs will not have any involvement of private party or NGO. They will be run by the Government. From providing space, infrastructure, doctors, paramedical staff, equipment, medicines; all will be looked after by Government. Now, the idea of HWCs will work in an effective manner. We have received funds for 20 such HWCs and we are awaiting funds for 93 more clinics, Tiwari added. Every citizen will get timely health care services at affordable prices. This is a good step taken by Maharashtra Government, pointed out Dr Vandana Kate, President of Indian Medical Association, Nagpur branch. Sharad Pawars NCP moves disqualification petition against Ajit Pawar, 8 MLAs MUMBAI, THE Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) has moved a petition before Maharashtra Assembly Speaker Rahul Narwekar seeking disqualification of Ajit Pawar and eight other MLAs who have taken oath as Ministers in the Eknath Shinde-led Government. Jitendra Awhad, whom the NCP has appointed Leader of Opposition in the Maharashtra Assembly after Ajit Pawar joined the ruling alliance, delivered the petition at Narwekars residence late Sunday night, as per sources. When contacted, Narwekars office confirmed the petition has been received. On Monday, the Sharad Pawar-led party also issued notices to the nine MLAs asking them to refrain from misrepresenting before any forum the fact that they have any association with the NCP. The letter issued by state unit chief Jayant Patil said any such misrepresentation would be absolutely unlawful and illegal. The letter also said the party on Sunday has, therefore, initiated appropriate proceedings for formal disqualification of these MLAs from the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly under the 10th Schedule of the Constitution of India. The NCPs disciplinary committee had passed a resolution on Sunday to disqualify the nine legislators and committee chief Jaiprakash Dandegaonkar had submitted a report on it to Sharad Pawar. Stringent security measures for Presidents three-day stay in city Staff Reporter President of India Droupadi Murmu will arrive in Nagpur on Tuesday evening for a three-day visit. The City police have meticulously planned a robust security arrangement to ensure the safety and smooth proceedings during the Presidents stay in city. A contingent of approximately 750 officers and policemen will form a protective cordon around the Raj Bhavan in the Seminary Hills area during the Presidents stay. Additionally, around 3,500 officers and policemen will be deployed at various locations throughout the city, said Commissioner of Police (CP) Amitesh Kumar on Monday. The CP said that the police conducted an exercise for the convoys from Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar International Airport to Raj Bhavan on Monday afternoon. Five Deputy Commissioners of Police (DCPs), 16 Assistant Commissioners of Police, 15 special squads of Bomb Detection and Disposal Squad (BDDS), and two companies of the State Reserve Police Force (SRPF) have been deployed from other districts to bolster security measures. Furthermore, additional police personnel have been reserved at the Police Headquarters and the Police Control Room, he added. Tatkare appointed Mah NCP chief, Ajit Pawar legislature party leader MUMBAI, SOON after being removed as NCP working president, Praful Patel on Monday evening announced the appointment of Lok Sabha MP Sunil Tatkare as the partys state unit chief, replacing Jayant Patil, and Maharashtra Deputy CM Ajit Pawar as its legislature wing leader. Praful Patel, a Rajya Sabha MP who was named NCP working president last month, told a press conference here he had informed Patil to hand over the charge to Tatkare. Patel said Ajit Pawar will be the NCPs legislature party leader. Today (Monday) is Guru Pournima; we all wish that Sharad Pawar continues to bless us, said Patel. Patel said instead of asking them how many MLAs are in the Ajit Pawar camp, the question should be put to the other side (rival group). He said Anil Patil, who was among the ministers who joined the Eknath Shinde-BJP Government on Sunday, will continue to be NCPs whip in the Maharashtra Assembly. Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar, who was present at the press meet, said he enjoyed the support of maximum NCP legislators and said he has given a letter to the Assembly Speaker, seeking disqualification of party MLAs Jayant Patil and Jitendra Awhad from the House. Ajit Pawar said the party and MLAs were with him and the notice for disqualification against him and the eight newly sworn-in Ministers was meaningless. Zilpi Lake tragedy leaves pall of gloom upon five families Staff Reporter The Sunday tragedy at Zilpi Lake has left an enormous mountain of grief and an unimaginable loss to the families and loved ones of the five youths who met watery grave while on a picnic. Leelabai Armarkar, a resident of Mhalgi Nagar has been under unbearable sorrow for the second time in a year. She lost her son eight months ago and daughter-in-law about two years back. Now, fate has cruelly taken away her only remaining support, her beloved grandson - Shantanu Armarkar. The news of Shantaus untimely demise has shattered Leelabai to the core. Since the tragedy, she is inconsolable. Along with Shantanu, Rishikesh Anil Parade (21), a resident of Shubh Mahalaxmi Society, Giddoba Nagar, Wathoda; Rahul Arun Meshram (22), a resident of Giddoba Nagar, Wathoda; Vaibhav Bhageshwar Vaidya (24), a resident of Bhandewadi, Pardi, and Nitin Kumbhre (31), a resident of Wathoda, drowned in the lake in the evening hours on Sunday. Their bodies were retrieved from the lake by the police within five hours. The bodies were sent to Government Medical College and Hospital (GMC&H) for post-mortem. Last rites were performed on Monday evening in an atmosphere of grief and sorrow. Shantanus relatives revealed that he was a dedicated worker at Rahate Hospital, having tragically lost his mother Preeti and father Pramod, in past years. His grandmother, Leelabai, was his anchor in life, relying on his support. Recently, they had embarked on a new chapter, moving into a new home together. Little did they know that it would be their last shared meeting on Sunday. Before leaving, Shantanu had assured Leelabai that he would return soon but fate had other plans. His relatives now find themselves in a state of profound shock. Rishikesh, a driver employed by Dr Prajaktam Lende and Vaibhav, also a driver, alongside Nitin and Rahul, who pursued private occupations, were pillars of their respective families too. Their untimely demise have left a void that can never be filled. As of 17:30 on Tuesday, 38 casualties among civilians were reported as a result of a missile strike on Pervomaisky in Kharkiv region. "As of 17:30, some 38 casualties, including twelve children, were reported. The youngest of them is a 3-month-old baby. The medical workers provided the baby with care on the spot," the press service of Kharkiv Regional Prosecutor's Office said. As reported, during the attack on Pervomaisky, a farewell ceremony was held in the town with Kraken fighter and the 3rd assault battalion Oleh Fadeyenko, call sign Maliuk (Small Boy), who was killed near Bakhmut. At the Vilnius summit, NATO will make a decision to strengthen support for Ukraine in the long term, strengthen political ties and bring Ukraine closer to NATO, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said on Twitter after a conversation with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. "Very good conversation with President Zelenskyy on the latest developments in Ukraine, and our preparations for the NATO Summit. In Vilnius, Allies will take decisions to step up support for the long haul, upgrade our political ties, and bring Ukraine closer to NATO," Stoltenberg said on Tuesday. BCE Inc. (NYSE:BCE Free Report) (TSE:BCE) was the target of a large increase in short interest in June. As of June 15th, there was short interest totalling 27,440,000 shares, an increase of 51.8% from the May 31st total of 18,080,000 shares. Currently, 3.0% of the companys stock are short sold. Based on an average daily volume of 1,260,000 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is presently 21.8 days. Analysts Set New Price Targets A number of analysts recently issued reports on BCE shares. StockNews.com cut BCE from a buy rating to a hold rating in a research note on Saturday, May 13th. Scotiabank cut shares of BCE from a sector outperform rating to a sector perform rating in a research note on Monday, April 10th. Four investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and one has given a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, BCE presently has a consensus rating of Hold and an average price target of $62.72. Get BCE alerts: Institutional Investors Weigh In On BCE Several large investors have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Bank of Nova Scotia boosted its holdings in shares of BCE by 4.0% in the 4th quarter. Bank of Nova Scotia now owns 14,196,334 shares of the utilities providers stock valued at $623,737,000 after buying an additional 548,862 shares during the last quarter. Caisse DE Depot ET Placement DU Quebec lifted its holdings in BCE by 53.5% during the 1st quarter. Caisse DE Depot ET Placement DU Quebec now owns 13,375,600 shares of the utilities providers stock valued at $742,107,000 after purchasing an additional 4,661,300 shares during the last quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. lifted its holdings in BCE by 3.9% during the 3rd quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 13,200,273 shares of the utilities providers stock valued at $553,619,000 after purchasing an additional 496,949 shares during the last quarter. 1832 Asset Management L.P. lifted its holdings in BCE by 0.8% during the 4th quarter. 1832 Asset Management L.P. now owns 11,895,203 shares of the utilities providers stock valued at $522,794,000 after purchasing an additional 90,699 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Deutsche Bank AG lifted its holdings in BCE by 0.7% during the 4th quarter. Deutsche Bank AG now owns 11,811,377 shares of the utilities providers stock valued at $519,110,000 after purchasing an additional 76,349 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 38.75% of the companys stock. BCE Stock Up 0.8 % Shares of BCE traded up $0.36 during mid-day trading on Monday, hitting $45.96. 306,196 shares of the companys stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 1,240,093. The company has a market cap of $41.92 billion, a PE ratio of 21.58, a P/E/G ratio of 5.79 and a beta of 0.60. BCE has a 52 week low of $39.88 and a 52 week high of $51.11. The company has a 50-day simple moving average of $46.33 and a 200 day simple moving average of $45.71. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.49, a current ratio of 0.57 and a quick ratio of 0.51. BCE (NYSE:BCE Free Report) (TSE:BCE) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, May 4th. The utilities provider reported $0.63 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.60 by $0.03. The company had revenue of $4.48 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $4.43 billion. BCE had a return on equity of 16.13% and a net margin of 10.85%. On average, research analysts forecast that BCE will post 2.39 earnings per share for the current fiscal year. BCE Increases Dividend The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, July 17th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, June 15th will be issued a $0.714 dividend. This represents a $2.86 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 6.21%. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, June 14th. This is an increase from BCEs previous quarterly dividend of $0.71. BCEs dividend payout ratio is presently 137.09%. BCE Company Profile (Free Report) BCE Inc, a communications company, provides wireless, wireline, Internet, and television (TV) services to residential, business, and wholesale customers in Canada. The company operates through three segments: Bell Wireless, Bell Wireline, and Bell Media. The Bell Wireless segment offers integrated digital wireless voice and data communication products and services, as well as consumer electronics products. Read More Receive News & Ratings for BCE Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for BCE and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Turkiye Vakiflar Bankasi Turk Anonim Ortakligi (OTCMKTS:TKYVY Free Report) is one of 281 public companies in the BanksRegional industry, but how does it weigh in compared to its peers? We will compare Turkiye Vakiflar Bankasi Turk Anonim Ortakligi to related businesses based on the strength of its valuation, earnings, institutional ownership, analyst recommendations, profitability, dividends and risk. Insider & Institutional Ownership 0.0% of Turkiye Vakiflar Bankasi Turk Anonim Ortakligi shares are owned by institutional investors. Comparatively, 29.2% of shares of all BanksRegional companies are owned by institutional investors. 14.1% of shares of all BanksRegional companies are owned by insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that hedge funds, large money managers and endowments believe a company is poised for long-term growth. Get Turkiye Vakiflar Bankasi Turk Anonim Ortakligi alerts: Analyst Ratings This is a summary of recent ratings and target prices for Turkiye Vakiflar Bankasi Turk Anonim Ortakligi and its peers, as provided by MarketBeat. Sell Ratings Hold Ratings Buy Ratings Strong Buy Ratings Rating Score Turkiye Vakiflar Bankasi Turk Anonim Ortakligi 2 0 0 0 1.00 Turkiye Vakiflar Bankasi Turk Anonim Ortakligi Competitors 1083 3037 3006 20 2.27 Profitability As a group, BanksRegional companies have a potential upside of 340.48%. Given Turkiye Vakiflar Bankasi Turk Anonim Ortakligis peers stronger consensus rating and higher possible upside, analysts clearly believe Turkiye Vakiflar Bankasi Turk Anonim Ortakligi has less favorable growth aspects than its peers. This table compares Turkiye Vakiflar Bankasi Turk Anonim Ortakligi and its peers net margins, return on equity and return on assets. Net Margins Return on Equity Return on Assets Turkiye Vakiflar Bankasi Turk Anonim Ortakligi N/A N/A N/A Turkiye Vakiflar Bankasi Turk Anonim Ortakligi Competitors 33.36% 9.41% 0.87% Dividends Turkiye Vakiflar Bankasi Turk Anonim Ortakligi pays an annual dividend of $0.30 per share and has a dividend yield of 6.6%. Turkiye Vakiflar Bankasi Turk Anonim Ortakligi pays out 5.0% of its earnings in the form of a dividend. As a group, BanksRegional companies pay a dividend yield of 13.3% and pay out 18.7% of their earnings in the form of a dividend. Valuation and Earnings This table compares Turkiye Vakiflar Bankasi Turk Anonim Ortakligi and its peers top-line revenue, earnings per share (EPS) and valuation. Gross Revenue Net Income Price/Earnings Ratio Turkiye Vakiflar Bankasi Turk Anonim Ortakligi N/A N/A 0.76 Turkiye Vakiflar Bankasi Turk Anonim Ortakligi Competitors $3.40 billion $843.39 million 268.13 Turkiye Vakiflar Bankasi Turk Anonim Ortakligis peers have higher revenue and earnings than Turkiye Vakiflar Bankasi Turk Anonim Ortakligi. Turkiye Vakiflar Bankasi Turk Anonim Ortakligi is trading at a lower price-to-earnings ratio than its peers, indicating that it is currently more affordable than other companies in its industry. Summary Turkiye Vakiflar Bankasi Turk Anonim Ortakligi peers beat Turkiye Vakiflar Bankasi Turk Anonim Ortakligi on 12 of the 13 factors compared. About Turkiye Vakiflar Bankasi Turk Anonim Ortakligi (Free Report) Turkiye Vakiflar Bankasi Turk Anonim Ortakligi, together with its subsidiaries, provides corporate, commercial, small business, retail, and investment banking services in Turkey and internationally. It offers time and demand deposits, accumulating accounts, repos, spot loans, foreign currency indexed loans, consumer loans, automobile and housing loans, working capital loans, discounted bills, overdraft facilities, gold loans, foreign currency loans, Eximbank loans, pre-export loans, ECA covered financing, letters of guarantee, letters of credit, export factoring, acceptance credits, and draft facilities. The company also provides forfeiting, leasing, forwards, futures, salary payments, investment accounts, cheques, safety boxes, tax collections, bill payment, and payment order services, as well as insurance products. In addition, it offers foreign trade transactions, cash management, factoring, credit cards, investment products, leasing, and other banking products to its corporate, commercial, and retail customers. Further, the company provides small business banking services, including overdraft accounts, POS machines, credit cards, cheque books, TL and foreign currency deposits, Internet banking and call-center, debit card, and bill payment to enterprises in retail and service sectors. Additionally, it offers capital market transactions; issues capital market tools; purchases and sells marketable securities; and provides investment consultancy and portfolio management services, as well as invests in marketable debt and equity securities, and gold and other precious metals. The company was founded in 1954 and is based in Istanbul, Turkey. Turkiye Vakiflar Bankasi Turk Anonim Ortakligi is a subsidiary of Ministry of Treasury and Finance. Receive News & Ratings for Turkiye Vakiflar Bankasi Turk Anonim Ortakligi Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Turkiye Vakiflar Bankasi Turk Anonim Ortakligi and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Eads & Heald Wealth Management raised its position in shares of Edwards Lifesciences Co. (NYSE:EW Free Report) by 2.3% in the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 26,074 shares of the medical research companys stock after acquiring an additional 585 shares during the period. Eads & Heald Wealth Managements holdings in Edwards Lifesciences were worth $2,157,000 at the end of the most recent quarter. A number of other institutional investors also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Tsfg LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Edwards Lifesciences by 1.2% during the first quarter. Tsfg LLC now owns 87,870 shares of the medical research companys stock worth $7,269,000 after acquiring an additional 1,008 shares during the period. Daymark Wealth Partners LLC bought a new stake in Edwards Lifesciences during the first quarter worth $204,000. Altfest L J & Co. Inc. lifted its stake in Edwards Lifesciences by 88.1% during the first quarter. Altfest L J & Co. Inc. now owns 7,695 shares of the medical research companys stock worth $637,000 after purchasing an additional 3,604 shares during the last quarter. Empire Financial Management Company LLC bought a new stake in Edwards Lifesciences during the first quarter worth $248,000. Finally, Perfromance Wealth Partners LLC lifted its stake in Edwards Lifesciences by 38.6% during the first quarter. Perfromance Wealth Partners LLC now owns 11,718 shares of the medical research companys stock worth $969,000 after purchasing an additional 3,265 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 79.78% of the companys stock. Get Edwards Lifesciences alerts: Insider Transactions at Edwards Lifesciences In related news, VP Donald E. Bobo, Jr. sold 6,725 shares of the firms stock in a transaction dated Thursday, April 6th. The shares were sold at an average price of $83.09, for a total value of $558,780.25. Following the transaction, the vice president now owns 62,824 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $5,220,046.16. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. In related news, CFO Scott B. Ullem sold 80,700 shares of the firms stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, May 10th. The shares were sold at an average price of $88.54, for a total value of $7,145,178.00. Following the transaction, the chief financial officer now owns 18,294 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $1,619,750.76. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, VP Donald E. Bobo, Jr. sold 6,725 shares of the firms stock in a transaction dated Thursday, April 6th. The shares were sold at an average price of $83.09, for a total transaction of $558,780.25. Following the completion of the transaction, the vice president now directly owns 62,824 shares in the company, valued at approximately $5,220,046.16. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold 208,406 shares of company stock valued at $18,200,490 in the last 90 days. 1.29% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders. Edwards Lifesciences Trading Down 3.0 % EW traded down $2.84 during trading on Tuesday, reaching $91.49. 1,725,482 shares of the stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 2,644,771. The stock has a market capitalization of $55.46 billion, a PE ratio of 37.96, a P/E/G ratio of 5.36 and a beta of 1.03. The stocks 50-day moving average is $87.77 and its 200 day moving average is $82.09. The company has a quick ratio of 2.17, a current ratio of 3.01 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.10. Edwards Lifesciences Co. has a 12 month low of $67.13 and a 12 month high of $107.92. Edwards Lifesciences (NYSE:EW Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, April 26th. The medical research company reported $0.62 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $0.61 by $0.01. The company had revenue of $1.46 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $1.39 billion. Edwards Lifesciences had a net margin of 27.07% and a return on equity of 25.81%. The businesss revenue was up 8.8% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $0.60 EPS. Equities analysts anticipate that Edwards Lifesciences Co. will post 2.55 earnings per share for the current year. Analyst Ratings Changes EW has been the subject of several recent analyst reports. 1-800-FLOWERS.COM restated a reiterates rating on shares of Edwards Lifesciences in a research note on Tuesday, June 27th. Mizuho upped their price target on shares of Edwards Lifesciences from $85.00 to $95.00 in a report on Tuesday, April 25th. TheStreet upgraded shares of Edwards Lifesciences from a c+ rating to a b- rating in a report on Wednesday, April 19th. StockNews.com started coverage on shares of Edwards Lifesciences in a report on Thursday, May 18th. They set a buy rating for the company. Finally, 92 Resources restated a reiterates rating on shares of Edwards Lifesciences in a report on Thursday, May 4th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, ten have assigned a hold rating and eight have given a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of Hold and an average target price of $90.00. Edwards Lifesciences Company Profile (Free Report) Edwards Lifesciences Corporation provides products and technologies for structural heart disease, and critical care and surgical monitoring in the United States, Europe, Japan, and internationally. It offers transcatheter heart valve replacement products for the minimally invasive replacement of heart valves; and transcatheter heart valve repair and replacement products to treat mitral and tricuspid valve diseases. See Also Want to see what other hedge funds are holding EW? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Edwards Lifesciences Co. (NYSE:EW Free Report). Receive News & Ratings for Edwards Lifesciences Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Edwards Lifesciences and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. EFG International (OTCMKTS:EFGXY Free Report) and Royal Bank of Canada (NYSE:RY Free Report) are both financial services companies, but which is the better stock? We will contrast the two companies based on the strength of their institutional ownership, analyst recommendations, profitability, risk, dividends, earnings and valuation. Institutional & Insider Ownership 36.8% of Royal Bank of Canada shares are held by institutional investors. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that endowments, hedge funds and large money managers believe a stock will outperform the market over the long term. Get EFG International alerts: Profitability This table compares EFG International and Royal Bank of Canadas net margins, return on equity and return on assets. Net Margins Return on Equity Return on Assets EFG International N/A N/A N/A Royal Bank of Canada 15.27% 15.36% 0.81% Dividends Valuation & Earnings EFG International pays an annual dividend of C$0.18 per share and has a dividend yield of 1.9%. Royal Bank of Canada pays an annual dividend of $3.91 per share and has a dividend yield of 4.1%. EFG International pays out 128.9% of its earnings in the form of a dividend, suggesting it may not have sufficient earnings to cover its dividend payment in the future. Royal Bank of Canada pays out 51.4% of its earnings in the form of a dividend. Royal Bank of Canada has increased its dividend for 1 consecutive years. Royal Bank of Canada is clearly the better dividend stock, given its higher yield and longer track record of dividend growth. This table compares EFG International and Royal Bank of Canadas gross revenue, earnings per share (EPS) and valuation. Gross Revenue Price/Sales Ratio Net Income Earnings Per Share Price/Earnings Ratio EFG International N/A N/A N/A C$0.14 66.55 Royal Bank of Canada $52.08 billion 2.58 $12.27 billion $7.61 12.63 Royal Bank of Canada has higher revenue and earnings than EFG International. Royal Bank of Canada is trading at a lower price-to-earnings ratio than EFG International, indicating that it is currently the more affordable of the two stocks. Analyst Recommendations This is a summary of recent ratings and target prices for EFG International and Royal Bank of Canada, as reported by MarketBeat. Sell Ratings Hold Ratings Buy Ratings Strong Buy Ratings Rating Score EFG International 0 0 1 0 3.00 Royal Bank of Canada 1 3 1 0 2.00 Royal Bank of Canada has a consensus target price of $139.17, suggesting a potential upside of 44.74%. Given Royal Bank of Canadas higher probable upside, analysts plainly believe Royal Bank of Canada is more favorable than EFG International. Summary Royal Bank of Canada beats EFG International on 10 of the 12 factors compared between the two stocks. About EFG International (Free Report) EFG International AG, together with its subsidiaries, provides private banking, wealth management, and asset management services. It offers investment solutions, including discretionary mandates, structured products, trading services, and Islamic solutions; wealth planning and trust services; credit and financing services, such as Islamic, property, and investment financing; and eBanking services, including mobile banking and security services. The company also provides other banking services consisting of custody, foreign exchange and treasury, and trading services, as well as accounts and cards, and metals; and supports independent asset managers to set up private label funds. It operates in Europe, Asia Pacific, the Americas, and the Middle East. EFG International AG was founded in 1995 and is headquartered in Zurich, Switzerland. About Royal Bank of Canada (Free Report) Royal Bank of Canada operates as a diversified financial service company worldwide. The company's Personal & Commercial Banking segment offers checking and savings accounts, home equity financing, personal lending, private banking, indirect lending, including auto financing, mutual funds and self-directed brokerage accounts, guaranteed investment certificates, credit cards, and payment products and solutions; and lending, leasing, deposit, investment, foreign exchange, cash management, auto dealer financing, trade products, and services to small and medium-sized commercial businesses. This segment offers financial products and services through branches, automated teller machines, and mobile sales network. Its Wealth Management segment provides a suite of advice-based solutions and strategies to high net worth and ultra-high net worth individuals, and institutional clients. The company's Insurance segment offers life, health, home, auto, travel, wealth, annuities, and reinsurance advice and solutions; and business insurance services to individual, business, and group clients through its advice centers, RBC insurance stores, and mobile advisors; digital, mobile, and social platforms; independent brokers; and travel partners. Its Investor & Treasury Services segment provides asset servicing, custody, payments, and treasury services to financial and other investors; and fund and investment administration, shareholder, private capital, performance measurement and compliance monitoring, distribution, transaction banking, cash and liquidity management, foreign exchange, and global securities finance services. The company's Capital Markets segment offers corporate and investment banking, as well as equity and debt origination, distribution, advisory services, sale, and trading services for corporations, institutional investors, asset managers, private equity firms, and governments. The company was founded in 1864 and is headquartered in Toronto, Canada. Receive News & Ratings for EFG International Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for EFG International and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Global Assets Advisory LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Newmont Co. (NYSE:NEM Free Report) in the 1st quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor acquired 4,220 shares of the basic materials companys stock, valued at approximately $204,000. Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also bought and sold shares of NEM. Blair William & Co. IL grew its holdings in Newmont by 14.8% during the first quarter. Blair William & Co. IL now owns 42,511 shares of the basic materials companys stock valued at $3,378,000 after purchasing an additional 5,484 shares during the period. Sei Investments Co. boosted its holdings in shares of Newmont by 19.3% in the first quarter. Sei Investments Co. now owns 66,212 shares of the basic materials companys stock worth $5,219,000 after acquiring an additional 10,692 shares during the period. Cetera Investment Advisers boosted its holdings in shares of Newmont by 46.9% in the first quarter. Cetera Investment Advisers now owns 27,905 shares of the basic materials companys stock worth $2,217,000 after acquiring an additional 8,915 shares during the period. Baird Financial Group Inc. boosted its holdings in shares of Newmont by 7.2% in the first quarter. Baird Financial Group Inc. now owns 595,641 shares of the basic materials companys stock worth $47,324,000 after acquiring an additional 39,765 shares during the period. Finally, Parkside Financial Bank & Trust boosted its holdings in shares of Newmont by 25.8% in the first quarter. Parkside Financial Bank & Trust now owns 1,354 shares of the basic materials companys stock worth $108,000 after acquiring an additional 278 shares during the period. 77.82% of the stock is owned by institutional investors. Get Newmont alerts: Newmont Price Performance NYSE NEM traded up $0.38 during trading hours on Tuesday, reaching $43.04. 3,675,083 shares of the stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 7,124,978. The stock has a 50 day simple moving average of $43.93 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $46.95. Newmont Co. has a 1 year low of $37.45 and a 1 year high of $61.38. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.31, a current ratio of 2.38 and a quick ratio of 2.00. The company has a market cap of $34.20 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -65.21, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.68 and a beta of 0.34. Newmont Dividend Announcement Newmont ( NYSE:NEM Free Report ) last released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, April 27th. The basic materials company reported $0.40 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $0.33 by $0.07. Newmont had a positive return on equity of 6.05% and a negative net margin of 4.55%. The business had revenue of $2.68 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $2.70 billion. During the same quarter last year, the business posted $0.69 earnings per share. The companys revenue for the quarter was down 11.4% on a year-over-year basis. On average, analysts predict that Newmont Co. will post 2.5 EPS for the current fiscal year. The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, June 15th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, June 1st were issued a $0.40 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Wednesday, May 31st. This represents a $1.60 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.72%. Newmonts dividend payout ratio is currently -242.42%. Analysts Set New Price Targets A number of research firms have recently commented on NEM. Barclays raised their price target on Newmont from $57.00 to $62.00 and gave the stock an equal weight rating in a report on Friday, April 21st. Raymond James cut their price target on Newmont from $58.00 to $57.00 and set an outperform rating for the company in a report on Tuesday, May 16th. The Goldman Sachs Group raised their price target on Newmont from $58.00 to $67.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a report on Friday, April 21st. Citigroup lowered their price objective on Newmont from $70.00 to $60.00 and set a buy rating on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, April 4th. Finally, StockNews.com initiated coverage on Newmont in a research report on Thursday, May 18th. They issued a hold rating on the stock. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and nine have given a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of Moderate Buy and an average target price of $60.53. Insider Transactions at Newmont In other news, COO Robert D. Atkinson sold 3,000 shares of Newmont stock in a transaction dated Monday, May 1st. The stock was sold at an average price of $47.76, for a total value of $143,280.00. Following the transaction, the chief operating officer now owns 81,751 shares in the company, valued at $3,904,427.76. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. In related news, COO Robert D. Atkinson sold 3,000 shares of the firms stock in a transaction dated Monday, May 1st. The stock was sold at an average price of $47.76, for a total value of $143,280.00. Following the sale, the chief operating officer now directly owns 81,751 shares of the companys stock, valued at $3,904,427.76. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, CEO Thomas Ronald Palmer sold 11,000 shares of the firms stock in a transaction dated Monday, May 1st. The stock was sold at an average price of $47.76, for a total value of $525,360.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer now directly owns 300,039 shares in the company, valued at $14,329,862.64. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last quarter, insiders have sold 25,000 shares of company stock worth $1,117,880. Company insiders own 0.07% of the companys stock. About Newmont (Free Report) Newmont Corporation engages in the production and exploration of gold. It also explores for copper, silver, zinc, and lead. The company has operations and/or assets in the United States, Canada, Mexico, Dominican Republic, Peru, Suriname, Argentina, Chile, Australia, and Ghana. As of December 31, 2022, it had proven and probable gold reserves of 96.1 million ounces and land position of 61,500 square kilometers. Featured Stories Receive News & Ratings for Newmont Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Newmont and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Gjensidige Forsikring ASA (OTCMKTS:GJNSY Free Report) and Argo Group International (NYSE:ARGO Free Report) are both financial services companies, but which is the better investment? We will contrast the two companies based on the strength of their profitability, earnings, dividends, analyst recommendations, risk, valuation and institutional ownership. Institutional & Insider Ownership 0.0% of Gjensidige Forsikring ASA shares are held by institutional investors. Comparatively, 89.9% of Argo Group International shares are held by institutional investors. 1.0% of Argo Group International shares are held by insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that large money managers, endowments and hedge funds believe a company is poised for long-term growth. Get Gjensidige Forsikring ASA alerts: Earnings & Valuation This table compares Gjensidige Forsikring ASA and Argo Group Internationals top-line revenue, earnings per share and valuation. Gross Revenue Price/Sales Ratio Net Income Earnings Per Share Price/Earnings Ratio Gjensidige Forsikring ASA N/A N/A N/A $8.72 1.79 Argo Group International $1.68 billion 0.62 -$175.20 million ($6.24) -4.75 Analyst Recommendations Gjensidige Forsikring ASA has higher earnings, but lower revenue than Argo Group International. Argo Group International is trading at a lower price-to-earnings ratio than Gjensidige Forsikring ASA, indicating that it is currently the more affordable of the two stocks. This is a breakdown of current ratings for Gjensidige Forsikring ASA and Argo Group International, as reported by MarketBeat. Sell Ratings Hold Ratings Buy Ratings Strong Buy Ratings Rating Score Gjensidige Forsikring ASA 1 2 1 0 2.00 Argo Group International 1 1 0 0 1.50 Gjensidige Forsikring ASA currently has a consensus target price of $226.67, indicating a potential upside of 1,354.86%. Argo Group International has a consensus target price of $37.50, indicating a potential upside of 26.56%. Given Gjensidige Forsikring ASAs stronger consensus rating and higher probable upside, equities research analysts clearly believe Gjensidige Forsikring ASA is more favorable than Argo Group International. Dividends Gjensidige Forsikring ASA pays an annual dividend of $10.70 per share and has a dividend yield of 68.6%. Argo Group International pays an annual dividend of $1.24 per share and has a dividend yield of 4.2%. Gjensidige Forsikring ASA pays out 122.7% of its earnings in the form of a dividend, suggesting it may not have sufficient earnings to cover its dividend payment in the future. Argo Group International pays out -19.9% of its earnings in the form of a dividend. Profitability This table compares Gjensidige Forsikring ASA and Argo Group Internationals net margins, return on equity and return on assets. Net Margins Return on Equity Return on Assets Gjensidige Forsikring ASA N/A N/A N/A Argo Group International -9.98% 0.06% 0.01% Summary Gjensidige Forsikring ASA beats Argo Group International on 7 of the 13 factors compared between the two stocks. About Gjensidige Forsikring ASA (Free Report) Gjensidige Forsikring ASA provides general insurance and pension products in Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Latvia, Lithuania, and Estonia. The company operates through six segments: General Insurance Private, General Insurance Commercial, General Insurance Denmark, General Insurance Sweden, General Insurance Baltics, and Pension. It offers motor, accident and health, travel, leisure craft, valuables, liability, commercial, marine/transport, agriculture, natural perils, life, and pet insurance products. The company also provides defined contribution occupational pension schemes for businesses, which include disability pension, spouse/cohabitant pension, and child's pension products. It distributes its products through various distribution channels comprising office channel, call center, Internet, partners, and brokers to private and commercial customers. The company was founded in 1816 and is headquartered in Oslo, Norway. About Argo Group International (Free Report) Argo Group International Holdings, Ltd. underwrites specialty insurance and reinsurance products in the property and casualty markets. The company operates in two segments, U.S. Operations and International Operations. It offers primary and excess specialty casualty, general liability, commercial multi-peril, and workers compensation, as well as product, environmental, and auto liability insurance products; management liability, transaction liability, and errors and omissions liability insurance; primary and excess property, inland marine, and auto physical damage insurance; and surety, animal mortality, and ocean marine insurance products. The company also provides directors and officers liability, errors and omissions liability, and employment practices liability insurance; international casualty and motor treaties insurance; professional indemnity and medical malpractice insurance; direct and facultative excess insurance, North American and international binders, and residential collateral protection for lending institutions; and personal accident, aviation, cargo, yachts, and onshore and offshore marine insurance products. It markets its products through wholesale and retail agents, managing general agents, brokers, and third-party intermediaries. The company was founded in 1948 and is headquartered in Pembroke, Bermuda. Receive News & Ratings for Gjensidige Forsikring ASA Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Gjensidige Forsikring ASA and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Innergex Renewable Energy Inc. (OTCMKTS:INGXF Free Report) was the target of a large growth in short interest in June. As of June 15th, there was short interest totalling 1,063,800 shares, a growth of 50.7% from the May 31st total of 706,100 shares. Based on an average daily volume of 5,600 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is presently 190.0 days. Innergex Renewable Energy Stock Down 3.0 % INGXF stock traded down $0.28 during midday trading on Monday, hitting $9.00. 337 shares of the stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 3,641. The company has a quick ratio of 0.97, a current ratio of 0.97 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 4.56. The stocks fifty day simple moving average is $10.10 and its 200-day simple moving average is $10.96. Innergex Renewable Energy has a 1-year low of $9.00 and a 1-year high of $15.45. Get Innergex Renewable Energy alerts: Innergex Renewable Energy (OTCMKTS:INGXF Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, May 9th. The company reported ($0.06) earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter. The company had revenue of $161.47 million for the quarter. Innergex Renewable Energy had a negative net margin of 6.73% and a negative return on equity of 2.62%. Innergex Renewable Energy Increases Dividend Analyst Ratings Changes The business also recently disclosed a dividend, which will be paid on Monday, July 17th. Shareholders of record on Friday, June 30th will be issued a dividend of $0.1336 per share. This represents a yield of 5.31%. This is an increase from Innergex Renewable Energys previous dividend of $0.13. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, June 29th. Innergex Renewable Energys dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently -212.00%. A number of research firms have recently weighed in on INGXF. TD Securities cut their price objective on shares of Innergex Renewable Energy to C$16.50 in a research note on Thursday, May 11th. Credit Suisse Group cut their price objective on shares of Innergex Renewable Energy from C$22.00 to C$20.00 in a research note on Thursday, April 6th. National Bank Financial increased their price objective on shares of Innergex Renewable Energy from C$20.00 to C$21.00 in a research note on Wednesday, April 19th. Royal Bank of Canada cut their price objective on shares of Innergex Renewable Energy from C$17.00 to C$16.00 in a research note on Thursday, May 11th. Finally, Raymond James cut their price objective on shares of Innergex Renewable Energy to C$21.50 in a research note on Wednesday, May 10th. Innergex Renewable Energy Company Profile (Free Report) Innergex Renewable Energy Inc operates as an independent renewable power producer in Canada, the United States, France, and Chile. It acquires, owns, develops, and operates hydroelectric facilities, and wind and solar farms, as well as energy storage facilities. The company operates through three segments: Hydroelectric Power Generation, Wind Power Generation, and Solar Power Generation. Featured Stories Receive News & Ratings for Innergex Renewable Energy Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Innergex Renewable Energy and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. The number of victims of the Russian missile attack on the town of Pervomaisky in Kharkiv region has increased to 41 people, the condition of a ten-month-old boy who was taken to intensive care has been stabilized, the State Emergency Service has said. "As of 18:00, as a result of a cynical terrorist act by Russian invaders in the town of Pervomaisky in Kharkiv region, 41 people were injured, including 12 children and two babies," the State Emergency Service said on the Telegram channel on Tuesday. As reported, "according to the information of doctors, the condition of the ten-month-old boy, who was taken to intensive care, was stabilized. Other children received minor shrapnel wounds, bruises and scratches. Medical assistance was provided to everyone." As a result of the missile strike, eight multi-storey buildings and eight cars were damaged, the State Emergency Service said. In order to remove the consequences of the terrorist attack, 45 rescuers of the State Emergency Service and three units of fire and rescue equipment were involved. iSIGN Media Solutions Inc. (CVE:ISD Free Report)s stock price rose 33.3% during mid-day trading on Tuesday . The stock traded as high as C$0.02 and last traded at C$0.02. Approximately 137,000 shares changed hands during trading, a decline of 5% from the average daily volume of 143,867 shares. The stock had previously closed at C$0.02. iSIGN Media Solutions Stock Performance The firm has a market capitalization of C$4.53 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of -1.00 and a beta of 0.20. The company has a 50-day moving average price of C$0.01 and a 200-day moving average price of C$0.01. About iSIGN Media Solutions (Free Report) iSIGN Media Solutions Inc, a data-focused software-as-a-service company, provides location-based security alert messaging and proximity marketing solutions in North America. The company provides Hybrid Analytics Location Observation, a software platform and listening device that offers a suite of functions specifically designed to maximize safety and security within a managed environment, such as school, hospital, shopping plaza, and concert venue; Hybrid Analytics Location Observation with facial recognition offers facial and object recognition modules; Passive Historical Aggregate Contact Tracing, an intelligent smart space analytics platform that utilizes publicly available anonymous interactions between mobile devices to accurately determine occupancy levels and movements of individuals. Featured Articles Receive News & Ratings for iSIGN Media Solutions Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for iSIGN Media Solutions and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Japan Post Holdings Co., Ltd. (OTCMKTS:JPHLF Free Report) saw a significant decline in short interest in the month of June. As of June 15th, there was short interest totalling 1,487,400 shares, a decline of 37.7% from the May 31st total of 2,388,400 shares. Based on an average daily volume of 300 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is currently 4,958.0 days. Japan Post Stock Performance OTCMKTS:JPHLF remained flat at $7.30 on Monday. The stocks fifty day moving average price is $7.72 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $8.13. Japan Post has a 1-year low of $6.52 and a 1-year high of $8.96. Get Japan Post alerts: About Japan Post (Free Report) See Also Japan Post Holdings Co, Ltd. provides postal, banking, and insurance services in Japan. The company engages in the postal, banking counter, and insurance counter operations; sale of documentary stamps, petroleum, and catalog products; operations consigned by local government entities; and provision of other bank, and life and non-life insurance agency services. Receive News & Ratings for Japan Post Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Japan Post and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Martello Technologies Group (OTCMKTS:DRKOF Free Report) is one of 128 publicly-traded companies in the SoftwareInfrastructure industry, but how does it compare to its peers? We will compare Martello Technologies Group to related companies based on the strength of its earnings, risk, profitability, institutional ownership, dividends, valuation and analyst recommendations. Analyst Recommendations This is a breakdown of recent ratings and price targets for Martello Technologies Group and its peers, as provided by MarketBeat.com. Get Martello Technologies Group alerts: Sell Ratings Hold Ratings Buy Ratings Strong Buy Ratings Rating Score Martello Technologies Group 0 0 0 0 N/A Martello Technologies Group Competitors 181 795 1328 24 2.51 As a group, SoftwareInfrastructure companies have a potential upside of 77.15%. Given Martello Technologies Groups peers higher probable upside, analysts plainly believe Martello Technologies Group has less favorable growth aspects than its peers. Insider & Institutional Ownership Earnings and Valuation 30.0% of shares of all SoftwareInfrastructure companies are owned by institutional investors. 32.2% of shares of all SoftwareInfrastructure companies are owned by company insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that hedge funds, endowments and large money managers believe a stock will outperform the market over the long term. This table compares Martello Technologies Group and its peers top-line revenue, earnings per share and valuation. Gross Revenue Net Income Price/Earnings Ratio Martello Technologies Group N/A N/A -0.01 Martello Technologies Group Competitors $170.25 million -$22.30 million -130.32 Martello Technologies Groups peers have higher revenue, but lower earnings than Martello Technologies Group. Martello Technologies Group is trading at a higher price-to-earnings ratio than its peers, indicating that it is currently more expensive than other companies in its industry. Profitability This table compares Martello Technologies Group and its peers net margins, return on equity and return on assets. Net Margins Return on Equity Return on Assets Martello Technologies Group N/A N/A N/A Martello Technologies Group Competitors -48.28% -78.30% -11.70% About Martello Technologies Group (Free Report) Martello Technologies Group Inc. develops digital experience monitoring software solutions in Canada, the United States, Europe, Asia, Latin America, Australia, and internationally. The company operates through three segments: Vantage DX Monitoring Mitel UC, Vantage DX Analytics IT Service Analytics, and Vantage DX Monitoring Microsoft 365. Its products portfolio includes proactive Microsoft 365 monitoring, Microsoft teams call quality analytics, Microsoft active network path analysis, Microsoft 365 and Microsoft teams advanced troubleshooting, ITSM incident workflows, and Microsoft 365 performance reports (SLA/OLA); Vantage DX, a single platform DEM suite, which optimizes the modern workplace with a focus on Microsoft 365 and Microsoft Teams, as well as UC performance analytics software; and subscription-based software as a service. The company also provides software licenses, hardware, training, and maintenance and support services. Martello Technologies Group Inc. is headquartered in Ottawa, Canada. Receive News & Ratings for Martello Technologies Group Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Martello Technologies Group and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. NIPPON STL & SU/S (OTCMKTS:NSSMY Free Report)s stock price reached a new 52-week low on Monday . The stock traded as low as $6.87 and last traded at $6.87, with a volume of 5659 shares trading hands. The stock had previously closed at $7.06. NIPPON STL & SU/S Price Performance The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.52, a quick ratio of 0.51 and a current ratio of 1.22. The companys fifty day simple moving average is $6.95 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $7.63. The stock has a market capitalization of $6.53 billion, a PE ratio of 2.48, a P/E/G ratio of 3.94 and a beta of 1.35. NIPPON STL & SU/S Company Profile (Free Report) Nippon Steel & Sumitomo Metal Corporation engages in steelmaking and steel fabrication businesses worldwide. It operates in five segments: Steelmaking and Steel Fabrication, Engineering and Construction, Chemicals, New materials, and System Solutions. The company offers steel plates; hot- and cold-rolled steel sheets and coils, coated steel sheets, color coated steel sheets, electrolytic tin plates, and electrical steel sheets; bar and rod materials; and structural steel products. Further Reading Receive News & Ratings for NIPPON STL & SU/S Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for NIPPON STL & SU/S and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Premier Oil plc (OTCMKTS:PMOIY Free Report)s share price hit a new 52-week high on Monday . The company traded as high as $2.85 and last traded at $2.85, with a volume of 0 shares. The stock had previously closed at $2.85. Premier Oil Stock Performance The businesss 50-day simple moving average is $3.01 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $3.41. The company has a market capitalization of $2.64 billion, a PE ratio of 2.24 and a beta of 2.77. About Premier Oil (Free Report) Premier Oil plc, an oil and gas company, engages in the exploration, production, and development of oil and gas properties in the Falkland Islands, Indonesia, Vietnam, the United Kingdom, and internationally. As of December 31, 2019, its proved and probable reserves (2P) were 175 million barrels of oil equivalent (mmboe); and 2P and estimated contingent resources were 847 mmboe. Featured Stories Receive News & Ratings for Premier Oil Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Premier Oil and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Awakn Life Sciences Corp. (OTCMKTS:AWKNF Free Report) was the target of a significant growth in short interest during the month of June. As of June 15th, there was short interest totalling 12,200 shares, a growth of 50.6% from the May 31st total of 8,100 shares. Based on an average trading volume of 61,000 shares, the short-interest ratio is currently 0.2 days. Awakn Life Sciences Stock Performance Awakn Life Sciences stock opened at $0.19 on Tuesday. The company has a 50-day simple moving average of $0.21 and a 200-day simple moving average of $0.25. Awakn Life Sciences has a one year low of $0.09 and a one year high of $0.72. Get Awakn Life Sciences alerts: About Awakn Life Sciences (Free Report) Recommended Stories Awakn Life Sciences Corp., a biotechnology company, engages in the researching, developing, operations, and delivering of psychedelic therapeutics to treat addiction and other mental health conditions in the United Kingdom and Europe. The company has a collaboration agreement with the University of Exeter for exploring the use of ketamine-assisted therapy to treat Severe AUD. Receive News & Ratings for Awakn Life Sciences Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Awakn Life Sciences and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. The Berkeley Group (LON:BKG Free Report) had its price target lowered by JPMorgan Chase & Co. from GBX 4,800 ($60.92) to GBX 4,400 ($55.84) in a report issued on Tuesday, MarketBeat.com reports. The firm currently has an overweight rating on the stock. JPMorgan Chase & Co.s target price would suggest a potential upside of 10.41% from the stocks current price. A number of other equities research analysts have also weighed in on the stock. Barclays restated an overweight rating and issued a GBX 4,350 ($55.21) price objective on shares of The Berkeley Group in a report on Thursday, June 22nd. Berenberg Bank restated a buy rating and issued a GBX 5,100 ($64.73) price objective on shares of The Berkeley Group in a report on Thursday, June 22nd. Jefferies Financial Group lowered their price objective on shares of The Berkeley Group from GBX 4,651 ($59.03) to GBX 4,474 ($56.78) and set a hold rating for the company in a report on Thursday, June 22nd. Finally, UBS Group upped their price target on shares of The Berkeley Group from GBX 4,450 ($56.48) to GBX 4,580 ($58.13) and gave the company a buy rating in a report on Monday, June 12th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and five have assigned a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, The Berkeley Group currently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus price target of GBX 4,494.43 ($57.04). Get The Berkeley Group alerts: The Berkeley Group Trading Up 0.9 % Shares of BKG traded up GBX 35 ($0.44) during mid-day trading on Tuesday, reaching GBX 3,985 ($50.58). The companys stock had a trading volume of 284,165 shares, compared to its average volume of 295,573. The stock has a market cap of 4.28 billion, a PE ratio of 967.23, a P/E/G ratio of -0.87 and a beta of 1.15. The company has a current ratio of 3.43, a quick ratio of 0.57 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 19.96. The Berkeley Group has a 52 week low of GBX 3,120 ($39.60) and a 52 week high of GBX 4,549 ($57.74). The companys fifty day moving average price is GBX 4,131.97 and its two-hundred day moving average price is GBX 4,125.17. The Berkeley Group Company Profile The Berkeley Group Holdings plc, together with its subsidiaries, engages in the residential-led and mixed-use property development activities in the United Kingdom. The company is also involved in land selling activities. It operates under the Berkeley, St Edward, St George, St James, St Joseph, and St William brand names. Recommended Stories Receive News & Ratings for The Berkeley Group Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for The Berkeley Group and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Whittier Trust Co. of Nevada Inc. lessened its position in The Coca-Cola Company (NYSE:KO Free Report) by 1.0% during the first quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The institutional investor owned 108,293 shares of the companys stock after selling 1,058 shares during the quarter. Whittier Trust Co. of Nevada Inc.s holdings in Coca-Cola were worth $6,716,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period. Other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of the company. Fairfield Bush & CO. acquired a new stake in Coca-Cola during the first quarter valued at approximately $77,000. Merit Financial Group LLC grew its holdings in shares of Coca-Cola by 16.7% in the 1st quarter. Merit Financial Group LLC now owns 12,227 shares of the companys stock worth $758,000 after acquiring an additional 1,754 shares during the last quarter. NewEdge Advisors LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Coca-Cola by 41.4% during the first quarter. NewEdge Advisors LLC now owns 149,275 shares of the companys stock valued at $9,255,000 after purchasing an additional 43,680 shares during the last quarter. Ergoteles LLC boosted its position in shares of Coca-Cola by 385.3% in the 1st quarter. Ergoteles LLC now owns 19,032 shares of the companys stock valued at $1,180,000 after purchasing an additional 15,110 shares during the period. Finally, Mackenzie Financial Corp increased its stake in Coca-Cola by 11.9% in the 1st quarter. Mackenzie Financial Corp now owns 2,840,557 shares of the companys stock worth $176,115,000 after purchasing an additional 301,804 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 68.61% of the companys stock. Get Coca-Cola alerts: Coca-Cola Stock Performance KO traded up $0.36 during trading on Tuesday, hitting $60.58. The stock had a trading volume of 9,694,520 shares, compared to its average volume of 14,539,253. The company has a current ratio of 1.15, a quick ratio of 0.95 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.34. The company has a 50 day simple moving average of $61.85 and a 200-day simple moving average of $61.55. The firm has a market cap of $261.98 billion, a PE ratio of 26.57, a P/E/G ratio of 3.41 and a beta of 0.54. The Coca-Cola Company has a 12 month low of $54.01 and a 12 month high of $65.47. Coca-Cola Announces Dividend Coca-Cola ( NYSE:KO Free Report ) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Monday, April 24th. The company reported $0.68 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $0.65 by $0.03. The firm had revenue of $11 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $10.78 billion. Coca-Cola had a net margin of 22.69% and a return on equity of 42.96%. The businesss revenue was up 4.8% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company earned $0.64 earnings per share. Analysts expect that The Coca-Cola Company will post 2.61 EPS for the current year. The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, July 3rd. Shareholders of record on Friday, June 16th were issued a dividend of $0.46 per share. This represents a $1.84 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.04%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Thursday, June 15th. Coca-Colas payout ratio is 80.70%. Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades Several research analysts have commented on the stock. StockNews.com initiated coverage on shares of Coca-Cola in a report on Thursday, May 18th. They issued a buy rating for the company. Barclays raised their price objective on shares of Coca-Cola from $72.00 to $73.00 in a research note on Wednesday, April 26th. Evercore ISI boosted their target price on shares of Coca-Cola from $68.00 to $70.00 in a research note on Tuesday, April 25th. HSBC reduced their price objective on Coca-Cola from $77.00 to $74.00 in a research note on Wednesday, June 7th. Finally, Citigroup raised their price target on shares of Coca-Cola from $71.00 to $74.00 in a report on Monday, April 24th. Three analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and ten have given a buy rating to the companys stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Coca-Cola has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and an average price target of $67.67. Insider Transactions at Coca-Cola In other Coca-Cola news, CMO Manuel Arroyo sold 734 shares of the companys stock in a transaction on Tuesday, May 9th. The stock was sold at an average price of $63.40, for a total value of $46,535.60. Following the sale, the chief marketing officer now directly owns 114,580 shares in the company, valued at $7,264,372. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. In related news, CMO Manuel Arroyo sold 734 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, May 9th. The shares were sold at an average price of $63.40, for a total transaction of $46,535.60. Following the completion of the sale, the chief marketing officer now owns 114,580 shares in the company, valued at approximately $7,264,372. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. Also, insider Nikolaos Koumettis sold 253,102 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction dated Thursday, May 4th. The shares were sold at an average price of $63.63, for a total transaction of $16,104,880.26. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider now owns 184,563 shares in the company, valued at $11,743,743.69. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last ninety days, insiders sold 420,786 shares of company stock valued at $26,886,224. Corporate insiders own 1.00% of the companys stock. Coca-Cola Profile (Free Report) The Coca-Cola Company, a beverage company, manufactures, markets, and sells various nonalcoholic beverages worldwide. The company provides sparkling soft drinks, sparkling flavors; water, sports, coffee, and tea; juice, value-added dairy, and plant-based beverages; and other beverages. It also offers beverage concentrates and syrups, as well as fountain syrups to fountain retailers, such as restaurants and convenience stores. See Also Want to see what other hedge funds are holding KO? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for The Coca-Cola Company (NYSE:KO Free Report). Receive News & Ratings for Coca-Cola Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Coca-Cola and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Vertical Aerospace Ltd. (NYSE:EVTL Free Report) saw a large decrease in short interest in June. As of June 15th, there was short interest totalling 585,700 shares, a decrease of 39.5% from the May 31st total of 968,000 shares. Currently, 1.2% of the companys stock are short sold. Based on an average daily trading volume, of 473,000 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is presently 1.2 days. Vertical Aerospace Price Performance Shares of EVTL traded up $0.03 during mid-day trading on Monday, hitting $2.00. 689,429 shares of the companys stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 476,568. The firm has a fifty day moving average of $1.84 and a two-hundred day moving average of $2.11. Vertical Aerospace has a twelve month low of $1.41 and a twelve month high of $11.58. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.36, a quick ratio of 6.67 and a current ratio of 6.67. Get Vertical Aerospace alerts: Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades Separately, Canaccord Genuity Group started coverage on shares of Vertical Aerospace in a research report on Friday, June 9th. They issued a hold rating and a $2.00 target price for the company. Institutional Inflows and Outflows Vertical Aerospace Company Profile Several hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of EVTL. Penserra Capital Management LLC raised its holdings in Vertical Aerospace by 54.4% in the 1st quarter. Penserra Capital Management LLC now owns 10,358 shares of the companys stock worth $72,000 after acquiring an additional 3,651 shares during the period. EP Wealth Advisors LLC bought a new position in shares of Vertical Aerospace during the 1st quarter worth about $1,267,000. GSA Capital Partners LLP bought a new position in shares of Vertical Aerospace during the 4th quarter worth about $37,000. Handelsbanken Fonder AB bought a new position in shares of Vertical Aerospace during the 4th quarter worth about $67,000. Finally, HRT Financial LP bought a new position in shares of Vertical Aerospace during the 4th quarter worth about $73,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 2.81% of the companys stock. (Free Report) Vertical Aerospace Ltd., an aerospace and technology company, engages in designing, manufacturing, and selling zero operating emission electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft for use in the advanced air mobility in the United Kingdom. It offers VX4, an eVTOL aircraft. The company was founded in 2016 and is headquartered in Bristol, the United Kingdom. Read More Receive News & Ratings for Vertical Aerospace Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Vertical Aerospace and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. West Pharmaceutical Services (NYSE:WST Free Report) and Sartorius Aktiengesellschaft (OTCMKTS:SOAGY Free Report) are both medical companies, but which is the better stock? We will contrast the two businesses based on the strength of their earnings, valuation, risk, dividends, institutional ownership, profitability and analyst recommendations. Earnings and Valuation This table compares West Pharmaceutical Services and Sartorius Aktiengesellschafts gross revenue, earnings per share and valuation. Get West Pharmaceutical Services alerts: Gross Revenue Price/Sales Ratio Net Income Earnings Per Share Price/Earnings Ratio West Pharmaceutical Services $2.89 billion 9.73 $585.90 million $7.28 51.97 Sartorius Aktiengesellschaft N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A West Pharmaceutical Services has higher revenue and earnings than Sartorius Aktiengesellschaft. Institutional and Insider Ownership Analyst Ratings 92.4% of West Pharmaceutical Services shares are held by institutional investors. 1.1% of West Pharmaceutical Services shares are held by insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that hedge funds, large money managers and endowments believe a company will outperform the market over the long term. This is a breakdown of current recommendations and price targets for West Pharmaceutical Services and Sartorius Aktiengesellschaft, as provided by MarketBeat. Sell Ratings Hold Ratings Buy Ratings Strong Buy Ratings Rating Score West Pharmaceutical Services 0 2 3 0 2.60 Sartorius Aktiengesellschaft 0 0 3 0 3.00 West Pharmaceutical Services currently has a consensus target price of $344.00, suggesting a potential downside of 9.07%. Given West Pharmaceutical Services higher probable upside, equities analysts clearly believe West Pharmaceutical Services is more favorable than Sartorius Aktiengesellschaft. Profitability This table compares West Pharmaceutical Services and Sartorius Aktiengesellschafts net margins, return on equity and return on assets. Net Margins Return on Equity Return on Assets West Pharmaceutical Services 19.15% 24.14% 17.83% Sartorius Aktiengesellschaft N/A N/A N/A Summary West Pharmaceutical Services beats Sartorius Aktiengesellschaft on 7 of the 8 factors compared between the two stocks. About West Pharmaceutical Services (Free Report) West Pharmaceutical Services, Inc. designs, manufactures, and sells containment and delivery systems for injectable drugs and healthcare products in the Americas, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and the Asia Pacific. It operates in two segments, Proprietary Products and Contract-Manufactured Products. The Proprietary Products segment offers stoppers and seals for injectable packaging systems; syringe and cartridge components, including custom solutions for the needs of injectable drug applications, as well as administration systems that enhance the safe delivery of drugs through advanced reconstitution, mixing, and transfer technologies; and films, coatings, washing, and vision inspection and sterilization processes and services to enhance the quality of packaging components. It also provides drug containment solutions, including Crystal Zenith, a cyclic olefin polymer in the form of vials, syringes, and cartridges; and self-injection devices, as well as a range of integrated solutions, including analytical lab services, pre-approval primary packaging support and engineering development, regulatory expertise, and after-sales technical support. This segment serves biologic, generic, and pharmaceutical drug companies. The Contract-Manufactured Products segment is involved in the design, manufacture, and automated assembly of devices used in surgical, diagnostic, ophthalmic, injectable, and other drug delivery systems, as well as consumer products. The company serves pharmaceutical, diagnostic, and medical device companies. It distributes its products through its sales force and distribution network, as well as contract sales agents and regional distributors. The company was incorporated in 1923 and is headquartered in Exton, Pennsylvania. About Sartorius Aktiengesellschaft (Free Report) Sartorius Aktiengesellschaft provides bioprocess solutions and lab products and services worldwide. It offers multi-parallel, benchtop, single-use, stainless steel, cell culture, rocking motion, and microbial bioreactors, as well as software apps for bioreactors and cell culture shake flask; fermenters; cell culture media products; cellcelector flex, incubator flowbox, nanowell arrays, and capillaries and tips; fluid management products; microbiology products; and membrane filters, glass and quartz microfibre filters, syringeless and in-line filters, lab chromatography, and filters and blotting papers. The company also provides live-cell analysis systems, reagents and consumables, and live-cell imaging and analysis software; equipment manufacturer membranes and devices, weigh cells, and data analytics, as well as connectivity, and pipetting and dispensing modules; electronic and mechanical pipettes, pipette tips, bottle-top dispensers, and pipette controllers and accessories; process automation platform and software, sensors and analyzers, biomolecule analysis tools, and data analytics software; chromatography consumables, columns, and systems; and detection systems, sensor chips and consumables, systems, biosensors and kits, compliance tools, and systems software. Further, it offers water purification systems; lab balances, pipette calibration, mass comparators and metrology, moisture analyzers, equipment manufacturer cells, weights and weight sets, paint mixing solutions, and weighing accessories; and process filtration. Further, it provides bioprocess consulting and engineering, media and process, instrument, system service and support, and validation services. It serves the life science research, biopharmaceutical manufacturing, pharmaceutical quality control, cell and gene therapy, and applied industries. Sartorius Aktiengesellschaft was founded in 1870 and is headquartered in Gottingen, Germany. Receive News & Ratings for West Pharmaceutical Services Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for West Pharmaceutical Services and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. The government of the Netherlands has announced a second EUR 118 million aid package to Ukraine aimed at humanitarian and financial support, the Dutch government said in a statement. "The Netherlands has allocated more than EUR 118 million for the second aid package for 2023 for Ukraine. Of these, EUR 93 million will be allocated from the reserve of EUR 2.5 billion of the Cabinet of Ministers to support Ukraine in 2023 and EUR 25 million from the Foreign Trade Budget and cooperation for development," according to the press release issued on Tuesday reads. It is noted that EUR 83 million has been allocated for the reconstruction and healthcare of Ukraine, of which EUR 58 million has been allocated for the restoration of infrastructure, houses and drinking water supplies, EUR 25 million for medicines and support for mobile clinics. In addition, EUR 10 million from the new aid package will be allocated to provide emergency assistance to those affected by the Russian occupiers' bombing of Kakhovka HPP. This money is intended for the purchase of goods such as lifeboats and rafts. Also, some EUR 875,000 will be sent to support Ukrainian human rights activists. According to the press release the Dutch government is providing EUR 25 million in grants "to enable businesses and civil society organizations to contribute to reconstruction and recovery." It is noted that this assistance is aimed at projects that meet the needs of Ukraine and contribute to its reconstruction and restoration. Business companies and organizations can apply for grants to the Netherlands Enterprise Agency from September. Additional financial support will be provided to a Ukrainian company to open a building materials plant in Western Ukraine, a Dutch small and medium-sized business company will provide the necessary equipment. In addition, the government of the Netherlands is exploring the possibility of covering the risks of companies exporting to or investing in Ukraine with the help of guarantees or insurance. Whittier Trust Co. of Nevada Inc. increased its stake in Accenture plc (NYSE:ACN Free Report) by 4.5% during the first quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 42,184 shares of the information technology services providers stock after purchasing an additional 1,817 shares during the quarter. Whittier Trust Co. of Nevada Inc.s holdings in Accenture were worth $12,056,000 at the end of the most recent quarter. Other institutional investors have also bought and sold shares of the company. United Bank raised its stake in shares of Accenture by 6.3% during the 1st quarter. United Bank now owns 2,969 shares of the information technology services providers stock valued at $1,001,000 after purchasing an additional 176 shares during the period. Weitz Investment Management Inc. increased its holdings in Accenture by 1.3% during the 1st quarter. Weitz Investment Management Inc. now owns 89,400 shares of the information technology services providers stock worth $30,148,000 after acquiring an additional 1,168 shares during the period. Fund Management at Engine No. 1 LLC bought a new position in Accenture in the 1st quarter valued at $1,805,000. Guardian Wealth Management Inc. grew its position in shares of Accenture by 0.6% during the 1st quarter. Guardian Wealth Management Inc. now owns 7,292 shares of the information technology services providers stock valued at $2,459,000 after purchasing an additional 41 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Clearbridge Investments LLC increased its holdings in shares of Accenture by 104.8% in the first quarter. Clearbridge Investments LLC now owns 441,451 shares of the information technology services providers stock worth $148,871,000 after purchasing an additional 225,943 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 73.00% of the companys stock. Get Accenture alerts: Insider Transactions at Accenture In other news, CAO Melissa A. Burgum sold 1,344 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, June 26th. The stock was sold at an average price of $300.00, for a total value of $403,200.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief accounting officer now owns 10,506 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $3,151,800. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. In other Accenture news, CAO Melissa A. Burgum sold 1,344 shares of the stock in a transaction on Monday, June 26th. The stock was sold at an average price of $300.00, for a total value of $403,200.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief accounting officer now owns 10,506 shares in the company, valued at $3,151,800. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. Also, CEO Julie Spellman Sweet sold 2,954 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction on Friday, April 14th. The shares were sold at an average price of $280.05, for a total transaction of $827,267.70. Following the sale, the chief executive officer now owns 24,459 shares in the company, valued at approximately $6,849,742.95. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last ninety days, insiders sold 16,354 shares of company stock valued at $4,583,230. Company insiders own 0.08% of the companys stock. Accenture Price Performance Accenture stock traded up $2.39 during trading hours on Tuesday, reaching $310.97. The stock had a trading volume of 1,172,814 shares, compared to its average volume of 2,876,819. The company has a fifty day simple moving average of $294.61 and a 200-day simple moving average of $280.79. Accenture plc has a 52 week low of $242.80 and a 52 week high of $327.93. The stock has a market cap of $206.69 billion, a PE ratio of 27.70, a PEG ratio of 2.80 and a beta of 1.22. Accenture (NYSE:ACN Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, June 22nd. The information technology services provider reported $3.19 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.96 by $0.23. Accenture had a return on equity of 30.47% and a net margin of 11.28%. The company had revenue of $16.56 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $16.49 billion. During the same period last year, the firm earned $2.79 earnings per share. Accentures quarterly revenue was up 2.5% on a year-over-year basis. Research analysts predict that Accenture plc will post 11.59 earnings per share for the current fiscal year. Accenture Dividend Announcement The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, August 15th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, July 13th will be given a dividend of $1.12 per share. This represents a $4.48 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.44%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, July 12th. Accentures payout ratio is currently 39.93%. Analysts Set New Price Targets Several research firms recently commented on ACN. Piper Jaffray Companies reduced their target price on Accenture from $316.00 to $314.00 and set a neutral rating for the company in a research report on Friday, June 23rd. Citigroup raised their target price on shares of Accenture from $306.00 to $358.00 in a research note on Wednesday, June 14th. Wedbush reissued an outperform rating and issued a $300.00 price target on shares of Accenture in a report on Monday, March 13th. BMO Capital Markets lifted their price objective on shares of Accenture from $327.00 to $365.00 in a report on Wednesday, June 21st. Finally, Edward Jones raised Accenture from a hold rating to a buy rating in a research note on Wednesday, April 5th. Eight equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and nine have given a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, Accenture currently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus target price of $326.89. Accenture Profile (Free Report) Accenture plc, a professional services company, provides strategy and consulting, interactive, industry X, song, and technology and operation services worldwide. The company offers application services, including agile transformation, DevOps, application modernization, enterprise architecture, software and quality engineering, data management, intelligent automation comprises robotic process automation, natural language processing, and virtual agents, and application management services, as well as software engineering services; strategy and consulting services; data and analytics strategy, data discovery and augmentation, data management and beyond, data democratization, and industrialized solutions comprises turnkey analytics and artificial intelligence (AI) solutions; metaverse; and sustainability services. Recommended Stories Want to see what other hedge funds are holding ACN? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Accenture plc (NYSE:ACN Free Report). Receive News & Ratings for Accenture Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Accenture and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. When Bill Gates visited Nigerias President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, I warned in the media that Tinubu should beware of Bill Gates because of the latters sinister depopulation record for Africa and his alarming influence on the health sector in Africa and Asia through his Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. As expected, a cross-section of apparently financially compromised journalists blasted me and dismissed me as a Dooms Day prophet as well as a needless rabble rouser without a cause. As was well splashed in the media, a selected group of Nigerian journalists were invited to meet with him privately and these supposed information gatekeepers were smiling and grinning from ear to ear with him in photo ops as if they had just won the lottery. It is tragic that these moulders of public opinion are ignorant about his notorious record of his eugenicist liberal-leaning which amounts to a futile and asinine attempt to play God. Lifesite News reported that: The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and Wellcome Trust on Wednesday announced plans to fund a phase 3 clinical trial for a tuberculosis (TB) vaccine that will be tested on 26,000 people at 50 sites in Africa and Southeast Asia over the next four to six years. Gates committed $400 million to the trial and Wellcome the largest funder of medical research in the U.K. and one of the largest in the world committed an additional $150 million. The trials will test the M72/AS01 vaccine, developed by pharmaceutical giant GSK (formerly GlaxoSmithKline) with partial funding from the Gates Foundation. Experts told The Washington Post the news was huge. The Guardian heralded the announcement as gamechanging, while STAT called it promising. But Brian Hooker, Ph.D., P.E., senior director of science and research for ChildrensHealth Defense told The Defender that the planned trials for the TB vaccine raised red flags. Im concerned that theyre planning on conducting the trial in underdeveloped nations, Hooker said. It seems almost prototypical that the underserved have to be guinea pigs for the rest of the world. He added, Fifty percent is incredibly low efficacy for such an important intervention to go to essentially everyone in the developing world. TB more common among poor GSK developed the vaccine and ran smaller, proof-of-concept phase 2b trials on it in 2018, reporting a 54 percentefficacy rate. But the vaccine maker didnt move forward with the large-scale trials needed for a license. Instead, it passed the license to the Gates Medical Research Institute, a non-profit biotech spinoff of the Gates Foundation dedicated to developing novel biomedical interventions to treat global health problems. The existing vaccine for TB, the BCG (bacilleCalmette-Guerin) vaccine, was developed in 1921 and is effective at stopping TB infection among children but has limited efficacy in adults. Recent estimates suggest up to 25 percent of the global population carries a latent (asymptomatic) TB infection, which may later become active among 515 percent of latent carriers. People with latent infection cannot spread the disease. TB kills 1.6 million people per year, primarily in low and middle-income countries. It is treatable and curable with antibiotics. Drug-resistant strains have emerged, but those also are treatable and curable using second-line drugs. TB is more common among poor people, who are more likely to work in poorly ventilated and overcrowded conditions, suffer from malnutrition, and have more limited access to healthcare. The funded trial will test whether the experimental vaccine can prevent adolescents and adults with latent tuberculosis from developing symptoms. Maziar Divangahi, Ph.D., associate director of the McGill International TB Centre a WHO collaborating research center and recipient of large-scale Gates Foundation grants told STAT the vaccine was really a big deal. But he also cautioned against putting too much faith in the earlier GSK trial. In that trial, 39 people 26 in the placebo group and 13 in the vaccine group became sick, so the sample size was extremely low, he said. And no one knows how long protection might last, he said. In the earlier trial, 67 percent of people in the group that received the drug made unsolicited reports of adverse events within 30 days after injection, compared with 45 percent in the placebo group. Gates Foundation funding like working in a cartel The Gates Foundation is one of the largest funders of global health initiatives and its influence on international health policy and the design of global health programmes and initiatives is profound, The Lancet reported in 2009. Since then its influence has grown substantially. According to Anne-EmanuelleBirn, Sc.D., professor and chair of the Dalla Lana School of Public Health at the University of Toronto, this is a problem: The BMGF [Gates Foundation], emblematic of elite interests in contemporary society, disregards the underlying causes of ill health in the first place, overlooks what role the unprecedented accumulation of wealth in the hands of a few has played therein, and remains fiercely proud (staking a moral high ground) of its generosity and technical savoir-faire, all the while remaining underscrutinized by scientists and the wider public alike. Her research outlined how the Gates Foundations profit-making principles as drivers of policy have given business interests an enormous and unprecedented role in driving international policy-making. Despite the manifold shortcomings of a technology-focused, disease-by-disease approach to global health, this model prevails at present, abetted by the BMGFs prime sway at formal global health decision-making bodies, she wrote. In a recent article examining the role of the Gates Foundation in global health, University of London professor Gwilym David Blunt, Ph.D., wrote that the foundation has been widely criticized for not following data-driven policies. Its preference for technology and new vaccines fails to acknowledge that mortality is often driven by lack of basic resources such as sanitation, housing and nutrition, Blunt wrote. While people may benefit from clinical solutions, he wrote a public health intervention such as ensuring access to clean water and sanitation may reduce deaths more quickly and with less expense. Instead, he wrote, the Gates Foundations influence has helped move global health towards high-tech, vaccine-focused initiatives. In debates over how to approach global health at GAVI, the Vaccine Alliance, he reported Bill Gates was vehemently insisting that not one cent of his money should go into public systems. Arata Kochi, Ph.D., former head of the WHOs malaria program, compared the Gates Foundations funding to working in a cartel, with researchers locked into the agenda of a foundation with a closed internal process, and as far as can be seen accountable to none other than itself. Even The Lancet published a similar critique of Gates back in 2009. Important health programmes are being distorted by large grants from the Gates Foundation, Dr. Richard Horton, editor-in-chief wrote in an editorial. Linsey McGoey, Ph.D., professor of sociology at the University of Essex and author of a book examining Gates philanthropy has written that diseases like HIV, tuberculosis and malaria key focuses for the Gates Foundation clearly need urgent attention. But, she said in an interview with Current Affairs, In reality, you need to build up the public health capacity and the universal healthcare capacity of developing regions, not introduce more market actors who have incentives to drive up the costs of different medicines and interventions. Proponents of the TB vaccine concede that the global roll-out will require a lot of resources and are encouraging governments to substantially increase investments in the TB vaccine pipeline. Wellcome Trust and the Gates Foundation hope to secure a commercial partner for their new vaccine within 12 months, The Economist reported. African leaders in particular I reiterate for the umpteenth time that they should not have direct dealings with Bill Gates as he and his foundation dont mean well for the continent because of their pro-choice ideology that is at odds with Africas overall best interests. They should be nationalistic and Pan Africanist to rise above merely gratifying their pockets for short term gains and mortgaging the future of unborn Africans for a morsel of bread. African Conservatives should sturdily resist Bill Gates as the unborn who are hapless and voiceless look up to them. Tony Ademiluyi is the Director, Media & Publicity West Africa for West African Christian Voice Trumpet Call Ministry and is a contributing writer for the Project for Human Development. He can be reached at +2348167677075 and [email protected]. The attention of Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide has been drawn to the news making the rounds to the effect that the President General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Chief Engr. Dr. Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu, CFR (Ahaejiagamba) has asked the Igbos to put aside the issue of Igbo presidency, amongst others. The foregoing remark is the height of a mischievous sensational press hyperbole, aimed at marketing their newspapers. That the Igbo should put aside the issue of Igbo Presidency is a whimsical conjecture that represents the distorted imaginations of the maladjusted news purveyors. Engr. Iwuanyanwu granted interview to a few journalist on Tuesday, July 2, 2023 and used to occasion to address the major issues that justified the Igbo enthusiasm for presidency in 2023. The report by Naijatweet captured the kernel of the discourse: I crave your indulgence to reproduce the Naijatweet version. Chief Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu, the President General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, has offered insights into the Igbos support for Mr. Peter Obi, the Labour Party candidate, in the recent election. In a press interview, he explained that the Igbos believed it was finally their turn to produce the next President, after a prolonged wait since 1979. According to Iwuanyanwu, the region had consistently supported other Presidents from the South in the past. The Igbos have been deprived of holding top-level positions since 1979 when General Olusegun Obasanjo handed over power to the civilians In 1993, General Ibrahim Babangida handed over power to Chief Ernest Shonekan, a Yoruba. Iwuanyanwu recalled that the Presidential election won by Moshood Abiola, was unfortunately denied him. He said that Abiola was his close friend, and I supported him wholeheartedly. Even after Abiolas victory was unjustly denied, Ernest Shonekan, was appointed as the head of the Interim National Government. Following the military era, the next civilian government was led by Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, both from the South West of NigeriaLater, the Presidency moved to the South-South with Goodluck Jonathan, and Yemi Osinbajo, from the South West served as the Vice President. Now that the Presidency has been zoned to the South once again, the Igbos rightfully believe it is their turn. Iwuanyanwu added that he contested presidency three times and has decided not to pursue that ambition any more. That was the kernel of Iwuanyanwu remarks. Chief Iwuanyanwu used the interview to point out that Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu is his personal friend for years but that he will never place his personal interest above the aspirations and justifications for the good people of the South East. Ahaejiagamba wondered how an Igbo leader could ask the Igbo to put aside the issue of presidency at a point the Peter Obi impressive exploits are gaining traction at the Presidential Election Petition Court in Abuja. Therefore, for anyone to suggest that the Igbo should put aside the issue of presidency is a false news, mundane speculation that dwells in bowels of the purveyors. Since his assumption of Office as the President-General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide, Chief Iwuanyanwu has remained consistent on a transformative philosophical framework that will change the Igbo Land. Iwuanyanwu maintains that the Igbo have the disruptive ingenuity that will transform the Igbo to an economic hub for the entire Africa. The Igbo Leader is very enthusiastic that the human and capital resources that the Almighty has endowed the Igbo are sufficient to put us on a top economic scale beyond the Nigerian ethnocentrism. Ahaejiagamba reminds the Igbo that this is a trying period that with God, we will ultimately overcome. E-Sign: Dr. Chiedozie Alex Ogbonnia (National Publicity Secretary, Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide) Life in the state of nature which exists without a government was aptly described by Thomas Hobbes as nasty, brutish, and short. This is the raison detre behind why hitherto independently-minded individuals voluntarily surrender their rights before a government to which they would be accountable and which has the power to effect sanctions against them if any steps out of line. Pa Adebanjo needs no introduction except to a large cross-section of the Gen Zs or indomie generation as their critics derisively refer them to. He was a nationalist who as a then-young lawyer was involved in the independence of Nigerias negotiations at Lancaster House in London. He was one of those allies that the Late sage and then Premier of the Western Region, Chief Obafemi Awolowo sturdily relied on for the smooth organization of the Action Group political party while he faced the onerous task of governance and democracy dividends delivery to all especially an effective penetration of the grassroots. For some strange reason, Adebanjo never held any political position perhaps based on choice but that didnt diminish his looming stature at some point in the land of Oodua. Therefore, I was alarmed when in an interview he granted to Arise News on July 3, 2023 he said that he didnt recognize the government of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu. I found this rather alarming as I wondered whether some form of senility had set in which I immediately dismissed as his faculties at 94 is as sharp as ever and the entire 23 minutes interview didnt give him out as one who did not know what he was saying. His argument for his highly disturbing position was that the election that brought in President Tinubu was flawed and until the tribunal as well as courts decided otherwise, he would not recognize his government. Coming from not only an elder statesman but a lawyer as well, it is rather tragic as it is an open incitement to anarchy and violence. This is not the first time that a sitting president will be taken to the tribunal and court in Nigeria. Shehu Shagari was taken to court by Awolowo where the judgement was decided in favour of the once reluctant northern presidential candidate whose highest political ambition in 1978 was to go to the Senate. The controversial twelve-two-third argument as canvassed by Shagaris Counsel, Chief Richard Akinjide SAN who later became his Attorney-General and Minister for Justice carried the day. In 1999, after a sixteen-year hiatus no thanks to the locust years of military rule, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo became the President following the footsteps of the legendary Madiba Nelson Mandela who became the President of the Rainbow country after 27 years behind bars. In Obasanjo fondly known as Baba Iyabo, he spent three harrowing years in the gulag of General Sani Abacha. His opponent Chief Olu Falae took him to court and lost. The nation is still reeling from the fact that the Labour Party Standard Bearer, Peter Obi deleted the tweet where he addressed Tinubu as President. Given the high level of tension in the South East where Obi hails from, it may be a surreptitious nod to continue with the controversial as well as deadly sit-at-home order by the Indigenous Peoples of Biafra (IPOB) who ordered it in solidarity with their incarcerated founder, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu. The South East once a haven of peace is now a theatre of blood bath, sorrow, anguish, and tears. How has the mighty fallen? I was a frequent visitor to Owerri the state capital of Imo when I did my NYSC and didnt mind the thrill of travelling all the way there from Warri where I diligently served this nation. The hotels, extremely beautiful damsels, serene environment, and clean environment held a strong attraction for me and I still have fond memories of the ancient town. All that is gone as the town is presently akin to a war zone. Pa Adebanjo at 94 having been so blessed by the Almighty God to have 24 years of extra time and counting should know better than make inciting statements especially when they ridicule the office of the highest elected office of the land. Agreed, the most important office in the clime is that of the citizen but the office of the President should also be respected by the citizens as well as respect is reciprocal and there cannot be a vacuum in governance as it is a continuum. Imagine the chaos if a separatist group arises because of this unguarded statement and refuses to publicly acknowledge the current leadership of President Tinubu! The international community has already recognized him and he has been invited to some highwire summits and events. Why then is Pa Adebanjo stoking the fire and sowing seeds of discord in the highly troubled land when he will most likely soon leave us on this side of the planet where we will be forced to deal with his avoidable mess? Pa Adebano as not only a good student but a walking custodian of history knows how well those who knowingly engage in acts of treasonable felony end up themselves on the wrong side of history with a harsh verdict from posterity which subtly erases all their good ideas as the former pales into utter significance. The elder statesman never fails to regale his apparently bored audience that he was instrumental to Tinubu becoming the Governor of Lagos State. While I am not disputing that as Asiwaju initially wanted to return to the Senate and couldnt have marched the political machinery of the Late Engineer Funsho Williams who was on the ground when he was in political exile, Adebanjos aid came in handy, the present reality is that Jagaban is the political overlord of not only his beloved South West but until the tribunal and courts say-otherwise of the entire Nigeria. He has to learn to deal with and live with the fact that Asiwaju a student of the 48 laws of power by Robert Greene has long outwitted him in the cloak-and-dagger game of Machiavellian politics. Historians and political pundits recall with shivers the fate of Dr. Joseph Danquah Africas first doctorate degree holder in law who personally paid the passage for Dr. Osagyefo Kwame Nkrumah to return to the then Gold Coast to take up the position of the Secretary-General of the United Gold Coast Convention (UGCC) on the recommendation of his former comrade-in-arms in the United States, Ebenezer Ako Adjei. That year was 1947 and by the following year, Nkrumah had fallen out with the rest of the bigwigs in the UGCC after the big six as they were called were incarcerated after a riot broke out by the ex-servicemen who were economically disenfranchised after World War 11. By 1949, the relationship between Nkrumah and the rest of the UGCC founding fathers which included Justice Edward Akufo-Addo, the father of the present Ghanaian President, Nana Akufo-Addo had irretrievably broken down which led to the formation of the Convention Peoples Party (CPP) on June 12 that year. Nkrumahs political organizational wizardry like Asiwajus came to play in the 1951 elections when he was jailed with common criminals at Fort James from where his ally Komla Agbedi Gbedemah organized his election and ensured he only not won his Accra municipal seat but made sure that the CPP swept 34 out of 38 seats as the UGCC failed to organize despite the leading candidates of the CPP being behind bars. Danquah was famous for making inciting statements against the Nkrumah administration and with two assassination attempts on Nkrumah, he became a bit paranoid and got the parliament to give him sweeping powers to detain opposition politicians with the passage of the preventive detention act. Danquah was later to die in detention in 1964. History repeats itself because man in his usual and predictable frailty learns the stories but never its salient lessons. To Pa Adebanjo, a word is enough for the wise. Tony Ademiluyi is the CEO of Buzz Times Media and can be reached at [email protected] and +2348167677075. The Georgian Foreign Ministry, in a statement released on Tuesday, expressed deep concern about the decision of the Ukrainian authorities to send the Georgian ambassador to Tbilisi for consultations. President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy on the eve once again called on the Georgian authorities to transfer Ukrainian citizen Mikheil Saakashvili to Ukraine for the necessary treatment and care. He also instructed the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to "summon the Georgian ambassador to Ukraine, express a strong protest to him and offer him to leave Ukraine within 48 hours for consultations with his capital." In a statement, the Georgian Foreign Ministry called such steps an extreme form of "escalation in diplomatic relations" and expressed regret that official Kyiv takes this step against the friendly state and people. "The decision of the Ukrainian authorities inflicts a heavy damage on the strategic relations between the two countries and represents a direct interference in the domestic affairs of the sovereign state. We reserve the hope that Kyiv will reverse its decision and will direct its efforts towards further developing the historically friendly relations between the two countries," the Georgian Foreign Ministry said in the statement. "Precisely because Ukraine is going through the active phase of the war, and Georgia is aware of its great responsibility for international relations and especially towards its partners, we refrain at this stage from any kind of further reaction to the steps taken by Ukraine, as well as from causing any further tension in bilateral relations that would bring the already difficult situation to a deadlock," the ministry said in the statement. According to the statement, on Tuesday at a meeting at the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry, Georgian Ambassador Georgy Zakarashvili presented Tbilisi's official position. It is no more news that not a few Nigerians, particularly parents, are befuddled for been acquainted with the news that the leadership of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), has said it will prosecute one of its candidates in the last JAMB examination, Miss Ejikeme Joy Mmesoma for parading a fake UTME result from which she was awarded N3m scholarship. The board claimed she scored 249 in the examination as against the 362 she paraded. As gathered from a Statement issued by the examination body on Sunday, June 2, 2023, by its Head, Public Affairs and Protocol, Dr. Fabian Benjamin, where the public was told to ignore many candidates who were brandishing high scores, saying they were fake, the examination body advised individuals, organizations, and institutions wishing to honour or award scholarships to candidates with high scores to seek its confirmation before doing so. JAMB insisted that many of the results being celebrated in the media are fake, explaining that, In many instances, some of these candidates had actually obtained far lower scores than they are claiming and had used some funny software packages to manipulate their results to deceive unsuspecting members of the public. The statement cited the case of Mmesoma, who claimed to have scored 362 in the 2023 UTME and was awarded N3m scholarship by Chief (Dr.) Innocent Chukwuma, and also the case of one Atung Gerald in Kaduna, who claimed to have scored 380. While Miss Mmesoma had actually scored 249 and not 362 as she claimed, Atung Gerald did not obtain the 2023 UTME application documents not to talk of sitting the examination as it asserted in its address to Journalists. Unarguably exonerating herself from the accusation, Mmesoma has spoken through a Video circulating online that she did not forge the result, insisting that it is genuine. In the video where she was seen holding a printout of her UTME result, she defensively said, I dont understand them saying I forged the result, and asserted that there may have been discrepancies from JAMBs end as she printed out the result she was given. Against the foregoing backdrop, it is not an exaggeration to say that since her video began to trend, and which was equally watched by this writer, that responses from members of the public over the controversy have been mixed, with some doubting the possibility of Mmesoma fabricating her own result, particularly as the original score, which JAMB confirmed to be 249, can also earn her admission into the university. Given the air of innocence that her response in the viral video has evoked, it is expedient for Nigerians to spare her a thought, if not for anything, for the fact that though we live in a time of stunning technological wizardry, unfortunately, it has been observed for the umpteenth time that under certain situations, that technology fails due to dubious manipulation by unscrupulous officials. For instance, such situations have been recorded in elections where vote counts are allotted to the wrong candidates while the winning candidates voted for by the people are announced to have lost the election. In a similar vein, Nigerians have been witnessing a situation in the banking industry where due to failing technology, bank customers have wrongly received credit alerts or debit alerts involving huge amounts of money, thus putting the reliability of technology to question. There is no denying the fact that while tremendous technological leaps are being made in other parts of the world, primarily in developed countries, too often some countries, including Nigeria, remain far behind in attaining the full benefits derivable from the adoption of technologyif not excluded entirely. Many have little choice beyond the use of obsolete technologies, such as those used in an election where not a few electorates were disenfranchised with many candidates cheated and shortchanged in such elections. Without resorting to holding brief for Mmesoma in this context, there is wisdom in saying that technology can streamline processes, improve agility and add value to any given business, but the fact cannot be denied that to make it a success, the need to have the right team on board remains paramount. We have all felt the pain of technology failures. From website glitches to whole servers going down, many technical problems are unavoidable, but they can really impact anyones day. And we are all relying on technology more and more. Head to any school and you will find iPads, tablets, and laptops in every classroom. If I may ask, How many people today can do their day-to-day job without a computer and internet connection? Even the least expected workers today across various offices rely on computer systems to communicate with colleagues. At this juncture, it is not an exaggeration to opine that given the air of innocence that exudes from the video made, and posted online by Mmesoma in defense of the accusation made against her that anyone that watches it needs to have rethink as she needs to be heard. In fact, since the saga began, the story has been one-sided as it is only JAMB that has been speaking through its spokesman. Without resorting to holding briefs for her, it is expedient for Mmesoma to be seen as innocent until found guilty. The kind of air of innocence she exuded in the video clip explains she did nothing wrong as the video indicates that she has broken no laws, committed no sins, and is not guilty of any morally evil act. In fact, in as much as this writer is not betraying his gullibility in this context, it is germane to say that Mmesoma comes across as a naive and innocent girl. Against the foregoing observation and experience, it is expected that justice would truly be accorded to her only if JAMB calm down and carry out a forensic investigation to save her and her family from the trouble therefrom, which is basically psychological in nature, even as she has in the video confessed that the allegation has already caused her psychological trauma. As if JAMB is not prepared to hear her own side of the story, it has hastily slammed her with a three-year ban just as it said that it has also canceled the result obtained by her in the examination. As gathered from Vanguard newspaper today in its news story headlined, JAMB, Mmesoma trade words over result, the spokesman of the board, Dr. Benjamin Fabian accused the lady of engaging in a criminal act. If I may ask, Why will JAMB be the accuser and the judge at the same time? Fabian in his judgmental statement said, What she did was to alter a result that was obtained by somebody in the 2021 UTME. She is banned for three years from sitting for the UTME too. That result of hers, where she scored 249, has been canceled as well, he said on the phone. Asked how the girl could have altered her result without the connivance of an insider, Fabian said there was no hacking into the Boards facility, and replied thus: Our results are safe and nobody has hacked into them. She only altered her results, and the QR code will always show her true result. However, Mmesoma, in a post on her Facebook wall, denied any wrongdoing. They are just trying to harass me and my family. After the results were released over two months ago, why is it taking them this long to say what they are saying now? Now, using the QR code is indicating another name, Omotola Afolabi, which initially showed a score of 138 and, later, 338. Somebody cannot have two different results from the same examination. I cannot do what they are accusing me of. I have been a brilliant girl from my Nursery School days. I scored over 300 in my common entrance examination to secondary school, she stated. Ostensibly authenticating her claim to brilliancy, her father, Mr. Romanus Ejikeme, has said that her daughter had always come out as the overall best student from her nursery school days to date. Ejikeme made the disclosure while speaking with Journalists on Monday in Onitsha. According to him, My daughter has been taking the first position from her nursery school till now. Some of these results are still with me and I have shown them to some journalists who came to my house and they were surprised. I showed her results to them and they were like wow. Those who have met with her will know she cant manipulate results. I am just explaining to the world that my daughters result has been manipulated. I am not happy about it, they gave her results to another person and they are still intimidating her. What they are doing is not good. Just like Nigerias former Minister of Education, ObiageliEzekwesili, has demanded an independent forensic investigation over the trending saga between Mmesoma Ejikeme and the JAMB, it is expedient the examination body hearken to diverse voices of reason been sounded by Nigerians since the saga began so as not to use the systemic rots that have characterized our public institutions to demotivate this brilliant girl. Brilliant girl? Yes! She is brilliant, after all, it is not easy to score the 249 which JAMB agreed she originally scored. A renowned Ghanaian Naturopathic Professor, who is currently studying for the Barrister at Law course at the Gambia Law School, Banjul, has been honored by the National Traditional Healers Association of The Gambia (TRAHASS). He was honored for his tremendous contributions to the traditional healthcare industry in the Gambia during his legal education at the Gambia Law School at the recently ended 1st National Conference on Traditional and Alternative Medicine dubbed: Legislative Regulation of Traditional and Alternative Complementary Medicine Practitioners in the Gambia: A Tool for Recognition in the Healthcare System, under the auspices of the National Traditional Healers Association of The Gambia (TRAHASS). The event was held at the Gambia College, Brikama, and attracted over 500 healers over the country and abroad to deliberate on the need and the importance of legislation in the Gambia. His recognition was a result of his contribution to pushing for National legislation on traditional medicine in the Gambia. He also provided a scholarship package worth 10,000 dollars to the traditional healers to pursue a diploma program in Naturopathy and Holistic Medicine at the Nyarkotey University College of Holistic Medicine & Technology, Ashaiman, Ghana. The College is also an educational member of the World Naturopathic Federation (WNF), Canada. For decades, traditional healers in the Gambia have been fighting for national recognition in the healthcare system but all their efforts proved futile. The healers were grateful for Professor Nyarkoteys upliftment and recognition of their practice. The citation to the award signed by the president, reads: A true Leader has the confidence to stand alone, and the compassion to listen to the needs of others. He does not set out to be a leader but becomes one by the quality of his actions and the integrity of his intent. In the end, leaders are much like eagles. They dont flock, you find them one at a time. The Gambia is blessed at this time to find you pushed for National Legislation on Traditional & Alternative Medicine during your days as an aspiring Barrister. Also, despite your tedious legal training at the Gambia Law School, Banjul, you devoted your time to supporting the traditional healers to become the first-ever Modern Naturopaths in the Gambia. On this 1st July 2023, we confer on you Prof. Raphael Nyarkotey Obu The Trailblazer & Father Of Modern Naturopathy Development Award In The Gambia. Professor Nyarkotey's citation by TRAHASS Professor Nyarkotey expresses appreciation to the healers for their recognition and promised to make Gambia his home. Delivering the keynote address, he avers that medicine is not competition. Hence, there is no need for conventional and natural healers to be at loggerheads. He calls for collaboration in the healthcare system. Also, he explains that legislation will go a long way to enhance standardization. Touching on the National draft bill on traditional medicine, he supports the idea of the restriction on the use of the title Doctor by traditional healers without having sound academic training. Prof. Nyarkotey said natural healthcare tends to improve the economy with legislation. On his part, the President of TRAHASS, Mr. Saliue Puye, confirmed that Professor Nyarkotey is God sent to the Gambia to help the healers as well to come to the limelight. Thus, the healers also show appreciation to the Gambia Law School for admitting Prof. Nyarkotey to pursue his legal education in the Gambia, which has led to the huge development of the traditional healers in the Gambia. The healers in their citation, signed by the President, to the Gambia Law School, Banjul, read: For your valuable insight to bring the renowned Naturopathic Professor, Raphael Nyarkotey Obu to the Gambia Law School to pursue his legal education and to contribute to the development of modern Natural Medicine and legislation in the Gambia. A student at The Gambia Law School receives the citation on behalf of the school Professor Nyarkotey promised the natural medicine healers that he will use his legal training at the Gambia Law School to help develop the practice in the healthcare industry on the African continent as a whole. It is pedestrian information that while Nigerians were waiting for the commencement of governance, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on the day of inauguration, precisely on Monday May 29, 2023, announced the removal of fuel subsidy without putting palliatives in place to assist ameliorate the harsh impact of such policy reversal. Also newsy is that before the dust raised by such a decision could settle, another was up, as the Federal Government again implemented a coordinated but thoughtless hike in fees paid by students of most of the tertiary institutions of higher learning in the country. What is however different is that such harrowing decisions have left varying degrees of unpalatable impacts on Nigerians. To the students, it has dampened their morale, a state of affair which visits the nation with a clear and present danger. To their parents, it has brought a combination of dropping spirit and despondency. For the lecturers, they have given up hope on Federal Governments ability to find sustainable solutions to problems confronting humanity and the nations educational sector in particular. The FGs latest decision and unrelenting inability to promptly respond to the socioeconomic need of Nigerians has adversely turned public affair commentators, development professionals and public policy watchers to a bunch that keep repeating one topic. More damaging is that the ongoing hike in fees in the nations Federal Government owned universities amply demonstrates a nation that its leaders neither appreciate education as the bedrock of development nor believes in the time-honoured saying that; with sound educational institutions, a country is as good as made -as the institutions will turn out all rounded manpower to continue with the development of the society driven by well thought out ideas, policies, programmes, and projects. While well meaning Nigerians need to feel worried as well as collectively work hard to deliver the nations public universities from the valleys of the shadow of death, is that in the past decade, nothing seems to be changing for the better in that sector. Take as illustration, in my similar intervention 'Nigerian Students and Public Universities' published October 2019, the piece diligently underlined that there were two forms of challenges confronting tertiary education in the country. The first as captured in the reference intervention lays out the dilemma posed by the governments underfunding of the public universities which as a consequence; impedes lecturers from carrying out scholarly researches, truncates academic calendar with strike actions, lace Nigerian universities with dilapidated and overstretched learning facilities with the universities producing graduates devoid of linkage with the manpower demand by the nations industrial sector. The second challenge stems from the first but centres more particularly on thoughtless demand for fees of varying amounts/ proposed by the school authorities-a development that is financially squeezing life out of the innocent students and their parents. Despite the dilemma and menace indicated above posing risks to tertiary education survival in Nigeria, coupled with similar calls by other well meaning nigerians, development experts and stakeholders in the nation's education sector, it remains a painful narrative that instead of the challenges abating, the Federal government allowed it to blossom. In fact, it has morphed from bad to worse. And except the government commits its resources in getting to the root of the challenge, the potential consequence could be higher than that of other challenges currently ravaging the nation. This is not the only concern here. A while ago, a student in one of the universities in Nigerias south south geopolitical zone noted in frustration that inexplicable fees paid by students have gotten so complicated that the students can no longer spot the ones that are authentic or otherwise. And further lamented that despite these fees, students hostels have been overtaken by Bedbugs and bushes, making it convivial for reptiles/rodents to struggle for spaces with students, and left with neither portable water nor electricity as a result of the school authoritys inability to power the school generator or settle their indebtedness to the Electricity Distribution Company (DISCO) that services the region. The above example is not to suggest that such is limited to the school in question as no public university in the country can boast of clean hands. The challenge may exist in overt and glaring forms within the school I question but exists in the hidden and subtle manner in others. Looking at commentaries, its obvious that there is no end to the list of such Universities. This is a verifiable fact. By analyzing what goes on in each of these schools, it clearly presents a clumsy and discomforting attitude to the students and their parents, and provides answers as to why many of our youths- those that will provide the future leadership of the country are on the streets instead of school. This leads to another observation; the demand by universities in Nigeria of unthinkable and varying amounts as acceptance fees from new students- a practice that's crushes/squeezes life out of so many parents. With this appealing awareness in mind, one may be tempted to ask what the acceptance fee signifies. Why must students pay the acceptance fee for an admission they voluntarily expressed interest in and paid the examination fees? In fact, it may not be hasty or considered illogical to conclude that in a situation a candidate is not willing to accept admission; he may not, in the first instance, border on registering or participating in the examination. Regardless of what others may say, it is important to recognize that educational development, particularly at the tertiary level is not what the government alone can shoulder as it is both capital intensive and requires productive collaboration. It, however, remains a worrying development that while the privately-owned universities like sheep have gone their ways with astronomical charges as school fees, despite the obviousness of gaps and incongruencies between their fees and the quality of education they impact on the children, the public universities which supposed to provide palliatives now behave as if it is a competition with their private counterparts over fees. For me, there are reasons why this worry expressed should not be described as unfounded or treated with levity. First, these harsh economic policies are coming at a time when the FG/state have both visibly and persistently manifested gross incapacity to implement living wages across the country, and in a season when unemployment rate in the country is at an all time high. What if the parents of these students were among those caught up by the minimum wage cobweb, unemployment or underemployment at the very least, how can they cope with these arbitrary fees currently demanded by the public universities? To move this nation forward, we need to recognize that sound educational sector and sustained infrastructural development remains the spine. We must learn that nations such as the Jews progressed because they possessed a tradition of education combined with social and political action. They enthroned education and sacrificed as a nation to get it. We must therefore as a nation make quality but subsidized education a human right that will be accessible to all Nigerians irrespective of tribe/ethnicity, sex, religion or creed. And develop the political will to fund education in compliance with the United Nations Educational Scientific, and Cultural Organizations [UNESCO] budgetary recommendation. Finally, in the words of Kenneth Lowande, Professor at the University of Michigan, monitoring unelected officials, implementing public policies should be the chief concern of leaders in every democratic government. By overseeing that process, elected officials aim to prevent shirking, corruption, performance failures and policy drift in bureaucracy. Obviously, it will be highly rewarding if the Federal Government monitors and implements such policies in public universities. Utomi Jerome-Mario is the Programme Coordinator (Media and Policy), Social and Economic Justice Advocacy (SEJA), Lagos. He could be reached via;[email protected]/08032725374. Comrade Samson Nwafor, Ebonyi State Correspondent of Independent Newspapers has been elected the new Chairman of Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) in the State. Nwafor was elected the new Chairman of the union during a bye-election to fill the vacuum created in the chairmanship position of the union following the appointment of its Chairman,. Comrade Tony Nwizi as Senior Special Assistant to Governor Francis Nwifuru on ICT. The National Vice President, Zone C (South East) of the NUJ, Comrade Emmanuel Ifesinachi witnessed the bye -election and sworn-in Nwafor as the substantive Chairman of the state NUJ Ifesinachi commended members of the union for hitch free election and urged them to remain united, describing Ebonyi NU Council as pride of South East. Nwafor in his acceptance speech, promised to run all-inclusive administration. He solicited the cooperation of members of the council to move the council forward. "I want to tell us that we are in this journey together. This is a journey to better our welfare, this is the journey to be more united as a council. It is a journey for friendship, it is a journey that we must join hands together to ensure that we achieve a success", he stated. Meanwhile, immediate past Chairman of the council, Comrade Tony Nwizi has congratulated Nwafor Nwizi said Nwafor's emergence was a clear manifestation that power belongs to God. "It is very unfortunate that out of shere desperation, some recalcitrant few, instigated non members of our great Union to drag our hard earned image into an unfounded controversy, but I thank God that we were all resolute and undeterred in our unanimous resolution to retain the Fourth Estate of the Realm in its envious position not only in Ebonyi State but also across Nigeria. "I thank the NUJ Ebonyi State Council for maintaining an utmost decorum while the brouhaha lasted. "Even though the tongue-lash only existed in a sponsored WhatsApp platform, let us find a place in our heart to forgive all those who have cast aspersions on us, they are not Members of NUJ and therefore have limited knowledge on the workings of our great Union. "Our constitution is the grand norm that drives the affairs of our Union and we could not have cast stones on our own glass house. I therefore charge you to use your good offices to review all that has happened in the recent time as it concerns our Union in Ebonyi State vis-a-vis the Ethics and Disciplinary Committee. I as the immidiate past Chairman of the Council, am going to make my report available to the National Secretariat", he stated. In his own congratulatory, message Acting Chairman of Correspondent Chapel, Uchenna Inya described Nwafor as unionist who has led some unions including the chapel as Secretary and Chairman to success and expressed the hope that he will take Ebonyi NUJ to another level.. He urged members to support him to succeed as one of their own. Heavily armed robbers have reportedly invaded the palace of the Emir of Minna, Alhaji Umar Farouk Bahago, on Tuesday evening. It was reported that the criminals trailed one of the staff of the palace which was sent to the bank to get some cash. According to reports, the armed robbers drove into the palace with a private car and shot at two guards who confronted them. It was also gathered that the Emir was in the palace while the gunmen shot sporadically to scare people away before they made away with an undisclosed amount of cash belonging to the Minna Emirate. Two of the injured palace guards were reportedly taken to Minna General Hospital for medical attention. An eye witness who pleaded not to be mentioned in the print told journalists that the criminals overpowered the vigilantes in the palace after a gun duel. The Niger State Police Command, however, has not issued an official statement on the incident as of reporting time. International office opens to probe Russias war on Ukraine THE HAGUE: An international investigation office seen as a truly historic first step towards a possible trial of Russias leadership opened in The Hague yesterday (July 3) to probe a crime of aggression against Ukraine. RussianUkraineviolencepoliticscrime By AFP Tuesday 4 July 2023 10:18 AM A man stands in front of a recently inaugurated memorial including 501 plates bearing the names of identified local civilians killed by Russian troops during their occupation of Bucha, north of Kyiv, yesterday (July 3). Photo: AFP The centre, grouping prosecutors from the EU, Ukraine, the United States and the International Criminal Court (ICC), will gather evidence against Kremlin and Russian military chiefs over the invasion launched in February 2022. Its aim is to plug a legal gap left by the fact that the ICC currently has no mandate to prosecute aggression - what Ukraine has called the supreme international crime of launching a war against another country. We are gathered here on the occasion of a truly historic moment - I would say an epoch-defining moment, Ukraines Prosecutor General Andriy Kostin told a news conference in The Hague. Kostin said a special tribunal was now inevitable, describing the centre as a clear signal that the world is united and unwavering on the path to holding the Russian regime accountable for all its crimes. If the crime of aggression had not been committed, there would be no other 93,000 incidents of war crimes, he said. Significant day The new International Centre for the Prosecution of the Crime of Aggression Against Ukraine (ICPA) is based at the headquarters of the EU judicial office Eurojust in the Dutch city. It will gather evidence, including photos and communications intercepts, both for national investigations underway by five European countries including Ukraine and also for any future tribunal. Kyiv has been pushing for a special aggression tribunal since the discovery of hundreds of bodies after Russian troops withdrew from the town of Bucha near the Ukrainian capital in April 2022. The Hague-based ICC has already issued a war crimes arrest warrant for Russian President Vladimir Putin over the alleged forced deportation of Ukrainian children. But the courts rules do not allow it to prosecute Russia over the leadership crime of aggression, which the ICCs founding Rome Statute defines as the attack of one state on another in breach of the UN charter. ICC prosecutor Karim Khan hailed the opening of the centre as a significant day, saying it was the first time that I can recall that war crimes evidence was already being gathered in the middle of a conflict. Gross violation The EU announced the creation of the ICPA in February and the United States said it would join last month - despite the fact that, like Russia, it is not a member of the ICC. US Assistant Attorney General Kenneth Polite said justice officials have now handed over the first tranche of evidence to the centre. It will not be the last, he told the news conference. Polite added that Washington was proud to stand with our European partners in prosecuting Russias unlawful war of aggression against the people of Ukraine. EU Justice Commissioner Didier Reynders said the new office showed that Kyivs allies would stand with Ukraine for as long as it takes. We cannot tolerate the gross violation of the prohibition of the use of force, he said. But crucial questions remain about any possible special tribunal, including how it would work, where it would be based, when it could be created and who would support it. The most likely option appears to be a hybrid court under Ukrainian law with Ukrainian and foreign judges. Eurojust chief Ladislav Hamran said the key for now was to collect evidence rather than worry about a future tribunal. As far as investigation of the crime of aggression goes, its important that we start now, he said. MFP, Pheu Thai clinch House speaker compromise BANGKOK: The Move Forward Party (MFP) and the Pheu Thai Party have agreed to have Prachachat Party leader Wan Muhammad Nor Matha as the House speaker, while MFP and Pheu Thai will each have one deputys seat. politics By Bangkok Post Tuesday 4 July 2023 08:59 AM Move Forward Party leader Pita Limjaroenrat (left) and Pheu Thai Party leader Cholnan Srikaew shake hands during their press conference at Lancaster Bangkok hotel yesterday (July 3). Photo: Wichan Charoenkiatpakul MFP leader Pita Limjaroenrat told a press conference last night (July 3) that both parties agreed on Mr Wan Muhammad Nor to be chosen as the House speaker today. MFP would have the first deputy House speakers seat and Pheu Thai the second deputys, reports the Bangkok Post. He said that the six other coalition allies supported the decision. Prachachat is among the allies. This agreement is for unity among the eight political parties, who will do their best to nominate me as the prime minister, Mr Pita said. He said the eight coalition allies would support him as their sole prime ministerial candidate. He also said MFP and Pheu Thai would amend laws to pardon people prosecuted for expressing their political opinions and to reform laws concerning the armed forces, including those concerning martial law and internal security. Pheu Thai deputy leader Phumtham Wechayachai said he proposed Mr Wan Muhammad Nor as the House speaker because the Prachachat leader was neutral and the proposal was a means for coalition allies to proceed with their government formation. Pheu Thai leader Cholnan Srikaew said his party would not nominate any of its members to compete for the House speakers seat, and other coalition parties would not have the right to nominate a Pheu Thai member for the job either. Previously MFP actively promoted Phitsanulok MP Padipat Sunthiphada as its House speaker candidate. MFP and Pheu Thai failed to reach an agreement on the speakers post on Sunday amid rumours Pheu Thai wanted its veteran member Suchart Tancharoen in the position. In recent days Pheu Thai had stood firm that it deserved the speakers seat because MFP already had the prime ministers position. Each party was to have 14 cabinet ministers. Move Forward won 151 House seats in the May 14 general election while Pheu Thai had 141 seats. Earlier yesterday, Mr Wan Muhammad Nor said he had not wanted the speakers position but if his assumption of the post could ensure coalition allies government formation, he would be willing to take it. He was previously a member of Pheu Thai from 2012 to 2018. HM King opens parliament Meanwhile, His Majesty the King opened the new parliament last night and encouraged members to have conscience, wisdom and honesty for the public interest and prosperity. His Majesty the King, accompanied by Her Majesty the Queen, stood before attendees including members of parliament and members of the caretaker government. They sang the royal anthem for Their Majesties the King and Queen at both their arrival at and departure from the parliament. During the opening ceremony, His Majesty the King advised members of the parliament to always be aware they were representatives of people throughout the country to pass laws for the government to use in national administration. How the nation will prosper depends on your conscience, wisdom, abilities, honesty and purity in your work based most importantly on the interest of the nation and the public. If all of you are always aware of this, you can successfully perform duties that are truly for the prosperity of people and the nation, His Majesty the King said. Deputy Minister of Defense of Ukraine Hanna Maliar reported on known cases of the use of the U.S.-made M142 HIMARS multiple launch rocket system, which the enemy could not "catch." On the occasion of the U.S. Independence Day, the Deputy Secretary of Defense thanked the U.S. people for the support that helps Ukraine fight for freedom and destroy the enemy, noting that one of the most powerful manifestations of support is the M142 HIMARS. "The appearance of the American Hymars in June 2022 was an unpleasant surprise for the Russian military. It turned out that all logistics routes, ammunition depots and troop deployment sites are located in the zone of destruction of the rocket system. Frightened and feeling the first huge losses, the invaders began to hunt for HIMARS. But so far no one has been caught," Maliar said in her Telegram channel. She said due to the maximum speed of 85 kilometers per hour, HIMARS is able to turn around, shoot back and leave the position in less than one minute, which allows it to be used for shoot-and-scoot tactics (shoot and run) (this significantly reduces the chances of being detected and hit enemy). The Defense Ministry also spoke about known cases of the use of HIMARS. In particular, this is a high-precision strike on January 1, 2023 on the building of a vocational school in the town of Makiyivka, when, according to various sources, from fifty to 600 mobilized Russians were killed. Due to HIMARS, the base of the invaders in the village of Pravi Sahy, near Oleshky, was destroyed. "For the Ukrainian military, HIMARS have become a real weapon of victory. After all, "one missile means one destroyed target" is an unattainable result for outdated Soviet counterparts," Maliar said. HIMARS was developed in the late 90s as a light wheeled version of the M270. In its arsenal, HIMARS has a lot of different ammunition: from conventional unguided to high-precision ballistic missiles with GPS navigation. Van driver intimidation sparked by extra fare disagreement PHUKET: An official report on the ongoing saga of the van driver from Krabi who verbally abused a 35-year-old tourist from Singapore on Sunday (July 2) has confirmed that the initial dispute was over the driver refusing to drop the tourist at his hotel without receiving an extra B100. tourismtransportviolencepolice By The Phuket News Tuesday 4 July 2023 06:18 PM An officer holds up a small rubber hose presented as the item that was mistakenly believed to be an iron bar. Photo: PR Phuket A report posted by the Phuket office of the Public Relations Department (PR Phuket) last night explained that the issue began when the van driver, Poramet Soraket, 47, had refused to drop off Mr Faris at the Grand Supicha City Hotel on Narisorn Rd. Poramet said he would make the extra journey of some 1.6 kilometres, including the required circular route required by the one-way streets in Phuket Town for an extra B100. Mr Faris did not agree, leading to Poramet having Mr Faris exit the van in front of the coffee shop on Ratsada Rd. Also according to the PR Phuket report, Mr Faris noted in his formal complaint to police that Poramet did not unload Mr Fariss suitcases heavily. He dumped them on the ground. The PR Phuket report also noted that in his complaint to police Mr Faris explained that Poramet started yelling angrily and picked up what looked like an iron bar. With his right hand holding the implement behind his back, Poramet raised his left hand swiftly as if to strike Mr Faris, but he did not make contact with the tourist, who had ducked away. It was then that a person came out from the coffee shop and told Poramet to leave, the report said. The report by PR Phuket supported the version given by police, that Poramet did not use an iron bar to intimidate Mr Faris. Officers standing in front of Phuket City Police Station instead held up a small engine hose made of rubber as the item in dispute. Phuket Provincial Police last night also posted their own report of the incident. Poramet presented himself at Phuket City Police Station yesterday, where he was charged with frightening a person by use of threat (enacting intimidation). Phuket City Police Chief Pol Col Pratuang Pholmana yesterday confirmed that Poramet was to be presented in court yesterday. However, so far no officials have confirmed what punishment, if any, Poramet has been handed down for his behaviour. Of note, by police instruction, reporters yesterday were not permitted to take any photographs of Poramet while he was at the police station. However, the report posted by Phuket Provincial Police last night showed the tourists face unobscured. Police also posted the video of the incident that was posted online, sparking the action by police. Police in their report confirmed the tourists name as Mr Faris Bin Abdlukadir Basharahil, from Singapore marking the first report to confirm the spelling of the tourists name in Roman characters. So far no official source has named the transport company that Poramet works for despite questioning all the parties and the name of the company appearing plainly on the side of the van as seen in the video. The Phuket Land Transport Office (PLTO), which by its stated mission is to regulate all public service vehicles and their drivers in Phuket, still has yet to make any comment on the incident. Unlike many previous incidents involving tourists, leading provincial officials and tourism figures also have yet to publicly comment on the incidents impact on Phukets tourism image. Not mentioned in any official reports so far was that while the incident continued on the footpath in Phuket Town, other passengers were still sitting in the van, witnessing the events unfold. Re-opening schools amid the madness A brief look at recent past | One hopes the gravity of the situation is not lost on anyone. The war as one sees it today is not any movement or protest against the Government. It is a killing spree between two communities-Meiteis and Kukis. It is not between Hindus and Christians and it is not between tribals and non-tribals. And it has killed over one hundred people on either side and numerous houses have been razed to the ground. Thousands are still taking refuge in shelter homes opened across the length and breadth of the State. Reports of gun fights continue to pour in from the foothills of Manipur and hospitals, particularly Raj Medicity in Imphal, have been overflowing with those injured in the clash between the two communities. It must be the same thing with the other hospitals located at Chura-chandpur and Kangpokpi. Curfew continues, though notice of the curfew relaxation period being shortened at extremely short notice has not happened for some days now. This is about Imphal and it could not be different at say Kakching or Thoubal or Bishnupur at any point of time and it is amid this total chaos and madness that the State Government has decided to re-open schools from July 5. The concern shown for the future of the young students is laudable and acknowledged, but perhaps there is the need to remind everyone concerned of the recent and not so recent past. Back in 2001, when Imphal and the adjoining valley districts went up in flames against the ceasefire extension, there were no classes for over a month. A somewhat similar pattern followed in 2004 when Thangjam Manorama was brutalised and shot dead after being picked up by Assam Rifles personnel and Manipur rose as one to protest the excesses of the security personnel. The nude protest at Kangla, which then housed the Assam Rifles, jolted the conscience of New Delhi to a certain extent, constraining the then Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh to personally fly down to Imphal and announce the constitution of the Justice Jeevan Reddy Commission to take look into the Armed Forces Special Powers Act. In all those tumultuous days, schools remained closed. Five years after Manorama, Manipur again rose as one in protest following the broad daylight murder of Ch Sanjit and young housewife Th Rabina in 2009. Schools then were closed for nearly three months, constraining some parents at Imphal to seriously look into the possibility of sending their children to schools not affected by the series of protests or outside Manipur. The protest demanding the extension of the Inner Line Permit System to regulate the inflow of non-locals into the State must still be fresh in the minds of the people and young school boys and girls taking to the streets and facing the water cannons from the cops are pictures that are still fresh in the mind. This happened sometime in 2015-2016 and not only schools, but even private tuitions were banned or boycotted back then. In all the cases that have been pointed out in brief here, the protests were against the Government and it never involved people killing each other, as is the case right now. And it is amid this that the State Government announced the decision to open schools from July 5. Note the reality-Even as Chief Minister N Biren announced the plan to re-open schools from July 5 during a media conference, all newspaper houses in Imphal were busy compiling the report of Kuki militants raining bullets on Meitei villages located at the foothills ranging from Chanbirok under Sekmai police in Imphal West, Khoijumantabi in Bishnupur district, Phougakchao village again in Bishnupur district, etc. It is amidst this reality that the Government has decided to open schools and how many parents would be inclined to send their children to school is best left to their wisdom but a recall of the not so distant past is in line. Over two months now, and this means Manipur has lost over 60 days in madness and the bigger tragedy is, there is nothing to suggest that sanity will return anytime soon. What is the way forward must be the question on the minds of every sane citizen of the land, but the important point is, how sincerely is this question being raised by the people in positions of power, people who can do something ? No answers here and Manipur will continue to burn. Just keep in mind, too many have met meaningless and violent deaths. The Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine has approved a draft agreement between the governments of Ukraine and Sweden on the exchange and mutual protection of restricted information. As representative of the Cabinet of Ministers in the Verkhovna Rada Taras Melnychuk said in Telegram, the decision was made at a government meeting on Tuesday. In particular, the draft agreement between the governments of Ukraine and the Kingdom of Sweden on the exchange and mutual protection of restricted information was approved. It is noted that the agreement regulates the provision by the parties of measures for the mutual protection of information with limited access; establishes the equivalence of access restriction stamps; determines the competent authorities responsible for its implementation; as well as the ways of transmitting such information (through diplomatic channels or otherwise, determined by the competent security authorities of states). It is reported that the transfer of such information to a foreign party is not mandatory and is carried out by the parties on their own initiative, taking into account national interests. A mother and her little son, who were illegally deported to Voronezh region of Russia, have been returned to Ukraine, Ukrainian Parliament Commissioner for Human Rights Dmytro Lubinets has said. "In May, a family who had been illegally deported to Russia turned to the Commissioner for Human Rights of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine. They asked for help returning them to Ukraine. As it turned out, before the start of the full-scale war, the family lived in Lyptsi, Kharkiv region. The Russian occupiers entered their village in the first the same day of the invasion, on February 24. On March 16, 2022 the occupying authorities forcibly, grossly violating all human and civil rights, took the family to Voronezh region," the Ombudsman said on its website on Tuesday. In order for the family to receive a certificate for returning to Ukraine, the Ombudsman's Office promptly contacted the State Migration Service, escort to the territory of the Russian Federation was provided jointly with the organization dealing with the return of deported persons. Lubinets said the Russian side did not want to let the family through at the border, despite having all the necessary documents. The mother and child were returned to Ukraine on June 18, now they are in Kharkiv. Rena Murshud Armenia and peace - these two words have become completely opposite in the lexicon. It may be hard to believe that it is sincere when you sit around a table about peace with Armenia... We have repeatedly come across news about Armenian separatists living illegally in Karabakh conducting military training with children. A lot of information and pictures about this have been spread in the media so far. Thus, separatist gangs instruct children with guns and so-called flags of separatists in their hands, and at the same time, instill in them Turkish and Azerbaijani enmity. Such a trend is continued both in Karabakh and in Armenia in parallel. It seems that the unfortunate Armenian authorities, deprived of all opportunities, have decided to corrupt the psychology of innocent children by pinning their last hope on the generation under 18. It is really difficult to understand what Armenia, which talks about peace and takes such aggressive measures, is thinking. In order to analyze the issue in more detail, being Azernews we decided to talk to both a psychologist and a political analyst. Psychologist Taryel Faziloglu, who was the first to comment on the issue, connected this type of Armenian psychology not only with today, but with the historical past in general. "This behavior of the Armenians does not apply to today; they have used this method throughout history. They raised every single child against with the anti-Turk, anti-Azerbaijan sentiment. And it is what we see as the continuation of the same story today," Faziloglu said. He added that military training and the first familiarization with weapons are provided by law only for citizens who have reached the age of 18. For this reason, young people are called up for military service when they reach 18 years of age. At the same time, according to the psychologist, there is a stage in their childhood when their physical abilities are not fully formed, and in such a period, when children are pushed to handle arms, it can cause serious behavioral disorders and emotional outbursts in them. In medical terms, this leads to a high risk of juvenile delinquency. "Due to the high hormonal activity in adolescents under 18-19 years old, negative energy in the human body is mainly reborn, therefore, in this period, it is more correct not to give them weapons. This issue has repeatedly been reflected both in scientific research and in general legislation. In other words, the association of children under 18 years of age not only with weapons but also with hostilities and war affairs causes psycho-traumatic and mental disorders," the psychologist emphasized. Faziloglu also touched on the formation of emotions in the child's brain. "All emotions are formed in the brain of a child, mainly at the age of 3-6 years. That is, the rational brain of children is inactive until the age of 3, and after this age it begins to become more active. It is at this time that children begin to learn emotional and logical reactions. Firstly, after realizing the gender difference at the age of 3-6 years, their character, various emotions, complexes, strengths and weaknesses, hatred, fear and love are formed. After this age, a period of academic development begins. For this reason, it is more correct to send children to school after 6 years," Faziloglu added. In addition, Dr.Hay Eytan Cohen Yanarocak of Tel Aviv University discussed the political aspects of the Armenians' promotion of terrorist sentiments to children in his comment for Azernews. He said that as the peace process between Armenia and Azerbaijan remains outstanding yet, it is undoubtedly very disturbing that such news is coming. For peace to reign in the South Caucasus, even in the entire world, future generations must not be subjected to such hostile indoctrination. It is unacceptable that Armenian children undergo such armed training and be brought up hostile towards Azerbaijan. All these different pictures that I read and saw reminded me of terrorists in the Middle East with weapons in hands of children, majority of which affiliate to Irans terrorist organizations. Unfortunately, we see a similar picture in Karabakh, this time against Azerbaijan, he stressed. Speaking about countermeasures against such propaganda, the expert also noted that a dangerous neighbor like Armenia should be constantly monitored. Azerbaijan should closely monitor the Armenian media. In particular, photographs and videos of children under the age of 18 being abused should be shared with the international community, the United Nations, and the European Union, with English subtitles if necessary. Special groups in Azerbaijan should form media monitoring organizations that monitor the hostility between Azerbaijan and the Turks, especially in the Armenian media or institutions, and activate them, especially in social networks. Today, in addition to the battlefield, there is an image war of images of states in social networks. At this moment, Azerbaijan should explain itself very well to the world, the professor opined. In conclusion, the expert added, analyzing the relations between Europe and Armenia, that one should not forget that the Armenians were the first people to adopt Christianity in history. Today there are a large number of French citizens of Armenian origin living in France. In the light of these data, it should not surprise anyone that the French government is pursuing a pro-Armenian policy in the Azerbaijani-Armenian conflict. "In this case, Azerbaijan should not have any particular expectations either from France or from the West in this regard. However, contrary to all defamation, all the facts that occur must be shown in the West in the entire Western languages. This should not undermine its legitimacy," the pundit added. On the eve of the NATO summit in Vilnius, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy had a phone conversation with NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, the press service of the Ukrainian head of state said. "The head of state congratulated Jens Stoltenberg on the decision of the members of the Alliance to extend his term as NATO Secretary General for another year. The president expressed hope for continued fruitful cooperation," according to the statement on the presidential website on Tuesday. In addition, the parties discussed the situation at the front and the latest events that took place inside Russia. During the conversation, Zelenskyy expressed gratitude to the NATO Secretary General for "constant personal efforts to support Ukraine's Euro-Atlantic aspirations." It is reported that the President of Ukraine and Stoltenberg coordinated positions on the eve of the NATO summit, which will be held in Vilnius on July 11 and 12. Zelenskyy said now is "the time for powerful decisions and concrete steps in this direction." What does the Ukraine war have to do with Brazil? On the face of it, perhaps not much. Yet, in his first six months in office, Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva now in his third non-consecutive term has expended much effort trying to bring peace to the conflict in eastern Europe. This has included conversations with U.S. President Joe Biden in Washington, Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing and in a teleconference call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. It has also seen shuttle diplomacy by Lulas chief foreign policy adviser and former foreign minister Celso Amorim, who has visited Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow and welcomed his foreign minister, Sergei Lavrov, in Brasilia. One reason Brazil has been in a position to meet with such an array of parties involved in the conflict is because the nation has made a point of not taking sides in the war. In so doing, Brazil is engaging in what my colleagues Carlos Fortin and Carlos Ominami and I have called active nonalignment. By this we mean a foreign policy approach in which countries from the Global South Africa, Asia and Latin America refuse to take sides in conflicts between the great powers and focus strictly on their own interests. Advertisement It is an approach that The Economist has characterized as how to survive a superpower split. The difference between this new nonalignment and a similar approach adopted by nations in decades past is that it is happening in an era in which developing nations are in a much stronger position than they once were, with rising powers emerging among them. For example, the gross domestic product in regard to purchasing power of the five BRICS countries Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa has overtaken that of the G7 group of advanced economic nations. This growing economic power gives active nonaligned nations more international clout, allowing them to forge new initiatives and diplomatic coalition-building in a manner that would have been unthinkable before. Would, for example, Joao Goulart, who served as Brazils president from 1961 to 1964, have attempted to mediate in the Vietnam War, in the same way that Lula is doing with Ukraine? I believe to ask the question is to answer it. The growth of active nonalignment has been fuelled by the increased competition and what I see as a budding second Cold War between the United States and China. For many countries in the Global South, maintaining good relations with both Washington and Beijing has been crucial for economic development, as well as trade and investment flows. It is simply not in their interest to take sides in this growing conflict. At the same time, active nonalignment is not to be confused with neutrality a legal position under international law that entails certain duties and obligations. Being neutral means not taking a stance, which is not the case in active nonalignment. Nor is active nonalignment about remaining equidistant, politically, from the great powers. On some issues say, on democracy and human rights it is perfectly possible for an active nonaligned policy to take a position closer to the United States. While on others say, international trade the country may side more with China. This form of nonalignment requires a highly fine-tuned diplomacy, one that examines each issue on its merits and makes choices steeped in statecraft. As far as the war in Ukraine is concerned, it means not supporting either Russia or NATO. And Brazil isnt the only country in the Global South taking that position, although it was the first to attempt to broker a peace agreement. Across Africa, Asia and Latin America, several key countries have refused to side with NATO. Most prominent among them has been India, which despite its closer ties with the United States in recent years and its joining the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue or the Quad, a group sometimes described as an Asian NATO with the U.S., Japan and Australia, refused to condemn Russias invasion of Ukraine and has significantly increased its imports of Russian oil. Indeed, the position of India, the worlds largest democracy, shows how the war in Ukraine, far from reflecting that the main geopolitical cleavage in the world today is between democracy and autocracy, as Biden has argued, reveals that the real divide is between the Global North and the Global South. Some of the most populous democracies in the world in addition to India countries like Indonesia, Pakistan, South Africa, Brazil, Mexico and Argentina have refused to side with NATO. Almost no country in Africa, Asia and Latin America has supported the diplomatic and economic sanctions against Russia. Although many of these nations have voted to condemn Russias invasion of Ukraine in the United Nations General Assembly, where 140-plus member states have repeatedly done so, none wants to make what they consider to be a European war into a global one. Washington has seemingly been caught by surprise by this reaction, having portrayed the war in Ukraine as a choice between good and evil one where the future of the rulesbased international order is at stake. Similarly, during the Cold War with the Soviet Union, U.S. Secretary of State John Foster Dulles referred to nonalignment as immoral. Russia has seen the new nonaligned movement as an opening to bolster its own position, with Foreign Minister Lavrov crisscrossing Africa, Asia and Latin America to buttress Moscows opposition to sanctions. China, in turn, has ramped up its campaign to enhance the international role of the yuan, arguing that the weaponization of the U.S. dollar against Russia only confirms the dangers of relying on it as the main world currency. But I would argue that active nonalignment depends as much on regional multilateralism and cooperation as it does on these high-profile meetings. A recent South American diplomatic summit in Brasilia called by Lula the first such meeting held in 10 years reflects Brazils awareness of the need to work with neighbors to deploy its international initiatives. This need to act jointly is also driven by the regions economic crisis. In 2020, Latin America was hit by its worst economic downturn in 120 years, with regional GDP falling by an average of 6.6 per cent. The region also suffered the highest COVID-19 death rate anywhere in the world, accounting for close to 30 per cent of global fatalities from the pandemic despite comprising just over 8 per cent of the worlds population. In this context, to be caught in the middle of a great power battle is unappealing, and active nonalignment has resonated. Beyond the incipient U.S.-China Cold War and the war in Ukraine, the resurrection of nonalignment in its new active incarnation reflects a widespread disenchantment in the Global South with what has been known as the Liberal International Order in existence since World War II. This order is seen as increasingly frayed and unresponsive to the needs of developing countries on issues ranging from international indebtedness and food security to migration and climate change. To many nations in the Global South, calls to uphold the rules-based order appear to serve only the foreign policy interests of the great powers, rather than the global public good. In such a context, it is perhaps not surprising that so many nations are actively refusing to be caught in an us versus them dynamic. (The writer is Interim Director of the Frederick S. Pardee Center for the Study of the LongerRange Future, Boston University. This article was published on www.theconversation.com) Theaterization is well on its way. Recent announcements indicate that to some extent the services have compromised on their demands; right or wrong is a separate issue. Agniveers are now the order of the day as also is manpower reduction, all intended to cut costs. One service which has been left out of the ecosystem of remodelling and restructuring is the armed forces medical corps. The intent of this piece is not to tamper with their medical expertise, functioning and tasking, but suggest changes in structures, recruitment and training. The Indian armed forces medical services are one of the largest medical forces in the world with over 60,000 health care workers. It comprises of medical, dental, nursing and paramedical services. It is responsible for provision of health care services to members of the armed forces, coast guard as also veterans and their families. Overall, approximately 35 million depend on it. Combat medical support, primary and tertiary, is provided through hospitals and healthcare facilities at different levels. For veterans, primary healthcare is through ECHS (Ex-servicemen Contributory Health Scheme). The medical services annual capital budget is approximately Rs 500 crore and revenue Rs 1350 crore. The organization is headed by the Director General Armed Forces Medical Services (DGAFMS), who functions under the MOD. Under him are individual medical service heads, who are responsible for their respective services. Advertisement Dental corps and the Military Nursing Service have their own department heads functioning under the DGAFMS. There is commonality for the officer cadre implying they could shift from one service to the other, depending on vacancies, while those below officer rank remain in the service in which they were recruited. The largest armed forces medical training facility is based in Lucknow. Medical officers are inducted either from the Armed Forces Medical College in Pune or other medical colleges, based on vacancies. Their reformatory courses are conducted at the Officers Training School located at Lucknow. Considering the need for specialization even at lower levels, the medical services are not within the ambit of agniveers, except possibly for nontechnical staff. An individual inducted into the medical or dental corps undergoes training as a para-medic after conclusion of his basic military training. These are conducted by respective services, though their ultimate employment is similar. It normally takes three to four years before a para-medic gains sufficient experience to operate independently. This was an ideal system when India lacked medical colleges as also infrastructure for producing paramedics at the national level. Currently medical educational institutions have mushroomed all over the country and provide trained para-medical staff for private hospitals which are growing in number. Private hospitals generally conduct refresher courses and on the job training for new entrants, implying education levels are satisfactory. Medical colleges are controlled by state councils, which are responsible for monitoring levels of education and training. Recruiting directly from these institutions and subsequently putting them through basic military training, with a short refresher course, could, apart from cutting costs and time, also reduce load on institutions and hospitals responsible for training them. Their mode of selection could be based on an all-India exam and the best chosen, as currently in vogue for other entrants. The second aspect, in case the above is unacceptable, is why should each service have its own para-medic training institution? After all, training patterns and end results are similar. An added benefit of centralized training would be that all personnel could then be considered for transfer from one service to another depending on the requirement, in a similar manner as doctors or nurses. This would be a major boon during operations or when natural calamities place heavy demand for medical staff. Further it will help balance para-medic strength depending on priorities. The army medical corps centre located at Lucknow has the capacity for providing requisite training. The third aspect that the government must consider is a common uniform and rank structure for all armed forces doctors, dental staff and paramedics irrespective of the service to which they are allocated. The intent should be to create an armed forces medical corps, whose personnel could be moved from service to service, rather than separate army, navy and air force medical branches functioning under the DGAFMS. Members of the nursing service are posted to hospitals of all three services, without change in uniform, as they have a common dress code irrespective of the hospital in which they are employed. A similar model could be replicated for all others. A different colour of uniform and rank badges would distinguish the medical cadre from the rest. Amalgamation could also result in reconsideration of current apex level appointments. The PLA follows this model. At the time of independence, the armed forces medical services were the most organized medical structure that the nation possessed. They were at the forefront in responding to all calamities. Therefore, it was logical for the DGAFMS to be placed directly under the defence ministry. The DGAFMS is indirectly referred to as the fourth service chief. Currently, there are multiple options for the government in such eventualities, the armed forces medical services being one of them. With the creation of the CDS, ideally the DGAFMS should be under him. This would enable better coordination between the service and for those whom they are meant to serve. It could also enable pushing through reforms, which may not accrue under the bureaucracy. Finally, the government has been harping on indigenization of armed forces equipment under its Aatmanirbhar Bharat program. However, there is hardly any mention of indigenization of medical equipment which currently is of high cost and largely imported. Ideally, sections of all defence corridors should be earmarked specifically for domestic production of medical equipment under the Aatmanirbhar program. Supporting this industry would pay major dividends. While the armed forces are implementing a series of measures to push through cost-cutting, the medical services are ignored. They continue to function as they did decades ago. Their contribution only by amending structures, training and recruitment patterns could add to substantial savings in the defence budget. All it needs is willingness to change, directions from the government and determination within. (The writer is a retired Major-General of the Indian Army.) Actor-turned politician Sayani Ghosh, who was grilled by the Enforcement Directorate in connection with her assets and property deal with arrested former Trinamul youth congress general secretary Kuntal Ghosh, is now learnt to be under the lens of the CBI. She had been asked to depose before the agency on 5 July, armed with relevant documents of her I-T returns and bank statements of flats purchased. Now, CBI, claimed a source, would like to pitch in to probe her alleged relationship with the arrested general secretary of the Trinamul youth Congress. The CBI, as sources claimed had come to know that Ghosh was drafted in as the general secretary of the Trinamuls youth wing after she was made the state president of the youth wing in 2020-21. Advertisement The West Bengal State Election Commission (SEC) informed the Calcutta High Court on Monday that the Union Home Ministry has confirmed sending 485 additional companies of central armed forces for the July 8 panchayat elections. With this confirmation, the total deployment of central forces for the rural civic body polls will be 822 companies, as directed by the Calcutta High Court. A total of 337 companies have already been deployed. However, despite the confirmation from the Home Ministry, the commission is yet to specify whether it will be able to deploy central forces personnel in all the polling stations. The SEC is expected to update the high court on the details of the forces deployment on Tuesday. Meanwhile, all the opposition forces in the state continue to be vocal demanding deployment of central armed forces in each and every polling booth. Although the commission has confirmed the presence of armed security personnel in each and every booth, it is yet to confirm whether they will be central forces or personnel from the state police or those from other states. As per the update given by the commission to the court, there will be deployment of additional forces at the sensitive booths and around 95 per cent of the total booths will be kept under CCTV coverage. Videography will be done in 5 per cent of the booths. Advertisement Paritosh Mondal, a local youth was killed in a bomb blast on Monday at Harao in West Bengals North 24-Parganas district. Initial investigation revealed he was manufacturing crude bombs at an abandoned place at Shalipur area in Howrah. His body has been sent for post-mortem at Basirhat sub-division. The probe has also revealed that one more person, who was assisting Mondal in the manufacture of crude bombs, has also been severely injured and is currently under treatment at the same hospital. The police are yet to reveal the identity of the injured person. Political affiliations of the wounded and dead are to surface. Paritoshs mutilated body was recovered from a pond in the area on Monday morning. Local people reported that Shalipur was shaken by the loud explosion early in the morning. Police recovered the body and sent it for postmortem. Advertisement According to police sources, the incident is currently under investigation. The family claims that Paritosh was murdered. According to local sources, Paritosh was a resident of Kuchemora in the Sonapukur-Shankarpur area of Haroa police station and died in the explosion while assembling the bomb. With this fresh casualty the total pre-poll deaths in the last 25 days has risen to 13 since the polling dates for the forthcoming elections for the three-tier panchayat system in West Bengal was announced on 8 June. The maximum casualty has been reported from South 24-Parganas district at four. Area-wise Bhangar in the same district has reported the maximum number of casualties at three. The incident at Haroa on early Monday morning is the first reported case of casualty from North 24- Parganas district. Meanwhile, Governor CV Ananda Bose is going to Basanti in South 24-Parganas district to meet the family members of Jiyarul Molla, a youth Trinamul Congress leader who was shot dead on early Sunday morning. Initial investigation has revealed that the murder of Molla is a fall-out of internal infighting in ruling Trinamul Congress, the reflection of which had been evident in the Canning and Basanti area of South 24-Parganas district since the polling dates were announced. Opposition parties have expressed apprehension over the situation. The polling for the threetier panchayat system in the state is scheduled on 8 July and the counting will be on 11 July. A man was shot in the leg and robbed of his money by bike-borne assailants in Delhis Subhash Place area while he was returning home from work on Monday night, said police. The victim was identified as Ritesh, who works as an accountant in an oil company. According to the Delhi Police, when Ritesh was returning home from work on his scooty, three bike-borne assailants waylaid him and robbed him of his money which amounted to around Rs 1 lakh. When Ritesh tried to fight off the assailants they shot him in the leg and fled from the scene. The incident happened at around 9:15 pm on Monday. The Police said that with the help of CCTV cameras installed at the spot, the accused have been identified and will be arrested soon. Advertisement Ritesh was rushed to a nearby hospital where he is currently undergoing treatment. On Sunday, a 20-year-old man was stabbed to death by unidentified persons in Delhis Ranjit Nagar police station limits. According to Delhi Police, at about 4.15 pm, on Sunday, information was received that a person had been stabbed at Sangam Colony, Pandav Nagar, and the police team immediately reached the spot to find that the injured was taken to a nearby hospital, where he was declared brought dead. On Saturday Delhi Police said that two persons have been arrested for allegedly stabbing a 22-year-old man in front of his father in the Delhi Cantonment area. A video of the killing also went viral on social media. According to Delhi Police, a PCR call was recieved on June 24, that two persons have stabbed a man near Barat Ghar, Jharera village, Delhi Cantt. On the receipt of the information, a team of Delhi police with staff reached the spot and came to know that the man with stabbing injuries had been taken to AIIMS Trauma Centre, where he succumbed to his injuries, they said. The Supreme Court on Monday chided Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal led AAP government for expressing its inability to provide funds for the construction of the Regional Rapid Transport System (RRTS) project, citing paucity of money and directed it to furnish the details of funds it has spent on the advertisements in the last three financial years (FYs). Taking exception to the Delhi government citing the financial constraints to fund the project, a bench of Justice Sanjay Kishan Kaul and Justice Sudhanshu Dhulia told Delhi government: If you have money for advertisements, why dont you have money for a project that will ensure smooth transport? Giving two weeks time to the Delhi government to furnish the details of the publicity expenditure in the last three financial years, the bench in its order said: The Delhi State government has expressed its inability to contribute the funds for the project. Since the paucity of funds seems to be an impediment in the project on behalf of NCT of Delhi, we call upon the NCT of Delhi to file an affidavit setting forth the funds utilised for advertisements by the State government as the project is of considerable importance. Details be furnished for the last three financial years. Advertisement The top court order came while hearing petitions relating to environmental issues. During the hearing, the bench was informed that the Delhi government was not ready to contribute towards the project, particularly relating to Delhi-Alwar (Rajasthan) and Delhi-Panipat (Haryana) corridors. One of the advocates appearing in the matter told the bench that the Delhi government has taken a similar stand and refrained from releasing funds towards the Delhi-Meerut (Uttar Pradesh) corridor. The Delhi-Meerut Regional Rapid Transport System (RRTS) project is slated to be a semi-high-speed rail corridor between Delhi and Meerut. This corridor will connect the cities of Delhi, Ghaziabad and Meerut and is one of the three rapid rail corridors planned under Phase I of the RapidX project. As heavy rains lashed throughout Kerala, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has issued a cautionary note to the people of the state. The Chief Minister asked the people to be cautious as there is a possibility of widespread and very heavy rains in the state for five days. Control rooms have been opened in all districts considering the intensity of rain, he said, adding that district level and Taluk level emergency operation centers have been directed to work round the clock. Advertisement The Chief Minister also stated that the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) has been put on alert. In emergency situations, the services of the NDRF would be utilised and the Force has been arranged in the districts of Idukki, Pathanamthitta, Malappuram, Wayanad, Kozhikode, Alappuzha and Thrissur. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) issued a red alert for Ernakulam district on Monday, for Idukki and Kannur districts on Tuesday. The IMD issued orange alert for Pathanamthitta, Alappuzha, Kottayam, Idukki, Thrissur, Palakkad, Malappuram, Kozhikode, Wayanad, Kannur and Kasaragod districts and a yellow alert in Thiruvananthapuram and Kollam districts on Tuesday. The Dobrobut medical chain has launched a physical rehabilitation department at the treatment and diagnostics center at 3 Simyi Idzykovskykh Street in Kyiv. The chain said in a press release that the department is headed by Danylo Safronov, one of the most experienced specialists in physical medicine and rehabilitation in Ukraine, Ph.D., doctor of the highest category, a certified teacher of the Neurac method in Ukraine with experience of work with injuries and their consequences in the area of hostilities. "The war that has been going on in Ukraine for the tenth year gave a strong impetus to the development of physical rehabilitation, although there has always been a lack of specialists in this field. I can confidently say that today Ukrainian physical therapists are among the best in the world," Safronov said. The new rehabilitation center will deal with recovery after injuries and surgeries on the musculoskeletal system, treatment of diseases of the musculoskeletal system and pain syndromes, rehabilitation of athletes, recovery from combat injuries, and correction of posture disorders. Patients can receive counseling, physiotherapy, manual and movement therapy. In addition, the department will provide rehabilitation services to patients with degenerative changes in the spine and joints (osteoarthritis, hernias, protrusions), neuropathy (damage to peripheral nerves), pain in the muscles or soft connective tissues, tendinopathy (tendon damage), slowly healing fractures, muscle atrophy, impaired blood circulation and innervation. The department is equipped with modern focal shock wave and laser therapy systems, Redcord suspension systems for kinesiotherapy and rehabilitation. The medical chain announces a program of free rehabilitation assistance for the military in the new department from July 3 to August 31. The program will be implemented with the support of the Direct Relief international charitable foundation. Dobrobut is one of the largest private medical networks in Ukraine. It includes 17 medical centers in Kyiv and Kyiv region, an emergency service, dentistry and pharmacies. The network's medical centers provide services for children and adults in more than 75 medical specialties. Every year, Dobrobut specialists carry out more than 7,000 surgeries, more than 2,800 employees work in the network. It cooperates with a number of international charitable organizations, namely Direct Relief International, Children of War Foundation, International Medical Corps and the University of Miami Global Institute, as well as with the Dobrobut Foundation, a charitable foundation founded by the clinic. Dobrobut became the first private chain in Ukraine to receive funding from the US federal government - with the support of the US International Development Finance Corporation (DFC), the company will build a modern physical rehabilitation center. Police arrested a man for the alleged rape and murder of a 16-year-old girl in the Sonapur area of Assams Kamrup (Metro) district. The arrested person was identified as Babul Tumung, and he is an autorickshaw driver. The victim was a student in Class 9. According to the reports, the accused, Babul Tumung, allegedly raped and killed the minor girl and dumped her body in the Digaru River in the Sonapur area in Kamrup (Metro) district on June 28. Later, police recovered the body from the river. Following the incident, police on July 2 arrested the accused person, and during interrogation, he confessed that he had committed the crime. Advertisement On Sunday, a large number of people gathered at the Sonapur police station and demanded capital punishment for the accused. First I raped her and then killed her. I threw her body into the river, Babul Tumung confessed to his crime. A local woman said that locals have demanded capital punishment for the accused. Police arrested the accused person within 24 hours. Now the administration should take appropriate measures to punish the accused. We demand that capital punishment be given to the accused. The accused raped and murdered the girl. If he is released, someone else will do such a crime after seeing him, the local woman said. The accused was produced before the court, and the court sent him for two days of police custody, said Surjeet Singh Panesar, Deputy Commissioner of Police (East), Guwahati. During interrogation, the accused confessed that he committed the crime. We are collecting all evidence, said the police. A teenager allegedly committed suicide after her boyfriend made their private pictures and videos public, a police official said on Tuesday. According to the official, the girl hanged herself at her residence at Gandhi Mandap area on Monday evening . The police have arrested one Amit Medhi, who was in a relationship with the victim, on charges of abetting suicide. Advertisement A suicide note has been recovered from the victims house. The body was sent for an autopsy. We have seized the mobile phones of the accused and victim. Further investigation in the matter is underway, the officer said. In a major organisational reshuffle ahead of assembly and general elections in the two Telugu states, the BJP on Tuesday appointed Union minister G Kishan Reddy as party president of Telangana replacing Bandi Sanjay Kumar while in the neighbouring Andhra Pradesh former Union minister D Purandeswari was appointed new state president. Both appointments were made with immediate effect. While replacement of Bandi Sanjay Kumar as partys Telangana president was expected in the wake of dissent in the ranks against him, D Purandeswaris appointment as AP unit chief came as a surprise, sealing the fate of a BJP-TDP alliance. Bandi Sanjay, who was facing outright rebellion from other state leaders not only lost his post but lost it to his bete noire within BJP, Etela Rajender, who was appointed as the chairman of election management committee for Telangana Assembly. Advertisement In Andhra Pradesh, the BJP doesnt seem to be too keen to form an alliance with N Chandrababu Naidus TDP for the elections slated next year. Hence, it chose D Purandeswari, daughter of NT Rama Rao. Purandeswari though is related to Naidu, the two are usually found in opposite camps. In Telangana, the dissent against Bandi Sanjay Kumar, particularly by lateral entrants from other parties like BRS and Congress, forced the national leadership to bring back G Kishan Reddy, who has a long experience of handling the state unit. Bandi Sanjay, as a RSS man, relied on staunch Hindutva and BJP witnessed quite a few electoral gains in both bypolls and Hyderabad civic elections, but many in the party believe that in Telangana polarisation will only benefit the BJP in some pockets in the upcoming assembly elections slated to be held in December. The state unit was plagued by dissidence with other MLAs, particularly those who have joined the party recently, and were venting their ire publicly. They ran the risk of being poached by Congress. G Kishan Reddy who headed the BJP twice between 2010 and 2014 in the unified Andhra Pradesh and later as first party president of Telangana unit was brought back to end the tug of war between Karimnagar MP Bandi Sanjay Kumar and BRS turned BJP MLA Etela Rajender. The national leadership also chose to appoint Etela Rajender as chairman of the Election Management Committee of the Telangana BJP for the upcoming Assembly elections after heeding to his discontent. Bandi Sanjay is expected to be accommodated in the Union cabinet since Reddy was the sole minister from Telangana heading Tourism and DONER. While Bandi Sanjays removal as state party chief was expected, in case of Andhra Pradesh, incumbent chief Somu Veerraju was taken aback when he was called up by the BJP national president JP Nadda on Tuesday morning and told to send in his resignation. The national leadership chose former Union minister D Purandeswari, who is the daughter of NT Rama Rao, as the next state president. However, this has put a question mark on the possibility of an alliance between BJP and TDP since the equation between Purandeswari and her brother-in-law (sisters husband) N Chandrababu Naidu isnt at all hunky dory. Former chief minister of unified Andhra Pradesh N Kiran Kumar Reddy, who has joined the BJP recently, was also appointed member of National Executive Committee of BJP. With an eye on the upcoming elections, the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in Madhya Pradesh will on Tuesday launch Seekho-Kamao scheme aimed at benefitting over 1 lakh youth of the poll-bound state. Under the scheme, Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan would offer financial assistance to unemployed youths in the age group of 18-29 years. More than one lakh youths would be provided training in establishments. Those whose educational qualification is 12th or ITI or higher, will be eligible to be covered in the scheme. Advertisement After the training, the State Council for Vocational Training (SCVT) certificate will be given by the Madhya Pradesh State Skill Development and Employment Generation Board. Chief Minister Chouhan will launch the scheme at Ravindra Bhavan later in the day. For the implementation of the scheme, as many as 11,000 private companies have been roped in to train the youth and provide them jobs. Ahead of the Assembly polls, it is the second master plan of the chief minister the first being the women centric Ladli Behna Yojana which would provide financial assistance of Rs 1,000 monthly. Maharashtras leader of Opposition (LoP) in the state legislative assembly and Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) MLA Ajit Pawar apparently followed in the footsteps of Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde (Shiv Sena) and joined the states ruling dispensation while claiming, support of more than 2/3 NCPs MLAs, the party is with him. Shinde too, it may be recalled, had split the undivided Shiv Sena party led by then Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray and broken out with 40 MLAs just over a year back. Shinde then formed a government with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) while also staking claim as the real Shiv Sena party. After a protracted battle over eight months, the Election Commission of India (ECI) allotted the official party name of Shiv Sena and symbol (bow and arrow) to Shindes faction in February 2023 and Shindes first-ever stint as Chief Minister has since completed one year at the helm of Maharashtra. Advertisement Ajit Pawar has now broken ranks with his uncle and NCP president Sharad Pawar, and joined the coalition government led by Shinde that now boasts of two deputy chief ministers, a first in the state. Even as Ajit Pawar is being credited with the political gambit that played out on Sunday, the BJP was preparing for this political eventuality a year ago. Even after the Shinde-led, BJP-backed government was sworn into power in 2022 the possibility of the disqualification of 16 MLAs of the breakaway faction, including Shinde himself, necessitated not only a plan B but also a plan C, a senior BJP leader told The Statesman. The entire operation involving the spiriting away of Shinde and 15 Shiv Sena MLAs to Gujarat (Surat) first and then to Assam (Guwahati) was planned and detailed quite meticulously. Maharashtra deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis was informed only after the Shinde faction had reached Surat last year, the BJP leader further noted. There was also a plan B and plan C in place even as Shinde joined hands with the BJP. Plan B was to hold mid-term elections if the Supreme Court were to disqualify the Shinde-led political formation. The BJP was clear it would only go to polls in Maharashtra as the ruling party. Simultaneously, the BJP was also working on plan C that came to fruition on Sunday when Ajit Pawar joined our coalition government, the senior BJP leader said. The BJP feels it is in a better position to face elections in Maharashtra now as the opposition voter base has been effectively marginalized and is in disarray. If elections are held now, the BJP will count on the Shiv Sena (led by CM Shinde) splitting the vote bank of the Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray (UBT) Shiv Sena while the Ajit Pawar led breakaway NCP faction would similarly, cut into the vote share of the faction led by his uncle Sharad Pawar particularly, in the partys political bastion of western Maharashtra. The BJP feels that two Shiv Sena factions and two NCP factions in the electoral fray will tilt the results in its favour in Maharashtra. However, Maratha strongman Sharad Pawar was able to register a strong showing in the 2019 state assembly elections when 54 NCP MLAs got elected quite simply only a few months after a dismal performance by the party in the general elections. Then, Pawar senior exploited the ED notice issued to him (although it was withdrawn) to drum up popular support for his party, even indulging in a rain dance of speeches across Maharashtra. Can he repeat his poll performance of 2019 again after his nephew split his party down the middle? Only time will tell. The Kannur University has appointed Priya Varghese, wife of Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayans private secretary KK Ragesh, associate professor in the Malayalam department. The order issued on Friday instructed Priya to take charge within 15 days The appointment order was issued on the basis of the order of the division bench of the Kerala High Court which set aside the order of a single bench that directed the Kannur University to reconsider the teaching experience of Priya Varghese and the legal advice given by the Advocate General and standing counsel of the university. Advertisement The division bench had last month quashed a single bench order that Priya Varghese did not have sufficient qualifications and that her appointment as associate professor in the Malayalam department should be reconsidered. While setting aside the order of the single bench, a division bench comprising Justice A K Jayasankaran Nambiar and Justice Mohammed Nias C P held that the period spent by Priya Varghese on pursuing her Ph.D. degree under the Faculty Development Programme could not be excluded while considering the period of teaching experience. Regulation 3.11 of the UGC Regulations, 2018 was the relevant provision here, which reads: The time taken by candidates to acquire M.Phil. and/or Ph.D. Degree shall not be considered as teaching/research experience to be claimed for appointment to the teaching positions. Further the period of active service spent on pursuing Research Degree simultaneously with teaching assignment without any kind of leave, shall be counted as teaching experience for the purpose of direct recruitment/promotion. A single bench of Justice Devan Ramachandran In November 2022, had held that Priya Varghese did not possess the requisite teaching experience, to be appointed as Associate Professor at the Department of Malayalam at Kannur University and directed the competent authority of the University to reconsider her credentials and decide whether she should continue on the Rank List. In this connection, it may be noted that Governor Arif Mohammed Khan , in his capacity as Chancellor of the university, has frozen Priya Vargheses appointment on August 17, 2022, alleging nepotism. This order has not yet been revoked by the Governor. Meanwhile, the UGC has stated that it will file an appeal in the Supreme Court against the division bench order which ruled that the period spent by Priya Varghese on pursuing her Ph.D. degree under the Faculty Development Programme could not be excluded while considering the period of teaching experience The UGC may also seek an immediate stay of the Kerala High Courts division bench order, it is learnt. The Cooperation Minister said that there can be no bigger means than CSC to implement the formula of Minimum Government, Maximum Governance with last mile delivery but without corruption. India is all set to virtually host the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit today. The summit will witness the participation of Chinese President Xi Jinping, and Pakistans Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif. The meeting of the SCO Heads of State will be chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The major issues that are expected to be on the agenda include terrorism, regional security and prosperity. The theme of Indias chairship of SCO- SECURE is derived from the acronym coined by PM Modi at the 2018 SCO Qingdao Summit. It stands for S: Security, E: Economic development, C: Connectivity, U: Unity, R: Respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity, E: Environmental protection. Advertisement Russian President Vladimir Putin will also participate in the summit this week. This comes at a time when the Russia-Ukraine war has completed over a war. India has condemned the war but has not voted against Russia at any forum. Speaking to President Putin on the sidelines of the SCO summit in Uzbekistan last year, PM Modi said, This is not the era of war, a statement that even made to the G20 communique under the Indian presidency. Earlier on June 30, PM Modi held a telephonic conversation with Russian President Vladimir Putin and discussed issues of bilateral cooperation including Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) and G20. All the SCO Member States, China, Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan, have been invited to attend the Summit. In addition, Iran, Belarus and Mongolia have been invited as Observer States. As per the SCO tradition, Turkmenistan has also been invited as the guest of the Chair. Heads of the two SCO Bodies, the Secretariat and the SCO RATS, will also be present. One of the major highlights of the summit, Pakistan and China have expressed their willingness to participate in the summit. Pakistan which has been isolated globally for harbouring terrorists, is set to attend the summit. With Chinese aggression in 2020 at Galwan, there has been an ongoing stand-off and amassing of troops in large numbers at Indian positions on the LAC in eastern Ladakh. The Indian side has also deployed a heavy number of troops and developed infrastructure at a very fast pace for them. PM Modi ahead of his visit to the US said that for normal bilateral ties with China peace and tranquillity in the border areas is essential, the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) reported. We have a core belief in respecting sovereignty and territorial integrity, observing the rule of law and peaceful resolution of differences and disputes. At the same time, India is fully prepared and committed to protecting its sovereignty and dignity, PM Modi said in his interview to the US publication. Jinping, who will attend the virtual summit of the SCO being hosted by India, will deliver important remarks at the meeting and along with other leaders chart the course for the future growth of the organization, Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Mao Ning said in a statement. Shehbaz Sharif will also participate in the SCO meeting. The invitation to the Pakistan PM Shehbaz Sharif was extended by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, informed the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Pakistan. The participation of the two leaders comes at a time when China blocked a proposal by India and the United States at the United Nations to designate Lashkar-e-Taiba terrorist Sajid Mir, wanted for his involvement in the 26/11 Mumbai terrorist attacks, as a global terrorist, which also drew stern criticism from New Delhi. India joined the SCO in 2005 as an observer country and became a full member of the group at the Astana Summit in 2017, marking a watershed point in its relationship with the Organisation. In the last six years, India has taken an active and positive role in all SCO operations. At the SCO Summit in Samarkand in September 2022, India took over the chairmanship of the SCO for the first time from Uzbekistan. During Indias presidency, the SCO has reached new milestones in the depth and intensity of its engagements and interactions across wide-ranging sectors. India created five new pillars and focus areas of cooperation in SCO, Startups and Innovation, Traditional Medicine, Digital Inclusion, Youth Empowerment and Shared Buddhist Heritage. Two new mechanisms in SCO, Special Working Group on Startups and Innovation and Experts Working Group on Traditional Medicine, were created at Indias initiative. The Joshimath land subsidence issue which was on the back burner following the start of the annual Char Dham pilgrimage in Garhwal Himalayas was again come to the fore by the affected people of the town who resorted to a day long dharna at the local tehsil complex in support of their demands on Monday. Meanwhile, Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh who met the Prime Minister Narendra Modi today in New Delhi has reportedly said that the Prime Minister has assured to help the victims of Joshimath. The affected people of Joshimath mostly women who under the banner of Joshimath Bachao Sanghrash Samiti led the agitation against their plight again sat on a dharna to demand fulfilment of their demands. The Joshimath Bachao Sangharash Samiti had submitted a eleven point memorandum to the Chief Minister in April, 2023 before suspension of their agitation which included declaration of entire Joshimath as disaster affected, adequate compensation to each affected, opening of relief and rehabilitation office at joshimath, simplification of the procedure to get compensation of the damaged buildings, compensation to those who gave their land to army, publication of the report of scientific institutions, formation of a committee having local members from Joshimath Bachao Sangharash Samiti also for stabilisation works, arrangements for stay of affected people till they get permanent settlement, stoppage of work on Tapovan Vishnugad hydropower project and Helang Marwari byepass and implementation of the agreement between National Thermal Power Corporation(NTPC) building Tapovan Vishnugad project. Advertisement The Samiti had suspended their agitation on the assurance of the Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami on April 20, 2023 but felt betrayed and restarted their stir with a Mashaal Jaloos (torch light procession n) on May 11, 2023 at Joshimath. Atul Sati, convenor of the Joshimath Bachao Sangharash Samiti again submitted a memorandum of the demands to the district administration on Monday. Rajindra Bhandari, Congress legislator from badrinath, assembly segment has also written a letter to Prime Minister seeking stoppage of work on the Helang-Marwari bypass. He argued that bypass,13 km before Joshimath town would cut off the town from the main pilgrimage route affecting the economic well being of its residents who are already suffering due to land subsidence. The Joshimath land subsidence had affected more than 800 families rendering them homeless in January 2023. The relief and rehabilitation of the Joshimath victims in the past six months had been tedious and painful. Photo caption: women victims of Joshimath land subsidence holding adharna in support of their demands at tehsil complex Joshimath on July 3, 2023. In the Udaipur Kanhaiya Lal Sahu beheading case of June 28, 2022, a special court on Tuesday directed the National Investigation Agency (NIA) to provide a Hindi version (translated from English) copy of the NIAs chargesheet to the accused. On the second petition filed by the lawyer of the accused, the NIA court would decide tomorrow whether to provide a video of the incidents to the accused, an NIA lawyer not to divulge his name, told The Statesman here. Nine accused, who are lodged in Ajmers high-security prison, were present before the court amidst heavy security. Advertisement We filed two applications; the first one was requesting the Hindi translation of the English chargesheet, which was accepted today. In the second application, we sought electronic evidence, Mihajul Haq told the Media. He added that the court will address the matter regarding the second application on Wednesday. Advocate Haq, representing six out of the nine accused, excluding the two killers, Gaus Mohammad and Mohammad Riyaz, stated that the court ordered the prosecutor to provide the translated version of the chargesheet. The trial on the chargesheet would be taken up on July 26, the NIA counsel said. It is pertinent to mention that The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has filed a Chargesheet in the Jaipur NIA court against 11 accused including two Pakistani nationals on December 23. The persons named in the chargesheet included two main accused Gaus Mohammed and Mohd Riyaz against whom the case under various sections of IPC 302 (34) for murder, 452, 153, 295 and sections 16, 18 and 20 of Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967 for terror activities. Kanhaiya, a tailor by profession, was beheaded by two assailants at his shop in the Dhanmandi area of Udaipur in the afternoon of June 28 over a facebook post which the Muslim hotheads found to be blasphemous. The international working group on sanctions against Russia, chaired by Head of the President's Office Andriy Yermak and Director of the Freeman-Spogli Institute (FSI) Ambassador Michael McFaul, has presented a report aimed at limiting the access of the Russian military-industrial complex to Western technologies. "The document contains convincing evidence of how Western components continue to contribute to Russia's full-scale invasion and war against Ukraine. The Russian X-101 missile, which killed 11 people, including one child, in a five-story residential building in Kryvy Rih on June 13 this year, contained 53 critical components obtained from democratic countries," the presidential press service said, citing Yermak. According to the President's Office head, this report provides detailed recommendations on how to prevent Russia from getting critical missile components from democratic states. "If they are fulfilled, we will significantly limit Russia's ability to produce new missiles and replenish its arsenal," Yermak said. He also said that in the second half of 2022, Russia managed to restore and even exceed the pre-sanctions level of imports of critical components for the production of various weapons. The President's Office head said the information from the report and the evidence were shared with international partners, and now Ukraine expects "decisive, quick and effective actions." "It is important not only to significantly tighten sanctions, but also to substantially improve the procedures and practices for applying existing restrictions. It is necessary to completely stop the transfer of technological components for the production of weapons from democratic countries to Russia immediately, as well as to gradually completely isolate Russia from trade with the free world, except for a few humanitarian categories," Yermak said. Report No.12 demonstrates that the backbone of Russia's modern military apparatus still largely depends on sophisticated electronics coming from developed countries. "In particular, western-made microchips were found in every type of equipment examined by Ukrainian authorities. An analysis of 1,057 foreign components of Russian military equipment manufactured by 155 companies shows that Russia's military supply chain has maintained access to critical Western technologies since the beginning of the war through 2022 and the first quarter of 2023," according to the report. In addition, critical components found on the battlefield since April last year are contained in a wide range of weapons, including missiles, armored vehicles, artillery, helicopters, electronic warfare systems, and others. Secretary of the International Sanctions Expert Group Vladyslav Vlasiuk said "the 155 companies whose products were identified in Russian weapons accounted for $2.9 billion in sales of critical components to Russia in 2022." He also said the supply is almost entirely carried out through third countries. The report was prepared by representatives of the Yermak-McFaul International Working Group and the Kyiv School of Economics. The International Working Group on Sanctions against Russia is working on the instructions of President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy. The Kerala unit of the Congress will hold a leadership meeting on Wednesday to chalk out strategies on the agitation against the Uniform Civil Code (UCC). KPCC President K Sudhakaran informed that the meeting to be held on Wednesday here, will decide on the modalities of protest against the Uniform Civil Code(UCC), which was created by the BJP to divide the country communally. The Congress is taking up the Uniform Civil Code issue in the context of CPI-M in having decided to hold an extensive seminar against the Uniform Civil Code. The Congress believes that the support of the religious minorities is necessary to register victory in the ensuing Lok Sabha elections. Advertisement The Kerala CPI-Ms move to cobble together a vanguard of broad-based opposition to the Uniform Civil Code (UCC) by soliciting across-the-aisle support from the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) has seemingly caused jittery in the Congress. The Congress is wary of the CPI-Ms moves to gain wider influence among the Muslim community, which form 25 per cent of the states population as per the 2011 census. The CPI-M has stated it will organise seminars and programmes across the state against the UCC. Speaking to reporters on Sunday, CPI-M state secretary M V Govindan said all non-communal groups, including Sunni scholars forum Samastha, will be invited for the programmes against the UCC. MV Govindan also invited the Indian Union Muslim League( IUML) to set aside politics and join a broad alliance against the UCC. The CPI-M state secretary added that Congress will not be invited to the seminar against UCC as the partys stance on the issue was dubious. He said a Congress Minister in Himachal Pradesh has come in support for the law. Meanwhile, the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) is chalking out its own action plan to counter the proposed Uniform Civil Code (UCC) and to outsmart the CPI-Ms call for an alliance of secular and democratic forces to resist the UCC. Opposition leader in the Kerala Assembly and senior Congress leader VD Satheesan has said that the Kerala CPI-M is the B team of the BJP. Speaking to media persons in Kannur, Satheesan said the CPI-M is working in Kerala in an understanding with the BJP as the central agencies are probing the cases including the SNC Lavlin case against Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan. He said that the Pinarayi Vijayan government, which had taken case against KPCC president K Sudhakaran in connection with a case related to the fake antique dealer Monson Mavunkal, had exempted BJP state president K Surendran, who should have been arraigned as an accused in the Kodakara money heist case. Advertisement The state police, while trying to arrest Sudhakaran, are not going ahead with the case against Surendran, who is an accused in the Manjeswaram election case, he said. The Left Government is protecting Surendran in order to save Pinarayi Vijayan from central probe agencies in various cases including SNC Lavlin, Life Mission Housing project cases, he alleged. The Central probe agencies which harass opposition leaders,are not acting against chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan, who faced serious allegations, he said on Tuesday. While goons were being sent by CPI-M leaders to kill the KPCC president, they are keeping the BJP state president along with their bosom, Satheesan further alleged. Vice-president Jagdeep Dhankar on Tuesday emphasised that the Uniform Civil Code (UCC) will bind Bharat & its nationalism more effectively, and cautioned that any further delay in its implementation will be corrosive to our values. Addressing the 25th convocation of IIT Guwahati, he stressed that Directive Principles of State Policy (DPSP) were fundamental in governance of the country and its the duty of the state to make them into rules. Mentioning that many DPSPs e.g. panchayats, cooperatives & Right to Education have already been translated into law, he underlined that it was time to implement Article 44 of the Constitution. Advertisement Cautioning against the attempts to tarnish the image of India and frequent orchestration of anti-national narratives, Dhankhar stressed, It is high time choreographers of anti-Bharat narrative orchestration are effectively rebuffed. The vice-president also pointed out that no foreign entity can be allowed to tweak with our sovereignty and reputation.Describing India as the oldest, largest, most functional and vibrant democracy that is giving stability to global peace and harmony, he stressed, We cannot suffer dent on our flourishing and blossoming democracy and constitutional institutions. Noting that there is zero tolerance to corruption now, he called for making a corruption-free society. Corruption is anti-democratic, corruption is poor governance, corruption runs down our growth a corruption free society is the safest guarantee to your growth trajectory, he said. Dhankhar also expressed his disapproval of some people taking to streets rather than taking recourse to lawful process when they were held up for corruption. He also asked the students to take pride in being Indians and its historical achievements. He also wanted them to be committed towards economic nationalism and refrain from making fiscal gains at the cost of the nation and nationalism. He also reminded students the valuable words of visionary personality Dr. B R Ambedkar You should be Indian first, Indian last and nothing else but Indians. With his Pakistani counterpart Shehbaz Sharif hearing him with rapt attention, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in a veiled attack on Islamabad, on Tuesday appealed to the SCO (Shanghai Cooperation Organisation) countries not to hesitate in condemning those nations which use terrorism as an instrument of state policy and called for a joint fight by them against the menace. There is no place for double standards on this critical issue. We have to unite to tackle terrorism in all its forms and manifestations, he said addressing the SCO Summit hosted in virtual format by him. Leaders of all SCO countries, including Chinese President Xi Jingping and Russian President Vladimir Putin, attended the summit. This was the first time Putin was seen at a public platform after the recent mutiny in Russia by the Wagner Group. Advertisement Noting that terrorism has become the prime danger for both regional as well as global peace, Modi said the SCO countries should also increase cooperation to deal with terror financing. We should take further steps to stop the radicalisation of youth in our countries. The joint statement being issued on the issue of radicalisation is the proof of our shared commitment, he added. These remarks are important as last month, China had blocked a proposal by India and the United States at the United Nations to designate Lashkar-e-Taiba terrorist Sajid Mir, wanted for his involvement in the 26/11 Mumbai terrorist attacks, as a global terrorist. This move of China was strongly criticised by India, as even after 15 years since the Mumbai terrorist attacks, the masterminds behind the carnage have yet to be brought to justice. The Indian leader spoke on the situation in Afghanistan, saying the Afghan soil should not be allowed to be used to destabilise its neighbourhood. Humanitarian assistance and setting of an elected government in Kabul were major priorities of the SCO, he noted. The situation in Afghanistan has directly affected the security of the region. Indias concerns and aspirations for Afghanistan are at par with other SCO countries. We will have to collectively work for the welfare of the Afghan people. Humanitarian assistance to Afghan citizens, forming an elected and inclusive government, fighting against drug trafficking and terrorism, and ensuring the rights of women, children and minorities- these all are our shared priorities, he said. PM Modi added, India and Afghanistan have age-old ties. Over the last two decades, India has contributed to the economic and social development of Afghanistan. We have continued to send assistance even after the 2021 episode. It is important that the Afghan soil should not be used to spread instability in neighbouring countries or to encourage extremist ideologies He noted that the SCO in the past 20 years has emerged as an important platform for peace, prosperity and development in the entire Eurasia region. India, he said, saw SCO as an extended family. The PM said that India has made efforts to take its multifaceted cooperation with SCO to new heights. We do not only see the SCO as an extended neighbourhood, but rather as an extended family. As Chair of the SCO, India has made efforts to take our multifaceted cooperation to new heights, he added. He said that security, economic development, connectivity, unity, respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity and environmental protection were pillars of Indias vision for SCO. India has established five pillars of cooperation within the SCO: Startup and innovation, traditional medicine, youth empowerment, digital inclusion, and shared Buddhist heritage, he said. The theme of Indias chairship of SCO-SECURE is derived from the acronym coined by PM Modi at the 2018 SCO Qingdao Summit. It stands for S: Security, E: Economic development, C: Connectivity, U: Unity, R: Respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity, E: Environmental protection. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate, dedicate and lay foundation stones of about 50 projects worth around Rs 50,000 crores during a hectic tour of four states Chhattisgarh, Uttar Pradesh, Telangana and Rajasthan from Friday, according to official sources on Tuesday. As part of the two-day tour, the Prime Minister will participate in around a dozen programmes across five cities Raipur, Gorakhpur, Varanasi, Warangal and Bikaner. On 7 July, Mr Modi will first travel from Delhi to Raipur, where he will lay foundation stones and dedicate multiple projects. These include various six-lane sections of the Raipur-Vishakhapatnam corridor. Thereafter, he will attend a public meeting. Advertisement The Prime Minister will then travel to Gorakhpur where he will attend a programme at Gita Press. Thereafter, he will flag off three Vande Bharat trains and lay the foundation stone for the redevelopment of the Gorakhpur railway station. From Gorakhpur, Mr Modi will travel to his constituency, Varanasi, where he will inaugurate and lay the foundation stone of multiple key projects. These include dedicating the four-lane widening of NH56 (Varanasi-Jaunpur). He will also lay the foundation stone for the renovation of Manikarnika Ghat and Harishchandra Ghat. On 8 July, the Prime Minister will travel from Varanasi to Warangal in Telangana, where he will lay the foundation stone of various projects, including key sections of the Nagpur-Vijayawada Corridor. Mr Modi will also lay the foundation stone of Four-Laning of Karimnagar-Warangal section of NH-563. Thereafter, he will attend a public meeting in Warangal. The PM will then travel from Warangal to Bikaner, where he will lay the foundation stone and dedicate multiple projects. He will dedicate various sections of the Amritsar-Jamnagar Expressway. The Prime Minister will dedicate the Inter-State Transmission Line for Green Energy Corridor Phase-I and lay the foundation stone for the redevelopment of Bikaner railway station. He will attend a public meeting in Bikaner. Prepare for a significant upcoming event in the Supreme Court of India as it prepares to examine a collection of petitions that contest the annulment of Article 370 and the splitting of Jammu and Kashmir into two Union territories. It has been almost four years since the government made this decision in August 2019, and now a Constitution Bench led by Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud will address the matter on July 11th. As we anticipate this important step by the court, lets delve deeper into the essence of Article 370. Jammu and Kashmir, situated in the northern part of the Indian subcontinent, was bestowed with special status under Article 370 of the Indian constitution. Since 1947, this region has been a source of contention between India, Pakistan, and China. Article 370 of the Indian constitution recognizes the special status of Jammu and Kashmir, granting it autonomy and the authority to create laws specifically for its permanent residents. These residents enjoy exclusive privileges in various areas such as housing, real estate, education, scholarship schemes for education, subsidy in purchase of basic supplies like food and vegetables, and government employment that are not accessible to others. Advertisement Any right apart from the domain of defense, foreign affairs, communications and finance was vested in the hands of the authority of Jammu and Kashmir. And it is Article 35A that prevents the challenge of any state law solely on the grounds that it infringes upon rights guaranteed to all Indian citizens by the national constitution. Additionally, the Fundamental Rights of the Indian Constitution were extended to Kashmir, with certain reservations, through the 1954 Presidential order issued by the President of India. During August 2019, the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Bill, 2019 was presented by Home Minister Amit Shah in the Rajya Sabha. The objective of the bill was to alter the status of Jammu and Kashmir, transforming it from a state into two distinct union territories: Jammu and Kashmir, as well as Ladakh. Under the proposed bill, Jammu and Kashmir would have a legislature, while Ladakh would not. The Rajya Sabha passed the bill with 125 votes in favor and 61 against (67%). The following day, the Lok Sabha also passed it with 370 votes in favor and 70 against (84%). After the presidents signature, the bill became an Act. Initially, the Union List and the Concurrent List in Jammu and Kashmir were limited to the matters specified in the Instrument of Accession, but later they were expanded with the agreement of the State Government. The State retained the residual powers rather than the Union. The Supreme Courts decision on these petitions will have significant implications for the constitutional framework and the future of Jammu and Kashmir. This hearing marks a crucial milestone in the ongoing legal battle over the revocation of Article 370 and the division of the region. The Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), founded by Sharad Pawar in 1999, experienced a significant division recently when Ajit Pawar defected and joined the Shiv Sena-BJP government as Deputy Chief Minister. This split has led to the Congress party now holding the largest number of MLAs in the opposition benches of Maharashtra. Shortly after Sharad Pawar made it clear in a media address that Ajit Pawar was not the party, Ajit Pawar himself spoke to the media, announcing new appointments within the party. One of these changes involved replacing Jayant Patil as the state party chief with Sunil Tatkare. In response to Ajit Pawars rebellion, the Sharad Pawar-led NCP expelled MP Praful Patel and four other leaders who supported Ajit Pawar. Concurrently, the faction led by Ajit Pawar declared the appointment of Sunil Tatkare as the new state chief of the party, removing Jayant Patil from the post. Advertisement Who represents the real NCP? In the midst of these unfolding events, Sharad Pawar made it clear that Ajit Pawar does not represent the party as a whole. He also acknowledged that his daughter, Supriya Sule, was present at the meeting, but stressed that her attendance did not imply any wrongdoing on her part. Ajit Pawar offered a defense for his actions, asserting that in similar situations involving other political parties, the Election Commission has historically made the final decision regarding party names and symbols. He expressed confidence in their factions claim to being the true representation of the party, citing the support of a majority of MLAs as evidence. Sharad Pawar underscored the presence of all the MLAs affiliated with their faction, stating that their aim was not to showcase their strength. He acknowledged the natural ebb and flow of political alliances and emphasized his personal experience in navigating such fluctuations on multiple occasions in the past. In his capacity as the National President of the Nationalist Congress Party, Sharad Pawar utilized the platform of Twitter to exercise his authority. He issued a directive, ordering the removal of the names of Shri Sunil Tatkare and Shri Praful Patel from the Register of Members of the NCP Party due to their alleged involvement in activities deemed detrimental to the partys interests. These recent events have caused a major upheaval within the NCP, leaving both factions grappling for control and influence. The future trajectory of the party remains uncertain, as the conflict between Sharad Pawar and Ajit Pawar continues to unfold. A new study has found that students from middle-upper class backgrounds are more likely to participate in classroom discussions than working-class backgrounds students. The study was published in the journal, Journal of Experimental Psychology. The study shed new light on the persistent and early emerging disparities in education linked to socioeconomic status (SES). While preschool attendance has been shown to be beneficial for low-SES students achievement, our results suggest that early childhood education is not currently maximizing its potential as an equalizing force, says lead author Sebastien Goudeau, an assistant professor at Universite de Poitiers. Advertisement Early schooling contexts provide unequal opportunities for engagement to children in ways linked to their socioeconomic status, which could serve to maintain or even exacerbate social class disparities in achievement, adds Andrei Cimpian, a professor in New York Universitys Department of Psychology and one of the papers authors. These and other findings call for redesigning aspects of early childhood in ways that foster engagement among all students, regardless of their social class. Previous research has primarily focused on deficits in low-SES parents knowledge, practices, or resources to explain disparities found in early childhood education. The new Journal of Experimental Psychology: General study examined how schooling itself at this age might be shortchanging children from lower-income backgrounds. In doing so, the studys authors, which also included researchers from Northwestern Universitys Kellogg School of Management and Stanford Universitys Department of Psychology, examined students behavioral engagement during whole-class discussionsa core part of the preschool curriculum in Europe and North America. One study included nearly 100 preschoolers, who were anonymous to the researchers, across four classrooms of Grande Sectionthe last year in French preschools before first gradein Frances Nouvelle-Aquitaine region. The classrooms selected had a high degree of SES variability among the students as determined by their parents occupations. The researchers videotaped whole-classroom discussionsranging from eight to 19 in each classroomand recorded the frequency and duration of each childs participation. The results showed that low-SES students spoke less frequently and for less time compared to high-SES students. Notably, these differences were not accounted for by SES differences in oral language proficiency, indicating that low-SES students did not talk less because they lacked the proficiency to do so. In a second study, the authors sought to understand how preschool children perceive differences among their peers in their levels of school engagement. To do so, they drew a new group of Grande Section participants from the same region; it included nearly 100 preschool students across five classrooms. To determine the childrens perceptions of their classmates, the researchers posed scenarios involving fictional students aimed at surfacing the students views of the types of students who are called upon and who speak longer than others. For instance, When the teacher asks the class a question, several children raise their hands. However, the teacher calls on [Theodore/Zelie] more often than other children. After each scenario, children were asked to explain the protagonists behavior: for instance, Why do you think [Theodore/Zelie] is called on more often than other children? The research team then coded the open-ended responses the children provided, looking in particular for whether children mentioned inherent factors having to do with the protagonists own characteristics (e.g., because she/he is smart, because she/he has a lot to tell) or extrinsic factors having to do with the protagonists background or the classroom context (e.g., because the teacher likes her/him, because the other children are disobedient). For each scenario, after the open-ended explanation question, children were also asked to evaluate the fictional student along the two fundamental dimensions of social judgments: competence and warmth. These included perceived intelligence (Do you think [the fictional child] is more intelligent than the other children, or less intelligent than the other children?) as well as how they thought the teacher viewed the fictional student (Do you think the teacher likes [the child] more than the other children, or less than the other children?). These comparisons were made with the fictional students classmates in mind. Overall, the fictional child who made frequent and longer contributions to classroom discussions was perceived as possessing more positive characteristics than other children in their class. Preschoolers explained differences in engagement during whole-class discussions as a consequence of childrens inherent characteristics, including their competence and warmth, explains Cimpian. These results suggest that the patterns of school engagement typical of middle- and high-SES students increase the extent to which they are valued by their preschool peers andconverselymay undermine low-SES students psychological experiences. Taking a leap towards enabling the usage of more and more environment-friendly vehicles to curb pollution, the West Bengal government with concerted efforts of the United Kingdom is working on a roadmap to set up an intelligent mobility skilling centre with a twin objective of creating new and boosting investment in electric mobility. The project of the centre was announced on Tuesday during a three-day visit of the UKs International Trade Minister Nigel Huddleston to Kolkata and Dhaka, to unveil new initiatives to help UK business sell to both countries. The initiative is expected to be a milestone in the state governments aim of achieving a target of developing 1 million electric vehicles in the next five years. Advertisement A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed between the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) and the Technical Education, Training and Skill Development Department of the state government on skill development in sustainable and modern methods of construction. The initiatives are being taken aiming to enhance opportunities in the EV sector by partnering Indian businesses with elite academic and industrial institutions in the UK. Meanwhile, the New Town Kolkata Development Authority (NKDA) has also partnered with Connected Places Catapult to create a business model for shared two wheeler electric vehicles. West Bengal is leading the way with its ambitious policies on zero emission transport, said Huddleston at the MoU signing event held at Dhana Dhanye auditorium on Tuesday. It is a pleasure to be here in Kolkata today to celebrate these initiatives which demonstrate the power of cooperation to solve mutual challenges. Working together, we will make the transition to zero emission vehicles faster, more affordable and more accessible to all, added the minister who is on his first visit to the city. Ahead of the panchayat polls in politically-sensitive West Bengal, a BJP leader from West Bengal, Bankim Hansda, was found dead in the Bodo area of Purulia district. The panchayat polls are to be held on July 8. The police recovered his body from the Jodgoda area. Hansda was the president of the BJP booth committee. He was the BJP general secretary of the Manbazar area. He was a resident of Kendadi village of the Purulia district. Advertisement He had left his house for political campaigning on Sunday. His body was found by the locals at around 7 am on Monday morning, July 3, on way from Kendri to Jhariyadi village. His body was found lying near a water body by villagers. He was a member of the ST community. The upcoming panchayat polls are likely to once again fuel the fire of animosity between the ruling TMC and the BJP ahead of next years Lok Sabha elections. Issuing a statement accusing the ruling TMC of elections having taken the form of terrorism, BJPs official Twitter handle read, TMC-backed miscreants killed BJP general secretary Bankim Hansda from Purulias Bandwan Assembly. In Bengal, under the TMC rule, elections have taken the form of terrorism A few days ago, the body of another local BJP leader Dipak Samanta from Balpai village in Paschim Medinipur district was found hanging in his house on July 29. Since the date of the announcement of panchayat polls in Bengal, 15 workers have lost their lives in politics-related violence. BJP leade.rs have been continually raising fingers at Mammta Banerjee-led TMC for creating fear in the minds of the people to vote in favour of their party. However, TMC leaders have denied the charges. They are alleging that the West Bengal Police is reluctant to find the truth on orders from Mamata Banerjee. On July 4th, in the framework of the official visit to the Republic of Azerbaijan, the member of the Belgian Federal House of Representatives Michael Freilich visited the Alat Free Economic Zone (AFEZ). During the meeting with the senior management of Alat Free Economic Zone Authority, M. Freilich was informed about the strategic geographical location, unique legal framework, as well as about the industrial land plots with ready-to-use off-site and on-site infrastructure and utilities, and the fiscal and non-fiscal incentives package for the investors. Afterwards, M. Freilich got acquainted with the business environment created for the investors. As the United States celebrates July 4th, a day that symbolizes American democracy and independence, its important to reflect on some key figures who have shaped the nation and its democratic principles. Among these influential individuals are George Washington, Abraham Lincoln, Martin Luther King Jr., Eleanor Roosevelt, and Susan B. Anthony. Lets delve into their remarkable contributions and understand how they have left an indelible mark on American democracy. George Washington, often referred to as the Father of His Country, was the first President of the United States. His leadership during the American Revolutionary War and his role in establishing the presidency set a precedent for future leaders. Washingtons commitment to democratic ideals, such as the peaceful transfer of power, helped solidify the foundations of American democracy. By relinquishing his power after two terms, he demonstrated the importance of a government accountable to its citizens. Abraham Lincoln, the 16th President of the United States, played a crucial role in preserving the Union during the Civil War and abolishing slavery through the Emancipation Proclamation. His unwavering commitment to equality and justice made him a beacon of hope for those fighting for civil rights. Lincolns Gettysburg Address, with its call for government of the people, by the people, for the people, encapsulates his belief in the power of democracy to create a more inclusive and equitable society. Advertisement Martin Luther King Jr., a prominent civil rights leader, championed the cause of racial equality and social justice through nonviolent activism. His iconic I Have a Dream speech during the March on Washington in 1963 called for an end to racial segregation and discrimination. Kings tireless efforts helped pave the way for the passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965, bolstering the democratic rights of African Americans and inspiring generations to fight for equality. Eleanor Roosevelt emerged as a powerful advocate for human rights and social reform. As the First Lady, she used her position to amplify the voices of marginalized communities and worked tirelessly to improve living conditions for the underprivileged. Roosevelt played a crucial role in the adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights by the United Nations, emphasizing the importance of human dignity, freedom, and equality. Her commitment to democratic values made her a trailblazer for gender equality and social progress. Susan B. Anthony, a leading figure in the womens suffrage movement, dedicated her life to securing voting rights for women. She tirelessly advocated for gender equality and equal rights under the law. Anthony played a pivotal role in organizing campaigns, delivering speeches, and lobbying for suffrage legislation. Her tireless efforts culminated in the ratification of the 19th Amendment in 1920, which granted women the right to vote. Anthonys work not only advanced womens rights but also highlighted the fundamental principle of democracy: that all citizens should have a voice in shaping the nations future. These five figures represent the diverse tapestry of American democracy. Their unwavering commitment to justice, equality, and the principles of democracy has had a lasting impact on the nation. India has served a demarche on the Justin Trudeau government in Canada by summoning the Canadian High Commissioner in New Delhi over propaganda material, including posters, containing threats to Indian diplomats being circulated in that country. New Delhi raised its concerns with Canada on Monday over threats to its diplomats in posters being circulated in Canada with information on a pro-Khalistan rally to be held on 8 July. The posters contained threats to its top diplomats in Canada. The posters purportedly circulated by Sikh extremists have named Indian High Commissioner to Canada Sanjay Kumar Verma and Consulate General of India, Toronto Apoorva Srivastava, accusing them of playing a role in the June killing of Khalistan Tiger Force chief and designated terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar in Canada. Advertisement The rally is being held in the name of Harjit Singh Nijjar aka Hardeep Singh Nijjar, a Khalistani terrorist who was killed in a targeted shooting in Canadas Surrey on 18 June. Earlier today, Canadian Foreign Minister Melanie Joly said that her country was in close contact with Indian officials in light of some unacceptable posters that have appeared in Canada, regarding a protest planned on 8 July, which bears the names and photos of some top Indian diplomats. In her statement shared on Twitter, Melanie Joly stated, Canada takes its obligations under the Vienna Conventions regarding the safety of diplomats very seriously. Canada remains in close contact with Indian officials in light of some of the promotional material circulating online regarding a protest planned for July 8th, which are unacceptable. We know that the actions of a few do not speak for an entire community or Canada. External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar had yesterday stated that India has requested partner countries like Canada, Australia, the UK and the US not to give space to Khalistanis as these radical extremist ideologies were not good for bilateral relationships. When asked about reports of posters in Canada naming Indian diplomats, Jaishankar said, We have requested our partner countries, like Canada, UK, Australia, US that they should not give space to these Khalistanis. These radical extremist ideologies arent good for us, them, or our ties. Will raise the issue of these posters. Earlier this month, a tableau parade was organised in Ontario celebrating the assassination of former PM Indira Gandhi, which drew severe criticism from New Delhi. In March this year, Khalistan supporters protested outside the Indian Embassy in Canada. They raised pro-Khalistan slogans and allegedly assaulted Indian-origin journalists present on the spot. Khalistan supporters in March, protested outside the Indian Embassy in Canada. They raised pro-Khalistan slogans and allegedly assaulted Indian-origin journalists present on the spot. Nepal In a disturbing incident, a young man set fire to the house of his sisters lover, driven by his prejudice against the mans Dalit background. The 21-year-old perpetrator was apprehended by the police on Sunday for his destructive act, which occurred in Tatopani-4, Gidikhola. Just last week, a young man from Nepalese descent, residing in Gidikhola, entered into a love marriage with a local girl. The couple defied societal norms by marrying across caste lines after nurturing their love for two years. However, there were claims from relatives suggesting that the girl was only 16 years old. The police stated that if the marriage was indeed illegal, the suspect resorted to burning down the house as a vengeful response. Bharat Nepali, the brother of the house owner, recounted the devastating incident that took place around 4 am. The fire engulfed their house, reducing it to ashes along with all their belongings. The villagers immediately rushed to douse the flames when they noticed smoke emanating from Bharats residence in the heart of Gidikhola settlement. Advertisement A team, led by police officer Rajendra Giri, swiftly arrived at the scene within 15 minutes after receiving news of the fire. By the time they reached, the house had already suffered extensive damage. In an unexpected twist, no one was present at the house during the incident. Bharat, who works for an NGO, had left for the headquarters the previous day. The fire has displaced Bharats family, leaving them in a state of despair. Adding to their anguish, Mukund, the suspects brother, has cut off all communication with his family, intensifying their sense of loss. Bharat expressed his deep dismay, emphasizing that such caste-based atrocities are simply intolerable. Incidents of this nature are not isolated in Nepal. In May 2020, Nabaraj BK, a 23-year-old from Jajarkot district, and his group of friends traveled to a neighboring district, only to be seized by the girls family and relatives. They subjected Nabaraj and his companions to a horrific lynching before disposing of their bodies in the Bheri river. According to Inspector Dharmaraj Joshi of the Jumla police, the girls brother confessed that he impulsively set fire to the house during a heated argument. There had been previous disputes over this matter, and it has now been revealed that his anger drove him to burn down the house in an attempt to force his sister away. Gidikhola settlement is home to 28 households from the Dalit community. If the missing couple were located, the villagers were ready to engage in discussions to find a resolution. Local Dalit community leaders expressed their anger at the act of burning down a house due to the marriage of a girl from a non-Dalit community. Many local residents voiced their belief that finding and discussing the situation with the runaway couple could have led to a solution. Bharat filed a complaint against the girls father, uncle, and brother at the police station, charging them with setting the house ablaze in the early morning hours. Based on the complaint, the police apprehended the suspect, Himmat, from Kalekholi in Khalangas headquarters, just as he was about to board a Tara Air flight bound for Nepalgunj. The police estimated that the fire had caused a loss of property worth 65 lakhs. The house belonging to Mukund and the girl is approximately one kilometer apart. Mukund, who was pursuing his studies in the headquarters, was on the verge of completing his 12th standard. According to locals, the girl used to attend the village school. Inspector Joshi mentioned that police units across the Karnali province have been alerted to search for the girl. In 2011, the enactment of the Caste-Based Discrimination and Untouchability (Offense and Punishment) Act of Nepal aimed to combat untouchability, criminalize caste-based discrimination, and ensure compensation for victims. Despite the introduction of this law, which imposes stricter punishments such as three-year imprisonment and/or a fine of Rs25,000, discrimination against Dalits continues to persist. The Criminal (Code) Act-2017 also prohibits untouchability under any guise, whether it be a tradition, practice, religion, culture, caste, community, occupation, physical state, or race. Those found guilty of enforcing such discrimination can face a maximum penalty of three years in jail or a fine of Rs 30,000, or both. Government officials convicted of such crimes may be subject to an additional three-month imprisonment. The deeply troubling nature of this society, which destroys the houses of Dalits in the name of inter-caste marriage, raises questions about the realization of the social change and transformation we aspire to achieve, as pointed out by lawyer Deepa Nepalee. Former Prime Minister of Nepal, Baburam Bhattarai, expressed his views on the incident, stating, This is not only a crime against Dalit youth and their family, but it is also a crime against the enlightened consciousness, values, and humanity of the twenty-first century. It is not just Dalits, but all humanists who are poised to dismantle the inhumane system of apartheid that has persisted in Nepal and South Asia for three thousand years under the guise of scriptures. Another revolution is inevitable, and it will arise through the joint efforts of conscious individuals! It will serve as a litmus test for those currently in power, those who have been shaped by the school of continuous revolution. Ukraine has launched a drone attack on Moscow, the Russian Defence Ministry said, forcing flights to be diverted from the Vnukovo International Airport, a media report said. Five drones were reportedly used in Tuesdays attack, which also targeted locations in the wider region around the capital. The ministry said all the drones were shot down and there were no casualties or damage, BBC reported. Ukraine has not claimed responsibility for the alleged attack, BBC reported. Advertisement Restrictions at Vnukovo Airport, one of Moscows three international airports, have now been lifted. Flights from Turkey, the UAE and Egypt were among those affected, BBC reported. According to the Defence Ministry, four of the drones flying in the Moscow region were shot down by air defence systems. A fifth was intercepted electronically before crashing. An attempt by the Kiev regime to attack a zone where civil infrastructure is located, including an airport that receives international flights, is a new terrorist act, Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said on Telegram, BBC reported. Russian state media said one of the drones crashed in the town of Kubinka, which is roughly 36 km from the Vnukovo Airport in the south-west of the city. Another was reportedly shot down near the village of Valuevo, also near the airport. Tuesdays drone attack comes after Ukraine launched its counter-offensive against Russia. This has not yet achieved the sort of speed and momentum some had hoped for, including Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, who previously acknowledged progress was slow. A staggering amount of more than 1 million (860,000) has been raised through an online fundraiser to support the family of a French police officer who fatally shot a teenager during a routine traffic stop. The incident ignited widespread riots throughout the country, and the substantial sum raised far surpasses a similar campaign for the family of the deceased boy. The fundraiser was initiated by Jean Messiha, an independent right-wing populist and former adviser to Marine Le Pen. It has garnered donations from over 52,000 individuals, while a fund established by the officers colleagues has collected approximately 60,000. The fundraiser has sparked a heated response from various political figures. MP Eric Bothorel, representing President Emmanuel Macrons ruling party, criticized Jean Messiha, stating, Jean Messiha is playing with fire. He condemned the campaign as indecent and scandalous. Advertisement Justice Minister Eric Dupond-Moretti denounced the fundraiser, suggesting that it was exacerbating the existing unrest and describing it as a populist manipulation of the teenagers tragic death. In the face of overwhelming support for the officer responsible for her grandsons death, Nahels grandmother expressed her heartbreak. Speaking to the BFM channel, she stated, He took the life of my grandson. This man must pay, the same as everyone. However, she also expressed her faith in the justice system, stating, I have confidence in the justice system. I believe in justice. Earlier today, mayors from across France issued a call to officials and the public to participate in protests against the ongoing violence that has engulfed the nation since the fatal shooting of the 17-year-old boy last week. The mayors appeal for a mobilisation of citizens for a return to republican order came after enraged protestors vandalized the residence of a mayor, which subsequently led to widespread violence. In a statement, an association representing the countrys mayors highlighted the alarming escalation of unrest throughout various regions, with republican symbols being targeted with extreme violence. Eric Ciotti, the leader of the right-wing Republican party in the country, defended the decision to support the police officer and mentioned the possibility of making a personal contribution. He acknowledged that the officers family was currently facing difficulties. The situation continues to unfold, with tensions running high as the country grapples with the aftermath of the shooting, the ensuing riots, and the divisive response to the fundraising efforts for the officers family. A 52-year-old man from Kerala, who admitted to killing his Indian wife and two children last year, has been sentenced to life, involving a minimum of 40 years in prison, by a UK court. Saju Chelavalel, who was sentenced at the Northampton Crown Court on Monday, had pleaded guilty to three counts of murder of his wife Anju Asok, 35, a staff nurse at Kettering General Hospital, and her two children Jeeva and Janvi Saju, aged six and four.. The three died on December 15, 2022, when emergency services were called to Petherton Court to reports that they had suffered serious injuries. Advertisement Referring to an audio recording taken at the time of Anjus death, which was played to the court at sentencing, Justice Edward Pepperall said: While you were squeezing the life out of your wife, your children can be heard crying in the background for their mummy. It is clear that they heard what was going on and knew that she was being hurt by you. The Northamptonshire Police told the court that after reaching Petherton Court, they broke the door down in order to gain entry and found Saju Chelavalel holding a knife. Despite repeated requests for him to put the knife down, he continued to wield it whilst shouting You shoot me, resulting in him being Tasered. The attending officers went on to find the bodies of Anju Asok, aged 35, and her two children Jeeva Saju, aged 6, and Janvi Saju, aged 4. After attempts to revive Anju, she was declared dead at the scene and sadly, both children were also declared dead a short time later. Forensic post-mortem examinations which took place at Leicester Royal Infirmary following their deaths, concluded that all three died as a result of asphyxiation. Senior Investigating Officer, Detective Inspector Simon Barnes said: Anju was a mother like many all over the world. She wanted to provide the best possible life she could for her children Jeeva and Janvi. During the sentencing hearing, the court heard from the family spokesperson who said: The life of Anjus parents and siblings back in India will never be the same without her. She came to this country with a lot of expectations and dreams. She was not expecting a tragic death from her husband, whom she trusted. Saju, along with his children, had joined his wife in the UK last year. A driver by profession, he was frustrated after failing to get a job, IANS reported earlier. The couple used to quarrel over financial issues which took a turn for the worse last year, and ended in him killing the three. Swedish data protection watchdog has fined two companies for using Google Analytics for web statistics, asking them, along with two more companies it audited, to stop using Google Analytics. The Swedish Authority for Privacy Protection (IMY) audited how four companies use Google Analytics for web statistics. IMY issued administrative fines against two of the companies. One of the companies has recently stopped using the statistics tool on its own initiative, while IMY orders the other three to also stop using it. Advertisement Google Analytics is a tool for measuring and analysing traffic on websites. The companies audited were CDON, Coop, Dagens Industri and Tele2. IMY issued an administrative fine of 12 million SEK (over $1.1 million) against Tele2 and 300,000 SEK (around $30,000) against CDON. The audits are based on complaints from the organisation None of Your Business (NOYB) in the light of the Schrems II ruling by the European Court of Justice (CJEU). The complaints allege that the companies, in violation of the law, transfer personal data to the United States, said the IMY in its ruling. In its audits, IMY considered that the data transferred to the US via Googles statistics tool is personal data because the data can be linked with other unique data that is transferred. All four companies have based their decisions on the transfer of personal data via Google Analytics on standard contractual clauses. From IMYs audits, it appears that none of the companies additional technical security measures are sufficient, said the watchdog. Saint-Laurent, CA (H4T1V6) Today Scattered thunderstorms this morning, then mainly cloudy during the afternoon with thunderstorms likely. High 73F. Winds S at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 90%. Locally heavy rainfall possible.. Tonight Showers and thundershowers early, then mainly cloudy after midnight with light rain possible. Low 63F. Winds SW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 80%. Have an interesting bit of news youd like to see mentioned in the Along the Way column? Email it to Natasha Connolly at news@thesunchronicle.com. BAKU, Azerbaijan, July 4. Nepals Foreign Minister Narayan Prakash Saud will visit Azerbaijan to attend the ministerial meeting of the Coordinating Bureau of the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM), a diplomatic source told Trend. Saud will speak at the conference on July 5. During the visit, he will meet with high-ranking officials of the Azerbaijani government, as well as heads of delegations from different countries. His visit will end on July 8. The ministerial meeting will take place on July 5-6. Azerbaijan has been chairing the NAM since 2019. Despite the fact that the period of the country's chairmanship in the organization fell at the height of the pandemic, Baku successfully fulfilled its presidential mission and received the right to lead the movement for another one year. --- Follow the author on Twitter: @Lyaman_Zeyn BAKU, Azerbaijan, July 4. President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev has sent a congratulatory letter to President of the United States of America Joseph Biden, Trend reports. "Dear Mr. President, It is on the occasion of the National Holiday of the United States of America Independence Day that on my own behalf and on behalf of the people of Azerbaijan, I extend my heartfelt congratulations to you and, through you, the friendly people of the United States of America, and offer my best wishes. The relations between the Republic of Azerbaijan and the United States of America have developed dynamically, rooted in friendship and cooperation and ascended to the level of strategic partnership in a number of spheres. Tackling global challenges and confronting international terrorism, active and productive joint efforts in security matters, and engagement across the broad spectrum in the economic domain are among the primary factors defining our bilateral relations. Our critical cooperation in the energy sector is gratifying. The United States has remained a resolute and steadfast supporter of Azerbaijans energy policy at every phase. We especially value the close cooperation between our nations in ensuring energy security and the U.S.s comprehensive support for large-scale transnational projects implemented by us. Presently, a favorable environment has emerged for ushering in lasting peace in the South Caucasus. We highly appreciate the efforts by the U.S. in normalizing Armenia-Azerbaijan relations and the process of preparing the peace agreement based on the norms and principles of international law. Dear Mr. President, Today, we are determined to capitalize on the substantial potential of joint activity across a number of domains and further expand our ties with the U.S. I am confident that we will continue our consistent efforts to develop and solidify the Azerbaijan-U.S. partnership, stemming from mutual trust and support, in line with the interests of our states and for the sake of prosperity of our peoples. On this memorable day, I seize this opportunity to wish robust health and success to you and everlasting prosperity to the friendly people of the United States of America," the letter reads. BAKU, Azerbaijan, July 4. Relations between Azerbaijan and the US have ascended to the level of strategic partnership in a number of spheres, President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev said in a congratulatory letter addressed to President of the United States Joseph Biden, Trend reports. "The relations between the Republic of Azerbaijan and the United States of America have developed dynamically, rooted in friendship and cooperation and ascended to the level of strategic partnership in a number of spheres. Tackling global challenges and confronting international terrorism, active and productive joint efforts in security matters, and engagement across the broad spectrum in the economic domain are among the primary factors defining our bilateral relations. Our critical cooperation in the energy sector is gratifying. The United States has remained a resolute and steadfast supporter of Azerbaijans energy policy at every phase. We especially value the close cooperation between our nations in ensuring energy security and the U.S.s comprehensive support for large-scale transnational projects implemented by us," President Ilham Aliyev said. Job Title: Community Liaison Office Coordinator (Part-time Jobs) Organisation: United States US Embassy, US Mission in Uganda Duty Station: Kampala, Uganda Position Number: Kampala-2023-059 Salary: USD $50,662 /Per Year About US Embassy: The United States Embassy in Kampala, Uganda has enjoyed diplomatic relations with Uganda for over 30 years. Ambassador Natalie E. Brown currently heads the U.S Mission to Uganda. The Mission is composed of several offices and organizations all working under the auspices of the Embassy and at the direction of the Ambassador. Among the offices operating under the U.S Mission to Uganda are: United States Agency for International Development (USAID) Centers for Disease Control (CDC) Peace Corps Job Summary: The CLO Coordinator manages the Community Liaison Office at post by developing action plans that address the needs of post community while meeting DOS and ICASS service standards. The incumbent identifies and develops inclusive programs, activities, events, and communication that are aimed at enhancing the morale of posts diverse community. CLO Coordinator develops and implements program Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs), after-action reports, and regular program evaluations. Qualifications, Skills and Experience: NOTE: All applicants must address each selection criterion detailed below with specific and comprehensive information supporting each item. The applicants for the United States US Embassy GSO Community Liaison Office Coordinator job opportunity should have completed two years of college or university studies is required. At least three years of professional experience, including but not limited to administration, office management, customer service, program management, or public policy required A good understanding of the Foreign Service community and the structure of the federal government. Knowledge of general principles of program management and program monitoring. Standard knowledge of Microsoft Office is required. Knowledge of the Department of States programs and policies pertaining to CLO Coordinators eight Areas of Responsibility (community liaison, crisis management, employment, education, guidance and referral, communications and outreach, welcoming/orientation/departures, and events planning). Must be able to analyze specific issues and formulate conclusions and recommendations for action. Must be able to work in a high-stress, fast-paced work environment. Excellent interpersonal and communication skills, good briefing and writing skills. Ability to draft and edit material for correspondence and publication required. Proficiency in project management, including short-term and long-term projects. Ability to work at a high-level with work disruptions and follow an untraditional schedule. Language: English Level 3 (Good working knowledge, speaking, reading, and writing) is required. How to Apply: All those interested in working with the United States Embassy, US Mission in Kampala should send their applications online at the link below. Click Here Deadline: 12th July 2023 For more of the latest jobs, please visit https://www.theugandanjobline.com or find us on our facebook page https://www.facebook.com/UgandanJobline Job Title: Programme Advisor Climate Finance and Environment Organisation: Royal Danish Embassy in Kampala Duty Station: Kampala, Uganda About US: The Royal Danish Embassy in Kampala is the diplomatic mission of The Kingdom of the Denmark. The Danish Embassy in Kampala connects Denmark and Uganda. The Embassy handles projects backed by Danish International Aid, supports Danish companies in Uganda as well as Danish citizens. Job Summary: The Danish Embassy seeks to recruit a Programme Advisor Climate Finance and Environment to help drive our climate finance and environment. Our engagement in climate change and environment work is strong, with a project portfolio at EUR 60m. A large part of it is related to private finance mobilisation for climate change adaptation together with our partners aBi Finance and IFAD. Forestry is a future area of interest. If you are a have experience in climate change finance as well as in the administration of development cooperation, then we would like to hear from you! Key Duties and Responsibilities: Strategy and coordination Participate in developing and executing the Embassys approach to climate finance and environment, including through activities with stakeholders and media. Support coordination and dialogue with stakeholders incl. development partners, the Government of Uganda, and civil society. Programme implementation Oversee the project finalisation, partner implementation and administration of projects including results frameworks, finance, and reporting. Provide technical advice and support to implementing partners so that they are equipped to contribute effectively towards the relevant thematic areas. Administration and grant management Support the drafting and review of grant agreements to ensure adherence to Danish government requirements. Support with grant management, i.e. lead on partner contracts signing and filing. Oversee that partners implement agreed obligations and ensure partner accountability, anti-corruption follow-up and budget management. Oversee timely reporting, including financial and narrative reporting. Monitoring of compliance and progress during the implementation of the grant. Qualifications, Skills and Experience: The applicant for Danish Embassy Programme Advisor Climate Finance and Environment job must hold a Masters degree in political science, finance, business, climate change, social science, development studies, economics, or a related field. Five years of experience in administration and management of grants, working for a donor or in a medium to large-sized donor-funded organisation. At least five years of experience working in the area of climate finance and environment. Knowledge of, or interest in, forestry is of particular interest. Experience working with partner organisations in relation to grants management Strong writing skills, including material for external use. Experience with MS Excel Good interpersonal skills, a collaborative style and the ability to communicate effectively at all levels Ability to follow written guidelines, work independently and do proactively follow up. What we offer An exciting position with meaningful work and great responsibility Influence of own tasks and planning of work and a high level of independence in the performance of tasks Committed colleagues working together in an open and informal environment A work week of 37 hours and competitive compensation package, including attractive pension and health insurance scheme Expected commencement date is 1 October 2023 or as soon as possible thereafter. The position is fixed-term, ending 30 December 2027, with a possibility for renewal. How to Apply: All candidates should send their applications via Email to this address kmtambrecruitment@um.dk with the subject DK Programme Advisor Climate. The application should consist of 1) A cover letter explaining how your past experience relates to the key responsibilities above, 2) A CV, including contact details for 3 work-related referees and 3) A note where you explain the role of the private sector in climate change adaptation (maximum 2500 characters including spaces) to a non-technical audience. Your email must not exceed 3 MB. Please only email the three required documents, do not attach copies of certificates, diplomas or reference letters at this point. Please do not attach photographs to your application. NB: While we thank all applicants for your interest, only those selected for interviews will be contacted. Deadline: 31st July 2023 by 5:00pm For more of the latest jobs, please visit https://www.theugandanjobline.com or find us on our facebook page https://www.facebook.com/UgandanJobline Job Title: Associate Finance Officer (Fresher UN Jobs) Organisation: United Nations Regional Service Centre Entebbe (RSCE) Duty Station: Entebbe, Uganda Job Opening Number: 23-Finance-RSCE-212822-R-Entebbe (R) Reports to: Finance Officer/ Team Lead Grade: NOB About US: The Regional Service Centre in Entebbe, Uganda (RSCE) was established in July 2010, following the adoption of General Assembly resolution 64/269. The Centre provides efficient, client-oriented and scalable services with the goal of moving transactional, non-location dependent administrative functions to the Centre from its client entities. This includes transactional elements of human resources, finance, multimodal movement and control, personnel and cargo transport and information and communications technology (ICT) support. This position is located in the National Staff Benefits and Payroll Service Line, at the RSCE under the Department of Operational Support. Job Summary: The Associate Finance Officer assists in the implementation of the service line within the Service Delivery model of the RSCE. The incumbent assists in providing services and advice for a fully integrated and regulatory compliant service line by assisting in the preparation of financial statements for RSCE, identifying and resolving problem transactions and irregularities, evaluating and recommending improvements to workflow processes and procedures as well as ensuring complete, accurate and timely payroll, payment records, and UNJSPF reporting. Key Duties and Responsibilities: Within limits of delegated authority, the Associate Finance Officer assists the centre as follows: Provides support towards the achievement of RSCE key performance indicators (KPIs) and all Service Level Agreements (SLAs) components for RSCE projects/programmes/operations related to the service line. Assists in the management of delivery of services such as the processing of non-travel related commercial vendors invoices and payments to vendors providing goods and services to all RSCE client missions (processing invoices resulting from commitments such as Purchase Orders, Funds Commitments, Direct Expenditures, Medical clinic invoices and replenishment of imprest/ petty cash. Assists in the treasury role for all payments originating from RSCE client missions, and all payments assigned to the RSCE house banks; prepares staff members claims, danger pay, daily subsistence allowance, mission subsistence allowance for Government Provided Personnel, Civilian Police, and Staff Officers. Volunteer living allowance and any other allowance and any other allowances for payments in conformity and adherence to applicable United Nations policies e.g., staff rules, financial regulations and rules, ST/AI issuances or practices, IPSAS policy framework etc. Assist in supervising the disbursement processes of the RSCE or the client missions as appropriate; monitors the house bank account balances and transaction summaries; assists in managing cash flow requirements. Reviews, verifies, corrects, and approves payroll transactions or other payments through journal voucher processing. Monitors and verifies all payroll and payment transactions to ensure accounting records and financial reports are complete, accurate, and compliant with IPSAS and all related UN Regulations, Rules, and Administrative Instructions. Supervises the pension, periodic, and year-end reconciliation, analysis, and reporting in a timely manner, which includes ensuring full compliance with UNHQ and UNJSPF reporting requirements for year-end schedules, separation notifications, pension exception reports, and UNJSPF audit notes. Provides advice, financial interpretations in response to audits and other queries to ensure adherence to the UN financial regulations and rules, staff rules, administrative instructions, Bulletins and Circulars under the guidance of the Service Delivery Manager. Acts as a Certifying Officer under financial rule 105.5 or Approving Officer under financial rule 105.4 in adherence with the UN regulations and rules. Reviews and verifies completeness of documentation supporting invoices and payment requests, analyses accounting transactions and open items in the accounting system and recommends corrective actions. Performs any other duties as assigned. Qualifications, Skills and Experience: The applicant for the United Nations Regional Service Centre Entebbe (RSCE) Associate Finance Officer job should hold an advanced university degree (Masters or Doctorate degree, or equivalent) in Business Administration, Finance or related fields is required. A first-level degree in the specified fields of studies with two additional years of relevant work experience may be accepted in lieu of an advanced university degree. Professional certification/accreditation as a Certified Public Accountant (CPA), Chartered Accountant (ACCA/CIMA/CIPFA) or by a similar professional body is desirable. A minimum of two (2) years of progressively responsible experience in Finance, Administration, Budget, Business Administration or related area at the national or international level is required. Experience working in a United Nations common system (inclusive of peacekeeping field operations, political missions and UN agencies, funds and programmes) or similar international organization or non-governmental organization is desirable. Experience with financial management or accounting in an international setting is desirable. Experience processing financial and/or payroll transactions utilizing an ERP (i.e., SAP, PeopleSoft, etc.) is desirable. Experience in a Shared Service Centre is desirable. Languages: fluency in English (both oral and written) is required; knowledge of French is desirable. Competencies Professionalism Knowledge of financial and payroll policies, principles, practices, and procedures, including IPSAS requirements in relation to payroll. Ability to identity sources for data collection, conduct independent research and analysis, identify, apply analytical and evaluative skills to resolve transaction errors, and formulate options and present conclusions. Ability to apply various United Nations or a similar entity administrative rules and regulations in work situations. Shows pride in work and in achievements; demonstrates professional competence and mastery of subject matter; is conscientious and efficient in meeting commitments, observing deadlines and achieving results; is motivated by professional rather than personal concerns; shows persistence when faced with difficult problems or challenges; remains calm in stressful situations. Takes responsibility for incorporating gender perspectives and ensuring the equal participation of women and men in all areas of work. Knowledge of financial and payroll policies, principles, practices, and procedures, including IPSAS requirements in relation to payroll. Ability to identity sources for data collection, conduct independent research and analysis, identify, apply analytical and evaluative skills to resolve transaction errors, and formulate options and present conclusions. Ability to apply various United Nations or a similar entity administrative rules and regulations in work situations. Shows pride in work and in achievements; demonstrates professional competence and mastery of subject matter; is conscientious and efficient in meeting commitments, observing deadlines and achieving results; is motivated by professional rather than personal concerns; shows persistence when faced with difficult problems or challenges; remains calm in stressful situations. Takes responsibility for incorporating gender perspectives and ensuring the equal participation of women and men in all areas of work. Planning & Organizing Develops clear goals that are consistent with agreed strategies; Identifies priority activities and assignments; adjusts priorities as required; Allocates appropriate amount of time and resources for completing work; Foresees risks and allows for contingencies when planning; Monitors and adjusts plans and actions as necessary; -Uses time efficiently. Develops clear goals that are consistent with agreed strategies; Identifies priority activities and assignments; adjusts priorities as required; Allocates appropriate amount of time and resources for completing work; Foresees risks and allows for contingencies when planning; Monitors and adjusts plans and actions as necessary; -Uses time efficiently. Client Orientation Considers all those to whom services are provided to be clients and seeks to see things from clients point of view; Establishes and maintains productive partnerships with clients by gaining their trust and respect; Identifies clients needs and matches them to appropriate solutions; Monitors ongoing developments inside and outside the clients environment to keep informed and anticipate problems; Keeps clients informed of progress or setbacks in projects; Meets timeline for delivery of products or services to client. Considers all those to whom services are provided to be clients and seeks to see things from clients point of view; Establishes and maintains productive partnerships with clients by gaining their trust and respect; Identifies clients needs and matches them to appropriate solutions; Monitors ongoing developments inside and outside the clients environment to keep informed and anticipate problems; Keeps clients informed of progress or setbacks in projects; Meets timeline for delivery of products or services to client. Teamwork Works collaboratively with colleagues to achieve organizational goals; Solicits input by genuinely valuing others ideas and expertise; is willing to learn from others; Places team agenda before personal agenda; Supports and acts in accordance with final group decision, even when such decisions may not entirely reflect own position; Shares credit for team accomplishments and accepts joint responsibility for team shortcomings. How to Apply: All candidates who wish to join the United Nations should apply online at the link below. Click Here Deadline: 29th July 2023 For more of the latest jobs, please visit https://www.theugandanjobline.com or find us on our facebook page https://www.facebook.com/UgandanJobline Job Title: Project Assistant Organisation: Makasi Rescue Foundation (MRF) Duty Station: Kampala, Uganda Reports to: Program Manager About US: Since 2018, Makasi Rescue Foundation (MRF) has been implementing Refugee skills training program in Kampala to empower the refugee/host community with skills for self-reliance. MRF is registered locally here in Uganda with the National Board of Non-Governmental 0rganisations and in USA with the main purpose of rescuing vulnerable people and building peace bridges for harmony and Co-existence (Refugees/Host community). Job Summary: Makasi Rescue Foundation is an NGO seeking a Project Assistant will be responsible for the overall leadership, management oversight and strategic direction of the Makasi Rescue Foundation. The Project Assistant will also be responsible for supervision of all field staff in the program, reporting and managing relationships with donors, and partner agencies at field level. Key Duties and Responsibilities: Coordinate the implementation of our projects at MRF, including project design and planning, implementation, coordination of activities, budget management, evaluation and reporting to ensure that the project is effectively and efficiently managed Ensuring high quality, integrity, transparency and accountability of key processes in the project, including: project design, development, and budgeting; project approval process; financial management; and reporting; Supervise the review of Monthly, quarterly and narrative reports, of work plans and budgets submitted by project partners, and liaise with Accountant assistant to process timely disbursements. Ensures that projects partners and MRF implementation teams are engaged in decision-making and receive the organizational and technical capacity needed to successfully complete their activities and reporting requirements. Ensure swift communication and collaboration with the MRF project partners for the effective implementation of the project Establish or reinforce partnerships with other organizations in the field, to create synergies for raising awareness on human rights compliance and protection. Contribute to fundraising efforts through contributions to concept note and full proposal. Represent MRF at project meetings and external events. Any other duty as assigned by the Supervisor Qualifications, Skills and Experience: The ideal applicant must hold a bachelors degree in relevant areas Bachelor of project planning, Bachelor of M&E, Bachelor of Public Health. At least three years of experience in writing project proposal NB: This position is restricted to only refugees How to Apply: All qualified applicant should please send their updated resumes, application and academic documents to info@makasirescuefoundation.com Deadline: 15th July 2023 NOTE: Only shortlisted candidates will be shortlisted For more of the latest jobs, please visit https://www.theugandanjobline.com or find us on our facebook page https://www.facebook.com/UgandanJobline BAKU, Azerbaijan, July 4. It has been 6 months since the terrorist attack against the Azerbaijani embassy in Tehran, committed on January 27, 2023, Trend reports. This crime committed against Azerbaijani embassy is a terrorist act, and it would be absurd to say that it was not planned. However, Tehran has not yet said a word about why the security of the embassy was not ensured, how this terrorist attack was planned and who was involved in its commission. Iranian officials are content to just evade answers. Today, Representative of the Iranian judicial system Masoud Setayeshi said at a press briefing in Tehran that "the unexpected attack on the Azerbaijani embassy in Tehran was a bitter event." Official representatives of the spheres of justice, politics and security of the country have always noted after the incident that the perpetrators of this crime, the persons involved in it, should be severely punished in accordance with the law. There is one defendant in the criminal case. The investigation into this person has been completed. The investigation into the other accused is ongoing. A comprehensive investigation should clarify various aspects of what happened with the decision on the criminal case in cooperation with Azerbaijan. Every person who violates internal security in the country should be punished so that it becomes a lesson for others. Mullah Abbas-Ali Soleimani was killed by gunfire at a branch of the National Bank in Mazandaran province of Iran, on April 26. The accused of the murder was sentenced to death on June 14. Or last year, within a few hours, protest participants were identified, who were subsequently executed. At the same time, the Iranian judicial system has been unable or unwilling to solve a crime for 6 months that undermines the country's international image. Iran is doing everything possible to make everyone forget about the terrorist act against the Azerbaijani embassy in Tehran. However, Iran should not forget that it is obliged to bring to criminal responsibility the perpetrators of this terrorist attack. Gehna Advani, a young and successful influencer on social media platforms, who takes on her latest campaign with Dyson by storm! Gehna Advani, a Dubai based Gen Z is one of the most popular Influencers in the Middle East. Gehna Advani has been active on social media for over 3 years, and has amassed a large following of dedicated fans from UAE to the United States. Gehna is renowned world-wide for her expertise in luxury fashion, boasting over 400K followers on social media. With Gen Z content that is consistently creative and on-trend, it's no surprise that she is a leader among content creators from the UAE. Her Instagram feed oozes elegance and authenticity, and she's not just limited to fashion her sophisticated eye for brands in beauty, skincare, and lifestyle is something to behold. Majority of her tik tok videos are based on her daily vlogs, skincare and makeup tutorials! Recently, Advani was spotted shooting for a campaign with the world renowned brand, Dyson on their latest campaign that showcased their amazing Supersonic Hair Dryer. The innovative product by Dyson has been designed to give the best performance while drying and styling hair, without any damage or extreme heat. Gehna Advani took us b ehind the scenes on her IG stories where she spoke about her experience shooting with the brand and gave a glimpse of the days activities. In the final video, she could be seen posing with confidence and ease, letting her hair loose in true Dyson Supersonic style! She rocked her golden locks, from going totally natural to experimenting with a classic blow-dry. Gehna beamed with joy as she showed us how powerful, yet quiet, the product was. The experience with Dyson and its Supersonic Hair Dryer was truly enjoyable and unique for Gehna Advani. She had a great time shooting and bringing to life the great product that Dyson has to offer. With her chic looks and stylish attitude, she was the perfect face to represent the brand in its latest campaign. Advani gained over 4 million views in combination with the 2 videos she posted on her tiktok platform in collaboration with Dyson. https://www.instagram.com/p/CuGq6s1hP-G/ And thats just one of the successful campaigns Gehna has been a part of. She has also worked with various beauty brands like Lancome, NARS, Kylie Cosmetics, Laura Mercier, MAC Cosmetics, Charlotte Tilbury, Nars Cosmetics, PIXI Beauty, etc. Gehna Advani is the rising star in the beauty industry in UAE, Dubai and stands out from the rest of the crowd due to her proactive content creation and great use of product promotion strategies. Actor Shah Rukh Khan, reportedly, met with an accident on the sets during the shooting of one his projects in Los Angeles. Immediately after the accident he was rushed to the hospital in United States (US) and had to undergo a surgery. The actor was spotted with a bandage on his nose after he returned back to India. However, an official statement was not issued by Shah Rukh or his team. "SRK was shooting in Los Angeles for a project and he ended up hurting his nose. He began bleeding and was immediately rushed to a hospital," ETimes reported. After the surgery, SRK is now 'recuperating at home'. "His team was informed by the doctors that there was nothing to worry and that King Khan would need to undergo a minor surgery to stop the bleeding. Post the operation, SRK was spotted with a bandage on his nose Shah Rukh Khan is now back in the country, recuperating at home," it added. Earlier, while shooting for the movie Raees in 2017, he underwent a surgery for knee injury. During the shooting of Chennai Express too he was injured in 2013. His much awaited first glimpse of Jawan will be out this month. The movie is expected to hit the theatres on September 7. SRK is also set to make a special appearance in Salman Khan's Tiger 3 movie. After Reliance ADA Group Chairman Anil Ambani, his wife Tina Ambani appeared before the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in Mumbai in connection with the Foreign Exchange Management Act (FEMA) violation case. Anil Ambani had appeared before the ED on Monday in connection with an investigation linked to the alleged foreign exchange rules violation. According to sources, his statement was recorded as part of the fresh case filed under the sections of the FEMA Act, 1999. In the money laundering case against Yes Bank promoter Rana Kapoor and others, Anil Ambani had earlier appeared before the ED in 2020. The investigation, reportedly, is related to the possession of alleged undisclosed assets from abroad and movement of funds. Earlier in connection with a money laundering case against Yes Bank promoter Rana Kapoor and others, Anil Ambani had appeared before the ED in 2020. Last year, the income-tax department had issued a notice to Ambani under the anti-black money law for allegedly evading Rs 420 crore in taxes on undisclosed funds of more than Rs 814 crore held in two Swiss bank accounts. The Bombay High Court, in March, ordered an interim stay on this I-T show-cause notice and penalty demand. (With PTI inputs) It was a day of mass messaging for domestic audiences, cross-border signalling and veiled references at the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) leaders' summit held virtually. Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke about cross border-terrorism and batted for better connectivity to enhance mutual trust; Pakistans Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif chose to push the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor as the flagship for Belt and Road Initiative, while also hinting at Kashmir. The dragon, however, chose to cast the net wider and, in a veiled dig at America, called for opposing hegemonism and power politics and making the system of global governance fairer and more equitable. Afghanistan, however, emerged as an area of agreement. The situation in Afghanistan has directly impacted the security of all of us. India's concerns and expectations regarding Afghanistan are similar to those of most of the SCO countries, said Modi. We must come together to strive for the well-being of the people of Afghanistan. Humanitarian assistance to Afghan citizens, the formation of an inclusive government, the fight against terrorism and drug trafficking, and ensuring the rights of women, children, and minorities are our shared priorities. .. It is important that Afghanistan's territory is not used to spread instability in neighboring countries or to encourage extremist ideologies. Sharif, in his opening statement, echoed the concerns on Afghanistan. Stability in Afghanistan is critical for achieving this common objective, he said. He also urged the international community to engage with the country. The international community currently finds itself in a standstill with Afghanistan. The cascade of unmet expectations has meant that critical support needed by Afghanistan to stave-off a grave humanitarian crisis, prevent an economic meltdown and to combat terrorism, has been withheld. This policy needs an urgent reset; the international community should meaningfully engage with the Interim Afghan Government to take next steps, he said. For President Xi Jiping, the summit was also to set the tone before the arrival of US Treasury Chief Janet Yellen this week. In his speech, translated and quoted by CNN, the Chinese leader said that promoting economic growth is the shared responsibility of countries in the region. CNN quoted him as saying he was opposed to breaking links and decoupling, a clear message to America about the ongoing trade tensions. Xi was not the only leader who chose to send out a clear message. Modi, too, used the forum to hit out at Pakistan and Chinaespecially on terrorism. Terrorism has become a major threat to regional and global peace, he said. Dealing with this challenge requires decisive action. Regardless of its form or manifestation, we must unite in our fight against terrorism. Some countries use cross-border terrorism as an instrument of their policies and provide shelter to terrorists. SCO should not hesitate to criticize such nations. There should be no place for double standards on such serious matters. We need to enhance mutual cooperation in dealing with terror financing as well, Modi said. Last month, China had blocked a proposal by India and the United States at the United Nations to designate Lashkar-e-Taiba terrorist Sajid Mir, wanted for his involvement in the 26/11 Mumbai terrorist attacks, as a global terrorist. Intensifying the fight between the Lieutanent Governor and Delhi government led by Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), the former has terminated the services of around 400 private persons. The AAP has retorted by saying that they would challenge the L-G's decision in court. The statement from the L-G's office on Monday stated that the 400 private persons were engaged in a non-transparent manner and without the mandatory approvals of the competent authority. While, AAP said that the claims made by the L-G are false and all were hired following the administrative norms. "The LG is hell-bent on completely destroying Delhi. He chose to punish these 400 talented young professionals only because they chose to associate with the Delhi government. No principles of natural justice were followed when the LG took this decision," said the statement. AAP also alleged that no show cause notice, or explanation was sought before taking the decision. This unconstitutional decision will be challenged in court, said AAP. The private persons terminated were graduates from top universities and colleges including IIM, London School of Economics, and Cambridge. "These fellows were from top colleges and universities such as IIM Ahmedabad, Delhi School of Economics, NALSAR, JNU, NIT, London School of Economics, Cambridge, etc. and were doing excellent work in various departments. They were all hired following due process and administrative norms," it said. "Delhi LG, VK Saxena has agreed to the proposal of the Services department to immediately terminate the services of about 400 private persons engaged as Fellows/Associate Fellows/Advisors/Dy Advisors/Specialits/Senior Research Officers/Consultants, etc by Delhi government in its various departments and agencies," said L-G's office statement. The L-G's office also claimed that the administrative departments could not verify the veracity of work experience certificates submitted by them, said L-G's office. It also added that if any administrative department finds it appropriate to continue such engagements they may propose detailed cases with proper justification and forward to the Services Department, Government of National Capital Territory of Delhi (GNCTD). Sops for different sections of society continue in Madhya Pradesh in the election year. On Wednesday, Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan announced the end of the yearly renewal system for contract government employees and a string of job-related benefits for them. Speaking at a convention of the contract employees in Bhopal, the chief minister praised the contributions of the contract employees working in key departments, saying they worked shoulder to shoulder with regular employees and sometimes contribute more than regular employees. Hence, it was unfair to keep the sword of yearly renewal hanging on their heads, he observed. Chouhan said government employees are the foundation stone in the structure of progress of Madhya Pradesh. Announcing the list of benefits, he said the contract employees will be given the benefit of the National Pension Scheme (NPS) and will be offered benefits under the health insurance scheme like regular employees, and their wards will be eligible for employment on compassionate grounds (in case of death of an employee). Also, the policy of offering starting pay at 90 per cent of the basic pay of equivalent regular employees will be discontinued and employees will get starting salaries at 100 per cent (of the basic pay), the CM said. The CM further said contract employees will also get gratuity at retirement, and 50 per cent of the appointments on regular posts will be reserved for them. These employees will also get leaves on par with regular employeesfemale employees will get the full benefits of maternity leaves. Chouhan said the government and the employees have been at loggerheads sometimes (due to pending demands of the employees), but the salaries of some of the employees deducted for the agitation periods will be refunded and the police cases against them will be retracted. Regularisation demand remains unfulfilled These announcements are likely to benefit about one lakh contract employees in various state government departments who have been holding occasional agitation for their demands. The contract appointment system in government departments started as early as 1992, but became almost a norm in recent years. However, the main demand of the contract employeesregularisation of their services remains unfulfilled and they will continue to press for this demand, president of the Madhya Pradesh Samvida Adhikari Karmachari Sangh, Ramesh Rathore told THE WEEK. He said they are happy to accept the announcements made by the chief minister, but unless they are regularised they will continue to get the same salary and benefits at day one of the job even 20 years into service. Therefore, the main demand for regularisation stands, he added. Registration for 'earn and learn' scheme starts Meanwhile, the registration of unemployed youth for the 'CM Earn and Learn Scheme' (Sikho Kamao Yojana)a job-based skill training programmebegan on Wednesday. The chief minister launched the official portal and mobile app for registration under the scheme at a programme held in Bhopal. Speaking on the occasion, he said on August 15, 2022, he had announced the recruitment to one lakh government posts within a year. Today I am happy to inform you that recruitment has been done on 55,000 posts and the remaining posts will be filled by August 15, Chouhan said. Under the scheme, eligible youth will be placed as trainees with selected establishments and get a fixed stipend during the training period of a year. Trainees who have passed Class XII will be given a monthly stipend of Rs 8,000, ITI passed Rs 8,500, diploma passed Rs 9,000 and graduate or higher qualified trainees will get stipends of Rs 10,000 per month. The state government will pay 75 per cent of the stipend to the beneficiaries directly, while the establishments concerned will have to deposit the other 25 per cent to the bank accounts of the trainees. The 703 work areas identified for training include the manufacturing sector, engineering, electrical, mechanical, civil, management, marketing, hotel management, tourism, travel, hospital, railway, IT sector, software development, banking, insurance, accountancy, chartered accountant and other financial services. The rival factions of the Nationalist Congress Party led by veteran leader Sharad Pawar and his nephew Ajit Pawar will hold separate meetings in Mumbai on Wednesday even as the former is seeking legal opinion to tackle the crisis in the party. The Pawar-led NCP has issued a one-line whip to all party MLAs asking them to remain present at the meeting. The NCP, founded by Pawar in 1999, suffered a vertical split on Sunday after Ajit pulled off a surprise revolt and joined the BJP-Shiv Sena government in Maharashtra. Ajit took oath as the deputy chief minister while eight of his loyal MLAs were also inducted into the Eknath Shinde cabinet. The last two days witnessed a series of sackings in the party with both the factions claiming to be the real NCP and have the support of majority of the MLAs. On Monday, Pawar expelled party working president Praful Patel and general secretary Sunil Tatkare who had sided with Ajit in the rebellion. Pawar also expelled three other leaders for attending the swearing in of Ajit. In a tit-for-tat move, the Ajit group sacked state unit president Jayant Patil and appointed Tatkare as the new state head. Ajit was also elected as the leader of NCP legislature party. The NCP faction led by Pawar has moved a petition before Maharashtra Assembly Speaker Rahul Narwekar seeking the disqualification of Ajit and eight other MLAs who have taken oath as ministers. The NCP has 53 MLAs in the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly. Wednesday's meetings are likely to give a clear picture on the number of legislators supporting each group. The one-line whip issued by Pawar group's chief whip Jitendra Awhad said the meeting has been convened at YB Chavan Centre at 1 pm on July 5 and the presence of all MLAs is mandatory. Meanwhile, NCP national spokesperson Clyde Crasto said Pawar, who had returned to Mumbai from Satara on Monday night, is holding discussions with legal experts on how to handle the ongoing developments. "Taking a legal opinion is necessary as this issue concerns Schedule 10 of the constitution," he said. The 10th Schedule, which talks about the anti-defection law, is designed to prevent political defections prompted by the lure of office, material benefits or similar considerations. It also deals with the issue of disqualification on the ground of defection and the role of the speaker or the chairman of the House. The Congress in Maharashtra will convene a key meeting of its legislators on Tuesday in the wake of new political developments which saw NCP leader Ajit Pawar breaking the party to join the Eknath Shinde cabinet. The Congress MLAs are likely to discuss claiming the post of Leader of Opposition since the party has the most number of MLAs in the House after the crisis in NCP. All India Congress Committee (AICC) secretary HK Patil will attend the meeting. "The Congress has convened a meeting of its legislators where deliberations are likely to be held on staking a claim to the position of the Leader of Opposition (LoP)," Congress legislature party leader Balasaheb Thorat told reporters on Monday. Though the NCP has appointed MLA Jitendra Awhad as the LoP, party president Sharad Pawar has said that the Congress, a constituent of the Maha Vikas Aghadi, was justified in claiming the post of LoP. The post fell vacant after Ajit Pawar resigned on Friday. The Congress too said the NCP can now only appoint their group leader in the Legislative Assembly. In the 288-member Maharashtra Assembly, the Congress has 45 MLAs, while the NCP has 53 legislators. Ajit Pawar is likely to attend his first Cabinet meeting as Deputy Chief Minister on Tuesday. Meanwhile, the Sharad Pawar and Ajit Pawar factions of the NCP will hold their meetings in Yashwantrao Chavan Centre in south Mumbai and at Bhujbal Knowledge City in suburban Bandra, respectively, on Wednesday. NCP national president Sharad Pawar has called a meeting at 1 pm while the Ajit Pawar faction will meet at 11 am, functionaries from both sides said. This will be the first meeting since the party split and both factions have claimed the maximum number of MLAs are with them. Praful Patel on Cabinet post in Delhi NCP leader Praful Patel, who switched sides to the NDA, has quashed rumours of his joining the Union Ministry in Delhi, stating the party hasn't discussed anything about Delhi but is focusing on the state government. "We have not discussed anything about Delhi, we have only discussed the formation of our government in Maharashtra," Patel, who was NCP's working president, said. Sharad Pawar had sacked Praful Patel for engaging in "anti-party activities. Patel, on his part, had requested Sharad Pawar's blessings and he was their 'guru.' Prime Minister Narendra Modi, on Tuesday, inaugurated the Sai Hira Global Convention Centre in Andhra Pradesh's Puttaparthi. The inauguration was held virtually. Speaking at the event, PM Modi said, "I have seen pictures of this convention centre. This will be the centre of spiritual conferences and academic programs. Experts from all across the world will come here and I hope this centre will help the youth of the country." The convention centre has been constructed by the Sri Sathya Sai Central Trust at Prasanthi Nilayam, the main ashram of Sri Sathya Sai Baba. Funded by philanthropist Ryuko Hira, the new facility will host conferences, seminars and cultural events, including encouraging dialogue and understanding between individuals from all walks of life. "Saints are often described as flowing water in our country because saints never stop with their thoughts, nor do they ever stop with their actions. Continuous flow and continuous effort is the life of saints," the prime minister added. Spiritual centres are reviving in the country, simultaneously India is leading in economy and technology, Modi said. Speaking of Sathya Sai Baba, he said, "I always got the blessings of Sathya Sai. Sri Sathya Sai's inspiration and blessings are with us throughout this event. I have seen the pictures of this convention centre, this centre has a feeling of spirituality and presence of modernity. It has cultural divinity as well as ideological grandeur. Scholars from all over the world from different fields will gather here." Talking about India's way ahead, Modi said, "India is giving top priority to its Kartavya. The next 25 years of Independence are going to be our Kartavya Kaal" India today among world's top five economies, he added, saying that, India has the world's third largest start-up ecosystem. 40 per cent of the world's total online and digital transactions are done in India alone, Modi said and praised India's competency in areas such as digital technology and 5G technology. BAKU, Azerbaijan, July 4. President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev has signed an order "On measures for the construction of the Aghabagi-Kendabil-Shikhbagi-Nezeralili highway of the Zardab district", Trend reports. According to the decree, 6.4 million manat ($3.7 million) have been allocated to the State Agency of Highways of Azerbaijan from the reserve fund of the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan provided in the State budget of the Republic of Azerbaijan for 2023 for the construction of the highway connecting 4 settlements with a population of 4,000 people. The Ministry of Finance of the Republic of Azerbaijan has been instructed to provide financing in the amount specified in part 1 of this order. The Cabinet of Ministers of the Republic of Azerbaijan has been instructed to resolve issues arising from this order. The Madras High Court delivered a split verdict in the habeas corpus petition filed by minister Senthil Balajis wife Megala on Tuesday. The minister's wife filed a petition against his arrest by the Enforcement Directorate in a money laundering case. The case will now be heard by a third judge appointed by the Chief Justice of the Madras High Court. The High Court bench comprising of Justices J. Nisha Banu and Bharatha Chakravarthy said that the matter will be placed before the Chief Justice for further orders. In her order, Justice Nisha Banu observed that the habeas corpus petition is maintainable under the law. Dismissing the petition filed by the ED, seeking to exclude Senthil Balajis treatment period while calculating the custodial interrogation period, Justice Nisha Banu said that the ED is not entrusted with the powers to seek police custody under the PMLA. Justice Bharatha Chakravarthy observed that the habeas corpus petition is not maintainable under the law as the arrest is not shown as illegal and also because the petitioner had not made a case to hold that the remand was illegal. Also, because Senthil Balaji has not been in the custody of the Enforcement Directorate since the day of arrest, he excluded the period of treatment undergone by Balaji in a private hospital while calculating the period of custodial interrogation. Justice Bharatha Chakravarthy ordered that the period from June 14 to the date of his discharge from the hospital has to be excluded from the period of custodial interrogation. Senthil Balajis wife Megala filed a habeas corpus petition in the Madras High Court immediately after he was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate. While Mukul Rohatgi and DMK Rajya Sabha MP and senior counsel N.R. Elango appeared in favour of Megala, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, Additional Solicitor General A.R.L. Sundaresan and Special Prosecutor N. Ramesh appeared for the Enforcement Directorate. Mukul Rohatgi and Elango argued that the Enforcement Directorate violated Senthil Balajis fundamental and statutory rights under section 41 of CrPC and Article 22 of the constitution. They also said that the habeas corpus is maintainable under law as the remand order passed by the principal sessions court was just procedural. On the other, Tushar Mehta and others on behalf of the Enforcement Directorate argued that the minister was served with a punchanama, which he refused to accept, and so the contention by his wife that he was not informed about the grounds of arrest is not true. The ED also said that Balaji was informed about the reasons for his arrest by the Sessions judge before passing the remand order. However soon after the split verdict, the Enforcement Directorate filed a set of appeals in the Supreme Court against the Madras High Court split verdict in the petition. A Supreme Court Division bench comprising Justices Surya Kant and Dipankar Datta requested the Chief Justice of Madras High Court to expedite the decision in the habeas corpus petition filed by Balajis wife by placing it before a larger bench. The bench on the other hand refused to heed to the request of the Enforcement Directorate to decide the questions of law involved in the case and asked the agency to wait for the outcome in the Madras High Court on the various petitions pending. NCP president Sharad Pawar on Tuesday said those who "betrayed" his ideology should not use his photograph. "Only the party of which I am the national president and Jayant Patil the state president can use my photograph," he told reporters in Mumbai. In his lifetime, it was his prerogative to decide who should use his photograph, he said. "Those who betrayed my ideology and with whom I have ideological differences cannot use my photograph," the veteran leader added. Pawar's statement came two days after his nephew Ajit Pawar and eight other MLAs of the Nationalist Congress Party joined the BJP-Shiv Sena government in Maharashtra. The Ajit Pawar faction also removed Jayant Patil as state NCP president. Patil, on the other hand, has submitted a petition to the Assembly Speaker seeking to disqualify Ajit and his associates. Any further delay in implementation of the Uniform Civil Code (UCC) will be corrosive to our values, Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar said on Tuesday. Addressing the 25th convocation of the Indian Institute of Technology, Guwahati, Dhankar said that the UCC will bind India and its nationalism more effectively. "This was the thought process of the founding fathers. The time has come for its implementation and there can be no rationale for impediment or further delay, the vice president said, adding that Article 44 of the Constitution clearly states that the state shall endeavour to secure the UCC for its citizens across the country. He further stressed that the directive principles of state policy (DPSP) are fundamental in governance of the country and it is the duty of the state to make them into rules. Following this premise, I am stunned at the reaction of some people when there is an effort to implement the UCC. Political stakeholding cannot be at the cost of the nation and nationalism, Dhankhar said. The UCC is aimed at replacing personal laws based on religions, customs, and traditions with one common law for everyone irrespective of religion, caste, creed, sexual orientation and gender. Personal laws and laws related to inheritance, adoption and succession are likely to be covered by a common code. The vice president also cautioned against the attempts to tarnish the image of India and "frequent orchestration of anti-national narratives. It is high time choreographers of anti-Bharat narrative orchestration were effectively rebuffed, he said. Dhankhar also pointed out that no foreign entity can be allowed to tweak with India's sovereignty and reputation.Describing India as the oldest, largest, most functional and vibrant democracy that is giving stability to global peace and harmony, the vice president said: "We can not suffer dent on our flourishing and blossoming democracy and constitutional institutions." In the latest action curbing freedom of women, Taliban has banned women's beauty salons in Afghanistan. Taliban has given the businesses a month's notice to wind up. A spokesperson for the Taliban-run Virtue and Vice Ministry, Mohammad Sidik Akif Mahajar, confirmed the letter circulating on social media, however, did not provide further details on the move. It is the latest curb on the rights and freedoms of Afghan women and girls, following edicts barring them from education, public spaces and most forms of employment. The letter, dated June 24 conveys a verbal order from the supreme leader, Hibatullah Akhundzada. The ban targets the capital, Kabul, and all provinces, and gives salons throughout the country a month's notice. After that period, they must close and submit a report about their closure. The letter doesn't give reasons for the ban. Its release comes days after Akhundzada claimed that his government has taken the necessary steps for the betterment of women's lives in Afghanistan. According to reports, shutting down beauty salons were part of the wide range of measures imposed by Taliban, when they were in power from 1996 to 2001. However, the salons were reopened after 2001, following US-led invasion of Afghanistan. An Afghan woman told BBC, The Taliban are taking away the most basic human rights from Afghan women. They are violating women's rights. By this decision, they are now depriving women from serving another women. They are trying to eliminate women at every level of public life." Despite initial promises of a more moderate rule than during their previous stint in power in the 1990s, the Taliban have imposed harsh measures since seizing Afghanistan in August 2021 as US and NATO forces were pulling out. They have barred women from public spaces, like parks and gyms, and cracked down on media freedoms. The measures have triggered a fierce international uproar, increasing the country's isolation at a time when its economy has collapsed and have worsened a humanitarian crisis. (With PTI inputs.) India has summoned Canadian High Commissioner Cameron MacKayove over posters being circulated by the Khalistani radicals threatening Indian diplomats in Ottawa and Toronto. A demarche was served to the Justin Trudeau Government on Monday in connection with the "freedom rally" planned on July 8. The posters of the rally had carried threats to Indian High Commissioner Sanjay Kumar Verma, Consul General Vancouver Manish and Consul General Toronto Apoorva Srivastava over the recent killing of designated terrorist Khalistani Hardeep Nijjar. Meanwhile, Canada has assured India of the safety of its diplomats with regard to the poster issue. Stressing Canada's commitment to the safety of diplomats, Minister Joly highlighted the country's adherence to the Vienna Conventions. "Canada takes its obligations under the Vienna Conventions regarding the safety of diplomats very seriously," she said in the statement on her Twitter account on Tuesday. "Canada remains in close contact with Indian officials in light of some of the promotional material circulating online regarding a protest planned for July 8, which are unacceptable," Joly said. She added that the actions of a few individuals "do not speak for an entire community or Canada." Her statement comes as External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said India has asked its partner countries such as Canada, the UK and the US not to give space to "extremist Khalistani ideology" as it is "not good" for relations. "We have already requested our partner countries like Canada, the US, the UK and Australia where sometimes Khalistani activities happen, not to give space to Khalistanis. Because their (Khalistanis) radical, extremist thinking is neither good for us nor for them nor our relations," the minister said. "We will raise the issue of posters with those governments. I think it would have already been done by now as it happened two to three days earlier," Jaishankar said. Last month, India slammed Canada after visuals surfaced on social media of a tableau in Brampton that reportedly celebrated the assassination of former prime minister Indira Gandhi. Canada's response to the Khalistani issue appeared to be constrained by its "vote bank compulsions" and India will have to respond if the activities impinge on its national security and integrity, Jaishankar had said on the issue. (With inputs from PTI) Israel on Monday launched its most intense military operation in the occupied West Bank in nearly two decades, carrying out a series of drone strikes and sending hundreds of troops on an open-ended mission into a militant stronghold. At least eight Palestinians were killed and dozens wounded. The crackdown was reminiscent of Israeli military tactics during the second Palestinian uprising in the early 2000s and came at a time of growing domestic pressure for a tough response to recent attacks on Israeli settlers, including a shooting last month that killed four Israelis. The operation took place in the Jenin refugee camp an area in the northern West Bank that has long been known as a bastion of militants. The fighting, which began shortly after midnight, continued past nightfall. Throughout the day, black smoke rose from the crowded streets of the camp, a densely populated neighbourhood that is home to some 14,000 people, while exchanges of fire rang out and drones could be heard buzzing overhead. Military bulldozers plowed through narrow streets, damaging buildings as they cleared the way for Israeli forces. There are bulldozers destroying the streets, snipers are inside and on roofs of houses, drones are hitting houses and Palestinians are killed in the streets, said Jamal Huweil, a political activist in the camp, predicting the operation would fail. The military blocked traffic in and out of Jenin, and the city resembled a ghost town. Streets were empty as armored Israeli vehicles patrolled. Piles of burning tires and garbage containers littered traffic circles. Power and water supplies were knocked out in the camp. Palestinian youths occasionally threw stones at army vehicles before darting away. With the sound of shooting and explosions in the background, at least 10 ambulances rushed to the overwhelmed local hospital as relatives checked to see if loved ones were inside. One ambulance arrived with a bullet hole in front. The Palestinians and three Arab countries with normalized ties with Israel Jordan, Egypt and the United Arab Emirates condemned the incursion, as did the 57-nation Organization of Islamic Cooperation. Late Monday, the Palestinian leadership in the West Bank held an emergency meeting and said it was halting its already limited contacts with Israel. Leaders said a freeze on security coordination would remain in place, and they vowed to step up activity against Israel in the United Nations and international bodies. They also planned to minimize contacts with the United States. Israel's prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, was unswayed. In recent months, Jenin has turned into a safe haven for terrorism. We are putting an end to this, he said. He said the troops were destroying militant command centers and confiscating weapons supplies and factories. He claimed the operation was taking place with minimum harm to civilians. Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari, the chief military spokesman, said there were a total of about 10 airstrikes most of them aimed at keeping gunmen away from ground troops. He accused militants of operating next to a United Nations building and storing weapons inside of a mosque. He said Israel launched the operation because some 50 attacks over the past year had emanated from Jenin. Neither the prime minister nor Hagari gave any indication when the operation would end. Lynn Hastings, the UN humanitarian coordinator in the Palestinian areas, said on Twitter that she was alarmed by scale of Israeli forces operation" and noted the airstrikes in a densely populated refugee camp. She said the UN was mobilizing humanitarian aid. UNRWA, the UN agency for Palestinian refugees, said many camp residents were in need of food, drinking water and milk powder. The Palestinian Health Ministry said at least eight Palestinians were killed and 50 people were wounded 10 critically. The dead were identified as young men and Palestinian youths, including a 16-year-old boy and two 17-year-olds. Separately, a 21-year-old Palestinian was killed by Israeli fire near the West Bank city of Ramallah, the ministry said. The Jenin camp and an adjacent town of the same name have been a flashpoint since Israeli-Palestinian violence began escalating in spring 2022. Israel says it has stepped up activity because the Palestinian Authority is too weak to maintain quiet. It also accuses its archenemy Iran of funding militant groups involved in the fighting. Palestinians reject such claims, saying the violence is a natural response to 56 years of occupation, including stepped-up settlement construction by Israel's government and increased violence by Jewish settlers. Jenin was a major friction point in the last Palestinian uprising. In 2002, days after a Palestinian suicide bombing during a large Passover gathering killed 30 people, Israeli troops launched a massive operation in the camp. For eight days and nights, they fought militants street by street, using armored bulldozers to destroy rows of homes, many of which had been booby-trapped. Monday's raid came two weeks after another violent confrontation in Jenin that included the shooting death of a 15-year-old girl and after the military said a pair of rockets were fired from the area last week. But there also may have been political considerations at play. Leading members of Netanyahu's far-right government, which is dominated by West Bank settlers and their supporters, have called for a broader military response to the ongoing violence in the area, particularly after the June 20 shooting that killed four people in the Jewish settlement of Eli. Proud of our heroes on all fronts and this morning especially of our soldiers operating in Jenin, tweeted National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, an ultranationalist who recently called for Israel to kill thousands of militants if necessary. Praying for their success. Israeli military experts said they expected the operation to wrap up within a day or two. Prolonged violence and heavy casualties would risk attracting increased international criticism and drawing militants from the Gaza Strip or even Lebanon into the fighting. Islamic Jihad, a militant group with a large presence in Jenin, threatened to launch attacks from its Gaza Strip stronghold if the fighting dragged on. Lebanon's militant Hezbollah group also made threats, saying the Palestinians have many alternatives and means that will make the enemy regret its acts. Hezbollah fought a monthlong war against Israel in 2006. More than 130 Palestinians have been killed this year in the West Bank, part of more than a yearlong spike in violence that has seen some of the worst bloodshed in the area in nearly two decades. Israel says the raids are meant to beat back militants. The Palestinians say such violence is inevitable in the absence of any political process with Israel and increased West Bank settlement construction and violence by extremist settlers. Israel says most of those killed have been militants, but stone-throwing youths protesting the incursions and people uninvolved in confrontations have also died. Israel captured the West Bank, east Jerusalem and the Gaza Strip in the 1967 Mideast war. The Palestinians seek those territories for their hoped-for independent state. In a few days, Japan will begin to pump out over one million tonnes of contaminated water from the destroyed Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power station to the sea. Stored in about 1,000 tanks, the distilled water was used to cool reactors after the powerful 2011 earthquake in Fukushima broke down the cooling systems for the plant. To avoid the melting of nuclear core, water was pumped in continuously which came in contact with Uranium fuel rods. The contaminated water was then stored by the plant's operator Tokyo Electric Power Co. (Tepco) in massive tanks, which are expected to be filled up by late next year. Only by releasing this water, equivalent in volume to about 500 Olympic-size swimming pools, into the sea can Japan fully decommission the Fukushima site. This process will take decades to complete. Japan claims the water is safe and the International Atomic Energy Agencys (IAEA) director-general Rafael Grossi has arrived in the country for a four-day visit to deliver a final report on the safety of the process and meet with officials including Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi. Japan has sought to allay fears by claiming that the water will be released only after being treated through a system that removes most of the radioactive material except for tritium, an isotope of hydrogen not harmful to humans in small amounts. "Before the discharge, the water in tanks will also be sufficiently diluted so that the concentration of tritium will be much lower than Japans national regulatory standards, which is compliant with international standards," the Prime Ministers office said in a statement. Tepco claims it will dilute the water until tritium levels fall below harmful limits, though the water containing tritium is allegedly routinely released from nuclear plants around the world. IAEA too think there is "no harm" in releasing treated water into the sea. But, Japan's plan has not been welcomed by neighbour China, which calls it a selfish move "that puts the common interests of all humanity in jeopardy." "The ocean is not Japans private sewer, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin said last month, warning the proposed release carries risks for the countrys neighbours and Pacific island nations. China has informed Japan that IAEAs report cannot be a "pass" for the water release and called for it to be suspended. It has also urged Tokyo to take seriously international and domestic concerns and stop forcibly proceeding with its ocean discharge plan and subject itself to rigorous international oversight. The fishing community in Japan too worried that releasing the treated water will wreak havoc as people might shun their catch, sending prices down. The Pacific Islands Forum too issued a statement drawing attention to international laws against dumping nuclear waste in the Pacific Ocean. Our people do not have anything to gain from Japans plan but have much at risk for generations to come," said PIF secretary general Henry Puna. Some scientists too believe the long-term effects are unknown and the release should be delayed. The aftermath is also seen in South Korea where the demand for sea salt has skyrocketed as scared people began to hoard salt amid worries the release of wastewater could contaminate future supplies. The Indian consulate in San Francisco was vandalised allegedly by Khalistan supporters on Saturday. No one was injured and the damage was limited, said reports. This is the second attack on the consulate in San Francisco by Khalistani supporters this year. The act was ''strongly condemned' by the United States. A report by a local channel, Diya TV, said Khalistanis radicals set the Indian consulate on fire between 1:30 am and 2:30 am. But, it was quickly doused by the San Francisco fire department. A video, purportedly showing the building on fire, was also circulated by the channel. A poster being shared on social media says that a "Khalistan Freedom Rally" will be organised on July 8 that will start in Berkeley, California and end at the Indian embassy in San Francisco. The U.S. strongly condemns the reported vandalism and attempted arson against the Indian Consulate in San Francisco on Saturday. Vandalism or violence against diplomatic facilities or foreign diplomats in the U.S. is a criminal offense. Matthew Miller (@StateDeptSpox) July 3, 2023 Matthew Miller, the spokesperson for the US State Department, took to Twitter to protest against the incident. "The U.S. strongly condemns the reported vandalism and attempted arson against the Indian Consulate in San Francisco on Saturday. Vandalism or violence against diplomatic facilities or foreign diplomats in the U.S. is a criminal offence," his tweet read. The first time the consulate came under attack was during the manhunt for controversial Khalistani preacher Amritpal Singh. The supporters of Singh then staged a protest and damaged the consulate. The incident drew a sharp reaction from India. Besides the consulate in the US, the Indian High Commission in the UK was also vandalised by Khalistani supporters then. The Indian flag atop the Commission was pulled down by Khalistani supporter Avtar Singh Khanda. A self-styled chief of the banned Khalistan Liberation Force and a close associate of arrested Amritpal Singh, Khanda recently died of blood cancer. Recently, posters had emerged in Canada, linking Indian diplomats to the killing of Khalistani separatist Hardeep Singh Nijjar and branding them as 'killers in Toronto'. India has protested against this and External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said India has asked its partner countries such as Canada, the UK and the US not to give space to "extremist Khalistani ideology" as it is "not good" for relations. He added that the issue will be raised with the government of that country. "We have already requested our partner countries like Canada, the US, the UK and Australia where sometimes Khalistani activities happen, not to give space to Khalistanis. Because their (Khalistanis) radical, extremist thinking is neither good for us nor for them nor our relations," the minister said. "We will raise the issue of posters with those governments. I think it would have already been done by now as it happened two to three days earlier," Jaishankar said. Last month, India slammed Canada after visuals surfaced on social media of a tableau in Brampton that reportedly celebrated the assassination of former prime minister Indira Gandhi. "Canada's response to the Khalistani issue appeared to be constrained by its "vote bank compulsions" and India will have to respond if the activities impinge on its national security and integrity," Jaishankar had said on the issue. The Islamabad High Court on Tuesday declared the Toshakhana case against former Pakistan PM Imran Khan as inadmissible, Pakistan's ARY News reported. The judgement was pronounced by Chief Justice of Islamabad High Court Justice Amir Farooq. The Toshakhana is a department under the administrative control of the Cabinet Division and stores precious gifts given to rulers, parliamentarians, bureaucrats, and officials by heads of other governments and states and foreign dignitaries. The Toshakhana case was filed against Khan in 2022 for failing to declare the funds he received after selling the gifts given by foreign dignitaries. This includes an expensive Graff watch he received as the premier at a discounted price from the state depository, which he later sold for a profit. Khan was accused of misusing his 2018 to 2022 premiership to buy and sell gifts in state possession that were received during visits abroad and worth more than Rs140 million (USD 635,000). Khan, who faces several other cases, was indicted in the Toshakhana case on May 10 by Additional Sessions Judge Humayun Dilawar. A hearing will take place today on bail applications in six cases. The PTI chief was arrested by Pakistani Rangers outside the Islamabad High Court in connection with the Al Qadir Trust case. He was released on May 11, but before that, several of his followers took to the streets protesting and vandalising military installations. A Palestinian man drove his car into a crowded bus stop in Tel Aviv on Tuesday and then began stabbing people, wounding nine in an attack reportedly considered to be done in retaliation to Israeli troops' ongoing military operation in the occupied West Bank. Police chief Kobi Shabtai told reporters at the scene that an armed civilian shot and killed the assailant. The attack came as Israeli troops pressed ahead with their hunt for Palestinian militants and weapons in a refugee camp, after military bulldozers tore through alleys and thousands of residents fled to safety. The two-day Palestinian death toll rose to 10. The attacker drove his pickup truck into a bus stop on Pinchas Rosen Street and stabbed one of the victims in the neck. The Shin Bet domestic security agency identified the attacker as Abed al-Wahab Khalila, 20, from the southern West Bank town of As-Samu, near Hebron, The Guardian reported. The large-scale raid of the Jenin camp, which began Monday, is one of the most intense military operations in the occupied West Bank in nearly two decades. More than 140 Palestinians have been killed this year in the West Bank, part of more than a yearlong spike in violence. Palestinian attacks targeting Israelis have killed at least 26 people. The Hamas militant group praised Tuesday's attack in Tel Aviv as heroic and revenge for the military operation in Jenin and later claimed the driver was a member, though it was not immediately clear if the attacker was dispatched by the group or acted on his own. Islamic Jihad, a militant group with a large presence in Jenin, also praised the assault. Israeli's internal security agency, the Shin Bet, identified the attacker as a Palestinian from the West Bank with no prior security record. Shabtai, the police chief, said that several people connected to the man were arrested. Israel captured the West Bank, east Jerusalem and the Gaza Strip in the 1967 Mideast war. The Palestinians seek those territories for their hoped-for independent state. (With PTI inputs.) BAKU, Azerbaijan, July 4. Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry has congratulated the US on the occasion of July 4 - the Independence Day, Trend reports. "We sincerely congratulate the government and people of United States and send them our best wishes! We look forward to further deepening of the cooperation between our countries," the MFA's publication on Twitter said. The United States established diplomatic relations with Azerbaijan in 1992. Shanghai (China), July 4: Murli Krishna Pharma, a leading player in the pharmaceutical manufacturing sector, proudly announces its participation in the renowned CPHI China event at the Shanghai New International Expo Center. As an esteemed participant, Murli Krishna Pharma showcased its expertise and demonstrated its commitment to the global pharma ingredients industry. CPHI-Online has established itself as the premier product and supplier search engine in the pharmaceutical ingredients industry worldwide. Professionals from the pharma sector rely on CPHI-Online to stay updated with the latest industry developments, making it an ideal platform for companies like Murli Krishna Pharma to present their offerings. Initially initiated as a platform to showcase APIs (Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients), CPHI China has evolved into a comprehensive service platform that connects the entire pharmaceutical industry chain in the Asian-Pacific region. With two decades of experience, CPHI China has consistently witnessed and followed the growth and progress of pharma manufacturers. Murli Krishna Pharma actively participated in the event, and Mr. Sanjay Mathur, Head of Supply Chain, represented the company at the international platform. Accompanying him were the esteemed directors of Murli Krishna Pharma, the dedicated Business Development team, and the Head of Supply Chain, collectively demonstrating the company's strong presence. The company's esteemed leadership team also contributed significantly to the event. Dr. Satya Vadlamani, the CMD (Chief Managing Director), along with Dr. Vijay K Shastri, Technical Director, showcased their expertise and knowledge in the industry. Additionally, Murli Krishna Pharma's marketing team, comprising Mr. Vishnu Dangade, Mr. Vipul Naik, and Mr. Shakir Bagban, actively engaged with visitors and presented the company's diverse range of offerings. By participating in CPHI China, Murli Krishna Pharma reaffirms its commitment to innovation, industry progress, and the continual advancement of the pharmaceutical sector. The event serves as a platform for networking, fostering partnerships, and exploring business opportunities within the Asian-Pacific region and beyond. Murli Krishna Pharma is a leading pharmaceutical manufacturer committed to delivering high-quality, affordable, and innovative healthcare solutions. With a strong focus on research and development, the company specializes in the production of a diverse range of pharmaceutical products, including APIs, finished formulations, and generics. Murli Krishna Pharma aims to contribute to the betterment of global healthcare by ensuring access to safe and effective medicines. For more information and comprehensive range of pharmaceutical products of MKPPL, please visit: https://www.murlikrishnapharma.com , LinkedIn, Facebook (Disclaimer: The above press release comes to you under an arrangement with PNN and PTI takes no editorial responsibility for the same.). PTI PWR PWR NEW DELHI, July 4, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Allana Group, a global leader in manufacture & export of various food and consumer products including Frozen & Chilled Halal Meat has signed a 4.5 MWp open access solar PPA with Sunsure Energy, one of India's leading renewable power developers. Through the PPA, Allana Group will be able to offset a significant part of the total power needs of their Unnao factory. The PPA was signed in the presence of Mr. Aijaz Alvi, Mr. Ajay Mittal, Mr. Tariq Anwar, and Mr. Junaid Khan from Allana Group and Mr. Kartikeya N. Sharma (Chief Strategy, Sunsure) and Amritesh Soora (AGM Business Development, Sunsure). This is one of the many steps Allana Group is taking towards the decarbonization of their operations. Through the PPA, Sunsure Energy will be supplying over 6.7 Mn units of green power to Allana's Unnao factory. This will enable them to offset of over 5.4 million kgs. of CO2 yearly for the next 25 years. Commenting on the PPA agreement, Mr. Ajay Mittal, Director of Allana Group said, "With this agreement, we have taken our first step towards our Net Zero goals. While we are constantly improving our operations, we are also ensuring that we perform our duties in a sustainable and responsible manner by running our operations on Green energy. With the signing of the PPA with Sunsure Energy, we will offset a significant amount of our carbon emission and contribute towards a cleaner and greener future. We are delighted to have Sunsure Energy as our partner in achieving our sustainability goals." Mr. Aijaz Alvi, Associate Director of Allana Group said, "Allana group has a long history of pioneering methods to achieve holistic growth. The group has always been mindful of the responsibility we have towards the society and environment as a whole and our culture reflects the same. We believe it is our responsibility to pioneer sustainable practices and set an example for other industrial firms to follow. We are extremely happy to have Sunsure Energy as our partners in this journey and looking forward to having a long-term relationship with them." Mr. Shashank Sharma, Founder - Chairman & CEO of Sunsure Energy, said, "We are delighted to sign the PPA agreement and welcome Allana Group into our family of esteemed customers. The agreement is a major step towards reducing carbon emissions and achieving a sustainable future for one of the most important industry sectors of India. We hope to continue to leverage our strengths in the RE sector to help Allana Group reach its Net Zero goals across the country." About Sunsure Energy Sunsure Energy is one of India's largest C&I focused Renewable Energy Power Producers. Sunsure is backed by Partners Group AG with a $400 million equity investment for developing over 3 GW of RE assets by 2027. Founded in 2015, Sunsure has developed and installed solar power plants for power-intensive industrial customers across 16 Indian states. Sunsure is the partner of choice to corporations committed to RE100 targets operating in India and takes pride in its ability to deliver end-to-end decarbonization solutions in-line with long term corporate sustainability targets. About Allana Group The Allana Group, established in 1865, is acknowledged as the Global Leader in the manufacture & export of various food and consumer products including Frozen & Chilled Halal Meat, Frozen & Aseptic Fruit Pulps, Coffee, Cereals & Pet Food. Allana group has a wide array of products in both B2B & B2C business segments to cater to the needs of end consumers & industries. With its range of products including Edible oils & Fats, Bakery Ingredients, Premium Ice-creams, plant-based meat products; and more categories expected in days to come, it enthuses the consumers with its impeccable quality and adds value to their lives. For more information, please contact: Email: marketing@sunsure.in Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1947349/SunSure_Logo.jpg (Disclaimer: The above press release comes to you under an arrangement with PRNewswire and PTI takes no editorial responsibility for the same.). PTI PWR PWR Mumbai, Jul 4 (PTI) Power discom Adani Electricity Mumbai on Tuesday said that its aggregate technical and commercial losses have reduced to 5.93 per cent in FY23 as against 6.55 per cent recorded a year ago. The Adani Group entity said it upped monitoring on the power theft side, which resulted the key ratio coming down to what it claimed as one of the lowest in the industry across the country. It registered 774 first information reports with the local police for power thefts in FY23, more than double from 391 registered in FY22, as per an official statement. There were over 18,542 raids in FY23 as against 10,458 in FY22, while the irregularity assessed went up to Rs 38.48 crore in FY23 from Rs 21.75 crore in the year-ago period. Raids against power thefts resulted in seizing of over 72.25 tonnes of wires and other equipment as against 73.58 tonnes seized in the previous year, the statement added. The power demand in certain slum clusters is already high, and new network development is not feasible due to acute space constraints. Power theft overloads the network. This increases the cost of servicing as cables and transformers are more prone to failures, adding to a surge in repair and maintenance costs, it said. A company spokesperson said it has identified certain pockets in the city, where the menace of power theft is "rampant" and it will be upping efforts to bring down the ratio further. New Delhi, Jul 4 (PTI) State-owned REC Ltd on Tuesday said it will provide a loan of Rs 4,785 crore to HRRL's project in Rajasthan. HRRL is a joint venture between Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Ltd (HPCL) and Rajasthan government. HPCL holds 74 per cent equity stake in HRRL. "REC extends Rs 4,785 crore for HPCL Rajasthan Refinery's project in Barmer. HRRL has executed a loan agreement under consortium arrangement for Rs 48,625 crore wherein the share of state-run REC Ltd is Rs 4,785 crore," REC said in a statement. HRRL is setting up a green field refinery cum petrochemical complex, with a capacity of 9 MMTPA at a project cost of Rs 72,937 crore. The project includes setting up of an energy efficient and environment friendly refinery cum petrochemical complex, crude and product storage facilities, township and allied facilities and utilities, a captive power plant for meeting refinery power and steam requirement. It will be producing clean fuels such as BS-VI grade Motor Sprit (MS or Petrol) & BS-VI grade High Speed Diesel (HSD or Diesel) and Petrochemical products such as Polypropylene, Butadiene, LLDPE, HDPE, Benzene and Toluene. Mumbai, Jul 4 (PTI) Singapore's sovereign wealth fund GIC will acquire a 74 per cent stake in Genus Power & Infrastructure's new smart metering solutions venture for USD 2 billion (over Rs 16,000 crore). Jaipur-based Genus Power, a leading manufacturer of smart electricity meters, is part of the USD 400 million Kailash Group. It has two business divisions -- metering solutions and an EPC segment providing a complete range of services to the power sector. In a statement on Tuesday, Genus said that GIC will invest USD 2 billion in its upcoming platform that will offer advanced metering services. Post the deal, Gem View Investment, an affiliate of GIC, will hold 74 per cent stake in the platform while the remaining 26 per cent shareholding will be with Genus Power. As part of the deal, Chiswick Investment, another affiliate of GIC, will invest up to Rs 519 crore by way of a preferential allotment of warrants which will constitute 15 per cent of the paid-up share capital of Genus Power on a fully diluted/as converted basis. Genus Power will be the exclusive supplier to the platform for smart meters and associated services. According to Genus Power, the funding represents the largest transaction in the smart metering space in the country. Under the national smart metering project, which is part of the Revamped Distribution Sector Scheme (RDSS), the government is planning to install 250 million smart meters by 2025 with an estimated investment of USD 30 billion. Jitendra Kumar Agarwal, Joint Managing Director of Genus Power, said the GIC investment attests to the strong prospects of smart metering space, its manufacturing prowess and execution track record. Genus Power has proven capacity to deliver next generation smart meters and related solutions and this investment will further strengthen it, Raj Agarwal, Chief Executive Officer of Genus Power, said. Ang Eng Seng, Chief Investment Officer, Infrastructure at GIC, said this investment in Genus Power will help create a new platform that supports the targeted rollout of smart meters. New Delhi, Jul 4 (PTI) The Centre on Tuesday reviewed the status of drought preparedness and progress of kharif sowing in Maharashtra amid the state facing 39 per cent monsoon rainfall deficit so far. The review meeting, held in Pune, was chaired by Joint Secretary in the Union Agriculture Ministry Samuel Praveen Kumar and Maharashtra Agriculture Commissioner Sunil Chavan. Officials of Pune branch of India Meteorological Department (IMD) were also present. "The rainfall deficit in the state stood at 39 per cent as on date and during the month of July the monsoon is expected to pick up in the state as per IMD," an official statement said. While Konkan region has received above normal rainfall, it has been deficient in other regions namely Marathwada, Vidharbha and Madhya Maharashtra. "However, considering the fact that over the next two weeks rainfall is likely to be either normal or above normal, the outlook is quite optimistic," it said. State agriculture department director Dilip Zende highlighted the measures being undertaken for drought preparedness in the state. "Contingency plans for every district have been prepared with the help of four state agriculture universities in the state, CRIDA and KVKs and communicated to all field functionaries i.e. joint directors of agriculture, district agriculture officers and also the district collectors," he said. As on July 3, about 20.60 lakh hectares of area has been sown in the state and is expected to further pick up over the next few days. Soybean and cotton are major kharif crops, followed by pulses and paddy. The meeting was held at a crucial juncture to take care of any eventuality that may arise in the event of a drought like situation in the state due to deficit rainfall and to ensure that all the contingent measures are planned and put in place. Jaipur, Jul 4 (PTI) The government intends to double the turnover of the automobile industry to Rs 15 lakh crore from Rs 7.5 lakh crore at present, Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari said on Tuesday. Speaking at a public meeting in Rajasthan's Pratapgarh district to highlight achievements of the central government in the last nine years, Gadkari also targeted Congress saying that in the name of removing poverty, Congress leaders eliminated their own poverty. "The turnover of the automobile industry is Rs 7.55 lakh crore, and four and a half crores have got jobs in the sector. This industry gives maximum GST to the government. We have decided that we will make this industry of Rs 15 lakh crore," he said, adding that the industry will generate ten crore jobs. He also said that India has beaten Japan in automobile manufacturing and has come in number 3 position globally after China and the US. Laying emphasis on the importance of education, he said, "Knowledge is a great power, and converting knowledge into wealth is our future". He said that farmers today are not only food providers but also energy providers by producing ethanol and solar electricity. From auto rickshaws to cars, vehicles will run on ethanol and India's import will reduce and farmers will prosper. The minister said that in the last nine years, the Modi government has taken several steps to make progress. The minister also targeted Congress in the programme. He said that Congress ruled for nearly 60 years and the slogan of eliminating poverty was given, but in place of removing poverty, Congress people got their "poverty" eliminated. BJP state president CP Joshi, former minister Srichand Kriplani and other leaders also addressed the programme. Earlier, in another programme, Gadkari virtually inaugurated and laid the foundation stone of 11 highway projects worth Rs 5,625 crore. Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot also addressed the foundation laying and inauguration programme through video conference from his residence in Jaipur. The chief minister urged the Union Minister to issue a gazette notification soon regarding the declaration of 50 roads in Rajasthan as National Highways. The development of the area will accelerate with the formation of a national highway, he said, adding that construction work should be started soon on the prepared DPR of Jodhpur elevated road worth Rs 2,000 crore. He also urged to complete the remaining works of the ring road at the earliest. Gehlot said the 9-million-tonne refinery at Pachpadra will increase traffic between Jodhpur-Pachpadra, and it should be connected with Amritsar-Jamnagar Expressway to ease the movement of vehicles. The chief minister said that along with the construction of new roads, strengthening works are being done in the state. About 1.32 lakh kilometres of roads are being constructed in the state. In this, 61,000 km of roads have been constructed and construction on 71,000 km is in progress. While presiding over the function, he said that the state government has left no stone unturned for a strong road network. Economic and industrial development has gained momentum due to better road connectivity in the state. Now, Rajasthan has joined the leading states of the country with a strong road network. Mumbai, Jul 4 (PTI) Terming "Satya" a game changer in India cinema, Manoj Bajpayee says the film gave him a career and it was only after its humongous success that he "started getting roles, respect and entry into big offices". Directed by Ram Gopal Varma, "Satya" released in theatres 25 years ago and the film is still lauded by cinema enthusiasts for its execution and treatment. It focused on the underbelly of the world of crime through the titular character essayed by J D Chakravarthy. Bajpayee, who played the flamboyant and ambitious gangster Bhiku Mhatre in the 1998 film, said the cult classic altered storytelling style in Hindi cinema. I look at it as a game changer. It has completely changed the industry. From the way the stories were told to the craft, or the way people look at filmmaking or performances, everything was so new both for the industry and audience. After the humongous success of Satya, I started getting roles, respect and entry into big offices, the 54-year-old actor told PTI in an interview. "Satya", also starring Saurabh Shukla, Urmila Matondkar, Shefali Shah, Makarand Deshpande, Paresh Rawal, Govind Namdeo and Aditya Srivastav, hit the screens on July 3, 1998. Unlike conventional gangster drama plots, the movie revolved around real people, warts and all, he said. "All you see is not larger-than-life people, but people who are very real, people who you see in their dark and brightest phase. Thats how human beings are. It is shown with so much realism, creativity and newness. Thats why it stood the test of time, and thats why people still celebrate Satya," Bajpayee added. The love for film was not instant, the actor recalled, saying that people started coming to the theatres based on word of mouth. For a week, there was no audience inside the theatres. Only after the word of mouth started getting stronger and stronger from the second week onwards, it started attracting people and theatres started filling up." "Satya" went on to run in cinema halls for close to 25 weeks and emerged as one of the last silver jubilee films of the country, the actor said, adding that the team was awarded a trophy to mark the milestone at a function. Bajpayee's acting career also took off after Satya. He had previously starred in films such as Bandit Queen, Drohkaal and Tamanna. Satya gave me a career. I did not work before Satya... Thats how life changed, and this is how any other actors life changes in this industry, he added. The film also helped him win his first National Film Award in the Best Supporting Actor category, a complete surprise for the actor at the time. He recalled that his late secretary Bhaskar Shetty informed him about the honour. I was completely surprised, it was difficult for me to believe it. He (Shetty) asked me to watch the news. It was a dream come true. I always wanted to win a National Award and Satya made it possible for me. The actor, who claims to have only once seen "Satya" in its entirety, believes the younger generation has also embraced the film with enthusiasm. I still get to hear from people that they find it amazing. Even now, the movie leaves people mesmerized with its making, music, performances, direction, and all of it, Bajpayee said, adding, he has many favourite moments from the film but its difficult to pinpoint just one. Bhiku Mhatre may have become a fan favourite character from Satya but the then-newcomer Bajpayee found it challenging to portray this role. It required a lot of hard work, he recalled. The actor, who at the time only had Mahesh Bhatt's TV programme Swabhimaan in his kitty, said he was able to dedicate a lot of time to Satya. "My focus was completely on creating Bhiku Mhatre. I tried everything possible for it. It is difficult to talk about methods in one interview. Someday, I may write a book on it because a lot has gone into it. "It was based on imagination and the experience with criminals I have seen or interacted with a little bit when I was in Bihar. Also, whatever stories Mr Ram Gopal Varma used to narrate from the underworld... The research that he had done, I used it to prepare for my role, Bajpayee added. Chennai, Jul 4 (PTI) Filmmaker Karthik Subbaraj has finished shooting for his upcoming directorial venture "Jigarthanda Double X", starring Raghava Lawrence and SJ Suryah in the lead roles. The Tamil film, a sequel to the director's 2014 action-comedy Jigarthanda, was announced last year in August. The team started filming in December. The project is produced by Kaarthekeyen Santhanam and S Kathiresan under the banners of Stone Bench Films and Five Star Creations respectively. Tirru is the cinematographer, while Shafique Mohamed Ali is in charge of editing. The makers have locked the Diwali release for the movie. It will also be released in Hindi and Telugu. The original "Jigarthanda" revolved around a budding filmmaker who decides to draw inspiration from the life of a gangster for his feature film. Things go awry when he gets caught snooping on the mafia. Singapore, Jul 4 (PTI) Biryani and Indian Rojak are among the top eight popular dishes that Singaporeans enjoy and want to preserve it in the multi-racial island nation. Biryani, still popularly cooked by the third-generation descendants of migrants from South India, is today an everyday meal among multinational Singaporeans, said Syed Kassim told PTI. Kasim, 50, operates a wide variety of foods from his stall, which was started 50 years ago by his grandfather, whose ancestors were among the early migrants from Ramanathanpuram in Tamil Nadu. Syed Kassim is among the dwindling number of hawkers in Singapore, where efforts are being made to preserve the hawker culture. Another popular dish is Indian Rojak, a fusion of Singapore-origin Indian food which is made up of 23 varieties of deep-fried vegetables and meat malls that are consumed with gravy made from crushed peanuts and tamarin. Sagubarsadiq, 38, is another third-generation hawker of Indian descent who is keeping up the Indian-origin food outlet going in Singapore. It was started by his father 34 years ago. Other dishes on the list released by local gas supplier City Energy to promote traditional foods were laksa (noodles in gravy of coconut milk), chicken rice and Hokkien mee, as well as char kway teow (Chinese fried noodles). Also on the list were Malay foods nasi lemak (rice cooked in coconut milk) and mee rebus (mostly based on thick coconut gravy). City Energy CEO Perry Ong said on Tuesday, Singapores hawker food is more than just delicious cuisine; it holds a special place in the hearts of Singaporeans, transcending race, language, religion, and socio-economic backgrounds. It is a cultural icon that brings us together, reminding us of our shared heritage, said Ong, whose company is a leading supplier of city gas to the hawkers and food centres across the island state. A recent survey by research organisation RySense, conducted earlier this year, found that nine out of 10 respondents feel it is important to preserve Singapores hawker centre. The delegation led by Pakistani Minister for Work with Pakistanis Living Abroad and Human Resources Development of Pakistan Sajid Hussain Turi arrived in Azerbaijan on an official visit, Azernews reports. Representatives of the delegation visited the Alley of Honor, where they paid tribute to the memory of national leader Heydar Aliyev and laid wreaths. Then they visited the grave of the outstanding ophthalmologist, academician Zarifa Aliyeva. The guests also laid flowers at the graves of the heroic sons of the Motherland, who gave their lives for the independence and territorial integrity of Azerbaijan, on the Alley of Martyrs BAKU, Azerbaijan, July 4. On July 5-6, Baku will host the Ministerial Meeting of the Coordinating Bureau of the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM), the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Azerbaijan wrote on its Twitter page, Trend reports. "120 member states, including Azerbaijan, 18 observers and 10 international organizations have played an important role in the history of the Non-Aligned Movement," the publication says. Azerbaijan has been chairing the NAM since 2019. Despite the fact that the period of the country's chairmanship in the organization fell at the height of the pandemic, Baku successfully fulfilled its presidential mission and received the right to lead the movement for another one year. Islamabad, Jul 4 (PTI) Gilgit-Baltistan (GB) chief minister Khalid Khurshid Khan, a senior leader of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf, was on Tuesday disqualified by the region's Chief Court over his fake law degree, in a fresh setback to former prime minister Imran Khan's party. Khalid was accused of getting a license to practice law from the GB Bar Council on the basis of a fake degree. A three-member bench comprising Judge Malik Anayatur Rehman, Judge Johar Ali, and Judge Mohammad Mushtaq passed the order on a petition to disqualify the chief minister after hearing arguments. GB Assembly member Ghulam Shahzad Agha, who belongs to the Pakistan Peoples Party, had challenged Khalid's law degree and sought his disqualification under Articles 62 and 63 of the Constitution. Khalids lawyer Advocate Asadullah said he would challenge the verdict. "We are waiting for the detailed verdict and will then file an appeal against it in the Supreme Appellate Court GB, he said, adding that all other available options would be exercised. Khan's party, which is facing its most difficult phase following the unprecedented attack on sensitive military installations by his supporters in May, in a statement said that it would stand with Khalid who enjoyed a majority in the assembly. Khalid was elected as the chief minister of GB in 2020. India has repeatedly said that the entire state of Jammu and Kashmir, which also includes the so-called 'Gilgit-Baltistan' has been, is and shall remain an integral part of India. The Pakistan Government or judiciary have no locus standi on territories illegally and forcibly occupied by it, the Ministry of External Affairs has said. London, Jul 4 (PTI) A 52-year-old man, who pleaded guilty to the triple murder of his nurse wife from Kerala and their two children, has been sentenced to life imprisonment with a minimum term of 40 years behind bars by a UK court. Saju Chelavalel, also from Kerala, appeared at Northampton Crown Court in eastern England on Monday, having previously admitted to killing his wife Anju Asok, 35, and children Jeeva Saju, 6 and Janvi Saju, 4. Justice Edward Pepperall referred to an audio recording taken at the time of Anjus death, which was played to the court during the sentencing hearing. While you were squeezing the life out of your wife, your children can be heard crying in the background for their mummy. It is clear that they heard what was going on and knew that she was being hurt by you, the judge noted in his sentencing remarks. The court heard that on December 15, 2022, emergency services were called to the Indian familys home in Kettering, Northampton, to report that a woman and two children had suffered serious injuries. Northamptonshire Police said its officers broke the door down in order to gain entry and found Saju Chelavalel holding a knife. Despite repeated calls for him to put the knife down, he continued to wield it whilst shouting: You shoot me, resulting in him being Tasered and arrested. Anju was declared dead at the scene and both children were also declared dead a short time later. Forensic postmortem examinations, which took place at Leicester Royal Infirmary following their deaths, concluded that all three died as a result of asphyxiation. The life of Anjus parents and siblings back in India will never be the same without her. She came to this country with a lot of expectations and dreams. She was not expecting a tragic death from her husband, whom she trusted, a family spokesperson told the court this week. Her only surviving sister and the aunt of Jeeva and Janvi is so traumatised that she hasnt recovered from this incidents mental shock and deep scars. Indeed, she was hospitalised for a week in India due to the shock of what happened, the spokesperson said, adding that Chelavalel had been trying to contact Anjus family from prison which was also causing them deep upset. Sarah Powell, the headteacher of Kettering Park Infant Academy where Jeeva and Janvi attended school, told the court that the two children were valued members of the school community. We have two colourful benches in our playground to remember them both. Having the two police officers and next of kin present during this memorial meant a lot to our whole school community. The school has also created an album of memories of the children from their time at the school, she shared. Detective Inspector Simon Barnes, the Senior Investigating Officer from Northamptonshire Police in the case, described Anju as a mother like many all over the world. She wanted to provide the best possible life she could for her children Jeeva and Janvi. She has been described by her colleagues and friends as very hard-working, conscientious, friendly, kind and will be sorely missed. She was one to never complain and barely missed a shift, he said. As an adult, detective and father, I cannot comprehend how Saju Chelavalel could do this and dont think I ever will. He has never fully accounted for what he did or why and will now spend the rest of his life with not much else to think about, but that. There is no amount of time behind bars that will ever be enough for what he did. His primary role as a husband and a father was to protect his family from harm. They should have been at their safest, at home, with him, but he destroyed that, he added. The officer also expressed his condolences to Anju's devastated family in India, who he said are still struggling to come to terms with what happened. Tokyo, Jul 4 (AP) The UN nuclear agency gave its endorsement on Tuesday to Japan's planned release of treated radioactive wastewater into the sea from the damaged Fukushima nuclear plant, saying it meets international standards and its environmental and health impact would be negligible. The plan is opposed by groups in South Korea, China and some Pacific Island nations because of safety concerns and political reasons. Local fishing organizations are worried that their reputation will be damaged even if their catch isn't contaminated. Rafael Mariano Grossi, the head of the International Atomic Energy Agency, submitted its final assessment of the plan to Prime Minister Fumio Kishida on Tuesday. The report is a comprehensive, neutral, objective, scientifically sound evaluation," Grossi said. "We are very confident about it. The report said IAEA recognizes the discharge has raised societal, political and environmental concerns, associated with the radiological aspects. However, it concluded that the water release as currently planned will have a negligible radiological impact on people and the environment. Japan's plan and the equipment for the discharge are in conformity with the agreed international standards and its application, Grossi said. He said the dilution of treated but still slightly radioactive wastewater for gradual release into the sea is widely used in other countries, including China, South Korea, the United States and France, to dispose of water containing certain radionuclides from nuclear plants. Japan has sought the IAEA's support to gain credibility for the plan. Experts from the U.N. agency and 11 nations have made several trips to Japan since early 2022 to examine preparations by the government and the plant's operator, Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings. Some scientists say the impact of long-term, low-dose exposure to radionuclides remains unknown and urge a delay in the release. Others say the discharge plan is safe but call for more transparency in sampling and monitoring. Kishida, after meeting with Grossi, said Japan will continue to provide "detailed explanations based on scientific evidence with a high degree of transparency both domestically and internationally. A massive earthquake and tsunami on March 11, 2011, destroyed the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant's cooling systems, causing three reactors to melt and their cooling water to be contaminated and leak continuously. The water is collected, treated and stored in about 1,000 tanks at the plant which will reach their capacity in early 2024. The government and TEPCO say the water must be removed to prevent any accidental leaks and make room for the damaged plant's decommissioning. Japanese regulators finished their final safety inspection of the equipment last Friday and TEPCO is expected to receive a permit in about a week to begin gradually discharging the water. The start date for the release, which is expected to take decades, is still undecided. The IAEA will continue to monitor and assess the release, Grossi said. During his four-day visit, Grossi will also visit the Fukushima plant and meet with TEPCO officials, local fishing groups, heads of nearby municipalities and other stakeholders. I believe in transparency, I believe in open dialogue and I believe in the validity of the exercise we are carrying out, he said. Grossi is also expected to visit South Korea, New Zealand and the Cook Islands after his visit to Japan to ease concerns there. (AP) AMS Ankara, Jul 4 (AP) Egypt and Turkiye took a further step toward restoring full diplomatic ties on Tuesday by dispatching ambassadors for the first time in years, the latest step in the reconciliation between the two regional powers. In a joint statement, the two countries announced the appointment of Salih Mutlu Sen as Turkish ambassador to Cairo and of Amr Elhamamy as the Egyptian ambassador to Ankara. This step aims to establish normal relations between the two countries once again and demonstrates their mutual determination to work towards enhancing their bilateral relations for the best interest of both the Turkish and Egyptian peoples, the statement said. Egypt and Turkiye withdrew their ambassadors as tensions between them flared following the Egyptian military's 2013 ouster of Islamist President Mohammed Morsi amid mass protests against his divisive one year of rule. Morsi hailed from the Muslim Brotherhood group, which Turkiye supported. Egypt has designated the group a terrorist organisation. Turkiye's newly appointed foreign minister, Hakan Fidan, described the mutual appointment of ambassadors as an important stage of the normalisation efforts. "Turkiye and Egypt are two brotherly, powerful countries in their regions," Fidan said during a joint news conference with his Jordanian counterpart in Ankara. Due to their historic, geographical, cultural, strategic and religious ties, these two important countries do not have the luxury of staying apart from each other. "From now on, our relations will continue to progress rapidly in the political, economic and all other fields. The rapprochement between the two countries is part of Turkiye's efforts to build bridges with countries in the region and end its international isolation amid an economic downturn. Turkiye has recently also repaired its ties with Israel, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. Arab League Secretary-General Ahmed Abouel Gheit welcomed the appointment of ambassadors as a positive development that would contribute in easing (tensions) in the region. Egypt's government celebrated the 10th anniversary of the anti-Brotherhood protests on June 30. (AP) PY PY Moscow, Jul 4 (AP) The Kremlin on Tuesday held the door open for contacts with the US regarding a possible prisoner exchange that could potentially involve jailed Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich, but reaffirmed that such talks must be held out of the public eye. Asked whether Monday's consular visits to Gershkovich, who has been held behind bars in Moscow since March on charges of espionage, and Vladimir Dunaev, a Russian citizen in US custody on cybercrime charges, could potentially herald a prisoner swap, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that Moscow and Washington have touched on the issue. We have said that there have been certain contacts on the subject, but we don't want them to be discussed in public, Peskov said in a conference call with reporters. They must be carried out and continue in complete silence. He didn't offer any further details, but added that "the lawful right to consular contacts must be ensured on both sides. The US Ambassador to Moscow, Lynne Tracy, on Monday was allowed to visit Gershkovich for the first time since April. The US Embassy did not immediately provide more information. The 31-year-old Gershkovich was arrested in the city of Yekaterinburg while on a reporting trip to Russia. He is being held at Moscow's Lefortovo prison, notorious for its harsh conditions. A Moscow court last week upheld a ruling to keep him in custody until August 30. Gershkovich and his employer deny the allegations, and the US government declared him to be wrongfully detained. His arrest rattled journalists in Russia where authorities have not provided any evidence to support the espionage charges. Gershkovich is the first American reporter to face espionage charges in Russia since September 1986, when Nicholas Daniloff, a Moscow correspondent for US News and World Report, was arrested by the KGB. Daniloff was released 20 days later in a swap for an employee of the Soviet Union's UN mission who was arrested by the FBI, also on spying charges. Dunaev was extradited from South Korea on the US cybercrime charges and is in detention in Ohio. Russian diplomats were granted consular access to him on Monday for the first time since his arrest in 2021, Nadezhda Shumova, the head of the Russian Embassy's consular section, said in remarks carried by the Tass news agency. (AP) PY PY Moscow, Jul 4 (AP) Russian air defences on Tuesday foiled a Ukrainian drone attack on Moscow that prompted authorities to briefly close one of the city's international airports, officials said, as a Western analysis said that Russia has managed to slow Kyiv's recently launched counteroffensive. The drone attack, which follows previous similar raids on the Russian capital, was the first known assault on the city since an abortive mutiny launched 11 days ago by mercenary chief Yevgeny Prigozhin. His Wagner troops marched on Moscow in the biggest though short-lived challenge to Russian President Vladimir Putin in more than two decades of his rule. Authorities in Ukraine, which generally avoids commenting on attacks on Russian soil, didn't say whether it launched the drone raid. The Russian Defence Ministry said that four of the five drones were downed by air defences on the outskirts of Moscow and the fifth was jammed by electronic warfare means and forced down. There were no casualties or damage, Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said. As with previous drone attacks on Moscow, it was impossible to verify the Russian military's announcement that it downed all of them. The drone attack prompted authorities to temporarily restrict flights at Moscow's Vnukovo airport and divert flights to two other Moscow main airports. Vnukovo is about 15 kilometers (nine miles) southwest of Moscow. In May, two daring drone attacks jolted the Russian capital, in what appeared to be Kyiv's deepest strikes into Russia. Tuesday's raid came as Ukrainian forces have continued probing Russian defences in the south and the east of their country in the initial stages of a counteroffensive. Oleksiy Danilov, the secretary of Ukraine's Security and Defense Council, said that the military was currently focusing on destroying Russian equipment and personnel, and that the past few days of fighting have been particularly fruitful. He provided no evidence and it wasn't possible to independently verify it. The Ukrainians are up against minefields, anti-tank ditches and other obstacles, as well as layered defensive lines reportedly up to 20 kilometers (12 miles) deep in some places as they attempt to dislodge Russian occupiers. The UK Defence Ministry said on Tuesday the Kremlin's forces have refined (their) tactics aimed at slowing Ukrainian armored counteroffensive operations in southern Ukraine. Moscow has placed emphasis on using anti-tank mines to slow the onslaught, the assessment said, leaving the attackers at the mercy of Russian drones, helicopters and artillery. Although Russia has achieved some success with this approach in the early stages of Ukraine's counteroffensive, its forces continue to suffer from key weaknesses, especially overstretched units and a shortage of artillery munitions, the assessment said. Western analysts say the counteroffensive, even if it prospers, won't end the war, which started with Russia's full-scale invasion in February 2022. Russia, meanwhile, has continued its missile and drone barrage deep behind the front line. Russian shelling of Pervomaiskyi, a city in Ukraine's northeastern Kharkiv region, wounded 31 civilians, Kharkiv Gov. Oleh Syniehubov said on Tuesday. Nine children, including two babies, were among the wounded, he said. Oleksandr Lysenko, mayor of the city of Sumy in northeastern Ukraine, said that three people were killed and 21 others were wounded in a Russian drone strike on Monday that damaged two apartment buildings. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said the attack also damaged the regional headquarters of the Security Service of Ukraine, the country's main intelligence agency. He argued that the country needs more air defense systems to help fend off Russian raids. In all, Ukraine's presidential office reported on Tuesday, at least seven Ukrainian civilians were killed and 35 others injured in the fighting over the previous 24 hours. Putin referred to the recent mercenary rebellion that rattled the Kremlin during a video call on Tuesday with leaders of the countries of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation, or SCO, which is a security grouping dominated by Moscow and Beijing. Putin said that Russian political circles, the entire society have shown unity and responsibility for the fate of the motherland by putting up a united front against the attempted mutiny. He thanked the SCO members for what he described as their support during the uprising. Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu also said that a united front thwarted Prigozhin's mutiny. He said Monday in his first public comment about the episode that it failed primarily because the armed forces personnel have remained loyal to their military oath and duty. He said that the uprising had no impact on the war in Ukraine. In contrast, Prigozhin said that he had the public's backing for his march of justice toward Moscow. Meanwhile, Russia's Foreign Ministry said on Tuesday it saw no grounds to extend a deal that has allowed Ukraine to ship grain through the Black Sea to parts of the world struggling with hunger. The statement came less than two weeks before the expiration of the agreement, which was extended for two months in May. Moscow has complained that a separate agreement with the United Nations to overcome obstacles to shipments of its fertilisers has not produced results. (AP) PY PY Nashik, Jul 4 (PTI) Supporters of NCP leaders Ajit Pawar and Chhagan Bhujbal on Tuesday took possession of the party office in Maharashtra's Nashik city, leading to a vociferous protest by the local Sharad Pawar loyalists. Bhujbal, MLA from Yeola in Nashik district, on Sunday joined the BJP-Shiv Sena government in the state along with Ajit Pawar and seven other legislators, leading to a split in the Sharad Pawar-led Nationalist Congress Party. Bhujbal's supporters took over `Rashtrawadi Bhavan', the NCP office in Mumbai Naka area, in the morning. In the afternoon, supporters of Sharad Pawar tried to enter the office and there was a face-off between the two factions. Police, however, stopped the Sharad Pawar supporters including district NCP chief Kondaji Awhad, former city unit president Gajanan Shelar and others from entering the office. This is Rashtrawadi Pratishthan's office. Bhujbal does not have anything to do with it. All are our leaders but Sharad Pawar has founded the NCP and it is his party. We will take possession of the office within a day, Shelar said. Awhad claimed that he had the right to hold a meeting in the office as he is district NCP chief. Bhujbal supporter Dilip Khaire said they would not allow the other group to enter the office. He accused Awhad of attending the swearing-in ceremony on Sunday but changing the stand later. City NCP chief Ravindra Pagar said everybody was a Sharad Pawar supporter and he would attend a meeting called by Bhujbal. "Everyone should maintain peace, he added. Sharad Pawar supporters also staged a sit-in outside the office before leaving the spot. Mumbai, Jul 4 (PTI) The National Investigation Agency on Tuesday told a special NIA court four people, arrested for allegedly promoting terrorist activities at the behest of ISIS, wanted to "wage a war against the country" and were pushing the global militant outfit's anti-India agenda. The special court, presided over by Judge A K Lahoti, remanded the four persons, arrested on Monday, to NIA custody till July 10. Seeking their remand, the NIA told the court there was information that the accused -- identified as Tabish Siddiqui, Zubair Shaikh, Sharjeel Shaikh and Zulfikar Ali -- were in touch with an international handler. The anti-terror agency arrested them after conducting searches at five locations in Mumbai, Thane and Pune in Maharashtra and claimed they were part of an ISIS module. The central probe agency, represented by special public prosecutor Sandeep Sadavarte, told the court the accused allegedly had active links with ISIS and were making efforts to motivate vulnerable youth to further the global terror organization's anti-India agenda. The NIA said several incriminating materials, including electronic gadgets and documents related to ISIS and social media posts, were found during searches conducted at the houses of the accused. The accused were in touch with an international handler and their custody was needed to identify him and find out whether any other person was involved in conspiracy, it said. "The material seized clearly exposed the strong and active linkages of the accused with ISIS and their efforts to motivate vulnerable youth to further the terror organisation's anti-India agenda," the NIA said. The quartet was trying to breach the unity, integrity, security and sovereignty of the country and preparing to wage a war against the Government of India as part of an ISIS conspiracy, it said. The accused had shared relevant material, including 'Do it Yourself (DIY)' kits among themselves, for fabrication of IEDs (improvised explosive devices) and manufacture of small weapons and pistols, the NIA alleged. Opposing the NIA's remand plea, defence lawyers submitted allegations against their clients were general in nature and no connection of the accused had been shown to any specific conspiracy. Advocate Rajendra Rathod, appearing for Siddiqui, said material available on social media has been downloaded by his client. "They are easily accessible online and not banned. It is a simple case of downloading some material available on social media," he argued. Advocate Hasnain Kazi, appearing for Zubair Sheikh, submitted the court has to strike a balance between personal liberty of the accused and rights of the investigation agency. He contended the remand has been sought on the basis of "surmises, conjectures and assumptions". Lawyer Tahira Shaikh, representing Sharjeel Shaikh and Zulfikar Ali, said the duo's social media posts (seized by the probe agency) were about religious teachings and they cannot be called criminal activity. Knives seized by the probe agency during searches are found in every household and it cannot be said to be incriminating material, Tahira Shaikh told the court. Sharjeel Shaikh, from whose house a knife was recovered, claimed it was for self-defence. "There had been many incidents of house break-ins at our village in Bhiwandi (in Thane district) and the knife was kept for self-defence," he told the judge. The court, after hearing all sides, remanded the accused to the NIA custody till July 10. Palghar, Jul 4 (PTI) Three workers were injured after a "major" fire broke out at an industrial unit in Maharashtra's Palghar district, fire officials said on Tuesday. The blaze erupted at around 9.30 pm on Monday in the unit located in the Tarapur Maharashtra Industrial Development Corporation (MIDC) area in suburban Boisar, fire officer Vaibhav Tandel told PTI. Some storage tanks containing light density oil in the unit exploded due to the fire, he said. The explosion triggered panic in the area, as per eyewitnesses. Three workers were injured, including two seriously as they received about 50 per cent burns, the fire official said. All the three were undergoing treatment in hospital, he said. Eight fire engines were rushed to the spot and the blaze was brought under control by 1.30 am on Tuesday, the official said. The cause of the fire was not yet known, he said. A probe was also being conducted to ascertain if any manufacturing activity was going on in the unit at the time of the incident, the official said. New Delhi, Jul 4 (PTI) The NHRC on Tuesday issued a notice to the Rajasthan government over rats allegedly found gnawing the feet of patients in a government-run hospital in Jodhpur. Reportedly, the number of rats has increased so much that in ward C of its psychiatry department, they have bitten four patients, the National Human Rights Commission said in a statement. The NHRC has taken "suo motu cognisance of a media report that rats are gnawing on the feet of patients in government-run Mathura Das Mathur Hospital (MDMH) in Jodhpur", it said. The commission has observed that the content of the media report, if true, indicates the violation of the right to health and medical care of the patients which is a matter of concern for it. Accordingly, it has issued notice to the chief secretary, the government of Rajasthan, seeking a detailed report in four weeks, including steps being taken or proposed to be taken to address the grievance of the patients at the MDMH, Jodhpur, the statement said. A notice also be issued to the superintendent of the hospital to submit a report with regard to the "failure of the public servant", who has allowed this kind of "remiss to happen", within four weeks, the rights panel said. According to the media report on July 3, the hospital administration has given a contract to an agency for Rs 27,000 per month to control pests and rats, but the "rat menace continues unabated", it added. Following repeated complaints of rats gnawing feet of patients in the psychiatry department of the hospital, the administration on Monday set up an inquiry committee to look into the matter. The family members of at least four mentally-ill patients complained about similar incidents in the past week, prompting the hospital administration to intervene. BAKU, Azerbaijan, July 5. Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdullahian has arrived in Azerbaijan, Trend reports. "I arrived in Azerbaijan to participate in the meeting of the Foreign Ministers of the countries participating in the Non-Aligned Movement. Due to the diversity of its member countries, the Non-Aligned Movement has a special opportunity to strengthen multilateralism and common thinking to meet new global challenges. Also, this visit will be an opportunity to monitor and develop the policy of good neighborliness in the region," the minister wrote on his Twitter page. The meeting of foreign ministers of the Non-Aligned Movement member countries will be held in Baku on July 5-6. New Delhi, Jul 4 (PTI) The government has decided to provide financial assistance to states and union territories in border areas to set up protection and rehabilitation homes for victims of trafficking, particularly minor girls from neighbouring countries, a senior official said. Noting that India is a source as well as destination country for trafficking of persons, the official said the source countries are Nepal, Bangladesh and Myanmar from where women and girls are trafficked in the guise of providing a better life, jobs and good living conditions in India. A majority of those trafficked are minor girls or young women, who after their arrival in India are sold and forced into commercial sex work. These girls/women often reach major cities like Mumbai, Delhi, Hyderabad etc. from where they are taken out of the country mainly to the Middle East and South East Asia, the official said. The official said states bordering these countries need to be more vigilant and have adequate facilities to provide relief and rehabilitation services to the victims of trafficking. The government has decided to provide financial assistance to States/UTs in border areas to set up protection and rehabilitation homes for the victims of trafficking particularly for minor girls and young women, the official said. These homes will provide services like shelter, food, clothing, counselling, primary health facilities and other daily requirements. The official said the government will help build infrastructure to combat child trafficking in border areas. The victims will be produced before the child welfare committee to declare fit facility for providing sponsorship as per the Mission Vatsalya Scheme guideline and accordingly, the states/UTs will be requested to do the needful, he said. The government has provided funding to all states and union territories under the Nirbhaya Fund to set up and strengthen Anti Human Trafficking Units (AHTUS) in every district of the country. In addition, funding has also been provided for AHTUS in border guarding forces such as BSF and SSB, the official said. As on date, 788 AHTUs, including 30 in border guarding forces, are functional. New Delhi, Jul 4 (PTI) Four people were arrested for allegedly robbing a cash collecting agent of a businessman of Rs 50 lakh in Delhi's Alipur area, police said on Tuesday. The accused included a former and a current employee of the businessman, they said. The four arrested accused have been identified as Subash (23), Dinesh Jakhad (23), Santosh (25) and Abhimanyu (22), all residents of Rajasthan, police said. On June 14, information was received about a quarrel at Holi Chowk in Alipur. When police reached the spot, they found that one injured person, Mukesh Kumar, was shifted to Raja Harish Chandra Hospital, Narela, through a PCR van, a senior police officer said. In his statement to the police, Kumar said he and one Abhimanyu worked in SS Traders at Chandni Chowk and used to collect money from different places in the city, he said. On June 14, they came to one Rahul Jaiswal to collect Rs 50 lakh as directed by the owner of the SS Traders. They collect the amount and left around 4.30 pm. When they reached a narrow street near Holi Chowk, Bada Shiv Mandir in Alipur, two persons came from behind and robbed Rs 50 lakh cash kept in two bags from them, the officer said. Kumar sustained injuries on his forehead and face as he was beaten up by the robbers, the officer added. Police analysed footage of over 100 CCTV cameras and identified accused Abhimanyu who was working in SS Traders. He, along with complainant Kumar, had collected Rs 50 lakh from Rahul Jaiswal. Abhimanyu disclosed that he had provided the information of the amount to be collected and the place to one of his accomplices Santosh, who was a former employee of SS Traders, Deputy Commissioner of Police (outer north) Ravi Kumar Singh said. Santosh was sacked from the job by the owner a week before the incident. After losing his job, he wanted to take revenge from the owner and roped in his cousin Subhash who further roped in Dinesh Jakhad. The plan was that Subhash and Dinesh would rob the cash from Kumar and Abhimanyu and after committing the robbery, they would flee to their hometown in Bikaner, Rajasthan, the DCP said. Santosh had asked Abhimanyu to provide information whenever he had to collect a huge amount of money. On receiving the information from Abhimanyu, Santosh called Subhash and Jakhad and asked them to reach Delhi, he added. The robbed amount was recovered from the four accused, police said. New Delhi, Jul 4 (PTI) The son of a leading car dealer in Delhi has been booked over charges of raping a woman and forcing her to perform unnatural sex, police said on Tuesday. The woman claimed the incident took place on June 13 at the accused's house in South Delhi, they said. Based on the woman's complaint the FIR was registered on June 22, police said, adding the accused has joined the investigation. The complainant told the police that she met the accused for the first time on December 31, 2022, at a bakery shop of a hotel here and they exchanged phone numbers. The woman claimed that she had blocked the accused on her phone since he was repeatedly calling and messaging her. The accused then allegedly called her from another number and insisted that they meet on June 9 for ice cream which she again refused, a police officer said. She claimed that on June 13, the accused told her to meet him at a popular coffee shop in South Extension Part II to which she agreed. Since the outlet was closed, the accused took her to his house on the pretext of showing his residence, the woman claimed in her police complaint. The woman alleged that the accused then took her to the bedroom on the second floor of the house where she was forced to perform oral sex and was then raped, a senior police officer said. She told the police that the accused dropped her home after the alleged incident. The woman said that she was "extremely scared" of him since he knew her address and could not gather the courage to register a police complaint at that time, the officer added. Deputy Commissioner of Police (South) Chandan Choudhary said a case was registered at the Hauz Khas Police Station on the woman's complaint under IPC sections 376 (rape) and 377 (unnatural offences) on June 22. The accused has joined the investigation, he said. Faridabad, Jul 3 (PTI) A 56-year-old woman climbed a 60-feet-high electric pole here on Monday alleging that her husband and their sons are being implicated in a case of attack on a former councillor's brothers, police said. The incident took place near Sector 29 bypass road in the morning, they said. The woman is the wife of the main accused in the attack on the brothers of a former councilor in Mawai village, who said that her husband and son are being implicated in the case and was denied getting down from the pole. Police reached the spot and brought the woman down with the help of the fire brigade team after two hours of efforts and sent her home after getting her medical examination. On May 21, a case of attempt to murder was registered against Satveer Bhati, his sons and others for beating up the brothers of former nominated councillor Bijender Sharma. Sector-17 Crime Branch arrested the accused Abhay, Lokesh alias Lauki, Rakesh alias Lukki and Lokesh. But Bijender Sharma and his family allege that the police did not arrest the main accused Satbir Bhati and his sons. Sharma and his family members had staged a protest after blocking roads and demanding the arrest of the accused. The police opened the jam by assuring the arrest of the accused soon. On Monday around 5.30 am, Mehak, wife of accused Satbir Bhati, climbed the electric pole at the construction site of Delhi-Mumbai Expressway near Sector 29. The pole did not have wire connections. A security guard of the road construction company spotted the woman and informed the supervisor. After getting the information, the police team and fire brigade personnel reached the spot. The policemen were appealing through loudspeakers for the woman to get down. The woman said she would come down only if the names of her husband and son were removed from the FIR. Fireman Jogendra Singh, driver Sumit Bhadana and Rajkumar climbed the pole and set the net down. Jogendra Singh continued to climb up while engaging the woman in conversation and finally caught her. The woman was made to talk with her relatives over the phone and then she was brought down after fastening a rope around her. A senior police officer said the woman was rescued and sent to her home after her medical examination. Lucknow, Jul 4 (PTI) In a setback to former Uttar Pradesh minister Gayatri Prasad Prajapati, the Allahabad High Court has refused to quash the proceedings initiated against him in a special court under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA). It has been alleged that Prajapati spent disproportionate amount of Rs 2.98 crore on purchase of properties. Dismissing Prajapati's plea, a Lucknow bench of the high court on Monday observed, The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has filed the complaint after conducting investigation after the evidence collected prima facie established commission of offence under PMLA and hence there appears to be no illegality in the order passed by the special court of PMLA rejecting his plea for discharge and the order of the court framing charges against him. Prajapati had pleaded that no prima facie offence was made out against him to make him stand on trial in the case. Holding that Prajapati needs to face trial before the special court, the bench of Justice Subhash Vidyarthi said, During the period from 2012 to 2017, Prajapati, who was a minister, misused his official position and unlawfully gained several crores of rupees in cash, which was deposited in the bank accounts of his family members, his employees and companies, in which his sons were directors. Investigation revealed that the applicant rose exponentially in wealth ever since he became a minister. Prajapati was the mining minister in the Akhilesh Yadav government. He was sent to jail in March 2017 on charges of gang-raping a woman and attempting to rape her minor daughter as well. The FIR against the former minister was registered following a Supreme Court order on the woman's plea. Westerly, RI (02891) Today Partly cloudy this morning with thunderstorms becoming likely this afternoon. High 76F. Winds SE at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 60%.. Tonight Thunderstorms this evening, then skies turning partly cloudy after midnight. Potential for heavy rainfall. Low near 65F. Winds S at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 90%. BAKU, Azerbaijan, July 4. The source of the earthquake that occurred in the Caspian Sea is situated at a depth of 65 kilometers, and there is no cause for alarm, Gurban Yetirmishli, Director General of Azerbaijans Seismic Survey Center, told Trend. He dismissed rumors circulating on social media about the likelihood of another earthquake, describing them as baseless. Yetirmishli stated that while there may be minor aftershocks following the initial seismic activity, the occurrence of another earthquake with a magnitude of 5.5 is highly improbable. He mentioned the possibility of smaller tremors measuring up to 3 on the Richter scale, although it is uncertain whether they will manifest. In an official statement, Yetirmishli urged the public not to believe in provocations or rumors, assuring them that there is no reason for concern. He advised everyone to stay calm, noting that the situation is under control. The earthquake, measuring 5.5 in magnitude, originated in the Caspian Sea, as reported by the Republican Seismological Service Center. The tremors were felt in various parts of the country, including the city of Baku. In what is the latest instance of an armed civilian stopping a threat dead in its tracks, an armed civilian in Tel Aviv shot and killed the terrorist who rammed and stabbed pedestrians Tuesday morning. The terror attack was caught on security footage, and as can be seen below, the animal who carried it out was dead within a minute, thanks to a passerby packing heat. It is important to note that the terrorist would have likely injured many more people had the armed civilian not stepped in. In a world where the debate over gun ownership and concealed carry rages, it is necessary to look at real-life examples of whether armed civilians is indeed a positive thing and todays events are a perfect illustration of it. National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir at the scene says the armed man who shot dead the terrorist in Tel Aviv is further proof of the importance of arms-bearing civilians. I call on those who meet the requirements carry firearms with you. Disclaimer: Some viewers may find the below video of the terror attack disturbing. (YWN World Headquarters NYC) New York City Mayor Eric Adams faced severe criticism for his latest educational proposal, which mandates the implementation of mindful breathing exercises in public schools. Critics argue that this move comes at a time when students are grappling with academic challenges caused by COVID-related learning loss. During a press conference, Mayor Adams announced that public schools across the city would be required to incorporate two to five-minute breathing exercises into the daily routine of students from Kindergarten through 12th grade. The aim is to equip them with coping mechanisms to handle the stress of their daily lives. Two to five minutes. Think about that Were not talking about hours. Two to five minutes is a game changer, Mayor Adams emphasized. However, the announcement comes on the heels of a discouraging national report card that revealed a decline in reading and math scores among 13-year-olds, reaching their lowest rates in decades. The Nations Report Card, released by the National Center for Education Statistics, indicated that math scores were at their lowest since 1990, while reading scores hit their lowest point since 2004. This downward trend has persisted since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. According to the data, the average scores for students tested were 256 out of 500 in reading and 271 out of 500 in math. Comparatively, just three years prior, the scores were 260 in reading and 280 in math. The New York Post published an article criticizing Mayor Adams for his proposed mindful breathing initiative and urging him to address what they considered a real crisis in the citys public schoolschronic absenteeism. The report highlighted the escalating absenteeism rates since the pandemic, emphasizing that New York Citys numbers have consistently been worse than the national average since school closures due to COVID-19. Furthermore, the article underscored the disproportionate impact of absenteeism on minority communities and its profound consequences on academic progress. (YWN World Headquarters NYC) A Michigan man accused of attacking a police officer with a flagpole during the insurrection at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021 has been arrested in Florida, officials said. Jeremy Rodgers, 28, of Midland, Michigan, faces several felony and misdemeanor charges, including assaulting a federal officer with a deadly or dangerous weapon, according to court records. He was arrested Friday in Orlando, Florida, and made his initial court appearance there. The case will be prosecuted in District of Columbia federal court. According to court documents, Rodgers joined with others in objecting to Democrat Joe Bidens 2020 election victory over then-President Donald Trump. A mob stormed the Capitol to try to stop Congress from certifying election results for Biden over Trump, a Republican, authorities have said. Five people died in the violence. According to the criminal complaint, surveillance video shows Rodgers carrying a blue flag attached to a wooden flagpole as he approaches a line of law enforcement officers guarding the entrance to the East Rotunda Door. Investigators said Rodgers used his flagpole to strike a U.S. Capitol police officer three times on the helmet and then swung the flagpole twice more in the direction of officers. Rodgers also used the flagpole to prevent officers from closing the door so that he could enter the building, prosecutors said. Once inside, Rodgers removed railings so the others in the crowd could enter the building, officials said. Rodgers was part of a crowd that pushed through a police line outside the entrance to the House Chamber, investigators said. After another scuffle with police, Rodgers paraded through the Rotunda waving his flag before finally leaving, officials said. Online court records didnt list an attorney for Rodgers who might speak on his behalf. More than 1,000 people have been arrested in nearly all 50 states for alleged crimes related to the Capitol breach, according to officials. More than 350 people have been charged with assaulting or impeding law enforcement. (AP) Russias armed forces are bruised but by no means beaten in the war in Ukraine, a top NATO military officer said Monday, as he laid out the biggest revamp to the organizations military plans since the Cold War should Moscow dare to widen the conflict. They might not be 11 feet tall, but they are certainly not 2 feet tall, the Chair of the NATO Military Committee, Admiral Rob Bauer, told reporters. So, we should never underestimate the Russians and their ability to bounce back. U.S. President Joe Biden and his NATO counterparts are set to endorse a major shakeup of the alliances planning system at a summit in the Lithuanian capital Vilnius next week. NATO, as an organization, does not provide weapons or ammunition to Ukraine. Its sought to avoid being dragged into a wider war with nuclear-armed Russia. At the same time, it is massively reinforcing the security of member countries near Russia, Ukraine and Belarus. Around 40,000 troops are on standby from Estonia in the north down to Romania on the Black Sea. About 100 aircraft take to the skies in that territory each day, and a total of 27 warships are operating in the Baltic and Mediterranean Seas. Those numbers are set to rise. Under its new plans, NATO aims to have up to 300,000 troops ready to move to its eastern flank within 30 days. The plans divide its territory into three zones the high north and Atlantic area, a zone north of the Alps, and another in southern Europe. Bauer said that NATOs new planning is based on the strength of the Russian army before President Vladimir Putin launched the war on Ukraine almost 17 months ago. He said the war has depleted Russias army, but not its navy or air force. Of Russias ground forces, around 94% is now engaged in the war in Ukraine, Bauer said. What we see in general is that the Russians are careful around NATO. They are not for seeking a conflict with NATO. I think that is a sign that they are very, very busy, he said. In the land domain, I dont think they have a lot of forces available to do anything to anyone else. But we are convinced that the Russians are going to reconstitute, he said. We will continue to look at them as a serious threat, in the maritime, and in the air especially, and in space, they are still very, very, capable, let alone of course in nuclear. A revolt by Wagner mercenaries in Russia late last month raised deep security concerns in Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Poland after a deal was reached for their leader, Yevgeny Prigozhin, to be allowed to take refuge in Belarus. Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda said that neighboring countries would face a heightened danger if the Wagner Group deploys its serial killers just over their border. Vilnius lies around 35 kilometers (22 miles) from the Belarus border. Lithuania wants to have a permanent NATO presence on its territory. Germany signaled last week that it would be prepared to base soldiers there if requested. For the moment, though, NATO sees no imminent threat coming from Belarus. Were confident we know whats going on, and right now we see no changes. But that doesnt take our eye off what we need to do every day, Major General Matthew Van Wagenen told reporters. If we needed to change posture, we could do it rapidly. NATOs 31 member countries took part in a force generation conference last week in an effort to understand how many troops and how much equipment the alliance might have at its disposal to respond to any Russian attack, both in the short and longer term. Both officers were upbeat about the results, although they declined to provide details for security reasons. Experts and some NATO diplomats, however, have expressed doubt about the willingness of member countries to put a total of 300,000 troops on standby. I would classify it as highly successful, Van Wagenen said. I can assure you, we are in a position right now that we know whats missing and how we need to grow this in the future. In terms of NATOs ability to execute the plans, should they be needed in the future, Bauer welcomed the expected commitment in Vilnius by Biden and his counterparts to boost defense spending, which should help provide commanders with the equipment they need. In 2014, NATO committed to move toward spending 2% of GDP on their military budgets by 2024. At their July 11-12 summit, the leaders will set the 2% figure as a spending floor, rather than a ceiling to aim for. (AP) (By Richard Altabe) New York City has just completed its investigation of yeshivas. While many details are still shrouded in mystery, this much we know for sure: the City gave most yeshivas a failing grade. If education and educational improvement was the true purpose of the investigation, one would expect that the City would delineate the strengths and weaknesses of the yeshivas it reviewed. Instead, the City leak to the New York Times places 18 schools in same category: failure. And not just failure. It is as if each school got a zero on the final exam. There is no detail, discussion or differentiation. If its purpose was to validate existing stereotypes about yeshivas, the City succeeded. The media narrative that it fed was that chassidic yeshivas all fail to adequately educate their students. Imagine how you would feel if your school that enhanced its curriculum and increased its professional development over the past several years; In spite of those efforts, and the funds expended, your school is listed as failing without any explanation. No distinction is made between your school and one that ignored the City and barred its reviewers from the school. If any educator would grade his or her entire class as failing without offering an explanation of how the grade was arrived at, they would be laughed or chased out of school. If all students are labeled as failing and equally criticized, there is no incentive for improvement. A prior report issued by Mayor de Blasios administration grouped the schools into several different categories. Many were categorized as well developed and approaching equivalency. What happened to those schools? Did they improve? Stagnate? Regress? Did they fall just short of equivalency? Did they fail for some technical reason? We dont know, because the City has not told us. Perhaps the New York Times and anti-yeshiva advocates are happy. After all, for them the entire project was about labeling yeshivas as inadequate. But from an educational perspective, wasnt it supposed to be about improvement? But what school will make any effort to change when no matter what steps are taken they will be labeled as poor performing and non equivalent schools? The City has demonstrated that it simply does not care about improving these schools. But labeling them as bad and scoring points with those who seek to deny parents the right to determine the type of education that best suits their families is an abdication of the Citys role. As a long time principal, if a teacher who worked for me submitted report card grades without distinguishing the individual strengths and weaknesses of the students, I would put that teacher on notice. The City should be on notice that it and not all yeshivas deserve a failing grade. The bottom line is that if the City does not care about the strengths, weaknesses and actual performance of these schools why should anyone else Richard Altabe has served as a renowned educator and community advocate for more than 40 years (YWN World Headquarters NYC) Meta is poised to unveil a new app that appears to mimic Twitter a direct challenge to the social media platform owned by Elon Musk. A listing for the app, called Threads, appeared on Apples App Store, indicating it would debut as early as Thursday. It is billed as a text-based conversation app that is linked to Instagram, with the listing teasing a Twitter-like microblogging experience. Threads is where communities come together to discuss everything from the topics you care about today to whatll be trending tomorrow, it said. Instagram users will be able to keep their user names and follow the same accounts on the new app, according to screenshots displayed on the App Store listing. Meta declined to comment on the app. Musk replied yeah to a tweet from Twitter co-founder Jack Dorsey saying, All your Threads are belong to us, along with a screenshot from the App Stores privacy section showing what personal information might be collected by the new Meta app. Threads could be the latest headache for Musk, who acquired Twitter last year for $44 billion and has been making changes to the platform that have unnerved advertisers and turned off users. In the latest such tweak, Twitter said Monday that it will require users to be verified before they can use the online dashboard TweetDeck. The new policy takes effect in 30 days and appears to be aimed at raising extra revenue because users need to pay have their accounts verified under Musks changes. TweetDeck is popular with companies and news organizations, allowing users to manage multiple Twitter accounts. Twitter is already facing backlash after Musk announced that Twitter has limited the number of tweets users can view each day restrictions that the billionaire Tesla CEO described as an attempt to stop unauthorized scraping of potentially valuable data. Musks rivalry with Meta Platforms also could end up spilling over into real life. In an online exchange between Musk and Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg, the two tech billionaires seemingly agreed to a cage match face-off, though its unclear if they will actually make it to the ring. (AP) President Vladimir Putin said Tuesday that the Russian people were united as never before, as he sought to project confidence in the wake of a short-lived revolt, at a meeting of a rare international organization where he can find a sympathetic audience. The Shanghai Cooperation Organization meeting, hosted via videoconference by India, was Putins first multilateral summit since an armed rebellion rattled Russia and comes as he is eager to show that the West has failed to isolate Moscow over its 2022 invasion of Ukraine. The Asian security grouping, founded by Russia and China to counter Western alliances, also welcomed Iran as a new member, bringing its membership to nine nations. Speaking by video link from the Kremlin, Putin praised the organization for playing an increasingly significant role in international affairs, making a real contribution to maintaining peace and stability, ensuring sustainable economic growth of the participating states, and strengthening ties between peoples. He thanked the member states for supporting Russian authorities during the short-lived armed mutiny mounted by Wagner chief Yevgeny Prigozhin, and said the West had turned Ukraine into a virtually hostile state anti-Russia. Putin has frequently lashed out at the West for its support of Ukraine in the war. The summit presents an opportunity for Putin to show that hes in control after an insurrection that left some wondering about divisions among Russian elites. The Russian people are united as never before, he said. The solidarity and responsibility for the fate of the fatherland was clearly demonstrated by the Russian political circles and the entire society by standing as a united front against the attempted armed rebellion. Earlier speakers avoided directed references to the war, while bemoaning its global consequences. In his opening speech, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi warned of global challenges to food, fuel and fertilizer supplies but didnt mention the war in Ukraine. Trade in all three has been disrupted by the war. He also took a veiled swipe at Pakistan, saying the group shouldnt hesitate to criticize countries that are using terrorism as an instrument of its state policy. Terrorism poses a threat to regional peace and we need to take up a joint fight, Modi said without naming Pakistan. India regularly accuses Pakistan of training and arming insurgent groups, a charge that Islamabad denies. In his speech, Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif denounced terrorism and defended his countrys role in the fight against it. While the sacrifices made by Pakistan in fighting terrorism are without parallel, this scourge continues to plague our region and remains a serious obstacle to the maintenance of peace and stability, Sharif said. Any temptation to use it as a cudgel for diplomatic point scoring must be eschewed. Sharif also hailed the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, part of Chinas Belt and Road Initiative, saying it could be a game changer for connectivity, stability, peace and prosperity in the region. The SCO also includes the four Central Asian nations of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan, all former Soviet republics in which Russian influence runs deep. India and Pakistan became members in 2017. Belarus is also in line for membership. Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi said that the benefits of the official membership of the Islamic Republic of Iran in the SCO will be historic. Raisis speech, cited by the Iranian news agency IRNA, didnt mention the war in Ukraine, but said that Iran believed that the SCO is in a prime position to promote political and economic cooperation. Raisi expressed the hope that Irans membership would prepare the ground for improving collective security, respect for the sovereignty of member nations, sustainable development, and confronting environmental threats, IRNA said. U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said in a message that the summit was taking place amid growing global challenges and risks. But at a time when the world needs to work together, divisions are growing, and geopolitical tensions are rising, he said. These differences have been aggravated by several factors: diverging approaches to global crises; contrasting views on nontraditional security threats; and, of course, the consequences of COVID-19 and Russias invasion of Ukraine, he said. Chinese President Xi Jinping called on members to work toward long-term peace and stability in the region, according to a readout of his speech posted by state broadcaster CCTV. He said that China wants to better synergize the countrys Belt and Road Initiative a trillion-dollar infrastructure investment project criticized in the West for burdening smaller countries with large amounts of debt with other nations own development strategies and regional cooperation initiatives. Days after his return from a high-profile visit to the United States, Modi on Friday had a telephone conversation with Putin about recent developments in Russia, Indias External Affairs Ministry said. Modi reiterated calls for dialogue and diplomacy between Russia and Ukraine, ministry spokesman Arindam Bagchi said. India has avoided condemning Russia for its war on Ukraine and abstained from voting on U.N. resolutions against Russia. When SCO foreign ministers met in India last month, Russias war in Ukraine barely featured in their public remarks, but analysts say the fallout for developing countries on food and fuel security remains a concern for members of the group. Even as the SCO continues to expand, the grouping remains at risk of competing interests or conflicts between member states. India and Pakistan share a history of bitter relations, mainly over Kashmir, a disputed Himalayan region that is split between them but claimed by both in its entirety, and they have fought two wars over it. Meanwhile, New Delhi and Beijing are locked in a three-year standoff of thousands of soldiers stationed along their disputed border in the eastern Ladakh region. And the SCO summit took place as Moscow relies more deeply on Beijing as its war in Ukraine drags on. This could irk New Delhi in the long run and complicate its relationship with Cold War ally Russia. (AP) Hours after Israel sent a message to Hezbollah warning of an armed conflict if the terror group does not remove the outposts they established inside Israeli territory, one of the tents was removed on Sunday evening. Channel 12 News reported earlier on Sunday that Israel warned Hezbollah that they will remove the tents even if it meant days of fighting However, according to a Ynet report, despite the removal of one tent, the same number of Hezbollah operatives are still inside Israeli territory, in one tent rather than two. Israeli security officials believe that Hezbollah will soon remove the second tent as well to avoid a direct conflict with the IDF. The tent was removed a day after the head of the Hezbollah party in the Lebanese parliament told Arabic media that Israel should shut up or declare war on the outpost the terror group established inside Israeli territory. (YWN Israel Desk Jerusalem) Former Chief Rabbi of Moscow HaRav Pinchas Goldschmidt was declared as a foreign agent by the Russian Justice Ministry over the weekend. A statement released by the ministry states that HaRav Goldschmidt spread false information about the decisions made by public authorities of the Russian Federation and their policies, and expressed opposition about the special military operation in Ukraine. HaRav Goldschmidt, who served as Chief Rabbi of Moscow for 33 years, left Russia over a year ago after refusing to express support for the invasion of Ukraine. In response to his new status, HaRav Goldschmidt, who now lives in Israel, said, Im proud to be on the right side of history and to join the list of people opposing this terrible war that has cost the lives of hundreds of thousands. For 30 years, I nurtured and protected Moscows Jewish community, and no decision will prevent me from continuing to do so. Russia has turned for the worse, he added. This is the first time since the beginning of the war that a religious leader has been declared a foreign agent and defined by the Russian government as a hostile threat. Its very likely that this will mean the start of a new antisemitic campaign against the Jewish community in Russia. Ive previously called on the local Jewish community to leave the country before its too late. (YWN Israel Desk Jerusalem) BAKU, Azerbaijan, July 4. After the great victory of the Azerbaijani people and the army under the leadership of the President, the victorious Supreme Commander Ilham Aliyev in the 44-day Patriotic War, the supremacy of the Constitution of the Republic of Azerbaijan in the liberated territories of Azerbaijan was ensured. Chairman of the Azerbaijani Supreme Court Inam Karimov made a remark at an international conference themed "Development of legislation through the application of constitutional norms" dedicated to the 25th anniversary of the Constitutional Court of Azerbaijan in Baku that thanks to this grandiose victory, new geopolitical realities have formed in the region. He noted that against the background of current realities, the global significance of Azerbaijan has increased even more. New challenges are on the way both for the country itself and for its judicial system. The best way to meet these challenges is through joint cooperation. The Supreme Court of Azerbaijan, together with all partners, is ready for any dialogue and cooperation that can contribute to the formation and development of a judicial system in our country that meets modern requirements," he added. The conference is also attended by Azerbaijani Minister of Internal Affairs Vilayat Eyvazov, Minister of Justice Fikrat Mammadov, Ombudsperson Sabina Aliyeva, Prosecutor General Kamran Aliyev, First Deputy Chairman of the Azerbaijani Parliament Ali Huseynov, chairmen of the constitutional courts of foreign countries, and judges. A bus traveling from Kiryat Sanz in Netanya to Bnei Brak on Tuesday morning slipped off a bridge into a ditch and overturned, injuring 18 people. In a neis, the victims were only lightly injured and fully conscious, they extricated themselves from the bus on their own. According to a police spokesperson, the accident, which occurred on Highway 5, near the Glilot Intersection, began when the bus collided with a car on the highway, causing it to careen off the road and into the ditch. Hatzalah paramedics who were called to the scene treated the injured and evacuated them to Beilinson Hospital in Petach Tikvah, Ichilov Hospital in Tel Aviv and Sheba Medical Center in Tel Hashomer. MDA paramedics Meidan Ben-Yoash and Guy Goldschmidt said: When we arrived at the scene, we saw the bus upside down on the side of the road at the junction between Route 5 and Highway 20. We began assisting the bus passengers, who were on the shoulder of the road, and at the same time, we entered the bus via the broken door to ensure that there were no trapped casualties and joined the firefighter forces who ensured that there were no casualties under the bus. The accident could have ended in tragedy and miraculously all the bus passengers were only slightly injured. Hatzalah paramedics said: The bus passengers told us that during the trip from Netanya to Bnei Brak, the bus fell off the bridge and overturned on its side. Miraculously, the bus passengers were fully conscious and some of them suffered bruises and minor injuries and got out of the bus on their own. (YWN Israel Desk Jerusalem) Carillions former finance chief has been handed an 11-year boardroom ban for his role in one of the UKs biggest corporate failings. Zafar Khan, who served as the outsourcing giants finance director for less than a year before it imploded, has been blocked from holding company directorships for more than a decade. The construction group, which was involved in building hospitals and roads, collapsed in early 2018 owing close to 7billion. At the time, it was working on about 450 public sector projects, leaving thousands of people without a job and putting major delays on planned developments. An Insolvency Service spokesman said yesterday it had accepted a disqualification undertaking from Khan for 11 years for his conduct as a director of Carillion. Ban: Zafar Khan, who served as Carillions finance director for less than a year before it imploded, has been blocked from holding company directorships The Insolvency Service refused to comment further because litigation against the remaining directors is ongoing, with a trial set to commence the week of October 16. Last year, Khan, chief executive Richard Howson and Richard Adam, who also served as Carillions finance chief, were fined a total of close to 1million for issuing misleading statements to investors about its finances. Ben Drew, partner at law firm Fladgate, said Khans ban was an example of the Insolvency Service flexing its muscles. Khan said: I have decided, in the interests of my family and finally to draw a line under this process, that I will provide an undertaking not to act a director. When I took on the role I was aware that the group faced significant commercial challenges and I devoted all my energies to overcoming these challenges. I regret that I was not able to make a big enough difference in the short time I was in post. Royal London's funds are among those most exposed to bonds, or debt, issued by Thames Water, which have tumbled in value The UKs largest mutual insurer has been caught up in the Thames Water crisis. Royal London manages about 150billion in assets on behalf of pension schemes, life insurance policyholders and investors. But its funds are among those most exposed to bonds, or debt, issued by Thames Water, which have tumbled in value amid worries that the utilities giant could collapse under a mountain of liabilities totalling about 14billion. About 10 of the 25 funds with the highest exposure to debt issued by the firms parent, Thames Water (Kemble) Finance, are run by Royal London, which has about 2m members. The value of the bonds plunged last week amid growing fears about the companys financial health and that it could be renationalised. But Jonathan Platt, head of fixed income at Royal London Asset Management, said its exposure to Thames Waters debtwas small. AstraZeneca shares took a hit after data from a highly anticipated clinical trial suggested a lung cancer drug may not work as well as hoped. The pharma giant said there had been a number of grade 5 events with its trials for datopotamab deruxtecan. Grade 5 events mean that patients died during the clinical trial and this is likely to raise fears about the safety of the drug. The news sent AstraZenecas shares down 8 per cent, or 902p, to 10,374p. Setbacks: AstraZeneca said there had been a number of grade 5 events with its trials for lung cancer drug datopotamab deruxtecan The fact that the firm, which is developing the drug alongside Japanese group Daiichi Sankyo, did not announce that the results were clinically meaningful was also a blow to investors, who are hoping the treatment will become as successful as AstraZenecas other cancer drug Enhertu. Some analysts have estimated that the drug could generate as much as 14.2billion in sales, with AstraZeneca having already agreed to pay 4.7billion to Daiichi Sankyo for the rights to develop the treatment. But broker Stifel said that while the adverse side effects could be considered manageable by lung cancer specialists, it had expected the company to have learned from previous experience to help and limit such outcomes. It added that the absence of any clinically meaningful data, as well as patient deaths during the trial, would raise questions about the magnitude of the benefit of the drug against existing treatments. Despite this, Susan Galbraith, AstraZenecas head of oncology research, said the results provided compelling evidence that the drug could play a role in treating lung cancer. The firm plans to continue the trial and gather more data on the overall survival of patients using the drug, before publishing the full results. Datopotamab deruxtecan is an antibody drug conjugate, a method of targeting chemotherapy to make it more effective and reduce its side effects. Doctors and scientists are trying to move away from the current method of chemo which involves exposing the whole body, killing both cancerous and healthy cells. In the trial, AstraZeneca said that datopotamab deruxtecan could stall the progression of the disease in patients with advanced lung cancer for longer than the current standard treatment, a chemotherapy drug called docetaxel. PwCs embattled Australian business has fired eight partners, including its former chief executive, following an internal investigation into the leaking of confidential government tax plans by a former partner. The investigation found that misuse of confidential information breached professional standards. It also identified a failure of leadership and governance to address the breaches, PwC said in a statement. The professional services group has been in crisis in Australia after leaked emails showed it had used information about tax policy changes it had obtained in confidence from the government to try to win new business from corporate clients. The Australian Treasury referred the matter to the police in May. Sackings: PWC has been in crisis in Australia after leaked emails showed it used information it had obtained in confidence from the government to try to win new business The Reserve Bank of Australia, several government departments and the countrys three largest pension funds have frozen or reviewed ties with PwC. The sackings are the latest attempt to contain the damage to the business caused by the scandal. It began after a former partner, Peter Collins, who had been advising the Australian government on new tax laws targeting corporate tax avoidance, shared confidential drafts with colleagues, which were used to drum up business around the world. Collins, PwC Australias former head of international tax, had been part of a trusted group of outside tax experts helping the Australian government to draft its 2016 Multinational Anti-Avoidance Law. He had signed strict confidentiality agreements with the Australian Treasury. Emails showed, however, that Collins had shared secret government documents, decisions and planning for the new tax laws with colleagues. He has since been deregistered as a tax agent by the Tax Practitioners Board and is under investigation by police. Kristin Stubbins, acting chief executive of PwC Australia, said: Accountability is critical to improving our culture and, based on our investigation to date, it is clear that the conduct of a number of partners fell short of what was expected of them. They are now being held accountable for their misconduct. Tom Seymour, who stepped down as chief executive of PwC Australia in May, is one of the eight who have left or are in the process of leaving. He admitted he had received emails containing confidential information about the governments tax plans. The eight have not commented. Sir Jim Ratcliffe has blamed ridiculous taxes and overly aggressive regulation for driving business out of Britain. In a blistering attack that underlined mounting concerns about the UK, the billionaire accused the Government and Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) of being increasingly hostile to business. The tycoon pointed to the watchdogs decision to block a 790million takeover of a concrete additives firm by his chemicals company Ineos, as well as the windfall tax on North Sea oil and gas firms and lack of support for manufacturing. Ratcliffe, who has a fortune of around 30billion and is in the bidding to buy Manchester United, is just the latest to criticise the UK and its stance towards business highlighting how the Conservatives are struggling to retain the confidence of traditional supporters. The 70-year-old, who was born in Britain but is a tax resident in Monaco, a move that has attracted criticism, blasted the CMAs decision earlier this year to block Ineoss acquisition of a concrete additives business from rival Sika. Anger: Sir Jim Ratcliffe (pictured) has accused the Government and Competition and Markets Authority of being 'increasingly hostile to business' The Swiss unit, which employs more than 1,600, was instead sold to the US private equity group Cinven, adding to concerns that regulators are curbing growth in the UK. The CMA and the Government are becoming increasingly hostile to business, Ratcliffe said. This is yet another example of a deal being stopped that would benefit the UK and handed over to the Americans who were absolutely delighted. The CMA is building a reputation as an overly aggressive regulator with little regard for the impact of its decisions on UK business. The regulator also came under fire in May after it decided to block Microsofts 50billion takeover of Call Of Duty maker Activision Blizzard breaking away from European regulators who gave the deal the green light. Microsoft president Brad Smith said the move showed how the UK was closed for business despite claims that ministers were fostering the next Silicon Valley on British soil. Ratcliffe said the CMAs approach is mirrored in the lack of government support for manufacturing. He said: Add to this the ridiculous North Sea windfall tax and continuing high energy costs and we are seeing a government that is driving business out of the UK. Britain has been lambasted for its uncompetitive tax regime with the burden spiralling to its highest level since the Second World War which has led to an exodus. Ratcliffe moved his domicile to Switzerland in 2010. Although he then brought it back to the UK in 2016, he jumped ship to the tax haven Monaco in 2018. I was getting anxious about what would happen if Jeremy Corbyn won. People like us, who are very wealthy and have been very successful, would have got clobbered, he writes in the book Grit, Rigour & Humour: The Ineos Story, which is published next week. Weighing in on Ratcliffes comments, Luke Hildyard, director at the High Pay Centre, said: As a billionaire in Monaco, its probably pretty easy to cry about the CMA or windfall taxes without thinking about the issue from the perspective of the rising cost of living or funding for massively overstretched public services. Anyone with a 30billion net worth is going to be fine whatever Governments or regulators do so we really shouldnt give their opinions much credence. A CMA spokesman said: Effective merger control is pro-business and pro-growth. Estimates show that during the past three years, the CMA merger regime saved consumers more than 2billion. It also enabled UK businesses to enter new markets and grow. The Gabelli Global Utility & Income Trust (NYSEAMERICAN:GLU Free Report) saw a significant growth in short interest during the month of June. As of June 15th, there was short interest totalling 1,700 shares, a growth of 70.0% from the May 31st total of 1,000 shares. Based on an average trading volume of 13,800 shares, the short-interest ratio is presently 0.1 days. The Gabelli Global Utility & Income Trust Price Performance NYSEAMERICAN:GLU opened at $14.23 on Tuesday. The Gabelli Global Utility & Income Trust has a 1 year low of $13.09 and a 1 year high of $17.19. Get The Gabelli Global Utility & Income Trust alerts: The Gabelli Global Utility & Income Trust Dividend Announcement The business also recently disclosed a dividend, which will be paid on Monday, July 24th. Investors of record on Monday, July 17th will be given a $0.10 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Friday, July 14th. Insider Activity Institutional Inflows and Outflows In other news, insider Mario J. Gabelli sold 1,900 shares of The Gabelli Global Utility & Income Trust stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, May 30th. The shares were sold at an average price of $13.21, for a total value of $25,099.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider now owns 4,703 shares in the company, valued at $62,126.63. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink Several institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Wolverine Asset Management LLC acquired a new stake in The Gabelli Global Utility & Income Trust during the 4th quarter worth $148,000. UBS Group AG grew its holdings in The Gabelli Global Utility & Income Trust by 46.8% during the 1st quarter. UBS Group AG now owns 13,326 shares of the companys stock worth $195,000 after acquiring an additional 4,249 shares during the period. SeaCrest Wealth Management LLC grew its holdings in The Gabelli Global Utility & Income Trust by 36.8% during the 4th quarter. SeaCrest Wealth Management LLC now owns 14,500 shares of the companys stock worth $204,000 after acquiring an additional 3,900 shares during the period. NewEdge Advisors LLC grew its holdings in The Gabelli Global Utility & Income Trust by 11.9% during the 2nd quarter. NewEdge Advisors LLC now owns 13,200 shares of the companys stock worth $213,000 after acquiring an additional 1,400 shares during the period. Finally, Raymond James & Associates grew its holdings in The Gabelli Global Utility & Income Trust by 6.1% during the 1st quarter. Raymond James & Associates now owns 18,389 shares of the companys stock worth $270,000 after acquiring an additional 1,053 shares during the period. About The Gabelli Global Utility & Income Trust (Free Report) The Gabelli Global Utility & Income Trust is a closed-ended equity mutual fund launched by GAMCO Investors, Inc It is managed by Gabelli Funds, LLC. The fund invests in public equity markets across the globe. It primarily invests in stocks of companies involved to a substantial extent in providing products, services, or equipment for the generation or distribution of electricity, gas, or water and infrastructure operations, and in equity securities including preferred securities of companies in other industries, in each case in such securities that are expected to pay periodic dividends. Featured Articles Receive News & Ratings for The Gabelli Global Utility & Income Trust Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for The Gabelli Global Utility & Income Trust and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Manulife Financial Co. (NYSE:MFC Free Report) (TSE:MFC) was the recipient of a large decline in short interest in the month of June. As of June 15th, there was short interest totalling 21,960,000 shares, a decline of 39.5% from the May 31st total of 36,300,000 shares. Approximately 1.2% of the companys shares are short sold. Based on an average trading volume of 3,010,000 shares, the short-interest ratio is currently 7.3 days. Institutional Trading of Manulife Financial Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of MFC. Duality Advisers LP bought a new stake in shares of Manulife Financial in the 1st quarter valued at approximately $2,631,000. DGS Capital Management LLC grew its stake in shares of Manulife Financial by 10.6% in the 1st quarter. DGS Capital Management LLC now owns 33,973 shares of the financial services providers stock valued at $624,000 after buying an additional 3,243 shares in the last quarter. Ontario Teachers Pension Plan Board boosted its position in Manulife Financial by 122.0% during the first quarter. Ontario Teachers Pension Plan Board now owns 69,305 shares of the financial services providers stock worth $1,272,000 after purchasing an additional 38,092 shares during the period. Macquarie Group Ltd. bought a new stake in Manulife Financial during the first quarter worth approximately $124,000. Finally, Ameriprise Financial Inc. boosted its position in Manulife Financial by 33.5% during the first quarter. Ameriprise Financial Inc. now owns 331,051 shares of the financial services providers stock worth $6,867,000 after purchasing an additional 83,021 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 40.71% of the companys stock. Get Manulife Financial alerts: Manulife Financial Stock Performance Shares of MFC opened at $18.92 on Tuesday. The company has a market cap of $34.81 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 8.68, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.77 and a beta of 1.10. The firm has a fifty day moving average of $19.10 and a 200-day moving average of $18.95. Manulife Financial has a 1 year low of $14.92 and a 1 year high of $20.40. Manulife Financial Cuts Dividend Manulife Financial ( NYSE:MFC Free Report ) (TSE:MFC) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, May 10th. The financial services provider reported $0.58 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.57 by $0.01. The company had revenue of $9.32 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $10.68 billion. Analysts predict that Manulife Financial will post 2.44 EPS for the current year. The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, June 19th. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, May 24th were issued a dividend of $0.269 per share. The ex-dividend date was Tuesday, May 23rd. This represents a $1.08 annualized dividend and a yield of 5.69%. Manulife Financials payout ratio is presently 49.54%. Wall Street Analyst Weigh In Separately, StockNews.com initiated coverage on shares of Manulife Financial in a research note on Thursday, May 18th. They set a hold rating for the company. About Manulife Financial (Free Report) Manulife Financial Corporation, together with its subsidiaries, provides financial products and services in Asia, Canada, the United States, and internationally. The company operates through Wealth and Asset Management Businesses; Insurance and Annuity Products; and Corporate and Other segments. The Wealth and Asset Management Businesses segment offers investment advice and solutions to retirement, retail, and institutional clients through multiple distribution channels, including agents and brokers affiliated with the company, independent securities brokerage firms and financial advisors pension plan consultants, and banks. Read More Receive News & Ratings for Manulife Financial Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Manulife Financial and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. McKesson Co. (NYSE:MCK Free Report) Equities researchers at Zacks Research raised their Q1 2025 EPS estimates for McKesson in a report released on Wednesday, June 28th. Zacks Research analyst I. Bandyopadhyay now anticipates that the company will post earnings of $7.04 per share for the quarter, up from their prior estimate of $6.91. The consensus estimate for McKessons current full-year earnings is $26.51 per share. Zacks Research also issued estimates for McKessons Q2 2025 earnings at $7.66 EPS. Get McKesson alerts: McKesson (NYSE:MCK Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Monday, May 8th. The company reported $7.19 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $7.16 by $0.03. McKesson had a net margin of 1.29% and a negative return on equity of 234.22%. The firm had revenue of $68.91 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $67.94 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company posted $5.83 EPS. McKessons revenue was up 4.2% on a year-over-year basis. McKesson Price Performance MCK has been the subject of several other research reports. Robert W. Baird boosted their price objective on shares of McKesson from $450.00 to $475.00 in a research report on Tuesday, May 9th. Argus lifted their target price on shares of McKesson from $430.00 to $450.00 in a report on Thursday, June 29th. Credit Suisse Group lifted their target price on shares of McKesson from $430.00 to $450.00 in a report on Friday, May 12th. SpectralCast reaffirmed a maintains rating on shares of McKesson in a report on Thursday, June 29th. Finally, Citigroup started coverage on shares of McKesson in a report on Friday, March 31st. They set a buy rating and a $420.00 target price for the company. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, six have given a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus target price of $431.83. MCK stock opened at $420.42 on Monday. The company has a 50 day moving average price of $391.77 and a 200 day moving average price of $373.91. McKesson has a fifty-two week low of $315.78 and a fifty-two week high of $429.75. The stock has a market capitalization of $56.97 billion, a PE ratio of 16.74, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.49 and a beta of 0.60. Hedge Funds Weigh In On McKesson A number of large investors have recently modified their holdings of MCK. Fairfield Bush & CO. acquired a new stake in McKesson in the 1st quarter valued at about $46,000. Synovus Financial Corp lifted its stake in McKesson by 4.0% in the 1st quarter. Synovus Financial Corp now owns 2,192 shares of the companys stock valued at $673,000 after purchasing an additional 85 shares during the last quarter. Prudential PLC acquired a new stake in McKesson in the 1st quarter valued at about $1,610,000. Cetera Investment Advisers lifted its stake in McKesson by 17.8% in the 1st quarter. Cetera Investment Advisers now owns 9,839 shares of the companys stock valued at $3,012,000 after purchasing an additional 1,490 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Moors & Cabot Inc. bought a new position in McKesson in the 1st quarter valued at about $598,000. 83.77% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds. Insiders Place Their Bets In other McKesson news, CEO Brian S. Tyler sold 3,471 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Thursday, June 29th. The stock was sold at an average price of $420.00, for a total transaction of $1,457,820.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer now owns 129,714 shares in the company, valued at approximately $54,479,880. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. In other news, CEO Brian S. Tyler sold 3,471 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Thursday, June 29th. The shares were sold at an average price of $420.00, for a total transaction of $1,457,820.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer now directly owns 129,714 shares in the company, valued at approximately $54,479,880. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this link. Also, EVP Thomas L. Rodgers sold 645 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, June 6th. The stock was sold at an average price of $395.70, for a total transaction of $255,226.50. Following the transaction, the executive vice president now owns 2,544 shares of the companys stock, valued at $1,006,660.80. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last 90 days, insiders sold 32,138 shares of company stock worth $12,581,657. Corporate insiders own 0.21% of the companys stock. McKesson Announces Dividend The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, July 3rd. Investors of record on Thursday, June 1st were given a $0.54 dividend. This represents a $2.16 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.51%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Wednesday, May 31st. McKessons dividend payout ratio is currently 8.60%. About McKesson (Free Report) McKesson Corporation provides healthcare services in the United States and internationally. It operates through four segments: U.S. Pharmaceutical, Prescription Technology Solutions (RxTS), Medical-Surgical Solutions, and International. The U.S. Pharmaceutical segment distributes branded, generic, specialty, biosimilar and over-the-counter pharmaceutical drugs, and other healthcare-related products. Featured Articles Receive News & Ratings for McKesson Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for McKesson and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Reeds (NYSE:REED Free Report) and Coca-Cola HBC (OTCMKTS:CCHGY Free Report) are both consumer defensive companies, but which is the better business? We will compare the two companies based on the strength of their dividends, profitability, valuation, institutional ownership, risk, earnings and analyst recommendations. Valuation and Earnings This table compares Reeds and Coca-Cola HBCs revenue, earnings per share (EPS) and valuation. Get Reed's alerts: Gross Revenue Price/Sales Ratio Net Income Earnings Per Share Price/Earnings Ratio Reeds $53.04 million 0.13 -$20.06 million ($8.19) -0.33 Coca-Cola HBC $9.69 billion 1.14 $437.67 million N/A N/A Coca-Cola HBC has higher revenue and earnings than Reeds. Profitability Net Margins Return on Equity Return on Assets Reeds -35.75% N/A -64.66% Coca-Cola HBC N/A N/A N/A Analyst Recommendations This table compares Reeds and Coca-Cola HBCs net margins, return on equity and return on assets. This is a summary of recent ratings and recommmendations for Reeds and Coca-Cola HBC, as reported by MarketBeat. Sell Ratings Hold Ratings Buy Ratings Strong Buy Ratings Rating Score Reeds 0 0 0 0 N/A Coca-Cola HBC 0 0 0 0 N/A Coca-Cola HBC has a consensus target price of $2,517.86, suggesting a potential upside of 8,383.35%. Given Coca-Cola HBCs higher probable upside, analysts plainly believe Coca-Cola HBC is more favorable than Reeds. Risk and Volatility Reeds has a beta of 1.52, suggesting that its share price is 52% more volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, Coca-Cola HBC has a beta of 1.19, suggesting that its share price is 19% more volatile than the S&P 500. Insider & Institutional Ownership 35.8% of Reeds shares are held by institutional investors. 29.9% of Reeds shares are held by company insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that endowments, hedge funds and large money managers believe a stock will outperform the market over the long term. Summary Coca-Cola HBC beats Reeds on 6 of the 9 factors compared between the two stocks. About Reeds (Free Report) Reed's, Inc. engages in the manufacture and distribution of natural beverages in the United States. The company offers Reed's craft ginger beer; Reed's real ginger ales; Reed's Mules; Reed's Hard Ginger Ale; Reed's ready to drink products; and Virgil's handcrafted sodas. It sells its products to natural food and gourmet retailers, grocery store chains, mass merchants, club stores, convenience and drug stores, liquor stores, industrial cafeterias, and on-premise bars and restaurants, as well as directly to consumers through www.drinkreeds.com. The company was formerly known as Original Beverage Corporation and changed its name to Reed's, Inc. in 2001. Reed's, Inc. was founded in 1987 and is headquartered in Norwalk, Connecticut. About Coca-Cola HBC (Free Report) Coca-Cola HBC AG engages in the production, distribution, and sale of non-alcoholic ready-to-drink beverages under franchise in Switzerland and internationally. The company offers sparkling soft drinks, adult sparkling, hydration drinks, juices, ready-to-drink tea, energy drinks, dairy, coffee, water, plant-based drinks, premium spirits and flavored alcoholic beverages, and snacks. It markets and sells its products under several brands, including Coca-Cola, Fanta, Sprite, Adez, Averna, Amita, Aquarius, Aperol, Avra, Deep RiverRock, Fruice, Kinley, Schweppes, and various other brands; and distributes third-party products, such as Monster energy drinks, and beer. The company serves retail outlets, include supermarkets, discounters, convenience stores, wholesalers, hotels, restaurants, cafes, and e-commerce retailers. Coca-Cola HBC AG was founded in 1969 and is headquartered in Steinhausen, Switzerland. Receive News & Ratings for Reed's Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Reed's and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. BAKU, Azerbaijan, July 4. Video footage in connection with the damage to ornamental plants by some persons on Baku Boulevard became the subject of discussion in social networks, Trend reports. The footage shows that the woman is trying to scratch something on the cactus. Trend employees visited Baku Boulevard to find out the opinion of citizens on this issue. Residents of the capital are definitely outraged by such cases. The full video report: Almaden Minerals (NYSE:AAU Free Report) and Mountain Province Diamonds (OTCMKTS:MPVDF Free Report) are both basic materials companies, but which is the superior business? We will contrast the two companies based on the strength of their risk, dividends, profitability, valuation, institutional ownership, earnings and analyst recommendations. Valuation & Earnings This table compares Almaden Minerals and Mountain Province Diamonds revenue, earnings per share (EPS) and valuation. Get Almaden Minerals alerts: Gross Revenue Price/Sales Ratio Net Income Earnings Per Share Price/Earnings Ratio Almaden Minerals N/A N/A -$9.11 million ($0.06) -2.13 Mountain Province Diamonds $527.95 million 0.14 $37.84 million $0.22 1.58 Mountain Province Diamonds has higher revenue and earnings than Almaden Minerals. Almaden Minerals is trading at a lower price-to-earnings ratio than Mountain Province Diamonds, indicating that it is currently the more affordable of the two stocks. Institutional and Insider Ownership Profitability 0.5% of Mountain Province Diamonds shares are owned by institutional investors. 11.0% of Almaden Minerals shares are owned by insiders. Comparatively, 4.8% of Mountain Province Diamonds shares are owned by insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that endowments, hedge funds and large money managers believe a stock will outperform the market over the long term. This table compares Almaden Minerals and Mountain Province Diamonds net margins, return on equity and return on assets. Net Margins Return on Equity Return on Assets Almaden Minerals N/A -7.05% -6.40% Mountain Province Diamonds 11.86% 14.71% 6.34% Analyst Ratings This is a summary of recent ratings and recommmendations for Almaden Minerals and Mountain Province Diamonds, as provided by MarketBeat. Sell Ratings Hold Ratings Buy Ratings Strong Buy Ratings Rating Score Almaden Minerals 0 1 0 0 2.00 Mountain Province Diamonds 0 0 0 0 N/A Almaden Minerals presently has a consensus price target of $0.40, indicating a potential upside of 212.26%. Given Almaden Minerals higher probable upside, equities analysts plainly believe Almaden Minerals is more favorable than Mountain Province Diamonds. Volatility & Risk Almaden Minerals has a beta of 0.95, suggesting that its share price is 5% less volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, Mountain Province Diamonds has a beta of 1.65, suggesting that its share price is 65% more volatile than the S&P 500. Summary Mountain Province Diamonds beats Almaden Minerals on 9 of the 11 factors compared between the two stocks. About Almaden Minerals (Free Report) Almaden Minerals Ltd., an exploration stage company, engages in the acquisition, exploration, evaluation, and development of mineral properties in Mexico. The company's principal asset includes a 100% interest in the Ixtaca gold-silver project located in Puebla State, Mexico. Almaden Minerals Ltd. was incorporated in 1980 and is headquartered in Vancouver, Canada. About Mountain Province Diamonds (Free Report) Mountain Province Diamonds Inc. focuses on the mining and marketing of rough diamonds worldwide. Its primary asset is its 49% interest in the Gahcho Kue diamond mine comprising mining leases covering an area of 5,216 hectares; and holds a 100% interest in the Kennady North project consisting of 22 federal leases and 97 claims covering an area of 113,000 hectares located in the Northwest Territories, Canada. The company was formerly known as Mountain Province Mining Inc. and changed its name to Mountain Province Diamonds Inc. in October 2000. Mountain Province Diamonds Inc. was incorporated in 1986 and is headquartered in Toronto, Canada. Receive News & Ratings for Almaden Minerals Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Almaden Minerals and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Banco Comercial Portugues, S.A. (OTCMKTS:BPCGF Free Report) was the target of a significant growth in short interest in the month of June. As of June 15th, there was short interest totalling 4,965,900 shares, a growth of 64.0% from the May 31st total of 3,028,700 shares. Based on an average daily trading volume, of 0 shares, the short-interest ratio is presently ? days. Banco Comercial Portugues Stock Performance OTCMKTS BPCGF opened at $0.21 on Tuesday. The companys 50 day simple moving average is $0.22 and its 200 day simple moving average is $0.20. Banco Comercial Portugues has a 12 month low of $0.21 and a 12 month high of $0.21. Get Banco Comercial Portugues alerts: Analysts Set New Price Targets Separately, Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft raised shares of Banco Comercial Portugues from a hold rating to a buy rating in a report on Wednesday, March 29th. Banco Comercial Portugues Company Profile Banco Comercial Portugues, SA, a private sector bank, engages in the provision of various banking and financial products and services in Portugal and internationally. It operates through Retail Banking; Companies, Corporate & Investment Banking; Private Banking; Foreign Business; and Other segments. Featured Stories Receive News & Ratings for Banco Comercial Portugues Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Banco Comercial Portugues and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Constellation Brands, Inc. (NYSE:STZ Free Report) has been given an average rating of Moderate Buy by the twenty research firms that are currently covering the firm, MarketBeat Ratings reports. Four analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and sixteen have given a buy rating to the company. The average twelve-month price target among analysts that have issued a report on the stock in the last year is $263.00. A number of brokerages have recently issued reports on STZ. TD Cowen boosted their price target on shares of Constellation Brands from $200.00 to $220.00 and gave the stock an outperform rating in a research note on Monday, April 10th. Royal Bank of Canada restated an outperform rating and set a $295.00 target price on shares of Constellation Brands in a research report on Monday, April 10th. Wells Fargo & Company increased their price target on shares of Constellation Brands from $275.00 to $280.00 and gave the company an overweight rating in a research report on Monday. Roth Capital upgraded shares of Constellation Brands from a neutral rating to a buy rating in a research report on Tuesday, May 30th. Finally, Truist Financial upped their price objective on shares of Constellation Brands from $220.00 to $240.00 and gave the company a hold rating in a research note on Monday. Get Constellation Brands alerts: Constellation Brands Stock Performance NYSE:STZ opened at $247.47 on Friday. The company has a fifty day simple moving average of $236.96 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $228.81. The company has a market cap of $45.35 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -135.23, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.87 and a beta of 1.02. The company has a quick ratio of 0.53, a current ratio of 1.14 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.23. Constellation Brands has a 52 week low of $208.12 and a 52 week high of $261.32. Constellation Brands Announces Dividend Constellation Brands ( NYSE:STZ Free Report ) last issued its earnings results on Friday, June 30th. The company reported $2.91 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $2.83 by $0.08. Constellation Brands had a negative net margin of 3.14% and a positive return on equity of 22.32%. The firm had revenue of $2.51 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $2.47 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm posted $2.66 earnings per share. The companys revenue was up 6.4% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, equities analysts anticipate that Constellation Brands will post 11.76 earnings per share for the current fiscal year. The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, August 24th. Investors of record on Thursday, August 10th will be given a $0.89 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, August 9th. This represents a $3.56 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.44%. Constellation Brandss dividend payout ratio is -194.54%. Insider Activity at Constellation Brands In related news, major shareholder Business Holdings Lp Ajb sold 650,000 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, May 10th. The stock was sold at an average price of $223.53, for a total transaction of $145,294,500.00. Following the completion of the sale, the insider now directly owns 3,365,715 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $752,338,273.95. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. In other Constellation Brands news, major shareholder Business Holdings Lp Ajb sold 650,000 shares of Constellation Brands stock in a transaction on Wednesday, May 10th. The shares were sold at an average price of $223.53, for a total transaction of $145,294,500.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider now directly owns 3,365,715 shares of the companys stock, valued at $752,338,273.95. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. Also, Director Richard Sands sold 3,858,476 shares of Constellation Brands stock in a transaction on Wednesday, May 10th. The stock was sold at an average price of $223.53, for a total transaction of $862,485,140.28. Following the transaction, the director now directly owns 20,488,818 shares of the companys stock, valued at $4,579,865,487.54. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. 16.19% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders. Institutional Trading of Constellation Brands Institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Vanguard Group Inc. boosted its holdings in shares of Constellation Brands by 2.6% during the 1st quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 12,601,280 shares of the companys stock worth $2,902,327,000 after buying an additional 313,344 shares in the last quarter. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD lifted its holdings in shares of Constellation Brands by 100.8% in the 1st quarter. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD now owns 7,890,702 shares of the companys stock worth $1,782,432,000 after purchasing an additional 3,961,836 shares in the last quarter. Morgan Stanley raised its position in Constellation Brands by 31.3% in the 4th quarter. Morgan Stanley now owns 3,809,273 shares of the companys stock valued at $882,799,000 after buying an additional 908,486 shares during the last quarter. Moneta Group Investment Advisors LLC raised its position in Constellation Brands by 84,839.5% in the 4th quarter. Moneta Group Investment Advisors LLC now owns 3,742,434 shares of the companys stock valued at $867,309,000 after buying an additional 3,738,028 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Geode Capital Management LLC raised its position in Constellation Brands by 1.8% in the 1st quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 2,863,322 shares of the companys stock valued at $645,055,000 after buying an additional 50,672 shares during the last quarter. 86.49% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors. Constellation Brands Company Profile (Free Report Constellation Brands, Inc, together with its subsidiaries, produces, imports, markets, and sells beer, wine, and spirits in the United States, Canada, Mexico, New Zealand, and Italy. The company provides beer primarily under the Corona Extra, Corona Premier, Corona Familiar, Corona Light, Corona Refresca, Corona Hard Seltzer, Modelo Especial, Modelo Negra, Modelo Chelada, Victoria, Vicky Chamoy, and Pacifico brands. See Also Receive News & Ratings for Constellation Brands Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Constellation Brands and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. International Assets Investment Management LLC purchased a new stake in shares of STMicroelectronics (NYSE:STM Free Report) in the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The institutional investor purchased 4,788 shares of the semiconductor producers stock, valued at approximately $256,000. Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the business. Van ECK Associates Corp increased its position in shares of STMicroelectronics by 4.3% during the 4th quarter. Van ECK Associates Corp now owns 4,411,591 shares of the semiconductor producers stock valued at $156,921,000 after purchasing an additional 180,783 shares during the last quarter. BlackRock Inc. boosted its stake in STMicroelectronics by 9.9% in the 1st quarter. BlackRock Inc. now owns 3,530,155 shares of the semiconductor producers stock worth $152,573,000 after purchasing an additional 318,347 shares during the period. Capital International Investors boosted its stake in STMicroelectronics by 3.0% in the 1st quarter. Capital International Investors now owns 2,857,566 shares of the semiconductor producers stock worth $128,133,000 after purchasing an additional 83,859 shares during the period. Point72 Asset Management L.P. boosted its stake in STMicroelectronics by 63.6% in the 4th quarter. Point72 Asset Management L.P. now owns 2,449,870 shares of the semiconductor producers stock worth $87,142,000 after purchasing an additional 952,720 shares during the period. Finally, Marshall Wace LLP bought a new position in STMicroelectronics in the 4th quarter worth approximately $44,110,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 6.62% of the companys stock. Get STMicroelectronics alerts: Wall Street Analyst Weigh In Several research firms have weighed in on STM. StockNews.com upgraded STMicroelectronics from a buy rating to a strong-buy rating in a research note on Friday, May 12th. Susquehanna dropped their price target on STMicroelectronics from 55.00 to 54.00 in a research note on Sunday, May 7th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, two have given a hold rating, eight have issued a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and an average target price of $54.22. STMicroelectronics Stock Performance NYSE:STM opened at $50.27 on Tuesday. The stocks fifty day moving average is $45.40 and its 200 day moving average is $45.67. STMicroelectronics has a fifty-two week low of $28.35 and a fifty-two week high of $53.53. The firm has a market capitalization of $45.66 billion, a PE ratio of 11.17, a PEG ratio of 2.35 and a beta of 1.59. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.18, a quick ratio of 1.87 and a current ratio of 2.58. STMicroelectronics (NYSE:STM Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, April 27th. The semiconductor producer reported $1.10 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.97 by $0.13. STMicroelectronics had a return on equity of 35.62% and a net margin of 25.30%. The company had revenue of $4.25 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $4.19 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm posted $0.79 EPS. On average, sell-side analysts anticipate that STMicroelectronics will post 4.25 earnings per share for the current year. STMicroelectronics Profile (Free Report) STMicroelectronics N.V., together with its subsidiaries, designs, develops, manufactures, and sells semiconductor products in Europe, the Middle East, Africa, the Americas, and the Asia Pacific. The company operates through Automotive and Discrete Group; Analog, MEMS and Sensors Group; and Microcontrollers and Digital ICs Group segments. Featured Stories Receive News & Ratings for STMicroelectronics Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for STMicroelectronics and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Altfest L J & Co. Inc. purchased a new position in shares of Grupo Aeroportuario del Sureste, S. A. B. de C. V. (NYSE:ASR Free Report) in the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the SEC. The fund purchased 690 shares of the transportation companys stock, valued at approximately $211,000. Other institutional investors also recently modified their holdings of the company. Quaero Capital S.A. grew its position in shares of Grupo Aeroportuario del Sureste, S. A. B. de C. V. by 106.2% during the 4th quarter. Quaero Capital S.A. now owns 4,330 shares of the transportation companys stock worth $1,009,000 after buying an additional 2,230 shares during the period. Veracity Capital LLC grew its position in shares of Grupo Aeroportuario del Sureste, S. A. B. de C. V. by 6.2% during the 1st quarter. Veracity Capital LLC now owns 1,401 shares of the transportation companys stock worth $429,000 after buying an additional 82 shares during the period. O Shaughnessy Asset Management LLC grew its position in shares of Grupo Aeroportuario del Sureste, S. A. B. de C. V. by 54.0% during the 4th quarter. O Shaughnessy Asset Management LLC now owns 7,748 shares of the transportation companys stock worth $1,805,000 after buying an additional 2,716 shares during the period. Euro Pacific Asset Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Grupo Aeroportuario del Sureste, S. A. B. de C. V. during the 4th quarter worth approximately $294,000. Finally, Robeco Institutional Asset Management B.V. acquired a new stake in shares of Grupo Aeroportuario del Sureste, S. A. B. de C. V. during the 4th quarter worth approximately $39,588,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 16.11% of the companys stock. Get Grupo Aeroportuario del Sureste S. A. B. de C. V. alerts: Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth A number of brokerages recently issued reports on ASR. Barclays upgraded shares of Grupo Aeroportuario del Sureste, S. A. B. de C. V. from an underweight rating to an overweight rating in a report on Monday, May 22nd. StockNews.com began coverage on shares of Grupo Aeroportuario del Sureste, S. A. B. de C. V. in a report on Thursday, May 18th. They set a hold rating for the company. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. cut shares of Grupo Aeroportuario del Sureste, S. A. B. de C. V. from an overweight rating to a neutral rating in a report on Thursday, March 30th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, three have issued a hold rating and one has given a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of Hold and a consensus price target of $255.00. Grupo Aeroportuario del Sureste, S. A. B. de C. V. Stock Up 3.1 % Grupo Aeroportuario del Sureste, S. A. B. de C. V. stock opened at $286.16 on Tuesday. The stock has a market capitalization of $8.58 billion, a PE ratio of 16.26, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.09 and a beta of 1.06. Grupo Aeroportuario del Sureste, S. A. B. de C. V. has a twelve month low of $179.01 and a twelve month high of $314.48. The company has a quick ratio of 3.58, a current ratio of 3.58 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.23. The company has a 50 day moving average of $284.88 and a 200-day moving average of $281.59. Grupo Aeroportuario del Sureste, S. A. B. de C. V. (NYSE:ASR Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Monday, April 24th. The transportation company reported $4.64 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $4.51 by $0.13. The company had revenue of $345.57 million during the quarter. Grupo Aeroportuario del Sureste, S. A. B. de C. V. had a net margin of 39.70% and a return on equity of 21.65%. On average, equities research analysts anticipate that Grupo Aeroportuario del Sureste, S. A. B. de C. V. will post 20.44 EPS for the current fiscal year. Grupo Aeroportuario del Sureste, S. A. B. de C. V. Cuts Dividend The business also recently declared an annual dividend, which was paid on Monday, June 12th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, May 30th were issued a $5.6528 dividend. This represents a dividend yield of 2.7%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, May 26th. Grupo Aeroportuario del Sureste, S. A. B. de C. V.s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 28.86%. Grupo Aeroportuario del Sureste, S. A. B. de C. V. Profile (Free Report) Grupo Aeroportuario del Sureste, S. A. B. de C. V. holds concessions to operate, maintain, and develop airports in the southeast region of Mexico. The company operates airports that are located in the cities of Cancun, Cozumel, Merida, Huatulco, Oaxaca, Veracruz, Villahermosa, Tapachula, and Minatitlan. See Also Receive News & Ratings for Grupo Aeroportuario del Sureste S. A. B. de C. V. Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Grupo Aeroportuario del Sureste S. A. B. de C. V. and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Kathmere Capital Management LLC acquired a new stake in BCE Inc. (NYSE:BCE Free Report) (TSE:BCE) in the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm acquired 5,412 shares of the utilities providers stock, valued at approximately $242,000. Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also made changes to their positions in BCE. American Century Companies Inc. boosted its stake in shares of BCE by 10.0% in the first quarter. American Century Companies Inc. now owns 4,217 shares of the utilities providers stock valued at $234,000 after purchasing an additional 382 shares during the period. BlackRock Inc. boosted its stake in shares of BCE by 10.1% in the first quarter. BlackRock Inc. now owns 555,103 shares of the utilities providers stock valued at $30,786,000 after purchasing an additional 50,975 shares during the period. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP boosted its stake in shares of BCE by 0.6% in the first quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 170,908 shares of the utilities providers stock valued at $9,479,000 after purchasing an additional 963 shares during the period. Aviva PLC boosted its stake in shares of BCE by 30.1% in the first quarter. Aviva PLC now owns 117,587 shares of the utilities providers stock valued at $6,528,000 after purchasing an additional 27,239 shares during the period. Finally, Cetera Investment Advisers lifted its stake in BCE by 7.8% in the first quarter. Cetera Investment Advisers now owns 36,080 shares of the utilities providers stock worth $2,001,000 after acquiring an additional 2,616 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 38.75% of the companys stock. Get BCE alerts: Analyst Ratings Changes A number of research analysts recently issued reports on the stock. Scotiabank downgraded shares of BCE from a sector outperform rating to a sector perform rating in a research note on Monday, April 10th. StockNews.com downgraded shares of BCE from a buy rating to a hold rating in a research note on Saturday, May 13th. Four equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and one has issued a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of Hold and an average price target of $62.72. BCE Stock Up 0.8 % Shares of NYSE:BCE opened at $45.96 on Tuesday. The company has a market capitalization of $41.92 billion, a PE ratio of 21.58, a P/E/G ratio of 5.79 and a beta of 0.60. The company has a current ratio of 0.57, a quick ratio of 0.51 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.49. BCE Inc. has a twelve month low of $39.88 and a twelve month high of $51.11. The firm has a 50 day simple moving average of $46.33 and a 200-day simple moving average of $45.71. BCE (NYSE:BCE Free Report) (TSE:BCE) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, May 4th. The utilities provider reported $0.63 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.60 by $0.03. The business had revenue of $4.48 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $4.43 billion. BCE had a net margin of 10.85% and a return on equity of 16.13%. On average, equities analysts predict that BCE Inc. will post 2.39 EPS for the current fiscal year. BCE Increases Dividend The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, July 17th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, June 15th will be given a dividend of $0.714 per share. This represents a $2.86 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 6.21%. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, June 14th. This is an increase from BCEs previous quarterly dividend of $0.71. BCEs payout ratio is currently 137.09%. BCE Profile (Free Report) BCE Inc, a communications company, provides wireless, wireline, Internet, and television (TV) services to residential, business, and wholesale customers in Canada. The company operates through three segments: Bell Wireless, Bell Wireline, and Bell Media. The Bell Wireless segment offers integrated digital wireless voice and data communication products and services, as well as consumer electronics products. Recommended Stories Receive News & Ratings for BCE Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for BCE and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Avestar Capital LLC lowered its position in Invesco Senior Loan ETF (NYSEARCA:BKLN Free Report) by 82.8% during the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 14,800 shares of the exchange traded funds stock after selling 71,200 shares during the period. Avestar Capital LLCs holdings in Invesco Senior Loan ETF were worth $308,000 as of its most recent SEC filing. A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also modified their holdings of the company. Covestor Ltd lifted its stake in Invesco Senior Loan ETF by 186.1% in the 1st quarter. Covestor Ltd now owns 1,156 shares of the exchange traded funds stock valued at $25,000 after buying an additional 752 shares in the last quarter. Boyd Watterson Asset Management LLC OH lifted its stake in Invesco Senior Loan ETF by 180.1% in the 1st quarter. Boyd Watterson Asset Management LLC OH now owns 1,605 shares of the exchange traded funds stock valued at $33,000 after buying an additional 1,032 shares in the last quarter. Fortis Capital Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in Invesco Senior Loan ETF in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $40,000. LFA Lugano Financial Advisors SA purchased a new stake in Invesco Senior Loan ETF in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $46,000. Finally, Hollencrest Capital Management purchased a new stake in Invesco Senior Loan ETF in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $49,000. Get Invesco Senior Loan ETF alerts: Invesco Senior Loan ETF Stock Up 0.2 % BKLN stock opened at $21.08 on Tuesday. Invesco Senior Loan ETF has a 1 year low of $20.06 and a 1 year high of $21.49. The stocks 50 day moving average price is $20.81 and its 200 day moving average price is $20.87. Invesco Senior Loan ETF Company Profile The Invesco Senior Loan ETF (BKLN) is an exchange-traded fund that mostly invests in high yield fixed income. The fund tracks a market-value-weighted index of senior loans issued by banks to corporations. BKLN was launched on Mar 3, 2011 and is managed by Invesco. Recommended Stories Receive News & Ratings for Invesco Senior Loan ETF Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Invesco Senior Loan ETF and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Opal Wealth Advisors LLC increased its position in shares of The Procter & Gamble Company (NYSE:PG Free Report) by 13.3% during the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The fund owned 2,314 shares of the companys stock after acquiring an additional 271 shares during the quarter. Opal Wealth Advisors LLCs holdings in Procter & Gamble were worth $344,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC. Other hedge funds have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. EWG Elevate Inc. acquired a new position in shares of Procter & Gamble in the 4th quarter valued at $26,000. Silicon Valley Capital Partners acquired a new position in shares of Procter & Gamble in the 4th quarter valued at $28,000. Legend Financial Advisors Inc. acquired a new position in shares of Procter & Gamble in the 3rd quarter valued at $30,000. Luken Investment Analytics LLC purchased a new position in shares of Procter & Gamble in the 4th quarter valued at $37,000. Finally, Bourgeon Capital Management LLC raised its stake in shares of Procter & Gamble by 39.9% in the 4th quarter. Bourgeon Capital Management LLC now owns 249 shares of the companys stock valued at $38,000 after acquiring an additional 71 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 64.65% of the companys stock. Get Procter & Gamble alerts: Insider Buying and Selling In other news, COO Shailesh Jejurikar sold 31,000 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, May 1st. The shares were sold at an average price of $156.03, for a total transaction of $4,836,930.00. Following the sale, the chief operating officer now owns 10,014 shares in the company, valued at $1,562,484.42. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. In other news, COO Shailesh Jejurikar sold 31,000 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, May 1st. The shares were sold at an average price of $156.03, for a total transaction of $4,836,930.00. Following the sale, the chief operating officer now owns 10,014 shares in the company, valued at $1,562,484.42. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, insider Susan Street Whaley sold 4,852 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, April 26th. The shares were sold at an average price of $155.47, for a total transaction of $754,340.44. Following the sale, the insider now owns 7,977 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,240,184.19. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold 95,093 shares of company stock worth $14,821,930 in the last ninety days. 0.26% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders. Analysts Set New Price Targets Procter & Gamble Stock Up 0.5 % A number of equities analysts have recently commented on PG shares. Royal Bank of Canada raised their target price on shares of Procter & Gamble from $160.00 to $165.00 and gave the company a sector perform rating in a research note on Monday, April 24th. Jefferies Financial Group raised their target price on shares of Procter & Gamble from $171.00 to $175.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a research note on Monday, April 24th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft raised their target price on shares of Procter & Gamble from $160.00 to $170.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a research note on Monday, April 24th. UBS Group lifted their price target on shares of Procter & Gamble from $170.00 to $180.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a research note on Monday, April 24th. Finally, Morgan Stanley lifted their price target on shares of Procter & Gamble from $160.00 to $174.00 and gave the stock an overweight rating in a research note on Monday, April 24th. Five investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and twelve have given a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of Moderate Buy and an average price target of $161.50. PG stock opened at $152.46 on Tuesday. The Procter & Gamble Company has a 52 week low of $122.18 and a 52 week high of $158.11. The company has a market capitalization of $359.34 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 26.56, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 4.22 and a beta of 0.42. The firms 50-day moving average is $150.34 and its two-hundred day moving average is $147.33. The company has a current ratio of 0.59, a quick ratio of 0.39 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.51. Procter & Gamble (NYSE:PG Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Friday, April 21st. The company reported $1.37 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $1.32 by $0.05. Procter & Gamble had a net margin of 17.69% and a return on equity of 32.18%. The company had revenue of $20.07 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $19.32 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the firm earned $1.33 EPS. Procter & Gambles revenue was up 3.5% on a year-over-year basis. On average, analysts forecast that The Procter & Gamble Company will post 5.86 earnings per share for the current fiscal year. Procter & Gamble Increases Dividend The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, May 15th. Investors of record on Friday, April 21st were issued a $0.9407 dividend. This is an increase from Procter & Gambles previous quarterly dividend of $0.91. This represents a $3.76 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.47%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Thursday, April 20th. Procter & Gambles payout ratio is presently 65.51%. Procter & Gamble Profile (Free Report) The Procter & Gamble Company provides branded consumer packaged goods worldwide. It operates through five segments: Beauty; Grooming; Health Care; Fabric & Home Care; and Baby, Feminine & Family Care. The Beauty segment offers conditioners, shampoos, styling aids, and treatments under the Head & Shoulders, Herbal Essences, Pantene, and Rejoice brands; and antiperspirants and deodorants, personal cleansing, and skin care products under the Olay, Old Spice, Safeguard, Secret, and SK-II brands. Read More Receive News & Ratings for Procter & Gamble Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Procter & Gamble and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Gratus Capital LLC reduced its stake in Visa Inc. (NYSE:V Free Report) by 14.4% in the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 1,014 shares of the credit-card processors stock after selling 170 shares during the period. Gratus Capital LLCs holdings in Visa were worth $229,000 as of its most recent SEC filing. Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently made changes to their positions in the business. Ritholtz Wealth Management increased its position in shares of Visa by 10.3% during the first quarter. Ritholtz Wealth Management now owns 29,128 shares of the credit-card processors stock worth $6,567,000 after acquiring an additional 2,716 shares in the last quarter. Capital Advisory Group Advisory Services LLC increased its position in shares of Visa by 9.0% during the first quarter. Capital Advisory Group Advisory Services LLC now owns 1,467 shares of the credit-card processors stock worth $331,000 after acquiring an additional 121 shares in the last quarter. Field & Main Bank increased its position in shares of Visa by 1.1% during the first quarter. Field & Main Bank now owns 16,604 shares of the credit-card processors stock worth $3,743,000 after acquiring an additional 187 shares in the last quarter. Stewart & Patten Co. LLC increased its position in shares of Visa by 3.7% during the first quarter. Stewart & Patten Co. LLC now owns 2,870 shares of the credit-card processors stock worth $647,000 after acquiring an additional 103 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Capital City Trust Co. FL grew its position in Visa by 0.7% in the 1st quarter. Capital City Trust Co. FL now owns 26,978 shares of the credit-card processors stock worth $6,082,000 after purchasing an additional 179 shares in the last quarter. 84.92% of the stock is owned by institutional investors. Get Visa alerts: Visa Stock Performance Shares of V stock opened at $237.97 on Tuesday. The stock has a market capitalization of $445.79 billion, a P/E ratio of 31.81, a PEG ratio of 1.82 and a beta of 0.97. The company has a current ratio of 1.50, a quick ratio of 1.50 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.56. The firms 50 day moving average is $228.42 and its 200 day moving average is $224.16. Visa Inc. has a 12 month low of $174.60 and a 12 month high of $238.40. Visa Dividend Announcement Visa ( NYSE:V Free Report ) last posted its earnings results on Tuesday, April 25th. The credit-card processor reported $2.09 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.97 by $0.12. Visa had a net margin of 50.95% and a return on equity of 50.21%. The business had revenue of $7.99 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $7.79 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the company posted $1.79 EPS. The businesss revenue for the quarter was up 11.1% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, sell-side analysts anticipate that Visa Inc. will post 8.58 earnings per share for the current year. The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, June 1st. Shareholders of record on Friday, May 12th were paid a $0.45 dividend. This represents a $1.80 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.76%. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, May 11th. Visas dividend payout ratio is presently 24.06%. Insiders Place Their Bets In other news, Chairman Alfred F. Kelly, Jr. sold 7,500 shares of the stock in a transaction on Monday, May 1st. The shares were sold at an average price of $232.87, for a total value of $1,746,525.00. Following the transaction, the chairman now owns 154,854 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $36,060,850.98. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. In related news, CFO Vasant M. Prabhu sold 40,000 shares of the stock in a transaction on Friday, April 28th. The shares were sold at an average price of $231.36, for a total transaction of $9,254,400.00. Following the transaction, the chief financial officer now owns 73,638 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $17,036,887.68. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. Also, Chairman Alfred F. Kelly, Jr. sold 7,500 shares of the stock in a transaction on Monday, May 1st. The shares were sold at an average price of $232.87, for a total transaction of $1,746,525.00. Following the transaction, the chairman now directly owns 154,854 shares in the company, valued at approximately $36,060,850.98. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold 116,277 shares of company stock worth $27,018,374 in the last three months. 0.21% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders. Wall Street Analyst Weigh In A number of equities research analysts have issued reports on V shares. Oppenheimer upped their price objective on shares of Visa from $237.00 to $248.00 and gave the stock an outperform rating in a research report on Wednesday, April 19th. 22nd Century Group reaffirmed a maintains rating on shares of Visa in a research report on Wednesday, April 26th. Raymond James upped their price objective on shares of Visa from $281.00 to $282.00 in a research report on Wednesday, April 26th. Barclays upped their price objective on shares of Visa from $270.00 to $272.00 in a research report on Monday, May 1st. Finally, Citigroup upped their price objective on shares of Visa from $270.00 to $273.00 in a research report on Wednesday, April 26th. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, two have assigned a hold rating and seventeen have assigned a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of Moderate Buy and an average price target of $260.08. About Visa (Free Report) Visa Inc operates as a payments technology company worldwide. The company operates VisaNet, a transaction processing network that enables authorization, clearing, and settlement of payment transactions. It also offers credit, debit, and prepaid card products; tap to pay, tokenization, click to pay; Visa Direct, a real-time payments network; Visa B2B Connect, a multilateral B2B cross-border payments network; Visa Treasury as a Service, a cross-border consumer payments business; and Visa DPS that provides a range of value added services, including fraud mitigation, dispute management, data analytics, campaign management, a suite of digital solutions, and contact center services. Featured Stories Want to see what other hedge funds are holding V? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Visa Inc. (NYSE:V Free Report). Receive News & Ratings for Visa Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Visa and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Carnegie Capital Asset Management LLC lowered its stake in shares of Entergy Co. (NYSE:ETR Free Report) by 9.9% during the 1st quarter, according to its most recent filing with the SEC. The firm owned 7,297 shares of the utilities providers stock after selling 800 shares during the period. Carnegie Capital Asset Management LLCs holdings in Entergy were worth $786,000 as of its most recent SEC filing. Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also bought and sold shares of ETR. State Street Corp lifted its stake in shares of Entergy by 8.1% in the 1st quarter. State Street Corp now owns 12,122,596 shares of the utilities providers stock worth $1,415,313,000 after purchasing an additional 908,932 shares during the period. Millennium Management LLC raised its stake in Entergy by 86.0% during the 4th quarter. Millennium Management LLC now owns 1,633,335 shares of the utilities providers stock worth $183,750,000 after acquiring an additional 754,971 shares during the period. Vanguard Group Inc. raised its stake in Entergy by 2.8% during the 1st quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 23,663,740 shares of the utilities providers stock worth $2,762,741,000 after acquiring an additional 650,775 shares during the period. Norges Bank bought a new stake in Entergy during the 4th quarter worth approximately $70,175,000. Finally, Balyasny Asset Management LLC raised its stake in Entergy by 6,018.4% during the 3rd quarter. Balyasny Asset Management LLC now owns 505,869 shares of the utilities providers stock worth $50,906,000 after acquiring an additional 497,601 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 86.41% of the companys stock. Get Entergy alerts: Entergy Stock Up 0.8 % NYSE:ETR opened at $98.14 on Tuesday. Entergy Co. has a twelve month low of $94.16 and a twelve month high of $122.46. The company has a market cap of $20.75 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 17.84, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.56 and a beta of 0.64. The stock has a fifty day simple moving average of $101.69 and a 200-day simple moving average of $105.55. The company has a current ratio of 0.90, a quick ratio of 0.66 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.87. Entergy Dividend Announcement Entergy ( NYSE:ETR Free Report ) last released its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, April 26th. The utilities provider reported $1.14 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $1.34 by ($0.20). The firm had revenue of $2.98 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $2.80 billion. Entergy had a net margin of 8.17% and a return on equity of 10.34%. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm earned $1.32 earnings per share. Analysts anticipate that Entergy Co. will post 6.67 EPS for the current year. The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, June 1st. Investors of record on Thursday, May 4th were issued a $1.07 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Wednesday, May 3rd. This represents a $4.28 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 4.36%. Entergys payout ratio is currently 77.82%. Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades A number of brokerages have issued reports on ETR. Citigroup cut their price objective on shares of Entergy from $131.00 to $117.00 and set a neutral rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, April 12th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. cut their target price on shares of Entergy from $134.00 to $120.00 in a report on Tuesday, June 13th. Bank of America cut their target price on shares of Entergy from $119.00 to $107.00 in a report on Sunday, May 21st. Morgan Stanley raised their target price on shares of Entergy from $97.00 to $106.00 and gave the company an underweight rating in a report on Thursday, April 20th. Finally, LADENBURG THALM/SH SH began coverage on Entergy in a research report on Monday, April 3rd. They issued a buy rating and a $116.00 price target for the company. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, four have given a hold rating and five have given a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of Hold and an average target price of $119.08. Entergy Profile (Free Report) Entergy Corporation, together with its subsidiaries, engages in the production and retail distribution of electricity in the United States. The company operates in two segments, Utility and Entergy Wholesale Commodities. The Utility segment generates, transmits, distributes, and sells electric power in portions of Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Texas, including the City of New Orleans; and distributes natural gas. See Also Receive News & Ratings for Entergy Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Entergy and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. BAKU, Azerbaijan, July 4. Freedom Finance Bank Kazakhstan JSC is interested in expanding its activities in the Azerbaijani market, Advisor to the Board of Directors of Freedom Finance Bank Kazakhstan JSC Aidos Zhumagulov told Trend. This has to do with possible integration with processing centers, issuing bank cards. He noted that the bank is considering this direction in Azerbaijan and other countries. "We will test the possibilities of this integration, as well as the possibilities of issuing bank cards," Zhumagulov said. He stressed that the brokerage business of Freedom Finance Bank Kazakhstan JSC is present in the markets of 16 countries, including Azerbaijan, and customers can open accounts with JSC and perform other operations in a digital environment. "We are localizing the brokerage business in third countries in accordance with the regulations of these countries. Opportunities for the development of new banking (digital bank) depend largely on the Central Bank, and each country has its own rules. It is impossible to repeat the same cases in different countries," Zhumagulov said. "Banks are quite technologically advanced and can build their own trends and leading solutions in Kazakhstan that do not rely on the practice of solutions of the same Europe. Fintechs in Europe have the right to access the personal data of large banks and rely on GDPR rules. Our business in Europe is adjusted to the rules of their Central Banks, in the CIS countries, the US and others - to their rules. Providing bank services in a digital environment is very convenient from the point of view of adapting to the rules of a particular country," he added. According to him, Freedom Finance Bank Kazakhstan JSC is aimed at expanding banking outside the country. Quad Cities Investment Group LLC bought a new stake in shares of Invesco Raymond James SB-1 Equity ETF (NYSEARCA:RYJ Free Report) during the 1st quarter, according to its most recent filing with the SEC. The firm bought 3,645 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $202,000. Quad Cities Investment Group LLC owned 0.17% of Invesco Raymond James SB-1 Equity ETF as of its most recent filing with the SEC. Other hedge funds have also modified their holdings of the company. Raymond James Financial Services Advisors Inc. increased its holdings in Invesco Raymond James SB-1 Equity ETF by 9.7% during the 4th quarter. Raymond James Financial Services Advisors Inc. now owns 209,391 shares of the companys stock worth $11,347,000 after purchasing an additional 18,439 shares during the last quarter. Royal Bank of Canada increased its holdings in Invesco Raymond James SB-1 Equity ETF by 386.3% during the 3rd quarter. Royal Bank of Canada now owns 19,701 shares of the companys stock worth $998,000 after purchasing an additional 15,650 shares during the last quarter. Citadel Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in Invesco Raymond James SB-1 Equity ETF during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $642,000. Susquehanna International Group LLP increased its holdings in Invesco Raymond James SB-1 Equity ETF by 156.2% during the 4th quarter. Susquehanna International Group LLP now owns 10,785 shares of the companys stock worth $584,000 after purchasing an additional 6,576 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Raymond James & Associates increased its holdings in Invesco Raymond James SB-1 Equity ETF by 3.9% during the 1st quarter. Raymond James & Associates now owns 163,618 shares of the companys stock worth $9,064,000 after purchasing an additional 6,124 shares during the last quarter. Get Invesco Raymond James SB-1 Equity ETF alerts: Invesco Raymond James SB-1 Equity ETF Stock Up 0.5 % RYJ stock opened at $58.51 on Tuesday. Invesco Raymond James SB-1 Equity ETF has a 52-week low of $50.31 and a 52-week high of $61.74. The stocks 50 day moving average is $55.37 and its two-hundred day moving average is $56.10. The company has a market capitalization of $125.80 million, a PE ratio of 22.71 and a beta of 1.28. Invesco Raymond James SB-1 Equity ETF Profile Guggenheim Raymond James SB-1 Equity ETF (the Fund) seeks investment results, which correspond to the performance of an equity index called the Raymond James SB-1 Equity Index (the Index). The Fund will invest at least 80% of its total assets in securities, which comprises the Index and depositary receipts representing securities, which comprises the Index. See Also Want to see what other hedge funds are holding RYJ? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Invesco Raymond James SB-1 Equity ETF (NYSEARCA:RYJ Free Report). Receive News & Ratings for Invesco Raymond James SB-1 Equity ETF Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Invesco Raymond James SB-1 Equity ETF and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Ferguson Wellman Capital Management Inc. decreased its position in Altria Group, Inc. (NYSE:MO Free Report) by 1.2% in the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 47,607 shares of the companys stock after selling 590 shares during the quarter. Ferguson Wellman Capital Management Inc.s holdings in Altria Group were worth $2,124,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period. Several other institutional investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the company. FinTrust Capital Advisors LLC raised its position in Altria Group by 0.8% in the 4th quarter. FinTrust Capital Advisors LLC now owns 26,693 shares of the companys stock worth $1,220,000 after buying an additional 212 shares during the last quarter. Verdence Capital Advisors LLC raised its position in Altria Group by 0.5% in the 4th quarter. Verdence Capital Advisors LLC now owns 49,299 shares of the companys stock worth $2,253,000 after buying an additional 224 shares during the last quarter. Empirical Finance LLC grew its stake in shares of Altria Group by 1.1% during the 4th quarter. Empirical Finance LLC now owns 21,586 shares of the companys stock valued at $987,000 after purchasing an additional 225 shares during the period. SRS Capital Advisors Inc. grew its stake in shares of Altria Group by 11.9% during the 4th quarter. SRS Capital Advisors Inc. now owns 2,113 shares of the companys stock valued at $97,000 after purchasing an additional 225 shares during the period. Finally, Independent Wealth Network Inc. grew its stake in shares of Altria Group by 1.5% during the 1st quarter. Independent Wealth Network Inc. now owns 15,875 shares of the companys stock valued at $708,000 after purchasing an additional 227 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 58.38% of the companys stock. Get Altria Group alerts: Altria Group Trading Up 1.4 % Shares of NYSE:MO opened at $45.92 on Tuesday. The stock has a 50 day moving average of $45.26 and a 200 day moving average of $45.66. The company has a market cap of $81.97 billion, a PE ratio of 14.77, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.28 and a beta of 0.59. Altria Group, Inc. has a 12-month low of $40.35 and a 12-month high of $51.57. Altria Group Dividend Announcement Altria Group ( NYSE:MO Free Report ) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, April 27th. The company reported $1.18 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts consensus estimates of $1.19 by ($0.01). The company had revenue of $4.76 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $4.89 billion. Altria Group had a net margin of 22.44% and a negative return on equity of 245.43%. The companys revenue was down 1.2% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the firm posted $1.12 earnings per share. Equities research analysts predict that Altria Group, Inc. will post 4.97 earnings per share for the current fiscal year. The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, July 10th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, June 15th will be paid a $0.94 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, June 14th. This represents a $3.76 annualized dividend and a yield of 8.19%. Altria Groups payout ratio is 120.90%. Analyst Ratings Changes A number of equities research analysts have issued reports on MO shares. StockNews.com upgraded Altria Group from a hold rating to a buy rating in a research note on Tuesday. Stifel Nicolaus started coverage on Altria Group in a research note on Thursday, April 13th. They set a buy rating and a $52.00 price target for the company. Finally, Citigroup cut their price target on Altria Group from $49.50 to $47.00 and set a neutral rating for the company in a research note on Monday, April 17th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, three have given a hold rating and two have assigned a buy rating to the companys stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of Hold and an average target price of $45.83. Altria Group Profile (Free Report) Altria Group, Inc, through its subsidiaries, manufactures and sells smokeable and oral tobacco products in the United States. The company provides cigarettes primarily under the Marlboro brand; cigars and pipe tobacco principally under the Black & Mild brand; moist smokeless tobacco products and snus products under the Copenhagen, Skoal, Red Seal, and Husky brands; and on! oral nicotine pouches. Further Reading Want to see what other hedge funds are holding MO? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Altria Group, Inc. (NYSE:MO Free Report). Receive News & Ratings for Altria Group Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Altria Group and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Ferguson Wellman Capital Management Inc. lowered its stake in The Bank of New York Mellon Co. (NYSE:BK Free Report) by 1.0% during the first quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The firm owned 23,595 shares of the banks stock after selling 238 shares during the quarter. Ferguson Wellman Capital Management Inc.s holdings in Bank of New York Mellon were worth $1,072,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC. A number of other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Vanguard Group Inc. grew its stake in Bank of New York Mellon by 1.8% in the 3rd quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 67,626,336 shares of the banks stock valued at $2,604,967,000 after acquiring an additional 1,183,130 shares during the period. First Eagle Investment Management LLC grew its stake in Bank of New York Mellon by 3.9% in the 4th quarter. First Eagle Investment Management LLC now owns 17,130,608 shares of the banks stock valued at $779,785,000 after acquiring an additional 647,934 shares during the period. Geode Capital Management LLC grew its stake in Bank of New York Mellon by 1.0% in the 4th quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 15,074,935 shares of the banks stock valued at $684,941,000 after acquiring an additional 144,887 shares during the period. Norges Bank acquired a new stake in Bank of New York Mellon in the 4th quarter valued at $503,489,000. Finally, Victory Capital Management Inc. grew its stake in Bank of New York Mellon by 1.3% in the 4th quarter. Victory Capital Management Inc. now owns 9,401,434 shares of the banks stock valued at $427,953,000 after acquiring an additional 122,471 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 81.19% of the companys stock. Get Bank of New York Mellon alerts: Bank of New York Mellon Stock Up 1.2 % Shares of BK opened at $45.07 on Tuesday. The firm has a market cap of $35.57 billion, a P/E ratio of 14.26, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.16 and a beta of 1.09. The Bank of New York Mellon Co. has a 12-month low of $36.22 and a 12-month high of $52.26. The companys 50-day moving average price is $42.30 and its 200 day moving average price is $45.63. The company has a current ratio of 0.69, a quick ratio of 0.69 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.92. Bank of New York Mellon Dividend Announcement Bank of New York Mellon ( NYSE:BK Free Report ) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, April 18th. The bank reported $1.12 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.09 by $0.03. The firm had revenue of $4.36 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $4.40 billion. Bank of New York Mellon had a net margin of 11.98% and a return on equity of 11.45%. Bank of New York Mellons revenue was up 11.1% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the firm earned $0.86 EPS. On average, sell-side analysts forecast that The Bank of New York Mellon Co. will post 4.78 earnings per share for the current year. The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, May 11th. Shareholders of record on Friday, April 28th were paid a dividend of $0.37 per share. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, April 27th. This represents a $1.48 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.28%. Bank of New York Mellons dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 46.84%. Wall Street Analyst Weigh In Several equities research analysts have issued reports on BK shares. StockNews.com started coverage on shares of Bank of New York Mellon in a research note on Thursday, May 18th. They set a hold rating on the stock. Royal Bank of Canada lifted their target price on shares of Bank of New York Mellon from $44.00 to $49.00 and gave the stock a sector perform rating in a research note on Wednesday, April 19th. Wells Fargo & Company lowered their target price on shares of Bank of New York Mellon from $52.00 to $51.00 and set an equal weight rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, April 19th. Evercore ISI lowered their target price on shares of Bank of New York Mellon from $49.00 to $46.00 in a research note on Friday, May 12th. Finally, Morgan Stanley lifted their target price on shares of Bank of New York Mellon from $46.00 to $47.00 and gave the stock an underweight rating in a research note on Wednesday, April 19th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, five have assigned a hold rating and six have issued a buy rating to the companys stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of Hold and an average price target of $52.12. Bank of New York Mellon Profile (Free Report) The Bank of New York Mellon Corporation provides a range of financial products and services in the United States and internationally. The company operates through Securities Services, Market and Wealth Services, Investment and Wealth Management, and other segments. The Securities Services segment offers custody, trust and depositary, accounting, exchange-traded funds, middle-office solutions, transfer agency, services for private equity and real estate funds, foreign exchange, securities lending, liquidity/lending services, and data analytics. Read More Want to see what other hedge funds are holding BK? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for The Bank of New York Mellon Co. (NYSE:BK Free Report). Receive News & Ratings for Bank of New York Mellon Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Bank of New York Mellon and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Princeton Global Asset Management LLC purchased a new stake in General Dynamics Co. (NYSE:GD Free Report) during the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The firm purchased 135 shares of the aerospace companys stock, valued at approximately $31,000. Other hedge funds also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Vanguard Group Inc. raised its position in shares of General Dynamics by 4.5% during the 3rd quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 21,906,138 shares of the aerospace companys stock worth $4,647,825,000 after acquiring an additional 952,906 shares in the last quarter. Wells Fargo & Company MN raised its position in shares of General Dynamics by 0.3% during the 4th quarter. Wells Fargo & Company MN now owns 6,318,574 shares of the aerospace companys stock worth $1,567,701,000 after acquiring an additional 20,225 shares in the last quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC raised its position in shares of General Dynamics by 0.7% during the 4th quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 3,968,976 shares of the aerospace companys stock worth $982,714,000 after acquiring an additional 29,487 shares in the last quarter. Edmp Inc. raised its position in shares of General Dynamics by 21,600.0% during the 4th quarter. Edmp Inc. now owns 2,642,620 shares of the aerospace companys stock worth $10,651,000 after acquiring an additional 2,630,442 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Morgan Stanley grew its stake in General Dynamics by 12.1% during the 4th quarter. Morgan Stanley now owns 2,622,031 shares of the aerospace companys stock worth $650,552,000 after buying an additional 282,436 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 86.02% of the companys stock. Get General Dynamics alerts: General Dynamics Trading Up 0.2 % NYSE:GD opened at $215.68 on Tuesday. The firm has a market cap of $59.17 billion, a P/E ratio of 17.63, a PEG ratio of 1.90 and a beta of 0.84. The company has a current ratio of 1.39, a quick ratio of 0.94 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.48. The stocks 50 day simple moving average is $211.79 and its 200-day simple moving average is $225.46. General Dynamics Co. has a 12-month low of $202.35 and a 12-month high of $256.86. General Dynamics Announces Dividend General Dynamics ( NYSE:GD Free Report ) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, April 26th. The aerospace company reported $2.64 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $2.56 by $0.08. General Dynamics had a return on equity of 18.66% and a net margin of 8.50%. The firm had revenue of $9.88 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $9.30 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the business earned $2.61 earnings per share. The companys revenue for the quarter was up 5.2% compared to the same quarter last year. Equities analysts anticipate that General Dynamics Co. will post 12.66 EPS for the current year. The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, August 11th. Investors of record on Friday, July 7th will be paid a $1.32 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, July 6th. This represents a $5.28 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.45%. General Dynamicss dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 43.17%. Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth Several research analysts have commented on the company. Royal Bank of Canada cut their price target on General Dynamics from $280.00 to $270.00 in a research report on Thursday, April 27th. StockNews.com assumed coverage on General Dynamics in a research report on Thursday, May 18th. They set a buy rating on the stock. Wells Fargo & Company cut their price target on General Dynamics from $265.00 to $251.00 in a research report on Thursday, April 27th. William Blair assumed coverage on General Dynamics in a research report on Thursday, March 30th. They set an outperform rating on the stock. Finally, Credit Suisse Group cut their price target on General Dynamics from $239.00 to $220.00 in a research report on Thursday, April 27th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and eight have issued a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, General Dynamics presently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and an average price target of $261.69. Insider Activity at General Dynamics In other General Dynamics news, Director Mark Malcolm purchased 4,700 shares of the firms stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, May 2nd. The shares were purchased at an average cost of $214.47 per share, for a total transaction of $1,008,009.00. Following the completion of the purchase, the director now directly owns 4,700 shares in the company, valued at $1,008,009. The acquisition was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Company insiders own 1.50% of the companys stock. About General Dynamics (Free Report) General Dynamics Corporation operates as an aerospace and defense company worldwide. It operates through four segments: Aerospace, Marine Systems, Combat Systems, and Technologies. The Aerospace segment produces and sells business jets; and offers aircraft maintenance and repair, management, aircraft-on-ground support and completion, charter, staffing, and fixed-base operator services. See Also Receive News & Ratings for General Dynamics Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for General Dynamics and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Grimes & Company Inc. purchased a new position in Ingersoll Rand Inc. (NYSE:IR Free Report) in the 1st quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The firm purchased 4,056 shares of the industrial products companys stock, valued at approximately $236,000. Several other large investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. American Century Companies Inc. raised its holdings in Ingersoll Rand by 12.0% during the 1st quarter. American Century Companies Inc. now owns 15,601 shares of the industrial products companys stock valued at $786,000 after buying an additional 1,675 shares during the period. Cambridge Investment Research Advisors Inc. raised its stake in shares of Ingersoll Rand by 47.6% in the first quarter. Cambridge Investment Research Advisors Inc. now owns 9,880 shares of the industrial products companys stock valued at $497,000 after acquiring an additional 3,185 shares during the period. Private Advisor Group LLC bought a new stake in shares of Ingersoll Rand in the 1st quarter worth about $327,000. Panagora Asset Management Inc. boosted its stake in shares of Ingersoll Rand by 62.2% during the 1st quarter. Panagora Asset Management Inc. now owns 28,937 shares of the industrial products companys stock worth $1,457,000 after purchasing an additional 11,096 shares during the period. Finally, Yousif Capital Management LLC grew its holdings in Ingersoll Rand by 1.7% during the 1st quarter. Yousif Capital Management LLC now owns 57,771 shares of the industrial products companys stock valued at $2,909,000 after purchasing an additional 988 shares during the last quarter. 94.73% of the stock is owned by institutional investors. Get Ingersoll Rand alerts: Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades Several research analysts have issued reports on the company. Barclays boosted their target price on Ingersoll Rand from $64.00 to $65.00 in a research report on Friday, May 5th. Robert W. Baird raised their target price on shares of Ingersoll Rand from $62.00 to $66.00 in a research report on Friday, May 5th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft lifted their price target on shares of Ingersoll Rand from $55.00 to $56.00 and gave the company a hold rating in a research note on Wednesday, April 12th. Citigroup raised their price objective on Ingersoll Rand from $62.00 to $64.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a report on Monday, April 10th. Finally, Evercore ISI upgraded Ingersoll Rand from an in-line rating to an outperform rating and set a $71.00 target price for the company in a report on Tuesday, May 9th. Three analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and seven have given a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Ingersoll Rand has an average rating of Moderate Buy and an average target price of $61.40. Insider Transactions at Ingersoll Rand Ingersoll Rand Trading Down 0.2 % In related news, insider Gary E. Gillespie sold 27,487 shares of Ingersoll Rand stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, June 5th. The shares were sold at an average price of $60.73, for a total value of $1,669,285.51. Following the completion of the sale, the insider now directly owns 42,234 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,564,870.82. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website . In other Ingersoll Rand news, insider Vicente Reynal sold 27,169 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction dated Friday, June 16th. The stock was sold at an average price of $65.00, for a total transaction of $1,765,985.00. Following the sale, the insider now owns 73,877 shares in the company, valued at approximately $4,802,005. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website . Also, insider Gary E. Gillespie sold 27,487 shares of Ingersoll Rand stock in a transaction dated Monday, June 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of $60.73, for a total value of $1,669,285.51. Following the sale, the insider now directly owns 42,234 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $2,564,870.82. The disclosure for this sale can be found here . Over the last 90 days, insiders have sold 58,659 shares of company stock worth $3,685,458. Insiders own 0.83% of the companys stock. NYSE IR opened at $65.24 on Tuesday. The firm has a market cap of $26.39 billion, a PE ratio of 40.27 and a beta of 1.43. Ingersoll Rand Inc. has a 52 week low of $39.28 and a 52 week high of $65.73. The company has a quick ratio of 1.50, a current ratio of 2.16 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.29. The company has a 50 day moving average price of $60.36 and a 200 day moving average price of $57.36. Ingersoll Rand (NYSE:IR Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, May 3rd. The industrial products company reported $0.63 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $0.48 by $0.15. The business had revenue of $1.63 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.48 billion. Ingersoll Rand had a return on equity of 10.69% and a net margin of 10.66%. As a group, sell-side analysts forecast that Ingersoll Rand Inc. will post 2.56 EPS for the current fiscal year. Ingersoll Rand Announces Dividend The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, June 22nd. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, May 24th were issued a $0.02 dividend. This represents a $0.08 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.12%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Tuesday, May 23rd. Ingersoll Rands dividend payout ratio is presently 4.94%. About Ingersoll Rand (Free Report) Ingersoll Rand Inc provides various mission-critical air, fluid, energy, specialty vehicle, and medical technologies in the United States, Europe, the Middle East, India, Africa, and the Asia Pacific. It operates through two segments, Industrial Technologies and Services, and Precision and Science Technologies. Recommended Stories Want to see what other hedge funds are holding IR? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Ingersoll Rand Inc. (NYSE:IR Free Report). Receive News & Ratings for Ingersoll Rand Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Ingersoll Rand and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Avantax Planning Partners Inc. reduced its stake in McKesson Co. (NYSE:MCK Free Report) by 22.8% during the 1st quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The fund owned 2,060 shares of the companys stock after selling 607 shares during the quarter. Avantax Planning Partners Inc.s holdings in McKesson were worth $734,000 as of its most recent SEC filing. Other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Maryland State Retirement & Pension System bought a new stake in McKesson in the 4th quarter valued at $4,192,000. Foundations Investment Advisors LLC lifted its position in McKesson by 44.5% in the 4th quarter. Foundations Investment Advisors LLC now owns 1,672 shares of the companys stock valued at $627,000 after acquiring an additional 515 shares in the last quarter. Janney Montgomery Scott LLC lifted its position in McKesson by 2.9% during the 4th quarter. Janney Montgomery Scott LLC now owns 28,207 shares of the companys stock worth $10,581,000 after buying an additional 803 shares in the last quarter. PDS Planning Inc bought a new stake in McKesson during the 4th quarter worth about $205,000. Finally, Cyndeo Wealth Partners LLC bought a new stake in McKesson during the 4th quarter worth about $2,238,000. 83.77% of the stock is owned by institutional investors. Get McKesson alerts: Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades MCK has been the topic of several analyst reports. Bank of America boosted their price target on shares of McKesson from $450.00 to $470.00 in a research report on Tuesday, May 9th. Credit Suisse Group boosted their price target on shares of McKesson from $430.00 to $450.00 in a research report on Friday, May 12th. Citigroup assumed coverage on shares of McKesson in a research report on Friday, March 31st. They set a buy rating and a $420.00 price target on the stock. StockNews.com assumed coverage on shares of McKesson in a report on Thursday, May 18th. They issued a strong-buy rating on the stock. Finally, Barclays upped their target price on shares of McKesson from $415.00 to $420.00 in a report on Tuesday, May 9th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, six have assigned a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the companys stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and an average target price of $431.83. McKesson Stock Performance Shares of MCK opened at $420.42 on Tuesday. McKesson Co. has a 52 week low of $315.78 and a 52 week high of $429.75. The firm has a market cap of $56.97 billion, a P/E ratio of 16.74, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.49 and a beta of 0.60. The firms 50-day simple moving average is $391.77 and its 200 day simple moving average is $373.91. McKesson (NYSE:MCK Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Monday, May 8th. The company reported $7.19 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $7.16 by $0.03. McKesson had a net margin of 1.29% and a negative return on equity of 234.22%. The firm had revenue of $68.91 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $67.94 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business posted $5.83 EPS. The businesss revenue was up 4.2% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, equities analysts forecast that McKesson Co. will post 26.51 earnings per share for the current year. McKesson Dividend Announcement The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, July 3rd. Stockholders of record on Thursday, June 1st were issued a dividend of $0.54 per share. This represents a $2.16 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.51%. The ex-dividend date was Wednesday, May 31st. McKessons dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 8.60%. Insider Transactions at McKesson In other news, CEO Brian S. Tyler sold 18,542 shares of the companys stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, May 10th. The shares were sold at an average price of $386.04, for a total transaction of $7,157,953.68. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer now owns 75,737 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $29,237,511.48. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. In related news, CEO Brian S. Tyler sold 3,471 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, June 13th. The shares were sold at an average price of $400.00, for a total value of $1,388,400.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer now owns 129,714 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $51,885,600. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. Also, CEO Brian S. Tyler sold 18,542 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, May 10th. The shares were sold at an average price of $386.04, for a total transaction of $7,157,953.68. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer now directly owns 75,737 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $29,237,511.48. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last 90 days, insiders sold 32,138 shares of company stock valued at $12,581,657. Company insiders own 0.21% of the companys stock. McKesson Company Profile (Free Report) McKesson Corporation provides healthcare services in the United States and internationally. It operates through four segments: U.S. Pharmaceutical, Prescription Technology Solutions (RxTS), Medical-Surgical Solutions, and International. The U.S. Pharmaceutical segment distributes branded, generic, specialty, biosimilar and over-the-counter pharmaceutical drugs, and other healthcare-related products. Further Reading Want to see what other hedge funds are holding MCK? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for McKesson Co. (NYSE:MCK Free Report). Receive News & Ratings for McKesson Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for McKesson and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Ferguson Wellman Capital Management Inc. decreased its stake in VMware, Inc. (NYSE:VMW Free Report) by 9.9% in the first quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 5,351 shares of the virtualization software providers stock after selling 585 shares during the quarter. Ferguson Wellman Capital Management Inc.s holdings in VMware were worth $668,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of the company. Valicenti Advisory Services Inc. lifted its stake in VMware by 3.2% in the 1st quarter. Valicenti Advisory Services Inc. now owns 45,221 shares of the virtualization software providers stock worth $5,646,000 after acquiring an additional 1,385 shares in the last quarter. Maryland State Retirement & Pension System lifted its stake in VMware by 1.6% in the 1st quarter. Maryland State Retirement & Pension System now owns 16,899 shares of the virtualization software providers stock worth $2,110,000 after acquiring an additional 272 shares in the last quarter. Proficio Capital Partners LLC purchased a new stake in VMware in the 1st quarter worth about $72,000. FCF Advisors LLC lifted its stake in VMware by 14.7% in the 1st quarter. FCF Advisors LLC now owns 4,675 shares of the virtualization software providers stock worth $584,000 after acquiring an additional 600 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Cardinal Capital Management lifted its stake in VMware by 1.0% in the 1st quarter. Cardinal Capital Management now owns 23,562 shares of the virtualization software providers stock worth $2,942,000 after acquiring an additional 228 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 46.00% of the companys stock. Get VMware alerts: VMware Stock Up 0.3 % VMW opened at $144.19 on Tuesday. The business has a 50-day moving average of $131.75 and a 200-day moving average of $124.90. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 5.06, a current ratio of 0.82 and a quick ratio of 0.82. VMware, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $103.55 and a fifty-two week high of $145.73. The company has a market capitalization of $62.05 billion, a PE ratio of 47.59, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.58 and a beta of 0.72. Analysts Set New Price Targets VMware ( NYSE:VMW Free Report ) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, June 1st. The virtualization software provider reported $1.49 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts consensus estimates of $1.55 by ($0.06). VMware had a net margin of 9.57% and a return on equity of 162.41%. The company had revenue of $3.28 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $3.31 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the business posted $0.71 earnings per share. The firms revenue was up 6.1% on a year-over-year basis. Equities research analysts forecast that VMware, Inc. will post 4.46 EPS for the current fiscal year. Several equities research analysts recently issued reports on VMW shares. StockNews.com downgraded VMware from a strong-buy rating to a buy rating in a research note on Friday. Piper Sandler raised their price target on VMware from $125.00 to $134.00 in a research note on Friday, June 2nd. UBS Group raised their price target on VMware from $151.00 to $161.00 in a research note on Friday, June 2nd. BMO Capital Markets raised their price target on VMware from $139.00 to $140.00 in a research note on Wednesday, June 7th. Finally, 1-800-FLOWERS.COM reaffirmed a maintains rating on shares of VMware in a research note on Thursday, April 27th. Four investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and one has assigned a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of Hold and a consensus target price of $143.25. About VMware (Free Report) VMware, Inc provides software solutions in the areas of modern applications, cloud management and infrastructure, networking, security, and digital workspaces in the United States and internationally. It offers VMware multi-cloud solutions, including VMware vSphere, a data center infrastructure that provides the fundamental compute layer; vSAN and VxRail, which offers holistic data storage and protection options to applications running on vSphere; and vRealize Cloud Management solutions that manages hybrid and multi-cloud environments running in virtual machines and containers, as well as VMware Cloud Foundation, a cloud platform that combines its vSphere, vSAN, and NSX with vRealize Cloud Management into an integrated stack and delivers enterprise-ready cloud infrastructure for private and public clouds. Further Reading Want to see what other hedge funds are holding VMW? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for VMware, Inc. (NYSE:VMW Free Report). Receive News & Ratings for VMware Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for VMware and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Ardevora Asset Management LLP grew its stake in shares of Visa Inc. (NYSE:V Free Report) by 0.8% in the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 349,959 shares of the credit-card processors stock after acquiring an additional 2,899 shares during the quarter. Visa comprises about 1.4% of Ardevora Asset Management LLPs holdings, making the stock its 18th largest position. Ardevora Asset Management LLPs holdings in Visa were worth $78,902,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently modified their holdings of V. Banque Cantonale Vaudoise increased its position in Visa by 2.7% during the 1st quarter. Banque Cantonale Vaudoise now owns 82,144 shares of the credit-card processors stock worth $18,521,000 after purchasing an additional 2,146 shares in the last quarter. LGT Group Foundation increased its position in Visa by 0.6% during the 1st quarter. LGT Group Foundation now owns 186,946 shares of the credit-card processors stock worth $42,149,000 after purchasing an additional 1,086 shares in the last quarter. Blossom Wealth Management increased its position in Visa by 9.7% during the 1st quarter. Blossom Wealth Management now owns 1,689 shares of the credit-card processors stock worth $381,000 after purchasing an additional 150 shares in the last quarter. Schrum Private Wealth Management LLC increased its position in Visa by 2.1% during the 1st quarter. Schrum Private Wealth Management LLC now owns 7,509 shares of the credit-card processors stock worth $1,693,000 after purchasing an additional 157 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Segment Wealth Management LLC increased its position in Visa by 2.6% during the 1st quarter. Segment Wealth Management LLC now owns 55,970 shares of the credit-card processors stock worth $12,619,000 after purchasing an additional 1,404 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 84.92% of the companys stock. Get Visa alerts: Analysts Set New Price Targets V has been the subject of a number of research analyst reports. Oppenheimer increased their target price on shares of Visa from $237.00 to $248.00 and gave the stock an outperform rating in a research report on Wednesday, April 19th. Royal Bank of Canada increased their target price on shares of Visa from $262.00 to $265.00 in a research report on Wednesday, April 26th. Robert W. Baird increased their target price on shares of Visa from $272.00 to $284.00 in a research report on Wednesday, April 26th. KeyCorp increased their price objective on shares of Visa from $250.00 to $260.00 in a research report on Monday, April 24th. Finally, Citigroup increased their price objective on shares of Visa from $270.00 to $273.00 in a research report on Wednesday, April 26th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, two have issued a hold rating and seventeen have given a buy rating to the companys stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Visa currently has an average rating of Moderate Buy and an average price target of $260.08. Visa Stock Performance Shares of V opened at $237.97 on Tuesday. The businesss fifty day moving average price is $228.42 and its 200 day moving average price is $224.16. Visa Inc. has a 12-month low of $174.60 and a 12-month high of $238.40. The stock has a market capitalization of $445.79 billion, a PE ratio of 31.81, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.82 and a beta of 0.97. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.56, a current ratio of 1.50 and a quick ratio of 1.50. Visa (NYSE:V Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, April 25th. The credit-card processor reported $2.09 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.97 by $0.12. Visa had a return on equity of 50.21% and a net margin of 50.95%. The firm had revenue of $7.99 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $7.79 billion. During the same period last year, the business posted $1.79 earnings per share. The firms revenue for the quarter was up 11.1% on a year-over-year basis. Equities research analysts forecast that Visa Inc. will post 8.58 EPS for the current year. Visa Dividend Announcement The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, June 1st. Shareholders of record on Friday, May 12th were paid a $0.45 dividend. This represents a $1.80 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.76%. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, May 11th. Visas payout ratio is 24.06%. Insider Buying and Selling at Visa In other news, Chairman Alfred F. Kelly, Jr. sold 7,500 shares of the firms stock in a transaction on Monday, May 1st. The stock was sold at an average price of $232.87, for a total transaction of $1,746,525.00. Following the transaction, the chairman now directly owns 154,854 shares of the companys stock, valued at $36,060,850.98. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. In other news, Chairman Alfred F. Kelly, Jr. sold 7,500 shares of the firms stock in a transaction on Monday, May 1st. The stock was sold at an average price of $232.87, for a total transaction of $1,746,525.00. Following the transaction, the chairman now directly owns 154,854 shares of the companys stock, valued at $36,060,850.98. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. Also, CFO Vasant M. Prabhu sold 13,343 shares of the firms stock in a transaction on Monday, May 1st. The shares were sold at an average price of $234.26, for a total value of $3,125,731.18. Following the transaction, the chief financial officer now directly owns 73,638 shares in the company, valued at $17,250,437.88. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last three months, insiders have sold 116,277 shares of company stock worth $27,018,374. 0.21% of the stock is owned by insiders. Visa Profile (Free Report) Visa Inc operates as a payments technology company worldwide. The company operates VisaNet, a transaction processing network that enables authorization, clearing, and settlement of payment transactions. It also offers credit, debit, and prepaid card products; tap to pay, tokenization, click to pay; Visa Direct, a real-time payments network; Visa B2B Connect, a multilateral B2B cross-border payments network; Visa Treasury as a Service, a cross-border consumer payments business; and Visa DPS that provides a range of value added services, including fraud mitigation, dispute management, data analytics, campaign management, a suite of digital solutions, and contact center services. Read More Receive News & Ratings for Visa Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Visa and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Avantax Planning Partners Inc. reduced its position in Invesco FTSE RAFI US 1000 ETF (NYSEARCA:PRF Free Report) by 8.0% in the 1st quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 6,215 shares of the companys stock after selling 540 shares during the quarter. Avantax Planning Partners Inc.s holdings in Invesco FTSE RAFI US 1000 ETF were worth $974,000 as of its most recent SEC filing. Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently made changes to their positions in PRF. Bank of Montreal Can boosted its position in Invesco FTSE RAFI US 1000 ETF by 43.0% in the first quarter. Bank of Montreal Can now owns 5,032 shares of the companys stock valued at $875,000 after buying an additional 1,512 shares during the last quarter. Cibc World Market Inc. boosted its position in Invesco FTSE RAFI US 1000 ETF by 2.6% in the first quarter. Cibc World Market Inc. now owns 3,740 shares of the companys stock valued at $639,000 after buying an additional 93 shares during the last quarter. Blair William & Co. IL boosted its position in Invesco FTSE RAFI US 1000 ETF by 39.1% in the first quarter. Blair William & Co. IL now owns 51,296 shares of the companys stock valued at $8,764,000 after buying an additional 14,432 shares during the last quarter. Sequoia Financial Advisors LLC boosted its position in Invesco FTSE RAFI US 1000 ETF by 18.3% in the first quarter. Sequoia Financial Advisors LLC now owns 6,031 shares of the companys stock valued at $1,030,000 after buying an additional 932 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Baird Financial Group Inc. boosted its position in Invesco FTSE RAFI US 1000 ETF by 11.8% in the first quarter. Baird Financial Group Inc. now owns 7,871 shares of the companys stock valued at $1,345,000 after buying an additional 828 shares during the last quarter. Get Invesco FTSE RAFI US 1000 ETF alerts: Invesco FTSE RAFI US 1000 ETF Stock Up 0.3 % Shares of NYSEARCA PRF opened at $164.22 on Tuesday. Invesco FTSE RAFI US 1000 ETF has a 52 week low of $137.81 and a 52 week high of $165.78. The firm has a market cap of $6.18 billion, a P/E ratio of 12.89 and a beta of 1.00. The businesss 50 day moving average price is $157.97 and its 200 day moving average price is $157.94. Invesco FTSE RAFI US 1000 ETF Profile The Invesco FTSE RAFI US 1000 ETF (PRF) is an exchange-traded fund that is based on the FTSE RAFI US 1000 index. The fund tracks an index of 1,000 of the largest US companies that are selected and weighted using fundamental metrics. PRF was launched on Dec 19, 2005 and is managed by Invesco. Featured Articles Want to see what other hedge funds are holding PRF? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Invesco FTSE RAFI US 1000 ETF (NYSEARCA:PRF Free Report). Receive News & Ratings for Invesco FTSE RAFI US 1000 ETF Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Invesco FTSE RAFI US 1000 ETF and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Daymark Wealth Partners LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Ecolab Inc. (NYSE:ECL Free Report) by 6.9% in the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 3,098 shares of the basic materials companys stock after purchasing an additional 199 shares during the period. Daymark Wealth Partners LLCs holdings in Ecolab were worth $513,000 at the end of the most recent quarter. Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also added to or reduced their stakes in ECL. Texas Permanent School Fund lifted its position in shares of Ecolab by 0.4% in the 4th quarter. Texas Permanent School Fund now owns 35,208 shares of the basic materials companys stock valued at $5,125,000 after acquiring an additional 126 shares in the last quarter. Louisiana State Employees Retirement System lifted its position in shares of Ecolab by 0.6% in the 1st quarter. Louisiana State Employees Retirement System now owns 16,100 shares of the basic materials companys stock valued at $2,665,000 after acquiring an additional 100 shares in the last quarter. Newbridge Financial Services Group Inc. lifted its position in shares of Ecolab by 27.0% in the 4th quarter. Newbridge Financial Services Group Inc. now owns 470 shares of the basic materials companys stock valued at $68,000 after acquiring an additional 100 shares in the last quarter. Seven Eight Capital LP purchased a new stake in shares of Ecolab in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $421,000. Finally, Koshinski Asset Management Inc. lifted its position in shares of Ecolab by 12.1% in the 4th quarter. Koshinski Asset Management Inc. now owns 5,440 shares of the basic materials companys stock valued at $792,000 after acquiring an additional 588 shares in the last quarter. 73.73% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds. Get Ecolab alerts: Ecolab Stock Performance Shares of ECL opened at $186.58 on Tuesday. The companys fifty day moving average is $174.54 and its 200-day moving average is $162.57. Ecolab Inc. has a 12 month low of $131.04 and a 12 month high of $187.73. The firm has a market cap of $53.12 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 46.18, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.96 and a beta of 1.02. The company has a quick ratio of 0.79, a current ratio of 1.17 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.02. Ecolab Announces Dividend Ecolab ( NYSE:ECL Free Report ) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, May 2nd. The basic materials company reported $0.88 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.86 by $0.02. Ecolab had a net margin of 7.96% and a return on equity of 18.05%. The company had revenue of $3.57 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $3.47 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business posted $0.82 EPS. Ecolabs quarterly revenue was up 9.3% on a year-over-year basis. Equities analysts expect that Ecolab Inc. will post 4.99 EPS for the current fiscal year. The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, July 17th. Investors of record on Tuesday, June 20th will be paid a $0.53 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, June 16th. This represents a $2.12 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.14%. Ecolabs payout ratio is presently 52.48%. Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades Several brokerages recently commented on ECL. Bank of America downgraded shares of Ecolab from a neutral rating to an underperform rating and reduced their price target for the company from $170.00 to $162.00 in a research report on Monday, April 17th. Citigroup began coverage on shares of Ecolab in a research report on Tuesday, June 13th. They issued a neutral rating and a $179.00 target price for the company. StockNews.com downgraded shares of Ecolab from a buy rating to a hold rating in a research report on Friday, June 16th. Mizuho increased their target price on shares of Ecolab from $163.00 to $177.00 in a research report on Wednesday, May 3rd. Finally, Stifel Nicolaus increased their target price on shares of Ecolab from $164.00 to $172.00 and gave the stock a hold rating in a research report on Wednesday, March 22nd. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, eight have given a hold rating and six have issued a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of Hold and a consensus target price of $177.57. Insider Activity at Ecolab In related news, EVP Angela M. Busch sold 3,460 shares of the firms stock in a transaction on Wednesday, June 14th. The shares were sold at an average price of $182.00, for a total value of $629,720.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president now directly owns 19,680 shares in the company, valued at approximately $3,581,760. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. In other Ecolab news, EVP Larry L. Berger sold 21,708 shares of the firms stock in a transaction on Friday, June 16th. The shares were sold at an average price of $181.67, for a total value of $3,943,692.36. Following the sale, the executive vice president now directly owns 12,442 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,260,338.14. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, EVP Angela M. Busch sold 3,460 shares of the firms stock in a transaction on Wednesday, June 14th. The stock was sold at an average price of $182.00, for a total transaction of $629,720.00. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president now owns 19,680 shares in the company, valued at $3,581,760. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last three months, insiders have sold 67,050 shares of company stock worth $11,865,590. 0.04% of the stock is owned by insiders. Ecolab Profile (Free Report) Ecolab Inc provides water, hygiene, and infection prevention solutions and services in the United States and internationally. The company operates through Global Industrial, Global Institutional & Specialty, and Global Healthcare & Life Sciences segments. The Global Industrial segment offers water treatment and process applications, and cleaning and sanitizing solutions to manufacturing, food and beverage processing, transportation, chemical, metals and mining, power generation, pulp and paper, commercial laundry, petroleum, refining, and petrochemical industries. Featured Stories Want to see what other hedge funds are holding ECL? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Ecolab Inc. (NYSE:ECL Free Report). Receive News & Ratings for Ecolab Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Ecolab and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. BAKU, Azerbaijan, July 4. A business delegation from Tatarstan (Russia) will visit Azerbaijan on July 26-28, 2023, the Azerbaijan Export and Investment Promotion Agency (AZPROMO) told Trend. According to the agency, the business mission aims to familiarize with the business and investment environment of Azerbaijan. "As part of the business mission, entrepreneurs are expected to get acquainted with industrial parks and free economic zones, as well as to opt for opportunities for entrepreneurs in the chemical industry and carpet weaving," AZPROMO stressed. In 2022, the trade turnover between Tatarstan and Azerbaijan amounted to more than $125 million, exceeding the figure for 2021 by almost 80 percent. Triangle Securities Wealth Management boosted its holdings in The Charles Schwab Co. (NYSE:SCHW Free Report) by 19.9% during the first quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 6,526 shares of the financial services providers stock after acquiring an additional 1,085 shares during the quarter. Triangle Securities Wealth Managements holdings in Charles Schwab were worth $342,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period. Other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Vontobel Holding Ltd. increased its position in shares of Charles Schwab by 7.5% during the 1st quarter. Vontobel Holding Ltd. now owns 20,822 shares of the financial services providers stock valued at $1,847,000 after purchasing an additional 1,452 shares during the last quarter. Moors & Cabot Inc. boosted its holdings in Charles Schwab by 4.3% during the 1st quarter. Moors & Cabot Inc. now owns 6,263 shares of the financial services providers stock valued at $528,000 after acquiring an additional 259 shares during the period. Sequoia Financial Advisors LLC boosted its holdings in Charles Schwab by 25.4% during the 1st quarter. Sequoia Financial Advisors LLC now owns 13,064 shares of the financial services providers stock valued at $1,101,000 after acquiring an additional 2,648 shares during the period. Brighton Jones LLC boosted its holdings in Charles Schwab by 7.5% during the 1st quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 3,807 shares of the financial services providers stock valued at $321,000 after acquiring an additional 267 shares during the period. Finally, Covestor Ltd boosted its holdings in Charles Schwab by 16.6% during the 1st quarter. Covestor Ltd now owns 1,239 shares of the financial services providers stock valued at $104,000 after acquiring an additional 176 shares during the period. 82.77% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors. Get Charles Schwab alerts: Analyst Ratings Changes Several equities research analysts recently weighed in on the company. Morgan Stanley cut Charles Schwab from an overweight rating to an equal weight rating and dropped their target price for the company from $99.00 to $68.00 in a report on Thursday, March 30th. Barclays dropped their price objective on Charles Schwab from $61.00 to $56.00 and set an equal weight rating for the company in a report on Friday, April 14th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. dropped their price objective on Charles Schwab from $86.00 to $85.00 in a report on Tuesday, April 18th. The Goldman Sachs Group dropped their price objective on Charles Schwab from $98.00 to $75.00 and set a buy rating for the company in a report on Tuesday, March 14th. Finally, Credit Suisse Group upgraded Charles Schwab from a neutral rating to an outperform rating and dropped their price objective for the stock from $81.50 to $67.50 in a report on Wednesday, March 15th. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, two have issued a hold rating and twelve have given a buy rating to the companys stock. According to MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus price target of $66.68. Insider Transactions at Charles Schwab Charles Schwab Stock Up 1.9 % In other news, Chairman Charles R. Schwab sold 77,640 shares of the firms stock in a transaction on Monday, May 22nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $51.76, for a total value of $4,018,646.40. Following the transaction, the chairman now directly owns 59,771,278 shares in the company, valued at approximately $3,093,761,349.28. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this link . Company insiders own 6.60% of the companys stock. Charles Schwab stock opened at $57.73 on Tuesday. The firm has a market cap of $102.13 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 15.77, a PEG ratio of 3.24 and a beta of 0.88. The stock has a fifty day simple moving average of $52.65 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $64.38. The Charles Schwab Co. has a 12 month low of $45.00 and a 12 month high of $86.63. The company has a current ratio of 0.39, a quick ratio of 0.39 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.74. Charles Schwab (NYSE:SCHW Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Monday, April 17th. The financial services provider reported $0.93 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $0.90 by $0.03. The business had revenue of $5.12 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $5.13 billion. Charles Schwab had a return on equity of 27.83% and a net margin of 34.82%. The companys quarterly revenue was up 9.5% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the company earned $0.77 EPS. Equities analysts predict that The Charles Schwab Co. will post 3.26 EPS for the current fiscal year. Charles Schwab Dividend Announcement The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, May 26th. Stockholders of record on Friday, May 12th were paid a $0.25 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, May 11th. This represents a $1.00 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.73%. Charles Schwabs dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 27.32%. Charles Schwab Company Profile (Free Report) The Charles Schwab Corporation, together with its subsidiaries, operates as a savings and loan holding company that provides wealth management, securities brokerage, banking, asset management, custody, and financial advisory services. The company operates in two segments, Investor Services and Advisor Services. Read More Receive News & Ratings for Charles Schwab Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Charles Schwab and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Avestar Capital LLC trimmed its position in Devon Energy Co. (NYSE:DVN Free Report) by 19.3% in the first quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The fund owned 5,753 shares of the energy companys stock after selling 1,380 shares during the quarter. Avestar Capital LLCs holdings in Devon Energy were worth $291,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period. A number of other large investors also recently modified their holdings of DVN. State Street Corp lifted its stake in shares of Devon Energy by 7.3% in the 3rd quarter. State Street Corp now owns 42,814,521 shares of the energy companys stock valued at $2,574,437,000 after acquiring an additional 2,902,180 shares during the last quarter. T. Rowe Price Investment Management Inc. raised its position in Devon Energy by 96.4% during the 4th quarter. T. Rowe Price Investment Management Inc. now owns 5,608,577 shares of the energy companys stock worth $344,984,000 after purchasing an additional 2,752,752 shares during the last quarter. Capital Wealth Planning LLC lifted its holdings in Devon Energy by 90.7% during the 4th quarter. Capital Wealth Planning LLC now owns 5,386,490 shares of the energy companys stock worth $331,323,000 after buying an additional 2,562,584 shares during the period. Vanguard Group Inc. lifted its holdings in Devon Energy by 2.2% during the 3rd quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 77,173,489 shares of the energy companys stock worth $4,640,442,000 after buying an additional 1,637,042 shares during the period. Finally, Bank of New York Mellon Corp lifted its holdings in Devon Energy by 16.9% during the 3rd quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp now owns 10,141,280 shares of the energy companys stock worth $609,794,000 after buying an additional 1,469,557 shares during the period. 71.00% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors. Get Devon Energy alerts: Devon Energy Stock Performance Shares of Devon Energy stock opened at $48.83 on Tuesday. Devon Energy Co. has a one year low of $44.03 and a one year high of $78.82. The firm has a market capitalization of $31.93 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 5.32, a PEG ratio of 0.15 and a beta of 2.31. The business has a 50-day simple moving average of $49.02 and a 200 day simple moving average of $54.20. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.56, a current ratio of 1.09 and a quick ratio of 1.02. Devon Energy Cuts Dividend Devon Energy ( NYSE:DVN Free Report ) last issued its earnings results on Monday, May 8th. The energy company reported $1.46 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $1.39 by $0.07. Devon Energy had a return on equity of 47.42% and a net margin of 31.39%. The business had revenue of $3.82 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $3.82 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the company posted $1.88 EPS. The firms revenue was up .3% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, research analysts anticipate that Devon Energy Co. will post 6.14 earnings per share for the current fiscal year. The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, June 30th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, June 15th were issued a dividend of $0.72 per share. This represents a $2.88 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 5.90%. The ex-dividend date was Wednesday, June 14th. Devon Energys dividend payout ratio is currently 8.72%. Analysts Set New Price Targets Several research analysts have commented on the company. Sanford C. Bernstein cut their target price on Devon Energy from $71.00 to $64.00 in a report on Wednesday, May 17th. The Goldman Sachs Group raised Devon Energy from a neutral rating to a buy rating and cut their target price for the stock from $63.00 to $58.00 in a report on Tuesday, June 13th. Raymond James boosted their price objective on Devon Energy from $67.00 to $70.00 and gave the company a strong-buy rating in a research note on Friday, April 21st. Bank of America dropped their price objective on Devon Energy from $67.00 to $60.00 in a research note on Tuesday, May 9th. Finally, Mizuho dropped their price objective on Devon Energy from $71.00 to $65.00 in a research note on Friday, May 19th. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, seven have assigned a hold rating, nine have assigned a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of Moderate Buy and an average target price of $67.39. Insiders Place Their Bets In other Devon Energy news, EVP Dennis C. Cameron sold 8,292 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, May 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of $49.97, for a total transaction of $414,351.24. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president now directly owns 218,418 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $10,914,347.46. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Corporate insiders own 0.63% of the companys stock. About Devon Energy (Free Report) Devon Energy Corporation, an independent energy company, explores for, develops, and produces oil, natural gas, and natural gas liquids in the United States. It operates in Delaware, Anadarko, Williston, Eagle Ford, and Powder River Basin. The company was incorporated in 1971 and is headquartered in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. Featured Articles Want to see what other hedge funds are holding DVN? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Devon Energy Co. (NYSE:DVN Free Report). Receive News & Ratings for Devon Energy Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Devon Energy and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Hennion & Walsh Asset Management Inc. trimmed its holdings in The PNC Financial Services Group, Inc. (NYSE:PNC Free Report) by 11.4% during the first quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 24,740 shares of the financial services providers stock after selling 3,181 shares during the quarter. Hennion & Walsh Asset Management Inc.s holdings in The PNC Financial Services Group were worth $3,144,000 as of its most recent SEC filing. Other institutional investors have also bought and sold shares of the company. Meiji Yasuda Life Insurance Co lifted its stake in The PNC Financial Services Group by 54.5% in the 3rd quarter. Meiji Yasuda Life Insurance Co now owns 4,376 shares of the financial services providers stock worth $654,000 after purchasing an additional 1,544 shares in the last quarter. Marcum Wealth LLC lifted its stake in The PNC Financial Services Group by 19.3% in the 1st quarter. Marcum Wealth LLC now owns 4,403 shares of the financial services providers stock worth $560,000 after purchasing an additional 711 shares in the last quarter. Smithbridge Asset Management Inc. DE purchased a new position in The PNC Financial Services Group in the 4th quarter worth approximately $500,000. Vontobel Holding Ltd. lifted its stake in The PNC Financial Services Group by 566.0% in the 1st quarter. Vontobel Holding Ltd. now owns 55,956 shares of the financial services providers stock worth $7,112,000 after purchasing an additional 47,554 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Coldstream Capital Management Inc. purchased a new position in The PNC Financial Services Group in the 4th quarter worth approximately $958,000. 79.27% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors. Get The PNC Financial Services Group alerts: The PNC Financial Services Group Stock Performance NYSE:PNC opened at $127.54 on Tuesday. The company has a fifty day simple moving average of $122.04 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $138.04. The company has a market cap of $50.90 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 8.72, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.13 and a beta of 1.13. The company has a quick ratio of 0.80, a current ratio of 0.80 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.24. The PNC Financial Services Group, Inc. has a 52 week low of $110.31 and a 52 week high of $176.34. The PNC Financial Services Group Increases Dividend The PNC Financial Services Group ( NYSE:PNC Free Report ) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Friday, April 14th. The financial services provider reported $3.98 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $3.60 by $0.38. The business had revenue of $5.60 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $5.61 billion. The PNC Financial Services Group had a net margin of 23.95% and a return on equity of 13.41%. The companys quarterly revenue was up 19.4% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm posted $3.29 earnings per share. As a group, equities analysts anticipate that The PNC Financial Services Group, Inc. will post 13.74 earnings per share for the current fiscal year. The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Saturday, August 5th. Shareholders of record on Monday, July 17th will be paid a $1.55 dividend. This is an increase from The PNC Financial Services Groups previous quarterly dividend of $1.50. This represents a $6.20 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 4.86%. The PNC Financial Services Groups payout ratio is 41.04%. Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth Several research firms have recently commented on PNC. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods reduced their price target on shares of The PNC Financial Services Group from $125.00 to $120.00 and set an underperform rating on the stock in a research report on Monday, April 17th. StockNews.com began coverage on shares of The PNC Financial Services Group in a research report on Thursday, May 18th. They set a sell rating on the stock. Citigroup reduced their price target on shares of The PNC Financial Services Group from $150.00 to $145.00 in a research report on Thursday, June 8th. Royal Bank of Canada reduced their price target on shares of The PNC Financial Services Group from $185.00 to $167.00 and set an outperform rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, March 24th. Finally, 888 reaffirmed a reiterates rating on shares of The PNC Financial Services Group in a research report on Monday, June 26th. Four analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, five have issued a hold rating and eight have issued a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of Hold and an average target price of $162.04. Insiders Place Their Bets In other news, Director Bryan Scott Salesky bought 400 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, June 7th. The stock was purchased at an average price of $127.10 per share, for a total transaction of $50,840.00. Following the completion of the purchase, the director now owns 410 shares in the company, valued at approximately $52,111. The purchase was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. In other news, Director Bryan Scott Salesky bought 400 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, June 7th. The stock was purchased at an average price of $127.10 per share, for a total transaction of $50,840.00. Following the completion of the purchase, the director now owns 410 shares in the company, valued at approximately $52,111. The purchase was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Also, Director Joseph Alvarado bought 1,000 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, April 21st. The shares were purchased at an average price of $123.89 per share, with a total value of $123,890.00. Following the purchase, the director now owns 1,100 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $136,279. The disclosure for this purchase can be found here. Insiders own 0.39% of the companys stock. The PNC Financial Services Group Profile (Free Report) The PNC Financial Services Group, Inc operates as a diversified financial services company in the United States. It operates through three segments: Retail Banking, Corporate & Institutional Banking, and Asset Management Group segments. The company's Retail Banking segment offers checking, savings, and money market accounts, as well as certificates of deposit; residential mortgages, home equity loans and lines of credit, auto loans, credit cards, education loans, and personal and small business loans and lines of credit; and brokerage, insurance, and investment and cash management services. Recommended Stories Receive News & Ratings for The PNC Financial Services Group Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for The PNC Financial Services Group and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. WBH Advisory Inc. bought a new position in shares of Bristol-Myers Squibb (NYSE:BMY Free Report) in the first quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor bought 12,053 shares of the biopharmaceutical companys stock, valued at approximately $835,000. Other hedge funds have also modified their holdings of the company. True Wealth Design LLC acquired a new position in shares of Bristol-Myers Squibb during the 4th quarter worth $26,000. GoalVest Advisory LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Bristol-Myers Squibb during the 1st quarter valued at approximately $29,000. Coppell Advisory Solutions Corp. purchased a new stake in shares of Bristol-Myers Squibb during the 4th quarter worth approximately $31,000. Live Oak Investment Partners acquired a new stake in shares of Bristol-Myers Squibb in the 4th quarter worth approximately $33,000. Finally, My Personal CFO LLC purchased a new position in Bristol-Myers Squibb in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $35,000. 74.57% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds. Get Bristol-Myers Squibb alerts: Bristol-Myers Squibb Stock Up 0.8 % BMY opened at $64.44 on Tuesday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.10, a quick ratio of 1.28 and a current ratio of 1.42. The company has a market capitalization of $135.38 billion, a PE ratio of 18.79, a P/E/G ratio of 1.31 and a beta of 0.43. The stocks fifty day moving average is $66.00 and its 200-day moving average is $69.10. Bristol-Myers Squibb has a one year low of $62.88 and a one year high of $81.43. Bristol-Myers Squibb Announces Dividend Bristol-Myers Squibb ( NYSE:BMY Free Report ) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, April 27th. The biopharmaceutical company reported $2.05 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.98 by $0.07. Bristol-Myers Squibb had a net margin of 15.95% and a return on equity of 51.75%. The firm had revenue of $11.34 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $11.50 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business posted $1.96 earnings per share. The firms quarterly revenue was down 2.7% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, equities analysts predict that Bristol-Myers Squibb will post 8.07 EPS for the current fiscal year. The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, August 1st. Stockholders of record on Friday, July 7th will be issued a $0.57 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, July 6th. This represents a $2.28 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.54%. Bristol-Myers Squibbs dividend payout ratio is 66.47%. Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth A number of brokerages have recently weighed in on BMY. StockNews.com assumed coverage on Bristol-Myers Squibb in a research report on Thursday, May 18th. They issued a strong-buy rating for the company. Barclays dropped their target price on shares of Bristol-Myers Squibb from $66.00 to $65.00 in a report on Monday, May 1st. Bank of America upped their price target on shares of Bristol-Myers Squibb from $82.00 to $85.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a report on Friday, April 21st. Daiwa Capital Markets started coverage on Bristol-Myers Squibb in a research report on Wednesday, June 28th. They set an outperform rating and a $70.00 price objective for the company. Finally, 51job reiterated a maintains rating on shares of Bristol-Myers Squibb in a report on Friday, April 28th. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, six have assigned a hold rating, seven have given a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus target price of $78.00. Insider Transactions at Bristol-Myers Squibb In other Bristol-Myers Squibb news, EVP Rupert Vessey sold 50,385 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, May 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $67.06, for a total value of $3,378,818.10. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president now owns 47,751 shares in the company, valued at approximately $3,202,182.06. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. 0.08% of the stock is owned by insiders. Bristol-Myers Squibb Company Profile (Free Report) Bristol-Myers Squibb Company discovers, develops, licenses, manufactures, markets, distributes, and sells biopharmaceutical products worldwide. It offers products for hematology, oncology, cardiovascular, immunology, fibrotic, and neuroscience diseases. The company's products include Eliquis, an oral inhibitor for reduction in risk of stroke/systemic embolism in NVAF, and for the treatment of DVT/PE; Opdivo for anti-cancer indications; Pomalyst/Imnovid indicated for patients with multiple myeloma; Orencia for adult patients with active RA and psoriatic arthritis; and Sprycel for the treatment of Philadelphia chromosome-positive chronic myeloid leukemia. See Also Receive News & Ratings for Bristol-Myers Squibb Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Bristol-Myers Squibb and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. BAKU, Azerbaijan, July 4. Azerbaijan and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) discussed the prospects for cooperation, Trend reports via the tweet of Azerbaijani Economy Minister Mikayil Jabbarov. In this regard, Jabbarov met with a delegation led by EBRD Managing Director for Eastern Europe and the Caucasus Matteo Patrone in Baku. During the meeting, the parties exchanged views on cooperation between the bank and Azerbaijan, discussed reforms to stimulate investment and improve the business environment. In total, the bank has invested over 3.53 billion euro in 188 projects in Azerbaijan. The EBRD, the country's leading investor, has been cooperating with Azerbaijan since 1992. Earlier, EBRD Country Head for Azerbaijan Kamola Makhmudova said that the expected portfolio of investment projects for the next three years is $750 million. The EBRD plans to allocate nearly $300 million in 2023 for energy, transport, the private sector, SMEs, and the banking sector. BAKU, Azerbaijan, July 4. Iran was officially elected a member of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) at the 23rd summit meeting of the presidents of the member countries of the organization held in a virtual format on July 4, 2023, Trend reports. According to the report, Iran has been an observer member of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization since 2005. After 16 years, Iran was accepted as a full member of this organization and today it participated in the meeting as a main member. In 2021, at the 21st summit meeting of the presidents of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization member countries in Dushanbe, Tajikistan, 8 countries approved Iran's membership in the organization, and Iran became the 9th member of this organization. Meanwhile, in 2022, the technical process and obligations for accepting Iran as a main member of this organization were approved at the 22nd summit meeting of the heads of state of the SCO member countries in Samarkand, Uzbekistan. 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. [July 03, 2023] Panduit Launches SmartZone Uninterruptible Power Supply Tweet SmartZone delivers highly efficient and reliable power protection for IT equipment SINGAPORE, July 4, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Panduit Singapore releases SmartZone Uninterruptible Power Supply (UPS), delivering highly efficient and reliable power that provides protection and backup power for your computer IT equipment. SmartZone offers excellent electrical performance, intelligent battery management and long lifespan (lithium-ion units), enhanced intelligent monitoring, and network functions. Compliant with ENERGY STAR 2.0, EMC, and safety standards, SmartZone UPS meets the continually growing power demands of data center, enterprise, and Edge IT equipment. The rack-mounted SmartZone UPS portfolio focuses on high reliability, density, efficiency, and secure manageability, backed by an experienced global support team. This UPS range offers models with varying power ratings, configurations, and batteries to meet your specific needs. The offerings include 1-3 kVA line interactive and double conversion with lithium-ion battery, 1-3 kVA, 5-10 kVA, and 10/15/20 kVA double conversion with lead acid battery. The SmartZone Intelligent UPS system interfaces with Panduit's SmartZone Cloud Next Generation DCIM solution tomanage, monitor, and control power, environmental, security, connectivity, and IT assets. SmartZone Cloud collects and processes real-time data to closely oversee these channels and sends alerts for potential failures to reduce the risk of costly outages. To learn more about SmartZone Cloud Next Generation DCIM please visit https://pages.panduit.com/apac-smartzone-cloud.html. Panduit also offers many SmartZone UPS accessories including external battery packs, battery cartridges, intelligent network management cards, environmental and security sensors, and a relay card. "SmartZone UPS provides the global market with intelligent, reliable, and efficient infrastructure solutions for IT equipment and applications", says SmartZone UPS Product Manager Alan Burkel. "Panduit is excited to deliver this new offering of uninterruptible power supply hardware to an expanding industry with growing trends of distributed compute and enterprise data center modernization. It allows Panduit to be a one-stop-shop for customers interested in infrastructure solutions." The new Panduit SmartZone UPS product family rings in a new era of intelligent power. To learn more about the SmartZone UPS Intelligent Power Solution, please visit https://pages.panduit.com/apac-smartzone-ups.html. About Panduit Since 1955, Panduit's culture of curiosity and passion for problem-solving have enabled more meaningful connections between companies' business goals and their marketplace success. Panduit creates innovative electrical and network infrastructure solutions for enterprise-wide environments, from the data center to the telecom room, from the desktop to the plant floor. Headquartered in Tinley Park, IL, USA, and operating in112 global locations, Panduit's proven reputation for quality and technology leadership, coupled with a robust partner ecosystem, helps support, sustain, and empower business growth in a connected world. For more information, visit www.panduit.com. View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/apac/news-releases/panduit-launches-smartzone-uninterruptible-power-supply-301863991.html SOURCE Panduit [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [July 03, 2023] Kaigai FX Online and XM Trading Team Up to Offer Exclusive Bonus and Status Upgrade Campaign OSAKA, Japan, July 4, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- "Kaigai FX Online( https://emotional-link.co.jp/kaigaifx/ )" has launched a collaborative campaign with XMTrading, one of the foreign FX brokers with the highest number of Japanese users. The campaign offers a "13,000 bonus + status upgrade" to individuals who open a new account and complete the identity verification process. https://emotional-link.co.jp/kaigaifx/xm-bonus/ During the campaign period, which runs from July 1, 2023 (Saturday) 0:00 to July 31, 2023 (Monday) 23:59 (Japan Time), eligible participants can receive a bonus sum of 13,000 and start trading with Gold status. XMTrading is known for offering high leverage and frequently conducting generous bonus campaigns, making it attractive for trading with even small amounts of capital. For more information on XMTrading, interested parties can refer to the article "XMTrading Reviews( https://emotional-link.co.jp/kaigaifx/xm-hyoban/ )" published on Kaigai FX Online. Naotaka Hosozumi, Kaigai FX Online Content Manager, expressed enthusiasm for the collaborative campaign with XMTrading, saying, "We are excited to offer this opportunity to our users and support them in their foreign FX trading endeavors." For more information, please visit https://emotional-link.co.jp/kaigaifx/ or follow their Twitter official account( @kaigaifx_online ). View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/apac/news-releases/kaigai-fx-online-and-xm-trading-team-up-to-offer-exclusive-bonus-and-status-upgrade-campaign-301865296.html SOURCE Kaigai FX Online Administration [July 03, 2023] DOZENS OF SINGAPORE SMALL BUSINESSES NOW BETTER PREPARED FOR SUSTAINABLE GROWTH Tweet SINGAPORE, July 4, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Seventy small and medium-sized businesses (SMB) in Singapore are now better equipped for sustainable growth after participating in the UPS-led Green Exporters Programme. Jointly organised by UPS and Singapore Business Federation (SBF), and in partnership with the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) and impact data and analytics provider GIST Impact, the Green Exporters Programme offers businesses actionable advice and solutions to make supply chains more sustainable and boost access to new markets for sustainable products. The programme consists of three modules featuring guidance in areas such as sustainable exporting, supply chain efficiency, sustainable packaging and how to accurately measure environmental impact. Nearly 50 SMBs who completed the course received a UPS-sponsored subscription to SME360X, a user-friendly digital assessment tool co-developed by the ICC and GIST Impact for SMBs to measure, benchmark and evaluate the impact of their business operations on the environment. "Research shows that 89% of e-commerce buyers want to see a sustainable shipping option at checkout, 80% would wait an extra day for sustainable delivery and 76% are willing to pay more for it so the consumer demand is clear, and businesses need to be considering sustainability as part of their long-term strategy," said Billie Tan, president UPS South Asia Pacific. "But we appreciate that, even when you have the best intentions, finding the most sustainable options isn't always easy, especially for small businesses. As the world's largest package delivery company, we have a responsibility to help our customers operate in a more sustainable way. By expanding the Green Exporters Programme to more parts of the world, we hope to help more businesses join an important global movement towards a positive change for the future." "The Green Exporters Programme is an example of a by industry, for industry initiative that equips SMBs with the relevant tools and knowledge to reduce their carbon footprint. We are heartened that so many organisations have kickstarted their journey in tading sustainably through this programme," said Kok Ping Soon, CEO Singapore Business Federation. "The ongoing discussions amongst participants and private and public sector representatives underlines the need for more collaborative opportunities among stakeholders to advance green economy agendas and achieve our collective sustainability goals." "Given the scale of the environmental challenges ahead of us, it's absolutely critical for businesses of all sizes to measure their environmental impacts," said Sam King, SVP, Corporate, GIST Impact. "We've been working with businesses and investors for over 15 years to measure and value corporate impacts we know you can't manage what you don't measure. SMBs face unique challenges in collecting the necessary data to improve their sustainability, and this why we're thrilled to be working with UPS and the ICC to support these businesses through UPS's pioneering initiative." Other contributors to the Singapore edition of the Green Exporters Programme included leading sustainable fashion advocate and founder of The R Collective Christina Dean, sustainable packaging experts SEE, the Packaging Council of Singapore, Enterprise Singapore and Singapore Manufacturing Federation. SMBs who complete the SME360X evaluation process can receive a global sustainability certification from the ICC, which will recognise their commitment to sustainability practices. Singapore is the third country, and the first in Asia, where UPS has held the Green Exporters Programme following successful launches in the UK and Mexico in 2022. The programme will run next in India in July. About UPS?? UPS is one of the world's largest companies, with 2022 revenue of $100.3 billion, and provides a broad range of integrated logistics solutions for customers in more than 220 countries and territories. Focused on its purpose statement, "Moving our world forward by delivering what matters," the company's more than 500,000 employees embrace a strategy that is simply stated and powerfully executed: Customer First. People Led. Innovation Driven. UPS is committed to reducing its impact on the environment and supporting the communities we serve around the world. UPS also takes an unwavering stance in support of diversity, equity and inclusion. More information can be found at www.ups.com, about.ups.com and www.investors.ups.com. View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/apac/news-releases/dozens-of-singapore-small-businesses-now-better-prepared-for-sustainable-growth-301868879.html SOURCE UPS [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [July 04, 2023] National Doctor's Day at Manipal Hospitals Tweet BENGALURU, India, July 4, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- This National Doctor's Day (01st July 2023), Manipal Hospitals at their eight units in Bengaluru, provided an innovative opportunity for the public to express gratitude to the Doctors. A 'Tweet Cafe' was set in the eight units of Manipal Hospitals across Bengaluru for people to come forward and tweet gratitude messages to their beloved doctors at Manipal Hospitals. Those who did not have a Twitter handle were encouraged to use any other social media accounts they use and post gratitude messages. The venture saw a good response, with about 1000 gratitude messages from the eight units of Manipal Hospitals collectively. Both out-patient and attenders of in-patients came forward to express their gratitude and wished the doctors of Manipal Hospitals a Happy Doctor's Day. There were six boxes filled with surprises that opened up post their tweets. Many guests thanked their doctors for their Happy Rebirth Day who had recovered with treatment and surgeries for serious medical conditions and thanked the doctors for giving them a second chance at life. Mr. Karthik Rajagopal, Chief Operating Officer, Manipal Health Enterprises Pvt. Ltd said, "Manipal Hospitals have always been at the forefront in utilizing innovation and technology in the healthcare system. By introducing Tweet Cafe at our units have yet again harnessed the power of innovation and technology to create a platform where more and more people can come forward to wish the Doctors." Photos: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2146123/Krishnappa_Gowtham_Cricketer.jpg https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2146124/ArunSH_Hospital_Director.jpg https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2146125/Krishnappa_Gowtham_Tweeting.jpg View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/in/news-releases/national-doctors-day-at-manipal-hospitals-301868977.html [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [July 04, 2023] Juniper Research: Stablecoin Use to Surge, as Transaction Values to Grow 250% Globally by 2028 Tweet A new study from Juniper Research, the foremost experts in emerging payments, has found that the value of payment transactions powered by stablecoins will exceed $187 billion globally by 2028, up from $53 billion in 2023. The study found that stablecoins are making rapid progress in the cross-border market in particular, with them representing a key way to bypass slow, expensive and difficult-to-track existing cross-border payment rails. Stablecoins are cryptocurrencies that have their value pegged to a fiat currency or commodity, removing the volatility inherent to a typical cryptocurrency. Find out more about the new report, CBDCs & Stablecoins: Key Opportunities, Regional Analysis & Market Forecasts 2023-2030, or download a free sample. Cross-border Use Cases Promising, but Competition Growing By 2028, the value of cross-border stablecoin payments will represent almost 73% of total stablecoin payments transaction values globally; showing the dominance of cross-border use cases. Stablecoins can be highly effective, as they remove stages in the cross-border process, increase speed of transactions and settlements, and greatly improve traceability. The research, however, identified the main obstacle for further growth as being acceptance, with stablecoin roll-outs needing new networks to be built and scaled. Research author Nick Maynard explained: "Stablecoins have vast potential to unlock the flow of money across borders, but payment platforms need to roll out acceptance strategies for this to progress. MTOs (Money Transfer Operators) can leverage stablecoins in a wholesale manner, but this will need networks to be built across wide geographic footprints." Another challenge to stablecoin growth is the role of CBDCs (Central Bank Digital Currencies). CBDCs are digital coins issued by a central bank, which are pegged to the country's fiat currency. While CBDCs are at an early stage of development, they too have strong potential for cross-border. The advantage CBDCs have is their central bank backing, meaning roll-outs should be at a faster pace. However, given the size of the cross-border space, and the very nascent stage of CBDC development, stablecoins have strong prospects for growth alongside CBDCs. Juniper Research provides research and analytical services to the global hi-tech communications sector, providing consultancy, analyst reports and commentary. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230703895105/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [July 04, 2023] A new partnership with QScale: Micro Logic establishes international presence in the processing of artificial intelligence Tweet QUEBEC CITY, July 4, 2023 /CNW/ - Micro Logic is proud to announce that it has launched an innovative artificial intelligence (AI) model developed through a new partnership with Quebec-based company QScale, who specializes in sustainable colocation digital infrastructure. This partnership puts Micro Logic on the world stage, providing large organizations with a high-performance solution for AI applications on Projet Cirrus, a fully sovereign cloud that runs on clean energy. Micro Logic will allow its customers to leverage high-performance computing (HPC) for uses such as deep learning, modeling and simulations for industrial, commercial, scientific and academic applications. This will make it easier for Micro Logic's customers to sustainably process massive amounts of data and solve complex problems at a speed that outperforms any other solution currently on the market, while preserving the integrity of data and intellectual property. Micro Logic will also make hundreds of pre-trained artificial intelligence models available as part of its offer, accelerating the development of applications in a variety of industries and research fields. Placing energy recovery at the core of the new model The equipment will be deployed in QScale's sustainable data processing centre, powered by clean energy and designed to recover waste heat. The collaboration between the two companies will ensure that Micro Logic's AI solutions comply with best practices in sustainable development. "Currently, companies wishing to leverage AI have littlechoice but to export their sensitive data and have it processed abroad in extremely energy-intensive facilities," explained Stephane Garneau, President of Micro Logic. "Thanks to our agreement with QScale, we can offer an alternative that I believe to be the obvious choice: the data stays here, in a sovereign cloud protected by Canadian laws, and is processed entirely using clean energy." "This partnership with Micro Logic affirms our commitment to transforming the AI landscape in Quebec," said Martin Bouchard, President of QScale. "Through our sustainable data processing technology, we're helping to position Quebec as a major player in the field of AI on a global scale. Our goal is to give Quebec businesses access to high-performance computing solutions while supporting their commitment to sustainable development. This collaboration is an important step in achieving our goal." Making Quebec a household name in AI worldwide The announcement marks a new milestone in the Quebec-based company's meteoric rise and establishes it as a credible provider of cloud computing and AI solutions on the world stage. "Another dream come true!" exclaimed Stephane Garneau. "Local companiespropelled to new heights thanks to a renowned partnerare gaining international recognition with an AI solution unlike any other in the world. By creating niche jobs and developing unique expertise, Quebec is set to become a major player in terms of sovereign cloud solutions and artificial intelligence." The potential for Micro Logic is enormous. The company's unique offering is a game changer, making ready-to-use models easily accessible to drive growth and competitiveness in local and international businesses at a time when demand for AI solutions is growing exponentially. Micro Logic is poised to cater to customers from all over the world. In addition, thanks to the company's partnership with QScale, their data will be processed using clean energy. About Micro Logic Micro Logic is a Quebec-based company that plays a leading role in the world of digital transformation. It has become one of Canada's most important IT solutions providers. Its flagship product, Project Cirrus, is a world-class cloud platform that offers data security and sovereignty, in compliance with Canadian laws and regulations. About QScale QScale develops environmentally responsible computing centres specifically designed for high-performance computing, supercomputing and machine learning. The company's Levis campus (QScale Q01) is the first facility in Canada to receive the OCP Ready recognition, attesting to its energy efficiency and scalability. QScale's technology infrastructures help meet the growing computing needs of global businesses, while enabling them to achieve their ESG objectives. Keep up with the latest QScale news and content by following QScale on LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook. SOURCE Micro Logic [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [July 04, 2023] SUPCON Gains Momentum in Saudi Arabia and the Gulf with Recent Project Wins Tweet HANGZHOU, China, July 4, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- SUPCON (688777.SH, SUPCON.SW), a trailblazer in process automation and digital transformation in China, has announced a series of project wins across Saudi Arabia and the Gulf. The company has been awarded the Workforce & Assets Tracking Solution Project by International Maritime Industries (IMI), the largest full-service shipyard in the MENA region powered by Aramco, Bahri, Lamprell, and HHI, followed by the Instrumentation Contract from Kuwait Oil Company (KOC) and the Smart Safety & Site Monitoring Solution for the Aramco Academy Construction Project. These recent project wins demonstrate SUPCON's capability to provide a wide range of solutions from instrumentation, automation & information to top-level management solution. The company has been expanding into the Gulf region with ambitious planning and preparation, leveraging the increasingly strong economic ties between China and Saudi Arabia, especially under the backdrop of Belt & Road Initiative and Vision 2023. Last week, Alhumam Emad Abdulaziz A, SVP of IMI Corporate Services and Alangari Salem Abdulaziz M, VP of IMI Digitalization & Innovation visited SUPCON headquarters in Hangzhou, China for an in-depth communication around intelligent shipyard solutions. Earlier this month, the Saudi Cloud Computing Company (SCC) delegation led by CEO Talal Abdulaziz Albakr visited SUPCON headquarters to discuss cloud solutions for vertical industries. The visit followed a week-long stay by Nayef AlOtaibi, Aramco VP of Digital Transformation & Chief Digital Officer and his expert delegation. These visits herald a new era of SUPCON's partnership with major players in Saudi Arabia and the Gulf. SUPCON has cemented a leading position in the process automation and digital transformation market in China with its star products such as Distributed Control System (DCS), Safety Instrumented System (SIS), and Manufacturing Executive System (MES). To fortify the market leadership, SUPCON is launching the 135 Customer's Value Creation Model campaign, comprising 1 One-stop Industrial Service, 3 Product Technology Platforms and 5T Technology. The company's strong financial performance in 2022 turned out a testament to its success. According to the previously disclosed 2022 annual report, SUPCON achieved an operating income of RMB 6.621 billion, representing a year-on-year increase of 46.50%. Notes: In 2022, SUPCON launched the 135 Customer's Value Creation Model campaign. 1 One-stop Industrial Service is powered by 5S (Spareparts, Specialists, Solutions, Service, Sales) Stores close to the industrial clusters to provide all-round services that are all-time accessible. 3 Product Technology Platforms include the new-gen Intelligent Operation & Management Control System (i-OMC) featuring intelligent autonomous operation, the Industrial Operating System with a secure data lake and open APP ecosystem, and Advanced Process Engineering eXpert (APEX) platform for fast and precise complex process simulation and modeling. 5T Technology representing the fusion of 5 key technologies including Automation Technology, Information Technology, Process Technology, Operation Technology and Equipment Technology, which aims to solve the unsolved problems in the process industry. Contact Meifang Wang [email protected] View original content:https://www.prnewswire.com/apac/news-releases/supcon-gains-momentum-in-saudi-arabia-and-the-gulf-with-recent-project-wins-301869555.html SOURCE SUPCON [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [July 04, 2023] Sunsure Energy signs a 4.5 MWp Open Access Solar PPA with Allana Group to supply RE Power to Allana's factory in Unnao, Uttar Pradesh Tweet NEW DELHI, July 4, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Allana Group, a global leader in manufacture & export of various food and consumer products including Frozen & Chilled Halal Meat has signed a 4.5 MWp open access solar PPA with Sunsure Energy, one of India's leading renewable power developers. Through the PPA, Allana Group will be able to offset a significant part of the total power needs of their Unnao factory. The PPA was signed in the presence of Mr. Aijaz Alvi, Mr. Ajay Mittal, Mr. Tariq Anwar, and Mr. Junaid Khan from Allana Group and Mr. Kartikeya N. Sharma (Chief Strategy, Sunsure) and Amritesh Soora (AGM Business Development, Sunsure). This is one of the many steps Allana Group is taking towards the decarbonization of their operations. Through the PPA, Sunsure Energy will be supplying over 6.7 Mn units of green power to Allana's Unnao factory. This will enable them to offset of over 5.4 million kgs. of CO2 yearly for the next 25 years. Commenting on the PPA agreement, Mr. Ajay Mittal, Director of Allana Group said, "With this agreement, we have taken our first step towards our Net Zero goals. While we are constantly improving our operations, we are also ensuring that we perform our duties in a sustainable and responsible manner by running our operations on Green energy. With the signing of the PPA with Sunsure Energy, we will offset a significant amount of our arbon emission and contribute towards a cleaner and greener future. We are delighted to have Sunsure Energy as our partner in achieving our sustainability goals." Mr. Aijaz Alvi, Associate Director of Allana Group said, "Allana group has a long history of pioneering methods to achieve holistic growth. The group has always been mindful of the responsibility we have towards the society and environment as a whole and our culture reflects the same. We believe it is our responsibility to pioneer sustainable practices and set an example for other industrial firms to follow. We are extremely happy to have Sunsure Energy as our partners in this journey and looking forward to having a long-term relationship with them." Mr. Shashank Sharma, Founder - Chairman & CEO of Sunsure Energy, said, "We are delighted to sign the PPA agreement and welcome Allana Group into our family of esteemed customers. The agreement is a major step towards reducing carbon emissions and achieving a sustainable future for one of the most important industry sectors of India. We hope to continue to leverage our strengths in the RE sector to help Allana Group reach its Net Zero goals across the country." About Sunsure Energy Sunsure Energy is one of India's largest C&I focused Renewable Energy Power Producers. Sunsure is backed by Partners Group AG with a $400 million equity investment for developing over 3 GW of RE assets by 2027. Founded in 2015, Sunsure has developed and installed solar power plants for power-intensive industrial customers across 16 Indian states. Sunsure is the partner of choice to corporations committed to RE100 targets operating in India and takes pride in its ability to deliver end-to-end decarbonization solutions in-line with long term corporate sustainability targets. About Allana Group The Allana Group, established in 1865, is acknowledged as the Global Leader in the manufacture & export of various food and consumer products including Frozen & Chilled Halal Meat, Frozen & Aseptic Fruit Pulps, Coffee, Cereals & Pet Food. Allana group has a wide array of products in both B2B & B2C business segments to cater to the needs of end consumers & industries. With its range of products including Edible oils & Fats, Bakery Ingredients, Premium Ice-creams, plant-based meat products; and more categories expected in days to come, it enthuses the consumers with its impeccable quality and adds value to their lives. For more information, please contact: Email: [email protected] Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1947349/SunSure_Logo.jpg View original content:https://www.prnewswire.com/in/news-releases/sunsure-energy-signs-a-4-5-mwp-open-access-solar-ppa-with-allana-group-to-supply-re-power-to-allanas-factory-in-unnao-uttar-pradesh-301869571.html [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [July 04, 2023] Shoolini is No.2 Young University (Private) in India; Among Top 100 in World Tweet SOLAN, India, July 4, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Shoolini University has added another feather to its cap by becoming the No.2 Private University among the young universities of the country as per The Young University Rankings 2023 announced today. This comes in the wake of Shoolini University scoring the No.1 spot among private universities in India by the Times Higher Education (THE) World University Rankings 2023 as well as Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) 2024. This category includes universities established in the past 50 years. For the first time, 13-year-old Shoolini University has participated in these rankings. Public sector Mahatma Gandhi University has been ranked No.1 while JSS Academy is No.2, followed by Shoolini University. These are the only three universities from India in the Top 100 World List. Mahatma Gandhi University has been ranked 77th, JSS Academy of Higher Education and Research has been ranked 79th, and Shoolini University is in the 91t spot. Out of 655 universities ranked globally, only 45 Indian institutions could figure in the list. Last year, out of 539 universities ranked globally, only 40 Indian institutions were on the list. Chancellor Prof. PK Khosla said, "It is a matter of great pride to debut in the Young Universities list and figure among the top three universities of the country in this category. The consistency with which the university is being recognised worldwide will push the university to do even better in the future." Congratulating the staff and students for contributing to the success story of the university, Vice Chancellor Prof. Atul Khosla said, "The string of laurels brought by Shoolini University should inspire other universities to excel." JSS Academy of Higher Education and Research topped last year's list, with IIT Ropar getting 81st and IIT Indore the 86th rank. This year, IIT Ropar has slipped to the band of 101-150 rankings. Incidentally, Shoolini has outshone in every THE Rankings, including the World Universities, Subject Rankings, Asia, and now, the Young Universities Rankings. The universities are judged across all their core missions teaching, research, knowledge transfer and international outlook to provide the most comprehensive and balanced comparisons. About Shoolini University Set up in 2009, Shoolini University of Biotechnology and Management Sciences is a research-driven private university with full recognition from the UGC. As the No.1 Private University in India (QS and Times Higher Education), it is acclaimed for its focus on innovation, quality placements, and world-class faculty. Nestled in the lower Himalayas, the university is NAAC accredited and ranked Top 100 by NIRF. Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/792680/Shoolini_University_Logo.jpg View original content:https://www.prnewswire.com/in/news-releases/shoolini-is-no2-young-university-private-in-india-among-top-100-in-world-301869601.html [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev has sent an appeal to the participants of the event dedicated to the 25th anniversary of the Constitutional Court of Azerbaijan. Dear conference participants! Dear judges and employees of the Constitutional Court! I sincerely greet you on the occasion of the opening of the international conference on Development of legislation through the application of constitutional norms dedicated to the 25th anniversary of the Constitutional Court of the Republic of Azerbaijan. The current anniversary of the Constitutional Court coincides with the celebration of the 100th anniversary of the National Leader of the Azerbaijani people, Heydar Aliyev, which has a deep symbolic meaning. It was in the Constitution of the Republic of Azerbaijan prepared under the leadership of Heydar Aliyev and adopted in 1995 that the main powers of the Constitutional Court, as well as the important place and role of this institution in the system of state authorities were defined. Over the years, the Constitutional Court with its effective activity and decisions has been ensuring the supremacy of the Constitution of the Republic of Azerbaijan, protecting human rights and freedoms, improving national legislation in accordance with dynamic social relations, taking into account the provisions of the Constitution, the legal culture in society and the practice of applying law in various fields, thereby making a valuable contribution to its further development. I am sure that the Constitutional Court will not spare its efforts in the implementation of the ideas and principles of the law-governed state and constitutionalism in our country. I congratulate the judges and employees of the Constitutional Court of the Republic of Azerbaijan on the occasion of the 25th anniversary and wish the conference every success! Ilham Aliyev President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Baku, 3 July 2023 BAKU, Azerbaijan, July 4. The ICGB, an independent transmission system operator responsible for managing and conducting commercial operations of the Interconnector Greece-Bulgaria (IGB), is commencing the mandatory assessment of market demand for incremental capacity, the company told Trend. The assessment process consists of two main phases, namely the non-binding and binding phases, and typically spans a duration of two years. This process will be executed in close collaboration with the neighboring transmission system operators Bulgartransgaz (Bulgaria), DESFA (Greece), and the Trans-Adriatic Pipeline (TAP). Its objective is to evaluate the feasibility of increasing the existing technical capacity of the Greece-Bulgaria interconnector. Presently, the interconnector operates at a capacity of approximately 3 billion cubic meters per year (bcm/y), but with additional investment based on market interest, it has the potential to reach over 5 bcm/y. Parties interested in this initiative are invited to submit their non-binding demand indications no later than August 28. ICGB is also exploring options to optimize the process and potentially offer incremental capacity before the completion of the two-year procedure. Since this is a collaborative effort, the company will engage in regular discussions with the adjacent TSOs to synchronize timelines and ensure coordination at both interconnection points, Stara Zagora and Komotini. IGB is the first route for diversified supplies of natural gas to Bulgaria, guaranteeing increased security of supply and diversity of sources, contributing significantly to the competition in the natural gas market, which is a prerequisite for optimized prices for businesses and domestic consumers in the country. Follow the author on Twitter: @Lyaman_Zeyn [July 04, 2023] Brookfield Infrastructure to Host Second Quarter 2023 Results Conference Call Tweet BROOKFIELD, NEWS, July 04, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Brookfield Infrastructure Partners will hold its second quarter 2023 conference call and webcast on Thursday, August 3, 2023 at 9:00 a.m. (ET). Results will be released that morning before 7:00 a.m. (ET) and will be available on our website at https://bip.brookfield.com. Participants can join by conference call or webcast: Conference Call Please pre-register at: https://register.vevent.com/register/BI4c3ebb6543884ebbbe6f0cd3253ee96f Upon registering, you will be emailed a dial-in number,direct passcode and unique PIN. This process will bypass the operator and avoid the queue. Please join and register at: https://edge.media-server.com/mmc/p/7sxvpkbi About Brookfield Infrastructure Brookfield Infrastructure is a leading global infrastructure company that owns and operates high-quality, long-life assets in the utilities, transport, midstream and data sectors across North and South America, Asia Pacific and Europe. We are focused on assets that generate stable cash flows and require minimal maintenance capital expenditures. Investors can access its portfolio either through Brookfield Infrastructure Partners L.P. (NYSE: BIP; TSX: BIP.UN), a Bermuda-based limited partnership, or Brookfield Infrastructure Corporation (NYSE, TSX: BIPC), a Canadian corporation. Further information is available at https://bip.brookfield.com. Brookfield Infrastructure is the flagship listed infrastructure company of Brookfield Corporation, a global alternative asset manager with over $825 billion of assets under management. For more information, go to https://brookfield.com. Contact Information Media Simon Maine Managing Director, Corporate Communications Tel: +44 739 890-9278 Email: [email protected] Investor Relations Stephen Fukuda Vice President, Corporate Development & Investor Relations Tel: +1 (416) 956-5129 Email: [email protected] [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [July 04, 2023] Canadian Immigrant Fair to help newcomers in Winnipeg Tweet Design for Internationally trained professionals, newcomers, international students and temporary workers. Everyone is welcome! WINNIPEG, MB, July 4, 2023 /CNW/ - An estimated one million immigrants and refugees are expected to come to Canada this year, many with top credentials in their professional fields. Many more come on temporary work permits in hopes of staying permanently one day. Some may be fleeing war, while others are seeking new opportunities and a better life. But they all have one thing in common: they need information and guidance after they arrive to help them in their immigration journey. That's where the cross-country Canadian Immigrant Fair, in association with Koodo, comes in. On July 6th, 2023, the free fair comes to Winnipeg, where nearly 41,000 immigrants made Manitoba their home in 2022. This event is in partnership with Koodo, Platinum Sponsors: BMO, Real Canadian Superstore and WOW Mobile, and Silver Sponsors: Booth University Colege, First Peoples Development Inc., Provenience University and Windmill Microlending. Held at the Downtown Radisson Hotel, 11th Floor, (288 Portage Ave), the FREE tradeshow + speakers' series provides information and inspiration that people need as they look for jobs, go back to school and settle into their new home. The free fair, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., will feature a tradeshow of diverse exhibitors, including career advisors, education institutes social service agencies and plus hiring companies. Attendees can also get face-to-face advice at our Resume Clinic. The event's popular speakers' series includes National Keynote Speaker, Muraly Srinarayanathas, Co-Founder and Executive Chairman of 369 Global. In addition, we will have a speakers BMO and Windmill Microlending. "Immigrants are coming to Canada, and it's our responsibility to welcome them, and help them settle in and integrate into this great country. Through the Canadian Immigrant Fair, we offer information on the three pillars of success for immigrating to Canada: careers, education and settlement," says Sanjay Agnihotri, group publisher of Canadian Immigrant, a national magazine, website and events producer that has been a guiding star for newcomers since 2004. Register before July 5 online or register at the door. As a welcome gift, Koodo mobile will be giving out free SIM cards with a 30 day FREE trial with 7GB of data and 100 long distance calling, valued at $45 (while supplies last). Learn more at www.canadianimmigrant.ca/careerfair/winnipeg. About Canadian Immigrant Canadian Immigrant is a national multimedia platform to help immigrants succeed in Canada by providing the information, inspiration and connections they need through digital, print, events and awards. We provide inspiring and informative content for newcomers looking for information on careers, education and settling in through our website, canadianimmigrant.ca, and our print magazine, strategically published four times a year. Canadian Immigrant is a division of Metroland Media Group Limited, a dynamic media company with more than 100 community and daily newspapers in print and online, as well as innovative websites including wheels.ca, goldbook.ca, flyerland.ca, Travelalerts.ca and localwork.ca. SOURCE Metroland Media Group [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [July 04, 2023] DroneShield receives a record $9.9 million DoD Contract Tweet Five Eyes DoD awards DroneShield a record $9.9 million contract The award follows DroneShield successfully completing a $3.8 million contract with the same customer Ongoing significant momentum in the business in a rapidly expanding market SYDNEY, July 5, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- DroneShield Ltd (ASX:DRO) (DroneShield or the Company) has been awarded a follow-on 2-year R&D contract with a total value of $9.9 million by a Five Eyes Department of Defence (DoD). Approximately $4.5 million is due in the September and December 2023 quarters. Five Eyes refers to the defence/intelligence alliance between the US, Canada, UK, Australia and NZ. The award follows DroneShield materially completing the $3.8 million contract announced 4 June 2021 with the DoD, with a final milestone payment expected this month. Oleg Vornik, DroneShield's CEO, commented, "Follow-on contracts are the ultimate customer measure of our performance. As an Australian sovereign industrial capability business, DroneShield is proud and pleased to continue undertaking multi-year contracts of increasing size with this customer." "This is the largest long-term contract received by DroneShield to date, significantly larger than the earlier, $3.8 million contract. The 2-year term locks in cash receipts over a period of time. Further larger contracts are anticipated following completion of this phase." "In the current uncertain geopolitical environment, there is a significant focus by the Five Eyes Governments to procure from defence industrial capability champions within heir network of countries. Having deep engineering and research capability, TRL9 products and a track record of working with Defence, places DroneShield in a favourable position for ongoing work." Operational Update Following a strong $7 million cash receipts 1Q23 quarter, DroneShield is on track for an all-time record 2Q23 quarter and continuing on a trajectory for another record year for cash receipts in 2023. Further detail will be provided in the next 4C quarterly, due to be released later in July. cash receipts 1Q23 quarter, DroneShield is on track for an all-time record 2Q23 quarter and continuing on a trajectory for another record year for cash receipts in 2023. Further detail will be provided in the next 4C quarterly, due to be released later in July. Significant progress on manufacturing, operations and inventory scale-up to support additional anticipated orders for remainder of 2023. DroneShield is currently finalizing the location for a larger industrial site to move its Sydney operations to enable the growth. operations to enable the growth. With the $11 million contract announced in December now fully delivered and paid for, DroneShield is progressing the inventory build of the second $11 million order announced in January, expected to be delivered later this year. contract announced in December now fully delivered and paid for, DroneShield is progressing the inventory build of the second order announced in January, expected to be delivered later this year. Current order book (committed and binding customer purchase orders) of approximately $29 million , an all-time record. , an all-time record. Over $200 million qualified opportunities pipeline (in addition to the order book), across approximately 80 projects. qualified opportunities pipeline (in addition to the order book), across approximately 80 projects. Ongoing record demand for counterdrone / C-UAS equipment, underscored by the events in Ukraine and increasing defence and security budgets globally. and increasing defence and security budgets globally. In addition to military and intelligence communities, significant engagement with critical infrastructure plants, airports and other civilian customers. Further Information Oleg Vornik CEO and Managing Director Email: [email protected] Tel: +61 2 9995 7280 About DroneShield Limited DroneShield (ASX:DRO) provides Artificial Intelligence powered platforms for protection against advanced threats such as drones and autonomous systems. We offer customers custom counterdrone (or counter-UAS) solutions and off-the-shelf products, designed to deliver highly effective capabilities for multiple missions and use cases. Our customers include military, government, law enforcement, critical infrastructure, and airports globally. View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/apac/news-releases/droneshield-receives-a-record-9-9-million-dod-contract-301869487.html SOURCE DroneShield Ltd [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [July 04, 2023] CAE Australia awards Women in Engineering Scholarship Tweet -- CAE Australia partners with UNSW Sydney to support women in engineering and technology studies. -- SYDNEY, July 5, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- (NYSE: CAE) (TSX: CAE) CAE has awarded undergraduate student Natalie Jordanov the CAE Australia Pty Ltd Women in Engineering Scholarship in partnership with UNSW (University of New South Wales). The scholarship is designed to support women pursuing careers in engineering and technology by providing financial assistance and industry mentorship opportunities. Through this scholarship, CAE will fund full-time undergraduate studies in Commerce/Computer Science for up to four years to enable the recipient to excel in their academic pursuits at UNSW. "As a global partner in the defence industry, developing advanced training and simulation solutions, we are proud to support Natalie from the beginning of her academic journey in partnership with UNSW," said Michael Demetrious, Manager, Engineering Indo-Pacific, CAE Australia Pty Ltd. "Statistically, women are underrepresented in the engineering, defence, and technology industry. We recognise the invaluable support that scholarships provide for students who are navigating their education and early career journey. By investing in talent and developing a more equitable community, we can foster an innovative, sustainable, and impactful future delivered by young professionals." "Partnerships with companies such as CAE are vital for our Women in Engineering Scholarship program at UNSW. They help us attract exceptional students and provide crucial mentoring support throughout their degree," shares Professor Maurice Pagnucco, Deputy Dean (Education), UNSW Engineering. "These collaborations foster a strong connection between academia and industry, ensuring our graduates are well prepared to make significant contributions in engineering. Together, we shape a future where talented women thrive, bringing unique perspectives, and driving positive change." CAE is committed to providing practical solutions to help develop a highly skilled, diverse and inclusive next-generation workforce. Through initiatives like this scholarship, CAE can make a positve difference in student experiences, in STEM, and in the communities that it serves. A photo from the announcement is available at CAE's Multimedia Centre. About CAE At CAE, we equip people in critical roles with the expertise and solutions to create a safer world. As a technology company, we digitalize the physical world, deploying software-based simulation training and critical operations support solutions. Above all else, we empower pilots, cabin crew, airlines, defence and security forces and healthcare practitioners to perform at their best every day and when the stakes are the highest. Around the globe, we're everywhere customers need us to be with more than 13,000 employees in approximately 250 sites and training locations in over 40 countries. CAE represents more than 75 years of industry firststhe highest-fidelity flight, mission and medical simulators and training programs powered by digital technologies. We embed sustainability in everything we do. Today and tomorrow, we'll make sure our customers are ready for the moments that matter. Read our FY23 Annual Activity and Sustainability Report Follow us on Twitter: @CAE_Inc Facebook: www.facebook.com/cae.inc LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/cae-australia/ Hashtags: #CAE; #CAEAustralia CAE Contacts General Media Samantha Golinski, Vice President, Public Affairs & Global Communications +1-514-341-2000, ext. 7939, [email protected] Trade Media Wendy Stough, Director, Marketing & Communications +1-813-233-6409, [email protected] Regional Contact Anna Grbas, Marketing & Communications Manager Indo-Pacific +61-439-897-870, [email protected] Investor Relations Andrew Arnovitz, Senior Vice President, Investor Relations and Enterprise Risk Management +1-514-734-5760, [email protected] View original content:https://www.prnewswire.com/apac/news-releases/cae-australia-awards-women-in-engineering-scholarship-301869806.html SOURCE CAE Inc. [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] Given that it kinda sounds like WWIII outside this evening . . . Tonight we take a moment to share yet another glimpse at pop culture, community news and top headlines for our late night denizens. Check TKC news gathering . . . Bloody Tradition Cont'd Meat sales soar despite searing prices ahead of Fourth of July A big cost of of the Fourth of July will be on the table this year - or perhaps the grill. According to the Farm Bureau, this is the second-highest cookout cost on record. Trading Critical Info Amid Crisis 'Help them': Real estate professionals provide guidance to Jackson County homeowners Real estate professionals are helping Jackson County homeowners facing enormous tax bills Insight Amid Crackdown Local transgender woman speaks out about lack of transparency around gender identity law A local transgender woman speaks out about the complexities of getting her gender marker changed in the state of Kansas. Show-Me Book Debate A conservative pastor is trying to unseat a gay library board member in St. Joseph The push to remove Brian Kirk is being led by a conservative pastor in the same city. The conflict has already prompted St. Joseph to change how it appoints members of city boards. Party Planning Preps underway for Stars and Stripes Picnic, KC's official Independence Day celebration Final preparations are underway for Kansas City's official Independence Day celebration at the National WWI Museum and Memorial. KCTV5 News is the official television and streaming media partner for the Stars and Stripes Picnic. Striped Down Sound Debuts A Kansas City musician returns with a new album and a venture with Playboy Cassie Taylor is set to debut her new record, "Desire," this fall. The release comes after taking a break from music and finding her true identity in different professions such as songwriting, photography and now modeling for Playboy. White House Double Down Student-loan borrowers who qualified for the first debt relief plan are not yet guaranteed relief under Biden's new route The Education Department said it'll "explore policy options" to help "as many people as possible" after the Supreme Court struck down Biden's relief. Power Play Redux?!?! "Ominous sign": Legal experts say Jack Smith "closing in" after piercing Trump's "inner circle" "I would say we are getting closer and closer to another federal indictment," former Watergate prosecutor says Red Army Retrospective Never underestimate Russia, top NATO military official warns The military committee's chair spoke ahead of a key gathering in Vilnius next week. Officials Flex On Far East US warns Americans against traveling to China The U.S. recommended Americans reconsider traveling to China because of arbitrary law enforcement and exit bans and the risk of wrongful detentions. Protesting Privilege Minority Groups Challenge Harvard's Legacy Admissions-Days After Affirmative Action Struck Down The groups argue Harvard violates the Civil Rights Act of 1964 through its legacy and donor-related admissions policy, which overwhelmingly admits white students. All About Troops America Celebrates 50 Years of Volunteer Force, But Faces Tough Recruiting Environment The anniversary of all-volunteer forces comes amid the toughest military recruiting environment in decades. Home Team Overpowered Garcia, Pratto smash home runs but eighth inning meltdown sinks Royals 8-4 Royals hitters did well, but their pitchers...not so much Ozone Alert Amid Freedom Fest FORECAST: Hot temperatures out there for the 4th of July, air quality alerts are in place for the metro Toasty temperatures invaded Monday afternoon, with most of us in the upper 80s and lower 90s. And this is the OPEN THREAD for right now. Right now Emrata sparks our curiosity regarding pop culture, community news and top headlines. Check TKC news gathering . . . Awesome TKC Reader Seyz: "Swift Crops It Close" Crop art welcomes Taylor Swift to KC: 'She comes to town, it's a big deal' Lost in the labyrinth of ... Kansas City, Precision Mazes is making sure Taylor Swift feels welcomed ahead of her The Eras Tour performances. Show-Me Trash Push Back Against Kansas City Winning Missouri governor vetoes study to investigate South Kansas City landfill feasibility Veto comes after neighbors have formed a political action committee to stop landfill Downtown Eco-Devo Flex New KC measure could grant Cordish development rights for Strata office tower site - Kansas City Business Journal A local joint venture in late 2019 secured city incentives to build a 25-story office project called Strata above existing retail southwest of 13th and Main streets. Kansas City officials now may reassign development air rights for the prime site to a builder with significant experience in Downtown. Stay Safe This Summer Kansas City man drowns at Lake of the Ozarks CAMDENTON, Mo. -The Missouri State Highway Patrol is investigating after a Kansas City man drowned at Lake of the Ozarks over the weekend. Around 11 p.m. Sunday, Troopers were called to the 4... Interesting Community News Collab Stand Up KC brought to you by Jerusalem Farm Want Northeast News articles sent straight to your inbox each week? Subscribe below!Enter your email address and click on the [...] Baller Tribute Reported . . . Royals super fan shaking his giant head at Salvador Perez's 8th All-Star selection Salvy continues to be a bright spot in a down era for Kansas City's MLB team Fashion Model Suggestions . . . Emily Ratajkowski Bikini Pictures to Inspire Your Cheekiest Summer Yet - Emrata Bikini Emily Ratajkowski is giving fans the ultimate summer swim inspiration with her chic bikini pictures. White House Back At It . . . Biden's student loan debt relief Plan B is underway after Supreme Court ruling The president's Plan B is only beginning to take shape. But Biden said last week that the plan, rooted in the Higher Education Act of 1965, is "legally sound" and the "best path" left. Former Prez Quote Recycled Trump said president under indictment would create 'constitutional crisis' Former president made comments in 2016 days before election he won, and predicted Hillary Clinton would face criminal trial Tradition Of Privilege?!?! Legacy admissions: Harvard accused of favouring mostly white students Civil rights lawyers argue that legacy admissions benefit the wealthy at the expense of minority students. European War Worsens Top Ukrainian generals say counteroffensive is 'going to plan' as losses mount Ukrainian troops launched the counteroffensive a month ago. Holy Land Hot Mess Forever Palestinians in occupied West Bank say Israel bombing "innocent people" in raid on Jenin refugee camp Israel says it's targeting Palestinian militant operations in the occupied West Bank's Jenin refugee camp, which it calls a "center for terrorist activity." Tragedy Hits Celeb Leandro De Niro Rodriguez, Robert De Niro's grandson, dies Leandro De Niro Rodriguez's mother mourned her son in an Instagram post, calling him "my beautiful sweet angel" who she loved "beyond words or description." International Baller Turns Local KC Current sign Danish national team defender Stine Ballisager Pedersen The Kansas City Current have signed Danish national team defender Stine Ballisager Pedersen from Norwegian Toppserien club Valerenga IF. Forecast For Now . . . Sunny skies and hot temps on tap for the Fourth of July Kansas City has a warm and dry night ahead of the holiday Ad this is the OPEN THREAD for right now. Even in Red States . . . There isn't much voter support for crackdowns on a controversial medical procedure at the center of legal debate. However . . . Here's another peek at political power moves that hope to prevent a vote . . . Emboldened by that fact, abortion rights advocates in multiple states might propose ballot initiatives for voters to consider in next years election, if not before. Last year, voters in six states including conservative Kansas, Kentucky and Montana endorsed abortion rights when presented with abortion-related ballot questions. But in several states, Republicans have scrambled the political calculus by making it more difficult to place initiatives on the ballot or by requiring a supermajority of voters to approve them. GOP lawmakers had mixed success with such efforts this year, but they are likely to continue to push them in hopes of raising the barriers before the 2024 election. Read more via www.TonysKansasCity.com link . . . Andrew Palamarchuk is a reporter with Metroland Media Toronto and toronto.com. He has been covering the crime beat since 2002 and has a passion for giving a voice to those affected by tragedy and looking at societal issues that may have contributed to it. BAKU, Azerbaijan, July 4. Azerbaijani Energy Minister Parviz Shahbazov has left for Austria to participate in the 8th OPEC International Seminar themed 'Towards a Sustainable and Inclusive Energy Transition', the Energy Ministry of Azerbaijan told Trend. The event will take place in Vienna on July 5-6. A number of bilateral meetings are planned to be held during the visit. Azerbaijans energy transition is driven by several factors, including the countrys growing economy, increasing energy demand, and concerns about climate change. The countrys focus on sustainable solutions is also evident in its foreign policy agenda, which includes promoting green energy and reducing greenhouse gas emissions. With a population of approximately 10 million and making only a tiny contribution to worldwide greenhouse gas emissions, Azerbaijan has rapidly developed and modernized its energy infrastructure. The actions of Chief Secretary Farley Augustine in the Assembly Chamber on Wednesday were reckless. This, from former THA Presiding Officer Dr Denise Tsoiafatt-Angus, during an interview with TV6's Elizabeth Williams. Mrs. Tsoiafatt-Angus told TV6 that some of the utterances of the Chief Secretary during the proceedings on Wednesday were also unacceptable. More in this report. The situation at the Zaporizhzhia NPP is very difficult it is mined and militants stay there. "The Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant is mined, this is a fact. The IAEA confirms that the Zaporizhzhia NPP is mined, they just say that a reactor is not mined. This was the last information they had. But this is confirmation that the plant is mined. There is definite confirmation from our intelligence that there are mines there. And there is accurate information that about 500 militants stay there," President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky told Spanish journalists in an interview, Ukrinform reports. According to him, the IAEA does not know the exact number of militants at the ZNPP but confirms their presence. And when there are weapons and mines at the nuclear power plant, it is dangerous, the President emphasized. He noted that the dangerous situation at the plant is also evidenced by the information about the plans of the Russian Federation to "release emission". "And this is very important. This is done so that ... the conflict is frozen, so that we do not de-occupy our territory," the Head of State said. According to him, the frozen conflict is the main strategic idea of the Russian Federation since it needs time to strengthen its army with weapons, people, "so that later they come again and wipe us off the face of the earth." According to Zelensky, the aggressors need the emission at the Zaporizhzhia NPP in order to show: these are the consequences of war. "They understand that we don't shoot at the plant, so they can't just make emission artificially. They are looking for a format and a moment. Therefore, it is very dangerous. We are talking about it out loud again, just as we talked about the blowing up of the Kakhovka dam a year ago," the President stressed. He added: "We have a situation with inadequate people who cannot fully control even all the processes not only in the temporarily occupied territories but also in their [territory]. The latest march of the Wagner fighters through the territory of the Russian Federation shows that they do not control the processes inside their country." As reported, the Main Directorate of Intelligence of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine stated that the Russian contingent is gradually leaving the territory of the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant. On March 4, 2022, the Russians occupied the ZNPP. On June 22, 2023, President Volodymyr Zelensky announced Russia's plans to carry out a terrorist attack at the Zaporizhzhia NPP. Oleksiy Danilov, Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine, said that Ukraine is carefully preparing for any scenario of developments around the Zaporizhzhia NPP. ASTANA, Kazakhstan, July 4. A joint New Delhi declaration was signed, following the meeting of the Council of Heads of State of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), which was held under the chairmanship of India in an online format, Trend reports. President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev has also participated in the summit and addressed the heads of state of other SCO members. The document that the SCO member states signed confirms that the organization is not directed against other states and international organizations, as well as the openness of SCO members to cooperation with them in accordance with the purposes and principles of the Charter of the UN, the SCO Charter and international law. The main principle is to take into account mutual interests and common approaches to solving regional and global problems. The declaration also notes that the SCO member states stand for respect for the right of peoples to an independent and democratic choice of ways of their political and socio-economic development. They pointed out that the principles of mutual respect for the sovereignty, independence, territorial integrity of states, equality, mutual benefit, non-interference in internal affairs, as well as the non-use of force or threat of its use are the basis for the sustainable development of international relations. On July 1, the Russian army attacked Kherson region 86 times, injuring five people. The head of the regional military administration, Oleksandr Prokudin, wrote this on Telegram, Ukrinform reports. "Over the past day, the enemy launched 86 strikes, firing 475 projectiles using mortars, artillery, tanks, Grad MLRS and UAVs. The enemy fired 27 projectiles at the city of Kherson," he wrote. According to Prokudin, the Russian military targeted the residential quarters of populated areas. "As a result of the Russian aggression, five people, including three children, were injured," the regions governor stressed. As reported by Ukrinform, on July 1, the Russians shelled residential quarters of Kherson. One of the projectiles hit a house. Three children were injured. Ukraine needs F-16 multipurpose fighters not only for successful operations on land but also at sea. "The war continues, and now the enemy has air superiority in... part of the Black Sea. That's why we need Western F-16 multipurpose fighters not only for successful operations on land but also at sea," Commander of the Navy of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Vice Admiral Oleksii Neizhpapa told ArmiyaInform in an interview. According to him, Ukraine's potential has grown since the beginning of the full-scale invasion, primarily due to the arrival of new models of missile weapons and other assistance from Western partners. Currently, the Navy is armed with the Harpoon anti-ship missile system which has already proven itself very well during military operations to defend Ukraine. This system, in particular, sank a Russian supply ship that had a Tor air defense system on board and was heading to Snake Island to provide weapons to a Russian garrison and deliver a fresh batch of invaders for reinforcements, the Navy commander added. "If we compare the potential at the beginning of the large-scale aggression between us and the Russian fleet, then it was in favor of the Russians. But our country has not stood still and built up our fleet, constantly moved forward. A clear example of this, in particular, is the implementation of missile programs that were approved by the Supreme Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. Thanks to their implementation, Ukraines Neptun missile system was created, Neizhpapa emphasized. On the night of July 3, the Russian Federation again attacked Ukraine with missiles and Iranian-made Shahed UAVs. The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine said this in its morning update, Ukrinform reports. The Russian Federation once again attacked Ukraine with missiles and Iranian-made attack UAVs of the Shahed type. Information about the consequences is currently being verified," the report says. As reported by Ukrinform, the Air Force does not rule out that Iran may supply Mohajer-6 drones to Russia. The photo is illustrative The Air Force of the Defense Forces of Ukraine launched 12 strikes on enemy personnel concentration areas in the past day, while missile and artillery units hit an enemy command post. The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine said this in its morning update, Ukrinform reports. "In the past 24 hours, the Air Force of the Defense Forces launched 12 strikes on enemy personnel concentration areas, and units of the rocket forces and artillery hit a command post, an enemy manpower cluster, 27 artillery units in firing positions and two enemy air defense systems, the report says. The Russian Federation again attacked Ukraine with missiles and Iranian-made attack UAVs of the Shahed type overnight. Information about the consequences is currently being verified. In the past day, the Russian occupiers launched missile attacks and air strikes using cruise and anti-aircraft guided missiles, Shahed UAVs on civilian infrastructure objects. Unfortunately, in addition to the destroyed civilian infrastructure, civilians were also affected. The probability of further missile attacks and air strikes on the entire territory of Ukraine remains high. The enemy is focusing its main efforts on the Lyman, Bakhmut, Avdiivka, and Marinka directions, heavy battles are ongoing. In the past day, 39 combat engagements took place. In the Lyman direction, the enemy launched air strikes on the districts of Bilohorivka and Novoliubivka in Luhansk region and Dibrova and Siversk in Donetsk region. Nevske, Bilohorivka of Luhansk region and Verkhniokamianske and Torske of Donetsk region were subjected to artillery shelling. In the Bakhmut direction, the enemy conducted unsuccessful offensive operations in Minkivka and Bohdanivka districts of Donetsk region. More than 10 settlements, including Vasiukivka, Chasiv Yar, and Ivanivske in Donetsk region, came under enemy artillery shelling. In the Avdiivka direction, the enemy carried out unsuccessful offensive actions in the area of Avdiivka. An airstrike was recorded there. The Russian forces used artillery to shell more than 10 settlements. In particular, Avdiivka, Pervomaiske and Berdychi in Donetsk region came under fire. In the Marinka direction, Ukrainian defenders repelled all enemy attacks in the area of Marinka. At the same time, the enemy launched air strikes on the districts of Kotliarivka, Marinka and Kurakhove and shelled more than 10 settlements with artillery, including Marinka, Pobieda and Novomykhailivka of Donetsk region. As Ukrinform reported, from February 24, 2022 to July 2, 2023, the Defense Forces of Ukraine eliminated about 229,660 Russian invaders. Iran continues to supply Russia with weapons, and in this regard, Ukraine hopes for pressure from the international community on Iran to stop these supplies. Yurii Ihnat, the spokesperson for the Ukrainian Air Force Command, said this at the Ukraine-Ukrinform Media Center. "Flights from Iran to the Russian Federation have become regular. There is no need to connect [attacks on Ukraine] with the arrival of aircraft [from Iran]. They have a common sea. They can deliver much larger volumes of cargo through the Caspian Sea," Ihnat said. Therefore, according to him, it makes no sense to talk about the ways of delivery of Iranian-made Shahed one-way attack drones. "The question is how much and what Iran can deliver, what type of weapon. Because the missile issue cannot be ruled out either. The Russian Federation needs this weaponry," he said. Ihnat noted that Ukrainian society hopes that the world community will put pressure on Iran so that this does not happen. The Armed Forces of Ukraine destroyed three enemy Grad MLRS in the Bakhmut area. The command of the Special Operations Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine published the corresponding video on Facebook, Ukrinform reports "During special reconnaissance, operators of one of the Special Operations Forces units discovered the location of three BM-21 Grad units behind enemy lines. Coordinates were quickly transmitted to comrades from the Defense Forces," the report says. All equipment and personnel were eliminated by Ukrainian artillery hits. As reported by Ukrinform, the spokesman for the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Andriy Kovaliov, said on the air of the United News telethon that the Defense Forces are succeeding in the offensive in the Bakhmut direction, the enemy is suffering losses. In the Black Sea, Russia keeps nine warships on combat duty, including one Kalibr cruise missile carrier, with a total salvo of eight missiles. The Naval Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine wrote this on Facebook, Ukrinform reports. "As of 11:20 on July 4, there are nine enemy ships on combat duty in the Black Sea, including one Kalibr cruise missile carrier, with a total salvo of eight missiles," the report says. In addition, there is one enemy ship in the Sea of Azov. In the Mediterranean Sea, Russia keeps up to eight ships, including one Kalibr cruise missile carrier, with a total salvo of 16 missiles. As reported by Ukrinform, on July 3, there were nine Russias ships on combat duty in the Black Sea, including two missile carriers armed with 16 Kalibr cruise missiles. The Netherlands is allocating more than EUR 118 million for a new support package for Ukraine. That's according to NOS, Ukrinform reports. "It is the second support package this year," the report reads. EUR 83 million is earmarked for repairs and health care. The Netherlands is also making EUR 10 million available for emergency aid after the collapse of the Kakhovka dam in the Kherson region. Another EUR 25 million will be spent on subsidies for companies, enterprises and civil society organizations to facilitate reconstruction and recovery, primarily in the areas of agriculture, water supply and health care. From September, companies and social organizations can apply for grants. Also, Dutch Minister for Foreign Trade and Development Cooperation Liesje Schreinemacher announced a new Dutch envoy in Ukraine. Roderick van Schreven has become a special envoy for business and reconstruction of Ukraine. He succeeds Ron van Dartel, who left less than a month after taking office in April due to controversial statements in a book. Van Dartel said, among other things, that Ukrainians are also Russians. Van Schreven previously worked for the United Nations and as a special envoy for cooperation between the Netherlands, Israel and the Palestinian territories. Ukraine's defense forces continue to conduct an offensive operation in the Melitopol and Berdiansk sectors and are entrenching themselves on the new front lines. The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine said this in an evening report published on its Facebook page on Tuesday, July 4, according to Ukrinform. According to the General Staff, the invaders continue to focus their main efforts on the Lyman, Bakhmut, Avdiivka and Marinka sectors. Heavy fighting continues in the said sectors of the front, with 30 combat engagements recorded there throughout the day. In total, Ukrainian aircraft launched 13 strikes on areas where Russian army personnel were concentrated, three on the enemy's anti-aircraft missile systems and one on their command post. For their part, Ukrainian rocket and artillery units hit an area of concentration of manpower, weapons and military equipment of the Russians, three of their ammunition depots, 18 artillery pieces, three air defense systems and two electronic warfare stations of the invaders. In total, the Russian army carried out 35 airstrikes and about 50 attacks using MLRS on the positions of the Ukrainian defense forces and populated areas during the day. It also launched a missile attack on residential buildings in the city of Pervomayskyi, Kharkiv region. As a result of the Russian attacks, civilians were affected, residential buildings, commercial and administrative buildings, and private vehicles were damaged. The General Staff warned that the probability of the Russians carrying out missile and air strikes on targets across Ukraine remains high. In the temporarily captured village of Maloianysol, Donetsk region, the placement of a unit of Russian troops was discovered. It was established that the invaders continue to violate the norms of international humanitarian law, laws and customs of war. According to the General Staff, the Russian military almost constantly consume alcoholic beverages and, in a state of alcoholic intoxication, abuse civilians, cause them bodily harm and engage in looting. Military expert Oleksii Hetman said earlier the Ukrainian Armed Forces could halve the enemy's artillery potential in a month. The Ukrainian Armed Forces have warned that Russian invaders could prepare a provocation at the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant. According to Ukrinform, the press service of the Ukrainian Armed Forces announced this on Facebook. "The Armed Forces of Ukraine officially report that a provocation could be prepared in the near future at the territory of the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant, which has been occupied by Russian terrorists since March 4, 2022," the report reads. According to operational data, on Tuesday, July 4, invaders placed foreign objects similar to explosive devices on the external roof of the station's third and fourth power units. According to the Ukrainian Armed Forces, the detonation of such devices should not damage the power units, but may create a picture of them being shelling by Ukraine, and Russian media and Telegram channels are already spreading disinformation about this. "The Armed Forces of Ukraine do not violate the norms of international humanitarian law, monitor and control the situation and are ready to act under any conditions. Any enemy provocation won't work," the report said. The Russians earlier started spreading disinformation on social media that Ukraine may attack the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant with drones on the night of July 4 to July 5. BAKU, Azerbaijan, July 4. Kazakhstan's KazTransOil national company supplied a total of 290,000 tons of Kazakh oil to Germany since the beginning of 2023, KazTransOil told Trend. The supplies were carried out through the system of main oil pipelines of Russia's Transneft PJSC in the direction of the Adamova Zastava oil delivery point with further delivery to Germany. As noted by the company, in December 2022, KazTransOil submitted its annual request for the transportation of 1.2 million tons of Kazakh oil through Transneft PJSC's main oil pipeline system in 2023, specifically towards the Adamova Zastava oil delivery point for subsequent delivery to Germany. This oil transit operation is conducted in accordance with the agreement established between the Government of the Republic of Kazakhstan and the Government of the Russian Federation on June 7, 2002. Furthermore, KazTransOil has confirmed the technical feasibility of transporting 1.2 million tons of Kazakh oil toward the Adamova Zastava oil delivery point for subsequent delivery to Germany. However, the actual volume of oil transportation will depend on the specific requests made by oil companies. Meanwhile, during the first quarter of 2023, KazTransOil experienced an increase in the volume of oil transported through its primary pipeline system. The total amount reached 10.3 million tons, which is 591,000 tons more compared to the same period the previous year. The Vatican's special envoy, Cardinal Matteo Zuppi, says he is working on a "mechanism" that could ensure children who have been abducted to Russia are returned. Thats according to Sky News, Ukrinform reports. "We'll see how we can start the mechanism for the children [and] help as we have said on the humanitarian front, particularly the children that must be able to return to Ukraine," Cardinal Matteo Zuppi said at a book presentation in Rome. He noted that he had personally discussed the issue with the pontiff. The Italian cardinal visited Moscow last week, and was previously in Kyiv. The Vatican has described his efforts as "aimed at identifying humanitarian initiatives, which could open roads to peace". Speaking to Italian public broadcaster RAI on Sunday, Cardinal Zuppi said he was not working on a "peace plan" or a "mediation" between Ukraine and Russia, saying he was just focusing on "humanitarian aspects". As reported, the head of the Ukrainian President's Office, Andriy Yermak, said that Ukraine does not rely on the Vatican's mediation in negotiations with Moscow, but instead would welcome help in freeing captured Ukrainians and returning Ukrainian children. On June 28-29, the Popes special envoy, Cardinal Matteo Zuppi, visited Russia as part of the Vatican's mission to "achieve a just peace" in Ukraine. On June 5-6, Zuppi visited Ukraine. At a meeting with President Volodymyr Zelensky, he discussed the situation in Ukraine and humanitarian cooperation within the framework of the implementation of the peace formula. Russian mobile radiation laboratories were spotted in temporarily occupied Enerhodar and Mariupol. Ukrinform reports this with reference to the Telegram channel "Berdiansk Today". "Russian mobile radiation laboratories have been spotted in Enerhodar and Mariupol. And Rosatom has already officially confirmed its plans to blow up the ZNPP this night," the post says. In addition, with reference to the adviser to Russias Rosenergoatom chairman, it is noted that allegedly "Kyiv is going to attack the ZNPP on the night of July 5 using high-precision weapons and kamikaze drones." As reported, the Ukrainian Armed Forces warned that Russian invaders could prepare a provocation at the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant, which has been occupied by the Russian terrorists since March 4, 2022. According to operational data, on Tuesday, July 4, invaders placed foreign objects similar to explosive devices on the external roof of the station's third and fourth power units. According to the Ukrainian Armed Forces, the detonation of such devices should not damage the power units, but may create a picture of them being shelling by Ukraine, and Russian media and Telegram channels are already spreading disinformation about this. The whole world must now realize that common security depends entirely on global attention to the actions of the occupiers at the Zaporizhzhia NPP. Russia must clearly realize that the world sees what scenarios terrorists are preparing for, and the world is ready to respond. President Volodymyr Zelensky said this in his address to the nation, Ukrinform reports. The full text of the presidents address is provided below: I wish you health, dear Ukrainians! I have just finished a conversation with Mr. President of France Macron, and these are the third international negotiations today - after conversations with the NATO Secretary General and the Prime Minister of Sweden. The key is our defense, the frontline, weapons, and the capabilities of our soldiers, and I am grateful to our partners for understanding our needs. We have agreed on new defense packages, and by the way, thank you, Emmanuel, for the fact that today the weapons we had agreed on - missiles and tanks - have begun to arrive. But, of course, today we also talked about more strategic things - about what will be the security foundation of Europe after this war and our victory. For peace to come sooner and to be lasting, fair and real, the Russian evil must see the limit we will set for the Kremlin's ambitions. We, all free European nations, all in our Euro-Atlantic community, not Russian terrorists and any of their acts of blackmail and aggression. Every day we are adding content to the NATO Summit that will take place in Vilnius next week, and I am grateful to all our partners who are working with us to strengthen the Alliance and thus to ensure security in Europe - real security. Today, in conversations with the President of France, the Prime Minister of Sweden and the NATO Secretary General, we have coordinated our steps in the run-up to Vilnius. I also held several meetings with government officials and the Office's international team to prepare for foreign policy events that will take place in the near future. Very importantly, the situation at the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant. The whole world must now realize that common security depends entirely on global attention to the actions of the occupiers at the plant. Russia must clearly realize that the world sees what scenarios terrorists are preparing for, and the world is ready to respond. Radiation is a threat to everyone in the world, and the nuclear power plant must be fully protected from any radiation incidents. Today, it is exactly 16 months since the Russian troops have been in full control of the territory and facilities of the Zaporizhzhia NPP. Different countries have their own intelligence and other capabilities to know exactly what is going on and who is to blame. Now we have information from our intelligence that the Russian troops have placed objects resembling explosives on the roof of several power units of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant. Perhaps to simulate an attack on the plant. Perhaps they have some other scenario. But in any case, the world sees - can't but see - that the only source of danger to the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant is Russia and no one else. Unfortunately, there was no timely and large-scale response to the terrorist attack on the Kakhovka hydroelectric power plant. And this may incite the Kremlin to commit new evil. It is the responsibility of everyone in the world to stop it, no one can stand aside, as radiation affects everyone. I thank Mr. President Macron for his attention to the situation at the ZNPP and for his willingness to do everything necessary to ensure safety. One more thing. Today, Russia once again attacked Kharkiv region, the city of Pervomaiskyi. Presumably, it was an Iskander missile. Eight ordinary high-rise buildings were damaged. More than 40 people were wounded, 12 of them children, 2 of them infants, less than a year old... As of now, rescuers and police are still inspecting the damaged buildings. Everyone who was wounded by this missile strike will be provided with all necessary assistance. And the enemy will be held accountable for this strike, as well as for all their other strikes. Russian terrorists want to become exemplary in the way they destroy life. We will become exemplary in the way we protect life and in the way life then responds - justly and inevitably - to every blow inflicted to every terrorist. The Nazis tried to hide from justice. For a long time. But many of them were found and are still being prosecuted. We will catch the ruscists much faster. By the way, I will now have a meeting with Interior Minister Klymenko and Head of the Security Service Malyuk to discuss new challenges to our security and the overall situation. I also had a meeting with the intelligence today... We know how to put terrorists in their place. I thank all our warriors! Glory to Ukraine! The European Union is considering allowing a Russian sanctioned bank to set up a subsidiary that will be able to reconnect to the SWIFT international interbank information and payment system. Financial Times reported this, Ukrinform says. According to the newspaper's sources, the move is aimed at protecting the Black Sea grain deal, which is under threat from the Kremlin's ultimatums. This will allow Ukraine to export food to world markets. The report (citing anonymous sources) says that the plan proposed by Moscow during the UN-brokered talks would allow a Russian agricultural bank to set up a subsidiary to make payments related to grain exports. The subsidiary will be allowed to use the global Swift system, which was closed to the largest Russian banks after Russia's invasion of Ukraine. The issue is complicated by the fact that Russian Agricultural Bank is fully owned by the Kremlin. Its former chairman of the board, Dmitry Patrushev, is Russian current Minister of Agriculture and the son of Nikolai Patrushev, Putin's aide and secretary of the Russian Security Council, who played an important role in fomenting the war against Ukraine. It is noted that the Kremlin refused to comment on the EU proposal. The European Commission also declined to comment. However, EU officials emphasized that European sanctions are not aimed at trade in agricultural and food products, including grains and fertilizers, between third countries and Russia, the publication concluded. As Ukrinform reported, no new vessels have been allowed to join the grain deal since June 26. The European Commission (EC) assesses the negotiations on the Black Sea Grain Initiative under the leadership of the UN and Turkiye and calls on all parties to this agreement to extend it to ensure the supply of Ukrainian grain to its consumers on the world market. EU spokesman Peter Stano said this today in Brussels during a press briefing, according to an Ukrinform correspondent. This is how the spokesperson answered the journalists' question whether the EC is considering lifting sanctions against the Russian Agricultural Bank to allow Russia to extend the Black Sea Grain Agreement. Peter Stano said that if there had been no criminal aggression by Russia against Ukraine, there would be no need to discuss the Black Sea Grain Initiative. The EC's priorities are in this Initiative, in its continuation, and in the possibility of delivering Ukrainian grain to consumers on the world market. The EC calls on all parties to continue this important initiative. The EC appreciates the negotiations under the leadership of the UN and Turkiye and is ready to consider all solutions that will help to limit Russia's ability to wage an aggressive war against Ukraine as much as possible. He would not comment on speculation in the press about Russia's demands to lift sanctions against the Russian bank, citing that sanctions are the prerogative of member states and that discussions at the stage of preparing restrictive measures are confidential. As reported, in July 2022, the EU adopted the sixth package of sanctions against Russia in connection with its war of aggression against Ukraine. The sanctions, in particular, banned the use of SWIFT for three more Russian credit institutions (Sberbank, Credit Bank of Moscow, and Russian Agricultural Bank). In May of this year, the grain deal was extended for two months, until July 18, 2023. The Ukrainian government claims that the Russian side is actually blocking the grain initiative, including open sabotage of ship inspections stipulated by the agreement. At the same time, Russia is threatening not to extend the Black Sea Grain Initiative any further. Italy froze the assets of Russian oligarchs worth about EUR 2 billion (USD 2.5 billion) after the start of the Russian invasion of Ukraine last year. According to Ukrinform, The Guardian reported this. Italy has frozen assets, including bank accounts, luxury villas, yachts, and cars, as part of the EU's sanctions against the Kremlin and its supporters. In its annual report, the Bank of Italy's Financial Intelligence Unit (UIF) said that the EUR 2 billion figure had been updated as of the end of June. UIF Director Enzo Serata added that financial assets worth about EUR 330 million linked to 80 individuals were also frozen as part of the sanctions regime. Before the outbreak of Russia's full-scale war in February 2022, Italy's beaches and ports were a popular destination for wealthy Russians who bought real estate in prime locations such as the area around Lake Como, the island of Sardinia, the province of Tuscany, and the Ligurian coast. As Ukrinform reported, in June the UK passed laws that would allow it to maintain sanctions against Russia until Moscow pays compensation to Ukraine. President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky has discussed with Prime Minister of Sweden Ulf Kristersson the situation on the battlefield, issues of defense support and preparations for the Vilnius NATO Summit. The relevant report was posted on the Telegram channel of President Zelensky following his call with Prime Minister of Sweden Ulf Kristersson, according to Ukrinform. We discussed the situation on the battlefield, the latest developments in Russia, and the pace of implementation of previous agreements on defense support from Sweden. We agreed to coordinate efforts to bring NATO membership closer for Ukraine and Sweden, Zelensky noted. The President added that he is grateful for Sweden's effective six-month Presidency of the Council of the European Union and its active participation in the preparation of two sanctions packages against the aggressor country. As reported, on July 1, Spain took over the presidency of the Council of the European Union after Sweden completed its six-month term. Photo: Presidents Office Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine Dmytro Kuleba invited The Gambia to support the Peace Formula of President Volodymyr Zelensky. The Gambian Foreign Minister Dr. Mamadou Tangara and I had a call to discuss prospective areas for expanding bilateral collaboration. I invited The Gambia to join Zelensky's Peace Formula and thanked my counterpart for reaffirming The Gambia's continued support for Ukraine, Kuleba posted on Twitter. As reported, President Volodymyr Zelensky presented the 10-point Ukrainian Peace Formula to the G20 Summit participants in November 2022. The preparations for the Global Peace Summit are currently underway. Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda hopes that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky will attend the NATO summit in Vilnius. President of Lithuania Gitanas Nauseda said this in an interview with Reuters, Ukrinform reports. Nauseda advised NATO allies to reject fears that Ukraine's involvement in the military alliance would provoke Russia, which invaded Ukraine on February 24, 2022. "We should not hesitate to take bolder decisions because otherwise the Putin regime will decide that the Western allies are too weak, (that they should be) pushed to the corner and they will surrender," the Lithuanian president said. According to him, "stronger" wording on Ukraine's NATO membership prospects would boost the morale of Ukrainian soldiers on the battlefield. Nauseda noted that at next week's meeting in Vilnius, Ukraine could be offered an easier path to NATO membership after the war and more military support. "We have some countries which are cautious about the stronger wording on Ukraine's perspective. But I already see some shift in the minds of their leaders," the Lithuanian president said. He emphasized that everyone understands that now, in the midst of the war, Ukraine cannot immediately join NATO. "We understand that. Ukrainians understand that. But we need to create procedures, how to proceed ... so there is no wasting of time if the war is over and victory is on Ukrainian side," Nauseda said. He expressed hope that President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky would come to Vilnius, despite his warnings that he sees no point in going unless Kyiv is given a "signal" at the meeting. "I hope he will be here and he will play an important role in the decision making in Vilnius," he said. The Lithuanian president also noted that several countries are preparing an "additional portfolio of (military support) obligations" for Ukraine to be announced at the NATO summit. At the same time, Lithuania expects provocations on the border with Belarus, which provided asylum to the leader of the "Wagner" PMC Yevgeny Prigozhin after the failed coup, during and after the summit. As reported, the NATO summit will be held in Vilnius on July 11-12, during which one of the main issues to be discussed at the level of heads of state and government of the allied countries will be the continuation of military assistance to Ukraine, as well as measures to strengthen the Alliance's deterrence and defense system. NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky have discussed the latest events in Ukraine and preparations for the NATO summit. Stoltenberg reported this on Twitter, according to Ukrinform. "Very good conversation with President Zelensky on the latest developments in Ukraine, and our preparations for the NATO Summit," Stoltenberg said. According to him, in Vilnius, Allies will take decisions to step up support for Ukraine for the long haul, upgrade political ties, and bring the country closer to NATO. The NATO summit will be held in Vilnius on July 11-12. One of the main issues to be discussed at the summit at the level of heads of state and government will be the continuation of military aid to Ukraine, as well as measures to strengthen the alliance's deterrence and defense system. ASTANA, Kazakhstan, July 4. Kazakhstan has launched tourist charter flights to Bahrain, Trend reports. "As part of the work to expand the geography of flights and increase the number of international flights, tourist charter flights between Kazakhstan and Bahrain on the Almaty-Manama route have been launched since June 28," the Kazakh Civil Aviation Committee said. According to the committee, the flights are operated once a week (on Wednesdays) by SCAT [Special Cargo Air Transport] airline on Boeing-737 type aircraft. SCAT Airlines is a Kazakh airline with its head office on the property of Shymkent International Airport. It operates services to all of the major cities of Kazakhstan and to neighboring countries. Its main base is Shymkent Airport, with focus cities at Aktau International Airport, Nursultan Nazarbayev International Airport, and Almaty International Airport. The EU high representative commented on the lessons that the European Union and the world community should learn from the attempted armed mutiny in Russia. EU High Representative Josep Borrell wrote about this in his blog published on the website of the European External Action Service, Ukrinform reports. The first lesson is that the war of aggression against Ukraine has weakened Vladimir Putin's regime far more than many observers had thought. Since February 2022, he seemed to have maintained or even strengthened his grip on power despite some crushing defeats of the Russian army in Ukraine. At the same time, many observers argued that the Russian economy had not (yet) been seriously affected by the war and our sanctions. Prigozhins mutiny, and the fact that hardly any forces actively opposed the capture of the main Russian headquarter in the war against Ukraine, and the subsequent march on Moscow, showed the depth of the divisions within the Russian army and state apparatus, Borrell wrote. He reminded that on 27 June, Putin publicly admitted for the first time that the Wagner Group had indeed been massively supported and funded by the Russian state. According to Borrell, Putin created a monster, and now the monster has bitten him. The fact that a state-funded group of mercenaries opened fire on the regular state army illustrates the degree of pathology of Putins Russia. The EU High Representative also called it symbolic that Prigozhin on the eve of his attempted coup, challenged the official narrative used by the Kremlin to justify the war, denying any aggressive plans of Kyiv and NATO. Instead, he blamed Defence Minister Shoigu for spreading lies out of his personal ambition. Borrell said he hopes that more and more Russian citizens, but also more people globally, will start questioning the manipulative official narrative used by Putin, Lavrov and others about this war. Even if this attempted coup ultimately failed, Putin has suffered a serious loss of authority, with real consequences for the future. Putin and his regime may now try to consolidate again their power, clamping down on military bloggers who dared to criticise the army, or purging the military, security and state apparatus. However, it is obvious that the Russian state is in a profound crisis, he said. According to him, the risk of growing instability in Russia is another serious consequence of Prigozhins mutiny, especially for a country that holds nuclear weapons. But here comes another lesson learnt from the ongoing Russian war of aggression: Putins Russia represents the biggest threat to European and global security and its nuclear arsenal makes it not less but more dangerous for the entire civilised world. This is another reason why we must continue supporting the Ukrainian armed forces to drive Russian troops out of the country. A Ukrainian victory is the best way to reach the just peace, based on international law that Ukraine needs and deserves. Such a peace would also open a possibility for Russia to start a process of change, a prerequisite for a lasting peace. Russian history has shown that when change comes, it may come fast. We should be prepared for that, Borrell stated. As reported, on June 23, there was an attempt of military mutiny in Russia, during which Wagner Group seized the military headquarters in Rostov-on-Don, established full control over the city, and set off towards Moscow, meeting practically no resistance, except for airstrikes from government forces. In the end, the leader of Wagner Group, Yevgeny Prigozhin, abandoned his plans, saying he wanted to avoid shedding Russian blood." Meanwhile, large-scale arrests and interrogations of Russian generals show that the mutiny was a broader plan than the Wagner leaders rebellion. In Ukraine, 1,582 cultural infrastructure objects have been already damaged or completely destroyed as a result of the full-scale Russian invasion. "The Ministry of Culture and Information Policy of Ukraine continues to record damage to cultural infrastructure in Ukraine as a result of Russian aggression. Thus, as of June 26, 2023, 1,582 cultural infrastructure objects, excluding monuments of cultural heritage, suffered damage. Of them, almost a third (585) were destroyed," the Ministrys press service reports. Over the past month, the total number of affected cultural infrastructure objects increased by 62, most of which are in Kherson region (25 objects or 40%). Cultural infrastructure in Donetsk, Kherson, Kharkiv, Kyiv, Mykolaiv, Zaporizhzhia, and Luhansk regions suffered the greatest losses and damages. In total, 755 club facilities, 598 libraries, 84 museums and galleries, 26 theaters and philharmonics, and 119 art education institutions were damaged and destroyed in 222 territorial communities across Ukraine, accounting for 15.1% of the countrys territorial communities. The Ministry emphasizes that almost the entire territory of Luhansk region and significant parts of Kherson, Zaporizhzhia, and Donetsk regions are still under temporary occupation, which makes it impossible to estimate the exact number of cultural infrastructure objects damaged during military operations and occupation. ASTANA, Kazakhstan, July 4. The chairmanship of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) has now been passed on to the Republic of Kazakhstan, Trend reports. This is reflected in the New Delhi Declaration of the Council of Heads of State of the SCO. The member states of the SCO highly praised the outcomes of the Republic of India's chairmanship during the years 2022-2023, which have contributed to further strengthening the organization and promoting multifaceted mutually beneficial cooperation. "The chairmanship of the SCO for the upcoming period is being transferred to the Republic of Kazakhstan. The next meeting of the Council of Heads of State of the SCO will take place in 2024 in the Republic of Kazakhstan," the declaration highlights. Meanwhile, today the meeting of the Council of Heads of State of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization was held. President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev has also participated in the summit and addressed the heads of state of other SCO members. Southeast Asian Officials and China meet with UNODC to discuss organized crime run casino and scam operations Regional Representative Jeremy Douglas and Ambassador of the Philippines Millicent Paredes discuss the need for a regional plan of action to address transnational crime run casinos and scam centres. Bangkok (Thailand), 28 June 2023 - Casino and scam operations run by transnational organized crime groups have become a significant and growing problem in Southeast Asia, particularly in the Mekong Sub-region and the Philippines where many have been established. Thousands have been trafficked into the centres for work, and many more have lost money. Major organized crime groups have been involved in or running casinos in Southeast Asia for quite a few years, but they went online and then branched out to investment scams in a significant way during the pandemic, commented Jeremy Douglas, UNODC Regional Representative for Southeast Asia and the Pacific. The adoption and use of technology has been nothing short of remarkable. We are talking about sophisticated operations with global reach. Douglas added, It is also important to consider why criminal groups have found the region so appealing, and what can be done to disrupt their business model basically make the environment much less attractive, make it difficult and even hostile for them. In an effort to address transnational organized crime and human trafficking associated with casinos and scams, the Department of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of the Philippines as the ASEAN Lead Shepherd on Trafficking in Persons and the UNODC Regional Office for Southeast Asia and the Pacific UNODC is the global guardian of the UN Convention against Transnational Organized Crime or UNTOC have held a High-Level Dialogue among ASEAN Member States and the People's Republic of China in Bangkok to initiate the development of a strategic plan to respond. Building on the pledge made by ASEAN leaders at the 42nd ASEAN Summit in Indonesia in May 2023 to work together and coordinate and collaborate actions to address human trafficking and associated misuse of technology, the Dialogue provided an opportunity for Southeast Asian countries and China to candidly discuss the situation and move the political commitment forward. Undersecretary Eduardo de Vega opens the Dialogue, commenting on the importance of the region gathering to consider the situation and solutions. We urgently need a regional plan of action to address these criminal groups that are exploiting our region and our people, remarked Eduardo de Vega, Undersecretary of the Philippines Department of Foreign Affairs. It is important we are here today as ASEAN with China and our global partner to address transnational crime UNODC. We have the right people here to discuss and agree on what needs to happen. Director General Yin Guohai of the Criminal Investigation Division of the Ministry of Public Security of China discusses ongoing operations and the need for a regional plan of action. During the Dialogue, delegations from the ASEAN region and China acknowledged the growing complexity of addressing organized crime run casinos and scams that have in many instances legitimized operations by obtaining business licenses or by locating in so-called Special Economic Zones established to attract foreign investment. Tens of thousands of people have subsequently been drawn into engaging the businesses online and defrauded. Participants noted that the groups trafficking people to supply labour for the operations have used professional approaches to recruitment and been well-coordinated. Regional Advisor Rebecca Miller discussing the latest information and cases and the importance of joint operations. The number of people being trafficked to work in the casinos and scam centres has been estimated in the tens of thousands, and while the situation started with victims from the region itself there have been increasing numbers of people brought in from around the world over the past couple of years, observed Rebecca Miller UNODC Regional Advisor on Migrant Smuggling and Human Trafficking. Human trafficking though is one just form of transnational organized crime linked to these operations it is intertwined with fraud, extortion, money laundering, and corruption, with technology underpinning many elements of the crimes. Associated illicit financial flows have grown to a point that they are impacting governance and the stability of some parts of the region. During active discussions delegations agreed to expand cooperation to combat trafficking in persons and rescue victims while an overarching plan is agreed to disrupt associated transnational organized crime operations. A regional roadmap that can be presented to the ASEAN Senior Officials Meeting on Transnational Crime or SOMTC that includes practical and targeted actions to enhance cross border cooperation will be developed, and different follow-up meetings and activities scheduled. UNODC, as the global guardian of the UNTOC, and a long-term partner of ASEAN and China, will support the Government of Philippines in drafting and circulating the plan. Moscow, July 4 (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 5th Jul, 2023 ) :Moscow said Ukrainian drone attacks on Russian territory would "not be possible" without US and NATO help, escalating its rhetoric after reporting it had downed five drones near the capital on Tuesday. Ukraine meanwhile accused Russia of planning "dangerous provocations" at the Moscow-controlled Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, while Russia in turn claimed Kyiv was planning to attack the facility, Europe's largest. Moscow said the West had enabled Ukraine to carry out the drone attacks, after earlier condemning what it called a "terrorist act". "These attacks would not be possible without the help provided to the Kyiv regime by the US and its NATO allies," the Russian foreign ministry said, claiming the West was "training drone operators and providing the necessary intelligence to commit such crimes. " It marks the latest in a series of recent drone attacks -- including on the Kremlin and Russian towns near the border with Ukraine -- that Moscow has blamed on Kyiv. The Russian military said it had downed all five drones and that there was no damage or casualties from the early-morning attacks. Emergency services cited by the state-run RIA Novosti news agency said one of the drones was "neutralised" at Kubinka, about 40 kilometres (25 miles) from Vnukovo international airport, where air traffic was briefly disrupted. In early May, two drones were shot down above the Kremlin, and later the same month drones hit Moscow high-rises. (@FahadShabbir) ISLAMABAD, Jul 4 (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 4th Jul, 2023 ) :Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Tuesday called for a joint action by the member states of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) to address the common challenges of economic recession, terrorism, and climate change. "The SCO represents a promising future only if we seize the opportunity to achieve the shared goals for the region's peace and prosperity," he said in his virtual address to the 23rd Meeting of the SCO Council of Heads of State (CHS). The invitation to Prime Minister Sharif to attend the SCO-CHS, which was held in a video conference format, was extended by the prime minister of India in his capacity as the current Chair of the SCO. Chinese President Xi Jinping, Russian President Vladimir Putin, Indian prime minister Narendra Modi, United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, Kazakhstan's President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, Tajikistan's President Emomali Rahmon, Uzbekistan's President Shavkat Mirziyoyev, and Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi joined the virtual moot among other leaders of the observer states. PM Sharif said the SCO leaders were meeting at a critical juncture as the world faced socio-economic challenges. He stressed that the regional organization could play the role of "beacon of peace, stability, and progress". Terming regional connectivity a defining feature of the modern economy, he emphasized focusing on investment in this area as a "vehicle of peace and prosperity". He mentioned that China Pakistan Economic Corridor, a flagship project of the Belt and Road Initiative, could become a game-changer of progress in view of Pakistan's location connecting the region. He announced that Pakistan was planning to host a regional connectivity conference in the last quarter of the current year. On terrorism and extremism, the prime minister said the "monster" must be fought with vigour and determination by all SCO states. He pointed out that diplomatic point-scoring must be avoided by all countries and said that all forms of terrorism, including State terrorism, must be condemned. "There is no justification for killing people. Also, the religious minorities should not be marginalized in the garb of political agenda," he said. Sharif said the SCO countries must take concerted actions against terrorism, extremism, and separatism both in their national capacities and also under the framework of SCO-RATS (Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure). Terming peace and security a common concern, he said stability in Afghanistan was critical to achieving the common objective. He highlighted the impending grave humanitarian crisis and economic meltdown in Afghanistan, which he said, needed urgent corrective measures by the interim Afghan government and the international community. On climate-induced disasters, the prime minister said the situation demanded global solidarity as it was the time to act "now and immediately". He mentioned that Pakistan, during the last year's flash floods, faced the "horrors of climate change", leading to 1,700 deaths and economic losses worth $30 billion. Sharif said poverty alleviation must be a priority in the wake of economic recession. On Islamophobia, he said peace and communal harmony were the need of the hour. He emphasized adhering to the resolutions of the UN Security Council to settle the issues amicably before it was too late. The prime minister expressed Pakistan's resolve to play a positive and constructive role in making SCO an effective regional organization. He thanked India for its stewardship of SCO during the past year and congratulated Kazakhstan for assuming the chair for the next year. He congratulated the President of Iran on his country's inclusion in the organization as a full member. A car ramming and stabbing attack in Tel Aviv wounded seven people Tuesday before the suspect was shot dead, on the second day of Israel's biggest military operation in years in the occupied West Bank Tel Aviv, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 4th Jul, 2023 ):A car ramming and stabbing attack in Tel Aviv wounded seven people Tuesday before the suspect was shot dead, on the second day of Israel's biggest military operation in years in the occupied West Bank. The driver in Tel Aviv was thought to have intentionally hit several pedestrians before getting out to "stab civilians with a sharp object," police said. The "terrorist", a West Bank resident, was then shot dead by an armed passerby, said police chief Yaakov Shabtai. CAIRO (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 04th July, 2023) Ahmed Aboul Gheit, head of the 22-nation Arab League, on Tuesday welcomed the decision of Egypt and Turkey to appoint ambassadors to each other's capitals for the first time in a decade. "Aboul Gheit sees this joint decision as a positive development that contributes to calming the atmosphere in the region and strengthening diplomatic communication as a way to solve problems," Jamal Rushdi, the secretary general's spokesman, said in a statement. Gheit added that relations between Arab countries and their neighbors should be based on mutual respect and international law and serve the interests of the peoples in the region. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his Egyptian counterpart, Abdel Fattah Sisi, agreed in May to upgrade diplomatic ties to the level of ambassadors to restore normal relations between their countries. The two nations withdrew their top envoys in 2013 following the fall of Ankara-backed Egyptian leader Mohamed Morsi. MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 04th July, 2023) An unknown drone was shot down near Kubinka in the Moscow Region, a spokesman for emergencies services told Sputnik. Earlier reports said two drones were shot down in the Russian capital on Tuesday morning near the village of Valuyevo, with no casualties or damage. "One drone was shot down near Kubinka," the spokesman said. BISHKEK, Kyrgyzstan, July 4. During the meeting of the Council of Heads of State of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), President of Kyrgyzstan Sadyr Japarov suggested that the member countries of the SCO create a center to combat international organized crime in Kyrgyzstan's Bishkek, Trend reports. "On June 14, 2023, consultations were held in the city of Cholpon-Ata (in Kyrgyzstan) regarding this matter, where the Kyrgyz side presented proposals and the structure of the proposed center. I believe that the implementation of this initiative will provide a significant impetus to enhance cooperation on issues related to regional security, counterterrorism, extremism, illicit drug trafficking, and transnational organized crime," the president of Kyrgyzstan said. Addressing the topic of international security, he emphasized the importance of maintaining close attention to the situation in Afghanistan and not allowing its weakening. "For Kyrgyzstan, peace and stability in Afghanistan are among the priority conditions for ensuring regional security. Kyrgyzstan is ready to develop good-neighbourly relations and is interested in a peaceful and stable Afghanistan," added Japarov. Hungary is in constant consultation with Turkey on the issue of ratifying Sweden's NATO membership and will not delay the country's accession to the alliance if negotiations between Ankara and Stockholm make progress, Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto said on Tuesday BUDAPEST (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 04th July, 2023) Hungary is in constant consultation with Turkey on the issue of ratifying Sweden's NATO membership and will not delay the country's accession to the alliance if negotiations between Ankara and Stockholm make progress, Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto said on Tuesday. "In the course of the last few days, I have spoken a lot with my counterpart, the head of the Turkish Foreign Ministry, who will be holding consultations with the Swedish side and NATO representatives in the coming days. So we will also be in close and constant contact with the Turkish Foreign Minister in the days ahead. And if some progress is made, we will keep our word that Hungary will not delay the membership of any country in NATO," Szijjarto said at a press conference broadcast on social media. Finland and Sweden submitted applications to join the alliance in May 2022 amid the events in Ukraine. In order for the application to be approved, the approval of all member states is required. At the Madrid Summit in June 2022, all NATO members approved the accession of Sweden and Finland to the alliance. The ratification process lasted until early 2023, with 28 out of 30 members having approved the applications. However, Hungary and Turkey wanted to consider the Swedish application separately from the Finnish one. On the night of March 31, 2023, they approved Finland's application, being the last two states to do so. On April 4, Finland became NATO's 31st member. Sweden's application is still pending approval by Hungary and Turkey. Turkey is delaying Swedish membership in NATO as an act of protest for harboring members of the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), which has been declared a terrorist organization. The Turkish government has been demanding since May 2022 that Sweden give up all members of the PKK it is harboring. Quran-burning protests in Stockholm have further clouded Sweden's prospects of gaining Turkey's approval to join NATO any time soon. (@FahadShabbir) Israel's security operation in the West Bank town of Jenin may take hours or even days to achieve its objectives, the spokesperson for the Israel Defense Forces told RIA Novosti on Tuesday TEL AVIV (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 04th July, 2023) Israel's security operation in the West Bank town of Jenin may take hours or even days to achieve its objectives, the spokesperson for the Israel Defense Forces told RIA Novosti on Tuesday. "The operation may take hours to complete but, depending on the situation on the ground, it may take a day or possibly two. We hope that won't happen," Maria Michelson said. Israel launched the ground-and-air attack on a sprawling refugee camp in Jenin on Sunday night in a bid to flush out Palestinian militants and destroy their infrastructure. The Palestinian health authority said 10 people were killed and more than 100 injured. Michelson said the operation, the biggest launched by Israel in decades, took two months to prepare but the need for it had been felt for a year. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called the densely populated camp in the Israel-occupied West Bank "a terrorist safe haven" and promised that the IDF would not leave until all goals were met. NATO secretary general Jens Stoltenberg had already lined up a job as head of the central bank in his native Norway when Russia's invasion of Ukraine pushed allies last year to ask him to stay on Brussels (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 4th Jul, 2023 ):NATO secretary general Jens Stoltenberg had already lined up a job as head of the central bank in his native Norway when Russia's invasion of Ukraine pushed allies last year to ask him to stay on. Now the Western military alliance's 31 nations are again asking the phlegmatic Scandinavian to stick around after failing to agree on a replacement. The latest one-year extension announced on Tuesday will see Stoltenberg, 64, complete 10 years in charge at NATO and take him to a 75th anniversary summit in Washington in July 2024. His decade at the helm began just months after Russia seized Crimea from Ukraine. It has kept him in the key position as Europe faces its largest conflict since World War II. In those years, he had to use all his diplomatic skills to convince former president Donald Trump to keep the United States, the dominant power, in the alliance. And he scrambled to cope with the fallout of NATO's calamitous withdrawal from Afghanistan. After that fraught period, Russia's all-out invasion of Ukraine has appeared to reinvigorate an alliance that often struggled for meaning after the end of the Cold War. NATO has launched the biggest overhaul of its eastern defences and welcomed in Finland -- and allies hope Sweden soon. Even French President Emmanuel Macron, who labelled NATO brain dead in 2019, said Russia's assault last year has given the alliance an "electric shock". Under Stoltenberg's stewardship, NATO has trodden a careful line between stalwart backing for Ukraine and preventing tensions with Russia spiralling into nuclear war. He has drawn praise for his cool-headed handling of incidents such as a missile strike in Poland that, despite initial alarm, turned out to be from Ukraine's air defences. "Because of his strong and steady hand, our alliance is stronger and is more unified than it's ever been," US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said recently. The Russian Interior Ministry said on Tuesday that its department in the Chechen Republic has launched an investigation into the attack on a correspondent for Russian opposition newspaper Novaya Gazeta, Elena Milashina, and lawyer Alexander Nemov MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 04th July, 2023) The Russian Interior Ministry said on Tuesday that its department in the Chechen Republic has launched an investigation into the attack on a correspondent for Russian opposition newspaper Novaya Gazeta, Elena Milashina, and lawyer Alexander Nemov. Earlier in the day, Novaya Gazeta reported that unidentified assailants had beaten Milashina and Nemov as they arrived in the Chechen capital of Grozny to attend a court hearing for Zarema Musayeva, the jailed mother of three voluntarily exiled Chechen opposition activists. Several masked men brutally beat Milashina and Nemov, took their cell phones and destroyed their equipment and papers, the newspaper said. The journalist was diagnosed with a closed head injury and fractured fingers, while the lawyer was stabbed. "The Ministry of Internal Affairs for the Chechen Republic is conducting an investigation into the attack on Elena Milashina and Alexander Nemov in the Akhmatovsky district of Grozny," the ministry said on Telegram, adding that based on the results of the investigation, a procedural decision would be made. The law enforcement officers are taking measures to identify and detain the persons involved in this attack, the statement added. At the same time, Commissioner for Human Rights in North Ossetia Tamerlan Tsgoev told Sputnik that Nemov and Milashina would be delivered to Moscow by a chartered flight. On the same day, the Ministry of Health for North Ossetia said that the condition of Nemov and Milashina was assessed as moderate. "The patients were examined by specialists of the republican hospital, their condition is assessed as moderate and there is no threat to life. They are receiving the necessary treatment," the ministry noted. Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov said that he had instructed the relevant agencies to make every effort to identify the people who had attacked Nemov and Milashina. In January 2022, Musayeva, the wife of former Chechen judge Saydi Yangulbaev, was arrested in the Russian city of Nizhny Novgorod and taken to the Chechen Republic for questioning, where she was accused of assaulting a police officer. On Tuesday, a Grozny district court sentenced Musayeva to 5.5 years in prison for fraud and violence against authorities, a Sputnik correspondent reported. She did not plead guilty to the charges. (@ChaudhryMAli88) The recommendation of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to the Georgian ambassador in Kiev to return to Tbilisi for consultations is an extreme form of aggravation of relations, the Georgian Foreign Ministry said on Tuesday TBILISI (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 04th July, 2023) The recommendation of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to the Georgian ambassador in Kiev to return to Tbilisi for consultations is an extreme form of aggravation of relations, the Georgian Foreign Ministry said on Tuesday. On Monday, former Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili took part in a meeting of the Tbilisi City Court in the case of the dispersal of the demonstration in 2007. He showed his emaciated body and will appeal to the Georgian authorities, calling on them to apologize for bringing him to such a state. Later that day, Zelenskyy said that he had instructed the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry to summon the Georgian ambassador and protest over the situation with Saakashvili, suggesting that the diplomat leaves Ukraine within 48 hours for consultations with Tbilisi. "The Georgian Foreign Ministry expresses deep concern about the decision of the Ukrainian authorities... This step is an extreme form of aggravation of diplomatic relations, and it is sad that official Kiev is taking this step against a friendly state and people," the statement said. BISHKEK, Kyrgyzstan, July 4. President of Kyrgyzstan Sadyr Japarov emphasized the need to sustain collaborative efforts aimed at enhancing transportation quality across all modes of transport within the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) region during the Council of Heads of State meeting of the SCO, Trend reports. "I believe it is essential to continue our collaborative efforts in enhancing the quality of transportation across all modes of transport within the SCO region. By utilizing the transit potentials of our countries through the implementation of joint projects in the field of transport, logistics, and relevant infrastructure, as well as by joining international transport corridors, we can contribute to the economic growth of the SCO region," the president said. He stressed that Kyrgyzstan strongly supports the boosting of mutually advantageous economic and investment relations among SCO member states, as well as with observer nations and dialogue partners. Additionally, the president underscored the importance of introducing efficient financial mechanisms by setting up a Development Bank and Development Fund within the SCO. He also emphasized the need of transition towards conducting payments in national currencies. Companies caught out by China's decision to restrict exports of two metals widely used in semiconductors and electric vehicles were racing to secure supplies on Tuesday as some industry suppliers worried that curbs on rare earth exports could follow. Monday's abrupt announcement of controls from Aug. 1 on exports of some gallium and germanium products has ramped up a trade war with the United States and could potentially cause more disruption to global supply chains. Analysts saw the move, which the Chinese commerce ministry said was to protect national security, as a response to escalating efforts by Washington to curb China's technological advances. It came on the eve of U.S. Independence Day and just before U.S. Secretary of Treasury Janet Yellen visits Beijing. "China has hit the American trade restrictions where it hurts," said Peter Arkell, chairman of the Global Mining Association of China. The European Commission expressed concern, while Germany's Economy Minister Robert Habeck said any broadening of controls to materials like lithium would be "problematic." The Dutch government said the effect of the new rules would depend on how they are carried out. One U.S. semiconductor wafer manufacturer said on Tuesday it was applying for export permits, while a China-based germanium producer said buyer enquiries had come in as prices surged. The eight gallium and six germanium products cited are also used in other high-tech industries. Some in the metals industry said they feared China could follow with new restrictions on rare earth exports, after curbing shipments 12 years ago in a dispute with Japan. China is the world's biggest producer of rare earths, a group of metals used in EVs and military equipment. "Gallium and germanium are just a couple of the minor metals that are so important for the range of tech products and China is the dominant producer of most of these metals," Arkell said. "It is a fantasy to suggest that another country can replace China in the short or even medium term." China produces most of the world's gallium and germanium. In 2022, top importers of China's gallium products were Japan, Germany and the Netherlands, news website Caixin said, citing customs data. Top importers of germanium products were Japan, France, Germany and the United States, it said. The commerce ministry will meet with major producers of the metals on Thursday to discuss the export restrictions, four people familiar with the matter told Reuters. In a sign of the potential for new production outside China, Nyrstar said it would look at germanium and gallium projects in Australia, Europe and the United States. Shares in Teck Resources, North America's biggest germanium producer, briefly jumped more than 1% in early trading. They were up 0.09% at 1937 GMT. Shares in 5N Plus Inc., a Canada-based company that produces specialty semiconductors and performance materials, rallied 8.9%, while Neo Performance Materials, a recycler of gallium and manufacturer gallium trichloride, rose 5.73%. Neo Performance CEO Constantine Karayannopoulos told Reuters that it would be difficult to meet market demand without Chinese gallium supply though workarounds could be possible with the "right industrial public policy incentives." "This was probably the least consequential measure [that China could take], since it does not hurt as much as much as other options could," Karayannopoulos said. "On the other hand, it could give very significant impetus to North American and European governments along with producers and consumers of high-purity gallium outside of China to consider more seriously what it takes to establish supply chain optionality. While the new rules do not target specific countries, exports will be more difficult and China could deny licenses to some locations, said Bernstein analysts. But any rise in prices for gallium- and germanium-based materials due to a lack of supply may result in semiconductor companies looking at alternative materials, they added. Beijing last made a retaliatory move in May, when it banned some domestic sectors from purchasing products from U.S. memory chipmaker Micron. Jefferies analysts said they saw the export controls as China's second, bigger countermeasure after the Micron ban. "The risk of a rapid escalation of U.S.-China tension is not small," they said. "If this action doesn't change the U.S.-China dynamics, more rare earth export controls should be expected." After years of speculation, Senegalese President Macky Sall shocked the nation Monday night when he announced he would not seek a third term in office. The decision is a win for democracy in West Africa where countries have gravitated toward authoritarianism in recent years. Speaking in a televised address from the presidential palace in Dakar, Sall said he knew his decision would come as a surprise. Senegal is bigger than me and it is full of leaders who are also capable of pushing the country towards development, he said. I have a code of honor and a sense of historical responsibility that commands me to preserve my dignity and my word. Since taking office in 2012, Sall has stymied press freedom, cracked down on peaceful protests and jailed political rivals. Moumoudou Samb, a driver of Senegals clando cars, or informal taxis, said it was refreshing to see an African leader willingly step down from office. Im impressed by his graceful exit, but its too late too many people have needlessly died, said Samb. But at least hes ending his reign on a high note. Salls main opponent, Ousmane Sonko, spent the last two years on trial on a rape accusation charges his supporters say were fabricated to prevent him from running in the February 2024 election. In March 2021, Sonkos arrest ignited violence that led to the deaths of 14 people. In early June Sonko was acquitted of the rape charge but was instead sentenced to two years in prison for corrupting youth, making him ineligible to run. The unrest that followed led to the deaths of 28 people, according to Amnesty International. Protesters expressed anger not just over the ruling but over Salls repeated refusal to state whether he would run for a third term. Senegalese presidents are entitled to two terms, however in 2016 Sall made a constitutional revision to term lengths that many feared he would use to justify a third run. During his candidacy, Sall vowed not to seek a third mandate but has recently been vague about whether his stance had changed. I applaud his decision to honor his commitment, said Elene Tine, a member of the opposition and a former deputy with Senegals national assembly. The president has set the bar very high to show the entire world that Senegal intends to remain an exemplar of democracy. Senegal had been widely considered as an outlier in West Africa, which has seen a decline in democracies and a rise in coups in recent years. But Senegals positive reputation began to slip during Salls time in office. It's a relief. It's a bomb that's been deactivated, said Alioune Tine, founder of the Dakar-based think tank AfrikaJom Center and the former Amnesty International director for west and central Africa. I think the whole region was indeed waiting for Senegal to really light up the road to democracy in Africa. Though a sense of relief and calm has blanketed the country, citizens now await the fate of Sonko, who has been blockaded inside his home by government security forces since the June 1 verdict, awaiting arrest. PRISTINA The European Union will not lift political and economic sanctions on Kosovo unless the government de-escalates tensions with ethnic Serbs, EU envoy Miroslav Lajcak said on Tuesday during a visit in Pristina. EU countries imposed punitive measures on ethnic Albanian-majority Kosovo after Prime Minister Albin Kurti's government failed to heed EU and U.S. requests to defuse strife in the country's north following the worst clashes in over a decade. The measures include halting visits by Kosovo officials to the EU and a suspension of a large part of EU economic aid to the small Balkan republic, and Brussels has warned of further measures if Kurti does not act to ease the tensions. "My wish is not to have sanctions," Lajcak told reporters in Pristina after a three-hour meeting with Kurti. "The purpose of this mission, of course, and the discussion that we are having, is to get to the stage when these measures will be stopped." In a statement, Kurti said he told Lajcak that "the EU's punitive measures against Kosovo are unfair and make the dialogue asymmetrical." Violence in northern Kosovo, where 50,000 Serbs live and form a local majority, erupted in late May after ethnic Albanian mayors took office following a local election boycotted by Serbs demanding implementation of a decade-old deal for more autonomy. Some 30 NATO peacekeeping soldiers defending three town halls in northern Kosovo were injured in clashes with Serb protesters, and 52 Serbs were hurt. Lajcak said the EU also wanted Serbia, to which northern Kosovo Serbs still devote their allegiance 15 years after Pristina declared independence from Belgrade, to act constructively to defuse the crisis or face penalties as well. "The European Union has made it clear that it has sanctions also ready for Serbia and that they will be implemented if the member states decide that Serbia is not complying with the EU request," said Lajcak, who will travel to Belgrade on Wednesday. The United States and European Union, Kosovo's main allies, have mainly held Kurti responsible for tensions in the north for having installed four ethnic Albanian mayors in their offices with police protection despite objections from local Serbs. Hong Kong police on Monday issued arrest warrants for eight self-exiled pro-democracy activists, charging them with national security offenses and offering a bounty of $127,635 each for information leading to their arrests. Those targeted Nathan Law, Anna Kwok, Finn Lau, Christopher Mung Siu-tat, Elmer Yuan Gong-yi and Kevin Yam, along with former lawmakers Ted Hui and Dennis Kwok have been accused of colluding with foreign forces and incitement to secession. Steve Li, senior superintendent with the Hong Kongs national security department, told a Monday news conference the group violated Hong Kongs national security law by calling on foreign countries to bring sanctions against Hong Kong and Chinese officials. According to local media, Law, Mung Siu-tat and Lau are in Britain; Yuen Gong-yi, Anna Kwok and Dennis Kwok are in the U.S., and Yam and Hui are in Australia. Although police wont be able to arrest them if they remain abroad, we wont stop wanting them, Li told reporters, adding that any who return and surrender could receive judicial leniency. 'I'm going to work harder' Anna Kwok, executive director of the Washington-based Hong Kong Democracy Council, told VOA she had no plans to return to Hong Kong and her work in the U.S. will continue. Because of the campaign I've started last month against [Hong Kong Chief Executive] John Lee's entry into the United States, I think the government is quite insecure, she said. That's why out of desperation they have to do something like this, to really see how low they can get and to stop us from speaking out. I think I'm going to work harder now, she added. Ted Hui, a former lawmaker in Hong Kongs Legislative Council, fled the city for Australia in 2021. A Hong Kong court in September sentenced him in absentia to three-and-a-half years in prison for contempt. I think the bounty is ridiculous and hilarious, Hui told VOA. It can only be a high-profile gesture without any legal effects. Free countries will not extradite us because of that. It only shows how powerless the [Chinese Communist Party] is in response to the Hong Kong diaspora who advocates for freedom and democracy. The bounty does not change my situation or affect my personal safety at all, he added. A 'badge of honor' Former Hong Kong-based lawyer Kevin Yam, an Australian citizen now based in Melbourne, told VOA he feels sad for his home city. I think any person who decides to speak out on Hong Kong issues overseas has got to be prepared for the possibility of something like this happening, said Yam, a non-resident fellow at Georgetown Center for Asian Law. I was deluged with messages of congratulations saying, it's a badge of honor. I don't feel that way, he added. I feel that when people say things like that, it's more that they think very poorly of Hong Kong authorities nowadays. Finn Lau, however, does view the bounty as a badge of honor, explaining that he wasnt surprised by the warrant. The bounty reflects frustration of the Hong Kong government as they are now resorting to all means beyond the judiciary system to get the job done, Lau Tweeted. The risks of abduction, physical assault and other nonlegal ways to harass soar, but this would not stop the diasporic Hong Kong democratic movement. More than 250 arrested The warrants come days after the third anniversary of the national security law enactment. Imposed by Beijing following Hong Kongs 2019 anti-government protests, the 2020 law carries a maximum punishment of life imprisonment for acts deemed secessionist or subversive, or for terrorism or colluding with foreign forces. More than 250 people have been arrested on suspicion of violating the law, and authorities Monday said 79 people had been convicted for offenses, according to Reuters. Beijing defends the law, calling it a necessity to stabilize the city in the wake of widespread civil unrest. Eric Lai, a visiting researcher at the Dickson Poon School of Law at Kings College in London, called the warrants part of a campaign to intimidate dissidents living abroad. The press conference today illustrates that the Hong Kong government continues to expand transnational intimidation, he told VOA. Such practices do not conform with international human rights law when they criminalize free speech and peaceful political participation overseas. It is disappointing that the local court sponsors such practice of transnational intimidation by issuing warrants for the national security police, he said. Police officials, however, deny that theyre aiming to intimidate the activists. "We are definitely not putting on a political show nor disseminating fear," Li, the police official, told the press conference. Extradition unlikely The security legislation states the law applies to both Hong Kong residents and non-residents in or outside of Chinese territory. Chinas state-owned Ta Kung Pao published a report in June stating that Beijing can request international cooperation from Interpol to apprehend fugitives overseas. Whether that assistance would be given remains to be seen. The U.S., Britain and Australia all suspended extradition treaties with Hong Kong because of the security law. SEE ALSO: 'Landmark' Court Ruling Blocks Europe Extraditions to China While some European countries remain [committed to] their extradition treaties with China or Hong Kong, the recent rulings of the European Court of Human Rights asserted that extradition to China does not conform to international and European human rights standards, Lai said. It is important to see whether countries embracing liberal values will commit to ensure full protections of exiled activists when they exercise their rights to free speech, free expression, and free peaceful political participation in their territories. Palestinian health officials said at least 12 people were dead and 100 others wounded, 20 of them seriously. The Israeli military said it had detained 120 suspected gunmen and seized weapons caches and explosives in Jenin. "At these moments we are completing the mission, and I can say that our extensive operation in Jenin is not a one-off," Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said at a nearby military checkpoint. Explosions and gunfire could be heard near the Jenin hospital as the Israelis left and residents who had fled the fighting began to return. As its forces withdrew, Israel said it carried out an airstrike on gunmen at a cemetery but had no knowledge of any of its forces in the vicinity of the hospital. Shortly after midnight Tuesday, Israel reported that one of its soldiers had been killed. At least 12 Palestinians were killed; Israel said all were combatants. So far, militant groups have claimed five as their members: Islamic Jihad claimed four and Hamas claimed the fifth. Israeli troops pulled out from a West Bank refugee camp on Tuesday after conducting searches for members of armed Palestinian groups that began Monday and included more than 1,000 Israeli soldiers. The Palestinian Red Crescent said it had evacuated about 3,000 of the 17,000 people living in the camp since Israel launched the raid on Monday. Some Jenin residents sought shelter in schools and other public buildings, while many holed up in their homes to avoid the street conflict between Israeli soldiers and Palestinians. The Israeli military operation included drone strikes, bulldozers and hundreds of troops as they carried out what officials called counterterrorism operations. The Palestinians, neighboring Jordan and Egypt and the 57-nation Organization of Islamic Cooperation condemned the violence. Palestinian presidential spokesperson Nabil Abu Rudeineh said, "Our Palestinian people will not kneel, will not surrender, will not raise the white flag, and will remain steadfast on their land in the face of this brutal aggression." In Washington, the U.S. State Department said Monday it was closely monitoring the conflict and that it was "imperative to take all possible precautions to prevent the loss of civilian lives." It said the fighting underscored the need for Israeli and Palestinian security forces to work together to restore peace. The Jenin attack came as Israel's right-wing government, installed last December, faced growing pressure for its tough response to a string of attacks on Israelis in the region, one of which killed four people last month. Jenin has been a flashpoint of Israeli-Palestinian violence since the spring of 2022. Lynn Hastings, the United Nations humanitarian coordinator in the Palestinian areas, said on Twitter that she was "alarmed by scale of Israeli forces operation." She said the U.N. was mobilizing humanitarian aid. Last week, the U.N. Security Council urged restraint and called on Israelis and Palestinians to "refrain from unilateral actions that further inflame tensions." Some information for this story came from The Associated Press, Agence France-Presse and Reuters. The URL has been copied to your clipboard The code has been copied to your clipboard. In Kenyas capital, a radio station has reached a loyal audience by broadcasting in a so-called street language. 'Sheng' is a dialect that draws from English, Swahili and other established languages. Victoria Amunga reports from Nairobi. Camera: Jimmy Makhulo Latest developments: Ukraine's Armed Forces said it had destroyed a formation of Russian forces in the Moscow-controlled Makiivka in the Donetsk region; Russia-installed officials said one civilian was killed and 36 were injured in the attack by Ukrainian forces. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz called for the extension of an agreement allowing for the export of grain from Ukrainian ports. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Sweden has more work to do before Turkey can support a Swedish bid to join NATO. "Everyone must accept that Turkey's friendship cannot be won by supporting terrorism or by making space for terrorists," Erdogan said. More than 40 people, including 12 children, were injured Tuesday in a Russian strike on the town of Pervomayskiy, in the eastern Kharkiv region, Ukrainian officials said, as the Ukrainian military reported continued heavy fighting in the Donetsk region. Kharkiv regional Governor Oleh Syniehubov said on the messaging app Telegram that the shelling took place around 1:35 p.m. local time, setting several cars on fire and blowing out the windows of residential buildings. Syniehubov said 43 people were injured in the missile attack. The Ukrainian Interior Ministry said the number of injured was 41, including 12 children. There was no explanation for the discrepancy. The strike hit a parking lot outside the residential building in Pervomayskiy, which is relatively far from current hotspots in the Donbas region. Eight high-rise buildings and eight cars were damaged as a result of the rocket attack, the Interior Ministry said. Andriy Yermak, chief of staff for President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, also commented on the attack, saying the Russians fired "a high-explosive shell." Elsewhere in Ukraine, General Oleksandr Tarnavskiy, the head of Ukraine's southern command, said Ukrainian troops pushed the enemy from a number of positions. "The defense forces are advancing in the [southern] direction," Tarnavskiy said on Telegram. "Units of missile troops and artillery performed 1,283 fire missions during the day." He said the fighting took out three companies of Russian troops killed or wounded and equipment, including two tanks and anti-aircraft missiles. The battlefield claims could not be independently verified. The General Staff of Ukraine's military early Tuesday reported heavy fighting in the Bakhmut, Lyman, Avdiyivka and Maryinka areas in Donetsk. It said there had been a total of 40 combat clashes during the previous 24 hours. Also Tuesday, Russia and Ukraine accused each other of plotting to stage an attack on the Russian-held Zaporizhzhia nuclear power station. Zelenskyy said he told French President Emmanuel Macron about "dangerous provocations" by Russia at the plant in southeastern Ukraine. Russian troops seized the plant, Europe's largest nuclear facility with six reactors, in the days following the Kremlin's invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. Each side has since regularly accused the other of shelling around the plant and risking a major nuclear mishap. Elsewhere, Russia said it downed five Ukrainian drones Tuesday that attacked Moscow and the surrounding region. The Russian Defense Ministry said air defenses shot down four of the drones, while the fifth was electronically jammed and crashed. The drones temporarily disrupted operations at Vnukovo International Airport on the southwest side of Moscow, causing officials to reroute planes to other airports. Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said the drone attack was an "act of terrorism" by Ukraine. There was no immediate comment from Ukrainian officials. Ukraine typically does not claim responsibility for attacks on Russian territory. Britain's Defense Ministry said Tuesday that Russian forces have responded to the Ukrainian counteroffensive launched last month by adjusting tactics, including the heavy use of anti-tank mines. "Having slowed the Ukrainian advance, Russia has then attempted to strike Ukrainian armored vehicles with one-way attack uncrewed aerial vehicles, attack helicopters and artillery," the British Defense Ministry said in a daily assessment. Ukraine has cited some progress amid heavy fighting as it tries to reclaim land seized by Russia since Russian forces invaded in February 2022. NATO summit The upcoming NATO summit, scheduled for July 11-12 in Vilnius, Lithuania, arrives at a critical juncture for NATO and European security with the Kyiv counteroffensive and political upheaval in Moscow. Ukraine formally applied to join NATO last year, but all member states have now agreed that Ukraine will not join the alliance before the war there ends. During a Monday news conference in Brussels, NATO's top military official, Admiral Rob Bauer, acknowledged that Ukraine's road to victory will be difficult and lengthy. Bauer drew a comparison between breaking through these obstacles and fighting in Normandy during World War II. "We saw in Normandy in the Second World War that it took seven, eight, nine weeks for the allies to actually break through the defensive lines of the Germans. And so, it is not a surprise that it is not going fast," he said. The former publisher of independent news outlet The Irrawaddy has been sentenced to five years in prison for sedition, marking the latest in a barrage of attacks on the press in Myanmar following the 2021 military coup. Thaung Win was sentenced by the military-controlled Western Yangon District Court on June 28 under Article 124-A of the penal code, which covers sedition, and fined him 100,000 kyats, or about $47, according to The Irrawaddy. He was arrested nine months earlier at his home in the city of Yangon in late September. Win was initially charged with violating the Publishing and Distribution Act by reporting news that negatively affected national security, rule of law and public peace, according to The Irrawaddy. The ex-publisher has been held in Yangons notorious Insein Prison. It is unclear whether he will appeal the conviction. The Committee to Protect Journalists, or CPJ, has called on Myanmars military to immediately release Win. The punitive and unjust sentencing of The Irrawaddy publisher Thaung Win is repugnant and should be immediately reversed, Shawn Crispin, CPJ senior Southeast Asia representative, said in a statement on Monday. The military regime must release him and stop harassing The Irrawaddy for its fearless and uncompromising news reporting. Ye Ni, editor of The Irrawaddys Burmese Edition, denounced the juntas sentencing of Win and said the former publisher had nothing to do with the news outlets coverage. War on independent media Wins sentencing is the latest development in the war that Myanmars military has waged on the countrys independent media since it launched a coup in February 2021. In the more than two years since the military overthrew Myanmars nascent civilian-led government, the junta, also known as the Tatmadaw, has banned The Irrawaddy and at least 13 other independent news outlets. Despite the ban, The Irrawaddy like many other independent Myanmar outlets continues to cover the ongoing post-coup crisis in the country. The outlet, like many of its peers, primarily operates in exile. Accusations of abuses The United Nations has accused the Tatmadaw of committing widespread human rights abuses, including war crimes and crimes against humanity, around the country since the coup. The military has cracked down hard on independent journalists to shield itself from scrutiny. At the time of CPJs December 2022 prison census, Myanmar was the worlds third-worst jailer of journalists, with at least 42 members of the press behind bars. Few reporters continue to work on the ground in Myanmar due to safety risks. NATO allies are preparing for their annual two-day summit July 11 and 12 in Vilnius, Lithuania as Ukraine urges the alliance to fast-track its proposed membership. Meanwhile, NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg confirmed Tuesday that he will extend his term for another year, as the West seeks to maintain unity amid Russias aggression. Henry Ridgwell reports. TASHKENT, Uzbekistan, July 4. Talgo, a Spanish manufacturer of intercity, standard, and high-speed passenger trains, has expressed interest to supply additional railroad trains to Uzbekistan, Trend reports. The matter was discussed during the talks between Jahongir Ganiev, Ambassador of Uzbekistan to Spain, and Carlos De Palacio Oriol, Chairman at Talgo. Talgo's chairman expressed strong interest in continuing the longstanding and fruitful cooperation with Uzbekistan in the field of railway transport. In addition to the existing 6 sets of Talgo-250 high-speed trains, the company intends to supply an additional 4 sets. Carlos De Palacio Oriol emphasized that, despite the high workload due to the production of 64 trains for Denmark and Germany, Talgo is ready to manufacture and deliver 4 sets of Afrosiyob electric trains to the Uzbek railway company within the scheduled timeframe. The financing for the entire order is expected to be realized through the attraction of long-term preferential loans from the Corporate Internationalization Fund (FIEM) under the Government of Spain. Currently, Uzbekistan has a high-speed rail network spanning 600 kilometers, operating with the renowned Talgo 250 trains. These trains are operated by Uzbekistan Railways and are branded as Afrosiyob. The high-speed rail system utilizes upgraded conventional rail lines to provide efficient and comfortable transportation for passengers. A new report by Heritage for Peace, a nonprofit dedicated to preserving cultural artifacts in times of war, has detailed the destruction and looting of museums and cultural sites during Sudan's civil war. Meanwhile, parties outside Sudan are quickly drawing up plans to evacuate the antiquities to safety. Henry Wilkins reports from N'Djamena, Chad. ABUJA, NIGERIA The Chinese navy is making a port call in Nigeria this week in a rare visit to West Africa, where Beijing has been seeking to expand its influence. Three warships of China's People's Liberation Army fleet arrived at Nigeria's economic hub, Lagos, on Sunday, bringing about 700 sailors. The Nigerian Navy and Chinese Embassy on Monday said the five-day visit signified growing relations between Beijing and Africa, with the goal of tackling maritime security threats and maintaining stability in the Gulf of Guinea. Security analyst Chidi Omeje says it is a welcome development and an opportunity for Nigeria and Africa to address security issues. "It is important that Nigeria holds on to such relationship because we can't really get stuck on Western relationships alone, we have to broaden our reach. China has been a very important key partner to Nigeria. We need all the corporations we can get to be able to respond to the various security challenges across our country and the region," Omeje said. China has been investing heavily in infrastructure in Africa, including Nigeria, for many years and Nigeria is one of China's top crude oil suppliers. But the visit comes amid speculation that Beijing could be seeking to establish a naval base in the Gulf of Guinea. Last year, U.S. defense officials said they worried that such a base could threaten U.S. national security. Kabiru Adamu, an analyst with the Beacon security risk management firm, agrees the visit might have undisclosed objectives. "In diplomatic practice there's usually the stated objective and then the latent objective. Security will be discussed during the five-day visit. China has the intention of establishing a diplomatic base in west Africa and this may be a move by China to convince Nigeria to support that desire," Adamu said. In 2016, China promised economic support for Sao Tome, a small African nation in the Atlantic Ocean, shortly after it cut ties with Taiwan. Sao Tome is located in the heart of the Gulf of Guinea, making it a potential hub for oil and gas production. Adamu says China is trying to secure its assets in Africa with a possible base. "Beijing is definitely interested in expanding its influence in Africa to protect its assets, it has invested massively in African countries pre-COVID, during COVID and post-COVID. It will definitely want to protect those investments and one of the ways it can do that is to strengthen security ties with African countries," Adamu said. In January, Nigeria opened the Lekki Deep Sea Port in Lagos, built by state-owned China Harbor Engineering Company. Last month, the Lekki Deep Sea Port berthed a 300-meter-long vessel from China, the largest since the port was launched. NEW DELHI Russian President Vladimir Putin told a meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) on Tuesday that the Russian people are "consolidated as never before." It was Putin's first address at a multilateral forum since the Wagner mercenary group staged a short-lived mutiny that raised questions about his grip on power. He spoke by video link from Moscow at the virtual meeting of the grouping hosted by India's prime minister, Narendra Modi, and attended by, among others, the leaders of China and Pakistan. "The solidarity and responsibility for the fate of the fatherland was clearly demonstrated by the Russian political circles and the entire society by standing as a united front against the attempted armed rebellion," Putin told the meeting. "I would like to take this opportunity to thank my colleagues from the (SCO) countries who have expressed support for the actions of the Russian leadership to protect the constitutional order and life and security of citizens," Putin said. He also said that Russia is standing up to Western pressure, sanctions and "provocations." Analysts said that for Putin, the summit was an opportunity to showcase that he is firmly in charge and also underline that Moscow is not isolated in the wake of its war in Ukraine. All the members of the SCO have either abstained or not voted in favor of United Nations sanctions against Russia in the aftermath of the Ukraine conflict. Founded by Russia and China in 2001 to counter Western alliances, SCO members include India, Pakistan and the Central Asian republics of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan all countries that are close to Moscow. On Tuesday, Iran became the ninth country to join the SCO, expanding the group's reach. Belarus is expected to be admitted as a member by next year, according to India's foreign ministry. Both Iran and Belarus have good relations with Moscow. In his address to the summit, Chinese President Xi Jinping said achieving regional peace and stability was a common responsibility. "We must formulate foreign policies independently based on the overall and long-term interests of the region," he said, according to Chinese state news agency Xinhua. He called on members to "focus on practical cooperation and accelerate economic recovery." Indian Prime Minister Modi called on member countries to jointly fight terrorism, help Afghanistan and tackle global challenges such as food, fuel and fertilizer shortages. He said the group should not hesitate to criticize countries that are "using terrorism as an instrument of its state policy." The statement is seen as a reference to Pakistan, which India accuses of fomenting terrorism in Indian-ruled Kashmir. Islamabad denies the charge. In reference to India's three-year military standoff with China along their disputed border, Modi also stressed the need to respect territorial integrity. In his speech, Pakistan's prime minister, Shehbaz Sharif, denounced terrorism and said that his country's "sacrifices" in fighting it are "without parallel." The SCO summit also underlined how India is trying to maintain a delicate geopolitical balance as it comes closer to the U.S. while maintaining ties with Russia. New Delhi hosted the meeting less than two weeks after India and the U.S. tightened their partnership during a state visit by Prime Minister Modi to Washington. While India has serious differences with China and Pakistan, it has maintained close ties with its long-time ally, Russia, and wants to build ties with Central Asian countries. In a phone call last week with the Russian president, Modi reiterated India's call for diplomacy and dialogue to resolve the Ukraine war a stance it has maintained since Moscow's invasion. "The fact that India can have such strong positive relations with the United States and also be part of the SCO speaks about India's strategic autonomy and self-assuredness," Ashok Sajjanhar, a former diplomat and president of the Institute of Global Studies, wrote in the Indian Express newspaper on Tuesday. While India chose to host the SCO summit in a virtual format, it will face a diplomatic challenge when it hosts the G-20 summit in September because the forum includes Russia, China and the U.S. Some information in this article came from Reuters and the Associated Press. Ukraine and its Western allies opened a new center Monday that will investigate Russias leaders for the crime of aggression, following its 2022 invasion of Ukraine. The new facility in The Hague, Netherlands known as the International Centre for the Prosecution of the Crime of Aggression Against Ukraine (ICPA) will gather evidence on the Russian leaderships decision to invade the country in February of last year. The center is based in the headquarters of Eurojust, the European Unions agency for criminal justice cooperation. International justice At a press conference to mark the opening of the center, Ukraines prosecutor general, Andriy Kostin, said it was a vital step toward international justice. Today, we gather here on the occasion of a truly historic moment, I would say an epoch-defining moment when the civilized world not only voices but also shows by concrete actions that accountability is what matters the most, Kostin said. Prosecutors from Ukraine, the European Union and the United States will build the criminal case against Russia. The U.S. Department of Justice is proud to stand alongside our European partners and be among the first to participate in the International Centre for the Prosecution of the Crime of Aggression Against Ukraine, U.S. Assistant Attorney General Kenneth Polite said in a statement Monday. The Justice Departments newly appointed U.S. special prosecutor for the crime of aggression, Jessica Kim, will represent the United States at the ICPA and she will have unfettered access to the substantial body of expertise and resources that the department has amassed in response to Russias unlawful war of aggression against Ukraine, he added. Evidence The ICPA does not have the ability to bring Russias leaders to trial. This is not a tribunal. It has no power to investigate individuals or to prosecute or to have trials or anything like that, explained Philippe Sands, a professor of law at University College London and an expert on international justice, in an interview with VOA. It's a sort of prerequisite. It's going to gather the evidence in relation to the small number of individuals who have participated in the decision to start the war and to continue the war from the top down, Sands added. The center will work alongside the International Criminal Court (ICC), which is already investigating war crimes and crimes against humanity. However, the ICC is not investigating Russia for the crime of aggression. The International Criminal Court has jurisdiction over war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide. It does not have jurisdiction for the crime of aggression for various technical, legal and political reasons, Sands said. Nuremberg trials The crime of aggression is traced back to the Nuremberg trials at the end of World War II and the prosecution on Nazi leaders. It was then called crimes against peace. No court currently exists with the jurisdiction to hear such a case. But its vital that those who launched the invasion of Ukraine, including Russian President Vladimir Putin, are prosecuted for the crime of aggression, says Sands. Why? Because its the only crime that's a leadership crime, its the only one where you go straight to the top table. And secondly, because its the crime, which if you like, begets or the others: if there hadnt been a war, we wouldnt be talking about war crimes and crimes against humanity. Putin on trial? Establishing a tribunal to one day prosecute Russias leaders will likely face numerous challenges. You will see that there will be concerns amongst many countries - India, China - they will have concerns about what's going on here. And there is plainly some advocacy to be done in relation to those countries and many countries in the global south. What that translates into is significant political discussions and obstacles ahead, Sands said. Its far from sure if and when a tribunal will be created. But the bottom line is at the end of the day, it could be a European tribunal or regional tribunal rather than a global tribunal. And that might be the way to get out of this political issue. 400,000 crimes Ukraine says it has documented more than 400,000 crimes related to Russias invasion: the targeted killing of civilians; sexual violence; torture; and the forcible displacement of civilians, including children. Moscow denies committing war crimes, crimes against humanity and the crime of aggression. An award-winning Russian investigative journalist is in a hospital after being badly beaten by armed assailants during a trip to Chechnya, human rights groups and her media outlet said. The attack happened early on Tuesday as Elena Milashina and Alexander Nemov, a lawyer, were traveling from the airport. "Elena Milashina's fingers have been broken and she is sometimes losing consciousness. She has bruises all over her body," the Memorial human rights group said on social media. It said the pair were "savagely kicked, including in the face, received death threats and were threatened with a gun to the head. Their equipment was taken away and smashed." The Committee Against Torture, another human rights group, published photos of Milashina in hospital with her head shaved and covered in a green dye used to target Kremlin critics and her hands bandaged. In a video, Milashina could be seen lying on a hospital bed recounting her ordeal. "They came, they threw out the driver, the taxi driver from the car. They jumped in, pushed our heads down, they tied my hands, put us on our knees with a gun to the head," she said. "They did everything nervously. They didn't manage to tie my hands properly," she added. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters during a briefing that President Vladimir Putin had been informed. "We are talking about a very serious attack that requires vigorous measures," Peskov said. Chechnya's strongman leader Ramzan Kadyrov, who has been accused of persistent rights abuses in his restive region, said in a statement online he had instructed officials to determine who was behind the attack. "The authorities began to work immediately after the announcement of the incident," the statement read. The media rights group Reporters Without Borders said it was "horrified by the savage attack" on Milashina. And the rights group Amnesty International urged Russia to investigate the beating. Milashina's paper Novaya Gazeta, Russia's top independent publication, said she and Nemov were in a hospital in the Chechen capital, Grozny. Novaya Gazeta said she was in Grozny to attend the sentencing of Zarema Musayeva, the mother of three exiles critical of Kadyrov. Musayeva was detained by Chechen forces in January last year in Nizhny Novgorod, a city 1,800 kilometers north of Grozny. In February 2022, Novaya Gazeta said Milashina had to leave Russia temporarily after receiving death threats from the Chechen leadership. Milashina has covered rights abuses in Chechnya for Novaya Gazeta for years. Novaya Gazeta, whose chief editor Dmitry Muratov won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2021, has since 2000 seen six journalists and contributors killed, including investigative reporter Anna Politkovskaya. By focusing on rights abuses in Chechnya, Milashina has followed in the footsteps of Politkovskaya, a fierce critic of the Kremlin's policies in Chechnya, who was shot dead in 2006. Russian human rights commissioner Tatyana Moskalkova was quoted by Russian news agencies as saying that the incident "should be carefully investigated and the perpetrators brought to justice." Moskalkova said Milashina was being taken to another hospital in a nearby region. "The security of the journalist will be fully guaranteed," Moskalkova said. A South African investigative journalism organization on Monday won a legal battle against a powerful businessman in a case that tested the country's media freedom. The amaBhungane Centre for Investigative Journalism had earlier been barred from using documents acquired from a source in its reporting on controversial businessman Zunaid Moti, who claimed they were stolen. But High Court Judge Roland Sutherland on Monday set aside that order, describing it as "an abuse of the process of court. The organization had been running an in-depth investigation into the tycoon, who was accused of unscrupulous business dealings, including with President Emmerson Mnangagwa of neighboring Zimbabwe. In a series of articles, amaBhungane exposed how Moti allegedly used his ties with Zimbabwe's political elite to secure lucrative mining contracts. "A key dimension of effective investigative journalism is receiving information from sources that wish to remain anonymous," wrote Sutherland. The judge stressed that "within limits ... the law acknowledges the propriety of protecting sources from being unmasked. A large part of the case, heard last week, focused on distinguishing between freedom of the press and protection of privacy. "We are delighted at this resounding vindication of investigative journalism and amaBhungane's role of pursuing it with integrity and in the public interest," its editor-in-chief Sam Sole told AFP. In a recent interview with AFP, Sole pointed to the financial strain the center, which relies on donations, faced in mounting a defense against someone with deep pockets. The amaBhungane Centre for Investigative Journalism is a nonprofit funded by the public and NGOs which specializes in delving into political corruption. The center, which has 13 journalists, draws its name from the Zulu word for dung beetle a diligent species that fulfills a crucial role. Last month, the charity was stunned when another high court judge ordered it to stop publishing further reports into Moti and to hand over documents used for the investigation. The Moti Group is a conglomerate with a large international portfolio including property development, mining and aviation. It said in a statement it was considering appealing the judgment at the Constitutional Court because it "firmly believes that a factual finding was not made on amaBhungane's possession of stolen documents. "While I sincerely appreciate and support the freedom of the press, I do not believe that this can come at the expense of any person or entity's constitutional right to privacy," said the company's CEO and South Africa's former treasury boss, Dondo Mogajane. JUBA, SOUTH SUDAN South Sudan's leader, Salva Kiir, on Tuesday pledged that delayed elections set for next year would go ahead as planned and that he would run for president. Kiir, a towering guerrilla commander, has been the nation's only president since he led it to independence from Sudan in 2011. The world's youngest nation has lurched from crisis to crisis during Kiir's tenure and is held together by a fragile unity government of Kiir and Vice President Riek Machar. A transition period was meant to conclude with elections in February 2023, but the government has so far failed to meet key provisions of the agreement, including drafting a constitution. "I welcome the endorsement to run for presidency in 2024," Kiir told supporters of his governing Sudan People's Liberation Movement party, describing it as a "historic event." "We are committed to implement the chapters in the revitalized peace agreement as stated, and the election will take place in 2024." No other candidate has declared their candidacy, but historical foe Machar is expected to run. In August, the two leaders extended their transitional government by two years beyond the agreed deadline, citing the need to address challenges that impeded the implementation of the peace agreement. Kiir said on Tuesday that those challenges would be addressed "before the elections" set for December next year. One of the poorest countries on the planet despite large oil reserves, South Sudan has spent almost half of its life as a nation at war. Almost 400,000 people died in a five-year civil war before Kiir and Machar signed a peace deal in 2018 and formed the unity government. Since then, the country has battled flooding, hunger, violence and political bickering as the promises of the peace agreement have failed to materialize. The United Nations has repeatedly criticized South Sudan's leadership for its role in stoking violence, cracking down on political freedoms and plundering public coffers. The U.N. envoy to South Sudan, Nicholas Haysom, warned in March the country faced a "make or break" year in 2023, and its leaders must implement the peace agreement to hold "inclusive and credible" elections next year. Haysom stressed Juba had "stated clearly that there would be no more extensions of the timelines" for elections at the end of 2024. Afghanistan's Taliban administration has ordered hundreds of female-run beauty salons to close within a month, the latest in a series of curbs blocking women's access to work and public spaces in the poverty-stricken country. The Taliban Ministry for the Prevention of Vice and Propagation of Virtue has notified authorities in the capital, Kabul, and provinces to immediately enforce the ban and cancel the licenses of all the salons. It said that the directive had stemmed from a decree issued by the reclusive Taliban supreme leader, Hibatullah Akhundzada. The morality ministry spokesman confirmed the notice Tuesday and did not share more information. "The deadline for the closing of beauty parlors for women is one month," Mohammad Sadiq Akif said in a brief text message to journalists. The ministry warned of legal action against violators but did not elaborate. Since reclaiming power in Afghanistan nearly two years ago, the Taliban have prohibited girls from pursuing education beyond the sixth grade, ordered many female government workers to stay home, and barred the United Nations and other aid groups from employing women. Public places like parks, gyms, and bathhouses are closed to female visitors. Makeup artists working in beauty salons said the latest ban would render thousands of women jobless amid Afghanistan's dire economic crisis and threaten the survival of their families because there are no jobs for male family members. "When men cannot support their families due to unemployment, women are forced to work in a beauty salon to earn a livelihood," Raihan Mubariz, a female makeup artist, said while talking to the Afghan TOLO news channel. "What are we going to do if they shut down parlors, she asked. "We don't need to leave our homes if our men can find jobs. Do they want us to starve to death?" asked another woman working in a Kabul beauty salon. The U.N. called on the Taliban to halt the edict closing beauty salons. This new restriction on womens rights will impact negatively on the economy and contradicts stated support for women entrepreneurship, the U.N. office in Kabul said on Twitter. The U.N. and the international community at large have demanded an end to restrictions on Afghan women's access to public life and education, warning the policies have made it "nearly impossible" for the world to grant legitimacy to the Taliban government. Akhundzada has rejected calls for easing restrictions on women, insisting his government is running the country in line with Afghan culture and Islamic law or Sharia. On Tuesday, Markus Poztel, the deputy special representative for the U.N. Assistance Mission in Afghanistan, again denounced restrictions on women and reiterated the demand for the Taliban to lift them before the country's reintegration into the global community. "There is no middle ground on this issue. Afghanistan is the only country in the world which doesn't allow girls to go to school beyond grade six or to university. There is no discussion about this; it's not a bargaining chip. It has to be reversed," a U.N. statement quoted Poztel as saying. He said the Taliban decrees "are detrimental to economic progress" in the country. "Girls should have a say. Women should have a say in this society. [The de facto authorities] should revoke the ban as soon as possible. Otherwise, there will always be a shadow on the relations Afghanistan has with the international community, Poztel stressed. Dozens of people with flowers, many unable to hold back tears, bid farewell Tuesday to an award-winning Ukrainian writer who was among those killed by a Russian missile attack on a popular restaurant in eastern Ukraine. The memorial service for Victoria Amelina, 37, was held in the crowded main hall of Saint Michael's Cathedral in Kyiv, where ceremonies are usually held for soldiers who were killed on the battlefield. Amelina died in a hospital from injuries sustained in the June 27 strike on a popular restaurant frequently visited by journalists and aid workers in the city of Kramatorsk. Twelve other people also died in the attack. "Usually, we gather here to say goodbye to the most deserving," said Archimandrite Lavrentii, the Orthodox priest leading the service. "Considering the times we live in, leading a worthy and dignified life for each of us is the best tribute we can offer in memory of those who have passed away into eternity." Around 100 people, including representatives from the Ukrainian literary community, relatives and residents of Kyiv gathered at the church to honor Amelina, a prominent writer who had turned her attention from literature to documenting Russian war crimes after Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022. Mourners approached the closed casket, gently touching the yellow and blue Ukrainian flag covering it. Many couldn't hold back tears. To the left of the casket, people laid flowers, some of which were adorned with ribbons in the colors of the Ukrainian flag. At the end of the farewell, a mountain of flowers stood next to a portrait of Amelina, a red-haired woman with a pale face and a penetrating gaze pictured against a dark background. A funeral will be held Wednesday in Amelina's hometown of Lviv. Dmytro Kovalchuk, 31, was having dinner with Amelina at the restaurant when a Russian Iskander missile struck the building. He worked as a producer for a team of writers Amelina and a group of Colombian authors. He said Amelina was the first one to be evacuated to the hospital. She sustained an injury when the roof collapsed, and a piece of iron reinforcement struck her head. Amelina is one of more than 60 artists killed in Ukraine since the start of the full-scale war, said Tetiana Teren, the head of PEN Ukraine. "She had doubts about whether literature and culture could have an impact and support the country during such a horrific genocidal war. And she began to search for her own role, what she could contribute," Teren, holding a Ukrainian flag, said about Amelina's decision to document war crimes. "Victoria strongly believed that we not only have to win this war, but we must bring to justice and hold accountable all those who committed crimes, who continue to kill Ukrainians and undermine our culture." Amelina was born January 1, 1986, in Lviv. In 2014 she published her first novel, The November Syndrome, or Homo Compatiens, which was shortlisted for the Ukrainian Valeriy Shevchuk Prize. She went on to write two award-winning children's books and another novel. In 2017, her novel Dom's Dream Kingdom received national and international accolades including the UNESCO City of Literature Prize and the European Union Prize for Literature. Her fiction and essays have been translated into many languages, including English, Polish, Italian, German, Croatian, Dutch, Czech and Hungarian. In 2021, she founded the New York Literature Festival, which takes place in a small town called New York in the Donetsk region of Ukraine. Since the start of the invasion, Amelina had devoted herself to documenting Russian war crimes in eastern Ukraine, PEN America said. In Kapytolivka, near Izium, she discovered the diary of Volodymyr Vakulenko, a Ukrainian writer killed by the Russians. She also began writing her first work of English nonfiction shortly before her death. In War and Justice Diary: Looking at Women Looking at War, Amelina recounts stories of Ukrainian women collecting evidence of Russian war crimes. It is expected to be published soon, according to PEN Ukraine. The International Atomic Energy Agency, or IAEA, has offered a final endorsement of Japans plan to release treated nuclear wastewater from its crippled Fukushima Daiichi power plant into the Pacific Ocean. Its a move that Tokyo hopes will help allay concerns held by regional partners as well as its own citizens, including fishermen who have been adamantly opposed to it. From Tokyo on Tuesday, IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi said Japans proposed plan was consistent with the agency's safety standards with negligible radiological impact on the environment [anticipated], meaning the water, fish and sediment. He presented the final review that had been initiated at Tokyos request in 2021, to Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, who will make the final call on how soon the controversial discharge will begin. The entire process is expected to take three to four decades, given the massive amount of radioactive water sitting in about 1,000 tanks on Japans east coast. Kishida promised the sea release would proceed only if it were not harmful to the health of humans and of the environment. Japan will continue to provide explanations to the Japanese people and to the international community in a sincere manner, he told media on Tuesday, sitting side by side with Grossi, based on scientific evidence and with a high level of transparency. The IAEAs green light, which culminates a two-year investigation, was widely anticipated. The U.N. watchdog had cleared the submitted methodologies and data on six previous occasions. Operator Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO) plans to treat, dilute and release in controlled amounts water that was used to cool the fuel rods of Fukushima units one, two and three, after reactor cores of all three melted down soon after the March 2011 earthquake ensuing tsunami. The event was considered the worlds worst nuclear disaster since the Chernobyl crisis in 1986. A pumping and filtration process dubbed the Advanced Liquid Processing System, or ALPS will remove dozens of radionuclides from the contaminated water. Tritium, which cannot be removed from such a large volume of water, will be diluted to levels significantly below World Health Organization standards (to less than 1,500 becquerels per liter) before being released into the Pacific Ocean, according to Tokyo. Supporters of the water release plan underline the urgency of the project, as TEPCO says it will run out of space for additional contaminated water by the first half of 2024. Currently, more than a million tons of radioactive water sit in the tanks in an archipelago that is no stranger to natural disasters. Critics of the plan, including those in China, South Korea, and Pacific Island nations, raise the lack of full data sets for a proper evaluation to be made on safety. Theyve expressed concern over potential long-term dangers that lurk behind radionuclides that have half-lives ranging up to centuries and their unknown impact to the marine ecosystem and seafood. Chinas foreign ministry, soon after the IAEAs announcement on Tuesday, expressed strong regret over the hasty approval, and forewarned Japan would have to bear all of the consequences should it move forward with its wastewater release plan. As part of his four-day Japan visit, Grossi will open a new IAEA office at the Fukushima nuclear power plant site on Wednesday. He said the nuclear watchdog will keep a permanent presence to review, monitor and assess activity by Japans decommissioning project for decades to come. Lingering doubt Grossi comes to the East Asia region amid a significant amount of skepticism. The IAEA chief will travel to South Korea on Friday to personally explain the task forces findings, followed by visits to New Zealand and the Cook Islands. The Cook Islands chairs the Pacific Islands Forum (PIF), which has communicated the blocs grave concerns to Japan over the years and even commissioned its own expert review of the Fukushima wastewater release plan. Noticeably absent on Grossis tour, however, is China, which has raised its voice in the run-up to the IAEAs green light. The U.N. agencys endorsement should not be a pass for Japan to release its treated wastewater into the Pacific Ocean, Beijing warned on Tuesday. The IAEAs mandate is limited to reviewing one option put forth by Tokyo, Foreign Affairs spokeswoman Mao Ning noted, and that it cannot prove that the ocean discharge is the safest and most reliable option. More than eight out of 10 people polled in 11 countries in the Pacific region including China, South Korea, the Philippines, Singapore, Australia and New Zealand held negative views of Japans discharge of nuclear-contaminated water, claimed state-run Chinese media the Global Times, citing its own study ahead of the IAEA announcement. In South Korea where the Yoon Suk Yeol government has prioritized a speedy rapprochement with Tokyo eight of 10 people surveyed said they were concerned about the impact Japans water release will have on marine life. Seafood consumption took a noticeable dive last month, prompting some politicians from Yoons political party to dine at fish markets, and in some cases, drink the water in the aquariums to drive home a point. In Japan, 40% of those polled over the weekend said they were against the water release plan, surpassed by the 45% who expressed support. Its this matter of public perception that fishermen particularly in the Fukushima area fear will worsen an already bad situation. South Korea maintains its ban on seafood from the affected region, and ruling party lawmakers on Monday emphasized that Tokyo should not expect that to change even with the IAEAs endorsement. Even if it takes 10, 20, 30, 50 or 100 years, thats not the point, lawmaker Yun Jae-ok told reporters, indicating that first, trust needs to be earned. The government holds firm the view that anything unsafe should not happen with regard to the peoples food. For the Pacific Island countries, whose livelihoods revolve around the ocean, it goes further. This is not merely a nuclear safety issue. It is rather a nuclear legacy issue, an ocean, fisheries, environment, biodiversity, climate change, and health issue with the future of our children and future generations at stake, wrote Henry Puna, head of the PIF, last week. Our people do not have anything to gain from Japans plan but have much at risk for generations to come, Puna said. TASHKENT, Uzbekistan, July 4. Uzbekistan ranked 71st out of 97 in the global passport index compiled by Arton Capital, a Canadian consulting company, Trend reports. Thus, the country's place in the ranking has been downgraded by 2 positions year-on-year (69th place in 2022). When compiling the index, the company assessed passports based on how many countries their holders can visit either visa-free or by obtaining a visa upon arrival. The reason for Uzbekistan's lower ranking (alongside Zimbabwe and Cambodia) is that citizens of the country can only visit 127 countries after obtaining a visa. The number of visa-free countries is only 26, and visas for an additional 45 countries are obtained upon arrival at the destination. Among the Central Asian countries, Kazakhstan ranks 53rd, Kyrgyzstan ranks 67th, Tajikistan ranks 72nd, and Turkmenistan ranks 79th. In terms of the strongest country in terms of visa-free access to 125 countries, the UAE passport holds the top position, while Afghanistan is considered the weakest country with visa-free access to only five countries. U.S. President Joe Biden is celebrating the countrys Independence Day holiday with a series of events Tuesday at the White House. The president and first lady Jill Biden are holding an event with the National Education Association, and then hosting military families for a barbecue. Biden is scheduled to deliver remarks in the evening to commemorate the holiday with a crowd of military and veteran families along with caregivers at the White House. The White House event also will provide a prime viewing location for Washingtons fireworks show on the National Mall. The U.S. Capitol grounds will be the site of an annual Independence Day concert that is televised to the nation. Performers this year include Chicago, Babyface, the National Symphony Orchestra and the U.S. Army Band. MARYLAND - High Court judge Justice Nyaradzo Munangati Manongwa has set aside an order made by chief magistrate Faith Mashure ordering two Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) members to proceed to their defence in a case in which they were accused of communicating falsehoods over abduction and torture in 2022. Passing his ruling in a review made in terms of Section 62 of the High Court Rules as read with some subsections of the High Court Act, Munangati Manongwa said the States cases was in tatters. The applicants Joana Mamombe and Cecilia Chimbiri - challenged Mushures order to have the criminal matter to proceed to defence case on the basis that no prima facie (accepted as correct until proved otherwise) case was established against them. They faced charges of publishing or communicating false statements prejudicial to the state as defined in Section 31(a) of the Criminal Law Codification and Reform Act (Chapter 9:23). The two were accused of communicating falsehoods to their relatives, friends and legal practitioners that they were abducted and tortured by suspected state security agents in 2022. In court papers in possession of VOA Studio 7, Munangati Manongwa said, The evidence brought to court is found to be grossly unreasonable, irrational characterized by bias and malice and cannot be in accordance with real and substantial justice. The applicants cannot be pushed into a defence case to supplement the inadequacies of the State case and hope that in the process they incriminate themselves. To adopt such an approach would be unconstitutional and against the principles that place the burden on the State to prove its case and in this case on a prima facie basis at the close of the State case. Munangati Manongwa noted that the superior courts in some of the previous cases have already set the parameters, and in essence, established that it is injudicious to support a State Case which is unable to stand on its own due to lack of evidence. Where such is the case an accused is entitled to an acquittal. It is not for the court to try and prop up a crumbling case, a court has to acquit in the absence of evidence to support an essential element of charge, or where the evidence is manifestly unrealiable that no reasonable court can act on it. He said the application has merit and therefore succeeds and in that regard, the applicants are entitled to a discharge at the close of the State case. Munangati Manongwa said, The accused persons Joana Mamombe and Cecilia Revai Chimbiri be and are hereby found not guilty, discharged and acquitted at the close of the State case. There is no order as to the costs. Its unclear what course of action the State will take after losing the case. Mamombe, Chimbiri and Netsai Marova were allegedly abducted, tortured, sexually assaulted after leading an anti-government protest in Harare. According to Amnesty International, on 13 May 2020, after leading an anti-government protest, Mamombe, Chimbiri and Marova were arbitrarily arrested in Harare, taken to a police station and forced into an unmarked car. With hoods over their heads, they were driven out of the city. Scared for their lives, the women were thrown into a pit, beaten, sexually assaulted and forced to eat human excrement. They were found two days later, miles from Harare. Their clothes torn, covered in cuts and bruises, they were taken to hospital. While still hospitalized, Joanah, Netsai, and Cecillia were charged with criminal offences relating to the protest. It was Basic Instinct for these two to post about July 4. Photo-Illustration: Vulture. Photos: Stephane Cardinale - Corbis/Corbis via Getty Images, Unique Nicole/Getty Images Its July 4, which means its the anniversary of American independence from the rule of Queen Charlottes Farmer George. And we all know what that means: fireworks, lengthy thinkpieces about the history of the United States and, of course, celeb content. After all, the Fourth of July isnt just about remembering the date. Its also a chance for the rich and famous to share some red, white, and blue holiday posts. From updating social media to attending billionaire Michael Rubins star-studded annual Hamptons party, heres how celebrities including Sharon Stone, Michael Douglas, Jennifer Lopez, the Biebers, Alec Baldwin, and more marked this years Independence Day weekend. Half of the Hamptons, apparently Lori Harveys star-studded TikTok barely scratches the surface. According to Page Six, Jay-Z, Bennifer, Justin Bieber, Emily Ratajkowski, Usher, Ne-Yo, Tina Knowles, Tom Brady, and many other celebs also attended billionaire Michael Rubins annual Hamptons white party. Rubin posted plenty of white party dumps to Instagram in the days following. Martha Plimpton As she does for most occasions, Lil Plimpy used the 4th as an opportunity to speak up for abortion rights. Alec Baldwin Its a canon event. Brooke Shields If you dont feel like posting a new photo, a throwback is always an option. Guns N Roses Happy 4th of July! pic.twitter.com/xv4Z9q8pq7 Guns N' Roses (@gunsnroses) July 4, 2023 And so are graphics. Martha Stewart What better day to promote this recipe? Kyle Richards and Mauricio Umansky The RHOBH couple rang in Independence Day by clarifying that they are not (legally) independent from each other. Sharon Stone Shes not (paint) brushing this holiday off. Michael Douglas Its giving Uncle Sam. The Obamas Happy birthday to this talented, hilarious, and beautiful young woman. Malia, I hope 25 brings you everything youre looking for and more. pic.twitter.com/eEZgODiFQ0 Barack Obama (@BarackObama) July 4, 2023 Happy birthday, Malia! I feel so lucky to be your mom and to be able to watch you become the wonderful young woman you are today. Love you so much! pic.twitter.com/gDhxZpWufI Michelle Obama (@MichelleObama) July 4, 2023 Before they lived in the White House, they were parents. So of course theyve gotta double post to celebrate Swarm writer Malia Obamas July 4 birthday. Courteney Cox As McDonalds has incessantly reminded us, Malia isnt the only celebrity with a birthday this holiday weekend. Photo-Illustration: Vulture It is once again the time of year when we all pack up our cars and head out for days of sun, sand, and sea. The beach getaway is a time-honored summer tradition, a part of American life thats so seeped into our collective consciousness that we cant help but wonder what could be lurking under the sand or in the surf. Sure, the beach can be fun, but have you considered all the ways living by the sea can go horribly wrong? There are sharks, of course, but what if there are also Humanoids From the Deep? What if this beach makes you old? So if you cant make it to the beach this summer (or you just want to stay home because youve seen too many horror movies), but youd still like some beach vibes on your couch, weve got you covered. From Northern California nightmares to Massachusetts massacres, these are the essential seaside horror movies. Jaws (1975) Lets get the obvious out of the way first: Jaws is still the first and best choice when it comes to seaside horror stories. Its scary, its funny, its got great performances, the John Williams score will stick in your head for decades, and, of course, its the movie that basically gave birth to the summer blockbuster. Most important, it still feels like a summer blockbuster almost 50 years later because director Steven Spielbergs powers of composition, pacing, and blending horror and humor are just that strong, even in his breakthrough film. Quint needs a bigger boat, but you wont need a bigger beach horror extravaganza than this one. The Witch Who Came From the Sea (1976) If youve seen Jaws a million times and youre looking for some deeper cuts, you could start with this under-the-radar gem about a waitress in a seaside bar (Millie Perkins) whose dark past and breaks with reality slowly turn her not just into a killer but into a kind of oceanfront succubus. Born the daughter of a sailor, she has the ocean in her blood and believes it holds answers to the mystery of her fathers absence and to her own strange relationship with reality. Perkins is phenomenal in the lead role, and the dreamlike quality of the story as she drifts from violent act to violent act will hypnotize and terrorize you. Zombi 2 (1979) If zombies are your thing, look to legendary Italian Godfather of Gore Lucio Fulci, who delivers beachfront undead for the ages with this splatter-laden classic, a would-be sequel to Dawn of the Dead that features all-new characters and an all-new location. This time, most of the action unfolds on an island in the Caribbean, where zombies rise up from their graves, walk across the sand, and murder everyone in their path including one infamous kill involving a jagged piece of wood and an eyeball. Zombi 2 is probably the only movie where you can see a zombie fight a shark, so take that, Spielberg. Humanoids From the Deep (1980) What if The Creature From the Black Lagoon went to deeper and more gruesome extremes in his original Universal horror days? And what if there was more than one of him and they were all steeped in practical-effect gore? Then you get Humanoids From the Deep, a nasty little creature feature about the title monsters rising up from the ocean to prey on the women in a seaside town. Its pure 80s horror sludge, and we mean that in a good way. The Fog (1980) Sometimes beaches dont mean sun, sand, and swimsuits. Sometimes they mean nights by a fire, lighthouses on a hill, and ghost sailors rising up from the sea to collect their revenge. Though its not as iconic as Halloween or as well constructed as The Thing, The Fog remains John Carpenters most eerily atmospheric film certainly literally so, if not figuratively. His camera takes to the coasts of Northern California so naturally, and with such practiced grace, that youll want to vacation in Antonio Bay next summer you know, once the ghosts are gone. Dead & Buried (1981) Theres a lot of talent in Dead & Buried, but four decades after its release, the films unassailable star is Stan Winston, who did the often stomach-churning visual effects. Narratively, the film fits right into the Small Town With a Secret subgenre, depicting a coastal town and the strange residents who are behind a series of mysterious deaths. In terms of vibe, it functions much like The Fog: an eerie chiller that will make you question your next pit stop on a seaside drive. The Mutilator (1984) One of the most memorably brutal straight-up slashers of the 1980s, The Mutilator was originally named Fall Break because it follows a group of friends who head to a beach house during some days off from college. What they find when they get there, of course, is much more than a quiet seaside retreat. Once the brutal kills begin, in often inventive fashion (outboard motors arent just for boats!), they never let up, cementing The Mutilator as one of the most memorable entries in the 80s slasher boom. Killers werent just waiting for you at summer camp. They were on the beach, too. The Raft From Creepshow 2 (1987) Were cheating a little bit here because The Raft isnt really seaside horror. Its lakeside horror, but its such an unforgettable piece of aquatic terror that we have to include it. (And people who live closer to freshwater than the ocean deserve love, too.) Based on Stephen Kings short story of the same name, its a simple tale of a group of friends trying to survive an attack in a secluded lake by a blobbish monster that has them cornered on the title raft. The creature and gore effects do the rest, and the result is thousands of traumatized kids in the 80s and beyond. The Lost Boys (1987) When youre young, the beach holds a sense of uninterrupted, limitless promise, and its that sense of eternal youth and beauty that The Lost Boys seeks to both capture and subvert with its story of a California town plagued by vampires. It begins as the story of a family trying to adjust to a new life by the ocean and evolves into an exploration of the creatures who make the ruins of former boardwalk glory into their watery playground. Joel Schumacher directs the hell out of the film, perfectly balancing camp with genuine scares, and lead performances from Jason Patric and Kiefer Sutherland remind us of the dark and light sides of any beach getaway. I Know What You Did Last Summer (1997) Kids do dumb stuff on summer vacation, and sometimes that dumb stuff has fatal consequences. Thats the hook (pun very much intended) behind this seminal 90s slasher one of the most memorable in the post-Scream boom in which a group of friends are preyed upon by a killer fisherman after covering up a death the previous summer in their coastal town where the ocean always threatens to expose their secrets. Most fans remember the film for its quartet of sexy young 90s stars, but today it plays very well as a study in privilege and what it costs when you fail to acknowledge it. Dagon (2001) The great Stuart Gordon made this his last H.P. Lovecraftinspired horror film after the double whammy of Re-Animator and From Beyond, and its a worthy capper to the thematic trilogy. Dagon follows a couple who stumble upon an isolated fishing village in Spain where it seems to constantly rain and where the villagers themselves have begun mutating into human-fish hybrids with frightening voices and even more frightening intentions. You can see most of the twists and turns coming, but the sheer force of the atmosphere here is palpable and powerful and will make you look at every local a little bit differently on your next beach getaway. Broken Lizards Club Dread (2004) Though it never got the same cult-classic love as Super Troopers, Broken Lizards slasher spoof still has plenty to offer, particularly for longtime fans of the horror genre. Set at a fictional resort thats definitely not a Margaritaville ripoff (run by Bill Paxton, playing a guy whos definitely not Jimmy Buffett), Club Dread follows a lot of conventional slasher rhythms, as the resort staff are picked off by a masked killer with a machete, but it also packs some surprising inventions. The buildup to each kill is satisfying and the cast is clearly having a blast playing in this space. The result is goofy fun as sickly sweet as a giant pina colada. A Perfect Getaway (2009) Steve Zahn and Milla Jovovich star in this somewhat forgotten thriller about a couple who sets out to hike toward a mysterious and secluded beach in Hawaii, only to find that a killer whos been wreaking havoc on tourists may be stalking them. Full of solid performances and natural beauty, A Perfect Getaway creates a palpable Who Can You Trust? vibe then backs it up with satisfying twists. You really never truly know the friends you make on vacation. Piranha 3D (2010) Like The Raft before it, Alexandre Ajas update to the Piranha franchise is technically lakeside, not seaside, but its too much fun to ignore in this case. Set at Arizonas Lake Victoria during spring break, the film documents the carnage that unfolds when a group of prehistoric piranhas make their way up from an underwater cave and start devouring spring breakers left and right. The gore effects are astonishing, plentiful, and often darkly hilarious, and the cast is totally game for whats going to happen to them. If nothing else, Piranha 3D is the only movie on this list that has a severed penis come straight at the screen. Us (2019) Jordan Peeles second horror feature is inspired, in part, by The Lost Boys, taking on the same exploration of the dark side of a beach getaway. The whole film is about duality, the darker side of all of us, and how it factors into one familys seaside vacation. Throw in one of the most brilliant murder scenes in recent memory, a layered and complex backstory, and plenty of beachfront creepiness, and it becomes an epic portrayal of how quickly the idealized facade of our lives, and our vacations, can fall away. Were still mad about Lupita Nyongos Oscars snub for this one! Sweetheart (2019) Survival horror and beach horror fit right in with one another, and J.D. Dillards Sweetheart is a perfect blend of the two subgenres. Starring Kiersey Clemons as a young woman stranded on an island in the wake of a shipwreck, Sweetheart is part creature feature, part survivalist, and part deep dive into one persons psychological journey. Its also one of the most slept-on horror success stories of the past five years, so watch it and tell your friends. Old (2021) Even by M. Night Shyamalan standards, Old is a memefest for the ages, and its easy to see why. Shyamalans tale of a group of people stranded on a stretch of sand that accelerates the aging process a.k.a. The Beach That Makes You Old is satisfyingly and gloriously pulpy, playing up the immediate horror implications of such a place with a sense of fun that never lets up. But when the memes fade out and the body horror dies down, its a potent meditation on lost time, the things we neglect, and what were meant to do with the time we have left. But if you dont buy that, you can still make those memes. Renowned French photographer and filmmaker Gregory Herpe has visited Lachin and Nakhchivan as part of his trip to Azerbaijan. The trip, organized by the Association of Friends of Azerbaijan in France, started from Lachin district, Azernews reports, via the Azerbaijan State Committee for Work with the Diaspora. Gregory Herpe described the restoration and construction work carried out by the Azerbaijani state in Lachin as a great project. In his speech, the photographer noted the revival of life in the city, adding that a number of international festivals and events could soon take place in Lachin. In Nakhchivan, Gregory Herpe got acquainted with historical, cultural, and religious monuments, including Nakchivan Gala, Noah's tomb, Ashabi-Kahf, Gamigaya, Alindja Castle, Momina Khatun's tomb, Heydar Aliyev Mosque, Heydar Aliyev Museum and wrote his sincere words in memorial books. The photographer also took pictures of the famous Lake Batabat and Duzdag Physiotherapy Centre. Grigoriy Herpe thanked the State Committee for Work with the Diaspora for organizing his visit to Azerbaijan. The guest was accompanied by Deputy Chairman of the Azerbaijani House in Paris, the project manager of the Association of Friends of Azerbaijan in France Mehri Guliyeva, the employees of the State Committee for Work with Diaspora Arif Abbasov and Aydin Mahmudov The French photographer previously visited Karabakh in 2021 and 2022 with the support of the State Committee for Work with Diaspora and the organization of the Association of Friends of Azerbaijan in France. During the visits, he filmed the historical and cultural heritage destroyed as a result of the thirty-year occupation of Armenia, and the restoration and construction, as well as demining works carried out by the Azerbaijani side. Those photos were exhibited at the fairs "Karabakh: in peacetime" at the Azerbaijani Cultural Center in Paris and "Karabakh after the war" at the Altiero Spinelli building of the European Parliament. The photographer, one of the contemporary representatives of world fine art, was born on February 25, 1969 in France. He works as a photojournalist at Polaris Images in New York and Sopa Images in Hong Kong. TASHKENT, Uzbekistan, July 4. Tashkent is hosting an International Partnership Week on the theme of "New Uzbekistan: Progress, Innovation, and Enlightenment", Trend reports. A session titled "Reforms in the Mining Industry and Geology in Uzbekistan: Results and Perspectives" is expected to take place, with the participation of officials from the Ministry of Mining Industry and Geology of Uzbekistan, international experts, and investors. The event is expected to be attended by representatives from various international organizations and foreign countries' business circles. BAKU, Azerbaijan, July 4. A contract has been signed on the implementation of the Rasht-Astara project, which is aimed at facilitating traffic along the North-South corridor, Trend reports. The document was inked at a trilateral meeting held in Tehran with the participation of representatives of Iran, India and Russia, as well as officials from other countries. The contract was signed between Iran and Russia in the presence of representatives of 13 countries. The Rasht-Astara project was developed and designed by the Ministry of Transport and Urban Development, with design completed by the end of 2023. Its implementation is expected to start in early 2024. The contract specifies the terms and conditions of the project, as well as guarantees and responsibilities. The implementation of the project will include joint work of groups from Iran and Russia. The project is expected to be commissioned in 3-4 years. The agreement on the construction of this railway section between Rasht and Astara, which passes through Azerbaijan, was signed on May 17 in the presence of the Presidents of Russia and Iran, Vladimir Putin and Ebrahim Raisi. According to the agreement, the construction of this railway will cost the Russian side 1.6 billion euros. The railway is planned to be put in operation within 48 months. The Rasht-Astara line will be approximately 170 km long. It is needed to connect the landlocked sections of the North-South International Transport Corridor, which will enhance the economic efficiency of the Trans-Caspian route. The railway line is expected to be built with the participation of Moscow and Tehran, while the Astara (Iranian city) - Astara (Azerbaijani city) line will involve Moscow, Tehran, and Baku. CMT pulled the video for Jason Aldean's "Try That in a Small Town," which is set at the Maury County Courthouse where a lynching and race riot took place. BAKU, Azerbaijan, July 4. Iran will soon become a hub for the production and export of radioisotopes, taking into account the countrys potential, Vice President of Iran and Chief of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI), Mohammad Eslami said, Trend reports. At present, Iran has opportunity for the production of diagnostic and treatment isotopes and to increase the production potential by 7 times, Eslami noted. The vice president added that certain steps have been taken in the direction of the development of plasma knowledge and technology, as well as the development of irradiation technology in medicine, agriculture and other fields over the past 16 months. According to him, Iran currently produces high-quality heavy water within the country. So, Iran has improved its position in the field of heavy water production and can export this important product to other countries. Eslami also pointed out that Iran's achievements in the nuclear industry in the current difficult conditions (such as imposing of sanctions by the US and Western countries against Iran, the country's difficult economic situation, banking and financial problems), show that the country is moving in the right direction, and Iran will remove the world pressure on the country's nuclear industry. The purpose of nuclear research conducted by the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI) is to turn the nuclear industry into a commercial one by producing various types of products. Iran discloses various programs related to its nuclear industry to reflect that its nuclear program is for peaceful purposes. However, according to the information obtained by the International Atomic Energy Agency, Iran has increased the amount of highly enriched uranium by 27 percent in the last three months, and currently the country's enriched uranium reserves are 4,745 kilograms. This is 15 times more than the amount of uranium allowed for Iran in the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA). On January 2016, Iran's nuclear program triggered the creation of JCPOA between Iran and the P5+1 group (US, Russia, China, UK, France, and Germany). In May 2018, the US announced its withdrawal from the deal and imposed sanctions on Iran in November of the same year. To preserve the agreements reached as part of the JCPOA, the European signatories of the deal started in January 2019 and a financial mechanism for maintaining trade with Iran called INSTEX was formed. On May 8, 2019, Iran announced ceasing to fulfill its commitments regarding the sale of over 300 kilograms of uranium, as stated in the deal, basing its decision on the other signatories that have not fulfilled their obligations. On July 7, Iran announced that it will not be fulfilling its commitments regarding the enrichment of uranium at 3.67 percent and the reconstruction of the Arak Heavy Water Reactor Facility as stated in the deal. On September 5 of the same year, Iran announced its commitment to enrich uranium using next-generation centrifuges and not to mix it with the enriched uranium residues as part of the third step of reducing commitments in JCPOA. On November 5, 2019, Iran announced to have taking the fourth step in connection with reducing its commitments to the nuclear agreement. So, uranium gas is being pumped to the centrifuges at the Fordow Fuel Enrichment Plant. On Jan.2020, Iran took the last fifth step in reducing the number of its commitments within JCPOA. On May 8, 2018, the US announced its withdrawal from the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) between Iran and the 5+1 group, and imposed new sanctions against Iran as of November 2018. Over the past period, the sanctions affected Iranian oil exports, ranging from above 700 banks, companies, to individuals. The sanctions have led to the freezing of Iranian assets abroad. Alexandria prosecution conducted an investigation after more than 50 people, mostly children, inhaled Thursday chlorine gas that leaked from a swimming pool at a club in the district of Sporting. Egypts President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi agreed in a telephone call on Thursday with Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni to continue cooperation and coordination with her on various files of mutual concern, especially in the fields of politics, security, and economy. Allentown, PA (18103) Today A shower or gusty thunderstorm in spots through the day. Lingering humidity for one more day. . Tonight Skies becoming mostly clear overnight with lowering humidity. KUTZTOWN, Pa. People showed up in droves to spend part of their Independence Day at the Kutztown Folk Festival. Tractors, horses, and folks sporting stars and stripes and red, white, and blue paraded through the festival grounds, celebrating America's birthday. "It's a great day! Happy birthday, America," said Shane Moran, who was visiting from Drums, Luzerne County. Other families brought children to see the parade wind its way through the festival grounds. "He loves tractors, so that's one reason we come here," says a dad with his young son, visiting from Birdsboro. "He likes watching the tractors." "My wife's family, she comes from a Pennsylvania German family and farming apparatus and tractors is like commonplace for us," says Moran. "We come to the Kutztown Folk Festival every 4th of July," says Linda Riffert, visiting from Brookhaven. While many took in the parade, most say the food is an important draw to the festival. "There's food that you never thought people would ever make, and it's a whole new experience for people to enjoy," says Moran. "Corn fritters are one of my personal favorites, and pork schnitzel also very near and dear to my heart." From funnel cake to sausage sandwiches and freshly made jarred delights and baked goods, the Kutztown Folk Festival doesn't disappoint those looking for culinary treats. SPRING TWP., Pa. - A Berks County man suspected of trafficking human remains has a trial date. Court documents show the trial of Spring Township resident Joshua Taylor and three others starts on Aug. 7. Taylor's is accused of being a part of an alleged multi-county ring that smuggled cadavers from Harvard Medical School. He could be back in Massachusetts soon. A Pennsylvania judge granted Taylor's request to attend an antique flea market in Massachusetts next weekend. HARRISBURG, Pa. - School spending is at the center of the debate as Pennsylvania goes into new 2023-2024 fiscal year without a set budget plan. "There are two very different definitions of what education ought to look like, said Democratic State Rep. Josh Siegel, 22nd District, Lehigh County. Only one Democrat voted for the $45 billion spending passed by the Senate on Friday. Every Republican supported it. "Now it's before the House of Representatives, the Democrats are in charge. So really, it's up to them to determine when they want to take up this budget proposal or not, said Republican State Rep. Ryan Mackenzie, 187th Legislative District, Lehigh County. We are ready, willing and able to advance a proposal that not only helps all Pennsylvanians but does provide more opportunities in the education space. This year, the bill includes a new $100 million private school voucher program, supported by Republicans and Gov. Josh Shapiro. It's an opportunity for students in low performing schools to receive a voucher to use at private schools. "I think we want to provide more opportunities for more families and a program like this would offer those opportunities, said Mackenzie. Democrats are pushing for more funding for public schools. The Senate plan is several hundred million less than what Shapiro proposed in March. Though, like the governors plan, the Senate GOP plan doesn't call for any increases in income or sales taxes. "Whether you're in a rural community or an urban community, or a suburban community, every district should be well resourced, teachers should be well compensated, said Siegel. Negotiations will be continued after the July 4 holiday. For now, without a budget in place, the state's main bank holds roughly $15 billion and has no problem in making legally required payments. Without a set budget plan, the state is also legally bound to make debt payments, cover Medicaid costs, issue unemployment benefits, and keep state police on patrol. Eventually, Shapiro's administration may have to postpone payments to vendors and put off paying discretionary items, such as tax credits and some public-school aid. "The longer it goes on, people will be affected negatively by this budget impasse. It's something that we've seen, unfortunately, in the past, it's not a good thing. It's something we want to avoid, said Mackenzie. "It's a matter of making sure that we find some kind of compromise, a compromise will be had, we will make sure that Pennsylvania funds its priorities, said Siegel. 69 News reached out to Shapiro's administration for any new updates, but we have not yet heard back. We do know all state employees will continue to report to work and be paid as scheduled. PHILADELPHIA - At least four people have died after a mass shooting in Philadelphia. It happened in the Kingsessing section of the city on 56th street and Chester Avenue. Police tell our partner station WPVI a total of six people were shot, including two children. They say multiple victims have been taken to the hospital. Police say a suspect was taken into custody shortly after the shooting. HONG KONG (AP) Hong Kongs leader said Tuesday that eight pro-democracy activists who now live in the United States, Britain, Canada and Australia will be pursued for life for alleged national security offenses, dismissing criticism that the move to have them arrested was a dangerous precedent. Chief Executive John Lee expressed his support for police efforts to arrest the eight. At his weekly media briefing, Lee said anyone, including their friends and relatives, who offered information leading to their arrests would be eligible for rewards offered by the police. The only way to end their destiny of being an abscondee who will be pursued for life is to surrender, he said. The arrest warrants were issued for former pro-democracy lawmakers Nathan Law, Ted Hui and Dennis Kwok, lawyer Kevin Yam, unionist Mung Siu-tat and activists Finn Lau, Anna Kwok and Elmer Yuen. They were accused of breaching the Beijing-imposed National Security Law by committing offenses such as collusion with foreign powers and inciting secession. More than 260 people have been arrested under the law, which was enacted in 2020 as part of a broad crackdown on dissent in the territory, but the rewards of 1 million Hong Kong dollars ($127,600) for information leading to each arrest are the first offered under the legislation. The move quickly drew criticism from the U.S. and British governments, which took issue with the extraterritorial application of the security law. The U.S. said it marked a dangerous precedent that threatened human rights. Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong tweeted that her country was deeply concerned by reports of Hong Kong authorities issuing arrest warrants for democracy advocates. But Lee insisted that extraterritorial power exists in the security laws of many countries. He said his government will not be swayed by comments by overseas officials and politicians. Im not afraid of any political pressure that is put on us because we do what we believe is right, he said. In Beijing, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said China strongly deplored other countries flagrant slandering of its National Security Law for Hong Kong. Justice will never be delayed or absent, she said. The row reflects a fresh source of contention between Beijing and the West over the alleged overseas reach of Chinas enforcement agencies. China was reported to be running secret overseas police stations across North America, Europe and in other countries where Chinese communities include critics of the Communist Party who have family or business contacts in China. Beijing denied they are police stations, saying they exist mainly to provide citizen services such as renewing drivers licenses. Hong Kong Secretary for Security Chris Tang doubled down on the crackdown against the eight activists, saying authorities are seeking to cut access to their finances including freezing and confiscating their assets. Investigations will be conducted to find those who support them financially in Hong Kong and overseas, Tang said. He warned that anyone who assists them in endangering national security may be violating the law. Hong Kongs action did not stop the activists from speaking up. Law, who is accused of foreign collusion and inciting secession, said on Facebook that he was again being targeted by Chinas Communist Party and that he felt the invisible pressure. However, he refused to surrender. All I did was reasonable, justifiable and peaceful advocacy work, the British-based activist said. Mung said in an online interview that even though he is not facing imminent arrest because he is now based in the U.K., he worries that the warrant could trigger some Chinese nationalists in Britain to threaten him. Still, he pledged to continue his advocacy work. The Chinese government is ... trying to spread the fear not only in Hong Kong, but also outside Hong Kong," he said. If we just give up because of this kind of suppression, then it will ... encourage the regime to do more suppression to silence the people." Yam told Australian media that the move was not completely unexpected. The only remaining voices of dissent are now outside Hong Kong, and thats where theyre expanding to next, he said. Anna Kwok tweeted that she would not back down. She reiterated her call to bar Lee, who was sanctioned by Washington over his involvement in the harsh crackdown on rights in Hong Kong, from attending the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation meetings in November in the U.S. Hong Kong, a former British colony that returned to Chinese rule in 1997, has come under increasingly tight scrutiny by Beijing following months of mass pro-democracy protests in 2019. Police on Monday acknowledged they will not be able to arrest the eight if they remain overseas. Eunice Yung, a pro-Beijing lawmaker and the daughter-in-law of Yuen, supported the police move and said she cut ties with Yuen last August. All his acts have nothing to do with me, she said on Facebook. ANKARA, Turkey (AP) Egypt and Turkey took a further step toward restoring full diplomatic ties on Tuesday by dispatching ambassadors for the first time in years, the latest step in the reconciliation between the two regional powers. In a joint statement, the two countries announced the appointment of Salih Mutlu Sen as Turkish ambassador to Cairo and of Amr Elhamamy as the Egyptian ambassador to Ankara. This step aims to establish normal relations between the two countries once again and demonstrates their mutual determination to work towards enhancing their bilateral relations for the best interest of both the Turkish and Egyptian peoples, the statement said. Egypt and Turkey withdrew their ambassadors as tensions between them flared following the Egyptian militarys 2013 ouster of Islamist President Mohammed Morsi amid mass protests against his divisive one year of rule. Morsi hailed from the Muslim Brotherhood group, which Turkey supported. Egypt has designated the group a terrorist organization. Turkey's newly appointed foreign minister, Hakan Fidan, described the mutual appointment of ambassadors as an important stage of the normalization efforts. "Turkey and Egypt are two brotherly, powerful countries in their regions," Fidan said during a joint news conference with his Jordanian counterpart in Ankara. Due to their historic, geographical, cultural, strategic and religious ties, these two important countries do not have the luxury of staying apart from each other. "From now on, our relations will continue to progress rapidly in the political, economic and all other fields. The rapprochement between the two countries is part of Turkeys efforts to build bridges with countries in the region and end its international isolation amid an economic downturn. Turkey has recently also repaired its ties with Israel, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. Arab League Secretary-General Ahmed Abouel Gheit welcomed the appointment of ambassadors as a positive development that would contribute in easing (tensions) in the region. Egypts government celebrated the 10th anniversary of the anti-Brotherhood protests on June 30. MOSCOW (AP) US Ambassador Lynne Tracy on Monday was allowed to visit Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich, who has been behind bars in Russia since March on charges of espionage. Tracy last visited Gershkovich in April. The US Embassy confirmed Monday's visit but did not immediately provide more information. The 31-year-old U.S. citizen was arrested in the city of Yekaterinburg while on a reporting trip to Russia. A Moscow court last week upheld a ruling to keep him in custody until Aug. 30. Gershkovich and his employer denied the allegations, and the U.S. government declared him to be wrongfully detained. His arrest rattled journalists in Russia where authorities have not provided any evidence to support the espionage charges. Gershkovich is being held at Moscows Lefortovo prison, notorious for its harsh conditions. He is the first American reporter to face espionage charges in Russia since September 1986, when Nicholas Daniloff, a Moscow correspondent for U.S. News and World Report, was arrested by the KGB. Daniloff was released 20 days later in a swap for an employee of the Soviet Unions U.N. mission who was arrested by the FBI, also on spying charges. Clean, safe, controversial Nuclear energy has had a bad rap, but in South Africas current energy conundrum, its importance in the mix is clear. The catastrophic accident at Chernobyl in Ukraine in the mid-1980s, popularised in a recent television series, made nuclear energy a controversial subject. The magnitude of the potential destruction of nuclear energy, should human error or a reactor breakdown occur, is uncomfortable to comprehend. The images of mass evacuation, severe injuries, and lingering radioactivity are burnished in the popular imagination. Nuclear energy is a form of energy released from interactions of neutron with fissionable heavy to produce energy with other unstable fission products in a controlled nuclear power reactor. A major environmental concern related to fission nuclear power is the creation of radioactive wastes and its storage, which might cause health effects to exposed individuals. Safety techniques have, however, been mostly addressed by the International Atomic Energy Agency through newer generation reactors. Reactors are the devices that control nuclear fission to release nuclear energy. In South Africa, low-level radioactive nuclear waste is safely disposed of in a desolate area of the Northern Cape. However, in this country, public mistrust of nuclear energy deals persists. In bed with the reds? Honorary Professor of International Relations, John Stremlau, is wary of the Russian influence on South Africas nuclear sector. My main problem with nuclear, aside from the weapon development focus during the apartheid regime, was the constitutional challenge that Zumas dodgy deal with Putin (Rosatom) posed. This deal was agreed for R1 trillion without financial vetting. Rosatom is a Russian state corporation headquartered in Moscow that specialises in nuclear energy, nuclear non-energy goods and high-tech products. In addition, a visit from Russias foreign minister to South Africa, where cooperation in nuclear energy was a prominent item on the bilateral agenda, casts a nefarious light on nuclear energy, notes Stremlau. Misguided politics and poor infrastructure aside, nuclear energy has been unfairly cast as the poor cousin in the energy mix family, particularly in South Africa. So says Professor Iyabo Usman who leads the Nuclear Structure Research Group (NSRG) in the School of Physics. She asserts that nuclears potential to help fix South Africas electricity crisis is significant. Nuclear energy generation in South Africa is through Koebergs two-unit reactor nuclear power plant. This supplies Eskom with about 5% of its yearly electricity generation. There is potential for so much more in South Africa and across the continent, says Usman. Nuclear setbacks Koeberg is the only nuclear power station in Africa and has been in operation since 1984, with a planned operating life set at 40 years. But work to extend Koebergs life until around the year 2045 has stalled. The most fundamental elements the steam generators have not been replaced, causing significant delays. The Pebble-Bed Modular Reactor (PBMR) was South African-owned technology commissioned in the early 2000s. This would have been tremendously useful in supplying electricity, but bizarrely, work on the PBMR also stalled in 2012 owing to lack of funding. The Integrated Resource Plan explicitly states that modular reactors would add a further 2 500 megawatts to the grid. Therefore, work must start now in resurrecting this technology, considering that building up nuclear capacity takes a lot of time, says Usman, who asserts that everything depends on how quickly the government responds. South Africa remains wedded to coal Its not surprising that the upgrade of Koeberg is beset with issues, embedded in the broader context of Eskoms relentless reliance on ageing coal fleets, which currently supply most of the countrys electricity. In 2022, the country had 200 days of loadshedding, profoundly affecting society and the economy. Were in a good position to have a broader energy mix. Nuclear power being a clean and efficient energy source is a critical part of this diverse mix. Indeed, nuclear energy can aid economic growth across all sectors. But the current shortfalls owing to Eskoms over-reliance on coal means loadshedding will continue indefinitely, says Usman. She explains that there is nothing wrong with nuclear energy generation but worries about the faltering infrastructure that inhibits efficient transmission and distribution. Its a wider problem of corruption, mismanagement, sabotage, and lack of maintenance of the electricity grid itself. Yes, we have the ability to generate extra nuclear power, but we are at the whims of a bigger energy system, sadly. In addition, we are losing vital skill as scientists are leaving for greener pastures, particularly to the United Arab Emirates. Nuclear for SAs just transition Eskom has advocated for the expansion of nuclear energy to assist South Africa to achieve its climate change goals that were set by the Paris Agreement. At the 2022 COP26 climate summit, the US agreed to give South Africa $8.5 billion to enable us to shift to a low-carbon economy. Nuclear energy is important to achieve many of the Sustainable Development Goals. One of these goals is affordable and clean energy, notes Usman. Small modular reactors could be the ticket. Usman explains that small-scale modular nuclear power projects, that include land and marine water-cooled reactors, are a more suitable alternative to large power stations like Koeberg. Using small modular reactors, we can without a doubt transition to a low-carbon economy. Furthermore, they are cost effective, dont need a lot of space, and can be built in three years. The resultant nuclear supply can add to the energy mix, reduce loadshedding and ultimately, boost our economy, says Usman. Climate change journalism in SA misses the mark The kind of coverage favoured by South African media probably doesnt do much to improve the publics understanding of climate change. South Africas media houses rely too heavily on events like conferences, climate disasters and the release of scientific papers in their reporting on climate change. Thats a problem: it creates the potential for day-to-day issues related to climate change, like ongoing mitigation and adaptation efforts, to go unreported. Thats one of the key findings of a study I recently conducted into how the countrys media cover the climate crisis. I also identified major shortcomings in overall communication on the climate crisis by key stakeholders in South Africa policymakers, captains of industry, scientists and non-governmental organisations. These shortcomings are hugely worrying given what scientists say lies in store for South Africa in the coming years. Along with many parts of the broader southern African region, it is projected to become both warmer and drier, putting pressure on water security and agriculture. Increasing heatwaves will affect human health and result in deaths. Tropical cyclones are likely to become stronger, with catastrophic impacts in central and southern regions of Mozambique and certain areas in north-eastern South Africa. The kind of coverage favoured by South African media probably doesnt do much to improve the publics understanding of climate change because they cannot associate the reporting with their day-to-day lives even though, as the science makes clear, the toll is tremendous. It also leaves the impression that climate change is an issue for elites, politicians and activists, and not ordinary people. Ignoring the end of the world The study was jointly commissioned by the Wits University Centre for Journalism (South Africa) and Fojo Media Institute of Linnaeus University, Sweden. To conduct the study, I reviewed some 476 articles published between September 2021 and August 2022 about climate change in 11 online South African publications that report frequently on the issue. I also interviewed 42 people from government institutions, civil society and the corporate sector, as well as members of the media and climate change scientists. The majority of climate change-related stories I reviewed were about the release of scientific reports, or high-profile global meetings. However, some local media houses barely covered perhaps the most important and high-profile of these publications: the Sixth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). The presentation of the report by UN secretary-general, Antonio Guterres, on 9 August 2021, was covered live by the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) and Al Jazeera, and dominated their bulletins throughout the day. None of South Africas news networks covered the reports release on the day. This choice led South African political scientist Steven Friedman to declare: Mainstream media ignore the end of the world. Foreign news dominates Another key finding of the study is that South Africas media have relied on news from foreign news networks in their reporting on the climate crisis. This dominance of foreign news reports creates the impression among audiences that climate change is not a local concern. It has been well established in media theory that if some development is not reported in the media, it is viewed as less important than those that are. This reporting also creates a psychological distance between audiences and climate change; they come to see it as a distant problem. After the fact Where local stories were covered, these tended to centre on disasters. One example was extensive reporting on the disastrous floods in the KwaZulu-Natal province in April 2022, in which the media mentioned climate change as the cause. Of course, the coverage of climate disasters is an obvious choice for any newsroom. But, as some interviewees in my study pointed out, communities need ongoing reporting on the climate crisis to inform and educate them about adaptation so they can prepare themselves for future disasters. Reporting only after the fact of a disaster was not, they said, particularly helpful. The interviewees also argued that climate change news was not attractive to most audiences because it did not talk to their pressing day-to-day concerns. They decried the fact that most articles on the climate crisis were published in online media and some were behind paywalls. This was seen as limiting public access, particularly by ordinary people who need the information the most because they are especially vulnerable to the effects of climate change. Finally, interviewees lambasted communication from stakeholders other than the media. They suggested that this stifled media coverage. If institutions such as the government, for instance, were communicating more extensively on the crisis, the media would follow suit and improve their own coverage. Recommendations The findings of the study could be addressed in several ways. For instance, I propose an indaba (workshop) involving key stakeholders like the government, NGOs, scientists, policymakers and journalists to discuss the issue of climate change journalism and the overall communication of the crisis in South Africa. Academic institutions should also introduce courses on climate change journalism and communication. Enock Sithole, Lecturer, University of the Witwatersrand. This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article. Villagers in El-Aliqat village in the Upper Egyptian governorate of Qena have tested positive for the mosquito-borne dengue virus, the Ministry of Health announced in a statement on Tuesday. Should I get the flu vaccine? South African experts say yes Vaccines remain the most effective method available to prevent flu, especially severe flu illness. The winter months are synonymous with the flu in South Africa. Similar to other countries in the southern hemisphere, South Africa has an annual influenza season stretching from April to August. Influenza (flu) is an acute respiratory illness caused by an infection of the respiratory tract with the influenza virus. Influenza is spread through respiratory droplets which you breathe in or can pick up from contaminated surfaces. People infected with the influenza virus how a wide range of symptoms such as sudden onset of fever, muscle pains and body aches, cough, sore throat, blocked or runny nose and headache. For most people, recovering from flu involves a few days of mild symptoms which resolve with symptomatic treatment. But for some, the flu can be deadly. The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that there are over 1 billion flu cases occur each year. These include between three and five million cases of severe flu illness with people requiring hospitalisation and between 290,000 and 650,000 deaths each year. In severe cases influenza can spread to the lungs or weaken your lungs so that you get a bacterial infection. An infection of the the lower respiratory tract including the lungs is called pneumonia. In people with underlying heart or lung disease influenza infection can also cause worsening of these conditions. Treatment for flu is mainly symptomatic. This includes bed rest and over the counter medicines to reduce fever like paracetemol. The best way to avoid getting ill is to get vaccinated. South Africa is currently seeing a spike in flu cases. As epidemiologists who research respiratory diseases, we urge those who havent had a flu vaccine yet to do so. This will help protect the individual and those around them from severe illness. Getting vaccinated The first reason you should strongly consider getting vaccinated against the flu if you havent done so yet is to protect yourself. Results from a modelling study we conducted using 2013-2015 data estimated an average of 10,737,847 influenza-associated illnesses and 11,536 deaths every year in South Africa. Flu vaccines remain the most effective method available to prevent flu illness, especially severe illness. The main reason to get the flu vaccine is to lower your risk of being sick with flu. Most individuals infected with the flu virus will have mild illness. But certain groups of people are at risk of having severe flu illness or having flu complications or death. The flu vaccine has been shown to lower the risk of severe illness or complications. The groups who have a high risk of severe illness or complications include: pregnant women at any stage of pregnancy, including postpartum individuals with chronic medical conditions (such as cardiac diseases, chronic renal diseases, diabetes mellitus) immunocompromised people (such as people living with HIV, cancer patients) elderly individuals (over 65 years). Individuals who fall in the groups above are strongly encouraged to get vaccinated for influenza each year. Flu vaccination also prevents chronic health conditions from getting worse. For example, flu vaccination has been associated with lower rates of some cardiac events among people with heart disease. If many people are vaccinated, it will also decrease the spread of influenza in communities. Specifically, health workers are encouraged to vaccinate as they are at risk of getting infected with influenza from their patients. They are also more likely to transmit the virus to their patients, who may be at risk of severe flu illness if not vaccinated. Not too late Ideally, flu vaccines should be administered ahead of the flu season around March or April as it takes approximately 14 days for the body to build immune responses to protect against infection. However, it is never too late to get the flu vaccine as long as the influenza virus is circulating. It is recommended that people get vaccinated every year (season) because circulating vaccine strains differ each year. The previous vaccination may not protect against the new strain circulating. And the individual immunity wanes over time. Namhla Bhenxa, an epidemiologist at the National Institute for Communicable Diseases, is the main contributor on this article. Jocelyn Moyes, Medical Epidemiologist, National Institute for Communicable Diseases; Cheryl Cohen, Co-head of the Centre for Respiratory Disease and Meningitis, National Institute for Communicable Diseases, and Sibongile Walaza, Medical Epidemiologist at the National Institute of Communicable Diseases and Lecturer at the School of Public Health, University of the Witwatersrand This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article. PIMCO California Municipal Income Fund II (NYSE:PCK Free Report) saw a significant growth in short interest in the month of June. As of June 15th, there was short interest totalling 10,400 shares, a growth of 36.8% from the May 31st total of 7,600 shares. Based on an average trading volume of 64,200 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is presently 0.2 days. PIMCO California Municipal Income Fund II Stock Performance Shares of NYSE PCK traded up $0.02 during trading hours on Monday, reaching $5.97. The stock had a trading volume of 53,396 shares, compared to its average volume of 82,224. The businesss fifty day moving average is $5.98 and its two-hundred day moving average is $6.21. PIMCO California Municipal Income Fund II has a twelve month low of $5.72 and a twelve month high of $7.60. Get PIMCO California Municipal Income Fund II alerts: PIMCO California Municipal Income Fund II Cuts Dividend The company also recently announced a monthly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, July 3rd. Investors of record on Monday, June 12th will be paid a $0.0215 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Friday, June 9th. This represents a $0.26 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 4.32%. Institutional Inflows and Outflows PIMCO California Municipal Income Fund II Company Profile A number of large investors have recently modified their holdings of the company. Advisors Asset Management Inc. raised its stake in shares of PIMCO California Municipal Income Fund II by 9.2% in the first quarter. Advisors Asset Management Inc. now owns 675,731 shares of the closed-end funds stock valued at $4,190,000 after purchasing an additional 56,922 shares in the last quarter. Bank of America Corp DE raised its stake in shares of PIMCO California Municipal Income Fund II by 358.0% in the first quarter. Bank of America Corp DE now owns 55,241 shares of the closed-end funds stock valued at $342,000 after purchasing an additional 43,179 shares in the last quarter. Core Wealth Partners LLC acquired a new position in PIMCO California Municipal Income Fund II during the first quarter worth $563,000. Cerity Partners LLC acquired a new position in PIMCO California Municipal Income Fund II during the first quarter worth $124,000. Finally, Ackerman Capital Advisors LLC acquired a new position in PIMCO California Municipal Income Fund II during the first quarter worth $874,000. (Free Report) PIMCO California Municipal Income Fund II is a closed ended fixed income mutual fund launched and managed by Allianz Global Investors Fund Management LLC. It is co-managed by Pacific Investment Management Company LLC. The fund invests in fixed income markets of United States. It seeks to invest in stocks of companies operating across diversified sectors. Featured Articles Receive News & Ratings for PIMCO California Municipal Income Fund II Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for PIMCO California Municipal Income Fund II and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. American Eagle Outfitters, Inc. (NYSE:AEO Free Report) announced a quarterly dividend on Wednesday, June 7th, RTT News reports. Investors of record on Friday, July 7th will be paid a dividend of 0.10 per share by the apparel retailer on Friday, July 21st. This represents a $0.40 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.28%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, July 6th. American Eagle Outfitters has decreased its dividend payment by an average of 13.2% annually over the last three years. American Eagle Outfitters has a payout ratio of 36.7% indicating that its dividend is sufficiently covered by earnings. Research analysts expect American Eagle Outfitters to earn $1.04 per share next year, which means the company should continue to be able to cover its $0.40 annual dividend with an expected future payout ratio of 38.5%. Get American Eagle Outfitters alerts: American Eagle Outfitters Price Performance Shares of AEO opened at $12.19 on Tuesday. The company has a market capitalization of $2.41 billion, a P/E ratio of 22.16, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.51 and a beta of 1.55. The company has a quick ratio of 0.70, a current ratio of 1.58 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.02. The firm has a 50 day moving average of $12.07 and a 200 day moving average of $13.62. American Eagle Outfitters has a twelve month low of $9.46 and a twelve month high of $17.09. Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth American Eagle Outfitters ( NYSE:AEO Free Report ) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, May 24th. The apparel retailer reported $0.17 earnings per share for the quarter, meeting the consensus estimate of $0.17. The company had revenue of $1.08 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.07 billion. American Eagle Outfitters had a net margin of 2.23% and a return on equity of 12.89%. The firms quarterly revenue was up 2.5% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the firm earned $0.16 earnings per share. As a group, equities research analysts anticipate that American Eagle Outfitters will post 1.01 earnings per share for the current fiscal year. A number of equities research analysts have commented on the stock. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their target price on shares of American Eagle Outfitters from $14.00 to $15.00 in a research report on Monday, May 8th. Barclays cut their target price on shares of American Eagle Outfitters from $13.00 to $11.00 in a research report on Thursday, May 25th. Bank of America cut their target price on shares of American Eagle Outfitters from $14.00 to $9.00 in a research report on Thursday, May 25th. Citigroup cut their target price on shares of American Eagle Outfitters from $17.00 to $14.00 in a research report on Thursday, May 18th. Finally, UBS Group cut their target price on shares of American Eagle Outfitters from $22.00 to $19.00 and set a buy rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, March 29th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, nine have assigned a hold rating and one has issued a buy rating to the companys stock. According to MarketBeat, American Eagle Outfitters presently has an average rating of Hold and a consensus price target of $13.42. Insider Activity at American Eagle Outfitters In related news, EVP Michael R. Rempell sold 2,967 shares of American Eagle Outfitters stock in a transaction on Monday, April 10th. The shares were sold at an average price of $13.56, for a total transaction of $40,232.52. Following the transaction, the executive vice president now owns 172,003 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,332,360.68. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. 7.50% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders. Institutional Trading of American Eagle Outfitters Hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. State of Wyoming purchased a new stake in American Eagle Outfitters in the 4th quarter worth $27,000. Canada Pension Plan Investment Board bought a new stake in shares of American Eagle Outfitters in the 1st quarter worth about $37,000. Quarry LP bought a new stake in shares of American Eagle Outfitters in the 1st quarter worth about $38,000. Public Employees Retirement System of Ohio bought a new stake in shares of American Eagle Outfitters in the 1st quarter worth about $85,000. Finally, PFS Investments Inc. bought a new stake in shares of American Eagle Outfitters in the 4th quarter worth about $144,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 86.69% of the companys stock. About American Eagle Outfitters (Free Report) American Eagle Outfitters, Inc operates as a specialty retailer that provides clothing, accessories, and personal care products under the American Eagle and Aerie brands in the United States and internationally. The company provides jeans, apparel and accessories, and personal care products for women and men; and intimates, apparel, activewear, and swim collections. Further Reading Receive News & Ratings for American Eagle Outfitters Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for American Eagle Outfitters and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. AustralianSuper Pty Ltd boosted its stake in shares of Abbott Laboratories (NYSE:ABT Free Report) by 3.5% in the 1st quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 2,746,023 shares of the healthcare product makers stock after acquiring an additional 91,720 shares during the quarter. Abbott Laboratories accounts for about 1.7% of AustralianSuper Pty Ltds investment portfolio, making the stock its 13th largest holding. AustralianSuper Pty Ltd owned approximately 0.16% of Abbott Laboratories worth $278,062,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also bought and sold shares of the stock. Cyndeo Wealth Partners LLC increased its stake in shares of Abbott Laboratories by 4.4% in the first quarter. Cyndeo Wealth Partners LLC now owns 124,328 shares of the healthcare product makers stock worth $1,042,000 after buying an additional 5,200 shares during the period. James Hambro & Partners increased its position in shares of Abbott Laboratories by 46.1% in the first quarter. James Hambro & Partners now owns 3,215 shares of the healthcare product makers stock valued at $326,000 after acquiring an additional 1,015 shares during the period. PFG Advisors raised its stake in shares of Abbott Laboratories by 5.6% during the first quarter. PFG Advisors now owns 12,913 shares of the healthcare product makers stock valued at $1,308,000 after acquiring an additional 683 shares during the last quarter. Main Street Financial Solutions LLC grew its stake in shares of Abbott Laboratories by 2.6% in the first quarter. Main Street Financial Solutions LLC now owns 10,735 shares of the healthcare product makers stock worth $1,088,000 after purchasing an additional 275 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Kovack Advisors Inc. raised its position in Abbott Laboratories by 16.9% during the 1st quarter. Kovack Advisors Inc. now owns 8,657 shares of the healthcare product makers stock valued at $877,000 after purchasing an additional 1,253 shares during the last quarter. 73.08% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors. Get Abbott Laboratories alerts: Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth ABT has been the topic of several research analyst reports. SVB Leerink boosted their target price on Abbott Laboratories from $90.00 to $102.00 and gave the company a market perform rating in a research note on Friday, March 31st. Wolfe Research decreased their price objective on shares of Abbott Laboratories from $107.00 to $103.00 and set an underperform rating for the company in a report on Thursday, April 20th. Sanford C. Bernstein lifted their target price on shares of Abbott Laboratories from $132.00 to $133.00 and gave the company an outperform rating in a research note on Thursday, April 20th. StockNews.com began coverage on Abbott Laboratories in a research note on Thursday, May 18th. They issued a buy rating on the stock. Finally, Bank of America dropped their target price on shares of Abbott Laboratories from $125.00 to $115.00 in a report on Thursday, March 30th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, five have given a hold rating and eleven have issued a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, Abbott Laboratories presently has an average rating of Moderate Buy and an average price target of $121.26. Insider Buying and Selling Abbott Laboratories Stock Performance In related news, Director Daniel J. Starks sold 50,000 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, May 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $111.02, for a total value of $5,551,000.00. Following the sale, the director now directly owns 6,825,316 shares in the company, valued at approximately $757,746,582.32. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link . In other news, Director Daniel J. Starks sold 50,000 shares of the companys stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, May 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $111.02, for a total value of $5,551,000.00. Following the transaction, the director now directly owns 6,825,316 shares in the company, valued at approximately $757,746,582.32. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink . Also, EVP Andrea F. Wainer sold 8,226 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, May 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $110.56, for a total value of $909,466.56. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president now directly owns 70,427 shares in the company, valued at approximately $7,786,409.12. The disclosure for this sale can be found here . 1.10% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders. ABT opened at $107.22 on Tuesday. The firm has a market cap of $186.45 billion, a P/E ratio of 32.59, a PEG ratio of 4.88 and a beta of 0.68. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.39, a current ratio of 1.68 and a quick ratio of 1.22. Abbott Laboratories has a 1-year low of $93.25 and a 1-year high of $115.69. The company has a 50 day simple moving average of $106.82 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $106.31. Abbott Laboratories (NYSE:ABT Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Wednesday, April 19th. The healthcare product maker reported $1.03 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.98 by $0.05. The business had revenue of $9.75 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $9.64 billion. Abbott Laboratories had a return on equity of 22.36% and a net margin of 13.98%. The businesss quarterly revenue was down 18.1% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the company posted $1.73 EPS. Equities analysts forecast that Abbott Laboratories will post 4.39 earnings per share for the current fiscal year. Abbott Laboratories Announces Dividend The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, August 15th. Shareholders of record on Friday, July 14th will be issued a $0.51 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, July 13th. This represents a $2.04 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.90%. Abbott Laboratoriess payout ratio is 62.01%. About Abbott Laboratories (Free Report) Abbott Laboratories, together with its subsidiaries, discovers, develops, manufactures, and sells health care products worldwide. It operates in four segments: Established Pharmaceutical Products, Diagnostic Products, Nutritional Products, and Medical Devices. The Established Pharmaceutical Products segment provides generic pharmaceuticals for the treatment of pancreatic exocrine insufficiency, irritable bowel syndrome or biliary spasm, intrahepatic cholestasis or depressive symptoms, gynecological disorder, hormone replacement therapy, dyslipidemia, hypertension, hypothyroidism, Meniere's disease and vestibular vertigo, pain, fever, inflammation, and migraine, as well as provides anti-infective clarithromycin, influenza vaccine, and products to regulate physiological rhythm of the colon. See Also Receive News & Ratings for Abbott Laboratories Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Abbott Laboratories and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Baldwin Brothers LLC MA cut its position in The Bank of New York Mellon Co. (NYSE:BK Free Report) by 1.7% during the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 17,516 shares of the banks stock after selling 300 shares during the period. Baldwin Brothers LLC MAs holdings in Bank of New York Mellon were worth $796,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. A number of other large investors also recently modified their holdings of the company. Public Employees Retirement System of Ohio grew its position in shares of Bank of New York Mellon by 0.5% in the 3rd quarter. Public Employees Retirement System of Ohio now owns 436,802 shares of the banks stock valued at $16,826,000 after buying an additional 2,220 shares during the last quarter. U.S. Capital Wealth Advisors LLC purchased a new position in shares of Bank of New York Mellon in the 4th quarter valued at $78,000. Teza Capital Management LLC purchased a new position in shares of Bank of New York Mellon in the 3rd quarter valued at $1,962,000. Meritage Portfolio Management grew its position in shares of Bank of New York Mellon by 4.8% in the 4th quarter. Meritage Portfolio Management now owns 98,444 shares of the banks stock valued at $4,481,000 after buying an additional 4,538 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Wrapmanager Inc. purchased a new position in shares of Bank of New York Mellon in the 4th quarter valued at $203,000. 81.19% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors. Get Bank of New York Mellon alerts: Bank of New York Mellon Stock Performance Shares of BK stock traded up $0.55 during mid-day trading on Tuesday, hitting $45.07. The stock had a trading volume of 1,446,475 shares, compared to its average volume of 4,454,208. The Bank of New York Mellon Co. has a fifty-two week low of $36.22 and a fifty-two week high of $52.26. The firm has a market cap of $35.57 billion, a PE ratio of 14.26, a PEG ratio of 1.16 and a beta of 1.09. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.92, a current ratio of 0.69 and a quick ratio of 0.69. The companys 50-day simple moving average is $42.30 and its 200-day simple moving average is $45.63. Bank of New York Mellon Announces Dividend Bank of New York Mellon ( NYSE:BK Free Report ) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, April 18th. The bank reported $1.12 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.09 by $0.03. Bank of New York Mellon had a net margin of 11.98% and a return on equity of 11.45%. The firm had revenue of $4.36 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $4.40 billion. During the same quarter last year, the business earned $0.86 earnings per share. The businesss revenue for the quarter was up 11.1% compared to the same quarter last year. Sell-side analysts anticipate that The Bank of New York Mellon Co. will post 4.78 earnings per share for the current year. The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, May 11th. Investors of record on Friday, April 28th were given a dividend of $0.37 per share. This represents a $1.48 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.28%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Thursday, April 27th. Bank of New York Mellons dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 46.84%. Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades BK has been the subject of a number of recent research reports. Citigroup increased their price target on shares of Bank of New York Mellon from $55.00 to $58.00 in a research note on Wednesday, June 14th. StockNews.com initiated coverage on shares of Bank of New York Mellon in a research note on Thursday, May 18th. They set a hold rating for the company. Barclays decreased their price target on shares of Bank of New York Mellon from $64.00 to $62.00 in a research note on Wednesday, April 12th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft decreased their price target on shares of Bank of New York Mellon from $42.00 to $41.00 in a research note on Wednesday, April 19th. Finally, Evercore ISI decreased their price target on shares of Bank of New York Mellon from $49.00 to $46.00 in a research note on Friday, May 12th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, five have issued a hold rating and six have issued a buy rating to the companys stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of Hold and an average price target of $52.12. Bank of New York Mellon Company Profile (Free Report) The Bank of New York Mellon Corporation provides a range of financial products and services in the United States and internationally. The company operates through Securities Services, Market and Wealth Services, Investment and Wealth Management, and other segments. The Securities Services segment offers custody, trust and depositary, accounting, exchange-traded funds, middle-office solutions, transfer agency, services for private equity and real estate funds, foreign exchange, securities lending, liquidity/lending services, and data analytics. See Also Receive News & Ratings for Bank of New York Mellon Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Bank of New York Mellon and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Bogart Wealth LLC lifted its position in shares of iShares MSCI Intl Quality Factor ETF (NYSEARCA:IQLT Free Report) by 1,269,286.9% in the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 1,358,244 shares of the companys stock after acquiring an additional 1,358,137 shares during the quarter. iShares MSCI Intl Quality Factor ETF makes up about 3.2% of Bogart Wealth LLCs investment portfolio, making the stock its 6th largest position. Bogart Wealth LLC owned approximately 0.94% of iShares MSCI Intl Quality Factor ETF worth $47,946,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period. A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in IQLT. NewEdge Advisors LLC raised its position in shares of iShares MSCI Intl Quality Factor ETF by 6.7% during the first quarter. NewEdge Advisors LLC now owns 147,632 shares of the companys stock worth $5,443,000 after acquiring an additional 9,246 shares during the last quarter. Interchange Capital Partners LLC raised its position in shares of iShares MSCI Intl Quality Factor ETF by 22.2% during the first quarter. Interchange Capital Partners LLC now owns 73,428 shares of the companys stock worth $2,707,000 after acquiring an additional 13,329 shares during the last quarter. Certified Advisory Corp raised its position in shares of iShares MSCI Intl Quality Factor ETF by 27.6% during the first quarter. Certified Advisory Corp now owns 112,704 shares of the companys stock worth $4,155,000 after acquiring an additional 24,399 shares during the last quarter. SVB Wealth LLC raised its position in shares of iShares MSCI Intl Quality Factor ETF by 0.7% during the first quarter. SVB Wealth LLC now owns 743,314 shares of the companys stock worth $27,406,000 after acquiring an additional 5,372 shares during the last quarter. Finally, IHT Wealth Management LLC raised its position in shares of iShares MSCI Intl Quality Factor ETF by 23.0% during the first quarter. IHT Wealth Management LLC now owns 28,142 shares of the companys stock worth $1,038,000 after acquiring an additional 5,257 shares during the last quarter. Get iShares MSCI Intl Quality Factor ETF alerts: iShares MSCI Intl Quality Factor ETF Price Performance Shares of IQLT stock traded down $0.01 on Tuesday, reaching $35.59. 651,945 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 1,254,572. The stock has a 50 day moving average price of $35.58 and a 200 day moving average price of $34.79. The stock has a market cap of $5.50 billion, a PE ratio of 13.88 and a beta of 0.87. iShares MSCI Intl Quality Factor ETF has a one year low of $27.02 and a one year high of $36.45. iShares MSCI Intl Quality Factor ETF Company Profile The iShares MSCI Intl Quality Factor ETF (IQLT) is an exchange-traded fund that is based on the World ex USA Sector Neutral Quality index. The fund tracks an index of large- and mid-cap stocks in developed countries, outside of the US. The index is selected and weighted for exposure to fundamental quality metrics. Featured Articles Want to see what other hedge funds are holding IQLT? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for iShares MSCI Intl Quality Factor ETF (NYSEARCA:IQLT Free Report). Receive News & Ratings for iShares MSCI Intl Quality Factor ETF Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for iShares MSCI Intl Quality Factor ETF and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Capital Investment Advisory Services LLC trimmed its stake in iShares MSCI USA Min Vol Factor ETF (BATS:USMV Free Report) by 0.5% during the first quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 30,076 shares of the companys stock after selling 166 shares during the period. Capital Investment Advisory Services LLCs holdings in iShares MSCI USA Min Vol Factor ETF were worth $2,188,000 at the end of the most recent quarter. A number of other hedge funds have also recently modified their holdings of USMV. Bank of Montreal Can grew its position in iShares MSCI USA Min Vol Factor ETF by 7.8% during the 1st quarter. Bank of Montreal Can now owns 8,253 shares of the companys stock worth $646,000 after purchasing an additional 594 shares during the last quarter. Blair William & Co. IL grew its position in iShares MSCI USA Min Vol Factor ETF by 1.7% during the 1st quarter. Blair William & Co. IL now owns 95,612 shares of the companys stock worth $7,417,000 after purchasing an additional 1,612 shares during the last quarter. AJ Wealth Strategies LLC grew its position in iShares MSCI USA Min Vol Factor ETF by 4.4% during the 1st quarter. AJ Wealth Strategies LLC now owns 1,348,690 shares of the companys stock worth $104,618,000 after purchasing an additional 57,434 shares during the last quarter. Founders Financial Securities LLC grew its position in iShares MSCI USA Min Vol Factor ETF by 27.0% during the 1st quarter. Founders Financial Securities LLC now owns 88,779 shares of the companys stock worth $6,887,000 after purchasing an additional 18,853 shares during the last quarter. Finally, West Michigan Advisors LLC grew its position in iShares MSCI USA Min Vol Factor ETF by 6.1% during the 1st quarter. West Michigan Advisors LLC now owns 12,575 shares of the companys stock worth $975,000 after purchasing an additional 719 shares during the last quarter. Get iShares MSCI USA Min Vol Factor ETF alerts: iShares MSCI USA Min Vol Factor ETF Stock Performance Shares of iShares MSCI USA Min Vol Factor ETF stock opened at $74.25 on Tuesday. iShares MSCI USA Min Vol Factor ETF has a 1 year low of $47.44 and a 1 year high of $55.45. The company has a market capitalization of $29.60 billion, a P/E ratio of 20.17 and a beta of 0.75. The companys fifty day moving average is $72.94 and its two-hundred day moving average is $72.48. iShares MSCI USA Min Vol Factor ETF Profile The iShares MSCI USA Min Vol Factor ETF (USMV) is an exchange-traded fund that is based on the MSCI USA Minimum Volatility (USD) index. The fund tracks an index of US-listed firms selected and weighted to create a low-volatility portfolio subject to various constraints. USMV was launched on Oct 18, 2011 and is managed by BlackRock. See Also Receive News & Ratings for iShares MSCI USA Min Vol Factor ETF Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for iShares MSCI USA Min Vol Factor ETF and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Millions suffered through intense heat Wednesday as fires raged, health worries mounted and the world appeared headed for its hottest month of July on record. Cementos Pacasmayo S.A.A. (NYSE:CPAC Free Report) was the target of a large decline in short interest during the month of June. As of June 15th, there was short interest totalling 3,700 shares, a decline of 36.2% from the May 31st total of 5,800 shares. Based on an average daily volume of 2,700 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is presently 1.4 days. Cementos Pacasmayo S.A.A. Stock Performance Shares of CPAC traded up $0.01 during mid-day trading on Tuesday, reaching $5.10. The company had a trading volume of 1,210 shares, compared to its average volume of 2,686. Cementos Pacasmayo S.A.A. has a 52-week low of $4.39 and a 52-week high of $6.14. The company has a quick ratio of 0.32, a current ratio of 1.90 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.05. The stock has a market capitalization of $432.33 million, a P/E ratio of 9.81 and a beta of 0.52. The stock has a 50 day moving average of $5.32 and a two-hundred day moving average of $5.29. Get Cementos Pacasmayo S.A.A. alerts: Cementos Pacasmayo S.A.A. (NYSE:CPAC Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Wednesday, April 26th. The construction company reported $0.13 EPS for the quarter. Cementos Pacasmayo S.A.A. had a return on equity of 13.95% and a net margin of 8.45%. The firm had revenue of $125.92 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $139.45 million. On average, analysts expect that Cementos Pacasmayo S.A.A. will post 0.57 earnings per share for the current year. Institutional Trading of Cementos Pacasmayo S.A.A. About Cementos Pacasmayo S.A.A. A hedge fund recently raised its stake in Cementos Pacasmayo S.A.A. stock. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP lifted its stake in Cementos Pacasmayo S.A.A. ( NYSE:CPAC Free Report ) by 6.4% during the first quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 98,674 shares of the construction companys stock after buying an additional 5,935 shares during the quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LPs holdings in Cementos Pacasmayo S.A.A. were worth $670,000 as of its most recent SEC filing. 0.37% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors. (Free Report) Cementos Pacasmayo SAA., a cement company, produces, distributes, and sells cement and cement-related materials in Peru. It operates through three segments: Cement, Concrete, Mortar, and Precast; Quicklime; and Sales of Construction Supplies. The company's cement and concrete products are used in residential and commercial construction, and civil engineering; ready-mix concrete used in construction sites; concrete precast, such as paving units or paver stones for pedestrian walkways, as well as other bricks for partition walls and concrete precast for structural and non-structural uses; and cement-based products. Featured Articles Receive News & Ratings for Cementos Pacasmayo S.A.A. Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Cementos Pacasmayo S.A.A. and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. StockNews.com upgraded shares of Compania de Minas Buenaventura S.A.A. (NYSE:BVN Free Report) from a sell rating to a hold rating in a report issued on Friday morning. Separately, Morgan Stanley cut their price objective on shares of Compania de Minas Buenaventura S.A.A. from $9.30 to $8.60 in a research report on Wednesday, June 21st. Get Compania de Minas Buenaventura S.A.A. alerts: Compania de Minas Buenaventura S.A.A. Price Performance Shares of NYSE:BVN opened at $7.47 on Friday. Compania de Minas Buenaventura S.A.A. has a one year low of $5.09 and a one year high of $8.73. The company has a quick ratio of 1.45, a current ratio of 1.72 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.22. The company has a 50-day simple moving average of $7.16 and a 200-day simple moving average of $7.65. Compania de Minas Buenaventura S.A.A. Announces Dividend Compania de Minas Buenaventura S.A.A. ( NYSE:BVN Free Report ) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, April 27th. The mining company reported $0.25 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.17 by $0.08. Compania de Minas Buenaventura S.A.A. had a net margin of 9.29% and a return on equity of 2.31%. The business had revenue of $185.50 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $185.52 million. As a group, equities research analysts forecast that Compania de Minas Buenaventura S.A.A. will post 0.57 EPS for the current year. The company also recently disclosed a semi-annual dividend, which was paid on Thursday, May 11th. Stockholders of record on Monday, April 24th were paid a $0.073 dividend. This represents a dividend yield of 1%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, April 21st. Compania de Minas Buenaventura S.A.A.s payout ratio is 25.00%. Hedge Funds Weigh In On Compania de Minas Buenaventura S.A.A. A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Peapack Gladstone Financial Corp lifted its position in Compania de Minas Buenaventura S.A.A. by 11.5% during the 1st quarter. Peapack Gladstone Financial Corp now owns 14,506 shares of the mining companys stock worth $119,000 after buying an additional 1,500 shares in the last quarter. Profund Advisors LLC raised its holdings in shares of Compania de Minas Buenaventura S.A.A. by 7.5% in the first quarter. Profund Advisors LLC now owns 26,851 shares of the mining companys stock valued at $220,000 after purchasing an additional 1,872 shares during the last quarter. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. increased its holdings in Compania de Minas Buenaventura S.A.A. by 0.6% during the second quarter. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. now owns 338,594 shares of the mining companys stock worth $2,234,000 after buying an additional 1,994 shares during the last quarter. Aviva PLC increased its holdings in Compania de Minas Buenaventura S.A.A. by 2.1% during the first quarter. Aviva PLC now owns 100,459 shares of the mining companys stock worth $1,012,000 after buying an additional 2,100 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Dimensional Fund Advisors LP increased its holdings in Compania de Minas Buenaventura S.A.A. by 0.7% during the first quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 315,584 shares of the mining companys stock worth $3,174,000 after buying an additional 2,118 shares during the last quarter. About Compania de Minas Buenaventura S.A.A. (Free Report) Compania de Minas Buenaventura SAA. engages in the exploration, mining, concentration, smelting, and marketing of polymetallic ores and metals in Peru, the United States, Asia, and Europe. The company explores for gold, silver, lead, zinc, and copper metals. It operates operating mining units, including Tambomayo located in the Caylloma province, Orcopampa Unit located in the province of Castilla, Uchucchacua located in province of Oyon, Julcani located in province of Angaraes, Peru, as well as San Gabrie located in the province of General Sanchez Cerro, in the Moquegua region. Further Reading Receive News & Ratings for Compania de Minas Buenaventura S.A.A. Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Compania de Minas Buenaventura S.A.A. and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Moncler (OTCMKTS:MONRF Free Report) and Vince (NYSE:VNCE Free Report) are both consumer cyclical companies, but which is the better business? We will compare the two companies based on the strength of their profitability, valuation, dividends, earnings, analyst recommendations, institutional ownership and risk. Analyst Recommendations This is a breakdown of current recommendations for Moncler and Vince, as provided by MarketBeat. Get Moncler alerts: Sell Ratings Hold Ratings Buy Ratings Strong Buy Ratings Rating Score Moncler 0 1 2 0 2.67 Vince 0 0 0 0 N/A Moncler currently has a consensus price target of $53.50, suggesting a potential downside of 21.32%. Given Monclers higher probable upside, research analysts clearly believe Moncler is more favorable than Vince. Valuation & Earnings Gross Revenue Price/Sales Ratio Net Income Earnings Per Share Price/Earnings Ratio Moncler N/A N/A N/A $0.42 160.38 Vince $357.44 million 0.10 -$38.35 million ($2.58) -1.07 This table compares Moncler and Vinces revenue, earnings per share (EPS) and valuation. Moncler has higher earnings, but lower revenue than Vince. Vince is trading at a lower price-to-earnings ratio than Moncler, indicating that it is currently the more affordable of the two stocks. Institutional & Insider Ownership 12.2% of Moncler shares are held by institutional investors. Comparatively, 15.5% of Vince shares are held by institutional investors. 1.7% of Vince shares are held by company insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that endowments, hedge funds and large money managers believe a company is poised for long-term growth. Profitability This table compares Moncler and Vinces net margins, return on equity and return on assets. Net Margins Return on Equity Return on Assets Moncler N/A N/A N/A Vince -9.20% -119.86% -9.80% Summary Moncler beats Vince on 6 of the 9 factors compared between the two stocks. About Moncler (Free Report) Moncler S.p.A., together with its subsidiaries, designs, produces, and distributes clothing and related accessories for men, women, and children under the Moncler and Stone Island brand names. Its product portfolio includes footwear products; leather goods, such as bags, backpacks, and accessories; and sunglasses and eyeglasses under the Moncler Lunettes brand. The company also offers perfume for men and women. It operates directly operated stores and wholesale shop-in-shops. The company also sells its products through moncler.com, an online store. It serves in Italy, other European countries, Japan, the rest of Asia, and the Americas. Moncler S.p.A. was founded in 1952 and is headquartered in Milan, Italy. About Vince (Free Report) Vince Holding Corp. designs, merchandises, and sells luxury apparel and accessories in the United States and internationally. It operates through three segments: Vince Wholesale, Vince Direct-to-Consumer, and Rebecca Taylor and Parker. The company offers a range of women's products, such as cashmere sweaters, silk blouses, leather and suede leggings and jackets, dresses, skirts, denims, pants, t-shirts, footwear, outerwear, and accessories; and men's products comprising t-shirts, knit and woven tops, sweaters, denims, pants, blazers, footwear, and outerwear under the Vince brand. It also offers occasion-forward dresses, suiting, silk blouses, leather and tweed jackets, outerwear, jumpsuits, cotton dresses and blouses, denim, sweaters, pants, skirts and knit, and woven tops under the Rebecca Taylor and Parker brands. The company sells its products directly to consumers through its branded specialty retail stores and outlet stores, as well as through its vince.com e-commerce platform and subscription business through Vince Unfold, vinceunfold.com; and to wholesale department stores and specialty stores. The company was formerly known as Apparel Holding Corp. and changed its name to Vince Holding Corp. in November 2013. Vince Holding Corp. was founded in 2002 and is headquartered in New York, New York. Receive News & Ratings for Moncler Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Moncler and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Cottage Street Advisors LLC trimmed its position in 3M (NYSE:MMM Free Report) by 99.5% during the 1st quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 3,296 shares of the conglomerates stock after selling 622,408 shares during the quarter. Cottage Street Advisors LLCs holdings in 3M were worth $346,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period. Other hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Dfpg Investments LLC purchased a new position in shares of 3M in the 4th quarter worth $531,000. Mirador Capital Partners LP purchased a new stake in 3M during the first quarter valued at approximately $304,000. Zurcher Kantonalbank Zurich Cantonalbank lifted its stake in shares of 3M by 2.6% in the 4th quarter. Zurcher Kantonalbank Zurich Cantonalbank now owns 310,297 shares of the conglomerates stock valued at $37,211,000 after purchasing an additional 7,902 shares during the last quarter. Capital Advisors Inc. OK boosted its holdings in shares of 3M by 2.4% in the 4th quarter. Capital Advisors Inc. OK now owns 8,046 shares of the conglomerates stock worth $965,000 after purchasing an additional 191 shares during the period. Finally, Louisiana State Employees Retirement System increased its position in shares of 3M by 0.3% during the 1st quarter. Louisiana State Employees Retirement System now owns 35,800 shares of the conglomerates stock valued at $3,763,000 after purchasing an additional 100 shares during the last quarter. 64.60% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors. Get 3M alerts: Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth Several research analysts have commented on MMM shares. StockNews.com lowered shares of 3M from a buy rating to a hold rating in a research note on Monday, June 5th. Wells Fargo & Company reduced their price objective on shares of 3M from $115.00 to $110.00 and set an equal weight rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, April 13th. Morgan Stanley dropped their target price on 3M from $110.00 to $103.00 and set an underweight rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, April 19th. Royal Bank of Canada upped their price objective on 3M from $89.00 to $95.00 in a research report on Wednesday, April 26th. Finally, Barclays reduced their price target on shares of 3M from $105.00 to $103.00 and set an underweight rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, April 6th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating and nine have issued a hold rating to the companys stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of Hold and an average target price of $120.83. Insiders Place Their Bets 3M Stock Up 1.0 % In other news, insider Khandpur K. Ashish sold 9,432 shares of 3M stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, May 18th. The shares were sold at an average price of $99.27, for a total value of $936,314.64. Following the transaction, the insider now owns 20,943 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $2,079,011.61. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link . In related news, insider Khandpur K. Ashish sold 9,432 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction on Thursday, May 18th. The stock was sold at an average price of $99.27, for a total transaction of $936,314.64. Following the transaction, the insider now directly owns 20,943 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,079,011.61. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link . Also, EVP Eric D. Hammes sold 6,487 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Friday, April 28th. The shares were sold at an average price of $105.33, for a total value of $683,275.71. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president now owns 10,430 shares of the companys stock, valued at $1,098,591.90. The disclosure for this sale can be found here . 0.51% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders. Shares of NYSE:MMM traded up $1.05 during trading hours on Tuesday, hitting $101.14. The companys stock had a trading volume of 1,599,469 shares, compared to its average volume of 3,879,185. The firms fifty day moving average price is $100.68 and its 200 day moving average price is $108.36. 3M has a 52 week low of $92.38 and a 52 week high of $152.30. The company has a market capitalization of $55.80 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 10.48, a P/E/G ratio of 1.22 and a beta of 0.96. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.84, a current ratio of 1.42 and a quick ratio of 0.91. 3M (NYSE:MMM Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, April 25th. The conglomerate reported $1.97 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $1.60 by $0.37. The company had revenue of $8.03 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $7.51 billion. 3M had a net margin of 16.31% and a return on equity of 36.48%. 3Ms revenue for the quarter was down 9.0% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm posted $2.65 earnings per share. As a group, research analysts expect that 3M will post 8.65 EPS for the current year. 3M Announces Dividend The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, June 12th. Investors of record on Friday, May 19th were given a dividend of $1.50 per share. This represents a $6.00 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 5.93%. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, May 18th. 3Ms payout ratio is currently 62.18%. 3M Profile (Free Report) 3M Company provides diversified technology services in the United States and internationally. The company operates through four segments: Safety and Industrial; Transportation and Electronics; Health Care; and Consumer. The Safety and Industrial segment offers industrial abrasives and finishing for metalworking applications; autobody repair solutions; closure systems for personal hygiene products, masking, and packaging materials; electrical products and materials for construction and maintenance, power distribution, and electrical original equipment manufacturers; structural adhesives and tapes; respiratory, hearing, eye, and fall protection solutions; and natural and color-coated mineral granules for shingles. See Also Want to see what other hedge funds are holding MMM? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for 3M (NYSE:MMM Free Report). Receive News & Ratings for 3M Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for 3M and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Crescent Sterling Ltd. boosted its holdings in shares of Constellation Brands, Inc. (NYSE:STZ Free Report) by 17.7% during the first quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 4,485 shares of the companys stock after acquiring an additional 674 shares during the quarter. Crescent Sterling Ltd.s holdings in Constellation Brands were worth $1,013,000 at the end of the most recent quarter. Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Whittier Trust Co. of Nevada Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of Constellation Brands by 17.0% during the first quarter. Whittier Trust Co. of Nevada Inc. now owns 1,288 shares of the companys stock worth $291,000 after purchasing an additional 187 shares during the period. Bogart Wealth LLC lifted its holdings in Constellation Brands by 1.3% during the 1st quarter. Bogart Wealth LLC now owns 20,178 shares of the companys stock worth $4,558,000 after buying an additional 262 shares during the period. Patton Albertson Miller Group LLC grew its position in shares of Constellation Brands by 6.6% in the 1st quarter. Patton Albertson Miller Group LLC now owns 16,095 shares of the companys stock valued at $3,636,000 after buying an additional 995 shares during the last quarter. Tsfg LLC increased its stake in shares of Constellation Brands by 12.3% in the first quarter. Tsfg LLC now owns 683 shares of the companys stock valued at $154,000 after buying an additional 75 shares during the period. Finally, PFG Advisors raised its position in shares of Constellation Brands by 4.7% during the first quarter. PFG Advisors now owns 1,134 shares of the companys stock worth $256,000 after acquiring an additional 51 shares during the last quarter. 86.49% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds. Get Constellation Brands alerts: Insiders Place Their Bets In other news, major shareholder Business Holdings Lp Ajb sold 650,000 shares of the firms stock in a transaction on Wednesday, May 10th. The stock was sold at an average price of $223.53, for a total transaction of $145,294,500.00. Following the completion of the sale, the insider now directly owns 3,365,715 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $752,338,273.95. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. In related news, major shareholder Business Holdings Lp Ajb sold 650,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, May 10th. The shares were sold at an average price of $223.53, for a total transaction of $145,294,500.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider now owns 3,365,715 shares in the company, valued at $752,338,273.95. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this link. Also, Director Richard Sands sold 3,858,476 shares of Constellation Brands stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, May 10th. The stock was sold at an average price of $223.53, for a total transaction of $862,485,140.28. Following the completion of the sale, the director now directly owns 20,488,818 shares in the company, valued at approximately $4,579,865,487.54. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders own 16.19% of the companys stock. Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades Constellation Brands Trading Up 0.5 % Several analysts recently commented on the company. Royal Bank of Canada reiterated an outperform rating and issued a $295.00 target price on shares of Constellation Brands in a report on Monday, April 10th. BMO Capital Markets increased their price objective on shares of Constellation Brands from $263.00 to $290.00 and gave the stock an outperform rating in a research report on Monday. Barclays dropped their target price on shares of Constellation Brands from $279.00 to $277.00 and set an overweight rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, April 11th. Truist Financial increased their price target on Constellation Brands from $220.00 to $240.00 and gave the stock a hold rating in a report on Monday. Finally, TD Cowen boosted their price objective on Constellation Brands from $200.00 to $220.00 and gave the company an outperform rating in a research note on Monday, April 10th. Five research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and sixteen have issued a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of Moderate Buy and an average price target of $263.00. Shares of Constellation Brands stock traded up $1.34 on Tuesday, hitting $247.47. The company had a trading volume of 1,265,093 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,053,962. Constellation Brands, Inc. has a 1 year low of $208.12 and a 1 year high of $261.32. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.23, a quick ratio of 0.53 and a current ratio of 1.14. The stock has a 50 day moving average of $236.96 and a 200-day moving average of $228.81. Constellation Brands (NYSE:STZ Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Friday, June 30th. The company reported $2.91 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $2.83 by $0.08. Constellation Brands had a positive return on equity of 22.32% and a negative net margin of 3.14%. The business had revenue of $2.51 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $2.47 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the firm posted $2.66 EPS. Constellation Brandss quarterly revenue was up 6.4% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, equities analysts forecast that Constellation Brands, Inc. will post 11.76 EPS for the current fiscal year. Constellation Brands Announces Dividend The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, August 24th. Investors of record on Thursday, August 10th will be issued a dividend of $0.89 per share. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, August 9th. This represents a $3.56 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.44%. Constellation Brandss dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently -194.54%. Constellation Brands Company Profile (Free Report) Constellation Brands, Inc, together with its subsidiaries, produces, imports, markets, and sells beer, wine, and spirits in the United States, Canada, Mexico, New Zealand, and Italy. The company provides beer primarily under the Corona Extra, Corona Premier, Corona Familiar, Corona Light, Corona Refresca, Corona Hard Seltzer, Modelo Especial, Modelo Negra, Modelo Chelada, Victoria, Vicky Chamoy, and Pacifico brands. Featured Articles Want to see what other hedge funds are holding STZ? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Constellation Brands, Inc. (NYSE:STZ Free Report). Receive News & Ratings for Constellation Brands Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Constellation Brands and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. StockNews.com started coverage on shares of Diebold Nixdorf (NYSE:DBD Free Report) in a research note issued to investors on Saturday morning. The firm issued a sell rating on the technology companys stock. Separately, Wedbush lowered shares of Diebold Nixdorf from an outperform rating to a neutral rating in a research report on Thursday, May 4th. Get Diebold Nixdorf alerts: Diebold Nixdorf Price Performance Shares of NYSE:DBD opened at $0.05 on Friday. The companys 50 day moving average price is $0.27 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $1.32. Diebold Nixdorf has a 12-month low of $0.24 and a 12-month high of $5.27. The firm has a market cap of $4.22 million, a PE ratio of -0.01 and a beta of 2.91. Institutional Trading of Diebold Nixdorf Diebold Nixdorf Company Profile Several large investors have recently made changes to their positions in DBD. Quadrature Capital Ltd bought a new position in Diebold Nixdorf in the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $34,000. Raymond James & Associates bought a new position in Diebold Nixdorf in the 1st quarter valued at approximately $103,000. Summit Financial Strategies Inc. lifted its stake in Diebold Nixdorf by 99.2% in the 4th quarter. Summit Financial Strategies Inc. now owns 20,079 shares of the technology companys stock valued at $29,000 after purchasing an additional 10,000 shares during the last quarter. Cetera Advisors LLC bought a new position in Diebold Nixdorf in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $29,000. Finally, Point72 Hong Kong Ltd lifted its stake in Diebold Nixdorf by 288.4% in the 2nd quarter. Point72 Hong Kong Ltd now owns 22,085 shares of the technology companys stock valued at $50,000 after purchasing an additional 16,399 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 74.46% of the companys stock. (Free Report) Diebold Nixdorf, Incorporated engages in the automating, digitizing, and transforming the way people bank and shop worldwide. It operates through two segments, Banking and Retail. The company offers cash recyclers and dispensers, intelligent deposit terminals, teller automation tools, and kiosk technologies, as well as physical security solutions; and front-end applications for consumer connection points and back-end platforms that manage channel transactions, operations and integration, and facilitate omnichannel transactions, endpoint monitoring, remote asset management, customer marketing, merchandise management, and analytics. Recommended Stories Receive News & Ratings for Diebold Nixdorf Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Diebold Nixdorf and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Eaton Vance Municipal Income Trust (NYSE:EVN Free Report) was the recipient of a large drop in short interest during the month of June. As of June 15th, there was short interest totalling 10,100 shares, a drop of 38.8% from the May 31st total of 16,500 shares. Based on an average daily volume of 96,900 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is presently 0.1 days. Institutional Trading of Eaton Vance Municipal Income Trust A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in EVN. JPMorgan Chase & Co. bought a new position in shares of Eaton Vance Municipal Income Trust in the first quarter valued at approximately $44,000. Belpointe Asset Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Eaton Vance Municipal Income Trust during the 4th quarter valued at $49,000. Nomura Holdings Inc. bought a new stake in shares of Eaton Vance Municipal Income Trust during the 1st quarter worth $101,000. Chicago Partners Investment Group LLC bought a new stake in shares of Eaton Vance Municipal Income Trust during the 1st quarter worth $101,000. Finally, Sax Wealth Advisors LLC bought a new stake in shares of Eaton Vance Municipal Income Trust during the 4th quarter worth $101,000. Get Eaton Vance Municipal Income Trust alerts: Eaton Vance Municipal Income Trust Trading Up 1.5 % NYSE:EVN traded up $0.15 during mid-day trading on Monday, hitting $10.10. The stock had a trading volume of 66,215 shares, compared to its average volume of 94,751. The company has a 50 day simple moving average of $9.94 and a 200-day simple moving average of $10.10. Eaton Vance Municipal Income Trust has a 52 week low of $9.34 and a 52 week high of $12.02. Eaton Vance Municipal Income Trust Announces Dividend Eaton Vance Municipal Income Trust Company Profile The company also recently disclosed a monthly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, June 20th. Investors of record on Monday, June 12th were given a $0.041 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Friday, June 9th. This represents a $0.49 annualized dividend and a yield of 4.87%. (Free Report) Eaton Vance Municipal Income Trust is a close ended fixed income mutual fund launched and managed by Eaton Vance Management. It invests in the fixed income markets. The fund invests primarily in investment grade municipal obligations of various sectors, such as cogeneration, education, electric utilities, general obligations, healthcare, hospital, housing, transportation, and nursing home. Read More Receive News & Ratings for Eaton Vance Municipal Income Trust Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Eaton Vance Municipal Income Trust and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. First Farmers and Merchants Co. (OTCMKTS:FFMH Free Report) was the recipient of a significant growth in short interest in the month of June. As of June 15th, there was short interest totalling 400 shares, a growth of 33.3% from the May 31st total of 300 shares. Based on an average daily trading volume, of 200 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is currently 2.0 days. First Farmers and Merchants Trading Up 0.9 % First Farmers and Merchants stock traded up $0.24 during midday trading on Monday, hitting $27.00. The firms 50-day simple moving average is $26.63 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $25.49. First Farmers and Merchants has a one year low of $19.00 and a one year high of $33.00. Get First Farmers and Merchants alerts: First Farmers and Merchants Dividend Announcement The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, July 17th. Stockholders of record on Monday, July 3rd will be given a dividend of $0.24 per share. The ex-dividend date is Friday, June 30th. This represents a $0.96 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.56%. About First Farmers and Merchants First Farmers and Merchants Corporation operates as the bank holding company for First Farmers and Merchants Bank that provides various banking and financial services in Middle Tennessee and Northern Alabama. The company's deposit products include personal and business checking and savings, and individual retirement and investment accounts, as well as certificates of deposit. Read More Receive News & Ratings for First Farmers and Merchants Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for First Farmers and Merchants and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Cornerstone Investment Partners LLC decreased its position in Fiserv, Inc. (NYSE:FI Free Report) by 5.8% in the first quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The firm owned 538,892 shares of the business services providers stock after selling 33,076 shares during the period. Fiserv accounts for about 4.0% of Cornerstone Investment Partners LLCs investment portfolio, making the stock its 6th biggest holding. Cornerstone Investment Partners LLCs holdings in Fiserv were worth $60,911,000 as of its most recent SEC filing. Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. First Manhattan Co. raised its stake in shares of Fiserv by 4.6% in the 4th quarter. First Manhattan Co. now owns 1,966 shares of the business services providers stock valued at $199,000 after purchasing an additional 86 shares during the period. Regal Investment Advisors LLC grew its holdings in shares of Fiserv by 0.9% in the 4th quarter. Regal Investment Advisors LLC now owns 9,740 shares of the business services providers stock valued at $984,000 after acquiring an additional 87 shares in the last quarter. Integrated Wealth Concepts LLC grew its holdings in shares of Fiserv by 1.2% in the 4th quarter. Integrated Wealth Concepts LLC now owns 7,631 shares of the business services providers stock valued at $771,000 after acquiring an additional 89 shares in the last quarter. Carlson Capital Management grew its holdings in shares of Fiserv by 3.9% in the 1st quarter. Carlson Capital Management now owns 2,590 shares of the business services providers stock valued at $293,000 after acquiring an additional 98 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Boenning & Scattergood Inc. grew its holdings in shares of Fiserv by 0.4% in the 4th quarter. Boenning & Scattergood Inc. now owns 26,702 shares of the business services providers stock valued at $2,708,000 after acquiring an additional 100 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 88.26% of the companys stock. Get Fiserv alerts: Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth FI has been the subject of several analyst reports. Barclays raised their price objective on Fiserv from $140.00 to $150.00 and gave the company an overweight rating in a report on Tuesday, April 11th. Citigroup lifted their price target on Fiserv from $135.00 to $140.00 in a report on Wednesday, April 26th. Mizuho lifted their price target on Fiserv from $135.00 to $140.00 in a report on Monday, May 1st. B. Riley initiated coverage on Fiserv in a report on Friday, June 23rd. They set a buy rating and a $148.00 price target for the company. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group lifted their price target on Fiserv from $111.00 to $123.00 and gave the stock a neutral rating in a report on Thursday, April 13th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, three have issued a hold rating and fourteen have given a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus price target of $132.95. Fiserv Stock Down 0.2 % NYSE FI opened at $125.95 on Tuesday. The company has a current ratio of 1.08, a quick ratio of 1.08 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.71. Fiserv, Inc. has a 1-year low of $89.26 and a 1-year high of $126.55. The company has a 50 day moving average of $118.56 and a 200-day moving average of $112.74. The company has a market cap of $79.11 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 33.23, a PEG ratio of 1.38 and a beta of 0.88. Fiserv (NYSE:FI Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, April 25th. The business services provider reported $1.58 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $1.56 by $0.02. Fiserv had a net margin of 13.36% and a return on equity of 13.68%. The company had revenue of $4.55 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $4.17 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the business earned $1.40 earnings per share. The firms quarterly revenue was up 9.9% on a year-over-year basis. On average, equities research analysts expect that Fiserv, Inc. will post 7.36 earnings per share for the current fiscal year. Insider Buying and Selling at Fiserv In other Fiserv news, CFO Robert W. Hau sold 8,500 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, May 5th. The shares were sold at an average price of $119.33, for a total transaction of $1,014,305.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief financial officer now directly owns 133,491 shares in the company, valued at $15,929,481.03. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. In other news, COO Guy Chiarello sold 8,000 shares of the companys stock in a transaction on Thursday, June 1st. The shares were sold at an average price of $112.10, for a total transaction of $896,800.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief operating officer now directly owns 187,356 shares in the company, valued at $21,002,607.60. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. Also, CFO Robert W. Hau sold 8,500 shares of the companys stock in a transaction on Friday, May 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of $119.33, for a total transaction of $1,014,305.00. Following the transaction, the chief financial officer now owns 133,491 shares of the companys stock, valued at $15,929,481.03. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold a total of 24,500 shares of company stock worth $2,884,625 over the last three months. Corporate insiders own 1.00% of the companys stock. Fiserv Company Profile (Free Report) Fiserv, Inc, together with its subsidiaries, provides payment and financial services technology worldwide. The company operates through Acceptance, Fintech, and Payments segments. The Acceptance segment provides point-of-sale merchant acquiring and digital commerce services; mobile payment services; security and fraud protection products; Carat, an omnichannel commerce solution; Clover, a cloud-based point-of-sale and business management platform; and Clover Connect, an independent software vendors platform. Featured Stories Want to see what other hedge funds are holding FI? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Fiserv, Inc. (NYSE:FI Free Report). Receive News & Ratings for Fiserv Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Fiserv and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Forsta AP Fonden trimmed its holdings in Wells Fargo & Company (NYSE:WFC) by 15.2% in the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 804,800 shares of the financial services providers stock after selling 144,600 shares during the period. Forsta AP Fondens holdings in Wells Fargo & Company were worth $30,083,000 at the end of the most recent quarter. Other hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Vanguard Group Inc. lifted its holdings in Wells Fargo & Company by 1.2% during the 3rd quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 326,822,162 shares of the financial services providers stock worth $13,144,788,000 after purchasing an additional 3,920,830 shares during the last quarter. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD lifted its holdings in Wells Fargo & Company by 20.9% during the 3rd quarter. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD now owns 105,621,983 shares of the financial services providers stock worth $4,248,626,000 after purchasing an additional 18,252,701 shares during the last quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC lifted its holdings in Wells Fargo & Company by 1.1% during the 4th quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 67,816,895 shares of the financial services providers stock worth $2,795,394,000 after purchasing an additional 729,359 shares during the last quarter. Norges Bank acquired a new stake in Wells Fargo & Company during the 4th quarter worth approximately $2,049,693,000. Finally, Moneta Group Investment Advisors LLC lifted its holdings in Wells Fargo & Company by 129,312.1% during the 4th quarter. Moneta Group Investment Advisors LLC now owns 26,287,479 shares of the financial services providers stock worth $1,085,410,000 after purchasing an additional 26,267,166 shares during the last quarter. 72.11% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds. Get Wells Fargo & Company alerts: Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades Several analysts recently weighed in on the company. The Goldman Sachs Group lifted their price target on Wells Fargo & Company from $46.00 to $49.00 in a report on Friday, April 14th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. dropped their price objective on Wells Fargo & Company from $49.00 to $45.00 and set a neutral rating for the company in a report on Monday, April 10th. VNET Group reaffirmed a reiterates rating on shares of Wells Fargo & Company in a report on Wednesday, June 14th. Piper Sandler lifted their price objective on Wells Fargo & Company from $41.00 to $43.00 in a report on Thursday, June 15th. Finally, Raymond James lifted their price objective on Wells Fargo & Company from $48.00 to $51.00 and gave the company a strong-buy rating in a report on Monday. Seven analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, eight have given a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Wells Fargo & Company currently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus price target of $48.97. Wells Fargo & Company Trading Up 1.6 % Shares of WFC stock opened at $43.35 on Tuesday. The firm has a market capitalization of $162.66 billion, a P/E ratio of 12.42, a P/E/G ratio of 0.90 and a beta of 1.12. Wells Fargo & Company has a twelve month low of $35.25 and a twelve month high of $48.84. The company has a quick ratio of 0.83, a current ratio of 0.83 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.06. The stocks fifty day simple moving average is $40.54 and its 200 day simple moving average is $41.89. Wells Fargo & Company (NYSE:WFC Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Friday, April 14th. The financial services provider reported $1.23 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.15 by $0.08. The firm had revenue of $20.73 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $20.06 billion. Wells Fargo & Company had a return on equity of 10.07% and a net margin of 15.93%. The businesss quarterly revenue was up 16.9% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the business earned $0.88 EPS. As a group, sell-side analysts predict that Wells Fargo & Company will post 4.66 EPS for the current fiscal year. Wells Fargo & Company Announces Dividend The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, June 1st. Shareholders of record on Friday, May 5th were issued a dividend of $0.30 per share. This represents a $1.20 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.77%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Thursday, May 4th. Wells Fargo & Companys payout ratio is presently 34.38%. Wells Fargo & Company Profile (Free Report) Wells Fargo & Company, a diversified financial services company, provides banking, investment, mortgage, and consumer and commercial finance products and services in the United States and internationally. It operates through four segments: Consumer Banking and Lending; Commercial Banking; Corporate and Investment Banking; and Wealth and Investment Management. Featured Articles Want to see what other hedge funds are holding WFC? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Wells Fargo & Company (NYSE:WFC Free Report). Receive News & Ratings for Wells Fargo & Company Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Wells Fargo & Company and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Egypt's President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi and his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan have decided to upgrade immediately diplomatic relations between the two countries and exchange ambassadors, according to a statement by the Egyptian presidential spokesperson. This came during a phone call on Monday in which El-Sisi congratulated Erdogan on being re-elected for a new presidential term, the statement added, noting that the Turkish president expressed in turn "his appreciation for this kind gesture from the president." During the phone call, both presidents affirmed the depth of the historical ties that bind the two countries and peoples and agreed to strengthen the relations between Egypt and Turkey and promote cooperation between them, the spokesperson added. Over the past year, Cairo and Ankara held rounds of talks at the ministerial level in a bid to normalise relations after both countries broke off diplomatic relations in 2013. In April, Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry received his Turkish counterpart Mevlut Cavusoglu in Cairo. In a joint press conference, Shoukry announced that Egypt and Turkey have agreed on a timeframe for upgrading diplomatic relations. During the same press conference, Cavusoglu also announced that the Egyptian and Turkish sides coordinated to hold a meeting between El-Sisi and Erdogan, noting that a timetable for mutual ambassadorial appointments with Egypt will be announced soon. Search Keywords: Short link: GHP Investment Advisors Inc. trimmed its stake in Aon plc (NYSE:AON Free Report) by 0.5% in the 1st quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 23,536 shares of the financial services providers stock after selling 122 shares during the period. GHP Investment Advisors Inc.s holdings in AON were worth $7,421,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period. Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently modified their holdings of the stock. Penserra Capital Management LLC increased its stake in shares of AON by 3.2% in the 4th quarter. Penserra Capital Management LLC now owns 1,060 shares of the financial services providers stock worth $317,000 after purchasing an additional 33 shares in the last quarter. Brookstone Capital Management increased its stake in shares of AON by 2.8% in the 1st quarter. Brookstone Capital Management now owns 1,243 shares of the financial services providers stock worth $410,000 after purchasing an additional 34 shares in the last quarter. CVA Family Office LLC increased its stake in shares of AON by 13.7% in the 3rd quarter. CVA Family Office LLC now owns 290 shares of the financial services providers stock worth $78,000 after purchasing an additional 35 shares in the last quarter. CHICAGO TRUST Co NA increased its stake in shares of AON by 0.9% in the 4th quarter. CHICAGO TRUST Co NA now owns 4,100 shares of the financial services providers stock worth $1,231,000 after purchasing an additional 35 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Busey Wealth Management increased its stake in shares of AON by 1.0% in the 4th quarter. Busey Wealth Management now owns 3,503 shares of the financial services providers stock worth $1,051,000 after purchasing an additional 35 shares in the last quarter. 85.21% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors. Get AON alerts: AON Price Performance Shares of NYSE AON traded down $6.51 during mid-day trading on Tuesday, hitting $338.69. 376,104 shares of the companys stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 835,571. The companys 50-day moving average is $324.67 and its two-hundred day moving average is $315.89. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 182.36, a current ratio of 2.04 and a quick ratio of 2.04. The company has a market capitalization of $69.18 billion, a P/E ratio of 27.19, a PEG ratio of 2.63 and a beta of 0.92. Aon plc has a 1 year low of $262.42 and a 1 year high of $347.37. AON Increases Dividend AON ( NYSE:AON Free Report ) last announced its earnings results on Friday, April 28th. The financial services provider reported $5.17 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $5.32 by ($0.15). The business had revenue of $3.87 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $3.85 billion. AON had a net margin of 20.63% and a negative return on equity of 4,553.36%. The firms quarterly revenue was up 5.5% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company posted $4.83 earnings per share. On average, equities analysts anticipate that Aon plc will post 14.38 EPS for the current fiscal year. The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, May 15th. Stockholders of record on Monday, May 1st were given a dividend of $0.615 per share. This represents a $2.46 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.73%. This is a boost from AONs previous quarterly dividend of $0.56. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, April 28th. AONs dividend payout ratio is currently 19.74%. Insider Activity In related news, President Eric Andersen sold 7,500 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, May 9th. The shares were sold at an average price of $335.55, for a total value of $2,516,625.00. Following the sale, the president now directly owns 144,164 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $48,374,230.20. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Corporate insiders own 1.15% of the companys stock. Wall Street Analyst Weigh In Several research analysts recently weighed in on AON shares. Citigroup upped their target price on shares of AON from $340.00 to $344.00 in a report on Tuesday, April 18th. Wells Fargo & Company upped their target price on shares of AON from $320.00 to $321.00 and gave the stock an equal weight rating in a report on Wednesday, April 5th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. upped their target price on shares of AON from $320.00 to $322.00 and gave the stock a neutral rating in a report on Friday, March 31st. StockNews.com started coverage on shares of AON in a report on Thursday, May 18th. They issued a hold rating for the company. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group upped their target price on shares of AON from $313.00 to $314.00 and gave the stock a hold rating in a report on Monday, April 10th. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, ten have issued a hold rating and three have given a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of Hold and a consensus target price of $326.73. AON Company Profile (Free Report) Aon plc, a professional services firm, provides advice and solutions to clients focused on risk, retirement, and health worldwide. It offers commercial risk solutions, including retail brokerage, specialty solutions, global risk consulting and captives management, and affinity programs; and health solutions, such as health and benefits brokerages, and health care exchanges. See Also Receive News & Ratings for AON Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for AON and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Guangdong Investment (OTCMKTS:GGDVY Free Report) and Severn Trent (OTCMKTS:STRNY Free Report) are both utilities companies, but which is the superior investment? We will contrast the two businesses based on the strength of their risk, analyst recommendations, profitability, institutional ownership, valuation, earnings and dividends. Profitability This table compares Guangdong Investment and Severn Trents net margins, return on equity and return on assets. Get Guangdong Investment alerts: Net Margins Return on Equity Return on Assets Guangdong Investment N/A N/A N/A Severn Trent N/A N/A N/A Earnings and Valuation This table compares Guangdong Investment and Severn Trents gross revenue, earnings per share and valuation. Gross Revenue Price/Sales Ratio Net Income Earnings Per Share Price/Earnings Ratio Guangdong Investment N/A N/A N/A $35.70 1.23 Severn Trent N/A N/A N/A $0.82 41.72 Analyst Recommendations Guangdong Investment is trading at a lower price-to-earnings ratio than Severn Trent, indicating that it is currently the more affordable of the two stocks. This is a breakdown of recent ratings and price targets for Guangdong Investment and Severn Trent, as provided by MarketBeat.com. Sell Ratings Hold Ratings Buy Ratings Strong Buy Ratings Rating Score Guangdong Investment 0 0 2 0 3.00 Severn Trent 0 2 3 0 2.60 Severn Trent has a consensus target price of $2,932.50, indicating a potential upside of 8,479.58%. Given Severn Trents higher possible upside, analysts clearly believe Severn Trent is more favorable than Guangdong Investment. Insider and Institutional Ownership 0.0% of Guangdong Investment shares are owned by institutional investors. Comparatively, 0.1% of Severn Trent shares are owned by institutional investors. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that large money managers, hedge funds and endowments believe a stock is poised for long-term growth. Dividends Guangdong Investment pays an annual dividend of $10.76 per share and has a dividend yield of 24.6%. Severn Trent pays an annual dividend of $1.47 per share and has a dividend yield of 4.3%. Guangdong Investment pays out 30.1% of its earnings in the form of a dividend. Severn Trent pays out 179.4% of its earnings in the form of a dividend, suggesting it may not have sufficient earnings to cover its dividend payment in the future. Guangdong Investment is clearly the better dividend stock, given its higher yield and lower payout ratio. About Guangdong Investment (Free Report) Guangdong Investment Limited, an investment holding company, engages in water resources, property investment and development, department store operation, hotel ownership, energy project operation and management, and road and bridge operation businesses. The company's Water Resources segment provides water distribution, sewage treatment, water pipeline installation and consultancy services, constructs water supply and sewage treatment infrastructure, and sells machineries in Mainland China and Hong Kong. Its Property Investment and Development segment invests in and rents various properties in Hong Kong and Mainland China; and develops and sells properties in Mainland China. This segment also provides property management services for various commercial properties. The company's Department Stores Operation segment operates department stores in Mainland China. Its Electric Power Generation segment operates coal-fired power plants that supply electricity and steam in the Guangdong province, Mainland China. The company's Hotel Operation and Management segment operate hotels and provides hotel management services to third parties in Hong Kong and Mainland China. Its Road and Bridge segment invests in various road and bridge projects, which engages in the toll road operation and road management in Mainland China. The company's Others segment provides treasury services in Hong Kong and Mainland China, as well as corporate and other related services. It also offers financing, marketing management, environmental engineering, and water technology development and consultation services. The company was formerly known as Union Globe Development Limited and changed its name to Guangdong Investment Limited in January 1987. The company was incorporated in 1973 and is based in Central, Hong Kong. Guangdong Investment Limited operates as a subsidiary of GDH Limited. About Severn Trent (Free Report) Severn Trent PLC operates as a water and sewerage company in England and Wales. It operates through two segments: Regulated Water and Waste Water, and Business Services. The Regulated Water and Waste Water segment offers water and waste water services to approximately 4.8 million households and businesses. The Business Services segment generates renewable energy from anaerobic digestion, hydropower, wind turbines, and solar panels; property development; and offers affinity products and search services. It also provides services to municipal and industrial clients, including the Ministry of Defence and the Coal Authority for design, build, and operation of water and wastewater treatment facilities and networks. Severn Trent PLC was founded in 1974 and is headquartered in Coventry, the United Kingdom. Receive News & Ratings for Guangdong Investment Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Guangdong Investment and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Shares of Henderson European Focus Trust plc (LON:HEFT Free Report) rose 0.9% during mid-day trading on Monday . The company traded as high as GBX 160.80 ($2.04) and last traded at GBX 159.50 ($2.02). Approximately 79,827 shares changed hands during mid-day trading, a decline of 61% from the average daily volume of 207,243 shares. The stock had previously closed at GBX 158 ($2.01). Henderson European Focus Trust Stock Up 0.9 % The stocks 50-day moving average price is GBX 156.87 and its two-hundred day moving average price is GBX 155.59. The stock has a market capitalization of 339.37 million, a P/E ratio of -725.00 and a beta of 0.90. The company has a current ratio of 7.25, a quick ratio of 6.48 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 9.72. Get Henderson European Focus Trust alerts: Henderson European Focus Trust Cuts Dividend The business also recently announced a dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, June 27th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, June 1st were given a dividend of GBX 1.30 ($0.02) per share. This represents a dividend yield of 0.82%. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, June 1st. Henderson European Focus Trusts dividend payout ratio is currently -1,818.18%. About Henderson European Focus Trust Henderson European Focus Trust plc is a closed-ended equity mutual fund launched and managed by Henderson Investment Funds Limited. It is co-managed by Henderson Global Investors Limited. The fund invests in public equity markets of Continental Europe. It seeks to invest in stocks of companies operating across diversified sectors. Recommended Stories Receive News & Ratings for Henderson European Focus Trust Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Henderson European Focus Trust and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Keppel REIT (OTCMKTS:KREVF Free Report) saw a large decrease in short interest during the month of June. As of June 15th, there was short interest totalling 773,300 shares, a decrease of 34.4% from the May 31st total of 1,178,900 shares. Based on an average trading volume of 1,600 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is currently 483.3 days. Keppel REIT Price Performance Shares of KREVF stock remained flat at $0.68 during mid-day trading on Monday. Keppel REIT has a 1-year low of $0.58 and a 1-year high of $0.90. The businesss fifty day moving average price is $0.65 and its 200-day moving average price is $0.68. Get Keppel REIT alerts: Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades KREVF has been the topic of several research analyst reports. HSBC raised Keppel REIT from a reduce rating to a hold rating in a research report on Wednesday, May 17th. The Goldman Sachs Group upgraded Keppel REIT from a sell rating to a neutral rating in a report on Wednesday, May 17th. Keppel REIT Company Profile Listed by way of an introduction on 28 April 2006, Keppel REIT is one of Asia's leading real estate investment trusts with a portfolio of prime commercial assets in Asia Pacific's key business districts. Keppel REIT's objective is to generate stable income and sustainable long-term total return for its Unitholders by owning and investing in a portfolio of quality income-producing commercial real estate and real estate-related assets in Asia Pacific. Featured Stories Receive News & Ratings for Keppel REIT Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Keppel REIT and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. TopBuild (NYSE:BLD Free Report) had its price objective increased by Loop Capital from $225.00 to $285.00 in a research note released on Friday, The Fly reports. Other equities research analysts have also recently issued reports about the company. StockNews.com cut TopBuild from a buy rating to a hold rating in a research note on Wednesday, June 28th. Stephens upped their target price on TopBuild from $230.00 to $250.00 in a research note on Monday, May 8th. Finally, Bank of America started coverage on TopBuild in a research note on Tuesday, May 23rd. They set a buy rating and a $225.00 target price for the company. Four analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and three have given a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of Hold and a consensus target price of $233.50. Get TopBuild alerts: TopBuild Trading Down 0.6 % Shares of BLD stock opened at $264.55 on Friday. The company has a current ratio of 2.15, a quick ratio of 1.58 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.68. The stock has a market cap of $8.40 billion, a P/E ratio of 14.72, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.91 and a beta of 1.50. The stock has a 50 day simple moving average of $225.85 and a 200 day simple moving average of $202.81. TopBuild has a 1 year low of $140.66 and a 1 year high of $268.69. Insider Activity TopBuild ( NYSE:BLD Free Report ) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, May 4th. The construction company reported $4.36 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $4.06 by $0.30. TopBuild had a return on equity of 30.52% and a net margin of 11.31%. The business had revenue of $1.27 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $1.26 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the company posted $3.50 earnings per share. The firms revenue for the quarter was up 8.2% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, research analysts predict that TopBuild will post 16.28 earnings per share for the current fiscal year. In related news, Director Tina Donikowski sold 1,480 shares of the stock in a transaction on Monday, May 8th. The stock was sold at an average price of $212.13, for a total value of $313,952.40. Following the completion of the sale, the director now directly owns 4,400 shares in the company, valued at $933,372. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. In related news, CEO Robert M. Buck sold 4,473 shares of the stock in a transaction on Tuesday, June 13th. The stock was sold at an average price of $240.04, for a total value of $1,073,698.92. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer now directly owns 78,330 shares in the company, valued at $18,802,333.20. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, Director Tina Donikowski sold 1,480 shares of the stock in a transaction on Monday, May 8th. The shares were sold at an average price of $212.13, for a total value of $313,952.40. Following the completion of the sale, the director now owns 4,400 shares of the companys stock, valued at $933,372. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last ninety days, insiders sold 16,876 shares of company stock worth $3,722,427. Insiders own 0.46% of the companys stock. Institutional Trading of TopBuild A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. BlackRock Inc. grew its holdings in TopBuild by 0.5% during the 3rd quarter. BlackRock Inc. now owns 3,050,936 shares of the construction companys stock worth $502,732,000 after acquiring an additional 15,777 shares during the period. Pictet Asset Management SA grew its stake in shares of TopBuild by 4.1% in the 1st quarter. Pictet Asset Management SA now owns 1,507,172 shares of the construction companys stock valued at $313,703,000 after buying an additional 59,414 shares during the period. Capital International Investors grew its stake in shares of TopBuild by 135.6% in the 1st quarter. Capital International Investors now owns 913,930 shares of the construction companys stock valued at $165,778,000 after buying an additional 526,053 shares during the period. Millennium Management LLC grew its stake in shares of TopBuild by 230.1% in the 4th quarter. Millennium Management LLC now owns 864,237 shares of the construction companys stock valued at $135,244,000 after buying an additional 602,416 shares during the period. Finally, Dimensional Fund Advisors LP grew its stake in shares of TopBuild by 6.8% in the 4th quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 782,101 shares of the construction companys stock valued at $122,394,000 after buying an additional 49,620 shares during the period. 94.27% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds. TopBuild Company Profile (Free Report) TopBuild Corp., together with its subsidiaries, engages in the installation and distribution of insulation and other building material products to the construction industry. The company operates in two segments, Installation and Specialty Distribution. It provides insulation products and accessories, glass and windows, rain gutters, afterpaint products, fireproofing products, garage doors, fireplaces, closet shelving, roofing materials, and other products; and insulation installation services. See Also Receive News & Ratings for TopBuild Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for TopBuild and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. North American Construction Group Ltd. (NYSE:NOA Free Report) (TSE:NOA) was the recipient of a large growth in short interest in the month of June. As of June 15th, there was short interest totalling 265,500 shares, a growth of 54.9% from the May 31st total of 171,400 shares. Based on an average daily volume of 57,500 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is currently 4.6 days. Approximately 1.1% of the companys stock are short sold. Wall Street Analyst Weigh In Separately, StockNews.com raised North American Construction Group from a buy rating to a strong-buy rating in a research report on Tuesday, June 27th. Get North American Construction Group alerts: Institutional Inflows and Outflows A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of NOA. CWM LLC acquired a new position in shares of North American Construction Group during the 4th quarter worth about $27,000. UBS Group AG lifted its position in shares of North American Construction Group by 121.4% in the first quarter. UBS Group AG now owns 2,216 shares of the oil and gas companys stock valued at $32,000 after buying an additional 1,215 shares during the last quarter. BlackRock Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of North American Construction Group in the third quarter valued at approximately $35,000. State of Tennessee Treasury Department acquired a new stake in shares of North American Construction Group in the first quarter valued at approximately $40,000. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted its position in shares of North American Construction Group by 114.5% in the first quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 2,831 shares of the oil and gas companys stock valued at $41,000 after buying an additional 1,511 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 56.21% of the companys stock. North American Construction Group Stock Up 0.8 % NOA stock traded up $0.16 during midday trading on Monday, hitting $19.29. The companys stock had a trading volume of 18,407 shares, compared to its average volume of 60,572. The companys fifty day moving average price is $19.04 and its 200 day moving average price is $16.81. North American Construction Group has a twelve month low of $9.20 and a twelve month high of $20.23. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.08, a current ratio of 1.15 and a quick ratio of 0.81. The stock has a market capitalization of $509.64 million, a P/E ratio of 10.43 and a beta of 1.48. North American Construction Group (NYSE:NOA Free Report) (TSE:NOA) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, April 26th. The oil and gas company reported $0.71 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.60 by $0.11. The firm had revenue of $179.42 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $166.89 million. North American Construction Group had a return on equity of 25.16% and a net margin of 9.01%. As a group, equities research analysts predict that North American Construction Group will post 1.78 EPS for the current year. North American Construction Group Cuts Dividend The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, July 7th. Shareholders of record on Friday, May 26th will be paid a $0.074 dividend. This represents a $0.30 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.53%. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, May 25th. North American Construction Groups dividend payout ratio is currently 16.22%. About North American Construction Group (Free Report) North American Construction Group Ltd. provides equipment maintenance, and mining and heavy construction services in Canada, the United States, and Australia. Its Heavy Construction & Mining division offers constructability reviews, budgetary cost estimates, design-build construction, project management, contract mining, pre-stripping/pit pioneering, overburden removal and stockpile, muskeg removal and stockpile, site preparation, air strip construction, site dewatering/perimeter ditching, tailings and process pipelines, haulage and access road construction, tailings dam construction and densification, mechanically stabilized earth walls, dyke construction, and reclamation services; and Equipment Maintenance services. See Also Receive News & Ratings for North American Construction Group Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for North American Construction Group and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. AMI Asset Management Corp grew its holdings in PagerDuty, Inc. (NYSE:PD Free Report) by 31.3% during the 1st quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 134,099 shares of the companys stock after acquiring an additional 31,929 shares during the period. AMI Asset Management Corp owned about 0.15% of PagerDuty worth $4,691,000 at the end of the most recent quarter. Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in PD. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised its position in shares of PagerDuty by 102.5% in the first quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 263,244 shares of the companys stock worth $9,000,000 after acquiring an additional 133,253 shares during the period. Raymond James & Associates raised its holdings in PagerDuty by 18.7% in the 1st quarter. Raymond James & Associates now owns 48,652 shares of the companys stock worth $1,663,000 after purchasing an additional 7,659 shares during the period. PNC Financial Services Group Inc. boosted its position in PagerDuty by 270.8% during the first quarter. PNC Financial Services Group Inc. now owns 1,572 shares of the companys stock worth $53,000 after purchasing an additional 1,148 shares in the last quarter. MetLife Investment Management LLC grew its holdings in PagerDuty by 53.8% in the first quarter. MetLife Investment Management LLC now owns 44,055 shares of the companys stock valued at $1,506,000 after purchasing an additional 15,413 shares during the period. Finally, Rhumbline Advisers raised its stake in shares of PagerDuty by 17.3% during the 1st quarter. Rhumbline Advisers now owns 104,689 shares of the companys stock worth $3,579,000 after buying an additional 15,422 shares during the period. 91.61% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds. Get PagerDuty alerts: Insider Buying and Selling at PagerDuty In other news, CEO Jennifer Tejada sold 71,375 shares of PagerDuty stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, April 10th. The shares were sold at an average price of $31.99, for a total transaction of $2,283,286.25. Following the sale, the chief executive officer now owns 796,627 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $25,484,097.73. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. In related news, CEO Jennifer Tejada sold 71,375 shares of the firms stock in a transaction dated Monday, April 10th. The stock was sold at an average price of $31.99, for a total transaction of $2,283,286.25. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer now directly owns 796,627 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $25,484,097.73. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, Director Rathi Murthy sold 45,000 shares of the companys stock in a transaction dated Friday, June 23rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $21.44, for a total transaction of $964,800.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now directly owns 23,375 shares in the company, valued at approximately $501,160. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold 198,457 shares of company stock worth $5,648,130 in the last ninety days. 7.90% of the stock is owned by insiders. PagerDuty Stock Up 0.1 % PD stock opened at $22.51 on Tuesday. PagerDuty, Inc. has a 1 year low of $19.51 and a 1 year high of $35.33. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.12, a quick ratio of 2.41 and a current ratio of 2.41. The business has a 50 day simple moving average of $25.91 and a 200-day simple moving average of $28.34. PagerDuty (NYSE:PD Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, June 1st. The company reported $0.20 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.09 by $0.11. PagerDuty had a negative return on equity of 35.07% and a negative net margin of 27.74%. The company had revenue of $103.25 million during the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $103.25 million. During the same period in the prior year, the business earned ($0.33) EPS. The firms quarterly revenue was up 20.9% on a year-over-year basis. Sell-side analysts anticipate that PagerDuty, Inc. will post -0.57 EPS for the current year. Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades PD has been the subject of several recent analyst reports. Craig Hallum lowered shares of PagerDuty from a buy rating to a hold rating and set a $26.00 price target for the company. in a report on Friday, June 2nd. Robert W. Baird cut their target price on shares of PagerDuty from $35.00 to $32.00 in a research note on Friday, June 2nd. Royal Bank of Canada decreased their price target on shares of PagerDuty from $37.00 to $32.00 in a research note on Friday, June 2nd. Finally, Morgan Stanley increased their target price on PagerDuty from $36.00 to $37.00 and gave the company an overweight rating in a report on Thursday, March 16th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and eight have assigned a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus price target of $33.30. About PagerDuty (Free Report) PagerDuty, Inc engages in the operation of a digital operations management platform in the United States, EMEA, the Asia Pacific, and Japan. The company's digital operations management platform collects data and digital signals from virtually any software-enabled system or device and leverage powerful machine learning to correlate, process, and predict opportunities and issues. Featured Stories Want to see what other hedge funds are holding PD? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for PagerDuty, Inc. (NYSE:PD Free Report). Receive News & Ratings for PagerDuty Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for PagerDuty and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Patton Albertson Miller Group LLC raised its holdings in The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. (NYSE:GS Free Report) by 5.3% in the first quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 13,326 shares of the investment management companys stock after purchasing an additional 673 shares during the period. Patton Albertson Miller Group LLCs holdings in The Goldman Sachs Group were worth $4,359,000 at the end of the most recent quarter. Other institutional investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Tower View Investment Management & Research LLC bought a new stake in shares of The Goldman Sachs Group during the 4th quarter worth approximately $27,000. Larson Financial Group LLC lifted its holdings in shares of The Goldman Sachs Group by 224.0% during the 4th quarter. Larson Financial Group LLC now owns 81 shares of the investment management companys stock worth $28,000 after acquiring an additional 56 shares during the period. Sound Income Strategies LLC lifted its holdings in shares of The Goldman Sachs Group by 109.3% during the 4th quarter. Sound Income Strategies LLC now owns 90 shares of the investment management companys stock worth $31,000 after acquiring an additional 47 shares during the period. Accurate Wealth Management LLC bought a new stake in shares of The Goldman Sachs Group during the 4th quarter worth approximately $31,000. Finally, Elequin Securities LLC bought a new stake in shares of The Goldman Sachs Group during the 4th quarter worth approximately $32,000. Institutional investors own 76.90% of the companys stock. Get The Goldman Sachs Group alerts: The Goldman Sachs Group Stock Up 1.3 % NYSE GS traded up $4.07 on Tuesday, hitting $326.61. 1,106,831 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 2,358,694. The company has a market cap of $108.58 billion, a PE ratio of 11.62, a PEG ratio of 0.85 and a beta of 1.38. The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. has a 12 month low of $277.84 and a 12 month high of $389.58. The stock has a fifty day moving average of $328.01 and a 200-day moving average of $339.17. The company has a current ratio of 0.81, a quick ratio of 0.81 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.25. The Goldman Sachs Group Announces Dividend The Goldman Sachs Group ( NYSE:GS Free Report ) last issued its earnings results on Tuesday, April 18th. The investment management company reported $8.79 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $8.14 by $0.65. The business had revenue of $12.22 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $12.66 billion. The Goldman Sachs Group had a net margin of 13.23% and a return on equity of 9.84%. The Goldman Sachs Groups revenue was down 5.5% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned $10.76 earnings per share. As a group, analysts forecast that The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. will post 32.14 earnings per share for the current year. The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, June 29th. Investors of record on Thursday, June 1st were paid a dividend of $2.50 per share. This represents a $10.00 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.06%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Wednesday, May 31st. The Goldman Sachs Groups dividend payout ratio is presently 35.60%. Insider Buying and Selling at The Goldman Sachs Group In other The Goldman Sachs Group news, Treasurer Philip R. Berlinski sold 3,750 shares of the firms stock in a transaction on Thursday, April 20th. The shares were sold at an average price of $338.10, for a total value of $1,267,875.00. Following the transaction, the treasurer now directly owns 21,366 shares of the companys stock, valued at $7,223,844.60. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. In other The Goldman Sachs Group news, major shareholder Goldman Sachs Group Inc sold 24,819,473 shares of the firms stock in a transaction on Monday, May 8th. The shares were sold at an average price of $21.61, for a total value of $536,348,811.53. Following the transaction, the insider now directly owns 110,337 shares of the companys stock, valued at $2,384,382.57. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. Also, Treasurer Philip R. Berlinski sold 3,750 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Thursday, April 20th. The shares were sold at an average price of $338.10, for a total transaction of $1,267,875.00. Following the completion of the sale, the treasurer now owns 21,366 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $7,223,844.60. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last three months, insiders have sold 34,978,986 shares of company stock valued at $660,057,057. Corporate insiders own 0.54% of the companys stock. Analysts Set New Price Targets A number of analysts have recently weighed in on GS shares. Barclays cut their price target on shares of The Goldman Sachs Group from $495.00 to $437.00 and set an overweight rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, April 12th. Bank of America upped their price objective on shares of The Goldman Sachs Group from $384.00 to $425.00 in a research report on Thursday, March 9th. Oppenheimer lowered their price objective on shares of The Goldman Sachs Group from $440.00 to $437.00 and set an outperform rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, April 19th. Evercore ISI upped their price objective on shares of The Goldman Sachs Group from $360.00 to $370.00 and gave the stock an outperform rating in a research report on Wednesday, April 19th. Finally, StockNews.com began coverage on shares of The Goldman Sachs Group in a research report on Thursday, May 18th. They issued a hold rating for the company. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, six have issued a hold rating and ten have given a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus target price of $387.95. The Goldman Sachs Group Company Profile (Free Report) The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc, a financial institution, provides a range of financial services for corporations, financial institutions, governments, and individuals worldwide. It operates through Global Banking & Markets, Asset & Wealth Management, and Platform Solutions segments. The Global Banking & Markets segment provides financial advisory services, including strategic advisory assignments related to mergers and acquisitions, divestitures, corporate defense activities, restructurings, and spin-offs; and relationship lending, and acquisition financing, as well as secured lending, through structured credit and asset-backed lending and involved in resale agreements. Recommended Stories Want to see what other hedge funds are holding GS? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. (NYSE:GS Free Report). Receive News & Ratings for The Goldman Sachs Group Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for The Goldman Sachs Group and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Eurocash (OTCMKTS:EUSHY Free Report) is one of 62 public companies in the Grocery Stores industry, but how does it compare to its rivals? We will compare Eurocash to related companies based on the strength of its institutional ownership, analyst recommendations, earnings, dividends, risk, profitability and valuation. Profitability This table compares Eurocash and its rivals net margins, return on equity and return on assets. Get Eurocash alerts: Net Margins Return on Equity Return on Assets Eurocash N/A N/A N/A Eurocash Competitors 2.01% 15.36% 4.99% Dividends Eurocash pays an annual dividend of $0.58 per share and has a dividend yield of 14.3%. Eurocash pays out 43.9% of its earnings in the form of a dividend. As a group, Grocery Stores companies pay a dividend yield of 4.1% and pay out 62.3% of their earnings in the form of a dividend. Eurocash is clearly a better dividend stock than its rivals, given its higher yield and lower payout ratio. Insider and Institutional Ownership Valuation and Earnings 0.2% of Eurocash shares are owned by institutional investors. Comparatively, 45.3% of shares of all Grocery Stores companies are owned by institutional investors. 22.8% of shares of all Grocery Stores companies are owned by company insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that endowments, large money managers and hedge funds believe a stock is poised for long-term growth. This table compares Eurocash and its rivals gross revenue, earnings per share (EPS) and valuation. Gross Revenue Net Income Price/Earnings Ratio Eurocash N/A N/A 3.07 Eurocash Competitors $26.96 billion $611.52 million 188.73 Eurocashs rivals have higher revenue and earnings than Eurocash. Eurocash is trading at a lower price-to-earnings ratio than its rivals, indicating that it is currently more affordable than other companies in its industry. Analyst Ratings This is a summary of current ratings for Eurocash and its rivals, as provided by MarketBeat.com. Sell Ratings Hold Ratings Buy Ratings Strong Buy Ratings Rating Score Eurocash 1 0 0 0 1.00 Eurocash Competitors 1121 2753 3008 114 2.30 As a group, Grocery Stores companies have a potential upside of 97.27%. Given Eurocashs rivals stronger consensus rating and higher possible upside, analysts clearly believe Eurocash has less favorable growth aspects than its rivals. Summary Eurocash rivals beat Eurocash on 11 of the 13 factors compared. About Eurocash (Free Report) Eurocash S.A. engages in the wholesale distribution of food and other fast moving consumer goods (FMCG) in Poland. The company operates through Wholesale, Retail, and Projects segments. Its FMCG products include food products, soft drinks, alcoholic beverages, tobacco products, and household chemicals and cosmetics. The company markets its products to traditional retail stores, including small supermarkets, grocery stores, and specialized grocery stores; and kiosks, retail outlets, and convenience stores, restaurants, gas stations, hotel and cafe chains, and catering outlets. It operates a network of Cash & Carry warehouses; Delikatesy Centrum network supermarkets; Inmedio; and franchise and partner stores of Eurocash distribution. Eurocash S.A. was incorporated in 2014 and is based in Komorniki, Poland. Receive News & Ratings for Eurocash Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Eurocash and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Jackson Square Capital LLC boosted its holdings in Rogers Communications Inc. (NYSE:RCI Free Report) (TSE:RCI.B) by 140.2% in the 1st quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 50,179 shares of the Wireless communications providers stock after purchasing an additional 29,286 shares during the quarter. Jackson Square Capital LLCs holdings in Rogers Communications were worth $2,326,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Ronald Blue Trust Inc. increased its position in Rogers Communications by 129.6% during the 4th quarter. Ronald Blue Trust Inc. now owns 675 shares of the Wireless communications providers stock worth $26,000 after purchasing an additional 381 shares in the last quarter. CVA Family Office LLC acquired a new position in shares of Rogers Communications during the 4th quarter valued at $52,000. Romano Brothers AND Company purchased a new stake in Rogers Communications during the 4th quarter worth $54,000. Nelson Van Denburg & Campbell Wealth Management Group LLC grew its stake in shares of Rogers Communications by 26.7% in the first quarter. Nelson Van Denburg & Campbell Wealth Management Group LLC now owns 1,760 shares of the Wireless communications providers stock valued at $99,000 after buying an additional 371 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Tower Research Capital LLC TRC acquired a new stake in Rogers Communications in the third quarter valued at approximately $100,000. 40.77% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds. Get Rogers Communications alerts: Rogers Communications Price Performance Shares of RCI stock traded up $0.35 during midday trading on Tuesday, reaching $45.99. 74,838 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 283,820. Rogers Communications Inc. has a 12 month low of $36.23 and a 12 month high of $50.16. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.86, a quick ratio of 1.85 and a current ratio of 1.91. The company has a market cap of $23.22 billion, a P/E ratio of 17.56, a PEG ratio of 1.24 and a beta of 0.52. The companys 50 day moving average price is $46.37 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $46.96. Rogers Communications Increases Dividend Rogers Communications ( NYSE:RCI Free Report ) (TSE:RCI.B) last released its earnings results on Wednesday, April 26th. The Wireless communications provider reported $0.81 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $0.78 by $0.03. Rogers Communications had a return on equity of 19.36% and a net margin of 11.49%. The firm had revenue of $2.84 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $2.71 billion. On average, sell-side analysts expect that Rogers Communications Inc. will post 3.52 earnings per share for the current year. The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, July 5th. Shareholders of record on Friday, June 9th will be issued a $0.37 dividend. This represents a $1.48 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.22%. This is an increase from Rogers Communicationss previous quarterly dividend of $0.37. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, June 8th. Rogers Communicationss dividend payout ratio is presently 56.11%. Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth Several analysts have recently weighed in on the company. Desjardins downgraded Rogers Communications from a buy rating to a hold rating in a research note on Monday, April 3rd. Barclays initiated coverage on shares of Rogers Communications in a research note on Monday, May 8th. They set an overweight rating for the company. Finally, StockNews.com upgraded Rogers Communications from a hold rating to a buy rating in a research report on Wednesday, June 28th. One analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and five have issued a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, Rogers Communications currently has an average rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus price target of $74.31. Rogers Communications Company Profile (Free Report) Rogers Communications Inc operates as a communications and media company in North America. It operates through three segments: Wireless, Cable, and Media. The company offers mobile Internet access, wireless voice and enhanced voice, device financing, device protection, global voice and data roaming, wireless home phone, bridging landline, machine-to-machine and Internet of Things solutions, and advanced wireless solutions for businesses, as well as device shipping services; and postpaid and prepaid services under the Rogers, Fido, and chatr brands. Recommended Stories Want to see what other hedge funds are holding RCI? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Rogers Communications Inc. (NYSE:RCI Free Report) (TSE:RCI.B). Receive News & Ratings for Rogers Communications Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Rogers Communications and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Egypts Minister of Foreign Affairs, Sameh Shoukry, and his Turkish counterpart, Hakan Fidan, affirmed that normalising relations between the two countries should continue. Shoukry called Fidan on Sunday to congratulate him on assuming the post and wish him success, the Egyptian Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement. Egypt is keen to work jointly with Turkey to continue developing and normalising their relations, Shoukry said during the call. For his part, Fidan also stressed the importance of advancing the path of normalisation with Egypt. Shoukry and Fidan also discussed cooperation and exchanging visits at various levels. They also discussed other issues of mutual concern, the statement added. Fidan, a veteran diplomat and the director of the Turkish National Intelligence Organization from 2010 to 2023, was appointed as foreign minister in the new cabinet of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. He succeeded Mevlut Cavusoglu, who had been in the post since 2015. Following Erdogans reelection late in May, he and Egypt's President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi immediately upgraded diplomatic ties between the two countries and exchanged ambassadors after a decade of strained relations. Additionally, they expressed a desire to foster economic cooperation and coordination on regional issues, including matters concerning Palestine, Libya and Syria. Last month, Cairo and Ankara reached an agreement on a timeline for upgrading diplomatic relations, as announced by Shoukry in a joint press conference with his Turkish counterpart Mevlut Cavusoglu during an official visit to Ankara. Over the past year, Cairo and Ankara held rounds of talks to normalise relations after both countries broke off diplomatic relations in 2013. Search Keywords: Short link: Dunelm Group (LON:DNLM Free Report) was downgraded by stock analysts at Royal Bank of Canada to an underperform rating in a research note issued to investors on Tuesday, Marketbeat.com reports. They presently have a GBX 1,000 ($12.69) target price on the stock, down from their prior target price of GBX 1,300 ($16.50). Royal Bank of Canadas target price suggests a potential downside of 6.72% from the stocks current price. Other analysts also recently issued research reports about the stock. Shore Capital reaffirmed a hold rating on shares of Dunelm Group in a research note on Thursday, April 20th. Berenberg Bank lifted their price target on shares of Dunelm Group from GBX 1,240 ($15.74) to GBX 1,330 ($16.88) and gave the company a buy rating in a research note on Tuesday, May 2nd. Finally, Barclays reaffirmed an overweight rating and set a GBX 1,300 ($16.50) price target on shares of Dunelm Group in a research note on Friday, April 21st. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, two have assigned a hold rating and three have assigned a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, Dunelm Group presently has a consensus rating of Hold and an average price target of GBX 1,226 ($15.56). Get Dunelm Group alerts: Dunelm Group Trading Down 4.3 % LON DNLM traded down GBX 48 ($0.61) during trading on Tuesday, hitting GBX 1,072 ($13.61). The stock had a trading volume of 289,458 shares, compared to its average volume of 339,414. The stock has a 50 day simple moving average of GBX 1,138.12 and a 200 day simple moving average of GBX 1,126.11. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 144.86, a quick ratio of 0.16 and a current ratio of 1.06. Dunelm Group has a one year low of GBX 659.50 ($8.37) and a one year high of GBX 1,292 ($16.40). The stock has a market capitalization of 2.16 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 1,448.65, a P/E/G ratio of -10.32 and a beta of 1.13. Dunelm Group Company Profile Dunelm Group plc retails homewares in the United Kingdom. The company offers furniture and beds products, which include bedroom, living room, dining room, and other furniture, as well as bed and mattresses, and sofas and chairs; bedding products comprising bed linen, dorma, baby and kid's bedding, and duvets, pillows and protectors; curtains and rugs; and venetian, roller, roman, vertical, and made to measure blinds. Featured Stories Receive News & Ratings for Dunelm Group Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Dunelm Group and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. African Gold Acquisition Co. (NYSE:AGAC Free Report) was the target of a large growth in short interest in the month of June. As of June 15th, there was short interest totalling 800 shares, a growth of 33.3% from the May 31st total of 600 shares. Currently, 0.0% of the shares of the company are short sold. Based on an average daily trading volume, of 17,600 shares, the short-interest ratio is presently 0.0 days. Institutional Trading of African Gold Acquisition Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of AGAC. Hsbc Holdings PLC acquired a new stake in African Gold Acquisition in the 1st quarter worth about $11,384,000. Verition Fund Management LLC raised its stake in African Gold Acquisition by 413.3% in the 4th quarter. Verition Fund Management LLC now owns 1,110,787 shares of the companys stock worth $11,163,000 after purchasing an additional 894,399 shares in the last quarter. Westchester Capital Management LLC acquired a new stake in African Gold Acquisition in the 3rd quarter worth about $7,425,000. Cowen Investment Management LLC acquired a new stake in African Gold Acquisition in the 4th quarter worth about $5,528,000. Finally, Bank of Montreal Can raised its stake in African Gold Acquisition by 1.8% in the 1st quarter. Bank of Montreal Can now owns 496,670 shares of the companys stock worth $4,862,000 after purchasing an additional 8,613 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 11.38% of the companys stock. Get African Gold Acquisition alerts: African Gold Acquisition Stock Performance Shares of AGAC stock traded up $0.02 during midday trading on Monday, hitting $10.56. 151 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 110,256. The firms 50 day moving average price is $10.43 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $10.26. African Gold Acquisition has a 52 week low of $9.79 and a 52 week high of $10.56. African Gold Acquisition Company Profile African Gold Acquisition Corporation does not have significant operations. The company focuses on effecting a merger or mergers, asset acquisition, share purchase, reorganization, or other similar business combination with one or more businesses. African Gold Acquisition Corporation was incorporated in 2020 and is based in New York, New York. Recommended Stories Receive News & Ratings for African Gold Acquisition Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for African Gold Acquisition and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Dassault Aviation societe anonyme (OTCMKTS:DUAVF Free Report) saw a large growth in short interest in June. As of June 15th, there was short interest totalling 1,000 shares, a growth of 42.9% from the May 31st total of 700 shares. Based on an average daily volume of 300 shares, the short-interest ratio is currently 3.3 days. Dassault Aviation societe anonyme Trading Down 0.7 % Shares of OTCMKTS:DUAVF traded down $1.42 during midday trading on Tuesday, hitting $193.57. 97 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 223. The company has a 50 day moving average price of $186.99 and a 200-day moving average price of $180.32. Dassault Aviation societe anonyme has a twelve month low of $108.08 and a twelve month high of $209.45. Get Dassault Aviation societe anonyme alerts: Wall Street Analyst Weigh In Separately, Morgan Stanley assumed coverage on shares of Dassault Aviation societe anonyme in a research report on Tuesday, June 13th. They set an equal weight rating on the stock. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and three have issued a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus target price of $187.50. About Dassault Aviation societe anonyme Dassault Aviation Societe anonyme designs and builds military aircraft, business jets, and space systems in France, the Americas, and internationally. It offers Rafale, a multirole fighter aircraft; nEUROn, an unmanned combat air vehicle; and Falcon aircraft for maritime surveillance, intelligence, and medical evacuation missions. See Also Receive News & Ratings for Dassault Aviation societe anonyme Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Dassault Aviation societe anonyme and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Mesabi Trust (NYSE:MSB Free Report) saw a large growth in short interest in the month of June. As of June 15th, there was short interest totalling 351,700 shares, a growth of 51.7% from the May 31st total of 231,800 shares. Currently, 2.7% of the companys shares are sold short. Based on an average daily volume of 35,800 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is currently 9.8 days. Institutional Trading of Mesabi Trust A number of institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the business. Ameriprise Financial Inc. boosted its position in shares of Mesabi Trust by 9.2% in the 1st quarter. Ameriprise Financial Inc. now owns 15,331 shares of the mining companys stock worth $386,000 after purchasing an additional 1,289 shares in the last quarter. HighTower Advisors LLC boosted its position in shares of Mesabi Trust by 3.0% in the 1st quarter. HighTower Advisors LLC now owns 20,280 shares of the mining companys stock worth $510,000 after purchasing an additional 600 shares in the last quarter. Acorn Wealth Advisors LLC purchased a new position in Mesabi Trust in the 1st quarter worth $214,000. Moors & Cabot Inc. raised its stake in Mesabi Trust by 13.1% in the 1st quarter. Moors & Cabot Inc. now owns 141,958 shares of the mining companys stock worth $3,575,000 after acquiring an additional 16,410 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Mad River Investors raised its stake in Mesabi Trust by 21.7% in the 1st quarter. Mad River Investors now owns 343,575 shares of the mining companys stock worth $8,651,000 after acquiring an additional 61,150 shares during the last quarter. Get Mesabi Trust alerts: Mesabi Trust Stock Down 0.1 % NYSE MSB traded down $0.03 during midday trading on Monday, hitting $20.38. 7,801 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 48,500. The companys 50-day simple moving average is $20.31 and its 200-day simple moving average is $21.93. Mesabi Trust has a 52 week low of $16.56 and a 52 week high of $29.95. Analyst Ratings Changes About Mesabi Trust Several research analysts have commented on MSB shares. TheStreet downgraded Mesabi Trust from a c rating to a d+ rating in a report on Thursday, May 18th. StockNews.com cut Mesabi Trust from a hold rating to a sell rating in a research report on Thursday, June 15th. (Free Report) Mesabi Trust, a royalty trust, engages in iron ore mining business in the United States. The company was incorporated in 1961 and is based in New York, New York. Read More Receive News & Ratings for Mesabi Trust Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Mesabi Trust and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Spring Capital Management LLC trimmed its holdings in shares of W.W. Grainger, Inc. (NYSE:GWW Free Report) by 0.3% in the first quarter, according to its most recent filing with the SEC. The firm owned 8,679 shares of the industrial products companys stock after selling 30 shares during the period. W.W. Grainger makes up about 4.8% of Spring Capital Management LLCs investment portfolio, making the stock its 6th biggest position. Spring Capital Management LLCs holdings in W.W. Grainger were worth $5,978,000 at the end of the most recent quarter. A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently made changes to their positions in the business. USS Investment Management Ltd increased its position in shares of W.W. Grainger by 2.2% during the 4th quarter. USS Investment Management Ltd now owns 9,072 shares of the industrial products companys stock worth $5,046,000 after purchasing an additional 193 shares in the last quarter. First Trust Advisors LP increased its position in shares of W.W. Grainger by 4.7% during the 4th quarter. First Trust Advisors LP now owns 67,432 shares of the industrial products companys stock worth $37,513,000 after purchasing an additional 3,022 shares in the last quarter. Moors & Cabot Inc. increased its position in shares of W.W. Grainger by 11.4% during the 4th quarter. Moors & Cabot Inc. now owns 518 shares of the industrial products companys stock worth $288,000 after purchasing an additional 53 shares in the last quarter. Mitsubishi UFJ Trust & Banking Corp increased its position in shares of W.W. Grainger by 13.2% during the 4th quarter. Mitsubishi UFJ Trust & Banking Corp now owns 65,782 shares of the industrial products companys stock worth $36,591,000 after purchasing an additional 7,657 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Ieq Capital LLC increased its position in shares of W.W. Grainger by 4.3% during the 4th quarter. Ieq Capital LLC now owns 1,834 shares of the industrial products companys stock worth $1,020,000 after purchasing an additional 75 shares in the last quarter. 72.65% of the stock is owned by institutional investors. Get W.W. Grainger alerts: Analysts Set New Price Targets GWW has been the subject of several research reports. Loop Capital raised their price objective on shares of W.W. Grainger from $750.00 to $800.00 in a research report on Monday, May 1st. Oppenheimer raised their target price on shares of W.W. Grainger from $785.00 to $800.00 in a research note on Friday, April 28th. Robert W. Baird raised their target price on shares of W.W. Grainger from $730.00 to $760.00 in a research note on Friday, April 28th. 92 Resources reaffirmed a maintains rating on shares of W.W. Grainger in a research note on Friday, April 28th. Finally, UBS Group lifted their price objective on shares of W.W. Grainger from $800.00 to $815.00 in a research note on Friday, April 28th. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, four have assigned a hold rating and five have issued a buy rating to the companys stock. According to data from MarketBeat, W.W. Grainger has a consensus rating of Hold and a consensus target price of $704.88. Insider Activity W.W. Grainger Stock Down 0.8 % In other news, VP Laurie R. Thomson sold 476 shares of W.W. Grainger stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, May 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $683.74, for a total value of $325,460.24. Following the sale, the vice president now directly owns 1,731 shares in the company, valued at $1,183,553.94. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website . 9.90% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders. GWW traded down $6.03 during trading on Tuesday, reaching $782.56. The company had a trading volume of 135,490 shares, compared to its average volume of 270,305. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.75, a current ratio of 2.70 and a quick ratio of 1.53. W.W. Grainger, Inc. has a 12 month low of $441.63 and a 12 month high of $795.83. The businesss fifty day moving average price is $699.69 and its 200 day moving average price is $655.21. The company has a market cap of $39.26 billion, a P/E ratio of 24.00, a PEG ratio of 1.69 and a beta of 1.23. W.W. Grainger (NYSE:GWW Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, April 27th. The industrial products company reported $9.61 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $8.57 by $1.04. W.W. Grainger had a net margin of 10.65% and a return on equity of 61.00%. The firm had revenue of $4.09 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $4.08 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm posted $7.07 earnings per share. The businesss revenue was up 12.2% on a year-over-year basis. Equities analysts anticipate that W.W. Grainger, Inc. will post 35.94 EPS for the current year. W.W. Grainger Increases Dividend The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, June 1st. Stockholders of record on Monday, May 8th were issued a $1.86 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Friday, May 5th. This is an increase from W.W. Graingers previous quarterly dividend of $1.72. This represents a $7.44 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.95%. W.W. Graingers dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 22.82%. W.W. Grainger Company Profile (Free Report) W.W. Grainger, Inc distributes maintenance, repair, and operating products and services in the United States, Japan, Canada, the United Kingdom, and internationally. The company operates through two segments, High-Touch Solutions N.A. and Endless Assortment. The company provides safety and security supplies, material handling and storage equipment, pumps and plumbing equipment, cleaning and maintenance supplies, and metalworking and hand tools. Featured Articles Receive News & Ratings for W.W. Grainger Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for W.W. Grainger and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Tempur Sealy International (NYSE:TPX Free Report) and Richelieu Hardware (OTCMKTS:RHUHF Free Report) are both retail/wholesale companies, but which is the better stock? We will compare the two businesses based on the strength of their valuation, earnings, profitability, analyst recommendations, risk, institutional ownership and dividends. Analyst Ratings This is a breakdown of current ratings for Tempur Sealy International and Richelieu Hardware, as provided by MarketBeat.com. Get Tempur Sealy International alerts: Sell Ratings Hold Ratings Buy Ratings Strong Buy Ratings Rating Score Tempur Sealy International 0 3 6 1 2.80 Richelieu Hardware 0 2 0 0 2.00 Tempur Sealy International currently has a consensus price target of $42.67, suggesting a potential upside of 7.42%. Richelieu Hardware has a consensus price target of $46.50, suggesting a potential upside of 50.88%. Given Richelieu Hardwares higher probable upside, analysts plainly believe Richelieu Hardware is more favorable than Tempur Sealy International. Profitability Net Margins Return on Equity Return on Assets Tempur Sealy International 8.39% -522.46% 9.76% Richelieu Hardware N/A N/A N/A Insider & Institutional Ownership This table compares Tempur Sealy International and Richelieu Hardwares net margins, return on equity and return on assets. 99.5% of Tempur Sealy International shares are owned by institutional investors. Comparatively, 62.6% of Richelieu Hardware shares are owned by institutional investors. 5.2% of Tempur Sealy International shares are owned by company insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that hedge funds, endowments and large money managers believe a company will outperform the market over the long term. Dividends Tempur Sealy International pays an annual dividend of $0.44 per share and has a dividend yield of 1.1%. Richelieu Hardware pays an annual dividend of $0.55 per share and has a dividend yield of 1.8%. Tempur Sealy International pays out 19.0% of its earnings in the form of a dividend. Richelieu Hardware pays out 22.3% of its earnings in the form of a dividend. Both companies have healthy payout ratios and should be able to cover their dividend payments with earnings for the next several years. Tempur Sealy International has raised its dividend for 3 consecutive years. Earnings and Valuation This table compares Tempur Sealy International and Richelieu Hardwares revenue, earnings per share and valuation. Gross Revenue Price/Sales Ratio Net Income Earnings Per Share Price/Earnings Ratio Tempur Sealy International $4.92 billion 1.39 $455.70 million $2.31 17.19 Richelieu Hardware N/A N/A N/A $2.47 12.49 Tempur Sealy International has higher revenue and earnings than Richelieu Hardware. Richelieu Hardware is trading at a lower price-to-earnings ratio than Tempur Sealy International, indicating that it is currently the more affordable of the two stocks. Summary Tempur Sealy International beats Richelieu Hardware on 11 of the 15 factors compared between the two stocks. About Tempur Sealy International (Free Report) Tempur Sealy International, Inc., together with its subsidiaries, designs, manufactures, markets, and distributes bedding products in the United States and internationally. It provides mattresses, foundations and adjustable foundations, and adjustable bases, as well as other products comprising pillows, mattress covers, sheets, cushions, and various other accessories and comfort products under the Tempur-Pedic, Sealy, Stearns & Foster, and Cocoon by Sealy brand names. The company sells its products through approximately 700 company-owned stores, e-commerce, and call centers; and third party retailers, including third party distribution, hospitality, and healthcare. It also operates a portfolio of retail brands, including Tempur-Pedic retail stores, Sleep Outfitters, Sleep Solutions Outlet, Dreams, and SOVA, as well as licenses Sealy, Tempur, and Stearns & Foster brands; technology; and trademarks to other manufacturers. Tempur Sealy International, Inc. was founded in 1846 and is based in Lexington, Kentucky. About Richelieu Hardware (Free Report) Richelieu Hardware Ltd. manufactures, imports, and distributes specialty hardware and complementary products in North America. The company's principal product categories include furniture; glass and building decorative, and functional hardware; lighting systems; finishing and decorating products; ergonomic workstation components; kitchen and closet storage solutions; sliding door systems; decorative and functional panels; high-pressure laminates; railing and balusters; and floor protection products, as well as accessories for power tools. It also manufactures veneer sheets and edge banding products; and various decorative moldings and components for the window and door industry. The company serves kitchen and bathroom cabinet, storage and closet, home furnishing, and office furniture manufacturers; door and window manufacturers; residential and commercial woodworkers; and hardware retailers, such as renovation superstores. The company was incorporated in 1968 and is headquartered in Montreal, Canada. Receive News & Ratings for Tempur Sealy International Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Tempur Sealy International and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Wesbanco Bank Inc. lessened its position in shares of CVS Health Co. (NYSE:CVS Free Report) by 1.3% in the first quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The fund owned 213,043 shares of the pharmacy operators stock after selling 2,906 shares during the period. Wesbanco Bank Inc.s holdings in CVS Health were worth $15,831,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period. Other hedge funds have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Cantor Fitzgerald Investment Advisor L.P grew its position in CVS Health by 92.9% in the first quarter. Cantor Fitzgerald Investment Advisor L.P now owns 377,875 shares of the pharmacy operators stock valued at $38,245,000 after acquiring an additional 181,966 shares during the last quarter. United Bank lifted its stake in CVS Health by 7.2% in the 1st quarter. United Bank now owns 18,658 shares of the pharmacy operators stock valued at $1,888,000 after purchasing an additional 1,260 shares during the last quarter. Loomis Sayles & Co. L P boosted its position in CVS Health by 4,063.8% in the first quarter. Loomis Sayles & Co. L P now owns 12,075 shares of the pharmacy operators stock valued at $1,222,000 after buying an additional 11,785 shares in the last quarter. Zions Bancorporation N.A. increased its holdings in shares of CVS Health by 116.9% during the first quarter. Zions Bancorporation N.A. now owns 2,572 shares of the pharmacy operators stock worth $260,000 after buying an additional 1,386 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Ergoteles LLC acquired a new stake in shares of CVS Health during the 1st quarter valued at $1,551,000. 76.96% of the stock is owned by institutional investors. Get CVS Health alerts: Insiders Place Their Bets In other news, CEO Karen S. Lynch purchased 14,000 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction on Wednesday, May 3rd. The shares were acquired at an average price of $69.75 per share, for a total transaction of $976,500.00. Following the completion of the acquisition, the chief executive officer now owns 431,392 shares in the company, valued at $30,089,592. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Corporate insiders own 0.25% of the companys stock. CVS Health Trading Up 0.9 % NYSE CVS traded up $0.64 during trading hours on Tuesday, hitting $69.77. 3,489,860 shares of the companys stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 8,861,168. The stock has a 50-day simple moving average of $69.72 and a 200 day simple moving average of $78.86. The firm has a market cap of $89.45 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 23.02, a PEG ratio of 1.26 and a beta of 0.62. The company has a current ratio of 0.92, a quick ratio of 0.67 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.79. CVS Health Co. has a 1-year low of $66.34 and a 1-year high of $107.26. CVS Health (NYSE:CVS Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, May 3rd. The pharmacy operator reported $2.20 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.07 by $0.13. The business had revenue of $85.28 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $80.67 billion. CVS Health had a return on equity of 15.75% and a net margin of 1.20%. The companys quarterly revenue was up 11.0% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned $2.22 earnings per share. On average, equities analysts forecast that CVS Health Co. will post 8.61 EPS for the current fiscal year. Analysts Set New Price Targets Several research analysts have recently issued reports on CVS shares. Wells Fargo & Company lowered their price objective on CVS Health from $95.00 to $76.00 in a research note on Monday, May 8th. Cantor Fitzgerald assumed coverage on shares of CVS Health in a research note on Thursday, April 20th. They set an overweight rating and a $87.00 price target for the company. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft assumed coverage on shares of CVS Health in a research note on Monday, April 10th. They issued a hold rating on the stock. TheStreet lowered CVS Health from a b rating to a c rating in a research report on Wednesday, May 3rd. Finally, StockNews.com upgraded CVS Health from a hold rating to a buy rating in a report on Tuesday, May 16th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and fifteen have given a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, CVS Health currently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus price target of $107.26. About CVS Health (Free Report) CVS Health Corporation provides health services in the United States. It operates through Health Care Benefits, Pharmacy Services, and Retail/LTC segments. The Health Care Benefits segment offers traditional, voluntary, and consumer-directed health insurance products and related services. It serves employer groups, individuals, college students, part-time and hourly workers, health plans, health care providers, governmental units, government-sponsored plans, labor groups, and expatriates. Featured Stories Want to see what other hedge funds are holding CVS? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for CVS Health Co. (NYSE:CVS Free Report). Receive News & Ratings for CVS Health Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for CVS Health and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Whitecap Resources (TSE:WCP Free Report) had its price objective cut by Barclays from C$14.00 to C$13.00 in a research note published on Friday morning, BayStreet.CA reports. Other analysts have also recently issued reports about the company. National Bankshares boosted their price target on Whitecap Resources from C$15.50 to C$16.50 in a research report on Tuesday, April 18th. ATB Capital dropped their price target on Whitecap Resources from C$16.00 to C$15.00 in a research report on Monday, April 17th. Finally, Canaccord Genuity Group dropped their price target on Whitecap Resources from C$15.00 to C$14.50 in a research report on Wednesday, March 29th. Five investment analysts have rated the stock with a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, Whitecap Resources has an average rating of Buy and a consensus target price of C$14.89. Get Whitecap Resources alerts: Whitecap Resources Stock Up 0.9 % Whitecap Resources stock opened at C$9.27 on Friday. The stock has a market capitalization of C$5.61 billion, a PE ratio of 4.39, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of -0.33 and a beta of 2.90. Whitecap Resources has a 12 month low of C$7.70 and a 12 month high of C$11.52. The business has a 50 day simple moving average of C$9.73 and a 200-day simple moving average of C$10.26. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 26.28, a current ratio of 0.77 and a quick ratio of 0.67. Whitecap Resources Dividend Announcement Whitecap Resources ( TSE:WCP Free Report ) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, April 26th. The company reported C$0.43 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of C$0.33 by C$0.10. The business had revenue of C$952.60 million during the quarter. Whitecap Resources had a return on equity of 26.68% and a net margin of 33.46%. On average, analysts anticipate that Whitecap Resources will post 1.2910864 EPS for the current fiscal year. The business also recently disclosed a monthly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, July 17th. Shareholders of record on Friday, June 30th will be paid a dividend of $0.048 per share. This represents a $0.58 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 6.21%. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, June 29th. Whitecap Resourcess dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 27.49%. Insiders Place Their Bets In related news, Director Vineeta Maguire acquired 10,683 shares of the stock in a transaction on Wednesday, June 21st. The shares were bought at an average price of C$9.36 per share, with a total value of C$99,992.88. 0.74% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders. Whitecap Resources Company Profile (Free Report) Whitecap Resources Inc, an oil and gas company, focuses on the acquisition, development, and production of oil and gas assets in Western Canada. The company's primary areas of focus of its development programs are in Northern Alberta and British Columbia, Central Alberta, and Saskatchewan. Whitecap Resources Inc is headquartered in Calgary, Canada. Recommended Stories Receive News & Ratings for Whitecap Resources Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Whitecap Resources and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. WPP (LON:WPP Free Report) had its price objective decreased by Credit Suisse Group from GBX 1,260 ($15.99) to GBX 1,245 ($15.80) in a research report sent to investors on Friday morning, The Fly reports. Several other research analysts have also recently weighed in on WPP. Shore Capital reaffirmed a buy rating on shares of WPP in a research note on Thursday, April 27th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft raised their target price on WPP from GBX 1,170 ($14.85) to GBX 1,230 ($15.61) in a research note on Wednesday, May 3rd. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their target price on WPP from GBX 1,240 ($15.74) to GBX 1,260 ($15.99) in a research note on Friday, April 28th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and five have issued a buy rating to the companys stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of Moderate Buy and an average target price of GBX 1,145.88 ($14.54). Get WPP alerts: WPP Trading Up 1.8 % Shares of WPP stock opened at GBX 838.40 ($10.64) on Friday. The stock has a 50-day simple moving average of GBX 878.66 and a 200 day simple moving average of GBX 918.49. WPP has a fifty-two week low of GBX 713 ($9.05) and a fifty-two week high of GBX 1,082 ($13.73). The stock has a market capitalization of 8.97 billion, a P/E ratio of 1,352.26, a P/E/G ratio of 2.93 and a beta of 1.22. The company has a quick ratio of 0.89, a current ratio of 0.85 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 172.61. Insider Activity at WPP About WPP In related news, insider Joanne Wilson sold 3,744 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Friday, May 12th. The stock was sold at an average price of GBX 894 ($11.35), for a total value of 33,471.36 ($42,481.74). 0.12% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders. (Free Report) WPP plc, a creative transformation company, provides communications, experience, commerce, and technology services in North America, the United Kingdom, Western Continental Europe, the Asia Pacific, Latin America, Africa, the Middle East, and Central and Eastern Europe. The company operates through three segments: Global Integrated Agencies, Public Relations, and Specialist Agencies. Further Reading Receive News & Ratings for WPP Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for WPP and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Wynnstay Group Plc (LON:WYN Free Report) declared a dividend on Monday, July 3rd, Upcoming.Co.Uk reports. Shareholders of record on Thursday, September 28th will be given a dividend of GBX 5.50 ($0.07) per share on Tuesday, October 31st. This represents a yield of 1.16%. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, September 28th. The official announcement can be seen at this link. Wynnstay Group Stock Performance LON WYN opened at GBX 441.76 ($5.61) on Tuesday. The businesss 50 day moving average is GBX 452.24 and its two-hundred day moving average is GBX 499.71. The stock has a market capitalization of 99.62 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of 570.12 and a beta of 0.65. The company has a current ratio of 1.77, a quick ratio of 1.03 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 13.03. Wynnstay Group has a 12-month low of GBX 416.55 ($5.29) and a 12-month high of GBX 641 ($8.14). Get Wynnstay Group alerts: Analysts Set New Price Targets Separately, Shore Capital reissued a house stock rating on shares of Wynnstay Group in a research note on Monday. About Wynnstay Group Wynnstay Group Plc manufactures and supplies agricultural products in the United Kingdom. It operates through Agriculture and Specialist Agricultural Merchanting segments. The Agriculture segment offers animal nutrition products to the agricultural market; and seeds, fertilizers, and agro-chemicals to arable and grassland farmers, as well as markets grains. Featured Articles Receive News & Ratings for Wynnstay Group Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Wynnstay Group and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Bahrain has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the UK on a strategic investment and collaboration partnership. The MoU facilitates a 1 billion ($1.27 billion) investment from Bahrain's private sector into the UK economy, through the kingdoms sovereign wealth fund Mumtalakat, Investcorp, GFH Financial Group and Osool Asset Management, said a Bahrain News Agency report. The MoU was signed during a meeting between His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, Bahrain's Crown Prince and Prime Minister, and UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, at 10 Downing Street, London. The memorandum was signed by Bahrain's Finance and National Economy Minister Shaikh Salman bin Khalifa Al Khalifa and the UKs Minister for Investment Lord Dominic Johnson. HRH Prince Salman highlighted the deep-rooted relationship between the two kingdoms, which is based on solid foundations that go back more than 200 years. He affirmed Bahrains steadfast commitment to strengthening bilateral collaboration in support of the kingdoms comprehensive development goals, led by His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa. HRH Prince Salman noted the UKs role, alongside the kingdoms allies, in maintaining international security and stability. The Palestinian leadership decided on Monday to suspend all contacts and meetings with the Israeli side and remain opposed to any security coordination. Related Palestinian PM strongly condemns Israeli deadly raid on West Bank city of Jenin This came in a statement issued following the emergency meeting of the Palestinian leadership. The President of the State of Palestine, Mahmoud Abbas, headed the meeting, which was held at the presidential headquarters in Ramallah to discuss the ongoing Israeli aggression against the city of Jenin and its camp. Eight Palestinians have so far been killed, and 70 were injured -- many of them critically -- in the ongoing large-scale Israeli air and land assault on Jenin. Israeli occupation army launched a major assault on Jenin since dawn today, starting with airstrikes before dozens of military vehicles and several hundred soldiers raided the city, concentrating on its refugee camp. Abbas called on the international community to provide urgent international protection for the Palestinian people, impose sanctions on Israel, and condemn the ongoing terrorist aggression against Jenin and its refugee camp, WAFA news agency reported. According to the statement read by the official spokesman for the presidency, Nabil Abu Rudeineh, the heads of the Palestinian political factions are invited to an emergency meeting to discuss and agree on a comprehensive national vision and unite the ranks to confront Israeli aggression. The leadership reaffirmed the right of the Palestinian people to defend themselves against aggression, stressing that the Palestinian Authority's (PA) mission is to protect the people and use all its resources to achieve that goal while adhering to international legitimacy and international law. Abu Rudeineh said that in light of the Israeli lack of commitment to the Aqaba and Sharm el-Sheikh understandings, the leadership declares that these understandings are null and void. Abbas also decided to immediately go to the UN Security Council to implement Resolution 2334 and the resolution on international protection for the Palestinian people. He will also call on the council to halt unilateral Israeli measures, impose sanctions on Israel, and condemn the ongoing terrorist aggression against Jenin and its refugee camp, WAFA news agency reported. According to the statement published by WAFA, these are the resolutions adopted by the Palestinian leadership following its emergency meeting: 1. To cease all contact with the Israeli side. 3. To maintain the cessation of security coordination. 4. To maintain the activities of the popular committees in defending cities, villages and camps. All Palestinian departments are to uphold their role in protecting the Palestinian people. 5. Adhering to the Palestinian national constants and the Palestine Liberation Organization as the sole and legitimate representative of the Palestinian people. In addition, the Palestinian leadership should continue to seek full membership status of the State of Palestine in the United Nations and secure more international recognition. 6. To call on the International Criminal Court to expedite the proceedings on referred cases. 7. To support Palestinian families in lodging cases before the International Criminal Court (ICC) against the Israeli occupation forces for the massacres and killings they carried out against innocent civilians. 8. To demand the revocation of Israel's membership in the United Nations due to its failure to implement Resolutions 181 and 194. 9. To lodge cases against the occupying state for the committed crimes for which it bears responsibility throughout its occupation. 10. To file cases against Israel for the massacres it committed, the destruction of villages and the displacement of the Palestinian people during the Nakba period. 11. To launch an immediate call for the ongoing international commission of inquiry in the Human Rights Council to investigate and refer its findings, regarding the responsibility of the occupation for these massacres and acts of terrorism, to the International Criminal Court and the UN Security Council. 12. To resume accession to the remaining UN conventions and international organizations. 13. To submit cases against the US and Britain because of the Balfour Declaration and demand recognition, apology and compensation. 14. To limit the relationship with the US administration. 15. To act on the Arab, Islamic and international levels to support the Palestinian stance. Search Keywords: Short link: Photo shows a view of the online literature industry expo, a part of the 2023 China International Online Literature Week (CIOLW) in Hangzhou, east China's Zhejiang Province. [Xinhua/Xu Yu] The overseas market value of Chinese online literature exceeded 3 billion yuan (about $414.5 million) and Chinese online literary works attracted more than 150 million overseas readers by the end of 2022, according to a report released recently by the online literature center of the China Writers Association (CWA). The report said the total revenue for the country's major platforms in the online literature industry exceeded 23 billion yuan in 2022. In recent years, China has made more solid progress in exporting Chinese online literary works, said Ouyang Youquan, a professor at the School of Humanities at Central South University. The influence of Chinese online literature has continued to grow, given the increasing number and genres of literary works introduced in overseas markets and the expanding industrial chain of the Chinese online literature sector, Ouyang added. Over the past 20-plus years, a large number of Chinese authors have produced numerous online literary works, said He Hong, director of the CWA's online literature center. Online literary works with intriguing plots and cliffhangers pander to popular taste, and there are now more than 200 sub-categories of China's online literature genres, He added. These are important factors behind why Chinese online literary works attract readers both at home and abroad, He pointed out. The beauty of the traditional culture behind Chinese online literary works holds great appeal for overseas readers. For instance, Library of Heaven's Path, regarded as a fine example of a Chinese online literature export, has been translated into various foreign languages, including English, French and Turkish. "The most important reason for the works continuing popularity is that it reveals the traditional Chinese culture behind teaching," said the books author. Ouyang believes that fine traditional Chinese culture can transcend time and space and cross borders. By taking root in the cultural soil of China and "telling Chinese stories well," Chinese online literature has become a bridge for international cultural exchanges. The strong vitality of China's online literary works is inseparable from the operating model of Chinese online literature platforms. Webnovel, the international portal of China Literature, a leading online literature platform in China, has supported the exports of Chinese online literary works by launching a translation program. In addition, many overseas readers of Chinese online literary works have become creators. To support authors of online literary works, Webnovel, in collaboration with National University of Singapore and Nanyang Technological University, initiated a global author incubation project in 2022 and rolled out the Webnovel 2023 Author Professionalization Initiative this February. Industry insiders say that the dissemination of Chinese online literature overseas has helped global readers gain a better understanding of and develop a stronger interest in Chinese culture, which will better help spread Chinese online literary works in the rest of the world. (Source: People's Daily Online) In a polarized US, how to define a patriot increasingly depends on who's being asked The United States said Monday that ally Israel had a right to "defend its people" against Islamist militants but called for protection of civilians after a major, deadly raid in the occupied West Bank city of Jenin. "We support Israel's security and right to defend its people against Hamas, Palestinian Islamic Jihad and other terrorist groups," a State Department spokesperson said. "It is imperative to take all possible precautions to prevent the loss of civilian lives," the spokesperson added. The United States, Israel's primary ally, also called for a resumption of security cooperation between the Jewish state and Palestinian security forces. President Joe Biden's administration has repeatedly called for restraint from both Israel and the Palestinians. Washington has also criticized the hard-right government of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu over its growing settlements in the occupied territories, while stopping short of repercussions for Israeli decisions. Eight people were reported dead in the raid in the northern city of Jenin in the biggest such Israeli operation in years, which involved armored vehicles, army bulldozers and drones. Search Keywords: Short link: Hours after the start of Mondays criminal attack on Jenin in the northern West Bank, several thousand residents of the citys densely populated refugee camp were forced to flee their homes, amid Palestinian claims that the military had threatened and forced camp residents to leave. The offensive by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahus far-right government has killed at least 12 Palestinians, four of whom are children, and injured at least 120, including 20 in serious condition, in Israels biggest attack on a West Bank city in years. Israeli soldiers drive an APC out of the occupied West Bank city of Jenin, during an Israeli military raid on the Jenin refugee camp, July 4, 2023. [AP Photo/Ariel Schalit] Hundreds of Israel Defense Forces (IDF) bulldozers, under cover from aerial strikes from armed drones and helicopters, carried out acts of wanton vandalism. Their aim is to capture the armed groups resisting Israels decades-long, illegal occupation of the Palestinian territories and their arms caches, make life for the camps residents untenable and terrify and intimidate civilians throughout the West Bank. Their actions are flagrant violations of the international conventions on war and human rights that outlaw military action against civilians. The IDF flattened homes, residential buildings, medical facilities and mosques and ploughed up most of the streets surrounding the camp, leaving piles of rubble at the side of the roads that are now unusable, making it difficult if not impossible for humanitarian organisations to reach the camps remaining residents. Basic infrastructure, water, electricity and telephone networks, are in ruins. The residents, without access to the internet and social media, are cut off from the outside world. In the evening, the IDF brought in re-enforcements to suppress the Palestinian militias and stationed snipers in the hollowed-out buildings, while its soldiers fired live bullets near a medical centre, injuring three people. More than 1,000 troops carried out searches to arrest members of the resistance groups, including Hamas, Islamic Jihad, Lions Den, the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine and others that Israel describes as terrorists. They have so far arrested 120 wanted Palestinians who are being interrogated by the security services. The refugee camp, where some 14,000 people live in less than half a square kilometre, has been a centre of armed resistance to Israels brutal occupation that has attracted growing concern and nervousness among Israels Arab neighbours, all of whom are sitting atop social tinder boxes. Netanyahu, speaking at an IDF base commanding the Jenin operation, showered praise on the soldiers, signaled the end of the current operation and promised further attacks. In these moments we are completing the mission, and I can say that our broad action in Jenin is not a one-time thing. We will continue as much as necessary to cut off terrorism. The leaders of Israels various opposition parties all voiced their support for the governments war crimes, indicating how little their policies differed from those of Netanyahu and his fascist ministers. As the operation in Jenin intensified, Hussein Khalaylah, a 20-year-old Palestinian from the southern West Bank town of Samua, rammed his car into a group of pedestrians in a residential area of Tel Aviv, before giving chase to passers-by with a knife and leaving seven people injured, three seriously. Hamas, the militant clerical group that controls Gaza, said later Khalaylah was one of its members. An armed civilian shot and killed Khalaylah, which Israeli security officials chillingly described as neutering the assailant. National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir said that the attack vindicated his legislative drive to enable more Israelis to carry guns. Yaakov Shabtai, Israels police chief, told reporters, Weve assessed that because of our activity in Judea and Samaria [the biblical name for the West Bank], the motivation and potential for attacks would rise. Far from protecting the lives of Jewish Israelis, the IDFs murderous campaign against the Palestinians has indeed endangered them. Israel has carried out near-daily military raids in the West Bank, killing 190 Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza since Netanyahu took office at the end of last year, announced the construction of 13,000 new homes in the settlements and expanded the settlements deemed illegal under Israeli law. Settlers have been allowed to carry out pogrom-like attacks on Palestinian towns and villages, under the protection of the Israeli army. At the same time, Israel has withheld the taxes and revenues collected on behalf of the Palestinian Authority (PA), leaving the PA unable to pay its workforce or provide any assistance and support as social conditions deteriorate. Netanyahu and his fascist-dominated coalition have deliberately stoked war, targeting the Palestinians in the Occupied Territories, Israels Arab citizens and neighbouring states, above all, Iran and Syria, in the face of widespread opposition to their plans to assume dictatorial powers by emasculating an already largely compliant judiciary. Netanyahus war plans, irrespective of his conjunctural disagreements with the Biden administration, were greenlighted by Washington. None of Tel Avivs war crimes against the Palestiniansthe self-same ones that the Washington accuses Russia of having committed in Ukrainecould have been carried out without Bidens say-so. Israel has admitted that it informed the US of its intention of carrying out the operation in Jenin and evidently met no opposition to its plans. On Monday, the White House National Security Council stated, We support Israels security and right to defend its people against Hamas, Palestinian Islamic Jihad, and other terrorist groups. The previous day, Israels Defence Ministry announced it is to buy 25 F-35 aircraft from the US, in a deal that increases Israels arsenal of the stealth fighter jets from 50 to 75 by 2026-27. The $3 billion purchase, to be financed through American military aid to Israel, with the planes produced by Lockheed Martin and Pratt & Whitney in conjunction with Israeli companies, means that Israel will be the only country in the Middle East to fly the worlds most advanced fighter jet. The F-35s stealth technology makes it more able to strike targets with impunity throughout the region and outwit Irans Russian-built S-300 anti-aircraft missile defense system, and possibly even the S-400 system. The announcement follows last Januarys request for 25 F-15 EX Boeing fighters from the US and Novembers agreement to purchase four Boeing KC-46A midair refueling aircraft, both of which would enhance Tel Avivs capabilities against Tehran. The move to expand Israels arsenal comes as tensions between Israel and Iran are escalating. It is part of US imperialisms broader preparations for a possible war against Iran and its allies in Syria and Lebanon. Netanyahu has already used its F-35 jets to shoot down Iranian drones and has threatened to carry out strikes on Iranian nuclear targets. Israel has assassinated several Iranian nuclear experts, attacked and sabotaged several facilities inside Iran and waged a covert waraerial and maritimeagainst Tehran and its allies, striking Syria in almost weekly attacks with the US providing intelligence and military support. The nuclear issue has long been a smokescreen, with the major powers, the International Atomic Energy Authority and the CIA all admitting that there has been no evidence of Iran having any type of nuclear weapons programme since 2003, as the current CIA director and former deputy secretary of state William Burns acknowledged in his autobiography. The Biden administration had initially hoped to use the renewal of the 2015 nuclear deal as a means of detaching Iran from Russia and China and opening up additional energy supplies to Europe. But under President Ebrahim Raisi, who hails from Irans conservative faction opposed to the 2015 deal, Tehran has sought to take advantage of the Russia-Ukraine war and western sanctions on Russia to stress Irans importance as a transport hub connecting China and Central Asia with Europe and Russia with India. It has signed several transport projects even as it has opened back-channel talks with Washington to secure some relief from the sanctions that have crippled its economy. In March, China brokered an agreement between Saudi Arabia, until recently a staunch US ally, and Iran, following years of fierce competition for influence throughout the Middle East. Syria, a key Iranian ally whose president, Bashar al-Assad, Riyadh had sought to overthrow by funding and arming Islamist proxies, has been welcomed back into the Arab League. In May, Tehran and Moscow signed a $1.6 billion railway deal to develop the International NorthSouth Transport Corridor as a rival to the Suez Canal. On Friday, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov announced that Iran will be admitted to the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) as a full member next month, strengthening Tehrans links to China and Russia amid international isolation and sanctions. Egypt and Turkey announced, In a joint statement, on Tuesday the upgrading of diplomatic relations to ambassadorial level. The two countries announced the appointment of Amr Elhamamy as the Egyptian ambassador to Ankara and of Salih Mutlu Sen as the Turkish ambassador to Cairo. "This step aims to establish normal relations and highlights the mutual determination to enhance bilateral relations for the benefit of both nations," the statement indicated, adding that the decision to upgrade diplomatic ties reflects the commitment of the two presidents. After Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's re-election in May, he and President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi agreed to "upgrade diplomatic relations and exchange ambassadors" in a phone call, according to a statement by the Egyptian Presidency. Both presidents affirmed the historical ties binding their countries and agreed to strengthen relations and promote cooperation, including on economic and regional issues such as Palestine, Libya, and Syria. In the past year, Cairo and Ankara held ministerial-level talks to normalize relations after severing diplomatic ties in 2013. In mid-June, Egyptian Foreign Affairs Minister Sameh Shoukry and his newly-appointed Turkish counterpart Hakan Fidan agreed to continue normalizing relations between the two countries. The move follows discussions earlier this year between Shoukry and former Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu in Cairo, during which they established a specific timeframe for improving diplomatic ties. Two hundred Turkish companies are currently investing EGP 2 billion ($64 million) and operating in Egypt, according to Atilla Yenigun, the Commercial Counselor of the Turkish embassy in Cairo. Bilateral trade volume between Egypt and Turkey rose by 14 percent to $7.7 billion in 2022, up from $6.7 billion the previous year, according to data released by the Central Agency for Public Mobilisation and Statistics (CAPMAS) in March. Search Keywords: Short link: The International Youth and Students for Social Equality (IYSSE) at San Diego State University (IYSSE at SDSU) in the United States strongly condemns the actions taken by Macquarie University in Sydney, Australia to deny club status to the IYSSE at Macquarie University (IYSSE at MQ) on grounds that it is not unique from other existing organizations on campus. By refusing to recognize the IYSSE at MQ as a separate and distinct movement from the existing student groups, Macquarie University is violating the fundamental democratic rights of their student body who should be granted their full freedoms of political association. The IYSSE is the student and youth organization of the Socialist Equality Parties throughout the world. Our world movement, a socialist and internationalist organization, has a rich political history and was founded by Leon Trotsky in 1938. Socialist Equality Parties and IYSSE clubs exist across campuses from Germany to the United Kingdom, Sri Lanka and Australia. The IYSSE at SDSU joins a growing wave of opposition from students and youth at Macquarie and across the globe in demanding that the university overturn its decision and grant club status to the IYSSE at MQ. The IYSSE at MQ was affiliated as a distinct club with the university from 2010 to 2022. In order to affiliate this year, the club submitted all required documents to the university by the necessary deadline. Despite all requirements being met, the university denied their affiliation on grounds of the club not meeting the requirement of being unique. The university claims that the Macquarie Socialists, affiliated with Socialist Alternative, have the same exact aims as the IYSSE. However, the IYSSE at MQ has been fighting to convey that the Socialist Equality Parties and Socialist Alternative are fundamentally opposed to one another in their program and perspectives. MQ Socialists are affiliated with Socialist Alternative, a pseudo-left organization which in the final analysis supports the capitalist system, capitalist politicians and imperialist war, including the US-NATO proxy war in Ukraine against Russia which threatens a third world war and the destruction of the planet with a nuclear exchange. Meanwhile, the Socialist Equality Parties and IYSSE clubs have been working since the start of the war to build a global anti-war movement of the working class to try to put an end to the war. Socialist Alternative also calls for the election of Greens or Labor Party candidates, whose political programs do not challenge the capitalist system or call for the building of socialist society, the central aim of the SEP and IYSSE. Since the Greens and Labor Party do not politically represent the SEP, the Socialist Equality Parties run their own candidates on a platform opposed to the Greens and Labor Party candidates Socialist Alternative supports. Socialist Alternative focuses on building up bureaucratic trade unions which ultimately serve the interests of the state, but the IYSSE fights to mobilize the working class to take up the struggle for socialism through the formation of independent rank-and-file committees. Any serious political review reveals that the two parties are not aligned with one another. Here at San Diego State University, for several years, there was another supposedly Trotskyist organization on campus: the now collapsed International Socialist Organization (ISO). But, in reality, the ISO never had anything to do with Trotskyism or socialism. It upheld a political line similar to Socialist Alternative and pushed for subservience to the Democratic Party and the capitalist system. Even while the ISO was still nominally existing, IYSSE at SDSU has been arguably the only real political presence on campus since 2008 and definitively the only socialist club. While the ISO supported Barack Obama and the US/NATO war for regime change in Syria, we held public meetings and rallies in opposition to the wars of both the Obama and Trump administrations, organized opposition to severe budget cuts and austerity, and have continued to explain events with a Marxist perspective, featuring public meetings on questions of art, philosophy and culture. David North addressing a near universally-masked audience at San Diego State University on April 25, 2023. The latest public meeting, which was part of an international meeting series, The War in Ukraine and How to Stop it, was so eagerly attended by over 120 students that some spilled into the hallway. The response to the meeting conveyed a thirst for a socialist political perspective that our international movement alone provides. It should also be noted that the meeting had the highest levels of COVID-19 precautions available. We were the central voice of opposition against the administration's dangerous COVID-19 reopening and horrific treatment of students who became infected on campus. This is only a snapshot of our work on campus which takes place on an international scale. What role is Macquarie University ultimately playing in blocking the IYSSE being an affiliated student club? According to the university website, At Student Diversity and Inclusion, our goal is to support successful student communities at Macquarie that support student diversity, including diversity in culture, language, gender,... and religion. Theres no mention that there are initiatives to censor political voices. By their own standards of supporting student diversity, they are denying the IYSSE its democratic right to showcase true diversity. All the political groups listedfrom MQ Socialists to the Model United Nations, the Liberal and Labor clubshave made their peace with capitalism, austerity, and war. The question thus arises, what if a student seeks to oppose unending war and austerity? What of the rights of students to genuine socialist politics? Those students are simply being told no. Macquarie University is effectively censoring the only voice of opposition to the US-NATO war against Russia in Ukraine at a crucial moment as NATO accelerates talks with Ukraine to join NATO and both sides threaten the use of nuclear weapons. The IYSSE has been staunchly opposed to the war since its start and has been sponsoring meetings all over the world focusing on the history of the conflict and how the working class can stop the war, including a successful meeting on May 4 at Macquarie University, just a month before the university administration decided to deny affiliation to the club. The administrations decision will serve the purpose of shutting down the discussion of the anti-war perspective of the IYSSE, violating the students right to free political discussion amid a major global crisis that threatens our very existence. By denying affiliation to the IYSSE, the university is imposing the type of politics that will be allowed on campus. Ultimately, its policing its own students on what they are allowed to discuss and think, specifically on matters of war. We demand that the university overturn its decision and re-affiliate the IYSSE at Macquarie University. We will continue to expose this act of censorship and its broader implication for democratic rights and opposition to imperialist war. We call on all readers to support the fight to defend the IYSSE at Macquarie University by sending letters of protest over the rejection of the IYSSEs affiliation to the Student Engagement, Inclusion and Belonging division of university management at studentgroups@mq.edu.au, and CC iysse.macquarie@gmail.com. Before a single vote has been counted on whether to accept the Business Recovery, Transformation and Growth Agreement between Royal Mail and the Communication Workers Union (CWU), the unions postal executive is working to enforce the companys brutal revisions to jobs, terms and conditions. In a letter to members on June 28, Royal Mail Group Ballot Use Your Vote, CWU General Secretary Dave Ward and Deputy Andy Furey declared they had been right to suspend the May 17 postal ballot, saying they had used the time to put maximum pressure on Royal Mail to act on failed revisions, quality of service issues and USO [Universal Service Obligation] failures. Ward and Furey have insisted that their Joint Statement with Royal Mail on June 16 provided the basis to reverse the companys failed revisions, based on its reaffirmation of section 2.5 of the negotiators agreement which states: Future revision activity will involve the restoration of joint working in all functions in line with current national agreements including the IR Framework. Revisions will be based on efficient, fair, and achievable workload. RMG and CWU recognise that this is an essential step in fostering improved relationships in the workplace and delivering the aims and objectives of this agreement. This has nothing to do with protecting postal workers. The agreements IR framework was established at ACAS under the direction of former Trades Union Congress president and former ACAS chair Sir Brendan Barber. Under Barbers direction, secret talks were concluded between Royal Mail and the CWU which resulted in the negotiators agreement, the biggest attack on postal workers in history. Sir Brendan Barber, former TUC President, holding his Knighthood for services to Employment Relations presented to him by Queen Elizabeth II, October 10, 2013 [Photo by John Stilwell PA Images/Alamy] Barbers involvement reflected the determination of the British statebacked by the Tories and Labourto inflict a defeat on postal workers, driven by their fears over the eruption of a general strike. The sole purpose of the IR framework is to uphold and enforce the April 17 agreement and block the development of a rank-and-file insurgency. Having extracted a pledge to restore joint working, the CWU is moving to enforce the companys brutal dictates against postal workers. This is the meaning of a slew of directives issued by Ward, Furey and the CWU postal executive to local branches and reps over the past week. June 26: Reps directed to participate in revisions CWU letter to branches, June 26, 2023 [Photo: Screenshot of CWU letter ] Signed by CWU Assistant Secretary Mark Baulch, a June 26 letter to branches directed CWU reps to participate in resourcing meetings at all delivery units, instructing them to work with managers to complete a Quality of Service and Resourcing Checklist. Baulch advised that the 35-point checklist had been agreed by the CWU and Royal Mail in the Joint Statement, and should be used to develop an understanding of the root causes impacting Quality of Services, USO and the actions required to restore on target performance. Postal workers already know the root cause of the mass failures in service delivery: the rapacious drive for profit by Royal Mail executives who have torn up working conditions and forced thousands of staff to leave as part of company plans to establish a low-wage parcel business to compete with Amazon. The check list and accompanying instructions from the CWU postal executive show how local reps are being incorporated into management. They are being tasked with policing target performance outlined in the negotiators agreement and Joint Statement. This explains why 400 workplace reps and other postal workers have been sacked, suspended and victimised. Only those prepared to toe the line will be retained under the CWU-Royal Mail agreement. "Joint Quality of Service" checklist issued to reps by the CWU [Photo: Screenshot of CWU attachment] The union-management check list is divided into three parts. Section 1, item 1) asks, Is the office work plan effectively managed to ensure all mail receives its due delivery? The checklist makes clear that postal workers will be held responsible for service failures, with CWU reps overseeing a raft of productivity indicators. Section 2, point 14 of the check list asks: Are the number of annual leave slots aligned to workload using the Calendarisation tool as a guide? This means annual leave entitlements over the summer holiday period will be massively curtailed. Current holiday allocation methods will be overridden based on workload, with point 13 asking whether the local annual leave plan is reviewed in February after people have purchased additional annual leave? The final check list section is headlined Quality of Service - Productivity Checklist and includes point 3) Are weekly resourcing meetings used to review and discuss reported WIPWH (Weighted Items Per Work Hour) productivity? and point 4) Is the purpose of the Resource Calculator jointly understood and used at the weekly resourcing meeting to review WIPWH (Weighted Items Per Work Hour) local productivity against forecasted traffic and the outlined target WIPWH Productivity? Baulchs accompanying letter states, It is essential that sufficient release time is set aside for both the COM/s [manager] and CWU Rep to jointly complete this exercise. Where a unit has no CWU representative, the appropriate Area Representative will complete this exercise with the COM/s. The joint review is to be completed by July 7. Royal Mails huddle brief Emboldened by their Joint Statement with the CWU, Royal Mail convened huddles at mail centres last week. Managers distributed a Huddle Brief titled, Joint activity on revision post implementation review (PIR) and mail centre supernumerary and surplus. Its first section is headed What we have agreed with the CWU and begins, We hope you have seen the joint statement that was communicated on 16 June. It explains, The joint statement said that RM and the CWU will carry out a full joint post implementation review (PIR) in the plants, which will ensure the realignment revision outputs are properly aligned to workload, achieving work plan, quality of service targets, and efficiency performance. The document outlines the fate of supernumerary workers, i.e., those deemed surplus due to Royal Mails scorched earth policy. It states, Following the conclusion of the PIR, we will together [with the CWU] carry out an exceptional duty selection process for any surplus or supernumerary employee to pick into any newly revised vacant duties within the duty set. colleagues who have not obtained a permanent duty, have several choices, which include: 1) taking a role elsewhere within Royal Mail; 2) voluntary redundancy, where offered; 3) or becoming part of the redeployment program. Those facing redeployment will be offered retraining and wellbeing support including limited mental health consultations. June 29: CWU instructs compliance with customer service point reductions CWU letter to branches, June 29, 2023 [Photo: Screenshot of CWU letter] In a letter to branches on June 29, Royal Mails Customer Service Points (CSPs) Further Reduction In Opening Times, Baulch confirmed that postal workers across a range of indoor functions will be subject to forced redeployment and voluntary redundancy as a result of Royal Mails escalated plan to reduce hours at CSPs (such as parcel collection offices) as it implements its plans for automatic redelivery. Baulch revealed, some two weeks ago Royal Mail outlined its further opening time reduction plans which they claimed needed to be retained in Commercial Confidence (which Ward and company kept from members). He explained, In summary, CSPs will have a maximum opening time of 4-hours (8 am to 10 am and 4 pm to 6 pm weekday) with most units only being open for 2-hours (8 am to 10 am weekday); 4-hours Saturday, and with all CSPs being closed on Sunday. Baulch stated hypocritically, we fundamentally disagree with the approach taken by Royal Mail and the sheer level and scale of the plans now earmarked, but confirmed forced redeployments and redundancy arrangements would apply in line with the existing MTSF Agreement as set out within sections 3.1.1 and 3.1.3 of the RMG/CWU Business Recovery, Transformation and Growth Negotiators Agreement. June 29: CWU tries to cover its tracks CWU letter to branches, June 29, 2023 [Photo: Screenshot of CWU letter] Davie Robertson, CWU Assistant Secretary, issued a follow-up letter to branches later that day, Mail Centre Revision PIR Activity, marked For the URGENT attention of all. His letter was a blatant effort to conceal the CWU executives endorsement of company revisions, including those resulting in postal workers being deemed surplus to requirements. Robertsons letter began with the astonishing paragraph, Branches and representatives will be aware that PIR activity should have commenced in Mail Centres in line with the Para 9, Section 2.5 of the negotiators agreement, the relevant Joint Statement. In other words, it is irrelevant to the CWU executive whether workers vote for the agreement or not! The postal executive is already implementing it with management. Robertson sought to answer, communications from the field (i.e., protests from postal workers) over the CWUs treatment of supernumerary workers. He wrote, For absolute clarity, the department have not agreed to the business redeployment pool programme. The unions Joint Statement with Royal Mail, he added, made clear that discussions in respect of outstanding issues relating to supernumeraries and surplus employees would take place at the end of the PIR and review process. In reality, the Joint Statement agreed that joint activity for managing the PIR and supernumerary resolution will take place in line with the IR Framework and be scheduled to be completed by the 7th July 2023. In line with the above process, the local parties are encouraged to jointly consider and agree pragmatic and mutual interest solutions. The shameless lies and subterfuge did not end there. Robertson also addressed concerns over a PIR Template spreadsheet for joint sign off on revision activity, sent out by the company. He stated that while the union did not initially have any issues with the document it has been brought to our attention that some representatives are uncomfortable with the wording of the document and data contained, or omitted. Unfortunately for postal workers, the Guidelines and Quality and Resourcing Checklists (Annexes C, D & E) to support the PIR activity which Robertson directed reps to use instead are based on the same pro-company agenda. Robertson admits as much, adding, It had been our intention to communicate the documents yesterday but due to the above issues we had advised the business that we did not believe that they would be well received in the field. What a devastating portrait of the CWU. Their intention had been to circulate documents to help with company revisions, but they feared a backlash from postal workers so advised the business on the best way to proceed. It is a union fully integrated with Royal Mails corporate boardroom and the capitalist state. Conclusion: Tea & biscuits on July 25 As the World Socialist Web Site and the Postal Workers Rank-and-File Committee warned, the CWUs Joint Statement with Royal Mail amounted to de facto implementation of the negotiators agreement. This has now been confirmed in spades. In a letter to branches on July 3, headlined Royal Mail Group: National Briefing Tuesday 25th July 2023, Dave Ward and Andy Furey announced, A National Briefing will be held on Tuesday 25th July 2023 in relation to the Business Recovery, Transformation & Growth Agreement and next steps. Ward and Furey's letter to branches, July 3, 2023. [Photo: Screenshot of CWU letter] Have the CWU executive been informed by Civica about the likely outcome of the ballot? Or are Ward and Furey signalling that their negotiators agreement will be imposed regardless of the ballots outcome? The day-long briefing will be held at The Queens Hotel in Leeds, All branches are requested to make this a priority engagement. Tea and coffee will be available from 10.30am, Ward and Furey advise. It is not clear whether this generous offer is extended to any of the hundreds of reps suspended and sacked during the year-long dispute. The need for rank-and-file organisation could not be clearer. The WSWS urges all workers who want to launch a fightback and break the grip of the CWUs unaccountable bureaucracy to contact the Postal Workers Rank-and-File Committee and register to attend its next Zoom meeting on Sunday July 9, 7pm. As part of its military build-up throughout the Indo-Pacific, the US is planning to dispatch an Ohio-class nuclear-armed ballistic missile submarine (SSBN) to South Korea, the largest in its fleet, for the first time in more than four decades. The exact date of the submarines arrival has not been released, but is expected around July 27, the anniversary of the end of the Korean War. Ohio-class ballistic submarine USS Alabama (SSBN 731) [Photo: US Navy photo by Ray Narimatsu] Washington and Seoul have dressed up the submarines visit and their increasing military cooperation as a defensive response to the supposed North Korean threat. The deputy commander of US Forces Korea, Lieutenant General Scott Pleus, stated last Thursday, In the near future, you can expect another show of the US commitment to extended deterrence by a port visit by the nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarine. US President Joe Biden and his South Korean counterpart President Yoon Suk-yeol agreed to the dispatching of the nuclear-armed submarine and other strategic assets during the pairs summit in Washington in April, in what was dubbed the Washington Declaration. The two also agreed to deepen their collaboration over US nuclear weapons through the formation of a Nuclear Consultative Group (NCG). The NCG will allow Seoul to coordinate more closely with Washington in planning and training for the use of US nuclear weapons, meaning that the visit by a submarine capable of launching nuclear weapons is not just a port call, but an aspect of Seouls participation in planning for nuclear war. This nuclear collaboration is not aimed at North Korea, an impoverished country of 26 million people. It is, above all, part of the preparations for a US-instigated war against China to which the Yoon administration has signed up for behind the backs of the South Korean working class. In this regard, Pleus also stated Thursday, As our alliance continues to expand, we will keep building upon our commitments not only to the security of Northeast Asia, but also to a free and open Indo-Pacific and a free and open global commons. He added that Washington and Seoul would build greater strategic depth, enhance international cooperation and provide greater support to the rules-based international order. Washington and its allies routinely use the phrases free and open Indo-Pacific and rules-based international order to denounce Beijing for refusing to acquiesce to US hegemony in Asia. The US military provocatively dispatches vessels and aircraft capable of delivering nuclear weapons to the region while conducting freedom of navigation voyages near China. At the same time, Washington hypocritically seizes on any incident to denounce Beijing as a threat including recent claims that China is setting up a spy outpost in Cuba. This is despite the fact that nearly every nation engages in some form of espionage. The US itself conducts massive spying operations around the world on enemies and allies alike. The US, in other words, demands other nations to adhere to strict codes of conduct decided in Washington, while ignoring these rules when it sees fit. Even as the US, along with its NATO allies, escalate the war against Russia in Ukraine, it is preparing apace for a conflict with China which Washington regards as the chief threat to its global dominance. The upcoming submarine visit follows a similar dispatch of the USS Michigan, an Ohio-class guided missile submarine (SSGN), in June. Rather than ballistic missiles, this vessel fires Tomahawk cruise missiles which can carry conventional or nuclear warheads. The USS Michigan left South Korea on June 22 following combined drills with the South Korean navy. Other drills carried out by the two allies include combined air drills over the Korean Peninsula last Friday involving at least one US B-52 strategic bomber. The drills also included South Korean F-35A and KF-16 fighter jets as well as F-16 and F-15E US fighters. These drills and military visits are being used to goad North Korea and China. Washington has resumed large-scale military drills with South Korea, triggering a reaction from Pyongyang that typically includes missile tests. North Korea held a mass rally on June 25, the anniversary of the start of the Korean War, denouncing the US for its desperate efforts to ignite a nuclear war in a statement released the following day. While the Norths missile launches pale in comparison to the weaponry that the US has available, Washington seizes on these tests and Pyongyangs bombastic language to justify the further militarisation of the region. The US is planning the full rollout of its Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) battery in South Korea. THAAD was first installed in 2017, shortly before Moon Jae-in, of the now main opposition Democratic Party of Korea (DP), took office as president. Falsely posturing as an opponent of war even as he oversaw THAADs deployment, Moon called for an environmental risk assessment rather than take actual steps to stop the installation. With the risk assessment now concluded, the way has been cleared for the batterys full deployment. The battery includes the AN/TPY-2 radar system, which is capable of spying deep into China, leading Beijing to call the battery a security threat. Washington claims it is necessary to protect South Korea from a supposed North Korean attack. In reality, THAAD, which does not even cover Seoul from its current location in Seongju County, is meant to protect US bases as Washington turns South Korea into the frontline of a war with China. Seoul is also working to whip up anti-China sentiment, with the government declaring that Beijings protests over THAAD and the possible deployment of additional batteries represent an attack on South Korean sovereignty. This is reminiscent of the manner in which NATO claimed that Russias requests for security guarantees in Ukraine was an assault on Kievs sovereignty even as Washington actively stoked a war in the country. South Korean workers should reject the governments attempts to promote anti-China chauvinism and the US-led war drive against Beijing. Workers in South Korea, the US and China have no interest in a conflict between one another and should unify as part of an international anti-war movement of the working class to prevent a global conflagration by putting an end to capitalismthe root cause of war. Months after the media frenzy over the so-called Chinese spy balloon passing over the US, the Pentagon acknowledged last week that the balloon neither collected nor transmitted data or intelligence. In other words, far from collecting and sending vital information about sensitive US military bases back to China as was alleged, the balloon did not spy at all. Remains of Chinese high-altitude balloon being readied for transport to the FBI. [AP Photo/Ryan Seelbach/U.S. Navy via AP] The admission was not the subject of a formal announcement, let alone an apology to the Chinese government for shooting down the balloon on February 4. It was made in passing by Pentagon spokesman Brigadier General Pat Ryder in response to a question at a press conference. While still alleging that the balloon had intelligence collection capabilities, Ryder unambiguously declared: It has been our assessment now that it did not collect while it was transiting the United States or over-flying the United States. At the same time, he claimed that unspecified US efforts contributed to mitigate the potential collection efforts of that balloon. Beijing has always insisted that the balloon was a civilian research airship that had been accidently blown off course. The Chinese government even issued an official apologetic statement of regret over the incident, which did nothing to stop the US propaganda machine from churning out an avalanche of articles and comments alleging Chinese spying. The incident led to a further rupture of relations with China. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken confronted top Chinese diplomat Wang Yi at the Munich Security Conference later in February, declaring the Chinese balloon an unacceptable violation of US sovereignty and international law, implying its entry into US airspace was deliberate. Blinkens planned trip to China to mend relations was called off. Just last month President Biden added further fuel to the fire. Speaking to wealthy contributors at a fund-raising event, he claimed that Chinese President Xi Jinping got very upset, in terms of when I shot that balloon down with two box cars full of spy equipment in it [because] he didnt know it was there. The president added insult to injury, declaring: Thats a great embarrassment for dictators. When they didnt know what happened. Bidens comments make clear that Chinese authorities did not even know where the balloon was and could not have been deliberately directing it to spy on US military facilities. As for the two box cars of spy equipment, Washington is yet to publicly produce a shred of evidence proving the balloon was anything other than what Beijing claims it was. Brigadier General Ryders comments followed a question about an article that had appeared in the Wall Street Journal entitled Chinese balloon used American tech to spy on Americans. Citing unnamed US officials, the article claimed that the preliminary findings of US investigators, after sifting through the debris recovered from the balloon, was that the craft collected photos and videos but didnt appear to transmit them. The article breathlessly declared the report found the balloon was crammed with commercially available U.S. gear, some of it for sale online, and interspersed with more specialized Chinese sensors and other equipment to collect photos, video and other information to transmit to China, which supported a conclusion that the craft was intended for spying. Ryder not only denied the balloon had collected photos, videos and other informationover the US at leastbut threw cold water on the notion that sensitive American technology had been used by China. While refusing to go into specifics, he declared that in previous cases, like drones and other capabilities off-the-shelf, commercial U.S. components have been used... So that, in and of itself, is not surprising. The WSJ article has all the hallmarks of a media beat-up. The FBI, which was responsible for initiating the investigation, the US Defense Intelligence Agency and other intelligence agencies have been poring over the debris for months. The preliminary findings, however, while not public, are not new. Rather, as WSJ acknowledged, they have been circulated within intelligence and defense agencies beginning in the second half of March, the officials said. The purpose of the article appears to be to give grist to the mill a push by sections of the defence and intelligence establishment to release the findings and put carefully selected parts of the debris on display to further ratchet up the anti-Chinese campaign. In a letter to Biden last month, two Republican senators, Roger Wicker and Marco Rubio, wrote: Your administration has yet to provide the American people a full accounting of how this spy platform was allowed to traverse across sovereign US territory, what the balloon carried, and what it collected during its mission. Ahead of Blinkens rescheduled trip to Beijing last month, the White House played down the incident, saying both countries were putting it behind them. Biden declared at the time: I dont think the [Chinese] leadership knew where it was and knew what was in it and knew what was going on. Blinkens visit was aimed at easing tensions with Beijing, temporarily at least, as the US-NATO war against Russia escalates and the Ukrainian counter-offensive stalls. Nothing of substance was decided during Blinkens visit. Washingtons anti-Chinese propaganda, as well as its tariffs and economic bans and military build-up against China, continue apace. Indeed, Biden branded the Chinese president a dictator the day after Blinken met Xi. Asked about the Wall Street Journal article, Chinas foreign ministry spokesperson Mao Ning last Friday said: Im not aware of the sources of the report. As China has stated on many occasions, the unmanned Chinese civilian airship drifting over the US was an entirely unexpected accident caused by force majeure. The US calling it a spy balloon is nothing but smear against China. The entire scenario that China was using a balloon, which was at the mercy of the winds, to spy on US military bases was implausible from the outset. The Pentagon has now admitted that no data was collected over the US. No evidence has been produced to demonstrate it had box cars full of spy equipment. One can predict in advance that any findings or debris that might be publicly displayed in the future will be carefully selected and manipulated to feed Washingtons anti-China campaign as it prepares for war against Beijing. Will Lehman at the UAW bargaining convention, March 27, 2023 On Monday, July 3, rank-and-file socialist autoworker Will Lehman sued the Biden administrations Department of Labor, demanding that the UAW national officers election be rerun with the names of all candidates on the ballot due to massive voter disenfranchisement by the bureaucracy. Lehmans lawsuit, filed in federal court in the Eastern District of Michigan, comes days after the Department of Labor denied his challenge to the conduct of the UAW election in a three-sentence ruling that did not even attempt to respond to the arguments he raised or the evidence he presented. A statement of reasons setting forth the basis for this decision will be mailed to you at a future date, the decision concludes. This is the second time in less than a year that Lehman has gone to federal court in defense of the rights of the rank and file. In November 2022, before voting in the first round concluded, Lehman filed a lawsuit in the same district demanding that Judge David Lawson extend the deadline to vote and require the UAW to take actions to notify the membership. During the 2022 lawsuit, Lehman warned, If ballots continue to be sent at this rate each day through the November 28 deadline, total turnout will be roughly 104,000almost 40,000 ballots fewer than last years referendum. Lehman quoted this prediction in the most recent lawsuit and said: There is no longer anything speculative about the issues Lehman raised in November. Through a combination of deceit, incompetence and foot-dragging, this election was effectively held behind the backs of masses of rank-and-file members and retirees. Even outgoing UAW President Ray Curry acknowledged on March 16, 2023 that the election was characterized by rampant disenfranchisement of UAW voters. This is an extraordinary admission by the head of the bureaucracy itself that vindicates the numerous objections that Will Lehman made throughout the election. Lehmans new lawsuit begins by explaining that the entrenched bureaucracy systematically disenfranchised hundreds of thousands of rank-and-file members and retirees by deliberately failing to provide adequate notice that an election was taking place. To this day, many members are unaware that there was an election in which they had the right to vote. Out of 1.1 million eligible voters, only 104,776 cast ballots while roughly 1,000,000 did not. This turnout9 percentis the lowest turnout of any national union election in U.S. history. Lehmans complaint carefully explains how and why the UAW bureaucracy systematically suppressed the vote. The bureaucracy campaigned against direct elections and had a motive for suppressing the vote. The bureaucracy was afraid that the elections could give rank-and-file workers like Will Lehman an opportunity to contest its previously unchecked control over the unions assets, built up with generations of workers dues money, as well as to disrupt the bureaucracys privileges and cozy relations with corporate management. The complaint elaborates how the UAW provided notice to the bureaucracy but sought to exclude the rank and file as much as possible. The bureaucracy treated the election as a private, internal affair. In the first round of voting, it took steps to inform its patronage network of local and national officials that an election was taking place, while simultaneously ensuring the smallest possible turnout among the rank and file. This strategy was reflected by the heavy reliance on the Local Union Information System (LUIS) system to provide notice of the election, which was historically used only for communication between national and local officials. This strategy ensured that the second round of voting excluded Lehman and was limited to a contest between the representatives of two main factions of the bureaucracy itself: the Administration Caucus led by Ray Curry and the Members United caucus led by Shawn Fain. The lawsuit summarizes the massive amount of evidence rank-and-file workers submitted to Lehmans campaign explaining that the national UAW and locals failed to update mailing lists and systematically refused to remind workers to update their addresses so they could obtain a ballot. This evidence, as well as responses from a survey completed by over 100 members from over 20 percent of all locals, has never been rebutted by the monitor, UAW or Department of Labor. Among the points stressed in the lawsuit is the contrast between how the UAW bureaucracys refusal to inform rank-and-file members is underscored by the far more advanced and professional efforts it took to inform members and retirees of their right to vote for the Democratic Party in the November 8 midterm elections, held at the same time as the first round of the union election. The suit provides details showing that the UAW sent numerous notices urging workers to vote in the midterm elections, which prove that the UAW had the means of providing adequate notice to its members but that it deliberately chose not to use them. The complaint also exposes the role played by the two law firms recommended by the UAW bureaucracy to oversee the election: Jenner & Block and Crowell & Moring. The monitor law firms, Crowell & Moring and Jenner & Block, are longstanding attorneys and lobbyists for the auto corporations, it notes. These law firms currently represent companies employing tens or hundreds of thousands of rank-and-file UAW members, including at GM, Dana, CAT, Bosch, Bridgestone and others. These law firms corporate clients had a direct interest in ensuring that the vote of the rank and file was suppressed in the elections, so as to ensure the election of a pliable leadership that would continue the UAW bureaucracys decades-long collaboration with the corporations in suppressing the interests of the rank and file and increasing corporate profits. The Department of Labors decision to reject Lehmans complaint, without even bothering to explain why it was doing so, exposes the Biden administrations claims to be defending democracy in the US, Ukraine or anywhere else. When it comes to the democratic rights of workers, the entire political establishment has nothing but contempt. Organizations like the Democratic Socialists of America and Labor Notes, for their part, falsely claim to be fighting for democracy in the unions. However, they have played a critical role in covering up for the disenfranchisement of rank-and-file workers and have maintained a guilty silence on Lehmans efforts to ensure a fair vote throughout the campaign. These upper middle class forces speak for the bureaucracy, increasingly provide its leading personnel and operate as part of the Democratic Party. As the complaint powerfully states, This election has been characterized by a total disdain for the rights of rank-and-file workers like Will Lehman on the part of all the institutions who have had a hand in overseeing it. The most basic right of over one million workers and retireesthe right to votehas been treated as totally unimportant... In response to the filing of the lawsuit, Lehman told the World Socialist Web Site: This lawsuit is for all 1.1 million members, regardless of who they voted for or whether they knew there was an election at all. In light of the overwhelming evidence of voter suppression and interference in the election by the UAW, the Biden administrations refusal to act on my complaint is a slap in the face to workers everywhere. This election was a fraud and the leadership that came to power as a result of it will be viewed as illegitimate unless the election is rerun with actual notice to all. Given the fact that Lehmans lawsuit was thrown out of court last November when there was still time to increase turnout, workers should not have illusions that the court will intervene to protect their rights. The primary concern of the entire political establishment is to shore up the rotting UAW bureaucracy, now led by longtime bureaucrat Shawn Fain. The aim of this corporate-government conspiracy is to inflict a devastating blow against autoworkers and the whole working class in the Big Three contracts for 178,000 US and Canadian autoworkers this September. Fain has already revealed himself as just as much a tool of the corporations as Curry by isolating the strike at Clarios and ramming through a sellout contract and by refusing to do anything to protect workers forced to stay on the line and be poisoned by smoke from the Canadian wildfires. Lehmans campaign was based on the fight to establish rank-and-file power, by abolishing the union apparatus and developing a network of committees controlled by the workers themselves. This is the fundamental precondition for carrying out a real fight against the corporations and the ruling elite. The necessity for such a movement was shown in the way the election was carried out, through the systematic disenfranchisement of workers by the bureaucracy, Biden administration and corporate law firms who stripped workers of their rights. A United Parcel Service delivery driver steers his truck, Friday, June 30, 2023, in the East Boston neighborhood of Boston. [AP Photo/Michael Dwyer] With a July 31 contract expiration date looming, another United Parcel Service (UPS) worker spoke to the World Socialist Web Site about exploitative conditions in one of the companys Virginia hubs. Along with the hazardous and demanding physical labor, extreme heat and filthy conditions all too common in American warehouses, UPS hub workers have told the WSWS that theyve been repeatedly underpaid after their supervisors entered their time incorrectly. The bureaucracy of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, fearful of losing control of the rank-and-file, has threatened repeatedly to strike on August 1 if a new contract is not in place. The union is pushing for a deal to be reached by this Wednesday in order to ensure that enough time is in place to pass a contract before the deadline. Dan, whose name has been changed to protect his identity, is a part-time employee with nearly 20 years at UPS. He works nights in three-hour shifts at a warehouse after working full-time days in a restaurant kitchen. Employees at logistics companies are under constant surveillance and subject to timed metrics to maximize productivity. UPS warehouses are no exception. A lot of that is unknown to the workers, as far as being timed for productivity, Dan said, but I think thats where the part-time supervisors are pushing demands like, this 46-foot trailer needs to be loaded by midnight. Its 11 oclock and youve got one hour to do that. And depending on the volume, that could be easy or it could be very, very hard. Dan explained how demands for speed exacerbate already dangerous work. Generally its two individuals to a truck, with one person pushing the flow in, and those trucks are ungodly hot in the summer and wickedly cold in the winter. Theres a fan, which does move the air, but thats about it. Thats just loading trucks. Boxes are falling, and heaven forbid anything happen in the truck, and youre way at the very end and you have to get 46 feet out, and theres boxes everywhere. Theres egress issues. If they were really picky about things like that, they would find a better way to do it, Dan pointed out. Thats UPS and safety. Thats been going on for a long, long time. So much of it comes down to money, and unfortunately, thats how business A, B or C does it: How much does it cost? Beyond the speedup demands, management in UPS hubs are financially incentivized to trim hours clocked by workers in order to boost the average hourly productivity numbers in their facilities. In the area I work in, we dont even have a time clock, Dan told the WSWS. We write in our name and start time, and pray that at some point a supervisor transcribes it all correctly. Many times that doesnt happen. I have lost countless paid time. He noted: The supervisors get bonuses, possibly quarterly, based on output. If, for this week or this month, you perform under par, then by any means you reach that goal [the supervisors] are more likely to get compensated. The financial incentivization to commit what amounts to wage theft is not limited to Dans hub. Another UPS worker at a different hub confirmed the practice of supervisors deliberately misrecording times. A couple of supervisors have been fired in the past 20 years but it should have been more, Jay told the WSWS. The other ones slip through the cracks and get away with it. They do it to make their production look better. Asked whether those supervisors are rewarded for higher production numbers, the worker responded: Oh yes. They get bonuses. Dan stated, Im sure there are some supervisors in our building who are on the level with our time, they are not nefarious in any waybut I dont know where that sheet goes after I clock out at the end of the night. You assume in good faith that they are doing what they are supposed to be doing, but there are some weeks that I work every day that week, and I know just by keeping track in my head that I should have had maybe X-amount more dollars that week. Something wasnt right. Fifteen minutes a day would add up to 35, 40, close to an hour that could have been there that week. And it doesnt happen anymore, but on Sunday nights we used to have a printed-out sheet with everybodys name and their time for that week so we could check off on it and see if anything was wrong, you could make adjustments and then initial. I havent seen one of those in at least three years. At least you could double-check. A lot of the young men and women who are just starting here, they dont know any better. They have staggered times, too. Say a bunch of people start at 10 oclock. Well, theres a whole bunch who start at 10:05, 10:10, 10:15 and so on depending on where you are in seniority. The start times are also rarely posted on time, and can change at a moments notice. A lot of those kids, no one ever tells them, Hey, you start at 10, theyre not paying you until 10:10. If you want to give them ten minutes free Its kind of dirty. Theyre not very transparent with how that actually works. UPS warehouse workers are overwhelmingly part-time. In the contract talks, Dan noted, A lot of attention is focused on the day-timers, which includes the drivers. But at night, its a totally different demeanor. Generally everybody, myself included, has been at work all day, coming from their primary job to work for their supplemental income and the golden handcuffs of the benefit package. Thats why theyre there until 2 oclock in the morning, just to get up again in a few hours and do another job, and come back into UPS. I loaded trucks for over a decade, and then a few years ago, they built a new area in the middle of our hub. They used a lot of dead space up toward the ceiling above the motor pool, a whole small-sort area, and when they built that I moved over there. We handle the little envelopes, anything less than seven or eight pounds. The way people ship things now is different. If you bought a cell phone, its shipped in something really small now, whereas they used to use something the size of a shoe box. Now theres so much stuff put in plastic. If you buy a dress or a t-shirt, its just going to be in a bag. Its thousands and thousands of things like that. It is a physical job. I keep a pedometer on me; I put in at least three miles walking up and down every night. If youre unloading trucks, thats brutal on your shoulders and backs. Its really hot for those guys especially. In restaurant work you are on your feet, in the heat. Im used to a hot environment. UPS is hotter than the kitchen, by far. At UPS youve got bay doors that are open and shut, youve got trucks coming in and out. If you had AC on, it would be such a waste. But they could do so much better with ventilation. UPS was designated by the federal government as an essential business with the onset of the COVID pandemic in 2020. Not only did the company see record profits from special contracts with FEMA and other entities to ship personal protective equipment, it has received millions of dollars in CARES Act funds. They had to have gotten money to improve ventilation in the building, Dan noted. They are a global, multibillion dollar company. They had guys that knew how to work that system for all it was worth. Even leaving aside the COVID issue, he added, with all the dust in the building you need better airflow. Its a dusty warehouse, lots of cardboard. Its really dirty. Wearing masks through COVID was fine; if it wasnt so hot, you would wear them all the time because its so dusty, you can just see the particulates in the air. The area I work at is elevated above the motor pool and hot air rises. Walking up the steps you can just feel it. If someone is not drinking ounces and ounces of water throughout your shift, you would be in bad shape. Access to clean water is an issue at UPS hubs. With COVID, Dan said, they installed touch-free water bottle refilling stations. But the whole thing is filthy. They have some ice machines that hardly ever work. The bathrooms are what you would expect in a high school or something. During COVID, UPS didnt enforce a mask rule. Yet they gave us a handout to put in our car in case we got pulled over in the middle of the night and asked why we were out so we could say were essential employees. We were in there busting our asses and it was as busy as Christmas time. Youre worried youre going to get sick, am I going to touch something and come home and get my wife sick or give my kid COVID, am I going to get it and then be out of work and not have any income? We never saw anythingno bonuses or hazard pay. Im not an everyone gets a trophy kind of guy, but we should have gotten something for that. There could have been some kind of compensation. Like many workers, Dan is highly distrustful of the Teamsters bureaucracy. I dont trust them as far as I can throw them, he said. I would love to know in my heart of hearts that my best interest was theirs, but its really not. Its all about money, for those guys, who have never done what we do. I appreciate the fact that they act like they know what we do, but as long as we pay our dues, thats what they care about. To do this job for $16 an hour, the benefits outweigh the pay in my mind. Thats kind of a sad state. Someone with a young family, a baby and kids, you put up with a lot not to worry about that one aspect. A strike can be beneficial to some and hurtful to others, but in the long run it will be very much beneficial to our side [the working class]. A strike will shine a light on what people dont know. People just assume you get your yoga pants and your Lego sets and it just magically happens. But there are all these men and women with families busting their asses to make sure that you get those things, as important as medicine or as frivolous as an Apple watch. Thats what we do. Well get you your stuff. Were there at 2 a.m. sweating and doing what were supposed to be doing, and we deserve to be compensated for that. On June 23, body camera footage depicting the May 18 firing squad execution of Raymond Mattia, a US citizen and member of the Tohono Oodham Nation in southern Arizona, by Customs and Border Patrol (CBP) agents was publicly released. Body camera footage showing agents moments before they opened fire and killed unarmed tribal member Raymond Mattia, May 18 in Tohono O'odham Nation, in southern Arizona. [AP Photo/U.S. Customs and Border Protection] The highly edited footage, which omits audio at key points and blurs the killers faces, unequivocally demonstrates that the 58-year-old Mattia was compliant and posed no threat to the multiple officers who shot him dead. Mattia was unarmed when he was killed in front of his house. The autopsy report by the Pima County Medical Examiner ruled Mattias death a homicide; however, the Tohono Oodham Nation authorities have been careful not to place any accountability on the CBP officers responsible for Mattias death. According to a medical report Mattia suffered at least nine gunshot wounds. Inconsistent police reports claim CBP officers were called to the village of Menagers Dam at approximately 9:04 p.m. In the edited audio released, a Tohono Oodham Police Department (TOPD) dispatcher says that they received a report of one or two shots fired west of the recreation center in Menagers Dam and that CBP agents should rendezvous with police at the center. Several heavily armed CBP agents with military grade assault rifles were deployed to the recreation center where they met up with police. For unknown reasons, once TOPD and CBP agents converge at the recreation center at approximately 9:27 p.m. they decide to convoy directly towards Mattias house, passing several other houses. In the body camera audio, one of the police officers is heard saying, I dont know exactly where that motherfuckers at. By 9:35 p.m., both CBP agents and TOPD police, with guns drawn, were descending upon Mattias address. Roughly four minutes later body camera footage shows them confronting Mattia in front of his residence. The body cam footage shows multiple police officers with guns drawn and bright flashlights pointed at Mattia. Mattia is shown standing outside the front door of his home conversing with a Tohono Oodham police officer, who tells him to put his hands above his head, to which Mattia responds, I am. Within five seconds of Mattia responding, two different CBP agents give Mattia conflicting orders, one tells him to keep his hands up, while another orders him to Put it down for me. Mattia is observed gently tossing an object with his left hand, later revealed to be a sheathed knife in the direction of a TOPD officer. The sheathed knife landed several feet away from the police officer on the ground and well outside Mattias reach. After tossing the object as instructed, police and CBP agents immediately escalated the situation and began yelling several conflicting commands at Mattia. Get on your f***ing face, one CBP agent yelled while another screamed, Put your hands out of your f***ing pocket. Attempting to comply, Mattia is observed raising his right hand, which was in his pocket holding his cell phone. As soon as Mattia pulls his hand from his jacket pocket at least three agents opened fire, shooting dozens of rounds at Mattia who immediately collapsed face first on the ground. While Mattia was bleeding profusely on the ground, his killers continued to yell commands at him. Put your hands out! Put your f***ing hands out! As the agents moved towards Mattia they continued to yell at the dying man not to f***ing move, and to put his hands up so we can help you. As of this writing, it is unclear if the TOPD officers on scene fired their weapons as well, but CBP has confirmed that at least 38 shots were fired. The video confirms police used pistols as well as military-style M-4 rifles to kill the unarmed man. Due to allegedly inclement weather, CBP claimed that a medical helicopter was not able to be dispatched to the scene to assit with Mattias grievous wounds. Instead, according to a CBP statement, a doctor, telephonically declared Mattia dead at 10:06 p.m. Family members of Mattia have confirmed that police refused to allow them near his body for several hours after he was shot which prevented them from carrying out sacred burial rituals. Instead of allowing the family to respectfully grieve, CBP and TOPD left Mattias body in the desert for nearly seven hours before transporting him. The CBP Office of Professional Responsibility, the agency that provides oversight of the agencys officers, is engaged in a massive cover-up of the police murder of Mattia. More than a month after Mattias death, none of the three Border Patrol agents who shot and killed him have been identified, much less charged. In fact, all three have been placed on paid administrative leave. In an interview with the Intercept published on June 26, Mattias niece, Yvonne Nevarez revealed that the border police had yet to show the family the full unedited footage of the deadly encounter. The way they put it together feels like a cheap attempt to justify what they did, Nevarez told the Intercept, and it feels like none of them are on our side. It feels like theyre just trying to defend themselves, instead of defending my uncle Ray. There are conflicting stories as to what precipitated the shooting of Mattia outside his home. Mattias residence, which did not have electricity, is located on the Arizona-Mexico border. According to family members, Mattia frequently called the local Border Patrol station in Ajo to report immigrants trespassing on his property. Officials with CBP have yet to confirm or deny if Mattia called them on May 18. The killing of Mattia comes amidst a rise in far-right incitements against immigrants by both major political parties. Seeking to supplant Trump as the new Republican Fuhrer, Florida Governor Ron Desantis has begun campaigning on a shoot on sight immigration policy, while aspiring Democratic presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy has likewise called for sealing the border and finishing Trumps border wall in a recent town hall. According to the Southern Border Communities Coalition (SBCC), which has been tracking cases of abuse and fatal encounters involving the CBP since 2010, 275 people have been killed in encounters with CBP officers. According to SBCC, 2020, 2021 and 2022 have been the deadliest years, with 35, 58 and 51 people killed by CBP respectively. Including Mattia, 18 people have been killed this year while interacting with CBP agents. A graph showing the number of people killed in encounters with Customs and Border Protection by year. [Photo: southernborder.org] Since 2010, the majority of those killed by CBP, at 32 percent, were killed in fatal car chases, 27 percent were killed in fatal shootings and 23 percent were killed due to medical issues, including possible medical neglect. Arizona, the state where Mattia was murdered, is the second deadliest state with 52 killings attributed to the CBP since 2010. Texas is first with 144 killings, while California rounds out the top three, with 38 killings to date. Although the majority of killings that have taken place since 2010 have been along the heavily militarized US-Mexico border, people have also been killed by CBP agents along the US-Canada border in states such as Washington, Michigan and Maine. While capitalist politicians claim that the border gestapo exists to keep citizens safe from criminal migrants, out of the 275 people killed by CBP since 2010, 45 were US citizens themselves. The violence initiated by the CBP, and other police agencies, is the logical expression of a system that hunts down and imprisons millions of men, women and children in the US and elsewhere. The real crisis is not on the border, but the crisis of American capitalism, which for decades has produced extreme inequality and war while imposing dictatorships on workers around the world to the benefit of Wall Street. The Socialist Equality Party defends the democratic rights of workers and their families to live and work in the country of their choosing. Workers are voicing strong support to the filing of a lawsuit Monday by Mack Trucks worker Will Lehman challenging the refusal by the US Department of Labor to address his complaint over widespread voter disenfranchisement in last years United Auto Workers election. The lawsuit is aimed at defending workers democratic right to vote and choose the unions leadership. Lehman is seeking to force a re-run of the election, which saw a voter turnout of only about 9 percent in the first round of the election last year, and barely 12 percent in the runoff this year. This is lower than any other national officer election by a major union in history. Will Lehman speaking to Warren Truck workers in August 2022 In a statement announcing the lawsuit, Lehman wrote, This lawsuit is for all 1.1 million members, regardless of who they voted for or whether they knew there was an election at all. In light of the overwhelming evidence of voter suppression and interference in the election by the UAW, the Biden administrations refusal to act on my complaint is a slap in the face to workers everywhere. As important as the lawsuit is, the main issue remains, as Lehman stressed all during his campaign, the building of workers power on the shop floor. This means the continuation and deepening of the fight to build rank-and-file committees to transfer power from the UAW bureaucracy to the workers. We reprint below an important sample of comments received by the WSWS in support of Will Lehmans lawsuit. A member of the Warren Truck Rank-and-File Committee said, There has to be a rerun of the election. Any time, whether its in a union or government election, if you get such a low turnout red flags should go up. Nine or 10 percent of the members voting is a joke. How can the Labor Department say thats ok? They dont care about our rights. I didnt even know about the election. There was nothing on the union page or in the plant. You heard about local union elections, but virtually nothing about the UAW International election. The UAW has talked about ending shady deals and ending the bribery of officials, but they havent done anything about it. How can the union give Stellantis the ability to make us work up to 12 hours a day for 90 days? This is not the UAW that my grandfather belonged to when he worked at Ford for 45 years. Its not the union you thought of when you were a kid and you wanted to get a union job. The corporations and the UAW and the government, dont give a damn about us. A member of the rank-and-file committee at the Gladstone Forvia plant in Columbus, Indiana, said he read the lawsuit when he got off work Monday afternoon. He said, Will is taking the Department of Labor into court to force them to do what they shouldve done during the election. Those overseeing the election were told about the voter suppression, and they didnt do anything about it. Will asked for a 30-day extension before the first round in the election was over with, and they didnt do anything about it then. But hes going up against a corrupt establishment. Ive seen strikes starting up all over the world. The news is not saying a word about the businesses being in bed with the unions. The only place anybodys getting that information is the WSWS. The politicians and all the major businesses are terrified of the movement that is growing in the rank and file. They want to brag about how many billions of dollars in profits they are making but they dont want to give up any of it to their employees. Wages dont even keep up with the cost of living. Its up to the rank-and-file committees to take action on their own. The evidence proves that the members of the union were disenfranchised. Its up to us to say, If you dont want to do anything about this crooked situation, then we will. At Clarios they brought in scabs to work on batteries and the UAW forced their own members to work with the scabs that were in there when they were on strike. I cannot accept that. The rank-and-file committees around the world need to get people geared up to put a stop to this. '[Former UAW President] Ray Curry admitted there was rampant disenfranchisement of UAW members in the election. They need to get on television and call all UAW members to revote in a new election. The rank and file needs to get involved to get rid of the corruption in the UAW, in all the unions. The president had no right to get on and make the railroads go back to work. That was their right. And the president said no, you have to go back, then the unions with along with it. In France they are calling in the army. The people have every right to be upset, because the police are not God. The police are acting like they are above the law. The police [and] the military are given a free hand. And were tired of it. A Stellantis worker at MOPAR in Michigan said, I read about the lawsuit. Im happy that he did it. I wish they would create an all-in movement where the members can come together and let the company and the corporations know we see, we hear that our rights are being sold to both parties. Its time to end what I call Crop Sharing slavery! The corporations, government and the union are all in cahoots. The UAW is there to keep us in check. How are they allowing them to create all their own rules? We should all get togetherpower lies in the people. The UAW doesnt represent us. I am paying $1,100 a year not to be represented. Everything is on the line right now. We are in a position where we have to fight. A Toledo Dana worker citing the lawsuits call to redo the election said, I hope it happens, we need this. A UAW member in Ohio said, Good for Will! Nothing better than a leader showing backbone and not laying down and letting people get over on him. I really like it. We dont have to tolerate this stuff, we got to get the power back in the members and take it away from the international. Another member of the Warren Truck Rank-and-File committee said, I agree with Will, the election should be rerun. It was not fair, and the answer from the Labor Department is not good enough. They just dont care about our rights. They act like bullies, and have so much money and power, they think theyre untouchable. But if we stick together and build these committees and do whats necessary, we can fight them. Were going to have to fight them just as ruthlessly as they fight us. They wont be able to ignore Wills lawsuit. Im excited to see the outcome. Its ridiculous that Fain only got 6 percent of all the members votes. It is good that Will is continuing to expose the UAW, we should do it every chance we get. Count what is countable, measure what is measurable, and what is not measurable, make measurableattributed to Galileo Galilei The detection of a predicted universal background of gravitational waves rippling across the fabric of space-time was announced last Wednesday by the NANOGrav consortium of over 190 scientists at more than 70 institutions. Like the very first detection of gravitational waves themselves, made just eight years ago, it represents a triumph of mankinds increasing technical mastery of the natural world. The 2015 experimental discovery of gravitational waves targeted high frequency waves produced by merging compact objects weighing around the mass of heavy stars, whose oscillations have periods in the range from a fraction of a second to several seconds. This weeks announcement, using an entirely different technique, probes a very different frequency range of waves whose periods range from months to decades. In doing so, it probes a very different set of physical phenomena but confirms the same underlying physical principle, that matter in motion also sets space-time into rippling motion. The NANOGrav discovery builds upon decades of work in opening gravitational radiation as a new window into probing the universe and some of its most exotic elements and builds atop a great edifice of physics whose foundation was laid in the opening years of the 20th century by Albert Einstein in his theories of Special and General Relativity. That such a large consortium and such an immense undertaking could be confidently assembled and brought to fruition is itself a validation of the materialist conception of nature and the harmonious and comprehensive achievements in physics over the past two centuries. To properly explain this weeks announcement requires a digression into the history of gravitational waves and their background. Einstein carried to its natural conclusion the idea of Nicolaus Copernicus (1473-1543) that the Earth was not the center of the Universe: he modified and extended the tremendously successful physical theories of Isaac Newton (1642-1727) so that they had no presumption of any special center or reference frame from which physical laws emerged. To make the unification, he had to integrate time itself in a fundamentally new way into the mathematical fabric on which physical laws of motion were built. With his General Relativity of 1915, he additionally incorporated curvature into this fabric to describe the motion of bodies acting under the influence of gravity. A common summary of General Relativity is that matter tells space how to bend and bent space tells matter how to move. But behind this simple explanation lies fiendishly difficult mathematics and predictions once thought so exotic that some felt they would forever remain an exercise in pure thought. General Relativity and astronomy The impact of Einsteins theory and the equally transformative introduction of the new Quantum Mechanics into physical law wrought a qualitative reformation in astronomy. Oddities were already piling up: a new class of object, the white dwarf, had by 1914 already stretched physical conceptions based on prior knowledge to their limits. The physicist Arthur Eddington would write in his Stars and Atoms of 1927: We learn about the stars by receiving and interpreting the messages which their light brings to us. The message of the companion of Sirius when it was decoded ran: I am composed of material 3,000 times denser than anything you have ever come across; a ton of my material would be a little nugget that you could put in a matchbox. What reply can one make to such a message? The reply which most of us made in 1914 wasShut up. Dont talk nonsense. And yet only three years later in 1930 the physical nature, drawing from both Relativity and Quantum Mechanics, of such white dwarf stars would be worked out by Subrahmanyan Chandrasekhar, and a limit to their mass derived. And four years following that, even more exotic objects would be hypothesized. The discovery of the atomic nucleus in 1906 by Ernest Rutherford had revealed the astonishing truth that most of the mass of an atom was localized in its very compact nucleus: and that most of the atom itself was empty space. Rutherford aimed high-speed helium atoms (called alpha particles) at a very thin foil of gold. Most passed through unaffected or with only the slightest deviation. But for a few, Rutherford would later recount, It was quite the most incredible event that has ever happened to me in my life. It was almost as incredible as if you fired a 15-inch shell at a piece of tissue paper and it came back and hit you. Those alpha particles had made rare hits on the tiny gold nucleus and bounced back, revealing the concentration of mass inside the atom. That most passed through undeflected revealed that most of the space inside the atom was empty. And so, in 1934, Fritz Zwicky would hypothesize an even more exotic object, the neutron star (just two years after the discovery of the particle whose name it bore), in which the empty space of atoms was eliminated, and the entire star was at the density of the matter of the atomic nucleus. In it, the density was not a mere 3,000 times higher than anything ordinary, but yet another millionfold higher, such that a tablespoons volume would have similar mass to Mount Everest. By the end of the decade, physicists had made the first calculations of the structures and limits on such stars. Zwicky correctly surmised that the violence of rare supernovae explosions would necessarily involve energies and densities out of which such exotic objects could emerge, though none immediately saw any prospects for their detection. But astronomy marched forward. The century saw the expansion of the range of telescopes from visible light to the longer wavelengths of radio (and eventually to all wavelengths of the electromagnetic spectrum), and one fruit of this labor was the detection of peculiar radio sources that chirped with astonishing precision and that would come to be known as pulsars. Artist's rendering of a pulsar - a rapidly rotating neutron star that emits a beam of radiation that passes the Earth once every rotation. This results in the appearance of a pulsating star, hence the term pulsar. [Photo: Illustration by Olena Shmahalo for NANOGrav] The first, detected by Jocelyn Bell in 1968, was so novel in this periodicity that Bell scribbled next to the peaks on the strip chart showing radio emission the letters LGM?wondering whether alien intelligence or little green men were its authors. Once searches were targeted for such objects, many more followed; over 3,000 are now known. And with them, physicist Thomas Gold would make a compelling case that these were in fact Zwickys neutron stars, but with a twist: the magnetic fields which had once threaded their parent star had been compressed by the same factor as the neutron star itself, intensifying them billionfold or more (in some cases more than a quadrillion) over the magnetic field that orients compasses on the Earth. These magnetic fields, locked into the rapidly spun up neutron stars (whose spin also increases during their compression), would generally lie at some offset from the rotation axis, creating the effect of a lighthouse whose rotating beam periodically announced itself as the neutron star. And finally, only months after Einsteins publication of his theory of General Relativity, the physicist Karl Schwarzschild, working on the German front with Russia in World War I in 1916, would produce the first exact mathematical solution to Einsteins equations of General Relativity, and die only months later at age 42 from illness exacerbated by his time in the trenches. Schwarzschilds work predicted the existence of an even more exotic object, one in which the density of matter had grown beyond the ability of space-time to support it, with it folding up into a black hole in space-time itself, possessing mass and a type of one-way horizon, but little else. And yet motivated by Bells 1968 discovery and Golds identification of it as a neutron star, by 1971 several astronomers would independently make the case that another source, Cygnus X-1, identified by new space-borne x-ray telescopes, was the first identified astrophysical black hole. Gravitational waves That the mathematical framework of General Relativity admitted wave-like solutions rippling across their description of space-time was evident from the start. Einstein predicted their existence only months after he developed his theorys framework but considered them of negligible practical effect. But even their author changed his mindseveral times!as to whether these represented a real physical phenomenon or arose as an artifact of the mathematics, in which both matter and wave moved in lockstep and produced no tangible external action. It was 48 years later and nine years after Einsteins death, in 1964, that the physicist Richard Feynman gave a compelling argument that the waves would actually result in the observable motion of matter, elevating them from a curiosity into something potentially measurable. Within the decade, the first efforts to actually detect such waves permeating the Universe were made by Joseph Weber at the University of Maryland, and eventually by many small groups. But even as efforts progressed to blindly detect gravitational waves, astrophysics moved forward to better understand the population of phenomena in the universe that would create these waves, and to estimate their intensity. And it turned out that the extreme weakness of the waves, predicted by General Relativity, also made them excellent probes of the most extreme objects, whose understanding itself required the mastery of Relativity, neutron stars and black holes, in their interactions with other objects. The results were initially demoralizing. The strongest likely waves that were forecast to routinely occur, lasting only seconds, would be expected to move matter by an almost inconceivably small amount: by a thousandth the width of an individual proton over a path length of a few kilometers. The precision inherent in such a measure is equivalent to measuring the distance to the nearest star to a fineness smaller than the width of a human hair. But astrophysical sources would reveal their existence in another way: most stars are part of multiple systems, and the same processes that give rise to neutron stars or black holes at the end of their lifetime can occur to their companions as well, producing binary or higher systems of these compact objects. If the objects are in very tight, fast orbits, their gravitational wave emission is so energetic that it materially changes their orbits as energy is lost from the system to this radiation. In 1974, Russell Hulse, working with Joseph Taylor Jr., discovered the first known binary neutron star, in which a radio-loud pulsar is seen to change its cadence slightly but repeatably every 7.75 hours, evidence of it orbiting very close by another compact but invisible object, now ascribed to be a second neutron star whose radio pulsations are either too faint or mis-aimed to be detectable. Analysis of the system showed that both neutron stars weigh about half again more than our Sun, yet the two, each the size of a small city, orbit one another in a volume that would itself fit inside our Sun. Artist's rendering of black hole binaries emitting gravitational waves. As the waves overlap, they produce a background of gravitational waves that creates a distinctive correlation pattern in the timing of pulses coming from pairs of pulsars. [Photo: Illustration by Olena Shmahalo for NANOGrav] The observational precision possible for some measurements when you have a high-precision clock orbiting another object is astonishing. Within a short period of time, it was seen that the orbit was varying in precisely the way expected by General Relativity, another triumph for its predictive power, and that the system was shrinking from the loss of energy through gravitational wave radiation by about 3.5 meters a year (in an orbit with a close approach of about half a million miles), predicting a final inspiral and merger in about 300 million years. Experimental discovery of gravitational waves As the WSWS has described previously, the development of technology to confirm these predictions moved from the efforts of individual and poorly funded researchers to a coordinated international effort in the 1980s and 1990s, with the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-wave Observatory (LIGO) entering operation at an initial low sensitivity in 2002. The lack of detections in its first 13 years of operation was disappointing but not surprising: the community was well aware that its initial sensitivity would only record exceptional events. But from the start, the project planned upgrades made possible by anticipated and commissioned technology development. An advanced version began operation in September 2015 with about 60 times the expected detection rate of the initial project and made its first detection during engineering commissioning even before routine scientific observations began. Since then, nearly a hundred detections have been made, with a new and even more sensitive version of the LIGO detectors entering service on May 24 of this year. What was once thought far beyond human capability is now, thanks to achievements across the sciences and the organized labor of thousands, a routine measurement. NANOGravthe North American Nanohertz Observatory for Gravitational Waves The same science-based confidence and optimism that enabled decades of work on LIGO, leading to the realization of its aspirations, were at work in the building of the NANOGrav collaboration, which was assembled in 2007, eight years before LIGO would finally achieve its first success, and funded in 2010, five years before LIGO finally triumphed. LIGO was built to probe a particular wavelength of gravitational wave, those produced through mergers of objects massing a few times to a few tens of times that of the Sun. But other astrophysical processes produce gravitational waves, and the existence of detected black holes, with masses millions to billions of times the mass of our Sun, in the centers of some galaxies shows that much larger mergers must take place in the Universe. Some large galactic mergers result in binary supermassive black holes at the centers of their galaxies, which take years to orbit one another. Such mergers and binary black holes, despite pouring out far more energy, would be difficult or impossible to detect with LIGO because they operate on much larger timescales and produce waves of much larger wavelengths. While much rarer, such mergers, plus the drumbeat of orbiting supermassive binary black holes, would create an overall sloshing of space-time just as distant storms on an ocean leave their imprint on waves crashing onto a shore. And it is possible that the detection and ultimate characterization of such long-wavelength gravitational radiation in detail may reveal yet-unknown astrophysical processes at work, or a signature of the early Universe. NANOGravs technology aims at detection of gravitational waves whose timescale is not seconds but rather years or decades. Since the physical size of such a detector along the lines of LIGO would have to be of interstellar scale, other techniques must be used rather than construction. An idea put forward in the 1970s by Soviet astronomer Mikhail Sazhin and American astronomer Steven Detweiler cleverly uses objects understood by General Relativity, pulsars, as a probe of another prediction of General Relativity, gravitational radiation. This technique, adopted by NANOGrav, uses the sightlines to dozens (now 68 and growing) of the most rapidly spinning and stable pulsars as yardsticks across cosmic distances. A passing gravitational wave would distort, over months and years, the timebase recorded from each. While individual pulsars may alter their behavior slightly due to local circumstances, a gravitational wave would act in concert on multiple sightlines, producing correlated advances and delays in the beat of their rhythms. Artist's rendering of an array of millisecond pulsars in our galaxy being used to search for a background of low-frequency gravitational waves permeating the Universe. [Photo: Illustration by Tonia Klein / NANOGrav] As the consortium has expanded and more telescopes provided more simultaneous sightlines to remote pulsars, the effective sensitivity of NANOGrav has increased. The longer it operates, as well, the better it can detect the longest-period gravitational waves. The Wednesday announcement is only the opening salvo in its work, an announcement, confident, at roughly the 999 out of 1,000 level, of detecting this universal background of waves. The expansion of astronomical work from visible light to other frequencies opened new windows onto the phenomena of the Universe. The entire electromagnetic spectrum, from gamma waves at high frequencies to radio waves at low frequencies, is the target of specialized observatories. And just as with visible light, the opening of gravitational wave astronomy to greater frequencies will also enlarge the scope of its scientific reach. Prospects Over the coming years, it is planned that NANOGravs work will move from detection to characterization and the production of a spectrum of the intensity of waves over a range of their lengths, from which the growing body of information on supermassive black holes can be contrasted. And as with all new experimental endeavors, there will be careful examination for surprises. If, for instance, the dark matter that comprises substantially more of the Universe than its visible counterpart exists in clumps and a clump would happen to pass by a cluster of sightlines, it would be detected. If exotic objects such as cosmic strings exist, which some extensions to our physical theories permit, their signature might be detected. And other gravitational wave observatories are being planned to bridge the immense gap between the low frequencies recorded by NANOGrav and the high frequencies recorded by LIGO. For all the sophistication and refinements in technique since Galileo, he would have recognized NANOGrav (and LIGO) as examples of his dictum quoted at the start of this article: Count what is countable, measure what is measurable, and what is not measurable, make measurable. From the correspondence of experiment with theory, confidence is gained in theory. And where experiment and theory differ, signposts to the refinement of theory are provided, which themselves feed back into refinements in technique. Smoke rises during an Israeli military raid on Jenin in the occupied West Bank, Monday, July 3, 2023. (AP Photo/Majdi Mohammed) [AP Photo/Majdi Mohammed] Israels military launched an aerial and armoured vehicle attack on the northern West Bank city of Jenin and the citys densely populated refugee camp in the early hours of Monday morning, killing at least 10 Palestinians, including three children, and wounding dozens more. With 10 of the wounded in serious condition, the death toll is expected to mount. Some 2,000 Israeli soldiers are involved in a mass arrest operation, with at least 20 Palestinians thus far detained for further interrogation. Israels air strikes on Jenin have hit homes, the citys utilities, a hospital and a mosque, with ground troops storming the Al-Ansar Mosque, claimingfalselythat armed men were holed up inside it and others were preventing ambulances from transporting people to the hospital. Israeli forces have surrounded the refugee camp that is home to 14,000 Palestinians and are not allowing anyone to enter or leave. Connections to the internet, the electricity network and water supplies have been cut. Soldiers attacked journalists wearing press vests, including staff from Al Araby TV, who were covering the offensive, and set their video cameras on fire. The Lions Den, a Palestinian militant group based in Jenin, called on people across the West Bank and Gaza to mobilise and demonstrate in support of the people in Jenin, urging them to close the roads and routes used by Israeli forces and settlers to get their supplies into the city. Palestinians in Gaza have responded by gathering along the border with Israel, waving flags and setting fire to tyres to protest Israels attack on Jenin. They were met with tear gas from Israeli troops. This criminal operation is the largest since Israels siege of the Jenin refugee camp in April 2002 that killed at least 52 Palestinians and left many homeless. Twenty-three Israeli soldiers lost their lives in that battle. It follows repeated demands from the fascistic forces in Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahus coalition government for the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) to launch a large-scale military operation to suppress the Palestinianssimilar to its murderous assaults on the besieged Gaza Stripin the West Bank, which Israel has occupied illegally since the 1967 Arab-Israeli war. Such an operation, which would meet fierce resistance, would lead to mass killings and devastation. National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir said the army needed to demolish buildings and kill thousands of terrorists, while encouraging his supporters to run to the hill tops and settle them. IDF Chief Spokesman Brigadier General Daniel Hagari said the operation was a wide scale effort against terror, referring to the militant Palestinian groups, including Hamas, Islamic Jihad, Lions Den, the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine and others. While it was focused on Jenin, it could expand to other parts of the northern West Bank. He refused to say how long the operation would last but gave the impression it would last at least a week. He added that the military was on high alert in case Islamist forces in Gaza, Lebanons Hezbollah or other groups tried to intervene or attack Israel. Israels National Security Advisor Tzachi Hanegbi claimed that the intelligence that has been accumulated has indicated that there is an effort by Iran and its proxies, Hamas and Islamic Jihad, to transfer a lot of money and weapons to terrorists. Major General Yehuda Fox, the chief of the IDFs Central Command, insisted the Jenin operation was not going to be a one-off. There is a series of operations here, just like we were here a week ago and two weeks ago, we will finish this operation, and we will come back in a few days or a week, and we will not allow this city of refuge for terror. Defence Minister Yoav Gallant, only recently lionised by opposition leaders for criticizing Netanyahus plans to overhaul the judiciary, approved the attack. He said the military operation in the West Bank city of Jenin is progressing as planned. The troops will receive full support to do whatever is necessary and to operate on the ground and in the air, in order to protect the citizens of Israel and preserve full freedom of action throughout [the West Bank]. This was tantamount to announcing a military dictatorship over the West Bank, including in areas designated under the 1993 Oslo Accords as under the full control of the Palestinian Authority (PA). Furthermore, it makes explicit what has long been implicit, the PAs complete irrelevance as far as Israeland Washingtonis concerned. According to Haaretz, Israel informed the US of its intention of carrying out the operation in Jenin and was evidently given the green light. On Monday, the White House National Security Council stated, We support Israels security and right to defend its people against Hamas, Palestinian Islamic Jihad, and other terrorist groups. Far-right forces have repeatedly demanded the annexation of the West Bankas has Netanyahu himselfin pursuit of their aim of establishing a Jewish supremacist state in both Israel and the occupied Palestinian territories. Mondays attack on Jenin follows a series of murderous military raids in the West Bank, constant settler violence watched over and protected by the Israel Defense Forces, and the governments announcement of 13,000 new settlement homes since the start of the year. The IDFs deployment of an Apache helicopter and armed drones in Jenin two weeks ago marked a significant escalation in Israeli aggression, which has seen around 190 Palestinians in the West Bank, Gaza, East Jerusalem and Israel killed since Netanyahus far-right coalition took office. Mondays assault on Jenin, following months of near nightly raids on Jenin and Nablus, comes as Palestinians in the West Bank face an increasingly desperate economic situation. The 1993 Oslo Accords, which saw foreign direct investment in Israel soar and in practice ended the Arab League boycott of Israel, have crippled the Palestinian economy. Israel imposed restrictions on the movement of people, labour and goods, fragmented the territories with settlements, settler-only access roads and nature reserves, confiscated land, water and other natural resources, tied the Palestinian economy to the Israeli economy and cut it off from international markets. Industry has withered, farmers have been driven off their land and per capita income has remained stagnant since 1994. The PA is utterly dependent upon international aid, even as the UNRWA, the UN agency for Palestinian refugees, announced last month that the $107 million in new funds falls significantly short of the $300 million needed to support millions of Palestinians in the occupied territories and refugee camps in neighbouring countries. Thirty percent of the young people in the West Bankwhere 50 percent of the population is under 30 years of ageare unemployed. More than one-third of young people who are employed work in the informal sector, while more than half of those working in the formal sector have no social security, medical insurance or entitlement to sick and holiday leave. Netanyahu has deliberately stoked war, targeting the Palestinians in the Occupied Territories, Israels Arab citizens and neighbouring states, above all, Iran and Syria, as he faces widespread opposition to his efforts to assume dictatorial powers by neutering a largely compliant judiciary that has provided cover for Israels expansionist drive and relentless attacks on the Palestinians. His aim is to deflect social tensions outwards against a perceived external enemy. For 25 consecutive weeks, hundreds of thousands of Israelis have turned out to protest his judicial coup. But this movement is led by bourgeois Zionist parties whose opposition to Netanyahu reflects only their fears that he is endangering the interests of the state. They refuse to link the emerging fascist threat in Israel with opposition to the oppression of the Palestinians. Indeed, on Monday morning, the heads of the biggest opposition parties rushed to support the IDFs offensive against Jenin. The Palestinians in Israel and the occupied territories live under a regime of savage economic and military repression and brazen vigilante and settler violenceall upheld by Israels judicial system. It is impossible to defend the democratic rights of Jewish Israelis at the same time as defending military dictatorship in the West Bank and Gaza. The main task is to overcome the reactionary Zionist leadership of the protest movement and fight to unite Arab and Jewish workers in a common struggle to defend jobs, living standards and democratic rights, including the national rights of the Palestinian people. This can only be done based on the programme and perspective of international socialism. More than 30 years after its theft, Switzerland handed back to Egypt on Monday a fragment of a 3,400-year-old statue of the ancient Egyptian pharaoh Ramses II. Carine Bachmann, director of the Federal Office of Culture, handed over the fragment to the Egyptian embassy in the capital Bern. It had been confiscated in Geneva as part of criminal proceedings and was restituted to Egypt under Switzerland's law on the international transfer of cultural property. "The stone sculpture of pharaoh Ramses II is part of a group statue where the king sits alongside different Egyptian deities," the culture ministry said in a statement. "The fragment was stolen between the late 1980s and early 1990s from the Temple of Ramses II at Abydos in Egypt. It transited through different countries before arriving in Switzerland." The culture ministry said Egypt was heavily affected by the looting and destruction of its archaeological sites, with historical objects from the north African country being highly coveted. "This restitution underlines the joint commitment of Switzerland and Egypt to combat the illicit trade in cultural property," the ministry said. Ramses II, also known as Ramses the Great, ruled for more than 60 years during the 13th century BC and oversaw major military conquests and monumental construction projects, while also finding time to father more than 100 children. His ornate sarcophagus is on display in Paris from April to September, as part of a touring exhibition. The mummy itself has stayed behind since Egyptian law now forbids transporting royal mummies abroad. Search Keywords: Short link: Kyiv told Georgia's ambassador to temporarily leave the country on Tuesday, accusing Tbilisi of mistreating jailed ex-president and Ukrainian national Mikheil Saakashvili. Georgia's ruling party, which is seen as sympathetic to the Kremlin, criticised the Ukrainian decision, describing the move as "insulting". Earlier this week, Saakashvili, Georgia's president in 2004-2013, appeared on television for the first time in months gaunt and weakened. The 55-year-old -- who was detained on his return to Georgia from exile in Ukraine in 2021 -- has lost more than half his weight since he was detained in October 2021. Ukraine's foreign ministry announced in a statement that it had summoned the Georgian ambassador and explained Tbilisi's treatment of Saakashvili was "absolutely unacceptable." "The Georgian authorities must stop torturing the citizen of Ukraine," the statement read. The images of Saakashvili in court on Tuesday prompted Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to demand that Georgian authorities "save" the former leader. On Tuesday, Irakli Kobakhidze, the chairman of Georgia's ruling party, Georgian Dream, told journalists that the Ukrainian move was "insulting." "But we wish to remain friends with Ukraine, even unilaterally, because the country is at war," he added. Zelensky has said that he wants Saakashvili -- whom he made a Ukrainian citizen in 2019 -- to be transferred to a clinic in Ukraine or the West. The pro-Western reformer was jailed after returning from exile on abuse of power charges that rights groups denounce as politically motivated. Georgian authorities insist he is receiving adequate medical care. He is being kept in a civilian hospital. They have downplayed his health risks, claiming that he deliberately refuses to take enough food to recover from a 50-day hunger strike he has kept to protest his imprisonment. Georgia's main opposition party, the United National Movement founded by Saakashvili, announced a protest rally for Tuesday evening to demand Saakashvili's liberation. The European Union and the United States have urged Georgia to ensure that Saakashvili is provided medical treatment and that his rights are protected. The Council of Europe rights watchdog has branded Saakashvili a "political prisoner" and Amnesty International has called his treatment "apparent political revenge". Search Keywords: Short link: The Council of the League of Arab States demanded that the International Criminal Court (ICC) fulfill its mandate by investigating crimes against humanity committed by Israel against the Palestinian people. These crimes include establishing and annexing illegal settlements, attacks on Palestinian cities, villages, and camps, killing civilians, journalists, and medical workers, and forced displacement, said the Arab League (AL) in a statement on Tuesday. The Arab League has also urged the court to study all available options to exercise its judicial jurisdiction in the occupied Palestinian territories and to provide all necessary human and material resources to conduct the investigation with the necessary priority, read the statement. The statement was issued following an emergency meeting of the AL's permanent delegates on Tuesday to discuss the latest developments in Jenin, in the occupied West Bank. The death toll from Tuesday's events has now reached 10, as Palestinian casualties continue to rise. The meeting comes at the request of Palestine in coordination with Egypt and Jordan, according to the Permanent Representative of Palestine to the AL, Muhannad Al-Aklouk. The council also demanded pressure on Israel from the international community to allow the Human Rights Council's ongoing Fact-Finding Mission, established on 21 May 2021, to enter the occupied Palestinian territories to investigate Israeli crimes directly. Moreover, the council has urged all high contracting parties to the Fourth Geneva Convention to assume their responsibilities and ensure the Convention's implementation in the occupied Palestinian territories by stopping Israeli violations of international humanitarian law and human rights law. The council also demanded urgent action from Arab states through the Arab Ministerial Committee, tasked by the Arab summit to provide international protection for the Palestinian people, taking necessary steps to end the Israeli occupation and its aggressive policies against the Palestinian people. Additionally, the council decided to arrange visits and direct, high-level joint and bilateral messages to UN Security Council members and international decision-making centres to implement international resolutions to stop all forms of Israeli violence against Palestinians. The statement noted that if the Security Council fails to fulfil its role and responsibilities in maintaining international peace and security, the UN General Assembly will resume the tenth emergency special session. According to the statement, the session titled Uniting for Peace will work on issuing resolutions to halt Israeli aggression against the Palestinians, implement relevant UN resolutions for their protection, and grant full UN membership to the State of Palestine. To this end, the council requested AL Secretary-General Ahmed Aboul Gheit to provide a report on the implementation of this resolution, to be reviewed at its next session. Search Keywords: Short link: Authorities in Vietnam have banned commercial screenings of Greta Gerwigs Barbie. The Warner Bros. film starring Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling, one of the most anticipated movies of the summer, was set to have been released in the country on July 21. More from Variety The film contains a scene that depicts a map with the nine dash line, a representation of Chinas territorial claims in the South China Sea, which Vietnam says violates its sovereignty. Vi Kien Thanh, director general of the Vietnam Cinema Department under the Ministry of Culture, Sports, and Tourism, said on Monday that the ban was decided by the National Film Evaluation Council. Warner Bros. has not responded to Varietys requests for comment. Many of Chinas neighbors, including Vietnam, have competing and overlapping territorial claims and strongly dispute Chinas assertions. In 2016, a United Nations disputes resolution tribunal in The Hague ruled unanimously against the validity of the nine dash line. However, while the South China Sea arbitration was final and binding, there are no clear mechanisms for its implementation and China has said it does not recognize the decision. We do not grant license for the American movie Barbie to release in Vietnam because it contains the offending image of the nine-dash line, said the state-run Tuoi Tre newspaper, also citing Vi Kien Thanh. Similar depictions of the nine dash line have previously caused problems for multiple films and TV series in Vietnam. Story continues DreamWorks animated film Abominable was banned for the same reason in 2019 and Sonys Unchartered suffered the same fate last year. Exhibitor CGV was fined for showing Abominable, and staff at the Vietnam Cinema Department were disciplined for not immediately spotting the offending images. The film was pulled after just over a week in cinemas. In 2020, the series Put Your Head On My Shoulder and Madam Secretary were told to delete scenes containing the map. Meanwhile, in 2021, Netflix was ordered to removed Australian spy drama Pine Gap from the Vietnamese market. 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. Over the past decade, Egypt has exerted extensive and tangible efforts in its foreign policy within various Arab, Islamic, African, and international circles. It has worked towards reclaiming its pivotal position and role for the benefit of its people, the region, and the world. It has successfully restored its regional and international networks of relations to the desired level of balance, dynamism, and mutual respect. It has also contributed to the achievement of Egypts national security goals, strengthened its military and economic capabilities, and maintained its historical and traditional foreign-policy objectives. The post-30 June 2013 era has added fundamental dimensions upon which Egypts foreign policy is based. After a phase marked by the contraction of Egyptian foreign policy due to the tumultuous events that the country experienced starting from January 2011, followed by two years characterised by the lack of a clear vision during the rule of the Muslim Brotherhood in which the concept of national sovereignty was overshadowed by the notion of a unified Islamic nation, the June 2013 Revolution aimed to establish a strategic framework for Egyptian foreign policy based on several specific pillars. The first pillar is that full international and regional cooperation in fighting terrorism and aiming at its sustainable eradication became a major goal of Egypts foreign policy in the post-30 June 2013 period. Egypt presented a comprehensive vision for combating terrorism, aiming to uproot it and track its financing and weapons networks. Egypt condemns countries that provide safe havens for terrorist organisations to train fighters and denounces commercial dealings with these groups, as well as media outlets that promote terrorist organisations. Egypts foreign policy in combating terrorism is not solely based on security solutions, however, as it is also based on international cooperation. Egypt has participated in the International Coalition against Terrorism by sharing expertise in supporting failed states in rebuilding their institutions and eliminating safe havens for terrorist groups. Egypt, through its foreign-policy efforts, seeks to fully support all endeavours aimed at resolving crises in the region and protecting it from extremism and sectarian fragmentation. It has been active in efforts to resolve the Libyan crisis and has contributed to supporting Yemens legitimacy through its participation in the Arab Coalition to Support Legitimacy and the Decisive Storm and Restore Hope operations. It has also contributed to diplomatic efforts to resolve the Syrian crisis and has developed its relations with Iraq. Egypt also continues to advocate for the revival of the Israeli-Palestinian Peace Process and played a crucial role in achieving a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas in May 2021. Egypt supports state institutions and actively participates in peacekeeping forces, ranking sixth globally in terms of its participation and including the participation of 89 Egyptian women. Egypts foreign policy aims to sustainably combat terrorism through cooperation to attain fair and sustainable development. The second pillar of Egypts foreign policy is the support for the unity and sovereignty of nations. The objectives evident in Egypts stance towards the Syrian crisis were preserving the territorial integrity of Syria, disarming militias and extremist groups, rebuilding the country, reactivating state institutions, respecting the will of the Syrian people, and finding a peaceful solution to the crisis. Similarly, Egypts position on the Libyan crisis entailed a commitment to the unity and stability of Libya, support for its legitimate institutions, adherence to a political resolution to the crisis in the country, and the categorical rejection of foreign intervention in Libyan affairs by rejecting external attempts at interference in the internal affairs of Arab and Islamic countries or with a view to fuelling the sectarian strife that can serve as fertile ground for terrorism and the collapse of nationalism. The third pillar of Egyptian foreign policy is the ability of Egyptian diplomacy to interact and positively engage with the new challenges posed by an international system transitioning from unipolarity to multipolarity, with China, India, Russia, and the US as its key poles. Egypt has focused on enhancing its partnerships with major and emerging powers worldwide through a complex network of growing relations. These include with the US in both its North and South American contexts, the European countries within bilateral frameworks or through the European Union, and the Asian nations with which Egypt has witnessed consecutive leaps in its relations in recent years. It is crucial that alliances with one power do not come at the expense of weakening relationships with others. The continuation of Egypts strategic relationship with the US has been reaffirmed in various fields. This has been evident in meetings, statements, and interviews conducted by former US presidents Barack Obama and Donald Trump, as well as with US political and legislative circles represented in Congress. Egypt has also succeeded in achieving political convergence and opening avenues for economic cooperation with the Latin American countries, highlighted in the Fourth Summit of the Arab and Latin American States in November 2015 and resulting in the majority of the Latin American countries supporting Egypts non-permanent seat on the UN Security Council in 2016-2017. In parallel, Egypt has opened new horizons for relations with other major powers, such as Russia, which supported the steps taken by the Egyptian people on 30 June 2013. The Egyptian-Russian relationship has witnessed significant developments, marked by mutual visits by the Egyptian and Russian presidents, the signing of several agreements and memoranda of understanding (MoUs), and cooperation across various fields, particularly in the economic, military, and energy sectors. They culminated in the signing of financing and construction agreements for the Dabaa Nuclear Power Plant in Egypt. Furthermore, new ties with other major powers, such as China due to Egypts being part of the Belt and Road initiative, have attracted significant Chinese investments, especially in the Suez Canal area, leveraging its strategic location. Regarding Egypts foreign policy towards Europe, this has witnessed a strong boost over the past four years. This has been manifested both at the bilateral level through the visits to Germany, Italy, Britain, France, Hungary, and Portugal by President Abdel-Fattah Al-Sisi, as well as through multilateral frameworks such as the trilateral cooperation mechanism with Greece and Cyprus. Egypt has elevated its relations to the level of a partnership agreement here, and it has also directed its attention towards Asia and the Eastern Mediterranean region. Regarding relations with Asia, these have been based on mutual interests, and numerous visits by President Al-Sisi have taken place to countries in Asia with a view to boosting economic cooperation. No previous Egyptian president had visited these countries in some cases, and in others President Al-Sisis visits led to the resumption of discontinued relations. Official visits to Singapore, China, Indonesia, Kazakhstan, Japan, South Korea, and Vietnam have taken place, resulting in Egypts benefitting from the experiences and expertise of these countries in various fields, including development, education, industry, economic growth, and attracting investment, agreements and MoUs have been signed with India, Japan, South Korea, Singapore, and other countries. Egypt also participated in the establishment of the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank. FURTHER PILLARS: The fourth pillar of Egypts foreign policy since 2013 has been its openness to overcoming obstacles in bilateral relations and seeking friendly relationships that serve its interests. The normalisation of relations with Qatar and Turkey, as well as the resolution of disputes that led to diplomatic crises, have both taken place. Egypt aims to maintain open channels of communication with these two countries, both key allies of Washington in the region. Such efforts may enhance the US appreciation of Egypts role in regional affairs in the coming period. The fifth pillar is the economic-development dimension of Egypts foreign policy. Economic development and supporting the Egyptian economy, along with creating a favourable environment for attracting foreign investments, have become top priorities of Egypts foreign policy. Through the concept of developmental diplomacy, Egypt has used its actions to serve its economy and development processes. It has focused on the benefits to be drawn from successful economic experiences and the exchange of expertise and training with countries worldwide to serve the current rapid development in various fields. Egypt is actively engaged in the Eastern Mediterranean region, which has gained global strategic significance due to significant natural gas discoveries. With the discovery of the Zohr Field off the Egyptian coast in 2015, the largest discovery in the Eastern Mediterranean with reserves of 30 trillion cubic feet of natural gas, the region has become transformed into a strategic area. New interactions, alliances, and cooperation projects have emerged. Egyptian foreign policy has been active in the region, demonstrated through summits between Egypt, Greece, and Cyprus, border demarcation agreements, military cooperation, joint manoeuvres in the Mediterranean Sea, and proposals for economic cooperation projects. One such project involves utilising existing liquefied natural gas (LNG) export terminals in Egypt, which are not operating at full capacity, to export gas from the region to Europe. Egypt also contributed to the establishment of the Eastern Mediterranean Gas Forum and led efforts to transform it into a regional organisation. Egypt is contributing to reconstruction and development projects in several neighbouring and regional countries. In 2021, it implemented reconstruction projects in Gaza and the construction of the Julius Nyerere Dam in Tanzania. In November 2022, Egypt announced the implementation of an African version of its Decent Life initiative in several African countries, as well as projects aimed at helping them to mitigate the effects of climate change. Regarding water security, an integral part of economic and food security and therefore an integral segment of development, the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) poses a significant challenge to Egypts foreign policy. Various rounds of negotiations have taken place, the first with Ethiopia and Sudan in Khartoum in 2015 that led to a Declaration of Principles calling for mutual cooperation. This included the exchange of information, a commitment not to cause significant harm to downstream countries, and the seeking of advice from a committee of experts before the first filling of the dam reservoir. The second round of negotiations between late 2019 and early 2020 was mediated by the US and the World Bank. Based on the principle of the need to find a political solution and out of respect for the foreign policy of Egypt that acknowledges the right of countries to development, Egypt welcomed these negotiations and expressed its interest in cooperating with Ethiopia to reach a final agreement that would safeguard the interests of both countries. Substantial progress was made, but when the final agreement was presented, Ethiopia rejected it. Subsequent negotiations were conducted through the mediation of the African Union, and an online summit was held in July 2020 attended by Ethiopia, Egypt, and Sudan. However, Addis Ababa announced just one day after the summit that the first phase of the filling of the dam had been completed. It stated its intention to cooperate with neighbouring countries, but highlighted its lack of any intention to slow down the filling of the dam. Egypt expressed its disapproval, and it continues to work to find a solution that will respect Ethiopias right to development without depriving Egypt of its water rights. The sixth pillar of Egypts foreign policy is environmental diplomacy, which crystallised in Egypts hosting the largest international event in 2022 in terms of size and level of participation the 27th Conference of the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP27) in Sharm El-Sheikh in November 2022. This event provided significant indications of the international communitys recognition of Egypts role and the necessity of listening to its perspectives in achieving stability in the present and shaping the future. The seventh pillar is the Arab dimension of Egypts foreign policy. President Al-Sisis first term as president focused on maintaining the unity of the Arab countries. Egypt recognised the close connection between Arab national security and its own national security. Based on this strategic vision, the Arab sphere became a vital and primary domain in which Egypt acted to protect its vital interests and national security. Egypt declared that its security was inseparable from Arab national security and that it had a national and historical commitment to safeguarding Arab national security, considering it as both a national interest and an Arab interest. Within this framework, the Palestinian issue is a top priority for Egypt. Egypt maintains a steadfast position and strives to reach a just and comprehensive solution to the issue that guarantees the rights of the Palestinians, while emphasising that resolving the Palestinian issue will restore stability to the region. Egypt continues its efforts to see a resumption of the negotiations between the Palestinian and Israeli sides and is working towards reconciling the Palestinian factions in the West Bank and Gaza Strip. Its aim is the achievement of an independent Palestinian state based on the 1967 borders with East Jerusalem as its capital. Regarding Syria and Libya, Egypt has adopted the clear stance that military solutions have no place in these crises. It stresses the need to find a political solution that will preserve the unity, integrity, and sovereignty of these two states, expand their social and political base to include all segments of the population, and confront terrorism decisively until its complete elimination. Egypt supports an agreement among all the Libyan factions and is facilitating their efforts to reach a political solution that will serve the interests of all parties. Stability in Libya and the Libyan states control over its resources, land, and borders ultimately serve Egypts national security interests. Egypt applies the same principle to supporting any effort aimed at achieving national reconciliation in Iraq, emphasising the unity and sovereignty of Iraq over its entire territory and halting the bloodshed among the Iraqi people. Egypt supports the rebuilding of the Iraqi state, enabling Iraq to fulfil its role in defending Arab national security, promoting stability and peace in the region, and achieving the legitimate aspirations of the Iraqi and Arab peoples. Regarding the Yemeni crisis, Egyptian foreign policy supports a modern, unified, and just nation-state in Yemen as the way to overcome the crisis in the country and achieve the legitimate aspirations of the Yemeni and Arab peoples. The Egyptian state stands with the Yemeni nation-state, supporting its territorial integrity and opposing any attempts to divide or fragment it on racial or sectarian grounds. This stance is based on the sovereignty of a state protected by the national army rather than armed militias. Egypt continues its efforts to alleviate the humanitarian suffering faced by the people of Yemen and provide support to them. Regarding Egyptian-Gulf relations, Egypt emphasises the distinctiveness and uniqueness of its relations with the Arab Gulf countries, reflecting a keen awareness that any threat to the security of the Gulf states or Arab security in general is also a threat to Egypts security. This necessitates Egyptian intervention to address and prevent any such threats. The eighth pillar of Egypts foreign policy is its African dimension that holds the utmost importance for Egyptian decision-makers, as the African sphere is closely and directly linked to Egypts national security. Mutual visits between Egypts president and various African leaders have witnessed a significant transformation in Egyptian-African relations. The successful return of Egypt to Africa did not only mean a formal return to the African Union and its institutions, but also an effective and positive reengagement with all the countries and peoples of the continent. President Al-Sisi has participated in several African summits, visited numerous African countries, chaired the African Union, and presided over the African Heads of State Committee on Climate Change, which formulates a unified African stance on this issue. In defence of the interests and development of the African continent, President Al-Sisi presented Egypts vision for enhancing food security in Africa during the US-Africa Summit held in Washington in 2022. This vision includes the need to consider the impact of international crises on the continents economies, particularly external debt, and the imperative need for mechanisms to alleviate the burden of debt through exemption, exchange, or favourable repayments, while intensifying agricultural investments directed towards Africa to develop its production and storage capacities through the transfer of modern technology under favourable conditions while preserving the openness of global trade. Egypt also hosted the Tripartite Committee meeting of the SADC, COMESA, and EAC organisations (the Southern African Community Development Community, the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa, and the East African Community) that witnessed the signing of an agreement to establish a free-trade area comprising 26 African countries. In addition, it established the Egyptian Agency for Partnership for Africa. President Al-Sisi has affirmed that Egypt will continue to support African issues, driven by its pride in its African identity and its belief in the interdependence of its future with that of its sister African countries. Egypt also attaches great importance to supporting all efforts for economic integration among the continents nations. The president has acknowledged the numerous challenges in Africa that need to be transformed into real opportunities through collective work and the mobilisation of all potential in this direction. He has also emphasised Egypts commitment to ending divisions and overcoming differences among the Nile Basin countries, focusing in the need to overcome any obstacles hindering joint cooperation within the framework of the Nile Basin Initiative. He has emphasised that Africa occupies a central position in Egypts foreign policy, as it is the mother continent where Egyptian roots run deep and from which we derive our pride in our identity and our genuine sense of belonging. CONCLUSIONS: Over the past decade, Egyptian foreign policy has been characterised by building relationships with countries around the world based on partnerships rather than subservience. It has aimed to establish and develop stable strategic partnerships characterised by openness, mutual interests, dialogue, political discourse, and mutual respect. As a result, Egypt has reaped the fruits of its new foreign policy over the past decade, obtaining a non-permanent seat on the UN Security Council, chairing the Counter-Terrorism Committee of the Council, leading the Arab Summit, and simultaneously holding membership of the African Peace and Security Council and chairing the African Union Committee of Heads of State and Government on Climate Change. Egypt was also chosen to assume the presidency of the African Union in January 2019. Egypts relations with the major world powers and countries have been solidified, leading many nations to support and endorse Egypts national political, economic, and military projects. The writer is a professor of international relations at the American University in Cairo. This article also appears in the summer edition of Democracy magazine, published by Al-Ahram. * A version of this article appears in print in the 6 July, 2023 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly Search Keywords: Short link: Europe is a staple in the music community, especially when it comes to live performances. Today, we'll discuss the best music festivals Europe has to offer. Music and Europe share an intricate, intertwined history. The continent has cultivated a plethora of musicians, genres, and sounds that have resonated with audiences worldwide. And when summer rolls around, what better way to experience the music scene than through the best music festivals Europe has to offer? With that in mind, let's delve into the top ten festivals that have fans returning year after year. RELATED: The Best Music Festivals to Attend in the US 10. Sonar Festival Location: Barcelona, Spain Our journey begins in the heart of Catalonia, where the Sonar Festival bridges the gap between avant-garde experimentalism and the mainstream music industry. The festival, held annually in June, encompasses electronic and advanced music, attracting artists and DJs from across the globe. Attendees can explore a medley of performances across various venues in Barcelona, providing an immersive experience that goes beyond music. 9. Roskilde Festival Location: Roskilde, Denmark Next, we head to Denmark for the Roskilde Festival, one of Northern Europe's largest music and arts festivals. Boasting an eclectic lineup that ranges from major pop stars to emerging artists, the week-long festival in July offers music lovers a vibrant and dynamic atmosphere steeped in Scandinavian charm. 8. Exit Festival Location: Novi Sad, Serbia Steeped in history and rebellion, Exit Festival is a unique fusion of music and social activism. Born out of a student movement for freedom and democracy, the festival holds its ground in the Petrovaradin Fortress, offering a panoramic view of Novi Sad. With its diverse lineup spanning numerous genres, Exit has cemented its place as one of the best music festivals Europe has to offer. 7. Primavera Sound Location: Barcelona, Spain Primavera Sound, held on the shores of the Mediterranean Sea, has earned a reputation for its diverse and cutting-edge lineup. The festival's programming spans multiple genres, from rock and pop to electronic and experimental music, attracting music aficionados from all corners of the world. Story continues 6. Sziget Festival Location: Budapest, Hungary Dubbed the 'Island of Freedom', the Sziget Festival is a seven-day musical extravaganza held on the picturesque Obuda Island in Budapest. The festival's expansive lineup, vibrant atmosphere, and idyllic location make it a must-visit destination for music fans. 5. Secret Solstice Location: Reykjavik, Iceland Iceland's Secret Solstice offers a truly unique festival experience. With 96 hours of continuous sunlight due to the summer solstice, this festival is unlike any other. Pair the breathtaking Icelandic landscapes with a stellar roster of artists spanning genres, and you've got a festival that's among Europe's finest. 4. Isle of Wight Festival Location: Newport, United Kingdom Once a counterculture bastion in the late 60s and early 70s, the Isle of Wight Festival remains one of the most iconic events in the UK's music calendar. With a lineup that's a blend of classic and contemporary acts, this festival is a veritable pilgrimage for rock and pop fans and ranks among the best music festivals Europe boasts. 3. Rock am Ring Location: Nurburg, Germany Rock am Ring, held at the historic Nurburgring racetrack, is an annual rock music festival that has attracted some of the biggest names in the industry. If you are a fan of rock, metal, or punk, this is the festival for you, further proving the diverse range of the best music festivals Europe has to offer. 2. Tomorrowland Location: Boom, Belgium Tomorrowland, a spectacle of sound, light, and stage design, has become a mecca for electronic dance music (EDM) fans worldwide. The festival's epic staging, coupled with a lineup that features the who's who of the EDM world, ensures a sensory overload that keeps festival-goers returning year after year. 1. Glastonbury Festival Location: Pilton, United Kingdom And now, for the crowning jewel on our list of the best music festivals Europe has to offer. The Glastonbury Festival is arguably the most celebrated music festival worldwide, let alone in Europe. Beyond its stellar lineup that spans genres, the festival is known for its cultural significance, political activism, and sense of community. With its enduring influence and ability to continually draw A-list musicians and enthusiastic fans, Glastonbury remains the best music festival Europe has to offer. Associate professor David Wingate,left, talks with students BYU students Ben Gubler and Sam Vance as they and others work in the Perception, Control and Cognition lab at BYU on Friday, June 30, 2023. BYU students will this fall be able to major in machine learning the technology behind ChatGPT. | Scott G Winterton, Deseret News Amid spirited public discussion over the dangers and opportunities of artificial intelligence, Brigham Young University has added a machine learning degree to its undergraduate catalog. Machine learning is a subfield of AI, in which computers use data to learn how to artificially mimic human behavior. Its the technology behind ChatGPT, and BYU students will be able to major in it this coming fall. BYU computer science faculty and students have been researching machine learning for a while now professor Tony Martinez says hes been working with it since he started at BYU 35 years ago. Theres also been a large amount of student interest in machine learning at the university. Given machine learnings strong presence at BYU, computer science professor David Wingate thought it was high time it had its own major. I think this degree will help focus and leverage faculty expertise for the benefit of the students, Wingate said. Related The exploding popularity of technology like ChatGPT has pushed the machine learning degree to the surface, according to Martinez. Wingate also noted the inevitable importance of understanding the application of machine learning in the workplace. BYU students Cameron Birrell and Jonathan Chelius talk as they and other students work in the Perception, Control and Cognition lab at BYU on Friday, June 30, 2023. BYU students will this fall be able to major in machine learning the technology behind ChatGPT. | Scott G Winterton, Deseret News I have a strong desire to prepare students better, both to get great jobs in machine learning, but also to contribute to the discussion that society is having about the role of artificial intelligence and machine learning, he said. Martinez acknowledges the potential dangers of machine learning if left ungoverned, like its ability to create more sophisticated fake news and take humans jobs. As AI gets better, well get to the point where it can do it better than us and cheaper than us, at which point itll be natural to replace us, he said. These kinds of risks will be a topic of discussion in machine learning courses, the same way the ethics of technology are already discussed in other computer science classes at BYU. Story continues I dont necessarily think that AI is an existential risk, partly because I feel like the future is ours to determine, Wingate said. We get to choose how this technology will unfold, we get to choose how were going to use it. In the hands of BYU students, the professor believes AI can be used for good. I think the future is bright, he said. I think that machine learning has the potential to improve multiple aspects of society, and I think that by sort of training BYU students in machine learning ... they could go off and they could use their skills and talents to make the world a better place. Related Relationships can get tricky and triangulated aboard Parsifal III. However, Captain Glenn Shephard has charted a pretty smooth course in his own relationship. The Below Deck Sailing Yacht boss has been with his girlfriend, Danelis Dani Jimenez, for about four and a half years now. And in a recent Instagram snap, the yachting pro shared an update on what he and his love have been up to lately. Glenn and Dani celebrate Canada Day In a July 1 Instagram post, Glenn shared a photo of himself and Dani smiling wide for a selfie. The pair appeared to be sitting on a restaurant patio on a bright, sunny day which also happened to be Canada Day. In his caption, the Montreal native wrote, Happy Canada Day! Last sundowners before having to go back to work. Dani also works in the industry: The Dominican Republic native is a sailing pro just like Glenn. Canada Day wasnt the only idyllic moment the twosome have shared recently and their latest round of sundowners didnt mark their first. On June 9, Glenn shared a photo of himself and Dani hanging out on a cabana-flecked pool deck in Mallorca. A couple of nights ago having sundowners down at our local pub, he captioned the post. And earlier in June, the jet-setting couple touched down in Greece, where Glenn shared another sweet selfie of the two. Coming to the end of our spring cruising, gotta pull Avalon out of the water and go back to work for a couple of months, he wrote. But not before stopping to take in the scenery! Glenn and Dani travel the world Greece and Spain are just the tip of the iceberg for Dani and Glenn when it comes to their travels. In fact, during a recent interview with The Daily Dish, Glenn revealed he had just come back from the airport. Story continues Captain Glenn Shephard and his girlfriend Danelis Captain Glenn Makes a Surprising Confession About His Girlfriend I just dropped [Dani] at the airport in Madrid. Weve been traveling around southern Spain for the last week or so, 10 days maybe, he shared. We live in Palma de Mallorca, which is almost like a bus ride from Madrid Were planning to head up to Andorra, which is in the mountain range between Northern Spain and France, and hopefully get a little bit of snowboarding in before the snow disappears for this winter. Daily Dish Bdsy Captain Glenn Relationship Right after that, were going back to the boat in Greece, and well probably cruise around for a few weeks, and then Ill have to go back to work for the summer on Parsifal somewhere in the Mediterranean doing charters, he continued. Daily Dish Bdsy Captain Glenn Girlfriend Everything You Need to Know About Captain Glenn's Girlfriend, Dani Jimenez He added: Ive got a little boat. Actually, I had it in Sardinia, and my girlfriend and I cruised around Sardinia a little bit and then we went to the islands near Rome Ponza, Ventotene, places like that. And then the Amalfi Coast, Capri, Ischia, and finally down to the Aeolian Islands, Panarea, Vulcano, Stromboli, and then through to Corfu. Catch Captain Glenn on back-to-back episodes of Below Deck Sailing Yacht Season 4 on Mondays starting at 8/7c. Mosquitos in Bay County recently tested positive for eastern equine encephalitis, a deadly virus that can infect humans and animals. The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) announced the findings Monday after testing over 600 mosquito pools across the state this year. EEE spreads through mosquito bites, causing infection and illness. Symptoms include fever, chills, body and joint aches. More severe illness can lead to symptoms of headache, tremors, seizures, paralysis and disorientation. So far, no human or animal cases of the virus are detected in Michigan, but experts urge residents to remain cautious. MDHHS Chief Medical Executive Natasha Bagdasarian warned of the risk to those infected in the MDHHS news release. EEE is one of the most dangerous mosquito-borne diseases in the United States, with a 33% fatality rate in people who become ill," Bagdasarian said. In recent years, the virus has had a limited spread among humans in the state, with no human cases in 2022, one in 2021, four cases with two deaths in 2020 and 10 cases with six deaths in 2019. There were also infections among animals in 2022, leaving three horses and one bird dead. Mosquito testing also found another virus in Michigan this year, the Jamestown Canyon virus. More: Mosquito-borne EEE virus flares up in Michigan: Symptoms, how to protect yourself More: Detroit is the only Michigan city that can establish a land bank. More could soon join. Residents can take several steps to avoid mosquito bites and mosquito-borne diseases: Using insect repellent on skin or clothes Wearing light-colored, long-sleeved clothing outside Keeping windows and doors screened on homes Empty water from potential mosquito breeding areas at least once a week. This could include old tires, water containers and unused children's pools. This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Michigan sees mosquitos with deadly EEE virus Image via Peacock Jaws is an American thriller film directed by Steven Spielberg, best known for his work in Indiana Jones and E.T. The main plot of the film revolves around a police chief named Martin Brody, who teams up with a marine biologist and a professional shark hunter to hunt down a man-eating great white shark that is terrorizing the residents of a New England town. Due to the films iconic status in Hollywood history, fans might be interested in knowing where they can stream the film online. Heres where you can watch Jaws online. Where can you watch and stream Jaws? You can watch and stream Jaws on Peacock TV. The iconic blockbuster film from Steven Spielberg can also be streamed on Fubo and DirectTV. The film features a star-studded cast that includes Roy Scheider, Richard Dreyfuss, Robert Shaw, Lorraine Gray, and Murray Hamilton. How to sign up for Peacock TV to watch Jaws? Users who live in the United States and want to watch Jaws can sign up for the Peacock TV streaming service and pay for a subscription, either through an online browser or through an app, which can be installed on portable electronic devices such as laptops and mobile phones. However, those living outside the United States can stream the film on DirectTV. Peacock TV offers a wide range of streaming content from different genres for users to watch. The Peacock TV subscription is divided into two types of plans: a monthly premium plan that costs $4.99 per month and a yearly premium plan that costs $49.99. The official synopsis of Jaws reads: When a young woman is killed by a shark while skinny-dipping near the New England tourist town of Amity Island, police chief Martin Brody (Roy Scheider) wants to close the beaches, but mayor Larry Vaughn (Murray Hamilton) overrules him, fearing that the loss of tourist revenue will cripple the town. Ichthyologist Matt Hooper (Richard Dreyfuss) and grizzled ship captain Quint (Robert Shaw) offer to help Brody capture the killer beast, and the trio engage in an epic battle of man vs. nature. For more updates on Peacocks upcoming releases, check out the Peacock Schedule for the movies and TV shows being added to the platform between July 3rd to July 9th. The post Jaws: Where to Watch & Stream Online appeared first on ComingSoon.net - Movie Trailers, TV & Streaming News, and More. The actor, 65, was confirmed dead on June 27 after his remains were discovered in Mount Baldy, California charley gallay/wireimage Julian Sands Julian Sands spoke about the perilous aspects of hiking in an interview occurring months before he went missing during a solo hike and was later discovered dead. Last year, the English actor recalled the spooky things he once encountered during a scary hiking experience. Ive found spooky things on mountains, when you know youre in a place where many people have lost their lives, whether it be on the Eiger or in the Andes. You may be confronted with human remains and that can be chilling, Sands previously told the Radio Times, per The Guardian. Jon Kopaloff/WireImage Sands was confirmed dead on June 27 after his remains were discovered in Mount Baldy Related: Julian Sands, 65, Confirmed Dead 5 Months After Actor Disappeared While Hiking Pals I used to climb with have stopped going to the mountains, he continued. If you dont really have the desire, the focus for climbing a route, if youre not absolutely committed, it becomes much more dangerous. Sands was confirmed dead on June 27 after his remains were discovered in Mount Baldy, California. The Warlock actor had been missing since January after embarking on a hike in the area. He was 65. After authorities confirmed Sands death, the San Bernardino County Sheriffs Department shared a statement from the late stars family. We are deeply grateful to the search teams and coordinators who have worked tirelessly to find Julian, his family said. We continue to hold Julian in our hearts with bright memories of him as a wonderful father, husband, explorer, lover of the natural world and the arts, and as an original and collaborative performer. charley gallay/wireimage Sands spoke on the dangers of hiking in one of his final interviews Tough weather conditions in the area of Mount Baldy made the months-long search for Sands difficult. And in his Radio Times interview, Sands detailed how when one is hiking, they're in the presence of big nature and big nature is revealing itself in all its power. It can take us over a threshold of hypersensitivity into a realm of natural forces, he added of the unexpected weather conditions hikers may face. Story continues Related: Human Remains Discovered Close to Where Actor Julian Sands Went Missing on Mount Baldy in California Myung J. Chun/Los Angeles Times via Getty Sands went missing during a solo hike in Mt. Baldy in January 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. The A Room with a View actor had a near-death hiking experience in the early 1990s. At the time, he got caught with a group in a storm 20,000 feet above ground and was left in a very bad way. Some guys close to us perished. We were lucky, Sands shared in a 2020 interview with The Guardian. Despite the scary experience, the actor said he was happiest when he was close to a mountain summit on a glorious cold morning. For more People news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter! Read the original article on People. During a landmark year of Civil Rights Movement anniversaries and in the afterglow of the celebrations of Juneteenth and American Independence, we are reminded of the words of Charles Dickens A Tale of Two Cities. It is seemingly the best of times and the worst of times. The Rev. Lukata Agyei Mjumbe joined the Alabama African-American Civil Rights Heritage Sites Consortium in 2023 as Executive Director. This month, the U.S. Supreme Court declared that the state of Alabama must undo a legacy of political racial gerrymandering and reapportion congressional district boundaries in a way that should increase representation of the Black community in Congress. Last month, we celebrated Juneteenth as a federal holiday for just the second time since it was approved by law in 2021. Juneteenth commemorates the 1865 Freedom Day when enslaved African people in Galveston, Texas were notified that the Emancipation Proclamation had set them free more than two years earlier. Nevertheless, over a decade before Juneteenth on the day following the celebration of American Independence Day in 1852, abolitionist Frederick Douglass posed a passionate question and then offered an answer to it. Douglass spoke to a gathered assembly of white abolitionists in Rochester, NY and rhetorically asked, What to the slave is your fourth of July? His answer was resolute: "The rich inheritance of justice, liberty, prosperity and independence, bequeathed by your fathers, is shared by you, not by me. The sunlight that brought life and healing to you, has brought stripes and death to me. This Fourth [of] July is yours, not mine. You may rejoice, I must mourn." Some may argue that Juneteenth should lead us to wipe away the tears of our historical July 4th mourning. However, our new federal holiday (which many Black people are still learning about themselves), should teach us that whether enslaved Black people learned that they were legally emancipated in 1863 or 1865, we walked off plantations into what was soon considered to be the worst of times or the nadir of the Black experience in America. These low times were characterized by racial terrorism, institutional segregation, economic exploitation and an entire new era of struggle. In the current climate, one might wonder what we are walking into today. Story continues In recent weeks, the U.S. Supreme Court struck down affirmative action educational programs which consider race as a factor in challenging racial injustice. Expanding policies across the country designed to ban Black history books and critically erase the knowledge of our legacy of the Black freedom struggle, cast shadows amidst the sunlight that has brought life and healing to others. These times seem to reflect the distance that remains between racial groups in America even today. We must seize the time today. We must preserve our historic structures, protect our authentic stories and our progress. In these worst of times we must call upon our better and best to push back. Over 150 years ago, free Black people walked off our plantations and marched forward to buy millions of acres of land. True believers built and sustained historic churches as centers of community life. Black entrepreneurs and cooperatives invested in and established independent businesses, settlements and towns to meet the needs of our disenfranchised demographics. In the face of reactionary and racist backlash, our ancestors advanced a commitment to freedom and self- determination that we so desperately need in these present times. In the intersection of Juneteenth and the Fourth of July, we must remember that Frederick Douglass also once said, If there is no struggle. There is no progress. Amidst the fireworks and flag waving of our holiday celebrations this week, "stoney the road" we continue to trod. The Rev. Lukata Agyei Mjumbe joined the Alabama African-American Civil Rights Heritage Sites Consortium in 2023 as executive director. He is an honors graduate of Morehouse College and also holds a Masters of Divinity and a Masters of Theology from Princeton Theological Seminary. Lukata is a respected pastor, community organizer and a proven leader with experience dating back to the 1990s across the southeast. Prior starting with the Consortium, he served as pastor of the historic Witherspoon Street Presbyterian Church in Princeton, New Jersey. This article originally appeared on Montgomery Advertiser: Juneteenth and July 4th: The best and worst of times Kevin Costner has given his ex-wife Christine Baumgartner a new deadline to move out of the home they shared, amid their ongoing divorce battle. The Yellowstone star reportedly accused Baumgartner of [grasping] at straws with one baseless argument after another for why she should be allowed to stay in the California property. Court documents obtained by People say that Costner respectfully requests that Christine be ordered to vacate his separate property residence forthwith and no later than 13 July 2023. It comes after Baumgartner reportedly said she would move out of the beachfront house by 31 August as long as Costner agreed to provide further financial support as determined by the court. The handbag designer, who filed for divorce in early May, asked a judge to force Costner to pay $248,000 per month in child support for their three children. She argued that the figure is less than the amount needed to maintain the children in their accustomed lifestyle, and is also requesting that the Bodyguard star pay 100 per cent of their private school tuition fees and healthcare expenses. It was reported that the amount Baumgartner is requesting is more than six times the $38,000 a month that Costner offered. Both parties are seeking joint custody of the children, but Costner has rejected the figure his ex-wife is seeking as inflated while she insists the money would help her set up a suitable separate household for them. Costner has also claimed that the former couples pre-nuptial agreement required that Baumgartner leave within 30 days of filing for divorce. She has missed the deadline and remained in the $145m property since. In a new memorandum, Costners legal team insisted that Baumgartner can afford to move, adding: She has at her disposal almost $1.5m in cash to find alternative housing. Multiple four-bedroom, four-bathroom lovely homes are presently available, located in close proximity to Kevins separate property residence Kevin made multiple offers to assist her in relocating. Story continues (Paramount) Documents obtained by TMZ reportedly said Costner was also willing to give his estranged wife $10,000 to cover moving expenses, as well as $30,000 per month towards a rental home. A source close to Costner added to People: This is all about Christine. Kevin has gone above and beyond in providing Christine the necessary means to find a suitable place for her to move. It is understood that Baumgartner is entitled to a settlement of $1.4m under the conditions of the pre-nup. Costners net worth is estimated to be upwards of $250m. In legal documents, it was noted that following Costners divorce from his first wife Cindy Silva in 1994 to whom he reportedly paid out a $80m settlement he found himself without a home base. Kevin Costner and Christine Baumgartner attends the Premiere Of 20th Century Fox's "The Art Of Racing In The Rain" at El Capitan Theatre on August 01, 2019 (Getty Images) Costner also alleged that, because Baumgartner has not vacated their home, his work has been affected and he is unable to begin post-production work on his forthcoming project, Horizon: An American Saga. He added: Because I am not now comfortable sharing a residence with Christine, I very reluctantly changed my travel plans and delayed returning home This forced change in my plans is materially interfering with my work commitments. The actor reportedly went to his 160-acre ranch in Aspen, Colorado, instead of staying in the California property. The Independent has contacted representatives for Baumgartner and Costner for comment. In her divorce filing, Baumgartner cited irreconcilable differences and listed their date of separation as 11 April. The former couple are due for a case management conference on Wednesday 5 July. Costners representatives confirmed their split and said: It is with great sadness that circumstances beyond his control have transpired which have resulted in Mr Costner having to participate in a dissolution of marriage action. We ask that his, Christines and their childrens privacy be respected as they navigate this difficult time. The pair married in 2004 and share three children, Cayden, 16, Hayes, 14, and Grace, 13. Costner was previously married to Silva for 16 years before they divorced in 1994. He also shares three children with her, and also has a son with Bridget Rooney. Due to potential changes and cancellations, we encourage you to check with presenting organizations about the status of their events. 1. Great American Food Truck Bash in Wickham Park Sample amazing food trucks and live music by Rocket City at the Great American Food Truck Bash in the Wickham Park Pavilion, 2500 Parkway Drive, Melbourne, on Friday, July 7 from 5 to 9 p.m. Visit facebook.com/events/516882770204593. 2. BSO Summer Evenings concert in Suntree Brevard Symphony Orchestra takes audiences on a musical journey "From Bach to Broadway" on July 8. Brevard Symphony Orchestra will host a series of summer chamber music concerts at Suntree United Methodist Church, 7400 N. Wickham Road, Melbourne. The next concert in the series is Saturday, July 8 at 7 p.m., with the theme of From Bach to Broadway. The Florida Chamber Brass, led by BSO trombonist Joey Vascik, takes a musical journey full of fan favorites. Tickets are $25. Call 321-345-5052 or visit brevardsymphony.com. 3. Bob DiTota in concert on Merritt Island Bass musician Bob DiTota will be joined by Matt Heister on guitar, Dan Jordan on sax and Bryan Gardenour on drums at the Veterans Memorial Center on July 9. The Space Coast Jazz Society presents jazz bassist Bob DiTota in concert at the Veterans Memorial Center, 400 S. Sykes Creek Pkwy., Merritt Island, on Sunday, July 9 at 2 p.m. Tickets are $15 for Jazz Society and Veterans Memorial Center members, $20 for guests and free for students under 25. Bring your own food and drink, tables and seating are provided. Visit spacecoastjazzsociety.org. Looking for more to do? 40+ fun things to do in Brevard in July, from fireworks to food trucks Are surfers happier people? Film premiere explores locals' connection to the waves 4. Fly-in/Drive-in breakfast at the Warbird Air Museum Breakfast at the Warbird Air Museum on July 8 also includes admission to the museum. Valiant Air Commands Warbird Air Museum, 6600 Tico Road, Titusville, continues its monthly Fly-In/Drive-In Breakfast from 8 to 10 a.m., Saturday, July 8. Tickets are $12, which includes a chef-prepared breakfast and admission to the museum for the rest of the day. Tickets for children under 5 are $5. Call 321-268-1941 or visit warbirdairmuseum.com. 5. Trains, Trains, Trains in Cocoa The Florida East Coast Railway Society presents "Trains, Trains, Trains" on July 8 at the Catherine Schweinsberg-Rood Central Library in Cocoa. Pictured is a model of the Cocoa train yard at a 1/160 scale. The Florida East Coast Railway Society will have their N-Scale Modular Railroad set up at the Catherine Schweinsberg-Rood Central Library, 308 Forrest Ave, Cocoa, on Saturday July 8th from 10 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Kids from 8 to 80+ are welcome to be engineers and run the trains. Admission is free. Visit fecrs.com. Story continues 6. Summer Youth Band concert in Melbourne Melbourne Municipal Bands Youth Band, consisting of students in grades 6 to 12, will give a concert at the Melbourne Auditorium, 625 E. Hibiscus Blvd., Melbourne, on Thursday, July 13 at 6 p.m. The auditorium will be set up with tables so attendees can bring a box dinner to enjoy in air-conditioned comfort during or prior to the concert, or purchase refreshments at the auditorium. Admission is free. Visit mmband.org. 7. Flick-N-Float: 'Gremlins' in Rockledge Watch the movie Gremlins (PG) from the pool at McLarty Park Aquatic Center, 790 Barton Blvd., Rockledge, on Friday, July 7. In the movie, a young man inadvertently breaks three important rules concerning his new pet and unleashes a horde of malevolently mischievous monsters on a small town. Swimming begins at 7 p.m. and the movie starts at 8:30 p.m. The cost to swim is $4, and the movie is free to watch whether youre in the pool or on the lawn. Bring lawn chairs or blankets. Tubes will be provided for floating in the pool, but outside flotation devices are not allowed. Call 321-633-1874 or visit facebook.com/events/5923045581137417. 8. Tour the historic home at Green Gables Artist Emily Neel painted this image of the historic home at Green Gables in Melbourne. Visit greengables.org. Green Gables, 1501 S. Harbor City Blvd., Melbourne, will host an open house on Saturday, July 8 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. The 127-year-old historic home is a living history museum showcasing life in the early years of Melbourne. The cost is $10, or free for children 12 and younger. Visit greengables.org. 9. Summer Sunday Reggae Series at Capt. Hiram's Capt. Hirams Resort in Sebastian will host free Summer Sunday Reggae concerts every Sunday from June 4 through July 30. Visit hirams.com. Capt. Hirams, 1606 Indian River Drive, Sebastian, will host free outdoor reggae concerts every Sunday through July 30. Visit the waterfront resort to enjoy a laid-back summer day full of live music and good vibes. On Sunday, July 9, the lineup includes Vibes Farm at 2 p.m. and Ichroniq at 4:30 p.m. Admission is free. Call 772-388-8588 or visit hirams.com. 10. Space Coast Postcard Club meeting in Cocoa Love postcards? Join the Space Coast Postcard Club on July 9. The Space Coast Postcard Club invites you to attend a meeting at the Catherine Schweinsberg Rood Central Library, 308 Forrest Ave., Cocoa, at 2 p.m. July 9. Please call 585-267-9403 or email dcanfield8@cfl.rr.com to verify that the time or date has not changed. Visit facebook.com/Postcardspacecoastclub. Do you have a community event? Email tgif@floridatoday.com at least two weeks in advance for consideration for the Best Bets roundup. This article originally appeared on Florida Today: Top 10 fun things to do in Brevard for July 7-13 [Source] An elephant gifted to Sri Lanka by Thailand more than 20 years ago was safely returned to Thailand for medical treatment and rehabilitation following accusations of mistreatment. Safe return: The male elephant, known in Sri Lanka as Muthu Raja (Pearly King) and Sak Surin (Mighty Surin) in Thailand, arrived in Chiang Mai on Sunday aboard a Russian Ilyushin IL-76 cargo plane, a six-hour trip that reportedly cost the Thai government 19 million baht (approximately $543,000). Sak Surins possible return to Sri Lanka after receiving medical treatment reportedly has yet to be discussed. Where will he go next: After arriving in Chiang Mai, Sak Surin will reportedly be transported to the Thai Elephant Conservation Center in Lampang province, where he will spend at least 30 days in quarantine followed by rehabilitation. More from NextShark: World's oldest known flush toilet unearthed in China One report noted that Sak Surin would undergo hydrotherapy as part of his medical treatment. A special gift: Sak Surin was one of three elephants given to Sri Lanka by the Thai royal family in 2001, when he was around 10 years old, to be trained as a carrier of religious relics. Abuse accusation: Sri Lanka-based animal rights group Rally for Animal Rights and Environment alleged in 2020 that Sak Surin, who was reportedly in bad health after years of hard labor and abuse, was in dire need of medical assistance. More from NextShark: Remains of missing Bay Area woman Alexis Gabe found The group eventually launched a petition calling for the return of the elephant to Thailand after the Sri Lankan government allegedly ignored their complaints. In need of help: The Thai Embassy in Sri Lanka conducted its preliminary investigation on Aug. 24, 2022, and concluded that Sak Surin was not in good health and was in poor living conditions, the Thai Foreign Affairs Ministry wrote in a statement in November 2022. A report noted that Sak Surin, who was underweight, also had rough skin and difficulty walking or standing due to his stiff left foreleg. He also has abscesses on both hips and thinning foot pads. Story continues More from NextShark: Man Caught on Camera Blowtorching Chinese Restaurant in NorCal Enjoy this content? Read more from NextShark! Pacific Arts Movement Founder Speaks Up Against Xenophobia Toward Asian Americans Because of Coronavirus Any settlement of the crisis in Yemen will have to be part of a broader regional solution. Ever since it began eight years ago, the Yemeni crisis has been viewed as a manifestation of a larger regional conflict, meaning that any settlement to the crisis will have to be part of a regional solution. A major breakthrough of this sort appeared to have presented itself with the Chinese-brokered Saudi-Iranian agreement to restore diplomatic relations between the two countries. However, while the rapprochement between Riyadh and Tehran has continued to advance, the same thing cannot be said of the Omani-assisted rapprochement between Riyadh and the Ansarullah (Houthi) Movement in Yemen. Efforts on that front appear to have run aground, despite the presumed correlation between the Riyadh-Tehran and Riyadh-Houthi tracks. It seems that Iran plans to apply a different calculus to its management of the Yemeni crisis, one that showcases its ability to influence Houthi decision-makers, but that will probably also encourage Houthi maximalism at the negotiating table. Bringing peace to Yemen will require work at many levels of the conflict. Regionally, the Tehran-Riyadh dynamic is only one part of the regional rapprochement needed to resolve this and other conflicts, in view of the threat Irans policies pose to the region as a whole. At the local level, the conflict involves multiple players in addition to the Houthis and Saudis. However, for the Houthis the conflict is almost exclusively about their claim to occupy the seat of power in the Yemeni capital Sanaa by dint of their ostensible victory and assumed right to dictate terms. The Houthis see no need to involve the internationally recognised government of Yemen as a party to negotiate with or to accept the agreed frames-of-reference for the negotiating process. However, it is impossible for any Yemeni party to impose its wishes by force, and the Houthis do not have the ability to perpetuate their state within a state in the areas of Yemen in which they predominate, let alone to seize more territories currently under the control of the recognised government, among them those with energy resources like Mareb, Jawf and Shabwa. At the same time, the Aden-based Southern Transitional Council (STC) cannot unilaterally go ahead with its secessionist project that seeks to resurrect South Yemen as it stood before unification in 1994. It is not possible to resolve the Yemeni conflict by setting the clock back to before the Houthi coup in September 2014. None of the stakeholders support the federal project formulated at the time of the Yemeni National Dialogue, and to attempt to push for a federal solution to the crisis would only aggravate the crisis of the Yemeni state. Various observations can be made. First, the idea that the Houthi-Saudi relationship holds the solution to the crisis in Yemen is incompatible with the complex nature of the crisis as a whole and with the conflicting nature of the relationship. The conditions on the ground and the balance of power as it currently stands do not hold out hopes of victory or defeat. The Houthis have managed to hold on to the areas they control in the north of the country, but this does not mean that the overall balance is in their favour. Not only have they failed to seize the oil-producing areas of Mareb and Shabwa, but the combined forces of the recognised government, the STC, and the western coastal phalanx have succeeded in taking back many areas formerly under Houthi control. Second, the Houthis insistence on parity between them and Riyadh defies logic. The Houthi Movement is an Iranian proxy in the Yemeni conflict and only part of Irans regional network of proxies. Now that Saudi Arabia and Iran have initiated a regional settlement, logic dictates that the Houthis should be seen as one of the stakeholders in the Yemeni conflict as opposed to the dominant player that can dictate to others. Third, Riyadh presumably knows how it wants to reorder the situation in Yemen in a manner conducive to peace and stability. According to reports, the recognised Yemeni government does not see eye-to-eye with some of the actions Riyadh has recently taken to advance its wishes. Riyadh is also uncomfortable with some of the STCs recent actions and with the strengthening of the Hadramawt Inclusive Conference (HIC), developments that are apparently inconsistent with its plans for Yemen in general and for its management of the political forces that make up the Yemeni Presidential Leadership Council (PLC). The Houthis stand to benefit from the tensions among the various groups and factions, not to mention the ongoing failure of the different militias to come together under the umbrella of the Yemeni Armed Forces. Fourth, the future of the Saudi-led Coalition to Support the Legitimate Yemeni government is unclear. Does Riyadhs peace-making initiative with the Houthis mean that the coalition no longer exists? And should the Houthis decide to resume military activities against Saudi Arabia, would the coalition members join it in fighting back? Whereas the coalition has been overseeing military operations since the conflict began, it was the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) that oversaw the political process after the Yemeni Revolution and the overthrow of former president Ali Abdullah Saleh. The GCC launched the so-called Gulf Initiative on Yemen in 2012, and more recently it launched the initiative that resulted in the creation of the PLC, something that is incomplete given the Iranian role as a major regional player. The question may be asked about the significance of the Iranian-Saudi rapprochement for the GCC role. Does it mean that it will now be possible to return to the Geneva Process, this time bringing Tehran on board with Oman and Riyadh as mediators in the negotiations to hammer out a new roadmap for Yemen? Fifth, there are ways of putting pressure on the Houthis to make them offer significant concessions in the negotiations. But Iran has little interest in pressuring the Houthis towards this end, and probably instead of supporting the Houthis in the conflict it will choose to help them leverage their gains at the negotiating table. Sixth, any comprehensive settlement in Yemen must address issues relevant to the nature of the Yemeni state and government. Many of these overlap with concerns related to the Houthi Movement, not least the form of government, the control and recourse to arms, and the southern question and its relation to South and North Yemen. Seventh, the recognised government of Yemen is still relatively weak, despite the improvements ushered in by the GCC initiative. Tensions continue to seethe between the constituent groups of the PLC, which also explains why the various military forces remain unable to come together under the government umbrella, all of which works to the Houthis advantage. It will be impossible to launch a political settlement in the absence of a national consensus. The government may still see an opportunity to strengthen its hand by improving conditions in the liberated territories and reconstructing areas that have suffered during the conflict. It might even consider putting forward a model for development that will contrast with that of the Houthi Movement, which seeks to drag Yemen back into the past. Yemen does not yet appear to be on course towards a political settlement, even if there have been movements in that direction. Instead, it is undergoing a kind of reordering process that may succeed in resolving some issues, while leaving others unaddressed or even aggravated. * A version of this article appears in print in the 6 July, 2023 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly Search Keywords: Short link: Washington County Democrats to host U.S. Congressional candidate The meeting of United Democrats of Washington County on Wednesday will feature Maryland State Del. Joseph Vogel, D-Montgomery, a candidate for the 6th Congressional District. The current officeholder, Democrat David Trone, will be running for the U.S. Senate to replace Democrat Ben Cardin. Born in Montevideo, Uruguay, Vogel came to the U.S. with his family as a toddler, according to a news release from the United Democrats. He is a graduate of George Washington University and has a master's in public policy from Harvard University. He was elected to the Maryland State House this year and has been particularly active in the issues of mental health and the opioid crisis, according to the release. The UDWC meets at 7 p.m. in the Community Room of the Washington County Free Library at 100 S. Potomac St. in downtown Hagerstown. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. Registered Democrats and their guests are welcome. Washington County Republican Club to host annual picnic July 15 The Washington County Republican Club will have its annual picnic July 15 at the Potomac Fish & Game Club, rain or shine, according to a flyer on the club's website. The picnic runs from 1 to 7 p.m., with food served at 4 p.m. The cost is $10 per person, with children 6 and younger admitted free. To buy tickets in advance, visit www.wcrclub.com/picnic. Do you have politics-related news in Washington County? If you have any politics-related items that would be of interest to Washington County voters, send them to news@herald-mail.com. This article originally appeared on The Herald-Mail: Washington County's United Democrats, Republican Club to host events Quentin Tarantino In 2021, after he had instituted his Im only making 10 movies rule but before he had really decided what that meant or what that 10th movie might be, Quentin Tarantino seemed vaguely open to the idea of making a third Kill Bill movieand by that we mean that when somebody at a film festival asked if he would do it, the most definitive answer he could come up with was to ask why not? and then leave it at that. He has apparently come up with a good reason why not to do it in the years since, though, because we know what his final movie will be and its not a Kill Bill sequel. Tarantino is working on The Movie Critic, something set in the 70s about a man who is not Pauline Kael, and he recently confirmed to De Morgen (a newspaper in Belgium) that hes not making a rumored Kill Bill sequel starring original star Uma Thurman and her real-life daughter Maya Hawke. I dont see that happening, he said, reiterating that this next and final film is about a film critic, a male critic. Read more So that seems pretty conclusive, assuming his pants are not currently in fire, because hed either have to be laying about his next movie being this film critic adventure or about stopping after 10 moviesand he must know that he will be mocked ruthlessly at Americas hip independent movie theaters if he becomes a liar. Elsewhere in the interview, which takes the ever-popular form of a list of things Tarantino likes, he mentions that, if he had been a songwriter instead of a filmmaker, he wouldve liked to make something like Bob Dylans Blonde On Blonde. He also highlights how good Peppa Pig is, saying he appreciate that the episodes are short, that the characters are cute, and that theres a surprising amount of satire in it. So there you go, Tarantino fans: Blonde On Blonde and Peppa Pig. Story continues More from The A.V. Club Sign up for The A.V. Club's Newsletter. For the latest news, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Click here to read the full article. annular solar eclipse road trip. A large orange red rock formations reaching up to the blue sky. A large RV drives along the road in the lower left portion of the image. To witness a solar eclipse often takes effort, and on October 14, 2023, anyone in the U.S. who wants to see a 'ring of fire' (rather than a partial solar eclipse) will need to be within a roughly 130 miles- (209 kilometers-) wide path stretching from Oregon to Texas. So why not combine it with a road trip? Crossing some of the country's most iconic landscapes, National Parks and Dark Sky Parks , the path of the Oct. annular solar eclipse is something to behold for anyone who loves travel, adventure and exploring the night sky . Covering most U.S. states within the path of annularity Oregon, California, Nevada, Utah, Colorado, Arizona, New Mexico and Texas here are seven carefully crafted itineraries to take you on an extraordinary journey to see a 'ring of fire.' solar eclipse . Related: Annular solar eclipse October 2023: Plan your trip to see the amazing 'ring of fire' eclipse with these top tips 1. An outback eclipse in Oregon stacks of rocks reflecting in the sea below, the sun is setting in the distance. View of sea stacks at sunset at low tide from Cannon Beach on the Northern Oregon Coast, USA. (Image credit: Photo by Wolfgang Kaehler/LightRocket via Getty Images) Duration: 7 days Start and finish: Portland, Oregon Recommended eclipse viewing location: Oregon Outback Scenic Byway Starting in Portland, spend a week on a scenic drive along the Oregon Coast then dip inland to outback Oregon and adventure capital Bend. On the fabulous coast, be sure to stop for fish and chips in Cannon Beach , cheese at Tillamook and whale-watching from the coast at Depoe Bay . The 'ring of fire' will be visible from a 137-mile stretch starting from here south to Denmark, but this is a famously foggy coast. So a few days before the eclipse head inland at Reedsport to tour Crater Lake National Park North America's deepest, bluest lake which is in the path, though the chances of a clear sky here on eclipse day are uncertain (there could even be snow!). So instead head down to Klamath Falls either for Eclipse Fest 2023 or to turn off for Lakeview where you can join the Oregon Outback Scenic Byway (a 171-mile route along OR-31 amid arid high desert) to Bend . Good locations for eclipse viewing along the way include Fort Rock Cave State Natural Area (9:18 a.m. for 3 mins 25 secs from 09:18 a.m.) and Summer Lake Hot Springs (9:18 a.m. for 4 mins 25 secs). Story continues After the eclipse head to Bend, famous for its beer, but surrounded by endless opportunities for outdoor activities the highlight being hiking at Smith Rock State Park on the way back to Portland. If you have extra days spend them at the Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area east of 2. Stargazing and an eclipse in the Great Basin great basin national park road stretching off into the distance with mountains and a setting sun in the background. Photograph taken just off US Highway 50 with a view looking to the southwest and the mountains in Great Basin National Park. (Image credit: Mark C Stevens via Getty Images) Duration: 5 days Start/finish: Las Vegas, Nevada and Salt Lake City, Utah Recommended eclipse viewing location: Great Basin National Park, Nevada Take a one-way rental vehicle in Las Vegas and head north to check out the crimson rock formations Valley of Fire State Park . Then head north on Highway 93 to Ely, home to East Ely Railroad Railroad Museum and Northern Nevada Railway as well as the 30-foot-tall, beehive-shaped stone kilns of Ward Charcoal Ovens State Historic Park . Nearby are several options for a rural 'ring of fire' at 9:24 a.m. including the off-grid Ward Mountain Recreation Area (3 mins 12 secs), the high desert Cave Lake State Park (3 mins 40 secs) and Garnet Hill public recreation area (3 mins 31 secs). However, Great Basin National Park also a Dark Sky Park with fabulously dark skies will hold an event in its Astronomy Amphitheater bear the Lehman Caves Visitor Center (9:24 a.m. for 3 mins 48 secs). Don't miss the Great Basin Observatory the first research-grade observatory built in a U.S. National Park and likely open for the eclipse as well as Lehman Caves , Wheeler Peak Summit Trail and Ancient Bristlecone Pine Forest to see trees dating back 4,900 years. Take Highway 93 north to Interstate 80 and head east to Salt Lake City via remote camping under dark skies at The Knolls and stargazing on Antelope Island State Park , another Dark Sky Park . Related: 'Ring of fire' from US national parks: 7 great places to see the annular solar eclipse 2023 3. An epic National Parks eclipse trip rock formation in lower right corner of the image with star trails above. Star trails against sky at night, Capitol Reef National Park, Utah, USA (Image credit: Jonathan Thier / 500px via Getty Images) Duration: 14 days Start/finish: Denver, Colorado and Las Vegas, Nevada Recommended eclipse viewing location: Capitol Reef National Park, Utah Here's an epic journey from Denver to Las Vegas (or vice versa), intercepting the path of annularity in Utah. Begin with a few days at Rocky Mountain National Park before hitting Colorado National Monument on the way to Moab, Utah. Use this small town to access Arches National Park (you'll need a timed entry ticket), Dead Horse State Park and Canyonlands National Park all three of them Dark Sky Parks. The latter's Grand View Point Road pokes into the northern edge of the eclipse path, which means beautiful Baily's beads within a 'broken annular' eclipse. If you'd rather see the perfect 'ring of fire' then push on to the eclipse-viewing event (book in advance) at the Valley of Goblins Observation Point at Goblin Valley State Park (10:28 a.m. for 3 mins 15 secs). Another option with a longer 'ring of fire' is the visitor's center at Capitol Reef National Park (10:27 a.m. for 4 mins 29 secs). As you cross the centreline of the path, any RV park, campsite or lodging in and between Torrey and Boulder is perfect. Although both have a shorter 'ring of fire', don't miss Kodachrome Basin State Park (10:28 for 2 mins 32 secs) and the iconic Bryce Canyon National Park (10:27 for 2 mins 39 secs at the Visitor Center) further southwest. Next comes a gawp at the amphitheater of Cedar Breaks National Monument and varied hikes around Zion National Park before driving to Las Vegas, possibly via Valley of Fire State Park and, if you have time to kill before check-in, Red Rock Canyon . Related: Dark Sky Utah: A complete guide to astro-travel in America's darkest state 4. Grand Canyon and a southeast Utah eclipse a deep canyon with a river meandering through it. The rock formations are colored a rusty red/orange from the sunset. Sunset overlooking the Colorado River deep in the Grand Canyon. (Image credit: Dean Fikar via Getty Images) Duration: 7 days Start/Finish: Phoenix, Arizona and Las Vegas, Nevada Recommended eclipse viewing location: Goosenecks State Park, Utah 230 miles (370 km) and 280 miles (450 km) from Phoenix and Las Vegas, respectively, Grand Canyon National Park also now a Dark Sky Park is the target of this itinerary. However, since it's outside the southern limit of the path of annularity a short drive into Utah is recommended for the 'ring of fire.' After marveling at the layered bands of red rock, drive to Page for Lake Powell , Horseshoe Bend and a tour around Antelope Canyon before heading for an eclipse view at either Monument Valley Navajo Tribal Park (10:29 a.m. for 4 mins 16 secs) being careful to respect indigenous attitudes to eclipses or to look through solar telescopes at the 'Ring of Fire Fest' at Goosenecks State Park (10:29 a.m. for 4 mins 40 secs). If you have a 4x4 then also consider a drive through Valley of the Gods bang on the centreline (10:29 for 4 mins 40 secs). Return to Interstate 40 via either the way you came or via the dramatic sandstone cliffs of Canyon de Chelly National Monument in the Navajo Nation. Related: The ultimate guide to planning epic stargazing road trips in the US southwest 5. Northern New Mexico eclipse explorer A sign reading Roswell UFO museum sign. (Image credit: David Zaitz via Getty Images) Duration: 3 days Start/finish: Albuquerque, New Mexico Recommended eclipse viewing location: Roswell, New Mexico Albuquerque is the second-largest city in the path after San Antonio, Texas, but unless you plan to attend the Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta it's worth avoiding for eclipse day. A loop north of the city will take you to the hot springs and fumaroles of Valles Caldera National Preserve , Bandelier National Monument 's ancient cliff dwellings, and artsy Santa Fe. For a view of Baily's beads on eclipse day head to Ski Santa Fe on the northern edge of the path. Two other locations to the southeast stand out for eclipse-viewing if a long 'ring of fire' is your target tiny Corona (10:36 a.m. for 4 mins 35 secs) and the UFO capital of the world, Roswell (10:38 a.m. for 4 mins 30 secs). Due south of the latter is Carlsbad, another great location for edge effects, and the gateway to Carlsbad Caverns National Park , a Dark Sky Park with fabulous stargazing. Related: Solar eclipses 2023: When is the next solar eclipse? Additional resources Shannon Tim Shannon has published a second murder mystery. The Brownstown Township resident and retired police officer released his first book, A2 Death Knell, in December. On June 24, he released The Murphy Mysteries Book II: The Hole Story. It was published by Monroes ASA Publishing Corp. Both books follow Tim Murphy, a fictional University of Michigan campus police investigator. The character is based on Shannon and his real-life police work at U-M. The books offer fictional accounts of some of Shannons investigations. In The Hole Story, Murphy is called to a large construction hole where 14 bodies are found. One was just recently added. The plot is actually based on real cases where I changed names and locations, Shannon said. The main story deals with a bunch of body parts I investigated on the Diag. The subplots (theme is) Justice is far from perfect. I had an embezzler who took $25,000 over a period of several months. Embezzlement is a 10-year felony punishable by prison. I had him on camera, he confessed and we got some of the money back. However, as he was a grad student and the judge agreed with the defense that his future shouldnt be destroyed, he received no jail time and was ordered to pay $50 a month till he paid it off. He paid only $600 and fled the state to Ohio. I found him and tried to get an unlawful flight warrant, but the prosecutor said it cost too much money to bring him back. My solution, in my frustration, was to have someone (in the fictional book) kill him off and put him in the hole with the other bodies. Tim Shannon's newest book, "The Murphy Mysteries Book II: The Hole Story," was released June 24. The 150-page book contains many references to Ann Abor locations. Shannon finished it in just a month. I write for an hour or two early in the morning, he said. I would go to bed and some thoughts and feelings would come to mind, and I realized there were more cases to tell about. There may be one more Murphy book, but I havent decided." Both of his books have a similar style. Its pretty much the same style, more detail in the second book. I concentrate on location, peoples description and more dialog, Shannon said. The editors like it. Story continues Hes currently working on a book based on his wifes family. One of my wifes ancestors was a foot soldier in the Civil War, but I cant seem to bring him alive in print yet, Shannon said. Shannon began his police career as a patrolman in South Lyon and later worked for the U-M Department of Public Safety, where he retired as a sergeant. He spent 20 years conducting criminal investigations and was a hostage negotiator. During his police career, Shannon taught a tactical communications course for the Monroe County Sheriffs Office. He also taught classes at the Washtenaw Community College Police Academy for 10 years and was a debriefer for the Washtenaw County Critical Incident Stress Management Team for about 20 years. After retiring, he was a private investigator for two years before entering the mental health profession. He is currently a state-licensed mental health therapist. The Murphy Mysteries Book II: The Hole Story is available in paperback for $14.99 on Amazon.com. This article originally appeared on The Monroe News: Tim Shannon publishes second murder mystery 1. Concerts galore It's gonna be a busy weekend for our concert venues. Here's who's playing where. Friday Kansas, Taft Theatre, 317 E. Fifth St., Downtown. Lettuce & Steel Pulse, Friday, PNC Pavilion, 6295 Kellogg Ave., Anderson Township. With Makua Rothman. Melanie Martinez, Andrew J. Brady Music Center, 25 Race St., Downtown. The Steve Miller Band, Hard Rock Casino, 1000 Broadway, Downtown. The Travelin' McCourys, Ludlow Garage, 342 Ludlow Ave., Clifton. Saturday Dirty Heads, Riverfront Live, 4343 Kellogg Ave., East End. With Island Glow. Future Islands, Bogart's, 2621 Vine St., Corryville. Raheem DeVaughn, Ludlow Garage, 342 Ludlow Ave., Clifton. Sunday Dream Theater, MegaCorp Pavilion, 101 W. Fourth St., Newport. With Devin Townsend, Animals as Leaders. Post Malone: If Y'all Weren't Here, I'd be Crying, Riverbend Music Center, 6295 Kellogg Ave., Anderson Township. Post Malone performs on the final day of Bunbury Music Festival on Sunday, June 3, 2018, at Sawyer Point. 2. Lagerfest Celebrate local craft beer and Cincinnatis brewing history. Brewing Heritage Trail and American Legacy Tours will offer guided tours of pre-prohibition lager cellars. Details: noon-6 p.m. Friday, Northern Row Brewery, 111 W. McMicken Ave., Over-the-Rhine. $30 ticket includes tasting glass, 8 (5 oz.) tasting tickets, two half pints, bratwurst or veggie alternative. $55 ticket includes all of the above plus a guided tour of cellars. Eventbrite.com. 3. Water Lantern Festival Food trucks, music and more. Design your own lantern and release it on the lake. Details: 6:30-10:30 p.m. Saturday, Eden Park's Mirror Lake, 980 Eden Park Drive, Mount Adams. Waterlanternfestival.com. 4. Dog Days of Summer Bring your doggos for games, a doggy pool, treats, raffle baskets and giveaways. $1 of every point of Dog Days of Summer IPA donated to Fred's Mission Rescue and Sanctuary. Details: noon-3 p.m. Saturday, Dead Low Brewing, 5959 Kellogg Ave., California. Free admission. 5. College Hill Classic Includes Elite 5K, Community 5K and Kids Fun Run. Flat and scenic route. Story continues Details: 9 a.m. Saturday, 5943 Hamilton Ave., College Hill. $40, $20 kids. Runsignup.com. The main lobby on opening night of the new Moe & Jack's Place The Rouse Theatre at Playhouse in the Park. 6. 'Label-Less' This 90-minute play deals with issues of racism, self-worth, homophobia, disability, bullying, mental health, classism and sexism, and serves as a vehicle to have difficult conversations on these issues. Includes 16 original songs written by Drew Lachey, Jamie Jones, PT Duncan, Aaron Space and Isabella Langley. Details: 7:30 p.m. Saturday, 2 p.m. Sunday, Rouse Theatre at Playhouse in the Park, 962 Mount Adams Circle, Mount Adams. Runs July 8-16. labellessmusical.com. 7. Over-the-Rhine International Film Festival: Martin Sheen & Emilio Estevez Join iconic father-son duo for an intimate discussion of film, family, life and their immersive Ohio roots. Details: 7 p.m. Friday, Memorial Hall, 1225 Elm St., Over-the-Rhine. Pay-what-you-can sliding scale admission fee. otriff.eventive.org. 8. Tony Rock Comedian and brother of Chris Rock. Details: 7:30 and 10 p.m. Friday, 7 and 9:45 p.m. Saturday Funny Bone Comedy Club, 7518 Bales St., Liberty Township. $28. Liberty.funnybone.com. Tony Rock performs this weekend at Funny Bone Comedy Club. 9. Concacaf Gold Cup Quarter Finals Group D winner vs. Group A second place at 5 p.m.; Group A winner vs. Group D second place at 7:30 p.m. Pre-Match Gold Cup Party at Washington Park. Details: 5 and 7:30 p.m. Sunday, TQL Stadium, 1501 Central Parkway, West End. 10. Cin City Reptile Show Family-friendly event features non-venomous snakes, lizards, amphibians, spiders, small mammals, feeders and supplies. Details: 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Sunday, Holiday Inn, 5800 Muhlhauser Road, West Chester. $7. Cincityreptileshow.com. This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Top 10 things to do in Cincinnati this weekend, July 7-9 Sky Italia celebrated its 20-year anniversary on Tuesday by announcing a rich slate of upcoming originals, including a second season of the Italian adaptation of Call My Agent, which will see The White Lotus star Sabrina Impacciatore joining the cast. Impacciatores agent is Gersh and her management is MGMT. More from Variety The Sky Italia originals slate comprises previously announced high-end drama M. Son of the Century by British director Joe Wright, alongside less lavish shows in various stages most of which have international potential. It underscores how the Italian unit of the Comcast-owned pay-TV service continues to be a major Italian industry driver. While Skys German unit, which is believed to be up for sale, has put production on pause, Sky Italia is cranking out Italian originals through the platforms Sky Studios unit at a steady pace, showing no signs of a slowdown. We are at the level of eight Sky originals a year, which I think puts us among Italys top scripted content producers in terms of volume, Nils Hartmann, EVP Sky Studios Italy and Germany, told Variety. He declined to comment on Sky Germany. Hartmann added that more than volume, what counts is the continuous growth of our ambition, noting that M, which will air in 2024, takes Sky Italia originals to the next level, both in terms of creative vision and in terms of production [budget] expenditure, which he declined to reveal. Hartmann also praised Italys version of Call My Agent, the first season of which featured Paolo Sorrentino among its stars and aired successfully on Sky in January, noting that it would have been really easy to get it wrong. He also announced that former BBC Studios director of commissioning and co-production Tobi de Graaff has been appointed as SVP commercial of Sky Studios. With him on board we will be bolstering our European distribution side, Hartmann said, noting that NBCUniversal, which has been handling global distribution of some Sky Italia content, is U.S.-based. Story continues See other upcoming Sky Italia originals below. La Mala (working title): This series on the Milanese mob in the 70s is a spinoff of Sky docuseries La Mala. Banditi a Milano. It intends to further Skys trend of Italian criminal sagas that kicked off with Romanzo Criminale (Crime Novel) and segued most notably with Gomorrah, the milestone show that is Italys top TV export. Stefano Sardo, whose credits include the Italian version of In Treatment and also Skys 1992, 1993 and 1994, is the head writer. Piedone: A series that mines a 1970s Italian IP titled Piedone lo Sbirro, which is a franchise of hit films starring Bud Spencer as a police inspector nicknamed Bigfoot. These movies have cult status in Germany. Gomorrah star Salvatore Esposito will star as the shows lead. The series is being penned by Peppe Fiore (The Young Pope) and produced by Sky Studios with Italys storied Titanus shingle and Fremantle-owned Wildside. The Art of Joy: Italian actor and director Valeria Golino (The Morning Show) is making her debut as a TV series director with this erotic female empowerment drama. Set in the early 20th-century, the show follows a Sicilian young woman named Modesta, who is born into an impoverished family and driven by a strong belief that shes destined for a better life. Unwanted: An immigration-themed drama directed by Oliver Hirschbiegel (Downfall), Unwanted is about a tourist-packed cruise ship that rescues a group of refugees from the sea. They take the ship hostage rather than risk being taken back to Libya, where they have just come from. Best of Variety Sign up for Varietys Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Click here to read the full article. A Texas man was found alive after going missing for eight years. A manhunt is still underway after a mass shooting in Baltimore. And the world's greatest hot-dog eater is ready to defend his crown. Hello! Im Laura Davis and its time for Mondays news of the day. But first, a deep-sea discovery: A team of researchers has found a new, active octopus nursery in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of Costa Rica. The Short List is a snappy USA TODAY news roundup. Subscribe to the newsletter here. Man found alive, injured, 8 years after going missing More than eight years after he was reported missing, a Texas man was found alive this weekend with cuts, bruises and blood in his hair. Rudolph "Rudy" Farias IV was 18 years old when he was last seen in Houston on March 6, 2015, according to the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs). On Saturday, the Texas Center for the Missing said Farias had been "located safe" and was recovering in a hospital after being found responsive outside a church. What we know. Rudy Farias was found alive more than eight years after he was reported missing. Baltimore rocked by shooting rampage; manhunt underway The manhunt for at least two shooters who struck 30 people at a Baltimore block party stretched into a second day as the stunned city mourned the victims. Police identified the two people killed as Aaliyah Gonzalez, 18, and Kylis Fagbemi, 20. Twenty-three of the 28 people wounded were teens, and more than half are minors. Police have not identified suspects. Multiple videos have emerged from the scene one showing partygoers scrambling to safety, another apparently showing a young man pulling out a gun, but neither video shows the actual shooting. Photo gallery: Baltimore stunned by deadly mass shooting at block party. Worshipers with the Kingdom Life Church pray at the site of a mass shooting in the Brooklyn Homes neighborhood on Sunday in Baltimore. What everyone's talking about Story continues The Short List is free, but several stories we link to are subscriber-only. Consider supporting our journalism and become a USA TODAY digital subscriber today. Powerful storms, intense heat plagues millions After a weekend of wild weather, millions of people across the United States were again under threat of strong thunderstorms and dangerous heat, which is set to continue into Tuesday's holiday. What to know: Scattered strong to severe thunderstorms, accompanied by heavy rainfall, may develop across the eastern U.S. and parts of the northern Great Plains, the National Weather Service said. Almost 100 million people live where severe weather is possible Monday, according to the Storm Prediction Center. Meanwhile, extreme heat will be cooking parts of the South and the West. Record rain drenches Chicago: Heavy rains flooded Chicago streets Sunday, trapping vehicles and forcing NASCAR officials to put an early end to the Xfinity Series race through the city's downtown. The weather service reported some areas had received over 7 inches of rain and several roadways remained flooded. Fourth of July forecast: High heat and thunderstorms will again be the main story across the nation on Independence Day. Here's what to expect. Several vehicles are stranded in the flooded viaduct at Fifth and Cicero Avenues in Chicago. The king of competition eating returns Right now, somewhere out there, Joey Chestnut is getting ready for the biggest day of the year. On Tuesday, Chestnut will attempt to capture his eighth consecutive Nathans Famous Fourth of July International Hot Dog-Eating Contest. The contest is pretty basic: Eat as many hot dogs as you can in 10 minutes. So just how many franks can Chestnut pack in? That many. Since 2016, Chestnut has eaten an average of 71.6 hot dogs in the contest a little more than the average American eats in an entire year (70), according to the National Hot Dog and Sausage Council. All the details on the hot dog champ's wins. Feasting, drinking and blowing things up: The history of Independence Day in the USA. Joey Chestnut scarfs hot dogs during the 2022 Nathans Famous Hot Dog Eating Contest. A break from the news Laura L. Davis is an Audience Editor at USA TODAY. Send her an email at laura@usatoday.com or follow along with her adventures and misadventures on Twitter. Support quality journalism like this? Subscribe to USA TODAY here.This is a compilation of stories from across the USA TODAY Network. Want this news roundup in your inbox every night? Subscribe to the newsletter here. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Rudy Farias found, Baltimore mass shooting, Joey Chestnut: Monday's news These first-class stays get our stamp of approval. Courtesy of HAtel Madame RAve Back before computers and cell phones, people wrote letters. Star-crossed lovers professed amorous desires. Presidents shared wartime worries with trusted generals. Parents checked on their children in other states. Authors scribbled ideas to literary confidants. And all these correspondences were sent to their intended recipient by the postal service. It didnt take long for cities to begin erecting grand buildings to house mail depots. Fast forward a few hundred years, and the invention of email and a major shift toward tech-based forms of communication have changed the scope and scale of the postal service. So what became of these extraordinary temples to snail mail? Some old post offices around the world from Washington, D.C. to Singapore are having a fascinating second act as luxury hotels worth writing home about. Here, a few of our favorites. Related: The 100 Best New Hotels in the World 1898 the Post, Ghent, Belgium imageBROKER/Stanislav Belicka/Getty Images Tucked away in the corner of a neo-Gothic landmark originally built for the 1913 World Expo, 1898 the Post is a boutique hideaway set where Ghents central post office functioned for many years, and it brings postal chic into the present moment. After entering through the courtyard on a cobbled side street, guests ascend a spiral staircase. Once inside, the quirky charm of the historic building comes into focus; the hallways slope down at the sides and some accommodations are couched inside turrets. Inspired by Old World offices but with a contemporary overlay, rooms and suites feature built-in bookcases, rotary phones, and antique writing desks topped with paperweights, pencil boxes, postcards, and paper. Kimpton Hotel Monaco Washington, D.C. Courtesy of Kimpton Hotel Monaco Washington, DC The story of the Kimpton Hotel Monaco Washington, D.C. dates back to the 1830s with the construction of the General Post Office. After nearly 150 years of official government use, the first all-marble building in the nation's capital sat abandoned. And so the job of restoration and transformation began. The rehabbed property honors American history and heritage in an impressive way. Original elements, including a pair of circular staircases, monumental columns, and a neoclassical fireplace framed by gold bald eagles, are complemented by draperies and pillows crafted from contemporary fabrics. The postmasters library is now a ballroom, and the mail sorting room houses Dirty Habit, a stylish bar and restaurant. Story continues The Fullerton Hotel, Singapore Ore Huiying/Getty Images Many travelers are familiar with The Fullerton Hotel, Singapore, as its one of the most iconic and popular places to stay in the city center, but few know much about its intriguing history. Before pivoting to the luxury hospitality sector, the 1928 neoclassical building was home to the central post office for nearly a century. Today, the prestigious 400-key property and national landmark channels the heritage of yesteryear with its preserved (and magnificent) portes-cocheres, Doric columns, and commanding marble staircase. Having traditional afternoon tea here is a treat complete with finger sandwiches, freshly baked scones pastries, and harp music in the atrium. Hotel Madame Reve, Paris Courtesy of HAtel Madame RAve Hotel Madame Reve reanimates the 19th-century Louvre post office building, which was built toward the end of the Second Empire of Napoleon III. The impeccably executed project makes incredible use of the structures Haussmann proportions while weaving in period details like intricate moldings, parquet floors, and chandeliers, which provide even more art nouveau character. Poised in the first arrondissement a hub of designer shopping, world-class museums, and sidewalk cafes the World's Best Awardwinning property is a fashionable base for exploring. Though it is admittedly pretty tempting to stay put on property, given its stylish boudoirs accented by mail-themed art, roof terrace with panoramic city views, and tranquil spa. COMO The Treasury, Perth, Australia Courtesy of Como The Treasury Located on the corner of St Georges Terrace and Barrack Street in one of Perths oldest neighborhoods, COMO The Treasury shares a lot of commonalities with its environs: both are steeped in history and were recently revitalized. The collection of 19th-century state buildings that used to harbor the post office, land titles office, and treasury now welcomes business and leisure travelers visiting the capital of Western Australia. In contrast to the Victorian-era facade, the 48 accommodations take a decidedly contemporary approach to design with muted hues, natural wood, and sun-drenched spaces. Post, the on-site Italian osteria, serves seasonal pastas and more. Villa Copenhagen, Denmark Courtesy of Villa Copenhagen Built in 1912, the architectural marvel thats now home to Villa Copenhagen, part of the Nordic Hotels & Resorts, spent 104 years as the Danish Central Post and Telegraph Head Office. Billed as a grand dame for the 21st century, the recently opened property offers 390 bedrooms that reflect a deep-rooted understanding of Scandinavian minimalism and hygge. Herringbone wood floors, crisp linens, and soft shades create an exceptionally serene atmosphere. Other standout spaces include the rooftop swimming pool, sauna, courtyard bar, brasserie, and T37, a cozy drinking den named after the code postal employees used for after-work gatherings. BoHo Prague Hotel, Czech Republic Courtesy of Boho Prague A short walk from Old Town Square, BoHo Prague Hotel, a member of SLH, breathes new life into an art deco post office. While the buildings past may have been focused on sorting, filing, and delivering letters, its latest iteration as a polished boutique retreat gives few signs other than, perhaps, the giant windows that it might have served any purpose other than delighting guests with contemporary design, warm hospitality, and bespoke amenities. Intimate, swathed in neutral tones, and exuding cosmopolitan sophistication, the property supplies 57 soundproof rooms and suites, a cocktail bar, an international restaurant concept, and a sleek wellness area with a heated pool. For more Travel & Leisure news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter! Read the original article on Travel & Leisure. Allyson Riggs/A24 Beginning in the 17th century, folks have immigrated to America for the promise of a better life, or for what they hope is a better quality of life. For many immigrants, jobs and economic opportunity are the greatest motivating factor, but full human rights, including education, health car, and providing for their children are also concerns. A number of refugees are escaping wars or ethnic cleansing or seek asylum because of dangerous situations in their homeland. Even global warming and climate change have driven individuals to emigrate to America. But while the United States was founded on this Melting Pot philosophy, starting over for immigrants in America can be challenging. Getting to or even into America can be difficult, and once here, assimilation, with one foot in the old land and one foot in the new land, can also be stressful. There have been many films about emigres, in genres ranging from comedies to dramas to documentaries ever since Charlie Chaplin's 1917 short, "The Immigrant." Elia Kazan's semiautobiographical 1963 feature, "America America," recounts "the legend of how [his] family first came to this country." In "Golden Door" (2006), a magical realism sequence has Sicilian peasant Salvatore (Vincenzo Amato) imagining large carrots and olives, and is later showered with coins, signs of the bounty abroad. In contrast, "El Norte" (1983) depicts the dangers of crossing the border as a Guatemalan brother and sister crawl through a rat-infested sewer tunnel to arrive in the United States, where they are confronted with perhaps more than they can handle. Related The Daniels on the ADHD theory of "Everything Everywhere All at Once," paper cuts and butts What all of these films present are moving, human stories that showcase resilience and determination of immigrants who risk everything to come to America to realize their dreams. Here, in alphabetical order, are nine immigrant films you should watch to honor Independence Day Story continues 01 "Brooklyn" (2015) Brooklyn Brooklyn (Fox Searchlight) "Brooklyn" is director John Crowley's Oscar-nominated 2015 screen adaptation of Colm Toibin's bestselling 2009 novel. Eilis Lacy (Saoirse Ronan) emigrates from Ireland to America in 1952. She is anxious and has a difficult journey, but as she arrives in Brooklyn, there is a sense of magic and wonder, which Ronan conveys with her marvelous expressions. (Eilis is a character who feels deeply.) As she begins her new life, she is torn about the life she knew and left behind and the one she establishes in Brooklyn. Scenes contrasting the two countries illustrate this well. Things improve for Eilis when she meets and falls in love with an Italian, Tony (Emory Cohen), but life gets in the way when she is called back home to Ireland. "Brooklyn" chronicles Eilis' experiences trying to determine where she belongs with remarkable sensitivity. This is a superb, heartbreaking drama about both the meaning of home and the pull home has on a young woman finding her way in a new world. (Rent it on iTunes or Amazon). 02 "Dim Sum: A Little Bit of Heart" (1985) Dim Sum Dim Sum (Criterion Collection) "Dim Sum: A Little Bit of Heart" is Wayne Wang's modest 1985 drama about a widowed immigrant mother Mrs. Tam (Kim Chew) and her adult daughter, Geraldine (Laureen Chew, Kim's real-life daughter), navigating their relationship. As one character insists about Mrs. Tam, "You can take the girl out of Chinatown, but you can't take Chinatown out of the girl." And so begins a touching mother-daughter story where Mrs. Tam wants Geraldine to get married, but Geraldine worries about leaving her mother to live alone. Mrs. Tam is a traditionalist who only speaks in Chinese, but she understands English except when Geraldine quizzes her for her citizenship exam. (After 40 years, Mrs. Tam wants to become an American.) Mrs. Tam is also preparing to return to her homeland as she is expecting to die soon. Wang's film shows how the two worlds collide or overlap, especially when he features a Chinese rendition of the national anthem on the soundtrack. Mrs. Tam's neighbor May (Ida F.O. Chung), proclaims during a game of mahjongg, "In America, anything is possible," and wants her to watch "Dynasty," which is "just like a Chinese soap opera full of sex, love and money." Likewise, when Geraldine and her uncle Tam (Victor Wong) can't cook a meal right, they go out and eat at McDonald's. Wang shows that reality can, indeed, be both bigger and smaller than the American Dream. (Stream on the Criterion Channel) 03 "Everything Everywhere All at Once" (2022) Michelle Yeoh in "Everything Everywhere All at Once" (Allyson Riggs/A24) "Everything Everywhere All at Once" The Daniels' Oscar-winning juggernaut considers the "what if" idea as immigrant Evelyn Wang (Michelle Yeoh) 'verse jumps into alternate lives as she deals with the multiple stresses of a possible divorce from her husband, Waymond (Ke Huy Quan); an audit by IRS agent Deirdre Beaubeirdre (Jamie Lee Curtis); and her increasing estrangement from her lesbian daughter, Joy (Stephanie Hsu). Evelyn sees the American Dream as being able to "do whatever we want," but she must first get over her feelings that "with every passing moment [she] could have made something of her life." Was leaving China, and disappointing her parents by marrying Waymond the right decision? "Everything Everywhere All at Once" shows not only the roads Evelyn did not take, but also the dreams she never followed, and how good her life could have been especially when Waymond tells her, "In another life, I would have really liked just doing laundry and taxes with you." The Daniels' film stresses the importance of failure and letting go, because living up to the American Dream may not be all it is cracked up to be. (Stream it on Showtime). 04 "Hester Street" (1975) Hester Street Hester Street (Cohen Media Group) "Hester Street" is cowriter/director Joan Micklin Silver's classic immigrant film a poignant examination of the Jewish community in New York's Lower East Side in 1896. Silver shows the differences between the old land and the new land as Yankl (Steven Keats), renamed Jake in America, tries to manage life with his "greenhorn" wife, Gitl (Carol Kane in an Oscar nominated performance), who has just arrived with their son Yossele (Paul Freedman) renamed Joey. Gitl wants to wear wigs or a kerchief on her head, but Jake insists women display their natural hair in America. Nevertheless, she sticks with her traditions, such as putting salt in Joey's pockets to ward off evil. When Mrs. Kavarsky (Doris Roberts) tightens a corset, she is fitting for Gitl, she advises, "You wanna be an American, you gotta hurt." It is a telling line because Gitl's marriage to Jake has gone stale since she has arrived; he has his sights on the wealthy and fashionable Mamie (Dorrie Kavanaugh). "Hester Street" captures immigrant tensions as a peddler in the old country becomes Jake's boss in the new land, and one character complains about having to take a train to see a tree. Shot in black and white and largely in Yiddish, this is a feel-good feminist film that showcases immigrant lives with authenticity and features a highly satisfying denouement. (Stream it on MUBI, Kanopy, and the Cohen Media Channel). 05 "In the Heights" (2021) In the Heights Anthony Ramos and Melissa Barrera in "In the Heights" (Warner Bros.) Jon M. Chu's big screen version of Lin-Manuel Miranda's infectious high-energy musical is all about dreams for Dominicans, Puerto Ricans and Cubans undocumented or assimilated and other characters that populate the film's Washington Heights barrio in "far away Nueva York." Some characters have lottery dreams, others dream of getting away (even if that just means downtown), many are "scraping by," and still others dream of their homeland. They are powerless and powerful. As a character expresses, "We assert our dignity in small ways," emphasizing the little details that "tell the world we are not invisible." Arguably the best musical number in "In the Heights" isn't the show-stopping "96,000," set in a community pool, but "Paciencia Y Fe" ("Patience and Faith") performed by Abuela Claudia (Olga Merediz) about emigrating from Cuba to "the Washington Heights of Havana." She came because there was work but being fresh off the boat, and having to learn English, she hoped to become "better off than you were with the bird of La Vibora [Havana]." It's an emotional memory piece that features the lyrics, "I've spent my life/inheriting dreams from you," that emphasizes the film's core message: "There's no place like home." Alabanza! (Praise) Abulea Claudia! (Stream it on Max) 06 "Moscow on the Hudson" (1984) Moscow on the Hudson Actor Robin Williams as Vladimir Ivanoff and Cleavant Derricks as Lionel Witherspoon on the set of the Columbia Pictures movie " Moscow on the Hudson" in 1984. (Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images) There is a scene late in director/cowriter Paul Mazursky's bittersweet, patriotic comedy-drama, set in a diner on Independence Day where characters from different countries repeat the Bill of Rights and the right to pursue happiness. The moment galvanizes Vladimir Ivanoff (Robin Williams), a self-pitying Russian circus musician who has defected in Bloomingdale's during a trip to New York. Everyone Vlad meets is from somewhere else, and like them, he has had to make adjustments to life in America. Williams taps into Vlad's melancholy as he befriends Lionel (Cleavant Derricks) a Black man whose family illustrates the racism in the country and begins a romance with Lucia (Maria Conchita Alonso) herself an Italian immigrant who becomes a citizen over the course of their relationship. "Moscow on the Hudson" illustrates the false sense of liberty Vlad has having the freedom to do whatever he wants. For him it is oddly paralyzing, and Mazursky's film, and Williams' soulful performance conveys that Catch-22 with aplomb. (Rent it on iTunes or Amazon). 07 "Nanny" (2022) Nanny Anna Diop in "Nanny" (Amazon Prime Video) The American Dream literally becomes a nightmare for the undocumented Senegalese immigrant, Aisha (Anna Diop) in writer/director Nikyatu Jusu's flinty psychological horror film. Aisha gets a job caring for Rose (Rose Decker), the daughter of a wealthy white couple, Amy (Michelle Monaghan) and Adam (Morgan Spector). She is saving the money she earns to bring her own son, Lamine (Jahleel Kamara), to New York to live, promising him snow like white cotton candy. However, Aisha has strange visions of Lamine and is haunted by episodes such as one where it is raining in her bedroom, or when she imagines spiders, snakes and other dangers. At a hair salon, her friend observes that the American Dream is, "You work until you die. But I'd rather be a slave in America than in Africa, because at least you see the money." But Aisha doesn't see the money; Amy does not pay Aisha the overtime she is owed. In addition, Amy's microaggressions and Adam's inappropriate behavior he kisses her are as unsettling as her experiences around water. This is a powerful allegory about oppression, and it features a remarkable performance by Diop. (Stream it on Prime Video). Want a daily wrap-up of all the news and commentary Salon has to offer? Subscribe to our morning newsletter, Crash Course. 08 "Potato Dreams of America" (2021) Potato Dreams of America Potato Dreams of America (Dark Star Pictures) Writer/director Wes Hurley's feature is based on the true events of his coming to America with this mother. (His story is also the subject of his documentary short "Little Potato" as well as a VR project.) In 1985 Vladivostok, young Potato (Hersh Powers) and his mother Lena (Sera Barbieri) both have American accents are miserable because there is no future and no independent thinking. Anywhere, they believe, is better than their "beloved motherland." Their only joy is watching American movies on a renegade TV channel. They want the "happy ending" that films like "Pretty Woman" offer, and that possibility comes when Lena responds to a mail order bride advertisement, and John (Dan Lauria), agrees to marry her. Emigrating to Seattle, Potato (now played by Tyler Bocock, sporting a Russian accent) attends high school where his teacher is concerned that he is going to lose his beautiful culture. "Why do we want a melting pot when we can toss a salad?" she asks. But Potato bemoans that "No one lets me forget my past," wanting to immerse himself in American life and culture. (He is gay and repeatedly rents "The Living End" from his local video store.) "Potato Dreams of America" soon reveals that America provides a safe space for LGBTQ people whereas Potato's class in Russia believes the United States is full of "drugs, perverts and AIDS." The new country is one Potato and his mother wholeheartedly embrace, despite encountering different issues than the ones they faced at home. (Rent it on iTunes) 09 "Scarface" (1983) Scarface Actor Al Pacino stars in 'Scarface'. (Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images) Brian DePalma's 1983 grandiose gangster epic, a remake of the 1932 classic, opens with documentary footage of the 1980 Mariel boatlift, which had 125,000 refugees leave Cuba for the U.S. Approximately 20% of them had criminal records. One of them is the fictional Tony Montana (a feral Al Pacino in arguably his most beloved performance). When he arrives in Miami, he claims to be a political prisoner, and he delivers an early speech railing against Communism which told him what to do, think and feel. After months of being detained, he buys his freedom by killing someone and ends up working in a restaurant. "I didn't come to the U.S. to break my back [washing dishes]," Tony insists, and he soon goes to work for Frank Lopez (Robert Loggia), a drug kingpin, before taking over the business. For Tony, America is the land of opportunity. "In this country, you gotta make the money first. Then when you get the money, you get the power. Then when you get the power, then you get the women." And while Tony rises to power it is no coincidence that Tony sees the phrase, "The World Is Yours," on a blimp as he reaches the top he cannot buy his mother's (Miriam Colon), respect. She tells him, "It's the Cubans like you who are giving a bad name to our people. People who come here to work hard." "Scarface" emphasizes the corruption of purity, most baldly in a subplot featuring Tony's sister, Gina (Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio). But ultimately, DePalma's film is an orgiastic bloodbath about excess. Tony, who came from the gutter (and is called "an immigrant sp** millionaire"), becomes disillusioned, especially in a fancy restaurant, when he asks, "Is this it?" with a weariness that belies his ambition to achieve the American Dream. (Stream it on Peacock Premium or AMC) Read more movie lists by Gary Kramer "Hearst Magazines and Yahoo may earn commission or revenue on some items through these links." This month, pack in your beach bag a heist novel, a biography of Jackie Kennedy, or a thrilling tale of a murderous librarian. Here, Town & Country's picks for the 12 best books to read this July. (More summer reading recommendations here.) Jackie: Public, Private, Secret This is celebrity biographer J. Randy Taraborrellis second book on Jackie Kennedy (his first, Jackie, Janet & Lee was about Jackie, her mother, and her sister). Is there anything new to say about one of the most famous women of the 20th century? This promises to be a comprehensive look at her life based on hundreds of interviews and never-before-released material from the JFK Library. Some juicy tidbits: her cold feet before her wedding to Jack, the time she considered meeting Maria Callas, Aris mistress, and the nude photo scandal created by a family member selling her pictures. Shop Now Jackie: Public, Private, Secret amazon.com The Stolen Coast In a sleepy Massachusetts coastal town one summer, Jack is helping his father, a retired spy, help fugitives on the run. When Elena, a former love interest, reappears and asks her to help steal millions of raw diamonds, Jack reluctantly helps her plan a heist. It's a mesmerizing, stylish novel that you won't be able to put down. Shop Now The Stolen Coast amazon.com Crook Manifesto Two-time Pulitzer Prizewinner Colson Whitehead revisits the main character from his 2021 book, Harlem Shuffle, in this exciting new novel set in 1970s New York City. Ex-fence/current furniture store owner Ray Carney has gone on the straight and narrow and hopes to stay that way despite persistent efforts of his former partners in crime. Whitehead takes Carney through a series of thrilling escapades and along the way illuminates a neighborhood and community that is changing rapidly around him. Shop Now Crook Manifesto amazon.com Little Monsters Set in Cape Cod, Adrienne Brodeur's Little Monsters tells the tale of recently-estranged siblings Ken and Abby who set out to organize a 70th birthday party for their father. On the surface, their family has it allthe money, the parties, and morebut when you dig a little deeper, the family secrets and betrayal surfaces. Brodeur draws on the Biblical tale of Cain and Abel to frame the story, to give you a sense of the complicated sibling dynamic at play here. Story continues Shop Now Little Monsters amazon.com Easy Money: Cryptocurrency, Casino Capitalism, and the Golden Age of Fraud The actor Ben McKenzie, who appeared in The O.C. and Gotham, became obsessed with cryptocurrency during the pandemic, first as a possible investment and then as the subject for a book. The well-timed Easy Money, written with the financial journalist Jacob Silverman, casts a skeptical and incredulous eye on the many ways digital currencies have been promoted in recent years and how their most devoted fans ignored systemic faults and warning signs of possible collapse. Shop Now Easy Money: Cryptocurrency, Casino Capitalism, and the Golden Age of Fraud amazon.com All-Night Pharmacy "Spending time with my sister, Debbie, was like buying acid off a guy you met on a bus," begins Ruth Madievsky's All-Night Pharmacy, a propulsive tale of two sisters in Los Angeles. After our unnamed 18-year-old narrator commits a drunken act of violence, Debbie disappears. What results is a gritty coming-of-age story as our narrator searches for herself and tries to get clean. Shop Now All-Night Pharmacy amazon.com How Can I Help You Margo's coworkers think she is a small-town librarian. No one knows she's fleeing the police, after a string of patients died in her care when she was a nurse. No one, that is, until Patricia joins the library staffand begins to pick up on Margo's oddities. What begins is a cat-and-mouse between the two librarians, told from their alternating perspectives. A fascinating, fun thriller set at a local library. Shop Now How Can I Help You amazon.com Strip Tees: A Memoir of Millennial Los Angeles In the early aughts, American Apparel was inescapable. The L.A.-based brand might have sold mostly basics, but what it was really shilling was a lifestyleyoung, care free, effortlessly stylish. In her new memoir, Kate Flannery raises the curtain on what it was really like to work for the brand at the height of its powers, and to enter the work force hoping to change the world only to find it trying to change you. It's a funny, insightful look back at a defining moment and a meditation on the perils of growing up. Shop Now Strip Tees: A Memoir of Millennial Los Angeles amazon.com The Vegan How do you right a wrong? The question takes a mind-bending turn at the hands of Andrew Lipstein, whose latest novel centers on a rising hedge fund titan named Herschel Caine, whose path to becoming a master of the universe is all-clearuntil a prank goes terribly wrong and leads him down a spiral of guilt and shame. How does he find his moral center again? With the help of a neighborhood dog. Shop Now The Vegan amazon.com The Librarianist Bob is a retired librarian who, one day, helps a confused elderly woman find her way back to a senior care center. Soon, he is wrapped up in the world of the retirement home, but not before long, the reader is thrown back into Bob's history and life story. A quiet, melancholy novel, one that is perfect for long summer evenings. Shop Now The Librarianist amazon.com Silver Nitrate The bestselling author of The Daughter of Doctor Moreau and Mexican Gothic returns with Silver Nitrate, the story of Montserrat, a talented sound editor in '90s Mexico City. When her childhood best friend, Tristan, a former soap opera stars, falls in with cult horror director Abel Urueta, she gets sucked in too. Urueta, who believes his unfinished film is cursed, wants Tristan and Montserrat to help him reverse the curse and finish the movie. An engaging book that deftly balances supernatural, horror, romance, and the business of moviemaking. Shop Now Silver Nitrate amazon.com Business or Pleasure This steamy romance novel features Finna, a struggling actor, who is stuck attending fandom conventions promoting his cult-status werewolf show from years ago, and his ghostwriter, Chandler, who aspires to write her own mystery novels. Finn and Chandler had actually met once beforeon a terrible one-night standso tension bubbles throughout the course of their partnership (and Chandler agrees to give Finn tips on how he can be better in the bedroom). A sex-positive and tender romance that features frank discussions of mental health that you won't want to miss. Shop Now Business or Pleasure amazon.com You Might Also Like The issue of illegal migration was high on the agenda of recent meetings held between President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi and European officials in Cairo and Paris. Just before the Eid Al-Adha holiday, Al-Sisi met with the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrell. He later took part in the New Global Financing Pact initiative launched by French President Emmanuel Macron in Paris, where illegal immigration was a key topic in the meetings the president had with EU leaders. This was only to be expected following the recent, tragic sinking of a fishing boat carrying 750 illegal migrants off the Greek coast. The boat was travelling from the coastal city of Tobruk in Libya to Italy, carrying mainly Pakistani, Egyptian, Syrian, and Palestinian nationals. While Egypt has been cooperating with the Greek authorities to determine the fate of all Egyptians who were on board the ill-fated boat, it still awaits the results of a thorough investigation on how this tragic incident came about, and whether all efforts were made to attempt to save the passengers. The victims included dozens of women and children, along with mostly young people looking for a better economic future following an unprecedented global economic crisis that has caused resulted in greater suffering, not only in low-income nations in Africa and the Middle East, but also in middle-income and developing nations that were believed to be on the right track in improving the living conditions of their peoples. Hardly months after coping with the worldwide economic standstill following the spread of Covid-19, conflicts in different parts of the world, the war in Ukraine, and pressing global economic problems caused an unprecedented rise in irregular border crossings, the highest recorded by Frontex, the European Border and Coast Guard, since 2017. During his meetings with EU officials, President Al-Sisi underlined his commitment to enhancing dialogue and cooperation on countering illegal migration and terrorism. He also agreed with Borrell on the need for a sustainable, humane, and safe system of migration, while pointing to the problem as a global issue that cannot be addressed by just one country or region. However, the safe system of migration aspired to cannot be a technical one, or depend solely on policing efforts by countries in the region overlooking the Mediterranean Sea. Countries like Egypt and Tunisia have already been taking action against the smugglers and traffickers who put peoples lives in danger. Yet such measures alone will not be enough to contain the growing phenomenon. The sinking of the boat off the Greek coast, and the death of its passengers, was only a reminder of the nearly daily suffering of hundreds of people from poor and developing nations, mainly because of the massive number of victims. The sad reality is that people die every day in smaller boats while trying to reach their destinations in Europe. But even if Egyptian migrants manage to reach their destination Italy in most cases the government there would repatriate them under an agreement between Italy and Egypt. Under Italian law, the Italian authorities are not allowed to repatriate minors, meaning individuals under the age of 18. In previous discussions with the Italian authorities, Egyptian officials explained that this law encourages minors to migrate because they know that they will not be repatriated. However, the Italian authorities had not reconsidered it, citing laws designed to protect children. The recent sinking should prompt the EU to appreciate the efforts Egypt is exerting in combating illegal migration and consider providing Egypt with more support to help with the cost of hosting refugees. Providing more opportunities for legal migration to Europe could also reduce illegal migration. In Egypts case, some 250,000 Sudanese refugees have been forced to move to Egypt following the recent fighting. Another five million Sudanese refugees are already settled in the country. While the EU had declared that it would provide immediate assistance of 20 million euros to help Cairo address this new wave of Sudanese refugees, along with another 80 million euros to combat migration across the Mediterranean, even Borrell admitted that those amounts would not be enough to handle this extremely complicated problem. What is needed for a lasting solution to illegal migration is for Europe, the United States and other wealthy nations to fulfil their pledges in providing economic assistance and debt relief for low-income and developing nations. The development partners of Africa and the Middle East should show understanding of the economic pressures those countries suffer as they pursue development plans and try to manage a growing debt burden. In his speech at the Paris Summit, Al-Sisi called for reforming the global financial infrastructure to promote sustainable development financing, including re-allocation of the International Monetary Funds special drawing rights and suspending or cancelling the funds additional fees in times of crisis. He also appealed for more debt swaps, saying the Paris summit highlighted the importance of taking quick international decisions that prevent the outbreak of a major debt crisis. As rightly stated by the Egyptian president, the key challenge is that developed and wealthy nations make many promises, but only keep very few, leaving the door wide open to more waves of illegal migrants who see little hope in staying in their own countries under tough economic conditions. * A version of this article appears in print in the 6 July, 2023 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly Search Keywords: Short link: A sow nurses her piglets in a farrowing crate on a farm in Walsh, Ill., that meets California's new standards. (Jeff Roberson / Associated Press) It seemed for a while that California's controversial pork law would take effect only when pigs fly. The law was fought all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court, but starting this month, farmers across the country must abide by the regulation, passed in 2018, which requires them to provide more space for breeding pigs in their pens or lose the right to sell their products in the Golden State. Enforcement of the law went into effect on July 1, according to the California Department of Food and Agriculture. Violators could face fines or imprisonment. The law, passed as Proposition 12 in California, requires that breeding pigs be confined to a pen with no less than 24 square feet of floor space, allowing them to fully turn around in their living area. The law targeted the practice among some farmers of keeping sows in cramped stalls separate from other pigs. "When Proposition 12 passed in 2018, pork producers claimed there was no way they could ever make the transition away from confining pigs in small cages. More than four years later, the industry has changed and it has transformed to meet the demand of California," said Josh Balk, who led the Proposition 12 initiative. While certain parts of the law concerning hens and veal have already taken effect, the portion concerning the treatment of breeding pigs was put on pause while it was challenged in court by pork producers. Pork farmers argued that California, which consumes around 15% of pork nationwide but only produces a marginal amount, should not be allowed to dictate the rules of pig farming to farmers outside of the state. Opponents of the law said it would be a massive burden on producers and that the costs of the changes would be passed on to consumers. "And they impose these enormous costs on pork producers, which will ultimately increase costs for American consumers, making it more difficult for families on a budget to afford this important source of protein," wrote attorneys for the National Pork Producers Council in their initial lawsuit against the law in 2019. Story continues The case was taken to the U.S. Supreme Court, which upheld the California law in May. "While the Constitution addresses many weighty issues, the type of pork chops California merchants may sell is not on that list," wrote Justice Neil M. Gorsuch in a majority opinion on May 11. While the law went into effect Saturday, the state allowed for pork killed before that date to be sold in California through the end of the year. Animal rights activists stopped short of celebrating the court's ruling. "This ruling does nothing to end the extreme cruelty inherent in todays factory-farming and slaughter industry," said PETA President Ingrid Newkirk. Despite that, Newkirk did commend the U.S. Supreme Court for "blocking the meat industrys greedy attempt to deny mother pigs, hens and calves a miserly few inches more space in enclosures." Sign up for Essential California, your daily guide to news, views and life in the Golden State. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times. Le Meridien Lav is ringing in a new era of casual luxury in Split, Croatia, and we're here for it. Stacey Wreathall I arrive at the newly renovated Le Meridien Lav, Split, and within minutes I'm on my balcony looking out to the Adriatic sea. The property houses 378 rooms, each with floor-to-ceiling windows that open up to spacious balconies. I make the most of mine. And through the lazy afternoon sun I dont need to scan far and wide for a beautiful view. Gazing over the marina, I notice how relaxed I am. Could it be the allure of the glassy sea or the gentle sway of the pine trees? For all one knows, it's the rose wine Courtesy of Marriott We convene for a lunch soiree in the dappled shade of Gooshter Beach Club, a dining space worthy of all the Instagram love. Design and stylistic features should be an enhancement of the nostalgia that follows," says Jennifer Connell, global brand leader for Marriott International's Premium Distinctive and Collection Brands, including Le Meridien. She explains that luxury runs deeper than plush bathrobes and bed linens. Here, I remember the brand's ethos: "savoring the good life." Its not lost on me that were chatting over slow sips of coffee and feasting on the most delicious duck pancakes. While the bamboo thatched roof overhead helps to facilitate the ambience, what I'll take away from this moment is the connection and the laughter. Stacey Wreathall In special partnership with chef Meredith Hayden of fan-favorite Wishbone Kitchen, this season the hotel offers a buzzed-about limited-edition rose sorbet. But I was curious how can sorbet be so captivating? Stacey Wreathall Right on cue, Im served a crystal cone filled with a blushing scoop of the good stuff. The whole retro-style presentation transports me back to the '70s. I'm beginning to learn the answer to my question. Courtesy of Marriott The sun never sets on the jetset, Eddie Schneider, director of brand management at Le Meridien, reminds us as we take our first spoonful. Lounging on my deck chair, plate balanced on knees, I dig in, alternating between refreshing sips and cooling bites. The delicate blend of the strawberries and zesty notes of citrus in the sorbet are easy to spot. Infuse Whispering Angel rose and it's a match made in summer heaven. There are no hard rules when it comes to enjoying your chilled dessert. Brunch, lunch, dinner, or sundown ... palate cleanser, summer cooler, or a cheeky aperitif. The idea is to delight in the moment. Story continues Le Meridien Lav, Split offers many ways to indulge your senses. Golden hour brings rose rituals all summer long, and wine tastings offer guests the chance to find their perfect bottle. Perhaps the best way to take it all in is a luxury yacht charter. With over 1,000 islands nearby, you can enjoy the beautiful scenes of the Dalmatian coast. In all the excitement, make time for the spa my first port of call. I'm still dreaming of the Balinese massage and the thermal zone. It feels apt to be experiencing the good life in Croatia. It is, after all, the Croatian way to indulge in longer lunches, to smile at strangers, and to worship the sun. But most of all, you're reminded to pomalo that's Croatian for "take it easy." For more Travel & Leisure news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter! Read the original article on Travel & Leisure. A Cuban migrant boat with three men on board landed at Truman Waterfront Park in Key West, according to the U.S. Border Patrol. All three men aboard the makeshift vessel were taken into custody Sunday by Border Patrol agents and will be processed for removal, Adam Hoffner, division chief for U.S. Customs and Border Protections Miami sector. They did not have any medical issues, Hoffner said. Such landings occurred several times a day starting late last year and into the early part of this year, but have become far less frequent in recent months. Maritime migration to South Florida mostly to the Keys from Cuba and Haiti became such a problem for U.S. officials that the federal government shut down Dry Tortugas National Park off Key West in January because the number of Cuban migrants arriving there overwhelmed park rangers. That prompted both a federal and state response. The Biden administration increased Coast Guard and Customs patrols. And Gov. Ron DeSantis issued an executive order mobilizing the National Guard and several state police agencies to help patrol the air and water to prevent migrant boats from getting through. These efforts have been effecting in significantly slowing landings. Weeks go by now without the arrival of migrant boats in the Keys. Migrants are still fleeing This doesnt mean people have stopped trying to flee their countries en route to either the U.S. or neighboring island nations. Far from it. The Coast Guard and Customs Air and Marine Operations are still stopping several boats a week from Cuba in the Florida Straits. And, boats from Haiti with large numbers of people on board are being stopped by the Coast Guard and authorities from other nations before they reach the Straits. On Saturday, the Royal Bahamas Defense Force stopped a 40-foot boat near Turks and Caicos with 189 people from Haiti on board. The boat, which the Defense Force and Royal Turks and Caicos Islands Police say was a smuggling vessel, was carrying 139 men, one boy and 49 women, according to the police department. Turks and Caicos police Chief Trevor Botting said his nation and the Bahamas are dealing with an unprecedented increase in maritime migration. Since the beginning of 2023, he said 21 boats, mostly from Haiti, have been stopped trying to reach either Turks and Caicos or the Bahamas, and 2,600 migrants have been detained. The number of vessels and persons detained exceeds all previous years totals, and we are just six months into 2023, Botting said in a statement. A state district judge in Austin has ruled in favor of a coalition of news outlets in an ongoing lawsuit against the Department of Public Safety over public records related to the mass shooting at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde last year. Fourteen news organizations, including the American-Statesmans parent company, Gannett, filed the lawsuit in August after the DPS turned down hundreds of requests for records such as investigative reports, recordings and officer testimony. More: As Uvalde questions mount, AG Ken Paxton's office weighs whether to keep records secret The DPS has faced intense scrutiny after video footage revealed that the organization's officers, and all other law enforcement agencies that responded to the massacre, waited more than 77 minutes before confronting and killing the shooter, who remained inside the two classrooms he targeted, where terrified children who survived the shooting called 911 pleading for help. Nineteen fourth graders and two teachers were killed in the attack the deadliest school shooting in Texas history. After a hearing on March 8, 261st District Court Judge Daniella Deseta Lyttle ruled in favor of the news outlets Thursday, while also ordering the DPS to produce a log of suggested redactions for the requested materials, which is likely to be debated in a future hearing in September. Texas Department of Public Safety official Victor Escalon speaks at a news briefing May 26, 2022, in Uvalde, days after the deadliest school shooting in the state's history. A judge has ruled that the DPS must release public records related to the mass shooting at Robb Elementary School. "The tragedy in Uvalde demands complete transparency so the families of the 19 children and their two teachers, as well as the community, can fully know what transpired on May 24, 2022, said Manny Garcia, executive editor of the American-Statesman, in a statement Friday. The Texas Department of Public Safety has operated in secrecy. We applaud Judge Lyttle's decision. It is the correct one, and the first step towards a full accounting of the failures by authorities at Robb Elementary." The litigation remains ongoing, said a DPS spokesperson in a statement Friday. No release of information has been ordered at this time and the court anticipates additional hearings in this matter. The department will carefully consider its options when a Final Judgment is entered. We will have no further comment regarding this ongoing litigation. Story continues In addition to the Statesmans parent company, Gannett, the other media outlets listed as plaintiffs in the lawsuit include the Texas Tribune, the New York Times Company, the Washington Post, NBC News, ABC News, CBS News, and CNN. More: Uvalde records lawsuit continues, no closer to a resolution or transparency Cecil Bellephant, left, joins hands in prayer with Teresa Nira outside of Robb Elementary on May 24, the first anniversary of the school shooting. Fourteen news organizations, including the American-Statesmans parent company, Gannett, filed a lawsuit in August after the DPS turned down hundreds of requests for public records about the attack, including investigative reports, recordings and officer testimony. Laura Prather, the lead attorney representing the news organizations in the lawsuit, issued a statement in response to the ruling Thursday. "This is a huge victory for the community of Uvalde and for transparency in the state of Texas. It's long past time for the Texas Department of Public Safety to release the records detailing what happened the day of the horrific school shooting in May 2022, Prather said. Disclosing all of the requested law enforcement information not just bits and pieces of it will help the people of Uvalde, the news media and the public at large hold public officials accountable in hopes of preventing a similar tragedy in the future." State Sen. Roland Gutierrez, D-San Antonio, whose district includes Uvalde and who has been one of the loudest advocates for the victims families at the Capitol, also celebrated the ruling. The abject failure that happened on May 24, 2022, will forever be a stain on the State of Texas and the Department of Public Safety. The action and, in many cases, inaction of leadership, law enforcement, and government is beyond shameful. People bled out, because Texas failed them. As the nation gasped in horror, and the people of Uvalde stood in shock, Governor Greg Abbott and Director Steve McCraw launched lie after lie to cover-up their failures, Gutierrez said in a statement issued Friday. I am grateful that journalists have been relentless, using every avenue available to them to uncover the truth. This rogue agency and Governor Abbott cannot be allowed to keep us all in the dark. I hope they do not appeal this decision and respect the courts deadline of August 31st to start bringing these families, and the people of Texas, the justice, transparency, and accountability they deserve. More: Uvalde families request to join lawsuit against Texas DPS over mass shooting records A candlelight vigil in Uvalde on May 24 marked the anniversary of the mass shooting that left two teachers and 19 children dead. This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Judge rules in favor of news outlets vs. DPS in suit over Uvalde records French FriesGetty Images/Javier Zayas Photography Twenty years ago, after former president George W. Bush declared a "War on Terror" and an invasion of Iraq was proposed, France's president Jacques Chirac ruled out sending French troops to the country without approval by the U.N. Security Council. Some Americans accused France of betrayal and retreat. Neal Rowland took it a step further and printed new menus for his Beaufort, North Carolina restaurant named Cubbies. On it, he changed "French fries" to "Freedom fries." In an interview with The Washington Times, Rowland explained that he "got the idea from similar protest action against Germany during World War I, when sauerkraut was renamed 'liberty cabbage' and frankfurters became 'hot dogs.'" Related From country music to "Kevin Can F**k Himself," the politics of pop culture's meat and potatoes man This wasn't entirely accurate, as the usage of the term hot dog predated the World War by about 30 years, but the sentiment was enough to capture the attention of Republican U.S. Representatives Bob Ney and Walter B. Jones, who directed three Congressional cafeterias to similarly alter their menus in 2003. In a statement at the time, Ney accused France of "sitting on the sidelines" while "brave men and women in the American military are putting their lives on the line." "Over the years, France has enjoyed all of the benefits of an alliance with the United States, and all our nation has received in return is a trade deficit and a cry for help when their appeasement efforts fail," he continued. "This action today is a small but symbolic effort to show the strong displeasure of many on Capitol Hill with the actions of our so-called ally, France." When reached for a statement at the time, a spokesperson for the French Embassy first wondered aloud if the situation was even "worth a comment." "We are working these days on very, very serious issues of war and peace, life or death," they finally said. "We are not working on potatoes." Story continues "Freedom fries," which the New York Times classified at the time as "so incredibly stupid," were not a wholly unpredictable development. From our country's inception, America's politicians have always had a complicated relationship with France and thereby French cuisine. In his book "A Revolution in Eating: How the Quest for Food Shaped America," author James McWilliams writes: The development of a unique American cuisine began with an angry rejection of English culture and, afterward, a polite refusal of French food. It wouldn't have been unexpected if, after the Revolutionary War, Americans had taken a step toward adopting the relatively fancified cooking tradition of the French. There were plenty of reasons to do so. The Americans and French had been loyal allies during the Revolution; Jefferson had become an inveterate Francophile during the war; and the French were gearing up to fight a revolution of their own based on principles adopted from the Americans. This, of course, didn't happen. According to McWilliams, the more Americans learned about French food, in fact, the more they came to misunderstand and dislike it. This sentiment was crystalized during Thomas Jefferson's presidency. Jefferson was a renowned Francophile and, while spending time in Paris as the Minister to France from 1784 to 1789, grew to really love French cooking. However, as White House historian Lina Mann notes, French chefs were very expensive to employ and, as Jefferson's costs regularly outpaced his income, he needed to find a more budget-friendly solution, "While Jefferson may have been short on cash, he did have an abundant supply of readily available enslaved labor, bound to serve him for life," Mann wrote. "To save money, Jefferson employed French chefs to train several enslaved members of the Monticello community in the delicate art of French cookery." McWilliams writes that Patrick Henry the Virginia-born Founding Father who famously uttered "Give me liberty, or give me death!" criticized Jefferson's preoccupation with French cuisine to be "effete affectation that made him 'abjure his native victuals.'" This is a line of criticism that was extended to Martin Van Buren years later; his opponent for the presidency, William Henry Harrison, accused Van Buren of living like a king in the White House, saying that he slept in the same kind of bed as the king of France and ate French food on gold dishes while the rest of the country struggled financially. "The American rejection of French food was, two historians of American food write, 'by no means the only demonstration in American history of the curious fact that in America it is politically disadvantageous to be known as a gourmet, as though there were something unmanly in being discriminating about, or even attentive to, what one eats,'" McWilliams wrote. Want more great food writing and recipes? Subscribe to Salon Food's newsletter, The Bite. In part, that is how we stumbled into the pervasive cultural ideal of the American "meat and potatoes man" and, by extension, the idea of "meat and potato issues" within the political realm of which "freedom fries" arguably was not. In 2006, the Congressional cafeterias quietly reverted their menus back to put the "French" back in "French fry." Neither Reps. Jones nor Ney publicly commented on the shift. When reached by The Washington Times at the time, a spokeswoman for Ney simply said, "We don't have a comment for your story." Read more from this writer Luc Claessen - Getty Images Wednesdays Stage 5 brings the 2023 Tour de France into the Pyrenees, the first of five mountain ranges visited by the race this July. Its an exceptionally early visit to the range that forms the border between France and Spain, a foray made necessary by the Tours Grand Depart in Spains Basque Country. This early Pyrenean sojourn is one of the reasons why the 2023 Tour de France is widely considered to be the most mountainous in decades, with 30 climbs having received Category 2, Category 1, or hors categorie (beyond category) ratings. Of these 30 climbs, heres a look at the six toughest: Col du Tourmalet - Stage 6 One of the most famous climbs in Tour de France history, the hors categorie Col du Tourmalet is truly the stuff of legend. A dirt road used by farmers to travel between high mountain pastures, the climb was first included during the 1910 Tour de France. But while stage winner Octave Lapize climbed it during Stage 10, he (allegedly) yelled, Vous etes des assassins! Oui, des assassins! when passing the Tours organizers. Whether or not Lapize actually called them murderers is up for debate, but the climbs difficulty is not: no matter from which side the riders climb it, its always one of the highlights of the Tour. On Stage 6 the riders will tackle it from the east, which means they face 17.1km of climbing with an average gradient of 7.3 percent. The second half of the climb is the toughest, with several kilometers of pitches hovering between 9 and 10 percent. And at 2,115m of altitude, the Tourmalet is also the highest climb the riders will summit in the Pyrenees during this years Tour, which means the Souvenir Jacques Goddet prize will go to the first rider over the summit. From the summit, a long downhill ride takes the racers back down to the valley floor, where the only obstacle standing between them and the finish line is the Category 1 climb to Cauterets-Cambasque. Its only the first week, but this stage could blow the race wide open. Story continues Puy de Dome - Stage 9 An extinct volcano rising above the Massif Central, the Puy de Dome is one of the most famous climbs in Tour history. First included in 1952when Italian legend Fausto Coppi was the first to the summitits since been the scene of some of the Tours most famous exploits, battles, and controversies. But it was closed to motorized traffic in the late-80s, making Denmarks Johnny Weltz the last rider to conquer the volcanos steep slopes (in 1988). After years of trying, the Tours organizers have convinced local officials to let the race return, which means 35 years after its last appearance, the riders will tackle the 13.3km ascent at the end of Stage 9. The 13.3km hors categorie climb begins steadily, with an average gradient that hovers around 7 percent for the first 9km. But the pitch steepens significantly once the riders hit the parking lot thats the last stop for tourists wishing to take the railway to the summit. Here the pitches go above 11 percent, as the riders hit the access road thats traditionally been closed to them since the railway was constructed. These final 4km average close to 12 percent and the road narrows considerably as the riders wind their way up the treeless summit. Legends like Fausto Coppi, Federico Bahamontes, Luis Ocana, and Joop Zoetemelk have won here. Frenchman Raymond Poulidor and Jacques Anquetil waged an epic side-by-side battle to the summit here in 1964. And sadly, Belgiums Eddy Merckx was punched in the stomach here in 1975, injuring his kidney and likely ending his career. Its a perfect climb for a rider like Denmarks Jonas Vingegaard (Jumbo-Visma), who will certainly do his best to continue his nations winning streak. Grand Colombier - Stage 13 Stage 13 heads into the Jurathe third of the five mountain ranges visited by the 2023 Tour de Francewith a summit finish on top of the hors categorie Grand Colombier, a steep climb with four differentand challengingroads to the summit. In fact, each year local cyclists organize a ride that loops together all four ascents in a particularly sadistic celebration of the mountain. There are four routes to the summit, and each year local cyclists organize a ride that loops together all of them in a painful celebration of the mountain. This year the riders will tackle it just oncefrom Culozwith an approach offering 17.4km of climbing and an average gradient of 7.4 percent with pitches that hit 12 percent in two places. The stage itself is relatively short and there are no other categorized climbs on the route, so the riders should hit the bottom of Colombier in one large group, which means we should be treated to a battle among the GC contenders to win the stage. Its also Bastille Day, which means the roads will be lined with fans and French riders will be exceptionally motivated. The Tour originally visited the climb in 2012 and again in 2017, with the riders both climbing and descending the col. It was first used as a summit finish in 2020, when Slovenias Tadej Pogacar won the stage on his way to winning his first Tour. Col de Joux Plane - Stage 14 The hors categorie Col de Joux Plane isnt one of the most famous climbs in the Tour de France, but it should be. 11.6km in length, the Alpine ascent has a rather high average gradient (8.5 percent) most of which comes (aside from a steep ramp right at the base) during the upper half of the climb. Its rather exposed, and riders have remarked that the road just seems to climb into the sky. Some of the areas most stunning views of Mont Blanc can be seen from the summit as the road loops around a lake. A false descent takes the riders over the summit of the nearby Col du Ranfolly at which point the true downhill begins, with the road plunging down toward Morzine via a rather technical descent. Sandwiched between two other tough days of climbings, the ascent comes at the end of Stage 14 this year, a hard slog through the Alps with four other categorized ascents. And with 8, 5, and 2 bonus seconds available to the first three riders over the summit, we could see the Tours GC contenders keep the breakaway close in a bid to claim those bonuses for themselves. The climband the descent into Morzinewill be one of the highlights of this challenging mountain weekend. Col de La Loze - Stage 17 The hors categorie Col de la Loze (21.5km at 7.8 percent), looms above the Meribel ski resort, which the Tour famously visited in 1973, when Frenchman Bernard Thevenet won the stage but was unable to gain significant time on Spains Luis Ocana, who went on to win the Tour. The race hadnt been back since, but the construction of a new bike path from the resort to the summit of the nearby Col de la Loze gave the Tours organizers a good reason to return in 2020. Stage 17 takes the Tour back over the hors categorie ascent this year, with the riders facing a 28km climb to the 2,304m summit, with a pitch near the summit that hits 24 percent. This marked the end of the stage in 2020, but this year the riders will crest the summit and descend 6km down the other side, where a steep, 18 percent ramp to the finish line in Courchevel awaits. One of the highest paved roads in France, the first rider to the Col de la Loze takes home the Souvenir Henri Desgrange cash prize for winning the highest overall summit in the 2023 Tour. Col du Platzerwasel - Stage 20 The 2023 Tour de France saves its final mountainous punch for Stage 20, a short, explosive stage through the Vosges mountains with a total of 3,600m of elevation gain spread over six categorized climbs. Of these, the Category 1 Col du Platzerwasel is the toughest, with 7.3km of climbing and an average gradient of 8.4 percent. And the road keeps ascending through the official summit, with a few more kilometers of uphill road before the finish at the Le Markstein ski resort. Overall its not the absolute toughest climb in the entire 2023 Tour de France, but at the end of such an intense stageand at the end of such a mountainous Tourit will certainly make for an explosive finale. If the climb produces a finish similar to what we saw during Stage 7 of last years Tour de France Femmes, when the Netherlands Annemiek van Vleuten (Movistar) used the climb to seize control of the race, fans will be in for a treat. You Might Also Like July 4 The Fourth of July is happening in a few days and citizens across the country are laying out their Independence Day outfits like its Americas first day of school. The United States Independence Day celebrates its official separation from Great Britain in 1776. But did you know countries around the world celebrate independence day each year? Although theyre celebrated on different days, most countries proudly acknowledge their independence. Like the U.S., fireworks, festivals, and celebrations are a must. However, some places have some unique customs that make their Independence Day celebrations even more special. Here are a few holidays similar to July 4th celebrated around the world. Ghana Photo credit: Asiama Junior Every March 6, Ghanaians commemorate their Independence Day. Ghana was the first African country to be free from British rule and they make sure to turn up each year to celebrate. The country is bursting with street parties, parades, and marches full of excited citizens. If the street isnt your vibe, head to the coast for full-day beach parties, some amazing cuisine, and sunshine under the Ghanaian sky. Colombia Photo credit: Camila Melo The streets of Bogota come alive on July 20 for Colombias Independence Day. The holiday celebrates the countrys independence from Spanish colonial rule, and theres a party happening around every corner. Los Angeles has the largest Colombian Independence Day. The City of Angels has the fourth-largest Colombian population in the world. Mexico Photo credit: Ricky Esquivel Mexico is live with parades, music, and festivals every year for its Independence Day. And no, its not on Cinco de Mayo. The Mexican Independence Day takes place in September. Citizens everywhere commemorate the Grito de Dolores a battle cry uttered by a Mexican priest during the Mexican War of Independence. On the night of September 15, millions gather at Zocalo city square in Mexico City to see fireworks and shout Viva! to the sky. Philippines Photo credit: Krisia The Philippines were under Spanish rule for centuries. Its only right its citizens celebrate the archipelagos independence to the fullest. Filipino Independence Day or Araw ng Kalayaan happens on June 2 and theres a major emphasis on family bonding. Araw ng Kalayaan is celebrated around the world. If youre in New York, the city hosts an annual Philippine Independence Day Parade to celebrate Filipino Americans living on the East Coast. Story continues Israel Photo credit: cottonbro studio Yom Haatzmaut is the celebration of Israels Independence Day. The date varies each year depending on the Hebrew calendar. However, the event officially ends the countrys Memorial Day, Yom Hazikaron. Citizens from all over the country gather on Mount Herzl in Jerusalem and light 12 candles symbolizing the 12 tribes of Israel. The celebration acknowledges Israels independence from the British reign in May 1948. Numerous nations proudly will display the stars and stripes and adorn themselves with red, white and blue face paint as the United States honors its national independence on July 4. Due to the significant influence and global presence of the United States, expatriate communities and American embassies worldwide organize events to commemorate this day in various countries. Additionally, some countries celebrate US independence day on July 4 each year If you choose to travel on the July 4, you can be confident that locals will be commemorating the day when America declared independence from Great Britain in 1776. Denmark Photo credit: Markus Wrinkler One of the most significant Fourth of July celebrations outside the United States occurs in a small rural town called Rebild, located in northern Denmark. Rebildfest, a century-old event, is attended not only by local American expatriates and Danish Americans, but also by renowned Americans. Some of the previous visitors included former U.S. presidents and Hollywood actors. The festivities include fireworks, Danish-style open-faced sandwiches (smrrebrd), American hot dogs, American music and various activities that honor both the United States and Denmark. Ireland Photo Credit: Lukas Kloeppel In Ireland, there is a shared enthusiasm for Independence Day. The Irish-American connection dates back to Christopher Columbus. Additionally, many American presidents claim Irish heritage. New Ross in Ireland hosts one of the largest Independence Day festivities. The event includes the reading of the Declaration of Independence, shopping, food sampling, live music and a recreation of the Boston Tea Party. Norway Photo Credit: Tobias Bjrkli Norway also embraces the Fourth of July with an annual American Festival in the Lister district. This event features Elvis impersonators, classic American vehicles, delicious barbecues and celebrations in Frogner Park in Oslo. The park is home to a memorial honoring former U.S. President Abraham Lincoln. Australia Photo credit: Unsplash Australia, as one of the United States closest allies, demonstrates its respect by celebrating the Fourth of July with fervor. American expatriates and locals gather in cities, where bars and restaurants host parties and serve American cuisine. Sydneys Surry Hills is known for its American-style restaurants. Story continues Philippines Photo credit: Krisia In the Philippines, while the Fourth of July is observed, the patriotism displayed is not as prominent. This day holds significance because it marks the Philippines independence from the United States. After the Spanish-American War, Spain ceded control of the Philippines to the United States, which lasted until 1946. The Philippines fought for independence during the subsequent Philippine-American War, and independence was officially declared by former U.S. President Teddy Roosevelt. Later, June 12 was chosen as the official day of independence celebrations. The city of Manila hosts the nations Independence Day celebrations, which includes raising the Filipino flag and a grand parade. Sands appeared in films including A Room With A View, Warlock, Arachnophobia and Naked Lunch Actor Julian Sands, who died in a California mountain range, said in his last UK interview that many friends had stopped going mountaineering partly because it had become too dangerous. The British star's body was found last week, six months after he went missing. Speaking to Radio Times late last year, he said: "Pals I used to climb with have stopped going to the mountains". He said that was "partly because they find, with climate change, the rock faces have become much more unstable". Also, "partly, it's age", he told the magazine. Sands, who was 64 at the time, said those friends no longer wanted to dedicate themselves to a climb. "If you don't really have the desire, the focus for climbing a route, if you're not absolutely committed, it becomes much more dangerous and it's a much more deflating experience," he said. "Finding folk whose company I enjoy in such stressful and intimate conditions is not easy." Sands, best known for the 1985 film A Room With A View, went missing on a solo trip to Mount Baldy in the San Gabriel Mountains, near Los Angeles, on 13 January. Wintry conditions hampered the search efforts, and hikers found human remains on 24 June. They were later identified to belong to Sands. He spoke to Radio Times to promote The Willows, a BBC radio drama that was broadcast over Christmas. He said he knew the risks of being on mountains, and was often aware of being present in places where people had lost their lives in the past. He said: "If you can deal with dangerous mountains, you can certainly deal with life as an actor - the two are quite complementary." Debris recovered from the Titan submersible has been pulled up from the ocean floor. Paul Daly/The Canadian Press via AP Experts have ended up with larger fragments of the imploded Titan sub than they had anticipated. An expert told DailyMail.com that this would likely make an investigation into the implosion easier. Retrieving larger-than-expected fragments means there are now more "pieces to the puzzle," he said. Experts had anticipated that the Titan's catastrophic implosion would leave little intact for investigators to examine. But to their surprise, larger fragments of the vessel survived than expected, likely facilitating an easier investigation into the tragedy that killed the five people on board, according to an expert who talked to DailyMail.com. OceanGate Expeditions' controversial Titan submersible is thought to have imploded within hours of its descent toward the wreckage of the Titanic on June 18. Last week, photos from the Canadian outlet CBC News showed the recovery of what appeared to be structural titanium rings, parts of the front viewport, large fragments of the covering of the submersible, along with tubes and piping encased in a metal cage. Tom Maddox, the director of Underwater Forensic Investigators, told DailyMail.com that the retrieval of such large parts defied his expectations. "Many of us suspected that, in the case of this catastrophic failure, this implosion, that a lot of the parts would be disintegrated, particularly the non-titanium parts, which, of course, would make the investigation a lot harder to do," he said. But the discovery of larger pieces means there are now more "pieces to the puzzle" to help unravel what led to the implosion, he said. Maddox also told the outlet that the investigation would be challenging and could take a year or more. "It's not like you break a vase or a glass and you find all the pieces and you put them back together to get an idea," he said. "In this case, not only are we not sure that all the pieces will be recovered, but we're not sure of the particular type of damage that was caused by that." Story continues But he said investigating the wiring and plumbing could help identify stress points, which may provide some answers. The National Transportation Safety Board has said it would issue a final report in 12 to 24 months. Jasper Graham-Jones, an associate professor of mechanical and marine engineering at Plymouth University, told Insider's Marianne Guenot last week that the investigation would likely involve "effectively looking under a microscope, at all the parts" to determine what happened. Read the original article on Insider Egypt should end its strategic latency and return to its long tradition of regional and international activism to secure its position in a reshaped Middle East. The current changes in the Middle East are titanic in scale, and the regional powers are repositioning themselves to take advantage of the transition. They are using the margin of freedom created by the transition from a unipolar world order led by the US to a new world order based on the balance between competing centres and military, economic, and technological blocs in order to do so. Saudi Arabia is abandoning its centuries-old Wahhabism and adopting a more modern interpretation of Islam. This gives more freedom to women and is more tolerant of different forms of religious and cultural, but not political, beliefs and values. Saudi Crown Prince Mohamed bin Salman (MBS) is negotiating the terms of a long-awaited peace accord between Riyadh and Tel Aviv with the Biden administration in the US and the government of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Israel. Meanwhile, a carefully managed Saudi-American public relations campaign is portraying MBS as fighting pressure from Biden to lower oil prices and keep China out of the Middle East while at the same time seeking to acquire advanced weapons systems and an independent peaceful nuclear programme. This campaign is meant to serve both leaders domestically in their uphill struggle to stay in power. A careful examination of the facts also shows a much more harmonious relationship between Bin Salman and the ageing US president, since Biden needs lower energy prices, a quieter Middle East, and an Israeli-Saudi peace deal to help him win the 2024 presidential elections in the US and see off a Republican Party challenger. Despite many (public) Saudi calls for OPEC, the Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries, to cut production, oil prices still went down, as if by magic, from $120 a barrel when Biden visited Jeddah in Saudi Arabia to meet Bin Salman a year ago to reach and stay in the mid-$70s. Biden had earlier promised during his 2020 elections campaign to turn him into a pariah. US officials have welcomed the Chinese-brokered Saudi-Iranian normalisation agreement as this will help to end the Yemen War and facilitate a new agreement with a much-weakened Iran before the US elections. This new agreement also promises less than the arrangements made under the earlier Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) arrangement with Iran in 2015. US leaders recognise that China has become the main trading partner of most Middle Eastern countries. They acquiesced to the sale of Chinese Intercontinental Ballistic Missiles to Saudi Arabia in the 1980s to deter former Iraqi president Saddam Hussein and Iran. The Chinese have now started to build a manufacturing facility for such Missiles on Saudi soil. The Biden administration will look the other way and will require Israel to follow suit in return for peace with the Saudis. The US will continue to be the main guarantor of the security of the Gulf countries. However, it will not mind if the Chinese can also help to defuse the Iranian threat. In return, Bin Salman is only requiring US support for the smooth transition of the Saudi throne from his ailing father King Salman to him when the time comes. He has been able to neutralise most of his competitors in the Saudi Royal Family and weaken its role in determining the succession. Economic rewards and punishments are gradually replacing seniority and lineage as the basis for selecting the next king. I also assume that Bin Salman is negotiating a fig-leaf formula with the Americans on the Palestinians that could be acceptable to Netanyahu. Bin Salman can only conclude a peace agreement with Israel when he becomes king. He will also need a new version of the earlier Saudi-Arab Peace Initiative, since this has not been accepted by any Israeli government. I believe that serious negotiations are underway under conditions of tight secrecy to produce such a formula. All the coordinated US and Saudi leaks about security guarantees, advanced weapons systems, and a peaceful nuclear programme for Bin Salman are, in my opinion, mere camouflage for the real trade-off between his smooth ascension to the throne and his countrys peace with Israel. AFTER THE BROTHERHOOD: Ten years ago, the Egyptian, Saudi, and Emirati rejection of Political Islam prevailed over the US preference to accept the control of the Muslim Brotherhood as an outcome of the elections in the Arab Spring countries. After a prolonged period of resentment, the main regional backer of the Muslim Brotherhood, Turkey, also recognised and complied with this rejection. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan made a U-turn and changed his hostile policies towards Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE. The latter two countries lavishly rewarded him, allowing him to win this years presidential elections in Turkey and thus to remain in power for another five years. Erdogan now also has a vested interest in accommodating Western investors and going back to market-economy rules and stop blocking Swedens membership of NATO. Naturally, the regional picture is not as rosy as we might wish. The Middle East is still full of sources of conflict that could erupt into a national tragedy, regional strife, or international confrontation. The situations in Sudan, Yemen, Libya, Syria and Lebanon are all obvious examples and are potential causes of pessimism. The continued policy of the Israeli military occupation of the Palestinian Territories, the oppression of the Palestinians, and the lack of any glimpse of hope for a political solution on the basis of the two-state solution could also trigger another uncontrollable explosion in the region. Israel could wait until there is a Republican president in the White House, preferably a second term for former president Donald Trump, to hit Iran militarily. Iran would then retaliate by targeting US forces in the region. More than 40,000 Americans in military uniform are still deployed in the region in bases and on ships that are within reach of Iranian weapons. Such a scenario could easily lead to the use of US nuclear weapons for the second time in history. The Middle East, therefore, still deserves its unfortunate reputation as the most-troubled region in the world today. Egypt, as the most populous country in the region and the country that it is at the centre of it because of geostrategic location, has a prominent role to play in the emerging regional and global setting. However, this prominence is not an entitlement or a God-given gift. It requires Egypt to overcome the serious domestic economic and political problems that are limiting its ability to project its power, hard and soft, beyond its borders. Economic and political reform is necessary to achieve this goal. If a serious process of reform starts today, this will create domestic, regional, and international confidence and generate much-needed support on all three levels. Over the last ten years, Egypt has avoided many tough choices by adopting a passive attitude towards many regional conflicts. Its declining to send troops to fight in Yemen, staying away from helping the warring parties in Syria, and stopping short of a direct military intervention to help its favoured sides in the conflicts in neighbouring Libya and Sudan have all been examples of this policy, which could be called a passive lack-of-action policy. This has saved human lives and national resources and maintained the non-intervention principle adopted by Egypt towards the other Arab countries for more than four decades. This policy was proven right when the international and regional powers fighting via their proxies in Syria and Yemen decided to stop these wars and try to find political solutions for the conflicts in both countries. However, it did not enable Egypt to play an influential role in efforts to settle these conflicts or to protect Egyptian interests in these countries, not to mention the trade-off of these interests with other vital Egyptian interests such as resolving the problems over the building of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD). Egypt should not limit its involvement in the Palestinian-Israeli conflict to only mediating ceasefire arrangements between Israel and the Islamic militias in Gaza or only negotiating some limited economic relief for the suffocated Palestinian population. If it is allowed to continue its present policy, Israel will succeed in swallowing most of the West Bank and will also shove Gaza down Egypts throat. Egypts continued advocacy of the two-state solution, while Israel slaughters it, will also have the practical effect of leading to the above-mentioned disastrous result that has been opposed by Egypt for decades. Egypt should speak to its Israeli interlocuters in the government and opposition and to the relevant international parties about the dangers of a one-state solution in Palestine that will turn Israel into an apartheid country, discredit Palestinian peace advocates, and further delegitimise the Palestinian Authority. The Egyptian Armed Forces should be more willing to participate in regional collective defence arrangements in the Gulf and in peace-keeping missions that might be needed for post-peace confidence-building measures in Libya, Sudan, and Syria. An essential part of the Egyptian-Turkish or Iranian reconciliation should focus on reaching agreements that will protect Egyptian regional interests and support a more active Egyptian participation in settling existing regional conflicts and preventing the eruption of others. Egypt should end its ten-year period of strategic latency and go back to its long tradition of regional and international activism. The changes in the international order and the transitions in the Middle East are all making such an Egyptian comeback more welcome and needed than ever. * The writer is a retired ambassador and international relations scholar. * A version of this article appears in print in the 6 July, 2023 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly Search Keywords: Short link: Jasper Philipsen wins stage three of the 2023 Tour de France The first bunch sprint victory of the Tour de France went to Belgian sprinter Jasper Philipsen (Alpecin-Deceuninck), who pipped Phil Bauhaus (Bahrain Victorious) to the win in Bayonne. Caleb Ewan (Lotto-Dstny) was third. Mark Cavendish, who is hunting for a record 35th stage win, came in a creditable sixth in what was a very tricky finish, with multiple roundabouts and turns. Fabio Jakobsen's Soudal Quick Step appeared dominant throughout much of the final few kilometres, as the peloton fought to negotiate the tough parcours in prime position. But it was always going to be difficult to call and Jakobsen ultimately had to settle for fourth place. The stage took riders from Amorebieta-Etxano in the Basque Country and deposited them back into France, 193.5km later in Bayonne. It always looked like a sprint day, despite four classified climbs one cat-four and three cat-threes. But they were all dealt with in the first half of the race, and after that the going was generally flat to rolling. The early break was established almost immediately, with King of the Mountains Neilson Powless (EF Education-EasyPost) going up the road straight off the bat. He was joined by Frenchman Laurent Pichon of Arkea-Samsic and the pair quickly built a three-minute lead. Powless was obviously out to hold on to the polka-dot skinsuit he was wearing, and Pichon was happy to let him lead over every climb. At the halfway point, with the climbs dispatched, Powless eased off the gas, allowing Pichon to ride on. With the sprinters always set on having their day, Pichon was inevitably caught, with 38km to go. From then, all eyes were on that sprint finish. More to follow... The U.S. ambassador to Russia met with Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich in Moscow on Monday as American officials continue to seek his release months after he was detained. Ambassador Lynne Tracy visited Gershkovich at the notorious Lefortovo Prison after the U.S. spent weeks asking for a meeting, the Journal reported. Gershkovich, a 31-year-old U.S. citizen, was detained while on a reporting trip in the Russian city of Yekaterinburg on March 29 on a charge of espionage. The Journal and U.S. officials have flatly rejected those claims, saying the reporter has been wrongfully detained. Its only the second time the ambassador has been able to meet with him. The visit comes shortly after a Moscow court ruled last month that Gershkovich must remain in jail on the charge, despite an appeal from his lawyers. That decision stands until at least Aug. 30. Ambassador Tracy reports that Mr. Gershkovich is in good health and remains strong, despite his circumstances, a State Department spokesperson told the Journal on Monday. U.S. Embassy officials will continue to provide all appropriate support to Mr. Gershkovich and his family, and we expect Russian authorities to provide continued consular access. Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich, a U.S. citizen, appears at the Moscow court on June 22 to appeal the decision to keep him in a former KGB prison. Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich, a U.S. citizen, appears at the Moscow court on June 22 to appeal the decision to keep him in a former KGB prison. Gershkovich, who has worked at the Journals Moscow bureau since January 2022, is the first American journalist to be arrested on an espionage charge in Russia since the Cold War. Secretary of State Antony Blinken told reporters last week that the Biden administration has pushed for his release virtually every day and has been looking for different ways to bring him home along with other detainees, including Paul Whelan. Whelan has been held in Russia since 2020 and was sentenced to 16 years in prison on an espionage charge. Both men deserve to go home to their families now, the State Department said in its statement Monday. Story continues The Journal noted that it could be months before the case is brought to trial, and even then, espionage cases are often carried out in secret. A conviction can carry a decades-long sentence, and defendants are rarely acquitted in court, the newspaper reported. Related... A live cooking competition kickoff and new restaurants highlight the second YoCo Taste Trail Week this summer. Visit York County announced the taste trail week will return Aug. 6-13. Some of York Countys most popular eateries will offer specials and prix fixe menu deals. The second-year taste trail is modeled after similar, popular events in the area like Queens Feast Charlotte Restaurant Week and Restaurant Week South Carolina. It also borrows from the popular YoCo Brew Trail of area breweries and the YoCo Taste Trail that preceded the full week event. York County is home to award winning culinary experts who continue to put this region on the map as a destination for foodies, said Visit York County president and CEO Andy Clinton. Restaurants are key to the area economy and to the visitor experience, Clinton said. The summer dates of the taste trail week are strategic, as a way to give back to restaurants. YoCo Taste Trail Week brings our restaurants a new level of exposure and puts York Countys culinary scene on the map, said chef Jon Fortes of the Flipside Restaurant Group. As a small business, we rely on support from locals and visitors, and this is an opportunity for us to connect with clientele during one of our slower times of the year. Fortes will join chef Rob Masone from Kounter and Kre8 Xperiences in a live-action cooking competition in late July at The Power House, to kick off the taste trail week activities. Full event week menus havent been determined. Listed participating restaurants so far include The Flipside Restaurant, Hobos, Kounter, Legal Remedy Brewing and Old Town Kitchen & Cocktails in Rock Hill. Fort Mill adds Epic Chophouse, Flipside Cafe, Fortes Mill Eatery, Hobos, The Improper Pig and Salmeris Italian Kitchen. Theres also Clover Harvest in Clover. Reservations or call ahead seating are recommended. Are food staple US Foods, with its distribution site in Fort Mill, returns to sponsor the taste trail week. Area president Todd Hansen with US Foods said the company is proud to continue that support. Our local restaurateurs are the lifeblood of this community, and it is exciting to see the growth of the industry as new establishments open their doors and continue to enhance the local culinary scene, Hansen said. For more on participating restaurants, and the event as it approaches, check visityorkcounty.com. Brown bears can weigh up to 1,500 pounds. I've fished some crowded rivers in recent years, vying for limited spaces, and have sometimes called the experience "combat fishing." But after watching this recent video, I realized I've been using the term way too lightly. This is "combat fishing." On July 1, 2023, Explore.Org, an organization that operates remote live cams all over the world, documented some truly wild footage two massive brown bears throwing down on an Alaska river during a salmon run. The big brown bears do some posturing and then start slamming each other with their paws, sometimes standing up on their hind legs like boxers. Then, after trading blows, the bears stand facing each other. Neither seems to want to continue fighting nor to be the first to back away. "Brooks Falls heated up last night as two dominant forces went head to head," explained Explore.Org on Twitter. "No serious injuries reported." The organization later noted that one of the bears unsurprisinglyappeared to have a wound on its head. See it for yourself below. 856 vs. Walker: Brooks Falls heated up last night as two dominant forces went head to head. No serious injuries reported. pic.twitter.com/5c2OOsUOcw explore.org (@exploreorg) July 2, 2023 Brooks Falls, located in the Katmai National Park and Preserve in Alaska, is home to the largest sockeye salmon run in the world. As such, it attracts a high number of brown bearsand tourists who want to see them. The brown bears are known to stand on the edge of the falls and nab salmon as they swim upstream. Read Next: Watch a Black Bear Dig Up a Wasp Nest and Get Absolutely Swarmed According to the Alaska Department of Fish and Game, brown bears are a type of grizzly bear that live in southern Alaska. They're known to grow especially large, reaching sizes of up to 1,500 pounds. The agency notes that "although generally solitary in nature, brown bears often occur in large groups in concentrated feeding areas such as salmon spawning streams, sedge flats, open garbage dumps or on whale carcasses. Because of this, they have developed a complex language and social structure to express their feelings and minimize serious fights." In this case, though, the two bears seemed like they just needed to have it out before returning to fishing. Los Angeles has a notorious crisis with homelessness and the city has tried several desperate measures in order to address the problem. One of those methods has been implementing a tax on sales of expensive homesthe so-called mansion tax. It imposes a 4 percent tax on properties listed between $5 million and $10 million; above that latter price, the tax increases to 5.5 percent. But The Washington Post reports that the citys plan to raise millions to aid the neediest residents of the city has had unintended consequences. More from Robb Report For one, a lot of people conducted their high-end real estate sales in the months before the tax took effect on April 1. The Los Angeles Times reported that stars like Brad Pitt and Mark Wahlberg were among those who made such deals (both celebrities didnt give The Post comment on these reports). For other deals, real estate agents even resorted to throwing in free luxury cars in an effort to get deals closed in time. Another way the law has been circumvented is by listing the home at a price slightly below the threshold of the law. Danielle Revelins, an agent with Compass real estate, told The Post that she intentionally listed a Venice Beach home for $4,999,000 with the new tax in mind. That property is worth a little bit more, she told the paper. But if we listed it at $5.2, they would have to pay $200,000 in taxes. Other ways people avoid paying the tax include breaking up properties into lots, or dividing a property between two spouses who are able to sell their shares separately. The measures critics have argued that it is counterproductive because the city is losing out on transfer tax revenue, as sales of expensive properties have fallen since the law was implemented. Additionally, the critics argue that a $5 million home may not be a mansion in Los Angeles these days. Its a completely ridiculous tax, Revelins said. Story continues Peter Dreier, a professor of urban and environmental policy at Occidental College, told The Post that 98 percent of the homeowners in L.A. wont feel this at all, and the ones who will feel it can afford to pay it. He also said the luxury car giveaway by agents was the ultimate in selfishness, describing it as giving away a luxury car to avoid a tax that will help people that sleep in their car. 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. A tick embedded into the skin. Getty Images A nurse explained why you should never remove a tick with your fingers. Using your fingers risks the tick regurgitating its stomach contents into your body. Ticks bites can spread diseases including Lyme. A registered nurse has warned against removing ticks with your fingers, amid a particularly bad tick season in the US. Not removing a tick correctly risks regurgitating its stomach contents into your body, Jennifer Quante, a Texasbased nurse who makes health-related videos, said in a recent TikTok. This could increase the risk of infection, according to Harvard Medical School. How to remove a tick How to remove a tick with tweezers. CDC The proper way to remove a tick is by using fine-tipped tweezers to grasp it as close to the skin's surface as possible, the CDC advises. Then, you should steadily pull upwards and avoid twisting, which could cause the tick's mouth to break off and remain in your skin. If any parts of the tick can't be removed easily, leave the area and let the skin heal. Once you have removed the tick, thoroughly wash the bite area and your hands with rubbing alcohol or soap and water. To dispose of a live tick, either put it in alcohol, flush it down the toilet, place it in a sealed bag or container, or wrap it tightly in tape. The CDC says you should always get checked out if you develop a rash or fever in the weeks following a tick bite. "Never, ever, ever, ever remove it with your own hands. You're just gonna have to, unfortunately, let it stay there until you get access to tweezers," Quante said. Quante said folklore remedies, such as burning the tick with a flame or trying to suffocate it with petroleum jelly or essential oils, are all risky. Ticks can spread disease including Lyme Not all ticks carry disease, but the bites of those that do can cause Lyme and rarer conditions such as Powassan virus disease and Heartland virus disease. Quante recommended putting the tick in a zip-lock bag after you've removed it and sending it out for testing to check if it's infected. Story continues Insider previously reported that the number of Lyme infections in the US and Europe has soared in recent months in what could be the worst season on record, as tick territories expand due to climate change. Lyme disease, a tick-borne condition spread by the blacklegged tick, is caused by a bacteria called Borrelia burgdorferi, and Borrelia mayonii less commonly. Though it can usually be easily treated with antibiotics, the infection can cause debilitating symptoms, such as Lyme arthritis and fatigue, if left untreated. Around 500,000 Americans a year are affected by Lyme disease, according to CDC estimates, and research suggests that 15% of the world has caught the disease. Early symptoms typically include a fever, muscle aches, joint swelling or pain, headaches, swollen lymph nodes, and sometimes a red bull's eye rash, known as erythema migrans. Read the original article on Insider Bison standing in bushes at Yellowstone National Park Two people have been caught on camera making a hasty retreat after getting too close to a particularly large bison at Yellowstone National Park. The incident (which you can watch below) was recorded by Yellowstone trail guide Luudens and shared via Instagram account TouronsOfYellowstone, which calls out bad behavior at US National Parks. Other recent close calls have included people jumping out at bears, trying to pet bison, and leaning over actively boiling geysers after wandering off the boardwalk. In the latest clip, a man and young woman can be seen taking selfies extremely close to a bison by a river. When the animal turns toward them, the girl runs off giggling while the man strolls away, ignoring the trail guide's warnings that the animal is dangerous. A post shared by TouronsOfYellowstone (@touronsofyellowstone) A photo posted by on There have been so many incidents involving wildlife in recent weeks that the National Park Service (NPS) issued a statement asking visitors to give animals more space and show some consideration. "Yellowstone provides millions of visitors one of the greatest wildlife viewing displays in North America. In recent days, some actions by visitors have led to the endangerment of people and wildlife and resulted in the death of wildlife. The park calls on visitors to protect wildlife by understanding how their actions can negatively impact wildlife," said the NPS. "Approaching wild animals can drastically affect their well-being and, in some cases, their survival. When an animal is near a campsite, trail, boardwalk, parking lot, on a road, or in a developed area, leave it alone and give it space." One of these deaths occurred after a well-meaning park visitor tried to help a bison calf by pushing it up from a riverbank onto a road. Despite the best efforts of Park Rangers, attempts to reunite the animal with its herd failed, and when it began approaching cars and people, they took the difficult decision to euthanize it. Story continues Another visitor loaded an elk calf into their car and drove it to a police station, mistakenly believing it had been abandoned. Elk often leave their calves hidden for safety while they graze, but the adults are rarely far away. The frightened calf ran off into the woods and its fate is unknown. "Park regulations require that you stay at least 25 yards (23 m) away from all wildlife (including bison, elk and deer) and at least 100 yards (91 m) away from bears and wolves," said the NPS. "Disregarding these regulations can result in fines, injury, and even death." For more advice, see our guides how to avoid being gored by a bison and wildlife safety: eight tips for unexpected encounters. [Source] Ongoing research at a prehistoric archaeological site dubbed "China's Pompeii" continues to reveal secrets of an ancient civilization from over 4,000 years ago. About the site: The Lajia site, discovered in 1981, covers an area of 680,000 square meters (approximately 168 acres) in China's upper Yellow River region. The site is associated with the Qijia culture, which was known for its agricultural economy during the late Neolithic and early Bronze Age periods. Chinas Pompeii: While the exact cause of the catastrophe that buried the site is still debated, it is believed to have been a combination of simultaneous earthquakes and flooding of the Yellow River and mountain gullies. More from NextShark: Cambodia celebrates return of stolen priceless' cultural artifacts from US, UK The tragedy wiped out the entire settlement, leading to its comparison with Pompeii, an ancient Roman city buried by the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 CE. However, the Lajia site predates Pompeii by over 2,000 years, making it a remarkable glimpse into an even earlier civilization. A lasting embrace: In 2015, the Lajia Ruins Museum in Qinghai Province unveiled preserved artifacts that include remains of the ancient civilization that perished in sudden death. Among the display were skeletal remains huddled together, apparently protecting each other at the time of the disaster. More from NextShark: S. Korean gold medalist skater officially joins Chinese Olympic team after renouncing citizenship One scene frozen in time that touches the heart of many museum visitors shows a mother apparently wrapping her arms around her son in a protective embrace. Another pair of skeletons were also found covering each other while lying down on the floor. Prehistoric noodles: In addition to the skeletal remains, tools and homeware, archaeologists also unearthed thin yellow strands in an upturned pot, believed to be the world's oldest known noodles. Story continues More from NextShark: Man in China demands estranged wife refund portion of their lavish wedding expenses While the noodles were initially believed to be made from a combination of foxtail and broomcorn millet, further experiments revealed that the Lajia noodles might have incorporated other starches, possibly barley or wheat. The inhabitants of Lajia used stone knives to process, peel and cut these grains. Significant breakthroughs: Chinese archaeology writer Ye Maolin highlighted the importance of continued research at the site to further shed light on the ancient Chinese civilization. "The Lajia site carries significant academic implications for understanding the changing cultural and social process of the area around 4,000 B.P.," he wrote in 2005. "These new discoveries are the most significant breakthrough of the archaeology of the Qijia Culture since the 1980s." More from NextShark: Kamala Harris Ancestral Indian Village Celebrates Her Historic Inauguration Tourists in Miami Beach, Fla., March 31, 2023. (Scott McIntyre/The New York Times) For months leading up to Jean Franco Riveras one-year wedding anniversary, he had the perfect plan to celebrate: Travel to Disney World and go on all his favorite rides with his husband, Ahmed, and brother-in-law, Luis. The three men, all gay and Latino, are originally from Puerto Rico, but now live in Texas. As the trip approached, Jean Franco, 42, said they felt somewhat concerned about traveling to a state that had passed legislation targeting LGBTQ people in recent months. But in the end, they went. And on a recent Saturday, they were just part of the usual throng of people at the Orlando, Florida, theme park, waiting in line for Space Mountain, Guardians of the Galaxy and Jean Francos favorite ride, Flight of Passage. At Disney World that day, you would never have known that the League of United Latin American Citizens, the NAACP and the LGBTQ organization Equality Florida had all recently issued warnings telling people to reconsider coming to Florida because of the policies of Gov. Ron DeSantis and other Republican lawmakers. Sign up for The Morning newsletter from the New York Times I had traveled to Florida in the wake of the NAACPs advisory to see whether the warnings had any effect. The Riveras and other travelers told me that while they were against many laws recently passed in Florida, they didnt feel that canceling their vacations would help anyone or change the policies. In fact, several travelers said that they visited Disney and certain parts of Florida to get away from politics. Coming to Disney, especially, is like entering a safe zone, said Stephanie Kate Jones, who was visiting the park from Wales in the United Kingdom. Coming here is a way to escape reality and the stress of everyday life. And while the warnings were widely covered outside the state, they have so far seemed to have little or no impact on tourism numbers. Travel has always transcended politics, said Stacy Ritter, the president and CEO of Visit Lauderdale, the Fort Lauderdale tourism organization. People have always traveled to places where they dont agree with the politics because they want to see something new, different. They want an experience. They want a vacation. Story continues DeSantis vs. Disney DeSantis, who was overwhelmingly reelected in 2022, has introduced socially conservative policies, from the so-called Dont Say Gay education bill limiting gender and sex education to the decision to bar the teaching of Advanced Placement African American history because it was a form of indoctrination to a tough crackdown on unauthorized immigration. DeSantis, who recently entered the 2024 presidential race, has also been in a dispute with Disney since last year, when the company said it would pause political donations in Florida because of the sex education bill. The two sides then began battling for control of the board that oversees Disney Worlds development, with DeSantis trying to take control of it and limit Disneys authority. Disney sued the governor over the issue this spring and in May the company said it was scrapping a $1 billion development in Orlando. While announcing his candidacy for presidency, DeSantis said that the NAACP advisory was a total farce. The travel warnings, he said, were a political stunt. These left wing groups have been doing it for many, many years. And at the end of the day, what theyre doing is colluding with legacy media to try to manufacture a narrative, he said. But Brandon Wolf, the press secretary of Equality Florida, said that the organization has received an increasing number of inquiries about whether it is safe for LGBTQ travelers to go to Florida. We felt it imperative that we answer the incoming inquiries honestly and completely, he said. In announcing LULACs advisory, the groups president, Domingo Garcia, had warned that DeSantis enforcement regulations will treat us like criminals, transporting a dangerous person who only wanted to visit family or enjoy Disney World. And Derrick Johnson, the president and CEO of the NAACP said in an email in response to DeSantis comments: As long as our contributions to this country and the powerful stories of our rich backgrounds, continued struggle and survival are denied, Black Americans need not pour our labor, time, or money into the state. The Sunshine State Juggernaut Florida is a tourism juggernaut. In 2022, it had 137.6 million visitors, the most in its history, according to Visit Florida, the state tourism organization, and in May the governors office proudly shared that Florida welcomed 37.9 million people in the first three months of this year. Orlando remains the most-visited city in the United States 74 million people traveled there in 2022. According to Visit Florida, in 2021, visitors to the state contributed $101.9 billion to Floridas economy and supported more than 1.7 million Florida jobs. While many Floridians said that travel warnings from civil rights organizations have symbolic meaning, few said they were concerned that people would stop visiting the state altogether. Some people recalled the backlash over North Carolinas 2016 bathroom bill, which kept transgender people from using bathrooms that aligned with their gender. The fallout over that bill was immediate and significant, leading to its repeal. Nicolas Graf, associate dean at New York Universitys School of Professional Studies Jonathan M. Tisch Center for Hospitality and Tourism, said a states policies might keep those who are politically active from visiting a destination, but the notion that travelers business or leisure travelers will really change their behavior due to politics, I think thats a minority of people. And thats true across the political spectrum: Lance Toland, a conservative Georgia-based business owner who approves of DeSantis attempts to rein in Disney, said a states policies wouldnt keep him from visiting. Liberal laws in California, for example, dont keep him from going there, he said. I cant worry about what each states stance is. It doesnt affect me. In many popular tourist spots, life was going on without interruption when I visited. In Winter Park, just north of Orlando, lines for restaurants like Prato, a casual Italian spot with a large outdoor patio, were lengthy. When I stopped several shoppers exiting upscale boutiques along Park Avenue, they said that while they had heard of the dispute between Disney and DeSantis, they hadnt heard about the travel advisories. Ashley Smith, 32, was visiting a friend in Winter Park for the weekend and was heading out for a boat tour of Winter Parks lakes. Asked what she thought about the advisories, she said that she didnt understand how limiting her travels could possibly be connected to the states political dramas. A More Welcoming Stance The advisories come after years of work by tourism officials across the state to expand its visitor base. In 2021, for example, the Greater Fort Lauderdale Convention and Visitors Bureau announced that it had changed its name to Visit Lauderdale and it had a new flashy tagline: Everyone Under the Sun. Visit Lauderdale was just one of several tourism boards in the state that, in the past decade, have recognized that international, Black, Latino and LGBTQ travelers have the discretionary income to spend on vacations and real estate and that it would be smart to appeal to them. But these days, tourism boards, destination marketing organizations and travel businesses around the state are trying to figure out how to keep appealing to a diverse range of travelers. Many of them prefer not to address the controversy directly. Floridas tourism marketing organizations are funded through a bed tax when a traveler checks into a hotel or resort, a percentage of what they pay for their stay goes to fund the work done by visitors and tourism organizations. That tax is controlled by state statute. Leaders of three destination marketing organizations, all asking to speak anonymously, said that while they do not support the recently enacted laws they are worried that criticizing DeSantis publicly could lead to retaliation by the Legislature, which could cut back or eliminate funding for their organizations. Jen Cousins, the co-founder of the Florida Freedom to Read Project and a mother of four who is part of a federal suit challenging the sex education bill, said she believes that players in the travel industry, including cruises, airlines, destination marketing organizations and others, should speak up against the recent legislation. She also noted that in meetings with the education secretary, Miguel Cardona; the assistant secretary for health at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Adm. Rachel Levine; and the secretary of health and human services, Xavier Becerra, she and other activists were told they had the support in Washington, but, she said, no one has stepped in. The Department of Education and the Department of Health and Human Services did not respond to requests for comment. Ritter, the president and CEO of Visit Lauderdale, was willing to go on the record. Do I think the impact will be felt immediately? No, I dont, she said. But, she said, shes already seeing business and corporate travelers, who make up a significant part of the travel industry, look elsewhere. In the week after the civil rights organizations issued their warnings, seven large conferences and conventions walked back their plans to be in Fort Lauderdale, she said. Many event organizers, Ritter said, are looking ahead to events happening three to five years from now and far fewer are considering Florida. Her organization isnt even bidding for certain events because they feel like a lost cause. And thats directly related to state policies, she said. Not Really Florida Part of Jean Franco Riveras reason for going ahead with his anniversary trip was that he felt his travel dollars were actually being spent in opposition to DeSantis policies, because they were going to Disney. Disney is standing up for our rights and being here feels like supporting their decision to stand up to DeSantis, he said. Many people who work at Disney are part of our community, the LGBTQ community, and being here is our way of supporting them. Many travelers I met at Disney World and along the Jacksonville Beach Pier suggested that the parts of the state that they were most likely to visit were, in some way, not really Florida. Key West, Miami, Wilton Manors, St. Petersburg and Sarasota traditionally vote Democratic and have swaths of LGBTQ and immigrant residents who, in many cases, disagree with the legislation being put forth. Visitors said that by supporting the economies of these places they could defy the states Republican lawmakers. They also said they felt conflicted about the advisories, saying the warnings felt like an escalation of politics that could potentially harm local business owners, low-earning residents and liberal enclaves more than DeSantis or Republican lawmakers. Some Florida residents felt the same way. As a resident of Orlando, our tourist mecca, I dont tend to advocate for a travel ban because a lot of our friends work in these low-paying travel jobs, said Cousins. Theyre the ones being affected, not the top-paid CEOs. For the moment, those involved in tourism in the state feel like they are walking a line. Rachel Covello, of Outcoast, a digital magazine that focuses on LGBTQ community, said that the publication used to promote the state overall as an inclusive destination. Now, while not telling people to stay away, she said, it is highlighting specific destinations that are known to welcome LGBTQ travelers. We pivoted our focus, she said. We dont want to look like were blind to whats happening in our own state as were promoting tourism. c.2023 The New York Times Company A woman was killed and nine others were injured following a pre-Fourth of July fireworks mishap, Michigan reports say. The fireworks explosion happened at about 11 p.m. Monday, July 3, outside a home in Park Township, the Ottawa County Sheriffs Office told WOOD. First responders found a 43-year-old woman unresponsive, WDIV reported. They tried to revive her, but she was pronounced dead at the scene, according to the station. The woman, from Holland, Michigan, has not been publicly identified. Her death is reportedly being ruled as accidental. Deputies said nine other people were injured, the Detroit Free Press reported. Their injuries range from minor to critical. Authorities did not say what type of firework was involved in the explosion. The blast also damaged nearby homes and vehicles, according to WXMI. In 2022, there were 11 deaths in the United States involving fireworks, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission said. Fireworks injured more than 10,000 people, according to the commission. Fireworks are beautiful to watch, but they can be deadly when mishandled or misused, or if the fireworks themselves contain illegal components, commission Chair Alex Hoehn-Saric said. I urge everyone to use care around fireworks, only use fireworks labeled for consumer use, and always keep children far away from fireworks, including sparklers. Park Township is about 35 miles southwest of Grand Rapids. Man looks into firework tube before it explodes in his face, Illinois cops say Man lighting fireworks in street killed in hit-and-run crash, California police say EY has announced the appointment of Michael Hasbani as Markets Leader across the Middle East & North Africa (Mena) region, effective July 1 2023. Hasbani will oversee the firms growth strategy and ensure that EY continues to play a leading role in the regions transformation journey. Abdulaziz Al-Sowailim, Mena Chairman and CEO, EY, says: We are seeing rapid changes in citizen and consumer demands due to advancements in technology, geopolitics, and the aftermath of the global pandemic. These demands require businesses to reassess their strategies and plans to ensure their longevity in the market while also preparing for unforeseen future challenges. Michael has been a key figure in supporting EY clients as they continue to navigate their transformation journeys and has led significant change for organisations across the emerging markets. Now, as Markets Leader, he will harness the power of our global capabilities for the Mena region, supporting EYs expansion in key sectors and markets as we continue to build a better working world. Renaissance Hasbani says: We are witnessing the beginning of what can only be described as the renaissance of the Mena region, powered by an abundance of natural resources and a rich history of prosperity and culture. I am proud to lead EYs efforts in leveraging our unique capabilities and deep expertise to help our clients. We will continue to see efforts for economic diversification among both the public and private sector. There is great opportunity for the region to become a global powerhouse, and I look forward to seeing how it continues to accelerate in areas such as sustainability and technology. With 30 years of experience in management advisory and professional services, Hasbani has worked with government, state-owned enterprises and prominent global and regional businesses, serving as special advisor to leaders and boards. He also helped successfully design, develop and establish some of Menas leading destinations. In his most recent role as the EY Global Consulting Real Estate, Hospitality and Construction Leader, he led significant change efforts for organisations in Europe and the emerging markets.-- TradeArabia News Service Ahead of the annual diplomatic postings statement, which usually comes out late spring or early summer, Cairo nominated Amr Al-Hamami as its ambassador to Ankara. A simultaneous announcement was made in Ankara on the nomination of Salih Mutlu Sen as Turkeys new ambassador to Egypt. The announcement, say sources, allows both new appointees to work on preparations for a summit between President Abdel-Fattah Al-Sisi and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. The summit is likely to take place within weeks, most likely in Ankara, and will be followed by a visit to Egypt by Erdogan. The re-launch of relations at such a high political level will allow officials in both countries to work on a range of economic cooperation schemes. Al-Hamami and Mutlu Sen have been acting as charges daffaires in Ankara and Cairo during the past few months during which diplomatic and security consultations between Egypt and Turkey have been ongoing. Diplomatic representation between the two Mediterranean countries was curtailed 10 years ago after Ankara opposed the political changes that occurred in Egypt in the summer of 2013. So much has happened since then, both for Egypt and Turkey and also for the region, commented an Egyptian government source. He explained that tension between Egypt and Turkey was related to Ankaras decision to host the leaders of the Muslim Brotherhood and to allow them to lobby against the Egyptian state and that once this ended, things were ready to move forward and for other points of disagreement to be managed through political consultations. Key sticking points related to the influence Turkey was exercising in Libya, Egypts western neighbour, through militants it had brought to support a political faction in Libya that was opposed to Cairo, to political lobbying against the Egyptian state and the support Ankara was extending to Islamist groups perceived in Cairo as political adversaries. In 2013, and for a few successive years, Egypt and Turkey subscribed to conflicting political agendas and had conflicting political allies. Now this has changed and the two countries are both interested in economic cooperation, says the source. According to a Turkish source, the tension in relations with Egypt was never popular with the Turkish diplomatic establishment even though it was very popular with the political party of Erdogan. When Erdogan decided it was in his interests, he convinced his political constituency to allow for the accommodation of key Egyptian demands, including the suspension of Istanbul-based Muslim Brotherhood aligned satellite TV channels, in return for finding some settlement for the hosted leaders and members of the Muslim Brotherhood without endangering the safety of any of them. This, says the Turkish source, was accepted by Cairo as it too wanted to turn the page. Egyptian and Turkish sources say progress towards this weeks resumption of full diplomatic relations started slowly in 2019 with security talks in Libya when it became very clear that both sides were keen to avoid a full-fledged confrontation on Libyan territory. A consensual agreement on de-escalation allowed for talks over the controversial maritime boundary treaty that Ankara had signed with Libyas Government of National Accord (GNA) in November 2019. At the time, Cairo said that the GNAs mandate had expired and it could not sign treaties. According to the Turkish source, the Mediterranean is central to the relaunch of Egyptian-Turkish ties. Both countries, but especially Turkey, are interested in pursuing a bilateral maritime demarcation treaty to allow them to invest in further gas exploration. Since the announcement of high-level talks between Turkey and Egypt in May 2021, maritime demarcation has been on the table of technical talks. It was not, however, on the agenda of the brief encounter when Al-Sisi and Erdogan met in Doha in November last year. Nor is the subject expected to come up in detail when they meet later this summer, despite the possibility of GNA leader Abdel-Hamid Dbeibah joining the two leaders in Ankara. In the words of an Egyptian diplomat, this is a whole new diplomatic scene. Egypt, he explained, now has easy going relations with Dbeibah and, at the same time, is less comfortable with the its onetime Libyan ally Khalifa Haftar in view of his role in the current conflict in Sudan. Western diplomatic sources in Cairo confirm the involvement of Haftars aides in facilitating supplies of arms and militants to the Rapid Support Forces which have been in conflict with the Sudanese Armed Forces since mid-April. Egypt is keen to stop the conflict which is undermining the stability of its southern neighbour. It is also keen on the stability of the Sudanese armed forces. Much of Haftars reach-out to the RSF is managed through Wagner, the Russian mercenary group that has operatives and arms in the east of Libya. The Egyptian diplomat added that Cairo has had a clear word from Turkey that it will pull all Ankara-supported militants from Libya if the presence of Wagner in the east of the country ends. This, he said, is a likely scenario given recent events in Russia. Several Egyptian diplomats and government officials agree that Egypts rapprochement with Turkey, and the downsizing of cooperation with Haftar, is part of the new diplomatic scene that has been in the making for a couple of years. Other elements, they say, include the easing of relations with Qatar which mediated the first Sisi-Erdogan meeting. In June 2017, Egypt joined its then closest allies, the UAE, Saudi Arabia and Bahrain in imposing a political and economic blockade on Doha for its support of political Islamist groups. In 2021, following Kuwaiti and Omani mediation, Qatar was re-integrated in the Saudi dominated Gulf Cooperation Council. Egypt joined the rapprochement and in November 2021 Amr Al-Sherbini presented his accreditation to the Emir of Qatar Tamim Al-Thani. According to an Egyptian source, today Qatar is closer to Egypt than other GCC partners. Things changed a great deal when Qatar reduced its support to the Muslim Brotherhood and began to pursue political and economic cooperation with Egypt and Saudi Arabia, he said. In addition to Qatar, Libya and Turkey, the same source said that Egypt is now contemplating a shift in its relations with Iran. He confirmed that there have been talks and mediation from both Iraq and Oman for some time and that the rapprochement between Iran and Saudi Arabia will facilitate the chances for ambassadorial relation between Cairo and Tehran. However, he added that bilateral issues will have to be agreed on before such a step is taken, mainly to do with security issues and religious matters. In 1979, Iran severed relations with Egypt to protest its hosting the ousted Shah. Since then, there have been a few attempts to resume full diplomatic relations, all aborted due to Cairos concern over the failure to reach clear agreements on security issues that include Tehrans support of militias and Islamist militant groups in the region, and to resolve concerns over Shia missionary activities. There are plenty of opportunities for economic cooperation with Iran but without a clear agreement on these matters it is hard to see things moving forward, says the source. He added that talks that have taken place in the past eighteen months between the two sides indicate that both have the political will to move forward and that some high-level political Egyptian-Iranian encounter on the sideline of a regional meeting could be expected sometime before the end of this year. He also confirmed that an upcoming official announcement on the resumption of direct flights between the two countries might also be in the offing. * A version of this article appears in print in the 6 July, 2023 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly Search Keywords: Short link: AAPI community leaders met new hate crime data with trepidation and caution though reported anti-Asian hate crimes decreased in 2022, the number was still the second-highest since at least 2001, and anti-Asian rhetoric and violence are still widespread. But they also noted, the drop may be because efforts to thwart anti-Asian action are having a positive effect. The California Department of Justice released the latest figures last week and the 2022 Hate Crimes Report revealed the number of reported anti-Asian hate crime events dropped 43% from 247 to 140 from 2021 to 2022, even as the number of reported overall hate crime events rose by 20%. Data will always depend on who is reporting the crimes, said ARI Executive Director Rejie Baloyos. The report is only one data point, she said, affected by under-reporting due to language barriers and victims hesitancy to engage with law enforcement. It also does count non-criminal hate events. But even though the hate crimes data cant be taken at face value, the numbers affirmed the value of state-funded community safety initiatives, Baloyos said. The state has invested money into our system, she said. When you actually invest into something, you can also see the difference and the impact of that. She was referring to the Asian and Pacific Islander Equity Budget, sponsored by the AAPI Legislative Caucus and signed by California Gov. Gavin Newsom in 2021. It devoted $166.5 million over three years to help agencies combat Asian hate that surged during the COVID pandemic. API leaders said the easing of COVID-related restrictions and hardships may have played a role in the decrease in reported hate crimes. David Yee, California commissioner on Asian and Pacific Islander affairs, also said the equity budget contributed to the change. This is a powerful example in how state government can make a real difference in peoples lives when implementing good public policy, he said. The pandemics surge Anti-Asian hate spiked in 2020 and 2021 at the beginning of the COVID pandemic. The number of reported anti-Asian hate crime victims jumped from 58 in 2019 to 107 in 2020 and 294 in 2021, according to the Department of Justice report. Story continues From March to June 2020, the community organization Stop AAPI Hate recorded an average of 10 self-reported hate incidents per day in California. The pandemic exacerbated the xenophobia and bigotry against the AAPI community, said David Yee, California commissioner on Asian and Pacific Islander affairs. Were often stereotyped as perpetual foreigners, anti-Americanand these stereotypes fueled the racist belief that Asians are responsible for introducing COVID-19 to the U.S. In response to the surge, community organizations and lawmakers successfully pushed for the passage of the API Equity Budget. The state provided funding to various organizations for hate crime reporting and prevention, as well as providing healthcare, education and other resources to low-income AAPI communities. Stop AAPI Hate, AAPI Data and other organizations received block grants of up to $10 million, while most of the money $110 million was given to the California Department of Social Services to be given to smaller organizations in coordination with the California Commission on Asian and Pacific Islander American Affairs. The commission looked for organizations who had a proven record of providing community services, Yee said. Beyond hate crime prevention and victim support, grantee services vary from providing vehicles to transport seniors safely to art and culture events promoting understanding of Asian American history. Grantees also reflect a diversity in geography, age groups, religions and ethnicities served, ranging from youth programs to senior services, said Nilda Valmores, a senior program officer at the Center at Sierra Health Foundation. The Center is the lead organization for 18 Northern California/San Joaquin Valley grantees, providing staff training and helping coordinate shared response plans between them. In the Sacramento area, Asian Resources, Inc. received a $1 million grant. Hmong Youth and Parents United, ACC Senior Services, My Sisters House, and other local organizations received between $65,000 and $250,000 each in Stop the Hate grants. Asian Resources Inc. runs a community center in South Sacramento that provided training on how to prevent becoming a victim of hate crimes. It also hosted COVID testing and vaccination sites and provided language access help for law enforcement, job placement, healthcare, tax filing and other services. Hate crimes reflect history of racism Even as reported hate crimes in California decrease, elected officials and candidates across the country continue to use racist, anti-China, anti-Asian rhetoric, said Cynthia Choi, co-founder of Stop AAPI Hate. In May, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis signed a bill prohibiting certain Chinese citizens from owning property in the state, saying it would counter the malign influence of the Chinese Communist Party. A similar bill passed the Texas State Senate but failed in the states House of Representatives. Recent spikes in anti-Asian hate are not new but actually history repeating itself, Choi said. In 1913, California lawmakers passed the Alien Land Law, barring Asian immigrants and later even their American-born children from owning land in the state. Yee pointed to the incarceration of over 120,000 Japanese Americans during WWII and discrimination against Americans of Middle Eastern descent after 9/11 as more recent examples of national crises serving as a spark that exacerbates xenophobia and bigotry. U.S.-China tensions and anti-immigrant sentiments are long-term phenomena, subjecting Asian Americans to scapegoating for economic and national security reasons, but the communities have historically not had the resources to combat hate, Choi said. We have battled the model minority myths for so long and the effect of that has been an under-investment in our communities by government, by philanthropy, by the private sector, and that has to change, she said. How to prevent hate Though reported anti-Asian hate crimes decreased significantly in the Department of Justice data, the trend was not necessarily true for other communities of color. Hate crime events targeting Black people were by far the most commonly reported in 2022. Unlike anti-Asian hate, the number of reported victims increased 26%, from 596 to 752, from 2021 to 2022. Anti-Hispanic hate crimes were also reported at a higher rate than anti-Asian hate crimes, with 265 reported victims in 2022. Choi emphasized the importance of addressing root causes with community solutions, not just relying on law enforcement, especially when addressing violence between or within communities of color. In a Stop AAPI Hate partner organizations work in San Francisco, we have seen that there are racial tensions in particular with the Chinese and the Black community, Choi said. Even though Stop AAPI Hates work prioritizes resources for victims and survivors of hate crimes, Choi said that the organization has taken the time to define community safety as not just the absence of violence, but the presence of economic opportunities, including access to housing and substance abuse and mental health support. The number of reported anti-LGBTQ hate crime victims also spiked 31%, from 404 to 528, from 2021-22, the second-most reported type of incident in both years. On June 27, after advocacy by members of the AAPI Legislative Caucus, Stop AAPI Hate and other community organizations, Newsom signed off on an additional $40 million Stop the Hate funding package within the $227 billion 2023-24 state budget. Investing in nonprofits and community-based organizations to provide care to victims and strengthen hate prevention programs has transformed communities across the state, and Im proud were able to make additional investments to support this work, said Assemblyman Evan Low, chair of the AAPI Legislative Caucus, in a Stop AAPI Hate news release. The last year of Stop the Hate grants were originally to be distributed in fiscal year 2023-24, but the new funding comes with an extension to June 2026, according to a Stop AAPI Hate spokesperson. While future funding for services funded by the API Equity Budget is an open question, advocates said they have always seen their work as being long-term. The bottom line is, while racism exists or is present and is hurting people in our communities, Valmores said, programs dealing with hate are important to help prevent hate and help strengthen people to deal with them. Its the final Fourth of July before the Iowa caucuses and New Hampshire primary still more than six months away, yes. But all the same, the Republicans vying for their partys presidential nomination were on the trail, waving to supporters from parades, shaking hands with voters and taking selfies. But not the front-runner. Donald Trump was conspicuously absent on the 247th anniversary of the nations independence. The former president has upended the traditional expectations of Iowa and New Hampshire voters. For decades they have prided themselves on their discernment of presidential candidates and have demanded to get to know them personally before casting the first ballots in the nation. Sign up for The Morning newsletter from the New York Times Steven Cheung, a spokesperson for Trumps 2024 campaign, objected to the notion that the former president is avoiding retail politics over the Fourth of July holiday, pointing to Trumps rally in South Carolina on Saturday, which, he said, counted as Independence Day weekend. Trump also appeared at the Moms for Liberty conference in Philadelphia on Friday, and he even dropped by Pats King of Steaks, a cheesesteak palace that has been a mainstay for politicians in Philly for decades. And on July 7, Trump will be in Council Bluffs, Iowa. But on the actual anniversary of the nations birth? His campaign will have an overwhelming presence in various parades and patriotic events in Iowa, New Hampshire and South Carolina, Cheung said. Trump himself, though, planned to spend the day with his family, Cheung said. Im sure people are thankful hes not out, former Rep. Will Hurd of Texas, a recent entrant in the Republican primary race, quipped outside a pancake breakfast in Merrimack, New Hampshire. He comes with a lot of baggage. For early-state Republican voters who hoped for more personal attention on the Fourth, the pickings were plentiful with the exception of Trump. Gov. Ron DeSantis of Florida and several other Republican presidential hopefuls spent Tuesday in New Hampshire, while Mike Pence, the former vice president, was in Iowa. Story continues Trumps campaign evinces no concern that his absence from the stage will give his rivals any room to make up ground in the Republican primaries. After queries about his July Fourth plans, his team released a memo Monday afternoon highlighting his campaigns plans to celebrate the holiday in Iowa and New Hampshire and calling out his dominant position in Republican primary polling. Republican veterans dont see much of an opening for Trumps rivals either. He definitely plays by a different set of rules, said David Kochel, a longtime Republican adviser and strategist in Iowa. Trump has made some recent adjustments with unscheduled stops at restaurants like Pats and, after his arraignment on the first federal felony charges ever levied on a former president, at Versailles, Miamis beloved Cuban restaurant. He will be appearing with virtually the entire GOP field at the Republican Party of Iowas biggest fundraiser, the Lincoln Dinner, on July 28. But, Kochel said, his celebrity and the fact that he was president gives him more flexibility. The retail politics tradition in Iowa and New Hampshire may well be overrated, an artifact of a time before super PACs saturated airwaves, social media reached voters phones and celebrity pervaded the zeitgeist, regardless of who was in the diners and pizza joints. Retail has always been mostly theater, but now its all a performance for the cameras, not about meeting regular people and listening to their concerns, said Fergus Cullen, a former chairperson of the New Hampshire Republican State Committee. For someone like DeSantis, who joined the primary campaign relatively late, appearances like his two July Fourth parades do demonstrate that he is putting in the effort and taking New Hampshire seriously, said Cullen, who is now a Republican consultant in the state. As for the former president, Can you imagine Trump walking in the Wolfeboro Fourth of July parade? he asked. I dont think so. Limiting Trumps public appearances and emphasizing large rallies over glad-handing with a few dozen supporters may help to preserve the former presidents celebrity and mystique among his faithful while projecting confidence. And Republican primary voters already know how they feel about Trump. His fate in the primary contest may depend more on external factors like his indictments in two cases and the trials that may ensue, as well as other inquiries he is facing than on his power of persuasion at an Iowa Pizza Ranch. Cheung insisted, even as he outlined a relatively sparse schedule for Trump, It would be incorrect to write that he will be sparing retail politics. But the rest of the Republican field, with weaker field operations and later starts, do not have that luxury, said Dave Carney, another New Hampshire Republican consultant and veteran organizer. For those laboring to break out of the pack, Trumps absence on July Fourth presented a moment to introduce themselves to at least a few voters in person. Today is about meeting people, right? Hurd said. Not everybody is doom scrolling on social media or consuming cable news. c.2023 The New York Times Company Like many Americans, when Vanessa Steinkamp was stuck inside early in the Covid-19 pandemic, she logged into Twitter to talk to the outside world. The teacher and mother of three schoolchildren in Dallas was worried that closed classrooms would hurt kids, particularly the most vulnerable students who needed the special resources that schools provide. Calling for children to go back to in-person learning earned her a lot of backlash, but she also befriended likeminded moms. When Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis pressed public schools to reopen in the summer of 2020, he became their hero. Teacher and mother Vanessa Steinkamp said reopening schools was vital, particularly for the most vulnerable students. - CNN These women built an informal network of overlapping chatgroups across several states, many of them outside Florida. They had a mix of political views, from liberal to conservative, and were brought together by frustrations with a Covid response that they felt left opening schools a low priority. College-educated and affluent, the mothers are the kinds of voters seen as critical to both political parties in swing districts and states, and one of the voting groups among whom former President Donald Trump and Republicans underperformed in both 2020 and 2022. Theyre the kinds of voters DeSantis hopes can drive him to victory in a general election if he can overcome Trump to secure the GOP nomination and appealing to them is a key part of his case in the primary. One of Steinkamps first Twitter friends was Jennifer Sey, then an executive at Levis. In 2022, Sey said the company pressured her to stop tweeting about opening schools and playgrounds, and when she refused, she said, she was pushed out of her job as brand president. Levis disputed her account, telling The New York Times it supported Seys advocacy on schools but her comments went far beyond calling for schools to reopen, and frequently used her platform to criticize public health guidelines and denounce elected officials and government scientists. Gov. Ron DeSantis launched his presidential campaign in May. - Katie Goodale/AP Another Twitter friend was so infuriated when she saw a local school board members campaign fliers in San Diego that touted the decision to keep schools closed that she called a real estate agent in Florida and eventually moved to Tampa. She did not want to use her name because she said she feared backlash at work, but she did send CNN photos of the fliers. Story continues Julie Hamill, a lawyer near Los Angeles, was a later addition to the group. She, too, was furious about the actions of her local public health department and school board. But her husband didnt want to leave California, so last year Hamill ran for school board and won. The draw of the Florida governor I first spoke to Steinkamp in the spring of 2021 while reporting a story on how Covid had changed the real estate market in Texas. But it was her appreciation of the then first-term Florida governor that stuck with me. If DeSantis were to run tomorrow, he would win, she said then. All he has to do is run on opening schools. Her friends told CNN recently theyd felt the same way theyd joked about Daddy DeSantis and Freedom Daddy. His early advocacy for open schools, Sey said, was pretty heroic. Their fangirl vibe was tongue-in-cheek, but also spoke to their situation. Hamill said: Were like desperate women who had tried everything that we could do in our own power in our own communities, and we werent getting anywhere. DeSantis pressured school districts to open in August 2020, earlier than most places in the US. But many European countries opened schools in April and May of 2020. Children dont generally infect adults, a health official in Finland said in May 2020, explaining his countrys decision to reopen schools. (At the time, there was conflicting research on the role kids played in spreading the virus.) As CNN reported in January 2021, in Europe, shutting schools is widely seen as a last resort. Recent research has shown kids fell back in their learning during the pandemic. American fourth- and eighth-graders, for example, showed the largest declines in math scores since the Education Departments National Center for Education Statistics began keeping track in 1990. DeSantis actions gained him a bigger national platform during the pandemic, which hes used to launch his presidential bid. Hes campaigning on his Covid record, but also the idea that Florida is where woke goes to die. Jennifer Sey, who now calls herself a "disaffected leftist," was attracted first by DeSantis' action on schools but is also open to some of his "war on woke." - CNN Steinkamp has been a Republican all her life, though she said she has never liked Trump. Sey, the former Levis executive, had been a leftist Democrat until her Covid experience, she said, but shes also open to DeSantis war on woke. She told CNN, I think, to some extent, hes got a point. Its a movement that demands conformity and sees every sort of problem the world faces through this lens of kind of hierarchical oppression. Sey, who now says shes a disaffected leftist, said, My issue with woke capitalism, in particular, is that its hypocritical, and its a lie. I would much rather companies focus on treat treating employees with fairness, paying them well, treating women well not harassing them than do these fake campaigns while the leaders take all the money for themselves and obscure their greed with woke washing. Even so, Sey said, she thought DeSantis campaigning against wokeness was a little bit of a distraction from the policies that made her like him in the first place. She thought the governors fight with Disney was unnecessary. Theres some truth to what hes saying about woke ideology being corrosive and conformist and authoritarian in some ways. I just dont think you should counter that with more authoritarianism, she said. Julie Hamill won a seat on her local school board after disagreeing with public health policies during the pandemic. - CNN Hamill, the lawyer in LA, said she had voted for Barack Obama twice, Hillary Clinton and Joe Biden for president. She is open to voting for DeSantis but is concerned about some of his policies. She said she considered herself socially liberal but suffered backlash when she called for schools to be open. I was demonized for expressing these feelings. And meanwhile, Ron DeSantis in Florida is saying everything that I was desperately wanting to hear from my own elected representatives. The women dont always agree on politics: Steinkamp is against abortion, while Sey and Hamill are for women having the right to the procedure. But all three think Floridas new ban on abortion after six weeks is a blot on their favorite governors record. Thats dangerous, Hamill said. Thats something that I cannot get behind. And I dont think thats going to bode well for his presidential campaign. I think that that might be a real impediment to bringing in moderate women. With none of them living in Florida, the women have not had an opportunity to vote for DeSantis yet. And its too early to know if their Covid-era infatuation will become more. They all despair at the thought that the 2024 election will be a rematch between Biden and Trump. If those were her two choices, Steinkamp said, shed go for a third option: Jump in my swimming pool and drown myself. CNNs Samantha Guff contributed to this story. For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com Millions of dollars in state funding are headed to the Central Coast to support projects related to energy development, land preservation, storm repairs and more. San Luis Obispo County will receive more than $13 million of that funding, according to a news release from California State Sen. John Laird, D-Santa Cruz. About $20 million total will be allocated to District 17, which is represented by Laird and includes Santa Cruz and San Luis Obispo Counties, along with parts of Monterey and Santa Clara Counties. The money is allocated in the California state budget for the 2023-2024 fiscal year, which Gov. Gavin Newsom approved on June 27. While California faces another difficult budget year, it is heartening to be able to secure funding for numerous important projects that will assist in securing and improving our quality of life, Laird said in the release. From work to expand the Salinas Dam to help for an organization that works with homeless people, heres a look at which SLO County projects are set to receive state funding. The 135-foot-tall concrete Salinas Dam was completed in January 1942 by the U.S. Army. San Luis Obispo has rights to the water, and the county administers the park and dam. Which SLO County projects will get state funding? SLO County supervisors have lobbied for funding to expand the Salinas Dam at Santa Margarita Lake for years without success. Now, the state will give the county $500,000 to help conduct feasibility analysis regarding ownership, retrofit, and possible expansion of the Salinas Dam to secure future water supplies, the release said. The dam, owned by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, was built in 1941 to service Camp San Luis Obispo during World War II. It has a storage capacity of 23,843 acre-feet of water, according to the San Luis Obispo County Public Works Department. In Atascadero, El Camino Homelessness Organization will receive $150,000 to fund a dining structure large enough to serve dinner to 80 to 100 people per night, the news release said. South County projects will also benefit from a large chunk of state funding. During a series of extreme storms in January, the Arroyo Grande Creek levee failed and flooded parts of Oceano. Story continues As part of the recent round of funding, the state will give SLO County $1.23 million to help fund repairs to the levee, according to Laird. A broccoli field was flooded in Oceano as Arroyo Grande Creek overtopped the levee on Jan. 10, 2023. Offshore wind energy, storm repair projects get funding On the coast, projects related to storm damage and offshore wind energy will collect state funding. To enhance flood safety, the state gave Morro Bay $300,000 to repair 150 linear feet of failed corrugated metal pipe in its storm drain, the news release said. Additionally, the county was awarded $750,000 for staffing to support offshore wind development, the release said. In June, the U.S. Bureau of Ocean Energy Management issued leases to three companies expected to build massive floating wind farms 20 miles off the coast of SLO County in a 376-square-mile area of the Pacific Ocean known as the Morro Bay wind energy area. Cal Polys Center for Coastal Marine Sciences will receive $150,000 to assess biological, wildlife and ecosystem conditions in the Morro Bay wind energy area to help determine if offshore wind energy projects should be developed there, according to Laird. The wind turbines planned off the San Luis Obispo County coast would be similar to Ocean Winds WindFloat Atlantic floating offshore wind energy project near Portugal. They are each about 688 feet tall, or about twice the height of the Statue of Liberty. Diablo Canyon land preservation, economic development The state allocated a total of $10 million to efforts to preserve land around Diablo Canyon nuclear power plant. The California State Coastal Conservancy will use $5 million of that to develop a conservation easement on 12,000 acres of land surrounding Diablo Canyon Power Plant, Laird said. That funding will also be used to map future coastal and interior public trail locations, conduct public and tribal outreach, and undertake tasks in anticipation of the transfer to State Parks the 2400-acre unit of Diablo Canyon Lands known as Wild Cherry Canyon, the release said. The other $5 million will be used to plan regional economic development and clean energy projects for a 600-acre parcel at the power plant site, Laird said. Diablo Canyon Nuclear Power Plant on June 1, 2023. What about other District 17 counties? Other counties in District 17 won state funding for various projects, too. Santa Cruz County will receive $500,000 in state funding for improvements to the Stockton Avenue Bridge, while the city of Santa Cruz will get $1 million to develop recreation and tourism on West Cliff Drive, according to Laird. The state allocated $750,000 for vulnerable farm workers, day workers and indigenous language speaking families who were heavily storm impacted 50 in northern Monterey County and 150 in Santa Cruz County, the release said. Monterey County will also receive $1 million for wildfire prevention and eucalyptus removal, along with $230,000 to update a Federal Emergency Management Agency hydrologic model of the Carmel River, the release said. The state gave $1 million to Seaside High School to build a multicultural arts center, $1 million for the city of Marina to build a senior center, and $84,000 to the city of Monterey for lighting and bollard improvements to the Old Fishermans Wharf, Laird said. Santa Clara County received $1 million in state funding to improve railroad grade separations and $350,000 to a pedestrian safety project, according to Laird. Wizz Air announced 10 new winter routes from Tirana in Albania including to Birmingham, Edinburgh and Liverpool. Photo: Bernadett Szabo/Reuters Wizz Air (WIZZ.L) Wizz Air saw shares rise as the low cost carrier reported a 23% year-on-year boost in passenger numbers over June. Wizz Air carried 5.3 million passengers over the month, up from 4 million on the previous year and marking a strong start to what is expected to be a booming period for London-listed budget airlines. The improved carryings at Wizz Air came in a month when the eastern and central European low cost airline forecast that its entire fleet of aircraft based at Luton airport would be new generation Airbus A321neos by 2025. Wizz Air also announced 10 new winter routes from Tirana in Albania including to Birmingham, Edinburgh and Liverpool. Read more: LIVE: FTSE muted as UK banks summoned by FCA The network expansion amounts to nearly 100 extra weekly flights scheduled for this winter. AJ Bell investment director Russ Mould, said: Low-cost airlines are having a whale of a time thanks to the sharp rebound in travel demand. The decision to expand fleet capacity during the cost of living crisis was a calculated risk and the move is now paying off. Strike action remains the key hurdle to clear, particularly over the all-important summer period. Air traffic controllers downing tools caused 160,000 Ryanair (RYA.IR) customers to suffer from cancelled flights in June and further ATC strikes are planned in July. There are additional airport and airline-related strikes threatened for the coming months which could see big delays or cancellations, causing further mayhem. Persimmon shares took a hit on Tuesday as JPMorgan Cazenove downgraded the housebuilder as it reiterated its cautious stance on the UK housebuilding sector. Potential softening in sales rates from here, given the uncertainty on rates, puts the 2024E volume recovery in jeopardy while scope for affordability-led average selling price declines still remain, JPMorgan said. The bank has downgraded Persimmon to neutral from overweight and cut the price target to 1,090p from 1,600p, as said its previously expected volume recovery in 2024 could now prove vulnerable. JPMorgan said its price target implies only 6% upside potential. Story continues JPM said overweight-rated Berkeley Group (BKG.L) remains its preferred quality name in the sector. Dunelm shares tumbled after RBC Capital Markets downgraded the homeware retailer to underperform from sector perform and slashed the price target to 1,000p from 1,300p. With cost of living pressures persisting, unfavourable movements in the UK housing market and only a moderate store expansion story, we think that growth will be more difficult to come by now, the broker said. As such, we see greater upside potential in travel (SSP (SSPG.L), WH Smith (SMWH.L) and Dufry (0QK3.IL)) and Discount (AB Foods (ABF.L), B&M Value Retail (BME.L)) given strong topline momentum and meaningful expansion for these names. RBC still views Dunelm as a well-managed business with a strong position in the UK homewares market. Rivian (RIVN) Shares in US electric vehicle startup Rivian Automotive surged in after-hours trading after it revealed stronger-than-expected production figures. Rivian made 13,992 vehicles at its facility in Normal, Illinois, during the second quarter, topping analyst expectations of 11,000 vehicles, according to estimates compiled by FactSet. The car manufacturer, which makes electric R1T pickups and R1S SUVs, also reiterated its annual production target of 50,000 units. Read more: Stocks that are trending today "All auto makers had supply chain issues in 2021 and 2022, but Rivian appears to be turning a corner and their 50,000 production goal for this year looks highly achievable post the Q2 number," Needham analyst Chris Pierce said. The stock is up about 5% in 2023. Danni Hewson, head of financial analysis at AJ Bell, said: "These figures suggest Rivian might just have what it takes to stick it out." Watch: Wall St. up slightly in shortened session, Tesla jumps Download the Yahoo Finance app, available for Apple and Android. Some companies are recognising the needs of their employees who are experiencing infertility and fertility treatment. Photo: Getty Around one in six people are affected by infertility, but the impact of fertility challenges upon working life often go overlooked. When you have a demanding job, the difficulties of infertility and fertility treatments can be exacerbated. It can be hard to focus when youre longing for a child and dealing with difficult emotions like grief, anxiety and stress. Undergoing fertility treatment can be physically invasive and mentally demanding, yet many worry about disclosing their needs to their employers because they dont want to be discriminated against. As a result, many suffer in silence, and more than a third consider quitting. Now, though, some companies are recognising the needs of their employees who are experiencing infertility and fertility treatment. Read more: Blue sky thinking: How workplace jargon is alienating younger workers Recently, electrical retailer Currys (CURY.L) announced it would be introducing paid leave for people receiving fertility treatment. Under the new policy, those undergoing IVF treatment and their partners will be able to attend up to six appointments. The move is part of a landmark raft of measures, which includes support for people going through the menopause and paid leave for employees undergoing gender reassignment and experiencing pregnancy loss. However, not all employers offer such support, with a recent survey by the Fertility Network finding that only a quarter of 1,300 fertility patients had a supportive workplace policy. So what are your rights regarding fertility treatment as a worker? What protections do employees have when undergoing IVF? Some countries have already introduced specific legal protections for people having fertility treatment. In Malta, for example, women having IVF are allowed 60 hours of paid leave yet no such protections exist for people in the UK. Fertility treatment often involves frequent medical appointments which may mean employees have to take time off work. However, there is no statutory legal right to time off for fertility treatment. Story continues Pregnant employees have a right to time off for antenatal appointments, but fertility treatment does not usually fall within the scope of antenatal appointments. This is because an employee is only treated as being pregnant when they have had an embryo transfer, which is the last stage of the IVF process. Also, there is no specific right to time off for intrauterine insemination or other types of fertility treatment. Read more: How breastfeeding-friendly workplaces may help keep women in work Employees wanting to take time off at any point in the fertility treatment process may find themselves having to use annual leave or sick leave. If you become pregnant through IVF, you have all the same pregnancy and maternity rights as non-IVF pregnancies. If IVF is unsuccessful, according to ACAS, employees are protected against pregnancy discrimination for two weeks after finding out an embryo transfer was unsuccessful. If you are undergoing fertility treatment, you can ask your employer for flexible working so you can attend your appointments. Its important to check your contract to see if they allow paid time off, unpaid time off, holiday leave or flexible working for fertility treatment. What is the Fertility Treatment (Employment Rights) Bill? There have been calls for better work protections and support for people undergoing fertility treatment. According to a recent survey, nearly half (47%) of patients experienced feelings of depression, while 83% felt sad, frustrated and worried. Over a third (36%) of respondents felt their career was damaged as a result of fertility treatment, and 58% said they felt their career prospects would be undermined. A Private Member's Bill, the Fertility Treatment (Employment Rights) Bill, aimed at improving workplace protections for those having fertility treatment, is currently making its way through Parliament. Read more: How to tell if a company actually supports working parents If brought into law, it would give employees going through fertility treatment and their partners the legal right to paid time off to attend appointments. People undergoing treatment would also be protected from discrimination in a similar way to pregnant employees. Whether the bill becomes law remains to be seen, but advocates say the proposals help bring the issue into the public eye. The second reading of the Bill is scheduled for November 2023. Gwenda Burns, chief executive of Fertility Network UK, said: Fertility patients encounter a perfect storm not being able to have the child you long for is emotionally devastating, but then many fertility patients face a series of other hurdles. This includes potentially paying financially crippling amounts of money for their necessary medical treatment, having their career damaged, not getting information from their GP, experiencing their relationships deteriorate, and being unable to access the mental support they need. This is unacceptable. Infertility is a disease and is as deserving of medical help and support as any other clinical condition. Watch: One in five women have natural pregnancy after giving birth with fertility treatment Download the Yahoo Finance app, available for Apple and Android. Joel Donofrio is the Yakima Herald-Republics business reporter who, in the view of System of a Downs Serj Tankian, is part of a media machine feeding us lies from the tablecloth. Contact him at jdonofrio@yakimaherald.com. Putin says Russia is 'united as never before' during Shanghai Cooperation Organization meeting President Vladimir Putin says the Russian people are united as never before, seeking to project confidence in the wake of a short-lived revolt while participating in a meeting of an international organization that offered him a sympathetic audience Egypts Military Prosecution has charged the defendant in the controversial Madinaty compound murder case with murder and attempted murder for running over and killing a pharmacist, as well as injuring her husband and three children. According to a short statement issued Tuesday by the Egyptian Armed Forces Spokesman Gharib Abdel-Hafez, the defendant has been remanded in custody pending the case and is being referred to the Military Criminal Court. The Egyptian Armed Forces also extend their deepest condolences and sympathy to the family of the deceased and wish a speedy recovery to the injured, said the statement. The statement also affirmed the Egyptian armys full respect for the rule of law. The 'Madinaty incident' The incident, dubbed in the media as Madinaty incident, reportedly occurred following a dispute between the defendant and the victims, who had residences on the same block in the compound. The defendant is alleged to have run over and killed Basma Ali, injuring her husband Zaki Hamdan and three of their children. These details are according to news reports and statements from the family's lawyer. Ali, a pharmacist, and Hamdan, a veterinarian, lived and worked in Kuwait, and were visiting their home in Egypt for the Eid Al-Adha holiday along with their four children. On Tuesday, Egypt's Pharmacists Syndicate issued a statement mourning Ali and expressing their wishes for a speedy recovery for her husband and children. The syndicate reaffirmed its commitment to supporting them during this tough time and providing necessary assistance. Furthermore, they confirmed that they are closely monitoring the investigation, with the aim of expediting his trial. On Monday, the Veterinarians Syndicate also expressed its support for Hamdan. They mentioned that a delegation was sent to visit him and the children who are still recovering at the hospital. However, they are expected to be discharged soon. Search Keywords: Short link: Premera, with headquarters in Mountlake Terrace, is being sued by the family of a King County 15-year-old over allegations Premera is violating sex and age discrimination laws in the Affordable Care Act. If you are sending a Letter To the Editor, please be sure to follow these rules: Letters have a firm 200-word limit and will be edited for grammar, clarity and accuracy. The person who signs the letter must be the author. Anonymous letters will not be considered. Letters must address the editor, not a third party. We will not print form letters, libelous letters, business promotions or personal disputes, poetry, open letters, letters espousing religious views without reference to a current issue, or letters considered in poor taste. Letters reflect the opinion of the writer. The Yakima Herald-Republic cannot verify the accuracy of all statements made in letters. Writers are limited to one published letter per calendar month. Republican presidential candidate and former President Donald Trump stands on stage after being introduced during the New Hampshire Federation of Republican Women's Lilac Luncheon on June 27 in Concord, N.H. Our directory features more than 18 million business listings from across the entire US. However, if we're missing your business, add your business by clicking on Add Your Business. Graba mare la aprobarea unui alt proiect pentru un centru fara rezidenti Astazi, 21 iulie, in sedinta extraordinara de indata (online) a fost aprobat cu 30 de voturi (unanimitate) un proiect prin care vor fi achizitionate dotari pentru centrul de zi de la Dragomiresti. Graba a fost data de faptul ca astazi trebuie depus [citeste mai departe] Stiri pe aceeasi tema - The Environmental Fund Administration (AFM) published, following the meeting of the approval committee on Tuesday, new lists with the approved files within the Rabla Classic and Rabla Plus Programs.Thus, according to a press release sent to AGERPRES, 691 files were approved for the "Rabla Classic - Laureatul premiului Nobel John Goodenough, un pionier in dezvoltarea bateriilor litiu-ion, a murit duminica. Mai avea o luna pana sa implineasca 101 ani, transmite Reuters.A fost un lider la varful cercetarii stiintifice de-a lungul numeroaselor decenii ale carierei sale", a declarat Jay Hartzell, - Incepand cu 1 iulie, Radu Maftei preia functia de senior vice president pentru Europa de Sud-Est (SEE) in cadrul Procter & Gamble, pozitie din care va coordona afacerile si operatiunile companiei in 12 piete din regiune, anunta compania. Radu Maftei a absolvit Academia de Studii Economice din Bucuresti, - Romania is an essential ally and strategic partner of the UK and what it is doing in order to help Ukraine regain its full sovereignty and enjoy full territorial independence is at the top of the allies' responses, Ambassador of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland in Bucharest Andrew - Romania will be a clear provider of solidarity and responsibility, which only confirms its constructive and responsible conduct in managing the migration issue at the European Union level, said on Thursday in Luxembourg the Secretary of State in the Ministry of Internal Affairs (MAI), Alexandru Marcoci, - Prime Minister Nicolae Ciuca met on Wednesday at the Victoria Palace of Government with the Atlantic Council's Black Sea Strategy working group led by Richard Hooker, whom he presented Romania's vision on the strategic importance of the Black Sea, especially amid the Russian military aggression on Ukraine, - Romania, promoted at IMEX Frankfurt International Tourism Fair. The Ministry of Entrepreneurship and Tourism (MAT) will be present with a national stand at the IMEX Frankfurt International Tourism Fair, Germany, from May 23-25, the institution said in a press release on Monday. CITESTE SI Education - Trade balance deficit down 5.6pct in Q1.Romania's trade deficit in the first quarter of this year was 6.082 billion euros, down 399.7 million euros (-5.6%) compared to the same period last year, according to data the National Institute of Statistics (INS) published Wednesday. CITESTE SI Independence Stiri pe aceeasi tema - Romanias Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu urged German Chancellor Olaf Scholz on Tuesday to further boost NATOs eastern flank by sending over German troops to his country soon and permanently, according to Politico. I hope that soon we will have German soldiers permanently on the territory of Romania, - Marti, 4 iulie, NATO a decis sa prelungeasca cu inca un an mandatul secretarului general Jens Stoltenberg, alegand sa ramana cu un lider experimentat in timp ce razboiul face ravagii la usa aliantei, in loc sa incerce sa ajunga la un acord asupra unui succesor, transmite Reuters . Jens Stoltenberg, - Stoltenberg, fost premier al Norvegiei, este liderul aliantei transatlantice de securitate inca din anul 2014, iar mandatul sau a fost deja prelungit de trei ori, relateaza HotNews.ro care citeaza Reuters.Decizia inseamna continuitate la varful NATO, in timp ce cei 31 de membri ai alinatei se confrunta - The European Commission requested an increase of E66 billion on Tuesday for the EUs long-term budget after several crises drained the blocs coffers, according to Politico. We have been using the budget more than ever, said Commission President Ursula von der Leyen. We come today with a very targeted - Germany is preparing to host the biggest air deployment exercise in NATOs history, a show of force intended to impress allies and potential adversaries such as Russia, German and American officials said Wednesday, according to AP News. The Air Defender 23 exercise starting next week will see 10,000 - NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg called on Kosovo to tone down tensions with Serbia on Sunday, two days after clashes between Kosovan police and protesters who are opposed to Albanian mayors taking office in ethnic Serbian areas, according to Reuters. Stoltenberg said he had spoken to European Union foreign - Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang cautioned his German counterpart Annalena Baerbock on Tuesday that Beijing would react strongly if the EU were to sanction Chinese companies over their potential role in assisting Russias war in Ukraine, according to Politico. Yet Baerbock rebuffed the warning, telling - Ukraine says it shot down about 15 Russian cruise missiles aimed at Kyiv overnight military officials said Tuesday, hours before European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen arrived in the capital, according to Politico. No hits were made, with no casualties and no serious damage caused by Arab League (AL) Secretary-General Ahmed Aboul Gheit welcomed the upgrade of diplomatic ties between Egypt and Turkey to ambassadorial level on Tuesday, according to spokesperson for the Arab League Secretary-General Gamal Roushdy. Cairo and Ankara jointly announced on Tuesday that the decision aims to "reestablish normal relations between the two countries and demonstrates their mutual determination to enhance bilateral relations for the best interest of both the Turkish and Egyptian peoples." Aboul Gheit stated that this decision reflects positive progress, which contributes to calming the situation in the region and strengthens diplomatic communication as a mechanism for conflict resolution. He added that "relations between Arab countries and their neighbours must be based on mutual respect and international laws for the shared interests of their peoples." Egypt and Turkey's relations have improved since last year after severing diplomatic ties in 2013. Ministerial-level talks were held throughout the year in both countries' capitals to normalize relations. In May 2023, Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan agreed to "upgrade diplomatic relations" and exchange ambassadors during a congratulatory phone call after the latter's re-election. Search Keywords: Short link: Stiri pe aceeasi tema - Table tennis - 2023 European Games: Romania women's team qualifies for semifinals. Romania women's table tennis team qualified on Thursday evening for the semifinals of the European Games in Krakow and Malopolska (Poland), by defeating Hungary 3-0 in the quarterfinals, told Agerpres. CITESTE - PSD's Ciolacu urges teaches to return to classes: We are speaking about the children's future. PSD (Social Democratic Party) leader Marcel Ciolacu urges teachers to return to classes in order to end this school year well, saying that the discussions on the "legitimate problems" in the system must - The soldiers of the 30th Guards Brigade Mihai Viteazul organized, on Tuesday, at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Bucharest's Carol I Park, the lighting ceremony of 100 candles to honor and appreciate the soldiers who fell in the line of duty.In the series of demonstrations dedicated to honoring - MEP Ciolos: I am interested in a presidential candidacy, but I do not rule out a European parliamentary candidacy.MEP Dacian Ciolos stated on Tuesday in Strasbourg that he further wishes a political future in Romania and he will decide, at the appropriate time, together with the colleagues in the - According to Giurgiu Border Police, over 8,600 trucks, 8,200 cars and 42,000 people transited Giurgiu Border Checkpoint during the mini-holiday on May 1, according to a press release issued by Giurgiu Border Police on Tuesday.According to the cited source, trucks leaving the country through Giurgiu - A foreign citizen has been detained by prosecutors for international trafficking of high-risk drugs and high-risk drugs trafficking after he was caught selling ketamine at the Sunwaves Festival in Mamaia."In this case, it was noted that the defendant introduced in Romania, transported, stored and - La 5 ani de la lansare, ROCA Investments, un brand fondat de Impetum Group si compania cea mai dinamica de private equity din Romania, ajunge sa detina un portofoliu in valoare de 78 de milioane de euro, marcand o noua crestere semnificativa cu 50% fata de evaluarea anterioara (din decembrie 2021) - Almost 77K persons enter Romania on Tuesday, including round 8K Ukrainians.The General Inspectorate of the Border Police (IGPR) informs that on Tuesday 76,966 people entered Romania through the border crossing points, of whom 7,871 were Ukrainian citizens, told Agerpres. Fii la curent cu cele Stiri pe aceeasi tema - The European Commission has filed a complaint against Poland over the legitimacy of its constitutional tribunal, which undermines the primacy of EU law, the Commission said on Wednesday, according to Euractiv. The complaint concerns the Tribunals rulings from 14 July and 7 October 2021, in which it - A non-binding European Parliament resolution adopted on Wednesday calls for Bulgaria and Romania to join the border-free Schengen area by the end of the year, stressing severe side effects for the two countries citizens and slamming Austria for blocking their accession without a legitimate reason, - Romanian authorities informed the Russian ambassador in Bucharest to reduce the number of diplomatic and technical-administrative staff of the Russian Federation in Romania on Thursday, adding that the embassy has 30 days to comply, according to Euractiv. During a meeting with the secretary of state - Every person working in Romania will have to retire at age 65 at the latest, Romanian Labour Minister Marius Budai announced Monday following his return from EU recovery plan discussions in Brussels, according to Euractiv. Budai attended a series of meetings last week to discuss reforms relating to - The Republic of Moldova will likely call on Romanian experts on its path to joining the European Union, the Moldovan Ambassador to Romania Victor Chirila said on Monday, noting that his country aims to start access negotiations this year, according to Euractiv. Experts for accession are to be dispatched - The national ban Bulgaria imposed on certain goods coming from Ukraine will be lifted once the EUs market stabilisation measures agreed to at the end of April come into force, the cabinets press service announced Wednesday, according to Euractiv. Faced with Poland, Hungary, Bulgaria, Romania and Slovakia - Poland wants to focus on strengthening the EUs ties with the US during its next presidency in the Council of the EU in 2025, announced President Andrzej Duda on Monday, according to Euractiv. As Poland celebrates its 19th anniversary since joining the bloc, Duda took this opportunity to discuss the - Ministerul Afacerilor Externe (MAE) anunta cetatenii romani care se afla, tranziteaza sau intentioneaza sa calatoreasca in Bulgaria catre Grecia si Turcia, precum si retur catre Romania, in perioada 28 aprilie 1 mai, ca se preconizeaza inregistrarea unor timpi de asteptare ridicati la punctele de Greater Cairo, the Delta governorates and the North Coast will experience hot weather during the day, with humidity increasing the felt temperature. Tourist cities of Luxor, Aswan, Hurghada and Gouna, in addition to Sharm El-Sheikh and Dahab in South Sinai, will be even hotter. The weather at night will be moderate nationwide, although humidity will be high, the EMA said. Travellers returning from vacation in the early morning on Tuesday and Wednesday are advised to beware of fog on major roads. Temperatures The North Coast will see highs of 29-31 degree Celsius. Greater Cairo and Lower Egypt will see highs of 34-35 degrees. Northern Upper Egypt will see highs of 36-40 degrees, while southern Upper Egypt will see highs of 40-43. South Sinai should brace for highs of 38-40 degrees. The government is committed to improving Hungarys health-care system, Bence Retvari, interior ministry parliamentary state secretary said, noting that next year the health budget will be boosted by 425 billion forints (EUR 1.13bn) compared with last year. Health-care spending has grown from 1,100 billion forints to 3,200 billion in the past decade, Retvari said at an awards ceremony held marking Semmelweis Day, adding that the number of doctors had also risen appreciably, with 1,000-1,500 graduating from medical universities each year, 1.5 times more than ten years ago. While in 2010, there were close to 34,000 doctors, this has risen to more than 40,000, while those applying to work abroad has fallen to one third, he said. Retvari noted the positive effects on the ban on so-called gratuity payments to doctors which had distorted the health-care system for around 70 years, adding that at end of last year only 1% of Hungarians saw gratuity as a problem. New Delhi: The Delhi Police detained a NEET exam gang that wrote exams in place of actual students. An AIIMS student was also detained. According to a top officer of the Delhi Police, more arrests are on the way. So far, Delhi police have detained two of the suspects. As of now, the Delhi police have detained four members of the gang: Sanju Yadav, Mahavir and Jitendra, as well as Naresh Bishroi. Sanju Yadav is said to be a first-year Radiology student at AIIMS Delhi who was arrested while taking an admission exam for a client. Mahavir and Jitendra, both AIIMS Delhi students, were reportedly arrested in Nagpur. The police reportedly seized their phones and laptops. According to sources, after the interrogation, Bishroi admitted to accepting Rs 7 lakh from the examiners for duping. The inquiry is still ongoing as investigators strive to determine whether there are any more students involved in this racket. cre Trending Stories NEET UG 2023: Counselling Schedule The Medical Counselling Committee (MCC) will soon begin registration for the NEET UG 2023 Counselling procedure, and the exact schedule will be available on the official website mcc.nic.in. Mumbai: At least 10 people were killed and more than 20 injured after a container truck hit four vehicles and then rammed into a hotel on a highway in Maharashtra's Dhule district on Tuesday, police said. The accident took place at around 10.45 am near Palasner village on the Mumbai-Agra highway in Dhule, located more than 300 km from the state capital, a police official said. The brakes of the truck failed, following which its driver lost control over the wheels. It hit two motorcycles, a car and another container from the rear side. The truck then rammed into a hotel near a bus stop on the highway and overturned, he said. cre Trending Stories "At least 10 people were killed and more than 20 injured," the official said. The truck was going towards Dhule from Madhya Pradesh. The victims included some of those waiting for a bus at the stop, he said. After being alerted, the police rushed to the spot. The injured persons were rushed to hospitals in Shirpur and Dhule, the police said. New Delhi: India on Tuesday once again refused to endorse China's ambitious Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), becoming the only country in the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) not to support the project. A declaration issued at the end of an India-hosted virtual summit of the grouping said Russia, Pakistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan reaffirmed their support to the BRI. "Reaffirming their support for China's 'Belt and Road Initiative' (BRI) initiative, the Republic of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyz Republic, Islamic Republic of Pakistan, Russian Federation, Republic of Tajikistan and the Republic of Uzbekistan note the ongoing work to jointly implement this project, including efforts to link the construction of the Eurasian Economic Union and BRI," it said. "They spoke in favour of implementing the roadmap for a gradual increase in the share of national currencies in mutual settlements by the interested member states," it added. The declaration said the member states also considered it important to ensure the implementation of the SCO Economic Development Strategy 2030 adopted by "interested member states" and projects aimed at promoting cooperation in areas of the digital economy, high technology and modernisation of existing international routes for road and rail transport. cre Trending Stories SCO Meet: PM Modi Launches Veiled Attack On Pak, PM Sharif With 'Safe Haven For Terrosists' Remark In his opening remarks at the summit, Prime Minister Narendra Modi highlighted the need for boosting connectivity but asserted that it is essential to respect the basic principles of the SCO charter, especially the sovereignty and territorial integrity of member states while making such efforts. The summit, chaired by PM Modi, was joined by Chinese President Xi Jinping, his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin, Pakistan PM Shehbaz Sharif and other leaders of the grouping. "Strong connectivity is crucial for the progress of any region. Better connectivity not only enhances mutual trade but also fosters mutual trust," he said. "However, in these efforts, it is essential to uphold the basic principles of the SCO charter, particularly respecting the sovereignty and regional integrity of the member states," PM Modi said. Pakistan PM Responds To PM Modi's Strong Message On Terrorism At SCO Summit The declaration said the member states intend to broaden and deepen cooperation for sustainable socio-economic development and to improve the well-being and living standards of the people in the SCO region. "They consider it important to ensure the implementation of the SCO Economic Development Strategy 2030 adopted by interested member states, other joint programmes and projects aimed at promoting cooperation," it said. The priority areas identified under the Economic Development Strategy are as digital economy, high technology and innovation, modernisation of existing international routes for road and rail transport, multimodal transport corridors and logistics centres, finance and investment, energy and food security, reliability, resilient and diversified supply chains and industrial cooperation. On Afghanistan, the declaration said the member states believed that one of the most important factors of preservation and strengthening of safety and stability within the SCO region is the "early settlement" of the situation in Afghanistan. "They advocate building Afghanistan as an independent, neutral, united, democratic and peaceful state, free from terrorism, war and drugs," it said. New Delhi: In a major organisational rejig, the BJP on Tuesday named Union Minister G Kishan Reddy, Sunil Jakhar and Babulal Marandi as presidents of its state units in Telangana, Punjab and Jharkhand respectively. In a statement, the party also announced former Union minister D Purandeswari as its new Andhra Pradesh president and brought in OBC leader Etela Rajender as its election management committee chairperson in the poll-bound Telangana. Etela Rajender served as the first finance minister of Telangana and began his political career with K Chandrashekar Rao-led Bharat Rashtra Samithi and stayed with it till 2021, after which he joined the BJP. D Purandeswari, the newly appointed Andhra BJP president, is the daughter of Telugu Desam Party founder and former Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister NT Rama Rao. cre Trending Stories G Kishan Reddy has been appointed as BJP state president of Telangana, D Purandeshwari appointed as the state president of Andhra Pradesh BJP, former CM Babulal Marandi becomes the state president of Jharkhand, Sunil Jakhar - the party's state president of Punjab. pic.twitter.com/j4QSxZbFim ANI (@ANI) July 4, 2023 The development highlights the BJP's emphasis to set its house in order in Telangana where many relatively new but powerful entrants to the party were against the leadership of Bandi Sanjay Kumar. Sources said Kumar may be inducted as a minister in the central government in a reshuffle in the coming days. Sunil Kumar Jakhar, the former MP who quit Congress in May last year claiming he wanted to support "nationalism, unity and brotherhood in Punjab", will now lead the saffron party in Punjab. Jakhar replaces Ashwani Sharma while Babulal Marandi comes in the place of Deepak Prakash. Marandi was the first Chief Minister of Jharkhand and is currently the Leader of the Opposition in the Jharkhand Legislative Assembly. Besides, Kiran Kumar Reddy, the last Chief Minister of the United Andhra Pradesh before the formation of the Telangana state, has been appointed as a member of the party's national executive committee. The rejig is significant in the primacy given to leaders who have joined the BJP from other parties. Jakhar and Rajender left the Congress and the BRS respectively to join the BJP. Purandeswari was in Congress and a minister in the UPA government. By elevating Rajender, an influential regional leader, and removing Kumar, the party has sent a positive signal to those looking for greener pastures in the state's triangular politics. The changes also suggest that the BJP has put its faith in the tribal leader Marandi, a former chief minister, to take on the rival alliance headed by Chief Minister Hemant Soren, also a tribal. With the Congress seeking to rally back to reclaim some of its lost ground in the southern state of Telangana, the BJP is making a determined push to be the main challenger to the Bharat Rashtra Samithi and is working overtime to augment its ranks by persuading local satraps of other parties to switch over. With the BJP not being traditionally strong in Telangana, Punjab and Andhra Pradesh, its projection of these relative outsiders is unlikely to draw much opposition from its cadres and can help its expansion exercise, sources said. The development is also likely to further fuel the speculation about a Cabinet rejig with the upcoming assembly polls in states like Telangana, Chhattisgarh, Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh likely to be a factor besides the BJP's bid to give allies more representation. .Meanwhile, the saffron party has also called a meeting of all the state presidents, state general secretaries, and state in-charges on July 7. BJP national president JP Nadda and National General Secretary BL Santosh will preside over this meeting. Importantly, a meeting of the Union Cabinet meeting is also likely to take place at 10:30 AM on Wednesday, said BJP sources. New Delhi: The United States on Monday denounced the vandalism and attempted arson at the Indian Consulate in San Francisco, calling the violence a criminal offense. A video by Khalistan supporters, dated July 2, 2023 posted on Twitter, showed the act of fire-setting at the Indian Consulate in San Francisco. The video, with the words violence begets violence written over it, also showed news articles related to the death of Canada-based Khalistan Tiger Force (KTF) chief Hardeep Singh Nijjar. Nijjar, one of Indias most-wanted terrorists who had a cash reward of Rs 10 lakh on his head, was gunned down outside a gurdwara in Canada last month. According to Diya TV, a local station, Khalistanis extremists ignited the Indian consulate between 1:30am and 2:30am. However, the San Francisco fire department swiftly extinguished it. cre Trending Stories Zee News English could not independently verify the authencity of the video ARSON ATTEMPT AT SF INDIAN CONSULATE: #DiyaTV has verified with @CGISFO @NagenTV that a fire was set early Sunday morning between 1:30-2:30 am in the San Francisco Indian Consulate. The fire was suppressed quickly by the San Francisco Department, damage was limited and no pic.twitter.com/bHXNPmqSVm Diya TV - 24/7 * Free * Local (@DiyaTV) July 3, 2023 The U.S. Strongly condemns the reported vandalism and attempted arson against the Indian Consulate in San Francisco on Saturday. Vandalism or violence against diplomatic facilities or foreign diplomats in the U.S. Is a criminal offense, State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller said in a tweet Monday. The U.S. strongly condemns the reported vandalism and attempted arson against the Indian Consulate in San Francisco on Saturday. Vandalism or violence against diplomatic facilities or foreign diplomats in the U.S. is a criminal offense. July 3, 2023 Diya TV, a South Asian broadcast TV network in the US, said in a tweet that a fire was started early Sunday morning between 1:30-2:30 am in the San Francisco Indian Consulate. The fire was put out quickly by the San Francisco Department, damage was minimal and no staffers were injured. Local, state and federal authorities have been alerted, it said. The outlet also posted a video of the arson attack. A poster being shared on social media says that a Khalistan Freedom Rally will be held on July 8 that will begin in Berkeley, California and end at the Indian embassy in San Francisco. New Delhi: India is all set to virtually host the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit today. The summit will witness the participation of Chinese President Xi Jinping, and Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif. The meeting of the SCO Heads of State will be chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The major issues that are expected to be on the agenda include terrorism, regional security and prosperity. The theme of India's chairship of SCO- SECURE is derived from the acronym coined by PM Modi at the 2018 SCO Qingdao Summit. It stands for S: Security, E: Economic development, C: Connectivity, U: Unity, R: Respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity, E: Environmental protection. Russian President Vladimir Putin will also participate in the summit this week. This comes at a time when the Russia-Ukraine war has completed over a war. India has condemned the war but has not voted against Russia at any forum. Speaking to President Putin on the sidelines of the SCO summit in Uzbekistan last year, PM Modi said, "This is not the era of war", a statement that even made to the G20 communique under the Indian presidency. Earlier on June 30, PM Modi held a telephonic conversation with Russian President Vladimir Putin and discussed issues of bilateral cooperation including Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) and G20. cre Trending Stories All the SCO Member States, China, Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan, have been invited to attend the Summit. In addition, Iran, Belarus and Mongolia have been invited as Observer States. As per the SCO tradition, Turkmenistan has also been invited as the guest of the Chair. Heads of the two SCO Bodies, the Secretariat and the SCO RATS, will also be present. One of the major highlights of the summit, Pakistan and China have expressed their willingness to participate in the summit. Pakistan which has been isolated globally for harbouring terrorists, is set to attend the summit. With Chinese aggression in 2020 at Galwan, there has been an ongoing stand-off and amassing of troops in large numbers at Indian positions on the LAC in eastern Ladakh. The Indian side has also deployed a heavy number of troops and developed infrastructure at a very fast pace for them. PM Modi ahead of his visit to the US said that for "normal bilateral ties" with China "peace and tranquillity in the border areas is essential," the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) reported. "We have a core belief in respecting sovereignty and territorial integrity, observing the rule of law and peaceful resolution of differences and disputes. At the same time, India is fully prepared and committed to protecting its sovereignty and dignity," PM Modi said in his interview to the US publication. Jinping, who will attend the virtual summit of the SCO being hosted by India, will deliver important remarks at the meeting and along with other leaders chart the course for the future growth of the organization, Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Mao Ning said in a statement. Shehbaz Sharif will also participate in the SCO meeting. The invitation to the Pakistan PM Shehbaz Sharif was extended by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, informed the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Pakistan. The participation of the two leaders comes at a time when China blocked a proposal by India and the United States at the United Nations to designate Lashkar-e-Taiba terrorist Sajid Mir, wanted for his involvement in the 26/11 Mumbai terrorist attacks, as a global terrorist, which also drew stern criticism from New Delhi. India joined the SCO in 2005 as an observer country and became a full member of the group at the Astana Summit in 2017, marking a watershed point in its relationship with the Organisation. In the last six years, India has taken an active and positive role in all SCO operations. At the SCO Summit in Samarkand in September 2022, India took over the chairmanship of the SCO for the first time from Uzbekistan. During India's presidency, the SCO has reached new milestones in the depth and intensity of its engagements and interactions across wide-ranging sectors. India created five new pillars and focus areas of cooperation in SCO, Startups and Innovation, Traditional Medicine, Digital Inclusion, Youth Empowerment and Shared Buddhist Heritage. Two new mechanisms in SCO, Special Working Group on Startups and Innovation and Experts Working Group on Traditional Medicine, were created at India's initiative. Jaipur: The Rajasthan government will bring a Bill in the next assembly session to increase the punishment for those involved in recruitment exam paper leaks from the current 10 years to life imprisonment, Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot said on Tuesday. In March 2022, the assembly passed a Bill providing for imprisonment of up to 10 years and a fine of Rs 10 crore for offences such as government exam paper leaks and cheating in such recruitment tests. This came a month after the REET level-two examination held in September 2021 was cancelled due to a paper leak. "It has been decided to bring a Bill in the upcoming assembly session to make life imprisonment the maximum punishment under the law against paper leaks," Gehlot said in a tweet in Hindi on Tuesday. cre Trending Stories "In order to bring more transparency in competitive examinations in the state, the chief secretary has been directed to prepare a better process after discussing with the Rajasthan Public Service Commission (RPSC), Department of Personnel (DOP), Rajasthan Staff Selection Board (RSSB) and other stakeholders," he added. Opposition parties in Rajasthan have been targeting the Congress government over the issue of paper leaks. Assembly elections in the state are due later this year. Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot also announced that a Bill to curb cheating in recruitment examinations would be brought as well. The opposition BJP has demanded a CBI probe into the REET paper leak case, which at present is being investigated by the Special Operation Group of the Rajasthan Police. Following the large-scale operation by Israeli occupation forces in the occupied West Bank on Monday, the death toll has now reached 10 on Tuesday as Palestinian casualties continue to rise in the city of Jenin. The Palestinian Ministry of Health confirmed the death overnight of Mustafa Nidal Qassem, 17, wounded on Monday by Israeli army gunfire. The Red Crescent said the body of another Palestinian was found on Tuesday morning in the fields, reported the Palestinian news agency WAFA. Eight Palestinians ranging in age between 16 and 23 years were killed on Monday and over 100 were wounded, including 20 in critical condition, when hundreds of Israeli soldiers backed by warplanes, drones and tanks attacked Jenin. The raid, launched under Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's hard-right government was the biggest in the West Bank for years. Since the start of the operation in the early hours of Monday about 3,000 residents, have been forced by Israel occupation forces to leave their homes, deputy governor of Jenin, Kamal Abu al-Roub told AFP, adding arrangements were being made to house them in schools and other shelters in the city of Jenin. Residents said Israeli soldiers broke into their homes and told them to leave the camp because they are going to shell it. In some cases, the soldiers threw tear gas grenades at the fleeing civilians, WAFA reported. Firefights and explosions rocked the city and adjacent refugee camp, a stronghold home to ab out 18,000 people, as Palestinians threw rocks at soldiers and smoke from blasts and burning barricades darkened the sky, an AFP correspondent said. "There is bombing from the air and an invasion on the ground," said Mahmoud al-Saadi, director of the Palestinian Red Crescent in Jenin. "Several houses and sites have been bombed... smoke is rising from everywhere." Israel killed seven Palestinians two weeks ago which saw the rare use of helicopter missile fire. The Palestinian foreign ministry called the escalation "an open war against the people of Jenin". Israeli occupation army spokesman Daniel Hagari told reporters that Israeli troops did "not intend to stay in the camp", but "we are getting ready for the more severe situation" of prolonged fighting. Jenin resident Badr Shagoul told AFP: "I saw them taking bulldozers into the camp, they were destroying buildings ... These were people's homes." At a hospital morgue some bodies were covered in blankets and others were heavily bandaged, an AFP correspondent said, adding that the fighting continued into the late evening. "In the last five years, this is the worst raid," nurse Qasem Benighader said, noting "many" patients with bullet wounds and injuries from explosives. Israel had already stepped up operations in the northern occupied West Bank, which has seen a recent spate of attacks on Israelis as well as Israeli settler violence targeting Palestinians. Jenin camp resident Mahmoud Hawashin called the situation "catastrophic", and predicted that "if there is more Palestinian blood shed, there will be more Israeli blood shed." UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres is "deeply concerned" about the violence, and called for the respect of international humanitarian law, a spokesman said in a statement. 'Escalating campaigns' The Palestinian group Islamic Jihad said, "all options are open to strike the enemy in response to its aggression in Jenin". The United States said ally Israel had a right to "defend its people against... terrorist groups" but called for the protection of civilians. The Arab League said it will convene an emergency meeting Tuesday to discuss "an Arab mobilisation to counter the Israeli attack on Jenin". Neighbouring Jordan called the raid "a clear violation of international humanitarian law", while the United Arab Emirates urged "the immediate halt of repeated and escalating campaigns against the Palestinian people". Egypt strongly condemned the Israeli forces' attack and warned against the risks of the ongoing Israeli escalation against the Palestinians. Earlier on Monday the Israeli occupation army said it had struck a "joint operations centre" of a group called the Jenin Brigade, a weapons depot, an "observation and reconnaissance" site and a hideout for alleged attackers of Israeli targets. Occupation army spokesman Richard Hecht said troops were after "specific targets", adding the operation had no defined timeline. Israeli-Palestinian violence has worsened since last year, and escalated further under the Netanyahu coalition government that includes extreme-right allies. The Jenin area is nominally controlled by Palestinian Authority, which has partial administrative control in the West Bank. In a separate incident, Israeli fire killed a Palestinian youth near the West Bank city of Ramallah, the Palestinian health ministry said. Settlements Israel has occupied the West Bank and Jerusalem since the Six-Day War of 1967. The territory is now home to around 700,000 Israelis in settlements considered illegal under international law. The Palestinians, who seek their own independent state, want Israel to withdraw from all land it seized in 1967 and to dismantle all Israeli settlements. Netanyahu, however, has pledged to "strengthen settlements" and expressed no interest in reviving peace talks, moribund since 2014. After last month's Jenin raid, four Israelis were killed by two Palestinian gunmen -- who were shot dead -- near the West Bank settlement of Eli. That same week, Israel said a drone strike killed three other Palestinians in the West Bank. At least 185 Palestinians have been killed this year, according to an AFP tally compiled from official sources. Search Keywords: Short link: SRINAGAR: National Conference Vice President and former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Tuesday said that there is no hope that the rights that were taken away from the people on August 5, 2019, will be restored under the BJP rule. Speaking to reporters, Omar said, "We have been saying from day one that whatever has been taken away from us, we have no hope that it will be restored by the present government. We want our rights back through the legal process, we hope that the hearing in this regard will continue in the Supreme Court, the NC leader said. On split in Sharad Pawar-led NCP, Omar said, I don't think there is any state where they have not tried to create division or engineer a split between parties. Opposition parties in Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Maharashtra, Goa, Northeast and Karnataka were targeted and even in Jammu and Kashmir parties have split and new parties have been formed. Omar Abdullah said, "It is unfortunate, but it is the reality." cre Trending Stories When asked about Shah Faisal withdrawing the petition challenging Article 370, Omar said that he has the right to do what he wants to do, he can withdraw the petition as he was not forced to file the petition, and nobody has forced him to take it back. IAS topper Shah Faisal has withdrawn the petition filed in the Supreme Court regarding Article 370. He filed this petition in 2019. In view of the title of the petition is still Shah Faisal vs Union of India, Shah Faisal issued a clarification stating that he had withdrawn the petition long back. Responding to a question about opposition unity at the national level, Omar said the strength of the opposition can be decided only in elections. On holding elections in Jammu and Kashmir, he said, "BJP is scared of elections in Jammu and Kashmir, they do not want elections to be held here because they know that if assembly elections are held here, they will not get even 10 seats." Election is our democratic right, but we know that we will not get our rights from these people. "BJP is not ready to face elections in JK," he said. Omar Abdullah was on a visit to central Kashmir's Ganderbal district for a party meeting. New Delhi: Anyone following the Gen-Z bunch of Bollywood star kids knows who Orry aka Orhan Awatramani is. Well, if not knows about him but certainly knows of his cool parties and vacays with the newest and coolest kids on the block including Janhvi Kapoor, Khushi Kapoor and Nysa Devgan among many others. After a brief lull, Orry is back with his Insta game piquing the interest of fans as he dropped a few of his unseen awesome-looking pictures nothing less than a professional-looking photoshoot. In two of the clicks, we can spot him with a friend and Nysa Devgan, looking as stunning as ever in that bodycon dress. Take a look here: Orry's caption reads: Dont leave me now, baby I am trying. Reacting to this, Janhvi Kapoor wrote: Gtg sorry, with sister Khushi dropping in some lit emojis. Meanwhile, Nysa wrote: who cud leave u. Many other friends also commented on Orry's picture blast. A few days back, Janhvi and Khushi partied with Orry and Janhvi's rumoured boyfriend Shikhar Pahariya also joined the gang. The pictures were shared by Orry on his IG Story. WHEN ORRY MET RAGA In June this year, Orhan Awatramani gave netizens a pleasant surprise after he posted a picture with none other than Congress leader Rahul Gandhi from his meeting in London. The two met at the Nobu, Old Park Lane restaurant. This surely got him trending on social media all day. NYSA DEVGAN-ORRY PARTY IN LONDON Ajay Devgn and Kajol's daughter Nysa sometime back attended Beyonce's Renaissance World Tour concert in London. Orhan Awatramani posted many pictures and videos from the show on his Instagram Stories. The stunner rocked the concert in sassy stylish outfits and Orry also posted his dining pictures of them dining out. Nysa is Ajay Devgn and Kajol's elder child. They also have a son named Yug Devgan. Nysa has several pages dedicated to her on social media. She has not yet made her entry into the showbiz world and yet netizens wanna know more about her. Kajol and Ajay Devgn's daughter did her schooling at Mumbai's Dhirubhai Ambani International School and later enrolled in the United College of Southeast Asia in Singapore. She is currently studying International Hospitality at Switzerland's Glion Institute of Higher Education. New Delhi: The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) on Monday said that as much as 76 per cent of the total number of Rs 2,000 notes in circulation have been returned to banks. The central bank said in a statement that most of these notes have returned through deposits. "According to the data received from the banks, the total value of Rs 2,000 bank notes received back from circulation after the announcement on May 19 is Rs 2.72 lakh crore up to June 30, 2023," it said. cre Trending Stories Consequently, Rs 2,000 bank notes in circulation as at the close of business on June 30 stood at Rs 0.84 lakh crore. Now, 76 per cent of the Rs 2,000 banknotes in circulation, as on May 19, have since been returned, the central bank added in the statement. Data collected from major banks indicated that out of the total bank notes in Rs 2,000 denomination received back from circulation, about 87 per cent is in the form of deposits and the remaining around 13 per cent has been exchanged into other denomination bank notes. A Vande Bharat Express train ran over cattle near Gujarat's Valsad railway station and was forced to halt for nearly 20 minutes before resuming its journey on Monday evening, an official said. The Gandhinagar-Mumbai Vande Bharat Express ran over the animal around 2 km from Valsad railway station in south Gujarat and was forced to halt for nearly 20 minutes as the carcass was removed from its wheels, station master of Valsad railway station S K Dutta said. The incident occurred around 6.19 pm, and the train left for its destination at 6.40 pm after the carcass was removed, Dutta said. The Gandhinagar-Mumbai Vande Bharat Express was flagged off by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in September last year. Days after its inauguration, it had hit four buffaloes and its nose cone had to be replaced. After a spate of such incidents, the Western Railway (WR) has commenced the work of erecting metal barriers along the more than 620-km-long Mumbai-Ahmedabad trunk route with the aim to stop animals from straying onto the tracks. cre Trending Stories The Western Railway said in January this year, that incidents of cattle being run over adversely affect rail operations, increasing the possibility of accidents and causing loss to Railway property. Such incidents also endanger the lives of cattle and cause financial loss to their owners. The metal fencing will cover a length of 622 km and the entire project will cost Rs 245.26 crore. The Western Railway has appealed to cattle owners and grazers to not let their domesticated animals come near the railway tracks. New Delhi: Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami on Tuesday met Prime Minister Narendra Modi and later assured that a Uniform Civil Code will soon be implemented in the state, even as he denied having any direct discussion with the PM on the topic. Speaking to reporters after the meeting, C Dhami said he has invited the PM to visit Uttarakhand. The Chief Minister said he also discussed the issue of assistance for the people affected in the Joshimath, Char Dham Yatra, and the increase in Goods and Services Tax (GST) collection in the state among other issues. Chairperson of Uttarakhand UCC Drafting Committee, Justice Ranjana Prakash Desai, also accompanied Chief Minister Dhami, who completed two years as the head of the hill state on Tuesday. CM Dhami's meeting with PM Modi comes amid the raging debate over the implementation of the Uniform Civil Code in the country. Sources said that the Uttarakhand Civil Code Draft might become the template for the Centre's law. cre Trending Stories When asked whether the UCC was also a topic of discussion, CM Dhami evaded a direct reply by saying the PM is already aware of all the details. "He knows all about the provisions of UCC. It is his thought that UCC should be implemented in the country," Dhami said. He said the state government has not received a complete draft of the report on the code yet. "We will bring it (UCC) soon, we will not delay it, nor will we do anything in a hurry so that there are shortcomings..." Dhami said. Asked if Tribal groups will be exempted from the common code, the Chief Minister said the committee has reached out to different tribal groups in the state. Commenting on his meeting with Union Home Minister Amit Shah earlier, CM Dhami said they discussed the Char Dham Yatra, the law and order situation in the state, and preparedness for natural disasters in view of the arrival of the monsoon. CM Dhami had on Sunday said that the expert committee examining the UCC would soon submit the draft. "As per the promise made to the state's people, today on June 30, the committee formed to prepare the draft of the Uniform Civil Code has completed its work. Soon, the Uniform Civil Code will be implemented in Devbhoomi Uttarakhand. Jai Hind, Jai Uttarakhand!" he said in a tweet. BJP's UCC Push Ahead Of 2024 Polls In its manifesto for the 2022 assembly elections in the state, BJP had promised to bring a UCC. Implementation of a UCC has been part of BJP election manifestos and Prime Minister Narendra Modi while addressing BJP workers in Bhopal last month made a strong push for it, asking how can the country function with dual laws that govern personal matters, and accused the Opposition of using the issue to "mislead and provoke" the Muslim community. Uttarakhand is already in the process of implementing its common code. Mumbai: Actress Urmila Matondkar, whose gangster-drama 'Satya' recently clocked 25 years of release, took to social media to take potshots at the award ceremonies in Bollywood and the practice of nepotism and favouritism in the film industry. The actress took to Twitter to share a few pictures of her character 'Vidya' from the 1998 Ram Gopal Varma directorial 'Satya', the film which has gained a cult status over the years. Also Read: Kareena Kapoor Sizzles In Red Hot Bikini, Looks Drop-Dead Gorgeous In Latest Photos From Italy Vacation cre Trending Stories The actor captioned the images: "25yrs of Satya n of playing simple naive chawl girl Vidya at the peak of a scintillating glamorous career. But NO what did that have to do with 'acting'... so no awards n not even nominations. So sit down n dont talk to me about favouritism n nepotism... #justsaying (sic)." Also Read: Bhumi Pednekar Visits Siddhivinayak Temple With Sister Samiksha, Actor Distributes Prasad While Urmila worked on many glamorous roles, 'Satya' along with 'Kaun' and 'Ek Hasina Thi' serve as the mark of her acting prowess. Also Read: Kangana Ranaut Takes A Dig At Salman Khan's Bigg Boss OTT 2 Bollywood actress Kajol, whose 'Kuch Kuch Hota Hai' released in the same year as 'Satya', swept majority of the awards at several award functions that year.ots at award shows for overlooking her role in 'Satya'. ICAI CA Final, Inter Result 2023: The Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI) has announced that the results of the May 2023 Chartered Accountants Final and Intermediate Examination would be issued on Wednesday, July 5, 2023. Candidates can check the results beginning at 10:00 a.m. on the ICAI website, icai.nic.in. Candidates must log in to the website with their registration number and PIN number to view their results. These exams are held twice a year, in May and November. May session exams were held from May 3 to May 18, 2023. ICAI CA Final, Inter Result 2023: Steps to download the scorecard here cre Trending Stories Visit the official website of ICAI - icai.org Click on the CA Intermediate result option. Login using your ICAI registration number/pin and roll number. Enter the captcha code and hit the submit button. CA Inter result May 2023 will appear on your screen. Candidates can check their marks and download the CA Intermediate result for June session. Take a printout of the result of CA Intermediate 2023 for future reference The ICAI emphasises in the official news release that candidates must visit the website icai.nic.in to view their results. The notice also reminds people to input their registration number and roll number in order to get the results. The State Bank of India (SBI) has started the registration process for the positions of FLC Counsellors and FLC Directors. Interested candidates can apply online from June 15 to July 6. To apply for the post, eligible candidates can visit the official SBI website https://sbi.co.in/. As per the notice, the recruitment drive aims to fill a total of 194 posts of retired officers of SBI, including 12 positions for FLC Directors and 182 positions for FLC Counsellors. It's important to note that the bank has clearly mentioned that hard copies of applications or any other documents need not be sent to their offices. SBI RBO Recruitment 2023: Guidelines to follow Candidates failing to upload all required documents (assignment details, ID proof, age proof, etc.) will not be considered for shortlisting or interview. A candidates candidature will be provisional and subject to satisfactory verification of all details and documents, including the submission of original documents during the interview (if selected). cre Trending Stories In case a candidate is called for the interview and is found not satisfying the eligibility criteria, then they shall not be allowed to appear before the interviewer. Candidates will have to attend the interview by bearing their own expenses. Candidates are advised to keep an eye on the Banks website https://bank.sbi/careers or https://www.sbi.co.in/careers for more updates. No hard copy will be sent, the call letter will be sent by e-mail only. All revisions/ corrigendum (if any) will be hosted on the banks careers website only. If more than one candidate scores the same marks as cut-off marks in the final merit list, they will be ranked in according to their age in descending order. Hard copy of applications and other documents are not required to be sent to this office. SBI RBO Recruitment 2023: Age Limit Applicants should be between 60 and 63 years of age. There would be no relaxation in age for reserved category candidates. Selection will be based on shortlisting and interview Shortlisting: The Shortlisting Committee constituted by the bank will decide the shortlisting parameters and then an adequate number of candidates will be called for interview. Fulfilling minimum qualifications and experience will not vest any right in the candidate for being called for an interview. The decision of the bank to call the candidates for the interview shall be final. No correspondence will be accepted in this regard. Interview: It comprises 100 marks and the qualifying marks in the interview will be decided by the bank. Merit list: For final selection, merit list will be prepared in descending order of scores obtained in the interview. SBI RBO Recruitment 2023: Steps to apply 1) Go to the official website of SBIs career page. 2) On the right side of the homepage, under ADVERTISEMENT NO: CRPD/RS/2023-24/11, click on the apply online link. 3) Register as a new or registered user and proceed with the application process. 4) Fill up the form as asked. 5) Upload the required documents. 6) Recheck the application form before submitting. Submit and take a print of the same for future reference. For further information and updates, applicants are advised to visit the official website, https://sbi.co.in/. The U.N. peacekeeping force on the Lebanon-Israel border said late Monday its commander is in contact with officials in both countries over tensions regarding two tents set up by Hezbollah group last month. Israel filed a complaint with the United Nations in June claiming that Hezbollah had set up tents several dozen meters (yards) inside of Israeli territory. The area where the tents were erected in Chebaa Farms and the Kfar Chouba hills were captured by Israel from Syria during the 1967 Mideast war and are part of Syrias Golan Heights that Israel occupied and then annexed in 1981. The Lebanese government says the area belongs to Lebanon. The head of the U.N. peacekeeping force known as UNIFIL, Maj. Gen. Aroldo Lazaro, continues to be in direct contact with authorities on both sides of the Blue Line to resolve the situation of the tents, UNIFIL said in a statement sent to The Associated Press. The borderline demarcated after Israels withdrawal from southern Lebanon in 2000 is known as the blue line. UNIFIL added: We are looking into reports that a tent has been moved north of the Blue Line. UNIFIL added that any unauthorized presence or activity near the Blue Line is a concern, and has the potential to increase tension and misunderstandings. The head of Hezbollahs parliamentary bloc Mohammed Raad said Saturday that the tents are in Lebanon. He added, referring to Israel: You cannot remove two tents because there is resistance and strong men in this country. Israel and Hezbollah fought to a draw in a monthlong war in Lebanon in 2006. Last week, Hezbollah said it shot down an Israel drone flying over a village in southern Lebanon. Hezbollah has in the past claimed downing Israeli drones, and Israels military also has said in the past that they have shot down Hezbollah drones. Search Keywords: Short link: New Delhi: Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar on Tuesday said that the time has come to introduce the Uniform Civil Code (UCC) as envisaged by founding fathers of the Constitution. Article 44 of the Constitution clearly states that the state shall endeavour to secure the UCC for its citizens across the country, he said. "This was the thought process of the founding fathers. The time has come for its implementation and there can be no impediment or further delay", he said. The Vice-President was addressing the 25th convocation of the Indian Institute of Technology, Guwahati. cre Trending Stories Gorakhpur: Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath performed Rudrabhishek at Groakhnath temple in Gorakhpur on the first day of Shrawan month on Tuesday. The CM also prayed for the happiness and prosperity of the people of the state. CM Yogi offered bilva patra, lotus flower etc to Lord Shiva and performed Rudrabhishek with milk and seasonal fruit juice at the Shakti Peeth located on the first floor of his residence at Gorakhnath temple. The chief priest of the Math, Acharya Ramanuja Tripathi and other Acharyas completed the ritual of Rudrabhishek by chanting the mahamantras. After Rudrabhishek, CM Yogi performed Havan and Aarti amidst chanting of Vedic mantras and wished the people of the state a healthy, happy, prosperous and peaceful life. In the Hindu calendar, 'Sawan', also known as 'Shravan, is the fifth month of the Hindu lunar calendar and one of the holiest months of the year. This year, the Shravan period stretches for two months instead of the usual one-month period. Previously, an almost two-month-long Shravan period was observed approximately 19 years ago. cre Trending Stories #WATCH | Gorakhpur: Uttar Pradesh CM Yogi Adityanath offered prayers at Gorakhnath temple on the first day of 'Sawan' month. pic.twitter.com/x5yfJJMquU ANI UP/Uttarakhand (@ANINewsUP) July 4, 2023 July 10 marks the first fasting Monday of the period this year, while August 28 marks the last Monday fast of the period. According to the Hindu Calendar, an extra month is added every three years when the Sun changes its zodiac sign or transits from one zodiac to another. This transit is also known as Sankranti. As a result, there are 12 Sankranti in a solar year, and the month with no Sankranti is termed Malmas or Adhikmas. Typically, no auspicious or new tasks or rituals are performed during this month. Malmas will begin on July 18, 2023, and end on August 16, 2023, this year. This year, Sawan commenced on July 4 and will continue till August 31. Targeting Cookies These cookies may be set through our site by our advertising partners. They may be used by those companies to build a profile of your interests and show you relevant adverts on other sites. They are also used to limit the number of times you see an advert as well as help measure the effectiveness of an advertising campaign. They do not store directly personal information, but are based on uniquely identifying your browser and internet device. If you do not allow these cookies, you will experience less targeted advertising. New Delhi: After his Indian counterpart Narendra Modi's veiled reference to his country, Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Tuesday said the 'hydra-headed monster' of terrorism and extremism must be fought with full vigour and conviction. While addressing the 23rd meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Council of Heads of State (CHS) hosted by India in a virtual format, Sharif said the terrorism in all its forms and manifestations, including state terrorism, must be condemned in clear and unambiguous terms. "The hydra-headed monster of terrorism and extremism -- whether committed by individuals, societies or states -- must be fought with full vigour and conviction. Any temptation to use it as a cudgel for diplomatic point-scoring must be avoided under all circumstances," he said. "Terrorism in all its forms and manifestations, including state terrorism, must be condemned in clear and unambiguous terms. There can be no justification for the killing of innocent people regardless of the cause or pretext," the Pakistan PM added. cre Trending Stories He noted that while the sacrifices made by Pakistan in fighting the scourge of terrorism were without a parallel, the phenomenon continued to plague the region and was a 'serious obstacle' to peace and stability. Sharif also talked about the three evils of terrorism, extremism and separatism and urged the SCO countries to take concerted and immediate actions, both in their national and collective capacity, to combat them. He also tried to rake up the Kashmir issue and highlighted the importance of UN resolutions to address the long overdue disputes. PM Narendra Modi's veiled attack on Pakistan Shehbaz Sharif's statement came after Prime Minister Narendra Modi told leaders of the SCO nations that the grouping 'must not hesitate' to criticise countries supporting cross-border terrorism as an instrument of state policy and that there must not be any 'double standards' in combating terrorist activities. With Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russia's Vladimir Putin listening, Modi also said that 'decisive action' is required to deal with terrorism and terror financing. "Terrorism remains a major threat to regional and global peace. Decisive action is necessary to meet this challenge. Terrorism may be in any form, in any manifestation and we have to fight together against it," he said. "Some countries use cross-border terrorism as an instrument of their policies; give shelter to terrorists. The SCO should not hesitate to criticise such countries. There should be no room for double standards on such a serious issue," he added. While chairing the summit, he also talked about the growing importance of the SCO and said, "It is our shared responsibility to understand each other's needs and sensitivities and resolve all challenges through better cooperation and coordination." PM Modi also spoke on Afghanistan and said the situation there has a 'direct impact on the security of all of us' and that it is important to ensure that Afghan territory is not used to destabilise neighbouring countries or to encourage extremist ideologies. The virtual summit under India's presidency was attended by leaders of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan and Iran as well. It is notable that the SCO was founded at a summit in Shanghai in 2001 by the presidents of Russia, China, the Kyrgyz Republic, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. Subsequently, Pakistan became its permanent member along with India in 2017. Moscow: Russian President Vladimir Putin today addressed the Council of Heads of States summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) virtually and thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi for organising this Summit and lauded the work India has done under its presidency. He said, "I would like to thank PM Modi for organising this Summit. The implementation of a lot of documents and the decisions that were prepared for this Summit is going to enhance the strategic partnership with India." He added that Moscow supports the New Delhi declaration which gives a consolidated approach to international issues. cre Trending Stories "Russia supports the New Delhi declaration which gives a consolidated approach to international issues. We will continue to strengthen ties with SCO member states," Putin said. Speaking further, Putin also mentioned Ukraine and noted that, for quite a while, external forces had been carrying out a project aimed at transforming Ukraine into "a hostile state; the anti-Russia." "In fact, there is a hybrid war being waged against us, which involves illegal sanctions on Russia that are unprecedented in scale. I would like to point out that Russia has been and will continue to confidently counter external pressure, sanctions and provocative incitements," the Russian head of state emphasized. He added that, for quite a while, external forces had been carrying out a project aimed at transforming Ukraine into "a hostile state; the anti-Russia," President Vladimir Putin said at the summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), according to the Russian news agency, TASS. "For eight years, they pumped it [Ukraine] full of weapons, condoned aggression against the peaceful population of Donbas, and turned a blind eye to the enforced propagation of neo-Nazi ideas. And all of this was being done to put the security of Russia under threat and put a check on the development of our country," Putin pointed out during the Summit. He also added by saying, "Another focus of the SCO is the current situation in Afghanistan. The situation that regrettably is not becoming better. The SCO's priority must be counter-terrorism, counter radicalism, extremism and to counter drug trafficking." The SCO summit, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, concluded with the virtual participation of the heads of state from all SCO nations. India assumed the rotating chairmanship of the SCO at the Samarkand Summit of SCO on September 16 last year. The theme of India's Chairmanship of SCO in 2023 is 'SECURE-SCO'. Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and China's President Xi Jinping were among others who participated in the summit. A car ramming and stabbing attack in Tel Aviv wounded seven people Tuesday before the suspect was shot dead, on the second day of Israel's biggest military operation in years in the occupied West Bank. Palestinian group Hamas praised the "heroic" attack as "an initial response to crimes against our people in the Jenin camp" where Israeli occupation forces had killed 10 people in a major raid on Monday. The driver in Tel Aviv was thought to have intentionally hit several pedestrians before getting out to "stab civilians with a sharp object," police said. The man, an occupied West Bank resident, was then shot dead by an armed passerby, said the Israeli police chief. The attack came as the Israeli occupation army pushed on with its operation in the resistance group stronghold of Jenin in the northern occupied West Bank that left 10 Palestinians dead, more than 100 in custody, and thousands displaced from their homes. The Jenin raid, launched Monday under Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's hard-right government, employed hundreds of troops, army bulldozers and drone strikes. "In the last five years, this is the worst raid," said Qasem Benighader, a nurse at a hospital morgue. 'Open war' On Tuesday, shops were shuttered amid a general strike and Jenin's near-empty streets littered with debris and burned roadblocks. The Israeli occupation army said it does not intend to stay in the camp but was ready for prolonged fighting. The northern occupied West Bank has seen a recent spate of attacks on Israelis as well as Israeli settlers violence targeting Palestinians. Israeli-Palestinian violence has worsened since last year, and escalated further under the Netanyahu coalition government that includes extreme-right allies. The Palestinian foreign ministry called the escalation "an open war against the people of Jenin". Around 3,000 people had fled their homes in the Jenin refugee camp, said deputy governor of Jenin, Kamal Abu al-Roub, adding they would be housed in schools and other shelters. The United Nations said the military operation disrupted water and electricity to "large areas" of the refugee camp. 'Strengthen settlements' UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres is "deeply concerned" about the violence, and called for the respect of international humanitarian law, a spokesman said in a statement. The United States said ally Israel had a right to "defend its people against... terrorist groups" but called for protection of civilians. In the Israeli-blockaded Gaza Strip, protesters burned tyres near the border fence with Israel. Israel has occupied the West Bank since the Six-Day War of 1967. Excluding annexed east Jerusalem, the territory is now home to around 490,000 Israelis in settlements considered illegal under international law. Approximately 700,000 extremist Israeli settlers live in the occupied territories, according to the UN figures. Under international law, all Israeli settlements in the occupied territories are considered illegal. The Palestinians, who seek their own independent state, want Israel to withdraw from all land it seized in 1967 and to dismantle all Israeli settlements. Netanyahu, however, has pledged to "strengthen settlements" and expressed no interest in reviving peace talks, moribund since 2014. Israel's far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gviron called for his government to construct more settlements in the occupied West Bank and assassinate "hundreds, or thousands" of Palestinians. By end of June, the Israeli occupation army carried out a series of air strikes on the Jenin refugee camp in the occupied West Bank, murdering at least seven Palestinians, including a boy and a girl, and wounding 91 Palestinians. At least 188 Palestinians, 25 Israelis, one Ukrainian and one Italian have been killed this year, according to an AFP tally compiled from official sources from both sides. They include, on the Palestinian side, combatants and civilians, and on the Israeli side, mostly civilians and three members of the Arab minority. Search Keywords: Short link: UN aid agencies voiced alarm on Tuesday at the humanitarian harm caused by the ongoing Israeli assault on the Palestinian city of Jenin in the West Bank. The Israeli operation, now in its second day, is targeting the citys refugee camp, home to more than 15,000 people living in less than half a square kilometre of space. We are alarmed at the scale of air and ground operations that are taking place in Jenin in the occupied West Bank, and airstrikes hitting a densely populated refugee camp, Vanessa Huguenin, a spokesperson for the UN humanitarian office, told a briefing. She said three children were among those killed without providing details. The alarm was reiterated on Twitter by Lynn Hastings, the UN humanitarian coordinator in the Palestinian area, who added that the UN was mobilizing humanitarian aid. UNRWA, the UN agency for Palestinian refugees, said many camp residents were in need of food, drinking water and milk powder. Residents displaced According to the Palestinian Red Crescent, as many as 3,000 people had fled the camp by midnight on Monday. There were conflicting reports about whether Israeli forces had demanded the camp's residents leave. About 1,000 people had been evacuated to Palestinian Authority buildings, including those belonging to the city's security forces. In addition, guest houses and hotels in the area have opened their doors to fleeing residents, according to Jenin's Deputy Governor Kamal Abu Aroub on Tuesday. Residents have also reported that ambulances have had difficulty reaching and evacuating people needing medical attention. "First responders have been prevented from entering the [Jenin] refugee camp, including to reach persons who have been critically injured," said WHO Spokesperson Christian Lindmeier, referring to restrictions put in place by Israeli forces. Offices and businesses across the West Bank were expected to close on Tuesday in response to calls for a general strike to protest the operation, which the Palestinian Authority has described as a "war crime." The Palestinian Health Ministry reported that the death toll has climbed to 10, with 100 more wounded, 20 of them critically. The Islamic Jihad faction claimed four of the dead as its fighters. Hamas, another Islamist faction, claimed a fifth. Separately, the ministry said that a 21-year-old Palestinian was killed by Israeli forces near the West Bank city of Ramallah on Monday. Search Keywords: Short link: A UN official visiting Syria's Idlib on Tuesday urged a 12-month extension of a cross-border aid mechanism to the rebel-held, quake-hit region, just days before the current six-month period expires. "There is no substitute in size and scope to the UN cross-border resolution if we want to meet the needs of the most vulnerable people in northwest Syria," said David Carden, the United Nations deputy regional humanitarian coordinator for the Syria crisis. "It's a joint message that you're hearing from the UN, the NGOs and the communities themselves in northwest Syria about the need for a 12-month renewal of the cross-border resolution," he told a press conference at a World Food Programme (WFP) warehouse in Sarmada. The mechanism, which is renewed by a vote of the Security Council, allows vital UN assistance to reach people in rebel-held northwest Syria without navigating areas controlled by government forces. It was last renewed in January and is set to expire on July 10. Carden said a 12-month extension of the resolution would "ensure that aid will continue to flow during the desperate winter months. It will ensure that early recovery programmes can be implemented." The UN largely delivers the relief via neighbouring Turkey through the Bab al-Hawa crossing, which is controlled on the Syrian side by jihadist group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS). After a February 6 earthquake devastated parts of Turkey and Syria, Damascus agreed to open two more crossings from Turkey, Bab al-Salama and Al-Rai, for three months, and in May extended that access for another three-month period. "There are 4.1 million people in need in northwest Syria," Carden said, adding that "the needs are immense. They've got more severe since the earthquake." "The United Nations and its partners have been reaching 2.7 million people with aid every month," he added, noting that "about 75 to 80 percent of the trucks that cross the border through Bab al-Hawa into Idlib contain food." Syria's war has killed more than half a million people and displaced millions since erupting in 2011 with a brutal crackdown on anti-government protests. The number of UN-approved crossings has shrunk from four in 2014 after years of pressure from regime allies China and Russia at the UN Security Council. For years, Moscow has pressured international organisations to pass exclusively through regions under the control of Damascus to distribute aid throughout the country, going as far as vetoing cross-border extensions that exceeded six months. Search Keywords: Short link: Saudi-based National Metal Manufacturing and Casting Company (Maadaniyah) said it has signed an agreement with Gulf Triple Contracting Company for the construction of its new valves factory in the kingdom. A specialist in the manufacturing of metal engineering products and services, Maadaniyah was established in 1989 by Tasnee, the second largest industrial and petrochemical company in Saudi Arabia. Maadaniyah is a well-established, rapidly growing business since its inception with strong market presence in more than 14 countries. The new valves manufacturing plant will be set up at the King Salman Energy Park (Spark), located between Dammam and Al Ahsa in the Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia, said Maadaniyah in its filing to Saudi bourse Tadawul. The work on the SR34-million ($9.1 million) contract will begin next month and is due for completion in mid-2024, it stated. The financial impact of the contract will be felt positively in 2025, it added.-TradeArabia News Service Israel will buy 25 F-35 aircraft from the United States, the Israeli Defense Ministry announced late on Sunday, in a deal that increases Israels arsenal of the stealth fighter jets by 50%. Related Iran says deal reached to buy Russian fighter jets The F-35 is the worlds most advanced fighter jet, and Israel is the only country in the Middle East to fly them. The $3 billion purchase, which increases the Israeli fleet of F-35 jets from 50 to 75, is set to be finalized in the coming months, the ministry said. It said the deal would be financed through American military aid to Israel and that the maker of the plane, Lockheed Martin, and the maker of its engine, Pratt & Whitney, had committed to involving Israeli companies in the production process. The new agreement will ensure the continuation of cooperation between American companies and Israeli defense industries in the production of aircraft parts, the statement read. The move to expand the Israeli arsenal comes at a time of heightened tensions between Israel and Iran. Israel, which considers Iran its greatest enemy, has previously used F-35 jets to shoot down Iranian drones, and has threatened to carry out a long-range strike on Iranian nuclear targets. Israel accuses Iran of trying to develop a nuclear weapon, a charge Iran denies, and is believed to be behind a string of attacks on Iranian nuclear experts and facilities inside Iran over the years. Search Keywords: Short link: Xi Jinping and Vladimir Putin are set to address the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation alliance on Tuesday, with Iran expected to expand the Asian grouping. Putin will be addressing his first summit since a short-lived mutiny last month after the head of the Wagner mercenary group, Yevgeny Prigozhin, led a failed rebellion against the Kremlin. India is hosting the virtual summit of the eight-member SCO -- headquartered in Beijing but hosted by New Delhi which holds the rotating chair -- alongside the leaders of Russia, Pakistan and several Central Asian countries. The Kremlin has confirmed Putin will address the summit, while Chinese state media also reported Xi Jinping will take part. Created in 2001 to discuss security and economic matters, other SCO members are Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan, with countries including Belarus and Mongolia invited as observers. Encompassing a vast stretch of the globe from Moscow to Beijing, the bloc makes up around half the world's population -- when including both member states as well as observer and "dialogue partner" nations. 'Security' India, which also host the G20 summit in September, is walking a diplomatic tightrope. Uniquely, it is a member of both the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation and the Quad, set up with the United States, Japan, and Australia to counter Beijing's growing assertiveness. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi was last month hosted in Washington with all the full pomp of a state visit, where US President Joe Biden spoke of "two great friends and two great powers". At the same time, Moscow remains by far India's biggest arms supplier -- they have been allies for decades -- and New Delhi has been an enthusiastic buyer of cut-price Russian oil during the war in Ukraine. India, with a rapidly growing economy, has surpassed China as the world's most populous country and has a long-running territorial dispute with Beijing. Iran is expected to join the grouping, with Tehran having intensified its diplomacy with friends and foes alike in recent months, seeking to reduce its isolation, improve its economy and project strength. "This membership is beneficial both for Iran and for the organisation," Iran's foreign ministry spokesman Nasser Kanani said Monday, saying it would have "positive effects on economic development" between member nations. India's arch-rival and neighbour Pakistan will also take part, with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif calling it an "important forum for regional security and prosperity", Islamabad's foreign ministry said in a statement. Search Keywords: Short link: Heavy fighting raged Tuesday across the Sudanese capital where witnesses reported a fighter-jet being shot down and artillery and machine gun fire rocking several neighbourhoods. "We saw pilots jumping with parachutes as the plane plunged to the ground," said a witness in northern Khartoum who, like others, asked not to be named citing security fears. A source from the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces said the RSF had shot down the Sudanese Armed Forces jet. The RSF said they "arrested the pilot after he landed with a parachute", in a statement that also accused the SAF of "heinous massacres" in greater Khartoum. The armed forces led by Abdel Fattah al-Burhan have been at war with the RSF -- led by his former deputy Mohamed Hamdan Daglo -- since April 15, in a brutal conflict that has killed nearly 3,000 people and displaced millions. A witness in Omdurman, located across the river from Khartoum's city centre, also reported "heavy clashes using various types of weapons". Others said they could see "air strikes in the area of the state television building", where the RSF had launched an attack this week and fired anti-aircraft weapons on Tuesday. In the capital's east, witnesses also reported clashes with machine guns. The army "launched rockets and heavy artillery" on RSF bases in both central and northern Khartoum, another witness reported, with houses damaged and civilians rushed to one of the few hospitals still functioning. Medics warn the death and wounded toll from Sudan's war is likely much higher than recorded figures, with many casualties unable to reach health facilities, two-thirds of which are out of service. In both Khartoum and the western region of Darfur, fighting has mainly hit densely-populated neighbourhoods, with bombs falling on homes and bodies left in the streets. There have been only brief moments of respite for civilians, most of whom are trapped and have been forced to ration water, food, electricity and medicine for close to three months. About 2.2 million Sudanese have been displaced within the country and 645,000 have fled across borders, according to the International Organization for Migration. Search Keywords: Short link: Egypt's trade deficit surged 23.8 percent in April over the same month in 2022, driven by a drop of more than 75 percent in gas exports, according to the monthly external trade bulletin released by the Central Agency for Public Mobilisation and Statistics (CAPMAS). The trade deficit jumped to $2.33 billion in April 2023, up from $1.89 billion in the same month last year. Egypt's exports dropped 44.9 percent to $3.03 billion in April 2023 from $5.5 billion in April 2022, CAPMAS' data showed. The drop in exports is mainly attributed to the decline in natural and liquefied gas exports, which fell by 75.6 percent. In April, the exports of fruits and crude oil tumbled by 58.8 percent and 48.2 percent on an annual basis, respectively. Meanwhile, exports of steel bars, wires, and other products soared by 569 percent annually in April, while exports of prepared foods and baked goods increased by 35.6 percent yearly in the same period. Imports Egypt imported $5.46 billion worth of goods in April, a 27.4 percent drop compared to $7.38 billion in the same month a year earlier. The plunge in total imports can be ascribed mainly to declines in a few key imports, including wheat, whose imports shrank by 1.4 percent. Egypt is expected to import 12 million tons of wheat during the fiscal year 2023/2024, up from 11.6 million tons in 2022/2023. Moreover, imports of organic and inorganic chemicals decreased by 2.1 percent yearly in April, while plastic and steel raw materials imports fell by 33.6 percent and 52.4 percent, respectively, during the same period. On the other hand, imports of petroleum products rose by 13.8 percent yearly in April, while corn imports soared by 61.3 percent over last year. Likewise, imports of natural gas and iron materials increased by 16.6 percent and 5.2 percent on a yearly basis, respectively, during April 2023. April's higher deficit followed a more significant decrease in the previous month. Egypts trade deficit dropped by 49.6 percent in March compared to the same month last year, driven primarily by plunging wheat imports. Search Keywords: Short link: Eighteen African entities signed agreements with Africa50 to raise financing for the first close of the Africa50 Infrastructure Acceleration Fund, according to a press release on Tuesday. Signatories include sovereign wealth funds, development finance institutions (DFIs), banks, pension funds, asset managers, retirement agencies, and international institutional investors. The new fund will attract more investment for infrastructure projects in Africa, such as energy, transportation, telecommunications, and water. The first close of a fund is when initial capital commitments are accepted by investors. With the Fund, we are positioning the Africa50 Group to play a lead role in helping to tap into the more than $98 trillion of global assets under management, said Akinwumi A. Adesina, President of the African Development Bank. Together, we will catalyze African financial resources to build the foundations for a brighter future, one that drives prosperity, job creation, and sustainable development for all Africans, CEO of Africa50 Alain Ebobisse stated. Africa50 is an infrastructure investment bank focusing on high-impact energy, transport, information technology and communication, and water projects. Africa50 has invested over $6.6 billion in African infrastructure projects since its establishment in 2012. Search Keywords: Short link: Egypt plans to dig 35 new exploratory natural gas wells in the Mediterranean and the Nile Delta by 2025 with $1.8 billion in investments, said Egyptian Minister of Petroleum and Mineral Resources Tarek El-Molla. According to the plan, 21 wells will be completed during the fiscal year 2023/2024 and 14 in 2024/2025. El-Molla's comments came during an interview with Emirates News Agency (WAM) on Tuesday, on the sidelines of his participation in the 8th OPEC International Seminar. The minister revealed that Egypt is developing the Nargis, Satis, and Nour gas fields in the Mediterranean; the East Damanhour field in the Nile Delta; and Faramid and Al Abyad fields in the Western Desert. Over the last five years, the Egyptian petroleum sector in partnership with international companies dug 576 new exploratory natural gas wells and made 289 new gas and petroleum discoveries, adding 1.32 billion barrels of oil equivalent and 5.75 trillion cubic feet of natural gas to Egypts reserves, El-Molla stated. He noted that petroleum and natural gas account for around 93 percent of Egypts energy resources and cover about 75 percent of domestic consumption. The 8th OPEC International Seminar will be held in the Austrian capital of Vienna between 5 and 6 July 2023. The event is held once every three years to discuss important issues in the oil industry, and promote cooperation and dialogue among energy producers. Egypts endeavours to be an energy hub The growth in Egyptian gas production in recent years has encouraged the government to pursue fuel conversion as a national energy strategy. Egypt expects to produce about eight million tons of LNG in 2023 after discovering a new gas field in the Nargis area in January. The country's LNG exports increased by 14 percent year-on-year to 7.5 million tons in 2022. Search Keywords: Short link: Cairo and New Delhi join forces to bolster their roles regionally and internationally. The visit of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Cairo last week saw Egypt and India sign an agreement elevating economic and diplomatic ties to the strategic partnership level first announced during President Abdel-Fattah Al-Sisis trip to New Delhi in January. The two countries vowed to intensify cooperation and hold periodic talks, according to official statements from both sides. The visit also witnessed discussions on strengthening trade, food security, and defence ties. Modi said he wants to increase bilateral trade to $12 billion from the current $6-7 billion. India exported $4.11 billion of goods to Egypt in the last fiscal year. Egyptian exports to India reached $1.95 billion. India is among the top five importers of Egyptian products, including oil and liquefied natural gas, salt and cotton. Indian exports to Egypt include cotton yarn, coffee, herbs, tobacco, lentils, vehicle parts, ships and electrical machinery. Egypt is a gateway and investments in its special economic zones will help India reach out tomarkets in the Middle East, Africa and Europe and even further afield, to South America and parts of North America, Manjari Singh, assistant professor at the Indian Amity Institute of International Studies, told Al-Ahram Weekly. Ahead of the visit, Egypt had offered a dedicated area for Indian industries in the Suez Canal Economic Zone (ScZone). ScZone head Walid Gamaleddin led a delegation to India last month and met representatives of Indian automotive and adhesive companies who had expressed interest in investing in the zone. They included Indian auto maker Bajaj. Egypt is prepared to offer an exclusive industrial and logistics hub to serve as a strategic gateway for New Delhi to expand its market reach, Gamaleddin told the local press. Prior to the Indian prime ministers visit to Cairo, ScZone announced a $20 million Indian Platinum project to start in August 2024. Indias Renew Power is also investing $8 billion to establish a green hydrogen plant in ScZone. The partnership and preferential trade agreements that have existed between the two countries since 1978 could lead to a Free Trade Agreement (FTA) between both countries, says Singh. She also points out that should the countries sign a comprehensive economic partnership agreement (CEPA) similar to the one India signed with the UAE, it will ensure free, open and non-discriminatory trade and help both Egypt and India explore wider markets. Cairo is also hoping India can help Egypt access imports amid its foreign currency crunch. In 2022, when the war in Ukraine pushed up grain prices, India banned wheat exports to protect its reserves but granted an exception to Egypt. Reuters reported last month that India is weighing a proposal to allow Egypt to make purchases in rupees and barter goods such as fertilisers and gas. The two leaders also discussed ways to boost tourism between their countries and increase the number of direct flights between Cairo and New Delhi. Defence cooperation is high on the agenda of both states and has multiple dimensions. Singh explains that under the Make in India and Atmanirbhar Bharat (Self-Reliant India) initiatives, India is expanding its defence industry and exports. It has already started to export defence products to 53 countries, Egypt included. Egypt has already agreed with Indias Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) to buy the Tejas LCA Mk-1A fighter aircraft. As part of the proposal, HAL will deliver the aircraft to Cairo and provide the technology transfer to allow the aircraft to be locally produced. Co-production and co-manufacturing is an important dimension of defence cooperation, says Singh. Egypt has a very important role to play in terms of supplying micro and medium defence components to India, especially in the aero-engine industry. India imports its aero-engine industrial component primarily from US, France and UK, but is making concerted efforts to diversify and engage with other economies, especially in terms of importing components and parts. In September 2022, Defence Minister General Mohamed Zaki signed a security cooperation agreement bolstering military and security relations with his Indian counterpart Rajnath Singh in Cairo. Commitment to ensuring the security and stability of international navigation is a core aspect of the burgeoning partnership between Egypt and India. Both nations recognise the vital role they play in safeguarding the Red Sea, the Suez Canal and the Arabian Sea, Mohamed Higazi, a former assistant minister for foreign affairs, wrote in Ahram Online. Seeking to establish a framework for unhindered navigation across the Indian and Pacific Oceans, crossing freely to Europe via the Suez Canal, India places particular emphasis on its strategic bonds with Egypt, noted Higazi. On a political level, the two countries share similar views on the rapid changes in the balance of regional and global power. Cairo and New Delhi both have reservations about condemning the Russian war in Ukraine. According to Mohamed Suleiman, a non-resident scholar in the Egypt programme at the Washington-based Middle East Institute, Egypt and India engineers of the Non-Allied Movement (NAM) during the cold war should strive to revisit NAM principles and send a clear message to policymakers in Western capitals, Beijing and Moscow that they want to choose partners based on their national interests. In other words, they dont want to be coerced into picking sides in the ideological struggle pitting the West against Russia and China, Suleiman wrote in a report published by MEI. Suleiman also wrote that as a rising power, India has a strategic interest in expanding its reach, especially to Africa given the continents growing population and middle class and its central role in global commodities markets. Egypt is positioning itself as a political, economic and security gateway to Africa and is also a rising strategic player with a growing security and intelligence footprint across the continent. Suleiman argued that shared interests in Africa and the two countries common perspective on the global order create an opening for Cairo and New Delhi to work together. The areas of potential cooperation run the gamut from pharma to infrastructure, education to health services, intelligence cooperation to military exercises, he says According to Singh, todays global order is being driven by competition over geoeconomic supremacy. Countries in the Global South are emerging as important players in the world ecosystem as a result of their economic growth, increasing investment capabilities, robust industrial base and vibrant labour market. All these aspects equip the countries in the Global South to play a defining role, especially in addressing future concerns. The countries in the Global South have all adopted either a vision 2025 or vision 2030 vis-a-vis sustainable development goals and are diversifying their economies through FDIs in technologically driven industries and supply chains such as the food processing industry, energy industry, construction and hospitality industry, EduTech, FinTech, HealthTech etc, she says. Multilateral organisations such as BRICS, the G20, SCO and others are also playinga major role in steering these industries through involvement with partnering nations. Egypt is looking east for more integration in multilateral forums such as BRICS while India is looking towards the Middle East and North Africa as potential partners to tap markets in Europe, Central Asia, Africa, and the Middle East, notes Singh. India, current president of the G20, has invited President Al-Sisi to attend the G20 meeting in September. * A version of this article appears in print in the 6 July, 2023 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly Search Keywords: Short link: For many years, Israel played along with the international communitys demand for the establishment of an independent Palestinian state living side-by-side with it in peace. Meanwhile, it encouraged Jews to emigrate into the territories designated for the Palestinian state. In fact, it supported their efforts to build illegal settlements on land acquired through expropriation, demolition, intimidation and violence. Today, as we know, the occupied territories are packed with illegal settlements and now Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has openly explained to the Knesset what has always been his policy, namely the Israeli opposition, and the establishment of a Palestinian state. The Knessets foreign policy and defence committee recently held a closed session that was attended by Netanyahu. Some days ago, the Hebrew language Kan Radio revealed some of what transpired during that session, the substance of which the government deliberately leaked to the press in order to underscore the points. Most of the committees questions to the prime minister focused on the two-state solution to which Israel has formally committed itself by treaty. Not that this made a difference to Netanyahu, who told committee members that the Palestinians ambitions for the establishment of a state must be crushed. Netanyahus remarks appeared just as UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres released a statement harshly condemning Israeli settlement expansion. The settlements are a flagrant violation of international law, he said. The expansion of these illegal settlements is a significant driver of tensions and violence and deepens humanitarian needs. It further entrenches Israels occupation of Palestinian territory, encroaches on Palestinian land and natural resources, hampers the free movement of the Palestinian population, and undermines the legitimate rights of the Palestinian people to self-determination and sovereignty. Expressing his alarm over the anticipated advancement of plans to construct over 4,000 new settlement housing units, Guterres urged the Israeli government to halt and reverse such decisions and to immediately and completely cease all settlement activities in the Occupied Palestinian Territory and to fully respect its legal obligations in that regard. He reminded Israel that the settlements are a major obstacle to the realisation of a viable two-state solution and a just, lasting and comprehensive peace. But as Netanyahu has just made clear, this is not what Israel is after. It has always pursued a duplicitous strategy, concealing its intentions as it stealthily puts the pieces in place, until suddenly it presents us with the de facto reality. It should come as no surprise that after years of reiterating its commitment to the two-state solution, Israel should finally admit that what it has been working on all along is the creation of a single Israeli settler-colony state. * A version of this article appears in print in the 6 July, 2023 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly Search Keywords: Short link: Culture and education are the best way to invest in the future well-being of the African continent. One child, one teacher, one book, and one pen had the power to change the world, and they can still change it today. On 16 July 2003, former South Africa president Nelson Mandela uttered a famous sentence, education is the most powerful weapon, in a speech commemorating the launch of the Mindset Network, a group working to improve education and healthcare in South Africa. I will allow myself to share my experience of how my birth and elementary education in Africa helped to shape my entire life. I was born in Africa, and I feel proud to have met the world in this rich land of Egypt, where I was raised along the River Nile and had the chance to study in a Catholic school where I first learned the notion of cultural diversity in the playground and became aware that respect means to accept the other for who he is, even when he is different and if I do not agree with him. In the 1990s, I learned the history of this rich continent in Europe from the perspective of the Western world, and a few years later I had the opportunity to teach at the Senghor University in Alexandria. This is considered to be a landmark for African education around the world and is linked with two giant figures: Leopold Sedar Senghor, who lends his name to the institution, and Boutros Boutros Ghali, who put the education of young Africans at the top of his priorities when he was UN secretary-general in the 1990s. He decided to create an educational institution in Egypt that would have a large cultural department as a way of helping young Africans to approach the views of others, to allow more information to flow into their intellectual systems, and to foster an openness of mind towards the Mediterranean and the rest of the world. At Senghor University, I discovered another perspective on the same continental history that I had learned about in Europe some years before. I realised the importance of writing history books and of teaching a basic understanding of the world and its history. I was proud to learn my first lessons in Egyptian history with specialist in African Studies Gamaleddin Mokhtar, a figure who introduced me to the UN cultural agency UNESCO in Paris and was the first person to instruct me in the basics of what we now call cultural diplomacy, in other words the balance between culture and politics. Together with then Egyptian minister of culture Tharwat Okasha and French Egyptologist Christiane Desroches-Noblecourt, Gamaleddin Mokhtar led the International Campaign for the Salvaging of the Nubian Temples that was launched by UNESCO in 1961 and laid the foundations for international cultural cooperation. Gamaleddin Mokhtar, one of the icons of Egyptian Egyptology, passed away in 1998. But I think he would have been happy to learn that in 2010 I was appointed as the first woman director of the Egyptian Nubian Fund the National Organisation for the Safeguarding of the Nubian Monuments that he supported so firmly for so many years. I was blessed to be able to undertake research with eminent professors from European universities in Lyon, Paris, and Rome, who taught me how to be intellectually curious and creative and to use critical and analytical methods in my research. They made me consider the power of perspective in my reading, and I enjoyed the publications of the famous Senegalese historian Sheikh Anta Diop, who contributed greatly to the study of African history. In 1974, Sheikh Anta Diop, alongside Theophile Obenga from the Democratic Republic of Congo and about 20 Egyptologists and anthropologists, were the guests of a conference organised by the Egyptian Supreme Council of Antiquities (SCA) under the auspices of UNESCO to share scientific views about the African continents history. The records of these specialists sharing knowledge and discussing arguments in an academic context in a civilised way were later immortalised in a scientific publication in which everyone expressed his or her opinions based on relevant references and texts from ancient Egypt. PRIMARY EDUCATION: Once upon a time, the positive dynamic of education was supported by precious human values and the zest for life given by reading books, listening to music, sharing knowledge, and discussing with other people in a society that had a keen curiosity about other people abroad. Do these fundamental values still exist today? If some of them do, are they sufficient to shape healthy minds among the next generations? In a continent like Africa, where history, cultural heritage, oral traditions, art expressions, creativity and artisanal industries are extremely rich and diversified, as well as being of great value for humanity as a whole since they constitute a major part of the UNESCO World Heritage and Intangible Heritage Lists, what would be the right way to face the coming decades of the third millennium? In my view, an appropriate and modern education that can face the new and unprecedented challenges of the future should balance new and digital elements with a respect for cultural education. Culture means history, the life lessons of ancestors, the beautiful values of ancient civilisations, wisdom, and the love of wisdom in other words, philosophy, a word that is derived from the Greek philo (love) and sophia (wisdom). Culture is also fundamentally a question of language, and language is an important part of identity. Language and social identity are closely intertwined. Their mother tongue is an important part of childrens culture, identity, and beliefs. According to UNESCO, our values, beliefs and identity are embedded within language. Family and school play important roles in the development of childrens linguistic skills. These skills are influenced by the positive verbal input they receive from teachers and from their parents in the home environment. I wrote the lines above with a great deal of emotion and nostalgia for the time when culture had a firm role to play within national strategies that helped governments, even though these were passing through difficult times, to produce iconic branding for their nations and therefore for Africa as a whole. * The writer is a member of the House of Representatives Foreign Relations Committee and a researcher at the French National Research Centre CNRS-Sorbonne University. Search Keywords: Short link: The Savoy Residence Insular, the second development of the Savoy Residence brand in Madeira Island, has introduced interior solutions from Vicaima at the entrances and interiors of the 49 apartments as well as in the common areas and terraces. Bringing into balance the citys historical legacy and an innovative future, the Savoy Residence Insular, designed by the RH+ Arquitectos studio, begins with the historic building of the former Companhia Insular de Moinhos to renew the real estate concept that this territory is known for. From duplexes and triplexes, to lofts bathed in natural light to apartments with terraces and private pools, security is one of the priorities at Savoy Residence Insular. Vicaima supported this focus by including several of its security solutions for apartment entrances. The Portaro SBD EI30 AC36 Inverse and the SBD EI30 AC35, integrating door, frame and security accessories, grant high levels of protection and comfort for apartment entrances. These SBD (Secured by Design) solutions are simultaneously certified by accredited laboratories for anti-intrusion, fire resistance and acoustic insulation. The Portaro Security and Acoustic AC35dB, which includes a shielded door and frame and security accessories, was also installed in this project, thereby ensuring the necessary peace of mind and comfort for its owners. In the common areas, the standard Portaro 30-minute fire door and Inverse were also fitted. All these solutions are also accredited by international accredited laboratories. The Vicaima Portaro Inverse solution is characterised by the door facing the architrave or panels, lending the space an unmistakable architectural imprint through its continuous and straight-lined surfaces. The finishes chosen for the Savoy Residence Insular were Naturdor Maple and Lacdor White, echoing the harmony and elegance which characterise this luxury condominium. Located by the Atlantic Ocean, the project was inspired by the natural beauty of the Madeira archipelago. The privileged location of the Savoy Residence Insular, with its large balconies and swimming pools, offers panoramic views to the sea or to the centre of the vibrant Madeira capital, making it a true icon. As a reflection of Vicaimas commitment to sustainability, the companys wide range of solutions integrated in this project is available with FSC (Forest Stewardship Council) certification. Relying on a previous partnership with the renowned Savoy Signature chain at the Hotel Next, Vicaima presents different options for the residential sector at the Savoy Residence Insular, the new luxury residential project that the AFA Group is building on the Madeira Island, featuring the acknowledged quality and distinction of a major European player in the design and production of avant-garde solutions for interior doors, technical doors, frames, wardrobes, panels and furniture pieces. Vicaima is currently one of the largest European producers of cutting-edge solutions for interior doors, technical doors, frames, wardrobes, wall panels and furniture items. TradeArabia News Service Few encouraging announcements were made at last months Paris Summit, but the challenges of todays world demand greater resolution to surmount the obstacles to sustainable development, writes Mahmoud Mohieldin The Paris Summit on 22-23 June brought together around 50 heads of state and scores of representatives of international, private-sector, and civil-society organisations to discuss a New Global Financing Pact. The idea was proposed at the UN COP27 Climate Conference in Sharm El-Sheikh last November in a session co-chaired by Barbados Prime Minister Mia Mottley and French President Emmanuel Macron. After six months of preparations and give-and-take over the arrangements for the Paris Summit, attention turned to the closing session, in which Macron summarised the main points in his capacity as its scribe, as he more than once put it. One was reminded of the famous ancient Egyptian statue of the Seated Scribe, which offers some perspective on the history of international cooperation and the success, or failure, of summit diplomacy. It would be something of an exaggeration to describe the diverse arrangements that regulate international financial transactions as a system at all. British economist Andrew Crockett made this point in 2009 in the aftermath of the world financial crisis. He was serving then as director of the Bank for International Settlements (BIS) at the time, and he was calling for reforms. However, he also anticipated that the current model would continue, even if slightly modified by an increase in regulation. Crocketts predictions later came true, regardless of claims to the contrary. He was also not the first to have called for significant changes with a view to creating a genuinely complete and comprehensive world financial system. Can we assume that the lessons of previous crises have now been grasped and that the Paris Summit will usher in tangible changes to the current international financing system? Was there, as the headline of an article on the Project Syndicate Website put it, A Financing Revolution in Paris? Unfortunately, the answer to both questions is no. I sincerely hope that the coming days will prove me wrong, but a revolution, meaning a transition to a more efficient and more just global financial system, or at least a qualitative positive shift in the practices within the current system, will require more ambition than was shown at the Paris Summit, together with the practical steps to achieve it and a conducive political climate. However, bearing this in mind, there were still some positive messages that came out of the Paris Summit. In the past, funding priorities have been needlessly confused as a result of the deliberately perpetuated argument that climate action conflicts with sustainable development and vice versa. The COP27 Conference in Sharm El-Sheikh succeeded in arguing the opposite and underscoring the need for climate action to be incorporated into a comprehensive approach to sustainability. The framework advanced in Sharm El-Sheikh stressed that little good can come from climate action that increases poverty, unemployment, and risks to long-term growth. The developing nations have been pressing this point for a long time, and it appears it found an encouraging echo in the article signed by the French president and 12 other leaders from developing and developed nations coming out of the Paris Summit. The signatories to this article, entitled A Green Transition That Leaves No One Behind, acknowledged that interrelated shocks and crises have intensified poverty, debt, income disparity and climate deterioration and agreed to work together to address these problems. Another positive development from the Paris Summit came from the sidelines of the meeting in the form of news of a $2.74 billion (2.5 billion Euros) Just Energy Transition Partnership (JETP) between the G7 group of nations and Senegal to finance the latters renewable energy sector and transition to a low-carbon economy over the next three to five years. However, this deal says nothing about the rest of Africa, which is also required to invest in decarbonisation in the hard to abate industries such as steel, fertilisers and cement. The G7 has yet to take steps to address this matter, including serious studies of it, despite the vast potential of the field. It was also announced at the Paris Summit that, after years of strenuous negotiations, Zambia has reached a deal with the G20 group of countries to restructure half of its $13 billion foreign debt. Many activities during the summit reflected the developing role of government partnerships with the private sector and civil society on climate action and development in areas such as carbon markets, green hydrogen, and debt-for-climate swaps. Sessions were also dedicated to discussing new financing and credit-facilitation instruments proposed by international financial organisations and ways to reduce risks and increase returns on investments. The leaders of the developing nations, especially in Africa, appeared more coordinated, as was evident in their demands for debt reduction, more financing and technical cooperation, and greater trade opportunities, in conjunction with their emphasis on the need for the developed nations to come through on their declared commitments to financing development and climate action. These points, together with an account detailing the extent to which these commitments have actually been met, were reflected in the last session where details of a semi-annual performance report were given. While steps were taken in the right direction at the Paris Summit, the challenges and opportunities of todays world demand a greater degree of resolution and persistence to surmount the obstacles to sustainable development. We have passed the halfway mark in the timeframe established for achieving the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). As the situation stands, less than 15 per cent of the SDGs goals will be reached by 2030, while more than 50 per cent of them are of target. Thirty per cent are even worse off than they were back in 2015. To say that the implementation of the later agreement has been slow despite the many commitments made under it would also be an understatement. If the goals set out under the agreement are to be achieved, an immediate remedy must be found for the debt crisis that has become increasingly severe for the developing nations. Debt-servicing costs are increasingly gnawing away at the funds available for education and healthcare, not to mention those available for mitigating the impacts of climate change on the lives and livelihoods of the population as a whole. An international community that has financial institutions with constraining capital will never be able to meet the needs of climate finance and development. The lack of the necessary capital turns the assumptions made at the Paris Summit about the ability of these institutions to offset risks for the private sector and promote innovative financing methods into daydreams. In the world of finance, small is not always beautiful. Promises of billions will not bridge funding gaps of trillions, especially when the money comes in dribs and drabs and, more often than not, is also late. * This article appeared in Arabic in Wednesdays edition of Asharq Al-Awsat. * A version of this article appears in print in the 6 July, 2023 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly Search Keywords: Short link: A new and comprehensive approach to national security was formulated after the 30 June Revolution that aimed to neutralise risks within and beyond the countrys borders. Egypt formulated its comprehensive approach to national security following the 30 June Revolution in 2013, driven by the multitude of risks that threatened its national security both within and beyond its borders. Foremost among these dangers was the terrorist threat, which imposed significant human and material costs on Egypt in its endeavour to restore the necessary security and stability and reinforce the pillars of the Egyptian state. These risks necessitated a comprehensive approach by the government at all levels to confront existing threats and employ a proactive strategy to mitigate any future risks that could arise within a regional and international landscape characterised by intense dynamism. When discussing the concept of national security and its determinants for the post-30 June governments, we find that this concept has been characterised by its inclusiveness, encompassing the preservation of all dimensions of the Egyptian states capabilities, including the economic, human, social, military, security, and geopolitical dimensions. The 30 June Revolution occurred within a complex context characterised by multiple sources of threat to Egyptian national security at various strategic levels. These originated internally within Egypt, particularly in the aftermath of the ousting of the terrorist Muslim Brotherhood regime, leading to waves of violence and terrorism targeting the Egyptian nation-state and all segments of the Egyptian people. These events were also a response to the political changes accompanying the revolution and were considered by some research circles to be part of the so-called fourth wave of terrorist threats in the Middle East, coinciding with the rise of the Islamic State (IS) group in Iraq and Syria and its establishment of a self-proclaimed state, along with its expansion into various geographical spaces. The sources of threats to Egypts national security were not limited to internal factors, however. Externally, the regional environment surrounding Egypt was fraught with tensions on two main levels. The first involved direct threats represented by neighbouring countries. In the west, there were threats associated with the absence of a Libyan nation-state and the escalating activities of non-state armed actors. In the south, there were threats linked to former Sudanese president Omar Al-Bashirs Islamist regime in Sudan and its positions opposing Egypt on several issues, particularly the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD). Additionally, the Sudanese battlefield environment witnessed an expansion in the presence of militias and armed groups. In the east, the situation was not significantly different, given the presence of ongoing and renewed threats associated with Israel and certain armed groups in the Gaza Strip. The second level of external threats encompassed threats related to the Eastern Mediterranean region, especially due to the provocative practices of some of its countries. Both the Arab and African regions constituted the primary sources of threats to Egyptian national security, with threats in the Arab region stemming from the aftermath of the events in 2010 and 2011, particularly the collapse of nation-states in several countries, including Syria, Iraq, and Yemen. The African sphere carried various threats, with the foremost being the water security threat related to the GERD, as well as civil wars and the spread of terrorist groups. Amidst these multiple threats, the Egyptian state adopted a comprehensive approach to deal with this complex reality. This approach focused on preserving Egypts national security in its various dimensions, while also engaging in diplomatic efforts aimed at resolving these issues. This was done in the light of the constants of Egyptian and Arab national security. The dimensions of the Egyptian approach in this regard can be elucidated as follows. Rebuilding military strength: Over the past decade, Egypt has experienced a significant leap in the building of its military power and armaments. This has been evident in the notable arms deals made in various military domains, including land, air, and sea. The most prominent of these deals have involved the acquisition of advanced aircraft carriers, frigates, submarines, and fighter jets. Furthermore, there has been a surge in the construction and rehabilitation of military bases, such as the establishment of the Southern Fleet Command and the construction of the Mohamed Naguib Military Base. As a testament to the progress made in rebuilding its military strength, Egypt has ranked at the forefront of Arab armies in recent years. It is worth noting that this direction was driven by the recognition of the Egyptian political leadership, following the events of the 30 June Revolution in 2013, that rebuilding Egyptian military power is a key tool for addressing all threats to national security. Economic and development efforts: Within its comprehensive approach to addressing threats to Egyptian national security, the political leadership after the 30 June Revolution realised that the economic and developmental dimension is one of the most important pillars in confronting these threats. In the light of this, the state and its various institutions have sought to revitalise the Egyptian economy by initiating a qualitative leap in various sectors, forming the backbone of the Egyptian economys development. The significance of this approach is linked to its ability to build societal frameworks and contexts that are resilient against various threats, particularly the terrorist danger. Engagement in crisis resolution: At the forefront of the Egyptian strategic approach to addressing threats to its national security after 30 June has been the pursuit of regional crisis resolution through an approach that some research circles have termed the Al-Sisi Doctrine. This approach has focused on several key determinants, including the priority of preserving the concept of the nation-state and its institutions, asserting the states sovereignty over all facets of the geographical region, countering non-state armed actors under the principle of the state monopoly of weapons, ensuring the achievement of the peoples interests, and rejecting external interventions in the internal affairs of Arab states. Building balanced relations with the world powers: Among the threats faced by Egyptian national security in the post-30 June era was the existence of challenges in international dealings as a result of the changes Egypt witnessed following the revolution. After 30 June, the state adopted a balanced foreign policy that emphasised the reaffirmation of its foreign-policy constants, particularly in rejecting foreign interventions in its internal affairs, especially interventions characterised by the politicisation of certain issues. It also prioritised support for the nation-state in the region. Moreover, the Egyptian state played a vital role in resolving numerous regional crises, enhancing its strategic and geopolitical weight. Egyptian diplomacy successfully regained its central role in traditional foreign political spheres, such as the African and Arab circles, while also establishing new spheres, including the Asian and Eastern Mediterranean circles. Importantly, Egypt managed to build balanced relations with major powers around the world, which strengthened its ability to address external challenges in the post-30 June era and further bolstered Egyptian national security. BATTLE AGAINST TERRORISM The phenomenon of terrorism stood at the forefront of the security threats that jeopardised the stability and security of the Egyptian state in the aftermath of the events that unfolded in the country after 2011. The intensity of the terrorist danger escalated following the 30 June Revolution in 2013, which overthrew the rule of the terrorist organisation the Muslim Brotherhood and exposed its criminal schemes aimed at undermining Egypts security and stability. Since then, the country has witnessed a series of unprecedented and ferocious terrorist incidents, surpassing the severity and devastation of those experienced in the 1980s and 1990s perpetrated by terrorist organisations such as the Islamic Group and the Jihad Organisation. The Muslim Brotherhood spared no effort in waging a fierce war against the pillars and institutions of the Egyptian state, as well as against all segments of the Egyptian people. Consequently, the terrorist threat has been escalating day by day, becoming the primary menace to all dimensions of Egypts national security after 30 June 2013. The wave of terrorist activities witnessed in the country was characterised by several notable features, including: Escalation of terrorist attacks: The language of terrorism manifested the enormity and magnitude of the terrorist threat Egypt faced following the 30 June Revolution. The frequency of terrorist attacks began to rise, with approximately 222 terrorist incidents recorded in 2014. Among the most prominent was the Karm Al-Qawadis ambush in North Sinai, resulting in the killing of 30 soldiers and the injury of 31. This attack was claimed by the Ansar Beit Al-Maqdis organisation. The peak of terrorist attacks occurred in 2015, with about 594 incidents, including the coordinated attacks launched by terrorist elements on 1 July targeting several military and security bases in Sheikh Zuweid. The Egyptian Armed Forces successfully confronted these elements, inflicting heavy losses. In the years that followed 2015, the recorded numbers of terrorist attacks noticeably declined, leading Egypt to declare victory in the war against terrorism, thanks to the efforts of the security forces engaged in counterterrorism operations. These efforts effectively curtailed the terrorist threat, striking at the organisational structure of extremist elements, including their hideouts, tunnels, weapon caches, and other logistical equipment seized from terrorist operatives. Diversification of terrorist organisations: The terrorist wave witnessed in Egypt following the 30 June Revolution was characterised by diversity, multiplicity, and an expansion of the geographical scope of terrorist activities. It took on new forms, combining traditional and non-traditional patterns of terrorism, such as terrorist cells comprised of small groups ranging from three to eight individuals. Examples include the Helwan Brigades and other entities that emerged from the Muslim Brotherhood, such as the Hasm Movement and the Revolutionary Brigade. The geographical range of terrorist operations also extended beyond North Sinai, reaching into the heart of the Nile Valley and Delta provinces. It is worth mentioning that the distribution of these groups and terrorist elements during this period was marked by extreme dynamism, both in terms of their ideological framework and the tactics employed in executing their terrorist attacks. Moreover, the motivations that facilitated the terrorist activities were not confined solely to internal dimensions. They also had regional and international dimensions, as some of the active terrorist groups and elements in Egypt established networks with counterparts in neighbouring countries. Selection of high-value targets: The nature of the targeted attacks that Egypt witnessed in the aftermath of 2013 reveals that these attacks were not limited to the security forces such as the military and the police. They also extended to include qualitative targets that terrorist elements exploited to create a state of confusion and panic among civilians, using them in their propaganda efforts. These targets included civilians, foreign interests in the country, certain consulates, and foreign nationals. In addition, these terrorist organisations waged an economic war to weaken the Egyptian economy by targeting tourist destinations, such as the attack on the Karnak Temple in Luxor in mid-June 2017. They also targeted companies, economic institutions, and some private business projects, as well as the states infrastructure, including electricity pylons, water pipes, and government headquarters. The targeting of senior officials, judges, and the courts was also part of the terrorist elements list of objectives. This reached the point of targeting the convoy of attorney-general Hisham Barakat on 29 June 2015 while it was passing through the Heliopolis district. The attack resulted in his assasination, injuries to some members of his security team, and the destruction of more than 15 vehicles in the vicinity of the explosion. Places of worship, both churches and mosques, were not spared from these bloody attacks. The terrorist elements sought to target them due to the potential sectarian division that could result from such attacks. Moreover, it ensured that terrorist groups would target a larger number of people during their gatherings to practise religious rituals and ceremonies. Since 2013, several churches have been targeted in terrorist attacks that have led to the killing and injury of hundreds of citizens, including the explosion at the Boutroseya Church attached to St Marks Cathedral in Abbasiya on 11 December 2016. Additionally, two explosions occurred on 9 April 2017, targeting the Mar Girgis Church in Tanta in Gharbiya governorate and St Marks Cathedral in Alexandria. On 24 November of the same year, the Rawda Mosque in Bir Al-Abd city in North Sinai was targeted, resulting in the death of about 305 people and the injury of 128 others. In response to the magnitude and diversity of the terrorist threat faced by Egypt in the aftermath of 2013, the country adopted a comprehensive approach in combating terrorism. This approach went beyond addressing the security dimensions of the phenomenon and encompassed all its social, economic, cultural, educational, developmental, and underlying ideological aspects. Starting with the constitutional commitment to counter terrorism in all its forms and track its sources of funding, the Egyptian legislature formulated a comprehensive package of legislation aligned with Egypts regional and international obligations in the fight against terrorism. Egyptian counterterrorism efforts were also manifested through military strikes conducted by anti-terrorism forces against extremist elements, such as the Right of the Martyr Operation and Comprehensive Operation Sinai 2018. These Operations successfully contained the terrorist elements, particularly in North Sinai. Alongside security efforts, development initiatives also played a significant role in Egypts counterterrorism strategy. All state institutions dedicated themselves to implementing a wide range of mega-projects and developmental investments across various sectors. In the intellectual confrontation with terrorist ideology, Egypt focused on formulating a comprehensive approach to refuting extremist views, takfiri fatwas (Islamic edicts), and distorted interpretations. These misguided ideas were propagated by terrorist organisations through religious institutions, particularly the Church, the Ministry of Waqf (Religious Endowments), and Al-Azhar. Egypts approach to such threats over the past nine years has yielded significant achievements. It has succeeded in striking at the erroneous intellectual foundations that serve as a basis for terrorist groups and elements. It has also disrupted the logistical infrastructure they utilise in carrying out their operations, while drying up the financial resources of these groups. It is worth noting that Egypts approach in its war on terrorism has extended beyond local efforts. It has been accompanied by parallel and similar efforts with regional and international partners, embodying the principle repeatedly emphasised by President Abdel-Fattah Al-Sisi that Egypt is fighting the battle against terrorism alone, with the strength of its people, on behalf of the entire region and the world. SUCCESS OF EGYPTS APPROACH The success of the Egyptian state in its war on terrorism is reflected in a range of indicators, which can be highlighted as follows. Repeal of the state of emergency: President Al-Sisis announcement in October 2021 to end the extension of the state of emergency imposed on the country in 2017 is indicative of the success of the post-30 June state in defeating the terrorist threat. Egypt possesses comprehensive capabilities that qualify it to confront the challenges facing its national security internally and externally, establishing a stable security situation throughout the country. International acclaim for Egypts efforts in combating terrorism: The Egyptian experience in countering the terrorist threat has been praised by numerous international reports and indicators concerned with the phenomenon of terrorism, all of which acknowledge the effectiveness and success of Egyptian efforts in addressing international terrorism. For example, a report issued in February 2022 by the UN Security Council focusing on the threat posed by IS to international peace and security indicated a decline in the activities of the Ansar Beit Al-Maqdis organisation in Egypt. It pointed out that since 2019, no terrorist attacks have been attributed to IS or Al-Qaeda in Egypt and that the two organisations have not claimed responsibility for any attacks. The report attributed this to counterterrorism operations that have weakened the morale of the organisations members and reinforced the impression that the group was receding, in addition to public investments in infrastructure, transportation, and housing in Sinai. Decline in Egypts ranking in the Global Terrorism Index: Starting in 2018, Egypt was removed from the list of the top 10 countries most affected by terrorism on the Global Terrorism Index published by international think tank the Institute for Economics and Peace. The index provides a comprehensive summary of major global trends and patterns in terrorism annually. Over the past six years, Egypts ranking has continued to decline, reaching the 16th position in the 10th edition of the index for 2023, down from the 15th position it held in the 2022 ranking. Egypts joint presidency of the Global Counterterrorism Forum (GCTF): On 4 May 2023, Egypt assumed the joint presidency, alongside the European Union, of the Global Counterterrorism Forum for a two-year term in 2023-2025. This is indicative of the international communitys confidence in Egypts dedicated efforts to combat and address the phenomenon of terrorism regionally and globally. It is based on the countrys historical expertise in countering this phenomenon over previous decades, especially during the past nine years, during which the Egyptian comprehensive approach has become a leading model in combating terrorist organisations and has been emulated by many countries worldwide. POTENTIAL THREATS TO EGYPTIAN NATIONAL SECURITY In recent years, Egypt has succeeded in containing all threats to its national security, particularly the terrorist threat, and has dealt with them in a balanced manner that ensures both the prevention of these threats and the maximisation of strategic gains. However, this does not imply the eradication of these threats, especially in the light of the current regional and international environment characterised by fluidity and volatility. It can be said that there are still existing and potential threats that the Egyptian state faces in the near and medium term. Despite the success of Egypts experience in curtailing and neutralising terrorist activity, this does not mean its complete eradication. This is due to several key factors. First, there is the nature of the terrorist phenomenon itself, which is complex and evolving. Historical evidence has demonstrated that terrorist organisations have the ability to adapt and adjust to security strikes, and the phenomenon has become globalised in recent decades. Second, there is the persistent presence of various terrorist organisations, notably IS and Al-Qaeda, in geographical areas within the scope of Egyptian national security. For example, the coastal and desert regions in Africa have become logistical arenas for terrorist activities. Third, changes have occurred in the operational tactics of these organisations as a response to their recent defeats. For instance, they have increasingly relied on cyberspace as an alternative low-cost platform to carry out their propaganda, promote their extremist ideology, and attract new recruits. This danger has been exacerbated by the successful exploitation of various forms of social media by some terrorist organisations to incite their supporters to carry out terrorist attacks in different geographical regions, resembling the lone-wolf model. Lastly, there is the issue of foreign terrorist fighters and the risks they pose to the security and stability of countries in the region, particularly concerning the ticking time bomb of the camps housing tens of thousands of the families of foreign fighters in northeast Syria, notably the Al-Hol Camp. The increasing concerns and warnings about the potential terrorist threat within these camps, as IS seeks to create tensions between different factions within them to facilitate the release of detained elements, foreshadow the emergence of new generations of terrorism from these camps, posing a threat to the Arab region and the world as a whole. On a related note, Egyptian national security, as well as Arab national security, has been greatly affected by global variables and the sharp and profound transformations witnessed by the international system in recent years. In the light of the rise of non-traditional security threats such as the Covid-19 pandemic, climate change, and the Russia-Ukraine conflict, along with the significant economic, political, security, and strategic implications accompanying these events, Egyptian national security remains vulnerable to various threats, some of which are economic and others security-related. This necessitates action on the part of decision-makers to activate the role of relevant early warning institutions and build clear strategies to deal with these serious and pressing ramifications. *The writer is a researcher at the Terrorism and Armed Conflicts Unit at the Egyptian Centre for Strategic Studies (ECSS). *This article also appears in the summer edition of Democracy magazine, published by Al-Ahram. * A version of this article appears in print in the 6 July, 2023 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly Search Keywords: Short link: An International Atomic Energy Agency team arrived in Tokyo on Monday for a final review before Japan begins releasing massive amounts of treated radioactive water into the sea from the wrecked Fukushima nuclear plant, a plan that has been strongly opposed by local fishing communities and neighboring countries. The team, which includes experts from 11 countries, will meet with officials from the government and the plant operator, Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings, and visit the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant during their five-day visit, the economy and industry ministry said. Japan announced plans in April 2021 to gradually release the wastewater following further treatment and dilution to what it says are safe levels. The release is expected to begin within a few months after safety checks by Japanese nuclear regulators of the newly constructed water discharge facility and a final report by IAEA expected in late June. The plan has faced fierce protests from local fishing communities concerned about safety and reputational damage. Nearby countries, including Korea, China and Pacific Island nations, have also raised safety concerns. A senior Treasury Department official told reporters Sunday that the United States wants a healthy economic relationship with China and that halting trade and investment "would be destabilizing for both our countries and the global economy." The Treasury Department said in a statement Sunday that Yellen's visit would take place from July 6-9 and follows a directive from President Joe Biden to deepen communications on issues such as financial developments and the global macroeconomy. "While in Beijing, Secretary Yellen will discuss with PRC officials the importance for our countries -- as the world's two largest economies -- to responsibly manage our relationship, communicate directly about areas of concern, and work together to address global challenges," the statement said. U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen is due to travel Thursday to China to meet with senior officials in the latest effort to address strained relations between the two countries. Yellen's visit follows Secretary of State Antony Blinken's trip to China last month in which he and President Xi Jinping agreed to stabilize U.S.-China relations and ensure that areas of disagreement do not turn into conflict. A senior treasury official said Yellen plans to discuss U.S. concerns about a new Chinese counter-espionage law. "We have concerns with the new measure, and how it might apply, that it could expand the scope of what is considered by the authorities in China to be espionage activity," the official said, citing possible spillovers to the broader investment climate and the economic relationship. Yellen addressed U.S.-China relations during an April speech at Johns Hopkins University, saying it would be healthy to have a relationship that fosters growth and innovation in both countries. "A growing China that plays by international rules is good for the United States and the world," Yellen said. "Both countries can benefit from healthy competition in the economic sphere. But healthy economic competition -- where both sides benefit -- is only sustainable if that competition is fair." Yellen also said that for the sake of global stability, the United States and China should cooperate "on the urgent global challenges of our day." Hong Kong police on Monday accused eight self-exiled pro-democracy activists of violating the territory's harsh National Security Law and offered rewards of HK$ 1 million ($127,600) each for information leading to their arrests. The rewards are the first for suspects accused of violating the Beijing-imposed legislation since it took effect in June 2020. It outlaws subversion, secession, collusion with foreign forces and terrorism. The eight activists are former pro-democracy lawmakers Nathan Law, Ted Hui and Dennis Kwok, lawyer Kevin Yam, unionist Mung Siu-tat and activists Finn Lau, Anna Kwok and Elmer Yuen, police announced at a news conference. They are currently living in the U.S., Britain, Canada and Australia after some were earlier accused of various other offenses. Steven Li, chief superintendent of the police's National Security Department, said arrest warrants have been issued for the eight under the National Security Law. He acknowledged that police will not be able to arrest them if remain overseas but urged them to return to Hong Kong and surrender for a reduction in their sentences. Li said the new charges and rewards are not intended to spread fear but are merely "enforcing the law." He cited articles of the security law which state that police have extraterritorial jurisdiction, and said they would pursue people overseas who endanger Hong Kong's national security. Sweden on Monday ordered four companies to stop using a Google tool that measures and analyzes web traffic, as doing so transfers personal data to the United States. One company was fined the equivalent of more than $1.1 million. Sweden's privacy protection agency, the IMY, said it had examined the use of Google Analytics by the firms following a complaint by the Austrian data privacy group NOYB (none of your business), which has filed dozens of complaints against Google across Europe. NOYB asserted that the use of Google Analytics for web statistics by the companies resulted in the transfer of European data to the United States in violation of the EU's data protection regulation, the GDPR. The GDPR allows the transfer of data to third countries only if the European Commission has determined they offer at least the same level of privacy protection as the EU. A 2020 EU Court of Justice ruling struck down an EU-U.S. data transfer deal as being insufficient. The IMY said it considers the data sent to Google Analytics in the United States by the four companies to be personal data and that "the technical security measures that the companies have taken are not sufficient to ensure a level of protection that essentially corresponds to that guaranteed within the EU." It fined telecommunications firm Tele2 $1.1 million and online marketplace CDON $27,700. Seafood imports from Fukushima will remain banned indefinitely until public concerns are laid to rest, the ruling People Power Party said after a meeting with senior government officials Monday. Many Koreans are alarmed as Japan prepares to discharge contaminated water from the crippled Fukushima nuclear power plant into the sea this summer. The International Atomic Energy Agency releases a final report on the contaminated water at the Fukushima plant Tuesday. The ruling party and the government agreed to keep a ban on seafood imports from Fukushima in place until public concerns abate, regardless what conclusion the IAEA comes to. Since Japan announced its decision to discharge the nuclear wastewater early this year, the public have been alarmed about the safety of fishery products, and recent scare stories in the media and online have only fueled their fears. PPP floor leader Yun Jae-ok told reporters. "No matter whether it takes 10, 20, 30, 50 or even 100 years, the duration is not important." China's top diplomat Wang Yi on Monday said Korea, China and Japan are "geographically inseparable" and urged closer cooperation between them to resist alleged "bullying and domination" from the U.S. Wang, who is the director of the Communist Party Central Committee's Foreign Affairs Commission, made the comments at the opening of the annual International Forum for Trilateral Cooperation in Qingdao. This is the first time that China's highest-ranking foreign affairs official has attended the event, which was halted since 2019 due to the coronavirus pandemic. Around 300 people took part. Wang urged the three Asian countries to "foster a sense of strategic autonomy, maintain regional unity and stability, resist the return of the Cold War mentality, and be free from the coercion of bullying and domination." He also called on them to benefit from multinational trade agreements including the China-led Regional Economic Partnership established in 2020 and a trilateral free trade agreement that is being negotiated. President Yoon Suk-yeol has asked profound questions about the role of the Unification Ministry, which found itself more or less out of a job when North Korea shut down all channels of dialogue in 2020. Over the last three years, the ministry's 600 employees have been twiddling their thumbs, and some critics have suggested shutting it down altogether. The ministry is among other things responsible for trying to improve the lot of ordinary North Koreans, who are considered citizens of South Korea under the Constitution. But ever since the Sunshine Policy of rapprochement, the ministry's role shifted to being a channel that sends money and rice to the North in exchange for staging photo ops of leaders to show what terrific champions of peace they are. Few South Koreans believe all that aid and all those photo ops genuinely got the two countries any closer to achieving reunification, and North Korea used the money and aid to finance its development of weapons of mass destruction. The ministry tried to make excuses when the North blew up a liaison office in the North Korean border city of Kaesong and brutally murdered a South Korean official at sea. When Kim Yo-jong, the North Korean leader's ill-tempered sister, told South Korea to stop civic groups from sending anti-communist propaganda leaflets across the border, the Unification Ministry proposed a bill banning them -- the threat, it argued, was somehow a signal that the North was willing to talk. The ministry even tied itself into knots trying to subvert international sanctions against the North when there were signs of a thaw. For seven years, it also neglected its duty mandated by the National Assembly to establish a North Korea human rights foundation. China brings opportunities rather than risks to world, expert says Xinhua) 08:36, July 04, 2023 This aerial photo taken on May 9, 2023 shows the container terminal at Lianyungang Port, east China's Jiangsu Province. (Photo by Wang Chun/Xinhua) "China cannot be a risk, but only an opportunity for foreign companies and countries," noted Mladen Plese, a Croatian political analyst. ZAGREB, July 3 (Xinhua) -- Owing to its huge market and outstanding economy, China brings the world opportunities rather than risks, Mladen Plese, a Croatian political analyst, told Xinhua in an interview on Monday. "China is not only the most populous country, but also has an outstanding economy," Plese said, noting that China has been the world's largest exporter and the second-largest importer. "Because of that, China significantly influences the world's economic and trade processes." While its booming economy has helped China develop better and faster, the country has also provided foreign companies with abundant opportunities to make profits, Plese said. People visit the 11th Macao International Travel (Industry) Expo (MITE) in Macao, south China, June 30, 2023.(Xinhua/Cheong Kam Ka) "China is a lifetime chance for many companies in the world. I believe that not a single foreign company that has entered China has fared poorly," he said. Therefore, "China cannot be a risk, but only an opportunity for foreign companies and countries," he noted. None of the measures, including raising tariffs and imposing restrictions on Chinese goods introduced by the United States, can stop the development of the Chinese economy, Plese said. In the opinion of the political analyst, the recent visit by U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken to Beijing is a result of the strong pressure from major American companies on the U.S. administration to stabilize relations with China so that they can do business there normally. "The pressure by the American companies proves the significance of the Chinese economy," Plese said, noting that according to figures published by the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis in February, U.S.-China trade in goods hit a new record of 690.6 billion U.S. dollars in 2022. Visitors observe an intelligent mechanical arm at the China International Big Data Industry Expo 2023 in Guiyang, southwest China's Guizhou Province, May 26, 2023. (Xinhua/Tao Liang) Moreover, the recovery of the world economy depends "to a large extent" on China. "When the Chinese recovery starts, there is great optimism in the world, but if there is a little slowdown, everyone worries," he said, adding that the International Monetary Fund has forecast that China is set to account for one-third of global economic growth this year. (Web editor: Zhong Wenxing, Liang Jun) Bahrain Mumtalakat Holding Company, the sovereign wealth fund of the kingdom, today (July 4) announced that it is in serious talks with Investcorp, a leading global alternative investment firm with an established presence in the UK and Bahrain, for establishing a joint platform dedicated to investing in and the management of UK student housing assets. The announcement comes as part of a series of initiatives led by His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, the Crown Prince and Prime Minister, who is currently on an official visit to the United Kingdom, to strengthen business ties between the two sides. Mumtalakat said under this potential initiative, it would partner with Investcorp to jointly own a student housing-focused operating platform created by the Bahrain-based investment group. The platform, which manages the refurbishment and leasing of Investcorps Houses in Multiple Occupation (HMO) assets in the UK and helps with their acquisition and underwriting, currently manages a portfolio of approximately 1,200 beds across Nottingham, Bristol, Exeter and Leeds. In a context of growing demand for housing from both domestic and international students in the UK, the platforms ambition is to acquire an additional 700-1,000 beds annually over the next several years, growing into one of the largest operators of HMO student housing in the UK over time. Mumtalakat CEO Shaikh Abdulla bin Khalifa Al Khalifa said: "We continue to explore investment opportunities that will add value and grow our portfolio through strategic partnerships. By joining hands with Investcorp, we believe that we would be able to further establish a best-in-class investment platform that focuses on fulfilling the increasing demand in the UK for student housing." On the strategic tieup, Investcorp's Co-CEO Rishi Kapoor said: "We believe that there is a shortage of well-managed, well-maintained and affordable student HMO assets in major UK university cities." "Our platform seeks to provide a best-in-class service which benefits the students, parents, the university ecosystem and the towns and cities where we have assets, and we believe that it could be further enhanced by a potential partnership with Mumtalakat. A major component of our investment thesis is a significant upgrade of the asset fabric and improving on the ESG credentials of the assets," he added. Tires burn during an Israeli military raid in the militant stronghold of Jenin refugee camp in the occupied West Bank, Monday, July 3, 2023. Airstrikes targeting Palestinian militants in a crowded residential area. Armored bulldozers plowing through narrow streets, crushing cars and piling up debris. Protesters burning tires. A mounting death toll. Israels large-scale military raid into the Jenin refugee camp in the occupied West Bank on Monday had undeniable similarities with the second Palestinian uprising of the early 2000s a period that claimed thousands of lives. But the current fighting is also different from those intense years of violence. Its more limited in scope, with Israeli military operations focused on several strongholds of Palestinian militants. Its also a symptom of a conflict with no foreseeable end. The Palestinian leadership is weakened, and the Israeli government has been accelerating the expansion of settlements that have eroded any chance of Palestinian statehood. What is an intifada? The word that means shaking off in Arabic was coined to describe an uprising against Israels military occupation that erupted in 1987. It ended in 1993 with an agreement of mutual recognition between Israel and the Palestine Liberation Organization. What became known as the first intifada was marked by widespread Palestinian protests and a fierce Israeli response. In the second uprising, which began in 2000, Palestinian militants carried out deadly suicide bombings on buses and at restaurants and hotels, eliciting crushing Israeli military reprisals. The second uprising pitted Palestinian militant groups against a far more powerful Israeli military. Over 4,000 people died, including vast numbers of civilians. Roughly three times as many Palestinians as Israelis were killed. Israeli crackdowns upended Palestinian lives, including placing tight restrictions on movement that choked the fledgling economy. For Israelis, especially during the frequent bombings of the second intifada, stepping onto a bus or going out to a restaurant was terrifying. Those events were initially fueled by widespread participation. Many Palestinians in the West Bank, the Gaza Strip and east Jerusalem areas captured by Israel in 1967 and claimed by the Palestinians for their state joined in the protests. The protests were also driven by the Palestinian leaders, including President Yasser Arafat, whom Israel accused of encouraging and abetting militants. The intifada petered out after Arafat died in 2004 and the current Palestinian president, Mahmoud Abbas, took power. What is happening now? In the spring of 2022, a spate of Palestinian attacks against Israelis prompted Israel to launch near-nightly raids into Palestinian areas of the West Bank. Israel said the raids were meant to stamp out militant networks. But Palestinian attacks have continued, and the death toll on both sides has risen, making last year one of the deadliest for Palestinians in the West Bank since the second intifada. The violence has only intensified since Israels current far-right government, which is made up of hard-line ultranationalist settlement supporters, took power late last year. The Palestinian death toll this year in the West Bank and east Jerusalem stands at more than 135, according to a tally by The Associated Press, nearly matching the death toll for all of 2022. Hundreds of Palestinians have been arrested. Some 24 people have been killed in Palestinian attacks against Israelis. Similarities and differences The region has not seen such a sustained cycle of violence since the second uprising, which lasted about five years. More recent periods of bloodshed have not lasted this long or involved such a strong show of force by the military. The tactics seen Monday, with airstrikes, armored bulldozers and a brigade of troops, were a mainstay of the second uprising. But analysts say thats where the similarities end. For one, a monthlong Israeli operation in 2002 that was seen as the peak of the fighting during the second intifada involved an intense clampdown on most cities in the West Bank. Israels raids over the last year have been smaller in scale. Israels targets are also more limited to local armed groups and militant cells. Other differences, analysts say, include the weakened Palestinian leadership and the lack of popular participation. While protests have erupted in response to the raids, they have not engulfed the entire West Bank. Intifada is a peoples uprising. Its a society that fights, said Amir Avivi, president and founder of Israel Defense and Security Forum, a hawkish group of former military commanders. Avivi, who served as a battalion commander in the northern West Bank during the 2002 operation, claimed that the current fighting is dominated by militant groups that are funded by Israels archenemy, Iran. Ziyad Abu Zayad, a Palestinian analyst and former Cabinet minister, said the fighting is best described as waves of Palestinian anger, not an uprising. The problem is not security, but rather political. And as long as there is no political solution, these waves will continue, he said. People, mainly young people, want to live in freedom and dignity. They see no future for themselves, and they only see oppression from the occupation. What happens next? There is no end in sight to the fighting. The military raids have tended to fuel more attacks that prompt even more raids. As attacks against Israelis have mounted, including one that killed four settlers last month, government members have called for a harsher response. They have also intensively advanced settlement building, further dimming hopes for a negotiated solution to the conflict. The last 16 months, including Mondays large-scale raid, showed Israel lacks a long-term vision for how to deal with the Palestinians, said Michael Milshtein, a former military official and head of the Palestinian Studies Forum at Tel Aviv University. We need to start thinking strategically about the Palestinian issue, he said. We cant just keep plastering over it. Abu Zayad, the Palestinian analyst, said Israels government is instead pushing the Palestinians toward more extremism and violence. If there is opposition to the idea of a Palestinian state, these waves are likely to remain for long periods to come. Sign up for our weekly newsletter to get more English-language news coverage from EL PAIS USA Edition Smoke rises during an Israeli military raid of the militant stronghold of Jenin in the occupied West Bank, Monday, July 3, 2023. Israel used drones to strike targets in a militant stronghold in the occupied West Bank early Monday and deployed hundreds of troops in the area, in an incursion that resembled the wide-scale military operations carried out during the second Palestinian uprising two decades ago. Palestinian health officials said at least eight Palestinians were killed and dozens wounded. Troops remained inside the Jenin refugee camp at midday Monday, pushing ahead with the largest operation in the area during more than a year of fighting. It came at a time of growing domestic pressure for a tough response to a series of attacks on Israeli settlers, including a shooting attack last month that killed four Israelis. Black smoke rose from the crowded streets of the camp, exchanges of fire rang out and the buzzing of drones could be heard overhead as the military pressed on. Residents said electricity was cut off in some parts and military bulldozers plowed through narrow streets, damaging buildings as they cleared the way for Israeli forces. The Palestinians and neighboring Jordan condemned the violence. Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant huddled with top military commanders and said the operation was proceeding as planned. He said Israel had dealt a tough blow to local militant groups but gave no indication when the incursion would end. Lt. Col. Richard Hecht, an army spokesman, said the goal of the operation was to destroy and confiscate weapons. Were not planning to hold ground, he said. Were acting against specific targets. He said that a brigade-size force roughly 2,000 soldiers was taking part in the operation, and that military drones had carried out a series of strikes to clear the way for the ground forces. Although Israel has carried out isolated airstrikes in the West Bank in recent weeks, Hecht said Mondays series of strikes was an escalation unseen since 2006 the end of the Palestinian uprising. Smoke billowed from within the crowded camp, with mosque minarets nearby. Ambulances raced toward a hospital where the wounded were brought in on stretchers. Lynn Hastings, the U.N. humanitarian coordinator in the Palestinian areas, said on Twitter that she was alarmed by scale of Israeli forces operation, noting the airstrikes in a densely populated refugee camp. She said the U.N. was mobilizing humanitarian aid. According to the official Palestinian news agency Wafa, the military blocked roads within the camp, took over houses and buildings and set up snipers on rooftops. The tactics signaled the operation could drag on for some time. There are bulldozers destroying the streets, snipers are inside and on roofs of houses, drones are hitting houses and Palestinians are killed in the streets, said Jamal Huweil, a political activist in the camp, predicting the operation would fail. They can destroy the refugee camp but will fail again because the only solution is the political solution in which a Palestinian state is established and the occupation ends, he said. The Palestinian Health Ministry said at least eight Palestinians were killed and 50 people were wounded 10 critically. In a separate incident, a 21-year-old Palestinian was killed by Israeli fire near the West Bank city of Ramallah, the ministry said. Our Palestinian people will not kneel, will not surrender, will not raise the white flag, and will remain steadfast on their land in the face of this brutal aggression, Nabil Abu Rudeineh, a spokesperson for the Palestinian president, said in a statement. Jordan called for Israel to halt its raids into the West Bank. The Jenin camp and an adjacent town of the same name have been a flashpoint as Israeli-Palestinian violence escalated since spring 2022. Israels foreign minister, Eli Cohen, praised the efforts of the military during an address to foreign journalists and accused archenemy Iran of being behind the violence by funding Palestinian militant groups. Due to the funds they receive from Iran, the Jenin camp has become a center for terrorist activity, he said, adding that the operation would be conducted in a targeted manner to avoid civilian casualties. Palestinians reject such claims, saying the violence is a natural response to 56 years of occupation since Israel captured the West Bank in the 1967 Mideast war. Jenin has long been a bastion for armed struggle against Israel and was a major friction point in the last Palestinian uprising. In 2002, days after a Palestinian suicide bombing during a large Passover gathering killed 30 people, Israeli troops launched a massive operation in the Jenin camp. For eight days and nights they fought militants street by street, using armored bulldozers to destroy rows of homes, many of which had been booby-trapped. Mondays raid came two weeks after another violent confrontation in Jenin and after the military said a pair of rockets were fired from the area last week. The rockets exploded shortly after launch, causing no damage in Israel, but marked an escalation that has raised concerns in Israel. But there also may have been political considerations at play. Leading members of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahus far-right government, which is dominated by West Bank settlers and their supporters, have been calling for a broader military response to the ongoing violence in the area. Proud of our heroes on all fronts and this morning especially of our soldiers operating in Jenin, tweeted National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, an ultranationalist who recently called for Israel to kill thousands of militants if necessary. Praying for their success. More than 130 Palestinians have been killed this year in the West Bank, part of more than a yearlong spike in violence that has seen some of the worst bloodshed in the area in nearly two decades. The outburst of violence escalated last year after a spate of Palestinian attacks prompted Israel to step up its raids in the West Bank. Israel says the raids are meant to beat back militants. The Palestinians say such violence is inevitable in the absence of any political process with Israel and increased West Bank settlement construction and violence by extremist settlers. Israel says most of those killed have been militants, but stone-throwing youths protesting the incursions and people uninvolved in confrontations have also been killed. Palestinian attacks against Israelis since the start of this year have killed 24 people. Israel captured the West Bank, east Jerusalem and the Gaza Strip in the 1967 Mideast war. The Palestinians seek those territories for their hoped-for independent state. Sign up for our weekly newsletter to get more English-language news coverage from EL PAIS USA Edition Servicemen of the United States 101 Airborne Division run during an exercise at the Mihail Kogalniceanu Air Base, near the Black Sea port of Constanta, Romania, Friday, March 31, 2023. Russias armed forces are bruised but by no means beaten in the war in Ukraine, a top NATO military officer said Monday, as he laid out the biggest revamp to the organizations military plans since the Cold War should Moscow dare to widen the conflict. They might not be 11 feet tall, but they are certainly not 2 feet tall, the Chair of the NATO Military Committee, Admiral Rob Bauer, told reporters. So, we should never underestimate the Russians and their ability to bounce back. U.S. President Joe Biden and his NATO counterparts are set to endorse a major shakeup of the alliances planning system at a summit in the Lithuanian capital Vilnius next week. NATO, as an organization, does not provide weapons or ammunition to Ukraine. Its sought to avoid being dragged into a wider war with nuclear-armed Russia. At the same time, it is massively reinforcing the security of member countries near Russia, Ukraine and Belarus. Around 40,000 troops are on standby from Estonia in the north down to Romania on the Black Sea. About 100 aircraft take to the skies in that territory each day, and a total of 27 warships are operating in the Baltic and Mediterranean Seas. Those numbers are set to rise. Under its new plans, NATO aims to have up to 300,000 troops ready to move to its eastern flank within 30 days. The plans divide its territory into three zones the high north and Atlantic area, a zone north of the Alps, and another in southern Europe. Bauer said that NATOs new planning is based on the strength of the Russian army before President Vladimir Putin launched the war on Ukraine almost 17 months ago. He said the war has depleted Russias army, but not its navy or air force. Of Russias ground forces, around 94% is now engaged in the war in Ukraine, Bauer said. What we see in general is that the Russians are careful around NATO. They are not for seeking a conflict with NATO. I think that is a sign that they are very, very busy, he said. In the land domain, I dont think they have a lot of forces available to do anything to anyone else. But we are convinced that the Russians are going to reconstitute, he said. We will continue to look at them as a serious threat, in the maritime, and in the air especially, and in space, they are still very, very, capable, let alone of course in nuclear. A revolt by Wagner mercenaries in Russia late last month raised deep security concerns in Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Poland after a deal was reached for their leader, Yevgeny Prigozhin, to be allowed to take refuge in Belarus. Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda said that neighboring countries would face a heightened danger if the Wagner Group deploys its serial killers just over their border. Vilnius lies around 35 kilometers (22 miles) from the Belarus border. Lithuania wants to have a permanent NATO presence on its territory. Germany signaled last week that it would be prepared to base soldiers there if requested. For the moment, though, NATO sees no imminent threat coming from Belarus. Were confident we know whats going on, and right now we see no changes. But that doesnt take our eye off what we need to do every day, Major General Matthew Van Wagenen told reporters. If we needed to change posture, we could do it rapidly. NATOs 31 member countries took part in a force generation conference last week in an effort to understand how many troops and how much equipment the alliance might have at its disposal to respond to any Russian attack, both in the short and longer term. Both officers were upbeat about the results, although they declined to provide details for security reasons. Experts and some NATO diplomats, however, have expressed doubt about the willingness of member countries to put a total of 300,000 troops on standby. I would classify it as highly successful, Van Wagenen said. I can assure you, we are in a position right now that we know whats missing and how we need to grow this in the future. In terms of NATOs ability to execute the plans, should they be needed in the future, Bauer welcomed the expected commitment in Vilnius by Biden and his counterparts to boost defense spending, which should help provide commanders with the equipment they need. In 2014, NATO committed to move toward spending 2% of GDP on their military budgets by 2024. At their July 11-12 summit, the leaders will set the 2% figure as a spending floor, rather than a ceiling to aim for. Sign up for our weekly newsletter to get more English-language news coverage from EL PAIS USA Edition Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega at the celebration of the anniversary of the Nicaraguan Revolution in July 2021. STRINGER (Reuters) Elvin Enriquez, a young Sandinista supporter, went to a march on Sunday, July 2, to commemorate the anniversary of the withdrawal to Masaya, a tactical move by the Sandinistas that led to the overthrow of the Somoza dictatorship in Nicaragua. You have to fight and stand firm with Commander Daniel [Ortega] and Rosario [Murillo], said Enriquez, who was dressed up in red and black clothes. We have innumerable benefits, urban projects, snacks in schools, its not possible to list all the projects, he said excitedly to state media. The celebrations on Sunday are building up to Sandinista Revolution Day on July 19, which celebrates the triumph of the Nicaraguan revolution in 1979. Nicaragua has been flooded with propaganda about the 44th anniversary of the revolution and withdrawal to Masaya a move known as El Repliegue that successfully deceived the armed forces of Anastasio Tachito Somoza Debayle. The events are typically used to celebrate the Nicaraguan government, which is governed by Daniel Ortega and his wife Rosario Murillo, who is vice president. Ortega, as one of the Sandinista guerrillas who helped overthrow Somoza, is at the center of the celebrations, as the presidential couple have erased from history all the ex-guerrillas who became critical of their regime figures such as Monica Baltodano, Dora Maria Tellez, who was expelled to the United States, and Hugo Torres, who died in February 2022 while detained in Nicaraguas notorious El Chipote prison. But for the past three years, neither Ortega nor Murilla have taken part in the march to celebrate El Repliegue, which used to start from the capital, Managua, and end in the historic indigenous neighborhood of Monimbo. Up until 2018, when the Nicaragua regime was swept by mass social protests, El Reliegue was a chance for state authorities to parade before crowds. Ortega led the march on foot, but switched to an armored Mercedes-Benz G63 V8 AMG after taking power in 2006, and later traveled by bus. But Ortega and Murilla have not taken part in the march since 2019. Indeed, events to celebrate the Nicaraguan Revolution have become smaller and smaller. Authorities have adapted them to local activities in the different cities of the country. Public employees are required to attend these events and must sign an attendance list or risk dismissal or unwanted scrutiny. The biggest change concerns the parade to celebrate Sandinista Revolution Day on July 19. Until 2018, it was a big event, with international guests, gigantic stages and lots of pomp and ceremony. But since then it has been reduced to a closed march in Plaza de la Revolucion square, where the Sandinista guerrillas entered triumphantly in 1979. It is a much smaller space, and only members of the youth arm of the ruling Sandinista National Liberation Front (FSLN) party and high-level officials are allowed to watch. Fewer and fewer heads of state attend the event. Supporters have to make do with watching Ortegas speech on television. Inability to mobilize their own bases Juan Diego Barberena, an opponent of the Ortega government who lives in exile in Costa Rica, tells EL PAIS that the downsized celebrations show the regimes inability to mobilize its own bases. He adds: Theres another edge to it: the current sociopolitical crisis, the high cost of living, the general lack of jobs, and the internal contradictions that they [the government] are experiencing. There is exhaustion with his political leadership. According to the latest survey by the CID-Gallup firm, 56% of Nicaraguans disapprove of the Ortega-Murillo administration, while only 16% of respondents support the FSLN. The survey found that 23% of the population describe Ortegas performance as president as very bad, while 15% think that it is regular. According to the poll, this has led to a drop in support for the official party: 77% of those surveyed stated that they have no preference for any political party. Whats more, dozens of state workers have resigned or deserted from the Sandinista government to take advantage of the Joe Biden administrations Family Reunification Parole Processes, which allows them to travel to be with immediate family members in the United States. According to Barberena, not only are Ortega and Murillo not able to pull in the crowds, they are taking advantage of local events to make it look like they have lots of supporters. The propaganda says they are getting stronger every day, and only they can mobilize [the people] in Nicaragua, he explains. Regardless of the criticism, the co-president Rosario Murillo effusively announced on June 30 the beginning of the celebrations for victorious July, including the event to celebrate El Repliegue. But that march did not even leave Managua. While it covered just three miles, the official media boasted that 400 motorists and thousands of people had participated. Sign up for our weekly newsletter to get more English-language news coverage from EL PAIS USA Edition Wagner Group is only the most important, visible and recognized mercenary organization in a dense network of Russian paramilitary companies deployed throughout the world. There are approximately 30 paramilitary groups most with more than 500 troops and some with tens of thousands deployed in different countries. Of these, about 20 are fighting or working in the war in Ukraine despite the fact that article 359 of the Russian Penal Code prohibits these activities, which they have also been carrying out for years in the Middle East and Africa. What had been until now a tool to extend and strengthen Moscows political, economic and diplomatic influence abroad through hybrid warfare has now shown its weaknesses. Wagner owner Yevgeny Prigozhin who launched a failed mutiny in Russia on June 24 was planning to seize control of these militias, gain power and influence in the highest echelons of the Kremlin, and overthrow Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu and Chief of the General Staff Valery Gerasimov. Thats according to Igor Tishkevich, a researcher at the Ukrainian Institute for the Future. This expert told EL PAIS that the Kremlin is concerned about losing control due to the rising influence of these private military companies, which are illegal but permitted and promoted by Russian President Vladimir Putin and his entourage. These paramilitary groups have been gaining ground thanks to several factors: there are tens of thousands of veterans from the battlefront in Ukraine, employing mercenaries has a lower social cost for the government, these groups play a key role in increasing Russias presence in Africa, and large Russian companies are heavily dependent on these private security apparatuses. The recent attempt to regularize the mercenary groups by forcing them to sign a contract under the umbrella of the Ministry of Defense, combined with doubts about the effectiveness of the Russian army in the Ukrainian offensive, has triggered the current crisis in Russia. Moscows goal, according to Tishkevich, is to legalize these companies sooner or later. He explains that its the easiest way to gain control over the industry and subdue those who do not accept such control. So far, according to information from Tishkevich, only four have accepted. Thats how Prigozhin intended to gain more power, he adds. The bid to rein in Wagner has also led to a crackdown on Patriot, the Prizoghin-controlled media empire. Last Saturday, Moscow blacklisted at least five media outlets linked to the group. More information All of Putins open fronts Tishkevichs extensive list of paramilitary groups includes names that are much less well-known than Wagners, such as Cossacks, United Security Forces Veterans, Imperial Legion or Tsars Wolves. Most operate simultaneously in Ukraine and in other territories. Prigozhins increasing hostility towards Russias top military brass aimed at discrediting the army ended with the uprising on June 24. It was brought to a stop that same day, after the mediation of Belarusian President Aleksander Lukashenko. That managed to put an end to the aspirations of Prigozhin, who refused to let his soldiers sign contracts with the Defense Ministry, which was meant to happen by July 1. In addition to losing political influence due to the failed uprising, there is also the possibility that Prigozhin will lose up to half of his income if other paramilitary companies take over Wagners contracts in Africa to protect oil fields and mining operations, says Tishkevich. During a meeting with the military on Monday, Shoigu said that Prigozhins rebellion failed due to the loyalty shown by members of the army and that the mutiny will not affect the presence of Russian troops in Ukraine. It was his first statement after thousands of Wagner mercenaries captured the city of Rostov-on-Don without facing any opposition. Nor were they stopped when they set out to march to Moscow. Ukraine welcomed the crisis in Russia, which showed Putin has little control over the mercenaries. The Russian president was not even able to keep his promise that the mercenaries would feel the full weight of the law. Instead, they were given the option of going with Prigozhin to Belarus, joining the army or laying down arms. Meanwhile, Ukrainian authorities announced Monday that progress was being made in the counteroffensive, with troops last week recovering 3.5 square miles in the Donetsk region (east) and 10.8 square miles in the Zaporizhzhia region. The failure of Prigozhins plan has cut him off from the war in Ukraine. Ukrainian authorities, the head of military intelligence, Kyrylo Budanov, and various experts consulted believe he will no longer play a role in the current armed conflict. Nor will he work in Russia, as stated by Andrey Kartapolov, the head of the Defense Committee of Russias Parliament, the State Duma. But that is not going to solve the problem posed by the existence of parallel armies controlled by the upper echelons of power in Moscow, including large corporations with international interests, says Tishkevich, who presented a report last Wednesday in Kyiv on the impact and rise of private military companies (PMCs). The presence of mercenary groups in armed conflicts is not new, nor is it limited to Russia. In the Iraq war, the United States relied on mercenary companies such as the now-defunct Blackwater which helped inspire the industry in Russia. But Wagners tentacles are long. Born a decade ago in the shadow of the war in eastern Ukraine and in Syria, the mercenary group is responsible for diverse tasks in many different countries. It offers security to mining and industrial operations, as well as private buildings; it escorts and protects valuable goods; carries out military and security training; performs military and police missions, provides sharpshooters and undertakes espionage work. Thats why being left out of Russias offensive in Ukraine does not mean that Wagner has come to an end. The group currently has 25,000 troops, according to Prigozhin. But he also acknowledged that they have suffered heavy casualties, with 20,000 soldiers dying just in the battle of Bakhmut (Donetsk), one of the bloodiest of the war in Ukraine. A few large Russian corporations also have their own international security organizations, which, in some cases, are closely linked to Kremlin agencies. For example, the Russian oil company Lukoil works with the security firm Lukom A, which was created by agents linked to the KGB, the intelligence service today known as the FSB where Putin began his career as a foreign intelligence officer. Lukom As job is not only to protect Lukoil, but also to carry out espionage work for the benefit of the state, which, according to Tishkevich, makes the group a kind of mini-KGB. Russias largest oil company, Rosneft, also has its own private military company. As does the tech giant Rostec and the state-owned energy company Gazprom. No one will ever get rid of private military companies, says Tishkevich. When a state realizes that it has to carry out an operation that may be criticized if it came to light, it usually resorts to the PMC. Authorities do this to achieve political, economic or other objectives. It has been standard practice in Russia, which has been led by Putin since the beginning of the 21st century. Beyond Ukraine and Syria, the agents of these companies have carried out missions in around 30 countries on four continents, including Venezuela, Libya, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Madagascar, Sudan, Mali, Mozambique and Afghanistan. On Saturday during a meeting with several media, including EL PAIS, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy warned that Belarus which offered refuge to Prigozhin may be a new source of tension. Mercenaries may prepare attacks from [Belarus] or organize sabotage groups that not only put Ukraine at risk, but also NATO countries such as Poland and Lithuania, he warned. Zelenskiy estimated that the Ukrainian army has killed around 21,000 of Wagners Russian paramilitaries, and wounded another 80,000. Lukashenko, Putins ally and architect of the agreement that stopped Wagners uprising, has opened the doors of his country to Prigozhins mercenaries. On Friday, he even said he would be delighted if they trained Belarus forces. Sign up for our weekly newsletter to get more English-language news coverage from EL PAIS USA Edition Guillermo Antinolo, 66, defines women poetically as the South in flesh. Behind his description lie decades studying womens health as professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology, hospital director of the Department of Maternal-Fetal Medicine, Genetics and Reproduction and researcher of the genome the complete genetic material contained in the chromosomes of an organism. If genes are considered the pieces of a puzzle, the genome is the completed puzzle. However, although we have a high percentage of this puzzle in common, each individual is different and it is in these slight differences that the keys to health lie. So far, we have a general picture of what the human genome should be like. It is a picture that allows us to assemble the puzzle or detect erroneous, missing or excess pieces. However, women and men are biologically different and there is a lack of specific female models to allow us to identify unique biomarkers genomic variants associated with a clinical trait that would explain, for example, causes of infertility, endometriosis and various types of cancer, as well as enabling us to specifically address issues linked to pregnancy and the climacteric period (menopause, including pre- and post-). According to Antinolo, identifying them would enable advances in terms of health, social and psychological well-being, as well as boosting the efficiency of the healthcare system. This is the so-called twilight project on which this scientist, who is listed among the 100 best doctors in Spain, has embarked. With the collaboration of Clinicas and Fundacion Ginemed, his team has gathered genetic material from 1,000 healthy women and has so far sequenced material from 300 in order to piece together the first female medical genome. The images of female genomic variability will serve as a reference when addressing pathologies or physiological processes associated with their biological condition. Funding of between 300,000 and 500,000 (327,000-545,000 dollars) is still needed to complete this first phase, which, he says, will have extensive applications. Question. How did the the first medical female genome project arise? Answer. Clinical trials are done on men and their information is transferred to women. But women, from the biological point of view and like all other mammals are designed to be mothers and have a programmed obsolescence that is linked to the loss of ovarian function. Not everyone realizes this, but it is a fundamental reality. Infertility in women or the climacteric period has to do with ovarian function and estrogen production: women stop producing oocytes, cease to be potential mothers and no longer produce estrogen. But it turns out that estrogen is the central axis of their metabolism and that is why women age in a different way: they age twice as fast due to the lack of estrogen. Some cancers and metabolic diseases also have to do with the failure of ovarian function. The woman who serves as a genomic model must have her ovarian function intact and her estrogen functioning in a normal physiological manner. This may seem like a no-brainer, but it is actually not if we are talking about controls for genomic variability in women. Q. But the female genome has been sequenced. A. Female reference genomes do not reflect their organ function. Ours is the first research to look at normal ovarian function as one of the central elements of genomic variability. We have generated a cohort of almost 1,000 individuals who can be followed over time, and who start from a basic, female physiological condition. This has never been done before. Q. Why has it not been done before? A. There is a problem regarding fragmented information. Half of the data we have are from women, thats true, but it is not the same, because the phenotype is looked at in the same way as the phenotype of men and fertility has a lot to do with womens overall health, making it a determining factor. Our approach aims to establish a female genomic variability reference of women who are strictly normal, with normal ovarian function. Q. What applications does this female normality have for the reference genome? A. For example, when it comes to identifying a gene sequence that could lead to a pathology. What we have now is a frame of reference, canonical standards, a Vitruvian model [Leonardo da Vincis drawing of the ideal proportion of a human figure] that is fundamentally androcentric [centered on men], like almost all medicine, and does not consider the physiology of women as a differentiating factor. I am looking for our model to be perfection in genomic variability so that, when compared with that of a woman experiencing infertility, cancer, cardiovascular disease or other conditions, our reference genome is that of women who started life normal, with identical baseline conditions based on normal ovarian function. We are working to generate a larger cohort, and also towards other international groups entering with the same holistic concept of women. Its not the concept that men have of women or of their health, or that even women have of their own health, because women do not contemplate their own health as factually different. Q. Youre saying women not aware of this difference? A. It is a health determinant linked to health problems in the second or third stage of life, such as cancer, obesity, metabolism, early menopause. But we are androcentric. Even women, sometimes, are androcentric in terms of health. They forget about biology because we have entered an essentially social and economic world, but in terms of health, biology matters a lot: women are mothers and they have a programmed obsolescence. Women live longer because they have fewer toxic habits than men do, though their longevity will be increasingly similar to mens as they acquire the same toxic habits. But Im not just talking about enduring, Im talking about living. These are two different concepts. Living, quality of life, diseases and the response to these are determined by the function of estrogen. Q. Are you saying that women last longer, but with a poorer quality of life? A. Basically, yes, because they do not have estrogen and estrogen determines all the changes as they enter later life stages. Women age twice as fast as men from the menopause onwards from the moment they lose estrogen. Hormone replacement therapy does not work for all women. It is a therapy that you have to personalize. But it can radically change a womans perspective and the perspective of her health. Estrogen determines a womans normal metabolism; it is central to cognitive development, to immune function, to cardiovascular function, to hyperlipidemia and vaginal atrophy. Q. Can the problems associated with menopause be corrected? A. Women are now treated with estrogen, simulating the biological function without the ovarian component, which today is irreplaceable. When it comes to diabetes, no one thinks of ditching the use of insulin and telling the patient to just do gymnastics and go to a psychologist. Women are told all sorts of things because the menopause is considered normal, but healthy aging is a completely different concept and it is not achieved only with gymnastics or going to the psychologist. Q. How is the project going? A. We already have data on 1,000 women, but we have only sequenced a part of it because we ran out of funding. I am waiting for projects to come out now and looking for private initiatives in order to finance the programs. It is possible that I will present the project to the European Parliament as a different vision of science. The collaboration with Ginemed has been definitive because they have a program of oocyte donation of egg donors which is critical from the point of view of what I was looking for: normal ovarian function. We have clinical information that we wouldnt otherwise have and an assurance that this has to do with fertility. The data have been put into IMPaCT [Infrastructure for Precision Medicine associated with Science and Technology] and we have a Beacon [a rapid genomic variant search tool], the first in the world on female genome with these characteristics, with which to compare an anonymous sequence with a variation that may be related to a disease. If it has a clinical impact or we think it may have one, then we can open up a space for collaboration. To complete the first Spanish phase, we need financing of between 300,000 and 500,000 (327,000-545,000 dollars). Geneticist Guillermo Antinolo is also a researcher at Sevilles Institute of Biomedicine (IBIS). PACO PUENTES Q. How can a womans medical genome be used? A. The immediate applications are extensive regarding short-term problems in women, such as endometriosis, for example. Then theres the generation of pharmacogenomics for fertility as well as a number of problems related to womens health. Later on we will see how they can be applied to cardiovascular disease or other conditions. But for that we will need samples from women who have the condition in question and we have only worked to generate a prototype. We will have to see how different womens pathologies fit that prototype. But I want to insist on one thing: we are not just talking about a specific pathology affecting women. Many problems can be related to estrogen function and ovarian function of the physiologically normal woman. Later on, these can provide us with therapeutic targets by knowing how the genomic prototype behaves with specific pathologies. We are now starting a project where, based on the reference genomes established, we are going to determine elements that predict risk from the beginning of pregnancy. If we have genomic indicators that compare our absolutely normal reference population with women who already have a fertility problem, we will surely find things that will allow us to anticipate and establish elements that can be treated. Q. Is the difference between men and women so great? A. When women reach the menopause, their entire physiology is transformed and yet we perceive them to age like men. Men have andropause, but that is irrelevant. The function of androgens is completely different. Androgens are important for everyone, both men and women, but they do not establish a life cycle as estrogen does in women. Men age because of habits, because of a sedentary lifestyle, just as women do, but women also age because they lose their physiological centrality. I am trying to create a genomic Metoo [the feminist movement], to bring the fact that women are not like us to the fore; to introduce it into the general context of science. Women need a different approach. What I wanted to do was to flag up the need for a different reference, not just from the general field of science, because women are different from an essentially biological point of view. It should be a scientific trend to include women in projects in a holistic way and from their normal biology, not in the manner in which it has been done to date. Sign up for our weekly newsletter to get more English-language news coverage from EL PAIS USA Edition With a brief animation showing different balloons in the colors of the rainbow that, at the end, form the words Love and Pride, Zara congratulated the LGBTQI+ community on the occasion of its international day on Instagram on June 28. An innocuous post at best, with no message, no protest, or representational component that could challenge anyone, was quickly overwhelmed by a cataract of angry reactions, illustrating how, these days, no show of support for the cause is seen as superficial. Show respect for your customers. We are not obliged to support this movement, wrote one user, accompanied by dozens of messages announcing that they were no longer following the brand (vomit emojis included), and religious invocations: The rainbow is Gods promise not to flood the Earth again, stop selling it as something different from what it really means. ICON has contacted Zara but has not received a response. A few years ago it was commonly assumed to be pinkwashing. That is, harmless gestures marketing via symbols by companies with no greater commitment than appealing to the succulent niche market embodied by the community, in much the same way as they do with women around March 8 (International Womens Day). Now, however, it has become a gesture that is fraught with risk. The use of the flag by a large chain used to be understood, from the activist point of view, as a way to strip it of meaning and depoliticize its struggle: even Donald Trump sold merchandising from his official website in 2019(currently withdrawn) with the slogan Make America Great Again in multicolor format so that his followers could show support for the LGBT community and the 45th president. Now, probably contrary to what these large chains would like, the extreme rights targeting of the symbol has reactivated its political message and the perception of the flag as an icon of protest. While a multitude of municipal governments in Spain, led by the PP (conservatives) are taking down the rainbow drapery from the town halls, or avoiding putting it up, and Vox (far-right) displayed a building wrap (already removed) in the center of Madrid, with an image of the LGBTQI+ flag being thrown into the trash, storefronts are emblazoned with the the Pride colours and, by association, the brands also become the target of intolerant fanatics. In an article in The Guardian, journalist Matthew Candor observed the changing behavior of some brands in the United States in the wake of backlash, boycott campaigns and, in general, public opinions creep towards the right-wing. Pride month served as an opportunity for global brands to demonstrate their inclusivity (...) for marketing purposes, without expending political or financial capital to stand by persecuted queer people around the world. But the political environment in the U.S. is shifting, he writes. The context he was referring to is that of Republican anti-trans or anti-drag laws, a seething cauldron that caused Bud Light brewerys merest networking collaboration with tiktoker Dylan Mulvaney (a trans woman), to take on the status of a national psychodrama, with the parent company suspending executives in the wake of far-right attacks on the brand. In Florida, the passing of the Dont Say Gay bill sparked a clash (and a fiscal vendetta) between Governor Ron DeSantis and Disneyworld, after its workers forced the company to speak out against Republican censorship of all content related to sexual orientation and gender identity in schools. Far from the virulent debate in the United States, last Christmas the whiskey brand JB surprised everyone with an ad in Spain that showed a grandfather learning to put on makeup to encourage his trans granddaughter to come out of the closet. Apart from criticism from the far right and so-called trans-exclusionary radical feminists, the ad was generally well received. The situation is making us appreciate that what we used to consider pinkwashing is on its way to becoming a courageous gesture, however ridiculous it may be, said Fernando de Cordoba, brand, content, and narrative strategist, when consulted by ICON. A lot of brands would put up the rainbow flag at Pride just like they would put out the Halloween pumpkin in October or the little Christmas trees in December. Now, with the rise of hate and intolerance, brands have an opportunity to show that they are consistent and truly do care, and that it is not performative support. Close on exit With nearly 50,000 followers, Benidorm Tourisms Instagram profile attracts the attention of both tourists to the city and enthusiasts of its architecture. On June 28, also coinciding with Pride Day (that is, with the commemoration of the 1969 Stonewall riots), a series of images of gay and lesbian couples visiting the town was published with a text that included phrases such as wherever you come from, whoever you are, whoever you love, you will always have a home in Benidorm. Those responsible, in this case, did choose to respond from the official account to several of the offended and aggrieved messages with both humor and determination. Ill stop following you! one exclaims. Thank you! Dont forget to close the door on your way out, says Benidorm Tourism. Are you OK? they ask another who wrote What the fuck is this? We are involved in collective action, and we post all year round, not just during Pride month, Lucho, head of content creation at Visit Benidorm and the publications author explains to ICON. Benidorm has been known for its free, tolerant, and cosmopolitan spirit since the dark days of the dictatorship. As a matter of fact, the first gay bar in Spain opened here. Pinkwashing or pink money has always had a negative connotation, with every business hanging out the little Pride flag. But in this strange time we are living in of hatred, fake news and calling communities chiringuitos [a disrespectful term for small, unofficial businesses], the more companies join in and show the flag, the better, although it may seem opportunistic, he says. Any visibility is good: the flag on brands, at destinations or in town halls also indicates that these are safe places for the community. What some see as a logo, others see as safety and freedom. Commitment is put to the test Its all very well for companies to have greater responsibility and awareness of diversity, but there must also be coherence in their own structures, journalist and sustainability researcher Brenda Chavez, author of the book Al borde de un ataque de compras (availabe only in Spanish), told ICON. It is not right to boast about inclusion when this does not correspond to internal promotion, labor, or professional plans. It must go outward and inward. In 2020, Starbucks found itself embroiled in controversy following an ad starring a trans man. Former trans employees accused the company of hypocrisy after suffering intentional misgendering in the workplace, difficulties in using the name they identified with, or breaches of the medical coverage Starbucks committed to. Lightyear: the one-and-a-half-second lesbian kiss that turned an iconic Disney character into the terror of ultra-conservative parents. Disney+ It has also been the case with Disney: before a one-and-a-half-second lesbian kiss in Lightyear (2022) led conservative parents around the world to cry foul, or the screening of the childrens film Strange World (2022), featuring a homosexual character, prompted an investigation against a teacher at a Florida school. In addition, artists such as Alex Hirsch (creator of the Gravity Falls cartoon series) and Dana Terrace (The Owl House) questioned the authenticity of the companys promotional and protest actions, such as putting the rainbow flag on its social networks for Pride month. Disney in public: Weve put a rainbow sticker on Lightning McQueen today. Teenagers, buy our products! Disney in private: Cut that gay scene! We could lose valuable pennies from Russia and China! tweeted Hirsch in 2021. He also leaked several emails with the Standards and Practices departments concerns. The company, however, has made a turnaround in its policies and has recently refused to remove scenes with LGBTQI+ representation in Strange World itself and some Marvel releases, among others, in countries such as China that required it to do so in order to release its productions. Journalist Paola Aragon Perez, who specializes in feminist political communication, has reservations about the benefits of pinkwashing. Apart from the context in which we move, I dont think they are brave campaigns, because they reproduce slogans like Love is love, Love who you love... that dont generate any kind of conflict, she tells ICON. They are slogans more typical of the eighties or nineties, appeals to romantic love that extrapolate the heterosexual institution to other subjects, without questioning it or the traditional family model. A model that favors consumption and that, by its own logic, does not question the pillars on which systems of oppression such as patriarchy, racism or capitalism rest, in a deeper sense than kissing the person you love. In addition, the campaigns and signs are placed in the areas where Pride is held, such as the Chueca neighborhood in Madrid, not in places where it could pose a problem, notes Aragon. The fact that the overreactions of the ultra-right may have more to do with a plan to shift general opinion, in line with the Overton Window thesis very succinctly, the margin of what is perceived as tolerable by the majority in a society according to public discourse; which can be moved, in this case, by manufacturing polemics so that cosmetic gestures are considered radical is no reason, the journalist argues, to buy that pinkwashing actions are revolutionary. Demonstration in Madrid on Wednesday, June 28, of the LGBTI+ Critical Pride, a movement that has taken place since 2006 as a protest against the commercialization and depoliticization of the community. J.C Hidalgo (EFE) In the United States, the clothing company Target withdrew part of its LGBTQI+ collection last May after several ultra-right attacks, fueled by the hoax that it included clothing specifically designed for trans minors. Brand strategist Fernando de Cordoba advocates an effective deepening of companies in diversity, both at the orientation and identity level, rather than cowering in the face of extremist voices. Prada, Kering, LVMH and Inditex, while leaving aside many other possible considerations about their production policies, have launched various initiatives officially aimed at improving inclusion. Pride is not only in June. There is a lot that companies can do year-round, such as tackling bias, giving internal training, or improving their HR policies. Thats when a brand proves to be real and consistent, explains De Cordoba. Principles are principles when they cost you money. Sign up for our weekly newsletter to get more English-language news coverage from EL PAIS USA Edition Former President Donald Trump marked a return to the large-scale rallies of his previous presidential campaigns, speaking to a massive crowd gathered in the streets of a small South Carolina city on a blazing summer weekend. Theres nowhere else Id rather be to kick off the Fourth of July weekend than right here on Main Street, with thousands of hardworking South Carolina patriots who believe in God, family and country, Trump said Saturday to a roaring crowd in downtown Pickens as temperatures climbed into the 90s. Randal J. Beach, the police chief in the conservative Upstate community of about 3,400 residents, told The Associated Press on Sunday that his estimates of the crowd were somewhere between 50-55,000. The heavily Republican area is a popular one for GOP hopefuls as they aim to attract support for South Carolinas first-in-the-South presidential primary. In recent months, other candidates including Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, former Vice President Mike Pence and biotech entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy have all held events in the Upstate, as well as the two South Carolinians in the race: former Gov. Nikki Haley and Sen. Tim Scott. But none drew an audience like Trump, whose appearance effectively shuttered Pickens quintessential Southern downtown. Contrasted with his 2016 and 2020 campaigns, which drew thousands to rallies in states across the country, Trumps 2024 effort has been markedly different. Earlier this year, instead of addressing voters in a gymnasium or airplane hangar, Trump held his first South Carolina campaign event inside the Statehouse in Columbia, rolling out his state leadership team at an invitation-only gathering in an ornate lobby between the House and Senate chambers. In other states, the former president has focused his efforts on smaller events, including a series of speeches before state party organizations, as he works to bolster his standing with delegates and local officials. This was only Trumps second large rally of the 2024 campaign. In March, he rallied in Waco, Texas, disparaging the prosecutors then investigating him on hush-money charges on which he was later indicted and predicting his vindication. A planned outdoor rally in Iowa in May was canceled due to tornado warnings. The rallies are also expensive to put on, although Trump has continued to bring in millions in fundraising, after both the New York indictment and also federal charges related to his retention of classified documents after leaving the White House. Last month, senior Trump aide Chris LaCivita told the conservative Ruthless podcast that the rallies are half a million bucks a pop. Trumps campaign has also leaned in on unannounced stops at restaurants such as at a celebrated Philadelphia cheesesteak restaurant Friday or Versailles, a famous Cuban eatery in Miami in a bid to showcase his strong appeal among supporters despite the multiple legal challenges. In a broad GOP field that has continued to grow, Trumps campaign has pointed to polls showing him with a considerable lead over his rivals, despite a campaign schedule that is far less robust than many of his rivals. He has also given frequent media interviews and appeared at many of the multi-candidate events of the primary season so far, including this past weeks Moms for Liberty gathering in Philadelphia. Still, the chance to see the former president in person drew thousands from across the Southeast for Saturdays rally, with attendees beginning to line up the night before, and coming from as far as Florida. Greg Pressley and his wife, Robin, said they drove more than three hours from their home in eastern Tennessee to see the candidate theyve supported since his first run in 2016. Donald Trumps the best president in history, Greg Pressley said. I love his policies. I love the man. Im here to support him getting back to where he needs to be, to begin with. Shelley Fox of Spartanburg, who said she has supported Trump since he entered the 2016 race, said she didnt feel it necessary to even think about any other candidates for next years election. Id write him in, she said, when asked what she would do if forced to consider another hopeful. No question Id write him in. Sign up for our weekly newsletter to get more English-language news coverage from EL PAIS USA Edition Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen will travel to Beijing Thursday as part of an ongoing Biden administration effort to thaw U.S.-China relations, a senior Treasury official said Sunday. Yellen, who has called the notion of an economic decoupling from China disastrous, has frequently said in the past year that she would like to visit China. She says the two nations can and need to find a way to live together in spite of their strained relations over geopolitics and economic development. Yellen will meet this week with Chinese officials, U.S. companies doing business in China and with Chinese people and will stay through July 9, said the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss details of the trip. The goal of her visit is to deepen and increase the frequency of communication between U.S. and China, the official said. While there are clear areas of common interest where Yellen can make progress, the official said, there are also significant disagreements that will not be resolved through a single trip. The most recent flareup came after President Joe Biden referred to Chinese President Xi Jinping as a dictator during a campaign fundraiser earlier in June. The Chinese protested loudly, but Biden later said his blunt statements regarding China are just not something Im going to change very much. The U.S. presidents statements have come after tensions over a Chinese surveillance balloon that the U.S. government shot down, U.S.-led restrictions on Chinas access to advanced computer chips and ongoing tensions about the status and security of Taiwan. Yet in Bidens dictator comments during a California fundraiser, the president told his audience dont worry about China as the U.S. has taken steps to compete with its financial and technological ambitions. Yellens trip would follow Secretary of State Antony Blinkens two-day stop in Beijing in June, the highest-level meetings in China in the past five years. Blinken met with Xi and the two agreed to stabilize deteriorated U.S.-China ties. However, better communications between their militaries could not be agreed upon. Treasury officials didnt specify which officials shed meet with, but said it would not be Xi. The treasury secretarys visit will be more focused on stabilizing the global economy and challenging Chinas support of Russia in its ongoing land invasion of Ukraine. China has developed an uncomfortable closeness with the Kremlin claiming neutrality in the war, but holding joint military drills and frequent state visits with Russian officials. Still, U.S. officials hold out hope that U.S-China relations will not further deteriorate. Yellen met with her previous Chinese counterpart, Vice Premier Liu He, in January in Switzerland and made a big speech at Johns Hopkins University in April calling for " cooperation on the urgent global challenges of our day " between the two countries for the sake of maintaining global stability, while supporting economic restrictions on China to advance U.S national security interests. New developments show glimmers of what could spark a renewed relationship. At a Paris summit on global finance last week, a deal was brokered that restructured Zambias debt with its creditors, which include China Zambias biggest creditor holding $4.1 billion of a total $6.3 billion debt load. The deal may provide a roadmap for how China will handle restructuring deals with other nations in debt distress, and shows the Asian superpower is willing to cooperate in negotiations with other Group of 20 nations. I am pleased that the international community has come together to support Zambia in its time of need, Yellen said in a statement last week. However, there are plenty of other tensions impacting the superpowers relationship. The discovery of a Chinese surveillance balloon traversing over sensitive areas of the U.S. in February put a damper on her previous travel plans, and further strained relations. U.S. lawmakers earlier this year grilled TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew about data security and the social media firms ties to China, with some pushing a ban on the app, popular among American youths. And last October, the Biden administration imposed export controls to limit Chinas ability to access advanced chips, which it says can be used to make weapons, commit human rights abuses and improve the speed and accuracy of Chinas military logistics. Yellens trip also comes as Biden considers issuing an executive order that would tighten rules on some overseas investments by U.S. companies in an effort to limit Chinas ability to acquire technologies that could improve its military prowess. Still, trade entwines the U.S. and Chinese economies. And despite strong speeches about the need to rethink the relationship, Yellen said in her Johns Hopkins address that a full separation of our economies would be disastrous for both countries. It would be destabilizing for the rest of the world. Rather, we know that the health of the Chinese and U.S. economies is closely linked. China shipped more than $536 billion worth of goods to the U.S. last year. By contrast, the U.S. exported $154 billion in goods to China, according to the Census Bureau. Sign up for our weekly newsletter to get more English-language news coverage from EL PAIS USA Edition U.S. Navy fighter planes fly over Washington, D.C. as part of the 4th of july celebrations in 2020. The National Independence Day Parade is one of the most significant events that celebrates Americas Independence Day, the 4th of July. It is held annually in Washington, D.C., and serves as a patriotic showcase of the nations heritage, diversity, and military strength. The parade typically takes place along Constitution Avenue, starting from 7th Street and proceeding towards 17th Street. Thousands of spectators line the streets to witness the procession and show their support for the country. The event attracts participants from all 50 states of the Union, as well as contingents from Puerto Rico and overseas territories, highlighting the unity and inclusivity of the United States. The parade features a wide range of participants, including military bands, marching units, drill teams, floats, and various performers. Military units from different branches of the armed forces showcase their precision and discipline, while high school and college marching bands add a vibrant musical element to the festivities. In addition, cultural and community organizations, as well as invited guests, contribute to the colorful display of patriotism. The National Independence Day Parade offers a platform for communities and individuals to express their pride in being American, and it serves as a reminder of the sacrifices and achievements that have shaped the nation. Heres everything you need to know about the Parade. Where does the National Independence Day Parade take place? Americas National Independence Day Parade takes place in Washington, D.C., on Constitution Avenue, from 7th to 17th Street. Who participates in the National Independence Day Parade? Various organizations and groups participate in the parade. This includes bands, fife and drum corps, military and specialty units, giant balloons, equestrian teams, drill teams, national dignitaries, and some celebrities. Those who wish to participate can apply to join the parade through the official website. The deadline for band applications is January 15 of the parade year in which they wish to participate. Marching bands are selected based on quality, as well as geographical, ethnic, and stylistic diversity. The goal is to have representation from each of the 50 states of the union in the parade. Additionally, volunteers can participate in the parade by helping to carry helium balloons, flags, fabric stars, and banners. Those interested in volunteering should go to the Volunteer tent located at the intersection of 7th and Madison Drive, NW. All volunteers must sign the agreement of release. The event also welcomes volunteer groups or organizations. At what time does the National Independence Day Parade begin? The parade starts on Constitution Ave. between 7th and 17th St. in Washington, D.C., at 11:45 am EDT. It runs until 2:00 pm. The parade route is one mile in length. After the parade, participants are welcome to join the audience of the PBS Concert at the Capitol Building, featuring the National Symphony Orchestra and one of the countrys largest fireworks displays. Is there seating along the parade route? Limited seating is available on the steps of the National Archives Building. Where is the best spot to view the parade? The organizers recommend moving closer to the end of the parade route at 17th St NW, as it tends to be less crowded and provides better visibility of the route. Where can I watch the National Independence Day Parade live? Users can watch the parade live and uninterrupted on the events official YouTube channel. The recording will be available shortly after the parades completion. Sign up for our weekly newsletter to get more English-language news coverage from EL PAIS USA Edition Emirates Post Group Company (EPG), in collaboration with the Ministry of Education and various technology partners, has launched the first annual robotics competition aimed at bridging the gap between academia and industry. For this, EPG is inviting all university and college students with a passion for innovation and robotics to participate in the inaugural Logistics Unleashed competition, conducted as an educational programme. The Ministry of Education emphasised the importance of the competition in enriching students' technical skills, improving their ability to innovate and employing their ideas optimally, with the purpose of introducing students to the logistics industry. The Ministry of Education will invite students with robotics and programming skills to participate in EPGs innovative programme by registering their interest through a dedicated link. Building a robot Three teams, comprising two to four students, with at least one Emirati national, will be selected to build a robot as a solution to the competitions case study. EPG will provide each participating group with AED5,000 ($1,361.25) for purchasing the necessary materials, empowering the teams to bring their innovative ideas to life. A distinguishing factor of the competition is the accompanying educational programme that will run from September to November. Participating students will visit EPGs facilities, including the sorting centre and retail branches, as well as the headquarters of the participating technology partners to gain first-hand insights into the logistics industry and the potential technological advancements that can be incorporated. EPGs collaboration with the Ministry of Education, reflects its commitment to developing talent and driving advancements in the logistics sector. Supported by the Groups technology partners, Bayanat, SkyGo, and STRATA, the Logistics Unleashed programme promises to unlock a world of new opportunities for participating students and the logistics industry. All participating students who complete the programme successfully will be given monetary rewards, as well as trophies and certificates recognising their efforts.-- TradeArabia News Service A lit burner on a gas stove. PHIL NOBLE (Reuters) The culture wars that are tearing the U.S. apart have crept into the kitchen. New York States decision to ban gas-powered stoves, furnaces and propane heating in most new residential buildings has put the Republicans on a war footing, as they consider that this violates the freedom to choose and goes against the interests of industry. Even the White House, which does not agree with the decision albeit for other reasons, has waded into the debate with a statement by the Office of Management and Budget, the executive arm of the presidency. In the New York States latest budget, passed in early May, Democrats, who control the state Capitol, adopted two proposals to end reliance on fossil fuels and fight climate change. The first is the ban on the use of such fuels for heating and cooking in new buildings, making New York the first state to introduce such an initiative. The law requires all-electric heating and cooking in new buildings shorter than seven stories by 2026, and for taller buildings by 2029. It will not affect existing homes and exceptions are provided for industrial-use buildings, emergency generators and hospitals, among others. The other measure seeks to promote the construction and operation of renewable energy facilities to reduce emissions by 85% by 2050. More than 60% of American homes already use electricity for cooking although New York does not reach that percentage. The Joe Biden administration has proposed expanding the efficiency standards of gas stoves, with an estimated energy saving of $100 million for the population, in addition to the environmental and health benefits. But Republican Representatives Kelly Armstrong (North Dakota) and Debbie Lesko (Arizona) have counterattacked with separate bills, supported by five and 63 legislators respectively. Just the names of their initiatives are good indicators of the degree of bitterness caused by an apparently banal debate on the use of kitchens in a country where, moreover, the consumption of processed food, which is more affordable than home-cooked food, wins by a landslide. The bill that Armstrong promotes, the H.R. 1615, is called Gas Stove Protection and Freedom Act. The second bill, H.R. 1640, is simply titled Save Our Kitchens. The wording is excessive in the opinion of the Democrats, although not all: those with interests in the gas industry, such as the wayward centrist senator Joe Manchin, welcome any legal or administrative challenge that might help circumvent the ban. Three weeks ago, the White House Office of Management and Budget came out against the intentions of the Republicans in Congress. While the administration has made it clear that it does not support any attempt to ban gas stoves and boilers, it strongly opposes H.R. 1615 and H.R. 1640, it said in a statement published on June 6. The government said it defends the domestic use of gas to help Americans reduce their energy bills. In a new twist on the traditional tension between Democrats in Washington and Democrats in New York, the White House rejects any attempt to prohibit it. Pollution in homes A team of Stanford scientists recently embarked on a tour of New York apartments to track pollution and how it flows from room to room in peoples homes. It was part of a 10-city study in cooperation with local environmental groups, and it has already found how pollutants can quickly reach living rooms and bedrooms. The measurements showed an increase in the concentrations of nitrogen dioxide and benzene, a carcinogenic substance. According to a study published at the end of last year, gas stoves may be related to almost 13% of childhood asthma cases in the U.S. In other words, gas pollution affects both climate change and public health. Over the course of several decades, under the direction of Congress, appliance efficiency standards have substantially reduced energy bills for lighting, air conditioners, refrigerators and other appliances, the Bureau statement explains. Consumers in every state have saved hundreds of dollars a year on utility bills as a result of these efficiency standards and by 2030 the cumulative savings on utility bills for consumers is expected to exceed two trillion dollars. The Democrats in the White House are electorally interested in reducing the price of energy for the consumer, which reached new highs last year due to the war in Ukraine, instead of proposing measures such as the gas ban. The federal governments tightening of efficiency standards and New York states ban has exasperated Republicans, further polarizing the debate. On the last week of May, they called a House Oversight Committee hearing to examine the Biden Administrations regulatory assault on Americans gas stoves and boilers. The orange flame of combustion has become a new casus belli on the eve of the 2024 presidential primaries. But the scenario goes far beyond the political struggle: at stake are the countrys colossal gas production, the interests of the industry and its important contributions to the campaigns of many members of congress, such as the ex-Democratic senator Kyrsten Sinema, now an independent. Even Americas western leadership in the production of liquefied natural gas, which accounted for 40% of European gas consumption last year, is at stake. Cannabis serves dual purposes as a medicinal aid and a muse for creative endeavors. According to Marcelle Frey, the American entrepreneur who, alongside her husband Robert Frey (owner of multiple fashion clubs in Las Vegas), established a permanent museum solely devoted to marijuana, both aspects hold significant value in life. Located in New York Citys vibrant Soho district, the House of Cannabis (THC NYC for short) spans five floors of a historic building. For just $45, visitors can indulge in 10 immersive experiences, explore a curated store showcasing cannabis-inspired products, and unwind at the inviting cafe. This one-of-a-kind museum opened its doors in April, marking a significant milestone following the legalization of recreational marijuana use in New York two years ago. THC NYC is far from your average museum experience. The journey begins with Disorientation, an immersive documentary that encapsulates the 6,000-year history of cannabis and its influence on our culture. In just under two and a half minutes, it covers over 400 milestones. Whats intriguing is the screens subtle brilliance, intentionally slowing down our minds, captivating us for a few seconds longer than the norm. Next, Euphorium awaits. Here, youre invited to recline on a gigantic vinyl record while donning oversized headphones. The melodies that emanate from different music genres associated with cannabis envelop you, including the infamous Because I Got High by Afroman. Prepare to be mesmerized in The Hypnodrome, where visionary artist Benjamin Gordon artfully captures the essence of an altered state of consciousness. But its not just about seeing and hearing; you can even smell the distinct fragrance of various types of marijuana and learn about the cultivation process. Part of the museums mission is to educate people about the effects of the war on drugs, initiated in 1971 by President Richard Nixon, who also created the US Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). This initiative sparked significant controversy because people saw it as a discriminatory political instrument aimed at minority groups, particularly black communities. It also led to a notable surge in incarceration rates. According to a study by the Human Rights Observatory, the number of drug-related arrests increased from 376,000 in 1980 to over 1,370,000 in 2007, reaching a peak of 1,650,000 in 2018. Aapproximately 80% of these arrests were for drug possession rather than sale. According to the National Center on Drug Abuse, nearly 318,000 individuals are arrested each year in the United States for marijuana possession. The war on drugs is a war on people, reads one of the signs in the education room. The war on drugs tears families apart, says another sign that details how suspicion of drug use can lead to children being placed in foster care and families evicted from public housing. The House of Cannabis says 30% of its employees are former drug offenders hired through A Second U Foundation. The museum also has a dedicated room for community events on marijuana regulation and similar topics. According to The Center for American Progress, legalizing marijuana has the potential to save the US government a staggering $7.7 billion each year in law enforcement expenses, while also generating $6 billion in tax revenue. KYODO NEWS - Jul 4, 2023 - 22:22 | All, Japan Local fishermen expressed their concern on Tuesday over the implications of the International Atomic Energy Agency's affirmation that Japan's plan to release treated radioactive water from the crippled Fukushima nuclear power plant into the sea is safe. "I'm extremely worried as I don't know to what extent the release of the treated water will affect my work and livelihood," said Eitatsu Kikuchi, a fisherman preparing his boat in Soma, Fukushima Prefecture. Kikuchi, 30, added, "No matter how much we try, we cannot prevent the Fukushima brand from being tarnished." Concerns linger about the potential reputational damage to their products, especially after the IAEA report. The IAEA concluded in its report released the same day that Japan's water-discharge plan is "consistent" with international safety standards and would have "a negligible radiological impact on people and the environment." The Japanese government aims to start discharging treated water from the Fukushima Daiichi power plant this summer. Keisuke Yamada, 33, who sells Fukushima-sourced seafood in Iwaki, said, "To be honest, I do not want the government to release the water." The nuclear disaster at the plant was triggered by a massive earthquake and tsunami in March 2011 that severely impacted Fukushima and the neighboring prefectures of Miyagi and Iwate. Fisheries cooperatives in the three prefectures said they will submit a petition later this week to the central government and the plant operator Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings Inc. expressing their opposition to the planned release of the water. The cooperatives from the three prefectures said they aim to turn in around 33,000 signatures on Friday. On Tuesday, Natsuo Yamaguchi, head of Komeito, the junior coalition partner of Japan's ruling Liberal Democratic Party, clarified his remarks over the weekend concerning the water discharge plan. He said Sunday that water should not be released during the swimming season. However, during a press conference Tuesday, Yamaguchi explained that he intended to highlight the need for sufficient time to raise public awareness regarding the safety of the water discharge plan, especially considering that the swimming season commences in mid-July. He also said the timing of the water release is a decision to be made by the government. Related coverage: IAEA assures safety of water release from Fukushima disaster site KYODO NEWS - Jul 4, 2023 - 16:20 | All, Japan A Ground Self-Defense Force recruit who fatally shot two of his instructors and injured another during a live-fire training exercise in central Japan last month was served a fresh arrest warrant on Tuesday on suspicion of murder, the Defense Ministry said. The 18-year-old recruit is suspected of murdering Yasuchika Kikumatsu, 52, during the exercise at an indoor firing range in Gifu Prefecture on June 14 that involved about 120 personnel, including some 70 recruits. The recruit shot Kikumatsu in the head and then proceeded to shoot him in the back after he had fallen face-down, according to investigative sources. Kosuke Yashiro and Yusuke Hara, both 25, were also shot when they tried to stop the recruit from firing at Kikumatsu. Yashiro was killed in the incident, while Hara was wounded in his left leg and will need three months to recover. The recruit was first arrested for the alleged murder of Yashiro and was quoted as telling investigators he "tried to lower the gunpoint to aim at (Yashiro's) legs but ended up hitting him in the side." He also revealed he had intended to get ahold of GSDF ammunition, they said. The recruit's candidacy term to become a formal GSDF member was set to expire on June 27 but was extended for three months, Defense Minister Yasukazu Hamada said Tuesday, explaining the move was to allow the ministry to continue its investigations into the incident. Related coverage: GSDF shooting suspect says he planned to get hold of ammunition SDF recruit likely to undergo mental evaluation after fatal shooting SDF recruit sent to prosecutors over shooting that left 2 dead KYODO NEWS - Jul 4, 2023 - 20:41 | World, All, Japan China renewed its call on Tuesday for Japan to halt a planned discharge of treated radioactive water from the crippled Fukushima nuclear power plant into the Pacific Ocean, questioning Tokyo's claim that it is the safest and most reliable option. The Chinese Foreign Ministry said a safety review of the plan presented the same day by the International Atomic Energy Agency "should not be the 'shield' or 'green light' for Japan's discharge of nuclear-contaminated water into the ocean," adding that the report "failed to fully reflect views from experts that participated in the review." The IAEA concluded in its report that Japan's plan on the water release aligns with international safety standards and the move would have "a negligible radiological impact on people and the environment." The Japanese government aims to start the discharge around this summer. Shortly before the IAEA released its safety review, ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning expressed doubt at a press conference that the report will serve as justification for Japan to move ahead with the controversial water release. She noted that the U.N. nuclear watchdog conducted its assessment at the request of the Japanese government, and its mandate was limited to the ocean discharge option. The ministry criticized Japan for adopting the ocean discharge plan "simply for saving cost" and taking the Pacific Ocean as the "sewer." "No matter what the report says, it will not change the fact that Japan will release millions of tons of Fukushima nuclear-contaminated water into the Pacific Ocean in the next three decades," the statement said. "If Japan insists on going ahead with the plan, it will have to bear all the consequences arising from this," the ministry added. Beijing urged Tokyo to work with the IAEA to establish a long-term monitoring mechanism that would involve stakeholders including Japan's neighboring countries. Earlier in the day, Chinese Ambassador to Japan Wu Jianghao stated in a news conference in Tokyo that the IAEA, which promotes the safe, secure, and peaceful use of nuclear technology, is "not an appropriate agency to assess the long-term impact of nuclear-contaminated water on the marine environment." Massive amounts of radioactive water have been generated in the process of cooling melted reactor fuel at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant, which was hit by a major earthquake and tsunami disaster in 2011. The water is treated at a processing facility to remove most contaminants, except tritium, and stored in tanks installed on the premises. But the tanks are nearing capacity. Related coverage: Fukushima water release consistent with int'l safety standards: IAEA KYODO NEWS - Jul 4, 2023 - 18:39 | World, All, Japan Okinawa Gov. Denny Tamaki visited Tuesday the ruins of a graveyard in the suburbs of Beijing where islanders from the time when the southern Japanese prefecture was the Ryukyu Kingdom were buried during the Qing Dynasty. Recognizing the long history of the relationship between China and the islands, the governor told reporters, "We will inherit and firmly maintain ties between China and Okinawa and create a peaceful and rich era." The graveyard commemorates Ryukyu islanders who succumbed to illness or were killed in accidents during the dynasty, which lasted from the 17th century to 1912. The kingdom, which lasted until the 19th century, had tributary relations with both China and Japan. Tamaki is visiting China from Monday as a member of a Japanese delegation headed by former House of Representatives speaker Yohei Kono. The group including many business representatives held talks with Chinese Commerce Ministry officials on Tuesday. KYODO NEWS - Jul 4, 2023 - 23:02 | World, All China and Russia, during an online summit on Tuesday, reaffirmed the unity of a regional organization under their leadership and called for stronger security cooperation among members, with their leaders voicing criticism of Western sanctions. At the virtual Shanghai Cooperation Organization summit chaired by India, Chinese President Xi Jinping said members should "step up strategic communication" and "stay in unity and coordination to bring more certainty and positive energy to world peace and development," according to the Chinese Foreign Ministry. With U.S.-led moves in mind, Xi expressed Beijing's opposition to "protectionism, unilateral sanctions, and the overstretching of national security," as well as its rejection of "decoupling and severing supply chains." Russian President Vladimir Putin, who joined an international conference for the first time since a military uprising by the Wagner mercenary group late last month, thanked other SCO leaders for supporting "Russian leadership's actions aimed at safeguarding constitutional structures and the lives and safety of the citizenry." Putin was quoted by Russia's Tass news agency as saying "a hybrid war" has been waged against Moscow over its invasion of Ukraine, adding it involves "illegal sanctions on Russia that are unprecedented in scale." "Russia has been and will continue to confidently counter external pressure, sanctions and provocative incitements," Putin reportedly said. The SCO comprises China, Russia, India, Pakistan and the Central Asian states of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi said Iran will join the "SCO family as its new member" and that the regional body also welcomes the signing of a memorandum for Belarus to join the organization. Belarus is a close Russian ally, and its president, Alexander Lukashenko, brokered a deal with the founder of Wagner to halt the rebellion. KYODO NEWS - Jul 4, 2023 - 21:29 | World, All, Japan Taiwan's Legislative Speaker You Si-kun led a ferry trial run Tuesday between the island's eastern county of Yilan and Japan's westernmost inhabited island of Yonaguni in a bid to boost bilateral tourism and ties. You and his delegation of around 80 people, including some 40 tourism industry representatives, made a round trip between a port in Suao in Yilan and Yonaguni, with the two-way ferry rides taking around four hours. On the Japanese island, they held talks with Keiji Furuya, who heads a cross-party group of Japanese lawmakers dedicated to strengthening Japan-Taiwan relations, and Yonaguni Mayor Kenichi Itokazu. The mayor told reporters he will keep pressing the Japanese central government to launch regular ferry services linking Yonaguni and Taiwan. There are currently no direct flights or ferry runs between the two islands, which lie 111 kilometers apart. After returning to Suao accompanied by Furuya, You told reporters the trip fulfilled its objective as it allowed those from the tourism industry to see Yonaguni so that they can work on the possibility of organizing tours to the island. It remains unclear whether You's ferry trip will irk China, which views self-governed Taiwan as a renegade province and opposes any official contact with it. Japan has been bolstering its defense of the Nansei Islands, including Yonaguni, that stretch southwest from Kyushu toward Taiwan, apparently in response to China's intensifying military activities in nearby waters. Asked about the possibility of a war breaking out in the Taiwan Strait, You said he does not think it is likely because democracies worldwide are very united. "As long as everyone is united, China will not dare to act rashly," he said. Furuya, a member of Japan's ruling Liberal Democratic Party, said while in Yonaguni that "cooperation among regions and countries that share common values could help keep China in check." Upon arriving at Suao, Furuya said Taiwan and Japan should bolster their cooperation against China's provocations, with the world paying attention to the Taiwan Strait. The lawmaker will stay in Taiwan through Thursday. Beijing considers that Taiwan must be reunified with the mainland, even if it requires the use of force. Taiwan and mainland China have been governed separately since they split due to a civil war in 1949. On a clear day, Yonaguni Island, with a population of 1,700 in Japan's Okinawa Prefecture, can be seen from Yilan. When Taiwan was under Japanese colonial rule from 1895 to 1945, the two islands formed a single economic zone. Related coverage: Taiwan top legislator plans ferry run to boost ties with Japan island KYODO NEWS - Jul 4, 2023 - 13:49 | All, Japan Japan's education ministry on Tuesday unveiled guidelines allowing the limited use of generative artificial intelligence, such as ChatGPT, in elementary, junior high and high schools. The guidelines released by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology call for particular caution regarding use by elementary school students, while stating that passing off AI-assisted school work as one's own will be deemed cheating. While recognizing the importance of students gaining a firm grasp of AI and its uses, the guidelines also took into account concerns the technology may negatively impact students' critical thinking and other skills. The guidelines are provisional and will initially only allow for limited use. The education ministry will select by fall a number of junior high and high schools that will trial AI use and plans to revise the guidelines based on the results. It is expected AI will improve educational outcomes, but utilizing the technology carries risks of personal data leaks and copyright infringements and could stifle students' creativity and motivation to learn, the guidelines said. They also state it is necessary to educate children on ethical issues associated with AI, given that it can be used anywhere. The guidelines outline examples of inappropriate AI use, including students passing off AI-generated work as their own or using the technology during exams. It is also important that students do not put personal information into AI tools and observe copyright rules, the guidelines said. The ministry suggests AI should be used to gain additional viewpoints for class discussions. Students and teachers should also look at the limitations of the technology by assessing the nature of any erroneous information generated. The guidelines call for careful use by elementary school students in consideration of the Chat GPT terms of use that recommend it only be used by those aged 13 and over. Some in Japan's ruling parties and the government are wary about allowing young people to access AI. But despite the guidelines not specifically mentioning it, education ministry officials have suggested elementary school students younger than 13 can use AI to a certain degree under the guidance of teachers. ChatGPT, developed by U.S. tech firm OpenAI, and other generative AI programs are trained using massive amounts of data from the internet and can process and simulate human-like conversations with users or create images based on users' instructions. Related coverage: Japanese schools to be allowed limited use of generative AI 32% of university students in Japan using ChatGPT: survey Japan making efforts to bridge digital divide between young, elderly KYODO NEWS - Jul 4, 2023 - 22:57 | All, Japan The headless body of a man has been found at a hotel in Sapporo on Japan's northernmost main island, with police continuing to search Tuesday for a person seen entering the victim's room with him. The victim was also found naked, and police believe both the head and the clothes were taken away by the person of interest in a bid to prevent identification of the body, according to investigative sources. The victim, whose body was found Sunday, was identified by investigators on Tuesday as Hitoshi Ura, a 62-year-old resident of the city of Eniwa, situated south of Sapporo. Security cameras at the short-stay "love hotel" caught the two entering the premises at around 10:50 p.m. Saturday and the person of interest leaving the room alone at around 2:00 a.m. Sunday with a suitcase and a backpack, according to the sources. The person was small and wore a large brimmed hat and women's clothing when entering the room, but was wearing black attire when leaving, they said. An autopsy of the victim revealed that the cause of death was hemorrhagic shock and that his head was severed after death. The police suspect that Ura was killed inside the bathroom, where his body was found by an employee on Sunday afternoon. The incident occurred in downtown Susukino where many love hotels are located. A man in the neighborhood expressed shock Sunday, saying, "I have lived in this area for about 15 years, but I have never heard of an incident like this." Diyar Al Muharraq, one of the largest real estate development companies in Bahrain, has announced the launch of the third edition of its training programme, 'Tumouh.' The participants are selected according to predefined acceptance criteria, as 'Tumouh' aims to develop their skills and capabilities, thus ensuring their success in the real estate development sector and providing them with an invaluable experience that will positively impact their future careers, said the developer. Throughout the programme, four graduates holding Bachelor's degrees in engineering will receive vocational training from the engineering and real estate departments at the company. Over the course of the programme, which will run from July until December, an experienced team made up of representatives from different areas of the company will be responsible for supervising the training of the graduates, it stated. The annual 'Tumouh' programme provides vocational training to Bahraini graduates holding Bachelor's degrees in civil engineering, electrical engineering, architecture, and real estate development, it added. Reflecting on the programme, CEO Engineer Ahmed Ali Alammadi said: "It is our pleasure to welcome this group of promising young Bahraini graduates to our 'Tumouh' training program, which will hone their practical skills and professional experience paving their way into a successful career. Through this programme, we hope to cultivate future engineers, providing them with a highly interactive experience and involving them in planning projects in Diyar Al Muharraq." "This initiative is a key part of our mission to invest in young, homegrown talent, supporting their growth and development in a way that will set them up for a career in real estate development and engineering sectors," stated Ali Alaammadi. 'Tumouh' will also introduce the trainees to Diyar Al Muharraq's core values and corporate culture, and programme's participants will be able to review the company's vision, master plan, and ongoing and future projects, helping them integrate and adapt to the company, he added. Diyar Al Muharraq is an integrated residential city in the kingdom that provides a unique mix of residential, commercial, recreational, and health facilities that establish the model of a modern and integrated future city.-TradeArabia News Service By Takaki Tominaga, KYODO NEWS - Jul 5, 2023 - 00:32 | All, Japan, World, 3/11 Fukushima The International Atomic Energy Agency on Tuesday provided reassurance on the safety of Japan's plan to release treated radioactive water from the disaster-hit Fukushima nuclear plant into the sea, a significant step forward for Tokyo as it pushes ahead with the move despite concerns from China and other neighboring countries. In a report submitted by IAEA chief Rafael Grossi to Prime Minister Fumio Kishida in Tokyo, the U.N. nuclear watchdog concluded that Japan's water discharge plan is "consistent" with international safety standards and would have "a negligible radiological impact on people and the environment." International Atomic Energy Agency Director General Rafael Grossi (L) and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida are pictured at the premier's office in Tokyo on July 4, 2023. Grossi submitted the agency's safety review on releasing treated radioactive water from the crippled Fukushima nuclear power plant into the Pacific Ocean. (Kyodo) During their meeting, the IAEA director general called its two-year review "dedicated, scientific" and "impartial," telling Kishida that the results "have all the elements" necessary for Japan to "move on to the next phase." Kishida said Japan will respond "sincerely" to the review and will continue to explain its plan to affected residents and the international community "with a high level of transparency." "We will not allow a discharge that would be harmful to human health and the environment," the Japanese prime minister said. The Japanese government plans to study the IAEA's assessment before making a definitive decision regarding the timing of starting the water release, which is aimed at "around the summer." Grossi emphasized in the IAEA report that its document is neither a recommendation nor an endorsement of the water release, and the Japanese government has the final say on the issue while committing to continuing the safety review during what could become a 30-year discharge phase. The government has been seeking support over the release of the treated water into the Pacific Ocean after announcing its basic policy to do so in 2021, but local fishermen have been worried about the potential for reputational damage while China has demanded a halt to the release. The government has said that the disposal of treated water is necessary to decommission the crippled reactors of the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant, devastated by a powerful earthquake and ensuing tsunami in March 2011. Massive amounts of contaminated water have been generated in the process of cooling melted reactor fuel. The water has been kept in over 1,000 tanks installed at the site after going through the advanced liquid processing system that removes most radionuclides except tritium, but the containers are nearing capacity. The water will be diluted with seawater to one-40th of the concentration permitted under Japanese safety standards before being released via an underwater tunnel 1 kilometer off the power plant. Tritium is known to be less harmful to the human body than other radioactive materials, such as cesium and strontium, as it emits very weak radiation and does not accumulate or concentrate inside the body. Nuclear power plants worldwide routinely release treated water containing low-level concentrations of tritium and other radionuclides into the environment as part of normal operations, according to the U.N. agency. The IAEA agreed to conduct the review of Japan's water release policy in 2021 and has since addressed all key elements of the plan, including safety, regulatory activities and independent sampling of the water. It has also said a review conducted by the country's regulation authority on the plan was appropriate. Grossi reiterated in a press conference Tuesday that the IAEA will ensure the water discharge will be conducted safely, with the agency planning to establish an on-site presence to provide live online monitoring. "This will ensure the relevant international safety standards continue to be applied throughout the decades-long process laid out by the government of Japan and TEPCO," he said, referring to the plant operator Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings Inc. In an earlier assessment, the IAEA said neither it nor third-party laboratories "detected any additional radionuclides at significant levels" from the treated water, adding that TEPCO's sample collection procedures and analytical methods were appropriate and fit for the purpose. TEPCO said Tuesday it will use the IAEA's input to ensure the safety of the water release, and its related activities will continue to be under the agency's review in light of international safety standards. The utility completed construction work of discharge facilities at the end of June, and the Nuclear Regulation Authority is expected to announce the results of its final inspection of the facilities before the discharge begins. During his four-day stay in Japan that began Tuesday, Grossi will visit the Fukushima Daiichi plant and inaugurate an IAEA office at the site, according to the agency. He will then travel to South Korea from Friday to Sunday, where he is expected to brief the government about the report. The South Korean government has taken a cautious stance on Japan's plan to release the water amid public concerns about how the discharged water could affect people's health and the ocean environment. But Seoul's stance may have softened recently as South Korea and Japan are seeing a thaw in their bilateral ties that had increasingly soured over wartime compensation and other issues. The Chinese Foreign Ministry, meanwhile, was critical of the IAEA safety review, saying it "should not be the 'shield' or 'green light' for Japan's discharge of nuclear-contaminated water into the ocean," adding that the report "failed to fully reflect views from experts that participated in the review." Gist of IAEA's safety review report on Fukushima water release plan The following is the gist of the International Atomic Energy Agency's report released Tuesday on its safety review of Japan's plan to discharge treated radioactive water from the crippled Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant into the sea. -- Water discharge plan is consistent with international safety standards. -- Water discharge would have a negligible radiological impact on people and environment. -- Water discharge is a national decision by the Japanese government and the IAEA report is neither a recommendation nor an endorsement of the policy. -- IAEA will continue its safety review during the discharge phase, including by establishing an on-site presence, as part of efforts to provide transparency to the international community. Related coverage: Fukushima water release should avoid swimming season: Komeito head IAEA chief to visit Japan ahead of Fukushima wastewater release South Korean experts to continue analysis on Fukushima water discharge AMMAN, July 3 (Xinhua) -- Jordan on Monday warned of the catastrophic consequences of the Israeli raid on the West Bank city of Jenin, calling for the international community's intervention to stop Israel's military operations. Jordan's Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Ayman Safadi made the remarks during a phone conversation with Hussein Al-Sheikh, secretary general of the Executive Committee of the Palestine Liberation Organization, Jordan's state-run Petra news agency reported. Warning that the Israeli raid could further escalate tensions, Safadi called on the international community to take immediate measures to end such practices and protect the Palestinians. Safadi urged Israel to stop all unilateral actions, including the invasion of Palestinian cities, settlement expansion, and the economic blockade of Palestine. The Jordanian official also called on Israel to engage in serious negotiations aimed at ending the occupation and resolving the conflict based on the two-state solution. During the phone call, the two sides agreed that the Israeli practices that perpetuate the occupation and the lack of political solutions are behind the serious situation in the occupied Palestinian territories. Also on Monday, Jordan's Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Sinan Majali underlined the necessity to put an end to Israel's continuous incursions into Palestinian cities and protect Palestinians from repeated assaults, according to Petra. Jordan rejects such attacks and any other unilateral measures that undermine efforts to achieve a peaceful resolution, Majali was quoted as saying. BEIJING, July 4 (Xinhua) -- China's meteorological authorities on Tuesday renewed a blue alert for rainstorms in parts of the country. From 8 a.m. Tuesday to 8 a.m. Wednesday, heavy rain or rainstorms are forecast to hit parts of Inner Mongolia, Heilongjiang, Jilin, Liaoning, and Yunnan. Heavy downpours of up to 120 mm may lash parts of these regions, according to the National Meteorological Center. Some of these regions will experience heavy rainfall marked by 20 mm to over 60 mm of hourly precipitation, as well as severe convective weather conditions such as thunderstorms and gales, the center said. It has advised local governments and residents to take appropriate precautions. Schools and kindergartens have been asked to ensure the safety of students and children, while drivers have been advised to be cautious about road waterlogging and traffic jams. China has a four-tier weather warning system, with red representing the most severe warning, followed by orange, yellow, and blue. DAMASCUS, July 3 (Xinhua) -- Syrian President Bashar al-Assad on Monday stressed that the return of overseas Syrian refugees is a national priority, the state news agency SANA reported. Assad made the remarks in his meeting with visiting Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi to discuss the return of Syrian refugees and bilateral relations. The Syrian leader highlighted the needs to support the process with early recovery projects that enable the returnees to live a normal life. It is a purely humanitarian and moral issue that should not be politicized in any way, he noted. For his part, Safadi reviewed the latest efforts exerted by Jordan with respect to the return of Syrian refugees, and the new proposals in this regard in coordination with the Arab League Contact Group and the United Nations. Safadi stressed Jordan's support for stability in Syria and his country's keenness to work with the Syrian government and enhance cooperation between the two countries to support the return of Syrian refugees. The top Jordanian diplomat underlined that the most realistic and beneficial option is to gradually address the impacts of the Syrian crisis. This undated file photo shows Yi Qunlin playing the piano on a pedestrian street in Huaqiangbei, one of the world's largest electronics markets in Shenzhen, south China's Guangdong Province. (Xinhua) SHENZHEN, July 4 (Xinhua) -- Kitted out in an orange reflective safety vest and a pair of camouflage pants, a construction worker was tinkling with the piano keys gracefully on a pedestrian street in Huaqiangbei, one of the world's largest electronics markets in the southern Chinese metropolis of Shenzhen. Still with his yellow hard hat on, Yi Qunlin, a 57-year-old migrant worker from central China's Hunan Province, was an unusual piano player. Crowds soon surrounded him, filming his beautiful rendition, and his video soon became a top trending topic on the Twitter-like platform Sina Weibo in mid-April. Many Chinese netizens were touched by the scene, leaving comments like "By his hands, high-rise buildings can be built, so can splendid melodies be played!" A total of eight pianos have been placed on an over 900-meter-long pedestrian street near subway exits and squares in Huaqiangbei, free for any passers-by to play since 2018. Music lovers nickname the municipal government's piano program "Huaqiangbei public piano." It was first inspired by a British artist Luke Jerram, who has placed more than 2,000 street pianos in over 70 cities over the globe since 2008 and designed the slogan -- "Play me, I'm yours." Enabling the public to communicate and exchange their ideas through music, the street pianos in Huaqiangbei have also attracted grassroots musicians, including but not limited to senior citizens, nearby young doctors, as well as migrant workers like Yi. For Yi, the music thing is a teenage dream that has been untouched for over three decades. When he was six years old, Yi, who hails from an obscure village in Huarong County of Hunan, learned about the Chinese traditional instrument Erhu from some urbanites lodging at his home. When he grew up a little more as a curious teenager, he saw a piano in his cousin's house in downtown Huarong for the very first time. "My family was too poor to afford a piano for me. So I used to visit my cousin very often, though it took about an hour's bumpy travel over 20 km away from my home -- all for the opportunity to play the piano," Yi recalled. Throughout his nearly two decades of odd jobs in Shenzhen, Yi often worked in different kinds of factories, construction sites, and kitchens during the daytime, while teaching himself to play musical instruments like harmonica, flute, and saxophone when off work. Piano, however, is still quite expensive and bulky luggage for the migrant worker and has not been played upon for nearly 30 years. Surprisingly, Yi can still remember details of a classic music score adapted from The Butterfly Lovers, or "Liang Zhu" in Chinese. "I found the street piano when wandering with my colleagues at weekends," Yi said. "It has been a long time since my last piano practice. I was so excited, wild with ecstasy, that my heart kept palpitating even when I returned home." During this year's May Day holiday, Yi was invited to perform at the Guangming Culture & Art Center in the city's Guangming District. Inside the center's concert hall, the construction in which Yi once participated, the worker enjoyed his moment, playing more than a dozen songs on the piano, with his colleagues from the construction site among the audience. "Reveling in the music world, I gradually forgot my nervousness," Yi said, adding that he was glad that he can have the chance to play the piano on stage -- a life experience he had never dared to dream of even as a child. The street pianos in Shenzhen have brought more miracles than this. A senior citizen in his seventies even takes the subway every day to come to Huaqiangbei just for the street pianos. Because of the free pianos, he can now guide those interested in music to learn how to play them as well. "Anyone can play the piano here, remedying their childhood regret," said a migrant worker who always comes to practice. ISTANBUL, July 3 (Xinhua) -- The 23rd meeting of the Council of Heads of State of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) is expected to deliver important messages on regional and global development, said a Turkish expert. "I believe that at this meeting, we will hear messages about the future of the SCO and its effectiveness in maintaining regional and global balances," Akkan Suver, head of the Istanbul-based Marmara Group Strategic and Social Research Foundation, told Xinhua in an interview. The expert highlighted China's growing role as a founding member of the organization in supporting inclusive global development. "China's role in the development of the countries in the region is global. It has reached an international dimension," he said. Over the past decade, the SCO, a comprehensive regional cooperation organization, has become an important platform for practical Belt and Road cooperation. Suver applauded the opportunities China has created through the Belt and Road Initiative. Under the initiative, China's cooperation with countries in Eurasia, Europe, Latin America and Africa is manifested in "the projects and services it has put forward in terms of engaging in tangible and visible investments and cooperation," he said. Suver also hailed China as a leading actor in building a closer community with a shared future. "We see the People's Republic of China as a constructive actor, a global player, in the first quarter of the 21st century," he said. "China, through its participation in multilateral organizations such as the United Nations and its economic and social partnerships with other countries, is now active in Africa and Latin America, as well as in Eurasia," he said. In Suver's view, all these achievements have contributed to the development and progress of countries across the globe. "Therefore, China has a share and stake in building a closer community with a shared future," he said. Wang Huning, a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), attends a symposium marking the 100th anniversary of the birth of Qian Zhengying, the late vice chairwoman of the seventh to ninth national committees of the CPPCC, and meets with Qian's family ahead of the event in Beijing, capital of China, July 4, 2023. (Xinhua/Liu Weibing) BEIJING, July 4 (Xinhua) -- A symposium marking the 100th anniversary of the birth of Qian Zhengying, the late vice chairwoman of the seventh to ninth national committees of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), was held Tuesday in Beijing. Wang Huning, a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the National Committee of the CPPCC, attended the symposium and met with Qian's family ahead of the event. Hu Chunhua, vice chairman of the National Committee of the CPPCC, presided over the symposium and delivered a speech, calling for following Qian's political character of utter devotion to the Party, her awareness of the Party's purpose of wholeheartedly serving the people, and her scientific spirit of seeking truth from facts and upholding it. Qian, also an outstanding leading figure in the country's water conservancy and electric power sectors, as well as a senior academician with the Chinese Academy of Engineering, died of illness in Beijing in October 2022 at the age of 99. BEIJING, July 4 (Xinhua) -- Huang Yi, former vice chairman of the Yunnan Provincial Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, was sentenced Tuesday to 13 years imprisonment for accepting bribes. According to the verdict issued by the First Intermediate People's Court of Chongqing Municipality, Huang was also fined 3 million yuan (about 416,400 U.S. dollars). Huang's illegal gains from bribery and the interest it generated will be confiscated and handed over to the state treasury. The court found that, between 2001 and 2022, Huang took advantage of his various positions to assist others on matters such as the contracting of construction projects, the approval of business programs and the operation of enterprises. In return, he accepted money and valuables worth over 34.95 million yuan, said the court. Considering the fact that Huang confessed to his crimes during the investigation and was cooperative in returning all his illegal gains, he was granted a lenient sentence, according to the court. CHANGSHA, July 4 (Xinhua) -- China dispatched nearly 3,600 medical workers abroad via international medical aid teams between 2018 and 2022, serving 9.56 million patients, according to a work meeting held Tuesday in Changsha, central China's Hunan Province. The meeting was held to commemorate the 60th anniversary of China sending the first international medical aid team. China has dispatched about 30,000 medical workers to 76 countries and regions across the world over the past 60 years, providing medical services to 290 million patients, according to the meeting. Cao Xuetao, deputy head of the National Health Commission, said the commission would actively participate in global health governance and further contribute to improving international medical aid. Manufacturers with optimised digital transformation (DX) have seen profits increase 40% compared to less digitally mature organisations, said IFS, a global cloud enterprise software company. As per the results of an IDC InfoBrief sponsored by IFS, only 26% of manufacturers surveyed are pursuing new revenue streams; while only 28% are engaging with new ecosystems. The biggest ROI gains come from developing new business models (51%) that scale beyond "business as usual, said the study which polled 160 senior decision-makers within manufacturing companies across Europe, the Americas and Asia. Main obstacles Manufacturers' main obstacles include increasing labour costs (61%), growing costs for raw materials (42%) and supply chain issues (42%). However, firefighting against these immediate challenges has distracted manufacturers from differentiating their operations. With no immediate signs of relief from disruption, manufacturers must adapt their business models and focus on areas beyond their typical core domains, the study said. DX remains firmly on manufacturers' strategic roadmaps, as the study reveals encouraging signs that more than half (53%) of manufacturers are continuing to invest in digital initiatives to support their core business operations. Those that have successfully moved beyond the pilot stages of their digital transformation journey and are actively pursuing digital maturity are already experiencing increases in profit. The survey shows that manufacturers reporting an optimised level of DX saw profits increase (40%); while those with less advanced DX maturity suffered bigger reductions in profit in the last fiscal year. Striking a balance It is crucial that manufacturers continue to acknowledge the importance of advancing their digital initiatives. However, to ensure success, they must strike a balance between their DX investments and critical business priorities. Alarmingly, (62%) of respondents lack clarity on the ROI from their DX initiatives. If this continues, manufacturers risk losing competitive advantage and jeopardising the scale and deployment of future initiatives. In line with this, recent IFS results have shown that CIOs are increasingly moving toward prioritising technology investments that help build resilience in their business and generate value through digital technologies. However, without clear evidence of ROI, manufacturers will find it challenging to convince senior IT management to allocate budget towards digital initiatives. New ecosystems To truly thrive, organisations must follow the lead of manufacturers who are actively engaging with new ecosystems (28%), creating new revenue streams (26%), and exploring new markets (25%) to gain advantage over competitors. Positive indicators from the survey show that manufacturers are seeing the biggest ROI gains through scaling initiatives beyond pilots and deploying a mature DX strategy to address processes and people. The research also reveals that ROI benefits are being met or exceeded through mature digital initiatives targeted at developing new business models (51%) and engaging with new ecosystems (37%). Maggie Slowik, Global Industry Director for Manufacturing at IFS, said: "Manufacturers are under increasing pressure to differentiate in a landscape characterised by volatility while retaining the agility which is essential for building operational resilience. We know that digital maturity impacts profit. However, without transparency and measurable ROI it will become increasingly difficult for manufacturers to scale and deliver tangible benefits from their investments." Slowik continued: "The more digital initiatives deliver ROI, the easier it is for organisations to make a case for further digital investments - these must be enabled by scalable, cloud-based IT solutions to deliver long-term revenue and profit growth. We see that manufacturers who have broken through the pilot phases of their DX journey, and continue to push for digital maturity, are already reaping the benefits of ROI as a means to generate long-term value and remain competitive. In the future, successful organisations will implement an advanced approach to DX that considers the "impact-scale-trust" dimensions of digital initiatives, continuously using digital technology not only to optimise operations but also to achieve advantage and create value with digital technology."-- TradeArabia News Service This photo taken on July 3, 2023 shows smoke rising from the West Bank city of Jenin. The Israeli army launched a large-scale military strike early on Monday on the northern West Bank city of Jenin, according to eyewitnesses and the Israeli military. Dozens of armored vehicles backed by drones and helicopters stormed the city and the refugee camp, said Palestinian eyewitnesses, adding that airstrikes were carried out during the exchange of fire between Palestinian militants and Israeli soldiers. (Photo by Gil Cohen Magen/Xinhua) by Saud Abu Ramadan, Emad Drimly RAMALLAH/GAZA, July 3 (Xinhua) -- Huge explosions are heard from time to time in the Jenin refugee camp in the northern West Bank, with clouds of black smoke rising in different areas, as an intense exchange of fire is going on between Palestinian militants and the Israeli soldiers. The Israeli army launched a large-scale military operation in Jenin at dawn on Monday. Palestinian security sources told Xinhua that Israeli forces stormed the city from several axes, surrounded the camp, seized several buildings and residential houses, and deployed snipers on roofs. The military operation "is the most violent since 2002," with intensive airstrikes targeting buildings where dozens of Palestinian gunmen exchanged fire with the Israeli soldiers, said residents and security officials. Videos circulating on social media showed the damage caused by the airstrikes on the buildings and posts, which the Israeli army said belonged to Palestinian militant groups. In a press statement, the Israeli army said it bombarded a command headquarters that housed a meeting place, an armament depot, and a communication center for activists, adding the targeted site is located near two schools and a medical center. In response, Palestinian factions "engaged in armed clashes with the Israeli soldiers, detonated high-explosive devices and shot down three drones flying over the camp," said Palestinian factions in separate statements. Israel Radio reported that more than 1,000 soldiers joined the operation. An Israeli army spokesman said the army "does not intend to occupy the Jenin refugee camp, but this is an operation targeting terrorist groups." The Israeli forces arrested activists and seized many explosive devices hoarded for combat, according to the spokesman. Eyewitnesses said some refugee families fled the camp to the city center or other areas, fearing military escalation during the evening hours. Ramzi, a young man living in the refugee camp who is ready to escape with his family members, told Xinhua that the camp was exposed to something like "an earthquake." Palestinian Health Minister Mai Al-Kaila accused the Israeli army of preventing medical personnel from entering the refugee camp to take the injured to hospitals, while the Palestinian Red Crescent Society appealed for a safe passage to evacuate the wounded from the camp. "Ambulances can hardly reach the injured," lamented an ambulance driver. The Palestinian Ministry of Information said media crews were also targeted, besieged and shot, and the equipment was burned. Nabil Abu Rudeineh, the spokesman of the Palestinian presidency, slammed the Israeli activities as "a war crime against defenseless people." Hussein Al-Sheikh, secretary general of the Executive Committee of the Palestine Liberation Organization, said the aggression "will drag the region into a spiral of violence and instability." Daoud Shihab, a senior Islamic Jihad member in Gaza, warned in a statement that "all options are open if the aggression does not stop," calling on mediators including Egypt, Qatar and the United Nations to intervene immediately before it is too late. In Gaza City, dozens of Palestinians were waving Palestinian flags at the square of the Unknown Soldier to protest against the Israeli military operation in Jenin. According to the Palestinian Health Ministry, the latest Israeli military operation in Jenin has left at least eight Palestinians killed and about 80 injured, including 17 in critical condition. Israeli troops evacuate an injured soldier using a helicopter near the West Bank city of Jenin on July 3, 2023. The Israeli army launched a large-scale military strike early on Monday on the northern West Bank city of Jenin, according to eyewitnesses and the Israeli military. Dozens of armored vehicles backed by drones and helicopters stormed the city and the refugee camp, said Palestinian eyewitnesses, adding that airstrikes were carried out during the exchange of fire between Palestinian militants and Israeli soldiers. (Photo by Gil Cohen Magen/Xinhua) Israeli troops evacuate an injured soldier using a helicopter near the West Bank city of Jenin on July 3, 2023. The Israeli army launched a large-scale military strike early on Monday on the northern West Bank city of Jenin, according to eyewitnesses and the Israeli military. Dozens of armored vehicles backed by drones and helicopters stormed the city and the refugee camp, said Palestinian eyewitnesses, adding that airstrikes were carried out during the exchange of fire between Palestinian militants and Israeli soldiers. (Photo by Gil Cohen Magen/Xinhua) This aerial photo taken on May 9, 2023 shows the container terminal at Lianyungang Port, east China's Jiangsu Province. (Photo by Wang Chun/Xinhua) "China cannot be a risk, but only an opportunity for foreign companies and countries," noted Mladen Plese, a Croatian political analyst. ZAGREB, July 3 (Xinhua) -- Owing to its huge market and outstanding economy, China brings the world opportunities rather than risks, Mladen Plese, a Croatian political analyst, told Xinhua in an interview on Monday. "China is not only the most populous country, but also has an outstanding economy," Plese said, noting that China has been the world's largest exporter and the second-largest importer. "Because of that, China significantly influences the world's economic and trade processes." While its booming economy has helped China develop better and faster, the country has also provided foreign companies with abundant opportunities to make profits, Plese said. People visit the 11th Macao International Travel (Industry) Expo (MITE) in Macao, south China, June 30, 2023.(Xinhua/Cheong Kam Ka) "China is a lifetime chance for many companies in the world. I believe that not a single foreign company that has entered China has fared poorly," he said. Therefore, "China cannot be a risk, but only an opportunity for foreign companies and countries," he noted. None of the measures, including raising tariffs and imposing restrictions on Chinese goods introduced by the United States, can stop the development of the Chinese economy, Plese said. In the opinion of the political analyst, the recent visit by U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken to Beijing is a result of the strong pressure from major American companies on the U.S. administration to stabilize relations with China so that they can do business there normally. "The pressure by the American companies proves the significance of the Chinese economy," Plese said, noting that according to figures published by the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis in February, U.S.-China trade in goods hit a new record of 690.6 billion U.S. dollars in 2022. Visitors observe an intelligent mechanical arm at the China International Big Data Industry Expo 2023 in Guiyang, southwest China's Guizhou Province, May 26, 2023. (Xinhua/Tao Liang) Moreover, the recovery of the world economy depends "to a large extent" on China. "When the Chinese recovery starts, there is great optimism in the world, but if there is a little slowdown, everyone worries," he said, adding that the International Monetary Fund has forecast that China is set to account for one-third of global economic growth this year. TUNIS, July 4 (Xinhua) -- A 38-year-old Tunisian was stabbed on Monday evening by an illegal sub-Saharan immigrant in southeastern Tunisia's Sfax Province, private radio station Mosaique FM reported on Tuesday. "A Tunisian was killed last night around 11 p.m. (10 GMT) in Sakiet Eddaier's delegation," Mosaique FM quoted the spokesperson for the Court of Sfax Faouzi Masmoudi, as saying. Masmoudi added that "civil protection units tried to save the victim without success." Masmoudi said that an investigation for premeditated murder has been opened and that three sub-Saharan suspects have been taken into custody. Masmoudi added that acts of violence in several regions of Sfax province broke out between Tunisians and sub-Saharans. On June 19, Tunisian President Kais Saied Monday met with visiting French and German interior ministers, Gerald Darmanin and Nancy Faeser, to discuss the issue of illegal immigration. During the meeting, Saied said Tunisia would not be a guardian of Europe's borders in preventing the flow of illegal immigrants as the country will only guard its own borders. "Tunisia will not accept the settlement of immigrants on its soil," the president said, calling for a collective approach to eliminating the root causes of illegal immigration. A C919 large passenger aircraft, China's first self-developed trunk jetliner, is greeted with a water salute after touching down at Beijing Capital International Airport in Beijing, capital of China, May 28, 2023. (Photo by Wang Yang/Xinhua) by Xinhua writers Hu Tao, Liu Enli, Zhou Yuan BEIJING, July 4 (Xinhua) -- Low-carbon technologies are playing more roles in sustaining Chinese airports' green transformation, facilitating the civil aviation sector to move toward the country's "dual carbon" goal. The civil aviation sector will promote safe and efficient SAF (sustainable aviation fuels) substitution, promote airport electrification and clean energy application, and strengthen energy conservation and intensive utilization, according to the Civil Aviation Administration of China. Airports across the country are taking active actions to put low-emission facilities and eco-friendly technologies into operation, with busy hub airports as pioneers. Chongqing Jiangbei International Airport (Chongqing Airport), an air hub in southwest China's Chongqing Municipality, is ambitious to create a green airport with the energy transition as the key, according to the Chongqing Airport Group. A key challenge of airports' green transformation, carbon emissions and noise from aircraft and ground vehicles affect the air quality of aprons and neighboring areas. To tackle these issues, the Chongqing Airport is moving intensively in changing the power-supply means to both sectors with fuel-to-electricity by introducing the ground support equipment (GSE) to reduce the use of the auxiliary power units (APU) of aircraft, according to Wang Xiumin, deputy manager of the Chongqing Airport's jet bridge operation department. Normally powered by aviation fuel, an APU is critical aircraft equipment that provides electrical power and air conditioning for aircraft when they are on the ground. "The GSE connects to the aircraft with two pipelines to provide power supply and air conditioning to ensure aircraft operation and passengers' comfort. This means of clean energy substation reduces the carbon emissions and noise," said Wang. By now, the airport has put into operation 123 sets of power supply units and 114 sets of air conditioning supply units for aircraft on the ground. According to rough statistics, the GSE could reduce the use of around 150 kg of aviation fuel for each flight. Dubbed China's "mountain city," Chongqing is renowned for its spicy cuisine and tourism. It is also a major high-tech industry cluster and the world's leading laptop production base. Therefore, the Chongqing Airport is a busy hub for both passenger and air cargo transport with intensive use of diverse types of ground vehicles. The Chongqing Airport Group has been injecting much to facilitate the electrification of its ground vehicles. In 2021, the airport invested 140 million yuan (about 19.43 million U.S. dollars) to introduce electric vehicles and build charging stations. By 2022, the volume of licensed new-energy vehicles working at the airport and charging facilities exceeded 280 and 219 units, respectively, which jointly contributed to the reduction of around 3,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide. Eyeing the construction of a greener airport, the Chongqing Airport is also endeavoring to innovatively develop more advanced ground facilities for aircraft and charging stations for ground vehicles to continuously enhance their utilization efficiency, according to the airport. China has announced it will strive to peak carbon dioxide emissions by 2030 and achieve carbon neutrality by 2060. The civil aviation industry will seek green and low-carbon development during the 14th Five-Year Plan period (2021-2025) by making the sector smarter, low-carbon, and resource-efficient to achieve green transformation, said a roadmap issued by the Civil Aviation Administration of China. By 2025, the carbon emission intensity of China's civil aviation will continue to decline, the proportion of low-carbon energy consumption will continue to rise, and the utilization efficiency of civil aviation resources will improve, it said. A panel discussion themed "Shaping a New Framework for a Stable China-U.S. relationship" is held during the 11th World Peace Forum at Tsinghua University in Beijing, July 3, 2023. (Photo by Tsinghua University) To prevent bilateral relations from further sliding to dangerous lows, Chinese and U.S. experts stressed the importance of managing tensions to avoid conflicts, and agreed that bilateral exchanges and cooperation can be cemented in areas where the national interests of China and the United States converge. BEIJING, July 4 (Xinhua) -- Chinese and U.S. experts have stressed the importance of regional and global cooperation for a stable China-U.S. relationship. During the 11th World Peace Forum at Tsinghua University in Beijing, they underscored the fragility of the relations, urging effective management of tensions and resumption of constructive exchanges between the two sides. "The Trump and Biden administrations stressed too much competition," said Wu Xinbo, dean of the Institute of International Studies at Fudan University, noting it was important to translate the political will for cooperation into action. Wu Xinbo, dean of the Institute of International Studies at Fudan University, speaks at a panel discussion themed "Shaping a New Framework for a Stable China-U.S. relationship" during the 11th World Peace Forum at Tsinghua University in Beijing, July 3, 2023. (Photo by Tsinghua University) MANAGING TENSIONS Over the past few years, China-U.S. relations have grown more unstable and unpredictable, said Douglas Paal, a distinguished fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace in Washington D.C., during a panel discussion of the forum on Monday. Given China's domestic development over the past five years, China is less likely for now to be a leading source of instability, while "surprise may increase from the U.S. side in the year and a half," said Paal. He elaborated that the United States is preparing for its general election season, which tends to raise issues, reducing the space for policy innovation for the incoming administration. The two parties, Democrats and Republicans, are competing to "show how tough they are in time," he added. The postponement of U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken's visit to China to June from February was "costly" and "has put a premium on following up more quickly, compressing more work into a shorter time frame," he noted. Douglas Paal, a distinguished fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace in Washington D.C., speaks at a panel discussion themed "Shaping a New Framework for a Stable China-U.S. relationship" during the 11th World Peace Forum at Tsinghua University in Beijing, July 3, 2023. (Photo by Tsinghua University) Wu, the dean of Fudan University, also held that there is a strong and active anti-China impulse. The atmosphere in Washington is "toxic and irrational," reminding people of the notorious McCarthyism in the 1950s, he said. To prevent bilateral relations from further sliding to dangerous lows, the panelists stressed the importance of managing tensions to avoid conflicts. Wang Jisi, founding president of the Institute of the International and Strategic Studies of Peking University, cautioned that at present, the two countries should avoid any unexpected incident that may worsen bilateral relations like the shooting down of a civilian airship by a modern fighter jet in the United States in February. He said one thing critically important is that once there is any unexpected incident, the two sides would be able to avoid it from escalating into fierce arguments or conflicts. "That's what I think we can expect and hope to happen," he added. Wang Jisi, founding president of the Institute of the International and Strategic Studies of Peking University, speaks at a panel discussion themed "Shaping a New Framework for a Stable China-U.S. relationship" during the 11th World Peace Forum at Tsinghua University in Beijing, July 3, 2023. (Photo by Tsinghua University) Paal opined that eyes should be focused on laying the foundation for the two international meetings to be held in September and November, respectively -- the Group of 20 Summit in New Delhi and the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Leaders' Summit in San Francisco -- to demonstrate that the United States and China can manage some of the tensions that might otherwise lead to conflict. He reiterated that the two countries should stay committed to addressing shared concerns, and moving forward, it will be important for their leaders to create means to prevent events from becoming crises. Cliff Kupchan, chairman of Eurasia Group, also called on the two countries to attach more importance to managing tensions and seeking shared interests, adding both sides should focus on mutual and reciprocal actions on regional and global issues. Cliff Kupchan, chairman of Eurasia Group, speaks at a panel discussion themed "Shaping a New Framework for a Stable China-U.S. relationship" during the 11th World Peace Forum at Tsinghua University in Beijing, July 3, 2023. (Photo by Tsinghua University) REALISTIC EXCHANGES The panelists all agreed that bilateral exchanges and cooperation can be cemented in areas where the national interests of China and the United States converge, such as climate change and global debt. They said it remains to be seen whether some softening tones by the United States could be translated into feasible agendas and actions. After Blinken's recent visit to China, both countries have indicated their willingness to interact. "The question now is to move ahead and implement the opportunities to express our different views about some issues," Paal told Xinhua. "It should not be engagement for engagement's sake, nor should be the mask or camouflage of real conflicts of interests that exist," he said. Based on his observation, the common objective should be to meet the new normal interests of both sides, avoid costly conflicts, and address issues of immediate interests of both sides and beyond. This photo taken on July 3, 2023 shows the scene of a panel discussion themed "Shaping a New Framework for a Stable China-U.S. relationship" during the 11th World Peace Forum at Tsinghua University in Beijing. (Photo by Tsinghua University) Wu pointed out that the United States still wants to and needs to cooperate with China on issues related to climate change and macroeconomics, adding it also has to respond to the pressure from the business community which demands a more normalized economic environment. Noting that both U.S. National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan and Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen have said that their country does not intend to decouple with China, Wu said: "We have to wait and see whether they can be translated in policies or they are just rhetoric." Urging the U.S. side to match its words with action, Wu stressed that there is a foundation for serious discussions on bilateral ties, which is the U.S. commitment of "five noes," i.e., not seek a new Cold War; not seek to change China's system; the revitalization of its alliances is not against China; not support "Taiwan independence"; not look for conflict with China. BEIJING, July 4 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Xi Jinping attended the 23rd meeting of the Council of Heads of State of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) via video conference here on Tuesday. Xi will address the summit. JERUSALEM, July 4 (Xinhua) -- At least ten Palestinians were killed in the Jenin refugee camp in the West Bank and thousands fled their homes as Israel pressed ahead on Tuesday with its largest military campaign in the occupied territory since 2002. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said in a statement that it launched an "extensive counterterrorism effort in the area of Jenin city and the Jenin Camp" and carried out airstrikes on "terrorist infrastructure." Starting early on Monday, hundreds of commandos backed by drones raided the Jenin refugee camp. Israel's Military Spokesman Daniel Hagari told reporters that at least ten airstrikes have been carried out in the Jenin area and at least 110 "suspects" were arrested and questioned. "There is no point in the (Jenin) refugee camp that we haven't reached," he said. According to Hagari, Israel initiated the offensive because about 50 attacks had originated from Jenin over the past year. He also said the operation could end within days, as it had already achieved most of its goals. The military said in a statement on Tuesday morning that forces "neutralize an underground shaft that was used to store explosive devices in the heart of the Jenin Camp." In addition, troops "located and dismantled two operational situation rooms" belonging to militants, destroyed a grenade launcher and confiscated weapons and military equipment. The raid prompted international condemnations and the Palestinian Authority has suspended all contacts with Israel. Deputy Governor of Jenin, Kamal Abu Arub, told Israel's Arab-language radio of A-Shams that approximately 3,000 residents have fled their homes and sought refuge in buildings belonging to the Palestinian Authority. Guesthouses and hotels in the area also opened their doors to the displaced residents. According to UN estimates, about 15,000-20,000 people live in the crowded refugee camp. The Geneva-based Medecins Sans Frontieres reported that military bulldozers destroyed roads leading to the refugee camp, impeding ambulances from reaching injuries. "All roads leading to the camp are blocked, including for ambulances, despite the presence of patients in need of care on the other side," the group wrote on Twitter. The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs in the Palestinian territories reported that "due to damage to infrastructure, most of the refugee camp residents are currently without drinking water and electricity." "Humanitarian access is most urgent now," Adam Bouloukos, the director of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) in the West Bank, wrote on Twitter. The Palestinian Health Ministry said in a statement that at least ten Palestinians were killed, including a 16-year-old boy and two 17-year-old boys. Israel seized the West Bank, along with East Jerusalem and the Gaza Strip, in the 1967 Middle East war and has maintained control over these territories despite international criticism. The Palestinians wish to establish their future state in these territories. Riders perform during a horse racing event of the 18th Mount Qomolangma culture and tourism festival in Xigaze, southwest China's Tibet Autonomous Region, June 20, 2023. (Xinhua/Sun Fei) "In seeking consensus in a divided world, it is necessary to set aside biases and respect each other. Imposing one country's values on others will only increase instability, and blindly applying another country's human rights protection model can also be harmful," she said. GENEVA, July 4 (Xinhua) -- During the ongoing 53rd session of the United Nations (UN) Human Rights Council, the China Society for Human Rights Studies on Monday held a side event at which experts detailed the concept and practices of human rights in China, at the Palais des Nations here. Wang Yanwen, deputy secretary-general of the human rights organization, said in her opening address that global human rights governance should evolve towards a more fair, just, reasonable, and inclusive direction. "In seeking consensus in a divided world, it is necessary to set aside biases and respect each other. Imposing one country's values on others will only increase instability, and blindly applying another country's human rights protection model can also be harmful," she said. A performance is staged at the Grape Valley scenic area in Turpan, northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, June 26, 2023. (Xinhua/Wang Fei) "A genuine civilization of human rights should be built on the recognition of the universality of human rights and the respect for differences in human rights concepts and practices. It is important to seek common ground while respecting differences and call on all countries and nations to inherit and develop their own civilizations, and independently choose a path of human rights development that suits their national conditions," Wang said. On human rights education, Zhang Wei, executive vice president of the Institute of Human Rights at the China University of Political Science and Law, underlined the importance the Chinese government attaches to it. In the four National Human Rights Action Plans, there are dedicated chapters on human rights education and research, which propose specific measures to promote the continuous development of human rights education, Zhang said at the event. So far, China has established human rights education and training bases in 14 universities. According to the arrangements of the fourth plan, the Chinese government will support the establishment of national human rights research institutions in the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences and Party schools by 2025. Three new research bases will be set up as well. Li Liang, a scholar from the School of Politics and International Relations of Lanzhou University, said Xinjiang's modernization drive has accelerated again since 2010. A slew of measures promoting ethnic integration and de-radicalization were implemented, leading to a profound ideological liberation of women in Xinjiang, Li said. Colorful dresses, jeans and suits have made a comeback on the streets of small towns and villages there, igniting a great resurgence of vitality among women in the region. Suolang Zhuoma, an assistant researcher at the China Tibetology Research Center, told Monday's event that the Chinese government has unveiled the Regulations on Religious Affairs and the Measures on the Management of the Reincarnation of Living Buddhas in Tibetan Buddhism to respect and protect such way of inheritance of Tibetan Buddhism. She believed that in accordance with the measures, China's Tibet and other places have identified and trained many new reincarnated living Buddhas who love the country and the religion. It has guaranteed the inheritance of Tibetan Buddhist culture, met the basic religious needs of the believers, and become a great practice in the development of human rights in Tibet. A child is pictured at Yumai Township in Shannan City, southwest China's Tibet Autonomous Region, June 10, 2023. (Xinhua/Jigme Dorji) Xiao Wu, associate professor at the Human Rights Research Institute of Southwest University of Political Science and Law, said that China's human rights cause is an integral part of Chinese modernization. China maintains that the right to subsistence and the right to development are fundamental human rights, emphasizing the inseparability of civil and political rights and economic, social, and cultural rights, Xiao said. China upholds a people-centered view of human rights rather than a narrow and one-sided view of human rights. It adheres to a multidimensional path of human rights development rather than a one-dimensional approach. China embraces an inclusive concept of human rights rather than a condescending view of human rights. China advocates exploring a path of human rights development that suits its own national conditions and the needs of its people, Xiao added. Nasierjiang Yibulayin, associate professor at the School of Law and Politics of Kashi University in Xinjiang, said at the event that the Chinese Constitution and laws have fundamentally established legal barriers to prevent "forced labor." People of all ethnic groups in Xinjiang have the freedom to choose their professions. The rights of laborers from all ethnic groups, such as the right to fair remuneration, the right to rest and vacation, the right to labor safety and health protection, and the right to social security and welfare, are all protected by law, the professor said. Zhang Dengke, a scholar at the School of Chinese Language and Literature of Xinjiang University, told the audience that as a language researcher and local resident, he constantly experiences the full protection of the diversity of local languages and scripts in Xinjiang. Currently, more than 10 languages and scripts are used by various ethnic groups in Xinjiang. Minority languages and scripts are widely used in areas such as the judiciary, administration, education, press and publication, broadcasting, television, the Internet, and public affairs. Bianba Lamu, a researcher at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, stressed that Tibet has always been an integral part of China's territory since ancient times, and the various ethnic groups of China have jointly created its history. In modern Chinese history, the central government has always exercised sovereignty and had jurisdiction over Tibet. Hostile Western forces that advocate "Tibetan independence" disregard the development history of all Chinese ethnic groups, including the Tibetan people. Their purpose is nothing more than to confuse the public, infiltrate and undermine China's national unity, and hinder China's development under the guise of ethnic separatism, the researcher said. Palestinians evacuate from the Jenin refugee camp during an ongoing Israeli military operation in the West Bank city of Jenin, on July 4, 2023. The Israeli army's military operation in the northern West Bank city of Jenin and its refugee camp continued for the second day on Tuesday, leaving ten killed and 100 injured, Palestinian medics said. (Photo by Nidal Eshtayeh/Xinhua) RAMALLAH, July 4 (Xinhua) -- The Israeli army's military operation in the northern West Bank city of Jenin and its refugee camp continued for the second day on Tuesday, leaving ten killed and 100 injured, Palestinian medics said. In a new death toll update, the Palestinian Ministry of Health said that ten Palestinians were killed and more than 100 injured, including 20 in critical condition. Residents and security sources in Jenin told Xinhua that Israeli army drones attacked posts belonging to Palestinian militant groups after 500 families were evacuated from their homes on Monday night and Tuesday morning. There was no electricity or water in the camp and the camp infrastructure was damaged due to the Israeli aggression, said Nidal Obeidi, the mayor of Jenin. The Israeli army, in cooperation with the police and the General Security Service (Shin Bet), is continuing the military operation in the Jenin camp, Israeli media reported. They discovered an explosives laboratory containing hundreds of explosive devices and other means of combat, as well as military equipment, including communication devices, said the reports. Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas called on the United Nations and the international community to intervene immediately to compel Israel to stop "displacing the people of Jenin camp." An Israeli army spokesperson denied in a statement that the Israeli army forces had evacuated residents from the Jenin camp, saying that "this information was untrue." Israel launched a major operation in Jenin and its refugee camp on early Monday. Palestinians evacuate from the Jenin refugee camp during an ongoing Israeli military operation in the West Bank city of Jenin, on July 4, 2023. The Israeli army's military operation in the northern West Bank city of Jenin and its refugee camp continued for the second day on Tuesday, leaving ten killed and 100 injured, Palestinian medics said. (Photo by Nidal Eshtayeh/Xinhua) MEXICO CITY, July 4 (Xinhua) -- Nicaraguan Foreign Minister Denis Moncada on June 27 handed a letter to United Nations (UN) Secretary-General Antonio Guterres signed by Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega, demanding the United States pay over 12 billion U.S. dollars in compensation to fulfill the judgment of the International Court of Justice in 1986, which ruled the United States guilty of providing funding for the civil war in the country. Thirty-seven years have passed, and the United States has yet to fulfill its "historical debt." Treating Latin America as its "backyard," the United States has pursued hegemony, manipulating the rhetoric of "democracy and freedom" while prioritizing its own interests since it espoused the Monroe Doctrine 200 years ago. The anti-hegemony sentiment among Latin American countries and their people, who have long suffered from U.S. interference and oppression, has become increasingly strong. Dialogue and multilateralism to confront U.S. bullying and defend regional integration have become the choice of an increasing number of Latin American countries. UNSETTLED COMPENSATION In 1979, the Sandinista National Liberation Front overthrew the Somoza family, which had ruled Nicaragua for over 40 years with the support of the United States. In order to maintain control over the country, the U.S. government began to fund the anti-government armed groups, training soldiers, providing weapons as well as encouraging them to lay sea mines in important ports, resulting in the destruction of many foreign merchant ships. Meanwhile, the United States also incited them to start a civil war, leaving the country in chaos and one of the poorest countries in the Western Hemisphere. In 1984, the Nicaraguan government sued the U.S. government in the International Court of Justice, demanding compensation for damages caused by years of interference in internal affairs. In 1986, the International Court of Justice issued the judgment that the United States had violated the United Nations Convention and ordered it to pay Nicaragua more than 12 billion dollars in compensation. However, during multiple votes at the UN Security Council, the United States repeatedly exercised its veto power, resulting in the compensation not being paid. After Violeta Chamorro, the U.S.-backed candidate, was elected in 1990, the demand for compensation from the United States was revoked. President Ortega now urged the United States to make reparations. In his letter to the UN secretary-general, Ortega made it clear that "It is not a pending obligation to be established or subject to an advisory opinion from a judicial body. It is an obligation clearly established in a final ruling of the highest international judicial authority, the International Court of Justice." The United States "never assumed the social cost of these illegalities," he noted. "SO FAR FROM GOD, SO CLOSE TO THE UNITED STATES" Interference in Nicaragua's internal affairs is only the tip of the iceberg of the U.S. Monroe Doctrine and hegemony in Latin America. Over the past 200 years, the United States has militarily intervened in Latin America more than 30 times, not to mention its countless covert or indirect interference by means of "money politics." Latin American countries, which are regarded as "backyard" by the United States, have lost territories and fallen into turmoil and poverty under its hegemony. In 1915, the United States sent troops to occupy Haiti under the guise of "protecting the diaspora" from local unrest. It did not withdraw its troops until 1934. During the occupation, U.S. white supremacist soldiers perpetrated massacres of Black residents. As of today, Haiti remains one of the least developed countries in the world. In the early 1950s, then Guatemalan President Jacobo Arbenz Guzman implemented land reforms that involved redistributing unused land owned by the U.S.-owned United Fruit Company to landless farmers. It prompted the company to lobby the U.S. government to support a coup led by Carlos Castillo Armas to overthrow the Arbenz administration. In 1989, the United States sent elite troops to invade Panama again under the guise of "protecting the lives and property of American citizens," overthrowing the military government, attempting to attain permanent control of the Panama Canal and resulting in the death of nearly 500 Panamanians. In 2018, the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights ruled that the United States had violated the American Declaration of the Rights and Duties of Man and demanded that the United States pay compensation. However, the United States has not responded. Additionally, the United States seized nearly 2.3 million square km of Mexico's land through the Mexican-American War and invaded Grenada to support a pro-American regime. ... The crimes of U.S. interference and oppression in Latin American countries are too numerous to list. Until today, the United States is still oppressing Latin American countries by various means. As the old saying goes, "so far from God and so close to the United States." UNITING AGAINST HEGEMONY From political struggles to armed resistance, the Latin American people have never stopped their resistance against U.S. intervention. As the process of regional integration accelerates, the unity of Latin American countries against U.S. hegemony is growing stronger. Leaders from Latin American countries called for an end to the economic and financial blockade against Cuba and the establishment of a regional integration mechanism that protects the common interests of the people and respects diversity while opposing foreign interference and hegemony, at the seventh Summit of the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States held in January. In May, Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva at a summit in Brazil's capital Brasilia where leaders from the Union of South American Nations gathered to "relaunch" the regional bloc proposed a broad cooperation scheme, including the possibility of creating a common regional currency or similar mechanism to reduce reliance on the U.S. dollar in trade. With the aim of creating an effective South American Free Trade Area, the South American leaders reached the Brasilia Consensus, demonstrating their strong determination to pursue regional integration. Former Bolivian Foreign Minister Fernando Huanacuni pointed out that while touting an "America for the Americans," what the Monroe Doctrine and its derivative policies truly aimed at was an "America for the United States." Nicaragua's demand for compensation from the United States represents the collective voice of Latin America calling for their joint efforts to counter U.S. unipolar hegemony through integration mechanisms, Huanacuni said. Turkish Airlines, a leading player in the aviation industry, has been awarded the title of "Most Sustainable Flag Carrier Airline" by World Finance, a top organization in the international finance world. This is the second consecutive year that the flag carrier brand has received this award. Amid the climate crisis posing significant challenges to the aviation sector, Turkish Airlines stands out for its voluntary carbon offsetting platform CO2mission, the use of Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF), implementation of in-flight sustainable products, waste management practices, and the sustainable travel experience provided to its passengers. Turkish Airlines Chairman of the Board and Executive Committee Prof Dr Ahmet Bolat, said: "Turkish Airlines has set a strategic goal to be among the top three airlines in the world in terms of digitalization within three years. In line with our commitment to becoming a Carbon-Neutral Airline by 2050, our company has included climate change mitigation plans and started the use of Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) since 2022, which we further expanded by adding additional routes in 2023." Since 2008, Turkish Airlines has undertaken over 100 operational optimization projects to reduce its carbon footprint. In 2022 alone, it achieved a fuel savings of 57,581 tons, mitigating 181,379 tons of greenhouse gas emissions. The World Finance Sustainability Awards, recognized as an important reference by the global finance and business communities, are presented to organizations that demonstrate the best practices in the three dimensions of sustainability: environmental, economic, and social. World Finance, known for its evaluations, comments, articles, and news compilations regarding global banking, finance, and capital markets, aims to identify the best institutions in each country through assessments conducted by expert jury members since 2008, covering various sectors. TradeArabia News Service ANKARA, July 3 (Xinhua) -- Turkiye's trade deficit recorded 61.4 billion U.S. dollars in the first half of 2023, up 19.1 percent from the same period last year, the trade ministry said Monday. The exports dropped by 1.8 percent year on year to 123.4 billion dollars in the first half of 2023, while its imports rose 4.3 percent from a year earlier to 184.8 billion dollars, said the ministry. As for the monthly figure in June, the trade deficit saw a decrease of 34.5 percent to 5.39 billion dollars compared to the same period last year. The exports dropped by 10.5 percent to 20.9 billion dollars in June compared to the same period last year while the imports decreased by 16.8 percent, standing at 26.3 billion dollars. The ministry said the decrease in exports was due to the pause in orders and deliveries during the nine-day Eid al-Adha holiday, while the decline in imports was mainly due to the decrease in energy imports. On June 17, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said his country aimed at increasing its exports to 265 billion dollars by the end of 2023. CAIRO, July 4 (Xinhua) -- Arab League Secretary-General Ahmed Aboul-Gheit on Tuesday hailed the upgrade of relations between Egypt and Turkiye to ambassadorial level. In a statement, the pan-Arab body chairman said the move "is a positive development that will contribute to calming the region and promoting diplomatic communication as a path for settling issues." Relations among Arab countries and their regional neighbors should be advanced on the base of mutual respect, international laws, and the interests of regional people, he added. Earlier in the day, Turkiye and Egypt appointed ambassadors to each other's capitals to restore normal diplomatic relations. The relations between the two countries turned sour after former Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi was ousted in July 2013 and his Turkiye-backed Muslim Brotherhood group outlawed. On May 29, Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan agreed to upgrade the diplomatic relations between the two countries and exchange ambassadors. Agricultural machines harvest wheat in Ningyang County of Tai'an City, east China's Shandong Province, June 2, 2023. (Xinhua) BEIJING, July 4 (Xinhua) -- China has ensured a stable wheat market while maintaining its wheat purchase level amid efforts to facilitate the summer harvest. As of June 30, enterprises across China's major grain-producing regions have purchased about 25 billion kg of wheat, data from the National Food and Strategic Reserves Administration showed Monday. The purchase price for wheat in major grain-producing regions averaged 2.76 yuan (about 0.38 U.S. dollars) per kg, the administration said, expecting the price to remain stable in the future. Despite adverse meteorological conditions, China is making multi-pronged efforts to safeguard grain security. As a move in the direction, the Agricultural Development Bank of China has issued 110 billion yuan of credit to support the purchase of summer grain. KUALA LUMPUR, July 4 (Xinhua) -- OCBC Bank on Tuesday foresaw ASEAN-China connections to continue to deepen over the medium term. In an OCBC treasury research provided to Xinhua, OCBC Bank's economists Tommy Xie Dongming and Lavanya Venkateswaran said that increased linkages between the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and China will foster deeper connections. Despite a marked deceleration in global trade growth brought about by looming recession fears, they said the robust trade growth trajectory between the two sides would persist in 2023. Specifically, total trade between China and ASEAN continued the growth in the first five months of the year. As of the first quarter of 2023, ASEAN remained China's biggest trading parter, followed by the European Union and the United States. While tourist arrivals in the ASEAN region remain to be supported by non-Chinese tourists this year, the duo opined that the uptrend in tourist arrivals from China is becoming more evident. "We expect that the October 2023 Golden Week holiday in China will support greater international travel into ASEAN," they said. Meanwhile, they said inward foreign direct investment (FDI) from China into ASEAN has risen since the COVID-19 pandemic and may be indicative of greater integration into China's supply chains. Moreover, they opined that a broadening of the product mix to China bodes well for a deeper trade relationship for the ASEAN nations. According to them, FDI inflows from China have risen into Malaysia, Indonesia, Vietnam and Thailand in recent years. Importantly, they said the export product mix from each of the ASEAN-4 countries is becoming more distinct, underscoring diversification and increased connectivity between the two sides. Malaysia, a large commodity exporter in the region, has diversified its exports to China across commodities and electronics manufacturing, according to them. In fact, commodities accounted for about 22 percent of total exports to China in 2022 while electronics exports accounted for about 58 percent. Similarly, the Philippine exports to China are also heavily skewed towards manufacturing of electronics (about 55 percent in 2022), according to them. Still, commodity exports from the Philippines to China accounted for a substantial about 27 percent of total exports to China. Although electronics exports from the Philippines are at the lower end of the value chain compared to Malaysia, they said the ongoing shifts in the electronics supply chains globally seem to be benefiting it. In contrast to regional peers, they said Thailand's exports to China are more broad-based and balanced, ranging from agriculture and agro-industrial products, electronics, commodities including rubber and refined fuel, labor intensive and other manufactured exports (including chemicals). The exports of food from Thailand to China have risen in recent years mainly driven by higher demand for fresh fruits, in particular durian. That aside, the product mix of Thai exports to China has been relatively stable, they added. DENVER, the United States, July 4 (Xinhua) -- America's shameful tradition of breaking treaties and denying rights to Native American groups continued in Washington with the Supreme Court deciding to ignore protection for water usage in the Colorado River Basin for the Navajo Native American tribe. In the dispute between the Navajo Nation and the Arizona Department of the Interior, the tribe was asking the federal government to assess the tribe's water rights along the Colorado River and help create a plan to develop them for the 170,000 tribal members who live there. Instead, a 5-4 ruling released June 22, with conservative, Republican-appointed justices in the majority, said that the federal government "isn't responsible for such actions" and "the treaties between the U.S. and the tribe didn't explicitly require it," the Colorado Sun reported. "Tribal leaders say the decision is a step toward diminishing the overall responsibilities of the federal government outlined in the treaties," said the report, as harsh reactions to the recent ruling continued this week. "Tribes might find it a lot harder to get the United States to help them and work with them on some of these projects, if they don't have to threaten the power of a trust claim behind them," said Daniel Cordalis, a Native American attorney and a member of the Navajo Nation. That could impact how much the federal government is required to help with tribal projects related to other natural resources and climate resiliency work, said Cordalis. Lawyers for the Navajo Nation had characterized the tribe's request as modest, saying that they were simply seeking an assessment of the tribe's water needs and a plan to meet them. However, the Biden administration said that if the court were to come down in favor of the Navajo Nation, the federal government could face lawsuits from many other tribes. The facts of the case go back to treaties that the tribe and the federal government signed in 1849 and 1868. The second treaty established the reservation as the tribe's "permanent home," which was deemed by the Navajo Nation as a promise including a sufficient supply of water. "The 1868 treaty did impose a number of specific duties on the United States, but the treaty said nothing about any affirmative duty for the United States to secure water," Justice Brett Kavanaugh, who was appointed by former President Donald Trump in 2018, wrote in the majority opinion. Thirty-seven tribal governments, the National Congress of American Indians (NCAI), the Affiliated Tribes of Northwest Indians, and the San Luis Rey Indian Water Authority filed an amicus brief in support of the Navajo Nation in February 2023, according to the Drum. The brief urged the Supreme Court to respect the water rights doctrine and enforce the trust relationship under which the United States had an obligation to assure water for the Navajo Reservation, the Drum added. "Water is necessary for all life, and when our ancestors negotiated agreements with the United States to secure our lands and our protection, water was understood and still is understood to be inseparable from the land and from our peoples," said NCAI President Fawn Sharp. "The Supreme Court has once again assisted in the United States' centuries-long attempts to try to get out of the promises they have made to Tribal Nations by stating that treaties only secure access to water, but do not require the United States to take any steps to protect or provide that water to our people," she added. BEIJING, July 4 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Xi Jinping on Tuesday called for efforts to safeguard regional peace and ensure common security. Xi made the remarks when attending the Shanghai Cooperation Organization summit via video link. HONG KONG, July 4 (Xinhua) -- The spokesperson for the Commissioner's Office of the Chinese Foreign Ministry in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) on Tuesday strongly disapproved and firmly rejected the irresponsible comments made by politicians from the U.S. State Department, some congressional organizations, the U.S. Consulate General in Hong Kong, and the British foreign secretary. They smeared Hong Kong police's effort to bring to justice eight leading anti-China agitators who have absconded overseas, including Kevin Yam, slandered the national security law in Hong Kong, and meddled with the rule of law and law enforcement in the HKSAR, said the spokesperson. The spokesperson pointed out that Kevin Yam and other seven suspects have long been engaging in anti-China activities, incited or even attempted to split the country and subvert state power by force, colluded with external forces to "sell out Hong Kong for vainglory" and sought their own political gains at the cost of the over 7 million Hong Kong citizens. The spokesperson said that laws must be enforced, and law-breakers held to justice. It is in line with international law and global practice for Hong Kong police to enforce laws against overseas anti-China criminals according to the provision of "protective jurisdiction." "We advise the leading anti-China agitators who have absconded overseas stop the wishful thinking of borrowing the strength of foreign influence and getting immunity," said the spokesperson, adding that "we urge external forces to immediately stop protecting criminals or cultivating pawns to disrupt Hong Kong and contain China." BEIJING, July 4 (Xinhua) -- China's meteorological authorities on Tuesday renewed a blue alert for rainstorms in parts of the country. From 8 p.m. Tuesday to 8 p.m. Wednesday, heavy rain or rainstorms are forecast to hit parts of Inner Mongolia, Heilongjiang, Jilin, Liaoning, Yunnan, Guangxi, and Tibet. Heavy downpours of up to 130 mm may lash parts of these regions, according to the National Meteorological Center. Some of these regions will experience heavy rainfall marked by 20 mm to over 60 mm of hourly precipitation, as well as severe convective weather conditions such as thunderstorms and gales, the center said. The center has advised local governments and residents to take appropriate precautions. Schools and kindergartens have been asked to ensure the safety of students and children, while drivers have been advised to be alert and cautious due to road waterlogging and traffic jams. China has a four-tier weather warning system, with red representing the most severe warning, followed by orange, yellow, and blue. According to the Palestinian health ministry, the latest Israeli military operation in the northern West Bank city of Jenin has left at least eight Palestinians killed and about 80 injured, including 17 in critical condition. Produced by Xinhua Global Service GOLMUD, July 4 (Xinhua) -- Lian Xinming, a researcher at the Northwest Institute of Plateau Biology under the Chinese Academy of Sciences, has dedicated more than 20 years of research to Tibetan antelopes since he first set foot on Hoh Xil in 2002. "Tibetan antelope protection stands as a successful example of human involvement in rescuing endangered animals," said Lian. "Using advanced technology to gain insights into what lies behind the migration of a species can also inspire the research and conservation efforts for other species." According to the Sanjiangyuan National Park Administration, the population of Tibetan antelopes in the Hoh Xil national natural reserve has recovered from less than 20,000 during the initial stages of protection to more than 70,000. This file photo taken in March 2019 shows Lian Xinming (R, front) collecting samples in the Sanjiangyuan area in northwest China's Qinghai Province. (Xinhua) Lian Xinming and his team members use a drone to monitor an overnight habitat of Tibetan antelopes during their migration near the Qumar River Bridge along the Qinghai-Tibet Highway in Hoh Xil, a natural reserve in northwest China's Qinghai Province, on the early hours of June 16, 2023. (Xinhua/Jin Liwang) Lian Xinming and his team members drive to an overnight habitat of Tibetan antelopes during their migration near the Qumar River Bridge along the Qinghai-Tibet Highway in Hoh Xil, a natural reserve in northwest China's Qinghai Province, on the early hours of June 16, 2023. (Xinhua/Jin Liwang) Lian Xinming (R) and his student Wang Dong collect the feces of Tibetan antelopes for research in Hoh Xil, a natural reserve in northwest China's Qinghai Province, June 15, 2023. (Xinhua/Jin Liwang) Lian Xinming shows the feces of Tibetan antelopes he collected for research in Hoh Xil, a natural reserve in northwest China's Qinghai Province, June 15, 2023. (Xinhua/Jin Liwang) Lian Xinming and his team members prepare to use a drone to monitor an overnight habitat of Tibetan antelopes during their migration near the Qumar River Bridge along the Qinghai-Tibet Highway in Hoh Xil, a natural reserve in northwest China's Qinghai Province, on the early hours of June 16, 2023. (Xinhua/Jin Liwang) Lian Xinming (L) and his student Wang Dong store the feces of Tibetan antelopes in a nitrogen tank in Hoh Xil, a natural reserve in northwest China's Qinghai Province, June 15, 2023. (Xinhua/Jin Liwang) Lian Xinming (R) and his student Wang Dong use binocles to observe the migration of Tibetan antelopes in Hoh Xil, a natural reserve in northwest China's Qinghai Province, June 15, 2023. (Xinhua/Jin Liwang) Tibetan antelopes are pictured in Hoh Xil, a natural reserve in northwest China's Qinghai Province, June 15, 2023. (Xinhua/Zhang Cheng) Lian Xinming poses for a photo in Hoh Xil, a natural reserve in northwest China's Qinghai Province, June 15, 2023. (Xinhua/Jin Liwang) Lian Xinming (L) and his student Wang Zihan use a drone to monitor an overnight habitat of Tibetan antelopes during their migration near the Qumar River Bridge along the Qinghai-Tibet Highway in Hoh Xil, a natural reserve in northwest China's Qinghai Province, on the early hours of June 16, 2023. (Xinhua/Jin Liwang) Lian Xinming and his team members monitor an overnight habitat of Tibetan antelopes during their migration near the Qumar River Bridge along the Qinghai-Tibet Highway in Hoh Xil, a natural reserve in northwest China's Qinghai Province, on the early hours of June 16, 2023. (Xinhua/Zhang Cheng) Red Sea Global (RSG), the multi-project developer behind the worlds most ambitious regenerative tourism destinations, The Red Sea and Amaala, has awarded two major contracts worth $2.4 billion to Saudi Airlines Catering Company (SACC) to bring essential hospitality services. As per the deal, Saudi Airlines Catering Company will design, build and operate a central production unit (CPU) for catering services for employee meals, as well as laundry services for The Red Sea destination including employee uniforms and hotel linen. As a cornerstone of Saudi Arabias Vision 2030, RSG said it is playing a critical role in diversifying the economy and creating opportunities for Saudi nationals to break into the tourism sector. As part of the 70,000 jobs that The Red Sea destination will create once fully operational, this collaboration will offer more than 500 new industry roles for talent within the Kingdom, it added. The partnership comes as Red Sea Global prepares to welcome the first guests to the leisure destination later this year, stated Group CEO John Pagano after signing the deal with Saudi Airlines Catering Company CEO Wajdy M Al Ghabban in the presence of other senior officials. This photo shows the first train of a new international multimodal transport route departing from Langfang City, north China's Hebei Province, July 4, 2023. (Photo by Jia Jun/Xinhua) SHIJIAZHUANG, July 4 (Xinhua) -- North China's Hebei Province launched its new international multimodal transport route on Tuesday, which relies on railways and highways to transport goods to Central Asian countries. On Tuesday morning, a train carrying over 1,000 tonnes of goods departed from Langfang City in Hebei. After arriving at Kashgar City in northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, the goods will be transported via cross-border highways. They will be carried by train again after reaching Kyrgyzstan and transported to the final destination of Tashkent, capital of Uzbekistan. The route from China to Uzbekistan is about 6,000 km long, and it is estimated it will take about 12 days to complete the trip, according to China Railway Beijing Group Co., Ltd. The new multimodal transport route is expected to further promote the development of economic and trade relations between China and Uzbekistan, helping to ensure high efficiency in transport while also reducing the cost. Last year, China issued a five-year work plan to promote the development of multimodal transport, amid efforts to optimize and adjust its transport structure. According to the work plan, by 2025, the development level of multimodal transport in the country will have been significantly improved. A railway staff member examines the first train of a new international multimodal transport route departing from Langfang City, north China's Hebei Province, July 4, 2023. (Photo by Jia Jun/Xinhua) This photo shows the first train of a new international multimodal transport route departing from Langfang City, north China's Hebei Province, July 4, 2023. (Photo by Jia Jun/Xinhua) This photo shows the first train of a new international multimodal transport route departing from Langfang City, north China's Hebei Province, July 4, 2023. (Photo by Jia Jun/Xinhua) This aerial photo shows the first train of a new international multimodal transport route departing from Langfang City, north China's Hebei Province, July 4, 2023. (Photo by Jia Jun/Xinhua) ULAN BATOR, July 4 (Xinhua) -- Mongolia's Meteorology and Environmental Monitoring Agency on Tuesday issued a warning of floods. The water levels in major rivers and lakes in the central and eastern parts of the country, including Tuul, Terelj, Kherlen and Selbe, have exceeded the warning levels by 5-45 cm due to continuous rain since Sunday night, the agency said in a statement. The water levels are expected to continue rising as the central and eastern parts of Mongolia, including the capital Ulan Bator, will see more rain until the end of the week, the agency said, warning residents living along the rivers and lakes to take precautions. Fu Hua, president of Xinhua News Agency, meets with Clive Marshall, chief executive of PA Media Group, in Beijing, capital of China, July 4, 2023. (Xinhua/Huang Jingwen) BEIJING, July 4 (Xinhua) -- Fu Hua, president of Xinhua News Agency, met with Clive Marshall, chief executive of PA Media Group, in Beijing on Tuesday. Fu said PA Media Group has a time-honored history, and is an important cooperative partner of Xinhua, adding that both sides have broad space for cooperation. The two organizations should continue to strengthen exchanges, further deepen photo services cooperation with focuses on major events, topical issues and China stories, and increase the visibility of such photo reports in the United Kingdom and Europe, said Fu. He called on the two sides to work with each other under the mechanism of the World Media Summit, encourage global media to build consensus and develop together, and jointly embrace new opportunities and cope with new challenges. During the meeting, Fu invited Marshall to attend the fifth World Media Summit, which will be held later this year. Marshall said that in today's world, all parties pay attention to China and look forward to cooperating with China. PA Media Group attaches great importance to cooperation with Xinhua and hopes that the two sides can further expand cooperation to spread more Chinese stories and images to the world, he said. Rescuers transfer flood-trapped residents in Wanzhou District, southwest China's Chongqing Municipality, July 4, 2023. (Photo by Ran Mengjun/Xinhua) CHONGQING, July 4 (Xinhua) -- Water levels of seven rivers in southwest China's megacity of Chongqing remained above the warning level as of 8 a.m. Tuesday after torrential downpours have battered most parts of the city since July 3, local authorities said Tuesday. A total of 24 districts and counties of the city reported rainstorms between 8 a.m. Monday and 8 a.m. Tuesday, with Baiyan Village in Wanzhou District recording the highest daily rainfall at 251.5 mm, according to Chongqing's hydrological monitoring station. The station on Tuesday morning issued yellow alert for flooding in one river in Wanzhou and another in Qijiang District, as these rivers are expected to see rising water levels. The city has initiated a Level IV emergency response to flooding. China's meteorological authorities on Tuesday renewed a blue alert for rainstorms in parts of the country. China has a four-tier weather warning system, with red representing the most severe warning, followed by orange, yellow, and blue. Members of the Chinese People's Armed Police Force clean up silt in Wanzhou District, southwest China's Chongqing Municipality, July 4, 2023. (Photo by Li Dong/Xinhua) Local people clean up the street in Wanzhou District, southwest China's Chongqing Municipality, July 4, 2023. (Photo by Ran Mengjun/Xinhua) A member of the Chinese People's Armed Police Force transfers flood-trapped residents in Wanzhou District, southwest China's Chongqing Municipality, July 4, 2023. (Photo by Li Yuyang/Xinhua) Sanitation workers clean up silt in Wanzhou District, southwest China's Chongqing Municipality, July 4, 2023. (Photo by Ran Mengjun/Xinhua) Members of the Chinese People's Armed Police Force transfer flood-trapped residents in Wanzhou District, southwest China's Chongqing Municipality, July 4, 2023. (Photo by Li Yuyang/Xinhua) Chinese Vice Premier Ding Xuexiang, also a Standing Committee member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, and European Commission Executive Vice President Frans Timmermans hold the fourth High-level Environment and Climate Dialogue between China and the European Union, in Beijing, capital of China, July 4, 2023. (Xinhua/Yue Yuewei) BEIJING, July 4 (Xinhua) -- The fourth High-level Environment and Climate Dialogue between China and the European Union was held Tuesday in Beijing, with both sides agreeing to deepen cooperation and play a leading role in global environmental and climate governance. Chinese Vice Premier Ding Xuexiang and European Commission Executive Vice President Frans Timmermans held the dialogue. Ding, also a Standing Committee member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, said that the two sides should implement the important consensus reached by the leaders of both sides, promote China-EU cooperation on environment and climate to achieve more results, and make greater contributions to global sustainable development. Ding pointed out that China attaches great importance to ecological and environmental protection and climate change, unswervingly promotes green and low-carbon development, and has embarked on a series of major measures to ensure the realization of the carbon peak and carbon neutrality goals on schedule. "China is ready to work with the EU to make better use of the dialogue on environment and climate, further build consensus, enhance mutual trust, enrich and expand cooperation, and open up more space for the development of China-EU relations," Ding said, adding that the two sides should tap cooperation potential in renewable energy, green and low-carbon technologies, carbon markets, climate change response, and ecological and environmental protection. The two sides should jointly advance the multilateral process on environment and climate, practice genuine multilateralism, work for the success of the 28th session of the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, implement the outcomes of the COP15, and join hands in building a community for all life on Earth, said Ding. Timmermans said that the EU and China have played an important role in the global response to climate change. The EU is willing to deepen cooperation with China in addressing climate change, the circular economy, biodiversity protection, and other fields. Chinese Vice Premier Ding Xuexiang, also a Standing Committee member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, and European Commission Executive Vice President Frans Timmermans hold the fourth High-level Environment and Climate Dialogue between China and the European Union, in Beijing, capital of China, July 4, 2023. (Xinhua/Yue Yuewei) A woman injured in a car-ramming and stabbing attack is evacuated to a hospital in Tel Aviv, Israel, on July 4, 2023. At least seven Israelis were injured on Tuesday in a combined car-ramming and stabbing attack in Tel Aviv before the assailant was shot dead, the police said. (Gideon Markowicz/JINI via Xinhua) JERUSALEM, July 4 (Xinhua) -- At least seven Israelis were injured on Tuesday in a combined car-ramming and stabbing attack in Israel's coastal city of Tel Aviv before the assailant was shot dead, the police said. Zaka, an Israeli rescue service, said in a statement that at least seven were injured, including a 47-year-old woman who sustained critical injuries. The attack took place on the main street of Neot Afeka, an affluent neighborhood in northern Tel Aviv, where the assailant arrived with his car. Tel Aviv District Commander Ami Eshed told reporters that the driver accelerated the vehicle towards a bus station, ramming into a group of pedestrians. Eshed said that the driver then stepped out of his car and began stabbing others. According to Eshed, he was shot and killed by "a civilian on a motorcycle who happened to be in the area." The assailant was identified as Hasin Halila, a 23-year-old from the town of As-Samu in the Hebron area in the southern West Bank. Hamas, a Palestinian armed group and movement, praised the attack. In a statement, the group said that it was "a first response to the crimes of the occupation" in Jenin, where hundreds of troops backed by drones launched the largest raid in nearly two decades. Since the operation began on Monday, Israeli troops killed at least 10 people, according to the Palestinian Health Ministry. Thousands of others fled their homes due to the fighting. A victim of a car-ramming and stabbing attack is evacuated to a hospital in Tel Aviv, Israel, on July 4, 2023. At least seven Israelis were injured on Tuesday in a combined car-ramming and stabbing attack in Tel Aviv before the assailant was shot dead, the police said. (Gideon Markowicz/JINI via Xinhua) A man injured in a car-ramming and stabbing attack is evacuated to a hospital in Tel Aviv, Israel, on July 4, 2023. At least seven Israelis were injured on Tuesday in a combined car-ramming and stabbing attack in Tel Aviv before the assailant was shot dead, the police said. (Gideon Markowicz/JINI via Xinhua) A woman injured in a car-ramming and stabbing attack is evacuated to a hospital in Tel Aviv, Israel, on July 4, 2023. At least seven Israelis were injured on Tuesday in a combined car-ramming and stabbing attack in Tel Aviv before the assailant was shot dead, the police said. (Gideon Markowicz/JINI via Xinhua) A woman injured in a car-ramming and stabbing attack is evacuated to a hospital in Tel Aviv, Israel, on July 4, 2023. At least seven Israelis were injured on Tuesday in a combined car-ramming and stabbing attack in Tel Aviv before the assailant was shot dead, the police said. (Gideon Markowicz/JINI via Xinhua) This photo taken on July 4, 2023 shows the scene of a combined car-ramming and stabbing attack in Tel Aviv, Israel. At least seven Israelis were injured on Tuesday in a combined car-ramming and stabbing attack in Israel's coastal city of Tel Aviv before the assailant was shot dead, the police said. (Photo by Gil Cohen Magen/Xinhua) This photo taken on July 4, 2023 shows the scene of a combined car-ramming and stabbing attack in Tel Aviv, Israel. At least seven Israelis were injured on Tuesday in a combined car-ramming and stabbing attack in Israel's coastal city of Tel Aviv before the assailant was shot dead, the police said. (Photo by Gil Cohen Magen/Xinhua) This photo taken on July 4, 2023 shows the scene of a combined car-ramming and stabbing attack in Tel Aviv, Israel. At least seven Israelis were injured on Tuesday in a combined car-ramming and stabbing attack in Israel's coastal city of Tel Aviv before the assailant was shot dead, the police said. (Photo by Gil Cohen Magen/Xinhua) This photo taken on July 4, 2023 shows the scene of a combined car-ramming and stabbing attack in Tel Aviv, Israel. At least seven Israelis were injured on Tuesday in a combined car-ramming and stabbing attack in Israel's coastal city of Tel Aviv before the assailant was shot dead, the police said. (Photo by Gil Cohen Magen/Xinhua) This photo taken on July 4, 2023 shows the scene of a combined car-ramming and stabbing attack in Tel Aviv, Israel. At least seven Israelis were injured on Tuesday in a combined car-ramming and stabbing attack in Israel's coastal city of Tel Aviv before the assailant was shot dead, the police said. (Photo by Gil Cohen Magen/Xinhua) This photo taken on July 4, 2023 shows the scene of a combined car-ramming and stabbing attack in Tel Aviv, Israel. At least seven Israelis were injured on Tuesday in a combined car-ramming and stabbing attack in Israel's coastal city of Tel Aviv before the assailant was shot dead, the police said. (Photo by Gil Cohen Magen/Xinhua) BEIJING, July 4 (Xinhua) -- China's National Meteorological Center on Tuesday evening renewed a yellow alert for high temperatures as heatwaves linger in parts of the country. During daylight hours on Wednesday, temperatures in parts of Hebei, Beijing, Tianjin, Shandong, Henan, Hunan, Jiangxi, Fujian, Guangdong and Xinjiang are forecast to exceed 35 degrees Celsius, according to the center. In some areas of Hebei, Beijing, Tianjin, Shandong and Henan, temperatures may surpass 40 degrees Celsius on the same day, according to the forecast. The center has advised people to avoid outdoor activities in the afternoon, and suggested that workers exposed to high temperatures take necessary protective measures. China has a three-tier weather warning system for high temperatures, with red representing the most severe warning, followed by orange and yellow. PUERTO IGUAZU, Argentina, July 3 (Xinhua) -- The trade agreement between the Southern Common Market (Mercosur) and the EU needs updating, Argentine Foreign Affairs Minister Santiago Cafiero said here on Monday. The deal "reflects an unequal effort between asymmetric blocs and does not answer the needs of the current global scenario," said the minister at the 62nd ordinary meeting of the Common Market Council of Mercosur, since the deal had taken 20 years of negotiation before it was concluded in 2019 and has yet to be ratified by each country's legislature. A modified agreement "can be an effective means for our bloc to strengthen its participation in the rearrangement of the global map of production and work," he said, adding that it could also serve as a framework to spur investment in strategic sectors, such as conventional and renewable energies, mining, food, knowledge-based services and health. "To see this potential materialize and the agreement have good results for both sides, it is necessary to work and update the 2019 texts," he noted. The meeting was held in Puerto Iguazu, in the northeast Argentine province of Misiones. Present at the meeting were officials from all Mercosur member countries, including Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay, along with Bolivia which is in the process of joining the bloc. SEOUL, July 4 (Xinhua) -- Two South Korean media outlets said on Tuesday that Japan inked a "black deal" with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to "redact" the sensitive issues of the IAEA final report on Japan's planned discharge of radioactive wastewater into the Pacific Ocean. The Tamsa and The Mindlenews held a joint press conference with foreign correspondents, saying that the obtained documents supported allegations that the Japanese government provided the IAEA with at least 1 million euros to earn a draft of the IAEA final report ahead of its official delivery and demanded it be redacted in sensitive parts. From an anonymous informant last month, the South Korean media received a transcript of the May 30 conversation estimated to be made between an unnamed Japanese foreign ministry official and Asakawa whom the investigative media believed to be the Asian Development Bank (ADB) president. The transcript showed that Japan made a "political contribution," at least 1 million euros, to the IAEA for their better relationship while the IAEA already met Japan's demand to mention the international safety standards, approved by 176 countries, in the report. Park Dae-yong, a journalist of The Tamsa, told the press conference that Japan's foreign ministry denied the conversation just a day after reporting on it, saying his media received another important tip-off right after Japan's denial. An anonymous source under the pseudonym "Jorseti" emailed the media to say that a lot of details in the transcript are "consistent with what I know" such as the "political contribution over 1 million." Jorseti, reportedly identified as one of the Japanese foreign ministry officials, even sent to the media the snap shots looking like a cover page and the table of contents for the draft IAEA final report, which the source said the IAEA had secretly delivered to the Japanese foreign ministry before June 15. In dealing with the draft report, Japan demanded a large number of modifications, such as changing "contaminated water" into "treated water," removing the word "radiation" from the "radiation exposure of ALPS treated water," and adding that the organically bound tritium (OBT) "has never been observed in 83 fish monitoring samples," according to Jorseti. Park said it was inappropriate for the IAEA, which was verifying the release of the nuclear wastewater from the crippled Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant, to receive funds through an unofficial channel from the Japanese government which was being verified. He strongly noted that the IAEA final report, prepared for money, was questionable in credibility. A document, estimated to be an internal IAEA report dated June 1, was emailed by another unidentified informant to the South Korean media, raising the reliability of their previous reports. "After the IAEA's consultation with the Government of Japan (GOJ), data and results that could be viewed negatively by the public should be removed," the document said. The internal report showed that two IAEA officials visited Japan on May 22 and provided the draft of the final report to the Japanese government, which "recommended to mention the IAEA's International Safety Standards," approved by 176 countries, in the report. "Additional budget of 1 million euros should be provided by the GOJ since 850,000 euros provided before has been used up," the document said, supporting the media's previous reports of at least 1 million euros offered by Japan to the IAEA. The Tamsa journalist Kang Jin-koo urged the Japanese government and the IAEA to sincerely explain the allegations rather than ask the media to identify the informant. Chinese President Xi Jinping addresses the 23rd meeting of the Council of Heads of State of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) via video conference from Beijing, capital of China, July 4, 2023. (Xinhua/Li Xueren) BEIJING, July 4 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Xi Jinping said on Tuesday that the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) must rise to the call of the times, keep in mind its founding mission, and stay in unity and coordination to bring more certainty and positive energy to world peace and development. Xi made the remarks when addressing the 23rd meeting of the Council of Heads of State of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) via video conference from Beijing. Xi said that member states should keep to the right direction and enhance solidarity and mutual trust. "Facts have shown that as long as we bear in mind the larger picture, shoulder our responsibilities and remain undisturbed by all sorts of distractions, we will be able to protect and promote the security and development interests of our member states," Xi said. Member states should step up strategic communication and coordination, bridge differences through dialogue, replace competition with cooperation, truly respect each other's core interests and major concerns, and firmly support each other's endeavor for development and rejuvenation, Xi said. Member states should keep in mind the overall and long-term interests of the region, and make the foreign policies independently so that the future of their development is held firmly in their own hands, Xi said. He said member states should maintain regional peace and safeguard common security. China stands ready to work with all sides to implement the Global Security Initiative, promote the settlement of international disputes through dialogue and consultation, and encourage political settlement of international and regional hotspots, so as to forge a solid security shield in the region. He called for upgrading SCO security cooperation, and crack down hard on the forces of terrorism, separatism and extremism such as the "East Turkistan" elements, drug trafficking, and cyber and transnational organized crimes and expand cooperation in the nontraditional security fields, including digital, biological and outer space security. Xi said member states should continue to utilize platforms such as the mechanism of coordination and cooperation among Afghanistan's neighbors, and encourage the country to embark on the path of peace and reconstruction. Member states should focus on practical cooperation and expedite economic recovery. China stands ready to work with all sides to implement the Global Development Initiative, keep to the right direction of economic globalization, oppose protectionism, unilateral sanctions and the overstretching of national security, and reject the moves of setting up barriers, decoupling and severing supply chains, the Chinese president said. "We should make the pie of win-win cooperation bigger, and ensure that more development gains will be shared more fairly by people across the world," Xi said. He welcomed member states' participation in the third Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation to broaden the Belt and Road as a "path of happiness" benefiting the whole world. China proposes that the SCO scale up local currency settlement between member states, and promote the establishment of an SCO development bank, according to Xi. On strengthening exchanges and mutual learning and forging closer bonds between peoples, Xi said China welcomes all sides to work together to implement the Global Civilization Initiative, promote inclusiveness and coexistence among all civilizations, and increase mutual understanding and friendship among all nations. Member states should further deepen cooperation in education, science and technology, culture, health, sport and media. In the coming three years, China will provide member states with 1,000 International Chinese Language Teachers Scholarships, offer 3,000 "Chinese Bridge" summer camp opportunities, and invite 100 young scientists to China for scientific research exchanges, Xi said. Xi said member countries should practice multilateralism and improve global governance. Member states should advocate the common values of humanity, uphold the UN-centered international system and the international order based on international law, and oppose hegemonism and power politics. He called on member states to make global governance more just and equitable, and advance modernization of the entire humanity through collective efforts to promote equal rights, equal opportunities and fair rules for all, and jointly promote world peace, drive global development and safeguard the international order. Chinese President Xi Jinping addresses the 23rd meeting of the Council of Heads of State of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) via video conference from Beijing, capital of China, July 4, 2023. (Xinhua/Liu Bin) Chinese President Xi Jinping addresses the 23rd meeting of the Council of Heads of State of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) via video conference from Beijing, capital of China, July 4, 2023. (Xinhua/Shen Hong) Chinese President Xi Jinping addresses the 23rd meeting of the Council of Heads of State of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) via video conference from Beijing, capital of China, July 4, 2023. (Xinhua/Shen Hong) ADEN, Yemen, July 4 (Xinhua) -- Forces loyal to the Yemeni government clashed with the Houthi rebel militia in the country's southwestern province of Taiz on Tuesday, killing six people, a security official told Xinhua. The local security official who asked to remain anonymous said the Houthi rebels attempted to infiltrate their military sites in the Duminah area west of Taiz province, which sparked heavy clashes and resulted in the killing of four Houthi militias and two soldiers. The recent escalation in Taiz adds to the ongoing sporadic fighting between the Yemeni government forces and Houthi rebels across various regions of the war-torn country. The Yemeni government and Houthi rebels have engaged in multiple rounds of negotiations, but a comprehensive resolution to the conflict remains elusive. Yemen has been embroiled in a devastating civil war since 2014, with the Houthis fighting against the internationally-recognized Yemeni government. The Saudi Arabia-led coalition intervened in the conflict in support of the Yemeni government in 2015. People take part in a protest in Sanaa, Yemen, on July 4, 2023. Thousands of people rallied in Yemen's rebel-held capital of Sanaa on Tuesday to protest against an Israeli raid on the Jenin refugee camp in the West Bank. (Photo by Mohammed Mohammed/Xinhua) SANAA, July 4 (Xinhua) -- Thousands of people rallied in Yemen's rebel-held capital of Sanaa on Tuesday to protest against an Israeli raid on the Jenin refugee camp in the West Bank. The protesters raised banners and chanted slogans in support of the Palestinians, while burning flags of Israel and the United States. They also condemned the recent burning of a Quran in Sweden and blamed the Swedish government for allowing "extremists" to operate in the country. At least 10 Palestinians were killed in the Jenin refugee camp and thousands fled their homes as Israel launched on Tuesday its largest military campaign in the occupied West Bank since 2002. The Israeli army said in a statement that it launched an "extensive counterterrorism effort in the area of Jenin city and the Jenin Camp" and carried out airstrikes on "terrorist infrastructure." The Israeli raid has drawn widespread condemnation from the Palestinians, Arab states, and many other countries. People take part in a protest in Sanaa, Yemen, on July 4, 2023. Thousands of people rallied in Yemen's rebel-held capital of Sanaa on Tuesday to protest against an Israeli raid on the Jenin refugee camp in the West Bank. (Photo by Mohammed Mohammed/Xinhua) GENEVA, July 4 (Xinhua) -- China on Tuesday called for the international community's close attention to Japan's discharge of nuclear-contaminated water, warning that it may cause major problems to the global marine environment, public health, and a wider range of displacement problems. Speaking at the ongoing 53rd session of the United Nations (UN) Human Rights Council, a Chinese diplomat pointed out that the discharge of nuclear-contaminated water into the ocean is equivalent to transferring the risk of nuclear pollution to all mankind. The Chinese diplomat told the Council that Japan's actions violated international moral responsibilities and international legal obligations such as the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea and the Convention on the Prevention of Marine Pollution by Dumping of Wastes and Other Matter (London Convention). "China once again urges Japan to stop the plan to discharge nuclear-contaminated water into the sea, dispose of it in a science-based, safe and transparent manner, and cooperate with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to put in place a long-term international monitoring mechanism involving Japan's neighbors and other stakeholders as soon as possible," the diplomat noted. ACCRA, July 3 (Xinhua) -- Students learning the Chinese language at the University of Ghana resumed their annual week celebration Monday after a three-year hiatus due to COVID-19. During a launching ceremony, Herbert Appiatu Danquah, president of the Chinese Students Association at the University of Ghana, told Xinhua that the celebration, now in its 14th year, will continue contributing to deepening the cultural relations between Ghana and China while igniting interest in the Chinese language among Ghanaians. Danquah said the week-long activities would bring alumni of Chinese language studies, experts in Sino-African relations and individuals who have worked with the Chinese fraternity to address the students on Ghana-China relations. "We believe that the engagements with the various alumni, other students, lectures and various experts, will go a long way to strengthen our mutual bond and create a further path for strengthening the relationship between Ghana and China," he said. Prince Akantogdaam, a former president of the association, said he is glad that the celebrations return to the university, adding that students' craze for the Chinese language has grown fast in recent years. "During my time, there were about 120 students in the whole class. But the following year, the number increased to about 300," Akantogdaam said, adding that the number of students learning Chinese in the university has reached about 1,000. "The number keeps increasing, and interest in the Chinese language keeps growing," Akantogdaam said. TUNIS, July 3 (Xinhua) -- An agent of Tunisia's National Guard was stabbed on Monday in the capital Tunis, said the interior ministry in a statement. "The national guard agent was stabbed with a sharp object while he was working at the naval center of La Goulette in the northern suburbs of the Tunisian capital Tunis," read the statement. The agent was taken to hospital and his condition was stable, it added. The assailant was arrested and is in police custody for investigation, according to the ministry statement that offers no further details. ISLAMABAD, July 3 (Xinhua) -- The Pakistan Stock Exchange on Monday witnessed a historic single-day gain in the first trading session following a staff-level agreement with the International Monetary Fund (IMF). The Pakistan Stock Exchange's benchmark KSE 100-Index moved up by 5.57 percent or 2,446.32 points to close at 43,899 points on Monday when compared with 41,452.68 points reported in the previous session. According to market analysts, the bull run in the stock market is a direct outcome of the South Asian country's agreement with the IMF. The IMF and the Pakistani authorities reached a staff-level agreement last week, on a nine-month Stand-By Arrangement in the amount of around 3 billion U.S. dollars, which is subject to approval by the IMF Executive Board, with its consideration expected by mid-July. The market has been witnessing a depressing trend in the past months due to the uncertainty that was looming around the approval of the IMF program. The arrangement brought a significant positive sentiment in the market and among the traders, which resulted in record gains in the market, according to the analysts. Chinese Ambassador to Bangladesh Yao Wen speaks at the launching ceremony of the Social Responsibility Report of the Chinese Enterprises in Bangladesh, in Dhaka, Bangladesh, on July 2, 2023. Chinese enterprises in Bangladesh have so far provided approximately 550,000 employment opportunities in the South Asian country, greatly boosting employment among locals, a report released by the Chinese embassy in Bangladesh has shown. The Social Responsibility Report of the Chinese Enterprises in Bangladesh, launched here on Sunday, showed that there are 27 Chinese projects in the field of electric power and energy, ensuring that Bangladesh's energy mix is persified, in addition to 12 highways, 21 bridges and seven railway lines built by Chinese companies in Bangladesh. (Xinhua) DHAKA, July 3 (Xinhua) -- Chinese enterprises in Bangladesh have so far provided approximately 550,000 employment opportunities in the South Asian country, greatly boosting employment among locals, a report released by the Chinese embassy in Bangladesh has shown. The Social Responsibility Report of the Chinese Enterprises in Bangladesh, launched here on Sunday, showed that there are 27 Chinese projects in the field of electric power and energy, ensuring that Bangladesh's energy mix is diversified, in addition to 12 highways, 21 bridges and seven railway lines built by Chinese companies in Bangladesh. Chinese enterprises also took part in various projects such as sewage treatment, river training, surface water treatment and campus development, which significantly helped to improve social development and people's livelihood, said the report titled "China-Bangladesh Partnership, Building Stronger Communities Together." Over 100 guests, including Yao Wen, the Chinese ambassador to Bangladesh, and Tipu Munshi, the Bangladeshi commerce minister attended the launching ceremony of the report on Sunday. Munshi applauded Chinese enterprises' important role in Bangladeshi development and China's support towards Bangladesh's infrastructure development, especially providing lots of employment. For his part, Yao said that inspired by the Belt and Road Initiative, Chinese enterprises in Bangladesh have implemented Global Development Initiative and shared their own experiences and achievements with their Bangladeshi counterparts to help Bangladesh tap its development potential. During the ceremony, representatives of the Bangladeshi enterprises hailed the social responsibilities of Chinese enterprises in Bangladesh and thanked Chinese enterprises for their contributions to local economic development and the improvement of local people's livelihood. KABUL, July 4 (Xinhua) -- Tourists visiting Afghanistan's ancient Bamyan province will be provided with more facilities, the state-owned Bakhtar News Agency reported on Monday. "Two hotels will be constructed in the Band-e-Amir area, and tourists will be provided with more facilities in the province," the news agency quoted acting Minister of Information and Culture Mullah Khairullah Khairkhwa. The official, according to the media organization, also pledged further attention to maintaining the historical monuments and cultural values of the province. Nearly 50,000 domestic tourists have reportedly visited the ancient and recreational sites of the central province during the just-concluded Eid holiday from June 28 to July 1. Scores of foreign tourists, mostly from European countries, have visited historical monuments in Kunduz, Ghor, Herat and Bamyan provinces over the past couple of months, according to Afghan officials. This photo taken on July 4, 2023 shows a checkpoint in Kabul, capital of Afghanistan. (Photo by Saifurahman Safi/Xinhua) KABUL, July 4 (Xinhua) -- Afghan police have arrested 29 people on charges of involvement in criminal activities in Afghanistan's capital city Kabul and the eastern Kunar provinces, said a statement of the country's Ministry of Interior Affairs released here on Tuesday. The arrested people were involved in illegal activities such as robbery, mobile snatching, forgery, theft, drug smuggling and creating law and order problems in the country, the statement said, adding that further investigations were underway. The Afghan caretaker government has vowed to crack down on criminal elements across Afghanistan to ensure law and order in the war-torn country. An Afghan security force member checks a vehicle in Kabul, capital of Afghanistan, July 4, 2023. (Photo by Saifurahman Safi/Xinhua) An Afghan security force member is on duty at a checkpoint in Kabul, capital of Afghanistan, July 4, 2023. (Photo by Saifurahman Safi/Xinhua) BANGKOK, July 3 (Xinhua) -- Thailand's king and queen on Monday presided over the official opening of a new parliamentary session, following the May 14 general election. During his address to parliament members, King Maha Vajiralongkorn emphasized their role as elected representatives, entrusted by the people to exercise legislative power and uphold the country's laws as the foundation of governance. Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha and his caretaking cabinet members attended the ceremony, along with members of the parliament, the president of the Supreme Court, presidents of independent agencies, and foreign ambassadors. During a joint press conference later on Monday, the Move Forward Party and the Pheu Thai Party announced their agreement to nominate Wan Muhamad Noor Matha, the leader of the Prachachat Party, as the candidate for the position of the Speaker of the House of Representatives. On Tuesday, all 500 elected MPs are scheduled to convene at the newly constructed parliament building for the oath-taking ceremony and the election of the House Speaker and Deputy House Speakers. Following the election of the House Speaker, a joint sitting of the parliament, comprising the 500 MPs in the lower house and the 250 senators in the upper house, will be summoned to select Thailand's new prime minister. KUALA LUMPUR, July 4 (Xinhua) -- Malaysia will no longer implement the death penalty for a number of serious offenses as of Tuesday. The Abolition of Mandatory Death Penalty Act 2023 was gazetted on June 30 and signed by Minister in the Prime Minister's Department for Law and Institutional Reform Azalina Othman Said, with the date of implementation set for July 4, according to a statement on the Malaysia Federal Legislation website. The offenses include drug trafficking, murder, treason and kidnapping, with judges previously having to apply the mandatory death penalty as punishment. With the new law, judges presiding over cases that call for the mandatory death sentence will now have the discretion of imposing alternative penalties such as a new alternative jail term of 30 to 40 years. Malaysia has enforced a moratorium on executions since 2018, but as legislation carrying the mandatory death penalty has remained effective, the courts have been bound to continue sentencing defendants to death despite no executions being carried out since 2017. PHNOM PENH, July 4 (Xinhua) -- Cambodia on Tuesday decided to ban all 22 members of the Oversight Board for Meta, the parent company of Facebook, from entering the Southeast Asian country, its foreign ministry said in a statement. The ban took effect immediately and should any of them be found inside the country, they will be deported within 48 hours, the ministry said. The ministry said the recommendation of the Oversight Board for Meta to temporarily suspend the official Facebook page belonging to Cambodian Prime Minister Samdech Techo Hun Sen is political in nature. "In the spirit of unwavering adherence to upholding the principle of sovereignty and to prevent the interference into the internal affairs of Cambodia, the royal government of Cambodia has decided to declare the following members of the Oversight Board to Meta Platforms Inc. as persona non grata," the ministry said in the statement. Last week, Hun Sen announced to quit Facebook and deleted his Facebook page, switching to using a Telegram channel and a TikTok account. Last Friday he said that Cambodia decided to expel Facebook representatives from it. Hun Sen accused Facebook of bias and turning a blind eye to "insulting" remarks made by exiled political opponents against Cambodian King Norodom Sihamoni, Hun Sen himself and his family members. NEW DELHI, July 4 (Xinhua) -- At least four persons including a woman died and a few were injured when a fire broke out at a commercial building having electronic showrooms and other offices in India's northern state of Uttar Pradesh, a local cop confirmed to Xinhua over phone on Tuesday. The mishap occurred in Uttar Pradesh's Jhansi district, Sipri Bazar area, on Monday evening. A few persons were still missing, and relief and rescue work was going on at the site, said media reports. Seven persons having burn injuries were rescued and admitted to a local hospital. The woman who died was a senior official of an insurance company, added the reports. The Indian Army was called in to control the situation, and around 55 fire tenders were rushed in to douse the fire. It took 12 hours to bring the fire under control. A search operation was being carried out at the site to ensure that there wasn't any dead body inside, Superintendent of Police Rajesh S. told media. STOCKHOLM, July 3 (Xinhua) -- European authorities must be vigilant in detecting and monitoring outbreaks of Legionnaires' disease, a form of pneumonia that has seen a surge to unprecedented levels in the European Union (EU) and the European Economic Area (EEA), the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) said on Monday. Over 10,700 cases, including 704 fatalities, were reported in 2021, the ECDC said in its latest Annual Epidemiological Report. With 2.4 cases per 100,000 population, it was the highest annual notification rate of the disease caused by the Legionella bacteria, it said in a press release. Four countries -- Italy, France, Spain, and Germany -- accounted for 75 percent of the reported cases, the ECDC said. Males aged 65 years and older were the most affected group, with 8.9 cases per 100,000 population. "The cause of the increased notification rate recently observed in Europe remains unknown," the ECDC said, identifying changes in national testing policies and surveillance systems and an ageing population as possible factors. Changes in the design and infrastructure of water systems, as well as climate and weather changes that may "impact both the ecology of Legionella in the environment and the exposure to water aerosols containing the bacteria" may also have contributed to the increase, the ECDC said. Water temperatures between 25 and 42 degrees Celsius and stagnant water are favorable conditions for Legionella growth. "Given the relatively high mortality rate and challenges in identifying and controlling environmental sources, it is crucial that public health authorities remain vigilant in detecting clusters and outbreaks through surveillance," the ECDC said. STOCKHOLM, July 3 (Xinhua) -- Electricity in Sweden could become exceptionally expensive for another winter, the Swedish Energy Agency said on Monday. Martin Johansson, an energy systems expert at the Swedish Energy Agency, told Swedish Television (SVT) that in the winter of 2023, "we can expect volatile and high electricity prices." Last winter, Swedish households and businesses faced soaring bills, with electricity prices reaching unprecedented levels due to sanctions on Russian gas, though natural gas only accounts for around 3 percent of energy consumption in the country. Johansson said: "That situation has not been resolved. We still haven't managed to replace the natural gas (that used to come) from Russia." Although capacity for electricity production has since increased in Sweden, weather patterns will also play a role in the cost of electricity bills, he added. Abundant wind and rain would boost electricity production, while drought would mean lower production, Johansson said, adding: "Whether the winter is cold or mild will also make a substantial difference." Last year, the average electricity price in Sweden was 1.45 kronor (0.13 U.S. dollar) per kilowatt-hour (kWh). This was 128 percent higher than in 2021, according to the trade organization Swedenergy. When the electricity price reached its highest level in 2022, one kWh cost 7.52 kronor, excluding taxes and transmission fees. To cushion households, especially home owners with electric radiators who were the hardest hit, the Swedish government paid out around 24.4 billion kronor retroactively. However, Minister for Energy Ebba Busch recently told Radio Sweden that Swedish people cannot count on such compensation this coming winter. (1 Swedish krona = 0.092 U.S. dollar) WASHINGTON, July 3 (Xinhua) -- Four people were killed and four others injured Monday night in a mass shooting in the Kingsessing section of Southwest Philadelphia, the United States. A suspect is in custody, local media the Philadelphia Inquirer reported. WASHINGTON, July 3 (Xinhua) -- Four people were killed and four others injured Monday night in a mass shooting in Philadelphia, the United States, the Philadelphia Inquirer reported. A suspect was in custody, the U.S. daily reported, cited the police. The report said police heard gunfire just before 8:30 p.m. local time (0030 GMT on Tuesday) and received multiple reports of a male armed with a rifle shooting in the Kingsessing section of Southwest Philadelphia. At least two juveniles were among those shot, but their conditions were not immediately known, it said, adding that the injured have been transported to nearby hospitals. Roughly 10 minutes after the shots rang out, police officers reported they had apprehended the suspect wearing a ballistic vest and had recovered a rifle and a handgun in a nearby alleyway, the report said. "Horrified by the reports of a shooting in Southwest Philadelphia," tweeted Philadelphia Mayor Jim Kenney. "My heart is with the loved ones and families of everyone involved, and I send my prayers to the victims." The mayor expressed his thanks to police officers "for their brave response and successful apprehension of a suspect." This violence must stop, he noted. At least 341 mass shootings have happened across the United States so far this year, according to the Gun Violence Archive, a nonprofit group which defines a mass shooting as one in which at least four people are shot, excluding the shooter. Russian Orthodox monks, parishioners bar commission inspectors from accessing Lower Lavra 4 July, 05:40 PM Supporters of the UOC-MP once again obstruct the work of the commission in the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra (Photo:) Members of the Russian Orthodox Church (ROC) prevented a building inspection commission from carrying out its work at the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra on July 4, according to Ukrainian national public broadcaster Suspilne. The inspectors intended to seal unused buildings at the Lower Lavra that were not dedicated to religious purposes, Suspilne writes. The goal was to subsequently transfer these properties to the state. Monks and parishioners of the ROC obstructed access to the Lower Lavra entrance while engaging in religious chants, causing commission representatives to call law enforcement and file a complaint about interference. Video of day Maxym Ostapenko, the acting director of the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra National Reserve, said that the commission received an official response from the monastery which had promised to grant access to the buildings. He said that based on documents from the Ministry of Culture, the commission is legitimately exercising rights over objects that legally belong to the reserve. The Ministry of Culture previously announced that the commission would seal five buildings in the Lower Lavra. Since March 29, the ROC has been required to vacate all premises used within the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra, following the termination of the 2013 lease agreement for use of the Lower Lavra Church by the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra National Reserve. However, on March 30, ROC priests continued to conduct services at the Lavra. Following an inspection, the State Audit Service of Ukraine discovered that illegal transfers of cultural heritage sites had taken place, and that there were 36 unauthorized buildings within the Lavra. Ukraines SBU security serve has brought charges against the former abbot of the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra, Pavlo, accusing him of inciting religious enmity as well as justifying and denying and justifying Russian armed aggression against Ukraine. He has been placed under house arrest. Will you support Ukraines free press? Dear reader, as all news organizations, we must balance the pressures of delivering timely, accurate, and relevant stories with requirements to fund our business operations. As a Ukrainian-based media, we also have another responsibility to amplify Ukraines voice to the world during the crucial moment of its existence as a political nation. Its the support of our readers that lets us continue doing our job. We keep our essential reporting free because we believe in our ultimate purpose: an independent, democratic Ukraine. If youre willing to support Ukraine, consider subscribing to our Patreon starting from 5$ per month. We are immensely grateful. Please help us continue fighting Russian propaganda. Truth can be hard to tell from fiction these days. Every viewpoint has its audience of backers and supporters, no matter how absurd. If conscious disinformation is reinforced by state propaganda apparatus and budget, its outcomes may become deadly. There is no solution to this, other than independent, honest, and accurate reporting. We remain committed to empowering the Ukrainian voice to push against the muck. If youre willing to stand up for the truth consider supporting us on Patreon starting from 5$ per month. Thank you very much. Will you help tell Ukraines story to the world? Twenty years ago, most people hadnt even heard of Ukraine. Today, the country is on everyones lips and everyones headlines. War pushed us on the front page. But there are many other things we do that we are proud of from music and culture to technology. We need your help to tell the world Ukrainian story of resilience, joy, and survival. If youre willing to back our effort, consider supporting us on Patreon starting from 5$ per month. We are immensely grateful. Follow us on Twitter, Facebook and Google News Mobile radiation laboratories spotted in occupied Enerhodar and Mariupol resistance report 5 July, 01:09 AM Mobile radiation laboratory spotted (Photo:""/Telegram) Several Russian mobile radiation laboratories were spotted on the streets of temporarily occupied Enerhodar and Mariupol, Ukrainian resistance movement Atesh reported via Telegram on July 4. This could suggest Moscow is planning to carry out a false-flag attack on Zaporizhzhya Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP), located next to Enerhodar. The report said that mobile radiation laboratories are regularly spotted in Enerhodar and Mariupol, and that these vans were reportedly transported from Russias Voronezh region. Recently, Russian media have been circulating fake news alleging that Ukraine is planning provocations at the Zaporizhzhya NPP. Video of day Earlier on July 4, Renat Karchaa, an official of Rosenergoatom, predicted a terrorist attack on the ZNPP. Russian propagandists propagated his statement, falsely asserting that Ukraine is planning to attack the facility on the night of July 5, using high-precision weapons and kamikaze drones. The Ukrainian Armed Forces warned of potential Russian provocations at the power plant, adding that foreign objects resembling explosive devices have been planted on the outer roof of some of the reactor buildings at the ZNPP. On June 22, Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated that Russia is considering scenarios for a terrorist act at the occupied ZNPP and "has prepared everything for this." On July 2, Enerhodar's mayor, Dmytro Orlov, announced that some personnel of Rosatom and collaborators have vacated the Zaporizhzhya NPP and left Enerhodar. In Zaporizhzhya, Dnipropetrovsk, and Kherson oblasts, large-scale special training exercises have begun in anticipation of a potential act of nuclear terrorism by Russian forces. Will you support Ukraines free press? Dear reader, as all news organizations, we must balance the pressures of delivering timely, accurate, and relevant stories with requirements to fund our business operations. As a Ukrainian-based media, we also have another responsibility to amplify Ukraines voice to the world during the crucial moment of its existence as a political nation. Its the support of our readers that lets us continue doing our job. We keep our essential reporting free because we believe in our ultimate purpose: an independent, democratic Ukraine. If youre willing to support Ukraine, consider subscribing to our Patreon starting from 5$ per month. We are immensely grateful. Please help us continue fighting Russian propaganda. Truth can be hard to tell from fiction these days. Every viewpoint has its audience of backers and supporters, no matter how absurd. If conscious disinformation is reinforced by state propaganda apparatus and budget, its outcomes may become deadly. There is no solution to this, other than independent, honest, and accurate reporting. We remain committed to empowering the Ukrainian voice to push against the muck. If youre willing to stand up for the truth consider supporting us on Patreon starting from 5$ per month. Thank you very much. Will you help tell Ukraines story to the world? Twenty years ago, most people hadnt even heard of Ukraine. Today, the country is on everyones lips and everyones headlines. War pushed us on the front page. But there are many other things we do that we are proud of from music and culture to technology. We need your help to tell the world Ukrainian story of resilience, joy, and survival. If youre willing to back our effort, consider supporting us on Patreon starting from 5$ per month. We are immensely grateful. Follow us on Twitter, Facebook and Google News Putin tries to assure Chinese leader hes still in control after Prigozhin mutiny 4 July, 04:50 PM Putin tries to assure Chinese leader hes still in control after Prigozhin mutiny (Photo:Sputnik/Alexander Kazakov/Kremlin via Reuters) Russian dictator Vladimir Putin has tried to assure Chinese leader Xi Jinping and other members of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) that he maintains control over Russia after the Wagner PMC mutiny led by Yevgeny Prigozhin, the Moscow Times quoted Putin as saying on July 4. The Russian people are more consolidated than ever before, the dictator claimed during the SCO summit. Russian society is not experiencing a split after Prigozhins rebellion and acted as a united front. Following Prigozhins mutiny, Xi Jinping did not hold public talks with Putin. At the same time, Chinese Foreign Ministry called the events in Russia an internal matter. Video of day The SCO is a Eurasian political, economic, international security and defense organization created by China and Russia in 2001. It includes six other members: India, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan. Wagner Group in Belarus Prigozhin announced the beginning of an armed conflict with the Russian Defense Ministry on the evening of June 23, claiming that about 25,000 of his fighters were going to restore justice in Russia. Belarusian dictator Alexander Lukashenko held talks with Prigozhin as his mercenaries closed in on Moscow, Lukashenkos press office stated, culminating in a deal where Prigozhin agreed to halt his forces advance on the Russian capital in exchange for dropping charges and changes at the Russian Ministry of Defense. In a video address on June 26, Russian dictator Vladimir Putin offered three options to the fighters of the Wagner mercenary company who had participated in the mutiny attempt return to civilian life, sign contracts with the regular Russian military, or relocate to Belarus. On July 3, Prigozhin recorded an audio address for the first time in a week, asking for support. Will you support Ukraines free press? Dear reader, as all news organizations, we must balance the pressures of delivering timely, accurate, and relevant stories with requirements to fund our business operations. As a Ukrainian-based media, we also have another responsibility to amplify Ukraines voice to the world during the crucial moment of its existence as a political nation. Its the support of our readers that lets us continue doing our job. We keep our essential reporting free because we believe in our ultimate purpose: an independent, democratic Ukraine. If youre willing to support Ukraine, consider subscribing to our Patreon starting from 5$ per month. We are immensely grateful. Please help us continue fighting Russian propaganda. Truth can be hard to tell from fiction these days. Every viewpoint has its audience of backers and supporters, no matter how absurd. If conscious disinformation is reinforced by state propaganda apparatus and budget, its outcomes may become deadly. There is no solution to this, other than independent, honest, and accurate reporting. We remain committed to empowering the Ukrainian voice to push against the muck. If youre willing to stand up for the truth consider supporting us on Patreon starting from 5$ per month. Thank you very much. Will you help tell Ukraines story to the world? Twenty years ago, most people hadnt even heard of Ukraine. Today, the country is on everyones lips and everyones headlines. War pushed us on the front page. But there are many other things we do that we are proud of from music and culture to technology. We need your help to tell the world Ukrainian story of resilience, joy, and survival. If youre willing to back our effort, consider supporting us on Patreon starting from 5$ per month. We are immensely grateful. Follow us on Twitter, Facebook and Google News Key Insights Given the large stake in the stock by institutions, Kingsway Financial Services' stock price might be vulnerable to their trading decisions The top 4 shareholders own 53% of the company Insiders have been buying lately If you want to know who really controls Kingsway Financial Services Inc. (NYSE:KFS), then you'll have to look at the makeup of its share registry. With 36% stake, hedge funds possess the maximum shares in the company. Put another way, the group faces the maximum upside potential (or downside risk). Because hedge funds owners have a huge pool of resources and liquidity, their investing decisions tend to carry a great deal of weight, especially with individual investors. As a result, a sizeable amount of institutional money invested in a firm is generally viewed as a positive attribute. Let's take a closer look to see what the different types of shareholders can tell us about Kingsway Financial Services. View our latest analysis for Kingsway Financial Services What Does The Institutional Ownership Tell Us About Kingsway Financial Services? Many institutions measure their performance against an index that approximates the local market. So they usually pay more attention to companies that are included in major indices. We can see that Kingsway Financial Services does have institutional investors; and they hold a good portion of the company's stock. This implies the analysts working for those institutions have looked at the stock and they like it. But just like anyone else, they could be wrong. If multiple institutions change their view on a stock at the same time, you could see the share price drop fast. It's therefore worth looking at Kingsway Financial Services' earnings history below. Of course, the future is what really matters. It would appear that 36% of Kingsway Financial Services shares are controlled by hedge funds. That worth noting, since hedge funds are often quite active investors, who may try to influence management. Many want to see value creation (and a higher share price) in the short term or medium term. The company's largest shareholder is Stilwell Value LLC, with ownership of 29%. With 9.5% and 7.3% of the shares outstanding respectively, Oakmont Capital Inc and David Capital Partners LLC are the second and third largest shareholders. In addition, we found that John Fitzgerald, the CEO has 7.2% of the shares allocated to their name. To make our study more interesting, we found that the top 4 shareholders control more than half of the company which implies that this group has considerable sway over the company's decision-making. While studying institutional ownership for a company can add value to your research, it is also a good practice to research analyst recommendations to get a deeper understand of a stock's expected performance. Our information suggests that there isn't any analyst coverage of the stock, so it is probably little known. Insider Ownership Of Kingsway Financial Services The definition of an insider can differ slightly between different countries, but members of the board of directors always count. Management ultimately answers to the board. However, it is not uncommon for managers to be executive board members, especially if they are a founder or the CEO. Most consider insider ownership a positive because it can indicate the board is well aligned with other shareholders. However, on some occasions too much power is concentrated within this group. Our information suggests that insiders maintain a significant holding in Kingsway Financial Services Inc.. It has a market capitalization of just US$212m, and insiders have US$45m worth of shares in their own names. We would say this shows alignment with shareholders, but it is worth noting that the company is still quite small; some insiders may have founded the business. You can click here to see if those insiders have been buying or selling. General Public Ownership With a 24% ownership, the general public, mostly comprising of individual investors, have some degree of sway over Kingsway Financial Services. While this group can't necessarily call the shots, it can certainly have a real influence on how the company is run. Private Company Ownership It seems that Private Companies own 9.5%, of the Kingsway Financial Services stock. It might be worth looking deeper into this. If related parties, such as insiders, have an interest in one of these private companies, that should be disclosed in the annual report. Private companies may also have a strategic interest in the company. Next Steps: While it is well worth considering the different groups that own a company, there are other factors that are even more important. For instance, we've identified 3 warning signs for Kingsway Financial Services (2 can't be ignored) that you should be aware of. Of course this may not be the best stock to buy. Therefore, you may wish to see our free collection of interesting prospects boasting favorable financials. NB: Figures in this article are calculated using data from the last twelve months, which refer to the 12-month period ending on the last date of the month the financial statement is dated. This may not be consistent with full year annual report figures. Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team (at) simplywallst.com. This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned. Join A Paid User Research Session Youll receive a US$30 Amazon Gift card for 1 hour of your time while helping us build better investing tools for the individual investors like yourself. Sign up here TORONTO, ON / ACCESSWIRE / July 4, 2023 / Aclara Resources Inc. ("Aclara" or the "Company") (TSX:ARA) announces that it has received notice from the Environmental Service Assessment ("SEA") in Chile of its decision to terminate the review of the Company's application for an environmental impact assessment of the Penco Module ("Project"), which was submitted by the Company on April 28, 2023 ("New EIA"). The termination resulted from a request submitted by the National Forest Corporation (CONAF) to SEA to terminate the New EIA application process based on the findings of CONAF that there are six (6) undisclosed citronella mucronate, popularly known as "naranjillo" trees, located in the area of the Project. Naranjillo trees are considered "vulnerable species". Specifically, the New EIA did not include information relating to the naranjillo trees in question of which five (5) were found near the location of an existing access road that would require modification, and another was found within a local "native forest", in the area of the Project. Given the presence of such vulnerable species within the native forest, the forest would be considered a "preservation forest", restricting such trees from being cut down and thus requiring a change to the contemplated disposal area of the project. CONAF, which is a Chilean State-owned organization that is overseen and funded through the Ministry of Agriculture of Chile, contributes to the administration and development of the country's forestry sector. The request by CONAF is part of the first round of observations to be carried out by evaluation services during an approximately 30 business day period following publication in the media in Chile on May 15, 2023 of an extract of the New EIA application. As previously disclosed, in the case additional relevant or essential information is solicited for the evaluation, the New EIA application would need to be withdrawn to address the additional information. According to SEA, the non-disclosure of the information relating to the six (6) naranjillo trees results in the New EIA being incomplete, requiring the termination of the New EIA from its current assessment process. The Company, together with its technical consultants and other advisors, will work together with the relevant authorities with a view to addressing the initial observations at this early stage of the New EIA process in a comprehensive manner. Ramon Barua, Aclara's CEO, commented: "We are surprised and disappointed by the decision of SEA to terminate the review process at this early stage. Our Project proposes an innovative way for extracting minerals, assuming a high level of responsibility with the environment and has been developing a very active engagement with the local community. We believe that the initial observations raised by CONAF can be addressed by our team, who are already working to make the adequate modifications and to refile a revised application for an environment impact assessment as soon as possible." The Company estimates that there are more than half a million trees in the area of the Project, the vast majority being artificially grown pine and eucalyptus, which are harvested regularly by the forestry industry. The New EIA had identified native tree species (including 470 queule, 46 pitao, and 90 naranjillo itrees) within the preservation forests in the area of the Project and the Company had committed to protect each of the species in question. The naranjillo trees, as opposed to queules, can be cut down provided that they are located in areas covered mainly by pine and eucalyptus, however, such trees cannot be cut down if they are within a native forest that is considered to be a preservation forest. The Company will provide additional clarity on the timing of the revised application following additional consultations with relevant authorities and its advisors. While there can be no assurance regarding the outcome of the environmental impact assessment process, the Company believes that amendments can be made to address the issues raised. As part of the Project's overall evaluation process, the Company has received various feedback and observations relating to the Project from a number of affected and interested parties in Chile. The Company believes that all inputs and observations presented to date, including those by CONAF, can be addressed by Aclara and do not constitute fatal flaws to securing a successful path forward for the development of the Project. Ramon Barua added: "At Aclara, we continue to believe that our Project is a significant contribution to Penco, the region, Chile and our planet. The area where the Project is located is highly impacted by the forestry industry and a sanitary landfill. We have presented a unique process that does not require explosives, crushing or milling. We would only be using recycled water. We do not generate waste or tailings. We had made strong voluntary commitments to revegetate all impacted areas through the creation of new native forests (including by planting more than 200,000 trees), build a park for Penco and run a reproduction center for local deer. In addition, we have completed several initiatives to ensure the proper communication of our project at all levels in Chile. We have visited close to 8,000 homes in Penco twice, in December 2022 and June 2023. We have presented at the Mining Commission of the Deputies and the Mining Commission of the Senate, as well as met with several ministries over the past months. We have also offered to meet with the Municipality of Penco and Regional Counsel, each of whom have regrettably not accepted our offers. Based on the foregoing, we believe that our Project has the support of several parties within Chile and we are motivated to continue pursuing the development of our Project." About Aclara Aclara Resources Inc. (TSX: ARA) is a development-stage company that focuses on heavy rare earth mineral resources. Its primary project is located in the BioBio Region of southern Chile. The company is dedicated to developing its mineral resources through a project known as the Penco Module. This module encompasses an area of approximately 600 hectares and contains ionic clays that are rich in heavy rare earth elements. Currently, Aclara Resources is primarily focused on the development, construction, and future operation of the Penco Module. The goal is to establish a processing plant that will produce a heavy rare earth concentrate. This concentrate will be generated by processing clays obtained from nearby deposits. Aclara's extraction process offers several environmentally attractive features. It does not involve blasting, crushing, or milling. Additionally, it does not generate tailings, eliminating the need for a tailings storage facility. The company utilizes 100% recycled water and minimizes water consumption through high levels of water recirculation. The ionic clay feedstock is amenable to leaching with a fertilizer, and harmful radionuclides are not produced. Simultaneously, alongside the development of the Penco Module, the company intends to identify further opportunities for increasing rare earth element production. This will involve intensive greenfield exploration programs and the development of additional project "modules" within the company's concessions. Forward-Looking Statements This news release contains "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable securities legislation, which reflects the Company's current expectations regarding future events, including statements with regard to: the New EIA and the expectations of the Company's management as to the timing, procedural steps required, scope and substance, and outcome in respect of such review, and any resulting discussions and consultations with relevant authorities, advisors, and the community; estimates, projections and objectives in respect of the Project; and future plans, commitments and strategies of the Company. 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. Such risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, the factors discussed under "Risk Factors" in the Company's annual information form dated as of March 28, 2023 filed on the Company's SEDAR profile. Actual results, timing, performance, achievements or future events or developments could differ materially from those expressed or implied herein. Unless otherwise noted or the context otherwise indicates, the forward-looking information contained in this news release is provided as of the date of this news release and 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 under applicable securities laws. For further information, please contact: Ramon Barua Chief Executive Officer investorrelations@aclara-re.com SOURCE: Aclara Resources Inc. View source version on accesswire.com: https://www.accesswire.com/765520/Aclara-Provides-New-EIA-Update-for-The-Penco-Module (Bloomberg) -- A $64 billion merger of two big Indian lenders is yielding almost no fees to financial advisers, highlighting investment bankers struggle for profits in the country. Most Read from Bloomberg Housing Development Finance Corp.s all-stock merger into HDFC Bank Ltd., which created one of the most valuable banks in the world, has about 18 advisers who got credit for a fee pool of just over $1 million, according to people familiar with the matter. Morgan Stanley and Bank of America Corp. will take the bulk of that pool while the rest will be paid just a token amount, they said, asking not to be identified as the information is not public. The fee pool is disproportionately small as the board and executives of the companies led by Deepak Parekh, then chairman of HDFC, drove the merger process, and the role of the advisers was limited, the people said. Many of the advisers became aware that a merger was imminent only a day before the announcement and didnt have to do any work on the deal, they said. India is a tough place from a fee perspective unless one can offer value-added services or is structuring complex transactions, said Pranav Haldea, managing director of Prime Database Group, which provides information on fundraisings. This is an extremely price-conscious market, and thus, one always needs to keep costs under check. Major global banks, including Citigroup Inc., Goldman Sachs Group Inc., JPMorgan Chase & Co, and Jefferies Financial Group Inc., and leading domestic advisory firms like Kotak Mahindra Capital and Axis Capital, were among the 18 advisers who got league table credit for the deal. Morgan Stanley and BofA were paid more than others as they provided a fairness opinion on the valuation for the proposed transaction, while the rest of the advisers didnt do much, the people said. HDFC Bank and the advisers declined to comment. The investment banks struggles in India to win fee-generating business are in line with advisers challenges worldwide after a $1 trillion year-on-year drop in the value of mergers and acquisitions and initial public offerings in the first half of the year pushed them to embark on job cuts. JPMorgan, Citigroup, Goldman Sachs, and Morgan Stanley are among those to have started firings across their investment banking divisions globally this year. However, advisory units of overseas and local banks in the South Asian nation were left mostly unscathed as the team sizes were already small and costs were in check. Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek 2023 Bloomberg L.P. FILE PHOTO: The Airbus logo pictured at the company's headquarters in Blagnac near Toulouse By Joanna Plucinska and Tim Hepher FILTON, England (Reuters) - Airbus is stepping up testing of radical new wing technology as the planemaker lays the foundation for a future successor to its best-selling A320 series, but faces a battle to bring down costs. British Industry Minister Nusrat Ghani inaugurated a wing technology plant in southwest England on Tuesday to help design and build wings that are longer, lighter, more slender and feature folding wingtips to fly more sustainably. "It's our programme to prepare technologies we are going to need for the next generation of Airbus aircraft, whatever that is," Sue Partridge, head of the company's Wing of Tomorrow programme, told reporters. The opening comes as Boeing researches an elongated, ultra-light concept called Transonic Truss-Braced Wings. The choice of wing design and production methods by either manufacturer, together with engine developments, will shape aircraft competition well into the second half of the century. Industry sources estimate Airbus is spending in the "high hundreds of millions" of dollars on Wing of Tomorrow. Officially, the research could benefit any project, but all eyes are on a successor to the single-aisle A320, which Airbus has said could be introduced between 2035 and 2040. "This is about getting technology ready for a future single- aisle product, so a high (production-)rate product," Partridge said of a set of demonstrator models. "We need to develop composite technologies to get weight out of the wing, but they need to be at the right cost and the right production-rate capability". Currently, the best-selling A320/321 and competing Boeing 737 are made of aluminium, but designers believe composites will allow future wings to be tapered in efficient new ways. The main hurdle is that composite parts cost more to produce - a gap that is harder to recoup on the keenly priced A320 and 737 than on larger jets already made of composites. Partridge said Airbus was in talks with at least three suppliers to lower costs and weave parts more efficiently. FOLDING WINGS Introducing carbon wings to single-aisle jets may also require a manufacturing revolution to keep up with production targets that are currently 10 times higher than for big jets. Currently, aerospace composites are cured in pressurised ovens called autoclaves, which devour space and energy. Partridge confirmed Airbus is studying whether to build wings without autoclaves. So far only a new Russian jet has fully used that method for wings, but adapting it to Airbus or Boeing volumes would require significant investment and progress on costs, analysts say. As wings get longer, testing at the historic Filton site - where part of the Anglo-French Concorde was developed - includes folding wingtips to fit parking gates, echoing Boeing's 777X. "The physics tells us that to get a more fuel-efficient wing it needs to be longer and more slender. That means we need to increase the span of the wing," Partridge said. Partridge declined to say when Airbus would choose between dozens of technologies it is testing but said it would be ready for any business decision on a new programme. Analysts say work on a 2035 model would have to be launched by 2027-28. Asked if new technology could be used to upgrade existing models like the A321, Partridge said "yes, theoretically". Industry sources say Airbus could tap part of the research if it moves ahead with a potential stretch of the smaller A220. Airbus has not said what the plane, known internally as "A220 Stretch," would involve but sources say one scenario calls for new wings and engines for entry to service not before 2030. (Reporting by Joanna Plucinska in Filton and Tim Hepher in Paris; Editing by Mark Potter) (Bloomberg) -- AllianceBernstein LP is opening an office in Dubai, joining a raft of international finance firms flocking to the Middle Eastern hub. Most Read from Bloomberg The US investment firm with nearly $700 billion in assets under management said it secured a license to operate in the emirates finance center from which it will serve the wider region, including institutional clients, distribution partners and family offices. The firm last year appointed Jean-Paul Hobeika as head of Middle East Institutions. He will work with Eduard van Nes, head of intermediary sales for Middle East & Africa, who recently relocated to Dubai. By opening an office in DIFC, we can move into our next phase, as it will allow us to improve our ability to serve clients through proximity as well as capturing important market opportunities, said Willem van Gijzen, head of CEMEA Institutions at AllianceBernstein. Most of the worlds top investment banks, asset managers and, more recently, hedge funds have established their Middle Eastern headquarters in Dubais financial hub, a free-zone with its own English-language common law court system. It is now home to about 300 wealth and asset management firms, according to the DIFCs chief executive Arif Amiri. Dubai in Talks to Draw 50 Hedge Funds to Mideast Finance Hub Despite increasing competition from neighboring financial centers in Riyadh and Abu Dhabi, Dubai has emerged as a favored destination for global financiers drawn by its ease of doing business, low taxes and year-round sunshine. Dubai Is New Hedge Fund Hub as Millennium, ExodusPoint Move In Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek 2023 Bloomberg L.P. Asia Pacific Foundation of Canada TORONTO, July 04, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- When: July 18, 2023, from 2:30 to 5:00 p.m. NL Where: Verafin, 100 Hebron Way, St Johns, NL We are pleased to invite you to a Women's Networking Roundtable focused on trade with the Indo-Pacific, hosted by the Asia Pacific Foundation of Canada (APF Canada) and the Canadian Women's International Network (CanWIN). The event will take place on Tuesday, July 18, 2023, from 2:30 5:00 PM, at Verafin, 100 Hebron Way, St Johns, NL. Refreshments and snacks to be provided. The Indo-Pacific region has become a significant economic powerhouse. Canada is actively engaging in trade relations with this region and recently launched a whole-of-society strategy. Women can play a crucial role in promoting trade and investment between Canada and the Indo-Pacific, and this event is an opportunity for women to connect, share experiences and ideas, build relationships, and learn about upcoming opportunities to open new global markets in the region. The event will feature guest speakers who will share their insights on the Indo-Pacific region's economic landscape, as well as panel discussions on various aspects of trade with the Indo-Pacific. APF Canada will also share more information about the recently launched women-only business mission to South Korea and Thailand later this year, Smarter Living: The Canadian Women-only Business Mission to South Korea and Thailand. There will also be plenty of opportunities for networking with like-minded women from diverse backgrounds, industries, and organizations that support women in trade. Please RSVP by July 13, 2023, to confirm your attendance by registering here. Contact: Dr. A.W. Lee, Director of Inclusive International Trade (a.w.lee@asiapacific.ca) or Julia Da Silva, Project Specialist (julia.da.silva@asiapacific.ca). Key Insights The projected fair value for B&S Group is 5.05 based on 2 Stage Free Cash Flow to Equity B&S Group is estimated to be 22% undervalued based on current share price of 3.95 Does the July share price for B&S Group S.A. (AMS:BSGR) reflect what it's really worth? Today, we will estimate the stock's intrinsic value by taking the expected future cash flows and discounting them to their present value. We will take advantage of the Discounted Cash Flow (DCF) model for this purpose. Models like these may appear beyond the comprehension of a lay person, but they're fairly easy to follow. Companies can be valued in a lot of ways, so we would point out that a DCF is not perfect for every situation. If you still have some burning questions about this type of valuation, take a look at the Simply Wall St analysis model. Check out our latest analysis for B&S Group What's The Estimated Valuation? We use what is known as a 2-stage model, which simply means we have two different periods of growth rates for the company's cash flows. Generally the first stage is higher growth, and the second stage is a lower growth phase. To start off with, we need to estimate the next ten years of cash flows. Where possible we use analyst estimates, but when these aren't available we extrapolate the previous free cash flow (FCF) from the last estimate or reported value. We assume companies with shrinking free cash flow will slow their rate of shrinkage, and that companies with growing free cash flow will see their growth rate slow, over this period. We do this to reflect that growth tends to slow more in the early years than it does in later years. Generally we assume that a dollar today is more valuable than a dollar in the future, so we discount the value of these future cash flows to their estimated value in today's dollars: 10-year free cash flow (FCF) forecast 2024 2025 2026 2027 2028 2029 2030 2031 2032 2033 Levered FCF (, Millions) 40.7m 49.7m 44.0m 40.5m 38.3m 36.9m 36.0m 35.4m 35.1m 34.9m Growth Rate Estimate Source Analyst x1 Analyst x1 Est @ -11.49% Est @ -7.92% Est @ -5.42% Est @ -3.67% Est @ -2.45% Est @ -1.59% Est @ -0.99% Est @ -0.57% Present Value (, Millions) Discounted @ 9.1% 37.3 41.8 33.9 28.6 24.8 21.9 19.6 17.7 16.0 14.6 ("Est" = FCF growth rate estimated by Simply Wall St) Present Value of 10-year Cash Flow (PVCF) = 256m The second stage is also known as Terminal Value, this is the business's cash flow after the first stage. The Gordon Growth formula is used to calculate Terminal Value at a future annual growth rate equal to the 5-year average of the 10-year government bond yield of 0.4%. We discount the terminal cash flows to today's value at a cost of equity of 9.1%. Terminal Value (TV)= FCF 2033 (1 + g) (r g) = 35m (1 + 0.4%) (9.1% 0.4%) = 403m Present Value of Terminal Value (PVTV)= TV / (1 + r)10= 403m ( 1 + 9.1%)10= 169m The total value, or equity value, is then the sum of the present value of the future cash flows, which in this case is 425m. To get the intrinsic value per share, we divide this by the total number of shares outstanding. Compared to the current share price of 3.9, the company appears a touch undervalued at a 22% discount to where the stock price trades currently. Remember though, that this is just an approximate valuation, and like any complex formula - garbage in, garbage out. dcf The Assumptions The calculation above is very dependent on two assumptions. The first is the discount rate and the other is the cash flows. You don't have to agree with these inputs, I recommend redoing the calculations yourself and playing with them. The DCF also does not consider the possible cyclicality of an industry, or a company's future capital requirements, so it does not give a full picture of a company's potential performance. Given that we are looking at B&S Group as potential shareholders, the cost of equity is used as the discount rate, rather than the cost of capital (or weighted average cost of capital, WACC) which accounts for debt. In this calculation we've used 9.1%, which is based on a levered beta of 1.462. Beta is a measure of a stock's volatility, compared to the market as a whole. We get our beta from the industry average beta of globally comparable companies, with an imposed limit between 0.8 and 2.0, which is a reasonable range for a stable business. SWOT Analysis for B&S Group Strength Debt is well covered by earnings and cashflows. Dividends are covered by earnings and cash flows. Weakness Earnings declined over the past year. Dividend is low compared to the top 25% of dividend payers in the Retail Distributors market. Opportunity Annual earnings are forecast to grow faster than the Dutch market. Good value based on P/E ratio and estimated fair value. Threat No apparent threats visible for BSGR. Next Steps: Valuation is only one side of the coin in terms of building your investment thesis, and it ideally won't be the sole piece of analysis you scrutinize for a company. It's not possible to obtain a foolproof valuation with a DCF model. Preferably you'd apply different cases and assumptions and see how they would impact the company's valuation. If a company grows at a different rate, or if its cost of equity or risk free rate changes sharply, the output can look very different. Why is the intrinsic value higher than the current share price? For B&S Group, we've put together three important aspects you should explore: Risks: For example, we've discovered 3 warning signs for B&S Group that you should be aware of before investing here. Future Earnings: How does BSGR's growth rate compare to its peers and the wider market? Dig deeper into the analyst consensus number for the upcoming years by interacting with our free analyst growth expectation chart. Other Solid Businesses: Low debt, high returns on equity and good past performance are fundamental to a strong business. Why not explore our interactive list of stocks with solid business fundamentals to see if there are other companies you may not have considered! PS. Simply Wall St updates its DCF calculation for every Dutch stock every day, so if you want to find the intrinsic value of any other stock just search here. Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team (at) simplywallst.com. This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned. Join A Paid User Research Session Youll receive a US$30 Amazon Gift card for 1 hour of your time while helping us build better investing tools for the individual investors like yourself. Sign up here (Reuters) The Bank of England is looking at plans to force more international banks to set up subsidiaries in the UK, The Financial Times reported on Tuesday. The BOE is considering the plan as a part of a review of the collapse earlier this year of U.S. bank Silicon Valley Bank, the newspaper reported, citing people familiar with the matter. The move could reduce the thresholds requiring foreign banks with corporate business in the country to set up subsidiaries, the paper said. It noted that subsidiaries, such as SVB had in London, are easier for local regulators to seize control of in case of failure. Nathanael Benjamin, the BOE's executive director for authorizations and international banks on Monday said the central bank will reflect on the threshold for a foreign bank branch to become a subsidiary. Following the collapse of its parent company in the United States, Silicon Valley Bank's UK arm was sold to HSBC in March to avoid disrupting its customers in Britain. The Bank of England did not immediately respond to a request for comment. (Reporting by Chandni Shah in Bengaluru; Editing by Josie Kao and Andrea Ricci) (Bloomberg) -- Czech billionaire Daniel Kretinsky increased the size of his proposed equity investment in Casino Guichard-Perrachon SA as he competes with a trio of French business executives to take control of the debt-laden French supermarket operator. Most Read from Bloomberg Casino received offers from Kretinsky and the group led by telecom billionaire Xavier Niel as part of its its proposed restructuring, the company said in a statement Tuesday, without providing details. Trading in Casinos shares was suspended after gaining 16%, while Naouris listed holding company, Rallye SA, rose as much as 110%. Kretinsky - who is an existing shareholder of the grocer - is teaming up with Marc Ladreit de Lacharrieres Fimalac, another existing investor, for its proposal. Theyre offering 1.35 billion ($1.47 billion) in cash, which together with debt converted into equity would reach a 1.8 billion capital increase in total, according to a person familiar with the matter. Previously, Kretinsky and Fimalac had offered 1.1 billion of equity. Meanwhile, the trio formed by Niel, banker Matthieu Pigasse and retail entrepreneur Moez-Alexandre Zouari offered to invest 900 million with the support of a group of secured creditors of Casino, they said in a separate statement. Zouari, who operates franchised stores under Casinos brands, would lead the company if their proposal is the chosen by Casino, they said in the statement. While Kretinsky is putting more money on the table, the French trio are allowing creditors to take up a bigger proportion of the equity injection, potentially giving them a larger stake in the restructured company. The restructuring will mean the end of Chairman Jean-Charles Naouris control of Casino, a company he built through years of debt-fueled expansion. The company warned last week that shareholders will be massively diluted as part of the process. Read more: Casinos Stock Tumbles as Grocer Warns of Shareholder Wipeout The company is looking for no less than 900 million of new equity, and aims to convert its 3.5 billion of unsecured debt and as much as 1.5 billion of secured debt into shares to fix its balance sheet. Its also pursuing a business plan that consists of focusing on its smaller, premium supermarkets in city centers in the Paris and Lyon regions and on the Cote dAzur, while sticking to the cash-burning hypermarket operations in France and selling non-core assets such as its business in Latin America. Read more: Why Billionaires Are Circling Debt-Laden Grocer Casino: Q&A The proposals will be analyzed and presented Tuesday to an ad hoc committee of Casinos board of directors, and then to the creditors at a meeting Wednesday overseen by the conciliators, the company said on Tuesday. The main terms of each of these proposals will be made public after close of business on Wednesday. Under Kretinskys proposal, he and Fimalac would provide 900 million, with the rest coming from existing creditors, shareholders and other market participants. Their previous offer had less room for third parties to invest. Under their proposal, they would rely on existing Monoprix and Franprix management and would consider to bring someone external later on, according to the person familiar with the matter. The Niel-led trio previously had indicated it would provide the funding through a common investment vehicle registered in France named 3F Holding, and was willing to inject up to 300 million and team up with other stakeholders for the remaining amount. Spokespeople for Casino, Kretinsky and Fimalac declined to comment. Shares of Rallye plunged 64% in the past year, while Casino dropped 63%. Its bonds sell for cents on the euro. Casino is in a court-supervised restructuring process known as a conciliation. --With assistance from Valentine Baldassari. (Updates share price in second and last paragraph, background in fifth.) Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek 2023 Bloomberg L.P. BMW iX5 Hydrogen runs on the odourless gas and emits only water vapour as a result Off a backroad and behind a gate near Heathrow Airport stands one of the UKs handful of hydrogen filling stations. The familiar canopy, pumps, no smoking signs and other paraphernalia are present, but there are none of the smells or stains of a petrol station as enough fuel to travel hundreds of miles is dispensed in under four minutes in the form of a clear, odourless gas. BMW is betting on this technology as it seeks to find an alternative to battery-operated electric cars amid a scramble to dethrone Elon Musks Tesla in the battle to rule the future of driving. The German carmaker believes that hydrogen cars could help four big groups of drivers who are unlikely to go electric. It intends to market them to customers who do not have home charging, such as those without a garage or driveway; drivers who require high flexibility or travel frequently, for whom even fast charging is too time consuming; buyers in cold climates which kill battery life; and those who tow heavy loads. The cars drive like an electric vehicle since their fuel cells burn hydrogen, which produces only water, to generate electricity that powers a motor. Fill them with hydrogen made using solar or wind power and they are just as green as a battery-powered car can be. To prove the concept, BMW has kitted out a small test fleet of X5 SUVs with a hydrogen power plant which can deliver 170 horsepower. It is paired with a small battery, to gather waste power from braking and offer an acceleration boost, as found in a hybrid petrol car. Together they can deliver more than 400 horsepower and hit 62 miles per hour from a standstill in six seconds. BMW and Toyota are among a minority of big car makers pressing on with the technology as an option as the industry scrambles to find an answer to Musk. On Sunday night, Tesla once again proved its leadership credentials in the electric arena by reporting a record number of deliveries in the second quarter of 2023. The carmaker handed over 466,000 cars in the three months to June after price cuts paid off, beating analyst expectations of 445,000 deliveries. Shares rose 6.9pc on Wall Street as a result, valuing the business at $877bn (691bn) bigger than the next nine largest companies combined. European rivals have been left playing catch-up, and BMW regards hydrogen as a useful way to stand out. Putting all the eggs in one basket is not the right thing to do, says Jurgen Guldner, general programme manager for hydrogen at BMW. He also hopes that a company like his can kickstart demand for the gas. The transport sector can pay a higher price for hydrogen as a fuel to replace diesel than, for example, a steel factory, he says. This steel factory is replacing either coal or gas. So the transport sector can actually be the catalyst to start out a hydrogen economy because they can pay a higher price in the beginning plus the amount of hydrogen that is needed for the transport sector versus what the heavy industry needs is lower. Others are also showing an interest, albeit with a dose of scepticism thrown in. Last year, Volkswagen filed a patent for a new hydrogen fuel cell system with a 1,243 mile range, using cheaper ceramic components when compared to the polymers used by Toyota and Hyundai. But in February, Volkswagen brand boss Thomas Schafer said for the next decade at least, hydrogen was not a cost-effective option. Ford and Stellantis, which owns brands from Vauxhall to Citroen, have focused their hydrogen efforts on vans as a diesel alternative, and for most vehicle makers, the gas is seen as a good bet for heavier vehicles like vans, trucks and heavy goods vehicles. While hydrogen cars seem like an ideal solution for caravan owners, sales reps and city dwellers, to be carbon-free they must use gas made by renewable electricity, using the current to split water molecules into hydrogen and oxygen. This extra step means the fuel will always be more expensive than electricity itself, which can be used to directly charge a battery car. The X5s 6kg hydrogen tank costs about 120 to fill, offering a range of about 310 miles, for a price today of about 39 pence per mile. It also puts drivers in competition with industries which have few other options, especially in the near term since green hydrogen is expensive to make and has very limited capacity today. Steel, cement and glass makers and the aviation industry are all clamouring for the gas since batteries and electricity are either too heavy or do not generate the heat they need. Sabine Klauke, chief technical officer at Airbus, said in an interview last month that industries which can use batteries should do so, leaving the limited feedstock supplies available for those with no alternative. In an interview at the Paris Air Show, she said: There are industries which are really difficult to decarbonize. So it would be far more helpful if the ones who can go electric, go electric. Others are more optimistic. Blake Scholl, founder of supersonic jet designer Boom Supersonic, is confident that huge demand for sustainable jet fuel, and the hydrogen its made from, will mean an explosion of production. He told a press conference last month: Over time, as supply increases to catch up with demand, prices will fall. This happens in every market. If hydrogen is to play a larger role in British transport access to the fuel will need to improve beyond the dozen stations that exist today - ED ROBINSON Hydrogen production can soak up excess green energy produced on windy, sunny days that can then be used later on, taking pressure off the electricity grid which already requires billions of pounds of upgrades to cope with the looming demand for millions of electric cars, heat pumps and greener industrial processes. Unlike sunshine, it can be stored and shipped about on the UKs natural gas network, which already exists and is being upgraded to accommodate the fuel. The gas can also be imported from areas with high wind or sun, such as the UK or Saudi Arabia, offering an export for those nations. BMWs Guldner was guarded when asked how much its hydrogen-powered car would cost, but acknowledged that it would have to be competitive with electric options. Fuel cells are getting cheaper, and newer models should only need as much platinum as a typical catalytic converter, which would help drive costs down. Clare Jackson, chief executive of Hydrogen UK, says the industry is keen to work with all comers. In line with Governments low carbon hydrogen production targets set for 2030, Hydrogen UK encourages both aviation and road transport to decarbonise using hydrogen, she says. Only 5pc of the hydrogen being produced in seven years will be needed for aviation fuel, she says, while running 7,5000 trucks would use another 1.6pc leaving more than 90pc for other industries. The UK has some catching up to do. With fewer than a dozen filling stations, a flurry of openings will be needed to tempt motorists into using the fuel. And for BMW, beating Musk with a hydrogen-powered car still looks like a very distant dream. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month, then enjoy 1 year for just $9 with our US-exclusive offer. BP Plastics Holding Bhd's (KLSE:BPPLAS) investors will be pleased with their solid 148% return over the last five years Generally speaking the aim of active stock picking is to find companies that provide returns that are superior to the market average. And in our experience, buying the right stocks can give your wealth a significant boost. To wit, the BP Plastics Holding Bhd share price has climbed 91% in five years, easily topping the market decline of 13% (ignoring dividends). On the other hand, the more recent gains haven't been so impressive, with shareholders gaining just 1.0% , including dividends . Now it's worth having a look at the company's fundamentals too, because that will help us determine if the long term shareholder return has matched the performance of the underlying business. View our latest analysis for BP Plastics Holding Bhd While markets are a powerful pricing mechanism, share prices reflect investor sentiment, not just underlying business performance. One way to examine how market sentiment has changed over time is to look at the interaction between a company's share price and its earnings per share (EPS). During five years of share price growth, BP Plastics Holding Bhd achieved compound earnings per share (EPS) growth of 18% per year. The EPS growth is more impressive than the yearly share price gain of 14% over the same period. So one could conclude that the broader market has become more cautious towards the stock. This cautious sentiment is reflected in its (fairly low) P/E ratio of 10.88. You can see below how EPS has changed over time (discover the exact values by clicking on the image). Before buying or selling a stock, we always recommend a close examination of historic growth trends, available here. What About Dividends? When looking at investment returns, it is important to consider the difference between total shareholder return (TSR) and share price return. The TSR incorporates the value of any spin-offs or discounted capital raisings, along with any dividends, based on the assumption that the dividends are reinvested. So for companies that pay a generous dividend, the TSR is often a lot higher than the share price return. In the case of BP Plastics Holding Bhd, it has a TSR of 148% for the last 5 years. That exceeds its share price return that we previously mentioned. The dividends paid by the company have thusly boosted the total shareholder return. A Different Perspective BP Plastics Holding Bhd provided a TSR of 1.0% over the last twelve months. Unfortunately this falls short of the market return. It's probably a good sign that the company has an even better long term track record, having provided shareholders with an annual TSR of 20% over five years. Maybe the share price is just taking a breather while the business executes on its growth strategy. It's always interesting to track share price performance over the longer term. But to understand BP Plastics Holding Bhd better, we need to consider many other factors. Even so, be aware that BP Plastics Holding Bhd is showing 3 warning signs in our investment analysis , you should know about... If you would prefer to check out another company -- one with potentially superior financials -- then do not miss this free list of companies that have proven they can grow earnings. Please note, the market returns quoted in this article reflect the market weighted average returns of stocks that currently trade on Malaysian exchanges. Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team (at) simplywallst.com. This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned. Join A Paid User Research Session Youll receive a US$30 Amazon Gift card for 1 hour of your time while helping us build better investing tools for the individual investors like yourself. Sign up here (Bloomberg) -- A strike by dockworkers on Canadas west coast stretched into a fourth day, causing business groups to warn of a growing risk to the countrys economy and reputation. Most Read from Bloomberg An extended strike will primarily hurt Canadas exports of steelmaking coal, copper concentrates and potash, Mining Association of Canada President Pierre Gratton said. The bulk of Canadas steelmaking coal is produced in British Columbia, mostly by Teck Resources Ltd., and shipped through Vancouver to countries including Japan and Korea, Gratton said. Teck said it can divert shipments through other terminals to mitigate the impact of the strikes, but Gratton said a disruption longer than a week would have severe consequences for Canadas economy. Our reputation as a trading country that can be relied upon is at stake, said Matthew Holmes, a senior vice president of the Canadian Chamber of Commerce. The chamber wants Parliament, which began its summer recess last month, to return and pass legislation bring the workers back, Holmes said. Labor Minister Seamus ORegan said federal mediators were still at work, and the government wants to see a negotiated deal. About C$800 million ($605 million) of goods a quarter of Canadas imports and exports pass through the affected ports each day. A strike means most of these goods must either wait in the port or be re-routed through the US. Grain shipments have continued amid the strike as required by the Canada Labour Code. A slowdown in exports could affect global supply chains, Fertilizer Canada Chief Executive Officer Karen Proud said. Canada is the worlds largest producer of potash a group of potassium compounds used in fertilizer. The war in Ukraine has already complicated fertilizer availability from Russia and Belarus which also are major producers and a reduction in Canadian exports would further strain the supply, Proud said. Canadian import and export infrastructure has been obstructed several times in the last few years, including during a railway strike in 2019, the blockage of a major trucking bridge in 2022 and interference by public-service workers at the Port of Montreal earlier this year. If these events continue to occur, it makes people think twice whether Canada is the place to move your product from, said Brian Kingston, CEO of the Canadian Vehicle Manufacturers Association. --With assistance from Jacob Lorinc. Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek 2023 Bloomberg L.P. (Bloomberg) -- Bearish bets on Chinese electric vehicle maker XPeng Inc. have reached a record high as its share prices almost doubled in recent weeks, suggesting investors are skeptical the rally can last. Most Read from Bloomberg Short interest accounted for about 12% of XPengs shares available to trade in Hong Kong, according to IHS Markit data as of June 29. The Guangzhou-based automakers stock has surged 92% since a low on June 1 to reach overbought territory, before sliding as much as 8.4% on Tuesday. Chinese EV makers have been rallying on optimism over the governments push to expand purchases, making the sector a rare bright spot in the sluggish stock market. While peers Li Auto Inc. and Nio Inc. have also gained more than 30% each since the start of June, XPeng has outperformed as analysts praised the competitive pricing strategy of its new G6 electric SUV model, unveiled last week. Sentiment seems to be turning cautious following overheated signs in the rally and worries over the toll of an intensifying price war. The ratio of sell ratings on XPeng edged higher in June to 13.3% from 12.5% a month earlier, according to analyst recommendations tracked by Bloomberg. XPeng also has the highest 30-day volatility among the 50 members on the Hang Seng China Enterprise Index. G6 sales may be good due to low price but this also means even weaker profitability in the coming quarters, said Kelvin Lau, analyst at Daiwa Capital Markets Hong Kong Ltd, who has a sell rating on XPeng on concerns over the companys profitability. The automaker reported a wider-than-expected loss in the first quarter. Short interest on its US-listed stock has come down from a peak in December but still accounts for more than a third of the companys outstanding shares, making the stock one of the most shorted among American Depositary Receipts of Chinese firms, IHS Markit data show. The companys gross profit margin in the third quarter and a ramp up in sales volume will be the key things to watch to gauge the rallys sustainability, Citigroup Inc analysts led by Jeff Chung wrote in a note Monday. Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek 2023 Bloomberg L.P. (Bloomberg) -- Chinas foreign exchange regulator controls investment funds with overseas assets worth at least $1.5 trillion, some three times larger than those under the countrys flagship sovereign wealth fund. Most Read from Bloomberg Thats according to Zoe Zongyuan Liu, the author of Sovereign Funds: How the Communist Party of China Finances Its Global Ambitions. The book argues there should be greater focus on Chinas State Administration of Foreign Exchange, or SAFE, in assessments of Chinas geo-economic strategy. SAFES director is Pan Gongsheng, who this month was made the Communist Party chief of the Peoples Bank of China and is widely seen as next in line to become its governor a move that brings further attention to the agencys governance of foreign exchange market activity. Liu said Pan has had a clear track record of supporting the diversification of foreign exchange reserves management. SAFE is formally under the PBOCs control, though its director is ranked as a vice-minister in Chinas government, giving the body some autonomy. The agency made $1.5 trillion in contributions to vehicles such as the Silk Road Fund, the China-LAC Industrial Cooperation Investment Fund and the China-Africa Fund for Industrial Cooperation between 2007 and 2020, according to Lius research. Its assets under management are likely much larger due to rising market values since then, she added. The funds, which are shrouded in secrecy, were set up as SAFE worked to diversify its foreign exchange holdings away from US government securities. They also help Beijing shape the global economic environment by allowing it to take stakes in companies in strategic sectors. By acting at the firm level to take equity stakes, Beijing can secure access to the overseas markets, resources, and technologies necessary to propel its economy, Liu said. The SAFE-administered funds are larger than the overseas assets held by Chinas flagship sovereign wealth fund, the China Investment Corporation. The CICs funds total between $365-460 billion, according to Liu, who added that estimates of Chinas sovereign wealth holdings often overlook the CICs large domestic holdings in Chinese banks. SAFEs fund investments could explain why Chinas official reserve holdings have remained stable at around $3 trillion in recent years, despite China running a large trade surplus. The full value of those funds is not reflected in Chinas reporting of its foreign exchange reserves, as only liquid assets count toward that total. SAFEs move to establish overseas investment funds was partly due to an intergovernmental rivalry with Chinas Ministry of Finance. That ministry was seen as having more sway over the CIC when it was established in 2007, according to Liu. The SAFE-administered funds have focused on advanced economies such as the UK, along with industrial sectors, according to Liu. The SAFE-backed Silk Road Fund helped finance Chinas Sinochem when it acquired a large stake in Italian tire-maker Pirelli & C. SpA, for example. As the US and European governments become more wary of Chinese state-backed investment, SAFE funds have been making inroads elsewhere. The Silk Road Fund invested $12.4 billion to acquire a stake in Aramco Oil Pipelines Co. in 2021, and has taken stakes in Indonesian pharmaceutical firms. The funds carry risks for China as they are vulnerable to sanctions. Most of these funds assets reside within the jurisdiction of the United States and its allies, Liu said. These assets could become a strategic vulnerability. Compared to the CIC, SAFEs funds are far bigger and should get more attention, said Brad Setser, who researches global financial flows at the US Council on Foreign Relations. Setser, who is also a former US trade and Treasury official, also said those funds can act as a sink for foreign exchange sometimes acquired as the result of the Chinese central banks intervention in currency markets. While its often fair not to count the funds as reserves, Setser argued Beijing should be more transparent about its funds. China should separately report all of the foreign currency assets held by the PBOC, including its foreign currency funding of state banks and investment funds, he said. Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek 2023 Bloomberg L.P. (Bloomberg) -- China imposed restrictions on exporting two metals that are crucial to parts of the semiconductor, telecommunications and electric-vehicle industries in an escalation of the countrys tit-for-tat trade war on technology with the US and Europe. Most Read from Bloomberg Gallium and germanium, along with their chemical compounds, will be subject to export controls meant to protect Chinese national security starting Aug. 1, Chinas Ministry of Commerce said in a statement Monday. Exporters for the two metals will need to apply for licenses from the commerce ministry if they want to start or continue to ship them out of the country, and will be required to report details of the overseas buyers and their applications, it said. Read more: What Are Gallium and Germanium? Niche Metals Hit by China Curbs China is battling for technological dominance in everything from quantum computing to artificial intelligence and chip manufacturing. The US has taken increasingly aggressive measures to keep China from gaining the upper-hand and has called upon allies in Europe and Asia to do the same, with some success. The export limits are also coming at a time when nations around the world are working to rid their supply chains of dependencies on overseas equipment. Impact on the tech industry depends on the stockpile of equipment on hand, said Roger Entner, an analyst with Recon Analytics LLC. Its more of a muscle flexing for the next year or so. If it drags on, prices will go up. Read More: ASML Hit With New Dutch Limits on Chip Gear Exports to China China is the dominant global producer of both metals that have applications for electric vehicle makers, the defense industry and displays. Gallium and germanium play a role in producing a number of compound semiconductors, which combine multiple elements to improve transmission speed and efficiency. China accounts for about 94% of the worlds gallium production, according to the UK Critical Minerals Intelligence Centre. Still, the metals arent particularly rare or difficult to find, though Chinas kept them cheap and they can be relatively high-cost to extract. Both metals are byproducts from processing other commodities such as coal and bauxite, the base for aluminum production. With restricted supply, higher prices could draw out production from elsewhere. When they stop suppressing the price, it suddenly becomes more viable to extract these metals in the West, then China again has an own-goal, said Christopher Ecclestone, principle at Hallgarten & Co. For a short while they get a higher price, but then Chinas market dominance gets lost - the same thing has happened before in other things like antimony, tungsten and rare earths. Read More: Why the Fight for Critical Minerals Is Heating Up: QuickTake Other countries that produce gallium include Japan, South Korea, Russia and Ukraine, according to the CRU Group, a metals industry intelligence provider. Germanium is also produced in Canada, Belgium, the US and Russia. Shares of companies that make compound semiconductors, such as Wolfspeed Inc. and NXP Semiconductors NV, were little changed or traded higher when US exchanges opened on Monday. A representative for Wolfspeed didnt immediately respond to requests for comment. A spokesperson for NXP had no immediate comment. Chinas move comes after the US and its allies stepped up rhetoric against the country in recent weeks. US President Joe Bidens administration is planning to block sales of some chips used to run artificial-intelligence programs, people familiar with the matter said last week. The Chinese government earlier this year banned US chipmaker Micron Technology Inc.s products from some of its critical sectors after saying it found relatively serious risks in a cybersecurity review. The Dutch government announced on Friday measures that will prevent ASML Holding NV a company with a near-monopoly on the machines needed to make the most advanced semiconductors from selling some of its machines to China. --With assistance from Debby Wu, Thomas Seal, Clara Hernanz Lizarraga, Benoit Berthelot and Scott Moritz. (Updates with analyst comment in fourth paragraph, additional details throughout) Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek 2023 Bloomberg L.P. (Bloomberg) -- Less than a month on from the latest sexual assault allegations against Crispin Odey, there is little left of the hedge fund empire it took him three decades to build, with all his fund managers in talks to move out. Most Read from Bloomberg Odey Asset Management, which has sacked Odey from its partnership, told clients Monday that it has found a new home for fund manager Adrian Courtenay. He follows James Hanbury, Oliver Kelton and Freddie Neave out the door. Odey, 64, has denied the allegations made in a Financial Times report on June 8 about his treatment of women. Still, numerous banks have cut ties with his firm and investors have raced for the exits, forcing the company to shut two funds and suspend several others. Discussions to rehouse other funds and managers are ongoing, the firm said in the client letter on Monday seen by Bloomberg, pushing one of the UKs oldest hedge fund managers to the brink of disintegration. A spokesman for Odey Asset Management declined to comment. All fund managers at Odey and its subsidiary Brook Asset Management are in talks to leave. In the case of the OEI Mac fund managed by Neave, the firm has told investors it plans to rehouse most of the assets in a new vehicle, though the process may not include Odeys personal investments. Odeys career has been punctuated by extreme performance highs and lows thanks to his notoriously contrarian bets that differentiated him from modern-day hedge fund managers, which are known for their focus on risk management and steady returns. His monthly commentary was widely tracked for his market predictions, the most noteworthy of which such as UK stocks could fall 80% after the Brexit vote rarely came true. Odeys business always seemed like a contradiction: a 1990s hedge fund gunslinger as the figurehead of a quasi-institutional 21st century asset manager, said Andrew Beer, founder of Dynamic Beta Investments. Unfortunately, the latter never escaped the former. Courtenays Special Situations fund was one example of this volatility, with a 24% gain in 2021 followed by a 13% loss last year. Odey said Monday its in talks with Green Ash Partners, a London-based asset manager that recently launched a fund managed by famed short seller Jim Chanos, to transfer the fund. Meanwhile, Courtenay is seeking to have the suspension lifted from this fund in order to allow clients to exit or invest into his strategy, a signal hes confident that his fund will ultimately survive the current turmoil. The firm also has plans to rehouse Hanburys funds to Lancaster Investment Management and Keltons money pools to SW Mitchell Capital. One of Hanburys pools, the Brook Developed Markets Fund, will emerge from its suspension on July 7, Bloomberg News reported on Tuesday. For Odey, the sudden unraveling follows a stormy few years for the hedge fund manager. The flagship fund lost money in five of the six years through 2020 before surging 54% a year later and a record 152% last year to recover all losses. But many investors gave up before the rebound, and Odeys assets never again approached the peak of more than $13 billion achieved in 2015. The latest collapse was triggered by the publication of a Financial Times investigation into his treatment of women over a 25-year period that included claims by 13 women of sexual harassment or, in eight of those cases, assault. The accusations followed similar reports in the two years since he was acquitted of a sexual assault charge in a British court in 2021. Subsequently, two women came forward to Bloomberg, while another went to the Times of London newspaper. Additional accounts appeared in a Tortoise Media podcast. This industry has a duty to demonstrate to wider society that it has good judgement and will make the right decisions to protect the long-term future of the firm and those it works for, said Bev Shah, founder of City Hive, an advocacy group in London that promotes diversity in the investment management industry. Firms should see more clearly now than ever that they must act swiftly and comprehensively. (Updates with the lifting of Brook fund suspension in 11th paragraph.) Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek 2023 Bloomberg L.P. The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) for the United Kingdom has announced that companies promoting cryptocurrencies to UK customers must abide by their existing financial promotion regime by October 8, 2023. According to todays bulletin, financial promotion is broad and technologically neutral, but it applies to websites, social media posts, mobile apps, and online advertising. Todays announcement read that companies will need to apply for registration and pay a fee if they are approved. The financial regulator is also requesting companies clarify what steps they are taking with regard to the notice. Firms have until August 4 to report back to the request though the regime doesnt go into effect until later this year. The FCA has said it wont just target entities operating in the UK, either, but also abroad, stating that if a companys marketing scheme has an effect on British customers in any way, it will fall under their purview. There will be four legal routes for communicating financial promotions, which include Anti-Money Laundering and counter-terrorism financing (AML/KYC), and other important information regarding the transfer of funds through cryptocurrency. Failure to comply, says the FCA, can result in criminal charges. Early last month, authorities in the UK began a consulting process to provide the necessary guidelines for companies operating crypto asset financial promotions. Looking to gather information from any of the industrys market participants, the aim is to assess the requirements for a company to offer promotions. That process will end by August 10 this year. New Crypto Rules Will Bite Firms That Market to Consumers, Says Financial Regulator The United Kingdom has been taking lengthy strides to establish a clear-cut set of rules for cryptocurrency companiesincluding a new law regulating crypto trading. Sarah Pritchard, the FCAs Executive Director of Supervision, Policy, and Competition, Markets said earlier this year that the FCA will be on the lookout for firms that are not abiding by those rules. And if necessary, we will seek to take enforcement action." (Bloomberg) -- A shakeup at Chinas central bank has poured cold water on speculation that the nation may be about to loosen a ban on digital-asset trading. Most Read from Bloomberg Industry executives including Circle Internet Financial Ltd. Chief Executive Jeremy Allaire have seized on Beijings quiet backing of Hong Kongs push to become a crypto hub to argue that the mainland may reverse its policy. They got a reminder about the risks of such extrapolations when Pan Gongsheng was named the top Communist Party official at the Peoples Bank of China. The move potentially puts Pan in the running for PBOC governor and was viewed as a signal of policy continuity at the institution, which in 2021 declared all crypto-related transactions illegal. The appointment Saturday also surfaced some historic but unusually colorful comments for a Chinese bureaucrat, which Pan made in the midst of an earlier clampdown on crypto. Read more: Xis Central Bank Shakeup Prioritizes Continuity Over Change If you sit by the river and watch, one day the corpse of Bitcoin will float in front of you, he said at an event in 2017, citing an analysis by Kedge Business School professor Eric Pichet, local media reported. Pan back then also defended regulatory action against crypto and professed to being a little scared to contemplate what would have happened if China hadnt curbed digital assets. The Peoples Bank of China didnt immediately respond to a request for comment about Pans views on crypto and the outlook for Chinas digital-asset ban. Based on my knowledge, no PBOC governor would support Bitcoin, said David Qu, China economist at Bloomberg Economics, who has eight years experience of working at the central bank. What happens in Hong Kong is irrelevant, as the China mainland usually views Hong Kong as an overseas market. Senior officials outside the central bank are also critical of Bitcoin and the government is instead focused on developing the digital yuan, Qu added. Crypto Narratives Crypto is notorious for building up narratives that skeptics reject as overblown a tension has been evident in projections for both Hong Kong and China. Industry mogul Justin Sun, an adviser at the Huobi digital-asset exchange, has suggested Hong Kongs pro-crypto pivot presages an easing of Chinas ban. Cameron Winklevoss, co-founder of the Gemini platform, earlier this year said his working thesis is the next bull run is going to start in the East. Changpeng CZ Zhao, founder of the biggest crypto exchange Binance, in a May tweet flagged the interesting timing of a white paper related to digital assets that emerged in Beijing a little before Hong Kongs new crypto regime went live on June 1. Crypto entrepreneurs like Winklevoss and Zhao have been hit by aggressive US curbs in the wake of last years digital-asset rout and bankruptcies such as the FTX exchange. The US position contrasts with a shift toward friendlier regimes in jurisdictions including Hong Kong, Dubai and parts of Europe. With the stance shift happening in so many countries, China is unlikely to stay insusceptible it will gradually come to accept crypto, said Vanessa Cao, founder of venture-capital firm BTX Capital. Beijings Concerns Beijing clamped down on crypto over concerns about money laundering, the environmental impact of Bitcoin mining and currency outflows. Pan is currently the head of the State Administration of Foreign Exchange, the agency that oversees foreign-exchange rules, as well as a PBOC deputy governor. While there are signs that some of Chinas 1.4 billion people flout the digital-asset prohibition as they hunt for alternatives to struggling investments like property and stocks, mainland crypto activity is far lower than at earlier peaks. Its typical for Chinese officials to have an anti-Bitcoin stance, said Adrian Lai, founder and managing partner of Newman Capital, which runs a $50 million Web3 fund in Hong Kong. Mainland China isnt going to have an easing of the crypto ban for now and the near future. Bitcoin traded at $31,140 as of 6:55 a.m. in Singapore on Tuesday. The largest digital asset is up 88% in 2023 but is well off its 2021 peak of nearly $69,000. --With assistance from Yujing Liu and Fran Wang. Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek 2023 Bloomberg L.P. All Id want is $1 per year': An NYC grocery billionaire just said he wants to buy CNN offers to run the embattled network for pennies. Who is this mogul and why is he interested? All Id want is $1 per year': An NYC grocery billionaire just said he wants to buy CNN offers to run the embattled network for pennies. Who is this mogul and why is he interested? Another billionaire has added a media company to his wishlist: John Catsimatidis, the chairman and CEO of grocery chains Gristedes Foods and D'Agostino Supermarkets. Hes telling news outlets hed be willing to purchase CNN from Warner Bros. Discovery. Id go run the place tomorrow morning, and all Id want is $1 per year and a piece of the upside, the grocery mogul, told the New York Post. Don't miss Catsimatidis comments follow a difficult year for the media outlet, which has faced declining viewership and turnover in the C-suite. Chief executive Chris Licht was let go after a brief one-year stint as head of the company and a disastrous town hall with Donald Trump that the networks most lauded reporters roundly criticized. David Zaslav, the chief executive of parent company Warner Bros. Discovery and cited as Lichts strongest backer, is now looking for a replacement to turn the struggling company around. And given the opportunity, Catsimatidis says he could run CNN better. Catsimatidis has big plans for CNN In an interview with Fox Business Maria Bartiromo, the grocery CEO said he believed he could quadruple viewership rapidly. CNN only has, what, 400,000 viewers every night, he said. I told them Ill have it up to 2 million in one year. Catsimatidis also indicated that hed be willing to consider joint ventures to finance the deal and that he could double the profits relatively quickly if given control. His strategy would include making the content more bipartisan in an effort to broaden viewership though his lack of televised media experience and highly partisan views raise inevitable doubts. Read more: Here are 7 amazing 1-week vacations you can do for around $1,000 Who is John Catsimatidis? Born in Greece and raised in New York, Catsimatidis is an entrepreneur, politician and radio show host. Besides grocery stores, his holdings include a real estate firm, an aviation company, an oil refinery and the Hellenic Times newspaper. He also hosts The Cats Roundtable radio show. His radio station WABC-AM 770 is ranked 11th in New York City based on Neilsens data. Forbes estimates his net worth at $4.1 billion. As for his political leanings, Catsimatidis was a registered Democrat who donated to the Bill Clinton campaign until 2009. He later decided to run for mayor as a Republican and has been a prominent voice on the conservative aisle ever since. He supported Donald Trump during the 2016 and 2020 presidential campaigns (reportedly to the tune of more than $600,000) but has recently said that he trusts the courts to legitimately adjudicate recent charges against the former president. Is CNN even for sale? Financial struggles in the media industry have ignited speculation about spin-offs and mergers. CNNs parent company Warner Bros. Discovery has been sending mixed signals to financial observers. The company has laid off staff in an attempt to tackle its $50 billion debt burden. CNN has seen primetime viewership decline 25%, while annual profits have slipped from $1.25 billion to $750 million. Investment bankers believe the outlet could be sold for $5 billion to $6 billion if its ever put on the market. However, CNNs parent companys stock is up over 30% in the first half of 2023. And while it may be disappointing for a few interested buyers to hear including former CNN CEO Jeff Zucker the network certainly isnt on the market right now. And Warner Bros. Discovery hasnt given any sign they intend to sell the brand. What to read next What do Ashton Kutcher and a Nobel Prize-winning economist have in common? An investing app that turns spare change into a diversified portfolio A 50-year-old Mom on Reddit emptied her daughter's college fund to keep her Malibu dream house the teen is 'furious.' 4 tips to retire comfortably without raiding your kid's account Earn extra cash for your weekend with these quick money hacks This article provides information only and should not be construed as advice. It is provided without warranty of any kind. By buying an index fund, investors can approximate the average market return. But if you buy good businesses at attractive prices, your portfolio returns could exceed the average market return. For example, MetLife, Inc. (NYSE:MET) shareholders have seen the share price rise 54% over three years, well in excess of the market return (33%, not including dividends). The past week has proven to be lucrative for MetLife investors, so let's see if fundamentals drove the company's three-year performance. See our latest analysis for MetLife To paraphrase Benjamin Graham: Over the short term the market is a voting machine, but over the long term it's a weighing machine. One imperfect but simple way to consider how the market perception of a company has shifted is to compare the change in the earnings per share (EPS) with the share price movement. Over the last three years, MetLife failed to grow earnings per share, which fell 52% (annualized). This means it's unlikely the market is judging the company based on earnings growth. Given this situation, it makes sense to look at other metrics too. Do you think that shareholders are buying for the 1.3% per annum revenue growth trend? We don't. So truth be told we can't see an easy explanation for the share price action, but perhaps you can... The image below shows how earnings and revenue have tracked over time (if you click on the image you can see greater detail). MetLife is well known by investors, and plenty of clever analysts have tried to predict the future profit levels. You can see what analysts are predicting for MetLife in this interactive graph of future profit estimates. What About Dividends? As well as measuring the share price return, investors should also consider the total shareholder return (TSR). Whereas the share price return only reflects the change in the share price, the TSR includes the value of dividends (assuming they were reinvested) and the benefit of any discounted capital raising or spin-off. It's fair to say that the TSR gives a more complete picture for stocks that pay a dividend. We note that for MetLife the TSR over the last 3 years was 71%, which is better than the share price return mentioned above. And there's no prize for guessing that the dividend payments largely explain the divergence! A Different Perspective Investors in MetLife had a tough year, with a total loss of 7.2% (including dividends), against a market gain of about 16%. However, keep in mind that even the best stocks will sometimes underperform the market over a twelve month period. Longer term investors wouldn't be so upset, since they would have made 9%, each year, over five years. If the fundamental data continues to indicate long term sustainable growth, the current sell-off could be an opportunity worth considering. While it is well worth considering the different impacts that market conditions can have on the share price, there are other factors that are even more important. Like risks, for instance. Every company has them, and we've spotted 3 warning signs for MetLife (of which 1 shouldn't be ignored!) you should know about. For those who like to find winning investments this free list of growing companies with recent insider purchasing, could be just the ticket. Please note, the market returns quoted in this article reflect the market weighted average returns of stocks that currently trade on American exchanges. Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team (at) simplywallst.com. This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned. Join A Paid User Research Session Youll receive a US$30 Amazon Gift card for 1 hour of your time while helping us build better investing tools for the individual investors like yourself. Sign up here Chinese naval hospital ship sets sail for humanitarian mission Xinhua) 08:43, July 04, 2023 This photo shows Chinese naval hospital ship "Peace Ark" at a port in Zhoushan, east China's Zhejiang Province, July 3, 2023. (Photo by Li Yu/Xinhua) HANGZHOU, July 3 (Xinhua) -- Chinese naval hospital ship "Peace Ark" set sail on Monday for a humanitarian medical mission in Kiribati, Tonga, Vanuatu, Solomon Islands and East Timor. This is the first time a Chinese naval vessel will visit Kiribati and Solomon Islands, and carry out humanitarian medical services there. According to the plan, the hospital ship will dock at one port in each country, providing week-long medical services free of charge for local people, personnel from Chinese institutions and overseas Chinese. Exchanges and professional seminars with relevant countries will also be conducted as part of this mission. The hospital ship has 126 medical staffers, and boasts 26 clinical departments and 7 auxiliary departments. It is capable of carrying out more than 40 kinds of examinations, treatments, and operations in general surgery, orthopedics, obstetrics and gynecology and other disciplines. "Peace Ark" is the first standard ocean-going maritime hospital independently designed and built by China. Since its entry into service in 2008, the hospital ship has visited 43 countries and regions, provided medical services for more than 250,000 patients and performed more than 1,500 surgeries on voyages covering over 260,000 nautical miles. Chinese naval hospital ship "Peace Ark" sets sail at a port in Zhoushan, east China's Zhejiang Province, July 3, 2023. (Photo by Han Lin/Xinhua) This aerial photo shows Chinese naval hospital ship "Peace Ark" preparing to set sail at a port in Zhoushan, east China's Zhejiang Province, July 3, 2023. (Photo by Gui Jiangbo/Xinhua) Soldiers stand at attention on Chinese naval hospital ship "Peace Ark" at a port in Zhoushan, east China's Zhejiang Province, July 3, 2023. (Photo by Li Yu/Xinhua) Soldiers stand at attention on Chinese naval hospital ship "Peace Ark" at a port in Zhoushan, east China's Zhejiang Province, July 3, 2023. (Photo by Li Yu/Xinhua) Soldiers wave goodbye on Chinese naval hospital ship "Peace Ark" at a port in Zhoushan, east China's Zhejiang Province, July 3, 2023. (Photo by Zhang Ling/Xinhua) (Web editor: Zhong Wenxing, Liang Jun) It hasn't been the best quarter for Exxaro Resources Limited (JSE:EXX) shareholders, since the share price has fallen 15% in that time. On the bright side the share price is up over the last half decade. However we are not very impressed because the share price is only up 27%, less than the market return of 29%. With that in mind, it's worth seeing if the company's underlying fundamentals have been the driver of long term performance, or if there are some discrepancies. View our latest analysis for Exxaro Resources In his essay The Superinvestors of Graham-and-Doddsville Warren Buffett described how share prices do not always rationally reflect the value of a business. One way to examine how market sentiment has changed over time is to look at the interaction between a company's share price and its earnings per share (EPS). Over half a decade, Exxaro Resources managed to grow its earnings per share at 46% a year. The EPS growth is more impressive than the yearly share price gain of 5% over the same period. So one could conclude that the broader market has become more cautious towards the stock. The reasonably low P/E ratio of 2.90 also suggests market apprehension. The image below shows how EPS has tracked over time (if you click on the image you can see greater detail). We know that Exxaro Resources has improved its bottom line lately, but is it going to grow revenue? You could check out this free report showing analyst revenue forecasts. What About Dividends? It is important to consider the total shareholder return, as well as the share price return, for any given stock. The TSR is a return calculation that accounts for the value of cash dividends (assuming that any dividend received was reinvested) and the calculated value of any discounted capital raisings and spin-offs. It's fair to say that the TSR gives a more complete picture for stocks that pay a dividend. We note that for Exxaro Resources the TSR over the last 5 years was 166%, which is better than the share price return mentioned above. And there's no prize for guessing that the dividend payments largely explain the divergence! A Different Perspective Exxaro Resources shareholders are up 1.4% for the year (even including dividends). But that was short of the market average. It's probably a good sign that the company has an even better long term track record, having provided shareholders with an annual TSR of 22% over five years. It may well be that this is a business worth popping on the watching, given the continuing positive reception, over time, from the market. It's always interesting to track share price performance over the longer term. But to understand Exxaro Resources better, we need to consider many other factors. For instance, we've identified 2 warning signs for Exxaro Resources (1 doesn't sit too well with us) that you should be aware of. We will like Exxaro Resources better if we see some big insider buys. While we wait, check out this free list of growing companies with considerable, recent, insider buying. Please note, the market returns quoted in this article reflect the market weighted average returns of stocks that currently trade on South African exchanges. Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team (at) simplywallst.com. This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned. Join A Paid User Research Session Youll receive a US$30 Amazon Gift card for 1 hour of your time while helping us build better investing tools for the individual investors like yourself. Sign up here Having trouble finding a Mutual Fund Equity Report fund? Fidelity Advisor Biotechnology A (FBTAX) is a potential starting point. FBTAX possesses a Zacks Mutual Fund Rank of 2 (Buy), which is based on various forecasting factors like size, cost, and past performance. History of Fund/Manager Fidelity is based in Boston, MA, and is the manager of FBTAX. The Fidelity Advisor Biotechnology A made its debut in December of 2000 and FBTAX has managed to accumulate roughly $629.75 million in assets, as of the most recently available information. Eirene Kontopoulos is the fund's current manager and has held that role since July of 2018. Performance Investors naturally seek funds with strong performance. This fund in particular has delivered a 5-year annualized total return of 5.35%, and it sits in the bottom third among its category peers. But if you are looking for a shorter time frame, it is also worth looking at its 3-year annualized total return of 0.81%, which places it in the bottom third during this time-frame. It is important to note that the product's returns may not reflect all its expenses. Any fees not reflected would lower the returns. Total returns do not reflect the fund's [%] sale charge. If sales charges were included, total returns would have been lower. When looking at a fund's performance, it is also important to note the standard deviation of the returns. The lower the standard deviation, the less volatility the fund experiences. The standard deviation of FBTAX over the past three years is 18.45% compared to the category average of 14.98%. Over the past 5 years, the standard deviation of the fund is 21.19% compared to the category average of 15.91%. This makes the fund more volatile than its peers over the past half-decade. Risk Factors Investors should note that the fund has a 5-year beta of 0.69, which means it is hypothetically less volatile than the market at large. Alpha is an additional metric to take into consideration, since it represents a portfolio's performance on a risk-adjusted basis relative to a benchmark, which in this case, is the S&P 500. With a negative alpha of -1.45, managers in this portfolio find it difficult to pick securities that generate better-than-benchmark returns. Expenses Costs are increasingly important for mutual fund investing, and particularly as competition heats up in this market. And all things being equal, a lower cost product will outperform its otherwise identical counterpart, so taking a closer look at these metrics is key for investors. In terms of fees, FBTAX is a load fund. It has an expense ratio of 1.01% compared to the category average of 1.28%. Looking at the fund from a cost perspective, FBTAX is actually cheaper than its peers. This fund requires a minimum initial investment of $0, while there is no minimum for each subsequent investment. Fees charged by investment advisors have not been taken into considiration. Returns would be less if those were included. Bottom Line Overall, even with its comparatively weak performance, worse downside risk, and lower fees, Fidelity Advisor Biotechnology A ( FBTAX ) has a high Zacks Mutual Fund rank, and therefore looks a great potential choice for investors right now. For additional information on the Mutual Fund Equity Report area of the mutual fund world, make sure to check out www.zacks.com/funds/mutual-funds. There, you can see more about the ranking process, and dive even deeper into FBTAX too for additional information. If you are more of a stock investor, make sure to also check out our Zacks Rank, and our full suite of tools we have available for novice and professional investors alike. 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 Get Your Free (FBTAX): Fund Analysis Report To read this article on Zacks.com click here. Zacks Investment Research 'This fight is not over': Elizabeth Warren says Biden has more tools to cancel student debt and he 'must use them' now can the president still make good on his promise? 'This fight is not over': Elizabeth Warren says Biden has more tools to cancel student debt and he 'must use them' now can the president still make good on his promise? Student loan borrowers are preparing to resume repayments this October after the Supreme Court struck down President Bidens hotly contested plan for relief but it seems all hope is not lost just yet. The same Supreme Court that overturned Roe now refuses to follow the plain language of the law on student loan cancellation, tweeted Massachusetts Democratic senator Elizabeth Warren in response to the ruling. Don't miss If you owe $25K+ in student loans, there are ways to pay them off faster Rich young Americans have lost confidence in the stock market and are betting on these 3 assets instead. Get in now for strong long-term tailwinds Scrubs to riches: A California nurse just went viral showing how she paid off her student loans by 27 while making up to $500K a year here are 5 ways to build wealth without a wild salary This fight is not over. The president has more tools to cancel student debt and he must use them. The White House does in fact have an alternative solution to providing relief for student borrowers, and heres what it proposes. Warren says The White House must take action Bidens sweeping student loan forgiveness program would have benefited over 40 million student borrowers across the U.S. who owe about $1.6 trillion in outstanding loans. His administration argued the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on borrowers warranted forgiveness under the Health and Economic Recovery Omnibus Emergency Solutions (HEROES) act in order to prevent a historic rise in delinquencies and defaults. But the Supreme Court voted 6-3 last week, siding with six Republican-led states that sued to challenge the programs legitimacy. Warren, whos been a long-time proponent of student debt forgiveness, called for immediate action in a webinar just last week. She said a borrower today could pay up to 200% more in tuition than their parents did and that's just fundamentally wrong. Warrens not mistaken the costs of attending college have significantly escalated thanks to rising demand and reduced state funding. She still expects Biden to follow through on his presidential campaign promises, despite the recent setback. More than 40 million hard working Americans are waiting for the help that President Biden promised them, and they expect this administration to throw everything theyve got into the fight until they make good on this commitment, Warren said. Read more: Millions of Americans are in massive debt in the face of rising rates. Here's how to get your head above water ASAP Bidens next move for student aid Just hours after the Supreme Court rejected Bidens student loan forgiveness plan, the White House retaliated by announcing the presidents next move to provide relief and support for borrowers. Under the Higher Education Act of 1965, the education secretary would be allowed to waive, reduce or release loans under certain circumstances. However, this must still go through the negotiated rulemaking process, which includes public hearings and soliciting comments from stakeholders, and could persist for months. In the meanwhile, the Department of Education is imposing a 12-month on-ramp for repayments from Oct. 1, 2023 to Sep. 30, 2024 so that borrowers who cannot immediately repay their debts are not reported to credit bureaus or considered in default. That said, interest on loans will still accrue during this time, so borrowers should make payments if they can. The Biden administration also finalized the Saving on a Valuable Education (SAVE) plan, which slashes monthly payments in half and forgives original loan balances of $12,000 or less after 10 years instead of 20. The income-driven repayment plan saves most borrowers at least $1,000 per year, while those who earn less than $15 an hour wont have to make any repayments. Unlike other plans, it wont charge unpaid monthly interest either. What to read next Want to invest your spare change but don't know where to start? There's an app for that A 50-year-old Mom on Reddit emptied her daughter's college fund to keep her Malibu dream house the teen is 'furious.' 4 tips to retire comfortably without raiding your kid's account Jeff Bezos and Oprah Winfrey invest in this asset to keep their wealth safe you may want to do the same in 2023 This article provides information only and should not be construed as advice. It is provided without warranty of any kind. By buying an index fund, you can roughly match the market return with ease. But if you buy good businesses at attractive prices, your portfolio returns could exceed the average market return. For example, the Gas Malaysia Berhad (KLSE:GASMSIA) share price is up 10% in the last three years, clearly besting the market decline of around 5.1% (not including dividends). On the other hand, the returns haven't been quite so good recently, with shareholders up just 14% , including dividends . So let's investigate and see if the longer term performance of the company has been in line with the underlying business' progress. Check out our latest analysis for Gas Malaysia Berhad While the efficient markets hypothesis continues to be taught by some, it has been proven that markets are over-reactive dynamic systems, and investors are not always rational. One imperfect but simple way to consider how the market perception of a company has shifted is to compare the change in the earnings per share (EPS) with the share price movement. Gas Malaysia Berhad was able to grow its EPS at 26% per year over three years, sending the share price higher. The average annual share price increase of 3% is actually lower than the EPS growth. So one could reasonably conclude that the market has cooled on the stock. This cautious sentiment is reflected in its (fairly low) P/E ratio of 10.05. You can see how EPS has changed over time in the image below (click on the chart to see the exact values). We know that Gas Malaysia Berhad has improved its bottom line lately, but is it going to grow revenue? You could check out this free report showing analyst revenue forecasts. What About Dividends? As well as measuring the share price return, investors should also consider the total shareholder return (TSR). Whereas the share price return only reflects the change in the share price, the TSR includes the value of dividends (assuming they were reinvested) and the benefit of any discounted capital raising or spin-off. Arguably, the TSR gives a more comprehensive picture of the return generated by a stock. In the case of Gas Malaysia Berhad, it has a TSR of 33% for the last 3 years. That exceeds its share price return that we previously mentioned. This is largely a result of its dividend payments! A Different Perspective We're pleased to report that Gas Malaysia Berhad shareholders have received a total shareholder return of 14% over one year. That's including the dividend. Since the one-year TSR is better than the five-year TSR (the latter coming in at 8% per year), it would seem that the stock's performance has improved in recent times. Someone with an optimistic perspective could view the recent improvement in TSR as indicating that the business itself is getting better with time. While it is well worth considering the different impacts that market conditions can have on the share price, there are other factors that are even more important. Consider for instance, the ever-present spectre of investment risk. We've identified 2 warning signs with Gas Malaysia Berhad (at least 1 which doesn't sit too well with us) , and understanding them should be part of your investment process. We will like Gas Malaysia Berhad better if we see some big insider buys. While we wait, check out this free list of growing companies with considerable, recent, insider buying. Please note, the market returns quoted in this article reflect the market weighted average returns of stocks that currently trade on Malaysian exchanges. Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team (at) simplywallst.com. This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned. Join A Paid User Research Session Youll receive a US$30 Amazon Gift card for 1 hour of your time while helping us build better investing tools for the individual investors like yourself. Sign up here (Bloomberg) -- Alphabet Inc.s Google is set to appoint a manufacturing and policy veteran as its top government affairs executive in India to tackle legal challenges and expand hardware assembly to the country. Most Read from Bloomberg Sreenivasa Reddy, currently a senior engineering executive at Microsoft Corp., is likely to join Google toward the end of this year, people familiar with the matter said, asking not to be identified as the matter is private. He previously worked in senior positions at Apple Inc.s India regulatory team and headed government relations at the local unit of Swedish telecom-gear maker Ericsson AB, helping to drive domestic manufacturing at both companies. Reddys experience will come in handy at Google, which is scouting for partners in India to assemble its Pixel range of smartphones as it seeks to diversify beyond China. Pixels production in India could lead to the local manufacturing of other Google hardware products, such as speakers. The executive will also help Google navigate regulatory challenges. The Mountain View, California-based company is fighting antitrust charges in India, with authorities accusing it of abusing its dominant position in mobile operating systems. Reddy and representatives for Google in India didnt respond to requests for comment. Googles previous India policy head, Archana Gulati, left the company last year. Google is among global technology firms viewing India as a key growth market. The company is adding more local languages to its services and seeking ways to make its Android smartphones cheaper, eager to win more users in the worlds most populous country. The company plans to open a global financial-technology center in Gujarat International Finance Tech-City more commonly known as GIFT City in Prime Minister Narendra Modis home state, Alphabet Chief Executive Officer Sundar Pichai said during the Indian premiers visit to the US last month. Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek 2023 Bloomberg L.P. (Bloomberg) -- H2 Green Steel AB signed a seven-year steel delivery deal with one of the biggest suppliers to the automotive industry worth 1.5 billion ($1.64 billion). Most Read from Bloomberg The agreement, one of H2GSs largest yet, covers a significant share of ZF Friedrichshafen AGs annual steel demand of about 2.5 million tons, according to a statement Tuesday. Deliveries of near zero-emissions steel are due to start in 2026. The Swedish company is among a new breed of steelmakers seeking to overhaul the way the alloy is manufactured in one of the most polluting industries in the world, replacing coal with green hydrogen made using renewable power. The sector, which has relied largely on the same production techniques for more than a century, accounts for about 7% of global carbon dioxide emissions. Read more: What It Would Take to Make Steelmaking Greener: QuickTake The deal is expected to reduce ZFs CO2 emissions by close to 2.3 million tons compared with traditional steelmaking processes, according to the statement. H2GS will also work together with ZFs sub-suppliers. The company last month received a full environmental permit to start building a plant in Boden in northern Sweden. The facility is poised to produce 5 million tons of so-called green steel annually by the end of the decade. The founder and largest shareholder of H2GS is Vargas Holding AB, which is also co-founder and one of the larger stakeholders in Swedish battery maker Northvolt AB. Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek 2023 Bloomberg L.P. We can readily understand why investors are attracted to unprofitable companies. For example, biotech and mining exploration companies often lose money for years before finding success with a new treatment or mineral discovery. But while the successes are well known, investors should not ignore the very many unprofitable companies that simply burn through all their cash and collapse. Given this risk, we thought we'd take a look at whether Arc Minerals (LON:ARCM) shareholders should be worried about its cash burn. In this article, we define cash burn as its annual (negative) free cash flow, which is the amount of money a company spends each year to fund its growth. Let's start with an examination of the business' cash, relative to its cash burn. View our latest analysis for Arc Minerals How Long Is Arc Minerals' Cash Runway? A company's cash runway is the amount of time it would take to burn through its cash reserves at its current cash burn rate. In December 2022, Arc Minerals had UK2.4m in cash, and was debt-free. In the last year, its cash burn was UK3.8m. That means it had a cash runway of around 7 months as of December 2022. To be frank, this kind of short runway puts us on edge, as it indicates the company must reduce its cash burn significantly, or else raise cash imminently. You can see how its cash balance has changed over time in the image below. How Is Arc Minerals' Cash Burn Changing Over Time? Because Arc Minerals isn't currently generating revenue, we consider it an early-stage business. So while we can't look to sales to understand growth, we can look at how the cash burn is changing to understand how expenditure is trending over time. It's possible that the 3.7% reduction in cash burn over the last year is evidence of management tightening their belts as cash reserves deplete. Admittedly, we're a bit cautious of Arc Minerals due to its lack of significant operating revenues. So we'd generally prefer stocks from this list of stocks that have analysts forecasting growth. How Easily Can Arc Minerals Raise Cash? Even though it has reduced its cash burn recently, shareholders should still consider how easy it would be for Arc Minerals to raise more cash in the future. Issuing new shares, or taking on debt, are the most common ways for a listed company to raise more money for its business. One of the main advantages held by publicly listed companies is that they can sell shares to investors to raise cash and fund growth. We can compare a company's cash burn to its market capitalisation to get a sense for how many new shares a company would have to issue to fund one year's operations. Arc Minerals has a market capitalisation of UK34m and burnt through UK3.8m last year, which is 11% of the company's market value. As a result, we'd venture that the company could raise more cash for growth without much trouble, albeit at the cost of some dilution. So, Should We Worry About Arc Minerals' Cash Burn? Even though its cash runway makes us a little nervous, we are compelled to mention that we thought Arc Minerals' cash burn relative to its market cap was relatively promising. Looking at the factors mentioned in this short report, we do think that its cash burn is a bit risky, and it does make us slightly nervous about the stock. Taking a deeper dive, we've spotted 5 warning signs for Arc Minerals you should be aware of, and 3 of them don't sit too well with us. Of course, you might find a fantastic investment by looking elsewhere. So take a peek at this free list of companies insiders are buying, and this list of stocks growth stocks (according to analyst forecasts) 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 Key Insights Using the 2 Stage Free Cash Flow to Equity, Halliburton fair value estimate is US$42.70 Halliburton's US$33.63 share price signals that it might be 21% undervalued Analyst price target for HAL is US$46.93, which is 9.9% above our fair value estimate In this article we are going to estimate the intrinsic value of Halliburton Company (NYSE:HAL) by estimating the company's future cash flows and discounting them to their present value. We will use the Discounted Cash Flow (DCF) model on this occasion. Believe it or not, it's not too difficult to follow, as you'll see from our example! Companies can be valued in a lot of ways, so we would point out that a DCF is not perfect for every situation. If you want to learn more about discounted cash flow, the rationale behind this calculation can be read in detail in the Simply Wall St analysis model. See our latest analysis for Halliburton The Model We're using the 2-stage growth model, which simply means we take in account two stages of company's growth. In the initial period the company may have a higher growth rate and the second stage is usually assumed to have a stable growth rate. To begin with, we have to get estimates of the next ten years of cash flows. Where possible we use analyst estimates, but when these aren't available we extrapolate the previous free cash flow (FCF) from the last estimate or reported value. We assume companies with shrinking free cash flow will slow their rate of shrinkage, and that companies with growing free cash flow will see their growth rate slow, over this period. We do this to reflect that growth tends to slow more in the early years than it does in later years. Generally we assume that a dollar today is more valuable than a dollar in the future, so we discount the value of these future cash flows to their estimated value in today's dollars: 10-year free cash flow (FCF) estimate 2024 2025 2026 2027 2028 2029 2030 2031 2032 2033 Levered FCF ($, Millions) US$2.50b US$3.01b US$3.61b US$3.85b US$4.04b US$4.20b US$4.34b US$4.48b US$4.60b US$4.72b Growth Rate Estimate Source Analyst x7 Analyst x3 Analyst x1 Analyst x1 Est @ 4.83% Est @ 4.02% Est @ 3.44% Est @ 3.04% Est @ 2.76% Est @ 2.57% Present Value ($, Millions) Discounted @ 12% US$2.2k US$2.4k US$2.6k US$2.5k US$2.3k US$2.2k US$2.0k US$1.9k US$1.7k US$1.6k ("Est" = FCF growth rate estimated by Simply Wall St) Present Value of 10-year Cash Flow (PVCF) = US$21b We now need to calculate the Terminal Value, which accounts for all the future cash flows after this ten year period. The Gordon Growth formula is used to calculate Terminal Value at a future annual growth rate equal to the 5-year average of the 10-year government bond yield of 2.1%. We discount the terminal cash flows to today's value at a cost of equity of 12%. Terminal Value (TV)= FCF 2033 (1 + g) (r g) = US$4.7b (1 + 2.1%) (12% 2.1%) = US$51b Present Value of Terminal Value (PVTV)= TV / (1 + r)10= US$51b ( 1 + 12%)10= US$17b The total value is the sum of cash flows for the next ten years plus the discounted terminal value, which results in the Total Equity Value, which in this case is US$39b. The last step is to then divide the equity value by the number of shares outstanding. Relative to the current share price of US$33.6, the company appears a touch undervalued at a 21% discount to where the stock price trades currently. The assumptions in any calculation have a big impact on the valuation, so it is better to view this as a rough estimate, not precise down to the last cent. dcf The Assumptions The calculation above is very dependent on two assumptions. The first is the discount rate and the other is the cash flows. Part of investing is coming up with your own evaluation of a company's future performance, so try the calculation yourself and check your own assumptions. The DCF also does not consider the possible cyclicality of an industry, or a company's future capital requirements, so it does not give a full picture of a company's potential performance. Given that we are looking at Halliburton as potential shareholders, the cost of equity is used as the discount rate, rather than the cost of capital (or weighted average cost of capital, WACC) which accounts for debt. In this calculation we've used 12%, which is based on a levered beta of 1.591. Beta is a measure of a stock's volatility, compared to the market as a whole. We get our beta from the industry average beta of globally comparable companies, with an imposed limit between 0.8 and 2.0, which is a reasonable range for a stable business. SWOT Analysis for Halliburton Strength Earnings growth over the past year exceeded its 5-year average. Debt is well covered by earnings and cashflows. Dividends are covered by earnings and cash flows. Weakness Earnings growth over the past year underperformed the Energy Services industry. Dividend is low compared to the top 25% of dividend payers in the Energy Services market. Opportunity Annual earnings are forecast to grow for the next 3 years. Trading below our estimate of fair value by more than 20%. Threat Annual earnings are forecast to grow slower than the American market. Looking Ahead: Although the valuation of a company is important, it shouldn't be the only metric you look at when researching a company. DCF models are not the be-all and end-all of investment valuation. Preferably you'd apply different cases and assumptions and see how they would impact the company's valuation. For instance, if the terminal value growth rate is adjusted slightly, it can dramatically alter the overall result. Why is the intrinsic value higher than the current share price? For Halliburton, there are three relevant aspects you should further examine: Risks: To that end, you should be aware of the 2 warning signs we've spotted with Halliburton . Future Earnings: How does HAL's growth rate compare to its peers and the wider market? Dig deeper into the analyst consensus number for the upcoming years by interacting with our free analyst growth expectation chart. Other Solid Businesses: Low debt, high returns on equity and good past performance are fundamental to a strong business. Why not explore our interactive list of stocks with solid business fundamentals to see if there are other companies you may not have considered! PS. Simply Wall St updates its DCF calculation for every American stock every day, so if you want to find the intrinsic value of any other stock just search here. Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team (at) simplywallst.com. This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned. Join A Paid User Research Session Youll receive a US$30 Amazon Gift card for 1 hour of your time while helping us build better investing tools for the individual investors like yourself. Sign up here The simplest way to invest in stocks is to buy exchange traded funds. But you can significantly boost your returns by picking above-average stocks. For example, the Swiss Re AG (VTX:SREN) share price is up 21% in the last 1 year, clearly besting the market return of around 2.6% (not including dividends). So that should have shareholders smiling. The longer term returns are positive, with the share price up 19% in three years. Now it's worth having a look at the company's fundamentals too, because that will help us determine if the long term shareholder return has matched the performance of the underlying business. View our latest analysis for Swiss Re While the efficient markets hypothesis continues to be taught by some, it has been proven that markets are over-reactive dynamic systems, and investors are not always rational. One way to examine how market sentiment has changed over time is to look at the interaction between a company's share price and its earnings per share (EPS). Swiss Re went from making a loss to reporting a profit, in the last year. When a company has just transitioned to profitability, earnings per share growth is not always the best way to look at the share price action. For starters, we suspect the share price has been buoyed by the dividend, which was increased during the year. It could be that the company is reaching maturity and dividend investors are buying for the yield, pushing the price up in the process. The image below shows how earnings and revenue have tracked over time (if you click on the image you can see greater detail). Swiss Re is a well known stock, with plenty of analyst coverage, suggesting some visibility into future growth. You can see what analysts are predicting for Swiss Re in this interactive graph of future profit estimates. What About Dividends? It is important to consider the total shareholder return, as well as the share price return, for any given stock. The TSR incorporates the value of any spin-offs or discounted capital raisings, along with any dividends, based on the assumption that the dividends are reinvested. So for companies that pay a generous dividend, the TSR is often a lot higher than the share price return. In the case of Swiss Re, it has a TSR of 29% for the last 1 year. That exceeds its share price return that we previously mentioned. And there's no prize for guessing that the dividend payments largely explain the divergence! A Different Perspective It's nice to see that Swiss Re shareholders have received a total shareholder return of 29% over the last year. And that does include the dividend. That gain is better than the annual TSR over five years, which is 7%. Therefore it seems like sentiment around the company has been positive lately. Someone with an optimistic perspective could view the recent improvement in TSR as indicating that the business itself is getting better with time. While it is well worth considering the different impacts that market conditions can have on the share price, there are other factors that are even more important. For instance, we've identified 1 warning sign for Swiss Re that you should be aware of. We will like Swiss Re better if we see some big insider buys. While we wait, check out this free list of growing companies with considerable, recent, insider buying. Please note, the market returns quoted in this article reflect the market weighted average returns of stocks that currently trade on Swiss exchanges. Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team (at) simplywallst.com. This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned. Join A Paid User Research Session Youll receive a US$30 Amazon Gift card for 1 hour of your time while helping us build better investing tools for the individual investors like yourself. Sign up here The IRS on Monday warned of a new refund scam being mailed out to taxpayers. The letter, which comes in a cardboard envelope, is designed to trick people into believing that they are owed a refund, the tax agency said. The agency said there is an IRS masthead on the letter and says the notice is "in relation to your unclaimed refund." The letter includes contact information, but the phone number is not an IRS number. Letter recipients are asked to share a driver's license images, which the IRS warns can be used by identity thieves. People are also asked to share their cellphone number, bank routing information, Social Security number and bank account type. "This is just the latest in the long string of attempts by identity thieves posing as the IRS in hopes of tricking people into providing valuable personal information to steal identities and money, including tax refunds," IRS Commissioner Danny Werfel said. "These scams can come in through email, text or even in special mailings. People should be careful to watch out for red flags that clearly mark these as IRS scams." Among the warning signs indicating that the letters are fake are awkwardly-worded requests, such as asking for "A Clear Phone of Your Driver's License That Clearly Displays All Four (4) Angles, Taken in a Place with Good Lighting." The letter claims you need to supply the information to get your refund. "These Must Be Given to a Filing Agent Who Will Help You Submit Your Unclaimed Property Claim," the phony letter reads. "Once You Send All The Information Please Try to Be Checking Your Email for Response From The Agents Thanks." In addition to the strange wording, there's odd punctuation and a mixture of fonts. The letter also has inaccurate information on tax return deadlines. Taxpayers can get real mail from the IRS and the agency contacts taxpayers through regular mail delivered by the U.S. Postal Service. The IRS never initiates contact with taxpayers via email, text or social media. The agency says people should never click on unsolicited communication claiming to be from the IRS. Taxpayers can report phishing scams to phishing@irs.gov. Scams can also be reported to the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration or the Internet Crime Complaint Center. The IRS regularly updates a list of scams targeting taxpayers. People interested in checking their refund status can visit the IRS Where's My Refund Page, check the app or call the IRS. (Bloomberg) -- Japan is laying the groundwork to become home to some of the worlds top companies in artificial intelligence, the countrys Economy Minister Yasutoshi Nishimura told a group of University of Tokyo students Tuesday. Most Read from Bloomberg That includes supporting promising startups and big enterprises, as well as pushing forward discussions on universal basic income as AI makes more jobs obsolete, he said at a symposium. People will have more time when robots, drones, self-driving vehicles and other devices do more as AI evolves, he said. Japan would also need the capacity to drive development in AI-training processors, Nishimura said. That category is led by graphics chipmaker Nvidia Corp., which became the worlds most valuable chip company thanks to its early bet on AI. I hope to create a company in Japan that surpasses Nvidia, he said. Prime Minister Fumio Kishida has stepped up support of the domestic semiconductor sector, betting that shifting geopolitical priorities will help Japan regain some of its long-lost leadership in chips. The countrys preparing billions of dollars in subsidies as part of a push to triple domestic production of chips by 2030, while a government-backed fund is also working to shore up the countrys chip materials supply chain. The birthplace of Astro Boy has held public discussions on AIs impact on society for longer than most. And while Japan is drafting guidelines for the use of generative AI this year, those regulations dont have to slow down AIs progress, Kishida said. Its not an all-or-nothing choice, he said during the symposium. SoftBank Group Corp.s billionaire founder Masayoshi Son, who also attended, was especially enthusiastic. Son last month said the Vision Fund, the worlds largest pool of tech capital, is hunting new investments after racking up billions of dollars of losses on its bets on AI. We need to discuss what it means to be human, when we no longer are the most intelligent animated being on the planet, he said. This is the time for Japan to pour all its efforts into AI. Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek 2023 Bloomberg L.P. (Bloomberg) -- Japan warned Tuesday it will oppose any violations of World Trade Organization rules and other international agreements as China tightens export controls on two metals needed to make chips for the telecom and electric-vehicle sectors. Most Read from Bloomberg Japanese Trade Minister Yasutoshi Nishimura said Tokyo will watch how China implements planned export restrictions on germanium and gallium and seek answers on the intent behind the move. If any measures are unfair toward Japan in light of international rules such as those under the WTO, we will act accordingly, Nishimura told reporters at a regular news conference. Tokyo does not consider Chinas curbs as a reaction to Japan shoring up its licensing requirements on chipmaking equipment, he said. Beijing earlier said it plans to require licenses on exports of the two metals, along with their chemical compounds, starting August. China is the dominant global producer of both metals which are used in EVs, the defense industry and displays. Gallium and germanium play a role in producing a number of compound semiconductors, which combine multiple elements to improve transmission speed and efficiency, while germanium is also used in the deposition process of making semiconductors. Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek 2023 Bloomberg L.P. A judge has blocked the Biden administration and other federal officials from communicating with social media companies in a case that could have far-reaching implications. On Tuesday, a Trump-appointed judge granted the state attorneys general in Louisiana and Missouri a temporary injunction against the federal government, reports The Washington Post . The two Republican lawyers sued President Joe Biden and other top government officials, including Dr. Anthony Fauci and Surgeon General Vivek Murthy, last year, accusing them of colluding with Meta, Twitter and YouTube to remove truthful information related to the COVID-19 lab leak theory, 2020 election and other topics. Although he has yet to make a final ruling in the case, Judge Terry A. Doughty wrote in his order that the Republican attorneys general produced evidence of a massive effort by Defendants, from the White House to federal agencies, to suppress speech based on its content. While the order grants some exceptions for the government to communicate with Meta, Twitter and YouTube, it also specifically targets more than a dozen individual officials. Among those are Jen Easterly , the director of the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, and Alejandro Mayorkas, the secretary of Homeland Security. The lawsuit is the latest effort by some Republicans to allege the Biden administration pressured social media platforms to censor conservative views. The GOP has aired that grievance in a few different venues including, most notably, a contentious House Oversight Committee hearing at the start of the year related to the so-called Twitter Files . The lawsuit from the attorneys general of Louisiana and Missouri takes a different tack. Instead of directly targeting Meta, Twitter and YouTube, which argue they have a First Amendment right to decide what content is allowed on their platforms, the attorneys general sued the federal government. Whatever happens next, that strategy has already led to the most successful effort yet to counter online content moderation. Separately, it's worth noting Meta, Twitter and YouTube have all recently scaled back their moderation policies in one way or another. In the case of YouTube, for instance, the company said last month it would begin allowing videos that falsely claim fraud occurred during the 2020 election. Meta, meanwhile, last month back its COVID-19 misinformation rules for Instagram and Facebook in countries where the pandemic is no longer deemed a national emergency. A Look At The Fair Value Of The North West Company Inc. (TSE:NWC) Key Insights Using the 2 Stage Free Cash Flow to Equity, North West fair value estimate is CA$36.98 With CA$31.40 share price, North West appears to be trading close to its estimated fair value Analyst price target for NWC is CA$38.25, which is 3.4% above our fair value estimate Today we will run through one way of estimating the intrinsic value of The North West Company Inc. (TSE:NWC) by taking the expected future cash flows and discounting them to their present value. The Discounted Cash Flow (DCF) model is the tool we will apply to do this. Don't get put off by the jargon, the math behind it is actually quite straightforward. We would caution that there are many ways of valuing a company and, like the DCF, each technique has advantages and disadvantages in certain scenarios. Anyone interested in learning a bit more about intrinsic value should have a read of the Simply Wall St analysis model. Check out our latest analysis for North West Is North West Fairly Valued? We are going to use a two-stage DCF model, which, as the name states, takes into account two stages of growth. The first stage is generally a higher growth period which levels off heading towards the terminal value, captured in the second 'steady growth' period. In the first stage we need to estimate the cash flows to the business over the next ten years. Where possible we use analyst estimates, but when these aren't available we extrapolate the previous free cash flow (FCF) from the last estimate or reported value. We assume companies with shrinking free cash flow will slow their rate of shrinkage, and that companies with growing free cash flow will see their growth rate slow, over this period. We do this to reflect that growth tends to slow more in the early years than it does in later years. Generally we assume that a dollar today is more valuable than a dollar in the future, so we discount the value of these future cash flows to their estimated value in today's dollars: 10-year free cash flow (FCF) forecast 2024 2025 2026 2027 2028 2029 2030 2031 2032 2033 Levered FCF (CA$, Millions) CA$81.1m CA$128.6m CA$124.4m CA$122.4m CA$121.7m CA$121.9m CA$122.6m CA$123.8m CA$125.4m CA$127.1m Growth Rate Estimate Source Analyst x3 Analyst x3 Analyst x1 Est @ -1.60% Est @ -0.58% Est @ 0.13% Est @ 0.63% Est @ 0.98% Est @ 1.23% Est @ 1.40% Present Value (CA$, Millions) Discounted @ 6.6% CA$76.1 CA$113 CA$103 CA$95.0 CA$88.6 CA$83.3 CA$78.6 CA$74.5 CA$70.8 CA$67.4 ("Est" = FCF growth rate estimated by Simply Wall St) Present Value of 10-year Cash Flow (PVCF) = CA$850m After calculating the present value of future cash flows in the initial 10-year period, we need to calculate the Terminal Value, which accounts for all future cash flows beyond the first stage. For a number of reasons a very conservative growth rate is used that cannot exceed that of a country's GDP growth. In this case we have used the 5-year average of the 10-year government bond yield (1.8%) to estimate future growth. In the same way as with the 10-year 'growth' period, we discount future cash flows to today's value, using a cost of equity of 6.6%. Terminal Value (TV)= FCF 2033 (1 + g) (r g) = CA$127m (1 + 1.8%) (6.6% 1.8%) = CA$2.7b Present Value of Terminal Value (PVTV)= TV / (1 + r)10= CA$2.7b ( 1 + 6.6%)10= CA$1.4b The total value, or equity value, is then the sum of the present value of the future cash flows, which in this case is CA$2.3b. To get the intrinsic value per share, we divide this by the total number of shares outstanding. Relative to the current share price of CA$31.4, the company appears about fair value at a 15% discount to where the stock price trades currently. Valuations are imprecise instruments though, rather like a telescope - move a few degrees and end up in a different galaxy. Do keep this in mind. dcf Important Assumptions The calculation above is very dependent on two assumptions. The first is the discount rate and the other is the cash flows. Part of investing is coming up with your own evaluation of a company's future performance, so try the calculation yourself and check your own assumptions. The DCF also does not consider the possible cyclicality of an industry, or a company's future capital requirements, so it does not give a full picture of a company's potential performance. Given that we are looking at North West as potential shareholders, the cost of equity is used as the discount rate, rather than the cost of capital (or weighted average cost of capital, WACC) which accounts for debt. In this calculation we've used 6.6%, which is based on a levered beta of 0.800. Beta is a measure of a stock's volatility, compared to the market as a whole. We get our beta from the industry average beta of globally comparable companies, with an imposed limit between 0.8 and 2.0, which is a reasonable range for a stable business. SWOT Analysis for North West Strength Debt is well covered by earnings and cashflows. Weakness Earnings declined over the past year. Dividend is low compared to the top 25% of dividend payers in the Consumer Retailing market. Shareholders have been diluted in the past year. Opportunity Current share price is below our estimate of fair value. Threat Dividends are not covered by cash flow. Annual revenue is forecast to grow slower than the Canadian market. Moving On: Valuation is only one side of the coin in terms of building your investment thesis, and it ideally won't be the sole piece of analysis you scrutinize for a company. It's not possible to obtain a foolproof valuation with a DCF model. Rather it should be seen as a guide to "what assumptions need to be true for this stock to be under/overvalued?" If a company grows at a different rate, or if its cost of equity or risk free rate changes sharply, the output can look very different. For North West, we've compiled three further elements you should further research: Risks: For example, we've discovered 4 warning signs for North West that you should be aware of before investing here. Future Earnings: How does NWC's growth rate compare to its peers and the wider market? Dig deeper into the analyst consensus number for the upcoming years by interacting with our free analyst growth expectation chart. Other Solid Businesses: Low debt, high returns on equity and good past performance are fundamental to a strong business. Why not explore our interactive list of stocks with solid business fundamentals to see if there are other companies you may not have considered! PS. The Simply Wall St app conducts a discounted cash flow valuation for every stock on the TSX every day. If you want to find the calculation for other stocks just search here. Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team (at) simplywallst.com. This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned. Join A Paid User Research Session Youll receive a US$30 Amazon Gift card for 1 hour of your time while helping us build better investing tools for the individual investors like yourself. Sign up here (Bloomberg) -- Mackenzie Investments, one of Canadas largest fund managers, is turning less optimistic about stocks and sees better value in bonds after the 13% rally for global equities in the first half. Most Read from Bloomberg Central bankers campaigns to raise borrowing costs are starting to have an impact on the economy and will eventually force investors into a more defensive mode, Lesley Marks, Mackenzies chief investment officer of equities, said in an interview. Theres a 60% chance of a US recession in the next 12 months, according to economists in a recent Bloomberg survey. We think that as the data continues to unfold throughout the rest of the year, people will see that the economy is in fact slowing, crimping corporate earnings, she said. The relative value exists right now in fixed income. The firms strategists recommend adding investment grade debt and going underweight stocks. Mackenzies view echoes growing wariness among global managers that the rally in equity benchmarks is out of sync with the economic reality. While a boom in artificial intelligence has powered gains in global tech stocks, masking weakness in other sectors, hawkish central-bank rhetoric is denting optimism about an economic soft landing. Pacific Investment Management Co. is among those firms warning about the possibility of a recession in some developed markets due to high policy rates, making high-quality government and corporate bonds attractive. Mackenzie, a unit of IGM Financial Inc., has C$190 billion ($143 billion) under management, including balanced portfolios. The Mackenzie Ivy Global Balanced Fund nudged its fixed income allocation to above 24% as of the end of May, from 21% at the end of last year, while trimming stocks. The vast majority of its bond holdings are investment grade. Marks said any recession is likely to be mild, but the slowdown in the economy is going to play a stronger role in the outlook for equities in the second half of 2023. Read More: Dizzying Bond Moves Put 4% Yield in Play to Win Over Investors Within equities, investors should favor less cyclical sectors that will perform better in a tougher economy, such as health-care and consumer staples stocks, Marks said. She also likes Japanese equities, whose benchmarks are trading near the highest levels in more than three decades. Its been an ignored market for a very long time outside of this year, she said. The Bank of Japan may yet be forced to adjust its policy of yield curve control, which would strengthen the yen, to the benefit of foreign owners of Japanese stocks, Marks added. Mackenzies Tokyo-listed holdings include medical equipment maker Terumo Corp. and retailer Seven & I Holdings Co., according to fund disclosures dated May 31. Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek 2023 Bloomberg L.P. Meticulous Market Research Pvt. Ltd. Mass Spectrometry Market by Offering [Instrument, Software] Technology [Quadrupole, LC MS, Ion Trap, GC MS, Time of Flight, MALDI, Integrated] Application [Impurity, Toxicology, Forensic, Clinical Testing] End User [Pharma, Biotech] - Global Forecast to 2030 Redding, California, July 04, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- According to a new market research report titled, Mass Spectrometry Market by Offering (Instrument, Software) Technology (Quadrupole, LC MS, Ion Trap, GC MS, TOF MS, MALDI, Integrated) Application (Impurity, Forensic, Toxicology Testing) End User (Pharma, F&B, Academic, Chemical) - Global Forecast to 2030, published by Meticulous Research, the mass spectrometry market is projected to reach $10.4 billion by 2030, at a CAGR of 8.30% from 2023 to 2030. Mass Spectrometry has been widely adopted in research and development processes owing to its applications in structure elucidation, impurity testing, drug metabolism testing, clinical toxicological testing, forensic testing, and other applications. The growth of this market is driven by technological advancements in mass spectrometry technology, increasing applications of mass spectrometry, increasing food safety concerns, increasing R&D expenditure by pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies, and high reliability and sensitivity of mass spectrometers. However, the high costs of instruments are restraining the growth of this market. Download Free Report Sample Now: https://www.meticulousresearch.com/download-sample-report/cp_id=5537 Furthermore, the rising adoption of mass spectrometers in emerging markets is a significant opportunity for mass spectrometry market players. However, the lack of skilled professionals is a challenge to the growth of this market. Additionally, the rising adoption of portable mass spectroscopy devices is a trend prevailing in the market. Increasing R&D Expenditure by Pharmaceutical and Biotechnology Companies Boost the Growth of the Mass Spectrometry Market Pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies allocate significant resources to their research activities. Mass spectrometry has become increasingly important in maintaining precision and accuracy in research and development and reducing the time required for research purposes. One of the major applications of mass spectrometry is in the drug testing processes of pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies. Pharmaceutical companies are constantly focused on R&D as it is a core aspect of drug development processes. The biotechnology industry also continues to witness substantial growth due to increased investments in R&D to cater to the growing demand for innovation and new medical breakthroughs. The importance of R&D is evident due to the rising number of drug approvals. For instance, in 2020, the FDAs Center for Drug Evaluation and Research (CDER) approved 53 novel drugs, an increase from 48 novel drugs approved in 2019. High R&D investments in the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries are expected to drive the mass spectrometry market due to the importance of mass spectrometry in the drug discovery & metabolism process. According to the International Federation of Pharmaceutical Manufacturers & Associations (IFPMA), global expenditure on pharmaceutical R&D is expected to grow from 129 billion in 2012 to 213 billion in 2026. This increase in global pharmaceutical R&D expenditure can enable laboratories to acquire advanced technologies such as portable mass spectrometers, which is expected to propel the growth of the mass spectrometry market. Have Any Query? Ask To Analyst: https://www.meticulousresearch.com/speak-to-analyst/cp_id=5537 Additionally, the increasing technological advancements of mass spectrometry in high throughput screening and automation is expected to revolutionize the use of mass spectrometry in the future and enhance the capabilities and adoption of mass spectrometry in drug discovery and development. The mass spectrometry market is segmented based on Offering [Instrument, Software, Services], Technology [Quadrupole Mass Spectrometry, Time of Flight Mass Spectrometry, Chromatography Mass Spectrometry (GC MS, LC MS), Matrix-assisted Laser Desorption Ionization (MALDI) Mass Spectroscopy, Magnetic Sector Mass Spectrometry, Fourier Transform Mass Spectrometry, Ion Trap Spectrometry, Portable Mass Spectrometry, Integrated Technologies], Application [Structure Elucidation, Impurity Testing, Drug Metabolism Testing, Clinical Toxicological Testing, Forensic Testing, Other Applications], End User [Pharmaceutical & Biotechnology Industry, Academic and Research Institutes, Environmental Agencies, Food & Beverage Companies, Chemical Industry, Other End Users], and Geography. The study also evaluates industry competitors and analyzes their market shares at the country and regional levels. The report also includes an extensive assessment of the key growth strategies adopted by leading market players in the last three to four years. Some of the key players operating in the mass spectrometry market are Agilent Technologies, Inc. (U.S.), Bruker Corporation (U.S.), Danaher Corporation (U.S.), Thermo Fisher Scientific, Inc. (U.S.), Waters Corporation (U.S.), Perkin Elmer Inc. (U.S.), INFICON Holding AG (Switzerland), Pfeiffer Vacuum GmbH (Germany), LECO Corporation (U.S.), Rigaku Corporation (Japan), Shimadzu Corporation (Japan), SCIEX (A subsidiary of Danaher Corporation) (U.S.), LECO CORPORATION (U.S.), and Advion, Inc. (U.S.). Based on offerings, in 2023, the instruments segment is expected to account for the largest share of the mass spectrometry market. Factors such as increasing demand for mass spectrometry by pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies for R&D purposes, increasing applications of mass spectrometry, high purchasing power in developed markets for advanced instruments, and high sensitivity and reliability of mass spectrometers than other instruments contribute to the large market share of this segment. Quick Buy Mass Spectrometry Market- Global Opportunity Analysis And Industry Forecast (2023-2030), Research Report: https://www.meticulousresearch.com/Checkout/31953503 Based on technology, the mass spectrometry market is segmented into quadrupole mass spectrometry, time of flight mass spectrometry, chromatography-mass spectrometry, matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization (MALDI) mass spectroscopy, magnetic sector mass spectrometry, Fourier transform mass spectrometry, ion trap spectrometry, portable mass spectrometry, and integrated technologies. In 2023, the quadrupole mass spectrometry segment is expected to account for the largest share of the mass spectrometry market. Quadrupole mass spectrometry has a high resolution of quadrupole mass spectrometry, high abundance sensitivity, and excellent mass stability and provides fast and high-resolution scans. Based on application, the mass spectrometry market is segmented into structure elucidation, impurity testing, drug metabolism testing, clinical toxicological testing, forensic testing, and other applications. In 2023, the drug metabolism testing segment is expected to account for the largest share of the mass spectrometry market due to the wide usage of mass spectrometry in metabolite identification, toxicology, metabolic stability, and efficacy profiles. Additionally, the availability of mass analyzers and data mining tools has accelerated the process of metabolite identification and changed the landscape of drug metabolism, leading to the growth of the market. Based on end user, the mass spectrometry market is segmented into pharmaceutical & biotechnology industry, academic and research institutes, environmental agencies, food & beverage companies, chemical industry, and other end users. In 2023, the pharmaceutical & biotechnology industry segment is expected to account for the largest share of the mass spectrometry market due to the rising drug research development, increasing pharmaceutical R&D expenditure, and increasing applications of mass spectrometers in research studies. Based on geography, in 2023, North America is expected to account for the largest share of the mass spectrometry market, followed by Europe and Asia-Pacific. Furthermore, in 2023, the U.S. is expected to be the largest market shareholder in North America. The growth of this market is primarily attributed to the increasing R&D expenditures in the pharmaceutical & biotechnology industries, favorable government initiatives supporting research, growing applications of mass spectrometry-based research, and high adoption of advanced technologies. However, Asia-Pacifc is expected to witnesss rapid growth during the forecast period. The rapid growth of this region is mainly attributed to the increasing focus of government bodies of Asia-Pacific countries such as China, India, Singapore, and South Korea on the healthcare sector in terms of increased investment for the adoption of advanced technology, to build better healthcare infrastructure and the increasing applications of mass spectrometry. Furthermore, rising investments in healthcare and a surge in research activities by key pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies are also boosting the growth of this regional market. To gain more insights into the market with a detailed table of content and figures, click here: https://www.meticulousresearch.com/product/mass-spectrometry-market-5537 Scope of the Report: Mass Spectrometry Market Size & Trend Analysis, by Offering Instrument Software Services Mass Spectrometry Market Size & Trend Analysis, by Technology Quadrupole Mass Spectrometry Time of Flight Mass spectrometry Chromatography Mass Spectrometry GC MS LC MS Matrix-assisted Laser Desorption Ionization (MALDI) Mass Spectroscopy Magnetic Sector Mass Spectrometry Fourier Transform Mass Spectrometry Ion Trap Spectrometry Portable Mass Spectrometry Integrated Technologies Mass Spectrometry Market Size & Trend Analysis, by Application Structure Elucidation Impurity Testing Drug Metabolism Testing Clinical Toxicological Testing Forensic Testing Other Applications Note: Other applications include pesticide residue analysis, isotope ratio determination, protein identification, and carbon dating. Mass Spectrometry Market Size & Trend Analysis, by End User Pharmaceutical & Biotechnology Industry Academic and Research Institutes Environmental Agencies Food & Beverage Companies Petrochemical Industry Other End Users Note: Other end users include forensics, nutraceuticals, cosmeceutical industry. Mass Spectrometry Market Size & Trend Analysis, by Geography North America U.S. Canada Europe Germany France Italy U.K. Spain Rest of Europe (RoE) Asia-Pacific China Japan India South Korea Rest of Asia-Pacific Latin America Brazil Mexico Rest of Latin America Middle East & Africa Request Free Report Sample Now: https://www.meticulousresearch.com/request-sample-report/cp_id=5537 Related Reports: Life Science and Laboratory Equipment Market by Technology (Spectroscopy [Molecular, Atomic, Mass] Chromatography [HPLC, GC, TLC] Microscopy, PCR, ELISA, Microarray, Sequencer, Flow Cytometry, Electrophoresis, Software), End User - Global Forecast to 2030 https://www.meticulousresearch.com/product/life-sciences-laboratory-equipment-market-3937 Chromatography Reagents Market by Type (GC, LC, TLC), Product (Solvents, Buffers, Reagents), Separation (Adsorption, Partition, Affinity), Application (Pharma, Forensic, Environmental, Cosmeceuticals, Diagnostics, QC), End User - Global Forecast to 2030 https://www.meticulousresearch.com/product/chromatography-reagents-market-5503 Chromatography Data Systems Market by Type (Standalone, Integrated), Delivery Mode (On Premise, Cloud Based), End User (Pharmaceutical and Biotechnology, Food & Beverages, Academic & Research Institutes, Environmental) - Global Forecast to 2030 https://www.meticulousresearch.com/product/chromatography-data-systems-market-2933 Chromatography Syringes Market by Type (GC, LC, TLC), Product (Manual, Autosampler, Accessories), Offering (Fixed, Needle-free), Usability (Disposable, Reusable), End User (Pharmaceutical, F&B, Academic Institute, Hospitals)-Global Forecast to 2030 https://www.meticulousresearch.com/product/chromatography-syringes-market-3242 Life Science and Laboratory Equipment Market by Technology (Spectroscopy [Molecular, Atomic, Mass] Chromatography [HPLC, GC, TLC] Microscopy, PCR, ELISA, Microarray, Sequencer, Flow Cytometry, Electrophoresis, Software), End User - Global Forecast to 2030 https://www.meticulousresearch.com/product/life-sciences-laboratory-equipment-market-3937 Chromatography Reagents Market by Type (GC, LC, TLC), Product (Solvents, Buffers, Reagents), Separation (Adsorption, Partition, Affinity), Application (Pharma, Forensic, Environmental, Cosmeceuticals, Diagnostics, QC), End User - Global Forecast to 2030 https://www.meticulousresearch.com/product/chromatography-reagents-market-5503 Chromatography Data Systems Market by Type (Standalone, Integrated), Delivery Mode (On Premise, Cloud Based), End User (Pharmaceutical and Biotechnology, Food & Beverages, Academic & Research Institutes, Environmental) - Global Forecast to 2030 https://www.meticulousresearch.com/product/chromatography-data-systems-market-2933 Chromatography Syringes Market by Type (GC, LC, TLC), Product (Manual, Autosampler, Accessories), Offering (Fixed, Needle-free), Usability (Disposable, Reusable), End User (Pharmaceutical, F&B, Academic Institute, Hospitals)-Global Forecast to 2030 https://www.meticulousresearch.com/product/chromatography-syringes-market-3242 High-Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) Market by Product (Instruments [Systems, Detectors], Consumables [Columns, Tubes], Accessories, Software), Application (Forensics, Diagnostics), End User (Research, Pharmaceuticals) - Global Forecast to 2030 https://www.meticulousresearch.com/product/high-performance-liquid-chromatography-market-5395 About Meticulous Research Meticulous Research was founded in 2010 and incorporated as Meticulous Market Research Pvt. Ltd. in 2013 as a private limited company under the Companies Act, 1956. Since its incorporation, the company has become the leading provider of premium market intelligence in North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, Latin America, and the Middle East & Africa. The name of our company defines our services, strengths, and values. Since the inception, we have only thrived to research, analyze, and present the critical market data with great attention to details. With the meticulous primary and secondary research techniques, we have built strong capabilities in data collection, interpretation, and analysis of data including qualitative and quantitative research with the finest team of analysts. We design our meticulously analyzed intelligent and value-driven syndicate market research reports, custom studies, quick turnaround research, and consulting solutions to address business challenges of sustainable growth. Contact: Mr. Khushal Bombe Meticulous Market Research Inc. 1267 Willis St, Ste 200 Redding, California, 96001, U.S. USA: +1-646-781-8004 Europe : +44-203-868-8738 APAC: +91 744-7780008 Email- sales@meticulousresearch.com Visit Our Website: https://www.meticulousresearch.com/ Connect with us on LinkedIn- https://www.linkedin.com/company/meticulous-research Content Source: https://www.meticulousresearch.com/pressrelease/768/mass-spectrometry-market-2030 CONTACT: Mr. Khushal Bombe Meticulous Research Direct Lines: +1-646-781-8004 (North America) +44-203-868-8738 (Europe) +91 744-7780008 (Asia-Pacific) Email- sales@meticulousresearch.com Visit Our Website: https://www.meticulousresearch.com/ Meticulous Research Blog: https://meticulousblog.org/ Connect with us on LinkedIn- https://www.linkedin.com/company/meticulous-research The new Michelin list for Singapore just dropped, so now there are more places we'll never be able to eat at again The new Michelin list for Singapore just dropped, so now there are more places we'll never be able to eat at again Long lines at Maxwell Food Center. The stall, Tian Tian Hainanese Chicken Rice, is also on the Michelin Bib Gourmand list. Marielle Descalsota/Insider Michelin Guide Singapore released its 2023 Bib Gourmand list in June, featuring 17 new hawker stalls. Hawkers say that Michelin recognition is good for business and puts Singapore's food on the global map. But locals are less thrilled about the longer queues and at times even falling standards. Chew KH is 71 and has lived in the same neighborhood for over four decades. It's been years since she last stopped by the Michelin-rated hawker stall that sits just a few blocks from her home. The stall in question is Chey Sua Carrot Cake in Toa Payoh West Market and Food Centre, about six miles north of Singapore's Central Business District. Manned by two sisters who took over the family business in 1991, the hawker stall has just one item on its menu white carrot cake. White carrot cake is a savory dish made with rice flour and white radish that's steamed, cut into chunks, and then fried with garlic, eggs, and preserved radish that's known as "chai poh." Chew, who prefers to be known by her initials, started patronizing the hawker stall back when the current owners' parents were still operating the outlet. Long lines were not unusual, she told Insider, but they used to require only about 10 to 15 minutes of waiting in the mornings before the eatery won a Michelin Bib Gourmand in 2016. "The wait times have definitely gotten longer with the award," she said. "Now, they will tell you when you order that the queue is at least 30 minutes long and you will just be sitting there doing nothing." While Michelin ratings can benefit hawker business, many locals like Chew are feeling the negative effects, including longer queues and falling standards. Tai Hwa Eating House. Marielle Descalsota/Insider Instead of the typical street food setup found in many other Asian countries, Singapore has hawker centers. Beginning in the late '70s, the government started regulating and relocating street hawkers in an effort to have them run in more organized and regulated spaces. With proper kitchen amenities, hawkers could then have a safe and hygienic environment to serve their fare. Fast forward a few decades, and Singapore now has 118 markets and hawker centers across the country. Eating is a national past-time and hawker food bloggers are aplenty in the country. Seven years ago it was clear that Michelin known originally for rating fine dining restaurants wanted a slice of the pie. The Michelin Guide compiles lists of the top dining establishments in various countries. The guide includes different types of awards: Michelin Stars are reserved for the cream of the crop, while a Michelin Bib Gourmand is awarded to eateries where good food is served at "a reasonable price." While Michelin started off rating cuisine across Europe, the list of countries has expanded globally over the years. The first guide in Asia was for Tokyo and was published in 2007. The inaugural Michelin Guide Singapore was first unveiled in 2016. This year, the tire company released an updated Michelin Bib Gourmand list on June 15, with 17 new hawker stores making the cut. Michelin's controversial decision to judge Asian street food But the decision for Michelin to start rating hawker food in the country is a controversial one: Their review processes are vague and their inspectors are anonymous, which can make it difficult for the diners to determine if they're truly credible when it comes to local fare. Hill Street Tai Hwa Pork Noodle the only Michelin-starred hawker stall in Singapore proudly displays its Michelin star plaque. Marielle Descalsota/Insider KF Seetoh, the famed food critic and founder of Singapore's first food travel guide Makansutra, believes that the Michelin Guide doesn't improve the city-state's food scene. "Almost all of what they've recommended is already in Makansutra. I don't really learn anything new," Seetoh, who also owns Makansutra Gluttons Bay in Singapore and Urban Hawker in Midtown Manhattan, told Insider. Seetoh's first edition of Makansutra was released in 1998 and included Singapore's best heritage, traditional, and hawker street food. "Frankly, they should just stick to what they're good at. Let Singaporeans judge our own food," Seetoh added. But many hawkers disagree including one of Singapore's most high-profile street chefs: Chan Hong Meng. Putting Singapore's hawker food on the global map Chef Chan Hon Meng. Chef Chan Hong Meng.Marielle Descalsota/Insider In 2016, Chan's Chinatown hawker stall Hawker Chan made history by becoming one of just three street food stalls to be awarded a Michelin star. The stall, which specializes in Singapore's de facto national dish Hainanese chicken rice, became famous overnight and achieved cult status among foodies worldwide. The dish is made with seasoned rice and poached or roasted chicken. It's often eaten with sambal, a spicy sauce made with garlic and chili, and kecap manis, a sweet and savory sauce. How a typical Hainanese chicken rice looks like in Singapore. Hawker Chan's chicken rice is not pictured. Marielle Descalsota/Insider Chan said that while he initially didn't know what the Michelin Guide was, his life changed completely after receiving the recognition and so did his business. "When I first got the star, people lined up for my food for up to five hours. I was shocked at how well-received my food was," Chan told Insider in Chinese. When the stall was dropped from the Michelin Guide in 2021, it shocked Singaporeans and tourists alike. Just a year later, the fast-casual offshoot of Chan's hawker stall was awarded the Michelin Bib Gourmand. But Chan believes that being named on the Michelin Guide's "budget" list is still good for his food's reputation. The Michelin Bib Gourmand, Chan said, gives the same affirmation to his food as the coveted star and that ultimately, these lists help raise the profile of local food. "I feel blessed to have retained the award for five years. The Bib Gourmand gives me the motivation that my food is on the right track, and that we're not losing our way or direction," he continued. Leslie Tay, who's behind local food blog ieatishootipost, agrees that the Michelin spotlight makes a big difference to the livelihoods of the hawkers who are featured. "The Michelin Guide is globally known, especially for tourists coming to Singapore. It's something that they can easily get hold of and it's a name that they have a certain level of trust in," Tay told Insider. Chef Chan Hon Meng. Marielle Descalsota/Insider While Michelin's ratings of hawker fare have been met with debate in Singapore, they help to enrich the multiplicity of food opinion, Debbie Yong, a restaurant industry observer, told Insider. "The Michelin Guide's ratings of hawker food are understandably controversial and not unique to Michelin anyone who has ever tried to voice an opinion on food, hawker or otherwise, is bound to stir up debate in a country that is so madly passionate about food," Yong said. The struggle with long queues and fallen standards Some locals believe that the surge in popularity has impacted the overall eating experience at Michelin-recognized hawkers. "Singaporeans know that good food is worth queuing up for I am no exception," Jonathan Lee told Insider. "But when my favorite claypot rice at Chinatown made it on the list a few years ago, the line was quite maddening and I just never wanted to go back again." "It takes around 20 minutes on average to get my claypot chicken, and waiting 45 minutes to an hour is overkill," Lee added. Waiting time aside, others see a difference in terms of food standards. "If you catch Mr Chan during his shift at the original stall, you'll find that the food is still great and the price cheap. But the outlets are pretty bad overpriced and honestly not up to standard," Jeanette Lee, a local whose office is located five minutes from Chan's Chinatown hawker stall, told Insider. Seetoh said that Hawker Chan's demotion from Michelin star to Bib Gourmand is likely due to dropping standards in quality, as the stall rapidly expanded into a franchise. Today, Chan has expanded his brand to eight countries, including Australia, Thailand, and the Philippines. "Your humble mom-and-pop recipe has to be so well replicated. I think they failed because they just cut and paste. The only person who knows the food very well is Chan himself," Seetoh said. On the other hand, he added that the only remaining Michelin-starred hawker in Singapore Tai Hwa Pork Noodle has one stall and retains its artisanal qualities. Hill Street Tai Hwa Pork Noodle. Marielle Descalsota/Insider But few hawkers are interested in expanding the same way that Chan did and that might be their saving grace. "When you have one hawker stall, there is the founder and owner, the passionate guy who's been doing it for 20 years," Tay said. "If the hawker stall just remains as one hawker stall, the standard isn't likely to go down." Hawkers still striving to land on the Bib Gourmand Apart from generating buzz, it's hard to tell if a Michelin rating accurately indicates good hawker food. "I think the Michelin Bib Gourmand has been helpful in highlighting cheaper eats, but it is also quite annoying," Jonathan Lee said. When the demand for a certain hawker's food goes up, that stress on the hawker causes quite a few problems, including longer wait times, increased prices, and a drop in quality, he added. "But I guess it's the circle of life because I also give other patrons grief when I visit their favorite stalls when it gets published on the list," he added. Moreover, there are plenty of great eats that are known locally, but never made it onto the list. "A hawker stall's Michelin recognition doesn't really mean its a better experience and since I know some places without a star that serve amazing food, I see no real difference," Lee said. But this doesn't stop hawkers from striving for the Michelin Guide's recognition. Chef Louis Tan in his stall at Maxwell. Marielle Descalsota/Insider Louis Tan, another chicken rice vendor based at Maxwell Food Center in Chinatown, believes that being included in the Bib Gourmand list is something that's highly prized among hawkers. Tan, who trained as a fine dining chef in London, knows exactly what the Michelin Guide is about. He's been in the food industry for 30 years, and is adamant that a Bib Gourmand plaque is exactly what his stall needs to get more customers. "Everyone wishes to be famous. Michelin is recognized by the whole world," Tan told Insider, adding that many hawkers he knows want to be awarded the Bib Gourmand but they don't know how to be noticed by inspectors. "Hawkers compete for it, and I want my food to be known for its quality," he continued. Chef Louis Tan believes that a Bib Gourmand plaque is exactly what his stall needs to get more customers. Marielle Descalsota/Insider But Seetoh said that the list can mislead foreign diners who may not be familiar with Singaporean fare. "There are people who eat fame. They come here and they don't know any better, and they follow the Bib Gourmand," Seetoh continued. The best way to find food worth trying, Seetoh said, is to simply ask locals what and where they enjoy eating. As for the Michelin Guide it should stick to what it's good at, he said. "Michelin shouldn't short-sell themselves and do hawker food or street food. It's a sell-out," Seetoh added. Michelin did not respond to Insider's requests for comment. Read the original article on Insider (Bloomberg) -- Mizuho Financial Group Inc.s securities arm is boosting hiring in the US as it seeks to cement its position among the top 10 stock and bond underwriters in the lucrative market. Most Read from Bloomberg The Japanese banks US unit plans to recruit more than 100 people for its investment banking and trading business by the end of March next year, according to Yoshiro Hamamoto, chief executive officer of Mizuho Securities Co. Now ranked 10th among US equity arrangers ahead of global rivals such as Deutsche Bank AG and HSBC Holdings Plc, Mizuho is seeking to be the first Japanese bank to hold a top 10 spot for a full year. I think we have the ability to go further up, Hamamoto said in an interview in Tokyo. The bank is pursuing its hiring drive even as a global dealmaking slump prompts giants including Goldman Sachs Group Inc. and Morgan Stanley to cut jobs. Mizuho has made global corporate and investment banking one of its focus areas in a new growth plan, and it recently acquired boutique firm Greenhill & Co. as it allocates more resources to the Americas. Mizuho Securities USA plans to increase its headcount by 30% by March 2026, Hamamoto said. The unit had 941 employees at the end of March. The additions this fiscal year will focus on areas including debt capital markets and coverage of technology, media and telecommunications as well as the healthcare and energy sectors, he said. Its also looking to recruit for fixed-income sales and equity research. Its possible that we will hire people for our equity capital markets business if we land more deals in the US, Hamamoto said. Shares of Mizuho rose 2.2% on Tuesday morning to a seven-year high. US Push The banks rise in the US has accelerated since 2015, when it hired more than 100 people from then-Royal Bank of Scotland Group Plc to expand in a country that generates more investment-banking fees than any other market. Hamamoto said Greenhill will fill in the missing piece in Mizuhos operations through its strength in mergers advisory and industry coverage. We are ready to welcome everyone from Greenhill, he said. We will show our inclusive culture and pay them respect. We need everyone there. Winning more M&A deals will pave the way for Mizuho to capture other relevant business from clients such as debt and stock underwriting, which in turn generates the business of selling securities to investors, Hamamoto said. We will be able to grab opportunities at the start of corporate action, he said. That may be a challenging task during the worldwide rut in dealmaking. The value of mergers and initial public offerings plunged by about $1 trillion worldwide in the first half, one of the worst performances in the past decade. Hamamoto said that while its hard to predict when deals might recover globally, there are things we ought to do regardless of whether the market is falling or rising. Mizuho also wants to cement its position among the top 10 corporate bond underwriters in the US, he said. It is currently ranked 10th, according to data compiled by Bloomberg. Mizuho Securities earned a record 29.2 billion yen ($202 million) in ordinary income in the US during the quarter ended March 31, filings show. (Updates with Mizuho shares in the ninth paragraph) Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek 2023 Bloomberg L.P. Headquarters will be a hub for business expansion across Asia Pacific, the Middle East, and Africa Nium affirms long-term commitment to Singapore, announcing new initiatives to drive growth of 'BizTech' job category SINGAPORE, July 4, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Nium , the leader in real-time global payments, today celebrated the opening of its new headquarters in Singapore. The ceremony was officiated by Mr. Heng Swee Keat, Deputy Prime Minister of Singapore . The state-of-the-art facility, located strategically at Capital Tower in the heart of Singapore's Central Business District, has been purpose-built for modern work, featuring collaborative workspaces and employee-centric amenities. Nium Opens New Headquarters in Singapore The new headquarters is Nium's strategic hub for serving clients across Asia Pacific, the Middle East, and Africa. Co-Founder and COO at Nium, Mr. Pratik Gandhi, will continue to be based out of Singapore. The new headquarters will be overseen by Mr. Gandhi and Mr. Anupam Pahuja, who joined Nium recently as its Executive Vice President and General Manager for Asia Pacific, Africa and the Middle East. His experience scaling global companies, including PayPal, will help continue Nium's strong momentum after a year in which it grew net revenue globally by more than 2.5X (from 2021 to 2022). With this new opening, Nium is reaffirming its commitment to building in Singapore and is introducing initiatives to serve the regional fintech community at large. It will partner with the public and private sector to establish a centre of excellence in Singapore for the hiring, training, mentoring, and developing of 'BizTech' talent a new job category that serves to recognise the growing importance of both technical proficiency and business acumen. Secondly, Nium is expanding Bolt , its global fintech accelerator. Bolt provides startup founders with access to facilities, funding, mentoring, and technology to establish and grow their business ideas in the fintech space. The program, founded in Singapore, will be extended to San Francisco, California, and will serve Singaporean companies looking to establish a foothold in the United States of America. Prajit Nanu, Co-Founder and CEO at Nium, said, "When I started Nium, I had big dreams for what it could be none of which would have been possible without the support of the government, investors, and clients that are part of the thriving fintech community in Singapore. This headquarters will be home to our growing regional team and the door will always remain open for entrepreneurs looking to solve the next set of global challenges with innovation." Nium's selection of Singapore for its headquarters is a resounding testament to the flourishing fintech landscape within the country. With its supportive economic policies, access to top talent, and strategic location, Singapore provides the perfect launchpad for Nium's innovative solutions. Managing Director and Chief Operating Officer at Enterprise Singapore, Mr. Jeffrey Siow, added, "It has been exciting to see Nium, a home-grown fintech company, grow from strength-to-strength in the last decade. The opening of Nium's new headquarters in Singapore is a testament of their continued commitment to Singapore. We look forward to continue partnering with Nium as they scale up and extend their reach globally." The unveiling of the new office follows Nium's recognition as a Great Place to Work Certified employer , re-affirming its status as an exemplary global workplace. This esteemed certification, sought after by organisations worldwide, is uniquely based on the firsthand experiences of team members, providing an accurate reflection of the consistently high-trust environment they enjoy. Nium was also listed on the prestigious Forbes Fintech 50 a collection of the most innovative companies in financial technology. The new Nium Co-Headquarters is located at 168 Robinson Road, Capital Tower, #18-03, Singapore 068912. Logo About Nium Nium was founded on the mission to build the global payments infrastructure of tomorrow, today. With the onset of the on-demand economy, its single platform for global payments and card issuing is shaping how banks, fintechs, and businesses everywhere to disburse and collect funds instantly across borders. Its payout network supports 100 currencies and spans 190+ countries, 100 of which are in real-time. Funds can be disbursed to accounts, wallets, and cards and collected locally in 35 markets. Nium's growing card issuance business is already available in 34 countries. Nium holds regulatory licences and authorizations in more than 40 countries, enabling seamless onboarding, rapid integration, and compliance independent of geography. The company is co-headquartered in San Francisco and Singapore, with regional offices in over 20+ major cities. Cision View original content:https://www.prnewswire.com/apac/news-releases/nium-opens-new-headquarters-in-singapore-301869410.html SOURCE Nium (Bloomberg) -- Oil traded above $71 a barrel a day after OPEC+ linchpins Saudi Arabia and Russia agreed to prop up prices by curbing supply. Most Read from Bloomberg West Texas Intermediate climbed about 2% in New York, though volumes were subdued due to the July 4 holiday in the US. In a flurry of announcements Monday, Saudi Arabia said it will prolong a unilateral 1 million barrel-a-day supply reduction into August, while Russia declared a cut in exports and output. Algeria planned to make more modest curbs. Russia will reduce oil exports by 500,000 barrels a day in August and aims to lower production by the same amount, Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak said. Algeria will reduce output by 20,000 barrels a day next month. So far this year, Moscow has been slow to comply with previously agreed cutbacks amid pressure to keep funds flowing for its war against Ukraine. Saudi Arabia announced its initial 1 million barrel-a-day reduction for July on June 4. Oil prices have failed to rise since then, with Brent crude little changed in the past month. The fact that markets hadnt responded as the Saudi energy ministry had anticipated raised concerns that they would not extend that cut, TD Securities analyst Daniel Ghali said by phone. Mondays decision signals that, even though prices have not recovered immediately, Saudi Arabia remains committed to its decision to keep oil prices from falling further. To get Bloombergs Energy Daily newsletter direct into your inbox, click here. Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek 2023 Bloomberg L.P. By Natalie Grover LONDON (Reuters) -Oil prices climbed 2% on Tuesday as markets weighed August supply cuts by top exporters Saudi Arabia and Russia against a weak global economic outlook. Saudi Arabia on Monday said it would extend its voluntary output cut of 1 million barrels per day (bpd) to August while Russia and Algeria volunteered to lower their August output and export levels by 500,000 bpd and 20,000 bpd, respectively. If fully implemented, that would bring a combined reduction of 5.36 million bpd from August 2022 - possibly even more because several countries in the OPEC+ producer group are unable to fulfil their output quotas, said PVM analyst Tamas Varga. The total cuts now stand at more than 5 million bpd, or 5% of global oil output. On Tuesday, Brent crude futures settled up $1.60 at $76.25 a barrel. U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude was trading $1.44 higher at $71.23. "Clearly, the Saudis are taking proactive and pre-emptive steps to stabilize the price of crude oil as well as see gains to reach $80 a barrel to sustain their domestic budgets," said Andrew Lipow, president of Houston-based Lipow Oil Associates. Even so, the market will wait to verify Russia's announced cuts, and concerns continue that high interest rates will weigh on global demand, Lipow said. Oil benchmarks settled about 1% down in the previous session, as a gloomy macroeconomic outlook served to erase early gains. U.S. markets were closed on Tuesday for the Independence Day holiday. Little has changed in oil dynamics despite Monday's announcements, said OANDA analyst Craig Erlam. "Only a significant break above $77 will suggest something has changed, otherwise range-bound trade could well continue." Business surveys have shown a slump in global factory activity because of sluggish demand in China and Europe, and U.S. manufacturing also fell further in June to levels last registered in the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic. This broader uncertainty is likely to overshadow OPEC+ efforts to tighten supply, some analysts said. Even before the latest cut announcements, International Energy Agency (IEA) data suggested the oil market was set to show a supply deficit of roughly 2 million bpd in the third and fourth quarters, Commerzbank analysts said. Oil prices did not jump significantly on the news, largely because of demand concerns over China's sluggish economic recovery after the lifting of pandemic restrictions. Meanwhile, interest rates in the U.S. and Europe are expected to rise further to address persistently high inflation, the analysts said. (Reporting by Natalie Grover in London and Rod Nickel in Winnipeg, Manitoba; Additional Reporting by Arathy Somasekhar in Houston and Trixie Yap in Singapore; Editing by Mark Potter, Alexander Smith, David Goodman and Bill Berkrot) There are a few key trends to look for if we want to identify the next multi-bagger. Amongst other things, we'll want to see two things; firstly, a growing return on capital employed (ROCE) and secondly, an expansion in the company's amount of capital employed. Put simply, these types of businesses are compounding machines, meaning they are continually reinvesting their earnings at ever-higher rates of return. However, after investigating Orgabio Holdings Berhad (KLSE:ORGABIO), we don't think it's current trends fit the mold of a multi-bagger. Understanding Return On Capital Employed (ROCE) If you haven't worked with ROCE before, it measures the 'return' (pre-tax profit) a company generates from capital employed in its business. To calculate this metric for Orgabio Holdings Berhad, this is the formula: Return on Capital Employed = Earnings Before Interest and Tax (EBIT) (Total Assets - Current Liabilities) 0.062 = RM3.8m (RM70m - RM8.6m) (Based on the trailing twelve months to March 2023). Therefore, Orgabio Holdings Berhad has an ROCE of 6.2%. Ultimately, that's a low return and it under-performs the Food industry average of 8.5%. See our latest analysis for Orgabio Holdings Berhad roce Historical performance is a great place to start when researching a stock so above you can see the gauge for Orgabio Holdings Berhad's ROCE against it's prior returns. If you're interested in investigating Orgabio Holdings Berhad's past further, check out this free graph of past earnings, revenue and cash flow. What Can We Tell From Orgabio Holdings Berhad's ROCE Trend? When we looked at the ROCE trend at Orgabio Holdings Berhad, we didn't gain much confidence. Over the last four years, returns on capital have decreased to 6.2% from 19% four years ago. On the other hand, the company has been employing more capital without a corresponding improvement in sales in the last year, which could suggest these investments are longer term plays. It's worth keeping an eye on the company's earnings from here on to see if these investments do end up contributing to the bottom line. On a related note, Orgabio Holdings Berhad has decreased its current liabilities to 12% of total assets. So we could link some of this to the decrease in ROCE. What's more, this can reduce some aspects of risk to the business because now the company's suppliers or short-term creditors are funding less of its operations. Since the business is basically funding more of its operations with it's own money, you could argue this has made the business less efficient at generating ROCE. Our Take On Orgabio Holdings Berhad's ROCE In summary, Orgabio Holdings Berhad is reinvesting funds back into the business for growth but unfortunately it looks like sales haven't increased much just yet. And investors appear hesitant that the trends will pick up because the stock has fallen 16% in the last year. Therefore based on the analysis done in this article, we don't think Orgabio Holdings Berhad has the makings of a multi-bagger. If you'd like to know more about Orgabio Holdings Berhad, we've spotted 4 warning signs, and 2 of them make us uncomfortable. For those who like to invest in solid companies, check out this free list of companies with solid balance sheets and high returns on equity. 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 If you're looking for a Mutual Fund Equity Report fund category, then a potential option is Parnassus Mid-Cap Investor (PARMX). PARMX possesses a Zacks Mutual Fund Rank of 3 (Hold), which is based on various forecasting factors like size, cost, and past performance. History of Fund/Manager Parnassus is based in San Francisco, CA, and is the manager of PARMX. Parnassus Mid-Cap Investor debuted in April of 2005. Since then, PARMX has accumulated assets of about $1.73 billion, according to the most recently available information. The fund's current manager, Matthew Gershuny, has been in charge of the fund since October of 2008. Performance Obviously, what investors are looking for in these funds is strong performance relative to their peers. This fund has delivered a 5-year annualized total return of 4.43%, and is in the bottom third among its category peers. Investors who prefer analyzing shorter time frames should look at its 3-year annualized total return of 4.17%, which places it in the bottom third during this time-frame. It is important to note that the product's returns may not reflect all its expenses. Any fees not reflected would lower the returns. Total returns do not reflect the fund's [%] sale charge. If sales charges were included, total returns would have been lower. When looking at a fund's performance, it is also important to note the standard deviation of the returns. The lower the standard deviation, the less volatility the fund experiences. The standard deviation of PARMX over the past three years is 17.84% compared to the category average of 16.85%. The standard deviation of the fund over the past 5 years is 18.8% compared to the category average of 18.41%. This makes the fund more volatile than its peers over the past half-decade. Risk Factors Investors should note that the fund has a 5-year beta of 0.95, which means it is hypothetically less volatile than the market at large. Alpha is an additional metric to take into consideration, since it represents a portfolio's performance on a risk-adjusted basis relative to a benchmark, which in this case, is the S&P 500. Over the past 5 years, the fund has a negative alpha of -5.37. This means that managers in this portfolio find it difficult to pick securities that generate better-than-benchmark returns. Holdings Investigating the equity holdings of a mutual fund is also a valuable exercise. This can show us how the manager is applying their stated methodology, as well as if there are any inherent biases in their approach. For this particular fund, the focus is mostly on equities that are traded in the United States. Right now, 82.63% of this mutual fund's holdings are stocks and it has 6.82% of assets in foreign securities. The fund has the heaviest exposure to the following market sectors: Technology Industrial Cyclical Retail Trade Other This fund's turnover is about 47.52%, so the fund managers are making fewer trades than its comparable peers. Expenses For investors, taking a closer look at cost-related metrics is key, since costs are increasingly important for mutual fund investing. Competition is heating up in this space, and a lower cost product will likely outperform its otherwise identical counterpart, all things being equal. In terms of fees, PARMX is a no load fund. It has an expense ratio of 0.96% compared to the category average of 1.15%. From a cost perspective, PARMX is actually cheaper than its peers. Investors need to be aware that with this product, the minimum initial investment is $2,000; each subsequent investment needs to be at least $50. Fees charged by investment advisors have not been taken into considiration. Returns would be less if those were included. Bottom Line Overall, even with its comparatively weak performance, average downside risk, and lower fees, Parnassus Mid-Cap Investor ( PARMX ) has a neutral Zacks Mutual Fund rank, and therefore looks a somewhat average choice for investors right now. Your research on the Mutual Fund Equity Report segment doesn't have to stop here. You can check out all the great mutual fund tools we have to offer by going to www.zacks.com/funds/mutual-funds to see the additional features we offer as well for additional information. Zacks provides a full suite of tools to help you analyze your portfolio - both funds and stocks - in the most efficient way possible. 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 Get Your Free (PARMX): Fund Analysis Report To read this article on Zacks.com click here. Zacks Investment Research Los Angeles-based video editor and political satirist Justin T. Brown has found himself at the center of a contentious debate thanks to his AI-generated images that portray prominent politicians such as Donald Trump, Barack Obama, and Joe Biden engaged in fictional infidelities. His provocative series, christened AI will revolutionize the blackmail industry, quickly came under fire, leading to Browns banishment from the Midjourney AI art platform, which he used to generate the pictures. Brown said the images were envisioned as a stark warning about the potential misuse of artificial intelligence. This isn't the first time that AI-generated imagery has sparked controversy. Decrypt had previously rendered humorous images of Joe Biden with remarkable accuracy, but was spared punitive action by the Midjourney team. However, other users generating images of high-profile figures like the Pope and China's president were not so lucky, promptly earning themselves bans. I got banned from Midjourney AI for generating realistic images of politicians cheating on their wives for a series called AI will revolutionize the blackmail industry A couple thoughts on AI images from someone whos good at making fake stuff Trump cheating on his wife: pic.twitter.com/HjxBj7qdaR JustinTBrown (@JuuustinBrown) May 26, 2023 Brown's project was conceived with a single goal in mind: catapult the potential threats of AI misuse into mainstream discourse. "I created the series with the goal of dragging some of the most influential people in America into the conversation about the dangers of AI, and reach[ing] the biggest possible audience, Brown elaborated in a Twitter thread. The fallout from Brown's controversial AI series was swift. After the images were posted on Reddit, Midjourney slapped a ban on Brown, an action he correlates directly with the Reddit release. After gaining some traction on Reddit, the series was removed by moderators and the Midjourney ban followed almost immediately, he remarked. The ban promped Brown to express mixed emotions. On one hand, he felt the sanction was an indicator of some level of accountability enforced on users generating harmful content. Conversely, he raised a poignant question: I was banned months after I first made the images, so by the time harmful content is generated, isn't it already too late? This is especially important in politics, as Brown further warned. "An AI disinfo campaign just before election day could definitely swing an election. The right AI images or video at the right time could tank the market, cause a riot, or send someone into a pizza shop with a gun." The potential of artificial intelligence to spread disinformation was Brown's main concern. "This kind of disinformation will continue to happen, next time by bad guys with bad intent, so we better start getting a handle on it now, he pointed out, acknowledging the need for an international conversation on the technology. The New York Times also spotlighted this issue, revealing that campaign regulations allowed politicians to use AI-generated images ahead of the 2024 presidential election. It also reported that existing defenses and services claiming to identify AI content have been largely ineffective. One of Brown's followers replied with his concerns, expressing apprehension about the potential misuse of AI. "I think you're right about the dangers. GOP already used AI in an ad. Not as blackmail, but shows AI can be used for quick ops. Best if social media had universal moderation against misinformation and verified accounts for all reputable press, govt orgs, pols." Bernie, noo I think you're right about the dangers. GOP already used AI in an ad. Not as blackmail, but shows AI can be used for quick ops. Best if social media had universal moderation against misinformation & verified accounts for all reputable press, govt orgs, pols. Patrick Scott Bruck See to help our family! (@PatrickSBruck) May 26, 2023 He was referring to a series of political advertisements in which the U.S. Republican party used MidJourney to imagine a future with Biden reelected as president. There were also rumors of AI being used to tweak a campaign ad by Ron de Santis, but his campaign revealed this was not the case. For his part, Donald Trump also created a whole fake conversation between Elon Musk, Adolf Hitler, and Ron de Santis to mock the latters announcement that he was aspiring to become the GOPs presidential candidate. In a digital age fraught with disinformation and rampant misuse of technology, Brown's words ring eerily true, "I guess just brace for impact. Maybe do something useful with it," he said. In this whirlpool of AI, art, and ethics, there's one certainty: the line between reality and AI-generated images is blurring faster than we can say "Photoshop." Generally, when a single insider buys stock, it is usually not a big deal. However, when several insiders are buying, like in the case of Fuller, Smith & Turner P.L.C. (LON:FSTA), it sends a favourable message to the company's shareholders. While insider transactions are not the most important thing when it comes to long-term investing, we would consider it foolish to ignore insider transactions altogether. View our latest analysis for Fuller Smith & Turner The Last 12 Months Of Insider Transactions At Fuller Smith & Turner The Non-Executive Director Richard H. Fuller made the biggest insider purchase in the last 12 months. That single transaction was for UK96k worth of shares at a price of UK4.57 each. We do like to see buying, but this purchase was made at well below the current price of UK5.88. While it does suggest insiders consider the stock undervalued at lower prices, this transaction doesn't tell us much about what they think of current prices. In the last twelve months Fuller Smith & Turner insiders were buying shares, but not selling. You can see the insider transactions (by companies and individuals) over the last year depicted in the chart below. If you click on the chart, you can see all the individual transactions, including the share price, individual, and the date! There are always plenty of stocks that insiders are buying. So if that suits your style you could check each stock one by one or you could take a look at this free list of companies. (Hint: insiders have been buying them). Insider Ownership Of Fuller Smith & Turner Another way to test the alignment between the leaders of a company and other shareholders is to look at how many shares they own. I reckon it's a good sign if insiders own a significant number of shares in the company. It appears that Fuller Smith & Turner insiders own 2.4% of the company, worth about UK8.4m. We've certainly seen higher levels of insider ownership elsewhere, but these holdings are enough to suggest alignment between insiders and the other shareholders. What Might The Insider Transactions At Fuller Smith & Turner Tell Us? There haven't been any insider transactions in the last three months -- that doesn't mean much. But insiders have shown more of an appetite for the stock, over the last year. While we have no worries about the insider transactions, we'd be more comfortable if they owned more Fuller Smith & Turner stock. 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. Case in point: We've spotted 3 warning signs for Fuller Smith & Turner you should be aware of, and 1 of these is a bit unpleasant. If you would prefer to check out another company -- one with potentially superior financials -- then do not miss this free list of interesting companies, that have HIGH return on equity and low debt. 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 (Bloomberg) -- Rakuten Group Inc. has taken a step to list its online brokerage arm, as Japans e-commerce leader struggles to dispel concerns over its debt levels and ability to make mobile operations profitable. Most Read from Bloomberg Rakuten Securities Holdings Inc. has applied to go public on the Tokyo Stock Exchange, the company said in a statement on Tuesday. The move is part of a drive to speed up decision making at each of Rakutens various businesses, which range from online shopping to finance and wireless services, it said. Billionaire Hiroshi Mikitanis online retailer has seen its shares tumble to a 14-year low as its loss-making mobile business drains cash ahead of a wall of maturing debt. Since April, the company has listed its banking unit and sold shares in an additional offering in a bid to ease its financing woes. A Japanese credit ratings firm downgraded Rakuten last month, while shareholder Japan Post Holdings Co. said it will book an impairment charge on its stake. Rakuten Securities will remain an important part of expanding the groups ecosystem after its listing, according to the statement. No scheduled listing date has been set as the offering still has to obtain the exchanges approval and pass an examination by the Japan Exchange Regulation. Mizuho Financial Group Inc.s main brokerage subsidiary bought about 20% of Rakuten Securities for 80 billion yen ($554 million) last year, in a deal that fueled debate over how valuable the unit might be. Analysts at Mitsubishi UFJ Morgan Stanley Securities Co. said the price paid was too high. Net income at Rakuten Securities gained 2.8% last year to 9.3 billion yen as its client assets under custody grew amid increased stock trading by investors, according to filings. (Updates with background from the third paragraph) Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek 2023 Bloomberg L.P. FILE PHOTO: The Pfizer logo is pictured on their headquarters building SEOUL (Reuters) - South Korea's Samsung Biologics announced on Tuesday two deals with Pfizer worth around a combined 1.2 trillion won ($921.38 million) to manufacture products for the U.S. pharmaceutical giant. The latest deals will see the biotech division of the Samsung Group produce biosimilar products ranging from oncology and inflammation to immunotherapy in the period to 2029 at its new Plant 4 in South Korea. The latest orders bring this year's combined tally of orders from Pfizer to $1.08 billion, Samsung Biologics said in a statement. Tuesday's announcements include a 922.7 billion won contract, as well as an additional 254.3 billion won order that is a follow-up to a deal previously announced in March. Samsung Biologics welcomed the orders as an expansion of a strategic partnership, adding that it had won total contracts worth 1.93 trillion won so far this year, surpassing last year's annual contract volume. Earlier this year, Samsung Biologics signed deals with Eli Lilly Kinsale and GlaxoSmithKline. ($1 = 1,302.4000 won) (Reporting by Hyunsu Yim; Editing by Ed Davies) Sir Jim Ratcliffe: Government is driving business out of the UK The Ineos boss had agreed a deal to buy a $1bn (790m) concrete additives business from Swiss rival Sika in January - Martin Rickett/PA Sir Jim Ratcliffe has accused the Government of driving business out of the UK as he launched an attack on the competition watchdog for its increasingly hostile attitude to companies. Ineos, the chemicals giant founded by the British billionaire, agreed a deal to buy a $1bn (790m) concrete additives business from Swiss rival Sika in January. But the takeover was blocked by the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) and the company was subsequently sold to an international buyer. In a statement on Tuesday, Sir Jim said the intervention was further evidence that the regulator and Government were stymying British businesses. He said: This is yet another example of a deal being stopped that would benefit the UK and handed over to the Americans who were absolutely delighted. Add to this, the ridiculous North Sea windfall tax and continuing high energy costs and we are seeing a government that is driving business out of the UK. Ineos agreed to buy Sikas concrete admixtures division, which operates on 35 sites globally and employs more than 1,600 people. What is the CMA? The deal would have been a key step in clearing the way for Sikas 5.5bn franc (4.8bn) takeover of Germany-based MBCC. Ineos said it submitted the proposed deal to the CMA in March but received negative feedback. Sika then sold the business to private equity group Cinven. The monopolies regulator has come under scrutiny in recent months for its increasingly interventionist approach to mergers and acquisitions. In April, the CMA blocked Microsofts 55bn takeover of Call of Duty maker Activision Blizzard, which accused Britain of being closed for business. Sir Jim, who was born in Britain but is a tax resident in Monaco, has previously taken aim at the Governments decision to introduce a windfall tax on energy companies. He warned that the North Sea oil and gas industry was being taxed to death, adding that the policy threatened the UKs energy security. The billionaire, who is one of the bidders in a race to buy Manchester United FC, added: The CMA is building a reputation as an overly aggressive regulator with little regard for the impact of its decisions on UK business. Its attitude is mirrored in the lack of government support for manufacturing; whether in reviews such as this, or in our uncompetitive approach to energy policy. Sir Jim, who is Britains richest industrialist, founded Ineos in 1998. It has since grown into a sprawling chemical conglomerate operating 36 businesses in 29 countries worldwide. His empire has also spread to the world of sport through the Ineos Grenadiers cycling team, Nice football club and a stake in the Mercedes F1 team, while the billionaire has also ploughed vast sums of money into the Grenadier 4x4 off-roader. He has tabled a 5bn takeover bid for Manchester United, but is facing tough competition from Qatari banker Sheikh Jassim bin Hamad Al Thani, who has offered to buy out the whole club in a debt-free deal. It comes as the CMA prepares to take on greater powers under new legislation aimed at tackling the dominance of tech giants such as Google and Facebook. A new Digital Markets Unit within the competition regulator will be charged with policing Silicon Valley tech companies and clamping down on issues such as fake reviews and subscription traps. The watchdog will have the power to fine companies up to 10pc of global turnover for any breaches of the new rules. A CMA spokesman said: Effective merger control is pro-business and pro-growth. Estimates show that during the past 3 years, the CMA merger regime saved consumers more than 2 billion. It also enabled UK businesses to enter new markets and grow. When we conclude a deal can go ahead subject to part of a merged business being sold, we assess, among other criteria, whether potential buyers could lead to further competition problems. It is critical when approving a potential buyer that we dont allow new competition problems to develop. We note that Ineos is one of only three major suppliers of a key product that Sika and its competitors rely on. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month, then enjoy 1 year for just $9 with our US-exclusive offer. Star Media Group Berhad (KLSE:STAR) shareholders should be happy to see the share price up 26% in the last quarter. But that is little comfort to those holding over the last half decade, sitting on a big loss. The share price has failed to impress anyone , down a sizable 59% during that time. Some might say the recent bounce is to be expected after such a bad drop. We'd err towards caution given the long term under-performance. Now let's have a look at the company's fundamentals, and see if the long term shareholder return has matched the performance of the underlying business. See our latest analysis for Star Media Group Berhad In his essay The Superinvestors of Graham-and-Doddsville Warren Buffett described how share prices do not always rationally reflect the value of a business. One flawed but reasonable way to assess how sentiment around a company has changed is to compare the earnings per share (EPS) with the share price. Star Media Group Berhad became profitable within the last five years. That would generally be considered a positive, so we are surprised to see the share price is down. Other metrics might give us a better handle on how its value is changing over time. It could be that the revenue decline of 20% per year is viewed as evidence that Star Media Group Berhad is shrinking. This has probably encouraged some shareholders to sell down the stock. You can see how earnings and revenue have changed over time in the image below (click on the chart to see the exact values). We know that Star Media Group Berhad has improved its bottom line lately, but what does the future have in store? This free report showing analyst forecasts should help you form a view on Star Media Group Berhad What About Dividends? It is important to consider the total shareholder return, as well as the share price return, for any given stock. The TSR is a return calculation that accounts for the value of cash dividends (assuming that any dividend received was reinvested) and the calculated value of any discounted capital raisings and spin-offs. It's fair to say that the TSR gives a more complete picture for stocks that pay a dividend. In the case of Star Media Group Berhad, it has a TSR of -54% for the last 5 years. That exceeds its share price return that we previously mentioned. This is largely a result of its dividend payments! A Different Perspective It's nice to see that Star Media Group Berhad shareholders have received a total shareholder return of 49% over the last year. And that does include the dividend. Notably the five-year annualised TSR loss of 9% per year compares very unfavourably with the recent share price performance. This makes us a little wary, but the business might have turned around its fortunes. It's always interesting to track share price performance over the longer term. But to understand Star Media Group Berhad better, we need to consider many other factors. For instance, we've identified 3 warning signs for Star Media Group Berhad (1 can't be ignored) that you should be aware of. But note: Star Media Group Berhad may not be the best stock to buy. So take a peek at this free list of interesting companies with past earnings growth (and further growth forecast). Please note, the market returns quoted in this article reflect the market weighted average returns of stocks that currently trade on Malaysian exchanges. Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team (at) simplywallst.com. This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned. Join A Paid User Research Session Youll receive a US$30 Amazon Gift card for 1 hour of your time while helping us build better investing tools for the individual investors like yourself. Sign up here Shutterstock / Shutterstock On June 30, almost a year since the program was announced, the Supreme Court in a 6-3 decision struck down President Bidens student loan forgiveness program, which would have canceled up to $20,000 in debt for millions of borrowers. See: All of the States That Will Pay Off Your Student Loans Student Loan Forgiveness: 10 Expenses To Cut From Your Budget When Payments Resume The Supreme Court ruled that the HEROES Act enacted in the wake of the Sept. 11 attacks did not provide authority to grant relief from student loans. The decision was a win for Republicans, who had argued the program was unfair, a handout and would burden taxpayers. Yet, some proponents of the relief program have been arguing that President Biden has legal authority to cancel the debt. A few days before the Supreme Courts decision, Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) reiterated her views on the subject. Let me be very clear, President Biden has the legal authority to cancel student loan debt, Sen. Warren said during a June 26 webinar held by several advocacy groups, according to MarketWatch. Warren has advocated for student loan relief repeatedly, calling the fight personal. The issue was central to one of her 2020 presidential campaign promises, in that the Higher Education Act gives the Department of Education the ability to modify, compromise, waive, or release student loans, according to her website. Ive been in this fight for a long time and part of the reason is because its personal, Warren said on June 26, adding she was the first person in her family to get a college degree, MarketWatch reported. I then went to a public law school where I got a great education and I was able to do this because I grew up at a time in America when our country was investing in me and in our future, Warren added. Related: New Student Loan Forgiveness Rule Simplifies Process Who Qualifies? Supreme Court Student Loan Decision Not the End for Biden Admin The June 30 decision to strike down the $430 billion program had been anxiously awaited by more than 40 million student loan borrowers. Replying to Bidens follow-up tweet about the new plan to help borrowers after the decision came down, Sen. Warren tweeted: President Biden is right to fight back on behalf of working people in need of student debt cancellation. The law is on his side. The President has the clear legal authority to cancel student debt under the Higher Education Act. In a democracy, we have the final say. In fact, following the ruling, the administration announced it intended to take new steps to help borrowers, as GOBankingRates previously reported. Said steps include seeking an alternative path to debt relief as well as the finalization of the most affordable repayment plan ever created, ensuring that borrowers will be able to take advantage of this plan this summer before loan payments are due. The repayment plan called the Saving on a Valuable Education (SAVE) Plan will cut monthly payments to $0 for millions of borrowers making $32,800 or less ($67,500 for a family of four). The plan will further save all other borrowers at least $1,000 per year, according to the Education Department. The SAVE plan will replace the existing Revised Pay-As-You-Earn (REPAYE) plan. The administration also announced a 12-month on-ramp to repayment, running from Oct. 1, 2023 to Sept. 30, 2024, so that financially vulnerable borrowers who miss monthly payments during this period are not considered delinquent, reported to credit bureaus, placed in default, or referred to debt collection agencies. More From GOBankingRates This article originally appeared on GOBankingRates.com: Student Loans: Does Biden Have Legal Authority To Forgive Debt? One US Senator Thinks So (Bloomberg) -- A top-performing equity fund is pocketing gains on Japanese chipmakers to buy shares left behind during the markets world-beating rally. Most Read from Bloomberg The Alma Eikoh Japan Large Cap Equity fund, which is outperforming 99% of peers this year, has cut its position in Renesas Electronics Corp. by almost a third over the past month as the stock more than doubled in value year to date, according to James Pulsford, who co-manages the 126.6 billion ($875 million) fund. Some of that money went into high quality defensive names such as noodle maker Nissin Foods Holdings Co. and soap producer Kao Corp. Weve recycled some of the things that have done well into some of the recent poor performers with strong fundamentals, said Pulsford, a London-based fund manager at Alma Capital. Pulsfords view may serve as a reality check for those investors betting that tech shares will continue to surge amid an artificial intelligence boom that has helped lift Japans stock market to its highest level in 33 years. His take on consumer-staple stocks comes as analysts at Goldman Sachs Group Inc. recommend investors underweight sectors including food, energy, construction and pharmaceuticals. Semiconductors are still the top allocation of the Alma fund, with a weight of more than 10%, according to data compiled by Bloomberg. Pulsfords overweight position in chips has helped the fund return more than 30% this year, outperforming a 23% gain in the Topix. While Pulsford said he would be happy to buy more shares of Renesas given the companys long-term potential, the stock needs to cool down first. Shares are trading at 12 times expected earnings, double the level a year ago. In the meantime, the fund manager is betting that Nissin Foods could benefit from strong margin growth as income disparity may drive demand for cheap products with good value. He expects Kaos next quarterly results to bottom out as the company finally reaches a tipping point where pricing gains start to outweigh higher raw material costs. The fund is also overweight defense-related companies such as Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Ltd. and NEC Corp., which Pulsford said will benefit from increases in government spending. We have relatively high turnover, Pulsford said. If we change our mind on the stock, I want to be able to sell it preferably within a week without much market impact. Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek 2023 Bloomberg L.P. Travis Perkins (LON:TPK) earnings and shareholder returns have been trending downwards for the last five years, but the stock climbs 4.3% this past week The main aim of stock picking is to find the market-beating stocks. But the main game is to find enough winners to more than offset the losers So we wouldn't blame long term Travis Perkins plc (LON:TPK) shareholders for doubting their decision to hold, with the stock down 48% over a half decade. Shareholders have had an even rougher run lately, with the share price down 14% in the last 90 days. On a more encouraging note the company has added UK71m to its market cap in just the last 7 days, so let's see if we can determine what's driven the five-year loss for shareholders. Check out our latest analysis for Travis Perkins To paraphrase Benjamin Graham: Over the short term the market is a voting machine, but over the long term it's a weighing machine. One imperfect but simple way to consider how the market perception of a company has shifted is to compare the change in the earnings per share (EPS) with the share price movement. During the five years over which the share price declined, Travis Perkins' earnings per share (EPS) dropped by 2.6% each year. This reduction in EPS is less than the 12% annual reduction in the share price. This implies that the market was previously too optimistic about the stock. The low P/E ratio of 8.95 further reflects this reticence. The company's earnings per share (over time) is depicted in the image below (click to see the exact numbers). This free interactive report on Travis Perkins' earnings, revenue and cash flow is a great place to start, if you want to investigate the stock further. What About Dividends? As well as measuring the share price return, investors should also consider the total shareholder return (TSR). The TSR incorporates the value of any spin-offs or discounted capital raisings, along with any dividends, based on the assumption that the dividends are reinvested. So for companies that pay a generous dividend, the TSR is often a lot higher than the share price return. We note that for Travis Perkins the TSR over the last 5 years was -28%, which is better than the share price return mentioned above. This is largely a result of its dividend payments! A Different Perspective While the broader market gained around 4.1% in the last year, Travis Perkins shareholders lost 10% (even including dividends). However, keep in mind that even the best stocks will sometimes underperform the market over a twelve month period. Regrettably, last year's performance caps off a bad run, with the shareholders facing a total loss of 5% per year over five years. We realise that Baron Rothschild has said investors should "buy when there is blood on the streets", but we caution that investors should first be sure they are buying a high quality business. I find it very interesting to look at share price over the long term as a proxy for business performance. But to truly gain insight, we need to consider other information, too. Even so, be aware that Travis Perkins is showing 1 warning sign in our investment analysis , you should know about... Of course, you might find a fantastic investment by looking elsewhere. So take a peek at this free list of companies we expect will grow earnings. Please note, the market returns quoted in this article reflect the market weighted average returns of stocks that currently trade on British exchanges. Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team (at) simplywallst.com. This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned. Join A Paid User Research Session Youll receive a US$30 Amazon Gift card for 1 hour of your time while helping us build better investing tools for the individual investors like yourself. Sign up here FILE PHOTO: Director of the Number 10 Policy Unit Andrew Griffith is seen outside Downing Street in London By Huw Jones and David Milliken LONDON (Reuters) - British banks should have to serve a customer even if they disagree with his or her lawful political views, and should apply anti-money laundering checks proportionately, financial services minister Andrew Griffith said on Tuesday. Earlier on Tuesday Nigel Farage, the former Brexit Party leader, said British private bank Coutts had told him it was closing his accounts and had offered him a standard one with its parent group NatWest instead. Griffith was asked about his views on recent issues around banking services for politicians and other 'politically exposed persons' by the House of Lords' Economic Affairs Committee, which did not name Farage directly. "If executives within organisations hold themselves out to be 'fit and proper', then they would not seek to suppress the lawful expression of democratic views," Griffith said, referring to the conduct standards bank executives must meet. "In terms of lawful freedom of expression, it's not right that anyone would be debanked on those grounds, that is not acceptable," he added The politically exposed persons regime is part of global anti-money laundering rules that require banks to perform checks on individuals with prominent political functions. Griffith said Britain's Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) now had powers under a new financial services law approved last week to revisit these rules. "The Chancellor and I have asked the FCA to do just that, to review the application of those rules for unintended consequences that can always happen when you put a duty of care on an individual institution. Sometimes that can go too far," Griffith said. The rules should be applied proportionately and not in a blanket way, he added. "The second thing that we've asked is that the FCA look at creating a domestic politically exposed persons (category) to reflect the lower category of risk associated with those whose affairs are wholly domestic," Griffith said. (Reporting by David Milliken, Editing by Huw Jones and Mark Potter) FILE PHOTO: Representations of Bitcoin and pound banknotes are seen in this illustration LONDON (Reuters) - Britain should be cautious about whether to issue a digital version of the pound given privacy and other issues involved, financial services minister Andrew Griffith said on Tuesday. The finance ministry and Bank of England have launched a public consultation on whether to issue a so-called central bank digital currency or CBDC, mirroring moves by many central banks across the world. "My thinking about CBDC is that we should proceed cautiously, which is precisely what we are doing in the joint consultation with the Bank of England," Griffith told the House of Lords' Economic Affairs Committee. "It's right to engage and have the very widest - and, to a degree, the most thorough - public policy debate which we have started with the process of consultation," he added. (Reporting by Huw Jones, editing by David Milliken) FILE PHOTO: Illustration picture of Chinese and U.S. flags with semiconductor chips (Reuters) - The Biden administration is preparing to restrict Chinese companies' access to U.S. cloud-computing services, the Wall Street Journal reported on Tuesday, citing people familiar with the situation. The new rule, if adopted, would likely require U.S. cloud-service providers such as Amazon and Microsoft to seek U.S. government permission before they provide cloud-computing services that use advanced artificial-intelligence chips to Chinese customers, the newspaper said. The U.S. Department of Commerce is expected to implement the restriction in coming weeks as part of an expansion of its semiconductor export control policy introduced in October, the it said. The Commerce Department, Microsoft and Amazon did not immediately respond to a request for comment outside business hours. China said on Monday it would control exports of some metals widely used in the semiconductor industry, its latest response in an escalating dispute with the U.S. over access to high-tech microchips. The controls on metals, which China said were aimed at protecting national security and its interests, will require exporters to seek permission to ship some gallium and germanium products. (Reporting by Jahnavi Nidumolu in Bengaluru; Editing by Kim Coghill, Robert Birsel) TORONTO, July 4, 2023 /CNW/ - Village Juicery, Ontario's premiere specialty food service supplier, is thrilled to announce its latest distribution agreements with renowned organic brands across Canada. These strategic partnerships mark a significant milestone for Village Juicery, positioning it as the preferred choice for local businesses in Ontario seeking exceptional, organic products. Village Juicery Logo (CNW Group/Village Juicery) With an extensive selection of over 300 specialty items spanning various product categories, Village Juicery offers local businesses unparalleled access to the finest quality goods. Now, with the addition of esteemed distribution partners such as Flow Beverage, Tonica Kombucha, Mid-Day Squares, Minor Figures, and Tori's Bakeshop, Village Juicery takes its commitment to excellence to new heights. Taking a closer look at the collaborations, Village Juicery unlocks new possibilities with renowned partners: Mid-Day Squares : Introducing a revolutionary concept, Mid-Day Squares offers an innovative square that combines the benefits of a protein bar with the indulgence of a chocolate bar. These organic, vegan, and gluten, soy, and dairy-free squares are a perfect addition to any refrigerated merchandising area. Tonica Kombucha : Established in Toronto since 2006, Tonica Kombucha crafts meticulously certified organic kombucha in a wide range of delightful flavours and formats, including kegs specifically tailored for food service establishments. Flow Beverage: Setting the benchmark for premium water, Flow Beverage delivers smooth, pure-tasting, naturally alkaline water. Committed to the highest social and environmental standards, Flow Beverage offers its products in various formats, ideal for all food service occasions. Tori's Bakeshop : Based in Toronto, Tori's Bakeshop is renowned for its delectable organic baked goods. Crafted fresh daily and free from all animal products and refined sugar, Tori's offers over 20 delectable treats available in bulk food service packs or retail-ready packaging. Minor Figures : A leading UK-based coffee brand, Minor Figures has gained immense popularity with its organic oat milk. Developed by baristas, Minor Figures oat milk delivers a silky micro-foam texture. Village Juicery has partnered with Nantel Mcdiarmid to secure distribution of the product. Co-Founders of Village Juicery, Omar Shaheen and Tyler Colford, expressed their excitement about these groundbreaking agreements, emphasizing the tremendous value they bring to local customers. They stated, "These partnerships represent a significant milestone for Village Juicery and our customers. By teaming up with these exceptional brands that share our values, we are raising the bar in providing unparalleled access to the best products in the market. This means that local businesses in Ontario can confidently offer their customers exceptional, organic options that meet their evolving demands. We are thrilled to embark on this journey together and deliver an extraordinary experience for our customers." With these strategic partnerships, Village Juicery solidifies its position as a go-to supplier of local organic products in Ontario. Serving over 400 businesses in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA), Village Juicery offers next-day delivery service with no minimum order requirement. Looking ahead, customers can anticipate continued expansion and innovation as Village Juicery strives to meet the evolving demands of today's consumers. Stay tuned for further announcements on new product lines and exciting developments, expected in Fall 2023. CONNECT WITH VILLAGE JUICERY Website : Visit www.villagejuicery.com to learn more about Village Juicery and explore its offerings. Instagram : @villagejuicery . Facebook: Facebook.com/villagejuicery ABOUT VILLAGE JUICERY Founded in Toronto in 2014, Village Juicery is in business to make people feel great. With 14 corporate-owned retail stores, a vast network of 400+ wholesale partners, and a thriving e-commerce channel, Village Juicery has become a trusted name in the industry. The company takes immense pride in operating a sustainable, zero-landfill 30,000-square-foot production facility, further emphasizing its commitment to environmental stewardship. SOURCE Village Juicery Cision View original content to download multimedia: http://www.newswire.ca/en/releases/archive/July2023/04/c0199.html One simple way to benefit from the stock market is to buy an index fund. But if you choose individual stocks with prowess, you can make superior returns. For example, Vishay Intertechnology, Inc. (NYSE:VSH) shareholders have seen the share price rise 96% over three years, well in excess of the market return (33%, not including dividends). However, more recent returns haven't been as impressive as that, with the stock returning just 73% in the last year , including dividends . After a strong gain in the past week, it's worth seeing if longer term returns have been driven by improving fundamentals. See our latest analysis for Vishay Intertechnology There is no denying that markets are sometimes efficient, but prices do not always reflect underlying business performance. By comparing earnings per share (EPS) and share price changes over time, we can get a feel for how investor attitudes to a company have morphed over time. During three years of share price growth, Vishay Intertechnology achieved compound earnings per share growth of 58% per year. The average annual share price increase of 25% is actually lower than the EPS growth. Therefore, it seems the market has moderated its expectations for growth, somewhat. We'd venture the lowish P/E ratio of 9.46 also reflects the negative sentiment around the stock. The image below shows how EPS has tracked over time (if you click on the image you can see greater detail). We know that Vishay Intertechnology has improved its bottom line over the last three years, but what does the future have in store? If you are thinking of buying or selling Vishay Intertechnology stock, you should check out this FREE detailed report on its balance sheet. What About Dividends? It is important to consider the total shareholder return, as well as the share price return, for any given stock. Whereas the share price return only reflects the change in the share price, the TSR includes the value of dividends (assuming they were reinvested) and the benefit of any discounted capital raising or spin-off. It's fair to say that the TSR gives a more complete picture for stocks that pay a dividend. We note that for Vishay Intertechnology the TSR over the last 3 years was 107%, which is better than the share price return mentioned above. And there's no prize for guessing that the dividend payments largely explain the divergence! A Different Perspective We're pleased to report that Vishay Intertechnology shareholders have received a total shareholder return of 73% over one year. Of course, that includes the dividend. That gain is better than the annual TSR over five years, which is 5%. Therefore it seems like sentiment around the company has been positive lately. Given the share price momentum remains strong, it might be worth taking a closer look at the stock, lest you miss an opportunity. I find it very interesting to look at share price over the long term as a proxy for business performance. But to truly gain insight, we need to consider other information, too. For instance, we've identified 1 warning sign for Vishay Intertechnology that you should be aware of. Of course, you might find a fantastic investment by looking elsewhere. So take a peek at this free list of companies we expect will grow earnings. Please note, the market returns quoted in this article reflect the market weighted average returns of stocks that currently trade on American exchanges. Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team (at) simplywallst.com. This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned. Join A Paid User Research Session Youll receive a US$30 Amazon Gift card for 1 hour of your time while helping us build better investing tools for the individual investors like yourself. Sign up here Voyager Creditor Committee to Pay $5.2M in Legal Fees From March to May While crypto creditors wallow, legal firms are raking in the fees. A committee representing unsecured creditors of the bankrupt crypto broker Voyager has been charged $5.17 million in legal fees from March to May by its law firm McDermott Will & Emery, according to a legal filing submitted to the U.S. Bankruptcy Court of New Yorks Southern District yesterday. This brings the total cost of the Voyager credit committees legal fees for the fee period running from July 22, 2022, to May 18, 2023, to just under $16.5 million, of which around $9 million has already been paid. The filing lists the blended hourly rate for all timekeepers (e.g. attorneys) as $1,026.76. Voyager filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in July 2022 after revealing it had exposure to the collapsed crypto hedge fund Three Arrows Capital. The broker then tried to court several buyers including FTX and Binance US. The FTX deal fell through after the exchange itself filed for Chapter 11 last Novemberthe largest bankruptcy the industry has seen so far. In April this year, Binance US backed out of a potential deal citing the hostile regulatory climate in the United States. In May, the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of New York approved a liquidation plan for Voyager Digital to reimburse its customers $1.33 billion in digital assets. The process has also run up high legal fees for Voyager. Last week, it was reported that Voyagers law firm Kirkland & Ellis charged the former broker $1.1 million in fees for work done in April this year. Winter for blockchain companies, spring for their lawyers The depegging of Terras so-called algorithmic stablecoin UST and the subsequent collapse of its ecosystem last May set off a domino effect of contagion that bankrupted multiple companies, including Celsius, Vauld, Voyager, BlockFi, Holdnaut, and FTX, resulting in an industry-wide credit crunch that was dubbed Crypto Winter. But, as the adage goes, one mans loss is anothers gain. In this case, lawyers that flocked to the beleaguered firms have made an eye-popping amount of money from legal fees. In December last year, lawyers representing bankrupt crypto lender Celsiusan early casualty of Crypto Winter, which filed for Chapter 11 in mid-July last yearcollectively billed the firm $52.8 million in fees for the period running from the filing to the end of October that year. The largest casualty, FTX, which also bankrupted around 130 affiliated agencies, has so far run up legal fees of over $200 million for the seven months of aid it has received since it filed for bankruptcy in November last year. (Bloomberg) -- Chinas decision to control the export of two key metals showed it has some power to retaliate against moves by the US, Japan and Europe to cut Beijing off from advanced technology. But it also risks backfiring. Most Read from Bloomberg The new export licensing system unveiled late Monday highlighted Chinas dominant position in global production of gallium and germanium, which are used to make chips, electric cars and telecommunications equipment. The announcement just days before US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen visits Beijing appears timed to give China leverage as it pushes the White House to remove export controls that risk hobbling the nations development. Yet the measure is a double-edged sword, and may simply accelerate efforts by those countries to reduce dependence on the worlds second-biggest economy. If Beijing did at some point use these new rules to restrict shipments and cut supply to other nations, prices would likely rise and make it more economical to boost output in Japan, Canada, the US or elsewhere. Its part of the tit-for-tat the PRC is playing with the US and its allies, said Ja Ian Chong, an associate professor of political science at the National University of Singapore. He was referring to the countrys formal name, the Peoples Republic of China. There may be some initial shock to the markets and firms, but over time, should these restrictions persist, markets and firms adjust. The move underscores the dilemma facing President Xi Jinping as he seeks to counter US efforts to prevent China from accessing the chips needed to dominate technology like artificial intelligence and quantum computing. Any reciprocal actions only give the US and Europe more ammunition to push for derisking, something Xis government has sought to counter. China always takes a tit-for-tat approach, Roy Lee, Taiwans deputy foreign minister, said of the new measures, which he called a retaliation to export controls by the US and other democratic nations. These will become an accelerator for countries including Taiwan, South Korea and Japan to reduce our dependence on Chinas supply of those critical minerals and materials. A US Commerce Department official said the department firmly opposes Chinas export controls. The action underscores the need to diversify supply chains, a goal the US will pursue with allies and partners, said the official, who asked not to be identified discussing the sensitive issue. Rare Earth Weapon Chinas previous efforts to restrict the sale of rare earths have only diminished its market share as other countries work to secure supplies of the metals that arent controlled by China. China first introduced an export licensing system for rare earths in the 1990s while also gradually ramping up taxes, squeezing companies in Japan and elsewhere that relied on Chinese supplies. But the big shift happened in 2010, when Beijing temporary halted exports to Japan in reaction to a collision between a Chinese fishing boat and the Japanese coast guard near islands claimed by both countries. That incident set off a race to find alternatives to supplies from China. Output in Australia and the US subsequently increased, pushing down Chinas share of mining output to 70% of global supply in 2022 from a peak of 98% in 2010, according to the US Geological Survey. China currently accounts for about 94% of the worlds gallium production, according to the UK Critical Minerals Intelligence Centre. Still, the metals arent particularly rare or difficult to find, though China has kept them cheap and they can be relatively high-cost to extract. Imposing export restrictions risks reducing market dominance, researchers from Eurasia Group including Anna Ashton wrote in a note. If implemented as-is, Chinas new export mineral restrictions could offer fresh impetus for foreign manufacturers to shift production out of China, accelerating the trend of supply chain diversification. China said the new licensing system for exports of gallium and germanium, along with their chemical compounds, was aimed at protecting national security the same justification given by the US and its allies for their export controls. The announcement nevertheless sparked concern in Europe about potential disruption to supply chains in the short term and is likely to spur discussion about how to reduce the blocs reliance on China. The European Union announced a new economic security strategy last month and launched a Critical Raw Materials Act to ease financing and permitting for new mining and refining projects, and also to strike trade alliances to reduce the blocs dependence on Chinese suppliers. If the new rules were used to restrict exports, that escalation of tensions could threaten the blocs ability to transform its economy to become more environmentally friendly. The immediate effect of the changes seems to be limited, according to a statement from the Korean industry ministry on Tuesday, which noted that there are other supplies of the two metals. However even if China doesnt use this new rule to limit exports at some point in the future, it arguably has more to lose than the US, particularly as its mounting economic challenges raise questions about whether it will eventually take over as the worlds biggest economy. Beijings most effective tool to sanction others is to cut off access to its huge market, or limit exports of strategically important goods. But this further drives the decoupling from China that Beijing wants to avoid, as it would undermine its stated goals of ensuring the nation is dominant in new technologies and essential in global supply chains. At the moment, however, the growing ideological struggle between the US and China is taking precedence over globalization, Morris Chang, the founder of chip giant Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., said at an industry event in Taipei on Tuesday. Right now national security and technology and economic leadership take priority over globalization, he said. The relations between US and China are more about competition than collaboration. --With assistance from Rebecca Choong Wilkins, Betty Hou, Jennifer Creery and Courtney McBride. (Updates with US official in seventh paragraph) Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek 2023 Bloomberg L.P. (Bloomberg) Chinas decision to control the export of two key metals showed it has some power to retaliate against moves by the US, Japan and Europe to cut Beijing off from advanced technology. But it also risks backfiring. Most Read from Bloomberg The new export licensing system unveiled late Monday highlighted Chinas dominant position in global production of gallium and germanium, which are used to make chips, electric cars and telecommunications equipment. The announcement just days before US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen visits Beijing appears timed to give China leverage as it pushes the White House to remove export controls that risk hobbling the nations development. Yet the measure is a double-edged sword, and may simply accelerate efforts by those countries to reduce dependence on the worlds second-biggest economy. If Beijing did at some point uses these new rules to restrict shipments and cut supply to other nations, prices would likely rise and make it more economical to boost output in Japan, Canada, the US or elsewhere. Its part of the tit-for-tat the PRC is playing with the US and its allies, said Ja Ian Chong, an associate professor of political science at the National University of Singapore. He was referring to the countrys formal name, the Peoples Republic of China. There may be some initial shock to the markets and firms but over time, should these restrictions persist, markets and firms adjust. The move underscores the dilemma facing President Xi Jinping as he seeks to counter US efforts to prevent China from accessing the chips needed to dominate technology like artificial intelligence and quantum computing. Any reciprocal actions only give the US and Europe more ammunition to push for derisking, something Xis government has sought to counter. China always takes a tit-for-tat approach, Roy Lee, Taiwans deputy foreign minister, said of the new measures, which he called a retaliation to export controls by the US and other democratic nations. These will become an accelerator for countries including Taiwan, South Korea and Japan to reduce our dependence on China supply of those critical minerals and materials. Rare Earth Weapon Chinas previous efforts to restrict the sale of rare earths have only diminished its market share as other countries work to secure supplies of the metals that arent controlled by China. China first introduced an export licensing system for rare earths in the 1990s while also gradually ramping up taxes, squeezing companies in Japan and elsewhere that relied on Chinese supplies. But the big shift happened in 2010, when Beijing temporary halted exports to Japan in reaction to a collision between a Chinese fishing boat and the Japanese coast guard near islands claimed by both countries. That incident set off a race to find alternative supplies from China. Output in Australia and the US subsequently increased, pushing Chinas share of mining output down to 70% of global supply in 2022 from a peak of 98% in 2010, according to the US Geological Survey. China currently accounts for about 94% of the worlds gallium production, according to the UK Critical Minerals Intelligence Centre. Still, the metals arent particularly rare or difficult to find, though Chinas kept them cheap and they can be relatively high-cost to extract. Imposing export restrictions risks reducing market dominance, researchers from Eurasia Group including Anna Ashton wrote in a note. If implemented as is, Chinas new export mineral restrictions could offer fresh impetus for foreign manufacturers to shift production out of China, accelerating the trend of supply chain diversification. China said the new licensing system for exports of gallium and germanium, along with their chemical compounds, was aimed at protecting national security the same justification given by the US and it allies for their export controls. The announcement nevertheless sparked concern in Europe about potential disruption to supply chains in the short term and is likely to spur discussion about how to reduce the blocs reliance on China. The European Union announced a new economic security strategy last month and launched a Critical Raw Materials Act to ease financing and permitting for new mining and refining projects, and also to strike trade alliances to reduce the blocs dependence on Chinese suppliers. If the new rules were used to restrict exports, that escalation of tensions could threaten the blocs ability to transform its economy to become more environmentally friendly. The immediate effect of the changes seems to be limited, according to a statement from the Korean industry ministry on Tuesday, which noted that there are other supplies of the two metals. However even if China doesnt use this new rule to limit exports at some point in the future, it arguably has more to lose than the US, particularly as its mounting economic challenges raise questions about whether it will ever take over as the worlds biggest economy. Beijings most effective tool to sanction others is to cut off access to its huge market, or limit exports of strategically important goods. But this further drives the decoupling from China that Beijing wants to avoid, as it would undermine its stated goals of ensuring the nation is dominant in new technologies and essential in global supply chains. At the moment, however, the growing ideological struggle between the US and China is taking precedence over globalization, Morris Chang, the founder of chip giant Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., said at an industry event in Taipei on Tuesday. Right now national security and technology and economic leadership take priority over globalization, he said. The relations between US and China are more about competition than collaboration. With assistance from Rebecca Choong Wilkins, Betty Hou and Jennifer Creery. 2023 Bloomberg L.P. We may earn commission from links on this page, but we only recommend products we believe in. Pricing and availability are subject to change. Direct deposit is a fast and secure way for employees to get paid directly through their bank account Direct deposit is an electronic transfer of money into a bank account (usually a checking account) that doesn't use a paper check or cash. Most people come across direct deposit when starting a job and enrolling in an employer's direct deposit program for their pay. Still, the term can describe many electronic transfers between financial institutions. Direct deposits, handled by the Automated Clearing House transaction system, are used to disburse government payments such as Social Security, veterans' benefits, and tax refunds. For example, during the COVID-19 pandemic, most federal relief payments were made via direct deposit. Direct deposit is faster, more secure than a paper check, and cheaper for banks to process. It's also more convenient for you because once you set it up for your pay or other regular payments, deposits happen automatically. You can also split a single direct deposit payment between different accounts. Direct deposit can also save you money since many banks will allow you to waive checking account fees if you set up direct deposit of your paycheck or benefits payment. How does direct deposit work? Direct deposit works by your employer running payroll on preset days and triggering payments to employers where money goes from their business account to individual, personal bank accounts. So rather than being issued a paper check, you'll see your paycheck amount as a deposit into your bank account. Direct deposit can pay you as frequently as you would get paid through a physical check. For instance, if you get paid every two weeks, direct deposit can be set up to pay employees every two weeks. Likewise, if you get paid on the first and 15th of every month, you can get paid through direct deposit that way as well. You can set up direct deposit through your payroll system if you work for yourself. First, you'll need to have a business bank account. Then, you can create a direct deposit from your business bank account to your personal one. It still takes a few days to process payroll, so give yourself a cushion for payment. That means if you have bills on autopay from your personal bank account, be sure to pay yourself from your business bank account early enough to make those payments on time. Direct deposit isn't just for work-related settings and paying employees. For example, you can set up direct deposit to receive your tax refund, pay child support or alimony, or manage your bills. Find the best checking account rates Benefits of direct deposit Speed Paper checks hold up the payment process because you have to wait for payroll to run, paychecks to get issued, and the employee has to find time to deposit that check. With direct deposit, your company can run payroll, and you can receive those funds in your account within a couple of days. Secure Whether it's from the business side or the employer side, you don't run the risk of losing a paycheck with direct deposit. Everything happens electronically. Flexibility You can set up your direct deposit to go to multiple accounts. That means if you want some money to hit your regular checking account and then some to hit a savings account, you can. This means some funds can go directly into building up your savings rather than wait on you to trigger that transaction. Discounts and deals Some banks offer deals on accounts that set up direct deposit. If you set up direct deposit and receive your paycheck electronically, you could avoid paying a monthly maintenance fee or other charges. How can I set up a direct deposit? If you have a bank account, you can set up direct deposit. Whether you're starting a new job or your current job is moving to a direct deposit system, you'll need to talk to your company's payroll or human resources department to get started. You'll usually need: Your bank accounting number Your bank routing number The name of the financial institution The type of account you have (checking or savings, for example) You can find these details when you log into your bank's website and click on the account you'd like the money to go into. Each banking portal is different but look for "accounting" and "routing" numbers. You can also find these numbers on your personal checks, if you have those. Some companies or payroll systems might have additional requests when you set up your account. For instance, some request you bring in a voided check with your banking information. After you've submitted your banking documents, your company will set up your payroll information and sync your data with their payroll schedule. Now, payroll can be processed, and employees can get paid. Depending on your employer and the company's payroll system, it can take a few days to several weeks. Ask your company's human resources representative when to expect your first direct deposit. When you set up direct deposit, your company will have a payroll portal you can log into to check your payment details. This includes when you last got paid, how much that payment was, and how that check was paid out, including Social Security, Medicare, state taxes (if any), and any other withholdings you have set up. You can also find copies of your pay stubs to save for your records. This summer's smoky haze and heat waves could cloud anyone's judgment about some things. Maybe even what's real and what's not when it comes to so-called tax notices. So take a step back and don't overreact if one day this summer a cardboard envelope magically shows up from a delivery service and the letter inside implies the IRS is reaching out to help you snag a tax refund. The letter creates the illusion that this is the real deal by using an IRS masthead. But the IRS isn't sending out individual notices that claim to be in relation to your unclaimed refund. Like many scams, this new scam appears timed to playing up legitimate news. The IRS has stated that taxpayers must file a 2019 tax return by July 17, if they've not done so already, to get their hands on an unclaimed refund. We are talking about some cool cash, too, maybe even $800 or $900 in unclaimed refunds for some people. But again, no one is sending out letters demanding key information from you. The IRS issued a warning on Monday that a new scam has cropped up this summer with a physical mailing that attempts to trick people into thinking they're owed a refund and then make consumers believe that they must hand over personal information as the way to get the money. And yes, these scammers are boldly asking to see your driver's license. We've alerted people in the past that the IRS isn't going to send you an email about an unclaimed refund. The IRS doesn't start reaching out to taxpayers by email, text or social media regarding a bill or refund. A new official-looking letter in the mail has a different twist. Don't send scammers a picture of your driver's license The new scam letter goes so far as to request that you send detailed pictures of your driver's license. Identity thieves use such details to try to open new credit cards in your name or fill out a fake tax return to steal a tax refund. Your driver's license contains information, such as your birthdate and home address. Many scams including this one offer red flags with awkwardly worded phrasing such as the instructions for how to send a picture of that driver's license. The scammers, the IRS said, ask that you send: A Clear Phone of Your Drivers License That Clearly Displays All Four (4) Angles, Taken in a Place with Good Lighting. Yes, the alert says "phone" not "photo." The IRS calls this another example of a poorly worded request that someone might receive from a scammer. The letter also asks for even more information, such as your cellphone number, bank routing information, Social Security number and more bank account details. Again, there are oddly worded instructions, even by tax standards: (Youll Need to Get This to Get Your Refunds After Filing. These Must Be Given to a Filing Agent Who Will Help You Submit Your Unclaimed Property Claim. Once You Send All The Information Please Try to Be Checking Your Email for Response From The Agents Thanks Another red flag: The letter says the deadline for filing tax refunds is Oct. 17. But the IRS notes that the deadline for people who requested an extension for their 2022 tax returns is actually Oct. 16. "And those owed refunds from last year have time beyond that," the IRS said. The IRS handles tax refunds, the alert stated, not unclaimed property. More: About $1.5 billion in unclaimed refunds awaits for those who haven't filed 2019 returns Unclaimed refund cash exists but you need to file tax returns Nearly 1.5 million people across the nation have unclaimed refunds that add up to about $1.5 billion for the 2019 tax year and they want to pay attention to a real July 17 deadline. The IRS said 48,500 people in Michigan did not file their 2019 federal income tax returns but they are owed nearly $48.6 million. Half of Michigan taxpayers are owed more than $888 and half are owed less than that. Nationwide, the median unclaimed refund for tax year 2019 amounts to $893. If you're owed money, you'd have until July 17 to complete and file your 2019 federal income tax return. But, again, you're not going to get any notice sent to you by special delivery. "The IRS continues to urge people who may have overlooked filing during the pandemic to act quickly before they lose their final chance to claim a potentially substantial refund," according to a statement issued by IRS Commissioner Danny Werfel. The IRS states that many low- and moderate-income workers who neglected filing a 2019 return may be eligible for as much as $6,557 in credit if they qualified for the Earned Income Tax Credit based on their income for 2019. Those who are potentially eligible for EITC in 2019 had incomes below: $50,162 ($55,952 if married filing jointly) for those with three or more qualifying children. $46,703 ($52,493 if married filing jointly) for people with two qualifying children. $41,094 ($46,884 if married filing jointly) for those with one qualifying child. $15,570 ($21,370 if married filing jointly) for people without qualifying children. Under the law, taxpayers usually have three years to file and claim their tax refunds. If they don't file within three years, the money becomes the property of the U.S. Treasury. It might sound odd to have a July 17 deadline. Back in 2020, taxpayers saw an extended tax deadline that pushed filing one's taxes into July of that year, instead of April where much was delayed early in the COVID-19 pandemic. As a result, the three-year window for 2019 unfiled returns is now July 17. Not everyone actually will get money to spend by filing a return. The IRS can withhold refund checks if you have not filed tax returns for 2020 and 2021. Any refund due could be applied to amounts still owed to the IRS or a state tax agency and may be used to offset unpaid child support or past due federal debts. Michigan warns of fake collection letters In another recent scam warning, the Michigan Department of Treasury warned that fake letters were being sent about past-due tax debts through the U.S. Postal Service. The phony letter about an overdue tax bill tells individuals to call a toll-free number to resolve an outstanding state tax debt. "The letter aggressively threatens to seize a taxpayers property including bank accounts, wages, business assets, cars, real estate, refunds and cash if the debt is not settled," according to the warning from Treasury. Don't do it. Call Treasury first if you have any questions or suspect a scam. Contact the state Treasurys Collection Services Bureau at 517-636-5265. A customer service representative can log the scam, verify outstanding state debts and review payment options. Contact personal finance columnist Susan Tompor: stompor@freepress.com. Follow her on Twitter @tompor. This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Odd scam hits as deadline nears for unclaimed 2019 tax refunds While thousands are gathering on the National Mall to celebrate Independence Day, a different sort of fireworks show is happening across town. 1776, onstage at the Kennedy Centers Eisenhower Theater, revisits the Tony-winning 1969 musical from playwright Peter Stone and composerlyricist Sherman Edwards. However, the cast members of this production dont resemble the men immortalized in John Trumbulls iconic painting capturing the presentation of the Declaration of Independence. The bold new musical, brought to the stage by directors Jeffrey L. Page and Diane Paulus, is reimagined with a racially diverse cast of female, transgender and nonbinary actors. And the result is an illuminating look at this moment of history told by those left out of the picture. When signatures of the Second Continental Congress are projected onscreen during the end of the second act, hovering large over the performers, its an incredibly striking image. After a short run on Broadway last season, 1776 presented by the American Repertory Theater and Roundabout Theatre Company is bringing its musical history lesson to audiences across the country, along with plenty of vocal firepower. As the story unfolds and the bickering begins about Americas future, 1776 doesnt seem so far off from the political atmosphere of 2023. The large ensemble first appears modernly dressed, before becoming major players in the past. Lined up across stage, they put on brocade coats, pull up their white socks and slip into buckle shoes. (Emilio Sosa has done a dynamite job with the shows costume design.) The central figure of 1776 is John Adams, who tries to convince a divided Congress to declare independence from the British crown. Theres just one problem: the delegate from Massachusetts is obnoxious and disliked, made clear in the exuberant opening number Sit Down, John. With a jovial and wise Benjamin Franklin by his side, they tap a high-spirited Richard Henry Lee to propose the resolution of independence and butter up a young Thomas Jefferson to draft the declaration. This retelling of the colonists trying to start a nation is both entertaining and educational as it leads up to the big day, but also thought-provoking and marked with touching moments (Yours, Yours, Yours and Momma, Look Sharp). Theres about a dozen musical numbers sprinkled throughout this 2.5-hour show. The touring production has assembled a strong cast, filled with phenomenal voices, to bring our countrys founding fathers to life. The room is packed with personalities; a few characters, though, lean too much into caricature while others are barely drawn out. Gisela Adisa delivers a headstrong and passionate Adams, and Liz Mikel is immensely enjoyable as the steadier Franklin, the sage and stove inventor who gets the best zingers. And Nancy Anderson as the stately Jefferson perfectly completes this daring trio. As Richard Henry Lee, Shawna Hamic is a hoot, singing with great enthusiasm in the jaunty musical number The Lees of Old Virginia. Theres even a shout-out to Stratford Hall, the family home in the Northern Neck. And in one of the shows heaviest scenes, Kassandra Haddock is commanding as South Carolina delegate Edward Rutledge in the chilling musical number Molasses to Rum, about slavery. If they want the Souths votes for independence, Rutledge tells them to strike out the slavery clause. Another strong moment: Candice Marie Woods, who appeared as The Courier at last Thursdays press performance, was mesmerizing in Momma, Look Sharp. Woods piercing voice cut through the theater in this heartbreaking song about a young soldier dying on the battlefield. With a captivating storyline about the birth of our nation and dazzling vocal fireworks, 1776 is a musical history lesson worth sitting down for. Fredericksburg City Public Schools has been awarded a $42,000 grant from the Virginia Department of Historic Resources to conduct an adaptive reuse feasibility study on the 1935 Walker-Grant school. Located next to the Walker-Grant Center, the building, which was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1998, housed the first and only publicly funded, segregated school for Black students in Fredericksburg. According to a press release issued Monday by the school division, the original Walker-Grant school is one of the few buildings still standing that illustrate the Black experience and history of Fredericksburg and is a source of pride for the community. Its now being used for alternative education and records storage and houses the Connection Resources Center for school families. School officials plan to put out a request for proposals in August. A consultant will be hired to complete the adaptive reuse feasibility study, which will then be used to guide rehabilitation efforts. Kate Schwartz, the citys senior historic resources planner, wrote the grant application with guidance from a project committee that includes a School Board member, school division staff, local historians and other community members. In the press release, Superintendent Marci Catlett offered congratulations to Schwartz and the committee for working together to secure the funding for the structural and historic need of this jewel of a landmark. We love the 1935 Walker-Grant Building and are excited about the progress we have made thus far, Catlett said. A trio of Woodbridge men traveled to Spotsylvania County for a Saturday afternoon meetup and two of them ended up being shot, the Spotsylvania Sheriffs Office said. According to a news release from the Sheriffs Office on Monday, deputies responded about 3 p.m. to Grass Market Court in the Lees Hill area for a report of gun shots. Witnesses said they heard the shots, then a vehicle speeding from the area. Someone also saw several men run into the woods. Deputies canvased the area and found a vehicle at a convenience store matching the description from witnesses, police said. They also found two young men whod been shot, one 19 and the other 20. The men were treated at the scene and taken to an area hospital with non-life-threatening injuries, according to the Sheriffs Office. Police said it appears the victims came to the area to meet the unknown subjects, but no reason was given. A disagreement led to the shooting, they said. The Sheriffs Office is looking for the suspected shooters, who are described as two black males and another male who is possibly Hispanic. Tips can be made by phone at 800/928-5822 or 540/582-5822 or online at p3tips.com or spotsylvaniacrimesolvers.org. Southwestern New Mexico is poised to become a center of economic vitality, according to Christie Ann Harvey, but it might not reach its full potential without better internet service. Harvey, who runs a nonprofit that works with Luna County on development projects, says the area's natural beauty and proximity to the state's only 24-hour border crossing between the U.S. and Mexico could help entice people looking for a new home. But she said high-speed internet has become a critical infrastructure need" in a place where less than 1% of homes have access to internet speeds the U.S. government considers adequate. We are seeking to become a destination and improve the life of our people, Harvey said. But to do that we have to have the basic necessities that help us attract business. President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris recently announced plans to distribute $42.5 billion nationwide to provide reliable and affordable internet service for every home and business in the U.S. by 2030. Achieving that ambitious goal could transform places like Luna County, allowing new businesses and remote learning, telemedicine and other services that require reliable internet service. Let us agree: In the 21st century, in America, high-speed internet is not a luxury; it is a necessity, Harris said. States and their mostly new broadband offices have been assessing their needs ahead of the official launch of the Broadband Equity, Access and Deployment (BEAD) program. The announcement merely set things in motion. States must complete a multi-step process before they can use the funds. Just because you were allocated the money doesnt mean you get it, said Kelly Schlegel, director of New Mexicos broadband office. Schlegel and her colleagues in other state broadband offices must submit initial proposals before the end of the year. States must commit to first connecting unserved locations that lack access to internet download speeds of at least 25 megabits per second and upload speeds of 3 Mbps. According to the map the Federal Communications Commission used to determine each state's allotment, more than 7% of the country falls into this category. The states' initial proposals must identify unserved locations that arent already receiving money from other broadband programs. They must give also give local nonprofits, internet service providers and governments to suggest other locations in need of improved services. States must also outline plans to hire skilled workers, assess the resiliency of physical infrastructure in the face of climate threats, and ensure that connections forged with BEAD money will be affordable. The connection alone is not going to offer the economic value, the social value, to communities, said Kathryn de Wit, director of the Pew Charitable Trust's broadband access initiative. Its only useful if people can get online and use it, so having that (affordability) requirement as a condition of funding is really important. Once the initial proposals are approved, states can access up to 20 percent of their allotments to begin awarding grants to telecommunications companies, electric cooperatives and other broadband providers. The remaining 80 percent of funds will be released once the federal government approves a separate, final proposal, which outlines, among other details, how states plan to hold the internet providers they've selected accountable for spending the money properly. During the June 24 announcement, Vice President Harris described a visit to Sunset, Louisiana, a town of about 3,000 people near Lafayette where nearly 40% of households lack reliable high-speed internet. She recalled meeting people who can't apply for remote work and can't start or grow a small business. She said she met with students who, during the pandemic, had to sit in the parking lot of a local library to submit their homework. These stories are not uncommon, Harris said. Experts agree that the stakes are high. Blair Levin, former FCC chief of staff who was the executive director of the National Broadband Plan under former President Barack Obama, called the program a one-shot deal. If the effort succeeds, therell be no need for another, Levin said. If it doesnt succeed, people will say, Why would we do that? U.S. states with the fastest internet Intro Nearly every American adult reports using the internet in some capacity The Southeast lags behind other states in computer and internet use There is a loose positive correlation between computer use and internet speed as well as internet use and internet speed 15. New York 14. Illinois 13. Washington 12. Colorado 11. New Hampshire 10. Florida 9. Georgia 8. California 7. Texas 6. Rhode Island 5. Massachusetts 4. Virginia 3. Maryland 2. New Jersey 1. Delaware In celebration of the United States birthday, here are five surprising facts about the nations founding document: Ordinary Americans played a big role. The Declaration of Independence was written by wealthy white men, but the impetus for independence came from ordinary Americans. Historian Pauline Maier discovered that by July 2, 1776, when the Continental Congress voted to separate from Britain, 90 provincial and local bodies -- conventions, town meetings and even grand juries -- had already issued their own declarations or instructed Congress to. In Maryland, county conventions demanded that the provincial convention tell Marylands congressmen to support independence. Pennsylvania assemblymen required their congressional delegates to oppose independence -- until Philadelphians gathered outside the State House, later named Independence Hall, and threatened to overthrow the legislature, which then dropped this instruction. American independence is due in part to African Americans. Like the U.S. Constitution, the final version of the Declaration never uses the word slave. But African Americans loomed large in the first draft, written by Thomas Jefferson. In that early draft, Jeffersons single biggest grievance was that the mother country had first foisted enslaved Africans on white Americans and then attempted to incite them against their patriot owners. In an objection to which he gave 168 words -- three times as many as any other complaint -- Jefferson said George III had encouraged enslaved Americans to purchase that liberty of which he has deprived them, by murdering the people upon whom he also obtruded them. Many other white Southerners joined Jefferson in venting their rage at the mother country for, as one put it, pointing a dagger to their Throats, thru the hands of their Slaves. Britain really had forged an informal alliance with African Americans -- but it was the slaves who initiated it. In November 1774, James Madison became the first white American to report that slaves were plotting to take advantage of divisions between the colonies and the mother country to rebel and obtain their own freedom. Initially, the British turned down African Americans offer to fight for their king, but the slaves kept coming, and on Nov. 15, 1775, Lord Dunmore, the last British governor of Virginia, finally published an emancipation proclamation. It freed all rebel- (patriot-) owned slaves who could reach his lines and would fight to suppress the patriot rebellion. The Second Continental Congress was talking about Dunmore and other British officials when it claimed, in the final draft of the Declaration, that George III had excited domestic insurrection amongst us. That brief euphemism was all that remained of Jeffersons 168-word diatribe against the British for sending Africans to America and then inciting them to kill their owners. But no one missed its meaning. The complaints werent actually about the king. Britains king is the subject of 33 verbs in a declaration that never once says Parliament. But nine of Congress most pressing grievances actually were about parliamentary statutes. And even British officials such as those who cracked down on colonial smuggling worked not for George III but for his cabinet, which was in effect a creature of Parliament. By targeting only the king -- who played a purely symbolic role in the Declaration of Independence, akin to modern Americas Uncle Sam -- Congress reinforced its novel argument that Americans did not need to cut ties to Parliament, since they had never had any. The Declaration of Independence does not actually denounce monarchy. As Julian P. Boyd, the founding editor of The Papers of Thomas Jefferson, pointed out, the Declaration of Independence bore no necessary antagonism to the idea of kingship in general. Indeed, several members of Congress, including John Dickinson of Pennsylvania, openly admired limited monarchy. Their beef was not with all kings and queens but with King George III and him only as the front man for Parliament. The Declaration of Independence fell short of its most pressing purpose. In June 1776, delegates who supported independence suggested that if Congress declared it soon, France might immediately accept its invitation to an alliance. Then the French Navy could start intercepting British supply ships bound for America that very summer. But in reality it took French King Louis XVI a long 18 months to agree to a formal alliance, and the first French ships and soldiers did not enter the war until June 1778. The New York Times pulled together a fascinating collection of essays in anticipation of our countrys 247th birthday. For America is the paper asked 17 different columnists to pick the one piece of culture that best explains America. They came back with a wide range of answers, from the 1956 horror movie Invasion of the Body Snatchers to a 1979 rap song by the Sugarhill Gang. The trouble for me, nearly all of the choices and essays expressed a dark, negative or critical vision of the country in which we live. Weve been through a rough patch lately, yes, but Im seeing something very different in our country right now. Im seeing the beginning of an American renaissance. The COVID-19 pandemic disrupted American lives in a million ways, but it also cleared the way for an economic and social revival. A New Yorker essayist wrote recently that Like wars and depressions, a pandemic offers an X-ray of society, allowing us to see all the broken places. When people confront their failures, they have the opportunity to mend them. It seems to me we gathered our forces during our COVID-induced confinement. Our brush with the worst of times and the chilling prospect of losing our democracy during the Jan. 6 takeover of the Capitol have fired up an American drive for reinvention and reconnection. I see Americans reprioritizing whats best about our country right now, trying to pull themselves up by their bootstraps and improve their economics, politics and themselves in a hundred ways. I see people shifting the balance of their work lives and personal lives to better address common problems of community and meaning in their lives. Take our economy right now. America remains the worlds richest, most productive and most innovative big economy. By an impressive number of measures, it is leaving its peers ever further in the dust, according to a remarkable recent article in the Economist. According to data from the U.S. Census Bureau, Americans started 5.4 million new businesses in 2021, which is the highest of any year on record and a 53% increase from 2019. We did it again in 2022, starting another 5 million new businesses. Those new businesses are a good indicator of American dynamism. Starting a business is easy in America, as is restructuring it through bankruptcy, the Economist noted. Census statistics also show a wider range of Americans starting new businesses now: In 2021, 49% of new business owners were women, up from 29% before the pandemic. The share of Black entrepreneurs has increased from 3% in 2019 to 9% in 2021. Looking long term on this July Fourth weekend, Americas overperforming economy means Americans wealth is growing more than the wealth of people in other countries, too. Income was 24% higher than in Western Europe in 1990 according to purchasing power parity (PPP) data cited by the Economist. Today, it is 30% higher. It was 17% higher than Japan in 1990; today, it is 54% higher. Residents in Mississippi have higher average incomes than those in France. Investment in America trumps all other nations as well right now: About half of the worlds venture capital goes to firms in America. Sign up for free: Gazette Business Receive a weekly roundup of business news around El Paso County. Sign Up View all of our newsletters. Success! Thank you for subscribing to our newsletter. View all of our newsletters. And though our grade schools and high schools need drastic improvement, the U.S. still boasts 11 of the worlds 15 top-ranked universities, which serve as important pathways for the worlds smartest young people to come here and contribute. If you look at the big picture on climate change, there's even good news to be found there. Americas industrial carbon-dioxide emissions are 18% below their mid-2000s peak, the Economist also noted. Huge American investments in solar power and wind power and electric cars should only accelerate that trend. That doesnt mean were without problems, of course. Too many of our young people are dying from an epidemic of addiction and rising gun violence, which together have actually reduced our average life expectancy in this country below other rich countries. And we are suffering a mental health crisis in this country. The Economist also pointed out that the middle class isnt doing as well in income rise as the poorest and the richest among us. And for some reason, the percentage of prime-age American men who are not working is climbing and is higher than in Britain, France and Germany. What worries me more is self-sabotage by what Spiro Agnew once memorably identified as the "nattering nabobs of negativism." Our economy is chugging along in spite of our politics, rather than thanks to them, I would argue. And our toxic politics actually threaten this renaissance. Highly polarized state governments are starting to endanger the countrys vast unified market, forcing companies to face new choices, the Economist points out. Texas, for instance, has banned financial firms from doing business with the state if it deems them unfriendly to the oil industry. California is attacking from the opposite end, with a new law that could force oil firms to cap their profits. And the more politicians think they need to dramatically overhaul our roaring economy, the more likely they are to mess it up. Immigration, for example, has always been one of Americas great strengths when it comes to replenishing its workforce and renewing its yearning spirit, but the politics of immigration right now have turned toxic, threatening to overcorrect and strangle that dynamism. At the moment, the most remarkable thing about America is that our problems have not noticeably slowed down our growth. The diagnoses are that China is getting ahead, or that immigrants are a menace, that large corporations are bastions of woke power and free trade a form of treachery, notes the Economist. Their folly is all the more striking because it betrays a lack of appreciation for the bigger economic picture, and just how good America has it. Another piece of journalism I saw recently that made me think the time is ripe for a true American renaissance compared our emergence from this pandemic with Florences in the 1400s. Thats when Florence became the driving force of the Renaissance of all renaissances, thanks to a impassioned embrace of economic mobility, literacy and widespread participation in the city's civic life after the ravages of the Black Death. What really enabled the Renaissance was a deep dive into humane learning, historian Jacob Soll observed in Politico. People from all walks of life read about the ancient past, studying books in the hope of recreating Ciceros ideal of a civic regeneration through education." The key to a new renaissance is making sure the opportunities created by this disruption are spread more widely than ever among rich, middle and poor; Black, White and Brown. America has done this right (or, at least, partially right) before: After the disruption of World War II, the GI bill allowed young men to study the arts and sciences so they could dream, and achieve, things their parents hadnt been able to, Soll continued. It didnt solve all of Americas inequities; the beneficiaries were mostly White, and Black GIs benefited far less. But we can learn something from the impulse behind it. It was by mixing the humanities writ large with practical, artisanal skills and a society ready to use them that Florence produced Donatello and da Vinci. Ours, too, are out there, of all races and creeds. All they need is a chance. Colorado Springs might be 6,200 miles from the heart of Greece, and even farther from the Middle East, but it's still home to many high quality restaurants serving the same dishes you'd find in these regions. Most feature a variety of meat and vegetarian dishes. According to Gazette readers who voted for the Best of the Springs 2023 magazine, these are the top nine Greek and Middle Eastern restaurants in Colorado Springs. Read on to find your next stop for a gyro or falafel fix. 9. Mediterranean Cafe This downtown establishment has offered classic Mediterranean food to the Colorado Springs area for over 19 years. It's located at 118 East Kiowa St. and you can find their website here. 8. Fala-Filo Fala-Filo is a Middle Eastern restaurant serving lamb, falafel, hummus and more. It's owned by Simood Gorguis who was born and raised in Iraq, according to previous Gazette coverage. Her restaurant is located at 6050 N. Carefree Circle and you can find the restaurant's Facebook here. 7. Briar Mart This Mediterranean lunch and dinner spot doubles as a market. They offer rows of teas, coffees, rice, spices and a variety of other goods. Some of their prepared meals include Greek nachos, gyros, tapas and more. Briar Mart is located at 6799 N. Academy Blvd., right next to the Cottonwood Creek Trail. They don't have a website, but you can read more about them here. 6. Greek Cafe The Gazette's dining reviewer, Robin Intemann, visited this establishment in 2022 after a colleague claimed they had the best gyros outside of Greece. "It seemed as much a challenge as a boast; Im pleased to report he wasnt exaggerating," she wrote in her review. Greek Cafe is located at 4343 Integrity Center Point. They don't have a website, but you can read the dining review here. 5. Taste of Jerusalem Cafe This downtown eatery offers Mediterranean and Middle Eastern breakfast, lunch and dinner, as well as Turkish coffee. They are located at 15 E. Bijou St. and you can find their website here. Reader comments: "We eat here regularly. Nice catering options, too." "Everything here is so good! I love the kebab and those French fries are on point!" 4. The Purple Onion The Purple Onion is a Turkish and Greek grill. Along with traditional Mediterranean dishes, they offer burgers and sandwiches that nod to many different cultures including Hawaiian, Italian and Western. They are located at 1840 N. Academy Blvd and you can find their website here. 3. Caspian Cafe "Caspian Cafe is like a cruise ship in the Mediterranean Sea docking at different ports, but the dining experience is anything but whirlwind," Robin Intemann wrote in a review of the restaurant. They are located at 4357 Sinton Rd. and you can find their website here. 2. Heart of Jerusalem Cafe Heart of Jerusalem is a Middle Eastern restaurant that is owned by a family with ties to the Air Force. They have multiple locations throughout Colorado Springs. You can find the list of locations on their website. Reader comments: "Delicious and authentic! Friendly service!" "Honestly, the best fries in the city and the fries aren't even the best part." "Wonderful food prepared in a great atmosphere by a wonderful family." 1. Jake and Telly's Greek Taverna This Old Colorado City restaurant has been serving Greek food to locals and visitors since 1997. They offer traditional meals such as Htapothi Scharas (Grilled Octopus), Midia (Sauteed Mussels), Spanakopita (spinach pie) and more. They also have a special on Mondays where patrons can get select bottles of wine for $10. They are located at 2616 Colorado Ave., and you can find their website here. Reader comments: "Love the authentic food, great views from the outside balcony dining" "Oopah!!! Best Greek in town!!! Live everything on the menu and free shot of ouzo!!" "We love Greek food and they are the best!" A shooting in downtown Colorado Springs Saturday evening left one person in serious condition, but police two days later were able to provide little other information. Police responded to a call around 8:15 p.m. reporting that a person had been shot in the area of East Bijou Street and North Tejon Street. Officers found one person with an apparent gunshot wound, police. The victim was driving a vehicle at the time of the shooting and caused several traffic crashes, according to police. The regional manager for the Dos Dos restaurant told Gazette news partner KKTV that she was just happy everyone in the nearby restaurant was safe. "I mean its just kind of surreal to think about that," Jacinda Gallegos said. "It was right next to a place that me and my staff and everyone frequents on a daily basis. Its just crazy to think that it can be so close to you. The shooting happened as hundreds of tourists and locals made for a typical, busy summer downtown scene. Police said they believe the incident started a few blocks away, and that a woman was driving a car during the shooting and as a result crashed into other vehicles. It appears after the shooting the car veered off on Tejon starting at Cimarron all the way to location here at Bijou, Larry Dyer, a sargent with the Colorado Springs Police Department, told KKTV. On Monday, police spokesman Robert Tornabene said he did not have an exact number of vehicles that had been hit. Sign up for free: Springs AM Update Your morning rundown of the latest news from Colorado Springs and around the country overnight and the stories to follow throughout the day delivered to your inbox each evening. Sign Up View all of our newsletters. Success! Thank you for subscribing to our newsletter. View all of our newsletters. The driver was transported to a local hospital and is in serious but stable condition, police said. According to Tornabene, "there have been arrests related the shooting" as of Monday, but suspect information was not given. He said the investigation is ongoing and that police cannot comment further on the events that led to the shooting. The police department also could not provide an update on the victim's latest condition as of Monday afternoon. Colorado Springs air quality has fallen out of compliance with federal standards for ozone over the past three years, with poor enough air quality to potentially trigger new federal regulations, as cities across the country choke on smoke from Canadian wildfires this summer. Wildfire smoke from outside the area has also hurt air quality in Colorado Springs in recent years and helped send it over federal limits, even as Colorado Springs Utilities has taken some steps that should improve air quality. On average from 2020 to 2022, Colorado Springs exceeded the federal standard for ozone, hitting 74 parts per billion up above the standard of 70 parts per billion, according to Pikes Peak Area Council of Governments data. Ozone can cause immediate health problems, such as asthma attacks, and contribute to long-term health conditions, including an earlier death, according to the American Lung Association. The three-year average for ozone is the standard the Environmental Protection Agency uses to determine whether an area should qualify for federal nonattainment status for air quality, a designation that can trigger steps, such as more costly permitting for businesses and tail-pipe emissions testing. The data is gathered at two local monitors, one in Manitou Springs and one near the Air Force Academy and the average is based on the fourth highest readings from those monitors. While Colorado Springs is over the federal air quality limit for ozone, it is unknown when the EPA might assess Colorado Springs' air quality data and determine if it is now in nonattainment status because it is re-evaluating the current standard for ozone, said Andrew Gunning, executive director of the Pikes Peak Area Council of Governments. Some groups, including the American Lung Association, are calling on the federal government to lower the ozone limit to make it stringent. EPA spokesman Rich Mylott did not provide clear timing on when the agency might reevaluate Colorado Springs, saying it depends on whether new standards are issued. Colorado Springs could potentially have time to improve its air quality averages and stay within air quality attainment standards depending on when the EPA does a review. In Colorado Springs, nonattainment status could trigger high economic costs and hurt public health, Gunning said. "We want to make sure we are keeping our air clean. ... We are Olympic City USA and we dont want that hanging over us," he said. Sign up for free: Springs AM Update Your morning rundown of the latest news from Colorado Springs and around the country overnight and the stories to follow throughout the day delivered to your inbox each evening. Sign Up View all of our newsletters. Success! Thank you for subscribing to our newsletter. View all of our newsletters. Colorado Springs saw poor air quality, in part, because of wildfire smoke from outside the area that blew into the city during 2020, a factor that is out of the community's control and an issue many other communities such as New York and Detroit. The state could ask the EPA not to factor in wildfire smoke because it is an exceptional event, Mylott said. If the EPA did not consider the 2020 wildfires, Colorado Springs would still exceed the ozone limit at one of its two monitors, Gunning said. At the same time, Colorado Springs has taken steps that should improve air quality, such as shutting down the coal-powered portion of the Martin Drake Power Plant downtown. "We are doing some really good things here with cleaning our grid," Gunning said. Vehicles are the largest contributors to emissions in the Pikes Peak region and as more people buy electric cars that will help as well. Three months of free fare on city buses through August is also meant to cut pollution when the community is most at risk of exceeding federal limits, in part, because of the heat. Additionally, the city and Colorado Springs Utilities are working on local wildfire mitigation to reduce the risk of major local fires, he said. "We are trying to hit it with as many reasonable local strategies as we can," he said. Residents can help by reducing car trips and transitioning to electric-powered lawn mowers and leaf blowers that also help protect air quality. So far this year, Colorado Springs has only had one ozone exceedance day in late May when the area was inundated with Canadian wildfire smoke, Gunning said. Cooler, wet weather also helped in June since the heat accelerates ozone creation. Residents concerned about air quality can sign up for alerts at colorado.gov/airquality/request_alerts.aspx. Efforts to clean up Colorado Springs' trails and help them feel safer, will get a bit of a boost likely in the fall as new city park rangers start their patrols. The city's new senior park ranger, a former police officer, started last week and will head up efforts to hire three more rangers, said Eric Becker, parks maintenance and operations manager. The new hires will patrol in vehicles in teams of two with a focus on the Midland and the Pikes Peak Greenway trails, both hot spots for complaints about homelessness. While homelessness is a complex issue, Becker said he expected the teams would be able to provide valuable help. The rangers will help enforce park rules and write tickets to enforce the camping ban, littering rules and other smaller infractions. He also expected the rangers will work closely with the police department's Homeless Outreach Team. The rangers will not be armed and so safety will need to be on the forefront of their minds. "This is a new program and we have been very diligently working and we want to do it right," he said. The new ranger program received $446,000 out of the city's general fund during 2023 to get started and cover staff and two new vehicles, according to the city budget. Sales taxes support the city's general fund, typically used for core city services. Former City Councilwoman Stephannie Fortune backed the program last year after hearing complaints from people who live in the southwest side of the city. "The constituents of District 3 have pleaded with us to find a way to take back the trails," Fortune said last October. Fortune died in June from cancer. The appointed board member decided not to run for her seat in the April election because of her illness. The parks department expects to have "boots on the ground" during September, Becker said, about a year after Fortune made her public pitch for the service. Sign up for free: Springs AM Update Your morning rundown of the latest news from Colorado Springs and around the country overnight and the stories to follow throughout the day delivered to your inbox each evening. Sign Up View all of our newsletters. Success! Thank you for subscribing to our newsletter. View all of our newsletters. The rangers will patrol when parks are busiest, such as mornings and weekends, Becker said. While the Midland and Greenway trails are expected to be focal points for enforcement, the rangers can work throughout the parks system and respond to complaints. Justin Trudeau, vice president of the Organization of Westside Neighbors, said he has seen problems with homelessness ebb and flow along the Midland Trail with enforcement. "Everybody is gone for a little period of time, but they tend to come back," said Trudeau, who has been a trail user for 20 years. The perception around safety concerns has led residents to underutilize the trail, he said. Trudeau would like the city to work more closely with residents who could help with cleanups and reporting problems as volunteers. While the city has been a model in dealing with its homelessness problems, he said, more work remains. "We need to address the underlying problem, we need to get people housed," he said. Citizens can report problems in parks and other city infrastructure, such as potholes, at coloradosprings.gov/gocos. Independence Day is shaping up to be a struggle with weather delays piling up some flights. DIA had the largest amount of interruptions in the country Tuesday, with 260 flights delayed and 171 cancelled within the U.S., according to Flight Aware. At around 1 pm, Denver International Airport announced a ground delay from 2-10 p.m. for July 4 travel due to incoming storms. The airport announced that delays would be up to two hours and asked for travelers to call their airlines for updates. WEATHER ALERT: FAA has issued a Ground Delay at DEN between 2 and 10 p.m.Flights may experience delays of up to two hours due to thunderstorms in the area. Please check with your airline before you arrive at the airport and thank you for your patience. #cowx pic.twitter.com/HC7CBDEXo0 Denver Int'l Airport (@DENAirport) July 4, 2023 Southwest Airlines warned air travelers that inclement weather hitting Denver may disrupt flights, informing them on their website that "Customers holding reservations to, from, or through the city listed above (Denver) on Tuesday, July 4 and want to alter their travel plans may rebook in the original class of service or travel standby (within 14 days of their original date of travel between the original city-pairs and in accordance with our accommodation procedures) without paying additional charges." To lessen travelers' anxiety, DIA had several therapy dogs on the concourses throughout the day, including Riley the German Shepard/Lab mix and Gabriel the Belgian Malinois. On July 4, 1776, 247 years ago today, the 13 colonies adopted the Declaration of Independence. By doing so, they committed treason, triggered a war with the most powerful military force in the world at the time, and created our great nation. In the years since, we have endured and triumphed through wars, depressions, pandemics, and disasters of all kinds. And, as in recent years, we once again find ourselves celebrating Independence Day as a divided nation. Pew Research Center among other institutions has reported that in state legislatures across the country, blue districts are getting bluer and red districts are getting redder. Common ground on issues is rare in the political sphere as our ideological differences drive us further apart. Most of our political conversations used to be practical in nature, discussing the effectiveness of taxes or some policy. Now our national discourse has grown increasingly existential, as people worry about our deepening divide. Thinkers as different as conservative pundit Ben Shapiro and former Democratic presidential candidate Marianne Williamson both have warned of a coming cold civil war. And sometimes, actual violence has broken out. It was extremists who hijacked protest rallies over the slaying of George Floyd in the summer of 2020 and caused over $1 billion in property damage, leaving at least 20 dead. It was extremists, as well, who the following January stormed the U.S. Capitol, leaving three dead and leading to over 500 arrests. Even our history has become a point of contention. Nikkole Hannah Jones 1619 Project, published in 2019 teaches that America is inextricably bound up with the evil of racism. Later, Hillsdale College and its president Larry P. Arnn created the 1776 Report, a rebuttal curriculum to the 1619 project. At such a time, it can be wise to ask ourselves, what is Independence Day? What does the birth of the United States of America mean? Sign up for free: Gazette Opinion Receive updates from our editorial staff, guest columnists, and letters from Gazette readers. Sent to your inbox 12:00 PM. Sign Up View all of our newsletters. Success! Thank you for subscribing to our newsletter. View all of our newsletters. We hold these truths to be self-evident. That all men are created equal. That they are endowed by their creator with certain inalienable rights and that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. With these lines, for the first time in human history a country was created on the basis that liberty was not granted or withheld by government, but rather an inherent gift from God. In the 245 years since that Declaration, we have worked to live up to that creed. Far more often than not, we do. Since 1776, we have led the world as the shining city on a hill, and we still do today. Even in a world that is full of democratic governments (many modeled after our own), we stand at the gate defending liberty as the most powerful free nation on earth. Of course, being imperfect people as we are, we will never perfectly master that Declaration. The evil of slavery persisted in our country for nearly a century after the nations birth. But as long as we strive to fulfill the vision of the Declaration of Independence, we will continue to lead the world as libertys torchbearer despite our imperfections. As we work to improve and unify our country the most dangerous thing we can do is let go of the Declaration of Independence and the principles of liberty on which it stands. Our common heritage, regardless of any race religion, or creed, is the ideas set forth in the Declaration. Should we lose that common foundation of individual and inalienable rights, we will be a country without a common cause. While we celebrate this Fourth of July, it would be wise of us to remember exactly who we are. The United States of America is still that shining city on a hill and will remain so if we keep sight of our founding principles. A version of this editorial was published originally on July 4, 2021. Assuming the rain stays away tonight, the skies above Colorado Springs and all along the Front Range will be filled with fireworks, an annual tradition first predicted by future president John Adams in 1776. Writing to his wife Abigail a day after the Continental Congress voted for independence, Adams suggested future celebrations would be seen as a Day of Deliverance and commemorated by solemn acts of devotion to God Almighty. He said Independence Days would include, pomp and parade and feature shows, games, sports, guns, bells, bonfires and illuminations from one end of this continent to the other from this time forward forever more. Time would prove Adams right. Its estimated that 150 million hot dogs will be consumed today a lot of them by Joey Chestnut at the Nathans Coney Island hot dog eating contest in New York and nearly $3 billion worth of fireworks will be lit off. One of the men responsible for millions of those billions is Phil Grucci, CEO of Fireworks by Grucci. The Gruccis are considered the First Family of Fireworks a distinction awarded after a worldwide competition, and as a result of six generations of Gruccis keeping things going thru good times and bad. If youre not familiar with the name Grucci, youve inevitably seen their work. For the last 40 years, theyve provided the fireworks for every presidential inauguration, as well as the Olympic games. I spoke to Phil this past week from his Long Island, N.Y., office. He was relaxed despite the fact his company was putting on over 65 shows all across the country from New York City down to Florida and all the way across the Pacific in Hawaii. Phils eyes light up when he talks about how much joy he gets watching others enjoy a good fireworks show. He mentioned how the same look of awe and wonder is on an 80-year-old mans face as a 5-year-old. The only difference are the wrinkles on the old man. I asked him what the allure of fireworks are, and he said its partly because they engage nearly all of our senses: we see them, we hear them, and we can even smell and taste the black powder. Theres also some danger involved, which always adds interest. Its a nostalgic experience for a lot of us, too. Sign up for free: Gazette Opinion Receive updates from our editorial staff, guest columnists, and letters from Gazette readers. Sent to your inbox 12:00 PM. Sign Up View all of our newsletters. Success! Thank you for subscribing to our newsletter. View all of our newsletters. July 4th is a time of celebration, but its also a time to remember. Fireworks may light up the sky, but they also light up our minds to thoughts that might need some dusting off. Fireworks bring me back to sitting on my fathers shoulders at Jones Beach, or lying on top of our Plymouth station wagons roof to watch the colorful displays. There was also a time I grabbed the wrong end of a sparkler in our backyard. Id like to forget that, but I cant. Lately, Memorial Park has been the site of happy family memories. There are a lot of metaphorical fireworks in our country these days, and maybe even in our families. Unfortunately, those pyrotechnics dont wait for darkness to go off. These are the worst kinds of fireworks. We all know about the political ones, but the personal might hurt the most. It might be a relationship gone bad, a broken heart, a broken dream, or maybe a child who feels misunderstood. If those are the kinds of fireworks in your life, hang in there. The smoke will eventually clear. It always does. Maybe just for tonight, lose yourself in the beauty of the best kinds of fireworks and revel in Americas 247th birthday party. We get to live here and thats no small thing. Freedom is fragile, but we also need to remember, it isnt free. Wherever you may be, happy Independence Day! Paul J. Batura is a local writer and host of WHAT A LIFE! Lessons from Legends radio program heard on 100.7 FM KGFT on Sunday afternoons at 1 p.m. You can reach him via email: [email protected] or Twitter @PaulBatura. SCOTUS at odds with our Founders Independence Day is an apt time to remember our founding principles, with freedom of religion being a pivotal one. It is a good time to also remember that our Founders never advocated for religious freedom to be stretched into an extreme religious privilege that allows for harming others in religions name. They consistently denounced such a notion. Thomas Jefferson, author of the Declaration of Independence, wrote in his 1786 Virginia Statute for Religious Freedom that using religion to withhold anothers individual rights is depriving him injuriously of those privileges and advantages to which in common with his fellow citizens he has a natural right. Reverend John Witherspoon, the only active clergyman to sign the Declaration, said in 1805, One object of civil laws is limiting citizens in the exercise of their rights so they may not be injurious to one another. But in recent years the Supreme Court has chosen to grant excessive privilege to religion. SCOTUS conservatives have made free exercise of religion the equivalent of a super-right and a license to harm others by diminishing or fully denying other legal and civil rights. Such as the right to equal protection and treatment under the law, the right to health services, the right to be free from workplace discrimination, and the right to not have tax dollars pay for religious instruction a specific abuse that the father of the Constitution, James Madison, penned a powerful 15-point Remonstrance against in 1785. In their zeal to privilege religion in the extreme, the justices dismiss our history and warp the noble ideal of religious freedom, giving it undue power to erode our rights, liberties, and protections. Todays SCOTUS is bringing about the injurious impacts our Founders cautioned us to avoid. Ken Burrows Colorado Springs Dont play those cards This is in reference to the photos on the front page of the paper on Saturday, July 1st. How is someones student debt a gender & racial equity issue? I dont understand how signing a piece of paper and taking on a personal debt to attend classes in college count as a gender or racial or equity issue? Are you serious? Dont play those cards. They dont apply and they dont work. I suggest all of you stop wasting time and get a job to pay for your own student debt instead of trying to force the rest of us to pay your debt for you. Grow up and take responsibility for your own debt because I have my own bills to pay. Im not going to pay yours. Billie Nigro Colorado Springs Temporarily stemming the tide Im thankful that SCOTUS got it right with 303 Creative and personal expression. The Thought Police of the progressive left wants everyone to conform to their way of thinking and, though they will continue to push violently in that way, we have gotten a short reprieve from the onslaught. The major problem with these lawsuits is one of coercion. That there are other web designers, cake bakers, and candlestick makers that have no qualms whatsoever providing these specific services to the LGBTQ+ community doesnt matter to this progressive agenda because it is more fun for them to try to force their lifestyles on those who dont and wont think or believe the same way they do. Colorados anti-discrimination law is trying to eliminate hurt feelings rather than provide more consumer and business opportunities for this marginalized group. The progressives will continue until all conform or are destroyed. Thank you, SCOTUS, for temporarily stemming the tide of their aggression. Joseph Ford Colorado Springs Really biased headline The Gazette had a really biased headline Sunday, July 2 in the Nation and World section. The head read: LGBTQ+ rights yield to religious interests at SCOTUS. Sign up for free: Gazette Opinion Receive updates from our editorial staff, guest columnists, and letters from Gazette readers. Sent to your inbox 12:00 PM. Sign Up View all of our newsletters. Success! Thank you for subscribing to our newsletter. View all of our newsletters. So people who feel they can choose sexual preference have Rights. People who are religious have interests. Is that correct? Maybe the headline writer should go back to college. No. That would probably be a waste of time. I always thought religion was protected by our founding documents, not sexual preference. Chuck Asay Colorado Springs Any city has challenges I was so saddened to read the mean-spirited article by the former resident Richard Harris. To use his own words, it was poisonous, bigoted, self-righteousness and intolerant. Having raised children, taught school, and been active in church and both Christian and secular volunteer organizations here since 1973, I have much respect for the positive, giving and caring people of the Colorado Springs area! They work hard to keep improving the city which inspired Katherine Bates to write America the Beautiful. Any city has challenges, but the people of Colorado Springs have always worked for positive change. As they say I didnt grow up here, but I got here as quick as I could! Love you, Colorado Springs! Keep up the positive, caring good work! Scharlotte Rich Colorado Springs Not what is needed My thoughts: The opinion piece by Richard Harris, entitled Culture of arch conservatism fostered intolerance in the Springs, was, at best, counter-productive. Definitely doesnt invite healthy, open and winsome conversation. Definitely not what is needed at this time in our community or nation. It is more of the same divisive word-speak. It is time for some honest, engaging thoughtful conversations a time to use words that keep the door open so we can move forward, not words that reinforce the barriers. Our nation needs healing. We need to learn the art of conflict resolution. This opinion piece is not offering anything new, no positive solutions here. Wendy Smith Colorado Springs Colorado's second-highest court agreed last month that a Colorado Department of Transportation employee demonstrated his supervisors probably demoted him not for performance-related reasons, but because he spoke with a civil rights investigator about misconduct in the agency. Weeks after Marcus Maes shared his knowledge of multiple racist or hostile workplace incidents, his superiors elected to end his probationary period as a high-level supervisor and demote, or revert, him to a lower-paying position. Maes challenged the department's actions as violating Colorado's Whistleblower Act. An administrative law judge sided with Maes and, following CDOT's appeal, a three-judge panel for the Court of Appeals concluded the evidence supported a theory that CDOT illegally retaliated against him. "After having worked for CDOT for more than a decade, Maes was reverted approximately two weeks after partaking in the interview" with a civil rights investigator, wrote Judge Terry Fox in the June 8 opinion. There was "no indication, before Maes January 14 interview, that Maes was on a reversion track." Case: Maes v. Department of Transportation Decided: June 8, 2023 Jurisdiction: Colorado State Personnel Board Ruling: 3-0 Judges: Terry Fox (author) Craig R. Welling W. Eric Kuhn Background: Appeals court reinstates lawsuit of UCCS chef who alleges illegal firing On Aug. 22, 2020, Maes began a six-month trial period as a higher-level maintenance supervisor. Less than four months into his promotion, CDOT received an anonymous report of discrimination involving another supervisor, Michael Martinez. Civil rights manager Patricia Bowling then launched an investigation. The following month, her office received a second complaint, which implicated additional supervisors. Maes was listed as a witness. On Jan. 14, 2021, after assuring Maes he would be protected from retaliation, Bowling interviewed Maes about Martinez's alleged misconduct. Bowling, relying in part on Maes' testimony, issued findings in response to each report. Martinez, she concluded, had referred to a Black employee as a character from "Planet of the Apes," was involved to some degree with placing a dead rat on a Muslim employee's prayer rug, and had potentially violated workplace policy by bringing a gun to work. In response, Deputy Director of Maintenance Brent Spahn conducted his own investigation and decided there was insufficient evidence to warrant disciplining Martinez. Instead, on Feb. 4, Spahn reverted Maes to his previous, lower-level position at the end of the trial period. Spahn based his decision on two performance complaints against Maes, involving a December incident when he allegedly failed to ensure a maintenance truck carried proper signage, and a January incident in which Maes allegedly neglected to send out the proper notification for a bridge repair. Both complaints came from supervisor William Riddle and, unlike with Martinez, Spahn did not investigate them further. Sign up for free: News Alerts Stay in the know on the stories that affect you the most. Sign Up For Free View all of our newsletters. Success! Thank you for subscribing to our newsletter. View all of our newsletters. Maes challenged his demotion and an administrative law judge heard two days of testimony. The judge, Susan J. Tyburski, then concluded CDOT's reasons for demoting Maes were not credible. Specifically, she found Riddle himself, and not Maes, was to blame for failing to send out the notification for a bridge repair. As for the other incident, Tyburski similarly found Maes was not responsible. The misplaced concerns about Maes' performance, coupled with Spahn's unequal treatment of the allegations against Martinez and Maes, suggested CDOT demoted Maes to punish him for his testimony in the civil rights investigation, Tyburski decided. She awarded Maes $1,000 per month in lost wages and housing stipend, and ordered his reinstatement to the higher-paying position. CDOT appealed, arguing Tyburski had relied only on the "coincidence in timing" between Maes' testimony and his demotion, without considering whether Maes' interview was a substantial factor in CDOT's decision to demote him. "Cant that timing and those circumstances be circumstantial evidence?" asked Judge Craig R. Welling during oral arguments. Along those lines, even if the performance complaints falsely assigned blame to Maes, Welling wondered, how could they signal retaliation if they arose prior to the interview with Bowling? "Its not only that its not true, its what they did with it," responded attorney Christopher M.A. Lujan on behalf of Maes. Ultimately, the appellate panel found multiple pieces of evidence supported Tyburski's belief that CDOT's explanation for demoting Maes did not reflect its true motivations. Spahn's differential treatment of Maes and Martinez, the dubious complaints against Maes and the timing of Spahn's decision all suggested the civil rights interview made a key difference in CDOT's decision to demote. "It is not our role to choose between competing narratives," Fox wrote. But the evidence indicated Maes' interview was "a substantial or motivating factor" in his demotion. The government has since asked the panel to reconsider its decision, arguing Tyburski herself never explicitly found the interview was a substantial or motivating factor, only that Maes could cast doubt on CDOT's motivations. Colorado's second-highest court ruled last week that a class-action lawsuit against Colorado State University may proceed, based on allegations the institution unjustly enriched itself by suspending in-person activities at the outset of the COVID-19 pandemic without refunding tuition or student fees. A three-judge panel for the Court of Appeals agreed, by 2-1, it was plausible that CSU did not have the right to retain money its students paid with the expectation of receiving face-to-face interactions and participating in on-campus culture even if the university had the legal authority to close its campuses. "In entering this judgment, we do not opine in any way on whether it was unfair for CSU to retain all, or any, of the tuition or fees," wrote Judge David J. Richman in the June 29 opinion. Instead, the panel allowed plaintiff Renee Alderman to prove her claims in court. Case: Alderman v. Colorado State University Decided: June 29, 2023 Jurisdiction: Denver Ruling: 3-0 that there is no breach of contract; 2-1 that there is an unjust enrichment claim Judges: David J. Richman (author) JoAnn L. Vogt Ted C. Tow III (partial dissent) Background: Colorado State University student sues for refund of fees after coronavirus closes campus Alderman filed suit soon after CSU announced in March 2020 that all classes at its Fort Collins and Pueblo campuses would move online due to the spread of the deadly coronavirus. On behalf of all people who paid student tuition and fees during the spring 2020 semester, Alderman alleged CSU breached its contract with students and unjustly enriched itself. Specifically, she claimed CSU "saved significant sums of money" by curtailing in-person services but holding onto payments from students, including approximately $867 in general fees per student. "This decision deprived Plaintiffs and the other members of the Classes from recognizing the benefits of in-person instruction, access to campus facilities, student activities, and other benefits and services in exchange for which they had already paid fees and tuition," Alderman's lawsuit argued. In August 2021, Denver District Court Judge Alex C. Myers dismissed the breach of contract claims. He noted a state law which applies only to CSU and not the other public universities permits the board of governors to "temporarily suspend" operations in response to, among other things, "the prevalence of fatal diseases." "Put differently," Myers explained, "any contractual bargain made between Plaintiffs and CSU allowed CSU to close campus and in-person learning, and CSUs actions in doing so cannot be considered a breach." He later dismissed the unjust enrichment claims, reasoning they "cover the same subject matter." Sign up for free: News Alerts Stay in the know on the stories that affect you the most. Sign Up For Free View all of our newsletters. Success! Thank you for subscribing to our newsletter. View all of our newsletters. Alderman appealed, contending state law did not allow CSU to skirt its obligation to provide "specifically promised educational services," nor could it retain fees and tuition if the university declined to uphold its end of the bargain. "Plaintiffs contracts with CSU did not entitle them to unqualified, uninterrupted access to campus buildings, services, or events in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic," responded the Colorado Attorney General's Office in defending CSU's decision to move online for the spring semester. The Court of Appeals panel agreed CSU's suspension of in-person learning fit squarely under its authority in state law to respond to "fatal diseases." Therefore, there was no breach of contract. However, Richman wrote for himself and Judge JoAnn L. Vogt that Alderman may pursue her unjust enrichment claims. It is the only way "to seek to enforce her rights," he explained. Judge Ted C. Tow III disagreed that a second route was open to Alderman for holding CSU liable. Igor Raykin, an attorney representing Alderman, called CSU's actions during the early pandemic "indefensible." "Imagine you pay a plumber $1,000 to do a job at your house, then COVID begins and the plumber can't do the work at that point and never gets around to doing the work. The plumber would have to return the $1,000, and there's no two ways about it," he said. "So why in the hell should colleges get to do things differently?" Earlier this year, a judge approved a $5 million settlement the University of Colorado reached over similar claims from students. Raykin also represented the plaintiffs in that case. Alderman's lawsuit did not estimate the amount CSU allegedly owes in refunds, but she noted there were more than 30,000 students enrolled at the two physical campuses as of spring 2020. KOSICE, Slovakia As Yevgeny Prigozhins troops marched toward Moscow last month, Vladimir Putin compared the rebellion to the uprising of 1917. But instead of toppling the Russian government, the Wagner mercenary group changed course. More than a week later, Russias military remains composed and entrenched along the front lines of the war. Ukrainian journalist and international relations expert Audrey Burazov believed the event to be the biggest strategic defeat of Russian political history in the last 30 years, but doesnt foresee major changes in the war. Instead, he anticipates the battle lines will become semifrozen in the months to come. And while Wagers actions demonstrate discord among Russian leaders, they also ignited new anxieties for Ukrainian tacticians. With Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko mediating an undisclosed agreement between Putin and Prigozhin, some number of those seasoned fighters are being integrated into the Russian army while an unknown number of Wagner forces are now relocating to Russias Western neighbor. I don't like that these guys from Wagner may be transferred to Belarus, said Buzarov. Belarus has a border near NATO, near Ukraine, near Kyiv So it can be very dangerous. A previously abandoned area in Belarus, recently cited by Russian media as a potential home for the Wagner soldiers, is roughly 280 miles from Kiev. The war-torn region of Kherson, meanwhile, is separated from Kyiv by over 400 miles. Moreover, the Wagner incident did not provide Ukrainian forces with much opportunity to capitalize in areas like Kherson, Kharkiv and Dnipro. We saw that Ukraine was, Id say, rather careful with its reaction, said Matej Kandrik, a doctoral political science candidate who specializes in security and strategic studies. I think, even in Ukraine, they were not really sure if it was real or not. My reading would be that they didnt go down that way because of being careful and not risking too much. The situation is further complicated by Russian forces' preparation over the last several months. Entrenching themselves along the front, they have built complex fortifications designed to repel much of the advanced weapons systems provided by the West. Preventing a fast Ukrainian advance, even with Wagners march on Moscow, gives Russias Ministry of Defense time to rework its internal structure and prevent further insubordination. The lack of unity in command is a huge problem in Russian forces, said Kandrik. The MOD was trying also to fix this problem, not only the political problem of Wagner but really to reach this overlap and get everyone under their umbrella. Sign up for free: News Alerts Stay in the know on the stories that affect you the most. Sign Up For Free View all of our newsletters. Success! Thank you for subscribing to our newsletter. View all of our newsletters. And as a result of this long standing disunity, Russias long-term plans for annexation have been largely stagnated. A conflict that some experts initially thought could end in days has dragged on, with Ukraines military holding firm against the full might of the Russian force. Now facing a counteroffensive, its unclear what has become of Russian war aims. Some experts believe that a ceasefire might be in Putins best interest. The thing is that for the Russians now, the strategic goal is to hold on, to hold the territories they have already conquered, and ideally, perhaps, enter peace talks, said Melichar Hynek, a professor in the department of political science and European studies at the Czech Republics Palacky University. Putin then would present it, of course, amplified by propaganda to the Russians, said Hynek. This propaganda, Hynek says, would leverage the regained territory in Donbas and Crimea to frame the wars conclusion as a Russian victory. For Ukraine, though, such an agreement would not be so simple. [Peace] will be a victory for Putin, but of course, on the other side, Zelensky and the Ukrainians dont want to hear anything about it. Why should they give up their own territory to an enemy who clearly shows more and more weaknesses? But Russias vulnerability is hard to quantify. It seems that Prigozhins march on Moscow did little, in the short term, to undermine the war effort in Ukraine. While Russia may show signs of deterioration from the inside, the front remains fraught with military activity. Still, seeds of rebellion can take time to root. Prigozhin demonstrated to the world that Russia is not nearly as united as it claims to be and that Putins once-strong grip on his country may finally be relaxing, the regional experts said. The whole thing brought more questions than answers, especially right now, said Kandrik. I wouldn't consider it really as a closed chapter. I mean, the mutiny itself, yes, but the outcomes and all other things it might trigger, thats for us to see in some time. Corvallis native Fortress Oriakhi was celebrating his birthday when someone shot him to death. The 29-year-old Gresham resident and aspiring musician went out June 22 to a Portland venue with friends and never made it home. Oriakhi was born and raised in Corvallis, according to his father, Chris Oriakhi, who was attending Oregon State University for a graduate program when his son was born. Fortress Oriakhi went to elementary, middle and part of high school in Corvallis. We are grieving right now at his loss, Chris Oriakhi said. While Fortress Oriakhi was driving home with a friend from Nigeria at around 2:30 a.m. June 23 in the Hollywood neighborhood, a car pulled alongside the pair and bullets rang out, leaving one dead and the other hospitalized in what remains an ongoing investigation. His passion was music, Chris Oriakhi said, adding his son was staying with a group of three friends who were working on rap music together. Fortress Oriakhi was invited by friends to a karaoke bar in Portland the night of his death, according to his father. He said when Fortress Oriakhi and friends were done at the bar, they headed out for the night, but made it less than 2 miles before tragedy struck. While they were stopped at a red light, a car pulled up and an unknown number of suspects started shooting, then it sped off. Chris Oriakhi speculated his son tried to get away from the scene, but suffering from gunshots, he probably lost control and crashed. Portland police in the area of Northeast Sandy Boulevard and Northeast Cesar E. Chavez Boulevard heard gunfire, and moments later found a vehicle crashed into a pole near Northeast Broadway and Northeast Cesar E. Chavez Boulevard, according to that city's police department. Fortress Oriakhi was dead at the scene, and his passenger was seriously wounded. No suspects were located, and no arrests have been made in the shooting. Its a huge loss because Fortress had great potential, very smart and talented, Chris Oriakhi said, noting that music wasnt all his son had going for himself. He had a degree in electronics engineering. In pursuit of his musical dreams, one of Fortress Oriakhis goals was to make rap music without objectionable language, according to his father, who said people loved the music his son produced. Apart from that, he was a decent human being, Chris Oriakhi said. He loved to help people. Anyone with information about the shooting is asked to contact Detective Travis Law at travis.law@police.portlandoregon.gov or 503-823-0395 or contact Detective Ryan Foote at ryan.foote@police.portlandoregon.gov or 503-823-0781. Reference case number 23-164650. 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. Editors note: This is one in an occasional series about individuals in Albany experiencing homelessness. While the reasons why people can become homeless are myriad, housing advocates say an overwhelming number in Albany have disabilities or are formerly incarcerated. This can create barriers to housing and jobs, they say. Here are two of stories of people who have made homes in their vehicles at an Interstate 5 rest stop outside of Albany. Cynthia Fifty-two-year-old Cynthia Heisdorf remembers the day her life irrevocably changed. It was Aug. 9, 2014, when she was crossing the road in Lebanon as a pedestrian and was struck, breaking both her legs and knocking out her teeth. Getting hit by that car took everything from me, even my dignity, my teeth, Heisdorf said. Perhaps ironic, a car is now her home. Blankets were piled in the makeshift bed of her backseat over a rectangle of foam padding. Its her fourth car in 60 days, she said. Buying used cars as a woman can be difficult, and shes gotten some bad deals, she said. Her magenta hair is tied in a loose knot and her skin is pink from standing in the sun. After the medical bills, Heisdorf was $17,000 in debt. To get out from under it, she had to sell her house, she said. Her leg injuries make it difficult to work, she said. She used to be a server at a restaurant, but with her limp, she cant carry a tray or dish out meals during the lunch rush, she said. She also has social anxiety and PTSD, Heisdorf said. Right now shes fighting to get disability benefits, she said. So in the meantime, she makes her money by the side of the rest stop, holding a sign. Hard times, anything helps especially your smile," it reads. If they dont have anything to give me, just a smile helps, Heisdorf said. Sometimes she gives people rides in the car she lives in, but mostly she wakes up early to hold out her sign, she said. And on Fridays, she goes to Bible study. Housing is expensive, but being without housing also can be expensive, she said. Heisdorf has to worry about the upkeep of her car and the cost of food. Food is especially expensive when you don't have a fridge to store groceries or a place to cook meals. You rely more on takeout and nonperishables, which costs more than fresh food, she said. But Heisdorf still finds reasons to smile, she said, flashing her gums. An overwhelming majority have some sort of disability whether physical or mental, said Carol Davies, vice president of the Creating Housing Coalition, the group behind a tiny home village now under construction. Fredda Fifty-nine-year-old Fredda Blackburn may be without a home, but she has a job. She works at Dollar Tree for $13.50 an hour. At night, she sleeps in her car. After her roommate situation fell through, Blackburn did the math and knew she did not make enough to afford housing on her own, she said. On a recent visit with a journalist, wisps of bleached blonde hair poked from under a pair of sunglasses pushed on top of her head. Wooden and metal crosses hung from her neck. Blackburn often has to hear a question twice, lifting her good ear in the direction of sound. Her hearing aid was stolen, so she is deaf in one ear and has about 10% hearing in the other. For the last three weeks, Blackburn has been stranded at an I-5 rest stop. Her car wont start, and she cant find her way back to Salem where she works, she said. After being in prison for 26 years, Blackburn said that being out in society feels like a culture shock. Sometimes it feels like people have forgotten to be human, she said. People dont take the time to try and understand each other. Many unhoused people have a criminal history, said Davies. This can create barriers for getting certain jobs, but it can also be a source of housing discrimination, she said. Even though there are laws to prevent housing discrimination based on having a criminal record, the housing market is so tight that she believes discrimination may be going undetected. Applicants who dont have a criminal record may be more likely to get housing than those who do because of the stiff competition, Davies said. Blackburn spends her days talking to other people at the rest stop and offering them water, she said. A lot of people just need someone to talk to, she said. Homeless people are good people. People watch out for me, protect me, she said. Related stories: Premier Wen Jiabao's visit to ROK and Japan is a great success in strengthening mutually beneficial cooperation and promoting the economic and trade ties, Foreign Minister Li Zhaoxing said. Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao sought to wrap up his bridge-building visit to Japan on a high note on Friday, saying that he felt it had been a success. A Republican-sponsored House bill that would place new restrictions on gender-affirming care for youths is headed to a likely veto by Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper after clearing the House on Wednesday. House Bill 808, titled Gender Transition/Minors, was approved by 67-46 in the House after clearing the Senate by a 29-17 vote Tuesday. Once Cooper receives HB808 from the legislature, he has 10 days to veto or sign it or allow it to become law without his signature. The House approved several changes made by the Senate. Among those changes are moving up the effective date of most prohibitions within HB808 from Oct. 1 to Aug. 1. Senate bill sponsors stressed that children already receiving gender-affirming medical treatment, such as surgical procedures, puberty-blocking drugs and cross-sex hormones would be allowed to complete their process as long as a medical professional deemed the continuation or completion to be medically necessary and the parents and guardians consented. State funds would remain available for them. However, the bill would prevent minors from starting the treatment process as of Aug. 1. The bill also includes stiff penalties for medical professionals who provide gender-affirming care. A legislative analysis said medical professionals would be prohibited from: performing surgical gender transition procedures on minors; and prescribing, providing or dispensing puberty-blocking drugs or cross-sex hormones to minors with some exceptions. The bill defines medical professionals as anyone licensed to practice medicine or licensed to prescribe or dispense drugs. Medical professionals who did not comply with the provisions (of HB808) would be deemed to have engaged in unprofessional conduct and would have their licenses revoked, according to the legislative analysis. A minor who received surgical gender transition medical treatment would have up to 25 years after age 18 to sue a medical professional and the entity employing or contracting with the medical professional who performed the procedure or prescribed or supplied the puberty-blocking drugs or cross-sex hormones. There would be no damage cap on medical malpractice awards. Democratic support The House initially approved HB808 by a 74-44 vote on May 3 with the support of two Democrats. The bills passing comes after a federal judge on June 20 struck down Arkansas 2021 ban on gender-affirming care for minors, and a federal judge on June 21 struck down a similar ban in Florida. Several medical treatment exceptions were inserted into the North Carolina bill during the Senate Judiciary committee on June 21. Those include: services for individuals with a medically verifiable disorder of sex development; services provided when a physician has diagnosed abnormal sex chromosome structure, sex steroid hormone production, or sex steroid hormone action; treatment of any infection, injury, disease or disorder caused by previous performance of gender transition procedures; and breast reduction procedures when necessary to remedy a physical disorder in a female patient. The Senate kept the July 1 effective date for when potential civil penalties begin for violations of the proposed law. State funds could not be used for surgical gender transition procedures on minors and for prescribing, providing or dispensing puberty-blocking drugs or cross-sex hormones to minors. Sen. Joyce Krawiec, R-Forsyth, defended her support of HB808 by saying that gender transitioning is growing at a tremendous pace. This process has doubled between 2017 and 2021. The Associated Press reports that gender-affirming treatments for gender dysphoria are considered safe and medically necessary by the leading professional health associations, including the American Academy of Pediatrics, the American Medical Association and the Endocrine Society. Two Greensboro women are dead, and a 3-year-old boy was wounded after a shooting late Monday night. Greensboro police said that they responded to a reported shooting on Blackmoor Road in Greensboro at 11:16 p.m. Monday. They located three victims who are identified as Theressa Little Johnson, 66, and Chestani Elizabeth Jones, 21 and the 3-year-old boy, who was not identified. Johnson and Jones died of their injuries and the child is in stable condition, police said. The investigation is ongoing and police ask that anyone with information about the shooting contact Greensboro/Guilford Crime Stoppers at 336-373-1000. GREENSBORO A lawsuit against NC House Speaker Tim Moore is ending, only about two weeks after a Wake County Republican filed the action accusing Moore of carrying on a more-than-three-year affair with his wife and using his powerful position to entice her to a relationship. On Monday, attorneys for both men said the matter is resolved. Attorneys Stacy Miller, who represents Moore, and Alicia Jurney, who represents Scott Lassiter, independently confirmed the resolution of the suit in emails with the News & Record but did not respond to questions on how exactly how the matter was resolved and whether there was any legal settlement. We wont be commenting further, Stacy Miller wrote. Attorney Joshua Howard, who represents Jamie Lassiter, wrote, Nothing from us, thank you, when asked if he or his client had anything they wanted to say about the development. In an interview with television station WBTV last month, Moore said, the allegation that I had a relationship with Mrs. Lassiter, Ive admitted that thats true but I thought it was appropriate because she was separated and I was divorced all the salacious stuff that other people are talking about is absolutely 100% false. In the lawsuit, Scott Lassiter, a former Apex councilman, alleged that his wife, as executive director of the North Carolina Conference of Clerks of Superior Court, frequently interacted with Moore to advocate for her organization, which was created in 2006 by the General Assembly to improve the administration of justice in North Carolina, according to its website. Scott Lassiter said he and Jamie Lassiter, lived continuously together as husband and wife in North Carolina from June 1, 2013, until they separated from each other on or about January 11, 2023, as a result of Defendant Tim Moores adulterous extramarital relationship with Mrs. Lassiter. In the suit, Lassiter said that his wife confessed in December 2022 to the relationship with Moore, including group sex with other individuals seeking Defendant Tim Moores political favor. Lassiter said in the suit he and Moore then met at the Biscuitville on Western Boulevard in Raleigh that month, where he said Moore confessed to a multi-year sexual relationship with his wife. Near the end of the meeting, Defendant Tim Moore asked Plaintiff on a completely unrelated note if there was anything he could do for Plaintiff, implying that he could use the power he held as Speaker in some way to benefit Plaintiff. Plaintiff angrily told Defendant Tim Moore that he did not want any political favors. In a statement shared with the News & Record, Jamie Lassiter said the claims were, not only false but impossible as weve been separated with a signed separation document for years. Jamie Lassiter denied Moore had abused her or threatened her career and said she and her estranged husband are reaching the end of their divorce process. Our marriage was a nightmare, and since I left him it has gotten worse, she said. Potentially strong thunderstorms are possible for much of central North Carolina, including the Triad, Monday afternoon and evening, according to the National Weather Service. Meanwhile, the region is feeling the year's first summer swelter. Heat index readings as high as 100 degrees are possible in the Triad Monday, and could hit 110 in the Triangle and eastern areas of the state. With a cold front moving into central North Carolina, very hot and humid air out ahead of it will result in an unstable air mass, leading to the potential for storms, primarily through 11 p.m. Monday, the National Weather Services Raleigh office said in an afternoon briefing. Wind gusts topping 60 mph and hail reaching more than 1 inch in diameter are possible, along with potentially dangerous lightning, the weather service cautioned. The biggest threat will be damaging winds but there could be some large hail and, of course, frequent deadly lightning is possible in any storm, the weather service added. Scattered, isolated storms were moving east into the Triad Monday afternoon, and a hit-and-miss pattern is expected to continue into the nighttime hours. Overall, there is an overall 30% chance of rain and storms for the Triad. Independence Day is expected to be dry with partly sunny skies and highs in the low 90s. The forecast looks safe for Tuesday night fireworks, too, with no rain expected and temperatures in the low 80s at sunset. Internal review criticizes insufficient preparation in U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan: media Xinhua) 09:15, July 04, 2023 DOHA, July 3 (Xinhua) -- The U.S. "chaotic" withdrawal from Afghanistan and the quick collapse of the Afghan government were results of insufficient "senior-level" considerations, Qatar-based Al Jazeera reported Friday. Al Jazeera cited a recent internal review from the U.S. State Department, which said the withdrawal of U.S. forces from Afghanistan had "serious consequences" for the viability of the U.S.-backed Afghan government. "During both administrations (U.S. President Joe Biden and his predecessor Donald Trump), there was insufficient senior-level consideration of worst-case scenarios," the review read. The report criticized the State Department for failing to set up a crisis-management task force that could have overseen the situation in Afghanistan at the time as well as clearly cooperated with the Pentagon in the case of an evacuation. During the withdrawal of the U.S. troops in late August 2021, a suicide bombing orchestrated by the Afghan branch of the terrorist organization Islamic State resulted in the loss of at least 175 lives, including 13 U.S. service members, Al Jazeera said. The U.S. invaded Afghanistan under the pretext of fighting terrorism in late 2001 and dethroned the Taliban government. 20 years later, it left Afghanistan while fighting and violence were still ravaging the country. (Web editor: Zhong Wenxing, Liang Jun) A 58-year-old Helena man died Sunday after he, a woman and pet dog fell off a jet ski into Hauser Lake near the Causeway, prompting a witness to swim out and rescue the woman, but being unable to reach the man in time, authorities said. Emergency dispatchers were called about 4 p.m. from a woman who said she could see two people were in trouble in the water near the 3700 block of Bay View Road, Lewis and Clark County Sheriff Leo Dutton said. The man and 51-year-old woman were test driving the jet ski and it turned sharply, sending the woman into the water, the sheriff said. The man was trying to help the woman back onto the watercraft and he fell into the water as well. The jet ski started to drift away and they swam after it. The woman realized they could not catch it and swam toward the shore. She saw the man go under the water. The caller said they appeared to be struggling in the water and she was going to bring them lifejackets. She put on a lifejacket, jumped into the lake and got a jacket on the female who was with the dog. Search and rescue members used a sonar to locate the man's body, which was retrieved by rescue team divers. The man was pronounced dead at the scene and his body was taken to the Montana Crime Lab for an autopsy, Dutton said. Dutton said the man and woman were fully clothed and the water weight may have hampered them. He said the man did not know how to swim, but the woman did. The mans name was not released pending notification of kin. Dutton offered praise for the woman who swam out with lifejackets to help, saying she was a hero. The lady didnt get overwhelmed with emotion, he said. She put on a lifejacket first and the swam out. She probably saved the woman and the little dog. Dutton said the family expressed gratitude to the first responders. Our condolences go out to the family, he said. According to a May 2023 study published in Chronobiology International, night owls people who go to bed later and wake up later possibly die earlier than those who operate during the earlier portions of the day. That mainly because those who are up late are more at risk of developing unhealthy habits, Finnish Institute of Occupational Health researcher Christer Hublin told CNN. The increased risk of mortality associated with being a clearly evening person appears to be mainly accounted for by a larger consumption of tobacco and alcohol, Hublin said in a statement. This is compared to those who are clearly morning persons. Hublins study followed roughly 24,000 twins from 1981 to 2018 in order to record possible causes of health-related behaviors. Roughly 10% of twins involved in the study said they were definitely evening people, while 33% said they somewhat preferred staying up late. The study accounted for each twins education level, alcohol consumption, use of smoke products, body mass and sleep duration to compare and contrast the lifestyles of night owls to morning people. According to the results, night owls are at a 9% higher risk of an early death than morning people. We have known for a long time that those who have an evening type preference are more likely to be heavier drinkers, have alcohol use disorder and are also more likely to use other substances including tobacco, Dr. Bhanu Prakash Kolla, a sleep medicine specialist, told CNN. While alcohol use and smoking may play a role in the 9% risk hike, they do not tell the whole story. Other possible causes that come to mind include those who are evening types will likely need to wake up early for work/school therefore end up getting less sleep and the sleep deprivation can increase risk, Dr. Kolla said. DECATUR A corrections employee of the sheriffs office is now on the other side of the bars in the Macon County Jail, accused of illegally storing weapons for a felon he met there. A statement from Macon County Sheriff Jim Root said Adam B. Goodbrake of Decatur was arrested and booked into the jail Sunday on a preliminary charge of the unlawful delivery of firearms to a felon. He appeared in Macon County Circuit Court on Monday and bail was set at $30,000, requiring him to post a bond of $3,000 to be freed. Goodbrake, 25, has worked for the sheriffs office corrections division for five years and was arrested by Decatur Police following an investigation. The investigation revealed that Goodbrake had stored multiple weapons for a person known to him to have a felony conviction, said the sheriffs statement. The felon, Brandon Burwell, met Goodbrake when he was incarcerated at the Macon County Jail in September of 2022. Goodbrake is alleged to have stored the weapons for Burwell at his Decatur residence in May of 2023 and then returned the weapons to Burwell shortly before his arrest. Burwell was charged with unlawful possession of a weapon by a felon. Root said Goodbrake is currently on administrative leave pending the results of an internal investigation which is separate from the criminal investigation into his alleged activities. The Macon County Sheriffs Office has zero tolerance for employees conducting criminal activities, the sheriff added. And, in a comment to the Herald & Review, the sheriff said situations like this are rare but added: Corrections officers are just like everybody else, they make mistakes and while we normally dont see things like this, when we do see it we try to take care of the problem and rectify those issues. Sworn affidavits filed Monday by Decatur Police said the alarm was raised by Goodbrakes estranged 24-year-old girlfriend, the mother of his child. She was busy moving out of their home on East Greenhill Road before 9 a.m. Sunday when she stumbled across a cache of weapons and ammunition in Goodbrakes car while retrieving a childs car seat. Several witnesses who were helping her move are quoted by police as saying they also saw the weapons, including one woman who tripped over a duffle bag she said was stuffed full of ammunition. The girlfriend is quoted as telling police that Goodbrake, whose own FOID card has been denied, told her: You werent supposed to see those. Macon County sheriffs deputies later arrested Burwell at an address in Macon on Sunday evening and found desperate messages on his phone from Goodbrake dating from early Sunday after the girlfriend had discovered the guns. (Expletive) is hitting the fan to the point cops are gonna be at my house before too long, read one message quoted in an affidavit signed by Deputy Anthony Anello. Brandon replied at 7:58 a.m.: I will come today. Ill be on my way soon. The guns were gone when Decatur Police showed up at Goodbrakes house later Sunday morning. But an affidavit signed by Decatur Police Officer Anna Oldham said Goodbrake was frank about what he had done. The officer said he described meeting Burwell in the jail and said he had been asked sometime in May if he would be willing to store things for him. Adam stated he asked Brandon what that was and Brandon stated pew pews, Oldham added. Adam told Brandon that was fine and Brandon brought over the guns which were placed in a detached garage on the property. Oldham said police have a good idea of what was there because Goodbrake had shown officers pictures hed taken of himself with what amounted to a small armory. The weapons included an AR-style shotgun, three other rifles, a pump-action shotgun and several handguns. One AR rifle had a fully loaded 100-round capacity drum magazine and the haul also included a device called a Micro Roni that turns a handgun into a short-barreled rifle. Burwell denied retrieving any guns when deputies had questioned him, however, insisting he had only gone over to Goodbrakes home to retrieve several cannabis plants. The affidavits from Decatur Police and the sheriffs office do not list the weapons as being recovered and their status isnt clear. Sheriff Root, when asked by the Herald & Review, said its still an ongoing investigation. And he added: Our main focus is removing illegal guns off the streets. Jail booking information for Burwell said he had previously been jailed on charges of criminal trespass, operating without insurance and driving on a suspended license on Sept. 16. This would appear to be when he had his encounter with Goodbrake, who was listed as the booking officer at the jail. But it must have been a brief meeting, as jail records show Burwell being booked in at 2:50 a.m. Sept. 16 and getting released just 33 minutes later at 3:23 a.m. Burwells criminal record shows he was sent to prison for 18 months in November 2008 after pleading guilty to criminal damage to state-supported property. He was booked back into the jail Sunday on preliminary charges of the unlawful possession of a weapon by felon and his bail was set at $50,000. All preliminary charges are subject to review by the office of the states attorney. 2023 mugshots from the Herald & Review Lourash Hirstein Phillip Gehrken Joseph A. Williams Jetrevius O. Jarrett Edwards King-Woods Wilson Derrickson Colby J. Park A police chase through Vermilion and Champaign counties ended with the suspect fatally shot by an Illinois State Police trooper, authorities said Tuesday. The pursuit took place shortly after 7:45 p.m. Monday, state police said in a statement. Troopers were helping deputies from the sheriff's offices in both counties and Danville police officers as they pursued the suspect's vehicle, which was believed to have been involved in a shooting in Clinton, Iowa. Authorities briefly lost sight of the vehicle and then found it near 2200 County Road 2250 East, police said. An Illinois Department of Natural Resource officer found the suspect in a detached garage, and a standoff ensued. Illinois State Police SWAT and Crisis Negotiation teams were called to the scene. Police said the suspect "refused to comply," and an ISP trooper discharged his or her firearm, striking the suspect. The suspect was taken to a nearby hospital and later pronounced dead. No officers were injured. An investigation is being conducted by special agents from the Illinois State Police Division of Internal Investigation, police said. When it is completed, evidence and information will be turned over to the Champaign County State's Attorney's Office for review. Police said no further information would be immediately released Tuesday. BRISTOL, Va. The city will host its third town hall to update residents on work at the landfill next week and there should be plenty to discuss. The town hall is scheduled July 12 from 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m., at City Hall, according to a notice from the city. As in past events, experts contracted by the city to oversee and perform work at the landfill and will be present along with city officials to respond to questions and provide additional information. Some of the main systems suggested by the Virginia Department of Environmental Qualitys expert panel to control landfill issues have been installed and implemented this year, according to notices provided by the city during the past month. Since mid-June contractors have completed installation of the sidewall odor mitigation system in the quarry landfill and it has been connected to the landfill gas collection system, according to a statement. The system runs along the entire perimeter of the landfill and was designed to collect emissions from gases that had previously been escaping into the atmosphere from along the quarry sidewalls. Its design and installation took months. Once installed, crews began tuning the system to improve landfill gas collection with that extra gas burned at the landfills flare, according to a separate update. Additionally, six of the large diameter dual phase extraction wells were deemed fully operational and connected to both the gas and liquid extraction system. Tuning the gas wells and the sidewall odor mitigation system continued last week to ensure maximum efficiency of the system, according to a June 30 notice. Also last week, Bristol Virginia firefighters assisted with installation of an 8-inch gas extraction pipe to improve flow to the flare. Additionally, a temporary leachate treatment system was installed to filter the leachate coming from the landfills pump station. A permanent replacement is scheduled to be constructed and installed later this year, city officials previously said. Drilling of all 16 of the latest round of gas wells was also completed last month. In addition, the city began voluntary air sampling and monitoring operations by a contracted third party. Also last month, Senior U.S. District Judge James P. Jones took a motion to dismiss a lawsuit in this matter under advisement. Bristol Tennessee and Bristol Virginia reached an agreement on the lawsuit filed by the Tennessee city in May 2022 and both councils have approved the deal. During a hearing in U.S. District Court in Abingdon, Jones said he was waiting to hear from relevant federal environmental agencies before ruling on the agreement and permanent injunction. NEWTON Catawba County Schools Superintendent Matthew Stover was recognized as the 2023-24 Northwest Regional Educational Service Alliance Superintendent of the Year at a recent meeting of the board of education. NWRESA Executive Director Stewart L. Hobbs joined Catawba County Schools' board members in announcing this honor and congratulating him. Stover will represent the Northwest Region as one of eight finalists for the North Carolina Superintendent of the Year. What did Russian mercenaries have to do with our Declaration of Independence? In early 1776, American leaders in the British colonies were still of different minds about the question of breaking their ties with their king and mother country. Even after the battles at Lexington, Concord, and Bunker Hill and the American siege of Boston, and even after the Battle of Moores Creek Bridge near Wilmington, North Carolina, many hoped that the conflict between Britain and its American colonies could be resolved. King George III was recognized as Britains and the colonists rightful sovereign. He had been persuaded to appoint the Howe brothers, Admiral Richard and General William, as commissioners to attempt to bring about reconciliation. But they had power only to accept submission by the rebellious colonists. They did not have the authority to negotiate a settlement that would recognize the liberties the colonists demanded. John C. Miller, an American historian writing during World War II in his book Origins of the American Revolution, said, Had the British government pursued consistently this policy of dividing and bewildering Americans holding out the prospect of reconciliation, the Declaration of Independence might have been postponed and the rebellion crushed. But the mother country, while holding an olive branch in one hand, brandished a sword in the other. Miller explained how in January 1776, Thomas Paine, in his publication Common Sense, made the first vigorous attack upon the King the strongest bond of union yet remaining in the British Empire and likewise the first appeal for an American Republic. Miller said, Paine did more than smash the oversized statue of George III: he ripped up monarchy root and branch by pronouncing it to be a form of government condemned by the Almighty and by right reason. Miller continued, Thus George III became the incarnation of evil as previously he had been the embodiment of every virtue. Instead of the longstanding respect British colonists previously had for their king, George III had become a great liability. Miller wrote, Of all the acts of transcendent folly and weakness, nothing did more to convince the Americans of the necessity of an immediate declaration of independence than the hiring of foreign mercenaries to help suppress the rebellion in the colonies. Early in 1776, the British government was scouring Europe for mercenaries to employ against Americans; it was remarked that 20,000 Russian mercenaries would be charming visitors at New York and civilize that part of America wonderfully. When Catherine the Great refused to permit her subjects to fight on Britains side, Britain turned to the German states. Miller wrote Britain was like a mean hag who was trying to collect all neighborhood bullies to beat up her children. These rumors about foreign mercenaries incensed the colonists. With all these factors pushing for independence, there was still reluctance to part ways. But In April 1776, Judge William Drayton of South Carolina declared that Americans were absolved from all allegiance to the king of Great Britain; and the North Carolina provincial Congress directed its delegates in the Continental Congress to vote for independence and foreign alliances. But the greatest triumph of the radical cause came on May 15, 1776, when the Virginia Convention unanimously instructed its delegates to cast their vote for independence. However, middle colonies such as Maryland, New Jersey, New York, and Pennsylvania had desperately attempted to arrest its progress. Pennsylvania, where the Continental Congress was meeting, proved the worst stumbling block of all. Miller explained, In Pennsylvania, the radicals found it necessary to carry out a coup detat to put the province in line: a Provincial Conference dispossessed the assembly of its authority and on June 24 declared the province was ready to join the other colonies in declaring independence. On July 4th, Miller wrote, when the Declaration of Independence was adopted, New York still declined to vote; And it was not until July 15 that the New Yorkers formally threw in their lot with the rebellious states. All in all, the decision to cut ties with Britain was far from unanimous. It was a close call. And if it had not been for the rumor about the Russian mercenaries, it might not have happened at all. Increasingly aggressive scammers are on notice after the launch of the governments National Anti-Scams Centre (NASC) puts them in the crosshairs of a hit squad whose members come from various agencies and are charged with working together to disrupt damaging scams. Based in Melbourne and designed as a fusion cell staffed with experts from government, law enforcement, and the private sector, the NASC which was funded in May through a $58 million Budget commitment began operating on 1 July. Multidisciplinary fusion cells and fusion centres have become increasingly common as governments here and abroad fight fire with fire by assembling diverse teams of cyber security specialists to take on roving gangs of cyber criminals. This nimble approach, Assistant Treasurer and Minister for Financial Services Stephen Jones said in announcing what he called a world-first fusion cell focused on scams, is expected to help the government more effectively deal with urgent, high profile or damaging scams. Team members will utilise their expertise and intelligence to disrupt a specific scam, Jones continued, with the first cell to be led by the ACCC and ASIC along with specialists from banks, the telecommunications industry, and digital platforms set to target investment scams. Such scams, which trick victims into providing funds with promises of significant returns that never eventuate, are estimated to account for more than half of all scam losses which grew by 80 per cent year-on-year to total more than $3.1 billion last year, according to the ACCCs latest annual scams report. Despite many wising up to scammers in recent years, ACCC ScamWatch statistics show that Australians lost more than $151 million in nearly 4, 000 reported investment scams in the first half of this year alone on track to equal or better the $296 million lost to such scams during 2022. As well as working to remove investment scam sites from the Internet, the NASC will work on early intervention campaigns, including stopping scammers from reaching potential victims and sharing information about investment scam activity to help private-sector organisations undertake their own disruptive action. The first fusion cell will initially operate for six months, with outcomes to be publicly reported. Fool me twice, blame the scammers Stemming the theft of Australians money has become a major focus for the government as increasingly sophisticated scammers prove ever more effective at tricking their victims by impersonating legitimate brands, impersonating the voices of loved ones, and capitalising upon the broad interest that accompanies major world events. Tragic and cataclysmic events have been among the most exploited topics for cybercriminals in recent years, Bitdefender Antispam Lab recently noted after observing that scammers kicked off new campaigns less than 24 hours after the discovery of the ruined Titan undersea submersible. We urge all users to watch out for attempts to further capitalise on the tragic event, that firm warned, and to avoid communicating with the scammers. Logistics operators are most commonly emulated to execute scams in Australia, security firm Proofpoint reported after a recent survey of 1,017 Australian workers that found 48 per cent said they had received emails, texts, or calls with fake package-delivery notices; financial services firms (38 per cent) and telecommunications companies (37 per cent) were also being mimicked by scammers on a regular basis. Accounts payable anti-fraud firm Eftsure recently reported seeing nearly 3.5 more times as many fraud attempts as usual over the past three months, with tactics that are sharper and more targeted than ever before with scammers leveraging a strong understanding of corporate processes and documentation. Flagging what it calls scamming at industrialised scale, a recent GBG survey which included 1,454 Australian respondents found that 55 per cent of businesses have suffered fraud attacks in the past year, and that two-thirds believe fraud has stayed the same or increased from last year. Heeding calls by the ACCC for a more united front against scammers, the past year has seen a flurry of new anti-spam initiatives as private-sector bodies push back against scammers. Telstra, for one, recently launched a national phone number to which scam messages can be forwarded for analysis while banks are partnering with telcos and cracking down on scam payments as researchers and the government try everything from AI chatbots to SMS registries to hinder scammers effectiveness. Search giant Google is testing out technology to prevent YouTube users who use ad blocking software from viewing videos after a certain number of visits. This appears to be a bid to try and force users to use its paid service YouTube Premium, or else allow ads to play. The company appears to want to play down this trial, with a YouTube spokesperson telling iTWire in response to a query: Were running a small experiment globally that urges viewers with ad blockers enabled to allow ads on YouTube or try YouTube Premium. The spokesperson appeared to want to minimise what the company was doing, adding, "Ad blocker detection is not new, and other publishers regularly ask viewers to disable ad blockers. It could also be a bid to prevent companies with AI software from scraping information from YouTube without paying. The blocking of users through this tech was first noticed by a Reddit user some six days ago. As can be seen from a screenshot posted on Reddit [above], a warning appears that the video player will be blocked after three videos. And in smaller text, the warning graphic says: "It looks like you may be using an ad-blocker. Video playback will be blocked unless YouTube is allowlisted or the ad blocker is disabled. "Ads allow YouTube to stay free for billions of users worldwide. You can go ad-free with YouTube Premium, and creators can still get paid from your subscription." According to an Australian resident who subscribes to YouTube Premium, the cost is $22.99 per month for a family pack. This offers a one-month free trial and then allows up to five members of the same family who are above the age of 13 to use the same subscription. YouTube was in the news in 2017 when major advertisers began pulling their ads from March onwards when a report appeared stating that these ads were appearing on videos which had racist, sexist, extremist and anti-Semitic content. In November the same year, it was reported that clips of scantily dressed children were carrying ads from brands like Mondelez, Lidl and Mars. And in 2018, an investigation by The Wall Street Journal showed that when a viewer selected a video based on their political bias, the videos recommended tended to be more extreme content which conformed to the same viewpoint. GUEST CASE STUDY: WEHI, previously known as the Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, and as the Walter and Eliza Hall Institute, is Australias oldest medical research institute. It has been serving the community for more than 100 years. During this time, WEHI have made transformative discoveries that have had an impact on many types of cancer, infectious and immune diseases, developmental disorders and healthy ageing. WEHI is where the worlds brightest minds collaborate and innovate to make discoveries that will help us to live healthier for longer. Working together Alcatel-Lucent Enterprise (ALE) has been the technology partner of choice for WEHIs mission-critical telephony platform for many years. Throughout that time, ALE have grown and transformed WEHIs communications environment to keep up with expansion and relocation needs. During the pandemic, WEHI and ALE collaborated closely to enable flexible and remote working from anywhere, including from home. The lockdowns and working from home directives saw the quick uptake of cloud collaboration applications like Microsoft Teams. Rising to the challenge WEHI approached ALE to help integrate the ALE telephony environment with Microsoft Teams, with the aim of creating a seamless user experience for their staff, regardless of location. ALE understood the advantages this approach would offer the WEHI employees. A proof of concept was set up using the ALE Microsoft Teams Connector solution, with the Rainbow by Alcatel-Lucent Enterprise platform to integrate the Windows and Mac user environments with ALE telephony. To address security requirements, four wireless networks with separate SSIDs were set up in parallel: A staff WLAN, a printer WLAN, a guest WLAN and a WLAN for support or project team members who only work temporarily on-site. The new WEHI blended environment was successful from the outset. It was very easy to deploy and user friendly. The result is a modern, cloud-based solution that offers user friendly collaboration tools from voice to video; and seamlessly connects people, machines, and processes. Integrated with the robust and secure ALE telephony system WEHI employees now enjoy a reliable, easy to deploy and very cost-effective flexible working solution. When it comes to research and innovation, its not just about getting the smartest people in the room together. To get to the best outcomes for healthier living or a smarter, more efficient work environment, you need open communications, partnership and trust. ALE is a vendor with great solutions, supported by a network of trusted Partners. We understand that innovation implies testing, proof of concept and where needed, redesign. ALE is always up for the journey and we value their support in creating a better, more collaborative ICT workspace, said WEHI chief information officer Michael Carolan. Solutions and products ALEs strategy is to offer hybrid and open communications solutions to customers. In this scenario, WEHIs existing ALE telephony platform, Alcatel-Lucent OmniPCX Enterprise Communication Server (OXE) was connected using the ALE Rainbow hosted UCaaS platform, with Microsoft Teams. This solution is a great option for Microsoft Teams users who want to use their existing telephony platform to unlock telephony from their desktop at a low cost. The solution ensures high reliability (based on the OXE 99.999% uptime) and a far richer feature set based on specific PBX options. It also provides the essential PSTN connectivity to Teams without complexity. Solutions: Alcatel-Lucent OmniPCX Enterprise Communication Server Rainbow by Alcatel-Lucent Enterprise Microsoft Teams Connector ALE 300 Enterprise handsets Alcatel-Lucent Softphones The WEHI IT team are innovative out-of-the-box thinkers. They are not ones to follow the norm, rather they like to challenge the status-quo and try their hand exploring different IT options. They keep us on our toes across a number of joint projects and their feedback is invaluable when it comes to how we can further fine-tune our products and roadmap. WEHI is always looking at the best technology options, delivering operational efficiency, rich functionality and above all, value for money. To have WEHI select and work with Rainbow to integrate ALE telephony with Microsoft Teams makes us incredibly proud, said Alcatel Lucent-Enterprise head of cloud business and services Dinesh Dikavar. Part of the company's Skills for Jobs program, the initiative comprises free coursework developed with LinkedIn, and in conjunction with data.org a grant challenge for organisations to create new ways of training to upskill and reskill workers in generative AI. The Microsoft and LinkedIn learning pathway will provide free introductory generative AI learning content. This will allow workers will learn about introductory AI concepts of AI, including responsible AI frameworks. On completion, they will receive a Career Essentials certificate, which Microsoft says is the first professional certificate on generative AI on the online learning market. The grant program involves Microsoft itself, the company's AI for Good Lab, Microsoft subsidiary GitHub, and "platform for partnerships" data.org (which is sponsored by New Venture Fund, a charity backed by Mastercard Center for Inclusive Growth and The Rockefeller Foundation). It will support organisations to explore, develop, and implement how nonprofit, social enterprises and research or academic institutions can train and empower the workforce to use generative AI. It will pay particular attention to organisations that focus on "fair and community-led implementations of generative AI with historically marginalised populations worldwide." While there is a financial component to the program, successful applicants will receive access to "a cohort experience, Microsoft events, Azure-based cloud computing resources as well as data training and technical guidance from Microsoft and GitHub experts." "Artificial Intelligence will help workers in many industries to increase productivity and spend more time on valuable skilled tasks," said Microsoft ANZ CTO Lee Hickin. "To make this happen, companies, educational institutions and governments will need to play a role in upskilling the workforce. With a highly educated population, Australia is well positioned to benefit from AI broadly." Following Macquarie Technology Groups $160 million equity raise to fund the expansion of its data centres and next growth phase, Macquarie Government announced that one of its former executives has returned to the company. Macquarie Government announced Michael Davies will take the reins as the companys head of Federal Government. Davies, who was most recently CEO of health software company Global Health, previously spent over eight years with Macquarie Technology Group in a number of roles including head of revenue, chief operation officer, and head of commercial operations. Davies has nearly 20 years of experience in the technology space. An executive who excels in software and product development and data security governance, Davies is passionate about the insourcing of engineering and technical resources in Australia. He joins Macquarie Government at a challenging time for Australias national security, supporting Macquarie Governments work in protecting Australias digital future by providing cyber security services to 42% of the Federal Government. Davies says his decision to return to Macquarie was an easy one, given Macquarie Governments history of providing integrated services and expertise in cyber-security, infrastructure, and cloud services to large and growing range of government agencies. Im thrilled to return to Macquarie in a capacity that allows me to play an active and leading role in further supporting Commonwealth agencies, he said. At a time when the nation is facing continuing and increasing cyber-attacks, Macquarie Government has transitioned from gateway provider to incorporate a much broader cyber capability. Its exciting to be returning to the company at such an important time. Davies says that offering Commonwealth agencies modular, pragmatic responses to immediate problems will be a key focus of his new role, as is expanding his team, with the company now recruiting for a number of roles to help build out capabilities and enhance offerings. Macquarie is uniquely positioned to guide an agile, adaptive approach to consuming cyber security services, firming up productivity, and delivering complex, critical solutions on a national scale while remaining conscious of delivering on time and within budget, he said. Macquarie Government managing director Aidan Tudehope says Davies appointment is the perfect demonstration of the organisations strong commitment to supporting the government by providing the best possible talent, as well as Macquaries ongoing investment in its staff by creating a culture and environment to which former employees consistently return. Michaels credentials speak for themselves and his proven experience as a leader will play a vital role as Macquarie Government looks to further expand on the ways in which we support Federal and State Government customers, he said. Throughout his nearly three-decade career, Michael has served to keep customer service at the heart of business, and this is the approach we have always championed at Macquarie. Chinese online pay services WeChat Pay and Alipay can now be used by tourists, with Tencent Holdings and Ant group facilitating the use by foreigners who visit China. The South China Morning Post reported that from July, tourists would be able to use Visa and other international cards to pay for taxi rides, meals and tickets to tourist attractions. WeChat Pay and Alipay are the two dominant mobile payment services in the Middle Kingdom but the use of foreign bank cards was, until now, not allowed by the government. Royal Chen Qiru, vice-president of Tencent Financial Technology, told the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting of the New Champions on 28 June: Tencent has been working hard to provide greater access to Chinas online and offline merchants for overseas visitors under the guidance of relevant regulatory bodies and policies. Alipay was the first to announce the opening of online payments to tourists, with its owner, Ant, an affiliate of the Alibaba Group Holding, saying that visitors could use Mastercard credit or debit cards. The SCMP, which is owned by Alibaba, said overseas bank cards issued by Visa, Diners Club International and Discover, could also be used with Alipay. The report said more than 911 million Chinese used online payment services in December 2022, accounting for about 85% of the Internet population, citing the China Internet Network Information Centre. When Maricarmen Venegas and her husband, Antonio Antunez, made the decision to open a restaurant in Fremont, they realized it was a chance worth taking. We had always dreamed of running a restaurant, Venegas said. When we found out there was a building available in Fremont, we were a little reluctant to go see it because our client base was in Omaha. We didnt know anyone here except my parents. They opened 415 Bar & Grill in June. The business is at 415 S. Main St. in downtown Fremont. Before returning to Fremont, where she was raised, Venegas ran a catering business with Antunez, working out of their home in Omaha. We called it Tacos Antunez, she said. It was just a weekend gig since we were both working full time. For the past six years, Venegas has been working in the dental field. She is currently working part time at UNMC adult dental clinic. Antunez has been a chef for about 12 years, specializing as a sushi chef at Ponzu and Blue in Omaha. As they discussed the possibility of opening a restaurant, Venegas and Antunez were reluctant to take that leap. Since our client base was in Omaha, it was a little adventurous to start fresh in a different town, Venegas said. That worried us a little, not knowing if people here were going to love our menu. The building previously occupied by DJs Bar & Grill had sat vacant for about six months before Venegas and Antunez decided to check it out. When we walked in, the first thing we noticed was that it was too small, Venegas said. There was a pool table in the middle of the room. It took up a lot of space. The couple agreed it had to go. Although many of DJs customers came in and immediately asked where the pool table went, it didnt take long for them to accept the new establishment. In addition to removing the carpeting and redoing the flooring, property owner Todd Hoppe also built a new bar and high table, both featuring a gray-and-white marble surface. Another special feature Hoppe installed for the 415 Bar & Grill is the outdoor eating area. He also installed a black wall for privacy, Venegas said. That way people in the dining area cant see customers entering and leaving the restrooms. Born in Mexico City, Venegas grew up in Fremont. Antunez, was born in Guerrero, Mexico, and has spent most of his life in Omaha. Since opening the 415 Bar & Grill on June 5, Venegas and Antunez have seen many of DJs customers recommend the new place to others. Some of the most popular items on their menu are the Philly cheesesteak, the alambre and the pork tender. And, of course, our burgers, Venegas added. With so many years of experience working with sushi, Antunez will be bringing that specialty to the 415 Bar & Grill. Were planning a sushi night, Venegas said. Probably Saturdays. One of the biggest challenges to running a successful business is finding the right employees. To be successful, you must find people that are passionate about food service, Venegas said. The service industry isnt for everyone, and all restaurants are struggling to find enough staff. But she feels like theyve found the right staff. Half of my staff was new to the service industry and have really done a spectacular job. We are up on our feet and have made an amazing team. Veneges gave credit to Todd Hoppe and Trish Dorfmeyer, their landlords, who supported the remodeling theyve done. We are truly blessed with the best family and friends, Venegas said. They put a lot of elbow grease into making the 415 Bar & Grill a beautiful family diner. She also appreciates Fremont. Coming back to the town I grew up in and offering something theyve needed has been so gratifying, Venegas said. Fremont is seeing a revitalization of the downtown and I love that we are a part of that. The 415 Bar & Grill is open from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Thursday; and 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Friday through Saturday. Lincoln diners and greasy spoons we love Woodees Hi-Way Diner Virginia's Travelers Cafe Tina's Cafe Stauffer's Cafe and Pie Shoppe Engine House Cafe Cook's Cafe Penelope's Lil' Cafe The Eatery Shoemaker's Travel Center Greenfield's Cafe Good Evans DAKOTA CITY A judge has ruled that a South Sioux City man acquitted by reason of insanity for the 2017 shooting death of his wife remains dangerous and must stay in a state mental health treatment facility. District Judge Bryan Meismer ruled that evidence, including reports from mental health providers, showed Bei Sheng Chen continues to be a danger to himself and others. Meismer on June 28 ordered Chen to remain in treatment for his mental illness at the Lincoln (Nebraska) Regional Center. Chen, 45, was found not responsible by reason of insanity and acquitted in May 2018 of first-degree murder, first-degree domestic assault and use of a firearm to commit a felony for the Sept. 6, 2017, shooting death of Mei Huang. Chen has been in treatment since then, and Nebraska law requires a judge to review his case annually. The defense and prosecution waived an in-person hearing in Dakota County District Court, and Meismer issued his ruling after reviewing doctors reports on Chens condition. Meismer said Chen may continue his current on and off-ground privileges while under supervision for the purpose of community reintegration. The Regional Center also may begin exploring placement options in the community for Chen, but the discharge process likely would be lengthy. Any changes in Chens placement would need court approval. Two psychiatrists who examined Chen separately prior to trial agreed he was insane when he shot and killed his wife. Chen was diagnosed with psychosis, delusional disorders and depressive disorders. Chen had followed Huang to the Law Enforcement Center at 701 W. 29th St. in South Sioux City and shot her outside. Police officers found Huang lying on the ground with gunshot wounds. Chen was found near her and taken into custody, and a firearm was found nearby. Evidence presented at trial showed that prior the shooting, Chen was having delusions that his wife was the devil and was going to harm him. Chens attorney did not dispute that Chen shot his wife, and a judge agreed that evidence showed Chen had pulled the trigger. Review of police shootings in Lincoln since 2013 1. Douglas DaMoude, May 30, 2014 2. Tyson Hubbard, March 5, 2015 3. Tareik Artis, Sept. 22, 2015 4. Zachary Grigsby, Nov. 29, 2015 5. Germichael Kennedy, June 26, 2016 6. Thomas Sailors, Jan. 5, 2018 7. Christopher Brennauer, Dec. 29, 2018 8. Joseph Francis Cimino, Oct. 8, 2019 9. Hailey Stainbrook and Christian Alexander, Feb. 20, 2021 10. German Pedraza, Nov. 24, 2021 11. Chace Abney, May 1, 2023 The chair of the Nebraska Legislatures Education Committee is planning to study the use of critical race theory and other controversial subjects in the classroom. The studies, initiated by state Sen. Dave Murman of Glenvil, stem from a request to investigate the Nebraska Department of Education made last year by a collection of state senators. In May, Murman, chair of the Education Committee, introduced a trio of interim study resolutions to look at parental involvement in public schools, the usage of social-emotional learning in the classroom and how federal Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief funding was used by the department for a state website aimed at helping schools through the COVID-19 pandemic. Murman said the three interim study resolutions will be the subject of a July 31 hearing where committee members will hear invited testimony from department officials, retired educators and parents. The hearing is open to the public, but the general public will not be allowed to testify, he said. Its not unusual for interim study resolutions to limit testimony to invited guests. Unlike legislative bills, lawmakers can introduce interim study resolutions at any point in the session. Its up to lawmakers how far they want to go with the resolutions and in this case, Murman is choosing to start with a hearing. Last year, Murman and others called for an investigation into the Department of Education, alleging it provided materials to teachers promoting critical race theory through the website Launch Nebraska. Now, Murman said investigation is too strong a word to describe his goals. He wants to consider how Nebraskas education system can improve in these areas moving forward. Thats what parents have demanded over the past two years, Murman said. The allegations centered on one document, titled Winning Racial Justice In Our Schools, by the Education Justice Research and Organizing Collaborative at New York University. The document never was directly available on Launch Nebraska, but it was accessible by clicking a link to a different website, called the Culturally Responsible Education Hub, which at one point had a link to the document. Education Department spokesman David Jespersen said this connection was in place for a few months at most. The department was not aware that the document was indirectly available through the website until last summer, when then-Gov. Pete Ricketts office reached out with concerns, and in response department officials removed the link. Former Education Commissioner Matt Blomstedt said in October the lawmakers who backed the investigation did not reach out beforehand. Jespersen said no federal funds were used to build Launch Nebraska, and theres no evidence the document was ever used in any Nebraska public schools. But Murman said hes continued to hear concerns from parents and teachers about inappropriate material being taught in the classroom. Murman claimed there are still resources remaining on state websites promoting critical race theory and comprehensive sex education, although he couldnt provide any specific examples. Jespersen said several weeks after the October press conference, Murmans office reached out with more concerns about similar external links, but after review department officials deemed they didnt warrant any changes. Although people have differing interpretations of critical race theory, a central tenet of it is the assertion that the laws and legal institutions in the U.S. are inherently racist and advantage white people over other races, particularly African Americans. Adherents say the theory is a framework or lens for understanding race in history and society to help illuminate a pathway to improving the country. But critics say it promotes the idea that members of a specific race are inherently inferior or superior. Murman said he would prefer Nebraskas public schools focus on the basics, such as reading, writing and arithmetic. Social issues, he said, are best left to be taught by parents or churches. As these studies are considered, Murman and another state lawmaker have bills in the works aimed in a similar direction. LB374, introduced by Murman, would give parents access to review all learning materials their school uses, and give parents an opportunity to object and withdraw their students from lessons or activities in which materials are used that conflict with the parents firmly held beliefs, values, or principles. LB71, introduced by Sen. Rita Sanders of Bellevue, would require that public schools disclose instructional materials to parents and allow parents to request that their child be excused from certain lessons or activities. Neither bill made it to the finish line this year, but either could be brought up again next session. If one of the bills passes next year, Murman said the studies may still be needed depending on how comprehensive the final bill ends up. He said his goal is to ensure that Nebraskas public schools are as transparent as possible to parents without putting too much of a burden on the states education system. On the issue of transparency, Jespersen said most of the suggestions proposed are already in place in Nebraskas school districts. However, he welcomed the studies, saying if any of them illuminate legitimate issues, then theyd be worth it. If this leads to more understanding then its a good thing, Jespersen said. Photos: 2023 Nebraska legislative session Data collected by 50-some University of Nebraska-Lincoln undergraduate students at a western Nebraska pond over a dozen years suggests possible challenges or at least changes for turtles if drought becomes more common, as predicted for the Great Plains with climate change. Two recently published studies based on the data indicate that drought can lower the survival odds, slow the growth and shift the ratio of female-to-male painted turtles in the pond. The changes occurred even though water levels in the spring-fed pond near Keystone remained relatively steady during a study period that included two droughts. Previously, drought impacts on pond turtles had been reported only in ponds that dried up completely, said Larkin Powell, a professor in UNL's School of Natural Resources, who oversaw the studies. While painted turtles are relatively common in the eastern United States and the northern Midwest and Great Plains, they have characteristics similar to other turtles that are less populous, he said. That includes Blanding's turtle, also found in Nebraska. Some 75% of turtle species worldwide have a conservation status of threatened or worse. "These things could really impact small populations if all these factors took place with them," Powell said. Like many other reptile species, the sex of painted turtles depends on the average temperature of air or soil when eggs are incubated. Eggs incubated at lower temperatures tend to produce male painted turtles. Those incubated at higher temperatures tend to yield females. With drought generally associated with higher temperatures, increased drought conditions could shift the balance between male and female turtles. In one study, Ellen Dolph and Charrissa Neil, now UNL alumnae, found that males made up 60% to 85% of painted turtle samples in the absence of drought. But females made up nearly 60% of the sample in years when temperature, groundwater conditions and other variables indicated the greatest influence of drought. The researchers collected data from 2005 to 2016. To assess those impacts, the researchers looked back at the climate conditions that were occurring when the turtles they trapped were hatchlings. Previously, Powell said, many of studies examining the effect of temperature on sex determination have been done in laboratories. In their study, Dolph and Neil also calculated changes in the lengths of turtles' shells. Their calculations indicated that the turtles, particularly the females, grew more slowly in years of drought. Female painted turtles grow faster than males, Powell said. One reason is that females can't reproduce until they have enough space inside their shells to accommodate their eggs. In the other study, Powell and alumna Allyson Beard demonstrated that drought can lower the likelihood of survival in a pond, by approximately 7% in female painted turtles and 10% in males. Powell said the team didn't identify exactly what drought-related factors might be causing the reduced survival rates. But the fact that growth also slowed during drought times suggests a nutritional shortage, possibly pointing to increased competition for less abundant food sources, particularly aquatic insects, in drier years. The "origin story" of the research itself dates to 2005, when Powell was first tasked with leading an undergraduate course on wildlife management techniques at the university's field site, the Cedar Point Biological Station near Ogallala. One of those techniques involves catching and marking specimens of a selected population on successive days and using mathematical formulas to estimate its overall size. An ecologist who has specialized in birds, Powell typically would catch birds in nets. But catching enough birds for a valid study would require a lot of nets and more time than was available during a weeklong class. He had played with trapping turtles for some undergraduate research in Lincoln, so he found a pond near the field station with a large turtle population. Unlike deer, turtles are easy to catch. Unlike carnivores, they don't need to be anesthetized for handling. "You hold 'em in your hand with a glove on, and everybody's happy," he said of turtles. Even after he was no longer teaching the class, Powell returned summer after summer with students, many of whom hadn't previously participated in summer research programs. The researchers marked the turtles so they could identify them by drilling small holes in the perimeter scutes along the edges of their shells, which he likened to drilling through a long fingernail. Later, they injected tracking tags like those used to identify dogs and cats. "We kept doing it," he said, "and finally all of a sudden we realized we had an important data set." That point came about 10 years into the effort. Powell said he thought it might be fun to look at what might be causing variations in the population size. They realized the study period included two drought periods. Dolph, Neil and Beard needed to write theses before graduating from the university honors program. They "took the analytical bull by the horns," he said, and applied the data they and other students had collected. "I've just enjoyed the heck out of being able to be out in the field with all these students over the years," Powell said. "When I think of all the faces that have been a part of this research over the years, that's fun for me as a professor." He said he also hopes the team's findings might guide conservation plans, possibly by indicating when it makes sense to adjust pond conditions to sustain painted turtles in drier years. The research also might inform models used to guide conservationists working with species of concern in their planning processes. "All these things could potentially compound," he said, "is the prediction we're making." The life and work of Lincoln's Joel Sartore Dontrell E. Lynch, 2200 block of Center Street, Racine, delivery of schedule I or II narcotics (possession with intent to deliver/distribute a controlled substance on or near a school), maintaining a drug trafficking place, deliver fentanyl (less than or equal to 10 grams, possession with intent to deliver/distribute a controlled substance on or near a school), possession with intent to deliver fentanyl (greater than 50 grams), possession with intent to deliver/distribute/manufacture THC (less than or equal to 200 grams), felony bail jumping. 1. Yes. Voters across the city filled the seat in the first place. Voters should decide again. 2. Yes. An election is much preferable to back-room decisions among council members. 3. No. The charter calls for the council to fill the vacancy by appointment. Follow the rules. 4. No. An election would be expensive, both for the city and for the potential candidates. 5. Unsure. An election seems more transparent, but its not the perfect answer. Vote View Results 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. PHILADELPHIA A 40-year-old killed one man in a house before fatally shooting four others on the streets of a Philadelphia neighborhood, then surrendered to police officers after being cornered in an alley with an assault rifle, a pistol, extra magazines, a police scanner and a bulletproof vest, police said. A 2-year-old boy and a 13-year-old were wounded in the Monday night violence that made the working-class area of Kingsessing the site of the nation's worst violence around the July Fourth holiday. Police called to the scene found gunshot victims and started to help them before hearing more shots. Some officers rushed victims to hospitals while others ran toward the gunfire and chased the firing suspect. Officers ultimately arrested the assailant in an alley, Police Commissioner Danielle Outlaw said at a news conference. The shooter had no connection to the victims, she said. "On what was supposed to be a beautiful summer evening, this armed and armored individual wreaked havoc, firing with a rifle at their victims seemingly at random," she said Tuesday afternoon. Staff Inspector Ernest Ransom, the homicide unit commander, said witness interviews and video indicated the suspect went to several locations in a ski mask and body armor, carrying an AR-15-style rifle. "The suspect then began shooting aimlessly at occupied vehicles and individuals on the street as they walked," he said. The vehicles included a mother driving her 2-year-old twins home, and one was wounded in the legs and the other hit in the eyes by shattered glass. Philadelphia police on Tuesday afternoon identified the victims as Lashyd Merritt, 20; Dymir Stanton, 29; Ralph Moralis, 59, and Daujan Brown, 15, all pronounced dead shortly after the Monday night gunfire, and 31-year-old Joseph Wamah Jr., who was found in a home early Tuesday also with multiple bullet wounds. Investigators believe Wamah was the first victim killed, but he wasn't found by family members until hours later, Ransom said. A 2-year-old boy shot four times in the legs and a 13-year-old shot twice in the legs were in stable condition, as were a 2-year-old boy and a 33-year-old woman injured by shattered glass. Police said the suspect is believed to have acted alone. District Attorney Larry Krasner said the suspect would face multiple counts of murder, as well as aggravated assault and weapons charges, and was expected to be denied bail. Police and prosecutors said no charges were planned against a second person taken into custody who is believed to have obtained a gun somewhere and fired back at the shooter. Outlaw praised the bravery of officers who tended to victims and rushed them to hospitals as others "fearlessly ran toward the sounds of gunfire," and captured the suspect. "Their swift actions undoubtedly saved additional lives," she said. At a holiday weekend block party in Baltimore, about 90 miles to the southwest of Philadelphia, two people were killed and 28 others were wounded in a shooting. More than half of the victims were 18 or younger, officials said. About four hours after the Philadelphia shooting, gunfire near the end of a festival in Fort Worth, Texas, killed three people and wounded eight. One of the 11 victims is a juvenile, police said. Several men fired into a crowd of hundreds that gathered in the area, authorities said Tuesday. No arrests had yet been made or suspects identified in the shooting about 11:45 p.m. Monday in the Fort Worth neighborhood of Como, police said. The shooting erupted about two hours after the end of the Independence Day celebration called ComoFest in the historically Black neighborhood. A chaotic scene followed the shooting as people tried to flee as shots rang out, authorities said. Police said Tuesday that the shooting was separate from and unrelated to ComoFest." Police said officers found multiple victims in a parking lot, including one who was pronounced dead at the scene. Others were taken to hospitals by ambulance or private vehicles. Paul Willis, 18, was among those killed, this mother, KaDesha Weatherly, told The Dallas Morning News. Weatherly told the newspaper that after hearing what sounded like 100 gunshots late Monday, she ran down the street to find her son and nephews. She found her nephews but hadn't realized she'd run past her son's body. Cynthia Santos, 22, also was killed, according to the Tarrant County medical examiners office, which said she died at a hospital early Tuesday. Fort Worth Mayor Mattie Parker said she was devastated" by news of the shooting. My heart breaks for the victims, their loved ones, and the entire Como community that works to build positivity and celebration in their community and our city, she said on Twitter. Philadelphia Mayor Jim Kenney renewed his oft-repeated call to "do something about America's gun problem." "A person walking down the city street with an AR-style rifle and shooting randomly at people while wearing a bulletproof vest with multiple magazines is a disgraceful but all-too-common situation in America," he said. "I was today at Independence Hall where they wrote that Constitution, and the 2nd Amendment was never intended to protect this." Krasner said that the morning after the shooting, he saw "completely empty streets" in the traumatized neighborhood on an otherwise beautiful morning. The Philadelphia violence was the country's 29th mass killing in 2023, according to a database maintained by The Associated Press and USA Today in partnership with Northeastern University, the highest on record by this time in the year. The number of people killed in such events is also the highest by this time in the year. EIR LEAD EDITORIAL FOR SATURDAY JULY 8, 2023 Villainous Vilnius NATO Summit Spiritually Preempted by Schiller Institute Conference in Europe July 7, 2023, 2022 (EIRNS)While the July 11-12 Vilnius NATO conference will, in all probability, constitute a self-blinding exercise in arrogance, incompetence and hubriscontinuing what historian Barbara Tuchman called the march of Folly into the jaws of an unthinkable thermonuclear Helltodays Schiller Institute Conference in Europe offers a form of Promethean forethoughtan alternative to that self-destructive path. The world need not be tragic; neither wealth, nor power, nor force of arms, nor murder need triumph over those that believe in the unalienable rights of humanity. Ideas, indeed, when embodied by individuals in touch with the immortality of humanity, are more powerful than weaponsincluding thermonuclear weapons. The foolish, fatal choices being offered in the upcoming discussion, such as the de-militarization of Russia, putting nuclear weapons into Ukraine, or a joint European Defense Initiative to make Ukraine a top production site for weapons (in a country where people are now protesting the lack of graveyard space), managed by the financial ghouls of BlackRock, are each more insane than the other. In reporting these options to the July 7 weekly meeting of the International Peace Coalition, Schiller Institute founder and leader Helga Zepp-LaRouche said, So, I think that if you look at all of these things, it becomes very clear that our task is to make the International Peace Coalition grow, and make it grow also in all the areas which are affected, which is essentially the whole world. It is extremely urgent, in order to get to the point where confrontation is being replaced by cooperation.... Between now and the August 6th 78th anniversary of the nuclear destruction of the city of Hiroshima, a Metanoia must be experienced in the trans-Atlantic worldan uncomfortable, perhaps painful recognition, not of past crimes, but of the fact that today, now, it is only our inaction that will destroy, through thermonuclear folly, all the historical work of humanity, and even the very noosphere in which humanity exists. How do we bring this about? Educator Erasmus of Rotterdam (1466-1536) offered this biting exercise in Metanoia. He used the true nature of war, especially religious war, to brutally inform all those who would dare to see themselves as God might see them, of the hypocritical character of their exercise of prayer, and of the truly profane nature of their religious fakery. In honor of Vilnius, we include it here: The Lords Prayer on the Field of Battle Let us now, says Erasmus, imagine we hear a soldier among these fighting Christians saying the Lords Prayer. Our Father, says he. Oh, hardened wretch! Can you call Him Father, when you are just going to cut your brothers throat? Hallowed be Thy name. How can the name of God be more impiously unhallowed, than by mutual bloody murder among you his sons? Thy kingdom come. Do you pray for the coming of His kingdom, while you are endeavoring to establish an earthly despotism, by the spilling of the blood of Gods sons and subjects ? Thy will be done on Earth as it is in Heaven. His will in Heaven is for peace, but you are now meditating war. Dare you say to your Father in Heaven, Give us this day our daily bread, when you are going the next minute to burn your brothers cornfields, and had rather lose the benefits of them yourself than suffer him to enjoy them unmolested? With what face can you say, Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive them that trespass against us, when, so far from forgiving your brother, you are going, with all the haste you can, to murder him in cold blood for an alleged trespass, which, after all, is but imaginary? Do you presume to deprecate the danger of temptation, who, not without great danger to yourselves, are doing all you can to force your brother into danger? Do you deserve to be delivered from evil, that is, the evil being by whose spirit you are guided, in contriving the greatest possible evil to your brother? Yet there are persons who, while they pass over altogether the impiety and unchristian character of war itself, are horrified at a battle being fought on a Sunday! War, especially total war, is something that the human race must now outgrow, or be killed bypossibly in the next weeks or months. Decades ago, economist and statesman Lyndon LaRouche discussed the significance of Erasmus, and his truth-yielding, intelligence-increasing method of biting irony, in a short pamphlet titled: What Really Are The Labor Committees? The Lessons of Erasmus and Franklin. One idea-dense paragraph from that document states: It should be emphasized that the poor fellow who insists that the basic struggle today is between socialist and capitalist factions thereby exhibits the fact that he is ignorant of both the entirety of modern history, and of present-day realities. The struggle within European and European-related civilization since the A.D. 1266 defeat of the heirs of Frederick Barbarosa, and the death of Alfonso the Wise of Castile in A.D. 1284 has been and remains a life-and-death struggle between humanism and nominalism, a struggle of humanists to save humanity from the hell to which nominalism (for example, empiricism, positivism, linguistics) has repeatedly degraded societies, the hell into whose radioactive embrace modern nominalism (for example, monetarism, neo-Fabianism) is impelling humanity at this juncture. An example of a world-destroying, radioactive nominalism, that has become very popular and will be repeated all over Vilnius, is the formulation: We are engaged in a war between the democracies and the autocracies. These terms, especially the term democracy, are today wielded as psy-war weapons against hapless citizenries. The United States, for example, was explicitly not founded as a democracy, but as a democratically representative republic. In such a republic, the deliberations of a single individual, in dialogue with colleagues, and even adversaries, have the power to change the direction of the entire government, and under certain circumstances, even humanity. Indeed, that is exactly what a powerless Lyndon LaRouche did in the 1980s, vis-a-vis President Ronald Reagan, with his policy of the Strategic Defense Initiative (SDI). Citizen mobilization of the Presidency on matters of policy, was also done by Martin Luther King vis-a-vis JFK/RFK, and was done by Frederick Douglass with Abraham Lincoln 100 years earlier. Conversely, in the above-cited passage on Erasmus, the term humanism is used by LaRouche in its proper meaning, as opposed to its modern, atheistic misuse. It is the opposite of a nominalism. We explain. St. Joan of Arc, Cardinal Nicholas of Cusa, Abraham Lincoln, Martin Luther King, Charles de Gaulle, Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Mahatma Gandhi, and the John F. Kennedy of the American University Peace Speech are each very different human beings. They represent different times; they hail from very different origins; they each encountered very different circumstances. What do they have in common? They each show that when the cause of humanity is interiorized by an individual, over and above their individual station in life, they implicitly bend toward the arc of the moral universe, and the arc of the moral universe, in turn, bends toward them. This is a simultaneous action. It appears from the outside as though the designated individual possesses some great, unique personal power, but they are merely, momentarily, for the duration of their mortal existence, what the poet Shelley called the awful Shadow of some unseen Power which floats, though unseen, among us. This power to access the arcthe directionof the moral universe, is unique to humanity, but is available to all. Accessing it requires that the individual see humanity, not as an aggregate, but as physically primary, as a One. That is what is properly meant by the term humanism. This connection to the moral universe (for which there is another namewhat Vladimir Vernadsky identified by the term noosphere) is accessible to every individual as an unalienable right, but only as that individual regards her/his life, liberty (freedom) and pursuit of Happiness as identical to the life, liberty and Happiness of humanity as a whole. It is as much an unalienable obligation, as it is an unalienable right. The science of Physical Economy is the ongoing, durable realization of this immortal mission for humanity. That was the occupation and specialty of Lyndon LaRouche, a field that is not only unrelated, but opposed to monetarism, that is, the majority of what passes for economics studies in America today, a set of unspeakable practices inimical to the founding of the nation. Helga Zepp-LaRouches Ten Principles of a New International Security and Development Architecture, starting from the standpoint of happily proclaiming that man is fundamentally good and capable to infinitely perfect the creativity of his mind and the beauty of his soul; and being the most advanced geological force in the universe, ... proves that the lawfulness of the mind and that of the physical universe are in correspondence and cohesion, and that all evil is the result of a lack of development, and therefore can be overcome. So, rather than the shadow of doom that already slouches over Vilnius before it commences, humanity can choose the narrow but clear path to human progress that the Schiller Institute has outlined for nearly 40 years, and that now, today, in Europe, refutes the trans-Atlantic and world tragedy that need not happen. The Transport Bureau (DSAT) has issued some amendments to the regulations of the car parks of the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge (HZMB) Port, allowing cars to enter the East Car Park without pre-booking. The measure is justified by the recovery of the economic and tourism activities in Macau and in neighboring regions, allowing drivers to travel to Macau more conveniently. From now on, pre-booking will be only requested when the parking lot is filled with capacity to hold fewer than 600 cars. The procedures for advance booking have also been simplified. Users are now able to provide the registration number of their vehicle and their mobile phone number to receive a message by SMS. Registered vehicles can enter the car park within three hours from registration. This registration cannot be modified, but can be canceled at any time. Regarding car park rates, the East Car Park continues to be exempted from payment up to a maximum period of 8 consecutive days. These amendments, published yesterday in the governments official gazette, are effective from 4 a.m. today. More information can be found at the website (https://www.dsat.gov.mo/hzmb/carpark_east.aspx) or from the official DSAT WeChat account (macaudsat). RM Yesterday morning saw the opening of the two-day World Cities Branding Conference at the MGM Cotai resort. Secretary for Economy and Finance Lei Wai Nong underlined the importance of making use of comparative advantages when discussing branding at the conference yesterday. During his speech, Lei emphasized that mainland cities have increasingly identifiable branding and images, showcasing the robust power of elevating towards impeccable brands in the world. Cities should complement each other, for example, with traditionally well-established city brands sharing opportunities from the development of newer brands to expedite the citys renewal. He concluded that building up new world-class city brands with a forward-thinking mentality and communicating them with an innovative mindset is the shared vision and direction for domestic and international cities. Actively promoting exchanges between world cities is a crucial path towards the realization of shared ideals, Lei added. Lei described Macau as a new path for the exploration of development in world city branding and the ideal location for opening conversations between Chinese and foreign cities. The organization of the conference is a critical action taken by Macau to underline its experience in the MICE environment, Lei said. The conference occurring in Macau is beneficial to translating these ambitions into reality and implementing agenda items. Lei said the Greater Bay Area was one of the worlds most open groups of cities, further stating that the area would help Chinas appearance on the world stage. At the same event, venue owner and operator Pansy Ho, co-chairperson and executive director of MGM China Holdings Limited, highlighted the conferences core message the need for Chinas branding to have a clear image and values and expressed her agreement with using the conference as a platform for telling good stories about China. Ho added that the market had tired of traditional branding and marketing communications, which are abrupt and profit-oriented. Instead, the current market is leaning towards autonomous choice based on cultural acceptance. She pointed out that culture and tourism brands that represent national images can only win widespread favorability and reputation only with cultural power that is gladly recognized by people. Branding for Chinas tourism and culture should exercise unprecedented vision to foster mutual representation and promotion of the two factors, she said. The more powerful the Chinese brand, the better the international environment for the Great Rejuvenation of the Chinese Nation, she added. Under the scenario of tourism revival, the introduction of the conference in Macau is to promote cultural, industrial and resourceful interactions between cities, as well as highlighting the Chinese brand to the world. At the conference, Zhang Hui, expert at a committee at the Chinese Ministry of Culture and Tourism, suggested aspiring world tourism cities take the path of full-region tourism, facilitate convenient tourist experiences, utilize local culture and history, and exercise an innovative mentality. Meanwhile, Sheng Ying, National Officer at the China Office of the United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat), suggested that city pinpoint its core competitive advantages to cultivate brands. The hotel occupancy rate in Macau is expected to return to pre-pandemic levels this summer, the president of the Travel Industry Council of Macau (TICM), Andy Wu, said on the sidelines of the closing of the 11th edition of the Macao International Travel Industry Expo (MITE). Speaking to the media on Sunday, Wu noted that this will be the first summer since the return to normality with respect to travel restrictions being lifted. According to Wu, projections are optimistic, with a potential return of the hotel occupancy rate and visitors figures seen in 2019 in sight. Wu noted that some destinations in Asia (such as Japan) are already reporting a full recovery, adding that this should happen in Macau too over summer. He further advanced that the tour operators already have bookings for a large number of tour groups from the mainland. These could reach a number ranging between 150 and 200 per day. The president of the TICM also stated that, taking all the previous factors into account, it is expected that over the same period, the number of visitors may reach an average of 70,000 per day. Wu noted that the prices of the tours for both visitors to Macau and residents touring abroad have increased by about 20% to 30% when compared to pre-pandemic times, due to the limited capacity of the airlines, which has resulted in rising airfares. He says that among the residents going abroad for the holidays, there is 50-50 distribution among those who opted for individual trips and those on organized visits, with the favorite destinations continuing to be Japan, South Korea, and Taiwan. Yesterday morning saw the opening of the Black Box Theatres at the Macao Cultural Centre, which cost about MOP100 million from design to construction. All shows that were booked for a similar venue at the Old Courthouse building will be relocated to this new venue. The new venue has a gross area of 3,110 square meters and features two theatres and a multi-purpose room spanning three floors. Being an extension from the main building of the Cultural Centre, the Black Box Theatre building was designed by Architect Bruno Soares. Speaking on the sidelines of the opening ceremony, Cultural Affairs Bureau (IC) President Leong Wai Man announced that a performance company has been invited from Shanghai to run a childrens drama at the new facility in mid-July. At the end of this month, the Black Box Theatres will see the annual drama presentation by students at the Macao Conservatory School of Theatre. To emphasize that the new facility is not just open to government events, Leong said that the IC is now taking applications from private performers. The application form is available on the Cultural Centres website. Tours have also been organized for local performance industry participants to familiarize themselves with the new venue. For the time being, Leong believes that there should be sufficient facilities at the Cultural Centre, even with next year being the 25th anniversary of the Macau Special Administrative Region. The older theatres at the Cultural Centre will remain part and parcel of the music and the arts festivals. During her speech, Leong recapped that the Black Box Theatre extension is a critical project in the Macau governments second Five-Year Plan. It is aimed at helping Macau consolidate its role as the base for interactions and exchanges between Chinese and other cultures. Over the weekend, the IC also opened an exhibition at the Macao Museum to celebrate the cultural heritage from Hainan Province. Titled Genesis and Spirit, the exhibition will be held until Oct. 8. With the themes Cradle of Coconut City, Spirit of Li Ethnicity, and Lifestyle of Li People, the exhibition showcases works of Hainan coconut carving and traditional Li textile techniques of spinning, dyeing, weaving and embroidering as well as cultural and creative products featuring intangible elements of the cultural heritage of Hainan. The exhibition will introduce both residents and tourists to the unique crafts of Hainans cultural heritage and its practice of the concept of cultural heritage transmission through people, their items and their lives. Complementing the exhibition is a series of activities that include arts and crafts demonstrations and interactive workshops, in which the essence of the techniques embedded in the intangible cultural heritage of Hainan will be presented. At the opening ceremony, a plaque presentation ceremony was held to confer accreditation from the Chinese Ministry of Culture and Tourism upon guardians of several local elements of cultural heritage: Macanese gastronomy, Patua Theatre, and the belief and customs of Tou Tei. Meanwhile, the IC will also announce this years Art Macao Macao International Art Biennale tomorrow. Started in 2019, the event attempts to garner interest and publicity for art in Macau. About 130 students of three different higher education programs and the Alzheimers Disease International (ADI) accredited course have graduated from the Kiang Wu Nursing College of Macau (KWNC). The 2022/2023 Graduation Ceremony was recently held at the Conference Centre of the Islands District Medical Complex Campus. As theProfessional Qualification and Registration of Health Practitioners and related regulations are in effect, the Islands District Medical Complex will commence operations in phases this year. KWNC plans to launch the Master of Applied Gerontology and the Doctor of Philosophy (Nursing) programs in the new academic year to provide necessary high-level nursing and health science talents to the community, according to the institution. Van Iat Kiom, president of the college, said that it has been collaborating with a number of local and overseas medical and academic institutes this academic year, including the undergraduate exchange program with the School of Nursing Peking Union Medical College and the School of Nursing of Shenzhen University, the 2+2 collaborated cultivation program with Guangzhou Medical University, and the Guangdong-Macao joint training program for nursing cadres with Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine and Guangdong Provincial Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine. In addition, more than 10 groups of teachers and students will be travelling to Lisbon, San Francisco, Beijing, Guangzhou, and Shenzhen this summer for professional and clinical studies, which will continue to deepen exchange and cooperation between GuangdongHong KongMacao Greater Bay Area and Portuguese-speaking countries. Staff Reporter The Judiciary Police (PJ) has recently discovered that offenders randomly send SMS messages embedded with unknown links. The message claims victims instant messaging (IM) account is restricted because of a user policy violation and advises the victim to click on the embedded link to resolve the issue. PJ advises members of the public to stay vigilant and refrain from clicking suspicious links in SMS messages. Related Thousands of hotel workers in Southern California walked off the job on Sunday, demanding higher pay and better benefits in what the union is calling the largest strike in its history. Cooks, room attendants, dishwashers, servers, bellmen and front desk agents at hotels were picketing outside major hotels in Los Angeles and Orange counties just as the summer tourist is ramping up. Last month, members of Unite Here Local 11 voted 96% in favor of authorizing the strike. The union is seeking better wages, improved health care benefits, higher pension contributions and less strenuous workloads. In addition, the union wants to create a hospitality workforce housing fund to help workers deal with the soaring costs of living in greater Los Angeles. Many employees report commuting hours to work because they cant afford to live near their jobs. Our members were devastated first by the pandemic, and now by the greed of their bosses, union co-president Kurt Petersen said in a statement. The industry got bailouts while we got cuts. Contracts expired midnight on Friday at more than 60 hotels, including properties owned by major chains such as Marriott and Hilton. The strike affects about half of the 32,000 hospitality workers the union represents across Southern California and Arizona. Last week, a deal was reached with its biggest employer, the Westin Bonaventure Hotel & Suites in downtown Los Angeles, which has more than 600 union workers. Union officials described the tentative agreement, which provides higher pay and increased staffing levels, as a major win for workers. Talks with other hotels were at a stalemate. A coalition of more than 40 hotels involved in talks accused union leaders of canceling a scheduled bargaining session and refusing to come to the table. The hotels have offered wage increases of $2.50 per hour in the first 12 months and $6.25 over four years, the group said. From the outset, the Union has shown no desire to engage in productive, good faith negotiations with this group, the hotel coalition said in a statement Sunday. The Union has not budged from its opening demand two months ago of up to a 40% wage increase and an over 28% increase in benefit costs. The work stoppage was expected, and the properties are fully prepared to continue to operate these hotels and to take care of our guests as long as this disruption lasts, said Keith Grossman, a spokesperson for the coalition. MDT/AP Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen will travel to Beijing Thursday as part of an ongoing Biden administration effort to thaw U.S.-China relations, a senior Treasury official said Sunday. Yellen, who has called the notion of an economic decoupling from China disastrous, has frequently said in the past year that she would like to visit China. She says the two nations can and need to find a way to live together in spite of their strained relations over geopolitics and economic development. Yellen will meet this week with Chinese officials, U.S. companies doing business in China and with Chinese people and will stay through July 9, said the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss details of the trip. The goal of her visit is to deepen and increase the frequency of communication between U.S. and China, the official said. While there are clear areas of common interest where Yellen can make progress, the official said, there are also significant disagreements that will not be resolved through a single trip MDT/AP. * Local production Govt officially opens Black Box Theatre in bid to consolidate Macaus role as base for interactions between Chinese and other cultures * Tourism | Hotel occupancy to level up to pre-pandemic this summer * Finance | Wing Hang becomes history, rebranded as OCBC Bank * Kiang Wu Nursing College plans to launch Master of Applied Gerontology and Doctor of Philosophy (Nursing) programs in the new academic year * Economic Secretary highlights inter-complementary efforts at conference * In workaholic Japan, job leaving agents help people escape the awkwardness of quitting DOWNLOAD PDF Tuesday, July 4, 2023 edition no. 4279 In celebration of the United States' birthday, here are five surprising facts about the nation's founding document: Ordinary Americans played a big role. The Declaration of Independence was written by wealthy white men, but the impetus for independence came from ordinary Americans. Historian Pauline Maier discovered that by WOODY July 2, 1776, when the Continental Congress voted to separate from Britain, 90 provincial and local bodies conventions, town meetings and even grand juries had already issued their own declarations or instructed Congress to. In Maryland, county conventions demanded that the provincial convention tell Maryland's congressmen to support independence. Pennsylvania assemblymen required their congressional delegates to oppose independence until Philadelphians gathered outside the State House, later named Independence Hall, and threatened to overthrow the legislature, which then dropped this instruction. American independence is due in part to African Americans. Like the U.S. Constitution, the final version of the Declaration never uses the word "slave." But African Americans loomed large in the first draft, written by Thomas Jefferson. In that early draft, Jefferson's single biggest grievance was that the mother country had first foisted enslaved Africans on white Americans and then attempted to incite them against their patriot owners. In an objection to which he gave 168 words three times as many as any other complaint Jefferson said King George III had encouraged enslaved Americans "to purchase that liberty of which he has deprived them, by murdering the people upon whom he also obtruded them." Many other white Southerners joined Jefferson in venting their rage at the mother country for, as one put it, "pointing a dagger to their Throats, thru the hands of their Slaves." Britain really had forged an informal alliance with African Americans but it was the slaves who initiated it. In November 1774, James Madison became the first white American to report that slaves were plotting to take advantage of divisions between the colonies and the mother country to rebel and obtain their own freedom. Initially, the British turned down African Americans' offer to fight for their king, but the slaves kept coming, and on Nov. 15, 1775, Lord Dunmore, the last British governor of Virginia, finally published an emancipation proclamation. It freed all rebel(patriot-) owned slaves who could reach his lines and would fight to suppress the patriot rebellion. The Second Continental Congress was talking about Dunmore and other British officials when it claimed, in the final draft of the Declaration, that George III had "excited domestic insurrection amongst us." That brief euphemism was all that remained of Jefferson's 168-word diatribe against the British for sending Africans to America and then inciting them to kill their owners. But no one missed its meaning. The complaints weren't actually about the king. Britain's king is the subject of 33 verbs in a declaration that never once says "Parliament." But nine of Congress' most pressing grievances actually were about parliamentary statutes. And even British officials such as those who cracked down on colonial smuggling worked not for George III but for his cabinet, which was in effect a creature of Parliament. By targeting only the king who played a purely symbolic role in the Declaration of Independence, akin to modern America's Uncle Sam Congress reinforced its novel argument that Americans did not need to cut ties to Parliament, since they had never had any. The Declaration of Independence does not actually denounce monarchy. As Julian P. Boyd, the founding editor of "The Papers of Thomas Jefferson," pointed out, the Declaration of Independence "bore no necessary antagonism to the idea of kingship in general." Indeed, several members of Congress, including John Dickinson of Pennsylvania, openly admired limited monarchy. Their beef was not with all kings and queens but with King George III and him only as the front man for Parliament. The Declaration of Independence fell short of its most pressing purpose. In June 1776, delegates who supported independence suggested that if Congress declared it soon, France might immediately accept its invitation to an alliance. Then the French Navy could start intercepting British supply ships bound for America that very summer. But in reality it took French King Louis XVI a long 18 months to agree to a formal alliance, and the first French ships and soldiers did not enter the war until June 1778. Holton is a professor of history at the University of South Carolina. State equal rights officials have dismissed complaints that a Madison citizens board discriminated against an applicant to be the citys first police monitor, but the applicant now says he will continue to pursue his claims in court. Eric A. Hill was one of 10 people out of 31 applicants to make it past two rounds of initial screening before being interviewed in October 2021 by four members of the Police Civilian Oversight Board, which declined to name him one of two finalists for the position, according to the state Department of Workforce Developments Equal Rights Division, or ERD. Hill, a white military veteran, points to social media posts by some board members and comments by some of those who interviewed him as evidence they were biased against white applicants with military experience. Among them was a note from one of the board members who interviewed him, Jacqueline Hunt, that one of his answers was to (sic) militant, according to ERD. Another interviewer, Ananda Deacon noted it was very bold of him to say he is against affirmative action in front of black folk lol. In a later complaint, Hill also pointed to a statement made by then-Oversight Board Vice Chair Shadayra Kilfoy-Flores on Facebook that he contended was in response to a story the Wisconsin State Journal ran on Dec. 15, 2021, about his initial discrimination allegation. The post from Kilfoy-Flores, who scored Hills application essay but did not interview him, was Your White fragility is not my fault. <&underline>#PutTHATinthepaper. In its first letter on Oct. 27, 2022, finding no probable cause that the city of Madison had broken state law against discriminating against job applicants based on race, sex or service with the military, the ERD noted that five of the 10 finalists for the job were white, and that one of the two initial finalists for the job both of whom were Black was a man who had previous experience in the Army Reserves. In its second letter on March 23, it found Kilfoy-Flores statement was not related specifically to the job Hill had applied for but to the legal proceedings surrounding his initial complaint and how they were reported in the press. Under a joint state-federal program, people whose discrimination complaints to the ERD are dismissed can seek right to sue letters from the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission to continue pursuing their claims in court. Hill said last week that hed received a right-to-sue letter in one of his complaints and was informed by the EEOC that a second one was on its way. He said he has 90 days from their receipt to file suit. Robert Copley, a white attorney, was hired to be the citys first police monitor in October after the Oversight Boards first two choices, both Black men, took themselves out of the running. He has the ability to investigate police and conduct community outreach on police matters, but neither he nor the Oversight Board has the power to fire or discipline police tasks reserved under state law for the citys Police and Fire Commission. The police monitor/civilian oversight board model of police oversight has been adopted in various forms in many large American cities. This State Journal editorial ran on July 4, 1993: Perhaps we should be happy that the Fourth of July is not what it used to be. During much of the 1800s, the Fourth ... was a serious occasion, when townsfolk came together to argue politics with a vehemence that tended toward violence. Speeches lasted for hours on end, and the townfolk frequently refreshed themselves with spirits other than patriotic. Shootings were not uncommon. During the mid-1850s, residents used the Fourth to argue the issue of the decade: slavery. In Kansas, residents routinely staged Fourth of July fights that presaged the Civil War, touched off as they were by the Kansas-Nebraska Act, which extended slavery westward. The end of the Civil War brought the creation of Memorial Day. Having a special day set aside to honor the living and dead veterans of our nations wars removed a bit of the military emphasis from the Fourth of July, thus beginning its evolution away from a day of politics and into a day of patriotism and picnics. Today, the Fourth is famed mostly for flags and fireworks. Thank goodness the three-hour speeches have been relegated to the archives. Still, it wouldnt hurt to revive the old custom of having the Declaration of Independence read aloud. It is, after all, one of the greatest documents in history, proclaiming: We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness. When you see Old Glory today, sketch a salute. Remember that the stars and stripes are a beacon throughout the world, a symbol to freedom-loving people everywhere. Explain to your kids what the flag stands for. And celebrate, with them, the privilege and responsibility that comes with being Americans. ANOTHER VIEW | WASHINGTON POST A bipartisan bill introduced by Sens. Charles E. Grass-ley, R-Iowa, and Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., would close several loopholes identified by The Washington Post in an investigative series published last fall. The investigation found hundreds of retired U.S. military officers taking lucrative jobs advising foreign governments known for human rights atrocities and political repression. The Retired Officers Conflict of Interest Act would require public reporting about who is working on behalf of which foreign governments and for how much. The U.S. government battled The Post in court for two years to prevent the disclosure of such data, arguing that it could subject retired officers to "embarrassment" and "harm their public reputation." Ultimately, a federal judge ruled against such "unconvincing" arguments for not complying with the Freedom of Information Act. Based on records subsequently turned over, The Post reported that 15 retired U.S. generals and admirals have worked as paid consultants since 2016 for the Saudi Defense Ministry and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, who the U.S. intelligence community has concluded ordered the murder of Post contributing columnist Jamal Khashoggi. The group included a former national security adviser, National Security Agency director and commander of U.S. troops in Afghanistan. Paydays reached into seven figures. Gallingly, Americans' work for the Saudis expanded after the assassination of our colleague and amid a barbaric crackdown on dissent. The Constitution's emoluments clause requires retired military officers to receive congressional approval before accepting compensation from foreign governments, but Congress delegated this authority to the Pentagon and the State Department in 1977. Of 450 applications since 2012, the Pentagon says just 12 have been denied. The Pentagon also confirms that no retired officers have been asked over the past decade to cease working for foreign governments after initial approval. Scores of retirees identified on LinkedIn say they've taken military contracting jobs in the Persian Gulf. There's no record they ever sought or received federal approval, but there's no criminal penalty, and enforcement is almost nonexistent. Someone who works for a foreign government without authorization risks losing retirement pay, but fewer than five people have received this punishment. The Warren-Grassley bill would require the government to create a searchable database of retired American officers serving foreign governments. The public would be able to see the name, military service, former office, nature of work, the foreign government they're employed by and the amount of money they've received. The legislation would also create civil penalties of $100,000 or the amount of money received for anyone who works for a foreign government without getting approval. ... If retired officers collecting generous pensions and health benefits from Uncle Sam are ashamed to publicly reveal that they're also collecting checks from odious regimes, perhaps they shouldn't take the money. TWIN FALLS The sound of nails being hammered into freshly cut lumber permeated Main Avenue in Twin Falls on Saturday morning as Habitat for Humanity got a start on a new home. Children and adults many of them members of a Twin Falls church gathered, hammers in hand, to frame almost 80 walls, both interior and exterior, that will be used in the homes construction. A hundred and ninety signed up and 250 people came, said Linda Fleming, an executive for Habitat for Humanity of the Magic Valley. That is what we need, a lot of hands in order to make a Habitat home come true. It was a partnership between Habitat for Humanity, Twin Falls United Methodist Church and the Louisville-based CrossRoads Missions Help Build Hope. The Methodist church raised $18,000 for the effort and provided volunteers, while Help Build Hope brought in a crew to work. Help Build Hope is funded by churches and its crews have helped with similar projects as far west as Portland, and as far east as Trenton, New Jersey, said Raymond Bodley of the group. The effort brought the affordable housing project downtown for the public to see, and Fleming said the volunteer effort gives people a chance to learn what it takes to build a home. A few nails needed to be re-hammered because they didnt go in straight the first time, but people were having fun. Volunteers were fed breakfast and lunch and enjoyed live music as the effort progressed, and the walls were tucked away in a semi-trailer as they were completed. The home, which will be built in either Twin Falls or Jerome, will be for the Earl and Emily Petersen family, who are in need of a handicapped-accessible home for a daughter who was born with spina bifida. The home well be building in partnership with our community gives our family the opportunity to have an affordable and accessible home, which is a great blessing because of the rising costs of treating medical challenges that affect several members of our family, the family posted on social media. The home will be the 46th home that Habitat for Humanity will build from the ground up since 1991. The exact timeline for construction hadnt been determined yet. Habitat for Humanity assists in building homes at cost, and acts as a bank, carrying the zero-interest mortgage. More assistance is needed in the growing demand for affordable housing, Fleming said, and people can donate in various ways. Whether it is a helping hand, money or land, all of those things are needed for Habitat to build more in the community, Fleming said. Habitat for Humanity of the Magic Valley depends on sales at the ReStore at 669 Eastland Drive S., which sells gently used building materials and appliances, to help fund its efforts. Your news on your smartphone Your story lives in the Magic Valley, and our new mobile app is designed to make sure you dont miss breaking news, the latest scores, the weather forecast and more. From easy navigation with the swipe of a finger to personalized content based on your preferences to customized text sizes, the Times-News app is built for you and your life. Dont have the app? Download it today from the Apple App Store or Google Play Store. As the digital economy continues to flourish, an increasing number of businesses are turning to Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) to help streamline operations, improve customer service, and increase efficiency. However, with the rise of the outsourcing industry in the Philippines, theres a vital question that every business must address: Do you navigate the complex BPO landscape via trial and error, or opt for a sure bet? Cynergy BPO, the worlds leading outsourcing advisory firm, is redefining the field of BPO by ensuring businesses choose the latter. The company is not a typical BPO vendor but is instead a trusted, expert guide, helping businesses navigate the intricacies of outsourcing by connecting them with industry-leading service providers. Their innovative approach to outsourcing effectively overturns the traditional model. Instead of pushing businesses towards trial and error with multiple vendors, the firm eliminates uncertainty by guiding businesses to reliable outsourcing providers from the outset. In the world of BPO, there are no shortcuts to success. The approach of trial and error might seem enticing at first, but it can quickly lead to a loss of time, resources, business, and ultimately, brand damage, John Maczynski, CEO of Cynergy BPO, emphasizes. Our role as an advisory firm is to bypass that uncertainty and offer a sure bet to our clients. We have decades of industry experience and established relationships with the top-tier providers. Our aim is to connect our clients with the right BPO service providers that align with their business needs. With their unparalleled understanding of the business process outsourcing industry and a proven track record, Cynergy BPO ensures that businesses can skip the trial and error phase and move directly to a successful outsourcing engagement. Moreover, their service is free of charge for any company with outsourcing requirements starting from five full-time employees, further underlining their commitment to value creation. Too many businesses have gone the trial and error route and experienced the pitfalls associated with it. Our goal is to ensure businesses avoid this by offering a surefire way to outsource, Ralf Ellspermann, CSO of Cynergy BPO, explains. With us, businesses can leverage our extensive experience, our knowledge of industry best practices, and our relationships with top-tier providers to ensure successful outsourcing ventures. In the world of BPO to the Philippines, the line between success and failure can be perilously thin. However, with Cynergy BPO, businesses are no longer required to navigate this path alone. With its proven, time-tested approach and an unwavering commitment to quality and value, the firm offers businesses a sure bet in the complex world of outsourcing. When faced with the choice between trial and error or a sure bet, it becomes apparent: partnering with Cynergy BPO is not just a smart business move, its the best move. Please enable JavaScript to view the comments powered by Disqus. The semiconductor and high-tech sectors remain a top priority for the Philippines, Department of Trade and Industry Secretary Alfredo Pascual said in a meeting in the Netherlands. Trade Secretary Fred Pascual leads a roundtable meeting in the Netherlands. One of the critical reasons why semiconductor investments are gaining traction is the rapid pace of innovation and the increasing complexity of semiconductor technology, he said. We are moving toward a more interconnected and data-driven world, this is why the demand for high-performance and energy-efficient semiconductors continue to rise. This, in turn, presents a huge opportunity for the Philippines as this sector possesses huge long-term potential that will drive the countrys economic growth, Pascual said. Pascual also expects more employment opportunities for Filipino engineers in the semiconductor and high-tech industries. The Philippines boasts itself in our vast number of engineers and robust workforce, having a nearly competitive integrated circuit design engineers and experience in FinFET technology. In a concerted effort to intensify initiatives to promote and expand investments in the semiconductor and high-tech sectors within the Philippines, Pascual led a roundtable meeting on 30 June 2023, focusing on semiconductors, automotive and integrated circuit design. He said the Philippines is on a remarkable journey toward economic development. The Philippine economy accelerated to a GDP growth rate of 7.6 percent in 2022, from 5.7 percent in 2021. This growth surpassed major emerging economies such as Vietnam with 5.9 percent and China with 2.9 percent, he said. Such growth is a testament to the efficiency of the Philippine governments continuing efforts to attract more investments in the country that will generate high-quality and better-paying jobs for Filipinos, facilitate technological transfer, and develop domestic industries, he said. Despite recent global political and economic developments, the Philippines achieved a GDP growth rate of 6.4 percent in the first quarter of 2023, the fastest growth among ASEAN countries. Currently, the government is targeting 6.0 percent to 7 percent growth for 2023. The Dutch companies who attended the roundtable expressed their satisfaction with the exciting developments unfolding in the country. Mr. Smit of Holland Semiconductor and Mr. Van Endhoven of High Tech NL, on the other hand, encouraged the sustained engagement and collaboration between the semiconductor and high-tech sectors of the two countries. The upcoming Dutch trade mission to the Philippines in October 2023, led by Business Connect and the Dutch Chamber of Commerce of the Philippines in coordination with the Philippine Trade and Investment Center directly contributes to this objective. Additionally, Filipinos in the Dutch semiconductor industry are keen to support the governments initiatives. The meeting was organized by PTIC in Brussels, Belgium in partnership with Briskr and Noviotech Campus in order to gather Dutch semiconductor and high-tech sectors in the Nijmegen and Eindhoven areas where most of the major high-tech companies are located. Noviotech Campus serves as the Health and High-Tech hub in the Netherlands where chip companies work closely. It is home to more than 70 companies, providing jobs to over 3,400 people in the high-tech and health sectors. Like other Dutch excellence centers, Noviotech follows the triple-helix approach where government, business, and academia join hands to drive the sectors future. The meeting was also attended by Semiconductor and Electronics Industries in the Philippines Foundation, Inc. president Dan Lachica who delivered a presentation on the role of semiconductor in automotive, healthcare, and digital industries, IT and Business Process Association of the Philippines president Jack Madrid who discussed high value strategic services and available opportunities in the Philippines, as well as Department of Energy Assistant Secretary Mylene Capongcol who also discussed DOEs key initiatives toward the use of sustainable energy in the semiconductor sector. Also present during the meeting were Philippine Ambassador to The Netherlands H.E. Jose Eduardo Malaya, DTI Undersecretary for Communications Kim Bernardo-Lokin who delivered a closing remarks in support of Secretary Pascuals vision for the Philippine domestic industries, PTIC-Brussels Commercial Counsellor Magnolia Ashley, Board of Investments Executive Director Evariste Cagatan, Director Lanie Dormiendo, and other public and private sector representatives. Please enable JavaScript to view the comments powered by Disqus. Sen. Risa Hontiveros on Tuesday insisted that it is crucial that the Philippine government raise the West Philippine Sea (WPS) issue to the UN General Assembly (UNGA). The opposition senator issued this following reports that China Coast Guard (CCG) vessels pursued two Philippine ships in a resupply mission last June 30. Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) vessels BRP Malabrigo and BRP Malapascua were escorting a small boat on a resupply mission to Philippine Navy ship BRP Sierra Madre when they encountered an armada of CCG militia, which had just arrived from Scarborough Shoal, Hontiveros said. After the resupply, the Chinese ships pursued the PCG ships to the east, the senator added. I hope that the Senate can tackle my resolution regarding this as soon as session resumes, as we need the support of the wider international community to stop Chinas unbridled aggression, said Hontiveros. Earlier, she filed Senate Resolution 659, urging the Philippine government through the Department of Foreign Affairs to sponsor a resolution before the UNGA calling on China to stop its harassment of Philippine vessels within the WPS. Hontiveros slammed China for being reckless and irresponsible. Her continued attempts to illegally occupy our territories only demonstrate her complete disrespect of international law, she emphasized. If the Chinese authoritarian regime truly wants to be the regional leader, Hontiveros said China should act responsibly by de-escalating tensions in the region. She said China should not fan the flames by engaging in these rash actions outside her territorial sea. Please enable JavaScript to view the comments powered by Disqus. As the Marcos Jr. administration enters its second year, a Department of Budget and Management (DBM) official expressed optimism that Congress will soon pass the controversial Freedom of Information (FOI) Bill and the Budget Modernization Bill. DBM Assistant Secretary Rolando Toledo made the statement during a forum on Friday dubbed, The Legitimacy of President Marcos Jr.: Entailing the Need for More Transparent and Accountable Governance, organized by the Stratbase ADR Institute and Democracy Watch Philippines. [Were] looking forward to having the FOI law passed. With this administration, with the push from the executive, we are looking forward, well have the Freedom of Information law, Toledo said. As far as FOI [in local governments] is concerned, there are already gains. Around 61 local budget issuances as far as Freedom of Information has been signed. It has been a law at the local government units already, he added. President Ferdinand Marcos Jr earlier called on all branches of government to genuinely uphold and give effect to the peoples freedom of information in the course of our day-to-day operations, with good faith and openness. Toledo also said the Budget Modernization Bill, which is a priority of the Marcos administration, was getting more support in both chambers of Congress. Yes, we are hopeful that this PBBM [Progressive Budgeting for Better and Modernization Governance] bill will be passed. Given that weve already consulted a lot in Congress and there are congressmen who are sponsoring this bill already. We have already 11 who authored in Congress and 2 in the Senate As far as the Senate is concerned, weve already identified and responded to the proposal of PBBM [Budget Modernization Bill]. Were hopeful, but it all depends still on Congress, he explained. We saw that we really need [to] publish our reports and our documents, and make them available to the public. That is very important because we want the public to know what the government is doing, what the government is investing in, Toledo said. Stratbase president and Democracy Watch Philippines lead convenor Dindo Manhit urged President Marcos to capitalize on his legitimate electoral victory and on his consequent strong political capital in pushing for important legislation such as the Freedom of Information Bill and the Budget Modernization Bill. What I took note of is the credibility of elections. When I look at data, there were 39 percent of the people who said there was less cheating [in 2022] and that the speed of counting votes in Comelec was 86 percent. Thats technology and were proud of how technology helps improve governance, how technology can make people live in a world that is more transparent and accountable, Manhit said. Elections are over and we are tracking his [Marcos] performance and we have tracked it in the past three quarters, its within the range of 76-80 percent. That means that while 58 percent voted for the President, as we moved on, even those who did not vote for him accept his performance, trust his performance as president. And he should harness this to push for measures that will ensure transparency and accountability in government, he emphasized. Manhit also welcomed the Presidents recent pronouncement to uphold the FOI and the institutionalization of the Philippine Open Government Partnership (PH-OGP) through the issuance of Executive Order No. 31, which aims to strengthen transparency in government processes. He explained that a more transparent and accountable government would attract more investors to the Philippines. I was doing assessment of Foreign Direct Investments (FDI) across region, and I learned that top concern for FDI is still governance. Investments are important because they create those initiatives that will help our people uplift their lives. Were proud of the 7 percent growth driven by consumption. But can you imagine if we get consumption side-by-side with investment-led growth. You uplift the lives of people, Manhit said. When the President issued a statement, this is a long dream of everyone, the FOI. Maybe through technology, maybe thats the solution [to governance]. We are looking forward and we should make this happen collectively, he added. Please enable JavaScript to view the comments powered by Disqus. We share the disappointment and the hope as wellof Senator Grace Poe after the Department of Tourism lost its balance in a marketing campaign aimed at propping up the tourism industry. This is the governments agency mandated to encourage, promote, and develop tourism as a major socio-economic activity to generate foreign currency and local employment and to spread the benefits of tourism to a wider segment of the population with the support, assistance, and cooperation of both the private and the public sector. The gaffe from the new Love the Philippines video which featured materials filmed abroad has been likened to a scam but her hope should be heard by other government agencies that there will be no reruns of such marketing mistakes. We expect the incident will not happen again especially to government agencies like the DOT that our people trust, Senator Poe said. The tourism department immediately expressed outrage and extreme disappointment at the use of non-original/stock footage purporting to be scenes from the Philippines in the audio visual presentation prepared by the advertising firm that produced the video. And the DOT is now processing terminating its contract with the ad agency DDB Philippines, which the former used for the tourism branding campaign. We are knocked out the ad agency blatantly failed to remember what college advertising students learned semester after semester before they get their diploma that there must be truth in advertising. Truth in advertising is a maxim, an enforced concept of being truthful and accurate about products and services offered. Neither can we fathom the go-ahead by understudies at the DOT when, as it should be practiced, the product is presented for final approval before the launch. Or did they think perhaps that the foreign scenes were those breathing in the Philippines, the Land of the Morning with 114 million people from Batanes down to Tawi Tawi? It speaks a lot of our philistinism when it comes to the Philippines we want our countrymen and foreigners to love. Such ruthless racket, or, in the language of Senator Poe, an advertisement scamwhether the ad agency had been paid or not for its easy efforts is immaterial at this point. The DOT, in a statement, has noted that DDB Philippines has publicly apologized, taken full responsibility, and admitted in no uncertain terms, that non-original materials were used in their AVP, reflecting an abject failure to comply with their obligation/s under the contract and a direct contravention with the DOTs objectives for the enhanced tourism branding, the DOT hereby exercises its right to proceed with termination proceedings against its contract with DDB. Will see how the sun rises tomorrow. Please enable JavaScript to view the comments powered by Disqus. The waves of migration and displacement expected in Africa due to climate change constitute a ticking time bomb that threatens the continent if appropriate strategies are not put in place to remedy this, said the director of the African Migration Observatory (OAM), Namira Negm. Special attention must be given to this phenomenon by ensuring the necessary funding to prevent the exacerbation of the next migration crisis and reduce its destructive effects on people, nature, life and economies, said Ms. Negm during a meeting recently organized in Cape Town, South Africa, by the International Organization for Migration (IOM) under the theme Climate change and human mobility. She warned that climate change is one of the main drivers of migration on the African continent, alongside conflicts, especially in East Africa, the Horn of Africa, and Southern Africa. Emphasizing the need to develop adequate plans and policies to ensure effective management of this phenomenon, she sounded the alarm on the harmful consequences of the movement of more than 100 million Africans during the next years within their own countries or to neighboring countries, according to World Bank statistics. One in eight people in the world is either a migrant or has been forcibly displaced due to factors such as conflict, persecution, environmental degradation, or lack of security and opportunity, she said. She recalled, in this regard, the adoption last June of the Rabat Declaration during a high-level session on the health of refugees and migrants, organized by the World Health Organization (WHO), the IOM and the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), with the participation of representatives of 50 UN Member States, observers, and representatives of humanitarian organizations and civil society. Ms. Negm pointed out that major international and regional efforts are being made to protect migrants and refugees, but that relying solely on the security approach to deal with irregular migration is likely to exacerbate the abuses to the rights of this vulnerable category which already suffers from the violations perpetrated by gangs of smugglers and traffickers. This meeting was held as part of a series of roundtables with the participation of IOM Director, Amy Pope, as well as eminent experts and researchers on African migration issues. Three Chinese naval vessels made a five-day stopover in the waters of Lagos, Nigerias economic capital, on Sunday, in a rare visit to the Gulf of Guinea, Nigerian and Chinese authorities said on Monday July 3. This is a friendly visit aimed at improving diplomacy between China and Nigeria, Nigerian navy spokesman Rear Admiral Ayo-Vaughan said on Monday. One of the ships docked on Sunday at the Apapa port in Lagos, where a ceremony was held. The Chinese ambassador to Nigeria, Cui Jianchun, described the visit as a major event in recent years. This event testifies to a high level of trust between the two countries, which will strengthen ties between the two navies, particularly in terms of joint resolution of regional security issues, the diplomat was quoted as saying in a statement published on the embassys website. A crucial maritime route bordering hydrocarbon-rich countries, the Gulf of Guinea, which stretches over 5,700 kilometers between Senegal and Angola, has for several years been the new black spot for global piracy, even if acts of piracy have recently slowed down. China has very close economic and financial ties with Nigeria, Africas most populous country. In particular, it has invested heavily in infrastructure, such as the new deep-water port of Lekki, on the outskirts of Lagos. South Africas opposition has come together in a coalition to oust the countrys historic ruling party, the ANC, in next years general election, the seven-party grouping announced on Monday. For the first time since 1994, the ruling party is set to lose its majority, the parties united behind the leading opposition movement, the Democratic Alliance (DA), said in a joint statement. The 2024 elections offer an unprecedented opportunity for the South African people to elect a new government capable of leading our country out of the multiple crises it faces, they added, referring to the current gloomy economic and social climate in the continents leading industrial power. The African National Congress (ANC) has been losing ground at the ballot box for the past decade. Nelson Mandelas party is facing growing discontent fueled by endemic unemployment, ever-increasing inequality and a serious electricity crisis. However, the opposition has so far failed to break through, with the DA polling just 20% of the vote in the 2021 local elections. Some polls predict a score below 50% for the ANC next year. The party fell below this mark for the first time in 2021. The countrys third largest party, the radical left-wing Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF), is not part of the opposition coalition, whose party leaders are due to meet in Johannesburg on August 16 and 17. President Cyril Ramaphosa was reappointed head of the ANC in December. The 70-year-old head of state is guaranteed a second term if the party wins. The Angolan President, Joao Lourenco, will this Tuesday mark the start of the Lobito corridor rail concession, a ceremony that will be joined by his counterparts from Zambia and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). The Angolan President arrived on Monday in Benguela province to witness the transfer of rail services and logistics support of Lobito corridor to the consortium that will manage the infrastructure, under concession for 30 years. Presidents Hakainde Hichilema, of Zambia, and Felix Antoine Tshisekedi, of DRC were also invited to the ceremony that marks the start of the concession of this strategic rail corridor for the connection of mining regions and export of goods, which links Lobito (eastern Angola) to Luau (west), near the border with DRC. The construction of a branch line to Zambia is also planned. The three countries signed in January an agreement to create a transport and facilitation agency for the Lobito Corridor, to boost the circulation of goods and promote the mobility of citizens. The Lobito corridor concession was awarded to LAR Lobito Atlantic Railway, a company comprising the Swiss Trafigura, the Portuguese Mota-Engil Engenharia e Construcao Africa SA, and the Belgian Vecturis SA, which signed the contract with the Angolan Ministry of Transport, in November last year in Luanda. The Lobito corridor encompasses the port of Lobito, the mining terminal and the Benguela railroad (CFB), which stretches more than 1,300 kilometers, from Benguela province to Luau, in Moxico province. It then continues for another 400 kilometers in DRC to Kolwezi, the heart of the mining area known as the Copperbelt, and is directly linked to the railway network run by the Sociedade Ferroviaria Nacional do Congo (SNCC). To start the concession, LAR has an estimated investment of $455 million (417 million euros) in Angola and up to $100 million (92 million euros) in DRC. To make the most of the railroads potential, 1,555 wagons and 35 locomotives will be purchased to run on the Angolan side of the corridor. The concession contract can be extended up to 50 years if the consortium opts to build the branch line between Luacano (Moxico) and Jimbe (Zambia), with a total length of 259 kilometers, valued at 3.6 million dollars (3.3 million euros) per kilometer. This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain Endometriosis is linked to a reduction in fertility in the years preceding a definitive surgical diagnosis of the condition, according to new research published in Human Reproduction. In the first study to look at birth rates in a large group of women who eventually received a surgical verification of endometriosis, researchers in Finland found that the number of first live births in the period before diagnosis was half that of women without the painful condition. This was the case regardless of what form of endometriosis the women had: ovarian, peritoneal, deep endometriosis or other types. In addition, the researchers found evidence that the number of babies women had before endometriosis was diagnosed was significantly reduced, compared to women who did not have endometriosis. Professor Oskari Heikinheimo, of Helsinki University Hospital (Finland), who led the study, said, "Our findings suggest that doctors who see women suffering from painful menstruation and chronic pelvic pain, should keep in mind the possibility of endometriosis and treat them effectively. Doctors should discuss with these women the possible effects on their fertility, in addition to the effects of their age, and the impairment of fertility should be minimized by offering relevant treatment for endometriosis without delay." Endometriosis is a chronic inflammatory condition that affects up to about 10% of women of child-bearing age. Tissue from the lining of the womb grows in other places, such as the ovarian and fallopian tubes. Typical symptoms include painful menstruation, pain in the pelvic area, difficult or painful sexual intercourse, and difficulty getting pregnant. Correct diagnosis is often delayed by around seven years. Surgery has traditionally been the "gold standard" for diagnosing the condition and classifying the type of endometriosis, although diagnosis by ultrasonographic findings or the symptoms alone is currently accepted. Until now, there has been little information about the live birth rate among women with endometriosis, and little is known about the possible effects of different types of endometriosis on fertility, especially in the years before a diagnosis. "Given the chronic nature and typical long delay in diagnosis of endometriosis, we wanted to find out if there were differences in first birth rates before diagnosis in a large group of women in the population," said Prof. Heikinheimo. He and his colleagues looked at 18,324 women in Finland, aged between 15 and 49 years, who had surgical verification of endometriosis between 1998 and 2012. They matched them with 35,793 women of similar age who did not have an endometriosis diagnosis. The follow-up period started at the age of 15 years, and continued until the first live birth, sterilization, removal of the ovaries or womb, or until the surgical diagnosis of endometriosis, whichever came first. The group of women with endometriosis were also divided into four groups according to the type of endometriosis. The average (mean) time of follow-up before surgical diagnosis was 15.2 years. The average (median) age at the time of diagnosis of endometriosis was 35 years. A total of 7,363 women (40%) with endometriosis and 23,718 women (66%) without endometriosis delivered a live baby during the follow-up period. The incidence rate of first live births among women with endometriosis was half that of women without the condition (0.51%). When analyzed according to women's birth decade from 1940s to 1970s, the birth rate decreased in both groups of women. Importantly, over the decades, an increasingly lower first live birth rate was seen in women with endometriosis, compared to women without. In those women born between 1940 and 1949, the difference in live birth rates between the two groups was 28% before surgically diagnosed endometriosis, but this difference increased steadily to 87% by 19701979. "We assume that this is associated with the older age of women when they have their first baby, earlier surgical diagnosis of endometriosis and accumulating adverse effects of endometriosis in women affected by the condition," said Prof. Heikinheimo. The number of children that women had before their diagnosis of endometriosis was 1.93 and 2.16 for women without endometriosis. "The possible effect of endometriosis on the desired number of children highlights the importance of early diagnosis and treatment of the disease," he said. He continued, "It is important to note that this study reports on live births before a definitive diagnosis of endometriosis. Next, we will be reporting on the fertility rates after the surgical diagnosis and treatment of endometriosis. We hope that the fertility of women with endometriosis catches up with that of the women without the condition after surgical management." The strength of the study is its large size, and that it includes information about women nationwide in Finland contained in the high-quality Finish national health care registers. There are some limitations. These include its focus on only surgically-confirmed endometriosis, which may have ruled out women with milder symptoms who were treated for the condition. There were no data available on whether or not women wanted to become pregnant. The researchers could not rule out the possible effect of fertility treatments or the effect of adenomyosis, which is known to occur often with endometriosis, and which also affects fertility and pregnancy outcomes. Differences in socioeconomic and educational backgrounds between the two groups of women might have affected the findings. More information: Anni Tuominen et al, First live birth before surgical verification of endometriosisa nationwide register study of 18 324 women, Human Reproduction (2023). DOI: 10.1093/humrep/dead120 Journal information: Human Reproduction This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has issued a health advisory following the recent cases of malaria in Florida and Texas. So how worried should we be about malaria? The disease accounts for more than half a million deaths each year outside of the United States. "Malaria is a potentially fatal disease that should be taken seriously everywhere," says Shauna Gunaratne, MD, MPH, an expert in both tropical and travel medicine who has treated people with malaria at Columbia University Irving Medical Center. Around 2,000 cases of malaria are diagnosed annually in the United States, though the vast majority of infections are acquired while traveling abroad. Mosquitoes can spread malaria when they bite someone who is infected, then carry the parasite to the next person they bite. All of the recent cases were acquired in the United States, suggesting that mosquitoes are spreading Plasmodium, the parasite that causes malaria, right here. "Most Americans have not encountered this parasite and do not know that it can kill you in the absence of treatment," says microbiologist David Fidock, Ph.D., who has worked for over 30 years on developing treatments for malaria. "Given the global nature of infectious diseases and climate change, malaria is something everyone should be aware of." We asked Fidock and Gunaratne to provide more information about malaria and how it's treated. What is malaria? Malaria is a serious, often deadly disease caused by the Plasmodium parasite, which infects mosquitoes and humans. Malaria causes flu-like symptoms, including high fevers, intense chills, headaches, muscle aches, fatigue, nausea, and vomiting. Without prompt treatment, the infection can become severe and cause serious complications, including difficulty breathing, mental confusion, seizures, jaundice, kidney failure, coma, and death. Children, the elderly, pregnant women, and individuals who are immunocompromised are at greatest risk for complications. Symptoms usually start two to four weeks after being bitten by a mosquito carrying the Plasmodium parasite. The Plasmodium species (vivax) that spread recently in Texas and Florida can hide in the liver and cause waves of recurrent disease spaced months apart. How is malaria acquired? Malaria infection occurs when you are bitten by a mosquito that harbors infectious Plasmodium parasites. The disease cannot be transmitted from person to person. Malaria is typically acquired during travel to areas where malaria is endemic. Do all mosquitoes carry malaria parasites? The mosquito that transmits malaria, known as Anopheles, is different from the mosquitoes that transmit dengue or yellow fever and West Nile virus. Only female Anopheles mosquitoes can transmit malaria to people. Fidock recommends taking pictures of mosquitoes in the area where you have been bitten, which can help health care professionals quickly determine whether you may have encountered an Anopheles mosquito capable of transmitting malaria parasites. Who is at risk for malaria? Anyone who travels to an area where malaria is endemic may be at risk. People who reside long-term in areas where malaria is endemic have some protection against severe disease. People who leave a malaria-endemic area for at least six months and then return may think their risk is low, but any prior immunity they may have had is lost. Malaria is present mostly in Africa but also occurs in South America, Southeast Asia, the Indian sub-continent, and the Western Pacific. Why is malaria popping up in the United States now? Malaria was once common in the United States, but large-scale efforts to reduce mosquito populations, starting over 70 years ago, have largely eliminated the disease in this country. The risk of malaria infection in the United States remains low, but there's been an uptick in imported cases in the past year and a half as people have begun to travel extensively. A warming world has favorable effects on the mosquito population, allowing mosquito larvae to mature faster and causing mosquitoes to bite and feed on humans more frequently. Warmer temperatures have also shortened the incubation period of some mosquito-borne diseases, such as dengue and malaria, causing them to be infective more rapidly. Increased precipitation in some areas of the world and the United States will expand vegetation and breeding sites for mosquitoes. Given warming temperatures and wetter climates leading to increased mosquito populations and disease transmission, we may start to see dengue, Chikungunya, and malaria emerge in places they were previously not found. How is malaria prevented? The best way to prevent malaria is to avoid being bitten by mosquitoes. For people who are visiting malaria-endemic areas, several safe and effective medications can be taken to prevent malaria. "It is important to take these medications as prescribed," says Gunaratne. "People who are planning to travel to malaria-endemic areas should consult with a primary care physician or a travel medicine provider to obtain a prescription and additional guidance on preventing malaria and other infectious diseases." The WHO approved a malaria vaccine in 2021, but it is only partially effective and must be combined with other disease-prevention strategies. "There's also far more demand than there is supply, so the vaccine is an imperfect tool," Fidock says. How is malaria treated? Several anti-malarial drugs target different species of the malaria parasite. Some medications are taken orally; others are given via intravenous infusion, particularly in severe cases. "We're actively trying to discover and develop new drugs to treat malaria, as the parasites are continuously evolving in ways that make them resistant to current treatments," says Fidock. What do I do if I suspect I have malaria? "Malaria is absolutely a medical emergency," Gunaratne says. Contact a health care provider if you exhibit malaria symptoms and have recently traveled to an area where malaria is endemic so you can get tested for the disease. "A malaria infection can be rapidly lethal, killing up to one-quarter of people who have no immunity to this disease and are not treated," Fidock says. "If you've visited an area where malaria is common and you develop symptoms, you can go from feeling mildly ill to falling into a coma within several days." "The best way to fight malaria is to not get it in the first place," Gunaratne says. "Speak to your health care provider before traveling and take malaria prophylaxis if advised to do so." This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: Credit: Unsplash/CC0 Public Domain A collaborative group led by the Department of Clinical Oncology, School of Clinical Medicine, LKS Faculty of Medicine, the University of Hong Kong (HKUMed) and the Division of Clinical Pathology & Molecular Pathology, Hong Kong Sanatorium & Hospital (HKSH), have published their findings on the clinical importance of the Multidisciplinary Molecular Tumor Board (MTB) in delivering a Precision Cancer Medicine service. In the rapidly evolving therapeutic landscape of oncology, the MTB provides a much-needed solution; it offers a systematic precision oncology strategy for treatment selection for patients with advanced cancer. The MTB findings were published in The Lancet Regional HealthWestern Pacific. The integration of next-generation sequencing (NGS) and comprehensive gene profiling (CGP) into clinical practice is transforming the field of oncology and enabling precision medicine approaches for cancer patients. The MTB in Hong Kong is a significant step towards advancing precision oncology in the region, providing genome-informed therapy for patients with advanced-stage and treatment-refractory solid cancer. Combining the expertise of multiple disciplines, the MTB consists of world-class clinicians and scientists to deliver individualized and evidence-based recommendations for patients based on their unique genomic profiles. In addition, this approach has improved patient outcomes, as demonstrated by the high rate of patients with actionable targets and favorable objective response rates and disease control rates following MTB-guided therapy. Through its efforts, the MTB has shown that NGS CGP is a critical tool for precision cancer medicine and that integrating an MTB is essential for the safe and effective implementation of such guided therapy into clinical practice. Overall, the MTB has set a new standard for precision oncology in the region, demonstrating the importance of interdisciplinary collaboration and personalized treatment strategies in improving patient outcomes. Ultimately, it has paved the way for advances in cancer genomics by narrowing the gap between science and clinical practice. Research methods and findings Precision cancer medicine is widely embraced as it offers personalized treatment plans based on the patient's genetic profile. The MTB, co-founded by HKUMed and HKSH, was established in August 2018 and is held monthly, available to all health care and scientific professionals across Hong Kong. The MTB was designed to optimize the interpretation of tumor genomic profiling in Hong Kong. The MTB team is a powerhouse of experts, including renowned oncologists, cancer specialists, molecular pathologists, cancer biologists, pharmacists, clinical geneticists, bioinformaticians, biostatisticians, and data scientists. Their wealth of knowledge and experience allows them to recommend personalized treatment strategies to patients with advanced solid cancer by conducting a thorough analysis of genomic variants driving the tumor, assessing the potential for matched therapies, and distinguishing between missense mutations of unknown significance and putative drivers in a 4-step process: Step 1: Patient Registration: Upon consent, patients' NGS reports will be added to the MTB registry. Step 2: Case Discussion: the MTB thoroughly examines the patients' clinical history and gene expression profile. Step 3: Personalized Sequence-specific Recommendation: the MTB will provide personalized recommendations based on specific genomic reports to the treating physician. Step 4: MTB longitudinal follow-up, the MTB will continuously monitor the patient's progress and treatment effectiveness. This follow-up system ensures the highest quality of care and optimized long-term health outcomes. In Hong Kong and beyond, the MTB is recognized as a highly effective approach to providing exceptional clinical services to cancer patients. With personalized recommendations based on individual genomic profiles, the MTB strives to bridge the gap between scientific advancements and clinical application, resulting in significantly improved patient outcomes. The MTB is distinguished by its unwavering commitment to academic excellence, pioneering research, patient engagement, and education. It is a valuable resource for cancer patients and frontline physicians alike. Dr. Aya El Helali, Clinical Assistant Professor of the Department of Clinical Oncology, School of Clinical Medicine, HKUMed, highlighted, "It is important to know that precision cancer medicine requires a multidisciplinary approach for effective care. The vital role of the MTB is in connecting genomic profiling with targeted therapy. This is especially important as personalized oncology becomes more common." "This study has shown that treatment-refractory cancer patients who receive MTB-guided recommendations have better treatment response rates. In this study conducted on a Chinese patient population, over 500 alterations were identified, with 64% of patients benefiting from the MTB-guided approach. This is a significant finding, as it is the first report of its kind in the region. These results have important implications for clinical practice and emphasize the importance of MTBs in precision cancer medicine." This multi-center collaborative study was led by Dr. Aya El Helali, Clinical Assistant Professor, Department of Clinical Oncology, School of Clinical Medicine, HKUMed, and Dr. Edmond Ma Shiu-kwan, Director of the Division of Clinical Pathology & Molecular Pathology, Hong Kong Sanatorium & Hospital. More information: Aya El Helali et al, The impact of the multi-disciplinary molecular tumour board and integrative next generation sequencing on clinical outcomes in advanced solid tumours, The Lancet Regional HealthWestern Pacific (2023). DOI: 10.1016/j.lanwpc.2023.100775 The Helena Police Department has partnered with Lewis and Clark Humane Society to implement a trap, neuter and release program for the hundreds of feral cats within city limits. Helena Police Chief Brett Petty told the Helena City Commission during an April 5 administrative meeting that his animal control officers have identified six to seven feral cat colonies within the city of 20 or more feral cats. Lewis and Clark Humane Society Animal Services Manager Katie Axline-Pittman said in an interview Thursday that within the greater Helena community, including the north valley outside of HPD jurisdiction and the program's boundaries, there is an estimated 20 to 30 colonies that have been identified in recent years. "People may only notice a couple of stray cats or dogs in their neighborhood, but the problem is much bigger than that," Axline-Pittman said. Per the arrangement, HPD animal control officers will identify colonies, set humane society-provided traps in the area, transport the trapped cats to the humane society. A medical team will assess the health of the captured cats, and those deemed healthy enough for surgery will be spayed or neutered; vaccinated against rabies and other diseases; kept at the shelter overnight for evaluation; and returned by an animal control officer to the location at which they were trapped less a half inch of their left ears. "The reason for the ear tipping, if we were to re-catch this cat, we would know that this procedure has already happened to the cat," Petty said. Petty said "(i)f they do catch a cat that is checked out by medical staff and is deemed sick or injured ..., the medical staff can make further decisions regarding the cat's quality of life, including the possibility of having to possibly euthanize the cat." The program is a fairly large operation. With grant funds, the humane society hopes to host two clinics a month during warmer months. Axline-Pittman said about five humane society staff members and a veterinarian can handle upward of 25 cats per clinic at the cost of about $500. She said the police reached out to the humane society after recently receiving a deluge of complaints regarding feral cats in the downtown area. Axline-Pittman said such programs are implemented across the country and considered "best practice." Carrol College assistant professor of anthrozoology Molly Sumridge sent the city a letter in support of the program. "TNR is a mainstream practice across the United States. It's considered good public policy and a standard of practice in most major cities, yet it is sorely missing in Montana," Sumridge wrote in the letter. "I am deeply impressed by the efforts of your Animal Control team to bring Helena forward with policies and procedures to resolve human-animal conflicts. Adopting a TNR policy is integral in this mission." Petty told the commissioners Havre has run a similar program since 2018. "They have used this program on over 450 cats," he said. "All the areas they've implemented the program, they've seen a large reduction in the number of cats, also the health of the cats is improved and the amount of cats coming into their shelter has declined." Petty said there is a real need. "So the overall goal of this trap, neuter and return program is to TNR 80% or more of a colony," he said. "This would give us the ability to manage the cat population through spay and neuter as well as be able to control the transfer of diseases from cats to other animals by way of vaccinations." Both Petty and Axline-Pittman said officers and staff are working with effected neighborhood residents. "Our animal control officers have spoken to a lot of people for and against the program," Petty said. Axline-Pittman said in cases involving a potential euthanasia, the staff will involve the caregivers, those who provide some level of care to a cat colony, whenever possible, though such situations have been rare thus far. The shelter has been conducting the program outside the city limits since the spring of 2022 and has so far processed about 175 cats last year. So far this year, the shelter has processed about 50. "It helps reduce the number of animals, the amount of disease spread while still letting them live their lives," she said. While rabies is the most common disease of concern among such colonies, Axline-Pittman said the local shelter is seeing a large number of these cats come in with severe upper respiratory illnesses. The cats can also pose a physical risk to humans who attempt to handle them. "Most of these community cats are unsocialized," she said. "This is generations of cats that do not interact with people, so observe them from afar." She said residents can contact the humane society for help with nuisance cats. "We're happy to provide tips and tricks to help people coexist with the cats," she said. The Helena City Commission approved during its Monday meeting revisions to city code allowing for the implementation of the program under HPD. Lewis and Clark Humane Society's grant funding for its part of the program will last for the next year. For more information, contact the Lewis and Clark Humane Society at 406-442-1660 or animal control at the HPD non-emergency dispatch at 406-457-8866 Years ago, Jenny Lackey of Vale set a lofty goal for herself: visit all 50 of the U.S. states and travel in at least 50 countries all by the age of 50. A recent trip to Japan completed Lackey's 50-50-50 challenge, and she won't be 50 years old until August. So, how does she feel? "Humbled," said the owner of Lackey Accounting and Tax Service. "By traveling, I've learned so much about diversity, both in the United States and in the larger world. I've learned about nature, and I've learned about people, mainly that if you show them respect, they are more than willing to help you." On a wall in her office on St. Pauls Church Road in Newton is a large magnet board on which Lackey maintains a rotating display of magnets collected during her travel adventures. Ask about a magnetized set of red lips and she'll tell you about kissing the Blarney Stone in Ireland. Point out a leaping kangaroo figure and she'll expound on the amazing wildlife of Australia. The board is more than a collection of memories. It's a collection of feelings. "That's why I encourage people to travel," Lackey said. "You can look at a picture and enjoy it, but you can't really feel a picture. Traveling to a place lets you feel that place, experience that place. And that makes a difference." Lackey said visiting the 50 states has deepened her appreciation of America, and that traveling outside the country has given her perspective. "I love my country and will defend it," Lackey said. "And because I love my country, I want what's best for it. That can mean realizing where there's room for improvement." While she's grateful for the opportunity to travel and intends to continue doing so, Lackey said she'll always come back home. "In all my travels, I don't see myself living anywhere but here," she said. What (or who) got you started on this quest? My parents, Darlene and Kenneth Lackey, believed travel was part of my education, so we'd take road trips every summer when I was a child. They encouraged me to not only visit but also experience new places, to appreciate the differences of new places and how those differences can actually strengthen us if we let them because we can learn and grow from them. They blessed me with an amazing gift, and Ive been happily traveling ever since. How old were you when you began? I visited my last state, the 50th, North Dakota, when I was 33 or 34, and I immediately thought I needed another travel goal because I was still young. I had been to 14 or 15 countries at that point and thought how cool itd be if I could visit 50 countries by 50, then Id have 50-50-50. Have you always traveled with a companion, or has some of it been on your own? Ive traveled solo, Ive traveled with family, and Ive traveled with friends. How did you decide which countries to visit? Ive picked different countries for different reasons. I picked Ireland because I love castles. I picked Japan because a friend, Melinda, suggested Tokyo and Nikko when I told her I wanted to visit an Asian country. I picked Morocco because I love the movie Casablanca. Was there one country you enjoyed visiting the most? Ive visited Australia twice, and its lived up to my high expectations of it both times. Ive been to shows in the Sydney Opera House, Ive fed kangaroos at Taronga Zoo, Ive eaten the best steaks in the world there, Ive been whale watching off their coast, Ive walked across the Sydney Harbour Bridge. It's a fantastic and unique country, and it holds a special place in my heart. Was there one country you enjoyed visiting the least? I didnt feel safe in St. Lucia, and its hard to enjoy the beauty of your surroundings when youre scared. We stayed at a luxury hotel, but there were heavily armed guards constantly patrolling the grounds. There were also locks on our bedroom doors with signs telling us to use them at night and a big sign on the main entrance to our suite telling us not to open the door to anybody we didnt know, even if they identified themselves as being with the hotel. Again, the country itself is gorgeous, but my time there was stressful. What country surprised you the most? Egypt surprised me more than any other country in the best way possible I fell in love with it and their people! Everybody, and I mean absolutely everybody, was nice, friendly, enthusiastic, helpful and welcoming. Ive never felt more wanted in a country. Every tour guide, every driver, every hotel employee went above and beyond to make our experience there unbelievable, and we saw a lot of the country, from Cairo to Luxor with Alexandria in between. The pyramids, the Avenue of the Sphinxes, the Egyptian Museum were all remarkable and, honestly, left me speechless. I highly recommend Egypt, and I promise you will not be disappointed. What countries are you determined to visit again? I will visit Egypt again because I made friends there. Our driver in Luxor and I stay in touch through WhatsApp, and hes constantly asking me when Im coming back to my second country because he cant wait for him and his family to host me for a few days. I also want to visit Northern Ireland again because I only had a day there in Belfast, and it simply wasnt enough. It was fascinating, and I want to experience more of the country. What other countries do you plan to visit someday? Im currently in the process of formulating another goal or perhaps two goals. Ive been on six of the seven continents. I'm missing Antarctica, so even though its not considered a country, I do want to eventually visit Antarctica to complete the continents. Im also working on a list of specific sites I want to see like Petra in Jordan, the Great Wall of China and Easter Island in Chile, so I will visit other countries because I will always enjoy the being there, the experience of a new place. The getting there and the getting back wear me out more than it used to, but the being there is always worth it. I also want to visit Vietnam, because Dad served there during the war. What have you gained by all this travel? Traveling is humbling because it demands you gain perspective. For example, Ive seen a 4-year-old boy in Peru happily playing with an old tire at his government-funded preschool, and I think hes richer in the ways that really matter than a lot of 4-year-olds in the U.S. with their iPads and cellphones. Ive walked the ancient city of Ephesus in Turkey and marveled at their aqueduct system that supplied them with running water and indoor plumbing in the 10th century B.C., yet my great-grandmother had to use an outhouse until her late 80s because her house in Lincoln County didnt have a toilet. Traveling is also humbling because it demands you lose attitude. I only speak English and a little bit of French, which means I have been in plenty of countries where I dont understand their language, their customs, their transportation systems, etc. I have been totally dependent on strangers in countries completely unfamiliar to me, but Ive learned smiling is a universal ice breaker, and if you respect the fact youre a visitor in their country, most people will help you regardless of our differences because in the end, as much as we are different, were also the same. Emergency responders were dispatched Saturday around 8:15 p.m. to the report of an ATV crash on the Red Lion Road northeast of Georgetown Lake. An Anaconda man was declared dead at the scene, according to a press release from the Granite County Sheriffs Office. A preliminary investigation indicates the man was thrown from the vehicle and died from blunt force trauma, according to the news release. An investigation into the circumstances of the crash continues. No additional details were available Monday. A 23-year-old man was pronounced dead late Monday night shortly after being transported to St. James Healthcare following a vehicle-pedestrian accident in the 1400 block of West Granite Street. The hit-and-run suspect, a 20-year-old woman, turned herself in to the Butte-Silver Bow Law Enforcement Center Tuesday afternoon. Just before 11 p.m. Monday, the deceased, along with a 21-year-old man who sustained a lower leg injury, were struck by a red Jeep with a black top. Police have since located the vehicle. According to witnesses, the Jeep was traveling west when it hit the two men and did not stop. Instead, the driver continued onto Park Street and was last seen near the Montana Tech HYPER complex. Butte-Silver Bow Sheriff Ed Lester has not yet released the identity of the man who was killed. Police investigators and attorneys from the Butte-Silver Bow County Attorneys office are in communication and criminal charges against the suspect are anticipated to occur in the next 48 hours, said Sheriff Lester. The investigation continues with additional information being released when it becomes available. Two pending Missoula cases involving use of force by police likely wont see a courtroom until the fall. The Missoula County Attorneys Office currently has two inquests awaiting their day in court because of scheduling challenges and a shortage of coroners, according to Missoula Chief Criminal Deputy County Attorney Matt Jennings. Coroners inquests are public inquiries held in courtrooms that examine the causes of and circumstances surrounding the death of a person when theyre killed by law enforcement. Vance Ledeau, 34, was shot and killed by law enforcement at the Smokejumper Center last August. He was reportedly a robbery suspect, though very minimal details were provided in the aftermath of the shooting about Ledeaus death and the circumstances leading up to it. Nearly a year later, an inquest for Ledeau isn't on the county's calendar. Gary T. Duncan, a 45-year-old Missoula resident, died from a gunshot wound at the Clinton Market in February, a news release from the Ravalli County Sheriffs Office stated. "Sheriff Holton said the coroner's investigation concluded that the armed suspect/decedent displayed suicidal tendency and was ultimately killed by law enforcement at the scene," the news release stated. A press release from the Missoula County Sheriff's Office sent out shortly after the incident claimed the scene was also a hostage situation involving the suspect's wife, but didn't provide any more details on what happened. Inquests play an important role in the legal process. They are required by law for people who die in a prison or jail or in the custody of any law enforcement agent. A coroner (not a judge) presides over an inquest before a coroners jury in a public courtroom. Evidence surrounding the persons death is presented to a jury, which then decides if the use of the force by law enforcement was justified. Deputy county attorneys present evidence and witnesses to the jury, but they arent legal representation for the person who died, or their families. In an email, Jennings said the coroner Missoula County typically enlists for its inquests doesnt have dates available until the fall, but the county is trying to find another coroner with sooner availability. When a person is killed by law enforcement, we have to use a civilian coroner and they have to be from another county, Jennings said. There are not many choices. He explained civilian coroners usually have other jobs, like funeral directors, so presiding over inquests for other counties tend to be voluntary, add-on tasks for them. He said coroner shortages arent unique to Missoula, and his office uses the same coroners that most urban counties throughout the state use. "So, their conflicts are because of the backlogs from other areas including ours," Jennings said. Anaconda-Deer Lodge County Coroner Jessie Billquist-Jette oversaw recent coroners inquests in Missoula. The county's last round of inquests was in March. A jury cleared two drug-related deaths at the Missoula jail of being caused by any criminal means. The back-to-back coroners inquests led a nine-person jury through the deaths of Wendy L. Gottfried, 30, and Maryjane F. Galloway, 37. Both women died of drug overdoses at the Missoula jail in a two-month period in late 2022. The COVID-19 pandemic also spurred delays for Missoula's inquests and other court proceedings. In 2019, the Billings Gazette found in 39 fatal police encounters statewide since 2012, every officer's actions were found to be justified at the end of a coroner's inquest. Gov. Greg Gianforte signed House Bill 705 in May, brought by Scot Kerns, R-Great Falls, in this years legislative session, which revised Montanas current inquest laws to allow juries to select an option that a person died by suicide through police intervention, if the evidence supports such a claim. House Bill 705 is to provide the jury with greater transparency in cases by allowing them the option, only if warranted, of suicide by law enforcement, Kerns said at a hearing for the bill in February. By amending the current law, we will bring transparency to police deadly force cases and allow critical evidence to be presented during the inquest. A representative from the Montana Division of Criminal Investigation, the agency that handles use of force investigations across the state, spoke in support of the bill, while ACLU Montana staff spoke in opposition. Millions of Americans were attending parades, fireworks and other Independence Day events Tuesday, celebrating the courage of the nation's 18th century patriots who fought for independence from Great Britain. Those events also honored the military and those who sacrificed their lives in other conflicts that helped preserve the nation's freedom over its 247-year history. That is only one version of a "patriot." Today, the word has become infused in political rhetoric and school curriculums, with varying definitions, while being appropriated by white nationalist groups. "Patriotism really depends on which American is describing himself as patriotic and what version or vision of the country they hold dear," said Matthew Delmont, a historian at Dartmouth. While the word's origins come from ancient Greece, its basic meaning in American history is someone who loves his or her country. The original patriots come from the American Revolution, most often associated with figures such as Sam Adams and Benjamin Franklin. Enslaved people who advocated for abolition and members of Native American communities trying to recover or retain their sovereignty also saw themselves as patriots, said Nathaniel Sheidley, president and CEO of Revolutionary Spaces in Boston. The group runs the Old State House and Old South Meeting House, which played central roles in the revolution. "They took part in the American Revolution. There were working people advocating for their voices to be heard in the political process," Sheidley said. The hallmark of patriotism then, he said, was "a sense of self-sacrifice, of caring more about one's neighbors and fellow community members than one's self." Opposition to government and dissent have been common features of how patriotism was defined, Delmont said. He cited the example of Black military members who fought in World War II and advocated for civil rights when they returned. They also saw themselves as patriots. "Part of patriotism for them meant not just winning the war, but then coming home and trying to change America, trying to continue to fight for civil rights and to have actual freedom and democracy here in the United States," Delmont said. For many white Americans who see themselves as patriotic, "They're thinking of other white Americans as the true definition of Americans," he said. Far-right and extremist groups branded themselves with American motifs and the term "patriot" since at least the early 20th century, when the second Ku Klux Klan became known for the slogan "100% Americanism," said Mark Pitcavage, senior research fellow at the Anti-Defamation League's Center on Extremism. By the 1990s, so many antigovernment and militia groups were using the term to describe themselves that watchdog groups referred to it as the " Patriot movement." That extremist wave, which included Oklahoma City bomber Timothy McVeigh, faded in the late 1990s and early 2000s. Many such groups resurfaced when Barack Obama became president, according to the Southern Poverty Law Center, which closely tracked the movement. Since then, many right-wing groups called themselves "patriots" as they fought election processes, LGBTQ+ rights, vaccines, immigration, diversity programs in schools and more. Former President Donald Trump frequently refers to his supporters as "patriots." The term works as a branding tool because many Americans have a positive association with "patriot," said Kurt Braddock, an American University professor and researcher at the Polarization and Extremism Research & Innovation Lab. One example is the white supremacist militia group Patriot Front, which researchers say uses patriotism as camouflage to hide racist and bigoted values. Some white nationalist groups may genuinely view themselves as pushing back against tyranny even if in reality they are "very selective" about what parts of the Constitution they want to defend, Braddock said. Gaines Foster, a historian at Louisiana State University, said patriotism at one point was seen as a civic nationalism that held the belief "that you're an American because you believe in democracy, you believe in equality, you believe in opportunity. In other words, you believe certain things about the way the government works, and that's a very inclusive vision." He said the violent Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol was the most dramatic example of how the view of patriotism shifted in recent years, saying "people began to lean less toward a commitment to democracy and more to the notion in the Declaration of Independence that there is a 'right of revolt,' and that becomes patriotism." Bob Evnen has been active in Nebraska Republican politics for nearly 50 years and was instrumental in enacting a requirement for the Pledge of Allegiance to be recited in schools and for the pledge policy to be included in the state's social studies curriculum standards, despite criticism from some lawmakers and civil rights organizations who labeled it "forced patriotism." The intent, he said, is "to teach our children to become young patriots who have an intellectual understanding of the genius of this country and who feel an emotional connection to it." Now Evnen is Nebraska's secretary of state overseeing elections and he is sometimes the target of election conspiracy theorists usually fellow Republicans. They made unfounded accusations of election rigging across the country and often question his patriotism for disagreeing. "They're now just personal attacks in an effort to shut down debate," he said. "Anyone who strays from orthodoxy is labeled unpatriotic." SAN FRANCISCO On a recent afternoon in San Francisco, a DoorDash driver was circling the neighborhood first in his car, then on foot trying to find the restaurant where he needed to pick up two orders. Finally, he Googled the location and realized DoorDashs app sent him to the wrong address. Its an error he vowed to fix, and he probably will. Because that worker is Andy Fang, DoorDashs chief technology officer and one of the companys three co-founders. If it happens with one restaurant, it might actually be happening with a lot of other restaurants as well, Fang said after he retrieved the orders and settled back into his car. If we can see why that happened, maybe we can fix other issues, too. Fang is one of a growing number of executives who occasionally do the hourly work that makes their companies hum. Starbucks new CEO, Laxman Narasimhan, is a trained barista and puts in a half-day of work at a store each month. Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi and Lyft CEO David Risher occasionally shuttle passengers. Air New Zealand CEO Greg Foran has been spotted serving drinks and snacks on flights. Amazon recently re-launched a program called the Associate Experience Week, which encourages employees to shadow operations workers for a week to gain a better understanding of their job. The program is mandatory for some managers. A1 Garage Door Service, which operates in 16 states, also encourages job-shadowing and requires all employees to learn skills outside of their immediate responsibilities. A1 CEO Tommy Mello says the policy promotes empathy and collaboration. But few companies have a program as robust as WeDash, which requires thousands of salaried DoorDash employees in the U.S., Canada and Australia to complete at least four deliveries per year. Employees are strongly encouraged to make deliveries monthly. They can use work time to complete those shifts, and they keep any money they make. We just want to make sure that people who are working here, who are supporting our audiences, are understanding what people are going through, Fang told The Associated Press. When they started DoorDash a decade ago, while they were students at Stanford, Fang and the companys other two co-founders CEO Tony Xu and Chief Product Officer Stanley Tang made all of the deliveries themselves. We had to. There was nobody else to do them, Fang said. But what we quickly found out was that by doing these deliveries ourselves, we learned a ton of insights into what it actually took to get these deliveries fulfilled. The company started WeDash in 2015 to make sure every employee was getting those insights. Fang said there are some exceptions; if an employee cant drive, for example, they might visit merchants or work in the call center. DoorDash has grown exponentially since then. In 2022, more than 6 million DoorDash drivers all independent contractors fulfilled 1.7 billion orders worldwide. DoorDash has expanded beyond restaurant delivery into convenience stores, groceries, pet stores and pharmacies. Fang, who makes deliveries for at least an hour each month sometimes with Xu and Tang in tow says he has made real changes to DoorDashs app based on his experiences. When he was on the East Coast recently, he set a time to make deliveries when he returned to California. But when he got home, he realized the time he set was off by three hours because the app assumed he was still on the East Coast. He got that bug fixed. Another new feature arose from employee feedback in WeDash. The feature, Dash Along the Way, lets drivers specify where they want to start making deliveries and then assigns them orders that they can complete en route. Fang also experiences drivers other frustrations. The wrong address in the DoorDash app cost him time delivering orders from Bonchon, a Korean fried chicken chain. On the afternoon he drove with an AP video journalist, Fang made only $15.50 for 51 minutes of work. DoorDash says that's lower than the $34 per hour that California drivers make on average, including tips. It's also vastly lower than what Fang pulls in as CTO. His annual compensation in 2022 totaled $2.79 million and Forbes pegged his net worth that same year at $1.1 billion, illustrating the gap between those at the top of a company and those at the bottom. DoorDash and others recently pushed back against a new rule introduced in New York City implementing a minimum pay rate for app-based food delivery workers that could nearly triple their average earnings in the coming years. DoorDash said it may pursue legal action. Still, the company is seeking ways to make drivers' earnings more reliable. It recently announced a new Earn By Time mode, which will let drivers earn a guaranteed minimum rate for the time they spend on a delivery, not including tips. Drivers can still opt for an Earn Per Offer mode, which is how they have always been paid. Fang said he knows there are limits to how much he can understand the day-to-day work of the company's drivers, which is why he also seeks feedback from a council of drivers and from other employees. Denise Rousseau, a professor of organizational behavior at Carnegie Mellon University, said there is a lot of value in asking workers to do other jobs within their company. Having senior leaders participate, as DoorDash does, sends an even stronger message. If you spend your own time on it, that's not cheap talk anymore, she said. You are trying to convey, This is the focus of our business and we care. How people ordered meals online in 2022, according to DoorDash How people ordered meals online in 2022, according to DoorDash People valued a good ordering experience, accurate delivery time, and fast service Breakfast saw an increase in popularity Consumers don't call to order anymore People ordered online for convenienceand stayed home American and Mexican food were most popular More and more dined in, but takeout orders continued to be prevalent Daily Herald. June 27, 2023. Editorial: Pension fund news sticks taxpayers with added costs of states previous bad management Gov. J.B. Pritzker got an unwelcome -- but apparently not unexpected -- message this month from a study of Illinois state employee pensions. Its going to take a little longer than previously thought to catch up the states unfunded pension liability. The deficit between whats available for pension payouts and what is needed to pay the systems obligations, now estimated at around $140 billion, could grow by an additional $5.6 billion in order to correct a systemic shortfall in funding contributions the state has been making for employees covered under Tier 2 of its pension plan. Since 2011, new employees covered by three state pension plans -- the Teachers Retirement System, the State Employees Retirement System and the State University Retirement System -- as well as certain Cook County and other public employees have been operating under rules that were significantly modified in an effort to keep from eventually bankrupting the system. The new system, however, apparently did not accommodate regulations affecting some higher-income employees that require their pension income to at least match what they would receive from Social Security, a policy referred to as safe harbor. Because neither the employees nor the state make payments to the Social Security system, the discrepancy violates federal law, so it must be addressed, as our tax watchdog Jake Griffin explained in a report Sunday. The study produced for the state by the Segal consulting firm estimated it will about a quarter of a billion dollars a year for the next 22 years to cover the difference, Griffin reported. In order to shore up the troubled pension system, Gov. J.B. Pritzker has for years been diverting to pensions an extra few hundred million dollars a year more than required by law. The new demands will make catching up even more difficult and send state lawmakers back to the drawing board to create a stable fix. State Rep. Stephanie Kifowit , an Oswego Democrat and chair of the House Personnel & Pensions Committee, introduced legislation for just that purpose during the previous session, but her bill never made it out of committee, apparently because lawmakers were waiting to find out how big a hit the system was taking. Everybody knew Tier 2 was in violation of safe harbor. It was kind of like Captain Obvious. But now we have a number, said Kifowit. And its a small part of the unfunded liability that already exists in those pension systems because of fiscal mismanagement of the past. Its a commentary on the many years of that fiscal mismanagement that the 4% increase to the estimated $140 billion pension deficit warrants barely a shrug in the massive demand facing the state. But its no insignificant shrug. It represents, first, a failure of planning in the setup of Tier 2 from the beginning and, second, around $5.6 billion more that the state wont have to cover other needs over the next two-plus decades. This doesnt necessarily suggest the need for a wholesale revision of Tier 2, but it does punctuate the importance of making strong, reliable financial plans and sticking to them. Chicago Tribune. June 29, 2023. Editorial: A GOP bill offers teens serving long prison terms a second chance. It should become law. Newspapers and broadcasts teem with stories about teens and young adults committing crimes many of them horrible and violent. Justice demands a fair trial, and if juries convict, then the appropriate sentence must be meted out. If the crime is heinous enough to warrant a longer sentence, so be it. But we all know that teens and young adults are prone to making rash, irrational choices. There has to be a balance between a punishment that fits the crime and a sentence that takes into account a young persons immaturity. Are there times when circumstances surrounding a young persons crime warrant a second chance, an opportunity for an inmate to make a case for an earlier release? State Sen. Seth Lewis, a Republican from northwest suburban Bartlett, thinks that, indeed, second chances have their place in Illinois justice system. Legislation introduced by Lewis builds on previous sentencing reforms that abolished natural life sentences for people convicted of first-degree murder while they were under the age of 21, if their sentences were handed down on or after June 1, 2019. They would be allowed to seek parole after serving 40 years or more. Any convict who committed first-degree murder before the age of 21 but received a sentence less than natural life could seek parole after serving 20 years. And any convict who was under 21 when they committed crimes other than first-degree murder would be eligible for parole after serving 10 years. Gov. J.B. Pritzker signed into law those reforms, some of which had been proposed by Lewis and his House colleague Rita Mayfield, a Democrat from Waukegan. Lewis new proposal would make that previous legislation retroactive to anyone who was under 21 during the commission of the crimes and sentenced before June 1, 2019. Second chances inherently carry risk. Someone guilty of a crime who gets a second chance may embrace the right path moving forward, or may sink back into old habits. The rights and feelings of victims must be weighed too. So must the safety of the broader community. Society must decide whether the risk is worth it, whether redemption is possible. But the value of Lewis legislation is its specific focus on teens and young adults, whose brains are still developing. That has to be taken into account, as the justice system assesses inmates potential to relapse into criminal behavior as older adults. Many people convicted of crimes as children and young adults will age out of crime and not commit crimes later in life, the Rev. Lindsey Hammond, policy director for a criminal justice reform advocacy group called Restore Justice, told a state Senate hearing in March. Just as important in that calculus is the environment in which those teens and young adults grew up. We made our advocacy for second chance legislation clear in a 2017 editorial when we wrote: A second chance can be a lifeline, especially on South and West side streets where many youths feel they have no chance at all particularly after an early brush with the law. For so many teens and young adults in Englewood and South Shore, Austin and Roseland, the decks appear to be stacked skyscraper-high against them. Broken families; gunfire as commonplace as honking horns; underfunded, underperforming schools; the toxic ubiquity of drugs and gangs all factors that conspire against a youths bid for a better life. Lewis legislation does not mean more avoidance of jail time, let alone of prosecution itself. Even a 10-year sentence before parole eligibility means many lost years behind bars, in the prime of a young convicts life, as payment to society for the crime. But the bill offers a sense of hope that there still will be time to pursue a different path, as the wisdom of older years approaches. Lewis bill did not advance during the spring legislative session, but its not dead yet and state lawmakers should give it a much closer look when the General Assembly reconvenes. The Bartlett Republican still needs to fine-tune the bill to allay concerns from victims rights groups, who justifiably want assurances that victims or their relatives will be made aware when an inmate involved in their case is seeking early release. Thats not a big ask from victims rights advocates, and Lewis should make those changes to his bill. Then, when this legislation returns to the General Assembly for consideration, lawmakers should send it to Pritzker for his signature. Justice, after all, isnt only about meting out punishment it must embrace rehabilitation. Inherent in that rehabilitation is the prospect of a second chance. We know many examples of errant young lives not only that were turned around in later years, but were then put in service of helping other young people avoid a self-destructive path. Chicago Sun-Times. July 2, 2023. Editorial: Pritzker made a sensible compromise on health care for undocumented immigrants When the Legislature and the governor enact a budget, they have to make the numbers balance. Advocates for important state services generally say those services need more money, often rightly so. Education, underfunded pensions, public safety the list is virtually endless. But when the Legislature and the governor enact a budget, they have to make the numbers balance. In the fiscal year that started on Saturday, they came up with what appears to be a sensible compromise on health care funding for undocumented immigrants in the state, even though advocates have protested it is nowhere near enough. In the budget, a $550 million increase was set aside to pay those health care costs. Is it enough to cover everyone? No, because the cost of the program is soaring just three years after it was created. State officials estimate that, without changes, the programs costs could balloon by $1.1 billion. Health care advocates say thats not the point. The Healthy Illinois Campaign called the compromise immoral and fiscally short-sighted. U.S. Rep. Delia Ramirez, D-Ill., called the new limits a false choice built on fear-mongering and anti-immigrant rhetoric. Advocates have held protests, including one on Thursday outside the Illinois state offices in the West Loop. But look around the country, and you would be hard put to see many other states that provide even as much health care as Illinois does. Some other states that did start providing some measure of health care for undocumented immigrants now are cutting back, or are debating whether to do so. Illinois was the first state to offer health care coverage to non-citizens. And this year the Legislature and Gov. J.B. Pritzker came up with more cash for health care coverage, even though many other priorities could also use a lot more money. Under the deal, the state will stop enrolling immigrant adults aged 42 to 64 who lack permanent legal status in its Medicaid-like Health Benefits for Immigrant Adults program, at least temporarily. Existing enrollees in the Medicare-like Health Benefits for Immigrant Seniors program will be able to keep coverage, and additional seniors will be able to apply, though there will be a cap of 16,500 enrollees. All enrollees will have to shell out for co-pays for hospital visits of $100 to $250. Children up to age 18 are covered under the All Kids program. Unlike traditional Medicaid, which is substantially subsidized by the federal government, Illinois has to pay for almost all of the Health Benefits for Immigrant Adults program. Congress, where the U.S. House has been more focused on adding work requirements for Medicaid, isnt likely to be much help soon. Having adequate health insurance is a challenge for many Americans. Some people have insurance plans with out-of-pocket maximums, premiums and deductibles so high they cant afford health care if they get a serious illness. A study in the Dec. 27, 2022, Journal of the American Medical Association found that even Americans with job-based health insurance have been skipping medical care because they cant afford it. Some Illinois residents with Medicaid will lose their coverage now that emergency pandemic protections are ending. Last year, the Kaiser Family Foundation found about half of U.S. adults had trouble paying health care costs. Ideally, should everyone have access to affordable health care coverage? Of course they should, just as every qualified student in the state should be able to get a college education without taking on crushing debt. But if the federal government is not going to provide better health care coverage, or subsidize coverage for non-citizens, the gap may be too big for Illinois to close all by itself. END On this set of episodes, we sift through many details of the 2012 disappearance and death of 6-year-old Isabel Celis and 2014 kidnapping and murder of 13-year-old Maribel Gonzalez. Youll be hearing from Arizona Daily Star reporter Caitlin Schmidt. In this episode, host Natalie Cardona and Caitlin Schmidt examine the trials of the man accused of the killings for both girls. Past episodes from this season: Episode One Episode Two More on the case Isabel was last seen by her parents at 11 p.m. on April 21 when she was put to bed. Her father discovered she was missing the next morning, police said. Police completed a search of the Celis home in the 5600 block of East 12th Street, near East Broadway and South Craycroft Road, at about 1:30 a.m. Tuesday but would not comment on what was found. Thousands of fliers were passed out. Landfills were searched as well as lakes and basins. Isabels parents Sergio and Becky Celis had come under some criticism for not speaking to the media or the public in the effort to find their daughter. More money poured into the search effort, but no more leads for years. Then on June 3, 2014 two years after Isabel Celis first went missing another young girl, Maribel Gonzalez, 13, told her mother she was going to a friends house. Three days later her body was found near West Avra Valley Road by a Pima County sheriffs deputy responding to a call about suspicious activity. A few days after her body was discovered, a Pima County medical examiner ruled the death a homicide by unspecified means. In March 2017, Isabels body was in a rural area of Pima County nearly five years after she disappeared. Police Chief Chris Magnus said it wasnt happenstance. An autopsy later that year confirmed it was a homicide. The bones that were recovered were redacted from the report, but an included chart of a human skeleton show part of a pelvis and several skull bones that are a darker color than the rest of the body. Christopher Clements was charged with both crimes and in September of 2022 the first of his two trials began on the charges of kidnapping and murdering Maribel Gonzalez. Then, in February of 2023, Clements' trial for Isabel Celis began. If you like what we do here at Late Edition: Crime Beat Chronicles, please be sure to subscribe wherever you get your podcasts.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua is scheduled to attend a special memorial prayer service held in honor of the victims of the recent tragic accident at Londiani Junction. The interdenominational memorial prayer service will take place at Londiani grounds on July 4, 2023. The solemn event will bring together the local community, clergy members from the area, and guests from diverse backgrounds, including governors, senators, Members of Parliament, and senior government officials. Labour and Social Protection Cabinet Secretary Ms Florence Bore made the announcement at the Kericho County Government headquarters pointing out that after the prayer service, a fundraiser will be held in support of the families of the victims of the fatal crash. The CS said the financial aid for the victims would go a long way in assisting the families of the victims, a majority of who were engaged in informal businesses along the Kericho-Nakuru highway. I pass a message of condolence for the lives we have lost in the Londiani accident. This is a time of mourning and we all come together as a county and as a national government to give a good send-off to those that we have lost and also wish the injured a quick recovery, added Bore. Bore also mentioned that the government, through various ministries, will make contributions to address the current situation. Notably, the Ministry of Health has donated medical supplies to hospitals in Kericho and Londiani to support their needs. The CS together with the Kericho Governor Dr. Eric Mutai, Kericho Senator Aaron Cheruiyot, Kericho Members of Parliament, and Members of the County Assembly held a consultative meeting ahead of the solemn prayer ceremony and later toured to inspect the grounds where the memorial will be held. Mutai assured that the county government would settle hospital and mortuary bills of the victims of the accident that claimed 52 lives. The people that were affected the most were ordinary hustlers and their families are in deep pain and that is why we have decided to fully support them by wavering all bills for the victims, said Mutai. The governor also commended traders at Kapkelek Centre who have already relocated from transacting their businesses from the roadside to the designated marketplace that is away from the road and safer for them to trade promising to construct a market for traders in Londiani junction. We continue to urge traders to avoid conducting their businesses along the busy highways for their safety and as a County was not going to compromise our peoples lives even if its hustling, we will ensure traders get safe designated places to transact their businesses, said Mutai. The Kisumu County Assembly is counting losses after unknown people broke into the Assemblys chambers and stole valuable equipment over the weekend. The Assemblys clerk, Owen Ojuok, confirmed the incident, saying that the thugs gained entry to the Assembly through the windows. Ojuok said the criminals stole two TV screens used to broadcast live proceedings, an audio mixer, and a public address system. The clerk suspects the burglary was orchestrated by individuals familiar with the local area. It is true unknown thugs broke into our Assembly and took away some equipment, Ojuok told reporters. While urging the police to take immediate action and apprehend the culprits, the clerk wondered how the thieves managed to gain access to the building, considering that it was equipped with round-the-clock security provided by both private guards and armed officers. County Assembly Speaker Elisha Oraro also confirmed the incident, saying: We would like to clarify that the Hansard records, which are of utmost importance to us, remain intact and have not been tampered with. The speaker affirmed that the proceedings of the assembly will continue without any interruptions despite the incident. As the police carry out their investigation, concerns have arisen regarding how the robbery took place at the Assembly, which is located between the Kisumu Central police station and the Sub-County headquarters, without anyone noticing. Prime Cabinet Secretary, Musalia Mudavadi has urged the church to be key drivers of peace in the country and support the governments initiative of uniting Kenyans. Mudavadi said that the church plays a critical role in society and should be a reflection of the country in terms of stability and prosperity in all spheres of life. He made the remarks, even as he cautioned Kenyans to be on the lookout for rising cases of false prophets and preachers, to whom many innocent people have fallen victim. Mudavadi said false pretenders of the word have caused havoc both locally and internationally. Innocent people have surrendered their health and wealth to people who have done totally nothing in helping them acquire the wealth. It defeats logic, when someone like a professor or doctor or an educated person surrenders all his/her years of work, abandons his/her family and follow a false prophet who has never even been in class one, regretted Mudavadi. He urged the church to assist the government identifying rogue pastors and bring them to book as they are tarnishing the good name of the Church. At the same time, Mudavadi said that the current unrest being witnessed in some regions of Africa calls for collective efforts, with the church at the forefront in seeking lasting solutions to conflicts. We all know what is happening in various parts of Africa like what has befallen Sudan and the Democratic Republic of Congo. Africa is grappling with a myriad violent, economic and political conflicts day in day out. The church must stand out and be counted among entities that are helping restore calmness and tranquility. said Mudavadi. Mudavadi made the remarks during the 2023 World Conference of Friends Church (Quakers) being held at Kabarak University in Nakuru. He said Africa is awash with mercenaries fighting proxy international wars that need the intervention by the Church of Friends. You must have heard of countries straddling over Africa natural resources and at the same time, the global dynamics are changing very fast and within Africa itself and within various countries we hear of communities fighting of natural resources. The Church must stand out and be counted, he said. Personally, I was involved in restoring peace in Kenya within the Serena talks arrangement under the then UN Secretary General Koffi Annan, Madam Graca Machel and Tanzanian President Benjamin Mkapa back in 2007/2008 when Kenya was in turmoil, Mudavadi added. The PCS further acknowledged efforts being undertaken to integrate peace curriculum into the Kenyan education curriculum. He said this will play a pivotal role because it involves inculcating the aspect of peace-building and unity at an early age. Mudavadi also urged the church to be an example in emulating humility as a virtue within society. He said leadership in many parts of Africa has been misconceived as self-gratification and amassing of wealth without hard work. Cautioning that if the church does not speak on such matters, Mudavadi observd that the society will continue to vanquish in vices that will end up eroding the moral fabric of the society and nations will collapse. Leaders in Africa need humility in large doses; especially when leaders refuse to leave power when their terms expire or refuse to accept defeat after democratic elections. This is an area that needs deeper reflection with the church being called upon to lead by walking the talk, said Mudavadi. It is mainly in Africa, where integrity is a choice. This is when corruption is embedded as a virtual in governance, rather than a plague to be vanquished. This must change, added Mudavadi. Mudavadi called on the religious institutions offering theological courses to scale them up with other skill-based courses, in a bid to produce all round graduates that will help in boosting the countrys economy. He said men and women of the cloth also need additional skills that will not only help them be self-reliant and earn a living from an additional career but it will also be an eye opener to the society that they are leading by example. I will not mind seeing my pastor doubling up as an agricultural officer, a nurse, a mechanic, an ICT trainer or any other profession. So that apart from passing the work to the congregants, they can also pass skills and help nurture talent and be part of key players in turning around our economy, pointed out Mudavadi. As a country we are facing a crisis of unemployment of up to about 7 million young men and women, who have been schooled but there are no jobs. The church should support the government in figuring out what we should do to sort out this problem collectively, said Mudavadi. This years World of Friends Church 2023 is the first to be held in Africa, running under the theme Come, Abide and Go . Economic Development. It sounds like an upper division class you might take in college, doesnt it? A class you had to get through because it was required but left you wondering if youd ever really use it (looking at you, Algebra). But what is economic development? And what does it mean to a community? To some it might seem like more of theory or a concept that is hard to pin down. To others it may mean practical activities in real time that result in tangible things. If you look up What is economic development? online, you will get a broad range of definitions that fit many narratives. But they all relate to how economic well-being and quality of life of a community, and individuals, are improved through targeted goals and objectives. Simply, it means that there are more opportunities for more people. In doing my own searching I found an interesting perspective from The Rockefeller Foundation which defines inclusive economies by five inter-related characteristics: participation, equity, growth, sustainability, and stability. We have learned over the past three years through wildfires and a pandemic that economic stability is essential. We continue to see that creating opportunities for new and diverse business sectors and entrepreneurs who want to share in this special place, invest here, and put down roots makes our economy and our community stronger and more resilient. When the former Napa Valley Economic Development Corporation dissolved in 2009, there was no business-focused private sector effort to take its place; no entity to partner with the public sector and other stakeholders to attract, retain and enhance local businesses. Now is the time to remedy that. The Napa Chamber of Commerce will soon be embarking on a concerted initiative to create strategies around economic development the purpose being to identify and initiate efforts that create quality jobs, expand the tax base, encourage investment, improve the overall business climate, and enhance the well-being of the community. We will continue to work with local partners like the city of Napa, the county of Napa, the Workforce Alliance of the North Bay, Napa Valley College, the Small Business Development Center, affiliate Chambers of Commerce, and other local, regional, and state stakeholders on short-term priorities and long-term goals. Download Napa Valley Register news app today! Your story lives in the Napa Valley. Get in-depth stories from the Napa region and beyond including news, sports, features and politics. The beauty in multiple definitions of economic development means that we can customize our efforts to our communities and create a comprehensive and intentional strategy for how our economy grows and diversifies. Like a fingerprint, our economic development plan will be unique to us. Economic development is the binding agent that connects critical, but often seemingly disparate, issues. For example, housing affordability and availability; transportation; childcare; education; workforce training; environment and climate; diversity and equity; innovation and entrepreneurship; sound and effective policies and regulations; and more. Collaboration, funding, resources, and solutions begin to emerge with economic development as the common thread. Our community has a long track record of working together to tackle complex issues which ultimately lead to better and more beneficial results. We look forward to the opportunities, partnerships and solutions that will come from this effort to build a stronger and more resilient economy. Photos: 19 townhomes proposed for Wes Imola Avenue in Napa Napa W. Imola Avenue development, townhomes West Imola Avenue development, townhomes W. Imola Avenue development, townhomes W. Imola Avenue development, townhomes W. Imola Avenue development, townhomes West Imola Avenue development, townhomes W. Imola Avenue development, townhomes W. Imola Avenue development, townhomes Alert drivers on the Silverado Trail may have noticed that the iconic Soda Canyon Store has a fresh appearance. The store, with a new coat of bright barn-red paint, is hard to miss at 4006 Silverado Trail, on the corner of Soda Canyon Road. It stands out as one of the few businesses on that stretch of the Trail, tempting commuters and tourists to stop for a coffee or provisions. However, it is not only the paint that is new; this business, which has been a fixture of the Napa Valley landscape for as long as many locals can remember, and after almost 45 years in the hands of one Napa family, now has new owners also long-time Napans, new operators, and a refreshed menu, said new operators MeeSun Boice and Parke Ulrich. After a short closure for renovations and a kitchen overhaul, the Historic Soda Canyon reopened at the beginning of May. New picnic tables, inviting wicker armchairs, umbrellas to provide shade, and comfortable indoor seating offer a respite for anyone driving, biking, or walking The Trail, said Boice and Ulrich. The Soda Canyon Store has been a beloved independent-owned business along the trail since 1946 and is considered by many as the unofficial halfway point between Napa and St. Helena. Download Napa Valley Register news app today! Your story lives in the Napa Valley. Get in-depth stories from the Napa region and beyond including news, sports, features and politics. Soda Canyon Store has a humble origin story but has been a fixture in the valley since the mid-1940s. The original building, a simple wooden utilitarian structure, is believed to have been constructed in 1946 and first served as a gas station to travelers and field workers along the trail, said the managers. In those early decades, the business became a hub for the community, as locals would gather for an ice-cold Coca-Cola, a pack of cigarettes, and a little conversation while gassing up. After decades of humming along as an essential part of the commuters day, a significant turning point in the history of the Soda Canyon Store came one day circa 1978. On that day, as family lore goes, Steve Longo, an electrician for PG&E, came into the store and observed then owner, Bill Conaster, gabbing away with a few regulars while serving up fried eggs, a cigarette dangling and boots up on the counter, as though he owned the world. (It is not entirely clear how he was doing all these things simultaneously, but that is the family myth that has been kept alive by Steves daughters, Gina Ergun and Kristi Seitz-Banducci.) Ergun reminisces that this lifestyle enchanted her dad. It wasnt long before Steve and his wife, Gail, signed the paperwork to buy the store from the Canasters, and the next formative era of the Soda Canyon Store began. The two sisters grew up within these four walls and recall free refills on coffee (just the basic Yuban back then, said Seitz-Banducci), a pegboard for the regulars for their coffee cups, and lots of home-cooked meals. The Longos added an expanded grocery offering and a deli counter. Gails deviled eggs and potato salad became famous and regular menu items. Ergun and Seitz-Banduccis earliest childhood memories revolve around their life at the Soda Canyon Store with their parents. Gail took over all of the operations after she and Steve divorced, but Steve Longo stayed involved, eventually returning to his career in construction. His daughters point out that he moved into a home on Soda Canyon Road, remaining a loyal customer, coming to the store every single day for the rest of his life, often hanging out to visit, and was friends with everyone until his passing in 2022. The sisters recall stocking shelves (the lower shelves until they started to get a little taller with each year), running the register (standing on milk crates), and catching minnows in the tank to bag up for the fishermen on their way to Lake Berryessa. In the early 1980s, customers were neighbors, fishermen, construction workers, and field workers getting gas and provisions. They really paid for our college, said Ergun. Ergun and Seitz-Banducci left for college but returned soon after graduation to help their mom with the store, bringing fresh ideas they were eager to implement. In 1986 the store stopped pumping gas, and they were serving even more tourists while maintaining the loyalty of the regulars. After college, Ergun had become a local coffee bean distributor, and the girls convinced their mom to let them set up a part of the store to sell fancy coffee. It was the dawn of Starbucks, and specialty coffee drinks were all the rage. The sisters had their moms blessing to invest in an espresso machine, and they launched a side business within the store. Success with the coffee sales securely established the sisters as partners in the business, and in 2000, Ergun and Seitz-Banducci officially purchased the store from their mother (after a brief flirtation with Dean & Deluca), who was ready for a well-earned break. Mom was outta there; she and her husband bought an RV and never looked back, said Ergun. The sisters and a childhood friend, Bonnie Mott, heralded the store into the modern era. On their first official day as the new owners in November 2000, a large kitchen fire forced them to shut down. Turning lemons into lemonade, the sisters took out a loan, gutted the entire building, and set the grand reopening for September 2001. This turned out to be a few days after 9/11, but everybody came back 150%. Shortly after, Seitz-Banducci took a smaller role to focus on her newborn and the couples wine business, Brookdale Vineyards. Over the years, Ergun said, our family has served breakfast burritos, cups of coffee, chicken, and potato salad, by the thousands, and tens of thousands of deviled eggs. The store remains a community gathering place. At any given moment, the picnic tables might be shared with tourists in their boho chic wine-tasting outfits, enjoying a charcuterie board or boxed lunch next to a table of vineyard employees dusty after a day in the field. All are welcome here. Harvest is hectic as the wineries all along Napa Valley order burritos by the hundreds for their staff and workers served between the vines. At days end, those same field hands can find a place to gather and relax at the picnic tables or backyard seating area. The sisters had been tending to their parents legacy for more than 20 years, but both came to the mutual decision to sell to the right buyer. Seitz-Banduccis focus was on her wine business and she realized that her son, now a young adult, was not interested in taking over the store. Ergun, having spent most of her life in the store, was ready to try something completely different. The sisters sold the store in early 2023 to a father and son team, Napa locals. The new store owners, Elliott and Ron Taylor, hired Boice and Ulrich as operators. Boice and Ulrich are the successful restaurateur duo behind Waterbar and Epic Steak in San Francisco and MerSea, the innovative and top-rated eatery set in shipping containers on Treasure Island. Ron Taylor, a reputed restaurant contractor, became acquainted with the team while working on their latest restaurant concept, Hurica, opening soon in Redwood. After he and his son purchased Soda Canyon, they invited Boice and Ulrich for a tour. Boice said, The Taylors have a long connection with the store, Elliot grew up in this store, coming here often as a child. We took two months to decide if we wanted to take this on but despite the extra challenge of geography, it really appealed to us so we said yes. Boice has been impressed by the friendliness and support of the community it reminds her of her childhood growing up in Kansas. After closing for a few months to upgrade the kitchen, replace the appliances, and completely redo the interior to bring back indoor seating, the store re-opened to the public in early May. As you enter, an entire corner on your right is devoted to coffee drinks and pastries (cookies and cinnamon buns come in daily from Winstons), and at the counter on your left, you can place your order for sandwiches and make store purchases. There is a small seating area inside and plentiful picnic tables surrounding the store. Boice stocks the shelves with picnic and snack items as well as items that might appeal to neighbors. There are also some local products, like honey from local bee hives and trail mix from Napa Nuts. Boice is looking for local vendors to add more variety. The menu is still evolving, and Boice said they are still testing the waters and want customer feedback and ask for patience as they fine-tune. We hope to balance tradition and innovation. We brought back free refills on coffee and introduced root beer floats. The popular breakfast burrito is still on the menu, but there are also some new items with the chefs signature. The Jersey Girl is a breakfast sandwich that is a nod to Chef Ulrichs New Jersey background; a fried egg with two slices of pork sausage (from New Jersey), and kimchi on an English Muffin. On the afternoon commute, customers or weary tourists may want to stop by for a Napa-gato, soft-serve ice cream with a pour-over of one or two espresso shots. While the decision to sell the store was hard, sisters Ergun and Seitz-Banducci feel it is in good hands with the new stewards, Of course, it is hard to see the changes. We spent a huge portion of our lives there, said Seitz-Banducci, but it is now up to the new owners and a new generation. I am excited to watch it happen. Ergun is equally enthusiastic, I always wanted to turn it into a better version of itself. Both sisters plan to be frequent visitors to the store. WASHINGTON The next big fight over college admissions already has taken hold, and it centers on a different kind of minority group that gets a boost: children of alumni. Download Napa Valley Register news app today! Your story lives in the Napa Valley. Get in-depth stories from the Napa region and beyond including news, sports, features and politics. In the wake of a Supreme Court decision that strikes down affirmative action in admissions, colleges are coming under renewed pressure to put an end to legacy preferences the practice of favoring applicants with family ties to alumni. Long seen as a perk for the white and wealthy, opponents say it's no longer defensible in a world with no counterbalance in affirmative action. President Biden suggested colleges should rethink the practice after the court's ruling, saying legacy preferences "expand privilege instead of opportunity." Several Democrats in Congress demanded an end to the policy in light of the court's decision to remove race from the admissions process. So did Republicans including Sen. Tim Scott of South Carolina, who is vying for the GOP presidential nomination. "Let's be clear: affirmative action still exists for white people. It's called legacy admissions," Rep. Barbara Lee, D-Oakland, said on Twitter. For critics of legacy admissions, the renewed debate over fairness in admissions has offered a chance to swing public sentiment behind their cause. As colleges across the U.S. pledge their commitment to diversity following the court's ruling, activists have a simple response: prove it. If schools want to enroll more Black, Hispanic and Indigenous students, activists say, removing legacy preferences would be an easy first step. "Now more than ever, there's no justification for allowing this process to continue," said Viet Nguyen, a graduate of Brown and Harvard who leads Ed Mobilizer, a nonprofit that has fought legacy preferences since 2018. "No other country in the world does legacy preferences. Now is a chance to catch up with the rest of the world." Using the Supreme Court decision as a catalyst, Nguyen's group is rallying the alumni of top colleges to press their alma maters to end the practice. The goal is to get graduates of the 30 schools to withhold donations until the policy ends. The schools include Harvard and the University of North Carolina, which were at the center of the court case, along with the rest of the Ivy League and the University of Southern California. It builds on other efforts taking aim at the practice. Colorado banned it at public universities in 2021, and lawmakers in Connecticut, Massachusetts and New York introduced similar bills. In Congress, Rep. Jamaal Bowman of New York and Sen. Jeff Merkley of Oregon, both Democrats, are reviving legislation that would forbid it at all universities that accept federal money. Legacy preferences have become an easy target in the wake of a Supreme Court decision that hinged on questions of merit in the college application process, said Julie Park, who studies college admissions and racial equity at the University of Maryland. Instead of getting in on their own merit, she said, legacy students are just "standing on their parents' shoulders." "It's just low-hanging fruit," she said. "People want something to do, and there's a strong rationale to get rid of it." U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona urged colleges to "ask themselves the tough questions," adding that legacy admissions and other types of special treatment "have long denied well-qualified students of all backgrounds a level playing field." "In the wake of this ruling, they could further tip the scales against students who already have the cards stacked against them," Cardona said in a statement. In the hazy world of college admissions, it's unclear which schools provide a legacy boost and how much it helps. In California, where state law requires schools to disclose the practice, USC reported that 14% of last year's admitted students had family ties to alumni or donors. Stanford reported a similar rate. At Harvard, which released years of records as part of the lawsuit that ended up before the Supreme Court, legacy students were eight times more likely to be admitted, and nearly 70% were white, researchers found. An Associated Press survey of the nation's most selective colleges last year found that legacy students in the freshman class ranged from 4% to 23%. At four schools Notre Dame, USC, Cornell and Dartmouth legacy students outnumbered Black students. Justices past affirmative action views, in their own words Chief Justice John Roberts Clarence Thomas Samuel Alito Neil Gorsuch, Brett Kavanaugh, Amy Coney Barrett Sonia Sotomayor Elena Kagan Ketanji Brown Jackson Sandra Day O'Connor According to information published by NVL Group on June 22, 2023, the second multipurpose modular patrol vessel (MMPV) for the Bulgarian Navy marked its beginning with a traditional keel-laying ceremony. Follow Navy Recognition on Google News at this link Keel laying ceremony for 2nd Multipurpose Modular Patrol Vessel. (Picture source: NVL Group) The ceremony was graced by the attendance of figures from the political scene, Navy, local businesses, and the newly appointed Defense Minister, Todor Tagarev. These MMPVs, under the careful watch of the German NVL Group and with contributions from many Bulgarian suppliers, are coming to life at the MTG Dolphin facilities in Varna. These vessels, each about 90 meters long with a displacement of roughly 2,300 tons, are designed based on a tried-and-tested NVL blueprint. They are equipped with an integrated combat management system, enabling them to respond to threats from the air, land, and both above and below the sea surface. This makes them well-suited to carry out tasks within NATO and EU international alliance missions. The construction of the second MMPV started in December of the previous year. As the project moves forward, both vessels will now be visibly worked upon simultaneously, adding an extra layer of complexity and excitement for everyone involved in the design and construction process. In the ceremony, a customary practice was observed where a brass plate, with four coins signifying the Bulgarian Navy, NVL Group, MTG Dolphin, and the event, was affixed to a wooden block and placed beneath the keel block. This traditional ritual is believed to usher good luck for both the ship and its future crew. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken stated that the talks with Armenian and Azerbaijani foreign ministers Mirzoyan and Bayramov were constructive, and progress was recorded. Kristina Kvien, the US Ambassador to Armenia, said this on the air of Public Television. The United States is committed to continue supporting these talks, trying to reach a final result that will bring lasting and just peace in the region for everyone, the ambassador emphasized. Referring to the fact that parallel to these peace talks, Azerbaijan violates the ceasefire, and as a result of its latest provocation, four Armenian servicemen were killed in Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh), Kvien responded that the US has clearly stated that the long-standing conflict between the parties has no military solution. The US has made it clear that military flare-ups are not useful for talks. The US called on all parties to overcome all their differences through talks. In the end, the US sees that lasting, long-term peace is the way to solve the problems in the region, and that is why the US is committed to trying to facilitate talks that will lead to such peace. Both sides are engaged in talks, have come to the negotiating table, and had honest and open discussions about the differences between the sides, and the US believes that both sides can see that there can be peace in the end. The US very much hopes to help ensure that. Reflecting on the security guarantees of the people of Artsakh, the ambassador said the US has long and firmly said that the rights and safety of those living in Nagorno-Karabakh must be protected, and that there must be talks and an outcome that will protect the rights and safety of those living in Nagorno-Karabakh. Kvien said she certainly is of the opinion that people in Nagorno-Karabakh should be able to feel safe in their own homes, in their environment, and be able to lead a peaceful family life and be engaged in their communities, and therefore the US firmly believes that these principles must be ensured in the ongoing discussions towards a solution. Commenting on the views that it will be impossible to live peacefully if Nagorno-Karabakh remains part of Azerbaijan, Kristina Kvien said the US believes and hopes that it is possible, that all parties should make joint efforts to make this possible, that this is the right approach. She said the US encourages all parties to make joint efforts to ensure these rights and safety. She noted that all parties have said that they believe that the rights and security of the people living in Nagorno-Karabakh should be guaranteed, and now it is up to them to ensure it. According to her, the US considers that any discussion, negotiation, and conversation is the right way forward, and it remains to help the issues of concern to both sides to be fully understood and to be able to find the way to the future to reach a peaceful settlement, by which the rights and security of the people living in Nagorno-Karabakh will be guaranteed and secured.. Referring to the remarks that the US is doing all this in order to take Russia out of the region, the American ambassador responded that the US believes that ultimately, as a sovereign state, Armenia can decide who its allies and partners are, and how the country will move forward in the region and in the world in general. As per Kvien, what the US wants to see is peace in Europe and South Caucasus, and it is ready to talk to any side that can present a positive vision to bring peace to the region. The ambassador said US is actively engaged, but the European Union (EU) is also very actively engaged because both the US and the EU see that having peace and security in the South Caucasus is truly beneficial. Kvien said she believes that that they have very important interests in Armenia, but the interest of the United States is that it and Armenia have shared democratic values and pursue shared democratic processes. The ambassador said the US sees that Armenia is a bright spot in the region in terms of democracy, Armenia is moving forward in terms of reforms, and has a free press and freedom of speech. And reflecting on Armenia's relations with Iran, the US ambassador said they appreciate the fact that Armenia maintains the US sanctions on Iran, but beyond that, Armenia itself must decide what kind of relations to have with Iran. Ardshinbank terminates operations with the Unistream money transfer system Immediate measures should be taken to unblock the Lachin corridor - Lukashevich Azerbaijan is holding a media forum in occupied Armenian Shushi The Lachin Corridor should be opened immediately - Matthew Miller Artsakh parliament calls on Armenia to ask UN to grant international mandate to peacekeepers Russias Federal Council urges Armenian MPs to consider risks of Armenias joining the Rome Statute Armenian and Azerbaijani deputy PMs will meet in different parts of border each time. Sputnik Armenia I still don't know how to shout to make them realize the situation is grave. Ombudsman of Artsakh We are ready to recognize Azerbaijans 86,600 square km, which includes Nagorno-Karabakh. Minister of Foreign Affairs The Russian Federation reaffirms its intention to contribute to the restoration of normal life in Nagorno-Karabakh Artsakh President assures: All decisions will be made jointly A handcuffed man threw himself from the 5th floor of the Investigation Department of SRC and died Ambassador of Poland was presented with the current situation in Nagorno-Karabakh EU Council extends Toivo Klaar's mandate for one year Turkey slows pace of rate hikes, jeopardizing the lira EU Mission at the OSCE Council meeting: Brussels calls on Baku to ensure movement along the Lachin corridor Zakharova evades question on sending Arstakh aid by Russian planes Stores in Artsakh no longer sell bread Russian MFA Spox: Artsakh is not in area of CSTO responsibility State Revenue Committee head: Armenia cooperates with partners transparently Armenia requests OSCE Permanent Council speacial meeting: Mirzoyan made a speech Armenian Health Minister: Transport of medicine to Artsakh is disrupted Russia MFA spox on organizing Mirzoyan, Bayramov meeting in Moscow: Chances are good Russian MFA: Stability in South Caucasus should be in Turkey's interests We should specify the cartographic basis of demarcation activities in the near future. Pashinyan Brussels meeting brought no concrete results in opening Lachin Corridor, resolving humanitarian crisis in NK.Pashinyan Armenian Foreign Ministry welcomes Canadas initiative to join European monitoring mission Artsakh residents hold a protest near the UN office in Yerevan EU foreign ministers to discuss Armenian-Azerbaijani settlement in Brussels Armenian-French cooperation will continue to strengthen. Nikol Pashinyan received French Ambassador The process of the program of formation of Digital Society and Economy discussed at Government State minister: We may have situation when we cant wait for the 7 days noted by Karabakh President The Prime Minister hosts Aram Arzumanyan, disabled as a result of the 44-day war Nikol Pashinyan, Mikhail Mishustin hold phone talk Nersisyan. The more Armenia lowers bar on Karabakh issue, the harder it will be for people of Artsakh to raise it Karabakh official: Armenia has only one thing to do in discussions with Azerbaijan Artsakh state minister: Many illogical things are happening on European platform; is it serious conversation? Karabakh minister of state: We managed to make our voice heard by all to which nationwide movement was directed Lachin corridor has no alternative: Several Armenia NGOs issue joint statement on Charles Michel statement Karabakh state minister: We are in disaster but we will never surrender Karabakh ex-official Vitaly Balasanyan is charged on 4 counts Analyst: Armenia has not recognized Azerbaijan territorial integrity with Karabakhs inclusion Armenia PM is briefed on plan to establish EHL Hospitality Business School branch in Gyumri Our link should be with Armenia only: Karabakh residents comment on their blocking of Askeran-Aghdam road Missing servicemens parents reopen Yerevan major intersection, but on condition Armenia army General Staff chief meets with US Air Force chief of staff (PHOTOS) Parents of missing soldiers close off major avenue in Yerevan Edmon Marukyan: Azerbaijan has no plan to integrate Christian Armenians Azerbaijan MFA responds to Armenia FM with series of absurd accusations Livestock sector is in much worse situation in besieged Karabakh, agriculture minister says Agriculture minister: Scheduled power outages, lack of diesel fuel also cause problems in Karabakh irrigation system Karabakh MoD: Defense Army did not carry out fortification work in Askeran Region Newspaper: What 'tougher actions' Karabakh will take? MoD: Armenia army did not fire at Azerbaijan positions Worlds most expensive iPhone is sold in US US returns 105 antiquities illegally exported from India to latter David Babayan: Karabakh grandpa who fought at Stalingrad, took Berlin never imagined he could die of hunger Russia, Iran FMs interested in consultations with participation of Armenia, Azerbaijan Austria FM: Lachin corridor blockade must be stopped immediately Deputy PM Grigoryan's office: Armenia, Azerbaijan have not made decision on any map Armenia FM briefs OSCE Secretary General on situation in Karabakh Armenian Foreign Minister expresses Yerevan's readiness to hold talks with Turkey in Vienna Armenia is not going to become a space where sanctions could be bypassed: Ararat Mirzoyan Dollar, euro increase in Armenia Armenia FM: Regrettable that instead of engaging in dialogue, Azerbaijan pursues policy of ethnic cleansing in Karabakh FMs sign protocol on implementation of Armenia-EU readmission agreement between Armenia, Austria (PHOTOS) Karabakh residents block Askeran-Aghdam motorway, with concrete barriers (PHOTOS) Armenias Pashinyan receives ex-MP Francois Rochebloine of France Yerevan municipal election events schedule announced Karabakh NGOs: Support being provided to Artsakh people cannot be at cost of trampling on their dignity American University of Armenia has new president Hyundai releases first photos of new generation Santa Fe crossover Public Television to present dire situation in Karabakh every day live from capital Stepanakert's Renaissance Square Teen found dead in Armenia river European Parliament committee calls on Turkey to recognize Armenian Genocide Armenia FM visit to Vienna kicks of with private talk with Austria colleague Karabakh operational headquarters chief: Presidents sit-in could be beneficial European Parliament accuses Azerbaijan of bribing PACE lawmakers, some other offenses Karabakh presidential advisor warns of taking extreme measures Iraqi Kurdistan leader visits Azerbaijan The United States does not support cross-border shooting that could endanger any civilian. The US calls for the simultaneous withdrawal of troops from both sides to reduce the likelihood of such incidents. Kristina Kvien, the US Ambassador to Armenia, said this on the air of Public Television. Referring to the remark that it may be necessary to adjust the security balance of Armenia for stable talks with Azerbaijan, and to the question whether the United States sees a potential to help in the security issue, the ambassador responded that the US has security relations with Armenia, the US is already doing things according to Armenia's request to help Armenia in security. For example, the US has been appreciating for a long time Armenia's participation in global peacekeeping efforts. The US has conducted numerous exercises and other activities with Armenia, through which the US helps the participation of Armenia in peacekeeping missions. According to Armenia's request, the US provided military medical technical means as well. Also, the US has exchange programs with Armenian army specialists; they come to the US and see how it operates. So, the US already has relations with Armenia in security, and they are discussing what else Armenia might need. Commenting on Azerbaijan's demand for a "corridor" from Armenia, Kvien said that threatening rhetoric does not help, and it is not useful for moving forward in peace processes. She noted that the US has encouraged the parties to discuss how the transport system can be improved. To support this, the United States Agency for International Development has conducted a transport sector study for Armenia, which presents different routes not only for Azerbaijan, but in general. Kvien said the US wants to support it, and the two sides, in the end, should discuss how exactly it will happen. The US ambassador to Armenia commented also on the remark that the issue of the country's sovereignty also arises in the case of the corridor. Kristina Kvien said she believes that in general, having better transport routes in the region will only have a positive effect in the case of Armenia. It will help Armenian goods to reach other places, so that goods can be brought to Armenia from different places. Past daily of Armenia writes: Nelly Baghdasaryan, adviser on international affairs to the President of Artsakh [(Nagorno-Karabakh)], in an interview with Alphanews.am, reflecting on the possibility of a "direct dialogue" between Stepanakert and Baku, specifically noted: "The dialogue will take place only if the UN international mandate is obtained, because no other format can inspire confidence and provide reliable guarantees." As is well known, this issue of "direct dialogue" came up under the influence of a number of circumstances, the main of which is that firstly, [Armenias] Nikol Pashinyan and the authorities led by him have recognized Artsakh as Azerbaijani territory, and released themselves from responsibility and obligation for the security of the Armenians of Artsakh. For now, [Azerbaijani president] Aliyev and his criminal authorities continue the total blockade, or rather, the siege of Artsakh, in the conditions of the absolute inaction of Armenias authorities. In an interview given to the same media outlet, Nelly Baghdasaryan, adviser on international affairs of the Artsakh President, also stated that Artsakh is resisting at the expense of its internal resources, but these resources are not inexhaustible, and the consequences of the blockade of Artsakh, which has lasted for more than half a year, are already being felt. Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh) President Arayik Harutyunyan sent a letter to Russian Federation (RF) President Vladimir Putin. Tigran Petrosyan, Chairman of the Anti-Crisis Council of Artsakh, informed about this on Facebookbut without publicizing the contents of this letter. Petrosyan wrote as follows, in particular: "The absolute majority of the people of Artsakh believed not the head of the RA [(Republic of Armenia)], not the head of Artsakh, but RF President Putins words that Armenians will live safely and dignified in Artsakh. "The [Artsakh] authorities have sent a letter to Putin, in which the dire situation of the country and the people is presented. "I believe that if we don't see clear steps from the RF side in the near future, silence will be tantamount to destruction." The delegation led by the speaker of the Republic of Armenia National Assembly (RA NA), Alen Simonyan, being on an official visit in Poland, on Monday met with the experts of Casimir Pulaski Security Think Tank Foundation of Warsaw. At the meeting, the RA NA President briefly touched upon the agenda of the democratic reforms being implemented in Armenia, stressing that the facts on democratic achievements of Armenia in the reports of a number of international authoritative organizations are eloquent, the NA informs Armenian News-NEWS.am. He reminded the attendees that Armenia continues passing through great difficulties, facing the security threats. In this context the Armenian delegates detailed the consequences of the Azerbaijani continuing aggression against Armenia, stressing that Azerbaijan grossly violates the principles of international law and threatens the territorial integrity of Armenia. Azerbaijan, grossly violating the provisions of November 9, 2020 Trilateral Statement, since December of the last year has blocked the Lachin Corridor, which has resulted in grave humanitarian crisis. 120.000 Armenians of Nagorno-Karabakh live in the conditions of full siege, the RA NA President noted. Answering the experts questions on establishing lasting peace in the region, Alen Simonyan highly appreciated the efforts of the Western partners (the USA, the EU, France, Germany) in the process of establishing peace, stability and security. The Polish partners mentioned that the most complicated thing for conflicting countries is to find solution satisfying the sides, however it is more complicated to leave the situation without solution, which can result in irreversible consequences. The RA NA President assured that Armenia has no territorial claims from its neighbors and will continue doing its best for security and peace of the region. At the meeting it was also voiced that Azerbaijan permanently denies all the efforts aimed at peace, ignores the decisions made by the European Court of Human Rights and the mandatory decision of the International Court of Justice, implementing evident policy of ethnic cleansings in Nagorno-Karabakh. Concluding the meeting, the RA NA President assured that in Armenia they really believe that democracy, the rule of law and human rights are guarantees of peaceful co-existence. It was proposed by the leadership of the Casimir Pulaski Security Think Tank Foundation to organize international discussions on securityalso between Armenia and some other European countries. Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan of Armenia sent a congratulatory message to President Joe Biden of the United States of America, on the latters Independence Day anniversary. The congratulatory message reads as follows, in particular: "Active Armenian-American bilateral relations in recent years are promising, especially in the areas of democratic reforms, strengthening the rule of law and fighting corruption. I am happy to record that we have cooperation based on mutual trust between our governments, which gives an opportunity to effectively address the existing challenges and further strengthen the connection between our states and peoples. We highly appreciate the position of the United States in supporting the territorial integrity, sovereignty and democracy of the Republic of Armenia, which was demonstrated in practice during the years 2021-2022. We also highly appreciate the efforts of the USA in the direction of establishing long-lasting and sustainable peace in the South Caucasus, normalizing Armenia-Azerbaijan relations, and addressing the rights and security of the people of Nagorno-Karabakh. The Republic of Armenia continues to adhere to the peace agenda for the sake of the inviolability of the territorial integrity of the Republic of Armenia, for the sake of independence, sovereignty and long-term peaceful development in the region." Dialogue with Baku is acceptable for us, but first of all it should be clearly introduced within the framework of the international mechanism. Aram Harutyunyan, a member of the ruling faction of the Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh) National Assembly, told this to Armenian News-NEWS.am. Referring to the fact that there was a possibility of a Stepanakert-Baku meeting in a third country last month by mediation of the US, but the meeting did not take place due to Stepanakert's worries about its agenda, Harutyunyan said: "During that possible meeting, there should not be a unilaterally imposed agenda. I believe there were some clashes in this context, and that's why the meeting was not held." "Why are we [i.e. Artsakh] talking about international mechanism? This is not a proposal for its own sake, but we realize that Azerbaijan signed even the tripartite statement with two recognized countriesArmenia and Russia, and does not fulfill its obligations it assumed under that document. Now imagine if Azerbaijan reaches an agreement during the dialogue with Artsakh, where are the guarantees that they will be brought to fruition? We believe that this international mechanism should take on the role of that guarantor in the future, so that the acquired obligations are fulfilled," the Artsakh MP added. To the question of what the main agenda will be in case of a possible Baku-Stepanakert meeting, Aram Harutyunyan responded as follows: "A few days ago, the president of Artsakh gave a speech in the National Assembly and clearly stated what preconditions Azerbaijan is positing for starting a dialogue [with Artsakh]. Such preconditions cannot be acceptable, i.e. giving up the right to self-defense [of Artsakh], withdrawing from the agenda of self-determination [of Artsakh], talking only about [Artsakhs] integration [with Azerbaijan]. From the beginning, this is a one-sided imposed agenda around which it is not possible to form a dialogue. Azerbaijan promotes this notion at all public levels. Stepanakert also posits its conditions, and the first [thing] there is to create an international mechanism." The Artsakh lawmaker added that at the moment there is no agreement regarding a possible Baku-Stepanakert meeting. The 30th Annual Session of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe Parliamentary Assembly (OSCE PA) took place in Vancouver, Canada, where the members of the delegation from the Republic of Armenia National Assembly (RA NA) also took part. Artur Hovhannisyan, a member of the aforesaid delegation, delivered an address at the meeting of the OSCE PA General Committee on Democracy, Human Rights and Humanitarian Questions, the NA informed. In his remarks, Hovhannisyan stated as follows, in particular: While the deep concerns surrounding us may instill fear in many people, it is crucial for us, as representatives of the OSCE member countries, to assess the situation and take decisive actions to safeguard the rights and security of people. Armenia is committed to promoting peace in our region and takes every action towards that direction. Meanwhile, one hundred and twenty thousand people of Nagorno-Karabakh are under blockade for more than two hundred days now. I would like to remind you that on February 22nd , the International Court of Justice issued a legally binding provisional measure against Azerbaijan in response to Armenia's case. The Court determined that there exists an imminent risk of irreparable harm to the rights of Armenians under the Convention for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination. It ordered Azerbaijan to undertake all necessary measures to ensure unrestricted movement of people, vehicles, and cargo along the Lachin Corridor in both directions. Regrettably, Azerbaijan has not complied with the international court's decision and has further exacerbated the humanitarian situation in Nagorno-Karabakh. Since June 15th, Azerbaijan has completely blocked passage through the Lachin Corridor, including for the Red Cross and peacekeeping forces. The situation is dire, as the people of Nagorno-Karabakh are facing rapidly depleting reserves of food, medicine, and other essential supplies. Now, more than ever, it is imperative to focus our attention on the developments in Nagorno-Karabakh through statements, resolutions, and, most importantly, concrete actions. We must recognize that the rights of these people are just as significant as any of ours present here today. By standing for the rights and security of the people in Nagorno-Karabakh we stand for our own values of Human Rights which are universal regardless of their geography. All polls show that more than 90 percent of the population of Armenia is against Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh) being a part of Azerbaijan in any capacity. On the contrary, Armenias authorities ignore it. Armenias former foreign minister Vartan Oskanian told this to reporters Tuesday. Referring to Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan's statement that the former authorities of Armenia, based on the Madrid principles, as well as the Key West negotiations, essentially recognized Nagorno-Karabakh as a part of Azerbaijan, Oskanian said: "No former president, authorities of Armenia have never recognized Artsakh as a part of Azerbaijan. No matter what Pashinyan will say, how he will interpret, nothing like that happened. Pashinyan is the first head of Armenia to have said something like this, and now he is trying to formalize it by signing relevant documents. This should not be allowed, we will regret this act for generations." And regarding the possible ways out of the current situation, Armenia's ex-FM said: "Today there is a major alternative to what Pashinyan is trying to do. Now they are trying to present that the war [in 2020] was inevitable. Not only was it not inevitable, but war was ruled out. Pashinyan brought the war on our people because of his mistakes. Its facts are obvious to all. And now it is said in the same way that there is no alternative to what is being done; which is not the case." By Mariam Levina The statement by the US ambassador to Armenia shows that the system of values, at least in some government structures of America, is severely undermined. David Babayan, adviser to the Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh) President, told Armenian News-NEWS.am about this, commenting on the statement ( https://news.am/eng/news/768688.html ) by Kristina Kvien, the US Ambassador to Armenia. "The statement of the US ambassador to Armenia is very important, very interesting, regardless of the fact that it is negative and bad in nature. In fact, the country, the leader of the democratic world, whose entire state building is based on democracy and human rights, is itself violating democratic principles. It doesn't matter whether a democratic state is recognized or not, handing it over to a totalitarian state and declaring with a face like Mother Teresa that they believe that everything will be fine there, is just a degradation of democratic principles and human rights. We must be very honest because we [i.e. Artsakh] have been fighting for democracy for several decades, and we have done more in the fight for democracy than that same ambassador and her bosses. The Karabakh issue is, first and foremost, a fight for democracy and human rights," Babayan said. "I want to ask the American ambassador when she announces the possibility of security guarantees for the Armenians of Karabakh in Azerbaijan: And can't Taiwan be a part of China? After all, it is the same people, especially since the Chinese have shown in practice that they can build one state, two systems on the example of Hong Kong and Macao. And can't Kosovo be a part of Serbia? Why did you bomb, destroy? Couldn't Bosnia be part of Yugoslavia? Syria, Libya, Iraq, Afghanistan. Is it better there now than before you came? Then why can't Crimea be a part of Russia? Why do you fight, spend billions of dollars, and millions of people die in one case, but here you consider it possible for a democratic state to be part of a totalitarian one? Maybe will some people in America come and help Azerbaijan to secure our rights, especially since there is a rich experience of securing rights in America? For example, Native Indian reservations. Maybe you can help with that mechanism, create an Azerbaijani-American fund for the development of the reservation of Artsakh Armenians. We say this with a heavy heart because we have not done little, and maybe we have done something more than the [US] ambassador [to Armenia] and her leaders in the fight for democracy," the advisor to the Artsakh president said. "The Armenian people have invested a lot and continue to invest in the development of America. What? Have the American Armenians invested less than Azerbaijan and Turkey? How many [US] states have accepted the independence of Artsakh? How many [US] Congress members are fighting for our rights, for human rights and democratic values? What should we do in their case? All this once again shows that the system of values, at least in some government structures of America, is severely undermined. And this cannot but have consequences for the American people and the state," Babayan emphasized. Commenting on the remark that the US does not promise to protect rights, but only hopes, he said: "Of course, they don't promise. Hope in this case is also carte blanche in its own way. We [i.e. Artsakh] don't need hopes. We need strong guarantees of our securitybut not within Azerbaijan. As part of Azerbaijan, we will have one future: annihilation. If they want to annihilate us, let them tell the world. And that's why the [aforesaid US] ambassador's statements and similar approaches are fundamentally wrong; it can be called the suicide of democracy." To the observation that an announcement was made from Yerevan about the recognition of the territorial integrity of Azerbaijan, along with Artsakh, Babayan stated that there are very serious problems in general. "It is the issue of self-determination of the Armenian people. The loss of Artsakh will inevitably mean that Armenia will be beheaded. Of course, if Armenia recognizes Artsakh as part of Azerbaijan, it will create different conditions. But in any case, it does not mean that everything can be blamed on that approach. After all, they didn't ask Stepanakert what we want," Babayan emphasized. At the same time, he noted that Artsakh wants official confirmation. "Let there be an open vote so that we see who votes how, and what is the main thing; let there be a nationwide referendum. We want to know if the people in Armenia really think like that. Maybe they think so, and maybe not. But it should be taken into account that those who will not go to vote will actually vote for the annihilation of Artsakh; that is necessary for history. And it will be a moral and psychological DNA test: Is there a people? Or is it already a fake concept? We need to get the answers to all these questions," Artsakh president's advisor said. Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan on Tuesday received Iranian Ambassador Abbas Badakhshan Zohouri, who is completing his diplomatic mission in Armenia, the latters foreign ministry informs Armenian News-NEWS.am. FM Mirzoyan, noting that Ambassador Zohouris term of office in Armenia coincided with a very difficult period for the country, highly appreciated his efforts in deepening mutual understanding and relations between Armenia and Iran, and wished him success in his future diplomatic work. The interlocutors discussed various agenda matters of Armenian-Iranian cooperation, noting with mutual satisfaction the high level of political dialogue between the two countries. It was emphasized that the cooperation between the two countries stems from the imperative to face regional challenges, as well as from the historically formed friendly ties between the two peoples. The willingness to maintain the positive dynamics of high-level mutual visits and periodic consultations between foreign ministries of Armenia and Iran was reaffirmed, too. The steps aimed at the implementation of economic programs of mutual interest as well as the use of the existing potential for the promotion of bilateral trade were highlighted. Reference was made also to the vision of the two countries to establish peace and stability in the South Caucasus and to the respective efforts. The delegation led by the speaker of the Republic of Armenia National Assembly (RA NA), Alen Simonyan, being on an official visit in Poland, on Tuesday met with Elzbieta Witek, the Marshal of the Sejm, the lower house of the Polish parliament. The parties stated that the meetings and discussions planned during the current official visit will contribute to the promotion of bilateral cooperation between the two countries, the NA informs NEWS.am. Simonyan noted that the Armenian and Polish peoples are connected by centuries-old historical relations, recalling that last year was the 655th anniversary of the formation of the Armenian community in Poland. He expressed his gratitude for the care and attitude shown to Polish Armenians at the state level in Poland. At the meeting, the importance of parliamentary cooperation in the expansion of bilateral relations was emphasized. Stressing the opportunities for interaction on various international platforms, Alen Simonyan noted that as a co-creator of the Eastern Partnership of the European Union (EU), Poland plays an active role in strengthening Armenia-EU relations, and Armenia expects Poland's support in the effective implementation of the Armenia-EU Comprehensive and Enhanced Partnership Agreement. Reflecting on the matter of establishment of stability and security in Armenias region, the RA NA speaker details of the situation on the borders of Armenia and in Nagorno-Karabakh as a result of the Azerbaijani military aggression. He attached great importance to the deployment of the EU civilian monitoring mission in Armenia, which is favorable in terms of security, ensuring stability in the region, and building trust on the ground. "We also know that in the middle of this year, Poland plans to expand the engagement of [its] monitors in the mission, which is very welcome for us," the RA NA speaker emphasized. Alen Simonyan noted that during various meetings with all international partners, they raise the need to apply sanctions against Azerbaijan and expect targeted reactions. Elzbieta Witek, for her part, stressed that parliamentary diplomacy ensures uninterrupted communication between parliaments, thanks to which accurate information about countries is obtained. Speaking of democratic values, she emphasized accountability to the people, emphasizing also the positions regarding international partners. In this context, the Marshal of the Polish Sejm expressed her views on further multi-sectoral expansion of cooperation. And commenting on the conflicts taking place in various parts of the world, Witek noted that Poles, regardless of their political views and differences, always unite against aggression and for peace, making their voices heard in this regard. The RA NA speaker, in turn, expressed hope that the voice of Poland will also be heard when it comes to the development of democracy and establishment of peace in Armenia. After the meeting, the members of the Armenian delegation toured the Polish parliament building. The Washington talks between Armenia, Azerbaijan, and the US are actually not about the Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh) issue, but about determining the status of Armenia. Political scientist Beniamin Matevosyan told Armenian News-NEWS.am about this. "In the talks, Azerbaijan insists that the process of [border] demarcation and delimitation should be based on any of their maps, to negotiate vertically with Artsakh. The Washington talks are actually not about Artsakh, but about the status of Armenia, what status Armenia will have within the framework of the Turkey-Azerbaijan military-political alliance, a status that does not have any security guarantee. But since there is the issue of Artsakh in the public perception, provisions about it are included," said Matevosyan. The political scientist was not surprised by the US ambassador's statement that the people of Artsakh can live as part of Azerbaijan. According to him, Armenian PM Nikol Pashinyan had recognized Artsakh as part of Azerbaijan back on October 6, 2022, in Prague, and the US ambassador to Armenia simply stated the obvious. "If we open the statement a little more, the best guarantee for the people of Artsakh will be to obey the constitution of Azerbaijan. There is no international guarantee ensuring security for Artsakh, the US has never spoken about such a thing; this is the biggest deception. Nikol Pashinyan has approved a plan by which Artsakh will be part of Azerbaijan without any status, and the guarantor of security should be the constitution of Azerbaijan. He should thank the US ambassador [to Armenia] for [her] sincerity," said Matevosyan. According to the political scientist, the talks between Artsakh and Karabakh are necessarybut not according to the model around which Armenia is negotiating today. As per Matevosyan, these talks should be as equals, not vertical. "Baku, as the center, will talk with the representatives of Artsakh and the representatives of territorial self-government bodies. This model directly leads to genocide [of the Artsakh Armenians]. We should not have any issues with the American side at all. They are pursuing their interests: to remove Russia from all zones of influence. And if its price is the genocide of the Armenians, they are ready to pay that price. They implement the plan together with Armenias authorities. But if the interest of the US is understandable, then what is the interest of Armenia? And does the Republic of Armenia receive any international guarantee? As they push Armenia to a strategic alliance with Azerbaijan, do they provide a security guarantee? No. But that's not their problem, it's ours," emphasized the political scientist. President of Poland Andrzej Duda on Tuesday received a visiting delegation led by speaker Alen Simonyan of the Republic of Armenia National Assembly (RA NA), in Warsaw, the NA informs Armenian News-NEWS.am. Thanking the President of Poland for the meeting, the RA NA President noted that democratic values are of priority for our country, and its strengthening is of core issue. Simonyan noted that the European Union (EU) remains the main partner of Armenia in establishing democratic institutes and supporting the reform agenda and, despite the difficulties that our country faced during recent several years, the positive dynamics of Armenia-EU high level political dialogue, by signing a number of agreements the legal field had been further strengthened. The RA NA President reminded the President of Poland that Armenia asked the EU to provide technical assistance to Armenia through European Peace Facility-EPF. The European Union provides support through that mechanism to Ukraine, Moldova and Georgia. Unfortunately, the request of Armenia was denied, quoting the EU mediatory efforts in improving the relations between Armenia and Azerbaijan, as well as the problem of conflict sensitivity. I would like to repeat that it refers to technical assistance for raising the defensive capabilities, Alen Simonyan underscored. Touching upon the agenda of establishing lasting peace in the region, the RA NA President highlighted the deployment of the Monitoring Mission of the European Union. Alen Simonyan presented details about the crisis afflicting the Armenians of Nagorno-Karabakh and the danger threatening the sovereignty of Armenia because of the Azerbaijani aggression. He stressed that Armenia expects condemnation of such illegal and inhumane actions and up to imposing sanctions on Azerbaijan from the international colleagues. At the meeting the development of economic relations of the two countries was emphasized. According to the President of Poland, he has personally supported the deal held between the stock exchanges of Armenia and Warsaw last year, being confident that the sovereignty of Armenia is strengthened by the development of economy. Andrzej Duda assured that he is concerned about the development of relations between Armenia and Poland and recalled his participation at the Conference of the European Ministers of Justice of the Council of Europe held in Yerevan in 2006 as a Minister of Justice of Poland. President Duda stressed that the South Caucasus region is important for them, and especially the development of relations with Armenia. The President noted that they follow the situation after the 44-day war in 2020, as well as, they are well aware of the security issues of the region and imagine quite well which country wants in reality peace, and which country doesnt want. China's centrally-administered SOEs to secure power supply amid heatwaves Xinhua) 09:25, July 04, 2023 BEIJING, July 3 (Xinhua) -- China's centrally-administered state-owned enterprises (SOEs) have been urged to make all-out efforts to secure power supply, said the country's top state-asset regulator on Monday. The State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission of the State Council has asked power generation enterprises to do their best in providing power supply. Meanwhile, coal enterprises should make every effort to ensure thermal coal supply. The commission also required power grid companies to ensure household power consumption and production safety. China's centrally-administered SOEs should improve the long-term mechanism for power supply through measures including more investments in power projects and sci-tech innovations. China has seen continued high temperatures since June in many parts of the country, triggering a sharp increase in power demand. (Web editor: Zhong Wenxing, Liang Jun) Gevorg Tarumyan, Chairman of the Executive Board of ARMBUSINESSBANK CJSC, and Azamat Khakui, Director of Corporate Center, recently visited Soldiers Home to manifest Banks support and render words of gratitude to homeland defenders within Armenia 301 project. Haykuhi Minasyan, director of the Rehabilitation Center, accompanied the Bank representatives in their tour about the building where they met the soldiers injured during the war, got acquainted with their treatment process and daily routine. Tarumyan, together with the beneficiary of Armenia 301 project, added a fragment of glass to art reproduction of Martiros Saryan's Armenia picture painted 100 years ago, thus joining the organizations that support the project in ensuring a life in dignity for injured young soldiers. Emphasizing the importance of Soldier's House initiative, he at the same time stressed that no investment is comparable to these boys willingness to take over selflessly the sacred task of defending the motherland. People holding responsible positions should come to the Soldier's Home for one thing is to be told of the program, and it is quite a different thing to see and assess on the spot the need of supporting wounded soldiers, remarked Azamat Khakui, director of Corporate Center of ARMBUSINESSBANK. At the close of the meeting, Narek Vardanyan, a seriously wounded participant of 44-day war, along with his wishes for peace presented his book Ordinary Homeland to Tarumyan. The boys are certain that there was nothing extraordinary in their deeds, they were ordinary soldiers, and it was an ordinary homeland of theirs that needed to be protected... ARMBUSINESSBANK is controlled by the Central Bank of RA IAEA to give final approval for Fukushima discharge Environmental activists in South Korea protest against Japan's plan to release treated radioactive wastewater from the wrecked Fukushima nuclear power plant. Photo: AP Japan is set to receive a final report from a UN watchdog on Tuesday that is widely expected to approve a plan for the tsunami-wrecked Fukushima plant to release radioactive water into the Pacific Ocean over the next 30 to 40 years. International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) chief Rafael Grossi begins a four-day visit to Japan on Tuesday, when he will meet with Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and deliver the results of its two-year safety review. Japan has not specified a date for the water release, pending the IAEA's final review and official approval from the national nuclear regulatory body for Tokyo Electric Power to do so. The regulatory body's final word could come as early as this week. The government's plan, conceived in 2021, has met fierce resistance from some neighbours including China, which has called it "irresponsible and unpopular" and a potential threat to food and ecological safety. Through its embassy in Japan, Beijing on Tuesday repeated the protest, saying the IAEA's report cannot be a "pass" for the water release and calling for the plan's suspension. Japan's foreign ministry has said that it has made multiple and repeated attempts to explain the science behind Tokyo's stance to Beijing officials, but that its offers had been ignored. Local Japanese fishing communities also fear reputational risk and further loss of business. Japan plans to release 1.3 trillion tonnes of water used to cool the fuel rods of the Fukushima plant damaged by a massive earthquake and tsunami in 2011. The water has been filtered to remove most radioactive elements except for tritium, an isotope of hydrogen that is difficult to separate from water. The treated water will be diluted to well below internationally approved levels of tritium before being released into the Pacific Ocean. (Reuters) Union Communications and Electronics & Information Technology Ashwini Vaishnaw unveiled the Bharat 6G Alliance, a new initiative to launch the next-generation technology in India after a successful roll-out of 5G. Bharat 6G Alliance is an alliance of the public sector, private sector, and other departments and will work for the development of new telecom technology and 6G in the country. India has acquired over 200 patents for 6G technology. The forthcoming 6G technology will leverage the foundation laid by 5G and offer enhanced capabilities such as improved reliability, ultra-low latency, and affordable solutions, the minister said during an event here. The government will also roll out the next set of telecom reforms in the coming few weeks. 6G is likely to provide speed nearly 100 times faster than 5G and enable the development of new communication applications. The Bharat 6G Alliance will deliberate on various aspects of emerging telecom technologies and platforms in the next decade. In March this year, Prime Minister Narendra Modi unveiled the 6G vision document. According to the Minister of State for Communications Devusinh Chauhan, India witnessed one of the swiftest rollouts of 5G networks, with the establishment of 2.70 lakh 5G sites within nine months. Prime Minister Modi has already emphasized that the 6G initiative will create new opportunities for innovators, industries, and startups. In March, he released a vision document that details India's plans to develop and launch 6G telecom services in a few years. NewsVoir Pune (Maharashtra) [India], July 4: Shop for the latest washing machines at Bajaj Mall online and get incredible discounts and cashback offers by using your Bajaj Finserv Insta EMI Card. Bajaj Mall has made buying a feature-rich washing machine affordable and convenient, thanks to unique financing schemes, and the best cashback offers. Along with a wide range of the latest products, Bajaj Mall offers you get several extra benefits, such as zero down payments on select products, personalised loan repayment options, and free home delivery on select products. So, what are you waiting for? Visit Bajaj Mall online and start shopping today. Washing machine EMI offers Now you can own the latest LG washing machine without paying any amount upfront. The No Cost EMI and the zero down payment offer on Bajaj Mall allows you to pick your preferred washing machine and pay for it in instalments. Using this scheme, you can instantly purchase the most advanced washing machine models without worrying about the cost. The total price is split into monthly instalments that you can pay back over a convenient tenure. The best part is that you do not have to worry about the interest as Bajaj does not charge interest on the EMIs. In addition, Bajaj Mall offers the widest selection of washing machines from all globally reputed manufacturers. You can browse through various brands and models and filter products as per your preferences from the comfort of your home. Once you have picked the best LG washing machine, you can use the unique No Cost EMI offer to clear the total cost in instalments, thereby avoiding a sudden financial burden. If all this is not enough to convince you, Bajaj Mall also has exclusive discounts and cashback offers to make your shopping experience even more pocket friendly. Best washing machine in India The latest washing machines offer a range of innovative features, from energy-saving technology to multiple wash programmes, ensuring cleaner clothes without breaking the bank. LG, known for its top-quality washing machines, presents a diverse range of models in the Indian market. Explore the wide collection of LG washing machines at Bajaj Mall, apply various filters to find the perfect match, and enjoy free home delivery on select products along with instant cashback offers. With features like 6-Motion Direct Drive, Smart ThinQ app compatibility, and fully automatic cleaning cycles, the best LG washing machines are an asset to every household. And owning one has never been easier, thanks to Bajaj Mall's array of convenient schemes. So, do not miss out on the hottest online deals and discounts - visit Bajaj Mall and explore the vast range of washing machines available at the most affordable prices. Benefits of purchasing the best washing machine on EMI on Bajaj Mall This summer, shoppers can bring home their favourite washing machines and other household items while enjoying mind-boggling deals. At Bajaj Mall, we offer more than just great prices. Apart from the terrific choice of products, you can avail yourself of flexible repayment tenures, No Cost EMI facility, free home delivery and zero down payment options on select products. Here is how to shop for your favourite washing machine on Bajaj Mall 1. Log in to Bajaj Mall using the registered mobile number 2. Choose the washing machine, add it to the cart, select the repayment tenure and proceed to checkout 3. Enter the Bajaj Finserv Insta EMI Card details, registered mobile number, name, and delivery address 4. Click on the 'Generate OTP' option and enter the OTP sent to the registered mobile number to complete the purchase 5. A confirmation SMS will be sent to the registered mobile number with the date and time of delivery *Terms and Conditions Apply. Bajaj Mall is an online digital marketplace that assists consumers to compare and choose from a wide range of products. It offers customers abundant choices in providing the required products on No Cost EMI and zero down payment options on select products. Bajaj Mall has partnered with leading electronics, home appliances, lifestyle, etc., brands to provide a guided buying experience. For further information, visit www.bajajmall.in or download the Bajaj Finserv app on Google Play Store or App Store. (Disclaimer: The above press release has been provided by NewsVoir. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of the same) PNN Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], July 4: Mumbai CGST & Central Excise Zone celebrated the 6th GST Day on 1st July, 2023. Governor of Maharashtra, Ramesh Bais graced the occasion as the Chief Guest of the event. Officers and staff from Mumbai CGST & Central Excise Zone, officers of Mumbai Customs, and Maharashtra State GST, as well as taxpayers were present. Speaking on the occasion, The Governor of Maharashtra, Ramesh Bais expressed pride and honor in celebrating the 6th anniversary of the Goods and Services Tax (GST) in India. He highlighted GST as a historic and revolutionary change in the country's indirect tax system. He emphasized the need for GST to overcome the shortcomings of the old tax system, which had multiple taxes and complexities. Further, he praised GST for promoting cooperative federalism and reducing corruption and tax evasion. He also emphasized that the GST reflects the values and aspirations of the country and is a tax that powers the building of our New India. He noted that the GST Collections are buoyant and consistent and stated that the tax collection by the Mumbai GST zone has crossed Rs. 87,500 crores, and that of Maharashtra State GST has crossed Rs. 41,462 crores in 2022-23. In conclusion, He called for a commitment to making GST more efficient, effective, and equitable. The Principal Chief Commissioner (CGST & Central Excise), Mumbai Zone, Pramod Kumar Agrawal expressed that the GST day is a means to celebrate the 3Cs, i.e., commitment to taxpayers, cooperative federalism, compliance reduction. He emphasized that all the four business processes of GST, i.e. Registration, Return-filing, Payment, and Refund, have been completely digitised , in line with the Prime Minister's vision of GST being a Good and Simple Tax. He further mentioned that the officers of the GST have fulfilled the principles of Reform, Transform, and Perform. He also informed about the success of the recently held Grievance Redressal Committee Meeting by the Member, CBIC, the Chief Commissioner and the State GST Commissioner. The Chief Commissioner (Retired), Dr. D. K. Srinivas expressed his gratitude towards the taxpayers for their support and cooperation. He stated that the immense success of the GST in the last six years has proved all the sceptics wrong. He further highlighted that the success of the GST is evident from the fact that various independent surveys have clearly shown that more than 90% of taxpayers are satisfied with the GST regime. The Principal Commissioner U. Niranjan highlighted GST as a transformative tax reform that has simplified, unified, and modernized the country's indirect tax system. He emphasized the benefits of GST, including widening of the tax base, creation of a common national market, and providing relief to the poor and vulnerable sections of society. He mentioned how GST has facilitated the seamless movement of goods and services, reduced barriers to trade, and attracted domestic and foreign investments. The Principal Commissioner Nirmal Kumar Soren delivered the Vote of Thanks, expressing gratitude to the esteemed Chief Guest, Governor of Maharashtra Ramesh Bais, for attending the event and sharing words of appreciation. He also thanked other distinguished guests including officials and staff of the CBIC, representatives from the trade, awardees, taxpayers, and the media fraternity, for the successful conduct of the Sixth GST Day commemoration. On the occasion, commendation certificates were also presented by Governor to 10 officers of the Central GST who have contributed to the successful implementation of the GST for their continued devotion and commitment to duty. The event also involved felicitation of major taxpayers from Mumbai Zone, which included Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd (Award received by Ravi Poojary Head-Indirect Taxation), Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited (received by G. Krishnakumar, CMD), Deposit Insurance and Credit Guarantee Corporation (received by S Sathish Kumar, General Manager), General Insurance Corporation of India (received by Devesh Srivastava) in the GST category, and Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited (received by Avinash Dixit, CGM) and Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (received by Director Finance, Pomila Jaspal) from the Central Excise category. Two taxpayers, namely, Ji Shoji India Pvt. Ltd. and Rajan Agro Green Foods pvt ltd also received commendation from the MSME category. The occasion also witnessed experience sharing by the representatives from trade and industry. The President, ASSOCHAM Maharashtra, Shantanu Bhadkamkar talked about how the transition to GST was smooth in comparison to other countries and the contribution to GDP was upto 1%, which was a significant figure. The President, Maharashtra Chamber of Commerce, Lalit Gandhi commended the proactive support provided by the GST officials to the trade and industry. Amit Dave from ICICI Bank emphasised how GST has resulted in true democratisation of credit. This story is released by Satish Reddy from World News Network (Disclaimer: The above press release has been provided by PNN. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of the same) The Commonwealth Hub for the Business of Government became a reality on July 1, 2023, when Daniel Chenok, Executive Director of the IBM Center for the Business of Government based in Washington DC, signed an MoU with the Management Development Institute (MDI), represented by its Director, Professor Sangeeta Bharadwaj. This Hub represents a partnership between the Commonwealth Secretariat, IBM Center for the Business of Government and MDI. The agreement between IBM Center and MDI was signed on July 1, 2023, on the conclusion of a major two-day International Conference on Innovations in Public Performance Management - Lessons for Policy Makers held in Delhi on June 30 and July 1, 2023. Organized by MDI in Delhi, this international conference was attended by more than 150 national and international experts from academia and government. The mission of hub is to support commonwealth governments to do their business better, faster, and cheaper for excellence in service delivery and timely achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The activities will span research, publications, training, knowledge management and knowledge sharing through a Commonwealth-wide community of practice. The intent will be to spark creativity in addressing critical public sector challenges and crafting new ways of improving government by identifying international trends, ideas, and best practices in public management that would assist governments in responding more effectively to their mission and management priorities. Also, it is to create and nurture a vibrant community of practice consisting of professionals interested in the aspects of the business of their respective governments. In her inaugural speech at the International Conference, the Secretary-General of the Commonwealth, Hon Patricia Scotland KC, said India is ideally placed with its diverse expertise and experimentation in public system innovation to add value to many countries across the commonwealth countries. Executive Director Daniel Chenok, IBM Center for the Business of Government, while sharing their experience of over three decades working with different governments, explained how they generate ideas and convert them into products for government to use. He referred to how the newly elected member of Parliament in the US are expected to read the Book" Getting It Done" produced by IBM. Professor Prajapati Trivedi, Distinguished Professor and Special Envoy for Commonwealth Secretary-General, said that the Commonwealth Hub for the Business of Government "will combine the strengths of the three partners to create a unique institution to serve not only the fifty-six countries of the Commonwealth but all members of the United Nations." Professor Trivedi stressed the need for Hub to focus on "helping the government with practical toolkits that work." Professor Sangeeta Shah Bhardwaj, Director, MDI, suggested that "for businesses to work efficiently, they need an efficient and capable partner." She emphasized that "good principles of management are transcendental." Professor Avanish Kumar, Dean School of Public Policy at MDI highlighted the need to produce demand-based knowledge creation that promotes partnership based on mutual understanding and collaboration. The Chairman of the Board of Governors, MDI, Rajnish Kumar, a former Chairman of SBI, stated that the "hub can unleash the capacity to perform in the public system through innovation and transform the lives of millions not only in India but across the globe." The MDI Hub is committed to making knowledge and its product accessible to all. Several experts expressed their willingness to collaborate and contribute to the Hub. The proposed Hub envisages creating seamless access to knowledge and expertise across different levels of government worldwide. It will be the operation arm of the School of Public Policy, added Dean Avanish Kumar. (ANI) Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE) has partnered with Indian manufacturer VVDN Technologies to begin manufacturing some of its high-volume servers in India, the American multinational information technology company said on Tuesday. This announcement comes in the wake of the recent Prime Minister Narendra Modi's State visit to the US. The Texas-headquartered company plans to manufacture approximately USD 1 billion worth of high-runner servers in the first five years of production from India, it said in a release. "We welcome HPE's decision to start their manufacturing line in India, as it will enhance domestic production capacities," said Ashwini Vaishnaw. "The recently announced Production Linked Incentive (PLI) Scheme 2.0 aims to make India a global hub for Electronics System Design and Manufacturing (ESDM). We believe large-scale IT hardware manufacturing will help in broadening and deepening the manufacturing ecosystem.""These high-end very complex machines getting manufactured in India show how mature the electronics manufacturing industry is now becoming," he told ANI. Ahead of the announcement, Som Satsangi, Senior Vice President and Managing Director at HPE India and Puneet Agarwal, CEO at VVDN Technologies today met Union Minister for Communications, Electronics and Information Technology Ashwini Vaishnaw to share details of the initiative. HPE has partnered with Indian manufacturer VVDN Technologies to manufacture HPE's products from its plant in Manesar in Haryana. The US-based tech company said that he manufacturing operation will support the growing demand from customers in India and further strengthen and diversify HPE's global supply chain.HPE has its largest workforce outside the US in India. According to Antonio Neri, president and CEO, HPE, "Today's announcement marks a significant milestone for HPE and reiterates our commitment to the Government of India's 'Make in India' initiative for a self-reliant India." "India is a strategic market for HPE's business, talent, innovation - and now, manufacturing. Customers in India continue turn to HPE to help them digitally transform, and our 14,000 team members here play a key role in driving our edge-to-cloud strategy. We are proud to build on our strong presence by establishing a manufacturing operation in this important country." HPE's largest campus in the world at Mahadevapura in Bengaluru is home to many of HPE's worldwide product development resources. More than 4,000 scientists, engineers, and research teams are based out of HPE's R&D hub at this campus. "The decision to start manufacturing from India underscores HPE's long-term commitment to India," said Som Satsangi SVP and managing director, at HPE India. "India is expected to grow into a USD 1 trillion digital economy, and we believe that 'Make in India' will help accelerate this vision. With local manufacturing, HPE will be able to better serve the needs of our customers across industries and segments, from startups to SMBs to enterprise to government." (ANI) VMPL New Delhi [India], July 4: In today's competitive job market, government job aspirants are constantly on the lookout for the latest Sarkari exam notifications. Staying informed regarding any latest job vacancies or opportunities is very important for the individual who is looking for a job in any of the government departments. To assist job seekers in their quest for information, here is a comprehensive guide on How can we get the latest Sarkari exam notifications. If you are a government job aspirant then, these are some of the sources for the latest Sarkari exam notifications. Let us checkout each of them one by one. Official Websites: The first and foremost step is to regularly visit the official websites of government departments, ministries, and organizations responsible for conducting Government job exams. Whichever department or government releases the job vacancies also updates about the details of vacancies on their official website. These websites often have dedicated sections for recruitment or notifications, where they publish the latest job openings, exam schedules, and other relevant information. Renowned exam conducting bodies like the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC), Staff Selection Commission (SSC), Railway Recruitment Board (RRB), and State Public Service Commissions are essential destinations to keep an eye on for Latest Sarkari Exam Notifications. Employment News/Rozgar Samachar: It is one of the major and amongst most followed ways by job aspirants to Cater information regarding government job as well as to be updated with the latest Sarkari exam notifications. Employment News and Rozgar Samachar are widely recognized weekly newspapers in India that provide a wealth of information on government job vacancies and exam notifications. Subscribing to their print versions or accessing their online platforms will ensure that you receive comprehensive updates on a regular basis. Online Job Portals: In this digital era, there are several online job website and job portals which helps you to remain updated with the government job vacancy, their exam as well as results. We all have access to the internet and accessing job portals is not a tough task. Platforms like Sarkari Result, FreeJobAlert, Employment News, and Indgovtjobs are well-known for their extensive coverage. These portals allow you to search for Sarkari exam notifications by selecting specific categories such as "Government Jobs" or "Sarkari Exams." Generally, these online job portals simplify the official information bulletins and job notifications, so that job experience can understand it easily without going in much detail. Social Media Platforms: Government departments, organizations, and recruitment boards are increasingly leveraging social media platforms to disseminate information. Following their official social media accounts on platforms such as Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn allows you to receive timely updates on exam notifications, job vacancies, and other relevant news. Additionally, joining online groups and forums dedicated to government jobs and exams enables you to interact with like-minded individuals and stay updated through shared information. For example UPSC, NTA etc. Government bodies are quite active on social media and keep on posting information regarding Exam dates, Admit cards, Answer Keys, or Results. Email Subscriptions: Several official government websites, job portals, and dedicated Sarkari exam websites offer email subscription services. By signing up for these subscriptions, you can receive regular newsletters or notifications directly to your email inbox. This ensures that you never miss any important Sarkari exam updates & notificcations. It is essential to utilize these diverse channels to stay informed to get the latest Sarkari exam notifications. With fierce competition for government jobs, timely information is crucial for successful applications and exam preparations. Remember to regularly check these sources and keep track of important dates and deadlines. Because still many job aspirants keep on searching How can get the latest Sarkari exam notifications? But in today's time as mentioned above, there are diverse sources to be updated. Just you need to choose some of them according to your need and government exam you are preparing for. As the job market evolves, staying proactive and well-informed is the key to securing a Sarkari job. By adopting these strategies, job seekers can increase their chances of receiving the latest exam notifications and embark on a path to a promising career in the government sector. Benefits of getting Latest Sarkari Exam Notifications Getting the latest Sarkari exam notification is one of the best things you can do as a government job aspirant. As soon as you get exam notification, you come to know about that particular job or vacancy, its exam date, pattern,syllabus etc. Getting the latest Sarkari (Government) exam notifications offers several benefits to job seekers. Here are some key advantages: Timely Information: Sarkari exam notifications provide job seekers with timely information about upcoming government job vacancies and exams. By staying updated, candidates can start their preparation well in advance, ensuring they have sufficient time to study and excel in the exams. Increased Job Opportunities: Government exams are highly competitive, and vacancies are often limited. By receiving the latest exam notifications, job seekers can explore a wide range of job opportunities across various government departments and organizations. This increases their chances of finding suitable positions that align with their qualifications, skills, and interests. Strategic Preparation: With the help of exam notifications, job seekers can plan their preparation strategy effectively. They can gather relevant study materials, refer to recommended books or resources, and focus on the specific topics or subjects mentioned in the notification. This targeted preparation increases their chances of performing well in the exams and securing a government job. Admit Card and Exam Updates: Sarkari exam notifications also inform candidates about the release of admit cards or hall tickets for the exams. Admit cards are essential documents required to appear for the exams, and being aware of their availability helps candidates avoid last-minute hassles. Additionally, notifications provide updates on any changes in the exam schedule, such as rescheduling or postponement, ensuring candidates are well-informed about any modifications. Application Deadlines: The latest exam notifications highlight the application submission deadlines. By being aware of these deadlines, job seekers can ensure they submit their applications within the specified timeframe. Missing the application deadline could result in disqualification, so staying informed about these dates is crucial. In conclusion, staying updated with the latest Sarkari exam notifications is immensely beneficial for government job seekers. It provides timely and comprehensive information, increases job opportunities, helps with strategic preparation, ensures awareness of admit cards and exam updates, highlights application deadlines, offers equal opportunities, and opens the doors to a prestigious and rewarding career in the government sector. (Disclaimer: The above press release has been provided by VMPL. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of the same) SRV Media Vadodara (Gujarat) [India], July 4: Madhuvan Group, founded by Jigar Shah, a distinguished consortium of professionals, celebrates over 30 years of remarkable achievements in the real estate industry. With an unwavering commitment to quality, timely delivery, and unparalleled after-sales service, Madhuvan Group has successfully transformed the lives of more than 5,000 families through their exceptional residential and commercial projects. Since its inception, under the visionary leadership of Jigar Shah, Madhuvan Group has consistently demonstrated its expertise and proficiency in the construction sector. Having executed over 50 lakh sq. ft. of construction, the group has solidified its reputation as a trusted name in Vadodara's real estate landscape. Their extensive portfolio showcases 4,000+ residential units and 1,000+ commercial units delivered to satisfied clients. "We take immense pride in the trust and confidence our customers place in us," said Jigar Shah, the spokesperson for Madhuvan Group. "For over three decades, under the guidance of Jigar Shah, Madhuvan Group has remained committed to providing top-notch construction, on-time possession, and unmatched customer service." With a deep-rooted connection to Vadodara for more than 30 years, Madhuvan Group understands the city's dynamics and has continuously adapted to its evolving needs. By keeping their finger on the pulse of the local market, the group identifies investment opportunities that cater to a wide range of budgets, from Rs 25 lakhs to Rs 2 crores. One of Madhuvan Group's flagship projects is strategically located in the Harni Sama Ajwa area, offering an ideal blend of modern amenities and serene surroundings. The project presents a multitude of investment opportunities, attracting prospective buyers and investors looking to capitalize on Vadodara's flourishing real estate market. The success of Madhuvan Group can be attributed to its core values of integrity, transparency, and customer satisfaction. The group has garnered a loyal clientele who vouch for their exceptional quality and the fulfilling living experiences they provide. "We believe in building more than just structures; we strive to create homes and communities that foster joy, comfort, and harmony," added Jigar Shah. "Under the visionary leadership of Jigar Shah, our goal is to exceed our customers' expectations by delivering properties that truly feel like home." Madhuvan Group's commitment to excellence extends beyond the completion of projects. They provide comprehensive after-sales service, ensuring that their clients' needs are catered to even after possession. This dedication to customer satisfaction has earned them an esteemed reputation in the real estate industry. As Madhuvan Group, under the guidance of its founder Jigar Shah, embarks on the next phase of its journey, they remain dedicated to delivering exceptional projects that enhance the quality of life for their residents and contribute to Vadodara's progress. With their rich experience, commitment to quality, and customer-centric approach, Madhuvan Group continues to shape the city's skyline and build a brighter future for all. Madhuvan Group, founded by Jigar Shah, is a renowned real estate developer based in Vadodara, India. With more than three decades of experience, the group has delivered over 50 lakh sq. ft. of construction, providing exceptional residential and commercial properties. Known for their commitment to quality, timely delivery, and customer satisfaction, Madhuvan Group continues to be a trusted name in the real estate industry. For media inquiries or more information about Madhuvan Group, please contact: Contact Person: Ritika Phone: +918000804804 Email: jigar@madhuvan.group Website: www.madhuvan.group (Disclaimer: The above press release has been provided by SRV Media. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of the same) PRNewswire New Delhi [India], July 4: The Rockefeller Foundation and The/Nudge Institute announced new findings of their 'Smallholder Farmers and Climate Change - Voices from the Field' report, which breaks down how climate related challenges are impacting smallholder farmers across India, as well as assesses opportunities to build climate resilience. The report focuses on six states in India - Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Karnataka, Haryana, Telangana, and Andhra Pradesh - and aims to understand use of farming practices (e.g., crop rotation, rain forecast usage), changes in chemical usage (e.g., pesticides), and perspectives of farming families on dealing with the consequences of climate change. The key findings from the report include : - Smallholder farmers cite variability in rainfall and the rise of pests and diseases as their top challenges in farming. - 74% of smallholder farmers said pests and disease have increased and 77% said weeds have increased. - The incidence of spraying pesticides and the usage of chemical fertilizers has more than doubled for 76% and 54% of small farmers, respectively. - Over 60% of smallholder farmers are aware of and are already implementing practices such as crop rotation and farm manure to improve soil health. Three out of five smallholder farmers are actively seeking and utilizing weather information to plan their farming activities. - Farmers are now spending less time on farming thanks to advances in farming technology: 55% of women are doing less back-breaking weeding work due to the use of weedicide and men are spending less time due to the use of tractors. They are engaging in other income-generating activities such as dairy farming and wage labor. This report uses language from the context of the people that the Foundation serves through India, which defines small holder farmers - who total 22 million individuals - as those who possess 1-2 acres of irrigated land or 3-7 acres of rain-fed land, making agriculture their primary occupation. In practice, those who cultivate or work on the land but do not own it are excluded from the definition of "farmers." Following with that local distinction, the report also includes analysis from "spouses" who work extensively on the farm but are not legally considered small holder farmers, and breaks down distinctions between male and female small holder farmers across the country. "Smallholder farmers form a significant part of India's agricultural landscape, however, climate change along with limited access to opportunities, are threatening their livelihoods," said Ashish Karamchandani, President, The/Nudge Institute. "The support of The Rockefeller Foundation has been instrumental in enabling us to initiate work towards addressing these pressing issues. We are actioning research towards innovative solutions and scaling up our efforts, ensuring that small farmers have access to the resources, knowledge, and tools they need to thrive." The Rockefeller Foundation aims to integrate the intelligence from the report into its work on testing and scaling regenerative and nourishing food systems in India, and strengthen its other efforts towards developing evidence on the true costs of food systems, while elevating experiences of smallholder farmers to policymakers and leaders at key farming, business, and science-based organizations. "The findings of this report are a clarion call to create newer avenues to support smallholder farmers in India. By illuminating the climate related challenges they encounter, we can develop targeted solutions and interventions that enable them to adapt and thrive," said Deepali Khanna, Vice President, Asia Regional Office, The Rockefeller Foundation. "By integrating these insights into our initiatives, we can work towards building resilient and sustainable food systems that support the livelihoods of millions." Formal sector and Agri-tech companies typically target mid and large farmers but not smallholder farmers. The research will help prototype (identify interventions, develop business models, and do action research to shortlist solutions), propagate (enable multiple players to use the solutions, expand geographies, crops, and farmer segments), and proliferate (enable interventions to scale) solutions for smallholder farmers. The report can be accessed here. The Rockefeller Foundation is a pioneering philanthropy built on collaborative partnerships at the frontiers of science, technology, and innovation that enable individuals, families, and communities to flourish. We make big bets to promote the well-being of humanity and make opportunity universal and sustainable. Our focus is on scaling renewable energy for all, stimulating economic mobility, and ensuring equitable access to health care and nutritious food. For more information, sign up for our newsletter at www.rockefellerfoundation.org and follow us on Twitter @RockefellerFdn. The/Nudge Institute is an action institute working towards a poverty-free India within our lifetime. We partner with governments, markets and civil society to build resilient livelihoods for all, through our Centre for Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (CSDE), Centre for Rural Development (CRD) and Centre for Social Innovation (CSI). For more details, visit https://www.thenudge.org/ (Disclaimer: The above press release has been provided by PRNewswire. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of the same) American actor Robert De Niro issued a statement, following the unfortunate loss of his grandson Leandro De Niro-Rodriguez.The 79-year-old actor revealed in a statement to PEOPLE on Monday, "I'm deeply distressed by the passing of my beloved grandson Leo." "We're greatly appreciative of the condolences from everyone. We ask that we please be given privacy to grieve our loss of Leo," he added. "It is with immeasurable shock and sadness that we say goodbye to our beloved son Leo," Robert's daughter Drena De Niro says in a statement. "We thank you for the outpouring of love and support and ask that we are given privacy at this time to process this inconsolable grief." According to People, Drena announced her son's death on Instagram on Sunday night, opening an emotional post with a photo of Leandro, 19 years old. "My beautiful sweet angel. I have loved you beyond words or description from the moment I felt you in my belly." "You have been my joy my heart and all that was ever pure and real in my life," continued the actress, 55. "I wish I was with you right now. I wish I was with you. I don't know how to live without you but I'll try to go on and spread the love and light that you so made me feel in getting to be your mama. You were so deeply loved and appreciated and I wish that love alone could have saved you." "I'm so sorry my baby," Drena -- who did not share further details of Leandro's death -- ended her tribute, also tagging Leandro's artist father, Carlos Rodriguez. "Rest in Peace and Eternal Paradise my darling boy." Drena is Robert's oldest of seven children. Diahnne Abbott, his first wife, is her mother. In May, the Goodfellas actor revealed that his seventh kid, a baby girl named Gia, was born to his fiancee Tiffany Chen. (ANI) Taking to Instagram, Varun Tej treated fans with a glimpse of his character and captioned the post, "Briefed and ready to take over! #GandeevadhariArjuna pre-teaser coming soon! Stay tuned.#GDA." https://www.instagram.com/p/CuQ73m0M7L9/ The video showcased Varun Tej as Arjun Varma and his role in ESSAY (Elite Security Services Agency). It also gave insight into his responsibilities and skills and concluded with the phrase "Pre-Teaser Coming Soon." Recently, the makers announced the official release date. Varun Tej shared a new poster of the film which he captioned, "The calm before the storm. Locked & loaded for 25th August! See you all in theatres soon. #GandeevadhariArjuna." Starring actor Varun Tej in the lead role, the film is all set to hit theaters on August 25. In the new poster, Varun could be seen donning a black suit with a gun in his hand. The film is directed by Praveen Sattaru. The makers recently wrapped the Hungary schedule of the film. Varun took to his Instagram account and shared a video which he captioned, "That's a wrap to one of my most exciting and adrenaline pumping schedule of #GandeevadhariArjuna in Hungary." Meanwhile, Varun Tej will also be seen in the upcoming aerial action thriller film 'VT 13' opposite actor Manushi Chillar. Helmed by Shakti Pratap Singh Hada, the official release date of the film is still awaited.Based on true incidents, the makers have now begun the shooting of the film. 'VT 13' marks the debut of the former Miss World in Telugu cinema. (ANI) Ace filmmaker Shekhar Kapur recently revealed the theme for the sequel to his 1983 directorial debut 'Masoom.' The sequel, titled "Masoom... The New Generation," is about the "idea of home," Kapur told Variety, a US-based media outlet. The details of how 'Masoom... The New Generation' connects to the 1983 film remain undisclosed. Kapur revealed that the film will concentrate around an elderly couple living in a crumbling house and involve "generational change." "When you talk to people about home, the first thing they say is that it is property, it is real estate and the second thing they say is 'What's it worth?' The real estate value of your house becomes much more important than what the essential idea for home is. And home is, what is it? It is memories - people growing up, the walls have memories, the sofa where you sit down is a memory. Everything is a memory. So I'm taking that fundamental idea of what is home," Kapur said, as per Variety. Kapur was in London for the National Film Awards where his film, 'What's Love Got to Do with It?' bagged nine nominations and won four awards including best director, best British film, best screenplay (Jemima Khan) and best-supporting actor (Asim Chaudhry), reported Variety. Released in the year 1983, the film was written by the legendary writer Gulzar, 'Masoom' was an adaptation of Erich Segal's 1980 novel 'Man, Woman and Child.' It followed a happily married couple and their two daughters whose lives are disrupted by the arrival of a boy who is the man's son from an earlier affair. The cast included Naseeruddin Shah, Shabana Azmi, Jugal Hansraj, Supriya Pathak, Saeed Jaffrey, and Urmila Matondkar. The film received positive responses from the audience. Kapur's last release was the romantic comedy 'What's Love Got to Do with It?,' starring Lily James, Emma Thompson, Shazad Latif, Sajal Aly and Azmi, which debuted at Toronto and opened the Red Sea Film Festival in 2022. It was released theatrically worldwide earlier this year, as per Variety. Kapur is known for his outstanding films like 'Bandit Queen', a British biographical drama 'Elizabeth' for which he was nominated for best director at the BAFTAs and Golden Globes, and its sequel 'Elizabeth: The Golden Age' (2007), which won Cate Blanchett her first acting Oscar, reported Variety. Apart from that, he also directed one of Heath Ledger's last films, the 2002 epic 'The Four Feathers.' (ANI) Prime Minister Narendra Modi chaired a meeting of the Council of Ministers on Monday at the Pragati Maidan Convention Centre here and is learnt to have spoken of the road to 2047, when India will celebrate the centenary of its Independence. Apart from the members of the Council of Ministers, National Security Advisor Ajit Doval and Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) chief were also present in the meeting which lasted about five hours. The Prime Minister termed the meeting as "fruitful". "A fruitful meeting with the Council of Ministers, where we exchanged views on diverse policy related issues," PM Modi said in a tweet. There was a presentation on India's expected growth journey across sectors, sources said, adding that the meeting was apprised of the work done across sectors in the last nine years including in technology domain, civil aviation and space. "In the Council of Ministers' meeting today, talks were not held on reshuffle. Discussions were held only on the 2047 vision, infrastructure development in 16 important areas like roads, railways and ports etc. PM Modi also gave a boost on the 2024 work," a source said. PM Modi has repeatedly laid thrust on India becoming a developed economy by 2047. The Prime Minister is learnt to have talked about the boost to digital infrastructure, specially after the conditions created by COVID-19. The G-20 meeting will also to be held at the venue. The Council of Ministers meeting assumes significance in the wake of assembly polls to five states later this year and Lok Sabha polls in 2024. The government has laid thrust on ministries' meeting targets and the work done being taken to people. Minister of State for External Affairs Meenakshi Lekhi said the focus is on meeting targets. "We all have to work together, as the Prime Minister said earlier also, this is the right time, the kind of development, the way we are recognized in the world, the kind of hard work that is needed....," she said. The Prime Minister is learnt to have called upon the ministries to work expeditiously on their bills. The monsoon session of Parliament will start in the old building on July 20. Sources said a presentation was made regarding the Prime Minister's successful recent foreign visits to the United States and Egypt. (ANI) West Bengal Governor CV Ananda Bose on Monday criticised the ongoing violence in Panchayat polls and said that the violence can be described as politics of "murder", "intimidation" and of "muscle flexing". West Bengal Governor CV Ananda Bose who has been visiting various places where violence had earlier broken out in the state. "My visit to the field has convinced me that there is violence in certain pockets of West Bengal. There is a manifestation of what is called the politics of murder, the politics of intimidation, the politics of muscle flexing," he said. Governor CV Ananda Bose said that his visits should not be construed as a "fault-finding mission" but a "fact-finding mission". "I am visiting the various places of occurrence of violence not as part of any fault-finding mission but as a fact-finding mission," the West Bengal Governor said. Taking care to point out that he is not doing anything that is beyond the mandate of a Governor, he said, "The statements made here will be within the Constitution of India and the Governor's mandate." "My Constitutional colleagues have every right to exercise their duties freely, frankly and fearlessly and the Governor will not interfere in that. They will function independently," he added. Earlier on Sunday, Governor Ananda Bose had a telephonic conversation with the family of Trinamool Congress worker Ziarul Molla who was shot dead in Basanti on Saturday. The Governor who was on his way back from Cooch Behar assured the bereaved family of all help, a video released from the Raj Bhavan showed. The TMC worker was found lying with a bullet injury on his head on the side of the road at Basanti police station. The incident took place on Saturday night in the Phulmalanch village panchayat area in the limits of Basanti police station. Earlier on Sunday, Governor Bose paid a visit to a private hospital in Cooch Behar to meet the injured in the violence at Dinhata. The Governor also spoke to the Cooch Behar superintendent of Police and the district magistrate. West Bengal has seen several incidents of violence around the filing of nominations for the panchayat polls as well as after, including one where crude bombs were allegedly hurled at a Block Development Office (BDO) at Ahmadpur in Birbhum district. A TMC worker was also allegedly beaten to death in the Malda district. The panchayat elections will be held in a single phase, with the counting of votes scheduled on July 11. The polls are likely to see a fierce tussle for control of local administrations between the ruling TMC and the BJP and will be a litmus test for both parties ahead of next year's Lok Sabha elections. (ANI) Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel on Monday hinted at several surprises in the Congress party's poll manifesto, including the promise of providing LPG to every household at Rs 500. "Rajasthan has given LPG at Rs 500. Something needs to be kept for the announcement and if everything will be done now then what would be for the announcement (referring to the poll promise)," Bhupesh Baghel said. "When our committee will be constituted (for drafting the election manifesto), all the things will come into it and then will see what it is comprised of," the Chief Minister said when asked for his response about any plans of providing LPG at Rs 500 in Chhattisgarh. Lashing out at Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) over its promise of free electricity, Baghel said, "Electricity is free in Delhi and recently its tariff has been increased by 10 per cent. So for whom was this hike in prices done? This means the entire Delhi is not getting the free electricity and few people are getting it." Comparing the situation in Chhattisgarh, Baghel said, "Here 42 lakh families are receiving half electricity bill upto the consumption of 400 units. So far the state government has given the subsidy to the tune of around Rs 3700 crore." Hitting out at Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, he said, "Punjab CM is claiming about giving electricity for 8 hours but here the supply is 24 hours. So if the supply of electricity is an achievement for them, will they reduce it to 8 hours from 24 hours after coming here." Taking on the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on the welfare schemes (often termed as freebies by political opponents), Baghel said, "I have heard about the six freebies of Arvind Kejriwal. But Awami Atmanand School, Haat Baazar, mobile medical unit in slum areas, free treatment, half electricity bill scheme and other schemes already exist here." Chief Minister Baghel also accused Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal of "doing politics" at the time of the pandemic while people were suffering. "During scarcity of oxygen (at the time of pandemic), Chhattisgarh has not just ensured adequate supply of oxygen in the state, instead it provided the oxygen to neighbouring states including Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Punjab and Rajasthan as per their demand, but Kejriwal was busy in doing politics and never approached for Oxygen. Chhattisgarh had sent the Oxygen to AIIMS Delhi following the request of Priyanka Gandhi," Baghel alleged. (ANI) The Yatra that culminates on July 15 is expected to see 15-20 lakh devotees travelling through Delhi. While many Kanwariyas (devotees) are expected to reach Delhi, some of them will travel to Haryana and Rajasthan via Delhi borders. "The devotees carrying 'kanwars' (a bamboo or pole with two baskets slung at each end) will pass through below Apsara Border, Bhopura Border, Maharajpur Border among others," said Delhi Police. In another development, Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami welcomed the devotees of Shiva coming to Devbhoomi Uttarakhand in Kanwar Yatra. The state government has made effective arrangements for the ease of travel of Shiva and Ganga devotees. Dhami said that a separate budget was arranged by the state government for the smooth functioning of the Kanwar Yatra. Efforts have been made by the state government to provide all possible facilities to the devotees. Chief Minister Dhami said that a record number of devotees are coming to Chardham and Kanwar this year in Devbhoomi Uttarakhand. So far, more than 35 lakh registered devotees have come for Chardham Darshan. The Chief Minister said that the responsibility has been assigned to the Principal Secretary at the government level for smooth functioning of the arrangements. The 'Kanwar Yatra' is an annual pilgrimage for Lord Shiva's devotees. The Kanwariyas visit places like Haridwar, Gaumukh and Gangotri in Uttarakhand, and Sultanganj in Bihar to fetch the holy water of River Ganga and then worship God with that water. (ANI) Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday lauded the first methanol consignment to Bangladesh from Assam Petrochemical Plant, an effort towards establishing Assam as a major exporter of petrochemicals. Replying to a tweet by the Chief Minister of Assam, Himanta Biswa Sarma, the Prime Minister said that the major industrial development would boost the petrochemicals sector in Assam and the entire Northeast India. "This will boost the petrochemicals sector in Assam and the entire Northeast," tweeted PM Modi. https://twitter.com/narendramodi/status/1675881813888360451?s=20 In a big push towards establishing Assam as a major exporter of petrochemicals, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on July 1 flagged off the first methanol consignment to Bangladesh from Assam Petrochemicals Plant in Namrup. The Chief Minister also virtually laid the foundation for the development of Joypur Chariali and Namrup Sonari Tiniali roads to facilitate the movement of industrial outputs from Brahmaputra Valley Fertilizers Corporation Limited, Assam Petrochemicals Limited and Namrup Thermal Plant. Speaking on the occasion, CM Sarma said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the 500 TPD plant of APL on April 14, 2023, and the plant has started producing methanol. He felt happy to inaugurate the process of transporting the methanol produced in APL to neighbouring countries like Bangladesh, Nepal and Bhutan. This will help the government to establish Assam as a petrochemical hub. With this development, along with exporting its products to foreign countries, the financial health of APL will also be strengthened, the Chief Minister added. He said that for strengthening BVFCL, New Delhi helped the company with Rs 100 crore and the State government helped it with the construction of the hospital. CM Biswa said that contrary to Rs 98 crore loss incurred by the BVFCL last year, the company registered a profit of Rs 12 this year which indicated a positive development towards empowering Namrup as an industrial town. Reiterating his commitment to the development of Naharkatia, Chief Minister said that steps have been taken for the construction of the road from Joypur chariali to Dillighat. The width of the road has been broadened from the existing 5.50 metres to 7 metres. Moreover, in Namrup along the roads, there will be concrete drains. The Chief Minister said that to strengthen the edifice of Atmanirbhar Assam, the State government will give Rs 10,000 to each of the 3.70 members of self-help groups. If the members successfully can take entrepreneurial steps using the amount, they will become entitled to take a bank loan amounting to Rs 25000, the interest of which will be borne by the government. (ANI) Photo: Contributed Kelowna-Mission MLA Renee Merrifield As we enjoyed the first summer long weekend, I was reminded of the summer heat dome two years ago. At that time, I was serving as the health critic, and I spent the weekend on the phone with exhausted paramedics, advocates for seniors and emergency room doctors, who were sharing their horrific experiences. The headlines started to tell the stories that were experienced, with more than 619 British Columbians losing their lives as a direct result of the heat. These were mostly seniors, lower socio-economic people and most lived alone. The tragedy served as a stark reminder of the human cost of inadequate planning and delayed response. A coroners report described the lack of a coordinated effort from the government and (recommended) several immediate action items. Heatwaves and heat domes are not new, and while their intensity may be exacerbated by climate change, our lack of preparedness cannot be justified. The government hasnt implemented any of the coroners recommendations. Did the U.S. have the same heat wave? It did. But instead of waiting to react, it sounded the alarm, broadcast the dangers, had emergency crews ready, cooling stations open, and a check-in system was in operation. All while the B.C. government did absolutely nothing. In the following years, our neighbours to the south quickly implemented plans and programs that distributed more than 23,000 air conditioning units to vulnerable populations, providing immediate relief to those most susceptible to the effects of extreme heat. B.C. also faces this urgent need, but a comparable plan wasn't launched until June of this year. When we compare B.C.s response to that of our American counterparts, the stark contrast underscores the fatal consequences of delayed action. The 23,000 air conditioning units distributed by American authorities underscore the possibilities for effective intervention. Those A/C units provide essential relief and potentially save many lives. Meanwhile, people of B.C. have been left to deal with the soaring temperatures for two years, without adequate protection or resources. By the time the government finally implemented a plan, it was already too late for hundreds of (people). Delayed responses in times of crisis are not just a matter of inefficiency, it costs lives. What's more, the response came without a comprehensive plan for the future. The heat dome in 2021 is unlikely to be an isolated event, with our meteorologists predicting a hot dry summer (this year). But there seems to be no strategy in place to prevent similar catastrophes in the years to come. The tragic event (two years ago) serves as a painful lesson we must heed. We cannot allow ourselves to be caught off guard again. Instead of reactive measures, what we need is proactive planning and policies that are ready to be executed at the first sign of a heatwave. First, we must establish a plan for the quick and efficient distribution of air conditioning units and other cooling aids to those most at risk in our communities. The health minister announced a plan last week that barely scratches the surface of what is required and does it inefficiently and over three years. Thats three more years of waiting for people who desperately need these air conditioners. The state of Oregon is spending $400 on each of their supplied and installed units, where in B.C. that cost is $1,250. How is that possible? Second, we should also invest in infrastructure improvements that make our homes and public buildings more heat resistant. That could include better insulation, green roofing, and other heat mitigating measures. Third, we should have check-in programs, where social workers, volunteers or other community members regularly check in on vulnerable individuals, such as the elderly or disabled, during a heat wave. And finally, we must engage in public education campaigns about the risks of extreme heat events and how to stay safe. Every (resident) should know what to do in the event of a heatwave, and should have access to a cool, safe space when temperatures soar. While we cannot change what has already happened, we can and must do everything in our power to prevent such a tragedy from happening again. The people of B.C. deserve better. Let's learn from the past and work toward a safer and more prepared future. My question to you is this: How would you like the provincial government to respond to public emergencies, like heat domes? I love hearing from you and I read every response. Email me at [email protected] or call the office at 250-712-3620. Renee Merrifield is the BC United MLA for Kelowna-Mission. This article is written by or on behalf of an outsourced columnist and does not necessarily reflect the views of Castanet. West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday claimed that the BJP government in Manipur has pitted the indigenous communities against each other in the violence-hit state, which has led to the riots. "We are witnessing violence in Manipur, where people are not being able to come out of their homes. The BJP government has pitted the communities in Manipur against each other, which has led to these riots," she said. She said this while virtually addressing party workers in Birbhum on Monday. She further said that the BJP is also trying to wedge a divide between Kamatapuri and Rajbangshi tribes in West Bengal. She further alleged, "Here (Bengal) too, they are trying to wedge a divide between Kamatapuri and Rajbangshis. Meanwhile, the Bengal government has set up Kamatapuri Academy, Rajbangshi Academy, and Panchanan Barma University. We recognise all great men from their respective communities and give holidays on their anniversaries." Ethnic clashes broke out in Manipur nearly two months ago on May 3 after clashes erupted during a rally organised by the All Tribal Students Union (ATSU) to protest against the demand for the inclusion of Meiteis in the list of Scheduled Tribes (STs). Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh on Monday chaired a meeting of the Combined Headquarters (CHQ) to discuss important security matters related to the prevailing situation in the state." Chaired a meeting of the Combined Headquarters (CHQ) in my office today to discuss important security matters related to the prevailing situation in Manipur. Certain key decisions have been taken to ensure that the violence is stopped immediately in the state, especially at the foothills along the valley," Manipur CM tweeted. The meeting was attended by senior officers of the state government, the Indian Army and the Para Military forces. (ANI) Ahead of Panchayat polls, West Bengal Chief Minister on Monday hit out at the BJP saying that its 'Double-Engine' government concept has derailed as people have become aware of their lies. "The BJP's term is coming to an end; the 'Double-Engine' government concept has derailed. They will once again make false promises, but this time, the people are aware of their lies," she said. Slamming the Centre over rise in LPG price, she said, "I feel disheartened to see that the BJP government has raised the price of gas cylinders to Rs 1,200. Yet, during the election period, they continue to make false promises of giving sops." "We should remember that Baam-Ram-Shyam have joined hands against us with the helpof funds from the BJP," said the West Bengal CM. She said this while addressing party workers virtually in Birbhum virtually on Monday. "For the minorities, we have introduced special privileges, be it the Aikyashree or Medhashreescholarships. The Centre, meanwhile, has stopped allocation of scholarships for theminorities, but we are continuing them through our Medhashree scheme," Banerjee added. Hitting out at the BJP-led Central Government for detaining Anubrata Mondal and his daughter Sukanya, CM Banerjee said, "In Birbhum, Anubrata Mondal and his daughter Sukanya have been put behind bars. If they are guilty of corruption, why don't the BJP's central agencies prove it? They are unable to prove it and have detained Anubrata Mondal so that he does not work for Trinamool and remains away from the Panchayat Election process. However, who will take action against the traitor who is in BJP right now? BJP's term is comingto an end." The CM recently suffered a left leg injury--in the left knee joint--and an injury in the left hip joint following the mishap that occurred on June 27 during the emergency landing of her helicopter at Sevoke Airbase near Siliguri following rough weather. (ANI) After Delhi Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena terminated the services of about 400 private persons employed by the Delhi Government in its various departments, the AAP-led Delhi government, in a statement issued on Monday, said that they would challenge the decision in court. LG Saxena on Monday terminated the service of 400 private individuals engaged in various departments of the Delhi government, citing that these individuals were engaged in a non-transparent manner and without the mandatory approval of the competent authority. "The LG is hell-bent on completely destroying Delhi. He chose to punish these 400 talented young professionals only because they chose to associate with the Delhi government. No principles of natural justice were followed when the LG took this decision," said the statement. "Not even a single show cause notice was issued, and no explanation or clarification was sought at any stage. This unconstitutional decision will be challenged in court," it further added. "LG does not have the power to do so. He is acting illegally and against the Constitution. His only purpose is to find new ways every day to paralyse the Delhi government so that the people of Delhi suffer," it said. "These fellows were from top colleges and universities such as IIM Ahmedabad, Delhi School of Economics, NALSAR, JNU, NIT, London School of Economics, Cambridge, etc. and were doing excellent work in various departments. They were all hired following due process and administrative norms," it said. Delhi Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena has terminated the services of about 400 private persons employed by the Delhi Government in its various departments. These private persons were engaged in a non-transparent manner and without the mandatory approvals of the competent authority. The appointments of these persons also did not follow the mandatory reservation policy for SC/ST/OBC candidates prescribed by the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT). The Services Department found that several of such engaged private persons did not even fulfil the eligibility criteria of educational qualification and work experience as laid down in the advertisements issued for the posts. The concerned administrative departments also did not verify the veracity of work experience certificates submitted by these private persons, which were found to be fudged and manipulated in many cases. The Lieutenant Governor accepted the proposal of the Services Department that all Delhi Government Departments, Corporations, Boards, Societies and other autonomous bodies under their administrative control, immediately terminate engagements of these private persons, wherein the LG''s or the competent authority''s approval has not been obtained. However, if any administrative department finds it appropriate to continue such engagements, it may propose detailed cases with proper justification and forward them to the Services Department, Government of National Capital Territory of Delhi (GNCTD) for onward submission to Lieutenant Governor for consideration and approval. Services Department had compiled the information received from 23 Departments that have engaged such private persons as specialists. It was observed that the provisions of Reservations for SC/ST/OBC prescribed by the DoPT for reservation in temporary appointments lasting for 45 days or more have also not been followed in these engagements. (ANI) The Uttarakhand Police has tightened security arrangements ahead of the Kanwar Yatra, which will start on July 4. Uttarakhand DGP Ashok Kumar said on Monday, "The police will keep an eye on every detail of the Kanwar Yatra starting tomorrow. In addition to the 333 CCTVs, drone cameras are being used to monitor every zone." Earlier, a review meeting regarding the Yatra was held on Sunday by the Uttarakhand police. "A review meeting was held yesterday in view of the Kanwar Yatra. A decision was taken that the Yatra should be completed smoothly and with utmost safety. Another big decision was taken that those vehicles without silencers will not be allowed and will be seized at the border. We have done all the required preparations and have taken care of appropriate safety arrangements," says Uttarakhand DGP Ashok Kumar. 'Kanwar Yatra' is an annual pilgrimage of Lord Shiva's devotees. Kanwariyas (pilgrims) visit places like Haridwar, Gaumukh, and Gangotri in Uttarakhand and Sultanganj in Bihar to fetch holy water from the River Ganga and then worship Lord Shiva with it. Additionally, the Kanwar Yatra is a significant ritual during the month of Sawan. People gather water from sacred rivers for this rite and place it in little mud pots known as Kanwars. Devotees don saffron-coloured clothes while carrying the holy water and walk on foot to visit temples dedicated to Lord Shiva. Devotees who are termed Kanwariyas visit places like Haridwar, Gaumukh, and Gangotri in Uttarakhand and Sultanganj in Bihar to fetch the holy water of the River Ganga and then worship the God with that water. In the Hindu calendar, 'Sawan', also known as 'Shravan, is the fifth month of the Hindu lunar calendar and one of the holiest months of the year. Every Monday during this period is regarded as a highly auspicious time to fast and seek the blessings of Lord Shiva. (ANI) The holy month of 'Sawan' (Shravan) has commenced, and with great enthusiasm, a large number of devotees were seen visiting temples to offer prayers to Lord Shiva on Tuesday after bathing at 'Sangam' in Uttar Pradesh's Prayagraj. Prayagraj is one of the biggest pilgrimages for the Hindus as the water from the banks of River Ganga, where Lord Brahma performed 10 Ahwamedh Yagya, is considered very sacred. "Sawan has started. There is Dashashwameca Ghat and the Kanwariyas, performing Kanwar Yatra take this water to reach Lord Shiva's temple. Some people go to Banaras, some go to Vaidhnath. There are so many people that sometimes the forces find it difficult to control them," said Gopal Tyagi, a sadhu. Devotees looked very enthusiastic on the auspicious day. "We took a bath here and now and then will go to Mankeshwar Dham," Sajan, a devotee said. Devotees thronged lord Shiva's temples across the state. They also offered prayers at Nageshwar Nath Temple in Ayodhya on the first day of 'Sawan' month. In Gorakhpur, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath offered prayers at Gorakhnath temple. In the Hindu calendar, 'Sawan', also known as 'Shravan, is the fifth month of the Hindu lunar calendar and one of the holiest months of the year. This year, the Shravan period stretches for two months instead of the usual one-month period. Previously, an almost two-month-long Shravan period was observed approximately 19 years ago. July 10 marks the first fasting Monday of the period this year, while August 28 marks the last Monday fast of the period. According to the Hindu Calendar, an extra month is added every three years when the Sun changes its zodiac sign or transits from one zodiac to another. This transit is also known as Sankranti. As a result, there are 12 Sankranti in a solar year, and the month with no Sankranti is termed Malmas or Adhikmas. Typically, no auspicious or new tasks or rituals are performed during this month. Malmas will begin on July 18, 2023, and end on August 16, 2023, this year. This year, Sawan commenced on July 4 and will continue till August 31. Additionally, the Kanwar Yatra is a significant ritual during the month of Sawan. People gather water from sacred rivers for this rite and place it in little mud pots known as Kanwars. Devotees don saffron-coloured clothes while carrying the holy water and walk on foot to visit temples dedicated to Lord Shiva. Devotees who are termed Kanwariyas visit places like Haridwar, Gaumukh, and Gangotri in Uttarakhand and Sultanganj in Bihar to fetch the holy water of the River Ganga and then worship the God with that water. (ANI) Police have seized a large number of cattle heads from an oil tanker in the Sonapur area in Assam's Kamrup (Metro) district. According to police, the police team of Guwahati East police district on Monday received source information that, one oil tanker bearing registration number AS-05C-1655 carrying cattle illegally and atrociously from Dhemaji side to Byrnihat, Meghalaya. "Accordingly, the truck was intercepted on National Highway 37 at Sonapur, fly over and recovered 25 numbers of live cattle (Cow) and 11 numbers of dead cattle from the truck. Police also apprehended the truck driver namely Guljar Hussain and Aijul Ali. They were carrying the cattle without any valid documents. Necessary formalities are being done," Diganta Borah, Commissioner of Police, Guwahati said. (ANI) Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday paid tribute to Swami Vivekananda on his death anniversary and said that he taught the whole world the lesson of fearlessness. "He (Swami Vivekananda) taught the whole world the lesson of fearlessness, showed the path of compassion, and taught brotherhood!" Rahul Gandhi tweeted in Hindi "Respectful salutations and tributes to the great spiritual master, Swami Vivekananda on his death anniversary," he added in the tweet. Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge also took to Twitter and paid tribute. He said that Swami Vivekananda made Indian civilization and culture famous all over the world. "Millions of salutes to Swami Vivekananda, the great thinker and source of inspiration for the youth, who made Indian civilization and culture famous all over the world," Kharge tweeted in Hindi. In his tweet, he gave excerpts from Vivekananda's speech at the Parliament of Religions in Chicago, USA, which, he said, is very relevant even today. "On his death anniversary. Some excerpts from his historic speech given in the year 1893 at the Parliament of Religions in Chicago, USA, which is very relevant even today. 'Communalism, bigotry and its dreadful descendant dogma have long held the earth in its grip. They have filled the earth with violence. How many times has this earth turned red with blood? So many civilizations have been destroyed and don't know how many countries have been destroyed. Had it not been for these terrible demons, today's human society would have been far more advanced, but now their time is over. I sincerely hope that the conch shell of this convention today will destroy all dogmas, all forms of affliction, whether by sword or pen and all ill-will among men," Kharge tweeted. Swami Vivekananda introduced the Indian philosophies of Vedanta and yoga to the Western world. He became popular in the Western world after his famous speech at the World's Parliament of Religions in Chicago in 1893. He was also the chief disciple of the 19th-century Indian mystic Ramakrishna and the founder of the Ramakrishna Math and the Ramakrishna Mission. He was considered a major force in the revival of Hinduism in India and brought it to the status of major world religion in the late 19th century. Swami Vivekananda's birthday on January 12 is also observed as National Youth Day in the country. (ANI) Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami is likely to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi today amid the raging debate over the implementation of the proposed uniform civil code in the country days after PM unequivocally said that the "country cannot be run on two laws". According to sources, the meeting will be held in view of the UCC draft of Uttarakhand which will, as per sources, act as a likely template for the central law. This comes on the heels of Dhami's meeting with Home Minister Amit Shah late Monday night. Speaking with ANI on Tuesday, Dhami said that the expert committee is examining the views of more than 2.35 lakh people in the state representing different sections of society. "All intellectuals, UCC committee and experts collected the suggestions of more than 2.35 lakh people. They also spoke with religious and other organisations. All these suggestions are being compiled. They will present a draft," CM Dhami said. When asked about the Uttarakhand UCC draft being likely a template for the Central law, CM Dhami said, "All aspects should be looked into before arriving at any decision". Dhami on Sunday said that the UCC expert committee examining the subject will submit the draft soon "As per the promise made to the state's people, today on June 30, the committee formed to prepare the draft of the Uniform Civil Code has completed its work. Soon Uniform Civil Code will be implemented in Devbhoomi Uttarakhand. Jai Hind, Jai Uttarakhand!" he took to Twitter to post. Prime Minister Narendra Modi's strong endorsement of the UCC brought it back to the spotlight. PM Modi said that the country cannot run on two laws and that the Uniform Civil Code was part of the Constitution. The UCC calls for the formulation of one law for India, which would be applicable to all religious communities in matters such as marriage, divorce, inheritance, and adoption. "Today people are being instigated in the name of UCC. How can the country run on two (laws)? The Constitution also talks of equal rights...Supreme Court has also asked to implement UCC. These (Opposition) people are playing vote bank politics," PM Modi had said. (ANI) The Supreme Court on Tuesday granted bail to Abdulla Umar, accused in a case relating to an illegal religious conversion racket case. A bench of justices Aniruddha Bose and CT Ravikumar directed to release Abdulla Umar on bail observing that there is no need to keep him under detention further as the charges have been framed in this case. However, the court imposed various conditions against him including providing his mobile phone number to the investigating agency, not to use any other mobile phone except that and keep the live location on round the clock. The court also directed him not to leave Delhi without permission and not to enter Uttar Pradesh except to attend court proceedings and whenever the probe agency called for any investigation. He will mark his presence before Noida Police every third day, the court also directed. The court also imposed conditions that he shall not leave the country without permission and surrender his passport if he have any. Abdulla Umar has challenged the Lucknow bench of the Allahabad high court order dated December 16, 2022, in a case related to illegal mass conversion. Abdulla Umar, son of Maulana Umar Gautam was arrested in November 2021 in connection with a religious conversion racket case. The Lucknow bench of the Allahabad high court in December 2022 rejected the bail applications of Umar Gautam, his son, and three other accused in the case. Uttar Pradesh Anti Terrorism Squad has arrested the accused person for their alleged involvement in the religious conversion of people from economically weaker sections and students on the pretext of money, job and marriage as well as children with hearing and speech disabilities. (ANI) Shiv Sena (Uddhav Thackeray) party MLA Sunil Prabhu on Tuesday approached the Supreme Court seeking a direction to Maharashtra Legislative Assembly Speaker to take an expeditious decision on the disqualification petitions pending against rebel Sena MLAs led by Eknath Shinde. "The Speaker in brazen disregard to his constitutional duties as a neutral arbiter has sought to delay the adjudications of the disqualification petitions, thereby, permitting the illegal continuance of Eknath Shinde as Chief Minister, against whom the disqualification petitions are pending for almost a year," the plea stated. Speaker's conduct in choosing to deliberately delay the adjudication of the disqualification petitions filed by the Uddhav Thackeray group against the delinquent members of the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly, it said. The disqualification pleas have been pending for over a year. The plea sought direction for the Speaker to decide disqualification petitions within a time-bound manner. Sunil Prabhu in his plea contended that in the present case, the delinquent MLAs against whom disqualification petitions are pending have committed "brazenly unconstitutional acts" which per se invite disqualification under Paras 2(1)(a), 2(1)(b), and 2(2) of the Tenth Schedule. The Speaker's inaction in deciding the disqualification proceedings is an "act of grave constitutional impropriety" as his inaction is allowing MLAs who are liable to be disqualified to continue in the assembly and to hold responsible positions in the government of Maharashtra including that of the Chief Minister, the plea added. "It is settled law that the Speaker while performing its functions under Para 6 of the Tenth Schedule, acts as a judicial tribunal, and is required to act in a fair and unbiased manner. The constitutional requirement of fairness enjoins upon the Speaker the obligation to decide the question of disqualification in an expeditious manner. Any unreasonable delay on the part of the Speaker in deciding the petitions for disqualification contributes to and perpetuates the constitutional sin of defection committed by the delinquent members," the petition stated. Prabhu said though Supreme Court in its May 11 judgment asked the Speaker to decide pending disqualification petitions within a reasonable period, Speaker has taken no steps in that regard. He said he has already submitted three representations on this score to Speaker, but to no avail. The disqualification petitions against the rebel MLAs were filed by Sunil Prabhu, the Shiv Sena party Whip appointed by Uddhav Thackeray, on 23 June 2022, after the MLAs revolted against Thackeray. The notices of disqualification were issued by Deputy Speaker Narhari Zirwal in the absence of the Speaker. On May 11 five-judge Constitution bench had held that it cannot disqualify the Eknath Shinde-led Maharashtra government and reinstate Uddhav Thackeray as Chief Minster because the latter had chosen to resign instead of facing a test of strength in the Assembly. In August last year, the top court's three-judge bench had referred to a five-judge Constitution bench the issues involved in the petition filed by rival groups of Shiv Sena in relation to the Maharashtra political crisis. On June 29, 2022, the top court gave a go-ahead to the floor test in the Maharashtra Assembly on June 30. It had refused to stay the Maharashtra Governor's direction to the then Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray to prove his majority support on the floor of the House on June 30. After the apex court's order, Uddhav Thackeray announced his resignation as the Chief Minister and Eknath Shinde was later sworn in as the Chief Minister. (ANI) Photo: The Canadian Press Harvey Mason jr., CEO of the Recording Academy. Last month, the Recording Academy announced a series of changes to the Grammy Awards to better reflect an evolving music industry. Of those newly instituted guidelines, protocols involving technological advancements in machine learning sparked headlines: Only human creators could win the music industrys highest honor in a decision aimed at the use of artificial intelligence in popular music. A work that contains no human authorship is not eligible in any category, the rules read in part. As the music industry continues to come to terms with this new technology, so too will the Grammys, says Recording Academy CEO and President Harvey Mason jr. Heres the super easy, headline statement: AI, or music that contains AI-created elements is absolutely eligible for entry and for consideration for Grammy nomination. Period, Mason told The Associated Press. Whats not going to happen is we are not going to give a Grammy or Grammy nomination to the AI portion. If an AI or voice modeling program performs the lead vocal on a song, the track would be eligible in a songwriting category, for example, but not a performance category, because what is performing is not human creation, he explains. Conversely, if a song was sung by an actual human in the studio, and they did all the performing, but AI wrote the lyric or the track, the song would not be eligible in a composition or a songwriting category. As long as the human is contributing in a more than de minimis amount, which to us means a meaningful way, they are and will always be considered for a nomination or a win, he continued. We dont want to see technology replace human creativity. We want to make sure technology is enhancing, embellishing, or additive to human creativity. So thats why we took this particular stand in this award cycle. The Recording Academy has long considered setting rules related to AI following the popularity of new songs created alongside AI technology: David Guettas Emin-AI-em, the AI -compositions of TikTok user @ghostwriter977, Grimes voice modeling AI software. In order to establish their AI guidelines, the Recording Academy engaged in extensive research, including holding tech summits. Ive met with the copyright office. Weve talked about the future and what that looks like on a federal level and the legislative level, Mason said, adding that AI conversations really came to a head in the last six months. The new Grammy AI protocols were announced three days after Paul McCartney shared that the last Beatles record had been composed using artificial intelligence to extract John Lennons voice from an old demo. Without knowing the extent of the technology, Mason couldn't confirm or deny whether the song would be eligible for a Grammy nomination. Well see what it turns out to be, he said. But I would imagine from the early descriptions that Ive heard there would be components of the creation that would be absolutely eligible. So, can Grammy viewers expect to see work at least partially created with AI nominated for an award as early as next year? Its impossible to predict what is submitted. But as Mason affirms, people are using the technology. Im imagining its going to be involved in a lot of records a lot of songs this year, so well see if some of them get nominated or not, but Im sure therell be some that will be submitted. The 2024 Grammy Awards will return to Los Angeles Crypto.com Arena on Sunday, Feb. 4, 2024, airing live on CBS and livestreamed on Paramount+. Ministry of Home Affairs, in a letter issued in the recent past to the CRPF, asked it to take over the security of Santosh Suman, a former Bihar government minister, based on a threat report from the Intelligence Bureau. Now, nearly a dozen armed security personnel of the CRPF will provide round-the-clock security cover to Santosh Suman in different shifts. The leader is the third former Bihar minister after Upendra Kushwaha and Mukesh Sahni whose security has been increased. Last month, Santosh Suman and his father withdrew support from the Nitish Kumar government in Bihar. A few days later, HAM joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) after party founder Jitan Ram Manjhi and party president Santosh Kumar Suman met with Union Home Minister Amit Shah in New Delhi. Jitan Ram Manjhi's HAM has four MLAs in the 243-member Bihar Legislative Assembly. JD(U) has 45 MLAs while the RJD has 79. The BJP has 77 legislators in the House. Earlier on June 21, Former Bihar Chief Minister Jitan Ram Manjhi said that Hindustani Awam Morcha (HAM) is with the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance. Manjhi and HAM chief Santosh Suman met Union Home Minister and senior BJP leader Amit Shah in Delhi on June 21. The meeting lasted for about 45 minutes. The meeting took place two days after HAM announced the withdrawal of its support to the Nitish Kumar-led government. "Our party is with the NDA from today. We will fight together," Manjhi later said. Santosh Suman, who is Manjhi's son, said their meeting with Amit Shah was very positive. "We will work together and fight for the oppressed, deprived and downtrodden in the coming times," he said. HAM's decision came days before the June 23 meeting of opposition parties in Patna. (ANI) BJP has appointed Union minister G Kishan Reddy as the party's state president of Telangana, replacing Bandi Sanjay; D Purandeshwari has been appointed as the state president of Andhra Pradesh; former Chief Minister Babulal Marandi becomes the state president of Jharkhand while Sunil Jakhar, former Congress leader, has been appointed as the party's state president of Punjab. The party also appointed former Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Kiran Kumar Reddy as a member of the party's National Executive Committee. As part of the organisational rejig, BJP appointed Etela Rajender, MLA and former Telangana minister as Chairman of the Election Management Committee of the party's state unit for the forthcoming Assembly Elections. The announcement comes a day after PM Modi chaired a meeting of the Council of Ministers in the national capital. The BJP is gearing up for assembly elections in Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh, Telangana and Mizoram to be held later this year as well for the next year's Lok Sabha elections. (ANI) Communist Party of India (CPI) Rajya Sabha MP Binoy Viswam on Tuesday wrote a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, expressing dissatisfaction over the length of the recently announced Monsoon session of Parliament. "I write this letter to express my disappointment over the length of the recently announced Monsoon session of Parliament, 2023. As per the announcement made by the Minister of Parliamentary Affairs, the Monsoon Session 2023 will commence on July 20, 2023, and will conclude on August 11, 2023," Binoy Viswam said in the letter. "Effectively, Parliament is supposed to sit only for 17 days in the Monsoon session which is unfortunately little given the multitudes of issues and legislations demanding urgent attention of the government and lawmakers," he said. The CPI lawmaker went in to add that it is being observed by democratically-minded people and lawmakers alike that the duration of Parliament sittings is coming down drastically to the disadvantage of our democratic parliamentary Republic. "While the first Lok Sabha had 677 sittings divided among 15 sessions, the 16th Lok Sabha which brought you to majority had only 331 sittings divided by 17 sessions," he said. "Duration of Parliament sessions and the number of sittings have more than halved since the 1st Lok Sabha. While the average sittings per session for the 1st Lok Sabha were 45 days, it came down to a mere 19 days during the 16th Lok Sabha. The current 17th Lok Sabha is already forecasted to have the lowest sitting days for a full five-year Lok Sabha with only 230 sitting days till the last budget session," he added. Viswam also alleged that beyond sitting days, the decline in the quality of debate on critical issues is also another unfortunate "feature" of the NDA government. "The Lok Sabha passed five bills in under an hour in Monsoon Session 2021. Issues of paramount importance like the Farm Laws and Labour Codes were cleared amid chaos. It appears that the Parliamentary majority of the BJP is being abused to make the Parliament ineffective and redundant," he said. "You have referred to our country as 'Mother of Democracy' several times. In this context, I urge you to take immediate steps to strengthen parliamentary democracy in the country. It must be ensured that Parliament functions for at least 100 days in a calendar year to give sufficient attention to the needs of our vast and diverse country. I hope this demand will find your attention," he added. (ANI) Prime Minister Narendra Modi will undertake a hectic tour of four states namely Chhattisgarh, Uttar Pradesh, Telangana and Rajasthan from Friday, government sources said on Tuesday. As part of PM Modi's two-day tour to four states, he will participate in around a dozen programmes across five cities - Raipur, Gorakhpur, Varanasi, Warangal and Bikaner. He will inaugurate, dedicate and lay the foundation stone of about 50 projects worth around Rs 50,000 crores during the tour. On July 7, PM Modi will first travel from Delhi to Raipur, where he will lay the foundation stone and dedicate multiple projects. These include foundation stones for various six-lane sections of the Raipur Vishakhapatnam corridor. Thereafter, he will attend a public meeting. PM Modi will then travel to Gorakhpur where will attend the programme at Gita Press. Thereafter, he will flag off 3 Vande Bharat trains and will also lay the foundation stone for the redevelopment of Gorakhpur railway station. From Gorakhpur, PM Modi will travel to his constituency, Varanasi, where he will inaugurate and lay the foundation stone of multiple key projects. He will also dedicate the four-lane widening of NH56 (Varanasi-Jaunpur). The PM will also lay the foundation stone for the renovation of Manikarnika Ghat and Harishchandra Ghat. On July 8, PM will travel from Varanasi to Warangal in Telangana. Here, he will lay the foundation stone of various projects, including for key sections of the Nagpur-Vijayawada Corridor. The PM will also lay the foundation stone of Four Laning of Karimnagar-Warangal section of NH- 563. Thereafter, he will attend a public meeting in Warangal. The PM will then travel from Warangal to Bikaner, where he will lay the foundation stone and dedicate multiple projects. He will dedicate various sections of the Amritsar Jamnagar Expressway. The Prime Minister will also dedicate the Inter-State Transmission Line for Green Energy CorridorPhase- I. He will also lay the foundation stone for the redevelopment of Bikaner railway station. Thereafter, he will attend a public meeting in Bikaner. (ANI) Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath said on Tuesday said that under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the double-engine government is sensitive towards providing better health facilities to the common man, the poor, and the weaker sections. Inaugurating the newly constructed New Anand Lok Hospital near the Chatra Sangh Chauraha in Gorakhpur, the CM said, "The result of this sensitivity is that today every district of the state is being connected with a medical college. Along with the efforts of the government in providing better health facilities, the role of the private sector has also been important in this." Speaking on the occasion, the CM said that the health sector is a vast area. "Success in this field cannot be achieved by relying only on the government. Private sector's participation is also necessary." The Chief Minister emphasized that nine years ago, it was challenging for someone at the bottom of society to receive treatment in a private or corporate hospital. But, with the Ayushman Bharat scheme launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, even the poorest of the poor can get treatment in government hospitals, medical colleges, as well as private and corporate hospitals. "Over 50 crore needy people in the country are getting the benefits of the Ayushman Bharat scheme," he added. When discussing the terrible state of the healthcare system in eastern Uttar Pradesh six years ago, the Chief Minister asserted that even the BRD Medical College in Gorakhpur had degraded. "Due to the government's sensitivity, super speciality services have now begun at BRD Medical College, and AIIMS has also been established in Gorakhpur. In the private sector, there are a lot of hospitals that are working to offer the best medical care," he added. CM Yogi said that the government has taken steps towards the establishment of medical colleges in every district. In eastern Uttar Pradesh itself, medical colleges have been set up in Deoria, Siddharth Nagar, and Basti. Its construction is going on in Kushinagar. The process of setting up a medical college on the PPP model has started in Maharajganj. Mentioning that from 1947 to 2017, there were only 12 Government Medical Colleges in the state, the CM added, "Between 2017 and 2022-23, the construction of 59 new medical colleges has either been completed or is underway. Out of the remaining 16 districts, medical colleges are being established in 4 districts on the PPP model. The action plan for six other districts is well advanced." (ANI) Four suspected cadres of the banned insurgent group United National Liberation Front (UNLF), were released on bail, hours after they were apprehended from violence-hit Manipur, officials said. As per the officials, the militants were apprehended by the Manipur Valley counterinsurgency Police (MVCP) on June 19. "The militants were found in possession of a 51mm mortar, raising serious concerns about their intentions. However, shockingly, all four individuals were released on bail within hours of their arrest, highlighting a disturbing trend that threatens the peace and security of Manipur," they said. The situation in Manipur has deteriorated significantly, prompting the deployment of over 95 columns of the Assam Rifles to restore law and order in the violence-hit region. The state has been grappling with the complexities of banned Meitei insurgent groups like the People's Liberation Army (PLA) and UNLF, who are not only actively involved in instigating violence but also collaborating with common people to further their cause. The recovery of stolen weapons from the police armoury remains incomplete, exacerbating the gravity of the ongoing conflict as these weapons are being used with impunity in the areas affected by violence. The efforts of the security forces to address the situation are being severely undermined by the blatant misuse of the law, particularly the rapid release of suspected insurgents found in possession of dangerous weapons. According to Assam Rifles, "This dangerous cycle of apprehension and release of perpetrators perpetuates the violence and threatens the safety of the local population." "It is imperative that the state police and other relevant authorities act swiftly to recover the remaining stolen weapons, prevent their misuse, and take stringent actions against the arrested insurgents who seek to disrupt the law and order of the state," they added. (ANI) Water Minister Saurabh Bhardwaj arrived on Tuesday to inspect the cleaning of the Najafgarh drain. During this, he inspected the work of desilting as well as the hydraulic excavator installed on the Pantul bridge. He directed the officials to ensure that only treated sewage is released into the Yamuna. The Water Minister also stressed solving the problem of water conservation through recharging groundwater. The Kejriwal government is also engaged in the removal of wild plants such as water hyacinths on a large scale. During the inspection, Saurabh Bhardwaj appreciated that the desilting of the Najafgarh drain is being done on a large scale. The cost of this project is Rs 11.2 crore. At the same time, to remove the hump in the Najafgarh drain, silt is removed by the government through a project costing Rs 20.8 crore. The same is also being done from Khyala Bridge to Basaidarapur Bridge which will cost the government Rs 13.9 crore. In many places, tons of silt is being removed from the drain and dried. Apart from this, very large wild plants are also being removed from the hydraulic excavator installed on the Pantul bridge. The work of removing wild plants such as Water Hyacinths (Jal Kumbhi) is going on on a large scale. Minister Saurabh Bhardwaj shared that water hyacinths are a very dangerous species of plant. These can remove the amount of oxygen from the water, due to which the water can become stagnant and unusable. Generally, if the amount of oxygen in the water is adequate, then it itself starts the process of cleaning the water. That is why the Delhi government is working doubly hard to remove water hyacinths from the Najafgarh drain and many other such drains. Silt is being removed from the drain on a large scale as well so that the flow of the drain can be sped up and the water present in the drain can add to the process of self-cleaning. It is worth mentioning that a few decades ago, the Najafgarh drain was called the Sahibi River. But due to urbanisation, sewer and industrial waste of many cities of Haryana became mixed with the Najafgarh lake in the form of Badshahpur and Dharmapura drains. After this, the Sahibi River turned from a river into a drain. Furthermore, the manner in which settlement has taken place in the capital in the last several decades has led to the formation of thousands of unauthorized colonies in Delhi. The sewer and industrial waste of these colonies and industrial clusters started falling into Najafgarh's drains through small drains. In such a situation, one of the major reasons behind the contamination of the Yamuna River is the sewer and industrial waste coming into the river through the Najafgarh drain. Taking steps in this direction, the Kejriwal government is cleaning all the big and small drains falling into the Najafgarh drain. By converting the Najafgarh drain into a clean water channel, clean water will reach the Yamuna. Cabinet Minister Saurabh Bhardwaj said that all major drains including the Najafgarh drain are being reconverted into clean water channels by the Kejriwal government. Delhi Jal Board is treating the water of dozens of drains falling into the Najafgarh drain through its various STPs and DSTPs. The cleaning of the Najafgarh drain will improve water flow. Along with this, the outbreak of mosquitoes will also reduce, due to which the public will witness relief from mosquito-borne diseases such as dengue and malaria. After removing the hump in the drain, the discharge of water will reach the Yamuna more quickly than before. He added that in the last few years, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has reserved thousands of crores of rupees in every budget of the government, especially for the cleaning of the Yamuna River. The result of this is that today small drains falling into big drains within Delhi are being treated in sewer treatment plants so that sewage and filth do not directly reach the Yamuna River and only clean water is transported to the river. (ANI) Hours after being appointed as the president of the Bharatiya Janata Party Punjab unit, Sunil Jakhar on Tuesday said that his party will play the role of opposition in the border state. The new Punjab BJP chief told ANI that he is going to meet senior party leaders JP Nadda and BL Santosh among others on Wednesday. "After meeting everyone, and following their directions, we have to work together," he said. Launching a scathing attack on Congress, he said, "Congress is responsible for being the opposition but they are compromising to save their lives. Today they (Congress) are not saying anything, because a thief cannot look eye to eye...CM Bhagwant Mann has clearly said that the opposition cannot look me in the eyes because they are involved in corruption...BJP will play the role of the Opposition in Punjab, I assure you that." In a mega organisational rejig ahead of the upcoming Lok Sabha and Assembly elections, the Bharatiya Janata Party on Tuesday appointed new party presidents in four states. BJP has appointed Sunil Jakhar as the party's state president of Punjab; D Purandeshwari has been appointed as the state president of Andhra Pradesh; former Chief Minister Babulal Marandi becomes the state president of Jharkhand while Union minister G Kishan Reddy has been appointed as the party's state president of Telangana, replacing Bandi Sanjay. The party also appointed former Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Kiran Kumar Reddy as a member of the party's National Executive Committee. As part of the organisational rejig, BJP appointed Etela Rajender, MLA and former Telangana minister as Chairman of the Election Management Committee of the party's state unit for the forthcoming Assembly Elections. The announcement comes a day after PM Modi chaired a meeting of the Council of Ministers in the national capital. The BJP is gearing up for assembly elections in Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh, Telangana and Mizoram to be held later this year as well for the next year's Lok Sabha elections. (ANI) Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Tuesday said that Uttar Pradesh has made a big leap in the field of basic education over the past six years and many schools which were on the verge of closure, have been rejuvenated during the period because of strong will, determined effort, resources, technology and innovation. Inaugurating the 'Sampark Smartshala-Smart Block' program, a joint initiative of the Basic Education Department and Sampark Foundation, held at Yogiraj Baba Gambhirnath Auditorium, the CM said that the Skilled India Mission with better use of technology is giving great results in improving the quality of education in the state. Under the 'Sampark Smartshala-Smart Block' program, 58 council schools in the city area and 68 council schools in Chargawan block were equipped with LED TVs as well as maths and English kits. The CM personally provided Teaching-Learning Material (TLM) kits to the teachers from five schools and also released the magazine of Sampark Foundation. The Chief Minister said that education is the foundation of society. He also highlighted the situation prior to 2017, where there were insufficient toilets, flooring, and drinking water facilities in the schools of the Basic Education Council. With around 1.34 crore children attending about 1.56 lakh schools, there was also a severe shortage of teachers in schools. To address these issues, the government made a commitment to improve the education system and recruitment, hiring 1.65 lakh teachers from basic and secondary schools in a transparent manner. The Mission Kayakalp was launched to transform schools, ensuring they had proper infrastructure including furniture, toilets, drinking water, smart classes, libraries, and digital libraries. As a result, 1.36 lakh schools have been rejuvenated and the number of school-going children has increased to 1.91 crore. CM Yogi emphasized that in the past, children attending basic schools lacked basic facilities, they used to go barefoot with no uniforms. However, today the government is giving them all the basic facilities. Currently, students are given two uniforms, sweaters, shoes, and bags during the winter season. Also, for providing these facilities, the respective amount is directly transferred to the parents' accounts through Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT). The Chief Minister said that when he became MLC in 2017, he allocated his entire fund for the construction of furniture and toilets in basic schools of the Gorakhpur urban area. Furthermore, the GDA and Municipal Corporation are also working towards making schools smart. He also emphasized that the People's representatives should visit schools in their respective areas and make necessary arrangements there. While discussing the importance of technology in the field of education, CM Yogi said that with the effective use of technology, the educational landscape has advanced rapidly. During the challenging period of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Chief Minister admitted the impact it had on school education but added that with the inspiration of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the campaign for Digital India started, ensuring that children's education continued uninterrupted. The miraculous results of Digital India are being seen at every level and India is in a position to provide leadership, he remarked. CM Yogi praised the Sampark Foundation for their efforts and commended their role in initiating the Smart Schools. He also focused on highlighting the importance of making education interesting and engaging for students. CM Yogi appreciated that the Sampark Foundation is working towards this goal. He emphasized that by incorporating an emotional connection between teachers and students, the children's enthusiasm for learning will naturally awaken. The CM further stated the importance of strengthening education as it serves as the foundation of both the country and society. To achieve this, he emphasized the need to integrate education with technology and innovation. He said that after witnessing the result of the smart school, smart block program as a pilot project in Gorakhpur, a plan will be made to implement it in the entire state. During the event, Yogi also visited the stalls set up by the Basic Education Department for the Nipun Bharat Mission and Sampark Foundation. He interacted with the children and basic schools who were present at the stalls. At the stalls, he inquired about the activities of the Nipun Bharat Mission and the work of the Sampark Foundation and appreciated the innovations in education.MP Ravi Kishan Shukla, Founder and managing director of Sampark Foundation, Vineet Nair and Additional Chief Secretary of Basic Education Deepak Kumar were also present at the occasion. (ANI) To our many new residents, welcome to Kelowna. You may have noticed that, compared to many other places, it's really difficult to walk more than a short distance along our waterfront. Like most of Canada, it's legal here for you to walk along the Okanagan Lake foreshorethe strip of beach between where the lake currently is, and where it would be at its highest level. You're also allowed to walk or swim almost anywhere in the lake because the water and the lake bottom are owned by the province (all of us). The city has increased public accessibility to our lake by adding a few waterfront parks in the last several years. Outside of those beach parks, when you try to walk along the foreshore, you'll run into a lot of obstacles in front of lakefront houses. There are provincial laws that govern those private docks, fences and walls built on the publicly-owned foreshore and (onto and into the) lake. Those laws are designed to ensure we can continue to walk along there. Unfortunately, the province very rarely enforces them, which results in more and more obstacles. If you happen to be in contact with any city or provincial politicians, please tell them you'd like more public access to our lake. Al Janusas, Kelowna Sukanya Mondal, daughter of TMC Leader Anubrata Mondal, arrested in a money laundering case connected with the multicrore Cattle smuggling case has moved to Delhi High Court seeking bail in the case. She was arrested by Enforcement Directorate (ED) on April 26 in the matter. The bench of Justice Dinesh Kumar Sharma is scheduled to hear the matter on Wednesday, July 5, 2023. The Trial Court Judge on June 1, 2023, denied her regular bail in the case. Earlier, Advocate Amit Kumar argued on behalf of Sukanya and submitted in the trial court that another accused Tanya Sanyal who was not arrested and a charge sheet was filed without arrest, was granted bail in the case. He also submitted that Tanya is the wife of BSF commandant Satish Kumar who is also one of the accused. Allegations against Tanya are that she received bribe money for Cattle smuggling from Enamul Haque and laundered the same. Despite, being an accused in both CBI and ED, case Tanya was granted regular bail. Her bail was not opposed by the ED, the counsel argued. Advocate Amit Kumar also argued that the applicant Sukanya also compromised her health due to the investigation of the case. Her surgery was due and she was to travel to Cochin. After receiving the summon she joined the investigation and was arrested. The investigation is over and a charge sheet has been filed. There is nothing incriminating against the applicant, the counsel argued. The Enforcement Directorate (ED) through Special Public Prosecutor (SPP) earlier submitted that there is incriminating material against the accused. A charge sheet has been filed. The lawyer argued that the issue of national security and the weakening of Economy of the country is involved in the matter. ED lawyer also argued that Anubrata Mondal, father of the applicant is an uneducated person and his whole business activities were taken care of by the applicant. Earlier, ED was granted custody of Sukanya to trace the proceed of the crime, trace the money trail and identify the modus operandi. She has to be confronted by Anubrata Mondal also. It is also alleged that the accused is a teacher in the West Bengal government. She is actively involved in business activities as per data collected so far. The total cash proceeds from crime deposited in her various bank account and her business entities are worth several crores. Anubrata Mondal, Trinamool Congress party's president of Birbhum district Anubrata Mondal and said to be a close aide of chief minister Mamata Banerjee was earlier arrested by the CBI in connection with the same case in July last year. ED arrested him in the alleged multi-crore cattle smuggling scam after questioning him inside the Asansol jail where he was lodged. In the case, the court earlier noted that this case of ED is based upon the Scheduled Offence (CBI case), the proceedings of which are going on there at Asansol, West Bengal in a CBI Court and some accused have been running into Judicial custody in connection with those proceedings of the CBI case. (ANI) The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Tuesday filed a charge sheet against two hardcore ISIS members involved in promoting the proscribed organisation's terrorist activities. The accused are identified as Md Saddam alias Mohammad Saddam alias Saddam Mallick alias Abdul Malliack and Abdul Rakib Qureshi alias Abdul Raqib Qureshi alias Qureshi. They have been chargesheeted under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act and relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code. The anti-terror agency filed the charge sheet before an NIA court in Kolkata. The accused were arrested by the Kolkata Special Task Force (STF) on January 6 this year for hatching a conspiracy against the Government of India by collecting arms and ammunition as well as explosives, and recruiting Muslim youth for carrying out terrorist activities for ISIS in India and abroad, said the NIA in a statement. STF Kolkata had initially registered a First Information Report and the NIA had taken over the case a month later, on February 6. As per the NIA, a large quantity of incriminating material, used for propaganda and radicalisation on behalf of ISIS, was seized from the two accused who had been using this material to recruit and train impressionable Muslim youth into the ISIS fold. One of the two chargesheeted accused Abdul Rakib Qureshi was also convicted earlier for life in a UA(P)A case for his acts of terror and association with the Students' Islamic Movement of India (SIMI), another proscribed organisation which is currently almost defunct. Investigations further showed that the two men had knowingly associated themselves with ISIS with the intent to further its activities, said the NIA. "Md Saddam entered into a criminal conspiracy with Abdul Rakib Qureshi to recruit people, target prominent personalities and also to send the recruits abroad for executing ISIS-led terror actions & activities. The duo used various encrypted social media platforms for communication, in order to hide their terror-related activities and evade detection by law enforcement agencies," the NIA added. (ANI) Delhi Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena along with National Green Tribunal (NGT) Chairperson, Justice Adarsh Kumar Goel on Tuesday inspected the navigable stretch of Yamuna between ISBT and ITO Barrage, on an Indian Navy Boat brought in recently. The navigability of the stretch was ascertained last month by the boat provided by the Indian Navy at the LG's behest. The LG and the NGT Chairperson, accompanied by senior officials of the stakeholder departments, Delhi Development Authority (DDA), Irrigation and Flood Control Department (I&FC), Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) and Delhi Jal Board (DJB), also took stock of the cleaning works undertaken on the floodplains of the river under directions of the High-Level Committee (HLC), constituted by the NGT January 9, 2023. Priests from different faiths also accompanied the visiting team. It may be noted that the HLC has been monitoring the rejuvenation of river Yamuna vide eight different implementation parameters that also include, cleaning and restoration of the floodplains, apart from the desiltation of the sewerage accumulated in the river and on its banks. Works on the restoration of the floodplains from Wazirabad Barrage to ITO Barrage, in its first phase started in February this year and have since been completed. Cleaning operations on the stretch between ITO Barrage and Okhla are underway. Speaking on the occasion, the LG said that the cleaning works on the 11 Km stretch till the ITO Barrage had been successfully completed and it was there for anyone to see. He reiterated that any long-term solution to the rejuvenation of the Yamuna would have to involve the common residents of Delhi and once the waterway becomes fully navigable citizens could start involving themselves at the physical level with the river. This, LG added, will help develop a sense of belongingness in the people towards the Yamuna. The LG stressed that the efforts at rejuvenating the river had slowly but surely started showing encouraging results and it was evident in the physical appearance of the ghats as indeed the quality of the water if one were to compare on a year-to-year basis. LG Saxena specifically pointed out the massive efforts being undertaken to clean the Najafgarh Drain through the desiltation and trapping of drains for diversion to STPs and said that cleaning of the drain, which accounts for about 68 per cent of pollution into the river, will make a remarkable difference. Saxena however, emphasized that the task of cleaning the river, hitherto neglected for over three decades, despite consistent monitoring by the Supreme Court and the NGT, will take time to complete and there is a long road ahead. It had been an endeavour on the part of the Lt. Governor to involve the people of the city in the efforts to rejuvenate the Yamuna by bringing them closer to the river and instilling a sense of ownership towards the river in them. In this respect, apart from other initiatives, making the river navigable for use as a recreational as well as public transport means was also envisaged. (ANI) The Yogi government is not only taking firm steps to guard the people of Uttar Pradesh against communicable diseases and meningitis in the state but is also monitoring the works being done in this regard in civic bodies across the state through the Directorate of Urban Bodies in Lucknow. It is worth mentioning that the Communicable Diseases Campaign started in Uttar Pradesh on July 1, while the Dastak campaign will run in the state from July 17 to July 31. Regarding the campaign being run in each municipal body, the Directorate of Urban Bodies has directed all the Municipal Commissioners as well as general Managers and executive officers of the Water Works Department and Water Institute and Municipal Council officials to send the daily report of the work done to the Directorate. Additionally, every Saturday and after the end of the campaign, the compiled report will be made available to the Directorate as well as the government. The compiled report will have to be submitted before August 5. The order issued by Dr Nitin Bansal, Director of the Directorate of Urban Bodies, says as per the micro plan prescribed in each body, all the officers must ensure garbage disposal, sanitization, fogging, anti-larva spraying as well as cleaning of drains in the localities of the wards of their respective bodies along with getting defective hand pumps repaired, making clean drinking water available to people and preventing water logging in an effective and timely manner. The officials have also been asked to ensure making the compiled report, in relation to the activities carried out during the campaign and the completed activities, in their respective areas available on the Directorate's e-mail and Google link daily, weekly and every Saturday. After the end of the campaign, make sure to compile the report and make it available to the Communicable Disease Unit, Directorate General of Health Services and Government and Directorate through email before August 5, it adds further. Steps to be taken in the urban bodies under the campaign are the following: - Sensitization of the elected public representatives of the urban body with the help of the Health Department regarding prevention and cleanliness of encephalitis and other vector-borne diseases and water-borne diseases. - Raising awareness about encephalitis and other vector-borne diseases and water-borne diseases continuously through neighbourhood monitoring committees in the urban area. - Getting fogging done in urban areas, conducting intensive vector control and sensitization activities at the places mentioned in the list of high-risk areas provided by the Health Department. - Conducting awareness campaigns in urban areas for measures of environmental and personal hygiene such as no open defecation, use of pure drinking water and prevention of mosquitoes - Arrangement for covering of open drains, cleaning of drains/garbage - To stop the use of shallow hand pumps, they should be marked with red colour. - Sealing the pipe of handpumps with concrete from all sides - Construction of soak pit for the release of wastewater near hand pumps - Bacteriological / Virological tests to monitor the quality of pure drinking water - Installation and maintenance of Mini Public Water Supply (MPWS) Tank Type Stand Post (TTSP) in the population as per norms - Construction of roads to prevent waterlogging and growth of vegetation - Regular removal of vegetation growing on the side of the roads - Focusing activities on vulnerable population groups in urban areas and slums -To make vulnerable areas open defecation-free (ODF) on a priority basis - Preparation of progress reports of departmental activities in sensitive areas and urban slums and recording of physical progress. (ANI) A scuffle erupted between supporters of Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Sharad Pawar and Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar over the newly opened party office in Nashik on Tuesday. Earlier in the day, Nationalist Congress Party's Sharad Pawar faction leader, Clyde Crasto slammed Maharashtra Deputy CM Ajit Pawar after he inaugurated the new party office near Mantralaya in Mumbai. Crasto said, "Praful Patel and Ajit Pawar are mature politicians. They know the rules and regulations well. Despite knowing them, what can we say if they do things like this?". Further, Crasto said, "As per the Constitution, as per 10th Schedule, as per Anti-defection law, as per our party's constitution, they can't do any of this. Our party president Sharad Pawar appointed a few people yesterday. So, where will the validity be?". The party suffered a split after Ajit Pawar and some of the MLAs joined hands with the Bharatiya Janata Party-led alliance in Maharashtra on Sunday. NCP Chief Sharad Pawar, the next day removed party vice-president Praful Patel and MP Sunil Tatkare from the party for allegedly indulging in 'anti-party' activities. In addition, Pawar also appointed Sonia Doohan as the incharge of the NCP's New Delhi central office. "It is hereby notified to all public and office bearers of NCP that from today Ms Sonia Doohan will be in charge of the Nationalist Congress Party, New Delhi central office", said the NCP Chief. The NCP suffered a split after the party's working president, Ajit Pawar, along with some of his supporter MLAs joined the Maharashtra government. Also, Pawar, along with 8 MLAs, took oath as ministers in the state cabinet. (ANI) During the Pre-Embarkation Security Check (PESC) at the Security Hold Area (SHA) at Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International (CSMI) Airport, the CISF personnel noticed a suspicious image of currency notes inside a handbag of a passenger, according to a press statement. The Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) personnel immediately stopped the conveyor belt and took the bag for a thorough physical check. The passenger was later identified as Palekar Liyakat Abdulla who was supposed to travel from Mumbai to Dubai on Emirates Airlines Flight. On physical checking of the bag, 14,22,500 Dirham worth approximately Rs 3 Crore was found. On inquiry, the passenger could not produce any valid document for carrying such an amount of foreign currency. After that, the said passenger and the recovered high volume of foreign currency worth approximately Rs 3 Crore were handed over to Custom Officials for further action. Earlier on Saturday, Mumbai Airport Customs seized narcotics worth Rs 12.98 crore weighing about 1.3 kilograms from a foreign national, said the officials on Monday. According to Customs, the contraband was concealed in a false cavity of a duffle bag. The passenger was arrested and the matter is being investigated, added the Customs officials. "We have arrested the passenger and further investigation is ongoing," they said. (ANI) Delhi Police on Tuesday filed two supplementary charge sheets in a Delhi court in two cases against former Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) Councillor Tahir Hussain and other accused persons. These supplementary chargesheets have been filed in view of the query raised by the court regarding the time and date of incidents in two cases of riots in February 2020. These two cases pertain to the police station Dayal Pur in North East Delhi. One chargesheet is connected with the incident at Royal Mattress. The supplementary chargesheets have been filed with supplementary statements in one case and an amended site plan in another case. Two reports have also been filed by the Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP-North East). Additional Sessions Judge (ASJ) Pulastya Pramachala of Karkardooma Court took on the record the supplementary chargesheets and report received from the DCP. The court directed to supply a copy of the supplementary chargesheet to the accused persons. The matters have been listed for hearing submissions of the Prosecution on the stand taken in the supplementary chargesheets. The court noted in the matter of Royal Mattress, " In order to clarify the questions raised by this court, one supplementary chargesheet along with a supplementary statement ofIrshad Ali, Dilshad Ali and Shyam Bihari Mittal, also filed." "Copy of supplementary chargesheet be supplied to the accused persons. Now to come up for submission, if any, on the point of charge, on the basis of the clarificatory stand taken by the prosecution on July 25, 2023," ASJ Pramachala ordered on Tuesday. Additional submissions/synopsis has been also filed by the Special PP Madhukar Pandey in pursuance to the direction given on the last date, the court noted. On March 20, 2023, the court raised queries to point out a concrete description of the time and date of each alleged incident that took place at Royal Mattress. Besides that, the court had also directed to file particulars of the time, place and date of other incidents probed in this case. On perusal of the additional synopsis filed the judge had said, I find that even in this synopsis there is no mention of the time of both the incidents allegedly taken place at Royal Mattress. It mentions the time of one incident at 3 pm on February 24, 2020, when allegedly this shop namely Royal Mattress was set on fire, the court had noted. In the concluding part of submission, it is mentioned that this shop was first looted by a mob of Hindus, but time of that incident is not mentioned, though a reference of the viral video has been made in this submission, the court had said. "The query raised by this court on 20.03.2023, thus, remains incompletely answered," the judge had said. ASJ Pramachala had said, "I also find that reference given in this submission in respect of supporting evidence of the time of 3 pm, is not pointing out to the correct evidence because the complaint of Irshad Ali shows that he was not the eyewitness of the incident." Thus, his complaint cannot be the relevant piece of evidence to show the aforesaid timing of 3 pm, regarding arson at this shop, the judge pointed out. The judge expressed his displeasure and said, "Thus, in a nutshell, despite having more than sufficient time period from March 20, 2023, till this date, the prosecution did not come up with the correct answer and correct description of evidence before the court. This is a very unfortunate scenario. The court had granted the last opportunity to the Special PP and said that this would be the last opportunity for the prosecution to come up with a right answer with reference to the correct description of evidence and the court does not mind if the relevant portion of the statement of relevant witness is quoted in the additional submission. The court had also sought the attention of the DCP and said, "Keeping in view the inaction on the part of prosecution despite giving so much of time in hand, I find it expedient to seek the attention of learned DCP (N/E) also, to ensure that job is completely done up to next date. A copy of the order is sent to DCP (N/E)." In this case, as per the case prosecution incident had taken place at Royal Mattress more than once and apart from that, there is a reference to two more complaints. Accordingly, Investigation Officer/prosecution shall file a concrete description of the time and date of each incident taking place at Royal Mattress, as the court had directed. They shall also file such particulars of time, place and date of other incidents being prosecuted in this case, with reference to relevant pieces of evidence, the court had further directed. In another case, Delhi police has filed a supplementary chargesheet along with an amended site plan. In this case, also the Court had raised a query to provide a concrete description of the time as well, apart from the date and place of each alleged incident and to submit synopsis with reference to the relevant pieces of evidence. However, the synopsis does not provide a time of all the incidents probed in this case, e.g. incident related to Khalil etc, the court had noted. (ANI) Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel on Tuesday chaired a high-level meeting at his residence to review the preparations for the upcoming visit of Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Raipur. "Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel called a high-level meeting at his residence office on Tuesday, focusing on the Prime Minister's upcoming visit to Raipur. The agenda of the meeting included a thorough review of preparations and an emphasis on the importance of robust security measures," an official statement said. State Chief Secretary Amitabh Jain, Director General of Police Ashok Juneja, and Additional Chief Secretary Subrat Sahoo attended the high-level meeting. In this regard, Chhattisgarh Police said that elaborate security arrangements have been made for the daylong visit of PM Modi scheduled on July 7. "For security and to ensure smooth vehicular movement, around 1500 Police personnel will be deployed. ADG rank officer is in charge of this arrangement. Moreover, several officials are being deployed. Separate entry points are being placed for most VIPs, VVIPs and others. Around 50 entry points are being developed for the common people," Additional SP DC Patel said. "Since the programme venue is near GE Road, traffic will be diverted to prevent traffic snarl. Around 1.50 lakh people are expected to come for the programme. Several spots have been identified for the accommodation of vehicles," he added. According to Government sources, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will undertake a tour of four states namely Chhattisgarh, Uttar Pradesh, Telangana and Rajasthan from Friday. On July 7, PM Modi will travel from Delhi to Raipur, where he will lay the foundation stone and dedicate multiple projects. These include foundation stones for various six-lane sections of the Raipur Vishakhapatnam corridor. Thereafter, he will attend a public meeting. (ANI) The Taliban has in a new verbal decree, banned women's beauty salons in Kabul and other provinces across the country, a spokesman for Taliban Ministry of Vice and Virtue, Mohammad Akif Mahajar, told TOLO News. TOLO News is an Afghan news channel broadcasting from Kabul. The Taliban Ministry of Vice and Virtue also ordered the Kabul municipality to bring the new decree of the Taliban leader into effect and cancel the licenses of women's beauty salons. "The men are jobless. When men cannot take care of their families, the women are forced to work in a beauty salon to find a loaf of bread. If they are banned there, what can we do?" said Raihan Mubariz, a makeup artist, as per TOLO News. "We will not get out of the home if men (of the family) have jobs. What can we do? We should starve to death, what should we do? You want us to die," said a makeup artist. This comes as the Islamic Emirate has banned girls and women from going to schools, universities and working at NGOs as well as going to public areas such as parks, cinemas and other recreation areas. Kabul resident Abdul Khabir said: "The government should make a framework for it. The framework should be in a way that neither Islam would be damaged nor the country." The imposition of restrictions on Afghan girls and women by the Taliban has sparked reactions at both the national and international levels. (ANI) The fund set up by former adviser to the French far-right politician Marine Le Pen, Jean Messiha, raised 963,000 euros (USD 1.05m) on Monday. The accused officer was on June 27 filmed shooting into a car being driven by Nahel M, a 17-year-old of North African descent. The shot killed the teenager and has led to days of unrest across France, as anger rages over the incident. Nahel's grandmother, Nadia, was recently asked about the crowdfunding campaign, and she replied: "My heart aches." The boy's death has renewed debates on France's long and troubled history with its ethnic minority populations, and allegations of police brutality. Messiha's collection drive was condemned by centrist and left-wing politicians. Eric Bothorel, from the En Marche party of President Emmanuel Macron, wrote on Twitter: "Jean Messiha blows on the embers. It is a generator of riots. The pot of several hundred thousand euros for the police officer indicted in the homicide of young Nahel is indecent and scandalous," as per Al Jazeera. "You maintain an already gaping fracture by participating in support of a police officer indicted for intentional homicide. Close!" Some called out the hypocrisy of the pot still taking donations. (ANI) Housing has been given extensive attention over the past few years with much of it prompted by the availability for individuals and families moving into West Kelowna. Densification is used to describe additions or new builds on limited land availability in the city to accommodate this increase in population. In-law suites, carriage houses, multiplex units to apartment buildings have all been suggested in the new Official Community Plan (OCP), now in the final stages of completion. The direction for many cities to take is to use each section of land to its highest efficiency for this densification, but at what cost? Many community associations have indicated concern to city council about the sudden transition from single-family homes to these higher density options that the city is proposing in the OCP. Building heights have also been brought to the attention of city staff and council and the citys ability to service these proposed apartment heights in an emergency situation. National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) 1710 indicates 43 fire personnel are required to safely fight a high-rise (seven stories or more) fire. Those NFPA standards are derived with input from a large variety of occupations in over 80 countries. They are regularly updated to accommodate new fire codes, technology and fire tactics from these information sources. High-rise firefighting is a much different beast than your standard household or warehouse fire. To accomplish this task, an internal approach is required, which carries a greater risk for both firefighters and residents because of its compartmentalization, density, height and smoke migration. The 43 firefighters needed to carry out the numerous tasks successfully and safely mitigate the emergency have been discounted by many cities and emergency administrators as they have very limited knowledge and experience in high-rise fires. A common defence many administrators use to justify having no need for the required resources and personnel is these new buildings have sprinkler systems throughout the building to suppress the fire at its source. The number one cause of fires in Canada, and most other countries, is cooking with grease. Most people know not to put water on a grease fire as it will accelerate a reaction and spread the fire. If you have propane or natural gas appliances you also dont use water as your control agent. Another problem limiting the effectiveness of sprinkler systems from my experience, is that on many occasions the sprinkler system has been blocked by materials within the apartment such as over-sized furniture, hoarding, etc. However, one of the most threatening concerns of an apartment fire is smoke migration as 80% of all fire deaths come from the toxic fumes of the fire itself. Synthetics, glues and oil-based materials in every common household have not only increased the intensity of the fire but have also increased the rapid spread and toxicity of the smoke within the complex. Large density high-rise apartments demand swift fire knockdown, swift evacuation and the toxic fumes controlled; hence the need and requirement of 43 firefighters. Another misconception city administrators have brought forward to support building high-rises with a lack of personnel is the use of mutual aid agreements. West Kelowna Fire and Rescue has eight suppression firefighters on shift at any one time. They may get four to eight firefighters from neighbouring municipalities so as not to drain their services, which is still a far cry from the required number of firefighters. West Kelowna has a limited contingent of paid on-call firefighters at any one emergency and cannot fulfill the NFPA 1710 requirements. NFPA 1710 also requires the firefighter contingent to be on scene within a 610 seconds time period (10.16 minutes). This is because of the rapid growth of a fire and extensive smoke migration throughout a high-rise complex. With just low-rise to mid-rise apartments, West Kelowna Fire and Rescue will need to rely on mutual-aid and their paid on-call members. In the incident report on the 2006 Landmark II, (11 storey, empty commercial office building) roof fire in Kelowna, assistant chief Lou Wilde wrote: It also took 45 members to support the actual fire fight. A fire of this intensity on the fifth floor would have been another ball game entirely. We would have required 100-plus people and it likely would have involved mutual-aid companies. Imagine if it was an apartment building and full of people. I have been involved in more than 60 high-rise fires in my career (s a firefighter) in Toronto and our success with mitigation and limited human casualties in high-rise fires is directly attributed to the requirements of NFPA 1710. My absolute recommendation for the new OCP is not to entertain high-rise complexes. Our city cannot service these occupancies safely and effectively for either residents or firefighters. John Martin The film, directed by Greta Gerwig, was set to hit theatres in Vietnam on July 21, aligning with its big-screen release in most countries around the world. Vietnam state media, however, announced that the movie will not be released due to a scene that includes a map using the "nine-dash line", a set of line segments that represent China's territorial claims in the South China Sea, which Vietnam claims violates its sovereignty. "We do not grant license for the American movie 'Barbie' to release in Vietnam because it contains the offending image of the nine-dash line," said Vietnam state-run Tuoi Tre newspaper citing the head Department of Cinema Vi Kien Thanh. Vi Kien Thanh said the decision was decided by Vietnam's National Film Evaluation Council. The U-shaped line, which was first seen on maps in 1947, includes parts that Vietnam sees as its continental shelf, where it has awarded oil concessions. As per New York Post, the line is highly controversial as many of China's neighbours, including Taiwan, the Philippines, Brunei, Malaysia and Vietnam, have competing and overlapping territorial claims, and the Chinese territory is contested. "Barbie" isn't the first film to face problems with its release in Vietnam over the "nine-dash line" dispute. In 2019, DreamWorks' "Abominable" was banned for the same reason, while Sony's "Unchartered" was blocked last year. TV series "Put Your Head On My Shoulder" and "Madam Secretary" was told to delete certain scenes containing the map in 2020, and Netflix had to remove the Australian spy drama "Pine Gap" from streaming in Vietnam in 2021, as per New York Post. (ANI) Global Human Rights Defence, a leading human rights organization, hosted a conference titled "The Forgotten Genocide Bangladesh 1971" at the European Union headquarters in Belgium's Brussels on July 3. The speakers urged the international community to actively campaign for the recognition of the genocide in Bangladesh. The event aimed to shed light on and seek justice for the victims of the 1971 Bangladesh genocide, Global Human Rights Defence said in a press release. The Conference, organized by Global Human Rights Defence and presided over by Member of European Parliament Mel Fulvio Martusciello, brought together 65 participants, including speakers from various fields, all united in their commitment to seeking recognition for the victims of the 1971 Bangladesh genocide. Global Human Rights Defence and the esteemed speakers called on the international community to take action. They urged them to actively campaign for the recognition of atrocities conducted by the Pakistani army during the Liberation War of Bangladesh in 1971 and recognise it as genocide. They also seek a public apology and trial at the International Criminal Court (ICC) to hold those responsible accountable for their actions. In her opening remarks, Manel Msalmi, International Affairs Advisor and moderator of the Conference, emphasized the severity of the 1971 atrocities, which have yet to receive the global recognition they deserve. For more than 50 years, the Bengali people have been deprived of the healing and closure they desperately need. Member of European Parliament Isabella Adinolfi expressed gratitude to all participants and showed solidarity with the families of the victims and survivors of the 1971 genocide. She also highlighted the violence and persecution that women went through, emphasizing the need for recognition by EU institutions. While concluding her address, Isabella Adinolfi conveyed Martusciello's message: "It's time for the EU to recognize what happened in Bangladesh as a crime against humanity, more than 50 years after the nation was plunged into blood and tyranny," according to Global Human Rights Defence's press release. The event featured prominent speakers, including Sradhanand Sital, Chairman of Global Human Rights Defence; Willy Fautre, Director of Human Rights without Frontiers, Andy Vermaut, President of Postversa, Giuliana Franciosa, Isabella Adinoilfi MEP; Mahbub Sales, the Ambassador of Bangladesh in Belgium and Paul Manik, a survivor who managed to escape the genocide in 1971. Bangladesh's Ambassador to Belgium Mahbub Hassan Saleh commended the Conference's efforts to shed light on the atrocities committed by the Pakistani Army during the 1971 Bangladesh genocide, according to the press release. He reiterated the staggering scale of the tragedy, with approximately 3 million Bengalis killed, over 2 million Bengali women raped, and 30 million Bengalis displaced. Despite some recognition of the events, the genocide remains largely unknown in the international community. The event also included a partial screening of Global Human Rights Defence's documentary film titled "Bangladesh: What Happened?" This comprehensive account of the genocide in 1971 by the Pakistani Army served to further illustrate the gravity of the situation. (ANI) The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) has summoned former Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan and his wife Bushra Bibi in the cases regarding Toshakhana and National Crime Agency (NCA) 190 million scandal, Pakistan-based ARY News reported. The NAB has summoned Khan in connection with the probe into the Toshakhana case. Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chairman has been asked to bring records of all the state gifts, ARY News reported. As per the NAB notice, Imran Khan has received 108 gifts from Toshakhana. While the NAB has summoned Bushra Bibi in the NCA scandal case. She has been asked to bring the Al-Qadir Trust agreement, according to ARY News report. Imran Khan and Bushra Bibi have given written assurances to the anti-corruption watchdog for their appearances. Previously, the PTI chairman and Bushra Bibi did not appear before the NAB. The NAB had started a probe against Imran Khan, Bushra Bibi and others for the alleged gain of hundreds of canals of land in the Al Qadir University Trust, which reportedly resulted in the national exchequer facing a loss of 190 million, ARY News reported. Imran Khan and others have been accused of allegedly adjusting 190 million at the time sent by UK's National Crime Agency (NCA) to the government, the report said. In 2019, PTI chairman had registered Trust for Al-Qadir University project. Meanwhile, Imran Khan on Sunday alleged that the administration has "made a plan" to put him in jail and the whole episode that transpired over his arrest was "pre-planned". In his virtual address, Khan also denied any wrongdoing in all corruption cases registered against him. "I want the nation to know how a plan has been made to arrest me on the basis of false and baseless cases. A lawyer is killed in Quetta and without any investigation and proof. Shahbaz Sharif's advisor comes on TV on the same day and says that the murder was done by Imran Khan and later the video of the same lawyer's widow showed who did it," the former Pakistan PM said. "This is not politics...this is jihad. We are all slaves, " he added. On May 9, Imran Khan was arrested from inside the High Court in Islamabad by National Accountability Bureau (NAB) on the charges of corruption in connection with the Al-Qadir Trust. After Imran Khan's arrest, his party called for demonstrations, which turned violent at many places. (ANI) External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Tuesday wished people and the government of the United States of America on their Independence Day. He noted that Prime Minister Narendra Modi's recent visit to the US has opened new domains for taking forward Comprehensive Global and Strategic Partnership between the two nations. Jaishankar also extended greetings to US Secretary of State Antony Blinken. Taking to his official Twitter handle, Jaishankar stated, "Warm greetings to @SecBlinken and the Government & people of the United States of America on their Independence Day. Prime Minister @narendramodi's landmark visit has opened many new domains for taking our Comprehensive Global and Strategic Partnership forward." The US Independence Day is celebrated on July 4. The decleration of Independence was adopted on July 4 in 1776. People across the US celebrate America's Independence Day with fireworks. Earlier in June, PM Narendra Modi travelled to the US for a four-day State visit. During his US visit, Prime Minister Narendra Modi attended various events and met top Indian and American CEOs. He received a ceremonial welcome and guard of honour at the White House upon his arrival. US President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden hosted PM Modi for a state dinner at the White House. He was also hosted for a State Luncheon by the US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and US Vice President Kamala Harris. During his visit, PM Modi interacted with the Indian diaspora at the Ronald Reagan Building and compared the meeting with a "sweet dish" at his farewell address. He also addressed the US-India Strategic partnership forum (USISPF) in Washington DC. He said that American companies in the last two years have invested around USD 16 billion in India. Notably, the relations between India and the US have developed into a "global strategic partnership", based on shared democratic values and increasing convergence of interests on bilateral, regional and global issues. Regular exchange of high-level political visits has provided momentum to bilateral cooperation between India and US. According to the Ministry of External Affairs, the bilateral cooperation between India and the US is broad-based and multi-sectoral, covering trade and investment, defence and security, education, science and technology, cyber security, high-technology, civil nuclear energy, space technology and applications, clean energy, environment, agriculture and health. (ANI) Iran, one of India's neighbours in its extended neighbourhood, has formally become a full member of Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO). Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who on Tuesday chaired the SCO Summit virtually, said Iran is going to join as new member of the organization and also welcomed the signing of the Memorandum of Obligation for the SCO membership of Belarus. "I am happy that today Iran is going to join the SCO family as a new member. For this, I convey my best wishes to President Ebrahim Raisi and the people of Iran. Also, we welcome the signing of the memorandum of obligation for Belarus' SCO membership," PM Modi said at the summit. Iran originally requested to join the alliance 15 years ago. SCO follows a rigorous process of admission. In 2021, Iran's Foreign Ministry announced that they had joined the SCO as the ninth member. "The Islamic Republic of Iran becomes 9th member of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation. At the end of the 21st Summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO), held in the Tajik capital Dushanbe, the leaders of the eight main members of the organisation agreed to change the membership of the Islamic Republic of Iran from an observer member to a full member and signed the relevant documents," the ministry said in a release. Earlier, in May, an official said that the observer countries of the SCO, Iran and Belarus could soon become full-time members of the charter as the decision is under consideration as of now. In his virtual address at the 23rd Summit of the SCO Council of Heads of State, PM Modi also stated that several new platforms such as the Young Scientist Conclave, Authors Conclave, Startup Forum, and Youth Council have been organized to harness the talent of the youth from SCO countries. "Over the past two decades, the SCO has emerged as an important platform for peace, prosperity and development in the entire Eurasia region. India's thousands of years old cultural and people-to-people ties with this region are living testimony to our shared heritage," he said. PM Modi chaired the SCO meeting virtually. Russian President Vladimir Putin, Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Chinese President Xi Jinping, Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi, Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko, Kazakhstan President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev and other leaders virtually participated in the SCO meeting. PM Modi said that India has made efforts to take its multi-faceted cooperation with SCO to new heights. "We do not only see the SCO (Shanghai Cooperation Organisation) as an extended neighbourhood, but rather as an extended family. As Chair of the SCO, India has made efforts to take our multi-faceted cooperation to new heights," PM Modi said. PM Modi noted that security, economic development, connectivity, unity, respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity and environmental protection are pillars of India's vision for SCO. (ANI) Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday placed significant emphasis on the importance of connectivity for the advancement of member states within the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO). PM Modi, in an apparent dig at Pakistan and China, called on member states of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) to maintain respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity while pursuing connectivity initiatives. "Strong connectivity is crucial for the progress of any region. Better connectivity not only enhances mutual trade but also fosters mutual trust. However, in these efforts, it is essential to uphold the basic principles of the SCO charter, particularly respecting the sovereignty and regional integrity of the Member States," PM said while chairing the SCO summit. Notably, the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit concluded on Tuesday under India's presidency with Prime Minister Narendra Modi virtually chairing the meeting of head of states. As Iran has now become full member of SCO today, PM Modi stressed that enhancing connectivity is of paramount importance for the development of any region. PM Modi said, "Following Iran's membership in the SCO, we can work towards maximizing the utilization of the Chabahar Port." "The International North-South Transport Corridor can serve as a secure and efficient route for landlocked countries in Central Asia to access the Indian Ocean. We should strive to realize its full potential," he added. While briefing media, Foreign Secretary Vinay Kwatra on Tuesday said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi emphasized the significance of connectivity for the progress and development of member states. In doing so, he also made it clear that while pursuing connectivity initiatives, it is essential to uphold the principles of respecting sovereignty and territorial integrity. "Prime Minister clearly said in his remarks that connectivity is important for SCO members states. But connectivity has to be respectful of sovereignty and territorial integrity. India's position on the BRI has been clear," Kwatra said when asked about any message to Pakistan or China on the issue of BRI and CPEC. After SCO Summit, Foreign Secretary Vinay Kwatra in a special briefing said, "Iran is now a member. Belarus is set to become a full member by 2024. As of now, there are 14 other dialogue partners in SCO. There are also three observers. To our understanding, there are no more pending requests from members to become full SCO members as of now." PM Modi called on member states of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) to not hesitate to condemn countries that use cross-border terrorism as 'policy instruments' and shelter terrorists. "Some countries use cross-border terrorism as an instrument of their policies and give shelter to terrorists," Prime Minister Modi said adding that the SCO should not hesitate to criticise such countries and "there should be no double standards on terrorism." Speaking on the PM Modi's call for cooperation against terrorism, the Foreign Secretary said that the SCO charter talks about cooperation against terrorism and modalities to fight the challenge. "The priority among the SCO member states to fight against the menace of terrorism is actually clearly spelled out in the Article 1 of the SCO Charter, which talks of the need for the SCO countries to come together to correct problems of terrorism, separatism and extremism," he said. Kwatra added, "The Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure (RATS) that is located in Tashkent, was essentially built to meet this charter objective of SCO. That is a forum that brings together the countries of the forum. What should be the modalities of SCO member states to fight this challenge, whether that is information exchange on specifics of terrorism, extremism and separatist problem, sharing assessments among the member states. And how exactly the SCO member states strengthen cooperation to fight these challenges". (ANI) Uzbekistan President Shavkat Mirziyoyev on Tuesday emphasized the need to address the root causes of the growth of terrorism in the world while referring to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's speech during the summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) in which PM Modi had spoken about some countries using cross-border terrorism as an instrument of their policies. In his speech at the summit held virtually, Shavkat Mirziyoyev addressed important issues related to long-term sustainable development in the SCO region, for increasing inter-regional trade, the Green Agenda and cooperation in the sphere of tourism among others. Speaking about the vast economic opportunities in the SCO region, he pointed out that the member countries account for approximately one-third of the global GDP, about 27 percent of foreign direct investments, and up to 20 percent of global trade. "In this context, the initiative to establish a common space for increasing inter-regional trade and industrial-technological cooperation has never been more relevant," he said. "I propose to instruct our governments and agencies to work out the issue of adopting the SCO New Economic Dialogue Program, covering such areas as, innovative development, digitalization and robotics, artificial intelligence, biotechnology, pharmaceuticals, and other industries of the future," he added. According to Uzbekistan embassy release, President Mirziyoyev echoed the sentiments of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, when he spoke about the need "to step up the activities of the SCO Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure (RATS)." PM Modi, who chaired the SCO summit, during his speech had spoken about some countries using cross-border terrorism as an instrument of their policy. PM Modi said, "We have to fight together against terrorism that may be in any form and any manifestation." Taking further his vision to tackle terrorism in the regional and a global level, President Mirziyoyev said that Uzbekistan considers it necessary to speed up the preparation and adoption of major multilateral documents such as the Convention on Cooperation against Cybercrime and the Joint Programme to Combat Extremist Ideology. He emphasized the need to accelerate the adoption of these important multilateral instruments and addressing the root causes of the growth of terrorism in the world. "The practical implementation of these documents should become an adequate response to the challenges of radicalization and neutralize the attempts of destructive forces to spread their ideology, especially among the youth," he said. The President highlighted Uzbekistan's "principled position on the central role of the United Nations in the settlement of disputes and conflicts, in the search and adoption of compromise solutions in order to ensure peace and stability." According to Uzbekistan embassy release, President Mirziyoyev pointed out that "unfortunately" in recent years, there are no significant movements and expected effectiveness in a number of directions of interaction within the SCO. "The implementation of some initiatives and documents remains, as they say, on paper. Our working bodies are bogged down in lengthy negotiations and approval procedures," he said. President Mirziyoyev, while highlighting the issues of the Green Agenda, spoke about the need for closer coordination and practical cooperation within the SCO on issues such as adaptation to climate change, decarbonization and implementation of clean technologies and the development of smart agriculture and water conservation. Going further, he proposed to develop a joint action plan to support regional environmental projects and the introduction of "green" technologies as part of the Green Belt Programme. To promote tourism in the SCO region, he proposed a joint scientific-practical conference on the development of tourism industry of the SCO as part of the anniversary session of the General Assembly of the World Tourism Organization in October this year. (ANI) In his address at the Shanghai Cooperation (SCO) meeting on Tuesday, Chinese President Xi Jinping reiterated Beijing's stand of enhancing Belt and Road cooperation. He was virtually addressing the SCO meeting of heads of state and talked about "high-quality Belt and Road cooperation" with development strategies of various countries and regional cooperation initiatives, state news agency Xinhua reported. Xinhua News Agency, or New China News Agency, is the official news agency of the People's Republic of China. Addressing the 23rd SCO summit, Xi Jinping said, "Efforts should be made to further promote trade and investment liberalization and facilitation, speed up the development of port infrastructure and regional and international logistic corridors, and ensure stable and smooth functioning of regional industrial and supply chains". "Ten years ago, I proposed the Belt and Road Initiative, and on its tenth anniversary, China will hold the third Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation," Xinhua quoted Xi as saying. However, India has said that although connectivity is very important, sovereignty and territorial integrity of all the countries should be respected. "Prime Minister clearly said in his remarks that connectivity is important for SCO member states. But connectivity has to be respectful of sovereignty and territorial integrity. India's position on the BRI has been clear," Foreign Secretary Vinay Kwatra said while addressing the briefing of the Ministry of External Affairs on Tuesday. PM Modi, in an apparent dig at Pakistan and China, called on member states of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) to maintain respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity while pursuing connectivity initiatives. "Strong connectivity is crucial for the progress of any region. Better connectivity not only enhances mutual trade but also fosters mutual trust. However, in these efforts, it is essential to uphold the basic principles of the SCO charter, particularly respecting the sovereignty and regional integrity of the Member States," PM said while chairing the SCO summit. The SCO summit, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, concluded with the virtual participation of the heads of state from all SCO nations. India assumed the rotating chairmanship of the SCO at the Samarkand Summit of SCO on September 16 last year. The theme of India's Chairmanship of SCO in 2023 is 'SECURE-SCO'. (ANI) In his address at the summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) which was held in a virtual format on Tuesday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that Afghan soil should not be allowed to be used to destabilise its neighbourhood. Speaking at the SCO heads of the summit meeting, PM Modi said that humanitarian assistance and setting up an elected government in Kabul are major priorities of the SCO. "The situation in Afghanistan has directly affected the security of the region. India's concerns and aspirations for Afghanistan are at par with other SCO countries. We will have to collectively work for the welfare of the Afghan people. Humanitarian assistance to Afghan citizens, forming an elected and inclusive government, fighting against drug trafficking and terrorism, and ensuring the rights of women, children and minorities- these all are our shared priorities," he said. Referring to age-old ties that India and Afghanistan share, PM Modi added, "Over the last two decades, India has contributed to the economic and social development of Afghanistan. We have continued to send assistance even after the 2021 episode. It is important that the Afghan soil should not be used to spread instability in neighbouring countries or to encourage extremist ideologies." PM Modi also noted that security, economic development, connectivity, unity, respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity and environmental protection are pillars of India's vision for SCO. Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, China's President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin among others participated in the summit. India joined the SCO in 2005 as an observer country and became a full member of the group at the Astana Summit in 2017. At the SCO Summit in Samarkand in September 2022, India took over the chairmanship of the SCO for the first time from Uzbekistan. (ANI) NASCARs first-ever street race came to Chicago and brought with it a tumultuous weekend filled with ups and downs. A man died by electrocution while setting up the event. Three of the five concerts and one of the two races were never completed. The main event was truncated, drivers crashed more than normal due to tight turns, and fans complained about poor communication on weather updates. And yet, in the end, visitors packed the stands and swarmed Michigan Avenue to get a glimpse of a heart-pounding event underneath a light pink Chicago summer sky on a historic night. Advertisement Perhaps the biggest success story from the past weekend came in the form of a controversial piece of metal that no one can see, has caused headaches in the car racing industry and most fans have no idea exists. Meet the muffler, the new bad boy of NASCAR. Advertisement For races on oval tracks in nonurban environments, technicians optimize for speed, throwing noise concerns to the wind and limiting every unnecessary ounce from their chariots. But as NASCAR tries to reach new audiences through street races like the one this past weekend in Chicago, noise has become exceedingly important. The sound output that can reach 130 dBA close to the tracks just wont do. The Tribune even spoke with an independent bookstore on South Michigan Avenue that cited noise as a reason for closing its store on an otherwise busy weekend. A part of one of the newly mandated mufflers rests next to the No. 14 car of Chase Briscoe during preparation for the NASCAR Chicago Street Race on July 1, 2023. (Peter Tsai/Chicago Tribune) For the Chicago street race, NASCAR worked to assuage noise concerns from local businesses and nearby residents by mandating that all cars be fitted with mufflers to reduce sound emissions. Mufflers were first used in a NASCAR Cup Series at the Busch Light Clash at the Coliseum in Los Angeles in February. Its been a big, tremendous amount of work, said Michael Kelley, who is the crew chief for the No. 47 Chevrolet Camaro driven by Ricky Stenhouse Jr. in the NASCAR Cup Series. In the long run, its probably the right thing to do. Kelley said NASCAR asked muffler manufacturers to develop and install a muffler that would knock 10 decibels off the sound emissions for urban races like the ones in Los Angeles and Chicago. The difficulty was in trying to figure out how to fit a large chunk of metal underneath an already compact car that is sealed in the bottom to increase aerodynamics. They achieved the 10-decibel drop at the cost of losing 10 to 12 horsepower. Do I think its perfect? No, Kelley said. Were trying to respect and handle the decibel side, but you also have 230-degree exhaust temperatures right underneath the driver now. During the race, the Tribune visited businesses in the Loop and areas around the track with a decibel reader to detect whether the sound pervaded businesses and affected people who were visiting the area. [ Excited fans brave downpours to witness NASCAR Chicago Street Race: Ive got to see it; might not be back next year ] [ NASCAR Chicago Street Race: How the inaugural event unfolded, from course design to finish line ] At 6:55 p.m. Sunday, a little more than an hour into the race, a family ate deep-dish pizza at Fontanos Sub and Italian Cafe outside on the corner of Michigan Avenue and Van Buren Street. Across Michigan, cars raced by at 120 mph. The decibel levels maxed out at 101 dBA, which stands for decibels A, a calculation system that is used to quantify the sounds that register to the human ear. Advertisement A level of 101 dBA resembles the sound of an approaching subway train, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Hearing loss is possible after 15 minutes of sounds at this level. For the people outside, though, during the 90 seconds in which the cars stormed by, they wore gleeful smiles and strained their necks to see the track rather than covering their ears. During the course of the evening, the closest place for nonpaying viewers on Michigan averaged around 97 dBA when cars drove by, aided in part by the fact the cars had to slow to take the bend at Congress Plaza. For comparison, during a concert featuring the Chicago native JC Brooks Band, the front row achieved a 96 dBA considered relatively low for a concert in part because the performance was before an incredibly small crowd. Hearing experts say concerts like Lollapalooza can reach 115 dBA. On Michigan, the tourists who werent tearing at the black canvas that blocked views of the race walked briskly into the Loop to avoid the commotion. But for others, the sound is a big part of NASCARs appeal. Ryan Blaney's No. 12 car negotiates a turn onto Michigan Avenue during the NASCAR Cup Series race at Grant Park on July 2, 2023. (Eileen T. Meslar/Chicago Tribune) When I get in the stands and I hear the cars go, it gives me goose bumps, said Kathy MacLeod from Ann Arbor, Michigan, who enjoyed a hot dog in one of the dining tents by the track. So many memories of growing up and going from track to track. Im so excited. NASCARs traditional oval track races tend to reach noise levels in the 120s and 130s, which is similar to standing directly next to a siren. This can cause damage to the ear very quickly. Advertisement Chicagos street race was much quieter, partially because of the mufflers. But conditions also contributed, including the wet ground and tight turns that accompany most street races as they fit within the confines of city streets. Cars slow significantly on these tight turns, which reduces noise. [ Column: NASCAR brings out new fans in Chicago, from a cultural exchange at South Side museum to jumping over puddles at Grant Park ] Additionally, the narrow streets mean fewer cars can run abreast, which leads to fewer loud cars revving all at once and, instead, prolonged periods of lower sounds. Inside Millers Pub on Wabash Avenue, diners would have had no idea there was a NASCAR race two blocks away if it wasnt for a majority of the screens replaying the most recent crash. Even if we couldnt see anything, I just wanted to hear it, kind of feel it, that roar feel those fully loaded beasts, Gil Pena of Berwyn said while cleaning his plate. Hearing that reeeaaarrr, thats all I wanted. Brandon Eggers, right, adjusts earphones on Reagan Eggers underneath the Paddock Club bridge along Columbus Drive while the NASCAR Cup Series is delayed due to rain in Grant Park on July 2, 2023. (Eileen T. Meslar/Chicago Tribune) Fans along South Michigan Avenue try to catch a glimpse of the action as the NASCAR Cup Series race gets underway on July 2, 2023, in Grant Park. (Brian Cassella/Chicago Tribune) The restaurant stayed about 72 dBA around 7:20 p.m. Sunday. The loudest it got was 78, which came when fans whooped and hollered while they watched a multicar pileup. The cars could not be heard inside the restaurant, drowned out by the customers and the music. Outside Millers, the cars could be heard making the turn just in front of the Art Institute, bringing the sound to a 76, moderately above the normal traffic and occasional honking that triggered a 71 dBA. The decibel reader jumped when an ambulance drove by with its sirens on, registering a 98. Advertisement Without the mufflers, the city would have experienced more disruption, according to NASCAR, the muffler manufacturers and medical professionals who say a 10 dBA increase is significantly more irritating and even dangerous. On the steps of Art Institute, the noise of the cars turning was 96 dBA. This level can cause hearing damage after 50 minutes, while 10 more decibels could cause hearing damage in less than five minutes. The cars sounded the loudest at the green flag at the start and finish, when all 40 cars were full blast on the straightaway. The sounds registered around a 112, a decibel level that can cause hearing loss in less than two minutes. One aspect of the race that appeared to be an oversight was that earplugs were not being passed out to attendees. Kelley, NASCAR spokespeople and other race statisticians estimated that roughly 80% of the people attending were new to the sport, so several vendors capitalized on the opportunity to sell earplugs to those who were unaware of how loud the race could get. [ NASCAR in Chicago was a commercial for the city, but is it worthy of a 2024 repeat? ] [ Rain-soaked NASCAR Chicago Street Race played well on national TV, averaging nearly 4.8 million viewers ] Directly above the racetrack was the Richardsonian Romanesque-style Fine Arts Building on Michigan Avenue between Van Buren Street and Ida B. Wells Drive. Inside, the Studebaker Theater was closed because of traffic issues caused by NASCAR, and the bookstore Exile in Bookville closed partially because of the noise. Here, the meter moved between 57 dBA and 66 dBA depending on where the cars were on the track. The first number is completely safe and is likened to a normal conversation, while the latter rating is similar to a washing machine that can make you feel annoyed, according to the CDC. Ten more decibels is similar to annoying city traffic. Advertisement Benjamin Clark owns LH Selman Ltd., a shop that sells glass paperweights on the second floor of the Fine Arts Building. He said the sound would have been annoying had they not planned for it and hosted an event at the same time to compete with the noise. His main concern was potential rattling of the glass products in their cases. After the race got underway, he said, his nerves calmed. Nothing shifted at all. And honestly when a bus goes by it can have a louder and larger vibration for us, he said. With his fan running and chatter from customers attending his event, his showroom was around 66 dBA while the cars passing by on the routes bend registered a 70. Still, residents said they were negatively affected by the race. Weve gotten complaints from residents who live around the park, said Leslie Recht, who is the president of the Grant Park Advisory Council. When weve raised these issues with Lollapalooza, with NASCAR, with other people, the problem is that there isnt an official decibel level being taken by some neutral governmental authority or some neutral entity. The Chicago noise ordinance which NASCAR was required to follow pursuant with its contract with the Chicago Park District has specific sound rules for individuals. Yet the contract states that the limits set forth in (the noise and vibration control ordinance within the Chicago municipal code) do not apply between the hours of 8:00 am and 10:00 pm to a person participating in a public assembly or special event ... provided that a permit has been issued. Advertisement The contract granted such a permit to NASCAR, and no cars drove outside the acceptable hours. The event wrapped well before the 10 p.m. mark, in large part because of the weather, which led to the cancellation of the nighttime concerts. The noise level is just one of the many concerns residents and businesses have with the event. Closed streets, the Grant Park takeover, the pushing of Taste of Chicago to September and questions about how much the city stands to gain all remain. But when it comes to noise, this past weekend confirmed the citys annual Air and Water Show is still public enemy No. 1. Manama [Bahrain], July 4 (ANI/WAM): The Ministry of Foreign Affairs expressed the Kingdom of Bahrain's strong condemnation of the Israeli attacks on the city of Jenin and its camp, which resulted in a number of deaths and injuries, according to the Bahrain News Agency. The Ministry called on the Israeli authorities to end military operations in the West Bank and stop acts of violence and escalation. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs affirmed the position of the Kingdom of Bahrain, which calls for the settlement of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, resuming the comprehensive peace process and establishing a Palestinian state with East Jerusalem as its capital, in accordance with the two-state solution, the principles of international law and the Arab Peace Initiative. (ANI/WAM) Around 5000 people wherein mostly Bengali's from India and Bangladesh participated in the three-day event. Different events were organized to deliver pro-homeland narratives. At the beginning of cultural event, Indian National Anthem was played at the main hall on July 1. A Torch rally and Mangal Shovajatra group walk from Broadwalk Corner to Jim Whelan Boardwalk Hall was organized on June 30. The event witnessed around 100 Indian/Bangladeshi participants displaying India-Bangladesh cultural ties. Another program was organized to Tribute to Pandit Birju Maharaj to show cultural diversity and richness of India on July 1. Moreover, a play "Wings of Fire" based on Autography of Dr APJ Abdul Kalam was also showcased on July 2. Videos were displayed on development and harmony in Jammu and Kashmir by the government and around 2000 peoples were present during the visual display. Furthermore, videos were also displayed on genocide and atrocities done by the Pakistan army during 1971. The visual display was attended by 2000 people. (ANI) External Affairs Minister (EAM), S Jaishankar will be on an official visit to Tanzania from July 5 to 8, informed the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) on Tuesday. "The EAM will first visit Zanzibar from July 5 to 6, where he will visit a water supply project funded by Government of India line of credit, call on top leadership and also attend a reception onboard Indian Naval Ship Trishul, which is visiting Tanzania," the MEA release said. "EAM will thereafter visit the Dar-es-Salaam city of Tanzania from July 7 to 8, where he will co-chair the 10th India-Tanzania Joint Commission Meeting with his counterpart and call on the country's top leadership, including several Cabinet rank Ministers," it added. During the visit, Jaishankar will meet with the members of the Parliamentary Friendship Group for India and inaugurate an India-Tanzania business meeting and will also be addressing the Indian diaspora and inaugurate the bust of Swami Vivekananda in Dar es Salaam. "India and Tanzania have traditionally enjoyed close and friendly relations. EAM's visit to Tanzania will further consolidate the bilateral relations between our two countries," the release concluded. The two countries also saw the second edition of the Joint Defence Cooperation Committee (JDCC) meeting between India and Tanzania, which was held in Arusha on June 28 and 29, earlier this year. In the JDDC meeting, the two sides discussed enhancing security in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR), the Ministry of Defence said in a statement. The Indian delegation, led by Joint Secretary Amitabh Prasad, included senior officials from the Ministry of Defence and the Armed Forces. The High Commissioner of India to Tanzania Binay S Pradhan also attended the meeting. During the meeting, the two sides discussed a wide range of opportunities for collaboration with a view to enhancing security in the Indian Ocean Region. India shares close, warm and friendly relations with Tanzania which is bolstered by robust capacity building and avenues for development partnership. The visit of the Indian delegation for the JDCC meeting is expected to further strengthen defence relations with Tanzania. (ANI) India has again opted out of supporting China's Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), becoming the only country in the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) refusing to endorse the project. The New Delhi Declaration after the conclusion of the summit, which took place on Tuesday under India's chairmanship, stated that Russia, Pakistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan reaffirmed their support to the BRI. The SCO summit concluded under India's presidency earlier in the day. Prime Minister Narendra Modi and heads of state of other SCO nations virtually took part in the event. According to the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), the Delhi Declaration stated, "Reaffirming their support for China's "Belt and Road Initiative" (BRI) initiative, the Republic of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyz Republic, Islamic Republic of Pakistan, Russian Federation, Republic of Tajikistan and Republic of Uzbekistan note the ongoing work to jointly implement this project, including efforts to link the construction of the Eurasian Economic Union and BRI." "They spoke in favour of implementing the Roadmap for gradual increase in the share of national currencies in mutual settlements by the interested Member States," the statement also said. India has earlier as well refused to support Xi Jinping's flagship programme for trade and connectivity. During the previous SCO meets as well, India has not changed its stance on the BRI and has become the country not to endorse the project. "The Member States intend to broaden and deepen cooperation for sustainable socio-economic development and to improve the well-being and living standards of the people in the SCO region," the SCO New Delhi Declaration said, adding, "They consider it important to ensure the implementation of the SCO Economic Development Strategy 2030 adopted by interested Member States, other joint programmes and projects aimed at promoting cooperation in such priority areas." Meanwhile, virtually addressing the SCO meeting of heads of state on Tuesday, Xi reiterated Beijing's stand of enhancing BRI and talked about "high-quality Belt and Road cooperation" with development strategies of various countries and regional cooperation initiatives, state news agency Xinhua reported. Addressing the 23rd SCO summit, Xi Jinping said, "Efforts should be made to further promote trade and investment liberalization and facilitation, speed up the development of port infrastructure and regional and international logistic corridors, and ensure stable and smooth functioning of regional industrial and supply chains". "Ten years ago, I proposed the Belt and Road Initiative, and on its tenth anniversary, China will hold the third Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation," Xinhua quoted Xi as saying. However, India has said that although connectivity is very important, the sovereignty and territorial integrity of all the countries should be respected. "Prime Minister clearly said in his remarks that connectivity is important for SCO member states. But connectivity has to be respectful of sovereignty and territorial integrity. India's position on the BRI has been clear," Foreign Secretary Vinay Kwatra said while addressing the briefing of the Ministry of External Affairs on Tuesday. The summit, chaired by Modi, was joined by Chinese President Xi Jinping, his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin, Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and other leaders of the grouping. India's chairmanship of SCO has been a period of intense activity and mutually beneficial cooperation between Member States. India has hosted a total of 134 meetings and events, including 14 Ministerial-level meetings. India remains committed to playing a positive and constructive role in the organization and looks forward to a successful SCO Summit as the culmination of its Chairmanship. The rotational presidency remains with India until September 2023. (ANI) The suspect in the investigation of a South Carolina house fire where six people were found dead was charged with the murder of his 11-year-old daughter, the prosecutor's office announced Monday. Ryan Lenard Manigo, 33, was charged with two counts of murder and an additional charge of attempted murder of the lone survivor of the fire, a 13-year-old, 14th Circuit Solicitor Duffie Stone announced at a press conference Monday. Stone identified the 11-year-old as Shariah Manigo and the second murder victim as Manigo's sister-in-law, Michelle Marie Wright, 50. "As the two murder charges carry potential life sentences, those must be set by a circuit court judge," Stone said. "My office will arrange those and schedule those through our chief administrative judge within the next few days and we will notify the public of that hearing." Ryan Lenard Manigo, 33, appears in a S.C. court on July 3, 2023. (WCBD) The other four victims who died in the fire are pending identification through autopsy, officials said. Manigo may face additional charges depending on the autopsy results, the Colleton County Sheriffs Office previously said. Sheriff Guerry "Buddy" Hill said that his deputies were called to the house fire in Green Pond Sunday morning, arriving to a residence fully engulfed in flames. The juvenile who survived the fire was found outside the home with cuts and stab wounds, Hill told reporters Monday. The child, who was not identified, was able to give the suspect's first name and was airlifted to a hospital for treatment. Colleton County Fire Rescue personnel investigate the fire in in southern Colleton County, S.C, on July 2, 2023. (Courtesy Colleton County Fire Rescue) Family members were able to help provide the suspect's full name and Manigo was arrested near the residence, the sheriff said. "The evidence collected has been sent to the State Law Enforcement Division for analysis," Hill said. "At this time, we do not have a motive. This is a very active investigation and, as details emerge, we will forward them to the family and the media." Neither Hill nor Stone answered questions from reporters Monday, citing the ongoing investigation. David Magwood told NBC affiliate WCBD that several members of his family were in the house and that his 101-year-old mother was one of the victims in the fire. Magwood did not immediately respond to a phone call from NBC News on Monday. Family members were permitted to speak at Manigo's hearing Monday, according to WCBD, including one who told Manigo will "never be forgiven." "You took away our matriarch of our family," the family member said. "Someone who took you in and fed you just as her own. I just wish you get the worse charges ever. I really wish you death. I wish they give you the death penalty." Manigo does not have an attorney listed for him on court records and remained in custody as of Monday afternoon. This article was originally published on NBCNews.com Thiago Pantaleao; Kim Petras; Janelle Monae Queer music is alive and well in 2023! Thiago Pantale\u00e3o; Kim Petras; Janelle Mon\u00e1e Instagram; Luke Gilford; YouTube Despite the constant attacks on the LGBTQ+ community coming from conservative politicians and pundits, queer musicians have been thriving more than ever and are conquering pop culture like never before. From making history at the Grammy Awards to topping the Billboard Hot 100 charts to launching new supergroups to pushing the envelope when it comes to new music and world tours, we have an entire generation of queer artists breaking new ground in the music industry. Thankfully, in the face of bigotry, these artists are proving that theyre going to keep fighting and taking up space in pop culture no matter what is thrown our way! Scroll through to check out the LGBTQ+ musicians that dominated the music industry in the first half of 2023. Kim Petras www.youtube.com Kim Petras & Nicki Minaj - Alone (Official Music Video) Kim Petras had a landmark 2022 with her featured performance in Sam Smiths Unholy, which landed her first-ever no. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 and also her first Grammy Award. In 2023, Petras is keeping the momentum going with her debut album Feed the Beast featuring hit singles like Coconuts and Alone with Nicki Minaj. Sam Smith www.youtube.com Sam Smith - I'm Not Here To Make Friends Much like Petras is breaking ground for trans artists, Sam Smith is having a huge moment and serving as great representation for nonbinary people. In 2023, Smith released their fourth studio album, Gloria, with a tracklist that includes Unholy, Im Not Here to Make Friends, and Gimme. Boygenius www.youtube.com boygenius Not Strong Enough (official music video) Boygenius is a queer supergroup consisting of Phoebe Bridgers, Julien Baker, and Lucy Dacus. The bands debut album, The Record, was released in 2023 and instantly became a huge hit. While theyre three incredible standalone acts, Boygenius proves how strong Bridgers, Baker, and Dacus are together as a group. Pabllo Vittar www.youtube.com Pabllo Vittar - Cadeado (Official Music Video) Drag superstar Pabllo Vittar released her fifth studio album, Noitada, in 2023. This new projects sound and aesthetic is much more club-inspired than Vittars previous work, with bangers like Descontrolada, A Meia Noite, and Cadeado in the tracklist. Though Vittar is still focused on releasing Portuguese-speaking songs, this queen is once again touring Europe and North America this year. Janelle Monae www.youtube.com Janelle Monae - Lipstick Lover [Official Music Video] Janelle Monae always delivers, and it wasnt any different with their new 2023 album The Age of Pleasure. With lead singles like Float and Lipstick Lover, Monae is yet again dominating pop culture with music that is interesting, queer-specific (but also universal), and boundary-pushing. Christine and the Queens www.youtube.com Christine and the Queens - To be honest (Official Music Video) Christine and the Queens, also known as just Chris, has been on a gender journey in the past few years. In 2023, Chris released a new album titled Paranoia, Angels, True Love, which included two songs featuring none other than Madonna. This album is divided into three parts that go according to the title of the project: disc one (Paranoia), disc two (Angels), and disc three (True Love). Thiago Pantaleao www.youtube.com Thiago Pantaleao - Mente Pra Mim (Videodance) The talented and seductive Thiago Pantaleao has certainly leveled up his career in the past two years, with a 2023 that has garnered him international recognition. While still promoting the album Fim do Mundo, Pantaleao dropped the music video for the Mente Pra Mim single in 2023, which made waves on social media. Kali Uchis www.youtube.com Kali Uchis - Moonlight (Official Music Video) Kali Uchis followed up her breakout song Telepatia with a new album in 2023 titled Red Moon in Venus. This has been another big moment for Uchis, with songs like Moonlight, I Wish You Roses, and Fantasy becoming new classics for the artist. Miley Cyrus www.youtube.com Miley Cyrus - Flowers (Official Video) The eighth studio album by Miley Cyrus, Endless Summer Vacation, has been one of the hottest albums of 2023 following the release of the bombastic Flowers lead single. Other standout songs from the project are River and Jaded, which have been released as subsequent singles. Overall, Cyrus has truly been at the top of her game all year long. Shea Coulee www.youtube.com Shea Coulee - Material (Official Music Video) It was a long time coming for Shea Coulee to release her highly-anticipated debut album, 8 and that finally happened in 2023. The project includes fan-favorite songs like Collide, Your Name, and Let Go, as well as new bops such as Material and New Phone Who Dis? Gotta stan Ms. Coulee! 100-year-old eyesore looms over Fort Worth neighborhood. Residents have had enough The silos in Fort Worths Worth Heights have been there for just as long as anyone in the neighborhood can remember. The structure at 3700 Alice St. is flanked on one side by grass and weeds and trees that have grown tall and thick like a forest. The concrete silos are cracked from times passage. Look close and youll see pieces of clothing, trash and shopping carts on the property. Neighbors dont know much about the structure, but they make one thing clear: The silos are an eyesore, and they dont want them there anymore. City officials and residents have gone back and forth about the vacant property for years. Neighbors think its the citys job to do something. The city pushes the responsibility to the property owner. Tax records show the property is owned by 3500 Alice Trust. Its trustee, James Gislason, cant be found, city officials said. The Star-Telegram could reach Gisalon for comment. Phone numbers numbers listed with Gislasons property records do not belong to him. City officials took a vote in 2016 that would have allowed them to step in to demolish the silos if the owner didnt make fixes or demolish it himself. Besides the general look of the silos, neighbors say they bring trouble. People come to do drugs or drop off cars, and sometimes those experiencing homelessness camp there. Theyre also dangerous. In September 2016, a 17-year-old girl from Haltom City fell to her death after climbing up on top of the silos. The lack of action leaves neighborhood residents stuck. Im all for history, but some stuff is not worth preserving, said longtime resident Richard Gonzalez. That is not worth preserving. That needs to come down. Abandoned silos and grain elevator rise above the Worth Heights neighborhood of Fort Worth. History behind the silos The silos and grain elevator date to 1924, when Fort Worth was the grain capital of the Southwest, according to an archivist at the Fort Worth Library. They were owned by the Fort Worth Elevator Co. The structure does not have a historic designation. The silos history comes mostly from the memories residents carry. Longtime residents Joe Guerrero, the neighborhood association president, and Vicki Bargas, the associations vice president, remember children playing on them when they were young. Neither of them partook in the fun, though Guerrero said his parents were too strict. Graffiti on grain silos rise above the Worth Heights neighborhood of Fort Worth on Thursday. They think the silos may have shut down sometime in the 1980s. Gonzalez, who has lived in the neighborhood for 50 years, said the area used to be country, and when it was, the silos served a purpose. But the city grew, and its now no longer functioning, said Gonzalez, who regularly writes history columns for the Star-Telegram. It needs to be removed. Its just an eyesore. An inquiry by the Star-Telegram in a Fort Worth history page on Facebook yielded nearly 50 comments. People remember the smell, likely yeasty grain that to some smelled more like fried chicken, fried pork chops or popcorn. Anna Ceballos remembers everyone called them the molinos, or the mills in Spanish. Laura Ramon said she used to slide down the nearby hill and flatten pennies on the train tracks that run parallel to the property. Others on Facebook relayed stories of the trucks coming down Alice Street and West Biddison Street and onto the interstate to unload their grain. Trouble on the property In 2016, the property came before the citys building standards commission, which unanimously deemed the silos substandard and hazardous. One member of the commission was absent. It also unanimously voted to give the owner 30 days to fix or demolish the building or face demolition from the city. During that meeting, a code compliance officer flashed pictures of graffiti at the base of the silos, which were surrounded by trash and were littered with urine and human waste. Abandoned silos and grain elevator rise above the Worth Heights neighborhood of Fort Worth. Chirs McAllister, the assistant code compliance director, told the commission at the time that his office had found 78 openings in the structure, including on the floor. McAllister also said his office had tried to reach the property owner to the point where workers were being hung up on and told the number was wrong. At that 2016 meeting, a longtime resident told the commission that since the silos closure, it had become a dumping ground. No one is there to take care of that silo, or watch or make sure that nothing unsafe happens on the property, he told the commission at the time. I dont understand why, but I guess thats the way its done. The resident said the property had been in bad condition for a number of years and he continuously brought it to the attention of city officials. He had seen kids go in there and he had also run them out of the property. He also said that when he called the police to address issues on the property, they often didnt want to go in. That building needs, if it was ever possible, to come down, he said. Because I dont know what you can do to lock it up. The city has placed 94 liens on the property since 2009, according to deed records. The first one, issued in October 2009, was for high grass and weeds. The most recent, issued in March, was for failure to make utility payments. Lack of city response? Representatives for the citys development services and code compliance offices said it is up to the owner to do something about the silos. The City does not own the property that the silos are on, so any future plans would be at the discretion of the property owner, a representative with the code compliance office wrote. Cody Whittenburg, the citys assistant code compliance director, said the city is limited in what it can do because it cant reach the property owner. He also said the funding to demolish the structure is a barrier. The estimated cost? $1.2 million. But if the city were able to secure the funds needed for demolition and officials continue to be unsuccessful in their search for the property owner, Whittenburg said the code compliance office would like to bring the issue back to the building standards commission for another vote. This project is certainly among a list of, as you can imagine, thousands of projects the city must consider as its developing its next fiscal year budget, Whittenburg said. So its very possible that this project will find funding this year or in future years. Whittenburg said code compliance has continued to monitor the property and has worked closely with the police department and fire department to address issues. The city even brought in its contractors to remove lower ladders and cover up access points, though Whittenburg said people still try to break them down. What should happen to the silos? Most come back to one solution for the silos: Tear them down. Bargas said she would love to see the silos converted into something else, like apartments. Gonzalez is also an advocate for new development, like stores or apartments. Thats a monstrosity, he said. Its ugly. I dont know how you can pretty it up. You cant. It needs to be demolished. Gonzalez thinks there needs to be an environmental study due to concerns about toxic elements on the property. Jeanette Martinez, the areas new representative on Fort Worth City Council, said she has met with the neighborhood association about the silos and that she was looking into solutions. She would like to see the silos removed and the land developed, but she knows the cost to demolish the buildings will be expensive. Despite that, Martinez hopes to be the one to get the ball rolling. And until that ball gets rolling, the silos will still stand. The same as they ever were. 12-year-old Iryna Hubarieva has been found dead on the Russian-occupied territory in the village of Respublika, Donetsk Oblast, and the Russian military is suspected of murdering her. Source: Russian Telegram channel Astra; Petro Andriushchenko, Adviser to the Mayor of Mariupol; Mariupol City Council Details: The Mariupol City Council reported that on 30 June, Iryna Hubarieva went missing in the village of Manhush, Mariupol district, after going to meet with her friends. After the search, the girl was found dead in the village of Respublika, which is almost 30 kilometres from Manhush. Quote: "According to one of the lines of enquiry, the girl was hit by a Russian soldier who was driving a car. He put the body in the car and took it to the field, where it was found [later]. There is no official information from the invaders yet." Details: At the same time, Andriushchenko drew attention to the fact that not far from Respublika, there are several large areas where the occupiers are concentrated. Quote: "Therefore, the version of "hit and taken away to bury the body" is, to say the least, absurd. All other versions are much closer to reality," he wrote. The Russian Telegram channel Astra reported that in the guidance published by local media, it is said that "servicemen are suspected to be involved in her disappearance", and a military truck was also wanted. Quote: "All this time, local media outlets that cooperate with the occupation authorities published different lines of enquiry, in particular, that the seventh-grader could have been raped by the military... Today (4 July ed.), one of the Mariupol-based pro-Russian bloggers said that Iryna was found dead. Presumably, near the village of Respublika, where the Russian military is stationed. According to his version, the girl was allegedly hit by a soldier, who got frightened, hid the body in the car and took it to the field, where it was found. He urged 'not to embellish' the story. ASTRA got through to the girl's mother by phone. She confirmed that Ira was dead, but flatly refused to provide any details. The local emergency department also refused to comment on the event." Journalists fight on their own frontline. Support Ukrainska Pravda or become our patron! 16-year-old Canton boy charged with murder in shooting death of his father CANTON A city teenager is accused of shooting and killing his 50-year-old father in the early morning hours of the Fourth of July holiday, Canton police said. Daman Dillard, 16, has been charged with murder. Canton police officers responded to a report of a shooting at a home in the 1300 block of Seventh Street NW after 5 a.m. and found Musa El Bey of Canton had apparently been shot several times, police said. He was pronounced dead at the scene. Dillard was taken into custody at the scene, police said. Further details weren't available. Canton homicide: Man charged with aggravated murder after fatal stabbing at apartment complex Police are asking anyone with information about what happened to call the Canton Detective Bureau at 330-489-3144 or respond anonymously through the Tip411 program or the Stark County Crime Stoppers site. Reach Robert at robert.wang@cantonrep.com. Twitter: @rwangREP. This article originally appeared on The Repository: Daman Dillard, 16, charged with murder in death of father Musa El Bey 17-year-old murder suspect wanted out of New Jersey caught in South Fulton A joint investigation led to the arrest of an out-of-state murder suspect. [DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks] The South Fulton Police Department along with the New Jersey Atlantic County Prosecutors Office announced on Monday the arrest of a 17-year-old wanted for murder. Authorities said police found and arrested the suspect in South Fulton. Police did not give an exact location of the arrest. TRENDING STORIES: New Jersey officials did not go into detail about the murder case. Officials said the name of the teen will not be released due to their status as a minor in the state of New Jersey. The teen is currently in custody and will be extradited to New Jersey. The South Fulton Police Department will continue to maintain a high level of public safety and service to our community and work in collaboration with other agencies to uphold justice nationwide, the department wrote on Facebook. [SIGN UP: WSB-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter] IN OTHER NEWS: The closing of a beloved Dairy Queen near Southern Illinois University sparked uproar in the community and fears for the fate of the companys ice cream-only locations. But a similarly long-standing, family-operated franchise location in the Chicago suburbs and its iconic, retro sign might be safe, for now. The Dairy Queen on Main Street in Lombard still shares many similarities with the walk-up window that opened in 1953. As the Dairy Queen company expanded from its Illinois roots and broadened the menu to include more food items, the suburban location has stayed focused on cold summertime treats. The sign is the same one operator Karyn Kanthacks great aunt bought for $400 on layaway and put up in 1955. And the store has stayed in the same family for 70 years. Advertisement In Carbondale, another Dairy Queen also opened in the early 1950s, and was operated by the same family for decades. But the store closed at the end of May, and operator Mark Waicukauski doesnt plan to reopen it under the same brand. Waicukauski, 67, spent most of his career working at the Carbondale Dairy Queen, after his dad took over the store in the 1960s. He briefly thought about moving to Chicago after college, but couldnt stomach the traffic and number of people. Advertisement He plans to reopen the store as an independent ice cream shop. But in the meantime, the closure drew consternation from devoted customers, who took to local media and social media to express outrage. A petition to reopen the franchise, which has garnered more than 3,000 signatures, highlighted the ice cream stores status as a city landmark, traditional gathering place and heart and soul of our memories. For decades, students at Southern Illinois University have bought their DQ treats and sat on the curb in front to gossip and watch passersby, the authors of the petition wrote. We treasure childhood memories of Dilly Bars, and Mr. Misty, and our very first banana split, bought at this same window. Some of us have returned with our own children and then grandchildren to share our memories along with a Dairy Queen treat. Waicukauski felt like he couldnt meet the expectations of corporate Dairy Queen, and the company wanted consistency among locations that his store didnt match, he said. Much of the menu was geared toward stores that also offer meals, and that didnt work for a dessert-only shop like his. Diana LaVaque gets ice cream with children Leo, 8, and Margot, 5, at the walk-up Dairy Queen, June 18, 2023, in Lombard. (Armando L. Sanchez/Chicago Tribune) Dairy Queen denied any implication that the Carbondale store closed because it did not convert into a full-service location that served more food. Thousands of franchised treat-only locations remain open, the company said in a statement. We strive to maintain the highest standards at DQ restaurants to meet and exceed fan expectations, the company said. We expect that franchise owners will, at minimum, meet our operational standards in restaurant appearance, food and treat quality, and fan experience. We worked with the franchise owners of the Carbondale location to address operational issues over a period of time and, when the restaurant did not meet the necessary requirements, we made the difficult decision to close the restaurant. But ice cream-only Dairy Queens can face challenges operating year-round, especially in northern states, said Darren Tristano, CEO of food industry researching consultancy Foodservice Results. Ice cream is attractive during the warm weather, but winter tends to be more difficult. Dairy Queens expanded food offerings allow it to remain competitive year-round, he said. Ice cream-only locations have benefits, though, he said. They are typically cheaper to operate. Ice cream-focused shops are more specialized, giving Dairy Queen an edge over its competitors among the dessert-seeking crowd. And walk-up windows are nostalgic, which can be a draw for consumers. But broader menus that offer meals provide more opportunities for franchisees to stay open longer and earn more money, Tristano said. And Dairy Queen relies on royalties from franchise sales, meaning there is an incentive to encourage more full service restaurant models. The company also likely has an incentive to encourage uniformity for branding purposes, he said. Advertisement I think when it comes to Chicago specifically, thats a good option for them, he said. Not to say that Dairy Queen cant make it on ice cream alone, because typically thats less labor, less rent, less overhead. Theyre focusing on a good margin product and theyre focusing on trying to achieve sales when rent, other expenses are much lower. In Lombard, Kanthack isnt worried about the future of her treats-only Dairy Queen. She has gotten no indication that she might face pushback maintaining the old-fashioned vibe of the store. She and her family have deep ties to the store. Kanthack grew up working there. She watched the hard work her great aunt put into opening a business as a woman in the 1950s, then the work her parents put in after they took it over. She went away to college and vowed to branch out, but is now running the store. And her teenage sons can often be found working there too by their own choice, she said. The store has created a unique connection between her and the community, she said. Customers who knew her when she was pregnant with her children still come by, and now see the kids grown and working. After Kanthacks dad died in January, strangers stopped by the store to offer condolences. This is the best decision I made because not only am I part of a community, but it means something to come to work and carry on what they started, she said. Advertisement The store is a kind of time warp, but one that also takes Apple Pay, she said. And she isnt worried that shell have to change that any time soon. Were just slinging blizzards over here, just doing our thing, Kanthack said. People get treats at the Dairy Queen in Carbondale on Sept. 14, 2022. (Erin Schaff/The New York Times) The Carbondale stores old-fashioned Dairy Queen sign is already gone, sold to a collector who will keep it in southern Illinois. But the Lombard stores neon sign is likely safe, for now: it has been designated a historic landmark in the village. Some 20 years ago, changes in village codes would have required the 1950s sign to come down. But the villages historic commission deemed it significant enough to protect the sign, and the village historical society also offered an added historic designation, said Alison Costanzo, executive director of the Lombard Historical Soceity. Thats something thats been a mainstay, she said. People take their grandkids, they take their children. Its generational. sfreishtat@chicagotribune.com 2023 election: What Mecklenburg voters need to know for municipal, school board races Candidates running for office in Mecklenburg County in 2023 will begin to officially file for office Friday kicking off a campaign season that will include multiple high-profile races. The filing period opens at noon Friday and will run through noon on July 21, according to the Mecklenburg County Board of Elections. Voters will see races and issues on their ballots in 2023 that include mayor and council elections in Charlotte and surrounding towns and a multi-billion-dollar bond initiative that could fund up to 30 new schools in the county. Heres what to know about the 2023 municipal elections in Mecklenburg County: Whats on the ballot in 2023? Whats on your ballot in 2023 will depend on where you live. Races for positions in the city of Charlotte will be limited to Charlotte residents, while all Mecklenburg County voters can vote for at-large school board seats and on the school bond issue. Charlotteans will vote to fill a number of roles in the 2023 municipal election, the Mecklenburg County Board of Elections notes, including Charlotte mayor and City Council posts. And three at-large seats on the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Board of Education will also be on the ballot. Elsewhere in Mecklenburg County, the towns of Cornelius, Davidson, Huntersville, Matthews and Mint Hill will elect mayors and town commissioners in 2023. Pineville voters will choose a mayor and fill two seats on their town council. And $2.5 billion in Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools bonds will also be on the general election ballot come November. Voters can look up their full sample ballot at ncsbe.gov/voting/sample-ballot. Whos on the ballot in 2023? Current Charlotte Mayor Vi Lyles announced in late June that she will seek a fourth term in office. At the time, the Mecklenburg County Board of Elections told the Charlotte Observer no other candidates had yet launched a campaign to run against her. But that doesnt mean that other potential candidates might not toss their hats in the ring during the filing period. Voters in south Charlottes District 6 will see a rematch of a close 2022 race. Democrat Stephanie Hand previously confirmed to the Observer she will again challenge Republican City Councilman Tariq Bokhari, who also plans to run again. Bokhari won their last race by less than 400 votes. Current at-large City Council member Braxton Winston announced in April he will run for state Commissioner of Labor in 2024. Fellow at-large council member LaWana Slack-Mayfield announced her relection campaign on social media in June. Jennifer De La Jara, an at-large member of the CMS board, said at a May board meeting she would not seek reelection in 2023, QCity Metro reported. Huntersville Mayor Melinda Bales had said she would run for mayor again but then said she would instead seek a seat in the North Carolina House of Representatives. Cornelius Mayor Woody Washam will face a challenge from Town Commissioner Denis Bilodeau, according to Cornelius Today. Once the filing period begins, a list of official candidates for positions on the ballot in 2023 will be available at vote.mecknc.gov and updated as people file. North Carolina voter ID laws In the wake of an April ruling by the North Carolina Supreme Court, voters will need to show photo identification to cast a ballot in 2023. Forms of ID that will be accepted at the polls as long as they are unexpired, or expired for one year or less, according to the State Board of Elections, include: A North Carolina drivers license A state ID issued by the North Carolina Department of Motor Vehicles A U.S. Passport or U.S. Passport card A drivers license or non-driver ID from another state, the District of Columbia or U.S. territories, if the voter registered in North Carolina within 90 days of the election A military or veterans ID card issued by the U.S. government, tribal enrollment card issued by a tribe recognized by the State or federal government or an ID card issued by an agency of the U.S. government or the State of North Carolina for a public assistance program will also be accepted regardless of whether the ID contains an expiration or issuance date. Some student IDs and government employee IDs will also be accepted. Dozens of schools and agencies requested the state approve their ID, Observer news partner WSOC reported, including UNC Charlotte, Appalachian State University, Johnson C. Smith University, Livingstone College and Davidson College. If a voter cannot show photo ID when voting in person, they can still vote by filling out an ID Exception Form, the Board of Elections adds. For absentee-by-mail voters, if they are unable to include a copy of their photo ID in their ballot return envelope, they can also fill out an ID Exception Form with their ballot. When is Election Day 2023? The primary election in the city of Charlotte, which will only include Charlotte mayor and city council races, is Sept. 12. The 2023 general election is Nov. 7. All voters, regardless of whether they live in Charlotte or a surrounding town, will have school board elections and the bond referendum on their ballot. North Carolina voter registration deadlines For most North Carolinians, the voter registration deadline is 25 days before Election Day, according to the State Board of Elections. That means, to vote in the Sept. 12 primaries, you must be registered to vote by Aug. 18. To vote in the Nov. 7 general election, you must be registered to vote by Oct. 13. Individuals who are not registered to vote in a county may register at early voting sites during the early voting period, the Board of Elections adds. After registering, the newly registered voter can immediately vote at that same site. Same-day voter registration on Election Day is only available to those who get their U.S. citizenship or whose rights are restored after serving a felony sentence before Election Day but after the registration deadline. Members of the military and people living abroad can find voter registration information at ncsbe.gov/voting/vote-mail/military-and-overseas-voting. The News Reports that the U.S. is preparing to restrict Chinese access to American cloud-computing software mark the latest development in the escalating high-tech trade war between the two countries. We've curated three expert views on what this means. Insights The frontlines of the proxy war are waged in the cloud. In his newsletter, journalist Kevin Xu writes that the winners on this new frontier apart from the U.S. are far from certain, with a lot at stake. The race to control the cloud isnt brand new to either country. But as the competition heats up, the Chinese internet is largely moving towards networks based in Southeast Asia, Latin America, and the Middle East The market for cloud computing is massive, earning $544 billion in revenue last year. Chinese companies are just a sliver of the overall market, but the U.S. is targeting Chinese cloud computing in part because it believes the global internet should come from what it deems to be trustworthy sources, a report from tech journalist David McCabe noted. U.S. State Department officials are raising their concerns about China-based cloud computing with other countries, confidential sources told McCabe. Tech and supercomputing experts in China argue that the world is reaching the end of globalization. At a recent industry forum in Shanghai, some experts declared globalization dead. Wei Shaojun, of the China Semiconductor Industry Association, said China is the biggest victim of deglobalization, as it had expected to use global resources to expand its tech sector. Know More China has matched the U.S.s pace on tech export controls, and in a tit-for-tat move Monday announced a restriction on the export of gallium and germanium, two minerals key to semiconductor manufacturing. The details of the ban are so far unspecified, but those looking to export the minerals will need to obtain a permit. Outside of China, the minerals are also mined in Japan, Russia, South Korea, and Canada. At least five people were killed and two minors were wounded by gunfire when a man wearing body armor opened fire in a Philadelphia neighborhood Monday, police said. The injured, described as boys ages 2 and 13, were stable at a hospital, Philadelphia Police Commissioner Danielle M. Outlaw said at a news conference. They were both shot in the leg, police said. Two other people had injuries from glass, police said. Mayor Jim Kenney said he was frustrated that mass shootings continue to happen. "This country needs to re-examine its conscience and find out how to get guns out of dangerous people's hands," he said at a news conference Tuesday afternoon. "A person walking down a city street with an AR-style rifle and shooting randomly at people while wearing a bulletproof vest with multiple magazines is disgraceful but all too common situation in America." All of those who were killed were male. Police identified them Tuesday as Lashyd Merritt, 20; Dymir Stanton, 29; Ralph Moralis, 59; Daujan Brown, 15; and Joseph Wamah Jr., 31. They had all been shot multiple times. The suspect, a 40-year-old man, had a semi-automatic rifle, a handgun, a ballistic vest and a police scanner. He also had multiple magazines of ammunition, Outlaw said. She described the rifle as being in the style of the AR-15, a weapon initially developed for military use. He was arrested Monday night, police said Tuesday. He has not been formally charged. Another man was also taken into custody after authorities said he may have picked up a firearm and returned fire. He was released without charges after authorities found no basis that he discharged a firearm illegally, District Attorney Larry Krasner said at the news conference Tuesday afternoon. Philadelphia Police Staff Inspector Ernest Ransom said it appears the man acted in self-defense. Ransom said the suspect shot "aimlessly at occupied vehicles and individuals on the street as they walked." One vehicle that was shot at belonged to a woman who was driving her twin children home, he said. One twin, a 2-year-old boy, was shot in the leg, and the other had injuries to the eye from shattered glass, police said. A 33-year-old woman was also injured by shattered glass. A motive was under investigation. Officers responding to the attack at 8:29 p.m. heard shots and gave chase, and the suspect continued firing, Outlaw said. "He was actively shooting a firearm at the time," she said. He finally stopped when he was cornered in an alley, and he surrendered without incident, Outlaw said. She commended the first officers at the scene. "I can't even describe the level of bravery and courage that was shown," she said. Police work the scene of a shooting on July 3, 2023 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Early reports say the suspect is in custody after shooting 8 people in the Kingsessing section of Philadelphia on July 3rd. (Drew Hallowell / Getty Images) Police found about 50 spent shell casings, Outlaw said. Multiple vehicles had been struck by gunfire. Police believe that all of those shot were either on the street or in vehicles when they were struck, Outlaw said. At this point, we dont see a connection to any of the victims and the shooter, she said. She said police were investigating what happened and why. Police had initially said eight people were struck but later revised the number to six. A seventh person was later found to have been fatally shot. NBC Philadelphia reported that the attack took place in multiple locations. Outlaw said the area covered two blocks by four blocks. Police work the scene of a shooting on July 3, 2023 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Early reports say the suspect is in custody after shooting 8 people in the Kingsessing section of Philadelphia on July 3rd. (Drew Hallowell / Getty Images) Outlaw described gunfire at multiple locations. Officers were first flagged down in the area of 56th and Chester streets, and there had been calls about gunfire, as well, she said. Officers arrived and found people shot. As they were preparing them for transportation to the hospital, she said, more shots rang out from up the street, at 56th Street and Kingsessing Avenue. After police went there, more shooting occurred on nearby Frazier Street, Outlaw said. The foot chase was on Frazier, and it ended in an alley there, Outlaw said. The way it was described to me was that once he was cornered in the alley, the officers gave him commands to show his hands, and they were able to get him into custody without further incident, she said. Police later said a fifth person, a 31-year-old man, had been found dead, according to NBC Philadelphia. The man had been shot multiple times and was found dead by his father inside a home, police said, according to station. Outlaw said detectives were working to "do everything that we can to figure out the 'why' behind this act." Kenney, the mayor, tweeted that he was horrified by the reports of the shooting. "My heart is with the loved ones and families of everyone involved, and I send my prayers to the victims," he said. This article was originally published on NBCNews.com What would the Fourth of July be without fireworks? It turns out much healthier. Studies across the U.S. have shown a drastic drop in air quality at the first rockets red glare and bomb bursting in air. "If you happen to be downwind from a big fireworks event, it is very hazardous," says Paul Walsh, Meteorologist and General Manager of BreezoMeter.com. "Fireworks also release fine particulate matter, which includes something called heavy metals which is really bad to breathe that in." Macy's Fourth of July fireworks in New York. 7 FAMILY-FRIENDLY ALTERNATIVES TO FOURTH OF JULY FIREWORKS Dangerous air quality levels have been found to stick around throughout the morning into the afternoon of July 5th. For most of the U.S., the wind calms down at night as the sun sets. Then the earth starts radiating the heat it absorbed from the sun. The warm air, which is less dense than cold air, rises into the atmosphere as the cold denser air settles to the surface. Fireworks exploding over the National Mall in DC. HOW WEATHER IMPACTS JULY FOURTH FIREWORK SHOWS This is called a temperature inversion. The cold air traps pollutants like smoke and heavy metal particulates at the surface, where we breathe it in. The upper-level warm air is like a lid on our atmospheric pot, keeping everything stable and still. The atmosphere needs wind to mix up the stagnant air or sunshine to heat the ground to get warm thermals rising to improve air quality. WHAT IS A TEMPERATURE INVERSION AND WHY CAN IT LEAD TO POOR AIR QUALITY? New York City, a city with relatively good air quality, on average scores 3,628 out of 6,475 cities, as reported by IQAir.com. A ranking of No. 1 is the most polluted and No. 6,475 is the cleanest city. So, on a regular basis, New York fares better than half the cities around the world, except on the Fourth of July. In the overnight hours of July 4th into the 5th in 2023, New York's Air Quality reached hazardous levels. New York City Air Quality on July 4-5, 2023. Two years' prior, New York ranked among the most polluted cities in the world in the wake of Independence Day celebrations. "(In 2021) in New York City, during July 4th, just after the fireworks, it was the third-most polluted city in the world," Walsh quoted data published by IQAir. "And in L.A., they had hazardous airborne conditions that lasted for quite a while for a large area around Los Angeles. Just even sparklers release toxic gases." The air in Burbank, California heavy with smoke and pollution hanging over Los Angeles' San Fernando Valley. In 2022, air quality officials in the greater Los Angeles area issued warnings ahead of time for July 4th and 5th. "Breathing of fine particulate matter can lead to a wide variety of cardiovascular and respiratory health effects such as heart attacks, asthma aggravation, decreased lung function, coughing, or difficulty breathing and may lead to premature death in people with heart or lung disease," the South Coast Air Quality Management District stated in a press release. SOME 4TH OF JULY FIREWORKS BEING REPLACED WITH DRONES DUE TO FIRE CONCERNS The American Pyrotechnics Association reports that the U.S. set off 50.6 million pounds of professional fireworks and 102 million pounds of consumer/backyard fireworks in 2020. Much of that is caught in the air we breathe. A fireworks store in Indiana. The pyrotechnics are largely made out of gunpowder, chemical colorants, metals, paper and plastics. The firework explodes and releases gasses and fine particulates into the air with smoke, color and noise. Some of the gas and particulates settles back to the surface, or transported on the wind to another town. 10 CITIES WITH THE BEST AND WORST AIR POLLUTION IN THE US Copper, lead, sulfur, cadmium, aluminum, manganese, arsenic, iron dust, strontium, barium, antimony and benzene toluene are just some of the dangerous metals and salts that fireworks release. A pyrotechnician sets up for Boston's big patriotic night. Researchers in India discovered that airborne toxins like particulate matter, sulfur dioxide, nitrogen dioxide and ozone stayed in the air for five days after Diwali Festival fireworks. That level was over 2,800% above the limit set by the World Health Organization. A family uses sparklers and firecrackers to celebrate Diwali, a festival of light. A Minneapolis study showed that particles that can be inhaled and accumulate in lungs or bloodstream increased by 180-600% on the 4th compared to levels of those on the evening of the 3rd. Carbon monoxide levels increased by 32%. THE AIR QUALITY INDEX EXPLAINED A 1975 study published in the National Library of Medicine found a 113% increase in respiratory illness treatments during fireworks. Local air quality officials and the CDC have several recommendations to stay away from the pollution: Sit upwind for the fireworks staging area and allow the breeze to blow the smoke away from you. Watch at least 500 feet away from the show. Try wearing an N-95 or better, an N-99 mask, if you are at the show. Young children, older Americans and anyone with an underlying respiratory illness should consider enjoying the show on TV or through a closed window. Replace the HVAC filter before the Fourth. Run air purifiers on high. Keep your eye on your local air quality levels. Be sure to download the FOX Weather app to track the air quality in your area. The free FOX Weather livestream is also available 24/7 on the website and app and on your favorite streaming platform. The FOX Weather Update podcast also provides weather information for the entire country. 5 people killed, including one kid, in Philadelphia shooting; suspect with 'AR-style' weapon and bulletproof vest arrested Police work the scene of a mass shooting on July 3 in Philadelphia. Drew Hallowell/Getty Images Five people were killed, including a 15-year-old boy, in a shooting in Philadelphia on Monday night. Two other children, aged 2 and 13, were wounded and are currently in stable condition. The shooting suspect is in custody, and police have not identified a motive. Five people were killed, including a 15-year-old boy, and two children were wounded on Monday night after a mass shooting in Philadelphia. District Attorney Larry Krasner said at a press briefing Tuesday that the suspect will face multiple murder, aggravated assault, and weapons charges. A little after 8 p.m. on Monday, police said a man in a bulletproof vest and armed with multiple guns fired dozens of shots. Philadelphia Police Commissioner Danielle Outlaw told reporters late Monday that officers responding to 911 calls found multiple victims laying on the ground in the city's Kingsessing neighborhood, local ABC affiliate WPVI reported. While there, police heard additional gunfire more than 50 shots were heard in total and pursued the shooting suspect on foot, arresting him after he was cornered in a nearby alley, she added. "This male was wearing a bulletproof vest with multiple magazines," Outlaw said. "He also had a [police] scanner, an AR-style rifle, and a handgun." The Philadelphia Inquirer reported Tuesday that the suspect has been identified as a 40-year-old man, Kimbrady Carriker, a resident of Kingsessing. Among the five people killed was a man found dead inside a home in the neighborhood, located in southwest Philadelphia. Police said he is believed to be the first victim. Two children, aged 2 and 13, were also injured and transported to a local hospital, where they are in stable condition. In a statement provided to Insider, the Philadelphia Police Department said a total of six people had been transported to Penn Presbyterian Medical Center, where four were pronounced dead. The fifth victim was discovered in their home nearly four hours after officers first responded to reports of gunfire. Police have not yet identified a motive. At Tuesday's press briefing, Outlaw said the shooting appeared to be intentional, while the suspect fired "seemingly at random." Those confirmed to have died, according to police, are: Lashyd Merrit, 20, shot multiple times in the chest and arm Dymir Stanton, 29, shot in the chest and back Ralph Moralis, 59, shot in the head, side, and buttocks Daujan Brown, 15, shot in the shoulder, chest, and back Joseph Wamah, Jr., 31, shot multiple times Also on Monday night, a shooting in Fort Worth, Texas, left three people dead and eight wounded. The Fort Worth Police Department said 10 of the victims are adults and one a minor. Police have not announced an arrest and said it's too early to determine a motive, according to CNN. The shootings come a year after a gunman fired on a Fourth of July parade in Highland Park, Illinois, killing seven people and wounding dozens more. Have a news tip? Email this reporter: cdavis@insider.com Read the original article on Insider Hong Kong leader says 8 pro-democracy activists who escaped to the West 'will be pursued for life' FILE - Hong Kong Chief Executive John Lee speaks during a news conference in Hong Kong, March 21, 2023. Lee said Tuesday, July 4, that eight pro-democracy activists who now live in the United States, Britain, Canada and Australia will be pursued for life for alleged national security offenses, dismissing criticism that the move to have them arrested was a dangerous precedent. (AP Photo/Louise Delmotte, File) HONG KONG (AP) Hong Kongs leader said Tuesday that eight pro-democracy activists who now live in the United States, Britain, Canada and Australia will be pursued for life for alleged national security offenses, dismissing criticism that the move to have them arrested was a dangerous precedent. Chief Executive John Lee expressed his support for police efforts to arrest the eight. At his weekly media briefing, Lee said anyone, including their friends and relatives, who offered information leading to their arrests would be eligible for rewards offered by the police. The only way to end their destiny of being an abscondee who will be pursued for life is to surrender, he said. The arrest warrants were issued for former pro-democracy lawmakers Nathan Law, Ted Hui and Dennis Kwok, lawyer Kevin Yam, unionist Mung Siu-tat and activists Finn Lau, Anna Kwok and Elmer Yuen. They were accused of breaching the Beijing-imposed National Security Law by committing offenses such as collusion with foreign powers and inciting secession. More than 260 people have been arrested under the law, which was enacted in 2020 as part of a broad crackdown on dissent in the territory, but the rewards of 1 million Hong Kong dollars ($127,600) for information leading to each arrest are the first offered under the legislation. The move quickly drew criticism from the U.S. and British governments, which took issue with the extraterritorial application of the security law. The U.S. said it marked a dangerous precedent that threatened human rights. Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong tweeted that her country was deeply concerned by reports of Hong Kong authorities issuing arrest warrants for democracy advocates. But Lee insisted that extraterritorial power exists in the security laws of many countries. He said his government will not be swayed by comments by overseas officials and politicians. Im not afraid of any political pressure that is put on us because we do what we believe is right, he said. In Beijing, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said China strongly deplored other countries flagrant slandering of its National Security Law for Hong Kong. Justice will never be delayed or absent, she said. The row reflects a fresh source of contention between Beijing and the West over the alleged overseas reach of Chinas enforcement agencies. China was reported to be running secret overseas police stations across North America, Europe and in other countries where Chinese communities include critics of the Communist Party who have family or business contacts in China. Beijing denied they are police stations, saying they exist mainly to provide citizen services such as renewing drivers licenses. Hong Kong Secretary for Security Chris Tang doubled down on the crackdown against the eight activists, saying authorities are seeking to cut access to their finances including freezing and confiscating their assets. Investigations will be conducted to find those who support them financially in Hong Kong and overseas, Tang said. He warned that anyone who assists them in endangering national security may be violating the law. Hong Kongs action did not stop the activists from speaking up. Law, who is accused of foreign collusion and inciting secession, said on Facebook that he was again being targeted by Chinas Communist Party and that he felt the invisible pressure. However, he refused to surrender. All I did was reasonable, justifiable and peaceful advocacy work, the British-based activist said. Mung said in an online interview that even though he is not facing imminent arrest because he is now based in the U.K., he worries that the warrant could trigger some Chinese nationalists in Britain to threaten him. Still, he pledged to continue his advocacy work. The Chinese government is ... trying to spread the fear not only in Hong Kong, but also outside Hong Kong," he said. If we just give up because of this kind of suppression, then it will ... encourage the regime to do more suppression to silence the people." Yam told Australian media that the move was not completely unexpected. The only remaining voices of dissent are now outside Hong Kong, and thats where theyre expanding to next, he said. Anna Kwok tweeted that she would not back down. She reiterated her call to bar Lee, who was sanctioned by Washington over his involvement in the harsh crackdown on rights in Hong Kong, from attending the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation meetings in November in the U.S. Hong Kong, a former British colony that returned to Chinese rule in 1997, has come under increasingly tight scrutiny by Beijing following months of mass pro-democracy protests in 2019. Police on Monday acknowledged they will not be able to arrest the eight if they remain overseas. Eunice Yung, a pro-Beijing lawmaker and the daughter-in-law of Yuen, supported the police move and said she cut ties with Yuen last August. All his acts have nothing to do with me, she said on Facebook. Both lanes of Interstate 82 were shut down between Benton City and Prosser on Monday afternoon and evening as firefighters battled a blaze that jumped the highway and river. The eastbound lanes reopened shortly after 9 p.m. Monday but westbound lanes did not reopen for about another hour after debris from an earlier crash in the thick smoke was cleared, according to social media posts. As of 9 p.m. Monday, about 1,300 acres had burned and the fire was about 60% contained, said Jenna Kochenauer, of Benton County Fire District 1. A fresh strike team of firefighters was expected to arrive Tuesday morning. She said then that fences and utility poles were going to burn through the night, with several haystacks expected to smolder for days. Benton County Fire District 2 Captain Mike McKenna told the Herald earlier that the fire started near Old Inland Empire and Knox Road and was spread quickly by the wind. It jumped the Yakima River and was threatening the four-lane divided highway thats the main westbound route to Yakima and Seattle from the Tri-Cities and a key eastbound route from the Yakima Valley to Oregon. A column of smoke rises from a wildfire between Benton City and Prosser The state authorized help from the Washington State Fire Services Resource Mobilization Plan late Monday afternoon to help combat the fire, according to a news release from the state. Helicopters also were used to drop water on areas of the fire, said Kochenauer. Residents of the area had been told to be ready to evacuate, if needed, but that order lifted at 7 p.m. The cause of the fire is unknown at this time. I-82 was shut down in both directions about six miles east of Prosser. The Old Inland Empire highway in that area also was closed. The confusion on the highway led to reports of wrong-way crashes as impatient drivers tried to find other routes around the blocked lanes. Eastbound was closed at exit 88 at Gibbon Road, and westbound is closed at exit 93, Yakitat Road, according to Washington Department of Transportation. Benton County is currently listed as very high fire risk going into the Independence Day holiday. On Friday, crews battled a large fire just south of Kennewick near Bob Olson Parkway. That fire may smolder for days as it involved a two-story stack of cleared brush and vegetation. Burqa-clad women sit in front of a beauty salon with images of models defaced by spray paint in Jalalabad in December 2021 (WAKIL KOHSAR) Afghanistan's Taliban authorities have ordered beauty parlours across the country to shut within a month, the vice ministry confirmed Tuesday, the latest curb to further squeeze women out of public life. Since seizing power in August 2021, the Taliban government has barred girls and women from high schools and universities, banned them from parks, funfairs and gyms, and ordered them to cover up in public. Women have also mostly been barred from working for the United Nations or NGOs, and thousands have been sacked from government jobs or are being paid to stay at home. Mohammad Sadeq Akif Muhajir, spokesman for the Ministry for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice, would not say why the new order had been given. "Once they are closed then we will share the reason with the media," he told AFP. He said the businesses had been given time to close their affairs so they could use up their stock without incurring losses. A copy of the order seen by AFP said it was "based on verbal instruction from the supreme leader". Beauty parlours mushroomed across Kabul and other Afghan cities in the 20 years that US-led forces occupied the country. They were seen as a safe place to gather and socialise away from men and provided business opportunities for women. A report to the UN's Human Rights Council last week by Richard Bennett, the special rapporteur for Afghanistan, said the plight of women and girls in Afghanistan "was among the worst in the world". "Grave, systematic and institutionalized discrimination against women and girls is at the heart of Taliban ideology and rule, which also gives rise to concerns that they may be responsible for gender apartheid," Bennett said. UN Deputy High Commissioner for Human Rights Nada Al-Nashif added: "Over the past 22 months, every aspect of women's and girls' lives has been restricted." "They are discriminated against in every way." Supreme Leader Hibatullah Akhundzada said last month women in Afghanistan were being saved from "traditional oppressions" by the adoption of Islamic governance and their status as "free and dignified human beings" restored. Akhundzada, who rarely appears in public and rules by decree from the Taliban's birthplace in Kandahar, said in a statement marking the Eid al-Adha holiday that steps had been taken to provide women with a "comfortable and prosperous life according to Islamic Sharia". bur-fox/dva/pbt Albert Einstein wrote to the US pleading with the government to build an atomic bomb 80 years ago. Here's what he said. A composite image showing Albert Einstein around 1939 and nuclear explosion in French Polynesia in October 1971. MPI/Getty Images/Michel BARET/Gamma-Rapho via Getty Images Albert Einstein was famously a pacifist, but he urged the US to develop the atomic bomb. This helped pave the way for the Manhattan Project, which developed the bombs dropped on Japan. He worried Nazi Germany was developing nuclear weapons, but later learned they were far behind the US. On August 2, 1939, one month before the outbreak of World War II, Albert Einstein signed a two-page letter to US President Franklin D. Roosevelt that would help bring the US into the nuclear arms race and change the course of history. Einstein, the famous German-born physicist, was already in the US, having fled Germany when the Nazis came to power. He learned that German scientists had discovered nuclear fission, the process of splitting an atom's nucleus to release energy. The letter warned Roosevelt that "extremely powerful bombs of a new type" could be created in light of this discovery and that these bombs would be capable of destroying entire ports and their surrounding areas. The letter which Einstein would later call his "one great mistake" urged Roosevelt to speed up uranium research in the US. You can read it here, or read a full transcript at the bottom of this article: The letter from Albert Einstein to President Frankin D Roosevelt. Atomic Heritage Foundation Einstein's warnings were read to Roosevelt by a man named Alexander Sachs, who also read out other warnings about such a bomb to the president, The New York Times reported at the time. Roosevelt said, "Alex, what you are after is to see that the Nazis don't blow us up." Sachs responded with a single word: "Precisely." Roosevelt then called in his secretary and told him that "this requires action." Einstein, who was Jewish, had been encouraged to write to Roosevelt by Leo Szilard, the Hungarian-born physicist who was convinced that Germany could use this newly discovered technology to create weapons. Szilard and two other Hungarian physicists, Edward Teller and Eugene Wigner, who were both refugees, told Einstein of their grave concerns. Szilard wrote the letter, but Einstein signed it, as they believed he had the most authority with the president. Albert Einstein and Leo Szilard reenact the signing of their letter to President Roosevelt warning him that Germany may be building an atomic bomb in January 1946. March Of Time/The LIFE Picture Collection via Getty Images Cynthia Kelly, the president of the Atomic Heritage Foundation, told National Geographic in 2017 that while Einstein's famous discovery that energy and mass were different forms of the same thing had set the stage for this kind of creation, "he certainly was not thinking about this theory as a weapon." And Einstein never gave any details about how that energy could be harnessed, once saying: "I do not consider myself the father of the release of atomic energy. My part in it was quite indirect." Einstein's letter had a notable impact: Roosevelt created the Advisory Committee on Uranium in October 1939, the same month he received Einstein's letter. By that point, World War II had broken out, though the US was not yet involved. The committee later morphed into the Manhattan Project, the secret US committee that developed the atomic bombs that were dropped on the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in 1945, killing an estimated 200,000 people. Days after the bombings, Japan informally surrendered to the Allied forces, effectively ending World War II. A huge expanse of ruins left the explosion of the atomic bomb on Aug. 6, 1945 in Hiroshima. 140,000 people died because of the disastrous explosion. AP Nazi Germany never succeeded in making nuclear weapons and it seemed it never really tried. Einstein was not involved in the bomb's creation. He was not allowed to work on the Manhattan Project he was deemed too big a security risk, as he was both German and had been known as a left-leaning political activist. But when he heard that the bomb had been used in Japan, he said, "Woe is me." Einstein later said, "Had I known that the Germans would not succeed in developing an atomic bomb, I would have done nothing for the bomb." He also warned that "we thus drift toward unparalleled catastrophe." UK Prime Minister Winston Churchill, left, and US President Franklin D. Roosevelt meet in June 1942. During this meeting, the two world leaders finalized plans for an atomic bomb. Keystone-France/Gamma-Keystone via Getty Images In letter published in 2005, he wrote to a Japanese friend: "I have always condemned the use of the atomic bomb against Japan but I could not do anything at all to prevent that fateful decision." And he wrote in a Japanese magazine in 1952 that he was "well aware of the dreadful danger for all mankind, if these experiments would succeed." "I did not see any other way out," he wrote. So crucial was Einstein's letter that the investing legend Warren Buffett told students at Columbia University in 2017 that "if you think about it, we are sitting here, in part, because of two Jewish immigrants who in 1939 in August signed the most important letter perhaps in the history of the United States." Here's a full transcript of what Einstein sent Roosevelt: Sir: Some recent work by E. Fermi and L. Szilard, which has been communicated to me in manuscript, leads me to expect that the element uranium may be turned into a new and important source of energy in the immediate future. Certain aspects of the situation which has arisen seem to call for watchfulness and, if necessary, quick action on the part of the Administration. I believe therefore that it is my duty to bring to your attention the following facts and recommendations: In the course of the last four months it has been made probable through the work of Joliot in France as well as Fermi and Szilard in America that it may become possible to set up a nuclear chain reaction in a large mass of uranium, by which vast amounts of power and large quantities of new radium-like elements would be generated. Now it appears almost certain that this could be achieved in the immediate future. This new phenomenon would also lead to the construction of bombs, and it is conceivable though much less certain that extremely powerful bombs of a new type may thus be constructed. A single bomb of this type, carried by boat and exploded in a port, might very well destroy the whole port together with some of the surrounding territory. However, such bombs might very well prove to be too heavy for transportation by air. The United States has only very poor ores of uranium in moderate quantities. There is some good ore in Canada and the former Czechoslovakia, while the most important source of uranium is Belgian Congo. In view of this situation you may think it desirable to have some permanent contact maintained between the Administration and the group of physicists working on chain reactions in America. One possible way of achieving this might be for you to entrust with this task a person who has your confidence and who could perhaps serve in an inofficial capacity. His task might comprise the following: a) to approach Government Departments, keep them informed of the further development, and put forward recommendations for Government action, giving particular attention to the problem of securing a supply of uranium ore for the United States; b) to speed up the experimental work, which is at present being carried on within the limits of the budgets of University laboratories, by providing funds, if such funds be required, through his contacts with private persons who are willing to make contributions for this cause, and perhaps also by obtaining the co-operation of industrial laboratories which have the necessary equipment. I understand that Germany has actually stopped the sale of uranium from the Czechoslovakian mines which she has taken over. That she should have taken such early action might perhaps be understood on the ground that the son of the German Under-Secretary of State, von Weizsacker, is attached to the Kaiser-Wilhelm-Institut in Berlin where some of the American work on uranium is now being repeated. Yours very truly, Albert Einstein Read the original article on Business Insider Allows the community to come together. Traditional events return to Central PA 4th Fest After several years of a scaled down Central PA 4th Fest, crowds showed up Tuesday for all of the traditional events that took place before the COVID-19 pandemic. That means the 4K race, the parade through downtown State College, free hot dogs, performances and more near the Bryce Jordan Center before Tuesday nights fireworks show. Ken and Beth Raney from State College were at the parade in 2019, the last time it was held. COVID had a devastating effect on the community, of course, Ken Raney said. The volunteers and folks who put it on need to be commended for their stick-to-it-ness or whatever you want to call it, he added. Its a great event it allows the community to come together. The community lines College Avenue for the Central PA 4th Fest Parade on Tuesday, July 4, 2023. But Tom and Connie Pattison drove up from Johnstown and said they were disappointed by this years festivities. Executive Director Celesta Powell recently told the CDT that the event featured a smaller footprint due to a sharp decrease in volunteers since pre-pandemic 4th Fests. There used to be stages set up, and a full orchestra back there, Tom Pattison said, gesturing to the far side of Beaver Stadium. Plenty of people were still enjoying food from various vendors outside of Beaver Stadium, taking refuge in the few shaded areas along Curtin Road. Tammy Collins, who has lived in the State College area for many years, said that this year was better than last year. The parade was fun, she said. Her daughter-in-law, Michelle, who was visiting with her husband from South Carolina, said that the parade was nice for a small town-feel parade. I love it, said Shelly Ishler, who lives in Bellefonte. Theres lots of opportunities for food and visiting just like tailgating here at Beaver Stadium! Meka and Ben Hornberger had set up their own folding chairs and said that they were enjoying the chill and laid back nature of the event. It depends on if were around next year, said Meka Hornberger. But well probably be back. One year ago, as families, friends, neighbors and revelers celebrated Independence Day in a relatively quiet suburb of Chicago, shots were fired from above. Within seconds, the scene in Highland Park devolved into something grisly and primal, as parents scrambled for kids and paradegoers ducked for cover. The Highland Park Fourth of July parade shooting marked the deadliest mass shooting in Illinois in the last decade. Seven people were killed and dozens more injured after a gunman opened fire from a rooftop high above the parades main thoroughfare. Advertisement [ Highland Park, a year later: Coverage of the one-year anniversary of the shooting ] A year later As loved ones continue to mourn the loss of those killed in the tragic shooting on July 4, 2022, countless Illinois families have come to share in their grief, learning for themselves what its like to lose a loved one to gun violence. In total, there have been 54 mass shootings in Illinois since that day, resulting in 50 deaths and 225 injuries, according to data from the Gun Violence Archive, which defines a mass shooting as four or more people shot in a single event, not including the gunman. Advertisement In a year span, that equates to approximately one mass shooting every week in Illinois. Browse the map below to see where mass shootings have occurred in Illinois since the Highland Park shooting on July 4, 2022. Hover over each point to see more information about that shooting. Prior to Highland Park, the deadliest mass shooting in Illinois in at least a decade was a shooting at a manufacturing firm in Aurora in 2019. In that attack, a disgruntled employee shot and killed five employees and wounded five police officers. More recently, a mass shooting at a Halloween party in Joliet in 2021 left three dead and a dozen injured and just last month, one person was killed and 22 were injured in a shooting in Willowbrook. Photo Illustration by The Daily Beast / Getty While Americans grill burgers and hot dogs, enjoy a dip in the pool, and await the annual July Fourth fireworks display, I remain happily surprised that this day of communal patriotism is still widely accepted and generally celebrated. To be blunt, it feels like the country is coming apart at the seams and lacking some shared purpose. And Im not alone in feeling this way. About two-thirds of Americans say the country is more divided than usual. To make matters worse, young people are already behaving that way. A Generation Lab poll conducted for NBC News last year confirmed that young Americans are segregating themselves along partisan lines. While this division is playing out across America, it is being stoked by political and cultural influencers on the left and right who, increasingly, have given up on the American experiment and/or reject the founders ethos. Indeed, the one thing that the left and the right seem to have in common these days is a belief that America isnt all that great. Americas Tragedy Is Its Culture of FearArmed With Millions of Guns Many on the left see America as a racist country whose present status is the fruit from the poisonous tree. They want to uproot our history and destroy any lingering reverence for our founders. Many on the right now advocate a different sort of anti-Americanism (ironically cloaked in flag-waving nationalism) that says America is too weak, secular, and decadent to be a great nation. Some even seem to hold authoritarian or illiberal regimeslike those in Russia and Hungaryin high regard. Others believe its high time for a national divorce. To a lesser extent, these same themes are being mainstreamed by traditional conservatives. Consider, for example, Nikki Haleys nostalgic yearning for better times that never really existed. The consequences are hard to quantify. If youre a progressive who believes America is evil and racist, then its laws are illegitimate, and its values surely arent worth exporting anywhere else. (Never mind the fact that this creates a vacuum where the values that get exported come from glorious bastions of liberal tolerance like China and Russia.) Likewise, if youre a rightwinger who believes that the left has taken over your nation, stolen elections, and indoctrinated (groomed) your children, then why wouldnt you support an insurrectionor worse? To those on the left, I would say that America has made progress. We may not be perfect, and we sure have more improvements to make, but we are a more perfect union that we were in the past. To those on the right, America is still the greatest, freest country in the world. And the way to conserve traditional American values is by living your best life and supporting democratic processes and institutionsnot via an illiberal power grab. Contrarian Defenses of RFK Jr. Are Not BraveTheyre Boring These sentiments are unlikely to sway anyone on either side. America faces a serious identity crisis, and there are many reasons we have arrived at this destination. Both the news media and social media deserve some of the blame for exacerbating existing divisions in our country. But I think the primary reason so many modern Americans have proven to be so susceptible to the siren call of illiberalism stems from fundamental values of liberal democracy no longer being inculcated in young Americans via civics class in school. As The Wall Street Journal reported back in May, just 13 percent of eighth-graders met proficiency standards for U.S. history, meaning they could explain major themes, periods, events, people, ideas and turning points in the countrys history. To some degree, this tracks with an across-the-board decline in test scores that were a predictable result of COVID-19 school closures. Regardless, consider the stakes for our democracy. These data are a national concern, said Peggy Carr, National Center for Education Statistics commissioner. The health of our democracy depends on informed and engaged citizens. Principles like the rule of law, constitutionalism, pluralism, individual rights, etc., are not obvious or hereditary. They must be taught, but clearly they are not. The atrocious results predate the COVID shutdowns. According to one 2021 survey, Two thirds of [college] students (66 percent) say it is acceptable to shout down a speaker to prevent them from speaking on campus, and almost one in four (23 percent) say it is acceptable to use violence to stop a campus speech. Good luck trying to persuade the politicians and influencers on the left or the right to start acting responsibly (and give up the votes and the clicks). But when it comes to teaching civics to the next generation of Americans, the good news is (a) this is possible, and (b) some of the work has already begun. What RFK Jr. Doing Shirtless Pushups Says About the 2024 Election I recently talked with Hanna Skandera, CEO and president of the Daniels Fund, a private charitable foundation that is working with the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation to sponsor Civics Bees where 6th, 7th, and 8th grade students can compete to win cash prizes. Skandera, the former secretary of education for New Mexico under Republican Gov. Susana Martinez, sees civics education as perhaps the best way to begin turning things around. Restoring a belief in American exceptionalism and democratic values is not an easy or quick solution, but we have a shot if we can instill the values of liberal democracy in our American youths. We didnt get into this mess overnight, and we wont get out of it overnight, either. This will be a generational struggle that requires an all-hands-on-deck mentality. Otherwise, there may not be much to celebrate next Independence Day. 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. Abraham Accord Arab states seen sticking with Israel despite Jenin violence Israeli military operation continues on Jenin refugee camp in the Israeli-occupied West Bank By Michael Georgy, Lisa Barrington DUBAI (Reuters) -Public fury is growing in the Arab world over one of Israel's biggest military operations in the occupied West Bank in years, yet Arab states which normalised ties with Israel are unlikely to turn their condemnation of the Israeli assault into action. Thousands of people were evacuated from the Jenin refugee camp as the Israeli operation continued for a second day on Tuesday, and Palestinian officials said at least 10 people had been killed. Israel says its army is destroying infrastructure and weapons of Iran-backed militant groups in the camp. The military operation is diplomatically awkward for the four Arab states that have signed peace pacts - known as the Abraham Accords - with Israel, and it makes the already distant prospect of including Saudi Arabia in the U.S.-backed push for normalised ties even more remote. But analysts said economic and trade interests were likely to trump any moral outrage felt in the Abraham Accord states - Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates, Sudan and Morocco. "The UAE and Bahrain see the accords as durable and key to their broader national interests," said Sanam Vakil, Director of the Middle East North Africa Programme at The Royal Institute of International Affairs in London. "But optically, amid the violence, there will be no open embrace of (Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin) Netanyahu and certainly there will be much diplomatic pressure underway to cease Israeli aggression." FROM CONFLICT TO PROSPERITY The United States has been working to further expand the Abraham Accords, hoping that they can be leveraged to advance progress on the Israeli and Palestinian conflict. The hope is also to transform regional conflict to economic prosperity in one of the world's most volatile regions - and although Israeli-Palestinian troubles show no signs of easing, they do not threaten the survival of the Abraham Accords. "The Israeli incursion of Jenin won't hurt the Abraham Accords. It will of course place the relationship under strain somewhat... (But) it will be business as usual," said Neil Quilliam, associate fellow Middle East and North Africa Programme Chatham House. The leaders of Israel, the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain signed the Abraham Accords at the White House in 2020. Sudan and Morocco followed later. Israel, largely cut off economically and politically for decades from its Middle East neighbours, sees them as a way to access new commercial opportunities in the Gulf and beyond. For example Israel has begun cooperating with the UAE in the finance, energy, water, security, technology and other sectors, and in March this year a free trade agreement, Israel's first with an Arab state, came into effect. However, Israel's rapprochement with the Arab states has not been a smooth ride - and it has not been made any easier by the advent of a coalition government under Netanyahu that includes hardcore rightist parties who want to annex Israeli-occupied West Bank land where Palestinians have long sought to establish an independent state. Palestinian officials say they feel betrayed by their Arab brethren for reaching deals with Israel without first demanding progress toward the creation of a Palestinian state. Previously, only two Arab states - Egypt and Jordan - had forged full ties with Israel. LIMITED ACTION The Abraham Accord states still complain about Israeli policy towards the Palestinians whenever violence spikes, but only limited action follows. Bahrain on Tuesday condemned the Israeli assault on Jenin and called for a revival of the long-stalled peace process. The UAE's foreign ministry called for an immediate end to what it called repeated and escalating campaigns against the Palestinian people. Morocco said in June it would delay until after the summer a summit of the Abraham Accords nations it is due to host in protest over Israel's decision to expand settlement building in the occupied West Bank and after an earlier Israeli raid on Jenin in which five people were killed. But it went no further. Israeli hopes of normalising ties with wealthy regional heavyweight Saudi Arabia had already faded long before the latest Jenin violence. Riyadh has said normalisation is not possible until Palestinian statehood goals have been addressed. U.N. aid agencies have expressed alarm at the scale of the latest Israeli military operation in Jenin, while the internationally backed Palestinian Authority said it was suspending contacts with Israel. However, the PA has lost a lot of support among Palestinians and international reaction to Israel's incursion has been quite muted. The United States said it respected Israel's right to defend itself but said it was imperative to avoid civilian casualties. Commenting on his country's burgeoning relationship with the UAE, Israel's ambassador to that country, Amir Hayek, told Reuters in an interview last month: "It's not that we don't have disagreements (with the UAE)." But, he added, it is a relationship that has "passed the point of no return". (Writing by Michael GeorgyEditing by Gareth Jones) Apple is initiating one last-ditch effort to maintain a cut of in-app sales, asking the Supreme Court to hear its appeal of Epic Games' anti-trust case, Reuters reports. Two lower courts ruled that Apple must drop its guidelines preventing apps from including their own payment options, a policy that helped Apple's bottom line. The fight began in 2020 when Epic rolled out a new Fortnite update that allowed gamers to purchase digital coins through a direct payment feature. The move violated Apple's policy that required all iOS games to use in-app purchases and gave Apple a 30 percent cut of the profits. Apple removed Fortnite from its App Store in response, despite its regular status as one of its highest-grossing games. In retaliation, Epic sued Apple to end its "unfair and anti-competitive actions" with the goal of changing its policy versus seeking any damages. The lawsuit was a mixed bag for both parties involved: In 2021, US District Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers ruled that Epic knowingly violated Apple's rules and the iPhone maker wasn't required to add Fortnite back to its App Store. Rogers also stated that Apple wasn't acting like a monopoly but that the company must allow apps to provide their users with third-party payment systems. The change went into effect last year, and the US Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals upheld the entire injunction this past April. In its filing, Apple's lawyers claim that the ruling extends beyond Epic Games and "exceeds the district court's authority under Article III, which limits federal court jurisdiction to actual cases and controversies." Basically, they argue that the court overreached and asked the Supreme Court to acknowledge that and let its App Store go back to business as usual (developers giving but cuts of sales to Apple). One way or another, Apple will at least have to adapt in some countries, with new European Union regulations requiring the company to allow third-party app stores by 2024. Asians who celebrated SCOTUS decision on affirmative action get attacked on social media [Source] The U.S. Supreme Court's recent ruling against the use of race as a factor in college admissions has ignited a heated debate on the merits of affirmative action and its impact on different racial groups. Ending affirmative action: In a 6-3 decision on Thursday, the Court declared that such policies of Harvard College and the University of North Carolina violated the 14th Amendment's equal protection clause. The decision, which is expected to impact campuses nationwide, prompted both celebration and criticism from various sectors. "A big day": Among those who celebrated the ruling was activist Yiatin Chu, president of the Asian Wave Alliance, who described the decision as a "big day" and a victory for equal treatment at major universities. More from NextShark: George Takei responds to RI lawmaker who says she lost 'a black friend' to critical race theory "I told my daughter that today is a big day. Theyve ended affirmative action. 'Isnt it what youre been fighting for?' she asked. I said yes," she wrote. "Racist decision": While Chu's sentiments were echoed by others in the community, several prominent Asian Americans also voiced their disagreement with the ruling and criticized those celebrating it. Former New York State Assemblymember Yuh-Line Niou called it "one of the worst and most racist decisions ever made" in a tweet quoting Chu's post and called its celebration "a look." More from NextShark: Virginia Senate Dems reject Youngkin education board appointee critical of race-conscious admissions Meanwhile, actor and rights advocate George Takei mocked Chu in his tweet. "Congratulations. You have ASS: Asian Sucker Syndrome," he said. Aiding "white supremacy": Other prominent figures who blasted Chu for supporting the ruling include HBO correspondent Soledad O'Brien and The Atlantic writer Jemele Hill. More from NextShark: Student says he commuted by plane from LA to UC Berkeley 3 times a week to avoid Bay Area rent In her tweet, O'Brien accused Chu of "screwing over" other people of color, suggesting that the civil rights efforts of previous generations had paved the way for individuals like Chu. "Congrats on screwing over other people of color, ma'am! (Particularly those whose efforts in civil rights paved the way for your family to come to America!)" she wrote. Hill claimed that by praising the ruling, Chu was unwittingly furthering white supremacy. "Cant wait until she reads that you gladly carried the water for white supremacy and stabbed the folks in the back whose people fought diligently for Asian American rights in America," Hill tweeted. Accusations of discrimination: The cases that led to the ruling originated from accusations of discrimination against Asian American students by the nonprofit group Students for Fair Admissions. In the group's complaints filed in 2014, it alleged that Harvard University and the University of North Carolina are holding Asian American students to a higher standard compared to their Black or Hispanic counterparts due to affirmative action policies. In the majority opinion written by Chief Justice John Roberts, the Court emphasized the need for focused and measurable objectives in affirmative action policies. Police in Atlanta said multiple department motorcycles were set on fire at a training facility early on Saturday. The fire comes amid a high-profile battle over another planned police training facility in a forest on the outskirts of the Georgia city that environmental and racial justice activists have dubbed Cop City, though the fire set on Saturday was at a different police training site. The fire was first reported by WANF-TV. Investigators have not yet identified any suspect or motive in the case. They do, however, believe the fire was set intentionally. Atlanta Fire and Rescue Department firefighters who responded to the scene of the fire around 2.20am on Saturday morning found incendiary devices used to start the flames. According to an Atlanta Police statement provided to the Associated Press, the investigation into the cause of the fire is ongoing. Governor Brian Kemp, a strong supporter of the Cop City project, said in a statement that the fire was outrageous. Those are the tactics of organized criminals, not protesters, and their supporters should ask themselves if they truly want to be associated with such radical and violent people, Mr Kemp said. Working with state, local, and federal law enforcement partners, we will find these criminals and bring them to justice. Mr Kemp did not specify which protesters he was referring to, nor did he provide any context for linking protesters to the fire before any arrests in the case have been made. Tensions in Atlanta continue to run high over the construction of the training centre, which is expected to cost $90m and is being financed in part by the city. Opponents of the project argue that it will have disastrous environmental effects and lead to more militarised, racist policing in what is already the most-surveilled city in the country. The movement against the construction of the facility has grown following the law enforcement killing of activist Manuel Esteban Paez Teran at the site in January. Police said they fired on Teran in self-defence, though other protesters have rejected that claim. The investigation into that shooting also remains open. The Russians carried out 28 attacks on Sumy Oblast on 3 July, with 170 explosions observed, 5 people killed, and damage to infrastructure facilities. Source: Sumy Oblast Military Administration on Facebook Details: Russians deployed artillery (10 explosions) to attack Shalyhyne hromada [a hromada is an administrative unit designating a town, village or several villages and their adjacent territories ed.], as a result of the shelling, Two civilians were killed and one person was injured. Russians dropped two bombs on the Seredyna-Buda hromada. Russians launched missiles from a helicopter (using unguided air missiles) in Myropillia hromada, with three explosions. Russian forces drones dropped VOG grenades (two explosions) and deployed mortars (36 explosions) to attack Velyka Pysarivka hromada. There was also bombardment from automatic grenade launchers (30 explosions), and a fire broke out in non-residential buildings as a result of one of the attacks. Strikes by Shahed 136 drones were observed in Sumy hromada. As a result of the hits, an administrative building and two apartment buildings, seven cars and school premises were damaged. There are currently two dead civilians and 19 injured. There were mortar attacks (24 explosions) on Yunakivka hromada. A local resident died as a result of one of these attacks. A private residential house and an outbuilding were damaged. Russians also shelled using artillery (14 explosions). Three private residential buildings were damaged as a result of one shelling. 29 explosions from mortars were observed in Bilopillia hromada. Russians deployed mortars (four explosions) and artillery (three explosions) to attack Khotyn hromada. There was artillery shelling (10 explosions) on Krasnopillia hromada. Background: President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that the Russians had attacked residential buildings and a Security Service of Ukraine building in Sumy with Iranian drones on the night of 2-3 July. Journalists fight on their own frontline. Support Ukrainska Pravda or become our patron! August trial slated for man accused of killing woman found in burning car at Hope Cemetery Firefighters were called to Hope Cemetery Dec. 12, 2017, after a body was found in a burning car. WORCESTER - The man accused of murdering a Sterling woman whose body was found inside the trunk of her burning car at a Worcester cemetery in 2017 is slated to go on trial in August, court records show. Steven M. Foley, who was arrested shortly after the body of 59-year-old Cynthia L. Webb was found Dec. 12, 2017 at Hope Cemetery, is slated for trial Aug. 24. Foley, a Level 3 sex offender whose record includes a nearly 20-year prison term for raping a college student, has been in jail since police tracked him to a Peabody hotel a week after firefighters extinguished the blaze. Foley allegedly met Webb at a Webster strip club where she worked Dec. 11, took her to his fiancees Northborough home and set her car on fire with her body in the trunk the following morning. Webb, who has been described by co-workers and her son as a generous person who had overcome many struggles in life, was identified by dental records, authorities have said. Surveillance video An autopsy determined her death was caused by "homicidal violence of unknown etiology," and that the manner of death was homicide by assault, prosecutors have said. Foley, who was 56 at the time Webb died, is charged in separate indictments with murder and malicious destruction of a vehicle. Both are slated for jury selection Aug. 24, with evidence expected to begin Aug. 28. Authorities have said that evidence in the case includes video surveillance of Webb and Foley driving in the same car Dec. 11, cellphone and cab driver evidence linking Foley to the cemetery the next morning and evidence of Webbs blood underneath the floorboards of the Northborough home. Authorities have said Foleys then-fiancee was away on business the night Webb died. The investigation Foley was arrested Dec. 19, 2017, a week after Webbs body was found in the burning car, at a Peabody hotel. He had checked in with a false name, police have said, and was found with more than $30,000 in cash and money orders. Prosecutors have in past court proceedings said that Foley had told multiple people he was present when Webb died, but maintained that he did not kill her and merely disposed of her body. Foleys lawyer, Sarah Hamilton of the Committee for Public Counsel Services, declined to comment on Foley's behalf Monday. A spokesperson for Worcester County District Attorney Joseph D. Early Jr. Monday said the office does not comment on pending cases. Foley, who has three rape convictions, served nearly 20 years in prison following a 1985 conviction on charges he raped a Salem State College student. Other convictions on his record include rape of a child with force in 1982 and two counts of indecent assault and battery on a person 14 or older in 2013. The Salem News reported in 2010 that prosecutors tried to prevent Foleys release from prison, arguing he was sexually dangerous, but that the courts ordered him freed. Webb was 'a fighter' Co-workers of Webb described her as the matriarch of Marios Showplace in Webster, where she looked out for and earned the respect of fellow dancers. Her son, Brad Webb, said his mother struggled with multiple tragedies in her life including, before the age of 21, the death of both her father and her husband in the same week. She was a fighter, Webb told the Telegram & Gazette in 2018. I wish a lot of people would fight as hard as my mom did. This article originally appeared on Telegram & Gazette: Trial nears in killing Cynthia Webb; found in burning car at Hope Cemetery (Bloomberg) -- Austrias top energy official has a message to natural gas traders: dont bank on Russian fuel continuing to flow into the European Union via Ukraine. Most Read from Bloomberg Traditionally one of the Kremlins best and oldest gas customers in central Europe, Austria is redoubling efforts to reduce its reliance on Russia shipments, which still cover more than half the countrys demand. Much of the fuel transits pipelines crossing Ukraine, but that could change quickly, Energy Minister Leonore Gewessler said. We have a pipeline that goes through an active war zone, she said an interview. Deliveries could stop anytime. We have to be prepared. Benchmark European gas prices have risen more than 40% since Gerhard Roiss, the former chief executive officer of OMV AG and an adviser to Gewessler, warned early in June that its unlikely Ukraine and Russia will prolong their transit agreement once it expires in 2024. That deal was brokered by the EU in 2019 and theres no guarantee that either Ukraine or Russia will ask the bloc to find a solution, Gewessler said. But even without a transit agreement, gas can be transported, the minister said, adding that the agreement between Ukraine and Russia is only one part of the equation. Austria maintains one of Europes deepest connections to Russian energy. At the height of the Cold War in 1968, it became the first nation to the west of the Iron Curtain to buy then-Soviet gas. Russian producer Gazprom PJSC covered about 80% of Austrian demand at the start of the Ukraine conflict, but thats dropped closer to 50% over the past 18 months. We managed to get the dependency down significantly, but without the question its still too high, Gewessler said. Gewessler, 45, said her ministry will be working at high speed over the next couple months to mitigate the risk of winter fuel shortfalls. Those initiatives range from enlarging storage capacity, to booking alternative pipeline routes and reducing consumption. Longer-term energy security will only come with kicking fossil fuels altogether, said Gewessler, whos also a member of the government team reviewing the neutral nations defense strategy. Conventional war back in Europe necessitates we rethink our security policy in broader terms, she said. We see that energy deliveries have become an instrument in this conflict. And so energy independence and the energy transition become a matter of national security. Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek 2023 Bloomberg L.P. BALTIMORE In the aftermath of Sundays mass shooting in South Baltimore, police continue to search for suspects as city leaders and community members are asking whether authorities properly responded to calls about hundreds of people gathered, including reports about some with guns. Acting Police Commissioner Richard Worley said Monday that the department was too late in having conversations Saturday evening about whether more police resources were needed in the area before the shooting. His comments followed criticism from neighborhood residents and community leaders about the Police Departments lack of presence at the annual Brooklyn Day block party. Unfortunately we didnt get there in time to prevent what happened, Worley said at a news conference. Residents of the Brooklyn Homes public housing complex and surrounding communities were gathered Saturday evening into Sunday for the annual neighborhood block party when at least two people opened fire in a crowd of hundreds shortly after midnight, Sunday, authorities said. Two people were killed and more than two dozen others, mostly young people, were injured. Baltimore City Councils Public Safety Committee announced it would hold an oversight hearing July 13 to examine responses from the police and other agencies to the event, including what agencies knew about the event and when they knew it. Councilwoman Phylicia Porter, who represents the Brooklyn neighborhood, issued a statement in the immediate aftermath of the shooting that said there were multiple levels of system failure from various agencies. On Monday, Porter said those responsible for the breakdown in our security and safety protocols must be held accountable for the lack of focus on sufficient precautionary measures. We cannot allow such a tragic event to go unresolved or forgotten, Porter said. On Monday, authorities asked the public for any information about the shooters police have said there were at least two. Detectives are continuing to interview victims, and police officials said Monday that more than two guns were used. A $28,000 reward is being offered for information that leads to an arrest or charges. Brooklyn Homes resident Iris Henry, who visited a resource fair at the housing complexs community center Monday, said the presence of one or two police cars might have prevented the violence. They shouldve been there, just to have that presence, she said. It should have been a curfew. 12 (a.m.) shouldve been the end of the party. Earlean Alstons children were at the Brooklyn Day party earlier in the evening, celebrating the birthday of one of her daughters friends. Alston said Monday that her son heard the gunshots and ran. The police should have been here, said Alston, who lives near Bay Brook Elementary/Middle School in Brooklyn. They have a curfew for the kids. The city has a youth curfew of 11 p.m. in effect. Officials have not answered whether outreach workers connected to curfew enforcement were informed by the police department of the crowd. Ashley Johnson, a mother of four and a Brooklyn resident, said Monday that the youth curfew isnt doing anything. If they were enforcing any rule, that party wouldnt have gone on unnoticed, Johnson said. Worley said the department didnt know Brooklyn Day was happening Saturday until the day of the event, and that organizers hadnt gotten a permit for it. Last year, Worley said, the department knew about the event three days in advance and was able to create a staffing plan for it. However, the department was aware hundreds of people were at the party at least 2 1/2 hours before the fatal shooting happened, according to police dispatch audio from the Southern police district. Just before 10 p.m., dispatchers said an anonymous person had called about hundreds of males and females armed with guns and knives at the Brooklyn Homes. Someone, its not clear who, responded jokingly that dispatch would probably have to redirect that call to the National Guard, according to the audio. Officers received additional calls about armed people, fighting, noise complaints and a potential shooting, all before 11 p.m., according to the audio. The police helicopter flew over the party and someone on board said there were approximately 700 people in attendance, but that they did not see any gunfire, just fireworks. As far as the group inside Brooklyn Homes, everything appears to be normal, the person on the helicopter said, according to the 911 dispatch audio. (People) just walking around, hanging out. Even if more officers had been present, Worley said, its not a guarantee that the shooting would have been prevented, but its possible a more substantial police presence could have deterred the trigger-pullers. The gunfire injured 28 people, the majority of whom were teenagers. Two people 18-year-old Aaliyah Gonzalez and 20-year-old Kylis Fagbemi were killed. Gonzalez was a recent graduate of Glen Burnie High School, who made the honor roll each marking period this year and planned to attend South Carolina State University, where shed earned a scholarship. At least four other people were in critical condition Monday and a total of seven remained hospitalized, officials said. Hospital officials credited a coordinated response between medical providers and first responders for preventing further deaths. Worley said departmental staffing was not to blame for the delayed response, despite the police unions statement Sunday that just seven officers were patrolling the Southern district due to officer shortages. The department is short hundreds of officers. Officials said last month that there were 338 patrol vacancies citywide, out of 918 total patrol positions that were funded. While one police district alone was not enough to respond to a crowd of that size, Worley said there were resources available citywide. We had multiple officers deployed at other locations in the city that we could have moved there, Worley said. Worley said the department was doing an after-action report on the incident that also would examine why the situation wasnt brought more quickly to department leaders attention. Given the prevalence of guns across the city, minor disagreements or a personal slight can turn into a large-scale shooting like this. This is the concern we all have, City Council Public Safety Chair Mark Conway said in an interview. What do we do about it? How do we make sure the department is prepared or event organizers know how to operate safely in the city? Mayor Brandon Scott said the citys focus should be on the perpetrators of violence, not the events lack of permit or the citys response to the large crowds. He pledged at Mondays news conference to support the Brooklyn neighborhood however the city can and promised to use whatever resources are needed to catch those responsible. When folks have events, we want them to have permits, Scott said. We want to do that so that everything can be in decency and order. But we cannot allow those details to outweigh the fact that we have people who recklessly were shooting into crowds of 100 people who were peacefully celebrating in that neighborhood. Worley, who has been in his role for less than a month, said the department is committed to a thorough investigation. Worley said Monday that police recovered guns from the scene but declined to share specifics. Videos of young people at the block party toting guns were posted on social media, and both Worley and Scott said police were investigating those videos for possible leads on the shooters. While gun violence as a whole is down in Baltimore this year compared with the corresponding period last year, Sundays shooting continues a troubling increase in the number of young people shot and killed. Not including Sundays mass shooting, at least 64 people age 19 and younger have been shot in Baltimore this year, according to publicly available police data. At least 27 young people have been killed. Brooklyn residents and advocates on Sunday also brought up nonpolice resources that the neighborhood needed pointing out that the area has no community recreational centers, little access to family and mental health services, and some of the highest rates of unemployment in the city. Charlene Bowie, a Brooklyn Homes resident for six years, said Monday that she called her granddaughter back inside her Herndon Court home Saturday night before the shooting began. This couldve happened anywhere, Bowie said. When you have a lot of kids together, no structure ... this is what happens. (Baltimore Sun reporters Lilly Price, Tony Roberts and Lia Russell contributed to this article.) ------- What Bay Area congresswoman had to say to Modesto, Merced residents on Senate campaign stops U.S. Rep. Barbara Lee, an Oakland Democrat campaigning for the U.S. Senate seat that will open when Dianne Feinsteins term ends in early January 2025, is spending this week getting to know Central Valley residents she hopes will be her constituents. The congresswoman representing Californias 12th District began her Valley visit with a meet and greet in Modesto and a town hall in Merced on Monday. It often can feel to Valley residents like they get overlooked by elected officials, except during voting season. Lee assured that will not happen with her. When I win, theres no way I could forget the folks of the Central Valley, running statewide, she said in Merced on Monday afternoon. I will be responsible for, and be accountable to, people all over the state which includes the Central Valley. Sitting among the audience of around 60 people, Lee spoke on some of the issues she vows to champion should she be elected to the U.S. Senate: supporting health care and infrastructure and combating poverty and homelessness. She knows, too, that agriculture is a key player in this areas livelihood. Lee serves on the Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration House Subcommittee. Last session, we put in $3 million for farmers disadvantaged farmers, veteran farmers who havent been in the mix and who needed a lot of support, Lee said. Farmers need a lot in terms of access to some of the loan guarantees, the California Farm Bureau, the Department of Agriculture, and so we do a lot of casework with farmers, also. Fellow Democrat Anna Caballero, the 14th District state senator, endorses Lee and was at the town hall to support her. Im on board because it matters to her to reduce youth violence, it matters to her to build up the community from the bottom up, Caballero said. And it matters to her to build peace in our community. U.S. Rep. Barbara Lee, D-Oakland, speaks to an audience in the Prospect Theater Project building in downtown Modesto on Monday, July 3, 2023. Lee is seeking to succeed Dianne Feinstein as one of Californias U.S. senators. The dominant issues in Lees campaign are poverty and homelessness. Californias minimum wage of $15 an hour needs to be the baseline, she said. Working people deserve a living wage and affordable housing another subject she wants to focus on. Lee also said she wants to make permanent the Child Tax Credit she helped put together. Its a comprehensive strategy, to lift people out of poverty, that we have to engage in, she said. And its not only urban, its in rural and urban areas. Lee also demands better access to medical care, and at a lower cost. Healthcare is a basic human right. We have to put more federal resources out to communities that lack access, she said. For the Central Valley, she pushes for more infrastructure. She supports high-speed rail and said she believes the project brings opportunities for small businesses, small minority owners, and veterans, businesses to benefit thousands of workers that have been trained as part of the program. And its one of the few places where people coming out of prison or out of jail have an opportunity to get a good job and training, because it focuses on taking the most vulnerable in our communities, and the most in need of work, and putting them to work. Before heading to Merced on Monday afternoon, Lee spent an hour talking with an audience of a couple dozen people at the Prospect Theater Project building in downtown Modesto. On Independence Day, she will be in Fresno for a series of events and celebrations including a backyard barbecue and a meeting with local Black leaders. She will join Democratic Party leaders at 11:30 a.m. at the Fresno Democratic Party Headquarters, 1033 U St., for a discussion of her U.S. Senate campaign. And on Wednesday morning, Lee will visit the Allensworth Historic Town Site the first town in California established by African Americans in Earlimart. Wednesday also includes visits to Delano and Bakersfield. Visit barbaraleeforca.com for more information. With the latest spinoff, the bad guy on AMCs The Walking Dead: Dead City is no longer Jeffrey Dean Morgans once-notorious Negan, but Zeljko Ivanek, who plays the Croat. Ive taken over the franchise for the moment, Ivanek joked. The characters backstory is folded into the Negan story. At one point I was a trusted disciple of his and fully in the inner circle. He used me for intelligence and as a torturer, and at some point, I just went too far even for him, so I was cast out into the wilderness. Years have gone by and now my character is in Manhattan and trying to establish a Negan-like fortress and community and trying to pull him back into this world. Advertisement This is just the latest iconic show for Ivanek, who is known for everything from Homicide: Life on the Street to Oz to 24 to Big Love to Madam Secretary to his Emmy-winning role on Damages, in addition to his roles on Broadway. Its a memory from his stage career that came to mind when asked about a worst moment. Advertisement My worst moment I was in my 20s and I was doing a Neil Simon play called Brighton Beach Memoirs on Broadway. This was 1983. And one day the stage manager mentioned that Mary Tyler Moore was going to be at our opening night party because our producers had produced a show for her just a few years before. And I said, Please, please, you have to introduce me. Not only had I liked The Dick Van Dyke Show and The Mary Tyler Moore Show, but more importantly when I first came to New York, I barely knew anybody. I was very much on my own and I was very isolated. And one of the things that got me through those first few months was that a local TV station would run back-to-back episodes of The Mary Tyler Moore Show at 1 or 2 in the morning. Zeljko Ivanek credits include "Damages" and "Madam Secretary." He currently stars in "The Walking Dead: Dead City." (CBS Photo Archive/CBS via Getty Images) Not only was it still funny and the acting was so good, but it was suffused with this sense of camaraderie and a sense of belonging. And for that hour I felt like: These are my friends and my family. These people. This world. And I kind of got to end each day feeling a little less alone which is a line Mary actually says in the final episode of the series. It meant a great deal to me. So we come to the opening night and the opening night party was in the beautiful grand lobby of Radio City Musical Hall. And at one point the stage manager comes over and takes me up these stairs and introduces me to Ms. Moore. I dont remember what I said at first. Im sure I tried to say something about how much I admired her, or how wonderful I thought she was. I dont remember any of that. But I do remember the last thing I said. In trying to convey how thrilling this was for me and how much it meant to me, what came out of my mouth was: I can now slit my throat and go to heaven. Its possible I said slit my wrists. Im not sure either one is better. Advertisement And she went from smiling to suddenly having this look of utter horror on her face, as if I might literally do this in front of her right then and there. I beat a hasty retreat and went home and Im thinking, why would that come out of my mouth? I have no idea where that came from. It was just in the moment and I was feeling so thrilled and discombobulated and that was somehow the phrase I resorted to. You get so gassed up to meet someone like that, that your mind is just a scramble. But here was a woman I loved and admired so much and I made her feel terrible. Thats what I was obsessed with that for no good reason at all I made her feel bad. I think there are two or three things total that haunt me that way. Cut to: A few years later, a friend of mine invited me to a Broadway opening. And as it happened, he had worked for MTM, which was Mary Tyler Moores production company, and the company was either a producer on the show or helped finance it. They had organized a small dinner party afterwards for eight or 10 people and she was going to be there. And I was included. We go to the restaurant and were sitting around a large round table and shes sitting directly opposite me. And Im biding my time thinking this is my chance to make up for our last meeting. When we finished eating, the conversation broke up into smaller groups. So I got up and walked around to her and probably kind of leaned down or knelt down, and I started to say, Actually, weve met before. Im the one who, at the Brighton Beach party, said to you, I could now slit my throat and go to heaven. And before I could segue into my apology (laughs) she got that same look of horror and fear on her face with the added element of Oh my god, hes back. Advertisement She was alarmed and panicked, and there was no way I could finish the sentence. And from that moment it all became a blur and I beat a second hasty retreat (laughs). It was just awful and I thought: Oh my god, I have done it again. Tea Leoni (right) as the secretary of State and Zeljko Ivanek the chief of staff in the CBS political drama "Madam Secretary." (David M. Russell / CBS) Cut to: A few years later, I was doing a Peter Brook production of The Cherry Orchard at BAM (the Brooklyn Academy of Music) with, by the way, the one and only Mike Nussbaum, a Chicago actor and one night after the show, there was an announcement over the PA saying that Mary Tyler Moore was at the show tonight and would like to meet the cast and congratulate everybody, so when youve changed into your street clothes, please come down to the green room. Im trying to remember if I was thinking: Oh, here we go again, third times the charm, this is my chance to redeem myself! Or was it like: Oh my god, I dont know what Im going to say in that moment when she sees me. So I went down in the green room and she went down the line and was shaking hands and congratulating people. And she got to me and somebody said, This is Zeljko Ivanek, and she put out her hand and smiled. And I shook her hand. I smiled back. Advertisement I took a breath (laughs) and I said, Its a pleasure to meet you. And the smile stayed on her face and she moved on, little knowing she had just dodged a bullet. And I felt like the curse had finally been broken. I felt relief that she wasnt still living with this trauma. And also because I didnt dig myself even deeper. I think I was just relieved I didnt compound the injury once again. Did Ivanek debate whether to bring it up again the third time? I think I was trying to figure out, how much of a moment am I going to have here? And she was being very sweet to people, but she was going at a good pace down the line and not really lingering. And we were all shoulder to shoulder and the closer she got, I thought: I cant launch into this! But it definitely was a debate for a moment in my head. And I thought, if she comes up to me and doesnt instantly recognize me, the better part of valor is to just bluff it out. Just say So nice to meet you and let it go. Advertisement The takeaway We all think about meeting an idol and I feel like the takeaway is: Be careful what you wish for, because it may turn out that youre the one that doesnt live up to your expectations! Its such a charged situation to meet someone who is so meaningful to you. But also: Theres a time to leave well enough alone and stop trying to dig yourself out of the hole. Let it go. Nina Metz is a TV and film critic at the Chicago Tribune, where she writes a regular series, My Worst Moment. Actors recall their worst moments and how their careers were shaped by them. nmetz@chicagotribune.com New Bedford man charged with accessory to murder after shooting that killed 20-year-old, DA says A 24-year-old New Bedford man has been arrested in connection with a shooting that killed 20-year-old Lorenzo Gomes early Monday morning, the district attorney said Tuesday. Sterling Robinson, 24, of New Bedford, was arrested on a warrant in Fall River by members of the Massachusetts State Police Violent Fugitive Apprehension Section on Monday night, District Attorney Thomas Quinn said in a statement. Robinson is charged with accessory to murder-after the fact. He is being held in jail through the holiday and will be arraigned on Wednesday morning in New Bedford District Court. At around 12:11 am Monday, New Bedford Police received a 911 call regarding shots fired in the area of Tallman and North Front streets. Responding officers were approached by witnesses who reported hearing loud bangs that sounded like gun shots, Quinn said. Several officers searched the surrounding area and eventually located Gomes, the victim, inside his vehicle on Belleville Avenue. Gomes, of New Bedford, appears to have died behind the wheel as he tried to drive himself to the hospital, authorities said. An ambulance rushed him to Saint Lukes Hospital, where he was later pronounced dead. An active investigation into the homicide by state police detectives assigned to Quinns office and New Bedford police continues, Quinn said. This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available. Download the FREE Boston 25 News app for breaking news alerts. Follow Boston 25 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch Boston 25 News NOW Laila Yassine, 17 months, sits on bleachers while holding an American flag during a naturalization ceremony at South Mountain Community College in Phoenix on Tuesday, July 4, 2023. About 100 people from 35 countries officially became United States citizens during a naturalization ceremony held in Phoenix on Independence Day. "I felt it was something incredible, something that I thought was never going to happen, but it did happen to me, thank God, and I hope to work hard to do something here, in this country, for my family," said Angel Mondragon, who received his naturalization during the ceremony, which he had been waiting for more than three decades. "I think it was about time." The ceremony, held at South Mountain Community College on Tuesday, was presided over by U.S. District Judge Roslyn O. Silver, who administered the Oath of Allegiance and welcomed new citizens with a warming speech commending recipients for their new status. "It's a pleasure for me to do it," Silver told The Arizona Republic. "When I look up and see a sea of faces from all over the world, it's heartwarming. It's hard not to get tears." Dozens of new citizens were seen across the community college's gymnasium holding United States hand flags, hugging family members and loved ones, taking pictures with their naturalization certificates and wearing patriotic clothing. Mondragon, a Mexico native, was among them, standing at a corner of the gym while waving his flag and proudly holding his certificate. "Everything was beautiful, especially when you receive this little piece of paper, which many would want to have and are not fortunate," Mondragon said. "Thank God, here I have it." Maricopa County Recorder Stephen Richer was also at the ceremony with staff and volunteers from his office helping new citizens register to vote. "The ceremony is always fantastic," Richer said. "We had 99 new citizens today. It is very special how important it is to so many people and something that most of us take for granted, but a lot people have been waiting for a long time." 'Being welcomed home' Mondragon said he moved to Arizona from Mexico with his wife and his children in 1988, and since then he has been working as a landscaper in the Phoenix area, a job that he said is particularly hard under Arizona's scorching sun. "I came here looking pretty pale, and now look at how tanned I am," he said while laughing. "It gets very hot, but I'm always working hard to get ahead." He said it was a special day for him and his family, adding that he felt this new step was something "truly big," and that he was joyful to be able to celebrate with his wife, children and friends who were with him at the ceremony. Fana Fetur, who came to Arizona from Eritrea eight years ago, said she felt very happy during the ceremony. Fetur started her naturalization process about five months ago and received her certificate on Tuesday. "During the ceremony, I felt I was being welcomed home," Fetur said to her daughter in Tigrinya. "It was very good, it was fun." Fetur and Mondragon also encouraged others to seek information and begin the process to become citizens. "America is good," Fetur said. "They should become citizens because it is a land of opportunities where they can improve themselves." Mondragon advised folks to not be afraid to request information and ask questions about the process at U.S. government offices. "It's not difficult, you just have to put your mind to it and keep moving forward," Mondragon said. "I have friends who, in fact, have already started to organize everything to do it too." Naturalized citizens present during the ceremony originated from Albania, Bangladesh, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Brazil, Burma, Cameroon, Canada, China, Colombia, Congo, Costa Rica, Croatia, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Egypt, Ethiopia, Eritrea, Germany, Honduras, India, Indonesia, Iraq, Jordan, Kenya, Lebanon, Mexico, Moldova, Netherlands, Nigeria, Philippines, Russia, South Korea, Uganda, United Kingdom and Vietnam. A similar naturalization ceremony was expected to be held at 5 p.m. Tuesday at the Mesa Convention Center at 263 N. Center St. The ceremony will be guided by U.S. District Chief Judge G. Murray Snow, and Mesa Mayor John Giles was expected to attend to congratulate new citizens, according to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: July Fourth ceremony in Phoenix celebrates new US citizens A beloved Carbondale Dairy Queen closed. But in Lombard, another longtime location might not face the same fate The closing of a beloved Dairy Queen near Southern Illinois University sparked uproar in the community and fears for the fate of the companys ice cream-only locations. But a similarly long-standing, family-operated franchise location in the Chicago suburbs and its iconic, retro sign might be safe, for now. The Dairy Queen on Main Street in Lombard still shares many similarities with the walk-up window that opened in 1953. As the Dairy Queen company expanded from its Illinois roots and broadened the menu to include more food items, the suburban location has stayed focused on cold summertime treats. The sign is the same one operator Karyn Kanthacks great aunt bought for $400 on layaway and put up in 1955. And the store has stayed in the same family for 70 years. In Carbondale, another Dairy Queen also opened in the early 1950s, and was operated by the same family for decades. But the store closed at the end of May, and operator Mark Waicukauski doesnt plan to reopen it under the same brand. Waicukauski, 67, spent most of his career working at the Carbondale Dairy Queen, after his dad took over the store in the 1960s. He briefly thought about moving to Chicago after college, but couldnt stomach the traffic and number of people. He plans to reopen the store as an independent ice cream shop. But in the meantime, the closure drew consternation from devoted customers, who took to local media and social media to express outrage. A petition to reopen the franchise, which has garnered more than 3,000 signatures, highlighted the ice cream stores status as a city landmark, traditional gathering place and heart and soul of our memories. For decades, students at Southern Illinois University have bought their DQ treats and sat on the curb in front to gossip and watch passersby, the authors of the petition wrote. We treasure childhood memories of Dilly Bars, and Mr. Misty, and our very first banana split, bought at this same window. Some of us have returned with our own children and then grandchildren to share our memories along with a Dairy Queen treat. Waicukauski felt like he couldnt meet the expectations of corporate Dairy Queen, and the company wanted consistency among locations that his store didnt match, he said. Much of the menu was geared toward stores that also offer meals, and that didnt work for a dessert-only shop like his. Dairy Queen denied any implication that the Carbondale store closed because it did not convert into a full-service location that served more food. Thousands of franchised treat-only locations remain open, the company said in a statement. We strive to maintain the highest standards at DQ restaurants to meet and exceed fan expectations, the company said. We expect that franchise owners will, at minimum, meet our operational standards in restaurant appearance, food and treat quality, and fan experience. We worked with the franchise owners of the Carbondale location to address operational issues over a period of time and, when the restaurant did not meet the necessary requirements, we made the difficult decision to close the restaurant. But ice cream-only Dairy Queens can face challenges operating year-round, especially in northern states, said Darren Tristano, CEO of food industry researching consultancy Foodservice Results. Ice cream is attractive during the warm weather, but winter tends to be more difficult. Dairy Queens expanded food offerings allow it to remain competitive year-round, he said. Ice cream-only locations have benefits, though, he said. They are typically cheaper to operate. Ice cream-focused shops are more specialized, giving Dairy Queen an edge over its competitors among the dessert-seeking crowd. And walk-up windows are nostalgic, which can be a draw for consumers. But broader menus that offer meals provide more opportunities for franchisees to stay open longer and earn more money, Tristano said. And Dairy Queen relies on royalties from franchise sales, meaning there is an incentive to encourage more full service restaurant models. The company also likely has an incentive to encourage uniformity for branding purposes, he said. I think when it comes to Chicago specifically, thats a good option for them, he said. Not to say that Dairy Queen cant make it on ice cream alone, because typically thats less labor, less rent, less overhead. Theyre focusing on a good margin product and theyre focusing on trying to achieve sales when rent, other expenses are much lower. In Lombard, Kanthack isnt worried about the future of her treats-only Dairy Queen. She has gotten no indication that she might face pushback maintaining the old-fashioned vibe of the store. She and her family have deep ties to the store. Kanthack grew up working there. She watched the hard work her great aunt put into opening a business as a woman in the 1950s, then the work her parents put in after they took it over. She went away to college and vowed to branch out, but is now running the store. And her teenage sons can often be found working there too by their own choice, she said. The store has created a unique connection between her and the community, she said. Customers who knew her when she was pregnant with her children still come by, and now see the kids grown and working. After Kanthacks dad died in January, strangers stopped by the store to offer condolences. This is the best decision I made because not only am I part of a community, but it means something to come to work and carry on what they started, she said. The store is a kind of time warp, but one that also takes Apple Pay, she said. And she isnt worried that shell have to change that any time soon. Were just slinging blizzards over here, just doing our thing, Kanthack said. The Carbondale stores old-fashioned Dairy Queen sign is already gone, sold to a collector who will keep it in southern Illinois. But the Lombard stores neon sign is likely safe, for now: it has been designated a historic landmark in the village. Some 20 years ago, changes in village codes would have required the 1950s sign to come down. But the villages historic commission deemed it significant enough to protect the sign, and the village historical society also offered an added historic designation, said Alison Costanzo, executive director of the Lombard Historical Soceity. Thats something thats been a mainstay, she said. People take their grandkids, they take their children. Its generational. sfreishtat@chicagotribune.com Photo Illustration by The Daily Beast / Getty / WDIV-TV / YouTube Detroit neurosurgeon Devon Hoover loved to entertain. At his meticulously restored and maintained historic home in an upscale part of town, he regularly hosted opera nights, neighborhood parties, charity fundraisers and even the occasional wedding. In fact, he was so beloved by everyone who knew himfrom his patients, who hed sometimes operate on for free, to the neighbors hed have over regularlythat his best friend, Jordan Medeiros, said he couldnt think of a person who didnt like Hoover. Thats why, two-and-a-half months after Hoover was found murdered in April, wrapped in a sheet and wearing nothing but a sock, those closest to Hoover are starting to fear the police may have got a key detail about the shocking murder wrong from the jumpthat Hoover was shot dead in a domestic incident. When the police say, you know, they think it was somebody he knew, what does that even mean? Medeiros, who knew Hoover for two decades and often vacationed with him, told The Daily Beast last week. I mean, just because theres no sign of forced entryjust because he willingly opened his door, does not mean that it was somebody he knew, like its somebody close to him. Cops found Hoover, 53, face down in a crawl space in his attic on April 23 after his family raised the alarm when he didnt show up to an event. He had been shot in the head twiceonce through the back of his skull, once behind his right earand dragged into the crawl space. Police immediately assured the public that it was likely not a random killing, and arrested a person of interest on unrelated charges five days later. However, the unidentified person was released after five days, and no new information has come out since, except an announcement of a reward for information. In a phone call last week, Detroit police spokesperson Dayna Clark insisted police had to release the person of interest because they didnt have enough evidence to hold them in custody any longer, but she hinted that investigators havent ruled out the person entirely. Jordan is in black (in the back) and Devon is in the center (in white, with glasses). Courtesy of Jordan Medeiros You can only hold somebody for so long. You know, it just wasnt enough. And thats not to say that theyre not still looking at that person, Clark said, clarifying that she didnt know the persons identity herself. The murder case is not cold by no means, she said. If the killer knew him, then we likely know the killer Medeiros, who gave a statement to police in April but has received few updates since, said he personally pressed police to release more information about the killing, but they told him they were holding information back so they could validate witnesses. He doesnt think Hoovers killer knew him at all. If he did, it likely wasnt a close relationship, Medeiros said. Hoover had no known enemies, was single, and was known throughout town by patients, caterers, contractors, and scores of other people hed interacted with but wasnt necessarily close to. Medeiros believes police insisted Hoovers death was a domestic incident to appease the public and prevent panicbut its had the opposite effect in Detroits historic Boston-Edison District, Hoovers neighborhood, which is filled with ritzy homes and, according to neighbors, has very little crime. That fact is even more upsetting because if the killer knew him, then we likely know the killer, Jeanne Wyatt, 75, an old neighbor who remained close to Hoover, told The Daily Beast last week. Wyatt said Hoovers murder was shocking in itself, but was especially surprising because hed invested in a great home security system. Jordan (right in both) is eating ice cream/popsicles with Devon (left in both) on a trip together. Courtesy of Jordan Medeiros Echoing countless others online, she described Hoover as a gentle, amazing man, who put others ahead of himself. At his work, she said, hed convince colleagues, like anesthesiologists, to perform operations with him for free when patients couldnt afford to pay. At home, hed throw extravagant parties for friends and family, and would house charity fundraisers for nearly any organization that askedoften footing the bill for catering, Wyatt said. He was a great physician, a great neighbor, and a really just all-around good guy, she said. All of his patients loved him. Wyatt said shell never forget laughing as Hoover walked his giant Mastiff through his old neighborhoodjoking it often appeared the massive dog was actually walking Hoover. Other times, shed smile and wave at Hoover as he drove by with the dog sitting in his passenger seat. She said shes eager for an arrest and is confident in the cops assessment that Hoover was killed by someone he knew. Begging for answers Hoovers family didnt respond to interview requests by The Daily Beast, but his six sisters made a poignant appeal to his killer at a press conference last week announcing an increased reward for information. You can choose to hide the rest of your life, but were really begging with you to choose the freedom of walking in the light, Hoovers sister, Lisa Graber, said, according to a report by Click on Detroit. Two months ago you brought unimaginable pain to our family when you chose the evil in your own heart over the life of Devon. Jordan (right in both) is eating ice cream/popsicles with Devon (left in both) on a trip together. Courtesy of Jordan Medeiros There is a combined reward of $22,500 for information that leads to an arrest in Hoovers killing: $2,500 put up by authorities, and $20,000 raised by loved ones on GoFundMe. Meanwhile, Clark chalked up polices lack of updates to there not being enough confirmed information safe to release. She said police cannot provide every detail of their probe because itd compromise the investigation. We have to make sure everything is correct before we come out and say something, and sometimes it takes a little bit longer than the public, or even the department, would like, she said. But we never withhold, we never have something and then just say Oh, lets just make the public wait while we just sit here. While hes critical of polices comments about the supposedly domestic nature of the crime, Medeiros said he still supports their probe. He wished more money couldve been raised to boost the reward, but said cops advised him that a growing reward amount might cause someone to hold out on speaking in hopes theyd eventually get a bigger amount. Instead, Medeiros and others who knew and loved Hoover, including thousands of people who joined a Facebook group called Justice for Dr. Devon Hoover, are left to agonize over the mystery, wait for answers, and reminisce on some of their favorite memories. Medeiros said he has too many memories to list, but recalled that Hoover always made those around him smileoften unintentionally, like the time he accidentally used the bottom of his white linen button down as a napkin during a rib dinner in Mexico, not realizing the mess hed made until he stood up to leave. There would always be these ridiculous scenarios hed get himself in, Medeiros said. He was just so authentically himself. 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. Bernard Jenkin with his wife, Anne. He has previously denied attending a drinks party - Alan Davidson/Shutterstock Scotland Yard is opening an investigation into allegations that coronavirus regulations were breached at a gathering attended by Sir Bernard Jenkin on Dec 8, 2020. The Metropolitan Police also confirmed it was reopening an investigation into potential breaches of the lockdown rules at a Christmas Party held at Conservative Party headquarters in Matthew Parker Street on Dec 14, 2020. However, no investigation is to be launched into claims Boris Johnson, the former prime minister broke rules with gatherings he held at Downing Street and Chequers. Sir Bernard, who is a member of the privileges committee that delivered a damning verdict on Mr Johnsons conduct over partygate, was accused of breaking the rules himself by attending an event allegedly to celebrate the 65th birthday of Baroness Jenkin, his wife, despite a ban on socialising indoors in London. A gathering with cake and drinks was said to have been hosted by Dame Eleanor Laing, the deputy Commons speaker. Sir Bernard previously denied attending a drinks party and an ally has said no rules were broken, while Dame Eleanor insists she took advice on restrictions. On Tuesday night, Sir Bernard said: It is not appropriate to comment on a continuing investigation. Johnson treated disgracefully David Campbell Bannerman, a former Tory MEP and ally of Mr Johnson, said: Laing should step aside until these allegations of her organising a lockdown drinks party, allegedly including Bernard Jenkin and Ann Jenkin, are looked into. The Speaker, Sir Lindsay, needs his own inquiry into her actions for the good of Parliament. If the privileges committee were a court case the judge would be dismissed and a retrial be ordered. Parliament has treated Boris Johnson disgracefully and without justice. This inquiry should be called a mistrial and must be reopened. Dame Eleanor made it plain she would not be resigning, saying: As this is a live investigation, any further enquiries should be directed to the Met Police. Lord Cruddas, another Johnson ally, said: I guess they have to remain silent if there is a police investigation, but Jenkin should resign immediately because he is under investigation, and Dame Eleanor should not remain silent about her own position for the sake of integrity of the Commons. Accusations of monstrous hypocrisy Mr Johnson was approached for comment. After the accusations about Sir Bernard were first reported, the former PM accused him of monstrous hypocrisy and claimed he could no longer be considered a valid judge. In his letter to Dame Harriet Harman, who led the privileges committee investigation, Mr Johnson said: If indeed he did attend a blatantly rule-breaking event, he would be guilty of doing exactly what he claims that I did. A Scotland Yard spokesman said: Following assessment of material relating to a gathering in Parliament, the Met is opening an investigation into potential breaches of the regulations at an event on 8 December 2020. The Met will also reopen an investigation into a jingle and mingle party allegedly attended by Conservative Party staff who had been working on the campaign for the then London mayoral candidate Shaun Bailey. It had previously been investigated by police but no fines were issued amid claims that it was a work event. However, a video then emerged in which guests could be seen dancing with one another in front of a table piled with buffet food. Sir Mark Rowley, Met Commissioner, said it told a much richer, clearer story. A Met spokesman said: Following assessment of new evidence that was not previously provided to officers, the Met is now re-opening an investigation into potential breaches of the regulations at an event in Matthew Parker Street on 14 December 2020. Daisy Cooper, the Liberal Democrats deputy leader, said: Once again Conservative politicians are facing allegations they broke the rules we were all asked to follow. Rishi Sunak needs to confirm he will call for honours to be stripped from anyone found to have broken the law. Anything less would make a complete mockery of his pledge to lead with integrity. He should also step in to stop Shaun Bailey from taking his seat as a peer while this investigation takes place. Theres no way that Shaun Bailey should be allowed to join the House of Lords while hes under police investigation. No investigation of ex-PM Allegations that Mr Johnson broke rules with a series of gatherings in Downing Street and Chequers in 2020 and 2021 will not be investigated, the Met said. Scotland Yard was passed information about the gatherings by officials from the Cabinet Office who were going through the former Prime Ministers diaries in preparation for the Covid Inquiry. A Met spokesman said: The Met and Thames Valley Police have assessed material referred by the Cabinet Office regarding potential breaches of the Regulations between June 2020 and May 2021 at Downing Street and Chequers. Based on an assessment of that material and an account provided regarding the diary entries, and also having sought some further clarification, the Met and Thames Valley Police have each assessed the events in their jurisdiction and concluded that they do not meet the retrospective criteria for opening an investigation. The Met and Thames Valley Police continue to reserve the right to revisit assessments in the event that further significant evidence comes to light. A government source said: Civil servants told the police about Boriss diary entries without telling their ministers. Ministers are pleased this matter can be left in the past where it belongs. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month, then enjoy 1 year for just $9 with our US-exclusive offer. President Joe Biden is putting long-time Democratic adviser Gene Sperling in charge of helping smooth the upcoming labor contract talks between the auto workers union and Big Three automakers, a White House official confirmed Monday a looming potential economic headache facing the presidents reelection effort. In tapping Sperling, Biden is putting an economic power player and long-time manufacturing advocate in a position to win over a union that is openly skeptical about the White Houses push for electric vehicles. The effort could also shore up support for the president in Michigan the state where Sperling was born and which played a crucial role in Bidens election in 2020. As a White House point person on key issues related to the UAW and Big Three, Sperling will help ensure Administration-wide coordination across interested parties and among White House policymakers, a White House official said in a statement to POLITICO. Gene will work hand-in-glove with acting [Labor] Secretary Julie Su on all labor-related issues. The official was granted anonymity to discuss a matter not yet officially announced. The United Auto Workers and its new leadership have chastised Biden for steering hundreds of billions of dollars toward incentives for electric vehicles, a policy that the union worries threatens its members jobs. Bidens top Republican rival for the White House, former President Donald Trump, has preyed on those anxieties to court support from auto workers. That leaves Sperling with a full plate. UAWs collective bargaining agreement with Detroits major car companies ends Sept. 14. Should the talks turn acrimonious, a strike could damage the economy and give Republicans fresh ammunition in the 2024 campaign. Sperling has spent months advising the White House, including overseeing implementation of the $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan Act of 2021. He has recently begun incorporating engagement with auto companies and the UAW into his daily role. Sperling, 64, was the national economic council director and national economic adviser to former Presidents Barack Obama and Bill Clinton, and a member of the Presidential Task Force on the Auto Industry from 2009 to 2010. While auto companies received a taxpayer-funded bailout in 2009, UAW leadership contends workers made huge sacrifices to help the industry recover from the recession. That legacy colors much of what is animating UAW President Shawn Fain, who has taken the labor organization in a more aggressive direction since winning a runoff election in March. The UAW cited its concerns about the jobs implications of electric vehicles when it said in May that it was not yet ready to endorse Biden. It represents a blemish for Biden, a self-proclaimed car guy who has fashioned himself the most labor-friendly president in modern U.S. history. Biden has pledged to make half of new vehicle sales electric by 2030. But the UAW has pushed Biden to attach more strings to federal investment to ensure companies that receive taxpayer-backed subsidies provide sustaining wages and better working conditions. The fledgling U.S. battery manufacturing industry key to making electric vehicles and to which the Biden administration has steered tens of billions of dollars in taxpayer subsidies has little relationship with organized labor. The UAW has often referenced a 2018 study it conducted that suggested moving away from internal combustion engines, which have more parts and require more workers, would cost its members 35,000 jobs. Fain last month slammed the Biden administration for issuing a $9.2 billion loan to Ford to build three battery factories in Kentucky and Tennessee, where labor organizing is more difficult. Theyre just raising an alarm, Reem Rayef, senior policy advisor with BlueGreen Alliance, a coalition of labor unions and environmental groups, said in an interview about UAWs recent public comments. Thats all great to put these jobs here. I think what we are hearing from UAW is, That is great, but its not enough. President Biden called on Republican lawmakers to come to the table on meaningful, commonsense reforms following several tragic and senseless shootings leading up to Independence Day. The presidents Tuesday statement comes after a slew of recent shootings, including one in Fort Worth, Texas, Monday night that left three people dead and eight wounded, a Philadelphia shooting the same night that killed five people and injured two children, and a Baltimore block party shooting Sunday that left two people dead and 28 injured. Today, Jill and I grieve for those who have lost their lives and, as our nation celebrates Independence Day, we pray for the day when our communities will be free from gun violence, Biden wrote in the statement. Biden called attention to the first anniversary of last years Fourth of July shooting in Highland Park, Ill., where seven people were killed and dozens were injured at a parade. In the statement, Biden acknowledged Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker (D), Highland Park Mayor Nancy Rotering (D) and other legislators and activists who, following the shooting, took part in the successful effort to ban assault weapons and high-capacity magazines across the state. Their achievement will save lives. But it will not erase their grief. It will not bring back the seven Americans killed in Highland Park or heal the injuries and trauma that scores of others will continue to carry, the statement read. And as we have seen over the last few days, much more must be done in Illinois and across America to address the epidemic of gun violence that is tearing our communities apart, Biden added, urging other states and legislators to follow Illinoiss lead in implementing gun-law reforms. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. Biden likely violated First Amendment during COVID-19 pandemic, federal judge says Biden likely violated First Amendment during COVID-19 pandemic, federal judge says A U.S. District Court judge is temporarily preventing White House officials from meeting with tech companies about social media censorship, arguing that such actions in the past were likely First Amendment violations. The Tuesday injunction by Louisiana Judge Terry A. Doughty was in response to recent lawsuits from Louisiana and Missouri attorneys general. The suits allege that the White House coerced or "significantly encourage[d]" tech companies to suppress free speech during the COVID-19 pandemic. Doughty is barring several federal officials and agencies including some of Biden's Cabinet members and White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre from contacting social media companies in efforts to suppress speech. Google, Meta and Twitter were all named in the lawsuits. EITHER GARLAND OR WEISS ARE LYING IN HUNTER BIDEN CASE: CHRISTIE President Biden in the Roosevelt Room of the White House on Friday, June 30, 2023. The injunction, which was obtained by Fox News, states that the government's actions "likely violate the Free Speech Clause" and that the court "is not persuaded by Defendants arguments," dealing a significant blow to the White House. READ ON THE FOX NEWS APP "During the COVID-19 pandemic, a period perhaps best characterized by widespread doubt and uncertainty, the United States Government seems to have assumed a role similar to an Orwellian Ministry of Truth," Doughty wrote. "If the allegations made by Plaintiffs are true, the present case arguably involves the most massive attack against free speech in United States history," the injunction adds. "In their attempts to suppress alleged disinformation, the Federal Government, and particularly the Defendants named here, are alleged to have blatantly ignored the First Amendments right to free speech." The injunction also claims that "the censorship alleged in this case almost exclusively targeted conservative speech," but that issues the case raises are "beyond party lines." "Viewpoint discrimination is an especially egregious form of content discrimination," Doughty argued. "The government must abstain from regulating speech when the specific motivating ideology or the perspective of the speaker is the rationale for the restriction." COMER REVEALS PLANS TO BRING IN MORE WITNESSES IN BIDEN FAMILY INFLUENCE PEDDLING PROBE The White House in Washington, D.C. The cases could mean that interactions between tech companies and government officials may be significantly limited in the future. Exceptions might include national security threats or criminal matters on social media. The injunction received favorable responses from the Missouri and Louisiana attorneys general on Tuesday. "Happy birthday America. You get your First Amendment back!!!" Missouri AG Andrew Bailey wrote in a tweet. "Todays historic ruling is a big step in the continued fight to prohibit our government from unconstitutional censorship," Louisiana AG Jeff Landry said in a statement. "We look forward to continuing to litigate the case and will vigorously defend the injunction on appeal." Fox News Digital reached out to the White House, Google, Meta and Twitter for statements, but has not heard back. The Department of Justice declined to comment. Biden renews call for assault weapons ban after tragic and senseless spate of July 4 shootings President Joe Biden has issued a fresh appeal for a ban on assault weapons after dozens of people were killed or wounded in mass shootings in the lead-up to Independence Day celebrations. Five people were shot dead and two boys, aged two and 13, were injured when a gunman armed with an AR-15-style assault rifle and wearing a bulletproof vest opened fire in Philadelphias Kingsessing neighbourhood at around 8.30pm on Monday night, according to authorities. Hours later, three died and 14 were injured in four separate shootings in Fort Worth, Texas. Mr Biden said he and First Lady Jill Biden were also grieving tragic and senseless shootings that had occurred in recent days in Baltimore, Lansing, Chicago and Wichita in a July 4 statement. He said it was within our power to ban AR-15-style weapons and high-capacity magazines while also enforcing safe storage of guns and enacting universal background checks. Mr Biden also marked the one year anniversary of a mass shooting that claimed the lives of seven people at an Independence Day parade in Highland Park, Illinois. Police work the scene of a shooting on 3 July, 2023 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (Getty Images) In the wake of the shooting, Illinois Governor JB Pritzker and Highland Park mayor Nancy Rotering had worked with gun control advocates to ban assault rifles and high capacity magazines in the state. Their achievement will save lives. But it will not erase their grief, Mr Biden said. And as we have seen over the last few days, much more must be done in Illinois and across America to address the epidemic of gun violence that is tearing our communities apart. President Joe Biden has once again called for a ban on assault weapons (Associated Press) Mr Biden called on other states to follow Illinois lead and for Republican lawmakers in Congress to come to the table on meaningful, commonsense reform. In a speech to the National Education Association on Tuesday, Mr Biden said gun reform was urgently needed to protect children and teachers. As you know all too well, educators now find themselves in the frontlines of gun violence, Mr Biden told the association. Congress needs to step up, pass common sense gun safety laws to protect our kids and educators, and by the way, arming teachers is not the answer. According to the Gun Violence Archive, 21,782 Americans have been killed in shootings halfway through 2023. The US has experienced 346 mass shootings, when four or more people are shot, and 26 mass murders, according to the archive. Last June, Congress passed its first new gun control legislation in 28 years in the wake of twin tragedies in Buffalo, New York, where 10 Black shoppers were murdered, and the fatal shooting of 19 children and two teachers at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas. By Kanishka Singh WASHINGTON (Reuters) -President Joe Biden on Tuesday said gun violence was tearing apart U.S. communities after mass shootings in Philadelphia, Baltimore and Fort Worth claimed the lives of at least 10 people ahead of the Fourth of July holiday. Much more action is needed to "address the epidemic of gun violence that is tearing our communities apart," Biden said in a statement released by the White House. He called on Republican lawmakers in the U.S. Congress to negotiate with his fellow Democrats on gun reforms. "It is within our power to once again ban assault weapons and high-capacity magazines, to require safe storage of guns, to end gun manufacturers immunity from liability, and to enact universal background checks," Biden said in the written remarks. Biden has made similar pleas before. Deadly mass shootings tend reignite the heated debate over gun control in the United States. The U.S. Constitution's Second Amendment that protects the right to bear arms is a hot button issue for many Republicans, who receive millions of dollars in donations from gun rights groups and manufacturers. The United States has been struggling with a large number of mass shootings and incidents of gun violence this year. There have been over 340 mass shootings so far in 2023 in the country, according to data collected by the Gun Violence Archive, which defines a mass shooting as an incident in which at least four people are shot, excluding the shooter. Biden's remarks come after Monday night's shootings in Fort Worth, Texas and in Philadelphia, that killed three and five people, respectively. A day earlier, two people were shot dead and 28 others injured, about half of them children, in a hail of gunfire at an outdoor neighborhood block party in Baltimore, Maryland. (Reporting by Kanishka Singh in Washington; Editing by Bill Berkrot)